Vol104iss6

Volume 104, Issue 6 Monday, October 6, 2014

McGill THE

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The fight for Justice for Missing and murdered indigenous women continues March and Vigil coverage online editorial page 23

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News 03

NEWS

SSMU building fee passes Bumpy road for Off Campus Fellow Program Third annual Community Engagement Day #OccupyCentral at McGill McGill reveals $15 million surplus Black Students’ Network hosts Ferguson panel Arts Council looks back on Frosh

10

COMMENTARY

Sexual assault at McGill happens to real people Canadian law should reconcile with Indigenous law What Harper says goes

13

FEATURES

Negotiating identity

17

SCI+TECH

The role of religion in science

18

SPORTS

Why McGill Athletics needs better accountability McGill scoreboard

20 PHOTO ESSAY A photo essay of the Umbrella Revolution in Montreal

21

CULTURE

Conversations with the directors of TNC Theatre’s 2014-15 season Reviewing the “Trans Time” art exhibit The Daily’s picks for the Festival du Nouveau Cinma

23 EDITORIAL It’s time to listen to Indigenous women

24 COMPENDIUM! Daily founder talks inter-planetary communication, but really

3 Building fee passes in Fall referendum October 6, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

SSMU to re-negotiate legal relationship with McGill a year early Janna Bryson The McGill Daily

O

n October 1, both parts of the University Centre Building Fee referendum question passed, with a majority of the 4,890 students who turned out voting “yes.” A fee of $5.78 and $2.89, for full-time and part-time students respectively, is now visible on undergraduate student account summaries.

The first question, pertaining to the fee levy itself, received support from 69 per cent of voters. The second question, which indexed the fee to increase at 5.6 per cent per year as dictated by the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) lease with McGill, obtained a “yes” vote from 55 per cent of voters.

The fee levy was introduced to cover utility costs and increased rent entrenched in SSMU’s new lease with the administration, signed last March after four years of negotiations. A similar fee failed to pass in the Winter 2014 referendum.

While the fee was visible on student account summaries as of October 3, its impact will only be felt gradually over the next few weeks.

The SSMU building will once again be open on weekends as of October 18, but before that, there is no weekend access. “The SSMU building [was] closed [the weekend of October 4] because McGill is coming in to do some pretty hazardous construction in the basement (pulling up 60-year-old asbestos), and then next weekend is Thanksgiving and so we’re closed anyway,” said SSMU VP Finance and Operations Kathleen Bradley in an email to The Daily.

As of October 14, the building will be open from 7:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. during the week, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. on Saturdays, and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays.

According to SSMU President Courtney Ayukawa, broader projects, such as SSMU research positions, will have to wait until the new SSMU budget is approved. “Until that revised budget is approved at Council, we can’t start planning any jobs or job descriptions,” Ayukawa told The Daily in an interview.

The revised budget will be

Tamim Sujat | The McGill Daily presented to SSMU Council on October 23.

In an email to The Daily, Bradley commented on the referendum results. “The Executives are very happy that the Building Fee is passed.

We’re all very excited to be able to fulfill our mandate to students, to be able to support more mental health and campaign positions for students, and to ensure the long term sustainability of the Society.” Bradley continued, “In short, we’re glad to be back on track, and are very grateful to the Services, Councillors, and engaged students who took the time to consult with us, learn about the lease and the fee, and vote mindfully.”

Ayukawa also expressed satisfaction with the results of the referendum. “We’re extremely excited to move on with the year and start planning things and bring back a lot of things that we had campaigned on – for example, student research positions and bringing our budgets back to where they once were,” she told The Daily. “And also not worrying about finding ways to pay for rent and utilities that would cut services.”

Impact of the “yes” campaign After the widely noted failure

of last year’s executive to publicize the previous building fee that ultimately failed to pass, this year’s SSMU executive implemented a “yes” campaign for the question.

According to Ayukawa, the campaign helped broaden SSMU’s understanding of student concerns.

“I think campaigning was a really great way to get feedback from people [...] I think, on our end, we really appreciated being connected with everyone,” she said.

Indeed, students had a variety of concerns about the building fee and the lease that prompted it. Along with the implications of re-introducing a failed referendum question, one of the loudest concerns amongst students was with the negotiations that led to the lease.

“I feel like the biggest one was the lack of transparency with regards to negotiating the lease was a frustration that a lot of people had,” said Ayukawa.

“This campaign and our feedback has just really emphasized to the SSMU team how important it is to be completely transparent to the student body especially when it comes to dealings with the administration.”

While Ayukawa could not comment on the lease negotiations, as

ONLINE THIS WEEK: Missing and murdered Indigenous women march and vigil The Porn Event Greenpeace “ice ride” for the Arctic An evening with Janet Mock Students in Mind mental health conference

she was not part of the executive last year, she did note that the 2013-14 SSMU executive released an open letter about the lease negotiations. The letter called on the administration to “demonstrate that [it was] advocating in students’ best interests” within the context of the negotiations.

MOA renegotiation Ayukawa also stated that SSMU is “hoping to start renegotiating [its] MOA [Memorandum of Agreement] with the University.” The MOA, which outlines SSMU’s and McGill’s legal rights and responsibilities to each other, is re-negotiated every five years – this was last done in 2011, so these negotiations are coming a year early.

While Ayukawa said that she and SSMU VP University Affairs Claire Stewart-Kanigan had already met with Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens to discuss the matter, she also noted that “the University, at this point, isn’t even being as willing as we had hoped to open up negotiations with us for the MOA one year early.”

—With files from Igor Sadikov

4

News

October 6, 2014 The McGill Daily | www.mcgilldaily.com

Off Campus Fellow Program sees budget cuts Program continues despite difficulties Gavin Boutroy News Writer

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A

fter a period of uncertainty about its future, the Off Campus Fellow Program (OCF) was renewed for the 2014-15 school year, having undergone restructuring and cuts to its funding. The program, created in 2010, offers events, information, and support to firstyear students living off campus.

For the last four years, OCF has been run under Rez Life by Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS). This spring, however, there was much uncertainty about the future of the program. “It wasn’t apparent to me that the program was still going to happen until I was offered the job I’m currently in,� said Alice Feldman, who was an off-campus fellow last year and became the program coordinator this year, in an interview with The Daily.

Feldman explained that it was established that OCF fit neither under SHHS nor Rez Life, and other affiliation options were considered.

According to Feldman, Campus Life & Engagement would have been willing to integrate OCF into its services, but had already allocated all of its budget.

OCF was finally classified under the general umbrella of Student Services, but suffered budget cuts that caused a reduction in staff this year from four off-campus fellows to two. “[McGill] settled on the lowest budget that this program could possibly feasibly exist on,� said Feldman.

While Feldman was hired for the student program coordinator position, the supervisor position was left vacant over the summer. The vacancy created a difficult situation, as the program coordinator only had limited administrative access.

Feldman identified the loss of simple administrative access as a serious obstacle. “It’s quite impossible for me to do this job,� Feldman told The Daily in an interview. “They placed me in a very tricky position where I don’t have the administrative access I need in order to do this job effectively. I do not have access to our funding because I’m only a student coordinator, I’m not the supervisor of the program; I don’t have access to any of the institutional memory.�

A supervisor was hired at the end of September, only after what

Living off campus.

Tamim Sujat | The McGill Daily

Feldman identified as a crucial period for the program. “It’s really during the first three weeks [that] students have the most difficulty adjusting,� said Feldman.

Prior to the hiring of the supervisor, OCF events were organized and run by only three staffers, including the Off-Campus Fest, which is a day-long event that takes place during Orientation Week and is attended by 1,000 students. The hiring of a supervisor should remedy future administrative issues, but will not alleviate the workload of the off-campus fellows, according to Feldman. “We have two fellows for a group of thirty students; last year we would always have four,� said Feldman. “It is just unfair to the students; we don’t have the manpower to actively engage with them.�

In an interview with The Daily, off-campus fellow Adam Li also identified inadequate staffing as a source of concern, noting that offcampus fellows are meant to be resources to the student body rather than administrators. “It hasn’t been too bad – it’s just been a staffing issue,� said Li. Teo Baranga, a U1 Science student, expressed appreciation for the off-campus fellows’ work in an email to The Daily. “The Off-Campus Fest was awesome and it was a great way to meet new people,� said Baranga. “I also loved the pub crawl that they organized recently.�

Baranga also noted the importance of the program for building community among off-campus students and as a resource. “I was actually looking for a barbershop, so I went on OCF’s Facebook page and somebody was looking for the same

thing, and people were really helpful and suggested a bunch of places,� Baranga said.

Yet, according to Feldman, the administration is reticent to support the program. “The University has not made an effort to actively integrate this program into their structure,� she said. “I think that McGill is going to try to make an effort in the future to promote commuter student life and engagement in the community.

They’re just not sure if this program is the most successful way of doing that,� added Feldman. “I get the impression they’re trying to weed it out in order to let something bigger emerge.�

Whatever McGill’s future plans for the program, it prominently advertised Off-Campus Fest as the off-campus alternative to Rez Fest. “If you click on the Orientation Week website, five things will pop up at you: Discover McGill, Frosh, Rez Fest, Off-Campus Fest, Engage McGill,� noted Feldman. The event quickly reached its capacity of 1,000 attendees – more than double last year’s attendance of 450.

Feldman highlighted the important role that OCF plays in student life. “We really try to have as many relationships with the students as floor fellows have [in residence].

We are trained: sensitivity training, depression training, the whole shebang,� said Feldman. “[Offcampus students also] need a supporting shoulder, someone to hear them out.�

Executive Director of Student Services Jana Luker and Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens could not be reached for comment by press time.

News

October 6, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

5

Community Engagement Day looks to foster lasting relationships Students, local organizers express positive feedback Jill Bachelder The McGill Daily

L

ast Thursday was the third annual Community Engagement Day (CED), organized by the Social Equity and Diversity Education office (SEDE). From September 29 to October 9, workshops and volunteering opportunities were hosted by forty different organizations based throughout the Montreal community, with the majority of events happening on October 2.

CED was founded with the intention of giving McGill students the opportunity to form stronger ties with the local community. On top of SEDE funding, CED receives funding from the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS), the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU), the Provost’s office, the McGill bookstore, and Student Housing and Hospitality Services, according to CED Program Coordinator Adam Finley.

Finley and CED Communications Coordinator Lina MartinChan said that the goals of CED this year lay more in creating a meaningful experience for volunteers more than in getting a large number of participants.

“We didn’t go for numbers this year, we went for small, intentionally good, meaningful activities,” Finley told The Daily.

“We had a general anxiety about the existence of this project as a ‘day,’” said Martin-Chan. “We were really nervous that these relationships that we [facilitated] wouldn’t be long-term or sustainable, and that took up a large part of our energy thinking about that, and what that would mean, and how we can kind of prevent those one-off [voluntourist-y things].”

Finley and Martin-Chan said that this year CED saw much more staff participation than in previous years, due to help from the administration. Finley said that VP (Administration and Finance) Michael Di Grappa sent out a mass email encouraging employers to let their staff take the day off and go to CED, and that one employer at the Comparative Medicine and Animal Resources Centre made a point of taking most of his employees to attend some events.

A variety of workshops throughout the Montreal community Lucie Lastinger, a U1 Anthropology and Women’s Studies student, attended a workshop hosted by the Monster Academy, a working group of the Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG) McGill. The workshop focussed on a discussion of beauty and the relationship between body image and mental health.

“We talked about beauty being a value in our culture and how that relates to capitalism, and how if you are a beautiful person then you are deemed more valuable and therefore ‘better’ in our capitalist society,” Lastinger told The Daily. She added that she really enjoyed the workshop, and that her fellow participants were engaged and thoughtful about the issues discussed.

Aimee Lowe, an organizer from Accessibilize Montreal, explained how she designed her workshop.

“When Adam, the organizer of Community Engagement Day, approached us, he asked us to think of an activity that would help educate new volunteers but that would also be productive and helpful for our movement,” she told The Daily.

Participants in the Accessibilize

Community Engagement Day registration tent. workshop were instructed to venture out into the community and collect information on local venues for a new app that Accessibilize Montreal is currently promoting, called “AXS Map.” Volunteers were instructed to visit the venues that McGill students usually frequent, such as bars and cafes near campus, and to see whether or not they had any accessibility issues.

“Some people were really surprised that the staff where they went were not interested in helping at all, or were not interested in talking about accessibility,” said Lowe.

The Benedict Labre House, a centre that provides free food, clothing, and showers to people who are homeless, hosted two events. The first allowed volunteers

to come work on repairs and paint murals around the House, and the second was a cooking workshop organized by Midnight Kitchen.

“We were hoping to attract students to the House for them to discover a new volunteering experience, as well as to invite our guests (that’s how we call our clients) to participate in the activities,” wrote Karine Projean, Communication and Liaison Agent at the House, in an email to The Daily. “While the student involvement was great, unfortunately our guests didn’t participate as much as we would have wished, especially in the Midnight Kitchen workshop.”

Reactions to CED “I think CED is really awesome

Daniel Kent | Photographer because it provides a really [...] accessible way for students at McGill to get out of McGill and to learn about programs that are happening [...] outside of the McGill bubble,” said Lastinger.

Lastinger noted however that she was surprised the event was in a workshop format, instead of a more hands-on volunteering experience.

Lowe had no criticisms of CED, saying that she really appreciated having access to such a wide variety of volunteers without having to spend energy recruiting, and that she never ran into any problems communicating with the organizers. Projean also said that she was very happy with the organization from SEDE and had a very good experience.

Head coach resigns over University response to charges against athlete University to proceed with varsity participation regulatory review Janna Bryson The McGill Daily

O

n September 30, Redmen football head coach Clint Uttley announced his resignation. The move was a response to a statement released on September 26 by Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens that addressed the recent domestic violence-related charges

filed against player Luis-Andres Guimont-Mota and called for a reevaluation of regulations for varsity sports participation.

Guimont-Mota was arrested on charges of uttering threats and assault on September 24, and was suspended from the team the same day. He was also convicted of aggravated assault after an incident in May 2010, and served an intermittent ninety-day sentence on

Sundays only so as not to interfere with football training and practice.

Uttley, who has occupied the head coach position since 2011 and holds a Masters of Education in Inclusive Education, said in a statement that the University’s response, particularly the assertion that Guimont-Mota should not have been offered a place on the team in the first place, did not align with his personal beliefs

and values.

“I believe in rehabilitation. The student athlete accepted his conviction and did his punishment, a fact that was not hidden from the University. At the time of his arrival, the University tolerated and accepted his presence and then proceeded to celebrate his accomplishments thereafter,” read Uttley’s statement.

“I cannot work for an organiza-

tion that does not embrace equity and inclusiveness. Post-secondary education should be accessible for all, not just the ones’ who have no known incidences.”

The University accepted Uttley’s resignation and confirmed that the regulation review will proceed.

This article is an updated version of one that was previously published donline.

6

News

October 6, 2014 The McGill Daily | www.mcgilldaily.com

Occupy Central comes to McGill Students and community members rally in support of Hong Kong student protests Yiu-Sing Lau News Writer

I

n support of the Occupy Central campaign, over 100 attendees gathered outside the McConnell Engineering building in solidarity with student protesters in Hong Kong. The event was hosted

by QPIRG McGill and students Michael Law, Elliot Tan, Ailisha Macharia, and Cathy Wong.

The rally kicked off around 2 p.m., as demonstrators began to assemble, many sporting a yellow ribbon – the symbol of global solidarity with the protesters in Hong Kong. All of the speakers were unanimous in their support for Hong Kong’s fight for democracy and against police violence.

“A few days ago in Hong Kong, students went down the streets [...] they’re protesting against the Chinese government’s recent decision to undermine Hong Kong’s democracy by stating that the candidates that they would vote on in 2017 must be approved by Beijing prior to the election,” said Law. “That’s not how democracy works.”

The “umbrella revolution” In 2013, the Occupy Central movement was founded by Benny Tai Yiu-ting, an associate law professor at the University of Hong Kong.

Dubbed the “umbrella revolution,” referring to protesters’ use of umbrellas to guard against the police’s use of pepper spray, the pro-

“Embracing freedom in the midst of turmoil.” tests in Hong Kong can trace their roots to the years of anger Hong Kongers hold against their Chinese-appointed government, undemocratically elected by partial suffrage. The city’s wealth dispar-

ity and ever-rising living costs have been another source of discontent.

However, the spark that catalyzed this built-up tension came from Beijing. In June, the Chinese central government released

Hera Chan | The McGill Daily

Hera Chan | The McGill Daily a white paper asserting “comprehensive jurisdiction” over the city and making alarming statements such as the requirement that judges be “patriotic.”

The last nail on the coffin was hammered in on August 31, when Beijing declared its decision on electoral reform for the election of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong in 2017, effectively blocking all candidates except those pre-approved by the central government.

In response, university and secondary school student associations started a city-wide boycott of class on September 22, triggering a series of sit-ins and protests that steadily escalated into physical confrontations with the police. This culminated in clashes between protesters and the police on the grounds of the government headquarters.

Riding on the popularity of the student protests, Tai announced the start of the Occupy Central protests on September 28. In the ensuing conflicts, the use of force by the Hong Kong police peaked when tear gas was fired into protesting crowds and gave rise to photos such as that of the “Umbrella Man,” which circulated widely on social media.

Montreal stands in solidarity Vincent Tao, a member of No One is Illegal Toronto, spoke to the deep emotional impact of seeing fellow Hong Kongers protest in the streets.

“I am the son of Hong Kongers [...] so I cannot begin to describe the complicated feelings of longing and belonging I felt when I first saw the images of Victoria Square filled with people my age marching for what they believe in,” he told the crowd.

“We recognize that an empowered people will empower others.

And a freed people will free others. And democracy is contagious,” said Law. Following the speeches made by the organizers of the protest, a petition was made available for attendees to sign in support of Occupy Central. It will eventually be delivered to the Consulate of China in Montreal.

Hui Peng, who came to Canada a year and a half ago from mainland China, compared the Occupy Central movement to past political protests. “This is really similar to what happened in China 25 years ago, (Continued on page 7)

News

October 6, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

7

McGill ends financial year with $15 million surplus Upcoming 2014-15 budget deficit discussed at Board of Governors Igor Sadikov The McGill Daily

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cGill ran an operating surplus of over $15 million in the 2013-14 academic year, Vice-Principal (Administration and Finance) Michael Di Grappa informed the McGill Board of Governors (BoG) at its first meeting of the year on October 2. The BoG – the highest governing body of the university, whose 25 voting members include two students – also approved a new gift acceptance policy and discussed contract compliance.

Financial statements and government funding Presenting the audited 2013-14 financial statements to the BoG, Di Grappa said that McGill ran an operating surplus of over $15 million last year, instead of a projected operating deficit of about $10 million. Di Grappa explained that the difference of $26.4 million was due to a reduction in pension plan liabilities – due to additional contributions made by employees, as well as favourable market conditions – and to an increase in revenues from the provincial government following a recalculation of

enrollment numbers.

“This was not something that was foreseeable to us,” said Di Grappa.

Di Grappa also noted that the University saw a $19.5 million increase in accounts payable due to pay equity payouts. The University also retains an accumulated financial deficit of $96 million, as well as $835 million in deferred maintenance costs, according to a 2007 estimate.

According to BoG Chair Stuart “Kip” Cobbett, the surplus is not an indication that McGill is in a healthy financial situation. “We’re as deep in the woods as we ever were,” he said.

In her opening remarks, Principal Suzanne Fortier informed the BoG that the University has received details about provincial funding for the 2014-15 academic year. Fortier said that the funding will amount to around $340 million, a substantial decrease from last year’s $359 million.

Fortier said that even though the administration had foreseen lower funding than was announced by the previous provincial government in March, the final numbers were even lower than anticipated. There is cur-

rently a projected deficit of $20 million in this year’s budget.

“We had prepared our budget in a careful way [...] we know at this point we don’t have the money,” said Fortier.

Further complicating the University’s financial situation is the Liberal government’s requirement that Quebec universities balance their budgets by 2015 as a condition for a part of their provincial funding.

“If this year is tough, next year will be tougher,” Fortier said.

Provost Anthony Masi noted that the deregulation of tuition for international students in the Management, Science, Engineering, and Law faculties starting in 2014-15 will allow McGill to retain the entirety of the tuition fees paid by students and will result in a $2.5 million net increase in revenue.

In a similar vein, Fortier expressed hope that the government would allow universities to increase tuition for international students who pay Quebec tuition – by virtue of an agreement between Quebec and their country – to the same amount as out-of-province Canadian tuition; McGill would

keep the difference.

Compliance with requirements on public contracting Di Grappa presented for the BoG’s approval a declaration to the Quebec Treasury Board attesting that McGill complies with reporting obligations related to public contracts. Although the Vice-Principal (Administration and Finance) has the power to authorize the contracts granted by McGill, the BoG is required by law to produce a declaration of compliance.

Cobbett noted that the memo circulated among BoG members stated that six contracts were exempted from the bidding process, and asked for a justification.

Procurement Services Director François Pouliot explained that a contract may be exempt from the public bidding process if it is of a confidential nature, or if “it would not serve the public interest” for economic reasons to go into such a process.

Alumni Association Representative Tina Hobday expressed discomfort with the low level of detail provided about the contracts. “We have to make a decision as a board, and [all] we got [was] a 13-page

memo – I felt a bit uncomfortable,” said Hobday. “I did want to voice my concern.”

The declaration was approved without opposition.

Gift acceptance policy The BoG also approved a policy regarding the acceptance of philanthropic gifts in money and in kind by the University, presented

by Vice-Principal (University Advancement) Marc Weinstein. Weinstein argued that the policy, which had not been reviewed in 35 years, will now provide a framework for accepting and rejecting philanthropic gifts and reduce “[legal] compliance and reputational risk” for the University.

BoG Vice-Chair Claude Généreux suggested that a mandatory process to investigate the source of the gift would be beneficial. Weinstein responded that he “wouldn’t want a bureaucracy impeding [the acceptance of ] gifts,” noting that the policy provides for the Approval Committee for Gifts (ACOG) to conduct reviews on a case-by-case basis.

“With ACOG, we have a much better process than we ever had,” said Weinstein.

Occupy Central comes to McGill (continued) which is the Tiananmen Square massacre. There are some things similar, and some things different, which is this time, the people there, they are more disciplined. They know that they are not going to fight, they are [going to] peacefully argue for their rights. I think there is hope.”

“The cause of Hong Kong is the cause of all of us; it is the cause of people in Indonesia, Taiwan […] because they want real democracy […] and everyone stands in solidarity with Hong Kong,” said Nicholas Pullen, a Masters student in History.

Beyond democracy Despite public support for the Occupy Central movement, Tao reminded attendees to contextualize it in past political struggles in Hong Kong, as well as current labour struggles that span beyond the achievement of democracy.

“So contrary to the notion that this is the first time in Hong Kong’s history that the people are coordinating themselves with little direction from the government or insti-

tutions, and with an exceptional air of middle-class decorum at that, we must be reminded that in May of 1967, the youth of my father’s generation set off bombs in the fight for decent working conditions and social planning initiatives from Hong Kong’s negligent colonial administration,” said Tao. “What must not be erased here is the long history of labour organizing, grassroots mobilization, and protest in Hong Kong. But more importantly, I fear what else may be erased in our hasty celebration of the pro-democracy movement is the actual content of democracy,” Tao continued. “Why is there no mention of the appalling income gap in Hong Kong, of how one in five of the island’s population are below the poverty line, of how suicide rates in the city’s poorer neighbourhoods are three and a half times higher than they are in the adjacent financial districts?”

Tao also highlighted the issues faced by foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong. “Will universal suffrage be extended to the foreign domestic workers from Indonesia,

Andy Wei | Photographer

“The umbrella revolution.” the Philippines, Nepal, Thailand, and Bangladesh that make up 10 per cent of the island’s workforce?”

Tao referenced the case of Erwania Sulistyaningsih, an Indoen-

sian woman who was severely abused during her time as a migrant worker in Hong Kong. “When migrant workers must keep silence in the face of overwhelming rates of

verbal, physical, and sexual abuse from the employers they must live with for fear of near-immediate deportation, how can we begin to talk about democracy?”

8

News

October 6, 2014 The McGill Daily | www.mcgilldaily.com

Panel ties police violence in Canada, Ferguson to systemic racism Participants discuss anti-racist activism in BSN-organized event Marina Cupido News Writer

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n October 3, McGill’s Black Students’ Network (BSN) collaborated with Midnight Kitchen to host a panel discussion on issues of police brutality and race, with a particular focus on recent events in Ferguson, Missouri.

The panelists were Rachel Zellars, a PhD candidate at McGill in education working on critical race theory; Kai Thompson, an undergraduate student with volunteer experience in various community and youth organizations; Fo Niemi, the executive director of the Center for ResearchAction on Race Relations (CRARR), and Trineka Geer, a political activist who recently spent time in Ferguson.

The Ferguson protests were sparked by the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, by the white police officer Darren Wilson on August 9. In the intervening weeks, there has been an international outcry, not only against the systemic racism colouring the official investigation of this crime, but also against a larger pattern of racial violence against black Americans. In a Skype interview with the panel, Geer shared her first-hand experience with the ongoing protests in Ferguson.

Geer described the “disregard for black lives [in Ferguson],” and highlighted the discriminatory behaviour of officers who target people of colour with a disproportionate number of fines and arrest warrants.

“We know that there are certain streets in Ferguson that you don’t walk down, that you don’t drive down, because [...] you’re going to be assaulted or harassed by the police,” said Geer, quoting a young black resident of the town.

“It creates a way for the police to be able to control the movement [...] of young black men and women in this community,” Geer told participants, adding, for example, that “as

people are going to vote, they’re being accosted for no reason [...] by the police, and arrested.” These forms of discrimination deny adequate representation to Ferguson’s black community within the legislative and judicial bodies that govern the town, she explained.

“So Michael Brown was really the straw that broke the camel’s back,” said Geer.

Systemic racism in Canada Following the interview, the other panelists explored various topics connected to the overarching theme of police brutality and race. These included a summary of the function of police in society and the history of law enforcement in Canada, an analysis of the process of police militarization in both the U.S. and Canada, and a number of case studies of incidents of racial violence perpetrated by North American law enforcement officers.

Several speakers called attention to Canada’s own history of violent discrimination against people of colour, noting that many Canadians are, in fact, unaware of this history.

Zellars pointed to the long-established existence of white supremacist organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).

“The United States, of course, has a glorious history involving the KKK, but Canada has its own history,” said Zellars, going on to discuss collective misconceptions of Canada as a nation that has always been a haven of tolerance for racial minorities.

Thompson elaborated on this issue, explaining that, while many students are aware of the disproportionately high number of people of colour who face imprisonment in the U.S., most don’t realize that the same imbalance exists in Canada’s prisons.

“It’s not just about delegating this history [...] to the States,” he said. “In Canada [...] black people, Aboriginal people, and racialized people in gen-

eral are disproportionately incarcerated, and we can look at that as a form of state-sanctioned violence.”

Niemi also contributed to the discussion of this issue, sharing insight into the racial profiling routinwely carried out by Canadian police forces and the institutional barriers in Canada’s judicial system that work against racial minorities. “Slavery’s still there, just in a different form,” he said.

Activism on social media When the panelists had finished speaking, the floor was opened up to the audience, many of whom had insights of their own to share. The ensuing debate covered a wide range of topics, from social media campaigns inspired by the Ferguson protests to respectability politics – which promotes conformity to white supremacist standards without questioning them – and how to move beyond it.

Loyce Witherspoon | Photographer

Participants discussed the value of social media as a means of participation in human rights movements.

Networks like Twitter and Facebook can help to spread awareness, people agreed, but as one participant said, they can also encourage ‘slacktivism’ – the perception that “liking a video, sharing a video, buying a t-shirt [...] is enough.”

“How do we stop people from becoming apathetic, and how do we [...] retain the potential social media does have as such a powerful tool for social activism?” asked BSN VP External Maya Taylor.

Response to the discussion panel was very positive. “I thought it was definitely a healthy dialogue, definitely constructive,” one participant told The Daily.

“I thought, in particular, that the discussion about social media and just how we can [...] keep engaged [...] that was something I’d been

wondering about before, and it was really awesome to see it talked about in a larger context,” added another.

For the BSN executive team, the event was a success. “I’ve been in BSN for three years and [...] this was one of the most substantial discussions we’ve had,” said BSN Co-President Samanthea Samuels.

“I feel really good about how this went,” added Taylor. “I’m confident that these people [...] will continue talking about this amongst their friends, will pass on this information, so I think it went really well.”

BSN Political Coordinator Isabelle Oke told The Daily what she hoped people would take away from the discussion. “Yes, this kind of oppression is systemic and institutionalized, and that can definitely be overwhelming at points. I think something people need to concentrate on is how they fight white supremacy [...] on an individual level.”

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October 6, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

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Safe space still lacking at Frosh Executive compensation also discussed at AUS Council meeting Teddy Liptay News Writer

T

he Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) convened on October 1 for its biweekly Legislative Council meeting. Council passed four motions, including motions to hold an election for VP Internal, to approve Financial Management Committee (FMC) members, to amend AUS electoral bylaws, and to hold a fall referendum period. A motion to amend financial bylaws was tabled until the next meeting.

This year’s AUS Frosh Report, delivered by the Equity Commission, was also discussed at Council.

Equity Commissioners report back on frosh AUS Equity Commissioners Isabel Lee and Vareesha Khan presented a joint report on this year’s Frosh. As both commissioners worked with former VP Internal Leila Alfaro throughout the summer to ensure that Frosh would be a safe space for all participants, both Lee and Khan reported a significant change within Frosh culture this past August.

Khan cited the transition of

Frosh’s inaugural event from “Pub Crawl� to “Montreal Crawl� as an example of “the shift from drinking to enjoying Montreal, and having a much more social atmosphere.�

While this and other innovations, such as the banning of stripping games, contributed to a much needed improvement in the relationship between campus and residents of the Milton Parc neighbourhood, Lee and Khan noted that obstacles still remain toward realizing the full potential of the Equity Commission.

The Frosh Report indicated that during the second boat cruise, Arts Frosh coordinators kicked Lee, Khan, and AUS President Ava Liu off the boat once it had reached full capacity to make room for Orientation Staff (O-Staff ). “This was also very problematic because there were O-Staff who were too intoxicated to be of any help, and the O-Staff who were eventually put on the boat instead of us voiced that they didn’t mind staying off the boat for us,� stated the Report.

The Report also revealed that, in the bus on their way to Beach Club on Beach Day, Arts Frosh leaders sitting

near Lee and Khan “pressured everyone to drink,â€? “joked about safe space and saying no to drinking,â€? and “[performed‌] very loud and inappropriate chants that included obscene sexual and racist content.â€?

While Council as a whole had differing views on the most effective ways to change Frosh in the coming years, there was a general sense that this year’s Frosh was a step in the right direction. “Holistically,� Lee concluded, “we want people to think that fun and safety are not mutually exclusive.�

Executive compensation In a motion presented to Council, VP Finance Li Xue petitioned to amend existing financial bylaws regarding the compensation of executives working under McGill’s Work Study Program.

According to the motion, AUS executives are currently compensated $10 per hour worked for up to ten hours of work each week.

The proposed amendment, seconded by Liu, would double the hours of possible reimbursement to twenty hours a week. The motion noted that “members of the AUS Executive consistently dedicate a sig-

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nificantly larger amount of time to their portfolios.â€? “The fact is, every time I fill out my timesheet, I get to like Monday and Tuesday, and I’m done my ten hours. So I don’t even fill out [‌] the weekend, or not even the work I do in the evening. It’s a lot of responsibility,â€? Xue said.

The prospect of increasing the accessibility of Council to students of all economic backgrounds was met with widespread approval.

However, several councillors voiced concerns regarding the effect the motion would have on the AUS operating budget, which currently contributes a nominal percentage toward executive salaries, and on the increased accountability required of executives should their weekly salary be doubled.

While lauding the spirit behind the proposal, Arts Senator Jacob Greenspon noted that, seeing as a successful adoption of the motion would naturally result in “increasing the transfer of funds from Arts students to student execs, I am uncomfortable with it being voted on solely by this Council.�

In light of these concerns, the motion was tabled until the next

Council meeting on October 14.

Elections for VP Internal In response to Alfaro’s recent resignation as VP Internal due to her upcoming absence during the Winter 2015 semester, Alfaro and Liu motioned to hold an election for VP Internal.

The motion was passed with two abstentions. The polling period for the election will begin on October 28 and end on October 30.

Xue and Liu moved to approve FMC members, who were “selected on the basis of their qualifications and drive.� Council approved the motion.

Council also approved a motion to amend the AUS electoral bylaws. The motion was brought forward by Liu, VP Academic Eric Sobat, and Elections AUS Chief Returning Officer Guillaume Bauchu, because “a number of sections in the electoral bylaws lack consistency and transparency.�

A final motion to hold a fall referendum period over the course of November was also passed. Students must gather the signatures of 150 AUS members by October 31 if they wish to file a petition for a referendum question.

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October 6, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

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It happens to real people The administration is still failing victims of sexual assault Isabel Lee Commentary Writer Trigger warning: this article contains references to sexual assault.

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n January, I was sexually assaulted. It was difficult to accept what had happened and even more difficult to say it out loud. I told my friends that I was harassed, but I didn’t start using the term “sexual assault” until later when I could begin to process the truth. I realized that sexual assault is any form of unwanted sexual advance that is brought about through force and can cause physical, mental, or emotional abuse. Calling sexual assault by its true name would have meant that I was a victim, and that would have made the events too real.

To my bewilderment and anger, what had happened apparently wasn’t a big deal to the person who violated my privacy and autonomy, because in some fucked up idea of “chivalry,” they asked me out to a concert the next day. But for me, my pre-existing fear of men skyrocketed and I couldn’t even get into an elevator with a man without feeling afraid. I couldn’t sleep, I most definitely couldn’t keep up with my course work, and I even ended up failing a class.

After months of mental and emotional anguish, I realized that pursuing legal action against the perpetrator would give me closure and security. However, I still felt vulnerable and afraid to act on my own. The thought of recounting my experience to a judge was unthinkable, I called the Sexual Assault Centre of the McGill Students’ Society (SACOMSS) drop-in line and asked if I could receive any legal advice or be accompanied to the police station to fill out a report. I was denied support because SACOMSS only offers therapeutic aid.

SACOMSS then referred me to the McGill Legal Information Clinic, which, it turns out, doesn’t offer advice in criminal cases.

I was beyond furious that no one at McGill could offer me any of the support I needed. I couldn’t believe that the onus was on me – the victim and survivor – to pursue putting a sexual assault perpetrator in jail or at least under investigation. Making the victim responsible for their own rights, and making sure their aggressors are punished, forces them to be strong when they’re vulnerable. It forces them to relive their experience and asks them to prove the legitimacy of their trauma.

Alice Shen | The McGill Daily Last week, I found out that the McGill administration responded with lightning speed in suspending a student athlete from the football team who had been had been charged with assault – while dawdling passively after three McGill football players were charged with sexual assault in 2012. I became very upset and began to question why I even attended this institution, one that is supposed to guarantee me a safe space to learn. I remembered the loneliness I felt when I was denied support from McGill and realized that my safety was not the University’s priority.

The McGill administration does not take sexual assault seriously. This is a problem that not only affects those who have experienced sexual assault like I have – it also enforces rape culture and creates the precedent that equity is just another bureaucratic box that can be checked. So far, all actions regarding social issues have been student-led, while McGill has been dragging its feet. This is not okay. I am done with feeling like a victim and what I want now is for the McGill administration to take a hard look at itself and realize that their shortcomings have real consequences on real people.

Regarding the three McGill student athletes who were charged with sexual assault in 2012, taking no action is unacceptable. Allowing the three men to stay on the football

team is unacceptable. Hiring one of them at a McGill summer camp for children is unacceptable. While we must respect the presumption of innocence before someone is proven guilty, we must also change the focus of the issue from the perpetrator to the victim. We must make ourselves as accessible as possible for victims to feel safe.

Sexual assault is the only crime where the presumption of innocence takes precedence over the crime itself.

The first section of the Guide to Varsity Athletics for StudentAthletes states that it is committed to representing McGill’s ethical ideals. It then goes on to “[caution] all varsity student-athletes about what they post on their social media profiles, including inappropriate photos,” and states that “varsity student-athletes are subject to sanctions if their profiles are found to contain inappropriate images, sexual content, as well as references to underage drinking or illegal drug use.”

So, McGill athletes can be sanctioned for posting inappropriate

content on Facebook, but receive no disciplinary punishment for committing sexual assault, a crime that leaves the victim traumatized for the rest of their life, which no form of compensation can make better.

After the recent assault incident, the McGill administration released a statement on September 26, stating that “the recurrence of these incidents demands an indepth review of our rules and regulations governing participation in varsity sports,” and that “we neither tolerate violence on campus nor behaviours that are contrary to the values and principles of our community.” It has been years now since the three McGill football players were charged with assaulting a woman and the varsity guidelines still haven’t changed.

If having an irresponsible social media presence constitutes grounds for punishment, then being charged with sexual assault is a definite ground for suspension from extracurricular activities. Sexual assault is the only crime where the presumption of innocence takes precedence over the crime itself. This is the only kind of crime where people will question the validity and legitimacy of the victim’s claims in order to protect a perpetrator. Questions like: “Are you sure that happened?” or “Was it really sexual assault?” are not asked after any other violent crime. Allowing these McGill men to continue participating in varsity

sports is not a privilege they deserve. Accusations of sexual assault need to be taken just as seriously as armed robbery and aggravated assault. In the case of sexual assault, McGill is trying its best to protect the presumption of innocence of the perpetrators, whereas in the case of assault, McGill took immediate action, showing us that it thinks that one sort of violence is more legitimate and damaging than the other.

The administration needs to step up and take responsibility.

Instead of trying to hide these incidents, McGill needs to create a campus-wide sexual assault policy that protects survivors and offers the proper resources to help them.

It also needs to enforce preventative measures by teaching people what sexual assault is and why it happens. The people that are affected by sexual assault are real people, and to deny the experience of victims and survivors is to deny their right to feel safe. McGill is responsible for ensuring a safe space for its students. As a powerful institution, it has the ability to, at the very least, provide aid to those it has failed. Instead, McGill refuses to recognize these failures, perhaps in the hope that they will simply fade away. For survivors, however, they remain all too real.

Isabel Lee is an AUS Equity Commissioner. To contact her, please email equity.aus@mail.mcgill.ca.

Commentary

October 6, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

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Reconciling past with present Lessons from Indigenous Awareness Week Peter Zhi Commentary Writer

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he opening day of McGill’s fourth annual Indigenous Awareness Week ended with presentations focusing on the Crown and First Nations relations in Canada since the Treaty of Niagara in 1764, the agreement that settled years of conflict between the British and Indigenous peoples. Legal relations between the Canadian government and Indigenous people have long been contentious, explaining some of the interest in the presentations.

This year, two speakers were invited: Alan Ojiig Corbiere, from the M’Chigeeng First Nation, and Aaron Mills, from the Couchiching First Nation. Both are dedicated both professionally and emotionally to Indigenous advocacy. This is a significant improvement over last year’s talk, where a Bay Street corporate lawyer flat out ignored the only Indigenous person who was courageous enough to speak during the Q&A. Then, to add insult to injury, he decided along with almost everyone in the audience to opt for the champagne reception afterward instead of addressing that person’s questions.

Of the two speeches, that of Mills, a legal scholar working at the Indigenous Bar Association, was the most thought-provoking. He gave a passionate talk about the future of Indigenous people living under the shadow of the Canadian legal system. Instead of talking about the legal details of the treaties easily found online, he instead offered an original and compelling account of the tension inherent between Canadians and Indigenous peoples, and provided some practical advice for resolving this problem.

Canadian law forcefully imposes its rationale onto Indigenous legal thought.

For Mills, it’s a blatant injustice done in bad faith to the Indigenous peoples.

In a nutshell, Mills argues that we must recognize that what law means for Canadians is different than what law means for Indigenous peoples.

This is a result of their fundamentally

different belief systems, systems that give meaning not only to law, but every other aspect of life, such as friendship, hunting, and religion. Canadians see law under a Canadian constitutional framework, and because of that, are prejudiced toward a constitutional view of the law. But we, as non-Indigenous Canadians, have to recognize that this is simply not the case for everyone.

Canadian law was often used to serve the goals of colonialism. To reconcile past wrongs, Mills suggests traditional Indigenous legal practices should operate alongside constitutional law. This would right a system that is often seen as having power over Indigenous peoples. Currently the two views of law are irreducible to each other – Canadian law forcefully imposes its rationale onto Indigenous legal thought. For Mills, it’s a blatant injustice done in bad faith to Indigenous peoples.

So as a preliminary step toward reconciliation, Mills asks that we revise our previous legal interpretations of these treaties between Canada and First Nations peoples so that they can be given a fair ground and representation in the legal sphere. Instead of seeing those treaties as contracts, we should see them as a symbol of friendship. But why should we put a stop to reconciliation at the legal sphere? Why not have peace and harmony in our daily lives through our voluntary actions?

In fact, Mills believes we must apply this reasoning to all aspects of life.

If we don’t in everyday life sincerely believe in the possibility of harmony and consensus between different peoples, then even if harmony in the legal sphere is achieved, it will only be temporary. And, to the extent that legal disputes are enforced by the threat of sanctions, the consensus will not be sincere. He believes we must, outside the legal sphere, recognize and respect the differences of Indigenous peoples by not imposing our ways of thought onto them again, but instead learning from them. This is the only way to have a stable, long-lasting harmony between peoples.

Mills then told the audience that coming to the event was in itself a gesture of hope of rebuilding our relationships. There was actually a very important take-home message from this: we already have the power to practice building friendship with each other.

We need not, and should not, wait for officials or legislators to initiate this friendship. We, as non-Indigenous settlers in Canada, ought to go out in good faith and rebuild this shattered relationship into the friendship that was present in spirit in the original

Jill Bachelder | The McGill Daily treaties of Niagara.

Just how plausible is this view?

We must keep in mind that it takes the willingness of both parties for a real reconciliation and acceptance of differences. Even if we grant that non-Indigenous peoples are willing to take these steps (despite government officials being unwilling), some Indigenous people stand firm in their conviction that Canadians are just colonizers. The Indigenous person last year who asked the question of the Bay Street lawyer actually used the word ‘thieves.’ He said that we, as settlers, are fundamentally in the wrong, and there is just no bargaining with thieves. To be fair, he was justly aggravated by the talk, in which there was definitely no proposal of reconciliation. Rather, the proposal from the Bay Street lawyer was to leave room in our legal system so that Indigenous peoples can represent themselves legally, but only in the constitutional sense,

and only at bargaining tables concerning oil companies and the sudden destruction of their homes.

But as non-Indigenous Canadians, we cannot blame some Indigenous people for thinking this way. We have to realize that so much injustice was done to them that it’s completely understandable that they might not be inclined to trust us.

Just to remind you, they were colonized and then called to fight for the colonizers, at least during early wars and up until the war of 1812 between Britain and the U.S., when Indigenous forces still had military significance to the great powers. Subsequently, realizing we didn’t need them for military purposes anymore and seeing them as no significant threat, we broke the good faith in the original treaties and introduced shameful laws to bend this relationship solely to our benefit.

To point to them sheepishly and say, “Well, you are not trying as hard as we

are in making peace, so really the fault is yours that reconciliation is not happening” is quite simply unfair. They are justified in their mistrust, and it is up to us to show them that a trusting bond can be developed again.

So, building on Mill’s vision, we must not only be willing to attain harmony between the two groups but also tolerant of mistrust, if it comes from Indigenous people. And a note to the next year’s host: please, stop saying “thank you so very much for letting us use this land to host this talk.” As pointed out by a very sharp student, “thank you” is not appropriate when the colonizers forcefully conquered the land their ancestors lived in and subjected them to the crap end of the justice stick for the past few centuries.

Peter Zhi is a U4 Arts student specializing in Philosophy. To contact him, please email commentary@mcgilldaily.com.

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Commentary

October 6, 2014 The McGill Daily | www.mcgilldaily.com

The Harper method

Führerprinzip: Harper’s word is above Canadian law

Jasmine Wang | The McGill Daily Gavin Boutroy Commentary Writer

S

tephen Harper has introduced a nasty brand of politics into Canada. What I’ll call the Harper method consists partly of the typical neoconservative taste for authoritarianism, which includes things like encouraging people to be apathetic about federal politics, and also treating democracy as a game in which you cheat as much as possible.

And while such things are reprehensible, Harper has made it all a hell of a lot more sinister. The prime minister’s office is now more controlling than anything Canada has seen before. There is a disdain for Canadian law, which plays second fiddle to the will of the prime minister. In a certain undemocratic period of German history, a word was invented to identify this behaviour: Führerprinzip.

Führerprinzip, which translates loosely as ‘leader principle,’ was the word used to describe Adolf Hitler’s authoritarian grip on the Nazi party and over Germany. In the first case, one can take the “Night of the Long Knives” as an example, when Hitler and his acolytes assassinated the leadership of the Sturmabteilung, commonly known as the SA, a powerful paramilitary group

whose leader had a political view that differed from the ‘best’ Nazi practices – best in this case meaning the policies supported by industrial backers of the Nazi party. This death grip quickly clasped the whole nation. Führerprinzip came to describe the power scheme where the leader governs by his word, and his word is above law.

Modern Canada is not Nazi Germany, but the way Harper runs it falls in line with Führerprinzip. In March 2013, the Globe and Mail described Harper’s relationship with dissenting party members as “a brewing revolt [...] concerning the grip his office exerts on their conduct, a rebellion that was triggered

by Mr. Harper’s refusal to allow a vote on a member of parliament (MP) from British Columbia’s motion condemning sex-selective abortions and then escalated into a bigger fight over how much autonomy Tory members of Parliament should have in the Commons.” Since then, Harper’s relationship with his MPs has not changed; he’s as authoritarian as ever.

The signing of a new bilateral trade agreement between China and Canada, the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (FIPA), due to come into force on October 1, is another example that

illustrates how aggressively Harper wields his power.

The agreement has all the hallmarks of politics under the Harper regime: redacted in utter secrecy, and signed hastily on a Friday afternoon, away from the gaze of the press.

Cabinet signed FIPA behind closed doors, and the agreement submits Canadian law to Chinese capitalist caprice. It authorizes Chinese companies to take Canada to “arbitration” when Canadian law favours Canadian companies, or simply when Canadian law is deemed bad for profit. FIPA, in effect, allows trade tribunals to operate without being subject to Parliament. Harper has darted around the constitution: Führerprinzip in action.

In this particular case, democracy will be mourned because the agreement was ratified by Cabinet with barely a token effort to put it up for discussion in Parliament. The Canadian executive has the right to sign trade deals of its own accord, but barely even introducing FIPA to MPs completely neglects the principle that constituents should be aware of what their government is doing, or be aware of the consequences of the government’s actions.

Even if introduced, the treaty would probably have been ratified, but opposition parties could still have spo-

ken out about it, and citizens could have used their representatives in Parliament to influence the debate.

Despite the many opponents to FIPA, and Harper’s other authoritarian actions, there is no outlet to make opposition a political reality.

Economists, lawyers, and professors have decried its duration (Canada is locked into the harmful treaty for 31 years), while Gus Van Harten, a law professor at the Osgoode Hall law school, has vehemently opposed the agreement with a searing open letter in the Tyee. This is without considering dissenters who aren’t from elite groups, those who are ideologically opposed to the current state of Canadian politics – an alliance between business and an authoritarian, exploitative state. Of course, in accordance with the Führerprinzip, the leader’s ideology is the only one that can be heard.

Harper’s autocratic tendencies were also revealed in 2011, when voters received automated phone calls falsely informing them that their polling stations had changed location. An investigation by Elections Canada and the RCMP found that Conservative party staffers were the culprits, and Harper’s government was fined $52,000. Harper also tried to change electoral rules with the Fair Elections Act in 2014, a con-

troversial bill would have restricted voting conditions, and was widely interpreted as favourable to the Tories. He is the first prime minister to blatantly try to modify electoral rules in a manner that would suit him. Luckily, opposition caused the Conservatives to back away from the most troubling aspects of the Fair Elections Act. One constant here is the fact that impartial observers are avoided at all costs: law professors in the case of FIPA, and Elections Canada during the 2011 federal elections; not to mention the flagrant disregard for popular opinion. Harper’s government reflexively rejects informed criticism, especially when this criticism is at odds with Harper’s ideological outlook.

Canadian citizens are all faced with this Führerprinzip. It’s more than a little disconcerting that his manner of running the country and his party can be so easily compared to totalitarianism. Whether Harper runs or not in the next election, he will have left an indelible stain on Canadian politics. Under Harper, the law is dictated from above.

Gavin Boutroy is a U2 Political Science and Philosophy student.

To contact the writer, please email commentary@mcgilldaily.com.

Features

October 6, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

Duty, Honour , and Family

Written by Diana Kwon Illustrations by Jasmine Wang and Alice Shen

I

t’s a Thursday morning. I’m standing on a metro platform, hair wet and hungover. I feel a slight sense of pride – then disappointment. Then self-resentment. And guilt.

You’re probably wondering who I am, and why I was feeling those things. In many ways, I’m your average Jane. Well, an average Jane for my ethnicity and socioeconomic background. I’m from Korean descent, grew up in an Asian-dominated area of Toronto, studied science in university, and went to grad school to do neuroscience research. I have six piercings, but they’re all on my ears. I’ve thought about getting a tattoo, but it hasn’t happened yet. I played it safe most of my life. I conformed to what society told me I should be. To who my parents told me I was meant to be; to the person my friends and acquaintances told me I was capable of being. The following is my story, my experience, and my struggle with identity coming from an immigrant family in Canada.

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October 6, 2014 The McGill Daily | www.mcgilldaily.com

“Meeeee-chong. That’s a weird name. Where are you from?”

I remember in elementary school, when kids would ask where I’m from, I’d tell them I was Korean.

“Where’s Korea?” they’d ask. “You’re Chinese right?” When I grew tired of explaining what and where Korea was, I would tell people I was Chinese. To them, it didn’t matter much anyway. I resented being different. It didn’t help that my parents had me use my Korean name in school instead of my English name. I was too young to realize that the fact that I was born and raised in Toronto made me just as Canadian as any of them.

In high school, things changed. I met other Koreans. We gravitated toward each other. And rather than rejecting our culture, we embraced it. We formed an exclusive group of Koreans and spent time basking in our culture – eating Korean food, drinking soju, and spending late nights at karaoke bars. It was liberating, finally being able to feel like I truly belonged.

When graduation came along, we almost all went off to study science, engineering, or business to pursue “successful” careers. I went to University hoping to one day become a doctor, buy a condo in downtown Toronto, and marry an accountant or lawyer. Oh, and he had to be Korean. That wasn’t even a question. Bringing home someone from any other background was as big of an insult to my family as me telling them I was quitting university.

It didn’t take me long to realize that a doctor was not what I wanted to be. The decision to stop pursuing medical school wasn’t an easy one – it was more than just about what I wanted. It was about what would make my parents proud and what would make the sacrifices they made for me worthwhile.

I’ve had one serious boyfriend, and he wasn’t Korean. And although he was what most parents would consider a ‘good guy’ – he was attractive, intelligent, and kind – my parents refused to meet him.

While we were dating, I would periodically get phone calls from my mom, who would go on about how my grandparents back in Korea would have a heart attack if I ever married a white man. “How would he communicate with our family?” she’d ask. “Does he even eat Korean food?”

Most of the time, I’d just brush off those comments. Other times though, they’d really get to me.

The level of my family’s pervasion into every aspect of my life was infuriating. At the same time, I’d feel a profound sense of guilt anytime my parents were unhappy about a life decision I made. In many ways, I felt – and still feel – a sense of responsibility for their happiness. I want to call this “immigrant child guilt,” though not all immigrant families share this struggle. Yet I’ve found so many Asian-Canadian immigrant children grow up watching our parents work long hours at hard jobs with the constant reminder that their suffering is worth it, because it’ll one day lead to our success. As much as the Korean convenience store or laundromat owner is a stereotype, for many of my friends, this was a reality.

On the outside, you’d almost never see the struggles. Preserving appearances is a big part of Korean culture. Even during times of financial strife, to an outsider, my family appeared to be doing fine. My parents would buy me nice clothes, new electronics, and anything else I needed in order to help me be like my more privileged peers. They pulled together all the money they could to pay for my education and for me to have the full university experience. And they let me go to college away from home.

Growing up, I wasn’t allowed to work. I had to focus on my studies. My parents would support me while I studied so I could become the doctor or lawyer I was meant to be. In their eyes, their reward would be seeing my success.

My mom worked seven days a week. She woke up at five in the morning, made lunch for my dad, sister, and I, while often neglecting to take her own as she scrambled out the door to her job at the hospital. She came back home at 6 p.m., made dinner, did the laundry, and cleaned the house. She worked a second job on the weekends. My dad also worked every day, but at a desk job that I knew he hated. Our family knew he was too highly educated and intelligent for the position he had, but language barriers gave him very few options in Canada. I watched him stumble through the doors drunk in the middle of the night on the weekends. When I was younger, I resented that. Now, I understand that he was in pain.

My mom told me a story once. A few years into my parents’ marriage when my mom got pregnant, she decided she wanted to move back to Canada, where she had grown up and where she believed I’d have a better chance at success, or their idea of success. My dad wasn’t ready to leave at the time – he was working at a good job, and he had never lived outside of Korea. They decided on a temporary long distance marriage. This is a relatively common occurrence in immigrant families; mothers and children come to North America for a ‘better life’ while fathers remain in the home country in order to make money to support their family. My dad was there for my birth, but had to return to Korea to work. He took my picture along with him. According to my mom, he slept with my picture every night until he reached a point where he couldn’t be apart from his family anymore. He left his job, his extended family, and his home to come live with us in Canada.

I love that story because it’s a reminder of how much my dad loves me. But at the same time, it acts as a huge burden on my life, because it’s a reminder of the sacrifice my parents made to ensure I had all the opportunities I needed. “You know I work really hard at two jobs because I want the best for my children, right? All I want is to see my children successful and happily married,” my mom constantly reminds me. I know it comes from a place of love, but it draws me further into the cage that surrounds my life; the legacy of my parents’ and grandparents’ sacrifices and their hopes and dreams for my future.

I feel guilty about wanting to do things that will truly make me happy. I don’t need a six-figure salary or a big house in the suburbs. I want to be a freelance journalist and live in different parts of the world. I don’t know if I want to get married or have children. Lately, it’s been easier to make decisions for myself because I live far from home. But the guilt lingers. If I don’t have a stable job or live near home, who will take care of my parents? Can I really keep them out of the equation of my life when I’ve been the primary variable in all of theirs?

Features

Features

October 6, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

15

This sense of guilt seeps into almost every part of me – even my sex life. My parents still think I’m a virgin despite the fact that I first had sex when I was 19. I can still remember one of the first thoughts I had after my first sexual encounter. “Oh God, what will my parents think?” Even now, whether it is a one-night stand or a significant other, I can almost see my parents hanging their heads in shame at the knowledge that I’ve sacrificed my ‘purity.’ “Don’t sleep over at boys’ places,” my mother would say. “People talk. If they find out, no one will want to marry you.” Sure, maybe that’s true. But would I want to marry a person who’d judge me in the first place?

Korea has long been a patriarchal society, though things are rapidly changing. Traditionally, men were the heads of the households and women were expected to do housework and care for the family. Men were the primary breadwinners, giving them the authority to make most of the household decisions. Even though massive leaps and burgeoning opportunities are available today – the current president of Korea is a woman – gender equality is still far from being a reality. In 2013, the Economist reported that South Korea has held the lowest “glass-ceiling index,” meaning it has the least number of women in senior jobs as compared to other wealthy countries. Because things have changed only very recently, sexism was a part of the culture of my grandparents’ and even parents’ generation, and is prevalent even in mine.

My family is still extremely traditional, particularly on my father’s side. It was strange, growing up with my parents encouraging me to pursue higher education and get a highstatus job while watching my mother’s tacit compliance to all of my father’s demands.

Was that my future? Would I get a good job just to come home to a husband who saw himself as my superior?

“You’re a girl. You’ve had enough education. Come to Korea and we’ll find you a nice husband,” my grandparents in Korea tell me. Because of the language barrier, I can’t tell them that that’s a completely inappropriate thing to say. I can’t talk to them about feminism and explain that things aren’t the way they were when they were younger. All I can do is grimace and mumble something incomprehensible back to them over the phone. I don’t know if it’s something they will ever understand. I wish they could.

Moving to Montreal changed everything. It was the first time I was able to really separate myself from my Korean identity and just be myself. To be quite honest, I purposely distanced myself from other Koreans. I wanted to be released from the expectations to achieve a very specific type of success and the pressure to preserve appearances. I wanted to explore my passions, interests, and sexuality without the feeling of being constantly watched and judged. Being part of Korean communities for so long meant nothing was ever private. Anytime I decided to change my career path or started dating someone new, the whole community would know about it within a week. They would talk. They judge my experiences.

Before moving here, I think I was afraid to reach beyond the Korean community.

Perhaps it was a result of the alienation I felt being the sole Korean in my class when I was in grade school, and the feeling of camaraderie I felt when I first made a group of Korean friends. I didn’t know if I would be able to fit in outside of the Korean community. But I took the leap. And what I found were people who were able to see beyond my Korean exterior and understand that I was a unique person inside. People who were accepting of the decisions I made regardless of how crazy they might be.

The night before the morning on the subway platform, I had my first sexual experience with a woman. We came from the bar and spent a passionate night together.

Though it may sound strange, I felt proud of myself, because the person who I was just over a year ago would have never even considered that such a thing would happen. But then, as always, this feeling became flattened as the guilt began to seep in.

Until I entered university, I used my Korean name: Mee-chong. It’s strange saying it now, because along with stripping that name from myself, I’ve stripped away the person who had that name. Now I use my English name: Diana. It’s finally become who I am. It’s a name I feel is full of interesting experiences, hope, and the exciting future I wish to have. Mee-chong is another person. She’s shy, conservative, and afraid. She is a past self, but a part of her still remains. She judges my actions and reminds me what a disgrace I am to my family when I do something that doesn’t fit the mould of who I’m expected to be. “Get a stable job, get married, and have children,” she says, “It’ll make your parents so happy. Your dreams are too selfish.”

No, I tell her. I only have one life. I want to experience things. I want to explore the world. I want to be happy without feeling guilt. I want to be me.

I wanted to throw Mee-chong off that subway platform that morning. I hated her constant reminders of the dishonour I was bringing to my family. I wanted to finally be free of her for good. But I couldn’t. She’s still there. And I’m afraid she’ll always be.

On Thursday, October 9

the editors

The staff of

The McGill Daily will elect the rest of

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Islam and evolution

17

Can science and religion coexist harmoniously?

Zapaer Alip The McGill Daily

T

he newly established McGill Centre for Islam and Science (MCIS) held its first event on September 22: a public lecture by Professor Rana Dajani titled, “Islam, Evolution, and what does success mean to women scientists in the Middle East?”

“Evolution is a fact!” exclaimed Dajani. She paused and added, “There is no contradiction between Islam and evolution.” Yet there are still many Muslims who refuse to accept evolution. Dajani mentioned that although On The Origin of Species was published in 1859, Arabic versions of the text were only published in the 1960s — nearly a century later. Even after the translations were in circulation, there were still many language barriers present with terminology such as “creationism” being widely misunderstood.

In addition to the linguistic barriers, Muslim communities in the sixties lacked scientists and scientific institutions to verify and explain Darwin’s findings. Lacking the necessary linguistic and scientific tools, Muslim communities instead adopted the Christian stance on Darwin’s proposed theory of evolution, mainly because of Islam’s close ties to Christianity. Both are monotheistic religions and Muslims recognize the prophethood of Jesus. It was determined that Darwin’s theory was in direct contradiction with holy scriptures, and so human evolution was dismissed in both Christian and Muslim communities. A literal interpretation of religious texts resulted in instant, perfect creation being the predominant idea back then; questioning it was seen as blasphemy. Dajani notes, “Evolution doesn’t counter the existence of God. Darwin never discussed the creation of life but rather its evolution.” This demonstrates the need for healthy questioning in both religion and science to dispel false notions and encourage intellectual growth. Although today many Muslims accept evolution, there are still misconceptions.

Muslims who refuse to believe in evolution often cite their interpretation of religious verses from the Holy Quran such as the creation of Adam.

The story of Adam and Eve, if taken literally, is thought to imply the instant creation of humans as we are today.

However, Dajani believes the story of Adam and Eve is metaphorical and cautions against using holy scriptures as scientific textbooks.

The Holy Quran is a guide, not a science textbook, meant to inspire humanity to seek knowledge; supporting scientific claims through associating

Nadia Boachie | The McGill Daily verses from holy scripture sets a dangerous precedent. First, discussing and questioning the claims can become taboo due to its association with a religion. Secondly, scientific theories could be disproven as time passes and in the process undermine the religion.

Dajani noted “that the beauty of the Quran is that people can have different opinions.” In Islam, personal interpretations of religious texts are allowed and encouraged. It is also acknowledged that interpretations may change over time. Dajani strongly advocates for the need to separate religion from the scientific process to avoid contradictions and pseudoscience.

McGill Centre for Islam and Science The lecture was hosted by MCIS, which was officially launched on a provisional basis this semester. According to its website, the centre aims “to explore the interactions of science and religion in Islamic societies, both past and present, and to advance policy and educational proposals based on that exploration.” Professor Ehab Abouheif, a founding member of MCIS and Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Developmental Biology, explained that the centre is branched into three components: policy development, history, and education.

The centre will aim to propose policy to encourage scientific development in Muslim countries. In an interview with The Daily, Abouheif said “If Muslim countries don’t em-

brace basic science and build upon their scientific capabilities, they will remain technology consumers and not technology innovators.” This reliance on predominantly Western nations for development is noticeable in the Middle East, with governments in countries such as the United Arab Emirates often being reliant upon expatriates within academia and industry. Local scientific development could help build confidence and inspire innovation to ease the reliance on imported technologies. However, innovation and technological independence remain a distant future.

Scientific development is significantly hindered with the majority in many Muslim countries not ready to accept evolution, an organizing principle of biology. Abouheif added, “There are going to be other issues that are very difficult in challenging Muslims and the way Muslims think.”

He argued for the need for centres and initiatives like MCIS, which provide platforms for experts from various disciplines such as the sciences, religion, and history to have open discussions, to address topics such as evolution, and counter public misconceptions.

In the Islamic Golden Age from 662 to 1258, Muslim scholars were at the forefront of scientific innovation in fields such as medicine, astronomy, and mathematics. They made revolutionary advances such as inventing the use of oral anaesthesia and the pinhole camera. His-

tory proves both religion and science are able to interact harmoniously.

Islam inspired Muslims to actively pursue knowledge, as can be seen in the creation of the House of Wisdom in modern-day Baghdad where both Muslim and non-Muslim scholars gathered to translate academic literature to Arabic and exchange ideas.

Abouheif noted that, “To understand, in the modern context, how Islam and science can work together you have understand the past.” Like Dajani, Abouheif agrees that religion should be separated from science. But Abouheif believes there are things religion can offer other than inspiration. “We [Muslims] recognize our problems, we know that there are issues we have to solve; we want to modernize without falling into the emptiness of secularism.”

Currently, science remains a predominantly Western system with North American and European epicentres. This begs to question whether you can take a Western system of science and put it in a Muslim country that operates on different ideals. “I don’t think that is going to work, because scientists, after all, are human. Science is a cultural practice just as much as it is an objective method. Different cultures can bring different scientific practices to the table,” Abouheif said.

In the current secular society, there is an expectation for research results to provide clear applications in

the real world and immediately benefit society to its justify funding. This suppresses scientific investigations where there are questions, whose solutions are without any obvious merit to society. But investigating such questions helps us gather new facts and accumulate knowledge which then leads to innovation. Unfortunately, basic science is experiencing a problem with due to a shortage in funding.

Islam encourages and rewards the pursuit of knowledge. In Islamic countries, investment in the sciences would be a priority, the motivation for investment being philanthropic instead of result-oriented. Religion and science can compliment each other. For example, religion can act as a catalyst for scientific research, a motivation, and a spark for ambition. Scientific discoveries can then provide new insights of understanding in religious texts.

Unfortunately, the current Western scientific system remains inaccessible, especially to scientists from developing countries due to the lack of access to necessary equipment and colleagues. Even with better communications due to the advent of the internet and tools like Skype, the inaccessibility gap is still present, posing challenges to universities in the Middle East and countries like Pakistan.

There are intricate boundaries between science and religion, and while there are differing opinions on how they can work together, everyone agrees more discussions are needed.

Sports

October 6, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

18

McGill Athletics needs to wake up A cycle of indifference, scandal, and hasty regret Cem Ertekin The McGill Daily

T

his year did not start too well for the Redmen football team.

Luis-Andres Guimont-Mota, a running back for the McGill Redmen, was arrested on charges of armed robbery, uttering threats, and domestic assault. He was promptly suspended from the team on September 24. This happened three months after it came to light that a player accused of sexual assault had been working at at a McGill youth sports camp. This recurring problem at McGill speaks to the fundamental problem: the institutional apathy of the administration.

This was not Guimont-Mota’s first time committing a crime. In fact, he was sentenced to ninety days in jail last year after pleading guilty to assaulting a man outside a bar in Quebec City in 2010. Instead of serving his prison sentence in a consecutive time frame, he served an intermittent sentence – the judge allowed him to serve once a week on Sundays for ninety weeks in order to avoid interfering with his football career.

One cannot help but wonder whether the judge would have been equally sympathetic had Guimont-Mota not been a star athlete with a ‘rising career.’

Interestingly enough, football coach Clint Uttley, who recently resigned, states that GuimontMota’s crime was known to his team. The football team, according to Uttley, is a place for rehabilitating people who have commited a crime. However, doing this without a visible institutional commitment to educating players to avoid repeat offences only shields Guimont-Mota from accountability. Both his sentencing and McGill Athletics’ lack of subsequent action were meant to cause him the least amount of inconvenience possible. Rehabilitation is not a buzzword; it involves longstanding, tangible action.

Indeed, evidence seems to suggest that being an athlete does have some influence on how institutions react to past criminal acts. Another example of this is the three Redmen football players who were arrested for and convicted of sexual assault.

The players were never suspended from the team: it took McGill 16 months to be brought to the attention of the student body, and another six months for the students to finally quit the team. The issue here has nothing to do with retribution or rehabilitation.

As an educational institution

Joelle Dahm | The McGill Daily that is mandated to provide a safe space for all its students, McGill is obliged to be aware of the violent actions of not only its athletes, but any of its students. Throwing its hands in the air and claiming ignorance is irresponsible.

This most recent case involving Guimont-Mota seems to suggest that McGill’s stubborn refusal to enact proactive measures to combat institutionalized rape culture and violence has not helped in making it a safer campus.

McGill has not learned from its history. In 2005, the football season was cancelled after it became known that the team was abusing new recruits, as was the case with one player who came forward saying he had been violated with a broomstick at the Molson stadium during a hazing ritual. Again we saw it in the Redmen case of 2013 – and now we see it in 2014. How many wake-up calls does McGill need before it realises the toxicity of its passivity?

When SSMU VP University Affairs Claire Stewart-Kanigan asked him about the institutionalization of consent training for athletes, Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens said at the Senate meeting on

September 17 that he would not be implementing this, as he did not want to target one group of students. However, making athlete-specific consent training out to be some sort of imposition or inquisition on athletes is simply an overstatement and ignores the gruesome history of sexual violence in the athletics department at McGill.

Speaking to The Daily in an interview, Stewart-Kanigan brought up the point that Frosh leaders and students staying at residences have, been “targeted” because these have been recognized as “high-risk areas.”

“So, why shouldn’t the same action be taken in an area that’s shown consistently to be an area of concern for these issues?” she asked. “The idea of targeting a specific area is not popular. [McGill is] not willing to recognize systemic issues within specific departments.”

In a separate email to The Daily, Stewart-Kanigan also reinforced the sentiment, saying that “McGill has brought other groups into the process of building safer spaces, so why not Athletics?”

In that same Senate meeting, Associate Provost (Policies, Procedures and Equity) Lydia White

presented the Annual Report of the Policy on Harassment, Sexual Harassment, and Discrimination prohibited by law, which indicated that 67 per cent of the complaints did not proceed beyond the inquiry stage. White interpreted this number to mean that people might be choosing another avenue to pursue their case, and said that McGill has no way of knowing what happened in the end.

It is quite easy for McGill to claim ignorance and argue that it is hesitant to take preemptive action so as to maintain equity. When it does take action, it is no more than a half-hearted attempt to wash its hands of institutional flaw.

This is similar to what happened with Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice assault on his then-fiancée, now-wife Janay Rice, and how the National Football League (NFL) reacted inadequately to it? While Rice’s assault of Janay Rice was recorded on video, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell claimed that he never had access to the tape. Rice was, nevertheless, suspended indefinitely from NFL. The main differences is that McGill suspended Guimont-Mota immediately after hearing about the charges. However, both institutions are

currently refusing to acknowledge the systemic corruption. Resorting to direct action after the fact is a band -aid solution.

Regarding both Rice and Guimont-Mota, the general rhetoric is that of being a ‘good guy’. This only shows that the severity of their actions is not understood by their peers, which speaks to the institutional problem within sports.

This is what we require: proactivity. Preemptive measures.

What is supported here is not a crusade against McGill Athletics, nor athletes in general. The problem is not that the system is actively encouraging athletes into committing violence or sexual assault, but that it stays passive and does nothing whatsoever.

It is McGill’s duty to know about these things. It should not be the duty of only student-run services to care about the safety and well-being of McGill students, because there is only so much that they can do. No, the problem here is institutional apathy that results in a lack of proactive solutions being put forward.

McGill cannot get away scot-free.

The solution is not getting rid or banning people that have committed crimes. What we need is to uproot the entire system.

Sports

October 6, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

19

SCOREBOARD REDMEN Men’s Lacrosse vs Carleton

Men’s Baseball vs Montreal vs Concordia at Concordia at Concordia

Men’s Soccer vs Concordia

Men’s Rugby

at Sherbrooke

Men’s Ice Hockey

W 18 - 3 vs St. Thomas

W 3-1

Men’s Football

9 - 8 at Laval 3-2 4-8 7 - 2 Women’s Field Hockey at Western vs York W 2 -1 vs Toronto

W W L W

L 3 - 70

MARTLETS

T 1-1 T 1-1 L 0-7

Women’s Soccer

W 41 - 20 vs Concordia

T 2-2

“McGill, by trying to say that it made a mistake by letting a ‘bad person’ on the football team, is trying to obscure the real problem: that there seems to be an institutionalized issue with violence in the Redmen environment.”

MADISON SMITH On the Luis-Andres Guimont-Mota case Read the article online at mcgilldaily.com.

Email sports already.

I don’t know how to make it clearer.

Sports@mcgilldaily.com

Photo Essay UMBRELLA PARADE AT McGILL COLLEGE AVENUE

PHOTOS TAKEN BY MERT KIMYACI

October 6, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

20

Culture

October 6, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

21

The women behind the scenes TNC’s directors talk theatre, gender, and the upcoming season with The Daily Niyousha Bastani The McGill Daily

“

Today, all-women anything is still considered a statement,” says Grace Jackson, the director of Tuesday Night Cafe (TNC) Theatre’s upcoming production, The Yellow Wallpaper.

In just two weeks, McGill’s TNC Theatre will premiere its 2014-15 season. Each of the season’s five plays explores relationships and characters that are a little unusual, whether it be the intimate pen pals of Dear Elizabeth or chauvinistic men in the alternate universe of Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame. The six directors are also part of something a little unusual offstage: a theatre season that features all women directors.

Laura Orozco, a member of the TNC Theatre executive team and the co-director of Monster, explained that having all women directors was accidental. “I think the fact that we are all women is an exciting reflection of the female talent on the McGill campus,” she said.

“It’s exciting and really beautiful,” echoed Shanti Gonzales in her interview with a big smile. Gonzales is directing John Osborne’s Look Back in Anger.

Conversations with each director quickly turned to why having all women directors still stands out as uncommon. The directors all agreed that theatre was a man’s game for a long time, and that women still don’t dominate in the arts. We live in a society where some would dispute that six women directors is the result of a merit-based decision. This is hardly surprising, considering that one of the most-watched arts awards shows, the Academy Awards, has only ever honoured one female director in all of its eighty years.

“This year we can dominate and that may seem a little weird, but it also seems good and right,” said Alison Vanderkruyk, the writer and director of Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame.

When asked about the relevance of gender to their theatre experience, the directors spoke of their gender as both empowering and inhibiting. Gonzales, who also runs her own theatre company, stressed the difficulties of directing as a young woman of colour.

“I’ve been written off before because of my gender, because of my race,” Gonzales told The Daily.

Orozco, in contrast, spoke of her gender as enabling. “What I love about theatre is its emotional expressiveness and how we can use our emotions and our bodies to share stories that communicate so much,” Orozco

Alice Shen | The McGill Daily said. “I think that as women we are sometimes given more of a privilege to share stories.”

Vanderkruyk emphasized the profound influence of female role models in her life who helped her understand theatre as a tool for personal and artistic growth.

Similarly, Jackson answered that while she has never experienced personal barriers as a woman in theatre, she still takes a keen interest in gender. She chose to direct an adaptation of a feminist short story, Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper. The play tells the story of Jane, a woman confined to a single room by her husband who diagnoses her with temporary nervous depression. In her confinement, Jane develops an obsession with the room’s yellow wallpaper.

Jackson thinks it’s her life purpose to raise awareness about the issues around women and mental health.

“In school we talk about race theory, queer theory, feminist theory, but we rarely focus on mental health. Historically, mental illness has been used to oppress and to dismiss women,” Jackson said. “The conversation I want to start is about how we treat people with mental health problems.”

While the rest of the plays in TNC Theatre’s 2014-15 season are not explicitly feminist, each show this year possesses themes of intense and traumatic relationships, both individual and societal. These plays discuss both the causes and effects of physical and emotional abuse, exploring issues of identity that are inextricable from gender roles.

Similar to Jackson, Orozco has a profound interest in how gender relates to mental health issues, and she hopes to go into social work to explore that interest. Daniel MacIvor’s Monster, the dark, one-person play that she is co-directing with Dilan Nebioglu, also touches on mental illness, exploring overlaid identities and how relationships can haunt us.

“Adam, the protagonist, is grappling with issues surrounding addiction and parental responsibility, and his way of sussing out those different struggles in himself reflect[s] back on the people who have informed the way that he is,” Orozco explained. “It plays with where your parents live inside of you physically and emotionally.” Orozco is challenging traditional notions of identity even in the casting of the play – she will be portraying the protagonist Adam, a typically male character.

While Monster is one person’s exploration of his complicated relationships, Look Back in Anger will tell both sides of a dysfunctional married couple’s story. Gonzales, the director, hopes the play will start a conversation about emotional abuse.

“If I ever met someone like [the male lead] Jimmy, I don’t even know [what] I would do. He’s this horrible person but at the same time, everyone relates to him,” said Gonzales. “To put the audience in that situation of relating to the perpetuator of emotional abuse is powerful.”

Vanderkruyk will also explore the psyche of horrible characters, to the point where the audience can’t simply classify them as good or bad

people. Burning in Water, Drowning in Flame, written by Vanderkruyk herself, is partially adapted from the poetry of Charles Bukowski. Vanderkruyk uses lines from Bukowski’s poetry as the foundation for her play’s disconnected world. In an alternate universe, three elderly men deal with the emotional aftermath of their experience in war.

“I flipped through the book [of Bukowski’s poetry] and everything seemed to be dirty and angry and saturated with alcohol, and there’s a man who cannot ejaculate no matter what substances he tries to put in him or what women he tries to distract himself with,” said Vanderkruyk.

“And I was somehow really fascinated by that because I’ve always been fascinated by chauvinism.”

Fascinated with chauvinism? Really? Really, says Vanderkruyk.

“That sounds strange but every single time I’m having a conversation with friends of mine who are very eloquent feminists, I for some reason always find myself defending the other side, even though I completely agree with what they’re saying. For some reason I always feel compelled to give reasons for why men act the way they do, which is sometimes shitty and terrible and completely evil, but there’s something more,” she explained.

As a self-identified feminist, Vanderkruyk admits that if she were to converse with Bukowski things would end in a brawl. But she doesn’t dismiss Bukowski’s chauvinism as simple. “We are all trying to figure out where we stand in a world that

has a lot more going on than just male and female; there are also different sexualities, and it goes a lot deeper than men and women, with or against each other.”

Perhaps the most thematically distant play of the season is Sarah Ruhl’s Dear Elizabeth, directed by Marina Miller. Based entirely on over 300 pages of correspondance between two poets, Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Lowell, and on their poetry, the play explores a very different kind of relationship, that rarely gets much stage time: friends of different genders.

“I think it’s important to remember that we can have these really intense relationships [that] aren’t necessarily romantic,” Miller told The Daily. In stark contrast to Vanderkruyk, Miller will be bringing her perspective to a play about a very strong woman.

The intense relationship in Miller’s play is definitely the only enviable one amongst the fraught relationships presented across TNC Theatre’s plays this season. Whether starting difficult conversations or recreating distant poetic ones, TNC Theatre’s 2014-15 season will be unique in showcasing a diverse range of female perspectives.

Get ready theatre-goers, it’s going to be a challenging, exhausting, and satisfying year.

Monster, co-directed by Lauren Orozco and Dilan Nebioglu, runs October 15-18 and 22-25 in Morrice Hall. Shows start at 8 p.m., and tickets are $6 for students/seniors and $10 general admission. Check out tuesdaynightcafe.com for other play listings throughout the year.

22

Culture

October 6, 2014 The McGill Daily | www.mcgilldaily.com

It’s about time

L’Espace Créatif hosts Montreal’s first collective trans exhibition Vita Azaro Culture Writer

M

ontreal’s gallery L’Espace Créatif played host last week to artists from around the world, as they converged for the landmark exhibit “Trans Time.” Curated by Ianna Book, in collaboration with Marie-Claude G. Olivier and Virginie Jourdain, “Trans Time” is the first collective trans exhibition in Montreal.

Book describes the exhibit as “a space of visibility bringing together local and international trans* artists.” It is indeed a powerful space, with each artist highlighting their own vision of trans culture and their own story.

Leon Mustovoy’s work is the most immediately striking upon entrance, depicting various body images that clash with the stereotypes in our minds. The large portraits use images of parts from three different bodies to construct one whole human being. This does more than break gender binaries; it questions our grouping and combining of gender, sex, sexuality, presentation, and

attraction, among other heteronormative expectations.

JJ Levine’s photo series Alone Time also disturbs these binaries in a less immediately noticeable but ultimately more powerful way. On first glance, the series it seems to depict heterosexual couples sharing moments that are both intimate and quotidian. After closer inspection (or maybe after reading the artist’s description) it becomes apparent that each photo is two separate photos of the same model, portraying both halves of the relationship and two sexes. According to Levine, the piece’s purpose is to demonstrate “an individual body’s capacity to engagingly and believably embody two genders,” hence questioning “the mainstream depiction of binary gender roles.” In this, Levine succeeds entirely, challenging the viewer’s assumptions and displaying the fluidity of gender expression. Though intimate, the photos come across as slightly staged, a reminder that binary gender roles are as construed and filtered as the photograph itself.

While they are the exhibit’s focus, gender stereotypes are not the only issues addressed in “Trans Time.” Golden Shoe, whose artist is not clearly identified, tackles colonialism and privilege through interactivity. The piece, a golden shoe and a small red flag with a skull upon it, also included a performance aspect, where one participant put on the shoe and stepped on another participant’s neck in an act of oppression. The performance, however, is not necessary to give the piece meaning – the message of Golden Shoe is just as strong from where it sits innocently on its pedestal, shining quietly.

The Number Project (another piece without a clearly labelled artist) also diverted from the exhibit’s themes, bringing to it a historical consciousness. Playing from a TV on the floor of the gallery, the project is a video that shows the artist branding themselves with the same number their mother had in Auschwitz. Its impact is immediate and provocative. Does this rebranding perpetuate the crime? Or, as

FESTIVAL DU NOUVEAU CINÉMA

Rosie Long Decter The McGill Daily

an aware and individual choice, does it honour the original, unwilling recipients of the tattoo?

These two pieces, along with Nothing Comes In, Nothing Goes Out

by Zahra Farhan and Claude Wittman, are the only ones that do not directly address trans issues, linked thematically instead by the fact that the artists themselves are trans.

These off-topic pieces do not, however, detract from “Trans Time” – the purpose of the exhibit is to make trans artists visible. This does not mean that their work should be confined to trans politics. Indeed, they relate to the rest of the exhibit in that they portray other systemic means of oppression, conveying themes of intersectionality and suggesting that identifying as trans does not need to define one’s identity. Nothing Comes In, Nothing Goes Out is a tiny scrap of paper upon which both Farhan and Wittman drew when they met in the prison where Farhan is today.

The piece of paper is so small because Wittman had to smuggle it out without being caught, tangible evidence

of the marginalization of trans artists’ voices, even though the piece is not explicitly about gender.

Downstairs, the exhibit displays various films. Most memorable is the story of Bob and Candace, in which a psychoanalyst narrates the characters’ everyday lives in black and white film. The psychoanalyst, after describing Bob and Candace, goes on to warn the audience that they are in fact “invisible monsters” and not who they appear to be – they are “transsexual.” This film, while stylistically indicating that it’s set in the past, still feels all too relevant. The words of the psychoanalyst linger in the air, long after the film finishes.

This is the importance of exhibits such as “Trans Time”: presenting alternative narratives of trans people.

By giving space to the work of trans artists, the exhibit helps to debunk the oppressive societal dichotomy between ‘normal’ and trans. On their own, each individual piece from these international artists is striking and thought-provoking. Together, they make visible a community.

The 43rd annual Festival du nouveau cinéma features an almost overwhelming number of films, both local and international. Running for 11 days, the festival will feature full-length and short films, installations, performances, conferences, and interactive events, in both English and French.

FEATURE FILMS She’s Lost Control – Cineplex Odeon Quartier Latin B, October 15, 7:20 p.m., and at Cinéma du Parc 3, October 17, 5:15 p.m..

She’s Lost Control tells the story of a psychology graduate student who explores sexual impotence through field research, dubbing herself a “sex surrogate.” The film is dark, twisted, and nominated for the festival’s top prize, the Louve d’Or. L’amour au temps de la guerre civile (Love in the Time of Civil War) – Cineplex Odeon Quartier Latin A, October 12, 7 p.m., and at Pavillon Judith-Jasmin annexe (Cinéma 1), October 16, 5:15 p.m..

Also in the running is L’amour au temps de la guerre civile (Love in the Time of Civil War), which follows the lives of six young drug addicts in Montreal. Conceived during a series of writing workshops with Épopée collective, this film exposes the grim underbelly of the streets we walk everyday.

Björk: Biophilia Live – Cinema du Parc, October 17, 9 p.m..

Björk: Biophilia Live is a concert film with all the eccentricities deserving of Björk, including a voiceover from Sir David Attenborough and cinematography from Brett Turnbull of Cirque du Soleil. This is Bjork up close – immerse yourself.

INSTALLATIONS

PERFORMANCES

Cohesive Disorder Everyday, Foyer Salle J.A. de Sève (Concordia) Cohesive Disorder is a video installation that runs throughout the whole festival, presenting three films, each with its own representations of religion and power. From Iranian filmmaker Payam Mofidi, the installation depicts characters that have lost control of their realities. Mofidi’s installation encourages viewers to construct their own personal meanings and connections to the piece.

Bangkok Loops October 9 , 7 p.m., Agora Hydro-Québec du Coeur des sciences Bangkok Loops is a video performance that combines analog and digital for a double projection of images from Nicolas Cage’s 2008 movie Bangkok Dangerous. The 16 mm footage is altered by chemical processes for an experience that explores new film technology, while also honouring its original medium. If you have always wanted to immerse yourself in Nicolas Cage, this is your chance.

SHORT FILMS The “Grandir” series

INTERACTIVE WORKS

October 12-18, Cinema du Parc The “Grandir” series (La Grange, Let Me Down Easy, La Mallette Noire, Sleeping Giant, Plage de Sable) features five Canadian short films that explore the transition from childhood to adulthood. Short films may just be the perfect medium for capturing the short and sweet (and bitter) moments that define us – as opposed to, say, following the same actor for 12 years and still not really telling much of a story at all. Yes, Richard Linklater, I’m looking at you.

October 14-18 , La Chaufferie DIY Manifesto is an interactive documentary that tells the story of the DIY culture in Europe and Detroit. The documentary explores the fringes of the movement, calling it a “radical revolution.” You can decide for yourself if that’s true.

Alternatively, you could check out Just a Reflektor, a project that follows a woman in Haiti as she “travels between her

CONFERENCES

Féminin/Féminin October 15 , 4 p.m., Agora Hydro-Québec du Coeur des sciences Féminin/Féminin is a web series that looks at the lives of lesbians in Montreal. This talk features screenwriter Chloé Robichaud and Florence Gagnon, president of Lez Spread the Word, the web platform distributing the series.

Together, they will discuss the series and how it has developed an online audience that goes beyond the Montreal lesbian community.

Round Table: Creative women in the video game industry October 16, 4 p.m. Agora Hydro-Québec du Coeur des sciences This roundtable is particularly timely, given the recent, highly-publicized sexist attacks on video game developer Zoe Quinn. This panel features five women who work in the industry and will share their personal experiences.

If none of these options interest you, there is a Robin Williams tribute happening throughout the festival where you can go relive the good old Jumanji days. There’s also a screening of the classic Jesus Christ Superstar, featuring commentary from Canadian director Atom Egoyan. Sounds like fun. Maybe you can ask him questions in song form.

Editorial

volume 104 number 6

editorial board 3480 McTavish St., Rm. B-24 Montreal, QC H3A 1X9

October 6, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

It’s time to listen to Indigenous women

phone 514.398.6784 fax 514.398.8318 mcgilldaily.com coordinating editor

Dana Wray

coordinating@mcgilldaily.com coordinating news editor

Janna Bryson news editors

Jill Bachelder Emma Noradounkian Igor Sadikov commentary & compendium! editor

Emmet Livingstone features editor

Hannah Besseau science+technology editor

Zapaer Alip

sports editor

Drew Wolfson Bell culture editor

Rosie Long Decter multimedia editor

Alice Dutrut photo editor

Tamim Sujat illustrations editor

Alice Shen copy editor

Molly Korab design & production editor

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Arielle VanIderstine community editor

Diana Kwon le délit

Joseph Boju

rec@delitfrancais.com cover design Tamim Sujat contributors Vita Azaro, Niyousha Bastani, Nadia Boachie, Gavin Boutroy, Hera Chan, Marina Cupido, Joelle Dahm, William Doan, Daniel Kent, YiuSing Lau, Isabel Lee, Teddy Liptay, Eleanor Milman, Jasmine Wang, Peter Zhi

Alice Shen | The McGill Daily

T

his past Saturday, the ninth annual march and vigil for missing and murdered Indigenous women took place in Montreal. While the event honours and raises awareness for these women, Canada’s powerful institutions, such as the government and the police, continuously fail to do either.

This year’s march and vigil came amid a surge in mainstream media coverage of missing and murdered Indigenous women, which was provoked by an RCMP report on the issue released in May and the murder of 15-year old Tina Fontaine, whose body was found in Winnipeg’s Red River. The outrage over Fontaine’s death led to renewed calls for a national inquiry into the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women – calls Indigenous communities and their allies have been making for more than a decade. It also sparked the striking social media campaign #AmINext, which features Indigenous women holding up signs that ask whether they will be the next to die or disappear.

While it is encouraging that the wider public is finally beginning to pay attention, this coverage has also served as a reminder of how little has actually been done. 1,181 Indigenous women went missing or were murdered between 1980 and 2012, according to the RCMP report. Indigenous activists put the number at approximately 3,000.

Yet still, Canada’s powerful institutions address the epidemic with little more than lip service. The report released by the RCMP this year is an encouraging step forward for the institution, but it does not make up for its history of ignorance and abuse.

In February 2013, Human Rights Watch released a report that documented the appalling testimonies of Indigenous girls and women being tortured and physically and sexually abused by RCMP officers in northern British Columbia.

The Canadian government, for its part, has roundly ignored the calls of Indigenous communities, choosing instead to cut funding to Sisters in Spirit, one of the few organizations spearheading research into the issue.

These cuts target the Indigenous population, and are part of a disconcerting trend of silencing advocacy that challenges the priorities of the government.

However, it is not only up to institutions to address this epidemic. The degradation of Indigenous women in Canada is a symptom of our country’s culture of racism, sexism, and colonialism. Many don’t see this issue as a Canadian problem – they see it as a problem caused

by Indigenous people. Until recently, the mainstream press has ignored missing and murdered Indigenous women; even now, some of the coverage of the issue is hateful, ascribing blame to Indigenous communities and blatantly disregarding Canada’s history of oppression of Indigenous peoples.

The Daily has editorialized on this march for the past three years, and is doing so again this year because very little has changed. Families, friends, and allies of the missing and murdered women are still waiting for justice. Most importantly, Indigenous women are still waiting for their voices to be heard.

– The McGill Daily Editorial Board

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dps board of directors Joseph Boju, Juan Camilo Velásquez Buriticá, Dana Wray, Ralph Haddad, Rachel Nam, Hillary Pasternak, Thomas Simmoneau All contents © 2014 Daily Publications Society. All rights reserved. The content of this newspaper is the responsibility of The McGill Daily and does not necessarily represent the views of McGill University. Products or companies advertised in this newspaper are not necessarily endorsed by Daily staff.

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23

Compendium!

October 6, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

24

Lies, half-truths, and teeny tiny crossword solutions. Get a magnifying glass!

The horror, the horror No escape from sandwiches Mermaid Undersea The McGall Weekly

I

am a sandwich-pocolypse survivor. In a land of cafes and breads, I have held on. It hasn’t been easy, and it hasn’t been tasty. I might not survive another day, so I’ve recorded my last moments: I got out of class bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and hungry. There was a cafe in this building, as there was in every building. I was impressed by the selection of sandwiches: there were at least 4,378 exotic, culturally-inspired varieties of food stuffed between bread.

My grass-fed, 120 per cent organic, cedar-grilled chicken sandwich looked and smelled like one thing: bread. On the first bite, it exploded with pure mayonnaise. The thin bread crumbled under the weight of the slimy sauce, and my week of sandwich hell began.

That night, I wandered for hours to find a restaurant that was open for dinner. A cafe wouldn’t do, as the word ‘cafe’ derives from the Scandinavian word for ‘open for one hour during mid-morning.’ I

found only one destination on campus: Quesada. I got a regular burrito, but one bite in I discovered an important truth: burritos are sandwiches. Again, a thin bread failed to protect me from oozing foodstuffs.

I created a warzone of tomato cannons and bean bullets on my plate.

Why are there so many sandwiches on campus? Are students incapable of eating with a fork and knife, chopsticks, or skewers?

I had an 8:30 a.m. class the next day. Turns out even McGall doesn’t like waking up that early: nothing was open. I consumed only a starvation sandwich with layers of tears and loneliness. After class, I dragged my skeleton of a body to the nearest cafe, my hungry brain unable to distinguish between cafe food and food. I had a wrap. What is a wrap? It’s a poser, a cylindershaped sandwich, a bland burrito.

I pondered the sandwich phenomenon again. Perhaps it encourages all students to eat while walking and save valuable study time. Perhaps forks are exorbitantly expensive.

The next morning brought a lukewarm, soggy breakfast sand-

wich with bacon. Not even bacon could save the sandwich from the inevitable overflowing toppings. I began yearning for rice, for nachos, for anything that was not bordered by bread.

Perhaps the issue is that the bread is too small. Or the toppings are too large. Sandwiches could be a representation of our eternal greed: we shove more and more onto our bread until it crumbles. Apparently, sandwiches are a way to make students consider philosophical questions.

I suddenly remembered that there is a Subway on campus, and that Subway is not a cafe. Sadly, I soon remembered that Subway is sandwiches. A single tear rolled down my face as I looked through the crowd to the menu of excessively long breads and excessively salty toppings. I could bring myself to consume thirty centimetres of more and more sandwich.

Today, I gave up on the meal plan. I gave up on McGall. I proudly stepped through the gates to a world of free food. My first choice?

A burger. Wait, is a burger a sandwich? We will never escape.

McGill landmarks: a crossword Across 3. BDP is always full with people from here 6. Course books but cheaper 8. Where you go to be dissuaded about your career choice 9. McBain meets Jay Leno, with books 15. Only the coolest radio station ever 17. Booooooo 19. Beam me up!

20. Yeah man, I do IDS, I’m so cool 21. Actually a pretty building, but horrible basements

Down

Beauty and the beast: a crossword solution

1.

2.

4.

5.

7.

8.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

16.

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Deuxieme Tasse Coursepack heaven Crimson way An ex-feudal overlord chills outside this place Double entendre up in here This building houses capitalist scum Quidditch field Llennoccm Beware the Phytotron Let’s get physical, physical This building has no distinguishing features, none My name is Otto, I like to get blotto A street, it’s a giant mess

Not even a joke