The Plant October 2023 Vol. 59 No. 2

the plant SINCE 1969 VOL 59 NO 2 2023

OCTOBER @THEPLANTDAWSON THEPLANTNEWS.COM

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Letter from the Editor Dearest readers,

Index NEWS

3

ARTS & CULTURE

7

VISUAL ARTS

8

EVENTS

10

VOICES

15

PLAYLIST

17

CREATIVE WRITING

22

SPORTS

25

SCIENCE & ENVIROMENT

26

CURIOSITIES

29

The Plant is an editorially autonomous student paper. All opinions expressed in The Plant do not necessarily belong to The Plant, but are those of individuals. All content submitted to The Plant or its staff belongs to the paper. We reserve the right to reject or edit all submissions for brevity, taste and legality. The Plant welcomes typed and signed letters to the editor under 400 words.

Copyright 2023

What a month. Fall once again proved to be the season of all contradictions. A delicate, brittle equilibrium lies over our heads: this is what I was not so gently reminded of these past weeks. A little mishap and the ice beneath my feet would begin to crack, then, goodbye, mental fortitude. On one hand, midterms, looming deadlines, autumnal eeriness, starless nights, surviving a new tedious job, and a sprained shoulder (or rotator cuff tendinitis as my Anatomy teacher would say); on the other, the swooshing of freshly fallen leaves, impromptu hikes, reading novels while remorselessly staying in, thrifting woollen sweaters, and watching When Harry Met Sally, The Craft (personal favourite), The Addams Family or Dead Poets Society. This October, I concede that my sanity was precariously maintained. Thank you, sincerely, for picking up an issue of The Plant this month.

When a new season arrives, our bodies trace, detect, identify and follow its patterns. For me, fall carries its fair share of ingrained habits every year. I detach myself; I tend to procrastinate, and plague my brain with school, work, and such other commitments. Not only has fall brought its characteristic halfof-the-semester dread, it also shoved a quarter-life crisis in my face. I am, indeed, turning twenty in a few days (on the 31st, to be exact), and, God, where is the “I am entering a new decade” support group when I need it? Strangely, increasing my age’s first digit by one seems a lot more dramatic than I initially conceived it to be, which left me pondering upon the importance the aging process is given.

I reached the conclusion that, for atheists, this fear of aging stems from the utter absence of rituals. I will never have a spiritual rite indicating that the gates to adulthood have been crossed. Without such practices, without their sacredness, how could we possibly discern the meaningfulness lying behind our every step? The natural mechanics of life lose their significance, and, if not celebrated, end up turning us against time itself. We share this implicit notion that, as seconds elapse, we are being robbed of something that is ours, suggesting that we are often fearful of ongoing transformations, both internal and external. What if everything around us seems whirled and convoluted because we do not root ourselves within the events which delineate our existences? If each week goes by so swiftly, could it be that we lack a tangible practice that would make the passing of time less surreal and blurry? Collectively, have we possibly tossed aside such a crucial facet of human fulfillment?

As of now, I entered a new season lightheartedly for the nth time, without ritualizing this transition. There were no harvest feasts, no authentic rites for the mind to hold on to, no acknowledgement that we are standing, and evolving in the midst of a great extrinsic transformation. Societally, we stopped greeting, fostering, and celebrating the changes which shape our existences.

We let our practices etiolate, along with collective spiritual frameworks, replacing them with cheap, consumerist replicas.

Maybe I am only scared of turning twenty, but I genuinely believe we deserve to balance the porousness of our postmodern realities with the abundance of lost rituals. We need to feel rooted and united along the way. Most importantly, I wish for every single one of you that November may bring peace, quietude, and love. Take care of yourselves.

Irrefutably yours, SIMONE BÉLANGER Editor-in-Chief, Fall 2023

NEWS 3 3

Fast-Tracking Teacher License: A Fix to Education in Quebec?

SARAH BENSETITI Secretary

During a press conference in January 2023, Quebec’s Minister of Education, Bernard Drainville, made a resolute declaration regarding the shortage of teachers in the province. He emphasized that approximately 4,000 educators were presently employed without the required legal certification.

To tackle this challenge, Drainville suggested implementing a fast-tracked teacher training program, asserting that it would not compromise the quality of education. When it was announced that 8,000 teaching positions were not fulfilled in August 2023, the minister started contemplating shortening the education degree to three years. This raises the pivotal question: Will this proposition elevate Quebec’s education system to a state of glory, or will it have a detrimental impact on it?

Since 1994, anyone interested in becoming a teacher in the province of Quebec has had to possess a bachelor’s degree in teaching. In other words, the Ministry of Education regulates that candidates are required to complete a four-year degree program consisting of 60 university-level credits (four years in university) in teaching for preschool, elementary school, high school, or for vocational training.

However, the standard path to becoming a teacher is strewn with obstacles that inhibit candidates from being granted the privilege to teach.

Many of them abandon their pursuit midway due to the program’s extended duration and its ironic tendency to deter students from engaging in mandatory internships. It is worth noting that public school assignment rules often prioritize older, more experienced candidates over interns, placing interns in demanding schools that might be considerably far from their residences. Institutions are expected to show care for their new recruits as they represent the future of education, but this practice is not always met.

Under this proposed plan, Drainville wishes to fix students’ inclination to abandon their studies in education. To address both the issue of unqualified teachers and the

shortage of educators, he initially proposes an initiative which states that candidates with a bachelor’s degree in French, mathematics, English, history, or science would now only need to complete one additional year of studies (equivalent to 30 university-level credits) to qualify for teaching roles. He emphasizes that this streamlined pathway would quicken the process of legitimizing unqualified teachers and may also attract graduates who were not previously considering a career in education. It eliminates the need for the tedious required four-year education program, which had been one of the numerous obstacles in the traditional route to becoming a teacher.

How can a student acquire the necessary pedagogical skills in just one year when even four years leaves them inadequately prepared for the diverse array of classrooms they’ll encounter?

Many voiced their concerns on the quality of the education delivered by these “one-year-trained” educators. Drainville responded saying that the many education specialists who were consulted on the topic claim that the fast-tracking of the education degree is possible and would have no impact on the future quality of teaching in schooling institutions.

The argument here is that, by making the process more efficient and appealing to students who have already specialized in certain subjects, it can be contended that he is not compromising the quality of education that stems from this training.

After all, candidates holding a bachelor’s degree in French are already specialists in the French language; all they lack is the pedagogical tools to effectively teach it.

But it can still be argued that it will compromise the quality of edu-

cation within our schools. Even with four years of training, novice educators often struggle with classroom management – a skill that typically requires years to master. Frequently, these educators find themselves disillusioned by a system that upholds outdated, rigid teaching methods, which are ill-suited to the evolving needs of newer generations of students. If the teacher training program were to be significantly shorter, it is reasonable to assume that the quality of instruction could suffer. How can a student acquire the necessary pedagogical skills in just one year when even four years can leave them inadequately prepared for the diverse array of classrooms they’ll encounter? Are we really willing to take that risk?

A good part of the solution to the shortage of teachers in Quebec, and for many other jobs, is extremely clear: immigration. However, upon their arrival here, immigrants sadly have to face the harsh difficulty of getting their foreign degrees recognized. Those who are eager and determined to continue teaching in Quebec are frequently met with the disheartening news that they must essentially start their educational studies anew to qualify as teachers, even if they held well-established positions as professors in their home countries. Not only so, even if the ministry grants them the license to be a teacher, many schools toss them out simply due to biased concerns regarding the legitimacy of their degree. After all, how can a school in Quebec make sure they do possess the skills required to deliver the adequate curriculum?

While Drainville’s plan does tackle the shortage of certified teachers in Quebec, it primarily aims to increase the appeal of education careers by reducing its duration (though, with the specialized studies completed prior, it still amounts to a four-year program). This approach represents a substantial gamble.

Perhaps a wiser approach would be to invest in improved recognition of foreign qualifications and fostering, rather than dissuading, students with an interest in pursuing a career in education.

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Nation-Wide Anti-LGBTQ+ Protests Embolden Dramatic Rise in Canadian Transphobia MIRREN BODANIS Voices Editor

SANAD HAMDOUNA Cover Artist

On Wednesday September 20th, on Sherbrooke Street, at the entrance of McGill University, a crowd of protesters gathered and marched through downtown Montreal under the banner “1 Million March 4 Children.”

Two groups organized the demonstration: Hands off our Kids and Family Freedom. According to the Canadian Anti-Hate Network, both of these groups are known to spread anti-gay and anti-trans fear mongering.

Hands off our Kids is explicitly religious and openly hateful, while Family Freedom claims to be secular and tolerant despite its history of spreading hateful rhetoric. Their activities are also openly supported and even sponsored by other far right groups such as the infamous trucker convoy, Christian nationalist groups, conspiracy theorists, and the like.

The demands of these protesters are nothing new though. In fact, they echo the demands of the decades old parental rights movement that began in the 1970s to defend discrimination against lesbians and gay men in employment, housing, and public life, all under the guise of “protecting children.” They claimed that gays and lesbians were trying to “recruit” chil-

Photo VIA MIRREN BODANIS

dren into queerness by simply existing around them or in public life. The movement went on to target hundreds of gay teachers under the 1978 Briggs Initiative, as well as opposing feminism and civil rights in America.

Similarly, these hate groups call for the elimination of education that takes into consideration topics such as sexual orientation and gender identity under accusations that it constitutes grooming and indoctrination. These accusations, although serious, hold absolutely no water.

According to UNH Sociology Professor and director of the Crimes against Children Research Center, grooming is defined as “a set of behaviors and manipulations that adults use to make it easier to introduce and complete sexual interactions with a child, without having to use physical force.” Talking about gender identity and sexual orientation in the classroom does not fit the definition of grooming.

It also doesn’t amount to indoctrination. The claim that gender identity and sexual orientation awareness education will cause children to suddenly start identifying as LGBTQ is a lie born from the decades old fear mongering of the previously explained parental rights movement.

Experts in psychology and child development have repeatedly said that there is no evidence showing that increased exposure to LGBTQ people or topics makes children more likely to self identify as LGBTQ. Despite these two claims clearly being myths, they’ve already done real harm at the legislative level. This is especially true in America, where 83 anti-trans bills have passed, but also here in Canada, where several political parties have adopted policies that limit or ban gender-affirming care.

Access to this type of care is crucial for the well-being of trans kids. In rare circumstances, minors can undergo medical operations before they turn the age of majority, but the vast majority of gender-affirming care for younger people involves low commitment, easily reversible procedures. This can include using a different name or pronouns, puberty blockers, voice coach-

ing, and changing their gender marker on official documents.

There is a real danger in preventing access to this care. According to a 2022 study by The Trevor Project, American states that have pursued anti-trans legislation, including legislation restricting healthcare, see an augmented rise in suicidal ideation of transgender youth, going as high as 56% in Texas. Some have argued that it is actually more likely for transgender youth to regret seeking medical care, but gender-affirming surgeries have an extremely low regret rate: just 1%. This is dramatically lower than something like a knee replacement, which 20% of patients regret, or the regret rate across surgeries in general, which is 14%. Only about 1% of people detransition, and the most common reason is social pressure (transphobia).

The claim that gender identity and sexual orientation awareness education will cause children to suddenly start identifying as LGBTQ is a lie.

The “1 Million March 4 Children” is only one of many manifestations of the massive increase in transphobia over the past decade. Every month, we are seeing violence against trans people legislated into American law, and now this trend has reached Canada as well. Recently, policies were passed in New Brunswick and Saskatchewan that require teachers & educators to get written consent from young students’ parents before using their preferred names and pronouns.

Although Canada has long been perceived as a safe place for queer people, especially when compared to the U.S., it is clear that this perception is becoming less and less accurate. This has left many Canadians asking why, after years of what felt like queer progress, are we regressing at such a dramatic pace?

“The thing about queer and trans people is they’re disrupting how so-

NEWS 5 5 5

ciety works,” says Kelly Phipps, a professor of sociology at Dawson.

“Our whole society has been premised around distinct gender roles, and so trans and queer people are challenging that. A lot of people benefit from this organization of society, patriarchy benefits people, so people who are being challenged are going to push back.

Queer and trans people are being perceived as screwing it up.”

“We don’t talk about climate change in that way. We don’t put an article that’s like ‘some people deny climate change exists, and some people think that it is real, and you know there’s a debate to be had there’.

People have learned their lessons, and yet still when it comes to trans issues there’s this need to ‘both sides’ these things.”

An expanded understanding of gender has existed since far before the federation of Canada. As explained by an anonymous activist calling for indigenous reconciliation at the counter-protest to the “1 Million March,” the gender binary was brought to Canada through colonization: “In turtle island, there was no gender binary.

Every different nation had a different conception of gender, and we need to understand that when we are fighting against transphobia, we are also fighting for indigenous sovereignty and the right for them to have agency over their own gender and the way they define themselves.”

Trans people are showing us how our binary, fixed understanding of gender and sexuality is a construct, rather than an inherent reality.

As more and more people are realizing that they don’t fit into the gender they were assigned at birth, or even a binary gender at all, people’s own

understanding of who they are is challenged. To many, this can be frightening and trigger the violent and hateful reactions we are seeing across Canada and the globe.

News media has also played a heavy role in failing to counter the spread of transphobia. In an interview with The Plant, Mel Woods, senior editor at Xtra Magazine, explains how news coverage of trans issues is often problematically framed.

“So many media organizations continue to center this as a ‘two sides disagreeing’ kind of debate,” they say, “We don’t talk about climate change in that way. We don’t put an article that’s like ‘some people deny climate change exists, and some people think that it is real, and you know there’s a debate to be had there’. People have learned their lessons, and yet still when it comes to trans issues there’s this need to ‘both sides’ these things.”

This “just asking questions” attitude, often motivated by the goal for “balanced journalism” gives a dangerous platform to conservative rhetoric that often goes against actual fact and science. “Balance is not ‘hearing from both sides,’ balance is being fair,” says Woods. In an effort to appear “balanced”, many news organizations give the same weight to medical professionals and trans people with lived experience as they do conservative extremists. This is how denying children healthcare has been legitimized as “pa-

Photo VIA VICTORIA NEWS

rental rights.” In their article “We need to talk about transphobia in Canadian media,” Woods points out how articles published by the CBC, CTV, and the Toronto Star have all given unwarranted credibility to misinformed, dangerous views.

Further, the education that the “1 Million March” and other transphobic groups argue against is essential for an inclusive future. “I think it’s really important that we teach children what it means to be trans and what it means to be queer in schools,” says a representative of Queer McGill, protesting against the “1 Million March,” echoing the sentiment of many counter-protestors. By educating young people, they can better understand themselves, whether queer or not, and better navigate their experiences through adolescence and adulthood.

In the words of Professor Phipps, “[The 1 Million March] is parents who are positioning themselves against kid’s rights, for kids to have their own self-determination and autonomy.”

The fight for trans rights is a fight for everyone’s freedom to define themselves, to have agency over their presentation and to be true to themselves.

By fighting for trans rights, people are fighting against gender roles and sexism, and against colonialism and white supremacy. Fighting for trans rights is not just a fight for trans people, it is a fight for us all.

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NEWS

Alarming Rise of Homelessness in Quebec: A 44% Surge in Four Years DEFNE ALIEFENDIOGLU News Editor

The province of Quebec is facing an escalating crisis with homelessness surging by an alarming 44% since 2018, presenting a distressing picture that demands immediate attention.

A recent report by the Quebec’s Health Department reveals a significant increase in visible homelessness from April 2018 to October 2022, with a 44% rise province-wide and a 33% increase in Montreal. Researchers cautioned that their survey does not accurately reflect the actual number of homeless individuals, nor does it include the larger group of “hidden homeless,” people who are temporarily residing with friends/relatives or in hotels. The scope of this report is confined to the night of October 11, 2022, rather than encompassing the complete four-year timeframe.

On October 11, 2022, the survey identified a staggering 10,000 homeless individuals throughout the province, with 4,690 in Montreal. Contrary to Montreal, where homelessness has declined by 20% since April 2018, the report found that regions such as Mauricie, Estrie, and Outaouais witnessed the most pronounced increases in visible homelessness. Notably, Outaouais exhibited an alarming surge of 389 people living on the streets, a rise of 268%.

In response to these alarming numbers, Quebec’s Minister responsible for social services, Lionel Carmant, announced an additional $15.5 million to augment the existing $4.5 million budget aimed at combating homelessness. “We saw the numbers, they’re worrying. However, we were expecting it a little,” he said.

During a municipal summit organized by the Union des municipalités du Québec (UMQ), Carmant

Photo VIA CityNews

underscored that housing inadequacy stands as the central concern contributing to the rise in homelessness.

Consequently, a commitment was made to intensify efforts towards fostering more affordable housing to alleviate the burgeoning crisis.

Additionally, in the summit, Valérie Plante, the mayor of Montreal, pointed out the provincial government needs to provide greater financial help for housing. She remarked, “There has to be more housing and there’s been a huge lack of funding from the government in terms of housing in the last three years.” Plante advocated the construction of 2,000 housing units annually, commencing from the present year, as an indispensable measure to address the high demands of the city.

In a similar vein, the mayor of Québec City, Bruno Marchand, also called out the government’s lack of attentiveness about the situation, asserting that, if the government was open to learning from other societies which have previously achieved this goal, it would be possible for the government to completely abolish homelessness.

The mayor cited Finland as an example, which made a commitment to end homelessness a number of years ago.

A demanding policy was implemented on the availability of inexpensive and social housing. Statistics for the nation show that the strategy is effective. He also stated that instead of a four year count, an annual count must be done in order to act quickly, if the numbers were to rise again.

Aligning with Marchand’s perspective, Carmant has expressed his commitment to perform a fresh count of the homeless in 2024. At the summit, he stated, “I had initially planned to do it every two years. In 2020, I intended to conduct one, but the pandemic changed everything. The speed

at which these counts should be conducted moving forward is something else I would like us to be able to decide today.”

The National Public Health Institute of Quebec mobilized volunteers and social workers to conduct surveys within shelters and penitentiary institutions as part of the data-gathering initiative. Simultaneously, efforts were directed towards identifying individuals residing in open areas. The outcomes of these surveys revealed distinctive demographics within the visible homeless population. Disproportionately represented groups included Native Americans, members of the LGBTQ+ community, individuals with a history of being reared in the child welfare system, those with a history of incarceration, and individuals who had faced eviction.

Furthermore, the surveys shed light on a prevailing pattern—the majority of respondents attributed their state of homelessness to the acute lack of affordable housing options. This research emphasizes how important affordable housing options are in reducing homelessness, highlighting the need for policy measures and resource allocation to deal with this core issue. Such findings from thorough surveys play a critical role in guiding the development of evidence-based strategies to successfully eradicate homelessness.

The escalating crisis of homelessness in Quebec, evidenced by a disquieting 44% surge since 2018, demands an urgent response. The disproportionate rises seen in different locations highlight the seriousness of the problem and the necessity of specific measures. The proactive actions taken, such as increased financing for the fight against homelessness and a clear emphasis on affordable housing, signify a positive development and signal a step in the right direction.

However, a sustained and coordinated effort from governmental bodies, municipal administrations, and relevant stakeholders is imperative to address the root causes and effectuate lasting solutions to mitigate the distressing rise in homelessness. Not only does the situation of those impacted require urgent response, but also a long-term commitment to ending homelessness and ensuring that everyone has access to secure housing. We can only aspire to create a society where homelessness is completely abolished and every person has access to secure and permanent housing via a concerted, long-term effort.

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ARTS & CULTURE 7 7 7

The Onslaught of Underground Music Culture: Commercialization and Olivia Rodrigo’s New Album “GUTS” THOMAS FRENETTE Arts & Culture Co-Editor

The journey of musical genres from niche subculture to global phenomenon has become increasingly typical in the last semicentury. The supremacy of commercialization in music, performed chiefly by modern titans like TikTok, Spotify, Youtube, Soundcloud, and Bandcamp, has become raveled with the rise of music acts— from basement gig or warehouse rave—to the monopoly of club dance floors and festival stages around the world. While digital media is appreciated for the opportunities it provides, it also raises critical questions about the preservation of the underground music culture’s creativity and authenticity in relation to the mainstream.

An underground culture frequently emerges as an expression against the pervasive “normality” of the mainstream culture. It embodies the form of an anthem for the culture and lifestyle of the downtrodden, the marginalized, the powerless—of any class of people who have something to protest against in society. For British Punk, the oppressor was the class system and the reaction stemmed from a general discontent that arose due to unemployment in an economic downturn in Britain. For Hip Hop in the U.S., it was the frustration of young urban Blacks and Latinos regarding poverty, racial discrimination, and disenfranchisement. Common life experiences are then at the core of the creation of a musical scene that aligns itself with community-bound cultural, creative, and ideological references that fashion a tight-knit community.

But once a subculture’s unique musical expression is exposed to the mainstream, its relevance seems to loom, mature, and expire at the whim of the intentions of commodification of the mainstream. At first, a culture takes on the meaning given to it by its members. Then, members purchase products (music and merch alike) which symbolize the culture’s meaning and, finally, the symbols of the culture are appropriated by mass producers to sell their products to mass audiences.

The unapologetic expression of music, which bypasses boundaries—artistic or legal—for the sake of genuine artistic creation, and the condemnation of this by authorities, often makes deviance related to its credo more alluring, especially for young people. But commercialization underwhelms this aspect of subversive music culture by applying financial pacification to dissolve the adversarial qualities of youth culture and dragging audiences into consumerism instead. By ridding music of its cultural sway within society, the mainstream reduces the subculture to a purely performative end by producing and controlling the culture’s creed within the mainstream’s agenda and, in the process, censoring its novelty and effectiveness. The mainstream allows itself to pick and choose elements of the subculture and make use of it in a strategic way (Travis Scott burger at McDonald’s, Lady Gaga as the creative director of Polaroid, etc.) that reflects its capitalist objectives.

By ridding music of its cultural sway within society, the mainstream reduces the subculture to a purely performative end by producing and controlling the culture’s creed within the mainstream’s agenda and, in the process, censoring its novelty and effectiveness.

Pressure from the music industry to maintain tried-and-true formulas that guarantee commercial success distracts artists’ creative vision with an input that is meaningless to the experimental sounds that help reinvigorate the musical genre’s scene. But once this is sacrificed, linchpins arise and thrive by impersonating subcultures which engenders replaceable forms of authentic expression to emerge and be displayed to a vast audience.

A current example of this is Olivia Rodrigo, a Disney channel youth star metamorphosed into a charting pop-punk singer. After the likes of Disney-made celebrities like Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez and Demi Levato, Rodrigo is the fresh face assigned to act within the expected confines of mainstream’s vision of the trials and tribulations of early womanhood. Her sophomore album “GUTS” recycles early 00s grunge and pop-rock with a teen flick attitude and deflates the rebellious expression of punk at the service of the unprovoking musical output of mainstream music. The creative input and authenticity of her music is thus overridden by the imposition by the mainstream of an icon to produce a narrative for very personal and inescapable life experiences.

The polarization of music indeed pulls mainstream artists towards self-preservation at all costs and underground scenes towards gatekeeping to conserve its cultural sanctity. For listeners, the mainstream is overly sensitive of standings according to current standings, like the billboards top 100, perennial–yet subjective–standings like the Rolling Stones’ top 200‘s, and awards like the Grammys, Junos and People’s Choice Awards while the underground values aesthetic and genuine expression over all.

But are artists like Olivia Rodrigo to blame for this divide? After all, popularity remains an essential component in music. Fame is often an artist’s vehicle to advance to a more respected and prominent standing within the culture as they gain a reputation as an able spokesperson within the musical community. As this process is very positive for the community, we cannot ascribe the issue to popularity. The issue rather lies in the customary framework in which popular acts are expected to place themselves to express their music to a broader audience. After all, a popular musical act can rarely remain at a vantage point in the industry without conforming to capitalistic practices like product placement, publicity and social media presence.

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Artwork by Luca Lamarche @ C.YBERINK

Artwork by Dario Mancini @ DAR_MANCINI

VISUAL ARTS 9

Artwork by Sitelle Pelletier @ DYSTEIS_

Artwork by Mia Gueli @ MIAG.DRAWS

Visual Arts by MIA GUELI Visual Arts Editor

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SMALL EVENTS

Curated by

THOMAS FRENETTE Arts & Culture Co-Editor

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW Where: Cinéma Impérial, 1430 Bleury street When: October 26-27-28 at 7pm & 11pm Price: 17$ student fee, 22$ regular price Dress up and participate in the most important screening in North America of the most important cult movie of all time!

The traditional Halloween screening attracts fans who dress up, throw things like toast, toilet paper and water in reaction to famous scenes, and, of course, do the Time Warp dance!

Photo VIA ROCKYHORRORMTL

JOUEZ/PLAY EXHIBITION AT PHI FOUNDATION FOR CONTEMPORARY ART Where: PHI Foundation for contemporary art, 451 SaintJean street When: 3 November to 10 March 2024 Price: Free!

Discover Argentinian-born artist Rirkrit Tiravanija’s interactive exhibition, where the public is invited, for example, to listen and play with the artist’s own band recording from 1996 or wander the digitally reconstituted bar from Rainer Werner’s Ali: Fear Eats the Soul.

Photo VIA PHI

TRUCK VIOLENCE Where: Bar Piranha, 680 Sainte-Catherine West Street When: 27 October 7:45p.m.

Price: 20$ Formerly known as no cru5t, this Montreal grown twopiece departed from its hardcore blastbeat origins into the construction of stunningly soulful boom bap with stunning samples and creative flow.

Photo VIA @TRUCKVIOLENCE

FIEVEL IS GLAUQUE Where: Bar Le Ritz PDB, 179 Jean-Talon West street When: 4 November 7:30pm Price: 30$ Do not restrict your craving for melancholic jazz just to your headset this fall! This multi-instrumental group creates lush soundscapes that blend the lighthearted vocals of The Mamas & The Papas with the melodic dexterity of a Piero Piccioni jazz-funk soundtrack.

Photo VIA AUDIOTREE

ARTS & CULTURE 11 11 11

To Be or Not to Be an Elizabethan EMMA CASPI Staff Writer

“I’m always thinking about why we still really enjoy reading and putting on plays and going to see versions of Shakespeare’s plays?” responds Matt Bergbusch, a Professor at Dawson who teaches Themes in Shakespeare. To my inquiry about his thoughts on how we have evolved from the common practices and standards of Elizabethan society, he answers by reflecting on how 21st-century civilization finds Shakespeare’s plays simultaneously alien and familiar.

I suppose you can say it is not merely how we have grown out of the norms of the Elizabethan community, but how we have grown from it, inhabiting and nurturing its ideas into full maturity.

We have consequently inherited traits and, if one could be so broad, particular ways of being that Professor Bergbusch expertly narrows down to provide familiarity between the partition some historians have built between us and Elizabethan society. I suppose you can say it is not merely how we have grown out of the norms of the Elizabethan community, but how we have grown from it, inhabiting and nurturing its ideas into full maturity.

As an example, take the idea of reputation. Professor Bergbusch extrapolates on this idea about modern-day society by explaining how “They [Elizabethans] are interested in the idea of reputation very much so, and Shakespeare’s plays delve deeply into the idea of reputation.” Though the idea of “reputation” began as far back as the ancient Greeks and Aristotle referred to it as an efficacious guide that one can follow to perform well behaviour-wise, it remained solid through the late 16th and early 17th centuries.

However, Professor Bergbusch explains that “At times, he [Shakespeare]

seems almost to suggest that a concern for reputation can be a little sleazy if it’s carried too far”. This negative reputation is bound to our constant social media consumption and how we seek and solicit gratification for our appearances, achievements and possessions. Hence, the need to withstand one’s respectability will increase. Of course, the standards by which one could deem a reputation worthwhile have changed over centuries, but the concept of holding a stature nevertheless has stayed intact.

Our understanding of our idea of “sense of self”, which is still as relevant as it was almost four centuries ago, helps us understand how reputation is important both now, and in Elizabethan times.

Professor Bergbusch explains that “The self is not simply internal; it’s distributed across all the various people and fields of activity we encounter, so that our sense of self is always something that is reflected or refracted—I call that the specular self”. Professor Burgbusch applies his idea to the Elizabethans who depended very strongly on the idea of the specular self by soliciting others’ points of views so that they could alter themselves according to the norms of their society. We partake in the specular self, only that it seems so apparent that we neglect its existence.

Most people understand their ‘self’ as their soul, experiences and personality that contribute to their own ‘self’, but it is more so how others perceive us. Think of a ray of light that we human beings emit; they must be reflected on other human beings for us to see our particular light. Society can provide either negative or positive responses to our being that sequentially provoke us to uphold a distinct reputation. Therefore, the way Elizabethans depended on the idea of the specular self has extended vastly to how 21st-century human beings view themselves.

Additionally, Shakespeare’s plays include thoughts of gender and sexuality that seem almost ubiquitous. Professor Bergbusch scrutinizes these plays yearly and is qualified to state that “when you look at Shakespeare’s plays…it is quite clear that Shakespeare is fascinated in what it means to be a woman…a man…[and] where the ideas of being and man and women come from”.

Of course, Shakespeare and his contemporaries did not have access to gender, queer and feminist theory, but their lack of resources did not hinder their curiosity about the topic. This spirit of inquiry about the nature of identity did not emerge recently. Our questions about the relationship between gender and sexuality, what characteristics determine being a proper so-called man or woman in conjunction with the idea of non-exclusivity within gender stem from Elizabethan ideas that had its development hindered further left many questions unanswered.

So, are we really that different from the days of Shakespeare? Can we call ourselves unassociated from a time when we are, in fact, so similar?

Considering that we all believe in a sort of reputation, have a sense of self, and maybe pose questions about the theory of gender and sexuality, are you curious about where these topics of a disquisitive nature first stemmed from? A proper cognizance of our history is crucial to understanding where we have been so we can understand the trajectory of where we are bound to go.

Who we once were will never be who we will be. However, there can be no future lest we understand and try to solve the complexity-riddled past. Although we no longer wear bodices and ruffs, our minds will never cease to be as curious as Shakespeare has inspired us to be. When you read about figures in Elizabethan society, are you really just reading about yourself ?

Photo VIA THE NEW YORK TIMES

12 THE PLANT

The Plant Recommends: Literary Picks!

Fall has arrived; the crisp air of October makes you want to put on that big beige cable knit sweater that has been taking up space in your closet, drink your third cup of coffee in a day, bake pumpkin flavoured everything, and cozy up in bed with a good book.

Lucky for you, The Plant’s team has curated a list of some of their favourite literary picks! Take a trip to your local bookstore and treat yourself to a new novel; open it up and inhale the incomparable aroma of a brand-new book. Annotate, underline, and fold the edges of the pages if you dare…

LILY GREENSPOON

Arts & Culture Co-Editor

A LITE TOO BRIGHT BY SAMUEL MILLER

THE FOLK OF THE AIR TRILOGY BY HOLLY BLACK

A lite too bright by Samuel Miller is my favorite fall read. The story unfolds as Arthur Louis Pullman the Third goes on a cross-country train ride to understand what happened to his grandfather during his last week alive. Being guided by diverse clues, Arthur finds himself trapped between the past and the present. I adored the poetic nature of the storytelling as well as the numerous historical parallels.

The readers enter the plots and live through Arthur’s perspective. This book does not disappoint.

The Folk of the Air trilogy by Holly Black is great for binge-reading on a rainy weekend. It follows Jude, a human, who lives in the Kingdom of the Faes. Throughout the books, we see her evolving, and developing new skills that help her survive in said universe.

Although it is a young adult fantasy series, Black’s writing is beautiful and mature. The characters are complex, and there are no true heroes in the story, as every character is rotten.

RALUCA-MARA MARE

Social Media Manager

SORAYA DJIA

Staff Writer

Photo VIA AMAZON

THE LAST WISH BY ANDRZEJ SAPKOWSKI

CITY BY ALESSANDRO BARICCO

The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski is the first collection of short stories in The Witcher series. Blending classic fairytales and slavic mythology, the world of The Last Wish feels extremely modern and grounded despite its fantastical setting.

Each short story follows Geralt of Rivia, a mutant monster-hunter, navigating through dangerous monsters and some of the most fascinating characters I’ve ever read. Everyone Geralt meets along his journeys is full of hidden twists and turns, and nothing is ever as it seems. The book takes characters from classic fairy tales and re-invents them, bringing to light the darker ambiguities of our favorite childhood fables. It explores the (lack of) difference between monsters and men with mesmerizing wit, and its short-story structure makes it an extremely fast and engaging read.

MIRREN BODANIS

Voices Editor

City by Alessandro Baricco is far and away one of the most impressively written novels I have ever read. The credit being equally split between its playfulness of language and its innovative storytelling, it describes the life of a boy genius, Gould, as he experiences university life with his imaginary friends Diesel and Poomerang as well as with his nanny Shatzy Shell.

Though the amount of characters is plentiful, each one possesses a colorful personality and captivating insight. With the plot alternating between Gould’s race to the nobel prize, a lawyer’s son hellbent on becoming a famous boxer, and a dusty western village that is stuck in time after its clock stops ticking, you will soon come to realize that the enchanting atmosphere in this novel is an exceptional achievement that cannot be overstated.

THOMAS FRENETTE

Photo VIA Feltrinelli IBS

Arts & Culture Co-Editor

ARTS & CULTURE 13 13 13

FRANKENSTEIN BY MARY SHELLEY

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE BY ANTHONY BURGESS

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley will always be a classic and a comfort novel in the months of October and November due to its spooky vibe. The story follows the tumultuous journey of a creature created by a scientist named Victor Frankenstein who is abandoned after Victor is faced with the terrifying reality that his supposed angelic creature becomes hideous when his plans are executed. Shelley’s incredible prose and astonishing plot delves into the ideas of what it truly means to be human, the loneliness one can feel when rejected from society and what it takes to be loved for who you are. It is almost as if you are on the journey with the creature himself living vicariously through his eyes, feeling the sympathy for this overzealous need to function like a human. Shelley’s twists and turns won’t let you down and will leave you satisfied when all the loose ends are tied.

Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange is the gateway to a terrifyingly exquisite dystopia, a prophetic land where the good old “ultraviolence” rules unequivocally.

Under this rogue regime, young Alex and his “droogs” reclaim their streets every night, when the real horror show begins; hardcore drugs, rape, robbery, torture, and murder shape the hellish lifestyle of the fifteen-year-old crew.

Through the anarchist Nadsat and “your humble narrator’s” poignant voice, Burgess drags us into a not-so-distant future where oppression, language, police brutality, freedom of thought, addiction, redemption, loyalty, and, crucially, classical music, all end up entangled under the most absurd yet brilliant circumstances.

Photo VIA THE NEW YORK TIMES

SIMONE BÉLANGER

Editor-in-Chief

EMMA CASPI

Staff Writer

11/23/63 BY STEPHEN KING FANS OF THE IMPOSSIBLE LIFE BY KATE SCELSA

THE ORDER OF TIME BY CARLO ROVELLI

Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa is a book I will always recommend to others if they ask me for a good book you can cry and laugh at on a cozy day. I particularly love how real the characters feel; Sebby, Mira and Jeremy are all well-established characters with problems not sugar-coated by the author. Scelsa beautifully navigates the themes of sexuality and mental health while developing all of these amazing characters. The chapters of the book alternate between the point of view of the three characters, so if you’d enjoy really getting into the mind of these beloved characters, I suggest picking up a copy!

The Order of Time by Carlo Rovelli is that kind of book that doesn’t just teach you stuff; it makes you feel smarter as you read it. It’s not about big fancy words; it’s about taking something as familiar as time and turning it on its head. Shoutout to my awesome physics teacher, Chris, for introducing me to this gem! This book seriously rewired my brain’s clock, and let’s not forget the icing on the cake – Benedict Cumberbatch’s voice narrating the audiobook makes quantum mechanics sound like the coolest thing ever. It breaks down the wild ride through the quantum world into something even a 16-year-old can wrap their head around. You come out feeling like a time-bending genius.

Embrace being a nerd this fall!

SABINA BELLISARIO-GIGLIO

Science & Environment Editor

KHADIJA FATIMA

Copy Editor

Stephen King’s 11/23/63 is one of those books where the premise seems a bit silly - a high school teacher traveling back in time to prevent the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and historical fiction doesn’t seem characteristic of someone as prolific at horror as King. However, the magistral storyteller knocked it out of the park with a gripping narrative and captivating characters while retaining the same suspense and emotion he is known for. I know most of us GenZ-ers definitely cannot relate to living in the early 1960s in Maine and Texas like King, but my God did I get entranced as I turned each page; I got invested in not only the main assassination plot but the subplot of the protagonist living in the era too (calling it a subplot would do it a great disservice, but you’ll see once you pick up the book).

Funnily enough, the romance here is one of the greatest I’ve ever read, and the ending… I was close to tears when I finished it, and let me tell you, I am not one to cry often. The length of the book might turn you off, understandably, but if you’re patient enough to get through it, you’ll be rewarded with a profound and resonating experience for sure.

MARC PHAM

Sports Editor

14 THE PLANT

ARTS & CULTURE 14

“All Hallows’ Eve”: On Halloween’s History and Lost Rituals SIMONE BÉLANGER Editor-in-Chief In about a week or so, the halls will be filled with gruesome monsters, reptilian fiends, bloodthirsty vampires, charming witches, zombie nurses, and a bunch of unknown characters from niche TV shows as well. The lucky ones will have their professors give out dollar store candy, some will disdain those who had the guts to dress up, while others will seize the occasion to get drunk while dressed as sexy felines. Trick or treat! Or should I say, what the hell has Halloween come to be?

Halloween as we know it is an eclectic, modern-day collage of borrowed rituals. Stolen from Celtics and tweaked by Christians, Halloween bears an elusive history. Samhain, the ancestral Gaelic holiday, marked the passage from summer to winter, and was celebrated in northeastern Europe, where Ireland, France, and the United Kingdom now stand. Although festivities culminated on November 1st, the celebrations did kick off on the night of the 31st. On this peculiar night, Celtics believed the veil between the living realm and the land of the dead was at its thinnest. The gates dividing these kingdoms would open, the portal would unravel, through which the souls of the dead would crawl to visit their loved ones on Earth. As this connection was established, Druids would communicate with their esteemed guests, bargaining for a clement winter, and making predictions for the living. The reunion featured huge bonfires, where the Celtics, often costumed, would sacrifice crops and animals, praying these offerings would facilitate the transition to winter.

The Roman Empire then proceeded to expand and conquer Celtic territories, appropriating Samhain, from which two distinct celebrations arose. In late October, Feralia first took place; this night served to commemorate the passing of the dead, who were mourned and honoured.

On the next day, the second ceremony, Pomona, would be observed; Romans would pay tribute to Pomona, the goddess of fruits and trees, whom the apple symbolizes. In 380, Christianity was declared the Empire’s official religion, and Pagan (Indigenous, including Celtic) rituals became vilified, until they were entirely supplanted by Christian festivities around

the 9th century. These new religious rites were often eerily similar to their pagan equivalent, a strategic play from the Church as to maximize converts’ numbers. This marks the birth of “All Saints’ Day,” or “All Hallows’ Days,” held on November 2nd, a celebration which would honour the dead, and especially Christian saints and martyrs. The festivities comprised dressing up as biblical figures, such as saints, angels, or even Satan himself.

At the dawn of the 16th century, when King Henry was denied the annulment of his marriage, the Church of England was created, setting the stage for a greater acceptance towards the Protestant community. Nevertheless, Protestants remained oppressed, particularly under Queen Mary I’s reign, also known as Bloody Mary for the relentless, brutal executions she would order upon those who refused to adhere to the Catholic Church laws. The systematic persecution of Protestant compelled Separatists, Puritans notably, to flee the country for New England, America. During the colonial era that ensued, the level of observance of All Hallows’ Eve would vary, yet persisted.

The nature of the festivities was further altered through presumed exchanges with the Indigenous populations, borrowing the idea of harvest celebration from native religious practices. It was only when the United States obtained their independence that the term Halloween started to gain in popularity, as the “Eve” in Hallows’ Eve was abbreviated to “een” for convenience.

Since then, Halloween has been scattered around the globe through European imperialism. While the holiday

often rhymes with cheerful festivities, the harsh reality behind Halloween’s worldwide observance lies in the inhumaneness of assimilation under imperialist regimes.

In many regions, the lines between Christian practices and local cultural rites have been blurred, giving rise to heterogenous traditions, such as Mexico’s Día de los Muertos. Although Halloween’s history does hold a gloomy colonial past, the celebration represents a rich, unforeseen blend of dual narratives and values: resistance when faced to oppression, finding joy in mourning, honouring both life, and nature through death. Often associated with the occult and the morbid, Halloween is the ultimate proof of the perennity of folklore, community, and identity.

As Westerners, we relinquished Halloween’s traditions and initial significance to the commercial, consumerist, futile frenzy which rhymes with our modern-age definition of the holiday. What we conceive to be Halloween is the mere echo of its golden days, when cultural heritage and spiritual nourishment shaped its very core. Why celebrate harvests, pray for a temperate winter, or communicate with the dead if these rituals lost all societal value? By distancing ourselves from our customs and their origins, we surrendered the healing, powerful essence of these celebrations.

Can’t you hear it? The midnight bells ring for us spooky season lovers; we must recover the heritage of the holiday we so dearly adore. What if we incorporated Halloween’s roots and their significance to our practice, instead of purely using October 31st as a gateway for excessive consumption? How does that sound?

Photo VIA Ligonier Valley Historical Society

VOICES 15

Ozempic: Obsession of Being Skinny but at What Cost?

GLORIA BADIBANGA Staff Writer “Semaglutide,” commonly sold under the name “Ozempic,” is a drug intended to treat adults with type two diabetes. It helps to lower blood pressure by stimulating insulin secretion in the pancreas. However, the use of Ozempic has grown beyond treating people with diabetes. Due to the medication’s side effects of appetite suppression, it has been linked to being quite effective for weight loss. Ozempic helps with weight loss by tricking the brain by mimicking hormones regulating food intake. It also slows down the emptying of the stomach, leading to people feeling full longer. Now being linked to weight loss, Ozempic has become the latest craze.

Its sudden popularity has inevitably led to a shortage in North America caused by supply restraints and increased demand. This shortage poses many risks for people suffering from obesity and diabetes. So, who is truly behind the exponential growth of demand for Ozempic?

Many are starting to blame Novo Nordisk, the manufacturing company of Ozempic itself, for the increase in demand. Novo Nordisk has been aggressively marketing Ozempic in Canada.

There has been spotting of adverts on television, billboards in cities, public transit, and professional sports games, oftentimes including the slogan “we just asked,” emphasizing how easy it is for people to get their hands on the drug. Most of the time, the ads focus on its effect on weight loss rather than its use for diabetes. Moreover, Ozempic has found its way into the social media fixation on being skinny, losing weight, and diet culture. For instance, #Ozempic has over 1.3 billion views on TikTok. The drug has received several endorsements from celebrities and social media influencers. There has also been speculation of celebrities as notable as the Kardashians using the medication for weight loss.

The fact that Ozempic advertisements are practically everywhere and the drug is overtaking social media raises concerns among health professionals that the drug may be reaching the wrong audience. Its increase in popularity induces people to use the

drug for cosmetic reasons and associate it with vanity rather than medical purposes.

The high exposure to the drug has led to an increase in pleas to doctors from patients wanting an Ozempic prescription in hopes of losing weight despite not suffering from obesity. People are starting to see the drug as a quick fix for weight loss and are wanting a prescription simply because they want to shed a couple of pounds for an upcoming event, like a wedding. The misuse of the drug is only reducing the accessibility for people who actually need it, like diabetics. But most importantly, it’s only making things worse for those suffering from obesity.

For example, in Quebec’s public drug insurance, Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ), there is a strict rule that medication prescribed for weight loss, like Ozempic, won’t be covered by insurance. Their main justification is that they fear the inappropriate use of Ozempic for weight loss. Although there’s more to it, this reasoning is partially rooted in fatphobia and misconceptions about obesity in general. Numerous people believe that obesity is only caused by unhealthy life choices and those suffering from the condition could easily lose weight if they just put in the effort, which is not the case. Many people fail to realize that obesity seriously impacts people’s overall health. People struggling with obesity face a reduction of 10-20 years in their lifespan.

Despite pleas made by medical and health professionals for the RAMQ to make exceptions for people with weight-related conditions such as high

Photo VIA THEMESSAGE

cholesterol, high blood pressure, or hypertension, they remain steadfast.

Ozempic not being covered by the RAMQ forces people who suffer from obesity and want to take the drug to spend 300 dollars a month. Also, since obesity is a genetic disease for many, those taking Ozempic would need to take it for the rest of their lives to continue reaping the benefits. How is it fair that obese people are condemned to spend 300 dollars a month for the rest of their lives just to stay healthy?

Many people who struggle with obesity have described Ozempic as giving them a second chance at life. Additionally, it has been shown to have better longterm effects than other alternatives, such as bariatric surgery.

The RAMQ and Quebec’s health ministry appear adamant about their stance, and unfortunately, they seem to have no plans to change the unjust rule. Failure to acknowledge the health needs of obese people and the fact obesity is a disease, not a choice, reinforces misconceptions and the idea that it should be their fault as it is something they can control.

People seeking Ozempic for cosmetic weight loss aren’t helping and are only worsening the problem for people struggling with obesity. Ozempic isn’t meant for those who want to lose weight for cosmetic purposes, yet those people have been pulling strings to get a prescription. The inappropriate use of the drug is only causing health ministries to be less open to consider the insurance coverage for medication in cases of obesity treatment.

So, it seems everyone now wants to be skinny, but at whose expense?

16 THE PLANT

VISUAL ARTS

Artwork by Jayden Bafumba

Artwork by @1EFT.SOCK

PLAYLIST 17 17 17

Playlist by MIA GUELI Visual Arts Editor

18 THE PLANT

Dawson College on Discrimination: Sincere Change or Merely Compliance?

KHADIJA FATIMA Copy Editor EZRA BUCUR Staff Writer

Authors’ note: To learn more about Parviz’s experience of racism at Dawson, it is encouraged that readers peek at the article written last May titled “Unacceptable, Unapologetic, and Unaddressed Bullying of Teachers,” published by The Plant.

In recent years, there has been a growing movement to end workplace discrimination, pioneered by the work of Civil Rights leaders in the 1950s and 1960s. They protested for desegregated schools and laws that would protect marginalized groups—including women and racial minorities—from employment discrimination. This activism was marked by legal battles, hearings, and the establishment of new legal precedents, urging those in power to address these injustices.

Today, many businesses pride themselves in their inclusive hiring practices as well as the fair treatment of marginalized employees. Dawson College presents itself as an example, with their webpage claiming that “everyone who comes to work, attends class or visits the College campus has a right to not only a safe and healthy environment, but to be treated with respect and civility.”

The College also outlines anti-harassment policies and procedures meant to address such incidents. However, the effectiveness of these guidelines depend on those in power to enact them, meaning that there is no guarantee of their enforcement. This hierarchy-based system creates a bureaucratic nightmare, where complaints, especially those involving high-ranking members of the workplace, often get dismissed due to exploitable loopholes. Dawson College, despite its public commitment to inclusivity, is no exception.

Communication is the lifeblood of the workplace; the conduit that enables organizational functioning. It allows information flows through, employees share ideas, collaboration emerges, trust establishes, and problems are solved.

However, when effective communica-

tion breaks down, it has obvious negative repercussions that go beyond an organizational level and impact the individual lives of the faculty members.

Dawson’s workforce, too, is an organization that relies on effective communication and should advocate for the rights and well-being of its constituents.

A breakdown in communication within the workforce, namely the Dawson Teachers’ Union (DTU), can hinder the ability to address discrimination and support individuals like Parviz Haggi-Mani, a lecturer and member of the Mathematics Department at Dawson College.

Parviz has been subjected to discrimination in the workplace for the last 10 years. Moreover, the absence of open dialogue concerning this issue has driven him into isolation from his department – “[he does not] even go to [his] office anymore, [he meets his] students at Alexis Nihon or at the Upper Atrium for office hours,” he explained in an interview conducted by The Plant. The isolation has taken a toll on his mental well-being, job satisfaction, and career prospects.

In the end, this is about all the ‘equals’ who are treated unequally, and it’s about the enormous potential that we possess—a potential that could be harnessed to improve society—all gone to waste while we grapple with discrimination and its consequences.

Furthermore, the breakdown in communication raises legal and ethical concerns as it violates the “Policy to STEM Violence, Discrimination, etc.” which states that “Dawson College will take all reasonable measures to prevent incidents of harassment and abuse of power.” In fact, since his arrival at Dawson, in the then newly formed DTU, he has been referred to as a murderer and

a scumbag by fellow teachers and been threatened to have his child taken from him. When these negative comments were made about him, no one dared to stand his side. He has brought this up to Human Resources (HR) to no avail for years and rewritten a formal complaint last May concerning Dawson College’s violation of its own policies, which has been declared as inadmissible by the HR. His countless attempts to communicate those instances of discrimination having been dismissed left him feeling unsupported and marginalized. This absence of dialogue, especially in STEM fields, inhibits the resolution of workplace issues and fosters a toxic workplace culture, ultimately damaging the institution’s reputation.

Complaints within the Union reveal a troubling pattern,leaving us wondering how all these complaints have been deferred, without second thought for the last 10 years. To shed light on this, it is crucial to grasp the intricate hierarchy at the core of Dawson College’s institutional structure. Parviz’s case falls under the jurisdiction of the “Policy to STEM Violence, Discrimination, etc.”

This policy involves a close partnership between Human Resources (HR), the Board, and the Dawson Teachers’ Union (DTU) to oversee its admissibility. However, a lack of clear directives exists on how complaints should be handled when involving multiple organizations.

What further compounds the issue is that, according to Parviz, he was not consulted during this process. When a teacher files a complaint, it is channeled through the DTU, where the Grievance Officer is responsible for filing a grievance with the College. But what transpires when the Grievance Officer is the very individual against whom the complaint is lodged? No specific provisions have been established to address such a scenario, which equally troubled Parviz.

After several years, Parviz managed to make some headway, securing a mediator for his case. However, even mediation proved futile. According to the policy, when mediation fails, an investigation committee must be formed.

Strikingly, Parviz claims he was never informed about the existence of such a

VOICES 19 19 19

Mathematics lecturer Parviz Haggi on unearthing the reality of workplace discrimination committee and raises concerns that it will likely include individuals against whom he had filed complaints. This labyrinthine bureaucracy not only complicates the process, but also hampers the pursuit of justice and accountability. “In the end, this is about all the ‘equals’ who are treated unequally, and it’s about the enormous potential that we possess—a potential that could be harnessed to improve society—all gone to waste while we grapple with discrimination and its consequences”, explains Parviz.

Bullying damages one’s relationships with themselves and the world around them, even if it occurs during an individual’s most formative years, such as on a playground. If school teachers can turn a blind eye to bullying between peers, it is entirely possible for executives and administrative deans to not only ignore, but perpetuate those very same actions.

In a work oriented society, bullying can have much stronger consequences. For one, much of adult life is dedicated to advancing one’s own career path, climbing up the ranks to secure a comfortable enough position. It is impossible not to work and, depending on the current job market, it could even be impossible to quickly change jobs without risking living in some level of precarity. Bullying can make it harder to even show up to work and do it well, and it will damage any future connections that could be created through the workplace.

This work culture emboldens the bullies as they feel more motivated to continue harassing their victims. If they manage to ascend to higher ranks, they take advantage of their situation, working for themselves and their own self interest. Ultimately, their goal is no longer to prevent bullying, but to perpetuate it.

Both parties know the importance of being employed, and the bullies know that they can control the very livelihood of their victims.

Parviz’s situation outlines just this.

As mentioned earlier, he barely visits his office and his fellow teachers will only address him when they can make sure that no one is around. During the interview, he stated that the DTU executives who are bullying him ensure that these issues are swept under the

rug and that nothing is amended. The people who have targeted him are fully aware of the impact they have over his very own livelihood, and choose to completely ignore any accountability concerning the threats of taking away his child, who was at the time only one year old . To this day, he does not know whether these threats were empty or would have ever materialized into real action. Nevertheless, this incident has deeply affected how he views his own relationship with his family.

If school teachers can turn a blind eye to bullying between peers, it is entirely possible for executives and administrative deans to not only ignore, but perpetuate those very same actions.

As a single father, he cannot afford to consciously resign from his job because of this harassment, a fact that has been exploited by his bullies in order to avoid any accountability. Since he is forced to come into work, they lack a compelling reason to cease the vitriol thrown towards him. Parviz has also expressed that he has not enjoyed a single day since this harassment against him began and that he simply wants the situation to somehow be resolved. He cannot find any allies too, as they are scared that their source of income ill in turn become a living nightmare. As a result, he believes that some top executives DTU treat the College as “their own backyard,” mimicking in the most crude way kids who used to pick on one another, yet also embodying the power of the principals and the school teachers who chose to not pay attention to any of it.

When The Plant asked about any diversity in the DTU, Parviz responded that he was not certain of the racial makeup of the executive branch. However, he did mention having a conversation a black staff member regarding any experiences of racism. He told The

Plant that said teacher had experienced racism at Dawson College, but DTU executives were there not to follow “their rules”, but rather “the rules”. In this context, they would refer to the broader system of discrimination that has always existed in Canada. These would be the rules instituted by the White ruling class, ensuring that they alone kept the control and the power over the operation of these systems, and that no one could affect the status quo.

Parviz compared the racism he experienced in Sweden to Canada, saying that his experiences in the former were more “explicit” and that Canadian culture seeks to “promote their own people.” For him, this is best highlighted by the nonsensical paper trail that his complaints followed and by the fact that he attempted to run for a DTU executive position as well. Unfortunately, his attempt was shut down and he believes he was “punished for speaking out”.

These experiences reflect a broader problem that The Plant became aware of when they discovered the letter put in Parviz’s personal file after the release of the previous article discussing this very situation. The letter threatened him to not bring this issue to light any further. Despite this, he still believes that students have the right, if not the duty, to speak up about the College. If the students, including this newspaper, decided to not publish anything relating to his situation anymore, it would be showing the College that their threats carry weight, and that they can influence censorship among the students. This would further perpetuate their lack of accountability and would set a precedent in regards to their ability to censor students.

However, The Plant holds the belief that Parviz Haggi-Mani deserves to have his voice heard and that censorship is exacerbating issues, rather than offering a solution to any of his decade-long problems.

20 THE PLANT

White Pills and White Lies: How the History of the Birth Control Pill Highlights Gendered Politics ANGÉLIQUE BABINEAU Managing Editor

As I left the pharmacy, my first instinct was to open the small box I was carefully carrying. I slowly withdrew the medication guide from the package, ready to recycle it. I revised my decision when, in between my index and thumb, I felt the thickness of the meticulously folded pamphlet. Fold after fold, in what felt like an endless sea of paper, I discovered a list of side effects and risks the size of a blanket.

At fourteen years old, although only prescribed to me for painful menstruations, this marked my first experience with birth control. What ensued would be four years of irregular, equally excruciating periods, uncontrollable mood swings, and constant nausea. Too naive to understand that those symptoms were not, as I had been convinced, “merely due to puberty,” I complied every day, swallowing the tiny white pill. At eighteen, when I finally raised my concerns to my doctor, I fell into the trap again when she sold me a dream that would never materialize itself. A month later, I was scheduled for the insertion of my etonogestrel implant, which I was promised would only lead to “minor side effects.” A year later, I find myself two weeks away from the removal of my implant, after months of extreme fatigue, headaches, decreasing eyesight, low morale, and anxiety.

As my experience stands as one in a sea of many, the problem does not lie in birth control itself, but in the culture and attitudes surrounding it, which simultaneously places the responsibility of contraception solely on women, while leaving out the potential impacts on our health that could enable us to make different choices.

In 1960, the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved “Enavid,” the first oral contraceptive, which consisted of a mix of progesterone and estrogen. However, the research that led to the commercialization of the pill is rather questionable. Prior to 1960, some states prohibited the distribution of contraception, making it difficult for researchers to conduct experiments. In elegant patriarchal fashion, biologists John Rock and Gregory Pincus moved the project to Puerto Rico, where they manipulated vulnerable female college students, under the threat of bad grades, into partaking in the trials of their largely untested medication.

Despite those tactics, Rock and Pincus only succeeded in recruiting 130 women, a quota they knew would fail to satisfy the FDA. To remedy the issue, instead of referring to the number of women that participated in the experiment, they began writing in terms of menstrual cycles, which amounted to 1,279 cycles, making the study seem larger than it actually was. The fact that the birth control pill, after being trialed on less than 200 women, was launched into the world as a safe and government-approved medication to be taken daily is an example testifying to the history of Western medicine neglecting women’s health.

Although dubiously brought into society, the birth control pill contributed to liberating women from certain aspects of our androcentric society. With newfound ability to plan their future, women started setting longer-term career goals, increasing the proportion of female applicants to law and medical schools from 10 to 50 percent between 1970 and 1990, according to the American Economic Association. Consequently, the pill allowed women to become financially independent from men and to have agency over their bodies. But at what cost?

With the introduction of the pill into mainstream society, women became the sole accountable party of contraception, pregnancy, and family planning. Even today, popular discourse suggests that only women should be held responsible for contraception as they would suffer greater consequences in the case of contraceptive failure, even if that means enduring the myriad of side effects that hormonal birth control can cause. That, and the fact that having a partner on birth control spares men from the “extremely tragic and unfortunate” condition of wearing a condom.

Furthermore, when contraception is considered a “women’s issue,” the financial burden tends to fall onto women.

With over a dozen of birth control options for women (most of which are hormonal), ranging from IUDs to hormonal vaginal rings, contraception in Canada can vary from 20 to 400$ monthly per unit (without insurance), comparatively to 2$ for condoms, according to HelloSafe.

Apart from the financial and social loads being placed on women, the birth control pill has considerable effects on women’s neurological system. Setting aside the common side effects - which in-

clude nausea, headaches, spotting or breakthrough bleeding, amenorrhea, weight gain, and contact lens use - the birth control pill modifies the body’s sex hormones, which are responsible for informing several parts of the endocrine system. The pill has been shown to severely affect cortisol levels in the brain - cortisol being the hormone that helps the body cope with stress. According to research psychologist Dr. Sarah Hill, women on the birth control pill exhibit low or null levels of cortisol, fitting a similar profile to people with PTSD or severe trauma and incidentally impeding their ability to learn and memorize, as well as to properly regulate stress and emotions.

But if the pill can be so detrimental to women’s health, why is its use still so prevalent? In 2022, Growth Plus Reports evaluated the worth of the global market for oral contraceptives pills at 17.9 billion in U.S. dollars. However, with increasing interest from men in the advancement of male birth control, non-hormonal and reversible options have been in the process of development. Namely, sAC inhibitors, which temporarily affect sperm maturation and mobility, and ADAM, a hydrogel that prevents the sperm from traveling through the vas deferens, a duct connecting the testicles to the urethra, are just two illustrations of said alternatives.

All things considered, the birth control pill should not be seen as purely evil.

The pill can represent an effective and comfortable form of birth control for women who react well to the medication. However, as that is not the case for all, changes within the medical field’s approach to contraceptive duty must be made. Hormonal male contraceptives have been outlawed in the past for having similar effects to the ones women on the birth control pill endure daily, narrowing the options for men down to two: the condom, which is not a viable longterm option, or a vasectomy, which often represents too big a commitment. Men should not be held responsible for the lack of male birth control options on the current market, but women should not feel forced into taking medication either. As contraception has always been about choice, both women and men should be able to make informed decisions about their health. But in these times of misinformation where almost every form of female birth control represents an interference with health, do women really have true agency?

VOICES 21 21

Silly Little Drinks: Is It Worth $8?

WINIE COULANGES Contributor

Spending money on frivolous stuff is one of my many pleasures. Luckily, Dawson is located near cafés, restaurants, and many other shops that offer a wide array of frivolous items. I shine especially brightly in the domain of beverages because I have very strong opinions about them, even though the thrill of discovering new drinks rarely costs less than a whopping $8 and only truly reveals itself after it is consumed.

Because I know that I am not the only one who is aching for a beverage review to inform my drinking habits, I have chosen to be the change I want to see in the world by giving my honest opinion on four drinks near Dawson!

1. Iced Matcha Latte from Tommy Café After much anticipation, I was finally able to try Tommy Café’s famous Iced Matcha Latte, which I took with regular milk and a pump of vanilla. The initial taste was warm and delightful and I savored every sip with equal amazement. I can confirm that this Matcha is above average, but it is definitely not deserving of $8 of your hard-earned money and the expenditure of precious minutes between classes. For the taste only, I commend this drink, but the price-to-taste ratio is disappointing, and as a short-budgeted student, I cannot stand the unnecessar-

Photo VIA LIGHTSPEED

ily evil of charging an additional dollar for ice.

Final impression: 6.5/10 2. Pumpkin Cold Brew from Muffin Plus Once I turned the corner leading to the Alexis-Nihon food court and spotted the Muffin Plus sign, I was pleasantly surprised to see a mid-range coffee shop offering drink options beyond vanilla and caramel.

I ordered the Pumpkin Cold Brew inspired by the trees shedding their orange leaves in autumn, but what followed was pretty disappointing. With my first sip, I had already consumed all the tasty syrup. “No big deal,” I thought to myself, “I will just drink the rest like the mature adult I am.”

Despite my efforts, I could not ignore the fact that the rest of the drink tasted burnt. I know you are probably wondering to yourself, “How could a cold brew taste burnt?,” and to that I say, “I wish I knew.”

Final Impression: 1/10.

3. Passionfruit Tea from Cocobun Aah Cocobun, you will always have a special place in my heart. How could you not, you are the first and last thing I smell when I make my way in and out of Dawson. I could not resist the Passionfruit Tea with lychee and tapioca as it is very agreeable with

my love of all things tropical, ranging from shampoo to air freshener.

Lychee compliments just about any beverage and tapioca, well, she does not even need an introduction. That said, I thought I was in for a treat, but my drink was way too ambitious: it tasted like a passion fruit concentrate mixed with a Bath & Body Works fine fragrance mist, more specifically A Thousand Wishes. Against my mother’s wishes, I was unable to finish it.

Final Impression: 4/10.

4. Honeydew Milk Tea from L2 L2, I will never grow tired of seeing your pink signs all around the city. You make me feel like a sailor lost at sea, desperately searching for a safe heaven and I have finally found it. Like a long-lost childhood friend, I can recall memories of us dilly dallying on the swing sets and throwing rocks. Like a USB key I got at a private school open house in sixth grade, I know you will never leave me. The Honeydew Milk Tea with tapioca pearls is hard to describe without falling into obnoxiously poetic language.

It is perfectly fruity, delectable and fun! It is the kind of drink you have when one of your classes got canceled and your bus was on time and you need a drink to match that pep in your step. It is definitely a crowd pleaser.

Final impression: 10/10.

22 THE PLANT

Welcome to fall (she writes, shaking and crying)! I hope this semester has been, if not entertaining, at least tolerable. I struggled to pick poems for this month’s issue as I received a plethora of wonderful submissions. Every piece sent reminds me how raw and alienating the human experience can be. So, with each poem picked for this month, I hope to bring the Plant readers together as afternoons turn to nights and windows get sealed shut one by one. Keep writing and sending; as no leaf falls untouched, no piece gets left unloved.

With admiration as always,

If We Counted KARA FUSARO Contributor How many possible lines Can I write about sadness?

How many unceasing times Until I lose this overbearing madness?

First, I lose my ability to smile.

Then, my heart inside dies a little.

Next, I bleed and flow – Or do I use my imagination?

Perhaps let myself stumble out Of the 8th floor window.

Typical, done before, cliché.

Maybe writing isn’t my calling.

I’ll skip to the steeple and pray Or burn in hell, come back crawling.

“What happened kid?

You didn’t enjoy your stay?”

But this time, I find a solution.

An answer that will make so much sense.

Don’t condemn my disillusions, But what if I try and choose A life that feels less like pollution?

If I jump and fly – Would that be viable absolution?

HANNAH DANE Creative Writing Editor

23 THE PLANT

CREATIVE WRITING 23

Whispers in the Virtual Veil CHRISTOPHER DIMITRIADIS Contributor In realms of code and pixels’ grace, Where digital dreams find their place, A virtual veil conceals the real, And in its depths, emotions conceal.

Whispers soft through fiber threads, Secrets shared where silence treads, In the vast expanse of the digital night, Echoes of souls take their flight.

In this world where avatars play, Identity dances a cryptic ballet.

Behind screens, hearts open wide, In the virtual realm, we don’t need to hide.

But beware, for shadows dwell In the corners where lies may swell.

For in this place of ones and zeros, Truth and fiction, the boundary narrows.

Yet still, we navigate this digital sea, Seeking connections for you and for me.

Amidst the whispers in the virtual veil, We find our stories, and together set sail.

Freeze my Burn so I Won’t Complain HANNAH DANE Creative Writing Editor A burn and another burn on the same arm.

Different angle, different bone but a burn Is a burn all the same, no matter How brown or red or teethy white it is.

And that burn – bubbled skin that Broke apart from its bandage bleeding – Almost, though not quite, broke me Apart too. Because one burn was quite Enough, but two burns send me over The edge (the one I’m standing on bare.)

Bubbles at the bottom, bubbles through my Toes and up my fingernails. I’m cold, But bitterly burned. Blister, blister, but none Forms. Beware bare burns borne bare.

24 THE PLANT

CREATIVE WRITING 24

A Blue World CRISTINA HOLBAN Contributor I say blue and mean the tears Spilled at our awakening To life, our cold reality.

I say blue and mean new veins, Entwined, polluted by hypocrisy, Now gushing poison ivy.

I say blue and mean Apollo’s hyacinth, Its tender grace now lost In the wind’s embrace, closed irises.

I say blue and mean the sky, Its birds and their rasp hiccUps shrieking a last goodbye.

I see blue but say I love you As our walls turn to slumps And our throats open up To sing our final tragedy.

evening potion JAMES ALLOUL Contributor oh hi. you’ve caught me in my daily stupor. i’m told it isn’t safe ‘round here at dark. we’ll take a stroll across the empty park. you’ll milk me like they’ve milked my humour. when i get home, i’ll poison myself more. nobody left to face or to appall, just me, blank screens, and the rats in the wall, my body clogged and lying on the floor. oh sure, i’ll let my problems steep; more painless to entrust the trance than digging through this deepening heap. now you know my secrets, sweet and sickly. though, like the sun, you’ll soon be gone, and you’ll forget me just as quickly.

SPORTS 25 25

Spanish Soccer Turns the Page on an Embarrassing

Chapter after Ousting Luis Rubiales MARC PHAM Sports Editor

Spain winning the Women’s World Cup should have been a cause for celebration for the nation’s football world - such a rapid ascent to glory by a squad that qualified for the tournament for the first time eight years ago after decades of mediocrity. Instead, it was tarnished by Luis Rubiales, the Spanish football federation president, kissing a player on the lips without her consent. Having sparked a crisis that eclipsed the original victory, the scandal draws the curtain on the sexism in the Spanish sporting world.

On August 20, during the trophy and awards ceremony in Sydney, Rubiales kissed forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips after the national team defeated England in the Women’s World Cup final. Rubiales later claimed that it was consensual and brushed off any suggestion that it was inappropriate.

But Hermoso insisted otherwise, accusing him of sexual assault. “I felt vulnerable and a victim of an impulse-driven, sexist, out-of-place act without any consent on my part,” she said in a statement posted on social media.

The incident caused an uproar in Spanish media the following day. Nadia Tronchoni, Sports writer for the newspaper El País wrote, “It’s an intrusion.

An invasion of one’s personal space.

Without consent. An aggression.”

Tronchoni’s sentiment was echoed by the general public, with Socialist politician Adrián Barbón describing the act as an “absolute lack of respect and an abuse that neither the moment, nor the euphoria, nor the joy justifies.” Even Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez characterised the football chief’s actions as “unacceptable.”

The international community also voiced their support for Hermoso. Sarina Wiegman, England women’s team’s coach, spoke out against the vehement inequality in women’s football in her award acceptance speech after being crowned UEFA’s Women’s Coach of the Year.

“The game has grown so much, but there’s also still a long way to go in women’s football and in society,”

said Wiegman, who had guided the Lionesses to the World Cup final.

Rubiales’s scandal has diverted attention from the greatest victory in Spanish women’s football and, ironically, the biggest win in Spanish football overall since the 46-year-old took charge. As a result, the championship-winning squad, along with dozens of players, initiated a boycott and refused to play again for their country until there were changes in the federation’s leadership. Even the firing of Jorge Vilda, the team’s head coach who was unpopular due to the alleged sexist culture surrounding his program, was not enough to bring them back.

On August 27, one day after Rubiales defiantly declined to resign and claimed to be a target of a “witch hunt” orchestrated by “false feminists,” FIFA suspended him from his position. Then, following an emergency meeting the next week, the Spanish football federation requested Rubiales’ resignation. After Spain’s state prosecutors formally accused him of sexual assault, which could net him criminal charges and even possible prison time, Rubiales finally agreed to resign on September 10.

“The feminist country is advancing faster and faster,” Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, after Rubiales made his resignation public.

“The transformation and improvement of our lives is inevitable. We are with you, Jenni, and with all women.”

Díaz had also been outspoken against Rubiales’s actions, saying that they were “shameful” and showed the systemic nature of male chauvinism in Spanish society.

Following lengthy investigations, Rubiales appeared in front of Judge Francisco de Jorge on September 15 and denied any wrongdoing when questioned about the kiss. After hearing him, the judge issued a restraining order that prohibits him from being within 200 meters of Hermoso.

Hermoso’s lawyer, Carla Vall i Duran, said they were satisfied with the hearing. “Thanks to the [images of the kiss], the entire world, the entire country, has been able to ob-

serve there was no type of consent.

And we are going to prove that in the courtroom.”

Three of Hermoso’s teammates, includi ng two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas, appeared before the judge on October 2 to testify as witnesses. Hermoso herself is also expected to testify at some point.

“What I hope is that he [Rubiales] goes away through a conviction, a sentencing, not because of his voluntary decision,” Victoria Rosell, a government official dealing with gender violence, was quoted as saying by EFE.

I felt vulnerable and a victim of an impulse-driven, sexist, out-of-place act without any consent on my part.

Most of the players ended their boycott a week following Rubiales’s ousting, but only after the government intervened to help shape an agreement to make immediate changes at the country’s football federation, starting with the removal of its secretary general, Andreu Camps, considered to be close to Rubiales.

Amanda Gutierrez, president of the FUTPRO players’ union, said that they are working towards establishing equality for Spain’s women’s and men’s national teams, firstly in the structure of the team. “[The women’s team’s] executive and administrative staff will match that of the men’s team, to further professionalise the team and staff,” Gutierrez said.

The federation implemented another measure by removing the term “de fútbol femenino,” “women’s football,” from the team’s name. In an official statement, it announced that both the men’s and women’s national teams would now be referred to as “Selección Española de Fútbol,” or “Spain’s national football team.” However long the journey may be, this is the first step towards equality in the sporting world and recognition that football is football, regardless of who plays it.

26 THE PLANT

The Beyond Meat Burger: Impossible Expectations?

SABINA BELLISARIO-GIGLIO Science & Environment Editor

Given the dangerous climate changes and increasing temperatures, it’s not surprising that veganism is becoming more pertinent. Beyond Meat Inc. and Impossible Foods are only two of the many businesses stocking grocery store shelves and fast-food menus with their revolutionary meat substitutes. These plant-based products strive to capitalize on society’s growing concerns about the environmental impact of the animal industry while marketing themselves as a healthier alternative. However, should consumers be suspicious of their sudden supermarket takeover?

The excessive use of greenhouse gasses and carbon emissions continues to pose threats to our planet; big industries, such as meat production, need to begin taking accountability. Plant-based diets are a great way to reduce carbon footprint. A study by the University of Michigan stated that Beyond Meat’s production of plant-based burgers created 90% fewer carbon emissions than typical meat producers. Companies selling these innovative products are revolutionizing the mass production of quality goods with fewer environmental impacts, but is their eco-friendly selling point enough to change the market?

Perhaps not. These companies are relying on the current trend of healthy eating, which is now often associated with vegan or vegetarian diets. Professionals have been concerned about the cholesterol levels in meat-based products, particularly red meat, which the plant-based industry aims to replicate.

Photo VIA SUNDRY PHOTOGRAPHY

The Impossible Burger, for example, has soy leghemoglobin, a protein found in soybeans, that has similar properties to blood hemoglobin which allows the meat to “bleed” and “sizzle” on the grill. Both Impossible Meat and Beyond Meat, plant-based meat alternatives, contain more saturated fat and sodium than regular ground beef due to their lengthy processing treatment. These products successfully deliver an umami taste similar to beef, but being plantbased doesn’t necessarily make them healthier than real meat.

A study published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information titled “The Role of the Anabolic Properties of Plant- versus Animal-Based Protein Sources in Supporting Muscle Mass Maintenance” evaluates the changes in the human body with the consumption of animal or plant-based proteins. This study assessed the impact of these proteins on a skeletal level in young and older individuals. The main issue found within many plant-based proteins is their digestibility. According to the Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS), which measures the amount of amino acids the body can use, plant-based proteins have a lower score than animal proteins. Their decreased digestibility of plant-based proteins may result from the presence of non-starch fibers obstructing enzyme access to proteins. However, the processing treatments for plant-based proteins could increase their digestibility by inactivating up to 80% of their inhibitors. Moreover, they add, “most studies have reported a lower ability of plant-based protein sources to stimulate

protein synthesis and induce muscle mass gain compared to animal-based protein sources.” They conclude that despite animal proteins’ ability to support muscle mass, plant-based proteins are essential due to their high levels of fiber and micronutrients and are more environmentally sustainable.

These products successfully deliver an umami taste similar to beef, but being plant-based doesn’t necessarily make them healthier than real meat.

However, this sustainability does come at a cost. Beyond Meat mentioned in the second quarterly report in August that their net revenues fell by 30.5%. They explain that they continue to be affected by “softer demand in the plant-based meat category, high inflation, rising interest rates, and ongoing concerns of a recession.” Plant-based meat is almost twice as expensive as regular meat products, and with the growing cost of living, it’s no surprise that people will turn to the more affordable option. It seems that products such as Beyond Meat’s plant-based meat serve as a transition to a vegetarian diet, but aren’t sustainable in the long run. Many cuisines across the world offer a plethora of vegan options, especially Middle Eastern cuisine, which utilizes lentils, chickpeas, and other legumes, ingredients that are nutritious without the extra cost.

It seems that Western countries fall deeply behind the curve in having healthy and accessible vegan/vegetarian alternatives. People can speculate that veganism is a craze, but limiting our intake of animal-based foods can make a sizable impact in helping our planet, and companies such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods provide a decent stepping stone toward that path.

However, we need to have access to more sustainable and affordable options for it to be permanent, as our moral obligation to save the planet should not come at the expense of those who already cannot afford to survive.

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT 27 27

What Is Going On with the Strikes in the Medical Field?

RALUCA-MARA MARE Staff Writer

In early September, alarming news headlines covered the media outlets. “Medical strike” and “Big manifestation” were printed on the front page along with countless photos taken of the 500 or so protesters in front of the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM). Along with banners illustrating “Y’a des limites!” (“There are limits”), the Fédération interprofessionnelle de la santé du Québec (FIQ) protested on behalf of the 80 000 healthcare workers, excluding doctors, that are signed in the FIQ syndicate organization.

FIQ representatives are demanding that the government stop treating healthcare workers as “interchangeable pawns.” “It seems that the government does not understand that there is not a shortage of workers in the health network. What’s happening is an exodus, a run-for-your life caused by the working conditions, and the work overload.

Healthcare professionals are fed up with being constantly pushed to move faster,” explained Julie Bouchard, President of the FIQ. A recent poll illustrated that 42% of nurses, licensed practical nurses, respiratory therapists, and clinical perfusionists surveyed felt like leaving the field because of the excessive workload expected from their jobs. Out of 9663 healthcare professionals surveyed, 83% declared that the necessary patient care cannot be fully provided due to heavy workload on the workers, 55% claim as being capable of correctly evaluating their patients, 66% indicate that team members in their care unit are absent, 57% say that they are not able to administer the medicine upon patient request fast enough and more than 2/5 workers want to quit their job (@fiqsante). The FIQ also demands change within the workplace for a better life balance for the workers as well as better care conditions for the patients. However, the main solution to the problems invoked is a change in the worker-patient ratio.

To better understand the amplitude of the problem, let us look at what is happening in a negotiation period. Initially, it starts with the submission of demands on behalf of the healthcare workers to the government, leading to their response offer. This is then followed by meetings between the negotiation committee and

the employer party where they try to establish action plans to address the demands. Meanwhile, the members of the union are kept mobilized in support of the negotiation committee, waiting until the Negotiation committee obtains the conditions for the right to strike following the Essential Service Act established by the government.

What’s happening is an exodus, a runfor-your life caused by the working conditions, and the work overload. Healthcare professionals are fed up with being constantly pushed to move faster.

The legal definition of “essential service” during a strike may include specific personnel. These workers are not allowed to refuse work as their services are essential for the protection of the public. Finally, the members of the FIQ are boosting pressure tactics upon the government in order to accelerate the discussion and negotiation process and initiate action. It’s during this moment that the members could reach a strike, within the safety of the essential service act. The active negotiation phase stops when an agreement has been reached between the two parties.

In the current timeline of events, we have reached the point where FIQ has obtained the right to strike. The Administrative Labour Tribunal (TAT) has granted the FIQ permission to proceed with a possible strike of its requests made per the Essential Services Act,

Photo VIA CTV NEWS MONTREAL

making it the first labor organization to do so. Overall, the decision regarding vital services establishes the bare minimum of healthcare workers who must continue to function while on strike within the healthcare system.

The TAT authorizes reduced work time in other sectors and services, including operating rooms, although emergency and critical care services continue to operate as usual as stated by the Act. In the event of a strike, just 70% of operating services would be maintained in the majority of institutions, or 80% in highly specialized centers, in order to exert pressure on the government by limiting the number of working healthcare members. For many hospital units, 85% of services will be kept up in the case of a strike, meaning that 15% of the time that healthcare workers are at work is spent on strike.

The Act also invokes the fact that 90% of services in CHSLDs must be kept up to date. These measures assure patient safety during important pressure tactics set by the FIQ members. The Act is equally known as Bill 33, which allows healthcare workers to participate in strikes. This collective action has been recognised as a constitutionally protected right since 2015 by the TAT because of its essential function in the healthcare functioning system.

Over time, healthcare professionals will continue to pressure the government to improve the current system for the well-being of all. Similar strikes can be seen in the public education system as well. The government has quite a lot to manage, but as long as the people show support and resilience, change will come.

28 THE PLANT S

SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENT

Women in STEM: Is Ambika Kamath and Melina Packer’s New Feminist Curriculum Worthwhile?

LILY GREENSPOON Arts & Culture Co-Editor

Women in STEM; we love using this phrase to romanticize and legitimize women’s roles in the science field.

Despite my ambivalence towards this phrase, I am, by definition, a woman in STEM, looking to pursue higher education in engineering. Being a woman in STEM – and routinely patted on the back by my proud family and peers for being so – I have become aware of the lack of women in the archives of science. Specifically, the absence of women in engineering and its attribution to sexism as well as the belief that women have no place in such an objective and emotionless field.

Thus, women’s involvement in engineering, let alone in any science field, is something relatively new.

According to Engineers Canada’s annual report of 2020, females represent 23.4% of all students enrolled in undergraduate engineering programs, an increase of approximately 6% since 2010. Beyond women deserving equal opportunities, there is a societal and scientific benefit associated with a gender-diverse perspective, a notion explored by scientists Ambika Kamath and Melina Packer.

Historically, science is believed to be objective; scientific discoveries are first hypothesized, then tested, analyzed, and finally, proven. The gray area lies in the analysis portion.

Although we have minimized bias through techniques such as blind or double-blind experiments which ensure that the test subjects and/or researchers are not affected by subconscious expectations in today’s day in age, there are still ways to go.

This leads us to the role of feminism in scientific inquiry. Kamath and Packer, scientists studying biology and animal behaviour, are responsible for a new curriculum which emphasizes the importance of looking at scientific discoveries through a feminist lens.

But, what do Kamath and Packer mean by a feminist lens? Feminism is a buzzword and has gained a negative connotation in the media. That being the case, many avoid using the word at all, if they wish to be taken seriously.

Nonetheless, Kamath and Packer use it proudly. Their method of teaching is the following: examining past theories, pinpointing biases present, and scraping the theory all together, if necessary.

For instance, applying their approach to Bateman’s 1948 principle serves to dismantle the “biological myth of promiscuous males and sexually coy females,” an idea coined by Tang-Martínez, a biology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

For context, according to ScienceNews, Bateman’s principle states that “male animals should be expected to pursue as many mates as possible while female animals should not, because males produce millions of sperm while females produce comparatively few eggs.”

My first thought when reading this was that this principle is almost humorous in its not-so-subtle representation of society’s belief that women should not be sexually active with more than one partner for fear of being slut-shamed. Sure enough, Bateman’s principle not only reflects current society, but it reflects the period in which it was theorized, the Victorian Era; it was believed that women were to engage in sexual activity purely for male gratification and that they must abstain from any sort of sexual pleasure.

Kamath would ensue in her critical analysis of this principle by focusing on modern researchers’ inability to replicate Bateman’s findings. This solidifies the parallel between animal behaviour and human behaviour as no coincidence and demonstrates how social beliefs influence scientific observations and vice versa.

Now, you may ask, what is the relevance of the dismantlement of

Photo VIA SCIENCENEWS

some old theory? Why do we care?

Firstly, challenging inaccurate theories is not just an issue of the past; it has real-world implications. According to the Journal of the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, studies as of 2014 pertaining to biological proofs of the innate differences in male and female nature are in the process of being debunked. Our society is continuously evolving. Ergo, we should never stop asking questions. We should never stop thinking critically.

Secondly, we need to be aware of how biases in scientific research can be used to further personal agendas, justify anti-human rights movements, and perpetuate all kinds of discrimination.

Amidst the anti-trans movements in Canada, people are grasping for scientific proof to fuel their arguments claiming that gender-affirming healthcare practices are damaging to the youth. This is reminiscent of polygenism, a scientific claim that supported white supremacist beliefs by explaining racial differences through scientific theory. In other words, in a world consumed by misinformation, “it doesn’t help if scientists are reinforcing those same kinds of assumptions,” even unintentionally, says Packer.

All this to say, Kamath and Packer’s new curriculum is in fact worthwhile. These women are taking a risk, knowing that what they say may not be taken seriously by others in their field.

This is because, as long as they still represent a minority, women in STEM will continue to face much aversion, whether it be in the engineering, biological, or medical field. That said, let’s be open-minded, and listen to what women in STEM have to say.

CURIOSITIES 29 29 29

PUZZLES

Across

Down

5. Peek-a-...

9. A place where the dead rest and ghosts linger 10. Snack of choice for a [3-down] 11. The final day of this month 13. Disguise 15. Transparent haunter 17. Carved pumpkin 19. A coloured pet typically associated with bad luck 20. A cleaning mode of transportation 21. Where vampires sleep 22. Sounds like a parental figure

1. Mad scientist responsible for the creation of this human-like monster 2. A themed attraction to walk through for adrenaline junkies 3. Undead, revived corpse 4. A [7-down] can cast one 6. The current season 7. The character who rides a [20-across] and can cast [4-down] 8. A famous count 12. Transform on a full moon 14. Synonym of scary 16. Sweet treats 18. One of the two options when knocking at the door.

Curiosities by

TAMARA GALINATO Curiosities Editor

COME BACK NEXT ISSUE FOR THE ANSWERS!

30 THE PLANT

COMIC

Comic by

SAYA HIDAKA-MASSICOTTE @4a4k4a

ANSWER TO LAST MONTH’S PUZZLE

CURIOSITIES 31 31 31

HOROSCOPES

ARIES (mar. 21 - apr. 19): It is time to wind down and focus your energy back on more pressing things. This month is fueled with productive energy flowing your way. Use it wisely. You might engage in an important conversation that will clear up some confusion you have had.

TAURUS (apr. 20 - may 20): Now is the time to tackle that to-do list of yours and work towards that project. It is also a good time to tidy up and kick out old habits along the way. Trust your intuition: you know what is best for yourself.

GEMINI (may 21 - june 20): A relationship might be coming to an end, but do not worry; this will allow things to become clearer for you. Keep yourself surrounded by people who make you truly happy and, no matter what, stay out of the drama. You will receive good news before the end of the month. Make sure to take care of yourself and break a leg (not literally)!

CANCER (june 21 - july 22): This month, take some time alone to contemplate. You may be reflecting on your future and the goals you want to achieve. Take things slow and spend time with those dearest to you. It might be time to turn the page of an important chapter in your life. And let that person know how much they mean to you ;) LEO (july 23 - aug. 22): You are quite the social butterfly this month! You are booked to the brim, but do save some time for yourself to recharge. It is also time to let go of the past to make space for a new relationship to flourish. This month, you will come to a realization and finally know what you want.

VIRGO (aug. 23 - sept. 22): The main focus of this month is your finances. Do not make any impulsive purchases. Instead of spending energy emptying your pockets, invest that energy onto yourself. A new opportunity will appear towards the end of the month.

LIBRA (sept. 23 - oct. 22): Dear Libras, your season is coming to an end. Happy birthday to the last of you! What is meant to be will happen. As long as you give it your best shot, things will always work out the way they are supposed to be. This month, you will find clarity about something that has been occupying your mind for a while. But, there is no need to rush into anything—plant the seeds and, over time, they will grow.

SCORPIO (oct. 23 - nov. 21): Your season is next, Scorpios! Happy birthday! As your season begins, make sure to craft a realistic plan that you can stick to. Stay productive and determined (procrastinating will be the death of you)! You may be reflecting on who you want to be. Channel your energy into your passions.

SAGITTARIUS (nov. 22 - dec. 21): Stop overthinking about that particular topic! This month, you will finally find out how to move forward. Productivity will strike; you must utilize that energy as much as you can. This month can also be a good time to branch out and meet new people. Take things slowly and set goals as your season is lurking around the corner.

CAPRICORN (dec. 22 - jan. 19): You are transforming and outgrowing an older version of yourself.

Take on those new opportunities, engage in conversations, and say yes to more things! Expect the unexpected.

AQUARIUS (jan. 20 - feb. 18): Eyes are on you as you will finally get the recognition you deserve for your hard work. This month, secrets will be shared.

Conversations you have been dreading will finally happen, but, by the end of it, it will feel like it was meant to be.

PISCES (feb. 19 - mar. 20): You are radiating empathetic energy; your friends might come to you for help, but make sure to take care of yourself first. Something from the past will be settled and it will allow you to rekindle old friendships. Acquire a new skill, sign up for a class, or just try something new this month! Go to that event you were invited to.

DAWSON SPEAKS “Costume Halloween Ideas” And you responded with...

“Dr. Phil” @nosferatus.daughter “A ghost (by not coming to school)” @witchycoffeebrews23

“Bad Cupid but Victorian” @dysfuncnoodle.png

32 THE PLANT

MASTHEAD

CONTRIBUTORS

Simone Bélanger Editor-in-Chief

Marc Pham Sports Editor

Angélique Babineau Managing Editor

Tamara Galinato Curiosities Editor

Khadija Fatima Copy Editor

Sanad Hamdouna Cover Artist

Sophia Widell Graphic Designer

Soraya Djia Social Media Manager

Sarah Bensetiti Secretary

Gloria Badibanga Staff Writer

Defne Aliefendioglu News Editor

Ezra Bucur Staff Writer

Thomas Frenette Arts & Culture Co-Editor

Emma Caspi Staff Writer

Lily Greenspoon Arts & Culture Co-Editor

Raluca-Mara Mare Staff Writer

Mirren Bodanis Voices Editor Sabina Bellisario-Giglio Science & Environment Editor Hannah Dane Creative Writing Editor Mia Gueli Visual Arts Editor

Winie Coulanges Luca Lamarche Dario Mancini Sitelle Pelletier Jayden Bafumba Kara Fusaro Christopher Dimitriadis Cristina Holban James Alloul Saya Hidaka-Massicotte

CONTACT The Plant Newspaper Dawson College 3040 Rue Sherbrooke O Montréal, QC H3Z 1A4 2C.12 theplantnews.com theplantnewspaper@gmail.com @theplantdawson