The McGill Tribune Vol. 39 Issue 16

The McGill Tribune TUESDAY, JANUARY 28 2020 | VOL. 39 | ISSUE 16

Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University

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EDITORIAL

FEATURE

REVIEW

Divestment is not “symbolic,” it’s necessary

Excluded voices

The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) triumphs

PG. 8-9

PG. 5

PG. 7

(Iman Zarrinkoub / The McGill Tribune)

McGill breaks records on home track

PG. 15

Over 100 march in protest against nationalist Indian government in Montreal

Demonstrators protested anti-Muslim legislation in India Kyle Dewsnap & Tasmin Chu News Editor & Staff Writer Over 100 people marched in protest against India’s government outside Montreal’s Parc metro station on Jan. 26. The march, hosted by India Civil Watch Montreal, was part of a

worldwide protest against the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The BJP government has come under fire for adopting discriminatory policies against Muslims and other marginalized groups in India.

Sonali Huria, a former researcher for the National Civil Rights Commission of India, explained that the date was cho-

sen to coincide with the anniversary of the Indian constitution coming into effect. Huria noted that the constitution enshrines equality in its preamble.

“While [the] crisis that India [faces] is unprecedented, what is also encouraging is that the pushback from the grassroots is historic,” Huria said.

PG. 4

Café Olimpico opens downtown location

The Australian wildfire anomaly

Severe drought has led to one of the country’s worst fire seasons on record

The Mile End staple is now steps from campus Lydie Hua Contributor For those who feel that the Mile End is too far away yet crave Café Olimpico’s delicious lattes and wonderful atmosphere, the world has decided to grant their wish. A new location, just a few blocks

from campus on Boulevard Robert-Bourassa, north of Sainte-Catherines, opened in December.

‘Montreal’s Best Café’, as their website boasts, has a rich and deeply rooted history. Since its opening in the 1970s in Mile End, it has been a legendary staple of Mon-

treal’s café scene. Jonathan Vannelli, the current owner of the three Café Olimpicos across the city, is the grandson of Rocco Furfaro, the original founder, and has been a member of the family business since he was 16, rising through the ranks from busboy to owner.

PG. 12

Madison McLauchlan Contributor Every year, patches of Australian forests are consumed by fire, an ecologically necessary process that releases soil nutrients and stimulates plant growth.

When the fire season is exacerbated by drought and high temperature, however, the devastation is so great

that some citizens are forced to flee their homes. In the most extreme circumstances, natural habitats are ruined completely, even to the point of species extirpation.

This year, these conditions converged in a perfect storm, ravaging large swaths of the Australian continent in dramatic wildfires. The scale of its current bushfire season is unprecedented:

Almost 13,000 square kilometres have burned, taking the lives of 29 people and more than 800 million animals.

Increases in the mean average temperature were a contributing factor to the bushfires’ severity, according to Morgan Crowley, a Ph.D candidate in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences at McGill.

PG. 13

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 28 2020

NEWS

Well Week 2020 aims to promote student health Sudent Wellness Hub to improve last year’s week McEan Taylor Staff Writer McGill’s Student Wellness Hub and the Healthy Living Annex will host the second annual Well Week from Jan. 27-31. This year, Well Week coincides with Bell Let’s Talk, a campaign to raise awareness and discuss stigma around mental health. The Hub hopes that Well Week will build on last year’s events. Well Week comes at a time where the Hub has faced criticism from students, who have complained about waiting up to 80 days for appointments even after the Wellness Hub’s renovation and questioning the impact of awareness campaigns. Kathleen Bateman, Associate Director of Health Promotion and Outreach at the Wellness Hub, spoke on the goals for the week.

“Well Week was created to provide students with spaces and activities to talk about wellness and understand how it affects all aspects of their life, from academics to mental health,” Bateman said. “It’s also an opportunity to connect with others and try out the kinds of activities we offer all year long that can help improve their well-being.”

Student service groups such as the McGill Office of Religious and Spiritual Life and the Peer Support Centre are organizing their own events across campus.

Activities range from sports, such as ice skating, to presentations explaining how to navigate healthcare services on campus.

“We’re really excited about McGill Let’s Skate, our feature event for Bell Let’s Talk day,” Bateman said.

“It’s a great opportunity for students to try skating with peers, share a hot chocolate with other McGillians, and learn how physical activity can contribute to over-

Wellness Week 2020 is beginning after several complaints were made against the Hub last semester.

(Leanne Young / The McGill Tribune) all well-being. Another big event is the #SleepMatters Challenge, happening all day Tuesday. We’re encouraging staff and students to wear PJs to work to remind us of the importance of sleep.”

This is the first time the Student Wellness Hub and Healthy Living Annex are collaborating to organize Well Week. Bateman emphasized the importance of student involvement in the planning process.

“Students have been part of the planning process from the outset,” Bateman said. “Our HLA Student Advisory Board and Peer Health Ambassadors [has been] collaborating and offering input on all of our events.”

Another group involved in Well Week is the McGill Observatory on Health and Social Services Reform (MOHSSR), which will be hosting an event on Jan. 29.

Dr. Amélie Quesnel-Vallée, an associate member of MOHSSR, hopes their event will create a lasting impact on students’ wellbeing.

“One of the goals of the MOHSSR is to serve as a platform to improve knowledge exchange and public understanding of health policies,” Dr. Quesnel-Vallée said. “As a professor, I am keenly aware of the needs of our student body so that’s why I thought it would be more impactful to hold our annual event during Well Week, rather than in November as usual. Our panelists will provide a complementary view of the policy landscape that’s shaping our health system and the lived experience of someone with depression who’s had to navigate this system.”

Dr. Quesnel-Vallée notes that the issue of mental health support does not end after Well Week is over.

“We’ve come a long way in recognizing mental health issues,” Dr. Quesnel-Vallée said. “However, there is still a lot of work to do, and [this week gives wellness issues] a lot of visibility and allows for more [awareness].”

Beyond Well Week 2020, the Student Wellness Hub aims to support students’ mental health needs. According to Dr. Vera Romano, Director of the Student Wellness Hub, support from the Hub includes same-day appointments and individual or group therapy services.

“We’re constantly working to bring in new clinicians so we can offer more appointments,” Romano said. “The Healthy Living Annex offers health promotion activities year-round, including three monthly collectives throughout the academic year. There [is] also additional support coming this semester to help students more easily access care that we’re really excited to talk about.”

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 28 2020

NEWS

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‘Drug Addicts Are Human Beings’: Confronting the stigma surrounding addiction Trevor Burrus’ talk exposes the dark side of the War on Drugs Magdalena Nitchi Contributor The Institute for Liberal Studies and the McGill Political Science Students Association hosted “Drug Addicts Are Human Beings” on Jan. 23rd, a talk to examine the negative impacts of the war on drugs and the ways in which drug addicts are dehumanized. The talk featured k e y n o t e s p e a k e r Tr e v o r B u r r u s , a research fellow at the Cato Institute w h o l e c t u r e s f o r d i ff e r e n t o rg a n i z a tions, including the Federalist Society and the Institute for Humane Studies. Although not directly affiliated with McGill, the Institute for Liberal Studies hosts discussions about the ideas of liberty and freedom on a wide range of topics.

Burrus began his talk with a question to challenge the audie n c e ’s p e r c e p t i o n s o f d r u g u s e r s .

“The fundamental question at the heart of the drug war is, why d o a l c o h o l i c s g e t t r e a t m e n t a n d h e roin users get cages?” Burrus said.

“Why would we have to dehumanize someone so much because of the specific drug they use? [...] The drug war is evil and we must end it.”

According to Burrus, the three main prongs of the war on drugs are perceptions of the drug, percep-

t i o n s o f t h e d r u g u s e r, a n d d e h u m a n i z a t i o n o f t h e d r u g u s e r. B u r r u s described each of these claims and a rg u e d t h a t t h e U S f e d e r a l g o v e r n m e n t h a s m a n i p u l a t e d p u b l i c p e rceptions of certain drugs in order to t a rg e t m a rg i n a l i z e d a n d r a c i a l i z e d groups.

Burrus referenced the 2012 incident in which the police suspected the involvement of the street drug “bath salts” in the case of a Florida man who ate part of a homel e s s m a n ’s f a c e , w h i l e r e s u l t s f r o m toxicology reports were only able to identify marijuana in the perpet r a t o r ’s s y s t e m . H e u s e d t h i s s t o r y to show how the police will lie about drugs to create false panic in the population. He explained how common drug abuse is by providing statistics about alcoholism.

“All drugs are pretty much the same,” Burrus said. “20 per cent of the drug users are [addicted]. 20 per cent of drinkers are alcoholics, but we do not punish the 80 per cent because of the 20 per cent. The same is true of heroin.”

Burrus encouraged everyone to be empathetic toward drug users. “ We n e e d t o g i v e a h u m a n f a c e to those who need help, not a jail c e l l , ” B u r r u s s a i d “ We c a n c h a n g e if we want to, [but we need to] see drug users as human beings.”

After Burrus’ talk, several stu-

Burrus has discussed the War on Drugs in further depth on his podcast ‘Free Thoughts’.

(The McGill Tribune) dents brought up how they are working to improve the campus culture around drugs. One student informed the audience about a safe injection s i t e a t C o n c o r d i a U n i v e r s i t y, w h i c h allows people to use drugs in a safer s e t t i n g . A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h e C a n a d i a n Students for Sensible Drug Policy is currently trying to create a drug program at McGill.

Jeanne Cholot, a Concordia art h i s t o r y s t u d e n t , l o v e d t h e w a y B u rrus discussed the material.

“I think [the talk] was really honest,” Cholot said “[Burrus] was very satirically revealing blunt inf o r m a t i o n t h a t m a k e s y o u u n d e rstand how messed up it is. It was pretty entertaining. I’ve done my

own research [about drugs and drug users], but I engaged with the talk.

I a p p r e c i a t e d h i s f u n n y, e v e r y d a y casual thing. I think that for the past 500 years in art we have represented addicted bodies in a certain w a y, b u t t h a t ’s a c t u a l l y a m y t h . ” Sabine El-Chidiac, the Educational Program Manager for the Institute for Liberal Studies, was excited to be back at McGill. “[The Institute for liberal studies] comes to McGill at least once or t w i c e a y e a r, ” E l - C h i d i a c s a i d . “ We like [coming here]. Student groups will ask us to bring people [sometimes]. McGill students are great.

They are always very engaged and have good questions.”

Socialist Fightback groups denounce possibility of international war Dozens gather to debate socialist alternatives for the US and Iran Pascal Hogue Contributor Nearly 60 people filled a room in Concordia University’s School of Community and Public Affairs on Jan. 23 to discuss the recent escalation of tensions between the US and Iran. Students and activists advocated for a cessation of violence in the region and debated possible socialist alternatives for both countries as a means of averting war.

The event, “Iran: Stop Imperialist War!”, was organized

by Socialist Fightback at Concordia and McGill and attracted students from both universities, as well as dozens of members of the Montreal community.

Fightback activist and former Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) student Julien Arseneau led the meeting with a 40-minute presentation briefly describing the hostilities between the US and Iran. Tensions have recently heightened between the two countries since the assassination of Iranian gen-

eral Qassem Soleimani by the US government on Jan. 3. Arseneau linked the socialist movement with the antiwar movement, arguing that, under the capitalist system, another war in the Middle East is inevitable.

“War is a constant threat as long as we live in a system where profit is the most important thing, and in a system where a few big companies dominate politics, [and] benefit from war,” Arseneau said.

Arseneau suggested that alternative socialist systems would divert money away from the military towards public infrastructure and services instead.

“These trillions that go to build tanks and drones and military bases in foreign countries would go to build hospitals, schools, housing, public transport,” Arseneau said. “Obviously this cannot be done as long as the profit motive is overruling everything. We can’t ask [defense technology company] Lockheed Martin to build schools. They won’t do it.”

Activists accused political and corporate elite of benefiting financially from threat of war. (Pascal Hogue / The McGill Tribune) Following the presentation, attendees participated in an animated discussion during which they expressed their concerns about the current instability in the Middle East and proposed possibilities for socialist revolution in the region.

Banafseh Cheraghi, a sociology student at Concordia, gave a firsthand account of the turmoil in Iran and her perspective on how the socialist move-

ment should achieve its aims.

“As someone who has participated in some mass protests in Iran […] I can […] claim that revolution is not what Iran needs right now,” Cheraghi said. “Before that, [Iranians] need awareness, because when you are blocked from the media for this many years you begin to make your own stories from your reality.”

Cheraghi blamed the domi-

nance of US media in Iran for manipulating public political discourse in the country.

“Even the US is responsible for that because the only foreign media that Iranians have access to are controlled by […] the American news and none of them talk about the real issues,” Banafseh said. “None of them try to […] give [people] knowledge.”

Fightback activist and former Concordia student Fehr Marouf was pleased with the meeting’s high attendance. He believes it is indicative of the increasing popularity of the socialist movement across university campuses and in Montreal.

“Every year, we keep getting more and more people out to these [events] and it just shows how far the process of radicalization and polarization in North America has gone,” Marouf said.

“A lot of the bourgeois media is focused on the far right but [I’m sure] that the far left is growing a lot faster. We just don’t get any free coverage for it, except from capitalist media.”

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 28 2020

NEWS

Over 100 march in protest against nationalist Indian government in Montreal Demonstrators protested anti-Muslim legislation in India

Kyle Dewsnap & Tasmin Chu News Editor & Staff Writer Continued from page 1.

“I stand here in solidarity with the people, the ordinary citizens who are pushing back against this fascist regime.

I reiterate my faith in the Constitution, in the preamble.”

The Montreal march through the streets of the Parc-Extension neighbourhood was in solidarity with the Citizenship Amendment Act protests, an ongoing series of protests in India against a piece of legislation viewed by demonstrators as discriminatory. Passed in December 2019 to provide a path to Indian citizenship for minorities fleeing persecution, the Citizenship Amendment Act applies to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, and other religious minorities, but explicitly excludes Muslim minorities.

Since protests began on Dec. 4, 2019, over 3,000 individuals have been arrested. Darin Barney, who attended the march in Montreal, criticized the Indian government for its actions against the demonstrations.

“The oppressive response of the state to [the] protests is unjustified, and we need to call attention to the brutality of that regime,” Barney said. “It’s important for democratic people everywhere

Kashmir experienced the longest internet shutdown of nearly six months of any democratic state.

(Tasmin Chu / The McGill Tribune) to stand up in solidarity with people who are struggling against those kinds of measures by right-wing governments.”

Ayesha Vemuri, a PhD student in communication studies, explained that the protests originated as a grassroots effort from all corners of Indian society.

“What’s remarkable about the protests in India right now is the fact that it isn’t being led by any political party [or] by one central movement,” Vemuri

said. “It is common people, a lot of people who have never protested or in their lives [....] The other thing is that it’s remarkable because it’s mostly being led by women. Women are coming out and sitting in these spaces every single day.

And they’re cooking there [and] they’re taking care of their kids there [....] This is about common people standing up for themselves, their own rights, and their neighbours’ rights.”

Saeesh Mangwani, U3 Arts, attended the march and commented that the protest movement also included concerns about the legal status of the formerly autonomous region of Kashmir.

“There are so many [issues with this government], it depends on how far you want to go,” Mangwani said. “The major ones that should be noted are that the state has revoked the special status of Kashmir and essentially made it a territory [governed centrally by India] after years of police repression. It’s just a blatantly undemocratic unilateral decision to make Kashmir a part of India [...] There is [also] unrest in the northeastern states.

The government of India has [historically neglected] that part of the country and [now] it’s just aggravated.”

Despite the government crackdown on protests, Komal Mohite, a PhD student in history and a student activist for the last 10 years, credited the demonstrators for sparking international attention.

“No matter how hard Modi and his gang of goons try to intimidate us, our protests are too much for them,” Mohite said.

“Just yesterday, lawmakers in the European Union passed a resolution against the [policies of the Modi government], calling it undemocratic [....] So yes, the international community has taken notice of our protests. They have taken notice of the fascism that is propagated by [Modi].”

Divest McGill plans escalated tactics following administration’s refusal to divest Information session held to discuss plans to continue action against McGill Kate Addison Staff Writer Divest 101, an information session held by the student group Divest McGill, took place on Jan. 21, drawing a crowd of around 40 students to a Burnside basement classroom. The meeting was led by members Guido Powell and Rachel Ivey, who discussed the group’s response to McGill’s plans to decarbonize. The meeting emphasized the importance of continued action, despite the Board of Governors’ (BoG) repeated decisions against fossil fuel divestment.

Following a report by the Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR), McGill Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier announced that the university would not be withdrawing its close to $148 million investment in the fossil fuel industry. This marks the third time that McGill has rejected community demands, choosing instead to decrease the number of investments it has in the fossil fuel industry.

For Divest McGill members like Millie Murray, U0 Science, McGill’s repeated decision to maintain its sizeable holdings in fossil fuel companies has fallen short of expectations.

“Most recently, [McGill] responded [to calls for divestment] by essentially saying divestment is superficial and we don’t need to do it,” Murray said. “And then they released this statement [...] about their commitment to carbon neutrality, but it is all very vague.”

The BoG has committed to taking several steps towards their goal of carbon neutrality, such as reducing the carbon footprint of the

McGill Investment Pool and increasing investments in the school’s fossil-fuel-free fund.

However, according to Audrey Nelles, U0 Science, the university has not adequately addressed student demands.

“We, as students, should expect a lot of our university and divestment is kind of the bare minimum in terms of climate justice,” Nelles said.

As part of a growing movement, over 1000 institutions around the world have divested from fossil fuels. In some instances, students have resorted to more public tactics to get the attention of their university’s administration.

At the University of British Columbia, a group of students participated in a hunger strike for divestment. During a recent Harvard-Yale football game, student environmental activists garnered international attention by storming the field. Nelles spoke on previous attempts coordinated by Divest McGill in garnering the same attention.

“In the past, Divest has occupied the office of the principal, we have camped out outside of James Admin, [and have] returned [our] diplomas,” Nelles said. “I think that [it is] important to continue doing these public actions because that does put a lot of pressure on the university.”

While members of Divest McGill were unwilling to divulge details regarding the group’s specific plans for the coming year, this most recent refusal to divest by the university has prompted the group to consider alternative actions. Ella Wischnewsky, U1 Arts, explained that the group’s current focus will be to pres-

Over 1,000 institutions from around the world have divested. (Sabrina Girard-Lamas / The McGill Tribune)

sure the McGill administration in more impactful ways.

“As far as working with [McGill], we are still doing that in a way but at least in this coming semester, we are looking to do a little bit more of escalation tactics [in our protests],” Wischnewsky said.

Despite the decision from the BoG, support for divestment is still strong on campus.

The resignation of tenured faculty professor Gregory Mikkelson drew national attention, while the creation of the Paid by McGill video

spread awareness for Divest McGill’s cause.

Actions concentrated on drawing public attention to McGill’s continued investment in fossil fuels will be essential components of the group’s unrelenting eight-year-long campaign for divestment. “[McGill] is very concerned with their image,” Nelles said. “If we show the other side of that image [and show] that, no, McGill is not a leader in sustainability [and] they are actually contributing to climate change, then that has a lot of power.”

OPINION

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28 2020

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EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief Caitlin Kindig editor@mcgilltribune.com Creative Director Nicholas Raffoul nraffoul@mcgilltribune.com Managing Editors Abeer Almahdi aalmahdi@mcgilltribune.com Miya Keilin mkeilin@mcgilltribune.com Sophie Brzozowski sbrzozowski@mcgilltribune.com

News Editors Kyle Dewsnap, Helen Wu, & Delphine Polidori news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editors Lucas Bird & Johanna Cline opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editor Emma Gillies scitech@mcgilltribune.com Student Life Editor Miguel Principe studentlife@mcgilltribune.com Features Editor Gabe Nisker features@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editor Kevin Vogel & Katia Innes arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editors Ender McDuff & Kaja Surborg sports@mcgilltribune.com Design Editors Sabrina Girard-Lamas & Winnie Lin design@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editor Leanne Young photo@mcgilltribune.com Multimedia Editors Sarah Ford & Aidan Martin multimedia@mcgilltribune.com Web Developers Jad Hamdan & Jonathan Colaco Carr webdev@mcgilltribune.com Copy Editor Keating Reid copy@mcgilltribune.com

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Social Media Editor Marie Saadeh socialmedia@mcgilltribune.com Business Manager Heela Achakzai business@mcgilltribune.com Publisher Chad Ronalds

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ublication is the sole STAFF responsibility of The McGill Tri Kate Addison, Makena Anderson, Adam Burton, Tasmin Chu, Jonathan Giammaria, Alexander Hinton, Benjamin Joppke, Deana Korsunsky, Alaana Kumar, Ronny Litvack-Katzman, Kennedy McKee-Braide,Deisha Paliwal,Taja De Silva, McEan Taylor, Sophia White, Amir Hotter Yishay, Iman Zarrinkoub

CONTRIBUTORS Sepideh Afshar, Asha Bittenbender, Joey Caplan, Ruobing Chen, Sarah Farnand, Verd Gashi, Sophia Gorbounov, Pascal Hogue, Lydie Hua, Sequoia Kim, Shaun Lalani, Guilherme Martins, Lauren Mayes, Madison McLauchlan, Adam Menikefs, Shafaq Nami, Magdalena Nitchi, Josephine Wang, ET Wu

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EDITORIAL

Divestment is not “symbolic,” it’s necessary Following McGill’s most recent refusal to divest, tenured McGill professor Gregory Mikkelson has resigned from his position. Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier defended the university’s decision to remain invested in the fossil fuel industry, stating that the university’s commitment to decarbonization would be more valuable than a “symbolic” divestment from fossil fuels. Although most people cannot afford to make as bold a gesture as Mikkelson, everyone should try and align their actions with their values, including the McGill administration. By willfully ignoring and dismissing climate change research of tenured professors at their institution, the McGill administration has sent a clear message that they do not intend on following through with their supposed commitment to sustainability. The administration has an extensive history acting “symbolically rather than practically,” and students, alumni, and faculty deserve better.

In her response to Mikkelson’s departure, Fortier defended McGill’s commitment to reduce its overall carbon footprint rather than fully divest. While Mikkelson has characterized divestment as a clear, substantive step to take, in contrast to the university’s complex and unclear goal of decarbonization, Fortier’s

Miya Keilin Managing Editor I am sure that my mom is not the best cook in the world, but at some point in my childhood, I realized that all of my friends’ parents couldn’t cook nearly as well as my mom could. Every night, even when she complained of being tired or of a lack of ingredients, she found a way to prepare a delicious meal for our family.

My mom’s talents go beyond dinner: She is an excellent baker, too.

Whether it was chocolate chip scones, banana muffins, or dense chocolate cake, her baked goods were flawless in my eyes.

As I grew up, I started baking too. Every time I baked something, I would desperately seek her approval.

My mom is not one for compliments— she loathes the Western culture of regularly praising your children—so I

comments include labeling divestment a “symbolic” gesture. As a professor of chemistry and esteemed academic, it is unlikely that Fortier is unaware of the reality that divestment is one of the most substantial institutional actions to combat climate change.

With countless scientific reports that McGill scholars produce on climate change, Fortier’s denial of the effects of continued fossil fuel investment leaves students questioning why the university is ignoring evidence.

Fortier’s dismissal of Mikkelson’s resignation shows disrespect for a professor who contributed deeply to McGill’s intellectual community and to the lives of his students. The university’s response follows from a long trend of McGill overlooking staff recommendations. Last year, McGill’s failure to hear professors’ recommendations on the importance of divestment led to two professors resigning from the Board of Governors.

Even if divestment was merely a symbolic action, Fortier’s contention that symbolism is unimportant does not hold. For example, the previous men’s varsity team name symbolized the continued oppression of Indigenous peoples. Although getting rid of the name was by definition a symbolic action, the change has had tangible consequences for many members of the McGill community. Further,

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the James McGill statue that greets McGill visitors at the Roddick Gates symbolizes McGill’s damaging colonial history and legacy of slavery.

These symbols have direct and tangible consequences for the marginalized communities they affect.

In a variety of areas, McGill’s administration has built a reputation for itself in which it opts to act in a way which is symbolically significant, while shifting the real responsibility of substantive action to other student activist groups as well as university faculty and staff. When Indigneous students spoke out against the continued use of a racial slur as the mascot for the men’s varsity teams, which made them feel unsafe on campus, McGill took years to even consider removing the name. Even more disappointing is the fact that the burden of petitioning for change and explaining the harmful nature of the name fell on Indigenous students. A new name has still not been chosen. Similarly, when McGill abruptly cut its eating disorder program, former Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President (VP) Student Life Sophia Esterle took on the burden of supporting students and created the eating disorder support and resource centre. This year, McGill also cut funding for student note-takers who provided course notes to students with disabilities, again representing

McGill’s mismanagement of financial resources.

Finally, in the Art History department, a new course is running this semester called “James McGill was a slave owner,” by Dr. Charmaine Nelson. This course is just another instance of McGill professors trying to illuminate the problems that the school refuses to address. Rather than simply allowing its employees to elaborate on the university’s overtly problematic legacy of racism, McGill should own up to the reality of its history.

Students and faculty deserve an administration with a level of institutional awareness that recognizes their needs, appreciates their efforts, and heeds their counsel. McGill must reconsider its distribution of resources: Investments in fossil fuels should be focused on paying note-takers for their labour, providing improved healthcare services and acknowledging faculty research and initiatives with concrete actions. Mikkelson’s resignation was one of many instances of students and staff taking self-sacrificing measures just to be heard on campus.

The McGill community has only ever asked the administration to step up to its role as a leader of the institution, and the administration’s failure to do so has consistently shifted work onto students and staff who are already overburdened.

A lesson from my mom was elated every time she said, “This is not so bad, Miya.”

When I came to McGill, I quickly found myself, as many students do, missing my mom and her cooking. However, living in a MORE house afforded me the opportunity to try to recreate her dishes in an effort to cure some of my homesickness.

I journeyed to Chinatown and the Japanese markets near Concordia to track down ingredients I couldn’t find in the tiny ‘ethnic’ or ‘international’ section of the local supermarkets.

Finally, I found the labels that I recognized, and it felt like I was back home with my mom, shopping at her favourite markets.

I tried to get my mom to teach me how to make some of her dishes before I moved away, but she always told me to sit there and watch her do it, since that was how she had learned from her mother. Being impatient and not liking being told what to do, I didn’t hang around the kitchen like she said to.

So, at the university, I called her and asked her how to make certain dishes, how long to cook things, how much of each ingredient to add. In a classic—unbelievably frustrating— Asian mother fashion, she told me that she didn’t follow any recipe. She just did what she felt was right.

I started with what I knew: Chahan (fried rice) and onigiri (rice balls) were the two things I had somewhat decently prepared

at home under my mom’s careful, judgemental watch. With the Asian products I knew and loved, both were simple enough to make. Plus, even if I messed up, my mom would never have to know.

I started to venture out of my comfort zone, mostly relying on doing what felt right and eating my mistake if I was wrong. Soon enough, I was consistently crafting dishes that I could not wait to tell my mom about.

I still wished that she could taste them and give me her ‘not bad’ seal of approval.

Over this past winter break, my mom was too tired to make dinner one night, so I did it instead. I did not have much to cook with, but curry doesn’t require many ingredients so I

made do. Perhaps it was because she was so tired, or maybe I really had perfectly combined the flavours from the various spices and ingredients that I had scrounged up, but my mom was grateful and baffled that I could cook something she enjoyed so much.

Really good, my mom said to me.

Even though I do not get homesick as much as I did in first year, I miss my mom every day. We call each other often, sharing the milestones we reached at both of our respective swim practices or breaking down the latest season of Terrace House, but it’s when I cook that I feel closest to her. My voice tells me what feels right, but her voice tells me to trust myself.

ERRATA In the Jan. 21 feature piece “The witching hour arrives in Montreal,” the author cited quotes from individuals with whom they had a relationship, thus presenting a potential conflict of interest. The Tribune has addressed this matter and subsequently regrets this error.

The photo accompanying the Jan. 21 editorial “International issues have on-campus consequences,” was used without permission and improperly credited. The Tribune has addressed this matter and subsequently regrets this error.

The Jan. 21 editorial “International issues have on-campus consequences,” stated that the Arts Undergraduate Society’s (AUS) general assembly against Bill 21 occured on Jan. 14. In fact, it was Jan. 17. Secondly, the Eduation Undergraduate Society’s (EdUS) general assembly failed to reach quorum, EdUS later passed a motion to strike via an online vote. Finally, the AUS strike vote was initated by AUS members and not the organization’s leadership. The Tribune regrets these errors.

6

OPINION

COMMENTARY

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28 2020

Anonymous grading: Reducing bias in educational institutions

Sequoia Kim Contributor Despite professors’ efforts to be objective, grading students can involve personal bias. Recently, certain McGill departments have adopted anonymous grading, that is grading papers and midterms without knowing the identity of the student, as a way of combating this bias. Anonymous grading is an educational policy that all McGill faculties should consider implementing.

Perhaps the most appealing case for anonymous grading is its potential to begin dismantling institutional racism in education by reducing bias in grading.

While not all professors and instructors at McGill are explicitly racist or biased toward students of a visible minority, it is difficult for anyone to completely rid themselves of the implicit biases that are informed and shaped by the unequal society that we live in. Simply being aware of these biases is not enough: Until institutional racism and sexism are dismantled entirely, implicit biases will continue to manifest and perpetuate societal inequities.

Regardless of one’s personal views, there is no denying that stereotypes can subconsciously influence one’s actions.

For instance, one study revealed the bias of elementary school pre-service teachers, who graded students with migrant backgrounds significantly worse than students without a migrant background. Another study found that students with stereotypically Black names, such as ‘Darnell’ or ‘DeShawn’, tended to receive more discipline for the

COMMENTARY

same action as students with stereotypically white names like ‘Jake’ or ‘Connor.’

Similarly, other experimental studies have shown that teachers discriminate against female students, Black students, less attractive students, less liked students, and students with less appealing surnames.

White men have historically been the original scholars of many disciplines in the arts, such as philosophy and political science; despite significant gender equality progress in education, the former association between men and intellectual success is likely still present in one’s implicit attitudes. One paper by philosopher Jennifer Saul examining implicit bias and women in philosophy explained that if grading is not anonymous, men are more likely to be given higher grades than women for the same quality of work. An individual’s implicit biases can often lead them to behaviour that disadvantages or privileges certain groups of people over others: Disregarding the impact of these attitudes allows for institutional racism and sexism to persist.

To see it another way, in situations where the grader is familiar with their students, graders could be more susceptible to biased grading. Anonymous grading would reduce the ‘halo effect’—the tendency for one’s impression of someone to influence one’s opinion or judgement in another, unrelated area, and would also reduce the bias against students who have a poor precedent of prior work.

The process of anonymous grading entails nothing but small format adjustments: Students put their student ID number in place of their names on

Some faculties within McGill have already adopted an anonymous grading policy.

(Rishabh Agarwal / unsplash.com)

assignments, and submit papers without deviating from the usual submission procedures on MyCourses. The McGill Faculty of Law has been using this policy for many years, and The Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM) and Post Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) passed motions in 2014 in support of adopting an anonymous grading policy. Very little interest has been taken in the policy in the years since.

Under an anonymous grading scheme, receiving personalized feedback on assignments would still be possible.

Instructors grade the anonymous

assignment, and then submit feedback after assigning the grade. Alternatively, assignments could be submitted with the students’ names and professors could obscure the name until grading is complete, should the student ID system be a burden to graders. Professors might even choose to reveal the identity of the student after they have marked it in order to provide reflections on the student’s improvement.

With the policy of anonymous grading, the grader clearly separates the student’s personal attributes from their work and effort which is exactly the way grading should be done.

Protesting from positions of privilege

Sepideh Afshar Contributor McGill announced that they will refuse to divest from the fossil fuel industry for the third time on Jan. 8.

Gregory Mikkelson, a professor in the School of Environment and Department of Philosophy at McGill, resigned as a result of the school’s continued investment in coal, oil, and gas companies. Though an impressive action in protest of McGill’s refusal to divest, Mikkelson’s use of his privilege sets a precedent that is hard to follow for others in the community. By resigning, Mikkelson has deemed his own personal moral comfort more important than that of the students and overall community he was working alongside.

Mikkelson’s actions succeeded insofar as he drew media attention to the situation at McGill. As a result of his resignation, the McGill community put additional pressure on the administration to defend their position on fossil fuels and acknowledge comments made to the media. Ethically, Mikkelson’s notion that, as a professor of environmental studies, he could no longer work somewhere that ignored the values he and his students hold is understandable.

However, the question remains of whether a different method of protest could have been used to utilize his privilege and power in an academic space. It is not

Mikkleson was able to resign as a result of relative financial and career security. (CTV News)

possible to determine whether the media attention received from his resignation will have more of an impact on the Divest McGill movement than if he had continued in his efforts as a professor.

Just as he intended, Mikkelson’s resignation sent ripples through the McGill community, but there is a level of privilege that comes with being able to leave your job that needs to be acknowledged. Few members of the McGill community would be able to leave the institution in response to a moral dilemma. The majority of students and professors have no choice but to stay and be part of the extremely frustrating

fight against McGill’s investment in fossil fuels. There are countless groups in the community that have had to work tirelessly for what they deserve, and none had the option to quit as a final hurrah of protest. For example, social work students continue to protest against the 800 hours of unpaid field placement work they are required to do for their degree. These are difficult issues that require continued commitment.

Those involved with Divest McGill acknowledge that Mikkelson is a driving force in the academic conversation surrounding the university’s investments

and the ethical issues that arise from being paid by an institution that goes against one’s core beliefs. By quitting, he has removed himself from his position and, though he has vowed to keep helping Divest McGill in an unofficial capacity, his absence from the academic conversation is something he cannot make up for.

Mikkelson knowingly removed his voice as an educated white male, one of the loudest and most privileged voices, from the fight for divestment specifically in the academic space. There is no pretending that this will benefit the movement. If this becomes the new precedent set for professors, nobody will be left to support the student movement for divestment.

Mikkelson held an extremely valuable position of power in terms of his ability to criticize the administration’s choices and, in giving up this position, he has removed one of Divest McGill’s most important actors on the inside, making the struggle for divestment that much harder.

This should cause McGill to reexamine their actions and to what extent it affects their community, Mikkelson has also put the burden on his fellow faculty members to take over what work he has done and move beyond his resignation.

Though resigning may have been the best move for Mikkelson’s conscience, the fight is far from over, and he may have caused more harm to the on-campus fight for divestment than good.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28 2020

7

Pop Dialectic: Is Tanner Zipchen a Canadian movie legend or a loser?

The Tribune reflects on the legacy of the Cineplex pre-show host

Zipchen announced via Twitter that he was fired on Jan. 13. (huffingtonpost.ca)

Kaja Surborg, Joey Caplan Sports Editor, Contributor Last week, long-time Cineplex preshow host Tanner Zipchen announced on his personal Twitter account that he had been let go from his position. UK-based media conglomerate Cineworld had just acquired Cineplex, and a change in the Canadian market had been expected.

Yet, Zipchen’s legacy remains divisive.

The McGill Tribune debates whether Zipchen’s departure is an ultimate blow or a win for Canadian moviegoers.

Tanner Zipchen had no plan Joey Caplan 2011 will go down in history as one of the most innovative years in the history of cinema. No, I am not referring to the cinematic masterpiece known as Drive, nor the technical marvel of Scorsese’s Hugo.

Instead, we can only admire 2011 as the year where the expression ‘early bird gets the worm’ came true. Alas, the Cineplex pre-show as we knew

it was born.

Everyone remembers their first time going to see Crazy, Stupid, Love alone without anyone to stop you.

You arrive at the theatre 10 minutes early, popcorn, drink, and Maltesers in hand. You sit down in your nonreclining seat and think to yourself: “What am I going to do with the next 10 minutes of my life?” Suddenly, a disembodied voice echoes through the theatre: “Download the Timeplay app for prizes and more!”

Time freezes; you know what needs to be done. You open your iPhone 4S and click ‘Download’ just in time for the quiz questions to start. A few minutes later, you see your name on the big screen, signifying that you are the Timeplay champion. Nothing can stop you now; you have become a Timeplay god.

Fast forward to 2015. The preshow begins, and you immediately notice that Marc Saltzman is not performing his brief reviews of tech that you were never going to buy; Gear Guide is gone. Suddenly, what appears to be a somewhat goodlooking 20-something named Tanner Zipchen manifests on the screen and announces himself as the “casting call winner,” whatever that means.

He starts to interview famous people, pretending he belongs. He does

not. He interviews Toni Collette and says he had a nightmare about her.

He has no followup. It’s creepy. He never had a plan.

In 2016, you start to showing up to movies on time, you no longer arrive early and instead skip the preshow.

Tanner Zipchen still has no plan. He came, he ruined Timeplay and the pre-show with his casual, innocent obnoxiousness, and now he leaves, his name perpetually fastened to the very thing he sought to destroy.

In defence of Tanner Zipchen Kaja Surborg Canada’s collective heart broke on Jan. 13, as a tweet that would ring out across the country was published.

“Today, I was let go from Cineplex [and] am no longer the host of the pre-show,” the tweet from former Cineplex pre-show host Tanner Zipchen read. “Thank you for all the love and support over the years, especially those who’ve been with me since the voting days. It’s been an honour being a part of your group hangouts, date nights, & family outings.”

Zipchen connected with a new generation of Canadians who felt that he was one of them. In 2015, when Cineplex hosted an open casting call, and moviegoers got to vote for their favourite pre-show host, Zipchen won the vote.

“He’s a core part of the Canadian experience,” Sophia Kamps, U3 Arts, shared in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

Indeed, Zipchen truly represented the diversity that Canada so loves.

Hailing from Saskatoon, Zipchen brought one of the most under-represented groups of Canadians to the big screen: Saskatchewanians. As he grew into his onscreen role of game host and interviewer over the years, Canada realised that they made the right choice in voting for him.

Now, we are left with an undeniable void in our moviegoing experience. There is no one to represent us on red carpets and press junkets.

There is no one to tell us to turn off our phones. And, most importantly, the comforting voice that encouraged us to log on to the TimePlay app is gone. A heartless UK-based company, Cineworld, has taken a key thread in the fabric of contemporary Canadian life and torn it out.

Canada will recover, but we will never forget.

The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) triumphs Tuesday Night Cafe starts off 2020 strongly Asha Bittenbender Contributor Shakespeare has long been the butt of jokes and the subject of moans in classrooms. Though considered foundational to many curricula, his 500-year-old prose can be impenetrable. To resolve that issue and address many of the Bard’s prepubescent critics’, Tuesday Night Café Theatre (TNC) presented The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) in their 2020 debut production.

Performed Jan. 15-18 by the combined creative geniuses of actors Mitchel Csermak, Nick Vecchione, and Antoine Guimbal, all three U2 Arts, The Complete Works is a blindingly fast-paced romp through all 38 of Shakespeare’s plays. The three thirdyear theatre students carried off the ambitious production with minimalist set design and masterful theatre-making skills. Plays were cut to the barest of bones—the first run through of Hamlet takes 12 minutes, but we get a bonus 30 second version as well. Highlights include the ‘comedic lump’ constituted by all 16 of Shakespeare’s comedies.

Given the aforementioned moan-inducing nature of Shakespearean English, playwrights Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield’s script does a neat job of stripping back well-known plots to their familiar tropes. These tropes constitute the building blocks of much of modern cinema, from ro-

TNC’s latest production is a marathon of Shakespearean fun. ( Adeline Li / The McGill Tribune) mantic comedies to heist films. For that reason, audience members did not need to have enjoyed their middle school English classes, or even have read any Shakespeare, to enjoy the show and get the antics.

Admirably, some of the best-known Shakespearean embellishments, including fart jokes and exits pursued by bears, survive the scripts’ zealous trimming of the Shakespearean canon. Even though the script only retains a handful of lines from such classics as Romeo & Juliet, actors per-

form the most famous lines in the original language. Viewers unfamiliar with original text could still enjoy Shakespeare’s texts, as any original readings were sandwiched between jokes original to the script and the three theatre students’ highly entertaining physical comedy. Audiences were treated to a rendition of the famous balcony scene, along with dialogue questioning the importance of the balcony itself.

The efforts of the actors are no small contribution to the success of this particu-

lar production. The trio constructed famous battlements or balconies in a hexagonal black box space with no more than a single costume or prop to each of the three actors.

Each only momentarily leaving stage after they have entered it—usually to seize another rough-looking but fully functional prop or costume piece. Vecchione conjured each female character with a single tousled wig and his feminine charms.

As both actors and producers, Vecchione, Csermak, and Guimbal delivered a high-powered, fast-paced, no doubt exhausting show that left their audience gasping with laughter. Despite the huge efforts required on the part of the actors, they never let the strain show, maintaining excellent comedic timing throughout.

Student theatre at McGill does a lot with a little. However, this production went above and beyond, allowing the ability of the actors to transport their audience through Shakespeare’s canon. It is a pleasure to write about a student production at this caliber, and to laud The Complete Works as an absolute success. TNC’s 2020 dramatic season at McGill is off to a very strong start.

TNC’s next production, Bhopal, runs Feb. 19–22, 7:30 p.m. at Tuesday Night Café Theatre (3485 McTavish St.). Tickets are $10 for general public and $6 for students/seniors. Reserve tickets at tnc.foh@ gmail.com

Excluded voices Exploring epistemic INJUSTICE in McGill classrooms Johanna Cline, Opinion Editor

I

t begins on the first day of the semester: The syllabus is monopolized by white men. When universities emphasize privileged voices, they dominate classroom conversations and textbooks, leaving little space for marginalized groups’ experiences. While academic institutions like McGill continue to enact policies against discrimination, these initiatives raise questions of what kinds of discrimination ought to be recognized within the university context.

First passed by Senate in 2007, McGill’s Employment Equity Policy sought to eliminate three kinds of discrimination: Direct, indirect, and systemic. McGill’s Senate is the governing body which oversees and makes decisions regarding academic matters of the university.

“McGill University is committed to developing policies, programs, practices and traditions that facilitate the full participation and advancement of members of historically disadvantaged groups in Canada,” the policy reads.

Yet, as of now, the policy has done little to curb epistemic discrimination, a research term that refers to injustice in knowledge production and dissemination. Philosopher Katherine Puddifoot defined this term in the chapter “Epistemic Discrimination” in The Routledge Handbook of the Ethics of Discrimination.

“Epistemic discrimination is prejudice, bias and discriminatory action suffered by individuals in their positions as epistemic agents, that is, as individuals who can acquire knowledge, justified belief or understanding,” Puddifoot wrote.

Professor Angela Campbell, Associate Provost of Equity and Academic Policies, understands the problem students face when looking at a syllabus.

“While there is no university-wide policy that requires syllabi to be representative of different identities […], pedagogically speaking, it is understood that students will benefit from access to varied perspectives and ideas,” Campbell wrote in a message to The McGill Tribune.

However, without a standard policy or equity training to hold teachers accountable, there are few avenues for McGill to regulate the inclusion of marginalized voices in syllabi.

McGill does not mandate equity training for professors. While many workplaces require employees to be trained on standards of equitable treatment in their profession, knowledge about how racism and sexism can manifest in the classroom is not a requirement for teaching staff. While outright bigotry is not tolerated at McGill, unconscious biases can lead to more subtle forms of discrimination. These could include professors calling on male students more often than women or

overlooking micro-aggressions, such as derogatory language, during class discussions. Allowing these practices to continue can contribute to an unsafe learning environment that is not conducive to productive and nuanced discussion.

Some McGill faculties have made efforts to address equity in the classroom. The Faculty of Engineering, for example, has taken steps to address underrepresentation of women and racialized people. Professor Richard Chromik explained the ‘Teamwork Project,’ one initiative the faculty has started, which aims to teach students about equitable teamwork. It has been implemented in the faculty’s mandatory communications (CCOMS) course. “[There were] instances of student behaviour that were inequitable,” Chromik said. “You would have a student that’s from an underrepresented group being the notetaker in a meeting, sort of undervalued, and they are not being given the same [attention] that everyone should be given.”

The ‘Teamwork Project’ will require students to complete a contract to hold them accountable to equitable practices in the classroom.

Chromik hoped that the project would encourage students to work together as a team. Unfortunately, not all faculties make the effort to teach equity in the classroom.

As of 2009, the McGill student body was composed of approximately 30 per cent non-white students, with only three per cent of students being Black. As of 2017, 0.8 per cent were Indigenous.

While women make up 59 per cent of students overall, these numbers vary widely from program to program: For example, women make up roughly one-third of the student body in the Faculty of Engineering. Teaching staff representation is also dismal. Many departments, including Philosophy, Psychology, Religious Studies and Political Science do not have a single Black or Indigenous professor and few, if any, professors of colour. In the Faculty of Engineering, less than 20 per cent of teaching staff are female.

Jessica Karaguesian is the president of Scientista McGill, a student-run chapter of an organization dedicated to increasing opportunities for women in science, technology,

engineering, and math (STEM). She noted the lack of professor diversity in some STEM departments.

“A couple of our executive team members have studied mathematics, for example,” Karageusian wrote in a message to The McGill Tribune. “None of them have ever had a female professor [teach their] classes.”

McGill Law alumna A lack of Black representation, among other issues, and Assistant Dean of Recruitment motivated McGill’s Black Students’ Network (BSN) to and Admissions Andra Syvänen (BCL/ propose the Black students’ Bill of Rights in Fall LLB ‘14) says that the Faculty of Law is 2019. This bill also called for an increase in services working to increase representation in the classand support for Black students in their proposed moroom. tion. These included, among others, the recruitment of “Excellence comes in many forms,” Syvänen Black counsellors, funding for Black student initiasaid in an interview with the Tribune. “It can mean tives, and discrimination-free classrooms. different things to different people and communiThe Students’ Society of McGill University’s ties [...] diverse voices can add to the richness of (SSMU) Indigenous Affairs Commissioner Tomas the learning experience for all students, be it in Jirousek has been actively trying to increase repclass discussions, group projects, or conversations resentation and resources for Indigenous people at with peers in the hallway [….] As an alumna of McGill.

McGill Law [...], I can certainly attest to the fact “The only way to truly ‘Indigenize’ [Mcthat having a multitude of perspectives within the Gill] is to see Indigenous knowledge holders faculty community allowed for a more nuanced, from a variety of different backgrounds hired,” insightful and thoughtful learning experience that Jirousek said. better prepared me for life after graduation.”

Jirousek has been fighting for Indigenous Honouring different forms of knowledge is rights on campus during his time at McGill, crucial to making students from diverse backand his efforts include heading the #Changrounds feel welcome and supported, appealing getheName campaign and publishing an to different learning styles, creating a richer eduopen letter calling for increased Indigcation, and finding more innovative approaches enous rights within SSMU and on campus to the various issues that academia tries to solve. in Fall 2019. He has also called for better Students benefit from seeing people who look like hiring practices for professors in the Indigthem or share their identity in positions of academenous Studies program. ic authority.

The lack of diversity has caught the ad“Seeing diverse professors and staff in senior ministration’s attention. Campbell emphasized roles can give students motivation and hope to that McGill has made a commitment to equitable achieve similar things for themselves, and demonhiring. strates that their personal background and iden“The University is committed to employtity need not hinder them in achieving their goals,” ment equity as seen through its Employment EqKaraguesian said. uity Policy and associated reporting to Senate on Having a diverse group of scholars featured this topic (biennially),” Campbell wrote. on the syllabus also helps students see how people Campbell also notes that the university has from all backgrounds make valuable contribumade a special effort when it comes to hiring protions to their field. However, incorporating differfessors for the Indigenous studies program. ent voices into the classroom goes beyond having “The University presently has underway a proa token Black or female scholar on a syllabus. vostial hiring initiative focused on Indigenous Studies Reconsidering Western teaching styles entirely and Indigenous Education,” Campbell wrote. “Dozens is necessary when trying to convey knowledge of faculty members involved in this recruitment initiative from different cultures. take part in sessions dedicated to particular issues related “For many Indigenous nations, we to Indigeneity, especially within the academy. Examples of learn through oral knowledge transmission issues covered include: How to recognize and account for through storytelling, land-based learnthe disproportionate mentoring and advising work that Indiging practices, and traditional songs and enous colleagues will often undertake, and being mindful to dances,” Jirousek said. “Not only do these avoid measures/steps that have tokenizing and burdensome efpedagogical practices support intergenfects.” erational knowledge transmission, but All faculty on academic recruitment committees must rethey foster the cultural and spiriceive employment equity training. This training includes edutual well-being of Indigenous cation on unconscious bias and underrepresentation of certain pupils. These type of learning equity groups at the university. styles have proven successHowever, while McGill may be committed to equitable hirful in Indigenous communiing practices in its policies, the blatant lack of diversity in teachties, and it can be difficult for ing staff indicates a shortcoming in the policies’ application. In some Indigenous students to the Final Report on the Provost’s Task Force on Indigenous adapt and transition to an inStudies and Indigenous Education, the administration stated stitution such as McGill.” that they aim to hire 35 Indigenous tenure track profesIn addition to making sors. Even if the university completes this goal, howmore students feel respected in ever, Indigenous professors would still only make up the classroom, valuing input approximately 2 per cent of the total tenured professors from scholars from all backemployed at McGill. grounds helps find solutions to problems that academia sets

out to solve. In STEM fields, for example, researchers from diverse backgrounds can help a research team consider more perspectives.

“Women may catch gender-related considerations when research is being conducted,” Karageusian said. “For example, several drugs were pulled off the market in the 1990s because more severe side-effects manifested in women than men. Without representation not only of women working in science, but also of female considerations in scientific studies, our research has oftentimes proven less effective.”

The same problem exists in the humanities. Philosophy, for example, aims to uncover the truth about the human condition, yet the field cannot claim to speak on behalf of humanity if its voice is composed mainly of white men. Without the inclusion of minority and female voices, academic fields like psychology, sociology, economics, and political science can never fulfill their goals of understanding society. These issues are at the forefront of many student activist movements, including Jirousek’s work pushing for McGill to reconsider hiring practices.

“McGill needs to undergo a broad, immediate, and expansive hiring of Indigenous faculty […] McGill should be open to hiring Indigenous peoples without a formal western education,” Jirousek said. “Also of importance, is for McGill to expand its course offerings for Indigenous students living in-community [...] This will need to be undertaken with the essential steps of expanding community outreach, linguistic support, and financial support to Indigenous students.”

Karaguesian says that Scientista would also like to see a cultural shift for women in STEM. For instance, syllabi should more accurately reflect the histories of female scientists. “[Scientista would] like to see more flexible and femalefriendly opportunities in science,” Karaguesian said. “[…]

We would like to see the societal pressures placed on men and women become more balanced, thus fostering more equal platforms on which both genders can balance professional and personal life.”

Supporting women in academia is not possible without a re-thinking of gender norms and how they impact women’s careers.

Beyond teaching policies and faculty quotas, students also want to see greater support for female and non-white students in terms of services and opportunities.

“McGill cannot expect to transform itself into a leader in reconciliation-centred education if it fails to transcend a colonial infrastructure,” Jirousek said. “We need to invest in culturally relevant support mechanisms for Indigenous faculty, and students, if we truly expect these changes to make an impact.”

Being committed to diversity means more than just thinking about equity and inclusion. If McGill wants to uphold its commitment to eliminating discrimination, it must prioritize equitable hiring and training of faculty. Course materials and pedagogies also need to be revisited to include different voices and perspectives. Be it a syllabus monopolized by white, male philosophers, a woman being talked over in conference, or a white professor teaching a course on Black culture, the administration must recognize that the exclusion of diverse perspectives represents a type of discrimination that both detracts from its academic potential and hinders students’ capacity to succeed.

(Sabrina Girard-Lamas / The McGill Tribune)

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28 2020

‘1917’ excels in its experimental approach to cinematography

Director Sam Mendes takes his one shot at the Academy Awards Guilherme Martins Contributor Grim, realistic, elaborate, astounding, and thrilling.

These five adjectives are what makes Sam Mendes’ 1917 a truly great film. Exploring the harms and horrors of war, 1917 redefines the military genre not as a measly backdrop for an entertaining action movie, but as a recognition of the ultimate sacrifice paid by soldiers. Inspired by the events of Mendes’s grandfather’s life, the film is a candid representation of the tragic moments faced by many young men. In a market which seems oversaturated with action movies glorifying violence, 1917 stands out as a revolutionary film thanks to its storytelling, score, and scene design that set the standards for others to follow.

1917 introduces the audience to Lance Corporal Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and his companion Schofield (George MacKay) as two ordinary soldiers who are about to face the most paramount task of their duties: They traverse some of the bloodiest battlegrounds to deliver a military order. MacKay depicts genuine desperation as he stumbles

through a field of soldiers, unknowingly marching to their demise in a captivating performance that rivals that of the big-name actors also present in the film. The cast and makeup crew perform the exemplary task of portraying the horrors that arise from the aftermath of a battle without exaggerating

one scene with another.

At first glance, it seems as though 1917 is comprised of two continuous takes. However, crafty cinematography creates this illusion, for the precision of each transition contributes to the overall effect of the film. The lengthy set pieces, such as a run-down

“1917” was released in January. (Taja de Silva / The McGill Tribune) the amount of blood and gore present in the scene, mostly presenting the pale cadavers of civilians and combatants alike.

Where 1917 is strongest, however, is in its ability to place the audience side by side with the characters, through Roger Deakins’ captivating cinematography that creatively binds

village or vibrant green plains, call for extensive coordination off-screen to transition a camera from the hands of a crew member to the arm of a crane.

This effectively demonstrates the scope of the challenge faced by the two soldiers, as they must weave through hostile armies to deliver the mes-

sage of utmost importance.

Fixed on portraying the aftermath of a battle, 1917 falls victim to some prolonged moments of stillness which appear to be mere filler for a film that has run out of stories to tell. Such scenes do not contribute to the overall story arch, and are a missed opportunity for the muchneeded character development.

Throughout the narrative, the two soldiers share some stories from their personal lives, from nights with old friends to moments spent with loved ones. However, not much time was dedicated to such conversations, resulting in a lack of personal connection to the characters. Nonetheless, these moments create great tension, with a phenomenal score that leaves the viewer anxious for what is to come, despite not a single bullet being fired.

1917 goes beyond being a mere action drama: Its fluid cinematography and editing take away obvious cuts and to create greater immersion. The film took the run-of-the-mill war story and turned it into a unique experience through stunning visuals, in a feat truly deserving of over half a dozen Oscar nominations and a visit to the nearest movie theatre.

Thursdays (a) Live at the Yellow Door!

Classic Gerts student performances sans Gerts.

Jan. 30, 7-9 p.m., PWYC The Yellow Door, 3625 Rue Aylmer

Opera McGill: Street Scene

The very best of McGill opera students.

Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 7 p.m.; Feb. 2, 2 p.m., student tickets $28.75 Monument Nationale, 1182 St Laurent Blvd

Introduction to Studio Photography MUPSS brings you a tutorial on—you guessed it—studio photography.

Jan. 30, 5-8 p.m.

Free 2332 Boulevard ÉdouardMontpetit

Paint Night ft. Bob Ross Relax with McGill Students for Santropol Roulant Jan. 28, 5-8 p.m., $12 Santropol Roulant, 111 Rue Roy E

McSWAY presents their first poetry slam ‘Say It Because You Mean It’

Twelve poets competed with intense performances of heartfelt narratives Jonathan Giammaria Staff Writer Hidden away behind a yellow door, deep in a basement of brick and mortar, McGill held its first poetry slam of the semester. Hosted at The Yellow Door, McGill Students Spoken Word Associated Youth (McSWAY) is a student-run group that regularly organizes open mics and writers’ workshops as a means to encourage artistic expression at McGill. Their most recent event on Jan. 23, Say It Because You Mean It, saw 12 poets grace their stage to battle it out with their best spoken word. By the end of the night, and after two rounds of lighthearted audience judging, three poets claimed top honours.

To gauge the audience’s judging, McSWAY began the slam by offering one of their own members to kick off the competition. As part of her symbolic participation in the slam, Lucia De Luca, U4 Education, performed a heartfelt, bilingual poem, discussing the strains that dementia bore on her relationship with her grandmother.

De Luca’s vulnerable expression of a personal hardship was echoed in many of the performances that would follow. The poets made individual use of figurative language and rhythmic cadences to broach issues of queer identity, body image, drug use, sexual assault, suicide, and mental illness. For much of the night, the audience lay struck by each poet’s masterful use

of beautiful language to communicate often difficult subject matter. Dawson College student Marikje van den Hoeven, who would go on to win the slam, performed a piece in the first round about the power dynamics in heteronormative intimacy between men and women.

Other performers focussed on more ambiguous narratives, using their poetry as a means to emphasize the emotions and feelings attached to the tangible contexts that originated them. Eliza Prestley (U3, Arts) performed a short poem that blended the topography of a city with remnant images of a fleeting connection with a loved one, as a way to illustrate the process of accepting loss.

“The air in this city tastes like you / Less landmark and more smog / Lining every street / Stitched into the sweater I lent you last week,” Prestley began their poem. “You / Cannot live in a house on a pedestal but I / Am not tall enough to get you down. / So I hold you, / Balloon on a string. / I knew you were going to burst / Someday / Somewhere.”

To close the night, McSWAY had invited Chris Masson, a veteran in the spoken word scene. Currently an educator of poetry, the Concordia creative writing alumnus has toured nationally to perform his own poetry, and has also competed in slam competitions throughout Canada. Masson commended the talent of the performers he had seen that night and stressed the need for creative outlets provided by groups

Slam poetry veteran Chris Masson made an appearance to perform his own poetry.

(Iman Zarrinkoub / The McGill Tirbune) such as McSWAY. When he took to the stage, Masson blended intense physicality with emotional volatility, frequently shifting between humour and sombre reflection.

His poetry included a love letter to the city of Montreal; an analysis of mass consumerism, which he likened to a zombie invasion; and a discussion of the 2012 Quebec student protests.

His standout poem, “Be My Next Mistake,” explored the romantic tumult that results from the many faces a partner can sport. With a dramatic crescendo that contrasted the poem’s more lighthearted beginning, Masson’s performance embodied the personal bent that characterized many

of the night’s earlier poems.

“Be my hurdle out the gate! / Be my fatfree chocolate cake! / My true love I leave for fate! / My ‘why did we start in the place?’ / Be my… be my… be my next mistake!” Masson performed. A flurry of snaps flooded the venue as Masson bowed off the stage.

By the night’s end, audience members and poets alike exited into the cold Montreal air with a renewed inclination for rhythm and rhymes. Such is the importance of events like McSWAY’s: To uncover hidden gems of artistic expression, and to foster new interest in otherwise neglected avenues of creativity.

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Addressing homelessness, one student at a time

How students can aid those experiencing homelessness in Montreal

Alaana Kumar Staff Writer Homelessness is a growing problem in Montreal, with more than half of Quebec’s homeless population living within the city’s limits. It is estimated that over 3,100 individuals are in need of shelter, food, and warm clothing. This does not account for the hidden homeless—those who are temporarily staying with family, friends, or in motels. With the cold, dreary winter underway, the city’s shelters are at full capacity, leaving these individuals and their families struggling to find a warm place to spend each night.

Ending homelessness means addressing all the aspects of the issue, such as a lack of decent, affordable housing and adapted health care. Micheal Pearce, CEO of Old Brewery Mission, described how homelessness is more prevalent in marginalized communities. “[According to Montreal’s last homeless count,] an increasing number of women are experiencing homelessness,” Pearce said.

“The results also showed that Indigenous people are disproportionately represented among Quebec’s homeless population.”

This overrepresentation is highlighted in a survey conducted by Quebec’s Ministry of Health and Social Services in 2018. The study found that despite making up only 2.3 per cent of the Quebec population, 10.4 per cent of the homeless population identifies as part of the Indigenous community. Organizations like the Old Brewery Mission seek to alleviate the matter by providing specialized health programs, psychosocial counselling, and emergency services, while also working

to increase the amount of affordable housing in the city. Additionally, the organization has conducted studies in partnership with McGill to better understand the phenomenon of homelessness. A recent Old Brewery Mission study based on the clients of the overflow shelter in the Old Royal Victoria Hospital last winter found deficiencies within Montreal’s network of shelters and community organizations.

“The homeless men and women who participated in the study signalled many gaps in our city’s current service network,” Pearce said. “For example, [...] we’re missing resources [specific to] heavy substance users [that] services like a wet shelter would help [to get them] off the streets.”

Similar projects in Montreal work toward the same goals of solving the underlying factors behind homelessness while ensuring that these individuals have access to basic resources. Sarah Sajedi, director of Angels of Mercy, explained that donations are important, making it possible for them to purchase items such as socks and underwear for those in need. Additionally, the non-profit serves hot meals and collects clothing and warm coat donations. Sajedi believes that giving back to the homeless instills a great deal of satisfaction in her volunteers.

“Angels of Mercy is here to remind [the homeless] that somebody cares, [...] but this also helps the volunteer community, [since] there are a lot of people who want to give, [... and] know that we have way too much and waste too much,” Sajedi said. “This is our way of giving back to the community, but it is almost as if the homeless give back to us.”

With school, extra-curriculars, and part

Organizations such as Mission Old Brewery and Angels of Mercy help support Montreal’s homeless population. (missionoldbrewery.ca). time jobs, it is easy to get caught up in work and forget how lucky many McGill students are to have the most basic amenities at their disposal. By spending one weekend a month with a Montreal non-profit, an individual can help feed, clothe, and house thousands of Montreal citizens as well as better understand the factors behind homelessness. At Angels of Mercy, volunteers are asked to give at least two hours a month to the organization where they can help make and serve food. For the Mission Old Brewery, students can take part in a fundraiser or coordinate with the organization to donate clothes, money, or time to support their community.

“We must continue to work together as a

community, rallying our respective networks to create a continuum of services for Montreal’s homeless men and women,” Pearce said.

“All our efforts must be squarely focussed on ending chronic homelessness in Montreal [....] Anything less is unacceptable.”

Students interested in volunteering at Angels of Mercy can fill out a volunteer form on their website, helpfeedthehomeless.org.

For those interested in helping the Mission Old Brewery organize an event, take part in a fundraiser, or serve dinner, check out their website missionoldbrewery.ca or send a message to their email, info@missionoldbrewery.ca for more information.

Tsujiri offers a taste of Japan

New Downtown matcha store offers authentic Japanese tea

ET Wu Contributor As a part of a wave of Asian dessert places cropping up around the city, the international matcha chain Tsujiri opened a new location on Crescent in December. The Japanese tea shop has been serving matcha since 1860, having started as a chaho, meaning tea shop in Japanese, in Kyoto and now aims to bring authentic Japanese tea into the heart of Montreal.

Tsujiri Montreal distinguished itself from the other Canadian branches in Vancouver and Toronto by expanding beyond their internationally renowned counter-service. Paco Cheng, the owner of Tsujiri Montreal, integrates a dine-in area serving dishes exclusive to select locations of the chain such as large-sized parfaits and freshly prepared matcha soufflé.

“Some of the [other Canadian Tsujiri chains] only offer the counter menu [...], which serves ice cream, lattes, and parfait,” Cheng said. “But in Montreal, we also have a dine-in section. We have a café for the customers for drinks and desserts, and at the back, we have a restaurant, [where we serve products] prepared fresh everyday.”

Cheng added that the branch aims to bring a genuine matcha experience to Montreal by using tea directly from Japan. “[Some other tea stores] use powder, [and]

Tsujiri aims to bring a genuine matcha experience to Montreal. (Iman Zarrinkoub / The McGill Tribune) they use [flavouring], which is, in our opinion, unhealthy,” Cheng said. “We sell authentic tea [...], which is imported directly from Japan. We really want to keep the highest standard we can.”

Matcha drinks could be used as an alternative for other stimulants, such as coffee or energy drinks. According to a 2017 study published on

Food Research International, matcha tea may have an effect on reaction speed and long-term memory, which can be useful for students who wish to study long hours.

“Matcha is a healthy drink if you compare [it] to coffee, which makes you high very quickly and leads to a quick drop,” Cheng said. “Matcha

itself has a lot more nutrition than any other teas.

The way we make matcha [is] we take tea leaves, we process it by drying them, and then we stone grind the tea leaves into a fine powder. So when you start to drink the matcha, you actually drink the entirety of the tea leaves.”

Tsujiri takes the stimulating effects of the product and twists them into new and exciting combinations. Perusing through their Instagram page, one can see all things green ranging from matcha noodles in a modern take on chasoba to their own take on the American sundae. For Tieng Yin, counter-service staff at Tsujiri, she found the store’s take on a beloved fuel for students, coffee, to be her favourite.

“My favourite product here is the Kinako Kuromitsu Latte,” Yin said. “[There is...] Japanese black sugar, and soy bean powder inside the drink.’’

The store’s inventive use of these green tea leaves has attracted a diverse range of customers who are eager to experience the world-famous Tsujiri matcha products. Locals and tourists alike come to visit and try out the drinks and desserts Tsujiri has to offer.

“Montreal is a special city,” Cheng said. “I can see there are local people, people from Europe, or anywhere else in the world, and they come into our store and start to enjoy the same tea as we do in Japan or in Asia.”

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Café Olimpico opens downtown location

The Mile End staple is now steps from campus Lydie Hua Contributor Continued from page 1.

“My main goal is to continue my grandfather’s tradition,” Vannelli said. “His vision for the café is to always build a community, offer a great espresso at an affordable price, and to build relationships with customers by offering the best service possible.”

This vision of a café centred around good company and great coffee has proven successful, highlighted by their spot on The Telegraph’s list of “The 50 Greatest Cafés on Earth”.

Vannelli explained that remaining true to Furfaro’s values throughout the café and being a family business is what distinguishes them from the myriad of Starbucks or other café franchises that keep springing up across urban centres like Montreal. Another thing that sets them apart from corporate cafés is

the coffee itself.

“We use six blends [... and] our beans are all freshly roasted in Italy and shipped to our door,” Vannelli said. “My grandfather’s recipe hasn’t changed in 50 years. We still keep a great relationship with our coffee suppliers.”

There are a few differences between this new location and its renowned counterpart in Mile End. Firstly, the cost of products are higher downtown, which the owner explains is perfectly normal because rent is higher there. However, even with the increase, prices remain affordable given the quality of the coffee. The location is also much smaller, with only 12 seats packed into a bedroom-sized space. The café is clearly catered to those working in the downtown area who only have five minutes to stop by and gulp down their espressos. While the space is a comfortable and pleas-

ant environment, it is not the most ideal atmosphere to sit and study in.

Vannelli describes how developing this aesthetic took some time to create.

“It was a long process,” Vannelli said. “I did everything myself with the help of my designer. We wanted the design to stay true to our roots, with the walnut wood finishes and marble counters, and yet make some small changes, such as the design and aesthetic of the wood panels along the walls and bar.”

The design is more modern and structured, but the feeling of something shared and great coffee is not lost. The new Café Olimpico remains true to the family name and every expectation longtime customers might have. If you ever have a second of your day to make the short walk from campus, Café Olimpico is definitely worth it.

The café feels catered more to a five-minute coffee trip than a study spot. (Verd Gashi / The McGill Tribune)

Supper and snacks: Soups do it all Exploring the possibilities of the delicious dish

onion, 1/2 cup celery, four teaspoons beef bouillon granules, salt, pepper, and oregano. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat then cover the pan. Add green beans after simmering for 15 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Cover once again and simmer for another 15 minutes or until the beans are tender.

(Recipe adapted from tasteofhome.com)

Josephine Wang Contributor As the temperature steadily drops, we look at the pots simmering on our stove and wonder the place that soup has within the spectrum of meal courses. Soup is often cast into either a dipping sauce for bread or a supporting actor in a four-course culinary drama. While it may seem like nothing more than a thin, salty liquid, soup takes on many wonderful forms. In its most primal form, soup can be thought of as an appetizer dish, but it can be more than that; it can be whatever you like. The following recipes will take you through a journey of the wonderful personalities of soup.

Breaking the Definition of the Dish: Strawberry Dessert Soup Dessert soup, you dare say?

The Appetizer Soup: Homemade Miso Soup Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup, often served as an appetizer before the meal.

While absolutely delicious, it exemplifies the qualities of soup that gives way to its perception as a starter.

Ingredients for 2 servings • 4 cups vegetable broth • 1 sheet nori, cut into large rectangles • 3–4 tbsp white miso paste, a fermented soybean paste (Optional: Add bonito, a fish flavour, though bonito is not vegetarian) • 1/2 cup chopped green chard or other sturdy green such as cabbage • 1/2 cup chopped green onion • 1/4 cup firm tofu, cubed Instructions Place the vegetable broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a low simmer.

Add nori and simmer for five to seven minutes.

In the meantime, place the miso into a small bowl. Add hot water and whisk until smooth, ensuring that it doesn’t clump. Set aside.

Soup is usually thought of as an appetizer, but this dish is surprisingly versatile.

(Ruo Chen / The McGill Tribune) Add 1/2 cup green chard, 1/2 cup green onion, and 1/4 cup tofu to the pot and cook for five minutes. Remove from heat and stir in miso mixture.

Taste and add more miso or a pinch of sea salt, depending on your preference. This dish is best served warm and fresh.

(Recipe adapted from minimalistbaker. com)

The Real Deal: Contest-Winning Hearty Hamburger Soup A wonderful characteristic of soup is that you cover all of your food groups in one shot: The abundance of vegetables provide carbs, fibre, and vitamins, the meat adds fat and protein, and oregano is rich in antioxidants and has antiinflammatory properties. This humble hamburger soup is much more than the sum of its parts because it perfectly marries all of its different

ingredients to create a wonderful new flavour.

Ingredients for 8 servings • 1 pound ground beef • 4 cups water • 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained • 3 medium carrots, sliced • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed • 1 medium onion, chopped • 1/2 cup celery, chopped • 4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules • 1-1/2 teaspoons salt • 1/4 teaspoon pepper • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano • 1 cup cut fresh or frozen green beans Instructions In a large saucepan, add brown beef and drain. Add four cups water, one can undrained diced tomatoes, three carrots, two potatoes, one

Ingredients for 7 servings • 1 cup water • 1 cup unsweetened apple juice • 2/3 cup sugar • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves • 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled • 2 cups strawberry yogurt • Optional: 2 to 3 drops red food colouring • 1/4 cup sour cream • 2 tablespoons milk Instructions In a large saucepan, combine 3/4 cup of water, one cup apple juice, 2/3 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon cloves. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, then remove from the heat.

Place the strawberries and remaining water in a blender. Cover and process until soup consistency is smooth. Pour into the apple mixture and stir in the yogurt and food colouring, if desired. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours or until chilled.

Ladle soup into bowls. Combine the sour cream and milk and place about 2-1/2 teaspoons into the center of each bowl. Using a toothpick, pull the mixture out, forming a design of your choice.

(Recipe is adapted from tasteofhome.com)

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28 2020

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Solving the mysteries of Earth’s Cryogenian ice age

Clues to the history of life at the intersection of biology and geology

Ronny Litvack-Katzman Staff Writer Typically, one wouldn’t think to ask a geologist about the most pressing issues in evolutionary biology. Yet, for some biologists, rock formations and fossil records—which have only gained the attention of natural scientists in the last 50 years— provide a plentiful source of untapped information about the history of life on Earth.

A recent study released in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) applies geological theory to questions of how some of Earth’s earliest eukaryotes—tiny, multicellular organisms—survived one of the coldest periods of Earth’s history.

Using the presence of mineral deposits in rock formations across the globe, Maxwell Lechte, lead author of the study and postdoctoral fellow in McGill’s Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, and his colleagues proved that liquid water containing a relatively high abundance of oxygen was present underneath the ice masses of what scientists now call ‘Snowball Earth.’ A tumultuous period in Earth’s geological history, Snowball Earth occurred over 700 million years ago during the Cryogenian ice age. During this period, ice was almost everywhere. The proliferation of ice masses across the globe caused the separation of the oceans from the atmosphere, blocking out the sun and plunging earth under ice sheets up to two miles thick.

“Reconstructing ice ages using geology is quite a well-established technique because they are quite apparent in the geological record,” Lechte said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “Ice

sheets are extremely powerful erosive forces […] and are quite distinctive in the rock record.”

The eternal frigid waste of the Cryogenian Period presents a perplexing question for evolutionary biologists: How complex eukaryotic life, which requires oxygen to live, survived though 100 million years of frozen temperatures when the waters of the ocean contained little to no oxygen.

Luckily for baffled biologists, a geologist was asking the same thing.

“The question I was interested in is [was] what effect this would have on the biosphere,” Lechte said. “There is no doubt that covering the whole planet in ice would reduce the amount of habitable area.”

Scientific consensus has approximated that complex eukaryotic life was first evolving around the same time that Earth was becoming covered in ice.

“If you cover the whole oceans in ice, that separates them from the atmosphere, and so all these more complex life forms should have been killed off,” Lechte said.

The authors assumed that since eukaryotes survived the ice age, complex life living underneath massive ice shelves must have gotten oxygen from a source other than the atmosphere.

“Iron is soluble in sea water under anoxic conditions, so when there is no oxygen around, iron can dissolve,” Lechte said. “But as soon as you have any oxygen around, iron rusts out of the water and becomes insoluble and deposits out as solid iron oxides. The fact we had found all these [iron oxides] in glacial deposits suggests that something interesting was going on with oxygen.”

Snowball Earth occurred over 700 million years ago during the Cryogenian ice age. (Maxwell Lechte / The McGill Tribune) From these observations, Lechte, along with researchers at the University of Melbourne, proposed that meltwater may be the key to supplementing oxygen to organisms living under the ice’s surface. They suggested that air bubbles from the atmosphere had become trapped in the ice shelves as they were forming. These air bubbles, which contained ample oxygen, then became a vital lifeline for marine eukaryotes that could survive off of meltwater that contained much higher levels of oxygen.

The implication that oxygen stores could be found on Earth hundreds of millions of years ago is an invaluable link in the evolutionary chain of events. These questions about the long-term evolution of complex life date back as far as Darwin himself.

“A lot of our understanding of the past Earth is based on modern Earth,” Lechte said. “People historically have assumed Earth has just always been this way, but we have come to understand these changes as a recent phenomenon.”

The Australian wildfire anomaly

Severe drought has led to one of the country’s worst fire seasons on record Madison McLauchlan Contributor Continued from page 1.

“Bushfires are normal in Australia, but this fire season [is] exceptionally hot and dry [...], which is why it is even longer and [more] dangerous,” Crowley said.

Historically, such extreme weather patterns have arisen along with El Niño conditions, but this year is an exception. The El Niño Southern Oscillation is a climate phenomenon resulting in unusually warm water off the Pacific coast of South America, pushing hotter weather to the East. Although no El Niño has occurred this year, temperatures have continued to rise. Combined with the adverse effects of limited rainfall in Australia, these inconsistencies point to greenhouse gas emissions as a likely source for changing weather patterns.

The disturbing relationship between climate change and Australia’s wildfires does not end there. Species struggling to deal with higher temperatures have been hit hardest by the flames. For example, efforts to protect the Kangaroo Island dunnart, a small marsupial, have been crushed by the recent blazes. After years of rebuilding their population, only one has been found alive.

“One of the most devastating impacts of this fire season is [...] that it is burning in species-rich areas,” Crowley said. “The fires are threatening many unique species that are not

found outside of these areas.”

Species such as the koala are especially threatened by the loss of habitat area. Since koalas are endemic to Australia, meaning they are native to the island continent and not found anywhere else in the world, populations will have a harder time recovering from the fires.

Already, koalas have lost 30 per cent of their previous habitat area, taking the lives of more than 25,000 animals.

Still, Australia’s rich biodiversity is thought to make its ecosystems more resilient, and able to bounce back from disturbances.

Additionally, many species have evolved adaptations to frequent bushfires, like the eucalyptus plant that encases its seeds in woody capsules to protect them from intense heat.

Yet even species, such as birds and rodents, who previously managed to survive the blazes have found little respite from this year’s massive wildfires. Instead of burning in patches, the fires are all-encompassing, burning through animals’ familiar hiding spots.

The reduction in disaster response funding from the Australian government has stretched resources thin. Both paid and volunteer firefighters all over the country have been putting their lives on the line to protect citizens and wildlife. At the same time, scientists around the world have employed fire visualization technology, such as MyFireWatch, to anticipate the spread of the blaze and its aftermath.

“Mapping and analytical tools are already being used by firefighters and scientists to ex-

Scientists are increasingly using fire visualization technologies to better prepare for and respond to wildfires. (Anne McGrath / The McGill Tribune) amine the active wildfires,” Crowley said.

Researchers like Crowley are developing technology to map bushfires in real time and get the information to firefighters as quickly as 30 minutes after the fire is detected.

“Eventually, when the Canadian ‘WildfireSat’ satellite is launched in 2024, [...] it will hopefully be able to help the firefighters not only in Canada, but maybe eventually around

the world,” Crowley said.

Wildfires in California, Western Canada, and Australia in the past year have pushed scientists to become innovators of mapping technology and environmental preservation. The question remains, however, if governments will take appropriate action to reduce emissions, or if they will continue to add fuel to the fire.

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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28 2020

Making room for data science in the humanities

Data Science Expo 2020 highlights the significance of statistics in politics Sophia Gorbounov Contributor The Centre for Social and Cultural Data Science (CSCDS) held their first Data Science Expo on Jan. 21. Among the many speakers presenting on the new and exciting roles that data science will play in the modern world was Aengus Bridgman, a political science PhD candidate at McGill.

Bridgman’s lecture delved into the plethora of political data collected during and after the 2019 Canadian federal election, detailing the importance of data science in the social sciences as well as what characterizes a good data scientist.

A senior political analyst at the Digital Democracy Project, Bridgman began his talk by explaining the emergence of the term ‘data science’ and the role of a data analyst, a title he has only recently adopted.

“What’s really great about the label of data science is there’s all this work that was being done by social scientists, engineers, computer scientists, and [...] folks in linguistics, that was kind of using the approaches of data science but didn’t have a nice sexy name attached to it,” Bridgman said.

Bridgman noted that with the new official label, data scientists have been getting more attention from a variety of groups who previously were uninterested in the world of statistics. However, data science is there to direct people towards answers, not provide them outright.

“We can get the best data, we can have massive resources to gather data, to do analysis, we can have a whole research team, and we can still only

get partway to an answer,” Bridgman said.

This being said, the statistical information provided by Bridgman’s team on the 2019 Canadian election has shown promising results. He spoke at length about political polarization among Canadians, their susceptibility to misinformation, and what issues they prioritized during the election period.

Though Canada’s political culture is not as starkly polarized as it is in the US, Bridgman’s data showed that public opinions are also turning away from the centre of the political spectrum. Bridgman and his team also found that people were more likely to share information from sites that aligned with their political views.

Collected data have revealed that political polarization results from confirmation bias and the propensity of different groups to misinformation, or at the very least information that stands behind political partisan positions of what they already believe.

Bridgman found that partisans were more likely to read articles about the successes of the party they support. For example, an article by the Journal de Montréal titled “Bloc: le cœur et la raison” [Bloc: The heart and the reason] had most of its shares from members of the Bloc Québécois.

Bridgman explained that usual methods of political analysis such as surveying have fallen short in helping data scientists make sense of the 2019 election results.

“If you ask Canadians what issue [they] most care about, what do you think they say?” Bridgman said. “The economy. They always say the econo-

Data science can reveal and explain political trends, including why political polarization occurs. (flipboard.com) my.”

By dividing the population into three groups—the public, broadcast media, and party candidates—Bridgman’s team got a better grasp on the similarities between groups, allowing them to measure how the political opinions of people differed.

Immigration was a topic mostly avoided by politicians, although it was widely covered by broadcast media. Similar results were shown for discussions on foreign affairs.

On the other hand, all three groups were relatively interested in environmental policies. Eth-

ics were one of the lowest-mentioned topics by politicians and the broadcast media but were a big concern for the public. These results demonstrated to Bridgman that what politicians considered important did not always align with the views of the Canadian public.

Combining statistics, computer science, and domain-specific knowledge, data science is a promising new field in which historians, policymakers, and others in the humanities can find their place. As Bridgman’s work reveals, engaging with data in any field wields the power to observe important trends and make discoveries.

Top advancements of the past decade

Highlighting recent technological achievements, from rockets to gene-editing tools

Shafaq Nami Contributor

three times and opened a new landing site that would reduce post-launch processing time.

A look into the past reveals some of humanity’s greatest achievements: The discovery of fire, the domestication of animals, the invention of the car. The past decade in particular has seen large technological change. Gadgets and apps have become so commonplace that it is difficult to imagine a time without them. From technologies like smartphones to social trends like selfies, certain advancements in the past decade have become strong enough to revolutionize science and change people’s lives.

Tesla Powerwall In the past decade, climate change has come to the forefront as one of the world’s major issues, resulting in greater implementation of environmentally-friendly alternatives. One such option is using solar power instead of gas or coal. While solar power has become more affordable, it is a major challenge to store excess solar energy so that it can be used later. Tesla’s Powerwall, launched in 2015, allows solar energy users to control their energy usage to store it during off-peak hours and consume it at peak times. The Powerwall is a rechargeawble lithiumion battery, making it both lightweight and low maintenance.

Virtual Assistants Although the idea of artificial intelligence (AI) has been around since the 1950s, there were significant advances in the past decade. Among many other functions, AI now increases security, assists with surgeries, and powers voice assistants.

In 2010, Apple acquired Siri, the first modern digital virtual assistant, revolutionizing the iPhone. In general, virtual assistants are capable of handling many tasks, ranging from making to-do lists and setting alarms to providing real-time information, such as the weather, traffic, and the news. The Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant can now also control smart home devices, functioning as home automation systems.

Self-driving car Developments in AI have also led to automation in the car industry in the form of selfdriving cars. In 2009, Google introduced Waymo,

The last decade saw advances in tech, medicine, and the environment. (thegreatcoursesplus.com) their self-driving car project. Six years later, Tesla Motors announced its first version of the Autopilot and has since developed the self-driving car to include features such as adaptive cruise control, self-parking, automatic lane changes, and the ability to summon the car to a garage or parking spot.

CRISPR-Cas9 CRISPR is a family of DNA sequences found within the genomes of single-celled organisms. Over the past decade, scientists have used CRISPR to quickly edit genes in other organisms, such as mice. Since the commercialization and patenting of CRISPR-Cas9 in 2012, it has taken on a wide range of uses, such as genetically

modifying plants and treating genetic diseases.

Researchers believe that with this technology, Huntington’s disease, cystic fibrosis, and other such genetic diseases could be cured.

SpaceX’s reusable rocket SpaceX spent much of the past decade developing its reusable rocket system. The company’s Falcon 9 rocket launched, delivered a payload into orbit, and then landed at Cape Canaveral in December 2015, marking the beginning of an era of accessible space travel. A Falcon 9 launch costs about $62 million, one-quarter what it cost a decade ago. SpaceX also revealed that the Falcon was able to use the same booster—the first stage of a rocket that provides thrust for launching—

Beyond Burger While veggie burgers have been around for a while, Beyond Meat’s Beyond Burger looks and tastes like an actual beef burger. Awarded the 2018 Environment Champion of the Earth Award from the United Nations, the burger is completely plant-based and contains no genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), soy, or gluten. According to a life-cycle assessment conducted by the University of Michigan, the Beyond Burger generates 90 per cent less greenhouse gas emissions and requires 43 per cent less energy than a typical beef burger. Since its commercialization in 2012, Beyond Meat can be found in many fast food restaurants, including A&W (only in Canada) and McDonald’s.

SPORTS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28 2020

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McGill breaks records on home track

Track and Field teams places in top half of competition at annual Team Challenge

McGill’s Jorden Savoury broke the school record for the 60-metre sprint twice during the McGill Team Challenge.

(Iman Zarrinkoub / The McGill Tribune)

Sarah Farnand Contributor McGill Track and Field hosted the McGill Team Challenge, the largest indoor track and field meet in Canada, on Jan. 24 and 25. The meet brought together teams from all over eastern Canada and the northeastern US to compete.

On the first day of the meet, sophomore Jorden Savoury broke the McGill record for the 60-metre sprint twice. She beat the previous record of 7.69 seconds— which she set just two weeks prior—with a time of 7.66 seconds in a preliminary race and again in the finals with a time of 7.65 seconds, to finish third place overall.

Second-year graduate student Allison Frantz won the women’s pentathlon with a score of 3,486 points, helping the McGill women to second place at the end of the first day of competition.

The McGill men ended the first day in sixth place out of 14 teams. They won the 4 x 800m relay with a time of 7:48.25, a mere 10 seconds away from a school record.

The relay team was comprised of first-years Sebastian Danson and Nicolas Bernard and second-years Jasper Ross and Jack Crosby. Second-year graduate student Simon Bernier, finished the 3000m race in 16th place out of over 50 runners, with a personal best time of 8:46.

“The 3000 is my favorite event,” Bernier said. “It’s long enough that you have time to enjoy it but short enough that you don’t have time to get bored.”

On the second day, Bernier placed 23rd out of 72 runners in the 1500m, with a time of 4:06.57. Bernier hopes to improve on his times throughout the season with the goal of making Nationals next year.

“I have a goal for this year to be ‘halfway’ to Nationals,” Bernier said. “[I want to] improve on my times, so that next year, I will have a good base to work off of.”

Also running the 1500m on the second day was fourth-year Rachel Langelaan. Although she did not get the personal best she was hoping for and was later disqualified, her main goal was not a specific time but rather to enjoy the event.

“It’s my last home race at McGill, so I am just hoping to go out there and have fun,” Langelaan said prior to the race. “It’s my last season, so I just want to enjoy it with my teammates and hope that the team does well.”

Langelaan ran the 1000m on Jan. 24, finishing with a time of 3:16.1.

“I felt pretty good, [and] I was pretty happy with [my race],” Langelaan said “It was my first time running the 1000 in a bit, so it was fun.”

Other highlights from the second day included the men’s heptathlon, in which fourth-year Kurt Soderstrom

MOMENT OF THE MEET Second-year Jorden Savoury broke the McGill 60-metre sprint record twice in one day. She beat the previous record of 7.69 seconds, which she also held, bringing it down to 7.66 seconds in the preliminary round.

She then brought it down again in the finals with a time of 7.65 seconds.

QUOTABLE “I used to always do the same thing [before races, but then] this summer at Nationals, they sat me down for an hour in the waiting room before my race, and that’s when I realized pre-race rituals really don’t matter, and so what I try to do is just get mentally ready, and then my body will just follow.” - Simon Bernier on his pre-race rituals.

STAT CORNER Three McGill athletes placed in the top 10 of the men’s heptathlon, with fourth-year Kurt Soderstrom finishing third with 4,301 points, second-year Alexander Stathis finishing fifth with 4,103 points, and graduate student Taylor Leger finishing sixth with 3,979 points.

finished third overall with 4,301 points, second-year Alexander Stathis finished fifth with 4,103 points, and graduate student Taylor Leger finished sixth with 3,979 points. While the McGill women’s and men’s teams finished the competition in fifth and sixth place, respectively, the athletes enjoyed their time at the Team Challenge.

“It was good to be able to run with people [who] are the same speed as I am,” Bernier said. “That’s why the McGill Team Challenge is so great.”

Super Bowl LIV Preview

Stacking up stats, coaches, and tactics ahead of the big game Adam Menikefs Contributor The Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers will face off in Super Bowl LIV on Feb. 2 in Miami, Florida.

This will be the Chiefs’ first Super Bowl in 50 years. Their last appearance was Super Bowl IV against the Minnesota Vikings in 1970, where they secured their first title. The 49ers are looking to capture their record-tying sixth Super Bowl, with their last Lombardi Trophy coming in 1995 after a victorious Super Bowl XXIX against the San Diego Chargers.

The two teams have had similar paths to this final game. Both won their divisions to secure a first-round bye in the playoffs, making this is the seventh year in a row that both teams in the Super Bowl have not had to play Wild Card Weekend.

The Chiefs, 12–4 in the regular season, won their divisional game in historic fashion, overcoming a 24–0 first half deficit against the Houston Texans, before going on to defeat the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Championship game. The 49ers topped the Minnesota Vikings easily in the divisional round and remained dominant in their NFC Championship victory over future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

Despite equally impressive seasons, each team arrives at the Super Bowl with

their own set of strengths and weaknesses.

Kansas City finished the regular season sixth in total yards per game (379.2) and fifth in passing yards per game (281.1). In contrast, San Francisco’s offence boasted an extremely strong ground game, ranking second in rushing yards per game (144.1).

The 49ers’ true strength, however, was on the other side of the ball, ranking second in total yards against per game (281.8) and first in passing yards against per game (169.2). The Chiefs improved their defence significantly throughout the season as well, with 19.2 points per game (PPG) allowed, and finished the season allowing fewer total points than the 49ers, who recorded 19.4 PPG at season’s end.

The most important factor in this game will be the match up between Kansas City’s offence and San Francisco’s defence. The Chiefs have exposed teams in the last two seasons when they play man coverage. This is a result of their dynamic playmakers, wide receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce, catching balls from generational talent quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Thus, teams are forced to play primarily zone defence, where they are picked apart by both the run and short passes. The 49ers are in the unique position of having the right players to cover the Chiefs and can create real problems for Chiefs’ offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy.

All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman and

The 49ers are competing for their sixth championship, while the Chiefs are searching for their first win in 50 years. (Michael Zagaris / San Francisco 49ers)

linebackers Kwon Alexander and Fred Warner are fantastic in coverage, which will create one of the more dominant defensive lines in recent memory.

The most interesting comparison in storylines, however, is the difference in coaching. The 49ers are led by third-year Head Coach Kyle Shanahan, who first gained praise for his fantastic offensive play-calling and designs during his time as offensive coordinator for the 2016 NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons. The Chiefs are led by Andy Reid, a future

Hall of Fame coach whose previous Super Bowl appearance as a head coach came in 2005 with the Philadelphia Eagles. Many will be pulling for Reid to capture his first Super Bowl as a head coach and cap off an all-time career.

Ultimately, the Chiefs will struggle to stop the 49ers’ run attack and their offence will come up just short, with San Francisco emerging victorious 35–31.

The entire contest should live up to the standard excellence of competition set in previous years.

16

SPORTS

TUESDAY, JANUARY 28 2020

Mac campus culture on display at annual Woodsmen Competition Axe throwing, water boiling, and swede cutting steal the show Shaun Lalani Contributor Battling frigid temperatures, the McGill Woodsmen team hosted the 60th Annual Macdonald Woodsmen Competition at Watson Field on McGill’s Macdonald Campus on Jan. 27. The event, which has become a staple of Mac campus culture over the years, was an exciting affair, with close to 160 participants competing in 14 action-packed events ranging from axe throwing to the singles water boil.

The Macdonald Woodsmen Competition, which remains unknown to many downtown McGill students, is one of the four major tournaments held by the Canadian Intercollegiate Lumberjacking Association (CILA) for young lumberjacks across the country.

The road to the competition is grueling, and participants put in strenuous hours of labour in the weeks leading up to the event.

“It’s hard [because] we have practice every morning at 6 a.m.,” McGill Woodsman Gregoire Herzog said. “Before we go to school, we go and cut some wood. It’s cold, and it’s [the same] from Monday to Thursday.

[But] that’s the thing; it’s hard to get people going, but I think what keeps them [coming] really are the bonds that you create.”

With anticipation in the air, the competition finally kicked off at 9 a.m., following the ceremonial first chop.

The morning stages of the competition were structured to maintain a sense of perpetual action, with events occurring all around the audience. One could watch a Lumberjill swing her axe down on a log in the standing block chop, then walk across the field and find themselves enthralled by an intense round of pulp throwing, a timed event that entails throwing logs into a target.

Events like the snowshoe race—a Mac Campus special—generated much excitement, with athletes running a tiresome 1.5 kilometers in a snowcovered field.

“You really gotta get used to [the snowshoes],” first-year woodswoman Lea Taillandier said. “First of all, it’s [a lot] harder than what [you would] expect. And [you] practice and practice and get a bit better, but still, it’s so, so hard. But it’s also so much fun [at the] same time.”

Come afternoon, the athletes and the audience retreated to the cozy Ceilidh Bar to prepare for the second session. After a hearty meal of chili and sandwiches along with beer, the second phase of the competition got underway. Athletes were corralled into their respective groups and prepared for the final four events of the day.

The annual Woodsmen Competition brought 160 competitors to McGill’s Macdonald Campus.

(Shaun Lalani / The McGill Tribune)

The team-cross and swede-cut, two sawing events, came first, followed by the doubles underhand chop, then finally the singles water boil, a frantic race to build a fire capable of bringing a pot to simmer.

The McGill lumberjacks and lumberjills were impressive in their showing, leaving the audience buzzing by the display they had witnessed. To many Macdonald students, the event is

a symbol of pride, etched in 60-years of tradition and history—a pride they are all too eager to share with their peers downtown.

“Maybe [we] should rally up a petition, get the bus to come here [on Saturday],” first-year Woodsman Jacques Gross said. “I would really encourage [students downtown] to come down to our campus. I mean, we’re always having fun.”

Remembering Kobe Bryant Lakers legend dies in helicopter crash alongside daughter and seven others Ender McDuff Sports Editor The basketball world is mourning the loss of Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, 41, following the shocking news of his tragic death on Jan. 26 as a result of a helicopter crash. Eight other people died in the crash, including Kobe’s 13-yearold daughter Gianna Bryant.

The outpouring of love following the announcement of Kobe’s death speaks to the many connections he made around the league. Whether it be the fans he inspired or the players he influenced, everyone has their own Kobe story. For me, Kobe was a role model who, without ever knowing it, helped me overcome my performance anxiety and rediscover my love of basketball.

As a young teenager and aspiring athlete, I battled serious performance anxiety and perfectionism. Every missed shot was such a devastating blow that I began to suffer immense stress. The game began to lose its magic, and I was on the verge of giving it all up. But a quote from Kobe inspired me, rekindling my love of basketball and helping me overcome my mental blocks.

“If you miss the shot, you’ll still be here learning,” Bryant said in a 2013 interview. “You’ve been in moments where you missed a shot, but you’re okay [....] What you have to understand is that

Kobe Bryant was an inspiration to a generation of fans during his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers. (popculture.com)

those pressures are self inflicted [....] You have to be able to control your mind and understand […] that pressure does not exist [....] We create pressure ourselves.”

Kobe introduced an entire generation of young athletes to the idea of sport as a mental game, which he called “Mamba Mentality.” Even beyond the court, combined with Kobe’s tireless work ethic and perseverance, this mindset inspired individuals from all walks of life to

overcome their toughest challenges.

And yet, one serious decision marked Kobe’s life, for, in a City of Angels, he was not one. In 2003, Kobe was accused of raping a 19-year-old woman, and he admitted to cheating on his wife, Vanessa.

But Kobe’s legacy challenges our understanding of whether someone is capable of redemption. Kobe’s growth as a human—famously symbolized by his switch from number eight to 24—was

increasingly evident on the basketball court in his later years and in retirement.

He was an extremely proud father of four girls, with whom he joyously shared the game of basketball. He also became an avid supporter of the WNBA, in which he hoped to see Gianna play one day, and an Oscar-winning storyteller.

The question that then remains is what legacy will Kobe leave behind?

By what narrative will his six-month old daughter and namesake, Capri Kobe Bryant, know her father? The answer, as with the stories, will be informed by a multitude of personal experiences. To me, mixed somewhere alongside all the good and the bad, the answer is this: Kobe loved the game I love, more than anyone else. This love drove his singular pursuit of excellence, it informed the Mamba Mentality, and it is the reason Kobe touched the lives of more people than he could ever know.

As was poetically demonstrated by Kobe’s final public words the night prior to his death, in which he congratulated the Laker’s new star LeBron James on passing him on the all-time scoring list, the game will move forward. And yet, because of his unmatched love of the game, every time a kid shouts his name while shooting a balled up piece of paper into the recycling bin, Kobe’s legacy will forever live on as an integral part of basketball.