The McGill Tribune Vol. 37 Issue 6

The McGill Tribune TUESDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2017 | VOL. 37 | ISSUE 6

Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University

FEATURE

EDITORIAL

Confiture unleashed A day with McGill’s resident fluff

On sexual violence policy reform, it’s McGill’s turn

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McGILLTRIBUNE.COM | @McGILLTRIBUNE

FLASHBACK ‘Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story’ Mandatory viewing for McGill students, administrators alike

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(Gabriel Helfant / The McGill Tribune)

Concordia stings McGill Redmen football with Homecoming loss Penalties hold back McGill’s momentum Patrick Beacham Contributor The fervorous crowds and cheerleaders at Molson Stadium for the Oct. 14 homecoming football game couldn’t help the McGill Redmen (1-5) overcome the

Concordia Stingers (3-3). As the clouds eclipsed the only sunlight early in the second quarter, McGill’s momentum fell apart and Concordia ran away with a 36-10 victory.

The Redmen got off to a good start but fell behind due in part to poor dis-

Our Turn Action Plan aims to mend Canadian university sexual violence policies Caitlin Kindig Contributor On Oct. 11, The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) held a press conference following the official release of Our Turn, a national student-led action plan to end campus sexual violence. The action plan evaluated 14 Canadian universities’ sexual assault policies, and gave McGill’s a C- (61 per cent) grade.

The National Our Turn Action Plan is a student-written commitment to eliminating sexual violence and rape culture on campuses, supporting survivors, creating a culture of survivor-centrism at institutions,

and promoting policy reform on both provincial and national levels.

Action Plan is composed of five steps that serve as a guide for student unions seeking reform to campus sexual violence policies. So far, 14 student unions from universities across eight provinces have signed on to the plan, including SSMU. Our Turn is spearheaded by Caitlin Salvino, Carleton University class of 2017, along with Kelsey Glichrist and Jade Cooligan Pang.

It was first initiated at the Carleton University Students Association in October 2016 when the university released its Sexual Violence Policy.

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cipline, committing 18 penalties for 150 yards by the final whistle.

“We had some good drives as far as offence and defence goes,” third-year linebacker Dane Wagner said. “It just comes down to the fact that we had way too many penalties. We didn’t play disci-

plined. You can’t win with that many penalties.” Concordia got its first touchdown just three minutes into the first quarter after a 64-yard pass allowed a Stingers receiver to sprint uncontested into the Redmen endzone.

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Peppers both produce and prevent pain The compound responsible for making chilies hot has potential beyond burning taste buds Karl Neumann Contributor Scorching heat, exasperated breathing, and trickles of sweat aren’t necessarily the result of a lengthy stay in a sauna or running on a hot day. They can instead result from a bite of spicy food. The molecular compound capsaicin causes the spicy sensation that some hate and others love. This compound is primarily found in the white membrane of peppers—not the seeds—and

is responsible for a chili’s characteristically punchy flavour.

While the domestication and consumption of chilies traces back 6,000 years to the Caribbean, recent discoveries have been able to transform this pain-inducing compound into a pain-reliever.

To understand the healing properties of this strange fruit, it’s essential to know how and why it evolved its ‘heat.’ The spiciness of the outer flesh provides a defence against predators and fungi, which

would otherwise prevent chili growth and reproduction, while the non-spicy taste of its seeds allow birds to feast on and disperse them, unharmed.

Humans have also taken a liking to the fruit—with 463 million pounds of hot peppers grown per year in the United States alone. North Americans’ appetite for spice has skyrocketed in the past two decades, with the consumption of chilies doubling and hot sauce dethroning ketchup as the top-selling condiment of 2016.

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2 NEWS

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Our Turn Action Plan aims to mend university sexual violence policies McGill receives a C- grade for survivor-centric assault policy Caitlin Kindig Contributor Continued from page 1.

Our Turn members drafted a letter suggesting reforms to the Policy regarding the protection of survivors of sexual violence who wished to pursue a formal complaint process through the university.

Salvino shared the current goals of the action plan at the press conference.

“Our Turn exists because our institution failed us, because the schools and the government that have all the power are not supporting survivors on campuses,” Salvino said. “[Our Turn is] student-run, underfunded, but [is] still doing everything we can to make these changes happen.”

During the press conference, SSMU Vice-President (VP) External Connor Spencer explained that the movement to end sexual violence on campus started with students.

“At McGill specifically, the conversation has always resided at the student level,” Spencer said. “It was the students who pushed for the creation of a policy, and ultimately it was a working group of students who were told by administration ‘If you want a policy then show us one.’

third-party reporting mechanisms, direct action, guerilla tactics, and confrontational strategies. Committed to self-education, internal accountability, and intersectional politics, the CDN aims to fill gaps where they see them.

One survivor of sexual assault present at the conference, Alex*, spoke to The McGill Tribune on the condition of anonymity about their experience with sexual violence on campus. Because of their lack of faith in McGill’s sexual assault survivor support system, they left Montreal for over a month after the assault. Eventually, they sought help from the CDN, which helped ensure their safety and comfort on campus.

“I hope that McGill and campuses across Canada commit to improving their mechanisms of justice and accountability,” Alex said. “It will take more than a Our Turn Action Plan created a detailed set of standards by which to judge sexual violence policies at universities across Canada. policy to combat sexualized and gendered (Ava Zwolinski / The McGill Tribune) violence on university campuses, make no mistake. But to our minds at the CDN, Just because we have a sexual violence assault activism on McGill’s campus. without a policy that supports survivors policy [...] does not mean we are at the Among groups that advocate for survivors who seek out institutional processes, there end of this conversation about the sexual in the Community Disclosure Network can be no justice.” violence that happens every day on this (CDN), a grassroots, confidential network of organizers who support sexual violence campus.” *Name changed to protect the anoThe release of the action plan fol- survivors seeking non-traditional methods lows a long history of student-led sexual of justice. The CDN employs anonymous nymity of the source.

Philosopher Charles Taylor delivers 2017 Beatty Memorial Lecture McGill alumnus tackles the challenges of regressive democracy Elijah Wenzel Contributor On Oct. 12, philosopher Professor Emeritus Charles Taylor delivered the 2017 Beatty Memorial Lecture “The Challenge of Regressive Democracy,” at Pollack Hall. Taylor discussed recent nativist and populist waves in Western politics and their impact on major events such as Brexit and the 2016 general election in the United States.

A McGill alumnus, Taylor’s career has spanned over 50 years,

during which he has published over a dozen books and essays, including the influential works of philosophy Sources of the Self and A Secular Age. In an interview with The McGill Tribune prior to his lecture, Taylor discussed the causes of the wave of nativism sweeping Western democracies. While nativism explicitly signifies preferential treatment of those native-born in a country, Taylor explained what he considers a trend similar to nativism that accompanies these movements, narrowing the definition of who

is really a member of the society. “[Nativism is] the idea that some of us are the real Americans, some of us are the real French, and the other ones are really a danger to us,” Taylor said.

Taylor also acknowledged that nativism could hold influence in Canada.

“Well, perhaps not Canada, and perhaps not even Quebec, is totally succumbing [to nativism],” Taylor said. “But let’s say there could be some gains in Quebec on the part of Parti Québécois and [the Coalition Avenir Québec] CAQ who have

Charles Taylor urged citizens of Western democracies to reclaim their governments from elites and regressive populists. (Gabriel Helfant / The McGill Tribune)

both been leaning in this direction. That is they are trying to surf on certain deep fears and prejudices against a segment of the population.”

Taylor began his lecture by noting that the idea of democracy representing constant progress toward a more just society is a misconception. Yet, in his time as a scholar, he’s grown to view this reality with optimism.

“Democracy is not an escalator going up,” Taylor said.

“Democracy is a progressive struggle. If you believe in the [progressive] escalator, it sounds devastating. If you cease believing in the escalator, it could even be exhilarating.”

According to Taylor, the word democracy has two meanings. One can lead to power sliding from the common people to the elites.

“Democracy is actually going to be understood as the interpretation of two concepts with the same word,” Taylor said.

“The concept of the people as a whole, all embracing, and the concept of the people as those who are disadvantaged, because they are not part of the elite [....]

Among the countries that we think of as democracies in that sense, big issues arise as to the degree of elite control [....] And

this is something that can never be resolved once and for all.”

Taylor’s words left a strong mark on those who watched him.

In a message to the Tribune, Jing Ming Yuan, U2 Engineering student who attended the lecture, expressed his agreement with Taylor’s points about democracy as an escalator.

“I think [Taylor] made a very good point when he stated that democracy is not a one-way escalator always going forward,” Yuan wrote. “There is no natural law stating that political institutions would invariably evolve to become, say, more tolerant [...] although we tend to think that the present is better than the past, we should acknowledge the possibility that even the most democratic governments in the world can, at times, slide backward and become more unequal and intolerant.”

McGill Philosophy Professor Sarah Stroud also found both Taylor’s presence and insight to be valuable.

“Charles Taylor is a towering philosopher and public intellectual,” Stroud wrote in a message to the Tribune. “His inspiring vision of the democracy we could have will help us right the ship, currently listing dangerously.”

NEWS 3

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

More questions than answers raised at the SSMU building closure information session

IT Services develops system for sending email threats to students

Student groups express relocation concerns at information session

Students to face increase in automated copyright infringement emails

Ari Charles Contributor

Fionn Adamian Contributor

The University Centre will close in Winter 2018 to carry out major renovations, including adding new washrooms and replacing the entire heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and electrical systems. After initially announcing the closure to the student body via a Facebook event on Sept. 29, representatives from McGill and the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) addressed the closure at an information session on Oct. 12. During the meeting, they revealed that there is asbestos in the building’s aging HVAC system that could be disturbed during construction. As a result, all of the building’s tenants, including the offices of over 50 student clubs and services, must relocate.

The building, which is owned by McGill, is scheduled to close on Feb. 15, 2018, and reopen one floor at a time between August and December 2018. Tenants that are unable to relocate during that period, such as Gerts Bar, will temporarily close. While SSMU will not have to pay rent to McGill during the closure, the society will forego between $300,000 and $400,000 in revenue and relocation costs.

Adrian Nicolicescu, a senior project manager with McGill Facilities Management and Ancillary Services, explained that the University Centre cannot remain partially open during renovations because the work could spread the asbestos in the HVAC system.

“Asbestos is not dangerous [only] if it is not disturbed,” Nicolicescu said. “We have many types of [safety] processes in place while we conduct this work, and [the asbestos] is one of the reasons that we’re vacating the building.”

Nicolicescu emphasized that McGill intends to minimize the disruption the closure will cause to students. However, SSMU has already been criticized for using a Facebook event to announce the closure, especially because McGill notified SSMU of the renovation plans last March.

Benson Cook, U2 Arts, was one of many students who expressed his frustration on the Facebook event page, calling SSMU’s use of this platform to announce the closure “unprofessional.” His post garnered dozens of likes from fellow students.

“I was so frustrated I felt the need to voice my anger,” Cook wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “There wasn’t even a press release put out, they just expected that everyone would see this obscure Facebook event that they created.”

Following the release of the Facebook event, SSMU VP Internal Maya Koparkar sent out an email to all SSMU members informing them of the building’s closure on Oct. 7. Tenants of the University Centre had been notified a week earlier.

SSMU General Manager Ryan Hughes began his remarks at the conference by apologizing for the poor communication. He later said that SSMU had chosen not to publicize the closure earlier because the full details of the project were only recently finalized.

Hughes also confirmed that SSMU is working with a local realtor in addition to the McGill administration to find alternative spaces for all of the University Centre’s tenants, but asked concerned groups to meet with him to discuss their individual needs.

“What I request of all occupants of the building is that you know your groups, your activities, and your network better than we do,” Hughes said. “If you do have a link or a resource that you would like to explore [...] as an alternative space, we would also like to hear that.”

Anna Abraham, the Executive Director of McGill Players’ Theatre, nonetheless expressed continued frustration with SSMU’s handling of the closure. According to Abraham, the late timing of the announcement meant that the group had already spent significant money on planning its spring plays, which it may now be unable to perform if SSMU cannot relocate it to a new theatre.

“We still don’t have any information,” Abraham said. “We’ve tried to get in contact and set up meetings with Ryan [Hughes] since September. I have struggled to get answers from the SSMU executive.”

Other students at the session asked whether the spaces chosen for relocation would be physically accessible, and if funding would be available to compensate groups for any financial losses.

“We don’t have as many answers as we would like,” Hughes said. “But as we get closer to the [closure] date we will have those answers, and there will be support for you.”

However, some groups may ultimately be on their own.

“If you have not been contacted [by mid-November], then you can assume that we have not found a suitable location for your group,” Hughes said. “I’m not going to commit unlimited funds for groups if they want to rent spaces at a high cost-persquare-footage if it can be avoided.”

Further updates about the closure will be provided through the SSMU listserv and website. Another information session is planned for November.

Any student who frequently torrents movies in McLennan is probably familiar with the email notice from McGill letting them know that the copyright owner complained. IT Services wants to expedite this process, and send out more of these emails at a faster rate. In June 2017, the department installed an automated system that forwards any complaint from a copyright holder to the McGill email address associated with the alleged offender’s IP address.

University officials hope that this system will make it easier for the school to comply with the Canadian copyright notice regime.

Copyright laws aim to provide creators the right to reproduce their works as they choose. According to Hans Parmar, a spokesperson for Canada’s Innovation, Science and Economic Development department, if someone downloads a copyright protected file, the burden lies with the copyright owner to pursue a copyright violation.

As the Internet Service Provider (ISP) on campus, McGill University is held accountable for copyright infringements made using its networks. Though McGill has prohibited the violation of copyright law on its networks since 2010, the new system will accelerate the enforcement process by receiving and forwarding these notices automatically.

“The system attempts to identify the individual associated with the claim,” Gabrielle Krim, a communications specialist with McGill IT Services, said. “If an association is made, the system forwards the original, unaltered claim notice to that individual. Upon receiving a notice of infringement, the recipient is not required to respond, and is advised not to click on any links within the notice without first consulting a lawyer.”

Although the notices themselves carry no legal weight, companies can sue offenders for financial compensation—a possibility they sometimes threaten in their notices.

Several students expressed concern about McGill passing copyright infringement accusations along to students, even with the qualification that the recipients are not required to respond.

“I’ve known lots of people who’ve received emails from their ISP that threaten legal action or changes to their internet service,” Alex Mendell, U3 Engineering, said.

McGill IT has developed an automatic system for handling copyright infringments on its wireless networks.

“Sometimes they (Arshaaq Jiffry / The McGill Tribune) offer to settle the issue for a few hundred

dollars. This behaviour is predatory because students aren’t always aware of the law, and don’t have any leverage with telecoms or the studios and record companies.”

Mendell also questioned whether McGill has a duty to safeguard students against abuse by companies enforcing copyright protection.

“I don’t take issue with copyright holders trying to combat piracy or with McGill for enforcing its policies,” Mendell said.

“But if the school is going to take it upon themselves to issue these notices, they need to take steps to ensure that its students are aware of the laws and aren’t being extorted.”

Others expressed indifference about the policy, noting that wherever else students might use Wi-Fi, they have to agree to terms and conditions stipulating that they not download files illegally. Some students view the policy as a wash that is unlikely to change offenders’ behavior.

“A student torrenting HBO won’t quit just because they receive a notice,” Charlotte Zaininger, U3 Arts, said. “They’ll say ‘I’m on season six of Game of Thrones, try and stop me.’”

4 NEWS

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

SSMU Legislative Council in deadlock over AVEQ membership question Council hesitates to hold new referendum on AVEQ Affiliation Cherry Wu Contributor On Oct. 12, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Legislative Council held its third meeting of the Fall semester. The majority of the evening was consumed by an extensive debate on SSMU’s potential referendum to join the Association for the Voice of Education in Quebec (AVEQ), a body that represents university student unions around the province to the government.

In the Winter 2016 Referendum, the McGill student body voted against a non-opt-outable fee of $3.50 to become an AVEQ member.

At the council meeting, VP External Connor Spencer brought forward a motion to reopen the issue for the Fall 2017 Referendum, prompting intense debate.

A major concern raised in the discussion is AVEQ’s one-schoolone-vote principle. McGill’s large population means that it would be contributing more in student fees than other AVEQ members. However, McGill could still be outvoted by the other members. Education Representative Josephine Wright O’Manique, U4 Education, demonstrated strong opposition to joining for this reason.

“AVEQ has had years to attract membership, and has only gathered support from three schools,” O’Manique said. “Asking McGill undergraduates who already pay enough student fees and tuition to pay more to fund an organization with no value for them is unfair to the students we represent.”

Spencer, in turn, highlighted that the one-school-one-vote policy is based on principles of equality for all members. She cited the collapse of the Fédération Étudiante Universitaire du Québec (FEUQ), which broke down in 2015 because its members with smaller student bodies had fewer representatives.

“AVEQ tried to address [representation] by enacting the oneschool-one-vote policy,” Spencer said. “Even though McGill will be paying more money, it is eventually for the better to allow provincial representation.”

Medicine Representative Andre Lametti brought up the concern that a new referendum disregards the opinions of students, given that a majority of voters were against affiliating with AVEQ in the Winter 2016 Referendum. However, Spencer argued that only 18 per cent of SSMU’s membership voted in the earlier referendum, of which 25 per cent abstained. Further, she cited turnover of students in

the past two years as justification for a new referendum.

Councillors also questioned the fact that AVEQ is the only association SSMU has considered joining when alternatives exist, such as the Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (ASSE), the Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec (FECQ), and Union étudiante du Québec (UÉQ). Spencer clarified that the decision to observe AVEQ is based on reports passed down from the 2015-2016 SSMU VP External Emily Boytinck.

“Following the collapse of the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec (FEUQ) in 2015, two groups were created, AVEQ and the UÉQ,” Spencer said. “Emily observed both groups and reported back to the Council [….] The Council subsequently decided to put only AVEQ on the ballot for the Winter 2016 Referendum [....] Following the Referendum result, the Council mandated the VP External to keep observing AVEQ.’’ A member from the gallery, Joshua Chin, who served as Medicine Representative from 2014 to 2016 and Senate representative from 2016 to 2017, questioned the legitimacy of Boytinck’s reports and of AVEQ itself. First, he claimed that La Fédération Étudiante de

L’Université de Sherbrooke (FÉUS) ceased affiliation with AVEQ due to ethics concerns and a lack of transparency. Second, he mentioned that on Sept. 26, 2015 the Assembly for National Student Association, now known as AVEQ, allegedly voted to appoint Boytinck to the future Board of Directors of the AVEQ, thus creating a potential conflict of interest.

Science Representative Mana Moshkforoush, who was mandated by the Science Undergraduate Society (SUS) to support holding a new referenda, questioned whether Spencer is also biased toward AVEQ when holding information sessions.

“The decision of the (SUS) to

vote ‘yes’ was based on a presentation by AVEQ, and the VP External,” Moshkforoush said. “However, students have never heard of the concern [on representation] raised right now by the councillors [before voting].”

Chief Electoral Officer Alex Nehrbass later confirmed that Spencer’s actions are in accordance with SSMU’s bylaws and that she has not engaged in an active AVEQ campaign. However, due to the remaining concerns regarding AVEQ, Council postponed the vote to its next meeting on Oct. 19 to consider alternative student associations’ presentations before making a final decision.

SSMU Councillors debated the costs and benefits of joining AVEQ. (Cherry Wu / The McGill Tribune)

McGill chapter of WIIS holds first public event on women in peacekeeping Executive Director Cassandra Steer explains the benefits of diversity in the workforce Caitlyn Atkinson Contributor The McGill chapter of Women in International Security (WIIS) held its first public event, “Women in Peacekeeping,” on Oct. 11, which called for increasing the participation of women in the United Nations’ (UN) peacekeeping forces. The talk was hosted by WIIS executive director, Cassandra Steer, who has worked with McGill both within the Faculty of Law and as the executive director of Institute of Air and Space Law. WIIS operates globally as a nonprofit organization committed to supporting and advancing the interests of women in the field of international security.

The main objective of peacekeeping is to ensure the safety of civilians in countries involved in conflict by sending in soldiers from non-partisan countries. Steer began her talk by describing the violence that women often face in conflict-stricken countries. She cited Dr. Tia Palermo’s 2011 study which states that more than 400,000 local women were raped at the hands of both combatants and members of the occupying United Nations Peacekeeping Force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2007.

Commenting on the statistics, Steer highlighted the impact of sexual violence in countries with armed conflicts.

“Armed conflict impacts women and men, but women and girls are targeted because of their gender in a very particular way,” Steer said. “When you attack a woman’s sexuality [...] you take away her power, her identity, her ability to interact with society.”

Steer went on to explain that the stigma associated with sexual violence often discourages women and girls from reporting or disclosing their assault to authorities.

“Women and girls who have been attacked sexually don’t feel that they can report that atrocity because often they will be ostracized,” Steer said, “[The sentiment is that]

they are no longer clean, they are dirty, it was their fault.”

Evidence from the National Center for Biotechnology Information suggests that women feel safer disclosing incidents of sexual violence to other women than they do men.

Steer noted that there have been no documented incidents of women peacekeepers sexually assaulting locals. She believes that having women in leadership roles is a start to solving mass sexual violence, but called for a solution more nuanced than simply fulfilling gender quotas.

“There’s a risk that the perception is [that] if we deploy women, it’ll solve all our gendered problems,” Steer said. “Women are sometimes alone. They can be isolated, they can deal with sexism and violence, they can deal with sexual aggression from leaders within the peacekeeping force, […] and they may be expected to deal with every gendered issue.”

Lynne Gouliquer, an assistant professor in Sociology at Laurentian University, researches female employment in male-dominated fields. In an email to The McGill Tribune, Gouliquer emphasized the importance of diverse approaches to peacekeeping.

“The more diverse an organisation, the better able it will be [able to meet] its goals, objectives, and mission in a proper and ethical manner,” Gouliquer wrote. “[The Canadian military] does not represent the diversity present in Canada. The issues of gender and sexual minority discrimination and harassment that [...] plague our military [are indications] that our military has issues to fix, in addition to attracting more women and increasing diversity.”

Students at the event noted the harsh reality of gendered violence perpetrated by peacekeeping forces. For Melissa Montana, founder of the McGill Chapter of WIIS, this event helped promote awareness of gender disparities in this realm and more widely across the globe.

“It is important for students to educate themselves

more on the issue, so that they can better understand how these power dynamics work in society, and learn to rectify them through their day-to-day lives,” Montana wrote in an email to the Tribune. “Whether that be trying to host more diverse panel discussions on campus, or even thinking more broadly about how policies […] affect men and women in different ways.”

At its first public event, Women in International Security demonstrated the need for peacekeeping forces across the globe to increase the number of women in their ranks.

(Cicily Du / The McGill Tribune)

OPINION 5

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Jasinski editor@mcgilltribune.com Creative Director Noah Sutton nsutton@mcgilltribune.com Managing Editors Audrey Carleton acarleton@mcgilltribune.com Emma Avery eavery@mcgilltribune.com Selin Altuntur saltuntur@mcgilltribune.com News Editors Holly Cabrera, Domenic Casciato, Calvin Trottier-Chi news@mcgilltribune.com Opinion Editors Jackie Houston & Alexandra Harvey opinion@mcgilltribune.com Science & Technology Editor Izze Siemann scitech@mcgilltribune.com Student Living Editor Grace Bahler studentliving@mcgilltribune.com Features Editor Marie Labrosse features@mcgilltribune.com Arts & Entertainment Editors Dylan Adamson & Ariella Garmaise arts@mcgilltribune.com Sports Editors Stephen Gill & Selwynne Hawkins sports@mcgilltribune.com Design Editors Daniel Freed & Elli Slavitch design@mcgilltribune.com Photo Editor Ava Zwolinski photo@mcgilltribune.com Multimedia Editor April Barrett multimedia@mcgilltribune.com Web Developers Daniel Lutes webdev@mcgilltribune.com Julia Kafato online@mcgilltribune.com Copy Editor Ayanna De Graff copy@mcgilltribune.com

In the 2018 Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings, McGill was the second best school in Canada. Maclean’s just named the university the number one medical and doctoral school in Canada, for the 13th year in a row.

In contrast, last week the interuniversity student group Our Turn gave McGill’s Policy Against Sexual Violence—passed in November 2016—a C-.

The group’s report, distributed by the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) on Oct. 11, provides a comparative, quantitative analysis of the sexual violence policies in place at 14 universities across Canada, out of which McGill placed eighth.

The report provides a set of concrete recommendations for improvement, developed through consultations with sexual assault survivors, existing comprehensive policies, and experts in best practices in preventing and responding to sexual violence. It provides a standardized, central resource on what an ideal campus sexual assault policy should—and should not—look like. It is survivor-focused, emphasizing the need for multiple avenues of support for survivors of sexual violence, while also attempting to take on the prior causes of sexual assault on campus, such as a lack of education and the pervasiveness of rape culture. It’s an

OFF THE BOARD

Business Manager Daniel Minuk business@mcgilltribune.com Advertising Executives Grayson Castell, Noah Cohen, Vincent Li ads@mcgilltribune.com Publisher Chad Ronalds

TPS Board of Directors

Nicholas Jasinski, Daniel Minuk, Katherine Hutter, Julia Métraux, Anthony Kuan, Elli Slavitch, Holly Cabrera, Jeeventh Kaur, Katherine Milazzo, Becca Hoff

Contributors

Amanda Fiore, Ana Mayne, Ari Charles, Arshaaq Jiffry, Avleen Mokha, Benji Taubenblatt, Caitlin Kindig, Caitlyn Atkinson, Catherine Morrison, Ceci Steyn, Cherry Wu, Cherry Wu, Cicily Du, Daria Kiseleva, Elijah Wenzel, Emma Hameau, Fionn Adamian, Gabe Helfant, Jade PrévostManuel, Jasmine Acharya, Jen Wang, Karl Neumann, Keating Reid, Keira Seidenberg, Kevin Reynolds, Margaux Delalex, Mary Keith, Natalie Vineberg, Nina Russell, Owen Gibbs, Patrick Beacham, River Ludwick, Sam Lottes, Sam Wendel, Sanchi Bhalla, Summer Liu, Summer Liu, Sydney King

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EDITORIAL

On sexual violence policy reform, it’s McGill’s turn

Izze Siemann Science & Technology Editor Like many others at McGill, I come from a background of multiple languages. My father grew up in Wolfsburg, Germany—a relatively small country town, about an hour away from Berlin. After 20 years of living in a rainy climate, he decided to venture south in search of sun and a happier version of himself. He landed in Padua, northern Italy, where, 15 years later, he met my mother and they had my brother. My mother grew up in Berkeley, CA, and moved to Italy after receiving her Master’s degree in French. As a result, language has been a ruling component of my upbringing.

entirely student-driven initiative, and miles ahead of lagging and bare-bones provincial legislation on this issue.

More crucially, however, the report is a vital reminder of the real and unacceptable prevalence of sexual assault on university campuses. A comprehensive policy framework to combat campus sexual assault, which includes preventative, educational, and survivor support measures, is essential, and must be treated as such.

That means, chiefly, that just having a policy in place isn’t enough. Students, SSMU, and the McGill administration also need to work to ensure that McGill’s policy actually works, by bringing it closer to the ambitious national threshold that Our Turn sets.

By extension, it must be able to evolve to better meet the needs of the students affected by sexual violence and sexual assault on campus.

Our Turn originated with the experience of Ryerson University students. The group of students that would go on to form Our Turn advocated for reform of the school’s sexual violence policy, through a widely supported open letter. The policy’s final draft failed to reflect these student concerns. This led to an ongoing campaign from students to a deaf administration, geared at reopening the policy for revamp.

Ryerson’s policy has since been updated to score an A-.

The experience of Ryerson

students matches the story at many universities. When McGill’s sexual violence policy was drafted and subsequently approved by Senate, it was widely criticized. Many flagged concerns about its clarity on concrete reforms, as well as transparency in the student consultation and amendment process. Those concerns were wellplaced, as later confirmed by Our Turn’s abysmal review.

Our Turn is an invaluable resource. In the absence of any national legislation or inquiry on campus sexual assault, by taking the issue beyond the scope of McGill—or any one campus, for that matter—the inter-school group has made it a national concern.

Moreover, it solidifies and amplifies the message coming from students to their university administrations and governments: Sexual violence on campus is a pervasive threat to student safety and wellbeing, and needs to be addressed.

The nature of sexual violence presents unique challenges from an administrative standpoint, but it can also present dire harm to survivors and affected students. As a survivor-centered, independent, and dedicated body, Our Turn sets the bar above and beyond that of any one single university attending to other institutional concerns. While exact criteria may be up for debate, the value of having any substantive,

national standard of support for sexual assault survivors cannot be overstated.

McGill must respond to the recommendations of the report, and set a timeline on how it will update its policy accordingly. The existing Policy Against Sexual Violence is subject to triennial review. Given that it is sitting at a C-, that time frame is insufficient.

SSMU, meanwhile, needs to follow through on its pledge to the organization, by implementing its campus advocacy task force and setting in motion the suggested reforms at the McGill Senate level.

For their part, students ought to take the time to read the report, conduct further research on best practices across campuses, and critically consider where McGill’s Policy Against Sexual Violence is at right now, and where it needs to be.

As the necessity and existence of Our Turn shows, progress on preventing campus sexual violence falls primarily on affected campus communities themselves. Provincial and federal government actors need to address the gaps in existing provincial campus sexual assault legislation. But, until they do, university administrations, student unions, and students themselves need to continue to lead the push for education and awareness on campus, and due resources and support for sexual violence survivors.

To borrow a phrase, it’s our turn.

The world is larger than English Prioritizing language education, whether in school or independently, has a significant impact on traveling and living experiences, as well as development. Learning multiple languages shows the complementary, rather than conflictual, nature of different countries, languages, and cultures. This helps deconstruct barriers to both political and cultural engagement.

Montreal’s own bilingual nature supports the values of multilingualism and multiculturalism, as it maintains both anglophone and francophone cultures. Being able to communicate effectively in more than one language opens the mind and allows people to access new cultures, transcending language barriers that often prevent us from seeing beyond what we know.

Often, no direct translations exist between one language and another as a result of differing sentence structures, idiomatic expressions, and the vocabulary words themselves. A scholar studying two works in their original languages has deeper insights than others studying translations.

Politicians working on international policy—or domestic policy in a bilingual country such as Canada, for that matter—can show cultural respect and create better policies speaking in the native language of whom they

represent.

Multilingualism has value above and beyond its services to culture. For

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Learning multiple languages shows the complementary, rather than conflictual, nature of different countries, languages, and cultures.

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example, according to speech-language pathologist Lauren Lowry, children who grow up bilingually have proven to be more creative, better at planning, and more capable of solving complex problems than monolinguals. The effects of aging are even diminished in bilinguals. By supporting a bilingual culture, Montreal’s future citizens reap these benefits.

Growing up, I’ve heard numerous people tell me that they don’t need to

learn any more languages, because English is one of the most popular and can be used around the globe.

However, this limits the places where anglophones can travel in a meaningful way, and leads to the colonialist notion that English, and English-speaking European and North American countries, are superior to other countries and their ways of life.

In most American states, there are no language requirements in high school, according to their respective graduation requirements, whereas all schools in Germany and Canada require taking at least one language other than their mother tongue, and many require two.

Although I was lucky to understand the importance of language from a young age, with English, German, French, and Italian swirling around my house, that doesn’t mean that those who were not given the same opportunity shouldn’t try. My favourite YouTubers, Damon and Jo, have a travel blog all about traveling as young adults—how to travel when you’re broke, what the life of a traveler is like, why becoming involved in language and culture is vital to traveling, and, of course, how to learn languages without paying for expensive classes and books.

We have all the resources we need to find the value of linguistic diversity—we just need to use them.

6 OPINION

COMMENTARY

Sydney King Contributor Many actors and actresses have recently been criticized for being too political in award acceptance speeches.

Some celebrities explicitly avoid sharing their political opinions so as not to alienate portions of their fan base. As Mark Wahlberg said, “Both Republicans and Democrats buy movie tickets.”

However, all democratic citizens have the right to participate in the public political sphere.

COMMENTARY

Keating Reid Contributor Oh, the impermanence of young love. Not long ago, Canada’s youth naively fawned over Justin Trudeau. But, as flings meet their bitter ends, so too do they begin anew. Canadians have moved on to a new flame—newly-elected, uberchic New Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh. Compared to Trudeau, his suits are sharper, his hair longer and more luscious, and—most importantly—he hasn’t had the chance to disappoint Canadians yet.

The first sparks flew when Singh’s compassionate handling of a heckler at a campaign rally in Brampton, Ontario received international attention. The incident came at the perfect time, just weeks before the NDP leadership vote on Oct. 1. Furthermore, Singh is the first non-white leader of a major Canadian political party. However, the celebration of this ‘first’—although a

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Don’t tell celebrities to “stay out of politics” To tell someone to “stay out of politics” simply because of their job is downright undemocratic and poisonous to civil discourse.

There are a few exceptions: People whose careers depend on their being unaffiliated with vested interest groups, such as non-partisan public servants and judges, are usually required by convention—and rightly so—to remain neutral.

That leaves everyone else, including famous people, free to share their political opinions as they see fit. Celebrities often take advantage of their fame to broadcast their political ideologies or engage in activism, though not without controversy.

One early example of the politicized acceptance speech— or rather, rejection speech—was that of Marlon Brando at the 1973 Oscars, more than 40 years before the #OscarsSoWhite debate. He sent Sacheen Littlefeather, a Native American rights activist and actress, in his place to reject the award and present a speech about the harmful effects of misrepresenting

Native Americans in the media.

Littlefeather was blacklisted in Hollywood at the behest of the FBI. Despite orchestrating this, Brando faced little backlash compared to Littlefeather. The institutional response from both the United States government and Hollywood was to condemn Littlefeather for using her public status to bring a controversial political issue to light. This kind of political commentary was unprecedented in the realm of entertainment, especially at the Oscars—which receives a broadcast audience of roughly 85 million viewers today.

The primary argument behind the call to “stay out of politics” is that celebrities are out-of-touch with average citizens and have a greater audience than most people. This is highly ironic, considering that many politicians come from upper-middle socioeconomic classes, and have similarly poor claims to speak for the average citizen. The criticism aimed at actors, musicians, and athletes for speaking their minds would be better focused on their

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The criticism aimed at actors, musicians and athletes for speaking their minds would be better focused on their arguments and opinions, so as to promote discourse and debate.

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arguments and opinions, so as to promote discourse and debate.

Yet, critics cry for abstention, not discussion. While reaching a greater audience may be seen as an unfair advantage, that doesn’t mean they can’t use it, just as any citizen uses the resources available to them to make their voice heard.

Urging celebrities to stay

out of politics also implies that political issues are too complicated or nuanced a field for most, and are best left for the government to sort out on its own. This is completely absurd, as democracy is grounded in the idea that representatives in government work for their constituents and support the policies that their constituents call for. The public sphere is the only place for political discussion to occur, whether electronically or face-toface. The government cannot properly promote peace, order, and good government without this communication; therefore, it is vital that all citizens are encouraged to participate in the political realm.

Talking about politics is not a privilege reserved for politicians—it is the right and imperative of every individual, famous or not. So whether they are Ryan Gosling or a McGill undergraduate student, all individuals have the right to use their platform to engage in politics.

Sorry, Justin, there’s a new kid in town step forward—made little distinction between the positivity of the event and Singh himself. In aggregate, the starry-eyed coverage that followed no doubt contributed to his landslide victory.

But, all young relationships have potentially ugly sides. Singh’s swift rise and the accompanying fanfare prove yet again that support is increasingly won by personality, more so than policy. This imbalance corrodes democracy. Image-focused campaigns benefit party leaders at the expense of every other political actor—including the voter. Image campaigns like Trudeau’s and Singh’s have had particular success with young people, who are the most plugged-in to social media and its ability to amplify public personas.

The trend towards image campaigning and corresponding personality politics shows no sign of slowing down as millennials born between 1981 and 2000 will become the largest segment of the electorate. If young people don’t demand to be campaigned to in a more substantial, policy-focused way, we risk lowering the quality of our political discourse.

While personal image has always been important in political campaigns, Trudeau took it to new heights in the 2015 election. The guiding principle? Sunny ways—a blend of forward-looking optimism and ambitious reforms to tackle social injustice. This brand paid off, well, handsomely. For months, newlyelected Trudeau bathed in fawning coverage that focused more on his sex appeal than his politics. Canadian

political scientist Donald J. Savoie presciently observes this effect in his 2010 book, Power: Where is it?: “Increasingly, the objective of all parties at election time is to sell their leaders to the media, rather than their ideas, policies, or party,” Savoie writes.

This is as true of Singh as it is of Trudeau. Both source their popularity, especially with youth, from personal appeal and mastery of media moments, be they Singh’s appeals for “love and courage” in Brampton, or Trudeau’s feats of athleticism. These aren’t your parents’ politicians—they look more like the cute guy at the gym or the debate union champ than the slack-suited legislators of yore. While media moments are an old concept, they’ve redoubled in importance with the rise of social media. Short, contextfree clips are shared repeatedly.

Still, society cannot blame the media entirely for softball coverage of politicians. Outlets produce content they think consumers want to read; therefore, when the media treats politicians like celebrities, citizens ask for fluff. This creates a cycle in which Canadians sell themselves short of the issues-driven coverage they deserve.

Personality politics also have consequences within parties. When elections are won and lost on leaders’ images, party caucuses are hardpressed to cross their chiefs. Most voters see the exercise as picking a prime minister rather than a favourite local candidate. Consequently, local MPs depend on their party leader for their own re-election. For any given

Member of Parliament, publically criticizing their leader is a lose-lose situation: Either their criticisms fail to move the public and anger their boss, or they succeed in moving public opinion against their party leader—which, given how voters make decisions, threatens the MP’s own job security. In times of majority government, this means that there are virtually no parliamentary checks on the prime minister’s power.

Just like the bad boy your mother warned you about, engaging in personality politics is tempting. We would all like to be led by someone we identify with, or that we’d simply

like to share a drink with. But, if citizens base their votes on these feelings, they incentivize politicians and media coverage to focus on image over policy. This moves political discussions away from solutions and toward distractions. Given the younger generation’s pitiful voterturnout rates, some might consider any political engagement a cause for celebration. But, Canadians must think critically about the way they engage with politics. Making politicians into celebrities gives them inappropriate influence in government and puts our democratic health at risk.

ERRATA An article published in the Oct. 11 issue titled “Martlet hockey faces off against Les Canadiennes de Montreal” incorrectly stated that the Martlets hockey season starts on Oct. 14. In fact, the season starts on Oct. 21.

An article published in the Oct. 11 issue titled “The Tribune Explains: The Association for the Voice of Education in Quebec” incorrectly stated that the Université de Sherbrooke are currently voting members of AVEQ. In fact, associations from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières and the Université de Sherbrooke have been observers at AVEQ. Additionally, the article stated that a majority of votes in the Winter 2016 AVEQ Affiliation referendum question were abstentions. In fact, 25 per cent of voters abstained.

An article published in the Oct. 11 issue titled “It’s time to decide on AVEQ affiliation–whatever that means” incorrectly stated that a majority of votes in the Winter 2016 AVEQ Affiliation referendum question were abstentions. In fact, 25 per cent of voters abstained.

The Tribune regrets these errors.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 7

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

A very ‘Strange Peace’: An evening with Metz

Toronto noise rock trio shakes walls, senses at Sala Rossa Kevin Reynolds Contributor

On Oct. 8, La Sala Rossa hosted a trifecta of blisteringly loud acts. After spending an evening with METZ and other deafeninglyloud performances concert goers were left with one question—will my ears ever stop ringing?

The first band to take the stage was called DEAF, which should have been an indicator of the noise level to be expected. Their set was tight, fast, and energetic—a perfect opening act. Hardly taking a moment’s pause, DEAF ripped through a short set of hypnotic, feedback-based rockers before deferring the stage to Sigil, the night’s second performance. Playing a slightly longer yet equally ferocious set, they continued to build momentum.

It was clear that most audience members came to see the night’s headliners: Torontobased noise rock trio, METZ. Crowds began to stream in towards the end of Sigil’s set, and by the time METZ took the stage, the venue was mostly filled. The cramped conditions could be attributed to the large mosh pit that formed tightly against the stage, pushing people together around the perimeter of the

METZ‘s La Sala Rossa performance was everything a punk show should be. (louderthanwar.com) room. It’s understandable that most people would come for the top-billed act, but those who skipped out on the night’s first two bands missed a great hour of music.

METZ started their set with several songs off their new album, Strange Peace.

METZ’s first two albums were built around tight, driving synchronicity between the band’s three members. Guitar, bass, and drums thrashed together in songs that frequently oscillated between excitement and aggression. While Strange Peace certainly

does not lack either of the aforementioned characteristics, things seem a little less frantic this time around. The songs have longer segments, working rapid-fire punk music into extensive pieces.

When heard live, their new songs are spectacular. METZ have a certain energy that is best experienced from three feet in front of the stage rather than through a pair of headphones. Taking the stage with no introduction, they played several songs before singer Alex Edkins even addressed the

crowd. Even then, whatever he said was often lost behind an incessant reverb. The focus was always on the music and the atmosphere it created: Minimal lighting, little interaction with the crowd, and a constant barrage of noise. It was a disorienting experience; songs often seemed to have neither a beginning nor an end, bleeding into each other in a long form thrash jam.

Despite the comparable levels of intensity across the night’s three acts, METZ elicited far and away the strongest response from the crowd. Whereas most of the audience stood almost uncomfortably still during the first hour or so of the night, the environment completely changed once the headliners arrived onstage. Renowned for the rowdiness of their shows, METZ has seen itself and its audiences injured due to the physical nature of their live sets. Although this was both a very lively and intense concert, it certainly wasn’t friendly. However, there was a sense of commonality that bound the experience.

As soon as someone was pushed to the ground—about once every 30 seconds— there were five people there to help them up.

Although this was an unrelenting show, it was not in any way an intimidating one. It was everything a punk show should be: Fast, fun, and a bonding experience of violent catharsis for everyone involved.

‘Once Upon a Time… The Western’ is a gorgeous trip into a false history Forget everything you think you know about John Wayne, look at these sad bison Keira Seidenberg Contributor Once Upon a Time… The Western is a multi-media exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) in collaboration with the Denver Art Museum, that opened on Oct. 14 and will last until Feb. 4. The exhibition explores the Western genre—more specifically, the ways in which media has historically engaged viewers in a dialogue about Westerns, and how that dialogue has continued to shape our perception of the North American West today. According to the principal curators and organizers of the show, Mary-Dailey Desmarais, Thomas Brent Smith, and Nathalie Bondil, the exhibition seeks to bring together two seemingly unrelated cities, through Montreal’s extensive cultural emphasis on film and Denver’s presence at the heart of the American West.

Once Upon a Time features work from prominent artists such as Franz Kline and Paul McCarthy, as well as film clips featuring beloved Western characters like Jesse James, Geronimo, and Billy the Kid. Through cinematography, paintings, statues, and artifacts, the exhibition takes the traditional image of the West, complete with gun toting, horse-riding cowboys, and forces contemporary viewers to look beyond culturally instilled stereotypes. Museum-goers are confronted with a series of film clips and artistic visuals that push them to understand their conceptions of western life and to build upon them within the framework conveyed by the exhibition.

As Desmarais describes, within the context of an increasingly violent modern life, the exhibit is also indicative of the power of images, which present a new form of honest and artistically-rendered reality compared to images in contemporary media. Once Upon a Time also tackles North American historical identity, drawing on themes of liberty, justice, and valour and mapping these attributes across the United States and into Canada and Quebec.

While many consider the western story composed of simply the quintessential “cowboys vs Indians” narrative, rife with dusty bar fights and duels at daybreak, the exhibition also sheds light on thematic elements that are overlooked, yet remain highly relevant to the western time period. In the wake of World War I and the culturally pervasive reaches of the Vietnam War, western films and art were mobilized to express distaste against growing levels of institutionally-accepted violence. The exhibition also addresses the issues of female portrayal in the western and artistic world, ‘blaxploitation,’ whereby black characters are cast, typically in film, with heavy emphasis on cultural stereotypes, and the complex relationship between white society and First Nations Peoples.

Wandering through the exhibition, it is evident that the curatorial team not only carefully considered the content for the show, but also the means of presenting the work. With the dim lighting and gunshots emanating from the various screens scattered throughout the interconnected rooms, viewers are confronted with an ominous and somewhat reverent atmosphere before even examining the content of the work. The pieces in the exhibition deviate from the more traditional understanding of western art, usually characterized by seemingly interminable portraits of desert landscapes, and instead provide portraits, scenes from iconic western films, and even a room of stuffed and melancholy skinned bison. The tumult of interracial conflict and struggle for survival is captured in the brush strokes and camera lenses of the numerous artists and directors.

For Montrealers finding themselves with nothing to on a weekend afternoon, Once Upon a Time… The Western is a transcendent gallery experience that leaves viewers questioning the thematic intricacies of their favourite John Wayne films and the historic influences that led to them running naked through the house as children with nothing but cowboy boots on.

‘Once Upon a Time... The Western’ looks at North American identity through Montreal and Denver. (Natalie Vineberg / The McGill Tribune)

C Confiture unleasheD A day with McGill’s resident floof

Ava Zwolinski | Photo Editor

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‘Confiture’ means ‘jam’ in French. At McGill, however the word has a different meaning: Confiture is a 40-kilogram Great Pyrenees dog, born in Japan, with a Facebook group that counts over 1,000 members. He loves walking into bushes and barks whenever his walker pauses for more than a few seconds. Since the Winter 2016 semester, he has kept a jam-packed schedule of walks by McGill student volunteers.

Jonah Levin, U2 Science, has a Great Pyrenees at home. When he first noticed Confiture on campus, he approached his owners and arranged to begin walking the dog on a weekly basis. Confiture has an inscrutable demeanor, and is walked by many different students every day, however, Levin noticed an evolution in their relationship over time.

“After [walking him a few times] I noticed something a little different,” Levin said. “He was a little more obedient. Like, occasionally he would stop and want me to pat his chin. Or he’d drool on me, or something like that.”

In an email to The McGill Tribune, one of Confiture’s owners, Jean Snow, explained that the Facebook walking group began in 2016. At the time, Snow’s wife, Yuko Fujiwara, began handing out fliers around campus to find students to walk their dog, so that she would have more time to work on her PhD in Chinese Political Science. Confiture suffers from separation anxiety disorder, which means that if he is left alone, he may experience distress and act out. Common symptoms of dog separation anxiety include barking, chewing, and attempting to escape.

Tiffany Liu, U3 Science, commented on Confiture’s owners’ attention to his needs.

“What I heard about [him] is that he has separation anxiety [...],” Liu said. “Because his owners are busy during the day, they made this whole Facebook page [...] so that he doesn’t feel anxious when he is home alone.

I think his owners are actually very responsible in that way, thinking about his emotional and mental health.”

Layan Elchaar, U2 Arts, has known of Confiture for a while and has been trying to walk him for quite some time. She says that whenever she tries, all the spots have been taken.

“If you go on Facebook, there’s a schedule up every week to walk this dog, and within hours it is completely full,” Elchaar said.

The McGill community has embraced Confiture, making him a popular figure on campus. Students all have their own unique anecdotes about him, and many have walked him more than once. Max Chow, U3 Management, finds that walking the Great Pyrenees can be taxing, but fun.

“It’s very hard to control Confiture on walks, and it sometimes makes you wonder if you’re walking Confiture or if Confiture is walking you,” Chow said.

Ayal Bark, U3 Arts, thinks his size explains the Confiture craze among students.

“He’s half polar bear,” Bark said. “That’s probably why. His stature, it’s his stature.”

Elchaar believes that the dog’s character also contributes to his popularity on campus; she personally finds his soft-heartedness appeasing.

“He’s eccentric,” Elchaar said. “He’s not your average dog. He’s huge and he’s friendly. He loves people. [Seeing him today] is the perfect way to de-stress right before [an] exam.”

During the Tribune’s meetup with Confiture and his walkers, Sarah White, U3 Education, and David de Santis, U3 Education, approached the group. White said she recognized him from his page and her friends’ photos of him. De Santis didn’t know Confiture beforehand, but after meeting him for only a few short minutes he was completely won over “He’s the coolest dog around,” de Santis said.

McGill students all have different reasons for walking Confiture. Liu likes cuddling with him because he is so big and she has “always wanted a big dog.” Christian Pacis, U3 Science, walks him because it is both relaxing and therapeutic. Roscoe Wasserburg, U3 Science, calls Confiture a “beautiful, bear-like creature,” and Emma Hignett, U3 Science, says he is a “McGill icon,” who has even met the Principal of McGill University, Suzanne Fortier, on one of his walks with Emma last spring.

His bark is harder than his bite. Confiture is a gentle, at times apathetic, extraordinarily large and fluffy creature who has quickly risen to fame at McGill. He brings comfort, happiness, and serenity to those around him, despite his barking at passing cars or frequent pee breaks on every tree he sees. He’s an inherently lovable creature. Given the McGill community’s innate capacity to love, the two make the perfect match.

10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Flashback: ‘Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story’ is mandatory viewing for McGill students, administrators alike Todd Haynes’ bootlegged dollhouse classic advocates for those suffering from eating disorders Dylan Adamson Arts & Entertainment Editor Content warning: Eating disorders

Mental health issues—and eating disorders in particular—are consistently gendered feminine, and exacerbated, downplayed, and ignored by patriarchal institutions. Frustration on the part of the victimized is understandable, and art can justifiably be deemed escapist in essence. Conversely, I present to you: Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987), a movie that refuses to allow marginalized voices to be silenced, or their stories to go untold.

Todd Haynes’ (Carol (2015), Wonderstruck (2017)) film school debut takes an unconventional approach to the subject of famed musician Karen Carpenter. As one half of the ‘70s brother-sister pop duo, The Carpenters, Carpenter’s meteoric rise to American pop icon status intensified preexisting issues with body image. Coupled with a controlling home environment, her condition led to her eventual demise in 1983, when she suffered cardiac arrest from complications arising from anorexia nervosa. Playing off associations with oppressive standards of femininity, Superstar is cast entirely with Barbie dolls, complete with

handmade props and real dollhouse sets.

Although his characters are developed with a warmth and compassion normally reserved for, you know, real people, Haynes never asks you to look past the soft vinyl cast of characters. As Karen’s initial insecurities and dieting spiral into laxative addiction and self-starvation, Haynes carved her figure down with a scalpel, scene by scene, to replicate the emaciated appearance of critical anorexic patients. His singular creative casting choice alludes to the oppressive body standards women face from infancy, and calls attention to the plastic-perfect ideological image of Nixon-era America that The Carpenters’ music came to represent. It’s difficult to imagine a better representation of The Carpenters’ white bread conservatism than Superstar’s Barbie/Kenpopulated dollhouse.

Haynes splices his film with ‘60s style educational videos, featuring an eerily cheerful, somewhat robotic woman’s voice reading medical definitions of anorexia, and blackfont captions, fading in and out of the moving background. Contributing a sense of documentary realism, these segments verbalize the film’s unabashedly feminist mission—insistently placing Carpenter’s body at the feet of twin-bros patriarchy and capitalism.

As a (former) casual Carpenters fan, approaching the iconic duo only through the equally iconic The Simpsons Movie (2007) soundtrack, the film’s use of their saccharine pop hits was nothing short of revelatory. Writerdirector Todd Haynes—who would go on to pioneer the New Queer cinema movement of the ‘90s—made this film about Nixon-era harmful ideologies that resurfaced in the Reagan-era, when the film was made.

The film’s feminist sentiment rings true in our own context, with eating disorders clearly continuing to fly under institutional radars.

Recently editorialized in The McGill Tribune’s opinion section on Oct. 11, McGill Student Services’ September overhaul (read: Gutting) of its already much-maligned Eating Disorder Program attempted to restructure the service with an eye to balancing accessibility and efficiency.

Rationalized in a statement to the Tribune which reads better as a math equation than an apology, McGill’s handling of some of its most at-risk students can best be characterized as ruthlessly utilitarian. This recent maneuver fits snugly within McGill’s recent pattern of downsizing the care that the administration is willing to offer its students in need, and more broadly speaking, the inclination of patriarchal institutions to minimize

‘Superstar, The Karen Carpenter Story was sued out of circulation by the Carpenter family. (dailymotion.com) the effects of mental illness on individuals. As McGill students can attest, Carpenter’s story is but one of many. But as long as patriarchal structures and our own administrations ignore these problems, artists like Haynes will continue to fight for space for those on the margins.

Removed from circulation in 1990 due to copyright infringement for its use of The Carpenters’ music, ‘Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story’ is available only in bootlegged form on YouTube and Dailymotion.

TNC’s ‘Owners’ explores the dynamics of “dis/possession” Caryl Churchill’s postmodern play tackles patriarchy, capitalism with abrasive script Avleen K Mokha Contributor Tuesday Night Cafe Theatre (TNC) is a McGill theatre company run entirely by students. Its first production of this season, Owners, is a tragic exploration of love, temptation, and ambition in the age of late capitalism. Written by Caryl Churchill in 1972, Owners is a a two-act play about obsession with power. In his directorial debut, Olivier Bishop-Mercier (U3, Theatre Studies and Math) brings the production to stage at Morrice Hall. Ambitious albeit amateurish, TNC’s production of Owners is not a stellar rendition—but not a total miss either.

As a part of ARTiFACT, TNC’s monthly interdisciplinary and inclusive performing space, Owners takes up this month’s theme of dis/possession. The plot sets up two main levels of exploring this theme. First is the gendered and financial conflict between Clegg (Andrew Young, U3 History), a misogynistic butcher, and his wife, Marion (Sara Harvey, U2 Theatre Studies), a well-off real estate agent, whom he is planning to kill. Simultaneously, we have Marion’s plot to force out poor tenants, Alec (Guillaume Doussin, U4 Management) and Lisa (Emily Sheeran, U1 Arts), to make way for a more profitable housing upgrade.

Compared to his cohort, Alec is uniquely unmotivated by desire. It is for this very reason that he is the most likeable of the characters. Alec’s arch balances borderline slapstick comedy—

he dozes off after a major burglary, with more sinister plot points, such as revealing how he became disillusioned with his life, doing his character’s nihilistic disposition justice. The actors also pull off culturallyspecific variations of an English accent; Young’s rough drawl adds credibility to his persona of the rowdy, controlling butcher.

With a dominant stage presence, Harvey’s portrayal of Marion, the go-getter agent, is fiercely magnetic.

Set designers Riki Shimoda and Alizee Millot built compact interior spaces that created an insulating, claustrophobic effect. The muted red and yellow palette of the lighting (Shimoda) complements the grittiness of the set design. Additionally, the use of props is minimal, and their significance is not always clear. Alec’s mother (Asha Bittender, U2 Arts) wears a textured white mask throughout the play, but the production does not overtly elaborate on its meaning, nor venture into mask work with other characters.

Morrice Halls’s ample stage space feels underutilized at times, especially in scenes that involve multiple characters on stage at once. Their positioning is poorly choreographed, and actors sometimes walk behind each other, blocking their facial expressions and obstructing their speech.

One scene, which takes place in a seedy strip club, stands out as an exception; Bishop-Mercier’s direction complements Marion and Worsely’s plotting at the downstage while Clegg enjoys a lap dance in the background, creating a meaningful scene that highlights the disjointed

‘Owners’ has room to improve, but is overall a successful production. (louderthanwar.com) communication between the married but loveless couple.

TNC’s newsletter for Owners gives a content warning for “themes of mental illness and suicide”. Marion’s depressive employee (Sam Miller, exchange student, Arts), makes one suicide attempt after another in unsettlingly comedic fashion.

Another major element of the play that viewers should be aware of before stepping in, however, are the patterns of gendered abuse.

At two hours long, the production sometimes feels slow paced; the shortening or removal of some scenes might have allowed for more compact storytelling. The climax of the story is not predictable, and

its message is not hopeful; the play ends on a sinister note, but Bishop-Mercier’s rendition effectively undercuts the closing moment with a comedic irony that captures the heart of the plot. Characters in Owners do not learn any lessons by the end; in characteristic postmodern fashion, the play gives no clear answers, but raises challenging, subversive questions that its viewers can take home.

Owners runs from October 11-14 and 18-21 at Morrice Hall, Islamic Building.

Tickets are $6 for students and QDF members (with card), and $10 for general admission. To reserve tickets, email tnc.foh@gmail.com.

11 STUDENT LIVING

Ask Ainsley: My friend committed suicide. How do I grieve?

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Coping with a loss is hard, especially when it’s one of your closest friends Content warning: This article discusses suicide.

Dear Ainsley, A couple of weeks ago, one of my oldest friends committed suicide. I’m still completely in shock about the situation and can’t shake the feeling that I could have done something to help them. I’m having a lot of trouble processing this situation, and I’m not sure how to grieve while keeping up with my studies. Do you have any advice on how to cope?

Sincerely, Missing my friend (MMF) Dear MMF, I’m so sorry for your loss and can only imagine how hard this must be for you. A few years ago, a close friend of mine committed suicide, and I know how difficult it is to wrap your head around the situation. I think the most important piece of advice I can give you is to take the time you need to process and heal in whatever way you find works best for you.

No matter how you choose to heal, understand that it’s important to acknowledge your emotions rather than push them aside. During this time, make sure to surround yourself with supportive people.

Keep in mind, however, that friends and family aren’t therapists and that seeking professional help could be very useful for you in coping

with your feelings. I highly recommend talking to a professional, as they know best how to guide you through your grieving process.

Even though we’re in the thick of midterms, take a couple of days off of school if you feel like you need to. Don’t be afraid to approach your professors and ask for extensions; they will most likely be understanding if you explain to them what’s happened.

And if you feel comfortable doing so, reach out and tell your closest classmates what is going on so that they can support you and send you notes if you miss class (or, like me, you accidentally have a breakdown in a 200-person lecture). Good friends will support you no matter how you’re feeling, and giving you lecture notes is an easy way for them to help out.

Over the course of the healing process, you might find yourself feeling guilty, or even angry at your friend. It is completely normal to feel this way, but remember that none of this was your fault.

Suicide—while heartbreaking—is a decision reached during a very personal struggle and, most of the time, your actions could not have changed the outcome. Although I know you must feel completely blindsided and guilt-ridden for not noticing the signs, it’s important to remember that you can’t ‘solve’ depression or relieve someone’s suicidal thoughts by being a good friend. However, know that there are still things you can do after the fact to show that you care.

If you’re able to, go to your friend’s memorial service; this will be a place to grieve with people who are going through the same thing you are. By being together, you can better support each other,

Which is mightier: The pen or the keyboard?

especially by exchanging stories about your friend’s life. For me, reaching out to my late friend’s family made me feel better, because it reminded me that I wasn’t alone. By spending time with their family—or even writing them a letter expressing your sorrow— you’ll be offering them support that they really need.

Additionally, there are other ways to celebrate your friend’s life if you’re not able to attend their memorial service. For example, when my friend committed suicide, I wasn’t able to fly out to the funeral; instead, I climbed up the mont Royal to reflect on their life and my best moments with them. Another way to do this is by posting on their social media pages. Even though your friend is gone, the occasional post on their Facebook wall will keep their memory alive. You might also find joy in donating to a charity that focuses on mental health, or even becoming involved in mental health activism to help others struggling with suicidal thoughts in the future.

No matter what, know that the manner in which you grieve is valid. The stages of grieving, especially after someone close to you commits suicide, are extremely personal. Coping is different for everyone. Although it may not seem like it right now, you will get through this. Your friend would want you to remember the good memories you had with them and they would want to see you thrive.

You are strong, and with time, will heal.

With love and hugs a thousand times over, Ainsley

The cases for and against laptop use in lectures

Nina Russell Contributor

“[Separating the class] was about riffing off of the idea that screens are kind of like second-hand smoke,” Mouillot said. “[I want] to give a space for people who do not necessarily want to have to deal with the pollution of screens [and] I want [...] students to think about how they engage with technology.”

Mouillot’s approach—vertically splitting the class—is one of two ways to compromise with technology.

Many professors at McGill separate their class based on laptop-use, sending those with computers to the back and those with pens to the front.

By limiting mobility, this can divide the room in more than a physical

sense.

Learning is not one-size-fits-all.

While handwriting notes may work for some students, laptops are the clear choice for others. But before banning laptops from lectures, it’s worth considering the educational opportunities professors might be taking away from their students.

Photo: Casey Kelbaugh

The debate over whether or not students should be allowed to use laptops during lectures is a heated one that has sparked controversy at McGill for years. There are cases for both sides; a number of studies vilify laptops as distractions inhibiting students from fully processing information, yet, many students feel that laptop bans deprive them of an important learning and note-taking tool.

The increasing presence of technology in students’ day-to-day lives is met with more laptops and tablets in lectures. A study conducted

by Winona State University in 2008 showed that out of all students who owned a laptop, 64.3 per cent of them brought their computer to lecture.

Within that selection of students, each individual spent an average of 17 minutes out of the 75-minute lectures doing things unrelated to the class, such as checking social media accounts and playing games. How McGill professors approach this issue varies: Some professors find ways to actively incorporate the internet into their lectures, while others impose outright bans on any form of technology in the classroom.

Among some of the more commonly cited reasons in favour of laptop use are the faster speed at which students can take notes, increased ability to participate in class, and provision of new opportunities to engage with material.

However, some studies show that using a laptop to take notes instead of handwriting them results in lower marks. For example, researchers at Cornell University studied the effects of multitasking in the classroom and

split students up into two groups— one of which used laptops in lecture and one of which did not. The study found that the students who used laptops scored significantly worse on a quiz handed out immediately after the lecture than the group of students who refrained from using laptops altogether. The results of this study were, in large part, due to the fact that many students used their computers to visit sites unrelated to the subject of their class; the laptops created a distraction.

In large part, the case for banning laptops has scientific roots—but whether or not it’s the professor’s jurisdiction to enforce such a ban is more controversial. For students with learning disabilities, the implications of laptop bans can be particularly discouraging.

“For some students who face specific barriers such as those related to a visual impairment or a learning disability, the use of a laptop in class may be critical for them to capture accurate notes related to the lecture,” Teri Phillips, director of McGill’s Office for Students with Disabilities, wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “While those students who have a documented disability requiring the use of a laptop in class can request an accommodation letter to do so, this presents the issue that their anonymity is no longer protected.”

Though the use of laptops in lecture can be polarizing, it is possible to compromise. Communications course lecturer François Mouillot strikes a middle ground when approaching technology in his classroom: Instead of banning laptop use completely, Mouillot asks students who use computers to sit on the right side of the room, and those who handwrite to sit on the left.

MA and PhD in Decorative Arts, Design History, Material Culture Students at Bard Graduate Center in New York City study the cultural history of the material world from the arts of antiquity to the twenty-first century. Learn more at one of our fall open houses.

Address 38 West 86th Street, NYC

Open Houses October 15, 11 am October 29, 11 am November 6, 6 pm

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Tuesday, October 17, 2017

STUDENT LIVING 12

The Tribune Tries: Buying groceries on a $40 budget Taking small steps to save big money Mary Keith Contributor One of the many necessities of transitioning from adolescence to adulthood is learning how to budget. This is something that I’ve always struggled with: Most recently, for three consecutive weeks, I bought lunch on campus every day despite having food at home that I’d simply forgotten to pack. Now that I’m in my fourth year of university—and will soon be entering the wild world of post-grad financial independence—I’m attempting to adopt a thriftier lifestyle; cutting these frequent take-out foods is a step in this direction. So, this September, I set a goal for myself: Spend $40 on groceries, and make the food last for two weeks.

I’m privileged to admit that I’ve never had trouble getting food on the table. Plenty of people are limited to strict grocery budgets like this one on a regular basis—I’m fortunate that this was a unique experience for me, and one that I chose to embark on, rather than having to out of economic necessity. Ultimately, I walked away from the experience with more than groceries; I learned a lot about budgeting that I plan to take with me after graduation.

I found that the key to cutting costs during market visits was to purchase nonperishables; these items can last for weeks on end and are relatively cheap compared to fresh foods. My non-perishables took up a lot of space in my shopping cart: I bought rice, a 12-pack box of oatmeal,

peanut butter, frozen vegetables, and black beans. The remaining space in my cart was left for a dozen eggs, frozen spinach, three apples, five bananas, a pack of English muffins, and the cheapest chicken I could find. It was difficult to purchase any fresh vegetables because they certainly would not survive two weeks worth of rationing, and unfortunately, my Häagan Daaz addiction took a full stop because of their extremely high pint prices. Limiting my normal grocery expenditure would not have been feasible without pre-planning what to buy—and sticking to it—at the store. All in all, my grocery bill came to a total of $35.24, which gave me room to buy a second pack of English muffins and three more apples in the second week. The grand total amounted to $41.19—only slightly over budget.

Once I bought all of my groceries, the next step was to meal plan and prep. For the duration of the two weeks, I planned to eat either eggs or oatmeal for breakfast every day, a toasted English muffin with peanut butter and fruit for lunch, and some variation of rice, beans, vegetables, and chicken for dinner. In order to save time and energy in the evenings, I pre-cooked all of my rice, chicken, and beans. This way, I was able to ration out my food over the course of a week, while also saving myself from eating a jar of peanut butter if I got too lazy to cook.

To be honest, there was not much variation in my meals, but I knew I couldn’t be too picky when it came to breakfast and

It’s easy to overspend on groceries, but budgeting can help. (Summer Liu / The McGill Tribune)

lunch. However, eating basically the same dinner each night definitely got boring, so I tried to create different meals from the same ingredients: Fried rice for one night, baked chicken for another, and rice and beans for the remaining evenings. Yes, my dinner options were limited, but I learned that eating while on a tight budget was not going to give me much creative cooking freedom.

I managed to get through these two weeks with relative success, so I tried another two weeks after that, and this time, my roommate tried it with me. We decided to share groceries, and this was a gamechanger. Splitting groceries—and costs— allowed for plenty more options. We split the bill for non-perishable foods and were

then able to add hummus, crackers, carrots, peas, butternut squash, and sour cream to the mix. Now, we had mid-day snacks, and even got to make vegetable soups with dollops of sour cream; it was practically heaven after the bland first two weeks, yet still within our budgets.

Though it was tough to get used to at first, buying groceries on a $40 bi-weekly budget became easier with time. If there are three lessons to take from this, it’s that non-perishables are crucial for reducing costs, meal prepping helps you get through the week, and sharing groceries and meals allows for a larger variety of food options.

Whether big or small, accomplishing a goal takes discipline, commitment, and in my case, a bag of rice.

Make the most of The Montreal Museum of Fine Art A select list of this season’s top exhibits and what to expect from them touches throughout: A gallery of Early Classical works comes alive with projections and audio of a forest on the ceiling. Another feature, also part of the Year of Peace, is the “Tree of Peace,” where visitors can complete the sentence, “peace is the art of…” on a museum-sponsored website, which later posts the responses on social media platforms.

Ana Mayne Contributor Less than a kilometer away from McGill’s downtown campus, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) makes for the perfect study break or weekend adventure. With more than one million visitors per year, and over 40,000 works in total, the MMFA spans five buildings, and is one of the most prominent art museums in Canada. The world class museum is full of modern and diverse exhibits, but its huge collection of works can seem daunting. The McGill Tribune narrowed the list down to some of this season’s popular exhibits worth a visit or two. From museum rookie to seasoned art lover, there is something for everyone at the MMFA.

La Balade pour la Paix: An Open Air Museum

As part of Montreal’s 375th anniversary, the MMFA— in collaboration with McGill University—created a public art exhibition comprised of sculpture, photographs, and 200 different national flags. The open-air project is on Sherbrooke Street, running from Robert-Bourassa Boulevard to Bishop Street. It also celebrates the 50th anniversary of Expo 67 and the 150th anniversary of Canadian Confederation. The exhibition marks these three important milestones in Montreal’s history, and all the works relate to values of peace, openness, and tolerance.

Love is Love exhibit

A current highlight within the museum is the “Love is Love” exhibition by Jean-Paul Gaultier. The final stop of “The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier”s five-

“Mnemosyne: When Contemporary Art and the Art of the Past Meet” The Pavillion for Peace is a permanent installation.

(Jasmine Acharya / The McGill Tribune) year tour—as seen by two million visitors around North America—this exhibition of haute-couture bridal gowns is wonderfully eccentric and radically inclusive. Gaultier celebrates LGBTQ, intercultural, and interracial unions of all kinds by displaying modern, nuanced takes on wedding garb. The message is overwhelmingly one of peace and inclusion. The exhibition celebrates progress made through the ages, from the early 20th century up until the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States.

Pavilion for Peace

This permanent installation is part of the MMFA’s “Year of Peace.” Upon entering, visitors are met by a “je suis Charlie” wall hanging before being welcomed into a peaceful walk through a comprehensive consortium of artists including Monet, Picasso, and Cézanne. Though the pavilion is full of older pieces, there are contemporary

Though renowned for its international collection, the MMFA also showcases the work of 14 Canadian artists in this exhibition. Among its various visual spectacles, an attention-grabbing piece features a toppling breakfast table and spilled milk suspended in time among a series of holographic images and sculptures. The striking pieces draw attention to the fundamental complexity behind all craft, aiming to showcase the history of art.

“In-Between Worlds”

The Meryl McMaster exhibition, “In-Between Worlds,” is also closer to home, showcasing the Ottawaborn artist’s work as an Indigenous artist. Her photographs depict her dual heritage: Plains Cree and Euro-Canadian.

She photographs herself in natural settings surrounded by cultural artifacts and accessories, creating a stark, beautiful, contrast of colors. The exhibition itself engages with the modern question of First Nations identity within the contemporary world. Using images filled with such contrast, McMaster quite literally depicts the reconciliation of contradicting identities that many Indigenous people face when embracing both their heritage and modern society.

13 science & technology

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

Documentaries to get you thinking about oceans A review of three documentaries found on Netflix

Oceans (2009) “The Mantis shrimp keeps a sharp lookout… he doesn’t take kindly to strangers.”—Pierce Brosnan, Oceans Chock-full of unbelievable footage and filmed in 50 locations around the globe, Oceans is the Planet Earth of the underwater world. It features the incredible diversity of ocean life, ranging from predators like the Great White shark to the elusive Spanish-dancing sea slug.

For queasy viewers, the American version omits the usual horror-inducing predator-prey scenes to cater to all audiences.

Actor Pierce Brosnan performs the running commentary with wellThese three ocean documentaries are educational, interesting, and engaging. timed wit and light-hearted humour (Ceci Steyn / The McGill Tribune) to keep viewers on their toes. Oceans caters to anyone with a general interest in the ocean and the animals everywhere have capitalized on Jade Prévost-Manuel that live there. the mysteries of the deep—and the Contributor not-so-deep—seas, where some of In an age when human Earth’s most curious creatures are Chasing Coral (2017)“26 per cent interplanetary travel is nearing facing serious climatic hurdles. of the Great Barrier Reef corals The abyss of the Netflix died in 2016.”—Chasing Corals feasibility and our species occupies all corners of the earth, our fragile catalogue boasts a large selection of marine documentaries; as a tribute oceans still remain a mystery.

Over 25 per cent of all marine According to the National to our evasive, albeit threatened, life relies on coral reefs. Recent Oceanographic and Atmospheric oceans, check out these three great overwhelmingly disheartening news Administration (NOAA), less than documentaries to get water lovers describes how these ecosystems have five per cent of the oceans have been with curious minds hyped about the fared with rising global temperatures. explored. Documentary filmmakers deep blue.

Chasing Coral, the successor

to Chasing Ice, employs timelapse cameras stationed all over the world to document the global coral bleaching events of the past few years.

Featuring never-before-seen underwater cameras—designed to withstand tropical storms and the ever-changing marine environment—it highlights one of the trendiest mapping projects underway: A 360-degree survey of the world’s coral reefs. Essentially an underwater Google Earth, the XL Catlin SeaView Survey substitutes a pricey vacation with a virtual snorkelling trip.

For those interested in how climate change impacts the ocean, this film offers visual proof of the devastation facing the world’s reefs and the hopes of saving them in astounding resolution.

Mission Blue (2014)“(JacquesCousteau’s 1956 film) Silent World made me want to see what he saw: To meet fish swimming in something other than lemon slices and butter on a plate.”—Sylvia Earle, Mission Blue There’s no question that the oceans have changed drastically over the past 60 years. With a career spanning the better part of

six decades, Sylvia Earle—marine biologist, conservationist, and ocean advocate—bore witness to these transformations.

This documentary focuses on Earle’s career, as well as the growth of her organization, Mission Blue. Mission Blue aims to create a global network of protected marine environments Earle calls “hope spots.” These protected areas are crucial to the health of the ocean, and identifying them is key in strategizing plans for future marine work.

Revitalizing these damaged habitats can promote global stewardship toward the oceans.

As a woman in science, Earle has faced numerous challenges. At a time when academia was dominated by men, she proved her worth as the only woman—in a crew of 70—to work on the International Indian Ocean Expedition in 1964. Later in her career, she was the first woman offered the position of Chief Scientist to the NOAA. With unrivalled enthusiasm, Earle gives a voice to that which cannot speak for itself. Mission Blue won the News and Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Editing in 2015, earning it a spot on any nature-documentary lover’s list.

Happy Netflixing!

From beeps to dancing: The effect of the motor system on auditory input

A recent study connects how the brain uses physcial bodily movement to interpret sound River Ludwick Contributor In a recent study, Benjamin Morillon, a researcher at the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) of McGill University and Sylcain Baillet, the head of the Lab at MNI that lead the study, took a look at the surprising relationship between the auditory system and the motor cortex of the brain. Both of these systems are just different ways to describe how the brain takes an input—like a compression of the eardrum from sound—and transfers it to the region of the brain where it can be deciphered and interpreted. Previous studies have shown that when the brain picks up on a sound and detects a rhythm, it’s physical pathways sync to that rhythm in order to process them.

Morillon and Baillet’s study aimed to disconnect an external rhythm from an internal representation, artificially separating noise stimuli outside the brain from the temporal rhythm inside the brain.

Baillet’s lab recruited participants and played two series of melodic beeps to carry out their study. The first beep-set was a melodic sequence of beeps that the participant had to keep track of, while the second placed extra beeps around the melodic target ones to act as distraction. The researchers observed participants’ abilities to judge whether the target melodies were higher or lower pitched than the reference beeps given beforehand.

This test was performed two times, once as participants sat still, and the second with

participants tapping their finger in a rhythmic fashion.

The lab then used a functional neuroimaging technique called magnetoencephalography, which measures magnetic fields created by naturally occurring electrical currents in the brain, to measure rhythmic neural activities in the participant’s brain. “[Neuroimaging shows a] passive measurement of brain activity at the scalp level,” Morillon said. “Then, you have like 300 channels regarding electrodes [....] And then [you] try to guess where this activity comes from.”

Their results showed that simply activating the motor complex by tapping a finger sharpened the participants’ perceptions of sound and made it easier for them to correctly identify whether the target melodies veered above or below the reference beeps.

When the motor cortex triggers motion in a rhythmic fashion, the auditory cortex can better predict when a sound will occur, and hence listen more carefully for it.

When the auditory input is simple, enacting the motor system doesn’t make a difference. It only gets activated when stimuli become more complex and varied.

Morillon noted that at cocktail hour, for example, when a noisy atmosphere makes concentrating on a single conversation challenging, head nodding or foot tapping has been shown to increase attention to the conversation.

Another interesting time this connection

can be observed is in a nightclub. When move to view it, when they touch something listening to music, the brain wants to focus on they move to touch it. When something the sound input that it is receiving and decipher is heard, it can be hard to control what specifically to pick up on. it.

In his next study, Morillon hopes to When a song is in ‘the sweet spot’ and has a rhythm not too complex, nor too basic, the perform similar tests, using actual speech temporal lobe—the region of the brain used to as opposed to beeps in order to gain a better decypher sound—figures out what it is hearing understanding of how this relationship between sound and body occurs with help from the motor system. naturally in the “The music is grooving when the environment rhythm is a bit complex but you around it. can still capture it,” Morillon said.

A more practical application of how this research will help people is in language rehabilitation, where the ability to focus on what is being said is crucial to the understanding.

A similar physical-auditory relationship does not occur with other senses, because other senses automatically use the motor system. For instance, when a person looks at The act of tapping a foot or nodding a head to the beat better allows the brain to focus on something their conversation in a loud setting. (Elli Slavitch / The McGill Tribune) eyes physically

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

science & technology 14

Peppers both produce and prevent pain The compound responsible for making chilies hot has potential beyond burning taste buds Karl Neumann Contributor Continued from page 1.

The chili craze can be attributed to capsaicin, which literally causes pain in the mouths of millions.

Capsaicin creates a burning sensation by activating the body’s pain receptors, or nociceptors.

The nociceptors send a signal to the brain and cue the experience of pain in response to a variety of different stimuli, such as extreme cold, heat, or pressure. Each one of these intense sensory activators prompts the same neuron to send pain signals to the brain.

Although they stimulate the same neuron, each sensation activates a different specialized pathway on the neuron.

Discovered in the last 20 years, TRPV1 is the receptor specifically set off by high levels of heat. While it is mainly activated by temperatures above 40°C, capsaicin also activates TRPV1.

The activation of TRPV1 by capsaicin, while also providing

Capsaicin is a compound found in peppers that causes pain in the form of spiciness. (Amanda Fiore / The McGill Tribune) the gift of spice, serves a medicinal use.

There are many receptors similar to TRPV1 on nociceptors.

Any one of these specialized pathways can cause the feeling of pain, and blocking one pathway still allows for many other mechanisms to activate a neuron signal.

Initially, researchers attempted to block or “antagonize”

the TRPV1 receptor from firing in order to reduce inflammation and pain sensitivity, but they recently discovered an even more effective treatment.

Instead of blocking TRPV1, scientists continually activate TRPV1 by applying low amounts of capsaicin to the skin for a long period of time. As a result, the nociceptor becomes temporarily

deactivated, which eliminates all kinds of pain. Reza SharifNaeini, an assistant professor in the Department of Physiology at McGill, explained how this seemingly paradoxical technique works.

“The first time you apply it, it will be painful [...] but eventually, the nociceptors [become desensitized],” Sharif-

Naeini said. “[So] now, even if they get excited, nothing will be released.”

Therefore, no feeling of pain can penetrate the targeted area.

Sharif-Naeini went on to explain that the full desensitization process can take up to a week, but that it can be very effective for people with arthritis or psoriasis.

In regards to the duration of the treatment, Sharif-Naeini said that a capsaicin patch allows for eight to 12 weeks of pain relief.

Capsaicin patches and topical ointments are now available both over-the-counter and by prescription, providing a location-specific and affordable treatment.

The humble chili’s key ingredient has once again transcended its origins as an irritating pest repellant. While this compound’s initial discovery brought pungent flavour into the masochistic mouths of adventurous eaters, recent applications are repurposing it from inducing pain to relieving it.

Peppers’ capacities for pain and pleasure—like Yin and Yang— seem to be opposites, but are, in fact, inseparable.

What’s under the hood? The ins and outs of your laptop The magic behind the computer exposed and the inner processes and functions revealed Benji Taubenblatt Contributor When most people think about computers, only a couple of images come to mind: A laptop or a desktop with internetbrowsing capabilities.

However, a computer is much more than a tool for browsing Facebook feeds or doing school work. A computer is an information processor. It takes in raw information which is stored, later to be synthesized into a final result. This definition encompasses anything from a phone, to a digital camera.

First, an information processor takes in data in the form of an input. Inputs are any form of information given to a computer program. For example, the key strokes from your keyboard are keyboard inputs.

Next, the computer then stores this information in the form of memory until it is ready for use. There are two main types of storage that computers typically use: Solid state disk (SSD) storage and hard disk drives (HDD).

“A solid state drive is a larger, more sophisticated version of your traditional thumb drive,” Data Security, Inc.’s website states.

According to Data Security Inc., a SSD stores information on flash memory chips and thus is fixed while a HDD records data in the form of binary (0s and

1s) on magnetic disks. A HDD utilizes a mechanical arm and a spinning disk to read and write information to memory. Although both HDDs and SSDs both retain data when there is no power, most modern computers use SSDs due to their processing speed.

Once a computer is ready to work on some data, it will prompt the Memory Management Unit (MMU) to swap a copy of the information out of secondary storage (SSD or HDD) and into main memory, or Random Access Memory (RAM), where the processor can access the data more readily when needed.

After data is moved into main memory for processing, a microchip called the Central Processing Unit (CPU) will start performing rapid calculations on the information causing it to heat up. Finally, once the CPU is done processing the information, it will send the altered data out in the form of output.

Chris Woodford, a science author, explained how fundamental the process is to computer function.

“Everything a computer does, from helping you [...] edit a photograph you’ve taken with a digital camera, to displaying a

Despite seeming like magical tools, computers are complex coding systems .

(Jen Wang / The McGill Tribune)

web page, involves manipulating numbers in one way or another,” Woodford wrote on his website.

A computer performs these calculations through an algorithm, or a series of instructions on how to solve a problem. Solving with an algorithm is like a recipe for baking a cake. In this way, a computer program is a series of instructions your computer follows automatically when prompted. This freedom seen in computer programs is what distinguishes software from hardware. Hardware is hard coded and difficult to change while software is malleable and promotes creativity.

The operating system (OS), or the ‘brain’ of your computer, manages all of the above functions, and controls the basic functionality of input, output, processing, and storage. Even the operating system has its own ‘brain’ called the kernel, which both handles low-level tasks such as memory management and interfaces between the OS and the hardware. Applications on your computer depend on the OS to carry out their chores and computations. For example, both playing an online game of solitaire and typing an essay on microsoft word rely on the OS to execute their functions.

Years of effort, research, and experimentation resulted in the laptops we know and love today, and users would benefit from understanding how these machines function.

SPORTS 15

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

McGill Martlets soccer held to scoreless tie by UQTR Patriotes

GAME REPORT

Both sides unable to break the deadlock in cantankerous affair

McGill midfielder Claudia Agozzino searches for an open teammate. (Gabriel Helfant / The McGill Tribune)

Sam Wendel Contributor On Oct. 13, the McGill Martlet (3-4-3) soccer team sported pink jerseys in their “Kick for the Cure” match, as part of their fundraiser for breast cancer. It was a close, chippy game against the Université du Québec à TroisRivières (UQTR) Patriotes (3-43), ultimately resulting in a 0-0 draw at Molson Stadium. Both sides battled hard in the shutout, with Martlet fifth-year goalie

Sarah Dubois making five saves and Patriotes goalie Arianne Cloux adding four of her own.

Dubois credited the Martlet defence for playing well, although UQTR proved challenging at times.

“I think that defence is one of our strengths,” Dubois said. “But they were dangerous on occasion, so [it was] an even match.”

Despite the shutout, McGill’s offence had several near chances.

Fourth-year midfielder Claudia Agozzino, who was named McGill’s MVP of the match, made

one exceptional play. Agozzino juked an opposing defender, approached the goal, and tricked a diving goalie into missing the ball. Agozzino then passed to an open teammate, and a last ditch clearance by a Patriotes defender—who threw her body in front of the ball—thwarted the chance.

Throughout the match, UQTR players seemed to let their emotions get the better of them, earning three yellow cards on the night. Two of those were routine fouls in which defenders got too aggressive, but the third

was called after a Patriotes forward kicked the ball away from a referee instead of giving it to him in a moment of unsportsmanlike frustration.

The Martlets rounded out their weekend with a 3-0 loss at the hands of the Laval Rouge et Or on Oct. 15. Next weekend, McGill faces off against Université de Montréal on Oct. 20 and Bishop’s on Oct. 22. Looking ahead, Dubois explained that in order to improve, McGill needs to work on its killer instinct in order to capitalize on missed opportunities.

“I think we just need that last bit of grit to get that final goal,” Dubois said.

Martlets third-year forward Tia Lore was the primary player in charge of “Kick for the Cure”.

The pink kits that the Martlets wore were a prominent part of the second annual fundraising campaign and are new to the

team this season. Lore believes that this year was a huge success, having raised over $1,000 for the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation.

“We really focused on promoting our game just to get everyone out there,” Lore said.

“Last year we were just under our [fundraising] goal, but this year was awesome.”

Breast cancer awareness has been a prominent aim for the team since before Lore was a member.

She recalls her rookie year when two alumni asked her to help organize the breast cancer game.

“My first year, two alumni asked me to help them with the breast cancer fundraising, and so far we have done two years of fundraising, and hope to continue it for the future,” Lore said.

After a brief road trip, the next Martlets home game is on Oct. 27 against the Concordia Stingers.

Moment of the game

The contentious match came to a crescendo when a UQTR defender wrapped her arm around the neck of first-year McGill forward Ariane Ducharme, receiving a yellow card that could have easily been a red.

Quotable

“We got better throughout the game but we couldn’t play the one-touch passing we needed to win.”

-Goalkeeper Sarah Dubois

Stat corner

On the way to earning a pair of clean sheets, the two sides’ goalies combined for nine total saves.

Vegas Golden Knights unveil a full house in hand What success in Las Vegas means for the future of NHL expansion Owen Gibbs Contributor The Las Vegas Golden Knights have started their inaugural NHL season 4-1, boosted by surprisingly passionate fans. This sounds like something you would hear in an alternate universe— one where the late, villainous Harold Ballard was an honest businessman, where Wayne Gretzky was never traded, and where the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Detroit Red Wings to win last year’s Stanley Cup. But it is, in fact, reality.

When the NHL announced over a year ago that it would expand to Las Vegas, the hockey world didn’t expect the team to succeed. In a smaller city with most people more concerned with having cards in their hands than hockey tickets, it seemed unlikely that the smallest of the top North American sporting leagues would be able to survive. However, the Golden Knights have hit the ground running and show promise to provide sustainability in the long run.

Las Vegas christened the T-Mobile Arena in their third game to a sell-out crowd, while enjoying impressive fan support at their two prior games in Dallas and Arizona. They won their first three games convincingly—an unprecedented feat for a brand-new team made even more surprising when considering the roster was composed largely of young, undeveloped players.

By virtually any measure, the franchise’s launch passed with flying colours.

Such success for a hockey team in an unestablished sports market would mean a lot for the future of NHL expansion. If Vegas continues to see this level of support, it will encourage

the league to branch out even further to other untapped hockey markets. Fans could see a collection of expansion franchises enter the NHL within the next decade. Such a period would be reminiscent of the 1990s, when teams like the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes came into existence.

The immediate candidates for expansion are already apparent. For several years now, rumours have circulated not only about Las Vegas, but also about Seattle landing a franchise to establish a rivalry with the Vancouver Canucks, and the Nordiques returning to Quebec City. Quebec City bid on a team at the same time as Vegas, but concerns including doubts about the Canadian dollar’s relative weakness as well as maintaining the geographic balance of the league ultimately led the NHL to reject the bid. Seattle, meanwhile, just needs an NHLsuitable arena—which is already in the planning stages of development—in order to have the infrastructure to support a new team. If Vegas continues to profit, then it could just be a matter of time before Quebec and Seattle get their own clubs.

Beyond the obvious front-runners, there are other contenders for the creation of a new NHL franchise. Just days after the Golden Knights began their inaugural season, Tilman Fertitta—new owner of the NBA’s Houston Rockets— announced that he was looking into getting an NHL team in Houston, the fourth-largest city in the United States. Additionally, Portland and Kansas City have arenas capable of hosting an NHL team, but the league previously feared that these cities lacked the necessary fan support needed for a new franchise. With the strong start in Las Vegas, the NHL may be more optimistic with these unconventional locations.

Time will tell whether or not the Golden Knights expansion will pan out, but the early signs are promising. If it does, the hockey world could see rapid expansion of the professional game over the next 10 years. With 31 clubs across the United States and Canada, the NHL could boast the most franchises of any major North American sports league, and begin to rival the popularity of the NBA, NFL, and MLB. So, to all the hockey fans from the cities where having a home NHL franchise seems like a pipe dream, don’t give up. If the early success of Vegas is any indication, the wait could be much shorter than expected.

The Las Vegas Golden Knights have enjoyed an enthusiastic fan base so far. (nationalpost.com)

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

16 SPORTS

In conversation with Mike Babcock

Coaching legend emphasizes the role of university in empowering students and athletes alike Stephen Gill & Selwynne Hawkins Sports Editors When Mike Babcock arrived at McGill in 1983, academics were not high on his list of priorities. Though choosing to study physical education, he attributes his decision to attend the school entirely to athletics, with his eyes set on hockey. As time passed, however, he grew to appreciate the opportunities for development that the McGill environment offered him.

“By the time I put a year in here, I knew I had to buy in and keep up,” Babcock said. “I became pretty interested in [academics], and it opened up a lot of doors for me in my life.”

Babcock describes his time as a defender on the Redmen hockey team as the most important thing in his life at the time, but since moving on to an illustrious career coaching at the highest level, his perspective has changed.

“I was a good college player,” Babcock said. “I was a puck-moving D-man. I had a lot of fun and enjoyed the process here. [But] when you coach in the National Hockey League, unless you’ve played in the National Hockey League, you didn’t play hockey. I don’t spend a whole lot of time talking about my hockey career. It’s more about my coaching career.”

Babcock, who currently sits at the helm of a young, energetic Toronto Maple Leafs squad, quickly learned that he’d have to work harder than others to earn respect in the league after entering without ever playing in the NHL. Between a World Cup victory, an Olympic gold medal, and a Stanley Cup

championship, he’s certainly accomplished that task.

Despite jumping from job to job in hockey for the 30 years since his time at McGill, it’s clear that the school has left a lasting impression on him. Though the memories of his on-ice ‘capades have faded, the formative interactions he had with one specific role model remain fresh in his mind.

“My favourite thing [at McGill] was [...] Professor [John] Chomay,” Babcock said. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and he was a champion of a man, and spent time with me. He made me important.”

In addition to the standout individuals he met along the way, Babcock stresses McGill’s role in instilling confidence— a key tenet of his mantra for success—within students.

“You have to earn confidence,” Babcock explained.

“McGill is a platform to build confidence in yourself, so you feel good about yourself, academically, physically, emotionally, relationship-wise. And so to me, that’s the platform that sends you out into the world knowing that you can conquer whatever you put your mind to. To me, that’s what McGill is all about.”

Beyond the classroom, the personal connections Babcock made in Montreal are invaluable to him. When asked about his time at McGill, he constantly returns conversation to a friend group that he has maintained through nearly 30 years of high intensity and demand in hockey coaching.

With a fortunately-timed road game against the Montreal Canadiens scheduled for the day after, Babcock was able to

Mike Babcock speaks with fans at the Oct. 13 Redmen hockey game.

(Selwynne Hawkins / The McGill Tribune) attend the Oct. 13 homecoming hockey game, in which the McGill Redmen were defeated 3-2 by the Concordia Stingers. Though he never tires of hockey, he explained before the game that instead of closely spectating the game, he’d spend the majority of his time in conversation with old faces and in appreciation of his university days.

“I’m going to socialize more with the alumni guys that are here,” Babcock said. “I won’t be watching the game intently.

I mean, I’m going to know who wins at the end, but I’m here because I went here. I’m here to support the program the best I possibly can and enjoy the time I’m here.”

Concordia stings McGill Redmen football with Homecoming loss

GAME REPORT

Penalties hold back McGill’s momentum Patrick Beacham Contributor Continued from page 1.

McGill’s difficulty covering wide receivers hurt them in the first half, but the team managed to hold Concordia back in later standoffs.

“I think they completed early, then I think we buckled down and played some pretty solid defence after that,” McGill Head Coach Ronald Hilaire said. “Obviously the penalties hurt us a lot, with offsides and all that stuff keeping drives alive for them [....] We’ve got to be better.”

The Redmen had a brief surge of energy at the end of the first quarter and the start of the second, scoring a touchdown and a field goal back-to-back. However, flags nullified two of the Redmen’s touchdowns and killed their momentum, leading to 22 unanswered points by the Stingers.

“We could have played better for sure,” second-year defensive lineman Andrew Seinet-Spaulding said. “We were undisciplined, and it paid for Concordia, so we’ve got to be better next week on discipline because it really hurt us.”

Despite the sting from Concordia, there is still hope for the Redmen to make the playoffs this season. The Oct. 21 home game against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or will decide if McGill will make it to the conference semi-finals. McGill won narrowly against Sherbrooke earlier in the season, but whether or not the Redmen can replicate that success is still up in the air.

“As usual, we’re going to do the film, we’re going to correct this and move on,” second-year wide receiver Jeremy Sauvageau said. “And then three good practices, or four even. We’ve got to win this one, so we’re going to do everything we can so that we can win this game.”

The Redmen’s loss pushed the team to 1-5 on the season. (Gabriel Helfant / The McGill Tribune)

Moment of the game

A failed field goal at the end of the first quarter landed in Concordia’s hands, but the Stingers fumbled and Redmen defensive back Vincent Dethier snatched the ball in the endzone for the first and only McGill touchdown of the game.

Quotable

“If we do our thing, we’ll beat anybody in this league” - Second-year defensive lineman Andrew Seinet-Spaulding optimistic heading into the next game.

Stat corner

Since joining the RSEQ conference in 2010, the Redmen have yet to win a homecoming game.