News
The McGill Daily, Monday, January 26, 2009
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Students camp out for literacy Participants hope to raise $40,000 for libraries in India Daniel Lametti The McGill Daily
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harone Daniel awoke at 4 a.m. last week to find a floor buffing machine inches from her face. Daniel, who had been sleeping In Concordia University’s Webster Library for the past five days, simply rolled over and tried to get back to sleep while the janitor operating the buffer apologized. “It’s called Live-in for Literacy,” explained Daniel, a fourth-year Human Relations and Religion student at Concordia. Students live in a university library for ten days to raise money for education in developing countries. Since the fundraiser began at Queen’s University four years ago, Live-in for Literacy has raised $50,000. The money has gone toward building computer labs in Cambodia and libraries in Nepal. This year, seven Canadian university libraries are housing two students each until the end of the fundraiser today at 1 p.m. The students hope to raise $40,000 for the construction of nine libraries in India. Daniel started by sharing a tent in the library foyer with third-year Concordia student Neeka Fedyshyn, but she soon decided to sleep on an adjacent couch because it was more comfortable. “It was impossible to sleep on the floor,” she said, looking a little tired. Fedyshyn, who had brought in a cot from home, stayed in the tent. Beside the tent, two large suitcases overflowed with clothes and schoolwork, while a rope barrier just in front of the suitcases doubled as a clothesline. As the Concordia team explained,
Stephen Davis / The McGill Daily
Neeka Fedyshyn (left) and Sharone Daniel are living at Concordia’s Webster Library for ten days. despite the positive reaction to the fundraiser, there were a few misunderstandings. “One girl walked past, like, ten times,” said Daniel. The hardest challenge, however, was missing a week’s worth of classes. “The constant interruption makes
it difficult to study,” said Daniel. “But one of my professors stopped by and donated $20 and said, ‘Don’t worry about your assignments.’” According to the event’s rules, participants are only allowed to leave the library for five minutes each hour, but are allowed to accumulate unused breaks, leaving enough free
time to run to the gym in the morning and shower. The library allowed them to bring in a small fridge to hold food – most of which had been donated by friends. In the evening, when the building was closed, they got their exercise. “Yesterday we were running up
and down the stairs and doing sprints around the stacks,” said Daniel. Still, the students didn’t find it that tough. “I would do this week after week,” said Fedyshyn. Donations can still be made at liveinforliteracy.com.
Trans group talks out the space between [M] and [F] Group focuses on support, safe space, and life beyond the gender dichotomy Kartiga Thiyagarajah The McGill Daily
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ender Construction Zone, a new anglophone group, wants to give Montreal youth a chance to explore their gender identity outside of the predominant male-female dichotomy. The group will provide peer support, resource sharing, and discussion groups for trans-questioning and gender-questioning this week – services that Canada lacks, according to organizers. Most trans/gender support groups in this country are run out of gender clinics that offer hormones and surgery as solutions to gender-questioning individuals. But Telyn Kusalik, a
facilitator for Gender Construction Zone, felt such groups are closedminded and may alienate those who do not want surgery. “Many gender clinics are concerned mainly with those who identify 100 per cent as one gender. However, there are a lot of people who don’t identify as either men or women,” Kusalik said. Kusalik added that the extra stress and pressure faced by young trans individuals makes the presence of Gender Construction Zone even more important. It offers individuals the space to discuss issues concerning their gender identity and build a community with those experiencing similar doubts, based on mutual support. “There is a demand in our culture
to be the gender one was assigned at birth,” said Kusalik. “Those who question their gender are liable to be laughed at, harassed, or even subjected to violence.” Kusalik hopes to create a nonjudgmental environment. “I became aware of a need for a place where individuals could talk about their gender doubts without coming out to their loved ones,” explained Kusalik. “The process of coming out is difficult, and there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed before one can take that big step.” For other services, Kusalik refers individuals to the Head and Hands Clinic, whose approach is compatible with the Gender Construction Zone’s philosophy. At Head and Hands, young trans people can seek
the help of doctors and counsellors, and access free services, such as peer counselling and legal services. “Head and Hands has a nonjudgmental mandate and provides a comfortable, less clinical atmosphere for patients,” said Jocelyn, the clinic’s Health Animator. “We take patients from wherever they’re coming from and make no assumptions about where they’ve been.” McGill’s Student Health Services also offers individuals a place to ask their questions to medical professionals. “We have a nurse on staff who is always available to sit down with students and answer any pressing questions they might have,” said Eva Adomako, the interim Clinic Manager of Student Health. “We also have a
Mental Health Clinic available to students with similar concerns.” Kusalik added that the Gender Construction Zone hopes to complement and fill the gap in this specialised service. “Most people don’t question their gender. Most go through life 100 per cent okay with the gender they were given at birth,” said Kusalik. “But for those who don’t, Gender Construction Zone provides a confidential, safe place to gain peer support and assistance.” Gender Construction Zone, to which a fair number of people have shown interest, hopes to hold its first meeting next week. For more information about the group and its meeting times, email tranniesatwork@gmail.com.