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Volume 103, Issue 16 Monday, January 20, 2014

McGill THE

DAILY

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Homelessness in Montreal Pages 4 & 5

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Contents 03

NEWS

Overhaul of residence system draws ire

January 20, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

14

HEALTH&ED

Profs and faculty try out different teaching methods

New hospital system takes on winter homelessFolate deficiency in male diets can affect the ness unborn baby A resource map for being homeless in Montreal PGSS holds first meeting of 2014 SSMU eyes departure from Quebec student roundtable

07

COMMENTARY

15

SPORTS

An interview with Jen Hudak, freestyle half-pipe skier

16

CULTURE

The dreamiest art exhibit

Trans* politics: survival as activism

Jazzy Trio Populaire

Being gay in a world of stereotypes

Korean bites at GaNaDaRa

Letters: Dean Manfredi on the PPP, Isaiah King responds to a Daily interview

The Daily reviews

10

FEATURES

Looking at the criticism of the state of Israel, anti-Zionism, and allegations of anti-Semitism

13

SCI+TECH

Brain-inspired technologies

19

EDITORIAL

Against the consolidation of residence Hall Director positions

20 COMPENDIUM!

Student-run cafĂŠ moved to Mecock for â&#x20AC;&#x153;efficiencyâ&#x20AC;?

Rejected English lit-based Carnival team names

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News

January 20, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

New residence model gets mixed reviews

3

System has fewer Hall Directors but will cost around $32,000 extra

Tamim Sujat | The McGill Daily

Upper Residence halls Janna Bryson News Writer

M

cGill’s announcement that the University will be overhauling the model of Hall Directors at McGill Residences has been met with resistance from the floor fellow community. Currently, each residence has a part-time Hall Director, but the new model will see approximately four full-time Hall Directors hired to oversee McGill’s nine residence halls.

According to documents obtained

by The Daily, Janice Johnson, Managing Director, Residence Life and Customer Relations, and the residence staff behind this decision are looking to hire people with degrees in areas such as counselling or social work, and who have professional experience within the residence environment.

Due to its size, New Residence Hall (NRH) has had a full-time Hall Director since the 2012-13 academic year. The current Hall Director, Allen School, told The Daily in an email, “I sincerely believe that the changes to be made in the new system of Hall Directors are being set in place to improve the job of the Hall Director.”

There will also be new part-time Faculty-Mentors-in-Rez positions in each hall, and according to Johnson, it would be a bonus if current Hall Directors took the position; however, the value of these positions is a point of contention.

“It’s a position created so that the [administration] can say ‘Here’s a job – they can take it if they want it.

If they leave then it’s their choice,’” said a Carrefour Sherbrooke floor fellow who wished to remain anonymous to The Daily.

Shock as pilot project becomes permanent This year, a pilot project saw one full-time Hall Director responsible for three residences: Royal Victoria College (RVC), Carrefour Sherbrooke, and Varcity515. However, floor fellows under this new pilot project told The Daily that the model was implemented permanently without any consultation.

According to the Carrefour Sherbrooke floor fellow, quoted above, who works under the project, floor fellows felt betrayed. “The head of residences announced that [the new model] is what they’re going to do for everyone next year, and we had never been asked how it was going or what it was like.”

These sentiments were echoed by Jessica Coon, current part-time Hall Director of Solin Hall. “I do not think there was much in the way of consultation process, and I know many of the floor fellows are upset about this,” Coon said in an email to The Daily.

Questions over the sustainability of the current model In an interview with The Daily, Johnson stated that the idea of install-

ing full-time Directors was common practice at other universities, and had been considered at McGill for a while.

Unlike many decisions made at McGill, the changes to the Hall Director model were not motivated by budget cuts. According to Johnson, the new model will cost around $32,000 more – even though it will cut down on the number of Directors – but that the budget was balanced with savings elsewhere.

Johnson pointed to difficulties with finding applicants for part-time positions as part of the reason behind the shift.

“I don’t think [the current model] is necessarily unsustainable exactly at this moment, but I think we’re at risk of being unsustainable,” said Johnson. “Before things reach a crisis point, or a Hall Director burns out, it seemed like a good idea to be proactive. Coming in as new leadership is a good time to make change.”

Floor fellows criticized the reasoning given by Johnson for the changes. “How does [the administration] know that current faculty members and Hall Directors can’t handle their positions? There’s this talk of impending crisis, which is such a scare tactic,” argued Erin Sobat, former president of Douglas Hall Residence Council.

In an informal floor fellow meeting on January 15, RVC floor fellow Sean Reginio argued that other options should have been considered before replacing the current Direc-

tors. “They addressed the issue of hiring Directors by changing the model, instead of changing the recruitment [process].”

The importance of Hall Directors “During my time as a floor fellow I dealt with multiple severe crisis situations that required immediate help of a Director, sometimes in the middle of the night. These were literally life and death situations, and if my Director had not lived in the same building, I do not think the situations could have turned out as positively as they did,” said a former floor fellow of three years, who wished to remain anonymous, in an email to The Daily.

Floor fellows also expressed concern that the full-time Directors may be inclined to side with administration. “Whenever we complained about administration stuff this year, [the current Director] defended it to us... because it’s [the Director’s] full-time job, they’re now someone who mediates concern as opposed to someone who brings concerns from the bottom up,” the Carrefour floor fellow told The Daily.

According to Sobat, resistance from floor fellows was expected by administration. “Current Hall Directors were told in a staff meeting in November to deal with resistance from floor fellows, and basically asked to do damage control. They know it’s not going to be popular,” said Sobat.

At the January 15 meeting, a floor fellow – who wished to remain anonymous – said that the relationship between the Hall Director and the floor fellows requires open communication, and that it would be difficult to maintain that with 17 people.

Although some of the floor fellows expressed concern over a shift away from the harm reduction system currently in place – where non-judgemental support is encouraged – Johnson told The Daily that there was no interest in moving away from that model. “I will swear to anyone who wants me to swear – I do not intend to go down the road of writing tickets and busting people all the time.”

According to Johnson, a working group dedicated to deciding the specifics of the new Hall Director model will be calling for input from the McGill community in the next week.

For many, this call for feedback is too little, too late.

“A big issue that I’ve had with this is how untransparent this entire process has been and how no floor fellow or Hall Director has been consulted in this decision,” said Courtney Ayukawa, a floor fellow at RVC. “I think that this [will set a precedent], so in the future, if residences want to make other changes as well, they feel less obligated to make things transparent or consultative.”

- With files from Rachel Nam

4

News

January 20, 2014 The McGill Daily | www.mcgilldaily.com

New rules to treat the homeless Temporary measures implemented in Montreal hospitals Igor Sadikov News Writer

T

he Montreal Health and Social Services Agency, a government agency overseeing Montrealâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health establishments, has introduced a change in the way homeless people with mental health issues are assigned to hospitals for treatment.

Homeless people in Montreal requiring treatment will now be transported to the nearest hospital.

Introduced in early January, the new system replaces the previous rotational program, wherein Montreal hospitals would alternate taking in homeless people on a weekly basis.

According to the Montreal Health and Social Services Agency, the objective of the change is to provide better care for the patients. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We noticed that the homeless tend to always stay in the same sector,â&#x20AC;? explained Geneviève Bettez, spokesperson of the agency, in French. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So with this change, there is a good chance that they will be directed to the same establishments more frequently.â&#x20AC;?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We believe that healthcare professionals will develop a better knowledge of each homeless person and of their file, which will improve the treatment of the patients,â&#x20AC;? Bettez told The Daily.

The decision, while only temporary, was imposed on the hospitals because of the weather conditions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the coming of the cold weather, the measure has been implemented early. [â&#x20AC;Ś] Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only in place until February, and then weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll reevaluate it with our partners,â&#x20AC;? added Bettez.

The measure has been criticized by hospital officials at the Centre Hospitalier de lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;UniversitĂŠ de MontrĂŠal (CHUM). According to a CBC article from January 10, Paul LespĂŠrance, the head of psychiatry at the CHUM, worries that the downtown Notre-Dame Hospital may become overcrowded.

LespĂŠrance noted that it will be admitting about 50 per cent of the patients.

The Old Brewery Mission, which provides emergency, transition, and housing services to the homeless population of Montreal, praised the move as a step in the right direction.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think, generally speaking, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good move to do what they did. [â&#x20AC;Ś] I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much better to be able to get services as nearby as possible,

â&#x20AC;&#x153;People are not comfortable with homeless people.

When theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in an emergency room in the hospital, they often donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the same treatment as other patients.â&#x20AC;?

Matthew Pierce because we are dealing with people who are coping with a crisis,â&#x20AC;? said

Matthew Pierce, Director General of the Mission.

Pierce recognized that the concerns of overcrowding at the CHUM are valid. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be a massive influx of people, but I think if I were at the downtown hospital, I would be concerned,â&#x20AC;? he said.

The difficulties faced by homeless people in obtaining effective treatment are not limited to transportation. According to Pierce, homelessness carries a social stigma which impedes access to medical care. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People are not comfortable with homeless people. When theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in an emergency room in the hospital, they often donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the same treatment as other patients. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re often treated very cursorily, very quickly, and not given the same kind of attention,â&#x20AC;? said Pierce. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Often [â&#x20AC;Ś] the homeless person is seen quickly, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re given their prescription and pills [â&#x20AC;Ś] they come to the front door of our shelter and sell [the pills] and then donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t go back next week. So itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a complete waste of our dollars.â&#x20AC;?

Pierce pointed to the Old Brewery Missionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current partnership with the CHUM for treating homeless people with mental health issues as an effective method of providing care. Under this pilot program, a psychiatrist, a psychiatric nurse, and a psychiatric social worker treat the patients at a ward allocated by the Mission. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a partnership with the CHUM hospital systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s department of psychiatry, whereby homeless people with mental health disorders are dealt with inside our pavilions. [â&#x20AC;Ś] We can make sure they live in a stable, peaceful and secure environment. We expect that the health outcomes, especially mental health outcomes, will be significantly accelerated, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re already seeing that, in fact.â&#x20AC;?

Pierce also highlighted the necessity of transitional measures to get homeless people out of shelter life. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The mission of the Old Brewery Mission is to end homelessness, not to manage homelessness,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We want to continue to evolve until we get it done.â&#x20AC;?

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News

January 20, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

5

Winter in Montreal without shelter Services and resources for those in need

Compiled by Hannah Besseau, Molly Korab, Jordan Venton-Rublee, and Dana Wray | The McGill Daily Homelessness in Montreal is an ongoing problem that has yet to be solved by either the city or provincial government. The recent news of a temporary change in hospitalization practices for the homeless shines light on this woeful inadequacy, and the need for a structural change in the way that that homelessness is addressed.

Montreal’s mayor, Denis Coderre, campaigned on homelessness, and his suggestions for structural change in treating homelessness show promise. They would include an agency encompassing various levels of government, as well as businesses, community, and health organizations – and an

increase in spending on the issue.

At the moment, many community organizations in the city address the immediate and long-term needs of the homeless.

Included in this list – which is non-exhaustive and does not include facilities with confidential addresses – are various facilities located in or close to the downtown area. Typical services offered by shelters and day centres, some of the most vital resources available to the homeless, include access to some form of social services, hot meals, clean clothes, and access to showers.

Additional resources offered are noted on a case-by-case basis.

SHELTERS Bitter-cold winter in Montreal poses a particularly grave problem for the homeless. Shelters provide a variety of resources for homeless or at-risk people, and are located across the city. Resources provided range from temporary housing, warm meals, and fresh clothing to counselling and support, as well as various activities to combat isolation. Included in this non-exhaustive list are shelters that serve all, and are free to those in need.

1

14 9 4

Maison Claude-Laramée (part of Old Misison Brewery)

20

WOMEN’S SHELTERS Many women’s shelters have confidential addresses for safety reasons. Women’s shelters cater to many different clientele, such as immigrant women, victims of conjugal violence, and women and their children. There are over 15 women’s shelters in Montreal.

3

Patricia Mackenzie Pavilion (part of Old Mission Brewery)

4

Le Chaînon

MEN’S SHELTERS

5 6

Webster Pavilion (part of Old Mission Brewery)

7

Marcelle et Jean Coutu Pavilion (Part of Old Mission Brewery)

YOUTH SHELTERS

8

19

En Marge 12-17 Shelter for youth aged 12-17 years old.

6 7

11 12

DROP-IN CENTRES Drop-in centres offer a safe environment during the day for homeless and vulnerable populations, where they can access services including a hot meal, showers, places to do laundry, and professional help ranging from nurses to psychologists. Some cater exclusively to youths, offering teachers and intervention staff; others are focused on offering services for women and children who need help to access food as well as personal care.

9

Chez Pops

10

P.A.S. de la rue

11

Chez Doris

Welcome Hall Mission This shelter provides several beds for men with reduced mobility.

13 18

3

15

P.A.S. de la Rue For older adults who are homeless, also provides activities to combat isolation.

16 17

Dedicated to preventing homelessness for people with mental health problems and substance abuse.

2

10

Open Door Today Along with more ‘typical’ forms of drop-in resources, the Open Door also helps its clients obtain medical assistance, free prescription eyeglasses, haircuts, and assistance in coping with gambling, alcohol, or substance abuse.

13

5

1

Drop-in day centre for youths that offers, among other resources, alternative school.

Drop-in centre for women.

12

2 8

Compiled by Rachel Nam Map tiles by Stamen Design, under CC By 3.0. Data by OpenStreetMap, under CC By CA

HOSPITALS Until this January, hospitals throughout the city worked in rotation to provide care for the homeless; quite often this means those dealing with mental illnesses. However, due to a recent change from the Montreal Health and Social Services Agency, homeless patients will be taken to the nearest hospital, stoking concerns of overcrowding due to high concentration of the homeless population in the downtown area. For more information on this, check page 4.

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Hôtel Dieu (CHUM)

17

Royal Victoria (MUHC)

18

Hôpital Saint-Luc (CHUM)

ASTT(e)Q

14

Notre-Dame Hospital (CHUM)

19

St. Mary’s Hospital

ASTT(e)Q hosts a weekly drop-in every Monday night, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. for trans* and questioning individuals of all genders.

15

Montreal General Hospital (MUHC)

20

Jewish General Hospital

6

News

January 20, 2014 The McGill Daily | www.mcgilldaily.com

Post-grads hold first Council meeting of 2014 Tom Portsmouth The McGill Daily

M

cGill’s Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) held its first Council meeting of the new year this past Wednesday, with a visit from the Provost and electoral reform at the top of the agenda.

A visit from the Provost Provost Anthony Masi – whose position encompasses roles as both chief academic officer and chief budget officer of the University – made a guest appearance, and took the opportunity to take questions from graduate students and outline McGill’s strategic vision for the next few years.

One question aimed to determine if McGill was going to take any action to improve the state of graduate student supervision.

“Supervision is the single most important issue on campus,” said Masi, indicating that the data from anonymous surveys of graduate students signals that improving the quality of graduate supervision is a

standout issue.

The University has begun its campaign to improve supervision with a new webpage that states the roles and responsibilities of a supervising professor and provides resources on interaction with supervisees and “recognizing student diversity.”

“This list of skill sets will be later included in staff training days,” said Masi, adding that “most of the time, professors forget that they were once graduate students too.”

His presentation, meanwhile, centred on the University’s actions regarding recent budget cuts and allocations – cuts that have, among other outcomes, closed down libraries and resulted in incentivized retirement programs for staff.

Outlining the finances of the University, Masi said, “Over the last two years, we’ve added $30 million in deficit to our operating budget.

But we have to pay that deficit back in five years, which means that we have to balance our books, and $5 million a year has to be used to pay back that deficit.”

Masi also outlined the mentality underlying budget cuts.

“You have to make a decision about allocations based on your academic priorities,” Masi said. “Those priorities come out of Achieving Strategic Academic Priorities (ASAP), the University’s academic white paper.”

Moving on to McGill’s financial situation, the Provost focused on choices about budget allocation.

“What we’re asking all of the units to do is not to try to replicate what they were doing before [the cuts] but to make conscious choices,” Masi said.

“Do we have to do everything we’re doing? Can we do the things that we are doing differently? How can we be more efficient in the way we work?”

Electoral Reform PGSS also finalized the remainder of the rewriting of some electoral rules. This was part of an effort to resolve contradictions between the society’s practices and their activities manual.

According to PGSS SecretaryGeneral Jonathan Mooney, “We

Tamim Sujat | The McGill Daily wanted everything to be crystal clear so as to make sure that no one was doubting our legitimacy – we don’t want to appear to be an illegitimate students’ society.”

PGSS’ Chief Returning Officer (CRO) Colby Briggs confirmed that, “The intent of these changes was, by and large, to bring the Soci-

ety’s Activities Manual in line with practical application.”

He added that a mechanism was added for the CRO to enforce electoral regulations by penalizing rule-breaking candidates through “financial or time-based incentives” (in other words, fines or volunteer hours), instead of disqualifying them.

SSMU’s future with student roundtable uncertain Language issues, instability plague association

Sam Nazer News Writer

F

our years after its inception, the Table de concertation étudiante du Québec (TaCEQ) faces the possibility of dissolution, with two of its key members questioning whether the Quebec student roundtable is still a worthwhile investment.

Sherbrooke’s graduate student association, the Regroupement des étudiants de maîtrise, de diplôme et de doctorat de l’Université de Sherbrooke (REMDUS) will hold a referendum to decide whether to disaffiliate from TaCEQ later this month. With REMDUS gone, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) will lose its main ally within TaCEQ, leaving SSMU VP External Samuel Harris to consider leaving the organization.

“It’s very unfortunate, but this is the way it’s been going,” Harris said.

“We are now looking into the possibility of quitting because it looks like the organization is in the midst of falling apart.”

Robin Reid-Fraser, former VP External of SSMU, believes the problem lies in communication and coordination between the associations. “Com-

munication was tricky,” she said.

“Having every association clearly understand what’s going on at the other ones and what their interests and capabilities are was an ongoing challenge when I was involved.”

“McGill is an anglophone institution with a lot of students from outside of Quebec,” Reid-Fraser said. “There isn’t necessarily the same level of involvement and interest in provincial issues from our part.”

There have also been disagreements on a number of issues between SSMU and other members of TaCEQ, including a failed attempt by ÆLIÉS, Université Laval’s student association, to bring forward a motion against SSMU for not contributing its share of $40,000 toward a court case that TaCEQ is currently involved in.

“Myself and the rest of SSMU are very disappointed with ÆLIÉS for trying to bring forward a motion on something that never happened,” Harris said.

TaCEQ is presenting a counterargument in an ongoing court case in Quebec’s Superior Court. The case challenges the Quebec Act of Respecting the Accreditation and Financing of Students’ Associations, which re-

quires that every student in Quebec be a part of a student association.

According to Harris, SSMU has contributed $10,000. In addition, as a contingency measure, SSMU has reallocated unspent money from its TaCEQ budget.

The lack of English translations of the organization’s constitution as well as its website constituted other ongoing issues.

“It took an extremely long time to get an approval from other associations to get an English translation of the organization’s constitution and its website,” Harris said. “This was very frustrating and is mostly why REMDUS wanted to leave.”

However, Guillaume Fortin, TaCEQ’s Deputy Secretary-General for Communications and Internal Affairs, claims that they are in the process of acquiring the translations. “Translation of documents are on their way,” Fortin said, “We are waiting for a financial authorization from our board to proceed.”

Despite the aforementioned issues, Harris believes that TaCEQ hasn’t been a complete failure. “We are feeling good about the court case,” he said. “Assuming that it is successful,

we will be protecting the existence of student associations. Furthermore, our relations with the government have improved greatly in the past year and a half.”

“TaCEQ, as a national student organization, has for [its] first mandate to give to SSMU and the other associations a national representation,” Fortin said. “Therefore, following discussions and decisions between the associations, we make sure that their interests are heard and known by the government of Quebec.”

“TaCEQ gives to the associations a decentralized structure that allows each one to have a lot of freedom,” Fortin said.

By leaving TaCEQ, SSMU would no longer be a part of any student association.

“I don’t believe that any of the existing national Quebec student associations suit the needs of SSMU members,” Harris said. “I would advocate building relationships from one individual association to another, as well as creating informal working groups that don’t have any bureaucracy or costs attached to them.”

Harris believes it is important for McGill to maintain relations with oth-

er student associations in Montreal.

“McGill is already perceived as a black sheep in the Quebec context,” he said. “That is why we need to make an extra effort to reach out to others.”

“Even if it doesn’t work out in the context of an official organization such as TaCEQ, ASSÉ, or FEUQ doesn’t mean that we can’t get involved in the Quebec higher education scene,” Harris said.

There will be no additional costs for SSMU to leave TaCEQ. However, according to Harris, it can’t be done overnight either. “We can’t just snap our fingers and that’s it,” he said. “There are a lot of bills to pay and legal responsibilities in regards to the board of governors and the TaCEQ corporation.”

There are no official rules regarding the decision making process for leaving TaCEQ. “There are a number of possibilities,” Harris said. “I would recommend a referendum. However, a council decision or a general assembly would do as well.”

“It sure would be a sad thing to have SSMU leave TaCEQ,” Fortin said.

“They have been very helpful to our organization. It will be in the hands of the remaining student associations to decide what will happen next to TaCEQ.”

Commentary

January 20, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

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Presence as defiance Tattooing, transition, and gender (non-)conformity Wong Kar Tsai** The McGill Daily

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ne night, almost a year ago, I dreamt of tattooing myself.

In the dream, it was a simple black band around my left wrist, painstakingly inked dot by dot by dot. Over the next few days I felt strangely compelled by the dream, eventually culminating in the purchase of a box of 50 tattoo needles and black tattoo ink, and a first few nervous pinpricks.

To me, my (now numerous) tattoos are strong bits of defiance embedded permanently and visibly on my body. The first time I took a tattoo needle to my skin, I felt incredibly empowered with the ability to change the course of my body’s future. “What if you regret it?” my mother probes with every new tattoo. “That’s awfully… visible,” says a friend when tattoos show up on my knuckles.

Any person with obvious tattoos is familiar with the judgemental questions disguised as gentle concern from family and friends. “Are you sure you want that forever?” or “Will you still like it when you’re older?” It takes a certain amount of learned confidence to shrug off the overbearing intrusions. For me to be the one responsible for both the pain and the resulting art carries an even greater sense of bodily autonomy. To reclaim my own skin in this way is as much a personal, political act as it is an aesthetic one.

The application of a layer of nail polish or makeup, or wearing one’s favourite clothes, carries the same weight for some, especially when these acts are out of the ordinary. A certain haircut can be as much about comfort as it is about defiance. Sometimes it’s not only relatives or friends – sometimes it feels like the whole world is sneering behind your back, and this is when something so small as drawing a stroke of eyeliner feels like the bravest thing in the world.

Doing what is right for your body often sounds like a straightforward rule out of a self-help book. Invasions of privacy dog trans* people who pursue surgical, hormonal, sartorial, or any other avenues to change their body’s appearance. As they fail to make the expected overnight switch from one socially condoned gender prescription to another, this becomes inevitable.

‘Transitioning’ is, in the first place, a bit of a misnomer. The term implies, whether directly or indirectly, that a trans* person is not their gender until they pass a sufficient number of societal ‘tests’ that

Alice Shen | The McGill Daily proves them such. A trans woman is not ‘a man who became a woman,’ as people are wont to believe. She is a woman.

For years, I settled uncomfortably into identifying myself as a butch, straight woman. I have since come to understand that I am a nonbinary person – neither male nor female – with fairly few restrictions on my sexuality. Yet I did not ‘become’ a non-binary person. I was always a non-binary person. After years of confusion and anxiety, I was finally able to recognize the feeling that weighed on me for much of my life, and understand the steps I could take to change it.

‘Just be yourself’ is a phrase with an ugly irony. When trans* people are ‘just being themselves,’ they risk ridicule, hate, prejudice, and violence.

It isn’t easy to defy the immense societal pressure to be cis and fall in line with whatever gender has been assigned to your body. It isn’t easy to come out to friends and family, who, for all you know, may turn against you with vitriol. It isn’t easy to ‘just be yourself’ when you are asked to prove that you deserve to occupy space, let alone earn a living wage, attend school, or go so far as to settle down and start a family.

Like the questions that follow every tattooed person, every trans* person is asked whether they have really thought things through. If they’re

really sure this is what they want forever; if this surgery or that outfit or those friends are really right. Why anyone would decide to undergo my surgery and biweekly self-injected hormone regimen on a whim is frankly beyond my comprehension.

And once the initial decision to ‘transition’ has been grudgingly accepted, the accusations of not trying ‘hard enough’ start to pour in. “If you’re really a woman, why are you wearing those pants?” “If you’re really a man, why would you wear nail polish?” The flip-flopping between “Why are you doing it?” and “Why aren’t you doing it enough?” is a perpetual double standard enacted at every stage of the so-called transition – not only by people in day-today life, but also by the gatekeepers of the institutional power that many must access in order to survive.

The pervasive conception of ‘transition’ is that it’s an abrupt process by which a man ‘becomes’ a woman, or vice versa. This culminates as the supposed ‘sex change,’ in which a trans* person apparently goes under the knife and walks out with an all-new set of genitals and secondary sex characteristics. Nearly every trans* person has had someone ask if they’ve had “the surgery,” often uttered in a reverent and fearful whisper.

In reality, ‘transitioning’ is a long, complex process of conforming

one’s body or social image to fit their actual gender, and it differs for every trans* person. I know a significant number of trans* people who have not, and do not intend to, pursue hormone replacement therapy, and similarly the types of surgery that people need is variable.

Sometimes it feels like the whole world is sneering behind your back, and this is when something so small as drawing a stroke of eyeliner feels like the bravest thing in the world.

The only way a trans* person can expect to feel safe around the average crowd of cis people is to appear to be a cis person, meaning that they appear to either be strictly male or female – whether that means being read as their birth gender, or blend-

ing in flawlessly as the ‘opposite’ gender binary through some combination of good genetic luck, hard work, time, and money.

In an ideal world, safety would not be one of the top concerns in a trans* person’s mind when they decide to pursue any avenues of making their bodies conform to their needs. It should be a default expectation that any person – trans* or not – is able to do whatever they please with the way they look without fearing danger from strangers on the street or lovers in the bedroom. But that is not the case.

Trans* people are often left balancing what makes them feel right and what makes other people uncomfortable. We try to organize ourselves and our behaviours around what makes us stop wanting to crawl out of our own skins, and what could get the shit beaten out of us. And in this world, as much as petitioning and speaking at workshops is important work, survival itself can be a form of activism. The search for a comfortable existence is its own form of resistance for people who are seen as ‘abnormal’ enough to have the worth of their lives be questioned by everyone, from peers to entire governments. **Wong Kar Tsai is a pseudonym. To contact the writer, email commentary@mcgilldaily.com.

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Commentary

January 20, 2014 The McGill Daily | www.mcgilldaily.com

Stereotype conformity Being gay in a world filled with soccer balls and nail polish Eric White White Noise

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hen I came out to friends and family just weeks before moving to Montreal, most people were shocked.

Despite their surprise, everyone was supportive, and I’m extremely fortunate for that. When first coming out, I felt that my gayness was just one part of me, but as I have developed and gained a greater understanding of myself as a gay man, I can’t help but feel that in many ways my sexuality does define me.

I’m sure not everyone feels the same way. Although there’s a strong part of me that wants people to know I’m gay – in large part because of my experiences with people not assuming my sexuality – at the same time I know that my sexuality isn’t relevant to every conversation I have, and shouldn’t be. Sexuality is obviously a personal issue for everyone, and what people project and feel like projecting will vary widely.

As someone who’s struggled with the never-ending process of coming out, and as someone who often defies gay stereotypes, there are still situations where people don’t, and aren’t, going to know that I’m gay. It seems most people have internalized common stereotypes of who is, seems, or should be queer; and who isn’t. This can make life difficult as a queer person, as it can be uncomfortable to figure out when, and how, to come out to people, or if you even should.

“Because assumed straightness is such a thing, I feel like eventually it will come out that I am some sort of ‘other,’” said Concordia student Amy Collier, who identifies as queer. “I’m kind of forced to expose my sexuality in a way that straight people aren’t really forced to do and that makes me feel kind of vulnerable.”

I’m constantly thinking about whether or not I seem gay – whether or not people I meet ‘pick up’ on my gayness. What kind of vibes am I giving off? I make a conscious effort to cross my legs. Sometimes, I find ankle over knee more comfortable, but I know for the vibes I’m trying to give off, that just won’t cut it. I try to let my wrists hang, limp as can be. I try to dress well, never leave the house without applying copious amounts of hair gel, and exclusively have some sort of longer-on-the-top-shaved-sides

Tanbin Rafee | The McGill Daily haircut since most people I see with those cuts are queer as fuck.

Nevertheless, I know plenty of people, especially when we first meet, are going to assume I’m straight. I get nervous that a nice, (seemingly) straight girl in class might mistake my kindness for something more, and it’s happened before.

It’s good to know that I’m not the only one that feels anxious in these situations. “There’s this panic or worry I have when I meet guys that I’ll say or do something that will be seen as flirting or taken as an advance,” said Collier. “I’ll go along with it but it can be kind of uncomfortable and lead to some awkward situations.”

There are other situations where I know people are going to assume I’m straight too. When I go to play soccer – in the park when Montreal isn’t a frozen wasteland, or indoors in the winter – conceptions of who plays sports will mean that no one thinks I’m gay.

I’ve felt for a long time that my sexuality has a tough time coexisting with my interest in playing and watching sports. Despite the homophobic tendencies of sports culture, I enjoy soccer as an activity and as a form of exercise.

Despite internal dilemmas, I continue to love the sport, yet I can’t help but remember one of my gay friends’ remarks upon moving into

my apartment this summer; before we really knew each other, he saw the posters of soccer players hanging in my bedroom and assumed I was some kind of bro.

For the most part, people won’t think I’m gay because I don’t possess certain traits people believe gays to possess. While many gay men I know have elements of a feminine twang to their voices, that’s something I don’t really have. Is it something I should work on? “My voice has definitely gotten gayer over the past few years,” said Angel, a McGill student and selfidentified queer man. “And my vernacular has changed too.”

Come to think of it, my own vocabulary has definitely changed. I may not perpetuate the stereotype of the ‘gay lisp,’ but did I used to call things “cute” or “adorable” as much as I do now? Definitely not.

I realize that if I wanted to, it wouldn’t be that hard to make my sexuality more obvious, leaving less room for interpretation. Angel reminded me that gender is a process and performance. “When I first started painting my nails it was definitely a signal of my queerness,” she said. I myself have been tempted to paint my nails, but have only really considered it since quitting my job, where most people didn’t know I was gay. I could wear makeup, too; having dressed in

drag a few times, I know that eyeliner makes me look damn hot.

For the most part, and especially among friends, I find that my sexuality is already understood.

There are also situations where I know my gayness is much more likely to be assumed, especially when I’m with gay friends, at a gay bar, or in my History of Sexuality class, where for once straight boys are a minority.

I’m constantly thinking about whether or not I seem gay – whether or not people I meet ‘pick up’ on my gayness.

I know sexuality isn’t relevant to all social interactions, but I can’t help but hate the common situation of crushing on some boy, only to find out he’s straight. Whether they’re a bit effeminate, dress really well, or give off ambiguous vibes, I’m often blinded by these adolescenttype crushes. Occupying a world

in which sexuality and gender are increasingly fluid, I find no discernable difference between these hopeful crushes of mine, and seemingly-straight gay boys. So how am I supposed to identify those gay boys?

Maybe I’m not. Maybe they love living in anonymity, not being identifiable or picked up on anyone’s ‘gaydar.’ And that’s totally fine. I’m still figuring out how badly I want people to know I’m gay, and how I’ll act and present myself in order to relate that. But given my statistical disadvantages in terms of the number of gay people out there, I can’t help but wish that there was just some way to know who’s gay and who’s not.

I realize that’s far too much to ask, and a ridiculous request.

I’m not going to pretend my ‘gaydar’ can be sharpened, since there will always be plenty of gay boys who ‘seem straight’ and vice versa. I wish I could ask for gay vs. straight stereotypes to be thrown out the window, but that’s just not going to happen either. All I can do is own it, regardless of stereotypes, expectations, and people’s concepts of who seems or doesn’t seem queer.

White Noise is a column exploring what it means to identify as gay or queer in McGill and Montreal communities. Eric can be reached at whitenoise@mcgilldaily.com.

Commentary

January 20, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

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Letters letters@mcgilldaily.com

The facts on the PPP Dear Daily, On two occasions The Daily has published commentaries in support of a group called Support Our Staff at McGill (“Save our support staff,” Commentary, November 25, page 17 and “Get informed, take action!,” Commentary, January 13, page 8).

The group is critical of the Faculty of Arts’ People, Processes, & Partnerships (PPP) project to reorganize administrative and support services at the departmental level. Critical engagement and disagreement are fundamental characteristics of universities, but so too is an obligation not to distort the facts.

So what are the facts? The PPP project, launched in November 2012, is one of the most extensive projects ever undertaken by the Faculty. Almost 120 people in 12 different groups have met 177 times to consider every aspect of administrative and support service delivery to departments. From the beginning, students have been consulted and proactively approached to be members of various working groups. The Faculty has solicited such participation in one form or another on 15 different occasions. We explicitly asked departments to secure participation from their graduate student associations. Graduate students have been less involved than undergradu-

Weak-willed and ironic ate students, but the working group on graduate student affairs nevertheless includes five graduate students.

SOS McGill raises the spectre of “forced relocation” of administrative and support staff. The phrase is provocative, but misleading. To be sure, there was a proposal – long abandoned – that would have entailed significant displacement of administrative and support staff, as well as faculty. The Faculty abandoned that proposal because of feedback from stakeholders who pointed out its operational weaknesses. Current proposals would see the majority of administrative and support staff remain where they are presently located.

The PPP project will not reduce the number of staff providing administrative and support services to departments. The loss of 7 staff in the 13 affected departments has already taken place because of the Voluntary Retirement Program (VRP) implemented by the University to cope with provincially imposed budget cuts. This means that 41 people are now available to do work once done by 48. The impact of the VRP was uneven: some departments experienced no staff reductions at all, while three departments saw the retirement of their senior administrative support staff person. These positions cannot

be replaced because the budgets to support them no longer exist.

This is a fact with or without the PPP, but the project gives the Faculty a tool for smoothing out the effects of those staff reductions.

The PPP project is about more than staff reorganization. It is also about what we do and how we do it.

Subgroups are looking at streamlining processes and reducing the amount of work that must be done. The project has examined better ways of integrating Faculty and department level advising. It has explored better ways of using information technology. It is concerned with enhanced training and career development opportunities for administrative and support staff.

One way or another, departments will have to develop partnerships and share resources to provide students and faculty an appropriate level of service. This means that administrative and support staff will have to provide service across departmental boundaries. There will be a challenging learning curve, but the staff in the Faculty of Arts has the talent and capacity to meet that challenge.

I am surprised that anyone thinks differently.

Dear Daily, I am writing to express my disappointment in The McGill Daily for not running images of my artwork alongside an interview with me (“Getting graphic,” Culture, January 9, page 17). I was informed this was due to the religious content of my work. I see this as a weak-willed editorial decision.

Louis Denizet’s thoughtful interview was undermined by this shameful outcome. Cowardly editorial choices are unfortunate in all arenas, but when they occur within the context of a learning institution (one of Canada’s most respected educational establishments, no less) it is particularly egregious.

The irony of your decision is of course glaring and comedic. The Daily chose not to run a potentially controversial image alongside an interview that discusses art, activism, opinion, personal expression, and public discourse.

I am curious who precisely you were hoping to protect by taking this course of action? Do you believe that the McGill community lacks the intellectual capacity to

handle art containing religious imagery in the context of an article subtitled “Graphic designer Isaiah King on art and activism?”

I feel that small individual acts of censorship are ultimately more corrosive than overt censorship from large organizations such as governments, corporations, or religious institutions. When a private citizen (especially an editor working in the news media) makes choices that are consciously contrary to expression, dialogue, and freedom of speech, that is when censorship has truly entered our day-to-day lives.

The punchline to this whole episode is that you thought it better to create your own artwork to appear alongside the article, rather than display art by the interviewee. By doing so, you have demonstrated a unique and bizarre logic and successfully run an interview with one artist while prominently featuring the work of another.

Yours truly in disappointment, —Isaiah King

—Christopher Manfredi Dean of Arts

The Daily is looking for a Readers’ Advocate The RA will write a twice-monthly column weighing student concerns against the RA’s assessment of the paper’s performance. Any Daily staff member (with six Daily “points” from writing articles, taking photos, illustrating, et cetera) can apply.

The ideal candidate will be passionate about The Daily and reader response and have an understanding of and/or willingness to learn about The Daily and its Statement of Principles (SoP). Possible tasks include reader surveys and interviews, thematic columns, critiques of how The Daily lives up to its principles, and judging the relevance of the SoP and The Daily to the student body.

Submit applications or questions to commentary@mcgilldaily.com

Features

January 20, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

AN EYE TOWARD ZION ON THE REPRESSION OF ANTI-ZIONIST (AND ANTI-ISRAELI) VOICES IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY Written by Ralph Haddad Illustration by Alice Shen

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hen Aaron Lakoff and Sarah Woolf were banned from appearing at Le Mood –“the festival of unexpected Jewish learning, arts, and culture” – they were pretty sure they knew why. Both had been up-front about being anti-Zionist Jews and Palestine solidarity activists, and thought that the festival had pulled their panel because of their beliefs, although an organizer at Le Mood cited “internal tensions” as the cause.

Their fears were unfortunately confirmed when Federation CJA, the organization behind Le Mood, drafted a press release stating that “as broad and inclusive as the tent is at Le Mood, Federation CJA has exercised our right, as any organization would be expected to do, to draw the line at funding and providing a platform [...] to those who deny the right of Israel to exist as a Jewish State [...] This is not censorship [...] no organization is under the obligation to provide an outlet for the expression of views that are entirely antithetical to its mission.” (Woolf and

Lakoff drafted their own press release in response.)

Its mission? To “build and sustain the [Montreal Jewish community] by providing principled leadership, by raising and distributing funds, and by facilitating, incubating and overseeing the delivery of services and programs [for every Jew] [...] irrespective of ideology.”

“I was pretty skeptical about the conference, because even though [Le Mood] was trying to portray itself as kind of an alternative, hip conference that speaks to Jewish youth who might be alienated by the mainstream Jewish community, it’s still clear that it was the mainstream Jewish community that’s very institutional and conservative that was pulling the strings,” said Lakoff.

Woolf admitted that “The issue is less about any particular instance of censorship, and more about the general, institutionalized, and utterly pervasive climate of political Zionism that has become the status quo within Jewish communities.”

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Features They ended up holding the panel outside the building where Le Mood was happening, where, according to Lakoff, they got double the attendance because of the “stink” their controversy created around censorship.

“The discussion was very rich. Different generations of Jewish activists were sharing their own experiences about censorship within the community,” he said.

“In a way it was just a clear example of censorship backfiring, which it always does right?” *** The mainstream media generally looks kindly on Zionism, and unkindly on almost all alternate points of view. For proof, look no further than the coverage of the death of Israeli president Ariel Sharon last week.

Canadian mainstream news outlets across the board reported on all his achievements for his country, how he was honoured at his burial, and how he fought for his life for eight years. Prime Minister Stephen Harper even went so far as to eulogize Sharon in saying that he was one of Israel’s “staunchest defenders.”

“The furthest people will go in criticizing him is saying that he was controversial,” said Lakoff. “Massacres are not controversial, displacing thousands upon thousands of people is not controversial, nor is destroying people’s homes.” Criticism has been scattered, an article by Robert Fisk here, Noam Chomsky speaking out there, but nothing substantial.

Scott Weinstein is a member of the Montreal Steering Committee at Independent Jewish Voices (IJV), a growing progressive pan-Canadian Jewish organization that deals mostly with Palestinian and Israeli issues. “We understand that money doesn’t talk, it swears,” he told The Daily in an e-mail.

“Ideological Zionists control a lot of wealth and hold sway in the mainstream media. [...] When the Zionist Asper family owned CanWest media, which owned most

January 20, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

of Canada’s daily newspapers, a [Montreal] Gazette journalist told me, ‘We can write critically about anything, except Israel and Palestine.’ Since the Aspers sold CanWest, the media is a little more open to the issue, but we have a long way to go.”

There seems to be a pattern of hegemony which rules mainstream Jewish thought with regards to Zionism, especially within Canada. It’s a hegemony that we can see playing out in Federation CJA’s mandate (an example of an “unelected Jewish elite,” as Lakoff calls them.

One simply has to read between the lines of their About Us page). In that vein, is this hegemony responsible for censoring countless Jews who are anti-Zionist, antiIsraeli, pro-Palestinian, or sometimes a combination of the three?

“I feel that in the world of Jewish education, I’m really not being given any tools to engage in this discourse without spouting the information that was taught to me, which I don’t entirely trust to be unbiased.”

Charlie In Lakoff and Woolf ’s case, there’s no question. But was theirs a one-off?

Weinstein would say that it was not.

IJV is one of many Jewish anti-Zionist pro-Palestine grassroots movements that is dedicated to fighting censorship within the Jewish community. “We are in a conflict with the ideological Zionist movement that hijacked our Jewish culture for their political ends. [...] We recognize and even highlight the growing division among Jews (which is based solely on our position on Israel).”

IJV’s work centres around exposing what they call the “racially discriminatory” Jewish National Fund (JNF) charity that uses Canadian money to take over Palestinian land for Jewish-only possession. They work to support free speech in public spaces and on campuses, and against the Israel lobby’s censorship of, and threats to, those who stand for Palestinian human rights and the right to criticize Israel.

Their work is not without its consequences. Weinstein said that IJV has been a victim of censorship and discrimination before. “The principal tactic of the Israel lobby to oppose Palestinian rights activists and Jews like us is to censor, ban and slander the activists and our message. [...] It is ironic that we Jews used to be known as ‘the people of the book’ – Jews used to be the comics, dissidents, radicals, and scientists fighting censorship – but now the Jewish establishment is trying to suppress dissent.”

Weinstein also claims that Jonathan Kay of the National Post insulted IJV in columns (such as in the article “Jonathan Kay on Jennifer Peto and the new breed of self-hating Jews”), while neatly sidestepping any discussion of the issues that IJV deals with. To top it off, “The federal [government] and some provincial governments have spared IJV directly, while going after our Palestinian allies and coalitions we are part of.”

One instance of censorship in Montreal is when Federation CJA banned IJV from hosting Israeli political activist Jeff Halper at the Gelber Centre, Montreal’s “unofficial Jewish community centre,” according to Weinstein. Halper is the co-founder of the

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Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, an anti-settlement peace group based in Israel. *** “It’s bullshit, it’s a cop-out. You know, unintellectual. It’s fearmongering, it’s childish,” Lakoff fired off when asked how he responds to those who call anti-Zionists anti-Semitic. And Weinstein claimed that today’s Zionists are the principal agents fueling anti-Semitism.

“People everywhere can see the Jewish state’s cluster bombs spill the blood of Palestinian babies, Jewish settlers humiliate Palestinian families, Jewish soldiers destroy Palestinian homes, the Jewish National Fund supports Jewish settlements in Palestine, and the Jewish government enacts dozens of discriminatory laws favoring Jews over Palestinians,” all of which could, according to Weinstein, could be responsible for another wave of anti-Semitic attacks if nothing changes.

“I think that whenever ideas start to gain traction, of course they cause fear within the establishment, which has a lot to benefit from those oppressive ideas. And they’ll just come out with whatever kind of fearmongering they can,” Lakoff adds.

Interestingly, some anti-Zionist, antiIsraeli, and pro-Palestinian supporters are actually members of the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community. I interviewed Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss, spokesperson for Jews United Against Zionism (some people might know them by another name, Neturei Karta), who wants to make the distinction between Judaism and Zionism clear.

Neturei Karta is one of the most outspoken anti-Zionist grassroots organizations in the world, but not a terribly wellknown one due to a lack of coverage in the mainstream media (see Sarah Marusek’s article “Not every Jew is a Zionist but their voices are being silenced,” in which she describes an Ultra-Orthodox anti-

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Features

January 20, 2014 The McGill Daily | www.mcgilldaily.com

Zionist protest of around 30,000 that few heard about because of the glaring lack of mainstream media coverage). Weiss explained to me that, from a religious point of view, “The mere existence of the State of Israel is contradictory to our Torah.” He goes on to explain that after the destruction of the Temple of Solomon 2,000 years ago “We were forbidden, expressively put under oath by God not to form any type of Jewish sovereignty.”

Neturei Karta’s opposition does not stop there. As Weiss explained, it’s also “the fact that they are displacing [Palestinians], oppressing [Palestinians], stealing and killing.

[The Jewish religion states] that we’re not allowed to steal, we’re not allowed to kill, we’re not allowed to oppress people. More than that, our Arab neighbours, our Muslim neighbours, were always a home, a safe haven for Jews throughout history when they suffered in Europe, and the Torah requires of us to always show our gratitude and repay with good, to never forget the good that has been done to us.”

The organization has gone much further in its activism than organizing grassroots protests with similar-minded groups.

Spokespeople for Neturei Karta have spoken at the United Nations, and at universities (where they have not been banned or censored). One of the most striking things that they have accomplished is to visit prominent politicians in Iran (meeting directly with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran’s infamous former president) as well as to visit Hamas in Gaza and offer humanitarian aid to the people there. They’ve even met with high-ranking representatives of Hezbollah “to let the whole world know that they should not consider the Jews their enemies.”

Weiss confesses that they barely get any media attention, and that when they do their organization is ridiculed and trivialized. They can’t call them anti-Semitic, so they are labelled as self-hating Jews instead, he says. “We make demonstrations, thousands show up, we really hardly ever get published if at all. The world doesn’t get it. If the media do cover it, it’s usually with ridicule, slander.”

Eric Caplan, Chair of the Department of Jewish Studies at McGill, told me that Neturei Karta is a relatively small faction of the Ultra-Orthodox community. According to him, the Montreal community considers their anti-Zionism irrelevant. “I think the reason why they get sidelined is because their anti-Zionism is coupled with a very pro-Palestinian perspective. If it was just an ideological sense that the Jews shouldn’t have a state, I don’t think people would care one way or the other.”

“If you’ve been to one of these Israel day rallies, most people ignore the Neturei Karta when they show up – there’s only like three or four people – often not from Montreal. They often come in from New York, so there isn’t much of a major Montreal -based group in the first place.” *** Charlie*, a Jewish McGill student, approached me for this piece. After telling me they consider themselves very active in Jewish life, they continued, “I support the

idea and the necessity of having a Jewish state (perhaps not necessarily in the geographical location where Israel currently lies), and support the notion of a Palestinian state.”

Charlie actively goes to McGill’s Hillel (a Jewish student organization) gatherings. What troubles Charlie the most is Hillel’s stance toward Israel, described by them in these terms: “Israel is at the heart of Hillel’s work. Our goal is to inspire every Jewish college student to develop a meaningful and enduring relationship to Israel and to Israelis. We know that engaged and educated students can become committed Jewish adults who are passionate supporters of Israel.”

“While I believe that having difficult conversations about Israel and Palestine with my Jewish family, friends, and colleagues is essential, I also believe that Jewish voices (such as my own) have been given far too much space in the movement for justice and freedom in Palestine,” Sarah Woolf For Charlie, there are many other ways of expressing a Jewish identity, especially as a university student, that do not have anything to do with Israel. Like many of their peers, Charlie is afraid to speak their mind at Jewish student gatherings, for fear of “people looking at me like I’m crazy, because Israel is so much a part of what their Judaism is.”

“I also feel deeply conflicted because I feel like I have no idea what’s true and what’s not true, in terms of the propaganda [...] I feel that in the world of Jewish education, I’m really not being given any tools to engage in this discourse without spouting the information that was taught to me, which I don’t entirely trust to be unbiased.”

Charlie claimed that the idea of anyone speaking out against Zionism or Israel, or in support of Palestine, at these types of Jewish student gatherings is absurd, and so there is no way of knowing whether someone shares the same beliefs that you do simply because everyone is too afraid to speak up. There may be others like them, but unless others confide in another person in secret, there is no way of knowing. In Charlie’s words, “The Jewish community

isn’t really a safe space, at least, not the one I’m a part of.”

“The McGill administration actively collaborates with Israel and won’t support the academic boycott to pressure Israel to respect Palestinian students’ rights to live without occupation,” continued Weinstein. “The Israel lobby has a campaign to stop Palestinian advocacy on campus and has resorted to censorship, banning organizations like Students Against Israeli Apartheid, supporting student government parties that oppose Palestinian-rights candidates, threatening and firing teachers and their academic freedom if they criticize Israel, et cetera.”

Caplan asserts that discourses around Zionism are not censored in any way within the Jewish community. “I think the reason why you don’t hear that many Jewish antiZionists in the community is because starting with the rise of Hitler, and of course culminating with the Holocaust, the vast majority of Jews who were on the fence concerning Zionism reached the conclusion that Jews needed a state,” explains Caplan, “I don’t think that there’s very many [Jewish anti-Zionists].”

Caplan wants to differentiate between anti-Zionism and anti-Israel as two disparate concepts. To him, critiques of Israel are so widespread, and are so heard, that Jewish community leaders feel that they don’t have to serve as a channel for anti-Israel criticism when it’s already happening elsewhere. “It’s not like Jews are having the wool pulled over them if the synagogue doesn’t invite an anti-Israel speaker, because everybody knows the anti-Israel positions – they’re everywhere.

I think Jewish communal institutions are interested in giving space to views that only they can foster.”

There’s also an important difference between people who critique an aspect of Israeli policy – who might themselves be hardcore Zionists – and people who deny Israel’s right to exist as a whole. “I know tons of people who are supporters of Israel, and who would consider themselves Zionist, who voice criticisms of Israel, but who voice their opinions within synagogues and who are not excommunicated or sidelined because of that,” said Caplan.

“But the community has a different response to somebody whose critique of the State of Israel is this massive blanket critique, that everything is bad such that the state shouldn’t exist.”

Caplan maintains that the McGill Department of Jewish Studies does offer both points of view as well as a wide array of ideologies – when dealing with issues such as Zionism in the late 1800s, and social justice, among others – through the readings and books professors assign to their students.

Caplan affirms that the professors in the department “dont seek to use the information that we have to forward a political point of view. The people who teach these courses will read the books and offer the different points of view and they will say who is making the most convincing case, and students will see from both sides.”

He is an advocate of nurturing vibrant and productive discourse around Israel, stating that there is nothing wrong in believing a country can make mistakes, “We

can criticize Canadian policy, like I can say that Canadian policy to the Aboriginals [sic] is historically a tremendous problem and requires a response. That doesn’t mean I’m anti-Canadian. That also applies to Israel.” Caplan wants people to see the whole picture. According to him, it is problematic when people only focus and criticize the negative aspects of Israeli policy without considering all the positive parts.

“If you see the whole picture, I think it’s a healthy thing.” “[People] fail to understand the real challenges that Israel faces when it comes to the Arab world. If Canada had on its borders a variety of countries in which there were strong radical elements that seek its destruction, it would respond to these countries in a way that is probably not all that different – you know in basic thrust – as what Israel does,” is one of Caplan’s responses when asked what critiques of Israel he doesn’t particularly enjoy.

He later admits that people have “an unusual fascination” with Israel and everything that it does, adding that “There are so many places in the world [where] the actions of governments are so much more reprehensible than what Israel is doing, and we don’t talk about it [...] so yes I would like to see some balance. If not, I think its a distortion of reality.” *** Being a native Lebanese citizen myself, I thought that Caplan’s argument bordered on apologist, and that censorship within the community is a concrete issue that has yet to be dealt with. Lakoff has some advice for journalists who, like me, want to try to combat some of this censorship. “[Journalists should be] giving voice to the voiceless [...] trying to shed light on what Ariel Sharon actually did, or what the Israeli administration continues to do on a daily basis.” Lakoff later added that “The biggest thing is not buying into the myth of objectivity; there is no unbiased media, and I think that what we really need is media that is going to challenge the status quo, and actually be a counterbalance to power.”

“While I believe that having difficult conversations about Israel and Palestine with my Jewish family, friends, and colleagues is essential, I also believe that Jewish voices (such as my own) have been given far too much space in the movement for justice and freedom in Palestine,” Woolf said.

“Censorship of anti-Zionist Jewish voices is undoubtedly a major problem within this community, and I am more than willing to call it out; however, I firmly believe that the struggles anti-Zionist Jews face within our community are a related but ultimately secondary issue compared to the very central issue of the pursuit of justice and freedom for Palestinians.”

“The only polite response to injustice is to resist and to speak the truth,” Weinstein wrote to me. “The civil rights, feminist, and gay movements taught us that silence is a form of violence, and that resistance needs to be creative, flexible, playful, and beautiful.” *name has been changed

Sci+Tech

January 20, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

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The rise of the brain-bots How neuroscience is changing technology Naomi Eterman Sci+Tech Writer

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wo and a half million years ago, the Homo genus of primates emerged by virtue of a rapidly growing brain, the largest in relation to body size of any mammal. The human brain has become the defining feature of our species, and recent advances in brain research have inspired neuroscientists and programmers alike to turn information about this mysterious and complex organ into biomimetic (‘life-imitating’) technologies.

One such technology was introduced in 2012, by scientists at the University of Waterloo. Spaun, short for Semantic Pointer Architecture Unified Network, is the largest computer simulation of a functioning brain to date. It is the brainchild of Chris Eliasmith, a professor in philosophy and systems design engineering at the University of Waterloo, who developed the system as a proof-ofprinciple supplement to his recent book: How to Build a Brain.

The model is composed of 2.5 million simulated neurons and four different neurotransmitters that allow it to ‘think’ using the same kind of neural connections as the mammalian brain. Instead of code, Spaun receives visual inputs in the form of numbers and symbols, which it responds to by performing simple tasks with a simulated robotic arm. Tasks are similar to basic IQ test questions, which include pattern recognition and retracing visual input from memory.

“There are no connections in the model that aren’t in the brain,” explains Eliasmith. “Models like Spaun are not expressed using standard computational structures. In order to run on today’s computers, we have to translate the model into code; but it is more natural and efficient to run on specialized hardware that is structured more like a brain.”

Models like Spaun are unique from other forms of artificial intelligence (AI) because they are committed to solving problems in the same way as humans. Cognitive computer systems are at the other end of the spectrum and are capable of ‘machine learning,’ which allows them to analyze and recall patterns and trends from a large amount of data. These systems are undoubtedly clever, but their problem-solving strategies are incomparable to humans’.

For instance, IBM’s research

Mimmy Shen | Illustrator team started developing a new cognitive computer in 2006, a namesake of IBM’s former CEO, Thomas J. Watson, which became the first of its kind to replicate the language and analytical ability of humans.

Watson made headlines around the world after it beat long-time Jeopardy champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter on the popular gameshow in 2011. However, the datacontaining servers stored by Watson filled up an entire room above the set, and it was running over 100 algorithms per clue in order to find the most probable answer.

It has taken two years for the IBM team to shrink Watson from its original 16-terabyte mammoth state to the size of a pizza box, all while increasing its processing speed by 240 per cent; however, it is still a far cry from the efficiency of a human brain, which consumes less power than a light bulb and weighs an average of three pounds.

The advent of neuromorphic devices has brought us closer to this ideal. IBM’s SyNAPSE (Systems of Neuromorphic Adaptive Plastic Scalable Electronics) proj-

ect has recently developed prototypes of a silicon neurosynaptic chip that mimic the brain’s natural processing capacity using artificial ‘neurons’ connected to one another. The building block of these chips is a ‘corelet’ that represents a network of synapses for a specific function, which can be combined and programmed for more complex applications. The project’s ultimate goal is a human-scale cognitive computing system, on the order of 10 billion neurons and 100 trillion synapses that would occupy the same volume as a brain.

These brain-like technologies could not be possible without the recent surge in discoveries about brain function at genetic, molecular, and behavioural levels.

In part, these can be attributed to advances in genetics, stem cell biology, and imaging.

Several innovative tools have made an impact on research in brain circuitry, including genetically-engineered viruses that can trace infected neuron pathways to determine their connections in brain tissue, the Brainbow technique (a genetic method to fluo-

rescently label individual neurons) developed at Harvard Medical School in 2007, and the emergent field of optogenetics, which is used to artificially stimulate nerve cell activity. It can take up to twenty years for new research to be implemented into technology.

The creation of brain-machine interfaces is an excellent example this technology. Neuroengineering has already made such interfaces a reality, as with cochlear implants and deep brain stimulation for Parkinson’s disease, based on research into auditory function and disease pathology. One laboratory at the Montreal Neurological Institute is working on laying the scientific groundwork for using visual brainmachine interfaces to treat blindness. Christopher Pack, a professor in visual neurophysiology at McGill, studies the function of visual cortical circuits in the brain at a mathematical level. For the visual cortex, Pack envisions a small camera connected directly to the brain as a solution to retinal degeneration.

“There is still a long way to go in terms of developing the surgical approach, the technology that

interfaces with the brain, and the algorithms that permit the camera to communicate with the brain,” Pack told The Daily. “Previous work has succeeded in allowing blind subjects to detect spots of light and perhaps crude shapes, but the longer term goal would be to restore the perception of detailed vision – things like faces, letters, motion, et cetera.”

Pack’s research is still in the early stages of translation into the tech sphere, but it is a clear indicator of the future of neuroscientific progress. We are hurtling toward the time when computers may surpass their creators in intelligence.

The great mathematician John von Neumann defined this as ‘singularity.’ Shortly after Neumann’s death, an unfinished manuscript entitled “The Computer and the Brain” was published, outlining his thoughts on the computer as a brain-like processor. Even in the 1950s, the parallels were evident – and the conclusion startling. With the rate of technology accelerating the way it has in the last decade, it may well be time to start redefining what it means to be human.

Health&Ed

January 20, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

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Faculty members open discussion on undergraduate learning Teaching Inquiry Network engages with research and teaching Hannah Besseau The McGill Daily

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n the midst of increasing class sizes and decreasing faculty members and staff, quality of teaching in post-secondary education has been a question of concern for many students. Initiatives to maintain and integrate research and teaching are seldom, and at times, limited. McGill’s Teaching Inquiry Network is one of the groups attempting to integrate research and teaching to benefit students’ undergraduate learning experience by bringing together professors to share and develop teaching methods.

The Network is a “cross-disciplinary faculty learning community of approximately 15 instructors” according to Marcy Slapcoff, Educational Developer at Teaching and Learning Services (TLS).

The group of staff members from the McGill Writing Centre, TLS, and the McGill Library meet on a monthly basis. Formed back in 2008, the group aims to create stronger links between teaching and research to enhance student learning. According to Slapcoff, “The goal of the group from the beginning has been to understand how to best use coursework to promote students’ understanding and active engagement with research.”

Almost all McGill Faculties are

represented in the Network. Geography professor Sarah Turner is one of the members of the Teaching Inquiry Network. Last semester, Turner implemented some of these ideas from the Network in her GEOG 409: Geographies of Developing Asia course by having students write journal entries for each week of readings. “From the student feedback [ journal entries] seem to work really well as a learning tool and students appreciate the ability to take time crafting their responses rather than taking an exam that they have to cram for.”

“Although it might seem weird,” continued Turner, “Professors don’t have that many opportunities to really debate and critique different teaching approaches, because we’re so busy just getting all the parts of our job done. So this is a fun and productive way to think through new ideas.”

A student in GEOG 409 (who wished to remain anonymous) attested to the overall positive experience. “The course was structured really well. [...] It was my first time having to write journal entries for a course. It actually forced [students] to think about what the author was saying and relate it to the class, and ourselves personally. I thought it was really good.”

The Network has also re-

Robert Smith | The McGill Daily ceived support from the University.

In 2011, the Nework facilitated the Joint Board Senate meeting where the Board of Governors supported the Network’s idea that “enhancing students’ understanding of research is a powerful way to improve student learning and the overall undergraduate experience.”

McGill currently has a number of other services dedicated to promoting undergraduates’ involvement in research. Some of these groups include Summer Under-

graduate Research in Engineering, the Arts Undergraduate Research Internship Award, and the Office of Undergraduate Research in Science. Though these services benefit students, they are not without their limitations, as they are only open for a limited audience. Many of them are very Faculty-specific or only available to students who actually apply to volunteer. According to Slapcoff, this stands in contrast to the Teaching-Research Project, which has the goal of

reaching every McGill undergraduate through their coursework.

Enhancing and discussing teaching methods is a step toward improving the undergraduate experience at post-secondary institutions, where generally the main qualifier of a professor is their research rather than their teaching skills and methods.

Turner maintained, “Hopefully students then feel they benefit from a wider and more dynamic range of teaching approaches and assessment strategies.”

Gentlemen, eat your veggies How research on folate deficiency could change our perception of gender roles Joelle Dahm The McGill Daily

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ost women are made aware of their responsibilities when it comes to pregnancy in a way that is almost alien to the majority of men. Gynecologists will explain the wide variety of contraceptives that people have at their disposal, doctors will tell them to stay healthy and fit, and nutritionists will advise taking folic acid supplements (which is essential for numerous bodily functions, and for fertility in both men and women), because, well, you never know. Overall, pre-pregnancy care (or contraception for that matter) is largely perceived as a

duty single-handedly carried by females. A McGill study published this past December in Nature Communications might bring an end to these misconceptions.

Folate, a B vitamin found in vegetables and legumes such as asparagus, and liver, plays an important role in the first days or week of pregnancy – a time where most women are not yet aware of their situation. A folate deficiency can lead to neural tube defect – an opening in the brain or the spinal cord of the baby – which is one of the most common birth defects.

Only 1 per cent of the Canadian population is folate deficient, as folic acid fortification for grains and flour was made mandatory

in 1998. The deficiency, however, tends to be more common among Indigenous people, like Cree communities in Eastern James Bay of Northern Quebec. This is largely due to their diet consisting mostly of animal products, and the relative food insecurity in their communities. As a result, supplementation for women of childbearing age is still advised, considering only 22 per cent reach the higher recommended intake that can prevent birth defects such as neural tube defect from occurring.

The study, led by McGill researcher Sarah Kimmins, suggests that the father’s nutritive status is also important to the health of the fetus. While there

have been studies indicating that lifestyle choices and a person’s environment can have an effect on sperm count in males, the McGill study specifically analyzed the effects of folate deficiency in mice sperm on the offspring.

The researchers would feed one group of male mice a diet high in folic acid, while the other one received a diet low in folic acid during their lifetime. In an article published on McGill Newsroom, Romain Lambrot, one of the researchers said: “We were very surprised to see that there was an almost 30 per cent increase in birth defects in the litters sired by fathers whose levels of folates were insufficient.”

The research puts a new light on the missing equilibrium on gender participation in the discussion of pregnancy and contraception. Health and lifestyle choices before pregnancy and contraception tend to be seen as a female duty. This notion reinforces the labour division in which women are responsible for taking care of the family. Further research in the field of male nutrition – as well as the male population being aware of the effect of their lifestyle choices on future children in the same way that women are – could be a first step in deconstructing the solidified gender norms concerning pregnancy and child-bearing.

Sports

January 20, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

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Sexism on the slopes An interview with Jen Hudak, freestyle half-pipe skier

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en Hudak is considered by many to be one of the greatest female half-pipe skiers ever. She was thought to be one of the favourites for a gold medal at the Sochi games, but is out of contention due to a recent knee injury at the Dew Tour. Still, on the eve of this young sport’s first Olympic appearance, Freeskier Magazine, the voice of the sport, focused on things other than its athletes’ achievements.

The magazine released a feature ranking the ten most attractive female skiers. Hudak responded by writing an article about the implications of this attitude in the industry. The Daily spoke to her to find out what it means to be a woman in action sports. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The McGill Daily: What did you think of the Freeskier article “10 Hottest Female Skiers?” Does it seem like women skiers only get coverage by marketing their sexuality?

Jen Hudak: Yeah, there is an unfair double standard. Just being a good athlete isn’t enough anymore.

In order to be successful as a female athlete, you have to be strong and beautiful. You definitely see the objectification of women in the action sports industry throughout marketing and advertising. The Freeskier article really highlights that.

MD: Well, there’s no lack of talented female skiers. For example, I think Maude Raymond is one of the most talented skiers in the sport.

JH: Maude is a tough one for me, because she uses her looks to get more attention. For myself, I dealt with a lot of body image issues when I was younger and I think now: “how can I be an overall role model for my former 15-year old self?” What would I want to see?

I would want to see a woman who uses her body to do amazing athletic things and to send the message that your body is not just there to be looked at and admired by men. I wish the media did a better job covering what we do on snow.

MD: On the Dew Tour, they only show women’s highlight runs. Do you think lack of coverage is biased and will affect the next generation of female skiers?

JH: Yeah, media coverage is completely out of balance. It’s the same across all women’s sports; 95 per cent of the airtime coverage is men’s sports and 5 percent is women’s. There are a lot of women doing amazing things but with the Dew Tour, they just do a highlight reel and only the men get live airtime. The year I won [the] X-Games

Carmen Fenech | The McGill Daily in 2010 was the first and only year where they did a live broadcast.

Women have been in X-Games for 10 showings and we’ve only been on TV once. Now, if we’re lucky, we might make the highlight reel. If there’s no way to show people what you’re doing, there’s no way to inspire and grow the sport. It’s very limiting.

MD: For women, it seems like you have to compete [in events] rather than film [ski films], even though there’s been some amazing film segments – for example, Kaya Turski. Women in ski films seem few and far between.

JH: Well, Kaya is a total badass. For park and pipe, to make a career as a female skier, you need to be competing or you’re not getting paid very much from sponsors. So you need to win prize money and pay your way to your next event.

It’s a big commitment to be competing and try to film at the same time.

Kaya did it for one season but has taken a step back now to focus on competition, which is understandable because of the [upcoming Sochi] Olympics. In the big mountain world it’s possible, but in park and pipe we have competitions that we

have to show up at. That’s what sponsors care about and that’s how you get to pay your bills.

MD: I can think of a handful of male skiers who have made a living from the sport. I can only think of one, maybe two females. Is there a wage difference?

JH: Guys make ten times the amount I make, but they probably should because they reach ten times the number of people and sell ten times the amount of product.

I don’t have too much of an issue there. I do have an issue with how much it drops off. As a female skier, there are maybe five of us who make a good living and then it drops off to the point where girls have to fundraise and work to find a way to continue skiing. It’s like a mirror image of our society and the balance of rich and poor. The top 2 per cent make 90 per cent of the money but we’re all in it because we love it.

MD: In 2010, you won backto-back at X-Games Aspen and X-Games Europe. Is it sometimes disheartening, after reaching the pinnacle of our sport, to hear: “that was really good – for a girl?”

JH: You know that year when I

was skiing, I had so much positive feedback from everybody – male and female. The next year, I had a small web series following me and people would say, “I had to press mute, but the skiing was great.” I had to laugh at that but appreciated that people were stoked on my skiing. That’s the whole point – to find something you’re passionate about and to follow it through to the end.

MD: Do you think this Olympics, with its focus on human rights, might launch the conversation in freeskiing about gender equality?

JH: I don’t know if the two are necessarily related. I wish the Olympics weren’t in Russia. Russia is a pretty corrupt place and their policies on homosexuality are despicable. But the Olympics are a business. People ask me if I still support the Olympics with what is going on – I do. The Olympics is something a lot of us have been dreaming about for our entire lives. We have sacrificed so much for that goal.

MD: Ski print media seems to be short on content and long on advertising. Your thoughts?

JH: We have a lot more growth ahead of us and I think Freeskier as

a magazine is going through changes right now. In this sport, because of how much risk is involved, you’re not doing it for the money. You’re doing it because you love it. You’re doing it to see how good you can get, how far you can push yourself and I think that spirit will forever remain in freeskiing. Ultimately, the athletes are going to dictate the direction of this sport.

MD: After you responded to the Freeskier article through your blog, how did other athletes respond, both male and female?

JH: The responses have been all over the board. I’ve had some guys ask me why I’m making a big deal about this. Why aren’t you grateful doing a sport for a living? This isn’t about being grateful. Then other male athletes are like, “This is garbage, Freeskier. Are you trying to make it seem like a joke by doing ‘10 Hottest Men?’” It was cool that a lot of people appreciated what I had to say. But I didn’t know that I was going to create the amount of waves I created. But I don’t regret writing it because that’s what I believe.

—Compiled by Drew Wolfson Bell

Culture

January 20, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

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Painting reality in dreamy shades Isabelle Guimond explores our dream world in “Dream, Baby, Dream” Marianne Liu Culture Writer

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othing new ever really occurs in a dream. A dream is just a remixed, jacked-up version of things we remember from real life.

These trivial fragments may never have been consciously recorded, but seep into the unconscious. If everything in a dream is actually unoriginal and really a compilation of reality, then to what can we credit the unnerving realities within dreams? The curiosity of the mind or the intrigue of the world? Isabelle Guimond tackles this question in her oil-and-aerosol collection, “Rêve, Baby, Rêve,” (“Dream, Baby, Dream”) currently showing at the Galerie de l’UQAM. Her artwork teeters between the real and the dreamlike. All her subjects seem very real, very morose, and very mundane. One painting shows a collection of ordinary, dirty trash, and another is an elegant depiction of a teenager jumping over a fence. Yet Guimond’s hazy outlines and the colourful palette push the audience into a dreamlike trance. By titling such sombre pieces “Dream, Baby, Dream,” Guimond exhibits a sense of dark irony. That, or extremely low standards. After all, how can anyone aspire to such ordinary circumstances?

In retrospect, the dreams of many sculpted society into what it is today. The dreams of many resulted

Robert Smith | The McGill Daily in ‘such ordinary circumstances.’

Titles in the collection such as It Girl and Mascarade seem glamorous individually but are inconsistent with the art itself. The It Girl is pretty with blonde hair and sparkly blue eyes, but is jeering in front of rebellious posters that tell her, in French, “You weren’t there to take the photo.” Her demeanour strips the ‘it’

Robert Smith | The McGill Daily

right out of the ‘girl.’ Society’s value for this superficial perfection has ignored the true imperfection. What we see on the outside really is ‘it.’ But this surface impression might just be the most dreamlike aspect of our reality. Similarly, the sultry, romantic idea of masquerade in Guimond’s Mascarade is ridiculed with a plastic bag. Like many unfortunate animals in nature, a girl is being suffocated by a discarded plastic bag. In the background, a limp, dead plant surrounds her, seeming to also threaten her. In a world that dreams of the beauty of consumerism, we often forget the consequences of our desires. But Guimond seems to warn us they will eventually come back to haunt us, like the objects in the painting.

The dreaminess of Guimond’s art could represent a desperate hope that our ordinary lives are really just a dream and that reality is actually something much more fantastical.

All we need to do is wake up. Loosely inspired by Montreal’s HochelagaMaisonneuve neighbourhood, a lowincome area, Guimond’s collection faces the harshness of reality.

“[You dream] deep dreams in the face of extreme situations, soft delinquencies to make yourself feel alive.”

Isabelle Guimond “[You dream] deep dreams in the face of extreme situations, soft delinquencies to make yourself feel alive,” said Guimond in French in an interview with The Daily.

The artist explained that in difficult situations, a person’s dreams shine the brightest. Like the subjects of the collection, the extremities and absurdities of reality have forced people to see things in a different light, a more colourful

light. To think outside the box is to dream of escaping the box. These dreams are the first steps toward improving these ‘ordinary circumstances,’ the hope of creating a better reality.

Behind Guimond’s dark humour lies a lighter, more hopeful message. She addresses the entrapment of reality with a cynical tone. Even if our reality were just a dream, we still couldn’t escape it; however, the exhibit bears a resemblance to the song from which it takes its name. Though known best through Bruce Springsteen’s bleak cover, the original version of “Dream, Baby, Dream,” by the band Suicide is more hopeful. Inspired by this, Guimond also repeatedly emphasizes the need to dream, and to dream better. If society dreams hard and well enough, then the nightmare of reality might finish.

“Rêve, Baby, Rêve” runs until February 22, 2014 at the Galerie de l’UQAM (1400 Berri, JudithJasmin pavillon, Room J-R120).

Admission is free.

INTERESTED IN WRITING FOR CULTURE? Come to our pitch meetings Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. in Shatner B-24!

Email culture@mcgilldaily.com for more information.

Culture

January 20, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

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A trio grows in Montreal Trio Populaire’s continent-hopping jazz Isobel van Hagen Culture Writer

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’m your average alternative-pop music-listener. You know, The Black Keys, Arctic Monkeys, The Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, all that jazz. Of course, I occasionally rock out to some Miley or Beyoncé, but I never really listen to anything beyond that scope of music. As you can imagine, with this limited musical background, I had never listened to a band that specialized in blending North African, Romani, Eastern European, and Jewish sounds – all into one song.

But this band’s music makes it obvious they are able to make this blend work perfectly. They were lively, catchy, musically-interesting – something you could dance to or do your homework to, or perhaps play at an upbeat dinner party. The music is easy to listen to but also has a layered and kaleidoscopic quality to it.

The masters of this AfricanEuropean-Jewish somewhat jazzy sound are called Trio Populaire, a new group formed in 2010. Selfmanaged, recording independently, they are already getting a lot of attention in Montreal, despite not yet having released an album. The three members of the band are Tacfarinas Kichou on percussion, Joey Mal-

lat on guitar, and Pierre Emmanuel Poizat on clarinet.

The biggest question I had for this band, however, was how they managed to bring all of these sounds together. In an interview with The Daily, the charming Poizat offered me some tea, and explained that the percussionist is from Algeria, which explains the North African influence. Their guitarist is from Lebanon – yet “we don’t have a specific influence from [Lebanon] but [Mallat] is where the Middle Eastern influence comes from.” He continued to explain, “I was interested in Jewish music from Eastern Europe because it has a lot of clarinet. There is also a lot of clarinet in [Romani] music, so that’s where that comes from.”

When I asked how the three band mates knew these types of music would all sound good together, he said, “We didn’t!” and quickly added, “We just jammed until it sounded good.”

Poizat explains how the title of their song “Un Chameau à New York” (“A Camel in New York,” one of their most interesting tracks) is a perfect representation of how they mix sounds. “It’s kind of a joke to show the mix between the North African desert, and American music, jazz.”

Like their music, Trio Populaire’s audience is a diverse crowd. Poizat

Katia Gosselin | Photographer recalled how “Some people […] recognize the Jewish sound so they come and say ‘oh man it’s Yiddish music!’, some people come from Africa so they hear the drums, some people like the guitar, some, the jazz.”

Poizat made it clear that Trio Populaire is not in any way traditional.

“The way we play [music] is totally different, it is influenced by a sound

but we take the melody and mix it with a different kind of rhythm.” Trio Populaire has been defined as “world jazz” but Poizat noted with a laugh, “World jazz can really mean anything you want.” The group’s defiance of simple categorization might have had a thing or two to do with the Diversity Prize they recently won from the Conseil des arts de Montréal. Trio

Populaire’s enthusiasm for a variety of sounds, and their talent for blending them all together, seems to be key to the band’s appeal.

Trio Populaire will be playing at MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels) (3680 Jeanne-Mance) on January 24 and 25 at 8 p.m.. Tickets are $18.50 for students.

Beyond kimchi GaNaDaRa serves up some Korean comfort food Darren Tang Culture Writer

F

or those of you daring enough to venture into the land that lies west of campus, fear not, you only have to walk until you reach the Concordia area to find a plentiful selection of culturally diverse eating options. This is where you’ll find GaNaDaRa, tucked neatly away on the dimly lit block of de Maisonneuve between St. Mathieu and St. Marc. It’s where I come to get my Korean food fix.

As you enter the restaurant, you’ll see the cute little stencilled sayings on the wall behind the bar such as, “If you can dream it, you can do it.”

Inspiring, right? Almost like all those emails McGill sends right before graduation. Also, if you appreciate the androgynous-looking glamorous pop stars of K-pop, you’ll be quite content with the selection of music videos playing on the TV at the far back.

Looking at the clientele, you’ll

notice that most of them are students, but GaNaDaRa manages to draw in a varied crowd. It’s not just a student’s cheap eats go-to spot; it’s a serious contender for business among the several Korean restaurants in the area and by far the busiest one.

GaNaDaRa serves the type of comforting food that you just can’t get enough of. It is founded upon its simplicity, and it’s as real as food can get.

For starters, opt for the kimchi pajeon, a variation of the seafood pajeon; a Korean crispy pancake with kimchi and slices of pork. It’s served with a soy sauce and sesame dip, an intriguing variation on a classic.

If you have a weakness for fried food, the tonkatsu (a deep-fried breaded pork cutlet, crispy on the outside, moist on the inside) guarantees mouth-watering success. It’s served with a Worcestershire-type sauce, a creamed corn salad, and tangy coleslaw with mayo dressing. The vegetables help make you feel a little less

guilty for this deep-fried indulgence.

Another must-try is their bulgogi, a Korean marinated-beef classic, traditionally grilled, but more popularly sautéed in a pan, which is GaNaDaRa’s choice of cooking. It’s extremely tasty with just the right hint of sweetness.

Lastly, it’s imperative that you order jeyuk bokkeum, my personal favourite, which consists of hot and spicy stir-fried pork with mixed vegetables. The resulting combination is mouth-watering heaven.

Need I say more?

GaNaDaRa is a sure winner for the price-conscious looking to reap the pleasure of a Korean meal with homey touches. The quality-toprice ratio is great, since the restaurant offers large portions and most plates are under $10. You may have to wait for a seat, but usually not for long since there’s constant turnover of tables.

Helpful tip: if you’re really in a hurry, do takeout and your order

Tamim Sujat | The McGill Daily should be ready in less than ten minutes. Service is prompt and courteous.

The servers seem genuinely happy to be working at this establishment.

Owner Hong Sook Kim doesn’t seem to be bogged down by the bumps in the road that many newcomer restaurants (it’s been open for a little over a

year now) often have trouble working out. She runs her restaurant tightly and ridiculously efficiently. GaNaDaRa’s definitely a good bang for your hard-earned bucks.

GaNaDaRa is situated at 1862 de Maisonneuve.

18

Culture

January 20, 2014 The McGill Daily | www.mcgilldaily.com

The Daily reviews Burial, Frankie Cosmos, The Venetia Fair, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

Burial - RIVAL DEALER Hyperdub 2013 For much of his career, Burial (William Emmanuel Bevan on his driver’s license) has had a reputation for making music that evokes a very specific emotional palette. His sound is abrasive, and in the past has made me feel cold and scared.

There is a particular mood for listening to Burial, usually a solitary one.

With Rival Dealer, his newest three-song EP, Burial attempts to reinvent his music and try something different. All of the echoing gloom fans loved him for is still there, but for the first time his sound is uplifting and more hopeful. Vocals take the stage in this EP with prominence like never before, some of them exploring themes of LGBTQ-based bullying.

The first song and title track is a traditionally Burial-sounding song. The urgency of “Rival Dealer” is unmistakable and there seems to be a sort of battle between the airy vocals and the beats, each terrified of the other. “You are not alone,” a haunting echo, is heard often in all three songs. The last two minutes of the title track peel away to a synth lullaby, segueing flawlessly into the melodic “Hiders.” This ballad slowly rises into a heartbreaking ode to loneliness, repeating “you don’t want to be alone” in a pained voice.

The third and final song, “Come Down to Us,” is the climax of the album. It begins with a hollow church chorus and transitions within the minute into a psychedelic sitar loop blended with an auto-tuned gospel voice. Burial’s soft, muddy beats resonate subtly and add a sonic depth to the song, creating a warm and quieter atmosphere. “Come Down to Us” changes yet again and becomes a strong, twinkling sweep of synth, yet still remains deeply rooted in the ground.

Burial ends this masterpiece with one final statement, though this time non-musical. He samples The Matrix and Cloud Atlas co-director Lana Wachowski’s Human Rights Campaign speech from last year, “Without examples, without models I began to believe voices in my head […] that I will never be lovable,” bringing the EP to a close. The emotional progression of the songs – from fear to isolation to acceptance – almost resembles a concept album. With experimentation, Burial has widened his range while maintaining his classic sound. It pays off, and Rival Dealer gives listeners a newfound intrigue for his future work.

-Christian Favreau

Frankie Cosmos - PURE SUBURB Unsigned Described by lead singer Greta Kline as “the pride soldiers show when they are returning home from battle victorious,” Frankie Cosmos returns after 45 digital albums (many of which consist of six to ten tracks, some of which are as short as 18 seconds) with pure suburb. The release of pure suburb is an exercise in setting vulnerability and honesty to music.

The backbone of the album is the strippeddown quality of the vocals and the revealing honesty in her lyrics. The album opens with “ballad of freedom” as Kline croons in multitracked third person “She feels in between/ feeling and nothing.” Each track that follows is a raw narrative of Cosmos’ love for her dog, New York, and Ronnie Mystery (a pseudonym for Kline’s bandmate and partner Aaron Maine).

The instrumentation takes a back seat to the vocals – quietly strummed guitar, purring organ, almost no percussion. It follows a tradition of twee indie pop, somewhat precious, but at least emotionally true. Most of these tracks would be right at home on the Juno soundtrack. Closing with “your name,” Kline reflects on the candid nature of musicality with “Your name is so great, I make the mistake of making it known,” then proceeds to burst into a chorus chanting, “oh Ronnie, oh oh oh Ronnie.”

The only flaw in the short and addictive tracklist of Frankie Cosmos’ pure suburb is that 17 minutes of audio leave you craving more. The songs evoke a connection with the listener that can only be reached through hearing such sincerity in narratives set to soft acoustics, such as in “bottom lip.” Kline’s personal character is so present in every track, and with lyrics like “Talk to me, I’ll tell you a gooey never ending story,” it even feels as though she’s singing directly to you. The melodies are simple but reverberate with deliberation as Kline gently nudges the boundaries of the minimalistic indie rock genre.

-Gelila Bedada

The Venetia Fair - BASICALLY JUST DOES KARAOKE Unsigned On their Facebook page, Boston hardcore combo The Venetia Fair claims that they aim to make music that is “theatric, chaotic, catchy, and sometimes a little silly but not too silly because it’s also serious business.” This translates to a sound not unlike a messier, less-ambitious Panic!

At The Disco.

Well, maybe just a different kind of ambitious. Where Panic! makes frequent attempts at sonic evolution like their classic-rock forebears, The Venetia Fair seems content to record a cover album that invites unfavourable comparisons to those same musical giants. The first three tracks are unassailable classics of pop music: “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, “Come on Eileen”

by Dexys Midnight Runners, and “Rock Lobster” by the B-52s; all venerated and overplayed, fixtures on the sort of “100 Best Songs of All Time According to Baby Boomers” countdowns that VH1 used to air.

But apparently The Venetia Fair wants to hear them again. Unsurprisingly, they’ve got nothing to add to “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Their take on “Lobster” is weirdly dark, somehow managing to keep the song’s original campy feel, but siphon out the fun.

The back half of the album consists of slightly less venerated source material, but little improvement. Their cover of Green Day’s multipart poppunk suite “Jesus of Suburbia” lacks the drive and dynamics of the original. “Camouflage, Camouflage,” originally by post-hardcore favourites The Blood Brothers, is short of a credible sense of urgency and mania.

Strangely enough, it’s “Come on Eileen” that’s served the best by The Venetia Fair’s puckish spirit. The original already had a bit of messy, bar-band energy to it, and isn’t hurt by a little extra volume. Not that this is a new revelation: the Dropkick Murphys have been doing celtic folk-via-hardcore punk for close to two decades now. Maybe that’s the problem with The Venetia Fair: they’re not selling anything you can’t buy better down the street. If you’re looking for a hardcore pastiche of Queen, there’s Foxy Shazam, and dramatic, kitchen-sink emo is far from rare these days. Basically consists of the worst types of cover: not bad, but exactly competent enough to make a listener long for the original.

-Hillary Pasternak

Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT Daptone Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings is an 11-piece band whose fifth album, Give the People What They Want, does just that. Press “play” and snappy, toe-tapping tunes pour forth, peppered with Jones’ smooth, soulful, and strong vocals. The first of the ten songs on the album, “Retreat!,” contrary to its title, surges forward into this melodious and fun retro-chic musical world. Saxophones, drums, trumpet, electric guitars, and tambourine complement Jones and her backup singers’ peppy interjections.

The second track, “Stranger to My Happiness,” features Jones’ reprimands to the person who “stole [her] heart away.” This turned out to be bitterly ironic, as the song itself stole my heart away by really bringing the soul.

Here’s a challenge: don’t dance, I dare you.

The total 1960s-influenced ditty “Making Up and Breaking Up Over Again” is absolutely repetitive and catchy. You’ll feel like a co-conspirator with “Get Up and Get Out,” as Jones croons, “No one can know that you are here” to her on-again, off-again lover. The ninth track, “People Don’t Get What They Deserve,” brings the cool with its punch, staccato sax riffs, building crescendos, and a chorus that almost reads (or, in this case, sings) like a line from Queen’s anthemic “We Will Rock You.” If the proverbs have taught us anything, it’s that “Cheaters never prosper,” a lesson Jones reiterates in this ninth song.

If you haven’t picked up on this yet, Jones has a really powerful and supple voice. The album experience is like listening to The Supremes circa 2014, but much, much richer timbre-wise, and more tonally satisfying.

Soulfully warm and comforting, like the aural equivalent of a deep dish of mac and cheese, this funky album is the perfect antidote to the dreary days of January. So what are you waiting for? Get the funk onto your feet.

- Reba Wilson

Editorial

volume 103 number 16

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

January 20, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

Less is not more

phone 514.398.6784 fax 514.398.8318 mcgilldaily.com coordinating editor

Anqi Zhang

coordinating@mcgilldaily.com coordinating news editor

Hannah Besseau news editors

Molly Korab Jordan Venton-Rublee Dana Wray commentary & compendium! editors

E.k. Chan Emmet Livingstone

E.k. Chan | The McGill Daily

culture editors

Nathalie O’Neill Hillary Pasternak features editor

Carla Green

science+technology editor

Diana Kwon

health&education editor

Ralph Haddad sports editor

Evan Dent

multimedia editor

Hera Chan

photo editor

Robert Smith illustrations editor

Alice Shen copy editor

Davide Mastracci design & production editor

Rachel Nam web editor

Vacant

le délit

Camille Gris Roy

rec@delitfrancais.com cover design Amina Batyreva contributors Gelila Bedada, Janna Bryson, Joelle Dahm, Naomi Eterman, Christian Favreau, Carmen Fenech, Katia Gosselin, Isaiah King, Marianne Liu, Christopher Manfredi, William Mazurek, Tom Portsmouth, Tanbin Rafee, Igor Sadikov, Mimmy Shen, Tamim Sujat, Darren Tang, Isobel van Hagen, Eric White, Reba Wilson, Drew Wolfson Bell, Wong Kar Tsai

M

cGill’s administration made the decision to drastically overhaul the residence system, starting in the 2014-15 school year.

Right now, most residences have one part-time Hall Director for every six or seven floor fellows.

The current system will be modified so that the several part-time Hall Director positions will be consolidated into fewer full-time positions. As a result, each Director’s efforts will be spread over multiple residences.

Hall Directors act as Disciplinary Officers on behalf of the administration and facilitate floor fellows’ work. Student floor fellows do not have a strict mandate but tend to serve as role models, community builders, and as resources for student residents. With a highly demanding job, the new full-time Hall Directors’ mandate to manage several buildings means they will be less available to floor fellows and students.

The McGill residence system’s emphasis on harm reduction, an approach that focuses on nonjudgemental support, makes it unique in Canada, and other universities across the country are striving to emulate it. Not only are the Hall Director positions becoming more demanding, but most are being filled by outside professionals. The overhaul threatens this harm reduction system, since outside professionals from traditional residence systems are unfamiliar with McGill’s unique system. To assume that a professional will better support the

needs of students, rather than Directors who have been with McGill residences for many years, shows a lack of support for those living in residences.

McGill ran a pilot project with a full-time Director who was responsible for Carrefour Sherbrooke, Royal Victoria College, and Varcity515 residences last semester. The administration ended the pilot project without seeking feedback from students involved, but responses from floor fellows have been overwhelmingly negative. The administration claims that the current system is unsustainable but they back this with no concrete evidence. What’s more, no one from the administration decided to consult the Hall Directors, floor fellows, or any students before implementing this new system.

This lack of communication is another episode in McGill’s long history of disregarding the opinions of students and employees. This top-down decision-making process threatens the existing community-driven residence system and exemplifies the administration’s drive toward bureaucratization. In light of this lack of consultation and student support, McGill should reconsider implementing this new system and reprioritize feedback from Hall Directors and floor fellows – the individuals upon whom the residence system depends.

—The McGill Daily Editorial Board

Errata In the article “The other side of freedom,” (Commentary, January 13, page 9), The Daily stated that CeCe McDonald would be released from prison on January 14. In fact, she was released January 13.

The Daily regrets the error.

3480 McTavish St., Rm. B-26 Montreal, QC H3A 1X9 phone 514.398.6790 fax 514.398.8318 advertising & general manager Boris Shedov sales representative Letty Matteo ad layout & design Geneviève Robert

Mathieu Ménard Lauriane Giroux

dps board of directors Queen Arsem-O’Malley, Amina Batyreva, Jacqueline Brandon, Théo Bourgery, Hera Chan, Benjamin Elgie, Camille Gris Roy, Boris Shedov, Samantha Shier, Juan Camilo Velásquez Buriticá, Anqi Zhang All contents © 2013 Daily Publications Society. All rights reserved. The content of this newspaper is the responsibility of The McGill Daily and does not necessarily represent the views of McGill University. Products or companies advertised in this newspaper are not necessarily endorsed by Daily staff.

Printed by Imprimerie Transcontinental Transmag. Anjou, Quebec.

ISSN 1192-4608.

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19

Compendium!

January 20, 2014 www.mcgilldaily.com | The McGill Daily

20

Lies, half-truths, and moderately priced

Kinda Student-run Café relocated to third floor of Mecock Building Complex Bureaucratic Process moves Farts Admissions to former location of Le Pink Girl Dame Jurus Lee The McGall Weekly

T

he Faculty of Farts’ People, Ponies, Processes, & Partnerships (PPPP) plan has encountered more criticism from student groups after a newly added clause resulted in the relocation of the newly open Kinda Student-run Café to the third floor of Mecock.

The PPPP plan was supposed to centralize the administration of McGall’s Faculty of Farts in order to cut costs but has been criticized for not meeting the needs of students and also moving the Kinda Student-run Café into the former Farts Admissions office.

“We wanted sandwiches closer to us,” explained Dean of Students Andres Goodcopoulous, between bites of a reasonably priced but not-too-cheap tuna sandwich.

This resulted in a tragic shortage of coffee and sandwiches for McGall students who are unable to locate the relocated Kinda Student-run Café. Furthermore administrative consolidation has resulted in an administrative

nightmare that has been called “Kafka-esque,” “near-Soviet in its dedication to inefficiency,” and “kinda inconvenient but not that much worse than what McGall had prior,” by various students who wished to remain anonymous.

For instance, in order to see an advisor for the Department of Pointing at Graphs, a McGall student must first see an academic advisor from the Department of Criticism and Critiquing.

After being told that they are in the wrong place, they must get a form from the fifth floor of Mecock, now designated as the Floor of Forms and Associated Miscellanea (FAAM). After that they must run down to the basement of Mecock where the advising forms will be stamped. Following this the student must run to the FAAM floor and back down twice to get the same form and get it stamped in triplicate.

“I am sorry but I really don’t have time for an interview; need to get these forms stamped or else I can’t graduate,” said a U3 student in the Department of Criticism and Critiquing in between gasps.

E.k. EK | The McGall Weekly Calls asking about student involvement in the shaping of this policy were answered by senior Farts administration. However, only the sound of moderately-

priced potato salad being chewed was audible.

Another working group of PPPP was renting out the fourth floor of Mecock for farmers to

graze their Shetland ponies. This bold step to raise revenue was hampered by the slight oversight that it is impossible to grow grass on the linoleum floor of Mecock.

List of rejected Carnival names by a team of English Majors Listed by reason for rejection Too Obvious Moby’s Dick Charles Dickens Roland Barf For Play and Entrance As You Like It One Flew Over the Cock-oo’s Nest Desperate Remedies Portnoy’s Cumplaint The Virgin Suicides Edgar Allan Pole Jacques Diarrheada Alice Munro’s New Short Story Collection: Beer Life The Beer Park Holes When You Are Engulfed in Beer 1984 Beers Sixty-Nine Stories

Shakespeare Wasn’t Even One Person A Midsummer Night’s Cream The Hempest Dick III King Beer Totally Over Modernism A Portrait of the Artist as a Drunk Man The Lovin’ Song of J. Alfred Prufuck The Wasted Land Ezra Pound White Male Postmodernists The Crying of Lot 69 Mason & Dickin’ Infinite Keg A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Penis Imperial Bedrooms The Rules of Attraction

Canadian Cumming Through Slaughter There’s This Trick in Bed I’m Learning to Do: Poems Anal’s Ghost How Drunk Should a Person Be? Stoner Diaries

Awards are for Sell Outs MacArthur Penis Grant PEEN/Fuckner Award Stephen Leacock Award

Ugh, Hemingway?

For Whom the Balls Toll A Moveable Queef The Old Man and the Seamen The Boner Also Rises A Farewell to Beers

Too Meta Swords and Scabbards Imagery The Fight With the Monster in Spenser’s Faerie Queen Dude The Obscure This Week Gives Us Total License To Be Loud Assholes Wow, We Don’t Give A Fuck About Anyone Else on Campus

Ancient Virgin’s the Aeneid Carpe Noctem In Vino Veritas

Too Soon Bong Walk to Freedom

—Compiled by Heaven Sent and Peein’ More