Time is a nebulous, abstract concept, often defying simple definition. Its measurement eludes any universal and objective standard, shaped instead by cultural context, intellectual advancements and social convention.
Historically, each civilization developed its own methods of marking time: the Persians compiled king lists, the Greeks recorded Olympiads, the Romans kept fasti, and during the medieval period, European scholars relied on Biblical chronology.
In modern historiography, we generally rely on a chronological and linear representation of temporality. Indeed, much of the language we use to discuss time implies a linear framework. In the visual arts, for instance, the standard physical arrangement in museums illustrates this perspective: most exhibits are displayed from the oldest works to the most recent, with the line serving as a central figure. On a smaller scale, the same holds true in everyday visual representations such as almanacs, calendars, charts, and graphs.
Because the linear metaphor of time is so pervasive
CETTE SEMAINE...
INSIGHTS
3 | THE CLIMATE CORNER Issue 4
7 | IF IT WAVES LIKE A FACIST
Why are we giving Musk the benefit of the doubt?
nowadays, it may come as a surprise that the practice of mapping chronological relationships onto measured timelines is relatively recent. Much of this development is due to the work of scientist and theologian Joseph Priestley, who published two influential timelines in the eighteenth century: the Chart of Biography (1765) and the New Chart of History (1769). Priestley’s Chart of Biography was the first biographical timeline to use individual bars to represent a person’s lifespan, making it possible to compare the lifespans of as many as 2,000 individuals on a single chart. Beyond the data presented, Priestley’s true innovation laid in introducing and popularizing a new, secular methodology and epistemology of time, which made it feasible and customary to plot a range of factors on a linear temporal framework. As a result, an infinitely extending linear timeline – stretching from the past, through the present, and onward to the future, ad infinitum – has become our prevailing representation of chronology, sharply contrasting with the previous, cyclical Christian conception of a divinely appointed endpoint that leads into a new beginning.
COMMUNAUTÉ
6 |LA RECETTE DE LA VICTOIRE
À déguster avec des game day nachos
4 | IN YUM YUM WE TRUST
5 | L’ÈRE DE LA LOI 21
Répercussions sur les femmes musulmanes et la normalisation d’une nouvelle réalité
Using art, once again, to illustrate this contrast, we can look to Michelangelo’s Last Supper, which exemplifies the earlier, religiously motivated temporal viewpoint by highlighting a pivotal, final moment within a broader cycle of birth, death, judgment, and rebirth.
er than repeating a cyclical, morally-directed narrative. As we can see, chronography and historiography are not universally accepted or scientifically established truths; rather, they evolved together in response to shifting intellectual, cultural, and social forces. Although time is an ever-present concept and practical marker that profoundly shapes our daily experiences, we rarely pause to consider it in the abstract – unless we are confronted with it directly. One such confrontation is the passing of a loved one, which brings both grief and a sudden awareness of time’s impact.
One month ago, during the winter holidays, my family and I had to let our dog Blueberry go. While the holidays are typically associated with happiness, family and togetherness; this was when a cherished member of our family – after four years – had to leave us. In those short four years, Blueberry went from the little puppy whose messes we had to clean up to a true and beloved family member. His sudden and unexpected departure was difficult to bear. However, in dealing with my grief, funnily enough, I found comfort in Joseph Priestley’s 18th century reflections on time: what a privilege it was to share even part of my timeline with Blueberry, to feel his unconditional love, to watch his paws tippy-tap with excitement whenever I came home, and to pet the soft, white patch of fur on his chest, so distinct from his otherwise ‘blue’ coat, during our morning cuddles.
In contrast, by adopting a linear conception of time, modern artists can enter into a dialogue with the past and build on previous artistic trends in hopes of leaving a novel imprint in the ever-evolving, infinite lineage of artistic production. Consider, for example, Odilon Redon’s The Cyclops, one of my favourite Symbolist pieces. Though inspired by the Greek myth of the oneeyed creatures from Homer’s Odyssey, Redon departs radically from the monstrous, terrifying Cyclops that Odysseus had to battle. Instead, his Cyclops emerges shyly from a rocky landscape to observe a nymph, with no hint of aggression or violence. In the place of the traditional, horrific creature, stands a gentle, almost endearing presence; its single large eye seeming more curious than frightening. This creative reinterpretation showcases how modern artists can draw on the past while forging new, linear pathways forward, rath-
Even though our timelines intersected for a shorter period than we had hoped, time continues ad infinitum (at least in our current, socially and culturally motivated conception of time) – and so does Blueberry’s memory, living on in my heart, in the hearts of those he touched, in the stories I will recount, and in these very words in the Quid Novi .
I know I’m not the only one at the law faculty who has recently had to confront time and experience loss. To those of you in a similar place, I hope that a chronological conception conveying that love persists – spanning the past, present, and into the infinite future beyond –brings you a little bit of comfort, just like it did for me.
Dearest Climate Corner readers, we return from our short break to a world on fire — more on fire than before. The imperial core of Western culture (Los Angeles) is burning, attracting the eyes of millions around the world. Over the last five years, California has experienced some of the largest, most destructive wildfires in its history. While not the biggest or most deadly, the Palisades fire threatens what we previously thought was untouchable: the lands of the rich and famous. Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s inflammatory inauguration speech laid the groundwork for a political firestorm. Flanked by three of the world’s most powerful, capitalist oligarchs, Trump promised to return America to a golden age of imperial expansion and environmental extraction. This impossible fiction is determined to bulldoze the delicate steps Biden had taken towards progressive climate policy. One can only hope that our American-centric newsfeed will make this climate crisis a hotter issue for Canadians in 2025, and that we will vote accordingly.
As the debate around the Albertan oil industry strains the bonds of Canadian federalism and threatens domestic climate progress, scholars and activists continue their persistent fight for a different approach to environmental relations. The MJSDL was privileged to host renowned Kahnawà:ke Mohawk activist and scholar Taiaiake Alfred for a talk on Tuesday evening. Author of the book It’s All About the Land, on Indigenous resurgence in the face of assimilationist policies, Taiaiake has been counselling governments and institutions on Indigenous rights for decades. For those of us who read John Borrows’ work in ILT, Taiaiake voiced an opposing perspective, arguing that reconciliation is useless unless it means restoring land to Indigenous people. He has worked extensively to document
Issue 4 A World on Fire
the cultural losses which result from chemical contamination on Indigenous lands, and highlighted his involvement in the case of the Hanford Nuclear Site.
The Hanford Nuclear site is located near the Columbia River in Washington State, on the land of the Nez Perce Tribe. During the site’s operation in the 40s, millions of gallons of nuclear waste were inadequately stored in tanks underground and began to leach into the river, restricting the traditional use of the river for the Nez Perce tribe and even causing an increase in cancer rates. Taiaiake recounted the story of an essential nuclear waste cleanup project, subject to the whims of political regimes. In the Obama era, a cleanup operation aided by the EPA’s Superfund program began work to remove all waste barrels and store them at a prepared pit in New Mexico. This project was defunded and stalled under Trump, then was reawakened by Biden. Taiaiake is concerned that, during Trump’s second presidency, the project will once again be neglected and the contamination of the river will worsen into an urgent health
risk, especially as the unsecured waste begins to shift. The EPA has released a 2024 report on emerging contaminants in the river, which increasingly threaten both animal and human life. Taiaiake also spoke on the recent Quebec Superior Court’s potentially groundbreaking decision in R. v Montour and White (2023). The defendants are members of the Mohawks of Kahnawà:ke who were charged with criminal offences relating to the illegal import of tobacco. They were successful in arguing an Aboriginal Rights Defense, stating that the Covenant Chain of Friendship and other treaties with the crown that protected the Aboriginal right to trade, included the trade of tobacco. The Superior Court Judge found that the Covenant Chain of Friendship is a non-extinguished oral meta-treaty recognized both under Haudenosaunee law and protected by s. 35(1) of the Constitution. Notably, the Court also found that the Covenant Chain establishes a procedural promise to use treaty councils as the dominant form of conflict resolution when treaty issues arise. The criminal
Adele Wechsler | 2L
charges against the defendants were permanently stayed; however, the Crown has confirmed it will appeal the case to the Supreme Court. If upheld, this judgement could represent a significant change in how courts must consider the Covenant Chain of Friendship, as well as strengthening how the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) operates in Canada.
When asked about the increasing threat of climate change to Indigenous lands, Taiaiake presented a grounded approach to the current state of Canadian environmental affairs: if our country’s colonial identity is based around capitalism and resource extraction, “there is no reference point other than Indigenous environmental ethics”. As the two stories above illustrate, large frameworks can shift for the worse, or for the better. In Canada, we have a chance to leverage environmental law and Indigenous rights to create a more positive relationship between our society and the environment.
If these issues interest you and you would like to learn more about the field of environmental law, please join us this Wednesday, Jan. 29 for the third annual Environmental Law Networking Event hosted by the MJSDL and ADELA at the Maison du Développement Durable.
Get your free tickets here:
IN YUM YUM WE TRUST
Heeva Chavoshi| 1L
When I first approached the Quid Novi table during Clubs Day, I distinctly remember being told that one of the best parts of being a columnist is the freedom to write about almost anything—even food reviews. As soon as I heard this, I knew exactly what I wanted to write about: Yum Yum Soupe Dumpling.
Tucked among a surprising number of other soup dumpling shops and diverse cuisines on St-Denis Street, Yum Yum Soupe Dumpling stands out with the best soup dumplings I’ve ever had. The broth is rich and flavorful, the dumpling skin thin and silky, and the filling perfectly balanced. Behind the counter, the waiters’ hands are dusted with flour from folding dumplings, and the owners are attentive to your every need – from water to black vinegar to soy sauce. While the storefront and interior are modest, Yum Yum delivers where it counts.
But Yum Yum is more than just excellent food—it’s my first true Montreal “hidden gem.” Though I’ve lived here for six months, I still feel like I’m just scratching the surface of the city’s endless offerings. When friends visit and ask for a local recommendation, this is my go-to. In a way, it’s become an heirloom, passed down to me and now passed on to others.
I initially discovered Yum Yum through my friend Lysette, back when we first met in August. I asked her for a recommendation as someone new to the city, and she introduced me to the magic of Yum Yum. Less than a week later, I was blown away by a basket of #117 steamed dumplings with a visiting friend. We ate mostly in silence, breaking it only for the occasional mumble of “wow” or “oh my god.” Months later, another visiting friend received the same recommendation, with the same results. I’m confident Yum Yum will continue its legacy through their recommendations to others.
Each time I bite into a Yum Yum dumpling, reminded of how my mom first taught me the proper way to eat a soup dumpling, and I know it’ll be one of our first stops when my parents visit me next. I think about how my best friend in London, Meagan, would truly appreciate the artistry behind these dumplings. I think about what other hidden gems await me in this city, and how I can’t wait to discover and share them too.
Yum Yum is a warm hug. Yum Yum is community. Yum yum is… yummy. So, if I had to give Yum Yum Soupe Dumpling a rating, it would be a wholehearted 10/10.
Cet événement s'inscrit dans le cadre de la semaine de sensibilisation à l’Islam 2025.
LEAF, CHLRP & MLSA PRÉSENTENT:
L'ère de la loi 21
Répercussions sur les femmes musulmanes et la normalisation d'une nouvelle réalité
Idil Issa Frédéric Bérard Nadia Hasan
Fondatrice de FEMCOR, cofondatrice de Mouvement Montréal et étudiante en droit à l’Université McGill
Associé GBM Avocats, Docteur en droit et plaideur en droit constitutionnel
Professeure adjointe à la School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies et directrice de l’Islamophobia Research Hub de l’Université York
Tribunal École Maxwell-Cohen
Salle 100, Faculté de droit de l’Université McGill, 3644, rue Peel, Montréal
Vendredi 31 janvier de 16 h 30 à 18 h 30*
Animé par:
Cee Strauss
Avocat e principal e, Fonds d’action et d’éducation juridique pour les femmes
Cliquez ici pour vous inscrire:
*Des rafraîchissements seront servis à la suite du panel.
Centre sur les droits de la personne et le pluralisme juridique de McGill
McGill Centre for Human Rights and Legal Pluralism
LA RECETTE DE LA VICTORE
à déguster avec des game day nachos
Caroline Homet| 1L
Je me souviens d’avoir vu MariePhilip Poulin compter le but gagnant pour le Canada aux Olympiques de Vancouver en 2010. Je pense que c’était la dernière fois que j’étais motivé de suivre une partie de hockey… avant d’avoir vu la Victoire de Montréal affronter le Minnesota Frost dans un match de la Ligue professionnelle de hockey féminin. J’ai crié comme une fangirl à un concert de Taylor Swift en voyant Poulin courber la rondelle d’un tir du poignet dans la plus petite ouverture par-dessus l’épaule de la gardienne du Frost. Mon frère et mon père se sont levés en jetant leurs bras dans les airs dans une synchronicité pratiquée devant maintes parties télévisées. La vue était impeccable de nos sièges de la section 200 malgré leur proximité avec le plafond de la place Bell. La foule a applaudi extra fort l’exploit de leur sweetheart québécoise.
Voir un match de la Victoire de Montréal, c’est automatiquement devenir fan de hockey féminin. “Tu ne peux pas faire autrement que participer,” a dit ma Mamie en applaudissant le troisième but de l’équipe locale. L’énergie est infectieuse. Tout faisait sourire, des affiches des admirateurs, « Talking about la Victoire is our new personality, » aux petites voix aiguës qui lançaient les chants, « Let’s go Victoire, let’s go! » en passant par la vague qui a trois fois fait le tour de l’aréna comble.
Quand on parle de hockey féminin, ce n’est pas juste les joueuses qui sont célébrées. Les juges de ligne, les arbitres, la chronométreuse, la DJ, la MC, et surtout, les spectatrices qui envoyaient la main à la
foule sur l’écran géant étaient fièrement féminines. La représentation se poursuit à l’extérieur de l’aréna aussi. RDS diffusera 18 matchs de la Victoire cette saison et ce, à l’aide d’une équipe de diffusion 100% féminine. Les matchs du samedi seront également diffusés sur CBC et Radio-Canada. Alors, si vous, tout comme moi, êtes tombé.e.s amoureux.ses de la Victoire après la sortie organisée par MSELA et Outlaw jeudi passé, vous pourrez suivre votre nouvelle équipe préférée en direct de votre salon en dégustant une plaque de game day nachos.
Ce n’est pas juste Montréal et sa banlieue qui a une nouvelle passion pour le hockey féminin. Le dimanche 19 janvier, la Victoire a affronté la Charge d’Ottawa à Québec dans le
stade Vidéotron complètement sold out. Samedi matin, Ruba Ghazalqs, députée de Mercier, a souligné sur Instagram que la tournée de la Victoire à Québec avait vendu plus de billets que la résidence temporaire des Kings de Los Angèles subventionnée par le gouvernement Legault. Bon, il y a de la politique là-dedans, mais je crois néanmoins que l’enthousiasme des fans de la Capitale Nationale illustre que le rêve de la LPHF semble avoir remplacé celui d’un retour des Nordiques dans leurs cœurs.
Mais déjà victorieuse dans la salle comble de la Place Bell, la Victoire n’a pas seulement gagné leur premier match à domicile de la nouvelle année. Ils ont gagné une nouvelle partisane en prime.
Game Day Nachos
Rapides à assembler et avec un temps de cuisson record, ces game day nachos sont idéal à partager devant le visionnement en direct de votre nouvelle équipe préférée. Le tapis de haricots frits fait écho à une trempette sept étages crunchy en plus d’ajouter assez de protéines pour constituer un repas complet.
□ Haricots frits (refried beans)
□ Chips de maïs
□ Vos garnitures préférées: poivrons, piments, oignons, olives, bacon, viande hachée ou PVT, etc.
□ Votre fromage préféré
□ Votre choix de salsa, crème sûre, guacamole, oignons verts, coriandre ou persil frais et jus de lime
1. Préchauffer le four à 425 °F.
2. Tapisser une plaque de cuisson avec du papier parchemin.
3. Étendre une canne de haricots frits sur le parchemin.
4. Couvrir d’un généreux étage de chips de maïs.
5. Agrémenter de vos garnitures préférées. Soyez créatifs!
6. Couvrir d’une petite montagne de fromage.
7. Enfourner une dizaine de minutes ou jusqu’à ce que le fromage soit fondu sans brûler les chips.
8. Servir avec vos salsas préférées, crème sûre, guacamole, une goutte de lime, et des oignons verts et coriandre fraîche sur le dessus.
IF IT WAVES LIKE A FACIST
Why are we giving Musk the benefit of the doubt?
Maddie Adams Alexander| 1L
A dog-whistle hinges on plausible deniability. Prior to 2016, denial that Elon Musk was giving a Nazi salute at an American presidential inauguration would not have been plausible. During celebrations after the Inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump on January 20th, Musk was witnessed “slapp[ing] his right hand into his chest, fingers splayed, before shooting out his right arm on an upwards diagonal, fingers together and palm facing down”. 1 He then repeated the salute, while thanking the audience and stating that, thanks to them, there will “finally [be] safe cities” and “secure borders”, what he refers to as “basic stuff”. 2 The Nazi Salute, developed as a gesture of loyalty to Hitler and his regime in the 1930s, is performed by outstretching the right arm with the palm facing down. 3 I will leave it up to the reader to spot any differences in the two actions as they are described above.
The greatest danger of the Trump administration is not any singular provocative or problematic policy, arguably it is not even the cumulation of those policies. The danger of Trump’s administration; the danger of Trump himself, and those aligned with him politically, is that he has been successful and will likely continue to be successful in having those who are subjected to witnessing his political acts become adjusted to a new status quo of acceptable behaviour; both for politicians and people in general. Trump’s administration has consistently taught the American people that they should doubt both history (their own and the world’s) and their own intuition when it comes to what is permissible.
Musk can toe the line of dog-whistles, claiming with his hand on his heart (where it should have stayed) that he is innocent of doing anything unscrupulous, but whether the conclusion of any analysis confirms an affinity for past fascism or not, it does not matter. Any argued innocence, argued either by him or on his behalf, is irrelevant. Someone who is opposed to any of the fascist and antisemitic views that Musk’s gesture could even just potentially suggest to symbolize would not have made the gesture. They certainly would not have made it twice.
1 Guardian News and Media. (2025, January 20). Elon Musk appears to make back-to-back fascist salutes at Inauguration Rally. The Guardian. https:// www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/20/trump-elon-musk-salute.
2 Ibid.
3 Hitler Salute (hand sign). ADL. (2022, May 3). https://www.adl.org/ resources/hate-symbol/hitler-salute-hand-sign.
The greatest threat of the Trump administration, in my opinion, is vividly and succinctly demonstrated by the fact that Musk felt safe enough to make the gesture, knowing that the American people have been conditioned to accept outrageous behaviour from public-facing political elites in recent years, and worse, also knowing that the demographic of the people who admire and agree with him would applaud the gesture.
People who defend him, or who are simply ignorant as to what can be inferred from Musk’s gesture, have argued that his gesture could not have possibly been intended to imitate a Nazi salute, as he would have nothing to gain in performing a Nazi salute. First, if he had nothing to gain by doing it, I firmly believe that he simply would not have done it. In a situation broadcasted to so many, it would only stand to benefit any morally-corrupt politically elite and political-elite-adjacents for us to assume any words or gestures are innocent or neutral. These choices are intentional and I believe it would make any of us naive to assume otherwise. Second, even if there was nothing for him to gain in performing the gesture – he also had nothing to lose. The latter is ultimately what counts, and what terrifies me personally.
When a political administration and its representatives have nothing to lose when it comes to their problematic public behaviour, it is made clear that the people governed by that political administration have everything to lose as a result of that administration and its representatives’ power going unchecked and their hateful actions going unpunished. It is my hope that those coming to the defence of Musk in Facebook and Instagram comment sections (“c’mon guys, its a Roman salute!”) are right that it was merely an awkward yet ultimately innocent act of celebration. It is my fear, however, that it will be a moment we reflect on in coming years, shocked that the meaning of the gesture could ever have been disputed, and realizing that we should have believed them when they told us what they were the first time.
The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears, it was their final, most essential command.
- George Orwell, 1984
EDITOR-IN-CHIEFS
RÉDACTEURS EN CHEF
Jessica Keer Li
Pablo Mhanna-Sandoval
SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR
DIRECTRICE DES RÉSEAUX SOCIAUX
Gabrielle Torrealba
ART DIRECTOR
DIRECTRICE ARTISTIQUE
Souang Wu
LAYOUT EDITOR
ÉDITRICE DE MISE EN PAGE
Lysette Umwali Gacuzi
COPY EDITORS
SECRÉTAIRES DE RÉDACTION
Faith Dehghan
Jacob Kasirer-Kettner
Jerod Miksza
COLUMNISTS
CHRONIQUEURES ET CHRONIQUEUSES
Caroline Homet
Heeva Chavoshi
Maddie Adams Alexander
CONTRIBUTORS
CONTRIBUTEURS
Adele Wechsler
Special thanks to Prairie Koo for designing the layout.
Les opinions exprimées sont propres aux auteurs et ne réflètent pas nécessairement celles de l’équipe du Quid Novi. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of the McGill Law Students’ Association or of McGill University.
Envoyez vos commentaires ou articles avant jeudi 17h00 à quid.law@mcgill.ca
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