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a, Recipes, Student Life

End-of-season tabbouleh salad

by Alycia Noë on

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The summer growing season is coming to an end, but there is still time to celebrate the delicious vegetables provided by the warm weather—corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, and much more.  This riff on tabbouleh salad draws inspiration from traditional flavours, but also incorporates delicious in-season produce. This Levantine Arab dish is a healthy and satisfying way to enjoy this time of year.

 

Ingredients

1 cup bulgur (can be substituted with couscous or rice)

3 chopped tomatoes

1 chopped and peeled cucumber

1 diced red or white onion

1 cup cooked corn

4 minced cloves of garlic

½ cup chopped parsley

½ cup red wine vinegar (use less vinegar for a less sour flavour)

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about ½ a lemon)

salt and pepper to taste

 

Instructions

1. Cook bulgur or rice according to directions on package.

2. Chop tomatoes, cucumber, onion, garlic, and parsley.

3. Combine all vegetables with bulgur/rice.

4. Add vinegar, oil, lemon juice, and other desired seasonings.

a, Opinion

The charter misreads ‘culture’

by Stefan Novakovic on

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A lot has been made recently of the proposed Quebec Charter of Values and the limiting of conspicuous religious symbols worn by public servants. The most interesting element of this is the differentiation between “cultural” and religious symbols, with crosses and Christian iconography claiming an exclusive place as part of the cultural landscape of Quebec.

I don’t find the Parti Quebecois (PQ) proposal—or those who support it—evil or morally disgusting in the way that it has been generally portrayed by anglophone journalists and commentators. I sympathize with the Quebecers who feel that their province, particularly the island of Montreal, is becoming something that they no longer recognize. Cultural change can be frightening. However. I do think the charter, and the broader ideology it represents, is deeply misguided on two levels. The Parti Québécois does not understand the culture of Quebec, nor the more abstract idea of culture itself.

There are two ‘Quebecs.’ One Quebec is the one that we McGill students know. This is Montreal, a cosmopolitan, diverse, global, city. The sounds and smells of Montreal are not those of Trois-Riviéres or Shawinigan. Another Quebec exists outside of our city, with different ways of life, sets of values, and culture. The Quebec that exists outside of Montreal is beautiful and culturally rich, but fundamentally different. We cannot force the same cultural principles onto two different ways of life.

When I hear the words “Quebecois culture,” no unified image of what that might be comes to mind. The Quebec that I know is Montreal. The culture that I know is multi-ethnic, fluid, and worldly.  Apparently, that isn’t Quebec. Everything about the city that I live in and the lifestyle I lead is apparently unauthentic, since it doesn’t match up to some romantic, pastoral vision of a bygone Quebec. In the Quebec I know, burqas, niqabs, turbans and stars of David, the latter of which are symbols people often wear non-religiously, are just as much a part of the culture that I see around me as the cross atop Mont Royal. The smell of shwarma is just as prevalent as the smell of poutine and “pizza-ghetti.” The mélange of French, English, and so much more, is Montreal’s identity, its culture, its heart.

Culture is not a government mandate. Culture is reflective and symbolic of our society. Forget about making immigrants into ‘real’ Quebecers or maintaining ‘real’ Quebecois culture. The city is already culturally different from the rest of Quebec. Culture is only authentic if people live it. Nobody ever has any right to tell others that their way of life is ‘unauthentic.’ Lives people are actually living are always more real and authentic than an imagined ideal. How could we ever privilege an imagined, bygone past (in terms of Montreal) over the real lives that people lead?

The most significant problem with the PQ ideology is a complete misunderstanding of what culture means. Culture is the product and expression of the lifestyles and beliefs of our society. It is something that comes from people, not something imposed upon it. It is the organic expression of collective attitudes and principles. In this sense, to privilege one culture over another is impossible. We cannot be against one type of culture or for another. To sacrifice one culture on behalf of another is to sacrifice the very freedom that makes cultural expression possible. The PQ is not in favour of Quebecois culture over other forms of culture. The PQ is against culture, period.

The ‘two solitudes’ exist not just between Quebec and Canada, but within Quebec itself. We must remember that culture is a  product of society, and that two fundamentally different societies cannot have the same monolithic culture imposed upon them. There is nothing wrong with the Quebecois culture that the PQ idealizes. The problem is (for Montreal), ironically, that it is an ill fit.

My bedroom window overlooks Mount Royal. I see the cross  light up every night. I consider it a beautiful symbol of Quebec and Montreal. It represents a part of this city’s past and people. However, if that beautiful cross becomes the only ‘culture’ mandated by the government as appropriate, it will no longer be an expression of Montreal. It will lose its value and beauty as an expression of the people. It will be something imposed on us rather than made by us. That is not culture. I do not want to look at that cross and see freedom and identity nailed upon it in sacrifice. We must not let that cross become a crucifix. The PQ do not realize that they are not only destroying the culture of  immigration and multiculturalism, but that, in doing so, they are destroying Quebec.

Continuing the campus conversation, hear what Helin Azizoglu, Youcef Rahmani and Nathan Gibbard have to say. 

a, Sports

Redmen remain undefeated in RSEQ

by Jacqueline Galbraith on

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This past Saturday, the McGill Redmen attempted to extend their winning streak to three games in their home opener at Percival Molson stadium. Having edged-out both Sherbrooke and Université de Montréal by uncharacteristically narrow margins, the team claimed a more decisive victory against the Concordia Stingers, winning the match 35-28.

McGill started slowly and soon fell behind after Concordia’s Joseph Fulginiti converted a kick. This lit a fire under the Redmen as they finally awoke from their slumber and responded with a try of their own, courtesy of senior fullback Cameron Perrin, who went on to tally a total of 15 points during the game.

Turnovers were undoubtedly an issue for the Redmen, but Assistant Coach Ian Baillie has an optimistic outlook for the team’s progress.

“We took care of the ball a lot better than we have the last little while,” Baillie said. “We have to continue to build up our handling skills.”

Concordia mounted a bit of a comeback in the second half, keeping the pressure on McGill. Fans were on the edge of their seats with two minutes to go in the match, watching the Redmen fight to hold onto a 30-28 lead.

Sophomore flanker Konstantin Born spoke about the team’s motivation during the game.

“I mean, it’s always hard against Concordia,” he said. “For the last three years we [have played] against Concordia in the finals, so it was a big game for us today. Especially as the first two games of the season didn’t go that well. We really wanted to show that […] we can do better than that and beat Concordia today.”

The Redmen managed to open up the lead in the dying minutes of the game, closing out the match 35-28.

The Redmen lost a number of valuable starters last year, including fly-half Connor McKenzie, and prop Alex Sunell who was team captain for the past three years. With former assistant coach Eric Van Sickle taking on the head coaching position, as well as the roster losses due to graduation, McGill is on a rebuilding path.

“We’re young, we have a lot of inexperience,” Assistant Coach Baillie said. “But the guys that are still around–we have a number of really good leaders. They’re bringing the young guys along, but absolutely, there are some guys that you feel their absence when they’re gone [….] Guys [are] playing out of position and learning new roles. [They] have embraced it and are getting better and better each week.”

McGill seems to be on the right track. This is the team’s widest victory margin of the season, and they’re all focused on continuing that pattern, according to Born.

“The rucking was really good today. We were all going in [and] we were fighting for the ball. We had a couple of really good runs from our backs—both [the] forwards and backs worked really well together,” he noted. “We have a lot of new guys in, so the communication has to get a little better, but [this game] was really great. I mean, there are a couple of challenges coming up for sure, but in general, I think we’re doing well [and] going the right way.”

The Redmen are poised and ready to take on the Bishops Gaiters at home this coming Thursday. Focused on winning their eighth consecutive RSEQ title, the team should continue developing their younger talent and remain a dominant presence in the league.

a, Science & Technology

Security beyond the internet of things

by Abhishek Gupta on

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We are all familiar with the feeling of dismay when opening the fridge to an empty shelf. In response to that problem, refrigerators may soon be able to place an order for delivery all on their own, according to Kevin Ashton, a British technology pioneer.

In 1999, Ashton proposed the term the ‘Internet of Things,’ which refers to uniquely identifiable objects and their virtual representations in an Internet-like network. In other words, with new technologies, regular household devices like refrigerators can now ‘hop’ onto the Internet. One way this is accomplished is through a machine-readable sensor or RFID (Radio-frequency Identification), allowing objects to communicate with any other service with a virtual presence on this massive network.

Other current technologies like QR codes (Quick Response code), barcodes and NFC (Near Field Communication) are also potential linking agents, that too, could connect various devices to the Internet. In fact, an increasing number of devices can be connected in this way.

“We have a clear vision: to create a world where every object—from jumbo jets to sewing needles—is linked to the Internet,” writes Helen Duce, director of RFID technology at the University of Cambridge. “Compelling as this vision is, it is only achievable if this system is adopted by everyone, everywhere. Success will be nothing less than global adoption.”

Lost in all this excitement is the additional burden of an already increasing security threat to any device that is connected online. When only computers could hook up to the Internet, users grappled with problems of viruses. Then came smartphones that added onto the problem of vulnerability to hackers who could potentially steal all your contacts, photos, and account information.

The complexity this new network poses leaves several gaping holes for hackers to enter and wreak havoc. At a cryptography and information-security related conference in San Francisco known as the RSA conference, Philippe Courtot, CEO of Qualys says, “We are faced with a dual challenge of not only a secure infrastructure that is rapidly changing, but we now have to prepare for the Internet of Things”.

Projections from Cisco, a leading company in networking, estimate over 50 billion devices will be connected devices by 2020. The implications of this growth involve a new role for traditional manufacturers. Companies will now have to also manufacture these ‘connected devices.’ Hence, the onus of Internet security will in part fall on them.

A solution to preventing such online vulnerabilities lies in creating modular designs for the hardware and software used in these devices. By separating various components of the system into independent modules, the entire system is not safe even if one module is hacked. For example, if there was a breach into the entertainment system at your home, the hacker would not gain access to other modules in the home such as the one that controls the locks, the lights, etc.

Open security standards like TLS (Transport Layer Security) and OAuth are better alternatives as security protocols on these new connected devices than having each manufacturer develop their own propriety software. These are largely more reliable because they have been tested extensively by the online community.

In the end, we as consumers must exercise caution in terms of connecting devices and sharing information. A refrigerator that can order groceries is a novel idea, but if it has access to your credit card information and the ability to open the door to let the delivery guy in, things could get a little out of hand. This is where a little skepticism and caution can go a long way.

a, Arts & Entertainment

Jenny Hval: going out on a musical limb

by Daniel Fishbayn on

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Jenny Hval is a busy woman. As I reach her in her hometown of Oslo, Norway via Skype, she is about to set out on a North American tour in support of her newly-released fourth LP, Innocence is Kinky, which will bring her to the Church of St. John the Evangelist on Thursday, Sept. 26, for POP Montreal. In the meantime, her creative output shows no signs of slowing down. Hval’s video feed is turned off, and, as our interview begins, she quickly explains why. “I’ve just walked in the door from doing a [live performance] project last night, so I’m a bit tired and […] video is probably best left off,” she laughs.

Hval’s inexorable productivity does not come as a surprise, given her wide range of accomplishments at the modest age of 33. Besides boasting a Master’s Degree in Literature from the University of Oslo, Hval is also a prolific music journalist, poet, and fiction writer whose published works include two free-form novels. But it is her music that has attracted the most attention worldwide, with critics praising her striking, ethereal voice and unconventional songwriting. On Innocence is Kinky, Hval appropriates a dizzying array of genres and moods, often within a single song. “Oslo Oedipus,” for example, transitions from a pastoral lullaby, to a brooding choral soundscape, to a thought-provoking spoken word poem, all in under three minutes.

Just as striking are Hval’s lyrics, which probe complex and contentious issues that musicians rarely address.

“When you discuss topics like sexuality in academic writing,” she says, “You’re very guarded, very controlled, and you have to make a point. With music, I’m able to take a more spontaneous, and maybe more honest, approach.”

Hval’s frankness is apparent in her lyrics—Innocence is Kinky  begins with the words “Last night I watched people [having sex] on my computer”—but it strikes her how poorly critics misinterpret her intentions. “I’m surprised people think [Innocence is Kinky] is [just] about porn. It’s about everything, all types of images […] how everything, especially on the Internet, is ‘pornified.’”

At the same time, Hval says she wants to work on letting her music develop more naturally. She credits her producer on the album, long-time PJ Harvey collaborator John Parish, with helping her to avoid getting too cerebral in the studio.

“[John] was very focused on exploring each song, which to me was fantastic because I tend to get hung up on the concept of an album, the idea that ‘all these songs belong together.’ It’s good to kind of get away from that, to not think so much about the brainy part of things and just perform the music.”

In fact, Hval sees performing live as having a dynamic role in the creative process. “I like to play things live before I know what they are. The audience appreciates it because they get to see something that I don’t understand yet. They become part of the process of [developing] it.”

Accordingly, she informs me that on her upcoming tour, she will be trying out brand-new material on stage. “I never rest,” she laughs.

Whether live or in the studio, Hval is determined to never stop exploring new musical territory, especially with her voice. “I notice whenever I sing with professional singers that I can’t really do that kind of genre stuff that a lot of the more trained [professionals] can do. So I try to do things I can’t do, and it sounds different from what I wanted—but interesting. That’s central to my music, going into those awkward situations and seeing what you can find there. Going out on a limb, in a way.”

Jenny Hval performs at the Church of St. John the Evangelist (137 President Kennedy Ave.) at 11:00 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 26. Tickets are $16 in advance, and $20 at the door.

a, Science & Technology

What determines your drinking gene?

by Caity Hui on

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As an equal mix of Chinese and Irish, I had a 50/50 shot at enjoying the stereotypical Irish drinking culture. Unfortunately, I was never able to fully participate due to my inability to handle a large amount of alcohol. Curiously, this has a little less to do with my lifestyle, and a lot to do with my Asian ancestors’ solution to clean water hundreds of years ago.

Alcohol flush response (AFR), more familiarly known as the ‘Asian glow,’ affects as many as half of all people of East Asian descent according to Sharon Moalem, a researcher and doctor at New York’s Mount Sinai School of Medicine, in his book Survival of the Sickest. From rising temperatures to a bright-red face, this bodily response to alcohol makes it difficult for some to consume even one alcoholic beverage.

Evident from its nickname, AFR is most prevalent within East Asian communities. However, it is actually highly uncommon in just about every other population group. The discrepancy begs the question: what determines our ‘drinking gene’?

Although people blame factors such as weight, dehydration, or lack of nourishment, the main cause of the Asian glow lies not in our diet but in ancient water purification systems.

When people drink alcohol, the body detoxifies alcohol and extracts calories from it through a complex process that involves multiple organs and many different enzymes. The majority of these reactions occur in the liver, and it is here where our ‘drinking gene’ plays a role.

After alcohol consumption,  your liver takes several steps towards metabolizing your drink by converting it into a chemical known as acetaldehyde. This process is facilitated by the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase. A second enzyme, acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, converts the acetaldehyde into acetate. Finally, the acetate is converted into fat, carbon dioxide, and water.

The culprit behind the redness is the second enzyme in this series of reactions. Most people who experience AFR have a genetic variation, ALDH2*2, which causes them to produce a less powerful form of acetaldehyde dehydrogenase—one which cannot convert acetaldehyde into acetate as effectively. As a result, these people accumulate acetaldehyde up to 10 times the normal concentration. Considering that acetaldehyde is 30 times as toxic as alcohol, any accumulation can result in a reaction, where one of the symptoms is, of course, the flushing response.

However, a red face isn’t the only side effect of this genetic variation. One drink is all an ALDH2*2 carrier needs to experience heightened heart rate, headache, extreme dizziness, and nausea.

So, it’s clear that the cause of AFR is a less powerful form of the enzyme acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, but what is the link between flushing when you drink and clean water?

As humans began to settle in cities and towns in ancient times, clean water became a challenge. According to Moalem, some theories suggest cultures came up with different solutions to purifying their water.  In Europe, the solution was fermentation. This method was based on producing alcohol to kill the microbes contaminating drinking water. On the other side of the globe, people in East Asia boiled water to produce tea as their main mode of purification.

“As a result, there was evolutionary pressure in Europe to have the ability to drink, break down, and detoxify alcohol, while the pressure in Asia was a lot less,” explains Moalem.

Based on this theory, it was necessary for Europeans to develop a better ‘drinking gene’ than those of Asian descent, as their water purification system required them to frequently break down alcohol while having a drink—and not just the alcoholic type.

While AFR makes consuming excessive alcohol a challenge, Moalem points out an upside to ALDH2*2. “You’re highly resistant to alcoholism,” he says. “It’s just too unpleasant to drink!”

a, Sports

Martlets falter in first loss of the season

by Mayaz Alam on

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The No. 7 ranked McGill Martlets played the No. 4 ranked Concordia Stingers in the annual Drummond Cup this past week. The match is named after the late Kelly-Anne Drummond, a former Concordia rugby player who lost her life in an incident of domestic violence in 2004. The contest now serves as a fundraiser for WomenAWARE, a local group that serves to support victims of domestic violence. This year a total of $1,824 was raised in donations for the cause at the match.

The heavyweight matchup between the two top 10 squads lived up to its lofty billing with a tight score of 17-15 that was only decided deep into the second half.

Throughout the game, two separate units dominated the course of play. For Concordia, the game plan centered on their physically imposing group of forwards. The Stingers’ pack was dominant in their rucking game, enabling them to control the ball for long periods of play while wearing out their opponents. Off of penalties, the visitors were also able to use superior technique and power to control scrums, winning nearly every contest.

Concordia fly-half Dara Brunnete was the only back who gave the Martlets trouble. However, she was able to command the game and had multiple runs where she broke through the line and sparked the offence.

McGill responded with its talented and quick group of backs who spread the ball wide and were able to take advantage of their speed routinely. Despite this, it was clear that the visitors had the upper hand as the game wore on. The game’s winning try came off of a maul in which the two forward packs went head to head with Concordia’s pushing back their opponents for 10 yards before the ball touched the ground.

“It was our first real test of the season, and I’m glad we had it at this point,” Stephens said. “I feel as though we will be able to use this game as a real learning point and learn from our errors and improve.”

Star fly-half Brianna Miller effortlessly controlled the flow of the game once again as she led the McGill scoring effort with 10 points. Audrey Marcotte, a sophomore prop, also scored a try.

Both squads used their kicking games in order to control field possession as real estate was hard to come by. The most impressive instance of footwork occured on Miller’s try. Miller was faced with multiple tacklers after she broke through. Rather than attempt to break the tackles, she placed a perfect diagonal kick over the heads of the oblivious Concordia backs before retrieving her own kick and taking it all the way to the try line. To top it off, Miller connected on a very difficult conversion to tie the score at 12-12.

(Luke Orlando / McGill Tribune)
(Luke Orlando / McGill Tribune)

The waning moments of the game provided excitement that left fans sitting at the edge of their seats. McGill elected to kick for a penalty goal rather than attempt to go for a try with the score at 17-12. After Miller’s attempt sailed through the uprights, the match turned into a back and forth affair where the Martlets marched deep into Concordia territory multiple times. Sophomore fullback Deanna Foster had a game-saving tackle in the last minute that denied the visitors a chance to extend their lead. However, Foster was unable to follow up as her knock-on penalty iced the game indefinitely for the hosts.

Stephens stressed the importance of rest following the game.

“The game against Carleton will test our depth and our stamina. We have to make sure to rest up […][because] it will be our third game in seven days.”

The Martlets recovered and bounced back in dominant fashion on Saturday as they shut out the visiting Carleton Ravens 41-0. Foster was named MVP of the game and was one of four Martlets to score a try.

McGill now looks to continue its bid to sit atop the RSEQ leaderboard as they host Bishop’s on Sunday Sept. 29 at 1:00 p.m. on McGill’s Macdonald campus.

a, Sports

Point counterpoint

by Wyatt Fine-Gagné & Drew Allen on

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In recent months, the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and member institutions have been under scrutiny as a rash of scandals have rocked college athletics. The nature of these issues stem from the debate surrounding student athletes maintaining their amateur status as there have been calls to allow schools to pay their players. Two contributors weigh in on whether the NCAA should pay student athletes. 

College athletes should be paid

According to the NCAA, there are now more than 450,000 student athletes competing in various leagues and conferences across the United States. While the NCAA emphasizes that most students athletes tend to be focused on the former half of their title as opposed to the latter, it often seems as though the opposite is true.

Many NCAA athletes train on a level that is at or near that of a professional athlete. These are not regular students. While there are caps on the number of hours that a team can play, practice, or train on any given day, they do not account for the time an athlete will spend training on his or her own. But for all the time that they commit to their sport and their school, student athletes cannot be compensated under current NCAA rules. In fact, they can’t even make money off of their own name—although both the NCAA and the schools are able to.

The argument is often made that student athletes are ‘paid.’ According to some, their scholarships plus access to top quality facilities account for enough, but the vast majority of NCAA athletes are not Johnny Manziel. They aren’t on full scholarship, and they couldn’t sell autographs even if they tried. In fact, a comprehensive report from the National College Players Association called The Price of Poverty in Big Time College Sport concluded that 86 per cent of college athletes live below the poverty line. Unlike regular students, student athletes can’t hold a part-time job during the school year.

College sports are a billion-dollar industry. It makes sense that the people driving the industry should receive fair compensation. Paying student athletes a salary would be a huge boost for those who aren’t on full scholarship.

For the past few years, the NCAA has run a commercial explaining that most student athletes “will be going pro in something other than sports.” For those that do go pro, large salaries are commonplace. Often, especially in football and basketball, these players have not been properly equipped to manage this money. According to a Sports Illustrated article from 2009, about 60 per cent of former NBA players declare bankruptcy within five years of retirement. There are a number of factors that contribute to this, but a lack of experience handling money is certainly a part of it.

In response, schools—or even the NCAA—could set up programs to help players learn about how to take care of their money. This experience would be invaluable—not just for future professional athletes, but for those entering other fields as well. Perhaps with such a program, we would see fewer retired professional athletes in the news for negative reasons.

A system where student athletes receive a salary would require a lot of thought and certainly won’t appear for at least a couple of years, but it is high time that these top-tier athletes get paid what they’re truly worth.

– Wyatt Fine-Gagné

 

Maintain amateur status

For years, there have been highly vocal members of the sports community who believe that NCAA Division 1 student athletes should be paid for their integral role in the multibillion-dollar college athletics business. With athletes such as Johnny Manziel and Anthony Davis taking the nation by storm with their captivating play, this argument is once again at the forefront of sports discussions. In addition, the Ed O’Bannon lawsuit and the rash of scandals involving illegally  paying athletes gained this issue enough traction that it has the potential to reshape the NCAA. I hope to put this argument to rest once and for all by advocating that student athletes in the NCAA should not be paid.

It is important to remember that all NCAA athletes are student athletes, with ‘student’ coming first. No matter which school they attend, athletes are still enroled at an academic institution dedicated to higher learning. Colleges need to treat their athletes as students and not as assets, like their professional counterparts do. By paying their athletes, colleges would be sending the message that playing sports is more important than getting an education; this is a message that we cannot afford to send to the future generation. With less than two per cent of college athletes going on to play professionally, colleges must ensure that their student athletes focus on getting the best education possible so that they are prepared to succeed in whatever career path they choose after earning their degree.

In addition, what some fail to realize is that the majority of student athletes are already being paid for the work they do. Student athletes who are attending college on a scholarship are receiving free tuition, books, housing, and meal plans. On top of that, they receive professional level coaching, strength and fitness training, as well as support from athlete trainers and physical therapists. The sum of the costs of this total package can max-out at anywhere between $50,000 and $100,000 per year. It is clear that the benefits NCAA student athletes receive indeed constitute ‘payment.’

A final point to think about is the message that colleges would send to other students by paying their athletes. If American colleges began paying their student athletes, they would be belittling the work of every other student in the institution. What sort of message is being sent when a quarterback on the football team gets a paycheck for throwing touchdowns, while other students labour through all-nighters studying for MCATs in order to fulfill non-athletic dreams without getting paid? It is certainly not fair to reward only athletic achievements with monetary compensation while ignoring the achievements of others.

NCAA student athletes are not professional athletes. They are students, some of them barely out of high school. Colleges have to recognize that student athletes are still learning valuable life lessons, such as how to manage money. That is why NCAA athletes should not be paid.

– Drew Allen 

 

Editors’ pick: pay the students

Although long-standing tradition dictates that college athletes should maintain their amateur status, college athletics have developed into a wildly lucrative industry. However, the system still operates on a flawed business model that assumes little to no revenue. Therefore, colleges must be willing to adapt to the realities that institutions and students face today.

a, Opinion

Cultural appropriation in pursuit of a noble cause

by Helin Azizoglu on

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This past week, several professors from McGill donned some of the religious symbols that the Parti Québécois  (PQ) has deemed ‘ostentatious’ in protest of the proposed Quebec Charter of Values. This charter would forbid public sector employees, including university professors, from wearing such symbols. Among those falling under sanction are turbans, hijabs, kippahs, and large cross necklaces­­—small jewelry, however, would be allowed. Last week, political science professor Catherine Lu organized a campaign with University of Montreal professor Marie Joelle-Zahar that called for professors to wear these symbols in classes starting on Sept. 12

Many lauded the decision of their professors’ statements—in professor Rex Brynen’s Developing Areas: Middle East class, students broke out into applause when he announced that he would be wearing a kippah the following Monday.

Nevertheless, some criticized the decision of these professors, on the grounds that it amounted to ‘cultural appropriation.’ Cultural appropriation, which can be described as the adopting of ethnic or religious symbols by a different cultural group, is a topic that has drawn considerable attention in the past few years. From H&M’s Native American “hipster headdresses” to the Christian cross trend, to Lady Gaga’s new single “Burqa,” the fashion and entertainment industries have been widely criticized for making light of symbols of identity culture.

Most recently, the topic was addressed when pop star Miley Cyrus’ hyper-sexualized music video and VMA performance of her song We Can’t Stop notoriously included scenes in which she appropriated elements traditionally associated with black hip-hop culture, surrounding herself with black dancers whose sole purpose was to admire her “twerkfest” from the periphery. In this case, there is nothing about Miley Cyrus’ mimicry of black culture that is commendable. It’s a patronizing, self-serving, mockery of what she likely perceives to be a temporary trend. As many have pointed out, unlike those that she is so crassly imitating, she can choose to remove this persona whenever she grows tired of it, while her African-American counterparts do not have that option.

It is instances like this that create such a negative perception of cultural appropriation, but there is a vast difference between this kind of adaptation and the kind that McGill professors have chosen to undertake. While Hollywood and the fashion industry ham-handedly use cultural appropriation for visual aesthetics, our professors have used it as an act of solidarity, a dissent to a proposition that would undermine minority rights at our university. Professor Lu, in particular, has spoken directly to the issue of sensitivity, stating: “I […] take it off once I leave the classroom, so in no way am I adopting a religion and pretending to be someone who is faithful to a religion.”

Lu, whose research interests include several topics that link global issues and ethics, made it clear that she is aware that some may question her form of protest. However, sometimes the most effective protest is not only verbal, but visual. While by ordinary standards it might seem that Lu, who can remove her hijab upon leaving the classroom, is the essence of a privileged outsider, her circumstances are far from ordinary and ought not to be treated as such.

The reason cultural appropriation has earned such an ignoble reputation is because it is rarely implemented in the pursuit of noble causes. Sometimes, however, we have to pick our battles. Our professors are not Miley Cyrus. They are standing in solidarity with people who will be affected by the Charter of Values, and they are fighting a good fight. Sometimes, it really is that simple.

Continuing the campus conversation, hear what Stefan Novakovic, Youcef Rahmani and Nathan Gibbard have to say.  

a, Sports

National League Awards

by Osama Haque on

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CY YOUNG: Clayton Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw has put an end to all questions about the race for the Cy Young award with his stellar output this season. This should be the third year in a row for the 26-year-old that he places in the top two of Cy Young voting. His 224 strikeouts in 230 innings, ERA of 1.88, and WAR of 7.5 have cemented the left-hander as the undisputed best pitcher in baseball.

 

Rookie of the Year:  Yasiel Puig  

The NL is loaded with young talent, but the one rookie that stood out in the crowded field is Dodgers’ outfielder Yasiel Puig. Although Puig began his MLB career two months late, he immediately lit a fire underneath baseball’s most star-studded team.  Since his arrival, the Dodgers have gone a blistering 64-32 after their measly 23-32 start to their season.  The 22-year-old from Cuba has been more valuable in a reduced time frame than most rookies playing a full season.  All he has to do now is keep his brash attitude in line for the rest of the season, and make space for the first major award of what should be a lengthy and noteworthy career.

 

(Bleacher Report, The Star, Fan Cloud)

Manager of the Year: Don Mattingly

The Los Angeles Dodgers were amazing this season and much of their  success can be attributed to the steadying hand of Manager Don Mattingly. The third-year manager has guided his team through a tumultuous season that has seen them lose key players to injury. At the same time, Mattingly has been maintaining a balancing act with all the diverse attitudes and outlandish personalities in the clubhouse. At this point, anything shy of a World Series will be a disappointment for an organization that has invested heavily for a chance to win it all.

MVP: Andrew McCutchen

The name Andrew McCutchen is slowly becoming a household name in North America.  Some call him a WAR (7.7) hero for keeping the Pirates at bay from elimination, and finally giving them their first winning season since 1992.  Others call him the future NL MVP.  With a batting average of .319, fourth in the NL, and .404 on base percentage, the star centerfielder is looking more like a monster than a pirate. Pittsburgh would not be in second place without their franchise player.

 

Dark Horse: Clayton Kershaw

Only two pitchers have won the CY Young award and MVP in the same season.  Clayton Kershaw could be the next. Kershaw’s fantastic season has been outlined above, but it shows how well this 25 year old is playing. Los Angeles is a city of stars and big names, but this season Kershaw has shone the brightest.

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