Although frosh has come to an end, the consequences of frivolous alcohol consumption are an ongoing reality for many university students. Often the responsibility of caring for a queasy companion falls on a friend or a residence floor-mate.
During this year’s frosh and Orientation Week, the McGill Student Emergency Response Team (M-SERT) acted as the primary first-aid coverage for the week’s events. A group comprised of student volunteers who are all certified first responders, M-SERT treats emergencies from muscular-skeletal injuries to anaphylaxis, but the majority of their calls pertain to alcohol and drug-related problems.
M-SERT’s chief objective during this year’s frosh was to get out the message that as soon as an individual recognizes an emergency situation, one should call for help rather than try to handle the situation themselves. Students should call M-SERT if it occured at a McGill event or in residence, and an ambulance if it’s elsewhere.
“In the past, we had issues where coordinators and frosh leaders were in the way of the call and trying to [give treatment] themselves,” Director of M-SERT Thomas Schamhart says. “Legally, [if you’re giving any form of first aid, as a responder] you’re completely liable for anything that happens if you’re neglectful and drinking alcohol.”
As a preventative measure to stay safe, students should be prepared and know in advance where they’re going, with whom they’re going out, and how they’re getting home. Schamhart’s advice is simple: “Never be alone; you need someone to recognize that you are [in] a first-aid emergency.” In cases where you do find yourself alone, Schamhart recommends McGill’s Walk Safe and Drive Safe services, which facilitate safe travel at night.
If you’re in a situation where you think a friend has had a few too many drinks, the number one thing to remember is communication. The first step is to assess their level of consciousness—is the person alert and responsive to voice, to pain, or not responsive at all?
“Ask them: do they know where they are; do they know their name; do they know what day it is? If [someone] can’t answer those questions, that’s a bad sign,” Schamhart explains.
For this reason, checking in and re-evaluating your friend’s state is crucial. If you’re familiar with a friend’s reaction to alcohol, it may be easier for you to determine whether this is actually a cause for concern or not. For a person you are less familiar with, communication is even more important.
Asking an individual if they want an ambulance is one way of evaluating the situation. “People kind of forget [that] it’s a good question to ask, even if it’s your friend,” Schamhart explains. “It also saves you from making the decisions. They’re the one making the decisions. They’re the one [ultimately] going to the hospital.”
Also look out for and inquire about other potential injuries. You should ask questions like “Did you fall?” and “Did you hit your head on the counter?” says Yassmin Behzadian, M-SERT vice-president training. “Head injuries are very serious, it’s almost immediately 911.” The same goes for vomiting up anything abnormal, like blood, she added.
When a friend just needs to turn in for the night, there are other ways you can help out. You may want to get a blanket or sweatshirt, because alcohol depresses activity in some areas of the brain, thereby dulling the senses, and your friend may not realize how cold they are. Consuming alcohol also causes dehydration, which may be compounded if a person is vomiting. Giving a friend a glass of water will help re-hydrate them and reduce symptoms like headaches, muscle cramps, and dizziness.
Once your friend is in bed, try to check on them once in a while to make sure they’re okay, and that they haven’t rolled over into a weird position or vomited in their sleep.
The M-SERT staff stress that students should not hesitate to seek help, whether it is from a sober roommate, floor fellow, M-SERT, poison control (mainly in the case of drug use), or 911. According to Schamhart, people are often deterred by the potential repercussions of being caught using substances.
“Do not be afraid of the consequences, as keeping your friend healthy is the most important choice you can make,” Schamhart advises. If you’re not in a condition where you can provide that care, it’s your responsibility to find someone who can.
M-SERT’s office is located in room B23 in the SSMU Building. A team is situated in Molson and La Citadelle Residences every evening from 6p.m.- 6a.m. They can be reached by contacting McGill Security Services at (514) 398-3000. Office telephone: (514) 398-5216.
In my final year of high school, I took a course on current affairs. My teacher was very enthusiastic about instilling an interest in being informed, but recognized our unwillingness to spend hours reading and writing during the dog-days of spring before graduation. Thus we spent most of our time debating social issues about which we were already relatively knowledgeable, and stayed away from discussing international issues that would require more in-depth background research to truly understand.
It is not surprising that some tend to shrink away from international issues. The world is a complicated place, full of cultures and political systems totally unfamiliar to us. This lack of familiarity in turn can deter people from staying informed—there may be a wealth of information out there, but the breadth of such information in and of itself is intimidating. Where do we start? What sources do we trust? How much do we have to know before we can express an opinion without it getting shot down by someone who knows more, or who has more conviction in their ideas?
In August, we learned of accusations that the Assad regime in Syria had perpetuated a mass chemical weapons attack on its citizens. The attention dedicated to this event made it more of a faux pas to remain ignorant about foreign affairs. There are several reasons for this. First of all, the nature of events like this are easily compartmentalized and made accessible. It is a lot easier to read breaking news on the UN’s investigation in Syria than it is to follow the day-to-day logistics of its two-year, brutal civil war. Moreover, people are naturally more inclined to tune in when it seems that the news might affect them personally—the tense negotiations between the U.S., Russia, and Syria have left many Western citizens and scholars uneasy about the prospect of international war.
This leads to the question of whether or not our periodic interest in these crises overseas actually increases our overall awareness about the topic in question. What is the true effect of reading a New York Times article or two about Syria? It could be highly informative, or procure some unintended consequences. When people only pay attention to current events at such crisis points, it leaves them more vulnerable to unreliable and biased information. At best, critical consumers will acknowledge these limitations when forming opinions. At worst, we might ignore it, and proceed to make assumptions that undermine the complexity of the issue at hand.
American public opinion on Syria, for example, has been shaped enormously by the effects of war fatigue from Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the effects of the Arab Spring. The anniversary of the 9/11 attacks also impacted many opinions on the prospect of negotiations and a possible military strike. As often occurs with such controversial topics, politicians, media outlets, and ordinary citizens alike have a disconcerting tendency to make demons of important players in the struggle—comparing President Bashar al-Assad to Adolf Hitler or insinuating that the motivations of rebel groups are purely jihadist. The reality of Syria’s civil war is far more complex than these statements imply; while many acknowledge this, harsh rhetoric that whitewashes difficult issues create sound bytes that leave lasting impacts on unsuspecting consumers of information.
At the basic level of consumption that most people employ, there will always be a trade-off between the acquisition of knowledge and the inadvertent acquisition of false premises that we use to construct our opinions. This does not mean that we must comb through every possible news outlet to form an opinion, or otherwise avoid the news at all costs. Rather, we must always be curious, but humbly acknowledge our own ignorance and remain skeptical of everyone, including ourselves.
There are a variety of medical clubs at McGill that provide undergraduate students with resources and unique opportunities. In case you were overwhelmed at Activities Night, SciTech interviewed two of these organizations to find out what they’re all about.
Medical Direction
Medical Direction is one of McGill’s Pre-Med clubs that reaches out to any undergraduates interested in a career in medicine. The club hopes to act as a reliable source for students considering the field by providing them with as much information and resources as possible.
“Ultimately, we want to help students make an informed decision and guide them in the right direction,” VP Academic Marian Chen explained. One of the most popular services offered by Medical Direction is their shadowing program, which provides students with the opportunity to interact with doctors and gain a better understanding of the profession.
Through Medical Direction, students can also get involved with Global Medical Training (GMT) —a program that provides students the opportunity to observe and assist in healthcare for medically deprived communities in Central American countries. With so much work in the classroom, GMT offers students the chance to apply their knowledge by participating in medical assessments and treatment of patients who have limited public healthcare systems. Chen encourages all students passionate about healthcare to look into the program.
Medical Direction’s next event is a medical school symposium on Thursday Sept. 19th from 6-7:30p.m. in Leacock 132. You can find more details about the event at md.sus.mcgill.ca
Student Association for Medical Aid
The Student Association for Medical Aid (SAMA) is a non-profit, student run organization at McGill. It provides students with the opportunity to actively participate in various healthcare initiatives with the goal of helping vulnerable individuals and communities around the world.
According to U2 quantitative biology student and three-year member Alex Hofkirchner, SAMA has two main focuses: promoting local initiatives and medical aid abroad. During the school year, the club devotes its time to fundraisers for its summer projects, such as club nights, samosa sales, and its annual Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction. However, it also participates in various Montreal-based volunteering initiatives like Santropol Roulant, which provides a “meals-on-wheels” program to older citizens.
Over the summer, SAMA sends its members around the globe to carry out humanitarian aid projects. Hofkirchner explains that the focus of the projects is the organization of a temporary mobile clinic to screen and treat individuals in the most impoverished communities. Current projects are planned for Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda.
Hofkirchner joined SAMA because it stood apart from other clubs with similar goals. “I noticed how close existing SAMA members were. Meetings felt more like class reunions than weekly gatherings,” he said.
He also liked that SAMA gave its new members a variety of responsibilities. “Even in my first year with SAMA, I was taking on responsibilities from scheduling fundraiser shifts to helping with coat checks and designing promotional posters. The inclusivity of the group really drew me in.”
Like many members, Hofkirchner’s favourite part of his involvement was the trip abroad. “Along with three other members, I travelled to Namatala, Uganda where we organized a three-day medical clinic that treated 1633 individuals,” he explained. “The experience was truly incredible.”
SAMA will be having its recruitment meeting this Thursday at 7p.m. in Macintyre Medical Building Room 522
12 Years a Slave is agony in the fullest sense of the word. Chronicling the life of Solomon Northup, a free black man from New York kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841, the film sees director Steve McQueen (Hunger; Shame) at the very zenith of his formidable artistic talent. It takes a horrific portrayal to capture a horrific institution. 12 Years is a mesmerizing, intoxicating tale of man’s capacity for both unspeakable cruelty and incalculable courage.
Solomon (Chiwetel Ejiofor) is first introduced as a prosperous and cultured family man. After temporarily traveling to perform with a pair of unscrupulous circus performers, one bad night of drinking is all it takes for him to wake up in chains. Initially, Solomon is defiant and indignant, as one might expect. “I don’t want to survive,” he says; “I want to live.” This attitude is quickly beaten out of him.
This, in fact, is the main reason why 12 Years a Slave is easily one of the most agonizing films of the year. McQueen has never been known to pull punches, and he certainly doesn’t here. The violence is swift, brutal, and often unexpected. There are several scenes so ghastly, so terrifying, that I trembled and flinched in ways I have never done before during a film. Yet, the pain one feels sitting in the audience is infinitesimal to the misery experienced by someone born and sold into slavery. This is the absolute worst aspect of the film’s on-screen cruelty: the entire time, one’s mind is racing with the words, “This once happened. People did this. People still do this.”
It is true that Solomon’s story is full of wickedly inhuman humans; as Paul Giamatti’s slave trader says, “My sentimentality extends the length of a coin.” Yet, this brutality also makes the flashes of courage all the more formidable and inspirational.
Lupita Nyong’o gives a breathtaking performance as Patsey, a slave encountered by Solomon once he is sold to the Epps plantation. Patsey is a raw personality within an equally raw film, and Nyong’o captures the character with a fullness and deftness that belies her relatively nascent career.
The other knockout performance comes from Ejiofor. He succeeds in imbuing the role of Solomon with gravitas and grace, but Ejiofor’s best moments are when the fragility of the character shines through. Solomon is neither hero nor saint, and Ejiofor’s portrayal is entirely human. The twin powerhouse performances of Ejiofor and Nyong’o are impactful even with an exceptionally talented supporting cast (including the always-on-form Michael Fassbender and Brad Pitt).
The smart screenplay by John Ridley is impressively nuanced, capturing much of the complex intersections of race, gender, and economic status that existed among slaves and slaveholders. Hans Zimmer’s score features deliciously dissonant percussive turmoil, in addition to the typical panoply of melancholic strings. These aspects, as well as the film’s impeccable pacing, editing, and cinematography, makes 12 Years one of the crown jewels at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
Here, Steve McQueen achieves one of the holy grails of cinema—12 Years a Slave holds up a mirror to the darkest forces of humanity, and forces us to look. I shed tears, not just for Solomon Northrup, but also for the countless souls who have suffered and continue to suffer under the barbarous practice of slavery. And judging by the chorus of sniffles rising from the audience, I wasn’t the only one.
12 Years a Slave received its world premiere at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival, winning the People’s Choice Award. It is set to be released Oct. 18.
Visitors pass through a small room, full of bold, layered colour, that leads them into to Fahmida Hossain Urmi’s contemporary expressionistic Angles of Relationships exhibition at Ame-Art.
Ame-Art is a non-profit collective that houses Mile End artists’ work and displays one gallery at a time, currently Urmi’s second exhibit. After receiving her masters in art in her native country of Bangledesh, Urmi moved to Canada to create and display her work, slowly integrating with Montreal culture after learning French and English. At the vernissage of Angles, Urmi explained that her greatest joy from the show is finally feeling like a true member of the art community.
Urmi’s paintings portray this theme of interpersonal connections through layered colour and inconsistently-shaped bodies. They are made with thick layers of paint, creating a heavy effect.
“Each colour represents the synopsis of a feeling,” Urmi explains. The paintings are so full because people always carry many emotions, but only present the one currently felt the most.
Without faces, or even defined shapes, the colours express the entirety of the paintings’ message. There are some human forms silhouetted in several pieces, but they have neutral stances and only convey expression through their surrounding colour and proximity to similar silhouettes. Each painting presents itself as a collection of distinct shapes and colours that somehow flow together and evolve with further examination.
“They capture an emotion. Certain moments we feel, but don’t notice. Then there’s a spotlight and you realize your connections to those around you,” Urmi says.
Angles of Relationships 06, 07, and 08 are a set of paintings which centrally feature what is vaguely the same facial shape outlined in black, with an assortment of individual colours and details. Each of the three display a different feeling based on the same shape: 06 is chaotic, 07 is playful, and 08 is inspiring. These three pieces include magazine pictures, making them the only ones to include a medium besides paint. The picture on 08 includes the caption “Life’s Too Short,” and, painted underneath, “Live it!”. These are the only words in the entire exhibition.
Of Urmi’s 23 pieces, 11 bear the title Angles of Relationships, while the rest are either Sans Nomer or from her previous exhibition, Prismatique Relations. These other paintings are not as dramatic as her newer work, but add to the theme of the gallery. Regrettably, even with these additions, the works only take up one room.
Although this exhibition includes interesting paintings that may be enjoyable to ponder, there is only one room at Ame-Art, and the quality of the art does not make up for its small quantity. For this reason, Angles of Relationships does not merit the 20 minute bus or bike ride from McGill campus. However, if somebody were to find themselves within a block or two of the galleries, they might want to take a few minutes and peek inside.
Angles of Relationships is on at Ame-Art (5345 Ave. du Parc) until Sept. 22. Admission is free.
Residents of Pictou, Nova Scotia, are demanding that the Northern Pulp Nova Scotia Corporation mill be held accountable for damages to health and to the environment caused by its pollution since its opening in 1967.
Discussion surrounding the mill and its effect on residents has been a point of contention, as it remains a source of employment for approximately 250 residents of the area and puts millions of dollars into the economy of the region.
According to residents, pollution from the mill has begun to take a toll on the environment and the health of residents. The mill’s production of paper products results in the release of toxins into the air and waste being dumped into the surrounding natural area.
The town has the nation’s seventh highest rate of cancer per 100,000 residents of Canada’s 106 health regions. Residents who believe that the high cancer rate is due to pollution caused by the mill are demanding change.
Two local residents have created an online petition called, “Premier Darrell Dexter: Clean up the Pictou Country Pulp Mill,” which urges the premier to address the issue. The petition has received nearly 1,700 signatures to date.
G20 officer convicted three years later
On Thursday, Constable Babak Andalib-Goortan became the only police officer to date to be found guilty of using excessive force during the G20 protests of June 2010.
1,105 demonstrators were detained by police as a result of the G20 protests over three years ago, and many have criticized police for using excessive force. Thursday’s ruling found Andalib-Goortani guilty of using violence while arresting protestor Adam Nobody and detaining him in jail for over 30 hours.
The constable, whose sentence will be announced in November, faces a maximum sentence of 18 months jail time or a $5,000 fine. He is also charged with assaulting a member of the media with a weapon, a case that will proceed to trial in February.
The plaintiff, Nobody, is pursuing a $14.2 million lawsuit against officers implicated in the event. Multiple other civil cases, including a class-action lawsuit launched by 1,000 people, are awaiting court dates.
Yasmin Nakhuda loses court case to reclaim IKEA monkey
On Sept. 13, Darwin, the infamous monkey found strolling around an IKEA parking lot last year, was placed in the custody of an animal sanctuary.
He was seized from Nakhuda by Animal Services and placed in the care of Story Book Farm Primate Sanctuary in Sunderland, Ontario. Nakhuda, who had signed over ownership of the monkey to the City of Toronto earlier this year, sued the Sanctuary, claiming that the seizure of Darwin was unlawful on the basis that he was domesticated.
Ontario Superior Court Judge Mary Vallee dismissed Nakhuda’s claim, citing that Nakhuda’s ownership of Darwin was no longer valid the moment he escaped from her care.
“A high onus regarding provision of secure housing for wild animals is appropriate to place on their owners,” Vallee’s decision reads “Wild animals, particularly exotic ones, can be dangerous to the public.”
Aptly nicknamed the “IKEA Monkey,” Darwin originally lived with his previous owner, Yasmin Nakhuda, her husband, and their two children. Last December, at an IKEA in North York, Ontario, Darwin escaped from Nakhuda’s car and, soon afterwards, an image of him wandering the parking lot dressed in a shearling coat went viral.
Montreal student released from Filipino jail
Université de Montreal student Kim Chatillon-Meunier, age 24, returned to Canada on Sunday after spending several days in jail in the Philippines.
Chantillon-Meunier was in Manila for a government-funded internship working with impoverished women, when she was arrested on Friday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport as she was about to board a plane out of the country.
Her quick release from jail can be attributed to pressure from the human rights organization KARAPATAN, and lawyers from the Philippines’ National Union of People’s Lawyers.
The Philippines’ Bureau of Immigration officers took her into custody Friday night due to her participation in one of multiple anti-government protests on July 22, many of which were deemed illegal for failing to gain a permit from the government to hold a demonstration. Chantillon-Meunier’s boyfriend Emile Kinley-Gauthier, who was not arrested, said the two were merely observing the rallies.
The demonstrations fell on the day of President Benigno Aquino’s state-of-the-nation address, and were in protest of his administration’s alleged abuses of human rights.
Senator Wallin pays off falsely claimed expense money
On Friday, Canadian Senator Pamela Wallin finished paying off the last of the expenses that she had wrongly claimed, starting in December 2010 until November 2012. Wallin paid back the $100,600.98 plus interest—an additional $13,938.19—in personal cheques to the federal government.
Wallin’s senate expense scandal began in May of this year, when it was found that she was using taxpayer dollars for extra travelling expenses.
After paying her expenses Friday, Wallin made a public statement in which she accused the auditing firm who conducted the review of her expenses, Deloitte, as well as the Senate internal economy committee of treating her unfairly.
“Evidence that casts doubt on the correctness of the amounts owing was either ignored or disregarded during the review,” Wallin said in a statement released by her office.
Despie the scandal, Wallin has also said that she does not plan to resign as a Senator.
Having completed her B.Sc. and PhD at McGill, Suzanne Fortier returned to her alma mater on Sept. 5 as McGill’s first francophone principal, second female principal, and 17th principal overall. After her first few days, Fortier sat down with the Tribune to discuss how being an alumnus has influenced her life, the value of a McGill degree, and her first week on the job.
Fortier grew up in Saint-Timothée, Quebec, a small former-municipality located on an island less than an hour’s drive from McGill. According to Fortier, her rural background had a strong influence on her attitude when she entered the university as an undergraduate.
“One thing I had not expected coming to McGill—because I was pretty ignorant, there was no one who went to university before me in my family—was that I’d be surrounded by the best people in their field in the world,” she said. “It’s inspiring. You’re a young person […] and these giants, people whose names you read in your textbooks, [were] there and talk[ed] to you. They were people who allowed me to think ‘I could do that, too.’ ”
Following her PhD, Fortier held several leadership positions at Queen’s University including vice-principal (academic), before becoming the president of National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) in 2006.
Fortier credits McGill’s international reputation with opening doors for her throughout her career, and expects it will continue to do so for students despite the challenges facing the university. Among these challenges are the $38.3 million cuts to McGill’s budget, which were announced by the provincial government last December.
“Everyone here has such a strong commitment to students,” she said. “Having to take some [budget] cuts—that’s the most challenging because people don’t want to see any diminishing of the quality of the environment for students.”
McGill has also recently received media attention for its drop in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) International Universities Rankings. Previously ranked 18 in the world, McGill fell to 21 this year, falling behind the University of Toronto for the first time.
“These aren’t very accurate scientific studies, so the margin of error is big,” Fortier said, adding that the university will examine the data from the rankings to assess the ways in which McGill can improve. “A degree from McGill right now is worth a lot, because the reputation of McGill worldwide is strong. It’s not strong based on marketing or publicity; it’s strong based on accomplishments. It’s strong because of the many, many people before us who have built the reputation of this university.”
Fortier may also have to address current political issues, such as the Parti Québécois’ (PQ) current attempt to pass the Charter of Values, which would ban most religious clothing and symbols worn by government employees at work. If this legislation passes, McGill would face the possibility of opting out of the regulations for a five-year period.
“One of my personal values is that it is important, when you are part of a community, to allow that community to express itself, particularly when it comes to values and principles,” she said. “It is difficult for me, having this value myself, to declare five days into the job, what this university will do. However, I know the university has done quite a bit of work in the past on diversity and inclusiveness, and that’s what we need to refer to as a community.”
Since becoming principal, Fortier has been quick to immerse herself into the community, including appearances at Open Air Pub (OAP) and the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) Activities Night.
“The centre of what we do is the learning environment that we provide to students; and to do it well, we have to work together as partners,” she said. “[The students] are the centre of this university, so you’ll see me a lot on campus because I want to learn about the community.”
While Fortier is still settling into her new role, Fortier said she will be paying close attention to what is needed at McGill.
“I’m keenly aware of the importance of human talent; that means we must try to offer people opportunities for doing their best, for developing their potential,” Fortier said. “The challenge for all universities around the world is to think about what it means to be a learning community in this century. That’s to me the biggest challenge of all universities, because it’s a transformation, probably, that we have to be looking at.”
—For a full transcript of the interview, visit www.thetribune.ca.
On Feb. 21, the Toronto City Council passed a motion declaring Toronto a “sanctuary city.” According to the Toronto Star, the motion establishes a formal policy allowing undocumented individuals access to city services regardless of status. The statistics surrounding illegal immigration in Canada are unclear, but current estimates by Professor Peter Showler, director of the Refugee Forum at the University of Ottawa, conclude that between 35,000 and 120,000 undocumented immigrants live in the country.
Discussion of legislation to address a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants has not been introduced to Parliament in recent years. With an estimated foreign-born population of 6.8 million, Canada is known as an immigrant-friendly destination, but there are still issues that the undocumented face.
South of the border, the issue has seemingly reached a tipping point. Immigration reform has not only been addressed in Congress, but has also seen overwhelming support from activists, labour unions, employers, and the president himself, all of whom are demanding comprehensive reform.
Earlier this year, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013 was introduced in the United States Senate. On June 27, 2013, the bill passed with overwhelming bipartisan support, with 68 senators, of both parties, for and 32 Republicans senators against. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) introduced the Act and it was, in turn, written and rewritten by a group of another seven senators, known collectively as the “gang of eight.” The bill would provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants—of which there are an estimated 11 million—while setting up provisions that would strengthen American border security. Other parts of the Act address visa backlog and increasing work permits.
Currently on the table at the House of Representatives, the Act has proved divisive amongst voters and members of Congress. Given the socially conservative nature of the Republican-led House, the future of the Act remains unclear.
Struggles faced by the undocumented
Fletcher* arrived in Canada on a business trip from China. Instead of returning at the end of his trip, he overstayed his visa and settled into life without legal status, living with friends and, occasionally, distant family. He received a Temporary Resident Permit and eventually gained citizenship. He now works as an insurance salesman and has three children. They live in a suburban neighborhood in the Greater Toronto Area.
Fletcher’s motivations are often shared by many in similar situations: the prospect of employment and a better life for his children.
“My father’s dream was to come to Canada, and that [had] been my dream, too,” Fletcher says. “I came here […] for the chance to achieve [that dream].”
As posted by the Wall Street Journal, unemployment in China rests at an estimated 9.2 per cent,.Unemployment in Canada, however, has been reported by the Financial Post to be around 7 per cent since the recession. When taking into account the population disparity between the two countries—1.3 billion to 34.8 million—the problem becomes much more clear.
Despite varying motivations, immigrants typically face similar struggles: lack of access to health care, vulnerability to exploitation in the workplace, and the constant fear of having their lack of status revealed.
Without legal status, Fletcher worked meticulously to stay healthy. In the few times he experienced prolonged illness, he chose to pay in cash and upfront for services at health clinics.
Between lacking the right to work legally and requiring a job to get by, Fletcher was stuck in limbo, working diligently for each week’s under-the-table pay, yet unable to use his skills as leverage for fair wages. Undocumented immigrants often find themselves in vulnerable positions, unwilling to disclose cases of abuse or harassment, as doing so would put themselves at risk of exposing their status.
On Jun. 17, the Washington Post reported that the owners of multiple East Coast 7-Eleven stores had employed over 50 undocumented workers under false identities, while pocketing portions of their wages and requiring rent in cash for living in their homes. This is just one example of the precarious situations immigrants often face.
“I did not have to pay rent to most of the friends who allowed me to live with them. Others [in my situation] are not so fortunate,” Fletcher recalls. “But I was still wiring funds home to my parents, and there was never a week when I thought, ‘this week I did enough work.’”
In addition to financial difficulties, undocumented individuals face a number of social and emotional tolls. Despite contributing to the economy through taxes on purchases, property, and employment, undocumented immigrants face race-based discrimination, stigma, and blame in matters such as unemployment rates and welfare.
Motivating factors to illegally immigrate
Gillian’s* father, originally a citizen of the Philippines, met his first wife through an arrangement by his family. In exchange for $1,000, he married her, applied for a green card, and then applied for a divorce. A few years later, he swore the Oath of Allegiance and became an American citizen. Years later, he met another woman, an American living in Guam, who would later become his second wife and the mother of his two children. They have since relocated to the Pacific Northwest.
Although this situation is very real for some immigrants, it has been frequently used as a comedic plot point. On television, Tom Haverford’s marriage to Wendy on NBC’s Parks and Recreation is a source of peculiarity and plot development. In film, Sandra Bullock’s outrageous nd longwinded pursuit of Ryan Reynolds in The Proposal is based on her expired work visa and desire to remain in the United States. But media portrayal of marriage fraud has rarely explored the harsh realities that face its participants in real life—motivations that drive them to break the law. Marriage fraud is just a snippet of a larger thread of issues surrounding the difficulties of immigration.
In Canada and the United States, the decision to commit marriage fraud, to overstay a visa, or to cross borders without documentation is not one made with ease. Motivating factors range from access to education to employment opportunities. The consequences, if marriage fraud or lack of status is discovered, are accordingly drastic; they include deportation or the revocation of citizenship, as well as a ban from the country.
These individuals have emigrated from countries around the world and cite an array of reasons for their displacement. Those who choose to eschew the route of obtaining an immigrant visa and immigrate through a legal manner do so in the face of a number of obstacles in achieving legal immigration, including financial difficulties and lengthy wait times.
Immigration in Canada is not subject to country-specific quotas, but visa processing can still take up to four years depending on an immigrant’s location. According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), the cost of immigration depends on many factors, such as type of visa, fees that can cost up to $550 per person, and additional legal consultation fees.
Wait times for green cards in the United States depend on a number of factors, including type of immigrant visa and country of origin. Due to per-country allowances, a citizen of the Philippines, like Gillian’s father, may have to wait up to 20 years for permanent residency on a work permit. Within such a time frame, the immigrants remain affixed to the terms of their visas, which bind them to their employer, their area of work, and a geographic region amongst other stipulations.
Marriage, on the other hand, is not subject to quotas. Permanent residency can be gained within a year of application, and the wait to apply for citizenship is shortened for those married to citizens. Hence, immigrants sometimes attempt to forgo the long wait and complicated process through marriage fraud.
Long-standing consequences
Oftentimes, whole families will immigrate and live under the shadows, and as a result, many children end up facing another range of issues, which can include social isolation and anxiety.
Fears of deportation and separation from parents take immeasurable tolls on children, who as a result, may do worse in school, have more physical and mental health issues, and find themselves alienated in their community.
Growing Up in the Shadows: The Developmental Implications of Unauthorized Status is a journal article published by the Harvard Education Publishing Group. “Poor work conditions, such as low wages, lack of access to benefits, and limited opportunities for employment, which are more prevalent among unauthorized adults, are associated with low academic achievement among their middle school and high school children,” the journal reported.
“It is likely that living in a community where family members or friends’ parents have been detained or deported heightens insecurity and may undermine a sense of belonging and trust. If the child is a citizen, her sense of belonging to the nation could be undermined as its authorities actively seek to expel his or her parents, siblings, and other loved ones.”
Given the divisive nature of the issue, a decision of immigration reform can only be predicted warily. As the debate goes on, undocumented immigrants continue to contribute to our communities, while struggling with the technical barriers and emotional tolls of living in the shadows. Life becomes one of contradictions: living under a constant cloud of fear, while trying to maintain an outward appearance of normalcy. The priority becomes living, working, and growing in a country known for its fundamental freedoms while remaining cautious day in and day out of what can be revealed and who can be trusted.
*Names have been changed.
Information on the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act collected from congress.gov
The Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) is holding a by-election for two positions, following the resignation of both the vice-president academic and an Arts representative to the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) in the past two months. The nomination period for the vacant positions will run from Sept. 6 to Sept. 24, and the election period will take place in an online vote from Oct. 3 to Oct. 8.
“Both elections, which will occur in the same time frame [and] on the same ballot, will follow the same calendar, require the same compliance with nomination, campaign, and polling regulations, [as well as] preserve the fairness and equality of the McGill election system,” Sophia Reuss, AUS chief returning officer of elections, said.
Students may put forth their name for nomination if they can acquire a minimum of 75 student signatures. Only Arts students may vote for Arts representative, but both Arts and Arts and Science students may vote for the VP Academic.
Former Vice-President Academic Colleen Morawetz resigned on July 29, citing personal reasons for leaving the position.
“I am still very invested in the AUS, and I will be doing all I can to help the current executives ensure a smooth transition,” Morawetz said.
On Sept. 4, Steven Curran resigned from his position as one of three Arts representatives to SSMU.
“[Curran] resigned on the first day of classes after realizing that courses conflicted with the AUS Council meetings, which are mandatory in terms of attendance,” Reuss said.
At the Sept. 4 AUS meeting, Council voted that AUS President Justin Fletcher would be designated to sit on SSMU Council on behalf of Arts students until a new Arts representative was elected. They also determined that an interim vice-president academic would not be appointed.
“The executive committee at this juncture is able to handle the VP academic portfo1lio tasks,” Fletcher said, adding that training an interim VP academic who would then go up for election may be more disruptive to their yearly work plans than waiting until October, when the new VP academic and Arts representative will be elected.
Duties of the VP academic include acting as a liaison between AUS and various committees and university services such as the library and OASIS (Arts Advising), as well as distributing the Arts Student Employment Fund, which provides funding for the creation of academically based job opportunities for undergraduate Arts students.
Fletcher explained that AUS operations would not be greatly affected by the resignations.
“The executive committee is currently handling the responsibilities of the VP academic portfolio,” he said. “I expect this arrangement to continue until the conclusion of elections, with little to no implications for the operations of the AUS. While they have required the executive committee to put forth more time, the AUS executives ran for this position in March with the understanding that it is our responsibility to serve and protect the interests of Arts students here at McGill.”
Since Sheryl Crow debuted in the mid ‘90s, she has tried on a number of different personas: earnestly personal, politically charged, and now—with her latest offering, Feels Like Home—folksy country.
The subject matter checks most of the usual boxes for country music—passionate flings (“Callin’ Me When I’m Lonely”), casual alcoholism (“We Oughta Be Drinking”), and the allure of the open road (“Shotgun”)—but fails to say anything interesting or original about them. At times, it feels like every line is a cliché. Nothing on the album is worse than the cringe-worthy line, “Thank god they make waterproof mascara / ‘cause it won’t run like his daddy did.”
Thankfully, some tracks are much more grounded than that, namely with the one-two gut punch of “Homesick” and “Homecoming Queen,” two emotionally honest tracks about lost love and the compromise that comes with fading glory. The closing track, “Stay at Home Mother,” which Crow whispers through, is also hauntingly beautiful. Here, the ostentatious content of the rest of the album gets stripped away in favour of a more personal and real sound.
Sadly, the same can’t be said for most of the other tracks which are overproduced in the most inoffensively bland, radio-friendly way possible. It’s a shame that the album as a whole can’t rise above these few isolated moments of greatness—but the saccharine arrangements torpedo any nuance that might have otherwise managed to shine through.
