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Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV, Pop Rhetoric

Applause for representation, but can we get an encore? 

by Carmen Faria on

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Criticism rained down on the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards this past weekend. Only six months after the previous Emmys in January, the ceremony felt repetitive. However, the Emmys have increasingly devoted airtime to recognizing marginalized communities; the Sept. 15 ceremony marked historic wins for Shōgun’s Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai, the first Japanese actors to win in their respective categories, and The Bear’s Liza Colón-Zayas, who became the first Latina to win Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy. These wins lead to a wider variety of voices being shared within a competitive industry. Yet, as this continues, we must raise a critical question: Is representation enough to truly celebrate and uplift marginalized communities?

There is no doubt that representation at awards shows matters. It provides visibility and recognition to historically underrepresented groups such as racialized people, the LGBTQ+ community, and disabled individuals, giving audiences role models to look up to. Coming from a high school in Malaysia, Michelle Yeoh’s historic Oscar win for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once filled me with hope and pride. 

However, representation is often seen as the final goal, rather than the starting point for deeper structural change within the industry. The risk behind heaping praise on this recent—and deserved—rise in representation at award ceremonies is that it becomes tokenistic. If we don’t continue fighting for more meaningful ways to represent marginalized communities, the status quo could become a superficial medium for the industry to appear diverse without addressing the power dynamics that continue to marginalize voices behind the scenes.

While it is exciting to see talents like Sanada, Sawai, and Colón-Zayas gain recognition, the industry frequently prioritizes celebrating individual achievements over systemic change. Award wins don’t address the deeper inequalities that marginalized groups face within the industry such as the hidden difficulties of being a woman or BIPOC director. As a result, representation, while essential, often feels like a checkbox rather than a meaningful step toward greater inclusivity. It seems absurd that audiences should applaud award shows for “making history” while overlooking systemic issues that persist within the industry. 

While representation takes centre stage, not nearly enough attention is being brought to the more explicitly political acts and statements at the Emmys. For instance, Oji-Cree actor D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai of Reservation Dogs arrived on the red carpet with a red handprint painted over his mouth: A symbol for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women movement across the U.S and Canada. Pro-Palestinian protestors gathered outside the awards ceremony, not unlike those who delayed the Academy Awards in March, to protest the ongoing siege on Gaza. These examples of outcry against horrifying violence are only some of many. Amongst the glitz and glamour of the evening, these political acts are muffled and difficult to find in the media unless explicitly searched for. 

The media also often highlights marginalized artists’ achievements over their political activism. This selective enthusiasm highlights the industry’s ongoing struggle to engage sensibly with marginalized communities. Colón-Zayas’ acting in The Bear is rightly celebrated, but when she used her platform to speak out on injustice, ending her speech with “vote, vote for your rights,” she received far less attention. The Emmys’ focus on representation without engaging with broader social issues limits the industry’s potential to truly amplify marginalized voices.

The sheer amount of power and influence the television and film industry has is astounding. To say that it should not be used as a platform for promoting diversity and equity is missing the beauty of the art in the first place. The industry should recognize more political activism and aim to highlight actors from marginalized communities who fight for justice and challenge power structures. However, to lead this change beyond representation, the industry must be willing to embrace the full spectrum of what it means to create a more inclusive, transformative celebration of marginalized identities.

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

‘The Substance’ is difficult to stomach

by Amelia McCluskey on

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I’d never been to a movie by myself before, so when I discovered that the Québec premiere of The Substance at Cinéma Du Parc sold out before my friends had bought their tickets, I listened to their encouragement about the “peaceful” nature of solo movie-watching and decided to go alone. Midway through the movie, as I witnessed no less than five walk-outs and heard the man behind me whisper, “I think I’m going to pass out,” I realized this might not be the cozy viewing experience that I’d had in mind. 

Director Coralie Fargeat’s sophomore film is disgusting to the point of absurdity. After Hollywood studio executives fire Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) from her long-term aerobics show on her 50th birthday, she is forced to reckon with her middle age. This is when she learns about “The Substance:” A black-market drug that promises to unlock a younger, better version of its user. After following the concerningly vague instructions that accompany the drug, Elisabeth spawns Sue (Margaret Qualley), her younger, shinier counterpart, who takes her place every other week through a gruesome spinal tap. At first, both women seem satisfied with this arrangement, but as Sue bends the rules of their symbiotic relationship, Elisabeth begins to undergo a monstrous transformation that rivals David Cronenberg’s The Fly or Julia Ducournau’s Titane. 

Fargeat’s visceral gore is elevated almost to the level of camp. Extreme close-ups snap in on bloody stitches, sagging skin, or two mutated eyes battling for dominance inside one socket, while ASMR-like sound effects punctuate every moment. In one scene, as a man masticates a pile of shrimp, I could only imagine that the Foley artist was slapping a plate of jello to produce such revolting sounds. 

This penchant towards excess extends beyond the film’s gore. When Sue steps into a dazzling reality, Fargeat’s visuals magnify her sexy, glamorous lifestyle so that it, too, becomes hard to look at. Through oversaturated colour, Sue’s bubblegum-pink lip gloss appears sickly sweet, and zoomed-in shots chop up her spandex-clad curves into pieces. As Sue’s youthful qualities are made uncanny and strange, both women’s lives are imagined as a double-edged sword of dissatisfaction and self-hatred. 

The Substance’s final 30 minutes are made to be seen in a packed theatre. While the film’s horror is pushed to shocking extremes through slimy prosthetics and practical effects, Moore simultaneously injects each scene with sardonic humour. Culminating in a spectacular, blood-soaked, reverse Carrie sequence, the entire audience around me was laughing in shock. 

Although its sci-fi-ish premise reads like a Black Mirror episode, The Substance is not the nuanced satire on anti-aging that it presents itself to be. The film opens with several clear—yet somewhat unimaginative—examples of sexism in Hollywood: Casting calls for women are marked with strict age limits, while panels of casting agents ruthlessly scrutinize their bodies. In one scene, a patronizing producer spouts phrases like “pretty girls should always smile!” as he ignores the tears in Sue’s eyes, while in another, he refers to the ticking biological clock of women over 25. 

Instead of building on these examples, however, Fargeat leaves them behind in favour of focusing on the film’s body horror. Despite continuously identifying Hollywood’s obsession with youth and its impossible beauty standards, Fargeat ultimately positions Elisabeth as the character that we are cringing and laughing at by the film’s conclusion, witnessing her transformation into a monster as she suffers the consequences of her own self-hatred. In this sense, The Substance can’t seem to decide whether the subject of its critique is the patriarchal beauty industry, or the women who buy into it. 

The Substance’s commentary may be somewhat simplistic, but Fargeat uses it as a provocative jumping-off point for the rest of the film, which transforms—like its protagonist—into something nauseating and deranged, yet entirely singular. 


The Substance is now playing in theatres.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

‘BRAT’ and it’s the same but it’s in Montreal with Troye Sivan so it’s not

by Lily Dodson on

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Even though I’ve finally had to accept that summer is over, getting to watch the Sweat tour with Charli XCX and Troye Sivan at Place Bell transported me back, one final time, to the joys of “BRAT summer.” Prior to the show’s commencement, I made sure to get my “SWEAT tour” T-shirt to commemorate what I knew would be a concert experience unlike any other. As  soon as Troye Sivan came on stage, he cemented my predictions. 

The concert lasted just under two hours, with Sivan making his grand entrance at exactly 8:30 p.m. to perform an energetic rendition of his hit “Got Me Started.” The pair proceeded to trade time in the spotlight, with one of them performing two to three songs, thanking the audience, and then ceding the stage to the other to repeat the cycle. I found it a little strange that the first time they performed together was over an hour into the concert during “1999,” but after that, they shared the stage for multiple songs. 

Remarkably, the night felt like two separate concerts in one. When Sivan came on stage, everyone was jumping and dancing along to his more dance-pop-esque music. Alternatively, when Charli performed, I felt transported to a DJ set where everyone was bumping their heads up-and-down to her style of synth-pop—with the one exception being during the viral “Apple” dance when the whole crowd immediately started doing the TikTok choreography, with famous Montreal TikToker and McGill student Nadia doing the dance on the big screen.

There were minimal set pieces, though a caged performance area running under the mainstage brought the performers within arms-reach of those in the pit. Both artists employed a variety of strobe lights and projections to captivate concertgoers—including an unforgettable clip of Sivan answering the phone in drag before launching into a performance of “One of Your Girls.” While these set pieces were great, I strongly believe that the show would’ve been just as spectacular without them due to the strong stage presence of both artists. 

While the whole concert was outstanding, there were a few moments that stood out to me. The highlights from Charli’s act were her performances of “Von dutch,” “Club classics,” “Vroom Vroom,” and “Girl, so confusing.” This, however, could be coming from personal bias, as those are some of my favourites from her discography due to their lively, danceable nature. Notably missing from her setlist, though, was her song “B2b,” whose absence saddened me. From Sivan’s performance, “What’s The Time Where You Are?,” “One of Your Girls” (obviously), and “My My My!” were all phenomenal. Yet my favourite part of Sivan’s performance was him shouting “Montreal!” more than 20 times throughout the evening, particularly because the autotune on his microphone made it sound hilarious. 
My only wish is that Charli would have brought out a special guest during the show. Whether it be Lorde for “Girl, so confusing,” Billie Eilish for “Guess,” or even Addison Rae for “Von dutch,” I think it would’ve added to the show. Though I can’t say I’m all that shocked given that she didn’t bring anyone out at her first show—and my hope was fairly far-fetched—it would’ve been an incredible way to make an amazing concert even better. Nevertheless, the concert was truly one of the most incredible live music experiences of my life. I hope everyone, whether a fan or not, gets to see Troye Sivan or Charli XCX at least once in their lives.

Behind the Bench, Sports

Canadian Sail Grand Prix team sees growing popularity and prowess

by Emilia Oliver on

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Every year, 10 teams from different nations compete on F50 foiling catamaran sailboats at some of the most incredible sailing venues around the world in the Sail Grand Prix (SailGP). Fans of all ages come out to watch the world’s best sailors race the fastest sailboats ever made against beautiful backdrops. At each event, all ten teams complete six fleet races building up to a winner-takes-all final which determines the event champion. The season concludes with a Grand Final, where the top three teams of the season compete for a prize of $7 million USD.

In recent years, the SailGP franchise has seen a significant increase in its fanbase—a boom in viewers across social media platforms and an in-person attendance of more than 200,000 spectators, as well as a 48 per cent increase in broadcast viewership over the past year. As the sport’s popularity grows, so does its appeal to sponsors. Therefore, knowing what attracts more spectators is key. Is it the speed, the spectacular boats with 28-metre-tall sails, or the full-speed crashes that get fans hooked? It’s probably a mix of them all. 

However, as Sail World managing editor Mark Jardine stated in an article, fans crave access to the sailors’ personalities and rivalries. Jardine compares the SailGP competition to Formula One (F1) motor racing, and notes how very few F1 fans know the speed record of any competition. Instead, a large part of its success lies in the great rivalries between drivers—like between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen—showcased to fans with on-board cameras during the racing and at press conferences. The popularity of a documentary by the Canadian SailGP team, “Against All Odds,” indicates that perhaps the same principle is true for fans of sailing.

“Against All Odds” follows the Canadian SailGP team through the 2023-2024 season. The team, led by Phil Robertson, started off the season strong, finishing in third and second respectively at their first two events. The rookies on the team seemed to have gotten the hang of the very technically challenging F50 boat in record time. However, things took an unfortunate turn in Saint-Tropez, France, when the team’s lucky streak was cut short by extremely harsh wind conditions, and spectators began to believe the Canadians beginners’ luck had run out. 

In Sydney, Australia, the team faced an even bigger obstacle when their wing was smashed during haul-out by a flash storm, almost certainly putting an end to their season. Canadian SailGP fans celebrated when it was announced that the league and sponsors had decided to fund and produce a brand new wing in time for the next event in Christchurch, New Zealand—Robertson’s hometown. The team was thrilled that they would be able to compete. 

The rookies and veterans pulled through to surprise everyone and win the Christchurch event. The team was making history. Not too long after, Team Canada set a new SailGP speed record of 101.98 km/h while testing the new T-Foils in San Francisco. Also breaking records were the Canadian fans at home; the first ever Canadian SailGP event was held in the Halifax Harbour in June 2024, and was attended by record-setting shoreside crowds of 50,000 people. Tickets for the event sold out within 12 minutes of going on sale, and every merchandise-selling record in the history of the competition was broken.

The Canadian SailGP team’s high, however, has been short-lived. In the recently-announced 2024-2025 schedule, the Canadian event has been replaced by an event in the United Arab Emirates.
SailGP also recently announced that two new teams will be joining the competition this November, meaning that one of the current teams will be benched to leave room for the newcomers. It has not been officially announced which team will be cut, but historically there are few teams without home regattas. Canadian fans are therefore wondering if the scrapping of the Halifax event is a preview of more disappointing news to come. Regardless of what the future holds for the Canadian team, SailGP will continue to be an exhilarating display of top athletes using a force of nature to produce some fascinating racing.

McGill Recommendations, Out on the Town, Student Life

Activities in Montréal you can’t miss

by Auxane Bussac, Malika Logossou on

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Despite this week’s high temperatures and blue skies, McGill students know that the warm weather will not last forever. Still, students are enjoying every last bit of summer: Campus is buzzing with people walking around, getting hot dogs, studying outside, or simply laying down for a nap on the Lower Field. While Montréal’s outdoor events calendar is winding down for the winter, a few events are still happening here and there while we all pretend the cold isn’t coming. The Tribune offers a few recommendations for those who refuse to accept that fall is right around the corner. 

Village au Pied-du-Courant 

2380 Notre Dame Street East

Since June 13, Pied-du-Courant has welcomed the people of Montréal for a fun outdoorsy festival every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. The entrance is free until 7:00 p.m., and then it costs $5 CAD—only card payment is accepted on-site—which makes it one of the cheapest festivals in town. Every day, new musicians and/or DJs are introduced—check out their Instagram for more information. Located in the Old Port, the Village au Pied-du-Courant has a breathtaking view of the Saint-Laurent River and one of the beautiful bridges that cross it. You’ll also find plenty of drinks and food on the site. You have until Sept. 21 to jump on this opportunity. Furry friends are also welcome!

Aire Commune

Esplanade Louvain, Avenue de l’Esplanade/De Louvain Ouest

If you’re looking for something to do on the remaining Thursday nights of September, Aire Commune should be on your radar. From 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., the Esplanade Louvain throws outdoor parties featuring performances from a variety of artists. Each week, the style of music being played varies based on the theme of the party. While the entrance used to be free, the festival has become the victim of its own success. The price to attend now ranges between $7.42 CAD until 6:30 PM and $11.12 CAD if you arrive later. Nonetheless, Aire Commune ensures an awesome time, which makes it a great place to decompress and have a drink with friends after class. Try their amazing poutine if you get a chance!

Piknic Electronik

Parc Jean-Drapeau

A longtime student favourite for summer festivals, the famous Piknic festival takes place in Parc Jean-Drapeau. It opened its doors on May 19 and will last until Oct. 6, welcoming thousands of people partying on weekends. Piknic offers two types of events: Off Piknic—a concert event with popular artists coming to perform—and Piknic Electronik on Sundays, where DJs play one after the other from 4:00 p.m. onwards. While the former usually exceeds $80 CAD, the latter is much cheaper with tickets starting at $24 CAD. Piknic also offers student-friendly passes for the season, such as the Student Back-To-School Pass for $60 CAD. Overall, Piknic never disappoints and is a great place to party with Montrealers from distant horizons. 

The Gardens of Light

Montréal Botanical Garden

If you are a fan of immersive experiences and breathtaking light displays, the Gardens of Light in the Botanical Garden is a must-see. This year, running from Aug. 30 until Oct. 31, the Japanese, Chinese, and First Nations gardens will come alive with spectacular illuminations. This edition will feature projections inspired by elements of Japanese culture such as the seven autumn plants, the two most famous butterflies in Chinese culture—Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai—as well as fundamental principles of Indigenous culture through Innu poet Joséphine Bacon’s words and Métis artist Moe Clark’s songs. Take advantage of their 25 per cent discount from Sept. 2 to Oct. 8 when purchasing tickets for visits on Mondays and Tuesdays. Show your student ID to pay $12.25 CAD instead of the regular adult price $15.75 CAD. Montréalers also get a discount, so make sure to bring all your loved ones.

Art, Arts & Entertainment

‘Two by Two, Together’ bridges the gap between art and viewer

by Charlotte Sovka & Simona Culotta on

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Two by Two, Together, the latest exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), displays works that have been acquired by the museum over the past five years. Open as of Sept. 11, the exhibition groups together a multitude of works by both local and international artists from 440 BCE to the present day.

The pieces are arranged based on time period, theme, subject, material, and function. As the curator, Iris Amizlev was thinking about how to group these diverse and, in some cases, seemingly unrelated pieces. In an interview with The Tribune, she explained that her process began by asking herself: “How could I make these pieces sing?” The resulting groupings—a pair of self-portraits by Rembrandt, a print of multicoloured vases next to ancient Roman glasswork, and a wall dedicated to various depictions of the female form—speak to the ways in which art can create dialogue across time, place, and medium. 

Amizlev elaborated that her objective for the exhibit was to contribute to the works’ storytelling and inspire creative thought processes among viewers. Rather than displaying each piece independently in a traditional manner, she sought to create a more interconnected experience. 

This intention is visible through the exhibit’s layout. While many art exhibits are organized linearly, funnelling viewers towards pieces via separate rooms and hallways, the works in Two by Two, Together are all displayed within one airy room. This openness allows viewers to jump between pieces freely. Although the paintings, photographs, relics, and displays are certainly the focal point of the exhibit’s message, the thoughtful curation further emphasizes its focus on discourse through time and space.

In one corner, Still Life with Tomatoes (1720-1806) by Italian artist Carlo Magini is displayed next to the abstract Pears and Avocados (1944) by Madeleine Laliberte. While these pieces are strongly connected through their respective depictions of produce, there is also a juxtaposition between their art styles and time periods. By pairing hyperrealism and pure abstraction side-by-side, while maintaining the same theme, these works invite the audience to consider how similar subjects can act as a link between the otherwise contrasted pieces. 

In addition, the exhibition demonstrates the MMFA’s commitment to displaying works by artists from groups who have historically been underrepresented in the art world. Nunatta Sapujjijingit [Protectors of Our Land] (2021), a monumental whalebone carving by Inuk artist Manasie Akpaliapik, combines traditional Inuit legends with symbols of colonialism to bring attention to the effects of climate change. A sculpted face by Māori artist Riki Henare Manuel highlights Indigenous artists reclaiming control over their cultures amidst ongoing colonialism. 

Some may assume that a museum curator’s take on art is more valid than someone who looks at art simply for fun, but Two by Two, Together challenges this notion. In our interview, Amizlev expressed her hope that viewers to participate in the discourse prompted by the exhibit, noting that she prioritized playfulness and creativity when curating the exhibit. Visitors should think about how they would group these pieces together, embrace connections between diverse works, and in so doing discover their own subjective viewpoints. In a field where such dialogue is often reserved for those with a formal education in art, it feels especially powerful that the MMFA has put together an exhibition where the viewer, be they an art history major or someone just looking for something to do on a Sunday, has the opportunity to play an active role.


Two by Two Together runs until Oct. 5, 2025. Tickets are available online or in person at the MMFA.

Arts & Entertainment, Pop Rhetoric

‘The Bachelorette’ has lost the plot

by Shani Laskin on

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Jesse Palmer’s piercing gaze finds me through my computer screen as he tells me, “Tonight we’re going to watch something that we have never seen before in Bachelor Nation history.” I groan. I’ve spent more hours of my life than I would like to admit watching ABC’s The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise. Over the years, I’ve found that the “never seen before” controversy is always a variation of the same thing: The men behave reproachfully, the women are labelled as “strong,” and the show remains entirely performative in achieving its stated goal of finding love.

The Bachelor franchise has long been criticized for its deeply patriarchal, gendered, and racist norms. Under the guise of progress, the network began assembling more diverse casts and putting women of colour in the spotlight, starting with the first-ever Black Bachelorette—Rachel Lindsay—in 2017. However, the show’s creators and fans consistently fail the women of colour leads—showing that while representation in the media is essential, it only goes so far when these women are sabotaged from the start. 

Of the 23 leads over the course of the show’s history, all but five have been white—and don’t get me started on The Bachelor which has had one non-white lead in the nearly 30 years it has been running. Jenn Tran, the latest Bachelorette, was the franchise’s first Asian-American lead, and perhaps one of the best leads that the show has seen: Charismatic, confident, strong-willed, and funny. However, the producers undermined her from the start.

The leads are generally picked from the previous season’s runners-up and are chosen prior to the “After the Final Rose” (AFR) episode of each season. Tran was in the final six of Joey Graziadei’s season, marking a departure from the show’s usual tempo. Because of this, fans predicted that the Bachelorette would either be Daisy Kent or Maria Georgas, two of the final four from the season. At the AFR for Graziadei’s season, host Jesse Palmer sat down with Kent and asked if she wanted to be the Bachelorette. Kent declined and minutes later, Tran was announced as the lead. Simultaneously, rumours swirled online that Georgas had been considered for the role and declined. From the start, the producers made it clear that they thought Tran to be the third pick after two white women.

This is far from the first time a woman of colour has been the second choice. Clare Crawley (season 16) left after the first three weeks with her frontrunner, Dale Moss. With only seven weeks left, the producers replaced Crawley with Tayshia Adams, the series’s second lead woman of colour. Even though the men were cast with Crawley in mind, the producers did not restart the season or introduce a different cast. Adams was left to try to find love and a particularly expedited engagement with the  21 men who were initially there for Crawley.

The creators of the show are not the only ones who place unrealistic expectations on women of colour leads; the fans have an equal part to play. Many fans of the show expect BIPOC leads to perfectly represent every aspect of their identity and lash out when this is inevitably not achieved. Tran, a Vietnamese-American woman, received online hate ranging from criticism over her showing moments of insecurity on camera to insults about her proficiency in Vietnamese. 

In a TikTok Tran posted on Aug. 26, she stated, “The thing that I have come to learn about […] the entertainment industry is that people want to put you into a box at all times. Whether it’s the box of ‘You’re Asian’ or its the box of ‘You’re American.’” 

In the pursuit of novel drama and higher ratings, the Bachelor franchise is purposefully putting women in harm’s way. Tran and other women of colour on the show are simply not afforded the same grace as their white counterparts. The show must reckon with its unacceptable treatment of women of colour and find a way to genuinely allow them to take the wheel in their “journey” for love and connection. That would truly be something that we have “never seen before.”

McGill Recommendations, Student Life

Why you should join a club in your first year

by Bianca Tri on

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Whether it’s your first year or your last, clubs are an integral part of student life at McGill. A cursory glance at someone’s laptop in the library can reveal their extracurricular alliances from publication clubs to environmental groups. With the buzz of Activities Night fading away into the rearview and hundreds of club listservs pestering you with general meeting details, you may start to wonder: “Should I join a club this semester?” Going straight to the biggest source of club recruitment on campus can reveal exactly why joining a club can make or break your first year of university. First, a basic rundown:

What is a club and what kinds of clubs are out there?

The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) has over 250 official student-run clubs registered. Clubs are generally interest groups and can be sorted into ten categories: Athletic and recreational sports; charity and environment; community outreach and volunteering; fine art, dance, and performance; health and wellness; language and publications; leisure activity and hobby; networking and leadership development; political and social activism; and religion and culture. There are also 17 student-run services and 11 independent student groups.

How do I join a club?

The best way to find out is to reach out to a club directly! Getting in touch with a club through their website, social media, or by email can make you aware of whether there is a membership fee, an online channel to join, a tryout, or other parameters to start your club journey. 

What will clubs expect from me?

There are usually two levels of membership in a club: General members and executives. General members are typically expected to attend club meetings and events. Executive members have more specific roles such as President, Finance, or Design, and manage the club’s day-to-day activities. However, this structure varies—for example, services are composed of executive members and the people they provide for are the McGill community. As such, you don’t need to sign up for anything to use services like WALKSAFE. 

The tasks associated with each role vary between clubs, so it’s best to review each club constitution on the SSMU website to know more.

Why should I join a club?

In deciding whether or not to join a club, the choice comes down to your available time and personal goals.

Brianna Luo, U3 Science, stresses how athletic clubs can offer a low-pressure alternative to sports that require tryouts and competition. 

“[A] lot of sports have tryouts but the McGill Climbing Club doesn’t, and I think that McGill clubs are so welcoming and it’s fun to be around people who have similar passions and even to learn a new passion,” she said in an interview with The Tribune.

Clubs can also help when you want to explore something that the university may not offer, as Lachi Ezeokafor, U3 Arts, mentioned in an interview with The Tribune. 

“You should join a club in your first year to expand your horizons, and get away from studying, because life is about doing what you enjoy. Arts clubs like Dsign Lab give students a creative outlet especially because there’s no fine arts faculty at McGill.”

Culture clubs are also known for bringing together people who want to connect over their shared experiences. 

Dominique-Louise Magleo, U3 Arts, shared her thoughts with The Tribune. 

“[Clubs] will give you a sense of community,” she said. However, Magleo cautions first years against pledging your time to too many associations. 

“Some people sign up for everything but don’t go to any of the meetings. You have to truly put effort into a club,” she added.

Learning new skills, sharing your passion, and meeting new people are the main highlights of joining clubs. Balancing the time commitment with other responsibilities may be a challenge for incoming students, but it’s a challenge that many club-goers recommend. The world of extracurriculars cannot wait for you to dive in!

McGill Recommendations, Student Life

Comparing prices at go-to student grocery stores

by Ella Paulin on

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With rising prices and an increasing cost of living, many students are keeping a close eye on grocery prices, but comparing deals across stores can be time-consuming and tedious. Luckily, we’ve done some of the work for you! The Tribune visited Metro, Provigo, and Segal’s to compare prices for 12 staple grocery items—ranging across produce, dairy, meat, and dry goods. All of the prices listed are sticker prices, not taking into account sales or two-for-one deals. 

ProvigoMetroSegal’s
Pasta (900 g)3.793.792.29
Bread (sliced white bread)3.995.394.99
Cheerios family size7.999.295.99
Butter (250 g)6.495.885.79
Eggs (dozen large eggs)4.234.154.10
Chicken Breast (per kg)8.0816.5122.95
Oranges (individual)0.641.980.69
Grapes (per lb)4.993.992.99
Apples (per lb)2.792.791.79
Potatoes (per lb)2.491.991.00
Canned Tuna (140 g can)3.291.991.99
Soy Sauce (591 ml bottle)8.2912.499.98
Total57.7870.2464.55
Sticker prices as of Sept. 13, 2024

Metro

Total price: $70.24 CAD ($63.21 CAD with the student discount)

3575 Avenue du Parc Suite 5100

The Avenue du Parc Metro, tucked away in the basement of Les Galeries du Parc, is conveniently located for many students living in the McGill Ghetto—especially for first-year students living in New Residence Hall, which is connected via an elevator. Overall, Metro’s prices for the items we looked at were higher than those at Segal’s and about even with those at Provigo. For example, both Provigo and Metro had 900g of pasta for $3.79 CAD and apples for $2.79 CAD/lb. However, Metro has a 10 per cent student discount on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays for purchases of over $50.00 CAD, which helps make its prices more competitive with those of the other stores. 

Provigo

Total price: $57.78 CAD ($52.00 CAD with student discount)

3421 Avenue du Parc

Like Metro, the Provigo on Avenue du Parc has a student points reward system; however, it’s slightly more complicated to use. At Provigo, you need to have a PC Optimum card that was registered using your student ID. If you check out using that card on Mondays, you can get 10 per cent of your purchase in PC Optimum points, which you can then spend on future purchases. 

While Provigo’s prices across the board are higher than Segal’s, the total price for the goods we surveyed is significantly lower due to the lower price of chicken. While Segal’s is known for its cheap produce and dry goods, their meat selection is smaller and more expensive than Provigo’s. The latter had the cheapest prices for chicken of any of the stores, coming in at just $8.80 CAD/kg for boneless chicken breasts. Provigo also had the cheapest and widest selection of sliced breads, and competitive prices for eggs and oranges compared with Segal’s. 

Segal’s

Total price: $64.55 CAD

4001 Boulevard Saint-Laurent

Segal’s is slightly further away from campus and is closed on Sundays, but its low prices keep students coming back. If possible, try to avoid shopping there at peak times, as the aisles can get pretty crowded. Segal’s easily beats the other two stores for produce prices—with $0.69 CAD for an orange, $2.99 CAD/lb for grapes, and just $1.00 CAD/lb for potatoes. Segal’s also had the cheapest prices for staples like butter, eggs, and cereal, although the prices for butter and eggs were relatively similar across all three stores.

Behind the Bench, Sports

American sports go global

by Matias Plasencia Sanchez on

More in Behind the Bench:

American sports have leapt beyond borders, turning the world into their playground. At the forefront of this transition is the National Football League (NFL). In 2005, the NFL organized its first overseas game when the Arizona Cardinals faced off against the San Francisco 49ers at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The game brought over 103,000 fans in attendance—one of the largest crowds to watch a regular-season game in NFL history. 

In 2007, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced the inauguration of the NFL International Series, which entailed regular season games played overseas every year. The goal was to increase the popularity of the sport outside of the U.S. by hosting games throughout Europe, particularly in the United Kingdom. Increased social media usage has led the NFL to continue to grow in popularity, with searches for “NFL shop Europe” increasing 240 per cent outside of the U.S. over the past year.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has been playing seasonal games overseas for decades before the NFL. The first international game featuring an NBA team occurred in 1979 when the Washington Wizards, formerly the Washington Bullets, faced off against Maccabi Tel Aviv in Tel Aviv. While the NBA continued to host games abroad, their popularity did not surge until 1992 when Team USA won gold at the Barcelona Olympics. Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson—three of the greatest players in NBA history—teamed up for the first time to make up what is now known as the “dream team” of basketball. This team represented the skill of the NBA and introduced the league in Europe, increasing NBA viewership abroad.

Games played outside of the U.S. and Canada have the potential to earn sports associations tremendous amounts of money. Both leagues already rake in incredible sums each year, with the NBA making roughly $10.6 billion USD in revenue in the 2022-2023 season and the NFL making about $13 billion USD in 2023. Despite these high numbers, these leagues still hope for more. While the NFL’s International Series has yet to bring in substantial revenues, the league plans that it will pay off in the long run. Countries hosting these games may also reap long-term economic benefits, as some reports estimate each host city will have a turnover of around $40 million USD and has the potential to increase tourism.

Having American teams play regular season games overseas is not without its impacts. There are clear environmental drawbacks to hosting games abroad. For example, hosting international games contributes to more amounts of carbon dioxide emissions due to increased travel distances from teams, coaches, and spectators. During regular season games, the NFL contributes an average of 20.8 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per game, making it the sport with the largest carbon footprint in major U.S. sports leagues. In comparison, the NBA emits the third largest carbon footprint:  13.7 metric tonnes per game. The NFL’s greater emissions are attributed to the larger distances between NFL venues in the U.S., compared to other major U.S. sports leagues with closer venues.  

Although both the NFL and the NBA have taken some steps to address these issues such as the NBA and NFL Green Initiatives. In addition to this, the NBA is focusing on reducing flight miles to games within the U.S., reducing travel miles by 11 per cent, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 39 per cent from the 2022-2023 season. These initiatives to reducing domestic mileage do not make up for the steep environmental impact that overseas games result in.

The globalization of American sports, particularly the NFL and the NBA, has brought significant financial benefits and increased international popularity, but these gains come at an environmental cost. As these leagues continue to expand their global reach, they must balance their economic ambitions with a greater commitment to environmental sustainability.

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