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Science & Technology

Unraveling infection mysteries: Can probiotics provide answers?

by Daniel Pyo on

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How many times have your parents or significant other reminded you to take your supplements, emphasizing their health benefits?

Over the past few years, probiotics have garnered significant attention due to studies showcasing their efficacy in treating various human diseases. Researchers believe that probiotics promote human health by stimulating the immune system and inhibiting the growth of pathogens. By acting as adjuvants, probiotics have the potential to enhance the effectiveness of a cure by supplementing the immune response. This combination approach can help to strengthen the body’s defense mechanisms and improve the overall outcome of the treatment. 

A recent meta-analysis by Eva Suarthana, adjunct professor in McGill’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and her team unraveled the numerous effects of probiotics on a series of infections, particularly intestinal infections that roots from a common bacteria of H. pylori. Suarthana’s research aims to guide policy changes and recommend effective treatments within current patient care policies. 

So, what exactly are probiotics and why are they so important? 

“To put it simply, probiotics are a distinct group of organisms that enter infected areas to fight against harmful substances that cause negative effects,” Erni Nelwan, first author of the paper and full professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia, said in an interview with The Tribune.  

Suarthana, Nelwan, and the rest of the team initiated research focusing on probiotics when they realized they had not conducted any meta-analyses on the various beneficial effects of probiotics as a supplementary measure for promoting health. 

Probiotics function as adjuvants to strengthen the immune system, preventing recurring infections caused by weakened immunity. They achieve this by maintaining the stability of the cell flora in organs and preventing pathogens from adhering to surfaces during interactions with the immune system. 

“It’s not that probiotics can serve as a cure for all infectious diseases, but it can work as a supplement for our body to lessen the chance of one catching one,” Suarthana said. 

Another interesting finding showed that when people receive antibiotics, they build resistance to them, and over time repeated infections would cause the potency of antibiotics to go down. 

“In some countries, there’s no modulation of how drugs should be administered, so the first drug that can be prescribed to patients suffering from infectious diseases are antibiotics,” Nelwan added. 

Nelwan and Suarthana’s team conducted extensive patient studies across different countries to minimize bias. Their review is the first to provide a comprehensive overview of the use of probiotics in managing highly prevalent infectious diseases; this meta-analysis is the extension of their work on 2011 regarding their investigation on diarrheal cases. 

Researchers have established that probiotics in the gastrointestinal tract have a specific binding affinity to H. pylori– a bacteria that causes ulcers. Its presence in the stomach leads to the production of substances that hinder its attachment to the cells of the gastrointestinal tract. Probiotics also possess the ability to secrete antimicrobial substances, such as lactic acids, which damage harmful bacteria and help to prevent potential infections. 

Furthermore, Nelwan and Suarthana examined studies where they administered probiotics to patients at varying frequencies throughout the duration of the study. 

“Probiotics were effective when administered with triple regimen therapy as a first-line treatment, but not with quadruple regimen for H. pylori eradication,” Nelwan explained. 

Despite the promising findings of this meta-analysis, which suggest that probiotics are effective in curing a range of infections, there are still uncertainties about the overall impact of probiotics on patient well-being. This is mainly due to the limited number of published studies on this topic and the fact that doctors primarily rely on other medications to treat infectious diseases, as Nelwan explained. 

While probiotics may not be a cure-all for infections, they play a vital role in understanding the intricacies of infectious diseases in human health. Continuous study in this field has the potential to bring more accessible and successful probiotic treatments. 

Sports

Transphobia in women’s sports is a danger to all women

by Anoushka Oke on

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Content Warning: Mentions of transphobia, racism, and misogyny

In the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Italian boxer Angela Carini abandoned her 66-kilogram Round of 16 match on Aug. 1 after 46 seconds, following her failure to properly block two hard hits to the face by Algerian opponent Imane Khelif. Rather than celebrating Khelif’s resulting win, media outlets focused on Carini’s teary post-fight comments and speculated upon whether or not Khelif is a cisgender woman—which she is.

In the days after the fight, self-proclaimed boxing experts subjected Khelif to invasive scrutiny over her body and her childhood as they attempted to decide for themselves whether or not they considered Khelif to be “feminine” enough to meet their definition of womanhood. High-profile voices like J.K. Rowling, Elon Musk, and Logan Paul further fueled the abuse.

Transitioning is criminalized in Algeria, making these claims not only an insult to Khelif’s integrity, but a genuine threat to her livelihood. Furthermore, it makes the notion of Algeria sending a transgender athlete to represent itself in the Olympics extremely unlikely.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) released a statement clarifying that every athlete at the Games had cleared their respective eligibility rules and condemning both the harmful discourse and the previous 2023 decision from the International Boxing Association (IBA) that fueled it. In 2023, the IBA—an organization that lost IOC recognition as the global boxing body in 2023 with a 69-1 vote due to issues over governance, finances, and ethics—made the sudden and controversial decision to disqualify Khelif and fellow Olympian Lin Yu-ting based on the results of a vaguely-defined “separate and recognized test.”

In recent years, transphobes and misogynists alike have found a new method of attacking women: Suggesting that any talented woman athlete must have been assigned male at birth. Khelif is not the first or the only woman to be swept up in debates about their gender. After American swimmer Katie Ledecky—arguably one of the most dominant athletes in the world—won the 1500-metre freestyle, ESPN’s celebratory Facebook post attracted several comments questioning her gender.

Unlike Ledecky, Khelif isn’t even the dominant athlete that she is characterized to be—she lost to Irish boxer Kellie Harrington in the quarterfinals of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games (held in 2021), and to Irish boxer Amy Broadhurst in the 2022 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, which are just two of her nine career losses. Carini, on the other hand, lost her opening fight in the 2020 Olympics.

Despite their claims that they “protect women’s sports,” transphobes can’t stand to see women athletes succeed and dominate, unintentionally pushing forward a misogynistic narrative alongside their transphobia. In their anti-trans fury—which is already condemnable—the “protect women’s sports” crowd are now attacking cis women as well.

Women, such as Khelif, who are discriminated against based on both their gender and their race experience even more adversity. The masculinization of women of colour is strongly rooted in racism—especially in anti-Black racism—and has repeatedly been aimed at several successful BIPOC athletes. Throughout her playing career, conspiracy theorists have repeatedly subjected American tennis legend Serena Williams to fabricated speculations that she is not a cis woman. And following a recent Olympic soccer matchup between the Australian and Zambian women’s national teams that resulted in a tight 6-5 win for Australia, Australian commentator Lucy Zelić publicly questioned the gender eligibility of sole Zambian goal scorers Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji—two of the bright spots in an otherwise struggling Zambian women’s national soccer team—who are both star players for their respective club teams in the National Women’s Soccer League.

Headlines such as “Boxer previously banned from women’s events wins fight after opponent quits in 46 seconds” and “Imane Khelif, Algeria boxer who had gender test issue, wins first Olympic fight when opponent quits” further fuel baseless accusations from reactionary onlookers who do little more than read the headlines. Presenting the fact that Khelif previously failed gender tests in the head of a piece without contextualizing it in the fact that Kheilf is a cis woman and that she is fully eligible to participate in the Olympics is irresponsible, dangerous journalism. 

Imane Khelif has fought her whole life to get to this moment; she is a woman from a rural village in Algeria who sold scrap metal to fund her bus fares to training, despite her father’s disapproval of girls participating in boxing. However, transphobic hate and journalistic malpractice has turned what should have been presented as an inspiring story into a flurry of personal attacks fueled by the tears of a white woman.

Soccer, Sports

The double standard: How media ideology magnifies mistakes of Black players

by Zain Ahmed on

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England’s National Football Team’s lackluster 1-0 defeat to Iceland’s National Football Team on June 7 was more than just a forgettable pre-European Championships match. In the post-match analysis, a curious trend materialized: 22-year-old Bukayo Saka, who played a mere 25 minutes of the game, became a focal point of criticism. Headlines following the game shifted blame onto the Arsenal star, despite his limited role in the match. This wasn’t the first time that Saka, alongside other Black players on the English team, had been unfairly targeted by the English media. This persistent trend reveals the dark undercurrents of sports media’s sinister role in the perpetuation of racist attitudes and sentiments.

Black athletes in contemporary sports media often find themselves under a harsher spotlight than their white counterparts. A misplaced pass from a white player is seen as nothing more than a forgivable lapse in concentration, while this same error from a Black player is spun into a narrative of a lack of ability. This racial bias is amplified by the media’s tendency to dissect a Black player’s performance through a negative filter, especially when losses are involved. Headlines become pronouncements, pronouncements morph into truths, and truths, however skewed, become ingrained in the minds of fans and casual observers. 

Saka’s post-Iceland scrutiny was not a one-off ordeal, making the media’s existing criticisms against him even harsher. After England’s heartbreaking loss during the penalty shootout in the final of the 2020 European Championship against Italy, Saka, alongside two of his Black teammates—Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford and Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho—were subject to a torrent of racist abuse online after missing their penalties. These incidents paint a disturbing picture: Black players are disproportionately vilified for their team’s defeats.

The penalties missed by Saka, Rashford, and Sancho became a national conversation, representing a glaring disparity in media coverage. The English captain Harry Kane, a white player, also missed a crucial penalty against France in a huge World Cup shootout in 2022. While some criticism was directed at Kane as the leader of what was supposed to be a very successful England team, the outrage paled in comparison to the torment Saka, Rashford, and Sancho faced. 

Rashford commented on the ways in which football increased his self awareness, and plunged himself and other Black players into a whirlpool of disproportionate negative comments regarding their skills. The abuse even transgressed beyond the field, highlighting the emotional toll of the continuous racist abuse faced by young Black players on the England team. England manager Gareth Southgate backed Rashford’s sentiment, that the scrutiny placed on players like Saka was disgusting. 

To destroy such harmful narratives around racialized atheletes such as Saka, a multi-pronged approach is crucial. First, sports journalists must become more discerning in their collection and representation of facts. Analyzing the performance of an entire team, like the English men’s national team, instead of scrutinizing individual moments in a way that can be shrouded in prejudice creates a holistic approach to performance analyses. Second, greater representation in the media is a vital aspect of sports journalism—having more journalists of colour creates a wider range of perspectives and produces fairer representation. However, all  journalists must  learn how to properly report on issues and stories concerning players of colour and other athletes of communities in which the reporter is not a member. Furthermore, social media platforms like X, previously known as previously Twitter, which are notorious for facilitating online abuse, must be held accountable for their wrongful sentiments by increasing proactive identification of abusers and through the removal of racist content. 

International sports organizations are emphasizing collaboration with social media platforms to create stable reporting systems, resulting in safer online spaces for players. The Guardian stated that the Premier League is laying down a powerful call to arms to combat the onslaught of negative racial abuse targeting minority players. This reinforces the general consensus that in order to increase equality on the field, we ought to ensure equality in every auxiliary context. 

The “beautiful game” deserves an equally beautiful environment off the field. By promoting balanced reporting, fostering diversity in sports media, and demanding accountability from online platforms, we can begin to tackle the ingrained racism within the sports industry.

Commentary, Opinion

Overcoming opioids: Methadone and Montreal’s path to recovery

by Yusur Al-Sharqi on

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Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Québec’s rate of overdoses and opioid addiction skyrocketed. With a record number of overdoses in 2023 and rising concerns around addiction and drug use in Montreal, the search for a solution to this epidemic has become increasingly urgent. Replacing one addiction with another may, on the surface, sound like a questionable idea, yet it is one that some doctors in Montréal swear by. 

 Methadone is a long-acting opioid prescribed to treat severe addictions to more harmful opioids, like fentanyl. Typically, the drug is taken over the span of a few years and then gradually reduced until the individual is no longer dependent. The difference between methadone and other opioids is that it is long-acting, preventing the user from needing multiple doses throughout the day, and devoid of the same euphoric effects as other opioids, like heroin. 

As a result, people who use methadone are more functional in their day-to-day lives and have a better chance at building support systems, seeking out professional help, and solving issues often associated with addiction, like financial troubles. This approach directly counters the moralistic view that addiction is a choice or a lack of willpower; instead, it treats addiction like a disease that requires evidence-based treatment. And so far, it has been tremendously effective. 

There is an ocean of research about the benefits and safety of methadone, including one study by the National Institute of Health, which found that methadone-based treatment reduced the risk of opioid-related deaths by nearly 60 per cent. Still, many doctors refuse to prescribe the drug out of fear that it perpetuates addiction. The problem with this approach is that, though recovery from addiction should always be the ultimate goal, it cannot and should not be the only goal.

People don’t deserve to die simply because they remain addicted to opioids. Focusing exclusively on ending drug use oversimplifies the complex needs of individuals struggling with addiction solely to stopping drug use and neglects the crucial responsibility to safeguard those who continue to use drugs. Preventing overdoses must be the top priority for healthcare professionals, for which methadone has proved time and time again to be an imperative tool.

Robert Thivierge was one of the few physicians in Montreal who prescribed the drug before closing his practice in August 2023. He reports that many patients will be left helpless without access to a methadone prescription, vulnerable to relapsing and unable to find another doctor because of the stigma around addiction. Similar regressive policies have impacted McGill as well, such as the Québec Health Ministry’s recent decision to shut down the McGill University Health Centre’s day addiction program. The purpose of the program was to support patients transitioning from in-patient rehabilitation in hospitals and addiction centres—including patients who failed to complete their rehabilitation programs— to outpatient treatment, which is less costly to the healthcare system in both time and money. 

With the province’s surge in opioid-related deaths, it is more important than ever to explore concrete solutions. A solution to Montreal’s opioid crisis is within reach. Methadone has the potential to save hundreds of lives, but stigma undermines its effectiveness. A paradigm shift is urgently needed—one that prioritizes harm reduction alongside recovery, rejects moralistic views of addiction, and ensures access to evidence-based treatments like methadone. With lives at stake and the opioid crisis worsening, it’s time for decisive action and compassionate policy to pave the way forward for Montreal’s path to recovery.

McGill, Montreal, News

McGill administration dismantles Palestine solidarity encampment after 75 days

by Eliza Lee, Shani Laskin on

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In the early hours of July 10, police swarmed the lower field of McGill’s downtown campus to dismantle the student-led Palestine solidarity encampment. After being forced out, campers protested under the rain on Rue Sherbrooke alongside supporters from the broader Montreal community. The action by McGill’s administration brought an end to the 75-day encampment, which was established on April 27.

McGill hired private company Sirco—which specializes in investigation and security—to examine and dismantle the encampment. McGill’s Media Relations Office explained to The Tribune that Sirco’s findings “provided the basis of the information” in McGill President Deep Saini’s July 10 message to staff and students. 

In this message, Saini highlighted several reasons that the university acted to remove the encampment. He stressed the presence of individuals from outside the McGill community, health and safety risks such as drug overdoses and a rat infestation, and the encampments’ ties to an escalation of vandalism and violence.

“The University permits peaceful, lawful protest, even uncomfortable for some members of our community. However, harassment, intimidation, violence, threats, vandalism, occupation or forced entry and psychological or physical violence are completely unacceptable,” the Media Relations Office wrote in an email to The Tribune. “Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of all involved.”

Student protestors from McGill, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÁM), and Concordia University initially formed the encampment to pressure McGill and Concordia to meet their demands in taking an active stance against Israel’s genocide of Palestinians. First, protestors called on McGill to disclose and divest from holdings valued at less than $500,000 in institutions complicit in Israel’s siege on Gaza; McGill’s investments worth over $500,000 are already publicly available. Protestors also demanded that their respective universities call on the Canadian government to condemn Israel’s war on Gaza—which has killed over 39,300 people since Oct. 7 2023 as of July 29 2024. Finally, they urged McGill and Concordia to refrain from punishing student protestors supporting the encampment with disciplinary actions. 

McGill’s dismantling of the encampment came after tensions between the administration and student protestors escalated over the course of the summer. On May 10, McGill filed an injunction request to dismantle the encampment, an action that the Québec Superior Court denied. A month later, on the evening of June 6, protestors occupied the James Administration building for several hours. Police used pepper spray and tear gas on supporters outside the building during the occupation and ultimately arrested 13 protestors for breaking and entering and two protestors for obstruction of police. The following day, McGill President Deep Saini wrote a statement thanking police for their intervention and condemning the occupation. 

Shortly after, the university’s negotiations with encampment representatives also ended. On June 11, McGill issued a proposal that promised to grant amnesty to student protestors, increase connections with Palestinian scholars and institutions, disclose and consider divestment from weapons manufacturers, and speed up the process by which this issue would be brought before the Board of Governors’ (BoG) Investment Committee if the encampment was dismantled. However,  June 18, Saini released another statement informing readers that encampment representatives had rejected the university’s offers and that McGill would end discussions with the protestors. Encampment organizers have maintained that they believe McGill’s offer did not present material steps towards divestment. 

At a July 10 press conference held by encampment representatives after the administration began the overhaul, a representative who wished to remain unnamed expressed that they felt the university administration had demonstrated no commitment to ensuring a “peaceful end” to the encampment by complying with their demands.

“We, the students who have set up this encampment, have made it clear from its first day of inception that we are willing to pack up and go home so long as the university commits to divesting from companies complicit in war and genocide,” the representative said.

While the encampment was being dismantled, McGill sent out a notification alerting staff and students that the downtown campus was closed to members of the community and to the public. 

Another notification on the same day explained that these restrictions were designed to mitigate the threat of “ongoing risks of additional property damage or new occupations.” It also stressed the need to decontaminate the site of the encampment due to the presence of human waste, rats, garbage, and discarded syringes. At the July 10 press conference, the representative claimed that McGill’s allegations of illicit drug use at the encampment were categorically false and that the university used photos of syringes present on Rue Sherbrooke to mischaracterize the camp.

“The administration has been actively leading a defamation campaign against its own students and community,” the representative said. “People who have braved thunderstorms, electricity cutoffs and intimidation tactics because they are appalled at their university’s complicity in this genocide. ”

When asked about the claims that the university had misrepresented drug use at the encampment, McGill Media Relations told The Tribune that Sirco and university security “verified that emergency vehicles were called to the encampment twice in the days leading up to its dismantlement to deal with drug overdoses.”

“While Sirco investigators did find drug paraphernalia, the University never used images of syringes in any of its communications nor did it provide images to media,” McGill wrote.

Throughout the day on July 10, a crowd protested the dismantlement of the encampment on Rue Sherbrooke near Roddick gates. There, professors and students alike voiced that the end of the encampment will not halt further pro-Palestinian mobilization on campus. A faculty lecturer present emphasized the solidarity between students and faculty in demanding justice from McGill. 

“I feel really ashamed of the McGill administration,” they said. “The professors do not want to be complicit in genocide, and we demand that they divest, they disclose, they meet the student’s demands. Even [as] the encampment ends today, we’re still holding [McGill] accountable.”

Since July 10, access to the university’s lower campus remained restricted, and the university asked students and staff to work remotely if possible.  

In a statement released on July 18, Saini also noted that the university would carry out several actions in line with their previous offers to the encampment. The BoG’s Committee on Sustainability and Social Responsibility (CSSR) will consider divesting from weapons manufacturing companies regardless of where or for what country they operate. McGill will also host two scholars or students in conjunction with the Scholars-at-Risk Network and will disclose investments under $500,000 where possible in the next report of the university’s investment pool in August.

A representative from the encampment—who wished to remain unnamed—highlighted in an interview on July 10 that student mobilization for Palestine would not be deterred by McGill’s removal of the encampment. 


“The student movement never started with the encampment, and won’t end with the encampment,” they told The Tribune. “Students are still going to stay strong in solidarity to continue applying pressure on McGill and to continue the divestment campaign.”

Science & Technology

How green is cannabis? Expert unpacks sustainability issues in the cannabis industry

by K. Coco Zhang on

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The past two decades have witnessed significant increases in worldwide legalization of medical and recreational cannabis use. The global cannabis market size is projected to grow from USD $57 billion in 2023 to USD $444 billion by 2030. This expansion raises an alarming concern: A substantial rise in greenhouse gas emissions. 

Cannabis, also known as marijuana, refers to a group of plants whose species include sativa, ruderalis, and indica. It contains a compound called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which releases dopamine—the pleasure chemical—in the brain, thereby inducing a euphoric, relaxed feeling in individuals upon consumption. 

Cannabis has a long history as a medicinal plant, commonly used for pain control, muscle relaxation, nausea management, and weight loss. In addition to cannabis’ clinical significance, people widely consume it for recreational purposes. The popularity of recreational marijuana has skyrocketed in recent years due to widespread legalization and growing social acceptance. 

A U.S. survey showed that among current adult users, around a tenth reported using cannabis solely for medical purposes, and nearly half reported using it for both medical and recreational purposes. Driven by the rising consumer demand, cannabis cultivation increased, resulting in a surge in greenhouse gas emissions. 

In a recently published paper, Vincent Desaulniers Brousseau, a PhD candidate studying Bioresource Engineering at McGill, and his team investigated these environmental impacts and proposed a potential solution to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint. 

Brousseau explained that the traditional method of cultivation of cannabis—outdoor cultivation—has relatively low energy demand.

“We don’t need to use artificial lighting or air conditioning for two to three months of [the cannabis plant’s] lifecycle, which is the main reason why outdoor cannabis cultivation is less energy-intensive,” Brousseau said in an interview with The Tribune.

Fertilizer use is also a concern for eco-conscious farming operations. Cannabis growers often use nitrogen fertilizers to help cannabis flourish, but these fertilizers can emit greenhouse gases, accounting for up to 90 per cent of the crop’s carbon footprint. 

In addition to the environmental concerns, there are uncertainties surrounding the quality of the cannabis produced outdoors, which may vary in potency depending on environmental factors, such as sunlight and soil quality.

“[Outdoor-grown] cannabis was found to have more diverse metabolic profiles than those produced indoors, [which can be undesirable because] this is where you need to be standardized to create more homogenous products,” Brousseau said.

On the other hand, indoor cultivation, including greenhouse cultivation, is significantly more carbon-intensive than outdoor cultivation. 

“The carbon footprint of indoor production is up to ten times more than that of outdoor production,” Brousseau said. 

The high carbon footprint of indoor cannabis cultivation is partially attributed to the electrical use driven by heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. These systems control the temperature, humidity, and air purity in an indoor space. 

Interestingly, Brousseau’s team found that electrical energy consumption was higher in warmer provinces, such as Ontario and New Brunswick, and was lower in colder provinces, such as Alberta and Yukon. These findings suggest that warmer outdoor temperatures increase the need for air cooling to maintain a suitable indoor temperature for the cannabis to grow.

Another important contributor to energy consumption of indoor cannabis cultivation is horticulture lighting—the use of technology to offer precise control over light conditions, thereby enabling year-round cultivation, faster growth, and higher yields.

Given the environmental consequences of cannabis production, Brousseau emphasizes the need to transition to low-carbon heating technologies, which would likely require governmental financial incentives in order to get off the ground.

Considering the less carbon-intensive nature of outdoor cannabis cultivation, Brousseau advocates for eco-labeling for outdoor-grown cannabis to enhance consumer awareness and empower consumers to make environmentally conscious choices, thereby mitigating the cannabis industry’s carbon footprints.

Brousseau’s next step is to investigate and quantify the carbon footprint of cannabis consumption in Canada. With data on both cannabis cultivation and consumption, researchers can more comprehensively understand the sustainability of the cannabis industry, potentially promoting public policy that aims to reduce energy use and to meet climate goals.

Science & Technology

Determined to be Extraordinary: 27 Stories From 27 Women in STEM

by Zoe Dubin on

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While trying to find engaging stories about modern women in STEM, accomplished researcher and global healthcare leader Dawn Heimer was frustrated by the lack of available options. In response, she documented the stories of 27 women scientists from around the world in her June 2024 book, Determined to be Extraordinary. 

“I felt that modern women of science needed a platform to be heard. They needed a platform to tell people how amazing they are and all the wonderful contributions they were making,” Heimer explained in an interview with The Tribune. 

Collecting and editing stories was a change of pace for Heimer, who had worked for 19 years in healthcare leadership, managing and directing global teams of health professionals. 

“I had written scientific abstracts and manuscripts, but nothing like a book,” Heimer said. “Almost every step of the way took a lot of courage on my part because I just didn’t know where to go for advice.” 

Despite the challenges, Heimer was undeterred and reached out to major women’s scientific organizations, calling for women to share their stories. 

One of these researchers was Eva Suarthana, medical epidemiologist and adjunct professor in McGill’s Obstetrics and Gynecology Department. 

Suarthana’s path from training to be a medical doctor in Indonesia to becoming a researcher was a highly rewarding, albeit unusual turn. 

“In Indonesia, the mindset is that when you’re a doctor, you have to become a specialist,” Suarthana said in an interview with The Tribune. “Although I miss clinical experience, I feel that what I can contribute at a bigger level is only achievable through public health.”

Suarthana is no stranger to large shifts: Her academic pursuits took her from Indonesia to the Netherlands. 

As she worked to finish her master’s degree in Rotterdam, Suarthana noticed that her Islamic faith put her in a minority group—a change from her childhood in Indonesia, the country with the largest number of Muslim population in the world. 

“I was not wearing the headscarf then, but my friends knew I was a Muslim. I soon learned that the way western media portrayed Islam […] was far from the Islam I knew and practiced. After a few months, I decided to wear the headscarf,” Suarthana wrote. 

Suarthana’s decision to wear a headscarf empowered her. 

“I felt a huge relief because I could show people the true colours of Islam, and they treated me with respect and fairness,” Suarthana wrote.

Suarthana also stressed the importance of asking for what you want. 

“In the last month of my [master’s degree] I asked if there was an opportunity for me to do a PhD [in the Netherlands]. And surprisingly, they said yes. If I didn’t ask that question, if I thought that I wasn’t qualified enough, or not worthy enough, then I would have had a different pathway,” Suarthana said. “You have to appreciate your worth and don’t be afraid to ask for opportunities.” 

Determined to be Extraordinary details the rest of Suarthana’s story. 

“I am very happy and fortunate that Dawn gave me the opportunity to share my story in this book,” Suarthana said.

From Lola Adeyemi who launched a health care centre in Nigeria to speed up treatments in poorer areas, to Michele Finn, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s first female hurricane hunter, every chapter in Determined to be Extraordinary is united by one thing—the tenacity of each scientist. 

“It’s fascinating how much strength and determination all of these women had and needed in order to be successful,” Heimer said. 

Heimer also noticed that most of the scientists she interviewed tended to downplay their achievements. 

“[Often] women would say, ‘Oh, I was lucky to have this opportunity. I was lucky to have this mentor in my life.’ And I would always wag my finger and say, ‘No, you’re not lucky, you have these opportunities, because you are capable, you are skilled, and you deserve these accolades.’” 

Determined to be Extraordinary is now available on amazon bookstores or through Heimer’s website, https://dawnheimer.com/.

Arts & Entertainment, Books

Remembering Alice Munro

by Kellie Elrick on

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Alice Munro died on May 13, and I ate half a grapefruit every morning for the next week. 

I first encountered the acclaimed author’s work in school, as Canadians often do. I remember enjoying her stories—particularly the landscapes within them—but was not yet entirely engrossed. 

Then moments began to emerge in my life, moments that seemed uncannily familiar, and I realized that it was because I had read them in a Munro story.

Munro describes the essence of things—their complexities and disasters and wonders—with such precision that I often feel as though I have never encountered them in their true form before reading them in her pages.

Her words were so precise it almost felt like betrayal. Betrayal not because these were my feelings spread across her pages, but in the realization that they were not my feelings alone.

***

Alice Munro—then Alice Laidlaw—was born in Wingham, Ontario in 1931, on a silver fox farm at a time when people were unable to afford fur.

“I made stories up all the time, I had a long walk to school, and during that walk I would generally make up stories [….] I was the only person I knew who wrote stories, though I didn’t tell them to anybody, and as far as I knew, at least for a while, I was the only person who could do this in the world,” Munro stated in an interview with Stefan Åsberg.

Munro attended Western University for two years on a scholarship before the money ran out; she met and married James Munro, moved to Vancouver, had three daughters; Munro’s mother died, Alice and James moved to Victoria, opened Munro’s Books, had a fourth daughter, and divorced. 

She returned to Southwestern Ontario, married Gerald Fremlin, whom she had met at Western; her father died, she lived with Fremlin between Clinton and Comox, he died in 2013 and James Munro followed three years later. Munro sold her house in Clinton, moved to a care home, and died last month.

Between the life laid out above, she wrote 14 short story collections, developed a longstanding relationship with The New Yorker, and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013. She never wrote a novel—but she didn’t have to.

The short story, like Munro, is perhaps deceptive in its scope. Her stories can be read as the characters within them appear to live: Gliding across the surface; smooth, transparent. But her prose performs normalcy as her characters do, belying a much darker, more intricate reality that I can only describe as the world that all of us experience and none of us express.

Lives of Girls and Women’s Del Jordan grapples with theodicy—why God exists if he allows evil to occur—but she does not call it that. 

“But why—I could not stop this thinking though I knew it could bring me no happiness—why should God hate anything that He had made?” Del wonders. “If He was going to hate it, why make it? And if He had made everything the way He wanted it then nothing was to blame for being the way it was, and this more or less threw out, didn’t it, the whole idea of sin?” 

Or, my personal favourite: “Look at all the things that saints had done, and got approval for.”

Bahareh Nadimi Farrokh argues that in her short story “The Albanian Virgin,” Munro communicates a kind of Butlerian gender performance. Throughout the story, protagonist Charlotte/Lottar performs femininity, masculinity, and even virginity differently across physical, geographical, and cultural borders.

Labyrinthine ideas are not out of place in these stories, nor in the minds of “everyday” women—everyday life is precisely where philosophy belongs. Munro is not grandiloquent; she is correct. She can say very much with very little. It is perhaps the mark of someone who has not always had the power to speak.

Munro does not make everyday life, or small towns, or the lives of girls and women interesting for the simple reason that they already are. Munro stories are inventive in what—and who—is spread out across the page. 

The veil of everyday life is pulled back to reveal not something new, but something unspoken. Munro writes stories—and characters—who are, as she writes in Lives of Girls and Women, “dull, simple, amazing, and unfathomable—deep caves paved with kitchen linoleum.”

Through conversations about Munro, including in ENGL 409, a course on the author taught by Professor Robert Lecker,  I found that readers are often shocked by the characters living within her stories. Ambitious but unable to reveal their ambitions; sexually deviant, disloyal, devoted, manipulative, bound by duty, irresponsible; Victorian poetesses whose lives bleed into swamps and cheery elementary school teachers who drown themselves. 

I was too afraid to admit that I had thought that this was just what people were like—or that this was what I was like. The line between “Munro women” and real women may not exist at all. 

As Margaret Atwood put it, “What the heck do people think goes on in small towns, and in life in general?”

Munro stories do not go wide; they go deep. Part of why I love Munro is that her stories confirmed what I had begun to wonder but did not yet believe. I had grown up thinking that “culture” only existed somewhere else, and I had to leave home to be interesting, and the important things—the things worth knowing—were somewhere far away. Then I read Munro, and I understood that I had been fed a complete and utter lie.

McGill, News

AMPL asserts Fall term in jeopardy as law professors reach an impasse with McGill

by Mairin Burke, Fabienne de Cartier on

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The Association of McGill Professors of Law (AMPL) met with McGill on June 7 as part of their ongoing collective agreement (CA) negotiations. The CA, which will set the terms of employment for tenured and tenure-track professors in the Faculty of Law, has been under negotiation for over 500 days—since the faculty first unionized in December 2022. Although the two parties came close to resolving several articles, they ultimately could not make any progress and cut the bargaining session short, having reached a stalemate. Without an agreement, AMPL continues its strike, which has been ongoing since April 24.

Kirsten Anker, Vice-President of AMPL, told The Tribune that the two parties failed to make progress on the CA because McGill insists on reserving the unilateral authority to change the terms of the contract after it’s been signed. Anker explained that the university wants to retain this right so it can keep policies consistent as it negotiates contracts with other faculty unions. Although Anker noted that the university is in a unique situation, she expressed frustration over McGill’s unwillingness to form a mutually binding agreement.

“It is unusual that a [CA] would contain such an ability,” Anker stated. “In our mind, it undermines the very nature of a [CA].”

McGill’s Media Relations Office declined to comment on the negotiations, but noted that the university is “preparing for the Fall term as usual.”

However,  with the next bargaining session scheduled for Aug. 19, several members of AMPL underlined that the Fall term could potentially be put in peril. Anker criticized the timeline of negotiations and urged McGill to come back to the bargaining table sooner. 

“One date over four months is not a sign of someone who’s serious about bargaining and reaching an agreement with us,” Anker said. “We are at risk of not being able to teach in the Fall. McGill is facing the situation of an academic year without a law faculty.”

Casey Broughton, 4L, underlined her support for the law professors and the strike, while noting that it has impacted her employment over the summer.

“My main income the previous two summers was from working as a research assistant on projects with professors,” Broughton said. “I am treading water at the moment, but I am finding it exceedingly difficult to find replacement work.”

Broughton also voiced concerns over a late start to the Fall semester and urged McGill to bargain in good faith. 

Evan Fox-Decent, AMPL’s President, echoed Broughton’s sentiment.

“All strikes are hard, and long strikes are especially hard on their participants,” Fox-Decent stated. “However, our colleagues are now closer than ever, through their participation together in a common struggle. We anxiously hope that McGill will return to the table to negotiate in good faith, so that the fall term may be saved.”

Anker emphasized that despite the gridlock of negotiations, AMPL is determined to form a mutually binding agreement with McGill, not just for the sake of law professors, but for the other faculty unions following in their footsteps. 
“We are small, but we’re also fighting on behalf of all the other faculties who will potentially unionize after us,” Anker said. “It will be very hard for McGill to avoid negotiating a collective agreement once we’ve established precedent. [McGill] know[s] it’s just the beginning of an avalanche.”

McGill, News

Protestors occupy James Administration Building, demanding McGill heed encampment’s calls for divestment

by Eliza Lee, Titouan Le Ster on

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At roughly 4:00 p.m. on June 6, student protestors occupied the James Administration Building to demand that McGill divest from companies complicit in the Israeli genocide of Palestinians. Protestors obstructed doors to the building using materials such as metal fencing and blocked paths leading to the entrance by standing side by side, linking arms. Police arrived at the site by 4:50 p.m. At around 7:30 p.m., police used force to break up a crowd of roughly 150 protestors outside the building, pushing them with riot shields and using pepper spray and tear gas. At around 10:00 p.m., police left the site, arresting 13 protesters for breaking and entering, and two for obstruction of police. 

Just under two hours after the occupation began, McGill sent out an email to all staff and students asking them to avoid James Square and Milton Gates, warning that police were on site. At 8:00 a.m. the next morning, McGill sent another email stating that police had been on site the previous evening in response to protestors, and that the area was now clear. 

The occupation came 41 days after student protestors from McGill, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÁM), and Concordia University began an encampment on the lower field of McGill’s downtown campus. The encampment strives to pressure McGill and Concordia to disclose and withdraw from investments valued at less than $500,000 in institutions complicit in the genocide of Palestinians. McGill’s investments worth over $500,000 are already publicly available. Protestors also demand that their respective universities compel the Canadian government to condemn Israel’s siege on Gaza and that they refrain from punishing student protestors with disciplinary action. 

In an interview with The Tribune, a representative of the encampment, Dana*, explained that the occupation came after weeks of unsuccessful negotiations with McGill in which they have failed to meet demands for concrete action towards divestment.

“Instead, [McGill] kept trying to give proposals that go through these institutional mechanisms that have historically failed the student body, but also that take up to years, […] to achieve divestment, and it’s not even a guarantee,” Dana said. 

In response to the occupation, Saini issued a statement on June 7 in which he noted that police made multiple arrests and thanked them for “their expertise in handling the situation.” Saini wrote that protestors vandalized the interior and exterior of the building and alleged that some staff in James Administration reported protestors shouting verbal threats at them.

In response to these claims, the encampment representative emphasized the violence perpetrated through McGill’s investments.

“I think investing in companies that manufacture weapons and bombs being used to genocide an entire population is more violent than students actively protesting against it,” Dana said.

Dana also condemned McGill’s choice to call police on peaceful student protesters on several occasions both before and after the encampment was created.

“It’s shameful, because this is an institution that preaches about freedom of speech and democracy, but then they repress their students, which have articulated their demands in a very democratic way,” they said. 

In his June 7 statement, Saini went on to list other incidents that have occurred since the encampment began, citing the hanging of an effigy of an Israeli politician outside Roddick Gates, protests outside the homes of senior management, demonstrations outside the offices of McGill staff, “verbal altercations between protesters and students and their families who came to take pictures on campus after the convocation ceremony,” and graffiti on buildings on campus as examples of unjustified actions.

Dana told The Tribune that “a lot of autonomous groups” were undertaking these actions, but noted that some of the incidents demonstrate community support behind the encampment. 

On June 11, McGill President Deep Saini issued another email with an updated proposal to organizers. It included three actions that McGill had already offered encampment organizers in a previous meeting, along with one new action. McGill offered to “examine divestment from companies whose revenues largely come from weapons.” The administration proposed to speed up the process that brings concerns about the university’s investments before the Board of Governors Investment Committee—the body responsible for approving changes to the McGill Investment Pool. 

The university also offered to “increase McGill’s links to scholars and institutions in Gaza and the West Bank, and provide urgent support to displaced students and scholars.” Thirdly, McGill offered to make public their investments valued under $500,000 where possible. 

The fourth and final item was to offer amnesty to those participating in the encampment prior to June 15. However, this amnesty would not apply to those who occupied James Administration, or were responsible for “the destruction of property, vandalism, harassment, etc.”

Dana described this additional action as a “distraction” from the important issues at stake for protestors.

“Refusing amnesty to specific people is just a way to divide and subdue certain people whose only charge really is protesting against a genocide,” they said.

In his June 11 email, Saini went on to emphasize that McGill has faced difficulties in negotiations with encampment representatives, and compared McGill’s offer to those of universities in which students agreed to dismantle encampments.

“In many other institutions, we’ve seen encampment leaders work with campus administration to find some common ground that represents positive change, despite disagreements,” Saini wrote. “Yet, McGill’s offer, which is comparable to that made by other universities who have reached resolutions, has been rejected by the encampment on our campus.” 

However, a representative of the encampment, Omar*, was critical of McGill’s approach to negotiations. They told The Tribune that after the university’s first injunction request was rejected in court, organizers asked McGill not to file further legal action against the encampment while negotiations were ongoing. However, McGill moved ahead with filing an interlocutory injunction, which seeks to permanently remove the encampment. 

“[That] shows what McGill is willing to do, how they are engaging in the conversation, and [how it’s] not in good faith at all,” Omar said on June 5.

In response to these claims, McGill’s Media Relations Office reiterated in an email to The Tribune that the university had “presented offers in good faith” with encampment organizers.

On June 18, Saini issued another email announcing that the administration will cease discussions with encampment representatives. He wrote that while McGill intends to follow through with the first three items, they will now seek disciplinary action against encampment participants. 

“As our proposal was rejected, the University will pursue disciplinary processes against individuals participating in the encampment to the full extent outlined in the university’s policies. We are also investigating the full spectrum of legal recourses available to us to recover from the damages incurred.”

A recent graduate of McGill and a current McGill student, who wished to remain anonymous, echoed criticism of the university’s handling of negotiations and the occupation. They were among those supporting a Montreal-wide protest calling for an end to Israel’s siege on Gaza on June 9, which ended at Roddick Gates. They told The Tribune that they attended the protest to show solidarity with Palestinian and Muslim people, to support students at the encampment, and to oppose the university’s response to student protests for Palestine. In particular, the recent graduate condemned Saini’s choice to thank police for their work during the occupation, stating that it demonstrated a lack of care for the health and safety of students.

“If I had known that this is how McGill would have handled this when I applied, I would not have applied to the school,” the recent McGill graduate said. “It’s just so embarrassing to say that I’m going to this school, I’m paying money, I’m funding this.”

*Dana and Omar’s names have been changed to preserve their confidentiality.

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