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McGill, Montreal, News

Candlelit vigil at McGill honours victims in Gaza

by Staff of The Tribune on

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Content Warning: Mentions of violence, death, and mourning

The McGill Palestinian and pro-Palestine community members stood in collective grief by the Arts Building on the evening of Nov. 2, as hundreds gathered for a vigil to mourn the Israeli government’s killings of Palestinians in Gaza.

The vigil was organized by Law Students for Palestine at McGill and Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) McGill. Five other student organizations also endorsed the event. No member of the McGill administration was present for the vigil. McGill did not comment directly on whether the administration attended. 

Pocket-sized candles surrounded a Palestinian flag on the steps of the Arts Building. Flags and signs were absent from the crowd at the request of the organizers. 

Addresses to the crowd, in English, French, and Arabic, began just past 5:30 p.m., with speeches from the organizers and some of the groups that endorsed the service. The speakers touched on remembering those who the Israeli government has killed in Gaza and criticized Principal Deep Saini’s communication on Nov. 2 for not drawing distinctions between the different groups’ sufferings. They also demanded a ceasefire and encouraged the crowd to take action to support the Palestinians, from protesting to writing to their local Member of Parliament. 

Members of the crowd began to light candles and the 6,747 known names and ages of those who have been killed in Gaza were projected onto the Arts building. 

According to the Associated Press on Monday, Nov. 6, Israel’s attacks on Gaza since Oct. 7 have killed over 10,000 people, including 4,100 children. Over 1.4 million people in Gaza have also been displaced. Israel’s attack came in response to an attack from Hamas that killed an estimated 1,200 people, with over 200 taken hostage. 

An individual at the vigil, who asked to not be named, expressed a deep sense of sorrow, finding themselves at a loss for words amid the grief.

Another attendee, who also wished to remain unnamed, said that they have had trouble sleeping and engaging with university work in the past three weeks, with all their thoughts being about Gaza. 

“This is my reality, [this is] what I think about through the day, I literally can’t cope,” they said. 

Near the end of the vigil, a minute of silence was held in remembrance of those who have been killed in Gaza. Only the sound of distant cars from Rue Sherbrooke could be heard as the names continued to be projected onto the Arts building. Some closed their eyes and tilted their heads forward, and dozens quietly cried. 

The service drew to a close after about an hour. Music played quietly as attendees lined the stairs with more candles and laid flowers at the front of the steps. 

The organizers invited the crowd to write notes of remembrance on pieces of paper to hang across the stairs, with many choosing to sit cross-legged and write on the floor in front of the stairs. The music then went silent. Those writing and lighting candles continued while community members stood at the front and soberly watched on. 

“I thought the event was done very well. I came by myself but I am glad I did. We haven’t done this [at McGill] yet to my knowledge and hearing from the speakers was moving,” an attendee, who did not want to be named, said reflecting on the vigil. “The situation right now is so terrible […] we needed to come together.” 

Resources: 

For faculty and staff:  

For students:  

  • The Student Wellness Hub offers counselling services for students located in Montreal.  
  • Keep.MeSafe is a service accessible 24/7 whenever you need to speak (or text) with a mental health professional for support. You can access Keep.MeSafe from anywhere in the world.

This piece was updated at 11 p.m. on Nov. 13 to revise the estimated Israeli death toll. On Nov. 10, Israel lowered its estimated death toll following the Oct. 7 attack from 1,400 people to 1,200. 

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV, Music

Concert films bridge the gap between music and cinema

by Annabella Lawlor on

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As an aggressively straight drum line steadies watery synths, the members of Talking Heads cast dark silhouettes on a dimly lit red background. David Byrne’s robotic voice drones on as he comes into view, lying supine beside the drum kit. Cameras cut to a full view of the stage: Band members perform a militaristic march to Byrne’s monotonous chant of “Swamp.” The tone turns humourous as Byrne limps across the stage, tripping into a knock-kneed dance before reassuming his previous robotic stature. The sequence’s sinister tone departs deliberately from the previous tracks of ecstatic rhythm and jubilant energy in its cataclysmic visuals and unwavering force. Jonathan Demme’s 1984 concert film, Stop Making Sense, is a culmination of years of Talking Heads’ musical collaboration memorialized in a time capsule of sound and sight. 

The concert film is a unique art form in itself, as it bridges musical landscapes with the world of cinema and combines the audible with the visible. This configuration’s underlying power allows the music to flow physically into the world, taking the musician’s work to new heights with interpreted imagery evocative of their sound. Stop Making Sense is a testament to the genre’s expansiveness: A celebration of joy and surrender to the sanctity of movement and rhythm.

Concert film tradition dates back long before Demme’s 1984 project, gaining rock ‘n’ roll prominence in the 1960s with films like The T.A.M.I. Show and Monterey Pop. What initially began as an informational mode of cultural diffusion, allowing audiences to see the diversity of international music, rapidly evolved during the 1970s to more stylistic collaborations between filmmaker and musician. Experimental artists sought to explore the heights of the new medium using film. These visual aides benefit their sound—a practice that dates long before the popularity of music videos—and in certain instances serve as commemorations of specific accomplishments. There are often distinctions made between concert films and concert documentaries where the former tends to focus primarily on a band’s pure musical output and the latter focuses on a band’s narrative history. However, several films such as Martin Scorsese’s 1978 film The Last Waltz diverge from this practice, combining cinematic musical performances with inklings of historical narrative.

The Last Waltz depicts The Band’s final concert at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco—the first venue where they performed under their own name. It’s a faded picture of the past, an intimate portrayal of The Band’s impressive legacy. With the colour grading earthy, the set design jewel-toned, and the shots framed close to the subject, Scorsese’s techniques translate The Band’s palace of sound into unadulterated physicality. The film preserves their musical footprint in formal interviews, candid conversations, and onstage performances with long-time friends such as Bob Dylan, Muddy Waters, and Joni Mitchell, producing a snapshot of authenticity and a glimpse into their aspirations. It is a marker of time, an anecdote of a film that perfectly encapsulates The Band’s skill and musical legacy. 

The uniqueness of each concert film exemplifies the endless possibilities of the art form. While Demme’s Stop Making Sense is otherworldly in his unabashed presentation of the avant-garde artfulness of Talking Heads, in The Last Waltz, Scorsese paints a much softer lens of The Band, staying true to their musical intentions of intimacy and harmonic connection. These films can be taken in a world of different directions. Concert films sit unparalleled on an artistic plane and cannot be replicated by any singular form. The two media of music and cinema meet where the boundaries of the singular craft can be transcended.

Know Your Athlete, Sports

Know Your Athlete: Elizabeth Ling

by Julie Ferreyra on

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Currently a senior in civil engineering, Elizabeth Ling has been making waves in the  McGill Swim Team since her freshman year. Although The Tribune had already sat down and interviewed Ling in 2021, her recent achievements compelled an encore, reflecting on her experience and motivation as a senior. 

Growing up in Calgary, Ling played a wide variety of sports. Ultimately, she took up swimming. From then on, Ling continued to participate in swimming clubs and then pursued the sport more competitively. At 15, Ling shifted from her first club, the Calgary Patriots Swim Club, to the University of Calgary Swim Club, which spurred her to challenge herself and compete. 

“With my first club, it was kind of chill […], I wasn’t really pushed there,” Elizabeth Ling told The Tribune. “I moved to a different club and they had higher expectations for you to try harder and practice and stuff like that.”

After nine years of swimming at the competitive club level, Ling transitioned to the McGill Swim Team as she began her university career. Despite making her debut as a freshman during the 2020-21 COVID-19 season, Ling noted the stronger emphasis on team identity at McGill. 

“It wasn’t a crazy big shift, but it is quite different from club swimming where you’re swimming more for the team and not just yourself anymore,” Ling explained. “There’s a bigger community within that [McGill] team which is really nice to have.” 

This year, first-year students compose around half of the Marlets’ swim team. The McGill team has been particularly successful in recent meets, winning first place at every event at the first Cup of the 2023-24 season. 

“It’s nice to see how the team environment changes every year with graduating students and rookies,” Ling said. “We’ve got a really good bunch of rookies this year, some of them are really fast and they all bring their best effort and attitude to the workouts […] The team environment is really good every year, but this year, especially, everyone’s having a lot of fun.”

Attending and performing in competitions all around Quebec and Ontario while working to complete her civil engineering bachelor’s degree is a significant time commitment for Ling. 

“I feel like you kind of have to make sacrifices for both. But my coach was really understanding if you need to take a day off for swimming, or you have a midterm and you need to study or something,”  Ling explained. “[During meets] you have to swim three events and probably a relay, which is twice as much [as in high school club swimming]. So that’s kind of difficult, but I like it a lot better because you’re only racing for one day rather than an entire weekend..”

Ling emphasized her need for growth and her desire to continue with sports recreationally, even when her swimming career comes to a close. 

“I just really want to have a good season this year and maybe get some personal best, help the team maybe get to […] [place]  third at USPORTS this year,” Ling explained. “I think my time with swimming is coming to an end, this year or next year. I’d be down to try  badminton or something. ”

Ling has been  named McGill athlete of the week twice and Réseau de Sport Etudiants au Québec (RSEQ) athlete of the week once since the beginning of the 2023-24 season. Last year, Ling pushed new boundaries by establishing McGill’s new 50-m back record. 

However, with great performance comes great pressure—something Ling has struggled with throughout her swimming career. 

“It helps, knowing that I’m just sort of in it for the fun of it,” Ling reflected. “I really like racing, knowing that I [achieved] that time before, it helps. I did it before, so I can do it again. It just helps with practice and knowing that I’ve been trying my best during practice and putting in the work. It doesn’t really matter what I do, if I’m happy with my time and perform well then it’s alright. […] [Now that]  I’m older, it’s sort of, ‘why be upset about it and why stress about it, because it won’t help me in any way.’ ”

Ling is making the most out of her last season as a varsity athlete, enjoying the community brought by the team while still performing at impressive levels, constantly surpassing herself.

Science & Technology

Trib explains: Environment degrees at McGill 

by Elyse Dyck on

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What on Earth is going on with environment degrees at McGill? There are numerous programs, spread across different departments and faculties, each with their own take on one of the most critical issues humanity is facing. While students in the Bieler School of Environment share core courses, they specialize in different areas under various faculties—Arts, Science, Agricultural and Environmental Science, or the Interfaculty Programs. 

‘Environment’ is a broad term, and educational institutions often divide it simply into environmental science vs. environmental studies—the natural science approach and the social science approach. As many disciplines recognize the increasing relevance of the climate crisis, many science and humanities departments at McGill have broadened their focus to include discussions about the environment. However, environment majors explore these complex issues with much greater depth and employ multidisciplinary approaches.

Kathy Roulet, the Bieler School of Environment’s Program Advisor, helps students navigate the faculty’s seemingly limitless options to find a program that aligns with their individual interests. 

“The Bieler School covers environmental science and environmental studies, but we don’t choose to define it that way,” Roulet said in an interview with The Tribune. “We choose to look at environment as comprising both of those different elements.”

Regardless of their faculty, every environment major must take seven core courses that cover topics ranging from evolution and landscape formation to environmental ethics, thought, and research. Faculty members from different disciplines co-teach the core courses. 

In an interview with The Tribune, Mia Bhatia, a U2 Environment student in the Faculty of Science, explained the value of diverse perspectives and approaches.

“It gives you a lot of context that a lot of science degrees might not,” Bhatia said. “After graduation, I want to work in biotechnology or something along those lines. I realized that a lot of people who are coming out of their undergrad [and] want to work in those fields don’t have the breadth of knowledge to see how environmental issues impact each other, and how easily the science side of things can impact the social side of thing—environment is a really cool way to explore that.” 

That being said, the experiences of environment students are not the same. For starters, environment students can be on two different campuses. Those in the Faculty of Science or the Faculty of Arts—the majority of environment students—typically stay in the heart of Montreal on the downtown campus. However, a 35-minute shuttle away, students in the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Science enjoy the calmer scene of the Macdonald Campus, located on the West Island. 

Environment majors in these three faculties choose from 13 thematic areas that form the bulk of their program.

“These thematic areas we call concentrations,” Roulet said. “Those concentrations, say for example, food production, will be based on courses that are coming from faculties across the University.” 

While the Arts concentrations are distinct, most Faculty of Science concentrations are also offered in the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Science. Roulet explained that students deciding between these faculties should compare course descriptions and consider the lifestyle associated with each campus given their size and location.

One exception to this are the Interfaculty Arts and Science Programs, which include two degree options: Environment and Sustainability, Science, and Society (SSS). While key differences remain, students in both interfaculty programs do not choose concentrations. 

“The difference between the [interfaculty programs] largely comes down to the SSS program being focused strictly and solely on sustainability,” said Roulet. “Whereas the Environment Art-Sci program can be focused on whatever program goals a student is trying to achieve.” 

With so much flexibility, Roulet brought attention to the “trickiness” that some students may anticipate when developing a schedule, but ensured that she can work with students to put a plan together that not only fulfills the program’s requirements but also satisfies their unique interests and goals. 

McGill, Montreal, News

Jewish students and allies rally against surge in antisemitism

by Staff of The Tribune on

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Content Warning: mentions of antisemitism and violence

Over 150 Jewish students and non-Jewish allies gathered on McGill’s lower field on Nov. 2 to stand united against rising antisemitism across North America. 

The crowd held signs for peace, condemning antisemitism and Hamas. Many also waved Israeli flags, as attendees from the McGill and wider community heard from speakers who discussed the dangers of rising antisemitism and the importance of standing together in solidarity.

A group of five Jewish students from McGill organized the event, called “Standing Together Against Antisemitism,” according to one of the organizers, Nicole Nashen, 2L. It was also shared by the Jewish Student Alliance and Students Supporting Israel (SSI) at McGill on Instagram. 

“In the past three and a half weeks, there’s been an insane uptick in antisemitism [….] This [event] is really for Jewish students on campus,” Nashen said in an interview with The Tribune. “This is the scariest period of antisemitism we’ve ever experienced in our lifetimes. A lot of us learn about the Holocaust and about Jewish exile in the Middle East [and] in North Africa growing up. But we’re now experiencing this fear that our grandparents felt for the first time in our lives.”

The Canadian Press reported on Oct. 20 that the Montreal police have received an increasing number of hate crime reports, mostly targeting Jewish people, while the CBC reported on Nov. 4 that antisemitic and Islamophobic hate crimes are rising across Canada. The rise comes after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel and Israel’s subsequent ongoing siege on Gaza. 

Students attending the rally told The Tribune that they have seen increased hate around campus toward them and their friends, including verbal threats, physical acts of hate, and the loss of friendships. 

“My friend, she was spat at by somebody [for being associated with a table that had an Israeli flag],” said one attendee, who did not want to be named. “I make a point. I usually wear a Star of David, I keep it out. [But] I get dirty looks for it.”

Midway through, as supporters chanted “Bring them home,” a man filming on his phone disrupted the event and suggested that the group chant about killing Palestinian children instead. The man, Yves Engler, posted the video he took to X, formerly known as Twitter, where it has since been viewed over 10 million times. Organizers responded to his chants with “No, we don’t support that,” before the crowd chanted for peace as the McGill security ushered Engler to the Roddick gates.   

Many students walking between classes watched on. One stopped to share his perspective on the rally and encouraged his fellow students to step outside of the religious dichotomy portrayed on social media. 

“We have a strong history of the Jewish community living in coexistence with Muslim people. And there’s this myth in the media now that Muslims and Jews cannot live together, and it’s false,” Aymen,  a Moroccan Muslim U4 Engineering student shared with The Tribune.

As the service continued, the crowd sang songs for peace such as Oseh Shalom and Eli Eli, with the event formally wrapping up after about an hour and a half.  

Near the end, a group of the crowd bearing Israel’s national flag sang the Israeli national anthem, Hatikvah. One man also wore a hoodie with the Israel Defense Force logo and another wore a hat with the same logo. Some passersby criticized those dancing with Israeli flags, explaining to The Tribune that they found the dancing to be “distasteful” with the Israeli government’s attacks in Gaza.

One individual, who did not want to be named, said, “They are dancing and people are dying, it feels wrong, [and] distasteful.”

Members from the event emphasized that this was a celebration of the Jewish community, not a celebration of the Israeli government’s attacks, and an opportunity for Jewish students to come together against antisemitism and feel safe to do so. 

“I can speak for myself that going through this [period of time] has felt extremely lonely,” Miriam Hotter, U3 Science, told The Tribune, reflecting on the event. “Even though we’re all feeling some mix of the same emotions. We’re all going through our own unique experience. So I think it’s important that we come together as a community and just support each other.”

After the rally, around 30 Israel and Palestine supporters engaged in a passionate, at times tense, and peaceful dialogue about the recent violence and history of Israel and Palestine. As the conversations wrapped up, most shook hands with each other. 

(The Tribune)

Yasmine Belamine, U3 Arts, saw the dialogue, and said, “It was quite interesting to see people willing to debate, people willing to talk. Although I must say that a lot of emotion was present, you could feel the tension.” 

Resources: 

For faculty and staff:  

For students:  

  • The Student Wellness Hub offers counselling services for students located in Montreal.  
  • Keep.MeSafe is a service accessible 24/7 whenever you need to speak (or text) with a mental health professional for support. You can access Keep.MeSafe from anywhere in the world.

A previous version of this article stated that “Eli Elias” was sung. In fact, the song was “Eli Eli”. The Tribune regrets this error.

This piece was updated at 9:45 on Nov. 13.

Album Reviews, Arts & Entertainment

Sufjan Stevens’ ‘Javelin’ blurs the line between love and loss

by Ida-Maria Kollberg on

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With over 20 albums under his belt, Sufjan Stevens is not unfamiliar with the intricacies of making music. After the success of his soundtrack for the Oscar-winning favourite Call Me By Your Name (CMBYN), the pressure for him to create the lyrical undertones to all our love lives and heartbreaks has only increased. Javelin, released on Oct. 6 and is Stevens’ newest beautiful album. 

Listening to Javelin feels like entering a world of folklore—exploring a realm of angelic imagery and fairytale love. In “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?” the sound of birds chirping underscores the otherwise heartbreaking lyrics about yearning for someone to love and hold. In Stevens’ fairytale, songs with his signature style feel like running through the grass during summer, such as “There’s A World.” However, outliers such as “Goodbye Evergreen” have an almost pop-like rhythm. As the album’s opener, the song punches intrigue into its listeners’ ears, making them excited for the tracks to come next. 

Many of Stevens’ songs draw a strong contrast between the lyrics and the melody. The juxtaposition of melancholic writing with cheery melodies highlights how this album takes the reader on a journey of realization and the ups and downs of love. With songs like “Genuflecting Ghost,” the listener almost intrudes on something private due to his text’s anecdotal feel. Stevens’ raw lyrics heighten the magical elements of folklore and religion that are incorporated into these songs, imbuing them with a surreal quality.

On his website, Stevens penned a poignant blog post describing the profound loss of his soulmate and partner, Evans Richardson IV, who passed away in April. The album is dedicated to his partner and makes the listener sense Stevens’ heartbreak. But songs such as “My Red Little Fox,” where beautiful backup vocals collectively accentuate the song, help the listener realize that Stevens is creating a space for shared experiences through his music. Whether it be encounters with love, loss, loneliness, or sadness, this album contains it all. Stevens is not afraid to share his feelings with all his listeners—and his listeners aren’t afraid to follow his lead.

Behind the Bench, Sports

FIFA dropped the ball with the 2023 Ballon d’Or

by Anoushka Oke on

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Each year, professional soccer players’ achievements culminate in the Ballon d’Or ceremony. At the event, invitees witness the presentation of the Ballon d’Or––the most prestigious award in soccer. Considering both national team and club accomplishments, the best player from the past year receives the Ballon d’Or. This year’s celebration took place on Oct. 30 in Paris, and the winners were Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi and F.C. Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí. Although the Ballon d’Or ceremony serves as an exciting occasion that publicly recognizes players’ achievements, FIFA’s poor planning of the women’s portion of the event soured the tone.

Messi’s Ballon d’Or win was somewhat expected. He not only captained the Argentinian national team to the 2022 World Cup title––a tournament in which he created the most chances of any player and scored seven goals––but also almost single-handedly helped bring Inter Miami from a struggling team at the bottom of Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference to a Leagues Cup winner and an Open Cup finalist. Although runner-up Erling Haaland’s goal tally since joining Manchester City is impressive, getting on the scoresheet with the help of brilliant chance-creators like Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva is very different from building up a low-ranked team.

The women’s Ballon d’Or winner, Barcelona’s Bonmatí, was even more clear-cut than Messi—and rightfully so. On the 2023 World Cup-winning Spain squad, she stepped up in the absence of Spanish star Alexia Putellas and was recognized as the tournament’s best player with the Golden Ball. The midfielder has also been a significant contributor to the record-breaking F.C. Barcelona side that had a 62-game win streak until May of this year. Despite being surrounded by a strong team, Bonmatí’s abilities still clearly stand out, and her talent goes beyond the measure of her 94 career goals. The rest of the women’s rankings were equally star-studded, featuring Samantha Kerr as the runner-up and Mary Earps and Rachel Daly in the top ten.

Outside of the solid nominations and eventual ranking, the women’s Ballon d’Or ceremony left much to be desired. Scheduling and logistical choices made it seem that women athletes were just an afterthought in the grand scheme of the ceremony. 

Several winners and nominees were not even present to receive their awards. The ceremony was scheduled during the women’s international break, the time during which players compete with their national teams. This forced many athletes to choose between attending the ceremony and helping their country qualify for the 2024 Olympics––which features the main national team in women’s soccer, rather than the U-20 teams like the men’s tournament––with many athletes not even permitted to attend as a result. When considering how prestigious both the award and the ceremony are, and the amount of annual attention and preparation it receives, this was extremely careless planning. A Ballon d’Or ceremony would never happen during a men’s international break, especially if the international matches were important qualifiers for a tournament.

Soccer legend David Beckham, the president of Messi’s club, Inter Miami, presented the men’s Ballon D’Or. The choice seemed meaningful and personal––it was clear that the pick was intentional. Bonmatí, on the other hand, was presented her award by the much more underwhelming choice of Novak Djokovic. FIFA was apparently not only unable to get one of the many legendary female soccer players to present the award––someone like Christine Sinclair or Abby Wambach––but also failed to delegate the task to a female athlete in general. Djokovic has no connection whatsoever with women’s soccer and has actively denounced equal pay for women athletes. The choice was not only incredibly lazy but extremely disrespectful to women’s sports as a whole.

For the women’s game to grow and for female soccer players to be treated with the respect they deserve, equitable treatment needs to start at the top of FIFA. There is no excuse for treating these women as a mere accessory to the main event of men’s soccer.

Science & Technology

The Neuro’s Killam Seminar Series explores inflammation in multiple sclerosis

by Yejin Lee on

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The Killam Seminar Series hosted a seminar about inflammation in multiple sclerosis (MS) at The Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital (The Neuro) on Oct. 31. The seminar series invited Roberta Magliozzi, associate professor from the University of Verona, Italy, as part of The Neuro’s goal to bring in exceptional guest speakers from around the world. 

MS is an autoimmune disease characterized by chronic inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. The body’s own immune cells, including B cells and T cells, erroneously target and damage a fatty insulating substance called myelin, mistaking it for a foreign invader. 

“Most of the [inflammatory] cells we found were in the stroma [located in the centre of bones, i.e. bone marrow]. The only cells we found within the blood vessels [were] granulocytes and neutrophils,” Magliozzi said. “Our idea is that the inflammation persists in some niches […] hiding in the brain, especially in the progressive forms.”

Myelin is a material that wraps around and electrically insulates axons—the long, thin extensions of neurons responsible for transmitting information within the brain and the spinal cord. MS-associated myelin damage, along with direct injury to the neurons themselves, leads to a range of distressing symptoms, including changes in sensory perception, movement, and cognition. 

The average age of MS diagnosis typically falls around 43, although the onset can occur anywhere between the ages of 20 and 50. Alarmingly, Canada has one of the highest MS diagnosis rates worldwide, with over 90,000 people living with the disease, meaning nearly one in every 400 Canadians has received an MS diagnosis.

Magliozzi’s research centres on investigating the immunopathological mechanisms underlying MS. Her primary aim is identifying intersecting pathways of the nervous and immune systems, as well as potential biomarkers associated with the progression of MS. The ultimate goal is to enable early detection and intervention and to personalize treatment strategies that could slow or halt the progress of the disease. Magliozzi emphasized the central role of inflammation in MS. 

“Inflammation is consistently associated with chronic neuronal degeneration,” Magliozzi said. 

Although recovery of the damaged myelin and the axons can occur during the early stages of the disease, MS reaches a ‘progressive’ stage as relapses occur, during which neurons experience irreversible loss of function, leading to deteriorating symptoms over time. 

One of Magliozzi’s pivotal findings revealed that patients with meningeal inflammation, which affects the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, and an early disease onset, tend to experience early disability onset. 

“We found that progression with meningeal information and early age of onset [translates to patients having] a short disease duration and they also die early,” Magliozzi said.

Researchers from the University of Vienna, Austria, and the Mayo Clinic in the United States, validated this groundbreaking discovery using biopsy samples that demonstrated the presence of elevated meningeal inflammation and severe pathology in the cerebral cortex. 

“We have now examined many MS cases in the UK, MS tissue bank, and this has started being validated by other groups,” Magliozzi said.

Magliozzi’s work also showed that MS lesions—areas affected by the disease—tend to cluster around the ventricles and that the onset and progression of MS are associated with increased levels of fibrinogen. Fibrinogen, a clotting factor, triggers microglia—the brain’s immune cells—leading to heightened inflammation. In one of the graphs illustrating these findings, neurons and microglia contain a significant concentration of fibrinogen. 

“There is a high correlation between neuronal loss or axon loss and microglial activation. So, this means that there is a strong association between these phenomena,” Magliozzi explained. “And then there is this very elegant study from a Dutch and UK group, where they showed that the meningeal inflammation in MS induces […] not only activation but also phenotypic changes in vertebral microglia, which is then directly associated with increased neural degeneration.”

While a definitive prevention or cure for the disease is yet to be discovered, the unwavering dedication of researchers and healthcare professionals brings us closer to a future where MS may no longer be a life-altering diagnosis. 

Behind the Bench, Sports

The NHL needs to stop embarrassing itself

by Tillie Burlock on

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On Oct. 24, the National Hockey League (NHL) reversed its draconian decision to ban Pride tape after months of public outcry from fans and players alike, concluding one of the most embarrassing months of public relations for a professional sports league to date. The entire endeavour was a lost cause from the get-go; yet, the league cannot seem to stop digging itself in deeper, turning to the Ottawa Senators to further establish itself as an unserious sports league. 

The NHL announced on Nov. 1 that the Senators would be stripped of a first-round draft pick in either 2024, 2025, or 2026 for their role in the nullified Evgenii Dadonov trade by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2022. Ottawa will have 48 hours after the draft lottery to decide if they will forfeit the pick that year. In the days after, the Senators fired General Manager Pierre Dorion,  and many fans were left wondering: Why the harsh penalty? 

The Senators signed Dadonov in 2020 to a three-year contract. As part of the deal, they granted him a 10-team no-trade clause. Dadonov was supposed to alert management of the 10 teams on his list by July 1, 2021. However, on July 28, 2021, the Senators traded Dadonov to the Golden Knights. The trade was allowed as Vegas was not on Dadonov’s list. 

The thing about no-trade clauses is that they are not public information. Teams do not share players’ no-trade lists with the NHL’s Central Registry Department, which is responsible for maintaining all player information, putting the onus on teams for transparency. 

The Golden Knights then attempted to trade Dadonov to the Anaheim Ducks in March 2022 in a clear move to free up salary-cap space––a whole other league-wide issue. However, the NHL nullified the trade within 48 hours as the Ducks were on Dadanov’s no-trade list. Amid the confusion, Vegas claimed to have not known about the list, shifting the blame onto the Senators. 

Unable to free up cap space, the Golden Knights missed the playoffs in 2022––albeit for a number of reasons, not just their inability to trade Dadonov. Yet, it was not until Oct. 30, 2023––18-months later––that the league revealed that they had opened an investigation into the Senators. 

During the time between the initial infraction and now, Ottawa came under new ownership, with the team being sold to former Montreal Canadiens minority owner Michael Andlauer in June 2023. While Andlauer should have done his due diligence prior to purchasing the team, his public comments have led many to speculate that he was not made aware of his liability in this case before closing the sale. Moreover, Andlauer has critiqued the leagues’ lack of transparency around the investigation and efforts by the NHL “to make sure the seller got the best price possible.” 

Ultimately, whether or not the punishment is warranted is conjecture. The league had to instill trust in the Central Registry and ensure that teams understood that their bureaucratic errors would not go unpunished. Regardless, the question many are asking is not whether the Senators should be punished; rather, it is a question of where the leagues’ priorities are. The Chicago Blackhawks were given a measly slap on the wrist in the form of a two million USD fine in response to an organization-wide sexual assault scandal. Chicago was not stripped of a draft pick for this “inadequate internal procedure,” as the league called it, but were instead gifted a generational first-overall pick in Connor Bedard. 

Ultimately, it is hard to take the NHL as a serious league for several reasons. Commissioner Gary Bettman denies the connection between chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and playing ice hockey. Numerous players accused of sexual assault are still on active rosters. Teams are not allowed to promote social causes through specialty jerseys, and the league just tried to ban goddamn rainbow tape. If it wants to remain competitive with the likes of other professional sports leagues in North America, the NHL needs to get it together because frankly, this is just getting embarrassing. 

Recipes, Student Life

Sweet and savoury apple recipes to spice up your fall

by K. Coco Zhang on

More in Recipes:

Granny Smith, Fuji, Honey Crisp, Jonagold, Jonathan, Gala, Golden Delicious, Braeburn, Cortland—there are countless apple varieties waiting to be found at the orchard each fall. After some apple picking and a little time in the kitchen, make the most of fall’s favourite fruit with these scrumptious apple recipes.

For those with a sweet tooth: Apple Cake

Apple, cinnamon, and walnuts are brought together for a moist and delicious cake. This recipe is perfect as a fall treat when served with a generous scoop of ice cream or as an on-the-go breakfast when paired with a smear of nut butter.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup of softened butter
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼ tsp of vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp of baking soda
  • 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp of salt
  • 2 medium apples, peeled and shredded
  • ½ cup of walnuts, chopped (optional)
  • 1 quart of vanilla ice cream (optional)

Steps:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a nine-inch round cake pan with baking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. 
  3. Add in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt, apples, and walnuts (to your taste). 
  4. Mix until combined, and transfer to the cake pan.
  5. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. 
  6. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove it from the pan to a rack to cool for another 10 minutes. Serve warm with the ice cream (optional).
  7. Leftovers can be frozen in an airtight container or sealable plastic bag for up to three months. 

For those with a salty tooth: Apple Walnut Salad

Packed with sweet apples, crunchy walnuts, tangy cranberries, refreshing spinach, and earthy quinoa, this simple yet flavourful salad will certainly become a regular on your dining table this fall.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup of quinoa, uncooked
  • 2 cups of water
  • 2 cups of spinach, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup of walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1 ½ cups of apples, diced
  • ¼ cup of dried cranberries
  • ¼ cup of red onion, finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp of olive oil
  • 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp of maple syrup
  • 2 tsp of Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp of salt
  • ¼ tsp of black pepper

Steps:

  1. Place the quinoa in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Toast until the seeds start to pop and become aromatic.
  2. Add 2 cups of water to the quinoa. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to low.
  3. Cover and simmer the quinoa for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat. 
  4. Keep the quinoa covered for an additional 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Season with salt if needed.
  5. To make the salad dressing, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
  6. In a bowl, add the cooked quinoa, spinach, walnuts, apples, dried cranberries, and red onion.
  7. Pour the dressing on top. Stir gently to combine. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
  8. Apple Walnut Salad is best enjoyed fresh. Leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for two-three days. 
  9. If not serving right away, store the dressing in a separate container in the fridge.

These recipes were adapted from Betty Crocker’s Homemade Apple Cake and Yumna Jawad’s Apple Walnut Salad.

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