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Where have the queer men gone?

by Matt Adelberg on

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A gay exploration across McGill

In my first month at McGill, I got queerbaited. I started talking to a guy right after moving into residence. As we got closer, he asked with increasing frequency who pinged on my ‘gaydar.’ I had only come out as COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, so meeting other queer men was high up on my 2021 agenda. Naturally, I had a vested interest in seeing where this new connection would lead. 

A week and a half later, he expressed his surprise that I had believed him when he told me that he was into men. After throwing myself a commensurate pity party (a lot of sangria and Phoebe Bridgers), I reset my sights on my objective: To find out where the //actual// queer men of McGill dwell. Three years later, I still haven’t located them. Equally for my sake and for that of anyone else faced with my affliction, I’ve undertaken the task of finding these fabled creatures on campus—if they exist at all.

It’s not as if I don’t know any queer men. The issue is that these connections are rare, and I tend to meet them one at a time. I don’t feel that I have a community, but rather connections with queer men in otherwise disparate spaces. Of course, this is my personal experience, and it might not reflect the general sentiment of queer men at McGill—ironically, I don’t know enough of them to get an appropriate sample. Thus, take my words with a grain of salt.

Finding my communities at McGill is, in many ways, easier for me as a white cis guy. I’m also close with many queer women, trans and non-binary people, and I deeply value those relationships and shared lived queer experiences. However, the absence of people who share both my sexuality and gender—those who can most closely understand my experience of these huge parts of my identity—is something that I feel sharply. 

I’m looking for social settings centred around McGill undergraduates. Additionally, they must be both offline and communal. While online relations and communities are certainly valuable, I am searching for physical spaces where connections are organic, not strictly facilitated. I’m not trying to find one-to-one connections, but spaces where one can enter reliably and inclusively to foster them for social, romantic, or alternative endeavours. 

This definition excludes dating and hookup apps like Tinder and Grindr. I am not necessarily searching for love—I am searching for consistent community. If I have engaged with you on one of these and it hasn’t worked out: It’s not you, it’s the app. 

With these qualifications established, I now set out into //terra incognita//: What queer spaces are available to me at McGill?

Much of my information on McGill queer organizations comes from the online-accessible LGBTQIA2S+ McGill Student, Faculty, and Staff Activism exhibit, curated in 2022 by McGill Institute for Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies (IGSF) assistant professor Alex Ketchum and Jacob Williams (BA ‘23). Beyond its usefulness to me, it is an excellent jumping-off point for any interested in McGill’s queer past and present. 

There is, of course, Queer McGill: The university’s student-run queer organization. They operate and promote a variety of services across Montreal for McGill’s 2SLGBTQIA+ population.

“Our communications coordinator, Frida, sends out a weekly newsletter and is also responsible for our social media. They will frequently boost initiatives led by groups with a similar mandate to ours,” Administrative Coordinator Abe Berglas explained in an interview with //The Tribune//. “Our events coordinators, Isabel and Val, are planning a variety of social events so that queer students and community members can congregate. Finally, our resource coordinator Arwyn ensures that our office—room 432 in the SSMU building—is an accessible space for queer folks to exist on campus.”

Editorial, Opinion

Evictions of encampments encroach on equitable housing solutions

by The Tribune Editorial Board on

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As the housing crisis in Montreal persists, neither the city government nor its citizens are addressing the unhoused population with the empathy and urgency they deserve. A coalition of residents from Saint-Henri recently expressed anger over a decision to build a four-storey housing complex for unhoused individuals and a supervised drug use site near an elementary school. This is just the most recent example of a widespread phenomenon of communities opposing the creation of services for the unhoused in the name of “protecting” their neighbourhood. Simultaneously, the city of Montreal has continued forced evictions of encampments around the city, including those living under Route 136 of the Ville-Marie expressway. These evictions put an already vulnerable group at considerably more risk, and do nothing to address the root of the housing issue. 

As the cycle of evictions and displacement in Montreal continues to exacerbate the housing crisis, the number of unhoused people in the province has almost doubled since 2018, with nearly half reported to be living in Montreal. Eviction epitomizes the personal being political, as the state violently inserts itself into people’s homes and privacy to deprive them of the human right of housing. Furthermore, unhoused people face significant barriers when practicing their right to vote and thus lose the ability to have political representation, as it is extremely difficult to register to vote without a stable, permanent address. Being evicted also comes with a host of life-threatening dangers. The street is not a safe place to live and, as winter approaches and the temperature continues to drop, it does not afford any kind of protection from the deadly cold.

The municipal government has evicted people from encampments under the guise of “finding long term housing solutions,” but its actions do not reflect this claim. In breaking up encampments through the police, the Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ) is not only destroying people’s only living arrangements, but is also breaking up communities and networks that are integral to unhoused people’s wellbeing. By simultaneously dismantling these encampments and failing to implement any effective affordable housing policies, the MTQ is encroaching on unhoused people’s agency and ability to protect themselves. Since the Ville-Marie encampment was disrupted, only four of its former residents were able to move into government-subsidized housing, while the government refused to provide the rest with anything more than lockers in which to keep their belongings. 

The not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) attitude held by Montrealers, such as those contesting the construction of the housing complex in Saint-Henri and the shelter in Verdun, further exacerbates the issues unhoused people are facing. Often, NIMBYism deploys language that dehumanizes and demonizes unhoused people, referring to them as ‘dangerous,’ and arguing that children must be protected from them. This outlook indicates an inability to look past one’s personal discomfort to recognize how the creation of shelters and other resources is a step toward fixing the housing crisis and getting unhoused people off the streets. NIMBYism further antagonizes unhoused people, and exacerbates racial and class divisions. In prioritizing neighborhoods over individuals’ well-being, these attitudes solidify the notion that property value is more important than human dignity and life.

Certain communities are disproportionately represented in the unhoused community, including Indigenous peoples, migrants, and people experiencing mental illness. By dispossessing and displacing, evictions perpetuate an ongoing cycle of settler colonial violence on Indigenous peoples. Instead of providing trauma-informed support, the state neglects individuals experiencing mental illness in encampments through the discriminatory structure of their systems and institutions.

McGill is situated in direct proximity to many of Montreal’s unhoused communities, yet students are often dismissive toward unhoused people, avoiding or ignoring them completely. McGill students must act on the houselessness and housing insecurity crisis, treat unhoused people around them with respect, empathy, and dignity, and advocate for equitable housing for all. The city of Montreal needs to cease evictions of encampments, and provide unhoused people with real, tangible alternatives to living on the streets.

Commentary, Opinion

STM constables’ new pepper spray is anti-progress for the Mental Health Crisis

by Lulu Calame on

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At the start of October, the Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) announced that constables in charge of patrolling the Montreal Metro will now be armed with gel aerosol pepper spray. The STM made this decision in response to a growing number of incidents in the metro system in which constables intervened, often with brute force and the use of batons. The STM describes the pepper spray as a means of “de-escalating” a situation without using the same physical impact of a baton. However, the addition of gel aerosol pepper spray creates room for more frequent, unproductive hostility, and widens the gap of power between constables and Montreal’s vulnerable populations. 

The number of violent incidents and reported safety complaints in the Montreal metro system have increased considerably in recent months. The Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) claimed 54 reported assaults in January of 2023 and 53 in February, while in 2022, the highest reported number of assaults in one month was 44. The incidence rate on the Metro as a whole has also gone up, with about 42,000 reported interventions on the STM in 2022, compared to just over 35,000 in 2021. 

Though there is validity in the intention of reducing the physical harm inflicted during constable interventions in the metro, implementing pepper spray––in addition to the existing batons––attempts to mitigate the houselessness and mental health crisis by attacking people instead of addressing it at the roots. Such development allows for more frequent hostility and intensifies the gap of power, spurring resentment between the constables and the targets of their authority. It also raises questions about the logical consistency of the new policy when STM constables are granted the authority to use this pepper spray, while Canadian civilians are prohibited from arming themselves with it for self-defense, highlighting a disparity in access and usage.

The sparse ten-hour training required in order to carry the pepper spray is time that could go toward training constables in alternate strategies of de-escalation. These approaches would be much more in line with an understanding of the mental health obstacles faced by many of those involved in the interventions. While an immediate solution to crime in the metro is a large ask for the municipal government, initiating a discussion of greater awareness in the constables, who come in close direct contact with incidents of crime, is a good place to start.  

The metro system in Montreal (and beyond) is one of the most immediately accessible shelters for the unhoused community, making the discussion of mental health and houselessness inseparable from the policies of the STM. Such changes must be acknowledged by policy makers as substantial alterations in the daily experiences and overall well-being of individuals who are unhoused, particularly those who are already grappling with mental health challenges. It is imperative to recognize the profound impact that these types of policy changes can have on the lives of unhoused individuals contending with mental health issues. 

Such direct violence toward a vulnerable population solidifies the assumption that addiction, houselessness, and issues of mental health are the fault of the individual, justifying further harm toward them and their situation. Assaulting unhoused individuals with pepper spray as a response to their inability to find shelter is gratuitous and counterproductive; addiction, for instance, is a disease, and houselessness is the result of relentless systemic oppression, not personal failings. Pepper spray does not undo such realities.

Due to their history of abusive power and brute force, especially toward vulnerable and racialized communities, institutions such as the police department or the STM might be quick to disregard such strategies for crime mitigation. While certainly less glamorous and slightly slower-moving than the implementation of pepper spray, an emphasis on peaceful de-escalation instead of violence is progress toward systemic change that has the potential to mitigate the issue of crime as a whole. The physical harm caused by pepper spray paired with the structure of power that enforces it will not.

Opinion

The McGill Book Fair teaches us a lesson in institutional apathy 

by Emanuel Curto on

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Despite being heard by few students during the fall of 2022, a death knell sounded marking the end of the McGill Book Fair. Started in 1972 by the Women’s Associates of McGill and the McGill Women’s Alumnae Association, the Book Fair is yet another victim of the McLennan-Redpath complex renovation. Organizers suggested on a Facebook post that the complex’s closure and a seemingly chronic inability to find volunteers made the event impossible to run. The transformation of the Book Fair from a vibrant community event to university lore demonstrates McGill’s inability to shield its cultural institutions from its relentless attrition. 

Over the past 50 years, the Book Fair has contributed 1,948,000 CAD towards McGill Scholarships and Student Aid, generating three bursaries for undergraduate students. Though there is no doubt those bursaries will have supported many McGillians, to talk about the Book Fair solely as a financial conduit is reductionist. The Fair’s ability to affordably disseminate knowledge, foster community, and give participants a space to be intellectually curious meets and surpasses McGill’s own stated mission, a mission whose nebulous framework commits the university to scholarly excellence but not to community or curiosity. Yet, the Book Fair remains an un-resuscitated champion of McGill’s values. 

The McGill administration is only interested in domains deemed important by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS)–– the company who releases the annual QS World University Rankings. Not every McGill student is willing to volunteer in extracurriculars that are not sexy or employable. If QS made an annual Book Fair a requisite to be a top 50 university, McGill would pour resources into the Book Fair, asserting that the event was “instrumental in delivering on its mission.” If McGill’s Medical or Law school requisitioned volunteering in a Book Fair for admission, to become a volunteer one would have to undertake a competitive entry. The problem is McGill’s neglect for the Book Fair is replicable; this apathy could claim other events. The Book Fair proves that even the most anticipated and successful events can simply cease to exist if they are not cared for. 

Admittedly, I might be romanticizing the McGill Book Fair, but universities are romanticized institutions. With the world’s data readily and instantly available, what can a student gain or learn at McGill that they cannot online? Students may garner a community, exchange ideas, and ultimately, have the university legitimate their knowledge. At least two of those ideas are inherently romantic. If McGill cannot find the impetus to preserve the Book Fair, it not only fails to further the values of its mission, but it also fails to preserve the ideals that uphold the institution for students.  

I mourn that I will never again arrive to class, albeit 10 minutes late, with a box of books in hand, full enough to gravely harm someone if I were to trip or buckle. Nor will I ever again strut campus gleaming with the knowledge that my purchase cost less than a sandwich and banana would at any McGill cafeteria. Worse even is that soon enough, I will be unable to quench the memory of the Book Fair by walking into McLennan Library and endlessly perusing amongst rows of books as a “study break.” 

Though the Book Fair has gone, its end should serve as a reminder to nurture the cultural institutions we participate in. Take the example of Anne Williams and Susan Woodruff, two McGill graduates who attended the university in the 1960s and who were the latest co-directors of the Book Fair. They still post regularly on the Fair’s Facebook group, directing students toward book sales around Montreal or encouraging them to donate to the Fair’s bursaries. In this spirit, beyond demanding that the administration care for the culture that defines this university, students must remember that they are McGill’s vital cultural capital. If others cannot deliver on McGill’s stated mission, the onus falls on us.    

Off the Board, Opinion

Birds: My mortal enemies

by Suzanna Graham on

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I didn’t see a single bird during the U.S. government shutdown between Dec. 22, 2018, and Jan. 25, 2019. While the feathery fiends in British Columbia may have just been taking the month off from antagonizing my fellow high schoolers on the frosty coast of Vancouver Island, I choose to believe the conspiracy theory that all birds are government drones, and were turned off amidst the political instability in my home country. Sure, the theory may be far-fetched, but despite birds’ pea-sized brains, they are smart little gremlins ready to spread evil everywhere they go. 

Every time I look a bird in the eye, I consider what nefarious ploys they are plotting. I’m not kidding. These modern dinosaurs may be small, but they’re crafty. They have access to the sky, the land, the sea, and yet they choose to scavenge for food that humans are actively trying to eat. Some birds understand basic Keynesian economics. Others can literally converse with humans. While the average pigeon you see today might be looking for its next backpack to peck for crumbs, their ancestors were literally war veterans. Now, let loose in an outcry of anarchy, I fear the day the pigeon clusters waiting outside the metro learn how to unionize. 

The fact of the matter is that I find birds terrifying. Whether I’m facing off with a robin trying to steal my almonds, or a crow blocking the stairs to my apartment, I would rather be subjected to a Saw trap than their wicked little beaks. There’s a reason that Darwin’s theory of evolution was based on birds and not sharks. They quickly evolved into a diverse network of beasts, each able to spread evil in a multitude of disturbing ways. Pelicans are essentially giant venus fly traps: They trap prey and swallow them whole. Hawks will pick up fish from the ocean and drop them from large heights. And crows… crows never forget a grudge. 

I think the most terrifying thing is that crows (and their bigger yet thankfully rarer cousins, ravens) can recognize and remember human faces. I remember once chasing a crow away from a lovely, peaceful Seattle picnic I was having with my friends. The crow came back, brought friends, and pelted us with acorns. If I had realized that wanting to eat a sandwich without a bird pecking at my fingers was akin to inciting a clan war with the local kings of the park, I would’ve cut my losses and handed my food over. I still haven’t returned to that spot. I know they’re waiting for me and I refuse to fall back into the same trap.

On the other hand, there are some birds that I understand. I grew up on the West Coast surrounded by armies of Canada’s most ferocious animal: The Canada goose. My upbringing taught me a lot of things—how to duck and cover during an earthquake, the fact that you should never wear crocs while traversing a blackberry bush, and how to swat a goose. As the younger sibling to my older brother, I was the designated fodder for any threat we encountered. As such, I was always the one to face off against the geese. Geese know they’re evil. They own it. And luckily for me, I feel a lot better pushing a hissing, flying rat than another bird species that retains its innocent façade. 

So what’s the moral of this piece? Easy: There is no moral. I am simply here to warn my fellow people of our feathered fiends that we share the sidewalk with. Don’t trust them. Don’t mess with them. I yearn for the days in 2019 when they disappeared from my vicinity. I fantasize of peace. I know it may never happen, but a girl can dream. 

Arts & Entertainment, Comedy, Internet

The older, the wiser: Why X should be reserved for seniors

by Aimee DeLong on

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Most social media apps have age restrictions. For the majority, you have to be at least 13 to create an account. X, formerly known as Twitter, is no exception. Yet, I firmly believe that this age limit is simply unfair. The minimum age to create an account on X should be changed to 75. Though this may seem strange at first, may I present a shining example for why this should be the case: One Joyce Carol Oates.

Joyce Carol Oates is a critically-acclaimed 85-year-old American author who has published over 50 novels, including Blonde and We Were the Mulvaneys, not to mention a litany of short stories and poems. However, the best-written work she has produced undoubtedly exists in the form of her tweets on X. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, and Oates’ recent posts include profound photos such as “Canal.” Not only this, but the author has deigned to share hidden gems from the art world, including a painting that may have inspired Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring.” 

Celebrities of our generation can be rather dismissive of their fans on social media and in real life. Fan pages struggle to get their favourite celebrities to notice them, and the vast majority of love declarations go unacknowledged. On the other hand, fans of Oates have no shortage of responses from the author. She maintains profound conversations with her fellow users. Recently, Oates was quick to comment on the cuteness of a fan’s dog. Additionally, she has engaged in conversations with those who do not seem overly fond of her, such as her multiple political arguments with several opinionated users.

Although Oates’ X account is certainly worth a follow, she is not the only senior whose thoughts are worth sharing. Another member of the older population on the app includes Larry King—famed television and radio host—who strove to spread important information to his dutiful followers prior to his death on Jan. 23rd, 2021. His series of tweets, aptly titled #ItsMy2Cents, offers the star’s many hot takes. For instance, his relatable statement that he “has no desire to eat clams” is nothing short of newsworthy. 

Even if King is no longer with us today, his opinions will live on forever through his tweets. Sure, the app could be used to share the thoughts of the younger generation, but why not give our elders a chance to immortalize their wisdom on the internet? Some may say that seniors have problematic opinions, but no two people are alike, and many individuals from previous generations are worth listening to. After all, thanks to them, we have succeeded in feats such as the moon landing, and life-changing inventions like the lava lamp. 

In the end, our generation maintains its monopoly over many social media platforms, including TikTok and Snapchat. So why not let the seniors have X? It could very well be their last chance to use their voice, and who wouldn’t want to see another cat photo shared by Joyce Carol Oates? We have no need for another tired retelling of Kylie Jenner having cereal with milk for the first time. Besides, Elon Musk did purchase the platform, and we wouldn’t want to support him long-term—he is known for being a misogynist, and has tweeted a meme comparing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Adolf Hitler. Leave it to our elders to express their opinions and, when they pass away, we can let Musk’s success pass on with them. 

Album Reviews, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Something to give the girls

by Amalia Mairet on

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Pop music has hit a lull in the past few months. Beyoncé and Taylor Swift are busy touring, Dua Lipa is missing in action, and Ariana Grande is busy getting raked over the Twitter coals for her new boyfriend. A few select artists have provided tunes throughout the recent slump—credit to Olivia Rodrigo. But none have emerged as swiftly and decisively as Troye Sivan, whose new album Something to Give Each Other has revived our appetites for the popstar. 

His album release began with “Rush,” a lead single titled after everyone’s favourite brand of poppers. With a house beat and a chant-like chorus, the single lives up to its namesake—an addictive opener. The music video features a sweaty Sivan, hedonistic Euro-summer visuals, and decidedly cheeky choreography. Compared with Sivan’s innocent debut, Blue Neighbourhood, and his less precocious 2018 album Bloom, this release was unabashedly more queer, fun, and sexy. 

His second single, “One of Your Girls,” was an instant hit largely owing to Sivan’s bold music video. Featuring former Disney Channel heartthrob Ross Lynch and Sivan himself in incredible drag, the video immediately flooded Twitter feeds and is currently at 8.7 million views. With seductive choreography and Y2K outfits, the visuals draw heavily on early 2000s pop icons like Christina Aguilera and Beyoncé (note the “Single Ladies”-esque black and white scene with the bar). Sivan is taking pop stardom seriously by calling back to its golden age.

The rest of the album is a great mix of slow tunes and uptempo pop. Sivan includes some inventive sampling, such as an electronic hook from Bag Raiders on “Got Me Started” and a clip of Jessica Pratt’s folky warble in “Can’t Go Back, Baby.” Sivan’s increasing comfort with experimentation is paying off—his music has far exceeded its bedroom pop origins.

With a new commitment to choreography and boy toys in tow, Troye Sivan’s new album asserts that he is every bit the pop diva. He has cornered his market with new maturity and confidence, giving people the pop iconography that they want and need. 

Lacrosse, Men's Varsity, Sports

Redbirds lacrosse races to victory against Queen’s University Gaels

by Julie Ferreyra on

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On Oct. 29, McGill Redbirds’ lacrosse faced off against the Queen’s University Gaels in a single-elimination playoff game to clinch a spot in  the Canadian University Field Lacrosse Association (CUFLA) playoff tournament, otherwise known as the Baggataway Cup. 

Motivated and eager to win, the Redbirds opened the scoring mere moments after the opening whistle sounded when captain and attacker Isaiah Cree scored the first goal just 10 seconds into the game. However, the Gaels quickly countered with two back-to-back goals to go up 2-1. The Redbirds struck back thanks to another goal by midfielder Rowan Birrell  giving the Redbirds evening out the score board. Following a few exchanges, Cree had the opportunity to bury his second goal of the afternoon and tie the game.  

The growing goal tally galvanized midfielder Alexander Erbstein, who netted another with under two minutes remaining, and the quarter ended with midfielder Mark Symon’s goal with just 10 seconds left to set the score 5-2.

After a particularly intense first quarter that the Redbirds dominated, the second quarter was quiet until the Gaels shrunk the point gap, scoring with three minutes on the clock. However, midfielder John Miraglia responded with McGill’s sixth goal with just eight seconds left in the half.  

Cree opened the second half of the game with back-to-back goals, giving McGill an 8-2 lead. The Gaels’ frustration erupted into several scuffles. Defender Ryan Badour served his first of four penalties that afternoon for slashing. With two minutes left in the third quarter, defender Kyle Glick suffered an injury following a multi-player collision and had to be escorted off the field. 

This change in pace allowed the Gaels to sneak two goals past Boehm to start the fourth quarter, bringing the score back to 8-4.  After expert passes between midfielders Rowan Birrell and Massimo Thauvette, Birrell buried the ball past the Gael goalkeeper, restoring the five-goal gap.. 

After the Redbirds regained possession, Birrell successfully faked out Queens’ defense and passed the ball. Midfielder Owen Howard successfully picked it up, passing it back to Birrell, who narrowly missed. 

As the game came to a close, the Redbirds continued to apply pressure to Queen’s defense line in an attempt to extend the goal gap. When the referee’s whistle echoed, the score was settled and McGill secured the 9-5 win. 

“I think the big thing today was having our entire lineup really contribute,” assistant coach Maxime Murdoch said in an interview with The Tribune.  “It was really a full team effort. We had a couple of guys that were a little more injured, some starters that we had to take out early. And we had some guys that usually don’t play as much get in there and really play well.” 

The other team, you know, came back really strong at some point,” Murdoch explained. “We kind of just had to, had to do our thing. The biggest thing is really just having all these guys, that usually don’t play, get in there and really contribute to score goals.”

This win allows McGill to compete at the Baggataway Cup at the Trent University Excalibur, last year’s champions, on Nov. 3-5. They will face off against the University of Guelph Gryphons, currently second in the Western division, hoping to advance to the semi-finals. The last time McGill won the Cup was 2015. 

Moment of the Game: After making an incredible save, Boehm pierced through the field to reach the 49-yard line, in front of the Gaels’ goal and passed to a teammate. 

Stats Corner: The game saw seven penalties drawn, including four for McGill’s Badour, and one from Birrell.

Quotable: 

“We win when we move on, we lose once we’re done. So all of them are make-or-break,” Cree said. “I really feel like we can really make a run this year.”

— Senior-year, captain Isaiah Cree reflecting on the significance of this buy-in game for the playoff. 

Hockey, Martlets, Sports

Martlets hockey home opener turns into a frustrating loss against UOttawa’s Gee-Gee’s

by Madigan McMahon, Megan Belrose on

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On Oct. 26, the Martlets’ hockey team (1–2) suffered a tough loss against the Ottawa Gee-Gees (2–1) in a penalty-filled home opener. 

The Martlets opened the game with a quick shot on goal, followed by forward India Benoit taking a tripping penalty to give the Gee-Gees their first powerplay of the game. The Gee-Gees broke through McGill’s defense in the second minute of play, and pulled off a shot on goal that was saved by goalie Sophie Lajeunesse. Coming out of the box, Benoit passed to forward Mika Chang before attempting a shot on goal. 

Eight minutes in, Ottawa took a tripping penalty to give McGill the advantage. McGill maintained good offensive motion that tested the Gee-Gees’ goalie. A sloppy line change from the Gee-Gees then led to a momentary five-on-zero advantage for the Martlets that excited the crowd. 

10 minutes into the first period, four Martlets and one Gee-Gee went down before Meganne Chailler came off in pain––she later returned to the ice. A minute later, Ottawa opened the scoring with the first goal of the game after careless defending from the Martlets left the Gee-Gees center alone in the slot. Despite their sloppy defense, they managed to get another solid shot on goal and Lajeunesse blocked an attempt from Ottawa in the last minute of play. Both teams matched in their high aggression, which the referees seemed hesitant to call in the first half of the period. The first period ended 1-0 for Ottawa, with eight shots on goal by the Gee-Gees and the Martlets close behind with seven. 

“We will need to be more disciplined and have less penalties,” Beniot told The Tribune.  “Playing on the PK [penalty kill] for a long time and getting momentum [created challenges for us].” 

Although McGill opened the second period strongly with a shot on goal, Ottawa turned the tide by denying the Martlets on a breakaway and pressuring them with two unsuccessful attempts. Following a head-contact call, forward Megan Kronwald was sent to the penalty box for four minutes. The Martlets finally found the back of the net after a misplay by Ottawa’s goaltender, but the goal was ultimately disallowed. The teams traded shots on goal in the last half of the second period. Tensions rose between the players in front of the Martlets net, which led to the referees reprimanding both teams. In the last minutes of the period, Ottawa attempted three more unsuccessful shots on goal, outshooting the Martlets 8-5. 

The Martlets started the third period by picking up another penalty, with forward Anika Cormier being sent to the box for tripping in the second minute of play. Ottawa managed two shots on goal during their power play before picking up a penalty of their own. In the seventh minute of the period, an Ottawa player was knocked to the ground in a multi-player collision and skated off the ice supported by her teammates. McGill defense Mia Giles picked up a penalty for body checking, followed closely by a penalty called on forward Syrine Kacem for holding. In an attempt to even the score, the Martlets pulled their goalie in the last minute of play, but their failed attempts to to put the puck in the back of the net allowed the Gee-Gees to score an empty-netter with eight seconds to go, ending the evening on a 2-0 loss for the Martlets. 

The Martlets (2–2) beat the Carleton Ravens (1–1) 1-0 on Oct. 28 and will play Bishop’s University on Nov. 3

Moment of the game: After deflecting a shot, the Ottawa goalie nudged the puck into the goal before the referees called offside and the goal was disallowed.

Quotable: “We play against Carleton next. We have practice Friday and we will do everything to prepare accordingly for this game and bounce back hard.”

–Forward India Benoit

Stat corner: The Martlets received two penalties for tripping, two for hooking and one penalty each for holding, head contact, and body checking. Four of these penalties occurred in the third period. 

Student Life

The revival of McGill’s Community Engagement Day

by Katherine Weaver on

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Held in the University Centre on Oct. 26, Community Engagement Day (CED) made a strong reappearance this year. The event, run by the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and McGill Campus Life and Engagement (CLE), aims to put students in contact with local McGill and Montreal-based volunteering groups. This year, it featured around 30 organizations from the greater Montreal area.

It was a lively scene in the SSMU Ballroom, which was filled with a ring of booths toward one end and an Art Hive workshop pop-up on the other. Free lunch was provided for attendees, who filtered in and out throughout the afternoon.

Maria Radu, BA ‘22 and the current SSMU Community Engagement Commissioner, helped organize Thursday’s event. CED was established in 2012 but hadn’t been run at this scale since 2017.

“I wanted to bring [CED] back, because it’s a really cool event, and I think that it’s a great opportunity for students to get involved,” Radu said. “I did a very small one last year in the winter, just to kind of test the waters and try it out. And it went really well. We got a lot of great feedback. I wanted to do it on a bigger scale this year.”

Radu aims to hold the event annually and grow it to a similar scale as SSMU’s Activities Night.

“There’s a lot of opportunities that I think students don’t know about,” Radu commented. “So I’m happy to help promote them.”

Organizations attending this year’s CED ranged from Big Brothers Big Sisters, an organization that provides mentors to youth with adverse childhood experiences, to Tel-Aide, a volunteer-run mental health hotline.

Community Cooks Collective (CCC) was one of those organizations. Founded in 2020, CCC is a group that seeks to address food insecurity in the Montreal area by delivering home-cooked meals to three local food shelters.

“We’re looking to grow the roster of cooks and build up our organizing team to be able to expand operations further,” Tatiana Townsley, a CCC volunteer explained.

Arabel Morin, U3 Arts, visited CED after finding it on MyInvolvement, a platform connecting students with engagement opportunities at McGill. 

“I was looking for more volunteering opportunities this year, just because it’s my last full year at McGill,” Morin explained. “I want to build new connections and do something good every once in a while..”

Concordia student Diego Fraser-del-Carpio was running the booth for The Refugee Centre (TRC), an organization which aids refuge-seekers in Montreal, providing services such as job searches, housing, and health and wellness support. 

“What volunteers help with most is filling out the refugee claimant application; the first step into getting into the refugee claimant process,” Fraser-del-Carpio said.

Jeanne Marengère, U3 Arts and TRC volunteer, has helped refugee claimants with this crucial step, translating and typing out their stories into the application form. 

“It’s really cool because we get to hear people’s stories from all over the world who are just coming to Canada,” Marengère said. “Oftentimes their stories are really sad and emotional, but it’s also very gratifying to know that you have helped someone find safety in Canada.”

Between internships, clubs, and intramural sports teams, there are many ways that university students can become involved in communities beyond the bounds of the classroom. With all these opportunities to engage, what makes volunteering as a student special?

“A lot of the time McGill can be quite a bubble, that students have trouble stepping out of,” Radu said. “A lot of organizations in Montreal really want student involvement. A lot of people volunteering at these organizations are out of school and have been for a long time, so they want a fresh student perspective.”

Those who were unable to attend can find opportunities on MyInvolvement or check out the Volunteer Bureau of Montreal.

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