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Ask Ainsley, Student Life

Ask Ainsley: Finding your perfect summer internship

by The elusive Ainsley on

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Dear Ainsley,

I have been stressed out of my mind and completely flipping out trying to find an internship. It’s now the end of February, and I feel a low, dark hopelessness creeping in. My mind is a never-ending swirl of  “Have other people really applied to 50 internships already?” “Should I pick something directly related to my career plans?” “Is that even an option at this point?” “Am I lowering my chances if I’m looking for something outside of Montreal?” I wish everything was just in one place. Could you please help?    

Sincerely,

Freaking out over Internships (FOOI)   

Dear FOOI,

I’ve been in your shoes. You didn’t secure that stupidly-high-paying-CV-bedazzling bank internship the second the clock struck 12:00 on the new year, and now you’re stressing. I’m here to tell you not to count yourself out just yet—there are still so many options available. You don’t have to just take my word for it. I sat down with a couple of experts who assured us that it’s going to be okay. 

Connections

If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times: Network, network, network! But how do you actually go about establishing connections, and how do you call on them when the time comes? 

Career Planning Services (CaPS) Director Darlene Hnatchuk offered some insight into the best practices in an interview with The McGill Tribune. 

“I would cold contact people on LinkedIn,” Hnatchuk said. “I would maybe cold contact some smaller organizations having found a name to whom to send the application and what I would [think, is] do I have any kind of connection?” 

Establishing contacts can be as simple as finding an organization that you’re interested in, looking at their LinkedIn page, and seeing if you have any sort of connection to someone who works there. Maybe they’re a McGill alum or share similar interests. Just go for it and reach out. Hnatchuk explained that when people are in a position to help students, they almost always will.  

Use McGill Resources

Resources like the CaPS, MyFuture, and the Arts Internship Office (AIO) websites are great ways to find your perfect summer internship. 

Catriona Arnott, U2 Arts, participated in the Faculty of Arts Internships Mentorship Initiative (AMI), where she signed up as a mentee and was assigned a mentor who guided her through the internship search. Through talking to that mentor, Arnott learned about the funding awards available within the Faculty of Arts.

 “It’s very accessible, and they have a lot of awards to give out,” Arnott remarked, stressing those searching for internships to take a deep dive into the internship offices of their faculty and CaPS.  

Each faculty has its own specific internship office with specialized opportunities, and CaPS works with students from all faculties. Using these resources can open you up to a world of new opportunities, while advisors and mentors can point you in the direction of positions you may never have even thought of. 

Experience > Everything

One of the biggest concerns for many students is wondering how a future career, or even graduate school applications, might be negatively affected without “the perfect internship.” But Hnatchuk reassures students that there is no such thing. 

“There are different ways to be gaining experience. It doesn’t have to be, you know, exactly, directly aligned to what you want to be doing in the future,” Hnatchuk said. “We just need to be able to think about and reflect upon what are those skills, areas of knowledge [that my desired career requires] and figure out well if I didn’t get it here, maybe I can get it from someplace else.” 

If you work hard at whatever job you’re doing, you’ll be guaranteed to gain skills that’ll help you in your desired career down the road. Your “uncommon” experience might even make you a more attractive candidate.

So, there you have it, FOOI. This is by no means an exhaustive list of ways to find an internship or advice, but it is the truth: It’s not too late, there are still amazing opportunities out there, and you can do it. Good luck, and happy internship-shopping!

Basketball, Sports

Rising Stars: What does the future hold for Canadians in pro basketball?

by Zoé Mineret on

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On Feb. 17, the National Basketball Association (NBA)’s youngest and most promising players gathered to compete in the 2023 Jordan Rising Stars game in Salt Lake City, Utah. The competition is a three-game mini-tournament where four teams composed of NBA rookies, sophomores, and G-League players compete for the Rising Stars title. The Rising Stars competition marks the start of the All-Star 2023 weekend and shines a spotlight on the league’s brightest young talents. 

Three Canadians were selected to play in this year’s Rising Stars game: Montreal’s very own Bennedict Mathurin, along with Aurora, Ontario’s Andrew Nembhard, and Scarborough, Ontario’s Leonard Miller. With a pool of only 28 players, an invitation to compete in the game is both a tremendous honour and a notable recognition of a player’s potential and talent.

The presence of Canadian players in the Rising Stars game is  significant yet unsurprising. The 2022-23 season kicked off with a record-high 23 Canadians rostered on the NBA’s opening night. These numbers reflect both the recognition of Canadian talent south of the border, as well as the growth of the game within Canada.

With Canada slated in the 15th slot of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA)’s rankings, the uptick in Canadians playing at the professional level raises hopes for an increasingly competitive Team Canada at the international level. 

“The United States have dominated the NBA for so long, so it’s really fun seeing so many stars from different countries who can lead exciting national teams and grow the game,” Will Kennedy, U1 Arts, told The McGill Tribune. “All of the best Canadian players in the league right now are all fairly young and can hopefully play together on Team Canada for many years to come.”

Canadians’ growing presence in the NBA also reflects the enormous pool of talent that exists in the North. However, with the current lack of investment in Canadian youth basketball, many Canadians continue to head south of the border to train. Third-year Haris Elezovic, a forward on the McGill Redbirds’ basketball team, believes that in order to capitalize on Canada’s increasing level of talent, institutional measures to promote the game and allow players to develop in Canada are vital.

“People are starting to realize that there is actual, real talent in Canada,” Elezovic told the Tribune. “Now, I think it’s time that governments and educational institutions start to invest more in basketball as many rising stars went to the United States for college since they offer so much more than Canada [….] If we were to keep all the talent in Canada, it would be amazing for the country and the development of the sport and youth.”

Things seem to be trending in the right direction, with top prospects such as Elijah Fisher remaining in Canada for his high school career and the federal government announcing financial support for Basketball Canada in November 2022.  

Initiatives that work to promote basketball on a national level are equally beneficial to the women’s game as they are to the men’s. As of 2023, there are only three Canadians in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), a dearth that stems from many of the same growing pains men’s basketball experienced over the years. 

“Since most WNBA players come from the American College Division, Canadian high schoolers often are ignorant of the array of success they can reach,” WNBA fan Charlotte Riddell, U2 Arts, told the Tribune. “I believe the best way to ensure more Canadians join the WNBA is to push for awareness of the feasibility of a women’s basketball career and build Canadian programs that help young women reach the collegiate level.”

The potential of Canadian players is highlighted by their increased presence at the top levels of the sport—a presence both inspirational for future players and welcomed by Canadian fans. However, better sports programs and stronger incentives for players to train in Canada would help stimulate their international and national presence. The North has already proven that it harbours enormous talent; it now must implement the necessary infrastructures to nurture it.

McGill, News, SSMU

SSMU severs ties with for-profit company offering Grammarly and other services to students 

by Jasjot Grewal on

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The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) decided to end its partnership with the for-profit company Student Support during a Legislative Council meeting on Feb. 9. The partnership, which provided students with access to Grammarly, Calm, and Udemy, was a trial run for the academic year, costing students $9.99 per semester. 

The governing body debated the matter and ultimately decided to strike down a referendum question that would have allowed students to vote for an opt-outable fee renewal. As a result, Student Support informed students via email that the services will be unavailable as of Aug. 13, 2023. 

Matthew O’Boyle and Angelica Voutsinas, Arts representatives to SSMU, both voted against the referendum question. They explained that Student Support’s motion was struck down during the Council session because it was written by Ajamu Attard, the CEO of Student Support, instead of a McGill student. 

In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Voutsinas argued that the motion did not meet the standards of SSMU’s Consultation Policy, which mandates movers to demonstrate a clear engagement with a representative body of stakeholders, under section 6.4.

“I asked if [Attard] could speak to their consultations with the VP [vice-president] Finance, as that was the only consultation listed on the motion,” Voutsinas said. “They didn’t answer the question. They talked around it. Then, I asked the VP Finance the same question and he told me that he wasn’t really a consultant. He was just asked to review the motion and read it over.” 

Student Support disputes this version of events, claiming that Voutsinas “never asked [Attard] about consultations about the [VP] Finance.”  

Amelia Whitcomb, Science representative to SSMU, was concerned about the limited information available about how Student Support was using student fees. Whitcomb mentioned that SSMU provides members with an itemized list of how their fees are used.

“What can we say about Student Support, aside from ‘it’s to provide you these services?’” Whitcomb said in an interview with the Tribune. “Obviously, the money is also going somewhere else.”

In a follow-up email, Student Support provided the Tribune with a financial breakdown of their income and expenses, along with a projection of operation costs and profits if an opt-outable fee was introduced through SSMU. The company’s calculations estimate a loss of $67,036.39.

Whitcomb pointed to another red flag: Attard ran another for-profit student company in the past, called FundQi, which partnered with student unions at both Toronto Metropolitan University and Carleton University to help students find scholarships. According to the Ontario Business Registry, the FundQi Corporation, registered on Nov. 19, 2020, changed its name to the Student Support Corporation, but remains the same business. 

Mark Colley, a former news editor at The Charlatan, an independent student newspaper at Carleton, covered the FundQi controversy when the service was still available. The program was discontinued at Carleton when over 90 per cent of students voted to remove FundQi because of trouble with unequal scholarship distribution, late opt-out fee reimbursement, and a majority disapproval of the service’s fee being increased to $105 from an original $10.

“I don’t think we ever got specific numbers from FundQi about how many students were using the service,” Colley said in an interview with the Tribune. “Given the end result of the vote, it really seemed like not a lot of students were using it or finding it was worthwhile.”

An annual report compiled by FundQi for the 2020-2021 academic year stated that 2,143 students used the service.

While Whitcomb alleged that she was never informed of the company’s past by its founders, Student Support claimed in an email to the Tribune that they had discussed the past company with SSMU members during consultations. 

But some students are disappointed with the loss of helpful services. Antonina Nikolaev, U1 Arts, hopes that SSMU can continue to provide services such as Grammarly for students. 

“It’s unfortunate that we’re discontinuing our professional relationship with Student Support,” Nikolaev told the Tribune. “I hope that the SSMU is working on finding an alternative solution to provide these services for McGill students. Grammarly is such an important tool, especially for those who don’t have English as their first language.” 

Legislative councillors are currently exploring solutions to continue providing students with access to Grammarly, Udemy, and Calm. Whitcomb is working on a motion that would mandate SSMU to find equal alternatives to Student Support for students.

Article updated at 10:00 p.m. on Feb. 21, 2023.

McGill, News, SSMU

SSMU Grocery Program combats food insecurity at McGill

by Lauren Huff on

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In December 2022, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) ran a pilot version of its new Grocery Program, which aims to supply McGill students facing food insecurity with free, sustainably-sourced groceries once a semester. The pilot project was introduced as a trial run of the permanent Grocery Program, which SSMU hopes to fund through student fees.

“The pilot grocery program was implemented to determine and work through how a SSMU grocery program might operate, and to offer students some immediate relief while the long-term project is being developed,” SSMU President Risann Wright, who has championed the initiative, explained in an email to The McGill Tribune.

According to Wright, many students have asked for a program that would provide food for lower-income individuals on campus. 

“Other student unions in Quebec and across Canada have programs where they operate food banks, grocery voucher programs, or subsidized food pantries,” Wright wrote. “This is one contribution that the SSMU as an institution can make to the existing framework of support offered through the consistent work of student groups and services on campus.” 

Wright added that the pilot program ran smoothly and received positive feedback from both participants and volunteers. Additionally, the Dec. 12 and 13 registration event saw all 200 spots filled, indicating high demand for the program among McGill community members.

The Tribune was not given a definitive date for when the Grocery Program will recommence, as SSMU must acquire the funds to continue the program in the long term. Wright plans to introduce an opt-outable fee that students can vote on at the Winter 2023 referendum.

“Ultimately, if this question goes to students and it is passed, a long-term project can be funded,” Wright wrote. “The hope is that a long-term program would offer either staple groceries or grocery vouchers to students on a semesterly basis, with an eye to expansion as capacity allows.”  

At the Feb. 9 SSMU Legislative Council meeting, councillors formally adopted the SSMU Grocery Program Policy and approved a Winter 2023 referendum question that will ask students whether they are in favour of a $1 opt-outable fee that would fund the program through Winter 2028. The Grocery Program Policy outlines the semesterly initiative, reaffirms SSMU’s dedication to sustainability and equity, and clarifies that the program’s budget will be dependent on how many students choose to pay the fee if its creation is approved. 

Before the Grocery Program was introduced, Midnight Kitchen—a student-funded non-profit collective dedicated to combating food insecurity—was consulted to discuss operations such as the quantity of grocery vouchers and how to best distribute them. Midnight Kitchen runs a free lunch program that provides vegan, nut-free meals several Thursdays a month to students on campus. 

Food insecurity is a major problem at McGill, especially due to current inflation rates. According to an educational video on Midnight Kitchen’s Instagram, approximately 60 per cent of students experienced food insecurity in Fall 2021. 

“More and more students are forced to choose less nutritionally dense meals, which in turn affects their academic success,” wrote a representative from Midnight Kitchen in an email to the //Tribune//. “The options for free, healthy, and culturally appropriate food on campus are slim to none. Having this program give[s] students more money to buy their meals or groceries, [and] will help alleviate some of the effects of food insecurity on campus.”

One former McGill student, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Tribune that they believe initiatives towards fighting hunger on campus are vital resources. 

“Midnight Kitchen and their food pantries were lifesavers when I was a food insecure, single mom PhD student,” they said. “No McGill student should be food insecure.”

Off the Board, Opinion

The sound of silence

by Drea Garcia Avila on

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Velvet and corduroy, tags on turtlenecks, a gaze sustained solely by counting. An unusually large fraction of my life is spent perceiving more sensory information than the average person or, perhaps, in the typical amount of time for a neurodivergent person.

I thought everyone experienced life uncomfortably—I froze when hugged by friends back in kindergarten, flinched as my hand was grabbed to cross the street, went limp-tongued in the presence of certain food textures. This was the way of the world, I was sure.

You’re forced to adjust and build up tolerance. Surely everyone’s attempting to act like ‘normal’ people. You learn what’s deemed an ‘appropriate’ reaction to hugs: Right arm comes up, the other around—hold for three and push off. Picture your free hand in a tightly wound fist. Change the way you eat lunch.

Suddenly, you’re older, and the fluorescent glare of lights makes you queasy; you bring sunglasses indoors. Another dismal discovery of a texture that makes your skin shrivel—you wear gloves. Ceaseless creaking of grocery store carts, you increase the volume in your insulated headphones, even if it means others can’t approach, something you even thought advantageous.

Through years of observation, you determine that isolation equates to safety, so you comply with society’s fine print.

Our modern society was machine-cut for neurotypicals. There’s a theory that neurodivergent people have higher perceptual capacity, ceaselessly processing the flooding multisensory information most neurotypicals can ignore—a difficult strength to bear.

A higher likelihood for perfect pitch, but the echoing of whispered conversations around you make the prof’s words elude you. You learn your friends’ mannerisms, eye movements, and clothing adjustments—but the topic of conversation evades you. 

Your loved ones have adjusted too.

I try to recall a single moment I haven’t felt this way, and the transient moment that I picture is when a friend and I went on a trip to British Columbia during the summer of ‘22. Two soon-to-be 19-year-olds on their first solo trip across the country, with only the other to read the map and switch between our intentionally curated playlists. Upon reflection, what comes to mind first is not the rhythmic, metronomic beating of the waves against the salty Pacific Northwest coast nor the rustling of leaves against wet forest wood.

Rather, upon an arduous ascent to Mount Whistler’s summit, distanced from commercialized gift shops and noisy ski lifts, the morning view we hiked for was marred by the clouding of the far-off mountains, our blue skies shrouded by deep grey. I sat on the highest rock and cried, and asked my friend if she could hear the silence. I’d never felt such serenity.

Neurodivergent people are more likely to have ‘increased auditory sensitivity.’ Whether it be the most faintly detectable buzz of electricity taunting you through the walls, droning cars grudging through the city, or an unintelligible mix of anxious midnight thoughts, I realized my life could be summarized by an endless sensory assault, such that I thought isolation would soothe the ache of the plight. Your skin can’t crawl if no one’s there to touch it; the lights and harsh noises can’t reach you this way.

But interactions were made softer, more bearable, through a different medium: Care, patience, and accommodation. My friend’s harmonic laughter and off-tune singing, summer heat fraternizing with the open window’s wind chill as we drove 100 kilometres to the next closest city to our campsite. And the prominent space between bodies on the couch, their presence warming you like a cherished childhood blanket, saying: “Are you comfortable? I’m here, tell me when. If I could never hold you, it would still be enough.”

At the summit of silence, separated from the neurotypical society of modern-this and fast-paced that, in the great outdoors we bled, sweat, and stood watch as the other wept. After soon-to-be-19 years, Peace found me and told me her real name was “Away,” and that I’d mistaken it for “Alone.”

Sports

To all the sports I’ve loved before

by Jenna Payette, Drea Garcia, Emma Hawko, Alex Pantis, Loi Doung on

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Jenna Payette: Field Hockey  

When I was little, my parents put my brothers and me in every single sport they could find. From ice rinks to soccer fields, I was able to find myself a home wherever I was comfortable, driven, and resilient.

Playing competitive ice hockey with boys, I quickly grew a thick skin and learned how to pave my own road to success. Playing soccer, I learned the importance of a group effort and how rewarding it is. From the techniques I sharpened in practice, to life-long lessons that can’t be taught in a classroom, I am eternally grateful for what sports have given me.

Then, when I least expected it, I found something new: Field hockey. A beautiful mélange of my two favourite sports with a weird stick and some unusual rules. But with the arsenal of skills I obtained from a childhood filled with sport, it came easily to me. And, now I can say I am a varsity athlete because of it. Field hockey, finding me only three years ago, is not only special, but rare. Sports never cease to amaze me. It reminds me that you never quite know how your future will unfold, but consistent patience, hard work, and self-determination will never lead you astray.

Drea Garcia: Climbing 

Dear Climbing, 

It’s hard to believe we’ve known each other for so little time. When we first met, my hands shook and my heart pounded. I honestly thought I might die—some might call these butterflies. You followed me like a ghost; a dream of my childhood that I never thought achievable. Ever-present, completely unattainable. I was terrified to hold you, so for years I watched, sat on the sidelines as others found you, guiding them to places I longed to discover.

Then we met through a mutual friend, and I know this sounds dramatic and unnecessary, but I never thought you’d change me so.

You taught me the significance of devotion, persevering through difficulty, and even more so when it felt impossible, showing up when I didn’t want to. This made its way into all other aspects of my life: School, relationships, my outlook on living. You lent me a community, an entourage of encouragement when I just wanted to let go and give up. Now, I can let go and accept things as they are.

You’ve shown me that progress is not only visible, but tangible; not day-by-day, but looking back and realizing you’re where you never dreamed you could be, or in this case, climbing grades once too intimidating to even glance at.

Now I try things for fun and I do things for me. Thank you for the rush after the fear; fulfillment after frustration; scraped shins and calloused wounds. You remind me of the value of being human. 

I always knew it was you. I can’t wait to grow old with you.

Drea

Emma Hawko: Sailing 

Dear Sailing, 

No one and nothing makes me feel free the way you do. The spray of the water is fireworks on my skin; the wind in my hair is electric. You have held my hand from childhood to adulthood. You know me in a way no one ever has and nobody ever will. I am always able to trust that you will make the hard parts of life easier, and the easy parts exhilarating. 

You punish me in ways that excite my soul, mind, and body, with just enough tenderness to leave me wanting more. Your sweet caress of the boom swinging across the boat and into my head leaves me breathless and dizzy. The tug of the ropes wrapped in my hands on a windy day burns and thrills me. 

You are my sun, my moon, my everything. I live for you, I breathe for you, I love you. Sailing, you are my world, and nothing will ever break us apart. 

Yours for all eternity, 

A sailor

Alex Pantis: Rugby 

I often question why I continue to play rugby. I question why I subject myself to the broken noses, the weekly separated shoulders, the shin splints, and all the other bumps that come along with playing. At some point in nearly every game—or at least a few times during every fitness session—I want to quit. Sometimes, I think about hanging my boots up forever. But I always, always come back. 

Rugby is a different kind of sport. A sport that demands extreme amounts of toughness, grit, and truly requires a team to work as one. It necessitates gruelling practices, months of pain, and sleepless nights but, when all is said and done, it builds unique bonds with your teammates, coaches, staff, and opponents. 

I love rugby for that. I love rugby for the achy knees and the pops in my shoulder. I love rugby for introducing me to people I love, for allowing me to grow closer to people I already loved, and for providing me the opportunity to connect with people from all around the globe. I love rugby for privileging me to wear the crest of at least 10 different clubs across 17 different cities. Hell, I’m currently writing this in Mexico, at the kitchen table of a teammate of mine who has let me stay at his house for the past three weeks. I love rugby for showing me that a sport is played between lines and that outside of them, you can love your rivals. But most of all, I love rugby for giving me nearly everything I have. I’ve grown into the person I am because of rugby. It has always been there, through every up and down in my life. 

I have a special kind of love for McGill rugby. I love the coaches for the tireless support they give, I love the athletic therapists and medical staff for attempting the impossible task of keeping us all healthy, I love McGill Athletics for allowing us to be us, and most of all, I love all the people who have left the program in a better place. This program is special. One that I’ve been so honoured to have been a part of for the past seven years and one that I look forward to being a part of, in some capacity, forever. Words can’t describe how much love I have for this program and what it has become.

That’s why I will never leave rugby. I never want to stop feeling the pregame anxiety or the feeling of opening a can of beer after 80 minutes of work. I will always crave that feeling of being completely drained, the feeling that only rugby can make you feel. I will always give rugby everything I can, because it has given everything it can to me. Thank you rugby, thank you McGill rugby, I love you.

Loi Duong: Climbing

Climbing is a totally unique sport. It meets you where you are. In its infinite possibilities, anybody can find their own way up a boulder problem or sport route, using the physical and mental tools that they already have. This is one of the reasons why I fell in love with climbing. No matter where you stand vis-à-vis sports, climbing provides a deep and rewarding physical and mental challenge. 

Climbing grips my heart because, if you pay close enough attention, it has a sense of philosophical weight. The way I approach climbing reflects my current beliefs, allowing me to be more true to myself. Instead of trying to climb (or be) like anyone else, I lean into my personal superpowers, accepting that I am a unique athlete—a unique individual. 

Finally, climbing has allowed me to meet the greatest of friends. I cannot imagine my life without them. There seems to be a special bond that climbing cultivates and it is truly a magical thing.

Arts & Entertainment, Music, Theatre

‘La Flambeau’: The torchbearer of Montréal’s Black art scene

by Iman Brown on

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Content Warning: Mentions of sexual assault

Are you looking for a way to celebrate Black History Month? Do you enjoy opera? How about living something that feels like a fever dream? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, look no further than Montreal’s very own production of La Flambeau by the Orchestre classique de Montreal (OCM).

La Flambeau, the magnum opus of composer David Bontemps and librettist Faubert Bolivar, celebrates traditional Afro-Haitian music, lore, and spirituality. The opera is rife with power imbalances, monologues dripping with raw emotion, and abuses most abominable in nature. Bontemps honours Black History Month with an all-Black cast and production team to bring Black artists and performers to the forefront. 

Through their conception of La Flambeau, Bontemps and Bolivar pay homage to their Afro-Creole heritage. The musical score expertly weaves classical Western opera with Haitian percussion, pentatonic and whole-tone scales, and blues notes. Reaching beyond the confines that characterize European opera, Bontemps’ decision to include Afro-Creole themes politically counters what opera can and should be. The composite of styles celebrates Haiti’s spiritual roots in West Africa while inadvertently reckoning with its devastating colonial history with France. 

The set only consists of a chaise longue, a podium, a small bookshelf, and a raised platform. Despite its modesty, the pieces complemented each other beautifully and never stole the audience’s attention away from the actors. Instead, the demure set highlighted the stars’ performances, allowing them to move naturally about the stage with a minimalist authenticity that many performances often lack.

The venue is part of Berri-UQAM’s campus, and does not lack  incredible staff. The refreshment service, venue staff, and organizational team were kind, communicative, and considerate beyond measure, taking great care to ensure that all spectators were well-treated and comfortable. 

Introduced first is Monsieur (Paul Williamson, tenor), a corrupt statesman and cruel husband. Monsieur laments the mental instability of his wife, Madame (Catherine Daniel, mezzo-soprano), who relays her restless night after being visited by a vision of her long-dead uncle. Finding his wife’s behaviour disconcerting, Monsieur returns to his political scheming. Mademoiselle (Suzanne Taffot, soprano), their maid, enters stage right and begins to pine for her lost ring, revealed to have belonged to the spirit Loa Papa Ogou, also known as L’Homme (Brandon Coleman, baritone bass). Monsieur consoles her and in a fit of vile lust, assaults her.

Few things could have prepared me for this scene. Despite the story being fictional, I felt a tug of nausea in my gut and a tightness in my throat. Mademoiselle staggers, crumpling to her knees, and collapses into her grief. Taffot’s voice, sharp and clear as glass, cuts straight through to the audience like a blast of cold wind. Mademoiselle’s grief hangs pregnant in the air and swells with each word.

Monsieur falls asleep and enters a dream realm where he encounters the Loa, Ogou, who condemns him for his many crimes. Madame holds Mademoiselle’s head in her lap and shares the horrific abuses she experienced living with Monsieur. The opera concludes with the two women, both victims of Monsieur, sharing a moment of compassion and tenderness in such a bleak story.  

Williamson’s depiction of the lecherous, lout Monsieur was so convincing that it proved difficult not to hate him. By contrast, Taffot’s sweet demeanour onstage was the picture of innocence. Daniel carried herself with a dignified grandeur, while Coleman’s voice can only be described as both decadent and profound.

La Flambeau is a story of love, compassion, justice, retribution, and resilience. By testing the possibility of Black feminist solidarity to overcome violence, the opera provides the audience with a much-needed dose of women supporting women through Madame’s warmth and generosity toward Mademoiselle. Even with its distance from reality and displays of human cruelty, one cannot help but feel a closeness and intimacy with the characters while bearing witness. 

‘La Flambeau’ premiered in Montreal on Feb. 7, 2023 at Salle Pierre-Mercure and will be touring Hamilton, Ontario next.

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that this production was put on by the National Academy Orchestra Chamber Players. In fact, it was put on by the Orchestre classique de Montreal. The Tribune regrets this error.

Editorial, Opinion

Representation, not impersonation

by The McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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On Feb. 7, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond returned her honorary degree from Royal Roads University. This is the second honorary degree she has returned—one of 11 she received, including from McGill—after an investigation late last year by the CBC called her claims of Indigenous identity into question. The Canadian lawyer and advocate was widely considered a preeminent scholar on Indigenous issues in Canada and secured many prominent positions, such as the University of British Columbia’s academic director of the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre, under this guise. Her actions, however, illustrate only the most visible failure to create spaces for Indigenous people and knowledge in Canadian academia. 

Turpel-Lafond was appointed to roles created for Indigenous people, effectively stealing limited space available for Indigenous women in positions of power. Her actions unjustly call into question Indigenous identity for all white-passing Indigenous people, which is something Indigenous people must constantly fight to claim due to centuries of colonial erasure through legislation such as the Indian Act. Every day that McGill chooses not to revoke the degree, the institution condones her lies and the harm they have caused. McGill must get ahead of Turpel-Lafond and immediately revoke her degree before she can return it and present herself as a white saviour.

Although her actions are unconscionable, they open the floor to long-overdue commentary on  the exclusion and erasure of Indigenous peoples in prominent institutions such as McGill. Meaningful representation necessitates the inclusion of Indigenous voices beyond just hiring one or two Indigenous professors. It means creating a system where there are no barriers in place to prevent Indigenous peoples from thriving, practicing their cultures, and speaking their minds without fear of retribution. 

McGill claims to value Indigenous voices. However, there are merely a handful of Indigenous lecturers, along with only around 150 students, or approximately 0.4 per cent of the student body, who identify as First Nations, Inuit, or Métis at McGill. It is easy to fulfill equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) requirements when it seems that McGill is satisfied with having one or no Indigenous professors in a department. Yet, this is only the most visible failure in creating proper representation in academia. Indigenous professors are compelled to work within a Eurocentric framework which only prioritizes Western considerations of academia, such as publication count, and stifles Indigenous knowledge systems. Ignorant white professors continue to teach Indigenous topics at the university, often with a colonial gaze.. 

Part of the issue is the unreasonable barriers to entry for Indigenous people into academia. Along with the already brutal publish-or-perish requirements in place for academics, Indigenous people, and especially Indigenous women, must contend with systemic barriers to education, lower-than-average incomes, and systemic and institutionalized violence. The ongoing genocide of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, along with police who are either indifferent or participatory, is a striking example. Once inside academic institutions, Indigenous topics are seen as “unacademic” or not worth the department’s time. Racialized people at the university continue to contend with James McGill, a slaveholder of Black and Indigenous people, being glorified and memorialized as the namesake of the university. 

The structure of academia itself must change. The existing barriers to education at all levels for Indigenous students must be recognized by the university, which should adjust its admissions criteria accordingly. Instead of just hiring the professors who publish the most, real-world experience and traditional Indigenous ways of knowing must be seen as academic and valuable. McGill actively sustains an environment of systemic racism, showing that racialized professors are unwelcome and excluded by the administration. To combat this, the university must implement policies that empower and uplift Indigenous voices, such as instituting mandatory EDI training for all professors, having more than just a token number of Indigenous and Black professors, and ensuring that Indigenous subjects and knowledges receive the academic respect they deserve.    

The response to Turpel-Lafond’s disgraceful impersonation of Indigenous identity should not be to question all claims of Indigeneity; rather, it should be an opportunity for institutions across Canada to implement changes and create true representation across all levels—from staff to students.

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

‘Infinity Pool’ is a dystopian assemblage of sex, gore, and psychedelics

by Sofia Stankovic on

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Spoilers ahead for Infinity Pool.

Will elite travellers ever receive justice? Infinity Pool, Brandon Cronenberg’s terrifying satire on the hedonistic exploits of wealthy tourists might have the answer. By commenting on the Western gentrification of developing countries and the class disparities within the justice system, Cronenberg pairs science fiction with body horror, leaving viewers deeply unsettled by its uncensored brutality. While the sex and gore are overwhelming, these elements are essential—even if overdone by the conclusion—in accurately conveying the atrocities committed by the wealthy tourists to the audience. Horrifying and thrilling, Infinity Pool’s impressive cast and heady screenplay make for an undoubtedly compelling experience.

The film begins with married couple James (Alexander Skarsgård) and Em Foster (Cleopatra Coleman), who are vacationing in the fictional country of La Tolqa so the former can find inspiration for his second novel. After James meets beautiful fan Gabi (Mia Goth), he and Em accompany Gabi and her husband Alban (Jalil Lespert) for dinner and a trip to the beach the following day. But inadvertently committing a fatal crime while intoxicated, James is sentenced with the death penalty. However, La Tolqa’s justice system allows wealthy offenders to avoid this fate by paying to have a clone of themselves take their place. James ends up joining Gabi and Alban’s group of wealthy tourists and chaos ensues as the group continues to commit crimes and clone themselves to get off scot-free. While James is initially enamoured by the sex, drugs, and excitement of this depraved trip, he begins to doubt his morality. When Gabi’s group prevents him from leaving, James wakes up to the morbid truth of their indulgence only as he’s trapped in their unrelenting mania.

Infinity Pool uses an exaggerated metaphor to critique the wealthy’s ability to bypass the law and avoid repercussions. Despite his amnesty from the death penalty initially seeming like freedom without consequences, James soon learns that the ordeal may cost him his humanity. Since James married rich rather than coming from money, there is something innately different about him. The film implies that other affluent tourists who have always lived lavishly do not have this same moral quandary, as they only become more entranced with their lifestyle after each cloning. Throughout the movie, Gabi’s group wears masks with contorted faces to disguise themselves while they commit crimes. This suggests the true unseemly nature of the group: The masks disguise their misdeeds, while they are able to live normal, privileged lives once they’re removed. 

Skarsgård does a fantastic job embodying not only James but several of his clones. The film raises the question of what it truly means to be human, and Skarsgård is the symbol of this conundrum as he struggles with his identity after cloning himself several times, and even brutalizing these versions of himself. Mia Goth—who gained recognition in the horror films X and Pearl—cements herself further as the scream queen of recent cinema, elevating the film’s creepiness to another level. Gabi is immediately recognizable as a character who is not all that she seems, and her capacity for intrigue elevates the suspense.

Cronenberg’s screenplay is profoundly unique, and its fast-paced plot combined with complex characters keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. While cloning has been heavily explored in sci-fi, Infinity Pool avoids predictability by basing its horror around human overindulgence, with the clones only facilitating characters’ debauched exploits. The cinematography meticulously captures both the most indulgent and terrifying aspects, effectively intertwining sex scenes with the visual effects of hallucinogenic drugs, all edited together with pieces of gore. At a certain point in the film, however, the explicit scenes become excessive in number and take away from the rest of the plot. 

Infinity Pool questions how elite privilege exacerbates the class disparity in developing countries through relentless hedonism. Similar to other recent on-screen explorations about the upper class, such as White Lotus or Triangle of Sadness, the movie comments on the dangers of unbridled indulgence. A stellar entry into the body horror genre, this film stands out with its eccentric characters and distinctive plot.

Infinity Pool is now playing in theatres.

Ask a Scientist, Science & Technology

A PhD in love? Relationship advice from McGill psychologists

by Ella Paulin on

More in Ask a Scientist:

Valentine’s Day may be about celebrating love, but it’s also a chance to celebrate the science that helps us understand love and other intimate interpersonal relationships. The McGill Tribune spoke to Catalina Enestrom, a graduate student working at McGill’s Lydon Lab, about the latest research on the psychology of relationships.

Assessing personality is tricky

We all know that first impressions matter, so how do you make a good one? And on the flip side, how do you know if you are judging somebody else accurately? To answer questions like these, researchers at the Lydon Lab conduct speed-dating studies, where participants are asked to rate others on a variety of factors such as attractiveness and personality.

In an article published in the European Journal of Personality, researchers found that participants positively rated the personalities of people they found more attractive. The results also showed that if someone was rated as less attractive on average but as more attractive by an individual, then the individual who found the person attractive was actually worse at accurately assessing their personality. 

The authors hypothesized that perhaps those judged as less attractive by the group were harder to ‘read’ personality-wise. If this were true, it would mean that even though the person who found them more attractive was paying close attention, they still weren’t able to form an accurate opinion.

Are you a good judge of how others see you? 

I don’t know about you, but this speeding-dating study makes me wonder: Am I good at gauging how other people perceive my personality? Thinking about what other people think of you is called meta-perception, and it’s an important aspect of our social behaviour. 

“So for example, I might be thinking right now like, do you see me as someone who is intelligent? Do you see me as warm?” Enestrom said in an interview with the Tribune. 

Being accurate about these perceptions helps you “course-correct” if necessary. 

“If I see that maybe you’re finding me a bit rude or off-putting, or like maybe I am talking too fast, […] then because of that I can make adjustments to it,” Enestrom said. 

In an article published in The Journal of Psychology, Lydon Lab researchers found that the accuracy of partners’ meta-perceptions do in fact correlate with their relationship’s well-being, especially regarding emotional and personal connections. 

Shared beliefs can act as anchors in stressful situations 

Meta-perceptions hint at another important aspect of interpersonal relationships: The differences and similarities between partners’ beliefs. The overlaps are referred to as shared reality. 

“It can be something as simple as the sort of small things that make up shared reality, like, ‘I saw this movie, and I saw it in the same way,’” Enestrom explained. “But it can be bigger things like ‘I see my work environment in the same way’.”

Having a sense of shared reality strengthens a relationship for many reasons, including making people confident in their experiences and fostering a sense of belonging. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Enestrom looked specifically at health-care workers who had non-health-care partners, and examined what effects shared reality had on their experiences. She followed couples through both the first and second waves of the pandemic, when they were experiencing unprecedented levels of instability and uncertainty, both in their jobs and their lives. 

“What we explored specifically in that paper [is] how does shared reality actually benefit the relationship despite having all this stress in this big, uncertain, unprecedented context,” Enestrom said. “One of the things that we really found was that perceived support stems from shared reality.” 

In a stressful situation like a pandemic, this shared reality and the resulting sense of support and stability was likely critical for health-care workers. 

Another stressful situation, for some couples at least, is Valentine’s Day itself. Enestrom sees a potential for different views of the holiday to fracture a couple’s sense of shared reality.

“One partner might be like, ‘Oh, this is just like a capitalist [construct], they’re just trying to make us spend all this money, it’s consumerist, et cetera,’” said Enestrom, “whereas another partner might see Valentine’s Day as […] a way to show that you care.”

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