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Commentary, Opinion

McGill needs a complete summer term

by Kareem Abuali on

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Registration for the summer term at McGill is set to open in a few weeks. As it stands, McGill students can only take two courses per summer session, or 12 total credits, over the four summer months, and are usually provided with relatively few class options. 

This system, however, is based on outdated academic norms that do not adequately meet student needs. Providing a complete, well-rounded summer semester would enable greater flexibility for students and researchers in their academic careers and would make more efficient use of university facilities and resources. 

The McGill administration has already hinted at making the transition toward having a full summer term. The Working Group on New Programs of Academic Program Delivery, a sub-committee of the Provost’s Office, indicated that the current academic calendar might not be the best way to further integrate online learning and accommodate the university’s credit system, programs, and activities. The working group’s final plan was set to be submitted to the Provost and Vice Principal (Academic) by the end of last semester, but the student community has yet to receive any updates. 

In North America, the emphasis on long summer breaks is part of an outdated yet culturally significant system from over 200 years ago. Schools and universities saw higher rates of truancy over the summer when air conditioners hadn’t yet been invented and seasonal epidemics were prevalent. Additionally, school calendars were initially shaped by the needs of rural and agrarian communities where the help of children was necessary for harvesting. Since then, the summer vacation has established itself as a cultural staple of North American family life and an essential component of the consumer economy. Naturally, to students in today’s context, the structure of the academic calendar may seem quite arbitrary.

A three-semester academic calendar would integrate a complete new summer term that offers the same course load and range as the Fall and Winter semesters. The 120-credit requirement often forces students to compromise on courses of interest to finish their degrees on time. Further, a shortage of learning spaces on campus suggests that McGill’s infrastructural capacity is not meeting the needs of its undergraduate students. A three-semester system would accommodate a greater number of students by spreading full-time student enrollment throughout the year that would help create more space—without compromising on matters of class size and quality. This could allow for more efficient use of university infrastructure as it ensures the continuous presence of students and lecturers on campus. Additionally, a full summer semester would afford students greater flexibility with work-study programs, seasonal work, and internships offered during the winter months. 

Faculty guidelines assert an expectation that professors dedicate at least 50 per cent of their work time to research-related activities. This makes it more difficult for professors to teach during the summer, with graduate students stepping in to provide teaching relief for such positions. Student concerns suggest that while the current system provides more opportunities for graduate funding, it demands a lot from inexperienced teachers approaching intensive courses in an increasingly remote pedagogical environment. These policies may be responsible for substandard instruction quality and shortages of qualified teachers for McGill’s summer terms. If the university plans to seriously rethink its strategic development, it must address the parameters that prioritize its research outputs and limit the course load of faculty members.

McGill’s current academic calendar, therefore, does not accommodate the needs of its students. The university must seriously consider instituting a complete summer semester to provide both students and faculty with greater flexibility. The pandemic has forced our education systems to undergo a transformation. As we adjust to a post-pandemic world, McGill’s gears are slowly grinding to a halt, and we mustn’t let the momentum of positive change in methods of academic delivery die out.

Arts & Entertainment, Pop Rhetoric

Celebrating Black Hollywood—even if the Oscars won’t 

by Simi Ogunsola on

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Ryan Coogler. Viola Davis. Keke Palmer. This sounds like the line-up for the next tear-jerking, mind-bending, oh-she’s-acting-acting film, right? Unfortunately, not. It’s a small—and I mean SMALL—portion of the list of Black actors left out of this year’s Oscar nominations and ensuing celebration. Maybe you’ll remember the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite, which blew up in 2015—well, in typical Hollywood fashion, nearly 10 years later, we’re back for a (disappointing) sequel. 

Out of their nearly 100 years of running, this is the 83rd time that there are no Black actors being featured in best actor nominations. There are no women directors at all—and no Black women directors have ever been—nominated in the director’s category. The Woman King, Till, and Nope all grossed millions of dollars at the box office and boast Rotten Tomatoes scores above 80 per cent; yet, none of them garnered a single nomination. 

As I clicked through article after article about Oscar nominations, my heart was dropping. Each one gave a different angle on why Black artists were being shut out of the Academy Awards this season. Some people were mad, railing that even after the awareness spread in 2015 and inclusionary efforts made by award institutions, nothing had really changed. Some people were more jaded, explaining that studios were simply out to do whatever would make them the most money. My mood sank deeper and deeper until I came across an article in the LA Times. The author, Shawn Edwards, argued that yes, so many awards shows and awards institutions ignore Black talent, but there are so many smaller organizations that uplift it.

During this year’s Black History Month, the idea of making this a time to celebrate Black achievement and experiences through Black Joy Month has gained popularity. In that spirit, this isn’t an article lamenting the lack of appropriate recognition for Black artists in Hollywood––this is one that celebrates the institutions that uplift them. Supporting those ones, bringing attention and renown to them is a way to make Black voices heard, Black performances celebrated, and Black experiences told. Don’t let your appreciation end with these awards ceremonies listed here—there are so many more rejoicing in Black talent on-screen.

Toronto Black Film Festival 

In their own words, “the Toronto Black Film Festival is about discovery.” The annual festival occurs every February and seeks to create a space for people to debate cultural, social, and socio-economic topics specific to Black Canadians. The festival hosts a mixture of live musical performances, film screenings, talks from industry professionals, and networking events. They celebrate a milestone anniversary this year—10 years of celebrating diversity within Black communities. It was just a decade ago that this festival was created by its sister festival that happens right here in Montreal.

Montreal International Black Film Festival 

Starting in 2005, the festival sought to showcase Black cinema and bring light to the types of movies often ignored by the mainstream media. Nearly 20 years later, after having welcomed thousands of guests, received international media coverage, and shown films from over 50 countries, the Montreal International Black Film Festival (MIBFF) is still going strong. This festival’s activities aren’t restricted to any one week; they put on workshops, film screenings, debates, and round tables all year round. The MIBFF also maintains a serious commitment to discovering and fostering new talent while seeking to develop the independent film industry in Montreal and across Canada. 

NAACP Image Awards

Finally, coming in a little more prominent than the previous two, are the NAACP Image Awards. Founded in 1967 as a response to Hollywood’s exclusion of Black talent, the awards show was created by the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People (NAACP) in the United States. Today, the show boasts over 40 different categories, with awards across television, film, music, and literature. The event is broadcast live annually on Fox Network, with this year’s ceremony airing on Feb. 25.  

While there is a lot to be desired with acknowledging Black talent in Hollywood, there is also reason for cheer. And who knows? If the focus shifts to institutions that are praising Black talent—and they are praised loudly and proudly—other awards institutions might have no option but to join in and celebrate it, too. 


The 2023 Toronto Black Film Festival will run from Feb. 15-20. The 2022 Montreal International Black Film Festival ran from Sept. 20-25.

Editorial, Opinion

Targeting Elghawaby is a bigoted political play

by The McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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On Jan. 26, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed Amira Elghawaby as the country’s first federal representative on combating Islamophobia. Within mere days of her appointment, various politicians and Members of Parliament began calling for the resignation of the Canadian journalist, communications professional, and human rights activist. 

Elghawaby was accused of promoting “anti-Quebec sentiment” for a column she co-authored in 2019 in which she argued that Quebec supporters of Bill 21 are swayed by Islamophobia. Calls for her resignation came less than a day after Elghawaby gathered with politicians and relatives of victims to mark the anniversary of the 2017 Quebec City mosque attack, an event that Legault chose not to attend. Conservative and Quebec nationalist political leadership have resorted to bullying Elghawaby because they are threatened by the position she occupies in the federal government. 

Leaders of the Conservative Party of Canada, Bloc Québécois, and Legault’s Coalition Avenir Québec targeted Elghawaby for daring to criticize the racism ingrained in Quebec society. Enacted in 2019, Bill 21 bans public servants from wearing religious symbols, such as hijabs, while working. Elghawaby wrote that the “majority of Quebecers appeared to be swayed not by the rule of law, but by anti-Muslim sentiment,” as supported by a survey showing that deeply-rooted Islamophobia was the primary motivator behind support of the bill. The Léger poll found that of those who had negative feelings about Islam, approximately 88 per cent supported a ban on public school teachers wearing religious garments. Elghawaby also rightfully argued that legislation such as Bill 21 has served as a means of justifying and institutionalizing bigotry. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of police-reported anti-Muslim hate crimes in Canada increased by 71 per cent, making Elghawaby’s concerns just as relevant at the onset of the legislation as they are now. 

Backlash against Elghawaby’s appointment demonstrates the ulterior political interests of opposition leadership in establishing party solidarity and rallying voter support. Members of the Conservative Party, including its leader, Pierre Poilievre, have even publicly opposed Bill 21 and argued that it infringes on people’s freedom. This suggests that their opposition to Elghawaby is primarily a play to appeal to Quebec voters. The bill is cloaked in rhetoric pandering to nationalistic anti-immigrant Quebecers, and criticism of Elghawaby is being instrumentalized to win the favour of this voter base. 

Legault manipulated Elghawaby’s comments, framing them as motivated by contempt towards the province, in order to champion Quebec nationalism. After a meeting with Elghawaby on Feb. 1, during which she apologized for her comments, Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet rejected her apology and called for the removal of the position entirely. The refusal to acknowledge the growing Islamophobic sentiment across Canada, as well as the need for a representative dedicated to fighting it, demonstrates Canadian politicians’ weaponized ignorance. The immediate outrage suggests that it is not just Elghawaby that Quebec politicians are virulently against, but rather the new federal position itself.

Akin to the targeting of Elghawaby, on Feb. 2, Representative Ilhan Omar was ousted from the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Republican-led House for comments critiquing the United States’ support of Israel. This follows a slew of Islamophobic remarks from other congresspeople. The congresswoman was the first member of the U.S. Congress to wear a hijab, which was forbidden until her appointment. In 2021, Omar introduced and passed a bill that would establish a special envoy to combat international Islamophobia. Both Elghawaby and Omar are trailblazing Muslim women of colour and embody targeted minorities within their respective political institutions. The backlash they have each faced are racist attacks by right-wing leadership that feels entitled to define Islamophobia without ever seeking to dismantle it. 

The response to Elghawaby’s appointment demonstrates Quebec’s dominant political ideology of exclusion and nationalism. Calls for Elghawaby’s resignation must end, and Quebec residents must pressure the province’s current political leadership to support her—not demonize her.

Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

‘Hair’ transports McGill to a night of drug-fuelled, nonsensical fun

by Amalia Mairet on

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Hair is a famously controversial musical. Delving into the hippie counterculture movement of the 1960s, the show covers antiwar tensions in the U.S., draft dodging, the sexual revolution, and pretty much every drug in the book. Now, this raunchy production has been brought to life in Moyse Hall by a cast and crew from across the Montreal community, including many Concordia students and McGill alumni. 

The show follows a group of New York hippies protesting conscription to the Vietnam War. Observations of the free love movement drive the rock musical’s storyline. Nearly plotless, the show tracks the bizarre, complex relationships between characters navigating this cultural moment. 

The performance opens with perhaps my favourite number, the famous “Age of Aquarius,” with stunning lead vocals by Ronny (Sarah Rodricks). The audience is then shockingly, unceremoniously transported into the world of Hair by Berger (Julien DaSilva). He traipses around the stage, performs a musical number, and moons the audience at several points, sporting a criminally saggy pair of underwear emblazoned with the phrase “Make Love Not War.” DaSilva’s uninhibited, manic energy drives the show. His counterpart, Claude (Milo Chaveau), represents another side of the hippie movement and imbues the performance with his character’s pensive coolness. 

Davis Dewan, U1 Arts, gives a spectacular performance as the starry-eyed political activist Sheila, with several memorable vocal interludes. Riley Wilson plays a hilarious, Phoebe Buffay–esque Jeanie; she is massively pregnant with the child of an unnamed “speed freak,” and deeply enamoured with Claude for the entirety of the production. Sean Ryan portrays a very lively and eccentric Woof, who frequently professes a profound and celestial love for Mick Jagger.

Other standout performances include Éléonore Crépin and Duncan Bain as Claude’s uptight parents. And let’s not forget Noa Irene, who plays Margaret Mead, the tourist whose earnest, playful performance and incredible high notes brought the audience to instant applause.

The show’s costuming is one of its greatest triumphs, with design by Myriam Olivier and Sienna Edwards, both U3 Arts. Each character is barefoot, decked in gorgeous vintage pieces, or decidedly bare-skinned (Berger, with his proclivity for undressing throughout, wears only a leather fringe vest and a pair of jeans). Note the star motif throughout the production that creates a cohesive look for the cast, either cleverly selected from thrift store offerings or patched to match. Olivier is also responsible for a deeply strange, lumpy, alien puppet with lamplike eyes, which appears periodically throughout the show—to the audience’s delight. 

Océanie Renaud’s choreography strikingly develops the show’s brilliance. She combines loose, groovy movements, impressive tricks and lifts, some shocking physical comedy, and depraved sexual innuendos, ultimately creating a dynamic visual performance. Her vision comes to life through featured dancers Emanuelle Ranger, Julia Pye, Abbie O’Hara, and Julia Santarella, as well as the entirety of the Hair tribe.

The show’s strongly anti-establishment, anti-authoritarian, and entirely unrepressed message seems peculiar for the sometimes-uptight McGill crowd. Director Abi Sanie clearly attempted to adapt the show for a modern audience. She prioritized a diverse cast and removed specific numbers to ensure that all characterizations remained comfortable and appropriate. 

But Sanie did not sanitize the script entirely, so several lines have a significant woke-for-the-60s-but-not-anymore feel (i.e. the song about the sixteen-year-old virgin, and another that references races using colours). While this carries a certain distaste, it also correctly represents Hair’s position as a historically progressive, vulgar, unrelenting representation of counterculture—one that has become dated over time. Sanie maintained the musical’s characteristic obscenity, refusing to alter the frequent references to sex and drugs. The message is political, but also silly and fun, delighting in its own whimsy and nonsense. 

Altogether, the cast and crew at AUTS have done a fantastic job with a production as entertaining as it is offbeat, complete with wonderful musical and dance interludes.

Hair ran from McGill’s Moyse Hall from Feb. 2-4. Read more about the cast, crew, and orchestra at the AUTS website.

Know Your Athlete, Sports

Know Your Athlete: Donna Ntambue

by Julie Ferreyra on

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As the first woman to earn RSEQ player, rookie, and defensive player of the year awards all in the same season (2018-2019) during her time at Collège Montmorency, athletic success is nothing new to Donna Ntambue. After two seasons abroad playing basketball for the University of Utah (2020-21) and Northeastern University (2021-22), Ntambue was finally ready to bring her talents back up north.  

Braving the winter wind on a balmy -40 degree evening, Ntambue made her way to The McGill Tribune office to sit down with me and discuss her decision to return to her hometown of Montreal and transition into being a single-sport athlete.  

Growing up, Ntambue’s focus was always on basketball, even though she preferred track. Coming from a family of 12, several considerations factored into her decision to start her university athletics career at the University of Utah, with the main one being the financial accessibility of competing in both track and basketball. 

“I was young, I had to make a choice for myself and for my family,” Ntambue explained. “If I [went] to the States, it [would] be easier for my mom and for my dad. I knew that with basketball I would get a scholarship.”

However, the American experience was not what she expected, nor what she wanted. The pressure and competitiveness of the collegiate basketball circuit were not worth it for Ntambue. When it came down to it, she had to put her well-being—both mental and physical—first. 

“When I was actually in the States, which was my dream, I realized that it wasn’t really what I wanted [….] It’s like, yeah, it’s not greener on the other side,” said Ntambue. “My basketball coach kicked me out of the team last year […] because I wasn’t doing well mentally. I came back from an injury and she forced me […] to come back faster because they needed me. And after that, […] I couldn’t do it anymore.”

When it came down to it, the decision to continue track was obvious. Running was always Ntambue’s first love. But the choice to quit varsity basketball proved to be more difficult.  

“I never stopped basketball in my life, it’s been my whole life,” Ntambue admitted. “I thought ‘I’ll be nothing’, all my best friends are basketball players.”

Ntambue’s adaptable mindset when it comes to competition and performance, however, is exactly what allowed her to be successful in her pursuit of track as a single-sport athlete. The key was to be kind to herself. 

“I wouldn’t [have been able to] come back if I was being hard on myself,” Ntambue told me.   “It’s just [being] more gentle […] I am still doing the work I have to do, but I’m more like, just have fun with it and just do your best because it didn’t work with me being hard on [myself].” 

Ntambue explained how running allows her to clear her head and led to the realization that she prefers individual over team sports. 

“[When I’m running], I’m free,” she said. “I’m just running  [….] I don’t have time to think that’s so much better for me [….] I don’t have to depend on my teammates [….] I don’t mind being a team, but I’m more introverted.” 

The increased pressure that came with her recent success at the McGill Team Challenge doesn’t stress Ntambue out like it used to. Instead, she welcomes it. 

“I think pressure is a privilege,” Ntambue explained. “Not a lot of people get to have pressure [….] I’m really really here for the pressure because I know that all I’ve been doing, what I’ve had to do, my work ethic, it’s been towards that.” 

After putting up a new McGill record in the 60-metre race last weekend, Ntambue hopes to get back to a point where she can represent Canada internationally, just as she did in 2018 at the Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Games for track and for the Team Canada under-16 International Basketball Federation Americas Tournament for basketball. 

“I did it before,” Ntambue said. “That’s for sure my goal because I love the maple leaf. Who doesn’t love the maple leaf?”

Sports, Volleyball

Martlets volleyball rallies to defeat UQTR in five-set thriller

by Jack Armstrong on

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On Feb. 5, McGill women’s volleyball (10–5) hosted the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) Patriotes (2–13) in front of a lively crowd for their Black History Month game. The Martlets found themselves down by a set twice during the match but battled back for an ultimate  3–2 victory over a sneaky Patriotes team. 

Despite sitting at the bottom of the league, UQTR started the first set on the front foot, racing out to a 5-1 lead due, in part, to a pair of McGill misplays. The Martlets quickly recovered, however, and tied the game thanks to superb blocking and attacking from fifth-year middle-blocker Charlene Robitaille and fourth-year right-side hitter Clara Poiré. Robitaille and Poiré continued to command the Martlets’ defence throughout the set, but UQTR capitalized on offensive errors to take the first set 25-21. 

The second set played out similarly to the first, as UQTR held a narrow lead over the Martlets early on. Poiré and Robitaille continued their stellar play and received some much-needed offensive help from fourth-year power hitter Victoria Iannotti, who hammered multiple spikes past the Patriotes’ defence. The Martlets finally pulled away from UQTR late in the set when second-year setter Charlotte Chouinard-Laliberté followed up a deadly spike with an ace, helping McGill claim the set 25-20. 

The Martlets failed to build on their momentum during the third set, as both teams followed up highlight-worthy plays with unforced errors. McGill’s defensive play improved significantly from the first two sets thanks to third-year forward Olivia Krishnan, but were ultimately overpowered by the Patriotes’ offence, who took the set 25-20 to restore their lead. 

Faced with the prospect of a must-win set, the Martlets entered the fourth with a newfound energy and looked like a completely different team. Chouinard-Laliberté and Krishnan made a number of crucial digs and Poiré hit back-to-back aces as McGill jumped into a 6-0 lead. UQTR laboured to close the gap, but McGill continued to pile on the pressure on both sides of the net. 

Fourth-year power-hitter Melanie Dormann came into the game halfway through the set and led the Martlets on a 9-1 run, putting them up 19-11. UQTR fought back hard and closed the gap to three points, but a massive spike from Poiré killed their momentum, and McGill took the set 25-21—tying the match at two sets a piece. 

“We are a team that can adapt [.…] We made the adjustments,” head coach Rachèle Béliveau said about the team’s fourth set performance in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “It took us a while to find the solution, but we eventually got it.”

The Martlets proved they did indeed have the solution during the decisive fifth set, as they outplayed UQTR offensively and defensively. UQTR kept it close early on, but an ace from Robitaille and a kill from Iannotti helped the Martlets pull away. Poiré then scored on three consecutive possessions as the Martlets took the set 15-9 and claimed a 3–2 victory in a true team effort.  

“Our team’s depth has been really important,” third-year middle blocker Erin Keating said. “We’ve had injuries at a lot of positions, so I think it’s a testament to how important our depth is that we can go out […] and have absolutely great days.”

Béliveau emphasized the need to stay focused heading into the final stretch of the season. 

“I think sometimes we focus too much on the result instead of just being in the moment and playing the game point by point [.…] We need one more win to make sure we are in the playoffs.”

The Martlets continue their season against Laval (8–7) on Feb. 10 and will look to keep their momentum heading into the postseason. 

Moment of the Game: 

Clara Poiré scored off two spikes and a block on consecutive possessions late in the fifth set to all but end the match. 

Stat Corner: 

Seven Martlets players recorded multiple kills, with three players notching at least 10.  

Quotable:

“We practice serving a lot in our practices. It’s really important because the offence on the other side is struggling after that.” –Second-year setter Charlotte Chouinard-Laliberté on the importance of serving

Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

‘Ithacan Idol Presents: The Odyssey’ vibrantly reimagines the classic tale

by Ella Gomes on

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On Feb. 2, audiences at Théâtre Sainte-Catherine attended the opening night of Ithacan Idol Presents: The Odyssey, this year’s rendition of the McGill Classics Play. Since 2011, the McGill Classics Play program has showcased annual student-led English performances of ancient Greek and Latin texts, in addition to offering public lectures from guest speakers and free workshops for the community. 

In 2023’s installment of the theatrical tradition, directors Audrey Michel and Emma Weiser adapted the classic Greek epic The Odyssey into a spunky, fun, and subversive game show that asks, “Who is Odysseus?”

Set amid Odysseus’s (Gabrielle Gaston, U3 Arts) travels away from home, the play centres around his loving wife, Penelope’s (Fiona Vail, U3 Arts) staging of the Ithacan Idol: A competition in which contestants perform their own renditions of Odysseus’s story to prove who knows the epic hero best. The show’s open-ended nature allows every contestant to shine in their own unique ways, each showing off a different school of thought used to dissect The Odyssey throughout history. 

From the Victorian era to modern fan fiction, the cast is replete with colourful caricatures of each method. Percy (El Bush, U2 Arts) proclaims the heroism of both Odysseus and football. Mabel (Zeynep Alsancak, U2 Science) taps into the artistic sensuality of his adulterous affairs, much to Penelope’s chagrin. Charlie (Charlie Gagnon, U2 Arts) expresses the beauty in the epic hero’s humanity. Lexi (Maddie Butler, U3 Arts) retells Circe’s side of the story with heaps of confidence and an affinity for self-promotion. Lastly, Georgie (Théa Sebaaly, U0 Arts) critiques Odysseus’s colonial impact. 

As the contestants repeatedly argue over which perspective is correct, each interpretation’s strengths and shortcomings come to light. While Charlie protests a critique of Odysseus that denies him the ability to make mistakes, Georgie counters by pointing out his disturbing treatment of Polyphemus (Théa Sebaaly, U0 Arts) that mirrors settler colonialism. Among important debates about interpreting historical figures with a modern sensibility, audiences are treated to hilarious bits and quips, including Lexi’s references to online culture and the reimagination of Odysseus’s crew as a gaggle of frat boys. In a post-show talkback, Michel explained the intent behind the decision to balance each perspective. 

“I think what was very important to us is not putting one reception of the Odyssey above the others, in a sense,” Michel said. “All are important, and all are important to see together, but also, all are incomplete.”

Penelope stands as the character with perhaps the most complete story arc. While many of the contestants remain somewhat tied to the caricatured qualities of their era’s interpretation style, Penelope’s upbeat, confident demeanour noticeably fades over the course of the two acts as Odysseus’ flaws are put on full display. Michel and Weiser focused significantly on Penelope’s development, which culminates in an effective emotional monologue that showcases the Ithacan queen in a raw, vulnerable light. 

When discussing their motivation to dissect The Odyssey in this year’s performance during the play’s talkback, Weiser expressed a feeling of being “haunted” by Odysseus: “He has been interpreted and reinterpreted so many times throughout literary history that we just knew we wanted to do something to kind of showcase that slipperiness of his.” 

The play’s centring of Penelope and its highlighting of The Odyssey’s various interpretations cleverly produces an introspective on the work’s long history of reception and adaptation. Complete with eccentric personas, clever reimaginations of supporting characters, and well-written monologues, Ithacan Idol Presents: The Odyssey provides a unique educational deep-dive into an iconic hero.

Ithacan Idol Presents: The Odyssey will complete its final performances on Feb. 9 and 10 at the Théâtre Sainte-Catherine, both at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online. On Feb. 10, at 2:30 p.m., the accompanying McGill Classics Play Talk will take place in Leacock 808.

Behind the Bench, Sports

Maternity in sports must be brought into modernity

by Zoé Mineret on

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The past decade has seen remarkable progress in protections for pregnant athletes. In 2020, FIFA and the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBA) introduced mandatory paid maternity leave. The Premier Hockey Federation (PHF) also has paid maternity leave and maintains that no player can be released from their team due to pregnancy. 

These protections, however, are not enough. Many players who get pregnant see their lives and careers permanently altered by mistreatment from both teams and sponsors alike. 

Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir, a former midfielder on the Olympique Lyonnais’s women’s team (Lyon), wrote a piece for The Players’ Tribune outlining the mistreatment she faced from the French club throughout her pregnancy. The club purposely withheld her salary and did not provide her with any form of support. 

Gunnarsdóttir sued Lyon through the Fédération Internationale des Associations des Footballeurs Professionnels . Despite winning the lawsuit and having the club pay her lost salary in full, the move illustrated that even when the necessary rules and regulations are in place, players are still forced to fight for financial security. 

Gunnarsdótir’s mistreatment is, unfortunately, not an isolated incident. Athletes who become pregnant are regularly cast aside and treated like pariahs by their clubs and sponsors, who act as though pregnancy marks the end of an athlete’s career. 

Track athletes Allyson Felix and Alysia Montaño both wrote essays for The New York Times exploring the mistreatment they dealt with at the hands of one of their sponsors, Nike, when the company learned of their respective pregnancies. For Felix, they proposed a 70 per cent pay cut when renegotiating her contract, while Nike elected to put Montaño’s contract on hold entirely. 

With salaries for women athletes often being unsustainable, sponsorships are vital to their ability to compete at the professional level. The treatment Felix and Montaño endured at the hands of Nike reflects the sports world’s hypocrisy towards pregnant women. Pregnant athletes are celebrated in public as superheroes by clubs and sponsors but treated as disposable behind the scenes. 

In 2021, Nike released an advertisement celebrating the toughest athletes of all: Mothers. The ad depicted various pregnant people doing physical activity and branding them as the epitome of athleticism. The company gets to directly profit off the promotion of pregnant athletes while simultaneously offering dehumanizing pay cuts to the pregnant athletes they sponsor. 

The insincerity of clubs and sponsors directly impairs the physical and mental health of athletes who are expecting. Often, a sponsorship renewal is dangled in front of pregnant athletes on the condition that they get back to their pre-pregnancy fitness level as soon as possible.

The precarity brought about by the stigmatization of pregnancy within sports is not only career-threatening—it can be life-threatening as well. Kara Goucher, an American long-distance runner and Olympic silver-medallist, exposed herself to severe health risks due to over-exercising after her high-risk pregnancy because Nike told her they could renew her contract if they saw satisfactory results from her during races. 

As seen in the case of Gunnarsdótir, even when regulations exist to protect athletes, clubs will still try to take advantage of them. Pregnant athletes cannot risk exposing themselves to long-term physical or mental health problems for the sake of abusive clubs and sponsors. Not only does this affect the trajectory and health of their pregnancy, but it can also create long-lasting problems for their future athletic careers. 

If clubs and sponsors want to see athletes in their greatest physical shape after pregnancy, they need to start taking care of them during those nine months. Rather than piling on undue emotional stress, athletes should be provided with a variety of resources and support by their clubs and sponsors, who have a duty of care toward them. Athletes are human beings who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, not simply toys that can be thrown away if they are not deemed bankable.

Behind the Bench, Sports

No more Pride: The slow erosion of 2SLGBTQIA+ initiatives across the NHL

by Tillie Burlock on

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Pride night at hockey games always presents itself as somewhat of an oxymoron. Like all major men’s professional sports leagues, homophobia courses through the veins of hockey from youth leagues all the way up to the National Hockey League (NHL). So often, players, coaches, and analysts not only fail as allies, but actively stand against any progress in the direction of the NHL’s “Hockey is for Everyone” initiative, leaving fans with the question: Why does the NHL keep trying? 

On Jan. 17, the Philadelphia Flyers were set to host their annual Pride Night. The Flyers marketed the event promising fans “special guests, merchandise, and more,” but as players went out for their pre-game skate donning Pride-themed warm-up jerseys and sticks with rainbow tape, someone was missing—Ivan Provorov. 

As hockey Twitter spiralled over hypotheticals that could have led Provorov to miss warm-up, they were surprised to see him starting right back on defence when the puck drop came around. Was he getting his ankle taped up? Did he have a stomachache? Was there something wrong with his equipment? As the game went on, reports explaining the reason behind Provorov’s absence began to trickle out: He was boycotting the team’s Pride initiatives. 

In his post-game media availability, Provorov was curt with the media. He cited his Russian-Orthodox religious beliefs and stated that he “respected everyone’s choices.” As if calling queerness a “choice” wasn’t enough of a blow to a night that was meant to mark progress within the NHL, Flyers’ coach John Tortorella was sure to make his support for Provorov clear. Tortorella went so far as to say he believed Provorov did nothing wrong and he respected that he was “true to himself.” 

The Flyers provided the league with a benchmark. It is now acceptable to opt out of Pride night. In response to Provorov and Tortorella’s actions, the NHL put out a statement reiterating their stance that clubs “decide whom to celebrate, when and how” and that players “are free to decide which initiatives to support.” While recognizing the legal jargon and inability of the league to take action on Provorov directly, the NHL’s spineless statement sent the invitation for other teams and players to echo Provorov’s homophobia. 

So how does the rest of the league respond? Do they come out in aggressive support of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community? Do they stay silent? For the New York Rangers, they seemingly believed that Provorov had it right. Despite promoting a Pride Night on Jan. 28 that would include Pride-themed warm-up jerseys and sticks, the Rangers did not wear either. The decision not only shocked fans at the arena who had bought tickets and arrived early under the impression they would see some form of allyship from the players, but it also shocked the co-chair of NYC Pride, Andre Thomas, who had been brought in for the pre-game ceremonial puck drop. 

Over a week later, the Rangers still have not provided an explanation for why they did not wear the jerseys.

Although the Rangers made a donation to the Ali Forney Center on Pride Night and rainbow lights lit up Madison Square Garden, the lack of player participation left a bad taste in many fans’ mouths. 

The NHL’s institutional protection of homophobia is made clear as day by the past three weeks of failure. In tandem with the All-Star game taking place in Florida, it’s easy to see where the league’s priorities stand. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman’s silence in response to Governor Ron DeSantis’ attempt and eventual success in shutting down the leagues’ diversity and inclusion initiatives in the state is disappointing yet unsurprising. 

Hockey is certainly better off now than it was a decade ago. Bright spots emerged from the All-Star festivities, with the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida singing the national anthem at the Skill Competition and openly queer athletes Emily Clark, Alex Carpenter, and Hilary Knight participating in the event. That said, it’s hard to see the NHL’s attempts at inclusivity as anything more than performative moneymakers desperate to grow the league’s dying fanbase. The NHL needs to protect itself against a regression into the culture wars that characterize America or else they’ll end up right back where they started.

McGill, News

Three Macdonald Campus buildings closed immediately after asbestos discovered

by Shani Laskin on

More in McGill:

The McGill community received word from Director (Campus Public Safety) Pierre Barbarie on Jan. 31 that three Macdonald Campus buildings were to be closed, effective immediately, due to the detection of asbestos in the Raymond building. All classes conducted in the Raymond, Macdonald-Stewart, or Barton buildings were either re-located, held virtually, or cancelled. Some research personnel who needed to tend to animals, plants, or live cell cultures were allowed back into the buildings with proper personal protective equipment.

Asbestos—a group of naturally occurring minerals made up of microscopic fibres—was used as an insulant in many buildings built between 1930 and 1990 because of its strength and resistance to high temperatures. While asbestos is harmless if undisturbed, it can be dangerous when inhaled, causing mesothelioma, a type of cancer, and fibrotic lung disease, in the worst cases. 

In a statement to The McGill Tribune, McGill media relations officer Frédérique Mazerolle noted that the university is taking this issue very seriously and is working to ensure the safety of students and staff. 

“Extensive testing will be conducted over the next few days to find and isolate the source of the problem,” Mazerolle wrote. “The Macdonald-Stewart and Barton buildings, while not under construction, are being closed out of an abundance of caution while testing is conducted.”

In an update email sent on Feb. 1, Barbarie wrote that third-party testing for asbestos would prioritize the Macdonald-Stewart and Barton buildings before the Raymond building.

According to the President of the Macdonald Campus Students’ Society (MCSS), Defne Helvacioglu, the closure of these three buildings has left the campus with only one main building—Centennial Centre—accessible to students and staff. Helvacioglu outlined the scale of the issue in an email to the Tribune.

“These buildings have most of our laboratories, our only library, one of the two food resources on campus, computer labs, all offices of faculty staff, and most research labs,” Helvacioglu wrote. “Right now students do not have access to any of these facilities, they cannot perform their labs and are moved to online lectures [….] I personally know that a lot of undergraduate and graduate students’ research labs are affected by this.”

Blake Callan, U1 Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, told the Tribune that one of the primary concerns for students and staff is the disruption of labs and research. 

“We are just unsure whether or not our labs will continue, as online lectures are definitely doable,” Callan said. “Life at Mac has been affected, as I cannot use the library and I like to use it, especially with midterms approaching.”

Helvacioglu said the Centennial Centre will remain open at full capacity in order to support students. She disclosed that the detection of asbestos as well as the recent closure of the only grocery store in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue have greatly affected student life at Macdonald campus.

“It creates frustration when things are unstable, and Ste-Anne is becoming more of a food desert and now we cannot access our main buildings where most of the academic activities happen,” Helvacioglu wrote. “We acknowledge that large-scale construction can bring unexpected situations, however, all these things are adding up.”

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