Latest News

Basketball, Sports

The sports world cannot forget about Brittney Griner

by Tillie Burlock on

More in Basketball:

When you hear the name Brittney Griner, you no longer reminisce on her superstar career in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). You don’t reflect on her remarkable college career with Baylor, or her seven All-Star seasons with the Phoenix Mercury. Griner’s deserved legacy as an outstanding basketball player and outspoken political activist gets thrown to the side when you sit back and remember the reality of her situation: Brittney Griner has been detained in Russia since February. 

According to Russian officials, Griner was detained at the Moscow airport after a luggage search found vape cartridges containing oil derived from cannabis. Following her initial arrest, her pre-trial detention was extended four separate times until a trial date was ultimately set for July 1. On Aug. 4, Griner was found guilty of drug charges and sentenced to nine years in prison. On Oct. 25, a Russian judge rejected Griner’s appeal after reviewing it for just 30 minutes. Less than a month later, Griner was sent to a remote Russian penal colony to begin serving her sentence. The penal colony in question is IK-2 in Mordovia––a notoriously harsh prison, even by standards of the Russian carceral state. 

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the state of American-Russian relations has severely restricted American efforts to bring Griner home. With Russian President Vladimir Putin’s prolonged escalation of the conflict and the United States’ continued support for Ukraine, it is clear that Griner’s wrongful detainment is partly for political reasons. Not only has Griner been weaponized as a political pawn, but the Russian authorities’ deep-seated hostility towards her identity as a Black and queer woman has placed her in even graver danger.  

The question many have asked is why was Griner in Russia in the first place? Although Griner is one of the highest-paid players in the WNBA, she was able to make almost five times her salary with UMMC Ekaterinburg––a former member of the EuroLeague. Furthermore, playing in Russia is commonplace for WNBA players during the off-season as it presents the opportunity to supplement their salaries. Despite the WNBA’s progress in boosting the league minimum to $57,000 USD with the league average sitting at $102,751 USD, teams are severely restricted by the $1,379,200 USD hard cap, pushing them to carry fewer players and forcing stars to sacrifice the million-dollar salaries they deserve. For perspective, Lebron James alone makes $119,500,000 USD per year. 

Unrestricted by a salary cap, Russia provides players with salaries exceeding $1 million USD––almost quadruple the salary of Jewell Loyd, the highest-paid WNBA player. Players are offered resources and amenities that are simply unavailable to them in the WNBA, as many Russian teams are funded by government municipalities and owned by Russian oligarchs who have the freedom to treat their athletes with the “luxury” their National Basketball Association (NBA) counterparts are used to. 

While activism across women’s basketball continues to be both pervasive and unrelenting, the same cannot be said for the NBA––the league with a dominating societal influence. Additionally, the question of whether or not the U.S. government is doing enough to bring Griner home still hangs in the balance. Trevor Reed, a former U.S. Marine who was freed from Russian prison via prisoner exchange this past April, believes the White House had the ability to get Griner home “extremely fast” and has elected not to do so. At the end of the day, Griner’s continued detention cannot be blamed on a single institution––it is a systemic failure of all of America.

Griner should be in the news for her feats as a remarkable athlete. Her National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men’s and women’s record-setting 3,203 points and 736 shots with Baylor. Her NCAA and WNBA championships. Her not one, but two Olympic gold medals. Griner should be in North America, continuing on a trajectory that will enshrine her name as one of the world’s basketball greats. We cannot say unequivocally that if Griner were an NBA player of the same calibre, she would be home by now, but there is one thing we do know for certain––she never would have been in Russia in the first place.

McGill Recommendations, Student Life

Un-bird-ening your winter semester

by Naomi Gupta on

More in McGill Recommendations:

With nearly half of the academic year over, students are busy rethinking their schedules and re-adjusting their degree plans for the semester ahead. Whether you’ve failed a class, overestimated the demands of your program requirements, or realized that your GPA might not be high enough for the exchange semester of your dreams, you might be looking for a “bird course” to alleviate your workload and boost your GPA.

“Bird courses” are the exception to McGill’s reputation of rigorous grading standards and highly demanding coursework. But what exactly constitutes a “bird course”? Lenient grading? Fewer evaluations? Engaging lectures that make those early mornings a tad easier? Most students agree that the ideal bird course is a mix of the three: Interesting, easy, and low-maintenance. I’ve scoured every possible blog post and Reddit thread and, while some courses’ “birdiness” remains heavily debated, here are the ones that were most frequently mentioned:  

1. MUAR211: The Art of Listening (Winter 2023) 

From past musical eras to present ones, The Art of Listening covers a wide range of Western music forms and styles. Even if you feel like your first-grade piano lessons are far behind you, fret not—the ability to read music isn’t a requirement. This course shouldn’t be too demanding because much of the homework consists of listening to music—something students already spend several hours a day doing—and reiterating facts pertaining to it on the test. The trick? Being able to identify the song and composer from a seconds-long excerpt.

2. CHEM181: World of Chemistry: Food (Winter 2023) 

This online, asynchronous chemistry course touches on highly relevant food-related topics through a historical and practical lens. The course covers a lot of ground, and at a fast pace—if you’re a professional procrastinator, consider this a warning. However, its evaluation style is simple and practical: As long as you have taken detailed notes of the lectures, ones you can use in your exam, it should be a breeze.

3. CLAS203: Greek Mythology (Winter 2023) 

Let’s debunk the myth that all literature courses are dense and challenging—this one, in fact, is quite the opposite. If you tend to worry about the fate of your grade lying in the hands of two to three heavily weighted evaluations, don’t worry: You’ll be given multiple opportunities to score that 4.0 with simple quizzes and weekly one-page discussions. The lectures are known to be quite interesting but can quickly turn into the opposite if you have little to no interest in Classics.

4. PHYS 183: The Milky Way Inside and Out (Winter 2023) 

If you consider yourself a science fanatic who is fascinated by all things astronomy, this may be a good pick. This course covers elementary-level material through weekly quizzes and class projects. Although it isn’t heavily math-oriented, many say you are better off taking this course if you have a science background. Otherwise, the “birdiness” of this course might be in question…

5. ATOC185: Natural Disasters (Fall 2022) 

This is, without a doubt, the ultimate bird course. Assessments include two take-home exams, online quizzes, and a term paper whose subject is open-ended: You can research and write about any natural disaster that interests you. It’s so fascinating that it has even prompted students to change their majors to environment-related disciplines. The professors, John Richard Gyakum and John Stix, are kind and go out of their way to connect with their students—always a bonus.

All this to say: Program requirements should be at the forefront of everyone’s priorities, not electives. Don’t burden yourself further by taking courses that unnecessarily contribute to already-high levels of stress. Instead, take a bird course so you can allocate that extra time to arguing with the prof who should’ve given you an A or that 100-page-long reading you’ve been putting off for a week. 

Beware, however, of these courses’ high demand. As such, they might currently be full or have long waitlists. So, if you want that dream schedule, ‘tis the season to enroll. Start queuing up on those wait lists now, or deal with an add-drop period met by stress, uncertainty, -15-degree temperatures, and the frantic refreshings of Minerva.

Behind the Bench, Sports

Off the diving board and into the world

by Sepideh Afshar on

More in Behind the Bench:

My first-ever diving lesson ended with a 20-minute cry on the three-metre springboard and then a tearful drive home where I begged my dad not to make me go back. 

I have three main defences of myself here: I was eight years old, terrified of heights, and there against my will. My older sister wanted to try diving and my dad is a strict believer in “if one of you goes, both of you go,” so that’s how I ended up sobbing in the London, Ontario aquatic centre on a fateful Wednesday night in September. Whether he had my embarrassingly intense fear of being above the fifth floor of a building in mind when he signed us up, I’ll probably never know. What I do know is that in the years that followed, I easily spent hours crying on pool decks. While that might not sound like a positive experience, diving equipped me with a confidence and trust in myself that I carry with me to this day. 

The unique thing about diving is that the longer you’re involved in the sport, the scarier it tends to get.  You are the only person affecting your performance and you pay for every mistake physically. Didn’t lock your elbows on the way in off of 10-metre? I hope your shoulder is still in its socket. Did you lean forward for your knees instead of bringing them to your chest in a reverse 1½? Be sure to ice those welts, but not now because you have to try again so you don’t develop a lifelong fear of this dive. Every painful mistake unlocks a new fear, one that is based on something you know can happen, that has happened. 

At age nine, I watched an older diver get hurt doing a simple inward dive—one of the four foundational dives. The image of this girl smacking the water created a mental block in me that lasted years, and I found myself unable to learn this dive. In diving competitions, at least in my time, to move up from the very first competition level, you needed to perform a minimum of one variation of each of the four foundational dives. This meant that no matter how much I progressed in my front, back, and reverse dives, not having an inward dive meant I could never advance competition-wise. This also meant that I spent hours at practice, standing on the end of the board, willing myself to just jump. The mental battle of standing in one spot, with coaches and teammates cheering you on, but just being unable to convince yourself to go is gruelling. The only thing worse than standing there is having to climb off the board because everyone has given up for the night. 

After one of these particularly frustrating practices, I got into my dad’s car, slammed the door, and announced I was quitting forever. I didn’t know how to deal with the fact that I was standing in my own way, that the block was completely mental. I was steadfast in my decision until my dad pulled away from hugging me and softly said, “I didn’t know you were a quitter.”

While I wish I could write that I went into the next practice and threw the dive, it’s just not true. But I also didn’t quit. I kept going to practice and I kept standing on that board and one day, I had two realizations that propelled me forward through the entirety of my diving career. First, either I do it and it works or I get hurt so badly that I never have to do it again. Secondly, and most importantly, all I needed was one split second of complete, unabashed, almost delusional faith in myself even if it went against all my instincts. So I did, and god, did it feel good. 

I haven’t dove in years. It’s hard when such a huge part of your life becomes reduced to a hobby you had before university. But I know that that part of my life is not constrained to a pool deck. I feel it. When I get really anxious or second-guess myself, whenever I stand in my own way, I’m back on the end of that diving board, I close my eyes, I internalize that delusional self-trust, and I jump. 

McGill Recommendations, Student Life

Help…my fridge is bare: A guide to grocery shopping as a student

by Simi Ogunsola on

More in McGill Recommendations:

Picture this: You open your kitchen fridge to find it empty. This is the third time within an hour that you’ve checked, and still, no food has magically appeared. There is nothing but a Sleeman leftover from your last pub crawl and half an apple. All those times your parents tried to teach you to cook are suddenly starting to make sense. 

Independent living comes with a host of challenges: Keeping up with laundry, regulating sleep schedules, managing the mythical “work-life balance,” and possibly the biggest task of all—feeding yourself. Given the rapidly increasing cost of living and grocery prices inflating, there are many reasons to feel unsettled at the prospect of being responsible for your own eating. This can manifest in sticking to fast food, eating fewer meals than required per day, or even missing out on essential nutrients and vitamins. But fear not, the Tribune has compiled a list of grocery shopping and food tips that’ll send you down the right aisle. 

Meal Prep, Meal Prep, Meal Prep

Planning out a week’s worth of meals before heading to the store can help streamline the shopping process and eliminate some stress when planning meals during the week. Unnecessary items may be tempting when you didn’t come up with a plan––focus on the essentials first and then branch out. When deciding what to purchase, it can be helpful to ask yourself a couple of questions, such as:

  • Can I put this in the fridge and eat it whenever?
  • How many meals can I get out of this ingredient?
  • How long will this last? 

If your purchase fits the bill, then add it to the cart!

Get the Most Bang for Your Buck: Buy Multiple Different Sauces

Instead of breezing by the sauce aisle thinking you’re too amateur to try to whip one up, maybe take a peek at a few of them. Having a variety of sauces to go with the same type of meal can be a game changer. Got a bowl of rice? Try that with butter chicken sauce, teriyaki sauce, or maybe some yellow Thai curry. Is there some leftover pasta you can’t seem to force down? Whip up some red sauce or pesto in a pan. Most sauces are inexpensive and require nothing more than a couple of minutes in a saucepan. Rice and pasta are budget-friendly and filling college staples, but you need not grow bored of them. Using different sauces will spice them up, and, when you’re comfortable, you can throw in different vegetables, and any protein you like. Okay, Gordon Ramsay!

Frozen Veggies are Your Best Friend

Staying healthy while keeping costs low is tough, but it doesn’t have to be impossible. Look no further than large packs of frozen vegetables in the freezer aisle. Based on your tastes, you can opt for a bag of a specific vegetable or an assorted mix. Frozen vegetables don’t contain as much sodium as canned vegetables, and tend to be more affordable and durable than their fresh counterparts. Toss a bag into your cart, and once home, add it to a pot with water, boil for about 15 minutes, and drain. Try air-frying if you’re feeling it. There you have it: A healthy side for any meal!

Don’t Beat Yourself Up

This final tip may be corny, but it’s true. Navigating grocery stores, kitchens, and feeding yourself as a whole, can be a difficult process. Give yourself some grace, and don’t freak out when your hand slips and opens the UberEats app every once in a while. Treat yourself. 

Armed with these healthy and budget-friendly tips, your next trip to the grocery store could look like this: You have a cart filled with meal-prep-able foods, a couple of different sauces, and frozen veggies in every colour of the rainbow. You breathe a sigh of relief, you’ve done it. You’re officially an adult.

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Fictionalized adaptations of real-life serial killers should not exist

by Millie Roberts on

More in Arts & Entertainment:

As announced earlier this month, Netflix has extended its new Monster anthology series past its first installment, The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which was released on Sept. 21. With at least two more projects in the works, the creators hope to follow the stories of “other monstrous figures who have impacted society.” 

The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, coming from the minds of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, has emerged as one of Netflix’s most commercially successful TV shows. Within 28 days of its release, it became the streaming platform’s second-most-watched English-language series of all time. The fictional re-enactment explores the psyche of American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer (Evan Peters), who committed numerous horrific murders between 1978 and 1991—all of the victims were men and adolescent boys, most of whom were people of colour. 

Despite its high viewership, its release was riddled with controversy. From initially being categorized under the LGBTQ+ tag on Netflix to more general criticism regarding the show’s quality, the show has been under continuous scrutiny. Yet, perhaps the largest cloud hanging above its conception is the outrage expressed by the families of Dahmer’s victims.  

Rita Isabell, sister of victim Errol Lindsey, wrote a personal essay for Insider to express her anger regarding her portrayal in one of its episodes despite the show’s producers never having contacted her. She describes the experience of watching the events of her life occur on TV, writing that “it felt like reliving it all over again.” She goes on to denounce the lack of compensation provided to the victims’ families, stating that “it’s sad they’re making money off of this tragedy. That’s just greed.” In the adaptation of this history, Netflix asserts its ownership of the victims’ experiences. 

Two more seasons, with two more serial killers, will bring about two more groups of people directly impacted by real-life events and potentially retraumatized by a television portrayal. Whether Netflix plans to ask permission or provide compensation is still unclear. But even if they do, the re-creation of serial killers to be consumed as entertainment presents a multitude of ethical concerns. 

Following the release of Monster, there was an increased romanticization on social media of Dahmer himself, as viewers sympathized with Peters’ troubled character and conflated Murphy’s creative interpretation with reality. Not only that, but the trend of dressing up as Jeffrey Dahmer for Halloween circulated online. Costumes relating to him were eventually banned from various sites, such as eBay, due to subsequent backlash. Several Milwaukee bars, where Dahmer met many of his victims, announced that they would deny entrance to those dressing up as him on Halloween night. 

The danger of portraying serial killers on-screen is the inability to resist the inherent creative urge to immerse the viewers into their minds. It will inspire the viewers to create motive, to charitably explain their actions, and ultimately glorify their image. The moment they are presented under the guise of fiction, and especially when played by familiar, attractive actors, they enter the realm of pop culture—a space that, in most instances, cannot take itself seriously and cannot escape a profit-oriented mindset. Even calling it a Story reduces its materiality—it’s a story that is not to be told by just anyone. While there may be many factors contributing to the commercial success of such adaptations, one cannot argue against the morbid fascination viewers may have with such dark stories—a fascination Netflix is well aware of and seems intent on exploiting.

As the next two seasons’ production of Netflix’s Monster anthology series begins, viewers should keep in mind what is at stake: Those who are not compensated, those who are retraumatized, and those who are glorified.

ABCs of Science, Science & Technology

Tribune Explains: 3D Printing

by Dashiell Rich on

More in ABCs of Science:

Three-dimensional printing (3D printing) feels like one of those buzzwords we heard all the time growing up; we were told that it would be revolutionary and change the world. But, in 2022, the media’s excitement has nearly disappeared. Surprisingly though, the 3D printing market is booming. In 2021, it was valued at over $13.84 billion USD and is expected to have an annual growth rate of over 20.8 per cent from now until 2030. Despite the industry’s success, the actual process of 3D printing remains mysterious to many. 

How does it print?

The printing process all starts with the creation of a 3D model file. But you may be asking yourself, “where do I get one of these files? Do I have to make them myself? I have no idea how to do 3D modelling!” 

Well, luckily for you, whatever item you would like to print has probably been designed and posted on a website like Thingiverse or Yeggi for free. If the design does not exist, computer-aided design (CAD) software such as AutoCAD can easily be used to create whatever you desire. Once a design has been finalized and the file is ready, it is imported into a slicing software like Ultimaker’s Cura. A slicing software, just as the name suggests, slices your model into thousands of tiny layers and preps it for the printer. With the file sliced and prepped, it is transmitted to the printer via USB, Wi-Fi, or a secure digital card. 

Then, the printer heats up the substrate—the material used to physically build the model—to make it malleable and gets to work printing layer by layer. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polylactic acid  are the most common substrates, but printing with metal is possible as well. Small projects can be completed within half an hour, but larger designs require over half a day. 

What can 3D printing be used for?

The first thought that comes to mind when someone hears the word “3D printing” is probably tchotchkes and knick-knacks. But the printing possibilities are endless: From replacement parts for discontinued items to producing food and even designing homes. 

In the medical sector, finding viable organs for transplant patients is a difficult and time-sensitive process, with 223 people in Canada dying while waiting for organs in 2018 alone. Luckily, 3D printing could revolutionize this with the rapidly evolving field of organ bioprinting. Organs aside, 3D-printed prosthetic limbs are more easily available because of their cheaper price and customizability. A standard prosthesis is prohibitively expensive for most, with even basic leg prostheses costing between $4,200 to $7,200. If someone wanted a highly advanced leg prosthesis, they could expect to pay at least $70,000 before insurance. Comparatively, a 3D-printed arm could be purchased for less than $400 and be manufactured within a day. 

That manufacturing speed also works wonders in other sectors, such as prototype development. Hand-making a prototype out of carving foam or forming clay is both time-consuming and often inaccurate. With 3D printing, an engineer can design a prototype and print it initially with ABS. Once the kinks have been worked out, engineers can print with higher-quality materials such as titanium, stainless steel, and aluminum. Companies such as Black Diamond Equipment, which specializes in climbing, skiing, and mountain gear, have used 3D printing to produce prototypes at a fraction of the previous cost. 

Are there 3D printing services on campus? 

If a student wants to try out 3D printing, they can request access to the Innovation Commons, located within the McLennan-Redpath library complex. The Innovation Commons has four printers and student assistants available throughout the week to help with projects. 
There is also a student-run printing service called The Cube—a subset of the Engineering Undergraduate Society. A student can send in a request along with their file and desired substrate and receive a quote. So if a student has no desire to book a printer and deal with perfecting their project, they can have one of The Cube’s technicians do it for them. 

News, PGSS

PGSS Fall General Meeting discusses expansion of gender-affirming care

by Shani Laskin on

More in News:

Content warning: Mention of sexual violence

On Nov. 16, the Post-Graduate Student Society (PGSS) held its Fall General Meeting to update members on the upcoming winter referendum, the 2023 executive election, and to discuss current PGSS initiatives. The meeting, however, did not meet its quorum requirement of one per cent of the total graduate membership. The motions presented could therefore not be passed and will instead reappear in the form of referendum questions in March 2023. 

Studentcare, which provides opt-outable healthcare coverage to PGSS members, is extending its legal protection program to include consultation and representation for survivors of sexual violence. The goal of the initiative is to expand sexual violence care. The PGSS speaker broached the topic of how to ensure that the care provided would be comprehensive and inclusive to all graduate students.

Vegas Hodgins, a second-year PhD candidate in the Department of Psychology, would like to see Studentcare make sexual violence care accessible to all students, regardless of gender.

“I think that something that will be really important to engage with the Studentcare people [about] is [if] the […] legal representatives they would be referring people to are ready to engage with victims of sexual violence who aren’t cisgender women,” Hodgins said. “When it comes to treating the needs of transgender or even male victims of rape, there isn’t that degree of understanding and it can be retraumatizing to engage with people who are just not understanding you in that way.”

The meeting also addressed a new PGSS initiative to increase access to gender-affirming care, which would help cover the costs of materials, medications, and gender-affirming surgeries for transgender graduate students. Rine Vieth, a PhD candidate in anthropology, suggested that the extra costs incurred that are indirectly tied to health care services should also be covered by the fund. Vieth cited a personal experience in which McGill Human Resources failed to respond to their requests to correspond with the Department of Anthropology, forcing Vieth to teach in person shortly after a mastectomy.

“I would also encourage that fund to go towards not just materials or medication, but things like the fact that people might not be able to work, and working with McGill to figure out ways to secure accommodations,” Vieth said. “I was forced to work [two and a half] weeks after my top surgery because McGill HR told me that I wasn’t eligible to take time off and that if I wasn’t able to do my job immediately after that, I would lose it.”

Many attendees also agreed that other gender-affirming costs, such as facial hair removal, or changing names and gender markers on legal documents, should be covered by the fund. PGSS Member Services Officer Naga Thovinakere assured attendees that these concerns would all be taken into consideration.

“It’s still in preliminary stages and the hope is that we reach out and ask for feedback at every step of the way,” Thovinakere said. “That way, we are setting this up in the most efficient way possible, as well as serving the needs of the people that need it the most.”

Other topics of discussion included health care accessibility issues, the PGSS social media and website presence, and the need to fill available committee positions for graduate students.

Moment of the Meeting:

Prior to the General Meeting, the PGSS Council held a meeting of its own. While the general meeting was supposed to begin at 7:15 p.m, extended voting and discussion within the Council forced it to begin at 8:06 p.m.

Soundbite:

“We really need people to serve on committees [….] They sound small, they sound unglamorous, they are certainly not as sexy as writing ‘Senate’ on your CV, but [they are] actually where important decisions that do directly impact people’s day-to-day lives as students happen.”

—PGSS Secretary General Kristi Kouchakji 

Basketball, Sports

McGill basketball hosts double-header home opener

by Philippe Haddad on

More in Basketball:

On Nov. 17, the McGill men’s and women’s basketball teams returned to the court for their home opening games against the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM).

Martlets vs UQAM 

55-48 (L)

The Martlets (0–4) opened up the evening’s play against the Citadins (3–0) facing some tough defence from UQÀM’s high-powered frontcourt. Despite eight points from third-year guard Emma-Jane Scotten to bolster McGill’s scoring, UQÀM took the first quarter, outscoring the Martlets 17-10.

The second quarter was a different story, as the Martlets buckled down and played hard-nosed defence to bring themselves back into the game. Scotten took over ball-handling duties as the Martlets drove into the key, drawing fouls and nabbing defensive rebounds to dictate the pace of play. Second-year forward Charlotte Guerin snagged many of her game-leading 14 rebounds in McGill’s comeback effort. The half ended 25-21 with McGill in the lead.

The third opened with both teams playing to their respective strengths, vying for the game’s momentum. McGill committed to perimeter play while UQÀM stuck to its strong frontcourt, whose efforts were met by Guerin and fourth-year centre Amélie Rochon. 

In a post-game interview with The McGill Tribune, Rochon stressed that the Martlets’ comeback relied on slowing down the Citadin bigs.

“Getting control of the rebounds, especially on the defensive end, to stop them from getting second chances […] really helped us keep our momentum,” Rochon said.

The Martlets’ strong third quarter pressured UQÀM to change its tactics to start the fourth, implementing a full-court press to force McGill’s ball handlers into making mistakes. UQÀM’s defence created several turnovers, highlighting the Martlets’ lack of a floor general and allowing the Citadins to grab a clutch lead. Despite back-to-back threes from guards Jessica Salanon and Daniella Mbengo, the Citadins’ defence overpowered the Martlets and UQÀM took the game 55-48.

Scotten, who played a team-high 38 out of 40 minutes, expressed her concern about the team’s ball-handling vulnerabilities. 

“We have been struggling with our turnovers this season, so we definitely need to work on taking care of the ball […] not rushing it,” Scotten told the Tribune. “That’s where we started to drop in the fourth quarter.”

Redbirds vs UQÀM 

87-76 (L)

The defending RSEQ champion Redbirds (0–4) took on the Citadins (1–2) in a game that echoed that of the Martlets in intensity and excitement. McGill came out the gate strong with steadfast defence and a solid presence on the boards from third-year centre Haris Elezovic. Despite the promising start, efficient shooting and fouls drawn by UQÀM gave the Citadins a 17-13 lead to close the first quarter.

The second quarter, however, marked a crushing point differential as the Citadins outscored the Redbirds 29-14 over 10 minutes. Due to UQÀM’s high-flying pace, electric shooting splits, and turnover generations, they took the half 46-27.

In a post-game chat with the Tribune, sixth-year guard Sam Jenkins spoke to the Redbirds’ lack of scoring opportunities. 

 “The second quarter was tough because we had a string of really bad mistakes […] that led to points in transition, and we couldn’t stop the bleeding there, but that changed in the third.”

The third marked a positive change for McGill as Elezovic, Jenkins, and fourth-year wing Zachary Lavoie-Toure worked hard to bring the Redbirds back into the game. Despite a highlight reel of plays from UQÀM, McGill buckled down with defensively oriented play to steal the quarter away and bring the game within reach—64-54 with UQÀM still in the lead.

The fourth was defined by a similar mentality from the Redbirds as they worked to bring it back within four, punctuated by a hyped-up three from first-year guard Samuel Chaput. Despite McGill’s remarkable efforts, UQÀM doubled down, winning the game 87-76.

Jenkins, who scored a game-high 24 points, knows his team has more in the tank. 

 “We haven’t played a full 40 minutes yet—we haven’t played hard the entire way through,” Jenkins told the Tribune. “We’ve shown we can really play that way, we just have to do it the full game.”

Both the Martlets and Redbirds hope to bounce back on Nov. 26 against Laval (1–2) in another double-header at home.

Out on the Town, Student Life, The Tribune Tries

Tribune Tries: Montreal’s Botanical Gardens

by Margo Berthier on

More in Out on the Town:

Montreal’s Botanical Gardens are among the most well known in the world, attracting tourists and locals alike. Located near the Olympic Park and a mere metro ride from downtown, the garden houses 22,000 plant species and cultivars, 10 large exhibition greenhouses, 30 thematic gardens, and a vast Arboretum. Its prominence lies in the wealth and diversity of its collections, which are devoted to research, conservation, and educational purposes. Taking a day trip to the Botanical Gardens will not only expand your knowledge of botany and the wonders of nature, but will also provide you with the opportunity to journey into Japanese, Chinese, and Indigenous cultures through the gardens inspired by them. 

While my family was in town visiting, I jumped at the opportunity to take them to the gardens. I could not let them leave Montreal without having seen this local landmark. The four of us geared up for a long day of walking and hopped on the metro. Disembarking at the Pie-IX metro station on the green line, we skipped and jumped to the Botanical Gardens entrance. We instantly dove into a sea of peace and tranquillity. 

Our first stop was the themed gardens, which ranged from Food Gardens to Medicinal and Poisonous Plant Gardens. Walking through rows of scarlet red tomatoes and enormous lettuce heads, this garden provides a glimpse into the wide range of plants that eventually find themselves on our plates. The food garden took us on a journey across the world and back in time, the plaques teaching us the medicinal properties of plants and how flower petals can be used to make oil and dye. The medicinal and poisonous plants garden was a great learning experience. It taught us to recognize certain plants that can be helpful or detrimental to one’s health—a skill that might come in handy on your next camping trip. 

Next, we strolled through the lilacs and flowery brook. This was my favourite area: The pond filled with tranquil water lilies and swans looked like a scene directly from a Monet painting. Couples sat by the pond reading, and families enjoyed each other’s company. It was a peaceful environment where visitors could appreciate this vast garden’s breathtaking nature. A woman wearing a long purple dress holding a colourful parasol caught my attention––I felt inspired and pulled out my sketchbook to capture the moment. 

We then made our way over to the Alpine Garden. From the Rockies to the Himalayas, from the Alps to the Arctic Tundra, this botanical journey shed light on the incredible diversity of plants that thrive in mountains and boreal regions. This garden is home to the widest variety of plant species in all of the Botanical Gardens. 

Our visit ended with a cultural journey to the natural environments of China and Japan. The Chinese Garden looked like a painting come to life: The harmony between the plants, ponds, stones, and the traditional Chinese temple created an artistic scene for passers-by to appreciate. The Japanese Garden promoted a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere with Bonsai trees, pavilions, stone brooks, and tea gardens. 

Before returning home, we decided to satisfy our hunger at the Garden Restaurant. This vegetarian and cafeteria-style lunch spot, located at the Gardens entrance, uses seasonal products and locally sourced produce. Some of the vegetables were even handpicked directly from the neighbouring Food Gardens. After spending the day reconnecting with nature and learning about the large variety of plant species on our planet, eating at this restaurant was a great way to celebrate and admire the nature directly on our plates. 

McGill, News, SSMU

Students vote to continue financing Daily Publications Society and the Sustainability Projects Fund

by Nicholas Hayek and Lily Cason on

More in McGill:

The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) held its Fall 2022 Referendum from Nov. 14 to Nov. 18. The two questions on the online ballot were whether McGill’s undergraduate student body was still in favour of funding the Daily Publications Society (DPS) and the Sustainability Projects Fund (SPF). Both motions passed, safeguarding the DPS and SPF’s current operations until the next referendum in five years. 

The DPS is responsible for the publication of the independent student newspapers The McGill Daily and Le Délit, the latter being the only francophone paper on campus. The DPS is entirely funded by student fees, and its existence is dictated by a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with McGill. In order to renew its MoA with the DPS, which expires in 2023, the administration requires that a referendum be conducted to prove continued financial support from students.

The SPF, created in 2010, is used to fund sustainability-related projects at the university. It is jointly subsidized by McGill and students, with the school matching what students pay. The SPF student fee is outlined in the MoA between SSMU and the administration.

Noème Fages is the chief elections officer of Elections SSMU, the organization that runs the Society’s referenda. In a statement to The McGill Tribune, Fages described the newly tweaked schedule that was implemented this past election, which was intended to increase discussion and, ultimately, voter turnout among students.

“For this Fall Referendum, we chose to have overlapping campaign and polling periods to maximize student engagement with the referendum and make sure all students know about the referendum and its implications,” Fages wrote.

Last week, 22.6 per cent of eligible voters cast their ballots—the highest turnout achieved in a fall referendum since 2018, which had seven questions compared to this most recent election’s two.

Still, only about 5,000 students out of 23,542 eligible voters cast their ballots. Elliott Kalt, U1 Science, told the Tribune why he ended up not voting.

“I think most students tend to ignore SSMU emails because they send so many of them,” Kalt said. “I really believe that the newspaper[s] should be funded, however I understand that a lot of students might not have the financial ability to [continue paying the DPS fee], so it’s a very hard topic to vote on.”

On the ballot this fall was SPF’s mandatory fee of $0.55 per academic credit, up to 15 credits, which subsidizes the program. The Fund’s Governance Council (GC) distributes its million-dollar annual budget to students, faculty, and staff whose sustainability projects are approved. Shona Watt, a sustainability manager at the McGill Office of Sustainability (MOOS), was excited to see continued support for the SPF from students. 

“[The Fund] is a resource for all McGill community members to launch or grow a sustainability initiative on campus [and] spark positive change in their own learning and work environment,” Watt said. “We are thrilled by the level of enthusiasm reflected in the results of the SSMU referendum.”

Ryan Stainsby, U0 Arts, ultimately voted “Yes” on financing the SPF for the remainder of his time at McGill.

“[The SPF] funds projects that work on making our campus more sustainable, more environmentally friendly [….] I think that’s really phenomenal,” Stainsby said. “I still understand if someone voted no for monetary reasons [….] Every dollar counts, you know.” 

Voters also decided to uphold the DPS’s $6, non-opt-outable fee, which has been charged to all undergraduates once per term since 2010 and is responsible for their nearly $300,000 budget.
Throughout the campaign and polling periods, both DPS papers stressed the importance of their continued existence, releasing editorials chronicling the publications’ work, tabling around campus, and posting testimonials from alumni on social media to encourage students to vote. The editorial boards of both publications thanked students for their support over Instagram after the referendum results were published.

1 … 235 236 237 238 239 … 1,364

Read the latest issue

Read the latest issue