Latest News

Editorial, Opinion

Say her name—Jina Amini

by The McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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Iran is experiencing its second week of protests following the murder of Jina (Mahsa) Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman tortured and killed in Tehran by ‘morality’ police forces for improperly wearing a hijab. Since Jina’s death, dozens of protesters have been killed, thousands more have been arrested, and the government has enforced a nationwide internet blackout. While solidarity with Iranians against the regime is crucial, Western onlookers must be critical of the lens through which they view the protests in Iran. Popular narratives in Western media ignore the significance of Jina’s Kurdish identity, propagate islamophobic rhetoric used to justify forced secularism in places like Quebec, and fail to address the harms of U.S. and Canadian sanctions on Iranians.

The one-dimensional narrative of women’s oppression in Iran obscures its intersectionality with Kurdish oppression. Jina Amini was a Kurdish woman who, like many Kurds in Iran, was forced to revoke her name and instead go by an Iranian name. Referring to Jina as Mahsa erases Jina’s Kurdish identity from her legacy and perpetuates structural racism in Iran. The Kurdish phrase that has become the slogan of the movement—‘Jin Jîyan Azadî’ (‘Women, Life, Freedom’)—originates from the efforts of Kurdish women in the Kurdish freedom movement. The protests in Iran may be focused on women’s emancipation, but when discussing Amini’s legacy, we must be mindful of the significance of  Kurdish liberation and Rojhelat’s (Iranian Kurdistan) struggle for self-determination. The inability to locate Jina’s story in a broader, multi-faceted liberatory framework is a symptom of Western feminism. 

Islamophobic rhetoric in the West has created an oversimplified narrative where hijabs equal oppression. The issue is one of women’s choice, not the hijab itself. The popular circulation of videos and photos of women burning their hijabs suggests that the religious garment is the focal point of the women’s liberation movement in Iran, and that all Iranian women are necessarily in favour of secular feminism. This sentiment is also exemplified by the reactionary and misleading ‘before and after photos’ of the Iranian Revolution. The nature of a woman’s clothing is not indicative of her freedom—this notion denies Iranian women their voices in framing their own emancipation against patriarchal violence. 

Further, such representations are dangerously used to justify secularism in Quebec and France, prompting support for laïcité and the enforcement of discriminatory policies such as Bill 21. But one common thread uniting Iran, Quebec, and France is the repressive infringement on women’s bodily autonomy. Reducing the situation to religious emancipation falls into an Orientalist and severely misrepresentative perception of Iran, Islam, and SWANA countries more broadly.

Western onlookers must oppose U.S. sanctions and confront how Western governments and media benefit from painting Iran as an evil and repressive regime. North American governments are not interested in a democratic and prosperous Iran. Since 1953, their interests have lain in the oil industry and a subservient government. U.S. and Canadian sanctions against Iran have had devastating effects on Iranians. The country is facing extreme economic inflation, limiting access to health care and critical medical equipment, and restricting agricultural and humanitarian imports. Further, sanctions on Iran actually reinforce domestic power structures and cement the influence of authoritarian leadership. Ultimately, the most vulnerable Iranians—women, ethnic minorities, and the working class—are hit the hardest. Sanctions are unjust, ineffective, and anti-feminist, and are far from an appropriate Western response to the protests in Iran.

Western powers tend to project themselves as champions of human rights. Yet across Iran, Quebec, France, and the U.S., women’s rights are under attack. Framing women’s liberation movements in the East within the lens of Western feminism dangerously misrepresents the problem and fails to account for intersectional struggles. This framework propagates harmful rhetoric and leads to discriminatory legislation. We must situate our ideologies in a global economic and political context, and be wary of the interests of Western powers in their approaches toward Iran. Jina deserves more than to be carelessly inserted into one-dimensional and self-serving narratives of institutional failure.

A previous version of this article stated that all Kurds in Iran are forced to change their names and go by Iranian ones. In fact, it is not in every province that Kurds must change their names. The Tribune regrets this error.

Arts & Entertainment, Fashion

Influence and upheaval at New York Fashion Week

by Isy Stevens on

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Held bi-annually, New York Fashion Week (NYFW) is one of the biggest opportunities for designers to present their new collections to critics, buyers, and the broader public. While always hotly anticipated, this month’s NYFW was particularly special as it saw a return to in-person runway shows for the first time since February 2020. Over the course of five days, guests viewed designers’ Spring-Summer collections, attended raucous after-parties, and showed off their own eccentric street styles. Yet amidst the chaos of Fashion Week, one particular subset of attendees was hard to miss—armed with vlog cameras and decked out in Revolve, social media influencers were present in unprecedentedly large numbers. 

Though influencers have previously attended NYFW, invitations were typically only extended to bloggers with established ties to the industry, which included the likes of Chiara Ferragni, Chrishelle Lim, and Lauren Conrad. In recent years, however, Fashion Week’s audience has expanded significantly as brands aim to attract a newer and younger generation of consumers. 

On the one hand, this has led to a greater sense of accessibility within the fashion sphere; increased social media coverage and more inclusive guest lists have granted up-and-coming creatives and minority-owned labels, such as House of Amma and Chuks Collins, more exposure and networking opportunities. Brands have learned the importance of prioritizing diversity, not just in the models they choose to cast, but in who they extend invitations to. In turn, this has created greater space for people of colour and queer and trans people at events previously dominated by white executives and socialites. But the expansion of Fashion Week has also resulted in an excessive amount of media coverage on event attendees. While celebrity sightings have always been cause for buzz, certain influencers have begun to use NYFW purely as an opportunity for publicity. 

So, why do fashion houses continue to invite influencers, many of whom have zero design knowledge or expertise? In theory, these partnerships are highly strategic: Designers can leverage influencers’ platforms to bolster brand exposure, particularly amongst a younger consumer base. And because of their perceived exclusivity, influencers are, in turn, keen to advertise a brand’s clothing and events. 

The issue, however, lies in designers’ frequent inability to select influencers who align with their brand image. At this year’s NYFW, for instance, several labels chose to invite TikTokers to their events. Notorious for promoting fleeting microtrends and the consumption of fast fashion, these influencers stand in striking contrast to high fashion’s artistic integrity and creative values. 

With that being said, influencers aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Thus, it is unfeasible—and ultimately unfair—to discount them from the fashion world altogether. Designers, however, must make an effort to be more selective when deciding who to partner with during events like NYFW. This means learning to prioritize meaningful engagement over name recognition. 

Take Emma Chamberlain, a YouTuber who shot to fame in 2017 for her refreshingly authentic YouTube vlogs. As Chamberlain’s base grew, so did her identity as an influencer, enabling her to transcend the sphere of YouTube and break into the world of fashion, garnering partnerships with both Louis Vuitton and Cartier along the way. A style icon in her own right, Chamberlain has also worked to adopt a careful approach to sustainable fashion by embracing thrifting and inspiring her followers to do the same. Despite her immense following, Chamberlain’s genuine interest in fashion set her apart from other content creators, making her a more authentic liaison between high fashion brands and the younger consumer base they are trying to capture. Influencers like Chamberlain are exactly who brands should seek to invite to New York Fashion Week.

There is no doubt that NYFW, one of fashion’s most time-honoured traditions, is in the midst of an upheaval. To keep up with social media’s influence, brands have no choice but to connect with a new generation of consumers and creatives. Yet, in doing so, they must prioritize their artistic integrity and pursue meaningful influencer partnerships with an emphasis on diversity, inclusion, and broader access to the world of fashion. While the most recent NYFW revealed gaps in certain brands’ approaches, it also reaffirmed the importance of substantive partnerships with dynamic individuals—something we must see more of in future iterations.

Cross-Country / Track, Sports

Cross-country runner cut from McGill team after joggling during race

by Sarah Farnand on

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On Sept. 17, cross-country runner Henry Wellenstein participated unofficially in the McGill Cross-Country Open. Simply running the six-kilometre race, however, was not enough for Wellenstein. The fourth-year incorporated his own twist to the competition by simultaneously juggling three balls throughout the course of the race—an activity known as joggling. 

“I started juggling when I was pretty young, [around] fourth or fifth grade, and one of the books that I had gotten had a little paragraph in the back about joggling,” Wellenstein said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. 

He explained that the outlandishness of joggling was what initially drew him to the sport. 

“It is so goofy but challenging at the same time which makes it even weirder,” said Wellenstein. “So I like being competitive with something like that.”

This season, after returning from the summer with a shin splint injury, Wellenstein spent his first few weeks of training building up his endurance. A week or two before the McGill Open, he began  training with the team and assumed he would be competing. However, a miscommunication with his coach meant he was not registered to race officially.

“I found out on race day,” Wellenstein said. “They were handing out bibs and I was like ‘where’s my bib?’ and he said I wasn’t signed up.”

After a brief discussion, cross-country coach Dennis Barrett and Wellenstein decided that the best course of action would be for him to run the race unofficially, permissible by the rules as long as he did not cross the finish line. For Wellenstein, this seemed the perfect opportunity to practice his joggling. Barrett, however, was not happy with Wellenstein’s ultimate decision.

“[My coach] had no idea that I was going to [joggle] so afterwards he was upset about the juggling,” Wellenstein said.

Shortly after the race, Wellenstein was cut from McGill’s cross-country team.

In an email comment to the Tribune, Barrett wrote, “Henry and I had a meeting after the Sept. 17 cross-country meet and based on our discussion, we came to the joint conclusion that he would step away from the team.”

Wellenstein was obviously disappointed by the decision but has decided to view the setback as an opportunity to improve his joggling.

“I really like putting together training plans and I’ve only gotten one opportunity to do a full progression to a race, this past summer for the joggling mile. So I am really excited for that,” Wellenstein said. 

This fall, he hopes to do an informal 10-kilometre race with one of his former teammates and potentially a few other Montreal jogglers he is trying to recruit.

After unofficially breaking the world record this summer with a time of 4:39 on a joggling mile, Wellenstein is looking forward to an attempt at breaking the record officially and venturing into some longer distances as well. 

“The mile is the one I’ve been most successful with so far but I would like to get into the five [kilometre] and 10 [kilometre],” said Wellenstein. “And eventually I’d like to go up in distance to the marathon and ultra marathon.”

In terms of McGill Athletics, however, Wellenstein has permanently parted ways.

“The differences in opinion that we had which led to me getting cut, I don’t think they can be resolved at this point,” he said.

Since Wellenstein was running the race unofficially, he was not breaking rules or disrupting  other runners. By adding a unique and creative component to his run, Wellenstein could have had the opportunity to bring positive attention to the cross-country team. Instead, he will now train for individual races and joggling records. 
So if you see a blond man running through the streets of Montreal while juggling, don’t be alarmed—it’s just Welly the Joggler.

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Montreal International Black Film Festival returns for its 18th year

by Ella Buckingham on

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At the opening night of the 18th Montreal International Black Film Festival on Sept. 20, my friend and I were out of place in our fresh-from-class outfits, contrasting sharply against the crisply pressed suits and vibrant formal wear. Founded in 2005 by the Fabienne Colas Foundation, the festival’s goal is to showcase the best new Black films, while also creating a space to discuss cultural, social, and economic issues that affects the Black community. The Cinéma Impérial was filled with directors from 25 different countries, as well as film students and plebeians like us eager to see the festival’s opening film, Matt Walbeck’s Lovely Jackson.

To say that Lovely Jackson is important is an understatement; it is truly essential given the historical influence of carceral systems in North America. Due to the increased scrutiny on the systemic racism of not only the United States’ justice system, but justice systems around the world, the harrowing tale of an African-American man wrongfully imprisoned for nearly four decades is one that startles, yet informs, audiences. This true story follows Rickey Jackson—who also narrates the film—from before and after his arrest, imprisonment, and eventual release decades later for a murder he did not commit. Ultimately, Jackson ended up spending 39 years, three of which were on death row, in some of Ohio’s most dangerous prisons due to a conviction based solely on the coerced eyewitness testimony of a 12-year-old. Alternating between black-and-white and colour film, it is reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland (1951) with spiralling special effects and an otherworldliness that highlights the film’s tense emotions. After the screening, both Jackson (over Zoom) and director Matt Waldeck (in-person) answered questions during a Q&A.

Jackson said that this film was a truly collaborative endeavour between Waldeck and Jackson, and their understanding and respect for each other was evident during the interview. 

“This whole process was possible because we trusted each other,” Jackson explained.

Jackson went on to say that prison had hardened him emotionally, so it was difficult for him to express his feelings, especially about his experiences. Their close friendship and Waldeck’s hands-off approach to filmmaking, however, allowed Jackson to explore emotions that he had suppressed and then to convey those feelings to a broader audience. 

Waldeck breaks the barriers between what a filmmaker is expected to do when approaching a subject in order to more fully capture Jackson’s struggle. He and Jackson would talk about how each moment in his life had impacted him and then shoot a scene, emphasizing how he wanted the film to come from the heart. He interfered as little as possible, even shooting the film without a formal script. 

“Everything you hear is from Rickey’s mind, spirit, and imagination,” Waldeck said. “[I] wanted an authenticity that was not going to come from my words on paper.”

It would be hard to believe that Jackson, who walked around his house while simultaneously addressing the audience over Zoom, has suffered all he has. His down-to-earth, kind personality, and upbeat attitude struck a chord with everyone in the audience. It was clear that Jackson was deeply humbled by the standing ovation he received. The interviewer asked him how he survived his unjust imprisonment, and he took a breath and sighed.

“Simple word, man: Faith,” Jackson said. “I never gave up. Because I had faith, things just fell into place.” 

He also credited his mother as a significant source of comfort to him, explaining that while she did not say much during his sentence, the words of strength she did give him sustained him through his many years of imprisonment.

At one point during the interview, Jackson started crying and wiped his tears on a brand-new pack of pink socks. It served as an accurate metaphor for his personality and the emotional yet humorous approach to life that defined not only the movie, but the man himself.

One of the most impactful moments in the film is when Jackson, having been declared an innocent man, walks out of the courtroom and into the bright morning sunlight. Towards the end of the Q&A, the interviewer asked Rickey Jackson if he felt vindicated by Waldeck’s film, as if a great wrong had finally been made right. 

“I vindicated myself,” he answered. “I vindicated myself when I walked out of that courtroom.”

Lovely Jackson is Matt Waldeck’s debut film as a director. The MIBFF ran from Sept. 20- 25.

Out on the Town, Student Life

Fashionably local: An investigation into Montreal’s jewelry scene

by Abby McCormick on

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Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Canadian government has encouraged consumers to support local businesses. With the return to an in-person business model, the Shop Local movement is here to stay—consumers are purchasing goods from their neighbourhood businesses more than ever before.

In particular, the growth of the jewelry industry has accelerated due to this movement. McGillians who are interested in checking out locally-made jewelry stores are, therefore, in luck; the Montreal area is home to a vast array of creators to suit a variety of tastes.

Maidor Jewellers—1255 Boulevard Robert-Bourassa

Located just a five-minute walk from McGill’s downtown campus, Maidor is a fine jewelry store with a workshop at the back, where all their hand-made products are made on-site.

Originally founded in 1984 by brothers David and Harry Maidor, the business has become a staple in the downtown Montreal jewelry community. In particular, it’s known for its classic diamond pieces, the high-quality 18-carat gold used in many of its jewels, and its custom offerings.

In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Maidor’s marketing manager, Samantha Berger, explained the process behind these made-to-order pieces. 

“We begin by creating a three-dimensional design of the piece, based on what the client is looking for,” she said. “Then we 3D-print it into wax—basically a mould put into plaster. Next, gold is melted into plaster that takes the form of the 3D-printed pieces and it is assembled and polished in our atelier.”

Berger emphasized that, while jewelry can be costly, shopping at local and customizable boutiques like Maidor is a great way to find pieces that are within your budget.

“When shopping locally, you really get to build a relationship with the jeweller, so that they can understand your vision and give you the best price for what you’re looking for,” Berger said. “At Maidor, budget is really workable; pieces don’t have to be thousands of dollars.”

Atelier SYP—4610 Chemin du Souvenir

Atelier SYP is a Laval-based boutique that prides itself on its distinct style and creating custom-made jewelry tailored to its customers’ desires. 

“Our style is very on-trend, European-inspired, and [is made up of] more chunky-style pieces,” said Cristal Haidalis, founder and designer of Atelier SYP.

As a small business owner, Haidalis is heavily involved in the process of making jewelry. 

“My inspiration comes from when I’m sourcing material,” she said. “I do sketches, then we work on producing moulds, then start production with various types of chains, clasps, and pendants.”

Haidalis also points out the excellent quality of locally made goods, making them timeless.

“With jewelry specifically, our goods are more unique, well-priced, and high-quality,” Haidalis said. “You can even shower with our pieces on without damaging them.”

Anne-Marie Chagnon—5333 Avenue Casgrin

Montreal-based Anne-Marie Chagnon is well-known in the international community for her handcrafted jewels. Despite her recent success, the artist has been creating jewelry for as long as she can remember. 

As a child, Chagnon made jewelry and clothing by hand, then began selling pieces when she was in CEGEP and university to fund her visual arts education. Her business then took off and she dedicated her full-time career to creating jewelry. 

In an interview with the Tribune, Chagnon explained the process behind her collections. 

“The collection is like a story [and] the materials are like the letters of the alphabet,” Chagnon said. “I know what the general vibe I want is, then I use the colours and materials to make the different assemblies.”

Chagnon advises students interested in creative disciplines to pursue them, regardless of what critics might say.

“I know it’s kind of cliche, but [you should] do what you have in your heart,” Chagnon said. “Everyone was telling me ‘why are you doing jewelry?’ and I said it was because I liked it. Now I’m selling pieces at over 800 locations [on five different continents].”

Arts & Entertainment, Pop Rhetoric

Leonardo DiCaprio’s dating life is more than just a punchline

by Millie Roberts on

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Leonardo DiCaprio, who is verging on 50 years old, has never dated anyone over the age of 25. Thanks to his recent public split with fashion model Camila Morrone—just months after her 25th birthday—DiCaprio’s dating tendencies have resurfaced online as a trending topic. From an onslaught of ridicule on social media to a viral chart made on Reddit and playful prodding during Kenan Thompson’s speech at last week’s 74th Emmy Awards, it seems that no matter their interest in his career, consumers of pop culture are united on this one front. DiCaprio’s uncompromising consistency in dating exclusively young women is strangely comical.

Starting with Gisele Bündchen in 1999—his first publicized relationship—DiCaprio has maintained a strict mould for the women he dates publicly: White, under 25, a fashion model, and often an immigrant to America. As he has grown older, so have the age gaps between him and his partners. Morrone is 23 years younger than DiCaprio, making him more than twice her age when their relationship began. 

While the outlandishness of DiCaprio’s love life produces some degree of humour among members of the public, the lighthearted Buzzfeed articles and tweets obscure a darker underbelly. The women he begins relationships with are certainly consenting adults in the legal sense, and there is no evidence to explicitly state that any of DiCaprio’s relationships were unhealthy. Yet the power dynamic between an older man with his wealth and influence and a young woman entering one of her first romantic relationships is often imbalanced, which raises concerns regarding manipulation, grooming, and conforming to the age-old gender standard of male control and female dependence. These issues should not be normalized through casual jokes. Indeed, if Zendaya’s sheepish reaction to Thompson’s speech proves anything, it shows how uncomfortable it can be for a woman to be seen as just a romantic interest, even hypothetically, and especially as the butt of a man’s joke. 

As many of DiCaprio’s ex-girlfriends are fashion models, they are already viewed largely for their physical appearance and hypersexualized by the general public. Given that many of his partners are immigrants, their exoticization and what it means to be a “foreign” woman in America come into play. This further ensnares women into various oppressive and dehumanizing stereotypes related to their ethnicity. When women of certain identity groups are hypersexualized, this not only reduces them to their appearance value but fetishizes their ‘exoticism.’ Women of different cultures are forced into yet another vessel of comparison between one another, where they are pitted against each other as ‘instruments’ of men. 

If the entertainment industry is a puppet show, then patriarchal conventions are pulling the strings. DiCaprio is attractive, rich, and never settles down. These toxic masculine attributes are expected, if not revered, within Hollywood. The women that famous men sport on their arms must hold an appropriate amount of social capital by being pretty accessories. Accessories won’t complain when objectified for profit, when their paycheque is substantially smaller than that of their male counterparts, when their age negatively correlates with work opportunities, or when faced with workplace sexual harassment. DiCaprio and his dating preferences are a minor constituent within a larger network of misogyny that views women as profitable sexual objects. 

The entertainment industry is the primary source of the media we consume, hinging on the subordination of women and the validation of men. Celebrities and the content they produce act as powerful catalysts for social trends; they influence what is normalized in contemporary cultural discourse. By exclusively dating women who meet a narrow set of social expectations on the public stage, male celebrities such as DiCaprio trivialize relationships with harmful age gaps into comedic exchanges and perpetuate an often unattainable, destructive standard for women to reach. The standards that are glamourized in the entertainment industry have a wider set of consequences than what appears on the surface. This ultimately works to tighten the grasp of patriarchal conditions on the norms of our everyday society. When we joke about DiCaprio’s love life, women aren’t getting the last laugh. 

Soccer, Sports

Redbirds soccer prevails 2-0 against Sherbrooke’s Vert et Or on home turf

by Zoé Mineret on

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On Sept. 25, the beautiful sunny sky and warm breeze made it a perfect day for the McGill men’s soccer team to defeat Sherbrooke’s Vert et Or (0–6). Through passionate play, the Redbirds (2–3–3) snatched a 2-0 victory on home turf.

Sherbrooke got the opening ball and McGill’s offensive game strategy kicked in immediately as fourth-year midfielder Boubacar Ouane quickly regained possession. The Redbirds began by playing a defensive game while Sherbrooke focused on offence. The Redbirds’ goalie, first-year Ludovyck Ciociola, was active in the cage and ready to pounce on the ball when needed.

Throughout the game, the Redbirds slowly reversed their defensive tide, making  considerable progress up the field to the Sherbrooke goal with the midfielders leading the charge. Second-year midfielder Reese Carlow attempted a top-left corner shot, which was unsuccessful but gave some much-needed life to the Redbirds’ attack.

A close attempt from McGill forward and second-year Joseph Getz at 30:04 was followed by attempted shots from Pedro Gulli and Bilal Bouchemella, which were stopped by the Sherbrooke goalkeeper. With their spirit renewed, the Redbirds put continuous pressure on the Vert et Or and played more aggressively for the remainder of the game.

After stepping out of the cage and tackling another player, Ciociola received a red card at 32:59 and had to leave the game. The red card was met with contestation from the crowd, who argued that the Sherbrooke player was off-side. Fifth-year goaltender Chris Cinelli-Faia stepped in to replace Ciociola and Getz subbed out as the team had to now play with only 10 players as opposed to their usual 11.

The Redbirds did not let this inconvenience them and continued to play a strong offensive game with renewed effort from the entire team. Third-year midfielder Gaeten Hamid sent a beautiful shot across the field which ended in a missed header from Gulli in front of the passionate crowd. During his time in the first half, Cinelli-Faia successfully stopped both of Sherbrooke’s scoring attempts and, at half-time, the score was 0-0. 

The Redbirds immediately took charge of the second half of the game, with fourth-year defender Julian Huster scoring at the 47-minute mark and eliciting an abundance of cheers from the crowd and his teammates.  

“It felt amazing, not only for the personal achievement but for what it meant for the team in the moment of the game,” Huster told the The McGill Tribune. “I feel an immense amount of pride in scoring my first goal for McGill especially while we were playing with one man less.”

After the goal, both teams’ play became much less organized and much more aggressive. Thankfully, McGill head coach Marc Mounicot made a series of substitutions that allowed the Redbirds to regain energy on the field.

The Redbirds immediately asserted their dominance over the burnt-out Vert et Or. Sherbrooke put up a tough fight until the very end but unfortunately fouled McGill’s Getz, who was given a penalty kick at 85:39. Getz scored with ease and brought the score up to 2-0, driving an already electrified crowd wild. 

“We should have taken our chances in the first half, but, thankfully, we managed to score two in the second half,” Getz said in a post-game interview with the Tribune. “I’m very satisfied with my goal today, however, I thought I could’ve scored another.”

The game ended with a 2-0 Redbirds victory over the Vert et Or who they will face again on Oct. 23.

Moment of the Game: Julian Huster rewarded McGill’s offensive effort with a goal right after half-time that enchanted the crowd and ignited the Redbirds.

Stat Corner: The red card given to netminder Ciociola is the first red card of the season for the Redbirds.
Quotable: “For the rest of the season, we’ve got to stay focused on each and every game as the league is super tight this year. I’m expecting our team to make the playoffs, and then I’m confident we’ll push through from there.” –Second-year Joseph Getz

Arts & Entertainment, Dance, Film and TV, Pop Rhetoric

‘Dancing with the Stars’ premiere shimmies into the spotlight

by Suzanna Graham on

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Dancing with the Stars (DWTS) is the perfect mix of fact and fiction. Fact: I’m very confident that the majority of viewers that judge DWTS on Twitter could not tell the difference between a Paso Doble and a Jive. Fiction: The promise that all the contestants put the “star” in Dancing with the Stars. DWTS has successfully ruled the reality dance-show genre for over 30 seasons for its messy yet authentic entertainment value, and Season 31 doesn’t disappoint. 

Season 31 is unique for a couple of reasons. The show moved from ABC to Disney+, meaning that there are no more ad breaks to spend tweeting about the show. The show now dedicates its 120-minute run time to dancing, making the live production way more hectic. To compensate, host Tyra Banks now shares her role with 19th-season champion Alfonso Ribeiro and the cast has grown to 16 pairs—the largest cast since Season 9. Make sure to watch out for Jordin Sparks (singer), Charli D’Amelio (TikTok), and Daniel Durant (CODA actor).

So, in case you haven’t watched the first episode yet, but still want to vote (for my favourites), here are some of its best and worst moments:

Best: Selma Blair’s gorgeous Viennese Waltz

Remember Vivian Kensington from Legally Blonde? Selma Blair has always been an icon, but her waltz with pro Sasha Farber might be my favourite performance of hers to date. Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2018, Blair struggles with balance and coordination, and occasionally uses a cane to walk. But Farber—the brilliant choreographer that he is—created an accessible routine where Blair could highlight her performance strengths. The dance brought the audience to tears, and judge Carrie Ann Inaba praised the star for representing those with invisible illnesses, calling her “a Disney princess come alive.” 

Best: Wayne Brady, a triple threat

While best known for his ‘90s and ‘00s roles, the Whose Line is it Anyways star is timeless. He can sing, he can act, and now we have proof that he can dance. Brady and his partner Witney Carson earned the second-highest score of the night with their Cha-Cha—for good reason. Their energy was unmatched, with Brady ripping off his shirt in tune to “She’s a Bad Mama Jama,” and Carson letting her star twirl just as much as she. There’s a reason why Brady has stayed in the spotlight for so long—he is a true entertainer. I hope to see him in the finals. 

Best: The dance troupe stealing the spotlight

The lack of ad breaks frees up time to bring back my favourite DWTS tradition: The dance troupe. The troupe, which hasn’t been featured since Season 27, is made up of fabulous professional dancers who perform short routines during show transitions. The problem (for the stars, that is) is that these highly trained individuals “re-perform” snippets of the previous dance. They basically expose all the previous performance’s flaws, almost turning DWTS into a dance roast—which I, for one, would pay to see.

Worst: Neon prints are hard to rock

I don’t know about you, but when I think of a neon sparkly fringe leopard-print outfit, I think of a kid’s gymnastics uniform. All I’ll say is that drag icon Shangela should not have been subjected to that nightmare-inducing ensemble. Good thing her energy made up for that flop costume. Halleloo! 

Worst: The crowd booing Len Goodman

Head judge Len Goodman knows more about dance than my collective knowledge during finals. So when he criticized Good Morning America weatherman Sam Champion for his footwork, I’m sure he was trying to be a constructive critic. But with the way the audience booed Goodman, I would’ve assumed he had insulted a puppy. The whole point of DWTS is that the “stars” are not dancers, so of course the first week would feature mistakes. I think Goodman should be meaner to the stars. And you can quote me on that. 

Dancing with the Stars is streaming live on Disney+ on Mondays at 8 p.m.

Campus Spotlight, Student Life

McGill students find the “us” in lettuce

by Melissa Carter on

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To the disbe-leaf of many passersby on Sept. 23, a circle of students formed––each with two heads: One human, one lettuce. This strange sight was none other than McGill’s second annual Lettuce Club meeting.

Once a year, Lettuce Club members meet with nothing but a 600-gram head of lettuce and an empty stomach. The rules of the game are very simple: Participants have 10 short (or long!) minutes to devour their head of lettuce to the best of their abilities. Although 10 minutes may not seem like enough time to eat an entire head, the real contenders tend to take much less.

To ease this laborious process, competitors can employ any strategy, from dousing the head in salad dressing to adding some seasoning and spices or condensing their lettuce with force—as long as they can prove that they have eaten the entire head of lettuce. The first to finish eating is crowned the Head of Lettuce and is responsible for organizing the next year’s gathering.

McGill’s first Lettuce Club meeting took place last year, organized by Arielle Lok, U3

Management, Bjørn Christensen, U3 Arts, and Joel Conway, U3 Management. In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Lok explained that in 2019, the founders were inspired by viral TikToks about Lettuce Clubs at different schools and thought, “let’s bring that to McGill!” The first-ever Lettuce Club was a huge success, attracting nearly 150 students.

But the success of last year’s Lettuce Club was only the tip of the iceberg. This year, more than 200 people formed a circle around the grassy knoll outside Redpath Museum, ready to compete. Aslan LaCouvee, U3 Arts and Science and last year’s Head of Lettuce, entered the centre of the circle wearing the black cloak awarded to the winner.

“The question remains, who wants to be the Head of Lettuce?” Aslan shouted.

With that, the race was off. Participants dug their teeth into the leaves and chewed eagerly. Scraps of lettuce littered the ground as spectators cheered on their friends.

A mere minute after the race began, Eric Zhao, U1 Science, drew the attention of his fellow competitors, as he neared the end of his lettuce. As Zhao chewed vigorously, the crowd’s focus shifted to various other participants nearing the end of their lettuce cores. Finally, Zhao opened his mouth, revealing his lettuce was gone, and, with relief, yelped in victory. LaCouvee presented the victor with the cloak, crowning him as this year’s Head of Lettuce.

After the competition, Zhao disclosed his technique in an interview with the Tribune. 

“Most people get caught up in chewing. But I have two hands here––they aren’t doing anything! So, what if I hold my lettuce like this,” Zhao said, forming a claw-like grip on his imaginary lettuce, “and give the old lettuce some chew with my long fingernails so that when it gets in my mouth, it can be more of a slush.”

Zhao’s strategy was clearly effective as he managed to devour his lettuce in as little as a minute and 54 seconds.

Participants were left in awe by Zhao’s speed. 

One observer noted, “I’ve been alive 20 years and never seen something like that!”

While he, too, was impressed with this record time, Marlo Nash, U1 Science, was most interested in the team-building aspect of the competition. 

“You know there’s a competition [for the Head of Lettuce], but it’s about the collaborative aspects: The “us” in lettuce,” Nash said.

The ambience of the Lettuce Club gathering is certainly light-hearted, but many participants mentioned the sense of community brought about by the lettuce-eating competition.

“I’m here to be a part of the energy, be a part of something bigger than myself,” Jonas Lehar, U1 Science, told the Tribune.

Arielle Lok explained the mission of Lettuce Club: “To unite students, and address the (lettuce) core of the community.”

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Christensen presented Zhao with the cloak. In fact, LaCouvee presented him with the cloak. The Tribune regrets this error.

Science & Technology, Student Research

Predicting and preventing stroke with Sonoplaque

by Maddie Perry on

More in Science & Technology:

In 2012, Karina Gasbarrino‘s grandfather passed away from an ischemic stroke. Since then, Gasbarrino, a graduate of McGill’s PhD program in experimental medicine, has dedicated her career to understanding and developing early stroke prevention methods. In 2019, she succeeded, launching the digital health startup PLAKK, a cutting-edge tool that helps predict ischemic strokes. Globally, ischemic strokes are the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability, impacting millions of families worldwide.

An ischemic stroke is caused by blood clots in the arteries leading to the brain. This results from the rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque, an accumulation of fat and cholesterol that builds up in carotid arteries in the neck. For now, atherosclerotic plaques cannot be detected with a blood test and, instead, require an ultrasound. Since atherosclerosis is a progressive disease, it needs early screening to provide proper treatment, which does not start until a patient displays symptoms. The most common symptoms include dizziness, mobility issues, and numbness in the facial muscles. 

In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Kashif Khan, McGill medical student and co-founder and CEO of PLAKK, explained that an inaccurate diagnosis is one of the many hurdles to proper stroke care. 

“Inaccurate diagnoses [cause] many patients to be missed by current clinical standards, putting them at a larger risk for stroke,” Khan said. “The limitations cause approximately three million preventable strokes each year.” 

In other words, current diagnostic procedures do not go into the depth required for accurate stroke diagnoses and often are only performed when the patient’s atherosclerotic plaque accumulates to dangerous levels. 

As the chief operating officer of PLAKK, Gasbarrino and her team have worked tirelessly to create a tool that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to accurately identify high-risk atherosclerotic plaques. They have also developed a “stroke-risk score” which would help doctors proceed with the form of treatment that best suits the patient’s needs. The use of such high-tech image analysis, in combination with histology—the study of cell structure—helps with the early detection and prevention of strokes.

SonoPlaque, the revolutionary AI technology that Gasbarrino developed at McGill, overcomes the problems of current diagnostic methods for ischemic strokes by using a variety of clinical parameters, like the plaque composition and flow dynamics of the affected artery, to create an accurate stroke-risk assessment. A combination of blood biomarkers—molecules found in patients’ blood that correlate with high stroke risk—annotated medical images, clinical characteristics, and omics data are also used to create patient-specific algorithms.

The program also uses ultrasound technology to monitor levels of arterial blockage. 

According to Khan, the road to developing SonoPlaque as a patient-ready tool was a collective effort that included contributions from a variety of industry professionals.

“Transitioning from academia to industry was a complicated, but exciting journey,” Khan said. “We sought out to build a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, surgeons, AI engineers, data scientists, and experts in business strategy.” 

Supported by numerous donors and government grants, PLAKK is now being used in clinical settings in Quebec to start testing and validating its software. The company hopes to get Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada approval next year.

As for the future, Khan foresees two important milestones for SonoPlaque: The first would be publishing the results of PLAKK’s clinical studies, and the second, to close a seed round of two million dollars for funding future works. 

“Together, the success of these milestones will allow us to achieve regulatory approval in the U.S.,” Khan said. “FDA approval puts SonoPlaque on the map as a valuable stroke-detection technique, and funding helps to propel more essential research forward.”

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