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McGill, Montreal, News

Government officials brought onto Kanien’kehà:ka Kahnistensera court case against McGill

by Jasjot Grewal on

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CW: Mentions of colonial violence, abuse

On Sept. 20, the Kanien’kehà:ka Kahnistensera (Mohawk Mothers) attended a case management hearing at the Quebec Superior Court as part of their ongoing lawsuit against McGill over the New Vic project. 

Exceptionally, federal and provincial representatives were brought onto the case as third parties. Independent Special Interlocutor Kimberly Murray was established as a “friend of the court”—someone brought on to offer outside expertise or information—during the proceedings. A member of the Kanesatake Mohawk Nation herself, Murray is a federal representative for cases involving Indigenous unmarked graves and burial sites. 

Daniel Benghozi, representing the Attorney General of Quebec (AGQ), was also added to the case as a third (impleaded) party because of its importance and potential to alter standing pieces of Quebec legislation, such as the Cultural Heritage Act. 

Philippe Blouin, an anthropologist and associate of the Mohawk Mothers, thinks that the AGQ ended up playing an outsized role in the case.

“The Quebec attorneys […] decided to join [the hearings] as a third party, but they ended up leading the whole defence […] and litigating very aggressively,” Blouin said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. 

According to Blouin, Murray’s inclusion as a third party in court seemed to worry McGill and the AGQ. 

“[The opposition] fears that [Murray] will give evidence that there are bodies [on the land in question],” Blouin said. “It is quite an issue that Quebec is pushing back against the person in Canada who’s supposed to facilitate the investigation of unmarked graves.” 

On Sept. 20, the AGQ filed a cross-examination in which they asked Mohawk Mother Kahentinetha 57 questions. The Mothers officially filed their answers on Sept. 21, though they found the questions to be problematic. Kahentinetha elaborated in an interview with the Tribune, saying she believes the questions served no purpose but to diminish her status as an Indigenous person in front of the court.

“Questions like, ‘how many nations are there in the Iroquois confederacy?’ First of all, there is no Iroquois confederacy,” Kahentinetha said.

Kwetiio, another Mother, echoed Kahentinetha’s sentiments and agreed that the Mothers found AGQ’s cross-examination questions to be irrelevant and uninformed.

“They gave her a set of questions […] that were almost comical in our eyes,” Kwetiio said in an interview with the Tribune. “[These questions] are [striking] even to her being because they are all uneducated questions, so when she does answer them, all of them have nothing to do with the case.” 

McGill media relations officer Frédérique Mazerolle stated that the university is devoted to resolving the dispute alongside Indigenous groups and governing bodies. 

“We are committed to collaborating with governments, the Société Québécoise des infrastructures (SQI), […] and Indigenous community leadership to undertake the work necessary to investigate this concern,” Mazerolle wrote in a statement to the Tribune.

The Mohawk Mothers are not satisfied with McGill’s promises of collaboration. McGill announced in court its intent to strike down Blouin’s affidavit, a collection of 100 exhibits of analysis and explanations of archival evidence by Blouin himself, which the Mothers filed on Aug. 25. According to Blouin, the Mohawk Mothers are also frustrated with the SQI’s exclusion of the Mothers from the archaeological process. 

“We have been [making requests] to meet with Arkéos for over a month [….] to make sure that they are not destroying forensic evidence of the bodies that are there [….] The SQI cancelled that meeting, and […] they forbid [Arkéos] to meet with us,” Blouin said. (Arkéos is the firm hired by McGill to survey the Royal Vic site.)

The SQI is postponing archeological work until they organize an information session with Arkéos. The Mohawk Mothers are apprehensive about attending such a meeting, however, as they fear the SQI may consider their presence as consent to begin work.

The next hearing will take place on Oct. 26, and the Mohawk Mothers have invited McGill students to attend and show their support.

Off the Board, Opinion

Greek life, behind closed doors

by Sarina Macleod on

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“Welcome to the club. You’re, like, one of the few pretty girls at McGill. Use it wisely.” No, that’s not a quote from a Mean Girls production at McGill. That’s a genuine thought expressed to me by a sorority girl at my first—and only—frat party. Following that linguistic beauty and feminist wonder of a statement, she asked me who I found cute so she could introduce me to them. No less than 15 minutes later, the guy I had pointed out had his tongue down her throat. That’s when I was forced to confront a notion that I always knew but somehow allowed myself to be blinded from in the pursuit of free beer and a party: I fucking hate Greek life.

I can’t say that my experience got much better throughout the evening. We’ve all seen the movies. We all know the stereotypes. I definitely wasn’t walking into this party expecting McGill’s best and brightest, but I thought “hey, it’s Canada. It can’t be that bad.” I was wrong. This party was riddled with flags so red, even the most colour-blind of bulls would have gone ballistic.

I was invited to the party by a friend who was rushing the frat. The theme: CEOs and office hoes —a classic. As an outsider, I can only describe the rush party as a souped-up peacocking of upper frat and sorority members trying to show off for their rushees. It was like a networking event for drunken first graders trying to seem like the coolest kids on the playground—the people they knew, the connections they had, the people who wanted them or wanted to be them. I beat a guy in beer pong twice, and, let me tell you, it was clear that I had committed sacrilege.

After that guy “let me win” (yes, he said that), I went looking for the free beer I was promised. Brothers kept steering me towards the jungle juice which, in all honesty, felt a little weird. I’m not implying there were roofies in there, I just know how easy it is to make a velvet hammer of a jungle juice: 90 per cent alcohol that tastes like 100 per cent juice but produces 150 times the bad decisions. No thanks, I’ll opt for drinking warm PBRs in the basement packed with sweaty, jumping 20-year-olds.

If those prior impressions of Greek life hadn’t already turned me off from frat houses, this next one definitely did. For whatever reason, my friends were going upstairs, so I went with them. That’s where I saw it—bedroom doors that could be padlocked from the outside. Although it wasn’t clear exactly what purpose they served, I knew it wasn’t for anything above board. 

So, I never went to another frat party again. I didn’t really think too much about it until the Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE) Roofie story began to spread by word of mouth and surfaced on the McGill subreddit. For those unfamiliar, three girls were allegedly slipped the date-rape drug Rohypnol at a DKE frat house party last October. No statements were made, but other frats like Sigma Chi closed off their own Halloween parties to outsiders, making it clear they only wanted people in attendance who would protect their own. Say what you will about frats and sororities, but their ability to bury skeletons and pawn off accountability is unmatched. 

A week after the story was posted, I witnessed their cult-like attempts at vindication firsthand. I asked a sorority girl about the incident, and she immediately went on the defensive for DKE. Later, to probe a little further, I asked her about a frat guy I saw for a short period of time. She told me she had “heard things” about him, but it wasn’t her information to share. The secrecy and insular nature had struck again.

Like I said, I fucking hate Greek life.

Montreal, News

Students claim negligence at newly constructed housing complex

by Sabrina Nelson on

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On the first day of her lease at the new Le Mildoré apartment complex, McGill student Setareh Setayesh was dismayed to find most of the building still under construction. The unit she and her roommates had signed for was not ready yet, and they were placed in a temporary unit without some of the promised amenities. Setayesh told The McGill Tribune that there was also dust, debris, and construction equipment throughout the building. 

Owned by University Apartments Canada and located on Peel, the building was supposed to be completed in May 2022, but construction was delayed and was unfinished come Sept. 1, when many residents’ leases started. 

Setayesh, U2 Science, explained that despite anticipating a delay in the completion of the building, the management team had reassured her that her unit would be ready on time.

“Three days before our allotted move-in date, my roommates and I received an email stating that our unit was, in fact, not ready, and that we would be placed in a temporary unit until Sept. 18 at the latest,” Setayesh wrote in an email to the Tribune. “The morning of [Sept.] 18, my roommate obtained a number from some construction workers to contact the building management, and he informed us that the room had not yet been inspected or cleaned and so our move-in would be delayed to [Sept.] 23.”

During construction, Le Mildoré was heavily advertised to McGill and Concordia students, with Concordia renting 22 apartments to use as student residences. Madelyne Mackintosh, U2 Science and a Mildoré resident, feels the owners took advantage of the relative lack of resources and knowledge students have of their housing rights.

“Lease terms began on Sept. 1 and the building is [still] wrought with issues, from the minor to the dangerously severe,” Mackintosh wrote in an email to the Tribune. “Yet, the corporation is now failing to meet their legal obligations, leaving those students in unethical and sometimes dangerous living situations, because they know we lack the time, money, and resources to ensure that they are penalized for their behaviour.”

Andrew Barker, leasing manager at the complex, expressed that the company was upset at the inconvenience that the construction delays had posed to the tenants. Yet, as they did not want students to be left without a home at the start of the semester, they decided to have students move into the completed units but to restrict floors and areas that remained unfinished. 

“The building has been certified safe by the architects and engineers who have signed and stamped the occupancy permit,” Barker wrote in an email to the Tribune. “It is very important for us that our tenants live in a building that lives up to their expectations, and we’re getting there. The contractor, for example, has a full-time team of four people triaging and assigning issues to the right tradespeople.”

Mackintosh and Setayesh, however, do not believe the building was safe when tenants began moving in. Mackintosh pointed to an instance where an electrical outlet allegedly shocked a resident, and despite immediately reporting the incident to management, they did not hear back until a week later.Both are part of a group of students living in the building who went to the Régie du logement to learn how to file notices; they hope that taking formal action will pressure the building management to take residents’ concerns more seriously and to address issues swiftly.

Commentary, Opinion

Ushering in a new future for McGill’s museums

by Monique Kasonga on

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Museums: A quintessential aspect of family vacations, school trips, and artsy dates. For centuries, they have offered visitors the chance to explore conceptual, social, scientific and artistic heritages. But museums hold more weight than most realize; they are inherently political and consistently perpetuate racism. Non-Western cultures are frequently misrepresented in exhibitions, and artifacts that were looted through colonial practices remain proudly on display. To create a space where non-Western cultures are respected, museums must be openly accessible, and institutions like McGill must embrace their role in sharing underserved historical narratives..   

Although museums often showcase foreign cultures and underrepresented aspects of history in an attempt to make them more widely available, the institutions themselves are all too inaccessible. Due to class and educational disparities, many people, particularly people of colour, lack access to the cultural and historical resources that museums can provide. This inaccessibility perpetuates the mythicization of various cultures and transforms museums into white spaces where people of colour no longer feel welcome, internalizing the concept of othering.  

McGill’s Redpath Museum holds 17,000 archaeological and ethnological artifacts. Approximately 2,500 of these objects are from the African continent and are said to have been collected since the beginning of the 20th century, when British imperialism was in full swing. One cannot help but wonder about the origins of their acquisition, and what practices of colonial violence may have taken place in order for them to be present on McGill campus today. Considering the recent debate over whether the display of Egyptian mummies in Western museums is culturally insensitive or not, it is time for McGill to reconsider the presence of these artifacts in the Redpath Museum. 

Historically, many countries outside the Western world have had their histories stolen from them. Since formal colonialism came to an end, a widespread practice of concealing its atrocities from the public consciousness has developed, and museums have contributed to this cultural erasure. Further, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, many aspects of the Crown’s colonial history are being revisited. Calls are growing in South Africa for Britain’s royal family to return the world’s largest known clear-cut diamond, mined by the South African colonial authorities and handed over to the British monarchy in 1905. Many diamonds and other precious gems and artifacts that the French and British Empires looted are displayed in museums as a proud representation of a dark colonial past. 

Neocolonialism can be combatted by making history more accessible. Western museums that hold stolen artifacts should be returning them to their countries of origin. Not only will this empower cultures that have suffered and continue to suffer at the hands of colonialism, but it would offer those most affected by colonial erasure to expand on their own personal histories. Further, McGill should be using the spaces dedicated to preserving history to educate students about Canada’s shameful colonial past that is currently being upheld in museums across the country. 

Many remain unaware that the majority of the McCord Museum’s collections are owned by McGill and that the museum has a contractual agreement to manage McGill’s Canadian History Collections. It would be a great step forward for McGill to have this museum expand on the aspects of history that students may not be informed about. The institution should be providing students and Montrealers—particularly those who have been impacted by colonialism, such as racialized people—with better access.
It is important that spaces dedicated to preserving history are transparent about all parts of the story, even those that may not be the most comfortable. There are many parts of history that have been concealed, like the fact that James McGill was a slaveholder, and it is high time that this type of historical information be made widely accessible. Universities play a central role in discovering and teaching history, and McGill must take its role more seriously while also disseminating non-white-washed history to all those looking to learn. 

Laughing Matters, Opinion

On becoming the Plateau man

by Leo Larman Brown on

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Yeah, I’m a Plateau man. No no, I don’t live on the McGill side of St. Laurent, not near Jeanne-Mance; I’m on the other side, the real Plateau. There are, like, no McGill students here, not like if you’re on Aylmer or something. I crave authenticity and you just don’t have that in the bubble. But in the Plateau…that’s the real Montreal.  

I live so far from campus that it literally takes me like 30 minutes to walk there. But obviously, I have a bike; it’s a fixie. You don’t have a bike?! I got mine on Facebook Marketplace, you wouldn’t believe the deal I got. 350 dollars! You’ll probably see me riding home from campus on it. I’ll often stop by Mamie Clafoutis to pick up a baguette. The Plateau is literally exactly like France. Have you been to France before?… Me neither. 

And I love how francophone the Plateau is. At the grocery stores they always speak French to me. When the cashier says “est-ce que blah blah blah un sac, I reply “Nôn” (because I brought my Cinema L’Amour tote bag), and when they ask how I will pay, I say credit, but don’t pronounce the “t”. It’s so refreshing to finally put my bilingualism to use. 

My style has gotten so much better in the Plateau. Everyone’s so well dressed. These thrift stores on St. Laurent have everything, and I’m basically best friends with the clerks at Chainon. I look so much like a poli sci student now. Don’t you think I look like I’m in poli sci? My closets are so packed with Dickies and Dime hoodies that I don’t know how I’ll bring them all back to Toronto. I’ve also started painting my nails now, aren’t they super cool? But if anyone asks, I’m straight….if you’re wondering….

But anyway, the area is so great if you’re living on a budget. Have you heard of Segal’s? It’s so cheap! Provigo and Metro will make you go broke these days; I never set foot in there. It really helps me to keep to my parents’ $1,000-a-month budget. How am I even supposed to go to Datcha on that?? Do you also hate your parents? I do. I only call them once at the end of the month, if you know what I mean.

The Plateau is also so diverse—it really gives you a flavour of what Montreal is really like outside the bubble. There’s such a unique blend of cultures here, like there’s this little Portuguese community, so many people from France, and … um yeah… isn’t diversity so cool?

The apartments here are also the epitome of Montreal charm. Mom said my place looks like a shithole, but I don’t care; I have exposed brick. But sometimes, it’s a bit of a struggle. There’s this strange smell emanating from the basement cellar the landlord locked off, and it takes me five minutes to figure out how to unlock the 100-year-old door every morning. I also really need a bed frame because the floor is freezing in the winter. But I like it; I feel like such a bohemian living there.

I’ve also started smoking cigarettes- hand-rolled, of course. It’s the culture of the Plateau. I love having a cigarette on my porch overlooking the street. I honestly think I like cigarettes more than weed. But I also really like weed; I smoke it so much. My favourite strain is Yellow Kush. Do you like weed?

I also really love the local deps and…

…Oh. You need to go back to your friends? That’s cool. I should probably go back to my group as well, haha. But, hey, you think I could maybe get your Snap or something??

Rugby, Sports

Redbirds rugby power to victory over Gee-Gees in front of whiteout home crowd

by Renée Rochefort on

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On Sept. 17, the Redbirds (2–0) took the field to face off against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees (1–1) for their second RSEQ game of the season. After a win over the Carleton Ravens last week, the Redbirds dazzled a rambunctious whiteout crowd with a 31-19 victory on home turf. 

The Gee-Gees opened the scoring with an early try, but failed to convert the kick to earn the extra two points. Despite conceding first, the Redbirds fought back. Leading scorer and captain Monty Weatherall stepped up and calmly converted a penalty kick shortly afterward. Then, fourth-year flanker Zachary Auger pierced the Gee-Gees’ defence to score the Redbirds’ first try. Weatherall’s subsequent conversion allowed the Redbirds to take a 10-5 lead into the break.  

The second half worked much more in the Redbirds’ favour. A quick try by winger Ferreol Amigues invigorated fans. Weatherall delivered another poised kick to secure the additional two points. The Gee-Gees, however, did not go quietly and fought back to cut the lead to 24-19—only a try away.

With their opponents within striking distance and cheered on by their boisterous fans, the Redbirds began firing on all cylinders. The game’s climax, Alex Pantis’ try in the last minute of play, electrified the stands. One final Weatherall conversion capped off the night as the referee blew the final whistle. On cue, the crowd erupted into cheers as the team saluted them.

Over the 80 minutes of play, Weatherall added 11 points to his tally. The fourth-year fly-half from Amersham, U.K. was on the mark for all four conversions, as well as for the lone penalty. Wingers Ferreol Amigues and Alexandre Laurendeau also chipped in their first tries of the season, contributing to a balanced offensive effort. Finally, senior tight-end prop Alex Pantis broke through the defence to earn his third try of the season and cap off the win.

“We dominated the first half in terms of possession and territory, but didn’t come home with the points, a couple of errors, [the] scrum was very strong, [the] lineout was a bit of mess—we got to work on that,” said head coach Ian Baillie, assessing the team’s performance to The McGill Tribune. “Our goal this year is to host a playoff game and give ourselves an opportunity to win the final.”

Gaspard Poire, a second-year team fullback, echoed that there were some things to improve on, but also expressed gratitude for the immense crowd turnout.

“We conceded a try at the beginning and it’s a very difficult way to start a game when you are losing, as it affects the confidence, but we built and built and we won,” explained Poire. “But we are lucky to have the chance at McGill to have energy from the crowd.”

“The crowd was fantastic, [the] best crowd in the world, everyone was cheering us on, it really really makes a difference. I can’t express how grateful we are for people to spend their Saturdays [here], come out and cheer us on,” added captain Weatherall. “The team is full of so many leaders, it’s a great group of guys. We’re just really happy to just get a win in our first home game.” 

Catch your Redbirds back at home against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or on Oct. 8 at 3 p.m. for more rugby mania. 

Quotable: “Look me in the eyes, hustle, hustle, all hustle!” —Alex Pantis overheard during a mid-game huddle

Moment of the Game: TRY TIME by Alex Pantis in the final minute of play—the veteran punctured the Gee-Gees’ defence, sending both the crowd and the players into a frenzy. 

Stat Corner: The McGill Redbirds have won their past five games against the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV, Pop Rhetoric

Mo representation, Mo problems

by Kareem Abuali on

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Mo, a Netflix comedy-drama show released in late August, centres around the life of Palestinian-American Mo Amer in a story based on his lived experiences—navigating legal illegitimacy by selling bootleg merch, working at a strip club and a Texan olive farm—as an asylum seeker in the U.S. The show has received critical acclaim, with a rating of 100 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes.

I was first introduced to Mo Amer’s work at a stand-up show in Amman in 2019, where my good friend Zayd Lahham opened for him. I, like many of my peers, were proud when we heard he was working on a show, and were excited to see what he could do with a Netflix budget. I was disappointed to get a show that is politically insensitive, orients itself towards a white, outsider audience, and depicts half-baked and one-dimensional Palestinian identities.

The show is so politically misinformed that even a Zionist publication wants you to watch it. In the first episode, Mo tries to dismissively wrap up an argument by saying that, if he had it his way, Palestine and Israel would go back to the 1967 borders. No Palestinian wants to go back to ‘67 borders, especially not if their family is from Haifa, like Amer’s. The context of this comment frames it as some kind of age-old religious conflict—a common Western misrepresentation of the occupation. But more importantly, the quip neglects that the ‘67 borders are in violation of international law under the UN Resolution 242. 

Mo contributes to a longstanding practice of watching TV shows as a means of learning about another culture and its sensitivities, particularly on Netflix. Reviews of the show by white critics, despite their acclaim, carry an air of condescension, if not pity. Such critics describe Mo as a “big teddy bear” who “buoyantly bounces” between cultures, and claim that Mo’s story brings us closer to understanding each other. The show acts like it was made to humanize Arabs for the white viewer. And if Arabs like it, it’s partially because they like that they’ll be more “understood.” One Arab IMDB user was excited that Mo portrays Arabs as “normal humans”, part of families that have normal “dysfunctions and contradictions.” This racist sentiment celebrates a pathetically low bar.

The erasure of Palestinian identity is a significant tenet of the Zionist project. For us, there is power in just hearing the word Palestine. Yet, I was really disappointed that the kind of representation Palestinians are getting has to appease the ignorant politics of inclusion and stay within the comfort zone of white America. Granted, the writers’ room (initially Mo Amer and Ramy Youssef) was hyper-aware that they needed to represent their ethnic identities. But, unfortunately, the conversation seems to have gone as follows: I’m Palestinian, therefore, I need to write about hummus and carry around a bottle of olive oil everywhere I go. I’m Palestinian, therefore, I need to make an exaggerated caricature of Palestinians as a reference for Americans. Television shows don’t need calls to action or trauma porn to make the Palestinian plight feel like more than an afterthought, but any worthwhile piece of art should have nuance beyond the tired stereotypes employed in the show.

Among my least favourite arguments in support of Mo is that which says it’s headed in the right direction. There are over 20 Palestinian short films and movies made by Palestinians on Netflix and thousands more elsewhere that display real resistance and confront the apartheid regime and Zionism head-on, such as the works of Elia Suleiman. Even if realistic depictions of Palestinian Americans didn’t exist (they do), we shouldn’t just settle unquestioningly for whatever Netflix decides to fund. Accurate minority representation isn’t the be-all and end-all of curing racism—and it’s not enough to overlook the problematic elements of the media we consume. We’re allowed to expect more than hummus Habibi content from our Arab comedians, and we deserve films and TV that are produced on our own terms.

Mo is currently streaming on Netflix.

Soccer, Sports

Martlets and Redbirds soccer defeat UQTR in home double-header

by Julie Ferreyra on

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Sept. 16 was a particularly good night for McGill soccer teams as both the Martlets (2–3) and Redbirds (1–1–2) recorded shutouts on home turf. The evening began with the Martlets winning 2-0 against the Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR)’s Patriotes and ended with the Redbirds taking a 1-0 win over the men’s team, marking their first victories of the season.

Emotions ran high during the Martlets’ game as the team witnessed several injuries, with two Martlets exiting the field during the first half: First-year midfielder Hana Yazdani injured herself after trying to retain the ball, then defender Ariel Carignan had to be carried off the field after a defensive play took a toll on her left leg, forcing the team to adapt quickly. 

The Martlets struck first with fourth-year forward Thalia Krauth-Ibarz scoring early on in the first quarter, assisted by second-year Zoe Gardiner. The quick goal set the tone for the rest of the game. While there were several scoring opportunities for UQTR, they were swiftly denied by the Martlets’ defensive core and goaltender Sophie Guilmette.

The second half of the game saw a change in dynamics, with opportunities arising on both sides. 

First-year winger Aaliyah Kamdar, however, sealed the deal for the Martlets with a second goal late in the game, triggering intense pressure from the Patriotes who remained unsuccessful. 

Martlets’ head coach, Jose-Luis Valdes, emphasized the importance of continually improving as the season continues. 

“[We need to work on] being consistent with what we want to do and establishing our game plan defensively, having a little bit more cohesion,” said Valdes in an interview with the The McGill Tribune.

Netminder Guilmette emphasized the importance of the team’s unity to this shutout victory at the Percival Molson Stadium.

“A big thing for us is just getting back together as a group, and that all of us stay focused on the game […] especially with injuries,” said Guilmette in an interview with the Tribune.

The second game of the night was marked by energy and tension for the Redbirds, starting right from the opening face-off. The beginning of the match seemed particularly defensive, with several opportunities for the Patriotes forcing McGill back on their heels. Right before half-time, the crossbar came to the rescue, preventing an opposing midfielder from opening the score. UQTR’s offensive play continued in the second half of the game, although their momentum waned. The Redbirds took advantage of this when first-year forward Pedro Gulli revived the game at 69 minutes with the lone goal off an assist from second-year Reese Carlow.  

For Redbirds’ head coach Marc Mounicot, this match is part of a larger picture.

“Right now we are in the process. It’s not about winning, it’s about improving, and  they do that quite well,”  Mounicot told the Tribune.

Despite their efforts, the Patriotes left empty-handed and the Redbirds picked up their first win of the season. 

The Redbirds then headed to Laval to face the Rouge et Or on Sept. 18, where they drew 1-1.

“We have to produce the same kind of performance,” Mounicot said. “We have done a lot of work over the last few weeks to absorb the pressure and the quality of the opposing teams.” 

Moment of the Game:  Ciociola kept calm during frantic final minutes of play and preserved victory for the Redbirds with a brilliant diving save.

Stat Corner: Redbirds’ goalkeeper Ludovyck Ciociola made five saves, while Martlets goalkeeper Sophie Guilmette made 10 saves, earning them each a shutout.


Quotable: “It’s our first game at goal, it definitely felt good! Especially coming into the game, we knew this was a team to beat because they play the way we want to play.” —Goaltender Sophie Guilmette

Arts & Entertainment

“INCIPIT – COVID-19” exhibition is a jarring reminder of the past

by Courtney Squires on

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Photographer Michel Huneault’s latest exhibition, INCIPIT — COVID-19, was commissioned by the McCord Stewart Museum at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. On Sept. 16, over two years later, the display finally opened to the public. The exhibition features 30 photographs and three projections of over 150 videos and photos that capture quotidian early-stage pandemic life. To create an eye-catching multimedia aspect, Huneault collected anonymously handwritten notes from the chain of subjects he photographed. Huneault used this word-of-mouth chain of subjects to evade isolation-induced creative myopia. INCIPIT is a beautifully raw collection of photographs showcasing diverse perspectives of the people impacted by the first wave of the pandemic. 

The exhibition does not stray from its core purpose: To showcase a series of photographs and videos captured during the beginning of the global pandemic. Though the content can feel predictable, Huneault’s hauntingly nostalgic snapshots of places, experiences, and people at this point in time do not disappoint. The exhibition’s name translates from Latin to “here begins,” reflecting the inception of the health crisis that globally changed lives. The photographs range from makeshift hospital rooms, to abandoned streets, to an upside-down cart, and to a delineated, socially-distanced Costco line-up (a personal favourite). They capture a reality that now—with society desperate to return to a pre-pandemic “normal”—seems a thing of the past, jarring and almost absurd.

Huneault was granted carte blanche by the McCord Stewart Museum and exclusive access to many healthcare facilities, which allowed him to pull back the curtain and reveal things that people might be aware of, but haven’t seen firsthand. These moments create an intimacy between the viewer and the photograph, mimicking the isolative mindset of the early pandemic. So similar to the period of desperation felt at the beginning of the pandemic, viewers of these photographs feel as if they are secret observers of often uncomfortably vivid perspectives. Many of the subjects make direct eye contact with the viewer, their gaze challenging one to face their own past.The most compelling part of the collection is the handwritten letters. Feeling himself slip into creative complacency, Huneault decided to do a series of portraits where his next subject was recommended to him by the previous one. He asked each of them a question: What’s on your mind? Twelve endearing scrawls of worries, fears, joys, and even drawings remind the viewer that the pandemic and the prevalence of quarantine resulted in fragmented perspectives where individualism reigned. Huneault pieces together each person’s experiences to delve into how different states of mind developed at the beginning of the pandemic. 

Though a myriad of struggles are portrayed, there is a somewhat confusing lack of adolescent representation. Only one photograph of the main 30 centrally features a child. As school shutdowns and province-wide restrictions affected the lives of every Montrealer, the viewer is left wanting more. Including photographs of younger people from the thousands of Huneault’s un-exhibited photographs would help shift the focus away from the adult experience.

Huneault’s exhibition focuses on the healthcare system and everyday life, and all of his photos are accompanied by commentary that straddles the line between satire and seriousness. A photo of a lone, masked biker on an empty road reminds viewers of the paranoia surrounding the lack of medical information given to the public. After having lived through it, we see some humour in hindsight, but Huneault does an excellent job of reminding us of the real fear that permeated throughout society.


The exhibition is open to the public on Sept. 16 and will run until Jan. 22, 2023. Tickets are available for purchase online. On the first Sunday of every month, admission is free for all Quebec residents.

Cross-Country / Track, Sports

Cross country teams open season with a bang at McGill Open

by Sarah Farnand on

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McGill’s cross-country squads opened their seasons on Sept. 17 at Parc Mont Royal. The weather was cool and sunny as the women started the day, with their race kicking off at 12 p.m. The six-kilometre race went into the mountain and included four repeats of a one-kilometre loop before spitting back out into the park and finishing right beside the starting line.

Third-year medical student Ann-Rebecca Drolet was the Martlets’ first finisher, edging out a Sherbrooke runner to come in 12th overall with a time of 23:11. Thirty seconds later, the Martlets’ second finisher, second-year Sophie Rashid-Cocker, crossed the line, finishing 21st overall. 

Rashid-Cocker felt a home-course advantage, despite the difficulty of the terrain.

“It was definitely nice for us because we practice on that loop a lot. It was a pretty hilly course, I guess that is expected when running on the mountain, but there were two sizable hills every loop, which definitely added up,” said Rashid-Cocker in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

Even after training on the mountain, Rashid-Cocker admitted that the first meet of the season was a gruelling feat.

“Personally, it was a little tough. I feel like 6k is always a shock to the system your first time going all out, so I definitely felt myself getting drained as the race went on,” said Rashid-Cocker. “But coming down the home stretch, everyone is super lively and I feel like I got my extra gear to get a strong finish.”

In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the team from getting the correct permits to race the normal loop and forced them to run a course that just went straight up and down the mountain. This season also welcomed schools such as Queen’s University, and larger teams from Laval and Sherbrooke, which Rashid-Cocker appreciated as it felt like normalcy had returned.

At 12:50 p.m, the men set off up the mountain, with nine runners donning the Redbirds’ uniform. Last season’s rookie of the year, Matthew Beaudet, did not run in this year’s McGill Open, as his summer season only recently came to a close. PhD student Jack Stanley was the first finisher for McGill, coming in seventh with a time of 19:14. 

Stanley was content with his performance in the season opener and eager to improve.

“The first meet of the season is always super exciting and it is always good to do it at McGill because there is lots of hometown support,” said Stanley. “For me, I felt pretty good, I felt fit. I think my summer training paid off. I didn’t quite have a kick at the end but that’ll come as the season goes on.”

Other notable performances on the men’s side were the Redbirds’ second finisher, fourth-year Noah El Rimawi-Fine, who finished just three seconds and four places behind Stanley, and first-year Jerome Jacques, who finished in 13th place, two places behind El Rimawi-Fine to close out McGill’s top three.

While he didn’t compete in the race officially, fourth-year Henry Wellenstein completed the entire six-kilometre course while juggling three balls. Although his place was not recorded, he finished in the middle of the pack, a truly impressive feat. 

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Stanley explained that a strong performance at the USports Championships is the ultimate goal. 

“I think we have a really solid team this year, so it’s good to practice with these guys. The goal as a team is definitely to finish as high as possible at USports, and I think we can do that this year.”

The men and women both race next on Oct. 2 in Ottawa. 

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