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McGill, News

Black History Month keynote highlights Black voices in STEM

by Joseph Pappas on

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McGill held its virtual opening ceremony for Black History Month on Feb. 1, featuring keynote speaker James Jones. Jones is a distinguished professor emeritus of psychology and Black American studies at the University of Delaware, as well as the director of its Center for the Study of Diversity. The event, titled “Diversity within Psychology,” was the first of McGill’s Black History Month series, which, in collaboration with the Faculty of Science this year, is centred on celebrating Black scientists at McGill and beyond.

The ceremony began with remarks from several guests, including Gracia Kasoki Katahwa, the borough mayor of Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. Katahwa highlighted the measures that the current Montreal government is taking to build a more equitable future for Black communities, but acknowledged that more needs to be done.

“It is clear that as a society, we still have a lot of work to do to fight systemic racism and inequalities,” Katahwa said. “We are strongly committed to affecting these changes within our city with concrete actions. We have started by recognizing the existence of systemic racism and creating the Office of the Commissioner to fight against racism and discrimination to help our public services in this inclusive transition.”

Jones began his keynote address by expanding on the idea that Black History Month must go beyond the celebration of select Black achievements.

“Black History is more than celebrating consequential Black people,” Jones explained. “That is important, but it is more than that. Black history is the story of the human spirit, the will to live, the capacity to love, and the fortitude to endure. Black joy balances out Black trauma.”

Jones underscored the importance of diversity within the field of psychology, emphasizing that it is more than a mere box to check off; it is a crucial component in fostering scholarship in the field. Jones introduced what he described as one of his favourite concepts: Full participation.

“Full participation is a product of diversity, it’s not diversity itself,” Jones said. “It is an affirmative value focussed on creating institutions and societies that enable people, whatever their identity, background, or institutional position, to thrive, realize their capabilities, engage meaningfully in institutional life, and contribute to the flourishing of others.”

McGill’s dean of science, Bruce Lennox, offered the closing remarks, reflecting on his personal experience attending one of the first desegregated schools in New Orleans.

“As we celebrate Black History Month, I recognize that although we might have come far, at least from my first day of school, in New Orleans, we certainly haven’t gone far enough,” Lennox said. “In the present and future, I can certainly pledge that McGill’s Faculty of Science is going to be an active partner and leader in bringing the joys of STEM [and] the societal imperatives of STEM to Black students in the Montreal community, the academic communities of Quebec, and worldwide.”

Art, Arts & Entertainment

McGill professor examines elitism and pastoralism in 16th century Venetian art

by Suzanna Graham on

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On Feb. 3, Chriscinda Henry, one of McGill’s associate professors of art history, delivered a lecture for The Courtauld Gallery’s online speaker series on Concert Champêtre, a famous painting by Venetian Renaissance painter Titian. Henry exposed how Concert Champêtre, the title of which translates to “pastoral concert,” offers a window into how the elite youth in Renaissance Italy chose to spend their leisure time. 

Painted between 1509 and 1511, Concert Champêtre depicts a young man adorned in a lavish red outfit, playing his lute alongside a more simply dressed man and two semi-naked women. Although seemingly at ease, several qualities hint that the youth in the painting does not belong. Besides his clothing, his elaborate instrument is grand compared to the simple pipe that one of the women holds, suggesting his capability to create complex music compared to her simple tunes. Henry attributes his out-of-place persona to some art historians’ assumptions that the lutenist was a real, yet unidentified patron who commissioned Titian to insert his image into the pastoral scene. This artistic self-insertion was popular among the elite in the 16th century as a form of informal self-representation. 

“In the homes of certain Venetians, who might be considered as a cultural avant-garde, novel forms of intellectual exchange, music-making, theatrical performance, and collecting came to articulate a new mode of poetic self-fashioning and generational distinction on the part of young Venetian patrons,” Henry said. “The shepherd maschera, or persona, […] provided the ideal vehicle for a liberating poetic form of self-expression steeped in classical literary and theatrical culture.”

While he is participating in an artistic movement celebrating self-expression and leisure, the patrician’s outfit clearly boasts his high position in the Venetian political society. Henry noted that the youth wears Compagnie della Calza attire, identified by his cloak and subtly striped hose. The group, called “Company of the Hose” in English, was a fraternal youth society that collected and refined the sons of Venetian elite by having them host lavish spectacles for the public. The company included several different groups, all of whom sported distinguished colour combinations of hose. The youth in Concert Champêtre wears a white and grayish-green striped hose on his right leg and rose-coloured hose on the left—which is hidden in the painting—representing the so-called “happiness group.” This group prioritized the reciprocal exchange of friendship among guests and fellow patricians alike. 

The painting itself features the homosocial—or, as Henry argues, potentially homoerotic—friendship between the central youth and his pastoral companion, showing that the friendship has transcended beyond elite status. However, Henry argued that the similar body positioning between the urban elitist and pastoral shepherd reflects a sense of alter-ego. Therefore, Concert Champêtre reflects both the youth’s pride in his political status and the equal passion he feels for simple, pastoral life. 

“[There is an] intimate gesture of homosocial fellowship, almost fusion, between the two young men seated at the center of the composition—the elegant compagno, and his rustic shepherd counterpart,” Henry said. 

Although Venetian elite were free to live joyously and abundantly in their youth, their powerful parents expected them to renounce these luxuries and take on a more serious and political role upon reaching adulthood. In 1509, the youth had to abandon their lifestyle due to the War of Cambrai, instigated by a European alliance led by Pope Julius II and Louis XII of France, who aimed to disassemble the Republic of Venice. At that time, the Venetian government forbade all festivities and colourful hose to facilitate focus on war planning. Although the war ended in 1511—once again permitting festivities—the previous generation of elite youth had become Fausti, meaning soldiers, outgrowing the carefree privileges of their adolescence. Henry acknowledged that the pastoral theme of Concert Champêtre represents the generational nostalgia for both a simpler rustic life without war and for an adolescence celebrating life and art.

“If one of the young men of the Fausti had proved to be not only the central subject, but also the patron of the Concert Champêtre, this prompts questions about the painting, as a work that captures and commemorates for posterity, a brief and liminal stage of life that was already nearing its end for the Fausti by 1509, when the painting was likely commissioned and begun.”

Commentary, Opinion

Spotify has a responsibility to protect its listeners from inaccurate information

by El Bush on

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Recently, The Joe Rogan Experience, now a Spotify-exclusive podcast that brings in an estimated 11 million listens per episode, has come under scrutiny for platforming COVID-19 misinformation. The episode that initially spread controversy featured an interview between host Joe Rogan and Dr. Robert Malone, in which the pair discussed multiple conspiracies involving mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines. Following the release of the episode, Rogan and Malone faced backlash from both the medical community and the general public for their discussion of the subject, where they discouraged healthy young people from getting the vaccine and claimed that mRNA vaccines are gene therapy. 

In the days following, Spotify listeners and artists alike demanded that the platform take action to combat the spread of misinformation. On Jan. 24, artist Neil Young asked the service to choose between him and Rogan—Spotify removed Young’s music from the platform. His departure was followed by Joni Mitchell’s soon after. After the public outrage, Spotify added disclaimers on Rogan’s podcast and created a COVID-19 information hub in an effort to facilitate access to accurate information. Despite these surface-level actions, Spotify remains above all committed to profit in refusing to reconsider its partnership with Rogan. In order to show a real commitment to combating misinformation, the platform should condemn and demonetize this kind of content. 

In the statement it released as part of the launch of its information hub, Spotify did not address the issue with Rogan’s content specifically, nor did they acknowledge their policies surrounding the monetization of harmful misinformation. Indeed, Spotify should follow the lead of other streaming services, such as YouTube, which have policies in place to demonetize content that could be considered harmful. In Spotify’s case, acting responsibly would include revoking their exclusive $100-million podcast deal with Rogan that currently remains in effect. 

Beyond demonetizing harmful content, Spotify has an obligation to its platform’s users to promote and provide information in line with science. While creating a COVID-19 hub is a welcome start, they must also invest in creators who are working to educate the public. Take, for example, Foreign Policy’s podcast Don’t Touch Your Face: Spotify could make this accurate information more accessible by advertising it on the main pages of its platform. The streaming service must realize that the safety of its listeners—and of the public, more broadly—should come before sensationalist anti-science content creators who cause harm by spreading misinformation.

Although the onus is on Spotify to take action to protect listeners, Spotify users themselves have a role to play as conscious consumers. Since many McGill students are active Spotify users, it is important for them to employ a critical ear when consuming the platform’s content. This means actively engaging with creators who spread accurate information. While everyone has different listening preferences, it is important to seek out multiple––factual––perspectives while gathering knowledge, especially knowledge related to health and science. Moreover, from the listener’s perspective, demanding more of creators and platforms will only help produce better content. Having high expectations would mean recognizing and promoting creators who create accurate and reliable content, and protesting those who do not. 

Ultimately, it is the responsibility of streaming and social media platforms to help combat misinformation by promoting reliable content and creators. However, if the platform itself refuses to do so, it is integral that its users consume media through a critical lens and actively promote correct information within their communities. What the Joe Rogan conflict has revealed is that now more than ever, creators, streaming platforms, and consumers must intentionally seek out and share reliable information.

Science & Technology

Getting to the roots of hair loss

by Marion Laurençon on

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Hair loss and hair shedding are very common in times of stress and can affect anyone—even those who have no family history of either condition. Apart from genetics, other factors, such as medication, stress, birth control, or lack of sleep can kill the stem cells inside hair follicles. 

Stem cells have the potential to differentiate into a variety of subtypes, including hair-follicle stem cells, which are responsible for the formation and growth of hair. Unfortunately, hair follicles are similar to eggs in female mammals: Individuals are born with a finite amount and the number only keeps decreasing. Therefore, the production of new hair follicles in labs is of huge import to those who suffer from hair loss. 

Biologist Ernesto Lujan launched the start-up dNovo in 2018 in an attempt to genetically reprogram blood, skin, or fat cells into hair-forming cells to treat hair loss. The process of reverting mature, specialized cells into induced pluripotent stem cells, called “reprogramming,” is slowly emerging across the globe as a way to treat patients. dNovo is currently testing the technology on mice and pigs. 

The process consists of collecting cell samples from a patient, reprogramming them into hair-follicle stem cells, growing these genetically manipulated cells in the lab, and adding them to the scalp of the patient, who should see hair growth one to three months after the procedure. 

Even though the procedure may seem simple, hair follicles are complicated organs and their formation is not yet fully understood. Tamara Ouspenskaia (BSc ’09, MSc ’10), who completed her PhD on the mechanisms involved in the specification of stem cells during mouse development in 2016, was part of the Fuchs lab that succeeded in growing hair on a nude mouse. The lab purified hair stem cells and injected them into the skin of the mouse, and the experiment succeeded, in part, because it chose nude mice as its subjects.

“[Nude mice] lack an immune system and thus don’t reject the injection as they can’t recognize the stem cells as foreign,” Ouspenskaia said.

The scientists then used lentiviruses to inject the reprogrammed cells into the amniotic cavity of mice. Since mice are only embryos at this stage, the reprogrammed cells will pass down their hair-growing abilities to all their descendant cells. Another way to grow a hair shaft and transplant it onto nude mice is by growing organoids—3D structures made from pluripotent stem cells. 

“If conditions of growth are right, [organoids] will try to replicate the tissue normally present in the body,” Ouspenskaia said. 

There are different ways to grow hair stem cells in labs, but the more complex part is ensuring that the patient’s immune system does not reject the new cells. One solution is to take functional hair follicles from other parts of the body and to transplant them onto the scalp—but this raises questions about the best regions to take the hair from.

Apart from growing the hair shaft of nude mice, the Fuchs lab showed how a mouse embryo grows hair. From day zero to 10, the embryo is surrounded by identical cells which then become clusters of cells expressing markers of future hair follicles that eventually stop dividing. 

Stem cells at this stage of a mouse are called embryonic stem cells and present unique properties, as opposed to adult stem cells.

“Something special about embryonic hair-follicle stem cell[s] is that they can regrow hair follicles, [whereas] adult hair-follicle stem cell[s] can’t,” Ouspenkaia said. “If we could understand more differences between embryonic and adult hair-follicle stem cell[s], maybe we could reprogram them to grow hair again.” 

Arts & Entertainment, Fashion

Remembering André Leon Talley’s and Thierry Mugler’s iconic fashion legacies

by Suzanna Graham, Isy Stevens, Ella Gomes on

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Thierry Mugler, the iconic French designer, and André Leon Talley, the former creative director of Vogue, both passed away at the age of 73 last month. Both renowned for their work in the fashion industry, the loss of such great talents was tremendously felt by all those who knew them and their work. The McGill Tribune looks back at some of the most iconic pieces from both designers. 

Venus Dress – Isy Stevens

Venus Dress (elle.com)

Without a doubt one of Mugler’s most legendary designs, The Venus Dress melds timeless elegance with Mugler’s signature architectural style. This shell-shaped gown embodies a powerful sense of femininity—fitting, considering that the late designer drew inspiration from Botecelli’s The Birth of Venus. Featuring a blush satin lining, matching gloves, and a sheer bodysuit, the piece was first modeled by Mugler’s longtime muse Simonetta Gianfelici at the designer’s 1995 couture show. In 2019, the gown re-emerged from the archives when American rapper Cardi B wore it to the Grammy Awards, delighting fans and fashion critics alike. The Venus Dress’s unwavering popularity throughout the decades is a true testament to the empowering nature of Mugler’s designs and his immeasurable reach across the fashion industry—both of which will continue to inspire for years to come. 

La Chimère – Suzanna Graham

La Chimère (mbam.qc.ca)

Unveiled in his haute couture Autumn/Winter 1997-98 show, La Chimère epitomizes avant-garde fashion. The creation is one of the most expensive dresses in fashion history, consisting of individually painted latex scales, bright feathers, and even animal hair. Designed in collaboration with Jean-Jacques Urcun and Mr. Pearl, a legendary corset maker, the dress caused quite a buzz upon its unveiling when it turned model Adriana Karembeu into a part fantasy, part fetish icon. The dress’ legendary status was confirmed during its feature in Mugler’s 2019 exhibit at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts—it remained the most popular exhibit in Canada that year. Although bizarre and garish, Mugler’s garment exudes an air of power. The gold corset—a historically restrictive item—appears as armor, transforming it into a symbol of bodily and sexual autonomy. In this sense, La Chimère’s otherworldliness combines Mugler’s fantastical imagination and empowering ideals into a mythical being. 

Andre Leon Talley – Ella Gomes

His Own Personal Style

Throughout his work as Vogue’s first Black creative director, some of André Leon Talley’s most iconic outfits are the ones that he styled for himself. In his later years, the extravagant designer was rarely seen without a gloriously patterned caftan to spice up a classic suit. During his youth, Talley already had a knack for expressive dressing, favouring timeless pieces inspired by the fashions of those he admired: the Kennedys, the models gracing the pages of Vogue, and, most significantly, his own grandmother. Growing up in the Jim Crow south, flipping through fashion magazines and perfecting his own style served as an escape from the world around him. As he navigated the fashion industry, Talley often donned exquisite dress wear, including cable knee socks and dapper suits—a look that Talley would later refer to as his “armor” against the racism and bigotry he faced during his rise to prominence in the predominantly white industry. Throughout his career, which was marked by his eloquent writing and sharp knowledge of fashion history, Talley continued pushing to expand representation both on the runways and in the ateliers.

André Leon Talley was one fly guy. (theatlantic.com)

“Little Black Dress” 

While Talley was most known for his long-running career in the field of fashion journalism, his passion for museum curation was palpable in every exhibition he put on. In 2012, at his eponymous gallery in the Savannah College of Art and Design’s Museum of Art, Talley curated the “Little Black Dress” exhibition, housing iconic black dresses donated by the likes of Vera Wang, Rihanna, and Marc Jacobs. A majority of the donations came from Talley’s close friends in the industry, demonstrating his incomparable ability to connect with others through glamorous photoshoots or casual conversation. In discussing his inspiration for the show’s theme, Talley professed that “The little black dress expresses a moment of freedom and individuality every time.” A proud presenter of SCAD’s André Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award in Fashion, Talley maintained a close relationship with the college, fueled by his passion to support young creative voices of colour from his same southern roots.

Talley’s “Little Black Dress” exhibition (nytimes.com)

McGill, News

OSVRSE hosts week-long ‘Knock Down the Walls’ campaign addressing sexual violence at McGill

by Anoushka Oke on

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Content warning: Sexual Violence

Each term, the Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support and Education (OSVRSE) hosts a week-long event with the aim to educate the public about resources available to survivors of sexual violence. This semester’s campaign, titled “Knock Down the Walls,” ran from Jan. 24 to Jan. 28. The week of virtual events included a “Panel for Students: Sexual Violence Response in the University Context” on Jan. 24, an information session called “Harassment, Discimination, and Sexual Violence: McGill Policies, Reporting, and Support” on Jan. 25, “Trauma-Sensitive Yoga” on Jan. 26, and a legal information workshop titled “Workshop with Juripop” on Jan. 27. 

“It was suggested that a panel be held regarding the university response to sexual violence, where students could ask questions to key administrators on the processes and roles of different offices in responding to cases,” wrote Maha Cherid, Sexual Violence Education Advisor at OSVRSE, in an email to The McGill Tribune. “OSVRSE wanted to supplement this panel by providing information about the [Office for Mediation and Reporting] (OMR) and the provincial context. We therefore decided to focus our annual January campaign on making information about reporting and resources more accessible to students.”

Some of the “Knock Down the Walls” programming served as a response to criticisms from students regarding the administration’s response sexual assault allegations. The campaign’s sexual violence response panel, in particular, was focussed on addressing student concerns about the reporting procedure.

Isabella Kalarickal, U3 Arts, is the president of It’s On Us, a student group that has been committed to empowering survivors and ending sexual violence on campus since 2017. After controversy surrounding the allegations of repeated sexual assualt in New Residence Hall in Decemeber 2020, It’s On Us took a critical role in pushing for more transparency and communication from the McGill administration.

“Last year, It’s On Us decided to do several open forums where students could come in, and it’s a space for them to vent their frustrations, bring up concerns, ask questions, and just have a discussion amongst peers as to how […] this lack of response from administration is affecting them,” Kalarickal said. “It’s On Us compiled these concerns and questions, and we sent them off to McGill administration, just so hopefully one day they’ll look at it and they’ll realize what students are asking for and what students need.”

The “Sexual Violence Response in the University Context” panellists, including Émilie Marcotte, Sexual Response Advisor at OSVRSE, Fabrice Labeau, McGill Deputy Provost, Maha Cherid, Sexual Violence Education Advisor at OSVRSE, Robin Beech, McGill Dean of Students, and Sinead Hunt, Associate Director of the Office of Mediation and Reporting (OMR), responded to questions from the It’s On Us’ open forums, along with other student questions sent in via Google Form.

In an interview with the Tribune, Beech explained his belief that much of the frustration toward the response process comes from a place of miscommunication and speculation, especially as a result of the confidentiality required by the process.

“What was said on social media was extremely different to what was happening in reality,” Beech said. “There may be situations where a student finds themself in a class with somebody they believe […] is rumoured to have conducted sexual violence. If that happens, those students should contact me, and I can provide mental health support and advice and things, but I will not be able to release information about whether what they’re saying is true or not, for example. So, a lot of the problems come from the fact that [the process] must be confidential, and rumor-ville just goes wild.”

Though Kalarickal acknowledges that hosting the Sexual Violence Response panel is a positive step from administration, she still feels that their response process is inadequate.

“[It’s On Us] took the initiative and we sent them things that students had sent to us,” Kalarickal said. “So, it didn’t really come across as a genuine effort to connect and to address students [….] When we brought up the concerns from students saying that these policies are a bit lacking and don’t really ensure the survivors’ safety, they shifted a lot of the responsibility to Quebec law and to survivor autonomy, but that’s not really conducive to creating a safe space on campus. It’s not the survivor’s responsibility to ensure their protection.”

A virtual recording of the panel will be released shortly, and It’s On Us will link it on their social media platforms.

Sexual violence support is offered to the McGill community through McGill’s Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support and Education (OSVRSE), the Office for Mediation and Reporting (OMR), or the Sexual Assault Centre of the McGill Students’ Society (SACOMSS). OSVRSE can be reached at 514-398-3954, the OMR can be reached at 514-398-6419 or [email protected], and SACOMSS can be reached at (514) 398-8500 or [email protected].

Science & Technology

Hot girl summer eclipsed by Hot Exo-Jupiter

by Adam Matthews-Kott on

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Roughly equal to the mass of 12 Jupiters, exoplanet XO-3b was the subject of a recent study led by Lisa Dang, a PhD student studying short-period exoplanets and their atmospheres at McGill. Exoplanet XO-3b is classified as a “Hot Jupiter,” a planet with physical properties similar to Jupiter that has an orbital period of less than four earth days. XO-3b is within the range of Jupiter’s mass but closer to its host star than Mercury is to the sun.

Dang originally focussed on XO-3b because of its unusual elliptical orbit. Although elliptical orbits are not rare in and of themselves, they are not often associated with Hot Jupiters due to the high mass of these planets and their proximity to the sun. As part of her research, Dang studied XO-3b for a full year. But this turned out to be easier than anticipated, as the planet completes its orbit in the span of only three days.

“The reason why [these orbits] are interesting is because oftentimes these hot Jupiters have a lot of gravitational interactions with the host star, and so the orbit of the planet will become circular,” Dang said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “The fact that we’re observing this planet in an elliptical orbit tells us that this planet is actually migrating.”

This migration process is poorly understood; gathering data on XO-3b would go a long way in elucidating not only the process itself, but also the environment in which the planet formed. The study also discovered another interesting characteristic of XO-3b: Tentative evidence showed that the planet was producing its own heat.

“It’s easy to think that if you have something more massive that it’s going to be larger [in radius] but that’s actually the contrary,” Dang said, in reference to hot Jupiters. “[For XO-3b], we saw that the radius was larger than what was expected for a planet this massive.” 

In addition to the planet’s abnormally large radius, Spitzer telescope data indicated that the temperature of the planet was also above average across all of its seasons. Putting these two observations together, researchers predicted that some of this heightened temperature was due to internal heating.

The researchers proposed two possible explanations: The first was that the planet was experiencing a type of oscillation caused by tidal heating due to the eccentricity of its orbit. These oscillations could also explain why this planet was generating some of its own heat. The other explanation is that the planet may actually be a failed star, lending it enough mass to generate the pressures necessary for nuclear fusion—allowing the planet to maintain its higher temperature.

Dang believes that a combination of these factors  is causing the heating. She hopes to continue studying XO-3b further to get a better understanding of both the internal heating of the planet and any other interesting characteristics that the planet may present.

“If we measure how much heat is needed to be this size, it turns out to be quite a substantial amount, and that’s why we need the two of them in combination to explain what we see,” Dang said. 

Learning more about the nature of XO-3b will allow us to further characterize  Hot Jupiter-type planets as a whole. While this type of planet is among the most studied currently, there is still a lot to learn about their behaviour and unique quirks. 

Hockey, Sports

Making sense of the Montreal Canadiens’ front office shakeup

by Dante Ventulieri on

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On Nov. 29, the Montreal Canadiens announced that after nearly 10 years as general manager (GM), Marc Bergevin had been relieved of his duties.

Coming into the season off of a hot streak, such a drastic turn of events seemed unlikely. Last season, the Canadiens reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1993, and rumours swirled that a three-year contract extension was in the works. The indefinite loss of Carey Price, Shea Weber, and Joel Edmundson seemed to hamper the team’s playoff chances before the season had even started.  

By November, the team was off to their worst start in decades, bringing down morale among their loyal fans. Mikaela Piccirelli, U3 Science and longtime Habs fan, told //The McGill Tribune// that she believes the issues with Bergevin’s tenure run deeper than this year’s rocky start.

“Apart from last year, […] the Habs were just going through waves of mediocrity and a new face was needed to turn it around,” Piccirelli said. “Especially after making it to the Stanley Cup Finals, […] a new flame was ignited and the fanbase now wants and expects more.”

Changes to management did not stop with Bergevin: Paul Wilson, the vice-president (VP) of communications and public affairs, was let go, and assistant general managers Scott Mellanby and Trevor Timmins resigned and were fired, respectively. Finally, Geoff Molson, the president of the Canadiens, hired Jeff Gorton, the former GM of the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers, to serve as president of hockey operations.

In early January, Gorton and Molson then hired Chantal Machabée to replace Wilson. A Laval native, Machabée has gained notoriety during her 32 years with Réseau des sports (RDS). In an interview with the //Tribune//, Michel Lacroix, a former colleague of Machabée at RDS and the Canadiens’ in-game announcer, shared his thoughts on the hiring decision.

“I’ve known Chantal personally, she will indeed be a great VP,” Lacroix said. “She has the necessary knowledge and experience and she’ll bring some fresh air to the organization.”

According to Jared Brook, the deputy managing editor of Habs Eyes on the Prize, Machabée’s positive influence is already being felt within the organization.

“I think some of the major changes have already started to be seen in terms of how the team communicates health updates on players,” Brook said in an interview with the //Tribune//. “[Machabée] has the immense respect of everyone who covers the team. I don’t think she would take the job if the organization wasn’t willing to listen to her ideas or implement them.”

On Jan. 18, two weeks after Machabée’s hiring, the organization announced that Kent Hughes had signed a five-year contract as GM of the Habs. The Beaconsfield native had been a player agent for more than 30 years before assuming the position. Hughes is not the first agent to make the leap to GM; an agent’s skillset, which includes intimate knowledge of the collective bargaining agreement and an ability to understand player demands, means they have become increasingly coveted by hockey organizations. 

“I think as a former agent he might have a better idea of what appeals to players,” Brook noted. “Kent Hughes seems set on making the Canadiens into a more modern organization, and that is a very positive step.”

The next era of the Montreal Canadiens is just getting started and will be judged by the team’s on-ice success. The question remains whether management will take their time with a roster rebuild or feel pressured to try and speed up the process. Piccirelli is one fan who would not mind the former.

“If a full rebuild is the most logical way to get there consistently, then I wouldn’t be opposed,” Piccirelli said. “The hardest part would be seeing some players that we have come to love, leave. I don’t know how patient the Habs fan base would be with such a process, but […] I would be willing to deal with a couple more seasons like this one to get there.”

Features

Carving fish in the sand

by Holly Wethey on

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Every time I’m in the lecture hall analyzing a poem, I’m of two minds. On the one hand, as an English student, I am thinking of the poem as a critic would—sifting and weighing the words. But on the other hand, I am reading as a Christian, conscious of every gesture to God, every biblical allusion. When my English class on John Milton read //Paradise Lost//, I might have thought immediately of Milton’s use of blank verse, but instead I was struck by how the speaker articulates a love for God: “Because we freely love, as in our will / To love or not; in this we stand or fall.”

In moments like this, I start to look around me for signs, searching for others like me. A shared affinity for gospel rap or a “Jesus is King” laptop sticker could reveal a fellow believer and provide comfort in an environment that can sometimes feel secular in the most isolating of ways. These little allusions have become the modern day equivalent of carving fish in the sand. In what is often a cold academic environment, finding other Christians can be difficult, and talking about one’s faith even harder.

A Tough Crowd?

According to a survey conducted by Jesus Film, a Christian film project, 22 per cent of Christians say fear prevents them from sharing their faith. As for myself, I wish discussing my faith didn’t make me nervous. As a Christian, I believe my purpose is to love God and extend His love to others; while other aspects of my life are certainly of value to me, at my very core, I am Christian. Consequently, I often ask myself, how can so many people know me without being acquainted with the most important part of me? 

After a year of online classes and activities, as well as a desire to find a Christian community at McGill, I became involved with Power to Change (P2C), a Christian organization on campus dedicated to sharing Jesus with students at McGill. The space of worship, care, and love P2C fostered has been indispensable to me. It’s no surprise that research attests to the positive impact faith can have on one’s health, including coping with physical and mental illness.

At one event where Christian professors discussed their experiences at McGill, we spent time reflecting on barriers that prevent Christians from sharing their faith. Though some felt confident discussing their faith with others, many of us expressed feelings of fear or unease. 

Anka Johow, a staff member at P2C, is well aware of the challenges of sharing one’s faith and being rejected by peers. 

“Because of the highly scientific and logic-filled environment of university, it is a huge challenge for Christian students to profess their faith in Jesus, something that they can’t simply prove or explain since it is faith,” Johow explained. “They often feel intimidated and not free to share about it.”

JP Ponce, U2 Science, mentioned that while he finds people are normally either neutral or intrigued when he shares his faith, it can still be a difficult conversation to have.

“I do sometimes fear they may place me in a box of what they think a Christian is,” Ponce said. “It’s something that comes with tons of misconceptions. I’m not concerned with them disliking me for being Christian, but I’ll really be sad if they think I’m something that I’m not because they’ve had terrible experiences [with Christians] in the past.”

Despite these fears, Ponce emphasized that most people respond better to talking about faith than you imagine they will. YesHEis, an initiative of Christian Vision (CV), a global Christian charity, shares helpful tools for starting conversations about Jesus with others. One of the most important tips is meeting people where they are at—that is, understanding where people are coming from and being honest and transparent. Unfortunately, Christians have a reputation for being dogmatic or preachy when evangelizing, but this is the exact opposite of evangelism. This is why it is so important to approach conversations about Jesus in a loving, non-judgmental manner. 

Of course, while these fears of sharing my faith are partially personal, they aren’t that irrational considering the wider cultural context of Quebec. The province has a complicated relationship with religion. Before the Quiet Revolution, Quebec was heavily religious—in fact, the province was one of the most Catholic societies in the world, home to thousands of priests and closely tied to Rome. In many ways, the Quiet Revolution this fuelled a backlash and initiated a turn toward secularism as political leaders called for the diminishment of the Catholic Church’s role in society. The victory of the Liberal Party in Quebec in 1960 triggered the Quiet Revolution, where the party pushed for the secularization of the state. The government took control of health care and education, which had previously been under the purview of the Church. 

More recently, in order to strengthen the province’s commitment to secularism, the Coalition Avenir Quebec (CAQ) introduced Bill 21, which prevents public officials from wearing religious symbols while exercising their public duties. Instead of ensuring the separation of the church and state, the bill discriminates against minorities, including Muslim women who wear hijabs, Jews who wear kippahs, and Sikhs who wear turbans. At the same time, the law doesn’t affect all religions equally. While those of other religious minorities might not be able to conceal symbols of their faith, I can tuck a cross under my shirt.

Secularism isn’t necessarily only a political ethos. Although relatively independent from the goings-on of the government, McGill and other university institutions often start with a secular outlook when it comes to the pursuit of knowledge. In an academic context, classes often begin with the assumption that God does not exist and that Christianity is a sort of antique worldview. However, this view itself involves a value judgment, though it is often portrayed as a neutral starting point for academic studies. While the secular standpoint certainly has its uses, it can sometimes also crowd out other perspectives. 

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