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Lost within the looking glass

by Bianca Sugunasiri on

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“I almost wish I hadn’t gone down that rabbit-hole—and yet—and yet—it’s rather curious, you know, this sort of life!” 

The sage words of the lovely Alice on her way to Wonderland capture the way social media has wheedled its way into our lives. Too often do we find ourselves wondering how the afternoon became evening in a flurry of incessant texts, new posts, and Italian brainrot. 

Tumbling down this rabbit hole is a daily occurrence for many of us, and one that has become a conventional part of life. But as Alice says, “It’s rather curious […] this sort of life.” It is undeniably remarkable to have the entire world at your fingertips. You can communicate with anyone, anywhere, and never have to show your face. It connects billions of users in milliseconds, cultivating social networks that emerge on an unimaginable scale. It follows that we should all feel loved, supported, and connected in this virtual community, right? This wealth of connections and its ease of accessibility should augment our ability to find people with whom we relate, and spaces within which we can feel supported and thrive.  

But, does it? Researchers Bonsaksen et al. examined the association between social media use and loneliness following COVID-19 and found that more time spent on social media correlated with user loneliness. They hypothesized that individuals using social media with the intention of maintaining relationships feel lonelier than those who spend the same amount of time on social media for other reasons. 

A complementary study, conducted at Connecticut College, investigated the relationship between technological communication usage and the level of social skills among college students. They found that those who preferred technological communication to face-to-face interactions had inferior social skills. They also found that a greater restriction of technology in youth correlated with better social skills. 

Social media restrictions became of national interest in recent years when Australia banned under-16s from using major social media services, including TikTok, Instagram, and X, in December 2025. This legislation is intended to insulate youth from harmful, distracting, and addictive content. A commissioned study by the Australian government found that the majority of social media users between the ages of 10 and 15 encountered content with psychologically harmful messaging, emphasizing the need for this measure.

It appears that the very medium which purports to bridge the gap between us not only cuts us off from one another, but actively facilitates harm. Social media can only create online //connection//, not physical //community//. It can introduce one individual to another, but lacks the organic spark: The messy, tangible, social aspect of relationships that make us human. This particularly targets students—young, bright individuals taking their first foray into a broad social climate. Social media provides us with an illusion of community that seemingly satisfies the connection we crave, but falls short in capturing the intrinsic //humanness// of in-person interaction. 

The (im)perfect bubble  

Human interaction, the very basis of community, has always been imperfect. It is messy and organic, yet full of life. A first date is beautiful //because// you accidentally brushed against one another’s hands in the popcorn bucket, laughed so hard you spit out your soda, and both got shushed during the movie. In icy contrast, social media is a series of bubbles, each user distorted by the translucent walls which smooth out any imperfections: Pauses, awkwardness, and blemishes. 

In an interview with //The Tribune//, Kennedy O’Neil, U2 Arts, expressed her frustration with this phenomenon. 

“[Social media] allows you to be pressured to feel intolerant of the natural bumps in a conversation. We have this thing against awkwardness–but awkwardness is so natural, it’s a part of human existence,” she said.

O’Neil explained that she always tries to laugh and move on from an embarrassing moment, but that there’s no avenue online to practice that maneuver. If each text is perfectly curated at all times, with autocorrect backseat-driving, when do we get any exercise in navigating the inconsistency of the everyday? There is pressure that comes with being able to control every aspect of how you communicate, from the emojis you place between your words to the identity you begin to curate for yourself. 

Kathleen Casey, U2 Education, described the anxiety this can create in an interview with //The Tribune//. 

“[Social media] gave you the freedom of choosing how others perceived you, but for me at least, it brought so much anxiety. It was not only exhausting to think about how my peers saw me, but it was even more so exhausting to keep up with others all the time,” she said.

Casey opted to remove herself from social platforms once it got too overwhelming.

 “Deleting social media gave [me] the opportunity to create more genuine friendships with people in my social circles that I connected with on a deeper level,” she explained.  

Social media has created a space of customization, where every social choice is one that you can alter. You can smooth out every pore on your nose, colour code every post in a fruitless attempt to imitate the automatons we call influencers. Not only does this demand an enormous cognitive load, but it also bleeds into how we operate in our day-to-day lives, leading us to avoid opportunities for community. So why can’t we simply remove it from our lives?

The psychological road to addiction

The addictive properties of social media have been both endlessly alluded to and joked about sarcastically online. However, addictions are most harmful when the individual is unaware of their consumption and the sheer amount of time they are losing. 

In an interview with //The Tribune//, U3 Economics student Delaney Cahill echoed falling into this trap.

“When you look at your screen time and realize that you only have a certain many hours in the day—anything else with that much time spent would be beyond an addiction.” 

A poll of 286 students on //The Tribune//’s Instagram found that 46 per cent of respondents spent 3-4 hours daily on social media, and 13 per cent spent over five hours. 

Stanford University psychiatrist and world-leading expert on addiction, Anna Lembke, describes the smartphone as the “modern-day hypodermic needle” that we turn to for quick hits of attention, validation, and distraction. These pleasures that naturally occur in our organic community are supplied online at a much faster and concentrated rate: Around 16,000 TikTok videos are uploaded every minute. The endless fountains of fun right at our fingertips result in global depression rates and reduce our ability to find enjoyment in our in-person society. 

When we are primed with so much stimulation, the pleasure we would typically get from a positive conversation or a smile from a stranger pales in comparison to the perfectly curated algorithm designed to stimulate dopamine. In the same way an alcoholic builds up tolerance that demands more and more drinks for the same effect, we are building up tolerance that requires a surplus of time in order to quench our pleasure signals. 

The obsession with instant gratification reinforces the brain’s limbic system, which governs emotion and reward. This imbalance jeopardizes the work of the prefrontal cortex, affecting our decision-making, rational thinking, and even our personality and sense of self. This threat is even more pronounced for students, as their prefrontal cortices are still in development. 

The key issue is that the internet does not exist in a vacuum, in which we can escape from the “real world.” It seeps into the way we process reality, altering our behaviour. Due to our strengthened limbic system, when we’re confronted with a complex problem, we turn to digital satiation, opting for the curated world that lacks imperfection. This stiff online ecosystem creates echo chambers of thought, missing the flexibility that allows us to connect. 

O’Neil expressed how this rigidity impairs our ability to socialize with others, 

“I think social media is creating an intolerance for any […] difference in opinion and views. As our feeds are feeding us these similar words, terms, phrases, songs, video styles, you become less tolerant of seeing anything else, and I think that translates in person.” 

With our limbic brain satiated by being fed exactly what it already believes, we make no effort to connect in person with someone who might not be aligned in such a way. 

Our inability to isolate our digital world from our physical one is what makes social media addiction just as overwhelming as that of a tangible substance like alcohol or drugs. The fast-paced, hedonistic caricature of social media becomes a competitor to our imperfect everyday lives. Reality cannot begin to match up, to bring the same pleasure, or satisfaction, and so what efforts are there to be made? 

Where do we go now?

Are we resigned to being isolated individuals, simply skirting past one another through a masquerade of communication? The change begins with a sense of compassion for one another and understanding that no individual is entirely at fault. 

“I think our generation has done the best with what we’ve been given,” Casey said. “It is not our fault that society is more individualistic than it’s probably ever been, but we’ve still had to endure it throughout our formative years.”

Overturning this demands active steps towards change. As students, we must make an effort to seek out opportunities for connection beyond the comfort of our //‘Wonderland bubble.’// We cannot remain passive by waiting for a community to come to us; We each play a role in building it. It can be scary to strike up a conversation in a coffee line, ask a new friend to hang out, or take out your earbuds before a lecture to socialize with others, but each of these steps has an impact on everyone around you, inspiring them to reacquaint themselves with others in the real world. 

Student societies and clubs also ought to recognize the various ways in which students consume information. Student clubs should diversify their communication platforms and work towards not only passively accommodating student community-building but actively inspiring it. This can include sharing information in the form of posters in common spaces around campus, promoting their events at the start of classes in the form of announcements, and being more proactive on school resources like Outlook rather than mainly relying on social media platforms such as Instagram. 

Nevertheless, these steps cannot rest on the shoulders of students alone. Once students have identified the issue and begin reclaiming their agency from the digital world, it is up to institutions to support them as their social climate shifts. As it currently exists, there are significant gaps in community building in universities. And although this may seem like a secondary duty of the administration, students feel its lack. 

In an interview with //The Tribune//, Rachel Hilb, U2 Education, spoke about a friend who did not use social media, explaining that this choice often left her in the dark about campus happenings. 

“She was so […] unaware of these things [events] on campus because so many people find out about these things through social media platforms.” 

Universities such as McGill share the weight of this responsibility. Creating physical spaces, interactive workshops, and consistent program-specific events will give students an easier step into engaging with their peers.

Casey also suggested implementing more third spaces. 

“Creating more third spaces within different buildings for students to hang out is important. Spaces that are designed specifically for students to hang out between/after classes. Not just desks to work at, but comfortable seating that encourages and allows for conversation and relaxation.”

This goes beyond the lounge spaces that currently exist, as few are specifically designed to facilitate peer-to-peer interaction. Those that do are often associated with a specific faculty or association, rather than aligning with the student body as a whole. 

Intentionality when creating these spaces will provide a more tangible avenue designed to build community, helping guide students into taking those first shaky steps. Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, has a variety of these spaces designed not only for general student wellness but also for diverse recognition and representation. Their Fireplace Lounge features comfortable seating by a cozy fireplace, with Indigenous art displayed along its walls. The University of British Columbia houses multiple lounge-style relaxation spaces (Collegia), which are staffed by senior students and offer kitchen facilities, various study spaces, comfortable seating, and social facilitators like board games and television. 

With this infrastructure provided, students would be more incentivized to try and actively put themselves in social situations that may be uncomfortable, dissatisfying, and seemingly unfruitful. Like any physical feat, skills need to be trained, which means that practice is the easiest way to actively rebuild your community.

Omitting social media entirely will not solve a fundamentally social problem. Awareness and active effort are the first steps towards building a more synergistic future. Be patient with yourself through your awkwardness, and be patient with others who are trying to reach for that connection.

Student Life

Tales from the brink of sanity

by Rachel Blackstone on

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December 3

I arrive at the Law Library at 11:00 a.m. after indulging in the snooze button a mere 4 times. After realizing that from now until doomsday (my last exam on Dec. 19), this library is exclusively open to law students, I turn around and drag myself to Schulich. I take the elevator to floor 6, and slowly search every room in the building until I’m back on the first floor. No seats available. As I lurk, I feel the eyes of my peers on me. It’s as if I can hear them snickering, Do better. Arriving at 11:12 a.m.? Who do you think you are? Don’t you have work to do?

December 7

One could say I’m in the swing of things. At the library by 9:00 a.m. Lunch at 1:00 p.m. Dinner at 6:00 p.m. Heading home at 10:00 p.m. I pretend the routine is good for me. I’m starting to lose track of when I last went anywhere that wasn’t my apartment or the library. At 4:00 p.m., I bundle up, preparing to face the Montreal tundra, since one professor requested our term paper be submitted in person. On my way out, I stop at the printer, a critical step for delivering a physical paper. I stand in the hallway tapping my student ID for about 20 seconds before realizing I’m tapping the water fountain, and that the printer is down the hall. 

December 12

My mid-library Instagram scroll reminds me of the friends I haven’t seen since before the storm. My first-year roommate is already in Tokyo. Another friend posts a picture of her dog. My calendar reminds me I still have seven days until my personal freedom. In a brief outburst of emotion, I delete Instagram and stand up. My neighbour looks startled. Did I slam my laptop shut? Have my emotional regulation skills also gone to Japan?

December 16

I take a study break at 2:00 p.m., and walk the halls with a friend, debating where the McConnell Engineering Building ends and where Schulich starts. We head to Dispatch in hopes of a sweet treat magical enough to revitalize our hopes and dreams, but they are sold out.

December 18

Tonight, I fell victim to an Uber Eats “Buy One Get One” deal. My fridge is empty, my roommates are gone, and with one exam remaining, I deserve a hot meal. It arrives cold and late, and, after briefly locking myself out of the building, I arrive at the McConnell Engineering Cafeteria. For the first time, it’s completely empty. My only company is the baby mouse who runs in and out of a hole in the wall. I consider joining the mouse, crawling into a dark warm corner to slip into a confused slumber.

December 27 

A week into break, I have yet to catch up on sleep due to the number of activities a much more ambitious and optimistic version of myself had organized. I can’t believe I’m already halfway through my respite, but I pity my mouse-y friend, who I imagine to be lonely without me.

January 4

I’ve been back in Montreal for an hour, waiting to deboard my plane that circles the tarmac, hunting for a gate like a shark after a seal. 30 minutes later, I’m greeted by a stagnant Uber line and a gust of wind so cold that I forget I ever left this sly city. I open Minerva with unjust casualty and see that I am still missing all five grades. 

January 8
I am sitting in Leacock 219 unable to do anything except listen to the hum of construction. I try to identify the source: Is it from above or below? Inside Leacock or outside? Inside my mind? Can you guys hear this too?

News, The Tribune Explains

The Tribune Explains: QPIRG’s Free Textbook Loan Program

by Amelia H. Clark on

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The Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG) at McGill’s Alternative Library offers a Free Textbook Loan Program to students of all faculties and programs, with the goal of providing low-income students free semester-long access to textbooks.

Carl Bystram, community research and working groups coordinator at QPIRG, detailed the program’s purpose to The Tribune in a written response.

“The cost of textbooks can be overwhelming for many working class students, and the lifecycle of textbooks has been foreshortened,” Bystram wrote. “As a result, the majority of students are stuck with having to buy new textbooks, which also has a negative environmental impact. Our Textbook Loan Program insists on lending out textbooks for the entire semester partly to curb this problem.”

What is the program?

The Free Textbook Loan Program was established to address the inaccessibility of affordable physical textbooks in academia. McGill Libraries, while offering course reserves, only allows students to borrow books within a three-hour to two-week time range, with a limit of three checkouts. Students then have to photocopy materials, pay the printing fee, and manually scan each page if they want to access the content later in the semester.

Students may also struggle to access textbooks in the first place as there is a limit to how many people can access the Course Reserve at a given time. 

McGill’s libraries cannot buy digital copies due to copyright laws, and academic publishing houses often overcharge buyers as they know students are required to make the purchase regardless of cost. 

QPIRG proposed the initiative as an alternative through which students can donate textbooks to receive compensation, borrow textbooks without cost, and dispose of textbooks without waste, thereby increasing both sustainability and accessibility on campus.

How do I borrow books? 

Borrowing books through the program is entirely free and operates on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to students in the Faculty of Arts. Students can search the catalogue and suggest purchases if the library does not carry their needed materials. After filling in a request form, 

QPIRG will provide students a pick-up time and location to retrieve their books. Requests for syllabus materials are expedited, though students may also borrow textbooks for research purposes. The loaning period lasts an entire semester, ranging from the first day of classes to the last day of exams. QPIRG does not charge late fees and offers loan extensions to students who cannot return materials by the given deadline. 

How do I donate books?

The library accepts both textbooks and novels pending approval of their contents. Students must first fill out a donation form which asks for the donor’s contacts and the details of the books they wish to give away. Only books that are listed on a currently running class’s syllabus can be exchanged for the five-dollars-per-item compensation, so after filling out the form, donors should email the relevant syllabi to the library directly. If the request is approved, QPIRG will contact the donor and arrange a meeting at the Arts Lounge sometime between 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. 

Textbooks that are not included in syllabi are still accepted and can be dropped off at the Alternative Library located at 3516 av. du Parc during opening hours. 

Why should I use the program? 

The Free Textbook Loan Program is a student-led initiative, relying on the work of volunteers to continue providing this essential service not only for the McGill community but also for prospective learners across Montreal who lack access to physical and digital textbooks. To support the program, students can volunteer, donate, and utilize the resources offered to sustain the circular economy model in which the program operates. 

“More students should take advantage of this program because it is free and it is designed to help them save money,” Bystram wrote. “One of the main barriers to the expansion of this program—and to getting this program funded—has been that it can be hard to reach the average student and get them to actually use this resource.”

Montreal, News

PAJU hosts vigil in solidarity with Palestine at Station Bonaventure

by Asher Kui on

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On Jan. 8, Palestinian and Jewish Unity (PAJU) hosted a vigil in solidarity with Palestine against Israel’s broken ceasefire and ongoing genocide. At 4:00 p.m., around 10 members of PAJU stationed themselves outside the turnstiles at Station Bonaventure, distributing flyers to commuters and pedestrians.

In an interview with The Tribune, PAJU representative Bill Sloan, informally known as Captain Boycott, highlighted Israel’s history of breaking ceasefires, and PAJU’s commitment to protesting Israel’s actions amid adverse political situations.

“Since 1948, Israel has never respected a truce or a ceasefire, never once,” Sloan said. “They have been and they continue to be permanently in a state of war, officially and legally [….] We will continue to be a pain in the neck […] [even when] cops tell [us] that [we’re] not allowed to [protest] here.”

He continued to mention how some pro-Israel citizens in Montreal have repeatedly attempted to shut down PAJU’s demonstrations.

Another attendee who wished to remain unnamed, who is a part of a trio of activists that protest alongside PAJU each week, explained to The Tribune that Canada and Quebec are just as complicit as the United States in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians. 

“People assume that Canada, which is far, far away, and it’s not America, [is] not involved, but we are highly involved with our tax dollars,” they said. “People simply refuse to make the connection [….] If people are out on the streets in large numbers, which they’re not, maybe something would happen, but as long as there’s this general indifference and sort of sleepwalkingness, it’s not going to get better.”

They also mentioned the urgency of advocating for Bill C-233 and the No More Loopholes Campaign. Currently, many Canadian-made weapons cross into the United States unchecked, where they are then integrated into larger weapon systems and exported to Israel. Bill C-233, sponsored by Member of Parliament Jenny Kwan in November 2025, aims to end Canada’s complicity in Israel’s genocide by requiring permits and human rights assessments for all Canadian exports of military goods, effectively closing the loopholes and gaps in Canadian arms export laws.

“To get rid of this loophole in Parliament [means Canada] would not be allowed to under the table, or even over the table, send weapons to Israel,” they said. “And that’s what we want. We want Canada to have nothing to do with this war on Gaza and not fund it in any way.”

Another member of the trio, who also wished to remain anonymous, explained in an interview with The Tribune that they have been protesting in solidarity with Palestine since 2024.

“We started to protest in front of Roddick Gates, and then a bunch of other people came, a wonderful group of people who just kept it alive with music and dancing and talking about Palestine,” they said. “We had lots and lots of computations, but we did it throughout the summer of 2024 and we continued into the fall, and then when it got cold [we started to] look for metro stations.”

They also talked about an apathy among the public that continues to overlook the lived realities in Palestine.

“We’re working against a very powerful culture, and people are encouraged by the culture to focus on themselves, their families, their homes, their clothes, and their job,” They said. “Their circle of consciousness doesn’t include Palestine or even Venezuela, now that they’ve been attacked. To break into that [circle] is very difficult, and we must be gentle too, because we don’t want to hurt people [in the process of protesting].”

Captain Boycott highlighted certain strategies to engage the general public.

“You try to make it, first of all, visually appealing,” Sloan said. “The first place you’re gonna catch [people] is with the visual [….] Try to smile, not shove it in their face, but offer it to them in their hands [.…] Once one person takes them […] all the people after him, or most of them, would take one, because when somebody’s taking one, why not?”

Commentary, Opinion

New Year, same (institutional) burnout

by Moyọ Alabi on

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January, colloquially known as the month of new beginnings. Planners for the calendar year fill the bookshelves, wellness advice on how to ‘improve’ flood TikTok and Instagram For-You-Pages, and even McGill sends out communications encouraging students to return to campus with better habits and a renewed zest for academia and discipline. 

New Year’s resolutions are often framed as an introspective exercise that positions personal change as both the source and solution to any issue. Nevertheless, self-improvement culture encourages students to internalize burnout as a personal failure, allowing institutions to avoid accountability for the structural conditions that make exhaustion inevitable. In this understanding, stress and fatigue become problems to be corrected individually rather than predictable responses to the collective institutional pressures students are expected to navigate. 

Responsibility for burnout is increasingly individualized within academic environments that normalize constant productivity and self-regulation. Studies consistently show high levels of stress and burnout amongst post-secondary students: Nearly 90 per cent report feeling overwhelmed by their responsibilities, and 66 per cent report overwhelming anxiety—numbers far above what one would expect if stress were simply a ‘personal weakness.’ Research also consistently associates academic stress with diminished well-being, as students who report higher academic pressure also report declining mental health outcomes. 

Although there is a plethora of reputable research proving burnout to be structurally and contextually driven, institutional responses disproportionately emphasize individual behaviour change. A 2023 World Health Organization report identifies burnout as an occupational phenomenon driven by chronic workplace stress, explicitly rejecting framings that solely describe it as a personal medical condition. Despite this, universities respond to stress-related risks by promoting time-management strategies and resilience training, effectively evading their institutional responsibilities to provide support and accessibility to students and staff alike. 

In Canada, one in three students report that mental health resources do not meet their needs due to long wait times and limited availability. Academia on mental health in higher education shows that students are far more likely to be offered coping tools than material accommodations, which further reinforces the idea that distress reflects insufficient self-management. In this, burnout is framed as a failure to adapt to neoliberal demands of efficiency, rather than the manifestation of systemic pressure compounded by inadequate institutional support. 

The institutional benefit of framing burnout as an individual issue is also well documented. A 2022 survey by the American College Health Association found that although over three-quarters of college students reported moderate to high levels of stress, few campuses have made corresponding investments in material support services such as reduced course caps or expanded academic leave. Instead, many institutions offer limited counselling and wellness programs while broader comprehensive structural support remains absent. At McGill, this gap is apparent in the limited accessibility of mental health care: Student reporting shows that appointments at the Wellness Hub can require weeks-long wait times during peak periods such as midterms and final exams. Official university responses continue to emphasize self-help guides and stress-management resources. 

The aforementioned framing is intensified by the timing of the New Year itself. January marks the start of the winter semester, which is characterized by limited daylight and the lingering exhaustion of the fall term and exam period; yet students are expected to return to full productivity almost immediately. While practices of self-discipline and routine can be genuinely supportive at the individual level, they cannot compensate for structural conditions that remain unchanged. Without corresponding reductions in workload or expanded institutional support, self-care risks becoming a means of endurance rather than relief, asking students to adapt indefinitely to environments that continue to demand more than they can reasonably sustain. 
So this January, before reaching for another productivity planner or doom-scrolling through content promising personal transformation, it is worth considering that the problem may not just lie in individual habits, but in a system designed to make them appear as the only thing that can change.

Science & Technology

A diabetes peer mentorship program launches for First Nations youth

by Michelle Yankovsky on

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Diabetes is often framed as a purely medical condition, managed through medications, blood sugar monitoring, and lifestyle changes. For many Indigenous youth in Canada, however, history and culture shape how they experience the condition. The enduring impacts of colonialism, intergenerational trauma, and the healthcare system’s failure to provide culturally sensitive and adequate care have contributed to diabetes being disproportionately prevalent in Indigenous communities across Canada.

These realities have influenced Jonathan Linton—a First Nations young adult living with diabetes in the Eeyou 1st-chee (EI) territory in Quebec, home to nine separate Cree communities—to develop a peer mentorship program to address the diabetes epidemic specifically in this region.

“Even before the [peer mentor program], I wanted to help my fellow Crees with their diabetes, because diabetes is a big thing around here, and a lot of people [used to think] it was the end when they were first diagnosed,” Linton said in an interview with The Tribune.

The program employs a community-based approach, featuring activities based on promoting wellness practices, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and reconnecting with the land to improve health and psychosocial outcomes for individuals with diabetes. Linton chose this approach because clinical environments often create barriers, including long wait times, feelings of stigma, and challenges navigating medical information that is delivered in ways that do not align with Indigenous values and beliefs.

“When I, myself, as a diabetic, went to the clinic, it was hard to understand [the medical professionals] […] and the [clients] would go through the same thing I went through. By the time I left the doctor’s office, I would forget most of the things that they told me,” Linton said. “But then, I started asking my clients if they wanted to go out on the land because it is our medicine and freedom […] and so [the program] took off.”

‘Going out onto the land’ refers to engaging in land-based activities, such as hunting, fishing, and preparing traditional foods. Linton explains that participation in these activities promotes physical exercise, which supports diabetes management, while also benefiting mental health.

Romina Pace, an assistant professor in McGill’s Department of Medicine, also shared her experiences working alongside Cree communities to improve healthcare delivery and outcomes in an interview with The Tribune.

“As a physician working with people with diabetes, and especially within the Cree community, I think that the lifestyle changes and the reconnecting with the land aspects [of the program] help with a lot of stuff besides diabetes,” Pace said. “Having those lifestyle changes for mental health, or the self-esteem that the program actually builds for people […] helps to deal with drugs, alcohol, and other stressors that are going on a lot with the youth and young adults in the community.”

Pace also emphasized the recurring complications First Nations youth with diabetes continue to endure, explaining that many people in the community are on dialysis from kidney failure. However, she is hopeful that negative health outcomes can be prevented through the implementation of peer-mentorship programs such as Linton’s.

“Stepping into the [regular] clinic has a negative stigma, particularly for Cree youth and young adults, who are at higher risk of having renal complications from diabetes,” Pace said.

Finally, Sahar Fazeli, a postdoctoral fellow at the McGill University Health Centre, highlighted some specialized methods used in the peer mentorship program to approach difficult discussions regarding individuals’ health.

“When people are talking about their lived experiences, it is usually very hard and challenging, especially for the youth,” Fazeli said in an interview with The Tribune. “So that’s why we try to [approach discussions] through arts-based methods, which have deep roots in the Indigenous culture.”

The project uses a decolonizing approach by working alongside EI young adults and the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay, fostering respect, reciprocity, and peer mentorship to optimize psychosocial support for diabetes care.Given the high prevalence of diabetes in Indigenous populations, with specifically one in five adults in Cree communities living with diabetes, expanding programs like Linton’s to other Indigenous communities across Canada is essential to reconciliation and progression towards health equity.

McGill, Montreal, News, Recap

Recap: Quebec increases proof-of-funds requirement for international students

by Eren Atac on

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On Jan. 1, the Quebec government changed the financial requirements for international students to be eligible to study in the province. Quebec now requires international students to show at least $24,617 CAD in available funds to qualify for a Certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ) and study permit. This new requirement, which applies to individuals both over and under 18 years of age, is a significant increase from the previous $15,508 CAD requirement for adults and more than triple the $7,756 CAD requirement for those under 18.

The proof-of-funds requirement is intended to ensure students are able to cover living expenses incurred during their studies in Quebec, such as rent, food, and transportation. The funds do not need to be entirely held in the student’s bank account and may include parental support, scholarships, or loans. Nonetheless, the drastic increase could limit access to studying in the province for lower-income international applicants.

In an interview with The Tribune, international student Kai Bosniak, U3 Sciences, criticized the new requirements for reducing accessibility for otherwise qualified students to study in Quebec. 

“It seems like a shocking and unreasonable amount [….] It would have been triple for me. I’m against it personally, because it would have very negatively affected me [….] I don’t think I had $24,000 [CAD] in the bank account anywhere” Bosniak said. “I think a lot of people who would be qualified and eager to learn would just be completely unable to enter the country or the province.” 

McGill hosts thousands of international students each year, many of whom already face high housing and tuition costs when living in Montreal. As tuition fees for international students are already more than triple the cost for Canadian citizens, the increased proof-of-funds requirement adds another financial barrier for prospective students.

“I don’t think international students are prioritized at all. I feel like it is pretty explicit that they want to prioritize the Quebecois and other Canadians, but not [international students],” Bosniak added.

Hockey, Sports

Chilled rivalry: Martlets Hockey fall to Italian National Team in pre-Olympic exhibition

by Lialah Mavani on

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The Martlets finished the first half of their season ranked fourth in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), with six of their games going to overtime. On Jan. 8, McGill’s Martlets Hockey returned to McConnell Arena for their first game since Nov. 30. The team’s homecoming was marked by stiff competition against the Italian National Team, who are wrapping up their final weeks of pre-Olympic training in Montreal.

Goalie Megane Pilon, U1 Science, told The Tribune that the game was an important opportunity for the Martlets to measure themselves against an Olympic-level team and challenge themselves to play hard and give their best effort.

“It was a great game to get back after Christmas,” Pilon said. “I think we were quite scared because they are much older than us, and we are quite a young team. So we were a little bit apprehensive, but I do think we came out really strong in the first period.”

The Martlets put up a strong fight in the first period, fending off offensive plays from the Italian national team. The team’s persistence paid off, allowing them to keep the score tied 0-0 until the last two minutes and seven seconds of the first period, when Italy’s Justine Reyes scored the first goal of the match, giving Italy a 1-0 lead. The stadium erupted in chants of, “Let’s Go Martlets,” as McGill fans attempted to recentre their players.

The game was more physical than what the Martlets are used to, Pilon explained. It pushed them to respond to the other team’s physicality and battle for every opportunity. 

Forward Anika Cormier, U3 Education, further reinforced Pilon’s beliefs about the team’s strong mentality. 

“We’re a very gritty team, and I think we approach it the exact same way, just work hard, play fast, and play our games. Trust the system,” Cormier said.

While the second and third periods were less favourable for the Martlets, they continued to give their all on the ice. The start of the second period was accompanied by more aggressive offensive plays from the Italian team, forcing the Martlets to play defensively. 

Impressively, the Italian team was able to score even while being shorthanded just six minutes and 41 seconds into the second period. The second goal of the game had fans of both teams excited and hopeful, with fans of the national team waving their Italian flags proudly, while McGill fans continued to cheer on their home team.

The period finished with Italy leading 3-0; it was not just eventful offensively, but also in terms of penalties. The period included two power plays, giving the Martlets a hopeful advantage over the Italians. However, their offensive efforts fell short. The third and final period was the most successful for the Italian team, as they scored four goals in just under 11 minutes, showing their experience over the home favourite. 

The Italian national team remained dominant over the young Martlets; the exhibition also served as a valuable measuring stick for the team. Facing an Olympic-bound team pushed them to match a higher level of speed, strength, and discipline, while reinforcing their grit and resilience. As the Martlets turn their focus back to their regular season games, they will face the Concordia Stingers on Jan. 16. The experience of competing against elite international talent offers new perspectives for the program’s future.

Quotable

“We are just looking to get better every single game, and we had some really good moments in the game. It was just about us lacking a bit of experience. So we’re looking at it from a growth perspective and taking away the positives, learning from the areas that we need to improve on.” –Head Coach Alyssa Cecere on the team’s takeaways and their goals going forward for the season.

Stat Corner

The game had six penalties, two against the Martlets and four against the Italian team. All six penalties were served in the first two periods.  

Moment of the Game

The Martlets faced off against new opponents with some familiar faces. The Italian National Team included former Martlets assistant coach Kayla Tutino and was coached by McGill Redbirds Hockey alumnus, Alexandre Tremblay. 

Science & Technology

SciLearn: Learning how to learn

by Antoine Larocque on

More in Science & Technology:

Starting a science degree at McGill can feel overwhelming. Between heavy course loads, fast-paced lectures, and the pressure to perform, many students struggle to find study strategies that work for them. SciLearn, a program run by McGill’s Office of Science Education (OSE), aims to change this.

Grounded in neuroscience, SciLearn supports the growth, well-being, and academic success of undergraduate students by helping them study more effectively.  

“We try to provide [first-year undergraduates] with some skills that can enable them to feel well and to be successful in their first year,” Cyrille Mvomo, a PhD student and Science Education fellow at OSE, said in an interview with The Tribune.

The program’s innovative approach has gained international recognition, earning a bronze QS Reimagine Education Award for its application of neuroscience learning.

One of SciLearn’s central initiatives, SciLearn Peer Collaboration, operates a collaborative learning space on weekdays from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Burnside Hall basement, room 1B23. There, teaching assistants and undergraduate peer mentors assist students as they study together. The workspace hosts course-specific study sessions for a selection of 100 and 200-level science courses. Students can work on assignments, prepare for exams, ask questions, or simply take a break in between study sessions. Although SciLearn is housed within the Faculty of Science, students from other faculties enrolled in first-year science courses are also welcome.

“We want everyone to come,” Kira Smith, Student Engagement and Learning manager at OSE, told The Tribune. “Part of the network that we establish between students means that the students who […] understand the concept can support their fellow peers in developing that same understanding and learn as they are teaching their peers [….] It is [a program] that builds on everyone’s strengths.”

According to a survey conducted by OSE researchers, between 85 and 90 per cent of students reported that SciLearn Peer Collaboration prepared them for their assessments, improved their understanding of class material, and provided a centralized space to study multiple courses.

Beyond SciLearn Peer Collaboration, SciLearn organizes events, such as workshops that explore the neuroscience of learning, memory, attention, and motivation. Through a combination of guest lectures, study groups and other events, SciLearn helps students understand how the brain retains information and applies the knowledge to improve their study practices.

SciLearn also collaborates with instructors in select science courses to deliver guest lectures which introduce students to neuroscience-informed learning strategies.

“In our events, we realized that some of the students had some misconceptions about the neuroscience of learning that could prevent them from optimizing their learning performance,” Mvomo said. “For example, [people think] they are a visual learner, they are an auditory learner, and they cannot learn in any other way [….] After attending our events, these kinds of misconceptions are decreasing.”

As advice to first-year students, Mvomo cautions against cramming before exams, noting that it does not support long-term retention of information. He also encourages students to remain open-minded about academic support programs and workshops, even those that may initially seem unnecessary.

Smith echoed this message and also emphasized the importance of self-compassion.

“Remember that you are a person first, then you are a student, and then you are a club member or executive, etc.,” Smith said. “[Be] gentle with yourself and [lean] on the supports that exist for you [.…] Once you have identified these community members who […] want to help, lean on them, because it makes us feel good to help you, too.”

The SciLearn program will continue to evolve, with upcoming initiatives including discussions on artificial intelligence in learning, an expansion of guest lectures, independent study group sessions, and plans to secure a larger space to broaden services.

Altogether, SciLearn aims to provide science students with practical tools, evidence-based learning strategies, and supportive spaces designed to help them thrive at McGill and beyond.

“It is a program that just wants students to succeed, and we are doing everything that we can to do that, including giving them free snacks,” Smith said.

Montreal, News

Quebec introduces new standardized formula for calculating rent increases

by Eren Atac on

More in Montreal:

The Quebec government introduced a new method for calculating rent on Jan. 1. The new method relies on the average consumer price index (CPI) over the past three years to calculate rent, rather than landlords’ individual operating costs. As part of the new system, the government also introduced a fixed five per cent threshold to allow landlords to recover money spent on major operations. 

Under the prior system, rent increases were calculated based on a landlord’s expenses, such as maintenance, taxes, and insurance. Landlords had to justify these costs when proposing a rent increase. Tenants could request to see the calculation, and if they disagreed, dispute the increase with the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL). Under the new system, rent increases are calculated using a standardized formula tied to inflation, measured by the CPI, a government statistic that tracks changes in the costs of goods and services over time. 

The changes were implemented with the goal of making rent increases more transparent and predictable for tenants and landlords. However, tenant advocates have criticized the new rules as unfair to renters, as rent increases are now harder to challenge. Since the calculation no longer relies on itemized operating costs specific to each building, tenants have fewer concrete figures to dispute when challenging an increase before the TAL. 

In an interview with The Tribune, Milton Park Citizens’ Committee President and McGill Course Lecturer Garrfield Du Couturier-Nichol criticized the new rent system for reinforcing an unequal power imbalance between landlords and tenants.

“Landlords now have reached a point where if you don’t accept what they offer, what they want, they immediately say, ‘Okay, I’m taking you to the rent board.’ That scares students, it scares seniors, and it scares low-income people,” Du Couturier-Nichol said. “Now, in my own particular case, my landlord, over the last two years, not counting this year, got a $100 [CAD] increase, and pensions certainly did not go up to more than two per cent. This year she’s asking for an $80 [CAD]-a-month increase.”

Under the new rules, landlords can recover the cost of major renovations more quickly, with rent increases tied to a fixed five per cent annual threshold for capital expenditures. 

As a low-income demographic, students are often disproportionately affected by rent increases. Ossian Dalgiesh, U1 Arts, raised concerns in an interview with The Tribune about how renovation work may affect rents under the new five per cent threshold.

“As a student, rent is already expensive enough for me,” Dalgiesh said. “My landlord has been doing a lot of construction in the building. The construction kind of seems meaningless, and it’s disruptive to everybody else in the building. Now it makes me wonder if there’s another purpose behind all of the work that he decided to start doing.”

Wyatt Hogan, U1 Engineering, said in an interview with The Tribune that, while the recent changes make rent increases more predictable, tenants still need ways to contest them.

“For people who have tighter budget constraints, it would be much more challenging, because they would have to go through the process of finding a new place if the rent increases too much,” Hogan explained. “Predictability-wise, it would be nice to have some way you can expect [how much rent will increase] in the future […] but I feel there should be more flexibility for the tenants to fight back.”

Du Couturier-Nichol suggested that the new system disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, including students and seniors, by limiting tenants’ agency.


“Housing is a human right that is guaranteed under the Charter of the United Nations. If Quebec is not going to live up to that, then that doesn’t say very much for [the province], particularly in the case of seniors and students,” Du Couturier-Nichol said. “These are the two vulnerable groups. Students are studying. Many of them have a part-time job. Seniors can’t work. And I think that’s the problem. What are you going to do when the rent goes up eight or 10 per cent?”

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