Latest News

McGill, Montreal, News

Demonstrators rally in solidarity with Mohawk Mothers, demanding a halt to New Vic Project

by Sabrina Nelson on

More in McGill:

*Content warning: Violence against Indigenous children, colonialism

Mohawk Mothers (Kanien’kehá:ka kahnistensera), alongside the Milton Parc Citizens’ Committee (CCPM), led a solidarity march on Nov. 10. Approximately 40 attendees gathered outside the gates of the Allan Memorial Institute on Pine Avenue at 4:30 p.m. to march in solidarity with the Kanien’kehá:ka community. Suspecting the presence of unmarked graves of Indigenous children at the site of the former Royal Victoria Hospital, the community is demanding that McGill launch an Indigenous-led investigation into the site before proceeding any further with the project.

In the 1950s and 60s, Dr. Donald Ewen Cameron experimented with torture techniques at the Allan Memorial Institute, a former psychiatric hospital next to the old Royal Victoria building. The torture techniques ranged from drug-induced comas to intensive electroconvulsive therapy aimed at reprogramming the brain. In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Kawinaa, a Kanien’kehá:ka kahnistensera (Mohawk Mother), speculated that Indigenous children were among the victims of Cameron’s experimentation, and that they were buried at the site.

“People who were non-natives and who were in for treatment had seen them, and would at night hear digging,” Kawinaa said. “The public needs to understand that our children are missing and never came home.”

In an email to the Tribune, Frédérique Mazerolle, a McGill media relations officer stated that McGill seeks to work closely with Indigenous communities.

“We are committed to collaborating with governments and Indigenous community leadership to undertake the work necessary to investigate this concern,” Mazerolle wrote. “The critical conversations between Indigenous communities and McGill University will continue through every stage of the New Vic project.”

Kahentinetha, a Mohawk Mother of the Bear Clan and founder of Mohawk Nation News, gave a speech at the march denouncing the government and McGill for failing to genuinely consult Indigenous communities. She insisted that both bodies need to receive consent from Indigenous communities before further developing plans for the site.

“This place was taken from us a long time ago,” Kahentinetha explained. “It was never handed over or sold. It is our responsibility to take care of that land. Now they are trying to make the project bigger. This entity is McGill University. We don’t want an apology, we want something done about this. We want an investigation done by us because this is our jurisdiction. We want our land and children back to us.”

Mazerolle outlined McGill’s efforts in consulting Indigenous communities on the project.

“Since January 2021, there have been several exchanges, including information sessions and roundtable discussions with Indigenous education organizations, Mohawk alumni, and Elders,” Mazerolle wrote. “Our efforts include initiatives that recognize the history and ongoing presence and contributions of Indigenous peoples on our campuses, and the creation of cultural and living spaces that welcome and support Indigenous students, faculty, staff, and community members.”

March attendee Mia LeBlanc, U3 Arts, believes that McGill’s statements acknowledging and supporting Indigenous communities are more performative than genuine. 

“I don’t think they really support the Indigenous community,” LeBlanc said in an interview with the Tribune.

At the march, Kawinaa explained to the Tribune that McGill borrowed Indigenous trust money—money the Canadian government held, according to Kahentinetha, for the Iroquois trust fund—to finance the construction of McGill, yet this money was never given back to them. 

“McGill is basically owned by the Kanien’kehá:ka people, we founded the school,” Kawinaa said. “McGill needs to acknowledge Indigenous sovereignty.”

McGill, News, SSMU

SSMU employees’ media relations policy, president’s absence dominate Legislative Council meeting

by Eric Birzneck on

More in McGill:

The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Legislative Council gathered for their second last meeting of the semester on Nov. 11. At the outset of the meeting, SSMU vice-president (VP) Internal Affairs Sarah Paulin issued an official apology for emails she sent to The McGill Daily. In the emails, she asked the paper to stop investigating SSMU president Darshan Daryanani’s continued absence and to refrain from contacting SSMU employees. 

Paulin’s prepared statement, delivered on behalf of the executives, apologized for the emails and reiterated the SSMU policy governing employees’ media interactions.

“I would like to apologize if any communications that I have made have given the impression that the SSMU is not a transparent organization,” Paulin said. “My intentions were only to ensure any inquiries were directed to the correct parties. Obviously, the SSMU Executive Committee believes that transparency is of the utmost importance when representing the student body. That being said, the SSMU is a student union, but also an employer [….] As such, the SSMU has processes in place to address the media where employees direct any public questions or requests to the Executive Committee.” 

During the period that immediately followed, councillors responded to questions submitted ahead of time and questions from gallery members present. Many questions revolved around SSMU’s policies for casual staff and their implications for campus media.  

SSMU VP External Sacha Delouvrier responded to a question about whether the stipulation in the Casual Staff Employee Manual that reads that “Employees are not permitted to address the media and must direct any public question or requests to the General Manager and the President” constitutes a blanket ban on all interactions between SSMU employees and press. Delouvrier stated these media provisions exist because the employee’s main concern is fulfilling their job mandate, not being a media spokesperson.  

“Unlike us, [SSMU employees] are not here representing constituents,” Delouvrier said. “As such, it is appropriate that they stay within the scope of their mandate, which is why [the policy] is set as it is right now from a human resources perspective. It’s just safer for the society, for the staff in question, as well as for everyone involved.”

When questions about Daryanani’s absence came up, Paulin reiterated that information about the matter was confidential. During the question period, a member of the gallery accused the SSMU executive team of covering up unspecified internal problems and called for Daryanani’s resignation. 

Other members of the gallery also expressed concerns about the implications of the president’s leave—which has been ongoing since at least September 23—and asked about the possibility of an impeachment or resignation. Management Representative Nathaniel Saad questioned where the rest of the president’s salary—which totals around $32,000 annually—would go in the event of a resignation. Delouvrier responded in lieu of the absent VP Finance.

“If no one is appointed to replace this executive […] there [is] the option to give a bonus to the people who were appointed to take on parts of the portfolio,” Delouvrier said 

VP Downie also addressed the cancellation of the SSMU referendum earlier in the week, stating it was due to an error with a ballot question. Downie explained that the problem had been corrected and expressed hope that students would vote again.

Moment of the meeting:

Arts and Science Representative Kevin Franceshini brought up the increase in sangria prices at Gerts, which jumped from $12 to $17. VP Downie cited the effects of the pandemic on the supply chain as part of the reason for the increase. 

“The global supply chain and realities of it have changed a lot,” Downie said. “There are persistent shortages that we can’t really predict. It’s also been three years since the bar’s been open before and there is a persistent rate of inflation that is to be expected.”

Soundbite:

“We must remember the president was elected with a majority [.…] It’s simply our role to ensure that the democratic process was respected until further decisions, further measures are taken [….] The fact that the president has been on leave […] since that McGill Daily article came out is a coincidence of dates.”

 -VP External Delouvrier on the president’s role and the timing of his leave.

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that councillors discussed the increase in sangria prices at Gerts. In fact, it was only Arts and Science Representative Kevin Franceshini. The Tribune regrets this error. 

McGill, News, The Tribune Explains

Tribune Explains: McGill’s New Office for Mediation and Reporting

by Lily Cason on

More in McGill:

What is the Office for Mediation and Reporting (OMR)?

McGill’s OMR was created in response to a review of the university’s Policy on Harassment and Discrimination, which was approved by McGill’s Senate and Board of Governors in May 2021. The OMR oversees all formal reports of harassment, discrimination, and sexual violence at the university and aims to be a central hub for information.

How does the OMR change the process of reporting harassment, discrimination, and sexual violence at McGill from the previous process?

OMR Associate Director Sinead Hunt explained in a roundtable meeting with The McGill Tribune that the office’s goal is to be a central hub for both information and reporting. Hunt previously oversaw reports filed under the Policy on Harassment and Discrimination and Policy Against Sexual Violence in her role as Senior Equity and Inclusion Advisor. She described the OMR’s aim to make the reporting process more accessible by centralizing information and resources regarding the two related policies. It also strives to strengthen the university’s response to reports. 

“The McGill community is very large,” Hunt said. “So the idea is to create a central site to enhance communications about where McGill university community members can go to obtain information about these policies, and where they can go to file a formal report. [W]ith this central site we [also] hope to strengthen our capacity and resources around the resolution of formal reports.”

How does one make use of the OMR?

Once a member of the McGill community contacts the OMR, the first step is a consultation where OMR staff help the individual decide if they would like to file a formal report.

“There is a consultation where we provide information, and we are very clear that a consultation itself is not a formal report, [….] that decision rests with the person themselves,” Hunt said. “If they do go ahead and file a report, as I said, we do an initial review. And then it can either go to a mediation or investigation process.”

If the individual chooses mediation, all involved parties must consent to the process. If all parties are on board, a trained mediator facilitates discussion and aims to guide the parties to arrive at a resolution. A formal investigation is when an assessor, either employed by the OMR or a third party, formally looks into a situation of alleged wrongdoing and writes a report. The report is sent off to the parties involved and the provost, who communicates their final decision to the parties within 15 days.

What do students think about the OMR?

Despite the OMR’s outreach efforts, Léonie Coke, U2 Arts, had not heard of the OMR when they spoke to The McGill Tribune. Coke feels that even students who know about OMR might be hesitant to use it because of the university’s poor reputation and history of not properly addressing sexual misconduct.

“[I have heard of] situations where students […] have to go to school with their sexual predators, whether they’re students in their classes or teachers,” Coke said. “I think [McGill’s response is] really not sufficient and it has not been sufficient. I do not think students will be inclined to use this resource because of the way McGill has been handling sexual harassment […] and punishing sexual offenders or predators.”

A consultation with the Office for Mediation and Reporting can be booked online at https://www.mcgill.ca/omr/book-consultation or by emailing the office at [email protected].

Sexual violence support services are available through McGill’s Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support and Education (OSVRSE) and the Sexual Assault Centre of the McGill Students’ Society (SACOMSS).

Arts & Entertainment, Books, Music, Poetry

Looking back on Leonard Cohen’s legacy

by Thomas Croasdale on

More in Arts & Entertainment:

Nov. 7 marked the fifth year anniversary of the passing of Leonard Cohen, a beloved singer-songwriter, poet, novelist, Montrealer, and 1955 McGill alum. Known for the depth and profundity of his work, the prestiged artist will continue to be commemorated by Montrealers, McGill students and staff, and fans around the world.

For Leonard Cohen, the Montreal community was, and would always be, a home. He kept a house just off of St-Laurent Blvd, overlooking the numinous Parc du Portugal. He was frequently seen in his later years occupying a stool at the nearby Bagel Etc. 

Leonard Cohen was thrust into stardom in 1967 with a nervous yet enthralling performance of “Suzanne.” Later in life, powerful tracks such as “Last Year’s Man” and “Hallelujah” would forever establish his reputation as a creator whose works were thematically bold and potent. His deep, rich voice and dynamic lyricism touched the very recesses of listeners’ hearts.

But for some, it’s not the gravity of his voice or words but the grandeur of his guitar playing that satisfies the heart. He met a Spaniard at Murray Hill Park near his childhood home in Westmount, Montreal who taught him flamenco-style guitar, as well as the simple yet elegant six chord progression that fans came to expect in Cohen’s music. 

Blurring the line between poetry and song, Leonard Cohen ultimately became a cultural icon. Known as the “Godfather of Gloom” and “Pop’s Poet Laureate,” his distinctive character and artistic authenticity gave him a legacy that seemed sure to prevail. After his passing, with the inevitable emergence of critics contesting the longevity of his work, we are left to observe how his legacy continues. 

“The guy seems to resonate, and five years after his death I don’t really see it changing,” said Brian Trehearne, a professor in the Department of English, in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “Maybe there’s another cycle coming, in fact, a new generation is discovering it.” 

On the other hand, criticism has been directed at the endurance of some of Cohen’s work. Canadian author Anaka Schofield, for instance, writes that Cohen’s second novel Beautiful Losers “remains a failed, fossilized encounter.”

Despite this discourse, it seems that Leonard Cohen’s spirit trudges on more powerfully than ever. In Montreal alone, two murals depict his visage. The one on Crescent St., made by artists Gene Pendon and El Mac in 2017, is a towering 22 stories high and watches over Montreal in a gaze of enclosing warmth. The other, situated on the side of the Cooper building on St-Laurent Blvd by Kevin Ledo in 2018 is slightly more humble in size, yet just as artistically impressive. As Cohen expresses in his first novel The Favourite Game (1963), his soul is preserved in Montreal: “Some say that no one ever leaves Montreal, for that city, like Canada itself, is designed to preserve the past, a past that happened somewhere else.”

“I think the vast majority of his audience is exactly where they were ten years before he died,” Trehearne said. “They love his work, and they miss him.” 

And so his relevance persists. With the COVID-19 pandemic slowly easing as vaccines are rolled out and restrictions lifted, we may find comfort in a particular verse from “Sisters of Mercy,” which Cohen wrote in a single inspired sitting: “If your life is a leaf that the seasons tear off and condemn / They will blind you with love that is graceful and green as a stem.” 

Science & Technology, Science Rewind

Science Rewind: How Quebec propelled aviation forward

by Youssef Wahba on

More in Science & Technology:

A brief history of flight 

Home to Air Canada, Bombardier and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Montreal has placed itself among the world’s leading aerospace and aviation hubs. In 1856, the first aircraft ever constructed in Canada was a balloon that carried three passengers from Montreal to Pointe-Olivier, Quebec. Flown in 1903, the Wright Flyer was the world’s first successful motor-operated airplane. Since then, there has been exponential growth in inventions and innovations carried out in the aviation sector.

Encouraged by the huge success of the Wright Flyer, Canada hosted its first-ever aviation event in Pointe-Claire, Quebec—25 kilometres west of downtown Montreal. The 1910 event, which lasted one week, was a huge success and had a daily attendance of almost 20,000 visitors. Several professional aviators were present at the event, including France’s Count Jacque de Lesseps—the son of Count Ferdinand de Lesseps, the developer of the Suez Canal that connects the Mediterranean to the Red Sea. 

Founded in 1928 in Longueuil, Quebec, Pratt and Whitney Canada (PWC) eventually established itself among the world’s leading aircraft engine manufacturers. A few years later in 1937, Trans-Canada Airways—now known as Air Canada—was founded. Air Canada’s current headquarters are in Montreal, and serve as Canada’s flag carrier and largest airline with over 30,000 employees as of 2019. 

In 1963, Canada launched its first artificial satellite (Alouette 1), making it the first nation other than the U.S. or the Soviet Union to ever construct its own satellite. Alouette 1 would later on orbit the earth to study its ionosphere. The Quebec-based aerospace company Heroux Devtek provided the landing system for Apollo 11, the spaceflight that landed Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon. In 1984, aboard NASA’s Space Shuttle Challenger, Quebec-born current MP Marc Garneau became the first Canadian astronaut to fly into space. Recently, in 1996, the CSA was founded and is currently headquartered in Saint-Hubert, Quebec. 

Challenger 3500 by Bombardier: Moving toward more eco-friendly jets

Designed as a successor to the Challenger 350—the best-selling business jet among global charter operators—the Challenger 3500 is set to become one of the world’s most eco-friendly business jets in the super midsize jet class. When tested, the Challenger 3500 was able to carry out a carbon-neutral flight, becoming the first business jet in industry to do so. Carbon neutrality is achieved when the carbon dioxide emissions are balanced by the removal of the same amount of carbon dioxide via carbon offset projects. 

Moreover, Challenger 3500 will be equipped with the eWAS Pilot with OptiFlight, also known as the “eco app,” which provides pilots with updated 4D weather information. This technology allows them to choose the most economical flight routes and to avoid challenging weather conditions for flight. 

The OptiFlight software also aims to provide pilots with information on how to reduce fuel usage and carbon dioxide emissions during the three main phases of flight: Climb, cruise and descent. The manufacturing of such jets are mainly powered by hydroelectricity, a form of energy that harnesses the motion of water to generate electricity, thus reducing overall carbon dioxide emissions.

CSA’s lunar exploration rover

A total of seven rovers were sent from the earth to survey the moon, all of which were manufactured by either the U.S., China, or the Soviet Union.  However, the CSA recently announced a partnership with two Canadian companies—MDA (MacDonald, Detwiller, and Associates) and Canadensys—to send a rover to explore the moon. 

The rover will enact scientific experiments and gather meaningful data and measurements that will help scientists gain a better understanding of our moon’s surface. Scientists speculate that the rover will face several hurdles to its survival on the moon, including the frigid and dark lunar nights. If Canada manages to send a rover to the moon, it would become the fourth country ever to do so. 

Features

Say my name (right)

by Sepideh Afshar on

More in Features:

At the start of every school year, my high school held a special assembly to honour seniors. Every senior was called up one by one by the principal to grab special red ties, meant to symbolize their maturity. In my last year, I was so excited for the assembly. But when it came to me, my name was mispronounced. An unsure giggle passed throughout the auditorium. I felt my cheeks get hot, and suddenly, I found myself holding back tears. While everybody else’s names were called, I stood in shame. I was utterly humiliated, but I was unsure why. 

Everybody in that room knew what my name was. Why did a little slip-up matter so much? As it turns out, I had experienced something all too common—a microaggression, or a small, unconscious act of prejudice and racism. At the time, I did not know the term, but I did not need to read an academic article to know that that moment of pure mortification would stay with me. As Ratna Ghosh, a professor in the Faculty of Education at McGill, put it to me, “Because it’s not overtly racist, it has the ability to make a more important inroad into your psyche.” 

Most people do not need to worry about how their names are pronounced—their names are common in the countries they live in. When I was four years old and had just immigrated to Canada from Iran—a place where my name was never an issue—I could not anticipate that it would turn out to be so challenging for those around me. But the chronic mispronunciation must have happened gradually, because by the time I realized that my name was constantly being said incorrectly, it had become a normal, even expected, occurrence. 

My name became a constant reminder of my difference. Always at the top of attendance sheets, I watched new teachers mull over “Sepideh,” giving a sympathetic look to the class before attempting to string the letters together in a way that made sense to them. I developed ways of intervening: The moment a teacher picked up the attendance sheet, I would raise my hand immediately to tell them my name and state that I was present. Unfortunately, this kind of behaviour was less bravery and more a product of my embarrassment. 

As it turned out, I wasn’t the only person who developed these kinds of strategies as a kid. Gialina Jiang, a second-year student at Carleton University, recalled how she used to pretend the botched versions of her name were accurate to get a laugh out of her peers. 

“It makes me feel guilty and sad that I needed to [resort] to humour in an uncomfortable situation to get validation from white people, as opposed to being proud of who I am, and my culture and roots,” Jiang said.

These microaggressions usually start in schools, easily the most significant social institution for youth. Chronic mispronunciation of a name is extremely harmful, according to a study done at Santa Clara University. Consequences range from internalized racism within students to negative self-perception that inhibits development. One study conducted at the University of Alberta found that students from ethnic minority groups feel disrespected when their names are mispronounced. Mispronouncing somebody’s name, even by accident, is a surefire way of wearing down a person’s sense of identity, since it minimizes the heritage and richness that goes into a name. 

Science & Technology

Tracing the evidence behind forensic science

by Madison McLauchlan on

More in Science & Technology:

Most viewers are aware that the crime-solving shown on TV is often a sensationalized representation of real-life forensic science, especially when it comes to the analysis of physical evidence. Trace evidence collection, bloodstain pattern analysis, ballistics, and other forensic techniques are supposed to give investigators the power to pin a suspect to a crime scene and recreate past events with a high degree of certainty.

The way scientists piece together puzzles of evidence is much murkier. Whether it be biological evidence, such as bloodstain patterns or bodily fluids, or physical evidence, like ballistic residue or clothing fibres, we expect that they are held to a scientifically rigorous standard before being used in professional practice. But somehow, in the media, techniques like shoeprint identification are presented as foolproof despite having no large-scale studies to support their use. Other techniques, like bite-mark analysis, are plagued with glaring inaccuracies: For instance, imprints in soft tissue lose their original structure over time, but may still be used for comparison. Organizations like the Innocence Project report that nearly one quarter of documented exonerations in the U.S. resulted from misapplications of forensic science. 

This is not to say that the field is without merit. In Quebec, the Laboratoire de sciences judiciaires et de médecine légale (LSJML) collaborates with law enforcement to review crime-scene evidence, from toxicology to odontology. Vincent Mousseau, a PhD candidate in the School of Criminology at the University of Montreal and associate researcher in the Laboratory for Criminology Research, says that the interpretation of evidence has improved over the years.

“Some practitioners are still reluctant to move from a model where the value of forensic evidence is expressed as a fact […] to a model where expert opinion is expressed in the form of probabilities, but important progress has generally been made,” Mousseau wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune.  “For example, today, forensic biologists from the LSJML communicate their conclusions in probabilistic forms, which is much more rigorous and transparent.”

According to Frank Crispino, director of the Laboratory for Criminology Research (LRC) at Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), forensic science acts as more of a historical tool rather than a predictive one.

“Forensic science is not about ‘techniques’ […] but about interpretation as reconstructing a past unobserved and uncontrolled singular event, not a Galilean way of practising science,” Crispino wrote in an email to the Tribune. 

Uncertainty is a seminal part of scientific inquiry, but in the field of forensics, it can be a matter of life or death. Since forensic scientists seek to establish the mechanics of a crime that only happened once, it does not follow the same iterative process as research science—therefore, attributing a piece of evidence to a person or a place can only be established to an imperfect degree of certainty. 

Cyril Muehlethaler, co-director of the LRC at UQTR, specializes in the analysis of microtraces such as fibres, or tiny specks of paint, that may be unknowingly left behind by a suspect. These can be particularly relevant in more complex cases, but take much longer to obtain results compared to DNA analysis.  

More common identification methods, like fingerprinting, are useful but often mired in quality issues. 

“What is often neglected [by the public] is that we deal with traces,” Muehlethaler wrote. “They are often of bad quality, incomplete, degraded, and can be non-representative of their original source. It can sometimes be tricky to analyze them and evaluate if they share similar properties to a reference piece. For example, having a beautiful fingermark of the whole fingertip is quite uncommon, we often have […] a trace that can be blurred, distorted, or contaminated with only a few visible ridges and a couple of minutiae.” 

Much of forensic science has to do with probability: What is the chance, say, that a DNA sample taken from a weapon matches that of a suspect and no one else? Muehlethaler explained that the translation of laboratory findings into the legal context during investigations can lead to muddled meaning. Stating that the probability of a DNA sample belonging to a person is 10 times more likely than chance is one thing, but warping that statement to establish a suspect’s culpability is very different. 

When asked to testify as expert witnesses in court, scientists are often pressured into giving definitive answers, usually to strengthen a prosecutor’s case.  

McGill, News

McGill students seeking psychiatric care at Wellness Hub struggle to get support

by Isabelle Métivier on

More in McGill:

Recent discussion threads posted to the McGill subreddit revealed that students seeking to connect with psychiatrists through the Wellness Hub encounter prolonged wait times for appointments and inefficient booking procedures. 

In one post, a user explained that they requested an appointment with a psychiatrist because they needed to renew a prescription. However, they claim they did not receive a response for more than one month after making the initial request and ran out of medication before the appointment was due. In another, a student expressed frustration after repeatedly confronting fully booked time slots while attempting to secure an online appointment for a referral.

In a joint statement from the McGill administration and the Wellness Hub, a McGill media relations officer, Frédérique Mazerolle, noted that wait times for psychiatry appointments via the Wellness Hub are triaged according to their urgency, and can range anywhere from one to two weeks for more urgent cases, to as long as eight to 10 weeks for others.

“Longer wait times for psychiatry are not unique to the Student Wellness Hub,” Mazerolle wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “They are an unfortunate reality throughout Quebec’s public healthcare system and in those of other provinces.”

Ambiguity concerning which situations are considered urgent seems to be a further obstacle for students who request psychiatric care. In an interview with the Tribune, Stella*, U2 Education, said they felt discouraged after seeking a referral for a psychiatrist through the Wellness Hub.

“The first thing they mentioned was that there was going to be a really long delay and that it was going to be complicated to get a referral,” Stella said. “If I had insisted, I think they would have [written] me a referral or helped me get the referral, but it was more like […] a last resort type of thing [….] I felt like I really needed [a referral] before [getting to] that stage.”

Stella added that they eventually received a referral for a psychiatrist after contacting the Wellness Hub and explaining that they felt their situation had worsened. Stella had originally wanted to speak with a female psychiatrist who had experience with 2SLGBTQIA+ issues. However, Stella was told the wait for such a psychiatrist would be an extra two weeks, so they opted for the first available psychiatrist. 

“I would have preferred a woman psychiatrist, someone with a minimum of LGBTQ awareness,” Stella explained. “So in the end I just took [the] first appointment [available]. It was seeing one right away or nothing.”

In an email to the Tribune, Julia Caddy, Students’ Society of McGill University mental health commissioner, noted that students’ perception of psychiatrists as the primary resource for mental health might be preventing some students from receiving more immediate care. 

“The assumption is that a psychiatrist should be the go-to for any discussion regarding medications for mental illness,” Caddy wrote. “However, while psychiatrist shortages persist, Quebec and many other regions in Canada rely on general physicians to provide such consultations and prescriptions, especially during the waiting time to see a specialist. This requires that we shift our understanding of psychiatrist appointments to being primarily for complex care, reassessing prescriptions, and assessment/diagnosis.”

Caddy encourages students to reach out to [email protected] if they want support in getting their mental health needs addressed. 

“That is what we’re here for,” Caddy wrote. “And we are dedicated to holding both systems and individuals accountable.”

*Stella’s name has been changed to preserve their anonymity. 

Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

‘God of Carnage’ marks Players’ Theatre’s return to in-person theatre

by Suzanna Graham on

More in Arts & Entertainment:

One hundred years after starting the company, and three years after closing their stage for renovations and COVID-19, Players’ Theatre finally returned to in-person shows with Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage. Despite the play having only four characters and being produced in a small black-box theatre, the show was full of energy, matched by a full audience ecstatic to experience live theatre once again. 

God of Carnage depicts two sets of parents discussing what to do about their children’s playground squabble, which left one son missing two teeth. Veronica Novak (Flora Situ, U1 Arts), whose stubborn nature keeps the play on track, and Michael Novak (Samuel Valentim-Gervais, U3 Science), a passive people-pleaser play the host couple, who spend the majority of the play attempting to convince the other parents to take responsibility for their son’s actions. Unfortunately for them, Annette Raleigh (Claire Tees, U2 Arts) and Alan Raleigh (Euan Lathrop, U2 Arts) get hilariously distracted by Annette’s nausea and a cluster of hostile work calls, causing the four’s initial disagreement to dissolve into comedic chaos. 

Although all of the actors embodied their characters well, Lathrop’s performance truly stole the show. His character, a corrupt businessman and irritated husband, participated in every bizarre tangential storyline—from speculating the fate of the Novak family’s pet hamster in the wild to reminiscing about childhood clique behaviors—adding just the right amount of childish enthusiasm to the scene. 

Although the play’s performance is a highlight on its own, credit is due for the crew and production team, who had to adapt to COVID-19 safety rules and learn how to produce an in-person show. In an interview with The McGill Tribune, executive director Basile Guichard, U3 Arts, explained the difficulties of learning how to stage in-person shows.

“When we arrived [on] September 1, […] all our sets and costumes and props were in boxes under [a] huge tarp,” Guichard said. “We just had to put up all the lights, and figure out the tech booth. We don’t know how to use all this material. Everyone that has [produced] here before has graduated. We had to learn everything to make this possible. Everyone has had to step up.”

Another challenge was creating tension within a socially distanced play. Because the actors are unmasked, which is allowed under provincial guidelines, they have to stay as far away from each other as possible. With the heated nature of the play, director Max Grosskopf, U3 Arts, and Guichard had to find dramatic ways to create tension without letting the actors touch.

“Sometimes, instead of going toward another actor, you’ll see an actor go away. And so it creates another tension,” Guichard said. “You know what happens when you’re angry, […] you want to go and fight. But what happens if you feel angry but you distance yourself? It creates a whole different narrative.” 

By making the best of a tough situation, Guichard and Grosskopf added interesting blocking and thought-provoking dynamics to the characters’ relationships. Despite the behind-the-scenes obstacles, God of Carnage is a celebration of live theatre. 

“People are able to see live theatre again, [and] get that human interaction,” Guichard said. “We’ve been missing that element of art and creativity and getting together, creating something out of nothing. And now that we can have it back, it’s just been overwhelming joy and positivity.”

Players’ Theatre’s final show of the semester, a double-feature of And Then There Were None and Breathing Space will run from November 16–19.

Hockey, Martlets, Sports

Martlets hockey team defeats Ottawa Gee-Gees in third RSEQ encounter

by Karan Kumar on

More in Hockey:

On Nov. 5, the McGill women’s hockey team (3–0) defeated the visiting Ottawa Gee-Gees (1–2) at McConnell Arena by a convincing score of 4-1. The game marked the third straight win for the Martlets in the RSEQ league. The Martlets dominated the game with 35 shots on goal. Christiana Colizza, a first-year graduate student studying kinesiology and physical education, was instrumental in the Martlets’ domination, scoring two goals in the first and third periods of the game.

The Martlets opened the scoring only 45 seconds after the initial puck drop when Colizza redirected a shot from fifth-year team captain, Jade Downie-Landry.

“I think it was a good game, a team win that’s for sure,” Landry said in an interview with //The McGill Tribune//. “Everyone is putting a lot of effort in [and] I think […] it’s paying off. We focused on starting hard when the puck drops [and] that was our focus this game.” 

Ottawa goaltender Aurelie Dubuc made several key saves in the first period to keep the Gee-Gees in the game. However, the game drifted away from Ottawa in the second period after goals from Martlet forwards Makenzie McCallum and Quynn Campbell.

Fourth-year forward Marika Labrecque considered the team’s hard work a key factor in their win on Friday.

“We all did our work [on the] little details,” said Labrecque. “We started very strong. Our coach said in the first five minutes we had to work hard. After the first five minutes we understood [what we had to do]. We learn and work hard every week, and build on each game.”

The final period was evenly contested, with Ottawa managing a consolation goal to spoil Martlet goaltender Tricia Deguire’s shutout bid. Deguire ranks second in wins among McGill’s all-time goaltending leaders with a career record of 82-49-1. The Martlets responded with 10 minutes left in the third period, securing the win when Colizza scored her second goal.

Martlets Head Coach Alyssa Cecere was satisfied with the team’s performance, especially when it came to puck possession.

“We are taking it one shift at a time and trying to keep the puck within our team and keeping possession as much as possible,” Cecere said in a post-game interview with the //Tribune//. “Obviously, with teams that pressure hard, it is not always the case. But it is something we are trying to focus on, keeping that puck and recovering when it is a loose puck.” 

Cecere also emphasized her excitement to be back in the arena after over a year of no competition due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

“It is great to be back,” Cecere enthused. “The girls are energized [and] they are happy to be back. We are grateful we have this opportunity and taking it one day at a time […] as we know it can be gone quickly.”

McGill currently leads the 2021-22 RSEQ league with six points in three games and 11 goals scored, with only two conceded. 

Stat Corner

Martlet goaltender Tricia Deguire had an impressive game, playing in all the three periods and saving 24 of the 25 shots from the Gee-Gees.

Moment of the Game

Just under a minute into the first period, Christiana Colizza, assisted by Jade-Downie Landry, scored a stunner from close up to the net, taking the Martlets to a 1-0 lead over the Gee-Gees.

Quotable

“The progress we have already made is tremendous. [The team] has lots of youngsters and we have a lot to learn from our veteran players. Just seeing it all unroll is beautiful to see.” – Team captain Jade Downie-Landry on the Martlet’s 2021-22 hockey season so far.

1 … 307 308 309 310 311 … 1,363

Read the latest issue

Read the latest issue