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Chill Thrills, Out on the Town, Student Life

Getting inked in Montreal

by Abby McCormick on

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Starting university is a symbolic step in one’s independence and coming of age. This newfound freedom is, for many students, expressed in getting their first tattoos. Whether as a planned tribute to a loved one or an impulsively chosen design, tattoos serve as a vehicle for expressing one’s personality. 

Olivia Bjerkelund, U0 Arts, who moved away from Vancouver for university this past September, saw her first year of independence as an ideal opportunity to get her first tattoo.

Ironically, Bjerkelund’s tattoo, a still life jug of lemonade surrounded by plums and daffodils on her inner arm, is representative of her childhood. 

“I used to have a plum tree when I was a kid,” Bjerkelund told The McGill Tribune. “The daffodils are there [because] my mom gives me daffodils every year on my birthday.”

Like Bjerkelund, Gracie Thompson, U0 Arts—who already has several tattoos—decided to add to her bodily mosaic after moving to Montreal this September. Thompson made her decision within her first weeks in the city. 

“I was with my parents [and] I saw a little sign that was on a compost bin,” Thompson said. “I thought it was so cute [….] I thought about it for two weeks, then decided to go for it as a ‘welcome to Montreal’ gift.”

In addition to this new piece and her previous collection, Thompson has gotten two other tattoos since moving to Montreal, creating a patchwork on her arms. For Thompson, skin can be a place to memorialize one’s personal growth. 

“I like [getting tattoos] because it symbolizes who I was at the time of getting the tattoo,” Thompson said. “It makes you feel so confident [and is] a great conversation starter.”

Students looking to get their first tattoos or add to their existing collections in Montreal are in luck: The city has a wealth of local tattoo artists ranging from those working at established shops to DIY artists, each of them with unique design styles.

Among these artists is Aya Dazig, a multidisciplinary artist who has been tattooing since she was 15. Her journey in the practice began by tattooing her friends and acquaintances.

“I kind of got into tattooing by accident,” Dazig said. “I would fix my friends’ stick and pokes as a teenager, and [I] had a friend tell me, ‘you should really get into this.’”

Stick and poke tattoos have risen in popularity over the past few years. It is a method of tattooing that requires only a sterilized needle, pot of ink, and a friend’s—or one’s own—artistic hand. This DIY technique not only offers students a more affordable alternative to the hefty prices of tattoo parlours, but also an intimate memory to mark the inked design, with many receiving these hand-drawn tattoos from someone they know, and often in a personal space. 

Dazig, who started out fixing stick and poke tattoos done by others for friends, turned her passion into a full-time job this past April. She now works with two other Montreal tattoo artists in a private studio located in the Plateau. 

Dazig doesn’t lean toward a specific tattooing style; her inspiration comes from either her stream of consciousness or a direct reference.

“My main goal is to have all of my work feel intuitive and authentic,” Dazig said.

Dazig believes that students’ desire to get tattoos after starting university is tied to a newfound sense of independence. 

“It goes hand in hand with moving out,” Dazig explained. “You have a new sense of ownership over your life and body.” 

Though the permanence of tattoo ink can feel intimidating, Dazig advises students who are considering getting their first tattoos not to overthink how they will view the tattoo in the future.

“Don’t worry about pain or getting something timeless,” Dazig said. “Get something you genuinely like in the moment.”

McGill, News

Rapid COVID-19 testing project among several new COVID on campus

by Ghazal Azizi on

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McGill introduced a series of updated COVID-19 policies and initiatives late October and early November, including a  vaccine passport requirement for entering libraries, an updated self-assessment form, and a rapid COVID-19 testing project. The updated protocols accompany the university’s transition from “emergency response” to “recovery and resumption.”

As of Oct. 27, all individuals entering McGill libraries are required to present their vaccine passport and valid McGill Identification Card (ID). To expedite the process,  McGill has initiated the Fast-Pass program, where fully vaccinated students can acquire a small red sticker placed on McGill IDs to mark their vaccination status and bypass the need to present their VaxiCode to safety ambassadors at entrances.

Claire Downie, Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU)’s vice-president (VP) of university affairs, told The McGill Tribune that she is pleased with the new policy, but that she has concerns about the Fast-Pass stickers. 

“I question the rollout of [the Fast-Pass program],” Downie said. “It was a little confusing. There was a huge delay in notifying students, and the stickers being used are not very secure. They are [small] paper stickers when we thought they would be […] harder to replicate.” 

In a statement sent out to the McGill community on Nov. 4, Deputy Provost Fabrice Labeau declared the university will no longer require faculty, staff, and student employees to complete the Minerva self-assessment form prior to visiting campus. Instead, they will be asked to review a self-evaluation webform. 

In September, SSMU demanded that the university confers with students in COVID-19 protocol decision-making. Yet, Downie claimed that SSMU was not consulted about the changes addressed in Labeau’s statement.  

“Truthfully, we didn’t hear about this change until the email was sent out,” Downie said. “But […] with a lot of those forms, they are not really monitored. Everyone is supposed to fill them out before they come to campus, but in reality there aren’t really any repercussions for [those who] don’t.” 

Frédérique Mazerolle, a McGill media relations officer, explained that the new webform will help students assess whether they should be coming to campus or not. 

“This form does not collect data but directs anyone experiencing COVID-19 related symptoms to the necessary follow-up steps,” Mazerolle wrote in an email to the //Tribune//. “If individuals answer ‘yes’ to any of the questions, they will be given follow-up actions.”

Kennedy McDiarmid, U0 Arts, is in favour of vaccine passports to access libraries, though she remains apprehensive about McGill’s reliance on self-assessment surveys.

“I think that the vaccine passport at the libraries is a good thing,” McDiarmid said. “I do not really see a point in [self-assessment] forms, because I think people are pretty good at identifying when they are sick.”

Since the beginning of the semester, SSMU has protested McGill’s refusal to mandate vaccines for students and faculty. Downie stressed that a vaccine mandate for students and faculty is still crucial, despite McGill’s 94.9 per cent vaccination rate.

“I still believe that a vaccine mandate would have been the best way forward,” Downie said. “Our [vaccination] rate is close to 95 per cent, which is really great. But at comparable institutions, like Queens [and] the University of Toronto, their [vaccination] rates are above 98 per cent. That three per cent difference is potentially thousands of students.”

Effective Nov. 8, students, faculty, or staff members can receive a rapid COVID-19 antigen detection test on campus. The test results appear within 20 minutes. However, they cannot be used as proof of a negative test and need to be confirmed with a PCR test. 

“This pilot project is not intended to replace existing health measures for McGill, such as masking and distancing,” Mazerolle explained. “As with all University planning since the beginning of the pandemic, we are following public health directives and evaluating the evolving situation.”

Campus Spotlight, Student Life

Catching up with Mobilizing for Milton-Parc

by Brontë Grimmer on

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What a difference a year—and a pandemic—can make.

In the fall of 2020, during the months when COVID-19 raged, concern for unhoused neighbours in the area surrounding McGill prompted Sophie Hart to found Meals for Milton-Parc, a student-led meal-share initiative that provided food and care packages. 

The group recently shifted its mission and took on a new name—Mobilizing for Milton-Parc (M4MP)—in order to meet the changing needs of unhoused people.

In its early days, M4MP focussed on getting food to those in need and making sure Milton-Parc’s unhoused neighbours felt cared for. Meal distribution was a cornerstone of that effort.

“I felt like we were not doing enough to support vulnerable people in our community,” Hart said. “With the pandemic, services were closing down due to public health requirements.” 

What followed was an outpouring of support from the McGill community, much of it driven by social media. In the period between October 2020 and August 2021, M4MP raised close to $20,000 and distributed some 3,000 meals.

With services for the unhoused community returning to full working capacity as pandemic restrictions loosen, M4MP is now shifting gears to focus on supporting both Indigenous-led and non-Indigenous-led organizations in Montreal.

“We started our project because there was a need for us to meet,” Hart said. “But as the pandemic has begun to wind down, the organizations in our community have been able to get back to full capacity. We want them to know how much we appreciate the work they do, and that they have our community supporting them when they need it.”

M4MP now gives financial and material support to organizations such as The Open Door, The Montreal Indigenous Community Network, The Native Friendship Centre of Montreal, and Plein Milieu, to name a few.  

With this shift in vision, M4MP has become a conduit for funds, food and material support, community building activities, and settler education projects.

The group runs community building activities for residents of the Hotel Dieu shelter, which is open 24/7. Since October 2021, M4MP has held art, self-care, and pumpkin-carving events.

“These activities, in my mind, are important to create connections among neighbours as well as to have some fun,” Hart said. “I think people forget that at the end of the day we all like to have fun, connect with neighbours, and talk to new people.”

Much of this programming has been made possible thanks to crowdfunding efforts through M4MP’s Instagram page. This year, M4MP started an “Education Team” that uses its online platform to educate settlers, and to stress the responsibility that they have in amplifying and supporting the voices of marginalized communities.

“[The past year] has made me realize how much can be done when caring people work together,” Hart said. “This year has also made me realize how broken the systems in place to support vulnerable people are. I’ve learned so much in such a short time, but what has stood out to me most is that we really need more people to join the care and community field.”

Individuals interested in volunteering can join the Mobilizing for Milton-Parc Interest Group on Facebook and watch the volunteer training video. Donations may be e-transferred to [email protected].

McGill, News

McGill ends COVID-19 emergency response, transitions to recovery response

by Juliet Morrison on

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The McGill administration announced on Nov. 1 that its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), the administrative body coordinating the university’s COVID-19 response, had been deactivated. The announcement, sent in a university-wide email, explained that the university is officially transitioning to a “recovery and resumption” response, with all COVID-19 matters now to be headed by the new Recovery and Operations Resumption Committee (ROR). 

The McGill administration cited the community’s high vaccination rates as well as the Quebec government’s recent announcement that it expects to end the province’s state of emergency in early 2022, as contributing factors behind the decision to transition from the EOC to the ROR. 

In an email to The McGill Tribune, Frédérique Mazerolle, a McGill media relations officer, explained that the “recovery and resumption” transition would transfer all COVID-19 matters under the university’s pre-pandemic administrative structure. Mazerolle stressed that the transition from the EOC to the ROC signals a step toward a post-pandemic environment. 

“This new structure was chosen to better align with the university’s day-to-day governance structure and allow for a smoother transition to regular governance processes as the pandemic continues to evolve in the coming months,” Mazerolle wrote. “We do […] feel confident that we have reached a point where we can shift our focus from emergency response to recovery planning.”

The EOC, composed of senior administration officials with expertise in emergency planning, had been coordinating McGill’s COVID-19 response since January 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic is the longest crisis the EOC has dealt with; previously, it had only dealt with crises lasting mere  days or weeks. 

However, many members of the McGill community questioned the implementation of the EOC for the COVID-19 pandemic when it was initially being rolled out. Richard Gold, a professor in the Faculty of Law, criticized the administration for its lack of transparency and engagement with the wider community in its operations. 

In a statement to the Tribune, Gold welcomed the deactivation of the EOC, arguing that while the members of the EOC may have been diligent in their planning, they did not have adequate knowledge on medical or legal affairs to make COVID-19 related decisions—and that they “refused to listen to experts at McGill who did.” 

“[The EOC] provided the administration an excuse to take on powers that it does not rightfully have under McGill’s statutes and regulations,” Gold wrote. “The administration ruled by edict during the pandemic, failing to engage the campus and to be transparent as to the reasons for its actions [….] I hope that the ending of the emergency response signals a return to collegial governance, which has been suspended since spring 2020, and an actual engagement with campus.”

Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) vice-president (VP) Social Affairs Sam Baron also expressed relief in not having to go through the EOC to get approval for community events, citing communication issues with the EOC when he was planning for Frosh 2021 . 

“I, frankly, thought it was ridiculous that a fully anonymous body had the final say in almost all decisions made on campus,” Baron wrote in a statement to the Tribune. “Every time I wanted to get something done, I had to ask the EOC for permission. They clearly had too much on their plates to deal with, as I know that my emails to them […] went unanswered for weeks or months at a time.”

SSMU VP Internal Sarah Paulin also pointed out the administration’s lack of engagement with students and faculty in the decision-making around COVID-19 protocol. However, Paulin questioned the university’s decision to end the emergency response. 

“I think the decision was very rushed,” Paulin said in an interview with the Tribune. “It would have been nice to have seen more prudence from the university [….] Especially since they have provided very little support for faculty and students who have felt unsafe with the way the university is currently operating. [The administration is] very set in their ways.”

McGill, News

McGill hosts Sustainable Futures Career Days

by Anoushka Oke on

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McGill hosted a series of Sustainable Futures Career Days from Nov. 2 to Nov. 3 as part of its Bicentennial programming. The events aimed to equip McGill students with the skills to integrate sustainability into their studies and career goals. The series opened with a keynote delivered by Chantal Line Carpentier, a McGill alumna, and included a workshop on the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals, a panel discussing the steps toward a career in sustainable development, and one-on-one student sessions with speakers from previous events.

Carpentier graduated from McGill with a bachelor of agricultural and environmental sciences in 1990 and a master’s degree in science in 1992. Gérald Cadet introduced her at the Career Days opening, noting that her work at the UN as chief of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) at the New York office. 

“Previously, she was the major groups’ coordinator for the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, where she led a consultation with the non-state actors in the negotiations on the Sustainable Development Goals,” Cadet said. “And prior to that, she was a focal point for food security, sustainable agriculture, and sustainable consumption as a sustainable development officer at DESA, the Department of Economic and Social Affairs of the UN.”

Carpentier began her address by describing her experience at McGill. Carpentier also emphasized how different aspects of her education helped her in her professional life. In particular, she mentioned the importance of interdisciplinary learning and collaboration with people from different fields. 

“We’re very confident in our field […], but we’re not very confident working with the others,” Carpentier said. “And so, [working with people in different fields] is something that I found was very useful later in my career [….] This is something that is primordial if you want to solve the sustainable development problem that we have.”

Some students, like Clare Scott, U0 Science, believe the Bicentennial Career Days’ theme of sustainability comes off as superficial with McGill as its host.

“I think any events that do promote a culture that supports sustainability and wanting to integrate that into other areas of student life like networking and career planning [are] inherently good,” Scott said. “But I think there are other things that McGill could be doing that could convince us a little more that they care about this topic.”

Offering up a call to action outside of the Bicentennial Sustainable Future Career Days’ messages, Scott pointed to the potential that divestment from fossil fuels has to make a concrete impact in countering environmental problems and promoting sustainability.

“Divesting from their fossil fuel investment is probably one of the more tangible things that I’ve seen promoted around campus throughout student groups,” Scott added. “I think that that would be one of the more impactful things that McGill could do to support sustainability.”

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the Paul Olioff was Carpentier’s mentor. In fact, he was not. The Tribune regrets this error.

McGill, Montreal, News

Students walk out of Concordia lecture delivered by retired McGill professor

by Joseph Pappas and Fanny Sachet on

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Students in the Algonquian Peoples [FPST: 211] course at Concordia University walked out of a guest lecture delivered by former McGill anthropology professor Toby Morantz on Oct. 28. Morantz was invited to discuss her 2002 book The White Man’s Gonna Getcha: The Colonial Challenge to the Crees of Quebec, which addresses the complex history of Indigenous–Euro-Canadian relations in northern Quebec. 

The students who walked out, most of whom were Indigenous, took issue with Morantz’s alleged suggestions that the Cree community suffered less than other Indigenous Peoples in residential schools established in the James Bay Cree territory, and that their attendance at these schools was of their own volition. Terrence Duff, one of the Indigenous students who walked out, shared his experience with The McGill Tribune.

“It was discouraging, it was upsetting, especially when I raised my hand to speak and tell her that my great-grandparents didn’t put my grandmother voluntarily in residential schools, and she said, ‘no no no, that’s not correct,’” Duff said. “I decided to walk out because […] my grandmother and my mother didn’t have a chance to walk out of a class in residential school, [but] I did.”

On Nov. 1, eight students who attended the lecture sent a letter to Christopher Manfredi, McGill’s provost and vice-principal academic, calling the lecture offensive and factually inaccurate. The letter alleges that Morantz used derogatory terms such as “drunk Indians” in the lecture and also described herself as a “dying breed,” stating, “they’re only hiring Indians to fill these positions now.”

In an email to the Tribune, Morantz stated that there were miscommunications in her lecture, specifically surrounding her description of Cree residential schools, but ultimately defended her academic research. Morantz said that she regrets these miscommunications and that students’ reactions were their prerogative. 

“In my book, which the students had read, I stated that these schools were ‘less brutal,’” Morantz wrote. “I should have stuck to the terminology, but I was extemporizing [….] It is important for Canadians to know that parents had to make the horrible choice of continuing to live off the land and send their children away to residential school or abandon their way of life and live in the village so the children could attend the elementary schools, built in the late 1940s.”

On page 247 of her book, Morantz states that “the Crees of James Bay were, comparatively speaking, spared these tragic consequences.” A few sentences later, the text reads that “their attendance at the schools was voluntary; they had been sent there by their parents who wished their children to be educated while they themselves wanted to continue hunting and trapping in the winter rather than take up residence in one of the villages.”

Catherine Richardson, the director of Concordia’s First Peoples Studies program, released a statement on Oct. 29 responding to, and apologizing for, Morantz’s lecture, referring to her lecture as “racist, hateful, and inaccurate.” The statement also reads that Morantz was “improperly vetted” and Richardson said she was “mortified” that “people in positions of institutional stature can abuse power so unethically and destructively.”

Morantz told the Tribune that she was unhappy with Richardson’s statement, and that she sees it as an issue of academic freedom.

“[Richardson] was not in the room, did not speak with me and I am sure has never read anything I have written about the history of Indigenous-EuroCanadian relations in the north of Quebec,” Morantz wrote. “I am disappointed that we are further losing the University as a place of open discussion.”

The Tribune reached out to the McGill administration for comment. Frédérique Mazerolle, a McGill media relations officer, did not address Morantz or the lecture, but touched on the university’s concurrent commitments to reconciliation and academic freedom in an email to the Tribune.

“The simultaneous pursuit of these commitments may at times appear difficult to reconcile,” Mazerolle wrote. “While McGill extends robust protection to academic freedom, each of us is expected to abide by responsibilities set within University policies and regulations established through collegial governance processes. We, therefore, underscore McGill’s firm commitment to ensuring an equitable and inclusive campus climate for all.”

Commentary, Opinion

Toxic sports environments are symptomatic of sexism on and off the pitch

by Lucca Mole on

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“Oh, she’s tough!” shouted one of the boys during our 11v11 McGill intramural soccer game at the Molson stadium this October. This “insightful” observation was sarcastically directed toward one of the women on the opposing women’s team as she took a missed shot to the stomach. When I played in the match, this was only one of the many instances of derogatory behaviour directed toward the female players. When the whistle was blown, the boys immediately sought to establish a clear atmosphere of superiority: They chuckled at every header, laughed at every attempt on goal, and walked as slowly as possible back to their side to waste time and aggravate their opponents whenever a centre-kick was taken. This made for some very ugly soccer.

It was incredibly enraging, disappointing, and disheartening to bear witness to yet another display of misogynistic and sexist behaviour––one which I certainly did not expect from adult McGill students at a friendly intramural match. However, the women disregarded the boys’ outright lack of sportsmanship, and continued to support each other and play as hard as possible throughout the entirety of the game. At the end of the match, everyone in the stands, including the referees, supporters, and substitutes, ran onto the pitch in support to join the women’s team in an impromptu, informal match against the boys, ending the evening on a more positive note.

I was a participant in this match and have played in hundreds of others since I was four. Unsurprisingly, this was not the first time I had experienced sexist behaviour from my teammates or opponents. I have endured so many boys telling me that I was not allowed to play with them because of my gender. And when I did play, they often laughed at me or even sexualized me, as a means to re-affirm their masculinity. These experiences only strengthened me and taught me how to use this kind of behaviour to my advantage. Nevertheless, it is exhausting to have to constantly push my limits to challenge gender-based stereotypes in sport. 

Truthfully, the reason this experience at the recent game upset me so much was because it completely dismantled the sense of security and confidence that I had cultivated. Before this match, playing intramural soccer allowed me to feel a kind of freedom that I had experienced as a youngster. It was the kind of freedom that stems from playing amongst non-judgemental peers who encouraged me to be myself with no gender-based expectations and no need for performance—something I value highly as a non-binary, queer person. 

Since the event, McGill’s intramural faculty met with the captain of the team to discuss possible sanctions. But this is not enough. Although it may have only been one soccer match, it highlighted the ongoing misogyny and sexism that women, non-binary, genderqueer, and gender non-conforming people continue to face on and off the pitch. It is dangerous to let these issues go unnoticed since they are representative of the larger issues women and female-presenting individuals have to deal with on a daily basis.

This experience should serve as a reminder that, though gender inequalities are still rife in our everyday lives, we cannot remain silent about them. The fight is not over: We need to be louder than ever, we need to keep defying gender norms. When we continue to play soccer, we show them what it means to “play like a girl.”

Commentary, Opinion

Point-counterpoint: What should stay in the post-COVID-19 world?

by Courtney Squires, Valentina de la Borbolla on

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Courtney Squires

Caution should come first

With restrictions being lifted and parts of the world returning to in-person routines, many are anxious to get back to their pre-pandemic normal. However, preventative measures like mask wearing and physical distancing have proven to have a multitude of non-pandemic related benefits. After the high levels of hygienic scrutiny throughout the last two years, it would be regressive to disregard such simple and effective health measures in a post-pandemic society. 

Mask wearing is prevalent in many non-North American countries as a courtesy to protect others from getting sick, and recent data shows there have been significantly less flu-related deaths since mask mandates were put in place. Now, masks have become an accessory, introducing endless colour-coordinating opportunities, and with colder weather approaching, they have joined the winter garment roster. Providing both fashion and function, masks can help hide a surprise pimple, or offer coverage on days when one wants to keep a low profile. 

Many have adopted a “better safe than sorry” mindset, and capacity limits in stores and bars means avoiding the stress of having too many people jammed into a tiny room. With the holiday season approaching, the idea of having to elbow a path through the shopping crowds is unappealing, to say the least. And though the distanced line for the Carrefour Sherbrooke Starbucks may be hellish, avoiding larger gatherings and being mindful of enclosed spaces brings not only reduced risk of inhaling foul body odor, but also hygienic peace of mind. 

This same mindset carries through with the implementation of masks and hand sanitizer at the entrance of most stores and buildings, including McGill’s. Visitors are required to sanitize their hands before entering, something that helps mollify germaphobic worries. Furthermore, this ensures that elevator buttons, railings, and door handles are touched by hands that are 99.8 per cent bacteria free. 

Overall, with these hygiene solutions providing benefits for everyday lives, they should stay post-pandemic. But the thing that has been made most clear over the past year is that with scary things like crowds and germs outside, there’s no shame in staying inside. 

Valentina de la Borbolla

Futile measures will falter

Although health measures like mask-wearing provide substantial protection against COVID-19 and other diseases, it is unrealistic to expect the general population to maintain these practices that are so closely associated with a state of emergency. As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, it is important to adjust our expectations of individual behaviours, especially when the risk of infection is lower.

In many cases, public health directions have been confusing, contradictory, or downright illogical, like Quebec’s soon-to-be-lifted ban on dancing in clubs. Other measures like temperature checks and surface sanitization provide little more than reassurance, which experts have even called “hygiene theatre.” These inconsistent rules have worsened pandemic fatigue, which in turn makes people disregard public health recommendations, unreasonable or not. 

Another key point of contention is how long governments and businesses should continue to enforce mask mandates. While wearing a mask for one’s own personal comfort will likely become more normalized, continued mandates are not sustainable. For one, measures like masks and lockdowns have become increasingly politicized. Masks have found themselves at the centre of culture wars, with some refusing to wear them in supposed acts of resistance. For example, protests against public measures are widespread in many cities, including Montreal. And when the CDC announced it was safe to go maskless in public, many feared doing so at risk of being viewed as anti-maskers. When measures become less about public health and more about political signalling, the likelihood of them being widely accepted decreases. In addition, as government officials express optimism over lowering cases and increasing vaccinations, people’s sense of urgency diminishes. 

Furthermore, the fact that these measures would be inconsistently adopted in the long term scales down their efficacy altogether. Like vaccines, masks are most effective when the majority of people are wearing them. Even if it is sensible to continue wearing masks, it will come down to personal choice. However, this is no silver-bullet solution because not everyone will comply.

Going back to normal does not have to be reckless, but it also does not have to be about enforcing futile measures. A fully hygienic future is impossible and holding the expectation that it will be is a recipe for disappointment.

Ask a Scientist, Science & Technology

Exploring the beneficial applications of virtual reality

by Adam Matthews-Kott on

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Facebook recently announced that it would be rebranding itself as Meta. It will become the parent company of its social media platforms—Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram—and will roll out new ways of experiencing these platforms. Facebook also explained that it would be focussing on developing virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies—both falling under the umbrella term of extended reality (XR). 

Jeremy Cooperstock, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at McGill, has been following companies’ movement toward XR technologies, but urges caution about the potential adverse impacts they could have. 

“[Researchers] have long realized [that] VR, AR, and XR are huge markets, so it’s completely understandable that the big tech players want to be investing in these technologies,” Cooperstock wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune.  “However, unlike conventional computing, VR, AR and XR should be viewed as powerful, persuasive technologies, much as social media has demonstrated itself to be, with the associated potential of causing tremendous harm to society.”

Although commercial ventures like Meta are some of the most well-known examples of XR because of their grandeur and sensationalism, many research labs are using XR technology to solve medical problems. In these labs, the users’ well-being are of the utmost concern. 

McGill’s Shared Reality Lab (SRL) is one such endeavour. Led by Cooperstock, the research group aims to use XR technology to improve the way humans interact with each other and with computer interfaces.

One of SRL’s ongoing projects is the development of a technique for applying mixed reality technology to the treatment of psychosis, called avatar therapy. This therapy creates a visual representation of a patient’s hallucinations so that they can interact with them in a controlled environment, to minimize the distress these symptoms can cause.

“Our purpose was to enable therapists to experiment with various parameters to determine what factors are involved in the success of the therapy, such as degree of realism [of the avatar], fidelity to the patient’s hallucinations, and active versus passive involvement of the patient in the creation process [of the avatar],”  Clara Ducher, a research assistant at SRL, wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. 

Ducher explained that the SRL takes considerations of inherent bias into account as part of the design process well before a project gets off the ground.

“One of the most important things I have learned while working on the avatar therapy project is that our work has ethical aspects that should be discussed from the very early stage of the design, and even after the delivery of the product,” Ducher wrote. “For instance, many character creation interfaces that we can encounter in games are restrictive in the diversity of avatars we can create. This phenomenon does not arise from [the] technical impossibility to make colour or shape variations, but rather from biases inherent to people involved in the design process.”

When considering the benefits that this program could bring to those struggling with mental illness, it is clear that VR has the potential to improve quality of life. But when it comes to commercial ventures such as Facebook, Cooperstock stresses the importance of continual dialogue between companies, researchers, and users.

“As I teach in my Human-Computer Interaction course, for such ‘socially dangerous’ technology, regardless of who is doing the developing, I believe it is critically important that we have active and ongoing conversations to think about risks, policies, and regulations that might be considered,” Cooperstock wrote.

As XR gains popularity in the public consciousness, more products harnessing this technology will become available. Not only will new methods of communication become possible, but new medical treatments may also become more accessible. With the proper priorities in mind—priorities that emphasize well-being, not profit—XR technology has the potential to do a lot of good for humanity.

Know Your Athlete, Sports

Know Your Athlete: Victor Henry

by Zoé Mineret on

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Victor Henry, U2 Science and the second goalkeeper for the McGill men’s soccer team, was born in Washington, D.C. and started playing soccer when he was only four years old. After moving to Paris at the age of five, he continued playing, but struggled to excel—until he tried his hand as a goalkeeper.

“My mother is the one who actually suggested to my coach that I should try out goalkeeping. She thought that is where I should be,” Henry said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “As soon as I started, I realized that that is where I had true potential. So I have been goalkeeping ever since.”

Henry became a part of the McGill team this season after being unable to play at McGill last year due to a delay in his study permit. After participating in the training camp over the summer, he was selected to join the team.

“It’s impressive how serious and professional the team is, especially in contrast to facilities and teams in France, which are much less valued,” Henry said. “The team gets along extremely well and is hardworking, which adds to the level of professionalism.”

Henry attributes much of his positive experience with the Redbirds to his coaches. Both Michael Palomo, the goalkeeper coach, and Marc Mounicot, the team’s head coach, are consistent with their advice and expectations, which Henry says has helped him fulfill his potential as a keeper.

As a player with lots of experience in several roles on the pitch, Henry feels that being a goalie is a unique position. It does not require the same skill set or aptitudes as other players as the coordination and the endurance needed are not the same.

“As a goalkeeper, my role is quite different than [that] of my teammates,” Henry said. “I have to communicate with my defenders and centerbacks, as I’m the only player who has a view of the whole field. It’s an aspect of my role that I really enjoy.”

The highlight of the season for Henry was undoubtedly the supporters: Nothing fuels an athlete like an enthusiastic crowd. Out of all his supporters, Henry says the best encouragement comes from his parents.

“In terms of supporters, my parents are my biggest fans,” Henry said. “They have attended my games throughout my whole life and even came to Montreal at the beginning of the year to watch me play. They also watch the games on the McGill streaming service.”

Currently pursuing a joint major in mathematics and computer science, Henry hopes to work in software engineering after graduation. With these big dreams, Henry has adapted his schedule around the team’s hours, working in the afternoon before practice and then making time to relax with friends. 

“I think having a good discipline in terms of organization is what allows me to do all these things,” Henry said. “My roommates and I are into basketball, so it’s typical for me to come back from school after having studied and been to practice and just watch an NBA game with them.”

Henry is also a big fan of the French National Team and was delighted when they won the Nations League. His favourite players are goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, N’Golo Kanté, and Karim Benzema. He also supports both Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).

Henry hopes that the men’s soccer team will make it to the playoffs next year, with the aspiration of reaching nationals. He is currently very happy with his position and is looking forward to getting back to training with the team. 

Any soccer fan should keep an eye out for Victor Henry in the following years. If his shutout game against UQAM—where he made seven saves and stopped two penalties—is any indication of his talent, the goalkeeper is set for some impressive performances in the future.

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