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McGill, News

Students and staff push for better COVID-19 academic accommodations

by Ella Fitzhugh and Madison Edward-Wright on

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Members of the McGill community have been requesting more inclusive academic considerations since the university’s requirement that students and faculty be on campus for Fall 2021. Similar to the academic accommodations that apply specifically to students with the Office for Students with Disabilities, academic considerations are specific to COVID-19 concerns and apply to students who are required to self-isolate, or who are delayed in starting their courses due to isolation requirements. 

According to the current academic considerations framework, members of the McGill community with disabilities, long-term medical conditions, or other chronic health issues are not eligible to receive COVID-19-related accommodations—such as flexible grading schemes for courses, audio or Zoom recordings of lectures, or withdrawal, incomplete, or “leave of absence” from a course. Carrie Rentschler, a professor in the department of art history and communication studies at McGill, applied for accommodations to teach her large COMS 310 course remotely to protect herself and her spouse—who could be adversely affected by the Delta variant—but had her request denied.

“I did so on the advice of my spouse’s oncologist and my own endocrinologist,” Rentschler wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “It’s really disappointing to be turned down for accommodation. The policy is that employees who live with people with serious chronic illnesses are not eligible for accommodation, even when medical doctors advise it.”

In a statement to the Tribune, Frédérique Mazerolle, media relations officer at McGill, assured the McGill community that the university’s safety measures are guided by public health officials’ advisories. According to Mazerolle, McGill examines each request for accommodations and makes decisions on a case-by-case basis. 

“Some students have been experiencing delays in travel due to circumstances beyond their control, such as study permit processing delays, travel restrictions, and quarantine requirements,” Mazerolle wrote. “The Office of the Dean of Students will work on a case-by-case basis around academic accommodation for these students. Students requiring long-term accommodations related to COVID-19 should connect with the Office for Students with Disabilities to seek potential accommodations.”

Alice Laheurte, U1 Arts, experienced trouble travelling to Montreal for Fall 2021. Laheurte encountered complications at almost every stage in the process for acquiring her study permit, such as delays in obtaining proper documentation and biometrics like fingerprints, as well as  COVID-19 testing. Stalling in these services and McGill’s changing deadlines regarding study permits left Laheurte wondering whether she would have to defer this semester. Laheurte felt that the university could have been more accommodating during this time of high stress. 

“In my case, McGill advisers [and professors] really took care of me,” Laheurte said. “But I think being more reassuring and not just throwing [study permit deadlines] at students [when the deadline to apply] for a deferral [is] in two weeks […], is not the right decision. Even if [McGill] is just going to extend the deadline, just reassure [students] and tell them that it is okay […] because they know that students are struggling on their own.”

Rentschler pointed to McGill’s ability to implement inclusive accommodations in a timely manner during the transition to online learning in 2020, arguing that McGill should be able to apply those accommodations now. 

“Last year I felt as if McGill was developing a more humane and just framework of accommodation, one that recognized that having chronic illnesses, being disabled, and living in conditions of vulnerability did not mean we could not also actively participate in the life of the university,” Rentschler wrote. “There is no reason why we cannot be more accommodating at the university, to see access to the university and learning as a human right we should all have, no matter what our physical conditions are. We know it is possible.”

Soccer, Sports

Laval triumphs over McGill in women’s soccer opener

by Reza Ali on

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On Sept. 10, the McGill Women’s Soccer team lost 2–0 to Laval in a hotly contested match, as the eventual winning goal did not come until the 59th minute. Mireille Patry of Laval pounced on a rebound after a Laval free kick to give them the lead. Thirty minutes later, Audrey Genois put the game to bed with a composed finish past first-year goalkeeper Brenna Bordeniuk, cementing their victory with a –0 final score. McGill registered six shots compared to Laval’s 16, only one of which was on target, compared to Laval’s six. However one-sided these stats sound, they do not tell the full story of the match. 

Before drawing any conclusions from the score, it is crucial to note that the Martlets went into Friday’s opener with a roster of 12 first-years, nine second-years, four third-years, and four fourth-years. 

“For the first game of the season, with a squad composed primarily of rookies, the game went well,” first-year Bordeniuk said. “I think we became a bit scattered in the second half, but against tough opposition, I think we performed well.” 

The quantitative stats show that Laval dominated, but the qualitative side of the game supports Bordeniuk’s points. In the first half, it was anyone’s game: McGill’s press in their 3-5-2 formation was effective in slowing down Laval’s buildup in their 3-4-3, as McGill’s formation gave them an extra player in midfield. This led to some chances, including McGill’s only shot on goal which came from first-year forward Zoe Gardiner. However, as time went on, the Martlets struggled to hold onto the ball and lost the very formation that had initially slowed Laval down.

“We performed well in the first half and forced Laval to play a style that they did not appear to be fond of,” McGill head coach Jose-Luis Valdes said in an interview with McGill Athletics. “We had two or three clear chances in the first half but couldn’t convert. But after Laval scored in the second half, we kind of pushed the play too much. We rushed the play, lost our [structure] and didn’t wait for them to come to us.”

This was the first time in over a year that the Martlets took to the pitch in front of a crowd. Bordeniuk noted how fans have an incredible way of influencing the game from the sideline.

“Fans always help the atmosphere for us down on the pitch. Whether that’s cheering for a good tackle or a nice play, it’s exhilarating to feel some momentum from the crowd. The more fans, the better,” Bordeniuk said in a message to //The Tribune//.

However, there was a noticeable gap in fan attendance in the women’s game compared to the men’s game immediately following. The student ticket was valid for both games, yet most people only showed up for the men’s match.

“It’s always hard to see people show up for the men’s game and not ours,” Katherine Chadwick, second-year midfielder, said in an interview with //The McGill Tribune//. “Considering how Canadian women have dominated athletics lately, it’s totally time for people to start getting excited for women’s games.” 

Looking forward, the Martlets hope to secure their first win this Thursday versus UQAM. If they play as strong as they did in the first half against Laval, they have a real chance of taking home their first win of the season—especially if a strong fan section comes out to support them on September 16th at 6 p.m. at Molson Stadium.

Moment of the Game

In the 59th minute, Laval’s Mireille Patry was the first to a rebound from a dangerous free-kick and was rewarded with a tap-in that became the winning goal.

Quotable

“Coming from last game, I think we need to work on staying more composed with the ball, rather than forcing plays that are not on. The defense was a brick wall, so keeping that up will be crucial to our performances this week.” — Brenna Bordeniuk, first-year keeper.

Stat Corner
First-year keeper Brenna Bordeniuk made five saves in her home debut for the Martlets.

McGill, News

Two McGill alumni win grant for COVID-19 vaccine community outreach initiative

by Anoushka Oke on

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The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) awarded a $10,000 grant to Tammy Xuan Bui, MScPH ‘21, and Nehal Islam, a current McGill medical student and MSc ‘21 on June 7.  The funds will go toward implementing the duo’s community-based proposal called WeCanVax—an initiative that seeks to increase diverse communities’ vaccine confidence. 

Since the launch of WeCanVax, research has shown that the vaccination rate in Parc-Extension—76.8 per cent—exceeded Montreal’s vaccination rate—74.6 percent—as of September. Bui and Islam worked alongside Dr. Ananya Banerjee, assistant professor in McGill’s Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health (EBOH), to receive the Vaccine Community Innovation Challenge award. 

“It is very rare for masters students to take an assignment and submit it for funding, but I [told Bui and Islam that they should] try it,” Banerjee said. “And lo and behold, they were awarded $10,000.”

WeCanVax operates in the Parc-Extension (Parc-Ex) borough—a low-income neighbourhood inhabited by many immigrants and other racialized communities—where vaccination rates have been low. Banerjee explained that the campaign put up posters around the neighbourhood that feature Parc-Ex community members in an effort to promote residents’ confidence in getting the COVID-19 vaccine.

“[When] you walk around Parc-Extension and you see residents on the posters saying why they got vaccinated and why it is important, in multiple languages […] it puts confidence in the community,” Banerjee said. “[Unvaccinated people] are walking by and they see pictures of their neighbours saying things like ‘I got vaccinated to protect my children’ or ‘I got vaccinated so I can travel back to India to see my parents’ […] that is huge, and it helps to change people’s mindsets.”

WeCanVax also maintains a strong social media presence. Bui said that Facebook in particular was important for WeCanVax, as it allows the initiative to foster a deeper connection with the community.

“Facebook is really interesting, because a lot of the community groups in Parc-Ex actually operate mainly on Facebook,” Bui said. “So what’s really nice is if I wanted to share something that we are doing, maybe a poster, I would post it on a group of theirs called ‘ParcEx Action Squad’ […] where the community of Parc-Ex comes together online.”

The grant money—as well as an additional $15,000 awarded to the project by the EBOH—has helped create outreach opportunities, such as WeCanVax’s new initiative that encourages young people to create TikTok videos or to submit a picture about why getting the vaccine is important to them. The creators of the top-three submissions will get the opportunity to attend National Basketball Association and Toronto Raptors star Chris Boucher’s basketball camp. 

Islam and Bui feel that the WeCanVax initiative has helped create important changes in a borough where vaccination rates have been low. Islam was careful to note, however, that vaccine hesitancy was not the main reason for low vaccination rates.

“Going in beforehand, we had access to a whole bunch of different media articles saying that there was a large amount of vaccine hesitancy [in Parc-Ex] and that people in this community did not want to get vaccinated,” Islam said. “But what we really came to realize is that it was more of an issue about access to the vaccine. [I]t is really important to recognize these challenges and barriers that stand in the way of people easily receiving the vaccine.”

By working closely with the Parc-Ex community, Bui and Islam hope to establish trust with the people whom WeCanVax aims to benefit.

“We allowed [the project] to be really dynamic, so working with the community to understand [their needs] and to strengthen their own community at the same time,” Islam said. “Allowing community members to have a say in which way we oriented our project made it more effective overall and allowed us to be really warmly received by the community.”
Bui and Islam recently applied for another grant through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to evaluate the impact that the initiative has had on the community.

Editorial, Opinion

Take note: It’s time to vote

by The McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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Millions of students will head to the polls on Sept. 20 to vote in the federal election. With the semester underway and the pandemic here to stay, many people feel lost in a dizzying haze of parties, ideologies, and options. From climate change, to racial injustice, to more efficient healthcare, countless priorities are on the ballot. More than deciding between parties and candidates, many voters are asking themselves what issues should take precedence, which political decisions will best serve their causes, and for some, whether it is worth voting at all. Granted, no one can be forced to vote. But with so many important issues that impact students sparring in the political arena, every eligible voter should take the time to inform themselves and cast the ballot of their choice.

Although Elections Canada has suspended the Vote on Campus program this year, voters can mail in their ballots or pick up a special ballot at an Elections Canada office until Sept. 14. Election officials have cited the pandemic as well as the snap-pace of the election as logistical justifications for the campus voting program’s cancellation. Even so, students can reasonably be concerned that the current parliament is not doing enough to facilitate turnout. But that is even more of a reason to vote early and encourage others to do the same. If the government has blundered the election process, it should answer for it on Sept. 20.

In response to some of these barriers, McGill’s administration has taken some steps to assist student voters. In an Aug. 31 email, Secretary-General Edyta Rogowska discouraged staff from scheduling academic deadlines on Sept. 20 and asked them to accommodate students when necessary. Nevertheless, because many courses have mandatory attendance or are not recorded, some students may be reluctant to miss lectures for the polls. Those in this position should consider mail-in or early voting. But McGill could go further by disseminating resources, identifying nearby polling places, and requiring professors to permit absences for voting purposes. As a public institution and educational space, the university has a basic obligation to encourage young voters to make their opinions heard and support democratic participation.

Student organizations like the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) have already been promoting election materials and helping voters make informed choices. For example, the AUS held a virtual debate between the presidents of the different political party-affiliated clubs on Sept. 13, providing students with a variety of perspectives and answers to policy positions. Students interested in learning more about the federal parties should reach out to these clubs, including Liberal McGill, New Democratic Party (NDP) McGill, the Conservative Students’ Association of McGill, Young Greens McGill, and others. Some of these clubs have planned “Get Out to Vote” initiatives. Students should take part in these to help others learn about the different parties’ ideas in preparation for election day. Even students who are ineligible to vote, such as international students, should learn about the issues raging across the country as the election unfolds. Canada’s next government will make decisions that affect all students, and everyone has the agency to promote candidates of their choice on social media and elsewhere, as well as encourage friends to vote.

Above all, it is imperative that students not be apathetic. An election—especially an early one—is a rare occasion to turn rhetoric into votes, and ideas into policies. People may disagree on the merits of voting based on one’s conscience—such as voting for a party that they feel most represents them—or strategically voting for a candidate to block another that they vehemently disagree with from power. Although that decision is ultimately up to the individual, everyone should agree that votes do count—even if a riding typically skews a certain way. Students should vote in this election, and all the ones to follow, because today’s prevailing questions are the policies of tomorrow and the shape of Canada’s future.

For more information on the political parties and their candidates, consult the Elections Canada website; voter information guides published by Macleans, Global News, and other media outlets; or the different political organizations’ web pages.

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV, Pop Rhetoric

Canon or continuation? The delicate art of remaking a classic

by Anna Bergas on

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A remake of Rebecca appeared on Netflix in October 2020, The Magic School Bus is going live-action, and HBO Max is making a new Gossip Girl television series. Seeing our childhood remade and repackaged can be unsettling. Remakes of familiar fictions can indulge our nostalgic memories, but half-baked carbon-copies of past works often do the opposite, leaving a poor taste in the mouths of fans. 

A.R Martin characterizes nostalgia in the American Journal of Psychoanalysis as a “tendency to follow the path back home, back to our beginnings.” Beardsley Ruml in his article Some Notes on Nostalgia argues that nostalgia is a basic biological drive. It is easy, therefore, for creators to fall prey to making reboots too similar to their originals. Reboots provide a starting point for creators, but can quickly become unenjoyable if they are copies of previous work rather than something new and innovative. 

The success of a reboot can be traced to one word: Change. Effective reboots, such as  Riverdale, exemplify how recycled media can be enjoyable with enough originality. Riverdale’s morbid mysteries are especially novel when compared to the original Archie comics, and the many plot twists provide endless surprises. As the winner of seven Teen Choice awards, the show’s commercial success supports this as well. Riverdale writers include iconic details such as Jughead’s cap and Betty’s good-girl persona without succumbing to tonal repetition of the source. The unique, almost soap-opera lens is what makes the show come alive—and is what has kept it alive for five seasons, and counting. 

On the other hand, Arrested Development falls flat where Riverdale flourishes; the former’s failure can be attributed to its lack of original direction. When an audience consumes a piece of media, they remember not only the media itself but also its context—which includes the viewer’s own memories of watching it. Viewers develop relationships with pieces of media, which are changed, for better or for worse, by attempts to modernize or reinvigorate its original properties. Many will undoubtedly carry their previous emotional bias, but if the remake is sufficiently different, both the original and the reboot can exist uniquely. Whereas Riverdale is a totally different viewing experience than reading Archie comics, the fourth and fifth seasons of Arrested Development are the dregs of what was once a successful sitcom. Those final seasons lack true merits of their own, making the show a drab continuation of the past with nothing new or refreshing to add. While fans of Arrested Development were excited to see the show’s return, most were disappointed by the poor and flat attempts to recreate the original magic of the show.

  As long as both audience and creators ditch the loyalty to canon, plenty of innovative work can be made from pre-existing sources. Modernizing older narratives continues to bring about exciting new works—notably the upcoming Dune movie remake, which has the chance to remedy the previous, notoriously bad Dune film. After all, the originals will remain unchanged anytime we are looking to be brought back to the past—reboots look to the future. 

Commentary, Opinion

Toward body liberation

by Kennedy McKee-Braide on

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Content warning: This article discusses disordered eating 

I first started to think about my weight when I was in elementary school. I distinctly remember feeling as though I had to lose weight to make friends or to capture the attention of my crushes. But it was not until early high school when it started to take a larger toll on my life. In ninth grade, my mom would send me to school with $20 a week to buy food at the cafeteria. Rather than eating, I would pocket the money and tell my friends it was simply a way to save some extra cash. In reality, this was the first time I was consciously engaging in disordered eating, skipping meals in the hopes of becoming thinner. These patterns have continued on and off for most of my life thus far. 

As I grew up, I began to notice how common it was amongst my––more often than not, woman-identifying––peers to count calories, develop unhealthy relationships with exercise, and pick apart their appearances. Often, this was under the guise of merely caring about our health. This belief is likely genuine for many. After all, people are taught from a young age that fatness correlates directly to being unhealthy and that weight gain drives them to an early grave. But in reality, these claims have their roots in racism and arbitrary metrics. And for many who struggle with body image, the fear of weighing more is based in internalized fatphobia more than anything else––even if that fear is unconscious. 

Though I never fully escaped my recurring patterns of disordered eating, I realized a few years ago that I needed to improve my body image––something would have to change if I wanted to regain control over my life. As I started to work to unlearn some of what I had been taught to believe about weight, I set off on a mission toward self-love and body positivity. 

I quickly noticed, however, that this focus had its issues as well. I found that I was angry at myself whenever I had a bad day; if I looked in the mirror and didn’t love what I saw. In some backward way, I was still placing far too much emphasis on my relationship with the way I looked—rather than the way I felt and why. 

Beyond my own personal struggles with body positivity, fat activists and disability rights activists have long been questioning whether the mainstream approach to body image is productive. For one, the mainstream body positivity movement tends to be dominated by thin, white, non-disabled women. While it is undoubtedly important for everyone to accept themselves as they are, many activists feel as though the fat acceptance movement––which aims to tangibly improve plus-sized people’s experiences—has been watered down by an over-emphasis on physical appearance. Additionally, when body positivity focusses too much on one’s body’s  ability to function “properly,” it risks excluding disabled people—especially those who experience issues with body image. 

For those like myself, who inhabit bodies that are not large enough to experience struggles like excessive stigma and poor experiences with health care professionals, it is essential for all to confront internalized fatphobia, fight for those whose voices are underrepresented in the movement, and work to unlearn patterns of disordered eating. Overall, it is important to recognize the powerful origins of the fat acceptance and liberation movement and use them to contextualize current societal attitudes toward weight. 

McGill, News, Private

Students wait in line for hours at McGill’s first on-campus vaccination clinic

by Lily Cason on

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Amidst the implementation of Quebec’s vaccine passport, McGill announced that a vaccination clinic in Redpath Hall would offer first and second doses and register vaccines received outside of Quebec on Sept. 3. The event was heavily advertised by email and across McGill’s various social media accounts, but many attendees felt it was mismanaged. The clinic, which was a stand-alone event and did not require registration, was overwhelmed by the turnout from its start. Though the clinic was meant to remain from 1 p.m. until 7 p.m., it closed after only two and a half hours due to short supply. McGill has since stated that future clinics will be registration-only.

Dory Sampson, U3 Arts, who went to the clinic with the hope of getting help fixing her malfunctioning vaccine passport, remembered arriving early to a long line and then leaving without getting the help she needed. 

“My roommate and I showed up an hour early and there was already a line,” Sampson said. “After waiting in line for three and a half hours, we were told to go to a different location […] which, we had found out through Facebook, had been rejecting people […] because they were all booked up and under-staffed as well.”

Sampson said she had expected the event to be adequately staffed and better managed, given how much publicity the clinic had received from the university.

“The fact that they advertised it on their Instagram, with a countdown timer, and then the line was not moving at all was kind of unacceptable,” Sampson said.

Amir Shah, U3 Science, attended the clinic in hopes of registering his out-of-province vaccines, but eventually left the line after realizing he would not be helped. Shah feels the university should have foreseen the logistical issues, given its large international student population—including many who do not have access to Canada’s list of approved vaccines. According to the International Student Services (ISS), McGill has over 10,000 international students who make up nearly 30 per cent of the overall student body.

“If those [international student numbers] are the numbers you are proud of, then you also need to make sure you have the resources to work with those numbers,” Shah said. “I really was expecting McGill to have started this kind of program for vaccinating students and registering students’ vaccinations from before orientation so that […] as students trickled in from all around the world […] they would have slowly gotten their vaccinations and registrations done.”

Shah, like Sampson, did not receive the service the university had advertised. Shah pointed out that the clinic’s shortcomings could pose a challenge for those new to Montreal who may not know how to access local resources. 

“I walked out of the line after a while,” Shah said. “I got an appointment for next week on Wednesday at a clinic to register my vaccine, and I know a lot of friends who did that as well. It is okay for someone [like me] who has been in Montreal and who knows places around, but [I feel for] new students.”

In an email to The McGill Tribune, David Juncker, professor and chair of the department of biomedical engineering at McGill, emphasized the importance of offering vaccination clinics on campus, adding that the university should be taking more steps to effectively manage COVID-19.

“Lacking a vaccination mandate, [McGill’s] encouraging people to vaccinate via pop-up clinics is most certainly recommended,” Juncker wrote. “The university should also consider rapid testing, as is now used in Waterloo and at UBC.”

The administration stated that they are looking into the potential for more on-campus vaccination clinics, and encouraged students to take advantage of walk-in clinics in Montreal. 

“The university is working with public health authorities to explore options for future vaccination clinics,” Frédérique Mazerolle wrote in an email to the Tribune.  “In the meantime, […] there are a number of walk-in clinics set up for the first and the second dose depending on vaccine availability. They can also book vaccination times on the Clic Santé website.”

Since providing the Tribune with this statement, McGill has announced it will hold a vaccine registration clinic from Sept. 14 – Sept. 17.

Commentary, Opinion

Truth and Reconciliation Day: McGill’s lost opportunity

by Katie Anglin on

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McGill University has sent a bold message to Indigenous students and their communities by refusing to close for Truth and Reconciliation Day this upcoming Sept. 30. The federal government created this statutory holiday to give Canadians an opportunity to acknowledge and learn about the tragic history of residential schools. Educating oneself about the wrongdoings of Canadian predecessors is essential, but it is equally important to  honour survivors and their communities who continue to deal with and resist ongoing colonialism. McGill prides itself on being a progressive institution, yet by denying students and staff the opportunity to participate in Truth and Reconciliation Day to the fullest, they miss an opportunity to support Indigenous students and to pave a path toward reconciliation with their own violent, colonial past and present.

Federal offices and banks are closed on Sept. 30, and numerous academic institutions across Canada—including  Simon Fraser University and the University of Saskatchewan—are closing for the day to show their support for Indigenous communities. As one of the top schools in Canada, McGill should be leading by example, not failing to support reconciliation efforts. 

It is ironic that the university’s motto is Grandescunt Aucta Labore, meaning “by work, all things increase and grow,” and yet they are unwilling to work to try and mend the relationship with the Kanyen’kehà:ka (Mohawk) people, on whose land McGill is built. It is even more hypocritical that the school closes for Patriots Day in May every year to recognize and celebrate the French rebellion that fought against English forces in the 19th century, but refuses to acknowledge that McGill exists because of the French colonial power that Indigenous people are currently resisting.

The university’s name perpetuates the tragic and ongoing legacy of English and French colonialism and systemic racial injustice in Canada. As a trader in the West Indies, James McGill enslaved at least two Indigenous children and three Black people while gaining immense wealth on the backs of other enslaved people. Even after the statue’s temporary removal due to vandalism, racialized staff and students have been pushing the university to decolonize for years.  McGill’s reluctance to remove a statue speaks to the maintenance of colonial history as the status quo. But the removal of statues is but a small step of the more transformative steps McGill must take to address their colonial legacy. One institution beginning to assume responsibility for its ruinous past is X University—formerly known as Ryerson University—in Toronto. In response to widespread student activism, the Canadian university has declared it will change its school name and remove statues that celebrate colonial figures, including Egerton Ryerson––an architect of the residential school system. While there is still more work to be done, the X University case sets a precedent for how large institutions can begin to acknowledge their wrongdoings and work to repair relationships with Indigenous communities. Sam Howden, a Red River Métis student activist and organizer at X University who was among the first students to refer to the school as “X University,” emphasized that the student action that led to the name change was fundamental in centring Indigenous experiences on campus. 


In 2016, McGill assembled a task force to implement changes laid out in the final report of the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission. McGill pledged to work on the university’s relationship with Indigenous communities by creating initiatives designed to encourage an inclusive environment for present and future Indigenous students. A negative environment is not conducive to academic productivity or individual growth, and McGill still has yet to unequivocally acknowledge the suffering the school has caused. While a closure alone would not allow McGill to rectify broken promises, its failure to do the bare minimum is a lost opportunity and an insult to Indigenous communities on campus.

Off the Board, Opinion

The significance of silence

by Lowell Wolfe on

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Recently I drove two and a half hours to visit a long-time friend. Coming from different childhood backgrounds, and following similarly disparate pathways of life, our perspectives mesh and reinvigorate in surprising, and rewarding, ways. As my rickety Subaru accelerated its way north along Lake Superior’s rural coastline, we, too, brought each other metaphorically up to speed. 

My friend had been dealing with incredibly difficult personal circumstances, while I was excitedly returning to university, enthusiastic to re-enter the physical realm of scholarship. Sensing the uneven footing, and slightly unsure of how to navigate our colliding circumstances, I tried to respect that our shared time would not be celebratory. With different reasons driving our desires to ditch town one last time before summer’s end, there was little my friend and I could do but sit and be quiet together. 

Such a way to pass the time is not as wasteful or impersonal as it might seem. My friend and I shared space in mutual silence without any dependence on the other’s words for personal gratification, reaffirming that we valued each other holistically. Instead of attempting to fill a void with words, our individual presences were enough for one other. Not only was it gratifying, but it reified the significance of our friendship. We saw each other, we didn’t talk much, and we were still very close––perhaps even closer than before. 

The realms that benefit from silence extend beyond the social. I’ve always devoured literature and music, and I am grateful for the technology that posits these sources of entertainment and knowledge directly at my fingertips. For much of my young life, I’ve felt a constant urge to satisfy these enjoyments, hip-hopping around from content to content; I would read a book in a cafe, then listen to a different audiobook on the way home, and finally put on music when I cooked my dinner that evening. 

Now, I try to create space for silence each and every day; whether it is at the breakfast table, a park bench, my yoga mat, or anywhere else that I feel inclined to back away from the immediacy, noise, and temptation of over-indulgence. This past July, while I was in the backcountry with my father, I challenged myself to see how long I could sit silently, and just think. Sometimes it was boring. Occasionally my train of thought would stumble across a memory or an emotional trigger that I didn’t enjoy, and my body would want to distract itself. But I tried really, really hard to do absolutely nothing.

Returning to McGill, and along with it, a city populated by over one million people, has reduced the opportunities that I have for true, complete silence. However, I still seek it out, and the effects are worth the while. Without anything else to focus on, the mind quickly processes its most pressing matters, sifting its way through the stressors of school, friends, family, careers, and anything else that’s there for it to digest. With these thoughts washed and hung to dry, I find myself more capable of attending to these responsibilities with patience and focus—and with an ease that I hadn’t had previously. Additionally, these moments of quiet and stillness have become increasingly enjoyable. There’s something warm and comforting in the knowledge that wherever I may be, such peace is available.

Album Reviews, Arts & Entertainment, Books, Film and TV, Internet, Music

What we liked this summer

by Michelle Siegel, Suzanna Graham, Anna Berglas on

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A return to schoolwork entails an adjustment to our levels of consumption. In the spirit of endings, new beginnings and transitions, the Tribune weighs in on their favourite pieces of content from this summer. There’s plenty of time left until midterms for a few binges.

Book: The Authenticity Project

Suzanna Graham

In a post-pandemic world, it is easy to feel isolated from everyone around you. Clare Pooley’s debut novel, The Authenticity Project, explores this common sentiment, conveying that a simple act of kindness can bring people together. When struggling artist Julian Jessop deliberately discards his angst-filled diary, he has no expectations to later find a myriad of kind messages within its bounds. Over the course of a few months, the journal is discovered and passed between six strangers who choose to share their own struggles and attempt to help the writers before them. This feel-good novel proves that every person is looking for the same things: Love, community, and authenticity. 

Podcast: Are You Michelle From Skins?

Michelle Siegel

Starting as an Instagram TV (IGTV) series before becoming a full-fledged podcast, “Are You Michelle From Skins?” is a unique podcast on nostalgia, identity, and the complicated lens in which people view their past selves. Created and hosted by British actress April Pearson, who played Michelle on E4’s iconic teen drama //Skins//, podcast guests discuss their cultural relevance due to one role in their careers. Guests include James and Oliver Phelps, of //Harry Potter// fame, as well as Jessica Sula, who also played a character on a later generation of //Skins//. The podcast’s powerful focus on celebrating the holistic identities and experiences of actors—rather than only heralding and upholding their iconic roles— makes it worth a listen.

TV Show: White Lotus

Suzanna Graham

Written and directed by Mike White, White Lotus is a satirical ‘dramedy’ series detailing the shenanigans and adventures of several tourists, travellers, and staff at a Hawaiian resort. With a skilled cast, including hilariously over-the-top performances by Jennifer Coolidge, an ominous score, and masterful cinematography, the show is funny without compromising an edge that keeps the audience interested. Although the series explores serious themes of drug addiction, loneliness, and entitlement, it never loses its humour, thereby remaining both relatable and lighthearted.

Album: Blue Weekend

Anna Berglas

Blue Weekend, Wolf Alice’s third studio album released on June 4, 2021, features aggressive, fast-paced songs and excellent synths to capture the eeriness of life during a pandemic. On “Delicious Things,” the band’s singer Ellie Rosell delves into coming to terms with her womanhood in a man-centered society. The more lighthearted “Smile” features empowering lyrics such as “I am what I am and I’m good at it.” Ellie Rowsell knows her strengths, and one of these is vocal talent. The layering of her voice is ethereal, and each atmospheric musical intro is emotive and chilling. Blue Weekend speaks to the bravery needed to make noise, and the ability to push forward. 

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