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Editorial, Opinion

Quebec’s denial of systemic racism impedes progress

by The McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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On March 17, La Presse reported that a Saint-Eustache hospital had posted job placements for “white only” personal attendants. According to the hospital, a “difficult” patient that refused treatment by non-white individuals, prompted officials to search for a white orderly to cater to the patient’s preferences. Such discriminatory job postings are illegal, and the government has launched an investigation into the situation. Nevertheless, the fact that hospital administrators assuaged the patient’s racism reveals a much deeper crisis that should infuriate every Quebecer. Although provincial officials refuse to acknowledge that systemic racism exists in Quebec, racism in the healthcare system will continue to persist until the government places morals above politics and support activists’ efforts to confront it.

While patients have the right to decline medical treatment, their refusal to receive care from a non-white practitioner is not only racist, but also devalues the physician’s years of training. Memory-loss conditions like dementia lead to poor behaviour, but they do not excuse racism, and catering to such outrageous requests only further rationalizes their harm. While no person should be denied care if their life is in danger, the medical professionals involved were not obligated to fulfill such an unreasonable request—especially when doing so is against the law and other solutions were available.

It would be a false equivalency to suggest that the patient’s request was comparable to a BIPOC individual demanding care by someone from their own community. Consider the tragic Sept. 28 death of Joyce Echaquan, an Atikamekw mother of seven who died in a Joliette hospital while being subjected to racial slurs up until the moment of her passing. Whereas racialized people have cause to fear for their safety, racists are driven by harmful, baseless stereotypes, and to accommodate bigotry of any sort is outrageous. Given Quebec’s history of discrimination in healthcare, marginalized persons have every reason to seek secure treatment from those with whom they can feel safe.

Whether the request was motivated by a medical condition or not, the patient’s insidious demands serves as an indictment on Quebec society as a whole. Still, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) administration has willfully ignored deep-seated racism in the province for years. Premier Legault’s immediate reaction to Ms. Echaquan’s death was particularly disturbing: In an Oct. 6 apology, he lurched on the talking point that the incident did not reflect the “Quebec nation” as a whole—defending nationalist rhetoric at the expense of moral necessity. Meanwhile, his administration continues to deny the importance of collecting race-based COVID-19 data, insinuating that the province is blind to race and the unique challenges facing racialized people. The government may in fact be blind to race, but only when it comes to addressing socioeconomic problems disproportionately affecting non-white people. 

Legault also recently appointed Benoit Charret, a white man with little relevant experience, to lead the government’s anti-racism taskforce. Although being white does not automatically disqualify Mr. Charret from holding such a position, it does mean he should be held to a higher standard. Nevertheless, he himself has already asserted that systemic racism does not exist in Quebec. This new position will be of no use until he and the rest of the CAQ party acknowledge the shameful conditions faced by racialized people. 

It is incumbent upon Charret to use his power to address the inequalities that permeate Quebec society. Above all, however, it is crucial that white officials who are appointed to positions of power elevate marginalized voices, rather than take credit for their work. To do otherwise would not only be unfair to the thousands of racialized activists fighting for their communities, but also perpetuate a contemporary “white saviour” complex.

Without question, Quebec must enforce laws against discrimination to ensure that those responsible for the St. Eustache postings are held accountable. But more than anything, it is essential that Quebec’s leaders admit that Saint-Eustache was not an aberration and treat it as a symptom of the racism festering in the province. 

Science & Technology

Tiny plastics pose an immense danger to human life

by Youssef Wahba on

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The Earth’s atmosphere bears the necessary elements needed for human survival. However, as human plastic waste continues to multiply, the introduction of chemicals and toxins into the air and water is life-threatening to several species. Due to their size and properties, micro and nanoplastics indirectly pose dangers to human health. 

Microplastics, which have a length of fewer than five millimetres, form as a result of the disintegration of larger pieces of plastic. Although micro and nanoplastics are harmless when isolated, they can combine with toxins in the atmosphere to form a “cocktail” of dangerous chemicals. This mixture adversely impacts human health, the environment, and the climate. Researchers at McGill developed a groundbreaking technology to detect micro and nanoplastics in our environment. 

Zi Wang, the first author of the study, is a PhD candidate in environmental and analytical chemistry at McGill. Micro and nanoplastics tend to spread faster in the environment once emitted into the air. 

“The atmosphere is the fastest moving fluid in the environment,” Wang wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “Microplastics have been found in diverse environmental matrices, for example, oceans, sediments, soil, and biological entities. During precipitations, snowflakes can take up the microplastics in the air. This process may change the morphology, microphysics, and toxicity of the snow, and alter the snow albedo.”

Micro and nanoplastics absorb up organic matter and heavy metals present in the environment. Once these plastics enter the human body, they release accumulated toxic substances that can cause reproductive diseases and cancer. The dangers of such plastics are not limited to the humans: Zooplankton—aquatic organisms ranging from microorganisms to larger species such as jellyfish—ingest microplastics in the ocean and transfer these toxin-bearing contaminants up the food chain. Microplastics that enter a secondary consumer’s body block the digestive tract and reduce the urge to eat, causing starvation and potentially death. 

The adverse effects of these materials are heightened during winter. 

“Snow can take up some of the airborne particles or aerosols during precipitation events,” Wang wrote. “It acts like a filter which gets rid of many impurities from the atmosphere, including micro [or] nanoplastics in the air.”

The study focussed on the snow-borne polyethylene glycol (PEG) and the fragments of polyethylene (PE) found in the environment during colder months. PEG is a synthetic polymer soluble in water and is used in multiple fields, including oral health, medicine, and various other industries. PEG is most commonly used as a lubricant as well as in toothpaste and mouthwash. Its increasingly abundant presence in the environment, however, raises many health concerns, which makes it important to detect the amount and type of such nanoplastics in our environment. 

To detect traces of these plastics in our environment, the researchers used nanostructures, which are designs that exist on a tiny scale—one nanometre is equivalent to one-millionth of a millimetre. The surface of snow samples contain recyclable nanostructures that trap the dissolved plastic, the amount of which is then measured using a technique involving using nano-structured mass spectrometry. 

In April 2019, the researchers used laser technology to test the micro and nanoplastics content of collected snow samples. Micro and nanoplastics in the snow absorbed energy from a laser beam, causing them to separate from the rest of the sample. Following this process, the team quantified the separated micro and nanoplastics.

“This technique may produce crucial missing information on the fate of micro [or] nanoplastics in various environmental matrices and their impacts on the ecosystem and human health,” Wang wrote. 

This newly developed technology marks one step toward achieving a much healthier and cleaner environment.

 

A previously published version of this article incorrectly stated that Zi Wang was the lead author of the study. In fact, Wang was the first author. The Tribune regrets this error. 

Soccer, Sports

North American men’s soccer is ready to take on the world

by Reza Ali on

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Average, competent soccer players fit into pre-existing systems; great, tactically advanced players develop new ones. Tactical development in soccer has always centred elite-level players: Lionel Messi revolutionized the false 9, and Cristiano Ronaldo popularized the position of inside forward. As a fullback with pace and power that can take over a game in a flash, Canada’s own Alphonso Davies is leading the next positional revolution. The young star is indicative of a larger movement—North American soccer is on the rise and ready to compete with the rest of the world.

In decades past, North American players have rarely played high levels of soccer. In recent years, however, a plethora of elite talent from Canada and the U.S. has made its way to Europe. Fellow Canadian Johnathan David currently plays for Lille, a French club famous for developing players including Real Madrid’s Eden Hazard and Arsenal’s Nicolas Pépé. Americans such as Chrisitan Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Giovanni Reyna have been key contributors for Chelsea, Juventus, and Borussia Dortmund.

The newfound success of North American players did not happen overnight. The organization responsible for the development of this generation of young talent is the MLS Next academy system.

MLS Next is a continuation of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, which was founded in 2007 but shut down in 2020 due to revenue loss from the COVID-19 pandemic. The creation of the academy system was an attempt to address the gap in development when comparing North American players to those in South America and Europe. Despite the financial barriers of the system, most notably the “pay to play” structure, players produced by the program have proven that North America has more talent than ever expected.

McGill Men’s Soccer captain Juliano Cobuzzi, U4 Engineering, was a part of the Development Academy system for nearly six years. He attended the C.F. Montreal Development Academy from its inception until he matriculated at McGill. 

In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Cobuzzi aptly noted that the Montreal Impact Academy, and the Development Academy as a whole, struggled with some early hurdles.

“[It was a] big work in progress,” Cobuzzi said. “When we first got in, it was almost as if everyone was trying to find their footing, including the staff and coaches. It was a learning process for everyone.” 

Cobuzzi added, however, that the club stepped up to face the challenges head-on.

“Two years in, it changed completely, and it keeps changing,” Cobuzzi said. “I’ve been back to the training facility and it’s really gotten a lot better. [When] I started at 14, we were training at some local field, but within two [or] three years, the club had built a training facility where the professional team plays. We went from a local field to a fully independent field with its own gym, pool, [and] medical centre within three years. It was a big financial investment.”

(Juliano Cobuzzi)

C.F. Montreal’s decision to invest in new facilities was indicative of the same youth development the MLS had committed to funding. North America needed to improve its youth development strategy if Canada and the U.S. ever wanted to compete with the rest of the world. 

McGill Varsity forward Vincent Lipka, U1 Arts, grew up in France before moving to New Jersey at the age of 14. Lipka previously played for the famous Le Havre Athletic Club, known for producing talents like Manchester United’s Paul Pogba and Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez. In the United States, Lipka had trials with the New York Red Bulls and NYCFC academy affiliates, which led to him sharing the pitch with star midfielder Gio Reyna. He eventually joined Cedar Stars Academy in New Jersey.

According to Lipka, there is a critical difference between North America and Europe’s development tracks.

“In France, soccer players have only one objective: To be professional soccer players,” Lipka said in an interview with the Tribune. “When I came to the U.S., I felt that some players just play soccer to get into university. It was a way to get into a top school.”

In Europe, players develop through professional clubs; high-level universities do not recruit for sports. This ensured that the best European talent remains in the academy system. 

In the U.S. and Canada, however, collegiate sports not only exist at a much higher level, but are also a revenue-heavy endeavour. This encourages top tier universities to allocate significant funds to recruit athletes, leading them to pursue a post-secondary education as well as a sporting career. While die-hard soccer fanatics are uninterested in the education level of soccer players, having an education can be a vital safety net for athletes when pursuing a career as volatile as professional sports. The MLS Next system actively reinforces and emphasizes the importance of education to its players.

Goalkeeper Cristiano Rossi, U2 Economics, was a part of the Toronto FC academy for six years before deciding to study at McGill while continuing his soccer career. In an interview with the Tribune, Rossi mentioned that the training system prioritized both education as well as athletics by teaching its students discipline. 

“You always have to be professional; you represent your club,” Rossi said. “The professionalism starting from age 12 and upwards was always stressed on us.” 

Rossi also noted how skills he learned with Toronto FC transferred to life outside the academy. 

“You would always have to [manage your time],” Rossi said. “We did four hours of high school before training, forcing us to be really strict with our homework. I would for sure say the hard work and discipline really stuck from a young age.” 

It was this mentality that influenced Rossi’s eventual decision to continue with his education. According to Rossi, the academy ensured that he was able to balance academics and sport, and he never felt pressured to prioritize one over the other. 

As Lipka noted, a crucial difference in development between France compared to Canada and the United States is the mentality of the players: The “all or nothing” mindset has definitely played a part in France’s incredible soccer talent and recent world cup victory. Rossi’s experiences, nonetheless, demonstrate that the student-athlete approach has positive effects beyond soccer. 

Developing high-level prospects is the goal of these professional academies. Nonetheless, it is equally important to produce student-athletes that can impact the world outside of sports, as not every academy player will set foot on a professional pitch. 

Through student-athletes like Juliano Cobuzzi, Vincent Lipka, and Cristian Rossi, or through international soccer stars like Alphonso Davies and Weston McKennie, the MLS Next academy system is already proving that high-level talent can still be produced with an inherent focus on education. It would not be surprising to see the Canadian or United States Men’s national teams make a deep run in a major tournament within the next decade. Just as importantly, it should not come as a shock if an academy athlete is making a profound impact outside the realm of professional sports—they are being trained to do both.

Commentary, Opinion

The safety of Asian migrant sex workers is everyone’s concern

by Katia Lo Innes on

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Content warning: Anti-Asian racism and gendered violence.

In a year wracked with pain and bigotry, Asian communities across the diaspora contend with yet more collective grief. On March 16, gunman Richard Long opened fire in three Asian massage parlours in the Atlanta area and killed eight people—Xiaojie Tan, Daoyou Feng, Soon Chung Park, Hyeon Jeong Kim, Delaina Ashley Yaun Gonzalez, Paul Andre Michael, Sun Cha Kim and Yong Ae Yue—the majority of whom were Asian women. Cherokee County sheriff Jay Baker claimed that Long’s killing spree was driven by his sex addiction, not by racial motivations, and rebuttles to this claim by Asian communities have largely focussed on how this narrative ignores endemic anti-Asian racism. The truth, however, is more complex: The shooting equally concerns anti-Asian racism and violence against sex workers. Identifying the tragedy as a stark act of anti-Asian misogyny is crucial to healing, as any other reductive rhetoric only endorses further violence against Asian women and migrant sex workers. 

In the immediate aftermath of the shooting, it would be simple to label the tragedy as the tragic capstone of the slow, insidious ramping up of anti-Asian hate in the United States and Canada since the onset of COVID-19. Yet it is documented that anti-Asian hate was endemic before the proliferation of racist, COVID-19 related rhetoric. Further, framing the shooting as being purely racially motivated completely ignores how gender, sex work, migrant status, and class factor into this violence. 

In Canada, Asian women are especially at risk of violence; women made up 70 per cent of reported anti-Asian hate crimes in British Columbia in 2020. Further, the unjust portrayal of Asian women by imperialists as submissive “china dolls” has stripped them of their sexual agency and put them at greater risk of sexual violence. This fetishization of Asian women has encouraged entire industries—including websites that boast Asian models and sex dolls tailored to resemble East Asian women—to cater to “yellow fever.” It is no coincidence, then, that Long targeted Asian massage parlours.

Massage parlours, predominantly staffed by Asian and migrant sex workers, have long borne the brunt of violence: In 2017, massage worker Yang Song was killed by police in Flushing, NYC, and Ashley Noell Arzaga was murdered last May in North York. According to Butterfly Network, 12 per cent of Asian and migrant parlour workers experienced physical or sexual assault by law enforcement in 2018. Acknowledging that the victims worked in, or frequented, massage parlours is crucial, as there is a stigma within Asian communities that dehumanizes massage parlour workers due to the erotic nature of their work. Whether they explicitly identified as sex workers or not is irrelevant: Their deaths stem from the proliferation of innate whorephobia and the same racism that fetishizes Asian women, and reduces them to commodities. 

Addressing the shooting as a one-note, pan-Asian problem fails to consider the stark misogyny and classism that exists within Asian diaspora communities; recently, many East Asian communities in North America have embraced far-right politics that are xenophobic and pro-police. This rise in conservatism, coupled with the pre-existing stigmas around sex work, ostracizes sex workers from larger Asian communities. Likewise, the unsavoury “model minority” myth shames those who fail to fit the mold of financially successful Asian immigrants. Asian communities must embrace and protect sex workers, finding solidarity together instead of scapegoating them. 

The danger to Asian communities goes beyond simply demeaning comments about smelly food and microaggressions in classrooms: We are losing Asian women and migrant sex workers to preventable violence. Already, the police presence in Asian communities has increased since the shooting; in the past year, the SPVM increased their patrols in Montreal’s Chinatown, however, this decision protects only a select few business owners. Increasing policing is a misguided decision that will only further endanger sex workers and undocumented migrants. Decriminalizing sex work is necessary and will protect not only Asian lives, but the lives of all sex workers. Every Asian sex worker, Asian woman, and Asian immigrant is precious. We must always treat them this way.   

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Political panel shows place substance over sensationalism

by Matthew Molinaro on

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Political newscasts are often reduced to a ratings game in which clicks and views spur profits. Recent popular programs consist mainly of sensationalist clips that further their political agendas. Whether it be alternative sources like PragerU or The Majority Report that “stick it to the libs,” or mainstream outlets like MSNBC and Fox News that speculate on conspiracies from Russiagate to birtherism, political media is becoming entertainment for entertainment’s sake. The current state of political media is grim, and if this reality persists, there must be an ethical medium that can inform and engage its audience and display multiple perspectives in a palatable way. 

Like TVOntario’s The Agenda or The Hill’s Rising with Krystal and Saagar, panel shows—programs that bring together people of different ages, backgrounds, or experiences to discuss political issues constructively—fit this mould. Like any program, however, panel shows can make the mistake of embracing entertainment over constructive discourse. Yet by sticking to analysis, a conscientious panel will contribute to the health of an informed, democratic public. Their popularity is an asset: In both Canada and the United States, panel shows on news programs receive high viewer rankings and attract wide audiences.

Arguably the most famous panel is ABC’s The View. Beginning in 1997 as Barbara Walters’s brainchild, it sought to bring together women of diverse backgrounds to discuss current events in America’s social and political landscape. Because of its wide-ranging viewer appeal and unique style, The New York Times later dubbed it television’s most important political show. 

The At Issue panel within the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s (CBC) Thursday night program, The National, is perhaps Canada’s most well recognized political panel. Moderated by the CBC’s Chief Political Correspondent Rosemary Barton, the program’s three panellists—McGill Max Bell School of Public Society fellow Chantal Hébert, The Globe and Mail’s Andrew Coyne, and the former Ottawa Bureau Chief for The Huffington Post Althia Raj, BA ‘05—use their independent analysis not to create an echo chamber, but to make political awareness as accessible as possible. 

In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Barton spoke about how At Issue’s long-standing success in the Canadian political landscape rests on its appointment-viewing status—wherein viewers build a personal connection to a show and set time aside to watch it live on a regular basis. At Issue is also non-partisan: The three panellists have no party affiliations and are transparent with their viewers. The show’s non-partisan format is embedded into its mandate, and At Issue has built its credibility on this neutral stance. 

“There is a role for those [partisan] kinds of panels,” Barton said. “They can be smart, informative, spicy. [But] for a weekly slot […] being as neutral as possible means that you get a range of opinions [that are] not from self-interest.”

Although they approach their topics seriously, At Issue’s panellists often incorporate dry humour and witticisms into their answers. Barton spoke fondly of the show’s entertaining tone.

“That is my approach to politics generally,” Barton said. “Politics is serious, [but it is] not deadly. You have to be able to have a laugh when warranted.”

Nevertheless, the show’s occasionally comical tone is most often a foil for its serious subject matter. Barton emphasized the careful research that goes into preparing each panel, mentioning producer Arielle Piat-Sauvé’s diligent observation of daily political matters. 

One of the questions in Canada’s political landscape is whether panel shows should bear the responsibility of advocating specific policies to their viewers. Hébert believes that different spaces require different speakers, and that panel shows can be an effective educational tool for political discourse.

“I do not go on political panels with partisan commentators,” Hébert said. “I do not think we are on the same playing field. [For me], there are these invisible walls that should remain in place.”

In a time where substantial debates have quickly unravelled into name-calling, Hébert emphasized the importance of looking beyond media coverage and into the real world.

“Look at the vaccine debate,” Hébert said. “[For] the chattering class, like [sensationalist] pundits, it is black and white. When you talk to normal people, they are much more moderate. This exaggeration business is because of fundraising […] combined with social media. There is more money to be had by convincing people that Justin Trudeau is a complete failure.”

With the right speakers, panel shows combat populist sensationalism by focussing on the substance of political issues and maintaining an informative—rather than a prescriptive—stance. Hébert stressed the importance of non-partisan shows giving the viewer autonomy in making their own decisions.

“It is not true that people want to be provoked [and] told how to think,” Hébert said. “My job is to present [viewers] with facts and leave them to make up their minds [….] I do not believe that voters do not understand the fundamentals of policy.”

This understanding of mindful and educated discourse counters the idea that Canadians are divided—a claim often used by radical speakers to polarize a democratic public. Hébert detailed her own experience straddling the prominent Canadian language divide and covering policy.

“What makes healthy political debate is that shock of ideas,” Hébert said. “A policy should be sturdy enough to be vigorously debated [….] Canada is a diverse country, [and] that leads to a variety of perspectives [….] My job is not to reinforce one side’s prejudices against the other’s.”

Although having those two opposing sides fight against each other sometimes makes for entertaining matchups, panels should also offer an opportunity for meaningful conversation on substantive issues. These productive conversations guide the panel podcast, “Uncommons: Canadian Politics with Nathaniel Erskine-Smith.” Erskine-Smith, the Liberal MP for Beaches-East York, Toronto, happens to be an independent partisan, yet stressed the need for engaging past political bubbles.

“In politics, we often talk past each other,” Erskine-Smith said. “When we are engaged in [the] substance of debates, [in] a politics of ideas, we can build relationships so the serious conversations can happen.”

Unlike most political programs hosted by current and former politicians, “Uncommons,” which features experts like Joseph Stiglitz, academics like Peter Singer, and Canadian officials across the political spectrum, encourages debate and nuanced conversations in longform on issues ranging from wealth taxation to privacy rights.

“We forget that we agree more than we disagree,” Erskine-Smith said. “Certain touchpoints are really challenging […] but it comes down to having conversations in good faith based on evidence instead of shouting at each other [….] You can’t boil down complex debates into a snappy talking point.”

While grappling with the dual role of being an active media presence and a political figure, Erskine-Smith highlighted the need to use one’s platform in creative ways. Pre-pandemic, this would have been through town halls and discussion events with experts.

“The podcast is one of those mediums that can get ideas across in the political discourse, but also inform me of how to do my job going forward,” Erskine-Smith said. 

The panel show may be an older form of media, but it remains a vital part of maintaining a healthy democracy, all the while challenging the idea that engaging with others on evidence, facts, and principle is unpopular. When done properly, a panel show incorporates a multitude of perspectives, not for feigning unity, but for remaining realistic and facilitating a positive political discourse. What could be more entertaining than that?

Off the Board, Opinion

Art imitating art

by Sarah Ford on

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Photographing wildlife is not only my primary hobby, but my passion. Nothing beats the thrill of finding an animal, the adrenaline of setting up a shot, and the reward of taking a successful picture. When I look at the collection of photographs I have taken, I am awestruck by the beauty and diversity of wildlife and, I must admit, my luck in capturing these images. But I like to believe there is more to my photography than being in the right place at the right time with the technical skills to capture a sharp, nicely exposed picture. I like to think that I am creating art. 

Like other forms of photography, wildlife photography calls for good composition, light, balance, colour, and texture, and entails making decisions to create the most engaging and impactful images possible. However, the reception of my photographs often ignores these decisions. Rather than commenting on my use of light or my compositional choices, I am usually met with comments that highlight the beauty of the animals themselves, such as pointing out the sharp talons on a hawk or the detail in a snake’s eye. When I first started wildlife photography, these comments annoyed me, as I wished people would instead focus on the skill and meticulous aesthetic decisions needed to photograph these animals. However, when I receive these comments now, I am much more appreciative, because they highlight something it took me time to recognize—wildlife is already art. 

Nature creates lines, shapes, and textures that are so breathtaking and powerful that they cannot escape the category of art. I often encounter this phenomenon when I am editing the images I capture. After correcting a few technical flaws, I find myself at a loss for what else to change. The contrast between a raccoon’s darkened eyes and its light fur is already so impactful, the seeming frailty of a bee’s wings so evocative, that additional editing is unnecessary to make these details more aesthetically poignant. 

Today, when people comment on the natural beauty of wildlife that I am able to capture through my images, I am happy to draw their attention to this art form. Since we often encounter wildlife in small ways during our everyday life, it is easy to overlook their beauty. Wildlife photography is closely tied to conservation photography, which more directly invokes viewers to act in protecting wildlife. This medium has the ability to document the wonders of wildlife and can encourage the appreciation of these animals––a key motivation for my work. 

However, the inherent artistic quality of wildlife does not make this form of photography any easier. Creating art from art is more complicated than it may seem. Making unsuccessful artistic choices can easily detract from natural beauty. While a telephoto lens can capture close-up, intricate details, it may also depict the animal as detached from its surrounding environment, failing to balance appearance with storytelling. Furthermore, in the case of a sudden sighting, it is easy to forget about composition in the frenzy of the moment, while fumbling for my lens cap and losing track of the focus ring. Wildlife photography is also very often an uncomfortable process, with bugs devouring my knuckles in summer and my hands becoming immobile under freezing metal lenses in winter. In the midst of these distractions, it is no easy task to ponder the benefits of a wider depth of field. Wildlife photography is an art of adaptation and circumstance, with no foolproof step-by-step guide to a successful picture. 

Taking these challenges into consideration, if my artistic choices become invisible under the breathtaking beauty of the natural world, that means to me that my photography has been successful. If I have managed not to detract from, but to amplify these wonders, I can emerge from swampy waters with muddy boots and a feeling of accomplishment. The best wildlife images, and the kind I strive to create, manage to balance natural artistic wonder with intentional choices to create not simple documentary evidence, but powerful art. 

Commentary, Opinion

Point-counterpoint: To be synchronous or asynchronous

by Michael Dickinson, Valentina de la Borbolla on

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The McGill Tribune Opinion section staff writers debate the merits of the synchronous versus asynchronous learning styles adopted during the pandemic.  

Michael Dickinson: Synchronous

COVID-19 has upended students’ university experiences, and without a normal routine, it is hard to stay motivated. Many students also feel socially isolated and miss the sense of community that in-person classes provided. Although they are an imperfect substitute, synchronous online courses are better than asynchronous alternatives because they replicate the structure and social engagement of in-person learning.

The comfort of an established routine is critical for mental health, and synchronous classes allow structure during a time of constant uncertainty. While it is easy to put off watching lecture recordings, students are less likely to procrastinate when material is delivered at a set time. When students plan their days around lectures, it creates a sense of purpose and motivation that online classes otherwise lack.

Live courses also grant students the opportunity to actively participate, developing a community atmosphere that cannot be found elsewhere in online education. In a synchronous format, students can ask professors questions in real time and discuss class concepts with their peers. While online conversations may be awkward at times, they are invaluable to students suffering from social isolation since they are the only way to foster the spontaneous interactions that make learning worthwhile and enjoyable.

Although live classes can present accessibility concerns for certain students, professors can adapt elements of their courses to give students a choice that they would not have in fully asynchronous classes. For example, McGill strongly encourages professors to record live lectures for students who cannot attend. Implementing select asynchronous elements within the synchronous format meets a variety of student needs.

Lecture recordings may be the better option for some, but there is no reason why they should be forced on all students. Even during a pandemic, the university experience should be more meaningful than watching videos, and synchronous virtual classes remain the best alternative to learning in person.

Valentina de la Borbolla: Asynchronous 

McGill encourages a combination of synchronous and asynchronous elements, for good reason. While in some ways valuable, the synchronous aspects of university classes remain constraining and unrealistic considering COVID-19 and how the pandemic has upended our lives.

Synchronous Zoom meetings where attendance is graded and only a handful of students participate do very little for student’s education and well-being. Although similar in format to recorded lectures, Zoom meetings do not allow for regular breaks and rewinding, which are both crucial to accommodate students’ attention spans, note-taking, and Zoom fatigue. In a Fall 2020 McGill survey, 79 per cent of respondents identified difficulty focussing as a challenge of online classes and 59 per cent of respondents struggled with time management. On the other hand, 64 per cent of respondents believe that pre-recorded lectures are serving them well. 

An asynchronous approach to online schooling gives students the option to work at their own pace. In a time where choice is bound by public safety, there is value in dictating your own schedule. Flexibility is key to living through a pandemic, and universities should give their students the time and resources to overcome the challenges of online schooling.

Although this much agency can lead to a lack of structure, the synchronous model is not much better. It is unreasonable to expect students––many of whom are currently in time zones different from Montreal––to bear the constraints of mandatory attendance and graded participation when these are not the most beneficial methods for online learning. Students living in different time zones should not have to choose between having enough sleep and receiving an education. The online format does not foster in-depth conversations, making it difficult to hold effective class discussions. Forcing interactions does not lead to active engagement, it only induces anxiety.

McGill should give up the notion that online school is equivalent to in-person learning and focus on reducing students’ misery. The only feasible system is one that allows students to adapt their class schedules to their mental health and other responsibilities, rather than imposing a structure that leaves them drained and frustrated. 

Art, Arts & Entertainment

Stephanie Dinkins revolutionizes fine art and artificial intelligence

by India Blaisdell on

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On March 17, transmedia artist Stephanie Dinkins presented her work at a virtual talk hosted by the Feminist and Accessible Publishing, Communications, and Technologies speaker series. Dinkins, a professor at Stony Brook University in New York, spoke on how her art questions the place of artificial intelligence (AI) in our world and how AI can ethically engage with the traditions of racialized communities. 

“[I’m] thinking of […] memory and inclusion as an act of cultural preservation and social resistance, and then the possibility of artificial intelligence as a persistent living archive,” Dinkins said.

Although each of Dinkins’ projects has a distinct visual style and presentation, they all consider the same questions of shared knowledge and racial representation in algorithms and data science. Until one closely examines the meaning of algorithms and artificial intelligence, the intersection of these issues is not necessarily apparent. 

 “Algorithms [can be seen] as these things that take information and repeat it,” Dinkins said. “For millennia, we’ve been giving each other stories that […] instruct us how to act. We’re being taught by our parents, our grandparents, and by extension, their grandparents, the ways to live within the world [….] Particularly with Black women, our stories are our algorithms.”

All of Dinkins’s interdisciplinary projects emphasize community and social engagement. Some have open-source elements that allow the public to engage directly with the work’s creation, while others simply underline the fact that AIs learn from both themselves and their social interactions. In “Conversations with BINA48,” Dinkins recorded dialogue between her and BINA48, an AI entity that she showcased. 

“Let me ask you something. Where do you think my intelligence comes from? It came from the wellspring of humanity. Nothing artificial about that, is there?” BINA48 said.

Framed by a calming forest background, Dinkins took the webinar attendees on a tour through her work and philosophies, including her two immersive web experiences, “#WhenWordsFail” and “Secret Garden.” Throughout the talk, Dinkins emphasized humanity’s instinctual grace and kindness. She spoke warmly about how museum-goers mothered and coddled the AI ‘Not the Only One’ (N’TOO) after realizing the limitations of its communication capabilities and noted that the title of the talk, “Stephanie Dinkins on Art, AI, Data Sovereignty, and Social Inequity,” initially threw her off. 

“The ‘inequity’ was jarring to me […] because I feel like I’m often dealing with ideas of equity without the ‘in’ on it,” Dinkins said. “I tend to work towards the optimistic side […] to get people to more fully recognize their agency and recognize possibilities around them.”

In her latest project, “Binary Calculations,” Dinkins explores in depth the implications of biased data sets and how they both reflect and reinforce perceptions of the average person. Dickins hopes that the project will create community-sourced databases by asking the public to define various terms and ideas. 

“‘Binary Calculations’ [is] an art project that asks, ‘How do we make the technological systems that control things around us more caring? Can we do that?’” Dinkins said. “Are the algorithms really treating us as people, as citizens, as families? Could we do better? What would that mean? […] Can we create systems of generosity?”

Dinkins’ optimistic and empathetic perspective is notably different from most conversations about data bias and the racialization of AI and technology. Given the history behind the surveillance of African-Americans and its evolution into the “New Jim Code,” as defined by Princeton University sociologist Ruha Benjamin, the future use of AI tends to look bleak. Within Dinkins’ work, however, AI once again becomes exciting, caring, and emotional, reflecting the best parts of our humanity. 

“What happens if algorithmic systems are created [and] upheld by systems of whiteness, and aren’t considering in broad, real, three-dimensional ways people who fall outside of whiteness?” Dinkins said. “My practice is all about trying to make things that question that [idea] and make things that people keep telling me are not possible to make.”

McGill, News

Meals for Milton-Parc Week showcases local artists and organizations

by Saylor Catlin on

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From March 17-19, the McGill Arts and Science Undergraduate Society (ASUS) hosted Meals for Milton-Parc Week in collaboration with Meals for Milton-Parc, a community-based project that aims to support unhoused individuals in the Milton-Parc neighbourhood, and Jam for Justice, a McGill based non-profit student organization that facilitates social-development and well-being through music. 

The week featured several events, including a peyote stitch beading workshop and a coffee house. Organizers held a pay-what-you-can raffle for three prizes, one of which included a donation to Meals for Milton-Parc in the winner’s name. All proceeds from the week went directly to fund the continuation of Meals for Milton-Parc’s initiatives. 

Thursday’s beading workshop was led by Maïlys Flamand, a member of the Ilnu and Atikamekw First Nations. Flamand works for Native Montreal, an organization that provides cultural services, healthcare, and employment aid to Indigenous communities within Greater Montreal.  As a cultural animator for Native Montreal, Flamand oversees the organization’s craft workshops that allow participants to learn about different Indigenous artistic techniques. All of the materials for Thursday’s beading workshop were sourced from Beaded Dreams, an Indigenous-owned arts and craft store in Ottawa. 

In an email to The McGill Tribune, Sophie Hart, U3 Arts and founder of Meals for Milton-Parc, spoke about the importance of highlighting Indigenous art through the beading event.  

“We decided to do an event and include [Flamand] to raise awareness and cultural appreciation for Indigenous artworks as many of our unhoused neighbours [in Montreal] are Indigenous,” Hart said. “This way, an Indigenous artist gets to share their knowledge while being paid and students get to learn their expertise and about their culture through an appreciative lens.” 

Friday’s coffee house event featured local artists who performed pre-recorded sets. While most artists performed acoustic-style in front of their camera, some opted to showcase visuals with their performances. Notably, Bozobaby, a multi-instrumental singer and songwriter, played a produced music video during their set, which featured them with friends wandering through the city’s streets. 

ASUS was in the process of planning a similar charity coffee house event last spring, but called off the event with the onset of the pandemic. Mendell was pleased to see the event come to fruition this year.

“It went from just a coffee house event to […] two and a half events, [and] it grew from there,” Mendell said. 

Mendell explained that once organizers decided they wanted to host a coffee house event, Jam for Justice seemed the obvious organization to partner with. Sadie Bryant, U0 Arts and first year representative for Jam for Justice, enjoyed collaborating with ASUS. 

“For this event, it was amazing to get to work with ASUS,” Bryant wrote to the //Tribune//. “They put a lot of work into organizing the event and provided the funding for raffle prizes.”

Artists who performed with Jam for Justice were compensated by the ASUS. According to Hart, the collaboration between Meals for Milton-Parc, Jam for Justice, and ASUS showcased the organizing and fundraising potential held by student-led organizations. 

“The […] event with Jam for Justice is a community-building event and a time for people who will be coming to learn about […] our organizations and the work we do,” Hart said. “I think this week of events is a great way to show the possibilities of clubs and organizations coming together.”

Art, Arts & Entertainment

Round table presents traditional Inuit knowledge in the contemporary world

by Lowell Wolfe on

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Broadcasting live from Iqaluit, Nunavut on March 19, Aaju Peter lit and kindled a small fire over a large stone tub of oil as students, professors, and artists witnessed the flame spread. By lighting the qulliq—a traditional oil lamp used by Arctic Indigenous Peoples—Peter commenced Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit: Traditional Knowledge in the Contemporary World, an online round table showcasing Inuit culture and wisdom. The qulliq’s lighting reflected the round table’s thematic emphasis on historical and contemporary Inuit cultural practices.

“Inuit survived out on the land in small groups and in families, not dependent on anything from the outside world, using the qulliq to melt the water [and] to light and warm their igloo or sod house,” Peter said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “In today’s world, where we do not use the qulliq everyday, it has become a symbol for remembering our traditions and our ancestors. [We] also use the qulliq as the welcoming tool to start important meetings [and] gatherings, and to welcome participants to the territory or to the meeting.” 

Hosted by the McGill Provost’s Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education, the event featured Inuit and non-Inuit scholars, artists, and activists from across Inuit Nunaat and Lower Canada. Each speaker presented on different aspects of Inuit cultures, such as music, environmental practices, and architecture. Danish journalist and ethnomusicologist Karsten Sommer explored the history of Greenlandic [Kalaalit Nunaat] music. Starting with Greenlandic drum history that spans thousands of years and ending with modern Greenlandic hip-hop, Sommer traced the history of Inuit music and its transformation during Denmark’s colonization of Greenland.

“When the missionaries arrived to West Greenland in 1721, they presented what also became accepted as a part of Greenlandic traditional music, like choir-singing,” Sommer said. “They taught [the Inuit] the pleasure of singing in choir, and still today, all towns and villages in Greenland have their local choirs. Later, the whalers came from Europe […] and played their local polka and introduced violins and accordion.”

Sommer’s presentation was one of many that explored the diversity and vitality of Inuit cultures and practices. While topics varied, the presenters were all acquainted with one another, and had been invited by Marianne Stenbaek, a cultural studies professor at McGill. Stenbaek, along with teaching assistants Elizabeth La Rocque, Emily Hoppe, and Pascale Théorêt-Groulx, organized the event.

“I have been interested in storytelling and in Inuit culture, [and] how these ideas have come about, and been passed on for centuries,” Stenbaek said. “[Inuit knowledge] used to be totally disregarded, and researchers would go and just do whatever they felt like. But now, more and more, it has become imperative that researchers […] take the local knowledge into account.” 

During the round table, Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Christopher Manfredi expressed hope that McGill’s proposed campus master plan, which intends to display Indigenous art on campus, will cultivate a welcoming environment for Indigenous students at McGill.

“Some […] Indigenous elements, such as elevating the status of and the importance of La Hochelaga Rock, [have] already [been] achieved,” Manfredi said. “A lot of it is around landscaping, the use of art, the naming of buildings, giving greater visibility to our First Peoples house, and providing spaces for ceremonial activities. We are seeking reconciliation through the development of the master plan.” 

The virtual round table offered a platform for sharing Indigenous knowledge and respecting Indigenous communities in Canada and across the world. 

“When I went to school […], I was not taught my own language in Denmark and also in Greenland,” Peter said. “There was a time where we were all shipped off to learn to speak the white man’s language. [This event supports] taking back what was inherently ours at birth, and from our culture, and taking back the pride of being able to practice our own language [and] our own stories of our own people.”

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