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McGill, News

McGill plans to implement Tier 2 in-person academic activities

by Kate Addison on

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In an email to the McGill community on Feb. 5, Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Fabrice Labeau announced that McGill would begin implementing some in-person activities on campus as early as Feb. 8. These in-person activities, called “Tier 2 academic activities,” are optional learning opportunities for students currently in the Montreal area who would like to return to campus. 

The Ministry of Higher Education officially announced the gradual rollout of in-person learning activities in a press conference on Feb. 4. Associate Provost (Teaching and Academic Programs) Christopher Buddle told The McGill Tribune that the safety of students and staff will be prioritized during the roll out of Tier 2 teaching activities. 

“Planning was […] done with strict adherence to all the public health directives and guidelines,” Buddle said. “That’s actually why some activities will take a little bit of time before they’re ready to go. We have to make sure that [all] the safety measures are in place [….] Students will be notified [about in-person activities] through their faculties and instructors in the coming days and weeks.” 

A procedural mask mandate for indoor spaces on McGill’s campuses will be implemented along with pre-existing campus safety regulations. For Rachel Kalmanovich, U2 Arts, however, the prospect of a sudden return to in-person learning is daunting despite the difficulties of online classes. 

“I’m generally a little bit nervous,” Kalmanovich said “When I signed up for [my] conference I wasn’t really expecting things to go in person. I definitely don’t think I feel comfortable being in an in-person space at this point in time.” 

The administration cited the positive impact they believe returning to campus will have on students’ mental health as a driving force behind beginning Tier 2 in-person activities.

“For [some] students the ability to come to campus for some activities could be quite impactful and very important because we know that a lot of students are feeling quite isolated,” Buddle said. “An opportunity for some students to engage even just a little bit with the campus […] can be quite important for members of our community.” 

While some academic activities will be offered under Tier 2, other student services, like clubs and some Wellness Hub services, will remain online. 

“[Under] the new government directives, we are told that [McGill] can offer [student services] in person, based on demand,” Labeau said. “Our first couple of weeks are going to be really about gauging demand. We know that for the Wellness Hub there hasn’t been much demand for in-person mental health services. But [for] in-person physical health services, [we know] there was demand, so […] it’s going to be done on a case-by-case basis.” 

The return to in-person teaching also came as a cause for concern for some educators at the university. Jessica Rose, grievance officer for the Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM), voiced some of the union members’ concerns regarding the safety of in-person teaching. 

“The university maintains that as long as their protocols are in place, and are being followed, that the environment is categorically safe,” Rose said. “Of course, protocols are simply a matter of behaviour and compliance […] so the question of whether or not they’re consistently maintained […] determines whether or not they consider the environment to be safe.” 

Rose expressed frustrations with the McGill administration’s decision to implement in-person teaching. 

 “For people who have health concerns, there are procedures for accommodation which include […] the right to opt out of in-person teaching altogether and to teach remotely or to do other tasks as a TA without losing [your position],” Rose said. “But there are also other conditions that aren’t taken as seriously. [McGill has] been very explicit that if you have dependents who have health conditions, or if you live with somebody who has a health condition that puts them at greater risk for negative outcomes from COVID-19, they don’t care.”

McGill, News

Eating Disorder Awareness Week forms community in isolation

by Wendy Zhao on

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Content warning: Mentions of eating disorders.

The Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) Eating Disorder Resource and Support Centre (EDRSC) held its third National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (EDAW) from Feb. 1 to Feb. 5. The events and discussions throughout the week highlighted the impact that social media and the pandemic have had on eating disorders or disordered eating. The workshops provided guidance on mindful eating, fatphobia, and supporting affected loved ones. 

McGill cut its Eating Disorder Program in 2017 due to changes made to the structure of counselling and psychiatric services at the time, among other factors. In its place, SSMU established the EDRSC to fill a lack of resources. 

During the “Disordered Eating in a COVID-19 Context” event, Ffion Hughes, U4 Arts and a survivor of anorexia nervosa, shared how working from home in constant proximity to her kitchen has made it challenging to maintain a positive relationship with food. 

“For the most part, I’ve been able to stay in control over my eating,” Hughes said. “But in a sense, it’s too much control.”

Confined now to her apartment, Hughes says that the pandemic has left it up to herself to enforce the boundaries that make balanced consumption easier. 

“In years past, I’ve been able to go to the library, where I could not think about food for a while,” Hughes said. “[Now], I’m constantly surrounded by triggers.”

Odessa Grimard is a U3 Science and floor fellow for Solin Hall residence who has experienced disordered eating. Grimard explained that isolation may be especially triggering for those in recovery. 

“Folks don’t have the social checks of other people around them to realize that their behaviour is not [normal],” Grimard said. 

Grimard also grapples with the decreased visibility of students’ mental health challenges in the remote learning context. With the loss of communal spaces, students’ struggles are obscured and preventative measures inhibited when they are most needed.

“In previous years, I had students study until 3 a.m. as a form of anxious [behaviour], and we’d see them and be able to reach out and support them, but we can’t see that anymore,” Grimard said. 

Those fighting mental health issues and disordered eating during the pandemic are forced to seek support themselves. Elizabeth Hales, U0 Arts, expressed the challenge of finding and accepting aid as a first-year student. 

“My therapist is back home,” Hales said. “Coming into a new city with no support system, being unable to meet new people, it’s hard to validate myself and realize it’s okay to get help, even though I’m not the worst I’ve ever been.”

During “Fatphobia: An Introductory Workshop,” Mariam Elmi, a student at the University of Ottawa, described her search for a community of minorities affected by eating disorders or disordered eating. 

“Within mainstream eating disorder stories and discussions, I often feel like I’m the odd one out because I don’t see people who look like me,” Elmi said. “I didn’t see anyone like me until I went to a support group over Zoom last night. I thought, ‘Finally I’m not alone.’” 

Cyndi Owens, a local wellness advisor, concluded the “Disordered Eating in a COVID-19 Context” event by calling upon students to support one another through their shared challenges. 

“The only connection we have left [is] grief,” Owens said. “We’re all not okay in different ways [….] The key is a network of support [….] Bother each other, make use of each other, then change will be sustainable and be rooted in a core rather than something that feels like it might overtake us.”

Students can find resources and support for disordered eating or eating disorders at the EDRSC and Student Wellness Hub.

Montreal, News

Bar des Pins to be revamped by Milton Park community group

by Anthony Schokalsky on

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Bar des Pins, a student-favourite sports bar at the corner of avenues Parc and des Pins is set to be purchased by Société du Développement Communautaire (SDC) Milton Parc, a group member within Milton Parc Citizen’s Committee (CCMP). A recent report by the Students’ Society of McGill University Vice-President (VP) External suggests that SSMU may begin engaging in conversations with the Milton Park Community (CMP)—a housing cooperative network that the SDC is a member of—about forming a partnership.

The CCMP is a not-for-profit organization which strives to improve the democratic and collective autonomy of Milton-Parc residents. Its past projects have included organic fair trade food banks, an environment committee, and a partnership with SSMU’s Trash 2 Treasure initiative.

In an email to The McGill Tribune, Nathan McDonnell, VP of the CCMP, elaborated on the SDC’s role as “community landlord” of the Milton Parc neighbourhood, noting that it owns Presse Café, Basha’s, Marché Lobo, and Café St Barth, as well as other offices and businesses along Parc Avenue. The SDC currently has its sight set on numerous properties, like the former Hôtel-Dieu hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital, and the parking lots on Saint Urbain.

McDonnell spoke to the imminent purchase of Bar des Pins by the SDC.

“[One] family has owned [Bar des Pins] for several decades,” McDonell said. “Since the father has become elderly and unable to run the business anymore, the sons […] wanted to sell the bar even before the pandemic.”

Bar des Pins falls within the Milton Parc community land trust, which gives the SDC rights of first refusal to buy it, effectively keeping it off the private market when sold.

“[The land trust is] a kind of post-capitalist form of property ownership where 1500 people live without landlords in community-controlled housing.”

McDonnell described SDC members’ vision for the future of the Bar. 

“[It could be] a unique family-friendly community café [or] bistro, a place with healthy, local, maybe all vegetarian food, amazing coffee, and lots and lots of community events,” McDonnell said. “It would be run as a solidarity cooperative, a democratic model where workers and customers are co-owners. It would be a model for a democratic and ecological economy.”

CCMP members are interested in collaborating with SSMU on the new business.

In an email to The McGill Tribune, SSMU VP Finance Gifford Marpole wrote that the decision to collaborate with SSMU has only come up once in dialogue with the CCMP and that no firm decisions have been made concerning the Pins café yet.

Marpole explained that SSMU would have to produce a robust financial analysis should it become seriously interested in forming a partnership with the site.

“[It would involve] rigorous analysis to determine the feasibility, sustainability, and benefit of such a collaboration,” Marpole said. “The decision would have to be brought to the students and voted [on] by them. It would definitely be brought to the attention of students. That’s important to SSMU’s policy on transparency.”

According to SSMU VP External Affairs Ayo Ogunremi SSMU has yet to seriously consider the partnership.

“SSMU has a history of collaborating with organizations and communities in Milton Parc,” Ogunremi said in an interview with the Tribune. “It’s established positions to work on inter-generational housing with the community, for example.”

Regardless of SSMU’s decision to financially back the project, the expected timeline for Bar des Pins’ purchase and renovation remains unclear.

A representative of Bar des Pins said that the establishment has yet to be sold to anyone and did not elaborate on its potential redevelopment.

The projected date for a renovated Pins café remains unknown. CCMP treasurer Adam Gwiazda-Amsel, U4 Arts, said that the SDC is currently negotiating the purchase of the property from its current owners.

“As such, it is unlikely that [the Pins café] will be operational before this summer at the earliest,” Gwiazda-Amsel said.

Student Life

The pros and cons of taking notes by hand

by Josephine Wang on

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With the transition from in-person to online lectures, one thing is certain: How students engage with course material remains important, and this includes taking effective notes. Because of the online format, however, students now have the freedom to watch recorded lectures at their own pace and no longer have to type frantically to keep up with their professors. Typing out notes is faster, which comes in handy when there is a lot of information to digest in a short amount of time, but now that students are able to pause, slow down, or speed up lectures, taking notes by hand is a more viable alternative. Below, The McGill Tribune investigates the pros and cons of  taking handwritten notes. 

Note-taking can be categorized into two types: Generative and non generative. While generative note-taking uses paraphrasing and summarizing, non generative note-taking involves transcribing something verbatim. Research shows that students who write out their notes on paper remember information better because they listen, digest, and paraphrase to capture the essence of the material rather than type up a transcript of the lecture, which involves little cognitive processing of the content. 

Thus, the main issue with typing is that students tend to transcribe whatever the lecturer says without much thought. People who write notes by hand tend to give more consideration as to what they should write down, which leads to more effective learning. 

Beyond being able to retain lecture material more effectively, there are other benefits to taking notes by hand. Hayley Mauricio, U3 Science, explained why she prefers taking notes the old-fashioned way.

“I find that whenever I type out my notes during class, I get easily distracted,” Mauricio said.  “Because I’m on my laptop, I’ll use Facebook, check my emails, or message my friends when I should be listening to the lecture. Having just a notebook and pencil on my desk keeps me focussed as I’m not tempted by other applications.”

However, the benefits of handwritten notes do not negate any practical benefits of digital note taking. Some studies that compared the effects of handwriting notes to typing notes utilized immediate memory tests administered shortly after note-taking sessions, which is not representative of real classroom settings as students are assessed weeks after learning new material. Additionally, writing notes by hand is more cumbersome, which can be problematic during long lectures. Tracy Liu, U3 Science, shared why she is committed to typing notes.

“I make a lot of mistakes when taking notes, whether it is spelling errors or just getting the material wrong,” Liu said. “Digital notes are much easier to edit, fix, and search through. Not to mention that typing out notes is fast. I can’t imagine writing out notes during my three hour lectures. Additionally, digital notes are more interactive, which is more important now more than ever. Because we are unable to collaborate in-person anymore, sharing a Google Doc with my classmates is an alternative to sharing notes.”

As with any mode of learning, there are different variables to consider when it comes to choosing what works best for you. If you prefer typing your notes, try to understand and process the material first instead of simply transcribing what the professor says word for word. Jasmine Coulombe, U3 Science, offered advice for typing notes.

“I always wait until the professor finishes a slide or a problem,” Coulombe said. “Afterwards, I type out the main concepts that were just explained in my own words. That way, I’m able to actively listen and understand the material being taught, and not just create a record of the lecture. If there’s something that I missed, I’ll wait until I finish listening to the whole lecture and watch the recording afterwards so I don’t disrupt my flow.”

Ultimately, typing notes and writing them out can both be effective note-taking methods, though handwritten notes are often more conducive to retaining information.

 

Chill Thrills, Student Life

Battle of the streaming services

by Dante Ventulieri on

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As the pandemic continues to keep us indoors, television and movies have become a welcome distraction from the monotony of our everyday lives. For many students, the search is on for the ideal streaming service: One that has both serious films for movie nights and lighthearted sitcoms to put on in the background. Most importantly, the service should provide good value and a compatible interface on computers and phones. The McGill Tribune has investigated the pros and cons of several streaming services to help you weather your pandemic boredom.

Apple TV+

Apple’s foray into the subscription service business continues with Apple TV+. At $5 a month and $60 a year, it’s one of the cheaper options available. Apple TV+ relies mostly on Apple originals, and while most shows are high quality, this limited selection is ultimately its downfall. There simply are not enough shows or films for Apple TV+ to be a serious contender. It lacks any sort of casual fare, and shows that should be simple and entertaining—like Home, a mini-series about interesting homes from around the world—feel too laboured and drawn-out to be enjoyable. A counterintuitive interface for PCs and the lack of an Android app further hampers the service.

Amazon Prime Video

For Amazon Prime members, Prime Video is included in subscription costs, while non-Prime members will have to shell out $8 a month. Amazon has produced a shallow but solid collection of original content, but their entire library, including borrowed content, still feels insufficient for the avid watcher. Combine that with a clunky interface, and the result is less than stellar. While the inclusion of live Global TV is welcome, the presence of paywalls and ads is not. Overall, it’s a solid service for students who already have a Prime membership, but hard to justify purchasing otherwise.

Crave

For $10 per month and $100 per year for the base package, Crave finds itself in the middle of the pack. Its original content is lackluster, with Letterkenny being one of the few recognisable names. While it boasts some popular classics like Seinfeld and Friends, there aren’t many ground-breaking, must-watch shows—even the movie offerings seem like bargain-bin finds. The Movies + HBO add-on at $10 a month adds to the selection, but it is too expensive for a service that does not provide everything a TV watcher might want. Further, its clunky and sluggish interface does little to buoy its appeal.

Disney+

Disney+ is the ideal streaming platform for those who like to go down memory lane: It’s as if your inner child curated the selection. Disney+ is packed with movies and shows, but they are all concentrated within a few genres. There are no political dramas or reality TV, but when it comes to cartoons, sitcoms, superheroes, and musicals, Disney+ is a near-perfect service. With its new price increase, Disney+ charges $120 per year, or $12 per month for its nostalgic selection. While the inclusion of National Geographic and Marvel among their selection help soften the blow, $120 is too pricey for a service that might only be used occasionally.

Netflix

Netflix is the most popular streaming service, and with a price that starts at $15 per month, it is also the most expensive. While there is a $10 subscription plan, its lack of HD streaming and limited screens make it hard to recommend. Overall, Netflix has the strongest content library, with a great selection of both original and borrowed shows and movies, spanning every genre. The interface is fluid, easy-to-use, and available on most devices.

The Tribune’s pick

Despite being the most expensive service, Netflix remains the platform to beat, as it feels like the only platform that can be used conveniently. Apple TV+ and Disney+ are enticing options for sharing with friends or binging for one month. As budget options, Crave and Amazon have a large amount of variety, but the quality of the content and interface lags behind Netflix. 

Worth a shot

Crackle has a free selection of syndicated shows and movies along with some original content created for the service. Kanopy, which is free for students through the McGill Library, offers indie films and documentaries. The CuriosityStream/Nebula bundle for $15 per year features documentaries and original content from popular educational YouTube channels.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

‘Lost in Bloom’ chronicles The Neighbourhood Watch’s coming-of-age

by Noma Mirny on

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On the morning of Jan. 31, a group of guys in grey beanies gathered around a computer screen from the comfort of their own homes, drinking coffee, adjusting their headphones, and cheerily chatting away. Meet The Neighbourhood Watch, a Toronto-based band consisting of pianist Tyler Moretti, drummer Wyeth Robertson, and brothers guitarist Ethan and vocalist Tristan Surman, U3 Arts. Their excitement was palpable. On Feb. 4, their latest album Lost in Bloom—a two-year writing endeavour—was released.

The band, which has now amassed 75,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and is featured on the “Indie All Stars” playlist alongside the likes of Tame Impala and Glass Animals, started as an accident in a basement. All of the band members attended the same Toronto high school, and, through a set of mutual connections, formed The Neighbourhood Watch. Luckily, attending the same arts school exposed them to an assortment of different musical styles.

“We [were] surrounded by a bunch of musicians all the time [and] there was just a unique style that funneled through that school,” Moretti said. “We were always surrounded by a very […] diverse set of music tastes [that were] very simple but artistic in a lyrical sense.” 

In their creative classrooms, the future musicians were equipped with the artistic storytelling tools they needed to compose engaging musical pieces.

“Wyeth, Ethan, and I, we were all studying film there and Tyler studied drama [….] We were [all] coming from backgrounds where we were [essentially studying] how to tell stories. [And] I think that that’s always been one of the things that I like most about our music, is that you could kind of say that it’s cinematic […] and I think that our studying of film [was] kind of an impetus for that,” Tristan Surman said.

Since forming in 2017, one of their greatest challenges has been developing an authentic sound. On their debut album, Community Protected, the quartet classified their music as predominantly folksy, taking inspiration from The Lumineers and The Head and The Heart. Experimenting more in their sophomore record, the group joked that they threw the kitchen sink in their four-month production time, ultimately feeling that this produced a less cohesive set of tracks in Goodbye Childhood (2019).

In their newest album, Lost in Bloom, it seems that the band has finally bloomed into its sound. Taking musical cues from The Beatles, Kodaline, Alabama Shakes, Arcade Fire, and Cage the Elephant, Lost in Bloom is a beautiful amalgamation of tender folk, lively rock, and kitchen-dancing, head-bopping indie. Particularly outstanding is the Great-Caesar-esque tour-de-force of “20 Year Dream,” the melancholic delicacy of “Hailey,” and the tenderhearted wisdom of “Focus Up.”

Written over the span of two years, the band admitted that working on Bloom during COVID-19 has proved to be difficult, but the pandemic also encouraged them to explore their central theme of emotional and interpersonal maturity. Describing the album as being both a break-up and a coming-of-age record, main songwriter of the band Tristan Surman said that the heart of the album revolves around the idea of growing up. 

“If you were to put all of our albums in sequence, every single one is […] about a different aspect of growing up,” Tristan Surman said. “So, one of the core themes I think for this record is asking, ‘As we grow up, as we become more mature and responsible people, what is our responsibility to the people that we love? [….] How do we create enough space for those people to just be themselves and never let our emotions or our personalities stop them from fully flourishing? [….] I think a lot of what this album is about is a moment of realization that growing up should be less about ambition, and more about kindness.”

You can now stream Lost in Bloom on Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube Music, and Pandora. Album cover art by Ella Roy. Video production by Charlie Hill and Max Mezo. Press photography by Jamie Brennan.

Sports, Winter Sports

The McGill Tribune’s comprehensive guide to winter sports in a pandemic

by Adam Burton, Sarah Farnand, Sophia Gorbounov on

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In many cities, winter is a time to stay indoors and wait until the snow begins to melt. In Montreal, however, the colder months offer a slew of activities for everyone. Even in the ongoing pandemic, many outdoor sports remain available with set restrictions, letting anyone take a break from their screens and venture into the great outdoors. The McGill Tribune offers its guide for enjoying winter activities while still respecting COVID-19 regulations. 

Downhill skiing and snowboarding

Even as the Quebec government maintains its curfew, mountains for downhill skiing and snowboarding remain open during business hours, albeit with several new restrictions: Lessons and classes are not permitted, skiers can only go with members of their family bubble, and night skiing is not allowed in accordance with the 8 p.m. curfew. In addition to these restrictions, common regulations such as reduced chairlift capacity and mandatory masks continue to be enforced. 

For Montreal’s avid skiers and snowboarders, Quebec offers numerous ski resorts within driving distance of the city. Mont Tremblant, perhaps Quebec’s most famous mountain, features diverse terrains for all skill levels. However, its popularity means Tremblant can be extremely busy, a concern especially prevalent during the pandemic. Mont Sutton, though a smaller mountain, is renowned for its glade skiing, with tree-covered trails for any skill level. Finally, Mont Saint-Anne, while a three-hour drive from Montreal, makes up for the long distance with some of the best skiing conditions year-round. 

Skating

Whether going alone, with friends, or with family, skating is an activity that anyone can enjoy. While indoor arenas remain closed for recreational skating, Montreal offers over 200 outdoor rinks across all its boroughs. On the City of Montreal website, each borough has a list of rinks and their skating conditions. As with most other activities, rinks close at 7:30 p.m. to allow people to return home in time for curfew. 

For those close to McGill, Parc Jeanne-Mance features two well-conditioned rinks. Parc La Fontaine, although farther from the core of McGill student life, has two hockey rinks and one illuminated recreational rink. Altogether, the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough has 13 rinks—both recreational and athletic—spread out across six parks. 

Sledding 

Although sledding is typically seen as a children’s activity, the exhilaration of jetting downhill on a thin piece of shabby plastic is fun for anyone. Moreover, any park with a downhill slope already provides the perfect conditions for sledding. 

For McGillians close to campus, Parc Jeanne-Mance and Parc du Mont-Royal Park both offer hills for enthusiastic sleighers. Further away, Parc Jean-Drapeau’s Espace 67 provides obstacle-free riding, with a designated path to walk back up the slope.

Unlike other winter sporting activities that require specific apparel and equipment, sledding only requires something to descend on, along with the usual winter attire. Even without a proper toboggan, anything from inflatable pools to laundry baskets to garbage can lids can be repurposed for some lightning-fast downhill sled runs. 

Cross-country skiing 

During any snowfall, Montreal’s avid cross-country skiers make their way to Mont Royal. The local mountain has a wide range of cross-country ski trails with 22 kilometres of marked trails. As the sport does not require much interaction, COVID-19 restrictions only require a mask in washrooms and buildings. 

While downhill skiing is expensive, with some one-day mountain tickets selling at over $200 dollars, cross-country skiing requires no mountain and no chairlift tickets, making it a more accessible winter activity.

Apart from McGill’s neighbourhood hill, Montreal boasts over 100 kilometres of marked cross-country ski trails. Parc Jarry has a 2.1-kilometre trail for beginners and families, as does Parc-nature de Bois-de-Liesse with its nine-kilometre wooded trail. For those who want to build their technique with assistance, Parc Jean-Drapeau offers free beginner’s classes on site. 

Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing is believed to be over 10 thousand years old, first used in the migration over the Bering Strait from Siberia to Northern Canada. While snowshoeing is no longer a necessity, many still choose to strap on their raquettes and go out for a brisk walk in the woods. Snowshoeing allows people to stay active in a time of year where they would otherwise be indoors clinging to the warmth of their tiny student apartments. 

Montreal has dozens of parks and rental locations that make this the ideal winter sport for those looking to explore new parts of the city. Parc du Mont-Royal, Parc Jean-Drapeau, Parc-Nature Pointe-aux-Prairies, and the Lachine Canal offer rental services and several kilometres of trails. Many paths have fireplaces en route, locations ideal for birdwatching, and even bistros at the end of trail for those looking to warm up after a long day of exertion.

Hockey

In many cities, the most difficult part of playing hockey is finding ice time. Montreal, however, eliminates the problem with dozens of maintained hockey rinks available for use. The rinks at Parc Jeanne-Mance, Place des Arts, and Parc La Fontaine are ideally situated for students in the downtown area.

In winters past, rinks were packed to the brim with locals looking to get some time on the ice. Dozens of informal leagues pop up throughout the city, with players of any skill level able to find equivalent competition. While the city has limited hockey games for the duration of lockdown, rinks are still open for individual practice and skating. Now is the perfect time to work on your skill set, so grab your skates and lug a bucket of pucks to your local hockey rink and work on that slap shot and hockey stop.

Fat Biking

While most deem Quebec winters too frigid for cycling, every year a select few break out their fat bikes: An off-road bicycle with oversized tires designed to grab at groomed snow. 

Fat Bikes are ideal for those looking to get in some mileage during the period when cycling is otherwise inaccessible. Parc Jean-Drapeau and Parc du Mont-Royal are fantastic options for those looking to stay in the city, as they offer on-site rental booths and regularly groomed trails. Parc national des Îles-de-Boucherville and Mont Tremblant boasts longer woodsy trails that are removed from the city, making them ideal for more serious cyclists on a full day excursion. 

Tubing

Nothing says wintertime like speeding down a hill in an inflatable doughnut. Thankfully for tubing fanatics, Montreal has several prime locations. For those living in the downtown area, Parc du Mont-Royal and Parc Jean-Drapeau both offer inner tube rentals and groomed trails close to home. 

Further north, Les Super Glissades St-Jean-de-Matha boasts scenic views and the fastest sliding tracks in the province, allowing tubers to reach speeds of up to 100 kilometres per hour. Alongside tubing, Les Super Glissades also is also ideal for a variety of other winter activities, including snowshoeing, skating, and cross-country skiing, perfect for those who aim to cross all winter activities off their list.

Art, Arts & Entertainment

Queer McGill’s Zine keeps queer communities up-to-date and involved

by Lowell Wolfe on

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On Jan. 29, Queer McGill held an online, synchronous open-mic night celebrating the debut of their winter semester zine—a self-published, pamphlet-style magazine showcasing queer art submissions from McGill students. The zine, which contained poetry, visual art, and prose writing, was Queer McGill’s second publication, succeeding their summer zine which exclusively contained visual art. In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Queer McGill event coordinator Jordan Elbualy elaborated on how the first zine came together.

“We were trying to look for new ways to engage with people,” Elbualy said. “We had made this [online] art-sharing group, and we thought it would be a good way into [publishing a zine]. One of our resource coordinators, Natan, was working on an e-library and we thought it would be a good thing to include.”

Alongside displaying the zine for the attendants, students at the open-mic night performed spoken-word poetry and music. For the first performance, student poet Alexa Pronman recited poems about witches and perception, and her stand-out poem titled “At the Edge of the Universe” creatively personified human experiences such as life and death. On guitar, musician Vc Renaud covered The Head and Heart’s “Rivers and Roads.” Renaud’s most stunning performance occurred when they performed the currently untitled final song of their upcoming record, which will be available on all streaming platforms in April. 

“[The first zine] was well received, which was why we decided to do another one,” Elbualy said. “We got a lot of good feedback about it, so we thought we’d bring that forward again.”

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Queer McGill’s zine was a way to communicate with the McGill community and reach out to anyone who could benefit from Queer McGill’s resources.

“We also wanted to make sure everyone was up to date on all the events we were running throughout the semester and to put in our product guide, which is another important resource that we offer,” Elbualy said. 

Queer McGill’s product guide enables students to acquire free, gender-neutral supplies. The zine release showcased stand-to-pees, organic pads, mooncups, and an exciting new addition: Breast forms. McGill students can obtain any of the products by filling out an online order form. The Zine also advertised some of Queer McGill’s upcoming events, such as “Palentine’s Gay” on Feb. 12.

“For Palentine’s Gay, we do a ‘powerpoint party,’ which basically [means] everybody makes a powerpoint about something they care really passionately about […] and you present it to the group,” Elbualy said. “In the last powerpoint party, I ranked all the One Direction albums, something silly like that.” 

Queer McGill is also hosting the “Drag and Burlesque online hangout” on Feb. 25. The event will be similar to their previous drag events, but adhere to social-distancing guidelines.

“We usually actually do a drag show that we put on at Théâtre Sainte-Catherine, but unfortunately, we couldn’t transfer that to an online platform,” Elbualy said. “In the spirit of drag and burlesque, we’re doing a drag-themed hang-out. We’re trying to encourage people to come in drag make-up, or whatever they want to dress up in for it.”

With the success of their first zine and the hype surrounding their second zine’s release, Queer McGill hopes to continue using the zine-format as a platform to showcase queer art around McGill. 

“We want everyone to be informed about our events and resources, and we want to give queer artists a place to showcase their work,” Elbualy said.

Sports

2021 Winter X Games return to Aspen

by Sophia Gorbounov on

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On Jan. 31, the 25th edition of the Winter X Games kicked off in Aspen, Colorado. Held at the Buttermilk Ski Resort, the event featured only skiing and snowboarding events and was organized in a fenced-off venue, with no spectators permitted due to the ongoing pandemic. The pandemic also caused some athletes to withdraw from the Games, namely Canadian snowboarders Mark McMorris and Max Parrot. 

The X Games are an annual extreme sports event hosted by ESPN. The first Summer X Games were held in 1995 in Newport, Rhode Island, with the winter edition being introduced two years later in Big Bear Lake, California. Among the various extreme sports, the event prominently features skateboarding, motocross, skiing, and snowboarding. 

Due to the freestyling nature of the events, past X Games have seen their competitors introduce new, never-before-seen tricks. Some notable feats include Tony Hawk’s first ever 900 in skateboarding, Shaun White’s Double McTwist 1260 in snowboarding, and Travis Pastrana’s first double backflip in Moto X. 

This year, despite a reduced number of events and competitors, athletes put their best foot forward to deliver exhilarating performances. 

Jamie Anderson won another gold medal in Women’s Snowboard Slopestyle with her first run, making her the most decorated female competitor in X Games history with a total of 20 X Games medals. Zoi Sadowski-Synnott took second place in the same slopestyle event, while Quebec’s own Laurie Blouin won the bronze medal.

Dusty Henricksen from Mammoth Lakes, California made his X Games debut this year. Any pressure of his first Games did not seem to affect the 17-year-old snowboarder, who went on to win not one but two gold medals in Men’s Snowboard Slopestyle and the Snowboard Knuckle Huck. 

“I was just trying to stay on my feet and snowboard and have a good time with all these boys,” Henricksen said in an interview with Forbes. 

His win in the slopestyle event made Henricksen the first American male snowboarder to win the event in 12 years—since Shaun White in 2009—as well as the first snowboarder to win two gold medals in his rookie appearance.

Alongside Henricksen, Chinese freeskier Eileen Gu also made her first X Games appearance. Gu took first place in Women’s Ski Superpipe, as well as Women’s Ski Slopestyle and third place in Women’s Ski Big Air. Her debut made Gu the first woman to win three X Games medals in her rookie appearance, and the first rookie ever to medal in every event she competed in. 

Marcus Kleveland, an X Games snowboarding veteran from Norway, made his seventh X Games appearance. In the Men’s Snowboard Big Air, Kleveland placed first, earning him his fifth X Games gold medal. However, while he started off strong in Men’s Snowboarding Slopestyle, Kleveland eventually fell short, finishing the event in fifth place. 

This year, the slopestyle events took on a “jam session” style where competitors had a set amount of time to complete as many runs as they could and were only judged on their best run and not on overall performance. This method has received backlash, especially from fans who claimed the all-or-nothing judging style was partially responsible for Kleveland’s low placement. 

Overall, the 2021 Winter X Games did not fail in showcasing some of the world’s best winter extreme sport athletes. Even with fan favourites like Shaun White withdrawing from the Games, athletes like Marcus Kleveland, Chloe Kim, and Nick Goepper all delivered expert performances. Moreover, with first-timers Dusty Henricksen and Eileen Gu breaking records, this year’s event kept viewers on the edge of their seats.

Football, Sports

The McGill Tribune presents: Super Bowl LV Preview

by Adam Menikefs on

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On Feb. 7, the AFC champion Kansas City Chiefs will kick off against the NFC champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV. The game will be held at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida, marking the first time in Super Bowl history where a team will play the championship game in their home stadium. The Buccaneers will return to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 2002 season, while the Kansas City Chiefs look to repeat their victory—a feat that has only been accomplished once in the 21st century. 

Both teams have had a unique path to the Super Bowl this season. Kansas City continued their success from last season, finishing 14-2, placing them first in the AFC and granting them a first-round bye in the playoffs. In the Divisional round, the Chiefs narrowly beat the six-seeded Cleveland Browns, despite Super Bowl LIV MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes sustaining a concussion in the second half. In the AFC championship game, the Chiefs punched their ticket to the big game with a significant win over the upstart Buffalo Bills. On the other side, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, led by four-time Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady, finished the season 11-5, placing fifth in the NFC. Tampa Bay went on the road to Washington in the Wild Card round, and New Orleans in the Divisional Round, beating both teams in closely contested games. In the NFC championship game, the Buccaneers beat the favourite Green Bay Packers, converting on a first half hail-mary and intercepting Aaron Rodgers on three occasions.

When assessing the player and team statistics from the regular season, the strengths and weaknesses of each team are made clear. On offence, each team was reliant on a strong passing game. Kansas City led the league in passing yards per game with 303.4 and placed third in passing touchdowns with 40. Tampa Bay finished second in passing yards per game with 289.1 and second in passing touchdowns with 42. Although neither had a strong rushing game, Kansas City had a significantly better performance, finishing 16th in the league in rushing yards per game, compared to Tampa Bay in 28th. 

On defence, the Buccaneers were reliant on a strong front seven, allowing the league’s least rushing yards per game, only 80.6 and 10 rushing touchdowns. In comparison, the Chiefs finished lower in both categories, giving up 14 rushing touchdowns and 122.1 yards per game on the ground to opponents. 

The most important matchup in this contest will be the Kansas City offence against the Tampa Bay defence. At the line of scrimmage, the Buccaneers will have a significant advantage going into the game. The Chiefs offensive line lost left tackle Eric Fisher, their former first overall pick, to a torn Achilles, a difficult blow to a unit that already lost first-team All-Pro Mitchell Schwartz earlier in the season. On the other side, the Buccaneers front seven are peaking at the right time. 2018 first round pick and defensive tackle Vita Veta’s return from injury last week was a critical addition to an exceptionally good core that features a staggering five former All-Pro selections. 

However, despite this advantage, Kansas City’s offensive weapons are historic. Patrick Mahomes, one of the most talented quarterbacks in NFL history, has connected with his two First team All-Pro selection targets Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce throughout the season and playoffs, a trend that should remain consistent this Sunday. Complemented by Head Coach Andy Reid’s strategic, aggressive play-calling, the Chiefs’ air attack will pose a difficult challenge for the upstart, young Buccaneers secondary. 

The McGill Tribune predicts that, ultimately, the Buccaneers will struggle to stop the Chiefs’ pass attack and their offence will come up just short, with Kansas City emerging victorious 31–27. The contest will live up to its significance, with two quarterbacks striving to end their careers as the greatest to ever play.

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