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News, PGSS

PGSS Council discusses McGill’s plans for in-person learning in Winter 2021

by Ella Fitzhugh on

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At the Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) Council virtual council meeting on Nov. 4, councillors approved a motion to oppose new changes to the Graduate Mobility Award (GMA) and discussed McGill’s recently announced plans to move some classes in the Faculty of Science to in person for the Winter 2021 semester.

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the provincial government has restricted university-related travel, narrowing the GMA eligibility requirements. Before the pandemic, the GMA students who received the award would pursue research abroad, often allowing international students to do research in their home countries. The recent GMA limitations have suspended international travel for research, leaving some international students with setbacks in pursuit of their studies.

University Affairs Commissioner and Ph.D student in Communication Studies Kristi Kouchakji pointed to the miscommunications between McGill and the Quebec government and explained that the new motion will attempt to provide more clarity. 

“This motion for me really is about making sure that going forward, for students who won’t be able to travel before April 2022, that McGill is using its platform and using the position that it has with the Quebec government to advocate for a more inclusive understanding of what it is to do graduate research in Quebec,” Kouchakji said.

After some discussion, the councillors unanimously approved the motion.

Next on the agenda was an announcement from the Biology Graduate Student Association (BGSA) concerning McGill’s plans to roll out some in-person, on-campus teaching activities starting in January 2021. An email sent on Oct. 30 to the Department of Biology asked the department chairs to submit a list of teachables by the first week of November. Shannon Dunphy, president of the BGSA, explained her opposition to McGill’s proposed plans regarding in-person classes for the Winter 2021 semester. 

“We’ve recently written a statement in opposition to increase presence of in-person classes for January 2021,” Dunphy said. “[The statement is] primarily focussing on Faculty of Science BGSAs [….] TAs and grad students have not been consulted on this issue, and so we’ve written a statement and we’d like to invite other BGSAs to co-sign it.”

Dunphy expressed that McGill’s failure to consult TAs and graduate students was a significant issue, because TAs will be susceptible to all the health risks associated with being present on campus. 

“They’re also not requiring undergraduate students to wear masks on campus in classrooms either,” Dunphy said.

During the discussion period, Ana Moga, Ph.D candidate in the School of Physical & Occupational Therapy and member of the Graduate Rehabilitation Science Society, questioned whether students are able to reap the same educational outcomes from remote learning.

Dunphy explained that although certain courses benefit from having an in-person format, McGill’s statement for in-person classes should be reconsidered because it includes in-person classes for courses that can remain in an online format. 

Moment of the meeting: 

At the beginning of the meeting, Council Speaker Adrienne Tessier noted that there was a palpable sense of stress in the air. Despite this, Tessier still found a moment to laugh at the end of the meeting, entertaining a motion for adjournment that was met with silence. She amicably joked, “I was about to say I’m flattered that no one wants to leave.”

Sound bite: 

“Dialogue is very similar to Keep.meSAFE that we have except for instead of mental health services, which is what Keep.meSAFE is for, Dialogue is for physical health [….] The cost of the plan is $4.25 per student per month […] which obviously if you compare it to how much a student would pay if they go to a clinic it’s still cheaper than a single visit [….] It can be fully opt-outable.”

—Dakota Rogers, Member Services Officer, outlining the initial stages of potentially implementing a new service called “Dialogue.”

News, SSMU

SSMU President reveals five-year plan to support future growth of student services

by Ella Milloy on

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The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) held its fifth Legislative Council meeting of the Fall 2020 semester on Nov. 5, where SSMU representatives discussed President Jemark Earle’s five-year plan which aims to further improve the student union. The council also passed two new motions: The first concerned the implementation of an equity triage within SSMU’s Equity Policy, and the second amended the standing rules for the 2020-2021 Legislative Council.

SSMU President Jemark Earle, who campaigned on creating a long-term plan which would allow for the Society to expand their services, introduced his five-year plan to Council for consultation. The proposal hopes to make SSMU’s staff, operations, clubs, services, finance, and advocacy departments more robust and to support their continual growth in the coming years. Earle suggested several ways that SSMU can improve the quality of its services in order to maintain their development over the next few years.

“Executive turnover is extremely high […] and executive teams [act] on impulsive one-year decisions,” Earle said. “[This is] the bane of [the] student union and results in ineffectiveness [….] This plan will create a subcommittee of the Legislative Council, which will include members at large, councillors, directors, executives, and full-time staff, to ensure that it gets carried through from year to year.”

Notable recommendations in the five-year plan include renovations to the SSMU building’s second-floor cafeteria and student bar, strategies to better integrate clubs into campus life, and calls to increase SSMU staffing support by 2026. Earle explained that the goal of the plan was to prioritize services, clubs, and operations and to make the Society’s building a more welcoming hub for student life. 

“In three years time, I think we would be able to renovate the [cafeteria] because there is a lot of under-utilized space which could be turned into quite a nice student lounge,” Earle said. “In my opinion, we could also look at getting some food options there, but I think there is a general need for a hangout space on campus.”

After Earle’s presentation, the council moved to approve two motions. Only the motion regarding the implementation of an equity triage process to the Society’s Equity Policy generated debate during the meeting. Moved by Vice-President Student Life Maheen Akter, the motion addresses the long-standing pattern of equity groups facing delays in many of SSMU’s operations. Akter explained that the equity triage process would prioritize marginalized groups when dealing with the society’s operations, communications, IT, human resources, and accounting departments.

“It is absolutely our priority to […] put processes [like this] in place to prioritize equity-seeking groups and to [also] serve all student groups,” Akter said. “As we put these [motions] forward, we are also constantly thinking of ways that we can improve all these systems and […] about why there are backlogs in some areas of our services, and figuring out ways to fix them.”

Moment of the meeting:

During his five-year plan presentation to the Legislative Council, President Earle discussed various initiatives that could garner more student engagement with SSMU, including finishing Gerts’ renovations, bringing back the yearbook, and opening a SSMU tax clinic. Acknowledging it as an ambitious idea, President Earle also put forward the possibility of the Society owning its own therapy dogs as a potential service by 2026 and spoke with great excitement as he described this idea to the council. 

Soundbite:

“The fact that we need a triage is not ideal [….] As the President outlined in the generative discussion on the five-year plan, we are understaffed [and] we do have a very limited capacity compared to the services we are trying to offer and the student body that we have to serve. The capacity just isn’t always there to do it in a timely manner. If anything, this amendment is trying to reduce the impact of that lack of capacity on equity-seeking groups that are already disadvantaged in a number of other ways.” – Brooklyn Fizzle, VP University Affairs.

McGill, Montreal, News

‘The Politics of Representation’ panel discusses accountability in Canadian politics

by Signy Harnad on

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McGill’s Women in House program hosted “The Politics of Representation: Fostering Accountability and Integrity in Governance” on Nov. 5 to explore the significance and value of female participation in Canadian government institutions. The panel, conducted via Zoom, featured McGill Political Science Professor Kelly Gordon, L1 Law student Chloe Kemeni, and Women in House founder Chi Nguyen. They underscored the potential challenges women embarking on careers in politics may face.

The event marks the first panel discussion of the academic year organized by Women in House, a shadowing program that aims to give female-identifying McGill students the opportunity to pair up with Members of Parliament and Senators. In an interview with //The McGill Tribune//, Iyanu Soyege, U3 Arts, the panel’s moderator and a coordinator of Women in House, explained that she sought to ground the discussion of female representation in the network of social movements burgeoning across Canada. 

“With the people of the Wet’suwet’en territory fighting for sovereignty over their land [and with] Black Lives Matter, we are trying to view government institutions as avenues for change,” Soyege said. “We’re asking what can happen when women do get into government, and what we can do to ensure that our communities are transformed.”

The panelists began their discussion of representation by distinguishing between two kinds of representation: Descriptive and substantive. The former is defined by the number of women in an institution, and the latter occurs when women-friendly policies are actually enacted. In doing so, Kemeni examined the different uses of identity politics in a liberal society.

“We need to critically assess what it means to be within our identity and intentionally understand it,” Kemeni said. “[…] We often talk about how we need more women, more racialized folks, and more folks from different backgrounds, and so they are [brought] to the table, and it’s almost as if they’re just there to […] not say anything. So when we talk about reclaiming identity politics within its feminist understanding, this means using your identity, and the teachings that come with who you are, your ancestors, […] what they taught you, and bringing that to the table.”

The panel then discussed the informal means through which women can exercise leadership and foreground local communities.

“Think about all of the parent councils, all of the activation that happens in communities by women,” Nguyen said. “Right after COVID-19, who was setting up mutual aid societies? Who was setting up these networks? It was driven by women’s leadership, and there’s an undervaluing of that care work.”

The speakers also addressed the barriers female politicians who pursue substantive change face. Professor Gordon mentioned the case of Jody Wilson-Raybould, a woman who resigned from the Trudeau cabinet in 2019 amid the SNC-Lavalin affair.

“What emerges is this pattern where although women are welcomed into the organization […], we also see people like Jody Wilson-Raybould doing […] what her community asked her to do, which is envisioning and [doing] things [in] a different way, and the party then ignores, denies, or blames [women like] her,” Gordon said.

Following a question that asked how the panelists have remained optimistic while navigating often-destabilizing political careers, the speakers imparted advice to the audience in their concluding remarks.

“For me, I’ve been able to find my tribe,” Nguyen said. “It should be feeding your soul, and if it’s not, you need to step back, reassess, and keep trying things on for size.”

Alex Byrne, U1 Arts, attended the event and praised the panelists for their candidness, while also emphasizing the need to continue engaging in nuanced conversations about representation. 

“I feel like so much of our talk about female representation is this liberal [idea] that women should be ambitious, and we need to empower women to have seats, but we rarely talk about the process it takes to get there,” Byrne said. “It was eye-opening to hear that spoken about in a way that was so blunt and open.”

Montreal, News

McGill student Coalition Against Bill 21 calls for repeal of secularism law

by Respina Rostamifar on

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McGill University students gathered to sit-in against Quebec’s Bill 21 outside the Montreal courthouse on Nov. 2. Organized by Non à la Loi 21, the McGill Muslim Law Students’ Association, RadLaw McGill, and the Muslim Student Association at McGill, the peaceful demonstrations took place at 8:00 a.m., promptly before the Bill was to be challenged by plaintiffs at the courthouse. In addition to the sit-in, the student coalition, which is a collective of clubs at McGill who denounce Bill 21, composed an open letter to repeal the Bill.

In 2019, the centre-right Coalition Action Démocratique (CAQ) party, led by Quebec premier François Legault, introduced Bill 21, An Act respecting the Laicity of the State, by invoking section 33 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Known as the notwithstanding clause, section 33 enables legislation to bypass essential rights as defined in the Charter. The Bill describes a list of civil servant positions and governmental occupations—including legislators, police officers, prosecutors, and teachers—who are banned from wearing religious symbols while working. Since its introduction, Bill 21 has been largely opposed due to its disproportionate effects on minorities.

Irfan Tahiri, L3 Law and organizer with the Coalition Against Bill 21, expressed the motivation behind the protests and the forming of the Coalition.

“The law forces religious people […] to compromise their dignity and conscience in order to work for the provincial government,” Tahiri said. “It is unreasonable to impose such a harsh burden to promote a secularism that was never under threat. Indeed, in the climate of growing Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, racism, and xenophobia within Quebec, Bill 21 moves Quebec backwards towards a society marked by fear and division as opposed to harmony and unity.“

In regards to the actions of the student coalition, Gillian Aldridge, U3 Arts and one of NDP McGill’s co-presidents, spoke on behalf of  NDP McGill and stated that they stand in solidarity with the Coalition Against Bill 21.

“NDP McGill recognizes the intrinsic value of pluralism and inclusion both in the McGill community and in Quebec as a whole, and are deeply concerned by the implications of Bill 21 for religious minorities,” Aldridge said. “We stand unequivocally in support of the efforts of  the Coalition Against Bill 21 [….] We once again urge the Government of Quebec to reverse this law and to reaffirm this fundamental right of all Canadians.”

Khadija Ahmed, L2 Law and co-president of the Muslim Law Students’ Association, was a participant at the protest. Ahmed spoke to the Tribune/and reflected upon her experience.

“I’m proud of our sit-in on Monday,” Ahmed said. “We received a lot of support and coverage. The dean of our law school was also present at the sit-in [….] We were a large group of mostly law students standing in solidarity with the plaintiffs and standing against this discriminatory law. We showed that we cared very much about this law and the people fighting it. Many of the people who came were my classmates who are not directly impacted by this law. I’m proud and grateful for my allies, especially.”

Ahmed expressed her sentiments towards the fundamental inconsistencies of Bill 21 and the way in which they inordinately impact minorities, like herself, who work in the public sphere.

“[Bill 21] places an additional glass ceiling for some students who identify as women and are also racialized that is unfair,” Ahmed said. “[The Bill] is discriminatory and the government is curtailing this allegation by invoking section 33 of the Charter, but it doesn’t change its discriminatory effect and its violation of fundamental freedom [….] If the majority of people in Quebec want secularism, we can ensure religious neutrality through other means like through individuals’ actions, behaviours and conduct, not by superficially cleansing the public sphere from religious symbols.”

Student Life

Staying healthy and keeping active with McGill Recreation

by Maya Mau on

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Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the McGill Fitness Center is adapting to provide students with as many activities and services as they can. Students living in Montreal can still reserve spots to play tennis, badminton, basketball (at one person per basket), run on the track, and swim laps. McGill Athletics and Recreation is tackling the issue of a geographically dispersed student body and remains committed to providing all members of the McGill community, wherever they may be located, with the resources they need to stay physically active. 

Among the individuals working to provide in-person and remote activities are Perry Karnofsky, manager of the Recreation Program, and Sarah Canzer, Head of Communications and Engagement.

“We wanted to make sure that—even if remotely—we were still able to contribute to the overall health of our students,” Karnofsky and Canzer wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “The science behind the correlation between physical and mental health continues to pour in, and we want to make sure that outlets to relieve stress and stay healthy remain readily available to our students.” 

In response to restrictions on in-person events, McGill Athletics and Recreation now offers fitness classes via Zoom. These classes are designed so that minimal equipment and space are required, increasing accessibility for students in small residence rooms or apartments.  Adjustment to the online format has presented instructors with some challenges. Leena Struzina, a second-year chemical engineering master’s student, went from teaching Hatha yoga twice a week to leading a yoga powerflow class once a week.

“The online format was a hard adjustment at first as you aren’t able to see the students and make modifications to the class based on their level of yoga,” Struzina wrote in an email to the Tribune. “I’ve gotten used to going in depth on the explanations of each pose to make sure that everyone can follow along with class.”

Each week’s schedule offers a variety of classes to keep students engaged and adventurous in their physical health. From yoga and pilates to tabata, a form of high intensity interval training, and boot camps, the wide variety of classes offered is a testament to the diversity of the instructors’ backgrounds. 

“As someone who never did yoga in the past, it is a wonderful workout and has proven to be a great way to de-stress for 45 minutes,” Karnofsky wrote.

Approximately 15 classes are offered each week, from Mondays through Thursdays. For those who live in other time zones or are unable to attend the live session, videos are organized into playlists and uploaded to the McGill Athletics YouTube channel.

Many on-campus services used trial and error to find a remote system that works, and McGill Athletics and Recreation is no exception. 

“Being our first venture into the virtual domain, the learning curve regarding the technical aspects has been steep,” Karnofsky and Canzer wrote. “As with all of our programs, we try to deliver the best product possible for the McGill community. We are constantly looking to improve—whether it be the video, the sound, or the instruction.” 

McGill Athletics and Recreation believes that a healthy body leads to a healthy mind. The way in which staff are working tirelessly to continue supporting student well-being during these tumultuous times speaks to the strength of the department. The improvements since the beginning of the pandemic have not gone unnoticed by instructors.

“McGill Athletics has really improved the quality of the classes by adding a music extension to the Zoom classes,” Struzina wrote. “They also added a video camera attached to the laptop which improves audio/video quality and allows the teachers to see themselves and other students on screen. This helps in giving corrections to students who may have their camera on.” 

 

Student Life

McGill students react to the U.S. presidential election

by Maya Mau on

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McGill students watched alongside the world as the hostile fight between Democratic candidate and former Vice President Joseph Biden and Republican incumbent President Donald Trump concluded with the announcement of Biden as president-elect. 

Chelsea Finstad, U2 Arts, lived in the United States for eight years but has Canadian citizenship. Finstad was shocked to see some politicians abandon their party affiliations during this election.

“I’ve been surprised at how different this election has been from previous ones,” Finstad said. “This election is so important that it has even caused faithful Republicans to cross party lines and endorse a Democrat. I’ve seen how polarized the [United States] has been and seeing this change was a bit unexpected.”

Many Canadian students at McGill were invested in the results of the election. Mominah Malik, U0 Arts, is Canadian, but believes that the United States’ election outcome will reverberate across the world.

“[The United States] is a major country, economically and socially and in many other different ways,” Malik said. “So the politics within the country [are] extremely important and will impact future relations between the [United States] and other countries, which [in turn] will affect how other countries go on.”

In the Fall 2020 semester, McGill welcomed 2,210 international students from the United States. Rachel Kalmanovich, U3 Arts and president of Democrats Abroad at McGill, helped many American McGill students send in their ballots from Montreal.

“I think that this election is one of the most important of our time,” Kalmanovich said. “The next president will not only be overseeing a worldwide pandemic, but also the post-pandemic economic recovery. In addition, they will likely be charged with choosing at least one Supreme Court justice.”

Lily Mackey, U0 Arts and a dual Canadian-American citizen, was also involved with the election, interning with Andy Kim’s congressional campaign in New Jersey’s third district. She believes that U.S. citizens underestimate the impact of the election on the rest of the world.

“Having citizenship elsewhere, I am fully aware that any election in America is not just affecting America,” Mackey said. “In the [United States], a lot of people have the mentality that their choices and what happens within the American government [are] just relevant to them, but that is just so far from the truth.”

Other American McGill students were not actively involved in campaigns, but were still invested in the results. Jackson Hejtmanek, U0 Sciences, is an American citizen living in Montreal who missed eligibility to vote by one day due to his birthday. 

“I barely noticed that I was in Canada because everyone was still interested [in the election],” Hejtmanek said. “I feel like I should have done something other than the occasional Instagram story though, and I feel slightly guilty about that.”

Nathaniel Saad, U1 Management, is Canadian but has family living in the United States. On Nov. 2 he spoke about the election on CBC Radio’s “Let’s Go” with Sabrina Marandola and predicted that there would be a lot of unrest in the wake of results being declared.

“I think no matter who wins, we can expect some chaos in the days following the results,” Saad said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “Canada will be affected by this outcome whether it’s in the forms of tariffs, international security, or simply human rights.”

Despite warnings that the nation might not know the winner until mid-December, most major news outlets announced Biden as president-elect on Nov. 7. For many students, this was a relief.

“I just feel more satisfied with the world now that it’s official and excited to see what comes next,” Hejtmanek said. “I would consider myself fairly left[-leaning politically], but I’m still optimistic about his time in office.”

 

Campus Spotlight, Student Life

Syrian Students’ Association to host art auction for COVID-19 relief

by Wendy Zhao on

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Already devastated by war, recovering from massive forest fires, and facing an economic crisis, Syria is now preparing for a second wave of COVID-19. To support Syria, the McGill Syrian Students’ Association (SSA) is hosting Peace of Art for COVID on Nov. 14, a virtual art auction to raise money to purchase basic necessities and medical supplies. Resources will be delivered in collaboration with Saeed Society, a non-profit organization working in Syrian provinces to deliver aid to those in need. The auction will be conducted via Facebook Live and will feature a wide range of artwork by artists from Syria and Montreal. 

In the Syrian capital, Damascus, estimates show that only one in 80 deaths caused by COVID-19 have been reported. Due to limited testing capacity, the true extent of transmission has been obscured by unreliable statistics. Sarah Al Ani, U4 Education and SSA President, explained the Association’s objective to inform people of the realities Syrians are experiencing. 

“One of our main goals is to raise awareness of the pandemic in Syria and how people can help,” Al Ani said. “[Syria] is facing an economic crisis and basic necessities are unavailable, but I don’t see much coverage on the pandemic in the Middle East.” 

The money raised will support the efforts of Saaed Society, who are providing Syrian communities with medical supplies including oxygen concentrators and masks. Because of the ongoing civil conflict, northwest Syria lacks access to clean water, hygiene, and sanitation—fundamental resources for the prevention of COVID-19. In addition, the country’s authorities are failing to protect health workers in hospitals filled beyond capacity and facing shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE). Further, the distribution of PPE and supplies is often discriminatory.

Due to the risk of inequitable distribution, the SSA team was careful in selecting the organization to collaborate with. Al Ani explained that the SSA valued Saeed’s Society integrity. 

“We wanted to work with an NGO who works on the ground in Syria,” Al Ani said. “We care about transparency in the process and really wanted to have a personal connection with the organization.” 

For the SSA, art also plays an essential role in their mission to garner support for Syria. Drawing on her personal experience in teaching, Al Ani discussed art’s power in creating empathy and understanding.

“I think art is a form of expression,” Al Ani said. “I’m an education student, and I was trying to teach my fourth-year students about the Syrian War but the resources we have are often very graphic [….] It’s hard for someone who can’t relate to it. With art, you can tell a story of [issues] that are difficult to articulate.” 

The artists donating their works encompass a wide range of experiences and mediums, from poetry to resin. Many are professional artists and are members of the Association pour la Promotion de l’Art Contemporain Syrien, an organization working to boost the influence of the Syrian art scene internationally. Other artists donating works are local Montrealers and students. Khaled Youssef, a French Syrian photographer and poet, explained that his work revolves around presenting an alternate view of the world, capturing it through the lens of bubbles and poetry. Randa Hijazi’s canvases and art furniture explore the loss of empathy through colourful expressions, while Frédéric Daty uses metal and light to create sculptures conveying constant evolvement. 

What unites multiple artists are the diverse stories they tell of Syrian culture, war, and displacement; together, their work deepens the public’s understanding of the country. 

“Many people associate Syria with the war, but there’s so much culture that isn’t seen,” Al Ani said. “Many of our artists show the beauty of Syria before the war. It helps change the narrative. Syria is more than just the war, it’s a country with rich culture and history.” 

Peace of Art for Covid will take place on Nov. 14 over Facebook Live. SSA will also be accepting donations through FundRazr.

Art, Arts & Entertainment

‘From Body to Body to Bodies’ explores corporeality in a virtual world

by Sara Eldabaa on

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The COVID-19 pandemic has ceased in-person gatherings, undoubtedly changing our preconceived ideas of connection. From Body to Body to Bodies, an exhibition currently on display at the Time Art and Culture gallery, is showcasing the work of several Montreal-based artists who tackle this socially-distanced reality. Each artist explores the relationship between physical bodies and the ways in which we remain connected virtually despite the issues of the pandemic, climate change, and political polarization.

The works at the exhibition use different modalities of sensation to address this issue. Paule Gilbert, an MFA candidate at Concordia University, focusses on touch perception in Contact Series, a collection of three multimedia sculptures. “Body-Made” is a series of six grey stoneware objects made out of clay that are positioned side-by-side to capture the organic structure of physical contact. Gilbert uses clay, a medium that relies on human touch, to convey the warmth that is created between the contact of two bodies.

“[“Body-Made”] emerged from an obsession of mine regarding the positioning of the body in space,” Gilbert said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “[It blurs] the frontier between what is being marked and what is marking.”

The other two pieces in Contact Series are directly influenced by the pandemic, as the requirements of social distancing discourages touching. Gilbert realized that knitting could represent touching without physical contact through the complex connections of knots and strands. The first of these is an untitled installation consisting of two sheets of red wool hanging on wooden hangers on each end. The other is an inkjet close-up photo of the same red wool which allows for a clearer view of its intricacies. 

“During the process of making the textile, the symbolic load of the device became more potent as I reflected on the gesture of using one thread constantly criss-crossing,” Gilbert said. “[Knitting brings] forth the idea of social fabric and its interconnectivity, [like] intersections [and] being on the same thread.”

Similarly to Gilbert, interdisciplinary conceptual artist and writer Yvetta Sunyoung Kang conveys a haptic experience, but through a completely different medium. Tenderhands is a display of 50 instructions that double as poems, such as: “To understand your fear of uncertainty.” Kang started writing them while in lockdown to cope with the anxiety that came with the pandemic. 

“Because of COVID, we’ve started utilizing hands differently and treating them more as a potential contagious vessel that spreads the infection,” Kang said. “With this concern, […] I wanted to explore many and different instructions that can help ease individuals’ anxiety on [or] about their own body, especially hands.”

The instructions consist of simple steps that involve different hand movements and thought exercises to prompt viewers to form connections between their hands and what they embody.

 “The more I wrote each instruction of Tenderhands, I have realized this piece definitely relates to understanding [the] biopolitics about hands […] depending on culture, class, geography and so on,” Kang said. “Some hands are forced to be exposed to more infectious circumstances than the other hands. I’ve also noticed [that] it is important at this strange time to bring up how we consider the interior as our body and the exterior as the other’s body.”

 Kang includes a video of herself performing the instructions so viewers can follow along. Additionally, she invites the audience to write a word they associate with their hands, and in exchange, they can opt to receive 200 weekly instructions from her. This piece is ongoing, as Kang plans to write 400 instructions that will be available on her Tumblr page.

Despite how difficult 2020 has been, this exhibition demonstrates that remaining connected transcends corporeality. Art has the power to unite during times of isolation, reminding us that we are not alone.

The From Body to Body to Bodies exhibition is available until Nov. 14.

Research Briefs, Science & Technology

New study highlights differences in vaccination policies worldwide

by Madison McLauchlan on

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Vaccination is arguably the most successful public health tool ever developed, virtually eliminating diseases like smallpox and polio from the viral landscape. The current COVID-19 public health crisis has pushed vaccine research efforts into overdrive, as scientists race to find multiple different formulas to grant the world immunity. However, the worldwide eradication of COVID-19 will depend on the accessibility of these vaccines, as well as public trust in their safety and necessity. 

A recent McGill study published in the aptly named scientific journal Vaccine detailed the wide variation in vaccination policy across 193 different countries. Notably, only 52 per cent of countries have a mandatory vaccination policy. Of the countries that do have vaccine mandates, only 59 per cent penalize those who do not comply.

Nicole Basta, associate professor in McGill’s Department of Epidemiology and senior author of the paper, says that vaccination policies must be re-examined in the context of COVID-19. 

“Achieving and maintaining high vaccination coverage globally is of critical importance, now more than ever,” Basta wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “We have vaccines to prevent many other diseases, yet vaccine uptake is not high enough to prevent outbreaks in many countries.”

Most traditional vaccinations coerce the immune system to produce antibodies against a dead or weakened form of a given virus. When an individual encounters that pathogen later on, the body is already equipped with the tools to fight back. Yet, there are other types of vaccine formulations, including “protein subunit,” that expose the immune system to a protein fragment instead of a whole-cell virus.

Vaccine hesitancy, which forms the ideology of the “anti vaxxer” movement, has been ranked as a top 10 global health threat by the World Health Organization. Far-right conspiracy theories, a lack of health education, and dismal rates of scientific literacy have led to a rise in skepticism of vaccine safety. These shortfalls in public education have real consequences. In 2019, Europe experienced an alarming surge in measles cases related to the growing influence of anti-vaxxer sentiment. 

“It is important to determine if and to what degree incentivizing, disincentivizing, or a combination of both tactics leads to higher vaccination coverage and greater trust in vaccines,” Katie Gravagna, lead author of the study, wrote in an email to the Tribune.

Penalties for not vaccinating children can range from small fines to, at worst, surrendering parental custody. Further research must determine what kinds of penalties—harsh or lenient, financial or educational—are most effective for increasing compliance with public vaccination programs. 

The study delves into non-compliance penalties and the differences in their severity throughout the world. Offenders in Brazil and Argentina are subject to $1,000 fines, the harshest in South America. It is not a coincidence that these countries lead the continent in immunization rates for measles and rubella.

Despite governmental efforts, access to vaccines remains constrained for poor and marginalized communities who have been hit harder by the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, Australia’s “No Jab, No Pay” law rules that tax benefits can be withheld from families who have not vaccinated their children. Meant to target vaccine-hesitant people, this mandate puts economic stress on migrant and low-income families while only minimally promoting vaccinations.

“Many countries have achieved high vaccine uptake with mandates in place, and many have achieved high uptake without the implementation of mandatory vaccination policies,” Basta wrote. 

Indeed, punishing offenders is not the only way to increase vaccination rates—countries such as Canada and Bangladesh maintain a high rate of uptake in the population without penalties, but rather through increased access and education.

Research on vaccination policy will help the scientific community gain a better understanding of what vaccination infrastructure is lacking in different countries. When a COVID-19 vaccine is ready for distribution—whenever that may be—studying the best ways to ensure a high rate of uptake will be crucial to safeguarding global public health. 

Basketball, Sports

2020 NBA free agency predictions

by Adam Burton, Maya Mau, Adam Menikefs on

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With the NBA restarting its season on Dec. 22, this will be the shortest NBA off-season of all time. Because of the compressed free agency period, teams are likely to make bold roster changes in the coming weeks in an effort to become championship contenders in 2021. Here are The McGill Tribune’s predictions for NBA free agency maneuvers in the 2020 off-season.

Anthony Davis stays with the Los Angeles Lakers

After his first championship and an All-NBA First Team regular season campaign, Anthony Davis will most likely remain in southern California for the time being. However, because of the significant financial hit COVID-19 caused the NBA, Davis will most likely decide on a short-term deal, in the range of two to three years. If Davis remains, he and LeBron James will look to establish another Lakers dynasty, cementing their legacy among the ranks of other famous Laker duos such as Kobe and Shaq, or Magic and Kareem. 

Demar Derozan to the Brooklyn Nets

Former Raptors All-Star Demar Derozan was traded to San Antonio just two seasons ago, and it seems like his time there may be coming to an end. The storied Spurs franchise has struggled after two decades of excellence that included five championships, and is continuing to rebuild following the recent departure of multiple Hall-of-Famers. Despite his player option to remain in San Antonio for another year, Derozan’s best chance to compete for a championship would be to join the newly formed powerhouse in the Brooklyn Nets. A “Big Three” of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Derozan would certainly cement the Steve Nash-coached team as a favourite in the Eastern Conference to challenge the defending champions. 

Chris Paul Traded to the Philadelphia 76ers

In what would be the blockbuster deal of the off-season, future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul could get moved to the City of Brotherly Love. Paul has never made the NBA Finals in his illustrious career, and a move to the 76ers would significantly improve his chances of doing so. In order to complete the trade, the 76ers would most likely have to give up rookie Matisse Thybulle, Al Horford, and draft picks. This would certainly be worth the risk, however, as Philadelphia has failed to proceed past the second round of the playoffs with their current core of All-Stars which includes Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. Although the meshing of ball-dominant players like Simmons and Paul could be difficult, former Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni is now an assistant coach with the 76ers and will understand how to utilize Paul, his former point guard in Houston.

Fred VanVleet to the New York Knicks

Fred VanVleet is one of Toronto’s biggest stars and a core member of the 2019 NBA championship-winning team. However, if the Raptors are unable to re-sign VanVleet, the New York Knicks could build a championship contending team with one of the league’s best guards. This would be a heartbreak for Raptors fans across Canada, but New York, whose historic franchise is in the midst of a decades-long drought, is one of the NBA’s biggest basketball markets and could offer VanVleet a bigger deal than their rivals. The former Wichita State guard would bring championship pedigree to a young Knicks roster, and serve as a solid starting combo guard to vastly improve the team’s defence and shooting. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat

Back-to-back MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is arguably the biggest talent in the league today. With his contract ending in 2021, Milwaukee will likely be looking to trade Antetokounmpo away if it looks like he wants to leave the organization before next summer. The Miami Heat, who eliminated Antetokounmpo’s Bucks in the 2020 Eastern Conference semi-final, have shown interest in improving their already championship-contending team. However, in order to acquire Antetokounmpo, the Heat will likely have to give up a valuable player, such as up-and-coming Tyler Herro. With Antetokounmpo, Bam Adebayo, and Jimmy Butler, the Heat would have a “Big Three” to rival their legendary LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh trifecta of the early 2010s. 

Carmelo Anthony back to the New York Knicks

After spending six years with the New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony hopped from Oklahoma City to Houston and is now in Portland with the Trail Blazers. However, Portland might not be able to offer the 10-time All-Star a deal to his liking. As mentioned before, the New York Knicks are looking to end their bottom-of-the-conference streak and have the finances to convince Carmelo Anthony to return to the city where he grew up. Though Anthony is no longer in his prime, he has the name recognition that the Knicks seek. This would allow Portland to free up cap space and give Anthony and the Knicks a mutually beneficial agreement.

Danillo Gallinari to the Miami Heat

Power Forward Danillo Gallinari is more valuable than he’s ever been. As a career 38 per cent three-point shooter and consistent offensive threat, Gallinari is the most valuable trade chip the Oklahoma City Thunder have right now. With Chris Paul on his way out, the Thunder will likely be undergoing a complete overhaul to rebuild their team with a young core. As a 32-year-old, Gallinari doesn’t fit this vision for the future and seems to know it; reports of his ties to the Miami Heat have run rampant in the last few weeks, as they have sought to add him to their roster in the past. The addition of Gallinari to the Miami Heat makes sense: He fits in with the team-first interchangeable-parts style of play that earned the Heat a conference championship last year. This could be the move that puts Miami in contention for a Finals victory.

Serge Ibaka to the New Orleans Pelicans

Serge Ibaka is coming off of one of the best seasons of his career, averaging 15.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 38 per cent from behind the arc. While his defensive value may have diminished, it is clear that his basketball IQ is higher than ever, and as a former champion, his experience on the floor has made him a desirable asset. While Ibaka has announced his intentions to stay with the Raptors, he will likely leverage his success from the last two seasons to earn a bigger paycheck with a team looking for an experienced player. The New Orleans Pelicans would be a perfect fit for Ibaka: With Zion Williamson at the core of their franchise, every move they make is contingent on his success. Ibaka would complement Williamson perfectly, bringing his ability to defend, stretch the floor, and much-needed championship experience to a roster of otherwise inexperienced young prospectives.

 

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