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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.

 

McGill, News

Sex & Self webinar discusses pleasure during a pandemic

by Margaret Askey on

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The non-profit national organization Sex & Self hosted a webinar on Nov. 1 to discuss a myriad of topics including sex, masturbation, contraception, relationships, sexuality, gender identity, and dating responsibly during COVID-19. The seminar was moderated by Sex & Self’s founder and president, Felicia Gisondi.

The panel featured Jessica-Marie Tsounis-Barone, a U3 Nursing (Integrated) student, Dr. Laurie Betito, a clinical psychologist and practicing psychotherapist who specializes in sex therapy, and Dr. Angela Li, a resident physician at the University of Toronto’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Tsounis-Barone advised the audience how to have safe relationships during the pandemic. As a student, she empathized with those who feel isolated under social-distancing limitations while also stressing caution regarding socialization.

“While I do understand that this pandemic has put a halt on everything socialization-wise […], I do want to [emphasize] that [COVID-19] is a really serious health concern,” Tsounis-Barone said. “Together, we all must take the precautions [seriously] to stop the spread of the virus and get back to our normal world.”

Tsounis-Barone emphasized the danger of asymptomatic carriers of COVID-19 in order to caution those who think they aren’t at risk.

“Why risk your own health, the health of others, and the health of vulnerable populations?” Tsounis-Baron asked.

Discussing the discovery of individual gender and sexuality, Betito drew attention to more recent understandings of gender identity, which include space for non-binary individuals.

“We have to remember that we are the ones who get to decide how we express our gender,” Betito said. “Gender identities that are other than male or female are considered to be non-binary. Gender is not binary. It isn’t just male or female. There are a range of biological, mental and emotional traits that exist on this continuum.”

Betito encouraged listeners to explore and learn about their bodies through masturbation to overcome shame and have more physically pleasurable relationships with future partners.

“Getting to know your body is important because it’s also how you’re going to translate that information to a partner,” Betito said. “Each of us […] like[s] different things, and we might experience not-so-great sex if we’re not in touch [with ourselves].”

Explaining the difference between the internal vaginal canal and the external vulva, Li also drew attention to the centre of vaginal sexual pleasure.

“[The clitoris] is essentially responsible for the vast majority of sexual function and sexual pleasure in those with vulvas and vaginas,” Li said. “I think it’s good to give some perspective as to what organs we rely on during intercourse and during any kind of sexual stimulation.”

Most individuals with vulvas and vaginas experience menstruation and monthly bleeding. Li shared insights on managing the uncomfortable symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.

“We generally advise patients to try regular exercise, drinking lots of water, and also just some sort of stress-reduction strategies as well,” Li said. “But if you […] have these symptoms consistently, and they’re getting to the point where they’re quite debilitating, I would recommend that it’s probably time to see [your doctor].”

Gisondi recognized that events such as this one are often unable to address every topic related to sexual education and therefore cannot hope to be exhaustive. 

“We understand and acknowledge that the realm of sexual education […] is extensive,” Gisondi said. “But [due to the] time constraints of this particular seminar, we hope to […] emphasize information pertaining to vulva owners so as to not […] include brief and incomplete segments of education pertaining to non-vulva owners or [those] on [hormone replacement therapy].”

She also shared the overarching goal of the seminar, and what her organization hoped to provide to the audience.

“The goal of this seminar is to encourage open and honest conversation about sex and sexuality in universities [in order] to help eliminate stigma often associated with the open and forthright discussion of [sexuality],” Gisondi said.

Creative

The #TakeJamesMcGillDown movement

by Alex Hinton on

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The petition #TakeJamesMcGillDown gained thousands of signatures this past summer. Multimedia Editor Alex Hinton spoke with some of the organizers of the movement to dive into its history and the response it has received.

Science & Technology

The mental gymnastics of mid-semester motivation

by Margaret Wdowiak on

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McGill students are tired. Slouching into the tenth week of online classes in tandem with the flurry of midterm essays and assignments, many students are struggling to maintain their academic motivation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and it shows.

Motivation is the process that initiates and maintains goal-oriented behaviours. There are two kinds of motivation: Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation comes from a place of personal gratification and arises from within the individual. Extrinsic motivation arises from outside the individual, powered by external validations, such as praise, or by fear of punishment.

During a time of heavy social restrictions, many rewards, like taking breaks from online studies or spending time with friends, are absent or diminished.

Dr. Richard Koestner is a clinical psychologist and professor in McGill’s Department of Psychology whose research focusses on goal-setting and self-regulation. In an email to The McGill Tribune, Koestner explained the pandemic’s effects on students’ behaviour and their ability to learn and retain information. 

“[We have seen] very high rates of anxiety and depression among 18-24 year olds during the pandemic,” Koestner wrote.

Anxiety drains energy and the ability to think logically. Anxious students can also succumb to the temptation of various distractions present in their homes, which further undermine motivation during this difficult period. Indeed, people can be easily distracted when working from home both because of boredom and because of overindulgence in activities that they are more intrinsically motivated to participate in, like baking or watching Netflix. For many students, it can be difficult to find a balance between schoolwork and fun breaks, which can relieve stress in the short term, but over time may become distractions.

“[The pandemic] disrupted many goals, particularly ones related to being independent from home and connecting with friends,” Koestner wrote. “Disruption of goal pursuits leads to frustration of basic needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence.”

Despite the many factors during lockdown that can undermine motivation, there are still several ways for students to boost their motivation from the confines of their apartments. One of the best ways to increase motivation is to set new, fun, and worthwhile goals.

“[The] best goals are ones that come from you, that are interesting and meaningful,” Koestner wrote. “Personal goals give shape and meaning to our lives.”

Students need to set goals that are important to them and that they see as adding value to their lives. Setting goals related to their priorities, such as completing schoolwork or engaging in hobbies, can improve students’ ability to work efficiently and effectively. However, setting goals is only an effective motivator when you follow through. 

“We fail at most of our personal goals—think of your [New Year’s] resolutions,” Koestner wrote. “[We fail] mostly because we lack self-control resources. We fail because many of the personal goals we set are actually not self-endorsed and volitional. Instead, they reflect things we feel we should do. We need less self-control if a goal is volitional.”

Another great way to boost motivation is finding a daily routine. Creating and maintaining a routine helps people regain a sense of control and lends predictability to the day. 

Maintaining social relationships also helps boost motivation, as having peers keep to one accountable can help individuals achieve their goals. Some great ways to stay connected during the pandemic include calling friends or joining a digital support group. 

“Personal goals are also interpersonal,” Koestner wrote. “Having others support our goal pursuits helps us overcome self-control limitations.”

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