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Chill Thrills, Student Life

Halloween costumes for the upper half of your body

by Lucy Keller, Alaana Kumar, Leyla Moy, Katia Lo Innes on

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As Zoom continues to pervade every aspect of life, Halloween is proving to be no exception. Although there won’t be the chance to romp down St. Laurent in a pair of Dollarama bunny ears this year, you can still dress up and be festive. While not optimal, Zoom filters can add a whole new layer to Halloween costumes, providing students with a fun way to creatively “dress up” on a budget. Members of The McGill Tribune’s Student Life Section compiled some of their favourite DIY Halloween Zoom looks for students to try. 

Vaccine – Lucy Keller 

Talk about the prospect of having a vaccine for COVID-19 is unavoidable—whether it’s friends fretting over when it’ll be developed, or listening to the disastrous U.S. presidential debates about the vaccine, it has been the focal point of many recent conversations. While seemingly complicated, a waist-up vaccine costume is quite easy to make. Simply use an old white shirt and mark the dose increments to look like a syringe, and tape or glue grey construction paper on top of a winter hat in the shape of a needle. 

A Vampire from Twilight – Alaana Kumar 

A traditional Halloween vampire could be too simple for this unique Halloween. Luckily, Zoom filters provide the perfect opportunity to finally live out your middle school fantasies and join the cast of Twilight. Simply wear a v-neck white or black t-shirt, straighten your hair, add a snapback and pack on the body glitter. Make sure to put those Zoom backdrops to good use by placing yourself at a baseball field on a dark and cloudy day—oh, and use those Zoom sparkles, because you can never have too many. 

Abraham Lincoln – Alaana Kumar 

This year, Halloween falls during the U.S. presidential election campaign—talk about a spooky season! If you’re looking to get a little political, look no further than the U.S. president with arguably the most iconic style: Abraham Lincoln. Head to the craft store and get yourself some black markers and cardboard to fashion together a top hat, along with a fake beard. Don’t worry if the hat is out of the frame because as far as your audience can tell, you’re just that tall. 

News anchor – Leyla Moy

For this simple costume, lean into the limitations of your camera angle and the chaos of the 2020 news cycle. Wear your blandest semi-professional shirt and frame yourself from the waist up. Keep the background clear to add in a generic picture of a globe or a stock photo of the Montreal skyline. Throughout the night, swap your background out for images relevant to the conversation—or to really bring down the mood, take inspiration from the actual news and provide constant updates on world issues. 

Breakout Room – Katia Lo Innes

Nothing strikes more fear into the heart of a McGill student than being placed in a Zoom breakout room. Create an outline of a computer screen to poke your head through, and then attach two to three other similarly sized squares around you. In the respective squares, add people you wouldn’t want to be caught in a breakout room with, like an old hookup or your academic rival. To fully commit to the costume, only wear it for 20 minutes. Spend the first five minutes making awkward small talk, then go completely silent, blinking awkwardly. If anyone tries to talk to you, “turn off your camera” by running to the washroom to watch TikToks on your phone.

 

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV, Pop Rhetoric

The Evangelical Crux of the Bachelor franchise

by Michelle Siegel on

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“Bachelor Nation,” as the viewership of the sprawling ABC franchise affectionately refers to themselves as, watched in awe and elation during last season of The Bachelorette, when Hannah Brown dramatically sent home Luke Parker—the season’s villain—during week seven. The two had bonded over their shared Christian faith, and Parker had told Brown that he would not want to continue with their relationship if she had slept with any of the other men on the show, as he thought that it was not something a Christian woman should do. Before sending him home, Brown reprimanded Parker, bluntly telling him that, “I have had sex, and honestly, Jesus still loves me.” 

Although this was one of the first times in The Bachelor’s 24 seasons that sex had been so explicitly discussed on camera, it was just one of the many instances where the franchise highlighted its deep evangelical Christian roots.

The franchise, which began in 2002, has led to an empire of spin-offs and fan-made media. Each season follows a man or woman who parses through roughly 30 contestants until they pop the big question to the winner. In more recent years of the show, the lead bachelor or bachelorette is selected from the group of contestants in the previous season, allowing the producers to develop their personality and build a narrative for them over the multiple seasons. Often, their characterization is built on idealized American evangelicalism. 

Christian leads and contestants have been a routine staple of the franchise: Former contestants  Sean Lowe, Jake Pavelka, and Emily Maynard have all been open about their faith. It is interesting to note that the focus on Christianity has only increased as the seasons have progressed, moving past the franchise’s reputation as tawdy low-brow reality TV into the realm of moralism. Not every contestant has been Christian, but on a television network that professes to be secular, the celebration of Evangelicalism and absence of any other faith is striking. It would be remiss of the show to discount contestants by blocking them from expressing their core beliefs, but the disproportionate exposure of evangelicalism is especially conspicuous given the franchise’s nearly two decades on-air. 

Pushing the Christianity of contestants could be a ploy to appeal more to the show’s established audience. A 2019 study revealed that the primary audience of The Bachelor is situated in Southeastern and Midwestern America, with hotspots of viewership in Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Oklahoma—all of which have Christian populations ranging from 79 to 84 percent. It makes sense that the show would prominently feature Christianity to appeal to these demographics. 

However, the logic of appealing to core audiences has seemingly become a crutch for the franchise to use as an excuse for their multifaceted failures in diversity. The Bachelor franchise has been rightfully criticized for its lack of overall diversity, especially during the past year by audiences and online groups like the Bachelor Diversity Campaign. The lack of  religious, racial, and cultural representation is symptomatic of the show’s systemic discriminatory structures, as people from different religions have stories and practices that would not fit as neatly into the franchise’s limited culture lens. Of course, a reality show will never truly reflect the real world, but that doesn’t mean The Bachelor franchise must limit itself to the fantasy it portrays. 

The issue is not simply that every lead of the show has been Christian, but that other faiths are erased and unmentioned. In a Huffington Post article interviewing a number of former contestants about The Bachelor franchise’s lack of diversity, Season 13 bachelor Jason Mesnick discussed how his Jewish heritage was ignored in his season. He revealed that many scenes with Jewish traditions were filmed for both his season of The Bachelor and his televised wedding, but none of it ever aired.

It was made abundantly clear this past summer that it is time for The Bachelor franchise to change. Along with racial diversity, religious plurality is a paramount trait that must be featured in the future of The Bachelor.

Student Life

What your Zoom background says about you

by Lilly Lecanu-Fayet on

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Decorating comes with added stress this school year, as Zoom University often allows classmates a glimpse into your home. If you are obligated to turn your camera on in class, trying to score extra face time with your professors, or wanting to show off your new pair of blue-light glasses, you may find yourself curating your background to please the audience. The McGill Tribune has compiled a non-exhaustive list of possible backgrounds and how they reflect your personality. 

Blank wall

A blank wall is the perfect blank slate for office hours with your professors, job interviews, or meetings. Showing a blank wall allows other people to project any assumptions about you, for better or for worse. It can leave them thinking you are professional and put together, or wondering if you just haven’t had the time to decorate at all. Perhaps, you’re embarking upon a minimalist, waste-free lifestyle. The blank wall is an overall crowd-pleaser because it isn’t distracting, although definitely better if used sparingly.

Door

A door background is gutsy, but not too gutsy. There is a barrier between your meeting and the chaos of your home, but the barrier can be broken down at any moment by a cohabitor who forgot you were going to be on a call. Putting your door directly in the background screams: “This is the plainest surface in my room.” Your fellow classmates will love placing bets on how long it will be before someone inevitably walks in and gets all wide-eyed when they realize that they’re interrupting your highly important video chat.

Bookshelves

Politicians, public figures, and even some professors have their bookshelves as their backgrounds. You are none of those things. Bookshelves are the perfect background for the pseudo-intellectual in your tutorial who tells the professor how the difficulty level was perfect for the assignment that you desperately struggled on. Be better than that. 

Decorated wall

The curated photo collage on your wall is great to flaunt in specific classes. For your art history class, show off the $7 Matisse print you got at the poster sale. Displaying nature posters in an environment class might just make you a friend when someone slides into your private messages in the Zoom chat to compliment your decor. Exhibiting your taste in posters or artwork has become the newest form of self expression now that no one can flaunt their latest fits on campus. 

Whole bedroom

Showing off your whole bedroom in the background is the ultimate flex. Really, only the people who truly have their lives together can manage to keep their rooms immaculate enough to do this. It’s the perfect way to intimidate your classmates while impressing your professors. All your snoopy peers want you to know that the fairy lights above your bed look cute, and that they complement the hanging planters really well!

Outdoor area

You’re either one with nature or you’re just sitting on your balcony. Either way, good on you for trying to get that vitamin D. In all seriousness, sometimes you really cannot do Zoom calls from inside your home, and outside is a great alternative. Everyone in the southern hemisphere should join calls from outside, so the rest of us in Montreal can experience the nice weather vicariously through you. Many thanks in advance.

Green screen effect

You’re fake, but at least you’re embracing it. Everyone knows you’re not actually in an 18th century-style study, but if that’s what you need to believe to get through the day, then go ahead. Green screen people rule the Zoom chats along with whole bedroom people, so thanks for asking the clarifying questions, but kindly pipe down, because waiting for the prof to answer you is slowly killing the rest of us. Maybe if you hadn’t spent 10 minutes at the beginning of class sorting out your green screen, you would have caught that the exam is not, in fact, on Thursday. 

 

Science & Technology

The Tribune’s declassified pumpkin disposal guide

by Kaja Surborg on

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Every year in early October grocery stores across Montreal, much like the rest of North America, place large bins full of bright orange pumpkins outside their shops, and every year customers buy them all up. The market for pumpkins and pumpkin-related activities, like hayrides and farm visits, has grown in recent decades. In 2001, Canada planted 5,700 hectares of pumpkins, squash, and zucchini; by 2017, there were more than 6,400 hectares of land growing these fall staples. Come Nov. 1, however, consumers are frequently left with rotting pumpkins in dire need of disposal. 

Simply tossing a pumpkin in the garbage can have negative consequences on the environment. The addition of food waste to municipal solid waste (MSW) leads to anaerobic decomposition in landfills. Anaerobic decomposition occurs when organic materials break down in environments without oxygen—the bottom of a landfill, for example—producing methane gas along with carbon dioxide and water vapour. Methane is a greenhouse gas that is about 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide in accelerating climate change, and 20 per cent of Canada’s methane emissions come from its landfills. 

There are, however, ways to keep pumpkin husks out of landfills. The first is, hopefully, the most obvious: Eat the gourd. Pumpkins that have not yet started to rot are still perfectly edible. These squash contain a wide range of essential nutrients, including vitamins A and C, potassium, and iron. There are a variety of flavourful options for preparing this delicious autumn vegetable. Try making a wholesome and warming pumpkin soup, or roast your cucurbit with other vegetables for a delicious side that is easy to keep in the fridge for later. 

In the weeks leading up to Halloween, many people may have left their carved pumpkins outside as decoration, where exposure to the elements and Montreal’s squirrels are likely to make the pumpkin significantly less appealing to eat. Pumpkin decorations are an autumnal mainstay, but that does not mean the whole vegetable has to go to waste. When scooping out the stringy innards of a pumpkin to carve a spooky face in the side, save the seeds for later. Separate the seeds from the tissues and wash them off before drying. Then, toss the seeds with seasoning of your choice and roast them for a tasty harvest season snack. 

Eating as much of the pumpkin as possible should be the first step in keeping them out of landfills, but if molten pumpkin carcasses are still left over on doorsteps, eating that rotten flesh becomes a deeply unpleasant thought. This is not an excuse to throw those sad, orange racoon snacks in the garbage. Make sure to compost these pumpkin remains, either through Montreal’s municipal compost collection service or in an at-home compost heap. Checking neighbourhood specific compost collection instructions and days is simple and can help keep food waste out of landfills, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from MSW. 

Every year, the average Canadian household loses $1,100 in food waste. Planning meals––and edible decoration use––in advance can help individuals save money and ensure nutritious vegetables like pumpkins do not end up contributing to the ongoing climate crisis. Participating in fun holiday traditions, such as pumpkin carving, is still possible without the mindless consumption and waste that the commercialized versions of holidays often promote. A little extra planning and effort can make this Halloween special and memorable, especially with parties and spooky social gatherings off the table this year. 

McGill, News

McGill Senate discusses Action Plan to address anti-Black racism

by Maya Abuali on

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The McGill Senate discussed McGill’s Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism in their second  Senate meeting of the academic year on Oct. 21. Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Christopher Manfredi and Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies) Angela Campbell released the 44-page plan on Sept. 30. Composed in consultation with the Black Student Network (BSN), the plan aims to institutionalize anti-racism efforts and resources across campus.

Following the opening remarks of the senate meeting—which was hosted on Zoom and streamed on Youtube Live—Senate members were split into 10 break-out rooms and tasked with producing reports on aspects of the plan, delegating questions to the different groups. The questions targeted issues such as institutional support for Black students, alleviating the burdens of Black student activists, expanding the faculty recruitment network, and addressing the barriers within McGill’s hiring processes to encourage applications from a more diverse pool.

The Students Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President (VP) of University Affairs Brooklyn Frizzle spoke on behalf of group one, which was assigned a question about which action items members of the McGill community should prioritize to address anti-Black racism, research, knowledge, and experiences. Frizzle spoke about the need for administrative support for groups working against anti-Black racism on campus.

“For decades, really, students have been pulling a lot of the weight in terms of anti-racism on campus,” Frizzle said. “Any working groups [that] are established […] are going to need a fair amount of administrative support and institutional access in order for them to succeed without depending on the labour of unpaid students. A couple of things we wanted [to be] delineated were what exactly […] this support [is] going to look like, and who will be responsible for [it].”

Frizzle emphasized the importance of amplifying Black voices on campus.

“We want to prioritize support and representation for not only the advocacy but the mental health and wellbeing of Black students,” Frizzle said. “This not only includes [their] representation both on campus and in governance but also anti-racism education.”

After the Senate discussed the reports brought forward by each group, Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier opened the floor for further conversation on the plan. Arts Senator Darshan Daryanani inquired about the issue of instituting a Black Studies department, referencing item four in the “Research and Knowledge” component of the plan. The plan states that the Black Studies program will enhance the African Studies department, rather than be created as an independent department.

“Since the 1970s, [the BSN has been] demanding for a Black Studies department,” Daryanani said. “So […] why hasn’t this been part of the plan, and [instead] simply an enhancement of the African Studies program?”

Manfredi responded to these concerns, claiming that the Senate believed it was important to prioritize the immediate provision of resources to the African Studies department. Item four in the plan lists two annual budgets to enhance financial support for the department.

“African Studies already exists, so what would be the relationship between the already existing African Studies program and any new initiatives that the university might support?” Manfredi said. “I think it’s also important to point out that academic programs emerge from the faculties. They are not driven from the Provost’s office.”

Moment:

Senator Manfredi addressed Item two in the plan, which denotes what will happen with the James McGill statue by the end of the bicentennial year. Manfredi noted that the plan includes the relocation of the statue and the installment of a plaque in its place, and emphasized the importance that the institution speaks truthfully about its history.

Soundbite:

“What our group discussed was the lack of specificity in terms of funding and the fact that [the goals stated in the action plan] really do not compensate for the demand of a Black Studies department. So we hope that the university will prioritize a plan to fund an entire Black Studies department, and to make sure that the engagement of black scholars is there for such work.” – SSMU Arts Senator Darshan Daryanani

Montreal, News

Protestors remember victims of police violence and call for SPVM budget cuts

by Signy Harnad on

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Over 200 protesters gathered to call for the defunding of the Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) on Oct. 24 in a demonstration organized by the Defund the Police Coalition and Justice for Victims of Police Killings. This demonstration marks the 11th annual Justice for Victims of Police Killings vigil to honour the lives of victims of police violence in Montreal.

The demonstration began with speeches delivered at Sir Wilfrid Laurier Park in the Plateau-Mont-Royal district, before the group embarked on a three-hour long march west along Saint Joseph Boulevard. The energetic crowd continued south on Park Avenue, before turning eastward on Sherbrooke Street. The march ended nearly four kilometers south of the initial post at the Place des Festivals. 

As they walked the crowd chanted “no justice, no peace, defund the police,” while playing music that pays homage to Black and Indigenous artists on personal devices. Speakers at the demonstration read aloud the names of victims of police killings across North America, including Bony Jean-Pierre and Breonna Taylor, who were murdered in 2016 and 2020 respectively. 

The Defund the Police Coalition, formed in June 2020, has released a list of 10 demands for the SPVM, including a call for a 50 per cent reduction of its current budget of $662 million and a reallocation of those funds to underfunded community groups. 

Elijah Olise, one of the organizers of the demonstration, emphasized the need to view the Defund the Police movement as one not solely focused on dismantling the police force, but also on reinvesting in communities across Montreal. 

“Upholding peace through fear is not the right way to achieve an ideal society,” Olise said. “When you see that youth are plagued with housing issues, a lack of jobs, and a poor quality of life, in [communities] like Montreal North [and] Little Burgundy, [they] are then pushed to do these crimes. Once you provide resources to empower communities, you don’t need to police them.”

One activist, a graduate student in the Faculty of Science and member of Socialist Fightback McGill who wished to remain anonymous, grounded the history of police brutality in the rise of capitalism. 

“When we look at [how] the police as an institution was incorporated into municipalities in today’s society, we see that it is just a reformed version of slave patrol,” the student said. “This is the same police that harassed gay and trans activists at Stonewall in 1969. The institution keeps reforming itself, but [this is] only treating a symptom of capitalism, not actually addressing the underlying issue.”

After a summer of historic civil unrest and with the U.S. presidential election fast approaching, some say that these protests are more important than ever. Jake Russell, an American citizen living in Montreal, linked the Defund the Police movement to the current political climate in the U.S., demanding a model of humanity over criminalization. 

“We need to reevaluate how the police function in our society,” Russell said. “A lot of Americans do not agree with that xenophobia, racism, and sexism [….] The approach to societal problems should be harm reduction. The War on Drugs is a complete and utter failure. Drug addiction should be treated as a public health issue, rather than [punished via] the police.”

Jessica Quijano, a rally co-organizer, is a Montreal activist who coordinates justice initiatives including the Iskweu project at the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal. She described how demonstrations serve to provide a therapeutic channel for those grieving loved ones lost to police brutality.

“I think [marching] changes the consciousness of society,” Quijano said. “It’s important that families who have lost someone see that people are in support of them, and it’s healing for many to see people go out to the streets to stand for them.”

McGill, News

McGill student urges School of Social Work to support Sipekne’katik Nation

by Kate Addison on

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On Sept. 18 Canadian news outlets began to report on a dispute between settler fishermen and members of the Sipekne’katik First Nation in southwest Nova Scotia. Settlers have destroyed property and physically intimidated members of the Sipekne’katik First Nation over their right to fish lobster. The settlers’ disregard of Indigenous treaty rights is one of many acts of colonial violence against Indigenous Peoples that have been reported in recent months.  

On Feb. 20, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) released a statement in opposition to the Canadian government’s oppression of Indigenous Peoples, though McGill’s administration has remained silent. McGill’s inaction inspired Cody Martin, U2 Social Work, to author a call to action urging McGill’s School of Social Work to condemn the inhumane treatment of First Nations people across Canada. 

“I thought about this [call to action] over and over [and] how I would approach [it],” Martin said. “It came down to telling the faculty, […] ‘it’s time to practice what you preach,’ [ in social work], we learn about the core of ethics, competency laws, the different historical relations with social work, and how [social workers are] supposed to be advocates at the political front.” 

In his letter sent to the McGill School of Social Work’s Equity Diversity Decolonization Indigenization Initiative (EDDII), Martin recommended the adoption of several actionable items into the EDDII’s upcoming 2020-2024 strategic plan, which will be presented for a vote at the Oct. 28 School Council session. These recommendations include the release of a public statement in support of Sipekne’katik First Nation rights, the development of an anti-discrimination code of conduct for McGill’s School of Social Work, and the integration of 94 calls to action established by the Truth and Reconciliation Committee into the EDDII’s plan. Martin hopes that the implementation of these initiatives will foster a more equitable environment for McGill’s Indigenous students. 

“I want to see McGill start honouring their words of action,” Martin said. “They talk about creating space […] for the Indigenous population and people of colour, they talk about creating all these spaces [carrying out] justice, but, at the end of the day, where are these spaces? Out of the 40,000 enrolled students at McGill, there’s a population of [only about 150 self identifying] Indigenous students.” 

Introduced in the spring of 2020, the EDDII replaced the Equity Committee, a 2016 initiative that was created following a university-wide survey about equity on campus. While the committee was intended to help foster equity at McGill, it faced structural challenges when implementing change. 

“Some of the objectives developed out of the equity survey were achieved, such as [the formation of] a collective space from which to launch activism around equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) issues,” the EDDII wrote in a collective statement to The McGill Tribune. “However, the committee structure proved a barrier to collective action.” 

The implementation of the new EDDII initiative prompted an overhaul of the former Equity Committee. For the past six months, members of the McGill community have been consulted on how equity principles can have a greater impact at McGill.

“The results of this [consultation] process are [the creation of the] EDDII,” the collective wrote. “[The EDDII] is a […] collaborative structure to support and track the implementation of [an] actionable strategic four-year plan to achieve the integration [of] the principles of equity, diversity, decolonization, and Indigenization throughout our school.” 

With the recent controversy surrounding James McGill’s colonial history and McGill’s billion-dollar debt to the Six-Nations community, Catie Galbraith, U3 Geography student and Vice President of Events for the Indigenous Students Alliance, feels that McGill can do more than releasing a public statement. 

“McGill should absolutely be taking a stance against colonial violence, [but McGill] needs to go beyond just issuing statements,” Galbraith said. “It should take the form of financial reparations and support to communities and working to address their own colonial legacy.” 

Renee Corbiere, U3 Arts, is an Indigenous student who feels that McGill can do more to further knowledge on Indigenous issues at the university. 

“There’s not so much the school can do to completely remove racism from the country, but what they can do is ensure that their students are educated on [Indigenous issues].” 

Campus Spotlight, Student Life

Campus Spotlight: McGill Recreational Dance Company

by Maya Mau on

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Finding the time to stay active under regular circumstances is difficult, but finding ways to exercise in the middle of a global pandemic poses an entirely new, and more daunting, set of problems. That’s why the McGill Recreational Dance Company (RDC) is offering free, virtually accessible dance classes to the McGill community. In non-pandemic times, the McGill RDC is committed to bringing a variety of dance styles to McGill students at a minimal cost and without the commitment of a full semester of classes. The club is managed by a dedicated executive team. Among them is co-president Amy Kulle, U2 Science.

“Our executive team is made up of McGill students who come from a variety of different dance backgrounds to teach a choreography class in a different style each week,” Kulle said. “Since there is something new each week [and] there is no requirement to attend every class, our club works well with students’ [and instructors’] workloads.” 

Now that courses are remote, the McGill RDC has been providing dance classes for free, as hosting sessions on Zoom is significantly cheaper than renting rehearsal spaces. The club plans on continuing to offer free classes for as long as McGill classes stay remote. Since all of the executive board members teach classes, the RDC exposes students to a large variety of styles, with a few recent classes including contemporary, tap, and musical theatre. The variety of classes make attending accessible to a wide range of students. 

When the COVID-19 pandemic halted campus life in March, all clubs were faced with uncertainty. However, the McGill RDC did not allow the obstacles that came with lockdown to prevent them from sharing their love of dance. 

“Offering online classes was a simple decision,” Kulle said. “We knew we couldn’t just cancel all our classes, since dancing can have a big positive impact on mental health, and we wanted to continue to provide this resource for our members, especially considering the times.” 

Classes begin with around 10 minutes of warm-up that includes cardio and stretching. The rest of the time is used to teach a dance number that is choreographed by the teacher. By the end of the class, attendees will have learned approximately one minute of choreography.

In addition to Zoom classes, the club offers exclusive programming on their social media platforms. Beyond promoting their events on Facebook and Instagram, McGill RDC uses these platforms to engage daily with their members and the broader McGill community. On “Move Mondays,” they post simple at-home and apartment-friendly workouts. “Why Dance? Wednesday” posts provide information about the history of different styles of dance, such as the history of hip hop. On “Technique Fridays,” an executive will share tips on how to strengthen a particular technical skill, such as balance.

Though McGill RDC has established a regular weekly programming schedule, they are constantly looking for new ways to bring dance to students virtually. One upcoming event is a Virtual Dance-A-Thon, which McGill RDC will be hosting on Nov. 8 in collaboration with Alegria Contemporary Ballet Company, K-Rave, and Mosaica Dance Company, three other dance clubs at McGill. For $10, students will have access to unlimited classes on a wide variety of dance styles offered by executive members of all four clubs. Half of the event’s proceeds will be donated to Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Greater Montreal, a non-profit organization that creates and supports mentorships for youths.

“Although these are definitely not traditional ways of sharing our love of dance, we believe it is important to stay active and move both for physical and mental health,” Kulles said. 

McGill RDC has put a lot of work towards finding innovative ways to continue sharing their love of dance during tumultuous times. Their commitment to bringing dance to their classmates stuck at home speaks volumes about the resilience and optimism of the McGill student body to not let COVID-19 get in the way of their passions.

Student Life

Redefining the Witch

by Wendy Zhao on

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Beyond the obligatory appearances on TV, the witch is a pervasive figure, taking on different forms throughout history. Her classic imagery—black pointed hat, broomstick, old haggard face, and unsavory wart—is a staple of Halloween festivities. In contemporary popular culture, witches have appeared as archetypal fairytale villains, teenagers in coming of age stories, and even as violent matrons overseeing a dance school. As modern witchcraft is on the rise, she might even be a friend or classmate. To understand the witch’s complex evolution, however, we must return to her origins.  

One of the first historical accounts of witches is in the biblical story “The Witch of Endor,” where a witch summons a dead prophet’s spirit to help King Saul achieve victory in battle. In ancient Greece and Rome, authorities of magic used sorcery to prevent unwanted storms, bring rain for agriculture, or increase wealth. Before the 14th century, witches were not seen as inherently demonic, but as merely possessing a special relationship with divine forces that allowed them to concoct spells and connect with the supernatural. 

In the middle ages, however, the popular European perception of witchcraft was transformed into dangerous anti-religion, threatening patriarchal Christian societies and traditional female roles. Witches were believed to conspire on the Sabbath to have orgies, worship unholy images of various animals, and feast on the roasted flesh of unbaptized babies. Beliefs of women flying in the night, their minds held captive by the devil, instilled fear in medieval peoples. The stereotypical image of witches riding broomsticks reflects anxiety surrounding those trespassing the barriers of domesticity. 

The witch craze was stimulated by the publication of Malleus Maleficarum in 1486, a guide that taught inquisitors and judges how to identify, interrogate, and condemn witches. The book asserted that an inherent lack of intelligence in women made them defenseless against the devil’s seduction. Apart from the Bible, the book sold more copies in Europe than any other continent until 1678. 

Since the beginnings of English literature, writers have been fascinated by the character of the witch. Tropes of devilish, mysterious women trace back to antiquity, such as in the tale of Hecate, the Greek goddess associated with magic, witchcraft, the moon, and necromancy. In Macbeth, a trio of devilish witches deliver dual prophecies that incite the play’s conflict, while in Morgan le Fay, Geoffrey Monmouth’s witch is portrayed as a healer, seductress, and royal enemy. 

Despite her various forms and shapes, the witch epitomizes female independence, yielding insuppressible power, her madness never submitting to those who fear it. The witch is a powerful icon of rebellion and autonomy—not only women, but also people of colour and individuals in the queer community have turned to modern witchcraft, disempowered and frustrated by dominating systems of governance. 

“Being of mixed heritage, I find myself trying to incorporate elements from my various ethnic and cultural backgrounds,” Devon Ellis-Durity B.A. ‘20 (Concordia University) wrote in a message to The McGill Tribune. “What got me interested in witchcraft was the ability to work with the elements and further my connection with nature. Witchcraft has allowed me to further align with my morals.” 

Modern witchcraft is multifaceted, its inherent openness welcoming to everyone regardless of background. Ultimately, being a witch in the 21st century is to engage in a hallowed practice that connects the individual with the earth and their community.

“When I first started learning about witchcraft, it was introduced to me as something which has no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way, that everyone practices, values, and relates to it differently,” Mitzi Ellemers, U2 Arts, wrote in a message to the Tribune. “It is very forgiving in this sense. Personally, my relation to witchcraft is about solidarity, oneness, and reverence for the earth and all natural elements and a sisterhood with the people who I practice with.”

Editorial, Opinion

SSMU representatives deserve compensation

by The McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President University Affairs Brooklyn Frizzle recently submitted a motion that would have placed a proposed non–opt-outable SSMU Representatives fee to pay SSMU representatives on the Fall 2020 Referendum ballot. SSMU tabled the motion until Winter 2021, and some elements of the fee are still being refined. Still, it is already clear that, to meet SSMU’s pay equity scale requirements, the fee will likely have to be substantial. 

Considering that McGill students have historically rejected many proposed fees and base fee increases, the Representatives Fee may be dead on arrival. Moreover, students are notoriously apathetic about SSMU elections, and student government is prohibitively unpopular because many students find it elitist and controversial. In this context, asking for a significant fee increase—let alone one to pay SSMU leaders—may invite a torrent of backlash from students. Nevertheless, student disinterest in SSMU must be overcome. SSMU works tirelessly to provide essential services to students—services which many students not only take for granted, but, in many cases, are necessary because the McGill administration fails to provide them. It is incumbent upon SSMU to make a good case for paying its representatives, but it is equally imperative that students support a fee to compensate student leaders.

By not paying councillors, SSMU may be violating its own labour policies. In 2017, it adopted a policy against unpaid student labour, and executives, remunerated staff, commissioners, and coordinators are salaried. Yet student senators and faculty representatives are not paid, even though these positions are often as demanding as some salaried positions. Officially, they are expected to work between four to seven hours a week, though this is rarely the reality. After all, this figure assumes that meetings do not go overtime, whereas they almost always do, and it does not factor in additional hours spent preparing documents, debating policies, participating in student activism, and tending to other aspects of the job. As a result, some attest to working exorbitant hours while also balancing full course loads and other commitments. This pressure, which often takes a toll on their mental health, is only exacerbated by the financial sacrifice some students make to volunteer to serve.

Although some may argue that the skills and experience obtained on the job are worth more than a paycheck, the lack of compensation presents an insurmountable financial barrier for many students. This barrier deprives SSMU of a vast reservoir of talent, diversity, and perspectives, limiting student government to the few who can afford to work part-time without pay. Compensation, then, is not just fair, but a prerequisite for a more accessible, equitable, and representative student union. 

If SSMU moves to pay student representatives, it must be transparent about the source of the funds, and it must not divert funds from vital services, such as its mental health resources. It must also proceed cautiously, as proposing an additional fee may obstruct the SSMUnion’s collective bargaining efforts. Representative positions are not unionizable, and SSMUnion is already asking to raise the base SSMU fee. As a result, the Representatives Fee would require a separate question, increasing the likelihood that students would reject them both. This would be completely counterintuitive to fostering a more egalitarian labour environment.

To get any fee passed, SSMU must not only campaign relentlessly, but also show students why they should be investing their money in the union at all. Years of controversy have absconded its actual purpose: From academic advocacy to the SSMU Daycare, mental health resources, the Midnight Kitchen, and other services, SSMU supports the study body where the administration fails to do so. And when McGill’s governing is unjust, SSMU is there to advocate for students. SSMU’s shortcomings ultimately stem from the administration’s reluctance to support students, which strains SSMU’s resources and simultaneously increases the need for them. 

SSMU is important, and it must effectively show students why. It is profoundly unjust that student representatives are not paid for their labour, but if SSMU wants students to foot the bill, they must show students why compensating their representatives will make their union more fair and accessible.

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