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From the BrainSTEM, Science & Technology

From the Brainstem: Scientific publishing is broken

by Amir Hotter Yishay on

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A $25 billion industry with profit margins that put Silicon Valley to shame, academic publishing is big business. For years, library budgets have buckled under the growing strain of price-gouging subscription fees, while scientists remain at the behest of a cabal of companies for the sake of their careers, caught on the wrong end of a business model that exploits their labour to cut costs and extract maximum profit.

The genius of this business model lies in its evasion of traditional publishing costs in other sectors. First, scientists write up publicly funded research and send it in article form to journals. It is then voluntarily assessed by other scientists through peer review. Upon publication, the research is sold back in exorbitantly priced subscription packages to, for the most part, publicly funded institutions. Access to this research is then withheld from the general public—whose taxes bankrolled it—by paywalls charging as much as $30 to read a single article. In effect, the general public pays for the research, the salaries of those reviewing it for publication, and institutional access to it. It is no wonder, then, that Elsevier, the largest academic publisher in the world, regularly posts profit margins between 35 and 40 per cent, greater than those of Google, Facebook, Disney, or Amazon. 

Scientists are incentivized by the nature of academia to play into this system. To secure tenure-track positions, researchers are expected to publish often. The more prestigious the journal the better, as scientific clout is all too often conflated with one’s number of publications in top journals such as Nature and Cell. The pursuit of this journal-appointed prestige encourages scientists to orient their research towards the journal editors’ demands. The journal editors receive a massive amount of submissions, the majority of which will languish, unpublished. These editors effectively act as gatekeepers of scientific knowledge, yet they are ultimately beholden to profit rather than principle. 

Elsevier dominates the industry. A 2015 report from Vincent Larivière of the Université de Montréal (UdeM) showed that Elsevier controls roughly a quarter of the scientific journal market, while competitors Springer and Wiley-Blackwell own nearly another quarter between them. The stranglehold that these companies have on the industry has allowed them to charge astronomically high subscription fees to universities, which had to field a 215 per cent increase in such fees between 1986 and 2003. These fees have come to claim an ever larger portion of university library budgets; in the 2018-2019 school year, McGill paid nearly $1.9 million to Elsevier alone for a subscription to ScienceDirect.

Backlash to escalating fees has seen a push for open access to research—a prospect Elsevier has spent millions lobbying against—and the rise of open-access journals. Yet just one year ago, the University of California (UC), the largest public university system in the US, decided to cancel its subscription to Elsevier in a move that sent shockwaves through the world of scientific publishing. The deal fell apart over the UC’s desire to secure open access for research published in Elsevier journals.

Meanwhile, large-scale open access initiatives are underway, such as Plan S, launched in 2018 by an international consortium of research funders seeking to eliminate paywalls for all publicly funded research. On the more unofficial side of things is the controversial website SciHub, which was founded in 2011 and bypasses paywalls to provide free access to millions of articles, regardless of copyright. Unsurprisingly, SciHub has been embroiled in a litany of lawsuits, including with Elsevier.

As things stand, public institutions and scientists are being fleeced by publishers, to the enduring detriment of the scientific community as a whole. It is incumbent upon schools to follow the UC’s example and make good on promises to finally secure open access for all publicly funded research: The time has come to tear down the paywalls and stop paying into a broken system.

Science & Technology

Uncovering the mysteries of deep space with CHIME

by Sophia Gorbounov on

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For the first time ever, the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) telescope detected a repeating fast radio burst (FRB) that follows a regular 16-day cycle. The Feb. 13 discovery comes a month after the CHIME telescope detected the second ever FRB from deep space. It adds a new clue to the mystery of FRBs, indicating that they could orbit celestial bodies or emit from objects that have some sort of cyclical routine. 

First observed in 2007, FRBs are very intense, short bursts of radio waves produced from unidentified bodies in outer space. These detections represent new and unknown astrophysical phenomena and can provide answers to previously detected radio waves, whose sources were once a complete mystery.

A group of over 50 scientists from universities across Canada first used CHIME in 2017. One such scientist was Victoria Kaspi, a  professor in the Department of Physics at McGill. Kaspi explained how the telescope works and how it manages to translate signals obtained from billions of light years away. 

“CHIME is made of cylindrical reflectors that reflect the radio waves coming from the overhead sky into 1,024 antennas that are suspended above the reflector surfaces,” Kaspi wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “These antennas are then read out into sophisticated electronics […] and then a custom-built supercomputer.”

Kaspi noted how the supercomputer spewed out data that she and her team would then have to search through in real time to detect the presence of FRBs. Using sophisticated software, including artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, researchers were successfully able to reveal an FRB. 

FRBs, when detected, only last a few milliseconds. Though not completely understood, Kaspi explained that scientists are increasingly discovering FRBs, suggesting they are very common in the universe. 

“FRBs can be used as novel radio probes of the structure of the universe,” Kaspi wrote.

Using telescopes like CHIME, scientists are discovering that FRBs come from ‘special’ regions of the universe, representing very powerful explosions like supernovas or even black holes. 

Another key concept observed in this experiment was the scattering of detected FRBs. Scattering, as the name suggests, is when waves or particles hit a new medium and disperse in different directions. This physical phenomenon is most commonly seen in light when it hits a surface. The scattering of FRBs led Kaspi’s team to conclude that the bursts represent large astrophysical bodies in places far outside our galaxy. The pattern of scattering indicates what material the FRBs have passed through on their journey to Earth.

“We found that the shapes of the first few bursts indicate that the radio waves in many cases were mildly scattered by plasma, and that this plasma must be different from the plasma we typically find between galaxies,” Kaspi wrote. “[FRBs] provide brief ‘snapshots’ through the plasma in the intergalactic medium as well as in the haloes of intervening galaxies.”

Since the discovery of the second FRB, hundreds more have been detected and are now being analyzed to understand why they occur and the physics behind the astrophysical explosions that they represent. 

Kaspi explained that researchers are also attempting to make sense of  the environment from where FRBs originate, which, when better understood, could provide new ideas for what is going on in the depths of  outer space.

Research Briefs, Science & Technology

Linking physical exercise to video games

by Thomas Bahen on

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After another record-breaking year for revenue and involvement in the industry, it is clear that video games are an increasingly large part of North American culture. Despite a wide acceptance of video games across all demographics, the majority of players are still children and young adults. 

Gaming’s young demographic is concerning to some, as over half of Canadian youth fail to meet the federal government’s sedentary behaviour guidelines. According to Health Canada, extended periods of sitting to watch TV or play video games are primary causes of inactivity in youth. This leads many parents to assume that avoiding sedentary activities such as gaming is best for their child’s physical health.

Despite health consequences of excessive gaming, such as poor posture and weight gain, physical exercise and video games have an important link. In a study published late last month in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, a group of McGill researchers demonstrated that physical exercise before a session of League of Legends improved performance at a specific, highly mechanical task. 

Marc Roig, Associate Professor in the School of Physical & Occupational Therapy at McGill and senior author of the article, was quick to credit his students in The McGill Memory Lab.

“The idea came from my students,” Roig said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “They are familiar with [League of Legends] and were able to come up with an easily quantifiable task [.…] It gets around the fact that most research games are boring.” 

The task chosen would be familiar to any League of Legends player, a community that contained an estimated 100 million monthly players worldwide at its peak. To help win the game, characters deal the final blow to enemy minions in a move known as ‘last-hitting.’ Even without enemy players, the act of last-hitting is difficult. 

To normalize for player familiarity, the unpopular character Soraka was selected for all participants to play. Since all the characters in League of Legends have different attacks, playing a new character for the first time is often a challenge. The study’s participants also varied in League of Legends rank, a measure of a player’s skill.

Having developed a quantifiable and difficult video game task, the team was then able to formulate their exercise regime. 

“We wanted [the participants to do] something short and sweet but not super fatiguing,” Roig said. “Three minute intervals of intense exercise and then rest for a total of nine minutes.”  

On two different days, participants either had a period of rest or exercise before their video game session. The results were clear: Individual performances in the game sessions that followed exercise were more successful. 

The success of this experiment has left Roig and his team hopeful that they can expand their research by looking more closely at exact motor functions and skills. While it may be difficult, one clear way forward is to create an interesting and fun video game designed specifically for research. Roig suggested that such a platform could be integrated into other research projects at the Memory Lab such as experiments on Parkinson’s disease. 

Roig is also optimistic that the main takeaway of the team’s research will have a positive impact on young people. 

“You can combine exercise and video games,” Roig said. “A lot of people think they are opposed, but really, we are failing our younger generations. The hope of this paper is to show parents and younger people that you can improve at both simultaneously.”

Student Life

Love in the time of PowerPoint at Datemyfriend.pptx

by Josephine Wang on

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In today’s world, we have different types of dating apps that provide plenty of ways to search for love, all at the tips of our fingers. From the comfort and safety from our own homes, we have the power to look for love and showcase only the best parts of ourselves to potential mates. 

There are still plenty of romantics who reject these modern comforts and believe that the best way to find love is through the old-fashioned way of going to a bar with a friend as their wingman. On the eve of Valentine’s Day, Thurs, Feb. 13, the Computer Science Undergraduate Society (CSUS) hosted datemyfriend.pptx at Bar des Pins, providing students with the chance to show off their single friends with the use of a PowerPoint. Within the span of two hours, a dozen presenters clicked through slides extolling the dating criteria of their best friends. Playing as their friend’s wingman, presenters highlighted any aspect that a future soulmate should know such as their achievements, idiosyncrasies, and athletic ability. 

The pitches for love had no shortage of sarcasm or creativity. One especially hilarious presentation came in the format of a scientific research paper. The hypothesis was “A six pack makes you hot,” and their results were provided with Instagram-worthy visuals. Ghida Monla, U4 Computer Science and President of CSUS, explained the story behind this successful event. 

“Last year, [the CSUS executive team was] at a meeting, [thinking about] what we can do for Valentine’s Day,” Monla said. “Someone just said at the meeting, ‘Let’s do a ‘date my friend’’ and everyone was so into the idea. We put the event up, and it went viral. It was a full house last year, and it started [this] tradition [that] we’re going to do […] every single year [from now on].”

Just 20 minutes after the event started, the bar was filled with students buzzing about whether they would find the one. The crowd was made up of people dressed in different styles: Some dressed to the nines, donning a full suit and tie, while others took a more relaxed approach with just a sweater and jeans. Although some were taking down phone numbers and sliding into direct messages (DMs) , the intent behind this event was just to host a comical event in the midst of midterm season. 

“We just really want this to be like a high school event […] because it’s just a joke,” Monla said. “You just go through the slides and make fun of your friends, you know?”

Some participants, however, were a little more determined to find a partner. Arielle Lok, U0 Management, took it upon herself to be her own wingman, ensuing a booming applause from the crowd at the conclusion of her presentation. Lok prefers this style of showcasing herself in front of a large crowd rather than the use of impersonal Tinder biographies.  

“[This event] follows the business model of ‘Subtle asian dating’ where you auction off your friends,” Lok said. “I feel like this is a more localized, […] physical way to meet people. It’s a fun time [….] I’d rather do this than dating apps […because] I am more on the serious side.”

Datemyfriend.pptx provided an alternative to dating apps, which can leave people feeling frustrated and yearning for more real-life interaction. Although there were numerous presentations, it remains a mystery how successful people were on their endeavor to find love. 

“Someone here is pretty cute, but I haven’t slid [into their DMs yet],” Lok said.  “I usually wait for the first move to be made.”

Whether students came with the intention of finding a Valentine’s date, cuffing their single friends, or simply enjoying the hilarity that ensued, one thing was certain: Everyone had a great time.

Commentary, Opinion

Toward a harm reduction approach to drugs

by The McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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Drug use is common across most universities, including McGill. However, the dialogue about safe drug use and harm reduction in the McGill community is sparse. The administration provides few resources to inform students about the possible effects of using certain substances, and no material resources, such as drug testing kits. What is stopping the creation of more robust information and safety resources regarding drug use at McGill is not cost or a lack of practical options, but stigma. The lack of resources the administration provides demonstrates that the university prefers to stray away from potential liability than ensure the health and safety of their students. McGill should overcome the stigma surrounding substance use, provide more extensive informational and material resources for its students, and begin treating drug use and addiction as a public health issue. 

On Jan. 30, the Student Wellness Hub updated their  “Opioid Overdose Fact Sheet” in response to a succession of positive test results for fentanyl in street drugs acquired near campus. Fentanyl, a highly-potent synthetic opioid used to cut drugs like MDMA and Cocaine, makes overdoses more likely. The increased prevalence of fentanyl-laced illicit drugs over the past several years has worsened the effects of the current opioid crisis. The rise of fentanyl-laced drugs only heightens the necessity of comprehensive informational resources for drug use. The rest of the Wellness Hub’s Opioid Overdose Fact Sheet describes how to treat a fentanyl overdose and where one might acquire Naloxone, a reversal agent for fentanyl and other opioids. However, the sheet lacks any information on how students might avoid overdosing in the first place. Drug testing kits are a crucial resource for those seeking to practice safe drug use, and they can be acquired online and at some Montreal pharmacies. The omission of test kits from the fact sheet is unacceptable. 

McGill’s only other online informational resources for drug use are the Wellness Hub’s “Just say Know” page, which features a series of questions students should ask themselves before using a substance, and their self-help substance use page, which exhibits the results of a four-year-old survey of students’ marijuana use. “Just Say Know,” and the results of the survey are not up to date, and severely lacking in useful safety information. Many universities including the University of Toronto and Concordia University, have provided more expansive student resources for drug use, setting the precedent for McGill to expand their information available to students. McGill’s fear of liability and preoccupation with its public image must not prevent it from providing life-saving resources for students. 

For many students, Frosh and other partying events during the first few months of school are their introduction to more normalized substance use. For this reason, orientation is a crucial time to provide students with education instead of misinformation. Since students in residence are required to attend workshop sessions on consent, race, colonialism, and alcohol use, informational sessions on the effects and possible consequences of using controlled substances would be an easy and relevant addition. An approach to drug use that recommends that students simply refrain from using drugs is both unrealistic and infantilizing. Students will use drugs regardless: The university’s approach to drug use should be one that seeks to inform, rather than shame those who choose to use illegal substances. In addition, marginalized individuals can be further discriminated against in the context of drug use. For example, if a student has a Quebec health card, they can get Naloxone for free at many Montreal pharmacies, but international and out-of-province students have to pay out of pocket for it. To protect their students, especially international students, McGill should provide Naloxone to staff such as floor fellows and organizers of drinking events.  

While it would be unreasonable to expect the administration to provide the entire student body with resources, providing some to key support staff, such as Frosh coordinators, floor fellows, and Drivesafe or Walksafe volunteers would be a step in the right direction. In addition, McGill should institute very basic practical resources which reduce the harm associated with illicit drug use such as safe-needle disposal boxes in bathrooms and safe-injection sites, like the ones at Concordia. Additionally, the administration needs to adopt a stronger harm-reduction policy in residences, adequately equipping floor fellows with kits, Naloxone, and other necessary resources. In the meantime, the McGill community is making up for the administration’s shortcomings. Groups like Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy provide free drug testing kits to students and  Richard Davy, a Social Work student, has run educational workshops and continues to perform outreach regarding safe drug use. 

 For students who decide to use controlled substances, there are still some practical ways to stay safe. Use a test-kit, do not do drugs alone, and always seek to inform yourself on the effects and consequences of a particular substance using online resources.

Student Life

Celebrating Black history in the new decade

by Scott Kennedy on

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On Feb. 3, the Office of the Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic), the Black Students’ Network (BSN), and the McGill African Students’ Society (MASS) commenced McGill’s fourth annual Black History Month (BHM). Under the theme “Rooted”, this year’s celebration aims to continue the tradition of bringing together students, staff, and community members to commemorate Black history. Since 1995, BHM has been celebrated in February to honour the important achievements and contributions of Black folks across Canada.

BHM was only institutionalized at McGill three years ago. Shanice Yarde, the Equity Education Advisor in Anti-Oppression and Anti-Racism at McGill University, explained the need to recognize the complete history of this celebration at McGill.

“There have always been Black folks organizing and celebrating Black History Month at McGill,” Yarde said. “So there is something important about not erasing those legacies and [remembering] that [BHM] existed way before 2017.” 

This month will host events and material that seeks to immerse people from McGill and beyond in the rich history of Black people, something that Yarde and the organizing team deemed crucial.

“It’s exciting that we get to host these very different events every year, and [what’s] also important is that there’s something for everyone,” Yarde said.

Yarde highlighted that having a diverse event schedule is also vital  in facilitating more spaces around McGill and Montreal at large.

“There is so much more happening around campus [in this year’s BHM],” Yarde said. “It’s kind of exciting to see the ripple effect of people being engaged and interested in creating spaces within their own communities.”

To foster a sense of togetherness within the Montreal community, BHM is hosting an annual Community and Family Day on Feb. 23. 

“We [will spend] the whole day at La Citadelle,” Yarde said. “It’s a free day and open to [all members of the Montreal] community. It [will be] a beautiful day of celebration, history, culture, and food, so I’m really excited for that [event].”

Involvement of the student community is key to facilitating this year’s BHM’s event. To achieve this, Yarde worked closely with two assistant co-coordinators, Shona Musimbe (BA ‘17) and Catherina Musa, U2 Arts and President of the MASS, who were crucial in facilitating this year’s celebration. 

“So much of what we’re able to do is made possible because of students mobilizing and organizing,” Yarde said. “I think there’s something really important about making sure that students are not only involved, but [also] have real decision making power.”   

Yarde remarked that a vital takeaway of BHM is that the events and content encourage people to carry on the spirit of advocacy for Black communities past February. 

“As an [Equity] Education Advisor, […] I want people to leave [BHM] inspired and excited about learning more, taking action and getting engaged,” she said.

The organizers emphasized the importance of continuing the conversations raised by BHM outside the boundaries of February, since prejudice does not stop after the month’s end. 

“Anti-Blackness [and] systemic racism […] continues [past this month],” Yarde said. “The momentum of the conversations that happen in February [is] a really important part of challenging that kind of systemic oppression that exists in and beyond February.”

For more information on Black History Month 2020, students can contact Shanice Yarde at [email protected].

 

 

 

McGill, News

AUS Legislative Council demands new space for Bar des Arts

by Kaja Surborg on

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The Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) Legislative Council met on Feb. 12 to discuss finding a new permanent space for the Bar des Arts (BdA) and to consider banning blood drives that discriminate against 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals on campus.

A presentation from co-chairs of the BdA Mercedes Labelle and Ethan Casey highlighted the lack of attention paid by university administrators toward student issues.

“[BdA is] a meeting place for a diverse community of students,” Labelle said. “The bar has become a platform for student clubs and services to promote their organisations to the student body [….] It seems that the McGill administration does not understand the scope of the community we foster.” 

The motion to request a new permanent space for BdA passed, and had previously been circulated online in the form of an open letter that students could sign.

Next, a presentation from Climate Justice Action McGill (C-JAM) requested that department representatives and the AUS work together to organize a general assembly (GA) in order to vote for another climate strike to take place April 1-3. 

“We don’t want to have it be [AUS] councillors calling a [general assembly],” C-JAM co-organiser Mo Rajji said. “We want [department representatives] to go out into the world with packets of petitions. We have the motion attached that we’ve presented and you can have people in your departments sign them.”

Arts Representative to the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Shreya Dandamudi and AUS Vice-President (VP) Services Haidee Pangilinan inquired about the nature of the strike and picket lines. 

“[We are pushing for ways of] forcing classrooms to shut down without creating physical barriers, because that [can often] result in some unpleasantness,” C-JAM co-organizer Noah Fischer clarified. 

The legislative council then moved on to discuss a motion put forward by History Students Association (HSA) VP External Dalton Liggett to condemn blood drives that discriminate against 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals while operating on McGill’s campus. This first motion was accompanied by another, requesting that it be put forward by Arts Representatives at SSMU Legislative Council. Liggett explained how Canadian Blood Services discriminates against certain groups.

“The current policy […] of both [Canadian Blood Services] and Héma-Québec is to not allow any blood donations from any men who […] are deemed as having sex with other men,” Liggett said. “[The policy] is also to actively misgender trans women as men for the purposes of blood donation.”

The council debated the possibility that this motion may be seen as discouraging blood donations. Several councillors pointed to the possibility that putting pressure on policy makers would ultimately allow more individuals to donate blood in the future, and the motion passed. 

“We are allowing a volunteer blood service, which can be a fantastic thing, to target students at McGill and [exclude them from donating],” Political Science Student Association (PSSA) VP External Cate Steblaj said. “[Discriminatory actions include] intentionally misgendering trans women. I think that the impacts go a lot further than just having a simple blood drive [….] We need to be able to protect those who enter these spaces and receive harm, especially when trying to do good for the community.”

The AUS legislative council will reconvene on Feb. 27 in Leacock 232. 

Moment of the Meeting:

After approval from the chair, AUS VP Services Haidee Pangilinan called a motion to ask the Society of Math Undergraduate Students VP External Alyzeh Jiwani to be her date to the AUS-SUS Graduation Ball, all while “Love Story” by Taylor Swift played from a Bluetooth speaker. 

Sound Bite:

“I have a blood condition […] that could potentially, at any moment, require a blood transfusion. I’m also an openly gay man, so I am very torn by this resolution as we stand here today, because I know that at any given time I might need a blood transfusion. I’m also very aware of the harmful exclusionary policies perpetrated by [Canadian Blood Services] and Héma Québec [….] I would [urge] everyone to consider that these discriminatory practices are bad, but that there is also a blood donation crisis in North America.” – Canadian Studies Association of Undergraduate Students VP External Brent Jamsa on the motion put forward by HSA VP External Dalton Liggett.

Art, Arts & Entertainment

Heartbreak Museum brings some warmth on a cold Valentine’s Day

by Patrick Gilroy on

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As the sun set on a cold February evening, a dim glow warmed the room in Building 21 where McSWAY Poetry Collective hosted their second annual “Heartbreak Museum.” The exhibit featured poems and artifacts from past relationships, revealing a challenging portrait of heartbreak and young love, and explored both the highs and the lows of intimacy. Of course, the timing of the event couldn’t be more appropriate, falling on the evening before Valentine’s day.

“The timing is really symbolic,” Preksha Ashk, U3 Arts, and McSWAY executive said. “Not everyone is in a relationship [so] this is a really visceral way of visualizing and conceptualizing all the heartbreak that we’ve been through, at a time when we’re all thinking about it anyway.”

The three tables in the room were set with empty bottles of Bombay Sapphire gin, Smirnoff vodka, and a glow in the dark sweater, among other things. Poems were thoughtfully scattered throughout the space on sheets of white paper. One poem featured a screenshot of some text messages, all outgoing, reading: “hey / can we just like / talk about some stuff / I feel like there’s so much left unsaid and i’m so tired of feeling like that / like just over coffee or something.”

Much like the blue iPhone message bubbles through which many of us have poured our hearts out, the artifacts in the exhibit convey universal sentiments despite their personal and intimate nature. Nearly every item on display was preserved and held onto after a relationship ended, signifying a specific moment in the life of the romance. One wonders if the exhibit is more cathartic, or simply masochistic. Co-organiser Zeina Jhaish, U2 Education, explained that it depends on the viewer’s perspective.

“Art is subjective, you can take it as you like,” Jhaish said. “We try to create an atmosphere that’s not necessarily ethereal, but helps you get in your feelings.”

Both the poems and the artifacts revealed snippets of real, lived-in histories, inviting outside observers into the relationships of their owners. These snippets allowed viewers to flesh out narratives that often carry universal significance. After all, many of us have lent out sweaters and never gotten them back, or held onto a book that a partner recommended we read. 

“If you take these things out of context, you can look at them objectively and figure out why there’s so much symbolism in a bottle of soda or in a sweatshirt,” said Ashk. 

Even in a room filled with heartbreak, there is space for happiness. Almost everything on display was a memory, reminiscent of a time that has now passed. Perhaps calling the event “Heartbreak Mausoleum” would have been more apt. But, despite the talk of endings and broken relationships, the beauty of the exhibit lies in precisely in how much life each piece carries within it. Interacting with real objects, real conversations, and real memories makes each work feel alive, representative of things that have happened in the past, but that are also happening now, to different people, and will happen again. 

Another sign of light—literal light—is a sun lamp, tucked into a nook by the windows facing Sherbrooke street. It was unclear whether the lamp is part of the room’s usual decor, or had been placed here for this specific event. Regardless, it felt significant—a symbolic ray of light peeking through in the depths of winter, in a room filled with bittersweet endings and lots of regrets, where all anyone wants is a little warmth.  

 

Commentary, Opinion

McGill should have a sexual health clinic on campus

by Sequoia Kim on

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I realized how important it was for McGill to have a sexual health clinic after hearing about how difficult it is for some students to get intrauterine devices (IUDs)—a small, T-shaped birth control device that is inserted into the uterus and only has to be replaced every three to 12 years. The IUD is becoming an increasingly popular contraceptive, yet the Student Wellness Hub is ill-equipped to help students who request one or other contraceptive alternatives to condoms. Students’ sexual health is just as important as other physical and mental health concerns, although the lack of physical infrastructure for sexual health on McGill’s campus seems to suggest otherwise. McGill should have a sexual health clinic to fill the gaps in health care resources left by the Student Wellness Hub and to promote sex positivity and reduce stigma on campus.

The difficulty of getting an IUD is only one symptom of the much larger issue of inadequate sexual health infrastructure at McGill. Without specific sexual health resources such as gynecologists, the process of getting an IUD could potentially end up stretching on for months. For example, physicians can have trouble inserting IUDs and have to refer patients to gynecologists. Currently, there are no gynecologists or sex professionals at the Wellness Hub, only doctors, nurses, dietitians, counsellors, and psychiatrists. Even if a dedicated sexual health clinic is an infeasible project right now, if the Wellness Hub hired a gynecologist or sexual health expert, they would be a much more robust resource for students than what is currently in place.

Birth control is a feminist issue: When people engage in sexual intercourse involving a penis, the onus is often put on the individual with the uterus to protect themselves from unwanted pregnancy. While condoms are free and widely available across campus, people without penises should also be able to protect themselves with equal ease. This sort of protection could certainly be provided by a sexual health-specific clinic.

“Birth control is a feminist issue: When people engage in sexual intercourse involving a penis, the onus is often put on the individual with the uterus to protect themself from unwanted pregnancy.”

In the absence of accessible sexual health resources, students might choose to travel off-campus to seek care. While it is resourceful of students to seek help elsewhere in the city, a clinic on campus would be much more accessible for students who may not be familiar or comfortable with navigating sexual health care in Montreal.

Importantly, the presence of a sexual health clinic would help the McGill campus become more sex-positive and would reduce overall stigma surrounding sexual health. Stigma is harmful in itself: When people’s embarrassment prevents them from seeking help, many harmful problems can go unaddressed, such as dealing with STIs or genital infections. Further, having a frequently used sexual health clinic on campus could make sex less of a taboo topic, and could also help destigmatize sex workers and the sex industry: An open dialogue around sexual health would help students who are sex workers, such as sugar babies or online work, feel less marginalized.

The shift toward comprehensive sex education and harm reduction—that is, promoting safety, pleasure and wellness instead of guilt, fear, and shame—is an effective way to keep sexually active individuals comfortable and happy. Understanding that the stigma around sexual health stifles conversation and makes people feel alone in their struggles, it is crucial that campuses be leaders in promoting sex-positive environments. By reducing stigma and making sure that students get the help they need, a sexual health clinic at McGill would help students feel supported, healthier, and happier.

McGill, News

Iskweu Project hosts vigil to honour victims of gendered and racialized violence

by Deisha Paliwal on

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Content warning: Mentions of gendered and racialized violence.

In collaboration with Missing Justice: Justice for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, the Iskweu Project hosted the 10th annual vigil on Feb. 14 at The Native Friendship Centre, to honour individuals lost to gendered and racialized violence. The event was designed to create a space for survivors, family members, and loved ones of the women, children, two-spirit, and non-binary victims to gather and mourn. 

Four speakers shared stories about the loss of their sisters, grandmothers, and loved ones to violence. Their speeches recognized the lives of those they had lost and demanded that the Canadian authorities pursue concrete action. 

Melanie Morrison, who lost her sister, Tiffany, spoke about the lasting impact it had on her family and community. 

“The day [that] my sister’s remains were found, we did not get her back,” Morrison said. “She was not returned to us; [only] her bones were. [This] affected everyone in our family, including our extended family. When you’re part of an Indigenous family, it extends generations. The whole family unit changed. That closeness was lost. We were broken.”

Tiffany went missing from the Kahnawake Mohawk Territory in 2006. Melanie emphasized the need for the Canadian government to institute legislation to prevent similar instances. 

“Our reports should be taken seriously from day one,” Morrison said. “Everyone is human first, and should be entitled to the same treatment when a loved one goes missing. With these events, my hope is that people change the way they view these stories. These people shouldn’t be pushed aside, forgotten, or taken advantage of for political gains or campaigns. We need to change the process, thinking, and realities for our women, girls, two-spirited, and non-binary people.”  

Between speeches, hand drummers and singers performed songs to honour those lost. 

After battling alcoholism and the loss of her sister, Tess Lalonde became involved with the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). 

“I joined a healing circle with the MMIWG,” Lalonde said. “ They heard my story, and they wanted to know if I would testify at the inquiry. My big issue is not my sister’s suicide. [It] is mental health and how easy it is to go down that stream and not be able to swim when it’s rocky.” 

She described the need to seek help from available resources when battling mental illness. 

“My message is, before you have those thoughts, seek help,” Lalonde said.  “The MMIWG brought me on a journey where I got to liberate my sister’s spirit.” 

Jessica Quijano shared her experience with losing Donna Paré, an Inuk woman experiencing homelessness who went missing in December 2018. Her disappearance was only reported in March of the following year. 

“I had the privilege of meeting Donna a long time ago,” Quijano said. “Since her disappearance, flashbacks have been coming to me about how she was living on the street. It is difficult for me to hear comments about the circumstances regarding people going missing. There is this idea of the ‘perfect victim,’ which tears me apart.” 

She urged Canadian authorities to take action against the lasting impacts that colonization had on Indigenous communities in Canada. 

“Donna was a fighter who had to deal with the consequences of colonization,” Quijano said. “It is heartbreaking to speak to her family, who does not have a voice in the process. It’s up to us to put pressure on our politicians. They can no longer be unwilling to pursue [investigative] action, because families have put themselves through the pain of testifying.”

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