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McGill, News

Filipino journalist Patricia Evangelista discusses the nuances of reporting on conflict

by Jackie Lee on

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Patricia Evangelista, a multimedia journalist for the online Philippines-based news organization Rappler, examined the responsibilities of journalists telling trauma survivors’ stories in a lecture hosted by the McGill International Review (MIR) and the McGill University Filipino Asian Students’ Association on Nov. 26. 

As a specialist in trauma journalism, Evangelista has reported on natural disasters, conflicts, and global development issues. Evangelista is the  2019 Marshall McLuhan Fellow, a role awarded by the Canadian embassy in the Philippines to promote responsible journalism and support democracy.

Focussing on current events in the Philippines, she explained that, in covering topics from hurricanes to sex trafficking, special precautions must be taken to ensure the safety and wellbeing of survivors.

“We are voyeurs at the worst parts of [traumatized people’s] lives,” Evangelista said. “It is a privilege to be there. And we can do so much to damage them in the aftermath.”

Journalists, Evangeslita addressed, must use various strategies to avoid causing further harm in forcing people to relive their trauma.

“We offer sympathy, not a claim of understanding,” Evangelista said. “We don’t say, ‘I know how you feel,’ because we can’t know, and to pretend is to patronize and insult them. We accept refusal with courtesy. [….] We offer them control and agency.”

Throughout her lecture, Evangelista referenced stories that she had written about survivors of the 2013 Super Typhoon Haiyan that devastated the Philippines, many of whom had to watch strangers or family members drown during the ensuing floods, as well as pieces on child sex trafficking and state-sanctioned killings. Within the context of these stories, Evangelista recognized the limits of journalism.

“We don’t promise justice or safety or the possibility of a change in policy, because we can’t [do] any of that,” said Evangelista. “We just promise to tell the story the best way [that] we can.”

Evangelista outlined certain rules that should be followed in order to interview trauma survivors effectively and respectfully. Although extracting information from survivors is a delicate task, she claims its necessary to accurately reflect and communicate the realities of conflict to the world. 

“For people to be able to help, to move, to care, they have to be able to see,” Evangelista said. “Trauma journalism is about making people imagine. The rule of thumb is this: If people drown, I need to know enough to drown with them, so I can tell you what I saw.” 

However, as Evangelista explained, survivors of a traumatic event should not be defined exclusively by their pain. 

“The story also involves resilience, courage, the height of the human spirit, the community spirit,” Evangelista said. “All of these are important to the narrative.”

Helena Martin, U3 Arts, shared how the lecture’s subject matter was deeply moving to her because she grew up in the Philippines. 

“A lot of the issues [Evangelista] was talking about were issues [that] I grew up seeing,” Martin said. “Stories about trauma, I could really relate to those more.”

Alec Regino, Editor-in-Chief of  MIR, explained how events such as Evangelista’s lecture can spread awareness of international issues within the McGill community.

“These events [are important] because they allow students to intimately connect with issues from all over the globe,” Regino wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “While it’s valuable to read an article online about the War on Drugs in the Philippines, to hear the lived experiences of people who are directly affected forces you to approach these issues more critically.”

Regino believes that student journalists can benefit from learning how to report empathetically.

“For me, Evangelista’s talk served as a reminder that it is imperative that student journalists provide agency to the people [they are] reporting about,” Regino wrote.

Creative

Tribune Tries: Fencing

by Alex Hinton on

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Sports editors Kaja Surborg and Ender McDuff meet the McGill Fencing Team, have a brief training session with them, and face-off in a fight to the death (best of three).

Video by Staff Producer Alex Hinton

Features

Skin deep

by Leyla Moy on

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In an airy Plateau studio space perched high above Saint Laurent, Instagram dreams come true. It’s clear from the neon sign, white walls, and minimalistic furniture that Black Rose Tattoo is a millennial haven. Laden with house plants, it bears a closer resemblance to a trendy open office space or an aspirational Pinterest apartment than a tattoo studio, albeit punctuated by the persistent hum of a tattoo machine.

Science & Technology

The haphazard world of scientific research funding

by Ronny Litvack-Katzman on

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Human systems, from medicine and technology to industrial agriculture, are built upon the tools and findings brought forward by scientific achievement. Yet, to practice science in the 21st century, researchers depend upon another cornerstone of modern civilization: Money. 

The amount of funds required to conduct scientific research is almost incomprehensible. Last year, McGill received over $500 million to fund research. In the past, grant money has allowed McGill scientists to uncover the molecule behind synaptic plasticity, suggest innovative climate change solutions, and peer into life on other planets.

Although the benefits of research endowments are obvious, the source of McGill labs’ research money is a more complicated story—one that includes various stakeholders across the scientific community. 

In Canada, the vast majority of grants for scientific research come from the federal government. When scholars apply for federal funding, they submit a proposal to one of three governing bodies: The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), or the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). These bodies indirectly receive funding from the government, according to Katie Gibbs, executive director of Evidence for Democracy, a non-profit organization that advocates for evidence-based policymaking in Canadian politics.

“The federal government decides how much money to give those councils and has varying degrees of determination over how those funds are distributed,” Gibbs said in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

These three funding agencies, together referred to as the ‘Tri-Councils,’ are led by scientists who read and choose which applications to fund from university faculty and graduate-level researchers.

The competitive nature of this application system creates tension in academic environments. Among other aspects, a professor’s research output can be a deciding factor in a university’s decision of whether to grant them tenure. This reality puts additional pressure on academics to secure funding and churn out more papers; the alternative entails jeopardizing career growth. 

In a country where the government holds a tight grasp on the purse strings of science, researchers find themselves strapped to propose immediately useful projects. Studies with instant benefits to the public interest are more likely to receive funding and have been appearing with increasing frequency in the application process. These projects typically fall within the fields of medical science or engineering—disciplines that are known for producing direct and tangible results. 

Another issue associated with the current funding landscape is the inconsistency of available money from year to year. Left to the whims of changing federal governments, each prime minister can dictate the federal budget’s research allocations during their time in office. The Harper government increased Canadian expenditures to science and technology from 2005–2009 but decreased the same funds by 10 per cent leading up to 2015. 

“Certainly, over the years of the Harper government, funding for the Tri-Councils was pretty stagnant,” Gibbs said. “Even when there was new money made available, it was often criticized that a lot of the new programs put in place required things like an industry partnership.”

At McGill, industry-sponsored research represented the fourth-largest funding source in 2018. Approximately eight per cent of McGill’s research budget, which amounts to just over $44 million, was acquired through industry partnerships from businesses and corporations. 

Industry funds are not typically dispersed evenly between disciplines. Similar to successful governmental grants, research subjects that attract interest from corporations come from scientific fields with direct applications. This practice can ostracize scientists who require funds to complete what is known as basic science in the fields of chemistry, physics, and biology. These subjects provide foundational knowledge for researchers in the applied sciences to create the drugs, machines, and technology of the future. 

Rafael Reif, the president of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) wrote to the Wall Street Journal in 2016 about the issue of the asymmetric support that industries provide to certain disciplines. 

“The qualities [that] make industry good at applied research, primarily their appetite for immediate commercialization, a laser focus on consumer demand, an obligation to maximize short-term returns, and a proprietary attitude about information—make industry a bad fit for supporting basic scientific research,” Reif wrote.

Gibbs is unsure that the government has lived up to its campaign promise to provide scientists with additional support that they requested five years ago.  

“Overall, the Trudeau government has done a pretty good job,” Gibbs said. “They didn’t really make any big promises around funding in the [2015] election. They expressed, more broadly, vague commitments around ‘restoring science to its rightful place,’ so it is kind of hard to measure if they have followed through or not.”

In 2017, the federal government commissioned a report on the state of scientific progress in Canada and recommended fairly large investments into fundamental research. Yet, federal government spending on science and technology is expected to decrease by 2.6 per cent from $12 billion to $11.7 billion in 2019. In fact, federally funded research in Canadian universities and institutes remains among the lowest per capita of any high-income economy, sinking to less than 25 per cent in 2017. Thus, Canadian institutions are left to supplement 50 per cent of these costs today, to the detriment of both research and education.

The repercussion of government funding decisions directly impacts researchers at all levels of academia. Decisions to cut the amount of funds available to McGill professors in the basic sciences has consequences for their students as well. 

Brendon McGuinness, a second-year PhD candidate in the Department of Biology, understands this experience first-hand. He expressed frustration with the NSERC application process specifically. 

“It is a lot of money,” McGuinness said. “[But] the applications are not fun to do because it really is quite intimidating. It’s very competitive and a lot of work for an award you are statistically not going to get.”

Graduate students are generally encouraged by their supervising professors to seek additional sources of funding aside from government grants that have become increasingly difficult for students to depend on. In an interview with the Tribune, Jessica Rose, Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM) Chair of Teaching Assistant (TA) Bargaining, explained that supervisors are hesitant to offer students research contracts because they fear that the university will not be able to reliably supplement the student’s income. Graduate students are therefore left to accept graduate offers that are not adequately supported by federal funds and must take on the additional responsibilities as TAs or search for other sources of income.  

“In our conversations with the Faculty of Science, we found that most of the funding for doctoral students comes from their supervisors, but the supervisors were very reluctant to guarantee students a minimum [salary], because they were concerned that they could lose their grants,” Rose said. 

McGuinness also explained that students are not always motivated to apply for funding, since they rely on money from many other sources.  

“In my experience, you are not incentivized financially when applying for the [NSERC] awards because so much of the money that we make is coming from other sources,” McGuinness said. “Yes, it looks good on a CV and is very good for getting postdoc positions, but in terms of the money you are receiving, it most likely is coming from somewhere else. Regardless of the pressure, we are encouraged by our supervisors to apply for grants.”

Scientific progress is only as successful as the people involved. As of yet, the Canadian government has still not found a mutually amicable way to relieve the financial burden placed on individual professors, their students, and the institutions that support them. Ultimately, basic sciences should not be overlooked, and instead must receive funding that reflects the immense contribution of scientists to more applied fields.

Research Briefs, Science & Technology

The gut microbiome in disease and health

by Miguel Principe on

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There are thousands of different bacterial species living inside our intestines. This environment, called the gut microbiome, provides the body with key vitamins and ensures a healthy immune system. The composition of the gut microbiome is key: Dysbiosis, a condition that occurs when ‘bad’ bacteria take over the gut, is linked to a wide variety of diseases ranging from inflammatory bowel disease to autism spectrum disorder. 

A group of researchers from McGill and the Université de Montréal found that dysbiosis is often correlated with fibromyalgia, a disease marked by chronic pain, constant fatigue, and gastrointestinal problems. 

Their results were published in a paper in the journal Pain in November. Dr. Amir Minerbi, a pain physician-scientist at the Rambam Health Campus in Haifa, Israel, was one of the paper’s lead researchers. 

“Fibromyalgia is very frustrating for patients,” Minerbi said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “They seem okay on the outside, but inside, […] it feels like having the flu for a very long time [….] It is frustrating for physicians, because we are not good at diagnosing fibromyalgia. It takes four years to diagnose, and […] after diagnosis, even with the best treatment, [the patient] may still [experience] symptoms.”

This frustration was the catalyst for investigating the relationship between the gut and fibromyalgia. Their hypothesis was justified, since the microbiome has been associated with other chronic pain disorders, such as chronic dysfunction pelvic pain and chronic fatigue syndrome. 

In the study, researchers collected stool samples from people with and without fibromyalgia. Through sequencing bacterial DNA found in the stool samples, they found that people with fibromyalgia had more bacterial species associated with factors such as inflammation, inhibition of brain activity, and metabolism of organic acids within their microbiome. Furthermore, patients with more pronounced symptoms of fibromyalgia had higher amounts of bacteria associated with such factors. 

These findings, however, are still preliminary and represent only a correlation rather than causation. There is still the possibility that fibromyalgia causes an altered microbiome, instead of the other way around. Nevertheless, this opens the door for better diagnosis and treatment of fibromyalgia through examining the health of patients’ microbiomes. 

Promoting a healthy gut microbiome might entail incorporating a wide variety of plant-based and fermented foods with plenty of prebiotics into one’s diet. Prebiotics are compounds that alter the gut microbiome to grow beneficial microbes. They are frequently absent from the current Western diet, which is characterized by large amounts of meat and processed foods. 

At McGill, the Microbiome Project aims to promote good bacteria and avoid dysbiosis. Founded by Julian Russell, U2 Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, and John Weilenmann, M1 Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, the club has hosted numerous workshops on how to make all types of foodstuffs, such as hot sauces and natural wines, that are based on fermentation and therefore contain plenty of live bacteria called probiotics. The group hopes to steer clear of artificial chemicals commonly used in commercial products. They also aim to tackle other aspects of life that promote a healthy microbiome, such as exercising and sleeping enough.

“We focus on various types of fermentation, as well as a lifestyle component,” Russell said. “A healthy body and a healthy gut go together, so we encourage people to take their exercise and sleep seriously [….] If you’re not living a healthy lifestyle, [that is] going to negatively impact the good bacteria that live in you, [allowing] you to be susceptible to pathogens.”

Science & Technology

Learning to love physics

by Gwenyth Wren on

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Two months ago, my boyfriend picked up a physics minor, and our conversations gradually began to veer off into the realm of Newton’s laws and black holes. I, far from a physics lover, expressed my frustration that our discussions were going way over my head. Soon after, he bought me Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, a popular science book by Neil deGrasse Tyson, that focuses on common questions about the universe.

With that, I dove into my boyfriend’s newfound passion. The book offered an interesting perspective on how humans fit into the universe. For me, learning about the cosmos was a reminder that the world doesn’t revolve around humans. That being said, physics itself still intimidates me: The prospect of learning the laws that govern the entire universe seems too immense of a task.

Ken Ragan, a professor in the Department of Physics at McGill who teaches PHYS 101: An Introduction to Mechanics for the Life Sciences and PHYS 131: Mechanics and Waves, defines this fear as being ‘physics shy.’ 

“People underestimate the extent [to] which they can understand physics,” Ragan said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “The idea that ‘It’s so complicated that I [could] never understand it,’ […] that’s the part that is holding people back.” 

According to Ragan, students do not need to have a background in physics to take his PHYS 101 course: In the class, students learn basic governing principles that allow them to understand more applied concepts.

“The scary things are the complicated things,” Ragan said. “But you don’t give an eight-year-old a 400-page book [to teach them how to read] [….] You have to start small.”

Science communication has a large role to play in making daunting scientific concepts digestible for non-scientists, a goal that Astrophysics for People in a Hurry hopes to achieve. The book explains the universe in its entirety, from the Big Bang 14 billion years ago to today, detailing phenomena such as the formation of the Milky Way and the naming of planets and asteroids. Instead of feeling inspired by the book, however, some can feel overwhelmed by the onslaught of large-scale science and the lack of basic explanations of universe-level happenings. 

Unlike the big picture approach that Tyson’s book takes, Ragan believes that the key to loving physics lies in starting small. 

“Physics, [at least at] the level that I teach in U0 introductory courses, is primarily mechanics of how things move, how forces work, […] how we describe […] rotating systems in which collisions are happening, and how we think about energy,” Ragan said. “The nice thing about physics is [that] there are all sorts of examples around you for how these concepts work. Bicycles have rolling wheels, kids’ toys have springs, balls or hockey pucks slide on frictionless surfaces. There are lots of real-world examples for how you can understand systems in quantitative ways.”

Yet, when most people hear the word ‘physics,’ they think of massive black holes and the theory of general relativity. 

“All of the cool physics [in] best-selling books and popular documentaries is not the kind of physics [that] we teach at the basic level,” Ragan said. “Astrophysics, gravitational waves, or quantum mechanics are all based on introductory concepts. That’s the striking feature of physics: You build up this toolkit.”

People often doubt their ability to understand physics because they have trouble wrapping their mind around things that they cannot see. 

“I find this response funny because people have no problem getting their mind around CRISPR or trying to understand advanced technology in other areas of science they can’t see,” Ragan said. “No one has ever seen a hydrogen atom, but they believe it can exist.”

While many might continue to be ‘physics shy,’ starting with small steps can help to overcome fear of the subject. Astrophysics and blackholes may be daunting, but as Ragan points out, learning about the laws of the universe can be as simple as learning a few real-world physics concepts. For me, this mindset has allowed me to genuinely partake in physics conversations with my boyfriend.

McGill, News

Campus activism against Bill 21

by Margaret Askey on

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Students may have seen the ‘No to Bill 21’ pins on various backpacks and jackets this semester, but they may not understand what the pins represent. Bill 21 is a law passed by the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), which prohibits public sector employees from displaying religious symbols at work. The bill affects teachers, police officers, and lawyers employed by the province of Quebec.

The pins represent collaborative Montrealais and Quebecois efforts to speak out against the bill, which would prevent those who wear or carry religious symbols from finding employment in Quebec while also practicing their religion.The McGill contingent of this effort, McGill Against Bill 21, describes themselves as a space for students to come together, share articles, support each other, and plan actions against this bill.

McGill Against Bill 21 falls under the portfolio of Adam Gwiazda-Amsel, the Vice-President (VP) External for the Student Society of McGill University (SSMU). The McGill Tribune met with Gwiazda-Amsel to find out more about this campus-based initiative. Gwiazda-Amsel explained the importance of campus groups advocating on behalf of students affected by this legislation.

“We recognize that students don’t just exist as students. [They are] also racialized individuals, they have distinct realities outside of what’s referred to as ‘student issues,’” Gwiazda-Amsel said.

Because SSMU is mandated to act as a representative on behalf of the entire McGill undergraduate body, it also has the responsibility of advocating on behalf of its members affected by Bill 21.

“There’s the added aspect of education and law students not being able to find jobs in some of the professions that they’re preparing for,” Gwiazda-Amsel said. “[That’s] something that some of our members have displayed a unique concern about.”

When speaking to the goals of a group like McGill Against Bill 21, Gwiazda-Amsel explained that the organization supports students affected by the bill by existing and being a visible resource.

“Students that are being targeted [can] feel more supported, which is a priority,” Gwiazda-Amsel said. “People are scared. McGill against Bill 21 starts this conversation on campus.”

The group doesn’t only serve as a resource for those who face barriers to employment— it also seeks to engage other students in concrete action against the legislation. For students looking to get involved, Gwiazda-Amsel shared the current plans for the initiative moving forward.

“[There will be a demonstration] in front of the premier François Legault’s Montreal office, at 5:00 pm on Dec. 4,” Gwiazda-Amsel said.

While SSMU is doing valuable work to bring awareness and organization to this issue, there are a variety of other student and non-student organizations on campus that are vocal in their opposition of this legislation. 

The Education Undergraduate Society (EdUS) is one such group. The Tribune spoke with their Vice-President Internal, Courtney Murdoch, to find out more. Murdoch explained the obligation that these organizations have to their students.

“Undergraduate societies exist to benefit our students,” Murdoch said. “We also provide professional development opportunities […] [with] the goal of helping our students find jobs in which they can be successful after graduation. Bill 21 invalidates this effort and forces students who are part of a minority group to choose between their rights […] and their chance at finding a job.”

Murdoch also acknowledged how the bill not only affects Education students at McGill, but a variety of students across multiple faculties.

“This does include Education, but also includes Engineering, Medicine, Nursing, Physical and Occupational Therapy, Management, Social Work, and more,” Murdoch said. “Beyond the direct impact on careers, however, Bill 21 sends the message to all students at McGill who are part of a religious minority that they do not belong in this province. As a University, this is not something we can allow to happen.”

Like McGill Against Bill 21, the EdUS also seeks to support students who are impacted by this bill.

“EdUS and the Faculty of Education must stand against this bill and support our students,” Murdoch said. 

“There is no doubt in our minds about it,” Murdoch said. “We will do everything in our power to be allies to our students impacted by this bill, and we hope to provide them with a platform to speak out and fight this bill should they so desire.”

Arts & Entertainment

The McGill Tribune Presents: THE BEST AND WORST OF 2019

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MOVIE

1. Midsommar 

Ari Aster traded Hereditary’s claustrophobic setting and occult imagery for sunny plains and floral dresses. Spearheaded by Florence Pugh’s devastating portrayal of grief and despair, the result is no less terrifying.

(Vice)

2. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood 

Another Tarantino film, another cinematic success. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood’s all-star cast, witty dialogue, and pleasingly violent scenes make for a delightful ode to ‘60s Hollywood.

(Empire)

3. Parasite

A daring examination of structural inequality from acclaimed director Bong Joon-ho. Clever dialogue and striking images punctuate this twisted family drama.

(GQ)

4. The Lighthouse 

Robert Eggers creates a world of one eyed seagulls, crazed monologues, and drunken dancing. With its exploration on sanity and isolation, The Lighthouse is sometimes funny, but mostly horrifying.

(thestar.com)

5. Us

Jordan Peele returns to make what is normal and innocuous—a red jumpsuit and a pair of scissors—absolutely terrifying. It is a fitting warning to stay away from tunnels near the beach. 

(Film School Rejects)

Worst: Tall Girl 

Dance Moms star Ava Michelle makes an unfortunate return to the silver screen in Tall Girl, a formulaic, bland young-adult rom-com. 

(Book and Film Globe)

TV SHOWS

1. Russian Doll 

Full of dark humour and disturbingly comical ruminations on life and death, Natasha Lyonne gives a dazzling performance in season one of her morbid, Groundhog Day–esque drama.

(imbd.com)

2. Fleabag 

Fleabag’s second season brings back the hilarious, hot mess of a woman that is “Fleabag,” exploring the intricacies of familial troubles, romantic troubles, and, well, life troubles.

(Indiewire)

3. I Think You Should Leave by Tim Robinson 

Oh my god, we admit it: I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson’s cast of absurd oddballs made for some hysterical sketches.

(Indiewire)

4. Sex Education 

Sex Education is an unflinching portrayal of teen sexuality: Embracing all the awkwardness and embarrassment that comes with growing up, it’s one of the most genuine coming-of-age stories in recent television.

(Thought Catalog)

5. The Crown (Season Three)

Oscar winner Olivia Coleman plays Queen Elizabeth II opposite Tobias Menzies’ Prince Philip in what continues to be one of the best historical dramas on TV. 

(Town and Country)

Worst: Queer Eye Japan

The only thing worse than neoliberal virtue signaling is neoliberal virtue signaling with an imperialist twang. Queer Eye Japan is inappropriate and tone-deaf, misconstruing cultural differences as negatives that can be improved through Western living. 

(The Wrap)

ALBUMS

1. Norman Fucking Rockwell! by Lana Del Rey 

Lana Del Rey pioneered an entire genre of melancholic and dreamy ballads in the early ‘10s. With NFR!, she rounds out the decade with her magnum opus: A haunting exploration of love and loss that affirms her as a voice for her generation. 

2. Titanic Rising by Weyes Blood

Singer-songwriter Natalie Mering will make you happy to be sad with 42 minutes of dreamy ballads about love, despair, and hope.

3. Igor by Tyler the Creator

Post–Flower Boy Tyler is here for the TikTok e-boys and sad girls on Instagram. This woozy, lovesick album marks a mature step for Tyler without losing his trademark edge. 

4. MAGDALENE by FKA twigs

After four years of silence, FKA twigs has re-emerged with one of the most poignant and visceral works of the year. Inspired by the oft-misunderstood biblical character, MAGDALENE is extraordinary.

5. thank u, next by Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande’s latest pumps out airy pop hits bumping to celebrity drama, breakups, and personal growth.

Worst: Teal Album by Weezer

2019 saw many a musical faux-pas, but none more shameful than when four middle-aged white guys decided to cover TLC’s “No Scrubs.”  

 

SONGS

1. Old Town Road by Lil Nas X 

A poignant exploration into the complexities of cowboyhood, what started as a TikTok meme became the undisputable anthem of 2019, launching Lil Nas X into much-deserved stardom. 

2. Earfquake by Tyler, the Creator

Heartbreak has never sounded better. A Whoa Vicky reference has also never worked better. 

3. So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings by Caroline Polachek 

From vocal-saxophone effects, to lyrics that sing life, to feelings of longing, this single is so hot it’s hurting all of our feelings. 

4. Cellophane by FKA twigs

At once soaring and sparse, the first single off of FKA twigs’ affecting album is a heartrending portrait of the fatigue of unrequited love.

5. Venice Bitch by Lana Del Rey 

Lana’s longest single brilliantly mixes soft rock, breathy vocals, and nostalgia to create a lyrical narrative about summer romance.

Worst: Senorita by Shawn Mendes and Camilla Cabello

There has never been a pair of industry plants with less chemistry than these two. Enough said.

Student Life

Illuminating Medical Herstory

by Alaana Kumar on

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Inequality and injustices within the healthcare system are no secret, and high-income countries are no exception. Individuals of colour, those of a lower financial or social status, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community are sometimes treated dismissively by healthcare practitioners. Research on the differential treatment by gender in medical settings is also a growing topic of discussion and has revealed that women’s medical concerns are still disregarded, resulting in insufficient care. Medical Herstory aims to fight this issue by offering an online space for women and femme-identifying individuals to share past, present, and ongoing experiences of being dismissed by clinicians while seeking healthcare. 

Individuals who present as female are often perceived as weak both in society at large and in the healthcare sector. Women are more likely to be told their pain is psychosomatic and are often criticized for being overly dramatic or emotional. Tori Ford (BA, ‘19), founder and editor-in-chief of Medical Herstory, started the website as a way to help women break the stigma surrounding the discussion of their bodies. After attending women’s health circles and sharing her own story of battling medical mistreatment, Ford was pleasantly surprised by the feedback that she received, specifically from those who began to share similar stories. In an email to The McGill Tribune, Ford described how this led her to start Medical Herstory. 

“[I created Medical Herstory as a response to] the feeling that women’s bodies are not allowed to be messy or leaky, and the consequences [that] we feel when our health doesn’t allow us to keep up appearances of being ladylike,” Ford wrote. 

Medical Herstory seeks to destigmatize conversations about female-presenting people’s experiences of seeking medical assistance. Research published in the Journal of Law, Medicine, and Ethics suggests that women’s pain is often perceived as less severe compared to men’s. Through her time at McGill and her current academic work, Ford found a prominent overlap between structures of social inequality and health. 

“I learned the importance of power structures, positionality, and lived experience,” Ford wrote. “I wanted to create a platform to raise awareness on medical topics [that was] separate from sterile, academic, or scientific discussions that too often leave patient experiences on the margins.”  

Medical Herstory takes readers on a journey through a female patient’s perspective. The website seeks to captivate readers through honest stories accompanied by visuals created based on the author’s direction. 

“When designing this website, I was keenly aware of the fact that we would be sharing stories that were often heavy, raw, and difficult,” Ford wrote. “I wanted the aesthetic of the website to balance these emotions by offering bright, colourful, and welcoming images.”

With personal stories of seeking diagnoses, birth control, abortions, and other medical procedures, Medical Herstory hopes to help feminine-presenting individuals feel less alone when seeking medical assistance. From stories of being prescribed white panties for chronic yeast infections, to being provided with numbing cream after a painful first sexual encounter, and even having ovarian cancer dismissed as being indigestion, the writers for Medical Herstory speak openly and candidly to remind women and femmes that their pain is real and should not be ignored.

“My wish is that Medical Herstory can make illness less invisible and less isolating,” Ford wrote. “I hope our readers take away that many people [around them]  are suffering in silence [and] […] how gender expectations, sexism, and institutional inequality amplify this suffering.” 

Ford credits her time at McGill and working at the Office of Sexual Violence Response, Support, and Eduction (OSVRSE) and as an executive at the Women’s Health Advocacy Club, for teaching her the importance of handling other people’s stories with care. She hopes Medical Herstory inspires a call to action regarding womens’ medical health and wellbeing. 

“I hope our readers will use whatever positions or influence they occupy to push for healthcare that is comprehensive and compassionate for all,” Ford wrote. 

Student Life

Tribune Tastes: Vegan Cheeses

by Margaret Askey on

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The Herbivore Society for Peace and Justice (HSPJ) hosted a Vegan Wine & Cheese event on Nov. 29 for McGill students and the Montreal community. The event, hosted at Café Origine, featured a sampling of vegan cheeses paired with red and white wine. //The McGill Tribune// sampled all the cheeses provided by the Ontario-based company Nuts for Cheese.

Natalie Warren and Abby Couture, head organizers for the HSPJ, explained how events like these help introduce McGill students to vegan and vegetarian food options and provide opportunities for students to socialize outside of the university.

“It’s a fun and social way to eat vegan food and mingle,” Warren said. “It shows people [that] there is a business side [and] a sustainable side to veganism.”

Warren elaborated on the broader goals of the HSPJ, stressing how cultivating an environment for like-minded foodies is a good way to unite vegan and vegetarian students on campus.

“It’s establishing a network, [because] there are a lot of vegan and vegetarian students on campus,” Couture said.

The event featured spreads accompanied by rice crackers alongside Borsao Bodegas wines, including their full bodied Garnacha Cabernet, a bold fruity red, as well as their Chardonnay, which featured a fruity aroma and citric bite.

Vegan cheese might sound perplexing to those unacquainted with it, but Nuts for Cheese’s products are simple, with cashew, coconut and olive oils, and nutritional yeast bases. Different styles feature various added ingredients and seasonings to create the desired flavour profile. They are fermented in a similar way to dairy-based cheese, which provides the sour notes of fermentation and a realistic cheesy flavour.

Chipotle ‘Cheddar’ Flavoured Wedge

This soft wedge-style cheddar has a soft, buttery texture that spreads nicely onto a cracker for easy snacking. The added spices and seasonings built a lovely flavour, and the fermentation process gave the cheese a sour note reminiscent of real cheddar. Comparisons aside, this cheese makes a well-seasoned spread on its own merits.

Un-Brie-lievable

This imitation brie combines the pleasing buttery texture of the Chipotle ‘Cheddar’ with a rich flavour. The cashew base provides a creamy mouthfeel, reminiscent of other nut-butter products. The heavy palette is balanced by its seasoning, which brings a strong salty flavour that cut through the fat.

Super ‘Blue’

For those intimidated by traditional blue cheeses, fear not. The cashew base of Super ‘Blue’ makes for a very gentle palette that can be accentuated by added spices and flavours. Nuts for Cheese uses spirulina to give this cheese the classic blue-green colours of its dairy-based counterpart. With its mild bite, Super ‘Blue’ is definitely a good introduction to blue cheeses.

Red Rind

The Red Rind is encased in a rind of paprika seasoning, which spices up its neutral palette. This spread had a sharper and more sour flavour profile than the other cheeses, lingering in the back of the mouth and tip of the tongue. Red Rind is a great choice for those looking to impress their vegan dinner guests. 

Smoky Artichoke and Herb

The artichoke and lemon pesto in this cheese provide a pleasing vegetable flavour, though it is a little subtle to taste. Similar to Un-Brie-lievable, the greenery helps to cut through an otherwise very smooth and creamy taste. An excellent cheese for crackers, its soft texture lends itself very well to spreading.

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