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McGill, News

McGill suspends all Hong Kong exchange studies

by Helen Wu and Katia Innes on

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McGill has suspended all student activities in Hong Kong for the Winter 2020 semester due to safety concerns caused by anti-government protests. The university’s five partner institutions in Hong Kong—the Chinese University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the University of Hong Kong— will no longer be destinations for McGill students going on exchange in January 2020. In the Fall 2019 semester, over half of the McGill exchange students in Hong Kong attended the University of Hong Kong and the rest were at the other 4 institutions. McGill spokesperson Cynthia Lee explained the extent of activities affected.  

“[The suspension] includes but is not limited to student exchanges, teacher training stages, internships and independent research abroad,” Lee wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune.

Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Fabrice Labeau discussed the difficulties faced by those who wish to apply for another destination.

“[We have] told students who were trying to go to Hong Kong [for exchange] that they can choose a new destination, but the likelihood of that happening is reasonably small,” Labeau said. “It’s December now. If you want to turn around and find a new destination and do the paperwork, the likelihood of it succeeding is very small so I assume that most of the students will actually remain here at McGill next semester.”

Several Hong Kong universities have been caught in the crossfire between protestors and the police, including The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, which was seized on Nov. 11 by hundreds of demonstrators armed with 4000 firebombs. Labeau referenced the Travel Advisories issued by Global Affairs Canada, which help the McGill administration estimate the safety of destinations abroad that staff and students visit. On Nov. 15, 22 McGill students in Hong Kong were alerted of the administration’s decision to end their Fall 2019 exchange programs early.

“The unrest that was occurring [was] getting closer and closer to universities,” Labeau said. “That was troublesome. Coupled with that, the signs we were getting from our exchange partners, the universities themselves in Hong Kong, were [that] they were going to be terminating their semester early or allowing [their] students to do the rest of their semester online […] and take exams online [….] So the signs we were getting from them is that they were on their way to closing.”

Throughout the Fall 2019 semester, McGill routinely checked on its students in Hong Kong. According to Labeau, all 22 students are safe and are abiding by the administration’s request for them to leave the city. While the University of British Columbia has offered each of their 31 exchange students in Hong Kong a $1,000 emergency bursary, McGill will only offer financial assistance upon request.  

“[There are] some students [who] didn’t have any trouble finding a way out,” Labeau said. “Some of them have plans to go and visit another country nearby and [rearranged the] airfare that was booked [….] In cases where we had students mention financial issues, we directed them to our Scholarship and Student Aid Office where we give [financial aid] on a case-by-case basis.”

For students planning on going on exchange to Hong Kong, the abrupt cancellation poses logistical and financial inconveniences. Students were forwarded a list of possible replacement destinations for the exchange, though none of them are in Asia. Helen Du, U2 Arts, was planning to go on exchange at the University of Hong Kong in the Winter 2020 semester. However, given the short notice of procuring a new Visa, housing, and transportation to a new destination, it is unlikely that she will go on exchange. 

“I spent $1,500 on a round-trip ticket [to Hong Kong] and I’m not going to be able to get $350 back,” Du said. “I [also] spent $200 on my Visa, so this is a bunch of money I’m losing.”

It is unclear as to when student activities in Hong Kong will resume. Given the current political situation, and the fact that the process so far has been prolonged, it is unlikely that there will be a resolution soon. 

“At the end of the day we’re not the biggest victims here,” Du said. “This does not not directly affect us as we are in Canada and this is happening on the other side of the world. But it’s really frustrating because of how long the process took and it was really dragged out.” 

Arts & Entertainment, Comedy

Creating laughter, and space, from silence

by Deana Korsunsky on

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Montreal has always been a city that loves to laugh. It is home to the world-famous Just For Laughs comedy festival and has become a hub for open-mics, weekly stand-up series, and even the occasional underground show. It rarely matters what day of the week it is, for somewhere in the city, someone is standing in front of a microphone and joking about their Tinder date or how they slipped and fell on their way to work. Yet, for many of these shows, the setlists are often guilty of what is only glaringly obvious to some: A startlingly significant majority of male performers. 

Elspeth Wright, a comedian and stand-up show producer in Montreal, points out the disparity between the gender expectations of men and women, suggesting a social discouragement for women to be funny.

“Women were taught from the time we were little not to take up space, not to be loud, to be demure,” Wright said. “I think doing comedy isn’t something that’s traditionally feminine, and I think that’s scary. You think, ‘Oh, people will judge me and I can’t get away with that much because I’m a woman.’”

Despite the increased presence of popular female stand-up comics on the mainstream circuit, such as Ali Wong and Iliza Schlesinger, women remain vastly underrepresented in comedy, both at the international level and in many local scenes. Wright recalls that many times she has assumed the position of ‘token woman’ at the show, an often frustrating role.

“There are shows where it’s like, ‘Oh, it’s the girl of the show!’” Wright said. “First of all, I’m not a girl, I’m 32. I’m a woman.”

In the absence of welcoming spaces, comedians Katie Leggitt, Lar Simms, Lise Vignault, and Erin Hall created a comedy festival in 2015 centered on femmes and non-binary individuals. Having had its fifth annual run this past September, Ladyfest is an environment that encourages and celebrates underrepresented comedians and performers. 

Sara Meleika, a comedian and two-time Ladyfest producer recalls beginning her comedy career performing there in 2016. 

“It was one of the first spaces where I felt safe to try something new, and where I felt welcome and [that I] deserved room for my voice,” Meleika said.

Dedicated spaces for those other than cisgender men remove the obstacle of having to confront one’s audience with the difference in one’s identity.  Each time that a performer differs in identity from their audience, their entire individuality becomes reduced to just that difference. Rather than starting from a clean slate like many men, minority comedians’ performances immediately have to demonstrate talent in order to prove that they are more than just their appearance. They must put in extra work to relax the audience into abandoning any stereotypes or expectations. In contrast, when there is a diversity of performers, comedians do not feel tokenized and subsequently have the freedom to explore their own creativity while learning from others and feeling accepted.

“There’s nobody in the audience [saying], ‘Oh, the white man’s onstage’ and judging him based on that alone,” Meleika said. “Versus, if you’re a woman you’ll be ‘the one female comic on the show’ or ‘the one brown comic.’”

Often, Meleika notes, speaking up for underrepresented performers can be taxing. It takes a lot of mental and emotional work to explain a different point of view to someone who is more focused on defending their closed-mindedness than genuinely listening. Meleika avoids such conversational dead-ends, choosing instead to  focus on advocating for women, people of colour, and other minorities. 

“It’s more important to empower the people who need empowerment rather than fight the people who are resistant,” Meleika said.

Stand-up comedy is a platform for sharing experiences and bridging gaps. Comedian, singer, and entertainer Tranna Wintour describes her comedy as rooted in the personal, while having the potential to relate to broader audiences. 

“That’s the comedy that has always inspired me. I just think there’s real power in sharing,” Wintour said. “[Performing], to me, is so powerful. Because it’s in those moments of exchange that we learn and our points of view change.” 

Yet, this sharing and personal connection only becomes available once the audience lets their guard down. When presented with difference, people from privileged backgrounds tend to linger on it, becoming unable to relax and truly pay attention to the performance. It is almost as if one’s marginalized identity acts as a muffler for their voice; only when their identity is addressed and moved out of the way can a performer be heard. To marginalized performers, this can often be anxiety-inducing and create added pressure to distance themselves from the stereotypes surrounding their identity.

“When I’m performing in a room that’s largely cisgender and heterosexual, it’s sort of like I have this obligation to identify myself as trans, and to share it right off the bat because if I don’t, the audience is sort of guessing and trying to figure me out,” Wintour said.

Furthermore, many obstacles that marginalized comedians encounter have less to do with their own hesitation and more to do with lack of access. 

“The industry gatekeepers, the people who program networks and festivals and produce shows: All of the industry positions are still largely occupied by [cisgender] straight people, so it’s easier for them” Wintour said. “They’re naturally more inclined to go with what they know, and go with what has always worked for them.”

Wintour pointed out that one of the easiest ways to improve the atmosphere in a city’s stand-up circuit is simply to support minority voices by attending their shows. Supporting local comedy shows, Wintour said, is an opportunity to promote the growth of less visible individuals in an otherwise homogeneous comedy scene. 

“We’re all just so used to being excited and sharing the work of mainstream and already successful artists, but they don’t need our help,” Wintour said. “It’s really the independent people who need your attention and support.” 

To be a comic is to have an ability to create laughter from silence, and to connect with an audience. It is often daunting, however, to position oneself on such a pedestal of vulnerability—particularly if one identifies as femme, non-binary, 2SLGBTQIA+, or a person of colour. In many venues, individuals simply do not feel like the space is safe or meant for them. 

Luckily, shows like LadyFest, Colour Outside The Lines, and many other productions throughout the year are emerging around the city, creating inclusive spaces for up-and-coming comedians. While it still needs improvements, Montreal’s stand-up comedy scene is steadily growing in its inclusivity, offering individuals with less visibility comfortable spaces to share their voice, and start conversations with others. 

 

Elpseth Wright’s next show is on Dec. 4 at 7:30 pm, at The Diving Bell Social Club.

Tranna Wintour’s next show is on Dec. 5 at 8:30 pm, also at The Diving Bell Social Club.

Sara Meleika’s next show is on Dec. 14 at 7 pm, at Le P’tit Impro.

Sports

10 things: Impactful sports moments this decade

by Jack Armstrong, Sarah Farnand, Shaun Lalani, Zoe Babad-Palmer, Adam Burton, Ender McDuff, Kaja Surborg, Miya Keilin on

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As the decade comes to a close, The McGill Tribune looks back in chronological order on 10 of the most impactful moments in sports that helped shape athletics and the world. From incredible upset victories to social movements, the 2010s will go down as a decade to be remembered.

 

LeBron James’s “The Decision” (2010)

With all of LeBron James’s spectacular on-court play over the last 17 years, it’s hard to believe that his most impactful moment happened in an ESPN TV studio. LeBron announced his decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat on live television, a controversial move in the moment, and one that has only increased in significance since. He succeeded in changing the public’s perception of athletes from just players to actual people with their own difficult choices to make. His decision made it acceptable for athletes to change teams and market themselves, and it kindled the flame for what eventually became the player empowerment era. Since then, athletes have seized control and taken their careers and voices into their own hands, making for a more lively and interesting world of sports. 

Waka Waka by Shakira (2010)

When South Africa hosted the FIFA World Cup in 2010, it was not only the first one in Africa, but also the event that resulted in the release of one the most iconic songs and dances ever recorded: “Waka Waka.” Performed by Shakira and South African band Freshlyground, “Waka Waka” got children and adults alike doing the fabulous dance, which almost anyone who watched the 2010 World Cup will know. The single has nine-time platinum status in Sweden and has reached well beyond the host nation, tournament winners Spain, and Shakira’s home country of Colombia. While soccer was hardly niche before the 2010 World Cup, “Waka Waka” helped propel the sport firmly into popular culture. 

 

National Women’s Soccer League is established (2012)

The founding of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) was a truly monumental occasion in US soccer history. The league, now heading into its ninth year, has already outlasted its predecessors by several seasons and has become an established heavyweight in the world of professional women’s soccer. The success of the NWSL has coincided with that of the US women’s national team, who won the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cups. 

The NWSL has helped women’s soccer viewership continue to rise across the US. 2019 saw the league register a total attendance of 792,409—a 111 per cent increase from its inaugural 2013 season. The rise in popularity has also helped expansion efforts: In 2021, the league will welcome its 10th franchise. 

 

Lance Armstrong is stripped of his titles (2012)

From 1999 to 2005, the world of cycling was dominated by Lance Armstrong, an American who won an unprecedented seven Tours de France in a row. It seemed too good to be true, and it was: In 2012, Armstrong was stripped of all seven Tour de France victories in what was perhaps the largest performance enhancing drugs (PED) scandal of all time. As early as 1998, Armstrong had been using PEDs, and in 1999, his entire team reportedly also practiced blood doping. In the following years, Armstrong used increasingly deceitful practices to avoid tests and win at all costs, including bribery and extreme evasive measures. In the years since this discovery, the Cycling Union has disavowed Armstrong and made efforts to distance themselves from further scandals by cracking down on PEDs.

 

Germany defeats Brazil 7–1 in the World Cup Semifinal (2014)

At the 2014 World Cup, Germany shocked the world by defeating host nation Brazil 7–1. Germany went on to win the tournament, while Brazilian soccer was defined by the loss for the rest of the decade. An Olympic gold medal for Brazil two years later barely softened the blow. Germany played well in the semifinal, but Brazil was disgraceful the entire game, and they found themselves down by five goals in the first 30 minutes. Brazil came into the tournament as both the favourites and the host nation, and their collapse cemented this match as one of soccer’s greatest upsets ever. 

 

Leicester City wins the Premier League (2016)

In one of the most unlikely triumphs in the history of team sports, Leicester City Football Club won the Premier League title for the first time ever. Leceister came into the season more concerned with avoiding relegation to the second-tier league than their 5,000-to-one odds of winning the league; they left having defeated some of the biggest names in European football. Since its formation in 1992, only six other teams had won the English Premier League, all with enough money to blow smaller club teams like Leicester out of the water. Leicester accomplished this incredible feat with exceptional scouting, an emphasis on a team-first mentality, and a counter-attacking style of play with an exceptional defence. This victory against all odds will go down as perhaps the most surprising moment in English football. 

 

Kaepernick kneels to protest the oppression of people of colour (2016-17)

Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick protested police brutality and racial inequality by taking a knee during the US national anthem in the 2016-17 NFL season. By the 49ers’ final preseason game, Kapernick’s teammate Eric Reid was kneeling alongside him. Every week, more and more players joined the protest. The backlash from football fans, professional athletes, politicians, and the general public was vicious, including calls for dismissal and even death threats. Kaepernick continued to kneel and speak out, however, and donated more than one million dollars to causes such as Mothers Against Police Brutality, Meals on Wheels, and many other community-supporting organizations. Kaepernick became a free agent after the 2016-17 season and has been unemployed since. 

 

The Nigerian women’s bobsled team competes in the Winter Olympics (2018)

In 2017, the Nigerian women’s bobsled team, comprised of Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere, and Akuoma Omeoga, qualified for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, racing on their sled Maeflower. In addition to being the first African bobsled to compete at the Olympics, the team was the first ever Nigerian delegation to attend the Winter Olympics. The team was founded after raising $75,000 through a crowdfunding campaign, which they used to convince the Nigerian government to create the Bobsled & Skeleton Federation of Nigeria, later attracting Visa as a sponsor. Onwumere, one of the two brakewomen, carried the flag for her country at the opening ceremony. Although the team finished last in their event, they were proud to bring Nigeria to the Winter Olympics and bobsledding to Nigeria.

 

Tessa and Scott become the most decorated Olympic figure skaters of all time (2018)

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir stole Canada’s collective heart when they won ice dance gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. At the time, Virtue and Moir were just 20 and 22 years old, respectively. Over the course of the decade, the duo has continued to wow audiences and judges across the world. Their successful competitive career culminated in winning ice dance gold again in the team and individual events at the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang. This win made them the most decorated Olympic figure skaters in history, with three gold and two silver medals across three Olympic Games. Canadians will forever remember their final free dance to a medley of the Moulin Rouge soundtrack that melted everyone’s hearts all over again. 

 

US Gymnasts speak out, team physician Larry Nassar convicted of sexual assault (2018)

One of the most well known cases in the #MeToo movement was the testimony of 156 women, many of whom were current or former members of the United States Women’s Gymnastics team, against sports physician Larry Nassar. Nassar was sentenced to 175 years in prison for sexual assault of minors as a result. Olympic gold medallists Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, and Simon Biles were among those who testified against Nassar, sharing their stories of how his abuse affected their lives and athletic careers. The bravery of these women will hopefully shed light on the prevalence of the issue and show that abusers must be held accountable for their actions. As Raisman said in her testimony, “We are a force, and you Larry, are nothing.”

(Kathryn Leci / The McGill Tribune)
Commentary, Opinion

Mind your headspace

by Favour Daka on

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As the approaching finals mark the end of another semester, the spike of stress, anxiety, and mismanaged student mental health crises warrant a conversation about headspace. It is by no means news that mental health services at McGill do not effectively accommodate students’ needs: There are many instances of students waiting for months to receive a consultation. This is due to various reasons, such as a lack of clinical professionals and limited funding. The end of the semester represents a generally tense time for students. The lack of days off and time for self-care exacerbates feelings of stress.

From the start of the semester until now, students have had a total of one day off, for Thanksgiving. The fall semester is a particularly challenging three months for many reasons. For one, the semester encompasses the transition from summer to winter. The days gradually become shorter, which unfortunately correlates with the semester becoming increasingly intense, with exams, ‘paper season,’ and assignments all due within a short period of time. With only a one day break, students become overworked and exhausted as the semester progresses, which ultimately hinders their academic performance nearing finals season. Yet, students’ calls for instituting a Fall Reading Week have been met with delays and filibustering from the university.

For first-year students, especially, the fall semester is quite the whirlwind. Acclimatizing to the intensity of university while establishing a network of support away from home is a strenuous process. Without breaks from school, first-year students do not have any opportunity to stop and reflect on the rush that is the first semester. The pace of first-year can lead to a disregard for mental health for the sake of keeping up academically, a trade-off that is quite damaging. The very structure of university imposes constant stresses and triggers to engage students through regularly scheduled quizzes, assignments, and exams. Though this works to ensure that students stay on-track, it also is overwhelming. The demand for time is also heightened by further peer pressure to be involved socially and to be involved with extracurricular activities.

With all of this constant pressure, making time and space for oneself to relax is crucial. ‘Taking time for yourself’ looks different for everyone. For some, the marathon of a non-stop semester is not as much of a challenge. For others, the semester represents a lack of motivation and burnout. While exercising or exploring Montreal are some great ways to take time for one’s self, the reality is that non-stop work for three straight months takes a heavy toll on students. The provision of stress-balls and opportunities pet golden retrievers offers only short-term relief in comparison to the accumulated stress and emotional fluctuations that students experience throughout the semester. Therefore, a greater consideration from McGill by offering more breaks would add a great deal to the process of taking time for ourselves.

The prioritization of mental health in the university space is a task for both students and the university. The university holds a great responsibility in ensuring that mental health services are accessible. McGill recently collaborated with the Rossy Foundation to create the Wellness Hub, with the aim of integrating medical care with counselling and psychiatric services. This is very much a step in the right direction. However, structural elements, such as the limited days off, present a large burden on students’ mental health, and further reforms in addition to this Wellness Hub should consider this factor. The end of the semester invites for these necessary conversations on how the university can implement reforms that will allow students to gain some much-needed headspace.

Whether a first-year new to university or an upperclassman, the time spent in university is pivotal in the transition to adulthood. This process weighs heavily on students’ mental health, as it involves establishing one’s personal politics, deciding what professional paths to take, and possibly setting emotional boundaries. An essential way that McGill can alleviate the stressful burden of a packed fall semester is creating a full break for students to regenerate.

 

Campus Spotlight, Private, Student Life

Clubs still struggling to find spaces

by Miguel Principe on

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In March 2018, the University Centre, commonly known among students as the “SSMU Building,” closed for much-needed renovations. While the building was scheduled to open by the end of that year, this date has been pushed back to April 2020, 16 months past the initial deadline. During this two-year period, the loss of this crucial space has forced multiple student-run collectives, clubs, and services to relocate. 

The issue of communicating disruptions to student events started to surface weeks before the building was set to close. On Feb. 12, 2018, a preparatory inspection showing a high level of asbestos in the Players’ Theatre’s office caused an unexpected closure of the space. along with major disruptions to the McGill Drama Festival, which was being held at the time. Cheyenne Cranston, Players’ Theatre event coordinator, expressed her disapproval of the lack of forewarning surrounding this problem in an interview with the The McGill Tribune. 

“Our biggest concern is [why] this wasn’t made an issue before we had 50 students working months to put on this show,” Cranston said.

The need for student-run collectives to adapt with insufficient resources continues to be a problem, as highlighted by the problems Midnight Kitchen, McGill’s own food collective, has faced. With a goal of providing affordable food as well as a space to congregate and work against food insecurity, the club has unique needs which, according to Midnight Kitchen coordinator Leah Freedman, remain unmet. 

“We needed an industrial kitchen on campus, and we never found that,” Freedman said. “We only have an industrial kitchen in Saint-Henri [….] We’re doing a good job keeping up, but [our service] is really limited.”

Other clubs have had to contend with  limitations, such as the lack of wheelchair accessibility in 3471 Peel, which houses many organizations such as the Peer Support Centre and Walksafe. Other issues, such as the lack of on-campus spaces for large events, storage space for equipment, gender-neutral washrooms, and the lack of communication with clubs regarding delays, suggest a greater problem of the administration’s handling of the University Centre closure.

“It feels like [the clubs] are taken out of the conversation, and we are being deprioritized,” Freedman said. “In my opinion, McGill doesn’t want [community] spaces to exist, because it’s not in their best interest, which is profit.” 

Freedman further explains that the deprioritization of these community spaces by the administration impacts the organizing culture of the university. These locations, which are coined as “third places” by sociologist Ray Oldenburg, are breeding grounds for social connections, inclusion, and democracy. While students are also able to go to other hangout spots such as cafes or bars outside campus, spaces that are driven by the community rather than profit are the most inclusive and beneficial for promoting a culture of exchanging and sharing ideas.

The University Centre was one venue where  student-run organizations could share this goal of cooperation and solidarity. For McGill to better support inclusive student-run organizations, Freedman believes they must communicate and plan better.

“It would be better if they came up with a proper solution,” Freedman said. “If they would overshoot the deadline but commit to a viable solution in the meantime, that would be way [better], rather than […] push[ing] the dates.”

Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) President Bryan Buraga believes the solutions that McGill have provided are sufficient given the circumstances, but remains equally dismayed by the University Centre’s postponed re-opening. On SSMU’s part, they have stated that they are doing their best to accommodate student groups but there remains more requests for spaces than they have available.

Despite the ongoing dilemmas associated with the University Centre’s closure, Midnight Kitchen remain both adaptive and optimistic.

“We’re as bummed about the closure as anyone,” Midnight Kitchen wrote on the Facebook post regarding the ongoing construction. “But the forced flexibility has kept us on our toes and will likely lead to a new, revitalized perspective once we are back.”

Commentary, Opinion

SSMU Executive Midterm Reviews Fall 2019

by The McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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Bryan Buraga, President  

In light of the SSMU General Manager’s recent resignation and delays in the University Centre reopening, Buraga has done an admirable job ensuring that there has not been a negative impact on the resources and services that SSMU provides to students. His advocacy for a Fall Reading Week is much needed. However, he has remained preoccupied with a desire to fulfill a number of his ambitious campaign goals, which is rather ill-suited to the primary duties of the presidential position. Hopefully, Buraga will be able to narrow his focus towards a few key aims next semester so he can see the end of projects that he starts.

Billy Kawasaki, VP Student Life  

Kawasaki has improved club executives’ access to the information and resources in various ways, including making it easier to book rooms and request services such as MSERT for club events. Additionally, he is collaborating with the mental health commissioners, the VP University Affairs, and the Student Wellness Hub on several projects and policies to improve mental health resources at McGill. Kawasaki has fallen short, however, with the Club Fund. A proposed $5 increase to the clubs fund fee was included in the Fall 2019 referendum and would have gone toward services like his proposed club portal. Unfortunately, Kawasaki neglected to present a campaign that justified the fee increase to students and the vote failed. 

Sam Haward, VP Finance

Haward has had an excellent first term as SSMU’s VP Finance. Haward’s management of the club banking reset is laudable, as a process that led to a month-long blackout period for club funds last year was completed in just eight days. While the new bank has proven slow at times, Haward has handled this challenge by implementing a system that ensures clubs can still operate during waiting periods. Haward has also proven adaptable in his position by reworking campaign promises when necessary, like with his work on procuring better prices for the McGill International Student Health Insurance Plan. Other initiatives that Haward has taken on include providing certain clubs, such as the Midnight Kitchen, with their own credit cards to ensure unnecessarily slow bureaucratic processes are bypassed, all while holding double office hours to ensure that he is accessible to clubs that need in-person assistance. 

Adam Gwiazda-Amsel, VP External 

During a semester in which protest movements such as Divest McGill and advocacy against Bill 21 have largely characterized student politics, Adam Gwiazda-Amsel has succeeded in supporting student groups aiming to make a difference. While he has encountered challenges in receiving support from the McGill administration, particularly in his attempts to bridge the gap between McGill and Montreal, progress toward his larger goals of integrating students into the Milton-Parc community is underway. Additionally, the creation of the Affordable Student Housing Committee on SSMU Legislative Council has laid the groundwork for further progress next semester.

Madeline Wilson, VP University Affairs  

Wilson has collaborated with and directed various campaigns on campus this semester, including ‘Know Your Rights’, as well as advocating for improved accessibility at the Student Wellness Hub and supporting initiatives pressuring the McGill administration to divest from fossil fuel companies. In the Winter 2020 semester, she plans to create a database of searchable university-related documents, support the Arts Senators including Chloe Kemeni in creating a Black Students Bill of Rights, and research McGill’s assessment policies regarding how students are graded. Although her idea of including an updates corner on the SSMU listserv was not realized, Wilson has used her personal Facebook account to actively support individual students and student groups. 

Sanchi Bhalla, VP Internal 

Bhalla has had a rocky semester, receiving criticism from the student body for poorly-worded French translations in listserv emails, neglecting to formally acknowledge Remembrance Day in a Nov. 11 newsletter, and most significantly, failing to send an important announcement in a timely manner on behalf of the SSMU Indigenous Affairs Committee. While the Tribune recognizes the efforts that Bhalla has made to ameliorate student concerns on these issues, her inability to regain the trust of the Indigenous Affairs Committee and Indigenous student leaders has prevented her from adequately fulfilling her role as VP Internal. Although the time may have passed, the absence of a public statement or apology from Bhalla regarding the concerns expressed by the Indigenous Affairs Commissioner is disappointing. 

 

McGill, News

Meet the members of the Men’s Varsity Naming Process Committee

by Deisha Paliwal on

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Years of activism by Indigenous students and staff of McGill culminated in the decision to rename the men’s varsity sports teams. When Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier issued a statement of her decision, she announced the creation of a steering committee to pursue a consultative process. 

The committee is composed of 10 members including students, alumni, and coaches who are committed to finding a new name that better encompasses the school’s values. 

The university will publicize the official new name in time for the 2020-21 school year, The McGill Tribune sat down with the six members of the committee who are currently at McGill to learn more about them and their visions for the new name. 

Tia Lore

Tia Lore is in her fifth year at McGill. Hailing from Richmond, British Columbia, Lore is pursuing a major in sociology and a minor in communications. She is the co-captain of the McGill women’s soccer team, playing in the winger position. Lore has sat on the Athletics Varsity Council for three years and now serves as its co-chair. 

“The people [who] make up the committee are people [who] know athletics and the values of McGill well. Having the perspective of athletes and coaches is crucial. As well, having alumni on the committee is important, since their voices have not exactly been heard in the past [and] McGill’s name does represent them. By opening our doors for people to come meet with us and give us their suggestions, the committee tries to listen to as many people as possible. I think having a name that [encompasses] inclusivity, togetherness, and unity is huge. Whether that means that we have one name for the whole school or one name that represents the men’s side is up for debate.”

—Lore, on why the committee is well-equipped to choose a name. 

Lindsay Harttrup

Lindsay Harttrup is a third-year nursing student on the women’s track and field team. Originally from Kitchener, Ontario, Harttup has competed in high jump, shot put, and long jump. She maintains a strong involvement with the varsity community by attending the various events that the council runs and encouraging discussions between teams. 

“I think the purpose of the committee goes beyond choosing a new name for the men’s team. The committee is trying to highlight diverse voices so that when the votes on the name are held, as many components of the [McGill] community as possible are represented. I will be considering a name that is respectful and representative of everyone, especially in the context of the old name. It is important that we encompass McGill spirit and considering how we’d like the school to appear is important. Since there are a lot of potential names, making sure that the chosen name fits well with most people is important.” 

—Harttrup, on the purpose of the committee and the process of landing on a name. 

Sam Tremblay 

Sam Tremblay studies kinesiology and is the captain of the men’s hockey team. He is from Saint-Basile-le-Grand, Quebec and is currently in his fourth year of studies at McGill. After graduation, he plans to pursue his master’s in a biomechanics lab. 

 “We are not too sure of the direction we are going in for the name. Although I don’t have any real direction yet personally, I hope it will relate to Montreal, McGill, and the values [that] the two encompass. We have people from a variety of backgrounds on the committee, and it is important to have every side of the story involved. While I have my own views, it will be interesting to see the opinions of others as the naming process progresses. I wasn’t expecting to be [appointed], but I feel honoured to be chosen to be involved.” 

—Tremblay, on what direction he and the committee are headed toward for the name. 

Rikki Bowles 

Rikki Bowles is the full-time associate coach of the McGill women’s basketball team. Prior to her appointment to the position in 2018, she acted as the team’s assistant coach from 2011 to 2017. During her time with the Martlets, the team has earned six conference crowns and one Bronze Baby national championship. With support from the Women in Sports initiative, Bowles became the sixth full-time women’s varsity sports coach at McGill. 

“I take being part of the naming process very seriously. It is an opportunity to be part of a process that means so much to so many. I’m committed to working towards a name that will unite the McGill community. After being part of McGill athletics in some capacity for 15 years now, I would say that this may be one of the most interesting and important processes that I will be a part of.” 

—Bowles, on what being on the committee means to her. 

Alexander Pantis

Alexander Pantis graduated in 2019 with a double major in economics and political science. An accomplished athlete, Pantis has been named to the all-star rugby team three times and was on the McGill Principal Student Athlete Honour Roll. He was the recipient of the 2018 Quebec Student Sport Federation (RSEQ) Men’s Rugby Leadership & Citizenship Award and was named the RSEQ 2016 Rookie of the Year. Pantis has been co-captain of the McGill men’s rugby team for two years. He will be pursuing a Graduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship.  

“I wanted to be a part of the committee to be a part of the history of the school. I love McGill athletics, and to say I had an input in it is truly an honour. I want to honour McGill tradition while finding a name that is appropriate for the caliber of the school, a name that is indicative of what it means to go here. As a committee, we are looking to give everyone a voice and an outlet for input. As far as I can tell, each aspect of athletics at McGill is touched by one part on the committee.” 

—Pantis, on what he feels his voice can contribute to the committee. 

Ron Hilaire 

Ron Hilaire has served as the head coach of the football team since 2015, prior to which he acted as the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach. He has been immersed in the football world for 20 years as both a player and a coach. He has also served as the recruiting coordinator of the Montréal Carabins and the defensive line coach at Collège du Vieux Montréal. In 2008, Hilaire was drafted by the Calgary Stampeders to play in the Canadian Football League (CFL). 

“Fundamentally, as a university, we have always cherished excellence. We have been considered leaders in so many fields, academic and athletic, and I believe that with this new name, we will be able to embody the true values of the university. Being on the committee gives me the opportunity to be part of giving a new identity to an already great institution, which has decided to pursue an inclusiveness of all by continuing the traditions of the past while going ahead with the future.” 

—Hilaire, on the importance of the decision to rename. 

Sports

Professional sports after McGill

by Zoe Babad-Palmer on

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From March Madness to the Frozen Four, sports fans often follow tournaments in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)—the organization in charge of American college sports—as fiercely as they follow professional leagues, keeping track of draft prospects and filling up 100,000–seat stadiums. But U SPORTS, the Canadian university sports governing body, is significantly less popular. Despite this disadvantage, McGill student athletes have found success both in professional leagues and on the national stage.

The smaller size of U SPORTS as a league compared to the NCAA means that schools generate less revenue through their sports teams, leaving them with fewer resources to spend on athletics. McGill alumna and former Martlet basketball player Alex Kiss-Rusk played one season in the NCAA with Virginia Tech before transferring to McGill and noted the drawbacks of playing in a smaller league. 

“The NCAA has money and resources that Canadian schools simply cannot match,” Kiss-Rusk wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “The vast majority of the money coming into these programs [is] generated by the schools’ football teams [….] The money [the football team] produces has allowed many schools to flourish in all sports.”

Even with the disparity in resources, Kiss-Rusk believes that the cross-border programs are not as different as some may think. 

“Although the competition in the NCAA is obviously superior, […] I can’t say [that] there are tremendous differences,” Kiss-Rusk wrote. “Playing at McGill, I felt as though academics were held [to] a higher standard. But, as for my on-court experience, it was very similar.”

Kiss-Rusk is now playing for BC Pharmaserv Marburg in the Deutsche-Basketball-Bundesliga (DBBL), a German women’s basketball league. She is not the only McGill alumnus to go pro: Laurent Duvernay-Tardif (M.D ‘18) is a guard for the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs. Additionally, McGill graduates, including women’s hockey gold medalists Charline Labonté and Kim St-Pierre, have triumphed at the Olympics. McGill’s alumni network boasts 28 Olympic medalists, and there has not been an Olympic Games since 1908 without a McGill graduate competing.

Martlet Hockey Assistant Coach and program alumna Alyssa Cecere won three national championships with the Martlets and one Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) championship with the Montréal Stars (later renamed Les Canadiennes de Montréal). She found that her experiences at university prepared her to compete with the Stars.

“When I played at McGill [we had] high-paced practices, which transferred over to our games,” Cecere said. “With the Stars, it was a bit of a higher pace.”

In addition to the game itself, Cecere said that McGill’s travel schedule transferred well to that of the Stars. As a coach, she now tries to instill a culture of professionalism in her players to prepare them for the workplace, whether that be a hockey rink or not.

Kiss-Rusk has a similar pride in the broader skills McGill taught her, which she believes are crucial to her professional career.

“Understanding how to be a leader on a team is very important [when] playing professionally and is certainly something I learned while playing at McGill,” Kiss-Rusk wrote. “When you’re on a professional team, you are often joining a new group every year. You’re stepping into an important role on the court, so finding a way to lead a new group that doesn’t know you and doesn’t trust you yet is a challenge.”

For many McGill athletes, going pro isn’t the initial or ultimate goal. While NCAA athletes can often start their studies having already been drafted, a professional career was not in Cecere’s plans until her final year at McGill.

“It’s something that you think about as you keep going on, but it wasn’t something I necessarily thought, ‘That’s what I’m definitely going to do,’” Cecere said. “[My] fifth year was kind of like, ‘Well, you know what, I’m not done playing yet.’”

Kiss-Rusk went through a similar process.

“[Going pro] really only manifested itself as an option to me after my fourth year, when we won the national championship,” Kiss-Rusk wrote. “I began getting attention from the [Canadian] Senior Women’s National Team, and my time with them that summer solidified my decision to go pro after university.”

Other players, like Martlet ice hockey alumna Mélodie Daoust, managed to play professionally while still at McGill. She played one game with the Stars during her first year as a Martlet and competed for Team Canada at the 2014 Sochi Olympics in her third year, winning a gold medal. In Daoust’s final year, goalie Tricia Déguire joined the Martlets and soon also began attracting national attention. Déguire, now a fourth-year, has been invited to three Hockey Canada training camps and played at the Nations Cup in Germany. She credits the mentorship of teammate Daoust and assistant coach Marie-Philip Poulin, one of Canada’s most decorated active hockey players, with helping her develop the drive that has brought her this far.

“The thing [Daoust] always told me is to be the best I can be,” Déguire said. “She was always [at her] best when she was going on the ice, so she tried to translate that to me [….] [Poulin] says ‘Just continue to work as hard as you can. Push it through and give it [your] all, so that you can [succeed] after [your] university career.’”

Déguire, Kiss-Rusk, and Cecere, as well as other McGill alumni who are now professional athletes, benefited from McGill Athletics’ support system, which includes mental health support, physiotherapy, and tutoring, among other services. But going pro is, unavoidably, a trial by fire. Whether an athlete is in a North American league or a European league or with a national team, they find themselves playing with more athletic teammates and against stronger opponents than at the university level.

“The speed of the game [with the national team] is a bit quicker,” said Déguire. “The players […] are all strong, good, big players, compared to [the university] team [whose players are] sometimes a bit smaller and weaker.”

In addition to the game itself, athletes find themselves in an entirely new situation, outside of the common network that is university.  

“When I was at McGill, everyone was in the same boat. [We all] had classes, had training, [and] had practices,” Cecere said.

The CWHL did not pay its players during Cecere’s time with the Stars, so she and most of her teammates worked full-time jobs, practicing on the evenings and competing on the weekends.

“I wasn’t always at full capacity, my energy was lower,” Cecere said. “I would spend my full day on my feet teaching [physical education], […] and then I would go from that to CEGEP practice, coach there, and then go to my practice [with the Stars] [….] You’re spent, pretty much.”

Even with these challenges and changes, McGill athletes still consistently achieve excellence: Cecere helped her team win the Clarkson Cup in 2012; Kiss-Rusk led the DBBL in rebounds and blocks in 2018-19; and Déguire continues to hold her own against more experienced players at national camps.

Whether they aim to go pro from the start or discover their options later on, McGill athletes have managed to find their way to professional leagues, despite the smaller size of U SPORTS and the McGill program. McGill’s alumni take their experiences at McGill and thrive—some even, as Cecere did, choose to come back to McGill to guide younger athletes on their own paths.

ssmu council
News, SSMU

Hillel trip controversy dominates SSMU Council

by Pascal Hogue on

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The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) convened for their last Legislative Council meeting of the Fall 2019 semester on Nov. 28. Councillors debated issues including new climate justice policies and changes to finance regulations, but much of the meeting was focused on Hillel Montreal’s all-expenses-paid trips to Israel, which were offered to several McGill student representatives.  

Fabrice Labeau, Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning), addressed the topic’s divisiveness and called on the council to remain respectful of all student groups in their deliberations.

“What I’m hearing from students is that they feel threatened on campus because of their identity,” Labeau said. “Whether we agree or not with an assumed identity, it is still their identity. Some students say they feel threatened because they identify as Zionists [….] Some people tell me they feel unsafe because they identify as Jews, which is also problematic.”

The SSMU Board of Directors ruled that accepting the offer did not constitute a conflict of interest. SSMU president Bryan Buraga elaborated on the board’s decision.

“The Board of Directors took into consideration all the information that they had […] and they determined that, under the Conflict of Interest Policy, it did not constitute either a real or an apparent conflict of interest with the information that they were provided,” Buraga said. “But, they did see the potential of a conflict of interest should the need arise.”

Senator Jeremy Garneau asked whether SSMU’s Conflict of Interest Policy should be amended in light of the controversy. Council President Husayn Jamal explained that the current policy states that determining whether gifts are conflicts of interest is context sentiment.

“A gift over 50 dollars is not automatically a conflict of interest,” Jamal said. “As defined in the policy, as long as a gift over 50 dollars is appropriately disclosed and the board of directors institutes the steps it deems necessary. In those cases, it’s not always a conflict of interest. In this case, however, the board ruled that this situation does not constitute a gift.”

Flashback:

Guest speaker Charlotte Scott-Frater, president of McGill’s History Students’ Association , presented a request to council that a room in the SSMU building be renamed the honour of McGill Professor Marlene Dixon, who was forced to resign from the university in 1974 for her political activism on campus. Scott-Frater said that Dixon had helped students mobilize to advocate for university services to shed light on feminist, post-colonial, and 2SLGBTQIA+ issues.

Sound Bite:

“The AUS Legislative Council would like to express their profound disappointment with the decision of two members of the AUS executive, [AUS VP Finance] Stefan Suvajac  and [Arts Representative to SSMU] Andrew Chase to attend a trip funded by an interest group, the Maccabee Task Force, whose leaders have explicitly stated their goal to influence the decision making process of student leaders on campus, and call on the two executives to refrain from participating in this trip. Even in spite of this decision, we stand in solidarity with their concerns and with their lived experiences of oppression. We do not believe the ruling of any policy. In this case, the SSMU Conflict of Interest Policy […] should serve as a moral compass.” Arts Councillor Darshan Daryanani, on a statement signed by AUS executives.

News, The Tribune Explains

Tribune Explains: SSMUnion

by Ezra-Jean Taylor on

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The Student-Run Service Members’ Union (SSMUnion) officially launched their campaign on Facebook on Nov. 24. Their goal is to unionize SSMU employees to combat issues of overworking and provide support for all full and part-time SSMU employees. SSMU employs a staff of over 100, including volunteer services such as Sexual Assault Center of the McGill Students’ Society (SACOMSS) and Queer McGill, along with paid administrative staff. The launch included the announcement of two events, on Nov. 28 and Dec. 3, where SSMU employees will be able to ask questions, clarify demands, and sign union cards. 

Why do SSMU employees need to unionize?

According to SSMUnion organizers Shaquiera Hamilton and Belle Sullivan, both U3 Arts, SSMU employees are exploited and need more resources, regardless of their employer’s intention. 

“There is a large lack of training, support, and resources one needs in order to actually do one’s job,” Sullivan said. “This sort of inefficiency can make people need to work outside of their contract hours. Because most SSMU jobs are on a 200-hour contract for eight months, if your project takes more than 200 hours,  you either have to drop it or keep working without getting paid.”

Furthermore, a lack of standardized communication between SSMU and its employees has created disparities. Because SSMU executives change every year, employees never know if their projects will continue receiving the same support. 

How is the SMMUnion formed?

According to Sullivan, the process of unionizing is extensive and requires at least one year to complete. 

“In order to become a formal union, you need 50 per cent plus one of the workplace [to desire a union],” Sullivan said. “That can either be done through initial card-signing or, if between 35 and 50 percent of employees sign cards, […] it goes to an election. [The card signing] is going well.” 

After the SSMUnion receives enough signatures, they will be verified by the Quebec Labor Board, which then grants them formal union status. 

“We will then adopt formal bylaws,” Sullivan said. “Right now we are using the bylaws of our parent union, [the Canadian Union of Public Employees] (CUPE), [to] set up a formal union structure and enter collective bargaining. Then we enter formal negotiations with SSMU to put together an agreement [that] we hope will address our list of demands and create a better system that anyone can refer back to when they’re having future problems.” 

Hamilton recognizes that SSMUnion’s goal is ambitious, even with the amount of signatures they already have.

“Our goal [is] to get this done […] by the end of the school year,” Hamilton said. “Given that there is such a high turnover rate of SSMU executives, we do not want to be in the middle of this process with a new group of executives.”

SSMUnion’s parent union, CUPE, is a Canadian national union [that] has experience in Quebec; employees from the Concordia Student Union (CSU) are currently members of a local branch. 

“[CUPE] was also the union that CSU is with,” Hamilton said. “It is really nice working with a union [that] has experience working with a university similar to McGill.”

What will SSMUnion do to help employees?

Over the past year, SSMUnion organizers have collected responses from SSMU employees and are working on a list of demands to present to the executives once the union officially forms. However, the union’s list is still unfinished. 

“We want to get the input of the rest of SSMU’s employees before we start prioritizing certain demands over others,” Hamilton said. “Because there are more part-time staff than there are full-time, we don’t want to prioritize demands [of] part-time staff and then leave out the demands of the full-time staff.” 

Overall, the SSMUnion wants to streamline support for SSMU staff to create a better work environment, comprehensive contracts, and a unified order of communication between SSMU and its employees. 

SSMU is not allowed to comment until negotiations are over.

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