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Science & Technology

How robots are transforming the field of law

by Gwenyth Wren on

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the biggest innovations of the modern era, profoundly impacting many areas of society, and the field of law is no exception. During an event titled ‘Artificial Intelligence and the legal sector,’ hosted by the Faculty of Law on Nov. 13, Hannes Westermann, a PhD student in AI and Law at the Université de Montréal, presented his research on how AI can benefit the legal sector. He began the talk by providing a definition of AI.

“[In AI], machines […] exhibit signs of intelligence,” Westermann said. “This is a very broad definition, because lots of distinctions can be made between general AI and narrow AI.”

Narrow AI describes technology designed to perform a specific task. In the legal sector, this entails using machine learning (ML), whereby a computer learns a task without a human to guide it. Within the field of AI, ML offers a host of advantages, allowing machines to process and store data, spot patterns, and make linkages that humans cannot. Furthermore, ML does not require task-specific knowledge.

While ML can process large amounts of data, it cannot understand it the way humans do. This is especially true for text data, which is problematic for a field like law. Law is based on textual documents, legislation, and contracts, and requires analysis and understanding of legal forms. Lawyers and judges often use precedent to make judgements on new cases. However, because this analysis requires an understanding of the real world that it does not yet have, AI cannot do this. Thus, using annotated data—data sets used to train AI—presents many problems in the legal sector.

This does not mean that AI cannot be useful. ML can analyze documents, provide support for legal research, and build models to compare actors in the legal system.

At the moment, AI is just a tool that lawyers can use; it will not replace them in the foreseeable future.

“I do not think lawyers will become obsolete,” Westermann said. “I just think [that] there are parts of the world and places where people do not have access to lawyers, where they will have more legal opportunities with the introduction of AI.”

Westermann’s research focusses on the possibility of using AI to increase people’s access to legal aid. The legal system is complex, with many barriers to entry, including monetary, psychological, and temporal costs, all of which prevent people from seeking aid. In fact, while 50 per cent of Canadians encounter legal issues, only seven per cent use the court system. 

This is where the JusticeBOT, a project that Westermann is involved in, plays a role. The JustiveBOT is a chat box that can answer simple legal questions. In the case of a tenant who has bed bugs and is seeking compensation but does not know where to look, the JusticeBOT would ask a series of questions about the issue, and, based on the user’s responses, explain the legal situation’s outcomes in past cases, as well as next steps people can take moving forward. Westermann claims that the program, built with the support of legal experts, can be useful in increasing legal harmony and in reducing court caseloads.

This is just one example of how AI can play a pivotal role in the legal field. Yet, many audience members expressed fear that AI would take away jobs. Westermann calmly addressed these worries.

“Did the carpenter get replaced by the hammer?” Westermann said. “No, but the hammer changed the job for the carpenter.”

Student Life

Tribune Tastes: Le Central

by Corrina Greenler, Zoe Karkossa, Sophia White, Leyla Moy, & Miya Keilin on

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Montreal is in the midst of a food court revolution, with three new food spots slated to open downtown in the next year. The McGill Tribune’s Student Life team visited Le Central, the first and largest of the three, and highlighted some dishes to try from its wide range of restaurant options.

Le Tio Joaquim from Cantine Emilia

Cantine Emilia is a Portuguese grill offering a wide selection of Portuguese chicken, sandwiches, salads, and poutines. The outside is patterned with images of azulejo tiles, which are common in Portugal and Spain. Le Tio Joaquim came with two pieces of chicken covered in the restaurant’s famous sauce and a large portion of fries. The slightly spicy sauce was a delicious topping for the perfectly cooked chicken, making for a filling and reasonably priced meal. This Portugese chicken spot is certainly worth a return visit.

Vegan carnitas tacos from Bonita’s Taco & Deli

Bonita’s Taco & Deli is a Le Central–exclusive restaurant offering a modern take on traditional tacos, including meat, fish, and vegan options. Their delightful vegan carnitas tacos, which consist of king oyster and enoki mushrooms with black garlic on organic local tortillas, are fresh and savoury, although they don’t quite pass as actual carnitas. At $3.75 each, their tacos are the perfect size to pair with an assortment of agua frescas and deli options.

Margherita Con Stracciata pizza from Morso Pizzeria & Alimentari

The diverse range of toppings at this Roman market-style pizza stand, which includes pancetta coppata, prosciutto and mushroom, smoked salmon, zucchini, and potato, makes for a striking range of options. The Margherita Con Stracciata is a classic, with tomato sauce, grana padano cheese, extra virgin olive oil, and basil. In addition to their pizzas, Morso offers a selection of artisanal sodas, wine, tapenade, and packaged charcuterie meats. To complete the Italian culinary experience, order a chocolate mousse or tiramisu, served in a sleek reusable jar, for dessert.

Kailua poké bowl from Kamé Snack-Bar

The outpost of popular Hawaiian snack bar Kaméhama is sleek, pleasantly pink, and features a simple menu of customizable poké bowls. The brightly coloured Kailua bowl, a pre-set base of torched salmon, spicy mayo, sesame, and green onion over rice, was perfectly customized to my taste. Kamé also offers an inspired range of smoothies that incorporates goji berries, silken tofu, and quinoa. 

Laab (Lao meat salad) from Thip Thip

Thip Thip looks like it was transported right from the streets of Thailand: With colourful lighting, a bamboo stick menu board, and a full view of the chefs meticulously crafting the food, the snack bar radiates a fun and authentic energy. Inspired by his Thai Issan and Laotian roots, Chef Athiraj Phrasavath presents a simple menu of traditional dishes. Basil is the star of the pulled chicken Laab, but it is well-balanced between the spice, sweetness, and crunch of the rest of the ingredients.

Raspberry black pepper and passionfruit white chocolate ice cream from Bagado

Le Central is the only spot in the city to find this innovative ice cream label, whose name roughly translates to “Butterfly River” in the Indigenous Colombian language Emberá. Inspired by delicate and complex flavours, Bagado forgoes standard ice cream fare in favour of unusual combinations like cacao and lime or pear and chocolate alongside simple pleasures like honey and banana.

Blueberry-chocolate doughnut and a glass of oat milk from Trou de Beigne

Trou de Beigne offers a wide assortment of perfectly sized “scout” doughnuts, with flavours ranging from apple crumble and maple bacon to the decadent Oreo-studded white chocolate blizzard. The blueberry chocolate donut was absolutely indulgent and paired beautifully with a tall glass of oat milk on tap.

Sports

NFL 2019-20 Midseason Awards

by Adam Menikefs on

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The NFL has passed the halfway point of the 2019-20 season. Thanks to a plethora of spectacular games, interesting storylines, and individual excellence, this year has been as eventful as any in recent memory. There is plenty of football left to play, but the contenders for the annual NFL awards have already separated themselves from the pack, and many are the rightful favourites to receive individual recognition in February.

 

Most Valuable Player (MVP): Russell Wilson (Quarterback, Seattle Seahawks)

With incredible play on a weekly basis and exceptional statistics, Russell Wilson has edged out Lamar Jackson through Week 10 as the favourite for the MVP award. Wilson currently leads the league with an exceptional 23:2 touchdown to interception ratio and sits fourth with 2,737 passing yards, along with an efficient 68.5 completion percentage. Wilson has led the Seahawks to an 8–2 record, with a recent victory over the previously undefeated San Francisco 49ers. If Wilson replicates the first half of the year, he will certainly be going to another Pro Bowl, and possibly win his first MVP award, and second Lombardi Trophy. 

 

Coach of the Year: Kyle Shanahan (Head Coach, San Francisco 49ers)

Many could claim this award come season’s end, as several coaches have led their teams to impressive records while overcoming sub-par rosters, injuries, and low expectations. Although the 49ers had a solid roster coming into the season, very few expected a perfect 8–0 start or that the 49ers would be sitting atop the league through 10 weeks. The 49ers have relied on their defence, placing second in points and yards allowed per game, while still boasting a steady offence. The 39-year-old Shanahan has truly impressed in his third season as head coach and looks to lead his young team into January with home-field advantage and a chance to bring a Super Bowl championship back to San Francisco.

 

Offensive Player of the Year: Christian McCaffery (Running Back, Carolina Panthers)

The Carolina Panthers lost starting quarterback Cam Newton earlier in the season to a foot injury, and, despite solid play from back-up Kyle Allen, the Panthers would be nowhere near a playoff spot without Christian McCaffery. The Stanford University product currently leads the NFL in rushing yards per game, rushing touchdowns, and total scrimmage yards. The future looks bright for Carolina regardless of this season’s outcome, as McCaffery, only in his third year and already setting records, looks to lead this offence each week for years to come. 

 

Defensive Player of the Year: Chandler Jones (Outside Linebacker, Arizona Cardinals)

With no clear favourite to win the Defensive Player of the Year award, Chandler Jones may be in the running, despite playing for an Arizona team that has been dreadful over the last few years. Jones sits atop the league with five forced fumbles and 11.5 sacks, along with three fumble recoveries and 27 combined tackles. The former first-team All-Pro and Super Bowl champion outside linebacker has continued to succeed despite playing on a poor defence and certainly deserves recognition for his outstanding effort.

 

Comeback Player of the Year : Cooper Kupp (Wide Receiver, Los Angeles Rams)

After tearing his ACL last season and missing the team’s successful NFC championship season, Cooper Kupp has returned this season putting up career numbers. Although the Rams have struggled offensively compared to last season, Kupp sits sixth in the league in receiving yards, seventh in receptions, and leads his team in touchdown catches. If the Rams want to return to the playoffs this year, Kupp must continue to produce. With the pace he has set, he is, deservingly, the favourite for Comeback Player of the Year.

McGill, News

Hundreds join walkout for fossil fuel divestment

by Pascal Hogue on

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Gathered around the snowy steps of the McGill Community Square on Nov. 12, over 200 students and faculty took part in a walkout calling for the university to divest from fossil fuels. The protest was co-organized by Divest McGill, Greenpeace McGill, and Climate Justice Action McGill (C-JAM).

Protestors chanted and cheered as speakers called on McGill’s Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR) to support their demand that the university divests from the top 200 largest fossil fuel companies. CAMSR, who was meeting simultaneously in the James Administration Building adjacent to the Square, was finalizing recommendations on divestment to be approved by the Board of Governors on Dec. 5. Divest McGill organizers hoped that the protest would be loud enough to be heard from inside the building. 

Speaker Dr. Jen Gobby, PhD ‘16, returned her bachelor’s diploma in disapproval of McGill’s refusal to divest from fossil fuels. She expressed her disappointment with the university’s immutability on the issue. 

“It’s 2019 […] and still, this institution is invested, as in financially benefiting, from an industry that is killing people, ravaging ecosystems and threatening the future of its student body,” Gobby said. “McGill, […] by continuing to invest in fossil fuels, is strengthening the resilience of an energy system that needs to die.”

Gobby, who recently finished her PhD at McGill in economics in the Anthropocene program, also highlighted the socio-economic consequences of climate change.

“We know that climate change is exacerbating existing social inequality and injustice,” Gobby said. “That people already marginalized by systemic racism, sexism, poverty, and colonialism are bearing the worst of the impacts, first and hardest.”

Concordia student Emily Carson-Apstein, who spearheaded Concordia’s successful divestment campaign as the external sustainability coordinator for Sustainable Concordia, encouraged protestors to remain resilient and criticized both universities’ administration for their inaction to negotiate greener investments.

“I know that this is not a financial movement, it is a social one,” Carson-Apstein said. “Oil is holding up the capitalist colonial history of Canada. They can talk about percentages, and [socially responsible investing] and long-term goals, and we kept saying ‘sure, but there are kids out there who don’t have clean water’.”

Student organizer Laura Mackay, U4 Environment, stressed that McGill has historical precedents for divestment campaigns. She noted the university’s cessation of business ties with companies in South Africa’s apartheid regime in 1985 and divestment from the tobacco industry in 2007. 

“Now, in 2019, we’re demanding that the university follows its own precedent and divests from another injurious industry,” Mackay said.

Professor Gregory Mikkelson, professor of environment and philosophy and president-elect of the McGill Association of University Teachers, has been part of the divestment campaign since it began in 2012. He congratulated protestors on their tenacity, despite the meager progress the campaign has achieved in the past seven years.

“Our bosses failed in their gambit to wait until a few troublemakers graduated,” Mikkelson said. “Those troublemakers passed on their arguments, their stories, their passion and the professors they roused from this ivory cloister.” 

Despite the frigid temperature, most participants remained till the end of the protest, enthusiastically relaying cheers. For Katie Ross, U3 Science and member of Greenpeace McGill, the turnout demonstrated students’ eagerness for change.

“I think it sends the message that were a unified force,” Ross said. “[We are] not going to stop […] until we reach divestment from fossil fuels.” 

Student Life, The Tribune Explains

Tribune Explains: How to dispose effectively

by Alaana Kumar on

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The phrase “reduce, reuse, and recycle” is a staple of many elementary school classrooms. Students are often told to recycle their paper and plastic items, unaware that if they do so incorrectly, the whole batch of recycling can end up in a landfill. With the consequences of climate change becoming increasingly severe, the City of Montreal hopes to enforce proper garbage and recycling practices. By recycling correctly, residents can aid in reducing greenhouse gas emissions by decreasing energy consumption. For those confused about the correct way to go about trash day, The McGill Tribune has a guide to proper waste management. 

What should I know for trash day? 

The City of Montreal strives for clean streets, but on a windy day, your trash may end up strewn across the curb. To prevent this, the city recommends placing all garbage in either a 65 x 90 centimetre trash bag that weighs no more than 25 kilogrammes and has no holes, or in a tightly closed regulation garbage can. Montreal garbage pick-up days differ depending on where you live, so make sure to follow your pick-up schedule. 

What can I recycle?

Montreal, unlike some cities, makes recycling quick and easy. Paper, cardboard, glass, metal, and plastic are all recyclable. Some items commonly mistaken as recyclable include pizza boxes, take-out containers, meat trays, styrofoam, photos, rubber, No. 6 plastic, and porcelain. The city asks that residents prepare their items for recycling carefully: Though they do not require you to sort these items, they do ask that you thoroughly rinse cans and jars to prevent mould, smells, and animals from invading the bins. To find out dates and times for recycling in any Montreal borough, students can go to Info-collectes and enter their postal code. Additionally, many stores, including Provigo, offer cash back for glass bottles or other recyclable items in addition to regular recycling pick-up. The program, called Consignation in Quebec, creates a win-win situation by ensuring that items will be recycled correctly while providing you with a little extra grocery money. 

What should I know about composting? 

In recent years, Montreal has begun taking steps to turn food scraps into compost. Composting food scraps saves water, helps soil hold moisture, and reduces runoff water. Recycling organic resources also helps conserve landfill space. This year, residential buildings in the northeast sector of the Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood received food-waste collection bins. If you live in this area, make sure to only compost food scraps and biodegradable items like houseplants and soil. Students outside of this area looking to shop more sustainably can purchase compostable items to help ease the strain on the city’s landfills. Some paper food packages, dishes, paper towels, and tablecloths are also compostable and can make for better buys. Several large- and small-scale Montreal businesses are joining the fight by committing to using reusable serving materials and have managed to eliminate vast amounts of non-compostable and non-recyclable waste. McGill has also joined the movement with biodegradable materials and composting stations in all dining halls, as well as ending the sale of plastic water bottles in vending machines. 

What types of waste need special disposal? 

Some hazardous waste requires special attention to be properly disposed of. Paint, batteries, aerosol cans, medication, compact fluorescent bulbs, and other chemical and electronic products are not safe to toss in the garbage bin. Luckily, Montreal has the perfect solution, with seven ecocentres located around the city. These centres offer free access with just a government ID and proof of residence and help ensure Montreal residents are doing all they can to reduce waste, alleviate the stress on our landfills, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

Art, Arts & Entertainment, Automotive

Breaking into the art scene with Norval Morriseau

by Vanessa Barron on

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McGill’s Department of Art History and Communication Studies welcomed Carmen Robertson to present her research on the artist Norval Morrisseau on Nov. 14. The event was the latest in a series of lectures hosted by the department which aim to provide opportunities for discussion on current research in the field of art history. 

Robertson, a Scottish-Lakota professor of art history at Carleton University, took questions on her archival research on Morrisseau’s work. Her work examines Morriseau’s relationship with art dealers during the 1960s, when he first emerged into the Canadian and international art scene. 

Robertson sees Morrisseau as the grandfather of contemporary Indigenous art. He initially rose to prominence in Toronto and Montreal in the 1960s. Born in 1931, the Anishinaabe artist grew up in the Sand Point reserve in Ontario, learning the stories and traditions of his people from his grandfather—many of which would become the subjects of his paintings. 

Curated by Jack Pollack, Morrisseau’s first gallery exhibit took place in Toronto in 1962. Before this landmark exhibit, most Indigenous artwork shown in Canadian galleries was by Inuit artists. However, Morrisseau’s first show was such a success that all of the paintings sold on the first day it was open. Later in the decade, Montreal’s Expo 67 commissioned a mural from him, and Morrisseau continued to gain international recognition with the help of art dealer Herbert T. Schwarz.

Robertson’s ongoing research on this period started with a donation from the archival sources of the Art Gallery of Ontario. She did, however, note that while she relies on these sources for her research, this archival approach is problematic for studying Indigenous art. Archives overrepresent written records, while much of Indigenous cultures, histories, and traditional knowledge are passed down orally. 

“[Morrisseau’s] life and art demand engagement outside of conventional art discourse,” Robertson said.

He learned many stories and traditional knowledge from his grandfather, but was also forced to attend residential school at a young age. As opposed to the extensive archives of traditional western painters, much of Morrisseau’s life, influences, and education is missing from the writings and materials in an archive. 

“Methods of research require academic unlearning in order to make space for Indigeous ways of being and knowing,” Robertson noted. “Morrisseau’s art did not follow traditional trajectories.” 

Robertson’s research draws on writings from Pollock and Schwarz that documented Morrisseau’s entrance into the gallery scene. By analyzing the relationship between the artist and the dealers, she found benefits and problems alike associated with the negotiation between the two parties. While Schwarz and Pollock brought Morrisseau’s art to a broader audience, they were exploitative and verbally abusive toward him. Robertson concluded her talk by addressing the need for Morrisseau’s unmediated voice to be preserved—the archive only shows the artist from the problematic perspective of non-Native art collectors, not from the artist’s own experiences.

The lecture attracted an audience of both McGill students and members of the public.  McGill art history professor Angela Vanhaelen organized the lecture series and invited Robertson to share her traditional archival perspective on a contemporary Indigenous artist—an uncommon approach within the Canadian art world.

“It’s always interesting to hear about [researchers’] processes and their work in progress, because if they read something they’ve already [finished], it’s not quite as open-ended and you can’t ask as many questions,” Vanhaelen said. 

The department will continue its lecture series with Finnish media scholar Susanna Paasonen on January 23.

McGill, News

Deputy Provost compels McGill Daily to publish letter about Zionism

by Kyle Dewsnap, Katia Innes, & Gabe Nisker on

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The McGill Administration recently demanded that The McGill Daily publish a letter to the editor that critiqued the publication’s definition of Zionism. The letter, written by two Jewish law students, argued that the Daily had defined Zionism in a way that was both inaccurate and malicious. Michael Aarenau, 3L Law and one of the letter’s authors, decided to contact Deputy Provost (Student Life & Learning) Fabrice Labeau after the Daily ignored five attempts at submitting the letter.

“[It is] important to note that in order to reject [the letter], they would have had to actually formally acknowledge it, which they never did because they repeatedly ignored it,” Aarenau wrote in a message to The McGill Tribune. “They finally wrote [to] us […] on Oct. 25 after the provost threatened action against them.”

Josh Shapiro, 3L Law, asked Labeau to compel the Daily to publish his and Aarenau’s letter on Oct. 7. 

“[The Daily] has effectively refused to publish our piece,” Shapiro wrote in an email to the Provost. “We believe that we are being ignored due to the content of our letter, in violation of […] the Memorandum of Agreement [(MOA)] between McGill and the Daily.” 

The Daily Publication Society (DPS), which manages both the Daily and Le Délit, maintains a MOA with McGill University that allows the two papers to operate on campus. Section 10.2 of the document compels the DPS to publish letters sent by students, even if the letter does not conform with the opinions of the editorial team. After Shapiro sent his email, Labeau met with the chair of the DPS; soon after, the Daily reached out to Shapiro with an offer to publish the letter on Nov. 4. 

“On Oct. 22, [the Provost] wrote [to] us [and] we were pleased with his actions,” Shapiro wrote in a message to the Tribune. “[The letter] was not edited. That being said […], the manner in which they published the letter [was undesirable].”

Aarenau took issue with the format in which the letter was published, and the letter was prefaced by a response from the Daily’s editorial board.

“They wrote a response […] which mischaracterized our arguments, defamed our characters, engaged in tokenism, and outright encouraged their readers not to read our letter, apologizing for its existence!” Aarenau wrote.

In print, Aarenau’s letter was opposite a copy of the Daily’s response which was printed in larger font; the letter itself is also hidden from the publication’s home page on their website. The response claims that Labeau had threatened to enter into arbitration with the DPS for breaking their MOA, which would have the potential to jeopardize the future of both publications.

The response also cites the DPS’s Letters Policy, which guides the Daily and Le Délit in publishing letters from students. The policy states that editors have the authority to reject letters whose content is racially or ethnically prejudiced. According to a representative from Independent Jewish Voices (IJV) McGill, the Daily’s response to the letter is justified.

“The Daily was in no way being antisemitic in their initial definition of Zionism nor in their response to the letter,” the IJV McGill representative wrote in an email to the Tribune. “I do agree [with the Daily] that the letter is harmful in the way that it [omits] to the point of gaslighting the systematic oppression and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians crucial to the Zionist project.”

The reprsentative also spoke on how IJV McGill and McGill Students in Solidary for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) both contributed to editing the Daily’s response.

“A member of IJV McGill told The McGill Daily to delete a paragraph that IJV members found lacked nuance in its description of Zionism,” the representative wrote. “They felt [that] it was important to do this because […] some members of IJV McGill [were] concerned that the Daily’s response could provide more fodder for claims that criticism of Israel and anti-Zionism are antisemitic, inspiring backlash for IJV and SPHR and threatening their work on campus.”

Aarenau remains unsatisfied with the Daily’s response and conduct with regards to his letter.

“I don’t know in what universe we allow people to shout over a minority group like this, where they try to [say] to Jews: […] ‘Actually, you’re wrong about what the movement for your own liberation is, let us educate you,” Aarenau wrote. “It’s blasphemous.”

Neither Labeau nor a member of the DPS responded to a request for comment.

Science & Technology, Student Research

The cognitive mechanisms behind depression

by Evan Kashton on

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One in five Canadians will experience some form of mental illness in a given year. By the age of 40, 50 per cent of the population will have had a mental illness as the result of a complex interaction between personality, biological, and environmental factors.

Bipolar disorder has a clear, established relationship with genetics. Though this is less true for Major Depressive Disorder, there is still a clear biological component. Specifically, scientists have linked depression to the hippocampus, a structure in the brain responsible for creating and storing memories. Stress causes this region to become smaller and also results in hyperactivity in the amygdala, a region associated with emotion. 

Researchers like Pascale Bockelmann, a Master’s student in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill, are still working to develop a full picture of the condition. Bockelmann believes that depression is, in part, due to a lack of cognitive flexibility, which can be described as the ability to change mindsets.

“The better your cognitive flexibility is, the faster you’ll be able to recover from depression, because a lot of the therapeutic techniques that are used to treat depression also use the same ability or skillset that relies on cognitive flexibility,” Bockelmann said.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is one such therapeutic technique for mild to moderate depression that, according to the McGill University Health Centre, focuses on restoring a healthy and productive balance to the interaction between thoughts, actions, and feelings. CBT is meant to be short-term (12-20 sessions), a departure from older psychoanalytic methods.

However, cognitive flexibility offers more than therapeutic value.

“There’s been research to show that cognitive flexibility is predictive of depression, so if you have high cognitive flexibility, you’re less likely to [develop] depression,” Bockelmann said. 

Bockelmann would also like to research how developing cognitive flexibility at a young age can be used as a preventative measure. 

“If you’re able to include tasks in elementary school education that promote cognitive flexibility, it can have a lot of benefits […] for problem solving and creativity but maybe also benefits in terms of being able to overcome mental illnesses like depression,” Bockelmann said.

She chose individuals from multicultural backgrounds—defined as being bilingual and having lived in three countries before turning 18—as the study population for her research on depression, since moving around has been linked to higher rates of depression. Bockelmann explained that this is because those who move around a lot often do not have a solid community that they are part of.

“It’s almost the cleanest group,” Bockelmann said. “There are not as many variables to consider, and you can look at culture in a more isolated way.” 

Bockelmann believes that studying multicultural populations can offer an interesting perspective in depression research.

A study that Bockelmann conducted found a possible link between multicultural background and creative problem solving, but it did not show a positive association with cognitive flexibility. She intends to replicate the study with a larger sample size to obtain clearer results.

As is the case with many scientists, Bockelmann became interested in the field of cognitive flexibility and in her study population as a result of personal experience. 

“I grew up as a third-culture kid and lived in many different countries […] and always wondered if it really made me see or think about the world differently than other people,” Bockelmann said.

As her research progresses, she may soon be able to confidently answer that question.

Sports

Instant replay holds officials to a better standard

by Adam Bell on

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The future of video review in the NFL changed at 8:59 p.m. on Jan. 20, 2019. The New Orleans Saints held the ball on the 13-yard line with 1:48 left in the game and a chance to book their ticket to the Super Bowl. Veteran quarterback Drew Brees, the all-time passing yard leader, dropped back and threw a dart toward Tommylee Lewis. Before the ball got to him, Lewis was hit by Nickell Robey-Coleman, an obvious penalty. New Orleans was awarded an automatic first down and ran out the clock to kick the game-winning field goal as time expired. Or, at least that is what should have happened. Instead, the officials did not call a foul, and the Saints were robbed of their 2019 Super Bowl dreams. This single play exposed a glaring weakness in NFL officiating: The need for video assistance in interpretive penalties.

In March 2019, instant replay began to cover pass interference on a one-year trial basis. In theory, fouls should now be called correctly as a result, but this has not proven to be the case. Fans and coaches alike are more frustrated and confused about what constitutes a “clear and obvious” foul. In fact, only 17.5 per cent of coaches’ challenges, with regards to pass interferences, have actually resulted in a decision being overturned.

This is not a problem unique to the NFL. The NBA is now allowing coaches to challenge some of the officials’ decisions once per game. Again, these challenges have a low success rate and have left coaches frustrated. While it was amusing to watch Doc Rivers lose his mind when referees upheld a ridiculous offensive foul on Lou Williams in the Nov. 6, 2019 matchup against the Bucks, he expressed an exasperation that many people are also experiencing. 

Rivers brought up an important point: Nobody, including officials, wants to be wrong. This is especially true when it comes to judgement calls. When a judgment call is checked, the officials usually stick with their original decisions because each incident could be interpreted in multiple ways.

This leaves us asking whether leagues should still offer video assistance to their officials. The short answer is yes. The problem does not lie with the technology itself, but rather the lack of transparency in its use. While the flow of the game and, sometimes, celebrations are interrupted, spectators and athletes are often left in the dark as the officials deliberate. As a result, when the decision is unexpected, the crowd, teams, and social media blow up. This is a frequent occurrence with video-assisted refereeing in European soccer as well, especially in the Premier League.

Leagues around the world could learn from television match officials in rugby, which has been a tremendous success. Viewers at home and spectators who have purchased the ref link technology can listen to the discussions between the head official and the television match official. Fans and referees get to watch the exact same replays, and there is no lengthy process because officials do not waste time overanalyzing the incident on a screen off-field, but rather observe the big screen visible to all in attendance. In effect, the public is guided through the officials’ thought process, which humanizes these often-vilified individuals and minimizes the impact of interruptions by keeping everyone engaged.

Officials are people, and people make mistakes. Professional leagues across sports can, and should, use technological assistance to their benefit. If leagues make the communication between officials available for everyone to listen to, not only will the public be kept informed, but it could also prevent officials from being berated publicly after an unpopular decision. They should embrace the technology and maximize the audience’s experience. 

Commentary, Opinion

McGill should prioritize affordable housing

by Yuecheng Huang on

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For the past two decades, housing prices in Montreal have risen consistently by around five percent per year. While students from other Canadian universities, such as the University of Toronto and the University of British Columbia, have benefited from large scale affordable housing projects sponsored by their universities, McGill students are still waiting for theirs. This past October, the Students Society of McGill University (SSMU) took its first step towards providing affordable housing by approving a motion for the creation of an Affordable Housing Committee. This newly created group, however, has been hesitant in implementing concrete measures to address housing concerns. As students of a major Canadian university, McGill students deserve better than an indecisive housing committee.

The Montreal historically known to Canadians as relatively affordable is rapidly changing. Indeed, average rent has risen approximately $250 since 2008. Even more troubling, the city’s vacancy rate has just hit its lowest point in over 15 years, meaning that merely finding a place to rent can be difficult. Faced with higher prices and fewer housing options, students looking for a place to stay during the semester are confronted with a strenuous process. Due to high demand and low vacancy rates, more than 5,000 students in Montreal found themselves unable to secure a room in a university residence in 2016. While many cities comfortably provide school residences to more than half the students within the city, Montreal struggles to accommodate even three per cent of its student population. 

“The Montreal historically known to Canadians as relatively affordable is rapidly changing. Indeed, average rent has risen approximately $250 since 2008.”

Students living off-campus also face distinct challenges. Those choosing to reside downtown must deal with some of the highest rents in the city, while those living further away from campus deal with longer commutes and decreased access to campus activities. Moreover, as a result of the inflated rent of certain neighbourhoods such as the Plateau Mont-Royal, many McGill students feel compelled to work more than 20 hours per week. Of these students, a significant portion feel overwhelmed by the necessity of juggling both working and studying. Research suggests that there is a clear link between the quality of a student’s mental health and their perceived financial stress. McGill could improve students’ mental wellbeing by providing them with accessible housing.

While the city’s government has recognized the problem of unaffordable housing and promised to build thousands of new rent-controlled living spaces by 2021, it is apparent that McGill is not following suit. The scope of the newly formed Affordable Housing Committee within SSMU pales when compared to the efforts put in by the city and by other universities. The committee aims to provide students with around 150 new units of rent-controlled apartments, though they remain unsure about how these units are to be funded, and seem to still be in the process of discussing whether temporary housing should be offered alongside apartments. 

L’Unité de travail pour l’implantation de logement étudiant (UTILE), the organization in charge of carrying out the construction of affordable units for SSMU, has estimated that a student fee of around five dollars per semester for 10 semesters would be enough to cover a significant portion of the cost of providing more affordable housing to students. Despite such a streamlined and straightforward way of acquiring funding, SSMU seems hesitant to implement this fee. 

“While the city’s government has recognized the problem of unaffordable housing and promised to build thousands of new rent-controlled living spaces by 2021, it is apparent that McGill is not following suit.”

Even in Montreal, however, McGill lags behind its peers. The Concordia Student Union’s housing project is similar to that of SSMU, but has been well under way since 2014 and is set to be completed next year, while The Université de Montréal’s newly constructed campus in Outremont comes with 225 units of affordable housing. 

In the face of increasingly expensive housing,  SSMU seems uncertain about how to react. Considering that McGill is already behind when it comes to affordable housing, the union’s Affordable Housing Committee would benefit greatly from a healthy dose of urgency. Students have been waiting long enough. 

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