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Emerging Trends, Student Life, The Viewpoint

The problem with true crime

by Anna Mackay on

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As cooler weather approaches, many McGill students will replace evenings on a terrasse with evenings spent watching Netflix; they will store their bikes and begin spending bus rides listening to podcasts. These shifts raise an important issue: The increasing demand for true crime media, which promotes violence as a source of entertainment, often with little regard for victims. True crime media has become astoundingly popular in the last five years, and this is particularly true for college-age individuals like McGill students. Despite criticism, many people continue to tune into true crime media because of the thrill they provide.

In 2014, the true crime podcast Serial became the podcast to hit five million downloads on iTunes the fastest, a “flagship moment” for a genre that had previously been viewed as sensationalist and not-quite mainstream. In the five years since, true crime media has become incredibly popular, with Spotify listing over 100 different podcasts in its true crime category and Netflix churning out critically acclaimed docuseries and full-length films focusing on real life tragedies. Many of these are characterized as “highbrow” true crime, which satisfies consumers’ desire for drama while taking an investigative journalism approach, portraying true crime not as a guilty pleasure, but as a legitimate and intelligent genre.

Some of these shows are well-executed, exploring larger issues of justice and who is allowed access to it. On the other hand, the very nature of the genre makes it fundamentally flawed. True crime provides consumers with an adrenaline rush and feeling of suspense that keeps them hooked on the genre, and the drive to create addictive content can be directly opposed to the objectivity required for credible journalism. Making a Murderer, a hugely popular Netflix-produced true crime miniseries, has been criticized for its strategic omissions in attempts to prove the accused’s innocence, framing the show as a quest for justice while lacking neutrality. 

Even more worrying are the fans that are eager to try and impose justice themselves and take part in investigating as if it were a game, as is evidenced by multiple Facebook pages for these communities. It’s easy for these shows to compose a certain narrative because they aren’t supposed to be sources of news, but rather sources of entertainment. This gives them a certain license to stretch the truth, but the contortion of someone’s real and painful experiences into a compelling ‘whodunit’ is disrespectful to victims and their families.

Experts have found a variety of reasons for true crime obsessions. Humans have evolved to pay attention to things that can hurt us, and feel a sense of relief when we remain unscathed, even if there is no imminent danger. This makes true crime both compelling and somewhat rewarding. Trying to solve true crime mysteries satisfies our need for solutions, providing us with proxy closure for all the problems in our environment—like mass shootings, terrorism, and a flawed justice system—that we cannot solve. Additionally, the consumption of true crime can subconsciously act as a preventative measure for people, especially women. Being able to detect traits or patterns of killers seems like a way to avoid them, and avoid being murdered.

Despite the natural reasons for our attraction to true crime, we shouldn’t let psychology excuse a lack of empathy and respect. Highbrow true crime obscures its shock value with intellect, so it is crucial that consumers make a conscious effort to face their attraction to violence and reflect on its dehumanizing effects. Increased exposure to violence can decrease our sensitivity to it, and when stories and images of violence are so proliferous in the news, any immunity to it is an implicit acceptance of its place in society. There is no way to be an informed citizen without being occasionally exposed to images and stories of violence and evil, but they should not be something that’s actively sought out for enjoyment. 

Whether a consumer indulges in true crime to avoid harm, simplify a more complicated world, or just for a thrill, doing so requires a degree of self-awareness. There is no reason to view violence and injustice with anything but an empathetic eye, so make sure that the next time you sit down to unwind from midterms with a true crime show, you see it for what it is: A narrative of real-life suffering for your entertainment.

Out on the Town, Student Life

Exploring Les Quartiers du Canal

by Corrina Greenler on

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Les Quartiers du Canal consists of three neighbourhoods: Griffintown, Little Burgundy, and Saint-Henri. Situated along the popular Lachine Canal in southwest Montreal, the historically industrial area is quickly becoming a collection of trendy neighbourhoods, each with their own unique character. The McGill Tribune compiled some of the exhibits, restaurants, cafés, and shops to explore throughout the neighbourhoods of Les Quartiers du Canal. 

Griffintown

In the heart of the neighbourhood’s evolving landscape of old and new buildings, the Montreal Art Centre showcases work from local artists. The “Emerging Artist Exhibition” is an upcoming show that will run Nov. 16–28, displaying the work of Montreal-based artists who are new to the scene. They also offer a variety of events, from concerts to comedy shows. 

For more contemporary art, head over to Arsenal. Inside a repurposed shipyard, the space houses many exhibitions from both Canadian and international artists. This fall, the “In Conversation” series of events provide an opportunity to learn more about current artists’ collections and creative processes. 

There is no shortage of good places to eat in Griffintown. One of two locations in Montreal, Griffintown’s La Bête à Pain is a large, colourful café. Their open kitchen allows the customers to get a peek into the baking that goes on behind the scenes. La Bête à Pain serves both breakfast and lunch, along with numerous tasty pastries and breads available throughout the day. 

For an evening out, the upscale Bird Bar is best known for its unique combination of fried chicken and champagne. However, its extensive menu includes vegan options, ensuring that there is something for everyone in this restaurant. Bird Bar’s warm atmosphere and live DJ makes it a great spot to celebrate a special occasion.

Little Burgundy

While the Atwater Market and Corona Theatre are popular staples of this neighbourhood, many visitors overlook the many antique shops along rue Notre-Dame. Wander into Milord Antiquites Inc. for a one of a kind collection of furniture spanning three centuries, or try Baronne de l’Insolite to find an eclectic mix of old and modern decor, including vintage items from the 19th century and the Art Deco era.

Central to the neighbourhood, Little Burgundy has a number of unique places to grab a drink or a bite to eat. Drinkerie Ste-Cunégonde, a retro bar, is a popular evening spot for people in this neighbourhood, offering a large assortment of drinks and a terrace in the summer season. Though food options are limited, it is surrounded by restaurants and within walking distance of the canal, making it a great place to relax with a drink after a day out. Just across the street from the neighbourhood’s famed Joe Beef restaurant is Burgundy Lion, an English pub with a Montreal twist. This lively spot hosts a variety of events throughout the week. They often have soccer matches playing on their TV screens, making it a perfect place to enjoy a drink and camaraderie while cheering on your favourite team. Swing by on Monday nights to catch the bar’s weekly trivia night or try their Sunday afternoon high tea service in their year-round solarium. 

Saint-Henri

A little further from downtown, Saint-Henri offers lots of green space to relax in. The Lachine Canal is a well-known spot to enjoy views of the water and city. However, tucked between two metro stops, Parc du Premier-Chemin-de-Fer runs through the neighbourhood parallel to rue Saint-Jacques and provides a nice area for an afternoon stroll or bike ride. On a side street off of rue Notre-Dame, Librairie Saint-Henri Books is an independent bookstore that offers a wide collection of English and French books for all ages. A corner with some armchairs gives the space a homey and welcoming feel. Numerous cafés scatter Saint-Henri, but for those looking for something sweet, check out Rustique. The small café offers a wide selection of delicious cakes, pies, and cookies. Drop in to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee with a sweet treat. Rustique is best known for its excellent selection of pies, including seasonal flavors such as blueberry camerise, pumpkin, or lemon meringue.

McGill, News

Discrimination and harassment complaints double from last academic year

by Deisha Paliwal on

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According to the Annual Report on Policy On Harassment and Discrimination Prohibited by Law, the number of inquiries and complaints increased from 78 cases last academic year to 161 in 2018-19. In the preceding five years, there has been an average of 33 inquiries and complaints. 12 per cent of the complaints were filed on the grounds of discrimination, 45 per cent on harassment, 12 per cent on sexual harassment, and the remaining 30 per cent were classified as mixed or other. 

Initially adopted in 2006, the purpose of McGill’s Policy on Harassment and Discrimination Prohibited by Law is to establish an inclusive environment through prevention and response to harassment and discrimination. 

The university has appointed Sinead Hunt, a Senior Equity & Inclusion Advisor (SEIA) to act as the primary contact for initial inquiries and complaints. Following contacting Hunt, the individual decides between attempting an informal or formal resolution through investigation, through Senate-appointed Harassment Assessors. 

Professor Angela Campbell, Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies), emphasized the importance of the SEIA.

“The role of the [SEIA] is growing in scope and importance,” Campbell said. “This is a very positive development for the McGill community.”  

Harassment and discrimination reports are investigated by Assesors: However, as of October 2018, reports of sexual violence are investigated by an external Special Investigator instead, in accordance with the Policy against Sexual Violence. 

Whether the increase in harassment claims is due to an increase in complaints or higher awareness of the report is speculative. 

“I have no evidence that more people are being subject to harassment at McGill, but [I] do see awareness of [the policy] increasing,” Campbell said. 

Chloe Kemeni, Student’s Society of McGill University (SSMU) Anti-Violence Coordinator, tied the increase in complaints, in part, to campus discussions rather than policy awareness. 

“The current dialogue that has arisen from [student-driven policies and groups] has given folks the tools to define their experiences and advocate for themselves,” Kemeni said. “For those doing equity work on campus or in student governance, this is part of [our] daily discussions, but I’m not too sure that McGill has done an adequate enough job in communicating the policy in a way that is accessible to all.” 

The report also proposes a working group to ensure that the policy is implemented in an appropriate way for the university’s needs and goals; however, the group’s members are not specified. The group will undertake policy revision in the present reference year (Sept. 1 2019 – Aug. 31 2020). 

“It would be baseless to have a committee that does not have representation from racialized students who are most impacted by discrimination and harassment,” Kemeni said. “I don’t know if there is a clear cut answer to the question [of what McGill can do to reduce incidents] since at its core is a settler-colonial institution with deep ties to slavery.” 

The report also recognizes the demand to formalize the process for investigating complaints. 

“Questions arise about whether our current model, which entrusts investigations to Assessors who have full-time positions disconnected to the Policy at the University, is sustainable, especially as the number and complexity of cases arising under the Policy grow,” the report reads. 

As a result, a coordinating assessor has been assigned to this role on a full-time basis. 

The report recognizes that measures of isolation cannot transform the culture that surrounds harassment. 

“It would help to create a culture in which students feel comfortable reporting, but which also sends a signal to those enacting harm that their actions have recourse,” Kemeni said. “As of now, we tend to protect those who are most harmful, while isolating and retraumatizing those harmed.” 

McGill, News

Tribune Explains: Academic appointments

by Ezra-Jean Taylor on

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The intricacies of professors’ career paths often goes unnoticed by busy students. Yet, students interact with professors daily, and a positive or negative relationship with one may change a student’s life. One of the most substantial milestones a professor can achieve is academic appointment, but the process that guide appointments is complicated. By digging through the Secretariat’s website, any questions about academic appointment are answered.

What does “academic appointment” mean? 

To be academically appointed is to receive tenure as a McGill professor. This is a contract between McGill and its professors that guarantees the tenured professor’s employment. McGill’s guidelines for tenured staff explains that professors can either be “tenure tracked” for a definite term, in which they are then considered for re-appointment, or tenured indefinitely. 

In 2017, there were 1,664 tenure-tracked and tenured professors at McGill according to the McGill University Staffing Report. While almost half of the academic staff employed by McGill are women, they are underrepresented in the university’s tenured population. In the same report, 45 per cent of academic staff reported that they were women; In contrast, women made up 32 per cent of tenure-track and tenured professors.

What are the benefits of tenure?

Achieving tenure allows professors the freedom to explore areas of scholarly interest without the stress of an immediate deadline or fear of exploring controversial research topics. At the same time, the tenured professor cannot be employed by a different university or employer and must maintain the same quality of work as when they were appointed. This allows McGill to attract high-achieving professors that can produce valuable research under the university’s name. 

What are the responsibilities of tenured staff?

Academically appointed professors are responsible for three major tasks at McGill. First, they are required to teach either lectures, seminars, or supervise individual students. Second, they must participate in research. Research can take many forms, but McGill professors are required to produce and publish academic work throughout their appointment at McGill. Third, professors must commit time to other communities at McGill, such as by participating in clubs, speaking at events, or sitting on academic committees. 

How does one become appointed? 

Achieving tenure starts with being nominated by their academic department head. If the nomination is approved by the dean of their faculty, the professor’s name is submitted to the Provost, who decides if the professor should be appointed or not. If they are successfully appointed, the first position that they hold is that of Associate Professor. Associate professors are on tenure-track for between three and four years. The professor is then considered for full tenure by the Departmental Tenure Committee, the University Tenure Committee, and the Principal. The group evaluates the dossier of material compiled by the professor and external evaluators to decide if the professor meets the standards for full tenure or should be given deferred tenure consideration.

McGill, News

Marginalized American Sign Language: Disability and queerness

by Magdalena Nitchi on

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Mat Kuntz is an American Sign Language (ASL) teacher who works with several organizations including Seeing Voices, which seek to make communities more deaf-aware and deaf-accessible. On Oct. 15, he presented the basics of queer ASL to attendees at Wilson Hall. After a short introduction by Meryem Benslimane, equity education advisor and chair of the planning committee of Queer History Month, Kuntz took the stage. Kuntz, who is queer and hearing-impaired, gave the lecture completely in ASL, with Sandra Saoumaa serving as an interpreter.

Kuntz first emphasized that ASL is only one of many sign languages across the world.

“Canada has two sign languages, ASL and LSQ, which stands for ‘Langue Signe Québécoise’,” Kuntz signed. “These languages were finally recognized under Bill C-81 as a primary languages for deaf people. Now that the government has recognized [sign language ], we can make some changes [in how deaf people are expected to conform to hearing society].”

Kuntz explained some of the difficulties deaf individuals face in everyday life. Since ASL is not widely taught, many spaces remain inaccessible for its users if an interpreter is not present. Even job interviews can be impossible unless someone else is there to translate.

“There is a lot of frustration around the lack of accessibility,” Kuntz signed. “Communication is always an issue and I don’t always have the time [to educate everyone I meet]. So we are working on building awareness for that, and training [people] to make things more deaf-accessible. I want to expose [people] to deaf culture and raise awareness about deaf people’s access and needs.” 

When teaching ASL, Kuntz went over each sign slowly and carefully, demonstrating it several times. He encouraged the audience to practice, giving everyone a chance to repeat the sign until they felt comfortable. Kuntz also provided everyone with a paper handout with pictures of the signs before he proceeded to do demonstrations.

Kuntz introduced signs for a wide range of queer topics, from gender to sexuality. He presented all of the official queer signs, including words for “fluid,” “spectrum,” and  “drag queen/king.” However, Kuntz pointed out that the list was by no means complete, lacking terms like “nonbinary,” for example.

“The deaf community is behind in coming up with signs for everything, so just give us time to catch up with the vocabulary,” Kuntz signed.

At the end, Kuntz thanked everyone for coming, and participants responded by raising their hands and wiggling them, the ASL sign for applause.

While this workshop was only a brief introduction into ASL, there are many opportunities to continue learning sign language. Kuntz teaches sign language courses of different levels at the Canadian Hearing Society, which he recommends for anyone trying to learn more.

Jim Mejino, U4 Arts, and the main coordinator of this event, said that the idea for an an ASL event as part of Queer History Month plays an important role in raising awareness about intersectionality within the queer community. 

“[Queer History Month] works with the Union for Gender Empowerment, and part of our mandate is intersectionality,” Megino said. “We want to celebrate the community and bring more awareness and education about how disability and queerness affects people.” 

Benslimane stressed the importance of including events that address queer individuals with disabilities. 

“Last year was the first edition of Queer History Month,” Benslimane said. “[We] wanted to have an event talking about being queer and folks with disabilities, so to have an event around queer ASL made sense [.…] We wanted to make the calendar as inclusive as possible. That is also why we decided to have it again this year.”

Campus Spotlight, Student Life

Vertical gardens brighten residence cafeterias

by Leyla Moy on

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As the long Montreal winter approaches, students are dreading the months of monochrome monotony to come, from cement buildings to white walls. The SSMU Environment Committee, in partnership with Montreal-based hydroponics company Nutritower and the Sustainability Projects Fund, hopes to change that by bringing greenery to residence cafeterias. Sustainability Commissioner Dasha Gousseva started the project last year. She explained how the hydroponic system that underpins the towers works.  

“The idea of hydroponic gardening, and these vertical towers specifically, is very low-input local agriculture that maintains itself in a closed system,” Gousseva said. “Plants, instead of needing soil, [get] fertilizer and nutrients from the water itself, [which] is pumped through a system that comes included in the towers [….] LED lights installed in the tower [provide plants with lighting].”

With help from students alongside SSMU Environment Committee members and a representative from Nutritower, the vertical gardens setup event on Saturday revealed the towers for the first time. The team set up towers in three McGill residence cafeterias: Royal Victoria College, New Residence Hall, and Bishop Mountain Hall. Locating the towers in dining halls will allow for the vertical gardens to serve as both an educator about the process of growing food and an actual food source. Given that harvests will be small in comparison to the number of students who frequent these cafeterias, the project plans to incorporate cafeteria-grown produce and herbs into side dishes.

“[We’re currently growing] leafy greens and herbs, which include lettuce, kale, parsley, [and] basil,” Gousseva said. “We’re even trying [to grow] some tomatoes.” 

In the future, the SSMU Environment Committee plans to borrow seeds from the MacDonald Campus seed library to expand the range of produce being grown. The Nutritower system allows for plenty of flexibility for what can be grown, which was one reason the Montreal-based company was chosen for the project. 

Nutritower was founded by Montrealer Bryce Nagels in 2014, who grew up with fresh produce and was inspired to introduce gardening to city-dwellers. Originally launched on Kickstarter, the growing hydroponics company seeks to address climate change and urban population growth issues. In his campaign statement, Nagels expressed that to secure our future, we must embrace creative technological solutions to feed our population, and that his vertical gardens could be a step in the right direction, however small. He contextualizes Nutritower within the global trend toward a greater proportion of the population living in urban areas and hopes that it will help people better adapt to this transition by bringing home food production to people living in cities. 

“[Nutritower’s] goals aligned […] closely with [ours], those goals being to connect people to their food systems and to educate people about how food is grown because [many] don’t realize the steps and all the inputs it takes to get something from [farm to table],” Gousseva said. “They’re also focused on education, primarily [young] students, but they’re also working with universities. [Since they’re also] local, it made working together easy and […] sustainable.”

The vertical gardens will also incorporate much-needed greenery into residence spaces as part of a campus-wide trend toward adding plants to academic spaces. The Sustainability Projects Fund has backed a number of related projects, including the Spin Bike Gardens and Garden Inside, which placed three Nutritowers in the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD). 

The project will also complement existing sustainability initiatives in McGill residence cafeterias, including Waste Educators and Local Food Days, which incorporates seasonal produce and other ingredients from less than 500 kilometres away. 

Gousseva plans to work with Student Housing and Hospitality Services to create educational opportunities around the towers and hopes that students will continue to follow the vertical gardens’ progress. Future harvesting events will be posted to the SSMU Environment Committee Facebook page.

Private, Recipes, Student Life

Perfect roast chicken

by Matthew Hawkins on

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Roast chicken is, in my opinion, the best dinner ever—full stop. Not only does it taste incredible, but it’s versatile: One chicken can become a week’s worth of dinners, a few days of lunches, and, eventually, it can simmer down into stock for soup. It’s the meal prepper’s dream. Below, you’ll find a particularly adaptable roast chicken recipe, a few ways to use it, and a knockout side dish. 

Ingredients:
1 chicken 
1 bunch rosemary 
1 lemon, cut in half
5–6 garlic cloves
2 large onions, chopped into medallions
Oil (preferably olive)
Salt 
Pepper 
Optional spices:
Cayenne
Steak spice
Paprika

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season with salt and let sit for 30 minutes to allow salt to permeate. 
  3. Give the chicken a coating of oil and rub it to ensure that it’s fully coated. 
  4. Season with other spices and herbs to give an even coating. 
  5. Bruise the rosemary with the blunt side of a knife and place inside the chicken cavity along with two cloves of garlic and a lemon slice. 
  6. Lay onion medallions flat on bottom of skillet or sheet pan. (If using a sheet pan, only cover the area where the chicken will be). 
  7. Put the chicken on top of onions. Place lemon cut-side down on the pan (not on onions) and add two to three cloves of garlic around the outside. 
  8. Roast for 60 minutes. Let sit for 30 minutes before carving. 

 

Smashed potatoes

Anyone can roast veggies, but if you’re looking to upgrade your basic potatoes as a side for chicken or on its own, smashed potatoes are the way to go. This extra bit of effort yields a dish with all the best qualities of both roasted and mashed potatoes. 

1 lb baby potatoes 
Salt 
Pepper 
Oil 

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 
  2. Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. 
  3. Wash potatoes and add to pot. Let boil for 30-40 minutes until potatoes are soft, but not entirely mushy. You should be able to flatten a potato without it crumbling. 
  4. Drain water and cover potatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. The potatoes will be hot so use caution and, if needed, wait for them to cool. 
  5. Once potatoes are cooled and seasoned, place on a baking tray. Using a wooden spoon, press down on each potato to flatten it so that the outside crumbles a little, but the potato remains mostly intact. Alternatively, to smash them all at once, use a second baking tray to push down, flattening them all. 
  6. Roast again for 15-20 minutes until the outsides are crisp and golden. Serve warm alongside roast chicken.

 

Quick Leftover Fixes

Chicken BLT

1 chicken breast (roasted)
2 slices of bread 
Bacon
Lettuce 
Tomato 

Toast the bread and butter each side. Put the bread butter-side down on a pan on medium heat until it’s golden brown. Assemble the BLT with chicken on top. 

 

Chicken stock

1 leftover chicken carcass 
2 carrots, sliced into medallions 
2 stalks of celery, sliced, with greens
2 tbsp salt
Pepper 

Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer. Add veggies, salt, and pepper and let simmer for two hours until broth has a pale colour. Use a pair of tongs to remove the larger pieces of vegetables and chicken, then strain to remove everything else. This dish can be stored frozen for months. 

Science & Technology, Student Research

Uncovering past climates through paleobotany

by Madison McLauchlan on

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Paleontology has long offered scientists insight into the mysteries of prehistory. Through excavations of colossal skeletons, petrified insects, and fossilized plants, researchers can uncover what life looked like long ago. 

Despite the extensive study of animals from the Cretaceous period, which stretched from 145.5 million years ago to the dinosaur extinction 65.5 million years ago, little is known about the climate of this time, especially in regions of eastern Canada. Researchers at the McGill Redpath Museum have taken a different approach to filling in these gaps in knowledge, using paleobotany, the study of fossilized plants. 

“The fossil record is rich in assemblages of fern, angiosperm, and conifer leaves that offer clues about the plant diversity of past ecosystems,” Alexandre Demers-Potvin, a graduate student and 2018 National Geographic Explorer, wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “Not only do fossil plants offer a glimpse of the vegetation of past landscapes, but some of them […] can be used to predict the climate of that past landscape.” 

This past summer, Demers-Potvin, the lead author of a recent study on paleoclimate reconstruction, and a team of researchers under the supervision of Professor Hans Larsson, director of the Redpath Museum, headed to Schefferville, a town near the Quebec-Labrador border. Among the researchers were Noemie Sheppard, an undergraduate student in Environment, and Michel Chartier and Mario Cournoyer, co-founders of Montreal’s Musée de paléontologie et de l’evolution (MPE), which also supported the study. They centred their analysis on insect fossils and angiosperm, or flowering plant, specimens from the region, known as the Redmond flora.

Among the ruins of an abandoned mine, the team found remnants of angiosperms preserved in sedimentary rock, which served as their first clue to what environmental conditions were like in the Late Cretaceous. The composition of the rocks and the fossils’ broad leaves suggest that they formed at the bottom of a lake surrounded by a forest.

Demers-Potvin and Larsson discovered that Schefferville experienced an average yearly temperature of 13 to 17 degrees Celsius during the Late Cretaceous. Although this would have been on the cooler side for North America at the time, the creatures there would have enjoyed moderate humidity and hot summers. 

Remarkably, this data was extracted from plant leaves. Since flowering plants of the Cretaceous are anatomically similar to ones today, the researchers can extrapolate climate information from the fossilized plants in the same way that they can deduce this information from modern-day plants. Demers-Potvin and his team derived elements of the bygone environment using a tool called Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program (CLAMP) .

“[CLAMP] rests on the premise that some anatomical traits in leaves are correlated to some climate parameters [such as] temperature [or] precipitation,” Demers-Potvin wrote. 

As a system of data analysis, CLAMP uses a scoring method to track the ways in which modern plants adapt to their environment. Referencing fossil records, it then works backward to associate the same traits in older plants to their potential environmental context. The results can be used to understand the effects that drastic climate change had on species thousands of years ago, and how this translates to potential effects on species in today’s climate crisis.

In addition to sampling with CLAMP, the research team unearthed 15 new plant species that were previously unknown to the region. Surprisingly, the taxonomic record of the Redmond flora had not been measured in any meaningful capacity since the 1960s. 

Beyond the Creataceous explorations led by Demers-Potvin, who aims to continue the team’s research with insect fossils found in Schefferville, Larsson is overseeing multiple evolutionary field projects, ranging from studies of alligators off the coast of Mexico to Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta. Larsson thanked the Redpath Museum for allowing researchers to explore diverse interests. 

“None of this would be possible without the Redpath Museum,” Professor Larsson said. “You’re not siloed in here.”

Art, Arts & Entertainment

New gallery ‘No.01’ offers insights through experimental creations

by Jonathan Giammaria on

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The Visual Arts Visuels’ (VAV) exhibition space at Concordia University may appear modest in its size and spare curation, but the industrial, L-shaped room presents artwork with the same sense of ambition as those found in venues like the MAC and MMFA. It affirms that artistry isn’t found solely in institutions that project an aura of exclusivity. As one of Montreal’s few student-run galleries, the VAV is a valuable outlet for burgeoning voices with new ideas. The VAV features a rolling catalogue of work made mostly by Concordia’s art undergraduates, and on Oct. 17, the venue held a vernissage for its newest gallery, No.01. The venue hosted a large audience, with the accompaniment of DJ Jacqui Beaumont and appearances by some of the featured artists. 

Aptly titled, No. 01 marks the beginning of VAV’s Fall programming. Because the show doesn’t suggest a specific theme, it appeals to the variety of works on display. With an emphasis on experimentation, the gallery features artists who question rigid notions of prescribed mediums and materials while communicating ideas surrounding both public and personal spheres.

In one corner of the gallery, Philippe Vandal, currently studying intermedia cyber arts at Concordia, presents Thigmo, a dynamic piece that connects a motorized fan with an olive tree. While the fan spins, a set of strings pull at the tree in a cycle of perpetually opposing directions, a process that Vandal describes as the “animation of preconceived stillness.” As he explains in his bio, Vandal’s intent is to frame the process of thigmomorphogenesis—in which plants respond to mechanical sensations, usually natural in origin—in an artificial context. Vandal notes how the systematization of this natural process calls into question the human tendency to overlook our impact on our surroundings  and the consequences that follow our interference. 

Sharing Vandal’s concerns about interactions between synthetic and organic matter, Jules Galbraith, a print media and computational arts student, contextualizes this relationship with our current fears surrounding climate change. Recent findings in the UN Climate Report, which posited a 12-year window to mitigate our effects of environmental abuse, motivated Galbraith to create Accumulations, a set of monochrome scans of the plastic they use everyday. Their work, plastered on a rigid and uneven cast sprawled across the gallery floor, evokes the image of a discarded plastic bag or a pile of garbage. The product appropriates the natural process of fossilization for synthetic matter, and it suggests the unsettling idea that the inventions of our downfall will, in their permanence, outlive us.

 

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