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Editorial, Opinion

McGill must get on the right track and prioritize accessibility—not anti-unionism

by The Tribune Editorial Board on

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This October, employees of the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) filed strike notices that will disrupt bus and metro services throughout November. The Syndicat du transport de Montréal-CSN, which represents maintenance workers, has pledged to strike from Oct. 31 to Nov. 28. The Syndicat des chauffeurs, opérateurs, et employés des services connexes (SCFP 1983)—representing drivers and operators—also plans to strike, instead on Nov. 1, 15, and 16. Their decisions to strike follow over 100 failed negotiation efforts between the unions and the STM, in which the employees sought a 25 per cent wage increase and compensation for the hours they spend on tasks adjacent to their primary responsibilities, such as moving from station to station.

This strike, critical for livable pay and fair working conditions for STM employees, will bear an impact on individuals across Montreal, including McGill students, faculty, and staff. As such, it is crucial that McGill, and other public institutions whose communities rely on public transit, prioritize supporting the strike by offering reasonable accommodations for those impacted—not demonizing the strike as an inconvenience. 

This will mark the third and fourth strikes by STM unions this year, following a two-week strike in September and an earlier strike in June. Yet, the prospects of achieving improved pay structures seem low; the STM has communicated a plan to cut over 300 jobs to offset its severe budget deficit, a fiscal antithesis to the wage increases its unions are demanding. 

The STM serves over 1.7 million riders daily, many of whom take the metro out of necessity. Low-income Montrealers who cannot afford a car or alternative transit options will be particularly at risk if the metro shuts down, alongside commuters, senior citizens, and workers with precarious employment circumstances or irregular working hours. Furthermore, given that the strike measures extend to the closure of metro stations themselves, unhoused populations who rely on stations as a respite during the colder months will be forced into life-threatening conditions.

The McGill community too relies on the services the STM offers: Approximately 50 per cent of students and faculty and 70 per cent of staff use public transit or shuttle bus options to access campus. When strikes disrupt service, students face long waits or are forced to opt for more costly, less sustainable alternatives. Yet when the STM unions went on strike just a month ago, the McGill administration’s only response was a brief memo directing students to consult the STM website and anticipate longer commute times, encouraging faculty to “be flexible” with students who may be impacted—without providing any tangible guidance or institutional support. 

Nowhere in the memo did McGill set standardized expectations for professors and students navigating the strike. Administrators did not mandate classes go online or be recorded, resulting in a confusing mix of responses and varying degrees of flexibility. As a result, the burden of reliable support for the McGill community amidst STM closures fell on Students’ Society of McGill University services such as DriveSafe, while the McGill administration absolved itself of all responsibility to ensure campus accessibility. 

Furthermore, the communication memo lacked any information regarding why the strike was taking place, effectively encouraging the McGill student body to redirect their frustration towards strikers. McGill has an extensive history of suppressing labour movements on campus, most recently during the 2024 strikes hosted by its Faculty of Law, during which administrators dragged out negotiations and insulted students who supported the striking faculty members. McGill must abandon its provocation of anti-union sentiment and blame-shifting among community members, and instead prioritize accessibility during all strikes, STM, faculty union, or otherwise. 

McGill must standardize a university-wide response to STM closures, complete with genuine, effective accommodations that do not shift responsibility to the discretion of faculty. Without a cohesive, integrated response, community members are left disadvantaged and resentful of critical union activity, while the union’s efforts themselves are vilified. Students too must hold in high regard the rights of striking workers and avoid viewing metro closures as an inconvenience rather than a rightful protest tactic. 

STM employees have a right to strike; McGill has an obligation to support union activity and accommodate its affected students, faculty, and staff.

Science & Technology

There are not plenty more fish in the river: A story on endangered Quebec fish

by Antoine Larocque on

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Copper redhorses, a kind of freshwater fish, are the only vertebrates found exclusively in Quebec. However, their population is declining. Recent evidence suggests that the ‘recruitment’—a measure similar to birth rate—has dropped in the past few years.

Hugo Marchand, a postdoctoral researcher in Jessica Head’s ecotoxicology laboratory at McGill’s Department of Natural Resource Sciences, recently collaborated on a paper examining the threats facing young copper redhorses.

Copper redhorses have only two spawning sites, and both are in the Richelieu River. Since most of the watershed is occupied by agricultural land, the researchers hypothesized that pesticide runoff contributes to the mortality of young fish.

“Pesticides, which are often applied during or just before the breeding season, are washed off in the river every time there is heavy rain,” Marchand said in an interview with The Tribune.

In a previous study, the researchers exposed fish embryos to two treatments: River water and laboratory water. Embryos raised in river water had a 15 per cent lower survival rate during their first two weeks of life, which is significant given that copper redhorses typically have a lifespan of up to 30 years.

In the team’s most recent study, they collected daily water samples from the two spawning sites and from two tributaries—rivers that join a larger river rather than flowing directly to the ocean—to determine whether the pesticide concentration during the breeding season could explain the low recruitment rate. The researchers used an additional long-term sampling method to assess how contaminant levels change over time.

The laboratory analyses revealed a cocktail of contaminants in the Richelieu River.

“There are obviously a lot of pesticides,” Marchand noted. “There are also a lot of pharmaceutical and personal care products because [the Richelieu River watershed] is also an inhabited area. Even though the wastewater is filtered, filtration is not the best, and the [wastewater treatment] plants in the area are known to overflow.”

Some pesticide concentrations exceeded the water quality guideline thresholds set by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. The researchers even detected chemicals that were banned around 30 years ago, showing how persistent these compounds are in the environment.

Marchand emphasized the need for ongoing water monitoring to track changes in the river’s chemical composition. New pesticides and new regulations can influence what compounds are found in the river, and so can natural changes in river flow from year to year, both factors that contribute to the river’s contamination.

Beyond assessing water quality, the team tested the toxicity of four individual pesticides on early-life-stage fish. None of them had an impact on survival.

“It does not mean that these pesticides in the [river] mixture are not causing the effect, but individually, we cannot pinpoint which one caused the effect that we observe [in the river],” Marchand said.

Moreover, contaminants may have indirect effects on copper redhorses.

“Even though we measured the effects [of pesticides] on the fish, we did not measure the effects on their food,” Marchand said. “[Their food] is all invertebrates, which are most likely going to be much more vulnerable to pesticides.”

Moving forward, Marchand aims to establish the lowest concentrations of river contaminants that induce changes in gene expression in young fish, thereby helping policymakers set more precise safety thresholds.

He also expressed concern about the expansion of the Contrecœur Port Terminal. If the Major Projects Office, established by Mark Carney to accelerate the approval of major projects in Canada, approves the construction project, it will inevitably destroy aquatic vegetation beds—the habitat of copper redhorses. Although the Species at Risk Act prohibits the destruction of an endangered species’ habitat, the Major Projects Office may still propel the project forward. The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society has launched a petition opposing the project. To protect copper redhorses, the organization COVABAR is raising awareness in communities along the watershed. Marchand also recommends vegetating the riverbanks, restoring natural riverbanks to improve water quality, and implementing agricultural practices that reduce pesticide use. Through a combination of conservation strategies, the currently endangered copper redhorse may persist for generations to come.

Student Life

All you think about is how you look

by Maria Hamdaoui on

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Many women are preoccupied with how they look, not because they’re shallow, but because that’s what they’ve been taught to value. From a young age, girls are celebrated as ‘cute’ or ‘pretty’ before they’re praised for being smart or brave. Those comments add up, shaping the belief that their value lies in their appearance rather than their minds and personalities

“I think this pressure tends to affect women more because they’re held to a higher standard by society than men. There are certain clothes men and women can both wear, yet a woman is more likely to get criticized for it,” explained Abby George, U2 Arts, in a written statement to The Tribune. The awareness of how women look starts early, and for many, it never goes away.

“I definitely think there is some kind of ‘look’ for students, mostly to be dressed relatively well and less just whatever you can find in your drawers,” George added. 

Her comment captures a shared understanding: On campus, effort is expected to look effortless. It’s not about dressing up, exactly; it’s more about looking like you belong here. That awareness extends beyond clothing. Small insecurities can become constant background noise.

Sukaina Haider, U1 Science, shared in a written statement to The Tribune that when her skin breaks out, it makes it harder for her to focus on anything else. “[My acne] honestly distracts me from paying attention to a lecture. Not the end of the world, but it does affect me to a certain extent.”

Even something as common as acne can impact a student’s focus. And while it can be inspiring to be surrounded by people who take pride in how they carry themselves, it can also pressure you to do the same, even on days you just want to show up in crocs or sweatpants.

“There is definitely a social media impact, especially in our generation,” Mihade Mastour, U2 Science, shared in an interview with The Tribune. 

That illusion of effortlessness becomes its own kind of work, one that seeps quietly into daily life. You scroll through social media and see a constant stream of ‘must-have’ skincare routines, outfit ideas, the next thing you apparently need to feel complete. Trends circulate so quickly that it’s almost impossible to keep up.

George explained that fleeting viral trends add another layer of stress to self-presentation on campus.

“I feel like these trends definitely do affect students, and probably those at McGill. I find I do see it in certain students—there are actually many that wear sweatpants and sweatshirt combos, but they have the clean girl hair and makeup to make it seem like they did this effortlessly but actually put a lot of care into their outfit.”

Still, students are finding ways to resist these pressures. Girls are distancing themselves from any kind of expectation about how women should dress by remembering that the priority is how they feel in their clothes. Instead of dressing according to trends, they dress for how they feel that day, and choose clothes that make them comfortable, grounded, and able to focus on themselves rather than how they appear. Worrying about your appearance steals time and energy that could be spent chasing ideas and ambitions. The challenge for young women today is to break away from these cycles. 

The truth is that no reflection or appearance defines you the way your mind, your work, and your passions do. Young women at McGill are some of the most creative, capable people, and it would be disheartening to see them feel any sense of insecurity about how they look.

Research Briefs, Science & Technology

Stop-and-go: How male and female hockey players move differently

by James Levitsky on

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Hockey is a key component of Canadian culture, as it is our national sport and a great source of joy and pride. Whether played competitively, in gym class, or just for fun on a frozen lake, hockey unites players across the country. Yet despite its importance to many across various ages and identities, variances in the mechanics of skating between males and females remain largely understudied.

Female participation in ice hockey has been increasing steadily, with a 34 per cent increase in registered players from 2007 to 2018, according to the International Ice Hockey Federation. While there is ample research on male player movements, female players remain underrepresented in the scientific literature, despite fundamental anatomical differences that impact the way they move, play, and train.

Shawn Robbin, associate professor in the school of Physical and Occupational Therapy, leads a lab working to develop this knowledge base, diving into the science of movement in ice hockey and exploring how equipment and player traits influence performance on the ice. The lab partners with Bauer Hockey and uses federal funding to help athletes move efficiently and reduce their risk of injury, with McGill students playing a key role in the research.

In a recent paper published in the International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, Robbins explored the kinematic differences between male and female athletes who participated in a stop-and-go task.

McGill varsity hockey players were asked to perform traditional hockey stops, then take a few strides in the opposite direction at different speeds. The researchers then used motion capture technology to study how males and females differ in stop and start movements on the ice. The researchers found that females tend to stay more upright relative to their starting position, while males get much lower to the ice when they stop.

“We found that male players tend to lower themselves faster and have more flexion in their hip and knee joints, which helps them absorb and explode out of stops,” Robbins said in an interview with The Tribune.

Another study found that female ice hockey players reported proportionately more soft tissue injuries, strains, and sprains, while males experienced more fractures. 

Although sex-specific injury types were not the focus of this study, Robbins noted that several factors contribute to differences between sexes. However, it is difficult to parse exactly how much each factor contributes. 

“It’s a bit more clear, in other sports like soccer, that movement plays a role in injury, especially in female athletes. That’s not as clear in hockey,” Robbins said. “Obviously, there’s other differences as well, in terms of hormone levels [and] muscle strength. I think that biomechanics may have a piece in injuries, […] [and] how players move will have a piece in terms of injury, but it’s [related to] the other factors too.” 

Robbins emphasized that the study requires a collaborative effort. While his role during the experiment was mostly to process and analyze raw data on the computer, McGill students at the lab, such as master’s student Aiden Hallihan, conducted many of the actual tests under professors’ supervision. In other words, successful research requires a dedicated community of scientists, including everyone from undergraduate research assistants to lab directors.

Moving forward, the lab will continue to test new and advanced motion capture systems to expand its research. While this study focused exclusively on elite varsity-level players, their current research is aimed at younger and recreational players. 

“With the data from elite players, [we] can compare it to recreational players and see if there are similar [sex] differences and how [players] can improve their game,” Robbins said.

Overall, Robbins’ research challenges traditional gender bias in sports research. His work advances player development and safety across genders, making the world of hockey research more equitable.

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

‘Le Train’ is a dream-filled Quebecois coming-of-age film 

by Siena Torres on

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This October, Festival du Nouveau Cinéma wrapped up its 54th edition, featuring a robust program of 200 films over 12 days. The Montreal-based film festival prides itself on showcasing diverse international features and short films, while spotlighting a strong selection of Canadian films. This edition’s closing film, Le Train, is a mesmerizing debut from renowned Quebecois playwright and actress, Marie Brassard. 

Le Train follows Agathe, a young girl in 1960s Quebec, who dreams of a fantastical world where she is not plagued by severe asthma. As she grows into adolescence, she meets a man who shares her same longing for something more than their reality. Rising stars Thalie Rhainds and Electra Codina Morelli, who play Agathe at various ages, deliver captivating performances that hint at promising careers ahead. The exquisite Larissa Corriveau, who plays Thérèse, Agathe’s eccentric mother, shines in her portrayal of a woman balancing professional life, single motherhood, and creative pursuits. 

In an interview with The Tribune, Brassard reflected on the experience of writing and directing her first feature film, noting how it differs from theatre. She described theatre as ephemeral: An experience that creates unique experiences each time. It lives only in our memories because it takes place in the ‘real’ world with ‘real’ people, as opposed to cinema. 

“Cinema is different. At one point, you have to stop [adding on] for it to exist as an object, and from that moment on, it’s gonna be that. You have to let it go,” Brassard said. “And at the same time, what’s beautiful is that you can look at it again and again, and eventually have a different experience as well, but the thing is that it will persist in time.”

Inspired by her own childhood experiences with asthma in the Quebec suburbs and her coming-of-age in 1970s Montreal, Brassard sought to recreate the feeling of hope she felt at that time, contrary to today’s cynicism and increased isolation. 

“I wanted to make a film that would state that there was a time [in Quebec] where people were dreaming. People were dreaming of a better world, a more equal world,” Brassard said.

As someone who admires the aesthetics of the 1970s, I found the visuals of Agathe’s teenage years a feast for the eyes. Brassard mentioned that she remembers the aftermath of Montreal’s Expo 67, a world’s fair in which there was a liberating spirit in the air, both politically and creatively. Le Train recreates these artistic communities and countercultures that she found in the city, where intellectual and creative thoughts were freely exchanged. 

Brassard grew up listening to the sound of trains running through her town, dreaming of the places they would go. In Le Train, these dreams recur and contrast the rest of the film in their black-and-white stylization, as Agathe tries to figure out both their meaning and the other world that intrigues her. Brassard used these childhood dreams as the starting point of her script.

“I imagined that it was a lumberjack there [by the train], who was cutting trees and protecting our world, and that he was standing at the frontier between us and the world that we don’t know,” Brassard said.

The themes of identity, dreams, and a blend of fantasy run through much of Brassard’s work. 

“There’s something fundamental that is part of you that you cannot escape from. And I think that for me, it is a very thin layer between dream and reality, or between the imagined and reality,” Brassard said. “And somehow, it intersects with [the] science worlds. When we think of quantum realities, where scientists reflect on the possibility of parallel worlds that we cannot perceive.” 

As Le Train rolled its final frames, it left audiences with a resonant message that speaks to both nostalgia and hope, reminding viewers of a time, and perhaps a place, where dreaming of a better world still felt possible.

McGill, Montreal, News

$52 million CAD in federal funding fuels hope for Quebec’s anglophone healthcare accessibility

by Sofia Vidinovski on

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On Oct. 15, the Canadian federal government announced a budget increase of $52 million CAD, allocated to anglophone health services in Quebec. The funds will be distributed between McGill University and the Community Health and Social Services Network over the next five years. These institutions will lead execution, with Dialogue McGill heading the project on the university’s behalf. They will prioritize developing research, language training, and resources tailored to the needs of both anglophone and francophone professionals, staff, and students to support their experiences within the healthcare system. The budget increase will also sustain initiatives to recruit and employ bilingual professionals across the province. 

In a written exchange with The Tribune, McGill’s Media Relations Office (MRO) explained how Dialogue McGill will specifically allocate the university’s funding towards building accessible healthcare for anglophones in Quebec.

“Dialogue McGill received a $20.7 million [CAD] grant […] of the $52 million [CAD] that Health Canada allocated,” the MRO wrote. “The money is planned to be useful in supporting initiatives that maintain and build capacity of bilingual health professionals in Quebec’s public sector.” 

The Office also highlighted Dialogue McGill’s missions and the services it provides specifically to McGill students.

“[Dialogue McGill’s] programs include free French- and English-language training, as well as bursaries for students committed to working in the public sector post-graduation and funding for research projects that examine relationships between language, access to health and social services, and health-related outcomes.”

This is not the first time Canada’s federal government has outwardly supported an increase in anglophone healthcare accessibility in Quebec. In 2024, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé announced a government directive that would require patients to provide an English-language eligibility certificate to Quebec’s health networks to receive treatment in English. Only when the federal government pressured the Quebec government did Dubé backtrack on the directive.

McGill students who have engaged with Quebec healthcare, especially in the Milton-Parc neighbourhood, have described the experience as strenuous. Amélie Evans, U2 Sciences, outlined her experience as an anglophone patient in a Montreal hospital, highlighting how a language barrier can complicate access to safe healthcare in the province.

“I’ve had moments where language created misunderstandings,” she said in an interview with The Tribune. “For example, during one visit to the hospital, a nurse misunderstood part of what I was explaining about my symptoms because I wasn’t sure how to phrase it correctly in French. It didn’t cause serious harm, but it made me realize how critical it is to have clear communication in healthcare.” 

Furthermore, Evans hopes that this budget increase will aid English-language communication in Quebec’s medical system. 

“I think the first priority [for funding use] should be expanding bilingual training programs and ensuring every major clinic has at least one English-speaking staff member available,” she stated.

To track the funding’s progress, the federal government of Canada will receive annual reports from the project’s leaders on its outcomes. In an interview with The Tribune, Mark Johnson, spokesperson for Health Canada, explained the measurable outcomes and performance indicators that McGill will use to ensure the budget is effectively applied. 

“McGill University [will report] on the number of health professionals who have both enrolled and completed their language training program, the number of bursaries to recent graduates to retain them in the public system in an underserved region in Quebec, as well as research projects and knowledge products that have been produced and offer new data on [official language minority communities] in health,” Johnson said.

Student Life

In de clerb, we all fam: Clubbing culture at McGill

by Rachel Blackstone on

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Content warning: Sexual violence

You’re 18, sitting in your dorm on your first Friday night in Montreal. Syllabus week was daunting, and you’ve met what feels like a million people. Your minifridge is stocked with your first legal Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ) purchases. What do you do? Head to Café Campus with new friends.

Clubbing culture at McGill is strong. The unofficial McGill slogan, Work Hard, Play Hard, rings true for many who enjoy drinking, dancing, and late nights out. But what does clubbing really feel like for those immersed in the culture?

Despite its crowded nature, clubbing can be an incredibly personal experience. A night out can be tailored to match your every preference. The genre of music, type of people, and style of dress vary greatly among the city’s nightlife institutions, allowing eager students to search for their “Goldilocks” option—whatever feels just right. Whether you treat the club as an arena to meet new people, or as a space to release stress with your best friends, it can act as an exodus of the week’s burdens.

In an interview with The Tribune, Sahar Jafferbhoy, U3 Arts, expressed that clubbing fervour is most prominent among first-year students.

“I think it’s the newfound freedom. You’re 18, you don’t really go [out] before [starting university], and you’re meeting all these new people. You’re wanting to do all these new experiences with these new people you’re meeting.”  

For some, especially women and other visible minorities, safety concerns cannot be ignored when planning or partaking in a night out at the clubs. According to Statistics Canada, one in three women experienced unwanted sexual behaviour in public in 2018. Furthermore, the sexual expectations that hook-up culture places on women, combined with intoxication from substance use, can pose serious safety concerns for women on a night out.

Susanna Nowak, U2 Education, explained to The Tribune, “People know what is [appropriate], and some people just don’t care to follow social etiquette anymore. It becomes really awkward when you’re telling people multiple times, ‘Hey. What are you doing? That’s not okay.’”

Jafferbhoy explained further that she always carries a rape alarm when she goes to clubs. “I would never go anywhere in the club on my own. Even to the bathroom, I’d go with the other girls.”

Some women feel safer when they go out with guy friends, since they feel that their presence offers some protection against unfamiliar men. Noemie Bisaillon, U2 Education, expressed that experience: “[I feel safer] If there are a few guys in the group, just ’cause you kind of feel like men are more likely to listen to other men.”

While some students go to the club looking for romantic partners, this isn’t everyone’s prerogative. To make clubbing safer and more enjoyable for everyone, we must recognize the necessity of clear and enthusiastic consent. After all, we should never assume the intentions or desires of anyone, especially strangers.

Deniz Tarman, U1 Engineering says, “I think [clubbing] is pretty fantastic. With all the problems it has, I think [Montreal] is a great clubbing city. I think issues regarding safety and violence are a general humanity issue, and dare I say a general man issue.”

Despite the risks, the clubs are full and many women still find the activity fun and enjoyable. “I love the vibes. I love the environment, the atmosphere. Everyone’s always in a good mood. I love a wee boogie, I love a wee dance. I love going with my friends,” adds Jafferbhoy.

Art, Arts & Entertainment

The hidden merit of McGill’s Visual Arts Collection

by Dylan Hing on

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One thing that everyone can agree on about McGill is that the campus is absolutely stunning. With the beautiful Mount Royal as a backdrop to the varying architectural styles on campus, one only has to stop and look to find beauty here. Often ignored, the many smaller pieces that make up McGill’s Visual Arts Collection (VAC) also possess their own beauty; they bring the university’s distinctive cultures to the forefront.

Scattered around campus, the collection features paintings, photographs, cultural items, and several sculptures that punctuate the university’s green spaces. Since it began collecting art in the 1830s, McGill’s VAC has grown to over 3,500 pieces. With a library of works that large, nothing is forgotten.

I was particularly impressed by the collection’s emphasis on Indigenous art, including the minimalist nature pieces by the late Benjamin Chee Chee displayed on McConnell Engineering’s first floor. His work Afternoon Flight, depicting geese in motion, uses simple strokes and minimal colour to create a striking image that seems both ancient and contemporary.

As demonstrated by Chee Chee’s piece, the collection’s contemporary pieces highlight diverse perspectives that reach beyond European-style portraits and settings. 

For example, on Macdonald Harrington’s first floor, I stumbled across a photograph by Yann Arthus-Bertrand; it’s an overhead shot of a Dogon village near the town of Bandiagara in Mali. It presents the town from the perspective of an outsider, inviting the viewer to learn more about the Dogon people and their way of life from an angle they might not have otherwise considered.

Outside, the collection continues in the James Sculpture Garden, where community members pass through and study day in and day out. These abstract sculptures definitely fit in with their surroundings—although they sit within view of the 19th-century-style administration building, they also sit within the shadow of the very 20th-century-built McConnell Engineering Building. 

These juxtapositions make the campus feel cohesive despite its many artistic and architectural differences. Like a museum, every piece of art belongs exactly where it stands, and like a museum, the VAC takes its position as a provider of public art very seriously.

Uniquely, while the VAC has works of art in storage just like any museum in the world, its Visible Storage Gallery on McLennan Library’s fourth floor offers a unique glimpse of artwork that would not normally be on display. The collection displayed here is a microcosm of the types of paintings chosen to hang around campus. It acts as a snapshot of the wider collection—complete with European-style portraits, abstract sculptures, landscapes and photographs, and a major compilation of Indigenous-created artwork.

One of the pieces, What is She Looking at? What Does She See? by Freda Guttman Bain, is particularly intriguing. In my exploration of campus art, it was the first photograph I’d seen of a human subject, and a woman at that. Although the photo is in black and white, it reflects a sort of modernity compared to many of the paintings and ceremonial objects in the room with her. With the subject sitting across from the camera, the viewer is explicitly asked to wonder what she’s facing. Perhaps a more equal future?

Taking more notice of the art all around campus can be a learning experience in and of itself, as the priorities of the collection have changed over its two centuries of building. Through various specialized exhibits, including the Japanese prints on the fourth floor of Bronfman, the VAC today critically highlights non-Western approaches to art and artistry. Although art is but one aspect of creating a safe community for all, the diversity of the VAC is an important reflection of the students for whom it is presented. 

While you rush to classes or find yourself hunched over a textbook, take a moment to look around and see how cultures around the world have displayed their passions, fears, hopes, and stories. You never know what you might find.

Behind the Bench, Football, Sports

Kyren Lacy: A life lost, a dream stolen

by Will Kennedy on

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Content warning: Suicide

On April 26, 2025, Cydney Theard spoke at the memorial service for her boyfriend and Louisiana State University (LSU) Football star player Kyren Lacy, who passed away on April 12. Theard delivered powerful words about who her partner was, the hopes they shared, and how a narrative pushed by the internet led to him taking his own life. 

“We dreamed in simple colours. A draft day suit, our first apartment, his jersey hanging by the door. He was right there ready to step into the [National Football League (NFL)] and start the life he’d earned,” Theard shared.

In January 2025, Lacy was accused of negligent homicide and felony hit and run in Louisiana. Police claim that Lacy made a passing maneuver which led to an oncoming car swerving to avoid him and colliding into another vehicle. Lacy insisted that he had no involvement with the crash and was merely in the area.

Even after his passing, Lacy’s lawyers have worked to clear his name. In October 2025, Lacy’s lawyers released surveillance footage of the incident, showing that he was over 80 yards behind the crash when it happened. They also released bodycam footage of a sheriff pressuring a witness into changing their statement to place the blame on Lacy. 

Louisiana State Police claim that it was Lacy’s reckless driving which caused two other cars, including a Kia Cadenza operated by a woman whose identity has not been made public, to collide head-on. Lacy passed a vehicle on a stretch of single-lane highway by using the oncoming lane, a typical maneuver on rural highways—except Lacy did it in a no-passing zone. Lacy’s attorneys have never disputed this fact, but have pointed out that he merged back into his correct lane with 361 feet separating him and the closest oncoming vehicle, meaning he merged while respecting more than three times the required passing distance. Evidence thus shows that Lacy was back in his lane well prior to the colliding vehicles making any maneuvers leading up to the crash. 

The district attorney (DA) also raised concerns about the way police have relied on video and audio footage that is not synced properly, making it appear that Lacy was much closer to the crash than he actually was. The DA’s report states that the Kia Cadenza was “following too close, which caused her to take evasive action to avoid hitting the back” of one of the cars in the crash. Furthermore, the DA’s findings were consistent with the account from a driver of a truck involved in the accident that the driver of the Kia Cadenza “caused that wreckage.”

Yet the media treated Lacy’s accusations as guilty until proven innocent—the opposite of how justice ought to work. Collegiate athletes are often treated like circus performers in this way, with the public forgetting that they are young people too. 

Lacy did have emotional outbursts on the football field, including one that a Barstool Sports employee used to paint him as guilty when his charges were first announced. LSU coach Brian Kelly had previously described Lacy as “high-strung” and someone who struggled with his emotional control, but followed up by saying, “That young man, I love him because he’s working on that every day.” Countless other young men of Lacy’s age have also struggled with emotional regulation, but few have had their emotional outbursts used to defame them. 

Regardless of whether Lacy caused the crash, he should still be alive today. Theard spoke at his memorial service about the way people demonized him online. “They called him a monster. [….] Offline, he carried that weight so the rest of us wouldn’t.” Lacy ultimately took his own life while carrying the weight of being painted as a murderer by hundreds of thousands of strangers around the world. 

The greatest tragedy of all is that Lacy was not mourned properly because the world was busy vilifying him as someone he was not. It is a cautionary tale of how the public’s words deeply affect young athletes. It is important to talk about what happened to Lacy, but the more important story should be who Kyren Lacy really was. 

As Theard said, “Kyren Lacy was kindness in motion. Remember him that way and let the truth at last find its light.”

McGill, News, SSMU

SSMU LC discusses gender-affirming care insurance, new VP hires, and Fall Referendum

by Devdas Hind on

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The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Legislative Council held its fourth meeting of the semester on Oct. 23, with 25 members present.

After the Steering Committee briefly presented a report, SSMU Black Affairs Commissioner Kendra-Ann Haynes gave a presentation. Haynes stated that the Black Affairs Committee is interested in opening a chapter for Black Future Lawyers and expanding the Black Equity Fund to post-graduate students at McGill. 

Next was a presentation from Chief Officer Mike Lee of SSMU Elections. He outlined strategies to increase voter turnout for the upcoming Fall Referendum, including a raffle, flyers, and a stronger social media presence.

“People do vote [when] they feel related to a topic [and] when they feel that things are related to them,” Lee said. 

The Conference on Diversity in Engineering (CDE) then presented its request for $25,000 CAD from the SSMU Campus Life Fund to balance its budget. The CDE’s Co-Chair Claire Levasseur stated that sponsors are especially difficult to find this year.

“Three out of the four major [engineering] conferences are being held in Quebec [in 2025], [so] we are all going for the same resources, which has been extremely difficult,” Levasseur reported.

After a unanimous vote in the CDE’s favour, the LC approved the CDE’s request for funding.   

SSMU President Dymetri Taylor then gave an Executive Committee report. Among other things, President Taylor noted that the implementation of a new gender-affirming care student insurance model will be pushed back from the beginning of the Winter 2026 semester to the Fall 2026 semester. 

“McGill required roughly six months’ notice to provide information of a secure nature to third parties, [which] is then pushing back implementation of gender-affirming care,” Taylor clarified.

The new hires to the SSMU Vice-President (VP) Finance and VP Internal Affairs positions were next presented to the LC. VP Finance Jean-Sébastien Léger and VP Internal Minaal Mirza both began their roles on Oct. 20.

The Executive Reports continued with SSMU VP External Affairs Seraphina Crema-Black confirming that she will be hosting a Montreal municipal election debate on Oct. 27 in the SSMU ballroom, with confirmed participation from Transition Montréal, Projet Montréal, Futur Montréal, and Ensemble Montréal. The debate will be moderated by McGill’s Associate Provost Angela Campbell. Crema-Black emphasized that there is a form where students can submit their questions for candidates as well.

After Crema-Black spoke, the Medical Students’ Society (MSS) of McGill presented a report. Among other things, MSS SSMU Representative Ling He announced that an emergency MSS General Assembly would be held on Oct. 26 regarding the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec (FMSQ) and Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec (FMOQ) strikes.  

The LC concluded by handling a series of motions. Notably, the Council voted unanimously to add Crema-Black and SSMU VP University Affairs Susan Aloudat to the SSMU Board of Directors. 

Moment of the meeting: Chief Officer Lee warned that the consequences of not reaching a quorum of 15 per cent during the Fall Referendum means none of the campaigns on the ballot will move forward. 

Soundbite: “We’re [trying] to e-mail professors of large courses for them to remind students [to vote], [while] identifying faculties and programs with the lowest voter turnouts [to] see how we can make sure the target groups can increase their voting.”—Lee on additional strategies SSMU is undertaking to help reach quorum

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