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McGill, News

Black Students’ Network holds first-ever ‘Black Grad’

by Abeer Almahdi on

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On May 29, the Black Students’ Network of McGill (BSN) hosted their first annual Black Graduation ceremony. Held in collaboration with the McGill Black Alumni Association (MBAA), the Joint Board-Senate Committee on Equity (JBSCE), and the Subcommittee on Racialized and Ethnic Persons (REP), the event aimed to foster community and celebrate the achievements of Black graduates. In addition to the ceremony, the BSN launched a Seeds of Change campaign to aid in current and future commemoration ceremonies. At the ceremony, Christelle Tessono, U3 Arts and outgoing President of BSN, explained the role of Black Grad in supporting Black achievements.

“The purpose of Black Grad is to celebrate historical, but also contemporary achievements from Black students,” Tessono said. “We really want to emphasize that we have a long history at McGill. […We want] to assert our space on campus […and] we believe in the celebration of [Black] successes and our history.”

Other universities in Canada, like the University of Toronto (U of T), hold similar Black graduation celebrations. U of T held its first Black graduation ceremony in June 2017, following the example of Harvard University and others in the United States. When Tessono came to McGill, she did not find the same type of ceremony on campus, prompting her to use her platform as BSN President to organize the event.

“Black Grad is a testimonial to and recognition of these struggles as well as a celebration of these graduates who have, against all odds, not only surmounted these obstacles, but now are ready to lead and inspire others,” a statement from the BSN read.

Some have expressed disdain toward similar ceremonies at Harvard and U of T via social media, stating that they are too exclusive. Tessono expressed how Black Grad is not restrictive nor a form of segregation, but instead a public and inclusive celebration of Black legacies at McGill.

“[Black Grad] is not a seperate celebration,” Tessono said. “It is [in addition] to the events happening at convocation [….] We are not trying to separate ourselves, we are celebrating and commemorating our history.”

The graduation celebration included speeches from Christelle Dosa, the president of the MBAA; and Heldden Byumvuhore, community organizer at Project Genesis. Dr. Adelle Blackett, professor of law and McGill Canada research chair in transnational labour law and development, delivered a speech and introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. Dorothy Williams, PhD’16; Dr. Williams is a historian and educator specializing in Black Canadian history. Brittany Williams, BCL/LLB ‘19 and class valedictorian, also addressed the crowd.

During the ceremony, the BSN announced that Andreann Asibey, BA ’19, and former Student’s Society of McGill University (SSMU) Equity Commissioner, former BSN President (2017-2018), and outgoing McGill African Students’ Society (MASS) President, would be the inaugural recipient of the Mariame Kaba Prize in Leadership & Community Service. The award honours Mariame Kaba, a McGill University graduate, educator, activist and founder of multiple organizations like Project NIA, Chicago Freedom School, and Chicago Taskforce on Violence Against Girls and Young Women. Recipient of this award receive a minimum of $1,000 in recognition of their commitment to community service. Mohammed Odusanya, U3 Arts and outgoing Advocacy Coordinator at the BSN, expressed the importance of creating space to honor Black students and their achievements.

“We wanted to celebrate the accomplishments of Black students,” Odusanya said. “[…] The reason why we felt like it was important to highlight, because, at convocation […] you don’t always see [accomplishments] like social justice commitments or [community building] being awarded or celebrated by any academic institution.”

With McGill’s bicentennial celebration next year, Tessono believes that McGill should prioritize commemorations of Black history, and to address the systemic factors which may limit the enrolment and success of Black communities at McGill, to improve for the future. Additionally, Tessono explains that Montreal’s Black communities are not adequately represented at McGill.

“[McGill’s bicentennial] is a great opportunity to start [putting Black students] on the agenda,” Tessono said. “[McGill should] collect data on the number of Black students they have [….] We want more scholarships, more community involvement, [and] more enrolment from Black students at McGill, even from Montreal.”

Arts & Entertainment, Music

‘Sunday Service’ is a sonic delight crippled by contradiction

by Charlie Mascia on

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At 9:00 a.m. on the morning of Easter Sunday, Kanye West led the first public ‘Sunday Service‘ from atop a grassy hill at Coachella. This unconventional, but overtly Christian take on Easter was not the artist’s foray into the spiritual: Accessible only to those on a Hollywood guest list, weekly ‘Services’ in which Kanye, a full band, and The Samples Choir perform renditions of gospel classics and the artist’s hits started in early 2019. The spiritual content of the show suggests that Kanye might be attempting to incorporate a new humility into his work. However, Kanye has inextricably tied this project to a cultish worship of himself. Although sonically convincing, the performance only further highlighted Kanye’s narcissism—Sunday Service seems to indicate that Kanye wants his audience to be fulfilled by his own spiritual fulfillment. In this way, Kanye’s musical worship is really a worship of Kanye.

The music itself, if temporarily removed from its chief orchestrator, was funky and mesmerizing. The sounds jumped from restrained harp sequences to the vocal drama of gospel, and even to the wavy vibes of soulful house. Such a combination—sometimes astro-jazz tangents, sometimes rap—may be Kanye suggesting a vastness of spiritual potential in all music. This eclectic medley composed a musical feast that evades easy characterization. The sound was experimental and playful, recalling Sun Ra’s Arkestra or The Orb. Kanye’s debut of the song ‘Water’ was feeble and shaky, especially when compared to a powerful rendition of ‘Family Feud,’ which segued into gospel collective in ‘Otis.’ But, the music, however enthralling, is besmirched by its conductor.

At the top of the hill, Kanye seemed to stylistically project himself onto the performers below him: Each musician and dancer wore a uniform of Yeezy-branded mauve sweat-poncho and track pants. Far below and corralled behind gates, spectators gazed up at the hill as if they were intruding upon some sort of otherworldly seance. The fact that Kanye’s performance took place atop a mountain, out of spectators’ reach, quickly sullied any notions that this was not an exclusive event. The show climaxed with Kanye openly crying in rapture and then crouching before his disciples in silent prayer for several minutes.

This scene represents the degree to which spirituality at ‘Sunday Service’ is not something for the audience to tap into or an end found through the music, but rather a product to consume itself. Such physical and theatrical displays of faith, although perhaps genuine, serve only to commodify and create a spectacle of the very spirituality that Kanye attempts to make accessible through music. This most literally manifested in Kanye’s ‘Church Clothes’ line of merchandise for sale at the show including a sweatshirt with the words ‘Holy Spirit’ on its chest.

The entire event was streamed through a circular peephole lens, which is indicative of the degree to which the audience was meant to be peering in on Kanye’s religious experience from the outside; it was as if he merely granted rights to a sneak-peek, looking through a keyhole but without a key, at his relationship with God. Kanye, who has both titled an album ‘Yeezus’ (splicing his name with Jesus’s) and choreographed this quasi-Christian ceremony, seems unsure about whether he wants to be a god or venerate one. His act seeks the establishment of a new Church of Kanye in which congregants are expected to prostrate before Kanye’s spirituality rather than experience their own. His display of self-worship, although not hard on the ears, further muddies Kanye’s creative genius with narcissism.

Soccer, Sports

2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup preview

by Shaun Lalani on

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With the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup beginning today with a match between France and South Korea, the McGill Tribune breaks down the 24 competing teams and predicts how successful each will be at this year’s tournament.

Group A

France (FIFA Ranking: 4)

The success of the men’s team in Russia and four consecutive quarterfinal exits in previous major tournaments places immense pressure on host-nation France. Veteran defender Wendie Renard and superstar forward Eugenie le Sommer—both of Champions League title-holder Lyon—are the core of the experienced French side. Led by  2015 Ballon d’Argent winner Amandine Henry, the, les bleues are on a hot streak, with ten wins in their last 11 games. A potential heavyweight clash with the United States in the quarterfinals may be the only thing separating France from the final.

Prediction: Final

Korea Republic (14)

Korea recorded their first win and knockout-stage qualification at the 2015 World Cup. This year, captain Ji So-yun, a two-time Football Association Challenge Cup winner, leads their efforts with her magnetic ball control and precise passing. With an lockdown defence that didn’t concede a single goal in qualification, the Taegeuk might just make it out of Group A.

Prediction: Round of 16

Nigeria (38)

The Super Falcons qualified for the World Cup by winning the Africa Women Cup of Nations for the ninth time. They have yet to miss a single edition of the World Cup; however, they have only advanced past the group stage once, with a quarterfinal exit in 1999. Nigeria’s greatest asset is 24–year-old forward Asisat Oshoala, who led Barcelona to the UEFA Champions League Final this year. Even with Oshoala, Nigeria are the weakest member of the group and remains unlikely to make it past the group stage.

Prediction: Group Stage

Norway (12)

Much of Norway’s qualification bid was surrounded by controversy with Ballon d’Or fémin holder Ada Hegerberg. Following a disastrous Euro 2017 campaign, Hegerberg accused the Norway Football Association of neglecting the women’s sport and quit her position alleging unfair pay and coaching. Hegerberg, who has scored a mind-boggling 255 goals in 254 career appearances, was Norway’s ticket to the top, and her absence will be detrimental. There is still hope for the country though: The Norway FA announced equal pay cheques earlier this year, and the national team enjoyed a spotless qualification campaign. Norway may have a significant mountain to climb, but it is too early to count them out.

Prediction: Round of 16

Group B

Germany (2)

German head coach Martina Voss-Tecklenburg faces the tough task of leading a team in transition. She has only had four friendlies to prepare her squad, after taking over as the head coach only months ago. But, with experienced players like Lyon midfielder Dzsenifer Marozsán, the 2019 French Player of the Season, and forward Alexandra Popp, the Germans are still a threat to win. A poor showing at the SheBelieves Cup suggests a lack of consistency in performance, but, if the two-time champions can shake off the dust, they may be able to add a third title to their collection.

Bonus: This advertisement addresses gender inequality by the German National team.

Prediction: Final

China (16)

Captain Wang Shuang has enjoyed a successful year with Paris Saint-Germain in the Division 1 Féminine, strong play that she hopes to continue in the World Cup. Alongside her is forward Wang Shanshan, who famously scored nine goals against Tajikistan in the 2018 Asian Games. Together, the two are good enough to make any defence shake in their cleats and will look to be a disruptive force in the tournament.

Prediction: Round of 16

Spain (13)

After their infamous World Cup debut in 2015, where players actively rebelled against their former coach Ignacio Quereda, the Spanish squad has found some stability under the new leadership ofJorge Vilda. However, the team risks becoming complacent, as the bulk of the team is composed of stars who do not face much competition in the domestic league. Leading up to the tournament, they have committed basic defensive errors and been unable to break down deep-seated defences. The Spanish side will need a true team effort to carry them into the Round of 16.

Prediction: Round of 16

South Africa (49)  

In their first-ever World Cup appearance, South Africa will be hoping to steal hearts with their impressive attacking play and passionate fanbase. The Banyana-Banyana are coached by the legendary Desiree Ellis, who has been part of the national team since her 1993 debut as a midfielder. Furthermore, captain Janine van Wyk, who has more caps than any other South African soccer player, will bring their invaluable experience to the team. However, the team has had a rough record against non-African opposition and may struggle to make an impact.

Prediction: Group Stage

Group C

Italy (15)

While the men’s game has been plagued with low attendance and failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, women’s soccer has reached new heights in Italy. Le Azzurre qualified for their first World Cup in 20 years and set a record for attendance in women’s Italian football with 39,027 fans at the Women’s Series A game between Juventus and Fiorentina. Milena Bertolini’s squad marks the beginning of a new generation of Italian soccer, moving away from the hallmarks of outdated Catenaccio football in favour of a brand of fast-paced, attacking play.

Prediction: Quarterfinals

Brazil (10)

If their recent run is any indication, Brazil fans should be worried. The aging squad has been struggling, winning only one out of 11 games since April 2018. The only source of inspiration, perhaps, is legendary Brazilian forward Marta Vieira da Silva, who will be attending her seventh World Cup. Still regarded as the world’s best player at 33, her presence may invigorate the troops in the tournament’s later stages.

Prediction: Round of 16

Australia (6)

Long regarded as the sleeping giant of women’s soccer, the Matildas have finally come into their own. Led by the phenomenal Samantha Kerr, who won her second consecutive National Women’s Soccer League Golden Boot this year, the Australian team are the dark horse of this tournament. The team has found a solution to their defensive frailties in the form of teenager Ellie Carpenter, and head-coach Ante Milicic’s bold implementation of a Gegenpress-like style has worked well for this tight-knit squad.

Prediction: Quarterfinals

Jamaica (53)

Jamaica made history this year by becoming the first Caribbean team to qualify for the World Cup. This is especially impressive after the team was completely defunded in 2016. Superstar striker Khadija Shaw hopes to make an impact after becoming the country’s all-time top goal-scorer at only 22 years old. The Reggae Girlz play an exciting brand of football and could cause a few upsets.

Prediction: Group Stage

Group D

England (3)

When Phil Neville heads to France this summer, he will take one of England’s most experienced squads in the last decade with him. His team plays a cagey, possession-based model that could bring the best out of Chelsea number 10 Fran Kirby. Striker Nikita Parris will also be expected to provide scoring after netting 19 goals in the Women’s Super League 1 this year. With semifinal finishes in the last two major tournaments, expectations are high for the English side.

Prediction: Semifinals

Scotland (20)

Fans will be in for a treat as football’s oldest rivalry comes to life on the world stage. The Scotts have been with coach Shelly Kerr since 2017 and have finally qualified for their first-ever World Cup. A convincing victory against Argentina may be enough to secure the third-place qualification spot.

Prediction: Round of 16

Argentina (37)

The past decade has been harsh for Argentine football, having lost every final in which they have appeared. Unfortunately, this trend doesn’t look likely to change any time soon, as the Albicelestes face a tough group. The squad lacks star names, with the exception of forward Estefanía Banini, and are unlikely to advance beyond the group stage.

Prediction: Group Stage

Japan (7)

Football in Japan took off when,  the women’s team became a symbol of recovery for the tsunami-devastated country by winning the World Cup in 2011. The youngsters from that miracle team now form the backbone of this 2019 squad. Lyon star Saki Kumagai and veteran Aya Sameshima are the leaders of a rigid defence, which will be required to hold off a strong English attack.

Prediction: Round of 16

Group E

Netherlands (8)

The Dutch have been in top form since the last World Cup, even lifting the Euro 2017 title on the way, where Lieke Martens won the Golden Ball. The Oranje Leeuwinnen also have another superstar in Euro 2017 Silver Boot recipient Vivianne Miedema, a ferocious goalscorer who had an astonishing 57 goals in 74 appearances for the national side. A 3–0 thrashing of the Matildas will see them arrive in good condition, setting up an exciting battle with Canada for the group’s top spot.

Prediction: Quarterfinals

Canada (5)

Despite not having a professional women’s league, Canada are a symbol of hard work and passion in the footballing world. An experienced team with a fierce attack and resolute defence, the Cup’s 2015 hosts will pose a challenge to any team they meet. Captain Christine Sinclair and midfielders Desiree Scott and Sophie Schmidt, who share an astounding 608 caps between the three of them, will be expected to take the team deep into the tournament.

Prediction: Semifinals

New Zealand (19)

No New Zealand team has ever won a game on the international stage, and coach Tom Sermanni hopes to change that. Earlier this year, he convinced captain Abby Erceg to come out of retirement after she quit the squad citing unfair treatment. Her return may be enough to push the Ferns into the third-place qualification spot.

Prediction: Group Stage

Cameroon (46)

Cameroon shocked the world by qualifying for the knockout round in 2015. If they are to stand a chance of repeating this feat, Cameroon will rely on defeating New Zealand.

Prediction: Group Stage

Group F

Sweden (9)

Sweden will clash with their rival Americans after being placed in the same World Cup group for the fifth time. Striker Kosovare Asllani, often compared to Swedish legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic for her technique and Balkan heritage, will play a vital role in the team’s strategy. Sweden also has one of the world’s finest goalkeeper’s in Hedvig Lindahl, who impressed between the sticks this season, conceding only 14 goals in 20 games.

Prediction: Round of 16

United States (1)

As the undisputed number one seed, expectations are high for the defending champions, who will look to add to their record five titles. While a second-place finish in the 2019 SheBelieves Cup raised some eyebrows, the world’s preeminent team has addressed those doubts by scoring a spectacular 17 goals while conceding none in a four-game run-up to the World Cup. The legendary Carli Lloyd, along with world class Alex Morgan, will be expected to provide valuable experience. Alyssa Naeher, who is replacing longtime keeper Hope Solo, will be supported by a defence that has kept 17 clean sheets in 24 games. With an easy group to start off, the United States are here for the long haul.

Prediction: Final

Chile (39)

Chile’s qualification to the World Cup was a true underdog story: Having not played a single game between 2014 and May 2017, they qualified by finishing second in the Copa America Femenina 2018. Captain and Paris Saint-Germain keeper Christiane Endler will be important to Chile’s defensive playstyle and a key factor if Chile are to pick up their first points at a World Cup this year.

Prediction: Group Stage

Thailand (34)

Thailand qualified for the World Cup by winning the ASEAN Football Federation, outscoring opponents 37–5 in the process. However, they are unlikely to survive a tough group stage and will look to gain valuable experience at their second appearance on the world stage, rather than win.

Prediction: Group Stage

UCL Final
Soccer, Sports

2019 UCL Final Preview

by Theo Farineau on

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The Tottenham Hotspur will face the Liverpool Reds in the Union of European Football Associations’s Champions League (UCL) final match at 3:00pm June 1. Often considered the most important club game of the year, the final will take place in Wanda Metropolitano stadium.

This year’s edition of the UCL has been surprising, to say the least. Some favourites, including Paris Saint-Germain, were knocked out in the early stages of the competition, while three-time reigning champion Real Madrid was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Ajax Amsterdam. The path to triumph for FC Barcelona, led by star Lionel Messi, seemed wide open until a second-leg home victory for Liverpool in the semifinal saw them knocked out of the tournament. Liverpool and Tottenham, both contenders in the English Premier League, rallied all tournament long, seeking to reestablish their English Premier League reputation as best in the world. The guarantee of an English team winning is finally ending Spain’s hegemony over the UCL, which has been won by either Real Madrid or FC Barcelona for the last five years.

Liverpool, after losing 3–0 in the first leg of the semifinals at Barcelona’s Camp Nou, pulled off an incredible comeback against the five-time UCL champions. In their legendary Anfield stadium, Liverpool shocked the world with a 4-0 comeback, earning their ticket to the final in Spain. After losing the UCL finals last year, the Reds, led by captain Virgil Van Dijk and star player Mohamed Salah, will look to add another trophy to their already-rich collection of five.

Tottenham comes as somewhat of a surprise to this year’s competition. The Londoners defeated Ajax Amsterdam, another unexpected semi-final attendee, in an astonishing fashion: After winning the first leg 1-0 in England, the Dutch went up 2-0 before halftime. However, the Spurs were able to bridge the gap before the 90 minutes were up. Brazilian winger Lucas Moura then dashed Ajax’s hopes by scoring the winning goal at the very last minute, qualifying Tottenham side for its first UCL final ever.

Liverpool is generally regarded as the favourite to win this game, as manager Jurgen Klopp has already competed twice at this stage of the competition, and is leading a squad to which most of last year’s finalists have returned. However, the Spurs, coached by Mauricio Pochettino, can draw inspiration from their thrilling quarterfinal win over 2019 Premier League Champions Manchester City, where they won based on the away goal rule. There will also be an interesting matchup in the nets: Liverpool’s Allison Becker won the Golden Glove of the Premier League, though Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris is more experienced on major stages such as the World Cup final, which he won with the French national team last summer.

The UCL final will not be the last occasion for soccer fans to enjoy the sport this season, as the Women’s World Cup will begin June 7 in France.

Basketball, Sports

Kawhi rewrites Canadian basketball history

by Gabe Nisker on

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Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard leaned forward and crouched: His shot over Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid hit the front of the rim and bounced up. The ball came back down and bounced off the rim again, over to the other side. It hit the rim twice more before it went in. As his teammates swarmed him, Leonard screamed, and so did the nation.

According to an analysis from Second Spectrum that accounts for shot difficulty, length, and defence, Leonard’s attempt had a 32.1 per cent chance of going in if an average player was taking the shot. While Leonard is no average player, Raptors fans still weren’t counting on a shot of that magnitude—a buzzer-beating Game 7 winner. The image of a shot like that one not falling in favour of the Raptors is part of their narrative, which is one of bad luck: When something could bounce the Raptors’ way, it usually doesn’t.

The 2017–18 NBA playoffs, in which Toronto earned home-court advantage throughout, ended in a four-game second-round sweep to the fourth-seed Cleveland Cavaliers. In Game 1 of that series, the Raptors could not convert on several close-range attempts to win the game. In Game 3, LeBron James hit a difficult shot at the buzzer over outstretched rookie forward OG Anunoby to seal the Cleveland victory. These images sear themselves into a fan’s memory, where they remain until replaced by ones like Leonard’s game-winning shot.

Within a single frame of the last 4.2 seconds of the Raptors’ Game 7 win, there are reactions aplenty. Grimaces and tears, smiles and sadness. Toronto-born rapper Drake, noticeably absent from his sideline seat in Scotiabank Arena, commented that he felt he should drop a freestyle just to use the photo of Leonard and the bench waiting for the shot to fall in as album artwork.

5.8 million Canadian viewers tuned in to watch this monumental game, which set records for a basketball game in the country at the time. Throughout the game, Raptors announcers Matt Devlin and Leo Rautins repeatedly drew parallels to another Game 7 against Philadelphia, in 2001. At that game, with the Raptors down one point, Vince Carter missed his attempt to win the series for Toronto at the buzzer.

“2001, it didn’t fall for Vince,” Raptors guard Kyle Lowry told Sportsnet’s Eric Smith directly after the May 12 victory. “2019, it fell for Kawhi.”

With the Raptors moving onto the Eastern Conference Finals on such an incredible shot, fans could finally shed their anxieties and fears after years of postseason disappointments. Leonard’s shot rattled in and Toronto had its moment, a moment they could uniquely call their own. This was the first buzzer-beater to win a decisive Game 7. The Raptors now stand alone in the basketball record books.

There would be no more losses at the hands of LeBron James or jump-shots that hit the rim but don’t go in the net. Leonard ended that era and opens a new one for the franchise: A new chapter of optimism has begun.

Leonard’s success brings the Vince Carter story full-circle. Over the years, Carter’s impact on Canadian basketball has become clear. Hamilton filmmaker Sean Menard directed a documentary titled The Carter Effect in 2017, showing how Carter inspired the next generation of young Canadian athletes. Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson and Indiana Pacers guard Cory Joseph, both Toronto natives, told Menard about the value of having a superstar athlete perform at the highest level so close to home. But Carter, for all his athleticism and highlight-reel dunks, missed that big playoff shot. Leonard didn’t.

Six games have passed since Leonard’s shot, and plenty more Leonard plays have helped the Raptors advance to their first-ever NBA Finals. With Game 1 set for May 30, excitement for basketball in and around Toronto is at an all-time high. This moment brought current fans out of their seats, and to tears, and helped make new fans along the way. Toronto has not yet had a player like Kawhi Leonard or a team like these Raptors—and now the city will be screaming with him and his team every chance they get.

Soccer, Sports

2018-19 UEFA Europa League final preview

by Mariam Salaymeh on

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In September 2017 Baku, Azerbaijan won the bid to host the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Europa League’s final match in the city’s Olympic Stadium. The all-British final between Arsenal and Chelsea is set to take place May 29.

The site of this match-up is already a source of controversy. Both teams’ home stadiums are in London, a mere 10 kilometres apart. Holding the match in Baku requires devoted fans to travel over 4,500 kilometres to support their sides. This location has affected ticket sales. Arsenal and Chelsea expressed concern about the small number of tickets UEFA allocated to them for sale to fans—12,000 out of 70,000 seats total. However, with only 6,000 tickets purchased, the remaining half of the 12,000 tickets allocated to the London teams remain unsold. The cost of travel seems to be a major deterrent for fans to attend the match.

“We are really sorry for the problems [Arsenal and Chelsea’s] fans are encountering [in] trying to organise their journey to Baku,” the UEFA’s executive committee said in a recent statement. “Our experts are keenly working on this matter with a view to help find cheaper solutions for travelling fans.”

Regional politics has also had an impact on attendance by both fans and players. A territorial dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia has raised issues for Arsenal’s Armenian midfielder, Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Mkhitaryan, despite having been assured safe entry into Azerbaijan by both the UEFA and Azerbaijan Football Association (AFFA), has decided not to attend the match. Several Arsenal fans with dual Armenian and British citizenship also had their visa applications denied. Arsenal reportedly brought this issue to the attention of UEFA.

The Arsenal and Chelsea rivalry is a historic London matchup between two consistent contenders for the Premier League title. In their most recent encounter, in January 2019, Arsenal defeated Chelsea 2–0. Arsenal finished the 2018-19 season fifth in the Premier League, while Chelsea finished third. This will be the 198th competitive meeting between the London clubs, with a record of 76 Arsenal wins, 63 Chelsea wins, and 58 draws. Many are predicting a Chelsea victory this year based on the club’s higher standing in the Premier League and a strong offense led by Belgian international, Eden Hazard. Arsenal’s offense has, however, also been in good form at the end of the Premier League season, with forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang winning the golden boot. This will not be an easy match for Chelsea defenders. Arsenal’s defense will have to recover from the slump they faced toward the end of this season if they hope to prevent a Chelsea victory.

 To qualify for the Europa League final, Arsenal defeated Valencia CF in the semifinal round, while Chelsea prevailed over Eintracht Frankfurt. Despite their fluctuating performance at the beginning of the tournament, Arsenal has remained dominant in their games since the quarterfinal round, where they kept a clean sheet against Napoli. While Chelsea had a strong round of 16, defeating Dynamo Kyiv with an 8-0 aggregate, their momentum slowed in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. A penalty shootout against Eintracht Frankfurt in the semifinals ultimately sent them through to Baku.

In January, Arsenal’s Czech goalkeeper Petr Cech announced that he planned to retire from professional soccer at the end of the season. Cech played for Chelsea from 2004 to 2015, winning 13 major trophies, before signing with Arsenal in June 2015 and winning the Football Association Challenge (FA) Cup with the Gunners in 2017.

Along with being crowned Europa League champions, the winner of this game will be entered into the UEFA Supercup, where they will face the Champions League winner, and will be guaranteed a spot in next year’s Champions League tournament.

Museum-goers baffled by Malevich’s “Black Square.” (www.sergeev.com)
Out on the Town, Student Life

Museums Day 2019: Storytellers, artisans, and conceptual art on display

by Emily Yun on

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On May 26, Montreal residents and visitors will have the opportunity to take advantage of the city’s 33rd annual Museums Day by visiting any of the 30 participating institutions for free. Organized by Musées Montréal, the diverse and colourful program showcases Montreal’s cultural vitality and features international artists and performers. Though many of the museums are located in the downtown area or Old Port, there are free shuttles and Bixi bicycles available to facilitate transportation between museums. Rather than returning to repetitious, old haunts such as the Biodome or the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, here are a few lesser-known options to consider, ranging from historical sites to performance artworks.

Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex

Image result for pointe-à-callière museum(pacmusee.qc.ca)

Located on the site where Montreal was founded, Pointe-à-Callière features remarkable architectural ruins from the city’s past. The complex presents an archaeological history of Montreal:  Walking over the glass floor in the permanent exhibition Where Montreal Began, visitors can view the remains of Fort Ville-Marie below. Additionally, the multimedia show Generations MTL provides visitors with an immersive sound and visual experience while watching a captivating narrative of the centuries of borrowing and exchanges that helped forge Montreal into the hub at the crossroads of Europe and North America.

Musée des maîtres et artisans du Québec

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(musees.qc.ca)

For a more hands-on museum experience, students should visit the Musée des maîtres et artisans du Québec. Crafting workshops afford the opportunity to create bent metal medallions and traditional woven fléché wristbands. The museum currently features two temporary exhibitions in collaboration with Festival Accès Asie, an Asian art festival: Exil – Peuples d’ici et d’ailleurs and Bridges of Hope. In Exil, artists of diverse cultural backgrounds explore the theme of exile as transition and change through different mediums such as installations, sculptures, drawings, and photographs. Meanwhile, Bridges of Hope features South Asian artists who examine the same these, but in the context of diaspora through visual works.

Fondation Phi pour l’art contemporain

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(musees.qc.ca)

Housed in two restored heritage buildings in Old Port, the Fondation Phi pour l’art contemporain is a must-visit for contemporary art lovers. ThoMusée des Hospitalières de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Montréalugh international in scope, its programming, events, and exhibitions work to respond to local contexts, as seen in their current featured exhibit, Yoko Ono’s GROWING FREEDOM. The exhibit is composed of two parts: The instructions of Yoko Ono, which puts visitors in the role of  helping to complete the conceptual works on display, and The art of John and Yoko, which presents collaborative projects undertaken by the pair during the former’s life, including the infamous bed-in at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. As a Museums Day exclusive, EMDE, a Malian musician and descendent of the Bwa people, will perform Mandingo-blues style music infused with jazz, funk, and reggae accents.

Musée des Hospitalières de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal

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(ledevoir.com)

To explore the history of the city’s first hospital, spend some time at the Musée des Hospitalières de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal. The museum presents a rich heritage of care and compassion, ranging from exhibitions on the evolution of medicine to stories of Hospitallers’ work in health crises that struck Montreal in the past. A special exhibition, Jeanne Mance (1606-1673) From France to New France, focuses on the life of Jeanne Mance, Canada’s first lay nurse and founder of the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal. Jeanne Mance sought out donations for the hospital, recruited nurses from France to help care for patients, and was the hospital’s administrator until her death. Two guided tours of the Jeanne Mance exhibition will be offered on Museums Day.

Commentary, Opinion

Bill 21 promotes hatred, not secularism

by Kennedy McKee-Braide on

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Organized by a collective called “Coalition Inclusion Quebec,” over 400 people took part in the latest of many recent protests against the highly controversial Bill 21 on May 5. Those present at the demonstration linked arms around Montreal’s courthouse to demonstrate their opposition to the bill. Introduced by the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) earlier this year, Bill 21 claims to promote secularism by prohibiting public employees from wearing religious garments and symbols, such as hijabs, kippahs, and turbans. Instead of fighting against it, the proposed legislation sets a dangerous precedent that normalizes hate and underscores the need to actively oppose discrimination.

Much of the discussion about the bill has revolved around its legality and political significance in the province and the country as a whole. However, when discussing the bill and its implications, it is important to remember that this is not merely a legal or political issue. Since this bill predominantly affects those who practice specific religions, namely Islam, Judaism, and Sikhism, those unaffected have a greater responsibility to understand its implications. Bill 21 would impact real Quebecers who risk being forced to choose between their livelihood and the expression of their religious identity. State secularism should never impede on the rights of an individual to express their faith.

The indirect repercussions of Bill 21, regardless of whether or not it becomes law, are just as disturbing as its direct effects. The bill will continue to promote hate and division in Quebec, and, in fact, it already has: Justice Femme, a group that provides legal support to Quebec women, has received an influx of reports of acts of both verbal and physical hate toward Muslim women since the bill was tabled in March. While this could be attributed to unrelated factors such as an increase of reporting when such incidents occur, it is likely that the bill makes the expression of discriminatory and hateful beliefs seem acceptable. Violent acts like the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting and other hate crimes towards a wide range of religious groups have demonstrated the blatancy of Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, and xenophobia in Quebec. Bill 21 validates these dangerous prejudices instead of working against them.

It appears unlikely that the bill will affect the ability of McGill administrators, faculty, and staff to wear religious garments to work. However, this does not mean that Bill 21 will not affect our community, and it certainly does not mean that it is not our problem. McGill welcomes students from around the province, the country, and the world. For them, knowing that their identity is not accepted in their province has the potential to contribute to feelings of insecurity and unsafety that no one should have to experience simply for expressing their faith. Living inside of the ‘McGill bubble’ will not prevent our peers from experiencing hate crimes. The reality is that many students will feel even less safe when going about their daily lives should this bill become law.

Now more than ever, it is our responsibility to stand up against discrimination in Quebec. When it comes to a multitude of issues, such as climate change, young people have become increasingly tasked with mending the fractured world we live in, and this is no exception. Sadly, 18-to-24–year-olds are the only age group in Quebec that does not support the bill. Rather than sit back and watch as Bill 21 makes the province less safe, McGill students should make use of their anger and attend demonstrations, which are often publicized on Facebook. Students should write to members of the National Assembly, and confront acts of hate when they see them in public and online.

Sports

A new app to navigate Montreal’s recreational facilities

by Juliette Mamelonet-Régnier on

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Montreal is home to over 1,500 outdoor public sports parks. This number is surprising, mostly because all of the opportunities advertised online narrow to expensive city clubs’ websites. Finding a place to practice one’s favourite sports is quite difficult, especially for students looking to participate in activities beyond what the McGill Gym offers. And for those lucky enough to find one next door, there is a lack of resources to provide patrons with information such as who can practice there and what equipment is available for use.

In turn, Aloïs Griffon-Monnet, a former Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) student and avid sportsman, created a mobile app, SecondBreath, to remedy the situation. SecondBreath will offer users the ability to locate Montreal’s many outdoor public sports facilities through an interactive map. The app will also display a given facility’s relevant information: Opening hours, fees, what sports can be practiced there, the type of surface (sand, grass, concrete, clay), and whether there are lights available for night use. Users will be able to view pictures of the facilities and rate the quality of any facility they’ve visited, and, through an interactive map, they can see the number of persons that are currently playing at a given location. Additionally, ‘check in’ and ‘check out’ options give friends the opportunity to invite each other to work out together. With such a function, SecondBreath will act as a social platform as well as a searching and rating mechanism for sports facilities around the city.

Griffon-Monnet hopes that the app will encourage people from different backgrounds and athletic levels to be more active.

“What is amazing with sports is that you get to meet people from different backgrounds and ages,” Griffon-Monnet said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “My best friends are between 21 and 32 years old, and I am 24. They are engineers, chemists, McGill, and HEC [Montréal] students [.…] I would have never crossed their paths if it wasn’t for sports.”

Further, many have found that engaging in athletic activities with other people can be beneficial beyond just their physical health. Given the incredible pressure that they are under, students often feel isolated and distressed. With SecondBreath, Griffon-Monnet hopes to provide people with an outlet to relieve such feelings. He believes that, through sports, participants can build healthy friendships which will help them cope with anxiety, stress, and loneliness.

“Practicing a [team] sport is not merely about meeting new, random people,” Griffon-Monnet said. “It is about feeling a sense of belonging. People who play together share something. They create a bond. They have the same passion, and, above all, have the same fair-play mentality.”

With summer quickly approaching, students who are staying in Montreal can try out Griffon-Monnet’s app whether they are looking to play pick-up with their friends, find a new sports facility, or just meet people who share a love for a game.  

SecondBreath will be launched in the summer of 2019.

Campus Spotlight, Student Life

A passion for publishing

by Vanessa Barron on

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McGill’s undergraduate journals provide a platform for students and aspiring scholars to collect and share academic writing on topics that they are passionate about. The McGill Tribune has compiled a list of featured journals at McGill that publish new and innovative research.

The Biannual Online-Journal of Springsteen Studies (BOSS)

Founded in 2014 by Jonathan D. Cohen, who was finishing his undergraduate degree in history at the time, BOSS publishes peer-reviewed essays on the work of Bruce Springsteen. The content is multi-disciplinary, covering everything from lyrical analysis to surveys of his devoted fanbase; contributors have backgrounds in academic fields such as literary and cultural studies, history, religious studies, and psychology. While the topic might seem niche to some, Cohen noted that BOSS’s open-access website attracts almost 18,000 readers a year.

“To me, the value of journals like this is expressed in the impact it has on its readers,” Cohen said. “Even though we’ve made his work into an academic study, Springsteen’s music reaches so many people that this journal is beyond the scope of just scholars. It’s for everybody.”

Article worth reading: “Another side of ‘Born in the U.S.A.’: Form, Paradox, and Rhetorical Indirection” by Jason Schneider provides a fascinating look into the complexities of patriotism, critiques of the United States, and the rhetoric in Springsteen’s hit song.

CuiZine: The Journal of Canadian Food Culture

This journal explores all aspects of Canadian cuisine through analytical articles, poetry, and visual art. From poutine in Quebec to seal in Nunavut, CuiZine regards Canadian food not as a static aspect of culture, but as a constantly evolving field. Additionally, CuiZine accepts creative submissions, including poetry and short stories on culinary culture. Through this diverse content, the journal shows that food can both connect and distinguish Canadians.

Article worth reading: “Poutine Dynamics” by Nicolas Fabien-Ouellet explores the stigma, adaptation, and social mobility of the classic Quebecois dish.

Montreal Architecture Review

Published annually since 2014, the Montreal Architecture Review offers a multidisciplinary approach to architecture. Its most recent issue focused the expression of ethical and spiritual ideals in architecture. By providing a historical and philosophical view on the concrete art of designing buildings, the journal makes connections between other fields of study, like literature and psychology.

Article worth reading: “That Dark Cabinet: Building the Morbid Anatomy Museum” by Robert Kirkbride recounts how the author conceived of the Morbid Anatomy Museum in Brooklyn, New York, with ample historical and art-historical research to help explain his design process.

Canadian Review of Art Education (CRAE)

For over 40 years, this annual journal has published articles and essays focused on art education. CRAE provides and analyzes research from scholars in the field of art education with accompanying visual artwork and poetry. According to Heather McLeod, the journal’s editor-in-chief, the publication is a platform for scholars from different disciplines to exchange ideas.

“The journal provides a place to communicate art education research on a national and international scale,” McLeod said. “While we focus primarily on academic research, in recent years our journal has taken a more interdisciplinary approach to show the connection between both the research and the art forms.”

Article worth reading: “Ekphrastic conversations: Writing Poems as Dialogues with Works of Art” by Amanda Gulla studies poetry written in response to celebrated works of art.

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