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Students stalked with scripted harassment around campus

by Ezra-Jean Taylor on

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In the past few weeks, McGill students have taken to social media to bring attention to recent incidents of harassment around campus. The issue has garnered attention from numerous media outlets, including CBC News, as well as prompted a university-wide email alert on Apr. 1.

Viveca Lee, U1 Science, was exiting the Eaton Centre when a man approached her and attempted to start a conversation with a barrage of personal questions. He asked about her home, her studies, and if he could buy her coffee. After she declined, he asked for her number so that they could meet another time.

“I left and just shrugged off what happened,” Lee said. “He made himself sound super sweet the whole time, so I thought maybe he was just desperate to get women, or maybe he was being genuine.”

However, a similar incident happened a few days later, when a different man approached her on the corner of Sherbrooke and University with the exact same set of questions.

“I gave [the second man] short, dry responses so that he would get the message and leave,” Lee said. “Eventually, I just stopped responding, and he kept silently walking beside me until I went inside Trottier.”

As more students disclosed their experiences over social media, it became clear that the two encounters were not isolated incidents, but part of a deliberate, targeted strategy. On March 29, Concordia University student Emma* posted a video on her Instagram account describing two incidents of harassment around Concordia’s campus. Her video reports two different men who approached her with the same scripted set of questions and aggressively pursued her. Afterwards, Emma felt obligated to share her experience.

“I understand feeling nervous about sharing any kind of experience online, let alone an experience with harassment,” Emma said. “However, it is important to acknowledge that, by sharing your stories with others, [you] could help make others feel comfortable enough to share their experiences as well.”

Emma’s video quickly gained over 156,000 views and was widely shared. Hundreds of women commented, describing similar experiences around Concordia’s campus and the Eaton Centre. Lee herself recognized the extent of the problem after seeing Emma’s post.

“As I was watching the video, I [thought], ‘This sounds exactly like what happened to me,’” Lee said. “Then, I read the replies she reposted from hundreds of women giving the same testimonies, and it was absolutely horrifying.”

The incidents originally seemed isolated to nearby Concordia’s downtown campus, but women are now reporting similar experiences in the McGill campus area. Alex, who wished to remain anonymous, was approached by a man with an Eastern-European accent in his mid-to-late 20s who was wearing a leather coat. After avoiding his attempts to start a conversation, she made sure to keep him in eyesight.

“He left, walking up University street,” Alex said. “But then I watched him turn left [onto] the path going to Otto Maass.”

A man fitting the same description was reported by a student near the McConnell Engineering building. After seeing a Facebook post about a suspicious man near Otto Maass, Lee reported the incident to Campus Security, who sent out patrollers to watch for the man and directed Lee toward the police.  

“The police told me there was nothing I could do,” Lee said. “They were not aware of how this has been happening to hundreds of women all over downtown.”

In addition to the notably high number of harassment complaints, students have reported that the nature of these harassments differentiates them from usual pick-up attempts. According to a student who chose to remain anonymous, the man who approached her while she walked through campus was very confrontational.

“It felt like a staged and generally strange encounter right away,” Sam said. “It didn’t feel like the typical scenario of a guy trying to pick up a girl. He was definitely not anywhere near my age. He could also tell by my body language that I was in a rush, but he kept being pushy about ‘getting to know me’ [….] When I learned the next day that this [had] been happening to many others, I realized my random encounter with this man wasn’t coincidental, and I realized why my gut feeling about this man was uneasy.”

The scripted dialogues, aggressive nature of the assailants, and similarities between the incidents have caused concerns that they could be tied to sex trafficking. According to the Service de Police de la Ville de Montreal (SPVM), traffickers often begin with non-violent, manipulative routines to establish a connection with potential victims.

According to McGill’s Interim Director of Internal Communications James Martin, the recent incidents are tied to the same person harassing women, likely while using a script.

“We have heard people speculate online about human trafficking,” Martin said. “But we have spoken to Montreal police and they report no issues of human trafficking, kidnapping, or missing persons related to this kind of activity on the island of Montreal.”

Campus Security started receiving reports of similar cases of harassment on March 30. Since then, they have received direct reports from five individuals who have experienced harassment and two reports of second-hand accounts.

Eighteen individuals who responded to a survey conducted by The McGill Tribune reported having experienced harassment on campus. Three distinct perpetrators were described in the survey responses, though the dialogue the respondents described have similarities across all accounts. Nine respondents from the survey suggested that McGill should place more security personnel around campus both during the day and at night.

Martin explained that Campus Security is increasing its presence in response to reports and encouraged students to stay vigilant.

“We have reassigned patrols to increase our visibility in high-traffic areas,” Martin said. “We keep patrolling and being visible, and we encourage people to call Security Services if they are concerned about their safety on campus or if they observe something suspicious [….] Our agents will coordinate with Montreal police as necessary, but, if it’s an emergency situation, don’t hesitate to call 911 directly.”

Encounters typically begin with a man approaching a woman and initiating a conversation by either asking a general question or directly mentioning the woman’s physical appearance. No matter how the woman responds, the man begins asking personal questions about their name, studies, where they live, or what they are doing. Then, the man asks to go somewhere off-campus, typically a cafe or their apartment. If the woman refuses, the man asks for their cell number. Most women have said the men follow them after their conversation.

The harassers may be changing tactics, however. According to an anonymous source, who posted in a university Facebook group, a man who matched reported descriptions approached her on St. Laurent on Apr. 7 with an altered script.

“He acted surprised and said he knew us,” they wrote . “He said he was on his way to get some groceries but liked to ‘socialize on the street and meet new people’ [….] He asked us if we’d go with him to get some drinks, and again, when we said no, he persisted.”

Immediately after the incident, a different man approached the source asking if they noticed a similarity between their experience and reports of scripted harassment.

“He insisted about five times asking ‘if we had to say, did it sound similar to the scripts,’” they wrote . “It all seemed super off to us. It seems as if they’re now trying to figure out how to change the script enough so that girls don’t recognize it.”

Students who feel unsafe have a variety of resources available to them: The urgent care walk-in clinic opens at 8:30 a.m. on weekdays in the Brown Building, Suite 3100. The Sexual Assault Center of the McGill Student’s Society (SACOMSS) hotline is 514-398-8500. Walksafe can be reached at 514-398-2498, and Drivesafe can be reached at 514-398-8040.  Any student in need of assistance is encouraged to call Security Services, available 24/7 (Downtown: 514-398-3000. Mac campus: 514-398-7777).

*Emma’s name has been changed to preserve their confidentiality.

This piece was updated at 1:45 p.m. on Dec. 11, 2023 to remove a name.

News, SSMU

SSMU Council discusses base fee increase, referendum questions

by Elli Slavitch on

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On March 14, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Legislative Council met to discuss motions on Referendum questions including increases to the SSMU base fee and an increase to Student Services fee.

Motion regarding the increase of the SSMU Membership Fee

SSMU President Tre Mansdoerfer presented his Master Plan—a long-term project that requires a $30 membership fee increase, from $44 to $74 per semester, for every undergraduate student. The revenue from the increase would have gone toward hiring additional staff, purchasing new spaces, and renovating building facilities; a large part of the plan involved implementing a ‘SSMU Wellness Model,’ under which the society would hire four private psychologists, a nutritionist, a massage therapist, and a physiotherapist to compensate for a lack of mental health resources on campus.

The motion passed at Legislative Council, but the undergraduate student body voted down the proposed increase in the SSMU Winter 2019 Referendum, where it failed by a margin of 162 votes.

Motion regarding the Student Services’ fee question for the Winter 2019 Referendum

Martine Gauthier, executive director of McGill’s Student Services attended theCouncil meeting as a spokesperson for the Student Services’ fee question for the Winter 2019 Referendum, asking to raise the student base fee by four per cent. This would generate an additional $318,000 for Student Services. SSMU initially rejected the motion on February 28.

Gauthier presented the current plan for the Rossy Wellness Hub, a $14 million dollar project to remodel Student Services in the Brown Building. The Hub will combine counselling, health, and psychiatric services and wellness to provide mental health services much in demand at McGill. The proposed fee levy is also crucial  to remedying Student Services’ financial deficiency, which is currently operating at a deficit.

“If we do not address these problems by 2023, we will be almost $2 million dollars back in debt,” Gauthier said. “I do not think it is ethical for students to be paying for a deficit that was brought by not overseeing the financial services.”

If the motion fails in the referendum, Gauthier will be forced to reconsider services under the Student Services portfolio which are considered ‘non-essential,’ such as Campus Life & Engagement (CL&E) and McGill’s Office for Religious and Spiritual Life (MORSL).

“Right now, we are maxed out, and we are going through salary increases now, so we have to cut services,” Gauthier said.

Provided the fee passed in the Referendum, McGill pledged to add an additional $337,000 to the $13 million that it is already donating to Student Services. Senators Bryan Buraga and Andre Lametti critiqued this conditionality, contesting McGill’s incentive to increase its contribution only if the Referendum fee passes.

“It just leaves a bad taste in my mouth for McGill to dangle $300,000 over our heads and say, ‘We’ll match it, if you say yes,’” Buraga said.

In response, Vice-President (VP) University Affairs Jacob Shapiro reiterated the importance of funding Student Services.

“There’s not only one way to take a stance on things, and what we know is that Student Services does need money and counselors,” Shapiro said.

The Student Services Fee passed on March 29 by 61.1 per cent. The Hub is now slated to operate with an additional $655,000 dollars from student fees and the university.

Art, Arts & Entertainment

Balancing art and academia

by Leo Stilinger on

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Gemma Else, U1 Arts, has painted since before she started kindergarten. In grades 11 and 12, she enrolled in an advanced placement Studio Art class, where she practiced four hours a day, six days a week. At McGill, Else has continued to make art and is a curator for the student-run Fridge Door Gallery. But, instead of oil painting, the medium she loved in high school, she has switched to less time-consuming endeavours, like pencil sketches and watercolours. As a student, she yearns for the day that she will have enough time and space to take up oil painting again.

“It’s been hard,” Else said. “I’ve totally changed the way I work. I don’t work in the same [media] anymore, and that’s simply [due to the] time restraint.”

Like Else, Jeanne Cholot studied visual art extensively throughout high school, taking five hours of art and art history classes every Saturday afternoon. At McGill, she realized that a political science major was not for her and that the art clubs at McGill were insufficient creative outlets. She formed an artists’ collective called École Publique with other McGill students, but she still felt unsatisfied. After attending an open house for Concordia’s art studios, she applied to their joint B.A. in art history and fine arts. For the past year, Cholot has studied at Concordia, and art has gone from a side-project to a full-time study. It marks a welcome change from McGill.

“I’m learning to be an artist, so it’s very different,” Cholot said.

Sasha Khalimonova took up guitar at age 16, and started playing at open mics around Montreal. During CEGEP, she dreamed of studying creative writing at Concordia, but her parents wanted her to go to McGill instead. While she enjoyed her classes, she felt stifled creatively. Nonetheless, she continued to practice her music on the side, performing nearly every week. In September, her band Sasha Cay opened for Homeshake at the Rialto Theatre. All the while, Khalimonova struggled balancing music with her academics.

Upon meeting Khalimonova at the Milton Gates with her guitar case in hand, she revealed that she too, had transferred to Concordia, to pursue creative writing.

It would be wrong to sensationalize a handful of anecdotes: As far as we can tell, there is no large-scale artistic brain drain crossing Sherbrooke southwards to Concordia. Nonetheless, these artists’ experience raises questions about the difficulty and the feasibility of balancing art and academics at a prestigious institution like McGill, which has no fine arts program.

The problem is largely one of time-management. When Khalimonova opened for Homeshake, she was balancing band practices, homework for her English Literature classes, and a 15-hour-per-week job. She cited an author who compared writing a novel while having a full-time job to having an affair.

“It was this secret thing she wasn’t supposed to do, but she got done anyways,” Khalimonova said. “I think there’s something kind of exciting about it, doing the thing you love knowing it’s really difficult and it’s getting in the way but doing it anyways.”

The difficulty of time management is compounded by a lack of institutional support from McGill. For music students, there is the Schulich School of Music, although the high admissions standards limit the school’s reach to a select few musicians. For visual artists, performers, and creative writers, there are no classes in fine arts, not even electives, and the only degree program where you students can learn to draw is in the school of Architecture.  

“McGill as an institution doesn’t do anything,” Else said. “I think that creates a necessity for a really strong, student-driven environment for the arts.”

Indeed, in the absence of official recognition, a variety of clubs have sprung up, offering opportunities for music, theatre, a capella, visual arts, and dance. The diversity of options is testament to the need for creative outlets across the student body.             

Yet, for Cholot, the clubs she participated in at McGill were somehow unsatisfying. They struck her as fun diversions for stressed-out students, where art was more of a therapeutic hobby than a serious practice. For instance, a recent Visual Arts Society event was titled “De-Stress with the VAS: Colouring Book Night.”

“There’s no sense of critique,” Cholot said.  “It was very much […] to breathe out your classes and release the pressure,”

Else also found the lack of critique of her work to be limiting. While wine and paint events are fun, and they provide a wonderful and much-needed release from the pressures of McGill, Else misses the level of feedback she had in her Studio Art class in high school, and she thinks her progress has been stifled as a result.

“I think critique nights instead of a drawing night could be really cool,” Else said.

Despite such limitations, artistically inclined students continue to choose McGill. Else, who has an eye to pursue law school, put it bluntly.

“I can pursue art on the side but I can’t pursue law on the side,” Else said.

Moreover, a future in the fine arts can be frighteningly precarious.

“Being a creative person—that’s always the issue, right?” Khalimonova said, referring to the uncertainty of life with a B.A. in creative writing. “You love your thing, and you want to believe in it, but it’s also kind of terrifying.”

Pressure from parents can be another factor in deciding to push a fine arts practice to leisure time. Many McGill students will attest that their university is ‘harder’ and more ‘prestigious’ than Concordia, even if in reality this prestige often translates to a lack of flexibility in curricula.

All three artists, however, told me that even more than prestige or pressure, they came to McGill because they loved learning.

“Being able to engage with ideas and the world differently is something I really value,” Khalimonova said.

Cholot voiced a similar sentiment.

“There is a great need for educated artists in the world,” she said. “When you learn [as] much stuff as you do at McGill, to be able to transcribe that into art pieces […] would be great for people.”

Unfortunately, the classical curricula of McGill fail to foster such dynamic and interdisciplinary work.

“It’s a square, and you have to fit the square,” Cholot said.

In this prestigious pressure-cooker, art and academia find themselves as bitter competitors instead of fruitful collaborators; when the going gets tough, grades take priority, and art is relegated to a remedial hobby. Cholot’s program at Concordia, which combines theoretical art history with applied fine arts, shows that this need not be the case. Perhaps, it is up to the students, with the little institutional power they have, to imagine a McGill where art and academics could go hand-in-hand.

Until then, devoted artists will keep up their balancing act. It is possible, Cholot told me, even at McGill. It just takes some sacrifices.

“You have to give up on the idea of being a straight-A student,” Cholot said.

Else, meanwhile, told me that the problem isn’t exclusive to McGill.

“You’re never, ever going to have enough time,” she said. “Graduating isn’t going to give me more time. It’s going to give me different time.”

When asked if a healthy balance was possible, Khalimonova’s answer was more abstract in nature.

“I want to say yes,” she laughed. “I’m sure someone’s figured it out!”

 

Arts & Entertainment, Comedy, Theatre

Bring Your Own Juice supplies the laughs

by Matthew Hawkins on

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In the midst of the pre-finals panic, there is often little time for humour. However, one McGill group is bringing joy and laughter to the community, providing some much needed respite from this terribly unfunny season. Bring Your Own Juice (BYOJ), McGill’s only sketch comedy group, hosted a three-night show at Tuesday Night Cafe  (TNC) this weekend, featuring over a dozen sketches written and produced by the 11-person cast.

The sketches explored a range of subjects, from a parody of The Little Mermaid’s “Kiss the Girl”—in which Sebastian the crab urges Prince Eric to do a little more than just kiss Ariel—to skits referencing the disturbing and widespread theory that many public figures, are, in fact, lizard-people. The varied subject matter is undoubtedly due, in part, to the fact that the entire cast takes part in the writing process. Writing ability, in fact, is also part of the audition process.

“[For the audition the directors and producers] asked you to submit one sketch, and then, optionally, another piece of comedic writing,” Anika Hundal (U0, Psychology), a member of the cast, said.

The 2018-19 season is Hundal’s first year with BYOJ, and she is also a member of Continental Breakfast, one of McGill’s improv groups. Hundal’s featured piece in the show was titled “Emotional Baggage,” an ad “from the luggage company that brought you ‘Whiteface:’ The only thing guaranteed to get you through airport security without hassle.”

One notable sketch featuring Hundal was a slam poetry session in which every poet worked with a similar theme: “My parents are divorced but are still good friends.” As each slam poet revealed their emotional turmoil over their parent’s amicable divorce, the host became increasingly frustrated until Hundal entered wearing layers of clothing giving a seemingly profound reading while removing items, only to reveal a shirt with the words “my father left my mother” on the front and “but they’re still friends” on the back.

Other standout sketches included a ‘bro’ who discovers that he lacks object permanence when his friend “disappears” to the washroom, a girl from Toronto who finds out that she was adopted from Laval and is, in fact, Celine Dion’s daughter. There was even a skit that included a “Personality Shop for White People” which featured characteristics like the person who did a year abroad and a Plateau/Mile-End classic: The guy who owns a record player.

Morrice Hall was sold out, so some audience members had to stand on the side for the duration of the show, while others shared seats. A fully-packed theatre for a student comedy show is refreshing, especially as end-of-term stress bears down.

Hundal also extolled the close-knit community of the group, explaining that positive group dynamics were essential to a good show.

 “We had a retreat to rural Quebec this fall where we just got to know each other and [wrote] a bunch of sketches,” Hundal said.  

With group-based comedy like sketch, group chemistry is paramount and BYOJ clearly shows this camaraderie by translating real bonds and friendship into a perfect on-stage chemistry. The blend of writing and performing showcased the individual strengths of each performer, making the characters strong, believable, and, most importantly, funny.

 

Art, Arts & Entertainment

Jerry Saltz challenges elitism in the art world

by Emma Carr on

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“Eighty-five per cent of the art made during the Renaissance was crap, it’s just all gone,” Jerry Saltz said to a Montreal crowd at Theatre Outremont on Apr. 3. “Eighty-five per cent of the art made during Impressionism—bleh.”

These are not words typically uttered by esteemed art critics, but Saltz has always relished in shocking his audience. Known to his followers as the ‘people’s art critic,’ the artist and 2018 Pulitzer Prize-winner for art criticism spoke with unexpected candour and levity about the stuffiness of the contemporary art world.

Saltz addressed a crowd of artists and art enthusiasts in his talk titled “Art First; All Else Follows,” hosted by Art Speaks, an organization that stages biannual lecture series aimed to facilitate discussions about contemporary art between experts and members of the public.

Saltz, the current senior art critic for New York Magazine, is one of the most celebrated contemporary art critics. However, he had an unorthodox entry into the field. Unsure of his qualifications, Saltz explained that he was initially hesitant to pursue a career in the arts, and instead worked as a long-distance truck driver.

“Finally, in the trucks, by the time I was about 40, I was in agony, really […and] I decided to become an art critic,” Saltz said. “[At the time], I had never written a word in my life […] I won the Pulitzer Prize and I don’t consider myself a writer, I think of myself as someone who just tries to write down what I am thinking. I think of myself as a folk critic.”

Among the crowd were several young hopefuls seeking advice on starting a successful career in art and criticism. Reflecting on his own professional journey, Saltz encouraged members of the audience to prioritize collaborative work.

“You must form a gang […], and you will take over the world together,” Saltz said. “That’s how it’s been done, and that’s how it will continue to be.”

Saltz suggested that Montreal was an ideal setting for artists to plant their roots. In recent years, the city’s artist communities have flourished. Yet, more importantly, according to Saltz, the city is teeming with diversity and talent.

“You have a cosmopolitan city,” Saltz said, “There are not many of them. In my opinion, only cosmopolitan cities with mixed, warring […] populations can become great centres for the arts [… I] went around to the galleries [in Montreal] today, and what I saw was good.”

Despite the city’s bountiful opportunities for artists, Saltz reiterated that, for many aspiring artists, a career in the creative disciplines is inaccessible. He was particularly vocal about the systemic barriers women and artists of colour encounter during their careers. According to a 2019 study of the art displayed in major U.S. museums, only 13 per cent of the work is by artists of colour and 20 percent by femme-identifying artists, an issue which many activist groups, such as the Guerrilla Girls, have sought to address. In response to this systemic discrimination, Saltz advocated for radical institutional reform within the art world that would broaden the scope of high culture. Nonetheless, Saltz optimistically pointed out that artists are producing work that challenges traditional sources of authority.

“The canon walls are down […], and we can already see that change is beginning,” Saltz said. “What I hope is that a mediocre woman artist could have as powerful of a career as all the mediocre white men who have had careers all of these centuries. ”

Despite the art world’s continued inaccessibility, Saltz nonetheless encouraged the audience, regardless of their background, to participate in Montreal’s artistic community.

“I’m lucky to be in [the art world]. I worked my whole life to be in it,” Saltz said. “Whether you make art or just love it like I do […], I want you to have a life lived in art because if you have that life, you will never be bored.”

 

News, SSMU

SUS constitutionality questioned in Judicial Board petition

by Ezra-Jean Taylor on

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Asa Kohn, U1 Mathematics and Statistics, has filed a petition against the Science Undergraduate Society (SUS), accusing the organization of ignoring its constitution’s instructions on how to proceed in the event of a resignation. He sent the petition to the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Judicial Board (J-Board) on March 10, but claims he has yet to receive a response, apparently in violation of the Board’s procedures.

Kohn insisted that student representatives should respect their governing documents.

“It’s fine, in general, if someone doesn’t care [about procedure],” Kohn said. “I would say it’s less fine when your job is to enforce procedure. Having procedure is important in defending against abuses of power.”

Kohn claims that SUS executives willfully ignored the Society’s constitution after the Jan. 23 resignation of SUS SSMU representative Moses Milchberg, when President Reem Mandil stated that members of the Executive Committee would represent science students at the SSMU Legislative Council for the remainder of his term. However, the SSMU Standing Rules stipulate that a student society cannot send a proxy for a representative position more than twice in one year. To avoid breaching procedure, the Legislative Council passed a motion on Feb. 7 to allow SUS executives to attend in Milchberg’s place.

The SUS Constitution states that the SUS must hold a by-election in the event of a resignation. Kohn claims that SUS executives broke this rule when they announced that they would be using proxies for the rest of Milchberg’s term. In protest, Kohn petitioned the SUS to include a referendum question during the winter SUS referenda that asked whether, in the event of a resignation, the candidate with the next-highest number of votes in the election for SUS SSMU representative could take over a vacant position. In the case of this year’s elections, the person with the next highest number of votes is Kohn himself. In an email sent on Feb. 24, SUS President Reem Mandil deemed the question invalid and refused to place it on the ballot. According to Mandil, the decision not to replace Milchberg was deliberate and fair.

“A by-election was deemed not an appropriate course because of time [constraints],” Mandil said. “We had our full elections coming up a few weeks after the resignation [of the SSMU representative]. We decided against an appointment because they would have been hired by the executives [instead of being] elected, and we wanted the remainder of the Legislative Council sessions to be attended by an elected member.”

The J-Board, SSMU’s judicial body that resolves internal disputes, has not yet replied to Kohn’s constitutional challenge of the SUS’s actions. This lack of response is an apparent violation of the Board’s internal procedures, which mandate it to accept or reject new petitions within 14 days. Chief Justice Georgina Hartono did not provide a comment explaining this delay.

SSMU President Tre Mansdoerfer explained that there were issues unrelated to this petition that have delayed the J-Board’s response. However, he also believes that Kohn lacks an understanding of what is necessary for good governance.

“I understand where [Kohn] is coming from; however, there’s got to be the recognition that other governance bodies have agreed with [the SUS’s] decision,” Mansdoerfer said. “Student societies have a yearly turnover, which may result in cases where constitution must be broken not in a way that is malevolent, but in a way that facilitates best practices. I think SUS’s decision to [use executives as proxies] is better than deciding to throw someone into the role that has no experience this late into the year.”

Kohn’s experience in student government is controversial: He temporarily worked as the Vice-President Finance for the Royal Victoria College’s (RVC) Residence Council, where he allegedly made other council members uncomfortable. Impeachment procedures were to be enacted against him, but he resigned before they officially took place. According to an anonymous RVC councillor, Kohn had obstructed the Council’s ability to govern.

“[Kohn] became really neurotic about the constitution,” the Council member said. “He wouldn’t let us talk about events […and] he was just really controlling [….] I talked to our Inter-Residence Council advisor and also the Residence Life Advisor and debriefed everything and he told us the best process was to impeach him.”

The SUS General Council has their last meeting on Apr. 10, and SSMU’s last meeting was on Apr. 4. Mansdoerfer stated that the petition could be heard by the J-Board in the next academic year.

Private

Trivial pursuit

by Gabe Nisker on

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On Oct. 6, 2014, Mariusz Galczynski, at the time a PhD candidate in the Faculty of Education watched the taping of an episode of Jeopardy!. He had passed the many required tests in order to be on the show, and it was almost his turn to compete.

“Anyone who knows me of my friends knows that I love the Spice Girls and Celine Dion,” Galczynski said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “[In the game before mine], there was a Celine Dion question and then Final Jeopardy. The answer was the Spice Girls and no one knew of the contestants. So, right away, I was like ‘Agh, my god, I wish I was playing that game.’”

Jeopardy! records a week’s worth of episodes in one day of taping, and Galczynski was up next on the Tuesday episode. He won $20,350 in his initial appearance before losing the following ‘day’ in an episode taped 15 minutes after the first one ended.

When his winning episode aired on Nov. 25, Galczynski hosted a viewing party at Thomson House, where he and his friends used to participate in trivia nights.

“I invited all my friends that could make it, and it was great,” Galczynski said. “We watched the episode live. I knew the result, but they didn’t, and, when you watch the episode, it was a really close game and also pretty exciting [….] Obviously, they’re rooting for you to win, so it was awesome to deliver that at the end of the episode.”

Throughout Montreal trivia-junkies host events at pubs, basements, and student unions. Venues around campus host themed nights with The Office, Game of Thrones, or even Shrek-specific trivia. For more general-knowledge-based questions, chemistry professor. David Harpp has hosted his Centraide Trivia Nights at the Faculty Club for the past nine years.

“My daughter teaches at a university in the [United States], and I was visiting her about 12 years ago, and she said, ‘Do you want to go to a trivia night?’,” Harpp said in an interview with the Tribune.

Harpp’s trivia nights attract the McGill community, Montreal residents, and even a regular visitor from the University of Waterloo. As quizmaster, he runs seven rounds of 10 questions on a Powerpoint slide show. Harpp explained that, in preparation for competitions, he thoroughly researches his questions.

“If I think of [a potential question], like ‘that’s an interesting thought,’ I’ll just research it and make sure that it’s at least ‘Wikipedia right,’ which is probably about 98 per cent sure,” Harpp said.

At Harpp’s trivia nights, around 30 teams of four or five discuss the questions at their tables and submit their answers on scorecards marked by undergraduate students.

“[It] gets very noisy [and] very competitive,” Harpp said. “[There’s] high-fiving, and [then also] a little bit of gentle cursing when they get something wrong or are talked out of a right answer at the table.”

A similar spirited atmosphere is present at the McGill Trivia Club’s events. The club meets twice a week in library group study rooms to practice for Quiz Bowl competitions with other schools across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. Club president Akhil Garg has been participating in trivia competitions for nine years. He enjoys trivia competitions as a way to absorb new information.

“It’s all about learning new things,” Garg said. “I specialize in science and social science. As a medical student, I’m mostly studying biology, so trivia lets me study [all of the other sciences]. It’s a way to really expand my knowledge base.”

Overall, participants’ appreciation of learning promotes healthy competition. Garg compared this relationship to his favourite piece of trivia.

“There’s this thing called Bergman’s rule, which is that species in higher latitudes tend to be larger,” Garg said. “We at McGill Trivia always like to joke that we’re bigger than the clubs we compete against.”

A friendly atmosphere goes a long way in the trivia world even though competitions can get tough. Harpp agrees: Trivia remains competitive, even at home.

“My wife plays [at my trivia nights] with a team,” Harpp said. “She doesn’t get any inside answers. If I’m playing a piece of music, she’ll say ‘Who’s that?’ and I’ll say ‘That’s for you to find out.’”

Student Life

2019 McGill time capsule

by Lucy Keller on

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On Oct. 2, 2003, during a routine security check of the Donner Building of Medical Research construction zone, campus security officer Mathieu Racette found a time capsule dating back to 1947. Students placed it in a cornerstone of the building during the 1947 commencement ceremony. After carefully opening the rectangular box, the McGill Archives Staff found the letter that William H. Donner wrote in his donation for the building’s construction; remarks made by Chancellor O.S. Tyndale on the day of the ceremony; an extract from “Who’s Who in America” profiling Donner; and a McGill Faculty of Medicine Calendar dated 1947-48.  Like students of semesters past, The McGill Tribune has assembled a time capsule filled with a selection of items to give future generations a glimpse into the life of a McGill student circa 2019.

A handful of Bar des Arts tokens

These one-dollar chips have brought happiness to many McGill students in recent years. Whether patrons spend them on a grilled cheese or a beer, Thursday nights are always better when spent at BdA with a couple tokens in hand. BdA may no longer be running once this time capsule is found, but if not, hopefully this discovery will spark enough curiosity to re-open the doors to Leacock room B-12.  

2019 McGill Frosh shirts  

The student-run event has helped welcome students to McGill since 1999. From bonding with leaders and group members to exploring the waters of Beach Club, Frosh has served as an exciting and integral start to students’ first year on campus. One can only imagine the themes that the faculties will concoct in the future, but, by including this year’s shirts, future students can get a glimpse into Camp Frosh, Froshed Ashore, and Frosh of the Sea.

A Juul

Students rely on these tiny rectangular devices around campus. While cigarettes remain prevalent on campus,  Juuls are easy to use anywhere and have allowed smokers to skirt the 2018 smoking ban on campus. Including a Juul will show future students just one of many poor habits that McGill students have picked up during their college years.

Document from the Ad-Hoc Fall Reading Week Committee

It is unlikely that there will be a fall reading week by the time this capsule is found; however, that doesn’t mean students don’t love the idea of one. Despite referendum questions, motions, and committees to study the possibility of changing the academic calendar, there has not been any progress. To memorialize the process of the initiative, the time capsule will include one of the many governance documents on this topic.

Air pods

These wireless headphones have sparked a revolution. From Instagram posting to showing off the latest Apple invention in Bronfman basement, these headphones have become the latest status symbol on campus. While no one is quite sure what ornaments Apple will create for the future generations of university students, they will probably continue to dominate the technology market.

Know Your Athlete, Men's Varsity, Sports

Know Your Athlete: Adrian Goin

by Miya Keilin on

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Second-year swimmer Adrian Goin was one of 24 McGill swimmers to compete at the 2019 U Sports National Championship in Vancouver, posting some impressive race times to qualify for the meet. However, Goin emphasized the importance of the lessons that he has learned from his more disappointing performances.

“Of course there’s been a lot of successes [and] a lot of great experiences, but [swimming has] also really taught me about failure as well,” Goin said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “I remember there was this one competition I went to […], and I actually had a chance [to make the Junior Olympics] in the 50 fly, so I was really excited […], and I bombed my race [….] I was upset about it, but I just thought, ‘You know what? It didn’t work out this time, but you know the mistakes you made, and you know how to fix it in the future.’”

Goin credited his competitive nature and his constant drive for improvement as his biggest motivations during training.

“I […] like trying to keep up with the people next to me,” Goin said. “No matter how bad of a day I’m having, someone on the team is pushing me. It’s a really good team atmosphere. Even on those days where it’s just like I’m training by myself, it’s nice to just have the time to just focus on your technique [….] I like thinking about ‘oh maybe if I try this, it’ll get better.’”

When they were young, Goin and his siblings only swam in the summer. Even as he became a more competitive swimmer, Goin still participated in a wide variety of sports.

“I actually did all of [these sports] because I love doing things,” Goin said. “The main reason that I stuck with swimming for so long is I was good at it, but I still play soccer during the summer. In high school, I still made sure to join the track team, soccer team, [and] any team that would take me. I just love sports.”

Athletics are not Goin’s only extra-curricular activity: The Pointe-Claire, QC native recently won the 2018-19 RSEQ Leadership and Community Service award in swimming for his volunteering effort with the ICU bridge program, an initiative to comfort patients and families in the intensive care units of three Montreal hospitals.

“We talk with the families, we support them […], give them someone to talk to, as well as support the patients because [staying in the hospital] can be [a] very stressful situation,” Goin said. “Just having someone to talk to can really help […], so it’s been a worthwhile experience, meeting all these people and working with them.”

Goin joined the program’s executive team in August 2018 and now manages volunteers at the Jewish General Hospital where he first got involved. In the future, he hopes to study medicine, and his time at the hospital has only reaffirmed this aspiration. But, for now Goin will continue working toward his Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

“I was planning on doing chemical engineering, and I remember I was reading up on what each engineering [discipline] entails in the future […], and I remember I loved the idea of civil engineering,” Goin said. “I really just like the idea of building things that last.”

Whether it’s civil engineering, medicine, or any other path that he treads, Goin will cherish the valuable experiences he has gained during his time on the swim team.

“There was a certain point […] where I actually didn’t like swimming,” Goin said. “I actually have to thank both [McGill Head Coach] Peter [Carpenter] and my friend Duncan, who used to be on the McGill swim team, for [helping me enjoy swimming again].””

Basketball, Hockey, Martlets, Soccer, Sports, Volleyball

Women in Sports Initiative makes an impact

by Kaja Surborg on

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In Sept. 2018, McGill Athletics and Recreation launched the new Women in Sports Initiative thanks to a $3.5 million donation from McGill alumni Sheryl and David Kerr. The initiative aims to promote women in leadership roles within McGill Athletics and help female athletes balance their academic obligations with their athletic time commitment. Hiring two women in full-time associate coach positions has been a key part of this initiative: Rikki Bowles joined the Martlet basketball team coaching staff, while Kelsey Wilson moved from a part-time position to a full-time one with the women’s soccer team.

These additions to the teams’ full-time staff have already made a significant impact on coaches and players alike.

“It’s important to have that possibility of having a female role model,” Wilson said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “As a player, I didn’t necessarily have that when I was growing up. I think it’s important for young players, especially, to see that if they are interested in coaching, that it is a possibility, that you can continue on and develop and actually find full-time positions.”

Both Bowles and Wilson played for the Martlets during their undergraduate degrees at McGill. Fourth-year Martlet soccer winger Tia Lore agreed that it is comforting and inspiring to have someone who understands the players’ situation.

“It’s huge when you’re playing on a team, and you might be new to the team, or you feel like you’re not doing great, but you gain this confidence [from knowing that] she’s been through this, so she knows the struggles,” Lore said. “Seeing female coaches and having female coaches is super empowering. Having a coach empower you, not just as an athlete, but as a female athlete, is huge.”

In the future, Martlet volleyball will also benefit from the Kerr donation. The team is planning to expand their coaching staff. Meanwhile, the women’s hockey program has already been receiving support through the Kerr Martlet Hockey Coach Endowment. This endowment has funded the salaries for full-time Martlet hockey coaches since 2007. The team went on to win its first three national titles in the four years immediately following, demonstrating the immediate impact that additional full-time coaches can make.

The purpose of the Women in Sports Initiative is to support not only Martlet athletes, but also female coaches.

“Hiring two new people is already huge,” Sylvie Béliveau, senior advisor to the McGill varsity program, said. “It changes the lives of those two women. They can now bond with and better service their student-athletes.”

With these new positions, the women’s soccer and basketball teams now have more full-time coaching staff than their male counterparts. In almost every other sporting environment, including coaching, competing, and sports journalism, women are underrepresented. This move will give female athletes and coaches additional, valuable opportunities to pursue careers in sports.

“I don’t think we really knew what we could have [regarding having female coaches to learn from and look up to],” Lore said. “We weren’t [thinking that] we were missing this. It was more [realizing that] we should have had this before.”

The new hires from the Women in Sports Initiative are certainly making a positive impact. However, the move to provide extra support for female coaches and athletes was a slow one. A 2013 study found that only 22 per cent of head coaches and 17 per cent of assistant coaches in Canadian intercollegiate athletics were female. In the six years since the study was published, McGill’s female coaching statistics have been below national averages. While McGill was providing the same number of coaches to its men’s and women’s teams, the gender imbalance represents a failure to provide sufficient opportunities for female coaches until now.

The Kerr donation is a one-time donation, which means that the money will eventually run out. It is therefore necessary for McGill Athletics to implement a plan that reallocates funds so that they can continue to pay the program’s coaches. The initiative is still in its infancy, but its longevity appears to be a priority for now.

“Our goal is sustainability,” Béliveau said. “We’re thinking long term. It’s going to be a robust program, built on solid ground [….] It’s a 10 to 12 year program, but, past that, we want it to continue.”

The press release from McGill Athletics announcing the donation stated that the initiative would also fund additional resources for female varsity athletes in balancing the academic demands of McGill with their sports.

“The next step is [asking] how we can service them better,” Béliveau said. “We want to ask them [about what they need]. We’re looking at building a community of practice, for example.”

Managing the pressure of being a student-athlete is no easy feat, especially given McGill’s recent defunding of mental health services such as the Eating Disorder Program. Relying on private donorship to fund support programs for students, including student-athletes, gives the university administration an excuse not to provide crucial funding itself. Furthermore, donations often target a particular subset of students and do not effectively reach the entire McGill student population.

Expanding opportunities for female coaches in collegiate athletics is important, but such measures do not equally affect all women. Racial and socio-economic factors significantly impact the accessibility of these opportunities. Without a commitment to opening sporting environments to all backgrounds, starting at the youth and development levels, coaching opportunities will remain attainable only to those who can afford to play sports throughout their youth and collegiate careers. Within Canada, and greater North America as a whole, many racialized communities continue to fall into lower income brackets, which makes sports less accessible due to the time and cost involved. Additionally, transgender athletes continue to be excluded from some sporting environments, making it more difficult—and in some cases, dangerous—to participate. These accessibility issues at lower levels of competition need to be addressed before true diversity and representation at the top levels of professional coaching can be achieved, and McGill Athletics should consider this when developing future programs for women in sports.

The Athletics office should also be weary of making claims about striving for equality while the men’s varsity teams are still named after a racial slur. Keeping the name creates an environment in which Indigenous athletes can feel isolated. McGill can take a step toward truly levelling the playing field by changing the name so that all athletes feel safe and welcome in varsity sports programs.

As for the initiative’s immediate impact, other universities in Canada have reached out to McGill Athletics looking to share ideas as they implement their own programs that build gender parity in athletics.

“I’ve connected with other universities [that] are doing similar programs like [the University of] Guelph, [the University of British Columbia], and […] Dalhousie [University],” Béliveau said. “Those are only examples. If there’s anyone out there who is doing similar things, we want to look at their good practices and see how we can implement [them] here. We don’t need to reinvent everything […], we’re looking to adapt it to suit the women who are in a position to [benefit].”

Women in sports are consistently underrepresented and underserved at higher levels of competition, and, while the Women in Sports Initiative is moving in the right direction, it is not enough to level the playing field for everyone.

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