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Huawei Funding universities is a national security issue
Off the Board, Opinion

Funding universities is a national security issue

by Keating Reid on

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While the Chinese telecommunications manufacturer Huawei may be most famous in Canada for the Vancouver arrest of chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, the company’s influence is much closer to McGill than that event might suggest.  Despite security experts’ concerns that the company may be operating as an intelligence asset for the Chinese government, Canadian universities, including McGill, have accepted roughly $50 million in total from Huawei to fund research and development initiatives. It would be easy to dismiss accepting these ‘gifts’ as irresponsible; however, increasingly-tight budgets have made it difficult for universities to do anything else. Simply barring universities from accepting Huawei’s money is not a sufficient response to the risk of foreign espionage. Governments need to ensure that universities are financially viable in the long term, whether through increasing direct funding or partnering with more reputable members of the private sector.

Security experts from around the world, including former Canadian Security and Intelligence Service (CSIS) director Ward Elcock, have expressed concerns that Huawei’s products—which range from smartphones to large-scale network infrastructure—include deliberate security backdoors to assist the Chinese government in spying on their users. For instance, security vulnerabilities in Huawei cell towers might allow Chinese intelligence agents to intercept political or economic information sent over the company’s network. The head of the United Kingdom’s Secret Intelligence Service and the U.S. House Intelligence Committee have described Huawei as a national security threat, and Germany may be following their lead.

This concern extends to Huawei’s funding of universities. The company has dedicated $50 million to funding research at Canadian universities, including McGill. In December, CSIS briefed approximately 20 McGill researchers who received funding from Huawei, warning them that they were producing ‘dual-use technology’ that could be appropriated for military purposes.

Technology espionage is more than a hypothetical concern. McGill associate professor Ishiang Shih was arrested in Jan. 2018 on suspicions that he was aiding an effort to leak U.S. military technology to China. Nortel, a Canadian telecommunications company, disbanded in 2013 after being undercut by Huawei using allegedly-stolen technology, costing the Canadian economy tens of thousands of jobs.

Despite the potential threat posed by Huawei, Canadian universities continue to partner with the company because they need the funding.  As the largest telecommunications equipment manufacturer in the world, few companies can compete dollar-for-dollar with Huawei. This poses a dilemma for researchers: Refusing Huawei’s money could spell the end of their project, but, by accepting it, they put themselves in the difficult position of relying on an organization with possible ulterior motives. This applies at the institutional level, too. Canadian universities are strapped for cash: McGill is chronically underfunded by the province, while, in Ontario, universities just lost $360 million to Doug Ford’s tuition cut. Extra money—regardless of its source—is difficult to turn down.

The best way to limit Huawei’s influence over Canadian universities is to crowd out their money. The more alternative funding sources that exist for researchers and universities, the less leverage Huawei has. More government funding for our universities may be necessary. When the status quo involves risking decades of technological vulnerability, it is clear that funding universities isn’t just a social good; it is crucial to national security.

Student Life

Combatting impostor syndrome on campus

by Alaana Kumar on

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A student receives an acceptance letter to their dream school or an offer for a prestigious internship, yet, they cannot help but wonder why they were selected. These thoughts are characteristic of impostor syndrome: The feeling that one’s successes are not a result of their efforts or abilities but are, instead, a fluke. Those who experience the phenomenon often feel like a fraud and believe their achievements do not measure up to their peers’ accomplishments. The fast-paced campus life can bring forth these feelings, causing self-doubt in students’ minds.  

Experts have identified five manifestations of impostor syndrome: The perfectionist, who always feels dissatisfied with their achievements; the superperson who is often described as a ‘workaholic’; the natural genius, who fears facing obstacles in their work; the soloist, who avoids asking for help; and the expert, who is determined to excel at everything they attempt. From the outside, these high-achieving individuals might seem high-strung or obsessed with being the best. However, they are often unable to recognize their own success.

High-pressure environments, such as universities, are replete with individuals battling some form of impostor syndrome. This is generally a consequence of coming from a smaller, safer community, such as high school, and joining a larger or organization in which competition can be more intense. Hannah Reed, U1 Arts, explained that interacting with peers in her program can sometimes trigger impostor syndrome.

“As an Arts student studying computer science, I sometimes feel like a fraud among that community,” Reed said. “I’m scared I’ll go to the computer science lounge and someone will ask me a question […] right away, they’ll just know I don’t belong. It takes a lot to fight that insecurity and remind myself that I study all the same material [as the other students in the program].”

Over 70 per cent of individuals surveyed by the International Journal of Behavioral Science admitted to feeling insecure at some point in their lives. Although impostor syndrome is common among students, it is not limited to that demographic. Accomplished individuals, including Emma Watson, Meryl Streep, and Neil Armstrong have spoken publicly about their fears of being exposed as frauds in their respective fields. Even Maya Angelou, the critically-acclaimed author, said that, after each of her books were published, she feared being exposed as a phony author. For students, it is important to realize that these insecurities are commonplace and just a consequence of high achievement.

When battling impostor syndrome, individuals can sometimes feel as if they are the only ones struggling with self confidence. Understanding peers share the same insecurities is key to overcoming the negative thoughts associated with impostor syndrome. Students often find that talking to their friends and counsellors helps in easing their worries. Amanda Dennie from McGill’s Peer Support Centre often speaks with students who feel overwhelmed in their environments. She finds that their self-doubt can sometimes leads to negative habits such as procrastination or overworking.

“Sometimes, students come in with lots of extracurriculars and activities and still fear they’re behind everyone else,” Dennie said. “They often wonder, ‘am I doing enough?’ or ‘do I belong here?’ [….] You made it here, so you deserve to be here. Be kind to yourself.”

Basketball, Sports

Power to the players: NBA stars and trade demands

by Ender McDuff on

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Anthony Davis is still a member of the New Orleans Pelicans despite his best efforts to leave the only NBA team he has ever played for. Amid a sub-.500 season in which the Pelicans have struggled to make the playoffs, Davis joined a growing list of NBA stars demanding a trade. Consequently, the Los Angeles Lakers made painstaking efforts to acquire Davis, but the Pelicans held onto their franchise player through the Feb. 7 trade deadline. While New Orleans may simply seek a better offer in the summer, there are two more reasons they elected to keep Davis. The Pelicans are frustrated at the Lakers’ alleged tampering, plus the league is applying pressure on them to deny the outright trade demands. Such pressure, however, stems from a misunderstanding: Teams are overestimating the threat of trade requests and underrating their own management’s accountability.

NBA stars’ trade requests are nothing new: Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar both wished their way to Los Angeles in the 1960s and ‘70s, respectively. In recent years, however, the frequency of such demands has increased. Players like Paul George and Kawhi Leonard have learned how to leverage expiring contracts and the threat of free agency. Now, Davis is giving it a try.

The problem is that front offices are worried that this dynamic hurts small-market teams. Franchise players often demand trades to larger markets to grow their personal brands, leaving small-market teams in a weakened position in trade negotiations.

What these concerns fail to recognize, however, is the role that management has historically served in determining the places that players seek to play. For every Chamberlain, who sought out the Los Angeles lifestyle, there has been a Shaquille O’Neal, who forced his way out of Los Angeles in 2004. More recently, Kawhi Leonard left San Antonio because of his issues with team management regarding his quadricep injury. Both Davis and Kristaps Porziņģis have requested trades due to years of dismal team personnel management.

Meanwhile, the feared large markets of Los Angeles and New York have almost universally failed to acquire any top-tier talent from these trade requests for years. By thinking that these players will be available in free agency, teams like the Lakers, Clippers, and Knicks have instead waited to make their moves. In turn, players often find new homes with teams who show more immediate interest.

Small-market teams on both sides of these franchise-altering deals have found success. In the Paul George trade, the Indiana Pacers acquired all-star Victor Oladipo, and the Oklahoma City Thunder convinced George to stay and help them compete atop the Western Conference. Additionally, the San Antonio Spurs sent Kawhi Leonard to Toronto in exchange for all-star guard DeMar DeRozan, allowing them to remain in the playoff picture. As for the Raptors, there is still concern that Kawhi Leonard may leave the Raptors in the upcoming offseason, but with their rebuild imminent either way, trying to win right now in the Eastern Conference is a smart move.  

These blockbuster deals left all parties in a better situation. The players have learnt to fit in their new cities; teams, that would have received nothing in return if their stars had departed in free agency, acquired all-star talent instead.

To mitigate concerns of players leaving small-market teams, the NBA implemented the Designated Veteran Contract. This component of the 2017 collective bargaining agreement allows teams to offer unmatchable ‘supermax’ deals to their free-agent superstars. The Thunder and Washington Wizards used this provision to retain Russell Westbrook and John Wall, respectively.

Ultimately, the fears arising from star players’ trade requests are overblown. This summer, teams will inundate the Pelicans with sizeable offers for Davis—a fortunate position for New Orleans after years of egregious mismanagement. The Pelicans may be frustrated to see Davis go, but his demand, as that of so many other players, is a direct product of the team’s own managerial failings—a truth certain other teams would do well to reflect upon.

Science & Technology

Music shown to significantly improve mental motivation

by Yasmine Azzi on

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There’s something about music that engages the brain, often eliciting a strong emotion simply using the ears. While it might just be an abstract pattern of pitches and rhythms, music somehow has significant biological and therapeutic implications. A recent study co-authored by McGill researchers explains the phenomenon, providing novel evidence that the motivational power of music depends upon the amount of dopamine in the brain.

“This paper is the first evidence showing that the way that music engages our reward system is really much like other things that are much more concrete and important for our survival,” Benjamin Gold, a Ph.D. candidate for McGill’s Integrated Program in Neuroscience, said.

The researchers based their investigation on the known connection between music and dopamine release; what remained unknown was how a change in dopamine levels could then play a role in motivating a subject.

“Is dopamine causing the pleasure we may experience from music, or is it responding as a consequence of pleasure and actually enhancing motivational aspects of behaviour?” Ernest Mas-Herrero, a postdoctoral fellow and the study’s primary author, said.

After conducting three separate trials on 27 healthy volunteers, the study found that participants who received levodopa, a drug that the brain converts into dopamine, experienced an increase in motivation compared to those who received a placebo. Conversely,  when the same volunteers listened to music after receiving a dose of risperidone, a molecule that blocks dopamine receptors, their motivation decreased.

“When we compare the [levodopa and risperidone treatment groups], we see participant reports of pleasure differing,” Mas-Herrero said, “More chills and pleasure follow levodopa than risperidone. People are also more likely to spend money, so they are more motivated to buy […] music following levodopa than risperidone.”

According to Mas-Herrero, music can serve as a model to understand emotions and their complexity.

“Dopaminergic circuits can be used to understand disorders and conditions characterized by a dysfunction of this pathway, such as addiction or depression,” Mas-Herrero said.

The research also opens the door to understanding how music acts as a therapeutic treatment for neurological disorders. Those who have neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s could potentially be treated using musical therapy in ways that pharmacological alternatives cannot. Sufferers of depression or anxiety could also see some increases in motivation as a result of this musically-induced mechanism.  

“Understanding the neurochemistry of music may help us understand to what extent music can be used as a treatment for motivational [and neurodegenerative] disorders,” Mas-Herrero said.

This paper provides hope that the substantial link between music, motivation, and mental pleasure can be exploited to boost motivational circuits.

“Music is so powerful to us, so emotional, and, therefore, able to shine through our memories when other memories are deteriorating like in Alzheimer’s,” Gold said. “[It can also] provide cues that we can associate [with] our movements like in Parkinson’s, or to be a substrate for connection like in autism.”  

Though there is still be plenty left to discover, such as why something as abstract as music can play such a large role in processing information, this paper acts as the first step toward understanding music’s therapeutic effects.

“We still have a lot to learn about how to use music to target and treat neurological disorders, but it might be possible,” Gold said. “There’s still a lot to uncover. This paper is more of a proof of concept.”

Out on the Town, Student Life

Bakery-hopping through the Plateau

by Miya Keilin on

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Montreal has always had tasty pastries, and, now, a high quality bakery is never more than a few blocks away. However, the constant stress of midterms, papers, and job applications can make it difficult for students to venture out of the McGill bubble and fully appreciate all of the baked goods that Montreal has to offer. The McGill Tribune is here to help add some sweetness to students’ lives with a short list of some of the most well-respected bakeries just a short walk or bus ride away from McGill’s Downtown campus.  

Boulangerie Guillaume

Located north of St. Joseph and St. Laurent, Boulangerie Guillaume features an impressive array of fresh-baked breads, pastries, sandwiches, and decadent desserts. Through big windows that face the sidewalk, the various breads and pastries that decorate the wall behind the counter will instantly attract passers-by. Upon entering, customers can peer back into the kitchen to see their bread steaming as it comes out of the oven.

The interior setup can be a little bit confusing. The pastry and bread selections are on display near the entrance, so customers can easily see all of these options. The sandwiches and cookies, however, are hidden beyond the cash register. Bags of day-old baked goods—offered at a discounted price—are opposite the counter, which can make them easy to miss. Yet, with a wide range of traditional and creative takes on all things baked, no customer leaves Boulangerie Guillaume disappointed.

Mamie Clafoutis

Just steps away from Square St. Louis, Mamie Clafoutis offers the perfect selection for a summer picnic in the park or a cozy coffee date. From their Oh mon Dieu! croissants to their shortbread cookies, this local favourite consistently delivers rich, buttery sweets baked to perfection. They also make traditional French breads, pies, tarts, and sandwiches, which customers can enjoy on a lovely mezzanine with couches, tables, wifi, and a piano. Even better, the upstairs area has a view of the kitchen, so diners can watch bakers mix, roll, and shape dough into Mamie Clafoutis’ signature flaky pastries.  

Les Co’Pains d’Abord

Although small, Les Co’Pains d’Abord, tucked away on Rue Rachel just off of St. Denis, is full of beautiful pastries and desserts. The first display case features an assortment of simple yet gorgeous goods. Highlights include the choco grand cru—a croissant with perfectly-even stripes of chocolate—a danish with apple slices cleanly laid across each other, and glossy brioches that come in assorted flavours. Meticulously-decorated cakes, tarts, cookies, and pies, the flavours of which vary with the season, line the shelves of the second display case. Cakes like the irrésistible au chocolat and the mille feuille feature intricate designs, showcasing Les Co’Pains d’Abord’s attention to detail.  

Kouign Amann

A Montreal classic, this bakery is named for its signature treat, the kouign-amann: A Breton cake with layers of butter, sugar, and pastry dough with a caramelized exterior. While it isn’t much to look at, the kouign amann, with its rich sweetness, is scrumptious. The bakery sells the pastry by the slice or as a full cake that can easily be taken to go. Kouign Amann does not serve a wide variety of sweets, but what they do make is superb: The chocolate in the pain au lait choco is sweet and smooth, the rolls are perfectly sugary and crispy, and the apple turnover, with a flavourful filling and a crunchy, photogenic pastry, is always satisfying. On the savoury side, Kouign Amann offers assorted quiches as well as croissants with various combinations of ham, cheeses, and vegetables inside. To make a complete meal, customers can pair their baked goods with a coffee or one of Kouign Amann’s fresh, homemade juices.

Hockey, Men's Varsity, Sports

Tremblay scores twice in men’s hockey quarterfinal win

by Zoe Babad-Palmer on

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On Feb. 16, the McGill men’s hockey team (17-11) defeated the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Ridgebacks (14-14) in an exciting 6-2 win to advance to the OUA semifinal round. In the rough-and-tumble affair, 12 players—including both teams’ goalies—received penalties.

McGill dominated the game from the start. Just 38 seconds into the opening frame, a clean snipe from third-year forward Samuel Tremblay gave McGill the lead. Tempers ran high, and the occasional post-whistle malice soon escalated into the Ridgebacks taking penalties for slashing, high sticking, and tripping. Although McGill failed to score on their first two power plays, they established a rhythm of solid passing and several close shots. On their third power play, however, the team broke through: Fourth-year forward Christophe Lalonde put the puck over the goal line, and, 31 seconds later, first-year forward Jordan Fournier scored to advance McGill 3-0.

Both McGill and UOIT got physical in the last three minutes of the period, pushing and shoving until second-year forward Keanu Yamamoto masterfully stickhandled through traffic to score yet again. The first period ended 4-0, with 12 shots from McGill compared to just two for the Ridgebacks.

According to Head Coach Kelly Nobes, the team focused on remaining consistent heading into the second period.

“We just talked about keeping the game plan the same as it was,” Nobes said. “We wanted to grind, we wanted to stick with it, and keep pucks going north.”

Throughout the period, McGill played keepaway, frustrating the Ridgebacks’ efforts at a comeback. The home side had promising chances on their single power play, breathing life into the period. However, they could not convert, and eventually gave up a power play goal with 1:22 left in the period.

Emotions ran highest in the final period, but McGill remained in control of the game. About halfway through the period, third-year transfer defenceman Maximilian Daigle increased the score to 5-1 McGill with a slapshot. Tremblay scored for the second time that night with a power play goal shortly after.

With just over five minutes remaining, a major netfront brawl disrupted McGill’s momentum. The scuffle sent two Ridgebacks and two McGill players to the penalty box for roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct. At this point, McGill eased their pressure and allowed a last-minute goal. However, the Ridgebacks had lost the competition far earlier in the game, and, when the buzzer sounded, McGill was victorious by a score of 6-2.

Going into the game, McGill was determined to win the series on Saturday and avoid a third, winner-take-all match.

“We were really ready in the room,” Tremblay said. “We wanted to finish [the series] right now and not play tomorrow, so it’s a little bit more rest for us [….] It was a good motivation to end this tonight.”

Fourth-year defenceman Dominic Talbot-Tassi, who celebrated his 25th birthday on game day, wants his team to play against their next opponent with the same intensity that fuelled their win against UOIT.

“We’ve got to keep up with the same energy [and] stick to the structure and I think things should go our way,” Talbot-Tassi said.

McGill will face Carleton in the OUA semifinals.

 

Moment of the Game

Third-year goalie Louis-Philip Guindon made a spectacular save on the penalty kill during the second period, rolling onto his back to stop the Ridgebacks.

Quotable

“I think the message was pretty clear in the room that we had to come out strong and impose our tempo, and I think that’s what we did.” –Dominic Talbot-Tassi on the impressive first period start.

Stat Corner

Four McGill players—third-year transfer defenceman Nikolas Brouillard, Tremblay, Yamamoto, and Fournier—recorded two or more points in the win.

McGill, News

Law enforcement and community experts call for dialogue on systemic discrimination

by Elizabeth Strong on

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To promote a better understanding of systemic discrimination and how to combat it, the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR) and the Criminal Law Group of McGill co-hosted a panel discussion on Feb. 11 titled “Systemic Discrimination: Challenges for Policing in An Age of Diversity and Heightened Public Scrutiny.” The speakers consisted of Quebec Police Ethics Commissioner Marc-André Dowd, Ottawa Police Community Co-chair Ketcia Peters, McGill Department of Psychiatry Assistant Professor Myrna Lashley, and Marc Charbonneau, the chief inspector of the Corporate Service Division of the Montreal Police Service (SPVM).

Alain Babineau, a CRARR advisor and member of the Criminal Law Group, co-hosted and moderated the panel discussion. In an email to The McGill Tribune, Babineau emphasized productive discourse on systemic discrimination requires representatives from both law enforcement and black communities.

“[In] my experience, the conversation [about police discrimination] is usually unidirectional,” Babineau wrote. “The police tell the audience what they do and what they expect from the community. Or, in the case of town hall meeting, the community yells at the police to vent their frustration. In either scenario, it is not typically productive. I believe our panel discussion was interactive and informative for [both the] participants and panellists.”

Speaking from the perspective of the black community, Peters discussed the challenge of reconciling the interests of law enforcement and those of black communities when these conversations occur. According to her, police view themselves as professionals and are, therefore,  not always willing to accept the help of civilians. But, in Peters’ view, community members have valuable insight from their own firsthand experiences with systemic discrimination.

“It’s like two different cultures, and they’re not understanding each other.” Peters said. “The police culture, the community culture, they’re not even speaking the same language.”  

Laughrey also addressed the misunderstandings between law enforcement and racialized community members. She highlighted the many areas of everyday life in which systemic discrimination manifests itself.

“When I’m talking about systemic racism, I’m talking about policies, practices, and economic and political structures which place racial minorities and ethnic minorities at a disadvantage,” Lashley said. “It’s the things that we take for granted every day that we never question. And the bad thing about it is that the person who’s oppressed, start[s] taking it for granted, too.”

Valérie Black St. Laurent, a member of the Criminal Law Group at McGill and co-host of the panel, believes that systemic discrimination can be best understood through a social lens.

“We seem to have an aversion to the word systemic, […] we tend to take it personally,” Black said. “[I believe] we might want to take it less personally in the sense that we all have a role to play within that system, and, therefore, when we discuss systemic discrimination, it is not a personal attack on a person.”

Nonetheless, Lashley reiterated the need to reflect critically on one’s personal privilege.

“If you never have to ask yourself […] ‘can I do that’ […] you’ve got privilege,” Lashley said. “If you never have to ask yourself when the police car stops, ‘I wonder if they see me as a black person first or if they see me as a human being,’ you’ve got privilege.”

According to Lashley, members of police forces need to acknowledge the power they hold as enforcers of the law. However, police must also be recognized as members of the broader society, and that it is the collective responsibility of communities to combat systemic racism.

“Police are nothing more than members of society,” Lashley said. “And we, as members of society, set the tone. Each time we engage in racism, […] we are setting [that] tone. Don’t expect the police to be different than we are. We are responsible, and if we don’t want our police to engage in bad behaviour, then we must stop behaving [badly…]. But, it is not up to the people who are being oppressed to take away the guilt from the oppressor.”

McGill, News, Private

UTILE proposes an affordable student housing project for McGill

by Sam Dagres on

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The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) is in the preliminary stages of constructing residential spaces in collaboration with Unité de travail pour l’implantation de logement étudiant (UTILE), a non-profit organization that works toward establishing affordable housing for students in Québec.

UTILE was founded in 2012 in an attempt to revive a vacant UQAM student housing project. The effort was unsuccessful, but the organization has since invested in other projects, including an affordable student housing project for Concordia University.

In 2014, SSMU approached UTILE to conduct research on the state of student housing around McGill’s Downtown campus and the possibility of erecting new affordable accommodations. This past January, UTILE presented a 60-page feasibility report to SSMU.

The report found that the cost of rent in the Plateau-Mont-Royal area is increasing faster than inflation. This has resulted in McGill students paying the highest rent on the island; 40 per cent more than students at other French-speaking universities, on average.

“We are paying $200 to $300 more than other [students] in Montreal,” SSMU President Tre Mansdoerfer said. “Those numbers are upsetting [….] Affordable housing is something that should be important to SSMU, [and] UTILE is one avenue [to] affordable housing.”

The feasibility of such a project hinges on its financing. UTILE recommended building a new, medium-rise structure that would provide 150 units, estimating that monthly rent would be around $761 for a studio and $500 per occupant in a three-bedroom apartment, with amenities included.

Based on their detailed model, UTILE projected development costs to be around $19.3 million. Most of the financing would come from private and public donors, but at least $1.5 million would need to come from student fees. UTILE suggested imposing a semesterly fee of $5.15 per student for 10 semesters. With this budget, UTILE predicted that the development could be built by the Winter 2023 semester.

“We haven’t decided if we want to run the fee this semester or not,” Mansdoerfer said. “[We would need to] start mass advertisement on what this project should be. The fee, if it were to run, [would be called] an ‘Affordable Housing Fee.’ There would have to be a referendum [to insert the fee]. [Referenda] go through McGill, and they last for five years [maximum].”

Mansdoerfer emphasized the importance of immediate awareness and advertising campaigns to ensure that the student body is knowledgeable about the prospective project and is able to make informed decisions about the development.

“As long as they have the basis of information, I’ll be very happy,” Mansdoerfer said. “If it’s a yes, great. If it’s a no, then I’m glad that students can engage in making the decision [….] I am of the opinion that SSMU should be working toward tangible wins. There’s nothing more tangible than something like this.”

According to Mansdoerfer, initial obstacles for SSMU include selling the student body on a project that they will personally never benefit from, convincing the student body that SSMU is capable of managing a multi-million-dollar project, and deciding who will manage the project once it is built.

Laurent Levesque, head of UTILE’s media relations, mentioned that Montreal’s rent could one day resemble Vancouver’s and expressed dismay at the complete absence of non-profits with missions similar to that of UTILE.

“There is no other group doing this in all of [Canada],” Levesque said. “We are talking with student groups in Toronto and Vancouver to try to export the Quebec model. The [main objective] is to […] maintain Montreal as an affordable city forever.”

UTILE and Concordia’s own affordable student housing project has concluded the design and financing stages and will soon begin construction. John Hutton, the finance coordinator for the Concordia Student Union (CSU), expressed optimism about the project.

“The ‘McGill Ghetto’ is a perfect example of landlords overcharging for apartments while not doing much to maintain them,” Hutton said. “Students need better housing options.”

Science & Technology

MAPS Canada charts the way for psychedelic therapy

by Lucas Bird on

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When McGill students hear about psychedelics, their minds might wander to that friend who tried magic mushrooms once, or maybe MK Ultra’s acid-based electrotherapy experiments. What might not immediately register is the novel and promising potential for these drugs today in the form of psychedelic therapy.

The perception of psychedelics as medicinally viable and socially acceptable diverges from their historic prohibition and stigmatization. However, changing norms raises a variety of questions concerning psychedelics’ potential benefits and harms as well as the role they might play mental health treatment. The public face of this movement in Canada, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS Canada), is working toward the legalization of psychedelics by facilitating research on psychedelic therapy, educating the public, and sparking a healthy dialogue regarding psychedelic drugs.

Magic mushrooms, acid, and molly—or, as they are medicinally known,  psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA—have all emerged as substances of interest in the field of psychotherapy over the past ten years. LSD and psilocybin have been shown to be helpful in treating disorders like alcoholism and depression, particularly in patients whose conditions are the result of life-threatening illnesses. MAPS has carried out two successful clinical studies showing how MDMA could aid individuals suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and further  trials are on the horizon to expand on the safety and efficacy of the treatment.

Cognitive behavioural therapy is a form of psychotherapy which enables patients to revisit traumatic memories in a safe environment with the goal of permanently altering the thinking and behavioural patterns surrounding the memory in question. While conventional therapy follows a similar procedure, it can be an extremely difficult process for a subject with PTSD, as revisiting the memory can induce anxiety, agony, and other extreme emotions reminiscent of the inception of the trauma. MDMA can help facilitate the process by easing recollection of traumatic memories.

“Normal therapies, when they start to access that tape loop, have a huge fear response that people don’t want to go through,” Mark Haden, executive director of MAPS Canada and adjunct professor at the University of British Columbia School of Population and Public Health, said. “MDMA assisted psychotherapy allows access to the loop in a way that doesn’t stimulate fear.”

In treating an aggressive disorder like PTSD, the therapist-patient relationship is particularly important. Reliving traumatic events in their emotional totality requires vulnerability from a patient and sensitivity from a therapist. According to Haden, MDMA is invaluable in building a strong relationship of this type.

“[MDMA] also bonds the therapist to the subject,” Haden said. “It’s a connector, and that connection is a huge benefit in terms of therapy.”

Haden also stressed the medicinal potential of LSD. Informed by some inaugural research done on psychedelics in Canada in the 1950s and ‘60s, he speculated that LSD might be useful in treating alcoholism.

“If you think about what alcoholism is, there’s a certain rigidity of ego,” Haden said. “If someone is killing themselves with this behaviour that they somehow justify and make okay, that’s rigid thinking. So, LSD is useful for insight [and] reflection on self, and it kind of shakes the ego up.”

LSD simulates a spiritual experience, a phenomenon which Bill Wilson, one of the co-founders of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), asserted is helpful in combatting alcoholism. Wilson was an advocate for the use of LSD to treat alcoholism because he perceived it as aiding in one’s spiritual development and abstention from alcohol.

“He was a proponent of the benefits of LSD because it produces one of the things which is an underpinning of AA, that is, a spiritual experience,” Haden said.

Haden is confident about the future of psychedelics and psychotherapy. He believes that the scientific community is engaging with the idea in a new way.

“There are a wide range of people, from psychologists to psychiatrists, who are taking a look at the evidence that’s being produced and saying this will change our profession,” Haden said. “People have these sorts of disorders over long periods of time, and they’re very difficult to treat [….] What we’re observing with psychedelics is that they’re actually much easier to treat and that [they are] treatable within a relatively short period of time.”

While the potential of psychedelics is difficult to ignore, there is reason to be cautious. The current available research is not extensive enough to constitute scientific certainty, and funding for such studies is still sparse. That being said, it is crucial that the societal perception of these substances keeps pace with a quickly evolving scientific understanding. Jonathan Jarry, a science communicator at McGill’s Office for Science and Society hosts the video series “Cracked Science,” to which he most recently added an episode on the ‘psychedelic renaissance.’ He believes that, although the foundational evidence is promising, our current regard for psychedelic therapy should be limited to cautious optimism.

“There is preliminary evidence in phase two clinical trials that certain psychedelics, within a therapeutic context, could potentially help certain patients with certain kinds of psychological disorders,” Jarry said. “I’m very much in favour of MAPS funding these studies because these substances do have a potential to help people, but we just don’t know at the moment if they do help people better than current standards of care.”

Some of Jarry’s apprehension is prompted by the media’s depictions of psychedelic therapy as a definite, blossoming success. For example, Rolling Stone ran an ambitious story in March 2017 titled “The Psychedelic Miracle,” which equated the proliferation of psychedelic research and anecdotal evidence with scientific success. Such exaggerations incite another concern in Jarry: The possibility that individuals may decide to self-medicate due to a lack of options.

“Depending on your access to healthcare, depending on your willingness to go through the healthcare system, depending on your experiences with psychiatrists and psychologists, I could imagine people rushing to these substances outside of healthcare institutions to find help, which could be quite damaging,” Jarry said.

Jarry is not trying to dismiss or delegitimize the few positive scientific studies so far. He simply wants to reiterate that they are exactly that: Few and far between. For its part, MAPS has worked to rectify this shortage. According to Rick Doblin, the organization’s founder and director, MAPS has treated 107 PTSD patients in six phase two studies. As Jarry explains, though, the public denouncement of psychedelics still makes it difficult to acquire funding

Psychedelic drugs have the potential to aid struggling individuals with severe psychological disorders, and the idea that these drugs might help ease and expedite their treatment is reason to be excited, but scientific certainty is a waiting game. The substantive evidence for the efficacy of psychedelic therapy is not robust enough to assert that these drugs will assume a role in the future of mental-health care. Yet, the potential of psychedelic therapy presents an invigorating notion: These drugs might no longer exclusively provide a vivid, psychoactive experience to the recreational user, but may also come to aid and enrich the lives of people who truly need them.

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