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Science & Technology

Questioning the device we use to question

by Yasmine Azzi on

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To kickoff the Science Undergraduate Society’s ‘Academia Week: To Science and Beyond,’ David Ragsdale, associate professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery,  explored questions on morality and neuroscience. Within every human head, there is a tangible organ associated with something fundamentally intangible: The mind.

“Your brain is a physical thing,” Ragsdale said. “You can hold a brain in your hand, and it takes up space, and it weighs something [….]  Your mind is something different. It doesn’t weigh anything; it doesn’t take up any space.”

Unanswered questions surrounding the mind and its relationship to the brain often cause overlaps between the fields of neuroscience and philosophy. In his work, Ragsdale attempts to answer various existential uncertainties by mapping out what the scientific community currently knows of the brain’s circuitry and components.

“There are about 100 billion neurons in our brain,” Ragsdale said. “Each one of those cells is an extremely-complex computational machine.”

Even with this elaborate mapping of the mind, brain interconnectivity is still a mystery.

“The complexity on the microscopic level is so vast that it’s hard to understand how we can ever map that and understand it,” Ragsdale said.  

Researchers still do not have a clear understanding of the nature of the discrepancy between the perceptions of signals and the actual reception of signals turning into thoughts.

“Why is it, that when I look up at the sky, it actually looks blue?” Ragsdale said. “How is it that, when I perceive things, those perceptions actually feel like something? There are lots of technical problems about the brain that we are addressing, but those are the problems that seem most mysterious. The problems that have to do with how we get from the things we sort of understand that the brain is doing to the things that seem so impossible for us to explain.”

Combining philosophical questions and scientific questions can drive forward the barriers of knowledge in both disciplines. Ragsdale emphasized the intersection of knowledge throughout his lecture, encouraging questions to which the answers remain unknown.

“[If I could ask the universe for one thing,] I would ask if it could tell us how to represent thoughts and how to interface with other brains,” Armaan Fallali (U1 Science) said while attending the event.

The overlap of philosophy and neuroscience plays out in mundane tasks, such as picking up a cell phone or taking a bath. These actions involve free will and autonomy and are coupled with movements that evoke thoughts and feelings, showing just how complex our computational system is.

“You’re not just an automaton,” Ragsdale said. “There’s actually a ‘you’ inside there, and, as far as we can tell, those properties emerge from the information processing properties of the brain as well.”

Most crucially, Ragsdale stressed that we should never stop asking questions about the brain and the mind. There is still much that is unknown about how the brain perceives itself and the world around us. There are paradoxes and ambiguities but, eventually, as Ragsdale suggested, we may be able to unlock the mysteries of our own minds and finally understand our own existence.

Montreal, News

Conservative candidate Jasmine Louras campaigns in Outremont

by Sam Dagres on

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The riding of Outremont, which shares a borough with Milton-Parc, has gone without a representative in the House of Commons for nearly five months and will hold a by-election on Feb. 25. Former New Democrat Party (NDP) leader Tom Mulcair held the riding for almost a decade, but, months after being ousted as party leader, he stepped down in late August. On Jan. 21, accompanied by members of Conservative McGill and several Members of Parliament (MP) including Conservative Party Leader Andrew Scheer, prospective candidate Jasmine Louras stepped forward as the party’s choice for Outremont. The event ended in celebration, with many MPs attending Conservative McGill’s Welcome Back Pub Night afterwards.

Louras’ rivals include Rachel Bendayan, who will be running for the second time under the Liberal banner, and Julia Sanchez for the NDP.  Bendayan’s goals include increased environmental protection measures, support for small businesses, and social housing projects. Likewise, Sanchez’ campaign will focus on the environment, women’s rights, and inequality. Louras’ campaign team, meanwhile, predicts widespread Conservative support in Quebec; however, it is wary of resistance in Outremont, which has never elected a Conservative MP. Jonah Presser, Louras’ volunteer coordinator and director of the election process, expressed optimism for an oncoming ‘blue wave.’

“When I’m on the ground with the candidate and the team, we see that the Conservative movement [is] gaining traction,” Presser said.“People are dissatisfied with the current government, especially with Justin Trudeau.”

Presser also worked on Conservative MP Richard Martel’s campaign in Quebec this past summer. He believes Martel won because of the Conservative Party’s continuous effort to appeal specifically to Quebecers.

“Andrew Scheer [has] put a lot of effort into Quebec as a whole, we’ve had a speaking tour for the last six months [called] ‘À l’écoute des Québécois’ Presser said.

Scheer cited Martel’s success as a source for his confidence in the Conservative Party winning across Quebec during the Oct. federal election.

“We have already demonstrated this past summer, in Chicoutimi-La Fjord, that there is not one riding that the Conservatives cannot win,” Scheer said. “If we work hard, if we stay faithful to our principles, if we convey our positive messages to each voter, we can win any riding in Canada [….] We are currently forming the strongest Quebec Conservative team we’ve seen in recent history. [Louras] is a part of a new generation of Montreal Conservatives. [We] are the only federal party who respects provincial autonomy. It is a Conservative government that has acknowledged that Quebecers form a nation in the heart of Canada.”

Louras briefly thanked her team and reinforced the conviction that a ‘blue wave’ is will hit Quebec.

“We are going door to door, each and every day, we are talking to the residents of Outremont,” Louras said. “We are listening to [them], and we will win this time around. The blue wave has come.”

Louras grew up in the riding, and, according to Presser, she understands its socio-economic diversity very well.

“The riding of Outremont contains some of the poorest areas of Montreal, and also one of the richest [Upper Outremont],” Presser said. “She is aware of the diverse upbringing of [this] riding. She can bring [it] together and represent it properly.”

 

Most of the quotes in this article are translated from the original French. The original transcription is available upon request.

Campus Spotlight, Student Life

MHAW takes mental health education one step further

by Emma Paulus on

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Between Jan. 28 and Feb. 1, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) hosted Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW). Events promoting mental wellness, self-advocacy, and collective well-being took place throughout the week on and around campus. Organizers encouraged attendees to be more understanding and aware of issues relating to mental health through their workshops.

In the midst of juggling homework and extracurriculars, getting adequate sleep, and making time for friends and family, mental health is often a student’s last priority. Consequently, event organizers felt that it was important to engage in conversations about mental health and encourage students to prioritize their mental health. According to SSMU Mental Health Commissioner Bee Khaleeli, U3 Arts, MHAW organizers hoped to do more than solely encourage discussions about mental illness.

“We also really value offering concrete steps for students to take,” Khaleeli said. “This is especially true for those who are often left out of the conversation of mental health, neurodivergent students and students with disabilities in particular, but also queer, racialized, and otherwise-vulnerable students.”

In this mission to empower students with coping mechanisms, MHAW included a workshop on effective studying presented by the Office for Students with Disabilities. The event provided students with strategies on improving time management, balancing a demanding workload, and excelling academically while practicing self-care.

Participants also learned about ways in which they could assist others struggling with mental illness. Licensed psychologist Dr. Mary Alexandria led SafeTALK Suicide Intervention on the evening of Jan. 31. In her presentation, Alexandria talked about some of the signs that someone may exhibit if they are contemplating suicide and offered approaches for offering them support. After attending the workshop, Emily Gittings, U1 Arts, spoke of the importance of taking action if someone shows signs of suicidal ideations.

“Sometimes, I think we worry about being too extreme and just dismiss our concerns when, in reality, it is best to communicate our concerns clearly and be willing to ask if someone is suicidal,” Gittings said. “When offering to help someone who is suicidal, it is not your responsibility to save their life. Instead, it is important to provide [students with] the resources needed in order for this person to save their own life.”

In addition to instructional workshops, campus groups also hosted de-stressing events for overwhelmed students. On Jan. 29, the Peer Support Centre, SSMU, the Art Hive staff, and Student Services teamed up to offer a creative art session. Beyond providing students with a space to paint, the Art Hive staff instructed students on practicing mindfulness, a practice which encourages honing in on the peace of the moment. The event staff hoped that students would engage positively with mindfulness and integrate it into their daily lives.

While raising awareness is important, it does not necessarily resolve all of the challenges those suffering from mental illness face. The student groups and professionals behind MHAW worked to extend mental health education beyond awareness by providing students with opportunities to actively improve their mental health. Through a combination of casual events like yoga and heavy discussions on matters such as suicide, students learned a variety of ways to practice self-care.

“I hope folks who attended […] programming can wrap up the week feeling like they have the tools necessary for self-advocacy and community support,” Khaleeli wrote in a message to The McGill Tribune. “I think it’s really easy to fall into talking about awareness without offering concrete next steps and avenues for growth and change, and we wanted to empower people in this regard.”

Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

Centaur’s ‘Queer Reading Series’ celebrates new voices

by Jonathan Giammaria on

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Traditionally, a stage reading is a stripped-down version of an author’s  work. With no set design and minimal effort put toward costuming or props, performance and plot are at the forefront. Attending a reading allows keen audiences to access an unfinished product. Abandoning notions of polish and perfection relieves creators from the pressures of a full production. With the Queer Reading Series, which ran Jan. 31-Feb. 2, Playwright’s Workshop Montreal provided emerging artists from underrepresented communities with a public platform to share their work, illustrating the diverse new generation of the Montreal theatre scene.

For Ella Kohlmann, the Ontarian playwright behind Exits, this meant sharing her coming-of-age story about a runaway teenager infatuated with Moby Dick. The protagonist’s on-the-run status was a product of a number of factors, including her exploration of sexual identity, and Kohlman showed interest in a breadth of literary themes. Her play tackled existential topics mirroring Melville’s text, such as the pursuit of cementing one’s legacy in the world.

Exits’s reading left a feeling of vulnerability for actors and audience members alike. Unfinished elements of the production were laid bare: Much of the dialogue had not yet been memorized, audio cues sometimes overpowered the actors’ voices, and, in one instance, the lead, Caitlin Cooke, broke character in response to a faulty prop. After the show, a discussion period encouraged questions and criticism from the audience, all of which were directed at Kohlmann. She responded with introspective explanations, offering insight into the decisions she made as a playwright. None of the blunders during the performance detracted from the overall experience; instead, the acting on display hinted at a show brimming with possibility, leaving the audience in high anticipation of the finished product.  

Nathaniel Hanula-James’ Untitled Flamingo Play, which showed on the series’ last night, was unfinished only in name. Because the play relied heavily on object theatre, in which the characters are portrayed by props instead of actors, its ‘less-is-more’ setup made it feel fully realized; Hanula-James needed no more than a few household objects to bring an eclectic set of characters to life.

A true auteur, Hanula-James wrote and performed the reading alone. The one-man show was a foray into the mind of seven-year-old Addison, a child trying to find himself in a world full of child-like adults and adult-like children, who must ultimately seek help from a nefarious, moustache-twirling flamingo. By making self-discovery and self-affirmation the focal points of his story, Hanula-James was brazen with his exploration of queer identity. He populated the story with a cast of characters either hell-bent on tormenting the young hero or comically misguided in their attempts to clarify what it means to be gay. Each character was unique, and Hanula-James infused the dialogue with quick retorts and sly wit, often inciting hysterics from his audience by contrasting childish naiveté with adult humour.

Both stage readings broached issues affecting queer youth, namely ostracism and isolation. And, though the creators’ intents were to spark serious discussions about the challenges affecting marginalized voices, their outlooks were never pessimistic. Sidestepping the tragic narratives so often seen in queer fiction, the creators instead stressed the importance of overcoming adversity and shared positive stories they hoped to see reflected in the real world.

Arts & Entertainment

SSMU and ‘F WORD’ host Mental Health Coffee House

by Diana Viola on

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On Feb. 1, McGill students gathered at the Montreal, arts interculturels (MAI) for the Mental Health Coffee House, a night of poetry, music, and mental health advocacy. The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and the feminist student publication F WORD organized the coffee house. Midnight Kitchen provided snacks and drinks, highlighting the event’s focus on community support. The coffee house concluded  the annual Mental Health Awareness Week, and provided an inclusive and safe place to share art, poetry, and its accompanying emotions without judgment.

After workshops and de-stress sessions held all throughout the last week of January, SSMU invited students to join the coffee house either as a performer or an audience member, bringing in over 30  attendees to watch three poets and three musicians perform.

Bee Khaleeli, one of SSMU’s mental health commissioners, explained that the ultimate goal of the coffee house and other similar events is to give students and community members the tools that they need to be proactive about their mental health. Khaleeli emphasized that events like the Mental Health Coffee House open up these conversations and foster a dialogue about students’ struggles to get help, allowing them to share their stories.

“Something that we often forget is that a lot of people go out and seek care, and they end up in desolation about the care they receive, so fostering the dialogue could be really empowering for the students,” Khaleeli said.

Similarly, Cody Esterle, Vice-President (VP) Student Life at SSMU, saw the Mental Health Coffee House as an anti-oppressive place where freedom of self-expression is the end goal.

“When we talk about Mental Health and arts it’s important to create a space that is inclusive and safe,” Esterle said.

According to Emma Ciereszyński, coordinator of F WORD, poetry provides a  language to speak against oppressive politics, and having a safe place to express this resistance is  essential to one’s own mental health.

“Poetry is inherently a way of expressing yourself, and [it is] a big part of […] participating in types of politics,” said Ciereszyński. “It is sharing your own story, your own experiences, in a space that’s safe for that. And poetry, that’s what poetry is. It is sharing your own experience in a way that feels authentic to you. It is a big part of anti-oppressive politics.”

SSMU and F WORD partnered to promote an inclusive approach to mental health that recognizes the value in difference.

“We wanted to prioritize women, queer people, [and] racialized people regarding who will be performing at this event,” Khaleeli said. “We know that these are often people that are excluded from the fine arts, performing arts, and a lot of mental health discourse in general. So, the relevance of the anti-oppressive politics in this event is their representation and the creation of a space that not only accepts marginalized people but very actively works up at their voices.”

Organizers expect to repeat the event next year and hope to continue the conversations that they successfully started this year regarding poetry, arts, and mental health advocacy.

“We are fully engaged with finding practical ways to translate the conversations that we’ve just started [in] our community, whether that be advocating for better services on campus or running more targeted campaigns,” Khaleeli said.

News

House of Commons Leader Bardish Chagger meets with Liberal McGill

by Lauren Mayes on

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Liberal McGill held a networking event at Brutopia Pub on Jan. 15 as part of Liberal Member of Parliament Bardish Chagger’s campaign. After introductions, Chagger held an open discussion on her vision for the Liberal Party in the lead-up to the 2019 federal election in October.

Anushay Sheikh, director of Liberal McGill, introduced Chagger, emphasizing how her experiences prior to her role as Leader of the Government in the House of Commons in 2018 had prepared her for work at the federal level.

“Ms. Chagger is devoted to inclusion and community building,” Sheikh said. “In her role at Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre, she worked to foster diversity within the community, providing opportunities for social and economic engagement. As the executive assistant to former [Member of Parliament] Andrew Telegdi, she gained a deep understanding of the issues that are important to the residents of Waterloo, including manufacturing, technology, and innovation.”

Chagger began her 30-minute informal conversation by drawing parallels between her early academic career and current work in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet. She has found the government’s commitment to progress inspiring.

“Trudeau says that ‘better is always possible,’” Chagger said. “When I was in school, math was my strongest subject. And I remember, in grade 11 math, I came home with a 98, and my dad was like ‘where’s the two per cent?’ So, when [Prime Minister] Justin Trudeau says ‘better is always possible,’ I’m like ‘yeah, my dad agrees, […] so, I’ve continued fighting for that little bit more.”

As Minister of Small Business and Tourism from 2015 to 2018, Chagger was one of three ministers responsible for the department of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development until a cabinet reshuffle in July 2018. She currently serves as Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, and is responsible for planning and managing the government’s legislative program.  

Chagger defined her vision of the Liberal Party as a party that continually seeks to refine and improve its mandate. She finds that Trudeau’s leadership is essential to the success of this mandate and expressed pride in her party’s history of advocacy, including long-standing advocacy for same-sex marriage, support for the legalization of marijuana, the development of a carbon-tax policy, and continued argument for regulations allowing physician-assisted death.

Chagger doesn’t see progress as a competitive game, emphasizing the role of international cooperation for Canada. She values free trade deals like the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) for promoting an environment where all parties benefit from a globalized economy.

Giovanni Giuga, a second-year Master’s student at McGill who volunteered on Chagger’s 2015 campaign, described working for her in an interview with The McGill Tribune.

“Just from having a conversation with her, you can tell she’s passionate about what she wants to do,” Giuga said. “She’s done some amazing things with her efforts in community development and improving the Waterloo community [….] I could talk for days [about] how she’s done that prior to her role, and the strides she’s made in that realm are absolutely amazing. She [also] makes all her volunteers passionate not just about politics, but about the political process itself.

Commentary, Opinion

I don’t want to rent a lamp: I need to see a therapist

by Johanna Cline on

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For most people, the decision to see a therapist doesn’t take place overnight. Often, a series of events will knock someone down until dealing with an issue alone is no longer an option. By the time that I decided to trek to the Brown building, my closest friends knew that I had been struggling for months. I had finally reached a point where I did not feel safe in my own mind and needed external support to help me deal with my sense of hopelessness.

So, when the receptionist at mental health services told me that there was a six-week wait to get an appointment, my stomach lurched. Finding the strength to reach out and ask for help does not come easily, and being denied that help can be demoralizing and, frankly, scary. Seeing the panic on my face, the receptionist reassured me that if I came by for drop-in hours I would be able to see a therapist by the end of the day. I arrived the following morning only to be told that all of the appointments were already taken. I started tearing up, but I knew that negotiation was not an option. All of the students before me needed to talk just as badly as I did, and what I was facing wasn’t a malicious plot against my mental health but a shortage of resources.

I feel very fortunate to be surrounded by caring friends. On that discouraging day, my roommate brought home two pages of contact information for local psychologists. I texted the first one on the list and immediately made a booking for the following week. The hour-long appointment cost $195.

Like every McGill student, I hear incessant complaints about our school’s mental health system. The Brown building, which houses McGill’s counselling services, bears a shameful one-and-a-half–star ranking on Google Maps. From cutting the eating disorder program to funding out-of-touch initiatives clearly designed by the neurotypical—think: Spin Bikes and fake plants—the administration does little to  hide that mental wellness falls quite low on their list of priorities. For many students, the once-every-two-week therapy offered by Mental Health Services is insufficient. As a result, students often turn to expensive sessions with independent psychologists. This option only applies to those with $50 to $240 to drop on a one-hour session. The rest of the student body finds themselves out of luck and instead has to keep it together on their own for the 14 days between their McGill counselor appointments.

After intense backlash surrounding former deputy provost student life and learning Ollivier Dyens’ self-righteous hygiène-de-vie sermon, as well as criticism about the decision to cut the eating disorder program, McGill decided to redeem itself with the announcement of its first ever Well Week. Well Week was a five-day period between Jan. 28 and Feb. 1 during which McGill hosted various mental wellness-related events, including a mason jar meal hack, workshops on bullet journaling and studying habits, and yoga classes. McGill administration has also offered students resources like light therapy lamps and miscellaneous workshops as alternative means for improving mental health, especially during the dreary winter months.

While biking and yoga may be useful supplementary tools for coping with mental health struggles, students cannot be expected to handle their issues alone and need accessible recovery programs to put them back on track. McGill continues to invest in half-hearted wellness initiatives while failing to address the needs of students struggling with genuine mental illness. Well Week is yet another misdirected strategy to pacify the growing resentment amongst students in need of greater resources. Having personally gone through the dejection of being denied mental health services, I would not want anyone to feel that same hopelessness. Students need an administration that hears their experiences and takes them seriously with a rigorous dedication to increasing affordable counselling services—not rentable lamps.

Commentary, Opinion

McGill must replace Première Moisson

by Kennedy McKee-Braide on

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At the end of the academic year, Première Moisson’s current lease on their space in the Redpath Library basement will have expired. This news has sparked a debate about whether the lease should be renewed, and, if not, what should replace it. The café, which sells coffee, sandwiches, pastries, and snacks, is notorious for its high prices and mediocre products. The Redpath Première Moisson lease debate highlights the broader issue that McGill fails to provide its students with options that are both healthy and affordable.

In 2014, McGill replaced the Tim Hortons in the Redpath Library basement cafeteria space with a Première Moisson. As the Montreal Gazette reported at the time, students were unhappy with the change, preferring Tim Hortons’ affordable selection. Most options at Première Moisson are expensive for the average student, with the cost for rather small sandwiches climbing up to eight dollars. While McGill boasts about Première Moisson’s quality, citing a ‘gourmet selection,’ students tend to disagree. In January, The McGill Tribune conducted a survey of McGill students’ opinions about Première Moisson: Out of 314 respondents, only 29 said they would want the lease renewed.

Issues with food affordability and quality on campus do not end at Première Moisson. Vendors such as Quesada, Starbucks, and Dispatch often fail to provide food that is simultaneously healthy and inexpensive. There are some alternatives: SNAX, a student-run café in Leacock, is affordable, but payment options are limited, and some students will always opt for one of the chain restaurants around campus instead of paying hefty fees to take out cash from an ATM.  Another alternative, the student-run initiative Midnight Kitchen, offers free vegan and vegetarian meals to students but is currently unable to function due to the renovation of the University Centre. Those living in residence are forced to pay almost $6,000 for a mandatory meal plan. Unlike many other schools, the plan does not provide students with unlimited meals. Not only is cost an issue, but such a system fails to provide students with the option to cook for themselves.

Some may counter these arguments by claiming that students are more than welcome to avoid Première Moisson if they so choose. However, this ignores the reality facing a sizeable portion of the McGill population: While some may have the means to pay for such items, many do not. Financial and economic status should not put these students at a disadvantage.

Others might also argue that it is students’ responsibility to prepare their own meals should they have a problem with the price of food on campus. However, this fails to address the crux of student life at McGill: The pressure placed on students, especially around exam season, can be extreme. There is a well-documented correlation between nutrition and stress levels, fatigue, mood, and alertness. Students often lack the time or energy to take care of themselves when they are overwhelmed with school work. Because Première Moisson is the only option in the McLennan-Redpath library, it leaves students with little choice but to spend large amounts of money to feed themselves during stressful periods. It can be hard to justify extensive meal-prep when coursework is so time-consuming. If McGill truly values the well-being of their students, offering more affordable food options is a good way to prove it.

Students’ position seems to be clear: It’s time for Première Moisson to go. What McGill does next will demonstrate whether it prioritizes student concerns, and McGill should replace Première Moisson with another, more affordable option.

In solidarity with Unist'ot'en
Editorial, Opinion

In solidarity with Unist’ot’en

by The McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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Since November 2018, indigenous communities and their allies across Canada have mobilized to show solidarity with the Unist’ot’en camp. The community is part of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation in British Columbia (BC) and has been trying to prevent a natural gas pipeline, Coastal GasLink, from building on their territory. On Jan. 24, the Student’s Society of McGill University (SSMU) Legislative Council voted to express support for the Unist’ot’en camp. However, during deliberation at Legislative Council, SSMU’s motion was amended to remove a statement that explicitly opposed the Coastal GasLink pipeline. Club Councillor Victoria Flaherty raised the concern that the motion excluded students from McGill who may be employed in the oil and gas market in the future. In response, SSMU has adopted a contradictory stance on the matter, not opposing the specific pipeline, but still claiming to support the Unist’ot’en. This is not true solidarity; it is not enough to just express support for Unist’ot’en without being opposed to the pipeline going through their territory.

While SSMU claims that it can support the Unist’ot’en camp without explicitly opposing the pipeline, the two issues are inextricable from one another. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the BC government have used excessive force to make way for construction of the pipeline, launching raids that have resulted in multiple arrests. On Jan. 7, the RCMP entered the camp wearing full tactical gear and weilding assault rifles to counter the peaceful protesters. According to Carleton criminologist Jeffrey Monaghan, internal RCMP documents have referred to the Unist’ot’en as an extremist group. The Unist’ot’en issue goes beyond the construction: It is a violation of indigenous communities’ rights to sovereignty and autonomy. That some SSMU councillors would prioritize future job prospects over this ongoing violence is disheartening.

When external federal issues like the Coastal GasLink pipeline arise, it can be difficult to feel like student voices matter. But, universities have consistently played an integral role in creating change. For example, Quebec’s Bill 151 is the product of months of lobbying and activism by SSMU and the Our Turn National Action Plan. When it comes to protesting the pipeline, a statement of support for Unist’ot’en is the bare minimum, which SSMU has failed to adequately provide.

Lobbying local, provincial, and federal governments is an important part of student unions’ and associations’ duties, and the absence of a vice-president (VP) external hinders SSMU’s ability to fulfill this responsibility. After former VP External Marina Cupido resigned in Oct. 2018, McGill students have been left without an executive whose sole responsibility is to represent their needs outside of the university context. In the case of the Unist’ot’en camp and other indigenous advocacy work, a dedicated VP external position is indispensable.

In the meantime, there are many important steps that students on campus can take to support Unist’ot’en. On their website, the Unist’ot’en camp provide an extensive list of ways to support them, such as donations, need lists, and other resources. On the broader issue of indigenous rights, it is important to support on and off-campus initiatives like #ChangeTheName. Campus groups such as the First People’s House, SSMU Indigenous Affairs, and the Indigenous Student Alliance, which held a demonstration in support of indigenous sovereignty on Jan. 14, are all essential resources for indigenous students on campus, and they deserve students’ utmost support. It is important to educate oneself on how to be an effective ally, listen to indigenous communities, and support their right to self-determination.

SSMU’s decision to amend the motion reveals their hypocrisy. SSMU has been quick to support the #ChangeTheName campaign; however, Unist’ot’en has not received that same kind of support. Expressing solidarity with indigenous peoples means expressing support for all indigenous issues, on and off-campus. Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier announced that she is delaying her decision on whether to change the men’s varsity athletics team name until the end of the academic term. SSMU promptly criticized this announcement, and yet, that they cannot even pass a motion declaring total support for Unist’ot’en demonstrates the emptiness of their solidarity with indigenous peoples. 

McGill, News

Summer exchange course in Israel sparks debates

by Jacqueline Yao on

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The Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) Executive Committee has since passed POLI 339. According to AUS, they did not have enough information regarding the course by their Legislative Council meeting on Jan. 30.

AUS has since suspended the result of the Committee vote following allegations that the vote was undemocratic and unconstitutional. AUS is taking statements at [email protected].

POLI 339 Comparative Developed: Topics 1, a Political Science course featuring a two-week exchange to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ), has ignited heated debates on campus, resulting in AUS ultimately rejecting the course’s proposed fee.

In a Facebook post on Jan. 26, McGill Students in Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) criticized the university for offering a course at HUJ, citing that the campus is partially located on Mount Scopus, a region in Jerusalem that continues to have a disputed territorial status. SPHR claimed that the course is inaccessible because Israeli border security may detain students with Palestinian nationality, as happened to Lara Alqasem, an American student of Palestinian descent, last year. In a statement to The McGill Tribune, SPHR argued that offering POLI 339 would be hypocritical given McGill’s acknowledgement of its colonial occupation of indigenous land.

“There is a common discourse on McGill’s campus that the university must be held accountable for its complicity in settler-colonialism, and [POLI 339] completely contradicts that,” SPHR representatives wrote. “If this course is approved, it not only trivializes the existence and experiences of Palestinian students at McGill, but it puts efforts of accountability here at McGill in jeopardy and puts the lives of its own students at risk should they choose to participate.”

Israel on Campus (IOC) countered SPHR’s statements in a Facebook post on Jan. 28, maintaining that McGill should give students opportunities to understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. IOC refuted allegations of inaccessibility, stating that Arabs make up 16 per cent of HUJ student body and that a Israeli Supreme Court decision last October will limit the use of Israeli law to bar those affiliated with Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS), a global campaign against Israel, from the territory. In an email to the Tribune, IOC stressed that studying at the site of the Israel-Palestine conflict encourages critical thinking.

“By fighting against this course, we believe that SPHR is expressing fear,” IOC representatives wrote. “They are scared that participants will come back refusing to blindly accept their opinions as facts. We encourage critical thinking and are happy to see students have the opportunity to study the conflict themselves by hearing, seeing, and experiencing diverse viewpoints on the ground and forming their own perspectives.”

After receiving backlash, McGill’s Political Science Student Association (PSSA) removed its advertisement for POLI 339. PSSA President Bella Harvey asserted at AUS council that the PSSA remains neutral.

“I believe, personally, that students should be absolutely free to exercise their academic freedom to engage in the opportunities [available to them], but they are equally free to express dissent and protest the class,” Harvey said. “[The] PSSA has no control over what classes are offered by the department and cannot stop them from being offered.”

The Student Fee Advisory Committee (SFAC), which oversees a variety of fees that McGill charges students, had approved the fee before the AUS Council voted against it on Jan 30. During the meeting, critics of POLI 339 argued that the course is not equally accessible for students of Palestinian descent. Others accused councillors of using the debate to express personal grievances and, in so doing, inappropriately deny students academic opportunities. The motion to approve POLI 339 course fees, presented by Arts Representative Andrew Figueiredo, narrowly failed 13-14 in a secret ballot.

POLI 339 will be taught and coordinated by Professors Richard Schultz and Harold Waller, with the Gerald Schwartz & Heather Reisman Foundation partly subsidizing travel costs. The proposed course fee would have had each enrolled student pay $1,000 for lodging, transportation, and remaining airfare expenses. However, given the course fee motion’s failure, it is unclear how the expenses will now be covered.

“[SSMU] only signs off on the fees once they’re approved at the faculty/department level,” Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) President Tre Mansdoerfer wrote in an email to the Tribune. “[I am] unsure about the POLI 339 fee motion’s next steps, as I haven’t seen a case where [course fees] failed to pass so far this year.”

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