Latest News

Science & Technology

DOvEE project aims to detect ovarian cancer earlier

by Erin Dwyer on

More in Science & Technology:

In Canada, deaths from gynecological cancers have steadily decreased over the past three decades. As women are no longer heavily exposed to carcinogenic dyes in clothing and early detection programs have improved, detecting cervical and uterine cancers has slowly become less  of a priority for gynecologists.

However, ovarian cancer continues to have mortality rates that are twice as high as any other reproductive cancer. In fact, according to Lucy Gilbert, director of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), Gynecologic Oncology Division, there are proportionally more women dying of ovarian cancer in Montreal than from cervical cancer in the whole of Canada.

Gilbert explained how a number of factors, such as advanced stage diagnosis, have stalled the reduction in ovarian cancer mortality statistics. In such cases, the outlook is bleak.

“These cancers spread, disseminate, and metastasize before the patient develops symptoms or can be detected by imaging,” Gilbert said. “With chemotherapy, we have been able to prolong life from 18 months to 3 years […] but they [still] die of the disease.

Even in cases where a patient displays symptoms, physicians often blame menopause, which can overshadow critical diagnosis periods for older women.

“Many women come along, and they have been bleeding for ages, they have pain, they have gone to [a] primary care physician, and they are told ‘oh, it’s the menopause,’” Gilbert said.

Gilbert also identified other gender-based obstacles in the fight against reproductive cancer mortality rates. She believes that implicit sexism within the walls of institutions has delayed scientific contributions to women’s health.

“[Many] older women do not have a lot of disposable income and power; therefore, because these cancers affect older women, they are neglected,” Gilbert said.  

Gilbert is dedicated to improving the outcome for women with ovarian cancer through earlier detection.

“I started the DOvEE [Diagnosing Ovarian and Endometrial Cancers Early] project because I felt [that] by giving access, by improving awareness of symptoms, and reducing the number of roadblocks in seeking help […we] would be able to improve cure rates,” Gilbert said.

Gilbert’s program has opened five clinics in Quebec that provide free, immediate testing for women displaying symptoms. She quickly realized that focusing on women’s ovaries while testing was insufficient for making diagnoses in time.

“We were concentrating on giving [an] ultrasound of the ovaries,” Gilbert said. “But the vast majority of ovarian cancers are not actually ovarian cancers. They start in the fallopian tubes.”

The DOvEE program succeeded in diagnosing women in an earlier phase of stage three that was often still completely resectible, but Gilbert and her colleagues are hoping for an even earlier standard of detection.

In partnership with researchers at Johns Hopkins University, Gilbert recently evaluated the effectiveness of a technology called PapSEEK, which analyzes pap smear fluid for cancer-related genetic mutations. However, she has concerns about the technology’s availability.

“Unless [PapSEEK] is accessible and affordable to countries, and lends itself to automation and testing, you cannot have an impact on reducing mortality,” Gilbert said.

The technology must also align with the current diagnostic circumstances of ovarian cancer.

“We will not make an impact on this disease unless women over 50 are willing to go and have it done every two years, so it must be even more comfortable,” Gilbert said.

These concerns led the DOvEE project to grow into DOvEEgene, an ovarian cancer-detection technology developed at the MUHC that is in the pre-clinical trial phase. Gilbert hopes to secure funding for the clinical trial in the coming years.  

While the DOvEE program and its offspring are making strides in mediating the gender gap in diagnostic oncology, Gilbert warned that continued neglect for women’s health could be detrimental to society—a notion familiar to women but seemingly novel to those funding medical research.

“Older women contribute a lot to the fabric of society,” Gilbert said. “They are critical for holding families together, and they support structure.”

The DOvEE Project is looking for students interested in raising awareness about ovarian cancer. If interested, please contact Gilbert at lucy.gilbert@mcgill.ca

Basketball, Sports

McGill men’s basketball breezes past Laval 66-53

by Shaun Lalani on

More in Basketball:

On Jan. 31, at Love Competition Hall, the McGill men’s basketball team (6-5) trounced the Laval Rouge et Or (5-6) to extend their second-place lead over Laval in the RSEQ standings. The two sides put up an entertaining display for the 271 fans in attendance for the annual Bell Let’s Talk event. McGill Athletics handed out hats as a means of spreading awareness and fighting stigma surrounding mental health among student athletes.

Laval opened the game with a quick start, taking a nine-point lead before McGill could score a single basket. McGill struggled at first as they fumbled rebounds and bounced shot after shot off the backboard. Finally, McGill managed to end Laval’s run courtesy of fifth-year guard Avery Cadogan. Second-year guard Jamal Mayali pulled McGill even closer with a layup assisted by fifth-year forward Noah Daoust. The Rouge et Or, however, halted the McGill offensive, closing the first quarter with a score of 19-12.  

Determined to climb back from the deficit,  McGill started the second quarter assertively. First-year guard Quarry Whyne executed a perfect fake into a jump shot. Whyne repeated the move, this time following the fake with a layup. As the crowd came alive, Cadogan sunk a three-pointer. On the defensive end, Daoust shined, keeping the game close with a strong block and rebound. Moments later, he made a layup to give McGill the lead. A Whyne three-pointer swished through the hoop as the buzzer sounded to bring the second period to a close, with McGill leading 31-26.

 McGill kicked off an exciting third quarter with a three-pointer from first-year guard Anthony Fisiru. Second-year guard Sam Jenkins then combined with Daoust three times as part of a 10-point McGill run. McGill sailed into the final quarter with an 18-point lead.

In the final frame, a resurgent Laval tested McGill. The Rouge et Or fought back with passion, going on a 13-0 run to cut the McGill lead to seven. During this run, McGill lost Cadogan to injury, and he did not return for the remainder of the game. With the pressure mounting and the team without one of their most trusted veterans, McGill rose to the occasion. An inspired Daoust again chipped in with a pair  of three-pointers, finishing the game with 15 points, as McGill closed the game to take the 66-53 win.

“For the most part, we were successful, we ran our offence and made a lot of good decisions,” Head Coach David DeAveiro said. “We got in situations where we got a little tired, and they got some momentum, but we made some good shots and killed the game.”

In recognition of the game’s unique significance, DeAveiro reiterated the importance of mental health awareness in sports.

“It wasn’t even an issue back in my days [as a player],” DeAveiro said. “It was needed back then, but we didn’t recognize it [….] We have to be aware of it. You gotta be there for your kids.”

With five games left in the regular season, McGill will look to make up ground on first-place Concordia. Second-year point guard JJ Hamel-Carey is looking forward to their last matchup.

“Big games, I’m born for that, I live for that,” Hamel-Carey said. “If you’re a baller and don’t want to play in the big games, then you’re not really a basketball player.”

In McGill and Laval’s rematch on Feb. 2, the Rouge et Or came out on top 73-65. McGill will visit the UQAM Citadins (5-6) on Feb. 7.

Moment of the game

First-year guard Quarry Whyne stole the show in the second quarter after performing a series of remarkable fakes and sinking two consecutive shots.

Quotable

“If you’re part of the […] team, really, it builds bonds and relationships. We’ve done a good job of being connected as brothers, […] so if anybody feels down, it’s our job to help out.” – JJ Hamel-Carey on how teammates build a supportive locker room atmosphere.

Stat Corner

Noah Daoust (15), Quarry Whyne (11), and Sam Jenkins (11) all registered double figures in scoring.

Science & Technology

Removing the barriers for genetic data sharing

by Ronny Litvack-Katzman on

More in Science & Technology:

The emerging field of computational genomics, which uses statistical analysis to unpack the plethora of information harboured inside the human genome, is complicated. The sheer amount of data that comprises the human genome is massive. Meanwhile, the pressure is high: With more people turning to their genes for answers to medical questions, the genomics community faces the seemingly-impossible challenge of cataloguing the world’s genetic information into practical and accessible systems. Enter CanDIG.

The Canadian Distributed Infrastructure for Genomics (CanDIG) is a multi-institutional research cohort that has begun the lengthy process of creating an infrastructure for genomic analysis at the national level. Their mandate is to make genomic data user-friendly through a combination of cutting-edge computational methods and a focus on the public policy of genetic research.

The Canadian medical data sharing system is already stretched to its limits. Hospitals and research centres, which are the current gatekeepers of Canadians’ genetic information, function independently without the ability to share data. The CanDIG team, which brings together geneticists and policy makers from McGill and other institutions across Canada, wants to become a central hub for genomics data collection, using software to relay information in the form of open queries.

“The objective is to connect these vast databases through a patchwork of successful systems across various networks,” Guillaume Bourque, one of the designers of CanDIG and associate professor in McGill’s Department of Human Genetics, said.

The technical challenges of unifying national access to genetic data are only matched by the troubling implications of the social experiment that is big data in the 21st century.

“Politically, it is challenging,” Yann Joly, a member of the CanDIG team and associate professor in the Department of Human Genetics as well as the Bioethics unit, said. “When you have these projects where many hospitals and provinces are collaborating, many of them want to retain control of their patients and their data. There is a real reluctance to release that control.”

The privacy of Canadians who are willing to share their genetic information is a top concern for the CanDIG leadership.

“The point is to make research possible,” Joly said. “At the same time, we must protect data so that there is no identifying information that leads back to the person who supplied it.”

In the wake of large data breaches such as the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data scandal, public concern over the safety of personal data is growing. Genomic data, which can be linked back to a person through their DNA, presents a sizeable security risk.

“[What] we don’t want is [for] people to lose trust in AI and become unwilling to share their data,”  Joly said. “For these things to work and be effective, you need to have thousands of genomes and, with that, the trust of people who rely on the infrastructure.”

Looking forward, CanDIG is a partnering with the Common Infrastructure for National Cohorts in Europe, Canada, and Africa (CINECA), an intercontinental data collaboration project attempting to connect systems such as CanDIG to partners in the European Union and Africa.

“We are trying to develop and contribute to global standards of genomic data collection and use,” Bourque said.

The Canadians face further challenges while trying to integrate into European regulations, which have become increasingly stringent in recent years.

“For everything to interoperate, you need some type of standards,” Bourque said. “To create standards, you need everyone to agree.”

New European data laws risk strong-arming Canada and other nations into compliance, or else risk any prospects of integration.

Campus Spotlight, Student Life

Mini Courses making a big impact

by Mary Keith on

More in Campus Spotlight:

Through the Mini Courses initiative, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) has offered classes during the Fall and Winter semesters as a way for students to learn about disciplines that McGill does not typically include in its curricula, such as drawing, writing, and even birdwatching. These classes allow students to dabble in new areas that may be intriguing but that they have never had the chance to explore.

SSMU Mini Courses have become increasingly popular among students and the greater Montreal population since they first began a decade ago. Additionally, Super Mini Courses function as quick workshops, rather than two month classes, for those who may not be able to commit to the longer timeframe of regular Mini Courses. Both enable students to find new passions, explore their hobbies, or master a skill for a CV. Bailey Hughes, SSMU Operations Coordinator, explained the program’s popularity among students.

“Often times, people feel like they don’t have time to explore interests outside of school, so I feel like [SSMU Mini Courses] are a really good way to do so,” Hughes said. “They are usually evenings or weekends, which is really convenient, […and this schedule makes it] easier [for] students and the general public to find time outside of their crazy schedules. [We try to make SSMU Mini Courses] accessible and inexpensive, [and] it’s fun if you want to learn something new.”

In addition to established classes that are offered every year, new courses are added in consultation with students’ interests, such as Egyptian Arabic and DIY for Sustainability. However, according to Hughes, it can be difficult to determine which courses garner interest in a given semester.

“Semester-to-semester, it’s really hit-or-miss because students’ interests are ever-evolving, so one course will do well [one] semester, but then it won’t do well the next,” Hughes said. “[To manage this fluctuation in interests], at the end of each course, we like to send back an anonymous feedback form with the question, ‘What course would you like to take?,’ so it’s really based on what the students want. We are flexible [and] want to try anything.”

When students take a course, it appears on their co-curricular record or their transcript for participants to show to future employers or graduate admissions teams. However, unlike courses offered through the university, the Mini Courses are not graded. Hughes acknowledges that this is especially appealing to students interested in venturing outside of their comfort zones but unwilling to risk harming their GPA.

“Recently, we paired up with CaPS, so now all SSMU Mini Courses show up on your co-curricular record, [with the option] of including it on your transcript,” Hughes said. “It is a great opportunity to build your resume or CV.”

Courses tend to fill up quickly in the beginning of the registration period. Even so, Hughes notes that it is possible to be added to a course last-minute, or at the very least, join the waitlist. Consequently, Hughes encourages students to reach out if it appears registration for a particular course has ended.

“If it appears closed, you can always just email us to appear on the waitlist,” Hughes said. “Even if the registration button is not there, [we] can always see if there’s room.”

To make sure students don’t have to wait, however, Fall Mini Courses typically appear on the website in August or September. With this semester’s Mini and Super Mini Courses starting this week, students should consider looking into taking a class if they have any interests or passions outside of McGill’s academic range or are simply interested in finding new skills or hobbies.

Science & Technology

Questioning the device we use to question

by Yasmine Azzi on

More in Science & Technology:

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

More in Montreal:

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

More in Campus Spotlight:

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

More in Arts & Entertainment:

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

More in Arts & Entertainment:

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.

1 … 509 510 511 512 513 … 1,367

Read the latest issue

Read the latest issue