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Eyes on the skies: Upcoming innovations in 2019

by Ronny Litvack-Katzman on

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2018 proved to be breakthrough year for the scientific community. From finding the first traces of liquid water on Mars to unearthing the largest land animal to have ever lived, humanity continued on its quest to better understand the universe around us. Now, as scientists turn their attention to 2019, their plans are only becoming more awe-inspiring. Here are some of the many upcoming events and projects of the next year.

SCoPEx

In a new approach to solving Earth’s increasingly dire climate dilemma, a Harvard University geoengineering team led by scientists Frank Keutsch and David Keith will begin the first of their experiments to curb the effects of Earth’s polluted atmosphere. The Stratospheric Controlled Perturbation Experiment (SCoPEx) is a weather balloon-like apparatus that will rise approximately 20 km over the Arizona desert and disperse aerosols—chiefly calcium carbonate—in an attempt to predict the large-scale effects of chemical particles releasing into the atmosphere. The technology will capture the initial interactions between the particles and surrounding atmospheric gases such as ozone. Pending the results, the team plans to look further into solar geoengineering, large-scale projects which attempt to reflect solar rays and offset global warming. SCoPEx estimates an initial launch date sometime early in 2019.

MOSAiC

This coming September, a team of over 600 researchers will board the Polarstern, a massive icebreaker ship that will take them to the Arctic Circle. The expedition, led by the Alfred Wegener Institute, is called MOSAiC: Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate. Seeing how recent increases in global temperature have greatly affected the Arctic climate system, the climate scientists, hailing from 17 nations, hope to improve climate models worldwide by finding a better way to simulate the changing environment. To do so, they plan to set up a large network of research stations with the Polarstern acting as a hub for compiling data over the long Arctic winter, a period of time in the Arctic when study has rarely taken place. Over the course of a year, MOSAiC plans to amass a significant amount of information pertaining to climate change and changes in sea ice distribution which will serve to enhance climate models for years to come.  

Drones for Climate Change

Tropical rainforests are essential to the world’s carbon cycle stability. Acting as ‘carbon sinks,’ rainforests across the globe account for 40 per cent of trees, working as a final natural barrier between humanity and a carbon disaster by accumulating and removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Unexpectedly, a significant threat to the carbon-sequestering ability of rainforests are plants, in particular liana vines, which are abundant in rainforest canopies but whose populations have doubled in recent decades. These vines tend to shade and choke larger trees, threatening the forest productivity by limiting intake of carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, the process of studying liana infestations is tedious, labour-intensive work. Liana are difficult to spot from below the tree canopy and it is impossible to  manually catalogue the distribution of the plant due to the sheer number of trees. To overcome these obstacles, drones present an unparalleled opportunity in this area of forestry research. The unmanned aerial vehicles can snap pictures of the forest high above the canopy, allowing researchers to see the extent of the liana cover in a reasonable amount of time. Not only is the number of drones used in scientific research increasing, so is the variety of methods in which they are employed.

NASA’s TESS

Just last week NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) discovered three new exoplanets, adding to a growing list of newly-discovered planets that is estimated to reach a peak of 20,000. An exoplanet is any planet that, similarly to Earth, orbits around a central star. At the time of launch in April 2018, only 3,800 identified exoplanets had been catalogued. As of 2019, TESS has already identified more than 250 exoplanets as it hurtles through space in the last year of its two-year journey. The novelty of the satellite comes from its many field cameras, which are able to study the mass, size, density, and orbit of a large cohort of small planets. TESS’s most interesting discoveries to date are planets which lie within the habitable zone of sun-like stars. These have surface conditions similar to that of Earth and are likely to possess liquid water and have oxygen-rich atmospheres. The identification and exploration of exoplanets could provide humanity with a first glimpse into extraterrestrial life. NASA keeps a running tally of all of TESS’s discoveries, which are sure to increase in 2019.

The Eta Aquariids and The Orionids

1986 was the last time Halley’s Comet came close enough to Earth to be seen with the naked eye, and, while it will be another 42 years before the comet itself lights up the night’s sky, two of its annual meteor showers will continue to amaze onlookers worldwide. Meteor showers come about in a multitude of ways, but The Eta Aquariids and The Orionids showers are a direct result of Halley’s Comet’s passage by Earth over 30 years ago. As a comet passes through space, the sun slowly breaks down it’s thick outer layers of ice, releasing the rock trapped underneath. The resulting meteors can be seen on Earth today, rushing toward our planet at 238,000 kph in a spectacle of light and colour. The Eta Aquariids begin on Apr. 19 and last until May 28, followed by their successor, The Orionids, which will occur from Oct. 2 to early November.

CAESAR vs. Dragonfly

This July, NASA will expand its New Frontiers program by picking a winning project to send into space. In 2017, NASA announced two finalists from a group of 12 proposals: CAESAR, a sample-return mission to search the comet 67P for organic life, and Dragonfly, which proposes sending robotic landing crafts to Saturn’s largest moon Titan. In the months following their selection, both projects received $4 million dollars to expand their proposal to NASA. If chosen, CAESAR will follow two earlier spacecrafts which have visited the comet for data collection. Meanwhile, Dragonfly seeks to uncover the origin of life in the galaxy, further exploring Titan after another spacecraft, NASA’s Cassini, initially discovered liquid hydrocarbons, the building blocks of life, on the planet’s surface in 2016. Whichever project is chosen this year will be funded in full by NASA, providing researchers with $150 million to get their spacecraft ready for take-off in 2025.

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McGill, News, The Tribune Explains

The Tribune Explains: The McGill Budget

by Nina Russell on

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As McGill continues to cut important services, such as the Eating Disorder Program, while financing seemingly-endless construction projects, it is easy for students to wonder how the university prioritizes funding for its projects. With a total revenue amounting to around $1.33 billion, creating the budget is a year-long process and usually begins immediately after the previous budget has been passed.

The process by which McGill drafts its annual budget involves a careful analysis of previous financial statements, three budget presentations, and ratification by the McGill Senate and Board of Governors (BoG). McGill’s budget is comprised of  four funds: A restricted fund, an unrestricted fund, an endowment fund, and a plant fund. The first two are dedicated to helping the university fulfill its academic mandate. The endowment fund is composed of donations and is thus spent according to the donors’ wishes. Finally, the plant fund consists of government grants and is mostly dedicated to maintenance and renovations.

Where does McGill get its funding?

McGill receives funding from four main sources. The largest funding stream is comprised of grants from the Quebec government. Provincial grants are given in the form of the Quebec Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEES) operating grant and revenues from regulated tuition fees, which are set by the MEES and adjusted annually according to average household income. In 2018, this totalled $431 million, with Quebec wanting to increase funding by an additional $173 million. Quebec has historically lagged behind other provinces when it comes to the proportion of funding per student. For comparison, in 2017, Quebec spent $11,049 per student, while Ontario spent $13,276, and British Columbia spent $11,216. Meanwhile, the federal government provides $205 million in grants per year, most of which fund research.

Another source is McGill fees, which totalled $319 million in 2018. Increases in tuition occur every year and are based on those of other universities of similar sizes and reputation. In the 2018-19 academic year, there was a 2.7 per cent tuition increase for Quebec students and 3.1 per cent increase for out-of-province and international students.

A percentage of the tuition increases for the latter group of students is given to the government, but, in order to offset recruitment costs, McGill is allowed to charge up to 10 per cent more than this increase.  Earlier in 2018, the Quebec government deregulated tuition fees for international students, allowing McGill to set their tuition rates without government intervention.

A significant portion of McGill’s funding comes from revenue generated by the provision of goods and services, amounting to $151.4 million. This includes residences, food services, immunizations, and revenue from Le James Bookstore.

In addition, McGill receives about 10 per cent of its revenue from endowments. This leaves McGill with the third highest endowment fund in Canada, after the University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto, as of 2017.

How is it allocated?

McGill’s expenses are classified between salary payments, which totalled $894 million in 2018, and non-salary payments, amounting to $454 million. The second category of expenditures includes publications, contract services, energy, maintenance, and travel.

The University Strategic Academic Plan 2017-22 is the set of core principles which guide general direction for the annual budgets. The 2018-19 budget claims to be built around five priorities set by Principal and Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier based on consultation with students. These include improving McGill’s educational experience, focus on research, enhancing community partnerships, support for administrative staff, and construction.

One objective of this year’s budget is the Student Mental Health Action Plan, which has dedicated $8.7 million over the course of seven years toward the creation of a Student Wellness Hub and a new website to provide more accessible mental health services for students.

Another initiative in the budget is a pledge to allocate at least 30 per cent of new net tuition to student aid and support. Macleans Magazine ranked McGill first for scholarships in the medical doctorate category, as it devotes 14 per cent of its operating budget to student aid.

Other priorities include dedicating $1.4 million annually to the Indigenous Studies department and Education Initiatives and $4.2 million to academic renewal.

Ask Ainsley, Student Life

Ask Ainsley: How can I make friends in my lectures?

by Ainsley on

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Dear Ainsley,

I don’t have any of my friends this semester in my classes, and I am wondering how to go about making friends in class. I am a bit shy and don’t want to sit alone for the entire semester. Do you have any suggestions?

Sincerely,

Scared of Loneliness (SL)

Dear SL,

This is a common concern among both incoming and seasoned McGill students, but there are numerous ways to make friends and connections quickly.

Making friends can be convenient when you are in need of academic support: You can study together, swap notes, and master course material together. Oftentimes, the relationships you develop within your major’s core courses will carry over to your future classes, making it easy to maintain them.

While making friends may seem daunting in big lecture halls, meeting new people doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Being active in group activities and developing a close group of studymates can make your lectures feel smaller. Further, while it might seem negligible, choosing to sit nearby other students who are sitting alone can aid your search for friends. Likely, they also will be in search of people to speak with and might be more open to engaging in small talk.

Once you find your preferred seat, don’t feel pressure to chat with your neighbours on the first day if you feel uncomfortable—many students will continue to sit in the same vicinity as the class progresses. As you become more familiar with your surroundings, feel free to reach out to the people around you with an icebreaker. An easy way to start is to ask your neighbors questions about the lecture material, or how useful they have found the textbook to be. Over time, it will be easier to engage in small talk before the class, and eventually exchange contact information to study course content together.

You can also connect with your classmates via Facebook groups. Most large lectures have pages dedicated to discussing course content and creating study groups. It’s easy and advisable to visit the class page and suggest a gathering to review, especially if you are more comfortable making the first move behind the screen than in-person. As the course continues, study groups will solidify and allow for better opportunities to get to know each other individually. Over time, study buddies can easily become close friends. Chatting about the subject outside of class gives more leeway to detour into personal interest topics and to get to know each other. Plus, you can fill awkward silences by going back to studying the course content.

Once the course ends it can be easy to lose touch with your newfound class friends. Do your best to maintain those friendships by getting together regularly. Perhaps you can try to synchronize your class schedules for the next semester, so that your study group members can stay together.

Undoubtedly, it can be hard to make friends in class, but remember that many students share your worries and are just as nervous as you. Good luck in the new semester and with your new friendships!

With love,

Ainsley

McGill, News

Redpath Première Moisson lease up for renewal

by Ezra-Jean Taylor on

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In 2014, McGill decided to replace the Tim Hortons in the Redpath-McLennan library with Première Moisson, a Quebec–based café chain. Student Housing and Hospitality Services (SHHS) made this decision without consulting the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU). In a Sept. 25 address the same year, Vice-President University Affairs Joey Shea discussed meeting with the director of SHHS about students’ concerns with Première Moisson. Shea stressed students’ worries about Première Moisson’s high prices and lack of communication from the school. McGill now faces a similar situation once again.

At the end of the 2018-19 school year, Première Moisson’s lease in the Redpath library will be up for renewal. Première Moisson was asked for a statement but declined, saying that they had no information to report.

While the decision is made solely by SHHS and other administrators, students can still make their voices heard. According to Marketing and Nutrition Advisor Monique Lauzon, 74 per cent of students liked Première Moisson and gave it a ‘good’ rating.

“[SHHS] conducts a campus-wide Food and Dining Survey every two years,” Lauzon said. “Our most recent survey dates back to February 2018. In that survey, Première Moisson received an overall positive rating of 74 per cent [285 students responded that they visit Première Moisson.]”

In a survey* conducted by The McGill Tribune, only 29 of 314 respondents said they wanted Première Moisson’s lease to be renewed. Most respondents were not regular customers, visiting zero to two times per week. Despite SHHS’s positive survey, a large majority of respondents to the Tribune’s survey indicated that they were very disappointed with Première Moisson’s food and beverages. Of the 282 students that made further comments about Première Moisson, over 80 of them mentioned affordability as a major concern.  

(Arshaaq Jiffry / The McGill Tribune)

 

“Première Moisson is inexplicably overpriced and relies on academically-stressed students needing nourishment at convenience,” one respondent said, who goes to Première Moisson over six times per week. “A decently-priced café would be so much better and would alleviate already high stress levels from the library.”

In over 140 replies, students mentioned that they would like to see Tim Hortons replace Première Moisson after their lease is over. However, future construction projects complicate negotiations for the space.

According to SSMU President Tre Mansdoerfer, the upcoming Fiat Lux project—a massive renovation of McGill’s libraries—means that the Redpath location could be closed for some time.

“No major company will enter that building knowing that they won’t be able to have business for three or four years,” Mansdoerfer said.

Mansdoerfer mentioned another alternative that may satisfy students’ strong desire for an on-campus Tim Hortons.

“I am trying to see if we could get [Tim Hortons] in the SSMU building itself,” Mansdoerfer said. “McGill may not be able to commit to it, but maybe we could. I can’t make any promises, but there is an effort to see that explored.”

Mansdoerfer was not the only one to mention the Fiat Lux project as a potential problem in negotiations over what will stand in Première Moisson’s place.

“[SHHS] is very conscious of the upcoming library renovation project, which is slated to begin in early 2022,” Lauzon said. “Given this, we will need to evaluate the practicality of investing in changing out [or] renovating Première Moisson at this particular time.”

Nonetheless, administrators are aware of students’ discontent with Première Moisson and concerns about its pricing.

“I’m pretty confident that [Première Moisson] won’t be there next semester,” Mansdoerfer said. “I’m not on the committee for [deciding the Redpath’s outcome], but I’ve had multiple conversations with Marisa Albanese [senior director of SHHS] and the Executive Chef of Dining Services Oliver De Volpi. They are fully aware that Première Moisson is not liked. It’s pricey and not what students want.”

 

*The survey referenced in this article does not meet scientific standards. It was conducted through Google Forms and distributed to various online McGill community groups, receiving 314 responses. It included multiple choice and open-ended questions.

Editorial, Opinion

Endless working groups with weak mandates delay progress

by The McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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For the McGill Redmen, a new year might mean a new name. The Working Group on Commemoration and Renaming released its final report on Dec. 7, closing out a year-long series of consultations with campus stakeholders including students, alumni, community leaders, and indigenous groups. Created in Dec. 2017 at the recommendation of the Provost’s Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education—before the #ChangeTheName campaign began—the Working Group was mandated to create a set of broad, general principles to guide McGill’s decision-making about naming and renaming buildings, sports teams, and monuments among other things. While many of the report’s recommendations are sound, none of them are ground-breaking. However, the greatest weakness of the report, and the Working Group as a whole, comes from its paltry mandate. Principles, while necessary, are not a substitute for measurable, concrete policy recommendations in holding decision-makers accountable, and the Working Group is an extension of an already-lengthy process to rename McGill’s varsity teams. If McGill wants to consult students in good faith, it needs to stop relying on distracting, repetitive, bureaucratic measures that only delay necessary change.

The report stands in stark contrast with that of the Provost’s Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education, released in 2017. In addition to recommending the creation of the Working Group in question, the provost’s Task Force issued 52 actionable recommendations as to how McGill could actively pursue and commit to reconciliation. Examples include increased funding for indigenous students and outreach into indigenous communities. The Working Group’s report, on the other hand, is largely limited to elementary observations expressed in pallid, public relations–style language.

It is easy to measure an institution’s compliance with concrete policy prescriptions; the same is not true of abstract principles. An indisputable example is that McGill failed to fulfill Call to Action 26 from the Provost’s Task Force’s report, which recommended the installation of indigenous art in the newly-renovated Leacock terrace. In the absence of even the most basic objective benchmarks, holding McGill’s decision-makers, such as its Board of Governors, accountable is far more challenging.

The report is limited by the weak mandate that Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Christopher Manfredi provided them with in Dec. 2017. The Working Group’s problems began before its composition was even finalized: While the Provost’s Task Force recommended that consultations begin with the goal of changing the Redmen name, the Working Group was not given the mandate to comment on, much less decide the fate of, any specific commemoration practices at McGill. Furthermore, only two of the Working Group’s 14 members were students; one undergraduate and one graduate, and none of the Working Group members were indigenous.

Still, the Working Group’s report amplifies students’ frustration with this deliberately slow process. The report even calls upon McGill to be open, transparent, and timely in its decisions about naming and commemoration practices and quotes several students who expressed their disappointments in the lack of change so far.

“[The] constant creation of committees that continue to re-create the work of other committees directly contradicts the University’s mission statement,” writes a McGill student who authored a written submission to the Working Group, “[and creates an] overarching culture of mistrust.”

Another student voiced their concern that many of their colleagues see McGill’s administration as trying to simply outlast community leaders, rather than engage them in genuine dialogue. There is little evidence to suggest otherwise. Open discussions and concrete commitments come with the responsibility of taking action—which is something that, as evidenced by the Working Group’s mandate, McGill fails to do with regard to indigenous issues.

The report also does well acknowledging that, with an issue as fraught and symbolic as naming and commemoration, experiences matter as much as historical record. Although there is debate over the original meaning of the men’s varsity sports team name, that does not alter the fact that many indigenous students find it deeply offensive.

Initiatives like the recent increase in funding for bursaries, scholarships, and awards for indigenous students show that McGill is capable of meaningfully supporting reconciliation. However, student consultation efforts remain little more than a pantomime. Groups and campaigns like SSMU Indigenous Affairs, #ChangeTheName, and the First Peoples’ House that support indigenous students in the absence of high-level administrative response deserve full recognition.

Real dialogue involves not just the ability to express one’s views, as was the case with the Working Group, but the possibility of real action coming out of the process. This will not end with renaming buildings, monuments, or even the men’s varsity team; McGill needs to adopt a more streamlined and concise approach to decision-making. Endless bureaucracy, weak mandates, and vague recommendations only give the appearance of progress.

McGill, News

Schulich library to close for two years

by Helen Wu on

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The Schulich Library of Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, and Engineering will be temporarily closed for two years to undergo renovations. According to Diane Koen, senior director of Planning and Resources of the McGill Library services, the closure will tentatively come into effect on May 15, 2019. Renovations to the Schulich library will address the serious structural issues which were discovered during the Macdonald-Stewart Library Building roof renovation in 2010.

“For about the last four years, we have these temporary internal walls put up, and windows are covered because they had to do this intervention [. . .] to make sure both inside and outside the walls were stabilized.” Koen said.

In addition to repairing and stabilizing the masonry of the building, McGill will also take the opportunity to install new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, add more group-study rooms for reserve by students, and increase the number of washrooms on every floor. Currently, McGill is working with EVOQ Architecture to finalize the design plans.

“This is a 19th-century building, let’s make it into a 21st-century library, [and] within the budget that is available to us,” Koen said.

McGill Library Services Communications Officer Merika Ramundo referred to feedback gathered through LibQual surveys, conducted to assess library users’ satisfaction, as one of the reasons motivating the additional renovations.

“In a lot of the comments we received […], we have gotten ‘it is too hot in Schulich,’” Ramundo said. “That’s a bit of a red flag in terms of the HVAC issues, so that is for sure one of the things being addressed.”

Out of the project’s total budget of $38 million, $26 million come from a Quebec government grant, and McGill’s deferred maintenance budget will supplement the remaining $12 million. The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Library Improvement Fund Committee (LIFC) also made a contribution of $75,000 to support the improvement of the washrooms and inclusion of gender-neutral options.

“The LIF decided to partially fund the project because it fulfilled an urgent and well-known student need within the McGill community: More washrooms of better quality in Schulich,” Library Improvement Fund Commissioner Marie Lemieux wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune.

The resources at Schulich, which, according to a census conducted by McGill Library Services on Nov. 19, sees roughly 3,500 visitors a day, will have to be relocated for the duration of the renovations. The library’s 20 staff members, 160,000 print volumes, and at least 675 of its 850 seats will be moved to the McLennan-Redpath Library complex where they will remain available for staff and students. In order to provide more seating at McLennan-Redpath, McGill Library Services will relocate 75 staff members on the second floor of Redpath to 550 Sherbrooke.

“We feel we can get 675 to 700 seats in [Redpath] and the only way we can do this is to move our Collection Services staff and Digital Initiative staff off-site,” Koen said. “The floor that they are on has 20 offices which will become group study rooms.”

Furthermore, 250,000 low-use print volumes, most of them available online, will be moved from the Redpath basement to a storage facility off-site.

“By moving these low use materials to storage off-site, we are freeing up space to house active collections such as the Schulich Collection and other low-use collections from various areas of the McLennan-Redpath Complex,” Koen said.

The selection of material moving to the Redpath basement is not yet final, but will likely come from the Blackader-Lauterman and McLennan collections. Material moved to the Redpath basement will continue to remain available.

“We are moving heaven and earth so that [users] can have access to their collections, quality space, librarians, and support staff that served them for years in Schulich,” Koen said. “I know it is an imposition, but we are doing everything we can do to make sure their experience is a good one.”

Opinion

Campus Conversation: Change the Name as seen by alumni

by John Macdonald and Salim Brahimi on

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The Change the Name campaign has gripped students on campus this semester, but it’s also of interest to other members of the McGill community. The McGill Tribune asked alumni for their stance on the men’s varsity teams’ name.

John Macdonald (BA ‘01, BEd ‘03)

The naming debate is very important to me. Figuratively speaking, I have a foot in each canoe. I played football for McGill from 1997 to 2001, but I am also a proud Mohawk from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and a former indigenous education consultant.

For a long time, I had mixed feelings about the name ‘Redmen.’ I saw the potential for offence due to its archaic, pan-Indian connotation, but I also found it enchanting that it reflected my mixed Scottish and Mohawk heritage. I never loved the name, but I also chose to remain silent because I believed the damage it inflicted was miniscule. As it turns out, I was wrong.

Recently, through Tomas Jirousek’s campaign and Dr. Suzanne Morton’s research, I learned about the racialized acts of students during the ‘50s and ‘60s, such as the use of ‘super-squaws’ to describe women’s teams. The appalling use of this misogynistic and racist language on campus is a cancer of our history, and it metastasized from the name ‘Redmen.’ Removing this remnant from a dark period of McGill’s past would be a step toward reconciliation.

The elitist, self-serving, and Eurocentric banter of those who believe that the name should remain is heartbreaking. It takes an enormous lack of sensitivity to so easily dismiss the viewpoints of over 10,000 indigenous and non-indigenous community members. Equally bothersome is the rationale that because some indigenous communities and alumni use or endorse the name ‘Redmen’ and other similar names for sports teams, McGill has the inherent right to use it as well. It is universally understood that only marginalized peoples can reclaim words and names that have been used to denigrate them in the past. Finally, the fact remains that most dictionaries fully acknowledge that the word “Redmen’ is a dated, offensive term used to refer to a North American Indian. To continue to promote this word in media is not appropriate for a forward-thinking and innovative institution such as McGill..

As an Ongwehonwe person and a proud McGillian, I must say that it is time for ‘Redmen’ to fade into history. Instead, let’s move forward by collaborating to create a new name that we can all be proud of.

Salim Brahimi (BEng ‘89, MEng ‘08, PhD ‘18)

The Redmen alumni community respectfully disagrees with those calling for the Redmen name to be changed. This in no way implies that we are insensitive to the historical injustices faced by Canada’s First Nations: We are all on the same side. As alumni, we share the Working Group on Principles of Commemoration and Renaming’s commitment to taking concrete steps that will ensure that our campus is more inclusive of and welcoming to indigenous peoples.

There is no question that red is the official school colour, as reflected in the McGill coat of arms. Over McGill’s 140-year history of intercollegiate sports, the colour red has been both universal and predominant.
What has complicated the debate is that, decades ago, erroneous links were made with aboriginal connotations, including a stylized headdress logo. More than a quarter-century ago, the McGill Athletics Board corrected the error once and for all by removing the logos and any indigenous references associated with the name. The name Redmen was retained because its historical roots were neither associated with nor in reference to the indigenous community. It was intended to mean “Men in Red”— and that is exactly what it means today.
I fully understand that some members of the indigenous community take offence to the name. However, this perception is not universal, as Redmen alumni with indigenous roots have expressed their pride in the Redmen name and opposed changing it. Other indigenous leaders have expressed that they are not offended by the name.
To us, ‘Redmen’ represents family. Redmen team members share a bond through the decades of perseverance, sacrifice, camaraderie, friendship that are integral to the McGill experience. If the name is changed because it is mistakenly perceived as having a pejorative connotation, that would be wrong, because it would falsely paint the Redmen alumni who support keeping the name as racist. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
It is my sincere hope that the University will permit both sides to explain their position, and that the entire McGill community will seize this opportunity to turn a potentially divisive topic into a unifying, inclusive initiative and to take concrete action called for by the by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

Creative, News

McGill Tribune Monthly News Recap | November 2018

by Tristan Surman & Kyle Dewsnap on

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“Last month SSMU got sued, the Social Work Student’s Association demanded to be paid for their work, and the Children of the Corn were left standing in a field”.

Check out our monthly news recap for November 2018.

Creative

What is the best grilled cheese on campus?

by Sofia Chaudrac on

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The Tribune makes their most important inquiry to date: What is the best grilled cheese on campus? Is it the Burnside’s greasy delight, or the more refined New Rez-ian approach?

Watch the Tribune both ask, and answer, these profound and elusive questions.

Creative

How McGill is failing its disabled students

by Tristan Surman & Bilal Virji on

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“We have a fundamental right to be different, and that’s the first thing that students with disabilities must recognize.”

In October 2018, Didier Chelin, a blind former McGill Law student filed a human rights complaint against McGill University.

This is what he has to say about how the university is failing its disabled students. Created by Tristan Surman and Bilal Virji.

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