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McGill, News

Recap: McGill to lay off an estimated 99 people to help offset $45 million CAD deficit

by Daniel Miksha on

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On March 19, McGill announced it will lay off approximately 99 people as part of an effort to decrease its $45 million CAD operating deficit. The university will notify individuals affected by the layoffs by the end of April.

At the university’s Feb. 7 Town Hall, Provost and Executive Vice-President (Academic) Christopher Manfredi communicated that around 250-500 jobs would have to be vacated to address McGill’s deficit, since 80 per cent of the university’s operating costs come from its combined salary mass.

McGill has since adjusted the estimated number of positions it will cut to 350-500. According to McGill’s Media Relations Office (MRO), it is unclear at the moment whether more layoffs can be expected for the coming year.

“Unfortunately, we don’t yet know [whether there will be additional layoffs],” the MRO wrote to The Tribune. “At the February Town Hall, it was mentioned that a series of budget measures would be required to avoid a $45-million deficit in the fiscal year starting May 1, 2025. One necessary measure involves vacating 350-500 positions through attrition and, unfortunately, layoffs. The estimated 99 layoffs are part of that number.”

According to the MRO, decisions about who will be affected by layoffs are made by deans and academic unit heads tasked with implementing budget targets. Their decision-making regarding layoffs is ongoing but will be finalized by the end of April.

At the moment, it is unclear how the layoffs announced on March 19 will affect the student body. The MRO reiterated that the university is committed to reducing the impact the layoffs will have on students.

“Since teaching and learning [are] fundamental to our mission, we are doing everything possible to ensure minimal impacts on students and courses,” the MRO wrote.

McGill, News

Checking in on McGill’s Wi-Fi: Students report connection issues disrupting academic work 

by Eren Atac on

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When Ryan Taylor, U0 Science, logged onto Zoom for a job interview earlier this semester, he was unexpectedly met with the McGill Wi-Fi cutting out. He had been gunning for an internship with Scotiabank, and the interview would determine how he spent his summer. 

“I tried to log onto Zoom on my computer, but the Wi-Fi was totally out,” said Taylor in an interview with The Tribune. “I almost missed the interview, which was pretty stressful. I had to run to my room and use my hotspot to get through it.” 

Ryan’s experience is not a one-off. Among the many students who use McGill’s network every day in libraries and other campus buildings, several others have reported outages. In interviews with The Tribune, some students stressed the importance of maintaining a reliable Wi-Fi connection, as many rely on McGill’s Wi-Fi to contact family and do time-sensitive schoolwork. 

“The Wi-Fi has gone out multiple times throughout my first year at McGill. Most times, it’s fixed within an hour or two, but there was one time [when] it was out for about four hours. I assume that disrupted a lot of students’ studying and ability to get work done,” said Olivia Sampson, U0 Arts. 

Extended outages can create unnecessary stress for students like Sampson, especially during busy academic periods such as exam season when deadlines loom. 

“The outage frustrated me a lot, as I was hoping to work on my assignments and had multiple deadlines approaching. It would have been fine if it was only a short outage, but it ended up lasting so long that it completely disrupted my study schedule,” Sampson said. 

In a statement to The Tribune, the McGill Relations Office (MRO) said that the university’s wireless service is “very stable” and provides “strong coverage across all buildings,” with more than 7,700 access points across 250 locations. MRO acknowledged that they typically receive a few complaints yearly, primarily due to brief Wi-Fi outages caused by renovation projects. 

Despite the occasional hiccups, MRO explained that McGill’s IT team remains proactive in monitoring and maintaining the network. Regular maintenance and long-term upgrades aim to prevent future disruptions and ensure that students can depend on stable internet access throughout their time at McGill. 

According to MRO, occasional outages can also be attributed to issues with McGill’s firewall, which both protects and manages traffic across McGill’s Wi-Fi network. The firewall is undergoing an upgrade spanning the next 12 to 18 months, which should improve security and enhance network performance. 

“This upgrade is part of our ongoing efforts to enhance network infrastructure,” MRO wrote. “Additionally, we recently completed a campus-wide network upgrade that spanned five years, improving both wired and wireless performance across all McGill buildings. The goal of this upgrade is to ensure that both Wi-Fi and overall network performance continue to remain stable and secure for everyone.” 

MRO also encouraged students to reach out to the IT Service Desk for support with Wi-Fi disruptions.

“The network is actively monitored and we often identify and address issues before they become widespread,” the Office wrote.

For any updates on Wi-Fi maintenance or interruptions, students can visit the IT Support site.

Behind the Bench, Sports

Varsity Report Card: Winter 2025

by Clara Smyrski, Alex Hawes Silva, & Reuben Noam on

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Martlets Artistic Swimming: A

Synchronized swimming had an outstanding season marked by dominance, consistency, and poise in the pool. The Martlets brought home 17 titles, culminating in a silver medal finish at the Canadian University Artistic Swimming League (CUASL) nationals in Victoria, B.C. They made waves at every invitational they entered, earning multiple golds in all varieties of routines. Led by standout swimmer and serial medalist Sonia Dunn, McGill proved to be a force each time. Dunn was recognized individually on March 23 for her triple-medal performance at nationals. Head coach Lindsay Duncan won the Anne Smeeton Award for significant contributions to the CUASL. Despite a season this decorated, and a national podium finish to cap it off, Martlets Artistic Swimming are used to bringing home the gold. For that reason, the team earns a solid A for 2024-2025.

Martlets Badminton (10–2): A-

Martlets Badminton had an impressive season and finished with a second-place spot in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) behind the Université de Montréal (UdeM) Carabins. They started strong, sweeping their first meet in October, and in November, they triumphed over most of their competitors but fell to UdeM. At the RSEQ Championships in February, they lost in the semifinals to Université Laval (ULaval) for the first time this season in a close 2-3 loss. Senior Eliana Zhang was triumphant in the individual category, demolishing the competition and securing the final match in two straight sets (21-6 and 21-9). Zhang was named RSEQ Player of the Year and is a first-team all-star. 

Redbirds Badminton (5–7): B

The Redbirds competed in six inter-Quebec tournaments, including two RSEQ tournaments, before making an appearance at the YONEX Canadian College Championships in March. They started the season flying, with Captain Nicholas Germain taking home a silver medal in the A-elite men’s doubles division at the first individual tournament. From there, the Redbirds went 3-3 at home, 2-4 at Université de Montréal (UdeM), and placed third at Sherbrooke. McGill achieved third place at the RSEQ provincial championships, the weekend before nationals. There, the Redbirds took seventh place. The encore may have been disappointing, but it was not for lack of trying. McGill has not won the national championships since the 1981-82 season, when both Redbirds and Martlets took home the gold.

Martlets Basketball (13–12): B-

The Martlets started off the preseason with narrow wins against York University and the University of New Brunswick, but also faced tough losses to Toronto Metropolitan University and the University of Ottawa. Their performance during the McGill Basketball Classic was strong, winning two of three games, including a significant 75-50 victory over the University of Northern British Columbia. Once regular RSEQ play began, the team showed some resilience. A highlight was their 66-55 win over the Concordia Stingers and a close 66-64 victory on the road at Bishop’s University. However, they also faced challenging losses to ULaval, falling in both their home and away matchups. Overall, the Martlets have demonstrated solid potential, with a balanced record reflecting both promising wins and opportunities for growth. 

Redbirds Basketball (6–22): C-

It was a sputtering season for the Redbirds. Following the preseason, they went 4-17  in all competitions, finally managing to take off with a win—by one point—in the season’s final game, away at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM). This was one of their four wins after the pre-season. Two players, Noah Sincere and Georges Lefebvre, managed to shine, earning conference rookie of the year and all-star status, respectively. The 2025 Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) draft reveal, set for April 10, will hopefully combine with an undeniably disappointing season to fuel a successful 2025-2026 campaign.

Martlets Hockey (7–24–0): C

The Martlets hockey team faced a challenging 2024-25 season, finishing with a 7–24 record. Despite showing effort and resilience, they struggled to close out games and fought through a losing streak of four matches. Offensive leaders included Taylor Garcia, who topped the scoreboard with 22 points, and Mika Chang with 13 points. Olivia Pridham and Syrine Kacem each contributed 12 points. Goaltenders Sophie Lajeunesse and Jade Rivard-Coulombe shared the workload but were under pressure in most matchups. Though the team managed to win a few tough games, they were not fully able to turn the momentum for the majority of the season. But despite the circumstances, the Martlets showed resilience and stayed competitive throughout the season. 

Redbirds Hockey (25–16–0): A-

Redbirds Hockey had a great run in their gruelling 41-game season. They battled past the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) in the Ontario University Athletics East Quarter-finals to face off against the rival Concordia Stingers in the semis, but their season ended in a heartbreaking 4-5 loss in game three of the three-game series. The season saw impressive opportunities for some star Redbirds; centers William Rouleau and Mathieu Gagnon, along with Coach David Urquhart, competed in the Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire World University Winter Games in Torino, Italy, in January. Additionally, forward Brandon Frattaroli earned first team all-star pick and defenceman Igor Mburanumwe secured all-rookie. Most recently, Zach Gallant was called up to the American Hockey League for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Though the season did not end with a new RSEQ banner, Redbirds Hockey has fostered some incredible players this season. 

Martlets Volleyball (16–12): B+

The Martlets’ volleyball season may not have gone as planned—with the team narrowly missing a ticket to the RSEQ Finals—but it is a season that showed great progress. The regular season started strong with a home-court victory against UQTR, but the Martlets, unable to gain traction, fell short for the next five games. Despite these losses, the team persevered; coming back after New Year’s, they were poised to achieve an eight-game win streak in early 2025. Their triumphs were captained by pin hitter Elyssa Lajmi, who led the team with 336 points and 290 kills. They gained a spot in the RSEQ playoffs and attempted to win their second championship in the 53 years of tournament history. Unfortunately, the Martlets fell on the third of a three-game semifinal series to the reigning champions, the UdeM Carabins. Their 16–12 record does not capture the full story of this season; the Martlets’ retiring coach, Rachèle Béliveau, has much to be proud of. 

Track and Field: Martlets B / Redbirds A-

The McGill Redbirds had a fruitful season, winning the McGill Team Challenge, their first team victory at the meet since 2002, edging out ULaval in a tight finish. Standout performances of the season included Markus Geiger’s school record in the 600m, Samuel Hepworth shattering the McGill record for the 1,000m race at the Valentine Invitational, and a top-10 national time in the 4x400m relay​. The Redbirds placed second at the RSEQ Championships, while the Martlets placed third. Placing 16th out of 27 teams at the U SPORTS national championship, Donna Ntambue put the Martlets on the board with a phenomenal performance in the 60m dash. While they opened the season strong, the Martlets struggled to place highly in track events at nationals and did not have entries in several relays, which limited their overall impact at major meets. 

Swimming: Martlets A+/ Redbirds A

Both Martlets and Redbirds Swimming could not manage to lose this season and came out in the gold medal spot for every regular season cup they competed in. The combined team dominated, breaking 1,000 points and winning by a margin of at least 200 points in every regular season cup. Their success was highlighted by a group of especially strong swimmers, including seniors Naomie Lo and Elizabeth Ling, who earned five and six gold medals, respectively, at the RSEQ Championships. The future of McGill Swim looks just as bright, with rookie Loïc Courville-Fortin and sophomore Mats Baradat both earning silver and breaking school records at the National Championships. Junior Emilia Mastromatteo cannot be forgotten, as she broke multiple school records throughout the season, earned McGill Athlete of the Week four times and RSEQ Athlete of the Week. With a final standing of first in the RSEQ for both teams, as well as second in the nation for women’s and fourth for men’s, McGill Swimming has rightfully received top ratings, and The Tribune cannot wait to see what they accomplish next season. 

News, SSMU

Recap: McGill allows SSMU VP University Affairs to remain in their position following disciplinary case

by Shani Laskin on

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A precarious few weeks have come to an end as the Interim Dean of Students Tony Mittermaier communicated that Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President (VP) University Affairs Abe Berglas could remain in their position. The decision follows the Committee on Student Discipline’s finding that Berglas had violated the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures at the start of the school year for passing out flyers detailing what they claimed were professor Douglas Farrow’s transphobic and homophobic published works. Under a new clause of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between SSMU and the University, this violation could have deemed Berglas ineligible to be in their executive position at SSMU.

The new MoA, signed on Feb. 28, included section 14.4, which states that executives and directors at SSMU cannot have a disciplinary record at the University, including an infraction of the Code of Student Conduct. While Berglas’ demonstration took place months before the new MoA was signed, it was unclear whether or not they would be allowed to stay in their position. 

Berglas told The Tribune the stated reasoning not to remove them was that the disciplinary charge and the start of their term at SSMU occurred before the MoA was signed. Because of this, McGill will allow SSMU to decide how to proceed. The McGill Media Relations Office (MRO) declined to comment on the specifics of Berglas’ case. However, the Office noted that this case would not set a precedent for how future violations of section 14.4 will be handled.

To Berglas, this situation highlights fundamental flaws within the Code of Student Conduct, including the amount of discretion left to the committee when determining disciplinary action and a lack of specificity in certain clauses such as 10.c, the one they were found to violate. They also noted a concern for the slow timeline of their case.

“The fact that my handing out flyers happened on the first day of class and the hearing itself was […] mid-March […] I think is inappropriate,” Berglas said. “And when these students are in limbo after being accused of a disciplinary charge but not being able to have closure on the case, it can create a chilling effect.”

Arts & Entertainment, Books

A&E on the most impactful novels they’ve encountered in the classroom

by Bianca Sugunasiri, Isobel Bray, Kellie Elrick, Charlotte Hayes on

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Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin (RUSS 223: Russian Literary Giants 1) – Isobel Bray, Contributor

Eugene Onegin is a timeless novel-in-verse set in 19th-century Russia. It follows the titular aristocrat, who, after inheriting his uncle’s estate, retreats to the countryside. Eugene is bored with high society and indifferent to those around him. He meets personalities like the poet Vladimir Lensky and young, intelligent Tatyana Larina. The verse form only enhances the story, as Pushkin blends social commentary with his melodic and emotional writing. His portrayal of Russian high society is sharp and often ironic, yet never fully devoid of empathy. What stood out to me was the realism of the characters—flawed, human, and heartbreakingly self-aware. Onegin, with his cynicism, is both frustrating and strangely familiar. Lensky, the doomed romantic, is his foil: Idealistic and earnest in a world that doesn’t reward it. The narrator is a character unto himself, breaking the fourth wall with asides that feel surprisingly modern. Pushkin reflects on his own youth, writing, and memory with a tone that is both playful and melancholic. Despite being written two centuries ago, Eugene Onegin is filled with moments that speak to the present about identity, image, and the consequences of not acting when it matters.

Lolita  by Vladimir Nabokov (ENGL 227: American Fiction after 1945) – Bianca Sugunasiri, Staff Writer

Content warning: Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Sexual Assault

Fresh out of high school and heady with literary ignorance, I was met with a rude awakening in the form of Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita. I was thrown from my comfortable world of sheltered grade-school literature into one of the most viscerally disturbing novels I have ever encountered. The thought of devoting time to dissecting the first-person account of a repulsive pedophile was terrifying. I was further disturbed by the Vanity Fair review quote printed on the back of my copy: “The only convincing love story of our century.” Everything in me was primed to reject the novel. But one class, my professor said something that turned my perspective on its head. He challenged the notion that Lolita was a sick fantasy, but was instead designed as a rebellion from the modernist notion of “art for art’s sake.” The novel is widely known for its unexpectedly embellished prose that flows artfully like poetry. Contrasted with the uncomfortable ideas that Nabokov presents, it makes a sadistic mockery of the Aesthetic Movement. All of a sudden, the novel went from a glorification of inhuman immorality to a meticulously crafted protest for me. Although it is impossible to know what Nabokov truly intended, the man insisted that there should not be a child anywhere in the book design. This is not a love story, but an exposé of the parts of humans we deign to forget: Discomfort deliberately wielded to elicit change.

Jazz by Toni Morrison (ENGL 505: Sound, Voice, Music, Noise) – Kellie Elrick, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Content warning: Violence, feminicide

Last summer, I was on a transatlantic flight from Rome to Toronto when a fuse blew, knocking out the electricity in my part of the plane. This is how I first read Jazz—in one sitting, in close quarters, hurtling at top speed over the sea in a lightly malfunctioning airplane. It knocked me out. The narrative twisted and turned, screaming, singing, breathing. I encountered it again in a seminar in the fall and remained enraptured by the text. Jazz changed what I thought a novel could be. The narrative speaks to itself, echoing between chapters, calling and responding in non-chronological order. The present moves forward into the past, which in turn responds to the present, engaging in an oral tradition that rebels against its written form, speaking at once from Harlem in 1926 and Virginia in 1888. Morrison’s novel sings of Black womanhood, history, modernity, music, enslavement, violence, what’s unspoken, what’s heard, freedom to act, freedom to speak, freedom to be; Joe shoots his young lover Dorcas; his wife Violet slashes Dorcas’s face in her casket, and the novel shoots off into the present, past, and future all at once. It begins with a sound—sth—and ends with a call: “Say make me, remake me. You are free to do it, and I am free to let you because look, look. Look where your hands are. Now.”

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky (RUSS 224: Russian Literary Giants 2) – Charlotte Hayes, Arts & Entertainment Editor

On a Wednesday night in the dead of February sometime last year, I came to a sudden, horrible realization: I needed to be on page 300-and-something of Crime and Punishment by 11 a.m. the next day—and I had yet to crack open the book. Although I’m not proud of this (and by no means endorse the following actions), what transpired over the next 16 hours was nothing short of transcendent. I sat down on my couch and just started reading. The floorboards of my empty Plateau apartment creaked. Cold air squealed through its barely sealed doors. I sat hunched on the couch, eyes glued to the page. Hours passed in a blur of plot twists, coffee, and sleep-deprived delirium. Maybe it was heart-pounding guilt-by-proxy brought on by Dostoevsky’s prose, or maybe it was just 5 a.m. Still, I’ve never felt more connected to an objectively awful person than to Rodion Raskolnikov. Reading Crime and Punishment shifted how I view literary canons. For the first time—outside of Shakespeare or a few biblical parables—I grasped how a piece of writing can ripple across art forms. From later Russian novels to the moral puzzles of ‘70s Hollywood cinema, Dostoevsky’s tale of guilt, greed, and moral ambiguity in redemption has proved enduring and unsettling. I may not have known it then, but sitting groggy in a conference on four-ish hours of sleep the next morning was exactly what I needed to round out my university experience.

Private

Rethinking environmental risk assessment for Indigenous communities

by K. Coco Zhang on

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Arts & Entertainment, Books

The radiance and resilience of De Stiil Booksellers

by Carter Forman, Kendyl Daley on

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De Stiil Booksellers, a small independent bookstore nestled in the Plateau, is caught in the crossfire of an international trade war. In response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent tariffs on Canadian goods, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has promised to act “with force” by issuing counter-tariffs taxing American products. 

While not included in the March 4 Canadian counter-tariffs, books were added to the list of commodities liable for further tariffs, a surprising move that led booksellers to, as De Stiil’s owner Aude Le Dubé put it, “freak out.” 

As the situation unfolds, the future of De Stiil—and independent bookstores across Canada—remains uncertain. 

But Le Dubé is determined not to let this affect her customers. When asked about the tariffs, she stressed that she would never raise prices by more than 10 per cent.  

“I didn’t want to worry our customers,” she said in an interview with The Tribune. “This is our problem, not theirs.” 

Though Le Dubé’s devotion to her customers is admirable, her store will absorb any extra costs, threatening already slim profit margins. 

“I don’t know anything about bookselling, and I refuse to learn,” Le Dubé joked. 

There is truth in her words; Le Dubé is not interested in maximizing profit, but in providing readers with a wonderful selection of curated literature and translations. 

Though she may not know much about the business of bookselling, she certainly knows a lot about books. Originally from France, Le Dubé is wise, worldly, and well-dressed, her charisma outshone only by her humility. She effortlessly weaves apt quotations and spontaneous gems of wit into her warm, welcoming speech. Le Dubé reads every morning and prescribes this practice to others, a treatment for the chaotic whirlwind of life. And she doesn’t dog-ear her pages—“I use a bookmark,” she said, laughing. “Are you kidding?” 

De Stiil Booksellers is a perfect reflection of its owner: Polished and inviting, intellectual and teeming with life. The store’s eclectic selection is curated by Le Dubé and her staff, giving it a personal identity that most bookstores lack. Le Dubé has high standards for her selection, guaranteeing that customers are met with mastery on every shelf—from Italian classics of yesteryear to newly published 700-page Catalan tomes, such as the one Le Dubé is currently reading. 

For her, bookstores are the last standing technology-free third places in Canada. 

“Where else are you going to sit for hours and talk to people and see life unfold around you? See people come and go, hear them talk and laugh?” she says. 

Fittingly, De Stiil hosts a weekly “Page Break” event every Wednesday at 7 p.m. In the bookstore turned silent-reading sanctuary, guests pay a $5 CAD entry fee, hand over their phones, and enjoy a glass of wine while immersed in their book. 

However, Le Dubé believes that the importance of books is not only their escapist potential. Amidst the rising global tide of violent jingoism and the seemingly endless effusion of negativity, literature’s power to foster empathy and share diverse perspectives is needed more than ever. 

“I want people to read about other ways of thinking […] that’s the only way we’re going to change people to not get into a nationalistic whirlpool,” she said. 

The best way to support independent bookstores such as De Stiil is to buy their books. But Le Dubé says she would never want anyone to feel obligated to purchase anything at her store. 

“Come to the bookstore to be around people, to read, to be around books,” she said.

It is hard to imagine walking around De Stiil and not being overcome with a love for literature and an appreciation for its owner. 

“I do believe in our mission as booksellers,” Le Dubé said. “I think we’re important […] [because we] can change something and people’s minds […] a little bit, one at a time.”

Art, Arts & Entertainment

Exploring the etchings of women’s shame at ‘Bad Girls Only’

by Norah Adams on

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Their bodies are cast in stark black ink. Harsh cross-hatching carves out exaggerated forms featuring sagging breasts and bulging stomachs. The slight fingers of one of the women curve around a heart, pulling it to her mouth moments before taking a bite. Another’s hand grasps tightly around the hilt of a sword drawn from the sheath at her hip.

The first room of the Montreal Museum of Fine Art (MMFA)’s new exhibit Bad Girls Only: Women and the Seven Deadly Sins features preparatory drawings by Dutch artist Hendrick Goltzius (1558-1617) coupled with their matching prints created by Goltzius’ stepson, Jacob Matham (1571-1631). The second adjoining space holds another set of prints created by Flemish engraver Hieronymous Wierix (1553-1619). The pieces share a common thread: They all depict women as embodiments of the seven deadly sins. 

A TV screen at the end of the exhibit shows modern-day artist Xavier Charbonneau demonstrating the act of printmaking. He takes a pointed tool with a wooden handle called a burin and makes small marks on a copper plate. Once finished, Charbonneau applies a thick black ink to the face of the etched plate with a roller and stamps it onto a piece of paper, the image now permanent.

From gluttony to envy, the prints demonstrate society’s prevailing villainization of women. The earliest pieces in this collection were produced in the 1580s. That women still feel conscious about these ideas 450 years later reveals a terrifying durability surrounding women’s shame. The act of printmaking seems to metaphorically describe the establishment of these ideas in the Western social sphere. Originating as simple sketches, the fuzzy edges of women’s shame are subsequently carved into a metal plate and confirmed throughout time in stark ink. 

In addition to the video featuring Montreal artist Charbonneau, the exhibit’s end faces a wall of handwritten cards. Beside this wall sit slots with empty sheets and pencils, providing viewers with the opportunity to make their mark. The cards hold questions relevant to each deadly sin, asking things such as, “What is one thing that made you proud today?” answered by one museum-goer with “Being engaged and enjoying breakfast and art with my family.” Another paper asks, “Describe a food or drink that gives you comfort,” and is met with the answer “Pancakes.” These prompts act as a way for viewers to reframe their positions on shame.

“The empowerment comes from the knowledge of this period, and that internalized shame is not natural and innate; it is culturally and societally produced,” curator Mary-Dailey Desmarais said in an interview with The Tribune.

The distorted bodies of the women in the exhibit are a representation of how society has historically placed women as vessels for degradation. Seeing the artistic process of this is not an ignition of fear but a way of contextualizing such perspectives. Some Dutch man in the 1500s sat down to draw women in their most demeaning form—warnings to women about how their actions make them look to others, thus contributing to a continuing history of slandering women.

But that’s all they are: Drawings. That fact allows for a certain level of freedom. Understanding the fine-scale method it took to bring sketched-out misogyny into permanent ink provides a new sense of power. A pointed carving tool should not make women feel ashamed for eating, getting angry, or having sex. 

Facing these works, it can be easy to see yourself in them. All of the things that society tells women not to do stand embodied in front of you. By understanding the process by which these pieces came to be, however, one can see the fabricated nature of their insecurities and start to break free of how society frames them. 

‘Bad Girls Only: Women and the Seven Deadly Sins’ is on display at the MMFA until Aug.10 . Tickets are available both online and in person. Free for those aged 25 and under. 

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