Latest News

Baseball, Men's Varsity, Sports

Ogundakun shoots the lights out as Redmen basketball zap Stingers on Pots and Pans night

by Aaron Rose on

More in Baseball:

“It was a great crowd,” fourth-year guard and McGill Redmen basketball captain Dele Ogundakun said of the 703 fans in attendance for McGill Athletics’ annual Pots and Pans night. “We want to make it a great show for this crowd and a great atmosphere.”

With the rambunctious Redmen faithful in attendance, McGill (2-1) embarrassed the rival Concordia Stingers (2-2) 96-56 on Thursday night at Love Competition Hall.

Spurred on by the clanging of pots and pans, the Redmen jumped out to a 29-2 run to start the game.

“As soon as the lights went out, the fans got into it,” Head Coach Dave DeAveiro said. “I want our crowd to understand that they make a huge difference in the way we play.”

The Redmen offence was on fire from deep, connecting on 17 of 32 shots from beyond the arc.

“We’ve been shooting a lot [of 3-pointers] in practice,” Dele Ogundakun said, “We’ve been shooting so much we have to make them in the game.”

Defensively, the Redmen swarmed the Stingers, forcing Concordia to shoot from the outside.

“I thought they followed the game plan really well,” DeAveiro said. “We didn’t want to let them have any easy baskets at the rim and I thought we did that for the most part.”

Having struggled earlier in the year, Ogundakun broke out for McGill, tying a school record for three-pointers on seven for 10 shooting from deep. He recorded a career high 29 points along with six rebounds and four assists.

“I’ve been trying to get my rhythm back,” Ogundakun said. “This is a breaking point back to the old Dele.”

However, it was the veteran captain’s leadership that shined the brightest throughout the game.

“I just want to teach all the young guys what I wish I knew when I was younger,” Ogundakun said.

With the game out of hand late, DeAveiro gave his bench the opportunity to log significant minutes in the final quarter. Third year guard Avery Cadogan scored nine points in the fourth quarter as the bench showed continued improvement this season.

“They just played the way I expected them to play,” DeAveiro said. “If they didn’t play that way, I’d be upset.”

The Redmen now head out to Lennoxville for a date with the Bishop’s Gaiters (0-3) on Saturday. The former RSEQ powerhouse has struggled this season, but McGill isn’t going to take them lightly.

“They’re a desperate team,” DeAveiro said. “It’ll be a nice test to see if we have the mental toughness to come back in 48 hours and play a tough team in their gym.”

Stat of the game: McGill was four points away from hitting the century mark for the first time since 2014.

Quotable: “I don’t think we’ve ever lost a game on a night like that.” – Head Coach Dave DeAveiro said of the atmosphere created by the 703 fans in attendance.

Moment: A 3-pointer from Noah Daoust in the first minute of play would be as close as the Stingers would be to defeating the Redmen.

News, SSMU

Fall 2016 Referendum and General Assembly Online Ratification results

by Sara Cullen on

More in News:

The results of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Fall 2016 Referendum and General Assembly (GA) online ratification were released on Nov. 18. All referendum questions passed and nominations were ratified online. Of the approximately 22,600 students eligible to vote, turnout was 18.1 per cent, exceeding the quorum of 15 per cent. Quorum for GA Online Ratification is slightly lower at 10 per cent and it was reached with a 12.6 per cent turnout rate.

Creation of a Musicians’ Collective Fee: “Yes”

This motion called for the creation of a $0.10 opt-outable fee that will fund the Musicians’ Collective (MC). Previously funded solely from the SSMU budget, MC provides student-musicians at McGill with affordable services such as educational workshops, practice room booking, performance opportunities, and instrument and equipment rental. This motion passed with a 72 per cent “yes” vote.

MC President Saul Zetler wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune that the MC executive team is excited about the creation of the fee and that the money will be put towards maintaining the Jam Room that is available for students to book online.

“We look forward to putting the money to good use improving the condition of the jam space,” Zetler wrote. “Much of the equipment in the jam space needs repairing or replacing, and the money collected from this fee will be instrumental in ensuring that the quality of the jam space is upheld.”

Midnight Kitchen Fee Renewal: “Yes”

This motion proposed a $0.10 increase to the current opt-outable Midnight Kitchen student fee. Approval of this motion increases the fee to $3.45 and money will be used to fund the non-profit, volunteer-run collective that provides free vegan lunch and breakfast meals on campus. The motion passed with a 78.6 per cent “yes” vote.

Midnight Kitchen Discretionary Projects: “Yes”

The approval of this motion allows Midnight Kitchen to allocate a portion of their student fee revenue to aspects of their mandate outside of providing free meals. Midnight Kitchen was founded with an anti-oppression mandate that opposes privatization and corporatization. A portion of their budget goes towards educating the community on topics that align with their mandate. This motion passed with a 73.9 per cent “yes” vote.

Midnight Kitchen Collective member and “Yes” Committee Chair Anastasie Dudley, U3 Arts, wrote in a message to The McGill Tribune that Midnight Kitchen is thankful for the support of SSMU members during the referendum period.

“The Midnight Kitchen Collective is relieved by the overwhelming support of both our existence fee and our discretionary funding in the past week,” Dudley wrote. “The maintenance of this fee will allow us to continue operations as usual, and as we have already been giving discretionary funding for years the explicit permission we have now been granted will further allow us to go on as usual.”

Dudley hopes that Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) members will be equally supportive during the upcoming PGSS Fall Referendum as Midnight Kitchen continues to be a well-used service on campus.

“Given the continued prioritization of corporate interests on campus by the administration, we don't see the need for our service dwindling any time soon and are dedicated to continuing to provide an affordable, healthy alternative,” Dudley said.

Free Menstrual Hygiene Products Fee and Health & Hygiene Products Fund: “Yes”

Brought forward by members of the SSMU Legislative Council, including SSMU President Ben Ger and Vice-President (VP) Student Life Elaine Patterson, approval of this motion will instate a non-opt-outable $0.90 fee in the Winter 2017 semester. The fee will finance a SSMU Health and Hygiene Products Fund that will go towards providing free menstrual hygiene products in restrooms on campus and educating the community on financial discrimination that affects those who experience menstruation. This motion passed with 80.7 per cent “yes” vote.

Ger said that feedback to the motion was mostly positive and that the motion passed by a large margin.

“[Free menstrual hygiene products are] something that [have] been wanted in the past,” Ger said. “People for Menstrual Solidarity, McGill Students for Feminism, both of those groups wanted to see something like this put in place for quite some time. They’ve been doing a lot of the groundwork so we really only came in with implementation phases, recognizing that we have that ability to make change at these high levels.”

According to Ger, SSMU would like to implement the program as soon as possible.

“Our plan in an ideal world would be to have a few [dispensaries] up and running by the time people get back [from winter break], obviously we can’t get every single washroom right off the bat,” Ger said. “It’s a pretty massive project to put all these things everywhere so it will be a bit of a delayed thing where we slowly put them in, I don’t imagine it will take more than a year [….]”

Nomination of the Auditor for the Fiscal Year of 2017: “Yes”

The accounting firm FL Fuller Landau LLP was approved in October by SSMU Council to prepare SSMU’s financial statement for the 2017 fiscal year. The choice of the auditor must be approved by SSMU members at-large on an annual basis. This nomination was ratified with a 89.9 per cent “yes” vote.

According to Ger, the appointment of the auditor is made public in order to maintain transparency.

“The auditor is to make sure that our finances are in check, but also that we’re spending our money appropriately,” Ger said. “It is student dollars that are coming through this space, so making sure that the student body is in approval of the auditing company that we’re using, that the process is transparent every step of the way, is something that we’ve deemed important.”

Ger said that SSMU has encountered financial issues in past years, necessitating the need for an outside firm to assess SSMU’s finances.

“There were issues […] in the past that kind of sprung [the annual nomination of the auditor],” Ger said. “The SSMU went belly up, essentially, and the university came in and took over, and ever since then we’ve hired a full time internal auditor […] to come in to make sure that we’re doing our job right.”

Nomination of the SSMU Board of Directors 2016-17: “Yes”

Also appointed annually, nominations for the Board of Directors are approved in Legislative Council before being approved by SSMU members at-large. This nomination was ratified with an 86.7 per cent “yes” vote.

Ger said that the Board of Directors is recognized as one of the highest decision-making bodies within SSMU and its decisions have a strong influence on services that impact student life.

“Their abilities are split between the Legislative Council and the Board of Directors, but the people that you ratify onto that body are dealing with all the legal, HR, operational–SRC and Gert’s, for example–and building-related matters,” Ger said. “So, it is a lot of stuff that directly impacts students. When people look at ratifying the Board of Directors […] it is still an important process of recognizing who is going to be representing you and choosing to support that.”

Arts & Entertainment

Flashback: Charlie’s Angels

by Julia Metraux on

More in Arts & Entertainment:

When it came to solving crime on television, male-led shows like The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and I Spy dominated espionage and crime entertainment throughout the 1960s. Although women did have some important roles, they were mainly featured alongside men. Just over 40 years ago, on Sept. 22, 1976, Charlie’s Angels premiered. Its leads were three female heroines, portrayed by actresses Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Jaclyn Smith, who left an impact on feminist pop culture.

Sabrina (Jackson), Jill (Fawcett), and Kelly (Smith) are three undercover investigators who work to solve crimes. In the first episode, we learn that the three heroines all graduated successfully from the police academy but work as a meter maid, office worker, and crossing guard. Sabrina, Jill, and Kelly are then recruited to work for Townsend Detective Agency. At the beginning of each episode, the three women are assigned a crime to solve by their boss, Charlie,  a mysterious character depicted only as a disembodied voice communicating to the Angels through radio. This television series lasted for five seasons, but it started to decline in popularity during its last two years on air due to various casting changes.

Although the show demonstrates a team of three competent and capable women, the central driving force is male; however, in the context of the time period, the relationship between Charlie and his Angels demonstrates a significant amount of progress, as the three women were depicted as skilled and resourceful, and were put in charge of important missions. This depiction reflected women moving beyond secretarial jobs in the workforce during this time, although there was still a power dynamic between male bosses and their female workers.

The outfits of Sabrina, Jill, and Kelly received plenty of backlash for being what some people consider as too revealing at the time. The costume design reflected the sexual liberation movement of the late 60s and early 70s. But, many believe that the Angels were dressed primarily to be sex objects, undermining their agency as characters.     

In an statement, Fawcett agreed with the latter idea.

"When the show was number three, I figured it was our acting,” Fawcett said. “When it got to be number one, I decided it could only be because none of us wears a bra.” 

Charlie’s Angels was conceived during North America’s second-wave feminist movement; there are aspects of the show that both support and contradict this movement. The show contributed to the movement, in which women fought to have equality in the workplace, as the Angels occupied action-driven, positions outside of secretarial work. However, the emphasis on the looks of the actresses in order to appeal to the male gaze detracted from the positive feminist messages promoted in the show.     

To this day, Charlie’s Angels is a cult favourite and has inspired spin-offs, such as 2001’s film adaptation starring Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy Liu, and 2011’s short-lived series revival. The success of Charlie’s Angels created the model for successful female-driven crime and espionage shows, such as cop-drama Rizzoli and Isles and cartoon show Totally Spies!, as it was one of the first T.V. representations of women who were capable of excelling in traditionally male roles. Due to the boundaries that the television show Charlie’s Angels pushed, female T.V. characters at the time were finally able to have their skills and desires at the forefront, instead of simply serving as eye candy.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

First Impressions: Drake’s latest tracks

by Selin Altuntur, April Barrett, and Evelyn Goessling on

More in Arts & Entertainment:

"Fake Love"

Apple Music’s description of “Fake Love” says that the song is, “A brutally honest look at fame and friendship.” This is a seriously bold note to start on, and it seems somehow ominous. What am I about to hear? Drake’s usual emotional/nonsensical banter, or something much darker?

These lyrics are no joke. Drake calls all the fakes the fuck OUT. Jealousy, backstabbing, social climbing, and fake love—I guess Drake has had enough.

“I’ve been down so long they look like up to me, they look up to me/ straight up to my face.” When were you “down,” Drake? Last I saw you were on top of Toronto's CN tower.

I like the layered percussion and plucked string chords. This sound is unexpected and definitely recognizably Drake, although the sparse instrumentation makes him seem more lonely than usual. The beat seems to be taken almost directly from Hotline Bling. Actually, it almost feels like I’m listening to the same song, although it’s not as catchy, and definitely sadder.

This song was super repetitive. I don’t know if I should criticize Drake too hard on this point, though; it’s pretty common to have repetitive rap music. But, does “Fake Love” deserve a spot on Pitchfork’s Best New Tracks? No! This song is boring as hell! I guess it’s interesting that Drake is being vulnerable about his relationships. Yet the song somehow still feels subtly braggadocios, like Drake is the only real one in the game. Is he, though? IS HE?

–Evelyn Goessling, Arts & Entertainment Editor

“Two Birds, One Stone” 

The song opens with some cool, chipmunk, Bon Iver/Kanye distortion. A nice dripping beat, simple bongo drums. The track is busy, kind of noisy.

“More time with family and friends, more life,” Aubrey says, tapping into a very cute concept. The cover art is an image of his Dad at his parents wedding. This track/EP’s central theme seems to be family.

“More blessings for Sandy [Drake’s mom] and him [Drake’s dad, Dennis], more life.” That’s a very nice thought! His parents are clearly at the heart of this song.

The lyrical content is a scattered thought, jumping from family, to fame, to rappers who call him out for not being hood enough. It is a freestyle—from what I can tell.

In that way, the song reminds me of Drake’s triumphant “6PM in New York,” but less clever and a little more bitter and depressing.

For example: “Fuck the rap game, it's all lies and it's all filthy / two per cent of us rich and the rest of these [expletives] all milk it.”

Like, damn! That sucks.

—April Barrett, Managing Editor

“Sneakin’” 

Sounds like Stranger Things meets sad Drake.

The beat sounds like basic garage band shit.

Still very catchy.

“I don’t need love I’m a goat.” Excuse me?

—Selin Altuntur, Arts & Entertainment Editor

 

Arts & Entertainment, Books

“Queers Were Here:” Canada’s LGBTQ+ community

by Michelle Hahn-Baker on

More in Arts & Entertainment:

In Robin Ganev and RJ Gilmour’s collection of thirteen essays Queers Were Here, Canada’s queer community is put at the forefront. The essays explore the stories of the figures who shaped gay culture and identity across the country. The book ultimately demonstrates that queer people have always existed in Canada and that, despite years of adversity, the queer community’s experience has been rich, vibrant and full of a diversity of perspectives.

Contemporary members of the Canadian LGBTQ community tell stories of their personal heroes, demonstrating the power of community. The book offers a look into the alternative spaces carved out by seminal queer figures, such as Nancy Jo Cullen and Gordon Bowness. This collection serves to honour these figures, who mentored some of the leading voices of today’s gay community. These stories remind the reader that the human rights we enjoy today, specifically those of the LGBTQ+ community, were hard-fought for.

While the book isn’t always engaging—certain essays have slow moments of long-winded prose, detail, and inaction—Queers Were Here is consistently worthwhile for the sheer sake of the cultural importance of its subjects. The subjects include figures like Carole Pope, a provocative singer who was one of the first lesbian entertainers to break into the Canadian mainstream. This book brings to light some of what has been forgotten about these figures such as these, either through the passage of time or the simple truth that it was never properly exposed in the first place.

There is a different essay for every reader. Some are first-hand accounts of the political processes of Canada’s biggest steps towards equality, such as the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1969. Others are poignant stories about first love, or reflections about the role of queerness in shaping an individual’s identity. In particular, Karleen Pendleton-Jiménez’s essay about her relationship with the activist Tim MacCaskell and Alec Butler’s piece on writer Marie-Claire Blais should not be missed. These brief essays are poetic, insightful, and touching at once.

Queers Were Here introduces the reader to heroes and icons of gay Canadian history who too often go unrecognized and unhonoured: Scott Thompson, an iconic member of the comedy sketch comedy group The Kids in the Hall, who provided one of the first positive portrayals of gay men on Canadian television; Marie-Claire Blais, the Quebecois writer who wrote fiction about the queer experience that went far beyond tokenizing, and many more icons, champions of social justice, and everyday queer Canadians who changed lives by providing others with the tools and encouragement to be proud of their own identities.

The prose is generally easily digestible, but the depth of historical detail and queer theory in certain essays makes it interesting for critical reading as well as personal pleasure. Essays from Maurice Vellekoop and Steve MacIsaac are in fact told through comics, which provides relief from the dense prose of some other essays.

It would have been even more powerful, however, if there were more diversity among the creators of this collection. While writers like Karleen Pendleton-Jimenez and Alec Butler write from the perspectives of a Latina lesbian woman and transgender man, respectively, half of the collection’s fourteen contributors are gay white men. While this doesn’t take away from the validity or merit of their work, the collection lacks representation of certain voices that are often doubly marginalized, even within the LGBTQ+ community.

Queers Were Here is a collaborative exploration of the heroes and icons of Canada’s queer history, retold with emotion and heart by the people who loved them, knew them, or were inspired by them. In its retellings, the collection celebrates the achievements made towards equality, and highlights some of what still needs to be done. All in all, this is a socially important book that explores some of the most overlooked, underrepresented, and important parts of Canadian history.

Arts & Entertainment, Private

Montreal’s oldest beer is rediscovered at “L’Affaire Hart”

by Quinn O'Hearn on

More in Arts & Entertainment:

The Museum of Jewish Montreal (MJM), Montreal’s keeper of Jewish history and culture,  provided a unique opportunity to not just learn about Quebec's Jewish history, but to experience it with their event ‘L'Affaire Hart,’ named after a newly-rediscovered beer recipe. With the help of Réservoir Artisanal Brewery and the Hart family, the MJM recreated one of Canada's oldest beers—light amber in colour, rich in flavour and history.

The history of the beer began in Trois-Rivières in 1796. The Harts, the first Jewish family to settle in Quebec and known for their political and social justice work, opened a malt house and brewery. More than 200 years later, the recipe was discovered in an online database by full time lawyer and beer loving blogger Gary Gilman.

Gary Gilman practices corporate commercial law, and runs the blog Beer et Seq. on the history, economy, science, and culture of beer. It was his blog post written in February of this year that sparked the interest of one of the museums researchers, Magdalene Klassen.

The event took place on the corner of St. Laurent and St. Denis, in Fletcher’s Espace Culinaire, a Jewish café run by the MJM. According to their Facebook page, the restaurant aims to "reawaken traditions, reimagine the classics, and reconnect community," a sentiment that echoes throughout all of MJM’s endeavors. Rows and rows of excited visitors filled the venue, whose minimalist industrial style sets the perfect backdrop for their colourful and complex dishes. Fletcher’s was effortlessly cool, from the clean industrial design of the space, to the youthful, well dressed museum employees.

The first speaker at the event was Denis Vaugeois, a historian and author, who told the story of the Hart family. Among many political and social accomplishments, they opened the first synagogue in Canada. Gilman then spoke about the historical and technical aspects of the beer, detailing the traditional English brew techniques, that are archaic in comparison to today's methods. Nathan McNutt, the master brewer from Réservoir, and the man behind the Hart beer's revival, discussed the techniques used to create the most authentic version of the 18th century beer. In order to get the closest possible result, McNutt tried to stick to the original recipe as close as possible, making alterations here and there to counteract the effects of today's technology.

After hearing from Vaugeois, Gilman, and McNutt, guests and coordinators ventured out field trip style to Réservoir’s neighbourhood brewpub, where the second floor and terasse had been reserved. There the bartenders and brewers served the guests complimentary glasses of the 8.6 per cent beer.

Beer brewing technology have both come a long way since the 18th century. Beer is no longer brewed in wood barrels using hot stones, caramelized by the dregs of previous batches. The technology of the production has changed, and so have the tastes of the consumers. The alcohol percentage of beer has gone down, along with the strength of taste. L'affaire Hart is not a trendy IPA or a university classic like Pabst Blue Ribbon. It has an unique flavour that perhaps even some of today's biggest beer fans won't enjoy. Many guests held a genuine appreciation for the historical aspects of the beer and the passion that went into recreating it, but were unable to handle the taste of the traditional English brew.

The name of the reimagined beer, and the event itself, commemorates the triumph and hardship of Ezekiel Hart, whose successful election into the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada was met with controversy and antisemitism. According to the McCord Museum, despite winning the votes, he was unable to take his seat because he could not take what was at the time the customary oath “on the true faith of a Christian.” From creating the first Jewish beer in Quebec, to opening the first synagogue in Canada, and all the political and social work in between, the Hart family has been an extremely influential part of Quebec’s history. MJM and Réservoir celebrated the history of the Hart family, bringing people from all age groups and backgrounds together over a glass of beer and tales of social justice.

McGill, News

McGill Senate approves Policy against Sexual Violence

by Domenic Casciato on

More in McGill:

Policy against Sexual Violence

On Nov. 23, the McGill Senate unanimously approved the Policy against Sexual Violence. With the Senate’s approval, the Policy will now proceed to the Board of Governors for approval on Dec. 1. Student staff and administration representatives will form a committee for the implementation of the Policy. It also calls for the creation of a physical office for students and staff to report incidents of sexual violence to the administration.

The Sexual Assault Policy Proposal group (SAPP), which was formed in 2013 following allegations of sexual assault against numerous McGill Redmen football players, had its own draft of the sexual assault policy rejected in April 2016. On Sept. 12, the university released its Draft Policy against Sexual Violence.

The Policy defines sexual violence as a sexual act or acts targeting a person’s sexuality, gender identity, or gender expression without the person’s consent. It is survivor-focused and will tackle sexual violence on campus through education, survivor support, and effectively responding to sexual violence disclosure and reports through the creation of the Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support and Education. Olliver Dyens, deputy provost (Student Life and Learning), spoke strongly in favour of the Policy to the Senate.

“This Policy does everything that needs to be done,” Dyens said. “The next step is [committing] to addressing this issue. [….] The Policy provides everything we need to [move] forward.”

Victor Frankel, secretary-general of the Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS), highlighted the time and effort involved in the creation of this Policy.

“Having this [Policy] be the product of significant consultation is something that we can all be proud of, and use this as a model for other ways in which we can integrate campus input,” Frankel said.

The administration met with over 30 interest groups, collected online feedback from the McGill community, and worked with a consulting firm, Parker P Consulting, while developing the Policy. Its approval adds a number of items to the Senate’s agenda. An ad hoc panel will form within four months to study sexual violence at McGill and determine the university's jurisdiction in responding to reports of incidents. In the coming months, appointments to the Office for Sexual Violence will be made and consultations will be held with campus groups, including the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and the Sexual Assault Centre of the McGill Students’ Society (SACOMSS). The procedure for responding to reports of sexual violence will be revised as the implementation plan is further developed.

Christopher Manfredi, provost and vice-principal (Academic), emphasized that addressing sexual violence on campus will be an ongoing process.

“The Policy has built into it a very robust review process,” Manfredi said. “It will allow this to be an iterative process, a continuous improvement of the Policy as we go forward and see how it works on the ground.”

According to the final draft presented to Senate, the Office for Sexual Violence will bring together qualified staff to effectively respond to all reports of sexual violence. It will also create a confidential monitoring framework in order to develop a statistical analysis of incidences of assault at the university.

Report on sustainability

Senate also discussed a report on Nov. 10’s Joint Board-Senate meeting, which focused primarily on sustainability initiatives. Principal Suzanne Fortier spoke about McGill’s sustainability rating by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE).

“Where we get our lowest and a terrible, terrible mark, is on water [intake],” Fortier said. “[We’re] taking it for granted that we have good water readily accessible to us and we’re wasting it.”

The report collected senators’ ideas for immediate, medium, and long-term actions to make McGill a more sustainable campus, including conducting energy usage audits, making McGill’s campus disposable water-bottle free, and creating a Sustainability Task Force.

“We’ve put aside $10 million for the next five years for our initiatives in sustainability sciences,” Manfredi said.

This piece was last updated on Nov. 28.

Montreal, News

Journalists and legal experts discuss the state of free press in Quebec

by Amin Guidara on

More in Montreal:

On Nov. 10, the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada (MISC) hosted four experts with media and legal background at the McGill Faculty Club to discuss the aftermath of the Patrick Lagacé case. Montreal police had been collecting metadata—information that indicates the time, date, and location you called someone, for example—from La Presse columnist Lagacé’s phone to determine who was leaking information in an internal investigation of one of it’s officers. The event was organized and moderated by Andrew Potter, director of MISC.

The panelists spoke about how the media reacted to the revelation of the police tapping journalists in Quebec and the legal implications of police surveillance. The Senior Director of Continuous Improvement at La Presse, Yann Pineau, considered the spying of journalists to be a wake-up call.

“We [journalists] were naive because we never thought police would go to that extent,” Pineau said.

Pineau added that journalists in Quebec now need more training to protect their sources and themselves and must learn to use digital tools to encrypt metadata.

Executive Director of the Professional Federation of Quebec Journalists (FPJQ) Caroline Locher further denounced Lagacé’s tapping, as well as three Radio-Canada journalists. “Quebec is similar to a police state,” Locher said.

Locher gave numerous examples of attacks on journalism, such as the Charlie Hebdo attacks and Trump’s threats to sue journalists, but praised some jurisdictions for extensively protecting journalists’ rights and their sources’ anonymity.

“In Belgium, it is illegal to spy on journalists unless there is an immediate threat of terrorism or death,” Locher said.

Locher noted that since the revelation of police surveillance of the media, sources will likely be more hesitant about speaking to journalists.

“The journalists are able to tell the truth about what happens because the sources trust them […] This is not about journalists, it is about the public who will not get information, who will be left in the dark,” Locher said.

McGill Law Professor Fabien Gelina cautioned the audience not to jump to conclusions because the evidence presented by the police to the Justice of Peace (JP) has not yet been made public. The JPs are officials appointed by the lieutenant governors of Canada's provinces, and by the commissioners of Canada's territories. They supervise the legality of police activities, such as accepting or rejecting police’s warrant requests. In the Lagacé case, it was the JP who authorized the Montreal police to collect the journalist’s metadata.

“It is hard to make a judgement on an investigation without all the facts,” Gelinas said.

Furthermore, it would be difficult to legally further the informers’ right to anonymity. According to media lawyer Mark Bantey, there are three ways of doing so: As a privilege, as class-based–similar to lawyer-client confidentiality–and as a case-by-case analysis. The former two would formally protect the anonymity of informers and by extension, there would be less leeway for JPs to grant warrants.

“Currently, the warrants are given on a case-by-case basis by the Justice of Peace, who balances public interest and law enforcement,” Bantey said. “The JP decides to recognize the sources’ right to anonymity or not”.

Bantey also noted that it is hard to draw a clear definition as to who is and isn’t a journalist. Therefore, the constitutional court refused to acknowledge the protection of sources by privilege or class-based relations, thus keeping the JP’s authority to individually assess warrant requests.

“To throw a constitutional immunity around such a heterogeneous and ill-defined group […] and whatever sources they want to protect would blow a giant hole in law enforcement and other basic rights,” Bantey said, quoting the court’s decision.

Pineau took the opportunity to denounce not only a legal problem, but an institutional one.

“[Prime Minister] Trudeau’s reaction was very timid […] the police asked for a warrant without really questioning themselves,” he said. “However, a lot of police officers were ashamed by what happened”.

Football, Sports

To Romo or not to Romo? The Cowboys are sticking with Dak Prescott

by Joe Khammar on

More in Football:

The Dallas Cowboys’ fourth-round rookie Dak Prescott has taken the NFL by storm in his 10 starts this season. Originally brought in to support the Cowboys’ oft-injured quarterback Tony Romo, Prescott has now surpassed all expectations to replace the potential Hall of Fame player as a starter on a playoff-bound Dallas team.

With Romo at the helm at the start of the 2015-2016 season, hopes were high. He was the reigning Offensive Player of the Year and the Cowboys were Super Bowl contenders. But after a 2-0 start to the season, Romo suffered a fractured clavicle, removing him for the rest of the year. Dallas then finished 2015-16 with a paltry 4-12 record behind their backup quarterbacks. The disastrous results showed just how lost the Cowboys were without their quarterback. As Romo had not played a full season since 2012, eccentric team owner and General Manager Jerry Jones learned he could no longer rely on Romo’s failing body. The organization would need a suitable insurance policy.

In this year’s NFL Draft, the Cowboys selected Ezekiel Elliott, an immensely talented running back from The Ohio State University with the fourth overall pick. By drafting a running back, the Cowboys hoped to take the pressure off their fragile quarterback with a strong ground game. But the organization’s plans were derailed when Romo was injured again in a preseason game against Seattle. With backup quarterback Kellen Moore also injured, the Cowboys were forced to hand the starting quarterback role to their untested fourth-round pick from Mississippi State, Dak Prescott.

Going into the draft, most experts believed Prescott had bad mechanics, inaccurate deep passing, and was unreliable under pressure. Additionally, a DUI charge only weeks before the NFL Draft made teams questions Prescott’s character. It didn’t matter that he was acquitted of the charge; the damage had already been done. The Cowboys even dropped Prescott by a round in their draft boards, but decided to take a chance on him after Head Coach Jason Garrett drilled him about the DUI in pre-draft interviews.

Prescott turned out to be exactly what the franchise needed. His play was exceptional during the preseason and he seemed like a bonafide star in the making. But, still, no one expected Prescott to be so successful as a rookie quarterback. The Cowboys now had a problem when Romo returned to full fitness in week 11; when healthy, he is one of the best quarterbacks in the league. However, Prescott has led this team to a 9-1 record. The organization does not want to mess with a working formula. As the old saying goes, if it ain't broke, dont fix it. This situation put Jones and Garrett into a precarious position. They needed to decide who would be the team's starter going forward, the rising Dak Prescott or established Tony Romo.

The Cowboys eventually decided to stick with Prescott. The rookie has found ways to win week in and week out and brings aspects to the offence that Romo cannot. Prescott breaks outside the pocket, runs for extra yards, and constantly makes tacklers miss. He dominated talented Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals defences to lead Dallas to an 8-1 record.

Yes, running back Ezekiel Elliott, the NFL’s best offensive line, and a talented group of pass-catchers have taken some of the pressure off the young quarterback’s shoulders. But Prescott has equally galvanized the Cowboys in return and has formed fantastic chemistry with the established stars on the team. From day one, Prescott has been a leader in the locker room and the entire team plays hard with him on the field. If he continues his top-notch play, Prescott’s season will become the gold standard for all rookie quarterbacks in the NFL. Akin to Tom Brady supplanting Drew Bledsoe as the New England Patriots’ starting quarterback in 2001, Prescott has made the Cowboys great again.

Commentary, Opinion

The future of birth control must include all genders

by Grey Gunning on

More in Commentary:

The results of a trial for male birth control, published in the Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, have sparked outrage and frustration. After 20 of 320 men dropped out of the study due to adverse side effects, the trials were discontinued. Altogether, the men participating in the trial reported 1,491 adverse symptoms, including mood disorders and severe acne. The cessation of the trials was not unjustified. The developers were forced to conclude that the risks outweighed the benefits. However, the trial represents a stark contrast with the development of the female birth control pill. It reinforces what the history of the pill tells us: The bodies of women are burdened with more responsibility than the bodies of men. This does not mean that society should demand that men experience the suffering women have. Instead, this moment is an opportunity to remember what women have been through in pursuit of the pill and to call for a future where everyone, regardless of gender, can expect fair treatment from medical research and health care professionals.

A history of the birth control pill must acknowledge the women who—often unknowingly—participated in unethical experiments to test the drug. The fact that these women were not consenting participants points to an unfortunate medical reality for women: Their bodies have historically been misused, devalued, and neglected by a medical field that caters to men.

But, it is impossible not to contrast the sensitivity with which the men in the study were treated with the unethical treatment women have suffered in the development of the pill, and the continued devaluing of their symptoms of well-being today.

In an interview with the National Public Radio, Jonathan Eig, author of The Birth of the Pill, claims it’s ironic that medical professionals have “treated [women] like lab animals so that [they] may find a form of birth control that frees them.” But, the fact that the pill’s developers took unethical routes by necessity does not erase the pain of the women who were mistreated as test subjects. In his book, Eig explains that beginning in the 1950s, several female birth control trials were held at the Puerto Rico Medical School. When participants began to drop out due to side effects, the head scientist sought out women who would have no choice but to participate, in order to continue the trials. Puerto Rican medical students were forced to comply under penalty of expulsion. Women in an asylum in Worcester, Massachusetts were used as test subjects because they were unable to say no. Admittedly, the situation was complex: Birth control was heavily regulated and test subjects were hard to find. However, the end does not justify the means when the means is the mistreatment of unconsenting women.

The dismissal of women’s pain still exists today, although it is more subtle: Women have a higher chance of being misdiagnosed when they exhibit symptoms of everything from heart attacks to ADHD. Their complaints are often minimized by healthcare professionals, and, sometimes—as has been documented in one Atlantic article—their pain is ignored. In terms of hormonal birth control, University of Copenhagen professor Øjvind Lidegaard told CNN that doctors have known “for decades” about the side effects of hormonal birth control, including mood disorders. Women, it seems, are expected to live with pain—if their pain is acknowledged at all.

The facilitators of the male birth control study were right to shut it down, as the rate of adverse side effects was higher than that of women who typically use hormonal contraceptives. But, it is impossible not to contrast the sensitivity with which the men in the study were treated with the unethical treatment women have suffered in the development of the pill, and the continued devaluing of their symptoms of well-being today. There is no way to erase the injustices of the past. In order to heal this disparity in the future, society must recognize the history of the pill and the pain that women continually undertake to exercise their reproductive rights. Men can demand continued research on male birth control, thereby lessening the reproductive burden on women. By speaking out about the pain that women have faced in the past, and about the pain that they still face today, we can look forward to a world where healthcare is synonymous with equality.

1 … 700 701 702 703 704 … 1,364

Read the latest issue

Read the latest issue