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Album Reviews, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: The Altar – Banks

by Audrey Carleton on

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Over the two years after the release of her first album, Goddess (2014) Jillian Banks—better known by her stage name, Banks—has climbed to success, winning awards and touring internationally with The Weeknd. The University of Southern California graduate’s academic background in psychology shines through in the themes she explores in her music. Banks has never feared the raw topics, reflecting on past wrongs and analyzing the emotions of herself and her loved ones. While Goddess depicted the healing wounds of a freshly-ended emotionally abusive relationship, in The Altar Banks shows clear signs of growth and reflection.

Banks begins her second album on a strong note, with fast-tempoed and assertive tracks “Gemini Feed” and “Fuck With Myself.” Arguably one of the most memorable songs on the album, “Fuck With Myself” is a haunting tale that intertwines self-love and self-harm intertwined. Though she echoes affirmations like, “My love is the one,” and “I fuck with myself more than anyone else,” the latter line offers a dual meaning, implying that she loves herself, yet hurts herself more than anyone else. Exploring the kind of feelings that keep people up at night is Banks’ strong suit, and “Fuck With Myself” is a clear example of this. Though the harsh plucking of strings and spooky whispers may require a few listens before becoming more familiar to the ears, the song easily becomes addictive over time.

As is the case with “Fuck With Myself,” much of the album takes on the tone of a scorned lover, just as the previous album does. However, Banks breaks this up with sexy, sweet love songs like “Lovesick” and “Mother Earth,” reminding listeners of her vulnerability. In “Mother Earth,” Banks recalls taking care of a lover over gentle acoustic guitar and violin chords. “I'm not gonna cover up the freckles on my faces,” Banks sighs, undoubtedly alluding to her album cover, which shows her face stripped of makeup. Though she exudes independence in the rest of the album, with “Mother Earth,” Banks reveals her tendency to become weak and forgiving of someone who’s hurt her time and time again.  

Just as she diversifies the tone of her songs throughout the album, Banks is experimental with her vocals. Though sultry, layered tunes are her calling cards, Banks tries out extremes in The Altar, from her ghostly whispered lines in “Fuck With Myself,” to harsh screams of “You won’t call back, you won’t call back […] I waited up, I waited up,” echoing during the bridge  in “Haunt.” To conclude the album, Banks ends with strong, repeated “Oh’s” of a wide octaval range in “27 Hours,” taking a respite from her usual sultry sound to drive home the emotional drain of a tumultuous relationship.

Despite these vocal risks, the album as a whole does not sonically distinguish itself from Goddess. Although The Altar’s instrumentals are awfully reminiscent of the first album, Banks’s latest work exhibits a greater depth of lyrical themes.  Banks has yet again created a sexy slew of tunes in The Altar, remaining vulnerable with her lyricism and showing signs of emotional growth since Goddess.

Standout quote: “But admit it, you just wanted me smaller–If you would've let me grow, you could've kept my love.” (Gemini Feed)

Standout songs: Fuck With Myself, Mother Earth, Judas

Sounds like: Rihanna, FKA Twigs, Wet

Private

2016-2017 NBA Season Preview

by Arman Bery, Wasif Hussain, Weiyu Dang, Gabriel Rincon & Zikomo Smith on

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Private, Student Life

Urban legends of McGill residences

by Janine Xu & Miguel Principe on

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From the Upper Rez residents complaining about the hill to the hotel-style residents’ habit of locking themselves out, each McGill residence has its own atmosphere and annoyances. One of the few things they share in common are the urban legends that any first-year student living in residence has heard. These widely shared myths—be it a cautionary tale told by floor fellows during the first floor meeting of the year, or simply the spread of a good story—keep residents on their toes while also teaching a lesson or two. 

New Rez Fire: Candle in the wind, the curtain, and, well, everything else

One commonly heard story among students who lived in Rez is that of a first year girl who forgets to blow out a candle in her room before leaving. The candle lights her curtains on fire, setting off the sprinklers and flooding three floors, after which she supposedly drops out of McGill, never to be seen again.

“The way I heard it was from my floor fellow,” said Alex Levesque, U3 Science and a floor fellow at New Rez. “[As the story goes], she had a single room, and her boyfriend would come over a lot. One time, […] they decided to light a candle to set the mood, and [it lit up] the curtain, which instantly set the sprinklers off.”

It’s a story oft-repeated, and for good measure, too: According to Levesque, first-years frequently tend to set off the sprinklers. With no real fire, sprinkler systems can cause extensive damage to property.

“[Supposedly] it soaked through her room, and probably two or three floors,” Levesque said. “That caused […] $200,000 in [damages], but they said she did drop out […] partially because of the money, but [also] because people were rude to her after that.”

This story is alarming, indeed. The cautionary tale is used by all floor fellows, but actual details differ from residence to residence, raising questions about its validity. Alison Gu, U2 Science student and floor fellow at Douglas Hall, remembers the story quite differently from Levesque. 

“From what I understand, […] she was taking a bath, [so] she lit a candle. [It] was not in her bathroom so she didn’t realize, and it caught everything on fire. [….] She had to pay for the damages, and was in debt for $300,000 [and] had to drop out of McGill,” said Gu.

To residence leadership, the story’s level of merit isn’t important; rather, their goal with this story is to prevent first years from accidentally activating the sprinkler system. It’s also an attempt to discourage students from intentionally setting off the fire alarm, although judging by the amount of times the alarm has gone off in New Rez this past month—five in total, and twice in one night—perhaps a scarier urban legend might just do the trick.

Hell’s Angels: Weeding out the competition

As if the story of Candle Girl wasn’t terrifying enough, another urban legend from Rez involves the Hell’s Angels. The quintessential story that floor fellows tell to dissuade people from selling drugs in residence, is one that has sent shivers down the backs of new students for years. 

“The way my floor fellow [told the story] was there was this drug dealer in Gardner [who] kept coming home to find pictures of himself taped to his door, and then one day he came in [to] find [members] of Hell’s Angels sitting in his room, and his furniture […] slashed with [knives]. They threatened him [to get him] to stop [selling drugs on their turf],” Levesque said. 

The story varies with different degrees of extremity depending on the person telling it. Levesque also recounted another version he heard in which the student was dangled by his feet from the window by Hell’s Angels, although Levesque admitted this version of the tale is probably ridiculous. 

There is another version of the legend in which pictures of the student were taped to his window—a more intrusive detail than his door. Another describes how the Angels posted personal pictures of the student on his Facebook wall. Nevertheless, whatever version of the tale, the moral is to avoid selling drugs in McGill residences. 

Douglas Hall: The haunted house on the hill

Douglas Hall is known to be McGill’s most haunted residence, simply because of its age and architectural style. Built in 1937 during the Great Depression era, Douglas Hall, with its ancient cobblestone structure, resembles that of a Victorian mansion out of a horror film. It comes as no surprise that this residence comes with a few stories—some likely invented by floor fellows to scare first years, while others perhaps containing a grain of truth. 

One such story is the existence of a ghost living within the walls of Douglas Hall. Although its origins are unknown, its presence can be felt throughout.

“My floor fellow in my first year […] fully believed that there was a […] ghost, but it was apparently friendly,” Gu said. “There was somebody who had a plant, and they put the plant outside to get some sunlight and it disappeared. He thought somebody had stolen it and he made a post [on Facebook] about it. [Eight months later] he found it in the basement somewhere, and it was dead. People were like, ‘Oh, the Douglas ghost!’”

While the presence of this ghost in Douglas is up for debate, the story likely originated in the general spooked feeling that residents have while walking through the building’s old halls.

“[The ghost rumours are] probably because [Douglas was] built so long ago and seems to have more character […] than the other residences, and it can be really creepy at night,” Gu explained. “I don’t know what it is, but it is just spooky.” 

If one does believe in the legend of the ghost of Douglas Hall, there’s no reason to worry. It seems to be relatively friendly, despite occasionally stealing students’ plants.

Basketball, Private, Sports

McGill Tribune Sports Podcast: NBA Season Preview with Paul Jones

by Aaron Rose and Arman Bery on

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Aaron Rose and Arman Bery chat with NBA Raptors analyst Paul Jones to get you set for the upcoming 2016-17 season. They talk about what to expect from the Raptors this year, especially their young power forwards and guard Terrance Ross. Jones gives his thoughts on Cleveland’s ability to counter Golden State’s off-season moves, Boston’s chances of jumping Toronto for the second seed in the East, and Chicago’s ability to win without three-point shooters. They take a look at the Timberwolves and Bucks, and talk about how teams fix their roster holes during the season. Jones gives a tip to young journalists and recounts his time as a Toronto District School Board principle. Finally, they wrap up with the one player Jones would want to start an NBA franchise with.

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/289812236?secret_token=s-01eD4″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”600″ iframe=”true” /]

Album Reviews, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: A Seat at the Table – Solange

by Krysten Krulik on

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★★★★★

Moms are known for picking favourites, based on just about anything really (usually whichever child takes out the trash that week or helps bring in groceries). What is a mom like Tina Knowles-Lawson supposed to do? Now the second album of the year from a Knowles, Solange breaks through Queen Bey’s mold with an unassuming album that has quickly been heralded as one of the two strongest solo albums of the year, unsurprisingly brushing arms with her sister’s own Lemonade. Solange’s third full-length studio album, A Seat at the Table, comes at a time when, “Hands up! Don’t Shoot!” is proclaimed the world over as a form of peaceful resistance.

Solange’s twinkling A Seat at the Table is a treatise on blackness, black lives, and black womanhood. Here, the table offers a euphoric feast for the ears—an album made sickeningly smooth by Solange’s honey sweet voice and echoed harmonies. The sound of /A Seat at the Table/ has a greater resemblance to a majestic hall of mirrors than a studio production. From the beginning of the album, dreamy Grimes-esque riffs serve as a platform from which Solange’s defiant vocals spring. Solange’s glimmering sound contrasts with the heavy and at times sorrowful discussion of the Black female experience in America.

In the powerful opener, “Rise,” Solange croons, “Fall in your ways / so you can crumble.” She builds her assertion with dynamic vocal progression and harmonies given breadth by a pulsing, hypnotic beat. The build-up on this track is furthered by the intertwining of lush melody with spoken interludes featuring Solange’s parents, Tina and Michael, who served as the inspiration for the album. Here, Solange’s messages of Black empowerment and the complexity of owning a collective experience is made apparent through direct narrative. On “Interlude: Tina Taught Me,” Solange’s mother Tina states, “I think, part of it is accepting that there is so much beauty in being black / And that’s the thing that I guess I get emotional about.” These emboldening words are followed by the inspiring “Don’t Touch My Hair,” a song commenting on the politics behind black hair, which infuses a rolling beat and a 90s TLC feel. In Solange's lyricism, hair becomes more than simply hair. It becomes an embodiment of black identity—a battlecry for natural outward expression.

The underlying politics of A Seat at the Table come to a head in “Mad.” The soul jam, which is thick with beats and cascading keys, has harmonies that contrast sharply with Lil’ Wayne’s gruff rap feature in which hard truths hit home. “Are you mad ‘cause the judge ain’t give me more time? / And when I attempted suicide, I didn’t die,” raps Lil’ Wayne amid slow rhythms. Solange replies with a soul-splitting crescendo, “I got a lot to be mad about.” Here, the original harmonies of “Rise” are challenged and triumphed, as Solange is resilient in an act of defiant assertion.

This victory, however, is not Solange’s alone—as trumpet riffs echo on the finale “Closing:the Chosen Ones,” and Solange’s father utters in velveteen tones, “Now, we come here as slaves, but we going out as royalty.” In these final moments of A Seat at the Table the radical importance of honouring personal experience within the greater framework of the overarching narrative of the struggles endured by the black community is emphasized. Throughout the album Solange poises herself as more than a figure of comparison amongst the star-studded members of her family. Rather, Solange solidifies her position as an artist in her own right with an unprecedented and unique sound. In A Seat at the Table, Solange’s artistry rings true via a personal narrative layered with lush beats, in which Solange’s vocals soar to encompass a crowd, leaving listeners in a cascading soundscape finished with an exultant flourish.

Standout Tracks:

“Cranes in the Sky”—powerful ballad backed by sparkling keyboards and angelic harmonies, in which Solange shines as a vocal powerhouse.

“F.U.B.U.” (ft. The-Dream & BJ The Chicago Kid)—R&B-injected party jam gone slow-mo with collaborating bars rapped by The Dream and BJ the Chicago Kid

Best Lyric:

"Don't touch my pride / They say the glory's all mine / Don't test my mouth / They say the truth is my sound" – “Don’t Touch My Hair”

Sounds like:

An indie-meets-soul take on the issues tackled on Beyonce’s Lemonade, heavy with jazzy Aaliyah undertones

Football, Know Your Athlete, Sports

In conversation with the Kansas City Chiefs’ Laurent Duvernay-Tardif

by Nicole Spadotto on

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Balancing a full course load and extracurricular activities is demanding for anybody, but McGill medical student Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is more than up for the challenge—especially given his “extracurricular activity” entails a full-time NFL job.

Though Duvernay-Tardif’s short-term goal is to win Kansas City’s game against the Indianapolis Colts next weekend, his long-term goal has always been medical school. He walked onto his CEGEP football team and played while enrolled in the pre-med program. Duvernay-Tardif thought he would give up football after CEGEP when he came to McGill as a direct entry student; however, his love of the game proved too strong.

“Everyone was telling me I would have to make choices, that I couldn’t do both [medical school and football at McGill] at the same time,” Duvernay-Tardif said. “But, there was a big part of me that was missing it. I called the [McGill] coach [Sonny Wolfe] and explained to him the situation [….] He understood and I started practicing with the team about four weeks into the season.”

For most athletes, a sports scholarship is their window into an education—but for Duvernay-Tardif, it was the opposite. For the first three years of his McGill career, Duvernay-Tardif primarily played football as a reprieve from medical school. Even so, scouts soon started to take notice of his apparent talent and competitive spirit. 

“People were telling me I had a lot of potential, but maybe I didn’t realize it at the time,” Duvernay-Tardif explained.

An emphasis on gathering advice and support from his close network has informed much of Duvernay-Tardif’s football career, the beginnings of which were a family affair. He speaks fondly of his parents, who took him on a yearlong sailboat trip when he was still in high school. When CFL and NFL teams began expressing interest in Duvernay-Tardif, he hired his best friend from CEGEP–who was in law school at the time—to be his agent because it was his friend’s dream to represent pro-athletes. Mostly, he is incredibly grateful for the flexibility McGill has afforded him in allowing him to pursue his medical school and professional football dreams concurrently.

“We [The Dean of Medicine, Dr. David Eidelman, the Associate Dean of Medicine, Dr. Robert Primavesi, and I] planned that I was going to be able to do four months a year of medical school during the off-season and be in the States practicing and playing football for the rest of the year,” Duvernay-Tardif said. “[My] end goal is to be on the football field with a degree from McGill.”

“Medical school really helped me with the way I approach football. It’s really strategic […it has] helped me to be a student of the game,” Duvernay-Tardif explained.  “And the other way around, when you come back from playing a full season in the NFL, it gives you a great perspective […] it helped me to keep my composure and still have a logical approach a in stressful situations.”

The potential Duvernay-Tardif displayed as a Redmen has earned him a role as a starter in the NFL. It took a lot of work and Duvernay-Tardif certainly doesn’t take it for granted.

“This year, the biggest difference is my understanding of the game [….] I’m able to see the defence as a whole and understand the concept and what they’re trying to accomplish. This comes from film studies,” Duvernay-Tardif said. “The biggest part of preparation and training [for football] is done in the classroom. In this regard, medical school has prepared me for those challenges.”

 

Poutine or barbeque: 

“Poutine.”

Plateau or Old Port: 

“Plateau, just because I feel it’s more authentic and [there are fewer] tourists.”

Favourite place on campus: “Thompson House. After our exams at medical school, we would go there and have a beer and decompress and talk about the exam. That’s one of my best places to hang out on campus.”

Piece of advice he would give to others: 

“If you have a plan, take the proper action to make sure that plan can happen, and just go all out.”

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Where do I begin?: Rocky Horror

by Alissa Zilber on

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The last time I was in a movie theatre, I wore a dark red negligee, bright red lipstick, and a second-hand sequined blazer that, judging from its shoulder pads, probably once belonged to a Las Vegas business woman in 1987. This was my fourth time attending a Rocky Horror shadow cast show—where a group of actors performs the film as it is simultaneously projected on a screen behind them. I brought along a few friends who were new to the film—or who we Rocky veterans call “virgins”. 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a 1975 horror-comedy musical that was a box-office flop at the time of its release, but has since gained a large cult following. Rocky Horror, while shocking to mainstream audiences of its time, is beloved for its open embrace of queerness, gender bending, and unrestrained sexuality. Whether you’ve never heard of the musical, or are only vaguely familiar with the name, the following insider knowledge about Rocky Horror will soon have you putting on a pair of black heels and red lipstick and heading to the cinema. 

The Film  

The plot follows newly engaged couple Brad and Janet, whose car breaks down in the middle of a rain storm. In search for help, they unknowingly knock on the door of a castle belonging to a mad scientist named Dr. Frank N. Furter. The bold and charismatic Frank N Furter, dressed in fishnets and a corset, happens to be throwing a convention to unveil his latest experiment. Brad and Janet quickly become acquainted with a number of convention attendees and household staff, all of whom seem to share Frank’s dubious intentions for the couple. This bizarre opening is just the beginning of what some viewers consider a nonsensical plot filled with ridiculous characters, which may surprise many people who want to draw meaning from the film.  

In order to understand the film’s quirks, it’s important to know that Rocky Horror both parodies and pays tribute to the science fiction genre and horror B-films made in the 1930s to  the 1970s. The production’s creator Richard O’Brien reveals some of these references in the opening song “Science Fiction/Double Feature” as a disembodied voice sings, “And Flash Gordon was there / In silver underwear / Claude Rains was The Invisible Man.” To better understand the inspiration for Rocky Horror’s plot line, characters, and cultural references, check out classic horror films like Nosferatu or It Came From Outer Space. 

The Music

The film’s soundtrack is glam-rock inspired and always invites the viewer to dance or sing along. The songs vary from “Over at the Frankenstein Place,” a soft duet with funky guitar riffs, to “Sweet Transvestite,” a sassy, sexual, brass-filled ballad. The music is filled with gentle piano melodies and ensemble harmonies. The lyrics vary from being absurdly funny like—“Now the only thing I’ve come to trust / Is an orgasmic rush of lust”—to profound sentiments like—“Don’t Dream it—Be it.” Like any great album, the soundtrack takes time to grow on its listener, so I suggest playing it before watching the film in order to become better acquainted with the musical numbers. A couple of my favourites are “Hot Patootie” and “Rose Tint My World.” 

The Experience 

What might be the best way to first experience Rocky Horror is by going to a live shadow cast show. As a small cast acts out the story in front of the film projection, Rocky Horror becomes a parody of a parody. At the shows I’ve been to, the shadow cast even exaggerates and over-sexualizes some of the more racy scenes. The audience, dressed in costumes mimicking the characters, is even more lively than the actors­. They shout perfectly-timed jokes, squirt water guns, and toss rolls of toilet paper upon hearing, “Great Scott!” It’s the best place to get your freak on among an audience of people that are there to have a good time, laugh, and enjoy the show. 

If you still don’t have any plans for Halloween, I suggest finding a party hat and bringing a few slices of toast—another of the many audience participation props—to Montreal’s annual shadow cast screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. 

Fans return for the Rocky Horror Picture Show at Cinema Imperial. (rockyhorror.com)
Fans return for the Rocky Horror Picture Show at Cinema Imperial. (rockyhorror.com)

 

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is playing Oct. 28, 29, and 31 at Cinema Imperial. Tickets can be bought in advance for $17.95 or at the door for $19.95. More details can be found at rockyhorrormontreal.

Laughing Matters, Opinion

McGill’s crumbling brick met with nerves of steel

by Grey Gunning on

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While slogging through the mire of midterm season, it is beneficial to stop and give thanks for our many blessings. As students walk past the rickety scaffolding that soars above campus this Fall, they should give thanks for the most generous gift our university has given us: Our buildings. According to a Quebec government analysis of the province’s universities, 73 per cent of McGill’s buildings are in poor or very poor condition—the worst rating in the province. Considering the estimated $1 billion cost renovations would entail, it is unlikely McGill will be able to address the problems anytime soon. However, by neglecting its buildings, McGill is giving its students an invaluable learning experience. The students that escape university alive will have nerves of steel, tempered by the flames of four years cavorting around in buildings that have walls propped up with plywood, according to the CBC. Yes, plywood.

Could any student, after having faced the dismal lattice of metal that supports the Law Building, possibly fear the job market? Finding a position in a saturated field is nothing compared to the terror that grips the heart of anyone who steps foot in a McGill bathroom. Some stalls have no doors. Others look suspiciously similar to a rest stop one would encounter along a highway.

Finding a position in a saturated field is nothing compared to the terror that grips the heart of anyone who steps foot in a McGill bathroom.

This fear forces students to build crucial skills. The possibility of actual death ensures that only the strongest McGill students survive. If a student doesn’t flatline under the asbestos-hiding ceiling tiles of the Stewart Biology Building, they still must face the makeshift stairs outside the Brown Building. They must then pass the crumbling façade of the Strathcona Dentistry Building, which seems capable of shedding debris at any time. Even if they make it off campus, they can still just fall into a pothole on Sherbrooke. It is a miracle anyone can handle this nightmarish obstacle course—and yet McGill students do. This ‘survival of the fittest’ lifestyle opens any number of new career possibilities. McGill students are among the most qualified university graduates to pursue base jumping, storm chasing, or anything to do with abandoned mine shafts. In today’s economy, every skill counts.

I, too, have personally witnessed this unique form of education. When the pipes at the MORE residence I lived in last year burst, none of its inhabitants seemed fazed. I remember one of my housemates walking nonchalantly into the flooded kitchen, placing a small bowl under one of the ceiling's many drips, and sitting down to do his class readings. This is the kind of attitude that McGill’s buildings foster in its students—one of resilience and resignation.

This midterm season, it’s time to praise the unsung hero: McGill. In its limited budget and consequent inability to fix any of its buildings, the university has prepared its students for their darkest hours. The constantly shifting network of scaffolding numbs us to change and brings us face-to-face with danger. We are equipped to handle the worst, from the pitfalls of the workplace to the collapse our campus as we know it.

 

 

Grey Gunning is a U2 History major and occasional artist. She enjoys climbing, gardening, and cheesy 80's sci fi.

 

 

Art, Arts & Entertainment

Aqua Khoria: A Symphony of Liquid Movement

by Michaela Jones on

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The ocean swells and roaring waves engulf the misty surroundings. Amidst this stormy seascape, a dancer bursts into frantic movement. His fragmented gestures transform as the audience becomes submerged beneath the water, and mirrors the setting’s fluid  aesthetic. With movement as the joint operator, Aqua Khoria poetically combines dance, music, sound, and environment to venture into a new realm of immersive creation. 

The show stars and is created by critically acclaimed contemporary choreographer and dancer, Peter Trosztmer, in collaboration with renowned composer and music-digital artist, Zack Settel. Their project, Aqua Khoria, is produced by two of Montreal’s leading figures in the contemporary dance scene—Tangente and Danse-Cité. Both companies champion risk-taking, collaboration, and inventiveness—all of which are embodied in the experimental nature of Aqua Khoria.

Trosztmer and Settel’s production program describes the show as “virtual sound bodies set in motion” within a “water-bound road trip, spanning the broad, the deep, the familiar, and the strange.” The following 50 minutes revealed the creators’ description was quite literal. Staged at the Satosphere, Société des Arts Technologiques (SAT)’s immersive dome theatre that forms a 360-degree spherical projection screen, the production exhibits a virtual liquid environment. 

Settel’s animated seascape is projected onto the immense Satosphere theatre screens. The sounds of ripples and waves echo through surrounding speakers. Trosztmer holds sensors, which control the virtual world, enabling his movement to transport the audience through Settel’s creation. Trosztmer becomes the conductor of an audio-visual symphony as his gestures simultaneously summon waves and submerge the audience deeper beneath the ocean to discover sea creatures, shipwrecks, and caves. Consequently, Trosztmer and Settel consider their project as “a huge musical instrument.”

Additionally, Trosztmer dances on a basin of water that serves as a stage in the centre of the dome. As the water begins to ripple in response to his dancing, Trosztmer becomes dripping wet and visually marked by the show’s motif. His movement stimulates the auditory senses with splashes of real water. His performance reaches a dramatic peak as he stands in the centre of the water basin, while a virtual cave is projected on the screens. Water begins to drip with increasing pressure from the centre of the Stratosphere’s ceiling. Trosztmer is showered in water as a spotlight cuts in and out, emphasizing a series of tableaus. The images created are visually striking and leave the audience with powerful impressions of a body yearning for something.

Trosztmer and Settel’s artist statement gestures to a variety of possible meanings. The show could be representative of the great unknowns of the world and the subconscious. It could also be viewed as a deconstruction of reality as the performer dances amidst physical and virtual representations of water. The message of Trosztmer and Settel’s production is ambiguous, and alongside the abstract nature of the performance, it encourages spectators to draw their own meaning from the surreal seascape of Aqua Khoria. Whatever the creative duo’s metaphorical vision may be, Aqua Khoria dances on the threshold of the virtual and the real world, venturing towards a new poetic dimension of both contemporary dance and audio-visual creation. 

Aqua Khoria has closed. Tangente’s next production, Fervid Bodies, will run from Nov. 3-5 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 6 at 4 p.m. at Monument National, 1182 Saint-Laurent. For more information visit tangente.qc.ca. 

Editorial, Opinion

In support of free menstrual hygiene products on campus

by McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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At the most recent Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) legislative council meeting on Oct. 13, SSMU President Ben Ger put forward a motion that would—if passed in the upcoming Fall 2016 referendum—have SSMU adopt a Free Menstrual Hygiene Products Policy. The policy would create a $0.90 per semester fee to fund the purchase and distribution of free menstrual hygiene products–such as tampons and pads, to the student body.

The motion rightly acknowledges that SSMU’s obligation to provide menstrual products to students stems from its commitment in its Equity Policy to “leadership in matters concerning the wellbeing of marginalized groups.” 

Current difficulties in obtaining menstrual products on campus can be a significant source of unnecessary anxiety, especially if a menstruating student needs to find such a product unexpectedly before a class or an examination. Presently, such feminine hygiene products are available for purchase at the Arts Undergraduate Society’s SNAX, and in limited and expensive bathroom vendors. 

Menstrual products are an additional expense that female students incur every month for a necessary item. The Motion Regarding the Free Menstrual Hygiene Products Policy would create a more equitable campus for female students by relieving the anxiety and financial barriers currently associated with accessing these products.

 

 

 

 

Whether or not students are personally affected by the provision of free menstrual hygiene products, this motion stands to benefit the entire student body.

The adoption of such a policy at a university like McGill is also an important symbolic move, advocating for the rights of women in education. Education has historically been an area where women have faced discrimination—women were barred from attending McGill until 1884. Menstruation in particular continues to prove a significant barrier to women’s education around the world, as lack of access to proper menstrual hygiene products and stigmatization can discourage girls from attending school. By embracing this policy, SSMU would be taking a step in acknowledging the discrimination women who menstruate often face in education, and the way in which menstruation can impede equal access to education.

In keeping with its symbolic significance, the motion also communicates the importance of this issue to the McGill administration. In fact, the motion calls for SSMU to renew the policy “until McGill, or the Municipal, Provincial, or Federal Government recognize that these products must be classified as Necessary Goods and pass a subsidy program to eliminate their cost and/or supply them publicly.” 

In providing menstrual hygiene products, both SSMU and McGill must make these products accessible to transgender members of the McGill community. While the current motion proposes to provide menstrual hygiene products in gender-neutral bathrooms and at Healthy McGill kiosks, the McGill administration can go even further. Following the example of schools such as Brown University, McGill should provide menstrual products in women’s, men’s, and gender-inclusive bathrooms across campus. 

Providing free menstrual hygiene products is a simple step that can normalize menstruation, communicate that menstruating students are welcome on campus, and reduce the chance that a student would have to remove themselves from their learning environment in order to find a pad or tampon. Whether or not students are personally affected by the provision of free menstrual hygiene products, this motion stands to benefit the entire student body. The motion is not just about women—it is about creating a fairer and more equal university community, where no students are subject to barriers which prevent them from reaching their full potential. All students benefit from being in an environment that minimizes any potential barriers that prevent students from being fully engaged in their post-secondary education. Furthermore, the cost of this improved university community comes at a mere $0.90 per student per semester. This cost is minimal when considered in comparison to other regular expenses students incur on campus for items such as coffee or samosas.

The Motion Regarding the Free Menstrual Hygiene Products Policy will benefit cisgender women and all menstruating people on campus, and is valuable in its advocacy role as a means to encourage further change. McGill students would be making an essential statement by voting in favour of it in the upcoming Fall referendum.

 

 

 

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