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Hockey, Know Your Athlete, Martlets, Sports

Know Your Athlete: Olivia Sutter

by Nicole Spadotto on

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Olivia Sutter stands only 5’2” tall, yet she approaches life with the same large breadth of ambition that characterizes her style of play on the ice with the Martlets hockey team. Winter 2016 marks the end of her third year at McGill and her 20-year hockey career. Sutter graduates in December, a mere semester away, after which she hopes to attend law school. The culmination of Sutter’s undergraduate studies and varsity athletics has left her in a reflective and humbled mood.

“It would be easy to say that my highlight [at McGill] would be winning Nationals [in 2014],” Sutter reflected. “Playing on that team is something I’ll never forget […] but overall, I think the best memory is any moment off the ice that I can spend with my teammates. To be able to get to know each one individually has brought so much joy and happiness to my life.”

Sutter’s drive for excellence and her constant humility has placed her on a unique hockey career trajectory. At age 18, with her “eye set on staying in Canada,” Sutter was recruited to Carleton University in Ottawa on a scholarship, where she played for a year before determining the school wasn’t the right fit for her. Ultimately, she elected to return home to Alberta for a period of personal growth and a stint with the Calgary Inferno in the CWHL, Canada’s professional women’s league.

“I really liked my overall experience [at Carleton],” Sutter said. “First year university was a learning curve, and Carleton was a good stepping stone during that time period. But my decision to return home and play CWHL also [helped me grow] as a person.”

This growth prompted Sutter to return to school when she was 21, choosing to pursue a double major in World Religion and Political Science at McGill. On top of her demanding coursework, Sutter learned to balance playing on the hockey team, being president of varsity council, partaking in various volunteer activities including Right to Play, the Alouettes Foundation for Leucan, and Best Buddies, and spearheading a sexual assault awareness campaign on campus.

“[My years in Alberta after Carleton] really helped my experience here at McGill,” Sutter said. “[The maturity I gained] allowed me to pursue a lot of stuff that I probably wouldn’t have if I came here when I was 18 [….] My goal [at McGill] was more on behalf of getting Athletics more involved in the Montreal community. Being a student-athlete, you are a leader and an advocate in your community.”

Sutter’s commitment to community outreach and her pride in being a Martlet has resulted in a slew of awards over the past year. Sutter won RSEQ honours for the Leadership and Citizenship Award, was nominated for the prestigious CIS Marion Hilliard Award for excellence in hockey, academics, and community service, and is nominated for the McGill Athletics Muriel Roscoe Trophy for leadership and excellence. She is also a fixture on the Student-Athlete honour roll and has merited Academic All-Canadian honours. It’s clear, however, that the awards are merely an ancillary benefit to the satisfaction linked to making a difference, which Sutter hopes she has done at McGill and in the larger Montreal area.

“It’s obviously an honour to be recognized for anything you do,” Sutter said. “Pursuing both sport and education is huge and should […] be an example to the younger generation.”

Ultimately, Sutter’s greatest pride is not in her many accolades, but in acting as a leader in her community, and helping other student-athletes follow their dreams.

“The biggest award is when I see athletes from all different sports and backgrounds get together and have a common goal to give back to the community for allowing us to be able to pursue our goals.”

McGill Tribune (MT):  Popcorn or chips?

Olivia Sutter (OS): What kind of chips? And what kind of popcorn? Is it Chicago Mix?

MT: It can be Chicago Mix.

OS: Okay, then it’s popcorn, Chicago Mix [laughs].

MT: Running or yoga?

OS: Probably running.

MT: Plateau or McGill Ghetto?

OS: I’ve lived in both. I’m torn. I actually can’t…50-50.

MT: Are you a Lorelei or a Rory from Gilmore Girls?

OS: Probably a Rory.

MT: Toronto Maple Leafs or Montreal Canadiens?

OS: Oh my…Montreal Canadiens. Is that even a real question? [laughs]

Joke

Students discovered in suspended animation under melting snowbanks

by Daniel Galef on

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When April arrives with its sweet showers to herald spring and the end of the term, and the giant snowbanks that have dwarfed all other campus structures for the past six months finally begin to melt, what was once hidden shall be revealed. We meet again our old friends the benches and abandoned bicycles of yesteryear, and, like always, the students that were buried by snow and have been trapped in suspended animation since the Fall.

One such student, part of the growing epidemic which Service Point has dubbed “a nightmare in terms of paperwork, and also pretty existentially horrifying, too,” was discovered in the Caryatid Fountain when the protective covering was removed in preparation for Spring OAP, perfectly preserved under a sheet of ice, flat beer, and unidentifiable bodily fluids.

“I can’t even begin to imagine how this happened,” laments the student, who has redacted his name for reasons of anonymity, but is reportedly the identical twin brother of a high-ranking Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) executive. “I swear I was just at Gert’s, imbibing my body weight in vodka, tequila, and actual automotive antifreeze, when I decided to run outside and fall asleep in a pool full of water while I waited for night to fall so it would be cold enough for skating.” This mystery is not likely to be solved anytime soon.

This being Montreal, however, there are some snowbanks which have remained unmelted through the last summer and then some. In many places around town and around campus, the mounds are of such massive size that they survive every year to be replenished again with the new snow. For them, it is only this March that, due to construction plans and an advanced new form of synthetic rock salt brewed up in the laboratories of McConnell Engineering, they have finally been shifted.

And it is under these ancient hills that the truly shocking discoveries have been made. Hapless students are being uncovered in the icemelt that have been trapped beneath for 10, 20, even 50 years. Professor Anthony Rogers with the McGill Department of History and Climate Studies explains the crisis: “We do our best to help these students adjust to life in the 21st century, but there’s only so much we can do to ease the transition of a lost soul from the 1980s into the bizarre modern landscape of social struggle, economic fluctuation, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,” Rogers explained.

One of the issues presented by the newcomers is how to deal with their academic standing. “I see no worldly reason why I should not be perfectly able to continue my studies and graduate this Michaelmas term with my degree in Telegraphy,” asserts Jameson Ötzi (1867–1888 & 2016–present).

Upon examination of Mr. Ötzi’s student records (unearthed from the dusty archives beneath the James Administration Building, where the file has been serving as a doorstop for the past 75 years), it was discovered that he has indeed completed his major requirements, but the university no longer offers his degree.

“The program was never discontinued,” Rogers explained. “Its description and requirements have changed over time. In 1927, it was changed to the electronics and broadcasting technical studies program, then later on to electrical systems and circuitry for telecommunications, and, over the years, became what is now a degree in electrical engineering. That said, the administration feels that it might be imprudent to award Mr. Ötzi a 2016 electrical engineering degree based solely on his admittedly proficient knowledge of Morse code.”

Other students in similar situations are currently in the ICU of the Montreal General Hospital (MGH) being attended to by hot tea, thermal blankets, and several dozen personal electric hairdriers. They have pending applications for degrees in Natural Philosophy, Alchemy, and Fire-Making (frankly, considering that the school was only founded in 1821, some of these are a bit surprising regardless). Furthermore, at least two dozen students displaced from the mid-19th century are petitioning the administration for completion of the popular “Imperialism” minor.

Students continuing from courses in the Faculty of Arts are expected to graduate without issue.

*This article is a work of satire and a part of our joke issue*

Science & Technology

Say hello to the chickensaurus

by Charlotte Hings on

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Instead of building a time machine to travel back to prehistoric times, scientists might be able to engineer dinosaurs out of chickens to live in our own backyards. In a study published this past January in the Journal of Organic Evolution, researchers were able to genetically modify chicken embryo legs to resemble that of tetrapod dinosaurs—specifically the Archaeopteryx and the Pygostylia—the ancestors of modern birds. 

Archaeopteryx and Pygostylia—and many other dinosaurs—were already thought to have strongly resembled birds, and even had feathers. Modern bird legs are composed of two bones, side-by-side, the tibia and the fibula. The fibula of a modern bird is about two-thirds the length of the tibia, whereas in tetrapod legs, both bones are the same length. This discrepancy in bone length, the researchers believed, was primarily due to a negative feedback loop caused by interactions between proteins from Indian hedgehog (IHH) and Parathyroid hormone-related (PTHrP) families. This would ultimately lead to a shortened fibula.

“The secreted protein Indian hedgehog (IHH), [plays] an important role in [bone formation],” the paper explains. “IHH also stimulates the production of Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) [which hinders] the production of IHH. This function controls the differentiation of cartilage producing cells in the growth plate of the bone, and eventually stops the growth of the fibula when it is very short.”

However, reduced growth of the fibula is only part of the reason for the discrepancy. The researchers also suggest that the detached epiphysis (growth plate) contributes to a shorter fibula. 

“The earliest birds to show fibular reduction have a splinter-like distal end […] suggesting disruption of the growth plate,” the paper reads.

In order to create this larger fibula in the chicken embryos, the IHH protein was inhibited by injecting a solution containing Cyclopamine—an inhibitor of the IHH signaling pathway—into the amniotic cavity of the embryos. This would then stop the negative feedback cycle.

The paper explains that in tetrapod dinosaur embryos, ossification (cartilage hardening into bone) occurred much later than it does in modern bird embryos. Cyclopamine also delays the solidification of cartilage cells and keeps the growth plate attached to the fibula, meaning that the bones are growing for a greater period of time, allowing them to be longer.

While just a small change, the inhibition of one protein can reverse millions of years worth of evolutionary changes. In a previous study, published last April in the Journal of Organic Evolution, researchers reverted the beaks of modern day bird embryos to their ancestral palate. Although none of the birds in either of these studies reached the hatching phase, the studies demonstrate the increasing capacity of scientists to reverse the complicated processes of evolution, which—who knows—may eventually result in a real-life Jurassic Park.

Student Life

Annual Sexual Assault Awareness Week discusses sexual violence through intersectional lens

by Alanna Sokic on

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Bringing awareness to sexual violence has traditionally proven to be a difficult task, but it is one that the Sexual Assault Centre of the McGill Students’ Society (SACOMSS) is once again ready to undertake.

For many years, the volunteer-run organization has been committed to supporting survivors of sexual assault through many initiatives, including the ongoing Sexual Assault Awareness Week. From March 29 to April 1, SACOMSS is hosting speakers, workshops, and information sessions aimed at raising awareness about issues revolving around sexual assault in the McGill context, as well as in surrounding communities.

Talia Gruber and Jean Murray, SACOMSS special projects coordinators, noted that the nature of sexual assault and gender-based violence can make it so that students feel uncomfortable expressing interest in learning more. Though SACOMSS has made a big push to table various events on campus and engage individuals through open libraries, essentially an informal question and answer period, Murray still claims visibility proves to be one of SACOMSS’ biggest challenges.

“It’s hard getting people to come to things, even if they are basic, intro-level, ‘let’s just talk about this, maybe you have some questions’ sort of things,” Murray explained.

Throughout the week, the organization hopes to offer support and visibility for those who may not be given space within mainstream sexual assault awareness organizations.

“Considering that the movement to end sexual violence—the mainstream movement—has been largely white, cis-gendered women, which is not at all the priority or should not be the priority of a mainstream sexual violence movement, I think that SACOMSS is trying at least to do a really good job of reflecting the real impact of sexual violence and who it affects,” Gruber said.

Included in this year’s Sexual Assault Awareness Week is a mix of casual events such as the aforementioned open library, as well as closed events aimed at specific populations who are disproportionately affected by sexual violence.

Widening the scope and trying to focus on the populations who are most directly affected by sexual violence, such as women of colour, is an important tenet of SACOMSS’ mission and part of the organization's aim to expand their events beyond ‘Sexual Assault 101’.

 

“I think people get tired of the cycle of something happens, there’s outrage, people forget about it, people move on, then there’s another event, more outrage. I think people forget that this is something that is constantly affecting people and it’s […] insidious.”

The Week closes with the annual Fire With Water show—an art exhibit and performance evening with the goal of allowing for artistic responses to sexual violence, gender-based violence, survivorship, and their intersecting themes.

In an interview with CTV Montreal, Karine Raynor, curator of the RBC Art and Heritage Centre at the McGill University Health Centre, noted that art can have a remedial function.

“Art has the potential to bring us into the present moment which we don't do a lot when we're ill or when we're with people that are very ill, because we're thinking about the future and we kind of get wrapped up in our thoughts,” Raynor stated.

The healing power of art for survivors of sexual assault is not lost on Gruber and Murray, who both acknowledged the importance of art as a curative outlet. As such, there is a workshop included in the schedule for the week titled “In Rhyme, In Time” that is geared towards writing poetry and spoken word as remedial tools.

Another idea Gruber and Murray, both involved with SACOMSS for four and five years respectively, acknowledged is the evolving nature of SACOMSS’ initiatives alongside the changing world of feminism.

“SACOMSS is a feminist organization, so what we’re prioritizing and valuing and putting into our events is changing as feminism is changing,” Murray explained. “Obviously intersectionality has always been important, but I think we’re certainly seeing it become more and more important in the feminist movement and in response to sexual violence. I would say as feminism grows and changes, so, too, do we.”

While the recent Jian Ghomeshi ruling is sure to provide a catalyst for the week’s events, Gruber and Murray both hope that the week gives survivors and allies the space and opportunity to do what they feel is important; to reflect the real impact of sexual violence and who it affects.

“I would like to demonstrate that this is still a relevant and ongoing conversation,” Murray said. “I think people get tired of the cycle of something happens, there’s outrage, people forget about it, people move on, then there’s another event, more outrage. I think people forget that this is something that is constantly affecting people and it’s […] insidious.”

Though both McGill as an institution and the wider societal contexts could do much more sexual assault advocacy, SACOMSS’ annual Sexual Assault Awareness Week is doing well to give communities disproportionately affected by sexual violence the funding and space to make a space for themselves—a mission certainly worth supporting.

Duo Nouveau MUPPS
Art, Arts & Entertainment

The McGill University Photography Students’ Society’s Retrospective in retrospect

by Tamara Yang on

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The McGill University Photography Students’ Society (MUPSS) celebrated their first annual exhibit last Wednesday entitled Retrospective. Featuring the work of McGill students in both film and digital prints, Retrospective was well-attended and met with high praise from both the McGill community and the general public.

The exhibit itself was low-key—the majority of photos did not exceed 8” by 10” dimensions. Held at Shape Gallery on Boulevard Saint-Laurent, visitors removed their coats and shoes after escaping the snowy street outside. The small size of the prints, paired with chipped floors and tattered walls, created a cozy and welcoming atmosphere. Soft melodies from the Montreal band Duo Nouveau played in the background, and the entire collection was held in a single room.

Focusing on the simplicities of life, the subjects of the photos were mostly everyday objects, ordinary people, and nature. Retrospective was the perfect name for the exhibit, and it set the mood for the entire collection. Perhaps the best representation of this would be Roald Teffries’ twin pieces, “Mirror” and “Miroir,” depicting two convex mirrors from different perspectives. At first glance, they appear to be plain and could easily be passed over without further inspection; however, Retrospective is about pausing to reflect on the little things in life and considering how we perceive things—even two plain mirrors.

Joseph Dahdah’s “Untitled” focuses on an elderly man on the metro, squatting and looking at his phone. In the foreground is the fuzzy outline of another person, hands clasped around a duffel bag. Dahdah’s second print, also “Untitled,” is in black and white, of a man in sneakers and dark jeans reading a newspaper while crouching on a box. To the side are stacks of more newspapers, presumably from where the subject acquired the one in his hands. Dahdah’s work encapsulates the idea of finding wonder in everyday moments, and in the scenes we pass by every day and would appreciate, if only we had stopped to look in the first place.

Retrospective, at times, felt like a jump to the past. “Armored” by Scott Cope depicts a march of uniformed police, but a shutter malfunction caused the top half of the photo to be blurred black. The dystopian scene is suddenly transformed by the blur, mimicking the haze of tear gas that protesters may face. Jules Tomi’s “Noam Chomsky was traumatized by the Soviet Union” shows a man looking on into the crowd while holding up part of a large sign on a stick. The picture feels dated, leaving the viewer questioning when the photo was taken. “Armored” and “Chomsky” work well together, capturing a protest from two opposing perspectives.  Another piece, “A Father’s Work” by Sally Han, simply portrays hands pouring sauce into a jug, but the achromatic colouring gives the impression that the photo was taken decades ago. Perhaps the “retro” portion of Retrospective is ambiguity in time.

The modesty and humility of the collection convey a sense of honesty that connects with the viewer through relatable depictions of the simplest of acts: Pouring something into a jar, or looking at one’s cellphone on the metro. The way Retrospective was structured conveys a sense of familiarity even with the pictures of “grander” subjects, like protestors or mountain climbers. This was aided by the soft lines and colouring that together achieve an intimate effect. Retrospective tells viewers to stop, reflect and focus on the small details of life that give unexpected joy. Retrospective was enjoyable, but not incredibly memorable. The humble gallery and small prints could have used larger, attention-grabbing ones as an anchor, for larger impact. But for MUPSS’ first exhibit ever, it was a job well done.

McGill University Arts Building
Joke

McGill to divest from the colour red

by Oy G. Biv on

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In the latest divisive Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) motion debated at yesterday’s Mid-Term-Crisis General Assembly (GA), 87 per cent of students decided to part ways with the iconic McGill red. SSMU is now mandated to lobby the McGill Board of Governors to divest from and boycott all things red, which will necessitate a comprehensive rebranding strategy to remove all traces of the colour from McGill buildings, websites, and logos. 

“This call for BDR (Boycott and Divest from Red) states that such campaigns are to remain in place until McGill meets its obligation to create a stress-free, environment for students, and to recognize the colour wheel’s inalienable right to self-determination,” the motion read. 

SSMU will effective immediately be removing all traces of the colour from its property, with minor renovations and repainting at Gerts Bar to force the cancellation of Sangria Wednesday this week.

“It’s a small price to pay for the huge step forward we’re making with this decision,” explained SSMU President Karl Abraham to disheartened students.

Gerts’ red sangria will likely not survive the cut. 

The “Yes” group consistently expressed concern regarding the stressful nature of the colour: It reminds students too closely of the red X’s written on their fifth grade long division tests, and the red F’s on midterms handed back during McGill’s neverending midterm period. It brings to mind only the judgemental negativity of the red squiggly lines in Microsoft Word, which incidentally still fail to grasp the correct spelling of “colour.” The colour has now become inseparable from the red notification bubble that pops up on myCourses, which continues to shatter dreams of attending Harvard Law and working alongside Harvey Specter. 

The “Yes” group advocates renaming the “McGill Redmen” the “McGill Men,” to help the process along. It argues that “Redmen” was “a stupid name anyways.” The martlet on McGill’s logos will also have to go, with various suggestions for its replacement including Rainbow Fish, a tropical parrot, or alternatively, just a blank white space. Consequently, the “McGill Martlets” will no longer be a suitable name choice, with rumours circulating that the Martlets will soon be unveiled as the “McGill Floodgirls,” to remind student athletes of the fearlessness and bravery demonstrated by McGill’s most courageous student.

In a surprising turn of events, McGill Principal Jo-Anne Fournier expressed her relief at the passage of the motion, and praised students for the courage and solidarity they have shown throughout this hard time. 

“This really speaks to the kind of innovative problem-solving unique to McGill students,” Fournier explained in a congratulatory email to the McGill community. “Things have been really tough lately, with austerity cuts and all, but I’m so excited to be involved in this ground-breaking journey towards a stress-free school.” 

It is estimated that boycotting red will reduce campus mental health services expenses by at least 50 per cent.

In an exclusive interview with the Tribune, a weary Fournier also admitted that she didn’t even like McGill red that much. 

“Quite frankly, it will be nice to be able to shake things up a bit,” Fournier said. “I’m more of a lavender person anyways.” 

The Colour-Blind Students’ Network expressed its support for the movement, stating that McGill’s overuse of red in its branding is oppressive and discriminatory towards the full colour spectrum. Red comes in many shades, and promoting fire-engine-red as the only socially accepted norm is unacceptable. 

“Just because society has institutionalized red as a primary colour, doesn’t mean McGill can overlook the struggles of under-appreciated colours, like mauve.” Vice-President (VP) Paintbrushes, Mandy Warhol, explained.

The McGill Teetotalers Club also officially endorsed the movement, as red is too closely associated with the ubiquitous red solo cup. 

“Frankly, the red solo cup promotes wastefulness,” Jane Simpleton, U0, complained. “Beer pong is a waste of plastic, a waste of time, and a waste of an education.” 

The club’s office has since reportedly been the victim of several acts of vandalism and harassment, including drunk streakers; graffiti reading, “red solo cup, I fill you up;” and receiving excessive free promotional gear from Molson Canadian.

The “No” group remains disappointed with the decision, reiterating that divestment will only serve to “marginalize Canadians on campus, and make them feel ashamed of their nationality and their maple leaves.” Many of its supporters reportedly swore to move to Laval after yesterday’s decision.

*This article is a work of satire and a part of our joke issue*

News, SSMU

SSMU Council releases statement in favour of divestment

by April Barrett on

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At its March 24 meeting, Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Council discussed the McGill Board of Governors’ (BoG) recent decision not to divest from the fossil fuel industry, and passed two motions: For SSMU to officially stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter Toronto and an official policy on indigenous solidarity. 

 

Response to BoG’s decision not to divest

SSMU Council released a statement in favour of divestment, countering the decision of McGill’s BoG not to divest from  the university’s holdings in fossil fuel industries.  The BoG based its decision upon the report written by the Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR), releasing their decision in a special meeting on March 23. The report stated that CAMSR does not believe significant social injury had occurred by investment in fossil fuels, which Vice-President (VP) External Emily Boytinck singled out as a particular flaw. 

“I think that this is shameful,” said Boytinck. “How dare they say the impact is not grave? They should speak with the 150,000 people who die every year due to climate change.  They should speak with the indigenous communities who are the first people affected by this issue.” 

Boytinck also addressed concerns over security at the BoG meeting directed at students attending as representatives from Divest McGill.

“Divest McGill has been present at every single board meeting this year,” Boytinck said. “It was the first time we were escorted up in James administration by security. It was a huge slap in the face for a committee who has repeatedly called us a partner. I was disappointed and shocked by the way the [BoG] treated students at that meeting.” 

Boytinck highlighted the lack of transparency in the decision-making process, as none of the CAMSR meetings on the matter were open to the public, and no information is available on the experts with whom CAMSR consulted.

“SSMU will continue to work with Divest McGill to find a way for this question to be brought back to the Board of Governors in an open and consultative manner,” Boytinck said.

 

Solidarity with Black Lives Matter Toronto

Council passed a motion brought forward by the Black Students’ Network (BSN) for SSMU to officially support the Black Lives Matter Toronto organization, following their recently-released statement of solidarity calling on community organizations, labour representatives, individuals and the broader global community to protest against police brutality. The statement demands the release of the names of the officers who shot and killed Andre Loku, a 45-year-old father of five last July.  Protestors are also for charges to be laid against the officers since they have been cleared of any liability. 

VP Internal Omar El-Sharaway brought forward the concern that the motion might be viewed as divisive, quoting the results of a student experience survey which revealed that students would prefer SSMU to be “less political and more fun.”

Boytinck cited the importance of SSMU taking a stance on this issue, given its connection to McGill students. 

“This directly affects students at McGill,” Boytinck said.  “What we consider to be a student issue and not to be a student issue, is in and of itself a political choice.”

VP University Affairs Chloe Rourke added her agreement to Boytinck’s response. 

“I take issue with some of the claims that SSMU should be less political,” Rourke said. “It’s important to quantify and qualify what you mean by that.  Student unions have historically played a role in human rights movements across the world. Remaining neutral is also very much a political choice.” 

 

Policy on Indigenous Solidarity 

Council approved a motion to adopt a policy on Indigenous Solidarity, drafted by Indigenous Affairs Coordinator, Leslie Anne St. Amour, following consultation with various indigenous student groups, staff, and faculty members. 

“The policy covers many areas, particularly focusing on how SSMU can better support McGill’s Indigenous students, as well as lobbying the university to hire more indigenous staff and faculty, and increase indigenous course content,”  St. Amour explained.

St. Amour addressed the lack of physical spaces on campus for indigenous student groups as one area SSMU can work to improve upon through this policy. 

“There is only one space on campus which allows for [the cleansing ceremony of] smudging, First Peoples House, and it is not a great space  for holding large events,” St. Amour said.

The policy also obliges the office of the VP External to reach out to indigenous communities at the beginning of the academic year, and continuously throughout the year as relevant issues arise. 

Joke

Student crashes Minerva by accidently completing course evaluation

by Sir Aldous Washington III on

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Like every other student, I thought Minerva was supposedly going to be unavailable from Friday April 1 to Tuesday April 5 because of a technical upgrade; however, I was still a bit skeptical about this official reason. Yesterday confirmed my thoughts.

I had received a call in the early afternoon from a blocked number. Since I thought it was my friend prank-calling me, I decided to answer. But from the moment I heard this voice, I knew this was no prank call. I had never heard someone who  seemed as frightened as this.. The caller, who claimed to be a current McGill student and shall be called Mr. X for reasons pertaining to anonymity, asked me with a shaky voice if I could print the truth on Minerva’s system crash. Since he was not willing to speak on the phone as he thought our phones might be tapped, I asked him where we could meet. He told me to meet him at his flat in the ghetto. I checked the weather, not knowing whether the last day of March was going to be snowy, rainy, sunny, hot or cold. Unfortunately, the weather had me put my coat and my winter boots.

After steering clear of vomit puddles and shattered beer bottles, I finally arrived to his door and rang. I waited a long time, and finally heard some footsteps. He opened the door wide enough for me too see one eye and asked me if someone had followed me. I told him that I had taken precaution.

Hesitating for a couple seconds, Mr. X invited me inside. He immediately blurted everything out.

 “I accidentally completed a course evaluation,” he said. “I got drunk last night and I remember that I was texting my ex to try to get her back. I blacked out after and I woke up with my phone showing Minerva’s message to thank me for completing my course evaluation!”

He explained to me that completing this one evaluation probably overflowed Minerva’s system, which was not prepared to get so much information.

Understanding the gravity of the situation, I asked Mr. X if he could remember additional information. He took some time to think, and he got a panic attack. 

“I think I even left some additional written comments,” he said.

 At this moment, I knew his time at McGill was over. If people were to identify him, he would become the butt of everyone’s jokes.

I called up McGill’s witness protection program (McWitSec) and asked them if they were willing to cooperate with Mr. X’s transfer to Concordia under a new identity. McWitSec told me they could only help under one condition: Mr. X had to complete his four other evaluations, this time on paper, so that McGill’s administration could finally work with student reviews.

Mr. X did not want to relive this traumatic experience. I tried to convince him but ultimately failed. He slowly breathed in and out, and told me he was going to leave for the Bahamas to finally be at peace with himself. I wished him good luck, and left the apartment. I walked up a bit and heard my name.

“Wait,”he said. “I’m going to take the deal.”

Mr. X completed his course evaluations and arranged his transfer to Concordia. He moved out from the ghetto and now turns off his router every time he goes out to drink.

Minerva is now on maintenance until April 5, and from a trustworthy source, the administration is upgrading the system to allow up to 10 course evaluations.

*This article is a work of satire and a part of our joke issue*

Hockey, Martlets, Men's Varsity, Sports

Blast from the Past: Hockey at McGill

by Jenna Stanwood on

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Hockey, like most modern sports, evolved over time as players combined various sports, including field hockey, lacrosse, and games from the British Isles such as shinty and shinny, and adapted them for the long Canadian winter. McGill students played a pivotal role in creating the game we know and love today, according to McGill Athletics Sports Information Officer Earl Zukerman.

“The game evolved, it wasn’t invented overnight, so […] when you’re making a statement about the beginning of a game or the origins of the game, we all have to be talking about the same thing,” Zukerman  explained. “I like to call it organized hockey. Once you have organized hockey, you have rules that are specific to that sport and differentiate it from another sport. Also, organized hockey implies that you have a referee to enforce the rules and that [… all players] agree on the same rules.”

In 1875, the first game of organized hockey was played at the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal, a structure which has since become the parking garage in front of the current Bell Centre.

“The first indoor game that we know of that involved rules and referees and a type of puck was the 1875 game played in Montreal […]” Zukerman said. “Not all the players were McGill students, but a number of them were. There was one fellow in particular, [James Creighton], who came to Montreal from Dalhousie, and he is considered by most historians to be the father of hockey.”

Moving hockey inside sparked major changes in gameplay, and the dimensions of Victoria Rink would even become the basis for today’s standard rink measurements.

“When the game was moved indoors, now you had to place a limit on how many players could play,” Zukerman said. “Once you moved the game indoors, there had to be a time limit to the games because when you go to any rink, you can’t just take over the ice for the entire day [….] By having the game in that [particular] rink it basically set the size. Any rinks built after that were basically approximately the same size [….] So that first game in 1875 that involved a couple of mcGill students changed hockey forever.”

Creighton, who would eventually earn his law degree from McGill in the 1880s, was deeply involved in the early shaping of the sport. In 1873, according to a letter written a few decades later, he sat down with other McGill students to draft the original rules of hockey. These original rules, which were essentially field hockey rules with the word ‘ice’ added, according to Zukerman, would not be published and available for the public until 1877, the same week that the new McGill Hockey Club played their first game.

“Their first game was on January 31st, 1877 […] so that week the rules also happened to be published in the [Montreal Gazette],” Zukerman said. “We believe that the writer of the rules, because there’s no name on the Gazette article […] was James Creighton because he was writing for the Gazette at the time and he was the one involved with the organization of the rules in 1873.”

The McGill Hockey Club of 1877 became an official school club, and would eventually be the McGill varsity hockey team that students know today. Though there is heavy debate about hockey’s true origins, it is safe to consider McGill greatly influential in its history.

“In my research, I’m comfortable saying that McGill students were involved in drafting the first organized rules to the game […] and McGill students were involved in the first organized hockey team […] in 1877 and probably published the first rules in 1877 as well,” Zuckerman said.

The legacy of that first indoor game in Victoria Rink can be seen every time the Redmen take the ice. Currently, they are in their 139th season, and have not stopped making history. A dozen members of the team have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and 15 players are inscribed on the Stanley Cup.

McGill, News, SSMU

Panel addresses what it means to be an indigenous ally

by Zoé Rochat on

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On March 22, members of the McGill community attended a panel on indigenous allyship as part of the Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) Indigeneity and Allyship 2016 event series.  

The panel, co-hosted by SSMU Indigenous Affairs and the Education Undergraduate Society (EdUS), aimed to define what it means to be an ally and how students can become involved in the issues affecting indigenous communities. It answered questions on how to best support members of Indigenous communities and how to collaborate successfully with them. Three speakers shared their views on the topic: Paige Isaac, a member of the Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nations and the coordinator of the First People’s House at McGill; Tayla Lalonde, president of the Aboriginal Peoples Commission for the Liberal Party of Canada-Quebec and board member for Indigenous Access McGill; and Patrick Brennan, executive director of McGill’s Institute for the Study of International Development. 

The panel opened with the question, “What is the most important part of being an ally?” Isaac began by stating that being an ally is a process rather than a label.

 “It’s something that you’re constantly striving to be or do,” Isaac said. “Your actions are speaking more than words, you’re standing with whoever you’re being an ally with, not speaking for them [….] It’s learning, educating yourself on different issues, hearing from diverse perspectives, listening to the news, [and] talking to resource people at universities [and] businesses.” 

 Lalonde stressed the importance of mutual collaboration, through the acts of both listening and understanding rather than always asking questions.

 “A lot of times, people think that they are being an ally when they are constantly asking the marginalized person to tell them their story,” Lalonde said. “[This] approach is a little misguided because it’s exhausting to be that person who always has to answer those questions over and over again [….] By asking those questions you are also triggering deep-seated issues for people because a lot of people [… have] been marginalized.”

For Brennan, being an ally is about supporting people, not forcing your own viewpoint on marginalized groups.

“You can be there to support, or what I like to say ‘lead from the side,’ but you need to be careful not to confuse the destiny of a marginalized people with a solution that you have come up with,” Brennan said. 

Lalonde went on to explain the benefits that can arise from an ally’s privileged social position—particularly among university students.

 “If you have access to student government or decision-makers because of your place of privilege […using] that to push issues for [the] indigenous community, [is] a really effective way of being an ally,” said Lalonde.

Lalonde also shared her personal experience as an indigenous student at McGill and how she felt the lack of indigenous content from the moment she arrived.

 “When I think back to when I started [at] McGill in 2008, what I always remember is how invisible I felt,” Lalonde said. “I was sometimes one of the only indigenous people in my classes [….] I didn’t see myself reflected in the course content anywhere [….] There wasn’t any dedicated time in discussing the indigenous viewpoint.”

Lalonde specifically described an instance when she felt erased as a member of her Cree society.

“I remember sitting in an anthropology class and I remember learning about Indigenous people from this white male professor,” she said. “No insult to white male professors, but it was strange to hear this person talking about our people, Cree, from his anthropological perspective, which kind of made it feel like we didn’t still exist.”

 Going forward, Isaac emphasized the necessity of having more indigenous faculty members and offering more indigenous-focused classes. 

“[Provide] more opportunities for people to engage in Indigenous pedagogies,” Isaac said. “I’m hoping if your voices are loud enough to say ‘we want this,’ [the school] would listen.”

This article has been corrected. The panel is a part of SSMU's Indigeneity and Allyship 2016 event and not as part of SSMU  and EdUS' Indigenous Awareness week, as previously reported. The Tribune regrets this error. 

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