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a, McGill, News

Law professor discusses implications of Ferguson events for black Canadians

by Shrinkhala Dawadi on

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Joanne St. Lewis, Common Law professor at the University of Ottawa and former McGill student, spoke at the annual Annie Macdonald Langstaff workshop last Friday. The workshop featured a discussion on the recent events in Ferguson, a city in Missouri that gained international attention in 2014 after Mike Brown, an unarmed black 18-year-old was shot and killed by white Police Officer Darren Wilson. Following the shooting, Ferguson became the site of several protests against racialized police brutality.

St. Lewis began the workshop by addressing why black Canadians should care about police brutality in the United States.

“[Ferguson] is an opportunity for us to see in a very concrete way something we experience in a more fractured, or specific and narrow way in Canada,” St. Lewis said. “The first thing I see as a black Canadian is […] they’re having my problem, except it’s so big that everyone can see it [….] They can actually get voice and space in the public domain to talk about [it].”

St. Lewis then spoke to the identity politics that often surround discourses of race. She highlighted herself as an example of how class and race can intersect, explaining that she was often asked why she cared about the issue.

“‘Why are you so into this Ferguson thing? [You’re] a lawyer […] you’re not living there. Aren’t you putting on a frame of oppression that doesn’t belong to you?’” St. Lewis listed as examples of the questions she would receive when broaching the topic with colleagues. 

St. Lewis explained that she believed that the questions stemmed from people’s reluctance talk about race.

“The person I’m speaking to has decided that they know what it means to be authentically black, and apparently my legal training has disenfranchised me of my authenticity,” she said. “Instead of the person grappling with their own unwillingness to talk about racism […] they’re starting to shut down the conversation.” 

The lack of representation of black people in societal positions of power contributes to the high incidences of racialized police brutality, St. Lewis said.

“It’s about who is administering justice and representation,” she said. “We have somewhere around 21 Law faculties in the country […yet] we don’t even have the equivalent of one black [law professor] per school. How many [black law students] actually get to the point that they’re senior associates and have enough network that they’re in the position to actually drive the engine of what they’re doing?”

Sarah Aladas, a student who attended the event, critiqued the idea that change could only come through the efforts of the oppressed group. 

“The issue is that we shouldn’t care because we’re [a part of a race], but we should care because we’re human,” she said. “By trying to fight any type of inequality, sometimes we only make the barrier stronger in that we create an opposition.”

In response, St. Lewis highlighted the difference between social cohesion and legal advocacy against discrimination. 

“At the end of the day, [for] social cohesion […] you want everybody to be invested in all the values,” St. Lewis said. “That is very different from legal analysis [….] There are strategies to think about gender, there’s another way of doing intersectionality […] and you need to […] obtain the mastery for your client.” 

Law student and President of the Black Law Students’ Association of McGill Dominic Bell asked St. Lewis for general advice on leading discussions about race in Canada.

“With respect to this discourse that the United States is sort of a foil for Canada […] that it’s not as bad [in Canada] as it is in the United States […] how you go about piercing that sort of discourse?” Bell asked.

St. Lewis answered by highlighting the need for education and the awareness of the intersection of identities and privileges. 

“I think one of the pieces is understanding and educating ourselves about what is happening,” she said. “It is about class to some extent […] if you are living in places where black people are economically disempowered, the type of racism that they are experiencing is every bit as blatant and clear as it is in the [United States].”

a, Student Life, Student of the Week

Student of the Week: Nousin Hussain

by Aviva LeShaw on

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Strong connections have always held U1 Science student Nousin Hussain’s life in place. Whether connections to her family, her friends, her Bengali past, or her current Toronto community, Hussain is always creating and maintaining bonds that contribute to the secure place she has today. As Hussain maps out her future plans, it is clear that there is a connection between her major, Microbiology and Immunology, and her minor, International Development Studies, which she hopes will manifest in the career she dreams of in scientific research.

According to Hussain, these goals must result in change. Hussain hopes to fuse science with her international development knowledge, in order to spread any scientific discoveries worldwide.

“I can’t be looking at a microscope all day—I need to understand that this is really going to make an impact,” she said. “It’s all about making connections.”

A couple of connections that Hussain said she always keeps in mind are those of her family and her past. Hussain, who was born in Bangladesh and moved to Toronto as a toddler, posits that her wanderlust is a result of familial roots.  

“Being a child of an immigrant family, it’s always been instilled in me to be successful,” she said. “I’m the generation where [my parents’ sacrifice] means something. I’m expected to become successful. I don’t want to just have a job. I want to be something more—a leader—and engage the community.”

Hussain has stayed true to her words. She is co-director of the Comparative Healthcare Systems Program at McGill, a global health organization that is currently organizing a refugee healthcare conference on health equity in March. She is also VP Internal at Amnesty International, a program that works to raise awareness for different social justice issues. In the greater Montreal area, Hussain has worked for the South Asians Women’s Community Center and the YMCA. When she was living in Toronto, she helped volunteer with youth empowerment efforts and community building activities.  

Hussain admitted that she had a more familiar volunteering experience in Toronto, due to having a better understanding and an easier time connecting to her hometown’s culture. Nonetheless, she has jumped into Montreal volunteering full-force, as she recognizes that it is good preparation for a future career involving travel to other new places. 

“I know my community,” she said. “But you always have to take a step back, and listen to other people’s ideas.”

Hussain has experienced other travel opportunities, exercising her ability to adjust to new situations and help others. This past summer, she traveled to Kenya with Reach Out to Humanity, a global health organization, where she worked to create alternate income options for HIV/AIDS patients. This coming summer, she hopes to work at a pharmaceutical company, and she was also recently admitted to a research program in Taiwan, where she can compare healthcare systems between Canada and Taiwan and write a research abstract on the topic.

Hussain said she treasures creating connections and using her education to make an impact in the community.  According to Hussain, the people she has met along the way while at McGill have contributed greatly to her positive experience.  

“[At McGill] you can really meet people with whom you connect,” she said. “You are in a place where people are so passionate about what they are doing.”

a, Student Life

A chef’s journey

by Alycia Noë on

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A chef’s upbringing influences hir or her cuisine. Chef Antonio Park, owner and chef of acclaimed Montreal restaurants Park and Lavanderia, is also the newest Chopped Canada judge, and has a unique background that has helped shape his outlook on food.

Park was born in Argentina to Korean parents, and spent his childhood in South American cities like Asunción, Buenos Aires, and Rio. He then attended high school in British Columbia and Quebec, eventually attending culinary school in Japan. Park describes himself up in a sentence that summarizes his eclectic range of experiences.

“[I am really just] a messed-up Latino with kimchi in his blood, who is seriously in love with sashimi,” he joked.

According to Park, each aspect of his life is important to his approach to cooking today.

“Forget the word fusion,” Park said.

Instead, Park aims to express memories of his youth through the form of food. He wants to share with his customers the tastes, aromas, smell, sweetness, and saltiness he grew up with. Park has been bringing fresh flavours from Korea, South America, Brazil, Argentina, and France to the city of Montreal since opening Park Restaurant in February 2012.

As a child, Park developed a passion for cooking from his mother who taught him many culinary skills. According to Park, it was important to his mother to always put the effort in to make everything from scratch, whether it was grinding her own spices with a mortar and pestle or making her own miso and soya sauce. In an interview with the Montreal Gazette, Park lovingly described the strong influence his mother has had on his cooking.

“I grew up with everything local and a mom who is an amazing cook,” Park said. “She’s a wild cook too. Back in the day, all moms cooked, but my mom was beyond that. She used to dry her own red peppers to make her own paprika in a stone grinder.”

Park said he learned discipline from his mother. If he didn’t peel the garlic properly or cut the onion neatly, she would give him grief. Park’s mother also taught him to appreciate ingredients. The family would never go to the market to buy fruits and vegetables; instead, they grew them in their huge 47,000 square foot backyard. Park recognized the importance of fresh, top-quality ingredients, as well as seasonality and sustainability through seeing his mother grow her own ingredients. To this day, Park puts in the effort to source responsibly harvested, fresh ingredients. You will never see the same fish served for more than one or two days at Park’s restaurants. The menus are constantly evolving at both of his restaurants to reflect the ingredients that are available.

Similarly, Park’s father influenced his creative viewpoint on the art of cooking. His father owned a lavanderia, and after a long day at work acid-washing jeans, the hundreds of workers there would have daily staff meals together. Park` saw his father grill entire cows, sausages, sweetbreads, and ribs. These protein-centered meals were served with refreshing sides like kimchi or even ice soaked in Coca-Cola. 

These staff get-togethers may have revolved around the food, but a young Park saw how the food helped to create an atmosphere. From this, Park learned that meals served a greater purpose than just nutrition. It made people happy, and that was evident through the workers who were enjoying the rest of their night after a long day of gruelling work.

Although Park moved to Quebec in high school, he said that he never felt like he belonged. He did not speak French, and he was Korean and also Latino. He explained that he didn’t fit in until he found his place in the kitchen. As a teenager, Park got his first job in a restaurant as a dishwasher while simultaneously working in his parents’ dépanneur. Through this experience, Park said that he also learned the care that goes into running a restaurant, a trait that follows him into the kitchen today.

Park also said he believes that you have to respect the ingredients and never make a dish haphazardly. According to Mayssam Samaha, the woman behind Montreal food blog Will Travel for Food, Park’s respectful nature goes beyond his cooking.

“[Park’s] passion for the job and his respect for the ingredients is immediately obvious in every single one of his gestures, but especially in his words,” Samaha wrote.

Park also learned further appreciation of food in his sister’s restaurants. Park’s first kitchen job was prepping and mixing rice for his sister at a restaurant called Takara. He made rice for three years. He also apprenticed at Tomo, his sister’s other restauranta in Montreal, learning how to make North-Americanized Japanese cuisine such as California rolls, beef teriyaki, spicy mayo, and maki rolls. Park says his time at Tomo marked the turning point for when he truly became serious about cooking, deciding it was something he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

Park decided to move to Toronto to train in other kitchens, but realized the cooking was very much the same as in Montreal. He loved Japanese food and wanted to learn the proper techniques and authentic dishes from the Japanese themselves. He packed up everything he owned and moved to Japan to attend culinary school. Park trained under both sushi and Japanese food masters and learned what their philosophies were on food.

According to Park, it was tough to learn to cook authentic Japanese food.

“Japanese people will never teach you why they do things,” Park said. “It’s a personal secret.”

This made training more difficult for Park, but he said it also made him a better chef. He had to uncover why the masters he learned from cut fish in a particular way, or cooked a vegetable differently in one dish than another. Park was very committed to learning a cuisine that he considers counter to his upbringing. According to Park, Korean food is complicated, while Japanese food is beautiful in its simplicity.

Today, Park owns two restaurants in Montreal, both on Avenue Victoria in Westmount. Park is a sushi- and Japanese-focused restaurant, whereas Lavanderia is a restaurant paying homage to his upbringing in South America. He is widely considered one of the best chefs in Montreal, and can be seen Saturdays on Food Network judging Chopped Canada.

Park and Lavanderia Restaurants—378 Avenue Victoria, Westmount, QC.

a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: Fleece – Scavenger

by Max Berger on

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Sifting through the nine tracks on Scavenger, the debut album from Fleece—a five-piece band comprised of Concordia and McGill students—I couldn’t help but think about the days when my transcript still featured the word “undeclared.” Drawing from an array of genres including grunge, jazz, and psychedelic/indie/alternative rock, the album has the same kind of unrestrained feel to it as a freshman Arts student during course selection. Fortunately, though, they have the chops to pull it off and avoid the danger of a cluttered, over-ambitious album. 

Things start off on a dreamy note with “Alien,” a relaxed tune that nicely meshes a lead guitar draped in colourful effects with a clean keyboard sound, and then give way to “Wake and Bake,” a track reminiscent of Nirvana’s “In Bloom,” but much calmer. 

However, it’s between the third and sixth tracks (“Demanding” and “Rise”) that the album hits its peak. Those two specifically have an airy quality to them that fully immerses the listener to the point where it’s easy to drift off and take for granted how impressive the instrumentation is. Even though it’s just meant to be transitory, “DLXVII (Interlude)” offers a memorable minute-and-a-half of music that will appeal to fans of the 2014 breakout group Real Estate. The highlight, though, is “Gabe’s Song,” which builds from a soft, haunting verse to a booming chorus featuring a guest horns section—not to mention a rare, excellent bass solo during the breakdown towards the end. 

In the final stretch of the album, Fleece moves towards a more traditional rock ‘n’ roll sound; these songs can sometimes run a little too long and aren’t quite as memorable as the preceding ones—although the line “Chocolate milk and Adderall get me through the week” from “Chocolate Milk” is noteworthy alone for being the university student’s answer to Harry Nilsson’s “Coconut”—but it’s hard to really find flaws on this album as a whole. Fleece plays well beyond its years and is certainly a Montreal act to watch out for. 

a, Behind the Bench, Football, Sports

Behind the bench : Just like they drew it up

by Max Berger on

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In Super Bowl XLIX, when Russell Wilson’s pass was tipped by Malcolm Butler and somehow corralled by Jermaine Kearse—after Kearse had been knocked down and left squirming on the turf—it seemed too impossible to actually be happening. Sure, there was the difficulty of the catch itself, but that was only a small part of the disbelief that spectators were likely feeling when they saw it. As even the most casual of football fans will be able to tell you, the absurdity of Kearse’s catch had little to do with its degree of difficulty–it’s that they had seen it all play out like this before.

Unlike movies or WWE wrestling, professional sporting matches are unscripted events that can play out in a near infinite number of ways. There’s still a dramatic element involved, but it’s usually a self-contained drama that arises from a tight game going down to the wire—like a tense sitcom plotline that will have completely vanished by the next episode as characters return to their ultimately unchanged world.

From time to time, however, these arbitrary game-to-game narratives stack up just right, reaching into the well of history and pulling out a storyline that blows any movie out of the water. Kearse’s catch came against Bill Belichick and Tom Brady’s New England Patriots, who had a four-point lead with approximately 75 seconds remaining, in a Super Bowl taking place in Glendale Arizona—every single one of those conditions was also in effect when the New York Giants’ David Tyree made his improbable ‘Helmet Catch’ in Super Bowl XLII that doomed New England’s perfect season. On top of that, the Patriots had lost Super Bowl XLVI to the Giants as well when Mario Manningham pulled in a ridiculous sideline catch on the game-winning drive. The eerie similarities that characterized Kearse’s catch even continued off the field, as the integrity of the Patriots’ season was being challenged by ‘Deflategate’ in the same way that their season leading up to Super Bowl XLII was tainted by Spygate.

As it happened, rather than surrendering a game-winning touchdown and blowing their third title game in eight years, Butler intercepted the next pass Wilson threw, and vaulted the Belichick/Brady era into a new dimension of greatness. That wasn’t just an isolated game-changing play—it was Andy Dufresne crawling through a river of shit and coming out clean in The Shawshank Redemption; it was Harry Potter walking into the Forbidden Forest to meet Lord Voldemort, knowing that Dumbledore intended him to die, and then actually returning to life to defeat his nemesis. In Super Bowl XLIX, events unfolded in such a precise way that the Patriots went from watching their worst fear play out for the third time to miraculously exorcising every single one of their post-Spygate demons—it was a perfectly scripted situation that happened all on its own.

Unlike movies or WWE wrestling, professional sporting matches are unscripted events that can play out in a near infinite number of ways.

There may never be another sports narrative that rivals the Patriots’ in terms of producing such unbelievable recurring moments, but it’s hardly the only one to be layered with heightened dramatic circumstances on a big stage. When the Green Bay Packers won the Super Bowl in 2011, they were up by six points in the final minute of play and stopped a potential game-winning drive by the Pittsburgh Steelers. But when the two teams met in the previous season, the Steelers won that matchup with a game-winning drive in which they were—you guessed it—down by six. Most sports fans remember Ray Allen’s clutch game-tying three-pointer in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, but what they probably didn’t know is that the 2005 Seattle Supersonics lost a series to the Spurs in Game 6 when Allen missed a potential game-winning three with Tim Duncan in his face. The irony? Allen’s 2013 shot only happened because Duncan was inexplicably left on the bench and Chris Bosh easily grabbed the rebound that was kicked out to Allen for the three-pointer.

These types of narratives aren’t always redemptive though. Brett Favre came out of retirement (for the second time) in 2009 and tried to lead his former team’s archrivals, the Minnesota Vikings, to a Super Bowl. However, his playoff run ended the exact same way it had with the Packers two years earlier: With him throwing a costly interception in overtime during the NFC Championship game. In 2011, millions of Canadians were hoping for Roberto Luongo to lead the Vancouver Canucks to a Game 7 Stanley Cup victory in the same building where he had led Team Canada to an overtime win the year before in the gold medal game. Instead, the Canucks collapsed, extending Canada’s cup drought to 18 seasons.

A great narrative in any form of creative entertainment is a testament to the mind’s ability to craft something compelling, but a great narrative in sports is a testament to the awe-inspiring power of fate. With so much going on in the world, professional sports are moneymaking spectacles that shouldn’t mean anything, but after watching something like the Kearse catch/Butler interception sequence, it can feel like they mean everything.

a, Men's Varsity, Sports

Redmen capture OUA East

by Wyatt Fine-Gagné on

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McGill Redmen
5

 

 

RMC Paladins
1

 

Playoffs in sports are occasionally referred to as the ‘second season.’ The slate is wiped clean for all those participating, and while a high seed translates to home-ice advantage, it guarantees little beyond that. That being said, players on the Redmen (21-5-0) ice hockey team deserve to feel at least a little pleased with themselves after clinching the OUA East title with a 5-1 home win Saturday night against the RMC (0-26) Paladins.

The title-clinching win came on the heels of a gruelling 4-3 double-overtime win Friday against the Concordia Stingers in the 28th annual Corey Cup. Despite the extra time on the ice the previous night, the Redmen looked fresh against the Paladins. Junior centre Cedric McNicoll opened the scoring, but the Paladins struck back quickly and the two teams finished the first period knotted at 1-1. The goal was McNicoll’s 11th of the season and his 34th point, a total good for eighth-best in the CIS.

McGill broke the game open midway through the second frame, scoring three goals in less than four-minutes. The first of those three came off of the stick of rookie defenceman Samuel Labrecque, and was Labrecque’s sixth game-winning goal of the season, which ties a school record that has stood for 27 years. Labrecque has been a force to be reckoned with as of late, scoring seven goals over the last five games, including the overtime-winner in the Corey Cup.

Sophomore goaltender Karel St-Laurent gave McGill more of the quality play it has received all season from both of its net-minders. St-Laurent stopped 21 of the 22 shots he faced for his eighth win of the season. As the Redmen enter the playoffs, Nobes is faced with a problem that any coach would dream about: Two goaltenders who are equally worthy of playing time in the post-season. St-Laurent finishes the season with a .932 save percentage, the third-best mark in the entire CIS. The league leader, however, is St-Laurent’s teammate Jacob Gervais-Chouinard, who holds a .944 save percentage.

Fortunately for Nobes, no matter who he chooses to start game one of the playoffs, he’ll be making a good decision. Both goaltenders have been consistently solid, and deserve a lot of credit for helping lead the Redmen to the top seed in the division.

The Redmen now turn their attention to their quarterfinal, best-of-three matchup with Concordia beginning Feb. 11 at McConnell Arena. The last time McGill captured the OUA East Division crown was 2011-2012, when they went on to win the CIS Championship. Past performance does not guarantee future success, but with the number one seed in hand, you can’t blame the Redmen if they’re hoping history will repeat itself.

a, Out on the Town, Student Life

Out on the Town: Montreal poutine week

by Tiffany Le on

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For food enthusiasts, there’s no better winter activity than experiencing Montreal’s third annual Poutine Week. This year, 49 local restaurants participated in the growing festival and contributed a wide array of unique poutine concoctions. From Bar Brutus’ “Jägerfirepoutine,” which is exactly as it sounds—served with Jäger and on flames—to Poutineville’s “Sugar Shack,” a breakfast poutine complete with maple syrup and tempura bacon strips, there were fierce competitors vying for title of Montreal’s favourite poutine. 

Biiru 

(1433 Rue City Councillors)

Yann Levy’s Japanese bistro restaurant—which opened a week after Poutine Week 2014—is a first-time contender this year. The upbeat, brilliantly designed space has a trendy pop art feel with a Japanese twist. Many local artists contributed to the hand-painted murals in and outside the restaurant. Authentic pieces from Japanese culture were also expertly arranged throughout the small space, from a historical left flag with soldier’s signatures dating from WWII to delicate origami enclosed in a beautiful metal cage.

“I wanted to make a Japanese place with no sushi that was accommodating and not intimidating for anyone,” Levy said.

Although the staples of a traditional poutine were present in the Hyottoko, Biiru infused them with bold Japanese flavours. The fries were swapped out for toragashi & BBQ sweet potato fries. To complement that dish, the gravy was miso-based, and the cheese curds were accompanied by teriyaki glazed pork shoulder, tempura flakes, and kizami nori. Somehow, the dish was still recognizable as a poutine, yet offered an authentic Japanese taste. It is easily one of the most charming comfort foods in the city. 

Monsieur Resto+Bar 

(1102 Rue De Bleury)

Monsieur is aptly named; when owner Kimberly Lallouz created the restaurant, she knew that she would become married to it. With Monsieur, Lallouz wanted to create a classic and stylish space which served non-processed ready-to-eat food. The jazzy music and the bar mounted with wine bottles gives the place a vintage feel that is both genuine and easy-going.

“The idea was simple: Conscious cooking that is both local and seasonal,” Lallouz said. “I like to call it ‘Gastronomie à petit prix [gastronomy at a small price.]’”

This year, the restaurant decided to tone it down from the dessert poutine they served in 2014 and go back to basics. “Fresh” was the idea behind the Mr. C. Verde, which included fresh fries (a mix of yukon and sweet potato), organic and local cheese curds topped with grated mozzarella for a extra stringy kick, sautéed wild mushrooms and kale, and crispy chorizo. All the ingredients came together for an indulgent poutine that does not sit heavy in the stomach. The presentation was lovely, the kind of plating that played with both colour and shape. Not only did the food make Monsieur worth a second visit, its atmosphere also encourages customers to look forward to eating there again.

La Taverne F par Ferreira 

(1485 Rue Jeanne Mance)

A modern Portuguese fusion restaurant in Places des Art, La Taverne F usually serves up food in small portions with excellent beer and wine. As a brasserie, this format allows guests to share the food while enjoying their cocktails. The restaurant caters to an older, more sophisticated crowd with a penchant for art deco and minimalist decor. Its bold, narrow design is unique and its location makes it perfect for a quick bite and drink before or after a show.

For Poutine Week, the restaurant presented the Salted Cod Ferreira Poutine, a true seaside delight. With homemade french fries, salted cod, caramelized onions, creamy sauce, cheese curds, and lemon zest, the dish was an interesting reinvention of fish and chips. Compared to poutine’s typical association with fast food, La Taverne F’s option is definitely a more classy experience. 

a, McGill, News

Divest McGill submits new proposal to Board of Governors for divestment from Shell, Enbridge

by Remi Lu on

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On Feb. 2, Divest McGill submitted a new proposal to the McGill Board of Governors’ (BoG) Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR). The new proposal outlines financial and social reasons for McGill to divest from its top 200 fossil fuel companies with the largest carbon reserves. Divest McGill, a student group that was started in Fall 2012, aims to lobby the university to divest its endowment from its fossil fuel partners in the interests of mitigating climate change. In 2013, the BoG rejected a similar proposal from Divest McGill.

The new 150-page proposal cites oil companies Royal Dutch Shell and Enbridge as examples of companies that McGill should divest from.

“These corporations should be seen as illustrative of the fossil fuel industry as a whole,” the document reads. “A key factor in our selection of these examples is their involvement in the Canadian tar sands.”

Furthermore, the proposal calls for McGill to immediately suspend any new investments in fossil fuel companies. At the moment, the university holds shares in a number of these companies, as per the McGill Investment Committee’s mandate to ensure optimal returns from investing endowment funds for the purpose of university-related activities.

“We’re asking the university to immediately divest from any companies that are […] producing, transporting, or distributing products from tar sands,” said Divest McGill member Ella Belfer, U2 Arts. “Then, within three years, [for McGill to divest] from the top 200 fossil fuel corporations.”

According to the report from the CAMSR in May 2013, Divest McGill’s original proposal was rejected based on the lack of evidence regarding McGill’s fossil fuel investments’ connection with social injury.

“The committee determined that Divest McGill had failed to demonstrate that social injury (as defined in the terms of reference) had occurred due to the actions of a company involved in either oil sands or fossil fuels,” the decision states. “Since the committee is not satisfied that ‘social injury’ has occurred, no action was considered or is recommended.”

Divest McGill’s revised proposal comes after the CAMSR changed its terms of reference on May 22, 2014. The updated terms, which “expand the definition of social injury to include grave, injurious impact […] of a company [on the] natural environment,” served as a source of cautious optimism for Divest McGill, according to Belfer.

“CAMSR itself [changed],” Belfer said. “They’ve added grave environmental damage as one of the criteria for social injury. So we’re hoping that’s going to be part of the factor influencing their decision.”

One particular change from last year’s submission includes the omission of Plan Nord—an economic development strategy by Quebec to develop natural resources extraction in the province. Divestment from Plan Nord had been one of the submissions in the original proposal.

The new 150-page document lists a number of reasons for divestment, including human-induced climate change and social injury to First Nations Peoples. 

In the time since the 2013 proposal was rejected, Divest McGill has expanded in both scope and size. According to the letter Divest McGill submitted to the CAMSR, the main petition contains over 1,500 signatures, compared to over 750 signatures for the two petitions they submitted in 2013. In addition, the group has garnered support from different demographics within the McGill community, according to members of Divest McGill. 

“We have a faculty group, we have alumni support, we have so many more students who are a part of the process and a part of our core group,” said Amina Moustaqim-Barrette, Students’ Society of McGill University VP External Affairs and member of Divest McGill. “So there’s definitely pressure coming from a lot of different angles this time, which will help us a lot.”

Furthermore, Divest McGill is hoping that the CAMSR will be more willing to engage in discussion with the group. According to the cover letter submitted to the CAMSR, the board’s previous rejection of Divest McGill’s initial proposal did not allow for dialogue.

“We need a more constructive and serious engagement—with points of disagreement or instances of requirement for further evidence clearly and precisely stated,” the letter reads.

Chair of CAMSR Stuart Cobbett declined to comment for this story.

a, Martlets, Men's Varsity, Sports

The week that was for McGill Athletics: February 10th

by Max Berger on

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Athletes of the week

Samuel Labrecque

This is Labrecque’s second Tribune Athlete-of-the-Week honour, and deservedly so. The freshman defenceman has been a revelation this season and has been on fire of late, scoring seven goals in his past five games. Labrecque scored the game-winning goals in both of McGill’s weekend games. On Friday, the freshman from Granby, QC silenced the opposing Concordia crowd at Ed Meagher Arena in the annual Corey Cup game when he slotted in the puck during double overtime. On Saturday against RMC, Labrecque took a pass from centre Marc-Olivier Vachon and scored with ease. Following in the footsteps of last year’s CIS Defenceman-of-the-Year Ryan McKiernan, Labrecque has been a force to deal with on the blueline and gives the Redmen an added dimension moving forward in the playoffs. 

Alex Kiss-Rusk

Kiss-Rusk, a junior centre from Beaconsfield, QC, was dominant in the paint for the Martlets in their two weekend victories against the Concordia Stingers. Kiss-Rusk, who stands at 6’4”, is the tallest member of the Martlets and showed an innate ability to take over the game in both contests, averaging 17 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. She has displayed flashes of potential throughout her career at McGill, but has put together three straight games with double figure points and near-double figure rebounds. If she is able to continue on this trajectory, the Martlets should have no problem securing the RSEQ and will bring an unparalleled size advantage to the CIS National Championships, which may just result in a gold medal. 

Beyond the box score

Redmen Basketball 

The Redmen (8-4) split a pair of games against the Concordia Stingers (6-6) this past weekend. After coming from behind to take the first game by a score of 65-60 at home, the Redmen lost an ugly one on the road 51-44. While the Redmen dropped two of their past three games, the emergence of sophomore shooting guard Regis Ivaniukas has added a new dimension to the team’s offence. Ivaniukas scored a career-high 16 points off the bench to lead the thrilling comeback victory on Thursday night. Former starting point guard Ave Bross also had a great shooting night, coming off the bench to score 10 points. It was a different story on Saturday night. While Ivaniukas delivered once again with 12 points, the starting five went ice-cold for the Redmen. Captain Vincent Dufort and guard Dele Ogundukun shot 0-17 on the night, and turnovers plagued McGill all game. McGill will look to get back to its winning ways against Bishop’s (6-6) next weekend.

Martlet Volleyball 

Although the no. 9 CIS-ranked Martlets (11-8) entered the weekend with a legitimate chance to make the RSEQ playoffs, they lost both matchups, first to the Sherbrooke Vert et Or 2-3 (12-6) at home on senior night on Thursday and then to straight sets against Laval in Quebec City on Saturday. The weekend mired an otherwise successful season for the Martlets in which they were a challenger throughout the season in the grueling four-team RSEQ. McGill will be losing a lot of talent to graduation this spring as Marie-Christine Lapointe, Virginie Hebert, Marie-Pier Durivage, and Daphnee-Maude Andre-Morin, will all be graduating. Fortunately for the Martlets though, they have a seasoned head coach in Rachèle Beliveau, who will be tasked with reshaping the Martlet squad for next season. If Beliveau’s past record is any indication, the program will undoubtedly be able to bounce back.

Redmen and Martlet Swimming

On the first day of the RSEQ Championships the Redmen 4x50m freestyle relay was sensational with a time of 1:31.96, which won gold and set new RSEQ and McGill records. The Redmen relayers also picked up a bronze in the 4x100m medley relay, while the Martlets notched a silver medal in the 800m freestyle, 4x50m freestyle relay, and the 4x100m medley relay. The Martlets set a tean record in the 4x100m medley relay (4:12.54), On the weekend, the women were led by team captain Katie Caldwell. The junior from White Rock, BC led by example despite being hampered by a knee injury, leading the Martlets with three silver medals and two bronzes. On the Redmen side, Michael Luck—a senior from Beaconsfield, QC—led the squad with three gold medals, one silver medal, and two bronze medals. On the weekend, the Redmen finished third behind Montreal and Laval, while the Martlets finished in second. Eighteen swimmers will be flying to Victoria, BC to compete in the National Championships from Feb. 19-21.

By the numbers

8 – The Redmen hockey team’s winning streak going into the playoffs. 

1:31.96 – The record-setting, gold medal-winning time for McGill’s 4×50 relay team at the RSEQ swimming Championships. The team was composed of Gabriel Fortin, Luke Robert, Marc-Andre Benoit, and Michael Luck. 

1,001 – Games coached by Martlet volleyball Head Coach Rachèle Beliveau over 24 seasons. 

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Joshua Radin: The subdued singer beyond Scrubs success

by Sophie Jewett on

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Joshua Radin recently released his new album Onward and Sideways, a heartwarming set of love songs dedicated to a woman in Sweden who happens to be his new girlfriend.

“I didn’t expect it to be an album, I expected it to be love letters for her,” Radin said. “This album is different for me because it came out of a period of time and a motivation that was different.”

Radin, who is currently on an international tour across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia, spoke to me from Northampton, Massachusetts during his lunch break.

“I don’t usually do college interviews, but McGill is a great school,” he said. Radin himself attended Northwestern University, where he studied visual arts, pursuing painting and then writing. As for why he chose music in the end, he said that it was both creatively fulfilling and practical.

“I like to be creative and express myself,” Radin explained. “I want to stay as open and creative as I possibly can. Music was the first thing I tried where I could actually pay the bills.”

Radin has a warm and contagious laugh and is unguarded and honest about his music. Known for pouring his heart out into his songs, Radin is always open about the meaning and inspiration behind each one.

“Most of my songs are basically journal entries,” he shared. “And I think that’s what people relate to.”

Radin’s success story is well-known among his fans. He played the song “Winter” for his friend, Zach Braff, who urged him to submit it to the creator of Scrubs. Radin’s music was then requested by others in the industry and has now been featured in hundreds of movies and TV shows. Ten years and six albums later, Joshua has toured the world and been on top charts with songs like “I’d Rather Be With You” and “Beautiful Day.”

“I’m like that seasoning in your food that no one knows is in there,” he said of his own fame. “In your iPod, you probably have a song of mine in there but you don’t know it. I’m not the bun or the meat or the lettuce or the tomato, but there’s a seasoning in there that you can’t quite put your finger on.”

Radin has, in many ways, achieved what could be considered an optimal level of fame and success.

“I love being able to walk down the streets and do something embarrassing and not have to worry about having photographers around photographing me because then it might be in every magazine,” Radin said. “I don’t know how people live like that. What a nightmare.”

Still, Radin’s music is everywhere, even if his face may not be.

“I’m drinking coffee in a restaurant right now before I have to go to sound check and my song just came on the speakers,” he laughed.

Like many university graduates, Radin was not sure what he wanted to do, and he said that he doesn’t like how young people are pressured to choose a specific path.

“If I had to give any advice to college students, I would say to take a little time and just go travel and have some experiences, and then figure out what you want to be,” Radin said. “I didn’t even know who I was at all when I was 22 and graduating college. I didn’t know how I could possibly pick a career when I had no idea who I was.”

Radin will be coming to Montreal on Monday, Feb. 9, but he has been here a few times before.

“The people are just so lovely and I love Old Montreal,” Radin said. “I’ve had some great times walking around there, especially in the summer.”

He also claimed to be prepared for winter in Montreal. “I’ve got long underwear, I’m ready to go.”

Joshua Radin will be performing on Monday, Feb. 9 at the Corona Theatre (2490 Notre Dame). Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $27, $30 at the door.

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