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Commentary, Opinion

Where knowledge becomes community

by Monique Kasonga on

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This Black History Month, Montreal’s public libraries are doing what they do best: Creating space for learning, reflection, and community. Across the city, library programming—from interactive workshops introducing children to important Black historical figures, to film screenings exploring Black art, culture, and politics—highlights the richness of Black history. Standing alongside bilingual reading lists created to highlight Black authors and texts, these events are a reminder that libraries are more than archives of knowledge; they are living, breathing spaces where history is preserved, stories are shared, and communities come together.

Libraries don’t just help people navigate the present—they anchor us to the past. In a city where Black communities have been pushed to the margins time and again, Montreal’s libraries safeguard and revive histories that might otherwise be erased. Their collections document the city’s Black heritage, their programming celebrates Black voices, and their spaces offer room for Black conversation, organizing, and connection. In Montréal-Nord, Bibliothèque Julio-Jean-Pierre is hosting an art exhibit featuring a diverse range of Black artists, celebrating their foundational contribution to the city’s rich artistic heritage. Beyond the city’s public library system, archives documenting Black history in Montreal continue to expand at Concordia’s Vanier Library, while other municipalities across Quebec have also hosted exhibits in their libraries highlighting significant Black figures in the province’s history. Libraries are one of the few places left where one can exist without expectation, and where the simple act of gathering can be an act of resistance.

As students, libraries are so deeply embedded in our daily lives, and so connected to our rigorous academic schedules, that we often forget what a privilege it is to access them. With the stress of academic life, many of us move through our routines on autopilot, focused on the tasks we complete while in the library rather than the library-visiting experience itself. It mustn’t be forgotten that libraries remain the cornerstones of the communities we come from and enter, offering space for knowledge acquisition and open access to information beyond the classroom. While library engagement in Quebec has been on the rise during recent years, the public library system has yet to return to its pre-pandemic levels of visits and document loans. A major issue is the constant shortage of staff: In 2022, over 1,300 full-time positions remained unfilled across Quebec’s library network. In an era of digital transformation, libraries are being asked to do more with less. And yet, they persist, steadfast in ensuring knowledge remains accessible to all. 

More than anything, libraries offer something that can’t be measured: The simple dignity of access. They are one of the few remaining third places in urban life, providing a space for community interaction without requiring a transaction. As Montreal becomes increasingly unaffordable and inhospitable to marginalized populations, libraries stand as an unwavering force of inclusion. For many, a library is one of the first places where they feel a sense of belonging. These spaces also provide essential services: Job search assistance, free Wi-Fi and computers, French and English language classes, and workshops on everything from financial literacy to tenant rights. For those navigating Canada’s complex legal system, many libraries house legal aid clinics. Libraries’ commitment to access extends even further, offering support for marginalized communities through providing undocumented residents proof-of-identity cards to ensure that those without legal status can still participate in the city’s cultural and intellectual life without fear. This is a radical act in a city that so often excludes its most vulnerable. 

Libraries are active sites of preservation, empowerment, and resistance. While online access to e-books and archives has its advantages, physical libraries offer something digital platforms cannot: tangible, community-centred spaces that actively break down barriers. They are where erased histories find a voice, where stories are reclaimed and shared. As Black communities continue to fight for equality and justice through education and community-based activism, libraries remain one of the few places where all are welcome—proving, time and again, that survival and knowledge are deeply intertwined.

McGill, News

The Tribune Explains: Black Students’ Network Community Library 

by Kaitlyn Schramm on

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McGill’s Black Students’ Network (BSN) opened a Community Library on Feb. 28, 2024, for Black History Month. The Community Library is funded by SSMU student fees that uphold the BSN’s budget alongside the Black Equity Fund, which McGill launched as part of its Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism in 2020. 

Why was it opened? 

BSN President Nkwanzi Banage, U3 Arts, is responsible for the creation of the Library, and is currently in charge of running it. Banage aims to keep the library accessible and free for the entire student body, relying on the participation of volunteers to spread awareness. 

“The project was born out of my personal frustration from when I was unable to find an Angela Davis book that [McLennan Library Building] claimed to carry,” Banage elaborated. “These libraries house books that are often not prioritized in mainstream academic collections, and they offer an accessible space for underrepresented perspectives in academia.” 

The Community Library is in the BSN office, unit 415 on the fourth floor of the University Centre, and includes a selection of over 400 books curated for Black students. 

Banage elaborated on why she finds community libraries to be important spaces within larger institutions. 

“These student-led libraries often curate collections that reflect the interests and realities of McGill’s student body, while providing a platform for peer-driven engagement with Black literature,” she emphasized. 

What other McGill community libraries exist?

The Quebec Public Interest Research Group at McGill (QPIRG-McGill) hosts another student-run community library that focuses on providing anti-oppressive literature. QPIRG-McGill has been operating since the 1980s, providing resources for students such as offering textbook loans and hosting events over the years. 

QPIRG-McGill’s Resource Centre Coordinator, Tatiana Povoroznyuk, reflected on the group’s library space. 

“One of the biggest values of having a community library is that it truly is run by the community and we can make decisions quickly and without a lot of the barriers that, for example, McGill libraries face in trying to improve their collections and add voices that may not be super well-spread,” Povoroznyuk said in an interview with //The Tribune//. 

The Union for Gender Empowerment (UGE) and Queer McGill jointly run the reportedly largest anglophone queer library with over 1,000 titles. The library is located in the UGE’s office—room 413 of the University Centre. 

McGill, News

SPHR and Engineering Students for Palestine campaign against companies with ties to Israel’s genocide in Palestine at TechFair 

by Asher Kui on

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On Jan. 29 and Jan. 30, the McGill Engineering Career Centre hosted its annual TechFair at New Residence Hall, with more than 70 companies in attendance. Students for Palestine’s Honour and Resistance (SPHR) at McGill alleged that five of the participating corporations—Airbus, Cisco Inc., Galvion, L’Oreal, and MDA Space—are linked to Israel’s genocide in Palestine.

According to SPHR, these five companies have direct ties with Israel’s military, manufacturing, or surveillance activities. Airbus, Galvion, and MDA Space have produced weapons and war technology that Israel deploys against Palestinians, L’Oreal operates some of its manufacturing plants on Palestinian lands, and Cisco Inc.’s technology is used to support the Israeli military’s surveillance practices.

SPHR, along with Engineering Students for Palestine at McGill, have since initiated a “No Genociders at TechFair” email campaign that started on Jan. 22, urging McGill to immediately terminate its partnerships with these companies. On Jan. 30, SPHR also hosted a rally outside the McConnell Engineering Building, where a couple dozen people assembled to demand McGill remove the companies from the TechFair. 

In an interview with The Tribune, a SPHR representative explained that the five companies have been primary focuses of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement in recent years. BDS, formed in 2005 by a coalition of more than 170 Palestinian unions, professional associations, refugee networks, and other civic groups, aims to challenge international support of Israel.

“As primary targets of the BDS campaign, students have expressed their opinions again and again […] that [they] will not tolerate the presence of weapon manufacturers or otherwise complicit companies on [their] campus,” the representative said. “We will take action against these companies, and I don’t see that changing until McGill […] refuses to allow them on campus.”

A TechFair attendee, U1 Engineering, who wished to remain unnamed, expressed their reluctance to apply to Cisco Inc., one of the five companies, after learning about its involvement with Israel’s surveillance activity in Palestine and McGill’s failure to reprimand this involvement. 

“[McGill is] not taking [the concerns raised by students] into consideration,” they told The Tribune.

The SPHR representative also claimed that McGill has a long history of overlooking student concerns.

“Throughout the last year, students have made themselves clear time and time again,” they said. “McGill has responded […] by ignoring student demands, by brushing them off, and diverting students’ bureaucratic channels, by arresting students, by taking disciplinary cases against students who protest, and by calling private security to brutalize students’ protests on their own campus,” they said.

They referred to the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU)’s 2023 Fall Referendum, where students put forward the Policy Against Genocide in Palestine. 

“What we saw at the time was a voter turnout for that referendum question that was higher than any voter turnout in [recent] McGill history,” the SPHR representative said.

Despite McGill’s warning that it would cut ties with SSMU if they adopted the policy, 78.7 per cent of non-abstaining voters—or 5,974 students—voted in favour of it. However, the policy was never passed as the Superior Court of Québec ordered an interlocutory injunction ordering the SSMU to refrain from its implementation.

In a written statement to The Tribune, the McGill Media Relations Office (MRO) wrote that McGill does not assume responsibility for barring companies involved with Zionist interests from any involvement on campus, so long as their activities remain lawful.

“McGill career fairs tend to reflect market trends, notably industries with many positions open to university graduates,” the MRO wrote. “The University respects the freedom of its diverse students to decide which industries and individual firms are of interest to them as employers.”

The SPHR representative maintained that protestors’ demands should be heard. 

“It’s a majority of McGill students who support this cause,” the SPHR representative said. “It’s time that McGill responds to students with real change.”

Behind the Bench, Sports

Black History Month in the big leagues—is it enough?

by Ella Paulin on

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From Tommie Smith and John Carlos raising their fists during the 1968 Olympics to Muhammad Ali’s refusal of the Vietnam draft to Colin Kaepernick taking a knee during the “Star-Spangled Banner,” Black athletes have a storied history of using sporting events as platforms for political statements—and of being punished heavily for it by leagues. Ali, who narrowly avoided prison over his refusal of the draft, was unable to compete professionally for years. Kaepernick hasn’t played an NFL game since 2016. In the midst of struggles for political voice from racialized players, major sporting leagues are increasingly attempting to honour Black History Month with a variety of programming, special games, and initiatives. 

Despite the importance of sporting events as critical opportunities for Black athletes to make political statements to a national—or even international—audience, the NFL has tried to stamp out any hint of political messaging. Its current policy states that players cannot visibly display “personal messages” of any kind on game days, including those of a political nature. While this policy has also been used to prevent pro-Trump symbols, with Nick Bosa having recently incurred an $11,255 USD fine for wearing a Make America Great Again hat, there is a double standard where leagues fine white players for actions that would have ended the careers of Black athletes. The prohibition on political gestures raises questions about how authentically leagues like the NFL can commit to Black History Month celebrations. 

In particular, the implication that it is possible to celebrate Black history in sports without being political is troubling and ignores the fact that Black athletes’ fight for inclusion in professional sports has always been political. The NAACP even went so far as to urge the NFL in a formal resolution from 2015 to officially celebrate Black History Month, referencing the high number of Black players and officials in the league, and the fact that the NFL has historically celebrated both Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Hispanic Heritage Month. 

While the NFL has an official Black History Month webpage, containing stories of Black players from the last 50 years, these gestures ring hollow in the context of the league’s silencing of players’ attempts to speak out about racial injustice. 

The NBA, which began celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day with an annual game in 1986, has a better track record of allowing players to speak out against racially motivated violence. In 2014, LeBron James wore a shirt reading “I Can’t Breathe” during a warm-up to protest the police killing of Eric Garner. More recently, the Milwaukee Bucks refused to play entirely following the 2020 shooting of Jacob Blake during a Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. 

Alongside the increased openness to political statements comes a more concerted and centralized Black History Month campaign, including both video showcases of important moments in the history of Black players’ involvement in the NBA and special events like the HBCU Classic game. 

The NHL is incorporating celebrations of Black history into many of its scheduled February games. On Feb. 22 and Feb. 27, there are themed “Black Excellence” and “Black Heritage” matches during the Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Calgary Flames games, respectively.

Closer to home, the Montreal Canadiens ran a fundraiser during last year’s Black History Month, selling signed items and merch designed by Kezna Dalz, a Montreal-based artist of Haitian descent. While this is a step in the right direction, NHL teams must engage in continued celebration and action during Black History Month, rather than one-off events and partnerships. 

For the NHL, 3.74 per cent of whose employees identified as Black as of a 2022 report, the success or failure of their support of Black players and fans will be found in long-term trends of inclusion and acceptance, not the production value of their Black History Month programming. 
Across the board, leagues—and their fans—must do more to remember, celebrate, and uplift Black players. In the midst of rising backlash against Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity programs, it is crucial that leagues remain committed to combatting racism both during Black History Month and beyond. 

Campus Spotlight, Student Life, Student of the Week

Spicing up the snack game

by Tamiyana Roemer on

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When hunger strikes between classes or during late-night study sessions, the usual snack options can start to feel repetitive. To change things up, Aram Shayesteh, U2 Arts, launched a website named Allsnack in 2024, offering a curated selection of hard-to-find treats from around the world, and delivering them directly to Canadian customers. Inspired by his ongoing experience as a student, Shayesteh created Allsnack to make international snacking more accessible.

Born and raised in Montreal, Shayesteh is no stranger to the city’s multicultural landscape. Still, when he stepped foot on campus as a first-year student, he was struck by the rich diversity that characterizes the McGill student body. 

“I noticed all the different languages that I hear on campus, all the different backgrounds,” Shayesteh said in an interview with The Tribune. “I told myself it would be very interesting if there was a way [to] taste the snacks of all these places that McGill students come from.”

Shayesteh has also found that international students themselves crave the taste of authentic flavours from back home. 

“Honestly, there’s a lot of food that I miss from home,” Aashna Lakhani, U3 Science, told The Tribune. “Snacks like Kurkure and aloo bhujia, […] you can find them in supermarkets in Canada, but for some reason they just don’t taste the same. So, I feel like that’s worse because you get a taste of it, but it’s not the same, so then you’re just complaining about how bad it is.”

Shayesteh looked for a store in Montreal that carried a wide range of international snacks, but there weren’t many. To him, the dearth of such stores was incongruent with the vast cultural diversity around him—so he saw an opportunity. 

Busy schedules and tight budgets make travelling during the semester difficult for many students, but food offers a way to explore the world without leaving Montreal. It connects people, bridging cultures through shared flavours and experiences. 

“It’s like you’re travelling when you’re tasting different foods,” Shayesteh explained.

While studying abroad in the United States, Shayesteh created a nine-question Google Form assessing University of North Carolina Chapel Hill students’ interest in international snacks. To his surprise, the results indicated that students were eager to try a range of flavour combinations they’d never encountered. Among options like matcha-flavoured KitKats and cola-flavoured Haribo, the Snickers Kesta Pista—a saffron and pistachio version of the candy found in India— emerged as students’ most popular choice. Having found that there was enthusiasm for international snack foods, he decided to try and bring Allsnack to life.

In the fall, Shayesteh spent months developing his website, which offers what he calls “The essential C’s”: Candy, Chips, Chocolate, Cookies, and Crackers. Snacks featured on the website are personally tested by his 12-year-old brother, ensuring a stamp of approval before making it to customers. 

Unlike existing brick-and-mortar snack stores in Montreal, Allsnack focuses on limited-edition international food collaborations, such as Hubba Bubba x Skittles gum from the United States. While the website currently carries major brands like Oreo, Doritos, and KitKat, Shayesteh hopes to expand his selection to include regionally popular treats from lesser-known brands. Looking ahead, he envisions adding snacks from even more countries and one day launching an Allsnack pop-up store.

For students ordering from Allsnack for the first time, Shayesteh recommends trying American Wings-flavoured Doritos from Taiwan or coffee-flavoured Doritos from Australia. 

When asked about his favourite part of running Allsnack, Shayesteh’s answer was simple: “It’s a fun business. People are very happy when they eat. I love eating. I love trying new food.”

McGill, News, SSMU

SSMU announces direct reimbursement program for gender-affirming care health insurance claims

by Mairin Burke on

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The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU)’s Board of Directors (BoD) announced changes to its Gender Affirming Care (GAC) Plan via email on Jan. 23. Under the new plan, students seeking reimbursement for GAC will now submit requests to SSMU’s internal Gender and Sexuality Commissioner. Previously, these individuals would have submitted their claims to GreenShield, the insurance provider that offers SSMU’s broader Studentcare health and dental plan.

In SSMU’s email, the BoD reported that the Commissioner will anonymize GAC claims for review by their Gender and Sexuality Advocacy Committee. The current Commissioner, Bronwyn Walsh, confirmed in an interview with The Tribune that once the Committee approves these claims, the Commissioner will forward them to SSMU’s Finance Department, who will then distribute reimbursements.

“I hope it’s a comfort to people to know that their applications are going through a group of queer and trans people, rather than some kind of nebulous insurance company,” Walsh said. 

Walsh further clarified that, unlike Studentcare’s GAC, SSMU would not require a gender dysphoria diagnosis for reimbursement.

Alice Postovskiy, representative of the Union for Gender Empowerment (UGE), spoke with The Tribune about how SSMU could be an improvement from Studentcare, which she claimed was a “predatory insurance broker.”

“I trust the Gender and Sexuality Commissioner to not arbitrarily reject claims much more than I do an insurance company,” Postovskiy said.

However, both Walsh and Postovskiy expressed concerns about SSMU’s motivations behind the policy change, and the process through which this shift was made. According to Walsh, they learned of SSMU’s decision to assign their role reimbursement duties only a few weeks before all SSMU members were informed. Prior to this, the BoD had discussed the issue in confidential sessions. Walsh also claimed that the BoD proceeded with the change predominantly for financial reasons, after noticing they were losing money from the Studentcare model.

“I, unfortunately, don’t think that most of the execs […] [had] trans students’ best interests at heart, it was more [about] money,” Walsh said. 

SSMU President Dymetri Taylor told The Tribune that planning publicly would have put the union at risk of being taken advantage of financially.

Rachel Bainbridge-Sedivy, a member of the Trans Patient Union (TPU), reported that the TPU was not consulted, despite their sustained efforts to improve the Studentcare plan. 

“We’ve met with representatives from Studentcare and Greenshield over this: we have valuable expertise on this topic in many ways, and we should have been consulted,” Bainbridge-Sedivy wrote to The Tribune.

Postovskiy also criticized the SSMU’s decision to act in an insurance-provider role without putting proper accountability mechanisms to ensure the longevity of the reimbursement program.

“The SSMU does not have, in the same way an insurance company who signed a contract does, a commitment to [reimburse GAC],” Postovskiy said. “If an insurance company refuses to provide insurance, you can send them a formal demand letter and take legal action [….] [SSMU] could just cancel [the program]. They could just refuse to do it.”

Bainbridge-Sedivy also expressed worries about the program’s long-term stability once Walsh leaves their role.

“We worry that it would be very easy, a few years from now, for this to be either forgotten and underfunded or cut entirely without notifying students,” Bainbridge-Sedivy wrote. 

Taylor stated that SSMU’s status as reimburser will not be “the new norm,” as SSMU is aware that it does not have the infrastructure or expertise to provide GAC reimbursement long-term. 

“Put frankly, this isn’t the position we wanted to be in either”, Taylor wrote. “It’s a stopgap until finances can be properly rectified.”

Despite the changes SSMU has made to its GAC reimbursement structure, GAC will continue to follow the Studentcare plan’s terms of coverage. This means that Studentcare’s maximum reimbursement of $5000 CAD per GAC procedure, and lifetime maximum of $10,000 CAD, remain intact. 

Bainbridge-Sedivy discussed the TPU’s concerns about the policy’s uncertain status.

“This is an improvement if and only if the SSMU has a rigorous plan to fund and manage this, and protections to ensure that keeps happening long term,” Bainbridge-Sedivy wrote. “The problem is that there is currently no evidence that they can do so competently, and if this falls apart, transgender students are worse off than they ever were.”

To submit a GAC claim for procedures happening this semester, fill out the SSMU Form for Gender Affirming Care. To be covered for procedures that occurred before Jan. 1, 2025, submit claims directly to Studentcare.

Student Life

The landscape of clubs and initiatives supporting Black students at McGill

by Malika Logossou on

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In light of Black History Month, The Tribune spoke with Black students at McGill about their experiences and perspectives on the university’s efforts to foster inclusivity. 

The role of Black student organizations

Across both international and local perspectives, students emphasized how Black student-led organizations were key to their sense of belonging by offering professional support and safe spaces.

“Clubs like [Black Student Network] BSN and [McGill African Students’ Society] MASS provide a great support system, and clubs like [McGill Social Business Network] MSBN do their best at making sure Black people are also exposed to opportunities that may help them professionally,” Hakim Mokwena, U2 Desautels, shared.

Noemi Milca Nouala, U2 Arts, credited these organizations with easing her transition to McGill as an international student adapting to Montreal’s culture, weather, and lifestyle. 

“It is not unusual for me to be the only Black person in the room,” she said. “Being able to have this sense of community and not feel alone or like the odd one out is good. All the friends that I consider close to me, I met them at MASS or BSN during my first week at McGill. ”

Similarly, Emma-Sheryl Nana, U2 Science, told the The Tribune:  “I do think I have been able to build a sense of community throughout my time at McGill, but not because of the initiative McGill takes, but because of people like Antoine [-Samuel Mauffette Alavo, McGill’s Black Student Affairs Liaison], and MASS doing many things where we get to meet our people and build a sense of community.”

Student social life

When asked about their social integration at McGill, student experiences varied, with international students, especially those who came from countries where they were not racial minorities, reporting more positive experiences. 

“I have made friends and I haven’t really had any bad experiences,” shared Makhtar Andre Keny Ndoye, a U1 Science student.

Mokwena echoed similar sentiments: “Given that McGill is a historically white institution, it’s no secret that Black people are underrepresented in many of the faculties. However, with the multiple clubs it has catered to Black students, and Montreal being the diverse city it is, my experience has been mostly pleasant.”

Karen Nguewou, U2 Engineering, described McGill as a supportive environment. 

“It’s been a good [experience] because I feel like we have a community and a lot of spaces for Black students as well as funding for diversity and anti-racism initiatives,” she said. 

Nouala has also had a positive experience and made many friends given her involvement in numerous extracurriculars. 

“I was able to find a sense of community [during my time here], and not only was I able to meet Black people but also international students,” she added.

Black History Month: Meaningful or performative?

While many students feel a sense of belonging at McGill, some were skeptical about the university’s role in committing to supporting Black students beyond its Black History Month initiatives.

“It feels very performative because it’s one month out of the year where we get bombarded and then there’s nothing else,” Nana shared. “[If it were not performative], our history and struggles would be advertised more during Black History Month but also be integrated more seamlessly. These stories should be highlighted every single day.” 

Others acknowledged that, while some initiatives may feel performative, having events dedicated to Black students organized by student groups is better than having none at all, as those efforts seem meaningful.

“I can’t lie—where I’m from, there are absolutely no initiatives for black students,” Nguewou wrote. “Some [initiatives] are performative for sure but the ones organized by [Mauffette Alavo] seem more inclusive.”

The general consensus is that students overwhelmingly credit Black student organizations—not McGill—in creating a lasting community. McGill provides space, but students argue true inclusivity must extend beyond February. Many hope the university will offer lasting support and increase Black faculty representation to ensure real inclusion, every day.

Basketball, Sports

A sibling pick and roll: Matt and Alec Phaneuf’s rival routes

by Zain Ahmed on

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In the heart of Montreal’s university sports scene, a unique sibling rivalry is unfolding on the basketball court. Matt Phaneuf, playing for the McGill Redbirds, and his brother Alec Phaneuf, representing the Concordia Stingers, share more than just DNA. Their love for each other and their competitive spirit has been fostered through countless hours of backyard games and has shaped them into the athletes they are today. The brothers sat down with The Tribune to discuss their sibling bond.

“Anything we did growing up was always competitive,” Alec reflected. 

“Playing football one-on-one, whatever it was—after 15 minutes of doing nothing, we just had to compete against each other,” Matt added. 

Growing up in a family where sports were not just played but lived, the Phaneufs were destined for athletic success. Their mother, Marie Drapeau, was a competitive swimmer at Université Laval (ULaval) who nearly made the Olympics. Their uncle, Simon Noël, won the National Championships with ULaval Volleyball in 1993-94. Their cousin, François Gauthier-Drapeau, recently competed in the 2024 Olympics in Judo, and cousin Isaac Noël played football for the Carleton Ravens. 

The brothers’ shared profound love for basketball began in their family’s driveway. Their father Chrystian Phaneuf has been their biggest supporter, going as far as to serve as the two boys’ coach. In fact, Matt and Alec attributed their mastery of the mid-range shot—a favourite for both players on the court—to their father. 

“He was never really into one sport—he was [a] multi-sport [athlete] when he played, but now that we play basketball for rival universities, he’s not shy to say, ‘I’m living my dream through you guys,’ which is kind of inspiring,” Matt said. “It’s always nice to know that you have people in your corner.”

Today, they find themselves on opposite sides of one of Quebec’s most intense university rivalries. In their most recent matchups on Jan. 16 and 18, Concordia emerged victorious with 76-54 and 94-47 wins over McGill. However, the score tells only part of the story.

With around 30 family members attending each of their matchups, these games are more than just regular season contests; they become family-wide affairs.

“I think I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a little more importance when I play against [McGill],” Alec said.

The uniqueness of their situation is not lost on Matt, either. 

“It still feels unreal. On the court, it’s just a regular basketball game. But as soon as [Alec] steps on I feel like I’m back home,” he added.

Living together on Montreal’s South Shore adds another dimension to their relationship. After games, regardless of the outcome, they drive home together. When describing the aftermath of their games, the boys highlighted how they maintain perspective. After all, basketball is just one part of their relationship.

Matt’s view on living with a rival—and sibling—is refreshing. 

“When I’m at home, post-practice, or a game, or a long day of school, I just want to be ‘Matt who cooks,’ or ‘Matt who likes to watch Sunday Night Football,’ so we do that together on our one day off (Sunday) during the season,” he noted. “It’s nice, you know, to wind down and relax together without talking about basketball all the time.”

When asked about their advice for younger players entering collegiate sport, both brothers emphasized the importance of growth and balance. 

“Keep progressing, keep working on new stuff, keep improving,” Alec said. 

“Take it day by day,” Matt also added. “Don’t put all your eggs in the same basket. Don’t focus on just basketball, when it feels like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, you have to remind yourself that it is one day at a time, so enjoy it while you can.”

As their careers progress, both brothers may wonder what it would be like to play together rather than against each other. But for now, they will continue their rivalry, pushing each other to greater heights while maintaining a bond that only brothers can share. Currently, in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec, Concordia sits just under the Bishop’s University Gaiters in second place, while McGill is last in the standings. Both teams are aiming for playoff positions—potentially setting up another chapter in the Phaneuf brothers’ story. 

Commentary, Opinion

Building 21 is the future of interdisciplinary education

by Simona Culotta on

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Did you know that McGill offers a space where you can combine fields of study to explore, innovate, and learn beyond your program? This is Building 21 (B21). Located at 651 Sherbrooke Street West, this research facility welcomes McGill students at all levels—from undergraduate to PhD—to collaborate on groundbreaking interdisciplinary research. However, despite its inviting nature, many students at McGill have never heard of it. Why?

With McGill’s various extracurriculars, programs, and research initiatives, paired with its large student body, B21 flies under many students’ radars. Because B21 facilities provide an abundance of resources for research in uniquely interdisciplinary fields—offering an incredibly valuable dimension to a McGill degree—its programs and resources must be more streamlined into McGill’s curricula. 

B21 offers students creative and academic freedom, setting it apart from other curriculum options at McGill. It provides a space for students to explore any area of study, without the constraints of required courses. While required courses are important in their own way, they offer little autonomy to the students enrolled. Research at B21 not only encourages but requires individual motivation, meaning that any student who walks through its doors does so with an enthusiasm unique to self-directed research. McGill scholars and alumni like Victoria Macheroub Kramer, researching neurodivergence with entrepreneurship, and Mathilde Papillon, who researched multimedia technology with dance, are prime examples of McGill students who merged their academic interests with their interest to develop fascinating projects and research.

Students are further motivated to take on research projects at the B21 building because their work is not graded nor does it count for course credit. In contrast to McGill’s relentless push for academic rigour, B21 emphasizes the journey and research discovery based on an individual’s personal motivation to learn. Thus, B21 fosters genuine creativity, determination, and higher quality of work, enhancing students’ learning through their creative liberties and disciplinary overlap. This should be the goal of all academic programs at McGill, and a dimension of an academic career promoted and made easily available as part of a given courseload.

B21 has its finger on the pulse of the most valuable aspects of a university education, but its opportunities are neither well-advertized nor incorporated easily into a regular course load. Investment in interdisciplinary research is not only beneficial for students individually but is also reflective of the real world outside of academia, where nothing exists in a vacuum. Especially because studying at McGill is already compartmentalized into faculties, the freedom to transcend these barriers and put the world-class McGill education to work at intersections of multiple fields is a necessary counterpart to a student’s education. 

Such emphasis would increase participation, discussion, innovation, and support, and subsequently establish B21 as a crucial and prestigious facet of McGill’s academic resources. A growing community like this—of both professors and other students—would also push students to explore research areas that have not yet been explored. Such work sets one apart from other students, and can even lead to personalized research and internships, or standing as a successful launchpad for careers. 

B21 supports students through meaningful creative journeys and gives them the chance to join a community where exploration, imagination, and creation are the status quo. Being surrounded by people whose unique identities shine through their work is individually inspiring, and constitutes the foundation of a high-quality education. 

McGill’s degree might offer many advantages on its own, but it is clear that the B21 facilitates an unmatched opportunity for students eager to explore beyond their field of study. Without greater integration of B21 into McGill’s curriculum, students risk missing out on a transformative academic experience—one that encourages intellectual exploration and personal growth. The freedom to merge fields, free from the imposed constraints of a degree, empowers students to create and discover in ways that redefine the purpose of higher education. B21 fosters an environment where students can thrive, enjoy learning, and reach their full potential, paving the way for ambitious future pursuits.

Album Reviews, Arts & Entertainment

FKA Twigs liberates the body to free the soul

by Annabella Lawlor on

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Pounding electric bass. Neon lights strobing across the curvatures of moving muscle, flexing and softening in rhythmic tandem. Delicate and flowering falsetto melodies. Strangers coalescing in states of hedonistic dynamism. Violent snaps of the drum, spurting its vibrational heartbeats across the dancefloor. Choral pleas for unfamiliarity and euphoric authenticity pounding beneath the bounding footsteps, twirling in luminescent pleasure. Amidst the gritty atmosphere of dancing forms and synthetic song, FKA Twigs questions: “Have you experienced eusexua?”

On Jan. 24, FKA Twigs released her third studio album, EUSEXUA. An exploration of the artistic body and self, Twigs experimented with pure techno sounds on the record following her temporary residence in Prague. Inspired by the effervescent physicality and bodily surrender of the city’s club scene, Twigs made its auditory influence the underlying theme of her album. It was a landscape so undefinable that she crafted an entirely new vocabulary for describing its transcendental qualities, which led to the creation of words like “EUSEXUA.” Twigs’ unending inventiveness, both linguistically and musically, invites the listener to explore this world on her terms, replicating the ethereal quality of her life-altering experiences and the eusexual essence of life waiting to be unlocked.

In conversation with Imogen Heap, Twigs discussed the process of creating her records, explaining: “I started to think about—when making the album—these 11 pillars that hold up EUSEXUA. And the 11 pillars were aspects of my life that I felt, if I looked at and if I made adjustments to, then I could be closer to EUSEXUA. And for me, EUSEXUA is creating, purely and unabashedly. It’s feeling more comfortable in my body sexually. It is being more present and being able to be at that pinnacle of experience.”

Throughout the tracks, Twigs lyrically expresses her desire to be fully understood by another person. She longs for this sense of anonymous intimacy, of surrendering the soul to a stranger as a means to fill the concavities of loneliness that plague her form. In perhaps what is the most emotional track on the record, “Sticky,” she laments, “My body aches to be known / To be expressive in itself / I want to forgive myself / I want to release myself from the pain I have inside.” It’s an understated ballad situated amongst the electronically rapturous tracks that surround it, reflecting on the struggle of finding the inner core of personhood through bodily exploration. The track drifts between acoustic restraint and robotic climax, almost mirroring the nonlinear cycle of selfhood—the ebbing anxieties and simultaneous softness that accompanies life.

At the heart of the record, FKA Twigs asks: Can we find EUSEXUA in all aspects of life? The “Drums of Death” music video certainly shows its pre-existing presence in corporate culture. Even in the scenery of pin-striped greys, clacking keyboards, and glitching emails, one can still assume a being of unabashed authenticity. The corresponding track finds itself at the heart of the record’s utterly combative and dynamic sound; its rupturing instrumentation and skipping electronic vocals practically necessitate a responding movement in its listening. Whether clad in club clothes, khakis, or black tie, one can submit oneself to the unconstrained nature of Twigs’ songwriting to embrace this transcendental essence of being.

The current discourse surrounding this album tends to gloss over the powerful intentions of its whole, instead vocalizing singular criticisms for the song “Childlike Things,” which features North West. Though it’s hard to deny the mediocrity of the track, it should not overshadow the spiritual beauty of all else. We can instead take it as a lesson to encourage children to perhaps find creative solace in a private journal.

The alluring grittiness of EUSEXUA allows listeners to enrapture themselves in pure states of ethereal reflection. FKA Twigs’ creations are undeniably unique and purely authentic to her person. With one of the most astonishing and stunning cultural voices in the world, she is an artist in output and life.

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