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Martlets, Sports

McGill Women in Sport Program changes the game for what it means to be a Martlet

by Alex Hawes Silva on

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The McGill Women in Sport (WiS) program, established in September 2018 through a transformative $3.5 million CAD donation from alumni Sheryl (BCom’67) and David Kerr (BSc’65), is dedicated to advancing gender equity in varsity sports at McGill. As one of the few initiatives in Canada focused exclusively on women athletes and coaches, McGill’s WiS program aims to increase women’s representation in coaching and empower student-athletes through services like mental performance training, career readiness workshops, and nutrition guidance. By focusing on leadership development, empowerment, and professional growth, the WiS program is helping pave a path for women in sports at McGill and beyond.     

Roxane Carrière, the current manager of the WiS program, is a driving force of its success. With seven years of experience and research in applied sports psychology, Carrière brings an abundance of knowledge and resources to the program, backed by a passion for fighting injustice and inequity. According to Carrière, this passion derives from first experiencing gender inequity when she moved to France as a teenager. 

“Growing up in Canada, every young girl I knew played soccer, so it was quite a shock to see how [few] soccer teams there were for girls and how difficult it was to find a team to play for in France,” Carrière shared. “That was probably the first time I’d experienced gender inequity in that way.” 

This experience helped to instill a passion for creating more opportunities for women athletes and bleeds into the work Carrière does at McGill. 

A huge testament to Carrière’s work is the WiS student-athlete council she created. Comprised of 10 members, the council serves as a collaborative platform to address the challenges faced by women varsity athletes. The council ensures that WiS services and initiatives align with the needs of women student-athletes. By generating ideas from the students and acting as a liaison between athletes and the program management team, the council plays a pivotal role in shaping a more inclusive and supportive sports environment at McGill. 

Gordon Bloom also plays a crucial role in the formation of mental performance support within the WiS. As the director of the McGill Sport Psychology Research Laboratory, Bloom uses his 25 years of experience in the field to work with the WiS to allocate mental performance support where it is needed within the varsity teams at McGill. 

“We have assigned each Martlet team with a Mental Performance Consultant, who aids the athletes with mental health support, performance strategies, and really just helps them elevate their mental game,” Bloom said. 

Another notable achievement of the WiS program is the increased proportion of women coaches at McGill, which has more than doubled from 16.7 per cent when it was first created to 38.1 per cent by 2022. 

Additionally, WiS fosters a sense of community among women varsity athletes through events like Women in Sport Day, where all McGill Martlets teams come together to watch a sporting event at McGill. The next upcoming Women in Sport Day is Jan. 26 at Place Bell; young student-athletes from the greater Montreal area will be invited to watch a Martlets hockey game and meet the team afterward. Events like this bring together the woman athlete community and help to inspire younger players by giving them role models to look up to as they keep pursuing their athletic aspirations. 

The McGill Women in Sport Program is a significant example of how targeted initiatives can create meaningful change in the world of varsity athletics. By prioritizing gender equity, increasing women’s representation in coaching, and providing support to student-athletes, the program has had a transformative impact on the lives of women athletes not only within McGill but across Montreal and Canada.

“Going forward, we hope that the program continues to elevate the female athlete experience here at McGill, but also that they use these skills they have learned here as a tool to grow as people after their time here,” Carrière stated.

As it continues to expand, the Women in Sport Program not only empowers women athletes and coaches; it also inspires future generations of women and other universities to fight for equality and inclusion in sports.  

News, SSMU

SSMU BoD debates gender-neutral washrooms at first meeting of 2025

by Mairin Burke on

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The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Board of Directors (BoD) held its first meeting of 2025 on Jan. 7,  discussing topics ranging from hiring practices to gender-neutral washrooms in the University Centre.

The meeting began in a confidential session before SSMU President Dymetri Taylor presented the Executive Committee Public Report, which included a motion on hiring at the student bar and café Gerts to prepare for its Jan. 6 reopening. 

Next, Taylor reviewed motions passed on Jan. 6, including some delegating the oversight of SSMU staff under the Vice-President (VP) Sustainability and Operations portfolio to other executives. VP External Hugo-Victor Solomon moved to oversee SSMU’s Grocery Program Coordinator and Sustainability Coordinator positions, while VP University Affairs Abe Berglas now supports the Campus Crops Coordinator.

Next, the Board ratified a motion to approve 2025 Winter Referendum dates, establishing the nomination period as Feb. 3 to 21 and the campaign and polling period as March 10 to 21.

The second motion, brought forward by Berglas, aimed to increase the number of gender-neutral washrooms in the SSMU building by modifying existing bathroom designations. Director Rishi Kalaga reported that some students raised concerns regarding the presence of gender-neutral washrooms directly next to the campus bar.

“A lot of women have come to me and said, ‘Look, this motion does not represent us. This motion is a threat to our safety and our security,’” Kalaga said.

Berglas responded that the motion aligns with SSMU’s Trans Advocacy Plan, stating that McGill’s Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) exclusively has gender-neutral washrooms in the Thomson House, which also hosts a bar. According to Berglas, PGSS has not reported issues relating to this matter. Berglas further noted that three-quarters of SSMU’s Legislative Council were in favour of the motion on Dec. 5, and discussed the need to centre trans voices in conversations about the motion.

“I don’t think, if you’re not a part of a minority group, you get to decide whether or not you’re transphobic,” Berglas said. “Just like I wouldn’t be able to decide whether or not I did something racist. That’s just not really for people not in that group to say.” 

Councilmember Hamza Abu-Alkhair raised concerns from the Muslim Students Association about a lack of women-only washrooms next to the Gerts-adjacent SSMU prayer room.

“Women who wear the hijab, for example, when they want to wash up or fix their hijab, they have to do so in a female space, and men shouldn’t be able to see that, so they had expressed concern about the motion,” Abu-Alkhair said.

Alongside other Board members, VP Finance Pauline Jolicoeur and General Manager Maya Marcus-Sells expressed uncertainty about the motion’s adherence to Quebec building code and health and safety provisions that do not explicitly address gender-neutral washrooms. General Manager Maya Marcus-Sells expressed that she has not been able to see any legislation that illustrated that the motion would be in violation of Quebec law. She shared that while she believes that the motion adheres to Quebec building code and health and safety provisions, it is best practice to confirm compliance through legal review.

Berglas affirmed the importance of these facilities.

“We shouldn’t be making a choice between the comfort of women and the ability for trans people to go to the bathroom. To me, that just doesn’t sound like a reasonable assessment,” Berglas said. 

Jolicouer also noted concerns that McGill’s ownership of the building would require SSMU to request university permission to pass the motion. President Taylor motioned to approve a budget of $1,000 CAD for a review of the gender-neutral washroom motion’s adherence to Quebec law and McGill policy by the firm Melançon Marceau Grenier Cohen. The Board approved the Quebec law review component of Taylor’s motion. Councilmember Emma Chen suggested a postponement of the original gender-neutral washroom motions until after legal review, which the Board formally agreed to.

Before moving back into confidential session, the Board unanimously approved a motion to nominate a vetted candidate to a Judicial Board role, a motion to appoint Director Honoah Xu to the Finance Committee, and a motion to approve Terms of Reference for the Health and Safety Committee, which ensure the well-being of full-time employees at SSMU.

Moment of the Meeting: Taylor reported that the Menstrual Health Project has increased its number of coordinators.

Soundbite: “It’s very important for us to realize that we have a very large and diverse membership, and we should try to take them all into account.” — Marcus-Sells on increasing gender-neutral washrooms in the University Centre.

A previous version of this article stated that Maya Marcus-Sells expressed uncertainty about the motion’s adherence to Quebec building code. In fact, Marcus-Sells argued that she believes the motion is in adherence to building code and health and safety provisions. The Tribune regrets this error. 

News, SSMU

SSMU President Taylor hopes to improve transparency after facing impeachment vote

by Eliza Lee on

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On the evening of Dec. 16, polls for the referendum on the impeachment of President of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Dymetri Taylor closed. The referendum failed, with 58.6 per cent of voting students voting “No,” 41.4 per cent voting “Yes,” and 8.4 per cent abstaining. With an overall 16.9 per cent voter turnout, Taylor remains in the position. 

The referendum came after the approval of the Motion Regarding the Removal of President Taylor at a Dec. 5 SSMU General Assembly (GA) meeting. The motion called for Taylor’s removal on the grounds of “impropriety” and “delinquency of duties” as per SSMU’s constitution. 

At the GA, students claimed that Taylor had unduly denied a motion—brought forth by Students for Palestine’s Honour and Resistance (SPHR) at McGill—which sought to have students vote on whether SSMU would participate in a student strike for Palestine. Taylor claimed the wording of the strike motion was nearly identical to that of the Policy Against Genocide in Palestine and would therefore violate the injunction suspending this policy. Taylor also told SPHR that there was no way to maintain the strike motion’s support of Palestine without breaching the injunction. 

Students argued that through this communication, Taylor had inflated the extent to which legal orders hindered the union from showing support for Palestine. They cited as evidence a document containing SSMU’s legal advice, which an anonymous source claiming to be a former member of SSMU’s Board of Governors shared with student groups, including The Tribune, on Nov. 27.

Taylor told The Tribune that he misunderstood the legal constraints SSMU faced and acknowledged that he misrepresented these constraints to students. Taylor went on to emphasize that he will seek to improve transparency by sharing more information with students around what actions SSMU can take with regard to supporting social movements.

“It’s trying to continue to walk the steady line that comes with all our rules, regulations, and everything that binds the SSMU, to work within the bounds of what we’re faced with […] and to ensure that—so long as nothing is against what the law, our rules, and McGill’s rules—to keep it open as to what people can do,” Taylor said. 

“If we can’t do anything, for instance, then perhaps there [are] other avenues that you can take that we can offer you to reach the end goal,” he continued.

Taylor also spoke to the importance of the SSMU Accountability Commissioner in ensuring that the union’s employees, including its executive team, act in accordance with SSMU’s constitution, policies, and internal regulations. Students can raise concerns about the performance of a SSMU employee to the Accountability Commissioner, who investigates these claims and makes recommendations to the relevant governance body on how to address infractions.

A representative from SPHR, who wished to remain unnamed, highlighted the success of the GA and explained that the group does not see the referendum’s ultimate outcome as a failure. 

“This GA shook things up [….] It really opened people’s eyes to the fact that SSMU does need to change,” they said. “Obviously, there were issues with the strike motion being purposefully delayed. This is a pattern for SSMU […] waving their hand and using legal jargon as an excuse or [using] bureaucratic constraints as an excuse. I think the student body, and even people within SSMU, are realizing things do need to change.”

The representative was hopeful that the impeachment would signal a new precedent to future candidates in the upcoming SSMU executive elections in the Winter 2025 semester. They noted that SPHR will continue to encourage students to use their democratic rights to demand accountability from student leadership.

In interviews with The Tribune, some students echoed the value of the impeachment referendum as a way to hold Taylor responsible for his errors, regardless of whether his actions were intentional or not.

“I think that when you’re in a position of leadership, you have the responsibility to make sure that you’re not making careless mistakes that are harming the student population and the world beyond,” Chloe Wei, U1 Science, told The Tribune. 

Kennedy McDiarmid, U3 Arts, expressed frustration at how Taylor handled the strike motion and spoke to a feeling that SSMU is “constantly band-aiding” its problems.

“It would just be nice to have a student union that’s effectively run and represents the voices of the people in a factual, […] and effective manner,” McDiarmid said.

Science & Technology

Take The Tribune’s Science and Technology quiz

by Ella Paulin on

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Which McGill campus building has an observatory on its roof?

a) McIntyre Medical Building
b) McCall MacBain Arts Building
c) Burnside Hall
d) Ernest Rutherford Physics Building

What causes the glowing green light in the sky over Montreal?

a) The aurora borealis / northern lights
b) The Desjardins Complex
c) Global warming
d) Aliens

Barbara Althea Jones was a Trinidadian professor at McGill in the 1960s who had what combination of vocations?

a) Physicist and painter
b) Neuroscientist and historian
c) Geneticist and poet
d) Mathematician and philosopher

How many watts are the light bulbs in the spinning beacon on top of the Royal Bank of Canada building in downtown Montreal?

a) 800
b) 1,800
c) 2,500
d) 6,000

Which of the following is a real degree at McGill?

a) Environment, Ecology, and Ethics
b) Sustainability, Science, and Society
c) Climate Change, Culture, and Criticism
d) Global Warming, Geopolitics, and Governance

What unusual material are the wheels of the Montreal Metro made out of?

a) Plastic
b) Carbon fibre
c) Steel
d) Rubber

Which Canadian institution did Maude Abbott, for whom the Maude Abbott Medical Museum is named, receive her medical degree from, after being refused entry to McGill on the basis of her gender?

a) Bishop’s University
b) University of Toronto
c) Queen’s University
d) Royal Victoria College

Which two McGill buildings burned down in unrelated incidents in 1907?

a) The original Burnside Hall and the Redpath Museum
b) Royal Victoria Hospital and Royal Victoria College
c) MacDonald Engineering and the Old Medical Building
d) The Arts Building and MacDonald-Harris

Answers:

d) Ernest Rutherford Physics Building
b) The Desjardins Complex
c) Geneticist and poet
c) 2,500
b) Sustainability, Science, and Society
d) Rubber
a) Bishop’s University
c) MacDonald Engineering and the Old Medical Building

Campus Spotlight, Student Life

Dead languages live on campus

by Ella Paulin on

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Nobody tell the Office québécois de la langue française, but if you keep a careful eye out, there are a handful of improperly-francized signs hiding around the McGill campus. For once, though, they’re not in English—and no, it’s not the Italian “pasta” advertised at the Royal Victoria College Dining Hall either. This time, the culprits are older than Quebec itself—or French, for that matter: This time it’s Latin and Greek quotes. Although including Latin and Greek inscriptions in modern construction is rare, if you look closely at some of the older buildings on campus, you can still spot several ancient phrases on building stones and above archways.

Grandescunt aucta labore

This is likely the most common Latin phrase you can spot on campus, as it is McGill’s official motto and part of the university’s coat of arms. Translating to “By work, all things increase and grow,” the quote compliments McGill’s official mascot: The martlet, a mythical bird that has no feet and can never stop flying, symbolizing industry and studiousness. Taken together, the motto and mascot paint quite a picture of the ideal McGill student’s work-life balance. You can see this inscription inside the Arts Building, over the door to the James Administration Building, and in the lobby of Sherbrooke 680. 

αριστον μεν υδωρ

One of the few Greek inscriptions on campus, this is a historically-attested phrase meaning “Water is the best of all things,” and suitably appearing over the drinking fountain on the first floor of the Birks Building. It is attributed to the Ancient Greek poet Pindar and can also be found in the town of Bath, England, inside its 18th-century pump room supplying a Roman-style bath. 

Concordia salus

While technically on campus, this phrase is actually part of Montreal’s official coat of arms. It appears above an archway of the McTavish Reservoir & Pumping Station, visible from Ave. du Dr-Penfield. The Latin phrase translates roughly to “Salvation through harmony,” and was also the inspiration for choosing the name “Concordia University” when Sir George Williams University and Loyola College merged in 1974. 

καλλιστον εφοδιον τωι γηραι η παιδεια

This Greek inscription actually appears twice on campus, once above the fireplace in the Birks lounge, and once over the inside of the main entrance to the Arts Building. It translates to “The finest provision for old age is education,” and is attributed to Aristotle, as quoted by Diogenes Laertius in his Lives of Eminent Philosophers. 

Nosce te ipsum

Unlike most of the other phrases on this list, Nosce te ipsum is a fairly recent addition to the McGill campus. Located in the Strathcona Anatomy and Dentistry Building as part of an exhibition by the Maude Abbott Medical Museum, the quote can be found in several old fire-extinguisher boxes in the stairwells and hallways. The expression means “Know thyself” and was popular in both Latin and Ancient Greek philosophical texts. During the Renaissance, it became common to use this quote in medical texts, with the mantra symbolizing the quest to understand the human body more deeply. 

Hic est locus ubi mors resurgens rediviva est

If you look up at the Duff Medical Building from Ave. des Pins, you’ll find this bold assertion over the top of an archway. Proudly declaring, “Here is the place where death arises to new life,” this statement reflects the optimistic, but often arrogant, tone of the medical profession in the early twentieth century. The inscription dates back to the original construction of the building in the 1920s.

Editorial, Opinion

McGill does not contest the latest faculty union certification: A shift or merely an exception?

by The Tribune Editorial Board on

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On Dec. 31, the Tribunal administratif du travail certified the Association of McGill Academic Staff of the School of Continuing Studies (AMASCS) as McGill’s fourth faculty union. AMASCS is the first instance of faculty unionization that McGill did not contest in court—a pivotal moment for the unions, who have faced protracted, embattled paths toward certification over the past few years. 

In April of last year, the Association of the McGill Professors of Law (AMPL) went on an indefinite strike to protest stalled negotiations over a collective agreement (CA) with McGill that would protect faculty governance, pay, and work conditions. McGill maintained an anti-union stance throughout its legal battle with AMPL and the subsequent strike, delaying the Fall semester, before finally reaching a settlement with the union in October. 

The Association of Graduate Students Employed at McGill (AGSEM) faced similar hostility when negotiating with the university for higher wages and a new CA. McGill refused to meet AGSEM’s demands for a wage increase, and its counter-proposal only addressed one of several main demands—allowing one Union Delegate per Hiring Unit to attend their annual meetings—leading to a strike in March that delayed coursework grading and put overwhelming pressure on McGill professors. 

While a necessary first step, McGill’s lack of contestation of AMASCS does not make up for the university’s long-standing “bad faith” in union negotiations, its reluctance to adequately meet demands, or, more broadly, its institutional stance towards unions on campus. The acceptance of AMASCS is an important step forward, but it may have more to do with the nature of the faculty itself than a fundamental change in McGill’s attitude. While the academic staff of the School of Continuing Studies are critical workers at McGill, the faculty is relatively small, and its unionization empowers a smaller number of members in relation to the McGill administration compared to larger faculties. 

If McGill remains committed to recognizing and respecting faculty unionization, the certification of AMASCS will mark a monumental step toward fostering a true workers-first environment. Continuing to support unionization efforts in other faculties would demonstrate McGill’s dedication to equity, solidarity, and the empowerment of all workers, laying the foundation for a more just and collaborative campus community.  However, if McGill chooses to sustain historic hostility towards unionization and union demands, the AMASCS certification will be little more than a token example to which McGill can point when criticized for its anti-union attitude. 

Unions are a vital artery in any institution, but especially an educational one. They bring individuals together to act as a collective bargaining unit to protect rights, wages, work conditions, and a salient voice in the administration and its decisions. Unions are a benefit to faculty and students alike; when professors are better paid and better treated, they are able to offer a higher-quality education to their students, thus maintaining the academic prestige McGill proudly advertises. 

As unionized workers have gone on strike for their rights at McGill, students and administrators have wrongly misplaced the blame, criticizing striking TAs or Law professors for the inconvenience of overdue grades or delayed semesters, respectively. McGill’s historically anti-union stance has exacerbated this animosity towards strikers—a resentment which should be directed at the administration whose mistreatment made the strike necessary in the first place. Such misdirected anger only adds to the exploitation and disrespect strikers have already endured as victims of administrative mistreatment. 

Despite McGill’s institutional attitude towards unions, the aggregated progress of AMPL, AGSEM, and now AMASCS has paved a smoother road for future collectives. In the same way unity within a faculty births political power larger than the sum of its parts, unity between faculties does the same. It proves to both McGill and its non-unionized faculties that unionization is possible and can be won, even against an administration that opposes it. 

Where this animosity threatens to pit members of the McGill community against one another, students and faculty alike must remember their solidarity, and strength in numbers. We must acknowledge that unions are a universal good, and remind ourselves that we are all fighting for the same future community. Faculty rights become students’ gains, and students’ gains are McGill’s gains, both as a world-renowned university and as a community of people who have come together to teach, learn, and support one another.

Commentary, Opinion

In the wake of Trudeau’s resignation, U.S. political polarization should serve as a cautionary tale

by Ellen Lurie on

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A widely unpopular progressive party leader, having unsuccessfully attempted to fend off a populist conservative challenger, is forced to step down for the sake of his party’s re-election prospects. Wait, who are we talking about?

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s resignation on Jan. 6, 2025 shares eerie resemblance with former U.S. President Joe Biden’s choice to step down this past July. Both represent an attempt to distance the two parties from the poor image voters have of their soon-to-be-former leaders. Americans now know that Biden’s decision to step down from the position of Democratic Party nominee was neither sufficiently impactful nor well-timed enough to win former Vice President Kamala Harris the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election. To ensure that Trudeau’s resignation will not result in a similar failure, the Canadian Liberal Party must seize the lifeline Trudeau has thrown to them. 

Looking back, perhaps the largest obstacle that stood between Harris and the U.S. presidency was her association with the Biden administration, as many Americans doubted that she would go beyond echoing Biden’s policies. A similar concern exists now among Canadian Liberals; almost all the potential replacements for Trudeau have either worked or are still working in his cabinet. If Liberals wish to compete with Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre in the upcoming election, they must clearly differentiate themselves from the Trudeau period and demonstrate their capacity to move forward.

However, the Liberals do have a crucial factor on their side: Time. Harris had come into the presidential race without the execution of an open Democratic primary, limiting the American public’s faith in her, and leaving a mere three months to mount a campaign from scratch. Trudeau’s resignation differs, as there is ample time to identify an inspiring replacement through a traditional leadership race. Trudeau’s proroguing of Parliament until Mar. 24, 2025 ensures that the Liberals will have several months to choose a party leader who could reasonably win the election before a motion of confidence is called.

In addition to their differences in electoral timeline, two additional factors exist that could win the Liberals favour: The prospect of a U.S. tariff on Canadian goods and Trump’s remarks on making Canada the ‘51st state.’ Such an international threat could generate a rally-around-the-flag effect, as Canadians, regardless of their party affiliation, would be united in their fear of threats to Canadian sovereignty by U.S. economic force. The Trump problem could thus be, if weaponized efficiently by Trudeau and his successor, a tool to attract voters to the Liberal party with effective solutions to tariff threats.

Finally, and perhaps most significantly, it is necessary to recognize that Canadian politics are not nearly as polarized as U.S. politics. The election of President Donald Trump represents an undeniable threat to American democratic processes, both due to his identity as a convicted felon and perpetrator of sexual assault and rape and because of his political agenda. Trump’s Agenda47 is centred on the deportation of immigrants—who Trump refers to as ‘illegals,’ censorship of ‘radical’ educational topics, aggressive attacks on TSLGBTQIA+ rights, reversal of climate change policies, and still more. Severe ideological divides followed in the wake of these extremist proposals, meaning that bipartisan collaboration in favour of the people was almost inconceivable. By contrast, Canada has witnessed numerous instances of cross-party cooperation, such as in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, worker striking laws, trade relations with the U.S. and Mexico, and the rights of Indigenous peoples. The Liberal Party therefore must be cautious over these next few months so as not to introduce a level of polarization that makes democratic collaboration impossible. 

As shapers of public discourse, McGill students must commit to collaborative dialogue over partisan divides. Through forums for cross-partisan student discussion, the McGill student body can fight the drift towards polarization, shaping a better political future for generations to come. Regardless of whether history repeats itself in Canada this election cycle, the disturbingly polarized nature of U.S. politics should serve as a cautionary tale. Members of the Canadian political landscape must take deliberate steps to avoid entering a state of deep division that has already paralyzed governance and fractured communities in the United States.

News, SSMU

Gerts serves its first beers after spending eight months closed for renovations and restructuring

by Daniel Miksha on

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Gerts, McGill’s campus bar, reopened to the public on Jan. 6 after spending the Fall semester with shuttered doors. Located in the basement of the University Centre, Gerts served its last beer on April 26, 2024, before closing for over eight months due to problems with its electrical system and management structure. 

Despite delays in reopening, the 50-year-old student bar is fully operational again. The Gerts Café, which used to occupy the same space as the bar, has been slated to relocate to the main floor of the University Centre.

The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) executive team wrote to The Tribune explaining that infrastructure problems and difficulties with Gerts’ management arrangement were the main reasons for the bar’s closure last semester.

“Gerts was initially closed due to changes in the management structure that made hiring for new managers necessary, as well as newly identified issues pertaining to purchasing new furniture and equipment and the electrical system in the Gerts bar area that required moving the café upstairs,” the executives wrote. 

After Gerts’ management was reconfigured, the staff hiring process continued throughout the entirety of the Fall semester, and contractors began carrying out renovations.

Former SSMU Vice-President (VP) Operations and Sustainability Meg Baltes helped coordinate Gerts’ renovation and eventual reopening throughout the fall. This involved sourcing higher-quality furniture for the bar and replacing aging equipment for the well-loved hub of student life.

“A significant amount of effort was put into predicting future issues and accounting for them during our renovations and restructurings [….] There were definitely hiccups in the reopening, as any bar will face, but most of these were due to delays in working with third-party service providers,” Baltes wrote to The Tribune. “We are [in] a McGill building, so we are not allowed to modify the building ourselves and [renovations] must operate on Facilities Management and Ancillary Services’ timeframe.”

The position of VP Operations and Sustainability, which is responsible for managing Gerts, sits vacant following Baltes’ resignation effective Dec. 13. Though a by-election was held to fill the position, its results were nullified after it failed to reach the required 15 per cent quorum. However, SSMU executives remain confident this vacancy will not affect Gerts’ operations in the coming semester. 

“This vacancy has no impact on the funding or operations of Gerts. Management of Gerts is stable independent of the VP’s role being filled, as the Gerts Bar Manager and Gerts Cafe Manager report to the Student Life Operations (SLO) Director, who is a full-time employee of the SSMU,” the SSMU executive team wrote to The Tribune.

As part of SSMU’s SLO department, Gerts is owned and operated by SSMU. As a result, Gerts does not have to pay rent, nor does it have to maintain its own communications team or HR division, and the bar receives funding from student fees. 

“Gerts does not receive direct funding in the form of a specific amount from the SSMU; however, Gerts staff, like any SLO staff, are paid by the SSMU and any losses incurred by Gerts are covered by the SSMU,” the executive team told The Tribune.

Leo Ortega, U3 Arts, enjoyed a beer with his friends on Gerts’ opening night, excited to see the bar reopened. 

“I think it’s a good use of SSMU money,” Ortega told The Tribune. “You don’t really have any community spaces on campus, this is the closest we have to that. Bands play here, people meet up here. I think it’s something that was lacking over the last semester.”

Baltes was also optimistic about the semester to come. 

“[Gerts] spans generations as a staple of the campus, with many alumni visiting, telling the bartenders about old Gerts stories from decades ago,” she wrote. “I am happy that the SSMU has been able to support this institution and bring it back to students in full force this semester.”

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV, Music

What we liked this winter break

by Bianca Sugunasiri, Isobel Bray, Annabella Lawlor, Charlotte Hayes, Tamiyana Roemer on

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Squid Game Season 2 – Bianca Sugunasiri, Staff Writer 

Dec. 26 marked the release of director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s highly anticipated Squid Game Season 2. The show revolves around the titular “Squid Game,” which extorts the vulnerabilities of financially struggling Korean citizens by offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win a fortune. Accepting the offer lands contestants in a game that has them gambling with their lives. The extortion of the weak is nothing new, but the game’s twisted design features a series of traditional Korean children’s games with gruesome stakes: Elimination by death. 

Season 2 veers away from the shock factor of Season 1 to a layered plot that is both horrifying and psychologically intriguing as characters are forced into impossible decisions. Innocent individuals turn murderous as their desperation turns to greed. The impeccable acting elevates the plot with visceral portrayals of pain and torment. Each character displays inconsistency in the morality of their actions. Lee Byung-hun‘s portrayal of Hwang In-ho was particularly mesmerizing. In-ho, one of the masterminds (The Front Man), inserts himself into the game and befriends tragic hero Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), who seeks to undermine the twisted organization. At times In-ho appears genuine in his support of the players’ successes, inviting the audience to question the integrity of even the most abhorrent characters.

The perfect blend of horror and satire, Squid Game Season 2 investigates the good, the bad, and the gory of the human condition in a way that will have you binging the series in a week (or 48 hours, as I did). 

Squid Game is available on Netflix.

The Good Whale – Tamiyana Roemer, Staff Writer 

Oscar Wilde once argued that “Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life,” and the podcast The Good Whale exemplifies this concept particularly well.

When Keiko starred as the titular orca in the 1993 Warner Bros. classic Free Willy, he became a beloved global icon. So when it was revealed that Keiko was dying—largely due to the sub-par facilities in which he lived—the public outcry was remarkable. Keiko’s millions of adoring fans, led by armies of impassioned children, inspired a massively ambitious operation in which well-meaning experts butt heads over what it truly meant to free Keiko. In six episodes, host Daniel Alarcón delivers Keiko’s journey from Mexico to Norway through a lyrical line of storytelling alongside immersive, atmospheric scoring. His interviews with Keiko’s former trainers and advisors are both compelling and conflicting, reflecting the infighting that defined the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation. 

I was devastated by a whale’s setbacks and elated over his achievements. Keiko’s tale is one of hope and dedication, but it is also a reminder of human fallibility, amidst even the best of intentions. 

A Gentleman in Moscow – Isobel Bray, Contributor

Based on Amor Towles’s 2016 book of the same name, A Gentleman in Moscow is an emotional short series set amidst the changing political landscape of 20th-century Russia. We follow Count Alexander Ilyich Rostov (Ewan McGregor) in the aftermath of the Bolshevik Revolution. Rostov, a member of the deposed aristocracy, avoids execution—and is instead sentenced to spend the rest of his days in the luxurious Metropol Hotel. The story captures the unique environment of post-revolutionary Moscow with beautiful cinematography. 

The series shines in its combination of vivid characters and self-contained setting. It is mostly filmed in the hotel, creating a simultaneously comforting and claustrophobic atmosphere. Very few scenes take place outside and are mostly given in flashbacks: The viewer gets to experience Russia as Rostov does, from within the confines of the Metropol.

McGregor delivers a charismatic and emotional performance, blending the Count’s elegance and humour with grief and melancholy. We not only follow the Count’s life but the many characters that move in and out of it. The hotel guests and staff are loveable and eccentric, both in their own stories and the parts they play in Rostov’s—teaching him valuable lessons along the way.

A Gentleman in Moscow is an immersive story of resilience and friendship, perfect for adding warmth to the dark winter months. 

A Gentleman in Moscow is available on Paramount+ or for free on CBC Gem.

Space 1.8 by Nala Sinephro – Annabella Lawlor, Staff Writer

Crickets and chirping birds underscore the crunching of coiling leaves beneath feet; plucked harp chords and brassy notes creep into view. Harpist and synth composer Nala Sinephro explores the concavities of the auditory universe in her 2021 ambient jazz record, Space 1.8. This wondrous ambiance is alluring, mysterious, and intense. Its entrancing rhythms placate the senses, hushing anxieties with whooshing melodies and electrified synthesizers.

With each song like a different constellation to be observed, Sinephro’s atmospheric landscape transports listeners to unearthly dimensions. Nubya Garcia’s outstanding saxophone performance on “Space 4”—her only appearance on the record—traipses through the star-lit sky, dancing through nebulous psychedelia and drifting debris. 

Sinephro and ensemble effortlessly capture the curiosity, peril, and looming unknown of space exploration. Its seeming simplicity is rather a complex mastery of the ambient soundscape; Sinephro’s work is a stunning study of what lies beyond our world, inviting listeners to imagine this orbiting, threatening, and immense environment.

Children of Men dir. Alfonso Cuarón – Charlotte Hayes, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Although it was released in 2006, Alfonso Cuarón’s dystopian film Children of Men, based on the P. D. James novel, feels eerily prescient as it imagines the not-so-distant future of 2027. Set in a world reeling from an infertility pandemic and societal collapse, the story unfolds in a chaotic Britain. When Theo (Clive Owen), a jaded bureaucrat, is unexpectedly contacted by a former lover, he is drawn into a desperate fight to protect humanity’s last hope.

On a technical filmmaking level, Children of Men is unparalleled. Despite its existentially heavy premise, the film delivers some of the most breathtaking action set pieces of the 21st century. One standout scene involves a flaming car ambush in the woods, followed by an anxiety-inducing motorcycle chase—all within the first 45 minutes. This heart-pounding sequence, one of the most intense 20 minutes I’ve ever experienced, is just the beginning. The film maintains its relentless pace, constantly raising the stakes and leaving no room for the characters—or the audience—to catch their breath. With world-ending stakes and viscerally intense action, it is impossible to look away, even for a moment.

The eerie accuracy with which the film predicts—or at least mirrors—global events of the late 2010s and early 2020s only enhances the brilliance of its script. Most notably, it highlights how pandemics can incite systemic violence and discrimination against marginalized groups. In Children of Men, the infertility crisis leads to a government program aimed at deporting immigrants under the guise of protecting ‘British jobs’ for ‘real citizens.’ This fictional medical emergency becomes a haunting allegory for how fear and scarcity can drive authoritarianism, xenophobia, and the erosion of fundamental human rights. Children of Men doesn’t just envision a dystopian future—it forces us to confront the fragile foundations of our own society and the devastating consequences of their collapse.

Science & Technology

Unveiling the adaptive roles of autistic behaviours

by K. Coco Zhang on

More in Science & Technology:

Autism, also known as autism spectrum disorder, affects approximately one in 100 children worldwide. It constitutes a diverse group of brain development conditions that impact how individuals perceive and socialize with others, often leading to differences in social interaction and communication in comparison to their neurotypical peers. 

One of the hallmark features of autism spectrum disorder is the presence of restrictive and repetitive behaviours and interests (RRBIs). 

According to Stephanie Lung, a PhD candidate in McGill’s Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, one characteristic of RRBIs is repetitive motor behaviour, such as hand flapping, finger flicking, and feet flexing.

“Another characteristic of RRBIs is insistence on sameness. This can translate into behaviours like eating the same food every day, having to sit in the same room every single time, or sticking to a specific routine. Any changes to the routine can be overwhelming,” Lung said in an interview with The Tribune. “The third characteristic is exceptional knowledge in a very specific area that could appear developmentally inappropriate.” 

Interestingly, RRBIs serve regulatory purposes for autistic people. Present from early childhood, RRBIs are associated with developmental benefits, and their continued presence beyond early childhood suggests that they may serve adaptive functions.

To gain a deeper understanding of RRBIs, Lung and her team recently conducted a study that examined the current literature and investigated the primary functions of RRBIs in autism.

Drawing from key evidence in existing literature, Lung found that RRBIs serve several important functions for autistic individuals, one of which is sensory regulation. Compared to non-autistic populations, autistic people are more sensitive to changes in environmental stimuli.

“For example, they may be exceptionally sensitive to bright light or loud noises. If the clothes are not soft enough, they will not wear them. If there is a droplet of water on their clothes, they have to pick it out right away,” Lung explained.

Due to these sensory sensitivities, the study highlighted a need to provide a calming environment for autistic children so that they can optimally learn and process information. A Snoezelen room, for example, provides an environment with light, sound, and touch stimuli designed to help reduce agitation among people with autism.

Another important function of RRBIs is to manage elevated levels of anxiety, which are common for autistic people. Anxiety in autism is often associated with unpredictability and sensory processing issues, such as loud noises, physical touch, and specific food textures or tastes. Repetitive motor behaviours can serve as a calming strategy, helping to temporarily disconnect autistic individuals from unpleasant sensory experiences and alleviate anxiety related to sensory overload. 

Furthermore, the study suggests that RRBIs, particularly insistence on sameness, play a role in establishing familiarity in unpredictable surroundings. The adherence to a known routine or ritual reintroduces certainty to a changing environment, thereby alleviating feelings of fear and anxiety associated with the unknown and chaos.

Lung’s research sheds light on the constructive characteristics of RRBIs, contrasting with the broader literature that often focuses on their interfering impact. The identified functions of RRBIs can serve as criteria for evaluating the usefulness and effectiveness of existing behavioural interventions for autism.

Although Lung’s paper strives to be systematic and comprehensive, it primarily includes studies from Europe and North America, potentially limiting the cultural representativeness of perspectives on RRBIs. Additionally, the exclusion of non-English studies restricts the inclusion of non-English-speaking autistic experiences. 

“Future research should also explore how these behaviours vary across different age groups, life circumstances, and cultures,” Lung added.

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