The McGill administration has announced that McGrills – grills shaped like the word McGill – will be available at the McGill Bookstore, effective immediately.
In an interview with the Tribune, Vice-Principle (University Services) Jim Nicell was excited by the grills, which he hopes will boost student pride.
“We want the students to have the chance to express their school pride in a less conventional way than, say, a T-shirt or a sweatshirt,” said Nicell, teeth glittering with what he later explained was a beta model. “This is also a great way of infusing some much-needed bling into the McGill student body.”
Grills, a type of gold jewelry that fit over the wearer’s teeth, are a conspicuous part of hip-hop culture, sported by legends such as Flava Flav, Nelly, and Lil’ Jon. Nelly once wrote a hit single in tribute to the growing fad, unsurprisingly called “Grillz.” Even stars far from the hip-hop scene – Travis Barker of Blink-182 and Marilyn Manson, to name a few – have been known to sport grills.
The launch is part of a larger initiative to bring the production of McGill products in-house. The initiative began with the internalization of coursepacks in early 2009.
“McGill has been very efficient in manufacturing and distributing its own coursepacks,” said Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Morton Mendelson. “So we figured that we might as well produce other things.”
The students who have decided to pioneer the purchase said that they could not be happier with their decision.
“I have never really felt cool before,” said Matt Parker, U4 engineering. “But as I soon as I bought myself a pair of these bad boys, there was just no turning back. I had to practically fight my way out of a group of girls throwing themselves at me.”
Parker noted that this trend has become most popular among engineering students, many of whom were behind the design and production of McGrills.
While some students enjoy the aesthetic appeal, others wear them as a powerful political statement.
“I see them as a way of reclaiming my voice,” says Sarah Dartmouth, U2 women’s studies. “Although the patriarchal society has long silenced me, wearing [McGrills] allows me to emphasize both the power of my words and the institution that has helped empower me.”
McGrills can be purchased at the Mcgill Bookstore for $4.99. The current model is gold-painted plastic, but bookstore employees have suggested that a newer, sparkly version embellished with cubic zirconia will be available by late April.
