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Editorial, Opinion

Preventing gendered sexual violence requires systemic solutions

by The McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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CLARIFICATION REGARDING DECLAN MCCOOL

The editorial below, published on April 7, 2021, referred to an anonymous complaint that had been made against Declan McCool in 2020 shortly after he was elected to the position of Vice-President Internal of the Students Society of McGill University

Despite reports in other media that the complaint had been dismissed on appeal, the Tribune failed to seek access to the appeal decision of the independent investigator Ms. Anaïs Lacroix. The Tribune failed to refer to those reports and also failed to contact McCool for his comments.

In fact, Independent Investigator Lacroix dismissed the complaints and concluded that “more likely than not, both parties had the capacity to consent to the sexual activities and that both parties gave continuous and affirmative consent to the activities…” Furthermore, that “there was less than a 51% chance that the incidents described in the complaint occurred.”

The Tribune apologizes for omitting the findings of Ms. Anaïs Lacroix’s as well as her dismissal of the entire complaint against Mr. McCool.

—

Content warning: Discussion of gendered and sexual violence. 

McGill students are constantly forced to grapple with gendered and sexual violence perpetrated within the community, and this year was no exception. In April 2020, accusations emerged regarding then-incoming Students’ Society of McGill University VP Internal Declan McCool, and in December, survivors spoke out about rampant sexual violence within residences––an environment meant to be safe. Over the course of the pandemic, rates of gendered violence have skyrocketed, with public health measures posing significant barriers to escaping unsafe living situations. All the while, support from the university has been sorely lacking, with student groups attempting to bridge the gaps wherever possible by engaging in advocacy and providing important services. McGill’s failure to prioritize women’s safety places an enormous burden on students––one that they should not have to alleviate on their own.

The university has been slow to enact sufficient measures against sexual violence on campus. Despite recent revisions to the university’s sexual violence policies, its efforts have proven to be inadequate.  McGill’s reporting procedures for sexual assault are burdensome and convoluted, and navigating the endless layers of bureaucracy is acutely stressful for individuals experiencing traumatic aftermath from assault. But issues with McGill’s approach start long before the reporting process. For instance, its Policy Against Sexual Violence does not guarantee protection from legal consequences to those who have consumed illegal drugs before being assaulted, an approach to handling disclosure that can discourage survivors from coming forward. Also troubling is the way the university fails to hold predatory professors accountable, despite numerous scandals regarding inappropriate conduct.  

There are many important student initiatives in place to help make up for McGill’s ongoing failure to support female-presenting students and survivors of sexual violence, including WALKSAFE and DriveSafe, for instance, Both operations help students go home safely after late nights studying at the library or after a night out––situations that can be particularly terrifying for female-presenting students. While meaningful, these services may not work for everyone. For example, students who have experienced sexual violence in the past may be hesitant to trust just anyone with their safety, especially at night. There is no question that these organizations provide important services, but they alone cannot solve systemic issues of gendered and sexual violence. 

McGill students have been clear that the university’s current approach to student safety is insufficient. Beyond providing support and proper education to student groups who are trying to support survivors, the university’s policies need to be further updated within a survivor-centric and intersectional framework, no matter the context in which they experience assault, rather than placing barriers to access based on factors like consuming illegal substances. Moreover, administrators must implement more robust mental health services to students who are put in harm’s way due to the lack of preventative measures. And as many areas of McGill’s campus are poorly lit, spatial changes are far past overdue as well. In light of its current fundraising campaigns, the university should have no problem funnelling resources to these essential student-run services, which are currently filling gaps the university has left.

Despite earnest attempts by student groups to make campus safer for their peers, systemic issues require systemic solutions. As a wealthy and influential institution, it is disgraceful that McGill ignores ongoing calls for better protection for its students rather than doing its part to address the ongoing crisis of gendered and sexual violence that festers within its walls and plagues its community.  

Ask a Scientist, Science & Technology

Dr. Lucy Gilbert honoured among Top 25 Women of Influence

by Zoe Karkossa on

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Women’s achievements and contributions to medical science have long been overlooked. To combat this prejudice and recognize their accomplishments across all disciplines, the annual Top 25 Women of Influence awards highlight Canadian women who have inspired positive change in their field of work. This year, Dr. Lucy Gilbert, a professor in McGill’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Department of Oncology, was recognized as one of 2021’s Top Women of Influence for her work on ovarian and endometrial cancer diagnosis. 

Gilbert was drawn to research surrounding the diagnosis of these forms of cancer due to the deadliness of the diseases and the decades-long lack of progress in improving patient survival rates. Gilbert started practicing medicine as an obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN) in the United Kingdom and later worked as the Lead Cancer Clinician for two health districts in England. McGill, which did not have a gynecological research unit at the time, recruited Gilbert in 2001 to expand the university’s work in this field. 

Gilbert has been dedicated to researching cancer in women and educating students in the field ever since. She currently serves as the director of both Gynecological Oncology and the Women’s Health Research Centre at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC). 

Gilbert credits Montreal women for their participation in research trials, without whom her work would not be possible. 

“The women of Montreal are so generous,” Gilbert said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “When we [recruit] them into a clinical trial and […] we say it may help you or may not help you, but it will help other women, they say, ‘I want to help other women’.”

Women who suffer from ovarian or endometrial cancer often report nonspecific symptoms, prolonging the waiting period before diagnosis. Such delays in diagnosis are a significant factor in the estimated 3,100 and 1,300 deaths caused in 2020 by ovarian and uterine cancer, respectively.

Working with her team at the MUHC’s Women’s Health Research Unit, Gilbert helped develop the DOvEEgene test, a screening test that enables doctors to detect early forms of these cancers. Although the pap test is commonly used to detect the genetic traces of cervical cancer, the DOvEEgene test expands its diagnostic power to cancers of the endometrium, Fallopian tubes, and ovaries. DOvEEgene is capable of detecting such cancers with a 70 per cent sensitivity and 100 per cent specificity rate, meaning that false positives—and their great emotional toll—are avoided altogether.

Although researchers have made progress toward improved healthcare for women, there is still a large gender gap in the care that they receive. Gilbert recognized that many battles are still being fought—both by the doctors working to improve the quality of medical care and the patients seeking it. She emphasized that female patients, in particular, benefit from receiving care from female healthcare providers.

“When [women] go to the doctor, […] they are apologetic and [try] to explain away some symptoms,” Gilbert said. “They are not listened to and they are not taken as seriously as men.”

Despite the daily challenges of confronting illness and death, Gilbert is committed to supporting her patients and their well-being. She affirms the importance of taking the time to understand each patient’s unique lived experience—regardless of how difficult it may be to step into their shoes.

“Of course I get sad, but you can do a lot of good, and that makes me very happy,” Gilbert said. “It is not just about [fighting cancer], it is also how you live and how you die that matters. There is a great deal to be said [about] making the quality of somebody’s life good and the manner of their dying [comfortable].”

Arts & Entertainment

‘Christian Dior’ exhibit highlights the simple extravagance of post-war haute couture

by India Blaisdell on

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Over time, the fashion industry has grown to rely on brand recognition to drive popularity and sales. Fashion houses such as Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Dior have long remained in the cultural consciousness because they—quite literally—made a name for themselves. Backed by full-monogram outfits, celebrity brand ambassadors, and rap songs that pair haute couture with wealth, the influence of these fashion houses is undeniable. Amidst the rise of mass-produced fashion, however, the small world of haute couture has started to lose its original meaning. The Christian Dior fashion exhibit, on display until May 2 at the McCord Museum, brings the history of haute couture and the prestige of names back to the forefront.

Haute couture refers to a style of clothing that is tailor-made and hand-sewn for the client. Charles Frederick Worth cemented the term as an expression of the dressmaker’s artistic vision in the 19th century, and founded what is now the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. In contrast, ready-to-wear clothing is mass-produced in a standard set of sizes for public consumption. Only certain fashion houses qualify to be on the official haute couture list, and those that do so use their haute couture lines as outlets for creativity and innovation while relying on their commercial ready-to-wear lines to survive financially. 

The Christian Dior exhibit seamlessly guides its visitors through the first decade (1947-1957) of the House of Dior. This decade defined the house’s present-day aesthetic values and influences, and Dior’s first haute couture line, dubbed the “New Look,” revolutionized women’s fashion and brought it out of the gloomy styles of World War II. With men fighting in the war and rations limiting access to finer fabrics, women wore industrial, masculine styles in simple, monochrome colours and patterns. 

The garments on display at Christian Dior are anything but conventionally masculine. Dior’s seminal “Bar jacket,” featured in many of the daytime outfits at the start of the exhibit, marked a return to traditional feminine styles and lines. The jacket, along with the matching long and flowy A-line skirts, emphasizes the waist and slims the shoulders. It brought womenswear firmly into the postwar era—think Betty Draper in Mad Men. Although culturally significant both then and now, the daytime suits and dresses are not the star of the show—that title is reserved for the evening gowns, presented in full glory at the end of the exhibit. 

One gown in particular stands out from the rest: A strapless dress Dior affectionately named Palmyre. The white satin is covered with incredible embroidery of fine threads, beads, and Swarovski crystals in stunning silver and blue. The seamstresses who created the gown used the “Lunéville technique,” a blind stitch in which the beads, sequins, and crystals are hidden from view. Although it may seem counterintuitive to embroider a garment on its reverse side, this technique allows the couturiers to work faster. 

In addition to the garments, Christian Dior features documentary video clips, sketches, jewellery, shoes, perfumes, and other accessories, creating a complete tour of Dior’s foundational years. From a modern point of view, the exhibit is deceptively simple—it is no match for the eclectic, innovative, and boundary-breaking works of Alexander McQueen and Rei Kawakubo’s ready-to-wear collections. However, the historical significance of Dior’s work in post-war France cannot be emphasized enough. By reinventing fashion aesthetics for society’s elite, Dior brought an entire industry back from the brink of extinction. Whether or not Dior’s current work under Maria Grazia Chiuri lives up to his legacy is of little importance: Christian Dior has already left his mark in the history of fashion.

Christian Dior runs until May 2 at the McCord Museum (690 Sherbrooke St W). In-person student tickets $14, virtual tours $8.50.

 

 

Commentary, Opinion

Park parties are not an acceptable response to pandemic fatigue

by Michelle Marcus on

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What started as a sunny afternoon on March 25 quickly devolved into a mid-pandemic disaster. Around 3:00 p.m. a crowd of students began to party in Montreal’s Jeanne Mance Park, forming a mob-like cluster despite ongoing provincial social distancing regulations prohibiting large gatherings. After two hours of moshing around a makeshift DJ station, the Montreal police shut the gathering down around 7:00 p.m.—but it was too late to mitigate the potential spread of the virus. These students’ disregard for public health demonstrates a lack of empathy and social responsibility, jeopardizes the health of community members, and damages McGill students’ reputation. Students must realize that COVID fatigue is not a valid excuse for putting lives at risk. 

Montreal’s anti-mask and anti-curfew protests capture just a fraction of Quebecers’ frustration with red-zone regulations. Students, in particular, feel robbed of the parties and social gatherings closely associated with university culture. These sentiments are understandable, and the temptation to let loose after months of lockdown is natural. The beginning of spring has also sparked nostalgia for events like Frosh and OAP—a painful reminder that COVID-19 cancels the ‘play’ side of McGill’s unofficial ‘work hard play hard’ motto. Still, students must resist the urge to equate the end of Montreal’s winter to the end of the pandemic. 

After losing my grandmother to COVID-19 last April, I received nothing but support from fellow McGill students. Despite the pain of loss, I was comforted by the apparent commitment of my peers to do their part in limiting the spread of the virus. Ironically, some of the students who posted videos on social media from the thick of Thursday’s crowd were the same people who offered me their heartfelt condolences just 11 months earlier. Considering the copious amounts of knowledge surrounding virus transmission, those who participated in the gathering cannot plead ignorance––by now, students all know that large gatherings are counterproductive to Quebec’s recent progress in reducing case counts. 

From the onset of the pandemic, young people have been unjustifiably pointed to as the source of spiking infection rates. Considering that many students have responsibly obeyed regulations, this constant finger-pointing can feel uncalled for. Incidents like the gathering at Jeanne Mance, however, suggest that it may be more warranted than we would like to admit. Although only a fraction of McGill students were involved in the gathering, events like these rightfully anger community members, as large gatherings increase the likelihood of Montreal’s red-zone being extended. While some students will have the luxury of escaping Montreal’s restrictions for the summer, local businesses and essential workers will continue to face the financial and psychological consequences of lockdown measures. If these restrictions work to prevent others from having to say final goodbyes to loved ones on the phone or increase the likelihood of returning to in-person classes, compliance is morally necessary.

The way people responded to my family’s loss demonstrates that students have successfully grasped the role of empathy. However, empathizing with families like mine, who have shown resilience in overcoming the traumas of COVID-19, is not enough. If students are not willing to sacrifice their personal desires to do their part to solve an issue directly impacting their peers and their families, claims of allyship in social causes like Black Lives Matter and anti-Asian racism ring hollow. 

With the vaccine rollout underway and the return to relative normalcy within reach, it is counterintuitive to jeopardize the province’s progress––especially with a third wave looming. It is encouraging to see that many students have refused to use the weather as an excuse to behave irresponsibly. However, the actions of students who took part in Thursday’s gathering are a slap in the face to those enduring the loneliness of isolation or dealing with the pain of attending Zoom memorials for their loved ones.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

MSAI virtual coffee house fundraises for Meals for Milton Parc

by Yifan Wu on

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On March 19, McGill Students for Amnesty International (MSAI) hosted Jamnesty, an annual coffee house fundraiser featuring student and alumni artists. The event was free but organizers encouraged audience members to donate money as part of their “ticket.” The initiative resulted in $1,042 raised for Meals for Milton-Parc, a student-run community organization that provides food and supplies to unhoused people in the neighbourhood.

Previous iterations of the coffee house have taken place at local venues, but this year’s event was held on Zoom due to the pandemic. With quick reminders for the audience to hit mute and performers to unmute themselves, the first screen-share began.

Sarah Plenge, BA ‘21 and California-based artist, kicked off the show with an original poem. She appeared via pre-recorded video and performed a love letter to Montreal. Speaking solemnly and with a slight rasp, Plenge delivered terse snapshots of the city, capturing in vivid detail both its most picturesque scenes and its more dreary sights. Her care to depict Montreal in its entirety demonstrated her true love for the city—even the gritty parts.

The first musical number of the night came from Alina Jalink, U2 Arts and a member of McGill a cappella group Tonal Ecstasy. Armed with a ukulele, gray cardigan, and girl-next-door charm, Jalink began her first original song, “Butterflies,” in a delicate, ethereal falsetto. Jalink’s backdrop of Polaroids and tie-dye canvas created an intimate setting that would be unachievable onstage; Jamnesty’s audience looked directly into her bedroom.

Jalink continued her set with a cover of Taylor Swift’s “Right Where You Left Me,” before a cascade of plucked strings introduced her second original song “Spring Cleaning.” 

“The thing I can’t seem to get rid of is how much I care,” Jalink sang. “I can’t make you leave when I still wear the necklace you gave me.” 

Once she finished, the audience flooded the chat with supportive comments and clapping emojis.

Caroline Lauf, U1 Arts and also a member of Tonal Ecstasy, embodied an entirely different aesthetic: Long, dramatic, black curls framed her face, and the walls of her own bedroom stood bare. Lauf began her set with a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “That’s Alright.” Playing a muted guitar, Lauf transformed the originally upbeat single into a heartfelt, bittersweet send-off.

“I hope you find love, your own designs love, that’s alright,” Lauf sang.

Lauf’s strong and dark vocals carried over to her next song, a cover of Harry Styles’ ballad “From the dining table.”

Lauf showcased her lower vocal range in her final selection, Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good.”. Clearly comfortable in chest register, Lauf exuded the quiet confidence of a performer at home onstage, or in this case, on-screen. Her voice on the descending melody of the title lyric was mesmerizing.

Ending the night was Katie Harbour, U3 Science, who performed a mashup of SZA’s “Love Galore” and Jhené Aiko’s “Everything Must Go,” on her guitar, followed by Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You.” Then came time for the final verse of the night, Blackstreet’s “No Diggity.”

“This last song is a certified banger,” Harbour said. 

And as if only one banger did not suffice, she then transitioned into Robin Schulz’s “Sugar.” In response, the chat lit up with cheers, and expressions of delighted surprise appeared on the faces of audience members. Harbour matched the spike in energy as her own face lit up with a smile.

In addition to fundraising for a worthy cause, Jamnesty 2021 provided a much-appreciated night of joy. It offered an escape into the wonderful world of art and music—not only did it speak to our communal need for a thriving performing arts scene, but it also demonstrated the resilience of those who’ve continued to practice their crafts and perform.

Meals for Milton-Parc is currently seeking both monetary and item donations.

 

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

‘Kim’s Convenience:’ The impossibility of cancelling a classic

by Matthew Molinaro on

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On March 31, 2020, CBC announced that Kim’s Convenience—their fan-favourite sitcom—had been renewed for two more seasons. Less than one year later, on March 8, 2021, fans around the world were shocked when the network announced that the fifth season of Kim’s Convenience would be its last. The confusion set in immediately, with many wondering why a network would cancel such a highly-rated and well-received popular comedy so abruptly. Although the decision—made by producers because co-creators Ins Choi and Kevin White were leaving for other projects—may seem justified, it is a risky move nonetheless. To end a show in its prime, particularly one that represents an underrepresented racialized group, seems like a major blunder for CBC. Yet it was exactly the show’s own risks—from its unconventional casting approaches to its radical plot choices—that made it popular and that will ultimately cement it in Canadian cultural consciousness.

When Kim’s Convenience first aired in 2016, the cultural winds of Canadian TV were sweeping in; Schitt’s Creek had already been on air for a year, and Workin’ Moms and Anne with an E were in production. But unlike its contemporaries, Kim’s Convenience had no connection to previous Canadian successes with which the network nor the showrunners could use to bolster the show’s reputation. Instead, Kim’s Convenience originated from humble beginnings: It was first a play starring Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Jean Yoon, who would reprise their roles as “Appa” Sang-il and “Umma” Yung-mi on television. Meanwhile, Schitt’s Creek had Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara, Workin’ Moms had Catherine Reitman, and Anne with an E had author Lucy Maud Montgomery’s international reputation. Alongside Lee and Yoon were talented, then-unknown actors ready to make their breakthrough: Andrea Bang and Simu Liu, who play Lee and Yoon’s children Janet and Jung, and supporting actor Andrew Phung, who plays Kimchee, pursued atypical acting post-secondary education in psychology, business, and economics respectively. 

Five years later, the virtually no-name cast won consistently at the Canadian Screen Awards, with Lee winning twice for Best Actor in a Comedy Series in 2017 and 2018, and Deidre Bowen and Millie Tom winning Best Achievement in Casting in 2017. Further, Liu is set to become the first Asian actor to lead a Marvel film in Shang-Chi and the Legend of Ten Rings, and Phung and Nicole Power have new shows in the works. Even though choosing actors from different experiential backgrounds can be risky for a major network sitcom, each actor entered the show with a drive that allowed them to embody their characters, displaying the power of a robust cast.

Beyond the deft acting, Kim’s Convenience represented Canada and Toronto’s diversity. The show centres around the Kims, a Korean-Canadian family who operate their titular convenience store in the Moss Park neighbourhood in Toronto. On the one hand, the show’s navigation of immigrant family dynamics and its exploration of racialized identities in a Western context accurately reflect the lived experiences of many living in Toronto, where half of the population is foreign-born, and another half is racialized. Yet, Kim’s Convenience did not make the same mistakes as its predecessors, like All-American Girl, which universalized individual experiences and made stereotypical jokes about accents. 

The show abided by routine sitcom procedures like cold opens and running plot points throughout while also tieing in issues like racism, family tensions, and aging. The pilot episode started off on this deft footing: Overwhelmed by the crowds at Toronto Pride, Mr. Kim offers a “gay discount” and learns about drag while Mrs. Kim posts an ad for a cool, Korean, Christian boyfriend for Janet. From that point on, the showrunners were able to marshal in a new era of Canadian television, one that celebrates a unique Korean-Canadian experience. 

Whether it be street car rides that showcase Toronto architecture, Janet’s education at the OCAD University, or jabbing at Muskoka cottage culture, the show lives and breathes a more accurate picture of Toronto and Canada. Kim’s Convenience may have been cancelled, but its impact on Canadian cultural formation will live on.

The finale of Kim’s Convenience will air on April 13.

Commentary, Opinion

Campus Conversation: McGill students’ resilience

by Jonathon Cruickshank, Kennedy McKee-Braide, Sophia Howard on

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Music 

Johnathon Cruickshank, Staff Writer 

Montreal’s creative spirit is difficult to put into words. Friends and family, too, have commented on the city’s distinct feel. One explanation may be its diverse and multilingual community, or perhaps it is the combination of the European aesthetics of Old Port and the laissez-faire style of the Plateau Mont-Royal. It may even be the vibrant student populations who keep the city young. For me, however, it has always been the rich and lively music scene. Whether it was attending outdoor performances at OAP or open mic nights in crowded basements, my first two years of university filled me with musical memories to last a lifetime. Although we may not be quite as artsy as our friends over at Concordia, McGill students have delivered some of the brightest and most talented acts in the city.  

The COVID-19 pandemic made it more difficult for the city’s music scene to thrive, with the days of big crowds, packed venues, and collective jam sessions are on pause for the foreseeable future. However, McGill students have adapted to these unprecedented circumstances, finding ways to prevent the pandemic from snuffing out creative expression. As the world went virtual, so, too, did our vibrant music community, displaying resilience only found in the most trying of times.   

Just before cities around the world plunged into lockdowns over one year ago, a good friend of mine had launched a student-run record label that sought to platform McGill musical artists. Now operating entirely online, Green House Effect records has become a revolving door of talent, lighting up the student music scene. Some of my favourite Friday nights in quarantine have been spent tuning in to their Twitch stream to listen to their in-house DJ mix the latest hits, filling the musical void that would otherwise have been satisfied by a night out at the club.   

Students have also been putting their performance skills towards charitable causes. On March 23, Meals for Milton-Parc teamed up with Jam for Justice to host a virtual event that demonstrated the power of music in bringing students together in solidarity with marginalized communities. It was a thrill to listen to the series of coffee house performances by local artists, especially knowing that it was for a good cause. Events like these go to show that even a  global pandemic cannot deter the McGill community’s creative output.          

Friendships 

Kennedy McKee-Braide, Managing Editor 

The day after McGill announced the two-week closure of the university back in March 2020, I sat with my three best friends in one of their basements making plans for the upcoming two weeks of freedom. At this point, none of us truly understood how serious the pandemic would become, but we would soon realize that it would be quite some time before we could see each other again. For those first months of quarantine, I cried over missing my friends more times than I’d like to admit. After all, they are my rocks, and I hate when we are apart for too long. 

Despite not being able to have sleepovers or watch shitty television over bottles of wine and junk food, we found ways to adapt. Days before my 21st birthday, I was dreading spending the milestone alone, when my doorbell rang and I was met with a package––a weighted blanket from my friends, who had remembered that I mentioned wanting one months before. On the day of my birthday, we watched almost the entire season of Too Hot To Handle together on Netflix Party, and I felt incredibly loved. 

Over the past year, one of our favourite activities have been our weekly—and sometimes even daily—Netflix Party routine. By my calculations, we have watched at least eight different shows together since the onset of the pandemic, and right now, we are rewatching the entirety of Pretty Little Liars. People are often confused when I tell them what shows we are watching, because they are almost always of awful quality. But nothing makes me happier than time spent with my friends making fun of Riverdale’s ever-deteriorating plotlines, or watching some good old-fashioned reality TV. 

At the end of the Fall 2021 semester, two of the four of us will be graduating from McGill, with the rest of us following suit in Winter and Fall 2022. We all have ambitious dreams for life after undergrad, some of which will inevitably require us to leave Montreal. We try not to think about this too much, because the thought of being apart is unbearable. However, if the pandemic has proven anything, it is that friends can always find ways to share laughs, love, and new experiences, no matter how far apart they are.

Humour 

Sophia Howard, Contributor 

Throughout the hardships of the pandemic, students’ sense of humour has been a great strength. Nothing brings people together like a good laugh, and university students have always survived tough times by poking fun at shared struggles. Even before remote classes, students shared jokes on Instagram meme accounts, Facebook groups, and the McGill subreddit. 

The news that comes through social media is often overwhelmingly negative—between horrifying COVID-19 death counts and gruesome details of human rights violations committed across the world—and it is important to have a variety of coping mechanisms, whether through friends, family, and various hobbies. Seeing a meme amidst one’s feed is one way to take a break from the constant bad news. 

Remarkably, the university’s comedians rose to the challenge of COVID-19 like never before. Meme pages mocked MRO Communications’ emails, Associate Provost Christopher Buddle’s daily vlogs, and even the province’s curfew. Instead of despairing about these difficulties, humour has helped students cheer each other up. Facebook groups like McGill Poll Party, for example, provide a community where students freely rant or joke about their experiences. In honour of remote learning, the popular Instagram meme page @eatingassinottomaas recently changed its name during the pandemic to @eatingassinonlineclass. When the McGill community heard of absurd events like the infamous fight club, meme pages immediately responded with a host of jokes about the event.

Research shows that a simple laugh can relieve stress by reducing stress hormones like cortisol. Even anticipating laughter can help the immune system by releasing oxytocin—a hormone linked to increased empathy and bonding. By joking with our peers through the internet, we are able to forge a sense of comradery. Having dedicated internet spaces to visit for comedic relief has supported students’ wellbeing.

The past year has been bleak for McGill students, but levity has helped them persevere through hardship and focus on the bright side of things.

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

‘Godzilla vs Kong’ is mind-numbingly entertaining

by Michelle Siegel on

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While I am far from ashamed of my love of cult classic movies, I have never dabbled in anything remotely related to the Godzilla or King Kong franchises. Last week, however, I dived headfirst into Legendary Studios’ MonsterVerse with Godzilla vs Kong, released in theatres and HBO Max on March 31. As I loaded the movie on my laptop, the fact that I had not seen the prior three movies in the MonsterVerse series did not deter me at all: Even I knew that Godzilla films are not known for their engaging plots.

Godzilla vs Kong follows the mysterious Apex Cybernetics corporation as they use Kong to access a potential energy source, which allows them to fight back against a seemingly rogue Godzilla and inadvertently incite an ancient rivalry between the two monsters. The film is best enjoyed by turning off one’s brain during the scenes of human exposition—the plot is paper thin, but its flimsiness effectively contrasts the explosive battle scenes, making audiences wait in agony for the next one to take them out of their misery.

The characters, too, all fall flat. Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown) and Dr. Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler) from 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters are the only characters in the film to have appeared in previous movies. This normally implies that they are significant to the plot, but it is far from the truth in Godzilla vs Kong. Madison leads a completely inconsequential subplot that mainly facilitates some mediocre comic relief and unengaging background information for the main plot. On the other hand, Dr. Mark Russell is barely in the film at all. 

The multiple new characters are unmemorable, with most of their names forgotten by the time Godzilla vs Kong hits the halfway point. Their overwhelming number makes it difficult to feel any emotion for them beyond annoyance, and their scenes take time away from giant monster battles. All of the actors’ performances, while not necessarily the worst of all time, are perfunctory and placid. Perhaps this delivery is intentional, as this allows the human characters and plots to irritate and distract the audience, subsequently making them more excited and engaged by the massive battle scenes. 

The saving grace of the movie is ultimately its monsters: Godzilla vs Kong pushes the titular titans to the forefront of the film, inducing chills even when watched on a meager laptop screen. The CGI is extremely impressive, giving all the monsters a sense of intricate realism while they commit the most unrealistic of acts—from drilling a hole to another world with laser vision to destroying multiple skyscrapers with a couple of punches. The choreography in every fight is dynamic, engaging, and stunning to watch. The backdrops of the fights are equally dazzling, from the early ocean battle between Godzilla and Kong to the final showdown in Hong Kong, with a neon architectural aesthetic reminiscent of works like the Pacific Rim franchise, the Blade Runner duology, and Neon Genesis Evangelion series. 

Objectively, Godzilla vs Kong is a forgettable, bad movie. In many ways, it lacks humour, and feels like a rushed and nonsensical version of The Avengers (2012). If you are looking for a powerful, nuanced, and emotional film to watch, this is not the right movie for you. But the intense action is more impactful than I could have ever expected, and it provides a unique viewing experience that requires one to zone out to enjoy. Given the distraught state of the world, the timeline of this taxing online semester, and the common student desire to be able to turn off their brain, Godzilla vs Kong is somehow the most palatable theatrical vehicle 2021 has produced thus far.

Arts & Entertainment, Books, Pop Rhetoric

In speculative fiction, sex is no longer a fantasy

by Lowell Wolfe on

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New and exciting fantasy novels are constantly making names for themselves in the present day: From Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files to George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, the fantasy genre has continued to redefine and reinvent itself. While fantasy is not new—arguably over a century old, dating to George MacDonald’s Phantastes (1858)—authors’ attempts to shift the genre into R-rated territory, namely in the bedroom, is relatively nascent. Only recently has sex become explicit among heroes who typically fight evil magic or discover their world’s lost secrets. Far from being simply pornographic—which admittedly it sometimes is—the presence of sex in fantasy books allows the genre to access relatable, socially reflective, and even political spheres of discourse.

Many canonical fantasy books are explicitly non-explicit. Pillars of the genre such as J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings or Tad Williams’s The Dragonbone Chair present worlds of propriety and modesty, while contemporary novels portray intimacy through grittier, nastier aesthetics. Some feature sex so prominently that readers and marketers alike recognize them for such; Joe Abercrombie’s First Law series is notorious among fantasy fans for its uncomfortable, awkward, and therefore realistic portrayals of physical intimacy between the main characters. 

Sex has also enabled innovative storytelling in fantasy novels, allowing authors to craft detailed, relatable human characters and to market specific stories toward certain audiences. Fantasy books often exhibit the peak of literary world-building and deep, original characterization, but sex-less worlds and characters foreground their fictitious, unrealistic identities. By incorporating sex and its associated expectations, stigmas, and even regulations, authors can literally and figuratively flesh out these worlds and characters. Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Legacy features a masochistic courtesan protagonist in a world where prostitution is a religious activity carried out by female devotaries, demonstrating that sex can be a powerfully liberating plot device and even act politically within a fictitious, otherworldly novel. 

In an interview with Rolling Stone, A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin explained how relationships and their erotic fulfillments are tools for crafting realistic characters and stories. Because of his unequivocal treatment of sexuality, Martin has received many letters from fans—often women—asking him to include specific male sex scenes in his novels. Despite this, Martin maintains that he only choses to include sex scenes if they have mattered to his plot. Martin’s decision speaks to a larger trend in fantasy, where sex is not used simply for shock and awe, but to meaninfully advance character development and storyline.

Along with sex itself, new fantasy novels have also explored topics of sexuality and gender, accessing new forms of representation and relatability for their fanbase. In his first fantasy novel, Black Leopard, Red Wolf, Marlon James decided to create characters of varying sexual identities, paying homage to his story’s sources of inspiration. Since James derived the novel’s world from traditional African mythology and storytelling, he wanted to accurately represent the cultures that influenced his book. In an interview with Vice News, James spoke on how queerness, gender fluidity, and sexuality fluidity existed within ancient African society, and, while their presence in the book was contemporarily relevant, he didn’t do it to appeal to certain audiences. 

“None of that was new. They end up making a contemporary statement, which is true, but that’s all old shit,” James said. 

Sexuality has allowed fantasy authors to take their characters and worlds into new, uncharted realms which many readers enjoy and relate to. The recent explosion of sexually provocative fantasy books might be jarring for some, but for many, it is just another dimension of the literature. 

McGill, News

SSMU report finds francophone students reluctant to exercise academic rights

by Juliet Morrison on

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The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and the Commission des Affaires Francophones (CAF), released the Report on Francophone Academic Rights on March 26. The report, based on a survey conducted in April 2020, presented the impediments students face in submitting work in French and set forth recommendations to improve the application of this academic right. 

Compiled under the supervision of 2019-2020 SSMU Vice-President (VP) of University Affairs (UA) Madeline Wilson, current VP UA Brooklyn Frizzle, and CAF commissioner Juliette Chesnel, the report focusses on the application of Article 19 of the Charter of Student Rights’—an academic right that permits students to submit work in French and have it evaluated by a French speaker. 

Feedback from the report’s survey data demonstrated that 50 per cent of francophone students have not invoked their right to submit work in French during their time at McGill, despite the fact that 70 per cent of respondents said their writing skills were stronger in French than in English. 

Although professors are required to list students’ right to submit graded course work in French in their course syllabi, the report found that a minority did not. Of professors who included the academic right in their outline, 48 per cent said they received work in French over the past five years, compared to 20 per cent of professors who did not include the right. 

Some professors left anonymous comments in the survey that they had dissuaded students from handing in work written in French, citing the development of students’ English writing skills as reason for their discouragement. Juliette Chesnel, U3 Arts and CAF Commissioner, said that students should feel free to exercise their academic rights—without pressure from their professors to submit work in English for the sake of language improvement.

“At the end of the day it is not a valid reason,” Chesnel said. “The students know what is best for them and what they are more comfortable doing, so making sure they do not have a negative narrative from the professor is very important.”

Survey feedback also showed that many students opted not to submit assignments in French due to uncertainty about the grading process. Currently, when students submit work in French to a non-French speaking instructor, their work is passed to a French speaker for evaluation. Andylath Dijma, U1 Management, said she is reluctant to submit work in French because there is no guarantee that the French grader has knowledge specific to the topic of the assignment. 

“I am hesitant to write in French because I do not know how I will be graded,” Djima said. “In English, I kind of know […], but in French I do not. Especially if the person grading does not know the subject, […] I would rather just write in English.”

Some francophone students, including Arthur Courtois, U3 Arts, claim that submitting work in French is more complicated because the language of instruction at McGill is in English. Courtois said that he stopped submitting work in French because many subject-specific terms and concepts are only explored in English. 

“After a while I just stopped [submitting assignments in French],” Courtois said. “Oftentimes […] the specific terms and definitions are in English, and translating is a lot of extra work [….] It becomes easier to write in English.”

The SSMU report also contained recommendations for improving the application of Article 19. One such recommendation suggested ensuring that professors list the Article 19 right on all applicable course outlines, provide subject-specific terms and concepts in French alongside English, and supply French evaluation schemes.

Incoming VP UA Claire Downie said she plans to use campaigns such as SSMU’s Know Your Rights to bring more awareness to francophone academic rights next year.

“I would love to work with SSMU’s communications department to ensure that the campaign reaches as wide an audience as possible,” Downie wrote to The McGill Tribune. “I also think outreach with the First Year Council could be a positive relationship, because students should begin their McGill experience knowing [about] all their academic rights.”

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that a significant number of McGill professors did not list the right to submit in French on their syllabus. In reality, a minority of professors failed to include this right on their syllabus. The Tribune regrets this error.

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