Latest News

McGill, News

Board of Governors refuses to vote on divestment

by Gabriel Helfant on

More in McGill:

On Oct. 4, the McGill Board of Governors (BoG) held its first meeting of the academic year. Members discussed the diplomatic dispute with Saudi Arabia and the university’s world rankings. On the subject of the Sept. 12 Senate motion to divest from fossil fuels, The Board agreed to ask that the Committee to Advise on Matters of Social Responsibility (CAMSR) investigate the matter before they put any motion to the floor.

 

McGill’s Saudi students

Principal Suzanne Fortier addressed this summer’s diplomatic dispute between Canada and Saudi Arabia and its subsequent consequences for McGill. She assured that the 223 Saudi students enrolled in the McGill Medical School are no longer at risk of losing their spots due to the political dispute.

“The government of Saudi Arabia changed their course of action and allowed all of the medical residents to continue their program or return to Saudi Arabia,” Fortier said. “[The situation was] a stressful period for the trainees.”

According to Fortier, the program will not be affected, and McGill has already begun interviewing applicants for the 2019 entering class.

 

Rankings

In its ninth annual report, The Times Higher Education ranked McGill as the 44th best university worldwide, three spots below its 2018 classification.

Fortier informed the Board that this is not a sign that McGill has degraded—it has, she says, improved. Rather, she sees the drop in rank as a result of Asian universities receiving significantly more funding and, thus, growing faster. Fortier anticipates that McGill could continue to lose spots in the coming years as well.

“They are predicting that we will see the Western universities lose their spots as Asian universities enter the ranks,” Fortier said.

One board member suggested that Canadian universities would see similar growth if the government would increase funding to Canada’s three leading research institutions.

 

Deferring divestment to CAMSR

The McGill Senate, responsible for the university’s academic affairs, uncharacteristically endorsed divestment from fossil fuels. Now, as the final authority over McGill financial matters, it lies on the BoG to actually enact the endorsement.

Ram Panda, Chair of the BoG, recommended that the board defer the issue to CAMSR, which would investigate divestment and report back to the Board. Ehab Lotayef, who represents administrative and support staff, disagreed and proposed that the BoG move forward with a motion at once.

“I think that […] we should put a motion on the BoG and not defer it to the committee,” Loyatef said.

Panda insisted that such a motion would be irresponsible on the part of the BoG given that CAMSR exists to advise on the social responsibility of financial investments. Associate Professor Darin Barney, who represents academic staff, appreciated Lotayef’s ambition but insisted that any action should be well thought out.

“The fact that the Senate expressed an opinion on this matter that disagrees with ours does not constitute a governance crisis,” Barney said. “What would precipitate a governance crisis is if we ignored their views.”

Barney suggested that Section 6.3.9 of the statutes be invoked, which would create a conference committee to settle the disagreement over the Senate’s endorsement. Such a committee would consist of up to 11 members who equally represent the BoG and the Senate and make recommendations to the BoG.

Many members insisted that the disagreement was not clear enough to constitute the use of a conference committee and that CAMSR should remain responsible for investigating divestment. With members of the pro-divestment group Divest McGill observing the meeting, Panda cautioned that the BoG must take this issue very seriously before motioning to adjourn.

Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

‘Don’t Read the Comments’ breaks the silence surrounding the complexities of consent and assault

by Demaris Oxman on

More in Arts & Entertainment:

Today’s climate – at McGill and worldwide – has drawn widespread attention to the prevalence of sexual violence and assault. These discussions lead to people questioning what exactly constitutes sexual assault. Produced by the Office for Sexual Violence Response,

Today’s climate – at McGill and worldwide – has drawn widespread attention to the prevalence of sexual violence. These discussions lead to people questioning what exactly constitutes sexual assault. Produced by the Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support and Education (OSVRSE) as part of their Consent Campaign, Don’t Read the Comments delves into these grey areas of consent, forcing its audience to engage with issues of sexual violence.

The play takes place in the format of a television talk show titled Don’t Read the Comments, with playgoers acting as the studio audience. The show’s host Wendy (Dakota Jamal Wellman) introduces her three expert panelists: Grace (Joy Ross-Jones), Trip (Gabe Maharjan), and Cindy Nancy Cindy (Cara Krisman), before pitching the topic of the day: “Are there grey areas of sexual consent?”

The four characters are played in the bouffon style, a French form of clown theatre focusing on mockery and the reflection of a twisted society. Each of the panelists is an exaggerated stereotype: Grace is an ‘angry feminist,’ Trip is a ‘self-proclaimed male feminist,’ and Cindy is a middle-aged ‘prominent citizen.’ The characters are familiar; aspects of each might remind audience members of themselves. As the show progresses, characters work themselves into twisted arguments that stand upon warped logic: They victim-shame, twist each others’ words, and dismiss men who come forward with their own assault stories. Wendy, meanwhile, provokes her guests and turns them against each other, creating drama for her audience.

It’s uncomfortable to watch, but that’s the point. The purpose of bouffon is to make viewers examine their own behaviour, revealing the perversions of society and their own participation in the corrupt status quo. The show’s creator, Sarah Segal-Lazar, used quotations from a variety of news articles in her script, incorporating the real world into her play. Sources ranged from the far right to far left; from highly accredited to less reputable—but, the rhetoric is familiar to the audience, no matter their background.

Eventually, Wendy dismisses her panelists and invites an ‘anonymous guest’ to tell her story. At this point Segal-Lazar herself, and introduced under the pseudonym Pamela, takes to the stage alone. In contrast to the bouffon characters, Pamela is strikingly real: Simple attire, no makeup—and recounting a true story.

For Pamela, it began with a backpacking trip in Ireland, and some drinks in a pub with unfamiliar men. One of them asked to take her home, and she refused repeatedly. After much intimidation and coercion, she reluctantly let him put her in a cab, taking her back to his apartment. She wasn’t beaten or violently restrained, nor did she give willing consent. All she wanted was, she said, to “get it over with” – so she let it happen.

Segal-Lazar doesn’t sugarcoat or bother with clean language. Her story is about the fear of saying ‘no’—one many women can relate to. Her delivery is powerful and raw, and the jarring shift in tone magnifies the intensity of the narrative.

As Pamela finishes, Wendy and the panelists return and it’s up to the audience to decide: Was Pamela assaulted? Given three slips of paper, ‘YES,’ ‘NO,’ and ‘?,’ a ballot box circulates. It’s a real-world simulation of the court of public opinion every time someone comes forth with a story like Pamela’s.

In the end, the questions that the show explores go unanswered, but the silence that surrounds them begins to break. As she told the audience, Segal-Lazar’s aim was never to give a clear answer to these grey areas, but to make people discuss them. It’s up to the viewers to maintain their own accountability.

McGill, Montreal, News

McGill promotes vision for equitable learning

by Emma Chittleburgh on

More in McGill:

McGill students and faculty, along with Montreal residents, discussed the role of community in education and research at the 2018 Social Equity Undergraduate Research (SEUR) and Engaged Learning Symposium on Oct. 4. The symposium, which featured panel discussions alongside the second annual SEURA, examined how the principles of equity and diversity ought to feature in the academic world.

The first event of the symposium, which was hosted by McGill’s Social Equity and Diversity Education Office (SEDE), consisted of a learning panel and dialogue that took the form of a ‘storytelling harvest,’ featuring activities that engaged the crowd and opened discussions about the role of diversity. Audience members were assigned predetermined mindsets by organizers on arrival, directing participants to process the story differently. These mindsets included ‘skill building’ and ‘expectation and experience,’ to demonstrate how stories can be absorbed from different perspectives and the value in sharing them.

Anurag Dhir, co-organiser of the event and engaged learning and access coordinator for SEDE, highlighted the significance of McGill’s role in Montreal’s unique communities.

“Knowledge being learned in the community must come back to the classroom for it to constitute engagement,” Dhir said. “We must make sure these relationships are reciprocal.”

Community-based exchange forms the basis of SEDE’s vision to carve out a space in the university which fosters more diverse voices within research. SEDE hopes that doing so will inspire new, equitable ways of learning.

Community-driven initiatives like Suspicious Fish, NDG Food Depot, and Blac Biblio were showcased as a testimony to the importance of SEDE’s goal.

Founded in 2007, the Suspicious Fish Creative Literacy and Arts program is a non-profit organization that engages with school children in the Verdun area and focuses on developing literacy and artistic skills to improve career opportunities. The program is in a partnership with Literacy Quebec, the McGill School of Architecture, and the School of Urban Planning, which provide institutional support.

Beccah Frasier, youth program coordinator of the NDG Food Depot food security program, echoed similar sentiments concerning the importance of community-based exchange.

“Research on cross-sector partnerships has been very interesting and has allowed our programme to expand,” Frasier said.

Blac Biblio is an organization that provides educational resources on the subject of Canadian black history for elementary school teachers. Genevieve Vande Wiele Nobert, panelist and member of the organization, emphasized the element of self-development in community-based projects.

As a McGill student involved in the project last semester, she views community-based exchange as an environment in which her own academic interests can flourish.

“Approaching community-based research through a lens of self-development makes it much less invasive in communities,” Vande Wiele Nobert said. “Knowing that communities can teach me something encourages genuine exchange.”

The SEUR Awards ceremony values ideals similar to Vande Wiele Nobert’s. Speaking at the ceremony, Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) President Tre Mansdoerfer praised the constructive nature of the research awards.

“The principles of equity must not only reside in the pages of textbooks,” Mansdoerfer said.

Sophia Thierry, U2 Psychology, received the award for her research on the impact of musical training on observable positive behaviours in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). For her, becoming involved in community-based research was the result of participating in a study last semester. Inspired to conduct her own research and an engaged style of learning, Thierry noted that the process was important to her own personal development.

“It is an important way […] to build upon your interests and pursue your own questions,” Thierry said.

Science & Technology

Restored museum unlocks McGill’s medical history

by Claire Ramsay on

More in Science & Technology:

A newly-opened exhibition in the Strathcona Anatomy and Dentistry Building offers researchers, students, and members of the public the opportunity to explore a fascinating array of anatomical specimens, dating back almost 200 years. The Maude Abbott Medical Museum provides visitors with insight into the rich history of medical studies at McGill as well as the rare opportunity to see preserved organs and other body parts up close.

The history of the artifacts goes back as far as McGill itself. Among the antiquities are specimens dissected by the first members of the Faculty of Medicine, including Sir William Osler. Known as the Father of modern medicine, Osler founded both Johns Hopkins Hospital and the History of Medicine Society in London, and he pioneered the practice of exposing medical students to bedside clinical training.

“These are some of the oldest things that McGill University has,” Richard Fraser, the director of the museum, said.  

The museum’s namesake, Maude Abbott, took original charge of the collection in 1898. Abbott was among the first women to graduate with a BA from McGill. However, as a woman, the university refused her entry to study postgraduate medicine. She studied elsewhere, graduated at the top of her class, and returned to McGill. Still barred from holding a faculty position, Abbot took on the role of assistant curator of the collection.

Her work with the museum and its artifacts  fuelled her success as a pathologist; by collecting and cataloguing heart specimens for the museum, she was able to publish groundbreaking works on congenital heart disease, becoming an international authority on the subject. Her personal success was mirrored in the success of her museum.

“She made it one of her life jobs to develop the museum, and she did,”  Fraser said. “She developed it into one of the premier medical museums in North America.”

However, despite Abbott’s able custodianship, the specimens have not been easy to preserve. Following a devastating fire in 1907, intradepartmental conflict over the running of the museum, and Abbott’s passing in 1940, the collection was neglected and forgotten.

This remained the case until Fraser stepped onto the scene. When the International Academy of Pathology celebrated its centenary in 2006, many of the specimens were brought back into the light of day in a temporary exhibit recreating the historic museum. As Fraser became better acquainted with the specimens, he came to appreciate their value, both as historical artifacts and as anatomical teaching materials. He was convinced that they were worth preserving and worth sharing. Fraser’s passion for the museum has culminated in the new exhibit, finally uniting the collection under Abbott’s name.

The exhibition brings together historic and contemporary approaches in the fields of anatomy and pathology. The museum makes use of tablets dotted among the historic display cases, showing informative videos on, for instance, how modern imaging technology can help visualize internal anatomy. These aids help contextualise the specimens as artifacts of their time, clearly juxtaposing the old with the new.

As was the historical norm, specimens were often collected from patients without any explicit permission. This can make their display a sensitive issue, which, Fraser argues, makes it pertinent that they are displayed in the correct context. According to him, part of an informative experience involves understanding the history and methods of the study of medicine, rather than merely the pathological curiosities in themselves.

The refurbished Maude Abbott Museum is a unique experience that brings together the past and present. The hope is that the collection that Abbott worked hard to curate will be appreciated as—in Dr Fraser’s words—a “jewel of McGill.”

Hockey, Men's Varsity, Sports

McGill men’s hockey falls to Queen’s in season opener

by Kaja Surborg on

More in Hockey:

On Oct. 5, the McGill Redmen (1-1) hockey team opened its season against the Queen’s Gaels (1-0) with a 2-1 loss in overtime. Their first win of the season came the following night against the Université du Québec à Trois Rivières Patriotes.

Just three minutes into the game, fourth-year transfer McGill centre Aaron Armstrong opened the scoring, assisted by second-year forwards Keanu Yamamoto and Michael Cramarossa.

McGill was dominant through the first period and continued to create high-quality scoring chances throughout the night. Unfortunately, they couldn’t convert many of those opportunities, and, despite a strong defensive showing by the Redmen, the Gaels went home victorious after an overtime goal.

“Our execution needs to be a little bit better around the net,” Redmen Head Coach Kelly Nobes said. “We need to get more of a net front presence and get some second and third chances.”

Armstrong agreed with his coach’s assessment.

“[We’ve] got to be finishing the chances,” he said. “I had a few chances tonight that I should have put in.”

A strong first period demonstrated the Redmen’s potential for the rest of the season with a goal at the beginning and a solid presence in front of the Queen’s net throughout the period.

“[We need to] play like we did in the first [period] and just stay more consistent,” Yamamoto said.

McGill was less dominant in the second and third periods, but still stayed strong defensively and created several scoring chances, including a third-period breakaway that resulted in a shot off the post. Unfortunately, a strong performance by the Gaels goaltender shut down McGill’s scoring, and Queen’s eventually found the back of the net on a power play in the second period to make it 1-1. In overtime, both teams had promising opportunities to score, but the Gaels capitalized on their chances first, and they took the game 2-1.

The first game of the season was an opportunity for the players and coaches to see where they can improve and what they are doing well. It was also a chance to see how the team works together in a meaningful game. Despite the loss, McGill’s evaluations were generally positive.

“We’ve got a good group of guys here and a good coaching staff,” Armstrong said. “It’s been a lot of fun and, hopefully, we’ll turn it around.”

Nobes, meanwhile, saw room for improvement.

“We’re still getting going and I don’t think everyone is operating at their full potential,” Nobes said. “They can be better, and they will be. […. Nicolas] Poulin and [Jordan] Fournier up front [had a solid game] and Armstrong had our only goal.”

Putting the lessons from Friday’s game into place during the rest of the season will prove important. With some adjustments, the Redmen should be headed for a strong season: They hope to repeat last season’s Queen’s Cup title win and finish at the top of the OUA conference again.

Following the opening loss, the Redmen rebounded to defeat the Université du Québec à Trois Rivières Patriotes 4-1 on Oct. 6. They host the Patriotes again on Oct. 12.

Moment of the Game:

McGill’s first goal of the season came just two minutes into the first period when Aaron Armstrong scored off of an assist from Keanu Yamamoto and Michael Cramarossa.

Quotable:

“I was the benefactor of a nice pass from Keanu and Cramarossa there, so that was pretty fortunate. They just did the work and then put it right on my tape.” – Aaron Armstrong on his first goal for the McGill Redmen.

Stats Corner:

Louis-Philip Guindon’s 26 saves kept the score even until overtime.

 

Art, Arts & Entertainment

The end of the world as we know it

by Keira Seidenberg on

More in Art:

Vancouver native and Berlin-based artist Jeremy Shaw’s video art installation at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA), Liminals, is a dystopian exploration of the human psyche. Set several decades into the future when human extinction is imminent, the film follows the lives of eight individuals.

Taking place in a single, drab interior setting, Liminals is free of spatial and temporal context; the cagey interior could belong to any decade or found within the bowels of any city. The eight characters in the film are tasked with averting the impending human demise through a scientific-spiritual process of DNA augmentation and religious rituals. ‘The Liminal’ is the titular term used to describe the elevated state of mind that the participants are attempting to reach—a state of consciousness that will allow for the next step in evolution and ensure the continuation of human existence.

The film is primarily shot with a 16mm camera, giving the footage a nostalgic quality. The story opens with a description of the historic background voiced over footage of the enclosed space that provides the setting for most of the pseudo-documentary. The film transitions into a mock interview with one of the characters—a shirtless and oddly symmetrical man speaking in an incomprehensible dialect somewhere between Boston slang and Quebecois French. Much of the work fixates upon the ritual dancing and stretching of the group of eight, cutting rapidly in and out of facial shots and broader panoramas to the beat of an intensifying rhythm.

Liminals comes to a close as shots of the soft edges of characters’ limbs and hair transform into a frenzy of rotating colours and shifting pixels. The concluding sequence is a frightening and surreal whirlwind of psychedelic imagery in which heads are born from heads and human forms emerge from a rainbow rendition of psychic trauma. This visual vomit is the place Shaw describes as ‘The Liminal’. The scene leaves viewers fidgeting in their seats, perturbed at the simultaneous push and pull of the scene’s declared significance contrasts with its overwhelming abjection. This overstimulation raises the question of whether ‘The Liminal’ is truly a state of transcendence or merely the result of an overindulgence in ‘consciousness-expanding’ substances.

In Liminals, Shaw appeals to both the human fear of the unknown and the tendency to inflate one’s sense of self. Still, a feeling of mundanity pervades much of the work; while Shaw has constructed an apocalyptic narrative to accompany the buttery film quality, one begins to question whether it is the draw of the plot or simply Shaw’s lens that elevates the film into an art form. The final sequence salvages the work: Not for its cinematographic brilliance, but, merely because viewers are left blinking and befuddled enough at the end of the film to simply register that they saw something.

What is most striking about Liminals is not its acid-trip, indie-girl-with-a-camera aesthetic, but the psychological process of experiencing video art within a gallery setting. Liminals functions as a quiet and forceful environment to participate in an extended artistic experience rather than the forty second pause most paintings receive. For the more recreational viewer, Shaw’s work is a test of endurance—provoking the same feelings associated with reading poems in eighth grade English class, where you just didn’t quite ‘get it.’ Despite a self-proclaimed interest in the avant-garde as an Art History major, I found myself eying fellow viewers, wondering if I could outlast them in this periodically-unsettling viewing experience and claim the title of ‘best audience member.’

Campus Spotlight, Student Life

Midterms & mental health: Alternative student resources

by Anna Sixsmith on

More in Campus Spotlight:

It’s that time of year again: Midterm season. McLennan library  now has permanent tenants, and the weekly Tokyo outing is declined with, “Sorry, I have to study.” Due to the added academic pressures, midterm season sees a great increase in demand for mental health services—a need that isn’t easily satisfied at McGill. In addition to the classical Counselling Services, students have access to a variety of alternative mental health resources to assist them during particularly stressful weeks. The McGill Tribune spoke with SSMU Vice President (VP) Student Life Cody Esterle about these services and resources.

Peer Support Center

Esterle’s first suggestion was the Peer Support Centre, which offers a space for McGill students to speak to a trained peer mentor about any issues they are experiencing. Open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Peer Support Centre is accessible for those wanting a discreet, anonymous conversation; they accept walk-ins for any sort of problem that a student may have.

Peer mentors are also accessible by appointment and will listen and share resources during their 45-minute sessions. The Peer Support Center is currently located on the second floor of 3471 Peel Street.

Nightline

Nightline is a confidential phone line that operates from 6 p.m. to 3 a.m. every night. They are an anonymous, non-judgemental service run by McGill students extensively trained in crisis management and active listening.

“Nightline is […] a great resource for someone to talk to when [they] have to pull an all-nighter and start feeling [poorly], and no one is around,” Esterle said. “[Nightline is] just a phone call away.”

Nightline accepts calls from anyone, McGill student or otherwise. The organization lists many other resources on its website, including French phone lines, calming exercises, and LGBT-specific support.

Poetry and Comedy shows

Esterle also shared some of their favourite off-campus stress outlets. Small, student-run shows for poetry, comedy, and improv provide a space to unwind and meet new people in the McGill community. Creative activities have been found to relieve stress, aid communication, and slow cognitive decline.

“What I personally like to do is, […] after a long day studying, going to a poetry night at Kafein or McSway or to […] improv shows,” Esterle said. “It’s really nice to take a break and remind myself of the things and places I love and that my grades aren’t all that matters.”

Kafein, a café in the downtown area on Bishop Street, hosts an open-mic poetry night every other Tuesday. They offer a safe, anti-racist, and anti-sexist space in which to share poetry. Similarly, McSway Poetry hosts poetry recitals at 3559 University Street. Montreal Student Comedy hosts stand-up comedy shows by students, for students. Otman’s Basement: Comedy on Campus is the group’s series of free comedy shows held on the last Thursday of every month in the McConnell Engineering building.

Counselling Services

Most importantly, for students requiring professional attention, Esterle suggests McGill Counselling Services’ workshops and groups. These sessions provide community-based support for students seeking counselling on a range of problems.

Counselling Services offers life skills workshops that cover happiness, mindfulness, and overcoming perfectionism. They also have issue-specific workshops that focus on trauma, body image, grief, and sexual assault. Workshops are mostly free, exclusive to currently-enrolled students, and require registration. Most workshops begin mid-October or early November.

Students should reach out for help if they feel they are in a crisis situation. Campus services are available to offer students professional and medical treatment, including Counselling and Mental Health Services. If you feel that you, or someone you know, is in immediate danger, call 9-1-1, or if you are on campus, Campus Security at 514-398-3000.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

Taking POP Montreal to prom

by Katia Innes, Noah Simon on

More in Arts & Entertainment:

While late September is commonly known as the season of midterms and rain, the start of fall has also been synonymous with POP Montreal. The annual festival took over Mile End from Sept. 26-30, pushing aside third-wave coffee venues and bicycle co-ops to make space for over 450 performers. With such a breadth of acts, the sheer selection can be overwhelming. While the A&E team couldn’t decide on who deserved the crown, we still have the authority to bestow superlatives to our favourite acts.

Best Homecoming – Homeshake

Katia Innes, A&E Editor

In the year since the release of his latest album Fresh Air, Montreal-based musician Peter Sagar, better known as Homeshake, has kept a relatively low profile. Playing only a handful of shows this past summer following his 2017 tour, Sagar has remained a reclusive figure on the music scene—he hasn’t played a show in Montreal since 2016. On Sept. 29, to a crowd of tiny-hatted and frayed-jean-clad spectators packed into Theatre Rialto, Sagar breezed through his 15-song set. Making sure to include fan favourites like “Every Single Thing” and “Call Me Up,” Sagar interrupted his dreamy set only twice to address the crowd.

“We’ve been here for seven, eight years. I’m trying so hard to move, guys,” Sagar joked.

Despite Sagar’s apparent weariness of Montreal, the hometown crowd seemed to love every second of the set, with chants reverberating around the Rialto as Sagar and company exited the stage. Never before has a horde of cultural studies majors been so riled up. What a fitting comeback performance for an unlikely hometown hero.

Sweatiest – JPEGMAFIA

Katia Innes

For 45 minutes, Baltimore rapper and ex-marine Barrington DeVaughn Hendricks, better known as JPEGMAFIA, played a frenzied set at Le Belmont. All expectations of personal space were thrown out the door as the crowd clawed for the best spot in the pit. Equipped with nothing but a microphone and seven bottles of water, Hendricks radiated manic energy. Burning through tracks from his recent album Veteran, Hendricks stripped down to nothing but a pair of shorts and a bandana, quickly draining the aforementioned water bottles. Playing tracks like “Baby I’m Bleeding” and “1539 N. Calvert,” at one point Hendricks jumped into the writhing mass of bodies that greeted him below. Talk about a close encounter.

Best Red-Eye Show – Kilo Kish

Katia Innes

Playing the Piccolo Rialto theatre—arguably the sweetest venue of the festival—Brooklyn-based rapper-singer-and-visual artist Kilo Kish didn’t take to the stage until 1 a.m., but her set was well worth the wait. Drawing mostly from her recent EP mothe, as well as her full length album Reflections in Real Time (2016), Kish swayed hypnotically around stage, exuding a strange magnetism. Kish cooed over slow the slow beats of a drum machine, crooning songs such as “Self Importance” and “San Pedro. In such a small venue, the lack of space can restrict performers. However, Kish’s allure made it impossible to look anywhere but the stage. Perhaps it was the crowd’s exhaustion or the intimacy of the venue, but Kish was spellbinding.

Most Resembling the “Elevated Consciousness” Meme—Oneohtrix Point Never

Noah Simon

On Sept. 26, Daniel Lopatin, also known as Oneohtrix Point Never, performed his show MYRIAD at the Monument National Theatre. MYRIAD is Lopatin’s ambitious art installation ’concertscape’ that seeks to redefines the concert. With a combination of electronic synths, samplers, and live drumming in addition to a backdrop of fragmented LED screens and elaborate light show MYRIAD is an immersive live experience. With original music he wrote specifically for the MYRIAD show, and tracks from his album Age Of (2018), Lopatin pits his digital soundscape against abstract images of the expansion of capitalism across Earth, exposing the show’s own artificiality as a consumer product. But what a product it is! Videos of animated flying eagles combine with angelic synth patterns, followed by a montage of newspaper prints and an abrasive-drone. The range of visual and musical styles reflects Lopatin’s conflicted perspective of our current place in history; he points towards the dangers of computers and electronics while fully acknowledging MYRIAD would not be possible without them. It was engrossing.

Best Venue—U.S. Girls, Cinema L’Amour

Noah Simon

A venue can completely alter the nature of a concert; the building’s history can pervade the physical space and affect the experience. This was certainly the case for the U.S. Girls’ show at Cinema L’Amour, the local adult theatre on Boul. St. Laurent.

Opening act Johnathan Rice put it best.

“I’m very happy for two things tonight. One, that I can perform for all of you, and also that people still get together to watch pornography,” he quipped.  

There were no such jokes from Meghan Remy and her band, and the seemingly dated institution perfectly reflected the sentimentality of her act. Remy’s set felt like a relic in time: The disco, funk, and attire all transported the audience to a different era. The crowd seemed liberated by the night’s taboo and danced to fan favourites like  “M.A.H.” and “Pearly Gates” as much as the confines of the cramped theatre allowed them. It was exciting and provocative, and one of the best acts that POP Montreal had to offer this year. All of those walking out with Cinema L’Amour merchandise seemed to agree.

Chillest—Advance Base

Noah Simon

Being one of the lesser known artists playing POP Montreal, Advance Base’s festival closing show at Bar Le Ritz to was pleasantly intimate. His music exemplifies the tenderness of youth  and the comparative hardships of adulthood. In addition to his keen eye for life’s minutiae, Ashworth’s swirling synths and subdued piano melodies express a bittersweetness—a simultaneous melancholy and fondness for human existence. After five days of running around the city, there was something poignant and rewarding in witnessing Ashworth, accompanied only by his keyboard, singing about dogs to a 15-person crowd.

“What if someone locked all the doors and we just did this all night,” Ashworth quipped.

Science & Technology

Honouring the creative process

by Sariel Coronado on

More in Science & Technology:

It’s easy to forget that products of daily life, like video games, are the culmination of countless hours of work and meticulous design undertaken by teams as small as one person and as large as an entire company. Playing Hard – The Game Just Got Real, directed by Jean-Simon Chartier, delves into the minutiae of creating a video game.

Video game giant Ubisoft Montreal’s hit title For Honor sold three million copies in the first 10 days following the its release in Feb. 2017 and continues to retain a dedicated player base. With a large development team, the game represents a collective effort totalling millions of work hours. Focusing heavily on immersive third-person combat between online players on Xbox One, PC and PS4, For Honor depicts a tale of warfare over territory and resources between three powerful clans: knights, vikings and samurai.

Moreover, hidden inside the game lies an intense story about personal sacrifices in the pursuit of a dream. The protagonists: Jason VandenBerghe, creative director and eccentric visionary seeking to realize his passion; Stéphane Cardin, seasoned producer in charge of leading the project through endless obstacles; and Luc Duchaine, brand director on whose shoulders rests the marketing success of the entire enterprise.

The creative process is far from smooth, with shifting requirements forcing content to be cut and VandenBerghe’s demands becoming increasingly abrasive. The tale of For Honor’s development progresses like a play, complete with conflict, aspirations, and adversity. There is no end to the pressure and Chartier does not shy away from depicting each individual’s personal struggles.

The video game industry has a close relationship with violence given its simulated, lifelike conflict. Video game developers often feel responsible for addressing ethical dilemmas in their work. In a particularly touching scene, VandenBerghe learns of the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting and is moved to tears.

“There is a lot of hate in this world,” VandenBerghe said, adding that his game is meant to be “a tool against violence.”

“I think we all have to be conscious about the impact of what we’re doing, whether that be as filmmakers or video game creators,” Chartier said.

Nevertheless, Chartier believes that there could be a value in certain depictions of violence in the medium.

“There’s violence in video games just as there is violence in film,” Chartier said. “In the end, violence is part of the world in which we live […], so, people can live these things through something that is fictional and be able to understand more of themselves [in the real world….] There’s [also] been some studies on the impact of violence in video games, and some of those studies show that there is no link at all between violence in video games and violence in the real world.”

Indeed, current studies published this year in journals such as Molecular Psychiatry have concluded that video games, in fact, do not promote aggression, neither in the short or the long-term.

Ultimately, though, Playing Hard’s underlying message concerns itself with the way the industry treats individuals.

“I think we see this industry as being very savage […], but I think

is not really about those big corporations,” Chartier said. “It’s about individuals that are passionate about something. There are human people behind these games, and at least when you play those games you have to take this into consideration.”

Playing Hard hit theatres on Sept. 21, and is a must-watch for anyone interested in game development at the scale of Ubisoft’s For Honor, which is currently the eighth most played game in the history of Steam, the world’s most popular online gaming platform.  

Basketball, Sports

NBA season preview

by Arman Imam on

More in Basketball:

The past few NBA offseasons have been full of surprises and excitement, and the 2018 offseason provided much of the same. Now, it’s time to focus on the regular season. Here are The McGill Tribune’s predictions for the season ahead.

Most Improved Team: Los Angeles Lakers

When LeBron James makes a free-agency decision, the basketball world comes to a halt. So, when the King announced his decision to join the iconic purple and gold, the move sparked some debate: How long does LeBron have to win in LA, and what can fans expect from this season? They should expect it to be fun. James and his band of seasoned veterans will join a promising group of youngsters to create a compelling contender. With young, athletic wing players and perhaps three of the most gifted passers in the game—James, Rajon Rondo, and Lonzo Ball—this Lakers team will certainly entertain. Once President of basketball operations Magic Johnson adds a three-point marksman and a rim protector, the squad will hit its stride and finish in the top three of the daunting Western Conference.

MVP: LeBron James

The frontrunners for this year’s MVP will be Anthony Davis, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Joel Embiid, and LeBron James. Somehow, it has been five seasons since James, the league’s best player, last received the award. Perhaps, this is because the world takes his brilliance for granted, or because the honour usually goes to a player who surprises the NBA with a standout season. With James’ move to the Lakers, a team that hasn’t seen the postseason since 2013, the award should find its place in James’ trophy collection for the fifth time.

Dark Horse: Denver Nuggets  

The Nuggets missed the playoffs by a whisker last April after losing the final game of the regular season—a de-facto play-in game—to the Minnesota Timberwolves. This season, however, they may finally make the leap into the postseason. Jamal Murray and Gary Harris lead a capable young core supported by veterans like Paul Millsap and new addition Isaiah Thomas. Denver’s trump card, meanwhile, stands tall in the middle: Centre Nikola Jokic is a walking double-double with eyes in the back of his head. Rarely have we seen a big man with his court vision and passing ability. The Nuggets will likely finish in the lower half of the Western Conference’s top eight, and they may signal trouble for a top seed come the postseason.

Western Conference Final: Warriors over Rockets

Houston is the best bet to match the Warriors’ scoring prowess. The Rockets’ depleted defensive stock will set them back, but they have the necessary offensive arsenal with Chris Paul, James Harden, Eric Gordon, and new addition Carmelo Anthony to give Steve Kerr’s Warriors team a run for their rings. The wild Western Conference will come down to a rematch of last season’s seven-game classic. Fortunately, for basketball fans, this series has the potential to thrill once again. Due to their superior defence, the Warriors will again prove to be too much for the Rockets in a closely-contested series.

Eastern Conference Final: Raptors over Celtics

While the 76ers may win multiple championships in years to come, the Raptors and Celtics will edge them out this year. Led by one-time movie star Kyrie Irving, Boston is the favourite with plenty of scoring options and gutsy defenders. Toronto, on the other hand, finds strength in its roster’s depth: Each member of the beloved ‘Bench Mob’ knows exactly what their role is. They will also have the best player on either team in Kawhi Leonard, so this iteration of the Raptors has every reason to believe that this will finally be their year. This matchup promises to be a nail-biter, too. At the end of the day, Toronto will use the lessons they have learned from past playoff disappointments to slide past the conference-favourite Celtics.

NBA Finals prediction: Golden State over Toronto

The Warriors’ myriad of stars will best the Raptors’ versatility and depth on the way to an NBA Finals three-peat.

1 … 542 543 544 545 546 … 1,363

Read the latest issue

Read the latest issue