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Science & Technology

Bioenergy Plantations: A step towards meeting our climate change goals

by Zoe Doran on

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On April 22 2016, nations from across the globe signed the Paris Agreement, an international climate accord with the aim of managing countries’ greenhouse gas emissions and reducing average global temperatures increases to 2℃ above pre-industrial levels. Since 2015, it has become increasingly apparent that further reducing emissions will not be enough to achieve the goals that were set in Paris. Instead, many scientists are turning to negative emission technologies like bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), which combines multiple existing technologies to extract previously emitted CO2.

BECCS operates by cultivating fast-growing grasses and trees grown on large-scale bioenergy plantations that are burned to generate energy. But, instead of emitting carbon into the atmosphere after a burn, the carbon produced from biotic material is pumped and stored underground. Uniquely, BECCS releases zero greenhouse gases, as the grasses and trees absorb atmospheric carbon through carbon sequestration. This technology returns atmospheric carbon to the geological reserves where it originated, eliminating emissions while generating energy.

To economic opportunists, BECCS is a promising solution for combating climate change because it doesn’t require widespread lifestyle changes. But, like many new technologies, BECCS is not without its flaws.

Fossils fuels are much more energetically dense than biotic material—a large mass must therefore be cultivated to generate a significant amount of energy. Joann Whalen, a professor in the Department of Natural Resource Sciences described the energy-density barrier of BECCs technology.

“The energy gain from a bioenergy plantation is highly dependent on the amount of energy required to move the plant biomass from its area of origin (e.g., a field) to the conversion facility,” Whalen wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “[Biomass is] not a dense fuel source compared to fossil fuels.”

The technical feasibility of BECCS is further complicated because storing carbon in geological reserves is an energy-intensive process which requires expensive technologies. Grant Clark, an professor in the Department of Bioresource Engineering, believes that BECCS will probably be used in tandem with other energy technologies in the future.

“[BECCS] could be one aspect of the energy jigsaw puzzle,” Clark wrote in an email to the Tribune. “If it becomes popular, it will probably be an interim solution that will be phased out of the energy portfolio as other, more robust and efficient technologies become less expensive”.

Unless bioenergy plantations are strictly confined to marginal lands, increasing the area of land that is used for bioenergy plantations reduces the land available for agriculture and livestock. Don Smith, a professor in the Department of Plant Science, and expert researcher in root-colonizing bacteria, has developed a small protein that could make food stocks on marginal lands more resilient.

“[This protein] regulates aspects of the plant’s genome […with the] capacity to help plants grow under more challenging environmental conditions, [like those affected by] climate change,”  Smith wrote in an email to the Tribune. “[…This compound] could build more climate change resilient agriculture, which in turn makes BECCS a more realistic prospect as agriculture on marginal lands becomes more reliable.”

Looking to the future, Whalen doesn’t see BECCS as the end-all, be-all solution to climate change mitigation, but rather, as a component of a larger comprehensive plan.

“We cannot stop the rising carbon dioxide levels with bioenergy plantations alone, but they’re a part of the solution, along with other renewable energy solutions that are practical at this time—geothermal, wind, solar and hydro power—and those that may come to be practical in the future, [such as algae],” Whalen wrote.

For the time being, BECCS is a preliminary technology that is a step in the right direction toward weaning humans off of their dependence on fossil fuels.

Off the Board, Opinion

Journalism still matters

by Calvin Trottier-Chi on

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Returning home for reading week often comes with the usual barrage of concern from my family over my choice to pursue journalism as a career. “Journalism is a dying field,” my family members say. “Anybody with a blog can be a journalist.” Yet, I could scarcely go a day without one of my friends or family fretting over American tariffs, Trudeau’s travels, or Russian nerve agents. I was baffled at the apparent disparity between their bleak outlook on the future of the media industry and their consistent interest in updates on global affairs. This disconnect is the result of people seeing information as a freely and easily accessible public good and taking it for granted. Yet, although readers can get their information through social media, there is no replacement for the investigation and impartiality of journalism.

Although readers can get their information through social media, there is no replacement for the investigation and impartiality of journalism.

While mainstream conversation about journalism today tends to focus on its decline as a profitable business, with the prevalence of people griping about news in the U.S., it might seem like journalism is seeing a resurgence. Indeed, in what is affectionately referred to as the “Trump bump,” millennials increasingly started paying for media subscriptions after the 2016 election to content from organizations like The New York Times, The Washington Journal and The Washington Post. Thanks to his uncanny ability to be thoroughly offensive, people from a diverse range of backgrounds have a newfound stake in politics. Trump’s stance on travel bans and the environment show that administrative decisions have very real impacts.

Yet, as appealing as it is to mock Trump or an opposing political party, all readers must recognize what those willing to pay for subscriptions already do: That journalism functions most importantly as a reliable, common information source. It is this function that needs to be valued—and paid for—by news consumers.

It is difficult to separate our opinions on the news itself and our opinions of the events it reports. This is especially true given the popularity of receiving news through social media or celebrities like YouTube star Philip DeFranco and host of Last Week Tonight John Oliver. However, one should not substitute journalists for media personalities. Distributing and putting a favourable spin on informative content is not the same thing as producing it. The latter is what journalists do, and it is no small task. Impactful stories don’t happen overnight—they require sifting through hours of formal meetings, and maintaining longstanding reputations of professionalism. It’s this enormous investigative legwork that subscribing readers pay for. Although citizen journalism—the process by which the public shares news information—is an important process of making stories viral, it is not a sufficient replacement for the value of thorough, fact-oriented journalistic investigation.

What distinguishes journalists from entertainers and political commentators is that they are mandated, to the best of their ability, to present relevant information to the public in an unbiased way. Trump’s polarizing allegations of fake news obscures this fundamental value of news reporting. Upon googling the difference between Fox News and CNN, I see readers from both sides disavowing the other as sensationalist nonsense. In general, as tempting as it is to seek out like-minded individuals, it is necessary for readers to recognize the value of a range of news sources, despite differences, in order for journalism to fulfill its role within society. A free press fulfills a role analogous to the judiciary, as it empowers the people through a mandate of truth. To forsake this would be dangerous, as, logically, society needs to have some basis of common understanding to be able to function.

As a news editor, I’ve seen firsthand the importance of providing an impartial source of information. Whether it is a debate over student federations, politics, or religion, people need to realize any public conversation requires a common information base, and journalism is the ideal third-party platform to provide that. If people are not adequately informed, arguments over General Assemblies and Task Force forums will only become increasingly polarized.

We need to be able to differentiate between the very real—yet manageable—technological growth pains, the political leveraging against journalism, and our own personal biases. Journalism is about recognizing truth and common experiences, and that is a value as old as society. As such, it is a value worth preserving.

Out on the Town, Student Life

Caffè Farina offers a taste of Italy in Saint-Henri

by Jade Prévost-Manuel on

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Tucked away in the quiet southwestern borough of Saint-Henri lies Caffè Farina, a new Italian espresso bar and eatery that opened in November 2017. Serving bold coffees and caffès—Italian espresso drinks—alongside traditional sandwich recipes straight from nonna’s kitchen, Caffè Farina offers a hip twist on the authentic Italian experience.

 

After only four months on the block, Caffè Farina has been phenomenally successful, according to owner Vincent Pesce.  

“Feb. 16 [was] our three-month anniversary,” Pesce said. “We were supposed to open up before that, but there was so much construction on the street [that] we didn’t want [it] to interfere with [business] so we waited, and two days after we opened, the street was opened [back up] and ready to go.”

The brain-child of Pesce and his long-time friends, Farina’s menu is comprised of unique, family-inherited Italian recipes that the owners grew up eating.

“We’re four different families,” Pesce said. “We all came together and [this was] pretty much one idea we always wanted to do together.”

Luring in third-wave café experts with its sophisticated blue suede couches, marble decor, and iconic neon “Ciao Bella” tube sign, Caffè Farina’s atmosphere is so charming you would swear you were in Italy. Its menu offers four traditional Italian sandwiches, packed with hearty Italian-style meats on rustic, non-fat ciabatta buns for $10 each.

The bread Farina uses for its sandwiches is sourced from Boulangerie San Pietro, an Italian bakery that has served Little Italy for over 35 years. But, according to Pesce, the search for the perfect bun to cradle their meaty sandwiches was no small feat. Pesce and his partner scoured Montreal in search of the ideal bread.

“One day my partner [said] ‘you have to go try all the bread in the city,’” Pesce explained. “So for every bakery we really knew, we tried all the bread. I’m still full from that day. And I gotta say, [our final choice] was fantastic. We toast it in the oven a bit and it comes out nice and hot—it doesn’t break your palette and it’s perfect with the meat.”

Aiming to cater to the masses, Pesce considers it important for Caffè Farina to offer recipes and prices that anybody can love.

“My customer base is huge,” Pesce said. “From the millenials, to the lawyers, to doctors [and] students […] We’ve kept our prices very low for that reason. The sandwiches here are $10, the coffee is super cheap as well.”

In the summer, the café plans to open up its doors by installing an outdoor terrace that will cater to summer street-goers and window-shoppers, offering an aperitivo-style menu during happy hour.

“In Italy, it’s very known to have a 5 à 8, so [during happy hour] we’re going to [sell] small focaccias, pizzas, and [drinks] for half the price, or two for one,” Pesce said.

Pesce is planning to expand Farina’s main menu as well.

“We make [seven] fantastic things, and they’re good for now,” Pesce said. “In the future, we’ll have a pasta of the week, meatballs, maybe a folded pizza, like in Naples, [we’re adding things] slowly, slowly, you know?”

Basketball, Martlets, Men's Varsity, Sports

U Sports basketball national championship recap

by Selwynne Hawkins on

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Martlets

After capturing the program’s first Bronze Baby—the national championship trophy—last season, the Martlets showed up from March 8-11 in Regina to defend their title. In their opening game at the U Sports national championships, McGill faced off against the McMaster University Marauders. The Martlets ended the first half down five points, but regained their footing in the second, spurred on by 10 points from fifth-year guard Frédérique Potvin. With a comfortable 55-39 final score, the Martlets booked themselves a spot in the semifinals against the first-seed Carleton Ravens.

McGill dominated the start of their matchup with Carleton, maintaining a steady lead through the first quarter. In the second period, the Ravens showed signs of life, but the Martlets were able to contain the outburst and rode into the halftime break ahead by six. After an even third quarter, McGill sat atop a 42-35 lead, but the final period proved disastrous for the Martlets: The Ravens effectively kept them off the scoreboard, with McGill’s only two points coming from a pair of free throws. Carleton tied the game with 86 seconds remaining, then snatched up their first—and only—lead of the game with two seconds left to play. Unable to retaliate in the dying seconds, the Martlets were eliminated from title contention.

In the bronze medal game, the Martlets faced the second-seed University of Regina Cougars. McGill managed a three-point lead after the first period but were shaken by Regina’s 23-point second period. The Martlets lost further ground in the third, and entered the final period of play down 43-55. Facing a 10-point deficit with 83 seconds remaining, McGill rallied behind third-year wing Stéphanie Guinois-Côté, who sank two three-pointers to help her team land within two points of Regina. However, despite their best comeback efforts, the Martlets were unable to beat the clock, and the Cougars took the bronze medal game 66-63.

 

Redmen

Entering the U Sports Final 8 tournament as the third seed, the McGill Redmen put up a decisive 88-57 win in their first-round matchup against the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds. The Redmen jumped ahead with an early 6-0 lead, but the Varsity Reds clawed their way back in, and the first quarter ended at a 16-16 deadlock. The second quarter proved pivotal for the McGill squad, as they put 29 points on the board—including a combined 22 from veterans Alex Paquin, Dele Ogundokun, and Sebastian Beckett. The Redmen maintained steady control for the rest of the game, earning themselves a spot in the semifinal.

In the second round, McGill tipped off against the University of Calgary Dinos. After suffering a 20-point defeat against Calgary in an October 2017 pre-season tournament, the Redmen were again unable to break down the strong Dinos defence in their nationals semi-final meeting. Calgary shot 39 per cent from the field and held the McGill hoopsters to four three-pointers on 32 attempts, handing the Redmen a 43-65 loss.  

The bronze medal match saw McGill face off against the Carleton Ravens—a Canadian basketball dynasty coming off their seventh consecutive national title. A monster 25-point second period put the Redmen ahead by 10, but the Ravens responded with 24 points in the third. A back-and-forth final quarter ended with the Ravens on top, 76-71. With their fourth-place finish, the 2017-18 Redmen tied the 2016-17 and 1976-77 squads for the program’s best-ever finishes.

Science & Technology

Reefer Madness: Understanding the schizophrenia risk associated with cannabis

by Karl Neumann on

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Cannabis, or what the 1937 film Reefer Madness coined the “burning weed with its roots in hell,” is slated to become federally legal in Canada by the end of 2018. The potential risks and benefits of its use are still being disentangled from antiquated disinformation, individual studies, and hearsay.

While cannabis research is still in its infancy, the difference in perception of risk between the medical community and the public is substantial. Concerns regarding the increased likelihood of developing schizophrenia due to cannabis usage in healthy adults steers potential medical and recreational users away from the drug, but these worries are unjustified.

In an op-ed for The Independent, Ian Hamilton, a Lecturer in Mental Health in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York, wrote that individuals who do not have a family history of schizophrenia and whose brains are fully developed—people aged 18 or more—have little to fear. A 2017 study in Psychol Med showed that the true potential risk concerning cannabis use and schizophrenia is limited to those who start young or those consume frequently in large doses. Furthermore, the effects of early and consistent cannabis usage are similar to that of other substances such as alcohol, and warrant similar regulation.

One particular statistic that’s commonly used popular media to steer youth away from cannabis use states that young cannabis-users are about twice as likely to develop schizophrenia than those who abstain from use. However, this is somewhat misleading. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, the baseline rate of developing schizophrenia is a little less than one in 100 in the general population. A study in World Psychiatry found that it’s about two in 100 in those who use cannabis regularly before they’re 18. Additionally, when potential confounds such as IQ, childhood behaviour, cigarette smoking, and others were included in the analyses, the risk was only 50 per cent higher than the controls, or 1.5 cases per 100 people.

If there was a substantial causal effect of cannabis usage on schizophrenia, one would expect countries with higher youth cannabis usage to have higher rates of schizophrenia. But Dr. David Bloom, medical director of the psychotic disorders program at the Douglas Mental Health University Institute and assistant professor of psychiatry at McGill, told The McGill Tribune that this does not appear to be the case.

“In Canada, where there is the some of the highest youth cannabis usage in the world […] the statistics are similar to other developed nations,” Bloom said.

Bloom clarified which groups should worry about the potential for developing schizophrenia from cannabis use.

“In general, the only group at real risk are those who have a penchant for early and heavy use,” Bloom said. “That’s what the epidemiology says. The big harm is [inhaling smoke]. If anything, use a vaporizer or edibles to avoid lung damage.”

Medical professionals such as psychiatrists, general physicians, and pain specialists have a particular interest in understanding this drug in both its medical and non-medical contexts. Like all drugs, the costs and benefits must be weighed against one another, and no drug can be used without consequences.

In the near future, when cannabis will be widely available around the corner at a dispensary, there won’t be a schizophrenia epidemic. Cannabis’  reputation as the “burning weed with its roots in hell,” is fiction.

“If we think about [cannabis] in terms of legalization, we have to think about it like alcohol.” Bloom said. “[With legalization], we have greater control of dosage and control of age of consumption,”

Editorial, Opinion

Toward a weed-friendly campus: Let’s set the bar high

by The McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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It’s no secret that many university students smoke weed, including at McGill. With marijuana set to be legal in Canada by the end of the summer, schools no longer need to turn a blind eye. In preparation for the new industry, McGill’s Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences has already scheduled two workshops on medical cannabis for May, and plans to roll out a diploma on cannabis production in 2019.

Whatever the benefit of these workshops or of the burgeoning cannabis industry, these measures open a much-needed explicit, institutional-level conversation about recreational weed use. While weed will be included in the upcoming campus smoking-ban alongside tobacco, physical campus is not the only space in student life. And, federal deadlines providing, next year’s first-year students will be the first to enter university when recreational weed is legal. The McGill community should take this opportunity to frankly discuss best practices for education, including harm and stigma-reduction, and to decide the kind of weed culture that it wants to promote and maintain.

Rather than looking the other way—or encouraging others to do so—McGill and its students must actively shape the norms and culture around cannabis.

Cannabis use is as common in the McGill community as alcohol consumption. Yet, it hasn’t been matched by the same extensive educational and harm-reduction measures that McGill’s drinking culture has. Safe partying initiatives and resources like Rez Project, Frosh goodie bags, and Healthy McGill fliers focus primarily on alcohol consumption, sometimes with allusions to general safe drug use. Yet, there are no dedicated conversations about the most prevalent drug at McGill, apart from when smoky residence bathrooms set off fire alarms. However safe or culturally acceptable, most drugs on campus are still technically illegal, discouraging the University or student groups from explicitly condoning use of them.

That will no longer be the case for weed. Rather than looking the other way—or encouraging others to do so—McGill and its students must actively shape the norms and culture around cannabis.

As with any substance, the key to both harm and stigma-reduction is access to information. For some young people, especially those coming to McGill from outside of Canada, post-secondary school is their first exposure to recreational substance use. In this case, education is important not because weed is insanely dangerous—generally, it isn’t—but because society lacks an understanding of its potential benefits and harms. Weed has long been used for medicinal and curative purposes. It can act as a vital aid for chronic pain, and can relieve stress and anxiety. It does not present the same—sometimes fatal—harms that alcohol does. At the same time, weed has its own unique, highly-varied side effects, many of which experts don’t fully understand yet: It can affect cognitive functioning, produce user-dependency, and, for some, cause or exacerbate anxiety. Furthermore, impaired driving is a risk regardless of the substance involved.

Come legalization, McGill ought to ensure students have the information necessary to make educated decisions if they want to use substances, and support if they find themselves struggling with dependent use. That doesn’t mean war-on-drugs fear-mongering, nor does it mean passive ignorance of all use—it means an evidence-based, judgment-free approach to providing information, through a range of educational and support channels that are accessible to students. Frosh and residence programming seem like the most obvious places to start, but as not all students participate in Frosh or live in residence; broader-reaching online resources are necessary to ensure that all students are included—during first year and after. Ultimately, it comes down to students to engage with the information available, and act accordingly.

Apart from educating students on cannabis, initiatives like the workshops in May also serve to deflate stigma around its use. Legalization will further validate marijuana as an acceptable drug, but undoing entrenched judgmental attitudes is an ongoing process. A campus with a healthier, more comprehensive discussion around cannabis culture starts with McGill ensuring that relevant information—and safety measures—are available to students. For their part, students ought to do what they always should: Educate themselves and respect each other. Students aren’t merely part of the school’s weed culture; they are its entirety—and it is up to them to create a physically and emotionally safe space around it.

Commentary, Opinion

Condemned to be free: Social sciences and humanities graduates on the job market

by Keating Reid on

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As the tired idiom goes, “freedom ain’t free.” The cost of freedom is total responsibility. It’s a cost many social sciences and humanities (SSH) students are familiar with, finding that their degree’s broad applicability is, in fact, paradoxically limiting.

A February 2018 report by The Conference Board of Canada found that SSH students have a tougher time transitioning to the job market than STEM or business students. But McGill’s Arts students shouldn’t necessarily rush to transfer faculties. The report also found that in the long run, counter to the “barista” stereotype, SSH students do just fine: The report states that  “SSH graduates have job satisfaction levels similar to graduates from other disciplines” and even “greater long-term income stability” than graduates with STEM and business degrees. Their trouble transitioning to employment isn’t because their degrees aren’t valuable—it’s because they don’t know what they know, much less how to sell it. The data show that the earlier they learn this skill, the better. At the same time, employers can take easy steps to bridge the gap between their needs and students’ degrees.

[Social sciences and humanities students’] trouble transitioning to employment isn’t because their degrees aren’t valuable—it’s because they don’t know what they know, much less how to sell it.

Arts students learn plenty of marketable skills, including written and verbal communication, critical thinking, problem solving, research—the list goes on. Moreover, these skills are applicable to a much wider range of careers than those learned in STEM degrees, which is exactly what gives SSH students trouble—they have too many options. The report explains that these students often don’t realize how many in-demand skills they have. Essay writing doesn’t just build literacy skills: Developing a unique argument takes creativity.

Fortunately, resume-writing is a teachable skill. Services like McGill’s Career and Planning Services (CaPS) and the Carrefour Jeunesse-Emploi in Montreal provide free and effective career counselling. SSH students are great at communicating in English—less so in corporate doublespeak.

Here, employers can help, by clarifying exactly what skills they want from candidates. The language of the job market is awash with murky euphemisms: Postings seek “results-oriented, dynamic self-starters,” sometimes with “leadership skills”—a paradoxically ubiquitous requirement. Corporate jargon is more than just tiresome—it’s alienating. A March 2017 report by the British charity Business in the Community found that gaudy sentences in job postings—such as “query responses in adherence to SLAs and archiving conducted in accordance to file protocols”—turn off young people from applying, since applicants don’t believe that they have the right skills for the job. This is unfortunate, especially given that the linguistic monstruosity above roughly translates to “reply to emails and put them in files.” As job vacancies rise, employers need candidates as much students need jobs; companies can’t afford to lose out on qualified employees who underestimate their own skills. It is in both parties’ best interests to advertise opportunities in an accessible way.

A lack of self-marketing savvy might explain why, according to the report, faculty estimate their students’ marketable skills more favourably than the students themselves. Instructors have learned over their long careers of teaching that course content is only part of what their students gain from their degrees.

Business, engineering, and computer science degrees prepare students for specific career paths. Sure, there’s plenty of variety within these fields, but they all teach students explicitly defined “hard” skills, from C++ to making autoregressive forecasting models. This is perhaps most true of engineering, a licensed profession: Engineers Canada ensures complete and nationally standard curricula across the country. While this hyper-concentrated education can narrow graduates’ options, it can also be an advantage, as students are streamed into specific professions with broadly similar responsibilities across employers. No computer-science major has ever wondered what to plug into a job search engine—not so for McGill’s lone Italian Studies major, I’d imagine. (Seriously, there’s only one. Go you!)

The Conference Board’s report should come as a relief to SSH students concerned about their future employability: They do have marketable skills, even if they don’t realize it. In any case, SSH students can be confident in their degrees’ value; as the Conference Board put it, “[in] today’s increasingly complex world, we need the skills of SSH graduates more than ever.”  

Sports

Point-Counterpoint: Elizabeth Swaney

by Gabe Nisker & Ariella Garmaise on

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Among the hordes of world-class athletes at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic Games, one name seemed a little out of place: Elizabeth Swaney, the 33-year old Hungarian halfpipe skier who completed her Olympic runs with a handful of simple alley-oops. Swaney has come under immense criticism for her lacklustre performance, but she has also garnered praise for following her dreams. The McGill Tribune remains divided on the polarizing park rat.

Elizabeth Swaney is good

Gabe Nisker

All Elizabeth Swaney wanted was to be an Olympian. In a run intentionally devoid of many of the difficult tricks her competitors completed, her dreams came true, as she slowly-but-surely made her way down the halfpipe. Swaney qualified fair and square—and therefore had every right to be in PyeongChang as an Olympic athlete and should be treated and appreciated as such.

Beyond rightfully earning her spot, Swaney’s competition accepted her with open arms–their tricks look better with her around. The other Olympians in her event didn’t care that she was there.

“If you are going to put in the time and effort to be here, then you deserve to be here as much as I do,” Canadian gold medallist Cassie Sharpe said of Swaney.

She has a point. Swaney’s work ethic is exceeded only by her fellow Olympians. Even if she cannot perform ridiculous stunts like Sharpe, it still took dedication to do what Swaney has done. It wasn’t easy to consistently travel the world, work with coaches, compete in qualifying tournaments—and not fall down, which was critical to her success—over the past two years. If it didn’t take Olympic-level talent to get to PyeongChang, it still took Olympic-level dedication.

Furthermore, Swaney was a welcome addition because she helped bring Olympic athletic brilliance to full display: Her amateur runs provided a point of comparison to those of the other Olympians. At the peak of competition, the slightest misstep can keep an athlete off the podium. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell what separates great athletes from one another when everyone is so consistently amazing. Swaney’s presence provided viewers with the ultimate frame of reference—that of a merely decent skier. Some Olympic spectators like to say they can replicate the athletes’ works without much difficulty, but having Swaney around showed those people they’re wrong.

Swaney can ski, and she can ski well. Her spot in PyeongChang was the result of hard work and dedication. Even if she’s not on the same level as her fellow Olympians skills-wise, she deserves respect—and perhaps even appreciation—for the frame of reference she provided for couch potatoes around the world.

 

I hate Elizabeth Swaney

Ariella Garmaise

Elizabeth Swaney has pulled off the world’s most expensive prank. Exploiting loose Olympic qualifying guidelines, and taking advantage of loopholes like her grandparents’ Hungarian citizenships, the 33-year-old American-born Harvard graduate competed in the freestyle skiing women’s halfpipe. Her qualification strategy was simple: More skilled skiers sometimes fall while executing complex tricks, but by avoiding stunts altogether, Swaney maintained a mediocre score high enough to beat those silly enough to try. Her predictably weak Olympic performance has garnered internet acclaim—Swaney is a skier who is “just like us,” the most relatable athlete among a field of superhuman competitors. However, the Olympics aren’t an episode of Seinfeld. They don’t need to be relatable—their inspiration comes not from the idea that anyone can simply do it, but the hope that anyone can do it if they try hard enough.

If Swaney’s run is supposed to be some sort of societal commentary on the stock we put into arbitrary athletic prowess, then she lacks the self-awareness to effectively pull off that critique. Instead, Swaney’s Olympic journey was wrought with earnestness and indignation. She was consistently offended in interviews by the implication that she is any less talented than her competition.

“I have all the skills that I need to be a great competitor at the World Cup level,” Swaney said in an interview with Squawk on the Street. “I just haven’t been comfortable enough yet to land those tricks on snow.”

I, too, am smart enough to get a 4.0. I just haven’t chosen to study yet.

Swaney’s Olympic journey is performance-art-gone-wrong, some sort of meta-commentary on a society so high on entitlement and undeserved self-esteem that they believe anyone can, and should, do anything: A reality TV star can be President, a software engineer recruiter can be an Olympian. Or maybe the takeaway is that talent doesn’t matter, so long as you have the cash to buy unsponsored ski equipment and a flight to South Korea. Neither interpretation is particularly worthwhile. In her time in PyeongChang, Swaney’s presence made a mockery of athletes who spend their lives training.

More importantly, she was boring. Just as she glided down the mountain without even attempting a jump or flip, Swaney’s journey to the Olympics was without tumult or perseverance. Nothing is less interesting than watching someone do nothing on TV simply because she can.

 

Editor’s pick: We hate Elizabeth Swaney

Swaney’s Olympic runs were unremarkable, and she’s been attracting attention for all the wrong reasons. Fans should turn their eyes to someone more deserving and let Swaney’s alley-oops fade into the background.

Commentary, Opinion

Why students don’t care about SSMU

by Kyle Dewsnap on

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It’s that time of year again: Your friends from rez and frosh are inviting you to Facebook events and announcing their candidacy for various Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) positions. But, despite their well-lit headshots and carefully-worded bios and platforms, voter turnout in recent SSMU elections suggests that most students will not bother to vote: In 2017, voter turnout was slightly over 21 per cent. Low voter participation illustrates the extent of students’ apathy toward SSMU. This recurring pattern of voter indifference stems from a fundamental fact of democratic systems: If the government seems broken, then no one will bother participating in it.

Political scientists use the term “political efficacy” to explain a government’s ability to convince its electorate that participating in the democratic process is worth their time. In a democratic system, political efficacy involves voters believing in two things: That the government is capable of governing, and that their ballot has an impact. If voters don’t believe that the government is functioning properly, or if they don’t think that their vote will influence the outcome, many voters simply won’t bother casting their ballot.

SSMU’s lack of political efficacy is why most people won’t care about the elections: A large majority of the undergraduate population is unconvinced that their choice will contribute to making SSMU better. Many people treat SSMU as nothing more than a source of memes; Reddit threads are devoted to tearing apart the Society for its struggle to even find candidates willing to run. Student politics consistently drum up drama, but McGill students seem to take pride in their government’s bad press.

SSMU’s lack of political efficacy is why most people won’t care about the elections: A large majority of the undergraduate population is unconvinced that their choice will contribute to making SSMU better.

It’s hard to blame students for thinking this way. SSMU has a history of repeatedly  screwing up, and these scandals consistently make it to the front pages of every McGill student newspaper. Consider how the Society handled its building closure. In October 2017, SSMU publicly revealed to students that the University Centre, home to over 50 clubs and services, will close down from March to December 2018. SSMU decided that the best way to announce the building closure was to post a Facebook event inviting people to an information session about it. This was widely criticised, with many groups concerned that SSMU’s handling of the closure could force them to shut down.

While it is possible to find humour in such slip-ups, they ultimately desensitize students from caring about SSMU. And when an electorate is disinterested in their political system, it can no longer hold its government accountable.

Meanwhile, SSMU representatives continue to get away with rampant unprofessionalism. In November 2017, this prompted former vice-president finance Arisha Khan to resign. Her account revealed a Society that has become completely polarized by the selfish attitudes of its elected representatives; SSMU’s current climate allows a small political elite to pad their resumes with illustrious titles and positions, while neglecting to listen to student voices.

SSMU’s frequent exhibits of incompetence and illegitimacy lead the student body to view the Society as nothing more than a grooming centre for aspiring politicians, which is not what a student government should be for. Student societies are essential for the health of a student body; they are a unified voice that can further student interests in front of larger university administrative bodies. When the administration infringes on students’ rights, the responsibility falls on a strong student government to fight for its members. Student societies also support their populations by organizing programs and initiatives to provide free or low-cost services to their members, from survivor advocacy to childcare.

SSMU is in desperate need of an overhaul: It must shift from being a playground for political-wannabes to a legitimate, necessary, and functioning governing body. Like in any democratic system, this kind of political shift requires cooperation between both the electorate and the elected. First, students need to take the time to use their ballots effectively. Next, SSMU’s elected executives must convince each and every undergraduate that they are worthy of their attention, by governing in their voters’ best interests. Right now, a functional Society seems impossible—and it is, unless students take the time to convince themselves that SSMU isn’t just a politician puppy-mill or a meme-generator, but also a vital authority that brings forward students’ opinions to McGill’s attention.

McGill, News

Players’ Theatre closes indefinitely following safety inspection

by Avleen Mokha on

More in McGill:

Players’ Theatre’s office, located in Room 309 of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) building, was closed indefinitely on Feb. 12 after tests performed in preparation for the upcoming building construction showed high levels of disturbed asbestos in the space. Although SSMU staff retrieved musical instruments from the room on March 5, personal property remains quarantined due to health and safety risks of exposure to disturbed asbestos.

“As standard protocol for a construction project, the areas [to] be affected by the construction are tested to determine if they contain materials like asbestos,” SSMU Vice-President (VP) Student Life Jemark Earle said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “Other areas of the University Centre have materials containing asbestos, but Players’ Theatre was the only area flagged because of the substantial damage to the materials containing asbestos.”

The entire SSMU building will close to the public on March 17. However, the evacuation of Room 309 was sudden and unexpected, and disrupted the theatre’s 30th annual McGill Drama Festival, which was supposed to run from Feb. 7 to 17. The festival, largely organized by Coordinator Gretel Kahn, had already been rescheduled following SSMU’s announcement of the building closure.

“The McGill Drama Festival is an event that is scheduled in March and April,” Kahn said. “But after hearing about the building closure, we decided […] to move the festival to February [….] I have been organizing this for months.”

On Feb. 14, part way through the festival, SSMU relocated the Theatre to the Cafeteria on the second floor of the SSMU building for it to continue its performances. Despite this, all shows were cancelled that day because the Players’ Theatre executives were unable to retrieve their props, costumes, instruments, and equipment from Room 309.

“Music students left their instruments in the theatre space,” Kahn said. “One of the keyboard players asked me if he can get his keyboard back, because he has a show. I wasn’t able to help him.”

Of all the Players’ Theatre productions, the drama festival draws the largest audience and generates the most revenue. Given how disruptive the sudden closure has been for their operations, Players’ Theatre members have expressed frustration over not receiving advanced notice of the original inspection.

“Our biggest concern is [why] this wasn’t made an issue before we had 50 students working months to put on this show,” Cheyenne Cranston, Players’ Theatre events coordinator, said.

However, Earle stressed that SSMU has the right to conduct inspections without notice.

“Players’ Theatre was not informed of the subsequent inspection by SSMU as it was deemed a safety issue and the SSMU may intervene in any area of the University Centre without prior notification if there [is] a safety or security concern,” Earle said.

It is unclear how significant a health risk the level of contamination in the theatre space poses.

“The material tested contained 0.1 per cent up to 5 per cent asbestos,” Earle said. “We can’t really comment on health risks, [you] would have to consult a medical professional.”

Besides the McGill Drama Festival, the group originally had a co-production scheduled with the McGill comedy sketch troupe Bring Your Own Juice (BYOJ) later this semester. Due to the closure of the theatre, Players’ Theatre was unable to offer a space to BYOJ, forcing the comedy team to relocate its three-day annual event to MainLine Theatre, a venue in the Plateau that is not affiliated with McGill.

While SSMU will be arranging a new theatre space for Players’ Theatre during the building closure, the exact location has not yet been determined.

“We’ve been assured that we will have some type of functional space,” Cranston said. “But we don’t know what that would look like at all. We’re still in the process of figuring that out.”

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