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Arts & Entertainment, Music

Trib Mix: Anti-Valentine’s Day

by Holly Cabrera, Arshaaq Jiffry on

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Oh, Valentine’s Day; a day filled with intimate grossness wrapped in a nice expensive Hallmark card. If you have loved and lost, or never even loved at all, get down in the dumps with our 13-track anti-Valentine’s Day playlist. This melancholic playlist features moody melodies from the sweeping strings of Outkast, to the sweet serenade of Karen O. Let’s face it, with every heartbreak comes a cascade of memories. So buckle your seatbelt because you’re headed for a rollercoaster of emotions. By the end of your ride, you’ll have lived out your pity party and left it on “read.” Now, sit back, and get ready to wallow.

Laughing Matters, Opinion

Valentine’s Day, we need to talk

by Sanchi Bhalla on

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Dear Valentine’s Day,

Hello, it’s me. We meet again. You’d think that by our 18th anniversary I’d have gotten used to you. Apparently not—I still don’t like you, and wish that you would go away, but like that guy in my class who will not stop DMing me, you’re incredibly persistent. Maybe this letter will convince you to do us both a favour, and shoot yourself with Cupid’s magical arrow.

I’d like to start with a point that some may consider trivial, but not me: Whenever you’re around, chocolate prices skyrocket—just like my confidence after a cute guy smiles at me. If you’re all about love, why are you such a capitalist? I’m just a broke student who needs chocolate to cheer herself up. Why are you gouging my sweet, calorific source of joy? Just let me eat in peace, and no one gets hurt.

Secondly, you’re a terrible guest. Everyone knows that you’re coming and they start preparing to deal with your demands of constant gifts and over-the-top displays of affection, which seem to increase monumentally every year. Long gone are the days when a box of chocolates was enough for a potential suitor. Now, every V-day gift has to be perfectly ‘gram-worthy, such as a bacon-rose or sushi-lilac bouquet. In the same way that every bad guest unapologetically clogs toilets, you clog my Instagram feed. Gifts, diamonds, truffles—the stream of pink is endless. That’s not to mention bouquets. Oh, the bouquets: From red roses to edible arrangements, there never seem to be enough ostentatious, ridiculously-overpriced, soon-to-be-trashed, bouquets.

I propose a drinking game: Everytime the words “partner in crime,” or “I don’t want to imagine my life without you,” or “you complete me,” come up on my feed, I’ll take a shot.

The pictures aren’t even the worst part—that prize belongs to their captions. Consequently, I propose a drinking game: Everytime the words “partner in crime,” or “I don’t want to imagine my life without you,” or “you complete me,” come up on my feed, I’ll take a shot. I’ll probably be blackout drunk in 10 minutes, but at least then I won’t have to remember reading through a two-paragraph ode to someone’s three-week old relationship with a “perfect gentleman” of a boyfriend—who I know for a fact hit on me last night at Gerts.

I’m generally a pretty happy-go-lucky person, but Valentine’s, you bring out the worst in me. I’ve started scoffing at even perfectly-realistic romantic comedies. I roll my eyes at the couples cuddling in the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) lounge. I even judge the gifts my friends’ significant others get them—while still eating all the expensive chocolate contained in said gifts. Let me be clear: I’m not relationship-hungry, I don’t have cuffing season blues, and I’m not a crazy cat lady. I just think that you’re overrated and always in my face, and I need some space. We have a toxic relationship. I need to cut you out of my life. I promise, it’s not me, it’s you.

Love,

A disgruntled and perpetual third-wheel

Sanchi Bhalla is a first-year business student with an unmatched love of novelty phone cases. She can be spotted anywhere on campus where doggos run wild.

 

@mcgilltribop | [email protected]
Creative, Student Life

Can Vegan Ice Cream Pass the Taste Test?

by Sofia Mikton & Krystal Pan on

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Upon the release of new Vegan flavours in the U.S., our student living editor and some friends try the vegan Ben and Jerry’s ice cream flavours! Have Ben and Jerry cracked the code and created a delicious vegan treat? Or will the hopes and dreams of vegans everywhere be dashed yet again? Find out.

Video by Sofia Mikton and Krystal Pan

Featuring Catherine Morrison, Sanchi Bhalla, and Mary Keith

 

Ask Ainsley, Student Life

Ask Ainsley: How do I manage a long-distance Valentine’s Day?

by Ainsley on

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Dear Ainsley,

Last year, my significant other of three years graduated and moved to Vancouver while I remained at McGill. We have always gone out and celebrated Valentine’s Day together by doing something special. This is our first year apart on this holiday, and I don’t know what I can do to show them I miss and love them when we’re so far away. Any ideas?

Sincerely,

Long Distance Valentine (LDV)

 

 

Dear LDV,

Your question is very near and dear to me, as I’m also spending Valentine’s Day far apart from my significant other. While it can be difficult to show someone you care when you’re far away, there are many creative ways to make sure you and your partner have a romance-filled Valentine’s Day, regardless of distance.

If you’re looking to give your partner a gift, consider going the traditional route, and send them a care package in the mail. Fill it with corny classics like heart confetti and chocolate, or personalized items like reminders of your best inside jokes or your favourite sweater. Throw in a letter explaining how you feel without them by your side, and you’ve got yourself a heartfelt valentine’s gift. Alternatively, delivering some flowers or Edible Arrangements to your partner’s house is an easy go-to way to make sure they know you are thinking about them. Taking the time to send a loved one some of their favourite things is a sure-fire way to put a smile on their face and make them feel loved.

Many couples tend to have V-Day traditions, such as watching romantic comedies or binge-eating take-out food. If you have traditions like this, consider adapting them to keep them alive despite the distance. Instead of going to the movies or binge-eating sweets on the couch, combine these activities and arrange a FaceTime dinner-movie date. Whether you decide to cook together on FaceTime or get your favourite meals delivered, this will be a fun and unique way to share the special evening. To end the night, watch a movie together and have a FaceTime sleepover.

If you’re looking for some spicier ways to show your love this Valentine’s Day, consider asking a friend to take nude polaroids of you to send to your partner in the mail. Or, if your significant other is into it, go the digital route: Take a bunch of nude photos in advance, and Snapchat them to your valentine throughout the day. Since you’re three hours ahead of Vancouver, send some as soon as you wake up, so that your partner gets them first thing in the morning. Once you and your significant other have some time alone, use technology to your advantage and share some intimacy through FaceTime sex. Although it may seem daunting, by learning to dirty talk and get comfortable on camera, sex with your Valentine will be just as satisfying as the real thing.

Understandably, being away from your valentine on a holiday created for public displays of affection may feel sad. Try not to get too down on yourself; think about all of the long-distance couples that are going through the same thing and try to remember that you are not alone! If you have friends who are also in long-distance relationships this Valentine’s Day, consider planning an activity to do together to fight off feelings of loneliness. Nothing beats a Palentine’s Day with your best friends.

Albeit cliché, it’s true that absence makes the heart grow fonder. As long as you and your significant other are both invested in your relationship, know that no distance can come between you two. Instead of dwelling on how far away you are from your valentine, focus on the fact that you have someone to share it with, and make this day as special as you can.  

Sending lots of love this V-Day,
Ainsley

Commentary, Opinion

Canada should subsidize legal producers of cannabis

by Gabriel Boulianne Gobeil on

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Subsidizing legal producers of cannabis may seem outlandish, but it might be the solution to bringing the Trudeau government closer to its goal of “keeping marijuana out of the hands of children, and the profits out of the hands of criminals.”

With the Cannabis Act (Bill C-45) supposed to come into effect in the Summer of 2018, Parliament is on track to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. If it does, which the countrywide implementation of new provincial legislation on marijuana suggests it will, the Liberals will meet one of their most talked-about 2015 campaign promises. However, some policy questions about Bill C-45 remain unanswered.

One key concern centres on Section 17 of the Bill, which prohibits the promotion of cannabis. Would-be legal producers argue that if they cannot promote their product, they will be unable to compete effectively with their already well-established black market counterparts. Instead of giving into these demands, the federal government should subsidize legal producers, which would ensure that official retailers get a fair shot at driving illegal producers out of business. Additionally, such a solution would avoid the trap that advertising might encourage drug usage among youth, such as university students, who often find themselves in an environment that can nurture a culture of substance abuse.

As Professor David Hammond of the University of Waterloo’s School of Public Health and Health Systems maintains, price is the most important factor that customers take into account when deciding which cannabis product to buy. No customer wants to miss out on a good deal.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s proposed profit-sharing formula sets the price of one gram of marijuana at approximately $10. This price, he argued in December 2017 to his provincial counterparts, would render the black market unsustainable, forcing most illegal producers to put an end to their operations. However, Statistics Canada recently found that Minister Morneau’s proposed $10 per gram price was less competitive than current black market prices, meaning that the potential for a significant black market would still exist after legalization. Government subsidies represent a more proactive way of tackling this dilemma, by allowing the government to maintain the current advertising ban under Section 17 while simultaneously preventing counter-productive competition with black market producers.

Subsidies could also allow the Liberal government to more rapidly meet its campaign goal of keeping profits out of criminals’ hands. They would have the same effect as dumping the price of cannabis, and allowing legal producers to expand their market share. For example, by providing a $2-3 per gram subsidy, the government would enable legal producers to sell cannabis at roughly $7-8 per gram. Over time, the price could return to around $10 once most of the black market would have been eliminated.

A cannabis subsidy would hit two birds with one stone. First, it would eliminate legal producers’ concern that they may not be able to effectively compete with black market producers. Second, by subsidizing legal producers, the government would increase retailers’ market competitiveness, thereby hushing demands for the ability to promote cannabis products. And by maintaining the ban on promotion, the risk that youth may be drawn to consume marijuana any more than they are now remains low. This would meet both of the Trudeau government’s campaign goals for the legalization of marijuana, a platform which Canadians supported on Oct. 19, 2015.

Meeting legal suppliers halfway and partially lifting Section 17’s current blanket ban on promotion might allay their call for looser control—a legitimate claim that ought to be addressed in a democratic society. However, this would be nothing more than a temporary remedy to the advertising dilemma, failing to solve the issue in the long run. Opening the door to advertising may create a dangerous slippery slope: Marijuana companies might respect government regulation in the first few months after cannabis has been legalized, but would eventually begin to push the boundaries of these newly established laws. After all, the cannabis industry remains just that—an industry. Unsurprisingly, it is driven by profit—a reality the Task Force on Cannabis Legalization and Regulation noted in its final report to the government—making it likely that cannabis producers will keep lobbying for deregulation unless Parliament addresses their concerns through subsidies.

Federal subsidies target the legal marijuana advertisement dilemma in a creative way—getting to the root of the problem, rather than putting in place a quick-fix and an insufficient solution.

Student Life

Five best places to make out on campus this Valentine’s Day

by Miguel Principe on

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Unfortunately for McGill students, Valentine’s Day always falls in the middle of midterm season, leaving many couples without the time to go on a romantic date to display their affection. Luckily, there’s no place on Earth more romantic than McGill. The rolling hills and stressful ambience on campus will get anyone’s heart pumping. To help you show off your bae to the entire student population, The McGill Tribune has compiled a list of the best places for you and your uni cutie to lock lips on campus this Feb. 14.  

Leacock 132

Situated in the heart of campus, Leacock 132 is the ultimate make out spot. With 600 seats, this lecture hall offers lovebirds plenty of locations for making out—from the far back corner in view of tour groups passing by, or the awkwardly-placed table beside the professor’s podium. If you can, plan your make-out session for the 8:30 to 9:30 rush, as this will give you the opportunity to start off your classmates’ days by showing them an old-fashioned public display of affection.

Bishop Mountain Hall cafeteria

Just a sweaty 15-minute uphill climb from campus, Bishop Mountain Hall (BMH) offers a beautiful panoramic view of the city, similar to the one that can be observed from the romantic Chalet du Mont-Royal. However, unlike the chalet, Upper Rez offers an undeniably heart-throbbing ambience. While you’re smooching with your special someone, look out onto Forbes field to watch your favourite sport. Grab some tortellini from the pasta bar, a few cookies for dessert, and take a seat at one of the window-side tables to take some cute couple pics. Also, make sure to say hi to Darren the shawarma guy while you’re there—he’s really nice.

The tunnel between McIntyre Medical Building and Stewart Bio

A great way to bond with a romantic interest is to go through a terrifying experience together. As university students, no one has time or money to go skydiving or bungee jumping. Fortunately, McGill’s architecture provides students with many ways to get that adrenaline rush they’re longing for. Head to the shady tunnel between the McIntyre Medical Building and the Stewart Biology Building for some intense lip-locking that will reverberate smooching sounds across the walls. This amorous noise will leave you both wondering: Is what you’re hearing the sound of making out, a passerby, or the ghost of a medical student from the early 20th century? You’ll never know—and that’s the beauty of it.

Redpath Library’s Cyberthèque pods

Cyberthèque is where love and learning collide. In addition to being on the isolated basement floor, Cyberthèque pods are the perfect make for perfect kissing spots, as everyone who uses them knows they are extremely soundproof. From the windows, couples can take in the breathtaking views of people skating on the ice rink on Lower Field on one side, and students frantically studying for their midterms on the other. However, what truly sets Cyberthèque above the rest is its proximity to Première Moisson. Take advantage of this convenient location and show your significant other that you are willing to splurge for them by buying them chocolates with your OneCard dollars.  

Burnside Basement

You know what they say about Montreal: It’s the Paris of Canada. And if that is true, then Burnside is the Eiffel Tower. Burnside is the most iconic building on the McGill campus; this brutalist block of concrete is the pinnacle of architecture. Its basement is also open 24 hours for science students, so any time is the right time to make out—as long as you wait for the right person to open the doors for you at night. Plus, during the day, Burnside is a hot spot for samosa sales, so you can (literally) spice up your relationship by eating one of these golden triangles of goodness Lady and the Tramp style.  

Commentary, Opinion

Don’t show me the (read) receipts

by Holly Cabrera on

More in Commentary:

“U r bombed me,” read the notification.

My immediate reaction was, “What?” Several text bubbles later, I found myself engrossed in arduous digital warfare with this person, who believed I had ignored their earlier messages. I later learned that R-bombing means reading a message intended for you but not responding. The Rice University Neologisms Database explains that the term “[insinuates] the disappointment one feels when he does not receive any response from whom he texted to.” From my own experience with escalated misunderstandings over text messages, I am convinced that read receipts do more harm than good. These signals that supposedly confirm our awareness of a delivered message have distorted our perception of what is and isn’t an offence. If we receive a delayed reply, or no reply at all, after a certain amount of time has elapsed, we tend to interpret the other’s reaction—or lack thereof—as a direct assault on our ego. Timestamps that don’t accurately reflect when a person opens our message often result in unnecessary quarrels. Instead, we should consider a person’s words as confirmation of their awareness, rather than their read receipts.

Certainly, an advantage to activating read receipts is that they hold us accountable to not only responding, but doing so in a timely fashion. While Apple has made activating them optional, platforms such as Facebook Messenger and Snapchat don’t offer smartphone users the luxury of choosing blissful ignorance. Instead, we must confront the fact that our presumably busy texting partner did indeed “R-bomb” us.

We have come to expect that everyone we contact is constantly on their phones, anxiously awaiting yet another one of our oddly specific memes or clever comebacks.

Yet, equating read receipts with a recipient’s written acknowledgement of a message is a mistake. An opened message does not guarantee that the person with whom you are conversing has read your text in the true sense of the word. Their lack of response should not be viewed as them actively avoiding you, because the “R” may not be accurate or genuine. Keeping multiple browser tabs may easily lead you to unintentionally open a new message without actually having read it. Granted, it is difficult to entertain the possibility of someone inadvertently clicking your text while the obnoxious “seen” beside your last unanswered message is gaslighting you.

Lack of response, however, shouldn’t be viewed as active avoidance, or necessarily a bad thing. We communicate via text out of convenience, or when face-to-face interactions are simply impossible. In the middle of a heated argument, for example, instant messaging may even provide us with time to collect ourselves and carefully communicate our thoughts instead of exchanging words that we will surely regret.

Beyond making us question whether the person we’re texting really forgot to respond, read receipts contribute to larger problems with non-stop digital communication. We have come to expect that everyone we contact is constantly on their phones, anxiously awaiting yet another one of our oddly specific memes or clever comebacks. In truth, humans aren’t so devoted to online conversations—and frankly, they shouldn’t be. Our level of attachment to confirming read receipts and checking our smartphones betrays our insatiable need for validation. With our phones, as with any fickle relationship, we should consider that life may be more enjoyable when they are off. I am in no way urging that we part ways with technology—but we should accept that the deceptive read receipt is not our friend.

In the brief history of text messaging, timestamps have shown to be reassuring to some, but their use as provocation is also an irritant to many. Given that they aren’t a reliable form of acknowledgement, perhaps deactivating read receipts when possible is wise. Maybe getting away from your phone for a bit is an even better decision. Going forward, I’ve resolved to acknowledge messages that I have in fact read by responding with some sign of life, curt as it might be. At the very minimum, anticipate the passive aggressive text staple “k.” At the very most, look forward to an attempt at the next great Canadian novel followed by an unhealthy number of heart emojis. Texters, you’ve been warned.  

Holly Cabrera is a U2 English Literature student and a News Editor at the McGill Tribune.

 

@mcgilltribop | [email protected]
Science & Technology

Closing the gender gap with Women & Science

by Emma Gillies on

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Feb. 11 was the United Nations International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and to celebrate the occasion, the Montreal Science Centre hosted Women & Science, an event designed to encourage young women and girls to pursue careers in science and technology.

Even in 2018, there is a prevalent gender gap in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education. According to UNESCO, only 35 per cent of STEM students in higher education internationally are female, and only 28 per cent of the world’s researchers are women.

Women & Science is a part of the mission to close this gap. Girls under the age of 18 were granted free admission to the Indigenous Ingenuity exhibit—a showcase of Indigenous science and technology—as well as permanent exhibitions that allowed them to explore everything from the human body to novel inventions and machines. The Montreal Science Centre, with its colourful floors and informative, interactive activities, was bustling with children of all ages.

An activity room with interactive scientific presentations and workshops allowed children to practice their coding skills with Kids Code Jeunesse, a non-profit organization with a mandate to teach Canadian children how to code. Falcon Ed, a company specializing in training birds of prey for conservation or ecological purposes, educated a fascinated audience on the biodiversity of these birds, with species such as the American kestrel and great horned owl present.

Numerous organizations were in attendance, including video game publisher Ubisoft, artificial intelligence solutions provider Element AI, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and science communications group L’Association des communicateurs scientifiques du Québec.

Marie-Pierre Carbonneau works at Concertation Montreal on a project called Mouvement Montréalais Les Filles & le code, which encourages young girls from ages 12 to 17 to become interested in tech. She highlighted Ma Carrière Techno and Ma Vie Techno, two websites that aim to educate and assist women in finding technology-related careers.

“[The goal of Ma Carrière Techno] is to know more about different careers in technology so that people can go on the website and see, ‘OK, if I want to be a webmaster, what does that mean?’” Carbonneau said in an interview with  The McGill Tribune.

Essentially, the website serves as a tool for exploring careers and the skills they require. Ma Vie Techno is a resource for finding opportunities with organizations and activities related to technology.

“We are here because we know that we need lots of girls in science and technology, and sometimes girls say ‘Oh, technology, it’s not for me!’” Carbonneau said. “But yes, it’s for you, and we need you.”

Amira Bencherif, from Université de Montréal’s Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer, works in a multidisciplinary lab with a team of students of varying educational backgrounds, including physics, engineering, and biology. The lab’s goal is to detect cancers at early stages and at a faster rate than would be possible in a large laboratory.

“We make electronics to […] detect mutations in DNA,” Bencherif said. “The idea is that […] to detect cancers, to detect illnesses, we’re trying to make [the technologies] smaller.”

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA), which works with  Earth-observation satellites, space robotics, space exploration, and satellite technologies, was also present. The CSA operates satellites for the Canadian government that have multiple applications, from predicting natural disasters to tracking environmental damage like oil spills.

Marie-Josée Potvin, a structural engineer with the CSA, stressed the importance of teamwork, passion, and hard work in science, but said that she often sees a lack of self-confidence in young girls.

“I would say if it’s a passion, […] just go for it, and keep working hard,” Potvin said. “Everyone’s starting at the same level. No one’s born knowing science. You learn about it.”

She added that any field of science has an impact on humanity, and that women should not be discouraged from participating: They just have to be ready to work hard.

“You’re helping people adapt to this planet and live better, so this is very important work,” Potvin said.

Women & Science served as an opportunity for women and girls to gain exposure to a diversity of careers available in STEM. As more women get involved in fields that have been historically dominated by men, the overall knowledge of that field expands. Breakthroughs cannot continue to occur if we refuse to break barriers.

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Marie-Pierre Carbonneau works at CGI in Information Technology.

In fact, Carbonneau is an employee at Concertation Montreal.
The Tribune regrets this error.

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