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McGill, Montreal, News

Community Engagement Day promotes solidarity between McGill and local organizations

by Jesse Wu on

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On Sept. 28, the Social Equity and Diversity Education Office (SEDE) held the sixth annual Community Engagement Day (CED). Programming took place at various locations across Montreal—including on McGill’s downtown campus—and approximately 30 organizations participated, including the Montreal LGBTQ+ community centre, Radical Accessibility Audit Project (RAAP) Montreal, and Seeing Voices Montreal. These organizations collaborated with SEDE to put on a total of 50 projects across the city with volunteer activities, panel discussions, and workshops on current issues such as discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community and accessibility on campus.

According to Monika Barbe, CED program coordinator, the program aims to strengthen the partnership between McGill students and community service organizations in Montreal.

“[The goal of the CED] is to continue to plant the seeds of general social involvement and engagement within the community with the hope of opening the McGill bubble,” Barbe said. “Through specific partnerships with community organizations […] the participants get the chance to see with their own eyes […] how groups of people organize themselves to address issues that are important for them and to make changes happen.”

The day’s programming was segmented into smaller sections, including the CED talk series, a cluster of talks that aimed to facilitate dialogue between McGill participants and the general public to critically analyze the relationships between the university and local organizations. One such event was a panel discussion, “Taking Your Knowledge Outside The Classroom: Creating Social Impact In The Montreal Community,” featuring faculty and student speakers from the Desautels Faculty of Management.

Anurag Dhir, SEDE engaged learning and access coordinator, moderated the panel, focusing on academic research on partnerships between community organizations and university students.

“[This panel] critically engages with the idea of knowledge production and sharing that happens between the community and the university when you have university students working with community organizations,” Dhir said, in an interview after the panel. “[It] explores the benefits of [these collaborations] and the tensions that exist as well.”

The panelists shared their personal experiences participating in community organizations and solving problems using data and research. Nicholas Toronga, U2 Management student and one of the panelists, discussed the difficulty of applying his classroom knowledge during his previous involvement with Suspicious Fish, a creative literary and arts collective in Verdun, Quebec.

"When I think about taking knowledge outside the classroom, I think about adaptation,” Toronga said. “This is something that is very challenging, especially coming from the [Faculty of Management], you’re studying finance and you are super excited to use the modules, the marketing, and everything else. Then, you go to the organization and realize that maybe they’re still way behind and you have to work with […] a certain way of doing things. If you don’t acquaint yourself with them, things can go wrong.”

For Elizabeth Thomas, U0 Management, “Taking Your Knowledge Outside The Classroom” familiarized her with local outlets through which she can impact the community.

“[Attending this CED talk] is very important to me,” Thomas said. “I came here to [learn] how other people think [about social entrepreneurship] and to try to understand other people’s views compared to mine. It’s quite interesting that we [all] think in the same way.”

CED’s many volunteer events included a clothing sort at Chez Doris, a local women’s shelter, where McGill student volunteers helped organize clothing donations. One of them, Amy Hunt, is an exchange student from Northeastern University who came to Montreal for service learning. She was encouraged to be part of CED during her lecture for GSFS 200: Feminist and Social Justice Studies.

“I decided to do CED because of my feminism class, so I wanted to get involved,” Hunt said. “I think CED is awesome. If I were here [next year], I would participate again. I think it’s a great program for students.”

McGill, News

‘Victims of Socialism’ presentation stirs up controversy on campus

by Julia Metraux on

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On Sept 25,  George Harbison, chief financial officer of Unitek Learning, gave a talk on the “The Victims of Socialism.” The talk was hosted by the Conservative Association (CA) at McGill University in conjunction with The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. Though the event title alluded to a discussion of socialist societies, Harbison’s speech actually focused on past communist dictatorships— the terms were used interchangeably throughout the presentation. He touched on the USSR under Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin, China under Mao Zedong, and Cambodia under Pol Pot. His presentation included examples of communist propaganda, images of emaciated and dead bodies, and dramatic background music.

“Make no mistake about it, the millions of deaths caused by these three communist regimes were no accident,” Harbison said. “Communism’s goal of achieving a utopian society with absolute and forced equality for all [was] at such odds with human nature that it required an imposition of brutal and total control by the state over every aspect of the lives of those subjected to it.”

One counterargument to Harbison’s ideas about communism is that the damages the modern capitalist state causes, including environmental degradation and income inequality, are far worse than those caused by past communist regimes. Yet Harbison argued that this was untrue.

“We have been presented with numerical comparisons set forth [of] the sheer magnitude of the number of people killed by three communist regimes,” Harbison said. “To deny this, or to invoke the argument [that] capitalism’s [damages are worse], is to engage in abject intellectual dishonesty.”

At the end of his talk, Harbison took questions from the audience. One audience member asked whether it’s possible for a socialist democracy to succeed, to which Harbison responded by reminding the audience of the overthrow of socialist Chilean president Salvador Allende.

“[Salvador] Allende was a socialist [president in Chile], he was overthrown,” Harbison said. “Then [Augusto] Pinochet came in, not a great guy, did some bad stuff, [but he] put in economic reforms, [and by] 1990 Chile was a highly-functioning democracy. It’s actually up near the top of the Economic Freedom Scale.”

The event’s Facebook page provoked discussion between the event’s proponents and critics. An event mockingly titled ‘The Victims of DeVry University’ was created to protest the CA’s decision to invite Harbison, a former CFO of the Medical and Healthcare group of DeVry, a for-profit university. The event page criticized Harbison’s lack of qualifications to speak about socialism.

In an email to The McGill Tribune, the creator of the ‘The Victims of Devry University’ event, Victor Redko, U3 Science, cited several of Harbison’s articles for Forbes.com and RealClearMarkets.com as evidence of a bias against socialism.

“I made the meme event because I was taken by the absurdity of the campus tories inviting someone whose degree is an MBA focusing on finance and accounting and whose career is mostly focused in the for-profit education industry [to] act as an authority on the history of communism,” Redko wrote. “Especially given the fact that the various pieces [that] he has written for various sites make it very clear that he’s […] on the right end of the spectrum and is likely completely unable to speak objectively on the history of communism or its merits in comparison to capitalism.” 

While the event served to bring attention to the victims of communist regimes, Arts underclassman Sophia Kopnya felt the presentation took advantage of people who lived in communist regimes.

“[This event] essentially equates victims of these regimes to simple analogies to denounce any sort of left-wing politics,” Kopnya wrote. “The fact that people are using the genocide of my people [Ukrainians] to further the idea that any sort of social welfare or social support is by association evil.”

 

McGill, News

Ferrier computer lab shut down, speaker resignation announced at AUS legislative council

by Grace Bahler on

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On Sept. 27, the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) Legislative Council met  for the second time this year to discuss a handful of topics, including equity training, new study spaces, and a commuter committee.

Speaker of Council Jason Barron resigns

At the start of the meeting, President Erik Partridge opened with news of Council Speaker Jason Barron stepping down for personal reasons. The AUS has put out an application for a new speaker and will appoint one in two weeks, according to Partridge.

This is the second AUS resignation this semester, with vice-president (VP) External Catherine Jeffery stepping down on Sept. 12.

Equity training now required for AUS departmental executives and senators 

AUS Council passed a motion  to amend the Equity Policy to require all AUS departmental executives and senators to undergo equity training. Equity commissioners Amisha Parikh-Friese and Chloe Kemeni introduced the motion, which requires staff to complete the course, taught by the equity commissioners before Saturday, Oct. 14. 

“We believe that, obviously, equity is the focal point and pillar for a respectful and functioning society,” Kemeni said. “The only way we can set a high standard is when everyone is trained, and trained properly.” 

Originally, the equity policy only required AUS executives—not departmental executives or senators—to be trained. The new equity training is required alongside the already mandatory consent training that all executives and staff complete. 

“I think [it’s] a good idea [to combine consent and equity training] and [it’s] definitely a possibility for the future,” Parikh-Friese said. “I think for this year, obviously that won’t happen, and that’s partially because the consent training is new this year, and also the equity training is new […but] I definitely think in the future […] some of those [trainings] could be combined.”

AUS computer lab in the Ferrier building will be discontinued

VP Internal Rebecca Scarra took the podium to address the use of the AUS computer lab spaces on the third floor of the Ferrier building and in the AUS lounge. With AUS’ laptop lending program serving students’ needs, desktop computers are no longer in huge demand.

“Right now, we have a computer lab up in Ferrier that has been significantly underutilized,” Scarra said. “Myself and a couple [of] other executives had a meeting with one of the building directors, and we have a request from IT to use this space [as offices….] However, we believe this space could be [more] beneficial to AUS students.” 

As an alternative to handing over the space to IT, Scarra proposed turning the computer lab into a group study space, which she pointed out that many other faculties have. Council was quick to pass this motion, with the AUS thus retaining its space in Ferrier. A use for the area will be decided in coming meetings.

“We sometimes need that [study] space, and we don’t necessarily have [a designated study area solely for Arts students],” Scarra said. “Additionally, this space could be allocated to departments or [for] meeting spaces.”

The beginnings of a committee for school commuters

Toward the end of the meeting, VP Academic Madeline Wilson moved a motion to strike a committee to serve the needs of off-campus commuters, which swiftly passed. 

“I think that the AUS should [create] the commuter support and engagement committee,” Wilson said. “I’ve noticed recently that commuter students and off-campus students are underrepresented in the AUS.” 

Wilson pointed to the Fall 2016 Enrolment Report, which shows that 51.7 per cent of McGill’s student body originates from Quebec. For such a large portion of the student body that commutes to campus every day, the needs of this population are often forgotten in student communities like the AUS.

“[A goal is to] make [commuters] feel more at home at McGill, which is ironic, but I’ve heard complaints, or concerns […] from off-campus commuter students,” Wilson said. “Hopefully, we’ll have a more solidified idea [of] what we want to do [next meeting].”

AUS Council will next meet on October 11 at 6 p.m. in Leacock 232.

McGill, News

Consent McGill highlights the existence of sexual assault and how to react to it

by Caitlyn Atkinson on

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Consent McGill has returned for its fourth consecutive year to provide students with education and support on campus sexual violence. Bianca Tétrault, the sexual violence education advisor at the Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support, and Education (O-SVRSE), continues to lead the campaign with O-SVRSE sexual response advisor Émilie Marcotte and a team of year-long volunteers. Events promoting self-care, survivor support resources, and bystander intervention are scheduled for the ongoing two-week campaign, taking place from Sept. 25 to Oct. 6. 

Bystander intervention workshop stresses importance of speaking up

On Sept. 27 Tétrault and peer educators Felicia Kavuma and Neelakshi Pandey led a workshop to raise awareness of the bystander effect, the human tendency to remain inactive when witnessing acts of violence or injustice if other witnesses are doing so as well. Facilitators provided strategies to correct this behaviour, and defined the role of an active bystander as one who looking for ways to disrupt sexual violence while also maintaining their own personal safety. 

“Bystander intervention [workshops] are proven, through research, to have an impact on campus sexual violence and in reducing it,” Tétrault said. “But not every campus is the same […] so we wanted to make sure the information was going to fit our population, [which is why] the information was tailored by our students.” 

The facilitators also made it clear that bystanders need not be heroes; individuals can only intervene in emergencies if they feel their own safety is not at risk. Even small efforts from bystanders, however, can stop harmful situations. Though intervention ideally occurs before assault ever does, stepping in mid-attack, or even afterward, can be just as important.  

“Some people have been targeted […] because of their social identity and worry about their own safety, so […] that affects our likelihood of becoming an active bystander,” Tétrault said. “But that is why the after part of the situation is so critical. If we can’t do something in the moment, we have a responsibility to follow up with [the survivor]. It may be the only source of support they get immediately after.” 

Resources for survivors explored during networks of support walking tour

Another noteworthy event in Consent McGill’s campaign was the walking tour of survivor resources in Montreal. Departing from the O-SVRSE office, tour guides brought attendees around the city to look at the different offices and resources that survivors of sexual assault can pursue for support. The first stop was the police station PDQ 20, where Constable Giuseppe Bacardi informed the group about the investigative procedures that are needed to verify the validity of a sexual assault. Bacardi’s account highlighted a recurring concern for many survivors in reporting their experiences—that police officers won’t believe them.

“When someone calls 911, police get dispatched,” Bacardi said. “Police officers go over there and basically find out their story […] just to make sure there is enough evidence to sustain a report. This is not to be mean, or cynical, or make people think we don’t believe [the callers], but sometimes, when someone hates another person so much, they can make up any story.” 

Marcotte, who was helping facilitate the tour, then posed a question about the logistical process of filing a sexual assault report, which Bacardi failed to explain sufficiently. The result was an awkward, and relatively tense, discussion before Marcotte and Tétrault politely exited with the group. 

Meanwhile, the three other locations on the tour—Concordia University’s Centre for Gender Advocacy, Montreal Sexual Assault Centre (MSAC), and Project 10—were more in accordance with Consent McGill’s pro-survivor mandate and all emphasized their commitment toward believing and supporting survivors above all else. Though the Centre for Gender Advocacy and Project 10 assist survivors, they are more directly involved in providing resources and safe spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals. MSAC, however, is entirely dedicated to helping sexual assault survivors work through their experiences. Though it is not an alternative to reporting to the police, MSAC can help individuals through the process of filing a formal report. 

“If you come to MSAC, we will support you in whatever route you wish to pursue,” Debbie Trent, the director of MSAC, said. “We do, however, strongly encourage survivors to come in […] and have medical information collected, just in case they change their mind in the future.”

McGill, News

Phishing scam plagues McGill student inboxes

by Caitlyn McConnell on

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Since the summer, students have reported receiving ‘phished’ messages in their McGill emails. ‘Phishing’ is the fraudulent practice of impersonating a credible source and sending emails requesting the reader to hand over personal details. The emails had subject lines such as “Verify Your Email!,” or “Important Alert from McGill University Admin” and contained fraudulent links requesting personal account information.

Phishing attempts have recently received national media attention with organizations like Wells Fargo, Yahoo!, and the Democratic National Committee reporting breaches. Such attacks occur more frequently during times of the year when people need to submit personal information. For the general public, this is often during holidays such as Cyber Monday, Boxing Day, and Christmas, when massive increases in online shopping take place. In McGill’s case, the start of the semester and course registration typically mark a significant increase in fraudulent emails. In a statement to The McGill Tribune, the McGill IT Department explained how these phishing attempts endanger students.

“Once a criminal gets access to your data, they will likely sell personal information to third parties, and look for additional information that they may use to gain access into more lucrative sources, like your online bank account,” the statement read.

On Sept. 11, the History Students’ Association (HSA) released a statement to its student body verifying that they had fallen victim to a phishing scheme. HSA attempted to prevent further damage by sending out a follow-up email to its members, warning them not to click on the fraudulent links.

“The History Students’ Association list-serv was used as a vector [for] a phishing scam, claiming to be from the Better Business Bureau,” the HSA statement read. “Phishing scams generally work by using a trustworthy or well-known organization’s name […] and then a secondary email address […] to lure users into clicking on a link that will then attempt to take their private information.”

The McGill IT Department has screening procedures to prevent scams from reaching the student body. In an email to the Tribune, Rowena Espinosa, director of IT Communications,  explained why these phishing scams were able to penetrate their cybersecurity defences.

“Filtering such attacks becomes more difficult when the phishing attempt involves spoofing the sender address in an email to appear as a reputable McGill University source and request sensitive information,” Espinosa wrote. “This is why it is so important that each of us recognize our individual responsibility to educate and protect ourselves and our information by remaining vigilant in our use of these technologies.”

The IT Department will continue to offer resources on how to avoid these scams, including informational videos, antivirus software for staff and students, and steps for reporting security incidents. There is also a list of known phishing emails published on the McGill website. Beyond these resources, Espinosa urges students to educate themselves on cybersecurity programs, to practice common sense for keeping their accounts safe, and to keep an eye out for signs of fraudulent emails. 

“We can […] mitigate risks significantly by using a variety of best practices such as strong passwords unique for each [service], frequently changing [passwords], not sharing [passwords], and not recycling previously used ones,” Espinosa wrote. “We must be careful where we browse and what emails, texts and advertisements we respond to. We should also be more conscientious of the types and amount of personal data we make available through social networking platforms.”

Arts & Entertainment, Music

Intersessions workshop encourages diversity, accessibility in Montreal DJ culture

by Meagan Peters on

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There is a distinct lack of diversity in the Montreal electronic music scene. Many hopeful DJs feel the music industry is inaccessible because of the group of predominantly heteronormative males controlling it. Intersessions, founded in Vancouver by DJs Rhi Blossom and Chippy Nonstop, is a series of workshops working to change this lack of diversity by providing underrepresented demographics with DJ and music production classes. The project’s goal is to address the electronic music industry’s remarkable gender and sexuality based imbalance by providing inexpensive classes for people on the LGBTQIA2S+ spectrum. 

On Sept. 19, Montreal’s first production workshop was hosted at Outro, a local company that provides creators with access to free artist-to-artist samples and loops. DJs Blossom and Maddie Ross led the workshop in Outro’s studio space. For the first portion of the evening, two local producers gave a tutorial on the respective production tools that they use: JaymieSilk on FL Studio, and Valeda on Ableton. Attendees were encouraged to follow along on their laptops, and could come to the event early if they needed help downloading the software. I had never produced music before—the case for about two-thirds of the attendees—and found this a little overwhelming. However, the point of the class was not to make us  pros, but to give us a foundation for doing our own exploratory work using the software. Following their instructions, attendees were given a chance to play around with the software and ask questions, before the panel discussion that would close the night.

The panel discussion, which centered around the two artists’ experiences, was the most interesting part of the workshop. It began with Blossom asking Jaymie Silk and Valeda how they started making electronic music. Both artists revealed that they are predominantly self-taught, and praised YouTube as a great place to learn. They emphasized that expensive equipment is not necessary to make music, and that they still rely heavily on creating using their laptops. Silk spoke of “a new generation of producers” who are self-taught like them and less concerned with the formal techniques of production, but still able to create really interesting music. Both artists are grateful for the large community of DIY music producers in Montreal which they have become a part of. 

Valeda and Silk then discussed the issue of tokenization—a problem that many of Montreal’s local DJs continue to face. Silk recalled being put on a lineup that had little in common with his sound, other than the fact that all of the DJs were black. Valeda recounted playing some bigger venues, where it seemed like the people who booked her didn’t even like her music, but needed a girl for their lineup. It is an inner struggle when confronted with these situations. The exposure is still valuable, and the artist needs to make money, but it can be obvious that they are getting booked just to fill a quota or to project an image. 

Finally, there was a fruitful discussion about cultural appropriation and the exploitation of certain genres. Jaymie Silk, who comes from the ballroom scene—a ball culture that originated in Harlem as a place of refuge from societal oppression of sexuality, race, and gender—explained that many DJs will make ballroom style house music, while not acknowledging the style’s complex and important history. The same goes for the current trend of appropriating Jamaican culture by sampling dancehall beats. In order to pay respect to the music they sample, DJs need to be familiar with the history behind the genre they work within. Artists should ask themselves whether they truly care about the music they’re sampling. 

Power imbalance within any given context must be assumed, rather than overlooked. As much as we love to place our Montreal music scene on a pedestal of progressivism, oppressive practices continue to obstruct equality and fairness for all. Events like Intersessions are integral in shaping the musical culture of the future—one that is more responsible and accessible.  

Research Briefs, Science & Technology

Fantastic new science professors and where to find them

by Oceane Marescal on

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As one of the top universities in Canada, McGill boasts top-notch professors—dedicated academics and researchers from all around the world. According to Gregor Fussmann, chair of the Department of Biology, as many as 200 candidates initially apply for a single tenure track position. From these, a search committee identifies a long list of around 25 applicants based on research excellence, publication record, and teaching ability. Around five of these candidates are then invited for an interview, and one is ultimately hired. This year, eight new outstanding professors joined the Faculty of Science.   

A few of these professors shared exciting aspects of their research, the classes they will teach, life advice, and hobbies with The McGill Tribune, because they are people too. Although each of these professors has different interests, they all share a common passion for their research and a willingness to include the rest of the McGill community.

 

Assistant Professor Sarah Racine, Department of Psychology

Sarah Racine obtained her Honours BSc degree at McGill before continuing her studies in the US. She is thrilled to be back at her alma mater as a member of the Department of Psychology.

Racine’s research focuses on examining the risk and maintenance factors for eating disorders. According to a 2014 McGill Student Psychological Wellbeing survey, one to three per cent of McGill students struggle with eating disorders, and McGill has recently cut its Eating Disorder Program.

Racine’s research is therefore crucial for the students that fall within this percentage. Right now, she and a team of researchers are working on “a study in which [they] examine whether different emotional responses to food [can] predict different eating disorder symptoms.” If you hope to learn more about Racine and her work, she will be teaching PSYC 408, Principles of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, in the Winter semester.

Racine advises undergraduates to seriously reflect on whether or not going to graduate school is the right path for them.

“I suggest getting involved in numerous research lab[s] as early as possible in your degree […] and learn about the joys and hardships of graduate study and academia,” Racine said.

Outside of work, Racine enjoys Zumba and dance classes, visiting Montreal museums, and trying out the city’s amazing restaurants.

 

Assistant Professor Jessica Lin, Department of Mathematics and Statistics

Jessica Lin joins the Department of Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Madison—Wisconsin, where she pursued her postdoctoral studies. She specializes in “Stochastic Homogenization,” a discipline that uses both partial differential equations and probability theory.

“I’m interested in physical models which have microscopic, random effects,” Lin wrote. “Random effects certainly influence a physical system, and if those effects are sufficiently small, then I can say on average what is happening. [I] can build the right mathematical formulation to model a wide variety of ‘typical’ physical settings.”

Such random processes include how fires can spread in randomly positioned trees, or how conductive a metal can be with random deposits of rust. Lin described the department as a “great fit” for her research and particularly enjoys her colleagues, who have been helpful and welcoming since she has arrived.  

Outside of McGill, Lin is an avid dancer, studying both ballet and salsa during the weekends. She advises McGill students to explore the University’s ample resources and what they have to offer.

 

Assistant Professor Carolina Dufour, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

Carolina Dufour is a physical oceanographer, and has thus joined the McGill Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. Her research is particularly relevant in light of global warming. She studies the role of the Southern Ocean—the southern parts of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans that surround Antarctica—in the climate system and its response to climate change. Polar oceans such as the Southern Ocean are key regions for mitigating global warming.  

“They take up significant amounts of excess heat and carbon released to the atmosphere by human activities,” Dufour wrote. “[At] the same time, polar oceans are experiencing very fast changes that are believed to continue over the next decades.”

To study the response of ocean circulation and the carbon cycle on climate change, Dufour uses numerical models. She will be teaching ATOC 182, Introduction to Oceanic Sciences, next winter.

“[I want to] share my passion about the ocean, […] as [it] plays such an important role in climate change,” Dufour wrote.

Dufour enjoys Montreal’s festivals, parks, and bakeries, as well as playing volleyball at a local club. She advises students to strive to achieve a good work-life balance and to relieve stress.

“Keep some room for [things other] than work in [your] life,” Dufour suggested.

 

Assistant Professor Matthew Harrington, Department of Chemistry

Matthew Harrington joined the Department of Chemistry at McGill from Berlin, where he led a research group in the Department of Biomaterials at the Max Planck Institute. At McGill, he continues to pursue the same line of research: Investigating materials made from biological organisms. He hopes to create new synthetic materials mimicking animal-made polymers’ sustainable properties. As an example, Harrington cited the velvet worm, whose slime can form into stiff, water-soluble fibers that, when dissolved, can then reform into new fibers from the solution—a perfect model for developing recyclable polymers.

For those interested in these topics, Harrington will teach CHEM 334, Advanced Materials, next semester. This class will focus on biological materials research and “smart” materials, which “respond in a programmed way to specific environmental stimuli.”

Harrington advises students to reach out to professors and urges them to interact with their profs and get involved in research.

“I was intimidated by the professors and didn’t want to bother them with my questions,” Harrington said of himself as an undergrad, “but now that I’m on the other side, I really appreciate it when a student shows interest.”

Outside of his career as a McGill professor, Harrington enjoys riding his bike, playing guitar and banjo, and eating poutine.

 

Assistant Professor Yann le Polain de Waroux, Department of Geography & the Institute for the Study of International Development

Unique among the other professors, Yann le Polain de Waroux is a joint professor for both the Geography Department in the Faculty of Science and the Institute for the Study of International Development in the Faculty of Arts. 

Right now, le Polain de Waroux is researching deforestation, focusing on how large companies in South America “make decisions about expanding agriculture on forested land, and the ways in which we can better regulate this deforestation.” 

He is also interested in what happens once deforestation has taken place in terms of how people adapt, move, or change their lifestyles. 

Listening to experiences from people in deforested areas ultimately gives him a better understanding of how these people telling them relate to the land and to the rest of the world. 

“[I love] the stories of all these different people,” le Polain de Waroux wrote. “Whether it is poor people in the mountains of Morocco […] or rich farmers in the Argentine pampas.” 

Le Polain de Waroux will be teaching a new class this winter:  INTD 497, a research seminar on international development, as well as GEOG 210, Global Place and People, and GEOG 310, Development and Livelihood.

Le Polain de Waroux suggests that undergrads not stress about doing things just for the sake of building a CV or resume; sometimes the most valuable life experiences come from unexpected places, such as travelling or random jobs. 

Le Polain de Waroux enjoys Aikido and would be a Ravenclaw at Hogwarts.

Basketball, Sports

Everybody hurts, sometimes: Social media accounts reveal Kevin Durant’s emotional side

by Gabe Nisker on

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Last summer, Kevin Durant made possibly the biggest decision he’ll ever make. After eight years with the Oklahoma City Thunder, he published an article on The Player’s Tribune, announcing his intention to sign with the 73-win Warriors—not long after his Thunder had blown a 3-1 series lead against them in the Western Conference Finals. The fan base’s backlash was swift and strong, with followers burning jerseys and calling him names all over the Internet. Still, he remained steadfast in his decision.

“I believe I am doing what I feel is the right thing at this point in my life and my playing career,” Durant wrote in his article.

He was tired of finishing second, and he appeared in an April 2013 issue of Sports Illustrated saying just as much. He wanted a championship, and he wanted to win. He wanted to be on top of the basketball world.

One year later, Durant got exactly that—a championship and a Finals MVP. And in an effort to catch up to his title-defending Warriors team, other contenders were extremely active this offseason, with the Rockets trading for Chris Paul and the Thunder forming their own super-team. However, Durant’s social media interactions were the more notable events of the Golden State offseason.

For any frequent Twitter user, it’s pretty easy to tell that Durant’s favourite activity on the platform is responding to critics. As a result, his tweeting episode on Sept. 18 and 19 wasn’t really surprising. In the debacle, Durant’s account replied to a tweet in the third person, explaining why he made his free agency decision and trashing the Thunder’s coach, organization, and roster—except for Russell Westbrook. Some of the Internet community latched onto the theory that Durant had “burner accounts,” or accounts he could use to defend himself without being attached to his own name and had simply forgotten to switch to one of those accounts before this particular set of tweets. Durant, however, rejected that explanation, admitting to having written the contentious tweets himself.

Although Durant’s unprofessional and immature actions were indefensible, his original decision can be justified—regardless of the commotion it caused. His departure for greener pastures was unpopular. From the looks of it, either he didn’t expect fans to turn on him so quickly, or he expected to handle the backlash much better. As a consequence, social media use has turned into his instrument for self-defence. Judging from his high frequency of response to criticism, it seems as though he still feels the need to justify his year-old decision to everyone.

This reaction is decidedly human. It’s tough to always be in the spotlight. The task gets immeasurably harder when every decision an athlete makes gets put under a microscope—they’ll be be discussed for hours upon hours during the never-ending sports news cycle. It can be especially difficult for someone like Durant, whose decisions are particularly controversial.

Kevin Durant’s strange, humanizing summer on social media didn’t end with the tweets. He’s an active YouTube user and responds to fans there as well. One comment from his verified account caught everyone’s eye last week, giving the basketball world another revealing look at Kevin Durant.

“I play basketball, I got acne, I grew up with nothing,” Durant wrote. “[I’m] still figuring myself out in my late [20’s] [….] I’m closer to you than [you] think.”

This comment is just another example of how Durant has opened up more and more frequently this offseason, with appearances on Bill Simmons’s podcasts, replies to nobodies on Twitter, and other newsworthy YouTube comments. As a result, it’s much more useful to understand and see him as just another ordinary person thrust into extraordinary circumstances. As far as his decision goes, he was clearly tired of coming in second. He chose to join Golden State and finished first. With that result, he got what he wanted, but now it seems that what he needs is for the sports universe to accept his decision.

Ask Ainsley, Private, Student Life

Ask Ainsley: How do I learn to put myself first?

by Ainsley on

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Dear Ainsley,

Schoolwork is piling up and my stress level is rising—all the while, one of my best friends is constantly asking me to hang out late at night. I know she’s going through a rough patch after recently breaking up with her significant other, but I've been losing sleep, with having to hang out all the time and constantly check in on her. I love my friend dearly, I just feel like she asks a lot of me, and sometimes takes advantage of my kindness. I want to make sure she is happy, but not at the expense of my own well-being. How can I prioritize my needs without being a bad friend?

Sincerely,

Prioritizing Other People (POP)

Dear POP,

Your situation reminds me of my own relationships with my friends, actually. I have often found myself getting so overwhelmed trying to help and support them that I forget to take time for myself or think about the kind of support I need. I eventually reached a point where I needed to evaluate my current situation and from there, decide what amount of time I could truly commit to others. As important as it is to be a supportive friend, it’s equally as important to know where to draw the line in terms of focusing too much on others’ needs instead of your own. By saying “yes” to someone else, you shouldn’t be saying “no” to yourself.

The first step in prioritizing yourself is accepting that you can’t change who you are—it’s human nature to want to make people happy. However, you can change some of your actions when you navigate this friendship, and doing so could ultimately put you in a better mental state. Once you acknowledge that you may be a people pleaser—meaning you tend to prioritize other people’s feelings over your own in order to make everyone happy—and figure out why you’re so eager to please those around you, it’s a lot easier to understand the root of your anxieties.  

It’s also important to know the limits of how much time you can afford to give to others. If you have a tendency to accommodate everyone’s wants and needs, try reducing the word “yes” and embracing “no.” In the case of your friend, the more you get used to saying “no” to those late night hang outs when you need alone time, the less guilt you’ll feel in doing so. When you do say yes, try setting time limits for how long you can hang out to ensure that you can still have the time to yourself that you need. If you really struggle with saying “no,” try to remind yourself that there will always be other times and opportunities to help someone that will end up working better for your schedule. Of course it’s nice to see loved ones happy, but if you are overwhelmed, true friends should understand that you can’t always be available to help them and won’t take advantage of you for feeling guilty.

In terms of learning how to tend to your own needs more, developing a self-care routine can be immensely helpful. I tend to get really overwhelmed with work and commitments, forgetting that I need time to relax. If you find that you may also be lacking the time to meet your needs, it might be beneficial for you to consider dropping a commitment or two. If you’re giving up something that you need, such as getting a good night’s sleep or studying for a test, it might be time to reevaluate and refocus. There is no shame in caring for yourself—you deserve to be happy, too.

All in all, remember that it’s okay to not always be everything to everyone—and that you can’t make everyone happy all the time. By knowing how much time you can truly offer to others and committing to creating a healthier mental state for yourself, you will be way more capable of committing to things that are the most important to you and to the people you love.

With love and care,

Ainsley

Student Life

A bond like no other: Rooming with friends

by Anna Wallin on

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From Joey and Chandler, to Will and Grace, to the Golden Girls, pop culture narratives inundate us with the idea that living with friends is an essential part of being young, a right of passage into adulthood. These iconic friendships have romanticized this idea, establishing it as the norm, despite the reality that many people choose not to live with close friends, instead opting to live with acquaintances or random roommates. Though it’s not for everyone, living with close companions can make for a wonderful experience—late night chats and evenings filled with laughs are merely a sliver of the plentiful benefits. The memories created within the walls of a shared apartment last a lifetime.

Many McGill students opt to room with their friends. Having roommates takes dedication, but having best friends for roommates takes a whole lot more. Though it serves as a way to grow closer than ever, living with one’s bestie should be thoughtfully approached. Rooming with friends isn’t one sleepover after the other; it requires effort to maintain the closeness of a relationship. There will be times when arguments occur or lifestyles clash—some people prefer to do dishes at the end of day, while others might perceive this as leaving nothing but a mess in the sink. Or perhaps one roommate likes to go to bed before 11 p.m., but others in the apartment enjoy staying up until 2 a.m. watching movies. The small conflicts can create larger issues in any relationship if they’re not properly addressed, which makes strong communication vital.

On the other hand, potential pros of living with one’s close friends include the fact that friends have already established a certain level of respect with one another; their quirks and habits are nothing new, thus eliminating the grace period of getting to know one’s new cohabitants. Rooming with a best friend can be the ultimate bonding experience. Roommates see each other when they first wake up, when they come home from a long night out, and at the end of the worst of days. Living with a best friend can also mean having someone to come home to and unwind with.

Emilie Marsaudon, U2 Arts, has made a learning experience out of living with her best friend. Though sharing an apartment with one of her closest gals entails spending a lot of time together, that extra time has ultimately brought them closer together.

“Living with someone you know, or in my case, one of my best friends, is absolutely amazing,” Marsaudon said. “It brings the friendship to a whole new level because you are with them a vast majority of the time. [For me it is having] someone to eat junk food with […] and watch obnoxious TV with you, which is a mega plus.”

Living with roommates can also help ease the transition into a new environment. Because moving to a new city lacking familiar faces can be isolating for out-of-province or international students, rooming with other people ensures that they have a small network on which to rely throughout this process.

For Isis Palay, U2 Arts, having roommates has helped her adjust to life in Canada after moving from France to attend McGill. Reducing her rent cost was one original reason she decided to live with roommates, as was wanting to live with her best friend. Currently, Palay, her best friend, and three others live together in an apartment.

“I love living with people in an apartment,” Palay said. “Living with people is work, but it is also super rewarding. Having flatmates is the perfect choice for me. I love that my roommates are always in a good mood in the morning. It cheers me up.”

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