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Baseball, Private, Sports

Tim Raines: An unlikely journey to Cooperstown

by Erich Rothmann on

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It was a long journey for former Expos left fielder Tim Raines—from the end of his playing days in 2002 to finally walking out onto the Olympic Stadium turf on the evening of March 31 as part of the 2017 MLB Hall of Fame class. With 2,605 career hits, a .294 career batting average, and 808 career steals, Raines is undoubtably a Hall of Famer. However, his path to Cooperstown was unlike any other.

In 2008, Raines’ name first appeared on the Hall of Fame ballot. Five years after his final at-bat, Raines received 24 per cent of the vote, 51 per cent below the three-quarters he needed to be inducted. The following year, things went from bad to worse for Raines who saw his Hall of Fame stock fall to 22 per cent, leaving him with essentially no chance of ever making it into the Hall.

If Raines had 400 more hits to get him to the arbitrary 3,000 plateau, he would have been a first ballot Hall of Famer. However, making contact and being a threat on the basepaths were not Raines’ only skills. He had an eye that rivaled the best in the game and he knew how to take a walk. He managed to get on base at a prolific rate and could go from first to second with remarkable speed. To baseball geeks, Raines’ absence from baseball immortality was absurd, considering that if a third of his career 1,330 walks were bunt singles–essentially having the same effect as a walk—he would have reached 3,000 hits and easily made it to Cooperstown.

Luckily for Raines, a childhood Expos-fan-turned-sportswriter made it his life’s mission to get Raines into the Hall of Fame. Montreal’s Jonah Keri began contacting every Hall of Fame voter to make Raines’ case. The argument was simple: Raines reached base 3,977 times in his career–more than Hall of Famers Tony Gwynn, Roberto Clemente, Eddie Matthews, and Brooks Robinson–he was one of the scariest leadoff hitters of his era and, according to one advanced baseball metric, he is the sixth-greatest left fielder in baseball history. Of course, he also won two World Series with the Yankees in the mid-90s. Though his résumé might be missing those flashy multiple-of-ten milestones, to Keri, assuring his hero’s place in the Hall of Fame was paramount.

Slowly, things began to change for Raines. In 2010 he saw an uptick in his Hall of Fame votes, reaching 30 per cent and crossing the 50 per cent mark in 2013. In his penultimate year on the ballot, he received 70 per cent of the vote, still 5 marks away. The following year, his last on the ballot, Keri made his plea public, writing an open-letter to Hall of Fame voters, insisting Raines should be in the Hall. 

“I hope that this note will help nudge you toward voting for Raines,” Keri signed off the letter. “[…] Thanks for your consideration! Jonah.” 

And it worked! Of course Raines was the happiest when he got the call from the Hall of Fame after receiving 86 per cent of the vote, and Keri was certainly second, celebrating at home as he watched his childhood idol make the Hall.

Of course, Raines certainly deserves most of the credit as he was the one standing in the batter’s box making the plays, however as one Hall of Fame voter wrote, “I give Jonah Keri credit for carrying the torch. He is right. There is no good reason Raines isn’t in the Hall.” Now after nine years toiling on the Hall of Fame ballot, both Raines and Keri will head to Cooperstown for the induction ceremony in July.

Private, Student Life, The Viewpoint

My new beginning: How I transferred to McGill

by Flaminia Cooper on

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Transferring to a new university is not a decision to make on a whim. If you are coming from outside of Canada, as I was, it can be an even bigger challenge, but I am proof that transferring is feasible, and that it can be the best decision of your life.

I applied to McGill on Dec. 1, 2015, only two months after I started studying at the University of Surrey. Surrey was my safety school, as I hadn’t been accepted to any of my top choices in the UK. It’s a smaller university of 15,000 students, located about 30 minutes southwest of London. Overall, Surrey was a great university, but from my first day there were several factors that made me question my choice to spend the next four years of my life there.

The University of Surrey states that it guarantees on-campus accommodation to all first year students; however, I wasn’t given this opportunity because I had applied to Surrey at the last minute, and all accommodation was full by then. I ended up living in a hotel for the first month of university, which caused me to miss out on a lot of opportunities to meet people and settle into this next stage of my life. I joined a few societies and the volleyball team, but felt like neither the students nor the university took either of them very seriously. My courses were interesting, but weren’t very challenging, so I found myself wasting my time more and more as the year went on.

After two months of feeling like I was on autopilot, I realized how unhappy I was, and decided I needed a new start. I reapplied to some universities in the UK, and—on a whim—branched out to McGill as well.

I’d be lying if I said that my transfer to McGill was easy once I’d applied. McGill makes it painfully obvious that transfer students are only admitted if there is space left in each faculty, and even then only if you show extremely high academic standards. When transferring, most places ask for both your high school and university grades, so maintaining a good GPA is vital to be able to be accepted elsewhere.

Another problem I faced was the timing of my application. My final exams at Surrey were in June, but by mid-May I still hadn’t heard back from McGill and needed to know whether to withdraw from Surrey or register for next year’s courses. At that point, I called Service Point, academic advisors, and any other relevant numbers I could get hold of almost every day. My persistence eventually paid off, and I believe it helped me stand out among other potential transfer students.

My parents were extremely supportive throughout the process. When I told them about my negative experience at Surrey, they were sympathetic, but wouldn’t let me drop out for the rest of the year and apply somewhere else, which was my initial plan. Instead, they suggested I apply to transfer and use my time at Surrey to boost my transfer application. Dropping out without a good reason isn’t reflected well in university applications, whether you are a transfer student or not.

Motivations for transferring vary case-to-case. Some students may thrive in a quieter environment with fewer people and less academic stress. Others may feel that they aren’t being challenged enough and are frequently bored. Social settings are also worth considering: How easy has it been to make friends or feel comfortable at your current school? The best thing to do is pinpoint why you are unhappy where you are currently, and decide whether uprooting your life to start again will be worth it. It is a huge decision to make, and you have to be confident that you have more to lose by staying at your current university than by moving to someplace new.

I’m much happier at McGill than I was at Surrey. I prefer the busy city life to the quiet British countryside, my courses are more demanding, and I am never bored with the wide variety of extracurricular activities available on campus.

If I had to give one piece of advice to students looking to transfer—either to or from McGill—it would be to follow your instincts. I knew that deciding to transfer would be the biggest decision of my life up to that point; there were plenty of obstacles in the way, such as application timing and moving to a new continent, that could have easily stopped me. Despite everything, I persevered. In the end, you are the only person who truly understands the situation you are in. If you are unhappy, you owe it to yourself to change your life.

Commentary, Opinion

Thinking before you speak in a digital age

by Gabriel Rincon on

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The comment sections of online articles offer a variety of contributions, ranging from bigotry to thoughtful insights. Of course, the purpose of comment sections is to foster productive discussion on the article at hand, which, unfortunately, sometimes does not happen. Different publications are considering ways to referee discussions on their sites, which raises questions concerning freedom of speech. However, one solution–a new software by NRKbeta that administers a quiz on the subject matter of the article before users can comment–has the potential to improve existing comment section policies.

To address the issue of unruly comment sections, different publications have adopted a variety of policies. For example, Motherboard–the Science and Technology section of Vice media–has done away with their comment section entirely, and encourages readers to engage with the editorial board through letters. Politico takes a less extreme approach, and simply removes comments that are profane, abusive, or illegal, like threats or plagiarism. A fairly original method is being tested by The Seattle Times where they have private groups for paying subscribers where they can debate without interruption by Internet trolls.

Regardless of the policy pursued, publications should be committed to protecting freedom of speech, while also promoting productive conversation and discouraging echo chambers. Failing to adhere to the principles of freedom of speech would be hypocritical on behalf of the free media, and it is a publication’s responsibility to make sure the conversations it creates are productive.

 

 

Of course, respecting freedom of speech does not mean any site has to give individuals a platform to spew nonsense.

The three policies mentioned differ in the degree to which they respect these principles. Motherboard’s policy, for instance, is the most problematic. Of course, respecting freedom of speech does not mean any site has to give individuals a platform to spew nonsense. However, Motherboard’s policy of not letting anyone share their thoughts or criticism on the article page, but only through the arduous process of letter-writing, is not in the spirit of fostering conversation as it occurs in the digital age. Instead, the policy is likely to shelter the publication and its readers from differing opinions and help create echo chambers. A similar problem is found with The Seattle Times’ approach. A private comment section restricted solely to paying subscribers has the potential to generate mostly homogenous opinions, and create echo chambers rather than productive conversation. Politico’s policy is probably the most reasonable of the three. It respects free speech and diverse conversation within reasonable limits. But, the policy can be improved upon with respect to fostering productive conversation.

Useful conversation on a subject requires informed opinions, as well as enough disagreement to create a clash of ideas. On the latter point, the most Politico can do to facilitate diversity of opinion is to open up the conversation to readers on the webpage. When it comes to generating more educated opinions, NRKbeta’s software can help. Administering a brief quiz to people on the article they are commenting on ensures that those frequenting the the website have at least read the article. Thus, the software will help weed out Internet trolls and may even help mature people’s opinions before they comment. It is possible that once reading the article, the would-be commenter realizes they were wrong or refines their opinion, sparing the comment section from their nonsense. The software could also potentially take the edge off of more aggressive comments–taking the extra 30 seconds on the quiz means an extra 30 seconds to think an opinion over, and likely moderate it.

Some may argue that the software amounts to a form of censorship–however, this is unreasonable. Making sure users have read the article before they comment is not an ideological test, and presents a barrier to the exercise of free speech only insofar as it requires people to learn something about the topic at hand before they speak. Far from constituting censorship, the software has the potential to return some degree of civility and productivity to online discussions.

Comment sections can be an instrument for productive discussion and civilized discourse. If people are made to read what they are commenting on, it will create more informed discussion, which can make conversations genuinely useful. Sites can now do this, to some degree, by using NRKbeta’s software. Giving up on discussion forums or closing them off to outside opinions is against the spirit of free speech and creates echo chambers. The Internet has the potential to foster a public good through productive conversation, and publications have the potential, if not the responsibility to help that conversation flourish.

 

 

 

 

Gabriel Rincon is a columnist at The McGill Tribune.

 

@McGillTribOp |

 

 

Science & Technology

What does it mean to call food nourishing: A historical perspective

by Daria Kiseleva on

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Today, individuals who wish to commit to a healthy diet will find no shortage of scientific data to ground their choices. However, as we scroll past yet another study about the nutritional merits of the latest fad diet, it may be instructive to look back on the time before the modern paradigm of nutrition was established.

On March 30, University of Warwick Professor Dr. Rebecca Earle delivered a presentation, sponsored by the McGill Department of Latin & Caribbean Studies, about the meaning of “nourishment” in 18th century Europe.

In that period, dietetic knowledge was increasingly sought as a means to foster national strength and prosperity.

“This collective prosperity of the political whole depended on the energy and vitality of the individual,” Earle explained. “[….] Poorly fed peasants would not engender vigorous and robust children and underfed scrawny soldiers would scarcely protect the kingdom from military assault.”

Although the word “nourishing” often appeared in 18th century discussions of food, scientists could not yet explain what exactly makes a food nourishing, much less quantify nutrition.

In response to recurrent problems with food supply, charitable associations established soup kitchens that provided “poor soups” to those most in need. In the quest for efficiency, premiums were offered to individuals who could invent the most nutritious soups at the lowest cost.

Earle cited a famous example of a soup comprised of barley, potatoes, salt, vinegar, and croutons created circa 1800 by Count Rumford, who scrutinized the diets of the residents of a poor house in an effort to optimize his product. In a report, Rumford calculated the precise costs of preparing the soup, but provided no quantification whatsoever to support its nutritive qualities.

Instead, some promoters of “poor soups” would determine the portion sizes of their products by offering them to needy families and soliciting feedback on their subjective nutritional satisfaction.

In a similar vein, a contest of nutritional superiority between wheaten and oatmeal breads was argued on the basis of appearance and robustness of its consumers.

“The common people in Scotland, who are fed with oatmeal are in general neither so strong nor so handsome as the same rank of people in England, who are fed with wheaten bread,” wrote the Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith in The Wealth of Nations in 1776.

English writer and social investigator Frederick Morton Eden had a different take.

“Handsomer and more muscular men are not reared in any part of the British dominions, than those countries where the oatmeal diet is predominant,” Eden argued in 1797.

Without scientific data, scholars relied on spotty qualitative observations.

“Ultimately, 18th century savants were obliged to rely on the evidence of experience because they had not elaborated a single widely acclaimed paradigm that accounted for a food’s ability to nourish,” Earle said.

This changed in the 19th century when nutritional energy was finally quantified in the unit of a calorie and knowledge about nutrients became more conclusive. While this scientific progress enabled large scale programs of dietary intervention in populations, Earle remarked that it also created a psychological shift in the humanitarian paradigm.

“The recognition that consumers were in some way qualified to assess their own diets diminished,” Earle said. “[….] Indeed, a diet guided by gustatory pleasure was viewed as almost totally inimical to good health because the taste was likely to seduce the eater into the consumption of unhealthy and nutritionally irrelevant food stuffs. The opinions of eaters were not just irrelevant when it came to determining whether a food was nourishing—they were a positive hindrance.”

Earle went further to propose a parallel between the evolving conceptions of nutrition and poverty.

“Poverty [as conceptualized in the 19th century] is a condition created by the irresponsible neglect of the impersonal economic forces that shape human existence,” Earle said. “You might argue that poor nutrition is caused by willful disregard of scientifically established dietary advice. From this perspective, the principles of economics are no more subject to personal opinion or individual negotiation than are the carbon requirements of a fully grown man.”

Science & Technology, Student Research

McGill alumnus develops one-handed surgical knot-tying method

by Rebecca Zhuang on

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McGill alumnus Farah Na’el Musharbash has created a new method to tie surgical knots that only requires the use of one hand, which can be greatly advantageous to a surgeon. After attending McGill University from 2012 to 2015, Musharbash began medical school at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He worked closely with the Dean of Medical Education Dr. Michael Awad in developing this technique.

An article and a video of the new method was published online and in the medical journal, The Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

“It’s a new one-handed method for tying surgical knots, where one hand is completely free, except at the end to help tighten the throw,” Musharbash explained.

The majority of suture ties require the use of two hands, and one-handed surgical knots can offer a higher degree of flexibility for a surgeon. This technique allows the other hand to perform a task away from the surgical site, such as maintaining pressure on an organ, which is especially useful in situations when a surgeon may not have an assistant.

While there were one-handed knot variations that existed prior to Musharbash’s method, he found that in practice they actually required both hands. This prompted him to look closely into different knot tying techniques and it took a couple of months before his method was created and finalized.

Although the knot is actually quite straightforward, Musharbash believes that its simplicity is what makes it special and innovative.

“As students, sometimes we don’t have the resources for a big lab,” Musharbash said. “[But] you have these simple ideas, and [most] of them are not going to end up giving you anything, but if you follow through [on] enough of them, you’ll come up with one or two things that are new.”

As a physiology major at McGill, Musharbash was involved extensively in research. He worked in a biomedical engineering lab with Professor David Juncker and in mathematical research with Faculty Lecturer Sidney Trudeau.

“Getting involved in research gave me the right building blocks and way of thinking […] to succeed in med school,” Musharbash said.

While Musharbash believes that it was his research experience at McGill that helped adequately prepare him to face the challenges in medical school, taking leadership roles also helped him develop essential skills in communication, organizing, and turning his ideas into reality. Musharbash is a co-founder of the non-profit organization Heart4Heart at McGill, which aims to provide heart surgeries for children in developing countries.

“It’s not just about how well you do in the books, but rather, how well you communicate, how well you’re organized, and if you can make things happen,” Musharbash said.

As for advice for prospective medical students in undergraduate programs, Musharbash recommends having a realistic balance between academics and extracurriculars, as students often try to do everything at once.

“Never lose sight of your priorities,” Musharbash said. “[….] And the number one priority [should be] your studies. Have that taken care of before you delve into lots of other things.”

Hockey, Sports

NHL Playoff Predictions

by Stephen Gill on

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Eastern Conference

Team to beat: Washington Capitals

It has become a tradition for the Capitals to underachieve in the playoffs, always entering among the favourites and then falling short. Still, Washington has proven to be in a class of its own this season. They racked up wins and outscored opponents at a ridiculous rate on their way to securing the East’s top seed. Veteran forward Alexander Ovechkin continues to lead the charge, but has received plenty of help from his supporting cast. All in all, the Caps have a long history of strong regular season performances, but in the midst of such a dominant season, the 2017 Capitals don’t resemble a typical choking Washington team.

 

Dark horse: New York Rangers

Victims of an unbalanced playoff system, the Rangers might enter the playoffs as a wild card team despite boasting one of the conference’s best point totals. They also flaunt one of the league’s best road records, which bodes well for a team that will likely be seeded lowest in every playoff round. A balanced scoring attack like New York’s will be hard to stop, especially with the entire roster near full strength. In the net, Henrik Lundqvist has declined, but another dominant playoff stretch wouldn’t surprise anyone. Teams would be foolish to dismiss  the Rangers as just another wild card.

 

Biggest disappointment: Pittsburgh Penguins

Hopes and expectations are high as Pittsburgh shoots for its second-straight Stanley Cup. They have improved upon their regular-season record from last season while topping the league in goals scored. However, the Penguins will compete against the league’s best division in their first two playoff rounds, so they’ll have to get past four top teams in order to repeat. Additionally, the roster is nowhere near full strength with injuries plaguing both star and depth players. After last season’s performance, standards will likely be unrealistic for Sidney Crosby and the hobbled Pens as they fight through a stacked playoff lineup.

 

Western Conference

Team to beat: Chicago Blackhawks

The usual suspects stand atop their conference once again with familiar faces across the roster. Left wing Artemi Panarin has broken out as a lethal offensive weapon alongside stars Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Despite some regression from Corey Crawford in goal, Scott Darling gives the Hawks flexibility at goaltending if Crawford can’t turn it around. Years of deep playoff runs provide the team with stability during hard times that would cause lesser teams to fold. With talent, playoff experience, and solid health across the roster, the Blackhawks are clear favourites in the West.

 

Dark horse: Edmonton Oilers

Centre Connor McDavid has poured in an MVP-calibre season and catalyzed a grand turnaround in Edmonton. Forward Leon Draisaitl joined McDavid to form a devastating one-two punch on offence while contributing to a top-ten defence on the other end. Despite placing near the middle of the conference table in points, the Oilers enjoy one of the highest goal differentials. The Pacific Division exhibits parity to a striking degree, as four teams lie within just a few points of one another. Fans shouldn’t be too surprised if they see McDavid help his team claim the fiercely-contested crown.

 

Biggest disappointment: Minnesota Wild

Not long ago, the Wild were the class of the Western Conference, carrying a stellar 41-14-6 record through February. As March began, however, so did an incredible drop in the Wild’s performance. Minnesota fans have found their team stuck in a month-long rut, with just four wins to show for an entire month’s collection of games. The sinking Wild will have to turn their performance around quickly if they hope to make it past the first round.

Science & Technology

Explaining tocophobia

by Erin Dwyer on

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Everyone is afraid of something, or at least that’s what we’re told. According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 8.7 per cent of the adult population suffers from a phobia, or a “marked and persistent fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation.” The good news is that it’s widely accepted in the psychiatric community that common phobias—even in the most severe cases, affecting 1.9 per cent of the population—can be successfully treated with cognitive and behavioural therapy.

Most research on phobias has been done on the fear of spiders, flying, snakes, germs, and other relatively common and well-known phobias. But what about the phobias that we don’t have a name for, or newly-recognized phobias? Can established therapy methods be expanded to treat less explored phobias, such as the fear of pregnancy and childbirth?

According to Assistant Professor Dr. Tuong Vi Nguyen of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), the solutions to a fear of giving birth, called tocophobia, and the fear of spiders, called arachnophobia, are surprisingly aligned.

“We have a high-risk population at the MUHC and there were a lot of women with severe birth trauma,” Dr. Nguyen said. “And during their second or third pregnancy, [she] could have post-traumatic stress disorder that manifests through the fear of childbirth, and that is tocophobia.”

In addition to this secondary type of tocophobia, Dr. Nguyen also came across a different variety that didn’t require previous traumatic childbirth experience.

“There are also women with primary tocophobia, women who have never been pregnant or given birth,” Dr. Nguyen said. “They were so fearful of giving birth, they would avoid the whole pregnancy experience.”

Currently, there is limited research about the prevalence of tocophobia and its causes. However, Dr. Nguyen estimates that, based on the studies she has seen, approximately 20 per cent of women have a moderate fear of childbirth.

“And six to 10 per cent of them will be dysfunctional because of it,” Dr. Nguyen added. ”One of my patients said she was so disgusted that she wasn't able to go see her pregnant friends or family. So that completely cuts you off from big transitions in the life of friends and family, really leading to social dysfunction.”

It was clear that Dr. Nguyen and her colleagues at the MUHC needed to address the high volume of women contacting her about their experiences with tocophobia.

“At this stage at the MUHC, we are really thinking of establishing the basics of what we can offer these women, how we can improve this condition,” Dr. Nguyen explained.

Tocophobia is unique because, for the people who suffer from it, they must face their fear on a regular basis.

“People who are very afraid of planes, or spiders, or snakes, they have phobias similar to tocophobia,” Dr. Nguyen said. “But in their case, if you live in Quebec it’s pretty easy to avoid [these things], so it’s easy for them. But, if you’re really phobic about giving birth and you want children, that’s a real problem for you.”

Tocophobia is similar to other phobias in that it is likely to be responsive to cognitive behavioural therapy. Through gradual exposure to pictures and videos of childbirth, women can improve their psychological state when exposed to triggering subject material.

Despite individual psychotherapy programs having demonstrated the most effectiveness in treating phobias, the MUHC has focused on developing group therapy programs because they are the most cost-effective method.

Student Life

University and the quarter-life crisis: Rediscovering ambition at McGill

by Daniel Griffin on

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The average person in Canada is a quarter of the way through their life by age 22—a third by 27. The quantification of life brings the future out of lofty abstraction and into pressing reality. As much as this induces anxiety about how one will use their remaining years of life, it also calls into question how one has spent them so far.

For many university students, arrival at the quarter-life mark drums up feelings of emptiness as they recall the habits and activities that used to seem integral to their personalities. In retrospect, life seems merely to be a series of unfinished projects. Many students enter into the quarter-life crisis captivated by nostalgia for youthful optimism, to reclaim their previous ambitions since put on hold by university and other pressing matters of adulthood.

The idea of going off to university is sold to North American youth as a commodity to be bought and experienced. Many students find this university experience to be underwhelming and feel a pervasive sense of dissatisfaction, which often snowballs into personal crisis. Upon coming to McGill, Charlie Zaininger, U2 Arts, found herself reassessing her goals as she became disconnected from normal life.

“Growing up in Princeton, New Jersey, I could get drunk and smoke cigarettes but there was never that much trouble to get into,” Zaininger said. “When I came to McGill, there was just so much opportunity to have fun. After a particularly rowdy week in second year, I realized that I needed to reassess [….] I had become irresponsible […..] I largely forgot about my photography and writing [.…] Something about being in a bigger pool of people makes your contributions seem less valuable.”

One goes to university expecting to discover their purpose and self-fulfillment, but is instead inundated by distractions. The anxiety that Zaininger felt in the face of  Montreal life and university demands tore her away from her original goals. In her crisis, Zaininger felt like she owed it to herself to try to recover the motivations and passions of her past.

“I realized that my attitude was interrupting my interpersonal relationships, Zaininger said. “I had stopped being my own person. I realized that I had just stopped giving a damn. Since then, I’ve worked for a student geography project and started submitting my art to magazines [….] It’s a lot more about the restarting old habits. I feel much more in touch with myself [….] I still go out, have fun, and occasionally drink too much, but I feel like I’m acting more of my age [….] It’s an iterative process.”

The quarter-life crisis entails more than just recovering one’s past ambitions. It is a moment that demands abrupt reorientation to confront imminent life changes. This crisis raises questions how one invests their personal time to prepare for the future, which is exhilarating in its potential.

Anya Kowalchuk, U2 Arts, expresses her angst toward the prospect of graduation. While she is excited for the next step, the unanswered questions of life after school are starting to cause her alarm. For Kowalchuk, the crisis is about learning from her first quarter of life while deciding who to be for the next three.

“I feel sad about not making things, like art,” Kowalchuk said. “I had no idea when graduating high school that I really liked to do that, so I never considered going to art school. I feel sad I’m not producing anything. But that’s the past, looking forward is the crisis. I’m young now, but I’m close to being old. College is just so safe […] and now things are turning and changing again. I was walking in the woods and now it’s dark and I have no idea where I am.”

The quarter life crisis is a confrontation of one's incomplete goals and unknown future. This convergence puts the past self in conversation with the future self. In limited time, one must fight to rectify ignored passions and reconstruct a practical future. Without proactivity, life is quickly filled with empty, wasted time.

Student Life

Carving a new beginning in the face of rejection

by Catherine Morrison on

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The wounds of rejection cut deep, especially when they come by surprise. Because the end of the school year is a time when many McGill students are waiting to hear back from jobs, internships, and graduate schools, it can be comforting to know that many people are facing the same struggles.

According to Guy Winch, author and psychologist, the feeling of rejection is often associated with the feeling of physical pain, as these experiences activate the same areas of our brain. Though this is a time to be optimistic about future plans, denial from jobs, internships, and schools is common and leaves many students feeling discouraged.

Starting university is an incredible new beginning, however, determining which university to attend for undergraduate or graduate studies leaves many students grappling with rejection from their first-choice school. Eliza Snodgrass, U0 Arts, dealt with this before deciding to come to McGill for her undergraduate degree. It was particularly difficult because she became very attached to a school to which she was ultimately not accepted.

“I had fantasized about what I would do once I got [to my first-choice school, the University of Southern California (USC)] and had put so much emphasis on how important it was for me to go there,” Snodgrass said. “I truly felt like I deserved to get in because I worked so hard. I really tried to show them how much I wanted to go there and how much I cared, I mean, I slept in the T-shirt every single night.”

Snodgrass explained that the pain of that the reactions of others were more painful than what she was experiencing herself.

“[My friends and family] kept asking me how I was doing and for some reason everyone kind of expected me to be more upset than I was,” Snodgrass said. “It made sense, but I think people’s reactions were almost harder to deal with than the actual rejection.”

In dealing with the disappointment of not being accepted, it’s important to remember the silver lining in every outcome. In Snodgrass’ case, she is now loving Montreal and has adopted many leadership roles, such as Vice-President (VP) External of McConnell Hall residence council and Student Ambassador at McGill.

Rejections of all kinds are difficult to deal with, but they are always more difficult when they come from a community a person is already involved in that he or she trusts and cares about deeply. This type of rejection is much more personal, as it causes someone to doubt themselves, their abilities, and their circle of friends or colleagues. In the case of Sofia Harrison, a first-year Science student at the University of Toronto, she experienced these feelings after being rejected from a position at her childhood summer camp.

“I had known of many people who had not been asked to return as counsellors, but had never imagined myself to be in that position,” Harrison said. “So after my tenth amazing summer at camp, I was completely bewildered when I received a letter indicating that I was not chosen to follow the only path I had only ever imagined myself taking.”

Both Harrison and Snodgrass’ stories demonstrate how much harder rejection can feel when one is not expecting it. For Harrison, the aspect of jealousy towards those of her friends who got the opportunity she wished to have made dealing with it the hardest.

“One of the hardest parts of the day I got rejected was the buildup,” Harrison said. “All day I had been getting texts and snapchats from my friends getting in and telling me to rush home to open up my letter. We were all sure I would get in. Once I got home and opened the letter only to see I had been rejected, I felt like a failure, and I felt like I would lose all my friends.”

Although Harrison’s experience was jarring and difficult to overcome, it forced her to find her own new beginning. She has spent her past two summers working at an art camp and now can’t wait to return for her third.

“I think it’s important to maintain a good outlook and know that everything happens for a reason,” Harrison said. “[….] I can’t let the fact that I didn’t get a position working there ruin a whole lifetime of memories for me.”

Although rejection can feel heartbreaking, it is a way to break free from what is expected and open ourselves up to new beginnings. Maybe not getting what we’ve planned is meant to remind us that the world is so much more than just one single path. Rejection is a way to gain a new perspective, to reflect on ways to improve, and to eventually grow thicker skin. In this sense, it’s important to remember that people’s defeats do not define who they are as a person, but help them evolve.

Out on the Town, Private, Student Life

From Second Cup to Milton B: A new beginning for the Milton-Parc cafe

by Janine Xu on

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In February 2017, the 24-hour Second Cup on rue Milton and Avenue du Parc boarded its walls and announced its permanent closure. For 12 years, it served as more than just a coffee shop. With a high percentage of McGill students living in the Milton-Parc community, the cafe was a cozy study space during exam season, where students flooded tables with notes and laptops during late hours.

McGill students were shocked by the closing of Second Cup, with many voicing concerns on social media. Their primary worry was about losing a late night study space, as the Second Cup was one of the few coffee shops open for 24 hours.

“Wow that was an institution,” commented Reddit user holistic_water_bottl. “Where am I gonna go now when I need to finish a term paper the night before[?]”

According to Jack Ahmed, former owner of the Second Cup, the main reason that the store closed down was due to issues with licensing.

“There were disagreements [with corporate] that didn’t have anything to do with this location,” Ahmed said. “I used to own several Second Cups. [Basically], they gave me a high bill for renovations, which was not agreed upon [….] So, I said, ‘I can’t do this,’ [….] One by one, my [Second Cups] came up for renewal, and they didn’t renew me. [The Milton-Parc one] was the last Second Cup [left], and they didn’t renew me.”

In the end, however, Ahmed is much happier. He believes he now has the freedom to pursue a business model that aligns with his interests. Shortly after hearing the news from corporate, he decided to open a new store in the place of the old Second Cup, a self-described ‘urban cafeteria’ named Milton B.

“I’ve been in business for the last 30 years,” Ahmed said. “Now, I can go ahead and do what I’ve always been dreaming about, creating my own brand.”

Since Ahmed has been running the Second Cup on Milton for the last 12 years, he cites his familiarity with the Milton-Parc community in helping him develop his idea for the 24 hour café. For Ahmed, his interests in ecology and sustainability are shaping Milton B’s business model and brand.

“I’m trying to cater to the community [and also express my love for the environment],” he said. “What better way to represent the [neighbourhood] than the actual name? [.…] The ‘B’ in Milton B stands for the bumble bee, [which are] incredibly important [in terms of the environment].”

Basing his model on sustainability practices, Ahmed plans to buy local food. Rather than buying milk from Natrel or Quebon, both of which are large conglomerates, Ahmed says he intends to purchase milk from small dairy farms in the Eastern Townships. Additionally, Ahmed now has the opportunity to expand his menu options and give customers a space to grab a coffee or study while providing fresh, locally sourced food.

“The food from Second Cup was coming in packaged from outside,” he explained. “We are going to prepare everything on hand, [although] not from scratch. [I] call [Milton B] an ‘urban cafeteria’ because [there will be] a lot more food options.”

Though Ahmed admits that he would have kept the Second Cup had the corporation renewed his franchising license, he is still incredibly happy with the work he has done on Milton B.

“A franchise model is very rigid,” Ahmed said. “There’s no flexibility in what you can do. But [closing down and starting again] has allowed me to use my creativity and express myself.

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