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News

AUS Council discusses Frosh improvements

by Paige Mysliviec on

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That 70s Frosh dominated a large portion of the second meeting of the Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) Legislative Council, with an extensive report on the improvements and changes implemented this year. Council also discussed the McGill Draft Policy Against Sexual Violence and the AUS Student Employment Fund.

Frosh

Arts Frosh sold out for only the second time in its history this year. This prompted Kat Svikhnushin, AUS vice-president (VP) Social Affairs, to request a change in admission policy for Frosh.

“Froshes do not historically sell out […],” Svikhnushin said. “My recommendations for next year would be to increase the cap, as we really did have to turn away a lot of students […] and to look at who we consider to be a first year and consider to be eligible for Frosh. We had to turn away people whose actual first time [was] at university at McGill.”

According to Svikhnushin, Frosh also tried to move away from the stigma of being a week of drinking as opposed to an Orientation Week that includes alcohol. Changes included hosting Carnival as a primarily non-drinking event, as well as providing lots of water throughout each event. Food was also provided at Beach Day and other day events.

Another strategic change to this year’s Frosh was the renaming of the “Pub Crawl” event as 'Montreal Crawl.” AUS Equity Commissioner Leah Damo explained that this was done because the intended focus of Frosh is not drinking.

“[The name] ‘Montreal Crawl’ took the focus away from drinking […] and there was also definitely water available for Froshies that didn’t want to drink,” Damo said. “It would be really great if there were […] themes for food stops just to normalize eating as well as drinking. Drinking isn’t really what Frosh is about, it’s more about having fun.”

Svikhnushin also emphasized that Frosh coordinators worked with students and Frosh leaders on consent and sexual harassment education. All students attending Frosh were required to watch a compulsory video that explained sexual harassment and sexual violence, as well as how to identify them. The mandatory video used the analogy of dancing to explain these situations in a more relatable manner. However, some AUS Councillors demonstrated concern that the analogy trivialized sexual harassment.

“I’ll definitely take the time to check it out. [The Equity Committee] will try to work with the people responsible for the video,” Damo said.

Draft of the Sexual Assault Policy

Igor Sadikov, Faculty of Arts Representative to SSMU, updated AUS Council on SSMU’s reaction to the Draft Sexual Assault Policy that was released by McGill on Sept 12. According to Sadikov,  SSMU is hoping to use focus groups organized by the Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) to ensure student input is considered in revising the draft.

“[PGSS] will be organizing focus groups where anyone is encouraged to attend, but in particular survivors of sexual violence or people who have experience with disclosures at McGill,” Sadikov said.

AUS Student Employment Fund

AUS VP Academic Erik Partridge presented a report on the AUS Student Employment Fund to Council. He explained that part of the fund is given to new professors to use for research and the employment of students through the Work Study Program.

“Generally, what we do is allocate […] about $5,000 per professor […] which they can use to hire casual [research assistants] the first three years of their time here at McGill and the rest of it goes to […] a fund to create some positions across campus,” Partridge said.

However, the fund has been under utilized and is therefore losing money. AUS is currently investigating strategies for regaining the lost funding.


“Now, the problem is that over the last few years, professors have not been using this fund,” Partridge said. “The Faculty of Arts has lost about $80,000 [….] We are looking into recovering a significant portion of that.”

Opinion

Proposed SSMU bicycle facility not on the right path

by Evan Thomas on

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For students already forced to navigate the labyrinth of construction on two wheels, the lack of bike parking on McGill’s campus is an additional grievance. The return to school was marked by the removal of two of the campus’ largest bike racks in front of the McConnell Engineering and Leacock Buildings, with no facilities added to pick up the slack. It is unacceptable that students must resort to precariously locking their bikes to the construction scaffolding outside the MacDonald-Harrington Building, or to the fence surrounding the field at the Y-intersection.

To combat the absence of bike parking, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) proposed a project that will “house secure bike parking facilities, shower, and locker facilities, and The Flat in the basement of the SSMU Building. The proposal is a step in the right direction for bike accessibility on campus; however, the project has many shortfalls, limiting its effectiveness.

The first of the problems with this project is the estimated cost. The cost is substantial—$1.2 million for bike racks and showers—but what may be even more off-putting to students is that the budget requires them to elect to pay a per semester fee to use the facility. Regardless of the eventual amount—which is not yet known—the fee will be a major turn-off for students, due to the fact that they can already park their bikes for free outside. The only foreseeable benefits of this proposed bike space would be security and protection from the weather. However, protection from the elements may be superfluous as many students won’t choose to bike to campus on days of poor conditions—essentially, any day between November and April. For a facility that will only realistically see use for a handful of months each year, $1.2 million is simply unjustifiable.

 

 

Although the indoor bicycle parking facility is a novel solution to a genuine, on-going issue on campus, it will not effectively solve the problem.

The second flaw is the distance of the SSMU Building from some important locations. SSMU is inconveniently located for students entering campus through the Roddick and Milton gates. Furthermore, it is not located near the academic buildings surrounding the Y-intersection, nor those above Dr. Penfield, such as McIntyre Medical, Stewart Biology, and the Education and Law Buildings.

Another issue with this project is the timeline. By committing to a permanent facility to be built in 2018, SSMU is providing a belated, permanent solution to a problem that needs to be addressed immediately, given the state of construction on campus. Members of the McGill community need accessible and convenient bike storage locations now.

The Motion Regarding the Bicycle Facility Plebiscite Question was included in the SSMU 2016 Winter Referendum, and in spite of its shortcomings, was ratified with 83 per cent in favour. Democracy has spoken; however, this does not mean that the practical limitations of implementing such a project should be dismissed.

A sufficient—not to mention inexpensive and feasible—solution would be to place more bicycle racks outside of all major buildings on campus, including libraries and service buildings. Decentralizing bicycle parking will allow students to save time on their commute, as well as avoid the congested existing bike racks.

The McGill administration’s collaboration with SSMU marks a significant shift in attitude towards bikes on campus. It would seem that students will win the campus cycling war, as the bike facility marks a departure from the university’s previous efforts to curtail bicycle use. Many cyclists remember being asked by campus security to dismount, and perhaps recall the bike-proof gates that were installed at the Milton Gates in 2013 to curb bicycle riding on campus. The issue of bikes has been divisive at McGill, with the McGill administration siding with pedestrians in asserting that bikes should be walked on campus—not ridden. Of course, cyclists have insisted that with proper accessibility and safety procedures in place—such as bike lanes—there is no reason to dismount.

Although the indoor bicycle parking facility is a novel solution to a genuine, on-going issue on campus, it will not effectively solve the problem. The proposal of a bike accessible space marks a progressive step towards accepting the inevitability of bicycling on campus, but the solution is neither practical nor sufficient.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Evan Thomas is a very tall U2 International Development Studies and History student. He doesn’t like being asked if he plays basketball, but enjoys playing basketball nonetheless.

 

@ | [email protected]

 

 

 

 

 
McGill, News

Tuition raised for French students, but enrolment remains stable

by Marie Labrosse on

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Despite almost tripling tuition fees for French citizens studying in Quebec since Fall 2015, the provincial government has not seen a significant impact on the number of prospective students from France. McGill University’s enrolment report for Fall 2015 shows that, compared to Fall 2014, 127 more French citizens enrolled in either a full-time or part-time program at McGill.

The tuition increase, which was implemented in Sept. 2015, substantially reformed the cost of a full-year program. It was raised from $2,300 to $7,000 for French students at McGill University. Enrolment rates of French citizens in Quebec, however, have seen little variation since the tuition increase. The Ministry of Higher Education states that 10,272 French citizens enrolled in a program at a Quebec university in Fall 2015 versus 10,104 in Fall 2014.

Deputy Provost (Student Life & Learning) Ollivier Dyens, noted that McGill has not seen a reduction in the number of French applicants.

“We have had very few criticisms or worries as far as I am aware,” Dyens wrote in an email to the Tribune. “I actually heard none. McGill students usually choose between our university and the US Ivy League schools. We compare very favourably as far as tuition is concerned for French students.”

The hikes are a result of the reversal of fee reciprocity–a 1978 agreement between the French Republic and the Government of Quebec which ensured that French international students in Quebec were charged the same fees as Quebec students studying in France. As of Sept. 2015, French students are no longer reserved the right to pay the Quebec student fees, but instead pay fees equivalent to those of out-of-province Canadian students. Graduate and postgraduate programs were spared from the price increases, as were undergraduate students who were already enrolled at a Quebec university prior to Sept. 2015.

The adjustment of tuition fees for French students was offered as a solution to the 1978 agreement, which was no longer financially sustainable for the province of Quebec.

Vice-Principal (Communications and External Relations) Olivier Marcil explained that the number of French students studying in Quebec is greater than the number of Canadian students studying in France.

“Over time we saw growing enthusiasm to come study in Montreal, and we were facing a situation where for one Quebec student going to France, 10 French students were coming to Quebec,” Marcil said.

Quebec universities remain an affordable solution compared to Ivy League tuition fees or even those applied at certain highly selective French higher education establishments known as the “Grandes Écoles.” A four-year Bachelor’s program at École des Hautes Études Commerciales du Nord (EDHEC) based in Lille, France, for instance, costs over $17,000 per year. Incoming French students feel that the higher tuition fees are worth paying for a quality education.

Zoé Charpentier, a U1 Arts student from France, described the effect of the tuition hikes as the lesser of two evils.

“The hikes didn’t affect my personal decision to go to McGill, because it’s still cheaper than the rest of North America,” Charpentier said. “[However,] the hikes forced me to take out a loan to pay for college and make me worry about money.”

Many other French students were also driven to seek out financial assistance, as pointed out by Cara Piperni, director of the Scholarships & Student Aid office at McGill.

“When combining the aid dollars that went to French citizens from our entrance and in-course [scholarship] program in 2015-2016, McGill invested 70 per cent more aid dollars as compared to the prior year,” Piperni said.

In the future, however, French citizens’ fees should remain stable.

“Every year there is a small adjustment of  fees for out-of-province Canadian students, which the tuition for French students follows, but you won’t see another increase where fees are tripled from what they initially were,” Marcil said.

Off the Board, Opinion

The hidden harm of voluntourism

by Laurie-Anne Benoit on

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While the idea of going abroad to help impoverished communities is commendable, volunteering abroad has several negative consequences that directly oppose the humanitarian intentions behind these trips. Many agencies that offer volunteer opportunities abroad sell the idea of ‘contributing to a community,’ whether by helping to build wells, schools, or even volunteering in an orphanage. These actions, however, do not necessarily result in long-term positive effects for the people they intend to help. Often, the good intentions of travellers harm these communities.

The projects undertaken during these humanitarian trips, such as building schools or other infrastructures, are generally completed by unskilled, volunteer labourers. Academics have pointed out that the lack of skills of the volunteers impedes the genuine progress of the communities: Locals often have to rebuild what volunteers have worked on during their stay. Volunteers can also obstruct opportunities for locals to have paid employment, since volunteers offer free, unpaid labour, and never work on a long-term basis. Unfortunately, these elements can lead host communities to become dependent on volunteer programs. Furthermore, some volunteer projects do not offer effective structures for communities to grow and develop by themselves—such as education or professional training—resulting in the stagnation of their socio-economic situations. Travel organizations sell volunteers the idea that their actions—which are on a very short-term basis—can positively impact a host community, without realizing that the volunteers’ lack of expertise ends up adversely affecting local communities.

Tourism has expanded in recent decades to include a different sector of voluntourism called ‘orphanage tourism’ as mentioned by UNICEF’s 2011 report. Since international donors are the main revenue source for many orphanages, offering tourists the opportunity to come visit these orphanages in person enables them to receive more funding.

 

This reliance on international donors turns these orphanages into another element of the tourism industry.

The consequences of orphanage tourism, however, go beyond the negative impact of unskilled volunteer labour. A supply of foreign volunteers encourages orphanages to remain dependent on charitable labour rather than hiring the staff they need. This reliance on international donors turns these orphanages into another element of the tourism industry. In most cases, volunteers go into this type of humanitarian trip with the good intention of providing emotional support and love to the orphans. But, it is important to keep in mind that these connections are short lived and sporadic, and can be quite harmful for orphans.

UNICEF mentions that volunteering in orphanages “negatively impacts children in care, who must repeatedly try to form emotional connections with different adults.” This constant cycle of connection and separation creates instability in the lives of orphaned children, who already suffer from separation anxiety at a very young age.

In general, volunteers go abroad in hopes of effecting positive changes; however, the romanticized notion of being able to create a ripple effect of positivity blinds travellers from the issues with many humanitarian trip agencies. Many travellers are not aware of the impacts they are actually leaving behind. If one is set on embarking on a volunteer trip, thorough research must be done beforehand on the purposes behind and consequences of a given trip. Some organizations, for example, like Operation Groundswell offer genuine help to host communities. The gesture of volunteering abroad is well-intentioned and admirable, but the execution of such trips remains harmful.

 

 

Laurie-Anne Benoit is the Photo Editor for the McGill Tribune. She is a U3 Psychology student.

 

 
Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Pop Rhetoric: The small screen reaches a wider audience

by Ariella Garmaise on

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Television has long been regarded as film’s more annoying, less accomplished younger sibling. Sound bytes like 'made for T.V. movie' and 'multi-camera sitcom' continue to haunt audiences’ psyches, evoking nightmares of outrageous laugh tracks and over-dramatic soap opera acting.  For decades, critics considered film the real art form—a medium that actually allowed its stories and characters nuance and development. However, this past awards season has proven otherwise. When the Academy Awards tried to congratulate itself on a year of great films, audiences were livid. The movies that made Hollywood so proud did not represent the diversity of the American public, and the awards ceremony was infamously dubbed, “Oscars So White.” In comparison, this year marked the most inclusive Emmys in its 68-year existence. Or, as host Jimmy Kimmel so cuttingly quipped, “The Emmys are so diverse this year, the Oscars are now telling people we’re one of their closest friends.” Television has improved because it is finally reflecting diverse stories and perspectives. Meanwhile, mainstream filmmakers continue to cling to their claim that only white heteronormative narratives make money. 

This year’s Emmys broke countless records. It was the first year that each leading acting category nominated a person of colour. Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live’s first openly gay cast member, won for “Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy.” Aziz Ansari was the first Indian-American to be nominated for a leading actor award. However, Kimmel recognized that there is still room for improvement: “Here in Hollywood, the only thing we value more than diversity is congratulating ourselves on how much we value diversity.”

Transparent star Jeffrey Tambor’s acceptance speech highlighted Hollywood’s tendency to cast cisgender people in trangender roles. He said he would “not be unhappy" to be "the last cisgender man to play a female transgender on TV.” Master of None writer Alan Yang used his airtime to call attention to the lack of Asian-American representation within mainstream media. The evening’s underlying tone of advocacy was proof that not only has television made tremendous progress, but that it is working hard to continue to do so. 

Diversity on screen is indebted to new formats of television. Film is confined to vague financial measurements like “foreign box office” and “international markets.” Movies lack diverse representation largely because studios think they will make more money by keeping their films broad and generic. When director Rupert Sanders cast Scarlett Johansson instead of a Japanese actor in his remake of Ghost in a Shell, Forbes magazine defended him by explaining, “Scarlett Johansson is a big movie star and for a film that will cost what Ghost in the Shell will probably cost, you arguably need a ‘put butts in the theater seats’ movie star to justify said investment.”  Mainstream award shows like the Oscars are evidence that not only does this mentality restrict the representation in box office hits, but it also limits the variety of films Hollywood will recognize. New independent content developers, whether it be Netflix, Amazon, or FX, understand that putting faith into individual creators to tell their own stories makes for better television. The shows the Emmys celebrated this year are all proof of the success in new types of distribution: John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight is produced by HBO and viewed primarily on Youtube; Amazon streams Jill Soloway’s Transparent online; and Aziz Ansari’s Master of None is a Netflix original. 

Television has dramatically improved largely because network television is an outdated format—when artists have autonomy from studios, they create more unique and powerful work. The Oscars continue to pander to media moguls who insist that movies can only make money with bankable white stars. Meanwhile, T.V. producers have discovered that audiences respond to seeing themselves on-screen. Diversity, whether it is diversity of actors, stories, or distribution, makes for quality television. 

 

Private, Science & Technology

Acetaminophen, the leading cause of liver damage: Health Canada adds new warning labels

by Rebecca Zhuang on

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Acetaminophen is one of the most popular pain relief—analgesic—drugs. It can be found in a variety of medications—it is most commonly sold as Tylenol—and can be readily purchased over-the-counter at any corner pharmacy or drugstore.

It is also the number one leading cause of liver damage in Canada.

On Sept. 15, over a year after Health Canada published its safety guidance in 2015, the federal government released their review of the drug, highlighting the unusually high overdose rates of acetaminophen linked with the likelihood of liver injury. There are approximately 4,000 hospitalizations associated with acetaminophen in Canada every year. With more than 250 cases of serious liver damage, over half of which can be accredited to accidental overdoses. Six per cent of the total hospitalization cases resulted in acute liver failure.

“It’s the most common cause of liver injury. Period,” Dr. Michael Reider, a pediatric clinical pharmacologist at Western University, told CBC News.

Acetaminophen is used in a wide range of both prescription and non-prescription products. It is found in more than 400 medications authorized for sale in Canada, most commonly used to treat symptoms such as coughs, colds, headaches, and fevers.

In fact, according to Dr. Reider, many may not even know about the presence of acetaminophen in their medication unless they carefully examine the label. Some widely recognized brands that contain acetaminophen include Tylenol, Neocitran, Percocet, Nyquil, Vicks, and Vicodin.

Dr. Eric Yoshida, a liver specialist at the Vancouver General Hospital, regularly encounters patients who suffer from severe liver failure due to accidental overdoses. The most typical case, he told CBC News, is an individual losing track of how many medications with acetaminophen they took and accidentally taking too many.

Other common mistakes include taking the next dosage too soon, taking more than the recommended amount, or using two medications containing acetaminophen at the same time.

“Those are the kind of inadvertent uses that can lead to drug-induced liver disease [and] acute liver injury,” Yoshida warns.

Health Canada seeks to address this issue by working towards making it easier to recognize drugs that have acetaminophen as an ingredient. Drug producers will add the warning ‘Contains Acetaminophen’ in bold, red text on the top right-hand corner of the labels of all applicable medications. The labelling will immediately apply to all new products, and all products already on the market will be updated within the next 18 months. A calibrated dosing device will also be included with all children’s liquid products, so parents know exactly the amount of acetaminophen their child is consuming.

Despite this, many medical experts are disappointed with Health Canada’s lack of action in implementing further preventative methods. Aside from adding warning labels, federal drug regulators have failed to lower the recommended maximum daily dosage, or take extra-strength acetaminophen medications off the counter—both measures which health professionals believe are imperative in reducing accidental overdose rates.

“Overall, when it comes to drug safety, Health Canada has a culture of slow incremental change,” Dr. Joel Lexchin, a drug safety researcher and professor emeritus at York University, told The Toronto Star.

However, these warnings are no reason to panic and avoid acetaminophen-containing medications altogether. Most Canadians have no trouble using these drugs safely. Improper usage and overdoses can easily be prevented with just a little extra caution to read the warning label that comes with any medication.

Football, Sports

McGill stalls, split regular season with Sherbrooke

by Zikomo Smith on

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McGill Redmen football’s (2-2) offence stalled in a 20-11 defeat to the Sherbrooke Vert et Or (2-2), on a blustery Sept. 24 day at McGill’s Molson Stadium. It was a disappointing loss for the Redmen, who led the Vert et Or for the first three quarters of the game. Sherbrooke, however, capitalized on McGill’s inability to find the endzone after the first quarter, stringing together some impressive fourth-quarter drives to put the game out of reach for the home team.

“We just didn’t execute the way we should have on the offensive side of the ball,” Head Coach Ronald Hilaire said. “We kept them in the game by not scoring and ultimately it came to bite us in the butt in the end.”

Initially, McGill seemed dangerous and moved the chains well on offence. Freshman quarterback Fred Paquette-Perrault threw a beautiful 43-yard pass on McGill’s second possession. He seemed primed to give the Sherbrooke defensive backfield hell for the rest of the game. The Redmen’s sole touchdown came on a five-yard rush by senior receiver Louis Brouillette, a play after fourth-year wide out Jonathan Mack took a brilliant catch on the one-yard line.

Afterwards, however, McGill struggled to mobilize its offence. Paquette-Perrault was benched early in the fourth quarter after many stalled drives. The Sherbrooke defensive line had an excellent game and held the Redmen to 60 rushing yards on 20 carries. In the meantime, the Vert et Or recorded a pair of safeties and trailed 11-4 going into the final quarter. McGill’s defence was equally dominant throughout the first three quarters. This led to an offensive standstill, although Sherbrooke slowly crept towards McGill’s score.

“I don’t know [what went wrong today], because we had a good week of practice,” third year running back Nicholas Khandar said. “We did not execute the offence. Sherbrooke had a good game.”

In the fourth quarter, Sherbrooke’s offence unshackled. Riddled with drops and overthrows through the first three quarters, their wideouts started to make plays. With nine minutes left in the final quarter, Sherbrooke wide receiver Frederick Caron pulled a slick double move to record a 43-yard touchdown. It was plain sailing for the Vert et Or from then on as they scored 16 points in the final quarter.

“They had momentum and they used it to their advantage,” Hilaire said. “They got a big play on a double move and it created something for them.”

McGill lost a chance to solidify their position in the CIS playoff race. However, They still have four games to play and posses the talent to comfortably make the postseason. The Redmen take the field next on Sunday Oct. 2, against Laval

 

Quotable

“I am still proud of the effort we gave. We still have to fix up some things, but it is week four. We still have a lot of football to play, so we will see what happens.”—Coach Ronald Hilaire keeping the game in perspective.

 

Stats Corner:

McGill held Sherbrooke to 1.6 yards per carry in comparison to McGill’s 3 yards per carry.

 

Moment of the Game

Jonathan Mack went over the middle, absorbed a blow from a Sherbrooke defensive back, juggled the ball, and ultimately held onto it five yards from the goal line. This 10 yard catch set up McGill’s sole touchdown of the game.

 

Opinion

What we can learn from Homa: Concordia professor’s release from Iranian prison underscores importance of her work

by Alexandra Harvey on

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The international community cheered today when Iran finally released acclaimed academic and former Concordia University professor, Dr. Homa Hoodfar. The Iranian-Canadian anthropologist was detained in Evin Prison in Tehran for over one hundred days without access to her family or lawyer. The details of Hoodfar’s charges were ambiguous, though reports in Iranian news outlets accused her of “dabbling in feminism and security matters.”

In the face of Iran’s grave human rights violations, students, professors, and scholars worldwide cried out for justice, giving rise to the #FreeHoma movement. Just last week, Concordia University students rallied in downtown Montreal to demand their revered professor’s safe and timely release. On Sept. 26, their prayers were finally answered. Now that Homa is free, we must remind people of the significance and impact of her academic contributions. Homa’s lessons of cultural and religious acceptance are lessons that the world desperately needs to hear—especially given the increasing prevalence of cultural prejudice and intolerance in Western societies.

Hoodfar’s work is about making others understand cultural differences, not fear them.

It takes nothing more than a glimpse at Hoodfar’s work to see that she never belonged in an Iranian prison. Her research is apolitical in nature; her mission is to educate, rather than to criticize or provoke. Muslim scholar Tariq Ramadan described Homa’s detention as un-Islamic, emphasizing that her “research on Muslim women’s struggles—both in the Middle East and in the West—is balanced and characterized by respect for those about whom she writes.” Homa poses no threat to Iran. She isn’t simply a respected anthropologist, she’s an advocate for the rights of Muslim women, wanting to shatter stereotypes. Hoodfar’s work is about making others understand cultural differences, not fear them.

For example, Hoodfar fervently condemns the Western notion that the Muslim veil is a symbol of oppression. In one of her early articles, The Veil in Our Minds and on Our Heads, she stresses that veiling is an individual choice that has nothing to do with ignorance or power. Western stereotypes of the veil, which stem from colonial legacies and racist practices, deny Muslim women their agency. Cue the controversial Canadian niqab debate of 2015 over the Federal Court of Appeal ruling that prohibited the ban of the niqab at citizenship ceremonies. Zunera Ishaq, the Muslim woman at the centre of the debate, told The Toronto Star, “It’s precisely because I won’t listen to how other people want me to live my life that I wear a niqab.” This debate was central in the federal election last year, underscoring the prominence of the social stereotype that Hoodfar works tirelessly to deconstruct.

Many of today’s problems are based on prejudice, misinformation, and intolerance: today's world is one where an American presidential candidate can propose a “Muslim ban” as a tactic to gain votes. We also exist in a world where Islamist terrorist groups carry out mass killings of innocent people. This is the same world where a respected academic endured three months in prison simply because she was brave enough to challenge social constructions of race, culture, religion, and identity. Homa Hoodfar reminds us that Islam is not unidimensional—it is consistently evolving. She spreads messages of understanding and equality that combat anti-Muslim stigma. Her research bridges the gap between two cultures that are often portrayed as standing in opposition.

The #FreeHoma movement extended beyond the plight of one individual. It was a fight for academic freedom, cultural and religious acceptance, and female empowerment. Homa may be free, but her sacrifice makes it increasingly clear that this fight is not over.

 

Men's Varsity, Sports

Lacrosse: Bromley and Bolton both net hat tricks to lead McGill Redmen past the Queen’s Golden Gaels

by Selwynne Hawkins on

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On Saturday Sept 24, at the newly refurbished Forbes Field, McGill Redmen Lacrosse (4-1) faced off against the Queen’s Gaels (1-4). McGill scored first and maintained its dominance for the rest of the game, finishing with a 15-8 score line. 

Thanks to a strong first half of the season, the Redmen find themsleves ranked second in the CUFLA East Division.

“We’re at one loss right now,” Midfielder Bohe Hosking said. “But we’re still confident.”

McGill’s only loss of the season was against Trent University, who are currently undefeated in CUFLA play. McGill led for most of the game, but Trent had a strong fourth quarter and scored the game winner in the last minute of play.

“We had a tough one against Trent,” fourth-year attacker Spencer Bromley said. “You never like to lose, but it was a good game and I think we’re off on the right foot.”

Bromley, who leads the team with 21 points, scored four times and assisted once against Queen’s on Saturday afternoon. Attacker Goose Bolton also notched five points, scoring three times along with a pair of assists, while midfielder Emile Sassone-Lawless was credited with five assists.

Though the point leaders from Saturday’s game are all seasoned veterans, many of the rookies also made valuable contributions. The wide score line afforded Head Coach Tim Murdoch the flexibility to give minutes to players who haven’t had much field time so far this season.

“Some of our freshmen stepped in and played key roles,” Murdoch noted. “[It’s] very inspirational for our [starting lineup], who are playing ahead of these guys, to see them step in […] and perform.”

Saturday’s game was their home opener, and a dedicated group of fans watched from the hill behind Forbes Field. As the Redmen look to repeat after a national championship last year, they’re hoping to garner even more support from the McGill community.

“We just like seeing the bleachers packed,” Hosking said. “Hopefully that can happen with a few [more] home wins.”

The Redmen have seven more regular season games, four of which are at home. Next weekend, they’ll travel to Ottawa to play against the Ottawa Gee-Gees and the Carleton Ravens. They’ll then return to host the Bishop’s Gaiters on Oct. 6 at Molson Stadium.

 

Quotable: “Everyone wants to beat us, so everyone is good competition.”—Spencer Bromley.

 

Stats corner: It only took Goose Bolton 62 seconds to score McGill’s first goal of the game.

 

Moment of the game: Rookie defender Alessio Marcogliese scored the first goal of his McGill career by carrying the ball from the half and whipping it past Queen’s goalie.

 

Behind the Bench, Hockey, Sports

The World Cup of Hockey: Semi-Final Preview

by Cameron Cash on

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The World Cup of Hockey has provided fans with excellent entertainment value through the preliminary round, despite its reputation as an NHL cash grab. Round-robin play began with eight teams competing: Pool A featured Canada, USA, Czech Republic, and Team Europe; Pool B was comprised of Russia, Finland, Sweden, and Team North America. There were some disappointments along the way. The US went 0-3 and failed to qualify for the semi-finals. Finland also went winless, falling back to earth after an energetic Finnish team won the World Junior Championships earlier this year. Now, the top two teams from each pool advance and we breakdown the matchups ahead of elimination action this weekend.

 

Canada (Pool A winner) vs. Russia (Pool B runner-up)

 

Russia’s lack of defensive depth will be their undoing against Canada; the Canadian offence is too well-balanced and aggressive for the sub-par Russian blueline corps. Team Russia, led by Washington Capitals sniper Alexander Ovechkin, claims an offensive depth that can rival Canada’s; however, outside of defenders Dmitry Orlov and Nikita Zaitsev, the Russians lack a true game-breaker from the blueline.

Canada remains the greatest hockey power and is stacked at every position, with Sidney Crosby, Jonathan Toews, and Matt Duchene leading the charge offensively. Despite Russian goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky’s incredible play throughout this tournament, it doesn’t seem likely that he will be able to steal a game from the powerful Canadians. Canada outscored their opponents 14-3 through the preliminary round, while the Russians salvaged a positive 8-5 differential courtesy of their 3-0 win over a weak Finnish team in their final game.

After beating the Americans 4-2 in a dominating round-robin game performance, Canadian Head Coach Mike Babcock said, “We weren’t as good as we’re capable of being tonight."

If accurate, that’s a scary reality for Canada’s opponents.

 

Prediction: Canada over Russia, 5-2.

 

Sweden (Pool B winner) vs. Team Europe (Pool A runner-up)

 

Sweden's defensive play and mobility from the blueline should give them a slight edge over Team Europe in this matchup. The Swedes’ first game of the World Cup was a 2-1 victory over Russia that should not have been so close, as their transition game and defensive play kept them in control of the puck. They boast the second best defensive corps in the tournament after Canada. Their defensemen have shown a propensity for jumping up in the play and creating offence, as big 6’7’’ defenceman Victor Hedman did when he came in off the point to score the game winner against Russia earlier in the tournament.

Team Europe has been the underdog story of the tournament. A veteran team many pundits picked to finish last, they beat the USA 3-0 in their opener, before beating the Czechs in overtime to lock up the number-two spot in Pool A. Even though Europe has emerged as a contender with an experienced squad, they lack the mobile, elite, puck-moving blueline that they would need to defeat the Swedes.

Although Sweden lost 6-2 to Europe in pre-tournament play, Henrik Lundqvist had one of his worst career games in his country’s colours. Expect him to perform much better in a game of this magnitude and the Swedes to come out looking for blood.


Prediction: Sweden over Team Europe, 4-3 in OT.

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