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Campus Spotlight, Local Stories, Student Life

McGill’s Refugee Parliament: A collaborative effort to amplify migrant voices

by Malika Logossou on

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On Saturday, March 15, the Refugee Parliament, in partnership with the International Development Studies Student Association (IDSSA), The Refugee Centre, and the McGill Refugees Research Group, hosted the Refugee Parliament Conference. Created in Fall 2022 by Alessia Mottet, Maria Radu, Saadet Serra, and Shona Moreau as part of their SWRK 400 (Policy and Practice for Refugees) course project, the conference’s first edition took place in 2023, with this year marking its second iteration. 

The event focused on drafting two resolutions addressing the political inclusion and civic participation of refugees and migrants in Quebec, as well as ways to strengthen their integration into Quebec’s francophone culture and their access to higher education. The event featured collaborative discussions and workshops from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Levon Sevunts, Communications Officer for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), delivered a speech at the beginning of the event discussing the importance of these spaces and the contribution of immigrants to Quebec and Canadian society.

Mikaël Lam-Lussier, U2 Arts and Vice President of Outreach and Finance for the Refugee Parliament, highlighted McGill’s large immigrant population, emphasizing that the conference resonates with many students in an interview with The Tribune.

“A good amount of the McGill population are immigrants, and because of that they should also be represented in both McGill as a school and also in the Quebec and Canadian governments,” he said.  “Even though maybe they don’t have voting rights […], they’re still people that are in our society, and they are also contributing. Maybe some of them are going to become citizens in the future. Maybe they’re going to stay in Canada, or they’re going to get employment. So because of that, we really want them to be represented at various different levels and to integrate well.”

Out of the over 20 attendees, most of whom were students, several told The Tribune that their motivation for attending stemmed from personal experiences as refugees, migrants, or allies to these communities.

Anastasiia Yemets, MA3 Education, shared her reason for being present at the event.

“I decided to come because it’s very much related to, first of all, my personal experience,” she said. “[The] second thing is that I’m working with refugees and doing my research on refugees’ experiences [and] I’m an immigrant myself. I do really love that this initiative […] is happening. I feel it’s very much important to talk and be here, especially in the context of the global refugee and immigrant crisis.”

Additionally, Sofia Figueredo Prieto, U2 Arts and an immigrant to Canada, highlighted the lack of similar events in postsecondary institutions.

“As an immigrant here in Quebec, I have barely seen this type of event taking place especially in postsecondary institutions like McGill or my Cégep,” she stressed. “I think learning about experiences and opinions of the immigrant community here, in Quebec and in Canada in general, is really important, not only to address important issues concerning immigration, but also important issues concerning Quebec and Canadian society.”

From another perspective, Susana Baquero Salah, U3 Arts, shared how her interest in the refugee experience had been heightened by humanitarian crises in the Middle East, particularly the Syrian refugee crisis. The conference provided an opportunity for her to learn more about the struggles refugees face in Quebec.

“I feel like this Refugee Parliament conference was a great opportunity to be able to exchange more ideas about what it means to be a refugee in Quebec, more specifically, like applying it to the local context,” she said.

An essential aspect of the conference was its inclusion and discussions of the distinct challenges faced by refugees and immigrants from the Global South. Their reasons for migrating to Quebec often contrast with those from developed countries, making it crucial to incorporate their perspectives and create a safe space for them to share their concerns.

“It’s also helpful to understand the context behind an immigrant, say whether they are an economic immigrant or a refugee, or asylum seeker,” Prieto told The Tribune. “I’ve noticed that it’s harder for people from developed countries to empathize or relate with experiences of people from developing countries.” 

The conference aims to impact policy change, with draft resolutions that will be shared with Quebec policymakers in the coming weeks. As Baquero Salah explained, refugees are directly impacted by the policies being discussed, which makes their input crucial.

“We have to listen to refugees’ perspectives and what they bring to the table when we’re making policies that affect them directly,” she said.

 Jasmine Zhao, President of the Refugee Parliament Conference club and co-founder of the conference, emphasized the importance of sharing these concerns with policymakers.

“[Having] the power to at least make a little change or let the policymakers know what we think about the existing laws or how we could be better integrated into this country, [is] something that’s very much needed,” she added. “We can not only voice our concerns, voice how we are feeling about things, but also establish a sense of community, unity, inspire each other and bring new resolutions to these matters.”

Zhao also explained that while the McGill community offers tremendous support with several professors and student organizations fighting for refugee and migrant voices to be heard, McGill as an institution could support its students in more practical ways.

“What universities can do better is to actually actively listen [to] their students’ voices and have more surveys or student bonding groups or club events that are tailored towards the refugee or migrant group,” Zhao stated. “[When it comes to] visas, tax forms, [students] need a lot of guidance on these kinds of issues because the policies are usually very different from their home countries.”

Many attendees also suggested ways McGill could improve its support for refugees and migrants.

“They could give a larger list of either tools that could help, such as access, for example, to healthcare and access to legal help, more help finding housing, especially for people that are just coming over and aren’t fully proficient in either French or English; that can be very difficult,” Lam-Lussier explained.

Looking ahead, the organizers aim to increase the conference’s reach and continue advocating for migrant and refugee rights through policy engagement and increased student involvement.

“We hope to expand [the conference] to have more participants, refugees, and migrants joining in every year to amplify their voices and to find their sense of community. We are supported by the UNHCR, the Montreal Refugee Centre, the McGill Refugee Research Group, many McGill professors, as well as the IDSSA. We hope to get more support in the future […] and more outreach in the coming years,” Zhao said.

Find the Refugee Parliament on Instagram to help support more of their events.

Science & Technology

Addressing perinatal mental health disparities among immigrant parents in Canada

by Daniel Pyo on

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Pregnancy and postpartum can be emotionally overwhelming, and for first- and second-generation immigrants, these challenges are often intensified by cultural barriers, discrimination, and limited access to mental health resources. According to Statistics Canada, nearly 23 per cent of Canadians were born outside of the country, making it essential to address the unique struggles immigrant parents face during this critical period. 

In a recently-published study in the journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, Monica Vaillancourt, a PhD graduate in experimental psychology at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre (RI-MUHC), researched the key factors affecting mental health among first- and second-generation immigrant parents in Quebec. 

Vaillancourt employed qualitative methods, noting that traditional quantitative approaches may fail to capture the unique experiences of minority populations. She conducted semi-structured interviews with 16 women and 10 men, highlighting differences in perinatal experiences based on gender, cultural expectations, and healthcare access. 

“Given that I was looking at minority populations, it’s important to have a qualitative component [….] Scales have been developed in quantitative [research], and they’ve been developed in the general population—[They] won’t necessarily translate to other cultures,” Vaillancourt explained in an interview with The Tribune. 

Migration can be a major stressor, influencing parents’ mental health during pregnancy and postpartum. Vaillancourt found that first-generation immigrant parents may be at a higher risk for perinatal distress due to factors such as discrimination, acculturation difficulties, and systemic social healthcare barriers. 

In contrast, second-generation immigrants reported feelings of relief due to greater familiarity with Canadian culture, however still similarly faced barriers due to discrimination. Participants felt pressured to follow heritage cultural traditions concerning parenting practices, which have contributed to distress in some. 

Another key finding was the disparity in perinatal resources available to fathers. Many fathers reported feeling sidelined in prenatal and postnatal care, contributing to stress and uncertainty in their new roles.

“There aren’t a lot of resources for men […] They would go to these prenatal classes, [and] there’d be maybe one slide about dads. There wasn’t so much on helping dads through this transition.”

The study also emphasized the importance of perinatal interventions from healthcare providers and social workers in shaping long-term family well-being. Effective interventions can help mitigate stressors by providing culturally sensitive support, expanding paternal mental health resources, and addressing systemic barriers in healthcare access. When parents receive adequate mental health support during this critical period, it fosters better emotional bonding, strengthens family relationships, and enhances child development outcomes. 

Early interventions can also reduce the long-term societal costs associated with untreated perinatal distress, including healthcare burdens and economic productivity losses. By prioritizing these interventions, healthcare systems can build more resilient families, ultimately leading to healthier communities.

“You get your biggest bang for your buck if you do interventions during [the perinatal] period,” Vaillancourt said. “If you have an influence on the parents, that influences the baby.”

Effective interventions can help mitigate stress by providing culturally sensitive support, expanding paternal mental health resources, and addressing systemic barriers in healthcare access.

Despite its strengths, the research faced limitations, particularly linguistic barriers. 

“I wasn’t able to get a lot of asylum seekers or refugees [….] It’s difficult because I could only have my questionnaires and my questions in English or French,” Vaillancourt noted, advocating for more inclusive research to better capture vulnerable populations.

This constraint may have excluded some of the most vulnerable population from the study, emphasizing the need for more inclusive research approaches in the future. 

Overcoming perinatal obstacles demands policy reform, improved healthcare access for all, and increased access to mental health services for both parents. With further research and systemic change, immigrant families in Canada can receive the resources they need for a healthier transition into parenthood.

Out on the Town, Student Life

Know your neighbourhood: Little Portugal

by Jeanne Le Roux on

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When Montreal’s winter becomes too harsh, a temporary escape to Little Portugal offers a charming refuge. The neighbourhood exudes the warm, laid-back atmosphere of southern Europe, even as snow piles up and plows roam the streets. Situated in the western portion of the Mont-Royal Plateau, Little Portugal stretches along several blocks of Blvd Saint Laurent, between Ave des Pins and Marie-Anne St. Given that Montreal is home to a thriving Portuguese community with over 40,000 residents, Little Portugal is filled with many shops, cafes and restaurants reflecting the country’s rich and unique culture. 

According to Joaquina Pires, author of “Empreintes Portugaises,” a book highlighting the marks left by the Portuguese community in Montreal, the first wave of Portuguese immigrants arrived in 1953. As Canada and Portugal strengthened political and diplomatic ties, many Portuguese men immigrated to Montreal in search of better opportunities. By the 60s and 70s, they started to bring their families, leading to successive waves of immigration, primarily from the Atlantic islands of the Azores.

“Most people came to Montreal from the Azores due to the political and economic situation of the country. They were looking for better living conditions and opportunities,” Maria do Céu Castanheira, owner of the local business Coco Rico, explained in an interview with The Tribune. “A lot of families also came to Montreal in the 70s, especially after the 25th of April revolution in Portugal.” 

In an interview with The Tribune, Pires elaborated on why the Portuguese community settled in this particular area of the Plateau.

“They mainly established themselves in this area of the Plateau because houses and real estate were decaying and cheaper. The community mobilized to repair the houses and 

was able to restore them,” Pires explained. 

As Portuguese culture flourished, many immigrants opened businesses, shaping the neighbourhood’s identity. Castanheira’s father opened the first Portuguese business in the area, Castanheira do RibaTejo, after immigrating to Montreal in the 1960s. Over time, the neighbourhood became visibly multicultural while maintaining many strong elements of Portuguese culture. 

In 1975, the Parc du Portugal, located on Blvd Saint Laurent between Marie-Anne St. and Vallières St., was renamed to honour the Portuguese community of Montreal. This key feature of the lively neighbourhood was designed by the landscape architect Carlos R. Martinez in 1980. It features many colourful tiles inspired by Portuguese architecture. One of the city’s standout features is the Azulejo Mural, visible from Parc du Portugal. It was made by community members, involving the work of retired Portuguese citizens and art lovers, under the direction of Paulo Jones, Maria do Céu Castanheira’s husband. 

“The mural was made in honour of the Portuguese community in Montreal but also to thank Canada for welcoming us. It was a gift from Portugal to the city,” Castanheira elaborated. 

From the park, visitors can also spot an impressive painting of Portuguese singer Amalia Rodrigues. It is a tribute to the famous fado artist, a traditional musical genre in Portugal. 

“It was a community project that was made under the direction of Paulo Carreira but made by the people of the neighbourhood,” Pires highlighted. 

In addition to its architectural charm, Little Portugal is home to numerous traditional Portuguese restaurants that bring the rich and flavorful essence of Portuguese cuisine to Montreal. Pastéis de Nata, Portugal’s famous custard tarts, can be enjoyed at Coco Rico after a delicious roasted Portuguese chicken. Casa Minhota offers a classic Portuguese menu that includes sardines and bacalhau (cod). 

Due to its proximity to the McGill campus, Little Portugal is also home to many McGillians who have decided to adopt the Plateau lifestyle and embrace Portuguese culture. 

“I love this Portuguese bakery that’s really close to where I am called Patisserie notre Maison. It’s probably my favourite part of the neighbourhood,” Steph Doerksen, U1 Engineering, told The Tribune. Little Portugal is an essential part of Montreal, as a vibrant and living representation of the city’s immigrant story. This rich cultural enclave makes Little Portugal a must-visit and an unforgettable part of Montreal.

McGill, News, SSMU

SSMU Legislative Council postpones Midnight Kitchen funding debate

by Eren Atac on

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The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) held its fifth Legislative Council meeting of the semester on March 20. The council discussed discretionary funding for the Midnight Kitchen, a SSMU food pantry initiative, and proposed amendments to the Policy on Harmful Military Technology. 

The first hour of the meeting was devoted to discussing discretionary funding for Midnight Kitchen, a campus initiative that provides free meals to McGill students. Midnight Kitchen members raised concerns about Director of Clubs and Services Hamza Abu-Alkhair delaying approvals for the funding and the negative impact on Midnight Kitchen’s operations.

Midnight Kitchen staff member Danya Gilday expressed the urgency of resolving the funding issue, emphasizing the increasing demand for meals and the limitations imposed by a small kitchen. 

“We have infrastructural challenges. We have a very small kitchen. Most of the food programs that we have spoken to around the country […] they’re continually impressed with how much we do, considering how few staff we have,” Gilday said.

Abu-Alkhair elaborated that he delayed additional approvals due to concerns regarding whether Midnight Kitchen was meeting its mandate of hosting an adequate number of free lunch services.

“So with discretionary funding, what I understood is you’re serving students or organizations who are on McGill campus and not necessarily organizations that are outside the campus,” Abu-Alkhair said. “There’s also the issue of the services per week. I believe you were doing two services per week. In my knowledge, it’s five in the mandate.” 

SSMU President Dymetri Taylor clarified that the initial approval of Midnight Kitchen’s discretionary funding in 2021 authorized a 20 per cent discretionary fund allocation. The Council ultimately postponed further discussion of the issue until their next meeting due to a lack of context on the procedural intricacies of issuing discretionary funding. 

Next, the Council introduced a motion to create a permanent food pantry to address growing concerns about food insecurity on campus. SSMU is currently running a pilot project where a fridge and shelves of free food are open to students at all times in the ECOLE building at 3559 Rue University. Vice President (VP) External Affairs Hugo-Victor Solomon presented the motion, highlighting the shortcomings of past food insecurity initiatives on campus and the success of the pilot program.

“So far, we’ve had truly positive feedback. The food that we put in the fridge has been taken on a regular, gradual basis. It was clear that it’s not being taken all at once,” Solomon said.

Another focal point of the meeting was a Notice of Motion to Amend the Policy on Harmful Military Technology, specifically to remove its moratorium on referendum questions related to ancillary fees, which are non-opt-outable student fees that fund self-funding units of McGill, such as McGill Athletics. This moratorium had been in place for several years, previously under the Climate Justice Policy, as a tactic to pressure McGill’s Board of Governors to divest from various causes such as fossil fuel investments. After reviewing the moratorium and its historical impact, Solomon concluded that while the moratorium was an effective strategy in the past, there may now be other ways to pursue action against harmful military technology.

The meeting ended with reports from various committees. The Environmental Committee’s report detailed several initiatives, including the upcoming McGill Environment Student Society Gala on March 28, and the launch of Terra, an environmental journal. 

Moment of the Meeting:

The Council discussed a motion regarding the SSMU Policy Against Antisemitism, which a judge recently issued a safeguard order against. Solomon announced a restart of the adoption process for the Policy, which would be updated to address community concerns from several student groups on campus more directly. 

Soundbite: 
“I think it’s totally inappropriate that Midnight Kitchen was prevented from giving funds to the community for months without any explanation. I would like to move the Legislative Council mandate the Director of Clubs and Services to approve all discretionary funding requests from Midnight Kitchen and the Legislative Council to issue an apology to Midnight Kitchen.” — VP University Affairs Abe Berglas expressing support for Midnight Kitchen.

Behind the Bench, Sports

“Money’s nice, championships are better:” Eagles’ banner year battered by big departures

by Madeleine Le on

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Since ​​Super Bowl LIX, many National Football League (NFL) fans are questioning their team’s plan for the next season, namely the reigning champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. After a rough and defeated exit during the 2023-2024 season, General Manager Howie Roseman saw the importance of the offseason, marking one year since signing star running back Saquon Barkley and drafting both rookie cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. These significant pickups certainly proved their worth, turning a former 11-6 team into stars, bringing home the second Lombardi Trophy to Philadelphia. 

Hearing all this may suggest that the Philadelphia Eagles dynasty is in the works; however, ask any fan, and it might sound like they just came off of the worst season in history. Showcasing a strong blow-out to the Kansas City Chiefs brought attention to many underrated players from the Eagles. Barely losing a game all season, and always scoring in the draft, fans have become accustomed to a winning culture in Philadelphia. So far, the Eagles have lost 13 players from their Superbowl roster due to contracts expiring and a lack of franchise salary space. The Tribune recaps the loss of four players that taught Philly fans that the NFL is strictly business.

Milton Williams

Williams entered the offseason as one of the top targets after the Super Bowl, generating a 12.5 QB pressure percentage, the type of talent that gets paid in free agency. Despite not playing as a starter in Philly, the defensive tackle was able to land a four-year, $104 million USD contract, including a $24 million USD signing bonus and $51 million USD guaranteed. This comes after numerous signing rumours elsewhere, with the Patriots overthrowing a deal Williams almost finalized with the Carolina Panthers. 

Josh Sweat 

Josh Sweat was one of Philadelphia’s most unsurprising losses. As a fourth-round pick in 2018, Sweat spent his entire career with the Eagles. Returning to his former Defensive Coordinator, now Head Coach of the Arizona Cardinals, Jonathan Gannon will get his star edge rusher back. Although fans are probably happy to see Sweat get his well-deserved $76.4 million USD contract, his return to Gannon surely is sour given the tampering disputes after his departure as coach. 

C.J. Gardner-Johnson 

Marking one of the most devastating losses for the Eagles was the unexpected trade of safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who for many embodied the grit and underdog mentality of the team. After leaving for a year, Roseman brought Gardner-Johnson back knowing that he would rejuvenate the lethargic and uninspired defense. Gardner-Johnson lived up to expectations, however, some believe that it was the attitude and the drama he generated outside of the sport itself that led him to the trade block. The Eagles will miss their safety to the Texans, as there has to be more to the story here, given the lack of replacements in the league presently. 

Darius Slay Jr. 

After releasing CB Darius Slay Jr. to save $4.3 million USD in salary cap, Eagles fans expected the veteran to either return to his tenured Philadelphia or to where he was drafted in Detroit for his supposed final season. Slay, rather, signed a $10 million USD deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but given the success of both rookie corners, his departure was no surprise overall. Slay left with sentiments for the young stars, however, not including fan-favourite Eagles quarterback and Superbowl MVP Jalen Hurts in a conversation regarding the NFL’s Elite Quarterbacks. This certainly altered how Slay will be remembered in Philadelphia.  

As Hurts famously said while signing his modest five-year, $255 million USD contract: “Money is nice, championships are better.” Eagles and other NFL fans should remember that players who ‘chase the bag’ often do not have their team’s best interests in mind in the first place, making their departures a little easier to swallow. Like it or not, the Eagles are going to look a lot different next season.

Behind the Bench, Sports

Where’s the Ref? Israel and the 2026 FIFA World Cup

by Reuben Noam on

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The movement to ban Israel and its teams from all upcoming FIFA tournaments has gained significant traction since February—a period of time contained, ironically, by ceasefire on its foundational end. 

The “Show Israel the Red Card” campaign began on Feb. 19, when Celtic F.C. supporters in Scotland unfurled a huge banner reading “Show Zionism the Red Card” during a Champions League match versus Bayern Munich. The club’s ultras, known as the Green Brigade, distributed leaflets declaring Israel guilty of breaching international law. What started in Glasgow quickly went global. Stadiums from Spain to Chile have seen chants, banners, and a red sea of placards demanding Israel be sent off​.

Backers of the movement state that ethical consistency is overdue in international sports. Over the years, FIFA has occasionally saddled up as the rightful sheriff of global football and booted rogue players from the saloon when the law (or at least public opinion) demanded. South Africa was barred for decades due to apartheid. Yugoslavia, ousted during the Yugoslav Wars. Chile, red-carded after their goalkeeper staged an in-game injury with a razor blade—yes, really. Indonesia and India, both banned for respective internal issues within their football federation. Mexico, suspended in 1990 for fielding overage players in a youth tournament. Russia, kicked out in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine. Greece narrowly avoided a ban as recently as 2016. 

It is a diverse sheriff’s log. Inconsistent, yet dramatic—“Where do you stop?”, we may be compelled to muse, reflecting on the many powerful countries (from China to India to the U.S.) with spotty human rights records. In short, FIFA does not always draw its pistol, but the question remains whether Israel’s actions—apartheid, occupation, and mass civilian murders—will see it placed on that storied wanted list.

As of Jan. 22, 2025, 382 footballers have died under Israel’s genocide. Israeli bombardment has killed youth footballers, coaches, even entire teams. The Palestinian Football Association mourns a generation of talent lost to politically motivated airstrikes.

True fans value human life more than any trophy. The movement’s supporters may point out that FIFA’s own statutes contain a code of ethics promoting human rights and fair play—ideals more in line with “candy from a baby” than “Israeli airstrike kills 400.” By banning Israeli teams, FIFA would be following the spirit of past boycotts that helped topple injustice. Such precedents underscore a powerful message: When governments commit atrocities, the global community can unite to refuse “business as usual.” Exclusion from the World Cup can be likened to a kind of penalty that puts real pressure on a state’s public image. 

Not everyone is cheering on this call. The reality is that Israel played their first World Cup Qualifier against Estonia this weekend, winning 2-1. Those in positions of power may balk both at the idea of losing money and at the idea of engaging in collective punishment. The Red Card Israel movement could torpedo the careers of Israeli athletes. Is it fair to dash the World Cup dreams of a young winger—say Anan Khalaili of Royale Union-Saint Gilloise—because of decisions made in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem? 

Some may argue that if FIFA starts banning every nation with blood on its hands, we might end up with a very small World Cup indeed. But is it merely about goals and sponsorships, or can it also be about human dignity? The Red Card Israel movement passionately opts for consideration of the latter.
With the ceasefire broken and violence escalating once again, the Red Card movement may gain renewed urgency and visibility in the near future. At the same time, heightened tensions could make an institution like FIFA even more reluctant to act, fearing backlash or accusations of politicization, when the nation will likely see itself out early in the competition in any case.

McGill, News

Arts students will no longer be able to pursue certain Independent Study Aways this summer

by Daniel Miksha on

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Effective Summer 2025, BA, BTh, and BSW students at McGill will no longer be able to pursue Independent Study Away (ISA) programs outside of Canada. The change was initially announced by the Arts Office of Advising and Student Information Services (OASIS) on Nov. 14, 2024, in response to an update to McGill’s Policy on Student Safety Abroad.

An ISA allows students to earn credits towards their McGill degree while studying at a university on a pre-approved list of around 250 institutions. Unlike an exchange, students pursuing an ISA pay tuition directly to their host institution.

As of Summer 2025, OASIS will no longer approve ISA requests for international institutions. Though exchange programs are not affected, OASIS’ decision makes it impossible for students in the Faculty of Arts to earn credits at African institutions, reduces opportunities for studying at Chinese universities by 90 per cent, and lowers the original 73 American institutions they could earn credits from to just 13.

According to Manuel Balan, Associate Dean (Strategic Initiatives and Student Affairs) of the Faculty of Arts, this decision was made due to changes to McGill’s Policy on Student Safety Abroad. The Policy came into force on May 16, 2024, replacing McGill’s International Mobility Guidelines, last updated in 2013.

“[The Policy on Student Safety Abroad] explicitly [references] ISAs outside Canada, and it considers Faculties as being the sponsoring unit for these activities,” Balan wrote to The Tribune. “After an assessment of what compliance and enforcement [with the policy] would entail for the Faculty of Arts, it was determined that we do not have the administrative personnel or expertise necessary to carry out these duties in an appropriate way.”

Balan added that OASIS’ decision to stop approving ISA requests outside of Canada could be reversed in the future if the Student Safety Abroad policy is modified or if the Faculty of Arts sees staffing changes.

Axel Hundemer, Acting Associate Dean (Student Affairs) of the Faculty of Science, affirmed that, for the time being, McGill’s Student Safety Abroad policy will not affect BSc or BA&Sc students’ ability to pursue ISAs outside of Canada.

“The Faculty of Science seeks to support students who are looking for international study opportunities,” Hundemer wrote to The Tribune. “At the same time, it is mindful of the need to be aligned with the University’s Student Safety Abroad policy. We intend to continue to support ISA opportunities for students, with updated processes in place to meet the policy’s standards.”

Soso Cowell, U3 Management, completed an Independent Study Away at the London School of Economics. As a Management student, she is not directly affected by the policy change, but sees why it might pose a challenge for Arts students—her ISA was the only way she could go home for the summer while staying on track with her studies.

“As an international student, sometimes you don’t really want to stay in Montreal after the finals season. I’m English, my parents are based [in London], and I needed to take a summer class, so I [wanted to] try and find a course that’s approved by McGill at home. That was my main motivation [for my ISA],” Cowell told The Tribune. 

Despite closing the doors to Independent Study Aways outside Canada, 140 exchange destinations in 39 countries remain available to students in the Faculty of Arts. 

To compensate for the loss of ISA opportunities, Balan claims McGill is working to build new exchange agreements to give students more flexibility in their studies and allow them to travel farther and wider.

“There is a constant and ongoing effort to expand exchange opportunities for our students,” Balan wrote. “There are many opportunities to study outside McGill, and the Faculty of Arts is supportive of efforts to increase these opportunities.”

Science & Technology

Sleep on it: ‘Share Your Sleep Story’ spotlights sleep as a healthcare and human right

by Jamie Xie, Eliza Lee on

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When all the world is asleep, the body is hard at work. 

While many people view their resting hours as lost time, the Share Your Sleep Story initiative explores sleep as time invested in a deeply human act of being. The public engagement initiative highlights individuals’ experiences with sleep—and the effects of not getting enough—and seeks to bridge the policy gap between abundant research and a society that ignores the importance of getting a good night’s rest. Madhura Lotlikar, a McGill PhD student in neuroscience and the initiative’s founder, sat down with The Tribune to discuss the project, the impact of sleep loss on health, and sleep as a human right.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Eliza Lee (EL): To start off, can you talk a little about your current research outside the Share Your Sleep Story initiative? How did your research lead you to the project?

Madhura Lotlikar (ML): I have [several] different projects I’m working on, but the common theme is sleep loss. My priority is to understand the effects of sleep loss on human brain and memory and the ways to offset those effects [….] So I’m looking at if exercise training can make our brains resilient to the effects of sleep loss. Another project […] is implementation of sleep research and rehabilitation settings, because there’s a lot of data on sleep issues in rehab settings. We have people who need support for stroke, […] or traumatic brain injury or physical injury, these kinds of things—they have a lot of issues of sleep, but there is no translation of sleep research into practice. 

When I started working in this field, I quickly realized that there is a lot of data on sleep health [….] I thought that there must be a lot of policies surrounding this issue, and I was baffled that there is very little [….] I was thinking that if we want to actually implement things in society, we need to understand what [those] who face sleep issues need [….] That’s where I was like, ‘Okay, we need to have some lived understanding, some lived experiences of these people.’ That’s just one part of the puzzle. It’s not going to solve things, but it’s just one part. 

Jamie Xie (JX): Sleep is so human, but society sees it as a barrier to productivity and often tries to take that away from us. Could you talk a little bit about your perspective on sleep in the context of healthcare, and how we don’t give it the full respect of healthcare?

ML: There is a misconception that we are not being useful when we are sleeping. Actually, we are not being useful when we are not sleeping—if we don’t sleep, we are not going to be productive. Sleep is important for emotional regulation, mental health, productivity, and quality of life [….] I think a lot of people still take pride in not sleeping enough, because they want to say that they are busy, and as you said, that it’s very personal. Sleep is not only governed by your individual factors, like […] your sleep needs, but also by societal and social factors. What does society think about sleep? Do they think that you are lazy because you’re sleeping more, or you have more sleep-need? What social circumstances are you in? Are you coming from a low socioeconomic background? Maybe you have to work two shifts, two jobs, and you’re not going to kind of get enough sleep, or you have food insecurity.

Importantly, [sleep] also affects other diseases [….] You have data for people with Alzheimer’s—they have sleep issues. People who have sleep issues have an increased risk of dementia, cardiovascular diseases, mental health issues [….] Tackling sleep health is essential, not only for the individual, but for society as well. 

EL: Returning to the impact of sleep on Alzheimer’s, risk of dementia, and other diseases—how does that impact the brain?

ML: When you’re sleeping, there are a lot of toxins that get removed from your brain that have accumulated throughout the day [….] That is one of the functions of the lymphatic system. For example, this protein called amyloid beta starts accumulating in your brain, and if you don’t sleep, it stays in your brain. That protein, amyloid beta, […] is one of the important proteins that can get clumped into plaques, and is one of the pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.

But there are other functions of sleep, such as [recovery]. The different stages of sleep help you to restore your brain and body. If you’re injured and you have chronic pain […] your body is not going to heal and recover as much if you don’t sleep, or you have sleep apnea, or you are not getting full, restorative sleep. 

EL: The Share Your Sleep Story initiative also describes ways to prioritize sleep through policy-making. Can you talk about how we can protect sleep through policy, and why it’s undervalued currently?

ML: There are a lot of misconceptions on sleep and its importance, and there is not a lot of awareness [….] Currently, sleep health education is very [minimal] for family doctors [….] They need to be asking about [patients’] sleep no matter what condition they have, because it’s integral to any disease that a person might [have] at a clinic. Sleep health education programs should increase—many times, […] whenever [the people I talk to for the initiative] have sleep disorders or sleep issues, they just don’t get enough help. There are no accessible resources.

For night shift workers, for example, […] maybe organizations […] could provide them with some service to drop them off at home, because after working for 12 hours in a very stressful environment, you don’t want to take the metro. Drowsy driving is a huge problem amongst workers [….] There is a lot of evidence and implementation is lacking. 

JX: The role of the night shift worker, […] and this idea of sleeplessness as a way of life—it makes me think about the way that society accommodates you. Before you were talking about how often we relegate these people to making a sacrifice for society [….] Can you talk about how we can accommodate workers’ needs and rights to sleep?

ML: Sleep should be a human right [….] If you’re not sleeping, it’s going to affect everything. In terms of accommodation, it affects your social life. [For those] who have circadian rhythm disorders, you are basically awake at the time that most of the society is not [….] Of course, that affects everything, from who you date to what you can do [….] You have to work on society’s time. It’s very difficult [….] Just decreasing the stigma and understanding sleep needs, […] that is the first step before we can even start accommodating the needs of people. 


Share Your Sleep Story is also run by co-director Adrián Noriega de la Colina, and team members Marie-Pier Villeneuve, Nour Chahine, Josianne Barrette-Moran, Hannah Moore, Jyothi Inampudi, and Stefanie Tremblay.

Arts & Entertainment, Music

Cianalas brings Celtic charm to Montreal

by Isobel Bray on

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With St. Patrick’s Day behind us but spring ahead, the lilting Celtic tunes of Montreal-based band Cianalas make the perfect soundtrack for a city shaking off the last chills of winter. The band played their first headline show on March 19 at Quai des Brumes, a dimly lit bar on rue St. Denis with eccentric artwork lining its walls. It was the perfect setting for Cianalas—who, in just six months, have gone from busking on the streets of Montreal to playing their first headline show to a packed crowd. The attendees reflected the broad reach of the genre: Mostly 20-somethings with a smattering of older listeners, a reminder that folk music has a way of bringing people together across generations. 

The night opened with Gráinne, a Montreal-based Irish band that also features a member of Cianalas. They moved between songs in Irish and English, combining classic favourites with original arrangements. Beneath the fiddle and steady beat of the bodhrán (an Irish drum), the lyrics conveyed much of what Irish traditional music is about—history with themes of loss and longing.

When Cianalas took the stage, they captured the room’s attention from the first note. People were up and dancing even in the crowded space. Brenna Logan (vocals, guitar), Abi Rees (accordion), Ella Partington (fiddle), and Isabel Hayler Hughes (fiddle) bring a kind of chemistry that only comes from musicians who truly love playing together. Their set was a mix of instrumental and lyrical pieces, moving seamlessly between high-energy dance tunes and slower melodic songs. Logan’s vocals were strong, and the band kept an easy rhythm together. 

One of the most striking things about Cianalas is how much they clearly love what they do, and their commitment to the craft. Even a brief technical mishap with the guitar couldn’t throw them off—the show must go on! They paused to thank the audience for supporting “Irish women in music,” a statement met with cheers from the crowd, reminding them of the tradition they are carrying forward, and the space they are making within it.

What makes Cianalas stand out isn’t just their technical skill or their ability to get a room dancing (though they do both with ease); it’s the feeling behind the music, the way it carries both history and home in it. Their name, Scottish Gaelic for “homesickness,” captures the sentiment perfectly. Hayler Hughes told The Tribune that they don’t see it as a longing to be elsewhere but, rather, as a deep-rooted connection to where they’re from. The name is fitting for a band made up of musicians from all over the U.K. and Ireland, who found each other in Montreal to build a new home together. Even though their music is rooted in Celtic tradition, they have also found musical inspiration in Quebecois folk music, further tying them to the city. 

Hayler Hughes also spoke about the serendipitous way the band came together. She and Rees, despite attending the same high school in England, only met properly at a folk session in Glasgow years later while at university. They both wound up in Montreal on exchange and busked around the Plateau together. After realizing they both knew Partington and Logan through sessions and open mics around Montreal, they decided to form Cianalas. Their story, like their music, is about connection—about the way people, places, and melodies find their way to each other.

Cianalas welcomed Gráinne back on stage for an encore featuring both Canadian and Celtic classics like “Northwest Passage” and “Wild Mountain Thyme,” which had the whole bar singing along. The night was a reminder of why live music matters, especially now when big-ticket concerts feel out of reach for so many. 

Cianalas hosts a weekly folk session at McLean’s Pub on Saturdays from 2-5 p.m., welcoming musicians of all levels to join. As for what’s next, they’re planning a summer tour and hoping to get into a studio to record some of their arrangements. In the meantime, make sure to get out and support your local artists, whether they’re just starting out or they’re seasoned favourites.

You can find Cianalas on Instagram @cianalas_music

Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

 TNC’s student-written production of ‘Sphinx’ reaches professional levels of wit

by Bianca Sugunasiri on

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There’s nothing like the sheer terror of waking up hungover to discover the bad decision your alter ego made the night before. Particularly when that bad decision saunters into your kitchen and greets you with cheerful full-frontal. If that’s not enough to push you over the edge, throw in an impending blizzard that will instantly kill anyone who ventures outside. 

This is the unfortunate life of Gus (Hayden Jackson, U3 Arts), forced to confront his drunken one-night stand within the confines of his studio. The casual and cocky Theo (Sam Snyder, U2 Arts) proceeds to needle his uptight ways, goading him into doing the Proust Questionnaire. They partake in the typical activities of prideful intellectuals, from insulting each others’ book tastes to sassy matches of chess. Their tension relieves itself in a galvanizing fit of passion which quickly turns to panic when Gus realizes that the man for whom his affection has grown is pure evil. An ambiguous ending leaves audiences wondering who Theo really was: The devil, or just another nonchalant man.  

From the first shocked exclamation to the last blood-curdling scream, Tuesday Night Cafe’s (TNC) production of Sphinx captivated audiences. The storyline, composed of commonplace dialogues and impactful silences, successfully conveyed the flawed intricacies of human relationships that so often elude attempts of romantic realism. Writer-directors Jack Bouchard (U2 Arts) and Odessa Rontogiannis (U2 Arts) embedded within humorous dialogue layers of awkwardly authentic connection. The limited confines of TNC’s space were stretched to creative capacity, enabling the audience to become flies on the walls of Gus’s apartment. And the acting felt so natural, as if the words were not lines, but conversations spilling from the actors’ lips. 

Jackson’s portrayal of Gus was rich with raw emotion, augmenting the intimate realism of the play. He fell fully into his character of the awkward tortured artist in body, delivery, and interaction. His Jesse Eisenberg-esque voice cracks and erratic intonation were effortless, and the shaking of his hands so realistic that it may have been mistaken for nerves. His frantic interactions with pans and paintbrushes brought the space alive whilst betraying his obsessive compulsion for control. 

Snyder’s enigmatic interpretation of Theo was dominating and eccentric, walking the tightrope of pleasure and spectacle. He projected carelessness in his body language: Sitting with his leg tossed in front of him, or intrusively rifling through Gus’s particularly placed belongings. His delivery of suggestive quips was skillfully natural; one example being his response to Gus’s rumination of not pegging him as a particular personality: “You didn’t peg me at all.” 

The duo’s chemistry was so natural that it felt like an intrusion to observe. The lack of seamlessness in their interactions mimicked the familiar ebb and flow of strangers turning friends. Even in scenes that were not meant to be intimate, Jackson and Snyder were able to create palpable tension through glances and body language. 

An honourable mention goes out to Ryan Jacoby (U0 Science), who plays Radio (literally); he stretched his role to its comedic limits. His delivery of well-placed interjections had audiences roaring with laughter. Whether it was a timely, high-volume condom ad—or the remarkably sentient comment of “Will you two just fuck already?”—Jacoby carved an unmistakable presence. He added a dynamic aspect to his static character by serving as a “Jim Halpert cam” for Gus, the two exchanging periodic glances at Theo’s flamboyance. 

The production made refreshingly clever use of sound effects, props, and stage direction. Whether it was to spotlight Radio, to disguise a quick change, or to preserve the confidentiality of the intimate scenes, “fades to black” were tactfully employed. Lifting the lights to reveal snippets of dialogue and interaction in and amongst the implied intimacy emphasized the closeness of sex that goes beyond the act itself.

Sphinx was a beautifully executed piece from inception to production—a wonderful example of McGill students’ creative talents. It exemplified the messiness of human connection whilst reminding us of how a one-night stand can go so terribly wrong. 

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