The Tribune TUESDAY, MARCH 19 2024 | VOL. 43 | ISSUE 22
Published by the SPT, a student society of McGill University
THETRIBUNE.CA | @THETRIBUNECA
EDITORIAL
FEATURE
STUDENT LIFE
A functioning democracy at SSMU depends on student engagement
An investigation into the lack ofdiversity within McGill professors and staff
The Tribune’s natural skincare guide
PG. 8-9
PG. 14
PG. 5
Maïa Salhofer / The Tribune
Over 28,000 students go on week-long strike against tuition hikes
PG. 2
McGill Grad Students for Palestine call on donors to withhold gifts to university over complicity in Israeli siege on Gaza Announcement comes days before annual McGill24 fundraiser Jasjot Grewal News Editor
O
n Mar. 13, McGill held its annual McGill24 day, during which McGill students, alumni, and supporters give money to the university. Days prior, on Mar. 9, McGill Grad Students for Palestine created an Instagram post compelling alumni and students not to donate any money to the university
while it remains complicit in the ongoing genocide of Palestinians by partnering with Israeli academic institutions and investing in Israeli corporations. The post also urged the McGill community to sign the open letter in which McGill graduate students ask the university to recognize students’ demands to divest from Israeli investments and acknowledge the ongoing genocide in Gaza. In a written statement to The Tribune, McGill media re-
How Augmented Reality technology could transform food quality assessment
Review study highlights the benefits and potential implications of AR in food quality inspections. K. Coco Zhang Science & Technology Editor
R
apid technological advancements have transformed numerous industries, including the field
of food quality assessment. Augmented Reality (AR)—a technology that allows digital images and information to be projected onto the real-world environment—has emerged as a powerful tool to enhance food inspections and evalua-
tions. In a recent paper, Jacob Liberty, PhD student in McGill’s Department of Bioresource Engineering, and his team explored AR technology and its applications in food quality and safety assessment. PG. 7
lations officer Frédérique Mazerolle stated that McGill24 is primarily a digital campaign, with donations largely stemming from web promotion and outreach via email and social media. At the same time, McGill’s student phone-a-thon team operates five nights a week during the run-up to McGill24. “Last year, the University received 7,310 donations totaling $4.4 million during the campaign. This year, $4.9 million was raised through 7,690 donations,” Mazerolle wrote. PG. 3
Bankruptcy is no laughing matter
Just for Laughs’s 2024 festival has been cancelled as parent company files for bankruptcy Jordana Curnoe Contributor
L
aughs aren’t enough to save Just for Laughs Comedy Festival from financial troubles. On Mar. 5, the parent company Groupe Juste pour rire inc. released a statement announcing the cancellation of the 2024 Just for Laughs /
Juste pour rire (JFL) Comedy Festival in Montreal and Toronto. The company is now seeking creditor protection from bankruptcy. Additionally, the company laid off 75 employees, which comprised about 70 per cent of the company. JFL explained that the combined factors of revenue loss during COVID-19, financial strain from inflation,
and the changing media landscape all contributed to their decision to cancel this year’s festival. JFL gave many Canadian comedians, as well as American counterparts such as Kevin Hart and Jimmy Fallon, their big break by bringing together eager start-up comedians, attentive booking agents, and talent scouts. PG.11