The Quid Novi MONTREAL, QC
MCGILL UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF LAW - FACULTÉ DE DROIT DE L’UNIVERSITÉ MCGILL
45 08 28 NOV 2023
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR As next week marks the LAST Quid
to be the biggest influence of the year.
Anna McAllister| 3L
Hi Quid! Me again! I have a proposition for a fun game we should all play. For three years now, my dear, incredible, lovely friend Keean has asked our friend group to make predictions on who Time’s Person of the Year will be, or declarations of who we think ought to receive the award. This exercise always prompts interesting conversation reflecting on the year, and has the added bonus of friendly competition (sending all my love to annual participants and longtime subjects of my affection: AB, CHR, KN, SB, SM, JI, GT, EB, JB).
Beginning in 1927, Time’s Person of the Year was designed to highlight a person, group or idea that, “for better or for worse... has done the most to influence the events of the year”. Time Magazine’s editorial staff selects the winner. Past winners have included Greta Thunberg (2019), Elon Musk (2021), Vladimir Putin (2007), Barack Obama (2008 AND 2012), the Ebola Fighters (2014), the Silence Breakers (also known as the MeToo Movement, 2017), and most recently, Volodymyr Zelensky and the Spirit of Ukraine (2022). While unavoidably American-centric, it can nevertheless be fun to consider who a prominent American magazine might consider
CETTE SEMAINE...
edition of 2023, I invite you all to submit a small blurb reflecting on either who you think will win Time’s Person of the Year, or who you believe ought to be featured. Silly and serious suggestions are welcome (I would also LOVE to see some silly Faculty-specific nominations). Winners get bragging rights and permanent memorialization of their victory in the Quid archives. I look forward to seeing your nominees (and revealing my own pick) next week! Cheers, Anna
INSIGHTS
COMMUNAUTÉ
EVENTS
3 | THE SAO DESERVES AN F
2 | SUBMIT TO THE LAST QUID
2 | SKIT NITE RETURNS MARCH
4 | MY LATEST AMAZON
PURCHASE Stand Strong, but Remember to Show a Soft Side
6 | ON SAFETY 7 | ALL I WANT FOR HANNUKAH
A Wish List for This Holiday Season
OF THE YEAR!
2 | BLAST FROM THE PAST 5 | LOCAL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Marché Milton-Parc
6 | OVERHEARD
13, 2024! Audition to Be Part of the Show!
Vol 45 ● No 08
SKIT NITE RETURNS MARCH 13, 2024! Audition to Be Part of the Show!
Justine Blanchette-Sirois & Matthew Boulden | 4L, 3L on behalf of the Skit Nite Committee
Calling all McGill Law Students, Clubs, Journals, Professors and Staff! Skit Nite is returning on March 13th 2024 at Club Soda. We invite you to prepare a musical performance, a sketch, a video, or any other kind of act for the show. Skit Nite is a decades-old tradition, dating back to 1970, that has endured because of the efforts of creatives such as yourselves. Last year, we had the great honour of bringing Skit Nite back to McGill Law after a 4-year hiatus, and we couldn’t be more grateful for all the talented students who helped make it happen. We will be hosting auditions on February 16th, 2024 in the Moot Court from 6pm-8pm. Be on the look-out for a sign-up form early in the New Year!
BLAST Keep FROM THE PAST your eye on the prize!
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Don’t want to be on stage for the big night? Fear not, we need an audience for this grand occasion! There is no event quite like Skit Nite, which brings together over 500 McGill Law students, professors, and alumni to laugh at our peculiar lives in our Faculty at the top of the hill. Whether it’s seeing the Dean sing, your professors play in a band together, or your classmate share their comedy skills, this special evening will leave you with unforgettable memories. Our Committee is already hard at work preparing for the big performance. Osler will be back as sponsor again this year. All proceeds from the show will be donated to this year’s charity partner,the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal. This community organization provides a safe environment to First Nations, Inuit and Métis women and children to promote their empowerment and independence. Finally, we have selected six talented, hard-working, beautiful, reasonable, inspirational, wise, and hilarious Animateurs for the show. Returning from last year include Rayan Tibiche Dahmoune (4L), Ali Hachem (4L), Carolina Muñoz Jasa (3L), Pablo Mhanna-Sandoval (2L), and Marielle McCrum (2L). We’re excited to welcome our newest member to the team, Marie Jolicoeur-Becotte (1L). We’re looking forward to Skit Nite 2024 and can’t wait to see you there, on stage or in the audience! Mark March 13th down in your calendars and stay tuned for more news in the Winter semester. 2
The Quid Novi Vol. 23 No. 14 As a fun reminder, we do also accept cartoons, poems and anything else you can dream up! Take this (slightly too on the nose) cover art from 2003 as inspiration!
THE SAO DESERVES AN F Anonymous Student
Note: when this article was written, the ‘final’ exam schedule continued to have 11 exams listed with incomplete details The SAO Deserves an F. They’re not showing up to class, not doing their assignments on time, and seem completely apathetic to be here. If they were a 1L student, they’d get an F… B-curve be damned. Last week, less than two weeks before exams begin, they rescheduled yet another exam to be nearly two full weeks prior to what had been stated on the “final” exam schedule, which was itself released a month later than promised. As a direct result, students in the affected section will lose eleven days of study time the SAO told them they had. The impact this will have on students’ ability to study and perform well in exams are obvious, but what frustrates me even more is the sheer, unapologetic indifference that the SAO displays towards students. In the last newsletter, they proudly shared a meme criticizing themselves and their conduct. It was entirely out-of-touch, and really gave the impression that the SAO is no longer taking its role seriously.
M o r e o v e r, t h o s e o f u s w i t h accommodations registered with the SAA–myself included– have had to re-schedule all of them. Yes, all of them–every exam I have has been re-scheduled at least once (so far) since the delayed but “final” schedule came out (I really hope this final “final” one is finally the final one… they should really just start numbering these). The SAO’s disorganization has significant ripple effects, particularly when changes like these are made so last-minute. I do not understand how Canada’s #2 law school is even
administratively functioning at this point, although it’s increasingly clear why we don’t deserve to be #1. What are the root causes? Why have so many SAO staff leave over the past year? To that end, I’d like to clarify that this isn’t a personal attack on any individual staff member… but the fact remains that McGill Law students and professors need the SAO – as an institution – to be functioning. Right now, I honestly cannot imagine how it could function worse than it currently is. Why is the organization of this faculty nonexistent? Why does no one seem to care? Most importantly, who is responsible for the SAO when it is as broken as it is? We need answers and solutions… or McGill Law’s reputation is seriously on the line.
FROM MCGILL LAW GENERAL
Personally, and as a direct result, I will be spending five days less with my family during the holidays than I otherwise could have. Flights to rural parts of Canada are expensive in the winter, and those of us who don’t live nearby had to make plans weeks ago based on the “final” exam schedule the SAO originally posted (before then revising it every week since). Some other students chose the alternative, waited very patiently, and ended up spending far more on their plane tickets than they would have in early October, when the exam schedule was supposed to come out. 3
Vol 45 ● No 08
MY LATEST AMAZON PURCHASE Stand strong, but remember to show a soft side Jamie Fabian | 2L
My grandparents, both Holocaust survivors, taught me to stand firm in my beliefs and to be the author of my own story. I am a proud Zionist, although I dislike Netenyahu and think building new settlements is a barrier to peace. My views are shaped by a few key principles: 1. “From the river to the sea” and “viva Intifada” are calls for a one-state solution and genocide against Jews. 2. Hamas and the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) are NOT morally equivalent. 3. No matter what your ‘Jewish friend’ might tell you, dissociating Judaism from Israel IS antisemitism. 4. Jews and Palestinians BOTH deserve their own state in the region. 5. Jews are not white people who wear funny stars, we are a tribe (the Yehudim, descendants of Benjamin and Judah), indigenous to Judea, today Israel-Palestine. I also understand that for many, if not most Palestinians, the IDF is perceived as responsible for Palestinian deaths in the current conflict, which is why I’m writing this article.
QUID NOVI • 28 NOV 2023
Standing Strong Allow me to explain why I both support the IDF and believe in a two-state solution. If Canada were to lose its army tomorrow, what would happen? I would argue that the USA is very unlikely to invade Canada and start murdering Canadians en masse. The IDF however, is a unique army, tasked with protecting Jews in Israel and the diaspora. I am cognizant of the fact that some people characterize the IDF by genocide, settler colonialism, and apartheid, and there’s probably nothing I can do to alter that perception. I believe these allegations to be patently false, and while I don’t expect people to see the IDF as virtuous, perhaps after this, you will understand why the IDF is so important to Judaism. However, for those of you who might not be sure what to think, allow me to explain: In just the past two weeks at the law faculty, I’ve had students tell me I should be expelled for having “ties’’ to Israel, endorse calls for my deportation to Poland, seen promotion for a second Kristallnacht on its 85th anniversary (the targeted attack of Jewish homes, businesses and institutions that occurred in Nazi Germany in November 1938), and heard others justifying the acts of terrorism on 4
October 7th as “decolonization”. Such incidents underline the importance of the IDF in the Jewish psyche. I don’t write this to victimize myself, as Jews have often been characterized as victims. Instead, I see the Jewish people as survivors who have achieved a 2,000 year long goal of statehood. I write instead to explain the IDF’s significance to most Jews in a way that hopefully promotes unity and understanding. Since October 7th, I along with most Jews have found it terrifying to openly express our Jewish identities. In this climate, where people openly chant for our genocide, the IDF logo brings me a sense of comfort, as it symbolizes those dedicating their lives to protect the Jewish people. The IDF logo, to me, symbolizes a shield of protection and a beacon of hope for Jews who feel threatened, a sign of our enduring spirit. . My choice to support the IDF serves to connect and empathize with other Jews who are fearful and are grappling with the aftermath of the violence against our community, both in Israel and globally. Public wearing of an IDF symbol is a message of support to help reassure my fellow Jews who don’t go to class because they are too scared, and to prop up Jews who didn’t know how to carry on after thousands of our brothers and sisters were murdered, raped, kidnapped, and brutalized. It shows continued resolve to Jews who stop you on the street and hug you because they tell you how reassuring and inspiring it was to see people being proudly Jewish. For Jewish people, the IDF asserts a physical manifestation of Medinat Israel, a country we could finally call our own after over 2000 years of exile and persecution in the diaspora. It embodies the resolve born from our grandparents’ declaration of “never again”. Bearing the IDF logo supports our friends serving in the IDF, emphasizing how the Jewish community abroad supports them in their mission in safeguarding a peaceful coexistence of Arabs and Jews in Israel. Compassion is Key All this being said, I recognize that members in the IDF, like any military, break the law, do wrong, and make mistakes. The IDF has certainly been responsible for its share of harm and might be over-zealous at times. Even if I believe its ultimate objectives to be noble, their actions do not go unnoticed or unacknowledged in my support for the IDF. In the quest for peace, Israel supporters and Palestinian supporters should not be enemies, but allies with a common objective: eliminating Hamas and establishing a democratic and secular Palestinian state capable of peaceful coexistence with Israel. Supporting the IDF and
advocating for a two-state solution are not conflicting views in my eyes; rather, they are intertwined. The IDF plays a crucial role in protecting both Jews and Palestinians from Hamas currently in the short term, while paving the way for a sustainable two-state solution in the long term. So What Now? In wearing the IDF logo on campus, I intend to promote dialogue and understanding, though I realize some may perceive it as insensitive. This choice is a reflection of my identity and my support for the IDF’s protective role, but it also carries a message of hope for peaceful coexistence. Now, why did I call this article my latest Amazon purchase? Because I started thinking about my grandmother and what she would do in this case. The answer was clear: go shopping. Inspired, I asked myself “does Amazon sell clothes that have both Israeli and Palestinian flags?” Much to my surprise, they do! I’ll conclude this article by saying that I am now the proud owner of both IDF and Israel/Palestine apparel, where wearing either one carries the same message for me: support for human rights, freedom, and peace. For the innocent victims in Gaza and their families, my heart is with you, and I pray every day that we will find a peaceful solution to this tragedy. For those affected by this terrible war, believe me, there is nothing I want more than for Jews and Palestinians to have meaningful conversations, and for us to mourn our losses without having to fear there will be more. I’ve been to the West Bank, I’ve met with Palestinian leaders, and I think I understand your perspectives more clearly than I did before. So, I guess I’ll get to the crux of the article: why bare the IDF logo on campus? I’m hoping that after reading the article, you might understand the perspective of so many Jews.
LOCAL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT Marché Milton Parc, 208 Prince Arthur St W, (514) 844-6070 Anna McAllister | 3L
Located mere minutes from McGill campus Marché Milton Parc may win the award for best dep in area. This corner-store x florist hybrid is a haven for those looking to make this dull November a little more enjoyable. Stalked with your dep favourites (snacks and wine), this shop also has a large variety of indoor plants, floral arrangements, and dried florals. I might be so bold as to declare it a one-stop shop for holiday shopping. During the summer months, Marché Milton Parc also has a variety of outdoor plants. I can personally vouch for their quality, having featured their plants in my garden the past two summers. My personal favourite part of Marché Milton Parc is their discounted floral arrangements. While purchasing cut flowers can often be a luxury purchase for students, Marché Milton Parc makes them accessible by often featuring a variety of discount bouquets near the cash made up of a variety of flowers that didn’t fit into the full-price arrangements. Priced at 5.99$, these bouquets are cheaper than your favourite venti Starbucks drink, and provide a welcome taste of the outdoors for your desk as you prepare for the final season ahead. Personally, as someone who lives in a basement apartment, the life these bouquets provide is certainly welcome. As much as I wanted to gate-keep this favourite spot, I feel it is my responsibility to spread the word of this phenomenal small business. Do you have a local Montreal business close to your heart? Tell us about it in next week’s edition of the Quid by writing to us at quid.law@mcgill.ca.
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Vol 45 ● No 08
ON SAFETY Mohammed Odusanya | 4L
I have always had a fascination with airplanes. As a child, I spent hours dreaming of becoming a pilot who would one day fly jumbo jets across the world. I remember once, my sister’s friend an older kid - upon hearing about my aviation dreams made a joke at my expense. He said that I could never be a pilot because once passengers heard my name they would flee the plane having assumed the plane had been hijacked. Now, the appropriateness of making this joke to a 10-yearold aside - my sister’s friend made an important point about how many of us perceive safety: imagined threats of violence - often reliant on racist tropes and stereotypes - are experienced as real and imminent harm that must be swiftly acted upon. Indeed, as histories of white supremacist policing and vigilantism in the Americas demonstrate, claims that certain people feel unsafe can, and do, result in deadly violence against those on the receiving end of such accusations. Sometimes, a feeling that one is
unsafe can be rooted in stereotypes and a justified perception of threat. As a man, I try to remember that many women have very good reasons to feel unsafe, especially at night, when they encounter me. And yet, as a Black man, I am also acutely aware that for many this founded perception of threat is exponentially heightened by my race. It is also true - as Ida B. Wells and subsequent Black feminists have painstakingly demonstrated - that Black women who do experience violence will often have their claims ignored, dismissed or made out to be the perpetrators of harm for simply identifying the sources of violence against them. Safety, who gets to claim it, and who is believed when they say they are unsafe, are neither neutral nor objective exercises. It reflects and relies on existing power structures, and can promote violence against already marginalized peoples. So what does it mean to be safe? How do we create a culture that promotes safety? One path forward is found in the work of Sarah Schulman’s Conflict is Not Abuse: Overstating Harm, Community Harm Responsibility, and the Duty of Repair. Schulman implores us to consider asking ourselves and others the question,
“Are you unsafe or uncomfortable?”. When we uncritically endorse claims that an individual or a group of people are unsafe, are we attempting to prevent actual harm and psychological “power over,” from occurring, or are we trying to stop ourselves and others from, “being made uncomfortable by accurate information that challenges one’s self-perception” (Schulman, 62)? I do not pretend that this is an easy or definitive exercise, but I do think it is a practice that encourages us to pause and engage in critical selfreflection. Current approaches of “shunning, shutting down information and scapegoating” (62) often deflect responsibility, and reinforce the idea that entire communities are not worthy of being listened to, but are worthy of the violence they experience. **** P.S. If you are ever on a plane and hear my voice over the intercom declaring that I am your pilot, I hope that you have the good sense to disembark because (1) I am scared of heights and (2) I do not have a pilot’s licence. Otherwise, if you do ever board a flight operated by a qualified namesake, I urge you to push past any misguided fears and ask yourself: Am I unsafe or am I uncomfortable?
QUID NOVI • 28 NOV 2023
OVERHEARD 3L: I don’t want to feign interest in your work at my cinq a sept. I want my margarita at my cinq a sept. *** Prof: Again, no vibes in your papers. *** Prof: I want you to feel existential angst.
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ALL I WANT FOR HANNUKAH A Wish List for this Holiday Season Jonathan Zrihen | 3L
Content warning: Some of this content may be disturbing to some readers as it contains descriptions of violent events. This holiday season, as we spend time with our families and take in the festivities around us, Jews around the world will have just a little less joy around than usual. Since October 7, our nation has been in mourning. We have watched as 1200 of our brothers and sisters were indiscriminately murdered by barbaric terrorists. We watched as countless experienced sexual violence, were tortured, beaten and kidnapped. In the six weeks since that day, our soldiers have fought bravely to restore peace and security to communities everywhere in Israel. As the death toll has risen, we collectively mourn the loss of innocent life on both sides of the conflict and pray daily for a lasting peace. As we approach the holiday of Hannukah, a holiday which exists to remind us of the strength of the Jewish people in resisting and defeating those who seek to destroy us, we will celebrate not only for ourselves but also for those who won’t be able to do so this year. In this time of joy for the Jewish people, we will have a constant reminder that things are not okay for us, not just in Israel, but around the world. In light of everything going on in the world and in our faculty, the following is my personal wish list for the coming year: 1. I ask for the safe, immediate, and unconditional release of all hostages currently being held in Gaza. 2. I wish for the world to wake up and acknowledge that the atrocities of October 7th cannot be forgotten, justified, or diminished.
3. I pray for the victims of sexual violence in Israel to hear organizations around the world condemn this violence and tell them that their stories will also be believed. 4. I dream for a world in which violence like October 7th becomes unthinkable and all people are free to live their lives in peace and dignity. 5. I yearn for a time when conflict in the Middle East and around the world becomes a fact of history and not an ongoing reality for millions of people. 6. I hope for our Faculty to be a safe space for all people, where Jewish and non-Jewish students can openly discuss and exchange ideas about the conflict or anything else without fearing for their physical or emotional safety. 7. I seek an end to the escalating tensions in our Faculty and at McGill surrounding the issues of posters, policies, and exchanged words. 8. I aspire for us, as a McGill Law community, to lead the way in challenging antisemitism in all its forms, at the Faculty, on campus and around the world. We must come together as one voice to collectively denounce antisemitism and reassure Jews around the world that we too have a place in the community of nations. Together, I believe we can make these wishes a reality. We can bring together the members of our McGill Law community and of the broader community through our words and our actions. We can make sure that every person feels safe and recognized for who they are and that no one will ever again feel the need to hide their true identity for the sake of their own safety
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Vol 45 ● No 08
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RÉDACTRICE EN CHEF Anna McAllister SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR DIRECTRICE DES RÉSEAUX SOCIAUX Gabrielle Torrealba DIRECTOR OF DISTRIBUTION DIRECTEUR DE DISTRIBUTION Kamil Chaoui ART DIRECTOR AND LAYOUT EDITOR DIRECTRICE ARTISTIQUE ET ÉDITRICE DE MISE EN PAGE Souang Wu Amy Huang COPY EDITORS / SECRÉTAIRES DE RÉDACTION Kim Baronet Jamie Fabian Wihaal Jasangir Karla Tejeda-Iglesias Matthew Vamvakas CONTRIBUTORS / CONTRIBUTEURS Jamie Fabian Jonathan Zrihen Justine Blanchette-Sirois Matthew Boulden Mohammed Odusanya
Special thanks to Prairie Koo for designing the layout.
QUID NOVI • 28 NOV 2023
~ The Quid Novi is published weekly by the students of the Faculty of Law at McGill University. Production is made possible through the direct support of students. All contents copyright © 2023 Quid Novi.
Les opinions exprimées sont propres aux auteurs et ne réflètent pas nécessairement celles de l’équipe du Quid Novi. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of the McGill Law Students’ Association or of McGill University. Envoyez vos commentaires ou articles avant jeudi 17h00 à quid.law@mcgill.ca. Toute contribution doit indiquer le nom de l’auteur, son année d’étude ainsi qu’un titre et un sous -titre pour l’article. Les images doivent être soumises séparément. L’article ne sera publié qu’à la discrétion du comité de rédaction, qui basera sa décision sur la politique de rédaction disponible sur notre Facebook @quidnovi.mcgill.
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