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a, Opinion

Cuts and an inconsequential conversation

by Abraham Moussako on

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At the beginning of last term, I wrote that this year would—hopefully—be free of the sort of acrimonious student politics that characterized 2011-2012 at McGill. Recent events have put the lie to that hope. While much of the attention on campus is currently centred around The Daily’s fee referendum, a more important set of controversies goes directly to what sort of education we will have as this university moves forward.

In December, the Parti Québécois (PQ) government suddenly announced a retroactive $124 million budget cut to provincial universities. The province-wide cut will take about $19 million out of McGill’s annual budget, and is reportedly just the first of several more cuts. The announcement of these cuts prompted vague, generalized outrage from the student body, with some of those more receptive to the proposed tuition increases—which the governing PQ rolled back—launching into full ‘told-you-so’ mode. What was most interesting to watch was the reaction of the one group that can be counted on to have a strong opinion about any issue inside the Roddick Gates, regardless of importance: the so-called “campus radicals.”

To their credit, they were similarly outraged by the cuts, but oddly enough, they targeted this outrage not at the PQ government, but at the James Administrative building, staging a largely satirical protest asking Heather Munroe-Blum and the rest of the McGill administration to go on a general strike to protest the cuts. The protest, which as usual involved an attempt to enter the Board of Governors meeting underway at the time, can only be described as profoundly non-constructive. Participants quoted in media accounts admitted that the real purpose was to make some sort of high-concept ironic observation on structures of pedagogical authority—or something like that.

Even looking past the satirical conceit, the campus Left had no new ideas to offer in response to this highly unexpected cut. The usual slogans abounded; re-evaluating priorities, something about how caring about the university’s global reputation is bad, and some other oblique thing about cutting the salaries of a certain administrative bogeyman—or in this case, woman. Formal student and campus organizations thankfully responded with more coherent expressions of dismay.

Just as students returning from winter break were coming to terms with this budget ‘adjustment’—if they had spent even a moment during break thinking about anything related to the university aside from exams and marks—the administration announced another set of cuts: this time to 100 courses, all small selections in the Faculty of Arts. Here the outrage was similarly swift, sharp, and seemingly justified. The Dean of Arts claims that these cuts are completely unrelated to the reduction in the annual budget from the province, which is likely true only because the alternative involves the administration telling a lie that would make it look far worse, from a PR perspective, than the truth.

These cuts, which would reduce the number of upper-level courses available to students, are undeniably troubling. Again, they provoked a predictably nonconstructive response from the campus left. Arts Senator Jimmy Gutman, for example, alleged that these cuts were to “punish” course lecturers for forming a union. This accusation was not actually substantiated by anything, but was accompanied by the claim that the cuts were a step down the road to the elimination of any personalized education at the university.

As we move forward, we’ll see whether or not there is anything that can be done to avert the negative effects of either set of cuts. The arts cuts, if truly unrelated to the provincial budget reduction, are a stunning example of administrative incompetence from both a quality of education and public relations perspective. The provincial budget cut, however, speaks to many things; the shortsightedness of most of the tuition protesters, the duplicity of the PQ, and a broken clock moment for those in the student movement who shrank back from the support of Marois and decided to continue fantasizing about the total smashing of the state. Their rigid ideological consistency, for once, resulted in nothing more substantial than the very smug, very satisfying ability to say, “told you so.” Unfortunately, it seems that this is the most substantive thing anyone has contributed to this debate.

a, Opinion

Zero Dark Torture?

by Joshua Freedman on

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In an Academy Award season mostly bereft of controversy, Zero Dark Thirty has filled the void with its brutal and frank depiction of torture. The film, a dramatization of the American military operation that killed Osama Bin Laden, was written based on conversations with people who had first hand knowledge of the events in question. Condemnation of the movie has come from many different angles, the vast majority of which has coalesced into variations on the issue of torture.

The first point of criticism centres on the contention that the movie’s torture scenes are not grounded in actual events, and give viewers the misleading impression that torture was partially responsible for finding Bin Laden. While this is a vital point of historical debate, there simply isn’t enough proof to support any one position. A few U.S. Senators, led by John McCain, have claimed to have seen confirmation that torture played no role in catching Bin Laden. Others, like former CIA director Michael Hayden, have said that torture was involved. Much of the evidence that would illuminate the matter is classified information, and thus, the question remains unanswerable at this time.

A more interesting criticism, which is a permutation of the first, is that the use of these torture scenes endorses torture. Viewers see a key detainee tortured, leading to his supplying testimony that eventually led to the location of Bin Laden. It was thought that upon being shown a utilitarian value to torture, the public will begin to perceive it as an important and legitimate tool to be used by the defence community. While this is possible, I think that this criticism ultimately misses a far more important point.

Criticism of torture can reside on two different levels: moral and utilitarian. Although both play into this discussion, the moral issue is typically considered much more important. If torture is inherently wrong, which most would concede, any potential utility it may have is a moot point. Any other conclusion would go grossly against the basic principles of justice. Comparably, denying people the right to ‘habeus corpus,’ or being able to search a suspect’s property without a warrant may have utilitarian value if the principal desired result is to obtain a conviction. However, because these actions would be moral wrongs, law enforcement officials are not allowed to engage in this behaviour. Similarly, even if torture can garner useful information, itself a contentious proposition, the gross moral wrong it creates means that it should not be practiced.

Back to the movie: if the above is true, the movie cannot be said to endorse torture. The viewers see despicable acts being carried out against the detainee, and the moral wrong is clear in this unjustifiable violence. The fact that the detainee eventually gives the torturers information is then seen as an ends reached through decidedly improper means.

Besides this philosophical interpretation, the movie itself addresses much of the criticism lodged against it. Yes, the detainee does share information, but he does so outside a setting of torture, baited by the promise of good treatment and a decent meal. Also, after the successful raid against Bin Laden’s compound, the main character, a CIA officer, breaks down into tears—seemingly overwhelmed by the pointlessness in expending so much time and effort into achieving this goal.

I do not see the movie as endorsing torture, but rather, presenting an imperfect history of regrettable and despicable actions carried out in the name of finding justice for victims of 9/11. Surely, these dark moments of American history should not be glossed over. The movie provides an excellent forum for debate, and a way to re-examine preconceived notions of the ongoing war on terror.

a, Behind the Bench, Sports

SSMU drops ball, should have dropped puck

by Adam Sadinsky on

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“The winters of my childhood were long, long seasons. We lived in three places—the school, the church, and the skating rink—but our real life was on the skating rink.”

Last week, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) held a week of events to better inform McGill students about the province in which they study. Possibly due to time constraints, or a fundamental misunderstanding of what really makes this province tick, they left out one of the main pillars of Quebec’s cultural history: the game of hockey, and specifically the Montreal Canadiens. The excerpt above is from Roch Carrier’s legendary The Hockey Sweater—which can be seen on the back of Canada’s five-dollar banknote—is a testament to the central role of hockey in Canadian culture, and particularly that of the Quebecois identity.

Maybe hockey wasn’t included because it isn’t political, and that’s what we all want to learn about, right? Forget that due to the move from the World Hockey Association to the NHL of the Quebec Nordiques in 1979, the province had two professional teams whose fanbases were largely divided along geographic, political, and linguistic lines. The infamous “Good Friday Massacre” between the ‘Nords’ and the ‘Habs’—in which numerous line brawls erupted during a playoff game—was a violent microcosm of the province’s larger divisions. The game has sometimes become so political that former Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe campaigned for the establishment of a Quebec international hockey program to compete against Canada at the Olympics.

One highlight of the schedule was a session about the student movement—I imagine only first years might attend, as I’m pretty sure we all know enough about that—but how about the riots of March 1955 when Montrealers took to the streets to protest the suspension of Canadiens—and Quebec hero—Maurice Richard? The timing of the riot during the Quiet Revolution was symbolic of an emerging idea concerning a secular, nationalist Quebec, and it took on racial overtones, as rioters claimed Richard was discriminated against by NHL President Clarence Campbell based on his French-Canadian heritage. Richard was Quebec—every hockey-playing child in The Hockey Sweater wore his signature number nine­—so it’s no wonder Quebec history textbooks devote pages to his significance.

Some might say that one cannot understand politics simply by analyzing the importance of sport. Those people are correct. It is problematic, however, that many of our understandings of “Quebec” are purely based in politics of sovereignty and language. SSMU should have recognized that understanding a place has much to do with culture, and that often, what unites populations is specifically the apolitical. It might seem that there are no similarities between a Francophone from Shawinigan and an Anglophone from Montreal West; but ask them whether Scott Gomez should have been bought out or if Alex Galchenyuk is the future of the Habs, and you’ll find that those nearly irreconcilable differences melt faster than you can say “René Lévesque.”

If a ‘poutine crawl’ were your choice of cultural immersion for the week, then ask yourself, “Where do most Quebeckers eat their poutine?” At hockey games, of course. Take any town in Quebec, from Gatineau to Abitibi, Shawinigan to Rimouski, and you will undoubtedly find an arena with a minor hockey game, and a pub showing RDS coverage of the Canadiens. Each of those establishments will likely smell like gravy, cheese curds, and fries. Gatineau’s Robert Guertin Arena, home of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Gatineau Olympiques, serves little other than poutine, hot dogs, Pepsi, and Molson beer. It’s about as Quebecois as Celine Dion eating maple syrup.

In all fairness, kudos to SSMU for recognizing an opportunity for education, and seizing upon it. That being said, if you want a real cultural experience, go to a hockey game. That’s about the most Quebecois thing you can do.

a, Sports

Superbowl Preview

by Trevor Drummond and Mayaz Alam on

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49ers

Offence

All the talk surrounding the San Francisco 49ers is focused on quarterback Colin Kaepernick—and rightfully so. The 2011 second round pick has sent former starter Alex Smith to the bench, just like Tom Brady did to Drew Bledsoe back in 2011. When Kaepernick beat Brady in Foxborough in Week 15, it vaulted the young quarterback into the national spotlight and had most observers pining for a Super Bowl rematch of that Monday night thriller. However the Baltimore Ravens had something to say about that; we will instead be treated to Ray Lewis’ dance one last time.

For the 49ers to come away victorious in Super Bowl XLVII, Kaepernick will have to play like a star. However, there are two players on San Francisco’s offence who must also come up huge in order to win this game: Frank Gore and Michael Crabtree. Neither are sleepers by any means; the former is a Pro Bowl running back, while the latter is a wide receiver who caught 85 balls for 1,105 yards and nine touchdowns. If the 49ers win on Super Bowl Sunday, expect both players to have put up big numbers.

Part of what makes Kaepernick such a threat is the fact that San Francisco has numerous playmakers in the running and passing game. When opponents focus on shutting down those playmakers, Kaepernick breaks off highlight-reel runs. But when opposing teams put the pressure on Kaepernick, he finds his stars, like Gore and Crabtree, for big gains.

 

Defence

With the narrative set on Colin Kaepernick, it’s easy to forget that the 49ers’ brand, for the better part of a decade, has been its stout defence. 2012 has been no different, as the San Fran D boasts no less than six Pro Bowlers. No doubt that they’re incredibly upset that they couldn’t play in Honolulu.

Three linebackers, both safeties, and a lineman got the invitation—over half of the team’s starting eleven. As you can tell, the defence is just as much of a threat as the Kaepernick-led offence, and has an equal chance to make a game-changing play in the Super Bowl. At the very least, their defence is capable of controlling the field position game—which could make the difference in a tight contest.

 

X-factor

David Akers. He fits in perfectly to the x-factor mould, due to his exceptional talent, but suffering through a struggling season. Akers holds 10 NFL records over his 16 year career, including six Pro Bowl nods.

However, this season has not been his greatest—hitting only 69 per cent of his kicks, despite having an 81 per cent career success rate. His lowest came on Nov. 25 against the Saints where he went 1-3 with a long of 27 yards and a blocked 33 yard attempt.

Which Akers is going to show up on Sunday? The one who can kick 63 yards, or the one who can’t hit 30? The answer is unclear at this time, but it will factor into the final score immensely. If Akers brings his A-game, this one is a lock for the Niners.

 

Ravens

Offence

For years now, the Ravens have created an identity as a ‘ground-and-pound’ team that is more than satisfied to play a smash-mouth brand of offensive football. Led by pint-sized dynamo Ray Rice—who compiled his fourth consecutive 1000-yard season—the Ravens are committed to wearing opposing defences out behind an offensive line that averages at 6’5 and 325 lbs. This unit combines veteran grit and savvy with youthful athleticism and sheer power, and has manhandled opponents at the line of scrimmage in the playoffs. What separates them from the rest of the pack, however, is the emergence of Joe Flacco as an elite quarterback. Flacco has shed the dreaded label of “game manager” and has morphed into a confident and mistake-free gunslinger. Flacco, unlike his 49ers counterpart, is a proven commodity in the playoffs, and has shown the poise necessary to handle big time situations—just ask the Denver Broncos secondary. Flacco’s weapons complement the ground game, as receiver Torrey Smith stretches the defence, and Anquan Boldin and Dennis Pitta control the middle of the field.

 

Defence

The Ravens’ defence, for the past decade, has wreaked havoc and caused nightmares around the league. The team didn’t live up to this mantra during the regular season, as stalwarts Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs both missed extended periods of time; subsequently, the defence struggled to stop opponents. However, with the two of them healthy, Baltimore has allowed the fewest points per game in the playoffs, a sign of a unit peaking at the right time. The line is stacked with space-eating goliaths, like Haloti Ngata, who will attempt to clog any running lanes. Behind them is a feared linebacking crew that is led by perennial pro-bowlers Lewis and Suggs. Ed Reed, who still has a knack for coming up with the game changing play when his team needs it most, leads the secondary. The question will be whether the defence can handle Colin Kaepernick in the read option scheme. Kaepernick is still raw in many senses—inexperienced for the pressure that will be thrown at him from all directions. Yes, he may break off a few long runs or string together a few nice passes, but this defence is aggressive, mobile, and smart; therefore they are well equipped to shut Kaepernick down.

 

X-factor

Ray Anthony Lewis. Could it be anything or anyone other than Ray-Ray? Following the announcement of his upcoming retirement at season’s end, the Ravens have rallied around their unquestioned leader and are the hottest team in football. Lewis has played his entire career with a chip on his shoulder, and the rest of his team has adopted this mindset—playing as though it’s them against the world. The Ravens bleed black and purple because of Lewis and his will to win. Some may call it dumb luck that has guided the Ravens this far, while others may say destiny. To me, it seems like the stars have aligned around #52, and they will only settle once he ends his career hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

 

Super Bowl predictions

Name: Jeff Downey

Position: Sports Editor

Prediciton: San Francisco 34, Baltimore 27

 

Name: Steven Lampert

Position: Sports Editor

Prediciton: Baltimore 24, San Francisco 21

 

Name: Adam Sadisnky

Position: Managing Editor

Prediciton: San Francisco 27, Baltimore 23

 

Name: Elisa Muyl

Position: Editor-in-Chief

Prediciton: Baltimore 100, San Francisco 5

 

Name: Andra Cernavskas

Position: News Editor

Prediciton: San Francisco 31, Baltimore 24

 

Name: Earl Zuckerman

Position: McGill Athletics Communications Officer

Prediciton: San Francisco 31, Baltimore 24

 

Name: Josh Redel

Position: SSMU President

Prediciton: San Francisco 24, Baltimore 20

a, Sports

Around the water cooler

on

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In case you were too busy a) freezing at Igloofest b) pretending you were part of the United Nations or c) sending a monkey to space, here’s what you missed this past week in the world of sports 

TENNIS — The year’s first major tournament ended on Sunday, as familiar faces came out on top of the Australian Open. On the women’s side, world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka won her second consecutive Aussie title, after defeating the sixth-seeded Li Na in three sets (4-6, 6-4, 6-3). Na suffered two ankle injuries in the match, and Azarenka was able to take advantage of her hampered mobility. Serena Williams was ousted in the quarterfinals, after playing too much tennis of the table variety in the new iPhone 5 commercial. On the men’s side, Novak Djokovic became the first male to win three consecutive Australian Open titles, after he outlasted Andy Murray in four sets (6-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-2) on Sunday. Djokovic’s win solidifies his top world ranking ahead of No. 2 Roger Federer and No. 3 Murray. Players have about four months off before the next major tournament, the French Open, gets underway on May 26.

 

SOCCER — In a bizarre tale, Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard was given a red card in a match against Swansea on Wednesday after kicking a ball boy in the stomach; the boy smothered the ball in what seemed to be an attempt to waste time. The ball boy—named Charlie Morgan—reacted quite strongly to the kick and looked to be in pain as he walked off of the field. While Hazard shouldn’t have kicked Morgan, the boy clearly overreacted, so we’re not showing much sympathy. Morgan even tweeted before the game: “The king of all ball boys is back making his final appearance #needed #for #timewasting.” So apparently he had this planned all along. They’re both early candidates for Worst Guy 2013.

 

HOCKEY — The first week of the shortened NHL season ended on Sunday, and teams can barely catch their collective breath. The Chicago Blackhawks are on fire, going a perfect five for five to start the year, as they currently sit at the top of the league. The San Jose Sharks are right behind the Blackhawks in the Western Conference, thanks to a huge first week for Patrick Marleau, who has tallied nine goals in five games. Marleau has scored more goals than the Los Angeles Kings and Florida Panthers through the first week of play—so that’s like pretty impressive. The Ottawa Senators appear to be Canada’s best team at the moment, as goaltender Craig Anderson has backstopped them to a solid start. Meanwhile, the Leafs have dropped two straight games in which they had two goal leads. Some things never change.

 

BASKETBALL — The All-Star reserves were announced this week, with few surprises overall. The East will feature five first time All-Stars—most notably Cleveland’s star point guard Kyrie Irving. Golden State sends power forward David Lee, who becomes the first Warriors representative since 1977 to be selected to the team. The Raptors send no one because Amir Johnson is currently the team’s most consistent performer. However, none of this really matters, as the All-Star game are usually not much more than a skills showcase that involves practically no competition. So there’s that.

a, Sports

Weekend of woe: Redmen drop two more

by Trevor Drummond on

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The McGill Redmen entered McConnell Arena on Friday evening hoping to bounce back after a tough 3-2 overtime shootout loss to UQTR last Wednesday night. Unfortunately for the Redmen, history repeated itself, as the Concordia Stingers outlasted McGill 3-2 in another overtime shootout.

Despite falling behind just 22 seconds into the game, McGill regained control, dominating the pace and constantly putting the Stingers on their heels, deep in their own zone. The Redmen outshot the Stingers 27-12 through two periods, and tallied their first marker midway through the second, as Jean-Philippe Mathieu scored his first career CIS goal.

The game was tied headed into the final frame, before a Stinger winger committed a cross-checking penalty sending McGill to the power play. The Redmen capitalized, as first-year winger Patrick Delisle-Houde buried his fifth goal of the season, giving McGill a 2-1 lead with just over eight minutes remaining in the game. The Stingers responded with a flurry of shots on Redmen starting goaltender Andrew Flemming, as they fired 15 to McGill’s 3 shots in the third period. Finally, in desperation, Stinger fourth-year forward George Lovatsis tied the game with 35 seconds and their goalie pulled.

The goal was Lovatsis’s sixth on the year—good for third on the team—but the centre is just one season removed from a 20-goal campaign that saw him finish second in the OUA behind McGill’s own Francis Verreault-Paul. The absence of a premier scorer on the Stinger’s roster has made the difference for Concordia this season, after they finished .500 last year. Without this scoring presence, the team has struggled mightily to a 6-14-3 record so far—well behind last year’s pace.

Entering the extra frame, the game eerily resembled the Jan. 9 contest between the teams. Just over two weeks ago, it was the Redmen who tied the game late, as Guillaume Monast scored with 13 seconds left on the clock to force overtime. Jonathan Brunelle went on to score the game winner, and McGill came out on top 3-2.

However, in this most recent encounter, the extra frame settled nothing and was a relative stalemate. Concordia managed just three shots on goal while holding McGill to zero. The teams were forced into a shootout, and Lovatsis was the hero again. He scored the only goal in the tiebreaker to lift the Stingers to the 3-2 shootout victory.

The win brings the Stingers within 3 points of the final playoff spot in the OUA East, while also holding a game in hand on the Ryerson Rams. The Redmen won’t get another crack at Concordia unless the Stingers can catch either Ryerson (9-15-0) or Queen’s (9-9-5) for the final playoff spot.

The Redmen dropped to 14-6-3, but still hang onto the third seed in the division with a three-point advantage over the Toronto Varsity Blues and the Ottawa Gee-Gees.

McGill suited up again to take on second place Carleton on Sunday. However, the Redmen effort just wasn’t there for most of the game, as the team fell behind 4-0 by the midway point of the second. McGill ended up scoring three unanswered goals—including two power play markers from Mathieu—but their comeback bid fell short.  While the Redmen have earned points in seven of their last eight contests, the team is on a four-game losing streak. On the bright side, their power play unit is red hot, and looks to be potent as the team competes down the stretch.

The Redmen will look to get back on the winning track during a short two-game road trip this weekend, as they battle the Varsity Blues on Friday before taking on the Nipissing Lakers on Saturday.’

—With additional reporting from Steven Lampert

 

Die Fledermaus marries classic charm with Montreal familiarity. (Simon Poitrimolt / McGill Tribune)
a, Arts & Entertainment

A dash of aristocratic culture, ‘Gangnam Style’

by Evie Kaczmarek on

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Attending the opera might seem like an unlikely Saturday night activity for a McGill student. But if you’re looking for a taste of culture and are ready to take a trip back to Montreal’s 19th century high-society nightlife, then you just may want to buy yourself a ticket to Opéra de Montréal’s lively production if Die Fledermaus by Johann Baptist Strauss.

This whimsical operetta, traditionally set in Vienna, now takes place in 1890s Montreal. Resonating with national pride, the first ever entirely Quebecois cast dazzles in front of a glorious backdrop of the Mount Royal cross, shining through a living room window in the elegant home of socialite—and main character—Gabriel Eisenstein (Marc Hervieux).

As the show commences, a cackling, fiendish man named Falke (Dominique Côté) expresses his desire for revenge on Gabriel. Gabriel, the year before, had abandoned Falke after a wild costume party. Falke, still embarrassed about being left on the streets in his bat costume (hence the title Die Fledermaus, German for The Bat) assumes the role of puppeteer as he weaves an intricate and vengeful—albeit hilarious—web designed to humiliate his dear friend. Before long, he sweeps up Gabriel’s wife, Rosaline (Caroline Bleu), and their flighty but lovable housemaid, Adèle (Marianne Lambert) into his waltzing scheme.

This tumultuous comedy introduces an eclectic cast of characters: a bumbling, legally blind lawyer; an apathetic, effeminate prince; a sex-crazed music teacher; a comically intoxicated jailer; a few exotic dancers; and a cross-dressing cousin. By Act III, you’ll be in stitches, astounded at the madness that has unfolded in front of you. The champagne flows freely, and eventually, everybody ends up in jail, still waltzing away to Strauss’ bounding melodies.

The enchanting talent in the production is undeniable. Much of the cast is internationally renowned, and all members have built extensive careers in opera and theatre throughout Quebec and Canada.

As important as the actors are, the foundation for their brilliance is the boisterous, captivating music that sails up from the orchestra pit. Johann Baptist Strauss, one of the world’s greatest Romantic composers, is known as “The Waltz King,” and deservingly so. The three-beat cycle complements the smooth, flourishing tones of the vocalists, and makes you want to tap your feet from the moment the overture starts to the last note of the finale. The Viennese-style rhythm encapsulates a timeless joy.  In fact, the choreography sneaks in a surprise piece modern flair with a quick, tasteful dance reference to “Gangnam Style.”

As operas go, Die Fledermaus is not only digestible, but will leave you craving more. The majestic opera house at Place des Arts serves as a change of pace for a Saturday night; the opera is a cultural destination that all McGill students should experience

 

Die Fledermaus runs January 26, 29, and 31, and February 2 at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Place des Arts. Student tickets $30 when purchasing two shows or more.

a, Science & Technology

Alzheimer’s diagnosis could be found in the blood

by Tracy Yuen on

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Until recently, a postmortem analysis of brain tissue was the only method capable of confirming that a patient suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, as opposed to another mental illness. Despite the many real-time medical assessments available, such as blood tests, brain scans and neuropsychological tests, none of these results are definitive. With no means to acquire a conclusive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease before the illness has run its course, there is a dire need for a quick and non-invasive alternative.

In the past few years, the focus on blood-based approaches to diagnose patients with Alzheimer’s disease has increased exponentially. Researchers have generated a list of blood-based proteins more commonly found in those afflicted, compared to healthy individuals, patients with other forms of neurodegenerative disease, such as Parkinson’s, or those with mild cognitive impairments. Based on the existence of such biomarkers in the bloodstream and various personal characteristics, including age and education, a derived algorithm could correctly identify patients with Alzheimer’s disease with moderate accuracy.

Recently, a team led by Dr. Vassilios Papadopoulos, director of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, made a major breakthrough in blood-based diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. The researchers believe they have developed a blood test that can detect Alzheimer’s in its early stages, well before patients exhibit the disorder’s characteristic advanced signs, previously used for diagnosis.

The team built on their previous work on alternative pathways in DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) formation—a brain hormone—to develop a method to distinguish between patients with Alzheimer’s disease and healthy individuals or those with mild cognitive impairment.

The test is based on subjecting a blood sample to a chemical reaction known as oxidation, the concept underlying rusting metals. When the blood of healthy individuals is oxidized, they generate high levels of DHEA as a method of protection against oxidative stress. In contrast, patients suffering from Alzheimer’s did not showed marked changes in DHEA levels.

The team successfully replicated their findings from animal models and in vitro brain tissue in a clinical sample—a major step towards the creation of a blood-based diagnostic tool for Alzheimer’s disease.

While progress has been made towards developing a blood-based diagnostic test, the end of the search is not quite near. Studies on blood-based biomarkers (proteins in the blood) have identified panels of up to 30 different biomarkers to probe for—and there is little overlap between the studies. This lack of consistency between studies indicates that the perfect set of blood-based identifiers of Alzheimer’s disease remains elusive. Also, replication of these findings in larger sample sizes is necessary prior to making these tests available in clinical settings.

Early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease also raises a slew of ethical concerns. Alzheimer’s is an irreversible neurodegenerative disorder with no definitive preventive measure or cure—would it really help patients to confront this prognosis in their youth? However, there is emerging evidence that early interventions and diagnosis, especially prior to onset of symptoms, can improve quality of life in both patients and caregivers.  As Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, predicted to affect one in 85 adults globally by 2050, the development of a rapid non-invasive diagnostic tool is critical in its management.

Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino. (www.clubnotes.pmpblogs.com)
a, Arts & Entertainment

Matt & Kim ride the lightning

by Ilia Blinderman on

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When we get on the topic of Montreal, Matt winces.

“Do people just not get us there?”

We’re discussing Matt & Kim’s last Montreal appearance, a show that Matt remembers had a painfully low turnout. Immediately, however, he regains his characteristic ebullience.

“We were looking for a chance to get back there and do it again. I’m expecting, or hoping, that this show will be awesome, that [Montreal]’s back on our map. We’re not scared!” he laughs.

Prior to forming the keyboard/drum powerhouse that is Matt & Kim, Matt Johnson and Kim Schifino met while studying at New York’s Pratt Institute. Immediately, they got along. (Kim initially had a crush on Matt; the Tribune infers that this crush has been reciprocated, since the musical duo are now a couple.)

“We’re one and the same in a lot of ways. I’ve played with bands with five guys in the past, and everyone’s got a different idea of what a song should sound like. You compromise so much that it’s watered down and loses focus. I have a very difficult time compromising, and so does Kim—luckily we’re on the same page and [we] make a lot of the same decisions.”

The two got on so well, in fact, that the band came out of their relationship, rather than vice versa.

“She didn’t play drums, I didn’t play keyboard, but we did other stuff; we had similar interests in art, and we worked well together,” Matt reminisces. “It almost seems [that] before you find a bunch of musicians who are good at their techniques and put them together, you should find people you’re good with.”

Seven years later, Matt & Kim have made a name for themselves through both their exuberant live shows, and indie-pop singles like “Cameras,” “Daylight,” and most recently, “Let’s Go.” While their fourth album, Lightning, contains their trademark catchy hooks and effusive, thumping tracks, the sound is less slick than their past two releases.

“I consider Lightning to be both the most mature, and the most immature album we’ve ever made. We made the [second] album in my parents’ house, in the bedroom I grew up in, my old skateboarding posters still on the wall. It was just unfiltered Matt & Kim because we didn’t have any producers, or engineers…. Then with the [third] album, we went in with a producer, and different studios—I think three or four different studios—and in the end, we [loved] that album. But some of the humanity was taken out, because of people who knew what they were doing, as opposed to me and Kim, who have no fucking clue what we were doing,” Matt laughs.

“We decided that we should go back to having no clue what we’re doing, so we went back and made the Lightning album.”

With Lightning garnering an enthusiastic response from critics and fans, Matt & Kim are about to embark on another whirlwind tour. Whatever Montreal’s reception—and if their recent shows are any indication, it will be overwhelmingly positive—the two are happy to be on the road together.

“Any relationship I’ve [had] in the past, it’d be a bloodbath right now,” Matt jokes. “No one should be able to work together and be in a relationship together. I feel really lucky that we are.”

Matt & Kim perform with Passion Pit on Feb. 15 at The Metropolis (1909, Ave. des Montreal). Admission $40.15.

a, Arts & Entertainment

Beat the cold with the coolest beats

by Will Burgess on

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After a week of chilly weather, Montreal crowds knew what they signed up for when they headed to Igloofest. Vieux-Port is hosting the annual music festival, which is now halfway over after a second weekend of survival dancing in neon snowsuits.

I volunteered to join the crowds and report back, so last Friday I suited up and travelled south to scope out the ‘club-ification’ of Montreal’s historic district. The Jacques-Cartier pavilion—a tourist info centre in the summer—houses a shop to buy Igloofest hats, warm up, and rally one’s troops. Between marshmallow roasting and table-curling stations, a structure sponsored by Jagermeister let people sample their wares before careening down an ice slide. I was sorely tempted, but instead found myself drawn to the main stage by another German attraction—Berliner DJs: Pan-Pot. Both artists succeeded in playing enough techno to keep everyone warm, with much of the audience raving like it was the ’90s (in ski jackets from the same era).

If I was comfortably numb on Friday, Saturday’s feature duo, TNGHT, had me sweating under my parka hood. Normally, this could be attributed to giddy nervousness in anticipation of talking to Montreal native Lunice; but I was informed earlier that day that he had declined to do an interview. Instead, fuelled by a mixture of electronic trap tunes I’ve been listening to for weeks, I fought and danced my way to the front row. From this vantage point, I noticed that TNGHT’s other half, UK producer Hudson Mohawke, was conspicuously missing, leaving his Canadian collaborator to mix all by his lonesome. A Brit I talked to later on had come to see Mohawke specifically, yet did not notice his absence. Perhaps Mohawke has moved to bigger and better venues since signing with Kanye West’s vanity label G.O.O.D. Music. But I wasn’t bitter—just a little cold.

My theory is that as a Montrealer, Lunice alone realized the advantages of playing at Vieux-Port. All things considered, it’s an incredible space. From the artists’ perspective, colourful neon signs and strobe lights illuminate an enormous, enthusiastic crowd against the backdrop of Old Montreal’s skyline. The organizers clearly put some effort into both the elaborate ice sculptures and the delightfully juvenile sideshows. The eponymous igloo of the festival works well as a more intimate stage for smaller acts, and I can see it serving as an especially good space for the garage and trance music that’s bound to be played in upcoming weekends. I plan on going back on the last Saturday of the festival to see Joy Orbison, an UK producer, who, despite his Igloofest-appropriate music, will be playing to a main stage crowd.

The festival makes for an entertaining weekend, especially if you’re a fan of Igloofest co-organizer Piknik Electronik’s annual summer series (or, if you’re simply tired of dealing with coat checks). In 2013, the festival failed to score the same EDM giants they did last year (i.e., Diplo and A-Trak), but the wide variety of smaller international acts have, thus far, proven themselves capable of holding down a heated dance party off the coast of a frozen river.

Igloofest runs Thursday through Saturday nights at Vieux-Port until Feb. 9th. Weekend admission is $40, individual nights range from $16-20.

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