The McGill comedy troupe Bring Your Own Juice performed to a full house on the evenings of Dec. 1–3. The student-written show, divided into over a dozen one-shot narratives, featured all 10 members of the group. It was produced by Anika Hundal, U4 arts, alongside head writer Luc Langille, U3 Arts, and social media coordinator Maya Dagher, U3 Science.
With a run time of a little under two hours, the cast delivered 17 delightfully facetious sketches about the ridiculous moments that occur in media and in real life. The ensemble adjusted costumes and props in the short moments between scenes, constantly re-emerging as entirely new characters. The merry-go-round of roles and locations crossed genre boundaries, dipping its toes into film noir, family dramas, and even commercials. Each scene was unpredictable, with some interwoven narratives in the second act.
The Bring Your Own Juice crew deployed several enthralling theatrical tools to nail their punchlines. In the second sketch, the character played by actor Jonah Border, U3 Arts, denies his sexual interest in rats while caressing a photo of one on the notice board. The character’s career as a rat exterminator makes his preference all the better. Daniel Korsunsky, U4 Arts and Science, plays a doctor who travels into the Alice-in-wonderland-esque realm of his patients’ rectum—a world where, interestingly enough, he discovers gerbils and a dying prostate.
Another highlight was the show’s experimentation with sound as a device for humour. One sketch assigns an inner voice, coming from an offstage source, to a toothbrush that is being used and abused by actor Emilia Fowler. Later, two children, played by actors Christal Ouyang, U3 Arts, and Korsunsky, hear an increasingly sensual, chaotic, and eventually outright absurd mix of sounds coming from the offstage living room where their parents are engaging in, presumably, R-rated activities.
All of the actors are incredibly dynamic in their movements. This effect is best exemplified in the hilarious gag of a choreographed bank robbery dance scene, which brought roars of laughter from the audience. Witnessing the robbery unfold on stage while the characters danced through their emotions of fright and distress was comically startling.
The grand finale was a tale of knightly adventure, delivered in Shakespearean-like phrases with modern lingo tossed in. Actors Mason Persaud and Charles Sterling Atkinson, U1 and U3 Arts respectively, play soldiers in search of attractive women who eventually turn to each other for love; a wholesome conclusion that was the epitome of an already joyful performance.
A new Wes Anderson film is an event in and of itself. How could it not be? In the last decade, the American filmmaker has become an international sensation, having produced iconic films like the delightful Moonlight Kingdom (2012), and the Oscar-winning The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014). Love him or hate him, it’s clear from the countless, insufferable film class projects you may have had to endure that trademark features of the Wes Anderson cinematic style—recurring casts, symmetrical camera work, meticulously curated soundtracks—have left a deep imprint in our cultural consciousness. Although The French Dispatch loyally upholds the director’s famed aesthetics, it attempts little else, making for a bland and unsubstantial film despite its rich subject matter.
In this latest project, Anderson sets his movie in the fictional confines of mid-century Ennui-sur-Blasé—the small, quirky French town of any film-bro’s dreams. The French Dispatch cinematically reenacts the titular publication’s final issue in a series of somewhat-connected vignettes, told from the perspectives of the journalist behind each feature.
Because of the film’s portmanteau structure, watching The French Dispatch inevitably feels like watching three or four Anderson films in quick succession, making for a very uneven viewing experience. Other than the film’s exasperating pacing, it raises some additional questions: Why must every Anderson female love interest be foreign—and preferably French? Why is the agonizingly kitschy middle portion of the film—where a student protest is reduced to a silly game of chess—in the movie at all?
As a general rule, Anderson’s films don’t care for politics or messages. He is much more concerned with aesthetics, hijinks, and wit—which is fair, but can sometimes feel jarring, depending on the film. He has an annoying tendency to tease at the idea of profundity in his stories without properly exploring their more nuanced themes and subject matters. In the case of The French Dispatch, the figure of the journalist is reduced to yet another object under Anderson’s romanticizing gaze. In the end credits, he gives special mention to the literary greats who inspired him, like Mavis Gallant and James Baldwin. But if this film is indeed intended to be “a love letter to journalists,” wouldn’t he have given more gravitas to the serious socio-political events and issues which real-life mid-century era journalists reckoned with in their writings, rather than ignoring them or trivializing them to the point of absurdity? The answer is no—naturally, none of this truly concerns Anderson.
What the director wants is for you to indulge him while he geeks out for an hour and a half, as the caricatures of his heroes act out trifling pastiches on top of his elaborate set pieces, and for you to be oh-so endeared.
One of the only instances where the film feels a bit more substantial is in its last and most poignant segment. Critic Roebuck Wright (Jeffrey Wright) is assigned to write about a dinner prepared by legendary officer chef Nescaffier (Steve Park) and instead becomes embroiled in a high-stakes kidnapping plot. The two have a conversation about the alienation they feel as a result of their mutually marginalized identities within French society; Wright is a Black, gay journalist, and Nescaffier is a police officer of East Asian descent. Other than a few short scenes such as this one, the film is allergic to emotional sincerity of any kind. A mantra repeated by multiple characters throughout the film is “No crying.”
The self-conscientious artifice of Anderson’s films is part of what makes them so endearing to audiences, but in The French Dispatch, one comes to realize that this only serves to distract from the film’s fundamentally hollow core. Despite its visual beauty, Anderson’s latest effort ultimately feels regressive and dull. At this point in his career, blessed with star-studded casts and free to do whatever he wants, the director seems almost adverse to evolving artistically. As an old saying goes, a little bit of Wes Anderson goes a long way. Perhaps The French Dispatch is a true show of the limits of his auteurial abilities—or maybe I’m just finally growing out of my Wes Anderson phase.
Darshan Daryanani’s time as president is difficult to evaluate due to his absence from every SSMU Legislative Council meeting of the Fall 2021 term and from all Board of Directors meetings since Oct. 7. Daryanani did continue to play minor roles on other committees, including McGill’s Centraide Campaign committee, but his attendance at these committees does not excuse his absence from SSMU. Before his absence, Daryanani claims to have accomplished several things, including supporting advocacy for the Every Child Matters march, reopening of the SSMU University Centre, and advocating for student interests at McGill’s Board of Governors and Senate. Many of these accomplishments, however, can be attributed to the work of other executives and activists. Moreover, Daryanani has been absent from every Senate meeting since the Sept. 22 meeting. Students have been left in the dark about Daryanani’s absence, and his leave has meant that the five other executives have been burdened with taking on the extra work under his portfolio.
Claire Downie, vice-president University Affairs
Claire Downie’s priority throughout her campaign last spring was pushing the McGill administration to ensure safety and accessibility in its return to campus. In line with that goal, Downie organized a protest on campus on the first day of classes, alongside VP External Sacha Delouvrier. While symbolically powerful, the demonstration drew in very few students and came across as somewhat poorly executed. However, she did help secure better academic accommodations for students through her work with the Senate Ad-Hoc committee for COVID-19 Academic Planning. Given the potential risk that the Omicron variant poses, she plans to remain vigilant over the coming months in ensuring the university is held accountable. Beyond COVID-19 concerns, Downie has worked to expand SSMU’s menstrual product service by allowing students to anonymously request packages of pads and tampons, and has also collaborated with students protesting Bill 2 and Bill 21. Despite a successful first half of her ongoing term, Downie should devote more time to collaborating with portfolios like Black Affairs and Indigenous Affairs going forward.
Sarah Paulin, vice-president Internal
Sarah Paulin’s term has been a mixed bag. To her credit, Paulin has done an admirable job reforming many of SSMU’s committees; in particular, she has changed the mandate of the Francophone Affairs Committee to focus more on advocacy, rather than just event planning. She also successfully pulled off the Halloween Bar Crawl during COVID-19, implementing appropriate safety measures. However, Paulin has made several crucial mistakes that have undermined her credibility. In particular, her vague, lackluster email in response to TheMcGill Daily’s Sept. 22 “Sexism and Silence in SSMU” article was a disappointment. She also wrote unprofessional emails to journalists at the Daily, telling them to desist from contacting employees. Overall, Paulin’s poorly communicated effort to enforce SSMU’s confidentiality policy has drawn concern from both SSMU employees and campus media. Going forward, she would benefit from consulting more closely with the staff under her portfolio if she wants to fulfill her campaign promise of making SSMU a more transparent organization.
Karla Heisele Cubilla, vice-president Student Life
With this semester’s return to campus, the Student Life portfolio was set to see a revival. However, Karla Heisele Cubilla navigated her first term somewhat unsuccessfully. Unfortunately, Heisele Cubilla’s Fall 2021 Virtual Activities Night was not well executed. Hosted on the virtual platform Gather.town, the event crashed shortly after launching. Though Heisele Cubilla successfully pulled off the Activities Night “after hours” party at Muzique, the failure of the previous event left many student clubs and organizations with a sour taste in their mouth. Heisele Cubilla’s decision to host a second hybrid Activities Night was welcomed, though the virtual component still experienced technical difficulties for the first 45 minutes. Although she demonstrated great enthusiasm toward in-person events, she prioritized them to the detriment of the two other major pillars of the Student Life mandate: Mental health and family care. Heisele Cubilla did complete a handful of projects this term, such as creating Microsoft Teams portals for student engagement, facilitating workshops, and conducting an analysis on the current mental health framework, but her progress on some of the more substantive action items remains unclear.
Sacha Delouvrier, vice-president External
Sacha Delouvrier ran his campaign on three main points: Governance and political affairs, advocacy, and community engagement. As mentioned earlier, Delouvrier’s execution of the Protest for a Safe and Accessible McGill Campus in conjunction with Downie was unengaging. Delouvrier’s efforts in advocacy and community engagement have centred on the Royal Victoria Hospital site, where he oversaw the creation of a public consultation memoir and participated in a public hearing supporting the non-privatization of the location. Ultimately, much of Delouvrier’s student-facing work has been limited to very specific projects, and he has not been particularly successful in engaging students or building community networks. Delouvrier should consider taking a more balanced and transparent approach when it comes to campus engagement to achieve more for the McGill community.
Éric Sader, vice-president Finance
The finance portfolio is arguably concerned mostly with administrative day-to-day tasks, though previous finance executives took on additional initiatives. As it is, Éric Sader seems to be on top of his duties and has made an effort at increasing transparency in his portfolio. Much of his platform revolved around his fee consolidation plan, a project spearheaded by his predecessor, which is now beginning consultations. One notable highlight was Sader’s decision to transfer the Awards of Distinction into more profitable investments, which will at least double the bursaries offered this year. However, it does not appear that he has followed through on his campaign promise to translate financial statements and budgets into French. Sader’s performance is most lacking when it comes to clubs. His communication with clubs and organizations has been subpar at best, even when they faced delays obtaining access to their bank accounts. In addition, he has yet to give most clubs their allotted credit cards. In the coming months, he should remember that transparency is not only about making financial documents accessible, but about being accessible to students.
A previous version of this article stated that Daryanani helped re-open Gerts Campus Bar. In reality, he played a negligible role. The Tribune regrets this error.
Bacteria get a bad rap, and often deservedly so: Different strains cause a range of infections and diseases, including pneumonia, strep throat, and tuberculosis. However, any well-researched health food advocate can list the many benefits of the bacteria present in yogurt, and your local pub would be doomed without the strains integral to crafting their signature brews. What might be even more surprising is that a recent, revolutionary gene-editing technology, once exclusively the subject of science fiction, is based on the bacterial genome.
Bacteria and archaea, the original hosts of the CRISPR-Cas9 system, use this DNA-protein system to defend themselves from viruses. CRISPRs are DNA sequences that repeat in the genome of a bacterium, interspersed with fragments of genetic code from past viral invaders. When a virus enters a bacterial cell, the remnants of that same virus held in the bacteria’s DNA help identify and eliminate the virus. Once a virus is identified by a bacterium, Cas9 proteins try to figure out whether the new viral intruder matches any of the genetic information contained in the CRISPRs’ sequences of their DNA. If the virus matches the stored genetic information, the Cas9 protein will cleave it into pieces.
In 2011, researchers, including Nobel laureates Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, discovered that Cas9 proteins can be used to cut genomes that do not contain viral information, inspiring a plethora of research projects that have widened the scope of biotechnological possibility.
One such project is spearheaded by Daniel Sapozhnikov, a PhD candidate in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at McGill, and Moshe Szyf, a professor in the same department. The project aims to develop a way to remove methyl groups—one carbon atom bonded to three hydrogens—from genes. Many diseases and disorders are dependent on whether specific genes are expressed, or “turned on.” Since varying amounts of methylation are associated with whether or not a gene is active, then being able to remove methyl groups could have important consequences for gene manipulation in scientific studies.
“Since the 1980s, it’s been shown that […] genes with less [methylation] tend to be expressed [more] and genes with more tend to be expressed [less],” Sapozhnikov said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “That’s basically the same conclusion that we have been stuck with in 2020. Without the ability to manipulate the DNA methylation levels at specific genes, there is really not much causational evidence for how DNA methylation and gene expression interact.”
In order to better understand the relationship between methylation and gene expression, Sapozhnikov and Szyf developed a technique to demethylate select regions of a cell’s DNA.
CRISPR-Cas9 plays an integral role in the demethylation technique developed by Sapozhnikov and Szyf. By using guide RNA and Cas9 to block the methylation of genes, the effect of DNA demethylation can be evaluated in different cases. The specific system of CRISPR-Cas9 the team used is known as dCas9, which is CRISPR-Cas9 with a modified protein that prevents the cutting of DNA—a potentially lethal consequence—while retaining the important function of gene targeting. Once the dCas9 protein reaches the desired target of a genome, it binds to the site, preventing methylation of whatever it is attached to by physically blocking the process.
Although other teams have developed techniques for demethylation, Sapozhnikov believes that their method is the most exact.
“There have been other tools that have been made that do similar things, but we argue that our tool is better from a causational perspective because […] it has fewer other activities,” Sapozhnikov said.
The technique developed by Sapozhnikov and Szyf only works to remove methyl groups. Understanding the correlation between demethylation and gene expression could help the development of therapies to treat the numerous problems that arise from the improper functioning of gene expression.
CRISPR-Cas9 is still a very new technology, and it can often have unforeseen consequences in the cells it is used on—not to mention the ethical concerns raised by editing someone’s DNA, which is a topic of heavy debate and even outrage amongst the scientific community. Despite the many unanswered questions, CRISPR-Cas9 represents an incredible step toward revolutionary gene therapy, and with research like that of Sapozhnikov and Szyf, important new uses will continue to be explored.
When I was in high school, I used to start making my Christmas gifts in the summer. I’d knit stuffed animals, ornaments, socks, mittens, and anything in between. They were a vivid collection of knit items that didn’t always look like the pattern pictures in the books. But that was part of their charm.
I was deeply invested in the gifts during the weeks leading up to Christmas—I would bring my knitting with me to all my classes. The metallic reverberation of knitting needles dropping on the floor would send all eyes in my direction, my teachers scowling at me, or laughing if they were a little more sympathetic. Making handmade gifts is a ritual that has always been a part of the holidays for me.
This season was no exception; as we reach the conclusion of another turbulent year, handmade gifts offer a creative outlet for academic-weary students to extend a thoughtful gesture to a friend or loved one. The McGill Tribune sat down with a few students to hear about their craft.
Sydney Saleh, U4 Arts, created a collection of quirky objects for her roommates last year.
“I found fuzzy gloves at the dollar store and I made them into little creatures,” Saleh explained. “I pushed the thumb in so it only had four fingers in the bottom, and then I stuffed it with stuffing from an old pillow. [They] definitely looked so asymmetrical, but that was kind of the point.”
In addition to being inherently unique, handmade gifts are also often a cheaper alternative to store-bought presents.
“We usually have a Christmas get together where we all exchange gifts and I was very broke,” Saleh said. “I didn’t have a lot of money to go and buy them everything that I would have wanted to, so I [decided to] make things from scratch that will have some kind of unknown value.”
Rather than attempting to disguise the fact that the gifts weren’t store-bought, Saleh decided to take advantage of their unique handmade nature.
“I wrote little individualized notes for each of my friends and I put them inside [the gifts] in case they ever came undone,” Saleh said.
I couldn’t help but think of my many stuffed animals that had fallen apart—this just became part of the endearment of Saleh’s gifts.
While Saleh gave her friends their gifts in person last year, Christal OuYang, U3 Arts, who stayed with her parents in Vancouver, shipped off her handmade presents across the country, and even across the world.
OuYang made crocheted scrunchies, painted cards, and whimsical earrings. She and her girlfriend also sent each other packages during their long-distance relationship.
“For Christmas, I embroidered a hoodie for her with one of her favourite kinds of instant ramen,” Ouyang told the Tribune.
Christal OuYang / The McGill Tribune
Like Saleh, OuYang agrees that the unique nature of the handmade gift sets it apart from store-bought alternatives.
“I think it’s so much more personalized,” OuYang said. “I feel like when you buy a gift it can easily become one of those things where it just sits around.”
“During COVID, I had a lot more time because I didn’t have a social life,” OuYang joked. “When I scroll past all the pictures of people [on my phone] and I get to the COVID-era, it’s just photos of things.”
As I talked with Saleh and OuYang, I was reminded of how deeply therapeutic it is to make gifts for others. Once exams are over, it’s relieving to become invested in a ritual, tactile activity—an activity so different from the endless essays and exams that dominate finals season.
“It is very fun as a stress reliever,” OuYang said. “There’s also a goal that I’m reaching and it’s not just benefiting me, but making other people happy.”
Divest McGill and other campus groups gathered outside the James Administration Building on Dec. 1 to show solidarity with Wet’suwet’en land defenders. Student activists assembled to listen to speakers and gather signatures for a petition that urges McGill to divest from TC Energy—the fossil fuel company building the Coastal GasLink (CGL) pipeline through Wet’suwet’en territory without proper consent.
During the event, Divest members walked around with QR codes that linked to the petition and offered attendees free hot chocolate. The group then gathered around a tent to listen to the lineup of speakers that included Marlene Hale, a Wet’suwet’en elder, Atreyu Rivers Lewis, events coordinator for the Indigenous Student Alliance (ISA), Andreas Iakovos Koch from the Divest for Human Rights campaign and Students in Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) McGill, Elijah Aedo-Castillo from the Black Student Network (BSN) McGill, Daniel Tamblyn-Watts from the McGill Corporate Accountability Project, Shelly Bahng from the Pan-Asian Collective, and Mireya Bayancela, an Indigenous storyteller, artist, and activist.
Hale was the first to speak, condemning the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), who have been brutally opposing land defenders, invading resistance camps, and arresting anyone they deem to be in the way of the pipeline’s construction.
“[It is] not only [that] the Indigenous people of the Wet’suwet’en nation are being tortured, […] but now it’s also the journalists, and that’s where it really hits hard and hits home for us,” said Hale. “Without the word getting out [about] what’s going on in this world, without having journalists writing for us [and] taking down everything that the RCMP [and] CGL [are] doing in our nation […] the world will never know. The world would never know what is going on with us in our traditional land.”
Other Indigenous speakers touched on their experiences as McGill students. Lewis, a U1 Arts student from the Anishinaabe Nation in Ontario, described facing racism—including blatant denials of history—throughout their time at university.
“I am disgusted to be among professors and even some students who are so uneducated and so ignorant towards Indigenous struggles,” said Lewis. “They use words like ‘post-colonialism’ as an insult to our struggles. They use words to try to justify and normalize violence and genocide, forced sterilization, and assimilation policies [….] They do it every day so casually. I’ve had white professors tell me horrible things, [like] that the Cree or the Inuit had it easier because they lived up north. I’ve had professors tell me that we’re never going to live in a society that’s without colonialism. I’ve had professors tell me that it’s a dark past and a dark history and that our lived experiences are based on just the past.”
Stefan Christoff, radio host of Free City Radio on CKUT 90.3 FM, helped write the petition. Christoff spoke to The McGill Tribune ahead of the protest, explaining the implications of McGill’s roughly $4.7-million investment in TC Energy.
“McGill has talked a lot about sustainability, and [has] talked a lot about the environmental crisis we all face,” Christoff said. “[McGill’s investments are] obviously a direct contradiction with that rhetoric, and beyond [the fact that] these investments directly are constructing an oil and gas pipeline, they’re constructing that pipeline on Indigenous lands [….] Many, many members of the Wet’suwet’en Nation are against this pipeline.”
Divest sent the petition to the McGill administration on Dec. 2, with 748 signatures.
2012 was a simpler time: As conspiracy-theorists announced the approach of the world’s end, Taylor Swift was easing into pop music with catchy breakup songs. Nine years later, she has re-recorded her chart-topping album Red, adding 10 new songs (from the vault) that blend with the original album’s mix of colorful bops and somber songs. Featuring Phoebe Bridgers, Chris Stapleton, and more, Red (Taylor’s Version) confidentlynavigates toxic relationships, heartbreak, and the joys of getting older.
An Evening with Silk Sonicby Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic, and Bruno Mars
An Evening with Silk Sonic is as smooth as liquid gold. Easy to listen to for even the most unfamiliar listener, every second of this 30-minute record is jam-packed with funky guitar glissandos and ever-present R&B vocals. An Evening with Silk Sonic doesn’t hold any grand aspirations. It’s not trying to change music as we know it forever; it’s simply a good time.
30 by Adele
November 2021 was the official month for “sad girl autumn,” established in major part by Adele’s new album, 30. The highly anticipated work was the singer’s first release since 2016’s 25—and her signature powerhouse vocals and wistful lyricisms undeniably surpass all expectations. With standout songs like “I Drink Wine” and “Can I Get It,” 30 is an intense emotional collage that bridges themes of heartbreak, motherhood, and reinvention. Whether you’re 30 or 13, the album is an unforgettable insight into Adele’s creative ingenuity.
Solar Power by Lorde
After a four-year hiatus, Lorde’s third studio album does not disappoint. Solar Power combines the artist’s brilliant lyricism with innovative acoustic sounds inspired by early-2000s soft rock. The resulting album is a candid ode to the power of nature, filled with Y2K references that add a slight dose of melancholia. Released in early August of this year, Solar Power was the perfect conclusion to the summer. But its appeal has extended beyond sunny weather, and its joyful beats will definitely be played during the dull winter days to come.
SONGS
“MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)” by Lil Nas X
Since his debut in the mainstream scene in 2019, the internet can’t get enough of Lil Nas X. The release of “Montero (Call me by your name)” came at the perfect moment: During a time of universal misery amid the COVID-19 pandemic Lil Nas X’s catchy beats were what we didn’t know we needed. The song took the world by storm, becoming certified platinum in the fU.S. just a couple weeks after its release. For the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, the song was like a breath of fresh air—it was truly refreshing to see the rapper embrace his queer identity so authentically and unapologetically.
“Driver’s License” by Olivia Rodrigo
Taking a page out of Taylor Swift’s book, Rodrigo began her career with a song about heartbreak. But what sets “Driver’s License” apart is its brutal honesty. Rodrigo paints a vivid image of how her driver’s license, a sign of flourishing adulthood and widening horizons, became the vehicle for a metaphor about mourning a failed relationship. Rodrigo’s candor is why “Driver’s License” is the hit of the season. Well, that and its killer melody.
“All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From the Vault)” by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift’s 10-minute re-recording of a nearly 10-year-old song is a perfect example of her lyrical and musical genius. In this emotional ballad, Swift reflects on her naivety in past relationships, notably alluding to her former relationship with Jake Gyllenhaal. Melodically swelling as she begins to recognize the red flags, “All Too Well” is a cathartic break-up anthem that is the ultimate musical remedy for your toxic breakup blues.
“Off The Grid” by Kanye West
Kanye West, Playboi Carti, and Fivio Foreign team up for a hard-hitting assertion of pride about how far they’ve come while still giving their thanks to higher powers. Over a drum-heavy drill beat, Carti’s adlibs, Fivio’s verse, and Ye’s chorus collide for one of 2021’s best songs of the year. If Playboi Carti’s Whole Lotta Red/ wasn’t a hard enough collaboration between Playboi Carti and Kanye West, “Off The Grid” fills in for whatever was missing.
FILMS
Dune
(radio-canada.ca)
This film proved that a runtime of 155 minutes can still feel like a tease. Adapted from Frank Herbert’s iconic novel, Dune was a massive highlight of cinema this year. Dune follows the noble House Atreides as they assume control of the planet Arrakis and its production of spice, a precious resource. While the family deals with threats to their acquired power, teenage heir Paul (Timothee Chalamet) grapples with visions of a complicated future. With powerful performances, gorgeous cinematography, and an intense score, Dune is a must-see for those patient enough to sit through it.
Spencer
(imdb.com)
Christmas with the British royals isn’t all fun hats and extravagant dishes. Directed by Pablo Larraín, Spencer is a fictitious retelling of the tenuous marriage between Diana, Princess of Wales (Kristen Stewart) and the infidelious Charles, Prince of Wales (Jack Farthing). As she navigates intrusive journalists, rude in-laws, and dinner-party politics, Diana struggles to find her footing. Lush scenery and a powerful performance by Stewart make the viewer forget they’re watching a made-up flick about a family of imperialist one-percenters.
The Suicide Squad
(empire.com)
The fact that The Suicide Squad has an actually coherent storyline already places it a cut above its predecessor—but it doesn’t stop there. The newest James Gunn flick has visually-scrumptious special effects, a soundtrack you’ll be humming for days, and an ensemble that would make Tarantino drool. There is the upbeat yet unpredictable Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), the brooding Bloodspot (Idris Elba), and John Cena as…well, John Cena. But it’s really King Shark (voiced by Sylvester Stallone) who steals the show.
No Time to Die
(cnn.com)
Daniel Craig is back for his fifth and final performance as James Bond in No Time to Die. The film has all of the exciting explosions and fight scenes that we expect in a 007 film, yet it also manages to tie up the loose ends in Craig’s collection of the Bond franchise. One standout new character is Paloma (Ana de Armas), a girlboss CIA agent who matches Bond in charm and intelligence. And for the first time ever, rejecting this hero’s previous standards of toxic masculinity, James Bond shows emotions and vulnerability.
TV SHOWS
Sex Education
(netflixlife.com)
Not many shows can claim to be as representative and authentic as Netflix’s Sex Education, which has gotten better and better with each passing season. The third season centres on Moordale Secondary School’s new principal and her more conservative approach to education. With the new addition of gendered uniforms and abstinence-heavy sex education classes, Otis (Asa Butterfield) and his friends are faced with new challenges in exploring their sexuality and gender identity. This season does a focussed job exploring the dangers of oppressive mindsets on teenagers without straying from its humorous tone.
Squid Game
(theeconomist.com)
What is there to say about the biggest show of the year except that it’s utterly enthralling? Squid Game takes place in a world where people in severe debt are invited to participate in deadly children’s games for a chance to win a large fortune—and a second chance at a better life. The heart of the show is its characters, each so compelling yet pitiable, and in some cases detestable; their humanness is why it’s so easy to connect with them.
WandaVision
(IndieWire.com)
Marvel Studios kicked off its television endeavours on Disney+ with one of its most unique and innovative story arcs. Starring Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany), WandaVision follows the married couple through a progression of sitcom styles and stories as they try to piece together their past, present, and future. With striking new theme songs, cinematography, and costuming in each passing episode, WandaVision is a must-see for Marvel fans.
The White Lotus
(npr.org)
HBO’s The White Lotus, written and directed by Mike White, is a blueprint of how not to act on vacation. Two entitled families and a hysterical Jennifer Coolidge manage to antagonize every staff member working at the White Lotus, a luxury Hawaiian resort. The staff, in return, have fun taking revenge by stealing the guests’ drugs and sabotaging romantic date nights, creating a satirical comedy meant to make the viewers uncomfortable.
WORST:
Song: “Obsessed” by Addison Rae
The debut single by TikToker and internet personality Addison Rae is just as perplexing and disappointing as her entire career. While Rae most likely intended to release a dance-pop anthem about self-love and empowerment, the actual song sounds vacuous and conceited. Given her rising stardom, it’s okay for Rae to obsess over herself. But don’t expect general audiences to obsess over this painful waste of 134 seconds.
2. Album: = by Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran’s transformation from soft acoustic country boy to possessive synth-pop star is complete in his newest album, simply titled =. Sheeran’s lack of creativity in sticking to math symbols is emblematic of this creative endeavor in its entirety. As this album is titled after a finalizing symbol, hopefully it is Sheeran’s final album.
3. Film: Space Jam: A New Legacy
(BBC.com)
Playing on nostalgia for an easy cash-grab has been a recurring trend in Hollywood for a few years now. If you grew up in the late ‘90s, you most likely remember the iconic movie Space Jam, in which basketball superstar Michael Jordan befriends beloved Looney Tunes characters. The 2021 sequel, unfortunately, is nothing like the original. It’s not much more than two hours replete with tactless product placements, flat jokes, and unnecessary social media references.
4. TV Show: Pretty Smart
(eonline.com)
Pretty Smart, the latest Netflix sitcom, is about as appealing as the leftover grey slush at the bottom of an Ice Capp. From the title alone, it’s clear that the producers at least have a firm grasp of irony. The series follows Chelsea (Emily Osment), a self-proclaimed brainiac, as she’s forced to live with her sister and her “eccentric” friends. Little to say, the premise is not very inspiring—but don’t worry, nothing else about the show is either. If this gets picked up for a second season, I’m selling all my lively possessions and abandoning human society to live among the Cloudberries.
Kristi Kouchakji inherited a fraught portfolio––the Secretary-General position was vacant for a period of transition for the better part of last academic year, leaving Kouchakji with lots to catch up on. One of her objectives was to change the workplace culture within the Society by hiring more contractors, encouraging a healthy work-life balance for executives and commissioners, and asking executives to track their hours worked in order to evaluate whether the workload is sustainable. While ongoing, this project appears to be successful thus far. This term, she has also been supporting the BIPOC Grad Network Coordinator and working to increase Society engagement. Recently, she released the PGSS statement on academic freedom––though the full extent of her current undertakings are too lengthy to discuss in full here. Overall, Kouchakji shows a clear desire to reinvigorate her portfolio, and her work so far has been very promising.
Babatunde Alli, External Affairs Officer
Babatunde Alli, who also served in his position last year, aimed to establish stronger ties with other student associations in Montreal and across Canada. This year’s initiatives included communicating closely with the Quebec Student Union (QSU)—attending the QSU caucus and organized one-on-one meetings with the QSU officers to discuss PGSS interests. Alli also worked with other Montreal student associations to reaffirm and add to the demands of the Coalition régionale étudiante de Montréal (CREM) municipal election platform. The platform calls for affordable non-profit student housing, reduced BIXI fares for students, and more. Although PGSS joined CREM in 2017, there has yet to be any progress with Montreal fulfilling their demands. He plans to continue following up with the municipal council to push those demands forward. Alli has also been working to start a federal coalition of Canadian graduate student associations, with their first drafted Memorandum of Understanding being considered at the PGSS executive level.
Adel Ahmadihosseini, Internal Affairs Officer
In his first term as Internal Affairs Officer, Adel Ahmadihosseini’s main goal was to make the transition from virtual to in-person events safe, accessible, and inclusive. PGSS Orientation week offered students a mix of information and social events, and throughout the semester, Ahmadihosseini has successfully coordinated multiple events with hybrid formats, most of which saw high attendance numbers. He has facilitated several initiatives including weekly international language café meetings, various day-trips to national parks, and academic-related workshops. While Ahmadihosseini has delivered many successful social events, he can improve on facilitating events that address pertinent issues graduate students face, such as mental health. Ahmadihosseini is currently working on Winter orientation, Thomson Cup, and events that build community among the different post-graduate departmental student associations.
Dakota Rogers, Member Services Officer
Dakota Rogers was responsible for ensuring the successful rollout of the projects such as Keep.meSAFE, a mental health service at McGill accessible to all students, established as a collaboration between the student societies, and Dialogue, a virtual healthcare platform introduced to address the challenges of accessing health care in Montreal and Canada. The Legal Protection Plan was also put into action to facilitate easier access to lawyers and legal advice for PGSS members. Rogers has also been involved in a handful of other initiatives, including establishing a SSMU daycare fee, ensuring the needs of students are being met after recent changes to the PGSS Health and Dental Insurance Plan, reopening Thomson House according to COVID-19 protocols, and continuing the ongoing Thomson House wheelchair accessibility renovations that are now in McGill’s renovation queue. This year, Rogers successfully achieved his goal of ensuring the rollout of the projects he was involved in and made significant progress on other important initiatives.
Sophie Osiecki, Financial Affairs Officer
Sophie Osiecki’s main focus this semester has been supporting the PGSS needs-based bursary. In collaboration with the Member Services Officer, Osiecki also put a stop to the fee collection for the legal support fund—a fund which has been collecting $1 per student per term—but that according to Osiecki, is rarely if ever used. The fee will stop being collected as of September 2022. Although the question of how to redistribute the fund’s accrued $125,000 is ultimately up to the vote of the PGSS Council, Osiecki hopes to push for part of it to be injected into the needs-based bursary endowment. Osiecki will also spearhead the Seeds of Change initiative next term, a fundraising event that supports the bursary fund. Another project that Osiecki hopes to wrap up before March is passing a motion through the council that would put part of Travel Awards money toward carbon offsets. Sophie Osiecki has made good progress as the Financial Affairs Officer this year, and hopefully all of her projects slated for next semester come to fruition.
Hossein Poorhemati, University Affairs Officer
The role of the University Affairs (UA) Officer is to represent the interests of graduate students to the McGill administration. This semester, Hossein Poorhemati prioritized a smooth transition back to in-person learning by keeping an open line of communication with graduate students through weekly Zoom office hours and regular meetings with the administration. Another aspect of the UA portfolio is recruitment within PGSS, which Poorhemati has helped improve this semester by ensuring adequate volunteer recruitment and holding monthly meetings to keep track of unfilled positions. Additionally, Poorhemati has had a strong commitment to equity initiatives, notably advocating for international students facing financial barriers to research. He also hopes to develop an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion 101 course that would be mandatory for all students and staff. Poorhemati chaired the PGSS Library Improvement Fund Committee and helped develop a list of recommendations to address the needs of graduate students. Next semester, Poorhemati hopes to continue increasing student involvement in PGSS and to work on improving the work-life balance for his constituents.
A previous version of this article incorrectly spelt Babatunde Alli’s name as “Babatunde Ali.” The Tribune regrets this error.
Upon entering my go-to cafe last week, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. Christmas music was playing and a familiar thought crept back into my mind: Christmas has not felt like Christmas to me for a while now. When familiar tunes about reindeers and Santa Claus chime from every corner, along with the incessant flashing of red, white, and green lights, I cannot help but feel nostalgic. Before I can push the thought away, I am always left wondering why the so-called Christmas “magic” is lost on me. What was it that made Christmas “feel like Christmas” in the first place?
Before the age of nine, my Christmas had religious affiliations. My parents always explained that it was Jesus’ birthday and somehow that meant we gave gifts to each other. The religious customs never stuck with me and although I observed them out of respect, they were no longer part of my Christmas experience as I grew older. What my adolescent self did latch onto was the loud, wild affair of family and relatives piling into our house to eat, drink, play games, and throw money at each other.
After I turned nine, my family moved away and though our Christmas gatherings were smaller, they were no less enjoyable. I attributed a lot of my excitement to the build-up to Christmas. There was something about scrolling through TV channels and only seeing Home Alone or Christmas specials that just made the time of year so comfortable and thrilling. Unlike Halloween, where you would not want to be any of the characters stuck in their timeline of horror, the holiday films were full of joy. I would have loved to be Danny Devito attempting to deck my house in lights so that it can be seen from space.
Now, in my 20s, I do not have the same kind of enthralled attachment to Christmas. I do not feel the same sense of anticipation. Honestly, I struggle to find what Christmas means to me now; I do not go to church, I do not have the same family traditions, and this year I will not even make it home for Christmas. I would not exactly say I have “outgrown” it––I simply do not enjoy it the way my nine-year-old self did. Maybe I never will again. But this does not have to be a bad thing, and I feel comforted that after many conversations with my friends, I know I am not the only one feeling this way.
It goes without saying, Christmas is a largely observed holiday and is practiced differently by many different people. I see it as a clear marker of time passing—like a second birthday. As we get older, we become more nostalgic each passing year and for some of us, this is amplified during the holiday season. Nostalgia is odd in the way that it can either be good or bad. Great memories make you thankful that you had them, but there is also sadness in knowing you will not have them again. The feelings that you had in that moment can never be recreated in the exact same way, and although it can be bittersweet, nostalgia is something that will always come and go—it cannot be avoided. As long as time keeps moving forward, Christmas will always come around to remind me of a time I cannot go back to.
So, even if I cannot replicate the Christmas celebrations of my childhood, nostalgia ensures that my experiences were fulfilling enough that I both remember and miss them. I do not exactly aspire to “make something out of Christmas again.” Simply knowing that I did love it at a time in my life is enough for me.
