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Science & Technology

Printing in 3D: Easy as 1-2-3

by Oceane Marescal on

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For many, 3D printing seems futuristic and inaccessible. However, in reality 3D printing is easy, available, and relatively cheap. Those looking to get involved need look no further than right here at McGill.  

Christophe Paganon is one of four board members of the McGill 3D Printing Design Team (M3DP) and has been involved with “everything 3D printing” at McGill for the past two years. He explained the different aspects of his club, as well as how McGill students can get started in the growing and exciting field of 3D printing.   

The first responsibility of the M3DP Design Team is competition. According to Paganon, members of the team compete in online 3D modelling challenges where they create  computer aided design (CAD) for various objects, which can range from jewelry to GoPro mounts.

The innovation lab—a mix of open projects and student initiatives—is the club’s second area of interest.

“This [lab] is [for] more open projects,” Paganon said. “[If] a student has an innovative initiative, something they want to build [using] 3D printing, we facilitate this. We have four or five projects this year. We are making a prosthetic hand for a student at McGill. That’s the project I am working on.”

The club also hopes to make 3D printing more sustainable by using recycled plastic bottles to make 3D printer filament, the material used for printing.

The club has also partnered with the Redpath Museum for the past three years to scan artifacts from the museum. The scans are then used to make a digital museum where you can view models of fossils, rotate them, and look into them. The project is still in the works, but the club hopes the digital museum will be accessible online sometime in the near future.

For students who want to try their hand at 3D printing, there are plenty of resources at McGill to get started. The first thing to learn is how to use CAD software. CAD software creates a 3D model, which can then be used by the printer to create the object of interest. M3DP offers CAD training classes—starting at the beginning of next semester.

Once students familiarize themselves with CAD, 3D printing at McGill is actually quite accessible.

“It’s crazy how available 3D printing is at McGill and people don’t actually know about it,” Paganon said.

McGill students and faculty have access to 3D printers and scanners in the McLennan Library Research Commons, Room B. Users need only complete a short training session, create an account, and reserve a time prior to printing.

Chantal Petgrave, a 3D printing peer tutor, described the training sessions and gave some words of reassurance for beginners. Tutors guide inexperienced students through useful tutorial websites, among other tools.

“[We] explain how to book [printers] and how to use our software in order to ready the designs for printing […] as well as how to pay for prints and what to do in case a print fails,” Petgrave said. “[Beginners] do not have to worry because we have 3D printing peer tutors who are here to help.”

Another easy way to get involved is through The Cube, McGill’s largest operating 3D printing service run by the Engineering Undergraduate Society. Anna Henley, manager of this service, claims that The Cube differs from other 3D printing options on campus because of its quality customer service.

“Our techs are quite experienced, and we provide a bunch of ways for students who are inexperienced and unsure about a design to seek advice,” Henley said.

The Cube helps prepare users who don’t know how to use CAD software with a mentor to help make their ideas a reality.

Henley has seen a variety of “cool prints” at The Cube since its foundation in 2015. These prints include anatomical models of hearts that can be taken apart into sections, and a model of a brain for which the model was constructed from an actual patient scan. Right now, The Cube is working on printing keychains for various student groups.

Whether it be a prosthetic hand or a heart replica, the possibilities for 3D models are endless. All one has to do is get involved, get excited, and get printing!

Editorial, Opinion

If SSMU Council won’t stand up for campus press, students must

by McGill Tribune Editorial Board on

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For some, campus publications have become proxies for different opinions on recent Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) controversies, most notably the Oct. 22 SSMU General Assembly and divisions within the executive.

The Nov. 2 SSMU Legislative Council meeting saw a surreal turn of events in this trend, when the Council failed to pass a motion endorsing a “yes” vote to the Daily Publications Society’s (DPS) upcoming existence referendum. The DPS funds the publication of student newspapers Le Délit and The McGill Daily. Held every five years, the referendum asks students to fund the DPS through a non-opt-outable fee. For undergraduate students, this is $6 per student per semester. During the Jan. 2013 referendum, Council endorsed the DPS’ existence near unanimously.

Regardless of current views on SSMU, the Council’s failure to endorse the DPS’ existence is shameful. It is a failure to endorse a diversity of independent publications—and, by extension, a critical, balanced, and representative campus press, an essential tenet of SSMU’s democratic legitimacy.

Council members who voted against the motion, including SSMU President Muna Tojiboeva, argued that it would seem like an endorsement of The McGill Daily specifically, and the paper’s current editorial stances—in particular, in support of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. Others claimed that they did not want to influence how their constituents should vote. Moreover, councillors took issue with backing a fee that requires all students to support the paper, including those who disagree with the political views it publishes.

However, that is precisely the point of any non-opt-outable student fee—that its recipient’s purpose is of significant value to the student body as a whole, even if individual students disagree with it or do not directly make use of it. As members of SSMU, all undergraduate students pay fees that support clubs and services across campus—and across political lines, from Socialist Fightback to Conservative McGill—because SSMU and students recognize that it is valuable to have a diversity of voices on campus. Likewise, and as council members who focused solely on the Daily’s commentary section failed to recognize, the DPS is vital to all students because it maintains an independent and varied campus press.

DPS publications are essential to McGill’s media ecosystem. They comprise two of the three independent student newspaper on campus. Each paper’s respective commentary and news sections balance the others, even when they align, but especially when they conflict. In the Daily’s case, it has served that ecosystem for over 100 years. Over that time, editorial lines have changed with each respective editorial board. If students or student leaders feel that the Daily is unrepresentative of their political views—or even exclusionary of them—they should absolutely correct the record, either through their own commentary, a letter to the editor, or at the paper’s Annual General Meeting.

 

When divisive politics warp public conversations, on campus or off, maintaining a free and diverse press is more vital than ever.

But if the DPS’ upcoming existence referendum fails to pass, both Le Délit and The McGill Daily will cease to exist. Crucially, the former is the school’s only Francophone news publication. Council members who voted against the motion to advance grievances with the Daily’s editorial stances were willing to treat Le Délit—and all of the French-speaking students that it serves—as collateral damage. These members’ main arguments against the Daily concerned inclusive representation of an entire student body in campus press—the hypocrisy is stunning.

Further, the value of any paper is far more than its editorial slant. The DPS publications cover arts and culture, sports, and technology, all through a student lens. Moreover, in the absence of a McGill journalism program, the DPS plays an essential educational role. For McGill students interested in journalism, Le Délit and The McGill Daily provide opportunities to cultivate invaluable skills and experience.

Fundamentally, both papers share and execute a chief responsibility of the student press: To hold SSMU governing bodies accountable. Last Winter semester, the Daily broke the story on sexual assault and sexual violence allegations against former vice-president external David Aird. The exposure culminated in Aird resigning, as well as former president Ben Ger stepping down amid allegations of gendered violence. It also renewed a vital conversation about gaps in campus sexual assault policy, at the SSMU and administrative levels. The Daily held SSMU accountable in a situation where SSMU was failing. That is what our newspapers exist to do, and no single campus publication can do it alone. A vote against the DPS is a vote to cut off two major sources of democratic accountability.

At the meeting, a councillor concerned about SSMU endorsing the Daily cited the current political climate on campus. They had it backwards. When divisive politics warp public conversations, on campus or off, maintaining a free and diverse press is more vital than ever. Voting on the DPS existence referendum opens Nov. 13. On Nov. 2, SSMU Council failed to see the necessity of a varied, independent campus press. It’s up to students to correct that.

 

News, SSMU

Open letter to SSMU executives denounces Fall 2017 General Assembly

by Jackie Yao on

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On Oct. 27, former Student’s Society of McGill University (SSMU) engineering senator Alexander Dow, U3 Engineering, submitted an open letter to the McGill administration in response to the Oct. 23 SSMU General Assembly (GA). The petition, which expresses SSMU members’ dissatisfaction with the GA’s failure to represent the greater student population, received a total of 468 signatures. Tre Mansdoerfer, U3 Engineering, also contributed to writing the letter.

The petition calls for the 100-student quorum currently constitutionally required for SSMU GAs to be raised substantially. Despite the fact that 100 students is less than 0.5 per cent of the undergraduate student population, the GA rarely reaches quorum unless controversial topics are on the agenda. In response to the letter, the SSMU Board of Directors (BoD) voted on Oct. 29 to add a question of raising quorum to 350. Referendum questions are typically approved via motion by the SSMU Legislative Council or through a vote at the GA.  

The first concern that the letter addresses is the allegations of rising anti-Semitism and  disrespect for ideological differences on campus, especially in light of Noah Lew’s failure to be ratified as a member of the BoD. Dow believes polarization within SSMU has caused tension among the student body.

“What we ideally want is [for SSMU] to remain a place where we can respect student opinions,” Dow said. “Universities are where we share and exchange ideas, not cut out ones that we don’t believe.”

According to the second section of the letter, the goal of raising quorum is to prevent any vocal minority from unilaterally controlling and undermining democracy in GA votes in the future. If quorum is not reached, the GA becomes a consultative forum, which cannot pass resolutions. However, the minutes from the forum can be attached to SSMU’s online referenda, which have higher voter turnouts.

In 2012, SSMU amended its constitution so that all resolutions passed at the GA must later be sent to an online vote for ratification. Given that many students are unable to attend GAs, the open letter calls for the Oct. 23 GA motions to be online referenda questions and for the GA to be a consultative forum.

To SSMU Vice-President Student Life Jemark Earle, the nomination of all 10 directors, including those who failed to secure a seat at the BoD, should be included in an online vote.

“To elect directors to SSMU, we need a greater percentage [of students] to weigh in on this matter,” Earle said. “I think that all [nominations] should go to referendum.”

The number of signatures on the petition, which exceeds the number of students who were present at the fall GA, demonstrates many students’ distaste for how important governance decisions are made. Earle says he commends the initiative of the letter and hopes to see the outlined concerns pushed toward resolution.

“I love when discussion happens,” Earle said. “As an executive, I think it’s well within my mandate to […] represent all opinions on campus. I think that the [disapprovals] outlined in the open letter to SSMU executives were all valid [points].”

For Annalise Patzer, U0 Nursing, the open letter holds SSMU accountable for hostility she’s seen on campus.

“Considering [how anti-Semitism] is happening at a level that is supposed to be the student representation for our university, [my Jewish friends] were concerned about how they are supposed to navigate university,” Patzer wrote to The McGill Tribune. “I just think the open letter is calling McGill and SSMU to take responsibility for this negative culture and image and harm they have created on campus.”

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the petition called for quorum to be raised to 350. In fact, the petition only calls for the quorum to be raised substantially while the motion to the Board of Directors calls for the quorum to be raised to 350. The Tribune regrets this error.

Hockey, Sports

From the cheap seats: Laval Rocket firing on all cylinders

by Owen Gibbs on

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Like millions of other Canadians, my perfect Saturday evening consists of sitting down in front of the TV and watching Hockey Night in Canada. When I decided to attend McGill, I was excited to move to the home of the oldest and most legendary hockey team in history: The Montreal Canadiens. For many, there is no greater Montreal experience than to witness a match in person. Unfortunately, however, the Canadiens have some of the highest ticket prices in professional hockey. A back-row seat plus food and drinks at a game against a good team can cost upward of $100, which is completely unaffordable on a student budget.

Enter the Laval Rocket. The Rocket are the Canadiens’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, playing in the minor leagues, one tier below the National Hockey League (NHL). This is the Rocket’s first season in Laval, since moving from St. John’s. The team serves as a place for Habs prospects, like Nikita Scherbak, to develop their skills, and for veterans to continue playing once they are no longer fit for the NHL. Last week, I ventured out to Laval and took in a match against the Toronto Marlies.

The AHL lacks star power, so game attendance was understandably low. However, this is Montreal, so the fans who did attend were passionate and enthusiastic. They gave the arena an electric rhythm, making the game even more exciting. Even though the Rocket lost 3-0, the fans continued to cheer long after it became clear that Laval was not going to win. At many sports games, the experience is only as good as the fans—their level of enthusiasm can make or break a game. In this case, the exuberant fans certainly made the trek worthwhile.

As for the in-arena experience, Laval has done well to create a home for the newly-relocated team. La Place Bell was built for the Rocket just prior to this season, so all facilities are brand-new and in top condition. Everything was clean, and seats were inviting and comfortable. A number of concession stands in the lobby served a wide range of food and drinks—including poutine, sushi, and ice cream—all at strangely reasonable prices. Sporting events are notorious for charging exorbitant amounts for concession fare, but the prices at La Place Bell were akin to those at a standard inexpensive restaurant.

There are only a few flaws with the arena: The sparsely decorated lobby and exterior give little indication that the arena houses the Laval Rocket. There is also only one entrance to the arena, which makes finding seats on the opposite side inconvenient. Additionally, the arena is not heated, so spectators would be wise to bring a warm jacket.

Still, Laval Rocket games are very accessible to university students. My seat was just three rows behind the Rocket bench and situated near centre ice. While this kind of seat at a Habs game would cost hundreds of dollars, I paid less than $50. All seats at La Place Bell are a reasonable distance from the ice and can be priced as low as $25. Furthermore, the arena is right next to the Montmorency metro station at the end of the Orange Line that runs through Downtown Montreal, easing transportation to Rocket games—in fact, transit from McGill campus took only 45 minutes.

Overall, the Laval Rocket serve as a perfectly good entertainment alternative to the Montreal Canadiens, and they are accessible for fans of all levels. Hockey is the most Canadian of sports, but you don’t need to slash your grocery budget to see the pros—just hop on the Métro.

Student Life

TEDxMontrealWomen built bridges and broke barriers with this year’s feminist speakers

by Emma Carr on

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On Nov. 5, Théâtre Saint-Denis hosted the fourth annual TEDxMontrealWomen conference, to bring together feminist minds. Since 2013, the independent, volunteer-led conference has presented innovative solutions for emerging social, political, and scientific problems to Montrealers. Predominantly organized by women, the event provides a platform for the work of emerging feminist thinkers. This year’s conference featured 18 speakers, including doctors, musicians, and activists. Presentations ranged from musical inspiration to indigenous rights, with the theme of ‘bridges’ linking them all together.

Each speaker’s unique interpretation of ‘bridges’ was shaped by their work and individual experiences. The focus primarily stayed on physical and metaphorical links currently shaping society at global and local levels. The program noted that building bridges is important because they can provide connections across people of different races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.

Saima Shah, a clinical hypnotherapist and expert on the workings of the subconscious mind, spoke about challenging one’s limits. She prompted the audience to understand their subconscious by addressing their fears and anxieties.

“[I was attracted to participating in the conference] because of the theme, ‘bridges,’” Shah said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. “Bridges to the conscious mind [and] the subconscious mind [….] Connecting to ourselves helps us to connect to the rest of the world as well. I was very intrigued by the theme, and I thought it was perfect.”

Rachel Kiddell-Monroe, a human rights activist, presented on civil society’s role in determining a nation’s prosperity and conflict levels. For her, the TEDxMontrealWomen conference highlights the unique perspective women bring to global conversations. She was drawn to the event for this reason.

“Women have a very particular message to give, and a very particular approach to trying to reach out to people,” Kiddell-Monroe said in an interview with the Tribune. “I think that the attitude that we have as women and the talent, and the voice that we can bring into this is going to be very important, so it’s really great that this is a forum for that voice to be heard.”

Kiddell-Monroe explained that by featuring femme speakers, the conference and its organizers are able to inspire those passionate about helping others to become activists. In her talk, she shared her experience working with marginalized groups in Indonesia and Rwanda, and encouraged listeners to be more inclusive toward others.

“[Empathy] really has an impact on people’s lives,” Kiddell-Monroe told the Tribune. “The ripples of those acts can really affect policy and how people are thinking, and it creates a shift in society. I want to use my first-hand experience and try to get that message out to make people feel that there is more than they [can] do.”

Other speakers, such as Carol Devine, an environmental activist and McGill alumna, addressed the need to understand the ties between human activity and its direct consequences on the environment. Devine spoke about her research in Antarctica, which influenced her to consider the environmental impact of plastic pollution on endangered ecosystems.

“I’m talking about marine debris,” Devine said in an interview with the Tribune. “[I became interested in [this area of study] when I led this clean-up expedition in Antarctica, and there was a lot of land pollution, and that was 20 years ago. Our understanding about how our world interweave is growing and growing, and [it’s becoming increasingly clear] we need to get a grip on our fossil fuel consumption.”

Even though presenters interpreted the theme in a variety of ways, the takeaway of the conference was that ‘bridges’ are powerful tools for understanding the world around us and tackling the problems faced by younger generations.

“[With] fences people suffer more than ever, so we need bridges, physical bridges and metaphorical bridges between peoples,” Devine said. “We are more similar than we think and what’s different is not going to kill us.”

Opinion

RE: The Oct. 23 General Assembly

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Editor's note: After the Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU) Fall 2017 General Assembly (GA), and subsequent controversy on campus, the Tribune is accepting letters representing students’ current views on SSMU. Click on any of the titles below to read current submissions. If you would like to join the conversation please send a 600-word letter to [email protected]. If you would like to join in on the conversation for any of the other motions being debated at the GA, we welcome your opinions as well.

Arts & Entertainment, Books, Theatre

“The Violet Hour” provides marginalized voices with a spooky platform

by Josh Marchesini on

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The Violet Hour, founded by Christopher DiRaddio, is a bi-monthly reading series that showcases both established and emerging LGBTQ writers and performers. The reading series gives a platform to otherwise marginalized voices. Hosted in the Montreal Gay Village’s Stock Bar, attendees were also given the option to participate in a personal tarot card reading by artist Jesse Stong.  The Violet Hour has a strong sense of community which transcended language, locality, and genre.

On Oct. 31, the Halloween edition of The Violet Hour featured work from prominent writers, notably critically-acclaimed journalist Elio Iannacci. In addition, David Demchuk debuted his Giller Prize nominated book, The Bone Mother, about a world of mythological creatures seeking refuge in Eastern Europe while evading the ruthless Night Police. Fitting the night’s Halloween theme, Montreal writer and translator Neil Smith presented a passage from his debut novel Boo, a story about  an afterlife populated exclusively by 13-year old Americans.

Aside from these whimsical fantasies, The Violet Hour also included artists’ whose writing reflected on the distinct experiences of LGBTQ individuals living in Montreal and beyond. In their reading of Femme Confidential, Nairne Holtz explores the lives of three individuals, navigating the lesbian community and their sexual identities, set in an increasingly gentrified Toronto neighbourhood. Cason Sharpe’s work Our Lady of Perpetual Realness & Other Stories focuses on the experience of being a young gay man of colour. Dishwashing in Saint-Henri, pool-hopping, and wandering down an empty Boulevard Saint-Laurent are just some of the various experiences that inform his worldview. His reading captivated the audience, who alternated between raucous laughter and tears in their connection to Sharpe’s lived experience in Toronto and Montreal.

While the majority of the speakers at the event recited excerpts from their latest works, the highlight of the evening was a scene from the Talisman Theatre’s upcoming production of Vic and Flo Saw a Bear, translated to English for the stage. Alexandra Lavinge plays a parole officer, pressing Natalie Liconti’s character Flo to reveal the whereabouts of her girlfriend, ex-con Vic. Set in Quebec, the production combines a love story, elements of the noir genre, and a distinct magic realism.

Throughout the evening, The Violet Hour showcased a diversity of voices, representing the lived experiences of the LGBTQ+ community in the greater Montreal area. Stripped down to a single spotlight and microphone, the various artists and writers indulged the audience, confronting their own biases and connecting those experiences with their own. The artists proved that while LGBTQ+ is a unifying label, it encompasses a multitude of distinct viewpoints. The Violet Hour, in collaboration with the Concordia Community Solidarity Co-op Bookstore, is a unique, inclusive event, which provides local writers with a platform to both present and sell their work at an affordable price.

News, PGSS

PGSS Secretary-General candidates share platforms at debate

by Julia Metraux on

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On Nov. 2, the McGill Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) hosted a debate for candidates for the office of Secretary-General at Thomson House. Two days before the start of the voting period, which takes place between Nov. 4 and Nov. 11, the four candidates discussed their platforms and the projects they would hope to implement as Secretary-General. This by-election follows former PGSS Secretary-General Jacob Lavigne’s resignation on Oct. 2 following an accident over the summer.

The debate began with a presentation by each of the candidates on their platforms and qualifications. Candidate and Master of Social Work student Liam Murphy explained that among his strongest assets is his experience working with social justice organizations and student associations like the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA).

“The focus for my campaign is around advocacy because of my experience working on structural social work,” Murphy said. “[I have] experience working on provincial and federal student organisations, specifically Students Nova Scotia and [CASA], both of which advocate for accessible, affordable, and high quality post-secondary education.”

Murphy expressed his hope for PGSS to condemn discriminatory actions, like the recent vote to pass Quebec Bill 62, which ties into his platform of advocacy. Bill 62 bans people from receiving public services if their faces are covered, which Murphy says targets those who wear niqabs.

“Provincially, I would like the PGSS to take a vocal stance against Bill 62, which was recently passed, and is incredibly discriminatory against Muslim women,” Murphy said. “I think it is important that we speak out against injustices regularly.”

PGSS Student Support Commissioner Maria Tipler then spoke about how her current work for the Society qualifies her for the position of Secretary-General. Additionally, Tipler has been a member of the McGill community since 2011, completing her undergraduate degree and commencing her graduate work in 2014 before pursuing her PhD in Neuroscience all at McGill.

“Not only have I had to provide moral support to students, I’ve had to learn about the governing system and how the administration thinks,” Tipler said. “The confidential nature of my job has also given me a great insight of the real, core problems of members here.”

A new face to student governance, M.Sc. candidate in Computer Science Mohammad Amini, then presented his platform points. If elected he intends to reduce the financial burdens that PGSS members face.

“As I’ve talked to [PGSS Financial Affairs Officer] Matthew [Satterthwaite], there’s a sponsorship program that’s about to go on,” Amini said. “Through that, we can find free events and free food without us paying for the PGSS events, and I think that’s something a lot of us could appreciate.”

M.A. candidate in History Nooria Puri concurred with Tipler in prioritizing McGill services. Specifically, Puri hopes to focus on the mental and physical well-being of postgraduate students.

“I’d like to increase the attention to mental and physical health awareness, and support [students] through increased availability of Nightline and peer support systems,” Puri said. “[I’d also like to] work with the fitness center to create and  promote active lifestyle programs targeting postgraduate students.”

All four candidates expressed their desires to create a greater sense of community among PGSS members. Puri added that strong networks are important for international students in particular.

“As an international student, who is extremely far from home, PGSS for me represents a community that I could not only learn from, but feels like a home away from home,” Puri said. “Therefore, for me, it is important to revitalize the PGSS community [to be] a strong shared network of support and growth.”

Hockey, Sports

In conversation with Rich Clune

by Wasif Husain on

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Hockey players are, in a word, tough; they’re willing to risk their bodies and overcome injuries in the name of the sport. As a result, the general public rarely associates mental health struggles with hockey players, nor athletes in general. Rich Clune, who grew up playing hockey in the era of the ‘suck it up’ philosophy, is a professional hockey player from Toronto who has spent the last decade between the National Hockey League (NHL) and the American Hockey League (AHL), playing for teams such as the Los Angeles Kings, the Nashville Predators, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. He has openly discussed his struggles with drug and alcohol addiction and mental health since he became sober in May 2010. He sat down with The McGill Tribune to discuss the changing culture around mental health in hockey and in university, and what can be done to further support people struggling with these issues.

“I think there [has] always been a misconception about what’s talked [about] in the dressing room,” Clune said. “[But] it’s improving. Hockey players care about each other.”

Nearly five years ago, the NHL launched a program called “Hockey Talks,” which has created many new avenues for the open discussion of mental health. The program started in 2013 after the tragic passing of hockey player Rick Rypien, a fan favourite in Vancouver who took his life after suffering from clinical depression. It started the conversation about mental health issues in hockey.

“[Rypien’s tragic passing] was eye-opening, […] essentially an alpha male, suffering from these mental health issues,” Clune said. “[The] perception of tough guys and fighters was so much different and it surprised many [that] these guys can have these problems.”

To help athletes struggling with mental health issues, and to reduce the likelihood that others develop them in the future, steps must be taken to educate people on mental health—especially for the sake of younger athletes who may feel that they they can’t discuss their problems. If they are struggling, players shouldn’t be compelled to hide it.

“Kids will see it’s okay to talk about the issues,” Clune said. “The more they can get coaches and parents to talk about these issues, the better it will be at the minor level.”

To combat mental illness, it’s vital that informative resources are available. They help give people the confidence they need to feel comfortable discussing their mental health and the skills needed to protect their loved ones.

“We have to educate people on what is going on,” Clune said. “If you can look at the symptoms and recognize them, we can be proactive about the issues and be well-equipped to try and handle the situation.”

Of course, mental health doesn’t just affect hockey players. Clune also addressed the importance of education and how mental health issues can affect students, and provided guidance for afflicted students.

“Education is a big part of the family,” Clune said. “I know students have a lot riding on school, whether it be parents [paying] tuition or [if] you have a scholarship. [Students] have to be world beaters. It’s okay to ask for help. There is a lot of strength in that. Take advantage of counsellors. Take a break if need be. If you look someone in the eye and tell them you have a problem, you would be hard-pressed to find someone who would look down on you.”

University is a difficult balancing act, and many students find themselves overwhelmed, struggling with the apparent either-or choice between extracurricular activities and academic pursuits. Still, Clune believes that students should make these difficult decisions with serious consideration of their own health.

“I know how hard it is to balance school, social life, and going out,” Clune said. “Your mental health should be [a] priority and if you have to cut back on something, it’s okay.”

Clune has become an inspiration for the hockey community and remains extremely involved in several capacities, all while playing in the AHL: In his spare time, he works with organizations such as the Canadian Mental Health Association and SickNotWeak, while also volunteering as a counsellor for recovering addicts at the Renascent Treatment Centre. 

He left the conversation with one lasting mantra—for athletes and students alike—to follow and apply themselves in tough situations.

“I’m not responsible for my disease,” Clune said. “[I’m] responsible for my actions and how they can improve it. I am always willing to put in the work, […] especially if it improves me as a person.”

Arts & Entertainment, Comedy

Artist Profile: Nicholas Krywucki is making lanes in Montreal comedy

by Virginia Shram on

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Nicholas Krywucki, known onstage as Nick K, has quickly identified himself as an emerging figure in the Montreal stand-up comedy scene. Wearing a baggy green sweatshirt, his floppy blond hair brushed out of his eyes, Krywucki’s posture is unassuming. As he steps on stage he nonchalantly adjusts the microphone and slides into his opening line with a soft voice reminiscent of Bo Burnham—though if pressed, he would say his favourite comedian is Doug Stanhope. An American attending McGill for its psychology program, his ability to read people serves him well in class as well as onstage.

Despite dedicating himself to comedy only this past summer, he has since performed at the Open Air Pub comedy show at McGill, and started The Dropout! Show, a weekly student-focused stand-up night at the ComedyWorks stage on Bishop Street. Although the structure of the show varies depending on performers’ schedules, both professional and academic, the Dropout! shows take place every Thursday night through December.

A newcomer to comedy, Krywucki is sympathetic to students looking to develop their skills.

“It’s really hard to do your first [show],” Krywucki said. “Before I went away for the summer I went to an open mic and I didn’t go up because I was too nervous. You get there and it’s so scary. A lot of it is based on how memorable your first experience is. My first experience wasn’t that big of a deal to me. It was brutal, but there were like three people that paid attention, so it was just something that was easy to shrug off.”

Krywucki's shy confidence pays off when it comes to the deliberate wit of his jokes. His favourite one-liner? “Have you heard the one about the depressed comic? I know my therapist has.”  

But while his jokes may lean toward dark humour, he prefers to draw from his personal life than indulge in the ubiquitous disdain for current American politics.

“I just don’t think [it’s] that funny. It’s too easy. A Donald Trump tweet is funnier than anything I could say about a Donald Trump tweet. If you’re a talk show host then it’s different, because you have a guest, and you have a whole working staff with everyone’s angles.”

For students who love a cheap night out, a local stand-up show filled with half a dozen performers provides ideal entertainment. Krywucki is even setting up a students-only free comedy night at Gerts before the semester’s end; details will be available once he finalizes the event and passes his looming midterms.

Even though doing a first set for a live audience may feel excruciating, Krywucki still says it’s the way to get critical exposure and practice.

“You have to just do it,” Krywucki said. “Some people are not confident or overconfident but you just have to find your own confidence level. There’s nothing wrong with doing it once and that’s it.”

Some locations have ideal audiences for first-timers, such as Saint-Laurent’s Art Loft, which hosts informal shows weekly. Due to its kitschy decor of mismatched sofas in a semi-circle around an askew mic stand and its BYOB policy, the venue has a perfectly laid-back energy.

One of Krywucki’s earliest shows was at Saint-Laurent’s Art Loft.

“I had this moment walking along St. Laurent on the way […]” Krywucki said. “I had never done this joke, and it’s a seven minute set—the longest I’ve ever done, I look down at my paper… I don’t know what it says, because I’m super drunk. I just cram it into my pocket and they tell me I’m going first, and there was a huge crowd that night. But it ended up [being] a super memorable set.”

Since then, Krywucki has quickly established himself on stage and as the producer of recurring shows at McGill and in greater Montreal. It’s hard to believe he was once so nervous, but if his success is any indication of his honesty, you’ve got to believe him.

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