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Arts & Entertainment

The New Faces of Montreal’s Just For Laughs Festival

by Audrey Carleton on

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“These are the future of Saturday Night Live, and television, and movies,” Hannah Crichton,  Just For Laughs (JFL) Programming Consultant, said as she introduced the New Faces: Characters show at Montreal’s 34th Annual JFL comedy festival. 

Comedic all-stars like Hannibal Burress, Amy Schumer, and Kevin Hart were all once featured in JFL’s New Faces, setting a high bar for this year’s cast. With their seven-minute sets of hilarious improv-style character sketches, this year’s New Faces did not disappoint. 

After winding down from their two successful shows at JFL, two New Faces cast members–Lily Sullivan and Natalie Palamides—each spoke with The McGill Tribune to discuss the sources of their comedic brand and the lessons they’ve learned about being rising stars in show business. 

Lily Sullivan

If her witty characters featured on her YouTube channel or her work with BuzzFeed were to be any indication, Lily Sullivan was bound to amuse in her performance with the New Faces: Characters cast at this year’s JFL. The L.A. sketch comic, who got her start in Chicago, delighted the audience with her set, which was primarily an assortment of ridiculous twists on everyday characters.

Sullivan combines the relatability of spot-on impressions with the shock value of last minute twists to the scenarios she develops onstage. Her portrayal of Francesca, an assertive Portuguese restaurant owner seeking a social media representative to combat online complaints of hair found in the food, was a particular standout. Sullivan kept the audience laughing with a series of punchy lines in a hilarious accent, only to reveal at the end of the sketch that Francesca has been running a hair salon out of her restaurant’s kitchen the whole time. Sullivan’s comedic power lies in her ability to develop a character’s story while building up to a climactic twist at the end of a sketch. 

Sullivan attributes her ability to develop witty characters and storylines in part to her training in improv theater. After performing in the  improv group at Bates College for all four years of university, Sullivan moved to Chicago to perform with The Second City—the starting ground for greats such as Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Through her training, Sullivan developed the ability to derive scripted sets from once-improvised characters that landed well in improv shows.

“A lot of the way that Second City works is you’ll improvise a scene, and then if it goes well you re-improvise it and re-improvise it until you have it scripted,” Sullivan explained. “If I have a good improv scene in a show, I’ll try and take something from that [for a sketch character].” 

After conquering the endless demands of improv theatre in Chicago, Sullivan moved to L.A., where she has recently been transitioning from performing in live shows to auditioning for film and television. One of the biggest challenges in doing so has been getting acclimated to performing for one or two casting directors, instead of audiences of hundreds. 

“Right now, I feel like in L.A. I’m learning how to audition for TV and for movies, and that’s a whole other skill that […] I didn’t do in Chicago very much,” Sullivan said. “I did a lot of live shows, and I did a lot of improv auditions, so now I’m learning how to audition in front of some TV producer or TV casting director, and that’s a whole other ball game. You’re just with one person alone in a room.” 

Meanwhile, Sullivan continues to write and create characters. Post-JFL, Sullivan plans to write a show that takes place in a restaurant, using various sketches she’s already written and performed. Like any writer, Sullivan is no stranger to the pain that goes into the creative process, but she recognizes the necessity of taking risks in order to grow and develop. 

“I think a lot of people are scared to create things because they’re scared of what people will say, or if it’s good or not,” Sullivan said. “I think the truth is [your work is] just going to be bad for a long time, so just do it anyway, and then, you know, over time it’ll get better […] If you have good taste in something, the reason that your work is frustrating you is because you have good taste.” 

While many writers—comedic or otherwise—are prone to never being satisfied with their own work, Sullivan left her audience contented in her performance at JFL. Having mastered the art of the slow build, Sullivan’s set was relatable, witty, and deeply amusing. 

Natalie Palamides

Taking a break from her busy schedule performing at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade (UCB) theatre in Hollywood and voicing Buttercup in The Powerpuff Girls reboot, Natalie Palamides came to Montreal to perform seven minutes of eccentric caricatures in the New Faces: Characters cast.

Palamides set the tone for her unconventional set the minute the lights came on to an empty stage. After inching and grunting her way across the floor in a sleeping bag from the corner of the small Mainline Theatre stage, she carried out her portrayal of a British worm who had just made its way above ground for the first time. After killing the worm  with overexposure to the sun, Palamides seamlessly transformed into her second character, a demonic orphan looking to be adopted by an audience member, despite occasional blackouts in which she screams profanities in a hauntingly deep voice. Palamides’ characters are imaginative and wild, leaving  her JFL audience simultaneously bewildered and entertained.

For Palamides, coming up with a perfect sketch character is a matter of practicing it onstage repeatedly and adjusting according to audience feedback.

“I definitely love coming up with oddball characters, and I like doing things that are kind of out of left field,” Palamides said. “The first time I put a character up, it’s heavily improvised, and I’ll just try and discover new things as I go […] If I have a character that really clicks with the audience after the first time I try it, I’ll continue to develop it, and I just do that by putting it up at more shows over and over again.” 

Beyond its utility in helping her develop sketch characters, Palamides’ audience plays an integral role in keeping her on her toes. In her demon orphan sketch, for example, Palamides attempts to convince a front row audience member to adopt her by signing an adoption certificate, only to shock them right as pen is put to paper by transforming into demon mode, screaming profanities, and lifting her petticoat to reveal a fake bloody penis. 

Being open to various types of reactions from the audience provides an element of surprise that makes every performance more exciting for Palamides. 

“There’s always some fun moments whenever you interact with the audience,because you kind of don’t know what’s going to happen,” Palamides said. “It can get so rigid, doing the same characters over and over again, the same script, so it’s fun to throw in a curveball, even for myself.” 

After her successful run at this year’s JFL, Palamides has returned to L.A. to continue to write and perform at UCB. Despite not knowing what her comedic future holds, and cognizant of the painful reality of being Palamides remains optimistic about continuing to do what she loves.

“Every day is a challenge, but you just gotta keep going,” Palamides said. “Constantly in Hollywood, you’re getting knocked down. […] It is challenging, but I see it more as just I’m doing what I love to do, and it’s fun, and it’s exciting to get to create new things, and I love it.”

~

To see more of Palamides’ work visit her website.

Student Life

What we talk about when we talk about sex

by Audrey Carleton on

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A top ten spot on the iTunes comedy podcast charts is not the only achievement of Krystyna Hutchinson and Corinne Fisher of Guys We Fucked: The Anti-Slut Shaming Podcast (GWF). The duo also achieved the highest number of ticket sales for both of their live podcast recordings at 2016’s Just For Laughs comedy festival in Montreal. Greeting long lines of avid listeners, Hutchinson and Fisher, also known as the comedic duo Sorry About Last Night, talked relationships, sexual boundaries and preferences, and past sexual experiences with fellow comics Ms. Pat and Big Jay Oakerson at each of their respective recordings.

Through GWF, Hutchinson and Fisher aim to challenge the limits placed on sexuality by interviewing fellow comics, professionals in the world of sex and sexual health, and, yes, guys they’ve slept with. Leaving no topic in the realm of sex unexplored, the duo record candid and humourous conversations in what began as an attempt to address slut-shaming and liberate women in their sexual endeavours.

“The podcast started as very much what the title would imply,” Fisher explained. “Us interviewing guys we fucked, learning about ourselves through people who we have shared intimate experiences with, and trying to knock down the stigma of the promiscuous woman.”

Since its foundation in 2013, GWF has garnered a following of over half a million subscribers on Soundcloud, inspiring their growing audience to explore and discuss their sexuality more openly with friends and partners. 

“I love how the podcast is growing and morphing into something so much larger than we ever could have predicted,” Hutchinson said. “I was shocked, at first, by the positive impact GWF has had on women and men, but now that we’ve been doing the show for over two years, I see the lack of honest and impactful conversations around sexuality.” 

Every GWF podcast episode opens with Hutchinson and Fisher recalling their past weeks to one another, in what sounds like two good friends chatting over coffee. Before cutting to their interview with the week’s guest, Hutchinson and Fisher respond to several listeners’ emails, often giving advice in matters of sex and relationships. By openly discussing sex and sexuality with their guests, their listeners, and each other, Hutchinson and Fisher break down the stigma associated with sex and sexual freedom. 

While Hutchinson and Fisher cover a broad range of topics relating to sexuality in the podcast, one theme that comes up frequently on GWF is sexual assault. The comedy duo views discussion of sexual assault as an important first step in addressing rape culture and stigma that survivors of sexual assault face. Hutchinson revealed how commonly listeners ran into problems due to a lack of educational resources on these topics. 

 “How do you know you were raped if you don’t know what rape is? We’ve received several emails [from listeners] with the subject line, ‘Was I Raped?’ That breaks my fucking heart,” she said.

Hutchinson and Fisher’s weekly question-and-answer sessions have also helped bring attention to institutions in cases of sexual assault. After reading one listener’s story of her sexual assault by an Airbnb host in August 2016, Airbnb then banned the perpetrator from hosting. Additionally, by sharing a listener from Edmonton’s story of sexual harassment on the ice as the only girl on an all-male hockey team in June 2016, the duo called attention to Hockey Alberta’s lack of a formal sexual harassment policy and lack of action to protect the survivor.

As is the case with Hockey Alberta, many university campuses across North America also lack a formal sexual assault policy. McGill is no different, with some of the most recent news being the failure of McGill administration to adopt the Sexual Assault Policy Working Group's proposed policy on sexual assault. To Hutchinson and Fisher, institutional neglect of sexual assault cases on university campuses plays a large role in perpetuating rape culture among student bodies. 

“Administrators play a huge part in a student’s chances of being sexually assaulted,” Hutchinson said. “They prioritize their reputation over justice. If colleges are not properly punishing students who have been found guilty of sexual harassment, what kind of message does that send?”

While also sending a message of acceptance toward sexual assault, failing to implement an institutional sexual assault policy places members of any institutional body in danger.

“Society doesn't really have a responsibility to keep us safe,” Fisher said. A school or a hockey league, however, do. And this is the difference. For organizations and institutions to continue to be successful, they must keep the people who make up the organizations and institutions safe, otherwise they will ultimately crumble.” 

While the pro-survivor, sex-positive messages of GWF are particularly relevant on North American campuses, their audience and impact reaches far beyond. Inspiring listeners to speak openly about sex and sexual assault, Hutchinson and Fisher chip away at rape culture one episode at a time.

To listen to Guys We Fucked: The Anti-Slut Shaming Podcast, visit their soundcloud or Hutchinson and Fisher’s website. 

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Guys We Fucked occupied the number eight spot on the iTunes comedy podcast charts. In fact, they currently occupy the tenth spot on the iTunes comedy podcast charts. The Tribune regrets this error.

McGill, News, PGSS, SSMU

McGill Governance 101

by Jenna Stanwood on

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McGill University has an extensive system of governance bodies that manage its affairs from the undergraduate level up to administration. Making sense of this immensely complicated system is challenging to the untrained student, so we’re here to help you understand the who’s and what’s of this year’s campus politics. 

SSMU

Who they are and what they do 
The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) represents all undergraduate students at McGill, as well as students in professional degree programs, including law, dentistry, and medicine. SSMU advocates on behalf of students to the administration, and to provincial and federal governments, manages services such as student groups and minicourses, and operates businesses such as Gert’s and the Student-Run Cafeteria (SRC). 

SSMU is led by seven executives who are elected annually during the Winter semester. The Legislative Council is the legislative body of SSMU, and consists of the executives and 30 councillors elected from faculty associations and certain student demographic groups, such as First Year Council. The Legislative Council is responsible for large-scale policy and decisions pertaining to the society’s finances. At least once a semester, members of the society have the opportunity to vote in referenda and participate in General Assemblies, with the resulting policies decided through these platforms becoming SSMU regulations. 

The SSMU Judicial Board (J-Board) consists of seven students, most of whom are from the Faculty of Law. They make rulings on cases in which any individual, organization, or referendum associated with the society is alleged to have violated the SSMU Constitution or Bylaws. Decisions of the J-Board can only be overturned by a four-fifths majority vote by SSMU’s Board of Directors.

Recent actions 

Last year, SSMU Council passed a Policy on Indigenous Solidarity that laid out ways in which the society can pursue its social justice goals for indigenous students. Council also passed a new climate change policy. In the Winter 2017 referendum, students voted to add a seventh executive portfolio and to redistribute responsibilities among the executives. A motion to increase the society’s budget failed leading to a round of budget cuts. 

On the agenda this year 

This is the first year that SSMU has a Vice President (VP) Operations, and a VP Student Life. The roles of most of the executives have been adjusted as well, so it will be a year of precedent-setting for these student leaders. Furthermore, the executives are faced with the added challenge of operating the SSMU on a smaller budget. The SSMU Sexual Assault Policy Working Group’s policy was recently rejected by the administration, ensuring this year will see extensive discussions on the creation of a new policy proposal. Furthermore, the J-Board recently ruled against divisive motions, such as last year’s motion in support of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel, a decision that is sure to be the subject of discussion in coming months.

PGSS

Who they are and what they do 

The Postgraduate Students’ Society (PGSS) represents all graduate students and postdoctoral students. It is comprised of six executives, four commissioners, and eight staff members, who advocate for postgraduates at the university, provincial, and federal levels. The PGSS is housed in Thompson House, and is a source of social activities and support for its members. PGSS Council is the governing body of the society and meets monthly to vote on policies pertaining to the long-term vision of the society. Councillors are elected from various postgraduate faculties and student groups.

Recent actions 

Last year, PGSS Council unanimously passed a motion calling on McGill to divest from oil and gas industries. Additionally a traditional territory acknowledgement that will be displayed predominantly on the PGSS website and be read before each Council meeting was approved. PGSS has just completed its second graduate student orientation, which featured expanded programming. 

On the agenda this year 

This year, PGSS executives have promised to focus on the political role of the society, increasing their representation in activism on issues approved by their constituency. This includes increased emphasis on environmental sustainability initiatives. Expanding programming for graduate student orientation will likely be a focus as the new program continues to find success. 

McGill Senate 

Who they are and what they do 

The McGill Senate is an administrative body with jurisdiction over the academic policy of the university. It serves as a platform for representation at the administrative level. There are 107 voting members, including professors, support staff, students, SSMU executives, and representatives from McGill’s senior administration. Thirteen student senators are elected annually to represent each academic faculty. The Senate has multiple committees on specialized issue areas that advise on policy such as honorary degree recipients, enrollment, and student affairs. 

Recent actions 

Last year, the Senate passed a motion to establish a statement on academic freedom intended to reaffirm McGill’s commitment to research. They also extensively discussed tuition deregulation and a new commitment to increasing funding for refugee students. 

On the agenda this year 

Last year, the Senate deferred $1.3 billion of maintenance upgrades to campus buildings, renovations that will most likely be a topic of discussion again this year. The Senate will make further revisions to the Student Assessment Policy.

McGill Board of Governors 

Who they are and what they do 

The McGill Board of Governors (BoG) has final authority over all university affairs. It is comprised of 25 voting members, including one representative each from PGSS and SSMU, and members of senior administration, as well as two non-voting student observers. The Board manages all university property, appointments of personnel, management of investments and finances, ethics and human resources. Usually, the board meets six times per year. 

Recent actions 

Last year, the BoG voted not to divest university investments from fossil fuel companies, a decision that was met by student and alumni backlash. They also launched a study into the acquisition of the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) and how it can be turned into classroom space. 

On the agenda this year

The acquisition of the RVH site, as well as divestment from fossil fuel companies and ethical investment, are sure to be continued subjects of conversation for the BoG this year. Given the provincial government’s continuing austerity programs, limitations of the university budget will likely be debated. 

Off the Board, Opinion

Take a knee: Why Colin Kaepernick’s protest is not in vain

by Zikomo Smith on

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Want to start a fight? Just follow Colin Kaepernick’s lead and kneel in protest of police brutality during the American national anthem at an NFL “Military Appreciation Night.”

Since the Aug. 26 incident, Kaepernick has been derided for disrespecting the troops, desecrating the flag, and hating America. The least-inflamed of the anti-protest group argue that Kaepernick has a right to protest, but employs inappropriate methods. The most inflamed say he should ‘just stick to sports’ and work on resurrecting his recently-disappointing football career.

Lost in this smorgasbord of patriotic hot-takes and confusions is that Kaepernick has a very clear, actionable protest. For this reason, his protest will succeed past the current, and incorrect, perception that he is disrespecting the military and America. The rhetoric opposing Kaepernick is avoiding his message in order to trot out platitudes about the military and patriotism. That Kaepernick is steadfast in his protest and simple in his message will help blast through those false narratives.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of colour,” said Kaepernick. “Cops are getting paid leave for killing people, that is not right [….] You can become a cop in six months, and don’t have to have the same amount of training as a cosmetologist—that’s insane.”

The rhetoric opposing Kaepernick is avoiding his message in order to trot out platitudes about the military and patriotism.

Unlike his critics, Kaepernick has the facts on his side. According to crowdsourced databases, over a third of unarmed people killed by police in 2015 were black men, and unarmed African Americans are killed at five times the rate of their white counterparts. Only recently have the police even been required to report all arrest-related deaths to the US Justice Department. Kaepernick is right: This violence—and lack of accountability for it—is deeply concerning.

The strength of Kaepernick’s message is further enhanced by the fact that he genuinely relates to the issue of police brutality: He experienced injustice at the hands of the police when he and his college roommates had guns pulled on them as they attempted to move into their new house.

Yet Kaepernick’s protest has to navigate a lot of mitigating factors to even get off the ground. The NFL is not usually a place where many players join protests, or do anything to tarnish the NFL’s brand. Cameron Heyward, for example, was fined last year for breaking the NFL’s strict uniform policy when he wore eye black to honour his late father. The NFL also has a no-distractions culture where talk of anything other than football is frowned upon. Yet Kaepernick’s critics owe it to him to look beyond his sport’s culture, and judge his protest based on the validity and urgency of the issues he raises.

However, one thing works in his favour: The NFL is 68 per cent black, and police brutality affects African-Americans regardless of wealth or status. The outpouring of anguish on Twitter from NFL players after the killings of Philando Castle and Alton Sterling suggests that his colleagues no doubt feel the same. Already, two other NFL players, Eric Reed of the San Francisco 49ers and Jeremy Lane of the Seattle Seahawks, have already joined his protest.

Kaepernick’s protest is still young. It also has to navigate a complex set of forces which are, taken by themselves, not necessarily bad: The business of the NFL, patriotism, the military, and the emotion that the national anthem rightfully stirs up in people. The simplicity of Kaepernick’s message, however, is its strength. He is bringing attention to police brutality against people of colour as a player in a predominantly black league. He is presenting the facts, not in a way that people necessarily like or want to listen to, but he is presenting them nonetheless.

 

Features

Digging into different diets: Challenging the portrayal of veganism

by Areni Nicoghosian on

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My transition into a vegan diet has been anything but easy. The skeptical remarks that I received from some of my family members made me second guess my decision. The thought that I was making things harder for other people who had to accommodate my new diet created a small fragment of doubt in my mind. I started to wonder if my reason for transitioning was justified.

I decided to become vegan because of my love for animals. Growing up, I had all kinds of pets: Gerbils, canaries, fish, turtles, dogs, and a lovebird—my mom calls our house a zoo. It was only a matter of time before I decided that I couldn’t handle the idea of animals being slaughtered by the truckloads—just to feed us.

Album Reviews, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: Teens of Denial – Car Seat Headrest

by Deanna Duxbury on

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Car Seat Headrest is everything that comes to mind when you think lo-fi indie rock. Will Toledo, the mastermind behind what was originally a one-man-band, created a cult following through Bandcamp before ever getting signed. He already had 10 self-made albums under his belt before an intern at Matador Records recommended him to label founder, Chris Lombardi. Once Matador showed some serious interest, Toledo compiled his band from Craigslist and proceeded to create one banger after another on what he claims to be his “debut album,” Teens of Denial. The album manages to set itself apart from its indie rock peers with a range of rhythmic and lyrical talent that is deeply personal and emotionally relevant.  

The songs themselves range from the hard rock edge of “Fill in the Blank” to the retrospective narrative of  “(Joe Gets Kicked out of School for Using) Drugs with Friends [But Says This Isn’t a Problem].” Each song is a personal scrapbook of Toledo’s experience.

“Unforgiving Girl (She’s Not An)” cries, “Everyone learns to live with their sins/ But your girl wears yours like a brand new skin/So take it all off and let me back in.” There’s something wonderfully classic about a boy writing a song that reads like an open letter to a love interest. Toledo states in the song, “this isn't sex, I don't think, it's just extreme empathy/ She's not my ex, we never met, but do you still think of me?” Kitschy, relatable, and bitterly sweet.

“Drunk Drivers/Killer Whales” is a standout track for sure. Every line takes the listener somewhere—it is a true travelling song. It sounds like late-night buses, long trains, moving landscapes, and shifting lights. “It doesn’t have to be like this” is Toledo’s standout refrain, making the listener wonder about where they’re going.

In an interview with Spin, Toledo said, “I’ve always liked quoting from other people. When you write something that feels like another song that you’re thinking about, it almost seems better just to go and quote it directly. Sometimes it allows it to hit the listener in a way that it wouldn’t otherwise.”

Toledo draws explicitly from his influences and, in doing so, extends the storytelling of the album. The “Ballad of the Costa Concordia” ends on the edge of Dido’s “White Flag,” closing a song on a debut album with sentimental familiarity. Toledo’s lyrics are at the forefront, but, by layering these kinds of homages throughout the album, he invokes multiple perspectives within individual songs.

The whole album experiments with emphasis, as vocals lilt beneath the roar of an electric guitar or echo front-and-centre to break the silence. Variation in melody and rhythm keeps the listener entertained. Teens of Denial redefines indie rock to its core with less synthetically melodious pop schematics and more creativity. Car Seat Headrest is a unique band, in that it is emerging into the professional music scene with an established following. Though Toledo’s previous albums are definitely worth checking out, this official debut is easily his best work yet.    

Standout track: Drunk Driver/ Killer Whales
Standout lyrics:  “We’re not a proud race/It’s not a race at all/We’re just trying/I’m only trying to get home.”

 

Science & Technology

Ask a Scientist: What Is “Ask a Scientist”?

by Daniel Galef on

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Since this is the first instalment of this column, there are not yet questions to answer. But, not to worry! The first question we’ll answer will be: “What is Ask a Scientist about?” In answering it, SciTech hope to drum up enough interest and enthusiasm from you, the readers, to have plenty of questions to answer in future instalments.

Every year The McGill Tribune brings McGill students the best in science and technology journalism in the form of articles, interviews, and podcasts from the heart of the world-class research institution that is McGill University. Each week our intrepid reporters risk their lives and their GPAs to get the scoop on the latest on-campus research, international scientific developments, and all-around neat stuff going on in the worlds of science and technology at McGill and beyond.

In addition to stand-alone articles, we have a number of recurring columns, offering content along a certain theme or from a particular contributor. From the BrainSTEM is our science-flavoured opinion column. Fact or Fiction explores and explodes common myths and misconceptions about science. Research Briefs and Student Research offer insights into the amazing scientific work done right here at McGill by students and faculty alike.

But is it enough? We here at the Tribune think not.

That’s why, this year, we are officially bringing back Ask a Scientist, a recurring column in which you, the reader, submit questions to me, the Scientist. Please ask the Scientist about the mysteries of life, the universe, and everything. The Scientist will search for answers to those scientific mysteries you’ve always pondered and never asked.

There are many—scientists cannot even estimate precisely how many—great questions to Ask a Scientist! We’ll make it easy for you to answer all your burning questions in one reliable place. As you send us your best and worst ideas, here are a small handful of examples to consider, along with brief answers from the Scientist:

Q: Dear Scientist, have you heard about this whole SETI mysterious signal thing? Radio astronomers detecting a powerful radio emission from a suspected-habitable star in the constellation Hercules doesn’t sound like small potatoes. Does this mean aliens are trying to contact us?

A: Absolutely, I’ve heard of SETI, it’s super cool! Unfortunately, the recent energy surge detected is almost certainly not friendly aliens, and is even probably from Earth. Since no one else detected the signal and there was no pattern, only a single pulse, most astronomers credit terrestrial interference—a satellite or other source a bit closer to home. This sort of thing has happened before: The Soviet Union almost cracked the “Aliens!” champagne too, before realizing that a detected signal was actually coming from an unlisted satellite from their own space program. So no confirmation of extraterrestrial intelligence (yet!), and a minor blow to the prospect of terrestrial intelligence, as well.

Q: Dear Scientist, why does toast always fall buttered-side-down?

A: Either due to basic Newtonian mechanics or because your breakfast nook is cursed. Toast actually does fall flat on its butter statistically more than half the time, but it’s not a fundamental property of the toast . . . it’s a property of the table. Tables vary in height, but just about anywhere someone might sit down to eat breakfast affords a drop just high enough for a piece of toast to rotate 180 degrees—that’s one-pi radians, but who has one pie for breakfast?—give or take. Since the butter is generally on top before everything goes crumpet-to-carpet, the slice doesn’t have time to complete a full turn and lands butter-down more often than not. If there are any other queries from the burgeoning field of Breakfast Science, you’re in luck. I just so happen to be the world expert on cheese danishes.

~ If you have any questions for the Scientist, send them to [email protected], with the subject line: Ask a scientist . The Scientist awaits your queries! ~

Student Life

Which elective should I take at McGill?

by Julia Dick on

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Over the course of the post-secondary experience, there are countless opportunities to branch out from your field of study. Electives can challenge students to see their degree in a new light, gain a more holistic perspective of what is available for study at McGill, bump up your GPA, and ultimately have a more well-rounded university experience. Whether you’re trying to fine tune your schedule, or have just realized that you need one more elective this coming year, the Tribune has you covered. Ditch the long lines at advising, and turn to the Tribune’s hand-picked suggestions for electives for the 2016-2017 school year before add-drop period ends!

Study the secrets of the galaxy

For those who aren’t quite ready to say goodbye to high school physics and science, either of the following courses will satisfy your curiosity. Neither course is open to students in a physics program, which means that new learners can feel comfortable in the classroom, free of any pressure from physics whizzes. 

Fall 2016: Space, Time, and Matter (PHYS 180)

PHYS 180 takes the math out of physics–to the extent that this is possible–and introduces students to the concepts behind some of the greatest theories in the field, including Newtonian mechanics and Einstein’s theories of relativity. 

Winter 2017: Milky Way Inside and Out (PHYS 183) 

PHYS 183, an introductory astronomy course, covers everything from black holes to supernovae. A bit of background in the sciences wouldn’t go amiss in this class, but even without, you’ll be stargazing like the pros in no time; however, if you aren’t interested in astronomy, it might be best to look into one of the Tribune’s other suggestions. 

For the foodies who can’t be sated

Winter 2017: World of Chemistry: Food (CHEM 181)

A classic elective at McGill, CHEM 181 is one of the Faculty of Science’s most popular courses. Students will learn about their own diets and nutritional intake, as well as about how food research is portrayed in the media. If you’d rather avoid denser chemistry courses and have a penchant for memorization, this class will be right up your alley. 

For the tech savvy

Fall 2016 & Winter 2017: Foundations of Programming (COMP 202)

If you’ve taken a stab at CodeAcademy–or just finished binge-watching Mr. Robot–and want to know more about the logic behind coding, delve into the world of computer programming in COMP 202. This is the go-to computer science course for non-computer science students, as it provides an introduction to Java coding before easing you into some of the more complex concepts. 

Bear in mind that this course is not a walk in the park for those lacking any background in computer programming; however, in this day and age it is never a bad thing to seek a greater understanding of coding. Just be prepared to practice at it most days, as you would when learning any language.

For keen listeners

Fall 2016 & Winter 2017: Popular Music Since 1945 (MUAR 392)

Music lovers, rejoice. Consider this a superior alternative to the Art of Listening (MUAR 211) at a slightly higher level. Not only does MUAR 392 cover everything from jazz to pop, it also goes into the institutions behind the music.

For the discerning viewer

Winter 2017: Media and Feminism Studies (COMS 310)

Although COMS 310 requires either permission from the instructor or completion of prerequisites, you will not regret making the extra effort to take this course. Through this class, students are introduced to feminist and queer theory as it pertains to media studies while encouraged to hold a critical lens to the media. If this course interests you, hop on it quickly or set up a notification for when a seat becomes available—this class is a popular one, and spots fill up quickly. 

Know Your Athlete, Sports

Interview with McGill Olympian Joseph Polossifakis

by Arman Bery on

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“I was more of a full-time athlete and did part-time school,” 2014 McGill Management graduate Joseph Polossifakis said, laughing. “[At McGill] my schedule was: Ten to 12 practice, one to four school, five thirty to seven thirty [practice]. After getting home […] that day of work, I just wanted to sleep, but of course I had to then start homework and studying.  It was a tough couple of years.”

The hard work clearly paid off. Last month, Polossifakis found himself in the final round of 32 at the 2016 Rio Olympics fencing competition. Four years earlier, he almost gave up on fencing after missing out on the 2012 London Olympics.

“It was honestly a lot of stubbornness that kept me in the sport,” Polossifakis said. “When I didn’t qualify for London 2012 by a small margin, I almost stopped. I always had a lot of good times, and then some subsequent setbacks which led to me asking myself if I wanted to continue. […] I just didn’t want to quit before I had achieved what I set out to do, I would have felt a lot of regret otherwise.”

Polossifakis graduated from McGill in 2014 with a commerce degree. He has always had to balance life and fencing, something that required an unusual amount of sacrifice and determination. Between 2014 and 2015, he missed a year of competition due to a concussion. Throughout his career, he’s endured numerous back injuries and torn ligaments in both his ankle and his meniscus.

“Perseverance is number one thing for any olympic athlete,” Polossifakis explained. “It’s funny because everyone, any athlete you speak to at the Olympics, has a story that is terrible. Everyone who gets there is very humble and humbled to get there.”

Polossifakis relished the Olympic experience, even though he was knocked out in the round of 32 by Aliaksandr Buikevich of Belarus. He loved the energy of living in the Olympic village, as well as the chance to brush shoulders with the world’s best athletes. Team Canada had a particularly tight knit group throughout the Games.

“I went to see some diving, synchro swimming, went to watch tennis, and saw some wrestling. It was especially fun when you get to watch a fellow Canadian competing and get to cheer them on,” Polossifakis said. “I was able to go to the 100M men’s final for track and field, as well as  the 4x100M relay. It was amazing to able to watch Andre De Grasse and see him do so well.  It was also cool because there was definitely mingling with everyone regardless of popularity, I was able to talk to De Grasse for a bit and get to take a picture.”

Polossifakis explained that athletes were relatively insulated from the controversies surrounding the Rio Games. Most of the participants were cooped up in the Olympic village, away from the fairly damning media coverage at the start of the games.

“Us athletes were practically in a bubble in the Olympic village so we weren’t exposed to a lot of the harsher realities in Brazil,” Polosifakis said. “Zika was a bit overblown–I didn’t hear of anybody getting it. In terms of political crises, there were a couple of rallies at Copacabana. The venues were, for the most part, ready. […] The only issues that really arose were little logistic things [….] Overall, the games from that standpoint ended up being higher than the fairly low expectations.”

Polossifakis’ life-long affair with fencing started in high school in the sabre discipline. He was the only one of his group of 25 co-fencers to advance to the Olympic level. He was very single minded in his pursuit of fencing’s highest honours, and that led to a good–though somewhat truncated–experience at McGill.

“A couple of years after [the London Olympics], I slowed down and did school full-time and got time to complete my Bachelor of Commerce in five years,” Polossifakis said. “I was happy to get to class sometimes, since I’d be gone three weeks at a time, due to competition or training camp.”

This allowed Polossifakis to get fully involved in life in the Desautels Faculty of Management. It also allowed him to make friends within his program.

“When I didn’t qualify for London and chose to do school full-time, I decided to get more involved in things like the JDC case competition through Desautels, and ended up doing case competitions  and a thing called Case League,” Polossifakis explained. “Doing the JDCC allowed me to meet a lot of new people, which was great. It was especially nice for me because I had to make a lot of new friends since a lot of them were graduating and I had to complete my degree in five years, due to the time I missed doing competitions and training.”

Like most Desautels students, Polossifakis had the option of going to Super Sandwich for lunch. Unfortunately, he had to resist the temptation and opt for healthier options.

“It was hard because I was always running in-between places, a lot of my friends would go across to Super Sandwiches for lunch,” Polossifakis explained. “I tried my best to get salads or have sandwiches prepared. Unfortunately, there aren’t many healthy options around campus. I even thought of opening a healthy food store at one point.”

Nonetheless, Polossifakis found a way and often went to Subway to get salad and chicken for lunch. 

He believes in the value of fencing for young people. In his own words, “the sport allows you to learn a lot through tough situations; sabre makes you deal with wins and losses every day.” However, he believes that many other countries have better grassroots fencing programs in place than Canada.

“The sport is very well-funded in a lot of countries: South Korea is very good, Russia has an extremely good system, along with Italy. It’s quite a cut-throat sport, since there are 215 people in a usual competition and only 32 people in [the] olympics,” Polossifakis explained. He believes that Fencing Canada needs to target a younger age group and get them interested in the sport.

“[In Canada] fencing really lacks a lot of presence in elementary and high schools, so kids are not exposed to it young enough,” he explained. “There are not enough programs in place in Canada. Kids get interested when seeing it but don’t know where to go to do it. Some people are starting to do it, but we need more coaches to get trained and do it. We need to maybe introduce it into curriculum and after-school programs, especially in Quebec.”

Polossifakis will continue with the sport, hopefully until the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. He has caught the Olympic buzz and wants to experience it again. 

“I absolutely want to go [to Tokyo],” he explained. “It looked amazing from what they showed us during the closing ceremonies. I plan on continuing fencing, while also starting to work this year to get my back-up plan going since I obviously can’t be a fencer forever. [But] I was so happy to be at the olympics, and I want to try as hard as possible to get that feeling again.”

Science & Technology

McGill labs find new ways to target resistant bacteria

by Paul-Enguerrand Fady on

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In 1945, Alexander Fleming, made famous for his discovery of penicillin, warned that excessive antibiotic use would likely result in bacteria developing resistance. The term is often in the headlines, but what exactly is antibiotic resistance? It is generally defined as microorganisms developing the ability to somehow prevent the intended effects of the antibiotic. That somehow is a key area of research that spans almost all STEM disciplines.

McGill Biochemistry Professor Albert Berghuis and his lab are working to find interdisciplinary solutions against antibiotic resistance. 

“We are really at the interface of physics and biology, we want to know what is actually happening in a superbug in extreme detail,” Berghuis said.

Indeed, in a recent paper published in Structure, Berghuis’ lab demonstrated their attention to such detail.

The rigorous study proposes the mechanism and shape—or conformation—of a protein which causes resistance. Usually, bacteria respond to an antibiotic threat—that is, the presence of antibiotics in their surroundings—by producing proteins to inactivate the drugs. As those proteins are only needed when the bacteria are under threat, their production depends upon the presence of that threat.

“I grew up in the Cold War, and I remember that the US spent a lot to maintain [….] defence and early warning systems,” Berghuis said. “In the same way, bacteria must expend a lot of energy and resources to maintain defence systems against antibiotics.” 

However, the protein studied by Berghuis’ lab works rather differently: it acts as a sort of ‘molecular mousetrap,’ storing energy for use when it is required.

When present, antibiotics bind to the protein and change its shape causing the mousetrap to ‘spring.’ As a result of the protein’s conformation change, chemical groups are positioned closer to the antibiotic, allowing the protein to deactivate the antibiotic. This mechanism provides newfound insight into how bacteria develop resistance, opening a new pathway for drug development that would muzzle the mechanism’s ability to resist antibiotic treatments.

Despite the recent breakthrough, the overall outlook with regard to antibiotic resistance is bleak. Reports from the World Health Organization (WHO), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and articles in various media outlets—most recently The Economist—have suggested that we have entered a post-antibiotic era, in which antibiotics have been rendered ineffective.

Nevertheless, Associate Microbiology Professor Samantha Gruenheid noted that these reports could actually be a positive sign. 

“Awareness of antibiotic resistance has increased in the past few years [….] and there are some excellent scientists working on the problem,” Gruenheid said. “Work like that of Professor Berghuis here at McGill opens up new ways to interfere with antibiotic resistance.”

Last year, as Dr. Gruenheid pointed out, an international team conducted experiments on soil microbes that led to the discovery of “a whole new class antibiotic–the first in 30 years.”

The McGill chapter of Small World Initiative provides hands-on antibiotic resistance research for microbiology undergraduates. (Small World Initative)
The McGill chapter of Small World Initiative provides hands-on antibiotic resistance research for microbiology undergraduates. (Small World Initative)

In addition, Dr. Gruenheid launched a McGill chapter of a program started at Yale University known as the Small World Initiative (SWI). The program seeks to provide students with an opportunity for real, hands-on microbiological research while also working to fight against antimicrobial resistance.

“The SWI is aiming to actually find new candidates to replenish the antibiotic pipeline,” Dr. Gruenheid said. “Over two-thirds of antibiotics originate from soil microbes, and by having all the SWI students searching for novel antibiotic producing microbes within the soil in their own environments, the SWI is combining the power of crowdsourcing with the approach of looking in a wide variety of geographic locations for antibiotic producers.”

 “SWI is currently in United States, Belize, Canada, Iraq, Ireland, Jordan, Malaysia, Nigeria, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom,” Dr. Gruenheid added, “which increases the chances of discovering something novel.” 

Microbiology graduate student Tyler Cannon, now in Dr. Grueinheid’s lab, helped co-ordinate the effort to set up the SWI at McGill as an undergraduate. He was subsequently recognised by the Canadian Society of Microbiologists for his work, and is currently following up on promising strains found by U1 students in the Microbiology and Immunology program at McGill.

“I was really shocked when we started getting positive hits,” Cannon said. “In fact, about 15 per cent of all the isolated [bacterial strains] I tested were positive for antibiotics—a number I couldn’t believe.”

Cannon and Dr. Gruenheid’s lab have since reached out to various academics and professionals to further investigate those promising strains found at McGill.

“This summer [….] we started collaborating with a new [Principal Investigator] in Laval who’s willing to do full genome sequencing for us, but we’re still waiting for results,” Cannon said. “[And] although it’s still preliminary, [.…] there were actually two samples that showed promise for being novel.”

Although the issue of antimicrobial resistance is finally receiving attention and new solutions are being investigated, it may be too little too late. None of the professors interviewed were willing to say that they were optimistic about the future of research in the field.

“I could be both optimistic or pessimistic [….] I don’t know which to start with,” said Professor Berghuis.

Dr. Gruenheid agreed that while advancements have been made, the overall outlook on antibiotic resistance is bleak.

“On a good day, I like to think I am cautiously optimistic,” Dr. Gruenheid said. “On the other hand, bacteria now exist that are resistant to every antibiotic, including the so-called ‘drugs of last resort.’”

This statement rings truer now than ever before: A recently-published paper in the European Respiratory Society details the treatment of a patient with XDR-TB—extensively-drug-resistant tuberculosis—which took 38 months to treat as well as an individualized treatment plan involving more than six antibiotics. The case was notable as two ‘last resort’ antibiotics had to be used in conjunction for the first time ever.

The lack of new antibiotics was a common concern for both professors. 

“The pharmaceutical industry is waiting more and more on academia to do the basic research and then picking it up,” Berghuis said. 

“The current pipeline for antibiotic development is almost dry. Drug development all the way to the clinic is long and very expensive,” said Dr. Gruenheid.

With basic research funding low and little appeal for pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs which are taken in short bursts, as opposed to drugs for chronic diseases, there are few resources left to combat antibiotic resistance. Amid all the reports by public health agencies, physicians, researchers, and politicians, the future of antimicrobial research is still uncertain.

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