Latest News

a, Student Life

The (happy) light at the end of the tunnel

by Hailey MacKinnon on

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Dark winter days may be illuminated with a new program offered by the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Mental Health Committee and McGill Mental Health Services (MMHS) called “Happy Lights.”

The program seeks to treat a mood disorder that many students experience during the winter semester when the days are colder and shorter with less exposure to sunlight. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), the lack of sunlight will lead approximately two to three per cent of the Canadian population to experience Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a form of depression which mainly appears during the fall and winter seasons. Symptoms can include feelings of hopelessness and irritability, weight gain, oversleeping, and change in appetite. While only a small percent of the population will experience SAD, the CMHA notes that 15 percent of the population will experience a milder form of the disease (called subsyndromal SAD) which manifests in less severe depressive symptoms that don’t completely interrupt one’s daily life, but still pose noticeable effects.

McGill students are among the social groups most vulnerable to SAD. The disease is most prominent among those under the age of 50, females (who are four times more likely to experience the disease), and those in northern regions that are farther from the equator.

“We enter the library as the sun begins to rise, only to leave once the sun has set and so we fail to acknowledge how much the simplest things can affect our mood,” said Anna Pearson, a member of the Mental Health Outreach Committee for SSMU.

Recognizing the consequences that SAD and winter blues can have on students’ mental health, SSMU President Kareem Ibrahim and Vice President (VP) University Affairs Chloe Rourke spearheaded a program called Happy Lights, which launched near the end of last semester. The two executives teamed up with the SSMU Mental Health Committee and MMHS to organize and fund the program, the cost of which will be split evenly between the two organizations. 

Undergraduate students can now rent out one of 25 light therapy lamps for a two-week period. These lamps simulate outdoor light in order to spur chemical changes in the brain that ease the symptoms of SAD. Two weeks is enough time for students to see if the lamps affect their mood by using them for 30 minutes to one hour each morning, depending on how far they sit from the light box. According to the CHMA, light therapy offers “substantial relief” among 60-80 per cent of those diagnosed with SAD. 

"…There are numerous units within Student Services that allow students to try using the SAD lamps (MORSL has one in their meditation room and Mental Health Services has a similar lending program)," Rourke said. "The motivation behind our initiative was to raise awareness for winter blues or seasonal affective disorder and light therapy as a form of treatment."

The initiative is one way that the SSMU Mental Health Committee and MMHS are looking to provide multi-faceted support for students with mental health issues. 

“SAD lamps provide an alternative form of therapy and can be used [independently] or in addition to other forms of therapy and medication,” Rourke said. “Mental illnesses can not be treated with a ‘one size fits all’ method, and thus providing a diversity of treatment options empowers students to choose the approaches that suit them best.”

The lamps may also be a quicker form of treatment for students experiencing SAD than other resources offered at McGill. 

“[One] reason for investing in the program is that students often reach out to mental health service for SAD,” said Jiayi Wang, one of the mental health coordinators at SSMU. “However [cognitive behavioural therapy] for SAD and light therapy are actually comparably effective for SAD during an acute episode as shown by a recent study. Therefore, students can use the lamps as a treatment option instead of having to wait for a long time to see a psychotherapist at mental health [services].” 

 When commercially sold, the price of the lamps is a barrier to many students—they go for a hefty price of around $250. Happy Lights seeks to reduce this cost by allowing students to rent them from the Brown Building for free with only a small deposit.

“These lamps are […] expensive, and light therapy is not effective for everyone,” Wang said. “Students wanting to try light therapy would have to buy a very expensive lamp that might not even work for their symptoms. This program gives students the option of trying the lamps first and seeing how they respond to light therapy before buying the lamps themselves.” 

Ian Rodgers, U2 Arts, was given a light therapy lamp as a gift. He keeps it in his dining room and uses it every three days.

“I […] don’t know if [the lamp itself] actually does anything, but the idea of taking a moment and pausing in front of a lamp for 30 minutes—if you actually make that an empty space, is generally going to be pretty beneficial,” Rodgers said.

While the program is still in its infancy, Wang notes that it has been well-received by students. 

“We have received positive feedback so far,” said Wang. “We are glad that students are using this program to try out SAD lamps and see if light therapy works for them.”

Students can stop by Suite 1200 of the Brown Building between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. to rent a light therapy lamp for a two-week period. A valid McGill ID must be presented, and a $30 deposit is required, which will be refunded if the lamp is returned on time.

a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

The rise and fall of David Bowie from Mars

by Eric Noble-Marks on

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In the spring of 1962, a 15-year-old boy named David Jones was admitted to a London hospital with an injured left eye. The young Jones had apparently been involved in a scrap with a close friend over a girl. The fight left the boy’s pupil permanently dilated, a condition that would last for the rest of his life. It was not the first time that David Bowie was different. It certainly would not be the last.

Bowie died this past Sunday, Jan. 10 following an 18-month battle with cancer. Like countless others, David Bowie coloured my life. I can remember playing “Life on Mars?” on repeat until I fell asleep, or speeding through the Florida everglades to “Young Americans” on family vacations. For those who grew up on his music, Bowie meant freedom. He told us that it was okay to change, even if you didn’t always know what you were changing into. He told us to be ourselves, but didn’t place any limitations on what ‘ourselves’ could mean.

For an individual of his scope, cancer almost feels underwhelming. Bowie felt immortal. He sent his characters to untimely and dramatic deaths, only to emerge like the biblical Lazarus in a new, always interesting persona. His death is so jarring in part because he hardly existed in the traditional sense. Bowie was a musician, actor, fashion icon, and performance artist; a true colossus of the arts. More than this, he was a concept, an alien from outer space, a mythical figure here to save us from the mundanity of our everyday lives. He was a challenge to contemporary ideas of masculinity and sexuality, as well as a vessel for cultural reflection. To imagine him going to the grocery store, enjoying a leisurely stroll, or dying like the rest of us feels preposterous. After all, he claimed in a Rolling Stone interview to possess “a repulsive need to be something more than human.”

But David Bowie was human. Despite his many fabrications and identities, Bowie was, above all, a romantic. You can see it on the cover of Ziggy Stardust (1972), where a lonely alien stands on a wet and desolate street corner. Perhaps Young Americans (1975) is an even better illustration; a backlit Bowie sits hunched over behind a lit cigarette, the beginnings of a smile forming on his face. But above everything, you can hear the romance. You can hear it in the wistful opening chords of “Starman,” the unfiltered snarl of “Rebel Rebel,” the jubilation of “Modern Love,” and the infamous “WHAM BAM THANK YOU MA’AM” of “Suffragette City.” You can hear it louder still in the delirious melodrama of “Life on Mars?” or the catharsis of “Heroes,” his ultimate ballad. His songs were a matter of life and death, at once sweetly melodic and packed to the rafters with political and emotional dynamite. At times, it felt like it might fall apart at any moment. The beauty of Bowie, and indeed of rock ‘n’ roll, was that it never did.

Bowie’s characters may have been artificial, but the emotion in his songs never felt contrived. He could pretend to be an alien, a soul singer, or a German Krautrock musician, but there was always something in his music that sounded decidedly like Bowie and nobody else. He was a performer, and perhaps a fake, but he was never artificial. Maybe Bowie never felt like one of us, but he could connect to us in a profound, distinctly human way. I think that paradox is part of what makes his music, and music in general, great. It’s certainly why the life and work of David Bowie will continue to be enjoyed for generations to come. It’s written in the stars.

a, Features

Boy, Interrupted: Silent crisis of men’s mental health issues on campus

by Natalie Wong on

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There’s something you should know about Josh*. He never experienced depression, anxiety, or other mental health concerns before 2013. Until then, he firmly believed he was in control of everything in his life.

Josh is a well-rounded person—he’s working on his PhD at McGill, loves to travel, listens to The Velvet Underground, runs yearly marathons, and is a wine connoisseur. Despite the stressful environments and transitional periods of academia, he did not have any serious struggles with mental health. That changed in his second year of PhD.  

He started his thesis around this time, becoming isolated from his colleagues and professors. Anxiety emerged with his studies; questions such as, What am I going to do later? and Am I going to have a good job? plagued him. In the same year, he had a sudden death in the family and broke up with his girlfriend.

That was when the panic attacks started.

“When I was doing nothing specific, and was just working at home, I would get a panic attack,” Josh said. “One time, I called the ambulance because I was sure I was gonna die. I was at home and I couldn’t breathe [….] I was sure I’d had a heart attack [….] That’s really when I started to look for help.”

There’s a mental health epidemic across Canadian university campuses.  In 2011, the Centre for Student Development and Counselling in Toronto’s Ryerson University saw a 200 per cent growth in demand from students in crisis situations. At McGill’s Mental Health Service (MMHS), there was a 30 per cent increase in demand in the last five years.  

Robert Whitley, assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at McGill, wrote in an op-ed for the Montreal Gazette, that the life transitions, economic stressors, and psychological stressors associated with university may have a large influence on students’ mental health; however, efforts to improve student mental health should expand throughout campus.  

“A better solution would involve a change in campus culture, with universities making strident efforts to enhance well-being at every opportunity,” Whitley wrote at the time. “This could involve dedicated courses on personal and social development, with a focus on enduring life-skills and self-improvement, […] implementation and expansion of ‘buddy’ programs that match students together. There could also be a greater role for chaplaincy, peer support programs, and closer student-faculty relations.”

a, Opinion

On the emptiness of ‘post-national’ values

by Luke Devine on

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Being Canadian has never been so confusing. According to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Canada has transcended the nation-state paradigm to become the first ‘post-national’ state, where ‘openness,’ ‘respect,’ ‘compassion,’ and ‘willingness to work hard’ are the country’s only distinguishing values. Trudeau’s presumable aim is to counteract bigotry and divisiveness by ushering in a new era of universality. It seems intuitively difficult, however, to build a sense of purpose among Canadians on such loose terms. The attack on Syrian refugees in Vancouver demonstrates how far these principles are from being shared, despite Trudeau’s multinational vision. Simply trumpeting openness, evidently, does little to actually instill it.

If Trudeau’s ideals are to mean anything to Canadians, they need to be framed within Canada’s own national story, so that Canadians feel connected to an identifiable, tried-and-true value system. A real answer to bigotry, then, does not lie in dissolving Canada’s national identity, but rather in reinvigorating and diversifying how Canadian history is understood and taught.

Of course, advocating for a reinvigorated national identity might stir some Canadian stomachs, conjuring images of flag-waving jingoism, or, worse still, Donald Trump’s “Freedom Girls.” Canada’s fear of this sort of behaviour has propelled it in the opposite direction. Now, instead of excessive pride, Canada should be wary something equally troubling; no unifying national identity whatsoever. This is a concern because national identity generates stability and cohesion. In Canada’s case, a simply post-national identity would contribute to the watering down of national values until they disappear entirely. A celebration of our diverse history would include the stories of the Aboriginal, French, and English peoples. Ideally, this history would instil greater tolerance while anchoring a common and tangible political, social, and value system.

In Canada’s case, a simply post-national identity would contribute to the watering down of national values until they disappear entirely.

Trudeau is right to say that we are an extremely diverse country. But contrary to Trudeau’s idea of a post-national state, Canada is still in fact a nation, with a population shaped by a common history. Moreover, Canada’s nationhood should never be viewed as an obstacle to overcome for the sake of total equality. Instead, Canada’s long tradition of balancing diverse and competing interests—whether inherent in the country or brought on by immigration—should be emphasized more in order to foster a generation of more tolerant and aware Canadians.

Essentially, the theme of Canada’s founding—a union of diverse backgrounds—should appear more often when recounting Canada’s history, especially as this theme is very relevant today. Such a revamped version would highlight minority groups who are often overlooked in Canadian history. It may pay attention to, for instance, the Coloured Hockey League in Nova Scotia, or the Syrian newcomers of the early 20th century who settled, among other places, in the Canadian Arctic. A crucial part of this would also involve recounting the instances in which Canadian decision-makers, and the country as a whole, failed to live up to its supposed values of openness and compassion. For examples, consider Canada’s treatment of Jewish refugees in 1939, Japanese internment in the 1940s, and Komogata Maru.

Of course, restructuring the national history lesson is easier said than done. First, it is a simple historical fact that adequately representing every group and sub-group of Canadian society is an impossible task. Certain groups are bound to be misrepresented, or left out entirely. Second, every province constitutionally retains its right to teach their own version of Canadian history, and the federal government can at best exercise soft power in this domain. Lastly, Canadian history, in virtually every province, remains a low priority.

Canadians require principles that are more explicitly a part of, and integrated in, their national story. ‘Openness,’ for example, is better understood by actually learning about Canada’s history of immigration, or the policy of multiculturalism in 1971. Likewise, ‘willingness to work hard’ is better ingrained by showcasing a day in the life of a 20th century Italian-Canadian factory worker, or the indentured labour of Chinese labourers on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Diversity forms a crucial part of, and should remain under, Canada’s national history. Trudeau’s values are worth pursuing, but they do not belong in his post-national vacuum. If the federal government does not reconsider the merits of a national identity, Canada will lose its sense of self.

Luke Devine is a U2 History and Philosophy student, with a strange fascination for Theodore Roosevelt.

@McGillTribOp | [email protected]

a, Science & Technology

The anti-tutoring: Helpr is a unique way for peers to connect

by Chloe Nevitt on

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Many students looking for a hot date on a Friday night use Tinder. For those looking to boost their GPA, however, the match-making app Helpr will soon be available. Developed by three Montreal natives, Helpr is trying to change the tutoring game.

“We kind of describe it as the anti-tutoring,” Michael Hasenfratz, one of the co-founders, explained. “[There’s] no booking, no scheduling, no requesting the same helpr once or twice, and any student can become a helpr.”

The Helpr concept is similar to Uber. Once students become helprs, they can then list their availabilities and the classes they’re able to help with on the app. This is then accessed by students who are looking for immediate help nearby; all matches are done based on distance. This type of tool works best for students who do most of their work on campus—which is why the team decided to launch their app here at McGill.

“We surveyed Concordia and McGill students, and McGill students […] were much more likely to stay on campus to study,” explained Julien Nolin, another co-founder. 

To become a helpr, a student who was successful in a class must take a photo of their transcript as proof, upload it to the app, and enroll to be a helpr. Their application is then reviewed by one of the three founders and if they obtained at least an A- in the course, they’ll be interviewed. If the person meets all of the Helpr standards and requirements, they are approved to start helping others as an official helpr.

“We add them as helprs only in the courses they got As in,” said Hasenfratz. “Even if someone is a [student] and a helpr in business at McGill, they can’t be a helpr in every single course in business unless they’ve [received] an A in those courses.”

This adds to the ‘anti-tutoring’ sentiment that the team is looking to provide with Helpr. For example, a helpr can be used in a situation when, three hours before an assignment may be due, students are stuck on a problem. In a frenzied panic, they can search for the class they need and when they need it (within the next three hours) and the app will show their location on the map. The closest helpr nearby will be notified, and can choose to accept or reject the request.

helprapp2

Tutors are generally for long-term learning, whereas helprs aim to be the quick-fix. This is why helprs also come at a much lower cost.

Helpr offers rates that are lower than normal tutoring services, with a $2.50 base charge and then $0.35 a minute, which averages to about $24 an hour. Today, some tutors offer services at about $60 an hour, making the Helpr price-tag very attractive.

“When I was tutoring, I felt like handling money was always awkward,” Emmanuel Cohen, the third co-founder, explained. “Someone would book you for an hour, and after 35 minutes you realize that ‘that was it’ and then do you ask for change? Do you not ask for change? What’s the rate? We solved that issue by billing by the minute.” 

To begin a session, and begin charging fees, both the helpr and the student must agree to start the fee-timer, which prevents Helprs from abusing the system to make money when they’re not actually working.

The app also features the ability to chat with helprs and find specific locations to meet. Following a session, both the helpr and student are prompted to rate their experience with the other person. For helprs, this rating is vital, as a low rating can lead to them no longer being able to be a helpr.

“There’s definitely a negative stigma associated with tutoring,” explained Nolin. “A helpr is a classmate who’s done the work and [is] just here to help you through it.” 

a, Science & Technology

Tackling the TSA

by Natasha Michaeloff on

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Over the course of the last 15 years, airport-goers have seen huge changes in the processes required before boarding a plane, particularly the stringent security measures to which all passengers are subjected. Little is known, however, about not only how these machines work, but if they do make a difference in the safety of travellers.

One relatively new addition to airport security is the full-body scanner. There are two types of scanners: Millimetre wave and backscatter. Backscatter scanners employ low-energy X-rays, whereas millimetre wave scanners transmit radio waves over the person being scanned and measure the amount of energy reflected back. With these techniques, body scanners are able to detect metal and non-metal weapons and explosives, including those made of plastic. While full body scanners may appear to be an invasive procedure, the agents working at security are not privy to the full results. The security officer who views the scanner image does not actually see the passenger in question, the scanners either blur the faces or  display the passenger’s body as a chalk outline in the depiction. Furthermore, the results are not stored and cannot be printed. According to the TSA, the millimetre wave scanners generate less energy than a cell phone, and backscatter scanners produce radiation equivalent to what a person would receive after sitting for two minutes in an airplane. 

The question of whether machines, like the full-body scanner, do more harm than good, shadowing any annoyance that they might pose to passengers, has been up for debate for some time. In the United States, a report released in May 2015 by the Department of Homeland Security claimed that the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) had not been adequately maintaining its airport screening equipment, partly by not issuing any policies requiring airports to designate maintenance-related responsibilities to their employees. Without proper maintenance, screening machines are more likely to break down without warning, and if the machines are not operational or defective, it could potentially put more than a handful of the 1.8 million passengers screened daily by the TSA at risk, along with their aircraft. 

Meanwhile, here in Canada, the Canadian Border Services Agency announced last week that they are planning on implementing facial-recognition technology to compare the images of passengers arriving in Canada with photographs of suspected terrorists and other criminals on watch lists; however, according to Canadian Privacy Commissioner Daniel Therrien, these machines could yield “false positives” in the faces of people who bear an unfortunate resemblance to those on the watch lists and cause them to undergo an unnecessary secondary screening. 

Both US and Canadian screening policies and equipment have faced criticisms. Airlines force travelers to surrender their privacy and convenience without guaranteeing their safety. Nevertheless, the security screening process does not look like it will be changing any time soon. No matter what reservations passengers have about the nature of airport security, it is and will remain an unavoidable part of flying. 

a, Hockey, Sports

What you need to know about the NWHL

by Ellie Solloway on

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Just five months ago, Manon Rheaume—the only woman to ever appear in an NHL game—dropped the ceremonial first puck for the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL)’s inaugural regular season game between the Boston Beauts and the Buffalo Pride. Rheaume smiled as she found herself, not in between the pipes as she was 30 years ago, but at centre ice, helping usher in a new era for women’s hockey.

The NWHL, conceived in May 2015, holds the distinction of being the only one of North America’s multiple women’s hockey leagues to pay its players. Prior to the league’s establishment, women seeking to play hockey after university had limited opportunities; many ended up in the unpaid Canadian Women’s Hockey League. Recently, however, there has been a surge in interest among female hockey players for a regular competitive atmosphere that would provide compensation similar to that available to their male counterparts.

The NWHL provides just that. The league includes four teams—the Buffalo Beauts, the Boston Pride, the Connecticut Whale, and the New York Riveters—who play against each other every week. Players are compensated a minimum of $10,000 a season and receive 15 percent of their jersey sale profits. Though this salary is meager in comparison with major professional sports leagues, it is largely par for the course with men’s minor leagues.

The NWHL has amassed considerable support over the course of its inaugural season. An entry-level draft took place on June 20, which featured some big names including Hilary Knight and Amanda Kessel (sister of Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Phil Kessel), shortly after which they signed a major broadcast deal with ESPN. In December, the NWHL landed its first high-profile sponsor, Dunkin Donuts, which helped further establish the league’s legitimacy. 

Despite the league’s early successes, start-up businesses with goals like the NWHL’s are especially prone to obstacles. Commissioner Dani Rylan has conceded that turnouts for the league’s tryout events, despite the players displaying good talent, was lower than expected. Even the NWHL’s involvement in the NHL’s 2016 Winter Classic in Boston ended in partial devastation when Boston Beauts forward Denna Laing suffered severe spinal damage and partial paralysis after a strong collision with the boards. Despite these setbacks, the league’s success thus far provides reason to be optimistic about not only its future, but about women’s sports in general.

The league’s savvy initiatives to increase its prominence as an exciting and legitimate alternative to mainstream professional sports leagues affords it a respectable position to eye expansion. Gary Bettman and other NHL executives’ willingness to include the NWHL in major events speaks to their enthusiasm to grow the women’s game, and reflects changing public norms towards greater inclusion in sports.  As the media moves towards more equal coverage, the NWHL and other women’s leagues will likely gain traction. For now, the NWHL should be proud of its efforts to grow the game and inspire the next Manon Rheaume.

The NWHL All-Star festivities will take place Jan. 23-24 in Buffalo, New York. Standout players Emily Pfalzer and Knight captain two 14-woman rosters that will play two four-on-four periods, with the winning team receiving an equal split of 20 percent of ticket sales profits. The weekend also includes shooting accuracy, fastest skater, trick shot, and agility contests, as well as a VIP skate for fans.

Though still a league in its infancy and lacking a true fanbase, the NWHL has shown true potential. While it may never be as popular as the NHL or other major North American sports leagues, women’s hockey in the NWHL is here to stay.

blackstar album artwork
a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: David Bowie – Blackstar

by Alfie Crooks on

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When Blackstar was originally released in 2016, no one could have recognized the significance of David Bowie’s latest project; however, before anyone had enough time to tear the album apart with cold skepticism, the streets of London and of the world filled with adoring fans mourning the loss of Brixton’s brightest star. The death of an icon such as Bowie, marked by the mass hysteria following the tragedy, not only reminded us of the significance of David Bowie, but also gave a whole new meaning to the Blackstar album. 

Irrelevant from the circumstances under which Blackstar was released, the album is terrifically diverse and electrifying. While the work itself is only composed of seven tracks, the range of emotions is as vast as his instrumentals are unconventional. Bowie, famous for his ability to appreciate all forms of music, once again skips into another corner of music typically untouched by mainstream artists. The first half of the album begins with a very clear jazz influence before it progresses into a more traditional rock aesthetic before landing on “I Can’t Give Everything Away,” a track led by posturing harmonica riffs and synths. The instrumentals on this album are wacky and original, yet it is the musical genius of Bowie that structures an interesting and coherent musical progression around these dissenting instruments and melodies. 

While the album stands out as a unique work of a fascinating classic rock-jazz fusion, it is the sensitive yet commanding vocals which make this album quintessentially “Bowie.” His tone effortlessly flips like a switch throughout this project, with harrowing results. He begins “Lazarus” by fearfully whimpering “Look up here man, I’m in danger,” possibly alluding to his fragility in the face of mortality. Only three songs later, however, he seems to be at peace, calmly singing on “Dollar Days,” “If I never see the English evergreens I’m running to / it’s nothing to me.” Bowie’s vocal and emotional range paints a colourful and honest picture of facing death, whether it be through defiance, fear, acceptance, or resignation. 

Above all else, Blackstar’s legacy cements Bowie as the ultimate showman. Typically artists see some fall from grace or a disappearance into irrelevance. Even the brightest of stars can quickly burn out or meander into mediocrity. Bowie never grew complacent enough to fall from his gracefully established throne. Even under the crippling burden of cancer, he was strong, even electrifying, until the end. He kept us on the edge of our seats and hanging on his every word, with his artistry in the forefront of our minds, before suddenly the curtain closed and he was gone.

Standout Track:

"Dollar Days"

Standout Lyric:

"I'm cold to this pig and pug show / I'm sittin' in this chestnut tree / Who the fuck's gonna mess with me?

Sounds like:

Somewhere between John Coltraine and Animal Collective

rowers rowing in boats
a, Sports

Rowing: Mind and body unite

by Nicole Spadotto on

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“Rowing is a very psychologically demanding sport,” McGill rower Kylie Shorter said emphatically, as if she knows that most people have the opposite perception of rowing. 

She went on to explain that many members of the McGill rowing team never rowed prior to their McGill experience, and that training is especially intense when individuals are learning the sport while simultaneously learning to work as a team.

“Our coaches spent a lot of time on psychology throughout the season,” Shorter explained. “Especially since [some girls] had to go from never having rowed before to racing within two weeks.”

Rowers need to have an astronomical level of preparedness, but this is part of the appeal of the sport; rowing is an elite physical endeavour that can also be picked up fairly quickly. McGill operates its rowing team on two levels:—the novice group for relative beginners, and the varsity team for more established rowers. Every year, the best rowers from the novice team usually move up to the varsity level. The system works well as it ensures that the McGill coaches develop novice rowers, and fosters a sense of reciprocation and familial feelings between both levels of the rowing team.

The tension between psychological strength and physical excellence is apparent from the moment novices start learning the sport, vying for a position on the varsity team, and striving for excellence in races even though they are relatively new to the sport. Essentially, McGill rowers have to learn quickly in order to become good enough to compete at the university level.

“[Rowing] takes an immense amount of awareness and adaptability […] to make subtle adjustments,” Amanda MacPherson, one of McGill’s coxswains, explained. “It’s about being able to apply power efficiently and consistently,” something that spectators don’t necessarily see.

Awareness is one aspect that separates team rowing from the sport of indoor rowing, which makes use of a stationary ergometer, instead of a boat on water, to simulate race conditions. The insight is particularly interesting in light of the European Rowing Indoor Championships that took place this past weekend in Gyor, Hungary. Entry was open to all for the competition, so essentially rowers were self-selecting themselves to compete in specific heats throughout the weekend. A variety of events and heats were offered, depending on weight class, distance, and gender. Unlike rowing in the water, indoor rowing is an incredibly individual sport, and while personal psychology is still imperative, the individual rower’s performance rests in his or her own hands.

At McGill, athletes do indoor rowing as a method of training as opposed to a sport—two ergometers are permanent fixtures in the varsity gym. 

“I’ve done many challenging erg sessions,” MacPherson said. “It’s really about tuning out that part of your brain that tells you to stop, that tells you you’re tired and that you’re pushing too hard. You have to get in a zone where each stroke becomes automatic.”

McGill rower Daniele Bercovici concured and jokingly called the ergometer the “death machine.” Most rowers, however, understand the importance of indoor rowing sessions. 

“During winter training, the psychological aspect is even more prominent [than summer training on the water],” Shorter said. “No one likes erging, and when you are expected to pull long sessions, it can get very boring. In the end, it’s mental preparation and strength that gets you through the workout.”

Indoor rowing is an exercise that requires at least a basic level of fitness to begin and a substantial amount of mental fortitude to complete. When asked why rowers would put themselves through such an exercise, Shorter, MacPherson, and Bercovici all had similar answers: It teaches them that perceived limits can be broken.

“Rowing really changes your perspective on what you’re capable of,” MacPherson said.

Shorter smiled in agreement, “Rowing has taught me that I can push myself to obtain anything,” She added.

Bercovici believed that lessons learned from rowing can be applied across both athletics and everyday life. 

“You are much stronger than you think,” She concluded.  

a, Research Briefs, Science & Technology

Research briefs: pictures of proteins, rape culture, and Reddit

by Chloe Nevitt on

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First ever picture of a protein

The study of proteins has always been essential to understanding diseases. Proteins, which are the little worker bees of the human body are responsible for cleaning out debris, transporting vitamins and nutrients, and even fighting off foreign invaders. Because the function of an individual protein is largely dependent on its structure, understanding a malfunction relies on finding mutations in the structure. Scientists have developed a variety of ways to do this, most notably, crystallizing the protein and then taking photos of the crystal using high-energy X-rays, known as X-ray crystallography. Unfortunately, this technique can be time-consuming, costly, and difficult, as it can take months to crystallize a protein. Moreover, exposing proteins to high-energy x-rays can cause damage to the structure. 

Consequently, researchers have been looking for alternative imaging methods, and a team of scientists from the University of Zurich have succeeded in finding something that might just work. By using graphene, the carbon allotrope—other allotropes include diamonds and charcoal—the scientists were able to take the first ever photo of a protein without the need of crystals. 

“To capture an image of a single protein, the researchers spray a mixture of proteins in solution onto a thin sheet of graphene,” wrote Alexandra Ossola on Popular Science. “They then used a low-energy holography electron microscope, which creates an image by bouncing a beam of electrons off the proteins, then recording how those electrons interact with a pattern of other electrons.”

By using low-energy electrons instead of X-rays, the researchers are able to minimize damage to the protein, and by using graphene as a detector, they are able to obtain a higher level of sensitivity. The researchers took photos of hemoglobin, the protein responsible for carrying oxygen through the body, bovine serum albumin, commonly used in lab experiments, and cytochrome C, a signalling protein. Using this new technology, structural biologists will be able to better understand misfolded proteins in neural diseases like Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s in the hopes of finding a cure.

Reddit AMA used to study rape culture

In July 2012, a thread on the well-known website Reddit sparked some controversy. The comment, titled, “Reddit’s had a few threads about sexual assault victims, but are there any redditors from the other side of the story? What were your motivations? Do you regret it?” was posted on one of their pages—a subreddit—called r/AskReddit. The page is usually used by the Reddit community to answer questions or share funny anecdotes that are normally avoided in regular conversation. This particular question, however, incited a bit of controversy from rape survivors. Due to the anonymity associated with posting on internet forums, many of the posts ended up receiving hateful messages or support; the posts and comments ultimately were all deleted. Before the comments disappeared however, some researchers from Georgia State University were able to get their hands on them. Their goal was to study first-person narratives of sexual assault perpetration. 

The work, titled Justifying Sexual Assault: Anoynmous Perpetrators Speak Out Online, took the enormous quantity of comments—over 12,000—from the thread and picked 68 of the first-person accounts to analyze. From their work, they found that many of the perpetrators fell within certain categories: Victim blaming, objectification, biological essentialism, and a hatred of women. Many of the reasons overlapped, but ultimately, the researchers concluded that any and all reason was a self-defence mechanism. By blaming victims or primal needs, the perpetrators do not need to feel shame nor remorse; if they did, then it would mean something was wrong with them and of course that couldn’t be it.

McGill University researchers develop nanoparticle printing press

Nanoparticles continue to gain popularity, and for good reason—they’ve been used in a variety of fields from biomedical supplies and electronics to cosmetics and textiles. Consequently, optimizing their output is vital to furthering the use of nanoparticles across applications. To do this, researchers from McGill’s Sleiman Lab designed DNA nanostructures that acted as chemical ‘sticky patches.’ The nanoparticle is introduced to the sticky patch, where it stays until the researchers dissolve the DNA nanostructure, thereby leaving behind a DNA imprint on the nanoparticle. This DNA-imprinted gold nanoparticle can interact with other DNA-imprinted gold nanoparticles to form specific well-defined assemblies. Because the scientists create the DNA imprint, they have control over the ultimate pattern.

In the past, creating nanoparticle assemblies was difficult because researchers had no way to manipulate or control how the particles would come together. By using a DNA imprint, scientists can create a reproducible and predictable structure. The whole process, the researchers explain, is like going from binding books by hand to having a printing press. The next step, presumably, is seeing what else they will publish.

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