Latest News

a, McGill, News

Demilitarize McGill’s Remembrance Day protest causes controversy on campus

by Shrinkhala Dawadi on

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On Tuesday, Nov. 11, Demilitarize McGill hosted a rally protesting McGill University’s Remembrance Day ceremonies. (more…)

SSMU Building at McGill
a, News, SSMU

Budget, bylaw reform, and fee consolidation reviewed at SSMU Council

by Shrinkhala Dawadi, Cece Zhang on

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The Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Council met on Thursday to discuss the 2014-2015 budget, bylaw amendments, as well as fee consolidation. (more…)

a, Science & Technology

Schrödinger’s Cat as a key player in cutting-edge technology

by Babur Ayanlar on

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David J. Wineland, the 2012 winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics, presented this year’s Anna McPherson Lectures on Nov. 6 and 7. In the lectures, he explained his research that won the Nobel Prize in Physics: The development of a laser cooling system that traps single ions and reduces their vibrational energy to a minimum.

“David Wineland and his research partner, Serge Haroche, won the most prestigious award in scientific research […] for inventing and developing methods for measuring and manipulating individual particles, while preserving their quantum-mechanical nature in ways that were previously thought unattainable,” explained Assistant Professor Lily Childress in her introduction for Wineland.

Wineland’s research involves observing specific quantum mechanical effects. To be able to understand his work however, one must first be familiar with quantum superposition and the Schrödinger’s Cat thought experiment.

Quantum superposition is a property of subatomic particles that dictates the condition of the state of existence of these particles. For example, when an atom is not being observed, it is neither in a ground state nor in any of its excited states, but rather it exists simultaneously in all of these states. When the atom is being observed, this simultaneous existence collapses into one state.

Superposition is difficult to understand for people who almost exclusively observe macroscopic events in their daily lives. In order to demonstrate how odd the principles of quantum mechanics would be, Erwin Schrödinger presented his famous thought experiment. Say there’s a cat in a closed box with some poison. If we apply the concept of superposition, there’s a 50 per cent chance that the poison has killed the cat, but there’s no way of knowing this definitely until the lid is opened. In this situation, using quantum mechanical terms, the cat is said to exist in a superposition state of being both dead and alive, until we choose to open the lid and observe what has happened. As we observe the inside of the box, the superposition state collapses into one of the two possible observable outcomes.

Wineland’s research focuses on isolating single ions known as individual quantum systems. Wineland and his colleagues discussed the idea of capturing a single particle in 1973, and since 1975 have been working on isolating a single ion—methods now termed ‘trapping techniques.’ Ion traps are created in an ultra-high vacuum using a combination of static and oscillating electric fields. The ions, using advanced lasers, are cooled down to close to absolute zero, where the ions exhibit a narrower range of quantum mechanical reactions to any change in the system, which makes analysis much easier. To do this, the lasers hit the ion and cause it to emit photons—packets of energy—of a higher average energy than the one it absorbed from the laser. Over time, the ions lose a significant amount of energy, bringing them closer and closer to absolute zero.

Wineland and Haroche’s team successfully developed a system that trapped single ions, cooled them to ground state, and observed the quantum mechanical effects of exciting the ion.

Quantum computers and atomic clocks

The use of singular atoms and ions is starting to be applied to quantum computing and atomic clocks—two of the most cutting-edge quantum technologies available today. Consequently, Wineland has successfully developed the most precise atomic clock in the world. Atomic clocks keep time by measuring the transitional frequency of an atom, which is the frequency of the radiation given off by the atom as it is excited or grounded. By isolating a caesium-133 atom in ground state, and measuring how many cycles a transitional vibration makes within a second, researchers have come up with a new definition for a second.

“These clocks are used extensively—ranging from GPS to synchronizing time globally—because they are the most precise and accurate clocks ever made, with a loss of [one] second [every] 20 million years,” Wineland explained.

Quantum computing currently does not actually involve any computation, but rather the analysis of single or multiple quantum systems. Atoms or ions trapped using the aforementioned techniques are used as points—units of information called qubits (quantum bits). Instead of being limited to just ones and zeroes—like bits in classical computing are—qubits have the ability to be both of these values or any value in between due to the quantum superposition property of particles. Thus, a quantum computer has the ability to process 2n amount of bits compared to a classical computer. For example, a 300 qubits quantum computer will have the ability to process 2300 bits—an amount equal to the total amount of information in the universe.

In its infancy, quantum computing still has a long way to go. Despite their unparalleled computing power, quantum computers will never replace classical computers. Classical computers are much more capable of doing classical computations due to the nature of bits, and quantum computers have a narrower range of operations called quantum operations or quantum channeling. However, the nature of qubits have allowed scientists to achieve incredible tasks already, such as teleporting particles over 25 kilometres of optical fiber.

“At this point, nobody knows what quantum computing may evolve into in the far or near future,” Wineland said.

SSMU
a, Opinion

Campus Conversation: How would you make SSMU a stronger representative body?

by Kareem Ibrahim, Jacob Greenspon, Vincent-Pierre Fullerton on

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In light of recent controversies over the degree to which the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) represents the student body, we asked several students for their opinions:

“How would you make SSMU a stronger representative body?”

  • Representation, the first pillar

    Kareem Ibrahim

    Representation is one of the three pillars of the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU). Along with service and leadership, accounting for the thoughts and concerns of all undergraduate students is no simple task. That being said, there are some fundamental principles that make this process fairly straightforward, and its implementation is where things get tricky. There’s a reason why there is a proportionate number of representatives from each faculty, and it’s our hope as student representatives that the mechanisms in place can help facilitate two-way communication for a variety of purposes. It’s important we remember the two-way nature of this relationship—being a strong representative body means not only reaching out for input on issues when the student opinion needs to be gathered, but also facilitating open and free channels of communication for students to voice their concerns to us, especially on issues we may not be aware of.

    When it comes to smaller faculties, there is generally higher success rates in terms of response rates to consultative efforts such as using surveys and forums because it is easier to access large fractions of the population. How to go about this when it comes to larger faculties, like Arts, is an ongoing discussion. With all the recent conversations surrounding SSMU’s leadership, I, along with other representatives, have been thinking more about how to connect with students. Whether that means navigating less conventional platforms like Facebook or holding more open forums on issues, we know that every voice is equally valuable. Despite often feeling overwhelmed with the apathy students show towards SSMU, it’s important to remember that the opinions of those who disagree with some of our values and structural intricacies hold just as much weight as those engaged more closely with SSMU. As a representative, it can seem despairing sometimes, especially when notions like that of SSMU promotions being an eyesore are expressed in tandem with complaints about how the society does not accurately serve its constituents. It is tempting to dismiss such ideas, given that they allow for little else to be done, but nonetheless, this opinion is as valid as any, so it’s important we listen to these comments as well.

    The disconnect between much of the student population and SSMU is sometimes palpable, and it means that representatives have a lot of work to do in terms of better informing constituents of our activities, the structure of our work, and how their voices are our top priority. Students and student representatives alike need to work together to create positive change for the student body. That being said, this is a democracy, and we must represent the largest number of students in the decisions we make. The most important thing we need to work on right now—in terms of improving our representation and bridging the gap between dissatisfied students and SSMU—is to reach out to the students that don’t know what SSMU is and also to those who are disenchanted with the importance of SSMU as a whole. These are the opinions we are the least connected with, and once we have a more complete vision of what these students want, we can go from there. The possibilities for change are limitless, as long as those impacting it are our constituents. Letting our own personal views affect our decisions is unacceptable; instead, we need to improve communication before we can be fully satisfied with our capacity to accurately represent students.

  • Microphones, not megaphones

    Jacob Greenspoon

    The Students’ Society of McGill University’s (SSMU) representativeness is important because the association plays an important role for students by standing for their interests to McGill. The path to a more responsive SSMU lies in improving three ways in which SSMU interacts with the wider McGill student body

    First, SSMU should aim to have as much participation in its decisions and operations from as diverse a portion of the student body as possible —the more minds working on a problem, the better the solution will be. For example, in my current role as an Arts Senator, I work with McGill on revising the Student Assessment Policy to ensure that such policies are fair. Changes to this policy could affect groups of students differently, so it’s important for me as an Arts student to hear what students from other faculties think about these potential revisions. Better decisions are made when more students are involved in making them. However, student politicians have to be realistic and recognize that between lectures, homework, part-time jobs, and ‘relaxing’ on weekends many students simply don’t have time to be involved in all decisions made by SSMU. Consequently, SSMU is a representative democracy, allowing elected representatives to make decisions on behalf of their constituents. However, the onus is on elected representatives to effectively communicate with students, both to ensure that representatives vote in tune with their constituents’ opinions and that the most divisive issues are left to direct democracy. Additionally, SSMU must always leave the door open to student participation so students can take part in whatever decisions they want.

    Second, SSMU must diversify its methods of communication. Listservs alone just don’t cut it: SSMU needs to go to where students already are in order to reach them. This means using social media, tabling on campus, making class announcements, and more. Communicating this way will reach more students and give student representatives more complete information to work off of. This was useful when consulting with students about a food-and-noise policy the library was developing—a post on Spotted McGill received many comments from students on what they would and wouldn’t like to see in the policy. By using a variety of forums, SSMU will be able to reach a wider audience, achieve greater student participation in decision-making, and lead more students to use its services.

    Third, SSMU should adopt an issues-based approach to communication. This would mean appealing to students’ opinions on specific issues, in addition to asking them to tell representatives what they think in general. Further, SSMU should give greater weight to student input so that students’ opinions lead to more tangible results. For example, under the Arts Undergraduate Society’s (AUS) participatory budgeting initiative, students can vote directly on what AUS funds should be used on. If a student’s vote has a tangible, meaningful impact, students will more likely be willing to voice their views.

    Improving these three areas will lead to a student society that better represents McGill students. SSMU must have as much participation as possible in its decisions, and where extensive participation isn’t possible, representatives must consult with students. Further, the consultative communication must be widespread, specific, and succinct in order to be truly effective. To draw an imperfect metaphor, SSMU must act as not just a megaphone—broadcasting the decisions it is making and the issues it is looking at—but a microphone for students, which proactively looks into the student body to collect opinions and amplify all students’ voices. This would then enable students to be better represented by their student society, with better outcomes for all.

  • Clarity needed with SSMU’s role on external issues

    Vincent-Pierre Fullerton

    In evaluating how representative a body is of its constituents, one must start by determining what is, or ought to be, the role of that body. For instance, a body with a strong activist role will require different representational mechanisms than a body with a purely representational function. It is also important to look further than merely into the formal structure of the body, and into the actual use that is made of its structures.
    The whole backlash that ensued after the Fall 2014 General Assembly (GA) is symptomatic of an association whose role is ill-defined, or, rather, ill-understood by students. As proof, the question surrounding the situation in Israel-Palestine, which was substantive in nature, resulted in a mainly procedural debate on whether the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) should or even could take a position on such a divisive issue. The indefinite postponing of the motion seems to show that the student body—or at least a few hundred of its members—thought it better that SSMU should refrain from trying to take a position on such questions.

    This result sparked anger throughout campus for many different and sometimes contradictory reasons. Some criticized the organization of the GA itself, denouncing the fact that many students were unable to attend or to vote. Others thought it outrageous that a small number of the students present at the assembly could silence a substantive debate about an issue that many hold close at heart. In most cases, anger seemed to stem from a lack of clarity as to SSMU’s role in these issues.

    Had it been clear that the SSMU shouldn’t take stances on external questions, this controversy would not have happened. Had it been clear that SSMU should take external stances, some mechanisms ought to have been put in place to allow proper discussions to happen. The current ambiguity makes it harder for SSMU to create specific measures for such questions, forcing the body to resort to its usual governance mechanisms to discuss questions and issues which would warrant a different treatment, in that they are necessarily external to campus. In fact, such political questions should require extensive discussion and debating opportunities for all of the student body. Even so, it is a reality that many students won’t want to engage in these discussions. It goes also without saying that all students ought to have the possibility to formally vote on such questions, rather than merely ratifying GA decisions, as is presently the case.

    On another note, it is important to acknowledge that SSMU’s governance is actually quite suited to represent students on issues that are not extremely contentious and external. There are several tiers of decision-making which allow elected and non-elected students from all faculties and schools to voice their opinion on almost any subject matter.

    While SSMU is a strong representative body in many matters, it could undoubtedly devise new mechanisms and procedures to allow better debate and more adequate representation of its constituents when taking positions on contentious political issues. That being said, another discussion might even be held on whether we believe that SSMU, as an association with the primary goal of representing all students’ interests, be vested with the power to take stances on external issues which might inflame issues already divisive among its constituents. This question would, hopefully, make place for a constructive debate.

a, Features

From blast off to spin off

by Chloe Nevitt on

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During the development of the Apollo program in the 1960s, space enthusiast Lorne Trottier was getting his B.Sc. at McGill University. Every week, he would go to Schulich Library to check out the magazine Aviation Week & Space Technology to get updates regarding the moon landing. Finally, NASA did it—they had successfully sent a man to the moon. Ever since this landing, space science has dramatically evolved, and the technologies themselves increasingly serve a dual purpose. Not only is space science making leaps within the realms of zero gravity, it is also improving the lives of humankind back on earth.

In his novel An Astronauts Guide to Life on Earth, Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield describes that thinking like an astronaut is a matter of changing your perspective. Just as astronauts’ perspectives on the boundaries of space science are changing, today’s inventors are also broadening their views to apply space science in developing everyday technology.

In the 1960s, Eugene Lally, an engineer from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), investigated techniques to develop small, lightweight image sensors to take photos of space. Thirty years later, another team from JPL, led by Eric Fossum, looked to improve these image sensors, creating a device known as a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor image sensor (CMOS). This technology was cost-effective, maintained image quality, and was easy to build. Recognizing the capacity for these sensors to be employed within an everyday framework, the company Photobit made minor modifications to the sensors, which are now used in one in three cellphone cameras worldwide.

“You can’t predict what the payoff will be,” stated Elizabeth Howell, senior writer at Universe Today. “When they first invented laser [sensors,] they didn’t expect CDs or faster computers.”

But the implications of such technologies are far beyond the entertainment industry. Some technologies originally developed for space have made substantial contributions to the medical field.

In 1969, Canada was invited by NASA to participate in the space shuttle program. Their duty was to develop a Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS), which was used to deploy, maneuver, and capture the part of the rocket known as the payload. A partner of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) known as SPAR Aeronautics, developed a SRMS called the Canadarm which was used for 40 years. When the Canadarm retired, its legacy lived on.

“These SPAR arms [have since been developed] to become medical arms,” Howell explained. “In five years, things like image-guided autonomous robots (IGARs) [will be] searching for breast cancers [within the body].”

The Centre for Surgical Invention and Innovation in Hamilton, Ontario is designing these mechanical IGAR arms to detect and treat early stages of breast cancer. Dr. Nathalie Duchesne, a breast radiologist from Quebec City, is currently helping perform the first clinical trials for IGAR, which is projected to be released in the next four years.

The realization that technology could be applied across fields spurred the development of NASA’s Technology Transfer program, which focuses on commercializing NASA technologies. The end-of-year reports for these products, published yearly by NASA since 1976, provide a quantifiable way to show the general public the impact of space technology on earth.

“The early 1960s was when the tech transfer program was created,” said Daniel Lockney, NASA Technology Transfer program executive. “We would report back to the government […] and everyone thought, ‘This is such cool stuff, keep it coming.’”

In addition to its functions in space, the NASA Advanced Diagnostic Ultrasound in Microgravity (ADUM) can provide medical care for people living in remote communities. This tool avoids the need for expensive machinery, and can be brought to places where cumbersome equipment poses challenges, due to costs and transportation limitations. The ADUM can see whether or not a lung has been punctured or a bone has been broken. Being able to make both an early and accurate diagnosis significantly improves the outcome for a patient.

“You can’t take an x-ray machine into space because they’re heavy and [require] a lot of power,” Lockney said. “So we developed a light-weight, low-power, rugged ultra-sound machine […] that can be used [as a] diagnostic [tool].”

This ability to detect a sprained or broken wrist has been increasingly used by athletic trainers. The ADUM allows coaches and trainers to accurately determine the severity of an injury and better assess the situation to make smarter and safer decisions for their players.

“[The ADUM] can be used in sports games, where trainers can [decide] to [let] a player back in,” Lockney said. “It was used for the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Lions. It proved successful and now these are being used all over the country.”

Space research has also benefited the scope of medical knowledge. By examining astronauts, scientists and doctors are able to analyze the medical anomalies caused by living in space and connecting them to problems people have on earth.

Richard Hughson from the University of Waterloo has been studying the effects of aging by comparing seniors to astronauts.

“Astronauts come back weaker, [they have] blood pressure problems, [and their] balance is off,” Howell said. “[Hughson] has access to astronauts from the International Space Station, and he’s looking at seniors that just got out of bed in the morning and comparing them to astronauts like Chris Hadfield.”

By comparing these two demographics, Hughson has been able to provide insight on mechanisms in the elderly that are affecting their blood flow, which cause them to faint and fall. For the astronauts, it’s the effects of microgravity in space—a condition where all people and objects appear to be weightless—that have a number of detrimental affects on the body.

“There’s bone decalcification [and] atrophy in the bone structure,” said Jack James, the Technology Transfer Office chief from NASA’s Johnson Space Center. “Our Human Health and Performance Group […] looks at the risks, identifies which are real and what’s [their] magnitude, and [then] how to [create] countermeasures to address [them].”

A lot of these technological advances have occurred due to the work of pioneers in developing surgical techniques from NASA technologies such as Michael Debakey.

Debakey was a world-renowned heart surgeon who invented heart and lung bypass machines developed from the same efficient pump design used by NASA rockets. While rocket pumps transfer tons of fuel and a heart pump transfers only litres, they have a similar application. More researchers that think like Debakey are necessary to evolve these inventions for other purposes, explained James.

“We developed an implantable heart device based on microfluid [rocket fuel] flow,” Lockney said. “We took that knowledge and worked with Michael Debakey to develop a ‘heartplant,’ which is a bridge between [an implant and] a heart transplant.’”

However, the scope of NASA’s work isn’t limited to physical health; space research also contributes to mental health studies that are used to evaluate the effects of isolation on the mind.

“Some of the people who helped the miners who were trapped down in Chile [in 2010] were people from our lab,” James said. “[Based on their experiences in space,] they can tell you what to worry about for people who are confined and isolated for a long time.”

The effects of isolation are important to consider for longer space expeditions, such as a trip to Mars, which James says could take three to five years. It’s essential for both mental health and further space studies to understand how people will react to solitude.

Beyond contributing to the medical field, the space program provides insight to the development of life on earth.

“We’re getting a deeper understanding of ourselves and how we got here,” Trottier said. “I’m very excited by it.”

The technology developed to find life—and answer our own questions about life—forms a critical tool to better understand the origins of the universe.

“[Telescopes] are being built—next generation space technology—and there’s a good chance they can find another Earth and evidence for something with life on it,” Trottier said.

Professor René Doyon from Université de Montréal is developing one of the four main instruments on the James Webb Space Telescope: The Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec).

“Using IR technology [the telescope] will be capable of detecting the atmospheres of planets.” explained Doyon. “The telescope will be launched in 2018, so hopefully [by then] we’ll be capable of detecting the [solar] systems [we want to study].”

The telescope measures atmospheres of exoplanets—planets outside our solar system—to determine whether planets exist with water or oxygen in their atmospheres.

By examining the origins and presence of life on other planets, astronauts will be able to get a deeper and better understanding of our own.

“Astronomy is the ultimate way of doing exploration […] finding life outside the solar system and finding the nature of the universe will put us in a much broader perspective,” Doyon said.

The depth of NASA’s contributions to space and modern technology are extensive. And, while NASA has sometimes been incorrectly credited with bringing inventions like MRIs to the public, perhaps the biggest contribution from space technologies has been the breaking down of barriers.

Over the last thirteen years, Doyon’s fondest memories working on the telescope are from working with other people. Translational research, he explains, is essential in tackling large projects.

“You […] bring together the best talents in many fields,” Doyon said. “You need engineering, you need experts in management, you need scientists to analyze, [but] more than anything else, we need lots of students.”

a, McGill, News

Speakers from Montreal community projects engage students as part of Innovation Week

by Natalie Wong on

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An open class lecture discussing collaboration for convergent innovation in public health was held in management course MGCR 360, Social Context of Business, last Friday as part of McGill’s Innovation Week. Professor Nii Addy, who teaches the course, invited speakers Claude Lavoie, projects manager from Jeunes en Santé Notre Dame du Grace; Raphaëlle Rinfret-Pilon, manager of concertation and development for Corporation de développement communautaire (CDC) Centre-Sud, and Alexie Giguere-Groulx, coordinator for community mobilization and engagement for Carrefour Alimentaire Centre-Sud. The event was intended to present and facilitate discussion on projects in Montreal, with the goal of encouraging student participation through creating innovative solutions for public health issues throughout the community.

This event was one amongst many in the McGill Innovation Week, an initiative launched by Quartier de l’innovation (QI) last year in collaboration with the leadership of the McGill QI Team, as well as VP Communications and External Relations Olivier Marcil.

Addy said that collaborations such as those between MGCR 360, the McGill Centre for the Convergence of Health and Economics (MCCHE), and other organizations have the potential to promote multi-disciplinary research between faculty members, as well as increase involvement of students from diverse disciplines working on such projects, which will enhance learning overall.

“For example, the research work that was highlighted in the class on Friday involves developing an information system to support community leaders from diverse sectors as they make decisions to promote healthy living among youth,” Addy said. “One can imagine the amount of learning that would occur in teams that have greater involvement of students from multiple disciplines, working on issues that face communities in Montreal.”

Giguere-Groulx described the aim of Carrefour Alimentaire Centre-Sud, which is to use innovative techniques to create access to healthy food and create a support system for the development of various local and ecological food system.
“Our mission would be to encourage access to developing communities […] especially to those socially and economically impoverished,” Giguere-Groulx said. “We’re developing a network that will […] offer access to healthy food, because in Centre-Sud it is a basic problem […] We are also working on […] a program that [aims] to improve skills, and we’re also supporting the development of the individual and intellectual empowerment.”

Giguere-Groulx described the importance of educating students on the accessibility of potential projects in the community.

“I think there’s a big gap between theory and reality […] engaging specific projects [and making it] a reality is interesting for students,” Giguere-Groulx said. “I believe that it is [about understanding] the basic concept [of potential solutions to tackle local problems], and [how] we can put them in action.”

Rinfret-Pilon commented on the need for students to search for community projects that they can contribute to in order to create collaborations that would improve the quality of life within the Montreal community.

“As students, what you can do is [find out] what is happening in your neighbourhoods,” she said. “It’s getting involved, getting interested in what’s happening, and how you as a simple citizen can go and give some time or understand the problems […] and bring new ideas.”

“Innovation Week facilitates networking between students from multiple faculties, researchers and practitioners, and is especially useful to students, as such networking allows them to discover innovation efforts in the Montreal community and beyond,” Addy said. “Innovation Week also provides opportunities for students to build on their leadership skills, as they facilitate discussions.”

Students present at the event commented on the potential that Innovation Week brings to inspire creativity of students, as well as the benefits of bringing speakers from local projects to the McGill community.

“I think Innovation Week is really helpful for students in the context [of this class] because we had a topic on innovation and creativity [as well as] a topic […] on how education kills creativity and innovation,” said Antoine Simon, U3 Management. “It’s true that the education system shapes us to think in one specific way [….] Innovation Week gives us the opportunity to think outside the scope of education in terms of innovation and creativity.”

Larissa Nseyep, U4 Management, expressed a similar sentiment.

“We’re so inside the McGill bubble that we don’t know what’s going on in Montreal,” Nseyep said. “We are an international [community] so […] it’s nice to come and see what’s out there [in local Montreal] and how we can help. [This event] is a good way for [students] to express themselves and share their ideas […] as well as ask questions [regarding how to get involved].”

a, Art, Arts & Entertainment

Warhol takes the MMFA’s walls

by Burgess Powell on

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With Warhol Mania, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts  (MMFA) presents an eclectic collection of Andy Warhol’s illustrations, posters, and record art—but leaves the viewer to reconcile Warhol the artist with Warhol the advertiser. Through image repetition and his typical three-colour style, Warhol’s work remains dynamic and innovative in the eyes of the modern viewer. Yet the impact of Warhol’s work relies as much on his skill as on our understanding of its cultural significance. Walking through exhibitions of Warhol’s renowned celebrity portraits along with innovative yet comparatively tentative earlier illustrations, the viewers have the sense that they are witnessing the creation of an aesthetic that still permeates today’s culture.

While Warhol’s famous images—Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, Campbell’s soup—are sometimes dismissed as merely popular posters, they also represent Warhol’s contribution to the growth of celebrity culture and advertising. Indeed, much of Warhol’s work was produced with a purpose beyond the creation of art. His images were mass-produced to sell products, be it records, alcohol, beauty products, or people. In Warhol Mania, a description accompanies a striking poster of an Absolut Vodka bottle, explaining that Warhol met with the CEO of Carillon Importers—the European spirits company that produces Absolut Vodka—to create what the exhibit describes as “a ‘portrait’ of the Absolut bottle.”  Warhol’s Absolut poster is not only a striking piece of artwork, but a clever marketing strategy that extends beyond Absolut. By creating a beautiful piece originally commissioned to encourage product sales, Warhol blurs the line between advertising and art.

Though Warhol created many “portraits” of objects, he is best known for his celebrity portraits and consequent contribution to our cultural fascination with celebrities.  Through Warhol’s LIFE and TIME magazine covers, record art, and portraits, his visuals of celebrities permeated our culture, and have remained relevant ever since.  A poster of Diana Ross for her album Silk Electric (1982) hangs in the Warhol Mania exhibit with a description that quotes Warhol. He asks, “I wonder if she wants to be black or white.” Looking at the poster, the viewer observes four captivating repetitions of Diana Ross’s noticeably pale face. As an artist, Warhol made deliberate choices concerning his work, but the wide circulation of his art as a form of advertising ensures the prevalence of his perspective, no matter what his motivations. 

The extent of Andy Warhol’s influence can be traced back to the start of his career. In an issue of LIFE dating back to January 21, 1957, Warhol is described as a “commercial artist.”  Though his celebrity status has increased significantly since his creation of the illustrations that accompanied that comment, this characterization remains accurate. Warhol’s artwork has universal appeal and is enduring because it symbolizes modernity and influences the present. His vivid images are amplified by the viewer’s knowledge that they are important, that they embody something greater than an advertisement, a celebrity portrait, or a beautiful illustration. Through his innovative depiction and perpetuation of American consumer products, he informs our modern understanding of art.

In his self-portrait, Andy Warhol’s yellow face stares at the viewer with penetrating eyes, which the museum description characterizes as, “infused […] with a terrifying realism.” As with any artist, we will never know precisely what Warhol intended to express through his work. Perhaps he understood that in order to bring art to a large audience, one had to reconcile art with advertising. With this portrait, Warhol does for himself what he has done throughout his career for others—portraying himself as an artist while engaging in advertising.

Warhol Mania runs until March 15, 2015 at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1380 Sherbrooke Ouest). Student admission is $12, and $10 on Wednesday evenings.

a, Basketball, Football, Hockey, Sports

10 Things: Unbreakable sports records

by Aaron Rose on

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  1. In the 1961-1962 season, Wilt Chamberlain averaged 48.52 minutes per game. Not only did the ‘Big Dipper’ never sit out because of injury, but he never tired, playing every minute of every game, including all 50 overtime minutes his team played that season. In the modern era, only Allen Iverson has come close to breaking the record, averaging 43.70 minutes per game in the 2001-2002 season.
  2. From 1956-1960, the Montreal Canadiens won five consecutive Stanley Cups. Since the addition of the salary cap in 2004, no team has even repeated as champions. Great teams are often dismantled in free agency, and since the NHL expanded from six teams to 12 in 1967, only the New York Islanders have come close to breaking the Habs record, winning four consecutive Stanley Cups from 1980-1983.
  3. The Buffalo Bills own easily one of the most devastating records of all time. From 1990-1993, the Bills went to four consecutive Super Bowls. While this feat in itself is a record that may never be broken, the fact that the Bills lost all four trips earned Buffalo a spot on this list. While no team has ever three-peated as champions, only the Bills can say they have four-peated as losers.
  4. In 1985-1986, Wayne Gretzky had his greatest season, posting 215 points. With goalies playing better than ever and the game becoming more physical, nobody will ever come close to breaking Gretzky’s record. Jaromir Jagr scored 149 points in the 1995-1996 season, but even the likes of Sidney Crosby won’t even approach the greatness of Gretzky’s 1985 season.
  5. From 1959-1966, Bill Russell led the Boston Celtics to eight consecutive NBA Championships. While it’s not unheard of for teams to repeat or three-peat in today’s NBA, only the Chicago Bulls teams of the ‘90s have ever come close to winning eight consecutive championships. Michael Jordan’s two-season stint in baseball, however, took the wind out of the Bulls’ sails.
  6. From May 30, 1982 to September 19, 1998, Cal Ripken Jr. did not miss a game, starting in 2,632 consecutive games and breaking the record of 2,130 previously held by Lou Gehrig. Hunter Pence has the longest active streak at 382 starts, but starting every game over a 162-game season is a tall order. Doing so for 16 seasons is even more daunting.
  7. Over his 19-year career, John Stockton registered 15,806 assists. While the Stockton-Malone combo never won a championship for Utah, the dynamic duo ruled the Western Conference in the late ‘90s. Jason Kidd’s 12,091 career assists have him second on the all-time list, but nobody in the foreseeable future will come remotely close to breaking Stockton’s record.
  8. From 1979-2003, Rickey Henderson was an unstoppable thief on the basepaths, leading the American League in stolen bases 12 times. His 1,406 stolen bases are by far the most of all time–468 more than the Lou Brock, the next name on the list. For the most part, stealing has become a lost art in the league, as teams are becoming more reluctant to risk running into an out, making this an improbable record to break.
  9. While Brett Favre’s touchdown record only stood for four years, his career interception record of 336 won’t be toppled. It takes a special kind of quarterback to throw 300 interceptions. Favre was a gunslinger who was good enough to hold onto his job for 18 seasons, and had the confidence to keep heaving the ball deep into double or triple-coverage throughout his career.
  10. On February 7, 1976, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Darryl Sittler registered six goals and four assists, in an 11-4 beat down of the Boston Bruins. Teams don’t score 11 goals in the modern era, and even on an easy difficulty, it’s a struggle to tally 10 points in hockey video games. Only 15 players have ever registered eight points in a game and nobody, other than Sittler, has registered nine let alone 10.
a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Album Review: Ryan Hemsworth – Alone For the First Time

by Martin Molpeceres on

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Ryan Hemsworth’s Alone For the First Time follows his well-received Guilt Trips (2013) to constitute the Canadian producer’s third studio album. The record immediately offers a unique, somewhat melancholic tone with the opening track “Hurt Me”—something that remains present throughout. The minimalist electronic beats, coupled with a grounding percussion, mix well with the tracks’ slow-paced vocals, all of which are distorted wonderfully to give the album a mellow rhythm that serves it well.

Unfortunately, the album does not build upon this foundation and instead chooses to maintain its slow tempo—a decision that wouldn’t be as maddening if not for the feeling of wasted potential that lingers throughout the album. More baffling still is the short track listing, which would have worked well had its sparse composition climaxed into something greater, but in reality, it leaves the listener wanting more. The whole affair breeds musical style not unlike The Weeknd’s House of Balloons (2011), but whereas that gelled into a complete experience, Alone For the First Time fails to emerge as a satisfying whole, even though tracks like “Snow in Newark” bring it close. Hemsworth’s latest may offer a rich atmosphere and a well executed bare-bones style, but for some, that may not be enough.

a, Opinion

Commentary: The portrait of a terrorist

by Sharon Xie on

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The portrait of a terrorist is often painted by the media as such: A radical jihadist with a calculating and deliberate plan to bring down the West. (more…)

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