Humming away in the Rutherford Physics building, a long cold walk from Stewart Bio, is a computer that can predict one of the fundamental processes in biology: how vertebrae form.
Paul François, associate professor in the department of physics, and associate member of the department of biology, is one researcher applying physics to biology problems.
“There is a current boom in this field, at the interface between physics and biology. One of the reasons is that, there are more and more data available, so you get closer and closer to being able to describe biology as a dynamical system and apply the physics method to biological mechanisms … even evolution,” François said.
Advances like glowing protein tags and real time imaging have led to a better understanding of cell dynamics. According to François, this is where the physics comes in.
“In physics, we are used to dynamical process …. I know if I push a ball, it’s going to roll in some way I can predict. So the question now is … can you do the same thing [with evolution], can you write a theory that will predict evolution in some way?”
A large part of François’ research is creating numerical models in hopes of finding equations that can be used to predict evolution or cellular biological processes.
“You can consider [cells] as dynamical systems that rely on computation. Like computers, they integrate a lot of external clues; and from those external clues they make decisions,” he said.
In cells, these external clues come in the form of signals from other cells or the environment. Based on these signals, decisions are made regarding whether or not to replicate, and which proteins to make. Therefore, using computers to model cell decisions is a logical step.
Recently, François used numerical models to look at the process of developing vertebrae. This is an important topic for biologists because of its medical implications; problems during vertebrate development can lead to scoliosis or trunk dwarfism.
François started with a simple question: what kind of cell processes create vertebrae? In response, he used his computer to evolve a gene network that was able to form vertebrae.
“It turned out that the network that was formed really corresponded to something we actually see in biology; and what is really striking is that, it evolves basically a genetic ‘clock,’ a genetic oscillation.”
In the genetic oscillation, waves of signals travel through the developing cells, coordinating vertebrae formation.
To test his model, François collaborated with Professor Sharon L. Amacher from Ohio State University, a biologist studying embryonic development with time lapse imaging. Amacher tested the model using genetically modified zebrafish, and found that there was an oscillating pattern during cell development.
From purely numerical models, François was able to produce the general process of vertebrae formation.
“In some way, we recapitulated what happened in evolution,” he said.
Although interdisciplinary collaborations can yield ground-breaking results, it is sometimes a challenge to communicate.
Waves of gene expressions in wild and mutated zebrafish embryos from François’ recent paper. (www.sciencedirect.com)
“Very often, you don’t speak the same language,” François said.
Different training and different research interests are common barriers. François has dealt with these issues by studying biology extensively, and working with biological researchers.
“By doing this you create an interaction, find a common language, and then you can do more sophisticated things.”
At McGill, one avenue for interaction is the Quantitative Biology Initiative: a multi-disciplinary research group that brings together faculty from McGill Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Computer Science, as well as Université de Montréal researchers.
There is also a growing trend of applying physics to solve problems in other dynamic systems like economics, or even politics.
“I think this is where physics can help a lot …. Physicists are used to taking a very complicated system, and simplifying it to a core equation, a core variable, to really identify what the most important parameters are,” François said.
On Nov. 27, in a crowded Leacock 132 auditorium, McGill’s Office of Science and Society (OSS) hosted its second debate on naturopathy, titled “Homeopathy: Mere placebo or great medicine?”
The debate pitted Dr. Joe Schwarcz, professor of chemistry and director of the OSS, against Dr. André Saine, a practicing naturopath doctor specializing in homeopathy and dean of the Canadian Academy of Homeopathy.
Dr. Mark Ware, McGill professor of Family Medicine and Anesthesia, moderated the debate. Saine and Schwarcz opened with 30 minute presentations, followed by rebuttals, and finally took questions from the audience.
The speakers’ approaches to homeopathy and science could not have been more different. While Saine appeared passionate, Schwarcz presented his speech calmly, interacting with the audience and offering a holistic perspective that contrasted with Saine’s journal literature-based argument.
Homeopathy originated in 1796, and is based on the principle that ‘like cures like’—the causes of an illness, when given at a highly diluted dose, will make you better. Since its inception, homeopathy has constantly met criticism of the lack of science behind the therapy.
Dilution, a basic tenet of homeopathy, was the first issue raised in debate. Scientists are highly skeptical of the practice because high dilution remedies contain “not a single molecule of the original substance … and that these remedies are indistinguishable from each other,” Saine said. “This [argument] is the greatest stumbling block for the skeptic.”
Saine presented a number of carefully-selected papers to show various chemical methods that successfully distinguished the original particles in homeopathic remedies. He also referred to a paper which shows that “the change in the water [after homeopathic dilution] is permanent, and significant.” Another paper found “physical entities [such] as nanoparticles” up to a dilution of 1060 to 10400.
Schwarcz discounted Saine’s scientific literature review.
“There are 6,500 peer reviewed journals in the world; every minute of every day, four new peer reviewed publications that come out,” Schwarcz said, accusing Saine of “cherry pick[ing] the literature.” To illustrate his point, Schwarcz referred to an article submitted to Nature, in 1988, showing a successful homeopathic treatment that was never replicated.
Schwarcz remarked that the original compound does not exist in a 12C dilution (or 12, 100-fold dilutions).
“[The] solution that does have anything is impregnated with a sugar pill … and once this water is evaporated … there is a ghost of this molecule left.” For the 30C dilution, “you’re not even going to encounter a water molecule that has encountered the original material,” he added.
“Water having memory is not plausible, based on [the] chemistry and biology and physics that we know,” Schwarcz said, stressing the importance of plausibility in making scientific arguments and claims.
Saine counters that plausibility is not important, because generations of homeopaths have shown “loads of evidence” that homeopathy works, which he regrets is not accepted by scientists simply because it is “logically flawed.”
According to Schwarcz, homeopathy persists due to the placebo effect, a powerful phenomenon. Patients may respond to homeopathy more strongly.
“[Even though] homeopathy itself is scientifically implausible, homeopaths can be beneficial to people,” he said. Schwarcz believes both the remedy and the practitioner are placebos, as homeopaths pay more attention to patients than conventional doctors.
“There is nothing in the history of medicine that can come close to homeopathy. This is the future of medicine. Homeopathy will be confirmed,” Saine said.
Schwarz, on the other hand had no prediction for the future of homeopathy, only a belief in the enduring good of science.
Vitamin D is correlated with many health benefits, including lower cancer risk; but until now, the link has always been unclear. McGill researchers have uncovered a piece of the puzzle, explaining how the vitamin may help to prevent cancer.
In a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the departments of medicine and physiology, John White, and David Goltzman, discovered a mechanism in vitamin D that slows the multiplication of cancer cells. Previously, researchers saw a relationship between consumption of vitamin D supplements and a reduced risk of certain cancers, but the omplete reasons for this relationship are still not well understood.
Vitamin D plays a role in controlling epidermal differentiation and cell proliferation— two processes that run rampant in cancerous cells. Specifically, it controls a protein called cMYC—a transcription factor or protein that controls genetic expression.
When White and Goltzman applied vitamin D to human cancer cells, they saw a reduction in cMYC, and cell multiplication slowed. The vitamin played two roles: it reduced the production of cMYC, and caused the cells to manufacture a protein that destroyed cMYC. Applying vitamin D to the skin of mice yielded similar results.
These findings may be of particular interest to residents of northern climates, as sun exposure is a major source of vitamin D replenishment. Indeed, the Canadian Cancer Society recommends a supplement of 1000 IU per day for the average adult.
Hydrogen embrittlement
In high-performance metals, there is a delicate balance between bending and breaking. Ductile metals, like copper, can be easily bent and worked; brittle metals like cast iron are stronger, but break more easily. One unexplained problem that has plagued metallurgists is that of ‘hydrogen embrittlement.’ In this process, hydrogen atoms penetrate the structure of the metal and cause it to lose ductility and fracture easily.
In certain materials, like high-strength steel, hydrogen embrittlement is more common. This is also the case in metals with more exposure to the element. For example, zirconium alloys, high-performance metals used in nuclear reactors, are susceptible to hydrogen embrittlement during cooling accidents. Hot steam reacts with the metal to form hydrogen gas, which in turn, leaches into the zirconium alloy, weakening the metal, and causing it to corrode.
A new study, published last month in Nature Materials, may shed light on the causes of hydrogen embrittlement. The study, conducted by Assistant Professor Jun Song of McGill materials engineering, and Professor William Curtin, director of mechanical engineering at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, used a combination of computer models and experiments to create a method for predicting the phenomenon. It turns out, that the process is likely due to hydrogen, filling miniscule spaces in the metallic structure that normally give leeway for movement.
The researchers hope that this study will open new avenues for embrittlement-proof materials.
Autism spectrum disorders
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) encompass a variety of neurodevelopmental diseases including autism, Asperger syndrome, and Rett’s disorder. Essentially, ASDs affect the development of the brain.
Professor Nahum Sonenberg of McGill’s department of biochemistry, faculty of medicine, and researcher at the Goodman Cancer Research Centre, recently uncovered a new avenue of research that may lead to further understanding ASDs.
Sonenberg’s lab focuses on clarifying the role of dysregulated protein synthesis in cancer. They were surprised to discover that there are similarities between the irregular protein synthesis in cancer and that in ASD. Using a model mouse, they showed that irregular protein synthesis, resembling that of ASD patients, have an increased production of compounds, known as neurologins.
Neurologins are important for transferring information in the body through neurons—cells that send electrical signals. Using computer modeling, the team was able to identify the unique structures of mRNA—molecules that transfer genetic information from DNA to form proteins—of the neurologins that could be responsible for causing their irregular behaviour.
They found that dysregulated synthesis of neurologins increases cell signaling in the brain. This increase seems to result in an imbalance between excitation and inhibition of single brain cells. Although there is much more progress to be made in the treatment of ASD, these findings may be of particular interest to autism research, as they open up a new area of study that has yet to be fully explored.
The Cystic Fibrosis Translational Research Centre at McGill University and the University of British Columbia are looking in unexpected places for potential cures—under the sea. Dr. David Thomas, Chair of McGill’s department of biochemistry and Canada Research chair in molecular genetics, focuses his research on investigating quality control of proteins.
The researchers have discovered a chemical that restores the function of the defective protein that causes cystic fibrosis. It comes from an unusual source: marine sponges from the South Pacific.
Proteins are the ‘workhorses’ of molecular life—both by functioning as the main structural building block and taking part in almost every cell activity. If a protein is not functioning properly, it can cause disorders: namely protein trafficking diseases like cystic fibrosis. Since these abnormal proteins are harmful, the body has developed mechanisms to eliminate them. Dr. Thomas’ lab investigates these mechanisms, hoping to find treatments for disorders like cystic fibrosis.
“We work on determining … the rules of protein quality control,” Dr. Thomas explained. “If you’ve ever driven an AMC car, and you drive a BMW, you know what quality control is.”
Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder that is caused by a mutation in the gene of a protein called CFTR (cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator). This protein is necessary for moving chloride and sodium ions across membranes in the lungs. In CF, the protein is mutated, so that ion transport cannot function properly, and viscous secretions build up in the lungs.
About five years ago, Dr. Thomas began to research treatments for the defective protein that causes CF. In collaboration with Professor Raymond Andersen, a natural products chemist who specializes in isolating novel molecules from marine sponges, he looked into a variety of chemicals that could correct the basic defect that causes most CF cases.
It turned out that one marine sponge provided a chemical extract that corrects the localization and function of CFTR. They purified this compound and traced down one important chemical—lantonduine. Despite this success, Dr. Thomas’ team will continue investigating other compounds that might play a role in treating CF.
Looking to the future, Dr. Thomas does not believe developing treatment will be easy.
“The problem with cystic fibrosis is that it is a rare disease … about 90,000 people have it worldwide, and big companies are not going to be interested in working on orphan [or rare] diseases”.
This problem is not unique to CF.
“Between six to eight per cent of the population suffer from an orphan or rare disease, but there is such a vast array of them, that no one is going to develop a therapy when you only have 200 people [in need]”.
Still, studies like those conducted by Dr. Thomas’ team could be potentially applicable to a wider range of patients.
“Something that works for cystic fibrosis [could] also work for other protein trafficking diseases,” Thomas said.
“The market is 90,000 [patients, but perhaps] they can add to it by looking at other protein trafficking diseases.”
Over the past 20 years, scientists have completed hundreds of studies on the adverse effects of nicotine consumption—especially from cigarette usage. However, the progress made in lowering the fatalities and costs from the drug has been disappointing, given the amount of money put into these studies.
Approximately 37,000 deaths and $4.4 billion in hospital fees occur annually as a result of nicotine usage, according to Health Canada. Perhaps new angles on this research should be taken if progress is to be made towards cutting the drug’s expensive social and economic costs.
Current studies of nicotine use demonstrate weak conclusions: nicotine increases incidents of heart disease, lung problems, addiction, and cancer. Others study the genetics and psychology behind why some people are more addicted to it than others.
Researchers have designed products like nicotine patches to help smokers quit, but again statistics show poor results. According to a 2002 study in the peer-reviewed journal Addiction which followed over 5,000 smokers, fewer than 10 per cent of people were still smoke-free after six months of using the patch. Despite extensive research and many products available to prevent smoking, little progress has been made in helping smokers kick their habit.
One of the fundamental processes in science is analyzing situations objectively. Perhaps, it is time to approach nicotine research from a new angle, and examine the possible benefits to be gained from smoking, or chewing tobacco. This new perspective does not mean that nicotine should be used to improve people’s health. However, researchers could gain more insight into what drives the addiction and find possible nicotine substitutions with fewer health side effects.
Researchers, such as Joseph McClernon and his team at Duke University, have identified nicotine’s therapeutic effects in their studies. In one project, they randomly assigned nicotine or placebo patches to 11 non-smokers who exhibited depression. After eight days with the patches, the researchers analyzed participants, by a standardized method used to measure depression. Results showed that nicotine has the potential to improve mood, or temporarily relieve symptoms of depression.
McClernon’s study gives reason to believe that cigarettes help relieve anxiety. Meanwhile, other research reveals the dangers in stress-related illnesses. It could be interesting to compare the positive and negative effects of smoking to reduce anxiety in the long term. Would those who smoke to relieve stress live longer than those who succumb to constant anxiety? Could nicotine be helping people to an extent, and could this, in turn, be a major cause of dependence?
The results could potentially uncover a strong correlation with other studies on the harms and benefits of anti-anxiety drugs. Some pharmacies have already begun to work on new depression medications based on nicotine’s stress-relieving properties—eliminating the dependence it causes.
Logically, finding the benefits of smoking would also lead to finding the most effective method to quit smoking. If scientists uncover the reasons to smoke, they could mimic them in a placebo that satiates an addict’s cravings. Because nicotine patches have such low success rates, there must be other benefits than just nicotine in the bloodstream.
To uncover these benefits, scientists need to look beyond the negative effects that people suffer from smoking or chewing.
Though this type of study would be controversial to the current anti-nicotine movement, it could open new doors for understanding what drives people to begin and continue smoking. The new angle would allow scientists to see nicotine from the perspective of an addict.
Most of society is well enough informed to know the dangers of smoking, so the benefits driving people to smoke must be outweigh the risks in their conscious or unconscious minds. Instead of repeated studies on the various carcinogens in cigarettes, researchers should invest their time discovering what people gain from the habit.
Preparing for one of its biggest weekends of the year, McGill’s women’s lacrosse team woke up for a 6 a.m. to practice at Molson Stadium. An hour into the two-hour session, members of the Redmen football team took over the field, and the women were forced to cut their practice short. The men had been scheduled to play on Forbes Field, but needed to get into the proper ‘headspace’ for an upcoming game.
For competitive clubs at McGill, the bottom rung in the McGill Athletics hierarchy, this sort of second-class status is now the norm, and many have accepted it. Many athletes and teams once held varsity status, which entitled them to preferential treatment from McGill Athletics, but lost it during the summer of 2010, when McGill restructured its athletic organization. Today, teams like women’s lacrosse, men’s volleyball, cycling, and others have all adapted to restructuring in a variety of ways. Some fear for the survival of their teams, others are hopeful for the future, and some teams even believe they are now better off.
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(Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune)
Caroline Lucas-Conwell, a fourth-year lacrosse player and co-captain of the team knew she wanted the sport to be part of her university experience. McGill’s former coach, Heather Roffey, was on sabbatical in California. She turned Lucas-Conwell’s eyes to the women’s varsity lacrosse program at McGill.
“I was really into lacrosse and I knew that I wanted to play.” Lucas-Conwell said. “I had opportunities at other schools, but I chose McGill.”
Jessica Kras, Lucas-Conwell’s co-captain was on the fence between McGill and Ottawa. “Lacrosse was the deciding factor,” Kras said. She chose McGill despite being offered an academic scholarship in the nation’s capital.
In 2012, Women’s lacrosse was a severely underfunded Tier III team, but was on its way to an upgrade to Tier II status. That came to a crashing halt in the team’s second year.
“Our captains at the time were here all summer, trying to find out what exactly was happening with the restructuring,” Kras said. “We weren’t sure exactly what the status would be, what it meant to lose varsity status, and who had ultimately made the decision to restructure.”
By the second week of August (lacrosse season takes place at the beginning of the school year) the women weren’t sure if they would even have a team.
Losing varsity status has had significant effects on the team: they have no guarantees of field space and time, and have to make do with the scraps that varsity teams and campus recreation programs leave behind. They lost the ability to use the ‘Martlets’ name, and McGill no longer signs waivers to allow them to participate in the Ontario championship, which they are invited to every season.
“I remember representatives from athletics coming into a sports club meeting and saying ‘there’s nothing we can do anymore,’” Kras said, showing how far the team has fallen from its previous status.
Caroline Lucas-Conwell (6) and Jessica Kras (22) pose with the rest of McGill’s women’s lacrosse team. (Photo courtesy McGill women’s lacrosse)
Recently, they have been forced to pay for playing time at Jeanne-Mance Park in order to supplement their practice time at McGill. The new status also means less access to athletic trainers and medical staff. Members of the team have been forced to medically assist one an other before finally getting time at McGill’s Windsor clinic.
What has changed most, though, is the attitude of the team itself.
“When we were varsity, we were expected to have a certain level of commitment because [we] are varsity [athletes], but now that we’re a competitive club, it’s more relaxed,” says Lucas-Conwell. “A lot of girls now … say they are happy that it’s a club because they don’t feel as pressured. There’s a different mentality. We value our teammates’ commitment, but we can’t ask as much from them in the last few years as we have been able to in the past.”
Now that they are not expected to make cuts, the McGill women’s lacrosse team welcomes more beginners into their team. Although it is more open, the level of play is not what it could be.
Why do they continue to play despite a lack of funds, respect, or a trophy to play for?
“Everyone who’s on the team is there because they love lacrosse,” Lucas-Conwell said. “You’re not there because you got a scholarship. You’re there because you want to play and you love to be on the field.”
Despite the positive attitude, Lucas-Conwell and Kras wonder how long these good feelings will last, and how deep the restructuring will really cut into the organization.
“It feels like what they’re trying to do is cut out all possibilities to survive as a team until we die,” Lucas-Conwell said, speaking for many in the organization. “We’re afraid because we’re both graduating soon, and we’re scared that the team’s not going to live.”
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(Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune)
For Adam Bouchard, VP External of McGill Cycling, it is the uncertainty that makes life difficult for him and his team.
“There’s a little bit of ‘rolling the dice’ every time you walk into the building,” Bouchard said. “We always have to wonder, ‘Is our room going to be our room?’”
Cycling lost access to the varsity weight room with the 2010 restructuring, along with a small $500 grant from McGill. According to Bouchard, however, different teams have different cultures, and therefore have been affected to different degrees.
Neither the loss of the miniscule grant, or their position on the bottom rung on the room-booking hierarchy is a big loss to cycling.
“$500 a year, as far as funding goes, is change for a lot of [other] teams. We have a much larger budget and we have team fees,” he said. “It’s not killing the teams so much as it’s just annoying.”
Having access to the varsity weight room is key for the group training sessions because the cycling team can have as many as 40 cyclists attend a workout. However, since they don’t need a court or a field, unlike other competitive clubs, there is less friction with the needs of varsity athletes.
“All we need when we’re training inside, is one room to do our plyometric workout, and we use the spin room for spinning. We’ve been lucky in that, [as a] summer sport, [our] winter training method doesn’t compete with any of the big teams.”
The unique culture of cycling actually means that the restructuring might be a benefit for the team in the long-run. Without the restrictions of having to hire a paid coach, select out elite squads to be named ‘varsity,’ or compete in an all-Quebec competition, Bouchard and his teammates can promote their sport to newcomers, while competing with the best.
“If you have a helmet, working brakes, and a bike, you’re ready to go,” Bouchard said, noting that, had McGill been forced to select only the elite, he would have never gotten involved in road racing. “The place we compete has everywhere from an ‘A’ category, with semi-professional racers, to an intro category where people are only going to race for 12 minutes because they’re brand new to the sport. ’”
Unrestricted by university and CIS regulations, McGill’s cyclists travel south of the border to compete with Northeastern schools like Harvard, MIT, Rutgers, and NYU, managing top 10 finishes against American elites. Bouchard would like to see a league start up in Quebec—a necessary step in order to regain varsity status. However, he would not use it to make the jump to varsity, as the strength of the U.S. competition helps the team’s cyclists grow. For him, the restructuring is an annoyance, but it also leaves the team well-positioned for the future.
“It’s fun when it works,” he said. “And it’s fine when it works.”
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Vincente Burchard-Levine goes on the attack. (Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune)
Alex Nachman came to McGill in Sept. 2010, immediately after the varsity restructuring. Passionate about volleyball, he now sits as the volleyball club’s vice-president. Nachman represents the new, more relaxed attitude of the athletes that make up McGill’s competitive clubs today.
“I wasn’t expecting to be involved in sports when I came [to McGill],” Nachman said. He found out about the club halfway through his first semester, and went to a try-out to get onto the squad. “I like the level of play, [and] it’s a great group of guys. I didn’t have intentions of being a top-level volleyball player, but by now I’ve gotten pretty good.”
When Nachman joined the team, it was mainly composed by athletes who had been a part of the varsity team. He said that the crestfallen ex-varsity players lacked the fire that they once had, and took far too relaxed a commitment to the team. Practice time was cut from every day to five hours a week. McGill was no longer competing for a coveted CIS National Championship, but played games and competitions against anyone in the Montreal area willing to take them on.
However, now that only a couple of former varsity players remain, the team has a new attitude, something that Nachman feels makes it special.
“For the first couple of years, the attitude was very different,” he said. “Now, players are excited that they get a chance to play at a higher level. This is their only chance at post-high school volleyball. They’re interested in getting better, and being the best we can be in our competition.”
Because he’s never played varsity volleyball, Nachman’s feelings towards McGill Athletics are rather mild. He feels that McGill does as much as it can, considering its resources to help the team succeed. He also understands where he and his teammates stand in the hierarchy.
“You do get a small sense of being at a ‘lower status’ than varsity teams, but that comes with being a club, and that’s what a club is,” he said.
Of course, not everything is easy. The team is forced to jump through hoops to design its uniforms based on McGill’s strict regulations concerning insignia, their practice time is encroached upon by varsity teams, and the team’s equipment is stored in a place where it can be touched and used by anyone. The men fundraise for their team, partially by working jobs around the gym, particularly for the women’s team, who retained varsity status.
“We want to be a competitive team,” Nachman said. “It’s frustrating trying to build a team when you don’t necessarily have the time to do it.”
That notion of ‘building’ is what Nachman stressed the most. Having to re-imagine themselves as a competitive club, the men’s volleyball team is trying to build itself for future success within the new restrictions.
“[We have] a really bright future,” Nachman said. “We’re still trying to build our identity, two or three years into building a program. We’re not entirely sure where it’s going to go, and what it’s going to look like down the road, but if this year is any indication of what’s to come, it’s pretty great.”
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Above all, McGill’s competitive clubs live a life of daily uncertainty. From Kras and Conwell’s concerns of whether their team will survive; to Bouchard’s concern of whether he will have space for his team to train; to Nachman’s question of what his team’s identity will be in the future, life is certainly not easy. While the administration claims to be allocating resources as fairly as possible, one wonders why the #McGillPride campaign does not apply to all students willing to wear red-and-white and to represent McGill at the highest levels of competition.
“You have to understand the hierarchy of how things are booked in this place,” said Katie Uttley, responsible for competitive clubs, as well as for the Fitness Centre and varsity strength and conditioning. Though she helps the teams with travel arrangements and their McGill Athletics accounts, she stresses that the clubs are 100 per cent student-run.
“Life isn’t fair,” she said. “With us not able to build up in our structure or build out, we’re really limited by the resources we have. It’s very difficult to ensure what we can for the clubs.”
“McGill doesn’t want to label a team they’re not giving funding to a varsity team because it looks like they’re leaving them at the wayside,” said Bouchard. As long as competitive teams live in the shadows, the illusion that these teams just don’t exist will persist.
Full disclosure: Tribune sports editor Jeff Downey is president of the McGill men’s volleyball club. He did not participate in the research or writing of this story.
1. Beat together the brown sugar, butter, orange rind, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a bowl with an electric mixer.
2. Mix in the rum and boiling water until the sugar mixture dissolves.
3. Divide the mixture into 4 mugs and garnish each with a cinnamon stick.
Home-made Eggnog:
Serves 8-10
4 cups milk
5 whole cloves
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
12 whole egg yolks
1 ½ cup sugar
2 ½ cup light rum (or to taste)
4 cups light cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
1. In a small saucepan, warm milk, cloves, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, and cinnamon over low heat. Slowly bring mixture to a boil for about 5 minutes. Stir often to prevent burning.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy. Then, slowly whisk in the hot milk mixture. Once combined, return mixture to pan and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Allow mixture to thicken, but do not boil.
3. Strain mixture to remove cloves and let cool to room temperature (about an hour.)
4. Stir in rum, cream, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, and nutmeg. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
Ginger Snap:
Serves 1
¾ oz. spiced rum
½ oz. ginger-flavored Brandy
4 oz. eggnog
1 ginger snap
Mix everything (even the cookie) in a blender until smooth.
McGill Compliments is a new Facebook account that is quickly joining many McGill students’ friend lists. McGill Compliments provides a safe, anonymous outlet for McGill students to do just that: compliment one another. Through private inbox messages that get posted by the McGill Compliments profile creator, and tagged by whoever happens to know the recipient, McGillians are sharing the love.
It’s based on the premise that we all like a compliment, but don’t always take the time to show our gratitude to those we value most. The Tribune sat down with the mind that brought the compliments movement to McGill to talk about the recent phenomenon.
McGill Tribune: So what is the basic idea behind ‘McGill Compliments?’
McGill Compliments: I feel like everyone needs to hear good things every once in a while, and I don’t think there’s enough positivity on campus ….This is just an outlet for people to tell others, without the possibility of judgement, what they think of them … whether they’re your best friend … or whether you’ve never talked to them before…. The basic idea is just [to] spread positivity, without judgement, and [to create] a network on campus where every student feels connected to each other—because we’re all McGillians. It’s a form of school spirit, I guess.
MT: Other schools like Queen’s have profiles as well. Do you know where this idea came from?
MC: It started at Queen’s, I believe [in September]. I think [McGill] was the seventh or eighth school to get in on it. Now there are 50 plus, since [November 14th], when I made it. So yeah, it’s [become] pretty viral. It’s been awesome.
(Alexandra Allaire / McGill Tribune)
MT: How did you first hear about this movement?
MC: My friend at Columbia. At that time, I think five other schools had profiles like that, and I thought, ‘this is awesome, it needs to be at McGill,’ [so] I did it.
MT: Are you in contact with the people who run the profiles for other schools, or are they all independent of each other?
MC: Queen’s actually made a group around a week ago. Just a university Compliments group for all the profiles to join. It’s a private group where we collaborate; if we have questions about how to deal with Facebook’s stupid automated security system—[which] often designates us as spammers—and things like that. We’re currently forming a petition to send to Facebook to stop the threat of bans, because some of us are unable to send friend requests. We also share ideas for other things outside of Facebook. I think Princeton just organized a Secret Santa across campus, and Berkeley is doing some cool things too.
MT: How are you dealing with the problems you’re running into with Facebook?
MC: I’m not too worried about it …. I think that Facebook wouldn’t do anything, because this is pretty viral. … Time magazine recently wrote an article about the whole compliments movement. I think it [makes] Facebook a positive forum for output like this, when often, [there are only] Facebook fights.
MT: Are you the only running the profile? Do you see it growing to the point where you have to bring in help?
MC: I see myself doing that very soon in fact. Two thousand friends was my benchmark, and now I’m at [about] eighteen hundred. Especially with finals coming up and stuff, most of the other schools now have two to four people running [their pages].
MT: How much time do you typically spend in a day working on it?
MC: It’s hard to say …. I have my iPhone with me everywhere, so every time [a compliment] comes in … while I’m doing something else, I just open it, read it, make sure it’s okay, and [post it]. I’d say I do it all day, [but I’m] multi-tasking.
MT: Anonymity can sometimes be a dangerous thing on the internet; have you encountered any problems with content since you’ve been posting?
MC: Actually, people have been really good. I’ve only had six posts out of [about] 500 that I’ve deemed [inappropriate] to post. Everyone else has been taking it really seriously—genuinely. It’s good to see.
MT: What’s your favourite part of running McGill Compliments?
MC: Just seeing all the reactions and reading these messages and seeing all the love …. People don’t often take the time to tell other people [how] they feel about them. This just gives an outlet for them to do that, a purpose to do it rather than just out of the blue. I find compliments mean more when there’s no face behind them, in fact, because there’s no secondary purpose. It shows that they really think that way, because they’re not getting anything out of it.
send your compliment at www.facebook.com/mcgill.compliments?fref=ts
A: I get a lot of flack for using the word ‘primo,’ which is a way to say ‘awesome.’
Q: What’s your biggest pet peeve?
A: When people drag their feet when they walk.
Q: What’s your secret talent?
A: I can throw a deck of cards across a room without a box or rubber band, and have them stay together. You bend down the corners and the sides, so it takes all the air out of the deck. So if you throw it [at the right angle], you can throw it [across] long distances. It’s a great party trick.
Q: Name a holiday movie you watch every year.
A: I can’t say I watch holiday movies every year …. I like It’s a Wonderful Life.
Q: What’s one place in Montreal you think everyone should visit?
A: Cheskie’s Bakery is up at Bernard and Parc. They have these amazing sprinkle cookies. It’s up farther than a lot of McGill students would ever venture, especially when it gets cold, but it’s definitely worth the walk.
Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
A: Someone said ‘don’t sweat the small stuff, and it’s all small stuff.’ Which is a nice thing that I definitely don’t live by as often as I should.
Q: What’s your dream job?
A: Professor of American History. That might change, but that’s where I’m pointing myself for the future.
Q: I’ve been told you’ve written papers and travelled to give talks about Bruce Springsteen. How did that come about?
A: I really like Bruce Springsteen. Something was bothering me about one of his songs, this narrative dysfunction in some of his lyrics. My dad’s an academic, so probably [those genes] drove me to write an essay, which I eventually sent out to a few authors who I thought would be interested in the subject to get their feedback. One of them invited me to a conference to speak last October, and I did. He kind of introduced me to this whole world of academics who also like Bruce Springsteen, and relate their academia to Springsteen’s work specifically, and its context in twentieth century America and its literary meaning. It’s a really awesome community, and it’s something that more than anything I feel comfortable writing about and I enjoy writing about. Obviously, when you can go to a concert and that counts as fieldwork, that’s really cool.
Q: What’s your favourite Bruce Springsteen song?
A: That’s like asking me to pick my favourite child.
Q: You’re the President and captain of the Quidditch team. what are the best and worst parts?
A: There’s no better feeling than when you’re losing by a couple of points, and then you snatch a snitch to win the game. The worst part: our placement in Montreal isn’t ideal. There’s a Quidditch hub in the Boston area, and in New York. There’s an emerging scene in Ottawa, but [we’re] just far enough away that it’s a bit of an inconvenience to get there. So as President, I’ve had to deal with the logistics of getting buses to get to specific tournaments. It’s not fun work, but someone has to do it, and after three years on the team, I was in the best position to do it.
Q: You’ve also been a floor fellow for a few years. Can you talk about how that experience has been?
A: I’ve been a floor fellow for two years, and I’m now the assistant director at New Rez. I’ve been at New Rez all three years. I had a great experience in rez my first year [at Carrefour Sherbrooke], and really like the community and opportunities of living in residence. I really relish the responsibility to successfully guide 50 first-years through what certainly can be a difficult experience. The hope is [that], at some point, I’m able to make it stop being [difficult], and make a successful [experience] that leads to four years of happiness [at McGill].
Q: What are the best and worst parts of the job?
A: The worst part is [when people get sick]. I’ve gotten used to it. The best parts overshadow the worst parts though. And that’s the opportunity to guide these students through their first year experiences, and put them on a road of academic success and extracurricular involvement. That’s what I think McGill has to offer; obviously, there’s always time for fun and there always should be. That’s definitely what first year is. And there’s no better feeling in the world than when you solve a roommate conflict.
