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McGill, News

Tribune Explains: Academic appointments

by Ezra-Jean Taylor on

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The intricacies of professors’ career paths often goes unnoticed by busy students. Yet, students interact with professors daily, and a positive or negative relationship with one may change a student’s life. One of the most substantial milestones a professor can achieve is academic appointment, but the process that guide appointments is complicated. By digging through the Secretariat’s website, any questions about academic appointment are answered.

What does “academic appointment” mean? 

To be academically appointed is to receive tenure as a McGill professor. This is a contract between McGill and its professors that guarantees the tenured professor’s employment. McGill’s guidelines for tenured staff explains that professors can either be “tenure tracked” for a definite term, in which they are then considered for re-appointment, or tenured indefinitely. 

In 2017, there were 1,664 tenure-tracked and tenured professors at McGill according to the McGill University Staffing Report. While almost half of the academic staff employed by McGill are women, they are underrepresented in the university’s tenured population. In the same report, 45 per cent of academic staff reported that they were women; In contrast, women made up 32 per cent of tenure-track and tenured professors.

What are the benefits of tenure?

Achieving tenure allows professors the freedom to explore areas of scholarly interest without the stress of an immediate deadline or fear of exploring controversial research topics. At the same time, the tenured professor cannot be employed by a different university or employer and must maintain the same quality of work as when they were appointed. This allows McGill to attract high-achieving professors that can produce valuable research under the university’s name. 

What are the responsibilities of tenured staff?

Academically appointed professors are responsible for three major tasks at McGill. First, they are required to teach either lectures, seminars, or supervise individual students. Second, they must participate in research. Research can take many forms, but McGill professors are required to produce and publish academic work throughout their appointment at McGill. Third, professors must commit time to other communities at McGill, such as by participating in clubs, speaking at events, or sitting on academic committees. 

How does one become appointed? 

Achieving tenure starts with being nominated by their academic department head. If the nomination is approved by the dean of their faculty, the professor’s name is submitted to the Provost, who decides if the professor should be appointed or not. If they are successfully appointed, the first position that they hold is that of Associate Professor. Associate professors are on tenure-track for between three and four years. The professor is then considered for full tenure by the Departmental Tenure Committee, the University Tenure Committee, and the Principal. The group evaluates the dossier of material compiled by the professor and external evaluators to decide if the professor meets the standards for full tenure or should be given deferred tenure consideration.

McGill, News

Marginalized American Sign Language: Disability and queerness

by Magdalena Nitchi on

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Mat Kuntz is an American Sign Language (ASL) teacher who works with several organizations including Seeing Voices, which seek to make communities more deaf-aware and deaf-accessible. On Oct. 15, he presented the basics of queer ASL to attendees at Wilson Hall. After a short introduction by Meryem Benslimane, equity education advisor and chair of the planning committee of Queer History Month, Kuntz took the stage. Kuntz, who is queer and hearing-impaired, gave the lecture completely in ASL, with Sandra Saoumaa serving as an interpreter.

Kuntz first emphasized that ASL is only one of many sign languages across the world.

“Canada has two sign languages, ASL and LSQ, which stands for ‘Langue Signe Québécoise’,” Kuntz signed. “These languages were finally recognized under Bill C-81 as a primary languages for deaf people. Now that the government has recognized [sign language ], we can make some changes [in how deaf people are expected to conform to hearing society].”

Kuntz explained some of the difficulties deaf individuals face in everyday life. Since ASL is not widely taught, many spaces remain inaccessible for its users if an interpreter is not present. Even job interviews can be impossible unless someone else is there to translate.

“There is a lot of frustration around the lack of accessibility,” Kuntz signed. “Communication is always an issue and I don’t always have the time [to educate everyone I meet]. So we are working on building awareness for that, and training [people] to make things more deaf-accessible. I want to expose [people] to deaf culture and raise awareness about deaf people’s access and needs.” 

When teaching ASL, Kuntz went over each sign slowly and carefully, demonstrating it several times. He encouraged the audience to practice, giving everyone a chance to repeat the sign until they felt comfortable. Kuntz also provided everyone with a paper handout with pictures of the signs before he proceeded to do demonstrations.

Kuntz introduced signs for a wide range of queer topics, from gender to sexuality. He presented all of the official queer signs, including words for “fluid,” “spectrum,” and  “drag queen/king.” However, Kuntz pointed out that the list was by no means complete, lacking terms like “nonbinary,” for example.

“The deaf community is behind in coming up with signs for everything, so just give us time to catch up with the vocabulary,” Kuntz signed.

At the end, Kuntz thanked everyone for coming, and participants responded by raising their hands and wiggling them, the ASL sign for applause.

While this workshop was only a brief introduction into ASL, there are many opportunities to continue learning sign language. Kuntz teaches sign language courses of different levels at the Canadian Hearing Society, which he recommends for anyone trying to learn more.

Jim Mejino, U4 Arts, and the main coordinator of this event, said that the idea for an an ASL event as part of Queer History Month plays an important role in raising awareness about intersectionality within the queer community. 

“[Queer History Month] works with the Union for Gender Empowerment, and part of our mandate is intersectionality,” Megino said. “We want to celebrate the community and bring more awareness and education about how disability and queerness affects people.” 

Benslimane stressed the importance of including events that address queer individuals with disabilities. 

“Last year was the first edition of Queer History Month,” Benslimane said. “[We] wanted to have an event talking about being queer and folks with disabilities, so to have an event around queer ASL made sense [.…] We wanted to make the calendar as inclusive as possible. That is also why we decided to have it again this year.”

Campus Spotlight, Student Life

Vertical gardens brighten residence cafeterias

by Leyla Moy on

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As the long Montreal winter approaches, students are dreading the months of monochrome monotony to come, from cement buildings to white walls. The SSMU Environment Committee, in partnership with Montreal-based hydroponics company Nutritower and the Sustainability Projects Fund, hopes to change that by bringing greenery to residence cafeterias. Sustainability Commissioner Dasha Gousseva started the project last year. She explained how the hydroponic system that underpins the towers works.  

“The idea of hydroponic gardening, and these vertical towers specifically, is very low-input local agriculture that maintains itself in a closed system,” Gousseva said. “Plants, instead of needing soil, [get] fertilizer and nutrients from the water itself, [which] is pumped through a system that comes included in the towers [….] LED lights installed in the tower [provide plants with lighting].”

With help from students alongside SSMU Environment Committee members and a representative from Nutritower, the vertical gardens setup event on Saturday revealed the towers for the first time. The team set up towers in three McGill residence cafeterias: Royal Victoria College, New Residence Hall, and Bishop Mountain Hall. Locating the towers in dining halls will allow for the vertical gardens to serve as both an educator about the process of growing food and an actual food source. Given that harvests will be small in comparison to the number of students who frequent these cafeterias, the project plans to incorporate cafeteria-grown produce and herbs into side dishes.

“[We’re currently growing] leafy greens and herbs, which include lettuce, kale, parsley, [and] basil,” Gousseva said. “We’re even trying [to grow] some tomatoes.” 

In the future, the SSMU Environment Committee plans to borrow seeds from the MacDonald Campus seed library to expand the range of produce being grown. The Nutritower system allows for plenty of flexibility for what can be grown, which was one reason the Montreal-based company was chosen for the project. 

Nutritower was founded by Montrealer Bryce Nagels in 2014, who grew up with fresh produce and was inspired to introduce gardening to city-dwellers. Originally launched on Kickstarter, the growing hydroponics company seeks to address climate change and urban population growth issues. In his campaign statement, Nagels expressed that to secure our future, we must embrace creative technological solutions to feed our population, and that his vertical gardens could be a step in the right direction, however small. He contextualizes Nutritower within the global trend toward a greater proportion of the population living in urban areas and hopes that it will help people better adapt to this transition by bringing home food production to people living in cities. 

“[Nutritower’s] goals aligned […] closely with [ours], those goals being to connect people to their food systems and to educate people about how food is grown because [many] don’t realize the steps and all the inputs it takes to get something from [farm to table],” Gousseva said. “They’re also focused on education, primarily [young] students, but they’re also working with universities. [Since they’re also] local, it made working together easy and […] sustainable.”

The vertical gardens will also incorporate much-needed greenery into residence spaces as part of a campus-wide trend toward adding plants to academic spaces. The Sustainability Projects Fund has backed a number of related projects, including the Spin Bike Gardens and Garden Inside, which placed three Nutritowers in the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD). 

The project will also complement existing sustainability initiatives in McGill residence cafeterias, including Waste Educators and Local Food Days, which incorporates seasonal produce and other ingredients from less than 500 kilometres away. 

Gousseva plans to work with Student Housing and Hospitality Services to create educational opportunities around the towers and hopes that students will continue to follow the vertical gardens’ progress. Future harvesting events will be posted to the SSMU Environment Committee Facebook page.

Private, Recipes, Student Life

Perfect roast chicken

by Matthew Hawkins on

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Roast chicken is, in my opinion, the best dinner ever—full stop. Not only does it taste incredible, but it’s versatile: One chicken can become a week’s worth of dinners, a few days of lunches, and, eventually, it can simmer down into stock for soup. It’s the meal prepper’s dream. Below, you’ll find a particularly adaptable roast chicken recipe, a few ways to use it, and a knockout side dish. 

Ingredients:
1 chicken 
1 bunch rosemary 
1 lemon, cut in half
5–6 garlic cloves
2 large onions, chopped into medallions
Oil (preferably olive)
Salt 
Pepper 
Optional spices:
Cayenne
Steak spice
Paprika

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season with salt and let sit for 30 minutes to allow salt to permeate. 
  3. Give the chicken a coating of oil and rub it to ensure that it’s fully coated. 
  4. Season with other spices and herbs to give an even coating. 
  5. Bruise the rosemary with the blunt side of a knife and place inside the chicken cavity along with two cloves of garlic and a lemon slice. 
  6. Lay onion medallions flat on bottom of skillet or sheet pan. (If using a sheet pan, only cover the area where the chicken will be). 
  7. Put the chicken on top of onions. Place lemon cut-side down on the pan (not on onions) and add two to three cloves of garlic around the outside. 
  8. Roast for 60 minutes. Let sit for 30 minutes before carving. 

 

Smashed potatoes

Anyone can roast veggies, but if you’re looking to upgrade your basic potatoes as a side for chicken or on its own, smashed potatoes are the way to go. This extra bit of effort yields a dish with all the best qualities of both roasted and mashed potatoes. 

1 lb baby potatoes 
Salt 
Pepper 
Oil 

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. 
  2. Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. 
  3. Wash potatoes and add to pot. Let boil for 30-40 minutes until potatoes are soft, but not entirely mushy. You should be able to flatten a potato without it crumbling. 
  4. Drain water and cover potatoes with oil and season with salt and pepper. The potatoes will be hot so use caution and, if needed, wait for them to cool. 
  5. Once potatoes are cooled and seasoned, place on a baking tray. Using a wooden spoon, press down on each potato to flatten it so that the outside crumbles a little, but the potato remains mostly intact. Alternatively, to smash them all at once, use a second baking tray to push down, flattening them all. 
  6. Roast again for 15-20 minutes until the outsides are crisp and golden. Serve warm alongside roast chicken.

 

Quick Leftover Fixes

Chicken BLT

1 chicken breast (roasted)
2 slices of bread 
Bacon
Lettuce 
Tomato 

Toast the bread and butter each side. Put the bread butter-side down on a pan on medium heat until it’s golden brown. Assemble the BLT with chicken on top. 

 

Chicken stock

1 leftover chicken carcass 
2 carrots, sliced into medallions 
2 stalks of celery, sliced, with greens
2 tbsp salt
Pepper 

Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer. Add veggies, salt, and pepper and let simmer for two hours until broth has a pale colour. Use a pair of tongs to remove the larger pieces of vegetables and chicken, then strain to remove everything else. This dish can be stored frozen for months. 

Science & Technology, Student Research

Uncovering past climates through paleobotany

by Madison McLauchlan on

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Paleontology has long offered scientists insight into the mysteries of prehistory. Through excavations of colossal skeletons, petrified insects, and fossilized plants, researchers can uncover what life looked like long ago. 

Despite the extensive study of animals from the Cretaceous period, which stretched from 145.5 million years ago to the dinosaur extinction 65.5 million years ago, little is known about the climate of this time, especially in regions of eastern Canada. Researchers at the McGill Redpath Museum have taken a different approach to filling in these gaps in knowledge, using paleobotany, the study of fossilized plants. 

“The fossil record is rich in assemblages of fern, angiosperm, and conifer leaves that offer clues about the plant diversity of past ecosystems,” Alexandre Demers-Potvin, a graduate student and 2018 National Geographic Explorer, wrote in an email to The McGill Tribune. “Not only do fossil plants offer a glimpse of the vegetation of past landscapes, but some of them […] can be used to predict the climate of that past landscape.” 

This past summer, Demers-Potvin, the lead author of a recent study on paleoclimate reconstruction, and a team of researchers under the supervision of Professor Hans Larsson, director of the Redpath Museum, headed to Schefferville, a town near the Quebec-Labrador border. Among the researchers were Noemie Sheppard, an undergraduate student in Environment, and Michel Chartier and Mario Cournoyer, co-founders of Montreal’s Musée de paléontologie et de l’evolution (MPE), which also supported the study. They centred their analysis on insect fossils and angiosperm, or flowering plant, specimens from the region, known as the Redmond flora.

Among the ruins of an abandoned mine, the team found remnants of angiosperms preserved in sedimentary rock, which served as their first clue to what environmental conditions were like in the Late Cretaceous. The composition of the rocks and the fossils’ broad leaves suggest that they formed at the bottom of a lake surrounded by a forest.

Demers-Potvin and Larsson discovered that Schefferville experienced an average yearly temperature of 13 to 17 degrees Celsius during the Late Cretaceous. Although this would have been on the cooler side for North America at the time, the creatures there would have enjoyed moderate humidity and hot summers. 

Remarkably, this data was extracted from plant leaves. Since flowering plants of the Cretaceous are anatomically similar to ones today, the researchers can extrapolate climate information from the fossilized plants in the same way that they can deduce this information from modern-day plants. Demers-Potvin and his team derived elements of the bygone environment using a tool called Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program (CLAMP) .

“[CLAMP] rests on the premise that some anatomical traits in leaves are correlated to some climate parameters [such as] temperature [or] precipitation,” Demers-Potvin wrote. 

As a system of data analysis, CLAMP uses a scoring method to track the ways in which modern plants adapt to their environment. Referencing fossil records, it then works backward to associate the same traits in older plants to their potential environmental context. The results can be used to understand the effects that drastic climate change had on species thousands of years ago, and how this translates to potential effects on species in today’s climate crisis.

In addition to sampling with CLAMP, the research team unearthed 15 new plant species that were previously unknown to the region. Surprisingly, the taxonomic record of the Redmond flora had not been measured in any meaningful capacity since the 1960s. 

Beyond the Creataceous explorations led by Demers-Potvin, who aims to continue the team’s research with insect fossils found in Schefferville, Larsson is overseeing multiple evolutionary field projects, ranging from studies of alligators off the coast of Mexico to Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta. Larsson thanked the Redpath Museum for allowing researchers to explore diverse interests. 

“None of this would be possible without the Redpath Museum,” Professor Larsson said. “You’re not siloed in here.”

Art, Arts & Entertainment

New gallery ‘No.01’ offers insights through experimental creations

by Jonathan Giammaria on

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The Visual Arts Visuels’ (VAV) exhibition space at Concordia University may appear modest in its size and spare curation, but the industrial, L-shaped room presents artwork with the same sense of ambition as those found in venues like the MAC and MMFA. It affirms that artistry isn’t found solely in institutions that project an aura of exclusivity. As one of Montreal’s few student-run galleries, the VAV is a valuable outlet for burgeoning voices with new ideas. The VAV features a rolling catalogue of work made mostly by Concordia’s art undergraduates, and on Oct. 17, the venue held a vernissage for its newest gallery, No.01. The venue hosted a large audience, with the accompaniment of DJ Jacqui Beaumont and appearances by some of the featured artists. 

Aptly titled, No. 01 marks the beginning of VAV’s Fall programming. Because the show doesn’t suggest a specific theme, it appeals to the variety of works on display. With an emphasis on experimentation, the gallery features artists who question rigid notions of prescribed mediums and materials while communicating ideas surrounding both public and personal spheres.

In one corner of the gallery, Philippe Vandal, currently studying intermedia cyber arts at Concordia, presents Thigmo, a dynamic piece that connects a motorized fan with an olive tree. While the fan spins, a set of strings pull at the tree in a cycle of perpetually opposing directions, a process that Vandal describes as the “animation of preconceived stillness.” As he explains in his bio, Vandal’s intent is to frame the process of thigmomorphogenesis—in which plants respond to mechanical sensations, usually natural in origin—in an artificial context. Vandal notes how the systematization of this natural process calls into question the human tendency to overlook our impact on our surroundings  and the consequences that follow our interference. 

Sharing Vandal’s concerns about interactions between synthetic and organic matter, Jules Galbraith, a print media and computational arts student, contextualizes this relationship with our current fears surrounding climate change. Recent findings in the UN Climate Report, which posited a 12-year window to mitigate our effects of environmental abuse, motivated Galbraith to create Accumulations, a set of monochrome scans of the plastic they use everyday. Their work, plastered on a rigid and uneven cast sprawled across the gallery floor, evokes the image of a discarded plastic bag or a pile of garbage. The product appropriates the natural process of fossilization for synthetic matter, and it suggests the unsettling idea that the inventions of our downfall will, in their permanence, outlive us.

 

Arts & Entertainment, Music

Dream-pop in bloom: In conversation with Sorrey

by Vanessa Barron on

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As the saying goes, slow and steady wins the race. In the case of the dream pop group Sorrey, slow and steady can also produce a great album. On Oct. 18, the Prince Edward Island-based dream-pop band released their full-length debut album, In Full Bloom, their first release since their 2015 EP Thick as Thieves. The melancholic and melody-driven release will be followed by a tour throughout Quebec, Ontario, and the Maritimes.

Emilee Sorrey, the band’s namesake and songwriter, leads the group on vocals and guitar. She was working with Colin Buchanan of Paper Lions in 2015 when they began to collaborate on songs that Sorrey had written previously.

“As that project came to a natural end, we started to work on some of my solo songs,” Sorrey said in an interview with The McGill Tribune. From that point, Sorrey-the-singer slowly transformed into Sorrey-the-band, and they have been releasing singles and playing live sets ever since. 

The band’s sound is dreamy and ethereal, while the lyrics are well-grounded in Sorrey’s personal experiences. On In Full Bloom, many songs deal with relationship troubles and miscommunication, but in a lighthearted, contemplative tone that makes for a pleasant listening experience.

“Songwriting is me working my emotions out through a song,” Sorrey said. “I start writing with a mood in mind, and then the other band members tighten up my ideas until we have a well-balanced song.” 

Patience was key when it came to recording the band’s debut album. All the band members live in the Maritimes; besides influencing their sound, it grounded them in an islander mentality, and within a dedicated community. While they recorded some tracks outside the island, most of the work was done at The Hill Sound Studios in Charlottetown. 

“You might think that [the proximity] would make for a quicker recording process, but we took our time with it,” Sorrey said. “Sometimes it can take years to finish a song.”

As the last song the band recorded, the singer sees title track “Full Bloom” as an encapsulation of the entire process of making the album.

“It’s about waiting for the right moment,” she said. “And when the moment is right, everything is in full bloom.” 

The song’s moderate tempo and easy-breezy melody evokes an image of lounging in the sun on a summer day, with nowhere to go in particular and just enjoying the moment. Sorrey’s relaxed vocals and catchy melodies give the band its dreamlike quality, while the backing instrumentals often feature bright guitar riffs and warm synths. 

The band’s love for live performance reflects the wider Maritime musical community. According to Sorrey, the music scene in P.E.I. is tightly knit and full of energy—an atmosphere that musical groups can thrive in. As all of the band members are either from or currently live on Prince Edward Island, their local music scene provides opportunities for collaboration and musical development within the community.

“Three nights out of the week, you can find a lot of good live music, and not just within our genre,” Sorrey said. “It’s really popping off.”

Despite the comforts of home, going on tour provides a chance to bring their music to new audiences along with a change of scenery.

“No matter how big a crowd is on the island, you’ll know everyone there” Sorrey said. “It’s always exciting to see new faces.”

In Full Bloom is available now on most streaming platforms.

Hockey Season Opener
Hockey, Sports

Martlet hockey falls to Stingers in shootout

by Miya Keilin on

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Martlet hockey (0–1) hosted the Concordia Stingers (1–0) in their regular season home-opener on Oct. 19. A goal each in the second period was the only scoring in regulation, sending the game to a shootout. Concordia stopped all three of McGill’s attempts, while the Stingers found the back of the net on their third shot to claim the victory. Despite a disappointing loss for McGill, both sides played well, showcasing the best of what their rivalry has to offer. 

“I think [that] both teams are highly motivated, and I think we like playing each other,” Martlet Head Coach Peter Smith said. “I thought it was a real good game today, and I thought our team played real well.” 

Concordia set the pace in the opening minutes of the game. About halfway through the period, the Martlets found their rhythm and started dominating the play, stringing together several quality scoring opportunities. Unfortunately, none of their chances found the net, and the period ended with no score. 

Play evened out again in the second period, with Concordia having the better scoring opportunities of the two sides. Late in the period, however, a delayed penalty call against the Stingers gave McGill a six-on-five, and the Martlets capitalized on the opportunity. Fourth-year centre Jade Downie-Landry scored McGill’s first goal of the regular season, assisted by first-year forward Anna MacCara and third-year forward Stéphanie Desjardins. Downie-Landry was called for a penalty a minute later, and the Stingers responded seconds into their power play to even the score at one apiece. 

In the third period, McGill took a four-minute penalty but played excellent defence, aided by a strong forecheck forcing key turnovers in their offensive zone to run down the clock. Though McGill had most of the chances in the final minutes of the game, fourth-year goaltender Tricia Deguire, who remained as solid as a rock on the penalty kill, came up with a huge stop in a two-on-one with just over a minute of regulation time to play. 

“Your best penalty killer has to be your goaltender, and I thought [Deguire] did a real good job,” Smith said. “That four-minute kill that we had, I thought she was outstanding.” 

With the score tied at 1–1, the game went into overtime. Both teams had a few opportunities to end the match, but neither could seal the deal, and a shootout ensued. With the pressure building, the Martlets leaned on each other to remain calm and focused on the game plan.

“It’s all a game of emotions, so we got our mental coach that comes in [and] tells us to breathe when we are too stressed,” Deguire said. “But sticking together, that’s what helps the most, [keeping] all our cheering up, […] helping each other [….] Pressure-wise, teammates are the most helpful.”

The Stingers came out victorious in the shootout, handing the Martlets their first loss of the season. However, Smith is not worried. 

“It’s just about the little details, and we’re still early in the season, and we still have lots of chances to work out those details,” Smith said. “We’ve got 19 games to go in the regular season. I suspect that most of those 19 games are going to be exactly like the game we had this afternoon, so this game will make us better.” 

The Martlets face off against the Montréal Carabins (1–0) on Oct. 25. 

 

Moment of the Game:

A shot from the point found its way around the crowd in front of the net to fourth-year centre Jade Downie-Landry for McGill’s first goal of the regular season.    

Quotable:

“We knew it was the home opener so we wanted for sure to perform, and give the crowd a good game. It was also an emotional game against Concordia. We actually wanted to make sure that we could get out there, and play as hard as we could.” – Fourth-year goaltender Tricia Deguire on the significance of the home-opener against Concordia. 

Stat Corner:

Fourth-year goaltender Tricia Deguire made 30 saves throughout the game.

Album Reviews, Arts & Entertainment

‘Pang’ is for crying in the ocean

by Katia Innes on

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Caroline Polachek is no novice: The singer-songwriter has produced prolifically over the past two decades as part of indie synthpop duo Chairlift, released an album under the name Ramona Lisa, and even boasts a writing credit on Beyonce’s critically lauded 2013 self-titled release. Pang, her solo debut, is a near-perfect breakup album. Though Polachek recently divorced fellow musician Ian Drennan, Pang is about more than just that relationship. Polachek retreads well worn pop music fodder such as songs about dreams, lost youth, and the ocean.

Pang is produced by Polachek herself, along with PC Music’s Danny L Harle—a harmonious pairing. Harle’s exaggerated pop tendencies joyfully creep in. The glittering synth in the title track, and vocal sampling on “Door” demonstrate his handiwork, but it is Polachek’s talent that dominates the album. It is her heartbreak to swim in, after all. Her vocals ground the album; Polachek has referred to the voice as “the ultimate analog synth,” and she uses her instrument deftly in Pang. “Ocean of Tears” contains perhaps this year’s most heartbreaking chorus, all thanks to Polachek’s shattering vocals. 

Everything on Pang ultimately builds up to “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings,” an uptempo, New Wave inspired track with an impossibly catchy hook. It is hard not to get swept away in Polachek’s heartache and infatuation—the dreamy bassline provides a steady launchpad for Polachek’s voice to soar from, aided by dizzying auto-tune.  

“And I’m out at a party, they’re playing our song / I cry on the dance floor, it’s so embarrassing / Don’t send me photos, you’re making it worse / ‘Cause you’re so hot it’s hurting my feelings,” Polachek sings. 

Embarrassment is central to Pang; Polachek chastises herself for loving too much on “Caroline Shut Up,” and frets about her predictable romantic tendencies in “Look At Me Now.” Ultimately, this embarrassment is fitting: Pang’s strength lies in its self-reflexivity and restlessness. After all, no honest break-up album has ever been comfortable or picturesque.   

 

Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

‘Ti-Jean and His Brothers’ brings Satan to centre stage at TNC

by Joey Caplan on

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Tuesday Night Café’s (TNC) performance of Ti-Jean and His Brothers, a modern Caribbean folktale written by Derek Walcott and premiered at Morrice Hall on Oct. 16, is enticingly bizarre. The production is the first of the year from the entirely student-run theatre company and features plenty of up-and-coming actors from the McGill community, including actor and director Deneille Guiseppi. 

The play itself is a surreal combination of traditional folk themes set in a more modern colonial context. Ti-Jean and His Brothers takes places some time in the early- to mid-20th century and revolves around the eponymous characters Ti-Jean (Laura Quenneville), Gros-Jean (Deneille Giuseppi), and Mi-Jean (Ryan Chahri) as they clash with the Devil when he shows up on their doorstep. The Devil  wishes to live as a human to experience all the horrible things that he has done to the world. He disguises himself as various characters, such as a white plantation owner and an old man, and torments Ti-Jean and his brothers in sadistic ways from behind a human disguise. 

The overall atmosphere of the play is accentuated by simple, yet effective set design. The set consists of an arch of branches covered in leaves and some contemporary props, like a lantern and some wooden lawn chairs. They create a fantasy-like setting while clearly being a thematic device representing colonial thinking. 

Camille Simon stands out as the boys’ mother, heartbroken as each of her sons leave her in pursuit of a fight against an insurmountable adversary. Her markedly sympathetic disposition brightens this dark play full of tragically flawed characters, and Simon presents this dynamic faithfully. 

Jacob Berk gives a commanding performance as the Devil, channeling his inner-demon to perform the role in the most maniacal, conniving and evil way possible. When he gets angry, the sentiment is palpable. 

Samantha Ling and Rebecca Turner introduce and lead us through the play as narrators. Taking the form of a frog and a firefly, respectively, Ling and Turner add a much needed touch of levity to a relatively serious production, adding to the play’s twisted fairytale-esque production.

Chahri and Quenneville give dedicated performances as the younger two children, Mi-Jean and Ti-Jean. Mi-Jean is intellectual to a fault, lacking in common sense. Ti-Jean, the smallest of his brethren, is the only one clever enough to have a chance at overcoming his great evil through his faith in God. Despite decent performances, the fact that their characters are written as black boys, despite both actors being white inherently challenges the audience. While this casting choice seldom gets in the way of a general understanding of the narrative, it does muddle the colonial undertones. It is unfortunate that these roles were taken up by white actors, when they could have offered valuable representation for Afro-Caribbean performers at McGill.

Guiseppi plays double duty as Gros-Jean and as the play’s director. Her character is the brawny and hot-headed brother, the first of the devil’s victims. Her direction has a clear vision, and though it is a respectable and ambitious one, the play falls short of achieving such heights. Guiseppi attempts to translate an obscure Caribbean folktale to a McGill stage while retaining all of its original integrity and historical value, and despite some talent in the cast, many were not playing roles they appeared entirely comfortable in. Still, her Caribbean roots shine through, and make Ti-Jean and His Brothers a valuable viewing experience. 

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