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Off the Board, Opinion

University students are anything but “fragile flowers”

by Alexandra Harvey on

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In her Sept. 19 column for the Globe and Mail, Margaret Wente compared today’s university students to “fragile flowers,” arguing that increasing concern for mental health on campuses is conditioning young adults to be weak, not resilient. Wente needs to learn a thing or two about resilience.

Wente’s staunch disapproval of mental health services on Canadian campuses comes at a time when students are under more pressure than ever before—according to a 2016 National College Health Assessment survey, a fifth of Canadian students struggle with depression, anxiety, or other mental health challenges. Distressed students are looking to their institutions to provide adequate support for mental health, and in some capacity or another, it finally seems as if universities are listening. Mental health is on the radar, and—despite Wente’s spiel about the dangers of coddling—that’s a good thing. As such, McGill students and faculty need to work together to normalize conversations about mental health, in order to continue to dismantle toxic stigmas and create a safe and fair academic space for all.

Mental health issues are ubiquitous on university campuses. In a Spring 2016 American College Health Association survey of almost 44,000 Canadian undergraduate students, 89.5 per cent of respondents reported feeling overwhelmed by all they had to do at some point within the 12 months prior to the survey, 64.5 per cent had experienced overwhelming anxiety, and 44.4 per cent admitted to feeling so depressed that it was difficult to function. These numbers only begin to tell the story of the pressures facing university students today.

The truth is, students have a whole lot to be anxious about. University life demands a careful—and unattainable—balance between good grades, meaningful co-curricular involvement, and a booming social life. This doesn’t leave a lot of time for self-care. While university itself is replete with pressures that trigger and test students’ well-being, undergrads are additionally burdened by the uncertainty of, what comes next? A bachelor’s degree is no longer a set path to stable employment. Young adults are increasingly finding themselves ripe out of university with a degree that holds less and less value, and no job to show for it. Pile on the average $25,000 of student debt and it’s no wonder students are feeling overwhelmed.

Speaking openly about our personal mental health struggles and asking for help when we need it doesn’t make us fragile. It makes us incredibly strong.

The first time I contemplated my own mental health was during my second year at McGill. While I had undoubtedly experienced feelings of anxiety before beginning university, it was the first time I had reflected upon those feelings, and identified them as such. I suddenly felt the pressures of university life weighing down on me in a way that they hadn’t before. My mood was consistently low, and my self-confidence suffered as a result. I could not control the negative thoughts that were going through my brain, and that made me feel helpless.

At the time, I felt fragile. But looking back, I am grateful for this experience, because it took feeling incredibly overwhelmed to realize what my mental health means to me, and to come to terms with the way I experience anxiety. Accepting myself as a somewhat anxious person, and finding the strength to be able to talk about it with my peers, has made it infinitely easier for me to cope with pressure.

Listen closely, Margaret: Speaking openly about our personal mental health struggles and asking for help when we need it doesn’t make us fragile. It makes us incredibly strong.

The image of a field of delicate daffodils swaying in the wind may be pretty, but it’s no metaphor for today’s students. Rather, I see a dense forest of trees, securely rooted in the ground, battling wind, rain, snow, hail—or hurricanes, for that matter—all the while fighting to grow taller and extend their branches further.

As Wente explains, access to therapy dogs or extra time on exams will not guarantee students with mental illnesses a life devoid of hardship. She’s right. Speaking openly about mental health—and recognizing that a disability doesn’t have to be physical to be valid—will not make mental illness go away. Still, by promoting a culture of support and acceptance, universities tell students that mental health is nothing to be ashamed of. And by speaking openly about our own struggles, we can find strength in knowing that we’re not alone, and hopefully make it a bit easier for those who come after us. Sounds pretty resilient to me.

 

 

Alexandra is a U3 Political Science student and Opinion Editor at the Tribune. Her proudest moment writing for the Tribune was when she saw someone eating a samosa off her face.

 

@lexharvs | [email protected]

 

 

 
Commentary, Opinion

Snapchat’s partnership with college newspapers keeps students in the loop

by Johanna Cline on

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With two swipes right on their phone screens, Snapchat’s 173 million daily users arrive at the app’s Discover page, where Publisher Stories—news articles by major media outlets—are featured daily. On Sept. 8, Snapchat announced on its blog that it will be partnering with universities across the United States to bring college newspaper content to the Discover page. With rapidly changing methods of internet and mobile media consumption, platforms like Snapchat are crucial for news outlets to stay relevant, particularly because the app’s largest user demographic is college-aged adults—roughly 78 million of daily users are between the ages of 18 and 24.

Featuring university gazettes on Snapchat is advantageous for students and journalists alike. For students, easy mobile access to their school’s newspaper will make it much easier to stay in the loop with campus news and events. Compared to the hassle of tracking down a print copy, or trying to navigate a web browser on their phone, Snapchat provides a convenient and accessible way of reading the news. Plus, incentives—such as maintaining streaks in Snapchat conversations with friends—keep daily traffic on the app very high. The average user opens the app 18 times per day and totals about 30 daily minutes—that’s enough to time to flip through a couple of articles. This method may vex traditionalists who feel bombarded by the influx of news on social media. Yet the fact is, employing technology to spread relevant stories to the public is an intelligent journalistic move. Additionally, students must be informed about the institutions in which they invest their time, money, and futures; so building readership of school newspapers will only benefit the student body, and Snapchat’s accessible nature can help facilitate this.

In the era of evolving news consumption, many sites such as Facebook have resorted to algorithms to curate their content. Snapchat’s approach, however, is unique in that it refuses to let algorithms manage its newsfeed. CEO and co-founder Evan Spiegel stated on the Snap Inc. blog that “Social media companies tell us what to read based on what’s most recent or most popular […] We count on editors and artists, not clicks and shares, to determine what’s important.” Another way Snapchat keeps people, not computers, in control is by giving users the option to construct personal newsfeeds. Users can hide news from publishers they don’t enjoy, or subscribe to the ones they want at the top of their feed. All of these settings maintain consumer agency, an aspect that benefits students because it keeps the power in their hands. Instead of being fed an automated pile of algorithmically selected articles, students remain more conscious and autonomous in their news consumption.

The fact is, employing technology to spread relevant stories to the public is an intelligent journalistic move.

College papers, like mainstream media outlets, need to tap into social media networks if they want to maintain competitive readership. Snapchat is a promising way to do just that. Buzzfeed, one of Snapchat’s largest publishing partners, has said that 20 per cent of its views come from Snapchat. Print publications are also making use of the app. The New York Times exercises Snapchat as a tool to grow and engage with audiences in highly visual ways. Its Morning Briefing alone has 1.3 million subscribers on the app.

On top of boosted circulation, under this new partnership, college newspapers will receive a share of advertising revenues, in order to “help each school monetize and grow their newspaper.” This increase in resources will provide an opportunity for college papers to build their journalistic teams and invest in new production equipment. Further, as Snapchat points out, college media is where many writers and editors start their careers. The additional funding will also provide young journalists the opportunity to learn more about optimizing content for this modern news medium.

Having school newspapers on Snapchat’s Discover page will not only help students stay more easily informed, but it will also create opportunities for the aspiring journalists who work for the publications. Snapchat’s commitment to algorithm-free newsfeeds keeps an important aspect of human agency in students’ news consumption. Overall, partnering with social media sites is a smart move for journalists, because this new form of exposure may attract different kinds of readers by producing new ways to engage with audiences—a crucial tool for remaining relevant in the modern digital age. While Snapchat’s college news partners are exclusively American at the moment, Canada should be next on the list, so McGill readers can swipe through The McGill Tribune’s articles via Snapchat.

 

Johanna is a U1 student majoring in Philosophy with a double minor in Political Science and Gender Studies. She proudly holds 14 Snapchat streaks and would love to see campus news on her favourite app.

 

@mcgilltribop | [email protected]

 

Arts & Entertainment, Music

Mount Eerie brings delicate, painful intimacy to POP Montreal final night

by Gibran Haque on

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Most of the audience members seated in the Ukrainian Federation on Sept. 17 were well aware that the upcoming performance would mark an important tour date for Phil Elverum. The musician, who records under the moniker Mount Eerie, would have arrived at the venue with ambivalent anticipation. On July 9 2016, Elverum’s wife, Geneviève Castrée, a cartoonist and musician from Montreal, died from a sudden onset of pancreatic cancer. In the following days, Elverum recorded an immensely powerful album in his dead wife’s room using her instruments. A Crow Looked At Me, released this past March, is less of a poetically packaged expression of grief and death, than it is an uber-personal and raw depiction of the pain and anguish experienced by Elverum following the death of his wife.

The skeletal instrumentation running throughout the album provides an unrestricted setting for Elverum’s deeply confessional crooning. To some, it might not even sound like music, but it’s not trying to. There are no catchy melodies, no folksy guitar riffs, and very few actual choruses. This simplicity is where the album gains its exceptional sense of urgency and raw emotional fervor.

From the moment Elverum took the stage, the room seemed to get smaller and more intimate with each song. The performance was unrelenting in its emotional punches—with every little detail of Castrée's death and Elverum’s grief, the punches hit harder. Elverum began with “Distortion,” a non-album song that he had performed at earlier concerts, followed by the album opener, “Real Death.”

“Death is real, someone’s there and then they’re not.”

From the very first words of the song, the harsh reality of Elverum’s experience transcended the stage and washed over the audience. This was followed up by “Seaweed,” a song that served to remind the audience how close to his wife’s death Elverum actually started recording. The last few songs he performed were all new songs, not part of the album. One that stood out was about the absurdity of being alive after experiencing the death of a loved one. This one felt different from the beginning; the guitar entered with toe-tapping chords and an oddly cheerful timbre. Elverum recalls a specific experience shortly after, when he was invited to play at an outdoor festival for a “bunch of young people on drugs,” with Skrillex heard blasting at the other side of the festival, and where he shared his experiences in song writing with Father John Misty while munching on baskets of fruit. This whole verse elicited chuckles from the audience, providing a much needed respite from the mournful nature of the rest of the performance. More than anything, this particular track felt like an artist wrestling with the sheer absurdity of their own existence and a very matter-of-fact interpretation of the world around him—void of any poetic internalization for the sake of song.

 Before ending the night with a final non-album track, “Tintin in Tibet,” in which Elverum recalls memories of reading Tintin comics aloud in Haida Gwaii with his late wife—he thanked the audience for coming and stated that this would probably be the last time he would perform these set of songs in Montreal.

“I sing to you, Geneviève / I sing to you / You don’t exist / I sing to you, though.”

These words, perhaps, were a fitting conclusion and assessment of what the album’s core message is. As Elverum leaves the stage to a standing ovation, an aura of release looms over the auditorium; if grief truly is love’s unwillingness to let go, then A Crow Looked At Me exhibits the remorseless tenacity through which it acts.

 

Album Reviews, Arts & Entertainment

First Impressions: ‘1992 Deluxe’ – Princess Nokia

by Keira Seidenberg & Chloe Wong-Mersereau on

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Keira Seidenberg:

While Princess Nokia (Destiny Frasqueri) is often thought to bring a feminist edge to the generally male dominated hip hop genre, 1992 Deluxe (2017) is not an album solely dedicated to deconstructing gender-based social stratification. In “Tomboy” and “Saggy Denim,” where Nokia tackles issues of femininity and gender stereotypes, she remains true to herself. Rather than using her sexuality as a tool for combatting the male gaze, like historically-coined feminist rappers Lil’ Kim and Eve, she promotes herself as having “little titties and [a] phat belly.” While this may be a message of nonconformity, as she doesn’t assert her female dominance through sex or her ass, it is also simply a bold statement of comfort with her own physicality.

Chloe Wong-Mersereau:

Tracks like “Kitana,” “Tomboy,” and “Brujas” embody a range of different identities. Nokia’s Puerto-Rican, African, and Harlem roots frequently mingle over the course of a single bar. Her position as an urban intersectional feminist is strengthened as she draws on moments from her past.

KS:

Nokia provides listeners with a narrative of her daily life, with songs such as “Green Line” and “ABCs of New York” documenting her Brooklyn habitat, and others like “Brujas” providing glimpses of her Puerto Rican influences. This provides cultural context to her music, juxtaposing typical-New York references prevalent in the genre with a Central American background that is reminiscent of hip hop’s Jamaican origins.

CWM:

In a documentary entitled Destiny, Frasqueri discusses her childhood in the Bronx, and her time spent in the foster care system after her mother died of AIDS when she was only 10. In “Bart Simpson,” Nokia refers to herself as an “inner city orphan” and “A nerdy girl with nymphomaniac tendencies / Reading comics in forbidden planet” to escape the craziness of her abusive foster home. At 16, she left her home behind with nothing but some loose change and her Nokia cell phone at 75 per cent battery. Princess Nokia was born that year in an attempt to take command of her own future in the face of dismal circumstances.

KS:

After listening to the album several times through, I came to appreciate her as a socially-conscious artist. With underlying currents of racial tension, class divisions, and distrust of authority in her music, Princess Nokia’s real-world connections to her lyrics are readily apparent. However, she presents it in a briefer framework with an awareness of her young age, rather than narrating an extended personal journey, such as in Tyler, The Creator’s Flower Boy (2017) or a long-standing historical problem, as addressed in Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly (2015). In 1992 Deluxe, Nokia is an “old school hoe with a new school flow,” taking the more traditional elements of hip-hop songs and interjecting her personal ‘don’t fuck with me’ attitude that has Plateau hipsters and Metro riders alike turning up the volume on this new release.   

CWM:

In familiarizing myself with her past and repeatedly listening to the mixtape, I was really drawn to her self-made, assertive, and independent style. Nokia chose to self-record and produce her mixtapes because she wanted nothing to do with the high demand and pressure of the music industry. Her newer raps, such as “G.O.A.T.,” “Brick City,” and “Flava,” unapologetically focus on empowerment and embracing every aspect of yourself.

I’m so excited that Princess Nokia is gaining attention on the mainstage for her artistry and hard-hitting authenticity. As far as role models go, she is certainly tough to beat.


 

McGill, News

Former Sadie’s location remains vacant

by Amrit Grewal on

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Four months after its closing on May 5, the space that Sadie’s, the former student-run cafe, once occupied on the second floor of the Shatner Building remains vacant. With limited room in the Shatner Building as a whole, this space would be a valuable asset for many other student groups and societies. 

Sadie’s had a history of financial issues. From its launch in 2013, it ran a consistent deficit throughout its operation. In Winter 2015, the SSMU Finance committee brought Sadies’—then called the Student-Run Cafe—deficit of over $100,000 to the Legislative Council’s attention, and ultimately opted to give the cafe a year to restructure its business plan and increase its revenue. 

Although Sadie’s ended 2016 with a deficit that was $20,000 less than the Finance committee anticipated, it still wasn’t enough to keep the operation afloat. As a result, the cafe was shut down, with the staff only receiving three weeks notice of the closure.

“[Sadie’s’ closure] was quite surprising because we had received our contracts to sign and return to the SSMU HR department for the 2017-2018 year until April,” former Sadie’s employee Alex Arkilanian, U3 Science, said. “We had been hearing from both Simona [Trunzo], the manager at Sadie’s, and [former SSMU Vice-President (VP) Operations] Sacha [Magder] that Sadie’s was doing well and better than it had in the past. Contracts for catering were on the rise and we were working on developing relationships with clubs through that and other departments inside McGill to cater to.”

SSMU assured former Sadie’s staff that it would help them find employment in other departments. However, former Sadie’s assistant manager Madison Lowe spoke of the difficulties in finding replacement jobs within SSMU.

“No one actually came forth to me saying here’s the new position, we had to seek it out ourselves,” Lowe said. “I kind of took it upon myself to figure it out if anyone who worked at Sadie’s would want to work at Gerts so we could give them that opportunity.”

According to SSMU President Muna Tojiboeva, space in the Shatner Building is allocated based on the needs of the student population.

"[We would prefer an outside cafe] that is price-friendly and offers a variety of food choices [to take the space],” Tojiboeva said. “For now, however, the space is being used for SSMU’s catering services and from time to time as an events space, although we are still looking into all the different options, and still have lots of consultations to do.”

SSMU VP Finance Arisha Khan also confirmed that the SSMU executive is looking for replacements to fill the empty space.

“Although there are no plans at the moment, obviously any low cost, student-friendly eatery would be ideal,” Khan said. “We have our hands tied, as our lease from the University states that no sublease can extend beyond the end date, currently 2021. Most reliable options are not willing to sign such a short lease, which is why we are limited in choice.”

Khan feels that Tim Hortons would be an ideal client, but doubts it would agree to such a lease. Unlike Sadie’s staff, executives of Midnight Kitchen, a free student-run kitchen that serves lunch daily, were notified in advance of Sadie’s closure as they were offered the space that previously was occupied by Sadie’s, but declined the opportunity to change location.

The Sadie’s space will remain unoccupied for the time being, until the SSMU executive finds a new operation. Lowe continues to grieve its absence.

“I want Sadie’s to be back there and I think that it’s a huge disappointment that it’s closed,” Lowe said. “I think a lot of people are extremely surprised with the abrupt decision to just shut down an establishment like that [….] It was such a positive thing to have on the second floor so I would love to see something like that.”

Science & Technology

From the trash and back again: The importance of recycling on campus

by Ronny Litvack-Katzman on

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From the shelf, the average recyclable is typically used, emptied, and hopefully placed in a recycling container. It then awaits collection and sorting, until it can be sent to the corresponding manufacturer to be reused in the most appropriate manner. The problem in this system lies at the very start: Getting the right product into the right bin is essential.

The issue lies not in the lack of resources to recycle, but in the efforts individuals are willing to make in order to recycle properly.

The Sustainability Tracking Assessment & Rating System (STARS), rates universities and colleges on their sustainability. Out of a comprehensive score of 100, McGill received a 72.6 last year—a ‘gold’ rating according to STARS—but far from where it could be in terms of achieving its sustainability goals.

The “waste” category hit McGill hard, with a score of 3.89 out of a possible 10. After years of attempted reform on waste-reduction initiatives, McGill still scores dismally on this fundamental aspect of sustainability. The systems are in place for McGill to become a recycling haven, but the reality is more dystopian. Despite the recycling bins and compost centers accessible on campus, McGill students and staff throw their recyclables into the trash, and later, the landfill.

Those with or without a background in sustainability can get involved with variety of initiatives on campus—such as McGill Students for Greenpeace and Climate Justice Montreal.

However, recycling starts from the ground up, meaning students should pay attention to what is done with their own recyclables.

The McGill Office of Sustainability (MOOS), which is responsible for providing “strategic guidance to transition McGill into an institutional model of sustainability for society,” states in their 2014-2016 strategy, Vision 2020: “[Zero] waste (energy, water, solid, air) is the target for all activities at McGill. This target is aggressively pursued and improvement is continuous.”

The downtown campus employs a stream-based system for the disposal of waste. The colour profile on bins separates each of these streams; yellow for metals, glass, and plastics, blue for paper products, and black for refuse and non-recyclables. Newly installed electronic-waste disposal centres, including those for batteries, can be found at various locations, such as in the SSMU building. Furthermore, four of McGill’s seven dining halls have the means to properly compost.

The ramifications of neglecting these resources are far-reaching and profound. The garbage that amasses in classrooms and hallways is taken to landfill sites around Montreal where—at the expense of an already fragile environment—it will sit for centuries. Hundreds of Montreal parks and communities have been built atop of repurposed landfill sites: A number set to rise if the amount of trash is not reduced.

The McGill administration is aware of environmental needs on campus and, along with the Vision 2020 strategy, is attempting to reform the way the school handles its waste output. During the 2016-2017 academic year, the MOOS reached out to the McGill community in order to incorporate student and staff sustainability concerns and goals into their revised Vision 2020: Sustainability and Climate Action Plan 2017-2020. This program is set to be released this fall.

Despite flaws in McGill’s waste reduction practices, 3.91 tons of material intended for disposal were repurposed on campus and 15.28 tons of recyclable materials were diverted from the landfill in 2014—a feat of which McGill’s Office of Sustainability, as well as the community as a whole, should be extremely proud.

Individually, McGill students and staff should be thinking about the waste in their hands and where it should be thrown away. By holding on to recyclables in bags and disposing of them properly later, rather than tossing recyclable materials into nearby trash cans, members of the McGill community can keep the growing landfill to a minimum.

Hockey, Sports

Examining sophomore slumps in the NHL

by Wasif Husain on

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The sophomore slump, an infamous term among pundits and fans in North American sports, happens when a player makes an immediate impact in their rookie year and follows up with a disappointing second season. The phenomenon is real for some players, who see their statistical outputs fall between their first and second campaigns, but no more than a myth for others who have no trouble beating their previous season’s marks.

Last year, the NHL had a standout rookie class. A trio of Toronto Maple Leafs—Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Mitchell Marner—took the league by storm. Meanwhile, Winnipeg Jets sniper Patrik Laine, who scored three hat tricks before his 19th birthday, had a tremendous year of his own. Naturally, a season full of impressive rookie performances begs the question of whether those players are destined for regression or steady development into bonafide stars.

Many factors come into play when considering the potential for a sophomore slump: The first is shooting percentage. It’s common for players to score goals on a high percentage of their shots as rookies, but suddenly see that rate fall back into the normal range in their  second season, leaving fans bewildered as their goal-scoring figures plummet.

Ice time also plays a role in slumping. The more a player plays, the greater the opportunity they have to score and assist goals. If an athlete gets less playing time in their second season, it is difficult for them to maintain or improve production. However, ice time is not the sole measure of opportunity: Audiences must also consider the quality of competition and zone starts. For example, coaches will adjust and try to play to a player’s strengths or push for the development of a more complete game. Matching up with weaker opposing lines and constant starts in the offensive zone can both create misleading stats.

Teammates can play a crucial role too, especially because roster change is inevitable every year. Sometimes, chemistry developed one year can be gone the next. Alternatively, playing with an established star can help boost a player’s production.

Finally, injuries can happen at any point, impeding a player’s progress during the season. The time it takes to get back into shape can also affect the player's performance for the next season. Looking back at past cases, hockey fans can better figure out how much of a role each factor plays.

 

By the numbers

Since the 2005-06 lockout, 26 rookies have scored at least 0.7 points per game (PPG). Four of those players were from this past season (Laine, Matthews, Marner, and Nylander). 

Of the 22 others, nine improved upon their rookie campaign, seven maintained their level of performance, and six meaningfully deteriorated in their second seasons. Those six were Colby Armstrong, Brad Boyes, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Marek Svatos, Jeff Skinner, and Nathan MacKinnon. 

For Armstrong and Svatos, a decline in shooting percentage was responsible for the drop. The former saw his rate drop by over 10 per cent after losing Sidney Crosby as a linemate. Meanwhile, the latter’s astronomically high percentage fell from nearly 20 per cent to a more normal 8.4 per cent as he scored 17 fewer goals in turn. Among the four breakouts from 2016-2017, however, only Laine and Matthews put forth particularly high shooting rates.

On the other hand, Nugent-Hopkins (shoulder), Skinner (concussion), and MacKinnon (broken foot) were all injured at some point during their sophomore seasons. Each individual’s performance suffered as a result, but once healthy, they returned to their rookie-season forms. Nugent-Hopkins has since turned into a two-way centre and managed 56 points in two consecutive seasons. Skinner, coming off a 37-goal season, looks much more like the prolific goal scorer many predicted after his rookie season. MacKinnon has bounced back with two consecutive 50-point years on a rebuilding Colorado Avalanche team.

It’s not likely for such high-calibre players to get worse, especially considering that the injured players bounced back once healthy again. Of the 22 rookies who managed 0.70 PPG, most have established themselves as consistent scoring threats in the league—a transition Laine, Matthews, Marner, and Nylander look to replicate—as long as they avoid injuries.

 

Individual comparisons

In terms of individual comparisons, Matthews’ rookie performance is most similar to Ilya Kolvachuk’s. Their shooting percentages, goal, and assist totals are comparable. Kolvachuk’s progress was encouraged by a significant bump in ice time and the gift of one of the best shots the NHL has ever seen. Time will tell if Matthews receives more ice time and is able to get into areas where he can convert a higher percentage of his opportunities.

From a statistical standpoint, Nylander lines up closely with Brad Richards, with a similar number of goals, assists, and points. If Nylander can increase his shot totals and is afforded the same ice time, he should continue to improve in coming years.

Marner can be likened to a young Patrick Kane. For such a dominant player, Kane’s shooting rate, assists, and goals per game were only just a bit better than Marner’s. If Marner is to follow in Kane’s footsteps, an increase in his shooting volume may help him net more goals in his sophomore season.

Laine has a high shooting percentage, similar to Brian Bellows, a forward who played for the Minnesota North Stars in the early ‘80s. Laine’s inflated shooting percentage could mean he is in for a decrease in scoring; however, it also means he could mirror Brian Bellows, who went on to score 485 goals in his career. If he can continue to shoot at this high rate and increase his total shots taken, he could be a 40-goal scorer next year. 

As they move into their second seasons, these four standout rookies may not turn into the players they were compared to, but—if they can stay healthy—the numbers suggest that they aren’t due for a sophomore slump either. Each had very few unfavourable statistical anomalies, and both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Winnipeg Jets should anticipate a good showing from their blossoming sophomores.

All statistics from hockey-reference.com

Science & Technology

Predicting Alzheimer’s with artificial intelligence

by Sam Min on

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Researchers in the Douglas Mental Health University Institute’s Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory at McGill have created an artificial intelligence-based algorithm to recognize dementia before its onset—an elusive task, even for neurologists. The algorithm uses statistics to learn what the determining markers of the disease are—a process called machine learning, a branch of artificial intelligence.

With a success rate of 84 per cent, the algorithm identified individuals who would develop dementia 24 months later.

Dementia is a disease characterized by memory loss. It can range from subtle to severe, with many types—the most common form being Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, no practical treatment exists for Alzheimer’s, while only a few pharmacological studies have reported conclusive data on preventing its onset.

The development of the novel algorithm used in the study took time. First, the algorithm had to be trained to analyze the expression of amyloid protein—a marker for Alzheimer’s—in positron emission tomography (PET) scans of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). These scans are employed by a variety of researchers to identify the health of organs and tissues.

The algorithm had to go through a series of processes before it was applied among patients. Computer scientist and master’s student at McGill University Sulantha Mathotaarachchi told The McGill Newsroom that he “used hundreds of amyloid PET scans of MCI patients […] to train the team’s algorithm.”

Once the training session was complete, the team applied the algorithm to a new pool of patients with mild cognitive impairments, and predict which patients would develop dementia.

Amyloid protein can pile up, forming a deposit in the brain. However, not all regions that have the amyloid deposit may pertain to progression of Alzheimer’s. Over time, the amyloid chunk can grow or wither in specific regions. Identifying such locales within the brain is crucial to make this algorithm capable of predicting the course of the disease.

“The algorithm operates in two stages: First it identifies the brain regions which [could be relevant to Alzheimer’s] progression,” Mathotaarachchi said. “[The second] step is to use these signatures with machine learning to predict if an individual will progress to Alzheimer’s dementia in 24 months.”

The creation of this algorithm marks an unprecedented achievement in the history of  Alzheimer’s research. However, according to Mathotaarachchi, amyloid is only one of the biomarkers for Alzheimer’s.

“The algorithm could be used to enrich clinical trial populations,” Mathotaarachchi said, since subjects who are at a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s make good candidates for testing the efficacy of new drugs.

To test the efficacy of a drug during clinical trials, clinicians recruit patients, divide them into two groups, and administer a drug of interest to one group (the experimental group), and a placebo to the other. The goal is to prevent the experimental group from developing the illness. However, it is difficult to select patients who will develop the targeted disease in the first place. Some members of the experimental group may not have developed the disease being studied, with or without the drug of interest.

In an interview with Live Science, Dr. Pedro Rosa-Neto, a senior co-author of the paper and associate professor in the Department of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry at McGill, discussed how this algorithm could benefit future pharmaceutical studies.

“If you can tell from a group of individuals who is the one that will develop the disease, [you] can better test new medications that could be capable of preventing the disease.”  Rosa-Neto said.

With this artificial intelligence-based algorithm, clinician-scientists can select more accurate patient-pools to test the effects of drugs in trials for Alzheimer’s studies.

“The future steps will be to incorporate more biomarkers, including structural imaging and neuropsychiatric measurements,” Mathotaarachchi said.

The lab has also created a real-time prediction tool, free and online.

“This is a pilot prototype using amyloid imaging data,” Mathotaarachchi said. “However, the framework can be used with any biomarker measurements available, including neuropsychiatric measurements.”

With this algorithm, clinicians could find apt patients for Alzheimer's studies, run efficient drug trials, and hopefully discover one that would prove effective in treating Alzheimer’s disease.  

McGill, News

Senate report shows increase in reports of sexual harassment

by Jesse Wu on

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At this academic year’s first Senate meeting on Sept. 19, student representatives, faculty, and administration reviewed the Final Report on the Provost’s Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education. Senate also delivered reports on cases of sexual harassment on campus during the 2016-2017 academic year, and discussed improvements within Counselling Services including shortened wait times for students.

 

Development of the Indigenous Task Force

At the beginning of his presentation on the Provost’s Task Force, Provost and Vice-Principal (Academic) Christopher Manfredi pointed out the need to improve McGill's efforts in Aboriginal education. He launched a task force on Indigenous education in Fall 2016 and spent this summer implementing it.

“As we discovered more than a year ago, […] we’re actually doing quite a bit [in the area of indigenous education], but we can do more,” Manfredi said. “We can do more in a more coordinated way, so what we need to do is to progress the past, invest in the present, and build to the future.”

In the report, the task force asked the university to create a second staffed Indigenous Recruitment Officer position to engage directly with indigenous students and identify their academic interests at McGill. Whereas in 2016 there was reported to be 300 indigenous students enrolled at McGill, the Provost’s academic plan aims to increase that number to at least 1,000.

Manfredi also highlighted recent initiatives to make attending McGill more feasible to students from a variety of backgrounds, such as McGill’s new acceptance of transfer credits from Ontario colleges and the new Youth in Care Bursary for students who spent time in foster care or youth protection.

“The intention [of these initiatives] is to make McGill accessible for capable students with a wide variety of backgrounds,” Manfredi said. “Beyond opening doors, we must reduce barriers to entry.”

 

Reported increase of sexual harassment claims

According to the Annual Report on the Policy on Harassment, Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Prohibited by Law prepared by Associate Provost (Equity and Academic Policies) Angela Campbell, there were 42 inquiries and complaints of harassment, sexual harassment, and discrimination last year, higher than the yearly average of 36 cases.

The report indicated that 36 per cent of complainants during the 2016-2017 academic year were undergraduate students, while 42 per cent of respondents were academic staff. The total number of student respondents increased, and male respondents nearly doubled from 20 to 38 in the past two years.

62 per cent of the cases did not proceed beyond the inquiry stage, during which a complainant brings forward concerns about their experience with sexual harassment to an Assessor or the Senior Equity and Inclusion Officer, Pascale Legros. After the inquiry stage, both parties then decide whether or not to carry out a full investigation into the complaint. This year, 7 per cent of the complaints were withdrawn in the process and the remaining 31 per cent proceeded to a full investigation.

“[Having] 31 per cent of cases proceed with a formal investigation [is] actually quite a significant proportion," Campbell said. "The year before, only 10 per cent of cases went to a formal investigation. Last year also saw the highest number of cases ever since the policy’s establishment go through a full investigation process.”

 

Committee on Student Services

After facing criticism last year over the capacity of McGill’s Counselling and Mental Health Services to serve all students, the Committee on Student Services adopted a Stepped Care Model to expand counselling options. Led by Deputy Provost (Student Life and Learning) Ollivier Dyens, the committee spearheaded the inclusion of new forms of treatment, including Therapist Assisted Online programs to group counselling, while doubling the number of Client Care Clinicians assigned to each student as their mental-health care provider.  

“Hopefully the services will greatly improve this year, so that’s something I am really, really happy to report on,” Dyens said. "[Nonetheless], we still need all the advice, suggestions, and ideas that we can get.

Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV, Music

Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA live-scores classic kung fu film

by Brandon Kaufman on

More in Arts & Entertainment:

At the Rialto Theatre, on Friday, Sept. 15, Wu-Tang Clan frontman RZA hovered over his computer, smiling and quietly conversing with the DJ beside him. The two were positioned almost offstage that afternoon, preparing to provide a live-scoring of the 1978 kung fu movie The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. The crowd let out a roaring cheer as the hip-hop legend approached centre stage. He offered a few generic comments about the movie, apologized for the presence of a large timer on-screen—it was necessary for the “composers”—and returned to his shadowy booth. 

RZA began with some breezy soul instrumentals over the opening credits. Mere minutes after this period of calm, a meticulously choreographed action scene exploded onto the screen, as RZA spun one of his abrasive bangers. The audience rapped along with the record in sheer elation.

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is a fictionalized account of the life of San Te (Gordon Liu), a student living in 18th century China. After the brutal murders of his friends and family at the hands of the oppressive Manchu government, Te becomes determined to seek revenge—pleading for an opportunity to train at the famed temple of Shaolin. The exclusive sanctuary initially rejects the non-member, but the headmaster takes pity on him. He begins training persistently to join the temple as a master. RZA overlaid a montage of Te’s strenuous training with the downtempo “C.R.E.A.M,” setting the stage for an emotional climax.

A story of dedication, rebellion, and most importantly, mastering the three section staff (a prestigious Chinese flail weapon) the movie is rightly considered the apotheosis of martial arts pictures. Te’s master immediately notices his remarkable progress. He asks him to choose one of the 35 chambers to head—each is dedicated to mastering a specific aspect of kung fu. He requests instead to create a new chamber, one devoted to training the common man. Te is initially rejected, the elitist temple accepts only the rich and noble. However, after leading his country to victory, he is granted his wish. The film concludes with Te training laymen in the hitherto elitist art of kung fu.

The 36th Chamber of Shaolin is in command of its audience from the start. A palpable rush jolts the heart as the viewer watches the protagonist dodge the keen sword of his foe and quickly strike back. This adrenaline-like surge—which only the best action movies are able to bring about—heightened as RZA simultaneously played Wu-Tang’s “Bring Da Ruckus.”

At the end of the film, RZA returned to the stage and spoke about his personal connection to the film. As a child, he, his brother, and cousin (GZA and Ol’ Dirty Bastard, both Wu-Tang members) watched the movie on repeat. From this, they developed insatiable appetites for art.

Both the music and aesthetic of the Wu-Tang Clan are as fundamentally egalitarian as the concept of the 36th chamber. Their unpretentious songs are raw, simplistic, and to the point. Wu-Tang members don’t look or behave like platinum-selling superstars. They don hoodies and loose-fitting jeans, and rap about being on food stamps and mispronouncing words. The late Ol’ Dirty Bastard  summed it up best at the Grammy’s in 1998 when—10 years before Kanye—he interrupted Puff Daddy’s Best Rap Album of the Year acceptance speech to declare that “Wu-Tang is for the children.”

RZA finished up his speech with some words about perseverance. He reminded the audience that only 25 years ago, he was unknown and destitute, trying to make his friends laugh by spitting absurd lyrics over stripped-down beats. When he closed the show, the audience shot to their feet and gave him a standing ovation. RZA and San Te are two souls separated only by two centuries.

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