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Opera McGill
a, Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

Falling in love with the opera at L’elisir d’amore

by Morgan Alexander on

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Opera McGill’s January production of Donizetti’s Italian comic opera L’elisir d’amore is a light-hearted tale of love and alchemy, all centred around the aching heart of a pitiable young man and the conniving acts of a foreign swindler. The talent of the Conductor, Patrick Hansen, and the Stage Director, François Racine, is evident throughout the skillfully performed production, and while the script itself was free of any real drama of excitement, the joyful and highly emotive portrayals by the performers brought the production to life.

The opening of L’elisir d’amore is familiar for anyone who has watched the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast (1991). Among a simple backdrop and bright lighting the chorus jauntily sings a morning song until they are distracted by the beautiful Adina (Chelsea Rus) and the latest novel she’s reading. Just like Belle, Adina is a bookish loner; however, in this friendly Italian town the people adore Adina for her literacy and gather round to hear her read about the medieval legend of Tristan, who won over his love Isolde with a love potion. This opening scene sets the stage for the remainder of the story, which centers around the dumb but sympathetic character of Nemorino (Jan van der Hooft) and his quest to win Adina’s heart before she marries the buffoonish Gaston-eque Sergeant Belcore (Bruno Roy).

The simple love story takes a twist when Dr. Dulcamara (Jesùs Vincente Murillo), a dispenser of potions and cure-alls, arrives in the town promising elixirs for every ailment. Murillo does an excellent job in his opening song, alternating between slinking coyly through the chorus and jumping into center stage to deliver his alchemic promises. His character is brought to life by the clever costuming choice of Ginette Grenier, who dressed Dulcamara in gold-accented bright orange, and even went so far as to place a stuffed monkey upon his shoulder. Grenier’s costume arrangement also skillfully brought Giannetta (Megan Miceli) to the forefront as a central character early on by dressing her in a pale blue dress with a pink corset, a stark but not burdensome contrast to the multiple shades of beige worn by the rest of the female chorus members. To her credit, in spite of only having one brief solo performance, Miceli continually highlighted her character with her skillful acting, delivering the most emotive performance of the cast despite being largely put on the sidelines.

In terms of purely operatic skill, Rus stole the show through her powerful voice and strong projection—in one moment her song reached such heights that some audience members reached to protect their ears from the vibrations of her vibrato. A stand-out scene from the show came when Adina joined Dulcamara for a humorous song, “I’m Rich, and You Are Beautiful,” at which point their voices were able to blend beautifully and shine over the chorus. Roy also delivered a consistently funny performance, continuously producing laughs from the audience over his comical gestures as he leers and literally lunges at Adina.

Much credit has to be given to the chorus as well, who brought consistent energy to the performance. Unfortunately, their energy often overtook the voices of the main characters in scenes where they were meant to be singing to pieces in conjunction with each other. This particularly affected van der Hooft, who unfortunately could only be properly heard when he was singing alone. The biggest flaw to the opera overall ultimately came from the repeated moments where three different characters in addition to the chorus were meant to be singing multiple lines separate from each other. Rus and Murillo’s voices were strong enough to fight through the rest, however every other solo singer’s voice was inevitably lost in the fray. Though the various lines all blended beautifully together, the fact that almost every single song ended in this way quickly became repetitive and made the story confusing as times, as it wouldn’t be clear which character was saying which line; the result being in that some scenes the plot would seem to dramatically change until it was sorted out what thought belonged to whom.

The talent of all the performers and the crew was evident throughout the whole production. While the story itself is somewhat bland and predictable, the bold and descriptive performances of the players illuminated the story and brought it to another level. For a charming tale with outstanding vocal and acting performances, L’elisir d’amore does a fantastic job, and is well worth the ticket price.

L’elisir d’amore is running at Pollack Hall (555 Rue Sherbrooke) from Jan. 29 – Jan. 31. Tickets range from $29.65 – $41.55. The show can also be live-streamed Friday and Saturday night through CBC at http://ow.ly/XH2PO.

a, Opinion

David Cameron and the discrimination of language laws

by Ryan Shah on

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British Prime Minister David Cameron’s most recent language policy is aimed at mitigating extremism in Britain by improving the English skills of Muslim women. It requires that migrants to Britain on spousal visas pass an English test after residing in Britain for a certain period of time. The penalty for failure: The cancellation of their visa. Though Cameron concedes that there is no direct link between poor English language skills and extremism, he believes that compelling Muslim women to learn English will help them better integrate and thus stymie Islamist radicalization. In short, this coercive policy is sure to intensify the alienation of an already disenfranchised community and stiffen exclusive group identities; Cameron would do well to learn from Quebec’s language policies in response to the migrant crisis.

As xenophobic and populist movements draw increasing support throughout North America and Europe, mainstream politicians have responded in kind—shifting the prevailing political narrative further to the right. Though certain nations, such as Canada, have remained at least relatively insulated from this seemingly unstoppable tide of demonization and division, it is evident that migrant communities the world over will have to grapple with the hardships of starting life in a new country in an increasingly hostile climate. In such a time, politicians must be wary of their word choice. Leveraging differences between minorities and their broader communities, even with the intention of integration, dangerously situates the discourse in the ‘us’ vs.‘them’ narrative.

Cameron’s decision to directly target such a marginalized and disadvantaged community is, at best, misguided. At worst, it is intentionally divisive and hateful. Cameron’s policy compounds a vast number of women from diverse backgrounds into a monolithic other that must be socialized, lest their husbands and brothers turn them into enemies of the West. While it may be intended to empower otherwise marginalized women, the language of the policy is aimed at sending a message to men—Cameron has said that “this will make it clear to those men who stop their partners from integrating that there are consequences.” However, Cameron is also sending a message to newly immigrated Muslim women that they must learn English or get out of the country. The English language is, therefore, not a symbol of national cohesion, but a tool used by the government to force the hand of an isolated community. Immigrants who are Muslim women will instead feel more excluded and targeted, providing them with less incentive to participate in broader British society.

This being said, not all language policies are created equal. The emergence of xenophobic policy is not a universal phenomenon. Quebec’s response, for instance, to the some 7,300 Syrian refugees that will be living in the province by the end of 2016 has been to invest in the provision of access to French lessons within 45 days of their arrival to the province. Unlike Cameron’s policy, this plan doesn’t call for coercive deadlines or finger-point at would-be radicals. Rather, it acknowledges the inherent economic vulnerability of new migrants and affords them the opportunity to develop their linguistic skills.

What separates these two policies is how they are situated in the broader context of international migration and the migrant crisis. The UK’s mandate that Muslim women migrating to the country must conform to language standards within a set deadline creates a precedent regarding how newcomers to western nations should be treated. If the premise of Cameron’s policy is to be believed, migrants are ill-intentioned miscreants who, without intervention, will smuggle insidious ideas into ‘our country.’ Quebec’s policy differs from that of the UK’s insofar as it isn’t focused on saving ‘us’ from ‘them;’ it is aimed instead at aiding members of a community that are transitioning to a new environment. As increasing amounts of vulnerable migrants from across the world move to the West, politicians must be mindful of the contexts in which they are implementing policy. Though integration of migrant populations is a laudable goal, it must be carried out in ways that respect, not demonize, minority communities.

a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: Ty Segall – Emotional Mugger

by Jonathan Herlin on

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Emotional Mugger is creative and unorthodox in a way that’s wholly unpredictable and not particularly welcoming. On “The Magazine,” rapid rhythmic clapping comes out of nowhere to overwhelm the melody, which simultaneously collapses into nothing more than record scratching and atonal vocals. The track “W.U.O.T.W.S.” goes from weird distorted murmurs to an acoustic guitar outro reminiscent of The Beatles’ “Honey Pie.” In fact, the album’s primary theme is dissonance; Segall intends to create a moody, at times horrific atmosphere—and he often succeeds. The album cover—baby in a menacing white mask against an ominous, grainy backdrop—is straight out of an ’80s horror film.

The guitar breakdowns are the best part of this album. Although Segall’s guitarist employs the fairly common minor pentatonic blues scale, he manages to make it new. He uses effects like gain and fuzz to great effect, and his bitingly aggressive breakdowns contrast well with Segall’s droning verses. The best example of this is “California Hills,” in which the guitar breakdowns are in double time, and are reminiscent of The Strokes on Room on Fire. By contrast, the lyrics are nothing special. There are rare gems, which are provocative and insightful, such as the following lines from “California Hills:” “American nightmare, guilty generation / Fingers on the pulse of their parents’ alienation / From the history, histories of western civilization.”

Segall’s vocals can be characterized as weird for the sake of being weird. He usually sings in a high, fuzzed out drone. Along with production, the vocals are the main way in which Segall creates an air of horror. For example, the track “Squealer Two” concludes with some sort of demented clown laughing out the lines “squealer man.” And while creepy vocals are not necessarily a bad thing, they lack any aesthetic or redeeming quality on this album. This is especially true on “Baby Big Man,” where, much like the entire track, the vocals are essentially pointless.

On the whole, this album is not particularly enjoyable. There are a few good songs, the standout track being the aforementioned “California Hills,” but most songs are either forgettable or too jarring to listen to more than once. This album is not likely to have a wide influence, nor is it aesthetically significant, but it is certainly an interesting listening experience.

Standout tracks:

“Californian Hills,” “Mandy Cream,” “Diversion”

Sounds like:

The mood occasionally evokes the droning of Sonic Youth and the guitar riffs sound like the early White Stripes. Note that these comparisons make the album seem far better than it is.

Standout lyric:

“American nightmare, guilty generation / fingers on the pulse of their parents’ alienation / from the history, histories of western civilization.”

LCD soundsystem
a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Pop Rhetoric: Drop the cynicism and get excited for LCD Soundsystem’s return

by Eric Noble-Marks on

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Remember when the reunion rumour was solely in the domain of the great fossils of rock’s mesozoic era? When the ravenous rumour mill of music journalism (read: Rolling Stone Magazine) was content to feast on reports of fabricated Zeppelin tours and that time that Pink Floyd got back together for Live 8? Every once in awhile, the rumour mill would be thrown a bone in the form of the Police or Van Halen and there would be much rejoicing. In fairness, this was almost immediately followed by an avalanche of hand-wringing think pieces about $200 tickets and 'legacy' from those who consider themselves to be part of rock’s indie and alternative intelligentsia.

Well, the joke’s on them. Alternative rock has officially entered the reunion era; however, when critically beloved dance-punk tastemakers LCD Soundsystem announced their reunion early this year, there was little rejoicing. In fact, people who came out in droves to buy records and see shows during the band’s initial six-year-run were disappointed and even hurt by their decision to return. Frontman James Murphy went so far as to share an apology on the band’s website. It was jarring to see such a negative reaction. But here’s the thing: It doesn’t matter. Fans should be stoked beyond belief that LCD Soundsystem are back. 

The release of a new LCD album is a sketchy proposition for many fans. These are your typical reunion naysayers who harp on about legacy and the effect that an underwhelming fourth album might have on the band’s classic discography. For one, the album may very well be great; the other LCD records certainly were. Second, even if it’s a disaster, there is no reason why this should affect the perception of the other records. If you loved Sound of Silver and whatever new record they put out makes you love Sound of Silver less, maybe you like that record for the wrong reasons. Whatever happens, listeners will always have the first three albums. Whatever comes next should be thought of as a bonus.

Admittedly, LCD’s break up was a bit of an anomaly in the music world. Unlike other bands that spontaneously combust due to ego-collision and infighting, LCD’s separation was serene and meticulously planned. There was a last show at Madison Square Garden in 2011. There was a documentary about that show and the breakup of the band, 2012’s Shut Up and Play the Hits. There was a vinyl box set of the last show released for record store day 2014 called The Long Goodbye. Everything was wrapped in a nice little bow before the band came back and supposedly ruined everything. There have been countless comments online about how people’s experience of that last show is now sullied by the band’s reunion just five years later. That’s understandable. Here these people were thinking they were witnessing the end of an era only to have it resume roughly the same amount of time that it takes to record a new Radiohead record (fingers crossed).

People love a good ending, but consider this: I for one, was turned on to LCD at age 14 by a friend who linked me to a live stream of their last show. When it ended, I felt that great feeling that one always feels when they immediately connect to music for the first time, but of course, the moment was bittersweet. For myself and others who fell in love with this band over the past five years, LCD’s return is an opportunity to see the band live and experience the release of a new album for the first time. More than this, there are legions of potential fans who now have the chance to catch LCD at a festival and discover, for the first time, just what makes this band so special. Let’s not take that away from them. This is happening. Let’s get excited.

The Clash
a, Arts & Entertainment, Music

Flashback: London Calling by The Clash (1979)

by Alissa Zilberchteine on

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London, 1979. It has been a decade of rebellious confrontation, slashed jeans, and protests against mainstream society. To sum it all up: Loud. However, this active time of musical production, pioneered by individuals who desired to create and say something, should not be confused with ‘noise.’ The raging guitar riffs and screaming vocals are loud, but they are deliberate and carefully composed by the music scene’s enthusiasts. Among these are the legendary punk rock band The Clash, who released their third studio album London Calling in 1979 with Epic Records. The album was a commercial success in the UK and US, and a significant triumph for the group, as it diverged from their previous work, incorporating elements of rockabilly, reggae, ska, and jazz-inspired sounds. London Calling demonstrates the band’s musical innovation and complex craftsmanship; it challenged the long-availing, widespread punk-rock myth that all songs sound the same.

The album begins with the title track “London Calling,” a confrontation with the iconic city’s despairing state of high unemployment and social unrest. Joe Strummer calls out the city’s wrongs and criticizes its establishments as he sings, “The ice age is coming/ The sun is zooming in/ Engines stop running/ And the wheat is growing thin.” Strummer and Mick Jones created the album over the span of several months in Jones’ grandmother’s apartment; Strummer wrote lyrics while Jones composed the music. The album tackles significant social issues, including the Spanish Civil War (“Spanish Bombs”), the failures of capitalism (“Clampdown”), and conflicts with the police (“The Guns of Brixton”). The song “Lost in the Supermarket” deals with struggles of self-identity in a world plagued by commercialism, juxtaposed with the backdrop of a shopping market. Strummer compares the search for one’s self with the pursuit of a grocery item, “I’m all lost in the supermarket/ I can no longer shop happily/ I came in here for a special offer/ Guaranteed personality.” Likewise, other songs on the album deal with similar universal human issues in the context of London’s socio-economic circumstances in the '70s.

While the album is filled with fast guitar riffs and loud drum beats—the standard musical duo of many punk songs—they are accompanied with an organ and a series of horn instruments. The latter’s role in the musical ensemble contributes to the album’s reggae and jazz-inspired motifs. The horns are particularly apparent in “Rudie Can’t Fail,” “The Right Profile,” and “Wrong ‘Em Boyo.” “Revolution Rock” is immersed in reggae influences evidenced in the repetition of the brass instruments, the off-beat guitar, and relaxed thumping of the drums. This is all complemented by Strummer’s carefree manner of singing. The role of the organ and brasses in the album provide a stark contrast with the band’s two earlier works, The Clash (1977) and Give ‘Em Enough Rope (1978), which primarily featured rock music instruments. These changes suggest bold stylistic experimentation and a conscious desire to further evolve their music.

London Calling is a unique contribution in the history of punk rock. Its ranging musical composition, distinctive instrumental ensemble, and ground-breaking lyrics demonstrate evident diversions from The Clash’s earlier sound or the music of The Sex Pistols and The Ramones. Even its commercial success could be seen as opposing the punk tradition of primarily underground activity. Despite some of these differences, the album encapsulates punk music’s essence of free creative speech, total musical authorship, and rebellion against the mainstream. London Calling challenges and rebels against the characterized sounds of its own genre, proving to be a bold musical statement and a truly iconic example of punk music.

a, News

EUS Council decides against hosting International Engineering Competition

by William Pang on

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At its Jan. 25 meeting, the Engineering Undergraduate Society (EUS)council  relinquished its bid to host the International Engineering Competition (IEC) and set dates for their upcoming election. In addition, they heard a presentation from the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Vice-President (VP) Finance, Zacheriah Houston, on the SSMU base fee increase special referendum question.

EUS not hosting upcoming engineering competition

The EUS relinquished its bid to host the 2016 International Engineering Competition, an event managed by the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students (CFES).

“There has been a lot of miscommunication between us and the CFES […] and besides, it was too much for us to take, especially on the financial side of things,” EUS VP External Jean-Louis Shi said. “The whole point of relinquishing the bid is official to say that [the EUS has] no financial obligation [to host the event].”

Shi noted that EUS will be hosting two other CFES activities: The Canadian Engineering Competition and the Conference of Diversity in Engineering; however, the IEC event will still be organized by Mélanie Laroche–Boisvert, who served as a chairperson of the EUS IEC 2016 committee.   

“Initially the idea was to say we don’t want to [host IEC] anymore, but Mélanie still wanted to continue,” Shi said.

EUS will be providing free room access for Laroche-Boisvert to organize the next edition of IEC.

SSMU membership fee increase

SSMU executives have been making rounds to faculty councils to advocate for a $5.50 increase in membership fee.  On Monday, Houston explained to the EUS that the membership fee has not increased since 2008, and SSMU’s current budget is unsustainable given its rapid growth over the past few years.

“Roughly 30 per cent would go to additional support staff for SSMU, roughly 40 per cent would go to financial stability, and roughly 25 per percent would go to student identified priorities,” Houston said, before elaborating that the fee increase would bring around $240,000 in additional revenue.

EUS President Mariam Hachem questioned Houston on why faculties except for Law, Religious Studies, Dentistry, and Medicine have to pay a higher membership fee. Houston explained that the irregular fee structure is due to historical reasons, and emphasized that no other SSMU fee is structured similarly.

“Personally I am not in favour of the fee structure, and we’re not proposing a proportional increase,” Houston said. “The deputy provost’s office doesn’t allow you to have two questions in one [referendum], so fee restructuring combined with a fee increase, we would get a lot of resistance to that [….]  It could take a year to get them to allow us to have two questions at once.”

EUS executive elections

Council members passed a Policy and Bylaw Review Committee (PBRC) bylaw to set up a nominations committee within EUS and approved their electoral calendar for the upcoming month.

“Elections for EUS execs and representatives to SSMU, the nomination period, which we are already in, is from [Jan. 20] to [Feb. 3],” Hachem announced.  “The campaigning period will be after, [Feb. 8] to [Feb. 14].

Election debates will be held on Feb. 10 in the EUS Common Room.

The nomination period for Engineering departmental executives will be held from Feb. 22 to Mar. 8, with the campaign period held Mar. 14 to Mar. 20.

a, Fact or Fiction, Science & Technology

Fact or Fiction: Is MSG bad for you?

by Lydia Kaprelian on

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It seems like no food is safe anymore. High fructose corn syrup causes diabetes. Swordfish is filled with mercury, a neurotoxin. And the latest bad news? Bacon is a carcinogen according to the World Health Organization (WHO). When it comes to monosodium glutamate (MSG), though, it looks like science is on the side of tasty foods.

Commonly associated with Chinese food, MSG has garnered quite a negative reputation over the years. Its use has been linked to a variety of health problems from headaches to allergic reactions to general sluggishness.

MSG’s bad rap can be traced back to a letter written in 1968 to the New England Journal of Medicine by Dr. Robert Ho Man Kwok. The letter, titled “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome,” recounted Ho Man Kwok’s experience of eating out at Chinese restaurants, which resulted in him having symptoms of numbness and weakness. Ho Man Kwok speculated that his malaise could be due to the flavouring used by Chinese restaurants.

“The cause is obscure,” the paper reads. “[Some] have suggested that it may be caused by the monosodium glutamate seasoning used to a great extent for seasoning in Chinese restaurants.”

And with that, Ho Man Kwok sparked one of the most pervasive food myths of today: MSG is dangerous.

Nowadays, stigma has caused many Chinese restaurants in Montreal and throughout North America to boast “No MSG” on storefronts and in menus. The label can be found in the grocery store aisles on seasoning salts and pre-packaged foods. The signs and labels are meant to ease customer concerns, but they also feed the fire that MSG should be avoided. As of yet, there’s no rigorous scientific evidence or research to back MSG’s infamous reputation.

Discovered by Tokyo Imperial University chemist Kikunae Ikeda in 1907, MSG was created to capitalize on umami flavour. Umami, a flavour outside of the four basic tastes—sour, sweet, salty, and bitter—is hailed as the savoury taste that’s found in foods such as mushrooms, beef, miso and Parmesan cheese. Umami-packed MSG helps to explain the deliciousness of ramen flavouring packets, for example.

It was Ikeda who first attempted to identify this feeling or flavour of umami. He discovered that many of the foods associated with umami contained L-glutamate. Seeking to isolate umami, Ikeda synthesized MSG by extracting glutamate from kombu seaweed and stabilizing the molecule with table salt and water. Glutamate is a non-essential amino acid naturally produced in the human body. L-glutamate refers to the chiral orientation of the amino acid.

If the two components of MSG—table salt and glutamate—are naturally-occurring substances, then what is the big concern over MSG?

As it turns out, MSG’s demise is more than just a story about the difficulties of altering public perception; it is also a story about the misuse of science.

Soon after Ho Man Kwok’s letter to the New England Journal of Medicine was published, a study came out in Science, which implicated MSG consumption in some nasty symptoms. John Olney, a professor at the Washington University School of Medicine, published “Brain lesions, obesity, and other disturbances in mice treated with monosodium glutamate” in which newborn mice were subcutaneously injected—that is, injected under their skin—with about 0.4 to 5 mg of MSG. Following the injections, the mice developed a slew of symptoms ranging from stunted skeletal development to obesity to neuronal necrosis of the hypothalamus.

Though the results did prove that direct injections of enormous quantities of MSG will have harmful effects, it by no means mimicked the way MSG is consumed by humans. For example, Olney injected the mice with MSG whereas humans acquire MSG by eating it. As a result, the human body will metabolize MSG differently than Olney’s mice. This, coupled with the dose the mice received—rates of which would be very unlikely for humans—means that very little of this work can be applied to actual human consumption.

The study performed by Olney is an important lesson when considering scientific findings. While results may have indicated MSG  is causing trouble for mice, it might not mean the same for humans. With MSG so heavily demonized in North America, changing the minds of the public is likely to take a long time. 

a, Science & Technology

The dark secret behind snow pollution

by Sihara Wickremasignhe on

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The white blanket that covers everything and anything after a snowfall may not be as pure and untarnished as it appears. A recent study from McGill University discovered that freezing temperatures and fallen snow can change the way compounds found in air—air particulates—are distributed. Yevgen Nazarenko, a postdoctoral fellow from McGill’s Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and a researcher with the study, explained that snow is the perfect pollutant trap.

“If you go to polluted regions like some cities in China and India […] or even stand near some major roads, especially where they have a lot of diesel engines, you can see the air pollution,” Nazarenko explained. “You can physically see the particulates in the air or you see the brown smog.”

In areas where pollutants aren’t as visible, like Montreal for example, toxins are still absorbed by the snow, making them present in higher concentrations and potentially harmful.

 Nazarenko and his team found increased levels of four specific petroleum-derived chemicals—benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes (BTEX)—that have been shown to be toxic and carcinogenic. Benzene is quickly and effectively absorbed into the body, causing drowsiness, confusion and headaches. High enough levels (>10,000,000 parts per billion) can lead to death. Toluene and ethylbenzene are eagerly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract after ingestion and can cause kidney and liver problems. Xylenes negatively impact the nervous system, affecting muscle coordination and balance. These monocyclic molecules are small—they can have width of about 240pm. As a result, they can enter the human respiratory and circulatory systems with ease, leading to increased incidences of cancer and cardiovascular pulmonary disease. Snow is an extremely efficient pollutant trap, because it’s a mixture of water and ice.

“Snow is assembled [from] minute crystals with very high surface [areas] and, above -20 degrees Celsius, snow has a quasi-liquid water phase,” Nazarenko explained. “You have a lot of surfaces and various phases for absorption of the solution of substances into the snowpack whereas in water, you have much lower surface area for contact with air pollution.”

Immediate exposure of heated emissions from exhaust pipes to the cool winter atmosphere causes gases to condense into particulate form, which acts to increase snow’s absorption. Despite these factors, many agencies have continued to ignore snow pollution.

“Much of the environmental protection regulations and standards are based on warm temperature research and don’t take into account the presence of snow, cold, freezing temperatures,” Nazarenko said. 

This is because calculating these factors in cold weather can be difficult, expensive, and often inaccurate. To address this problem and isolate vehicle pollution data, the research team at McGill created a system where they eliminated various environmental factors like changes in wind speed, wind pumping—wind blowing through the snowpack—structure of the snowpack, interaction between surfaces like vegetation and buildings, and other pollutant sources. They collected freshly fallen snow from Parc du Mont-Royal which they kept at freezing temperature and measured the pollutant levels in the sample as a blank. The snow was then exposed to diluted exhaust from a gasoline engine and analysed.

 Thus far, this study serves as a starting point for further research.

“Certain chemicals do undergo various chemical reactions due to photochemistry, pollution in the environment and in snow is not constant,” Nazarenko said. “Whatever is absorbed there, whatever your starting pollutants are, is not necessarily all going to remain in that form.” 

More studies have to be conducted to identify the exact type and quantity of pollutants and to determine exactly what the environmental and health implications are. The end result may be that policy makers will encourage research in this field and update emission standards.

5th wave
a, Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

The 5th Wave more one singular wave of disappointment

by Celine Renaud-Brice on

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Stop me if this sounds familiar: In a post-apocalyptic nation, one spunky hero sparks a trilogy-long revolution against a corrupt government, as the fate of the world rests upon their shoulders. The 5th Wave proves to be a lacklustre addition to the current trend of young-adult (YA), dystopian thrillers, which includes the likes of The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner. Directed by J Blakeson and based upon Rick Yancey’s bestselling 2013 novel, the film follows Cassie Sullivan (Chloë Grace Moretz), a 16-year-old survivor of an alien invasion. As one of Earth’s last remaining survivors, she must fend off wave after wave of deadly attacks, including power outages, plagues, earthquakes, and floods—with the eponymous fifth wave being the story’s main focus—in order to reunite with her younger brother, Sammy (Zackary Arthur). An intriguing premise perhaps, but the reality is a generic teenage angst-ridden romance, paired with an alien invasion thrown in as an afterthought.

Love triangles, paper-thin characters, and brooding bad boys galore, The 5th Wave can’t seem to pull itself out of its YA clichés. Too bad though, as the film boasts some genuinely surprising plot turns and impressive special effects. Its main achievement can be traced back to the dilemma many popular book series experience when they become global sensations and movie franchises; which parts to bring to life to satisfy the fans and which to eliminate so as to maintain a coherent narrative. Finding that right balance can be tricky, however, the film manages to successfully juggle its two coinciding storylines, Cassie’s search for Sammy, and Sammy’s training in a military boot camp.

But that’s where the good ends, sadly. Overlooking the story’s obvious similarity to other films of its ilk proves to be an impossible feat. It follows trope after trope of cliché young-adult franchises, like Twilight or Divergent. From hormone-addled teens to truly eye-roll inducing dialogue, The 5th Wave struggles under the weight of its simplistic plot line. A more accurate synopsis of the film should be: Socially awkward, beautiful, (yet unaware of her own beauty) nerdy girl meets aloof, yet sensitive, young man (Alex Roe) with a mysterious past. In the midst of an apocalypse, Cassie must decide which cute boy she likes best, as her hair and makeup remain picture perfect after living alone in the wilderness for a year.

Even less impressive than the plot itself is the film’s highly questionable acting. Moretz seems to make use of only two facial expressions: Gaping mouth and wide eyes (that’s fear) or pursed lips and wide eyes (that’s love). Though, to be fair, she’s not entirely to blame. One has to wonder how people can act convincingly when faced with the line, “My name is Ben because my dad likes Ben & Jerry’s,” to which she replies, “I’m sure your dad loves you more than ice cream.” On the other hand, Maika Monroe, who plays a sassy, rebellious soldier in the boot camp, stands out as a badass, feminist role model, with her sharp quips and no-nonsense attitude. Unlike Cassie, Monroe’s character is strong, independent, and wastes no time ogling boys when the end of the world is nigh.

Ultimately, The 5th Wave starts out mediocre and ends as a derivative, comical farce. The irony is that for a film that emphasizes humanity being the key to mankind’s survival, it’s emotionally truncated characters lack the depth that could ever resemble real life. Best of luck to all in surviving the five waves: Confusion, frustration, tedium, fatigue, and finally, disappointment.

Hateful Eight
a, Arts & Entertainment, Film and TV

Tarantino adds some sauce to the classic spaghetti western in “The Hateful Eight”

by Rebecca Potters on

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When you walk into a Quentin Tarantino film, you can expect three things: Lots of blood, an intricately layered storyline, and Samuel L. Jackson. If you’ve seen The Hateful Eight, you’ll recognize that Tarantino meets those expectations, and then quickly surpasses them. Granted, this movie is not for everyone. It is long, drawn out, and gory; however, if you have the patience and the stamina, it is well worth the watch.

The first chapter the movie takes place inside of a horse-drawn wagon, ushering bounty hunter John Ruth (Kurt Russell) and his prisoner Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh) off to the town of Red Rock so she can be hanged. On the way, they reluctantly pick up Major Marquis Warren (Jackson) and Sheriff Chris Mannix (Walton Goggins). This ensemble of three law-enforcers and a criminal makes for a violently slapstick wagon ride until they reach their checkpoint, Minnie’s Haberdashery, where they’re forced to hole up in the face of an impending blizzard. It is here that the story picks up, and we leave the beautifully shot, snow-covered Wyoming wasteland, and enter the cabin that houses the rest of the cast, and serves as the setting for the rest of the movie.

In Minnie’s Haberdashery, the audience is introduced to familiar actors such as Bruce Dern, Michael Madson, Tim Roth, Demián Bichir, and Channing Tatum. For the remainder of the movie, you get the sense that you are watching a vengeful spaghetti western that has crossed over into Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit. Everyone is trapped in one room facing existential dilemmas and playing a game of “whodunit?”

Audience engagement is a major component of this specific movie-going experience. Assumptions are made and suspicions rise. Once a culprit seems apparent, suspicions are then disproven with the introduction of a brand new concept or character and it’s back to square one. This technique is how Tarantino keeps audiences on the edge of their seat for the entirety of the film.

If you're unable to see the film in its 70mm glory, the standard 35mm format is still very much worth the watch. The bleak, snow-covered setting in conjunction with the cinematography and panning shots of landscape serve as vehicles of isolation that allow audience members to join the cast in that horse-drawn wagon, and feel the familiar yet fraught dynamic between every character.

Ennio Morricone’s score is so subtly catchy that during the screening, you are almost unaware that there is even music in the background at all; however you will leave the theatre humming the theme that you realize was playing the entire time. The music aids in the suspense and anxiety of the characters for the duration. From the beginning, even before any important events occur, the music gives an ominous impression of the conflict that will inevitably play out over the next two hours. Inspiration for the soundtrack was taken from the screenplay itself, and was further influenced by the Italian Giallo genre, a slasher/thriller genre equipped with elements of mystery, crime or the supernatural.

Overall, The Hateful Eight combines elements of drama, comedy, western, action, romance, and thriller. As Tarantino does so well, the movie was exciting and unpredictable, gruesome yet tasteful, and generally just fun to watch. Even if you are of the faint of heart, the tongue-in-cheek dialogue alone makes up for the generous amount of violence and fake blood. The best advice would be to know when to close your eyes, sit back, and let Mr. Tarantino lead you into his twisted cinematic world.

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