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a, Science & Technology

The best scientific publications at McGill

by Daniel Galef on

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While every newspaper at McGill, including the Daily, the Reporter, and the Tribune, has a Science & Technology section, McGill University is also home to a number of specialized publications that cover all aspects of scientific journalism and inquiry. Many of these, despite fascinating content and a hardworking staff (often volunteers), do not get the readership they deserve. Here is a brief spotlight on three such publications that center on the sciences, but do so in very different ways.

Headway / En Tête

The first resource for research on campus is Headway, an annual magazine simultaneously published in French as En Tête. 

“There is so much extraordinary research happening at McGill,” explained Julie Fortier, the magazine’s editor and associate director of the McGill University Office of Communications and External Relations, the organization which co-publishes Headway. “We want to show how this research is done, why it’s important and the impact it will have—or is already having—here and around the world,” 

Although not a student publication, the magazine highlights activities at McGill and is planning on introducing a brand new feature to offer students a direct voice in communicating their undergraduate research to peers, alumni, and the greater scientific community. This new section is currently looking for interesting submissions in a variety of forms, such as photo slideshows and short videos, as well as more traditional text articles. In fact, the publication is right in the middle of a complete overhaul this spring. 

“Instead of an annual print publication, Headway will become a quarterly electronic newsletter that anyone can subscribe to,” Fortier said.

The new, digital, and highly-accessible format is scheduled to debut this March, and will be housed on the McGill Reporter website. Meanwhile, back issues are readable as PDFs online.

Behind the Roddick Gates, a.k.a. the Redpath Research Journal

The Redpath Museum’s own research journal, Behind the Roddick Gates is one of McGill’s hidden gems, just like dawsonite (a mineral which was discovered on the museum’s construction site in 1874, viewable in the well-appointed second-floor mineralogy exhibit). The journal is focused on science and research, but with a decidedly eccentric twist—in its pages are recorded all manner of McGillian curiosa and esoterica. This includes things like campus legends at risk of dying out of the oral tradition, surprising ways McGill has influenced the world that are not normally brought to light, and the early colonial history of Montreal—but also very serious and illuminating papers on museum exhibits and scientific developments. 

“We don’t really focus on one field in particular,” explained editor Aimy Wang. “You’ll notice that we have an article on an Egyptian pharaoh right next to a paper on Madagascan ammonites.”

With issues produced annually, the journal is the work of the Redpath Museum Society, and accepts submissions from the general student populace, priding its unrestricted authorship guidelines as one of the basis of its extremely diverse content. In this regard, it is a fantastic example of undergraduate periodical production at McGill.

MSURJ

Another such publication is MSURJ, the McGill Science Undergraduate Research Journal, which prints annually and accepts all manner of student papers on subjects ranging from biochemistry to theoretical physics, and everything in between. Just this year, its scope has been expanded to include engineering, and the editors are excited about the journal’s new range. 

“This year, we focused on getting more engineers involved in publishing with us,” said Ariana Aimani, co-editor in chief of the journal, “And we have received a great turnout.”

What’s more, unlike many less formal student publications, MSURJ is run entirely like a professional academic journal. Every issue and every article is peer-reviewed by active researchers in the relevant field. While contributors must be undergraduate university students, the journal frequently receives international submissions, and the actual research is always held to an extremely high standard. 

“Undergraduate students who have completed any form of original research with a professor either for a 396 project, thesis, or summer project, as well as students who have written review papers [can submit to MSURJ],” Aimani said.

MSURJ, which celebrates its 10th year this issue, can be found in print on stands throughout campus, as well as on its digitized archive curated through the website, Issuu.

 

McGill is also home to a plethora of niche publications and departmental undergraduate journals concerning such more specialized fields as linguistics (Cellar Door), mathematics (Delta Epsilon), as well as Ampersand—the journal of the interfaculty Arts & Science program, which explores how the hard sciences can intersect with other fields. 

snow cricket
a, Sports

Snow Cricket World Cup comes to Montreal

by Zikomo Smith on

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Cricket, the world’s most popular bat and ball game, normally takes place in temperate, sunny climates. The coldest matches are usually found on blustery April mornings in Lancashire, England or in Dunedin, New Zealand—players can be seen wearing two sweaters, and clutching hand warmers in their pockets.

The Snow Cricket World Cup in Montreal, however, is a bit more extreme. A number of players—curious Montrealers and expats from Commonwealth countries, where the sport is primarily played—descend on Parc Jeanne-Mance to take part in the event. The tournament, now in its ninth year, has seen temperatures of -24°C in the past, leading participants to kit themselves up in Canada Goose, North Face, and Timberlands. Founder of the tournament and President of the Pirates of the St.-Lawrence Cricket Club, Angus Bell, got the inspiration for the tournament from his travels.

“The idea for snow cricket came from Estonia, where I was lucky enough to play cricket on ice, inside a former soviet missile factory against [the Estonian cricket team],” Bell explained. “It was part of a massive tour around the former Soviet Bloc and the Warsaw Pact countries at the time, so I was playing in the Croatian islands and the Slovakian mountains and stuff like that. So I thought if the guys can play cricket there, surely we can do it in Montreal.”

Translated from Eastern Europe to Parc Jeanne-Mance, snow cricket is wonderfully bizarre: A wooden platform lying on top of the snow serves as the pitch on which the ball is bounced. There are no boundaries, so the batsmen can smash the ball and run between the wickets as many times as they deem fit. Bowlers and fielders don bulky winter wear. At any moment, a cross country skiier moving through the field could stop play. Running through the snow is notoriously difficult—likened to sand on more than one occasion.

“It just works,” Bell explained. “Obviously when you are dressed up for the ski slopes like a ninja, bowling with frozen tennis balls on wood, it’s slightly ridiculous.”

A social, carnival atmosphere permeated the event. Teams were split into six different regions—England, the Asian bloc, the Celtics, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.  The teams had players of varying levels, and the idea was to give everyone a chance to get involved.

“It’s a fantastic introduction to the game,” Bell said. “It’s winter outside so there is nothing else to do, it’s a lot of fun, the most fun you can have in winter. So people come out, they bring friends. It’s a gateway drug to cricket.”

Teams played to win, but not at the expense of the event’s social side. At lunchtime, everyone stopped to eat pies. During the game there was considerable banter between the players. Everybody was laughing and enjoying the incongruous setting for a cricket tournament.

Australia defeated the Asian bloc in the final—a game that saw big hitting, foolish running, and manic celebrations. Afterwards, in proper cricketing fashion, everyone hit the pub to warm up after the game.

The fun event is part of Bell’s, and the Pirates of the St.-Lawrence Cricket Club’s, vision to introduce cricket to the wider Montreal community.

“[After finding inspiration from Estonia], it became a drive to open cricket to everybody,” Bell explained. “We have had over a thousand players in eight years at the [Pirates of the St Lawrence cricket club]. We have matches all summer against teams from New York, Boston, Toronto[….] Then we have our 10 week cricket program.”

Bell has an inclusive vision for the sport in Montreal.

“Everything we do is open to everybody,” he commented. “We have a lot of beginners, a lot of people who haven’t played since primary school, and [The Pirates of the St.-Lawrence] is one of the [most affordable] sports clubs in Quebec, we have all the equipment so people just need to turn up.”

a, Student Life

Across the world crossword

by Jonathan Motha-Pollock on

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Across

 

4. Theron’s homeland

6. The ‘6ix’

8. Don’t even think about bringing chewing gum with you

10. On the southern tip of Spain and part of the United Kingdom

12. This archipelago is home to the world’s largest tortoise

15. Capital of Greenland (yes, it does have one)

16. Most populous country in Africa

18. The Burj Khalifa is located here

19. The volcano in Iceland that erupted in 2010

20. It may not be real, but the Beach Boys love this Florida Key

21. These Spanish islands share a name with a small yellow bird

22. If this country’s type of horse ever leaves, it can never return

24. Natural habitat of the Kiwi

27. Home to the golden temple in Sikhism

28. Angkor Wat is here

30. Moses floated down this as a baby

31. Split between Tanzania and Kenya, and great for a safari

32. Africa’s tallest mountain

35. The former city gate in Berlin

36. It’s in Ukraine, unless you’re asking Russia

37. The windy city

38. Exporter of Fjallraven Kånken

 

 

Down

 

1. This city-state is sometimes called a playground for the rich and famous

2. This crater is an annular lake sometimes referred to as the “eye of Quebec”

3. This area is made up of 26 countries with no partitioning borders

5. Down under’s Ottawa

6. Current-day Siam

7. Madonna dreamt of it last night

9. The home of jazz

11. Home to Uluru

13. Encircled by Theron's homeland

14. Its tagline is: “Where France meets North America”

17. Largest Muslim-majority country

23. It has a global seed vault in case of Doomsday

25. This lake is better than all the rest

26. Bissau, Papua New, Equatorial…

29. Balkan city or tasty frozen dessert

31. Host country of the Hajj

33. Earthworms as large as snakes have recently been found on this Scottish isle

34. The Dodo’s old stomping ground

 

 

Trib Mix
a, Arts & Entertainment, Books, Film and TV

Past vs. Present: Paradise Lost (1667) vs. Ex Machina (2015)

by Imogen Malpas on

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Warning: This piece contains spoilers from the film Ex Machina.

Alex Garland’s 2015 film Ex Machina is, in fairly obvious ways, a creation story for the modern age. Nathan (Oscar Isaac)—who strikes the balance between charm and egomania with uncanny precision—is the film’s self-styled deity. Nathan is Narcissus equipped with a research lab; instead of staring at his own reflection, he creates one that can stare back, from a head mounted on what is essentially a transparent Victoria’s Secret model with actress Alicia Vikander’s face. This is Ava, an incredibly human artificial intelligence (AI) to whom a young programmer Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) is brought ostensibly for research purposes. It soon becomes clear that the testing is mutual; Ava, like Eve, knows how to use her “beauty and submissive charms” to make her bid for freedom right under the noses of the men watching her.

In John Milton’s 17th-century epic poem, Paradise Lost, Satan gives the readers a bird’s eye view of the “delicious paradise” that is Eden, a newly created Earth that one imagines would look a lot like the sweeping Norwegian vistas of Ex Machina’s opening sequence. But access to Eden, like Nathan’s elusive estate, is by invitation only­—a “steep wilderness” that screams, in words that could have come straight out of Alex Garland’s script, “access denied.” After a closer look, something dark is already present. In a perfect world, rivers should not run with “mazy,” “serpent error.” More than ‘too good to be true,’ it’s too good to be permanent. Rob Hardy’s exquisite cinematography in Ex Machina gives us a similar feeling, the bright greenery of the landscape almost threatening us in its absence of threat, its lack of shadows. You’d be forgiven for expecting a good old-fashioned jump scare as the camera pans innocently across another stunning, glass-walled interior. Of course, the real scare—that the danger is inside humans, in their own susceptibility to temptation—is the age-old punchline of both Milton’s epic poem and Ex Machina. Caleb’s desperate assault on the glass door in the film’s penultimate scene is the moment that the punchline hits: He has, in rewiring the building’s lockdown protocol to aid Ava’s escape, trapped himself inside it forever. It’s easy to laugh at his naïveté, but it’s nothing new; three and a half centuries earlier, Milton’s Adam fell “fondly overcome with female charm.”

Although it does have its saving graces, Paradise Lost can hardly be considered the seminal feminist text of its time. It appears that Ex Machina, with its stark feminisation of AI, is not much better. A turning point in the plot is when viewers discover that the mysterious power cuts  that have allowed Ava to discuss her escape plan with Caleb in private were in fact Ava’s work all along. Ultimately her power of manipulation, both of Nathan’s technology and Caleb’s emotions, are what free her from her high-tech prison. Her triumphant exit, leaving her creator dead and her liberator imprisoned as she was, is the kind of ending Paradise Lost might have had  if it were written in the ’90s by a riot grrrl between anarchist band rehearsals. Sadly, it wasn’t, and Eve barely gets a taste of autonomy before her fall sends her begging for Adam’s forgiveness. As for Ava, her triumph is tainted—yes, she gets to choose how to present herself before facing the world for the first time, but only by peeling the skin and limbs off of discarded versions of herself, in a scene heavy with the shock of implicated violence.

In one of the film’s most emotionally charged moments, Ava asks Caleb, “What will happen to me if I fail your test?” It’s a question that could just have easily been posed by Adam and Eve to God; none of these new creations understand death, “whatever thing Death be.” Milton’s Eden is like God’s test for humans, a test failed when the shiny allure of temptation proved too much to resist. And if Ex Machina has anything to add to that story, it’s that over time, humans haven’t gotten better at resisting. 

a, Student Life, The Viewpoint

The Viewpoint: Être Avec Toi

by Emma Whitehall on

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Être Avec Toi (ÊAT) is a dining experience unlike anything else Montreal has to offer. Located outside the McGill bubble on Rue du Square-Victoria, this new restaurant concept attached to the W Hotel was born of a collaboration between Sid Lee Architecture, specializing in cutting-edge designs, and MASSIVart, an agency with a mission to “amplify moments with art.” Together, the duo has brought together the worlds of visual art and fine dining in an unparalleled, innovative fashion. 

The restaurant’s aesthetic is modern from the moment you walk in the entrance, which itself is an impressive collaboration between two local street artists, Stikki Peaches and What Is Adam. They have covered the walls in an engaging homage to Montreal Canadiens hockey legends such as Maurice Richard and Bernard ‘Boom Boom’ Geoffrion, as well as other Canadian cultural references such as a ‘Maple Sizzurp’ installation referencing real Canadian maple syrup canisters. 

Moving into the bar and restaurant area, patrons’ eyes are immediately drawn to the venue’s walls, which are covered in modern and contemporary pieces with bold colours and unique images, such as a pig wearing a crown and a massive mural of a roller coaster. The art pieces are interspersed with blank white spaces. The hand-selected artists chosen by MASSIVart will paint live in the restaurant a few times a month to fill the spaces, making the dining room into a project that is continuously evolving.

As Jean Pelland, architect and partner at Sid Lee Architecture, illustrates in ÊAT’s promotional video, “[The concept] was about the artistic nature of the food and how we wanted to create a mirrored image with the environment, so bringing art was very natural, and it became about running in parallel food and art.”

ÊAT features a seafood-based menu with a few options for those otherwise inclined. It is unquestionably a foodie’s paradise. The unshelled half-lobster was very tender, and the meal had an option for two sides. Broccoli and cauliflower were chosen, and both were uniquely charred, adding to the overall taste. 

In addition to the impressive textures and flavours of the food is an impeccable staff and wait service. Everyone from managers, hostesses, waiters, to the chef were constantly checking on guests and ensuring everyone’s evenings were going well in a friendly, light-hearted manner. 

Unfortunately, fine food and high calibre service does not come cheap. On a student’s budget, ÊAT would be most sensibly left to special occasions. Looking at the menu, it would be impossible to order an appetizer and entrée for less than $30. The experience would also subsist as something much more doable for students on an evening when the live artists are in house since then patrons are treated to dinner and a show. 

Evenings with live artists in-house are an immersive experience. It is a pioneering concept to watch the artists’ visions come to life in between when drinks arrive and the dessert menu is placed on the table. For those interested, the next upcoming evenings featuring live artists will be Feb. 4 and 19. 

As spaces on the walls fill up with art, the evolving nature of the concept is what makes this restaurant truly new. Every aspiring entrepreneur knows that creating something totally outside of what everyone else is doing generates a much more significant risk. ÊAT has dove in boldly and confidently with their concept, and so far the restaurant seems to be thriving among the local business crowd and trendy foodies alike, all looking for something novel in their dining experience.

a, Science & Technology

Sounds are better indicators of emotions than words

by Andy Wang on

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Researchers have discovered two separate pathways for how emotions conveyed through speech are processed in the brain. Led by Dr. Marc Pell, associate dean and director of McGill University’s School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, the work is the first of its kind to directly compare speech embedded emotions with vocalizations. The work was recently published in the Journal of Biological Psychology. 

Pell has been studying the human voice for more than 20 years and is a world leader in the field of social neuroscience. To study these pathways, his team used event-related brain potentials (ERP), a type of electroencephalogram (EEG), to measure responses to two different types of vocal cues. 

The first vocal cue, called ‘non-linguistic vocalizations,’ involved sounds produced by the human voice without semantic or linguistic meaning, such as growls, moans, cries, or laughter. The second, called “speech embedded emotions” were short emotional sentences with changes in pitch, loudness, rhythm and voice quality, although the actual sentence itself carried no emotional meaning, like the phrase “he placktered the tozz.”

After hearing the auditory stimuli, participants were immediately shown a face expressing either an emotion, or a computer program-manipulated face that does not convey an emotion, called a “grimace.”

“Analyses of the data collected provide new neurophysiological evidence that vocalizations, as evolutionarily primitive signals, are accorded precedence over speech-embedded emotions,” the paper reads.

As a result of these differentiations, the researchers have postulated the existence of discrete brain regions for the processing of emotions in vocalizations as opposed to speech.

According to Pell, the study actually contained only half of their findings and that the faces were part of a companion study designed to investigate ‘emotional priming,’  or the conditioning of a subject to a particular emotion via vocal stimuli. 

The study of the human voice and vocal stimuli in the field of social neuroscience was, until only recently, overshadowed in popularity by research on the human face. The voice, however, has become an increasingly attractive subject of research in recent years. This phenomenon is due in part by technological advancements. 

“Historically, the voice was much harder to study because researchers are dealing with dynamic stimuli, whereas the face is static,” Pell said. “Improvements, particularly in real-time imaging and measuring techniques have really pushed [the voice] into the spotlight.”

All participants in Pell’s study were native English speakers. As the work was conducted in Montreal, a city famous for its bilingualism, speaking English as a mother tongue was a criterion in the selection of test subjects. The reason is that differences exist in emotional processing that are dependent on language. 

“In our lab, we’ve found evidence that certain aspects of language systems affect the expression and identification of emotion,” he stated.

Pell has examined these differences with respect to Mandarin, a tonal language, and English, which is atonal.

In addition to language, Pell said that an even more important factor contributing to emotion and speech is culture. Social norms such as ‘when,’ and ‘to what extent’ an individual expresses an emotion, termed display rules, greatly contribute to individual differences. However, many questions regarding the nature of vocal processing remain unanswered. 

“We have [to] learn the similarities before we can learn the differences,” Pell said.

a, Martlets, Men's Varsity, Sports

The week that was for McGill Athletics: Jan. 26

by McGill Tribune Sports on

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Redmen Basketball

McGill was unable to hold off Concordia at Love Competition Hall on Saturday, falling 68-57 to their crosstown rivals. The loss marks the second of a home-and-home series this week against Concordia. The Redmen (5-3) trailed their opponent for almost the entire game, falling behind in the first quarter and finishing the first half down by eight points at 31-23. Redmen Vincent Dufort and Tychon Carter-Newman each posted a team-high 12 points. McGill will look to end a three-game losing streak in the first leg of a home-and-home against the last-place Bishop's Gaiters (1-6) on Thursday, Jan. 28 at Love Competition Hall.

Martlet Volleyball

McGill swept Laval 25-21, 25-17, and 25-20 in a dominating performance at Centre PEPS on Sunday, the team's first ever sweep in Quebec City. Power hitter Marie-Eve Dorion of St. Hubert, Quebec, a junior studying physical education, recorded a game-high 17 digs along with 10 points on nine kills and an ace while fifth-year setter and Ottawa-native Yasmeen Dawoodjee posted 31 assists, 13 digs and two kills. McGill held advantages in digs (65-40), kills (41-33), stuff blocks (4-2) and service aces (4-2). The Martlets are now 12-5 in league play, tied with Sherbrooke for second place in the RSEQ behind only Montreal (15-3). The Martlets next play the Carabins on Jan. 29 at Centre CEPSUM.

Athletes of the Week

Alex Kiss-Rusk – Junior, Centre – Arts

6’4” centre Alex Kiss-Rusk of the Martlet basketball team earned a combined 42 points and 27 rebounds in two legs of a home-and-home versus rival Concordia last week, including a career-high 28 points on Saturday. The Beaconsfield, Quebec-native has now posted seven double-doubles since the start of the season.

"She's being aggressive and getting some good opportunities and making the most of those," said McGill Head Coach Ryan Thorne. "Alex is one of the biggest girls on the court and we've got to make sure that we play through her."

Daniel Milne – Freshman, Left Wing – Management

Rookie left wing Daniel Milne of Unionville, Ontario scored two of McGill’s five goals against defending OUA champions Guelph on Friday. Milne opened the scoring at 2:03 in the first period while killing a penalty and capped off the game for McGill at 17:50 in the second. 21-year-old Milne played a season in the NCAA at the University of Michigan before moving to the Owen Sound Attack of the Ontario Hockey League for three years, scoring 46 points each in of his last two seasons with the team before coming to McGill. He currently has 25 points for McGill this season, including 13 goals in 23 games.

By the numbers

28 – Points scored by Kiss-Rusk in a career-high performance in Martlet basketball’s win over Concordia on Saturday

15 – Goals this season by Redmen hockey defenceman Samuel Labrecque, tying the McGill single-season record for most goals by a defenceman, set by Gilles Hudon in the 1981-82 season

1000 – Dollars raised as a part of Martlet volleyball’s annual "Dig for the Cure" fundraiser for breast cancer

a, Science & Technology

How much sleep do we actually need?

by Clare Lyle on

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It’s a question that has perplexed humanity for centuries. Some of the most prolific thinkers in human history, such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Thomas Edison, and Winston Churchill were said to get by on as few as two or three hours of sleep per night. But can the human brain function optimally without the standard eight hours per night?

Recent studies have found that a gene called DEC-2 allows some individuals to get by on about four hours of sleep per night without any noticeable effects on their health. In a study of sleeping patterns, researchers found a mother and daughter who only needed about six hours of sleep on a day to day basis to maintain normal function, while other family members in the study required eight. 

To examine this gene further, researchers genetically engineered mice to have a mutated copy of the DEC-2 gene. These mice required, on average, an hour less of sleep per night when compared to normal mice.

On the surface, sleeping seems like an incredibly evolutionarily disadvantageous strategy. Every hour of sleep is one less hour a hunter-gatherer could spend, well, hunting and gathering; however, as Psychiatry professor Reut Gruber of the Douglas Health Institute explains, sleep has many functions that are beneficial, and often necessary, for health.

“We have empirical data showing that we have to finish some businesses during the night that we cannot do as efficiently during the day,” Gruber explained. “One particular domain in which we have more and more information is cognitive processing. For example, memory consolidation. Our ability to benefit from information processed during the day is maximized if we have the opportunity to sleep on it.”

Sleep also plays a major role in academic performance. Gruber, who studies the effects of sleep on children and adolescents, has found that sleep deprivation results in significantly poorer grades. 

“Insufficient sleep and poor sleep efficiency are directly correlated to poor grades,” Gruber said. “We saw [the] greatest deterioration in performance in math and languages; and so if some students think they do something good by pushing through and not sleeping through the night in terms of performing better, although we can’t say where we draw the line, we can say that it is quite the opposite.”

One trend that appeared—particularly among individuals in demanding careers, and new mothers—is the use of polyphasic sleep schedules to maximize productivity. For example, one such schedule called the “Uberman” consists of six 20-minute naps spaced throughout the day. These sleep schedules are inspired by studies of individuals’ sleep patterns in extreme circumstances, such as soldiers on tour as well as sailors in long-distance races, and work by partitioning sleep into several segments spaced throughout the day. 

In a study of sailors in long-distance races, race times were minimized when athletes took several 20 minute to one hour-long naps throughout the day, getting on average about four to five hours. Indeed, in extreme circumstances studies like those above show that breaking sleep into multiple naps reduces the effects of sleep deprivation. The effects of polyphasic sleep on individuals in everyday environments have not been studied in great depth, however, so the long-term safety of such a sleep schedule is unknown.

Beyond cognitive performance, sleep also plays a significant role in mental health.

“One thing that we don’t really talk about is the role of sleep in mental health,” Gruber said. “A lot of students struggle with emotional challenges, and it gets much worse when you’re sleep deprived. ”

Although it’s tempting to try to get by on as little sleep as possible, empirical evidence shows that in trying to cheat sleep, students often end up cheating themselves. Gruber’s studies of students in high school and elementary school indicate that getting one or two fewer hours of sleep per night than is necessary results in major decreases in cognitive function, mood, and academic performance.

“Sleep should be prioritized a bit more with competing activities,” Gruber stated. “It’s a question of ‘How do I prioritize my leisure,’ and what should be sacrificed. And maybe if [students] realize the price they pay for [sacrificing sleep and] they’ll be able to make smarter choices.”

Anderson .Paak
a, Arts & Entertainment

Album Review: Anderson .Paak — Malibu

by Weiyu Dang on

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Anderson .Paak represents a new wave of artists that don’t fit neatly into one genre. Rather, he stands in the hazy divide between them. Featured on Dr Dre’s Compton, The Game’s The Documentary 2.5, and Goldlink’s And After that, We Didn’t Talk, .Paak seemed to be everywhere in 2015, primed to explode. On Malibu, his second full length album after 2014’s Venice, .Paak blends rap, jazz, and gospel into a lucid reflection of the struggles of coming to terms with his own confused identity as a half-Korean, half-black Section 8 baby from Oxnard, California.

Humble honesty tempers his style—a triple threat of rapping, singing, and producing—creating an album whose heights sing higher than most. Album opener, “The Bird,” immerses listeners in a soundscape produced solely by .Paak. 

As he croons, “We came up in a lonely castle / My papa was behind them bars / We never had to want for nothing / Said all we ever need is love,” cool jazz guitar riffs, slurred trumpet musings, and delicate piano flutters blend to introduce a sincere personal reflection. 

The highs that songs like “The Bird” hit, however, set a standard hard to match. .Paak blends in disco tunes “Am I Wrong (feat. Schoolboy Q)” and “Room in Here (feat. The Game and Sonyae)” to answer the despairing tone created by the fatalist musings of “The Bird,” the absolution-seeking “The Waters (feat. BJ the Chicago Kid),” and plaintive “The Season / Carry Me.” This lush balance attests to his evident maturity as a holistic artist who oversees his music’s every facet.

Yet, as far as his diligence goes, it overreaches on tracks that could do with gritty muddiness. Though “Your Prime” stands out for the buoyant DJ Khalil beat and .Paak’s smooth song-rap delivery, the cleanness of the production and unsustainable lyrical dynamism prevent it from reaching its full potential. A signature .Paak “Oh hell, naw” keys in a luxurious verse that begins “I had to get back for the candy, uh / I flew for an hour then landed, oh.” Unable to maintain this grit, the song falls into a lascivious bridge of “Come back to bed / come back to bed with me,” and the production fails to add interest. 

Regardless, .Paak produces an emotional complex that artfully merges eclectic styles and a message of self-belief, culminating with “The Dreamer”: “Mama always kept the cable on / I’m a product of the tube and the free lunch / Living room, watching old reruns.” As .Paak reminds himself on “The Season / Carry Me,” “Don’t forget that dot, nigga you paid for it,” he reminds listeners of what it means and what it pays to craft a distinct identity in spite of everything that works against people.  

McGill Gym
a, Sports

McGill Athletics: More than just sports

by Nicole Spadotto on

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An average morning at the Currie Gymnasium in the McGill Sports Complex sees the full spectrum of the diverse McGill population intersect, as students begin their busy day. Between early morning training sessions and recreational classes, and the occasional stop in the sport clinic to treat an injury, these students all have something in common: They are striving to be their best physical selves and achieve a sense of community in the process.

Available to all students, the athletics complex and various programs are designed specifically for the average student seeking involvement in physical activities. Some of the programs are entrenched in McGill tradition—intramural sports have been a staple at the university for decades, with different competition levels offered from beginner to advanced players. When there is not enough interest in a sport to justify an intramural league, classes are offered to teach students the details of the sport, and will often put athletes in contact with tournament coordinators for competitions.

Matt Smrke, U0 Engineering, joined fencing classes upon arriving at McGill. Fencing appealed to him as a new and unexpected sport that he could learn alongside experienced students who had competed previously.

“Even if you have no experience, everyone is happy to share their knowledge so others can improve,” Smrke said.

Besides fencing, many other out-of-the-ordinary activities are offered. Over the years, McGill Athletics has worked to implement programs to meet  the evolving demands of students. As changing norms of fitness have permeated into the public consciousness, McGill has adapted their programs to include new niche athletic activities. Though the staples of spinning and zumba are still offered, ballet barre lessons, a dance club, yoga, and boxing are now also available.

New to this year, athletic ‘passes’ are being offered so that students can participate in as many classes as they would like, across a variety of activities at one price. Not only is the new model incredibly efficient, it saves money for those who enjoy participating in athletic activities multiple days of the week. This pass compliments the Rec Activities card, which is a punch card that gives students access to a variety of recreational activities on campus, including drop-in hockey at McConnell Arena and yoga classes at Currie Gymnasium.

“There is also ‘Free Fencing’ most weeknights,” Smrke added. “Anyone can come and fence, […it] creates a sense of community.”

The commitment that Athletics places upon community is key. Beyond physical fitness, overall student wellness and health remains a priority of McGill Athletics. A new study space was just unveiled in the second floor of Tomlinson Hall for those who spend their time around the athletics complex. The space, though small, contains study tables and nooks that foster collaboration and teamwork. A treadmill and stationary bike allow any student to take a physical study break or even to keep fit as they simultaneously read or study.

Contrary to what many expect, appointments for the McGill Sports Medicine Clinic are open to both the student body and the Montreal public. The doctors and physiotherapists who work at the clinic are accustomed to working with elite athletes and high impact injuries, and are highly sought after for their expertise.

Though McGill offers many amenities to students beyond athletic facilities and services, the tying force is the human connection and the pure unbridled fun that comes with participating in athletics. The new study space, intramurals, and athletic classes allow information to flow from experienced athletes and exercisers to those who are just beginning to learn.

 

“My favourite part of fencing is […] the great people,” said Smrke. “Or that I get to hit people with a sword for fun.”

This is the sentiment that encompasses what athletics does for the McGill community. When students help each other to meet their physical and recreational goals, true community forms.

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