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a, Arts & Entertainment

Drake – If Youre Reading This Its Too Late

by Jessica Fu on

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Last Thursday, Drake dropped his latest opus Beyoncé-style, sending his fans, his peers, and the media alike into a frenzy. In the days since, Billboard has noted that his release is expected to sell upwards of half of a million copies within its first week. Referenced as a mixtape by Drake, the work is really an album in the sense that it is being sold commercially, and in that it fulfills his contractual obligations with his label, Cash Money Records.

Speaking of which, Drake not-so-subtly hints that he will soon be severing ties with Cash Money. In “Now and Forever” he repeats, “It’s over, yeah it’s over yeah, I’m leaving, I’m gone.” The tone here is really the tone of most of the album—confident, in control.

The intro, "Legend," is sonically softer than "Tuscan Leather," and Drake croons about his dominance rather than rapping it. Nonetheless, it’s a highlight, easing us into the rest of the rap-heavy collection of tracks, reminding us that he’s “got this shit mapped out strong.”

Drake's best friend/right-hand man/producer, Noah "40" Shebib, is reliably good and unsurprisingly versatile. From his sensual beat on "Madonna" to his textured, synth-heavy work "6 Man," he does his usual intricate work mixing shadowy sounds with ambience.

And, of course, no Drake effort would be complete without a little help from his mentor. In "Used To," Weezy and Drizzy spit over razor-sharp synths, featuring the intertwining vocals and synergy we loved in “HYFR” or “She Will.” Nonetheless, Lil Wayne’s lyrical contribution leaves something to be desired.

When all that’s said and done, the album feels like it’s lacking a peak—something that provides us with a snapshot of who Drake unconditionally is in this moment. The album is consistently dark and brooding, Drake is unapologetic to everyone he addresses, and even without a few standout tracks, the album itself is a musical success.

a, Opinion

Why Canada should reinstate the mandatory long-form census

by Albert Park on

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The first week of February saw the defeat of a bill to reinstate Canada’s mandatory long-form census, prompting a sigh of discontent and discouragement from many Canadians. While every opposition Member of Parliament (MP) voted in favour, all but one Conservative MP voted against it, preventing the bill from passing 147 to 126. While this issue does not seem extremely alarming at first, it is imperative, not only for economic reasons, but also for the sake of academic research and historical accuracy that the long-form census is made mandatory again.

Since 1971, Statistics Canada has undertaken a mandatory long-form census every five years to produce meaningful data, which has been an integral factor affecting the country’s public and corporate decisions. This system, which garnered much praise from statisticians and economists for its ability to produce reliable and unbiased information, was replaced in 2010 by the Harper government with a voluntary National Household survey that is far less extensive and significantly more costly to implement. The decision was made primarily with the dubious goal of “protecting privacy,” which remains as virtually the sole reason the change is still being supported by the Conservatives to this day.

One does not need to be an expert in statistics to understand that the voluntary survey does an objectively poorer job of returning valuable information, with fewer questions and an average response rate of around 68 per cent compared to the mandatory census’ 93 per cent.

An example of an area suffering heavy difficulties due to this loss of information is public health units. Marginalized populations, such as families with low income, are less likely to complete the voluntary survey. Since they are not represented properly in the resulting data, health units have a hard time targeting their health care programs to the areas that need them the most. This is one of the many ways policy has been hindered by the change.

The low response rate and non-randomized nature of the voluntary census means that the data [people] are accessing will become increasingly innacurrate and biased.

However, the problem goes further, as the change also has large negative impacts on academia. For the past few decades, researchers have relied heavily on data provided by Statistics Canada, mainly through long-form censuses. Their fundamental position in academic research is reflected by the Research Data Centres Program, an initiative to provide research centres in universities around Canada with access to microdata from population and household surveys, which includes results gathered from the long-form census. Among other users, these centres are employed frequently by university students, mainly for post-graduate research. However, the low response rate and non-randomized nature of the voluntary census means that the data they are accessing will become increasingly inaccurate and biased. This essentially means that the next generation of post-graduate students will have access to lower quality information than the generation before them, making their research less effective, and therefore, less applicable to society.

The problem is even more serious when viewed from a long-term perspective. The data provided by the census is a way for historians to understand the growth and development of various periods in Canadian history. Not only does it present the necessary numbers for calculations, but it provides a context and voice to the numbers. For example, the long-form census can effectively trace not only the rate of immigration, but also provide vital information about how newcomers are being integrated into the nation through information about income, jobs, and education. Without this kind of information, it would be significantly more difficult for experts to have a coherent and complete understanding of different trends and changes that occurred in Canada.

Simply put, bringing back the mandatory long-form census is the only way to guarantee that Canada’s identity as a country is correctly portrayed, economic decisions are based in accurate data, and researchers have access to adequate and unbiased information.

a, Campus Spotlight, Student Life

Campus Spotlight: MASS

by Laura Plamondon on

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McGill is an acclaimed institution that attracts students from all over the globe, as evidenced by the number of cultural associations present at the university. However, the international identity of the university has not always been present. Anne-Sophie Tzeuton, U3 Political Science student and VP External for the McGill African Students Society (MASS), explained the incremental growth of MASS throughout the years.

“MASS was started in the 1960s,” Tzeuton said. “It started very small since the population of African students at McGill was limited. It’s been growing steadily since and found its peak in the early 2000s.”

MASS hosts various social and informational events in hopes of promoting African culture to educate students across campus. Recently, it hosted a three-day conference and brought in speakers from Africa and the U.S. to talk about topics ranging from female empowerment to the legitimacy of Africa’s growth. Past social events include ‘The Anioula: A Black and White Charity Banquet,’ one of its annual events that brought together African and non-African cultures alike, with various cultural dishes and performances. Mass’ ultimate goal is to create a community across McGill where all individuals feel welcome, regardless of their culture.

“We have ties and contacts with a lot of African and black associations throughout McGill and Montreal, as well as having active alumni,” Tzeuton said. “We are definitely not in competition, and mostly try to promote each others events, and make sure we are not hosting [the] same [events].”

Tzeuton explained how MASS was initiated, and why she believes the association is important and should be present in all universities.

“In the past, I think the African population was so small that it was necessary to promote our culture,” she said. “Today, I believe that not having such associations would demonstrate a complete ignorance of the diverse cultural backgrounds our student body has.”

However, Tzeuton said she still feels that perceptions of Africa stray from the truth, and that she wants to help fight these stigmas with MASS.

“There are still much too many stigmas around African culture,” she said. “I’m constantly aware of how ignorant people are when it comes to their image of Africa. Too many people still see the continent as only synonymous with war, poverty, and sickness.”

On a personal note, Tzeuton explained how coming to Montreal from France and engaging with such a strong community has helped her reconnect with her African heritage and grow as a person.

“I’ve learned so much about my culture being in contact with [the] African youth who actually want to improve things and change the negative perceptions linked with the African culture,” she said. “I feel that growing up, I was deprived of all this knowledge about my African heritage and this has changed incredibly since coming to Montreal.”

Tzeuton stressed the desire to see Africans as well as non-Africans become members and join MASS’ events, believing that the underlying role of the association is to promote diversity.

“People have to be constantly reminded that the club is not exclusively for Africans,” Tzeuton said. “We understand that it is difficult to be a minority, but non-Africans usually love our events once they diverge from their comfort zone. We want people to come and appreciate a culture that we are so proud of. At least if they do have questions they should come to us instead of keeping them to themselves.”

Saul Muskin, U3 International Management major, applauded the creation of a club to facilitate inter-cultural dialogue. 

“I think it’s cool that a club like [MASS] exists and it’s great that Africans and non-Africans can celebrate African culture together through their events,” he said. 

Ines Blondet, U3 double concentration in International Business and Marketing, also commented on the positive nature of the club.

“I really loved [MASS]—they have amazing events. I’ve been to their African party and I loved the dancing,” she said. “I’m thinking of going to the Gala since they have a ton of performances, dancing, theatre, and singing.”

For the future, Tzeuton said that she wants to see MASS organise events that target a broader audience.

“I’d like to see more cultural events at MASS, more chill events like having an African movie night, or dance classes that would help non-Africans feel less self-conscious about coming to our events,” Tzeuton said. “Overall, I’d like for the association to host events that target a broader audience.”

 

a, Opinion

Towards a new system of social security

by Justin Hatherly on

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The Canadian government has a wide array of programs in place to alleviate poverty. At the federal level alone, the government spends 10 per cent of GDP on a multitude of cash transfer programs. Despite this, around nine per cent of Canadians still live in poverty. The solution could be to guarantee an income to all Canadians who fall below a certain threshold through a Negative Income Tax (NIT).

An NIT is a variant of a basic income, which is a payment granted unconditionally to all citizens regardless of financial need. Currently, individuals are allowed to earn a certain amount of income tax-free. Under a NIT, if an individual earned no income at all, they would get a cash payment from the government of half the tax-free allowance. For each additional dollar earned, the transfer would be reduced by 50 cents. As such, the supplemental income received as a result of a transfer will be half the remaining amount that the person needs to reach the upper limit of no income taxation. Once individuals reach the threshold, they would neither pay income tax nor receive a cash transfer.

Though seemingly radical, there are many advantages to an NIT. Presently, the current myriad of welfare programs fails to provide adequate income security to those in need. By replacing them with an NIT, a floor could be created below the living standard of every Canadian citizen that is above the poverty line. In addition, the NIT does not impose heavy disincentives on low-income people seeking to work. Under many of the current welfare programs, for each dollar of income a recipient earns, the individuals can often have benefits scaled back by two dollars. In contrast, as demonstrated in the example above, the NIT would always leave a recipient better off in work than on assistance. If set at an appropriate level, the NIT could provide a more generous level of income support than most of our existing cash transfer payments.

The NIT would allow many who currently suffer from poverty to live as responsible, independent citizens.

In an age of increasing economic uncertainty, the NIT could also help Canadians adjust to economic shocks. Technological innovation, while bringing benefits to the population at large, is likely to destroy many jobs in its wake. Given that many people who lose their jobs are likely to have difficulty finding new ones in a similar industry or at a similar skill level, the NIT could provide a broader sense of economic security.

Perhaps most importantly, the NIT would also allow many who currently suffer from poverty to live as responsible, independent citizens. The present set of welfare programs often treat beneficiaries in a paternalistic manner. They often stipulate what recipients can spend their money and can be sources of shame as well. Under the NIT, the poor would be given cash and regarded as responsible adults, capable of spending the money they receive on what they need most.

The NIT is also superior to a flat basic income that is given to all citizens regardless of initial income. While this would reduce poverty, it would do nothing to improve income inequality and would cost far more than a targeted program.

To be politically viable and affordable, the NIT should replace all existing cash transfers. This would mean that all existing programs that provide cash assistance to Canadians, ranging from Employment Insurance to provincial social assistance, would be abolished. Instead, an NIT would create a more adequate safety net and do away with large proportions of Canada’s vast welfare bureaucracy.

Although Canada is a very developed nation, it is still an unfortunate reality that many citizens still struggle to meet basic necessities. The NIT, if designed correctly, could create the means for Canada to attempt to eradicate much of the poverty that remains.

a, Martlets, Men's Varsity, Sports

The week that was for McGill Athletics: February 17th

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Athletes of the week

Jonathan Brunelle

In an elimination match against the Concordia Stingers, junior forward Jonathan Brunelle shone when his team needed him the, while tallying five points for the McGill Redmen. The Boisbrand, QC native and alumnus of the QMJHL tallied eight points total during the three-game OUA East playoffs. Brunelle has scored 37 points–the second-highest total on the team–during this season on 12 goals and 25 assists. If past performance–he has five game-winning goals on the season–is a good predictor for future potential, Brunelle will come through once again.

Melodie Daoust

It’s not very often that the No. 2 team in the CIS can add a late season addition that also happens to be the best player in the country, but former Olympian Melodie Daoust is just that. In her debut weekend, following a prolonged absence due to injury, Daoust did not miss a beat, tallying two goals and four assists in the Martlets’ two victories over the weekend. The physical and health education major from Valleyfield, QC, joins the Martlets just ahead of their playoff race, an important addition for a team that has shown that it is not invincible. With Daoust back in the lineup, it may not take long for the Martlets to return to their title-winning ways. 

Beyond the box score

Redmen Basketball 

It was a relatively quiet week for the Redmen (9-4) basketball team, with just one game on the docket. The Redmen took on the Bishop’s Gaiters (7-7) on the road and triumphed 56-46 in front of a crowd of over 400. Senior guard and team captain Vincent Dufort led the way with a double-double, including 15 points and 11 rebounds, while going 5-11 from the field and 5-5 from the free throw line. Burgeoning sophomore centre Francois Bourque continued to dominate on the glass, pulling down 11 rebounds of his own and adding six points as well. The Redmen managed to come out on top despite some shooting struggles. McGill shot 37.5 per cent from the field, and went just 4-20 from beyond the arc. The Redmen need just one more win in order to lock down first-place in the RSEQ, and that may come Thursday as McGill plays host to last-place UQÀM (4-9).

Martlet Basketball 

Alex Kiss-Rusk, last week’s Tribune Athlete of the Week, continued to shine for the Martlets (12-1), posting a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds to lead her team over the Bishop’s Gaiters (0-14) by a margin of 51-34 on Saturday. Despite the lopsided score, the Martlets were a mess coming out of the gates, managing a measly four points in the first quarter. Strong performances from frontcourt veterans Kiss-Rusk, Mariam Sylla, and Gabriela Hebert in the third quarter led to a 19-4 run that put the game away for McGill’s 12th victory of the season. The Martlets are now one win away from clinching a first-place finish atop the RSEQ for the fifth consecutive year, and could do so at home against UQÀM on Thursday night.

Redmen and Martlet Track and Field

The annual Redmen Classic brought out the best in McGill’s athletes on Saturday night in the Tomlinson Fieldhouse. The McGill Track and Field team captured five gold medals, with Hao Xu and Steven Murray qualifying for the CIS Nationals in the men’s high jump and men’s 300m events. Xu, a mechanical engineering student from Houston, matched the CIS qualifying standard with a 2.03m jump. Murray, a senior sprinter from Burlington, ON, qualified with a blazing time of 34.86 seconds in the 300m. Murray was also part of the winning men’s 4x200m relay team, along with junior Tim Kong, freshman Ryan McLelland, and junior Javier Montalvo. Their time of 1:29.90 was 44 tenths of a second off of the CIS qualifying time. Lenny Dion, also a senior linebacker on the Redmen football squad, won the shot put event with a distance of 12.45m bringing home another gold for McGill. 

By the numbers

5 – Average number of goals scored per game by the Redmen hockey team in their three-game series against Concordia.

10 – Number of goals scored by the Martlet hockey team in Friday’s win over Carleton, the most in a regular season game since a 10-0 win on Jan. 28, 2012, also against Carleton.

24.6 – Shooting percentage allowed by the Redmen basketball’s stingy defence in Saturday’s win on the road against Bishop’s. 

.701 – Head Coach David Daveiro’s total winning percentage while at the helm of the Redmen basketball team.

a, Opinion

Low rates of sexual assault in university records highlight problems with reporting

by Sofia Rautionmaa on

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The unfortunate truth about sexual violence is that it is something that many women face in their lifetimes, with an especially worrisome frequency at universities. Over the past couple of years, the media has been flooded with stories about the problem of sexual assault on university campuses. However, across Canada, there is a disconnect between sexual violence occurrences on university campuses and the number actually recorded by schools.

A recent CBC article revealed that sexual assault reporting at Canadian universities is much lower than in the surrounding cities. In a survey conducted at the University of Ottawa, 44 per cent of female students encountered some sort of sexual violence on campus, and yet, the school only has 10 official reports. Sexual violence on campuses is a very prominent issue, yet university reports of sexual assault remain suspiciously low.

In the United States, there is a law requiring universities to make sexual assault records public, unlike in Canada, where no such law exists. McGill University currently has no records available for sexual violence from the past five years, according to the data collected by the CBC. Without any law forcing records to be publicized, it is easy for the truth about the prevalence of sexual assault on university campuses to be misconstrued.

Many Canadian universities shy away from discussing sexual assault to protect their image. This can be extremely discouraging to students, who may think they should not report sexual violence to their university if the school may be hesitant to take disciplinary actions. It can take a very long time for a sexual assault case to be investigated, processed, and handled by the police—even then the case may be dismissed for lack of evidence. Students may therefore want to be able to report injustices to their universities, so that they don’t have to go to the police. Going through the university can be a lot quicker and less painful for survivors than having to be dragged through the criminal justice system.

Without any law forcing records to be publicized, it is easy for the truth about the prevalence of sexual assault on university campuses to be misconstrued.

The University of British Columbia (UBC) was recently interviewed about sexual assault reporting on their campus. The number they have on record from the past five years is about a quarter of the size of that the RCMP has on record, which has a branch located on the UBC campus. With one in four women on average experiencing sexual assault in their lifetimes, it is nearly impossible for university numbers to be that low. “It makes me wonder who students have been trusting in telling and who is collecting the numbers,” said one concerned student and survivor of sexual assault from UBC in an interview with the CBC. Universities need to improve how they are handling and processing these reports given to them.

There also seems to be a lack of support on campus when it comes to helping survivors of sexual assault. Something as simple as where exactly one should report an act of sexual violence is unclear at many universities. From there, students can feel uncomfortable expressing what has happened to them, and it is the job of the schools to give as much non-judgmental support as possible. Students should not have to go searching for help; when an incident like sexual violence occurs, the school should be right there, ready to assist.

Recently, there has been a proposal drafted on how to expand McGill University’s policy on sexual violence on campus. It addresses how to treat the survivor in the case, and is careful to use the word ‘survivor’ as opposed to ‘victim’ to empower the student affected. The drafted sexual assault policy also discusses how to prevent these acts of sexual violence from occurring in the future. Implementing more awareness on campus and creating an organization whose sole purpose is to deal first-hand with all issues concerning sexual violence on campus are included as important steps for the university to undertake to encourage students to report sexual assaults. Information and resources —such as discussions on topics like consent, prevention of sexual assault, and reporting—will be made easily accessible. The sexual assault policy also advocates for the training of members of the McGill community to carry out peer and professional support services. This proposal is a definite step in the right direction, as it addresses many of the key components that universities need to have on their campuses in order to better handle sexual violence incidents.

To begin tackling the issue of sexual assault on campuses, universities need be more supportive and open to their students to make them feel safe and secure if they ever need help. Students who are survivors of sexual violence have already encountered enough pain; schools should not be adding to the difficulty of the situation. It is the job of universities to work as hard as they can to encourage students to report these incidences and make them feel they are not alone.

Porsche

2016 Porsche Cayman GT4 Revealed

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This is some dummy copy. You’re not really supposed to read this dummy copy, it is just a place holder for people who need some type to visualize what the actual copy might look like if it were real content.

If you want to read, I might suggest a good book, perhaps Hemingway or Melville. That’s why they call it, the dummy copy. This, of course, is not the real copy for this entry. Rest assured, the words will expand the concept. With clarity. Conviction. And a little wit.

In today’s competitive market environment, the body copy of your entry must lead the reader through a series of disarmingly simple thoughts.

All your supporting arguments must be communicated with simplicity and charm. And in such a way that the reader will read on. (After all, that’s a reader’s job: to read, isn’t it?) And by the time your readers have reached this point in the finished copy, you will have convinced them that you not only respect their intelligence, but you also understand their needs as consumers.

As a result of which, your entry will repay your efforts. Take your sales; simply put, they will rise. Likewise your credibility. There’s every chance your competitors will wish they’d placed this entry, not you. While your customers will have probably forgotten that your competitors even exist. Which brings us, by a somewhat circuitous route, to another small point, but one which we feel should be raised.

Apple

Take a sneak peak inside Apple’s gorgeous new Chongqing Store

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100708_Pudong_Hero_PR

This is some dummy copy. You’re not really supposed to read this dummy copy, it is just a place holder for people who need some type to visualize what the actual copy might look like if it were real content.

If you want to read, I might suggest a good book, perhaps Hemingway or Melville. That’s why they call it, the dummy copy. This, of course, is not the real copy for this entry. Rest assured, the words will expand the concept. With clarity. Conviction. And a little wit.

In today’s competitive market environment, the body copy of your entry must lead the reader through a series of disarmingly simple thoughts.

All your supporting arguments must be communicated with simplicity and charm. And in such a way that the reader will read on. (After all, that’s a reader’s job: to read, isn’t it?) And by the time your readers have reached this point in the finished copy, you will have convinced them that you not only respect their intelligence, but you also understand their needs as consumers.

As a result of which, your entry will repay your efforts. Take your sales; simply put, they will rise. Likewise your credibility. There’s every chance your competitors will wish they’d placed this entry, not you. While your customers will have probably forgotten that your competitors even exist. Which brings us, by a somewhat circuitous route, to another small point, but one which we feel should be raised.

Apple

Apple Reports Record Earnings and iPad Sales

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Apple_IBM_Passenger-PRINT copy

This is some dummy copy. You’re not really supposed to read this dummy copy, it is just a place holder for people who need some type to visualize what the actual copy might look like if it were real content.

If you want to read, I might suggest a good book, perhaps Hemingway or Melville. That’s why they call it, the dummy copy. This, of course, is not the real copy for this entry. Rest assured, the words will expand the concept. With clarity. Conviction. And a little wit.

In today’s competitive market environment, the body copy of your entry must lead the reader through a series of disarmingly simple thoughts.

All your supporting arguments must be communicated with simplicity and charm. And in such a way that the reader will read on. (After all, that’s a reader’s job: to read, isn’t it?) And by the time your readers have reached this point in the finished copy, you will have convinced them that you not only respect their intelligence, but you also understand their needs as consumers.

As a result of which, your entry will repay your efforts. Take your sales; simply put, they will rise. Likewise your credibility. There’s every chance your competitors will wish they’d placed this entry, not you. While your customers will have probably forgotten that your competitors even exist. Which brings us, by a somewhat circuitous route, to another small point, but one which we feel should be raised.

Long copy or short – You decide

As a marketer, you probably don’t even believe in body copy. Let alone long body copy. (Unless you have a long body yourself.) Well, truth is, who‘s to blame you? Fact is, too much long body copy is dotted with such indulgent little phrases like truth is, fact is, and who’s to blame you. Trust us: we guarantee, with a hand over our heart, that no such indulgent rubbish will appear in your entry. That’s why God gave us big blue pencils. So we can expunge every example of witted waffle.

For you, the skies will be blue, the birds will sing, and your copy will be crafted by a dedicated little man whose wife will be sitting at home, knitting, wondering why your entry demands more of her husband‘s time than it should.

But you will know why, won‘t you? You will have given her husband a chance to immortalize himself in print, writing some of the most persuasive prose on behalf of a truly enlightened purveyor of widgets. And so, while your dedicated reader, enslaved to each mellifluous paragraph, clutches his newspaper with increasing interest and intention to purchase, you can count all your increased profits and take pots of money to your bank. Sadly, this is not the real copy for this entry. But it could well be. All you have to do is look at the account executive sitting across your desk (the fellow with the lugubrious face and the calf-like eyes), and say ”Yes! Yes! Yes!“ And anything you want, body copy, dinners, women, will be yours. Couldn’t be fairer than that, could we?

a, Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

Sketches of a comedic dream taking shape

by Oren Lefkowitz on

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David Tichauer may have just caught his big break.

After nearly a decade of writing, performing, and honing his craft, the comedian and McGill-graduate has received word that the CBC wants him and his creative partner, Ned Petrie, to turn their monthly live quiz show into an original television series.

“We’ve been doing [The Panel Show] live for the last four or five years for a handful of people, [and] maybe 10 people will show up—that’s on a good day—making no money,” Tichauer explained with a tone of playful self-deprecation. “But we just found out a few days ago that CBC ordered a pilot that we’re going to do in March, and hopefully we’re going to get it in their regular lineup, which would be crazy.”

The series centres on a panel of comedians riffing and answering questions about obscure and hilarious news stories. Petrie is the show’s host, and Tichauer is the show’s on-camera scorekeeper, chiming in during discussions and providing a mid-show interlude involving comically inaccurate film reviews.

It’s a huge development for the Toronto-born performer, who pursues comedy full-time with a part-time job as a tutor for high school students, a gig he owes to his undergraduate education. Tichauer explained that he was a focused student in university, and has since worked extensively as a scientific researcher—comedy came to Tichauer late in life.

“[Comedy at McGill] really wasn’t on my radar,” Tichauer recalled. “My thing was sports. I tried out for the [varsity] tennis team…did not get on. So I just played intramurals: Soccer, ball hockey, that kind of stuff.”

However, Tichauer did flex his comedy guns at one point in his tenure as an undergraduate, penning a satirical article for The McGill Daily.

“It was on George W. Bush about how he was bad—pretty original, I know,” he said. “It was right when they discovered there were no weapons of mass destruction, probably 2003, 2004. [….] He was just such a silly person, just ripe for comedy.”

After graduation though, Tichauer’s passion for humour began to emerge.

“I moved back to Toronto after university, and a friend of mine was taking classes at The Second City,” he explained. “She suggested to me that I take them because she thought I’d enjoy them. I was working in a research lab at the time, and I guess I felt like I wanted to be doing something a little more creative, something a little different. So I started taking classes—weekly improv classes at Second City—and I never stopped.

Tichauer eventually completed every level of classes offered at the prestigious comedy institute, including a one-year conservatory program in which students audition to work on a full-length revue sketch show. He met many funny people in the process, including Petrie.

“After the conservatory was over, we just kept on doing it, meeting on our own time, once a week as an independent sketch troupe,” he said. “That’s how it started.”

Out of this productive social network grew Straight Man, a web series—nominated in five categories at the 2014 Canadian Comedy Awards—which Tichauer starred in and co-wrote.

“Straight Man first started without me, with three other guys [from the sketch troupe] as an offshoot because one of them knew a producer who worked at some actual TV network,” Tichauer explained. “But after that, they brought me on because they wanted to change it and add more, so I ended up writing the web series, along with Ned.”

In Straight Man, Tichauer plays the most reasonable member of a bumbling three-man comedy troupe who have just received their first professional performing contract from a powerful but shady producer. On the night that the trio celebrates the producer’s generous offer, Tichauer’s character is hit in the head by a popped champagne cork, enduring head trauma that directly affects his ability to understand humour and irony. Essentially, he is rendered unfunny, just hours before signing the contract that will make him a star.

Although Tichauer claims that the premise for Straight Man was not born out of any haunting, recurring nightmare, he admits that banking on one’s own comedic appeal isn’t exactly the most surefire investment.

“[That premise] was totally just an analytical choice, based on what we thought would be the worst thing that could happen,” said Tichauer. “That being said, it is a thing that every comedian thinks and worries about, that it’s just not going to work someday. [The ability to be funny] seems like a very ephemeral thing. It is a fear, something that every comedian thinks and worries about.”

Through years of constant performance and disciplined writing, Tichauer has reached a point of great opportunity. The work he produces in the next few months could catapult him to national recognition and prominence. Let’s just hope that he doesn’t celebrate with that bottle of champagne too early.

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