THE PLUMBER’S LEDGER Volume 10, Issue 1 August 2021
THIS ISSUE Front Cover Photograph from mcgill.ca
Back Cover Illustration Ann Trinh
Published by THE ENGINEERING UNDERGRADUATE SOCIETY, a student society at McGill University. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of THE ENGINEERING UNDERGRADUATE SOCIETY and does not necessarily represent the views of McGill University. For questions, comments, and complaints, as well as more information on the policies of The Plumber’s Ledger, please use the contact information below. Use this contact information also if you have an interest in contributing to The Plumber’s Ledger on a one-time or regular basis.
Join the Team The Plumber’s Ledger is always looking for new people! If you want to be involved in the publication process, we have many roles available such as writer, illustrator and editor, or any combination of these.
Contact Us
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One Giant Leap to Normality By Youssef Wahba
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Hot Tip: Get Involved By Ann Trinh
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An Explanation of the Science Behind the mRNA Vaccines By Charlotte Volk
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Braiding Sweetgrass - A Review By Bianca Dubois
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Rewrite Your Narrative
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EUS Events By Ann Trinh
17 Essential Buys for the IKEA Enthusiast By Sophia Gorbounov 18
Celebration for Our Youth By Kaiwen Liu
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Summer Crossword Puzzle By Andrew Salem
Email: ledger@mcgilleus.ca Facebook: The Plumber’s Ledger Instagram: plumbersledger Visit our website at ledger.mcgilleus.ca View this issue and previous ones in glorious technicolor at issue.com/theplumbersledger The Plumber’s Ledger ledger@mcgilleus.ca Volume 10, Issue 1 August 2021
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The Plumber’s Ledger
THE TEAM Editors-in-Chief Charlotte Volk Youssef Wahba Editor(s) Zeyuan Fu Staff Writer(s) Bianca Dubois Sophia Gorbounov Kaiwen Liu Ann Trinh Contributor(s) Valerie Monticone Andrew Salem Illustrator(s) Ann Trinh Layout(s) Ann Trinh Publications Director Shafaq Nami VP Events Paul Hinta VP Publications Bianca Dubois VP Communications Sophia Gorbounov Ann Trinh RYN Co-Chairs Paul Hinta Valerie Monticone
LETTER
from the Editors-in-Chief
We’re just a month away from the beginning of a new academic year. After a year and a half of online classes, we’re excited to get back on campus again and indulge ourselves in the beautiful facilities McGill has to offer. The 2020/2021 academic year was exceptional- a once-ina-lifetime experience for all of us. We can’t wait to get back and walk past the Roddick Gates, a first time for many of us. For our first issue of the year, we touch on the transition to in person learning and provide you with some fruitful information about the upcoming Frosh. Immerse yourself into Ann Trinh’s ‘EUS Events to Look Forward to’ as well as ‘Involvement Opportunities’ for a full guide on how to get busy outside the classroom. Paul Hinta and Valerie Monticone outline what it means to be part of the Ledger’s open forum- Rewrite Your Narrative. Prepare yourself for student life with Kaiwen Liu’s “Celebration for Our Youth: Are we ready for the drinking culture in university?” where he discusses the main drives behind alcohol consumption. Sophia Gorbounov’s “Essential buys for the Ikea enthusiast” is a great read to start your day with, and a definite boost to your mood. Charlotte Volk unravels the research behind COVID-19 vaccines in her latest piece, “An explanation of the science behind mRNA vaccines, and why Moderna and Pfizer are interchangeable”. If you’re a nonfiction book enthusiast, then check out Bianca Dubois’ “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer - A Review”. Finally, Youssef Wahba’s “One Giant Leap to Normality” gives you everything you need to know about planning for an in-person Fall semester. As we near the beginning of a new academic year, the Ledger wants to wish you a productive and successful term. For those of you who will arrive at McGill for the first time ever, we hope that you’ll find answers to your questions in our articles. Stay safe, get vaccinated, and enjoy the start of your term!
Charlotte and Youssef
August 2021
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ONE GIANT LEAP TO NORMALITY BY YOUSSEF WAHBA during June 2011, and were able to launch the very first version of the app back in August 22, 2012. The stock price of Zoom has risen by almost 480% from its value 5 years ago, and as of May 2020 the company was valued higher than the world’s 7 largest airlines.
Photo from mcgill.ca
After a year of online classes and virtual events, McGill has announced the resumption of in-person learning for the upcoming 2021-2022 academic year. For many second-years, it means that they are–finally–able to set foot on campus and get a grasp on what ‘actual’ university life is like. Students have welcomed this news with mixed emotions,with positive reactions mainly stemming from people who never actually saw McGill’s campus. During the Fall 2020 semester, all courses were delivered–as McGill puts it-primarily through remote platforms. Professors have most commonly chosen Zoom as the number one platform to hold their lectures. Events such as Frosh and McGill’s 2020 Beatty Memorial Lecture (delivered by renowned psychologist Steven Pinker, BA’76), were no exception and were also of4
fered through online communication platforms. In Winter 2021, McGill planned the return of some in-person activities, and many tutorials were able to take place back on campus. However, the online option was still viable to those who couldn’t attend. Midterms, assignments and final exams were submitted through online grading softwares such as Crowdmark, Webwork and myCourses. A brief history of Zoom- a decade ago, in 2011, Cisco’s Vice President of Engineering, Eric Yuan, left the company along with 40 other engineers with the aim of entering the videotelephony market-a market that many investors back then perceived as being rather saturated. Thus, Yuan and his fellow engineers found it difficult to attract people to invest in his product. However, they raised $3 million in seed money The Plumber’s Ledger
For Fall 2021, McGill plans a gradual return to in-person classes and on-campus activities, subject to one-metre distancing in August 2021. As more people become vaccinated and vaccination levels rise to 75% among the 16-29 age group, McGill will move to a no-distancing phase which will allow events to take place on campus. However, large lectures (those with 150+ enrolled) will still be delivered remotely with some components (labs, tutorials, etc.) taking place on-campus. Courses with a room assigned on Minerva will take place on campus, while being subject to a room change. While many are ecstatic about the upcoming academic year, some still prefer having an online option. Perhaps the COVID-19 pandemic has shed lights on the future of education and academia, where people could study wherever and whenever they want. Combining the best of both worlds, a hybrid system may be the answer taken by several institutions to augment their educational system. ◆
HOT TIP: GET INVOLVED BY ANN TRINH A year at McGill does not have to be just lectures and labs. One of the best pieces of advice you would hear from a McGillian is to GET INVOLVED. Not only will you develop skills outside of your classroom, you get to meet new people all working to achieve the same goals. Check out the Pipeline (the weekly McGill Engineering Listserv) and follow the Facebook pages of the groups that interest you. Or contact the groups directly by sending them an email which can be found on the EUSwiki.
Concrete Canoe
and race against about a hundred other teams across the world. The team also hosts shop days once a week, where they all get together to work on the cars.
McGill Bridge Building
For the past 8 years, the McGill Bridge Building Team has been made The Concrete Canoe Team designs up of dozens of and builds a canoe made entirely passionate civout of concrete. The catch? It must float when completely submerged il engineering students. They make under water. Members are able to up the two subteams: the Wood and contribute to many different aspects Steel subteams. of the project, including: designing the hull shape in AutoCAD, doing The wood team competes in evstructural analysis in MATLAB, ery annual Troitsky Wood Bridge Design Teams are EUS groups that designing and mixing lightweight Competition hosted by Concordia design projects and build them and concrete, designing aesthetic en- University. Outside of COVID-19, test their work in competitions with hancements, building the canoe, this competition involves creating other schools and institutions. and even paddling. The Concrete a bridge around 1 meter in length Canoe Team competes annually in entirely out of popsicle sticks, wood glue, and dental floss. AERO McGill the national competition in May.
DESIGN TEAMS
The steel team competes in the anA group of students from all facul- nual Canadian National Steel Bridge Competition (CNSBC). The competition consists of design, analysis, and construction of a 6 meter long bridge that should satisfy client reAERO McGill designs and manquirements. ufactures a multitude of aircraft, both fixed-wing and multirotor, which they use in competitions in Mcgill Chem-E Car both Canada and US, where team McGill Chem-E Car is an undermembers put their designs to the graduate student design team that test against other universities from ties that get together to build an off- allows members to put their thearound the world. road car. They design, manufacture, oretical knowledge into practice
McGill Baja Racing
August 2021
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by building a shoe-sized car. Every year, the team designs a new and improved car that is powered and stopped by chemical reactions. For many years, the Chem-E Car team has participated in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Chem-E Car Competition, where they get to compete against other university teams from North America and all over the world. The team also hosts a friendly competition between Canadian universities every year!
McGill Rocket Team
Each year, the McGill Rocket Team
COMMITTEES Committees have roles that vary across the board, such as organizing an event, providing a service and so much more.
assembles interested students from across all faculties of McGill UniELINE versity for the purpose of studying, Engaged Learndesigning, building and launching ing in Engineerreusable sounding rockets. Rocking (ELINE) is an ets are then launched at the annuEUS committee al Spaceport America Cup held by focused on proESRA and Spaceport America in moting a culture New Mexico, USA. The team typiof engaged learncally builds up to three rockets traving among the engineering student elling to 5000ft, 10000ft or 30000ft community. ELINE’s objectives are: of altitude! McGill Formula Electric • To promote a culture of engaged learning through its events and iniMcGill Space Group tiatives; • To develop resources for student learning; • To support existing Faculty of Engineering bodies such as ELATE McGill Formula Electric is a student and MESC in regards to student design team that works every year learning; to design, manufacture, and race • To support EUS and SSMU clubs a fully electric race car. Every year, and committees in regards to stuthe team competes in competitions dent learning. across North America consisting of events testing our design and un- The McGill Space Group (MSG) was derstanding of the process, and rac- established in 2016 and is focused EUS Equity ing our car. on various space-related projects and events at McGill. A large portion of their work is focused on the McGill Robotics McGill Ro- Canadian Satellite Design Challenge botics is an (CSDC), a two-year competition in e n g i n e e r i n g which we challenge other Canadian design team universities to fully design, test and that builds ro- build a 3U CubeSat, a miniaturized bots for inter- satellite for space research. national competitions as In addition to participating in comMcGill’s EUS Equity Committee enwell as organizes a robotics themed petitions, the MSG also contributes sures diversity, inclusion, accessibilto the McGill and Greater Montrehackathon annually. ity and social equity in Engineering al communities through outreach at McGill. Equity deals with issues events. 6
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ranging from problems in the classroom to sexual assault - EUS Equity is here to support you in whatever issues you may be facing, big or small. The committee also works with the faculty in order to coordinate our efforts to increase diversity in engineering at McGill. Note that you can submit anonymous incident response forms to incident response.mcgilleus.ca.
(including VP communications, to support multiple areas of interest. events, external and more!), departmental representatives, or external Plumber’s Student Design council representatives. Plumber’s Student Design (.PSD) provides free graphic design services Junior Council’s goal is to welcome to EUS members and organizations. all first year engineering students by This includes organizing both academic and social logos, banners, events throughout the school year, apparel, stickand creates a strong network of first ers... you name year students. Junior Council is one it! They strive of the first involvement opportuni- to deliver qualties open to first year students, and ity designs to EUS Sports Starting in the fall, their annual we host events such as an apartment our clients by closely working with flag football and soccer leagues will crawl, ice cream social, a network- them from start to finish. They also start up, with all engineering (and ing conference, and power hours! run workshops to introduce new designers to software such as Adobe Friend-gineering!) students welIllustrator or Affinity Designer. comed to sign up and join the ac- Mental Wellness tion. The league runs from Septem- Committee ber to November, with at least one The EUS Men- Sustainability in game per week to keep you on your tal Wellness Engineering At McGill toes. In the winter, we switch gears committee and operate the famous Iron Rink, aims to proa historic staple of the McGill commote mental munity. There, you can join the fawellness in the mous Broomball League and sweep engineering away those winter blues right into community the springtime. What better way through initiato stay active, have fun, and make tives and events such as painting, art friends in the student body than therapy workshops, therapy dogs, the EUS Intramural Sports League! scunts, challenges, and much more! SEAM is a student run committee Look out for more details or ask Their events provide a break from determined to promote and grow your friendly Frosh leaders for more stress during the semester by allow- the culture of sustainability on caminformation! ing you to spend time doing activi- pus, specifically in engineering. The ties that benefit mental wellbeing. need for change is becoming more Junior Council and more pressing and they are J u n i o r Plumber’s Station ready and willing to make a stand. Council is a The Plumber’s Yearly, SEAM organizes initiatives c om m itte e Station’s main to promote eco-conscious jobs, imunder the areas of interest prove existing McGill sustainability Engineering are photogra- practices, create new ones and inUndergradphy, videogra- corporate sustainability into the acuate Society, phy, filmmaking, ademic curriculum. composed of approximately twenty editing and so first year engineering students, with much more. They aim to help every For a full updated list of involvetwo second year co-presidents. At student explore their more creative ment opportunities, take a look the beginning of the fall semester, side when it comes to visual arts at the EUSwiki online or the EUS all incoming first years are encour- and have tons of different projects Handbook. ◆ aged to apply for any VP positions August 2021
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AN EXPLANATION OF THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE mRNA VACCINES,
AND WHY MODERNA AND PFIZER ARE INTERCHANGEABLE BY CHARLOTTE VOLK code for isoleucine-asparagine [1, 2].
Photo by Spencer Davis on Unsplash
The basic “instruction manual” or “source code” of life is deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. DNA is made up of nucleotides, each consisting of a sugar, a phosphate group, and one of four different molecules called bases: adenine (A), thymine (T), cytosine (C), and guanine (G). These molecules match up with each other – A with T, and C with G. Ribonucleic acid, or RNA, is also made up of nucleotides, but substitutes a different base called uracil (U) for T. There are several types of RNA, but the important type here is messenger RNA, or mRNA. DNA is found in the nucleus of the cell and is too fragile to leave. Therefore, a messenger (hence the name) or intermediary is required to carry the instructions from DNA out of the cell: 8
mRNA is this intermediary. Once the mRNA leaves the cell, a protein complex called the ribosome reads the mRNA sequence in groups of three nucleotides, called codons. For each codon read by the ribosome, it creates an amino acid. These amino acid sequences are then folded and shaped in various different ways to form proteins. However, there is one important thing to keep in mind. Since there are four different bases (A, U, C, and G), there are 4^3=64 different ways to arrange them in groups of three, and thus 64 different codons. However, there are only 20 amino acids. This creates redundancy, where several different codons code for the same amino acids. For example, the mRNA sequences AUC GAU and AUU GAC both The Plumber’s Ledger
In order to develop a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, scientists needed to get the immune system to recognize and develop a defense against the spike protein on the surface of the viral cells. The spike proteins themselves cannot replicate, and thus cannot give us COVID-19, but merely train the immune system to recognize and attack the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The mRNA itself degrades quickly, and cannot self-replicate, or affect your DNA [3, 4]. However, if the mRNA sequence of the spike protein was directly included in a vaccine, the immune system would recognize this mRNA as foreign to the body and attack it before it could be translated into the spike protein. Fortunately, researchers discovered that replacing every U nucleotide in mRNA with a modified base called 1-methyl-3’-pseudouridylyl would confuse the immune system enough to prevent its destruction [5, 6]. Instead, the modified mRNA sequence would be safely translated by the cell into the spike protein. However, there is still a problem with this approach. On the coronavirus itself, the spike proteins retain their shape because they are attached to the body of the virus. However,
when the spike proteins assemble independently from the rest of the virus, as in the vaccine, they cannot properly maintain their structure and soon collapse. This is an issue because the immune system must be presented with the spike protein in the same form as it will be on the SARS-CoV-2 virus itself, so it can create antibodies against the correct viral spike protein and not the collapsed version. Several years ago, while studying MERS and SARS, which are both coronaviruses, researchers at the McLellan lab at the University of Texas at Austin discovered a way to slightly modify the mRNA sequence of the spike protein so that it will assemble into the proper structure on its own. They did this by modifying two codons in the viral mRNA sequence, changing two of the amino acids at the base of the spike protein to proline. Proline is a large, rigid amino acid, which serves as a prop or splint to force the spike protein into the correct structure, even when detached from the virus. This allows the immune system to make antibodies against the correct spike protein, rather than the collapsed version, ensuring the vaccine’s efficacy [7]. Researchers at Stanford have reverse-engineered the sequences of both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine [8]. Dr. Jeff Gilchrist, an adjunct research professor in Systems and Computer Engineering at Carleton University, whose research interests include biomedical informatics and medical information systems, was able to isolate the spike encoding region of both vaccine mRNA sequences. In collaboration with Ryan Imgrund, a biostatistician, and Dr. Wesley Hung, a neuroscientist, he confirmed that the spike protein
amino acid sequence of the Pfizer vaccine and the Moderna vaccine were identical, even though the mRNA sequences differed slightly. This is because of the redundancy in codons explained above. For example, as Dr. Gilchrist explains, Pfizer has the codons AGA ACA CCT, which are encoded as arginine-threonine-proline. Moderna has the codons CGG ACC CCA, which are also encoded as arginine-threonine-proline. If you had enough time and patience, you could replicate these results yourself using the codon table shown on the right! This confirms that Moderna and Pfizer are using the exact same spike protein from the McLellan lab, and that the only differences between the two vaccines are the specific dosage, buffers used in the vaccine, and time between shots. The reason August 2021
that these vaccines do not just merely duplicate the viral spike protein mRNA sequence is that mRNA with a higher GC content, which means a higher amount of G and C bases, is more efficiently translated into a protein. So, in the vaccines, U bases have generally been changed to C or G bases wherever possible to improve efficiency [9]. Recently, there has been some confusion over the interchangeability of mRNA vaccines. While public health officials and the scientific community agree that Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are interchangeable [10], it sometimes helps to understand the science behind it. Hopefully, this explanation is useful to people seeking to understand more about these vaccines. I’ll end this with a personal plea – please get 9
vaccinated, as soon as you can, with whichever vaccine is available to you. I personally got Pfizer for my first dose, and Moderna for my second dose (both doses were administered by one of the biggest hospitals in Canada). People are still dying, and the prevalence of the Delta variant in Canada means that getting your second dose is more necessary than ever to protect yourselves and others. [1] Nature Education, “Unit 2: How do cells decode genetic information into functional proteins?,” Essentials of Cell Biology Nature Education, 2010. [Online]. Available: https://www.nature.com/ scitable/ebooks/essentials-of-cell-biology-14749010/122996756/ [2] Wikipedia. “DNA and RNA codon tables.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ DNA_and_RNA_codon_tables(accessed July 25, 2021). [3] Reuters Fact Check, “Fact CheckCOVID-19 vaccines are not infectious; you can’t transmit the vaccine to an unvaccinated individual,” Reuters, May 4, 2021.
[Online]. Available: https://www.reuters. com/article/factcheck-vaccines-transmission-idUSL1N2MR1VU [4] Reuters Fact Check, “Fact Check-mRNA cannot be ‘spread’ from COVID-19 vaccines; mRNA is not contagious and it is destroyed by cells shortly after injection “ Reuters. [Online]. Available: https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-covid-mrna-idUSL1N2LS337 [5] K. Kariko, M. Buckstein, H. Ni, and D. Weissman, “Suppression of RNA recognition by Toll-like receptors: the impact of nucleoside modification and the evolutionary origin of RNA,” Immunity, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 165-75, Aug 2005, doi: 10.1016/j.immuni.2005.06.008. [6] World Health Organization. “Messenger RNA encoding the full-length SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein.” https:// web.archive.org/web/20210105162941/ https://mednet-communities.net/inn/db/ media/docs/11889.doc (accessed July 25, 2021). [7] C. L. Hsieh et al., “Structure-based design of prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spikes,” Science, vol. 369, no. 6510, pp. 1501-1505, Sep 18 2020, doi: 10.1126/science.abd0826. [8] D. E. Jeong et al. Assemblies of putative SARS-CoV2-spike-encoding mRNA sequences for vaccines BNT-162b2 and
mRNA-1273 [Online] Available: https:// github.com/NAalytics/Assemblies-of-putative-SARS-CoV2-spike-encoding-mRNAsequences-for-vaccines-BNT-162b2-andmRNA-1273/blob/main/Assemblies%20 of%20putative%20SARS-CoV2-spikeencoding%20mRNA%20sequences%20 for % 2 0 v a c c i ne s % 2 0 BN T- 1 6 2 b 2 % 2 0 and%20mRNA-1273.docx.pdf [9] Gilchrist, J. [@jeffgilchrist], “COVID-19: Pfizer and Moderna vaccines reverse engineered,” Twitter, Jun. 17, 2021. [Online] Available: https:// mobile.twitter.com/jeffgilchrist/status/1405482204810076163 [10] National Advisory Committe on Immunization. “Summary of NACI rapid response of June 1, 2021.” Government of Canada. https://www. canada.ca/en/public-health/ser vices/ immunization/national-advisory-committee-on-immunization-naci/recommendations-use-covid-19-vaccines/rapid-response-interchangeability/summary.html (accessed July 25, 2021, 2021). ◆
Photo by Paul Chaisson from The Canadian Press, montreal.ctvnews.ca
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BRAIDING SWEETGRASS:
INDIGENOUS WISDOM, SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE, AND THE TEACHINGS OF PLANTS BY ROBIN WALL KIMMERER A REVIEW BY BIANCA DUBOIS
Photo from penguin.com.au
This year, Canadians have had to reckon with the history of our country and the truth of its origins. In light of the recent discovery of children’s remains at residential schools, Canadians have been forced to turn the mirror on themselves and grapple with the realities of the country we love. As both the daughter of an immigrant and Metis, I have had difficulty reckoning with my identity and place within our shared history. My whole life, I have not had strong ties to Metis culture; however, I have hopes of changing that. Therefore, to feel connected to my roots, I have decided to read one book written by an Indigenous author every month. My goal is to review these books to inspire others to do the same. It has always been vital to support and listen to Indigenous voices, but now it is more than ever.
The first book I chose to read was Braiding Sweetgrass. This book was an excellent read that changed my relationship with and my views on the world. Every time I sat down with this book, I was delighted with the new perspectives and wisdom that Kimmerer passed. In addition, I was enveloped by her poetic descriptions of the natural world full of wonder and whimsy, in addition to her immense gratitude to the Earth. Kimmerer weaves her life experiences with Indigenous teachings, botany, and modern science to share new perspectives on our treatment of the Earth. It was surprising for me to learn how much Indigenous spirituality and science blend together. It was fascinating to see Kimmerer’s holistic view of environmental science. She uses her indigenous knowledge to support her research, protect the environment and respect the natural world. We also follow Kimmerer’s journey of reconnecting with her indigenous roots. Each section of the book deals with different societal and indigenous concepts, which she ties into indigenous teachings. In addition, we watch her learn the Potawatomi language and new skills such as basket weaving and living off the land. Kimmerer passes on her new knowledge to the August 2021
reader and her students in her university courses to share this love and appreciation of nature with a new generation of botanists and environmental scientists. Throughout this read, I was introduced to the concepts of gratitude towards Earth, honourable harvest, and overconsumption within society. Kimmerer guides the reader to understand these concepts by showing us the importance of protecting the environment by treating it with respect and gratitude. Everything on Earth is a gift, leading to a certain amount of responsibility to protect the planet. Kimmerer makes it clear that our duty to maintain the natural world is vital. She shows the dangers we pose to the environment, but does not let us wallow in fear and despair. Instead, she shares hope and her vision on how to keep our planet safe and plentiful for the generations to come. Although this book had some repetitive passages, I believe that the importance of the message within this book makes it a must-read. This book is beautifully written, and you can feel Kimmerer’s passion leaping off of the page. I would rate this book 5/5 because of the inspiring message, new perspectives, and gorgeous prose. ◆ 11
REWRITE YOUR NARRATIVE
that for decades has not been ad- The internet was flooded with people recounting their personal expedressed properly. riences as well as studies and reports Black Lives Matter, the movement detailing how these issues affect for racial justice which had started people in every aspect of their lives. in response to the death of Trayvon Martin in 2013, saw a resurgence These events revealed two importsimilar to the traction it gained fol- ant truths: firstly, there is a clear lowing the killing of Eric Garner in disconnect between the needs of 2014. Soon after,the public brought those experiencing these issues and to light the tragic passings of Eli- what was provided to them in terms jah McClain and Breonna Taylor. of support. And more importantly, Across every major social media there is a clear disconnect between platform, discussions rose regarding those who experience these issues as their deaths, and people fervently a daily reality and those who do not. started to address the underlying racism that has been a root cause for As these discussions progressed, the many injustices plaguing the US many people turned away for one Then, less than two months into the and Canada: microaggressions, dis- clear reason: these topics are uncomfortable to talk about. However, government-mandated shutdowns, crimination, and hate crimes. these problems cannot be solved uneverything changed in the wake of the tragic passing of George Floyd As these conversations continued, less they are talked about. It’s as simin Minneapolis, another Black man we started to hear more about the ple as that (and I write this knowing brutally murdered at the hands of other injustices that many face dai- that “simple” and “easy” are not muthe police. It wasn’t long before out- ly: racism of all forms (not limited to tually exclusive terms). rage spread from city to city, state anti-Black racism), sexism, wealth to state, and eventually worldwide. inequality, homophobia, the crim- Where did we start? Protests erupted around the globe, inalization of drug use and mental once again bringing light to an issue health, xenophobia, and many more. March 2020—a month that kicked off an arc in our lives that we are sure to remember forever. In case it has been too long to recall what’s so important about it: less than two weeks into the month of March (and less than a week after reading week), COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic. Schools shut down, businesses were forced to close, and we were forced into self-confinement. And so quarantine began, a phase filled with quarantine baking, failed attempts at in-home workouts, and endless scrolling on Tik Tok (it’s okay to admit that you downloaded the app!).
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As students, we can’t fix these issues at the snap of a finger—we aren’t policymakers and we can’t magically erase all of the racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. out of the DNA of every person in the world. However, there are actions we can take. The first step is recognizing the need for change, which is a big step in itself. Then comes the even harder step: joining the conversation. While you can watch the news and read about an issue as much as you’d like, there is a completely different level of understanding that you acquire when you talk to someone about it, and even more so if the person has experienced it. This should come before every other action: before you sign a petition or join a protest, talk to people affected and understand the purpose and objective. Think about it—would you take a test before having studied the material?
our studies and with less time on discussion panels to the STEM our hands to engage with these top- community at McGill. We will be touching on topics that we have not ics. yet had the opportunity to feature as well as diving further into subjects So, what are we doing that opened up our eyes last year.
about it?
The Plumber’s Ledger is very fortunate to have a relatively large platform and to have connections to a diverse population of the McGill community. As such, we have worked hard on building a new platform to help facilitate these discussions.
Closing Thoughts
If the past year has taught us anything, it is that the power of the people lies not only in attaining information at the individual level, but interacting with others to make use of this knowledge. In a community with as much diversity of thought Rewrite Your Narrative is an open and experience as Montreal, there is forum created by the Plumber’s no better way to find this knowledge Ledger to address social issues that than to connect with the people in are often misunderstood or misrep- our community and embrace their resented. On September 16th 2020, work. we hosted the first installment of our Rewrite Your Narrative series. Rewrite Your Narrative has been We were fortunate to be joined by and remains dedicated to opening the McGill Chapter of the National the dialogue on topics that need to Society of Black Engineers, as well be addressed, and we look forward as the EUS Equity Committee. To- to seeing what our interaction with Of course, as we previously mengether, they helped us discuss the you will look like this year. ◆ tioned, talking about these issues nuances involved in racial identity, is not easy. They can make you unespecially as Black students in engicomfortable and can make you worneering. ried about saying the wrong thing. Or what if you don’t even have Since then, we have had the privilege someone to talk about it with? These of hosting seven discussion panare very real concerns that create a els online featuring people in our “barrier to entry” when it comes to immediate community who have activism. generously volunteered their time. Whether their goal was to advocate This is especially true for the STEM for social change, to offer new percommunity at McGill. While we spectives on current issues, or simhave the privilege of attending one ply to share their personal stories, of the most academically rigorous we were there to help in any way we universities in the country, the incould to amplify their voices. tensity of the courses under most STEM programs comes with severThis year, we are extremely excited al trade-offs; one being that we very to announce the second year of Rerarely see discussion on social issues write Your Narrative. In the coming integrated into our studies. In the months, we will be bringing more long run, this leaves us prioritizing August 2021
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EUS EVENTS TO LOOK FORWARD TO BY ANN TRINH The year is never short on fun events BRIDGE Sustainability to mark your calendars. Here are Case Competition some EUS events to look forward to this year.
Blues Pub
Blues Pub is a weekly event which would normally take place every Friday between 4pm and 9pm in the EUS common room in the McConnell basement. Engineering students, as well as others from different faculties, show up to Blues Pub for the cheap drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), legendary grilled cheese sandwiches, to hang out with their friends and make new ones. Every week, a different host (either an engineering department or a club/committee) chooses a theme and dresses up the EUS common room accordingly to offer a different experience every time.
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the event had over $1000 in cash prizes, industry experts and recruiters looking for talent. The winning team also had their names engraved on the BRIDGE trophy - displayed at the McConnell Engineering building for years to come!
CodeJam
Usually held in November, CodeJam is the yearly hackathon run by the McGill Electrical, Computer, and Software Student Society. It’s an engaging environment for students to learn and have fun over a weekBRIDGE is an interdisciplinary case end of coding, meet like-minded competition with the purpose of hackers, and connect with compabridging the gap between engineer- nies looking to hire their next batch ing and business. This annual event of talented developers. CodeJam is encourages students to cultivate open to hackers of all levels of expetheir creative and analytical skills rience. Just bring an open mind and by applying knowledge gained from get ready to learn and code! one discipline to another. In teams of four to five, students will tackle E-Week society’s most pressing challeng- E-Week, or Engineering Week, is a es by cracking a sustainability case competition between the engineerthat is related to both engineering ing departments (as well as Old Paand business. BRIDGE fosters a cul- trol) to win the E-Week trophy. Over ture of innovation and aims to help the course of four to five days, parstudents develop essential tangible ticipants compete in a jam-packed skill sets that are paramount in the schedule of design competitions, workplace. Last year’s event focused BOAT races, broomball, 3-Man, on energy poverty in off-grid Indig- scavenger hunts, and more. It’s an enous communities and encouraged amazing opportunity to bond with students from all across Canada fellow engineering students, make to develop a real-life case that re- unique memories, and enjoy the quires scientific and business skills best of what engineering culture at to tackle. Partnered with the Bark- McGill has to offer. ley Project Group and WSP Canada, The Plumber’s Ledger
E-Week usually takes place in the winter semester. You can get involved as a participant, departmental captain, or a coordinator. Find updates on their social media accounts.
Engineering Games
Held in the winter semester, This 4-day competition pushes the delegates through a collection of academic, social, cultural, and sporting events. Our delegates compete in a large number of events, such as academic and robotic competitions, debates, consulting, and entrepreneurship competitions. Mimicking workplace situations, these competitions take students out of the classroom and prepare them for their future as engineers.
McGill Engineering Competition
The McGill Engineering Competition (MEC) is an annual interdisciplinary engineering competition that aims to provide McGill engineering students with a variety
of opportunities to test their skills against their fellow classmates.
field, by the Y-intersection for two weeks at the beginning of the Fall semester and for two days in April.
Over the course of one weekend, 9 different competitions take place, pitting students against each other in a wide array of friendly competitions. These competitions span from design-focused events like Junior Design and Re-Engineering, to soft- It’s the best place on earth to reunite skill focused events like Communi- after the summer, and celebrate at the end of the year! The profits go cation and Impromptu Debates. towards the engineering society The winners of MEC are then sent as well as to charity. We also have on to represent the McGill com- opportunities to volunteer, primarmunity at the regional Quebec En- ily during the event, but also for gineering Competition, with the projects such as furniture building. potential to go even further beyond These will be posted on our Faceto the Canadian Engineering Com- book group, Open Air Pub - Volunpetition. teers. No matter what you are interested in, MEC has a category fit for you! If you are interested in participating in MEC this year, follow us on Facebook and keep an eye out for the official MEC event in November! If you’d like to help out from behind the scenes and join the organizing committee, applications usually go out in the spring!
Ski Trip
Each year in late January, a group of Engineers hit the slopes at Mount Sainte Anne for a weekend of skiing, snowboarding, and fun party times.
MERTW & MERTWinter
Bearing our famous tagline, these semesterly pub crawls are jampacked with fun and friends. With scavenger hunts, teams racing for glory, and tons of stops throughout downtown Montreal. There’s no lack of thrill and memories to go around. A great experience for all regardless Be sure to register with friends or as of skiing/ snowboarding ability and a free agent. a great way to make new connections within the EUS!
OAP (Open Air Pub)
OAP (Open Air Pub) is a pop-up music festival, bar, and barbeque run entirely by engineering students. You can find them on lower August 2021
TechFair
TechFair is a career fair run by and for engineering students. As a first, mid,or upper- year student, it’s an excellent opportunity to meet with 15
employers who consider McGill a at their companies, and it’s all done target school, find job and intern- for you! Don’t miss out on this inship opportunities, and leave a last- valuable opportunity and volunteer for the committee if you’d like to achieve leadership and event planning experience. Feel free to contact the team by email or through our facebook page for more information!
portunities to learn more about ongoing research, career prospects and current trends in engineering. These activities typically include academic/industry talks given by guest speakers, professional development workshops, wine and cheese evening panels and speed-networking sessions. ◆
TechWeek
ing impression on potential future employers. The McGill Engineering Student Centre (MESC) attracts high profile companies to McGill TechFair to meet students and to discuss employment opportunities
An annual event usually held in late January, McGill TechWeek is focused on celebrating and showcasing the engineering profession. We create multiple activities spread over the week to give McGill students op-
Photo by Daniel Kent from McGill Reporter
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The Plumber’s Ledger
ESSENTIAL BUYS FOR THE IKEA ENTHUSIAST BY SOPHIA GORBOUNOV Last week, I went to Ikea for the first time in almost two years. Needless to say, the experience was full of cheerful browsing, delicious snacks, and silly-sounding names. What I noticed, however, as I tried to untangle myself from the endless halls, was that every visit to the Swedish furniture store inevitably seemed to include the same pit stops, no matter the day, no matter the time, and no matter my age. So, here are some Ikea essentials that I sincerely believe many shoppare (that’s Swedish for “shoppers”) will have similar experiences with.
1. Plants
bottles with those fun snap-off caps, or jars with ridiculously large cork lids. They are just begging you to use them as water jugs, or as fun storage for something, seducing you with their minimalistic look, their promise of usefulness. They also happen to be incredibly cheap. Two dollars and I could be the best hostess in the world with my curvy water jugs? 3.99 and I can fill a jar with some colourful rocks for decor? Sign me up! There is quite literally no downside, until you remember that you have about eight jars at home collecting dust from your previous Ikea visits to this very same shelf.
I genuinely do not remember the last time I left an Ikea without a plant in hand. They know exactly what they’re doing, placing all the plants at the end of the showrooms, like a light at the end of the tunnel. When you enter the plant section, you know this will probably be your only chance to grab a little succulent, or a funky tropical plant with pointy leaves. After looking at so many carefully-crafted room demos, a plant seems like just the thing to brighten up your room. Complete with their perfectly-sized pots, it is a challenge to resist the biblical temptation of the Ikea plant section.
3. Stuffed animals or throw pillows
2. Jars and bottles
4. A useless appliance
Every time one enters Ikea, it seems like they have a new collection of
I want to say this will depend on your age, but this really depends on your personality, your being. Nonetheless, stuffed animals and those fluffy five-dollar throw pillows essentially hold the same purpose: they give you something cozy to hold. Plus, Ikea has some absolutely innovative designs. They had a line of stuffed fruits and vegetables when I was twelve, and I bought two of each. I could not have asked for a better way to fall asleep than snuggled up next to my carrot, broccoli, and strawberry, all with faces. Yes you have a kitchen sponge, but this one is colourful, and, get this, August 2021
it’s on a stick. I mean come on, you’ll use it every day. Yes, you absolutely need the foldable knife rack, what if yours starts to take up too much space? Efficiency and minimal clutter are key. Now this little wooden phone holder is just adorable, and so practical! It’s a need, not a want. This and more on “lies we tell ourselves to justify our purchases,” after this short break.
5. Something from the AsIs section
Reserved for only the most seasoned of shoppers, I saved this for last. The average Ikea browser would usually let this section of the store go by without a second glance. But once you discover the ultimate sale section, the absolute free-for-all that is the As-Is corner, you know your shop at Ikea is never complete without a visit to the damaged, old, wasteland with its items 60 percent off. You might find a 50 cent garbage bin, you might find a 20 dollar wool rug. You might also find a drawer for 20 percent off with three of its four wheels missing. The uncertainty of the As-Is section is what brings you back, every single time. ◆
Photo from creativebloq.com
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CELEBRATION FOR OUR YOUTH ARE WE READY FOR THE DRINKING CULTURE IN UNIVERSITY? BY KAIWEN LIU ing, or dreadful. But we believe we are ready, ready for the uncertainty, ready to fall and rise. It’s time to face the world through our knowledge; it’s time to face ourselves through our hearts.
First Encounter: Frosh
Frosh is also known as the orientation week when multiple icebreaking social events are held by volunteers and campus staff to welcome newly enrolled students, by providing a safe, fun, and inclusive experience to all students.
Photo by Danny Lines on Unsplash
On the Road to Independence
for our life that we finally take control of; in our mind, however, the As the morning breeze skims across forgetting is faster than the imaginour face and through our hair, we ing. The excitement and the massive can feel the slight vibration from scale of the concept of independent the friction of the roads and the life continuously overwhelms our tires. Mom has not stopped talking meticulous flow chart, and eventuabout the daily essentials you might ally overturns all the fuzz and confineed at school that you missed, and dence to optimism. dad looks peaceful as usual, paying attention on the road. Our mind University life represents a chapter is somewhere else, traveling faster of academia, intelligence, youth, than the diesel car, heading to a des- and destructive drinking and partination where our presence is trea- tying. On this journey, we will be tested with luring sins; we will face sured and praised. the questions of our identities, and We are busy planning for our first endure longing loneliness. This path step to independence, a blueprint can be joyous, cheerful, challeng18
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Some students’ expectation of the orientation week is extrapolated from their high school parties; some may have anticipated the event based on word of mouth, and some simply let their imagination run wild. No matter what expectation we have in mind, we all know some of them will be met and others may not. Our passionate participation, however, certainly proves our courage to take on this ride to an uncertain direction. This unknown direction of intoxication may lead to drunk behaviors such as violence, health crisis, harassment, or simply a bad trip. Sometimes, the drunk version of ourselves doesn’t reflect our true selves, and learning about drinking responsibly is a prerequisite of en-
tering an ‘animal house’. To help us avoid bad adventures, the analysis of partying and drinking behaviors brings clarity for our individual purposes of participation in frosh and future parties.
nections. Such social behavior also can be observed in religious rituals where groups are tied by a same belief or a custom through gatherings and activities.
This concept is supported by Dimitris Xygalatas- an anthropologist Why Do We Party I looked around the dancefloor, peo- at the University of Connecticut. ple were dancing, singing, and kiss- He speculates that when we attend ing. The smell of dry ice and stale beer a music festival, the acts we idencould not be distinguished. Gradual- tify with will sprinkle us with the ly, my drunkenness faded away, but fairy dust of collective effervescence my feelings of fatigue, thirst, and while the ones that aren’t part of our hunger had not come back. The mu- identity might leave us disconnectsic died down, and the lights slowly ed, and unsynchronized. stopped moving. Scanning the crowd of strange faces and sweaty bodies, I Further, we imitate each other’s bewas only conscious of my searching haviors such as drinking and dancgaze... like a starved animal looking ing in social venues to forge bonds for food; although I was no longer and connections. University of certain whether I was the predator or Montreal researcher, Paul Carls sugthe prey. I had never felt so desperate gested that participants intend to and vulnerable. Who or what was I achieve a high degree of collective emotional excitement or delirium looking for? in a social setting. Imitation, as the -Field Note, 2019 frosh most fundamental human behavior, Partying, meeting friends, and signals to others our friendly gesture drinking alcohol has rooted in our and the openness for connections. set of traditions and social behaviors since the early ages, but our ances- Enhancement of Socializators never explain well why this tra- tion dition has remained and prolonged. As one of the other reasons to drink, Why do we party? Why do we drink drinkers welcome the drunk version with friends? What’s the fun in the of themselves to remedy their poor process of being wasted? social skills. However, while drunk folks enjoy their conversation mutuPrimal Instinct to Connect ally and pleasantly, sober folks genIt is believed that parties facilitate erally find drunk people to be rude groups of people to synchronize and speak irrationally. In fact, if the feelings (drunkenness or ‘buzz’). social skill of a drunk person is enDrinking and dancing are present- hanced, the improvement only exed as a common ground, a universal hibits among the drinking fellows. language to express shared feelings, Confidence improves when drinkas most of the functionality of par- ing, which is stated partially and imties promotes collective and tempo- precisely. Alcohol is not the potion rary irresponsibility, and by which, we take, which would convince us participants present their unified in- to have control of variables. Drinkterests to each other and create con- ing does not bend self perceptions. August 2021
Folks won’t necessarily start to believe they possess superpowers and leap off a building after they become drunk. The short-term effects of alcohol decrease motor skills and desensitize our central nervous system. In other words, our competence worsens, but most drinkers are aware of their drunkenness. So why are our social skills perceptibly considered better? Drinking reduces inhibitions. The level of ignorance worsens, and the ability of analytical thinking regresses when alcohol is consumed. As blood alcohol content increases, moderate drinkers would manifest the state of relaxation and increased verbosity. Drinkers progressively lose the ability to contemplate their thoughts and plans of actions, leading to a reduced ability to evaluate consequences (Grattan KE, 2001). Intoxication inflates inconsiderate characters. Consequently, with decreased attentional control and reduced depth perception, drinkers care less for the outcome or the direction of their conversations. Without shame and doubt, people become rather ‘talkative’ in the shell of false confidence.
Thrill Seeking
Unpredictability attracts drinkers to return to their world of the unknown. By drinking, people seek adventures, a getaway from their daily static routines. The chaotic and ludicrous experience shared by drinkers is considered a change - an extraordinary adventure in their ordinary life. As emerging adults, college students are liberated from the regulations and sanctions that their previous educational institution and their parents required (Ven, 2011), and the thrill of drinking can be led 19
by the absence of the behavioral regulations.
hook-up. Drinking does not necessarily impel people to have sexual relations, and with a tolerable consumption- alcohol does not elimiWorry-free The pressure of tests can be exhaust- nate people’s autonomy to choose ing.; Weeks of continuous papers partners. The truth is a frog won’t and assignments may have drained receive a kiss from the princess just our last interest in the course; re- because she has a few drinks after ality and anxiety may have started dinner. However, gentlemen tend to gnaw on the hope of our perfect to wrongfully believe that ladies are dreams. In college, some students more open to sexuality when they decide to extricate themselves from are drunk. In some cases, an aggresthese troubles by drinking. The sive approach and a harsh refusal common saying, ‘drink your wor- may lead to sexual victimization. ries away’, explains one of the reasons people drink. With a lower at- Some women and men struggle to tention control, as our brain is busy talk to opposite sex when sober. Alassessing the feelings of drunken- cohol may lead to a hook-up by lowness and our body is mitigating the ering people’s inhibition. In the eyes impairments, the pain and the daily of a drunk person, opposite sex may troubles slowly drift away in a tem- emit more friendliness and security that entails a relaxing and charming porary numbness. appearance. Occasionally, alcohol can be used as a resource or tool to Drunk Romance It is commonly misunderstood that lead to a hook-up by sharing a sponalcohol is the main contributor to a taneous feeling of openness and re-
laxation (Ven, 2011).”
To Our Wonderful Youth, Wonderful Life
When you look among the party crowd and realize you are the computer nerd with a stoop, or the underage holding a soft drink, or the foreigner who speaks in an accent, the virgin who still can’t talk to girls, or the misfit, or the stranger, you are not alone. Trust the people around you. Share your happiness and troubles and listen to theirs. We drink for the fate we share, being here tonight, together. Now drink up and let the tears of joy fill our hearts. We celebrate for our friendships, for our wonderful youth, for our wonderful life. ◆
Photo from bullandbearmcgill.com
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SUMMER CROSSWORD PUZZLE BY ANDREW SALEM
Name: Complete the crossword puzzle below 1
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Created using the Crossword Maker on TheTeachersCorner.net
Across
Down
1. Most anticipated event for new students. It happens right before the start of the semester 3. The commercial organization and operation of vacations and visits to places of interest 5. Hopefully you used some sunscreen to avoid getting one 6. You hide yourself from the sunlight below one. 9. You generally go there to spend some time with your loved ones. It may be sandy or rocky depending on the location. 11. A sort of cold sweet people generally eat when it's hot outside.
2. Word used to describe the weather during summer time. 4. You wear them to not be blinded by the sunlight. 7. You may or may not have rented one with your friends to spend some time at. 8. You may have chosen to get one in order to pay your fees. 10. An enjoyable activity in which you walk across long distances. It's also a good opportunity to do some sightseeing.
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