‘Sup Spooky Season!
Hello Chemists! 👻🎃
Welcome to the October issue of our newsletter! We hope you enjoyed our September 2020 issue and that you’ll have just as much fun reading this one!
Quarantine Games
How have you been loving our Quarantine Games?
Our next event is coming up soon! Book off the evening of October 28th to join your chem pals in playing City, Country, River and Boggle!
Keep an eye out for the Facebook event!
Quarantine Clues
Throughout each issue of CUSSwords are clues! 🔎 Keep track of them, and see if you’re able to solve the mystery by the end of the newsletter!
The sooner you crack the case, the more points you’ll score for the Quarantine Competition! 🕵🏼 Happy clue hunting!
This month’s mystery: Use the underlined & bolded letters throughout this issue to unscramble and spell out the name of a spooky season classic film!
Email mcgill.chemistry@gmail.ca with your answer for a shoutout and extra points in the Quarantine Competition!
Meet Your CUSS Execs!
President
Name: Andrew Martins
Year: U4
Hometown: Kingston, Ontario
Fun Fact: I’m currently learning 4 different languages!
Hi fellow chemies! My name is Andrew and am unbelievably ecstatic to serve as your CUSS President this year! A couple things I’m most looking forward to this year is working on new and innovative projects CUSS hasn’t pursued before. I’m also super excited to be leading a team of extremely wonderful, dedicated, and hardworking individuals, who will make your undergraduate chemistry experience 100% better! Can’t wait for a great year!! 🙂
DIY CHEMISTRY
In case your assignments and labs aren’t immersing you in enough chemistry, this section has just the thing for you!
Does the idea of having a colourful, flaming jack-o’-lantern excite you? 🎃
Follow this link for the instructions on how to use ethanol (hand sanitizer), boric acid (roach killer), and some methanol (gas-line antifreeze) to add some fun to your pumpkins this halloween!
As always, CUSS asks that you please use caution and take all safety precautions when performing experiments at home!
Get to know your professors!
We ask the teaching staff of the McGill chemistry department a few questions!
Professors are randomly featured each month, so be sure to check back!
Mitch Huot (Lab Coordinator)
I’m the instructor of CHEM 110, 120, and 392 labs. In CHEM 392, we try to help students learn synthetic chemistry techniques and academic research skills.
What sparked your interest in Chemistry?
I think the first time I made a molecule no one else had ever made before, I was hooked.
What is the best place you have visited?
Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto
If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
My beautiful wife’s famous Risotto!
What is your favourite part of McGill?
I think McGill Chemistry is one of the most tight knit, friendly and inspiring groups of people I have ever met.
Prof. Karine Auclair
This year I teach Org 2 (CHEM222/234) and chemical biology (CHEM332). I might also guest teach in a few other courses.
My research has 2 aspects: 1) harness enzymes to develop sustainable methods for making useful products from wastes (e.g. biomass, plastics and others) 2) discover new antibiotics as well as molecules that help the immune system overcome infections.
What sparked your interest in Chemistry?
I felt that it was a great tool to understand biology and life in general.
What is the best place you have visited?
Hawaii’s Big Island.
Do you have a hobby to pass the time outside the academic world?
I have many hobbies! Mostly outdoors activities. Many sports, including horse show jumping. I also have a small agricultural business.
In 10 years, what changes do you hope to see in the world?
Less violence and more environment-friendly behaviors.
~Spooky~ Riddles
(a) A zombie, a mummy, and a ghost move into a house that is missing one room. Which room is missing?
(b) How do you spell “candy” with 2 letters?
(c) The Smith family is very wealthy family and lives in a big, circular home. One morning, Mr. Smith woke up and found his mirror had been shattered. He knew it was one of his employees who had done it. So he asked them what they were doing in the morning, and he got these replies:
Driver: “I was outside washing the car.”
Maid: “I was dusting the corners of the house.”
Cook: “I was starting to make lunch for later.”
From the replies, he knew who it was. Can you guess who it was?
(scroll for answers)
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(a) the living room | (b) C and Y // (c) The Maid (a circular house doesn’t have corners)
Hidden Message
Solve the hidden message by determining which letter should replace each number! (Hint: A song often heard this time of the year 👻)
7 7 6 6 5 9space7 2 2 7 9
7 5 3 5 3 8 6 6 7 !
Email your answer to mcgill.chemistry@gmail.com for a shoutout in the next issue!
Last Month’s Answer: It is finally sweater weather!
That’s all folks!
See you back here next month! 🎃
If you have anything you want featured in CUSSwords, email mcgill.chemsitry@gmail.com!
The Chemistry Undergraduate Students' Society 