Christopher Boa “The Proto-Indo-European Origins of Mélusine” 

I am a Dawson Health Science alumnus studying Chemical Engineering at McGill University. Despite my affinity toward STEM-related fields, I have always had a side passion for the study and clever manipulation of language. The inspiration behind this analysis of the iconic Mélusine was an in-class debate organized by Dr. Charlotte Hussey, challenging us to determine whether she was a demon or deity using the knowledge we had acquired from her unique Arthurian Romance class. This essay aims to settle that debate from beyond the hackneyed binary of good and evil. 

Christopher Boa  “How Cultural Barriers Are Overcome in Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring”

 I am a Dawson Health Science alumnus studying Chemical Engineering at McGill University. Despite my affinity toward STEM-related fields, I have always been fascinated by the geopolitical realities of our world and the interactions between different cultures. This curiosity prompted me to take Rebecca Million’s class on J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, a novel notorious for its masterful world-building. This essay aims to capture a snapshot of the delicate and complex diplomatic relations fabricated by Tolkien – and how they mirror those of our world. 

Clara Frey “A Psychoanalytic Reading of Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver” 

Clara Frey is an 18-year-old Dawson literature student from Montreal. Her pastimes include watching and discussing films with her psychoanalyst mother, writing poems on the metro and battling the urge to use Chat GPT for fear of losing the beauty of the written word. Clara’s work has previously been published in the Encore Poetry Anthology, Dawson’s 2024 Annual Writing Contest as well as in the Plant News, where she is a staff writer. 

Alex Hadley “Art Critique Assignment: The Magic of the Mythic Montreal Canadiens” 

I am a hockey-loving, aspiring author in my second year of General Social Science at Dawson. I am the President of Dawson’s Model UN delegation, a die-hard Habs fan, and I like lugging around thick, back-pain-inducing Stephen King books wherever I go. I do my best writing in the journal gifted to me by my wonderful girlfriend, which I carry with me and write in whenever I am struck with inspiration. Next year, I intend to pursue my studies at Bishops’ University in Philosophy. 

Zachary Inzlicht “Analyzing Empathy in Graphic Memoirs: Persepolis and Fun Home” 

My name is Zach, and I am a second year Health Sciences program student with a passion for life sciences. In my essay, I explore the theme of family dynamics in Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis” and Alison Bechdel’s “Fun Home.” Through the lens of family portraiture, first-person narration, and violent imagery, I delve into the empathic potential of the graphic memoir medium. Furthermore, my overarching goal for this essay is to bring attention to this unique medium and to advocate for the incorporation of graphic memoirs into the learning environment. 

Isabelle Kemp “Review: A Child Who Became Enormous” 

Hi! I’m Isabelle, a Social Science student in my last semester. Although the plan is to go into management in the fall, I’ve always been one to look forward to my English classes. In my second semester, I hesitantly chose a poetry class — mainly because it fit nicely into my schedule — but also because it intrigued me. After a couple of classes, I found myself enjoying the material and appreciating my professor Bryan Sentes’ enthusiasm. With his kind words of encouragement, my professor convinced me to send in one of the poetry reviews I had written during the semester.   

Julieta Lozano-Ramsay “Passion vs. Responsibility in ‘Wulf and Eadwacer’” 

Thanks for reading! My time in Environmental Studies would be for naught without emphasizing that Dawson lives upon, for instance, unceded Kanien’kehá:ka territory (native-land.ca). I wrote this essay in Old English Poetry in Translation. This class filled me with fun facts, featured one of my many Dawson teachers who was receptive to my challenges, and introduced me to this uniquely charming and striking poem. As a future geographer-writer-person, I especially appreciate its natural imagery. Otherwise, I highly recommend reading the elegy alongside a modern fantasy story featuring the ‘wolf man vs prestigious guy’ trope. Twilight wasn’t out of nowhere… 

Dorlicas Buyibu Makuikila “Afro-Pessimism: The Interplay of Racism and Double Consciousness in Get Out and Between the World and Me“

I am a second-semester Congolese student in the Law Society and Justice program, and intend to become an attorney in the future. I wrote this essay for my first semester Cosmic Pessimism class where I was introduced to the concept of Afro Pessimism. This essay is not meant to be seen as a symbol of hope for us but as a way of expressing dread and the bleakness of the Black Experience. Read this and be uncomfortable by our pain and suffering. Read this and keep your eyes on The DRC and all other Afro nations. 

Ahmad Mousattat “The Dichotomy Within: The Conflict between The Civil and The Primitive in The Epic of Gilgamesh ” 

I am a first-year Enriched Health Science student. This text was written in the Story of Us Reflections course as an analysis of the immortal Epic of Gilgamesh. I would like to extend my gratitude to professor Rebecca Million for asking me to submit it for publication. I am currently studying with the plan of doing Field Medicine in the future and working in the international Humanitarian efforts, in which I am heavily involved currently. 

Ihsane Sarif “Unmasking Bill 21: Discrimination Behind the Veil of Secularism”

Hi, I’m Ihsane, a fourth semester student in Enriched Pure and Applied Sciences. This essay was written within the framework of my second semester’s humanities class Public Stories: Journalism, Democracy and The Media taught by Joseph Rosen.  I have always been passionate about communicating on social issues and debates and so when an open-topic essay was required, I already knew I had to write about bill 21. I would like to study medicine or law in the future, wherever future events lead me. 

Tamila Varyvoda  “The Clash’s Lyrics: A Bouquet of Critiques of Capitalism”  

I am a fourth-semester student in Health Science and am someone who takes pleasure not only in delving into scientific curiosities but also in getting creative with writing and music. Hence, an English class dedicated to Punk Rock piqued my interest; this was my final essay for it, and I hope that as you read through, a vision for a more altruistic society blooms in your mind. Thank you to Professor Andrew Williams for persistently encouraging a deeper exploration of ethical considerations in our writing and the Dawson English Journal for the privilege of seeing my work in print!
 

Mike Wabo “Analysis of Tolu Oloruntoba’s Poem ‘Medical Séances'” 

I am in my fourth semester of the Pure and Applied Science program. After I graduate, I will head towards engineering to fulfill my passion for innovation and development. This essay was written in my Poetry Now class taught by Bryan Sentes where I discovered a newfound interest in poetry by reading Tolu Oloruntoba’s poem “Medical Séances”. When analyzing his work, I enjoyed dissecting the poetic language in the medical field highlighting the inextricable link between science and literature.   `