The Concordian volume 29, issue 9

theconcordian

news

sports

Victims’ families march P. 6

Women’s rugby off to finals P. 21

Zombies occupy Montreal

Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011

life The lowdown on your favourite candy P. 9

music Where to get your Halloween weekend music fix P. 18

opinions Provincial cash new weapon against gay bullying P. 24

Volume 29 Issue 9

P. 13

Photo by Sarah Howell

ASFA looking to overhaul Wake up, go to class, study, occupy electoral system New changes being discussed after CEO, JC member resign

Students playing a role in Occupy Montreal, juggle school work and protest

Jacques Gallant Editor-in-chief

Sarah Deshaies Chief copy editor

The Arts and Science Federation of Associations is looking at getting back on track following a week of electoral controversy that ended with the resignation of its chief electoral officer.

ASFA VP internal Schubert Laforest said on Monday that the federation will run an intensive campaign to find a new CEO and to properly train the candidate after the previous CEO quit on Oct. 20, leaving a trail of electoral violations behind him.

“We’re going to make sure we get the word out there through our website, through social media, and word of mouth,” said Laforest. “Ideally, we would like to have someone by November. This shouldn’t be a problem. It gives us time to learn from the mistakes of the past CEO.” Those mistakes, commit-

ted during the Oct. 12 and 13 byelection by former CEO Marvin Cidamon, include hiring a former ASFA executive as a polling clerk, not providing executive summaries at all polling stations, and failing to properly announce the results of the elections. These violations, originally revealed in a Concordian article on Oct. 15, were then referred to ASFA’s judicial committee by Laforest and Cidamon himself on Oct. 19, only to have the deliberations pushed to a later date after a potential conflict of interest was declared by JC member Nicholas Pidiktakis.

Pidiktakis ultimately stepped down from his position, indicating in his letter of resignation that he had been present at the counting of the ballots on Oct. 13 and helped collect them, disobeying the CEO’s orders.

“Given this fact, in order to pre-

See ‘Ballot’ on P. 5

Instead of studying or finishing homework last Monday night, Jamie Richardson went to Montreal’s City Hall to improve the living conditions of a group of people she has been living with for just over a week.

The graduate student, who is completing a master’s degree in political science at Université de Montréal, volunteers for Occupy Montreal and sits on the information and co-ordination committee.

Richardson has been involved with the occupation since its start. Along with several other citizens presenting various demands to City Hall during the monthly open session on Monday night, she requested access to electricity for the “occupation.”

Several dozen Occupy Montreal protesters accompanied Richardson after the daily general assembly that evening in marching the few

blocks to the marbled City Hall from Victoria Square, the area that was renamed “People’s Square” during the first day of the occupation on Oct. 15.

Since then, over 200 tents have been erected in the small square and green space located in front of the city’s stock exchange, in emulation of the Occupy Wall Street movement that has exploded worldwide.

Many of the Montreal occupiers, like Richardson, are students, and they’re making their presence felt at a movement that is at once global and very local, balancing schoolwork while contributing to the running of the tent city.

The first day of the occupation, many of the speakers and facilitators at the general assembly were university and CEGEP students.

Some remained to set up permanent camp.

See ‘Student’ on P. 3

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Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Got a news tip? news@theconcordian.com

City in brief Alyssa Tremblay

ASFA SGM date set

The Arts and Science Federation of Associations will be holding its special general assembly on Nov. 7 in H-110 in order for its membership to vote on a strike. The meeting will happen just three days before the Nov. 10 demonstration against tuition hikes takes place in Montreal.

ASFA president Alex Gordon said on Monday that for the vote on the strike to be valid, the federation will need to reach quorum, which is 2.5 per cent of its membership, meaning roughly 450 students. ASFA will also be holding an information session on the 7th floor of the Hall building on Oct. 27 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. to bring its membership up to speed on the anti-tuition hikes campaign.

ConU looks for a new VP

President Frederick Lowy has asked the ConU community for feedback in selecting a new vice-president of research and graduate studies. Students and staff can make recommendations and describe their ideal candidate in an online survey. The same Canadian firm was used to collect information regarding the search for a ConU president, a position that Lowy is filling on an interim basis. Louise Dandurand is Concordia’s current VP of research and graduate studies. She will retire in December 2011. The deadline for submitting feedback is Oct. 28.

You don’t have to go home but you can’t strike here More limitations have been placed on where McGill University’s striking support staff are allowed to demonstrate. CTV reported that the university returned to court last week to file another injunction after support staff set up their picket lines outside the Glen Yards construction site, the future location of the MUHC super hospital. They are now prohibited from protesting at the homes or workplaces of school administrators, as well as banned from McGill’s downtown and MacDonald campuses. The 1,700 MUNACA members have been on strike for well over a month, demanding better pay and benefits.

Signing in solidarity

A petition calling for McGill University to allow its professors to teach classes off campus to avoid crossing picket lines has collected 284 signatures. Entitled “We are McGill,” the petition asks that faculty members and students be allowed to respect their striking co-workers. This is a response to an earlier incident in which a McGill professor was threatened with suspension and was reproached in a communiqué sent out

by McGill provost Anthony Masi and vice-principal Michael Di Grappa after the university discovered that she had begun holding her literature classes at home and in nearby cafes.

campus

How do you feel about the shuttle?

CSU and Allégo to gather feedback on the university’s shuttle bus service Joel Ashak Contributor Starting next month, students, faculty, and other university employees will be able to voice their concerns about Concordia’s shuttle bus service through a framework of petitions and surveys created by the Concordia Student Union and the university.

Organized by the CSU and Allégo Concordia, a Sustainable Concordia initiative which promotes sustainable transportation on campus, the survey will run from November until January and will evaluate the level of satisfaction with the shuttle bus that connects the downtown campus to Loyola.

“The shuttle service is one of the most important services in a university that has two campuses and Concordia must be able to evaluate those services in order to change what is not working,” CSU VP Loyola and services Melissa Fuller explained. “This isn’t necessarily transportation services’ fault but we need to work together to find solutions. Students really want things to change and they’re willing

to help make that change.”

According to university transportation supervisor Mike Russo, an engineering study was conducted three years ago but user satisfaction with the shuttle service was not taken into consideration. Fuller decided that rather than trying to negotiate with transportation services, she would contact Allégo coordinator Terrence Graham to work on a satisfaction study as part of a larger campus transportation survey to be completed in January.

The study will gather comments and ideas by directly questioning students waiting in the shuttle bus lines.

“There hasn’t been a survey done since 2008 yet students are complaining all the time so there’s a sign that something is wrong,” said Fuller. “We’re trying to find ways to make students feel like they’re being heard. I feel that there’s no communication between transportation services and the students to a point that [transportation services] might not even really know how bad the problem is for students.”

Shuttle buses circulate every 20 to 25 minutes during peak hours but according to many, traffic and the limited space capacity of the four running buses often leave students waiting for more than 40 minutes in the rain and the cold.

“The schedule says the bus

Shuttle buSeS carry hundredS of StudentS between both campuSeS. comes every 20 minutes and I’ve been standing here for an hour.

In the winter it’s just going to get worse,” said mathematics student Bobbie Lee, who takes the shuttle twice every day. “If you had 40 minutes between classes, which would seem like a lot of time [except] the bus doesn’t come at the proper time like it is often the case, you could possibly miss a midterm.”

Bus driver Fernand Groulx has been driving Concordia shuttle buses since the service was created nine years ago.

“Concordia does what it can to give the best possible service,” he said. “But if we could add one or two more buses, at least during peak hours, things could be much better. But of course that depends on the university’s budget. Buses

are expensive.”

“I was told a major factor is the cost but unfortunately I don’t know what the cost is because it’s confidential information,” said Fuller, who met with Russo and Desmond O’Neill, manager of distribution, transportation and mail services last spring after winning slate Your Concordia promised to address the shuttle issue, namely the extension of evening hours on Friday, in their election campaign.

CSU representative Irmak Bahar is also preparing a petition demanding immediate and long-term measures be taken to improve the shuttle service and “to help the University create solutions.” The petition will be available for students in the CSU offices and on their website in November.

campus

CSU reveals orientation sponsors Information comes almost two months after being requested by student Jacques Gallant Editor-in-chief After an email exchange that lasted almost two months between the Concordia Student Union and one of its members, the CSU finally revealed on Monday its orientation sponsors and the amounts each contributed.

The figures show that the CSU received $22,450 from sponsors this year, although not all of it was in cash. Much of it was in the value of something else, such as Sleeman’s contribution of $5,760 worth of beer.

In early September, Alexa Newman, a former VP finance for the Arts and Science Federation of Associations, had requested from CSU VP finance Jordan Lindsay the above mentioned information, as well as the sponsorship package distributed by the CSU to potential sponsors.

“I had read in the papers that they had gathered several thousands of dollars in sponsorships, so it was just general curiosity,” Newman told the

Concordian.

But that information didn’t come, at least not as quickly as Newman had envisioned. At first, she was referred to the CSU’s sponsorship director Jose Garcia, who took close to a month to answer Newman, citing orientation and classes as reasons for his late reply.

Receiving no promise of a hard copy of the sponsorship figures from Garcia, Newman was sent back to Lindsay, who indicated in emails his preference to go over the numbers with her in person rather than leave a hard copy at the front desk, as she had requested.

In an Oct. 13 email, Lindsay indicated that he “would like to know what you are planning on using this information for.” When Newman replied the same day that it was for “general knowledge,” Lindsay wrote on Oct. 14 that he “would like just a bit more clarification than that.”

It was then that frustration reached the boiling point for New-

man.

“I have played along by answering irrelevant questions about my motives for requesting the information and waited patiently with a promise that all would be answered at the next council meeting and yet again my clear simple question [...] has been left unanswered,” wrote Newman to Lindsay on Oct. 14. “So please tell me what the big deal is?”

Newman also went on to quote from the election platform of Your Concordia, the slate Lindsay ran on in the last election, noting that YC had pushed for increased financial transparency at the CSU. Newman had run against YC with the Action slate, vying to win a seat on the CSU council.

On Monday, Lindsay told the Concordian that he had not spoken about the orientation sponsors at the Oct.12 student union council meeting because no one had asked him about it, while Newman watched the meeting via live feed, hoping he would discuss the topic.

“I still don’t know her final reasoning. Was it maybe to crossreference against the orientation

budget?” said Lindsay. “When financial information is being requested, I would expect a reason. I have no problem giving out the information, but I want to make sure I have done my due diligence. I would expect any VP finance to do the same.”

The documents were finally sent to Newman on Monday after the Concordian contacted Lindsay, who said he had sent the figures to Newman on Saturday, but later realized he had sent them to the wrong email address.

Newman wrote back to Lindsay on Monday thanking him for the documents, but noted that she still has yet to receive the orientation package distributed to sponsors.

In an earlier interview with the Concordian, Newman, who ensured that all of ASFA’s financial documents were placed online during her mandate last year, expressed her worry over an organization’s failure to turn over figures in a timely fashion.

“As a former VP finance you start playing different scenarios in your head. It’s a huge amount of money and you start to think that maybe something went wrong, or that they’re hiding something,” she said.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian Continued from cover

Student unions throw their weight behind movement The Concordia Student Union established a few tents, prompting the joking suggestion that they set up a “satellite CSU office,” according to president Lex Gill.

The CSU’s council easily threw its support behind the movement, she said. “There are a number of things in the CSU’s policy book that match up with the demands in the Occupy Wall Street movement,” she said. “Given that students are very much apart of that hypothetical 99 per cent, it only makes sense for us to support this movement.”

While the Student Society of McGill University does not have a permanent presence at Occupy Montreal, several members of its Mob Squad, a group organizing tuition protests, have been present, along with members of student lobby group Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante, according to SSMU VP external affairs Joël Pedneault.

“I do feel the student presence at Occupy Montreal has been larger given tuition hikes and mounting student debt,” he said in an email.

Tuition fees are an obvious mobilizing cause for students in

the province. Premier Jean Charest promised in this year’s budget that tuition fees in the province, the lowest in Canada, will rise by $325 a year over five years in order to add to university revenues. The new annual total tuition costs for a full-time student will be just under $3,800.

The hikes begin in fall 2012, and have spurred opposition from student groups who say they’re already squeezed for cash.

CEGEP student Jean-Pierre Goyer said at City Hall that he’s been going to GAs and sleeping overnight to highlight the difficulties that come with the tuition hikes, but that the protest has brought its share of problems.

“It’s hard to stay clean, go to school and remain in high spirits with all the discussions that run late into the night. And it’s hard to sleep with construction starting nearby early in the morning,” he said.

“But it’s good we’re there.” Goyer added that his classmates have been spurred to visit the protest when they heard about his experience.

One student at CEGEP de Maisonneuve, who declined to give his name, said his routine has been nor-

mal since he started sleeping over at Victoria Square. He wakes up, goes to school, and studies at a public library when he needs to get away.

But as finals approach in a few weeks, he might head back home for a better night’s rest in order to do well in school.

The issues are broader, though, than just tuition: still a few years from entering university, high school student Émile Frenette has also been camping out for a few days, motivated by his anti-capitalist beliefs.

But some are hoping for more student activity.

“I would say there is definitely additional awareness and attendance due to the tuition battles, but it hasn’t been as much as I would have expected and would love to see more in the future,” said CSU VP finance Jordan Lindsay in an email. “There has been considerable growth however in the last two days, we have pretty much packed the green spaces that are free.”

Involvement may increase over the next few weeks, as a provincewide day of action on tuition fees scheduled approaches. At Friday’s GA, an invitation was put out for

members to join in on the day of action, scheduled for Nov. 10, though the GA has yet to mandate activities specific to the event.

But while Occupy Montreal has grown in size and breadth of organization (it has acquired its own website and online livestream camera), some basic living conditions need improving. Back at City Hall, Richardson told the council that electricity had been cut off last week by the City.

While Richard Bergeron, leader of the municipal party Projet Montréal, spoke in favour of reconnecting the electricity, eliciting cheers from the crowd, borough mayor Michael Applebaum, who was stepping in for absent Montreal mayor Gerald Tremblay, turned the request down because of “questions of security.” He, in turn, received howls of disapproval from the group.

Calling Applebaum’s answer “bullshit,” Richardson later argued that it would prove a safer option.

“It’s way more secure for us to use electricity that’s already available in the square, then to use propane to fuel the services that we’re providing.”

#occupymtl

Occupy Montreal heads into second week

Protesters in for the long haul discuss the future Kalina Laframboise Staff writer

As it heads into its second week, Occupy Montreal continues to grow as dozens of tents and hundreds of people settle in Victoria Square (or “The People’s Square”), leaving occupiers wondering where they will move next.

The demonstrators, who are fighting against excessive corporate greed among other issues, held a general assembly meeting Saturday afternoon next to Queen Victoria’s statue.

Campers and supporters gathered to discuss the last meeting, recent news, and how to move forward.

In a discussion that lasted for several hours, the expansion of the movement was encouraged, but concern was raised over a lack of space.

Many protesters suggested they move to Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, another public square, while others seemed unsure of how, when, and where they should move.

Although the crowd didn’t reach a solution on moving, it remained peaceful and calm. The cold weather and rain didn’t hinder the meeting, which a hundred or so people attended. The group has held several activities, conferences, and assemblies since its start on Oct. 15, forming subcommittees to tackle issues like space, food and the future of the movement.

Occupy Montreal is an offshoot of the Occupy Wall Street protests in New York City, where people have gathered in solidarity against powerful corporate influence and a crumbling

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Nation in brief Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo

York whistleblower fired

York University fired whistleblower Ken Tooby, sources confirmed Friday, but would give no explanation why the university coordinator of investigations was let go. Tooby worked at the Toronto university for 23 years.

Neither Tooby nor the York spokesman would comment on his dismissal, the Toronto Star reported. He was one of several staff who revealed questionable practices in labour relations, contracts, disappearance of university property and use of outside consultants starting in 2009. A forensic auditing firm after the problems surfaced revealed a possible fraud of $1.2 million between 2007 and 2010.

The Toronto Police Service is currently conducting a fraud investigation. No one has been charged yet.

Freedom of speech restricted on campuses?

Freedom of expression may be under attack at Canadian universities, according to this year’s RightsWatch conference in Calgary. Charlotte Kingston, the former University of Calgary student union president, pointed to incidents on university campuses such as Memorial University of Newfoundland denying a prolife group the right to become a club in 2007 and backlash over a speech

by American right-wing commentator Ann Coulter at the University of Ottawa being cancelled. Kingston suggested that these are examples of how universities can misunderstand their role in maintaining the right to freedom of expression, according to the Calgary Herald.

Electric Courage, anyone?

Protesters settle into week two of their occupation of Victoria Square. Photo by Navneet Pall economy since Sept. 17, inspiring similar demonstrations all over the world.

Though Occupy Montreal has been scrutinized for its lack of organization and for not having clear goals, a small sheet was handed out by the organizers giving a detailed explanation as to who the occupiers are and what they stand for. According to this sheet, Occupy Montreal is a political movement calling for global change and is against capitalism and social and economic inequality.

“It must never be lost from sight that we are a political movement,” the paper reads in French. “If we close our eyes and convince ourselves that everything is fine because we are happy and we love each other, we are ignoring reality, only thinking about our own well-being and not of the unhappiness of others.”

Some Montrealers are still skepti-

cal of the effect the movement will have here. Paula, a John Molson School of Business student who declined to give her last name, feels the movement is irrelevant to Canada.

“While I support the movement in the U.S., I don’t support it here in Montreal or even in Canada,” she said. “I feel that it’s a copycat movement that isn’t really justified because we run in a much more socialist way than our counterparts south of the border.”

“We take care of the poor, we take care of the sick. Sure the system isn’t perfect, but it exists, unlike in the U.S.,” she added.

McGill University student Chris Pike attended the movement earlier this week and has a similar perspective on the occupation.

“I do support the Occupy Movement. I believe that if nothing else, it will get people to start talking about

the global economic problems that we all face today,” he said. “However, talking is only the first step. People need to start listening to each other as well, and I think that’s truly what’s been missing from the Occupy movement.”

“I did not feel like many of the complaints people were making at Occupy Montreal were legitimate,” he added. ”We have universal health care in our country, some of the cheapest tuition fees around the world -- and some of the best universities, too -- and a relatively stable economy compared to places like Spain and Greece.”

Correction

The article “Tentative FASA budget approved at council,” published in vol. 29, issue 7 of the Concordian, incorrectly stated that the yearly honorariums for FASA executive members are $6,000 per person, when they are actually $3,000. The Concordian regrets this error.

A new app created by a University of British Columbia graduate is set to be a game changer, in that, students hope it will up their game. Social app “Electric Courage” shifts the action at a bar or pub online to a real time “Flirt Wall.” Patrons check into the app, then can post a flirty message on the public wall to see if the person that caught their eye is interested, the Ubyssey reported. If the person that caught their eye reciprocates, there is the option of a sending a message. A couple of UBC watering holes already have their own “Flirt Wall,” but users have the option of adding new locations to the app.

Zombies can love, too

Two horror lovers took the opportunity to get married at the Toronto Zombie Walk this weekend. Walk organizers Thea Munster and Adam Pearson tied the knot in front of friends, family, and the undead about an hour before the ninth annual walk began. The couple first met at a horror convention, after which Pearson started helping out with the walk.

Pearson also asked Munster to marry him at the zombie walk. The bride, painted in black and white skeleton makeup, was carried down the aisle in a black wooden casket by six pallbearers to meet her werewolf groom.

When they kissed, Munster also bit a chunk of fake flesh off his face, to groans and moans of approval from the audience, QMI Agency reported.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

World in brief

#migsr2p

Conference looks at the responsibility to protect, ten years later

Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo

WikiLeaks strapped for cash WikiLeaks will stop leaking classified data in order to concentrate on securing enough funding to stay afloat, according to its founder. Julian Assange said restrictions imposed by American financial companies in Dec. 2010 may cause the organization’s collapse, the Associated Press reported.

It leaked 250,000 U.S. State Department cables late last year, after which MasterCard, Visa, PayPal and Western Union no longer accepted donations to the organization. Spokesman Kristinn Hrafnsson said that in 2010, WikiLeaks would receive more than 100,000 euros (US $140,000) on average per month. That amount has since dropped to between 6,000 and 7,000 euros.

Police pepper spray Haka dancers

A group of people performing the Haka dance after a high school football game in Roosevelt, Utah left police perplexed enough to use pepper spray to disperse the dancers last Thursday. The group began the traditional Maori dance to honour one of the teams, but were blocking the exit of team players and game officials, the Salt Lake City Tribune reported. The two police offers tried to create an exit but, as one spectator explained, the group was absorbed in the dance. The officers then used pepper spray to disperse the dancers. The police had been unaware the group was going to perform the dance. Some people were affected by the pepper spray, while others also reported being hit with police batons.

A World Cup legacy, unfortunately

A 19-year-old in Kent, England was evicted from her apartment last week for refusing to stop holding all night vuvuzela parties, the Telegraph reported. Toni Nicholson’s landlords took legal action after neighbours complained of the excessive noise.

Nicholson had ignored their requests to stop the parties for over a year. The teenager would invite people on Facebook to bring their instruments to the parties, which first entered the public consciousness during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The instruments can reach 131 decibels, as loud as a jet plane passing 30 metres above your head. Neighbours also complained of property damage, and things being thrown off the first-floor balcony.

Customers abandon Netflix

Movie rental firm Netflix has been bleeding subscriptions since June after raising its price for renting DVDs and streaming films online. It lost 800,000 customers in the third quarter, down from 23.8 million subscribers three months ago, according to the Globe and Mail. It has, however, seen a 65 per cent rise in profits in the same period of time, earning US$62.5 million. Netflix has plans to sell its DVD service. The company is the largest video streaming service in the United States and will launch in the United Kingdom and Ireland in 2012.

roméo dallaire iS known for hiS peacekeeping effortS aS force commander of the un’S aSSiStance miSSion for rwanda. photo by naVneet pall

Panel examines whether the responsibility to protect falls on media Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo News editor

I

n the 10 years since the birth of the Responsibility to protect report, media technology has advanced by leaps and bounds, but also faced cutbacks, which has impeded their ability to cover international conflicts.

That set the framework for the Promise of the Media in Halting Mass Atrocities: A Conference to Mark the 10th Anniversary of the Responsibility to Protect, presented by the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies.

Sitting at the front of a conference room in the swanky Mount Stephen Club, Senator Roméo Dallaire and Andrew Potter, the online politics editor at the Ottawa Citizen, traded words with chair and host of the CBC’s As It Happens Carol Off in a panel about the link between news media and governmental leadership.

The conference brought politicians and journalists into the same room, not at loggerheads, but looking to map out the potential of media to avert mass atrocities. Off questioned that premise, however, in a bid to offer a “reality check” to the tone of the conference.

“The promise of the media [to prevent mass atrocities] is really not there and that’s not because we don’t really care [...] and in some cases we can not even be there because of the cutbacks in foreign coverage that all media including the public broadcasters are experiencing, but it’s not the role of journalists to do that,” she said.

“We don’t have a vested interest in how stories conclude. We serve the public best when we are disinterested and we’re doing our job.”

Dallaire also had some questions about the topic of the panel.

“I’m not sure there is a link there. I would contend that there is a wall there between the media and the government leadership. The question is, are you breaking down the wall, are you going around it, or are you being stymied by that wall? You, the politician, and you, media news person, both in this context in our democratic process,” he asked.

The premise of the responsibility to protect is a commitment to protect people from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, according to the R2P movement’s website.

Off, pointing out that the first tenet of the responsibility to protect is that the government of the country in conflict should be the agent of its own change, and believes the future of ongoing coverage in conflict zones lies with the local journalists.

Potter added that the best thing that happened to him during his visit to Afghanistan was a tour of the local newsroom, and suggested that instead of sending journalists to cover conflicts abroad, that the reverse happen: that local journalists be flown in to speak to journalists in Canadian newsrooms.

Dallaire also had some words of advice for the journalists covering conflict zones. The media of the new millennium have undergone a radical change compared to the previous decade, but even in his experience in the field in the 1990s, Dallaire said he rubbed shoulders with journalists who had “no idea” what they were doing.

The new journalists must equip themselves with in-depth knowledge in the soft sciences or risk being “completely out of their league” when covering conflicts abroad, Dallaire said.

“If you are going to influence policy, you’re going to need a whole new capability,” he said.

Tweets from a war zone, deconstructed Daniel J. Rowe Staff writer

N

ew technologies are changing the nature of how mass atrocities are reported, according to a panel held at the Mount Stephen Club last Friday as part of The Promise of the Media in Halting Mass Atrocities conference organized by the Montreal Institute of Genocide and Human Rights Studies.

On the 10th anniversary of the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty’s “Responsibility to Protect” report, a group of prominent journalists and politicians came together to discuss the changing face of media and its role in reporting on mass atrocities.

One of the panel’s speakers, professor and columnist Jean-Paul Marthoz, said that traditional media methods of covering war are perhaps not capable of covering mass atrocities.

“The present paradigm of reporting doesn’t fit anymore,” said Marthoz. “Not only because of technology, but because the audience has changed because news travels faster.”

Marthoz said the media may have prevented mass atrocities in Syria recently, but that it took too much time to get the message out.

The host of the CBC radio show Dispatches, Rick MacInnes-Rae, said th new media is changing the landscape of conflict, but that it is not the complete answer.

“We’ve got Twitter, we’ve got blogs, we’ve got faster ways to tell things,” said Rae, acknowledging these media as tools which help journalists, but emphasizing that journalists need to be aware of what news stories they are covering. “Someone’s still got to be there. Someone’s still got to be on the ground.”

Rae also spoke of the possible

dangers of social media. He referred to a colleague of his whose Twitter account was hacked, and was being used without her knowledge. He also told of a female journalist working in the Middle East who was stalked and threatened by a group using social media.

Rae said that he would rather face the chance of being wrong if it meant alerting governments sooner when potential atrocities are developing.

The Rwandan genocide of 1994 was brought up as an example of the world being notified too late. It was only well after 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed that the international community mobilized.

It was in the wake of this, as well as other atrocities in the 1990s, that Canada sponsored the “Responsibility to Protect” report in December 2001, which became the groundwork for the International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect. The report was adopted by the United Nations in 2005.

The coalition is a non-governmental organization that seeks as a mandate to strengthen the capacities to prevent and halt genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

André Pratte, editor-in-chief of La Presse, said that it is the images of the atrocities that cause the public to put pressure on governments to act. With the possibilities that social media offer, this notification process is sped up exponentially.

Former foreign affairs deputy minister Gordon Smith said that then prime minister Jean Chrétien was moved to action by the images on television of the Rwandan genocide.

Smith said it was this “CNN effect” that caused him to act, though the UN did not engage until well after the genocide was over.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

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Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian Continued from cover

Ballot recount confirms winners for all three positions

serve the integrity of ASFA as an institution for all arts and science students and also to preserve the integrity of the Judicial Committee as an independent, a-political, and non-partisan body within ASFA, I have decided to resign in order to facilitate this preservation,” Pidiktakis wrote in the letter, which was read at the Oct. 20 special council meeting by JC member Justin Famili.

At the council meeting, former ASFA CEO and current Concordia Student Union chair Nicolas Cuillerier expressed his disappointment with the plethora of electoral violations committed by Cidamon, as well as his general disregard for Annex A, the document that establishes how an ASFA election is to be carried out and which was modified last April after Cuillerier made recommendations to strengthen it.

Cuillerier went on to mention that at some periods during the byelection, polling stations either had one worker or none at all, as well as pointed out the fact that some students could

have had the possibility to vote twice because polling clerks were not always indicating in the computer system who had already voted.

“These violations just set a really, really dangerous precedent,” said Cuillerier at the meeting. “It’s dangerous to have a laissez-faire CEO. Marvin is a good person, but good people don’t necessarily make good leaders. And a CEO has to be a good leader.”

Going forward, ASFA is looking at analyzing Annex A to clarify certain regulations and avoid repeating the violations that were committed by Cidamon. ASFA will also be looking to fill positions on the JC, which currently doesn’t have enough members to reach quorum.

“It was a learning process. When the election started we had a huge debacle unfold right away,” said Laforest. “In hindsight, it showed a lot of flaws in ASFA’s regulations. But the good thing is that it showed the flaws that need to be fixed so that this never

the judicial committee recounted the ballots after the violations were uncovered.

happens again.”

The ballot recount conducted by the JC on Oct. 24 found that the byelection’s three winners - Alexis Suzuki for VP communications and promotions, Paul Jerajian for VP external and sustainability and Yasmeen Zahar for independent councillor - were indeed the rightful winners.

With files from Alyssa Tremblay

research

ConU’s Ronald Rudin receives Trudeau Foundation Fellowship Award History professor plans to use his winnings to advance his research in historical filmmaking Jamie Floyd Contributor What would you do with $225,000?

For Concordia history professor Ronald Rudin, the answer to this question is getting clearer and clearer each day.

Rudin is a recipient of the Trudeau Foundation Fellowship Award, a distinction awarded to five individuals each fall based on their achievements in research, creativity and social commitment.

“I think this is a further reflection of Concordia being recognized as a place where important research is being done,” said Rudin, who considers the fellowship as a means of highlighting the brilliance of Concordia.

Rudin plans to use his prize money to “develop a series of films dealing with historical topics.” No stranger to filmmaking, Rudin has produced two documentaries on Acadians and French history, Life After Île Ste-Croix and Remembering a Memory. He now has an opportunity to branch out and try to create something on a larger scale.

“It would be short-sighted just to make something narrowly defined largely done by myself,” said Rudin, who hopes his films will make history engaging to viewers.

“Instead it’s an opportunity for me to be able to put together a team of people whose understanding of issues is far beyond my own.”

Telling history in a captivating and ultimately accurate way is a personal goal of Rudin’s.

“The stories we hear are not natural,” he explained, alluding to the way history is presented in modern day society. “Somebody who thinks about the past or even the present has to understand that when they’re confronted with a product, whether a book, a film or a university lecture, they are hearing a version of something. What they are hearing is not the singular truth,” Rudin said.

Rudin also elaborated on how history is currently taught as well as its function in our society.

“The government has decided to spend [millions of dollars] to teach Canadians about the War of 1812 because they feel we

should know about the facts of the upcoming anniversary,” Rudin said, referring to a federal initiative to commemorate the War of 1812 bicentennial. “I don’t see a lot of value in simply knowing facts. We can all look in a book and know facts. The value of history is to realize that it is a story that does not have simple answers.”

All this despite the fact that some do not always see the purpose in history. According to Victoria Sheila, a Concordia finance student, history is “only important if we’re not just being taught the nice parts of it.”

“The challenge,” said Rudin, “is that some students think that history is cut and dry which is not true. I thought history was boring when they wanted me to learn dates and numbers. The challenge is trying to make students understand when they do history, it’s not just lining up the facts, but telling the story.”

Rudin is currently on sabbatical leave finishing his seventh book about the expropriation of Acadians in the mid-18th century.

Photos by navneet pall

campus

ASFA council approves budget

Member associations benefit from $10,000 increase in budget allocation Alyssa Tremblay Assistant news editor Member associations are receiving more funding this year, according to budgets presented at a special council meeting held by the Arts and Science Federation of Associations last Thursday.

A total of $129,484.81 was distributed to MAs this year compared to $119,300.00 last year, plus $7,800 which was put into one consolidated fund to pay for their elections as per a motion passed last year.

MAs were previously given $300 separately to cover costs for their elections, but the amount of money actually spent varied from association to association, resulting in multiple pockets of unused leftover funds. With the new centralized election fund, any leftover money will be put directly into ASFA’s special projects fund.

After subtracting awards and honorariums, ASFA’s total budget for the year is close to $320, 000, compared to last year’s total of $298,250. Of that amount, 20 per cent of this money will go towards next year’s orientation and another 20 per cent will cover costs for ASFA’s operations.

Last year’s ASFA expenditures came in well under budget with a rollover of $7,712 into this year’s budget.

Following a meeting discussing allegations of electoral violations in

the last byelection, ASFA council voted to pass their 2011-12 budget, and VP finance Laura Gomez presented the 26 member associations with their individual budgets for the year.

“If you compare it from last year, the budgets [for MAs] are much higher,” said Gomez, who explained that the increase is a result of her taking a different approach than last year’s VP finance, who was also faced with the problem of ASFA’s fee levy coming in late.

“Last year they estimated their budget [...] and then whatever surplus came after they put into [ASFA’s] special projects fund,” said Gomez, which is the proper way to deal with remaining funds according to ASFA’s Annex B. This meant that when MAs wanted to access more funds, they needed to apply for them via the special projects fund, a request that took time to process.

ASFA’s fee levy amounts to $1.22 per credit and varies each year depending on the number of arts and science classes students take. This year, Gomez says that ASFA asked council to extend their deadline and waited until finally receiving their fee levy funds before building their budgets for the upcoming year.

“We took a little bit longer but we really tried to make sure that all the MAs got what was supposed to be allocated to them at the beginning of the year,” she said.

6

theconcordian

Tuesday, October 25, 2011 vigil

Seeking justice, dignity and truth

“

“

The coalition marched carrying a banner depicting the faces of their lost loved ones, all of whom died as a result of violent police altercations. Photo by Gilda Poorjabar

Family and friends march for victims of police violence Melina Giubilaro Contributor The Justice for Victims of Police Killings Coalition, along with Concordia’s Quebec Public Interest Research Group, marched on Saturday in a commemorative vigil for victims of police brutality.

“We want to commemorate our loved ones for these violent and unnecessary ways and reach out to other families that feel isolated,” said Julie Matson, whose father Ben Matson was one of the victims commemorated at the vigil. “We all come from different backgrounds, but we all have the same experience when it comes to killings with the police.”

The coalition is made up of family mem-

bers and friends of Mohamed Anas Bennis, Claudio Castagnetta, Ben Matson, Quilem Registre, Gladys Tolley and Fredy Villanueva, all of whom died as a result of violent altercations with police.

The march started at the Fraternité des policiers et policières de Montreal near Laurier metro station on Gilford St., where speeches were made by the family members.

“When I first started searching for the truth 10 years ago I was alone for about three years and I didn’t know what to do,” said Bridget Tolley, whose mother Gladys was killed by a Sûreté du Québec patrol car. “After I met these families, there was a lot of support and just knowing that you’re not alone was a great feeling.”

The support committee who helped organize this march is one of QPIRG Concordia’s working groups.

“It’s exceptionally important for our staff and volunteers to be here to show support for the people that are fighting for justice and dig-

nity for themselves and families,” said QPIRG member Ashley Fortier.

Many people showed up to the event holding posters and encouraging the coalition, as well as a marching band.

“The poster I’m holding says ‘How do you sleep?’ and it has a picture of a cop sleeping with a smile on his face. It’s asking what mentality these people have in order to be able to fall asleep at night without dwelling on the things they’ve done during the day,” described one supporter, who did not want to be named.

Dominique Clark and Billy Johnson are two Concordia students who attended the march.

“It’s a very somber and serious occasion but I feel like we’re making a difference,” said Johnson. Clark, originally from New York, thought police brutality happens more often in the United States than in Canada and said she wants to make people in Montreal more aware of the situation.

This candle represents a light at the end of the tunnel where justice will be made.

- Briget Tolley, daughter of a woman killed by a Sûreté du Québec patrol car

The march ended with a vigil at Berri Square where family members thanked all the supporters and said some last words. Candles were lit and hot tea distributed to commemorate the victims.

“October is a bittersweet month for me thinking about my dad’s birth. Lighting this candle commemorates his birth and his death,” Matson said.

“This candle represents a light at the end of the tunnel where justice will be made,” said Tolley.

CAMPUS

Teachers learn from teachers Professors from as far as Hong Kong speak at Concordia about improving teaching and learning practices Cameron Ahmad Staff writer How should teachers assess the way their students learn? How can they ensure that they are providing meaningful feedback?

These are only a few of the questions answered by the panel of experts featured in the Colloquium on Effective Assessment Practices, held at Concordia last Tuesday.

The event, aimed at improving the way teachers communicate with their students, featured a panel of experts in the fields of teaching and learning who addressed the crowded room of

teachers, TAs, and students. They presented examples from their research and experiences, including innovative teaching practices and ideas on inceasing student engagement in the classroom.

“Often, exams don’t test knowledge, they merely test a student’s ability to handle stress,” said panelist Dr. Jennifer Clark, academic director of the faculty of arts and sciences at the University of New England. “By making the implicit explicit, teachers can reduce fear by role-playing, and thus build confidence in the student.”

Clark suggested that teachers themselves perform the tasks they ask of their students, in order to

show them the correct processes.

As a result, students no longer waste time on worrying about how to do the task, and can actually focus on getting their work done.

Panelist Earle Abrahamson, author, educator, and chair of a multinational teaching fellowship, developed a mentorship system between first-year and final year students. This way, “[students] know what to expect from teachers because they have access to the experiences of their mentors,” he said, “and it helps them know how to succeed.”

Dr. Diane Bateman, assessment specialist and researcher at Champlain College Saint-Lambert, has one-on-one meetings with her students before she submits their final grades.

“They need feedback before

submitting their work,” she said, “so that they can build knowledge and work towards a grade.” Her suggestion was met by criticism from a JMSB management professor in the audience, who thought this form of formative assessment would shelter students from the competitiveness of the real world.

Much of the ensuing discussion was in support of Dr. Bateman’s idea that, in fact, it is “the responsibility of the teacher to develop the student, not just let them sink or swim.”

Keynote speaker Dr. LesleyJane Eales-Reynolds, director of learning and teaching at the University of Westminster in London, told the audience that “what is important is that we can design assessments that have real meaning and value to a student, which motivate them to succeed

and to develop higher order thinking skills.”

In an interview, Eales-Reynolds spoke of the challenges teachers face in preparing their students for real-world problems.

“Getting the assessment right is absolutely key to getting students to engage and be enthusiastic about their learning,” she said. “It can also be a way to help students engage more fully with their subject and get excited about it and get passionate.”

“It’s so rewarding when you see a student’s work, and you suddenly witness ‘the Aha!’ moment, when a student finally gets what it is you’re trying to get across to them – when they finally discover for themselves that really exciting moment,” she added. “And assessment is a really important aspect of that learning experience.”

life

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

7

Write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com

costumes

Hallo-wear?

Find terrifyingly awesome costumes on a budget Paula Rivas Life editor

T

oo old to trick-or-treat, yet too young to not do anything on Halloween? As young adults, we want to have fun and dress up in an outrageous costume once in a while, to be someone else for one night. What better time to do this than Halloween? Whether it be dressing like a skanky bunny rabbit from Mean Girls, dressing like Oprah and her best friend Gayle, or dressing like an Oompa Loompa, on Halloween night, they all live in harmony in the glorious candy-filled, badly-carved jack-o-lantern-lit night.

“What will I be this year?” That is the question. Many people do not want to be seen repeating the same thing they were last year, so why buy an expensive costume in the first place?

“It’s stupid to spend $100 on a costume, since you will probably only wear it at a club or a party once a year,” said Concordia economics student Lina Maki. Therefore, if you want something original and inexpensive, you must put it together yourself instead of buying the whole expensive costume kit.

“I suggest an angel of death look; you can just grab a halo and put on some black wings,” said Colleen Daley, a manager at L’Entrepôt de Halloween on Ste-Catherine St. Daley also said that you can change up this look for a different costume for next year by going as the black swan by replacing the halo with a leotard and tights. This way, you do not have to spend money on a whole new costume or rack your brain trying to figure out another costume idea.

“The costumes that people have been buying the most recently are for girls, like red riding hood and guys just do their own thing. A lot buy capes, and superheroes are popular too,” said Daley.

Keep it simple A simple tip to remember when keeping an eye on your budget for a Halloween costume is not to concentrate so much on

the actual costume but rather on the small things. “It’s all about playing up the makeup and the accessories,” said Daley.

“Last year, I got a friend to paint my face as a skeleton. Also another year I just grabbed my mom’s tight black pants, dyed my hair black, wore converse shoes and put on some black bracelets and went as an emo. Some girls did my make-up too,” said James Brec, a Concordia anthropology student.

Concordia marketing student Stefani Fulginiti said that simple leopard accessories that she already possessed completed her simple yet fun costume last year.

“I was a leopard. I wore little things like a headband with ears, and a lot of leopard accessories which you could get anywhere,” she said.

Graphic by Valerie Brunet

Here are some costume ideas that are hilarious and underrated. You can even play up the character by embodying the persona and acting like them all night. Without guaranteeing anything, you might get laughs and high-fives or eyebrow lifts.

Celebrity costumes: be kind of a big deal Celebrities are not only fun to look at; they are a delight to mimic. This Halloween, why not go dressed as a celebrity that you hate or love, or love to hate?

Guys, look for a blue or black suit in your closet, and try to find a red tie. Grab some monopoly money and stuff them into your pockets. Mess up your hair so that it looks like it got stuck in a sink drain. Fill in your eyebrows to make them appear bushy and light brown with some of your friend’s brown eyeliner or buy some fake eyebrows at a Halloween store. Voila, you pulled a Donald Trump. Don’t forget to make sure that your facial expressions always appear as if you sucked on a lemon. Pucker up your lips when you speak, obnoxiously go around telling people “you’re fired” and occasionally explain why they should vote for

you for president. Get mad at them if they disagree.

Another look you can achieve with a suit is an Elton John costume. However, for this look you cannot just simply use your favourite black suit—it has to be a colourful suit, with the largest intentional mix of pastel colours. Top this off with some blue or pink sunglasses. Sing “Candle in the Wind” to people when they ask you who you’re supposed to be.

To top off the Donald Trump and Elton John costumes, go to L’Entrepôt de Halloween and purchase a Bruno wig for $19.99.

This blond wig does the trick for many costume ideas, even Justin Bieber.

Girls, a long black wig goes a long way, providing you with endless celebrity options.

If you already have naturally long black hair, it’s even easier and less expensive. Add some fake eye lashes, orange skin paint, pile on the makeup, wear tight clothes and you can dress like the Kardashian sisters. Add some balloons or something “enhancing” to the chest of your shirt and in your pants to mimic Kim herself. If your friends are interested, tell them to dress the same. Be advised that you might get confused as being dressed as Snooki and Deena from Jersey

Halloween shops in Montreal to explore Giggles

Entrepôt de Halloween

Moulin Rose Boutique

3500 boul. de la Côte-Vertu

1616 Ste-Catherine St. W.

1119 Ste-Catherine St. E.

L’entrepôt de Halloween as some great options, and the best part about this store is that it is so close to Concordia’s downtown campus. It is located in the Faubourg across from 3 Amigos restaurant on Ste-Catherine.

This store has some funny adult costumes, ranging from Austin Powers, Mario brothers, and pirates galore. For the girls, Moulin Rose offers the ideal sexy costume for a college Halloween party if that’s the look you’re going for.

This boutique offers a huge variety of traditional Halloween costumes for all shapes and sizes. This store even has a large variety of party supplies, so not only can you pick up your perfect Halloween costume, but at the same time, you can snag some pumpkin decorations, props, wigs, and pumpkin centrepieces.

Shore. Remember to speak in a nasal voice and flip your hair repeatedly.

Movie character costumes: act like you walked off a Spielberg set Dress like Princess Leia from Star Wars in two simple steps. Part your hair down the middle, twist your hair into two buns the size of giant donuts on the sides of your head and buy a long-sleeved white dress.

Or, grab some of your closest friends and all of you can dress like Oompa Loompas from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Buy some green dye hairspray at a Halloween store. (This washes out with shampoo so don’t worry.) Next, find white pants and a brown long-sleeved shirt. The key ingredient in this Oompa creation is the make-up.

Purchase some face paint at a Halloween store, paint your whole face orange and paint over your eyebrows in white paint. Get some duct tape and criss-cross them over your shoulders to make it appear that you are wearing overalls (this should make an X on your chest and back). Memorize the Oompa Loompa song with your friends and randomly break out into song at the same time while at a party (interrupting conversations). Whenever you walk down the street, make sure to march in single file and bounce up and down as you walk. Play hide-andseek with each other.

Royalty costumes: pretend you are a blue blood heir to the throne Bloody Mary (also known as Queen Mary I) was the famous queen who allowed the execution of hundreds of Protestant leaders in an attempt to turn England back to Roman Catholicism in the 1500s. Create this Bloody Mary costume by wearing a white nightgown and spill ketchup on it or red paint to make it look like blood and freak everyone out.

For a Queen Elizabeth II costume, you could don some fake shiny jewellery, buy a fake crown at a Halloween store and wear a loose white dress, grandma style. Buy some white dye hairspray at a Halloween store or buy an old lady grey wig.

8

theconcordian

Tuesday, October 25, 2011 ghosts

Going ghost hunting in Montreal Take a walking tour or go off on your own to bump into some phantoms Erica Commisso Contributor

G

hosts continue to haunt the cobblestone streets of the historic district of Old Montreal and this Halloween, with the help of Fantômes Montréal Ghosts, you may even get a glimpse of these eerie specters.

The “New France Ghost Hunt” and the tour of Montreal’s historic crime scenes provide every participant with a chance to meet four “ghosts,” and talk to them “about their life, or should I say their death,” said Fantômes Montréal president Louise Hébert.

“The Old Montreal Ghosts give you an opportunity to celebrate Halloween in a large group, with family, friends or colleagues, in a truly different way. Since the stories are inspired by actual events, participants will genuinely get goose bumps.”

In groups of about 20 people and armed with a map of either the west or east side of Old Montreal, participants are encouraged to find the ghosts in the dark corners of the district. Each ghost, a different character played by a professional actor, gives onlookers a glimpse into “the grim lives of witches, or the sordid affairs of criminals and charlatans,”said Hébert.

Each group also has an employee of the company present at all times to provide additional background information and induce further storytelling. However, each individual experience is truly up to the participant, as they decide which ghosts to see in which order, and it is up to them to ask questions and create conversation with each ghost.

With each Halloween hunt, New France victims and criminals alike recount their life stories, including vivid tales of their deaths.

Participants are greeted with unusual and disturbing events, perfectly fitting of the Halloween spirit. The events, which Hébert calls “a theatre on the street,” have taken place for eleven years, when the original Fantômes

Montreal founder, Eric Poulin, returned to his native Montreal after a trip across the pond to London. “He was inspired by the Jack the Ripper walks,” explained Hébert.

Montreal is known as a “haunted city,” and with plenty of reason. The infamous Redpath Mansion murders of 1901, which remain unsolved and found two members of a wealthy Montreal family shot dead, are modern examples of crime in Montreal. Dating back to 1734, the public execution of MarieJosèphe dite Angélique on June 21, after a fire that raged through Montreal and killed many, is often questioned and continues to haunt Montreal’s history.

Old Montreal was rated the eighth most haunted place to visit in Canada, providing the historical setting to many of Montreal’s most famous ghost tales, including the ghost of a prostitute searching for her head and the spirits of families who died in a hotel fire.

Many streets in old Montreal have been the subject of “ghost sightings”. Some say the architecturally splendid St-Paul St. brought them face-to-face with tormented souls and the walking dead, while others report sightings of a ghost apparition of a French soldier walking with a limp on De L’Esplanade Ave. Though Louise Hébert and Fantômes Montréal Ghosts promise interaction with educated and professional actors who tell the tales of historical victims and criminals, many say that Old Montreal also promises views of genuine ghosts.

Students who are ready for a chilling Halloween experience, combined with a thirst for historical knowledge and a slightly masochistic sense of fun, can be drawn to Old Montreal just by its sheer creepiness mixed with beauty.

A ghost tour with Fantômes Montréal Ghosts costs students $18.50, and gives an “unparalleled festive atmosphere,” according to Hébert. A walk down either St-Paul or De L’Esplanade, however, is a free, but not guaranteed, spectacle of real ghosts, in all of their glory. Whatever the preferred method of haunting, however, some form of ghost-related festivities is bound to make this Halloween a memorable one.

Walking tours will take place between Oct. 27-29 at 6:30 p.m.

Graphic by Katie Brioux

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

9

candy

Goblins, ghosts and candy

Graphic by Maya Pankalla

Make informed choices while you trick and/or treat Marissa Miller Copy editor

I

f you plan to absentmindedly scoff down several Mini Snickers bars this Halloween because you think the token word “mini” might work its magic on your figure, think again. It’s important to look at a combination of factors while choosing the perfect candy. Some call it picking your poison but, for holiday’s sake, let’s call it picking your pleasure.

“My plan for Halloween in terms of food is to take advantage of some of the candy specials at the pharmacy,” says Roni Sherman, a Concordia English literature student. “I like to treat myself to the fancy stuff like Lindt and Godiva.”

This Cho’cola bakery employee’s sugar addiction is fuelled by her 15-hour a week job. “I’m not allowed to just eat everything at the store, but I always want to taste things. If something is broken I’ll munch on it,” Sherman admits.

The first task is to address why candy consumption is so stigmatized nowadays. Increased sugar intake, combined with increased portion sizes and a high-fat diet, all contribute to obesity according to researchers from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center for The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

This news is far from new, but due to candy’s addictive properties, we turn a blind tongue to the facts.

Whether you’re going to be at a house party this Halloween, or feeding the good stuff to kids dressed in Miley Cyrus gear, it’s important to know the facts before you swallow them.

According to a Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Review produced by the department of biology at North Carolina Central University, “The impetus for the search for alternative and non-caloric sweeteners […] has

historically been for better health for diabetics and also for weight control.”

Conversely, nasty ingredients like highfructose corn syrup, a cheap form of glucose and fructose, are added to candies, baked goods and condiments in excessive amounts, some of which you will most likely be indulging in next week. “Studies published in the last 10 years […] suggest a correlation between increased consumption of HFCS with increased incidence of obesity and cardiovascular diseases,” the review showed.

In keeping with the criteria that constitutes “bad” candy, here are your best picks: The Jelly Belly Company’s name is misleading, since indulging in them in excess will leave evidence all over your body, not just your tummy. At four calories a bean you’re likely to have handfuls of the addictive atomic-sized sugar munchkins, costing you way over the 140 calories allotted to the 35 bean recommended limit. Thank the Lord of Candies for inventing sugar-free Jelly Bellies, which come in a myriad of lip-smacking flavours, setting you back a small 80 calories for 35 beans. And get this – a serving contains eight grams of fibre. The package suggests limiting yourself to eight beans when starting off, as they “may cause a laxative effect.”

Don’t worry, you’re not immature; I laughed, too.

Peppermint Patties: Normally, I’d recommend gum for those of you who need a quick mint fix, but chewing laboriously on a piece of rubber is no fun during the holidays. When the kid with the pumpkin stickers on his face knocks on your door asking for gum, tell him to chew on your rubber bum and offer him a York Peppermint Pattie instead. At 150 calories for three pieces and just three grams of fat, you can bet

your waistline that you won’t have anything to scream about.

Sugar-free Twizzlers: It’s impossible to tell the difference between sugar-free Twizzlers and their sugar-laden counterpart unless your taste buds are accomplices of the CIA. You’re getting a pretty sweet deal for six pieces at 130 calories. Plus, its sugar alternative maltitol gets released into your blood stream slower, preventing the jitters and inevitable sugar crash. It’s also fun to use Twizzlers as a straw for your drink (my proud grade three discovery).

Now for the criminal offenses of candy: Oh Henry!: There’s a reason caloriecount. com grades Oh Henry! bars with a D - for Depressing amount of calories. For a 62.5 gram bar, you’re wasting 320 calories, 17 grams of fat, and 29 grams of sugar. It seems that the only redeeming factor in this bar is the fibrous peanuts, but the parka of caramel and chocolate that envelopes them foreshadows what you’re going to be wearing in order to hide your subsequent weight gain. Harsh, but true.

Snickers: While you’re munching on a Snickers bar, somewhere in hell the candy devil is snickering because you weren’t aware of its trans-fat content. Companies are not legally obliged to indicate trans-fat content on a label if it amounts to less than one gram, but 0.257 grams in a Snickers bar is not something to ignore. According to Health Canada, trans-fat, the artificially-manufactured oil used to preserve a food’s shelf-life, can actually increase your risk of heart disease. Don’t have the last Snicker, but instead have the last laugh by leaving this 270 calorie treat

with 14 grams of fat on the shelf.

Skittles: You’ll get so high off of Skittles’ sugar content that tasting the rainbow won’t even seem so far out of reach. Sorry Sour Skittle lovers, but at 230 calories per bag containing 43 grams of sugar, some of it in the form of high fructose corn syrup, you’re better off swallowing a bunch of sugar packets. Don’t be fooled by Skittles’ colourful jackets – they’re hiding 0.05 grams of trans-fat per serving in their pockets. Those sneaky bastards.

So there you have it, folks.The proof is in the pudding, bag of chips, or center of the Tootsie Pop. It is your prerogative to permanently leave your mouth ajar as a trap for lemon drops and gummy bears this Halloween, but just be cognizant that a candy binge’s aftermath leaves more of an impact than a hangover.

The most important thing, above all else, is to monitor the portion of what you’re eating, rather than what it is, according to Carol Haberman, a registered dietitian.

“You could go online and compare the nutritional information for various popular candies,” she suggests. “Look at calories, total fat, and the percentage of saturated fat. Be sure to use the same serving size for all of the candies [e.g. 100 grams] so you’re comparing like against like.”

A picture is definitely not worth a thousand calories, so this Halloween, let’s try following Sherman’s lead.

“I’m always online looking at pictures of cupcakes and searching for new recipes,” Sherman says. “But yeah, it would be much easier to be addicted to fruit or lettuce or something.”

Life would certainly be sweeter if lettuce tasted like lollipops.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

superstitions

Baseless fear or rules to follow?

Exploring superstitions, from black cats to knocking on wood and breaking mirrors Audrey Folliot Contributor

A

s I began typing the first few words of this article, I took a look at the clock. It was 4:44 p.m. Simple coincidence? Maybe or maybe not, but for many people seemingly harmless coincidences like this one could be more than just something random.

We all know someone who is loud and clear about not believing in superstitions.

Maybe it’s true, but until one of them comes up to me with a straight face and tells me that they have never knocked on wood, I won’t believe them.

The act of knocking on wood is something people do when they feel like they have compromised their luck. Let’s say, for example, that your friend was bragging about having never failed a midterm exam before. He would then knock on wood to illustrate that he hasn’t failed an exam yet, but that he does not want to compromise his luck by saying so.

Most superstitions, such as Friday the 13th, have their roots in ancient history and religion.

The unlucky number 13 comes in part from the belief that having 13 people seated at a table will result in the death of one of them during the year. This superstition stems from the 13 guests at the Last Supper. Combining the number 13 with the unluckiest day of the week, due to the fact that Christ was crucified on a Friday, makes Friday the 13th one of the most feared days of the year.

With Halloween around the corner, decoration stores seem to be overwhelmed with images of witches and their black cats. But does seeing a black cat really bring bad luck?

In Western history people associated black cats with evil witches. However, in Britain and Ireland, black cats are signs of prosperity and good luck. It all depends on whether the cat crosses your path from left to right or right to left. Go figure.

Concordia students who are superstitious really have strong opinions and beliefs about it.

Jason Whear, a graduating psychology student,

believes in ghosts and paranormal activity, and revealed that premonitions he has in dreams sometimes end up coming true.

“I think someone who is raised in a very religious family is more prone to be superstitious and believe without seeing,” he said. “I think religion is definitely a major factor for people to have faith in superstitions.”

Biochemistry student Soo Yon Park comes from a religious South Korean family, and is a very superstitious person. “I am really superstitious about broken mirrors. If I break one, I will pick it up but I won’t look into it, because I believe that my face will get hurt if I do and that it will bring back luck,” Park said.

She also believes that superstitions are closely tied to religion. “People are religious because they need something to lean on”, she said. “Superstitious people believe in superstitions because they need to be reassured, and I think that they use superstitions as an explanation to things that happen to them that they do not understand.”

Joseph Snyder, a Concordia psychology professor, thinks that religion and ethnicity have something to do with how superstitious people are.

“If you learned superstitions at your grandma’s or grandpa’s knee, you will most probably be superstitious, even if you are neither aware of or accept these superstitions, especially under stress,” he said.

Other people consider superstitions to be more like rituals that have to be followed in order to have good luck. Knocking on wood would probably fit in this category. So many people do it that it has become a sort of joke.

Journalism student Gregory Wilson sees it that way. “Knocking on wood became some sort of habit that people have and repeat all the time without really noticing anymore,” he said.

Biochemistry student Ernesto Cuadra Foy is from Peru and his family is very religious, but he’s not really sure if he believes in superstitions or not. “When it comes to superstitions I think some people put it as an excuse for bad luck,” he said.

But there is also this idea of “what if.” “In reality, I don’t believe in ghosts, but you never know,” Ernesto added.

or game or else they believe they will be unsuccessful. Cédric Houle, an international business management student, confided that he has a ritual he does before every game. “I tie my skates in the changing room with my team before a hockey game, but I always tighten them again before stepping on the ice, because I won’t play well if I don’t,” he told me.

Against all odds, superstitions seem to be perceived in a more positive light today than in the past century. Snyder thinks these rituals or habits could in some way be tied to the theory of reinforcement. “This theory states that when someone gets a reward after doing a specific action, they tend to associate the reward with the action and do it again,” he said. “Often, there is a strong need for understanding or even just coping with life’s stresses. Superstitions often provide calming and reassurance with rituals and explanations, which work on occasion. This reinforces the behavior and belief.”

But honestly, are superstitions really tied to luck or does luck just happen? Are all superstitions worth believing?

My roommate told me that she believed that dropping the saltshaker on the table brings bad luck. To remove that bad luck, you have to take it with your right hand and toss it over your left shoulder. I had never heard that before but kept it in mind.

When I got to work at a local restaurant the next day, I was seating people at a table. I didn’t mean to but I made the saltshaker fall while giving out the menus. One of the guys exclaimed, “Oh my god, the salt fell!” and Graphic by Phil Waheed then mimicked Apart from the religious students, sports the motion of grabbing the saltshaker and players and athletes have proven to be amongst pouring some over his shoulder. the most superstitious. They tend to have Yes, superstitions are still alive and strong. their own personal rituals and habits that they But the question remains - how lucky do you absolutely have to do before each competition feel?

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Tuesday, October 25, 2011

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11

tea

To tea or not to tea?

Avoid extra calories in coffee by grabbing a healthy cup of tea Marie-Josee Kelly Contributor I was shocked to learn that tea ranks second behind water as the world’s most widely consumed beverage. I was under the impression that something along the lines of Coke Zero would be the runner-up, although I’m sure it’s not far behind.

I have a theory that this has a lot to do with tea’s significant amount of documented health benefits. The most important ones being the prevention of certain types of cancers and cardiovascular diseases, the prevention of the onset of Alzheimer’s, and the strengthening of immune systems.

Actually, tea has been considered a wholesome and health enhancing drink for practically 5,000 years. Over time, tea has become a deeprooted part of Asian lifestyle and culture. Tea has been linked to spirituality, hospitality and has been recognized for its health benefits. Its popularity was quick to spread worldwide, but it took longer for it to catch on here in the West.

Tea is extracted from the Camellia sinensis bush. The three types of tea most commonly found on the market, green, black and oolong, are produced from the dried leaves of the tropical plant. Despite green and black tea’s common origins, their chemical compositions differ completely due to the transformations they undergo.

Tea contains an impressive amount of polyphenols (a broad family of antioxidants).

Black tea, though, is stripped of many of these substances due to the variety of processes it is subjected to.

“I’m not a big fan of tea, I prefer coffee,” says Anouare Abdou, a first year journalism student.

“I like plain green tea when I do drink it, green tea is great for you. It makes me feel healthy.”

Green tea is quite healthy; it sustains less

transformations than other teas and therefore preserves its high antioxidant content. Green tea is especially effective in preventing certain cancers and diseases because it contains several catechins (a type of polyphenol) with high “anticancer” activity.

EGCG, or epigallocatechin gallate, has been found to prevent the growth of cancerous cell lines. To get the maximum of the diseasepreventing effects provided by tea, it is recommended to go for Japanese green teas as they are the richest in antioxidants. Studies have also found that these same antioxidants can play a significant role in preventing cardiovascular diseases and high cholesterol.

There is rising concern over what we eat and drink. We watch our calories, our sodium intakes, our sugar consumption. Ever wonder what’s in a Starbucks caramel machiatto? Well, depending on how much you want to indulge, you’re looking at somewhere between 100 and 240 calories, and that is with skim milk. Sure, it’s a nice treat once in a while, but if you’re having several a week, keep in mind that that you’re packing unnecessary calories fast.

My point being that tea, when simply brewed with no additives, contains no calories at all. “The danger with pre-made drinks is the hidden sugar and fat content, especially with the additions, the whipped cream, the syrups,” says Elizabeth Cromie De Vazquez, a certified naturopath and healthy living advisor in Montreal.

“When having a cup of tea that’s actually good for you, it’s a nice way to add value to what you’re drinking, if it’s your drink on the go or that warm and comforting treat,” she says.

Another advantage of tea is that it is significantly less caffeinated than coffee and other energy enhancers. A warm cup of tea is a nice way to avoid the awful crash of a powerful caffeine buzz and still get a little boost. Although tea has a lower caffeine content than coffee, it is still possible to suffer from the same undesirable effects associated with the drug, such as insomnia and anxiety.

It is wise to avoid overindulging. For anyone

wanting to wean themselves off of coffee, Cromie De Vazquez recommends cutting down on the java, then going to either decaf or something like Yerba mate, which is a South American root. You can then transition to either black or green tea. After that, you may want to experiment with herbal teas.

When asked about herbal teas, Cromie De Vazquez said peppermint and ginger are good for digestion if you have a nervous stomach.

“Hawthorn berries are great for the heart,’’ she says. “Nettle tea is fantastic for allergies, and it’s also really good for the gutline once

you’ve come off of coffee. Something like licorice root is great for exhaustion, if you’re really tired. However, make sure to check with your naturopath if combining with other medications”.

If you’re looking for a traditional tea experience, I came across the breathtaking Cha Guan Tea House on Monkland Ave. in NDG, where you can bask in “cha dao,” which means “the way of tea” in Chinese. Or visit Gryphon D’Or just down the street, which brings you back to the classic comforts of afternoon tea.

Graphic by Katie Brioux

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Tuesday, October 25, 2011 food

Take a little bite of Italy at Basi Enjoy a home cooked Italian meal in a cozy atmosphere Melissa Moncada Contributor

I

f you’re looking for a restaurant with delicious food, great service and a relaxing atmosphere, Basi is the way to go.

Eating delicious Italian food is what I do best, but what caught my eye about Basi was not only the food, but the decor. The design was not that of your typical Italian restaurant, so don’t look out for the predictable red checkered table cloths. Instead this restaurant focused on a much more modern look. The booths are very comfortable and the wooden tables are finished with unique carved designs, which I have never seen in an Italian restaurant before. On the back wall of the restaurant was a funky ‘60s blue mosaic design, which really stands out against the other minimalist white walls.

The medium-sized bar is very modern with bottles of wine and glasses stylishly lined on the back wall. There were six mini televisions that aligned the bar wall, which I found to be quite distracting. As night falls, the restaurant employees light candles around the bar, which is very beautiful and adds a romantic feel. Outside the restaurant lies a terrace which is beyond stunning, with comfy couches that go around the whole terrace space. There are white lanterns attached to the ceiling which are beautifully decorated.

What makes the terrace even more amazing is that it is covered so that even as the temperature gets colder, it can stay open all year round.

Now let’s get to the good stuff: the food.

On the menu you have the choice of taking a table d’hôte for $19.95, which includes an entrée and dessert with your main meal. If you decide to go for an individual serving it costs $13.95 and does not include an entrée or dessert. As I was looking at the menu, I noticed that all the dishes had Italian names and were described in French. This can be really frustrating for someone who is really hungry and is not familiar with either the French or Italian language.

The waitress was very pleasant and did not rush me as I decided on what to eat, which I really appreciated. She also explained all the dishes to me. As she was taking my order, I noticed the waitress holding an iPod touch, and asked her what she was using it for. She told me that the iPod is used to take orders and that the orders are then wired to the kitchen. I had never seen that before and it seemed like an interesting and inventive system. I took the table d’hôte option because I wanted to try something from every category of the menu, especially as it was priced so reasonably.

Before I received my soup of the day, I was served a warm pizza, with lots of cheese and tomato sauce. It made my mouth water to see all that cheesy goodness. After scoffing down that wonderful delight, the Stracciatella soup arrived. The soup is made with egg yolk, spinach and topped off with parmesan cheese. Unfortunately, the soup was nothing

A creamy fettucine alfredo dish is a staple in Italian cuisine. to brag about and I found that it lacked taste.

I then ordered the fazzoletti, which means “handkerchief ” in Italian, and which turned out to be folded squares of pasta with meat filling inside. I really liked the meat filling and the tomato sauce that accompanied the dish.

For dessert I had the classic Tiramisu cake with an espresso. The cake was fresh, creamy and came with strawberries which really went well with the rich coffee dessert.

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I recommend this restaurant because it is really quiet and relaxing. After a stressful day it is worth coming here so that you can unwind and stuff your face with delicious food. You also get the best service possible and, even better than that, it doesn’t burn a hole in your wallet.

Basi is located at 77 Shamrock Ave. (De Castelneau metro).

arts

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

13

Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com

zombies

Come and get it! It’s a running buffet! All you can eat!

It may sound weIrd, but Montreal became alive with the undead on Oct. 22 as hundreds of people roamed the streets of the Plateau for Montreal’s annual zombie walk. Drivers and pedestrians alike were royally pissed off with the walkers, who emulated the way zombies move by dragging their feet, banging on shop windows and occasionally congregating in corners to “eat” one of their own.

There were many die-hard zombie fans present, who probably plan their entire year around this event.

By the looks of some of the get-ups, it may very well be true. While on one block you would hear the frantic sound of wheels zooming behind you (courtesy of one

zombie girl with a wheel chair and a blood IV to drink from), at the next you could see a tall, rail-thin zombie boy with white contacts and detachable skull skin being interviewed by a TV crew (he declined to comment further than a few “aaagghhhhs,” by the way).

The walkers made their way down the Plateau to Club Soda, which is apparently the zombie hang-out place of choice in Montreal, to watch Best of Zombies, a presentation of films put on by SPASM Festival. To cap things off, there was a costume contest to honour the goriest and most dedicated brain-gobblers. After all, who says you can’t look good when you’re (un) dead?

ZombIe ZIdebar

Shaun of the DeaD Is arguably a masterpIece (ZombIe rom-com, anyone?), but there’s just somethIng about old ZombIe fIlms that makes one more lIkely to reach for braIn-protectIng gear. so behold, our top pIcks of pre-21st century ZombIe fIlms.

White Zombie (1932)

how about a mad British scientist to top things up?

The end of the silent film era obviously meant it was zombie time. Bonus: you can stream the entire film on YouTube.

maD monSter Party (1967)

night of the Living DeaD (1968)

This stop motion gem has plenty of other ghoulies, but Baron Frankenstein’s army of brain-eaters definitely steal the spotlight.

The first in Romero’s classic zombie series, this film paved the way for many unfortunate re-adaptations.

thriLLer (1983)

the Woman eater (1957) If the Amazonian brain-eaters don’t creep you out enough,

Before he was shaking things up at his Neverland Ranch, Michael Jackson was doing the moonwalk with some very ‘80s-standards fashionable zombie friends.

Photos by Sarah Howell

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theconcordian

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

artist profile

Street art occupies Montreal Artist Futur Lasor Now takes back public space across the city Rebecca Ugolini Staff writer

A

s formations of birds fill Montreal’s skies in flee of frost, winged creatures of another kind are fashioning city streets into artistic nests. Disgruntled, fluorescent, and bearing signs that read “Occupy Walls & Streets” or “Wake Up!” the newest fleet of stickers from street artist Futur Lasor Now trace their flyway across Montreal’s lightposts, mailboxes and advertisements.

Unlike their sky-bound counterparts, however, these birds aren’t following a pattern.

“My art doesn’t represent a product or one specific message,” said the artist behind Futur Lasor Now. “It’s a punch-back to consumerism that we’re forced to see in the city. It’s supposed to go against the grain of advertising with happiness and beauty.”

He prefers to keep a low profile to let his art pieces speak for themselves. “It’s not about being anonymous, but it’s not about my identity either,” he said, “It’s about the ideas and the beauty of the art itself.”

Working with high-quality, reusable vinyl material and mastering both handdrawn and digital art, Futur Lasor Now, also abbreviated as FLN, spans subject matter from the political and serious to the silly and whimsical.

From penguins with rayguns to a Harper stencil with ‘DESTROY’ printed underneath

in black font, FLN’s art pieces all share the aim of creating psychological depth in the urban landscape.

“I’ll put something beautiful in a place that isn’t too obvious, so if someone does see it on a walk home, they’ll react with ‘That’s not supposed to be there,’” he explained.

“I want to make you go somewhere in your mind which you wouldn’t have gone otherwise, through these little forms of escapism that give variety to life,” said FLN. Occupy Wall Street inspired the latest set of “Slightly-Angry Birdz” stickers. “The movement has a similar message to the one I’ve been thinking about for a while,” he said, “so I had to make something, and it seems that people were receptive to that.”

FLN also described the re-occupation strategy of public space practiced by street artists as one that lends new depth and interest to the city’s landscape.

“I’ll see an abandoned building that people walk past every day,” he said, “and put up a sticker. If someone does a stencil piece, and another artist paints on the blank wall, people suddenly notice a part of their neighbourhood they’re used to ignoring.”

Some neighbourhoods seem to be a higher priority on the city’s list of clean-ups, said FLN. “The Mile End has a lot of street art going on,” he explained, “and in some parts of the city, a sticker can last two years. In others, I’ll find a sticker painted over the next day.”

FLN recounted with laughter one catand-mouse exchange with a city worker. “I’d see this employee painting over my stickers during the daytime,” he explained, “and say

futur lasor now’s stIckers around the cIty are gettIng an eyeful from montrealers.

‘That looks nice, you should leave it there,’ and he would grumble.”

“Because of the vinyl I use, I could peel off my painted-over sticker,” FNL recounted, “and stick the black silhouette elsewhere.

Like, ‘Look, this is a collaboration piece between the city and me!’”

Most Montreal police seem tolerant of street art, if a little confused.

“I don’t run from police who see me, because they’re going to catch me anyway,” said FLN. “I show them the stickers and they’re puzzled, and say ‘Uhh, okay, well… jump up and down. Do you have spray cans

in your backpack?’”

Curious eyes will be able to spot several Futur Lasor Now pieces around Concordia’s SGW campus. He knows that the student environment is receptive to alternative ideas.

“Young people appreciate street art, and they look around,” he concluded, “and they should, because this is our space. We pay taxes for it, it’s public, and it’s time to take it back.”

For more information and to see more art, check out Futur Lasor Now on Facebook or at http://futurlasornow.blogspot.com.

Highlighting AIDS, asexu LGBT film festival image+nation pushes the envelope for a 24th year Jacques Gallant Editor-in-chief

T

he year 2011 will undoubtedly be cemented in the queer community’s consciousness for two main reasons: the death of Elizabeth Taylor and the 30th anniversary of the discovery of AIDS. The two are practically interconnected.

The Academy Award-winning siren who made us bow to her feet with Cleopatra and who scared the hell out of us with Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was not just an actress, but also a vocal proponent of HIV/AIDS research, raising millions of dollars to combat a disease that was once known as gay-related immune deficiency.

This link between devastating illness and screen goddess is not lost on the organizers of the 24th annual image+nation LGBT film festival, which will feature several documentaries on AIDS, as well as a special tribute to Taylor.

“She’s certainly a gay icon. She really was one of the first public figures to start talking about AIDS,” said director of programming Katharine Setzer.

The homage to Taylor will include two of her gay-themed films projected on the big screen: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) and Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967), a lesser known Taylor film co-starring ‘50s and ‘60s Hollywood hunk Marlon Brando as a repressed gay man.

Suddenly, Last Summer, which dealt quite explicitly – at least for the 1950s – with the topic of homosexuality and which co-starred real-life gay actor Montgomery Clift, did not make the cut, although Setzer indicated that the movie has been shown at previous editions of the festival.

Running under the theme “Share your stories with the ones you love,” this year’s image+nation festival aims to “encourage members of the queer community to bring their loved ones, their families, friends, and co-workers to the movies,” said Setzer.

Films that will be shared with festival

goers include David Weissman’s documentary We Were Here, which, through testimonies from those who were there in the very beginning, chronicles the development of the AIDS crisis in San Francisco. Film critic and Concordia professor Matthew Hays will also deliver

a clip lecture showing the onscreen history of the disease.

Setzer also pointed out the significantly large number of international films that will be playing at this year’s festival, including three British movies taken from literature.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

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15

theatre

Cue the spotlight, ‘cause the show must go on Secrets unravel in dramatic play The Arrangement Marilla Steuter-Martin Contributor

I

magine being the producer, actress and playwright for a production that opens in less than a week. It seems like any sane person’s nightmare, but for Christine Rodriguez, it’s a reality.

Rodriguez’s original play, The Arrangement, directed by Jacqueline van de Geer, opens Oct. 25, yet she seems to be remarkably calm. It’s a classic case of ‘the show must go on’ fever, and despite having had to step into the lead role only a few weeks ago, she knows there’s no turning back now.

The play centres on the story of five middleaged women and long-time friends, Barbara, Faye, Ines, Anca and Jaya. Barbara is married with children and has a seemingly perfect life, Anca is a Romanian-Canadian aspiring actress, Ines is a tough-cookie career woman of Latin American descent, Jaya is South-East Asian with an arranged marriage, and then there’s Faye.

Played by Rodriguez, Faye has to cope with an enormous setback when she is diagnosed with terminal cancer. As the play unfolds, an odd arrangement she plans before her death ignites long-standing rivalries between the friends, which leads to the unraveling of more than one secret.

Van de Geer describes the play being above all about relationships, and that “the essence of it is friendship and loss.” The conflict stems mainly from personal issues that arise between characters, and that, she feels, is something that

everyone can understand.

“A duo, it’s very easy, they are friends. And when you’re alone you can be friends with yourself or not, that’s also an easy one. When you have three people, it’s already complicated,” she says.

In order to prepare for the production, van de Geer says they began by doing improvisation.

“We started off playing hide and seek and tag, and rock paper scissors, just to bond,” she says.

And bond they did. All was going smoothly until the actor playing Faye had to drop out for personal reasons. Rodriguez, as producer of the show, had attended most of the rehearsals and, of course, knew the play by heart.

“I was probably the best person to jump in,” she admits. Rodriguez certainly never expected to be acting in her own play, and feels the pressure of having to adapt keenly. “It’s killing me!” she jokes.

Though Rodriguez laments not being able to see the final product, she says that through the acting, she’s learning more and more about the character. “As the playwright, I could tell you a million things about the character and where she came from, but that’s all in my head, and acting is also in the body,” she explains. As a writer first, she said “it’s the actual doing and being, that [is] the most challenging.”

The production also involves three Concordia graduates. Daniel Loyer, the music director as well as a former Stinger, has composed some original pieces that will be incorporated into the show between scenes.

Stéphanie Lambert, the set designer and fellow alumna, was in charge of creating a simplistic set to fit the small theatre at Espace 4001.

The design features large scenic paintings to resemble various textures and includes a strong focus on lighting.

the arrangement Is a dramatIc play wIth a laId-back and posItIve cast and crew.

What makes this show so special, aside from the novelty of an all-female cast, is the way it provides unique insight into the modern woman’s perspective. Through its diverse set of characters, this play aims to honestly capture the complexities of relations between women, and the bonds they share.

The Arrangement will preview on Oct. 25 and it’s pay-what-you-can. The play runs Oct. 26-30 at Espace 4001 (4001 Berri Street). Showings are at 8 p.m. Oct. 26-29 and at 2 p.m. on Oct. 30. Student tickets are $20. Tickets can be bought at the door at or can be reserved by calling 514-518-3880.

uals, and Elizabeth Taylor

“

“

The first, The Night Watch, is based on the Sarah Waters novel of the same name, while Christopher and his Kind, by Geoffrey Sax, focuses on the days of the British-born American novelist Christopher Isherwood spent as a young man in Berlin, which, perhaps surprisingly, was quite the gay-friendly locale in the 1920s and early ‘30s. Isherwood’s writings on Berlin would eventually inspire the Liza Minnelli (gay icon anyone?) blockbuster Cabaret.

The final film from the trio of British productions is Daphne, based on the life of novelist Daphne du Maurier, about whom numerous rumours of bisexuality have swirled since her death in 1989.

“There’s a certain maturity to queer cinema. I would say that over the last 10 years it has certainly become more vibrant on the international front,” said Setzer. “The basic reality now is that it’s much easier to make a film, at least economically speaking. More stories are now being told, which is wonderful.”

The stories that will be projected on the screen at image+nation are ones that Setzer hopes will ring true for the diverse audience. image+nation will play a special presentation of the 1990 film Paris is Burning, which documented the gay and trans performers of New York City’s ball culture of the 1980s.

[Elizabeth Taylor] is certainly a gay icon. She really was one of the first public figures to start talking about AIDS. - Katharine Setzer, image+nation director of programming

Other notable films that touch on the grey areas of sexuality include Phoebe Hart’s Orchids: My Intersex Adventure and Angela Tucker’s (A)Sexual, looking at the oftentimes forgotten group of people who just don’t have sex period.

“Seeing yourself reflected on the screen and watching it with members of your community is pleasurable,” said Setzer about the kind of experience she hopes festival goers will have at Canada’s oldest LGBT film festival. “Through representation also comes awareness and even understanding, and that’s what we’re hoping for with our theme.”

Image+nation is happening from Oct. 26 to Nov. 6. Student tickets are $8. A complete list of films and venues can be found at www.image-nation.org.

16

theconcordian

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

theatre

I see you shiver with antici...pation Just in time for Halloween, The Rocky Horror Show hits the Rialto Sofia Gay Arts editor Fishnets, sky-high heels, corsets and glitter— lots and lots of glitter. That’s what dreams are made of. Or at least, such is the case for fans of The Rocky Horror Show. Yet for the British cultplay, which has been adapted all over the world since its inception in the early ‘70s, the sexy get-ups are just the beginning.

This Halloween weekend, the show, reinterpreted from its Broadway revival in 2000, is bringing the outlandishness and hilarity that fans glorify it for to the stage of the Rialto Theatre.

“When you look at this really imposing architecture and how classy it looks, off the bat, you wouldn’t immediately say that it would fit with Rocky, that the two characters would clash,” said Rialto communications director Michaela Di Cesare. “I think this is gonna make an interesting partnership.”

And she’s right. The Rialto, with its cream-coloured booths, golden accents, and stage curtain-red walls, is the postcard-perfect iteration of a turn of the century theatre. It may not seem immediately obvious, but with its glamour and mysteriousness in tow, it’s the perfect setting for the show.

As local Rocky Horror fans know, in the past, the theatre has housed the annual Halloween showings of its film adaptation. This year, they’re taking things on a different route with a full cast, an orchestra, and plenty of that good old Transylvanian enthusiasm to boot.

“The plot stays exactly the same. The show isn’t 100 per cent identical, but it’s more the exception, not the rule,” said cast member Claire Hughes, who plays one of the phantoms (that’s the Transylvanians, for the Rocky film buffs out there). “So occasionally you’ll catch something and be like ‘Oh, that line isn’t in the movie,’ or you’ll see one or two songs and be like ‘Hey, that’s added in!’ But it’s not like there are huge gaping plot holes that are different or added characters or anything like that.”

Said changes include added dance numbers and songs, as well as a costume upgrade (“kind of dark, ghoulish, corset-fishnet type look,” said Hughes) for the phantoms.

The Rocky Horror Show follows the story of Brad and Janet, a lovey-dovey couple who have just gotten engaged. They get caught in a frightful storm in the middle of a forest one night, and so they seek help at a mansion, where they are met by the show’s most notorious character, Dr. Frank-N-Furter (who comes from the planet Transsexual, in the galaxy of Transylvania, in case you were wondering).

He introduces them to a world of debauchery, excitement and unbounded plea-

sure. Oh, and he also gets them to dance the Time Warp.

With the show’s cult following, it’s easy to see why taking it on might be a little intimidating. But Hughes says all it takes is the right kind of folk for that feeling to go away.

“We have a lot of people who are really, really enthusiastic about it, so I think even though it’s daunting to do something like that justice, we have the right kind of people on board who are very familiar with the concept and want to do it justice,” she said.

The shows are notorious for their initiation of first-time goers (with the tamest of rituals being drawing a V on their foreheads), but Rocky virgins need not fear their first time at the Rialto show.

“We know that there might be some firsttimers, so we’re creating packages [...] All the props that they will need will be wrapped in a lovely little fishnet stocking, and we might give them a bit of a script for lines to call out. So firsttimers will feel right at home, we’re gonna hold their hand for the entire experience,” said Di Cesare.

“Not literally, because in such a sexy show that might get weird,” she added.

There will be no such restrictions on stage, as the play is known for getting

rather handsy. On top of that, this production is taking a rather physical approach to its stage set-up.

“For a lot of it, we actually physically create the set with our bodies,” explained Hughes. “So when they come up to the door and they knock on the door, we are actually creating a wall and a door that opens made of people. And with little people gargoyles, and things like that. And the machines that they use are actually made of us. So, it sounds a little out there, but it comes together really well. The set is still beautiful, but we create a lot of the moving set pieces.”

The Rialto is hosting a Halloween party every night after the showing, complete with door prizes, the fully functional Rialto bar, a live band, fortune tellers, jugglers, and a house DJ. This is to give audiences an experience with what Di Cesare dubbed as the “Rialto twist.”

“You’re free to be yourself, to actually wear a costume. You’re not gonna be scrunched up like a sardine in a club with too many other people,” she said.

This bodes well with the message of the show, the simple but resonant maxim of “Don’t dream it. Be it.”

“It’s just about being yourself, and enjoying the sensuality and pleasures of life [...]

And especially on Halloween, telling someone ‘indulge in your sensual pleasures, if you have something you wanna do, do it, if you have something you wanna be, be it,’ I think that’s a good message,” said Hughes. “We’re leaving it all out on the stage.”

The Rocky Horror Show runs at the Rialto Theatre (5723 Avenue du Parc) Oct. 29-31 at 8:30 p.m. Student tickets are $20. The afterparties begin at 10:30 p.m. on performance nights. For more information and tickets, go to www.theatrerialto.ca.

scavenger hunt

There’s nothing like good will hunting Playing outdoors in an Impossible Montreal Scavenger Hunt Elysha Del Giusto-Enos Contributor “A sense of humour is not mandatory, but it should be,” reads the application to the Impossible Montreal Scavenger Hunt.

The new event gives teams 48 hours to explore the city while they race to win top honours by completing a series of tasks.

“I want to challenge a wide range of abilities,” said organizer François Vincent. “A diverse set of skills will definitely be needed.”

So far, he has created 50 tasks, and the list will continue to grow until the game starts on Nov. 4.

The tasks are broken up into three main categories: pictures, videos, and things to design or create. Each is worth a different amount of points and participants in Impossible Montreal are allowed to use their cunning, as much as any other asset.

“If you can make us laugh by finding a loophole, you’ll get the points,” explained Vincent.

He got the idea for Impossible Montreal when he found out about the popular University of Chicago scavenger hunt.

Chicago’s annual four day Scav Hunt began in 1987 and boasts being the largest of its kind in the world. It is self-described as “an intense

blend of bliss and chaos.” Another popular hunt is Tricadecathlonomania, which started in Minnesota before spreading to other states.

What participants find on their lists varies depending on which hunt they’re in. The University of Chicago includes many vague tasks such as finding a closet monster or proving “the ineptitude of folksy winter metaphors with modern science.”

Minnesota’s Tricadecathlonomania has a slightly more straight-forward style, with a list that includes, “make a safer Safety Dance” or convince “a total stranger that they know you [points based on how old of a friend you can make them think you are].”

Vincent says that in Impossible Montreal, “there are going to be some silly items on this list - the players are not just solving cryptic codes.”

Tasks are varied, and range from build-

ing “a working bicycle using wire hangers, nails and 2x4s,” to making “a video reenacting the climactic scene from Carrie and [putting] it on YouTube.”

Hunts can span a few hours to a few days and sleep is sometimes ignored by participants as a way of getting an edge over the competi-

tion.

Vincent says that during Impossible Montreal, teams will be able to get some sleep and still stay in the game. He wants participants to stay safe and healthy but added that, “obviously if you spend more time awake than asleep you will have an advantage over other teams.”

As one of the directors of Montreal Improv, Vincent regularly organizes groups and coordi-

nates large events. His improv school currently offers six weekly classes as well as drop-in workshops. The training centre also coordinates and hosts the Montreal Improv Festival and serves as a performance space.

Impossible Montreal Scavenger Hunt participants can apply as pre-made teams of up to 12 people, or as individuals, who are grouped together by the organizers.

Each team’s progress and score will be posted on the Impossible Montreal website. The teams, meanwhile, will be updating YouTube and Tumblr accounts with proof of their latest quests.

The hunt will end with a party at Brutopia on Nov. 6 that Vincent says will be more than just reading scores and handing out prizes.

“We definitely want to put on a show - we run an improv theatre, so there will be a bit of theatricality on display. There’s going to be a show, a party and some competitiveness.”

The final party is open to everyone, whether they participated or not. Vincent says that it will be like “a theatre version of a sporting event.” And without competition from the Habs that night, it’s bound to be the best sporting event in the city.

The Impossible Montreal Scavenger Hunt is taking place Nov. 4-6 in and around Montreal. Registration closes on Oct. 29 at 5 p.m. Applications need to be submitted in person at the Montreal Improv Theatre, 3713 St-Laurent #202. Check out www.impossiblemontreal. com for more information on how to play.

music

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

17

Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com profile

Teaching the old ska new licks Jamaica’s “premier ska band” turns 47 as it kicks off 2011 tour Lindsay Briscoe Staff writer The Skatalites, who have been labelled as the grandfathers of ska, and are credited for inspiring musical genres such as reggae, funk and punk rock, may be getting younger and younger, but still know how to bridge gaps and get a party started just as they did in Jamaican dance halls nearly half a century ago.

Lester “Ska” Sterling is the band’s only original member, but he certainly hasn’t lost the raw talent and boogie-woogie swagger of his early days. The new guys have stepped in and stepped it up to fill some big shoes and give fans the jazzy, brass-heavy sound that epitomizes classic ska.

Trombonist Andrae Murchison, one of The Skatalites’ newest and youngest members, is honoured to be playing with the band because he’s helping carry on its legacy.

After all, The Skatalites have collaborated with legendary artists like Bob Marley, Toots and the Maytals, and Jimmy Cliff. They’ve earned a massive fan base that circles the world and have been hailed by critics as one of the most influential pop bands of the 20th century.

Val Douglas, who joined as a bass guitarist in 2005, says that the new guys are often spotted while playing gigs with other bands, and that they do a lot of research before they join.

“They’re deep into the music,” he says.

And even after all the tours and albums, tenor saxophonist Azemobo Audu still insists that playing with The Skatalites is always exciting and that the band surprises him daily.

“It may be a new tool, or new guitar, or a new lick,” he says. “Sometimes the music just changes on its own.”

The Skatalites’ recent headlining perfor-

Lester “Ska” Sterling carries on The Skatalites legacy with a few fresh faces at this year’s Montreal Ska Fest. mance at Club Soda for the Montreal Ska Festival was fuelled by these little surprises.

Each member brought his or her own unique energy, especially during improvised solos. “We plan the space but what happens in it is up to the musician,” says Douglas.

Audu’s tenor sax solo on the classic song “Phoenix City,” for example, was a romantic and charming throwback to the early days of American rhythm and blues, backed by trumpet player Kevin Batchelor’s aggressive yips and yelps that have become so much a part of The Skatalites’ sound and the ska genre itself.

Then there’s the legendary Doreen Shaffer, the smooth and soulful songstress who takes the stage as the “Queen of Ska.” She’s been singing love songs with The Skatalites for over 40 years, and when she begs “Please don’t break my heart in two” on their hit song “Can’t You See” it’s a wonder why anyone would ever want to.

And while he’s lucky to have such a fine and talented roster of young musicians to help bring the band’s hits to life, it’s Lester “Ska” Sterling who really gets the crowd going.

Lighting up the stage at Club Soda in a gold

and silver, sequined-appliqué t-shirt - a perfect match for his larger-than-life personality Sterling wooed the eager crowd with his often tender, always meaty, alto sax licks.

His sweet smile, fist pumps and calls for “One love!” drew the diverse crowd in a wave of mohawks, dreadlocks, purple, bald, and saltand-peppered heads toward the stage, pulsating with excitement.

The Skatalites’ recent stop in Montreal kicked off their 2011 (mainly) European tour and fans can expect to get their first taste of a new album by next January.

10. Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells: This album is best known as the haunting soundtrack to the film The Exorcist. The creepiness permeates through the first portion of the album but dissipates as it progresses. However, the lesser known B-side brings the horror factor back by introducing cryptic howls and shouting, played in reverse.

written after an apparent firsthand account by the bassist, but the band wrote the song using the obscure, diminished fifth harmonic progression, also known as diabolus in musica, or, the devil in music — and that’s only the first song!

guided House of 1000 Corpses and the remake of Halloween, just to to name a few.

top 10

9. Carl Orff – Carmina Burana: If you plan on staying home and giving out candy on Halloween, there is no better music to blast than the Gothic choir sounds of Carmina Burana. You can’t help but imagine a cult sacrificing children when you hear this — exactly what you want the kids at your door to think you are doing.

Creepiest albums Compiled by Mat Barrot Staff writer

8. The Hypnophonics – The Last Band On Earth: A Montreal-based psychobilly band (emphasis on “psycho”), The Hypnophonics have been tearing the flesh off audiences for a few years now, without the cliché song lyrics featuring zombie girlfriends and the like. Instead they go for the guts of the listeners with songs like “Dead Meat” and “Romance with a Rapist.”

7. Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath: Not only is the title track of this album a song about Satan,

6. The Nekromantix – Curse of the Coffin: This Danish psychobilly musical lovechild, famed for lead singer Kim Nekroman’s upright bass made from a coffin and crucifix headstock, The Nekromantix indulge in everything horror-related. You would be hard-pressed to find a single song by the band that is not about monsters or murder.

5. Bauhaus – Crackle: The Best of Bauhaus: Known for being the first Gothic rock band, Bauhaus created an atmosphere of horror without delving too far into the campiness that comes from the horror/rock genre. Their sound is dark and ominous, two words that should be synonymous with Halloween.

4. Rob Zombie – Past, Present & Future (explicit version): This album features 19 tracks of dirty rock ‘n’ roll by one of the best in the horror biz.

Zombie is not just a great macabre musician, but also a horror movie director, having (mis)

3. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Murder Ballads: Murder Ballads is exactly what it implies: ten songs about murder, but not every song has just one murder. You can expect countless excerpts about ending life written and arranged with beauty. With lyrical gems like, “With an ashtray the size of a really fucking big brick I split his head in half,” you can’t go wrong.

2. The Cramps – Off The Bone: A collection of devious zombie punk ‘n’ roll only The Cramps could deliver. Off The Bone was originally packaged with a pair of paper 3D glasses which obviously lent to a full musical experience... Okay, it was just fun, horror-driven rock ‘n’ roll.

1. The Misfits – Walk Among Us: This is not only the first and best horror punk album by the first horror punk band, but it’s also one of the best punk albums. Period. To give you a taste, a few track names are: “Braineaters,” “Hatebreeders,” “Skulls,” “All Hell Breaks Loose,” and “Mommy Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight?” Need I say more?

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theconcordian

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

preview

Hitting up a Halloween hoedown The Concordian helps you ‘slash’ your party options Allie Mason Music editor

I

n a city as large, diverse, and exciting as Montreal, there are undoubtedly going to be more than a few Halloween parties for the average university student to attend. Of course, every bar and club from Ste-Catherine to Crescent to St-Laurent boast costume parties, prizes and ghoulish decor. But if you’re a musikoid, then you’re looking for more than just a dress-up party.

If karaoke is your kind of treat bag, then look no further than La Sala Rossa (4848 St-Laurent) on Oct. 31, better known as All Hallows’ Eve. Registration for songs begins at 8 p.m. with the party getting officially started an hour later. The evening features a live band that karaoke singers get to perform alongside, making it way cooler than your average karaoke party. “[It’s an] alternative event for people who want to do something different,” said POP Montreal spokeswoman Sarah Shoucri. “Singing in costumes will never be so huge!” Tickets are $8 in advance or $10 at the door.

But if you’re better at listening to music than you are at making it, you should consider checking out the Halloween party going down at The Movement Space Loft (321 Chatham) on Oct. 29. The event features dub-hop-step trio FM HI Low, zombie surfrock band Les Zorbits, and the “one-man drum insanity” known as Chatham Hunter.

spend the spookiest night of the year with fM hi Low at the chathaM street epic haLLoween party on oct. 29.

There will also be live DJ sets and free beer on tap all night! And if beer doesn’t turn your crank, you can B.Y.O.B. (in plastic containers only, please). So get your costume and practice your best monster mash moves, because according to Fraser MacDougall of FM HI Low, “it’s going to be a full on block

party,” with other loft residents opening up their doors to ring in the spookiest holiday of the year. Bring $15 to cover the live music and show up anytime after 10 p.m.

For some, it takes more than “dem reggae riddems” to bring their lifeless corpse back to life, so for those looking to party

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hard to some serious beats, the Monster Mash at 1234 Club (1234 de la Montagne) features three rooms of bass-thumping beats. In the Coors Light Room, DJ RPM will be revving up hip-hop and soul tracks, DJ Hill will be spinning more urban beats, while Canadian Dance Hall of Famer MC Mario will be throwing with DJ Lopez in the main room. Three different levels of bottle service is available, and if you’ve got a killer costume, you might win one of three cash prizes of $1000, $500 and $100. And even if your costume sucks, you’ve still got a chance to win — they’re including a $100 for the worst Halloween costume, too! Adding more mystery to an already mysterious evening, the creators of Smiths Vs. Misfits Party and Rock N’ Roll High School (the concerts) are hosting “a Halloween bash to end all epic Halloween bashes” on Oct. 28.

Ahoy Division! (featuring members of Black Feelings, Grand Trine and Mannequin) will be covering Joy Division all night long and will be playing with Warriors On The Edge of Time (featuring members of High Rise 2, TOPS, Hammond Ri, Waupoos, Sunken Skulls, Gym Sweat, Andy Boay, Tonstartssbandht and Julian Garcia) who will be covering classic space rock tunes by the English band Hawkwind. There will also be DJs Annie Q, Ralph K and more! Here’s the catch: if you want to go to this party, you’ll have to go on a bit of a scavenger hunt. A riddler rep for the party gave us one hint: “It’s at the old Hotel2Tango on Van Horne, east of Parc. Find it.”... if you dare! Admission is $5 with a costume, $75 without.

Le Piranha Bar (680 Ste-Catherine W.) has taken the guess work out of Halloween planning. They are hosting Halloweenthemed parties for three straight nights! Oct. 28 is their $5 Rock Halloween party, featuring Sister Hyde, Les Johnny Kings, and Chris Danger & the Heroin Hayride. For Saturday (Oct. 29) they switch up the theme for their Halloween Goth Party ($8 at the door), which boasts new-wave post-punk duo Dark Digital, alongside Beautiful Sadness, and Silent & Cold. Finally, for $5 you can hit up Piranha’s purely punk/rockabilly Halloween Party on Oct. 31, featuring French rock quintet Dionysos, Irish Nails, Joel Kaiser and Hellbound Hepcats.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

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review

Four Year Strong headlines 2011 AP Tour

Andrew Guilbert Staff writer

The Tea Party sells out to the Tea Party

With all the interest in the political movement known as the Tea Party going on south of the border, the Canadian band of the same name has decided to sell off its domain name, teaparty.com, to the highest bidder. The decision came after a BusinessWeek story about the movement led to a massive spike in interest in the domain name. Now the group has hired Sedo, a domain parking provider, to help them with the sale. A statement released by the band’s bassist Stuart Chatwood explained, “After being overwhelmed by the multiple offers that were arriving daily, we thought it was prudent to seek out the best brokerage to help represent the band.” “I can’t say what it will go for,” said Heather DelCarpini, Sedo’s North American marketing manager, “but I’ve seen a lot of conjecture on different websites and people are batting around seven-figure numbers.”

I doubt more plastic surgery would’ve done the trick

A simple ‘chin lift’ was all that was needed to save the life of Michael Jackson, according to anesthesiologist Dr. Steven Shafer, who testified for the prosecution in Conrad Murray’s involuntary manslaughter case last Wednesday. “Michael Jackson was trying to breathe, but the tongue had fallen in the back of the throat,” Shafer said. “Either a simple chin lift, just that alone, or an oral airway to move the tongue out of the way might well have been all that was required to save his life.” Shafer also said the King of Pop would be alive today if not for the 17 deviations Murray performed from the standard care required of physicians.

Taking out the trash

Despite not having released an album since their 2005 record Bleed Like Me, ‘90s alt-electronic band Garbage has decided to rifle through their dumpster of musical inspiration to produce what we can only hope will be anything but, well, garbage.

The band, which is fronted by Scottish singer/guitarist Shirley Manson, blames record label troubles for their lengthy hiatus. “We got dumped on a label who did not give one flying fuck about us,” said Manson in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. With true garbageman flair (excuse me, sanitation worker), their producer and drummer, Butch Vig, says they’re finished working with “people who suck.”

Both make demands worth considering

Maroon 5’s Adam Levine got into a Twitter feud with Fox News last week after hearing a clip of his band’s song play on the network, tweeting “Dear Fox News, don’t play our music on your evil fucking channel ever again. Thank you.” Fox News anchor Andy Levy shot back at the singer, tweeting “Dear @AdamLevine, don’t make crappy fucking music ever again. Thank you,” and later claimed on his show Red Eye that “if you go to iTunes and search under the category for ‘crap’ [Maroon 5] comes up!”

four year strong wasn’t “wasting tiMe” with their 15-song perforMance on oct. 20. photos by navneet paLL

Montreal metal-heads and punkateers storm La Tulipe for AP’s third round Natasha Taggart Contributor

M

ontrealers got up in arms (in a good way) to welcome Worcester, Mass. rock band Four Year Strong, along with Gallows, Title Fight, The Swellers and Sharks for this year’s AP Fall Tour.

La Tulipe was packed with more than 350 fans who were jacked up for a night of music, several “walls of death” and a lot of hardcore dancing. With a sound that can be described as “pop-punk rock with screaming,” Four Year Strong opened with the song “What The Hell Is A Gigawatt?,” getting the crowd successfully riled up.

They played a mix of songs from their 2007 album Rise or Die Trying, their latest album Enemy of the World, released in 2010, and songs from their upcoming album In Some Way, Shape, or Form, set to come out on Nov. 9. Their high-energy 15-song set included a one-song encore, ending the night perfectly with “Wasting Time (Eternal Summer).”

They were supported by Gallows, a hardcore punk group from Watford, England, now fronted by ex-Alexisonfire guitarist/vocalist Wade MacNeil. Earlier in the evening they welcomed 40 or so fans on stage to help sing (read: scream) their final song “Orchestra of Wolves.” The audience was reciprocating the love, and as a special birthday treat for Gallows’ guitarist Laurent “Lags” Barnard, the crowd sang “Bonne fête.”

Gallows were the perfect openers for FYS; they got the crowd pumped up and ready for more with a 10-song set list that left a few ears bleeding (figuratively speaking, of course).

Before Gallows, La Tulipe hosted Title Fight on stage, a four-piece band from Kingston, Pennsylvania. Their sound is not unlike that of Taking Back Sunday - only with a bit more screaming - giving them a raw live sound.

Earlier, The Swellers, a punk-rock group

from Flint, Michigan, played a collection of their very best, easygoing, catchy beats, but the evening’s openers, Sharks, from Leamington Spa, England, were perhaps the most grateful. They were honoured to be in the company of some of their musical idols, having chosen their band name based on Gallows song, “In a Belly of a Shark.”

They did their heroes proud, pumping out pop-punk grooves and getting the audience warmed up and on their feet dancing and singing along to their old-school style tunes.

The AP Tour usually includes four or five bands, with genres ranging from pop rock to hardcore punk to metalcore, and is run by the same guys who bring you Alternative Press magazine. It’s been hitting up cities all over North America since 2007 and in the spring of 2010, the tour began circulating twice a year: once in the spring and again in the fall. This year’s show at La Tulipe marked the third time that the AP Tour has visited Montreal since fall 2010 when Bring Me the Horizon headlined.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

mixtape

it’s that tiMe of year again, when a fair number of women, young and

old, troll the streets and bars dressed in slutty-themed outfits while hypermasculine bros experiment with cross-dressing and women’s cosmetics.

While costumes might vary, one thing is invariably certain: Halloween brings out hoards of ghouls and goblins for an evening of partying and boogeyin’ down. If you’re one of those people who’s too embarrassed to keep “The Monster Mash” in your iTunes library year-round, fear not. We’ve compiled a freakishly spooky mix to get your party-going cadavers grooving all night long. Side A features some traditional Halloween tracks, like Halloween classic “The Monster Mash,” while Side B boasts more contemporary tunes like Rob Zombie’s “House of 1000 Corpses.” Give it a listen—if you dare! (Disclaimer: The Concordian and its music editor do not endorse this mix any other time of year.)

Listen here: 8tracks.com/the_concordian/halloween

Halloween Edition Compiled by Allie Mason Music editor

SIDE A: Traditionally Terrifying

SIDE B: Resurrection Remixed

1. “A Nightmare On Elm Street” - John Carpenter - Nightmare On Elm Street 2. “The Addams Family” - TV Theme 3. “Tubular Bells Pt. 1” - Mike Oldfield Tubular Bells 4. “Monster Mash” - Bobby “Boris” Pickett & The Crypt-Kickers - The Original Monster Mash LP 5. “I Put a Spell On You” - Creedence Clearwater Revival - Creedence Clearwater Revival 6. “Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps)” - David Bowie - Scary Monsters 7. “Thriller” - Michael Jackson - Thriller 8. “Weird Science” - Oingo Boingo Dead Man’s Party 9. “Ghostbusters” - Ray Parker Jr. Ghostbusters Soundtrack 10. “Devil Went Down To Georgia” The Charlie Daniels Band - Million Mile Reflections

11. “Monster In My Pants” - Fred Schneider - Fred Schneider 12. “Halloween” - Aqua - Aquarius 13. “Nightmare On My Street” - DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince - Single 14. “Halloween (Remix)” - Ministry - 12 Inch Singles 15. “Every Halloween” - Insane Clown Posse - Forgotten Freshness Vol. 3 16. “I’m Your Boogie Man” - White Zombie - Single 17. “DracThe Knife” - Gene Moss Single 18. “Enter Sandman” - Metallica Metallica Inside-Out 19. “Feed My Frankenstein” - Alice Cooper - Hey Stoopid 20. “House of 1000 Corpses” - Rob Zombie - Sinister Urge

Quick Spins

Retro review

Jane’s Addiction - The Great Escape Artist (Capitol Records; 2011)

Real Estate - Days (Domino; 2011)

T.I.N.A. – Voice Yourself (2011)

Samhain - III: November Coming Fire (Plan 9; 1986)

Perry Farrell, Dave Navarro, and Stephen Perkins have come together to release Jane’s Addiction’s fourth studio album, The Great Escape Artist.

It’s their first album in eight years, and the new release is sure to please fans since it rings true to their familiar and iconic sound, even if it is not radically revolutionary.

Even after 25 years, Dave Navarro’s guitar riffs and solos are still legendary, Perkins displays exceptional talent on drums, and Farrell’s unique vocals make for an interesting blend of alternative rock. Not quite like Strays (2003), The Great Escape Artist is a little more mellow and a little less metal, but still powerful enough to be worthy of your time. Anger seeps through the speakers in the soft track “I’ll Hit You Back” - it showcases the band’s talent to produce something that will stay with you.

No one does chillwave quite like Brooklyn-based ensemble Real Estate. Their sophomore release, Days, is instant nostalgia for many suburban youth. Much like the hazy days of summer, the tracks on Days bleed into each other like a lethargic dream, so laid back they’re almost fully reclined.

Produced by Kevin McMahon, who previously worked with Titus Andronicus and The Walkmen, Days steers away from the lo-fi sound of Real Estate’s self-titled and self-produced debut album, all the while keeping with the band’s signature pop sensibility. The lead single “It’s Real” is so hooky that you could hang a towel from it.

When all is said and done, this album’s lack of variety and lazy pacing prove that Real Estate may be a one-trick pony, but what an endearing pony it is!

A two-year journey in Australia, New Zealand and India gave Concordia student T.I.N.A. lyrical inspiration and a strikingly unique sound. The singer-songwriter’s debut album is a portrait of spiritual evolution. Songs like “Voice Yourself” and “Puzzle Peace” discuss the importance of finding personal truth since T.I.N.A. believes, “nobody out there can tell you what is best for you, except yourself.” “Silk Skin” has soulful and sexy vocals overlying a quietly soloing guitar. It incorporates a mellow side to Voice Yourself’s mostly upbeat vibe. “Train” and “Part Of Me” have a Celtic sound, harmonizing background vocals and violins to capture the sound of the east coast, reminiscent of the rolling hills of Nova Scotia’s highlands. Recorded in four separate studios in Australia, each song has a distinct style, which makes for interesting but easy listening.

After the demise of The Misfits, Glenn Danzig formed Samhain - the Gaelic, pagan name for the harvest festival we now know as Halloween.

Danzig found a voice for himself on November Coming Fire, delving into less adolescent lyrics by focusing on aspects of the occult and rearranging his sound by mixing in heavy-metal and new-age. November Coming Fire offers a remade version of The Misfits classic “Halloween,” as well as “November Fire,” a song about the pagan holiday that bleeds with melodrama. At times the album can seem a little tired, but this is not a year round album. It is one that calls for a few October listens, just to get you in the spirit. Listening to Bing Crosby singing about Christmas in June is just going to sound weird and the same applies for Samhain. Right now is the perfect time for it.

Think of Samhain as the Bing Crosby of Halloween, with less cardigans and a lot more blood.

Trial track: “Irresistible Forces”

Trial track: “It’s Real”

Trial track: “Part Of Me”

Trial track: “Let The Day Begin”

7.5/10

6.5/10

- Kalina Laframboise

- Paul Traunero

8.0/10

- Leah Batstone

- Mat Barrot

sports

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

21

Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com rugby

Stingers advance past McGill to finals

Ball control was crucial for Concordia in their 18-8 RSEQ semi-final victory over crosstown rival McGill. Concordia faces Laval in the finals this week. Photo by Anthony Isabella

Team is one game away from returning to national championships Paula Rivas Life editor A swift Stinger charge in the second half left the McGill Martlets speechless in the RSEQ semi-finals. A passing McGill player was overheard murmuring, “I can’t believe it, I don’t know what happened.”

During the first half, the Stingers started off shaky by repeatedly not getting straight lineouts, and allowing McGill various free kicks. However, Concordia clearly dominated the scrums and the drives by keeping low and binding strong. As a result, the Stingers gained continuous possession and lots of yards.

Fourteen minutes into the first half, Concordia fly-half Erika Hamilton scored the first try as she pulled a clever play.

“Erika’s was a great solo effort, we had practiced shooting gaps and she shot the gap she used the other runner as a dummy that was fantastic,” said Stingers head coach Graeme McGravie.

Near the end of the first half, McGill was desperately attempting to get points on the board before halftime, since they were unable to break free from Concordia’s strong defence.

With two minutes left in the first half, Casey Thorburn, a centre for McGill, scored a try thanks to some quick passes and excellent linebreaks, evening the score, 5-5.

With 16 minutes left on the board in the second half, McGill seemed to try to play up their offence, getting dangerously close to Concordia territory when the back line was pushing through.

However, McGill was called for a penalty allowing Hamilton to quickly execute an excellent kick to the ball to clear their line.

This was followed by effective driving mauls and quick tackles every time McGill

attempted a run. The pressure on McGill pushed them to make simple errors such as gaining offside penalties. This made it easier for Concordia to keep possession and charge with full force to gain territory. Concordia inevitably scored another try, winning the game 18-8.

The Stingers speedy centre, Latoya Blackwood, greatly contributed to the win.

She charged fearlessly during the second half, after some great passes were made by her teammates.

“I’m proud of how we overcame challenges,” said Blackwood. A yellow card for No. 8 Hughanna Gaw was one of those moments. “We were down a player for about 10 minutes, but we stuck together and were not defeated. We did what we needed to do to win.”

Concordia played with more confidence and coordination in the second half.

“In the first half we didn’t play our game at all,” said Blackwood. “We let McGill control the pace and so second half we just

wanted to go out there and accomplish the goals we planned out during practice and we succeeded at it.”

Even McGill head coach Vince deGrandpré was impressed by the Stingers. “I think that [Concordia] might be more experienced and well organized,” he said. “Those girls are committed, they’re strong, they’re fit and they deserved to win.”

DeGrandpré mentioned that star Concordia players such as Gaw, Blackwood, and Jackie Tittley are an intimidating line of players. “They’re a tough act to go up against.”

“I’m happy we won; we grabbed them down and pulled it out,” said McGravie.

“They decided to stick together and play as a team rather than playing as 15 individuals.”

With a game against Laval ahead, a return to the CIS national semifinals is on the line for the Stingers. Concordia was defeated both times they played Laval this season.

Concordia will play Laval Oct. 29 at 1 p.m. in Quebec City.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

rugby

Stingers finish season on four-game losing streak Concordia loses 23-6 to McGill at home in final regular season game Paolo Mingarelli Staff writer

Sports Briefs

The Concordia Stingers finished their regular season with a 23-6 loss to the McGill Redmen at home on Sunday. The game added a fourth loss to the Stingers’ losing streak, and allowed McGill to lock up first place.

Despite making the most of an undisciplined McGill team in the first half and putting six points on the board, the Stingers were unable to sustain that pressure during the second half.

“We took advantage of the kicks we could in the first half, but didn’t have as many opportunities in [the second half],” said Stingers head coach Clive Gibson. “Our defence was solid and [McGill] didn’t break the line that often.”

McGill used the halftime break to clean up their game. This change would eventually lead them to break the Concordia defence by capitalizing on each window of opportunity the stingy Concordia defence presented.

The Stingers showed off their defensive skills when the team received a disciplinary yellow card towards the second portion of the first half. Concordia fell short a man for 10 minutes; they battled constant Redmen pressure for the better part of 20 minutes. This defensive stand was highlighted with a gorgeous takedown of the Redmen scrum-half by eight-man Philippe Walkden, which eventually led to the Stingers gaining possession and clearing the ball, leaving McGill with nothing to show for it.

One of the more frustrating aspects of the Stingers’ performance was the inability to score a try against the opposition. “We had three chances missed on the wing; it’s all about finishing, especially in this league,” said scrum-half Conor O’Hara.

As a followup to Sunday’s game, the Stingers will face off with the Gaiters in a playoff matchup at Bishop’s University this Friday.

Despite Sunday’s loss, the team is hopeful.

“If you look at how much we want it as a team and how aggressive we’re playing, no one is going to outwork us come playoffs” said Walkden.

Concordia just couldn’t break through when they needed to against McGill in a 23-6 loss on Sunday afternoon. Photo by Navneet Pall

Concordia lost once and tied once against the Gaiters in two meetings this year, and are hoping to rebound in the postseason. A win in Lennoxville would send Concordia to the

Men’s hockey Concordia 3 McGill 2 (OT)

After a 3-2 shootout loss to UQTR on Wednesday, the Concordia Stingers got back on track with a huge win against defending CIS national champion McGill.

The Redmen came in to the game ranked second in the CIS, and boasted a 10 game winning streak against the Stingers.

Concordia’s Mike Stinziani took a tripping penalty just 1:22 into the game.

McGill’s potent capitalized just 23 seconds into the man advantage and put Concordia in a hole early.

Kyle Armstrong answered for the Stingers just over five minutes later and the game remained tied until late in the second period.

With the clock ticking down on the second frame George Lovatsis gave Concordia a huge boost, scoring with just 13 seconds left in the period, giving the team momentum into intermission.

finals for the second straight year.

“We can score against Bishop’s if we get the ball,” said outside centre Jonathan Dextras-Romagnino. “If we play how we

Despite a stellar play by Stinger goalie Nicholas Champion, McGill tied the game just four minutes into the third.

With the Stingers looking for a hero it was Alexis Piette who answered the call.

Piette scored the winning goal halfway through overtime to hand McGill their second defeat in a row.

Champion was outstanding again for Concordia and his .930 save percentage is the third best in the CIS. The Stingers will face the Redmen again this Friday at 7 p.m. at McGill.

Women’s hockey Carleton 4 Concordia 2 Concordia lost their second game in a row to the Carleton Ravens, falling 4-2 on the road this weekend.

Down 3-0 late in the second period, Alyssa Sherrard and Catherine Rancourt scored within 30 seconds of each other to bring Concordia back in striking distance.

The Stingers just couldn’t beat Car-

played today, we have a good chance.”

Playoffs begin Friday Oct. 28 at 8:15 p.m. on the road against the Bishop’s Gaiters

leton goalie Victoria Powers in the third period, and as a result suffered their third loss of the season.

Concordia’s next game is Friday night at Université de Montréal.

Women’s soccer Concordia 0 UQAM 0 Concordia 5 Bishop’s 0 The Concordia soccer team enjoyed their most successful weekend of the season playing to a draw and picking up a win against both UQAM and Bishop’s.

Concordia tied UQAM 0-0 on Friday night, with goalkeeper Brittany O’Rourke posting her second clean sheet of the season.

On Saturday, a Stingers team that had only scored nine goals all season exploded offensively. The Stingers thrashed the Bishop’s Gaiters 5-0, picking up their second win of the year. Emily Hubbard recorded a goal and an assist for Concordia.

The Stingers at 2-7-3 are eliminated

from playoff contention and will play their remaining two games next week against Sherbrooke on the road, and finishing at home on Sunday, Oct. 30 against McGill.

Men’s soccer UQAM 1 Concordia 0 Concordia’s nightmarish season continued Friday night against UQAM. The Stingers lost their sixth game in a row, falling 1-0 to UQAM. Concordia has been outscored 17-1 in the six-game span and hasn’t scored a goal in a month, since a Sept. 23, 3-1 loss to Montreal.

Concordia sits in dead last in the RSEQ conference and is awaiting their season to draw to its merciful conclusion next week on the road against Sherbrooke on Friday, before playing their season finale at home to McGill on Sunday.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

23

Football

Stingers trounced 36-1 by Carabins in final home game

Concordia misses opportunity to book playoff ticket Julian Mei Sports editor

The situation on Saturday afternoon was simple for the Concordia Stingers: win and you’re in.

Unfortunately for the Stingers, they squandered the opportunity to clinch the final RSEQ playoff berth, losing to the Université de Montréal Carabins 36-1.

Concordia would have also been guaranteed a playoff berth if McGill upset Bishop’s in their game. McGill, though, couldn’t hold on, and allowed Bishop’s to score a winning touchdown with just 23 seconds left in the game. Concordia and Bishop’s now have identical 3-5 records.

Despite the deadlock, Concordia’s circumstances are much more desirable heading in to next week.

The Stingers not only hold the tiebreaker over Bishop’s, but also get to face the winless McGill Redmen, while Bishop’s must play on the road against the nationally ranked Laval Rouge et Or, who crushed Bishop’s in the teams previous meeting.

Still, the Stingers are hoping to control their own destiny.

“I think [Bishop’s] have got one foot on the grave and one on the banana peel,” said Stingers head coach Gerry McGrath. “We definitely have an advantage on them, but we’re not going to leave it to Laval to eliminate them. We’re going to play our butts off next week.”

The Stingers are confident they can beat an inferior opponent like McGill. It has been games like Saturday’s, though, that demonstrate how far the Stingers are from competing with the big dogs in the perennially competitive RSEQ. Saturday was a tale of missed opportunities and youthful mistakes that made it impossible for Concordia to compete against such admirable foes as the Carabins.

Max Caron intercepted a pass early in the first quarter inside Carabins territory, providing Concordia with a golden opportunity to put points on the board and gain some momentum early in the game.

Keegan Treloar would eventually miss a 32-

Kris Robertson returns a punt as he’s chased down by Mathieu Labelle. Robertson returned 11 punts for 75 yards. Photo by Navneet Pall

yard field goal, one of his three misses on the day. Concordia came away with nothing and wasted chances became the recurring theme of the afternoon.

“This was a tough one to explain,” said Stingers quarterback Reid Quest. “The defence held up, the offence moved the ball, but we just couldn’t capitalize when we needed to.”

Shortly after the missed field goal, Montreal would drive 64 yards in just over two and half minutes, capping the drive with an eightyard touchdown run by quarterback Alexandre Nadeau-Piuze.

Concordia was back inside enemy territory again early in the second quarter, and once again threw their opportunity into the wind.

With the ball on the Carabins 30-yard line quarterback, Reid Quest fumbled the snap.

Concordia recovered the ball, but not before it was knocked, kicked and juggled 20 yards backwards to mid-field. The Stingers went from looking at a first-and-10 to a second-and30. The drive ended with no points and plenty

of frustration.

“That’s the million dollar question,” said Quest, when asked why the Stingers offence seemed to stall anytime they were in scoring position.

Trailing 12-1 late in the second quarter, a breakdown in coverage allowed Montreal to pull ahead further.

Nadeau-Piuze hooked up with a wide open Alexandre Fortier-Labonté for a 55-yard touchdown pass. Nadeau-Piuze finished with 299 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Despite the missed field goal, fumble and deep touchdown pass, coach McGrath believed the real turning point of the game was early in the third quarter when Montreal put together a 68-yard drive that finished with a field goal, putting the Stingers down 22-1.

“I think the touchdown before the half hurt, but I think their long drive [in the third quarter] was the biggest turning point,” he said. “You can get over [a miscommunication on defence], but for them to come out like that

when we were rejuvenated after the half took some wind out of us.”

Montreal orchestrated another long drive later in the quarter, this time finishing in the endzone, extinguishing any flicker of hope Concordia may have had.

Concordia must now head back to the drawing board as they head up the mountain to face McGill next week in the biggest game of the season.

Coach McGrath confirmed that Quest will start behind centre for the Stingers next week.

In his rookie season Quest has been inconsistent, though not terrible, as he has been able to hold his own in his first CIS season. Quest completed 22 of 41 passes, for 263 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions against Montreal.

Concordia won the last meeting against McGill 39-16 on Oct. 8.

Concordia plays at McGill on Saturday, Oct. 29. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.

baseball

Stingers pitched out of CIBA National Championship Concordia loses 3-2 in national semi-finals Julian Mei Sports editor It would be unfair to call the Concordia Stingers baseball team’s 2011 season a disappointment.

Rather, it was a very successful season that happened to come to a disappointing end.

Playing at the CIBA National Championship in Moncton, N.B., the Stingers had their Cinderella season come to a heartbreaking close in the semi-finals against the Durham College Lords.

Similar to what happened in the conference finals against Carleton, Concordia ran into a pitcher tossing the game of his life.

Shaun Slemko carried the Lords on his arm all the way to a 3-2 victory over the hard-hitting Stingers.

Slemko struck out 11 Stingers in his complete game victory. He allowed only five hits, and neither of the Stingers’ two runs were

earned.

Andre Lagarde pitched a fine game as well for the Stingers, allowing just three earned runs on seven hits to go along with six strikeouts; Slemko was just better.

Lagarde allowed two runs in the bottom of the third inning, on three hits, but his teammates were there to pick him up.

Marco Masciotra reached first base on an error to lead off the top of the fourth inning for Concordia, and Martin Chambers followed with a walk. With two outs, Tim Riley singled and loaded the bases for catcher Marshall Johnston.

Johnston, playing in what would prove to be his final game with the Stingers, came through and singled in two runs, tying the game.

Durham got the run back in the fifth, though. After inducing a double-play, Lagarde gave up a two-out double. After an intentional walk, James Wakutz stepped up to the plate and delivered a dagger right into the centre of the Stingers’ hearts.

Wakutz singled in what proved to be the winning run. Concordia only managed one runner in the final three innings, and never had any one past first base.

Durham went on to defeat Humber College, 6-1, in the national championship game.

This year’s tournament was remarkably competitive. Every game the Stingers played was decided by a single run.

Concordia opened the round-robin tournament with a 4-3 comeback win over the Cape Breton Capers, after trailing 3-0 in the sixth inning.

Leading Durham 5-2 in the final inning of the second game, it was the Stingers who squandered a late lead, and eventually lost 6-5 in extra innings.

Wanting to control their own fate in the final round-robin game, Concordia gave the ball to Matthew Jacobson, hoping the big righthander could carry Concordia into the semifinals.

Jacobson delivered. He pitched a complete

game shutout, allowing only five hits and one walk to go along with four strikeouts.

The 1-0 win propelled Concordia into the semis and the subsequent defeat.

Even though they came home without a championship pennant, Stingers players and coaches were proud of what they accomplished this year.

“I”m unbelievably proud of our guys,” said manager Howard Schwartz. “[After the loss] I just told them how proud I was of how they played all season.”

“My four seasons as a Stinger were the best years of my baseball career,” said Jacobson.

The team, by all preseason expectations, overachieved. Nonetheless, coming so close only to fall short will leave the Stingers anxious for next season, hoping to reclaim the feeling of 2009, when they reached the summit of the CIBA. Pitcher Alex Kechayan was named Pitcher of the Year while Matthew Jacobson was named All-Canadian Tournament All-Star Pitcher.

opinions 24

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Write to the editor: opinions@theconcordian.com

editorial

Up and down week for campus groups ASFA is making the right move to improve accountability; the CSU needs to change a few things

O

ne faculty student association is cleaning up its act after a disastrous byelection, and that’s a good thing. But the CSU, higher up the student politics food chain, should take a few cues from the smaller group.

The Arts and Science Federation of Associations is improving its accountability after its chief electoral officer committed several major violations during the Oct. 12 and 13 byelection.

ASFA’s council voted overwhelmingly in favour of a motion calling for a recount of the ballots, as well as for the financial committee to seriously consider the CEO’s violations when deciding on monetary compensation; considering he only did about 40 per cent of his job, he should only receive that amount in kind.

But more importantly, council agreed that both the internal and administration committee and the policy reform committee

need to take a hard look at ASFA’s Annex A to ensure that what happened this month never happens again. There are many measures in that Annex that could certainly be strengthened, chief among them the clause stating that the CEO must announce the results of the election within 24 hours of counting the ballots.

How about modifying the wording to specifically say “post the results on ASFA’s Facebook and Twitter pages?” Or at least include a rule that the CEO must email all members of the student press, who are quite equipped at getting the word out there.

Both president Alex Gordon and VP internal Schubert Laforest have said that strengthening good governance at ASFA is important to them, and it is equally important that their membership ensures that the executives are keeping their word.

At a university where governance troubles are almost second nature thanks to the grumblings at the Board of Governors and Concordia’s habit of firing its presidents, it would at least be a little comforting to know that we don’t have the same types of issues at the student level.

But what this whole debacle may have taught ASFA the most is that it is important to take your time. It is understandable that the executive wanted to fill two vacant posi-

tions as soon as possible, particularly the VP communications and promotions position, which is so crucial to the upkeep of ASFA’s online presence.

But it is this very inclination to rush into things that brought about the mess that followed. Marvin Cidamon ended up being appointed by a subcommittee and was never ratified by council, and was given less than two weeks to do his job, which he didn’t really do afterall. If ASFA had extended the polling period even further, say toward the end of October, its credibility may have been kept intact.

*** But while ASFA contemplates electoral reform, there is a certain ‘unwritten’ policy, shall we say, that exists at the CSU right now that also merits some analysis.

In an article featured in the Concordian this week, CSU VP finance Jordan Lindsay explains that it is not unreasonable of him to ask students for a reason when they request financial information. He said he is simply doing his “due diligence,” something that he says every VP finance should do.

In early September, former ASFA VP finance and now ordinary ConU student Alexa Newman requested from Lindsay a list

of orientation sponsors, the amounts each of them contributed, as well as the orientation package that the CSU distributed to its sponsors.

This simple request sparked an email exchange that lasted nearly two months in which Lindsay asked Newman several times that she clarify her reason for wanting the documents.

Is this really any way for a CSU executive to be addressing a paying member of the CSU? Did Jordan Lindsay not run on the Your Concordia slate last year, the slate that promised total financial transparency? Did Jordan Lindsay not also promise an online budget that would be regularly updated with (almost) each new expense? We certainly haven’t seen that happen yet.

Newman only ended up receiving her documents on Oct. 24 after the Concordian contacted Lindsay. In all fairness, he had tried to send the figures to Newman on Oct. 22, but they ended up going to the wrong email address. Nonetheless, even Oct. 22 is quite late to be receiving two pages of numbers you had requested on Sept. 2.

The CSU’s VP finance would be wise to re-read his slate’s election platform. Or perhaps the executive as a whole needs to clarify what ‘financial transparency’ really means to them.

Funding

$7 million pledge to fight anti-gay bullying is only a start George Menexis Staff writer An openly gay teenager from Ottawa committed suicide last week after suffering from depression, mainly brought on by constant bullying. It once again raises the topic of oppression suffered by gays and lesbians in our society.

Jamie Hubley’s example reveals the inner struggle many gay and lesbian teenagers must face everyday. Jamie was a teenage boy who was open about his sexuality, going as far as creating a Rainbow Club at his school to encourage others who were struggling to do the same. The task, however, wasn’t easy.

“The posters were torn down and he was called vicious names in the hallways and online,” said Jamie’s father in a statement.

Jamie’s suicide isn’t the first for LGBT teens, nor the last. A disturbing amount of them have taken place this year, and have received a lot of attention. This leads to an important question: what is the government doing to protect the LGBT community?

While Canadian society has moved forward by encouraging young people to be open and accepting of their sexuality, teenagers are still left vulnerable to the cruelty inflicted on them by certain people in society.

Hubley’s death coincides with a report released by the provincial government, in which they pledge to put a seven million dollar plan in action, which will be equally distributed among organizations working to protect gay and lesbian rights.

“The plan is based on demystifying gay people within the heterosexual community and ensuring they are treated fairly at school, work and society at large,” said Quebec justice minister Jean-Marc Fournier.

This action plan is part of the Government action plan against homophobia, which was released earlier this year. What the Quebec government is ultimately trying to do is recognize the problems members of the LGBT community face in our society and promote their rights, as well as raise awareness.

Unfortunately, the LGBT society is still subjected to bias today. Despite gays and lesbians being considered officially equal by the Quebec government since 1977, when the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms made it illegal to discriminate against homosexuals, many still don’t understand the problems they face. An average day for some consists of being laughed at, being jeered at, and being made fun of.This alone is enough to break anyone.

Donald Boisvert, a lecturer and undergraduate adviser at Concordia in the department of religion and expert on same-sex relations, states that the problem in bullying gay teenagers is one that’s difficult to solve.

“Teenagers are very ignorant and afraid of

homosexuality in their midst, at school with them, and that’s why many homosexual teens succumb to bullying,” said Boisvert.

It’s hard to give any credit to the current government, prior to this seven million dollar pledge. It wasn’t until 2002 that homosexuals were given the same rights and obligations as heterosexuals, as stated in Bill 32.

This new action plan the government put in place is taking a different angle than previous years. The government is giving an enormous push to hard working, non-profit organizations whose first and main goal will be to give LGBT teenagers the confidence to live their own lives. Now that our government, in the past decade, has officially recognized the fact that heterosexuals and homosexuals are equal, it’s time for them to inject more funding into these organizations in order to completely eliminate homophobia from our society.

“We must salute this concrete gesture taken by our government that will help us consolidate but especially protect our youth out there, and that affirmative action be taken everywhere in Quebec,” says Robert Lamarée, founder of Emergence, a pro gay foundation dedicated to promoting equality for gays and lesbians.

Boisvert embraces the government’s action plan as a step forward, stating the important role such non-profit organizations play in raising awareness for gays and lesbians, especially among young people who succumb to bullying.

Graphic by Phil Waheed

Depression by way of discrimination

“These organizations are all over Montreal and play a very important role,” said Boisvert.

“Gris Montreal, for example, tries to educate our youth especially so that bullying can be minimized all over our province.”

In 2006, a survey counted roughly 45,345 same-sex couples in Canada; the numbers are rapidly rising from year to year. In Montreal, 18.4 per cent of the population was homosexual. These numbers cannot be ignored.

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

25

activism

May we have your attention please?

Although seemingly disorganized, activists need events like Occupy Montreal to raise awareness of various issues A.J. Cordeiro Staff writer

H

ow effective is grassroots activism these days? With the recent Occupy Wall Street protests happening around the world, many allusions have been made to the past peace movements of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Yet criticism has run high due to the fact that many protesters don’t seem to have a purpose. Some are complaining about high tuition rates, homelessness and even the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while others are just there for the barbecue and good time.

Barry Wilson, CTV Montreal executive producer, criticized the Occupy movement in his “Postscript” address this past week: “Sure, there is inequality, and the gap between rich and poor continues to grow,” he said. “But here’s the thing: change will not come from tent cities and slogans. If young people want change, they should try using their franchise.

Get out and vote.”

And therein lies the problem. While proponents of the old establishment may chastise young citizens for their lack of participation in elections, it is no excuse for criticizing their democratic approach to the situation. Stale, antiquated rhetoric such as “get out and vote” does not seem to solve the problem.

I am a political science student. I have voted in every possible election that I have been eligible for since the age of 18, from voting for meaningless councillors in byelections, to setting an effective change in our riding from an established Liberal to a NDP candidate in the recent federal elections.

But what does someone’s vote mean

when they voted for a loser? In short, a two dollar contribution to the party and a good luck, see you next time smile.

One of the bigger issues at hand is that the Canadian federal voting system needs reform. Take Australia for example: voting is compulsory, and they use a preferential voting system. In doing so, they rank candidates in order of likability, thus getting a much clearer picture of what the population sees as a fit candidate from their jurisdiction.

Skipping out the compulsory clause, this system, coupled with better proportional representation, would see a drastic improvement in election participation as Canadians would be encouraged to take part in something that actually means change and represents the public.

And that is essentially what the Occupy movement in Canada is all about: venting societal frustrations in a way that captures the attention of a generation whose social activity and democratic participation is limited to their Facebook feeds, trending topics on Twitter, and the latest gossip on TMZ. Despite having no effective leader or demands, they have captured the media’s attention, and that’s already huge progress towards making change happen.

Clearly more defined objectives would help spurn the cause to gain traction quicker, but to me, this protest in Victoria Square is really a metaphor for a great society: lots of people shouting a lot of things, hoping to bring out change through activism. It is rarely, if ever, the case when people on the couches lead a revolution.

Because changing your Facebook status to “I am the 99%” isn’t really effective.

Some numberS to proteSt about Close to 3,000 people have joined Occupy Montreal Graphic by Sean Kershaw

Between 1990 and 2005, the pay of CEOs in the United States rose 298.2 per cent, while production workers’ pay rose on average 4.3 per cent. CEO salaries were then 350 timeS the salary of workers.

In 2010, a survey by Corporate Knights magazine revealed that the CEOs of Canada’s largest 60 companies earned an average of 330 timeS the income of their lowest-paid employees. The Barrick Gold CEO earned 1,210 timeS the salary of the company’s lowest paid worker, while RBC’s CEO earned 604 timeS the salary of its lowest paid worker.

The combined wealth of 61 Canadian billionaires is $162 billion – five times as large as the federal government’s 2010 deficit, and twice the combined wealth of the bottom 17 million Canadians.

The gap between the income of the top 0.01 per cent of Canadians and the median Canadian income has more than tripled since the 1970s, according to research by Michael Veall, a professor of economics at McMaster University, and Statistics Canada figures.

The average income of the richest 0.01 per cent of Canadian taxpayers is now the median Canadian income.

142 timeS

Unemployment at the beginning of the summer for Canadian youth ages 20 to 24 was at about 15 per cent, twice the national rate. But compare that to Spain, where 45 per cent of youth ages 16 to 24 were unemployed.

In 2009, the top one per cent of tax filers earned 10.9 per cent of all the income in Canada.

Between 1984 and 2009, real average household debt for Canadians more than doubled from $46,000 to $110,000 In the U.S., youth unemployment among 16-to-24-year-olds is 18 per cent.

26

theconcordian

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

paranormal

Paranormal or paranoia?

Debunking the idea that there could be a poltergeist in my TV Myles Dolphin Opinions editor When I was five, living in a house my family had just moved into, I saw a strange man one day standing at the top of the staircase. He stared at me, and didn’t say anything. I calmly walked downstairs to the kitchen and told my dad what I’d seen. He gave me a weird look, but believed me because of my calm demeanour, and ran upstairs. There was no one there.

My dad always reminds me of this story when I tell him how sceptical I am of the supernatural and the paranormal: ghosts and spirits, psychics and spoon benders, out of body experiences and telepathy. The list goes on and on.

The word itself, paranormal, implies that the scientific explanation of the world around us is the ‘normal’ part of the word, while ‘para’ represents the contrary: the ‘beyond’, or whatever you want to call it (the ‘silly,’ if you ask me).

I’ve always been a firm proponent of scientific proof. I guess it goes hand in hand with my religious beliefs. Sceptics can often be closed-minded and cynical in their nature, but I see myself on the other side of the fence: I’ve always had an interest in ghosts and the paranormal, and I am open to the idea that the extraordinary is out there; I just don’t believe in any of it without credible, scientific proof.

James Randi, the world’s most famous debunker, offers a one-million-dollar prize to anyone who can show, under proper observing conditions, evidence of any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power or event. To date, no one has passed the preliminary tests.

As an ex-magician himself, Randi and other prominent sceptics are well aware of

Graphic by Katie Brioux

the techniques used by magicians, con artists, fortune tellers, etc. One of them is cold reading, where details are expressed about the subject in a certain way that will allow a practised cold reader to gain all kinds of information on a person. Some of these methods include fishing for clues by asking questions, making general or vague statements that most people interpret as hits, observing facial expressions and body language as they make statements, etc.

A book by two American sociologists, entitled Paranormal America: Ghost Encounters, UFO Sightings, Bigfoot Hunts, and Other Curiosities in Religion and Culture, mentions that an increasing amount of Americans believe in the paranormal. According to their research,

guess who believes in Bigfoot? Successful, professional people.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is another good example of how a smart, level-headed guy of the highest scruple can fall to the charm of the paranormal. After he turned to spiritualism for solace, following the death of his son in the Great War, he famously put fake pictures of a tiny goblin and elves in a book entitled The Coming of the Fairies, which came out in 1922.

Decades later in 1983, the cousins who had taken the pictures confessed the photographs had been faked.

Another example is Ted Serios, who came along in 1960 and claimed to be able to produce pictures inside a Polaroid camera using

nothing but his mind and a tube he called his ‘gismo’. His gimmick was quickly exposed by two journalists, who published their findings in Popular Photography and many of Serios’ followers were shattered. The wave of euphoria that takes place following a supposed supernatural demonstration is both highly contagious and, to a point, dangerous.

A friend once told me that after her mom’s funeral, she was thinking about her so much that one night, she saw her mother standing in her room, wearing a large fur coat like the one she used to own. Our gullible mind plays more tricks on us than we care to believe.

I know there are certain flaws to my logic.

Something can obviously exist, like laws in science, before we discover them. Everest was the highest mountain even before we knew about it. The laws of physics have always existed.

What we consider as established science isn’t the dictum of all reality. The most prominent scientists make mistakes, too. They haven’t even figured out the Caramilk secret yet.

And just because something is irrational to me, doesn’t mean it’s irrational to someone else. A lot of rational people believe in ghosts and spirits. Extraordinary phenomena can exist all around us without leaving any physical traces, but don’t we need physical evidence to establish that something exists?

Paul Kurtz, a prominent American sceptic and secular humanist, once said: “There is always the danger that once irrationality grows, it will spill over into other areas. There is no guarantee that a society so infected by unreason will be resistant to even the most virulent programs of dangerous ideological sects.”

Perhaps a bit overdramatic, but something to think about nonetheless.

At the end of the day, I have to put my trust in Occam’s razor: when there are two competing explanations for an event, the simpler one is more likely. A sound in the middle of the night?

Probably the rat that lives in one of my walls.

tech

Products designed to fail Consumers need to be wary of planned obsolescence Judy-Ann Mitchell-Turgeon Contributor We’ve all succumbed to it. We’ve all bought what we thought was the coolest gadget and then bought a better version a few months later. Many of you might know someone who waited impatiently in line to get the new iPhone 4S just a few weeks ago, though the iPhone 5’s release isn’t too far away. Or you must have already felt the need to buy new clothes just because fall season arrived; I know I have.

This brainwashing method used by product designers encourages us to believe that we will always ‘need’ a new product, whether it is the newest Volkswagen Jetta or the latest MacBook Air. Planned obsolescence is used all over the world in order to make us believe that old products are ‘out’ and that we absolutely need to get what’s ‘in.’ This strategy became used by industries in the middle of the 20th century due to the effects of mass production.

Examples of planned obsolescence are everywhere, such as in car parts which become discontinued after a few years, electronic gadgets, video games and software, not to

mention textbooks with revised editions that we all need to buy. The world of fashion also promotes the ‘need’ for us to buy new and fashionable clothing for every changing season.

To achieve this effect, companies use cheaper materials in order to decrease the life projection of products. Simple changes, such as in aesthetic design, can pressure consumers to purchase products they don’t necessarily need.

Don’t forget that it is also predetermined that the product will no longer be useful in a couple of months. Brooks Stevens, an American industrial engineer, inadvertently coined the phrase ‘planned obsolescence’ through a speech he gave at a Minneapolis advertising conference in 1954. He explained that it aims at “instilling in the buyer the desire to own something a little newer, a little better, a little sooner than is necessary.”

Inevitably, a throwaway culture has been created as a result of this marketing strategy.

Consumers throw away products which could have potentially been useful for longer because manufacturers aren’t aiming for product durability. Consequently, an increasing amount of natural resources are needed to create these newer projects, causing pollution levels to rise and leading to an undeniable amount of waste.

The reason companies would adopt this strategy is simple. Apple will release a new

Graphic by Katie Brioux

model of the MacBook or the iPhone every few months in order for us to believe that this newer product will improve our lives. They believe that planned obsolescence is meant to satisfy changing consumer demands and acts as the force for economic growth as well as innovation.

Companies always aim for innovation, so why can’t they design products with recyclable parts which we could use to update with the technology? Or why not guarantee durability? Not only are durable products going to last longer, but the promise of durability

is appealing and strategically economical.

We are not made aware of this strategy, yet we come across it every day. We should be wary of when and where planned obsolescence is used and the options given if we don’t want to be pressured into buying what’s ‘in style.’ Being aware of how the strategy works and how it affects our wallets enables us to take steps to avoid this manipulation.

Yes, it is cool to walk around with your new iPhone 4S or drive your new Jetta but it won’t be long before these things go out of style. And they do, faster than we know it.

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of talk radio; 44- Russian fighter; 47- Thespians; 48- Magical incantation; 51- Olds model; 52- Extent; 57- Israeli desert; 61- Lee side; 63- _ there yet?; 64- Monogram ltr.; 66Work like _; 67- Type of sanctum; 68- The sacred scriptures of Hinduism; 69- Travel on; 70- Get to know; 71- Farm females; 72- 24 hour periods;

Puzzles provided by BestCrosswords.com. Used with permission.

Across 1- Pillar; 5- Wimp; 9- Actress Anouk; 14- “The Time Machine” race; 15- Actor Estrada; 16- Stylish; 17- Denomination; 18- New Orleans is The Big _ ; 19- Feudal estate;

20- Capital of Estonia; 22- Divert; 23- Facial expression used by Elvis Presley; 24- Surmise; 28- Crimson; 34- Deficient in pigmentation; 38Coal scuttle; 39- Consumer; 40Post; 41- Christian festival; 43- Don

Down 1- Nuisances; 2- New York city; 3- Plinth; 4- Name; 5- “Pure Guava” band; 6- Pertaining to a rare element; 7- Bro’s counterpart; 8- What’s up; 9- Capital of Eritrea; 10- Muslim elder and prayer-leader; 11- Hindu lawgiver; 12- Archer of myth; 13- French 101 verb; 21One of Chekhov’s “Three Sisters”; 25- Slangy denial; 26- To and _ ; 27- Make beloved; 29- Usual; 30Finely powdered earth; 31- Analogy words; 32- Not e’en once; 33- Blows it; 34- Capital city of Western Samoa; 35- Leg or arm; 36- Make indistinct; 37- Ingrid’s “Casablanca” role; 42- Without _ in the world; 45- Chemical ending; 46Needlefish; 49- Bat abode; 50- Fireball; 53- Give merit; 54- Gymnast Comaneci; 55- Sleazy; 56- Borders; 57- Arrest; 58- Fish-eating eagle; 59- Actress Rowlands; 60- Large jug or pitcher; 62- Greek letters; 64- “_ had it!”; 65- Fresh.

Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011 Vol. 29 issue 9 Jacques Gallant

Editor-in-Chief editor@theconcordian.com

Kamila HinKson

Managing editor managing@theconcordian.com

Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo News editor

alyssa tremBlay

Assistant news editor news@theconcordian.com

Paula rivas

Life editor life@theconcordian.com

sofia Gay

Arts editor arts@theconcordian.com

allie mason

Music editor music@theconcordian.com

Julian mei

Sports editor sports@theconcordian.com

myles DolPHin

Opinions editor opinions@theconcordian.com

ePHram scHofelD

Webmaster webmaster@theconcordian.com

navneet Pall

Photo editor photo@theconcordian.com

Katie Brioux

Graphics editor graphics@theconcordian.com

saraH DesHaies

Chief Copy editor copy@theconcordian.com

marissa miller HeatHer riminGton elizaBetH tomaras Copy editors

cHris Hanna

Production manager production@theconcordian.com

soPHia loffreDa Kerry macKinnon

Production assistant

eDitorial office

7141 Sherbrooke St. W. - CC.431 Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 514.848.2424 x7499 (Editor-in-Chief)

Moammar Gadhafi was killed last week after being captured and shot dead by rebel fighters near his hometown of Sirte, Libya. While we can all agree that he deserved punishment and imprisonment, why was it so hard to get his name right?

514.848.2424 x7458 (Newsroom) 514.848.2424 x7404 (Production)

melissa Kate GaGnon

Business manager business@theconcordian.com

marsHall JoHnston

Advertising manager advertising@theconcordian.com

@RandyKomi: I don’t think we’ll ever hav

world peace.The world can’t even agree on how to spell #Ghadafi, #Kadhafi, #Qaddafi @SteveMartinToGo: Lunch with Gadhafi,

cancelled.

@robdelaney: RIP Khaddafi. Also, RIP

Qaddafi. And let us not forget: RIP Ghaddafi.

And just to be safe, RIP Caddaphee. @alfredoboca: Gaddafi is dead. I hope he

doesn’t come back as Ganddalfi The White.

@JohnRomanTx: #Gaddafi’s fortune will

be left to his surviving synonyms,#Gadaffi, #Qaddafi, #Khaddafy, #Khadafy, #Gadhafi, #Kadafi, and #Qadiddydirtymoney

@mileskahn: “Whatever. We killed our despot

leader like, five years ago.” -Iraqi hipster

@KenJennings: Qaddafi killed. Man who

has to figure out how to spell his name on the tombstone gets very nervous.

Brennan neill emily WHite cinDy loPez ruBen Bastien

Comic by Phil Waheed

Solution:

Board of Directors directors@theconcordian.com

Business anD aDvertisinG

1455 de Maisonneuve W. - H.733-4 Montreal, QC H3G 1M8 514.848.2424 x7420 (Office) 514.848.7427 (Fax)

staff Writers anD contriButors Joel Ashak, Cameron Ahmad, Kalina Laframboise, Daniel J. Rowe, Jamie Floyd, Melina Giubilaro, Marie-Josee Kelly, Audrey Folliot, Erica Commisso, Melissa Moncada, Elysha Del Giusto Enos, Rebecca Ugolini, Marilla Steuter-Martin, Lindsay Briscoe, Natasha Taggart, Mat Barrot, Andrew Guilbert, Paul Traunero, Joey Alfieri, Paolo Mingarelli, Judy-Ann Mitchell, A.J. Cordeiro, George Menexis, Sarah Howell, Anthony Isabella, Gilda Poorjabar, Maya Pankalla,Valerie Brunet, Phil Waheed, Sean Kershaw

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