The Concordian volume 29, issue 2 by Jacques Gallant

theconcordian

sports

life

Stingers fall to powerhouse Laval P. 20

It s time to skip the salt P. 8

Remembering the year of resignations

P. 4

Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011

arts A hit list to satisfy your arts fix P. 12

music FM Hi LOW wants to get people thinking P. 14

editorial Is there a student centre decision on the horizon? P. 21

Volume 29 Issue 2

Stars and Mother Committee endorses all Mother complete lineup BoG-related governance for orientation concert recommendations Montreal outfits to grace the stage at Loyola Quad on Sept. 15 Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo News editor As promised, the Concordia Student Union will be delivering a good dose of the Canadian music scene to the students they represent. In a press release on Sunday, the union revealed that four-piece Montreal outfit Stars and Vancouverbased Mother Mother will grace the stage at the Loyola Quadrangle on Sept. 15, along with hip-hop artists Nomadic Massive and Lunice, two artists that had been announced last week. While he could not disclose the exact amount paid to each artist for the concert, VP finance Jordan Lindsay revealed that fees for the

four artists would cost $30,000. The total orientation budget the CSU is working with is around $270,000, of which the union is contributing $150,000. A bit less than half of the remaining $120,000 is provided by the Concordia Orientation Initiative, or COI, while Lindsay expects around $45,000 in sponsorship sales, of which they have already secured around $35,000. Lindsay also included provisions for $32,000 in petty sales (for beer, food and the like) to balance the budget. As with last year, however, the concert (and orientation as a whole) is entirely free. “We’re really hoping to get between four and 5,000 [people attending],” VP student life Laura Glover said. They are prepared to give tickets to as many people as the Quad can fit - a bit over 6,000 people. Glover’s wish for the concert? “I really hope it doesn’t rain!”

See our picks on p. 2

CSU unhappy with recommendation to reduce undergrad reps to one governor and one “alternate” Jacques Gallant Editor-in-chief The latest step in Concordia’s mission to fix its governance troubles came last week when an ad hoc committee of the Board of Governors announced it was endorsing all of the recommendations stemming from an external review. The BoG’s ad hoc committee on governance met four times over the summer to pour over the BoG-related recommendations in the external governance review committee’s

report. The result is that the ad hoc committee will announce to the full board at its Sept. 28 meeting that it supports all the recommendations, minus a few significant tweaks. Whether the board will actually adopt the recommendations remains to be seen. The major modification suggested by the ad hoc committee is to include two undergraduate representatives on the BoG, one with speaking and voting rights, while the other, who would be known as the alternate governor, would have speaking rights only. Both, however, would have full voting and speaking rights at the committee level. The EGRC had originally recommended that the number of student representatives on the Board - currently four undergrads and one graduate student - be reduced to one undergrad and one grad, keeping in mind its recommendation that

See “If recomm...” on p. 3

theconcordian.com

news 2

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Got a news tip? news@theconcordian.com

City in brief

Continued from cover

Jacques Gallant

Best to stay behind the wheel

Now that the complete list of events spanning the next two weeks have been officially announced (well, Facebook announced - and you do not get more official than that), we can weigh in on what we think look to be the most promising orientation events this year.

An Ontario woman was taken to hospital on Sunday with serious head injuries following a car-surfing accident in Brossard. The 20-year old, along with two other people, was standing on the rear bumper of a Toyota Rav-4 SUV, hanging on to the luggage rack while her 17-year old sister was driving. Her sister was arrested and questioned by police and could face charges including negligence causing bodily harm. The incident was Quebec’s sixth car-surfing accident in two years. The activity has been popularized through social media, including YouTube. The last serious accident in Quebec happened in August 2010, when a teenage boy from Montreal died after falling from the trunk of a car.

To discover Concordia: Sept. 7 through 9 and Sept. 12 through 15: Air Pub on Reggie’s terrace. Wednesday, Sept. 7 from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.: Techno Multimedia/Concert Thursday, Sept. 8 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Keynote speakers Ilona Dougherty from Apathy is Boring, and Lou Piensa from Nomadic Massive Friday, Sept. 9 from 10:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.: Dance Party at Reggie’s with DJ David Rancourt and DJ Rick Monday, Sept. 12 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.: David Bernans talk: North of 9/11- Ten Years On Tuesday, Sept. 13 from 10:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.: Jazz and Crayons music event at the Hive

To discover Montreal:

Listen to the songbird

A pair of researchers in McGill’s biology department are getting ready to study how songbirds learn how to sing in an effort to learn more about human speech. According to researchers Sarah Woolley and Jon Sakata, songbirds go through the same process of vocal learning as people do, including listening to adults and experimenting. The pair is especially interested in studying how songbirds integrate social signals as they learn how to sing, such as imitating what the cool kid on the block (or bird in this case) is doing. Woolley and Sakata are also hoping to delve deeper into certain neurological disorders, including autism.

Our picks

Wednesday, Sept. 14 from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Photo scavenger hunt Saturday, Sept. 17 from 10:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m.: Hip-Hop karaoke at Le Belmont

Stars (above) and Mother Mother (below) are set to take the stage as part of the CSU’s all-Canadian orientation concert

Sunday, Sept. 18 at 12:00 p.m.: Trip to Tam Tams For a complete list of events, visit www.orientation.csu.qc.ca

VIGIL

Bloody mosquitoes!

The number of reported human cases of the West Nile virus in Quebec has risen to four, the highest number the province has seen in the last six years. All of the cases have been confirmed in southwestern Quebec, including the greater Montreal area, and were all discovered over the month of August after the patients donated blood. Humans become infected with the West Nile virus after they are bitten by a mosquito carrying the disease. In most cases, the patient will develop mild, flu-like symptoms depending on the strength of their immune system.

Active dads = smarter kids

According to a study recently published by Concordia researchers, fathers who actively engage in raising their children can actually help make their kids smarter and better behaved. A total of 138 children and their parents participated in the study, which evaluated the kids between the ages of three to five, and again from nine to 13. The study also found that absentee fathers had the greatest impact on girls, who tended to have significantly higher levels of emotional problems at school.

Around 100 people gathered in front of the building last Thursday night where the Blue Bird Café and Wagon Wheel once stood in commemoration of the 1972 blaze that took the lives of 37. From 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Montrealers lit candles to commemorate those who perished 39 years ago, when two inebriated men who were kicked out of the bar set fire to the building. Next year, on the 40th anniversary of the fire, the city will set up a permanent memorial on the site on Union St. in conjunction with the families of the victims. Photo by Navneet Pall

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

If recommendations are adopted, BoG will be reduced to 25 members by June 2012 the board itself be reduced from 42 members to 25. “One undergrad and one graduate student, that’s quite a reduction from the current undergraduate student representation, but the board is shrinking from 42 to 25, so there’s going to be reductions in sheer numbers,” said Concordia’s VP institutional relations and ad hoc committee member Bram Freedman during a press briefing on Sept. 2. “At the ad hoc committee level, the composition of the board was discussed a lot, and [former CSU president] Amine Dabchy was there and very clear with the dissatisfaction with the reduction down to one.” Concordia Student Union president Lex Gill said the union remains unhappy with this recommendation, and wrote in an email that the CSU will continue to push for a proportional shift on the board, reflecting the fact that undergrads at Concordia represent over 30,000 members of the campus community. “The CSU’s position is that the reduction to one undergraduate student is not acceptable,” she wrote. “More than that, the introduction of an ’alternate’ appears to us to be a pretty straightforward attempt to undermine student representation while giving the appearance of compromise. It certainly doesn’t take complicated math to realize that undergraduate students are losing in this new model.” The four current undergraduate representatives on the board - AJ West, Laura Beach, Cameron Monagle, and Gill - recently sent a letter to the ad hoc committee outlining their position and noted that “currently

Graphic by Katie Brioux

there is one student governor for every 9,000 students, making up 12.5 % of the Board. If we are to maintain this level of representation, theoretically there would be 3.125 student representatives, or one student for every 14,400 students.” Some of the other BoG-related recommendations will come into effect immediately at the Sept. 28 meeting, should they be adopted by the board. These recommendations include the formation of new committees such as the governance and ethics committee, and enshrining new items in the BoG’s bylaws, including a maximum of three, threeyear terms for external members on the board. Other, more complex recommendations, including those dealing with composition, will take effect as of June 30, 2012 when a number of board members’ terms are set to

expire. The EGRC had recommended that the Board should ultimately include 15 external members and 10 internal members. These 15 external members will include replacements for the four to five governors leaving in September, replacements for those departing in June, 2012, as well as some members who have only been on the board for a few years. “There will also be some carryover from who we have now. Some people who have only been there for just a few years still have expertise to bring to the table,” said Freedman. The EGRC was formed in February through a joint agreement by the Board of Governors and the Senate to mull over Concordia’s governance issues, which really began to take centre stage after the BoG ousted president Judith Woodsworth last December. The Senate’s steering committee

studied the EGRC’s Senate-related recommendations over the summer and will be presenting their findings to the full Senate at its Sept. 9 meeting. The EGRC’s three members, Bernard Shapiro, Andre C. Cote, and Glen A. Jones, stood to make $1,000 a day for their work for a maximum of 20 days, thereby costing Concordia $60,000 in remuneration alone. But the final cost incurred by the university for the EGRC’s work came closer to $78,000, mostly due to hotel fees paid for the two members from out of town. When asked last week if the administration had ever considered having all three committee members hail from the Montreal area in order to avoid hotel bills, Freedman said, “I think people were more concerned with the profiles and the expertise of the committee members.”

STRIKE

Nation in brief Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo

International student funding not a priority for Hudak

A Progressive Conservative Ontario government led by Tim Hudak would cut $30 million in international student funding if elected. Canadian University Press reported that the party plans to reallocate money from the Trillium Scholarship fund to middles-class Ontario families. The scholarship fund was set up by Dalton McGuinty’s government last year. It was originally developed to give 75 international PhD students $40,000 a year for four years to study in Ontario. Under Hudak, the fund would be closed in Sept. 2012, after its first year. A press release from the Progressive Conservative party stated that the funds would be directed towards middle-class families who have difficulty accessing loans from the Ontario Student Assistance Program.

No parking for you

Parking space, or lack thereof, was a dealbreaker in the career of a Dalhousie University professor. Dan Middlemiss quit his job on Monday because he was fed up with the hassle associated with finding parking on campus. According to the Toronto Star, the expert in Canadian defence policy and political science professor would arrive at 7 a.m. to secure parking for a 2 p.m. class. Dalhousie has 2,000 parking spaces on campus for 17,000 students and 3,000 employees. Last year, the Halifax university oversold parking passes by 65 per cent. This year, they aim to only oversell the passes by 30 per cent. Dalhousie VP Ken Burt said people can (and do) park near campus or take public transportation to get around the problem.

Return of Bigfoot

Wilderness and ecology guide Todd Standing says he has photographic proof of the existence of Bigfoot, The Globe and Mail reported Friday. Standing says he has a picture of a creature in the Banff area with a hairy face and human features. He estimates there could be three troops of Bigfoots in British Columbia and Alberta of 10 to 15 animals each. He added that scientists have DNA samples. He’s probably just trying to fulfill every Canadian’s repressed desire to be featured on Discovery Channel. Well played, Standing, well played.

… and an Iced Capp for the horse

The first day of class for McGill University students was also the first day of a general strike for the McGill University Non-Academic Certified Association. Students were crossing picket lines as members of MUNACA gathered in front of McGill’s arches entryway last Thursday. Among other issues, they are protesting their wage scale and benefits plan, and are demanding parity with the non-academic workers at Montreal’s other universities. The union is set to meet with McGill administration in the presence of a conciliator this Thursday. MUNACA represents about 1,700 workers at McGill. Photo by Navneet Pall

Tim Hortons has apologized to a customer after he was refused service at the drive-thru because he was on horseback, according to CTV. On Aug. 27, Phil Corman rode through the drive-thru of the local coffee shop in Lethbridge, Alta. to order a large double-double, but the employee refused to serve him. The horse trainer said it was the first time he was refused service for being on horseback, and that he had done it in the past. The coffee chain then relented and apologized for the treatment.

theconcordian

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

World in brief Kamila Hinkson

Almost a balloon, but not quite

A Nebraska girl was treated for sexually transmitted diseases on Wednesday after she put a condom in her mouth, Omaha news channel KETV reported. Danayjha King, 6, found the condom on her school playground and, thinking it was a balloon, tried to blow it up. It is unclear if the condom was used or not, but the incident prompted a thorough wash of her hands and mouth by the school nurse, as well as a trip to the doctor, who gave her a precautionary vaccine. At least some good did come of the incident: her father did sit her down for the “don’t you put it in your mouth” talk.

Facebook or salary: your call

CSU

ConU in review

New student? Been living under a rock this past year? We’ve got you covered. Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo News editor Both Concordia University and the Concordia Student Union had an eventful 2010-2011 school year. Notably, a spate of resignations afflicted both bodies, leaving a student body and a community concerned and hesitant about the future of their school. Students manifested their concerns by staging protests and sitins, and by voting for Your Concordia, a slate that ran for the CSU on the grounds of public consultation on touchy issues such as a student centre. The Concordia community called for a governance review - a call heeded by the university.

The Concordia Student Union: t t t t t t

Has been around for 30 years. Has a mandate to represent the undergraduate student body (roughly 30,000 students.) Is governed by an executive and council of representatives. Is financed by a $1.85 per credit fee levy. Offer services to undergrad students such as the Legal Information Clinic, the Housing and Job Bank, a health care plan. Is elected by the undergraduate students at the end of every school year.

The executives run as a slate, or team. Last year, students voted for the eight-member “Your Concordia” slate. Your Concordia holds most of the seats on council, including all the arts and science seats, two of the three engineering seats and all three fine arts seats. Both of their board candidates AJ West and Laura Beach were elected, as were senators Andy Filipowich, Tina Salameh and Bilal Hamideh. Opposing slate Action won all six JMSB council seats as well as the JMSB senate seat.

A Washington man may soon lose his job because he won’t lose certain Facebook habits. Jason Cook works for a national restaurant chain. The company obliges employees to sign an agreement that requires them to refrain from posting anything negative about the company on their Facebook accounts, and Cook refuses to sign it. Cook told Q13 Fox, a CNN affiliate, that his manager has informed him it was going to come down to choosing between signing the agreement or losing his job.

Tax that ass up

The city of Bonn, Germany is now collecting taxes from prostitutes using automated pay stations similar to parking meters. According to The New York Times, Bonn isn’t the first city in Germany, where prostitution is legal, to charge this tax. It sets a sex worker back six euros, or $8.39 CND, to be able to walk the streets for a night. The meters, built by German engineering company Siemens, were implemented Aug. 28, and collected $376 over its first three nights in operation. In addition to the pay stations, wooden garages have also been built in the city for customers to park so they can have sex in their cars. Franz-Reinhard Habbel, a spokesperson for the German Association of Cities and Municipalities, said he expected other cities to copy the idea in order to tackle their combined $11 billion U.S. in debt. He called the tax a “relatively simple” source of income.

Los mayor’s Spanish alter-ego

While New Yorkers were holed up in their apartments waiting for Hurricane Irene to hit, Rachel FigueroaLevin had an idea. After hearing Mayor Michael Bloomberg make many pronunciation mistakes in Spanish, she created @ElBloombito, a Twitter account for the mayor’s Spanish alter-ego, Miguel Bloombito. Figueroa-Levin started tweeting things like “Muchos trees esta falling downo. No stando under los trees. Que splat!” The account soon went viral, and now has almost 21,000 followers. Bloomberg took it all in stride, using the “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” excuse when asked about his rusty Spanish.

Wednesday, Sept. 8: Concordia VP advancement and alumni relations Kathy Assayag steps down for “personal reasons.” Wednesday, Sept. 29: Following in colleague Assayag’s footsteps, Concordia VP services and one-time acting president Michael Di Grappa leaves the university to join McGill’s administration as vice-principal (administration and finance). Wednesday, Dec. 22: Concordia president Judith Woodsworth resigns. She too cites “personal reasons” for stepping down, although it is soon revealed that she was ousted by the Board of Governors. Woodsworth collects two years’ salary as severance pay, or $703,500. Friday, Jan. 21: Former Concordia rector Frederick Lowy officially takes office as interim president. Lowy’s previous stint as head of the university spanned ten years, from 1995 to 2005. Thursday, March 17: In the provincial budget, Quebec finance minister Raymond Bachand outlines plans to raise tuition fees by $325 a year for five years as of Sept. 2012. The hike brings the cost of a university education for a Quebec student to $3,793 per year. Friday, March 18: The university announces the appointments of the three members of the external governance review committee. Bernard Shapiro, André C. Côté and Glen A. Jones are named to the committee and are each paid $1,000 a day for their work, for a maximum of $20,000 per committee member.

Thursday, Nov. 25: Students vote down a proposed fee levy increase. The referendum question polled students on their feelings towards increasing the amount currently being collected per credit for an envisioned student centre from $2 to $4.50. The students’ response is overwhelming: No, thank you. Tuesday, Jan. 4: CSU VP finance Zhuo Ling announces his resignation, stating he is unable to fulfill the time commitment necessary for the position. VP clubs and outreach Ramy Khoriaty takes over the position for the remainder of the semester. February: CSU president Heather Lucas confirms the union’s interest in the Faubourg Ste-Catherine building with the university, calling it the “most realistic” and “most affordable” option for a student centre. Friday, March 4: Concordia Student Union VP sustainability and promotions Morgan Pudwell hands in her three-page letter of resignation. In the letter, Pudwell cites concerns over potential financial mismanagement and governance, disagreement with the executive’s decision to back a student centre at the Faubourg, and a lack of trust within the executive team. Monday, March 14: The CSU elections for the 2011-2012 school year kick off on what is commonly known as poster night (or “that night where everyone runs around with large sheets of paper and sticks them to walls.”) Two slates face off: Your Concordia and Action.

Wednesday, April 6: Concordia University announces its plans to gradually phase out bottled water on campus. Over a three-year period, water fountains will be upgraded and replaced when necessary. That first step has a $100,000 price tag.

Friday, April 1: The results of the CSU election are announced: Your Concordia, headed by Lex Gill, pull out ahead with a 336-vote margin of victory.

Wednesday, June 15: The external governance review committee releases its 39-page report, in which the three members of the committee point out a number of flaws in the university’s structure. They detail 38 recommendations to the university in order to ameliorate what it calls a “culture of contempt.”

Tuesday, April 12: Both Action and Your Concordia are disqualified in an after-the-fact decision by chief electoral officer Oliver Cohen. Cohen alleges numerous examples of improper conduct on the part of members of each team, including campaigning during the polling period and using club resources to campaign.

Wednesday, Aug. 31: In a press release, the Board of Governors announces its intention to implement the recommendations of the external governance review committee which pertain to the board.

Wednesday, April 27: After a long and heated hearing, the CSU judicial board rules to reinstate Your Concordia as the winning slate, and to uphold the disqualification of Action. The slate was later reinstated by the CSU council.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

ALTERNA-TIP

We don t need no thought control QPIRG gives Concordia students a radical way to stay organized Robert Flis Contributor Montreal’s universities are often the centres of debate about the social, environmental and political issues which come closest to the hearts of students. But navigating the complicated network of activist organizations operating in and around our universities can be a daunting task, especially if you’re new to the city or school. School Schmool is an annual “activist day planner and radical guide” released by the Quebec Public Interest Research Group, which aims to help students organize the vast sea of groups and issues surrounding them and strives to connect them with the ones they relate most to. School Schmool’s co-ordinators Kerri Flannigan (Concordia University) and Kristin Li (McGill University) firmly believe that the planner and radical guide is a great resource for informing students on what’s happening on campus and in their community. “I remember being a new student at Concordia University, very eager to get involved but not knowing where to look or how to start,” recalled Flannigan. “It can be intimidating for new students to get involved when they are faced with so many options. School Schmool attempts to make issues and the groups doing work around these issues more accessible and approach-

able.” The planner/guide is divided into four segments. The “Resources” section tips off students about where to find useful things like health care resources, accessible spaces and a map of Montreal neighbourhoods. “Issues” includes articles on subjects like access to education, ecological justice and independent media. “Groups” connects students to the issues they read about in the previous section by listing and breaking down 100 Montreal-based organizations. Finally, a day planner is included for students to organize their busy lives. “School Schmool was not an agenda when it first launched in 1994,” explained Flannigan. “It was a resource of social and environmental issues relating to McGill and Montreal. It was reborn out of QPIRG McGill in 2006 as an agenda and resource-based guide [...] that people could carry with them daily.” This year’s issue has grown significantly since last year. “The agenda is bigger both in size and page length,” said Flannigan. “It features over 100 community and student groups and projects, double the number of last year’s agenda.” Despite its increase in size and content, the agenda remains available on a by-donation basis, leaving little excuse for students not to pick one up. “It’s a solid resource to the city, with guides to practical information like places that offer low-cost mental health service and where to go for cheap eats around campus,” added Li. “It has thoughtfully written articles about issues that affect all of us. It’s also well-designed, beautifully illustrated, and free of advertising.” A School Schmool website is also in the works, which will eventually include publicized events, pickup locations for the agenda as well as

uploads of past and present issues. The agenda is also a good tool for newcomers and students not previously aware of academic issues. ”School Schmool encourages students to become more active members of their campuses,” said Li. “Our articles and group profiles highlight the fact that new students are coming into their university at a particular historical junction, in the midst of ongoing debates, issues, campaigns, and projects. We’re hoping School Schmool will help provide the context for different aspects of the university that new students might be discovering for the first time.” Copies of School Schmool will be available as of Sept. 6 at QPIRG’s Concordia (1500 de Maisonneuve Blvd., suite 204) and McGill (3647 University St.) offices, as well as at QPIRG events and around Montreal.

Graphic by Katie Brioux

life 6

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com

Student guide ORIENTATION

How to survive your first year of big bad university Myles Dolphin Interim opinions editor

Welcome to Concordia. Going into my fifth year in this wonderful institution of higher learning, there are a lot of tidbits I can share with you about how this school works. I wish I had paid more attention to articles like these during my first year, but I was so lost and intimidated by the size of this place that I do not even remember picking up the paper to read it. I did not want to learn about everything going on because I knew I would be dismayed by the sheer deluge of information. That was a mistake. Do not be afraid! Walk INTO the light. It is good to know what’s going on here but more importantly, you have to know which resources are available to you and how to use them efficiently. This is just a guide, mind you, so take what you need and ignore the rest. Everyone succeeds differently. Now finish that text message and pay attention to what I’m going to tell you!

Orientation week Each year Concordia puts a heavy emphasis on orientation, making sure you get acquainted with the tools that will ensure your success here. You may see it as relatively useless, or as information you can pick up along the way. However, it is your first year, it is a new school, a new environment and for some of you, a completely new city, so why not take advantage of all this awesome help? The “Student Success Check-Up and Orientation” is a two-

part program that helps you get to know yourself and your university better. There are two parts: an online, self-assessment that will identify your strengths and weaknesses and a follow up orientation session where an educational counsellor will help you interpret those results and create a personal action plan. According to them, you will connect with a Student Success Mentor, an upper-year student, who will take you on a tour of important university resources and answer your questions about what it is like to be a student at Concordia. Check out: newstudent.concordia.ca/knowu/ to sign-up.

Get organized and prioritize This is crucial, folks. You are entering a time in your life when you will really get to understand the meaning of the word ‘independence.’ Firstly, you need to score a free agenda from the CSU (a fantastic resource in itself), located on the 7th floor of the Hall building. Exploit the hell out of it; write down all your assignments, class times, exam dates and especially when the Habs are playing. Set up your timetable for the semester as soon as possible and that way you will not get any nasty surprises when midterms and finals come around. Readings from your professors are not suggestions, they are mandatory and they allow you to understand the material that will be presented later on in the course. I learned that the hard way my first semester. Same goes for lectures and homework. No one really cares if you attend class or not and they will not go wake you up in the morning (al-

Graphics by Sean Kershaw

though that would kick ass, wouldn’t it?) But trust me, getting used to not attending class is a vicious cycle and one that could haunt you in the long run. You are paying for your tuition, right? (Well, someone is.) You may as well attend, then. In most cases, you will be so intellectually stimulated that you will walk out of class with a huge grin on your face (and perhaps the courage to talk to that cute boy/girl you were sitting next to). If you play games like WoW or D&D or even S&M (for the kinkier crowd), quit now. You may think you can balance the demands of full time studies with everything else but for the time being, this is all incredibly new to your system. Get acquainted with your new schedule and ignore the distractions. All of this becomes a juggling act really quickly. Do not believe the myth that you can kick back and cruise through everything. If you want to attend graduate school after your undergrad, your GPA counts for a lot, so keep that in mind during your first year. It is important to be organized during the first semester because it is the basis for the rest of your academic career. You will be learning notions that you are supposed to build on in subsequent semesters, so pay attention and it will be so much easier down the road to add to your knowledge base. Another priority is your OPUS card. If you are 25 and younger as of Oct. 31 of this year, registered as a full-time student at Concordia and a resident of the island of Montreal, you qualify for a student

bus/metro pass. Just go to the STM website and fill in the form, then bring it to the Birks Student Centre to be stamped, and finally go get your picture taken at a designated STM station to obtain your card at a seriously discounted price (only $41 a month, you lucky bastards).

Familiarizing yourself Concordia has two fairly big campuses with lots of buildings, so it is important to know where everything is. Downtown, you will probably spend most of your time in the Hall building. Across the street is the McConnell building, for all things academic (prof’s offices, the library, some classes, etc). The library is definitely a place you want to become acquainted with and soon. There is one downtown and at the Loyola campus, so there goes your “it’s too far” excuse. You will be there doing research, using the computers, asking librarians for help and borrowing books. Heck, I did not even know until my second year here that I could staple my assignments there, too. Be aware, though, that the library is trickier than it seems. Go explore it and you will quickly appreciate what it has to offer because in the end, you will worship it. When you have important work to do, it may be better to do it there, free from the distractions of the modern world (Facebook, Jersey Shore, etc.) If you need a little more action, there are plenty of moderately-amplified study spaces like Java U, the 7th floor of the Hall building and the couches on the Hall building’s mezzanine. The Second Cup a couple steps away from the Loyola campus is a good study place, too, but don’t be dismayed if there are not any spots available. The Second Cup a five-minute 162 bus ride east is pretty cozy. Get to know which clubs and associations are available. There are literally hundreds of them, most of which can be found here http://deanofstudents. concordia.ca/student-groups/complete-listof-student-groups/. Do not underestimate their benefits; not only can you meet and network with like-minded people, but being part of a club that is tailored to your needs and interests is awesome. Plus, it is great for your CV. When you see these clubs advertising themselves around campus, walk

Follow us on Twitter: @ConcordianLife TA’s are also there to assist and can get pretty bored at times, so email them or crash their offices. Furthermore, Concordia offers a wide variety of resources to help you in your studies such as the Career Resource Centre, the Student Success Centre and a whole lot more.

Spend your money wisely

up and introduce yourself. They will not eat you (by-law 841 prevents them from doing that.) Speaking of all those buildings, why not grab a campus tour? It is a great way to find your way around. Led by current Concordia students, the tours leave the Welcome Centre (LB-185-40) at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., Monday to Friday. You can even book a tour online, through the My Concordia portal.

Get to know your professors They are people just like you and me. They do not live in ivory towers. They subsist on foods and liquids, just like regular organisms. Most of them are kinda nice, too. They just want to make sure you succeed academically, so when they offer their office hours, use them. Otherwise, they just sit there doing nothing and you have just ruined their day. Do you want to be responsible for that? If you do not understand something in class, drop by, that is what they are paid for. Before classes begin you can also take a look at www.ratemyprofessors.com, just to get an idea of who you are going to be dealing with for the next four months. A good professor can not only help you understand difficult material, but he or she will make an effort to advise and recommend other resources. Just do not be intimidated by their status; they know what it’s like to be a first-year student. Make sure to show up with some questions in advance, so you don’t waste each other’s time.

Get help when you need it

Never shy away from asking a question in class. Professors can lecture pretty quickly sometimes and take things for granted, i.e. your understanding of a concept. Stop that person in their tracks and ask for more explanations. Otherwise, talk to your classmates outside of class. You are all in the same boat anyway, so you may as well use each other (for academic purposes only, of course). Your

Going to university for some is like going to Las Vegas. Bright lights, plenty of opportunities for fun but you get to waste a LOT of money

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Typhoon and Pizzadelic (mmm... sangria.) For your mid-day breaks, there is cheap food aplenty at Sushi Shop and Bangkok Express downtown. Make the short trek to Souvlaki George right next to Loyola and you will not be disappointed. Westminster Avenue also has great, dirt-cheap burgers at Burger de Ville. The key, though, is to ask around and explore! Buy your textbooks online from Amazon or Abebooks. Also check out the myriad of ads around campus from people selling used books; you may only use them for a semester, so consider getting them second-hand. You will save a lot in the long run and if you are lucky, you will avoid the soul-crushing pain of paying over $100 for a single textbook. You can also rent some textbooks for the semester from the Concordia bookstore; in some cases you can save up to 60 per cent. Check out their website for information. If you can, keep your bills and receipts for an entire month and see how much you have spent. Try to work out a budget for yourself and stick to it. Going out is great and dare I say necessary, but overdoing it may just end up killing the novelty.

Take it seriously but be open-minded When addressing your professors, do it professionally. Get your stuff in on time; full-time studies are akin to full-time jobs, and in the real world, lateness and laziness don’t exactly translate into success. You are entering an environment where people are different, their ideas and opinions may be radical, and you probably will not agree with everything you see or hear. But you know what? That’s the great part about university life. Understanding different cultures and exchanging ideas are what bridge gaps between people. There are over 150 nationalities represented at Concordia; stay open-minded and refrain from judging people, and you’ll make friendships that will last a lifetime. Good luck, Freshmen! With files from Marissa Miller.

STYLE

Clothes, catwalks and cocktails on stuff you just do not need. Money comes and goes but trust me, it sure does go. Firstly, you need a healthy body to go along with that healthy mind. Concordia has a fantastic new gym just around the corner, located in the EV building. It will only cost you $60 for the entire semester and it is open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Friday, which gives you more than enough time for a quick run before or after classes. Getting enough sleep is also key; save the partying for the weekends or for my birthday. You can join one of several sports leagues, which offers everything from basketball to ultimate frisbee. You can get more information here : athletics.concordia.ca/campus/ sport_leagues/default.html. It is a cheap way of staying fit, meeting new people and watching others run around in skimpy outfits. There are a variety of pubs, bars and cafés around both campuses. Downtown you should get acquainted with Reggie’s fairly quickly, as it is located in the Hall building. Beers are cheap and people are usually quite drunk, so it is a nice place to unwind after a hectic day. Java U (also on campus) offers cheap coffee and snacks and it is a great place to study or meet people, thanks to the awesome music they play there. Food-wise there is Maison Bulgogi on St-Catherine for some authentic Korean food, Al-Taib on McKay for Lebanese, Antep Kabab on Maisonneuve for yummy Turkish sandwiches and McKibbin’s on Bishop for some really good pub fare. Monkland Avenue is also a pretty happening place around Loyola campus, with popular places to drink including Ye Olde Orchard,

Montreal Fashion Week is set to take centre stage today.

Young designers contribute to edgy vibe of Montreal Fashion Week’s 21st edition Andrea Zoellner Contributor The spotlight is on Montreal’s fashion scene as Fashion Week kicks off today. Taking place in the historic and oh-so-posh Marché Bonsecours in the Old Port, the 21st edition of the event boasts a long list of fashion shows, conferences and parties from Tuesday to Friday. Groupe Sensation Mode, the production company responsible for launching the Fashion and Design Festival on McGill College, has run Fashion Week for the past six years. They promise this edition will be “unconventional, unabashed, and unparalleled,” words that ring true, since this year’s lineup will include more fresh faces than household regulars presenting their Spring/Summer collections. “It’s not so much that they are new or unknown labels, as what they are presenting is avant-garde,” said Sophie Des Marais, Sensation Mode’s media relations co-ordinator. “That is Montreal’s niche - what is perhaps not as popular in the rest of Canada.” Mulcair, Anastasia Lomonova, Mélissa Nepton, Barilà and Travis Taddeo are a few of the labels that will be hitting the catwalk in the next couple of days. Youthful collections by young designers contribute to Montreal Fashion week’s edgy vibe. Taddeo, a graduate of LaSalle College, has been making waves in Canada and the United States for the past few years. He is known for his refined interpretation of street fashion and youth culture, a look that is popular amongst many of the Montreal designers, and that will

surely be spotted on more than one runway. Fresh and avant-garde talent is what keeps Montreal fashion-forward and the clothing industry afloat, but apart from Denis Gagnon, Samuel Dong, Simon Chang and Dinh Bá, many of the regulars like Marie St-Pierre, Ève Gravel, Helm and Renata Morales are missing this year. “It’s a major investment and some designers sit out an edition or two to focus on other projects or to tour in other cities,” said Des Marais. “It’s simply a choice.” And that’s not the only difference for the 21st edition of MFW. The Showroom, a space in the Marché Bonsecours where Quebec brands could share their collections with national and international buyers, is not part of this year’s schedule, but Des Marais promises it will be back in the spring. But what is lacking in local exposure, Sensation Mode is getting from abroad. They have collaborated with the Who’s Next salon in Paris for the past few editions to showcase foreign talent, and on Wednesday, Sept. 7, The Label Europe Show will feature designers from France and Germany. This is an exclusive collaboration with the Office franco-québécois pour la jeunesse as well as the Office franco-allemand pour la jeunesse. Fashion Week brings together many different partners from the fashion, tourism and business sectors, but Sensation Mode wants to open it up to the general public as well. You can purchase tickets to the shows on their website, and of course the famous Art vs Fashion art gallery open house is going on all week long. Galleries in Old Montreal such as Impact Galerie, Espace Pepin and Galerie Michel-Ange will be open until midnight to showcase some of Montreal’s local talent. Be sure to check out our full coverage of Montreal Fashion Week in next issue of the Concordian.

theconcordian

Tuesday, September 6, 2011 HEALTH

Spice up your life

A spoonful of spices, like cayenne pepper, cumin, cinammon, black pepper and garlic, makes the medicine go down easier. Photo by Amanda Laprada

Ditch the salt and get creative with a variety of seasonings Marissa Miller Interim Life editor It took Colin McMahon a few months to feel normal again. After all, it was tough for him to quit cold turkey after having salted almost everything he ate for 12 years. “I would salt corn, steak, chicken - even McDonald’s fries,” the Concordia creative writing student confessed. “It’s a wonder I could taste anything besides salt.” With a family history of diabetes, high cholesterol, slow metabolism, and other heart problems, McMahon knew he had to take action against his bad habit. “It took a few months, and I weaned off of it,” he said. “But when I decided that I wanted to [live to] see my grandchildren, I stopped.” Now, his salt intake never exceeds the prescribed amount in his baking recipes, as the campaign to lower salt intakes around the world continues. New York assembly member Felix Ortiz proposed a bill stating “no owner or operator of a restaurant in this state shall use salt in any form in the preparation of any food” and would fine restaurants $1000 if they added salt to their dishes. He argued that this would drastically reduce cardiovascular illnesses and restore some much needed vitality in Americans that processed, pre-packaged and frozen foods lack. Now how does this proposed ban on salt apply to us Canadians? Unfortunately, it does not, but it might not be a bad idea if it did. According to Statistics Canada, Canadians ranging from ages 14-30 consume an average of 4000 mg of the danger dust per day. That’s over three times the recommended 1300 mg.

Unless you are an Olympic athlete and need the electrolytes, your body does not require more than 2400 mg of sodium per day (the size of a teaspoon.) Now the question is: would Montreal benefit from government-controlled salt use? Dr. Rima Rozen, a professor in the faculty of medicine at McGill, says that “we should ensure that we do not add too much salt to any of our foods, regardless if it’s at a restaurant or at home. The detrimental effects on health have been proven.” Why is salt the devil of all additives? If consumed in excess, it causes bloating, leads to coronary illness, and may not be of great help before your finals, Rozen explains. “There is one very large study which seems to suggest that high sodium intake is correlated with decreased cognition.” It’s clear that our nation is not only being shaken by threats of a hurricane but the wrath of the salt shaker as well. What can offer some help? The solution may literally be right in your own backyard. A slew of hearthealthy, cancer-fighting tasty alternatives from your garden can jazz up your meals like a Broadway play. In the meantime, grocery stores and restaurants are still providing the option to salt, but this does not suggest that we should turn a blind tongue to all the healthier, tastier options out there. After checking out these five great salt alternatives, the decision is yours: To salt or not to salt?

Cinnamon It flavours your favourite candies, baked goods and gum, but did you know that cinnamon has tons of anti-inflammatory agents that protect against cancer, type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis? A half-teaspoon sprinkle of this natural tree-bark derived spice over coffee and oatmeal provides you with many ben-

efits. Its fibre, calcium, iron and manganese content are extremely high in proportion to its low calorie count (around two per serving.) Not to mention, cinnamon’s sweet undertones make you almost forget salt ever existed. You will become addicted once you learn to make pasta dishes with garlic and olive oil, replacing the salt for cinnamon for a more exotic flavour. Popcorn and cinnamon are also a friendly mix.

Cayenne pepper Face it: Beyonce looks great. Along with hitting the gym a couple thousand times a week, she also publicly owes her aesthetic success to cayenne pepper. Her famous cayenne pepper concoction mixed with water, lemon and maple syrup boosts metabolism by clearing out the digestive system. The capsaicin chemical in the spice gives it those cancer fighting properties. Courageously add these fire pellets to homemade hummus, stir-fry and marinades for added protection against ulcers, atherosclerosis, colon cancer, and nerve damage associated with diabetes.

Garlic It will leave you without a kiss on that first date, but damn, does it taste good. Consuming garlic daily has been linked to lower cholesterol and triglyceride (the fat in the bloodstream) levels. Garlic can owe its powerful anti-inflammation abilities to its sulphuric properties, the agent that reduces swelling in the body responsible for obesity and infections. Garlic can easily replace salt on any dish, as it is universally consumed. Mediterranean, Oriental and Indian cuisine are all notorious for their high sodium content, but swapping some salt for one to two cloves of garlic per dish is a great way to maximize your health benefits.

Cumin Cumin is definitely the most festive of flavours, and adds a Mexican/Indian punch to any dish. When paired with vinegar and lemony notes, this fibre bomb packs a huge punch of iron, copper, calcium, potassium, manganese, selenium, zinc and magnesium. Each of these minerals contribute to the repair of red blood cells and regulation of the heart so sprinkle this powdery brown spice liberally on salads, tacos and grilled veggies. This spice was a major component of traditional medicine that was used to treat digestive problems and the common cold.

Black pepper Next time you are at Subway, ask for a shake of only black pepper instead of the pepper mixed with salt. Why? Along with being able to garnish virtually any dish, pepper’s benefits are numerous. Piperine, the amine alkaloid found in pepper that gives it that pungent spice, helps absorb your food’s minerals better, such as selenium and beta carotene. Anti-oxidants aren’t just reserved for citrus and green tea, either. Black pepper is a potent source of vitamins A and C which help remove toxins in the body that cause cancer and other diseases. If you’re anything like Colin McMahon, and fueled by the desire to have a healthy body and live a longer, happier life, then these tips are for you. “Unfortunately, I am not the best when it comes to discipline and have relapses, namely pizza, when I’m home in the states for the summer,” he admitted. But occasional slip-ups make us human, right? When it comes to cravings, obey them in moderation, and go with the flow of the waves. Just make sure not to drink them. Do you know how salty the ocean is?

% A

Available at the following Bell stores: ANJOU

Les Galeries dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Anjou Les Galeries dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Anjou (kiosk)

DORVAL

Les Jardins Dorval

LACHINE

2409 46e Avenue Galeries Lachine

LASALLE

7567 boul. Newman Carrefour Angrignon Carrefour Angrignon (kiosk) Place Lasalle

MONTREAL

892 rue Ste-Catherine Ouest 4399 rue St-Denis 6855 rue St-Jacques Ouest 9280 boul. de lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Acadie 7452 boul. Maurice Duplessis Boul. DĂŠcarie (corner Jean-Talon) Carrefour Industrielle Alliance Centre Eaton (kiosks) Centre Rockland Faubourg Ste-Catherine Mail Cavendish Place Alexis-Nihon Place Dupuis Place Versailles Plaza CĂ´te-des-Neiges Promenades CathĂŠdrale (kiosk) Tour Jean-Talon (ground floor)

MONTRĂ&#x2030;AL-NORD

Centre Forest Place Bourassa

Fibe is the ultimate roommate.

POINTE-AUX-TREMBLES

12530 Sherbrooke Est

POINTE-CLAIRE

Centre Fairview

ST-LAURENT

4232 rue SerĂŠ La Place Vertu

ST-LĂ&#x2030;ONARD

4524 rue Jean Talon Est 6050 boul. MĂŠtropolitain Est

Also available at:

When Fibe Internet moves in you get: 3 A free Wireless Home Network set up on the spot by pros, perfect for all your gadgets1 3 Super-fast access speeds, so you can share your pics and videos in an instant 3 ) - ' ,#!-. )!.1*,& *" % % $*.-+*.- 3 ,!! *( ",*( '*)# .!,( *((%.(!).

95/MO.

FROM

BELL FIBE INTERNET

For 8 months in the Bell Bundle.2

All monthly fees included. $29.95 one-time activation fee.

Offer ends September 25, 2011. Available to residential customers in QuĂŠbec where technology permits. For non Fibe TV subscribers, $49.95 ($99.95, less a $50 credit) one-time modem rental fee applies for Fibe 25 and up. Usage 60 GB/mo.; $2.50/additional GB. Subject to change without notice and not combinable with any other offers. Taxes extra. Other conditions apply. (1) Conditions apply; see bell.ca/fullinstall. (2) Available to new customers who subscribe to Fibe 7 Internet and at least one other select service in the bundle; see bell.ca/bellbundle. Promotional $29.95 monthly price: $47.95 monthly price, less the $5 bundle discount, less the monthly credit of $13 applicable for the first 8 months. Total monthly price after 8 months is $42.95. Fibe is a trade-mark of Bell Canada.

arts 10

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com FILM

Keeping the courage

Despite pressure from the Chinese government, Tibet nomads continue to practice their traditions.

Documentary brings the struggle of Tibetan nomads to Montreal screens Sofia Gay Arts editor With dozens of communities claiming various areas of the city as havens from their homelands, Montreal can raise its multicultural flag high. But despite however many espressos one drinks at cafes in Little Italy, or the number of times one wanders down the streets of Chinatown, there’s still a certain level of disconnect that comes with living in a North American city, where many people are entirely cut off from news of the strife of other countries. One of the antidotes to this lack of understanding is to highlight issues through film. Tibet: Land of the Brave is a documentary that will bridge this gap for Tibetan Montrealers. This film chronicles the situation of the nomad communities in the region as they try to maintain their way of life. Tibetan-born Gyamtso, his Quebecer wife Marijo and their daughter Yangchen travel to Tibet for the birth of the couple’s second child. Gyamtso hasn’t been to his native country for 13 years, since he left for India, where he met Marijo. After the couple was married, they moved to Montreal. As the film progresses, the audience can see the changes to Gyamtso’s home through his eyes, adding a level of human connection to the film that personifies the struggle his family has seen though the years. Through interviews with Gyamtso’s family, coupled with the breathtaking footage of the Tibetan landscape, the film manages to relay the characters’ personal story while revealing larger issues at hand. It is an endeavour that, as director Gen-

eviève Brault explained, was a long time in the making. “From 2003 to about today—that’s how long we’ve been working trying to get this together,” she said. Accompanying the family on their two trips to Tibet, Brault took on the task of capturing the nomads’ way of life, which was neither an easy task, nor the safest. “I was worried, of course, from day one because it’s not the safest thing to do, to take a camera and take the risk to go to Tibet and film with it. However, we made up stories, we had stories about us being cousins that we had to rehearse to make sure we got straight if something happened

“

From 2003 to about today—that’s how long we’ve been working trying to get this together Geneviève Brault, Tibet: Land of the Brave director

to us,” she said. “But in the end, we had no problem; the equipment we used was very limited.” What she was not entirely prepared for was the reaction of the nomads themselves, who were just as fascinated by the newcomers as the film crew was by their lifestyle and traditions. “For the first maybe one or two weeks, it was hard to get them to just be natural for the camera because they would just be so concerned by you and how different you looked,” Brault recalled. “And then eventu-

ally they forgot all about it and we were able to capture all the shots.” The area of Tibet where Gyamtso’s family lives, and where the documentary was shot, is in the four Chinese provinces—Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan—which are outside the Tibet Autonomous Region. This is where many of the remaining nomads can be found. Since the invasion of Tibet by the Chinese in 1950, nomads who had maintained a certain lifestyle for thousands of years have seen their population decline and their traditions put in peril as the Chinese try to push them to change their ways. “China is now trying to move into the modernized world, they’re trying to become a developed country. They’re really powerful economically. So that’s the reason they give the nomads, they want to be like the United States,” Brault explained. “And they tell us that in order for us to contribute to China’s evolution, we need to step into that modernization.” One of the issues explored in the film is how, as this pattern progresses and the nomads are put under more pressure to change their ways, they will see their numbers die out. This played a large role in Brault’s motivation to make the film. “I really wanted to document those last moments, even for them, when they can show their kids 15 years from now, ‘This is how we used to live, this is what we used to do’, and keep up the pride that goes along with that,” she shared. Brault was able to witness the speed of some of these changes firsthand, as she saw how technology quickly made its way to the remotest of places. “In 2005, very few people had cell phones and only in cities, it wouldn’t get in the village or in nomad camps, you couldn’t get reception,” she recalled. “In four years, you can see how the modernization of China has really taken its toll; there were more houses, more modern houses, more cellphones, so they’re immersed in it.”

While revolts, as seen in the Middle East earlier this year, are becoming more and more feasible, Brault explained that it is not necessarily an option for Tibetans who want to fight back actively. “They do revolt and speak out—however, it’s at the risk of their own lives. People go to prison; people get beaten up for just stating what they believe in. So the more educated people who get a chance to do that often pay a very high price,” she said. The film is doing its part to help the situation by making audiences aware of the situation, drawing much needed attention to the nomads’ struggle by relating the message “that there are people fighting, resisting, trying to maintain their lifestyle and that we should sympathize with that cause,” Brault shared. She also hopes to dispel some of the common misconceptions about Tibetans. One of the biggest ones is the generalization of the Tibetans’ Zen way of being. “We see Tibetans as people that are very Zen, and relaxed, and calm, and always in meditation, that’s a stereotype of the Tibetan monk, for example. And of course, in monasteries that’s what it is,” she explained. “But everyday Tibetan life is very lively, very active, people are loud, screaming, running around. It’s nothing like what we can imagine; it’s a lot more active.” The nomads’ hardships do not necessarily make the evening news, but information about their plight is available—if the curious are interested in finding it. “And that’s what I’m hoping that people might do, read in between lines, ask questions when we can maybe try to clarify stuff,” said Brault. “Go on and do a little bit of research on their own to be able to appreciate or evaluate the situation in a better state of mind.” Tibet: Land of the Brave is showing at Cinema du Parc Sept. 9-11. For more info and links, visit the film’s website at www. tibetterredesbraves.net.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Oh, Canadance! DANCE

Dance group celebrates Canada’s national diversity Despina Doukas Contributor

On Sept. 8, Les Escales Improbables de Montréal will join forces with Studio 303 to present Singulier Pluriel, an evening of diverse performances at gallery Darling Foundry. Among the acts slated for the evening is Oh Canada, a universal mix of dance, text and music showcasing our country’s national identity, which will be presented by dance group The Choreographers. In Oh Canada, The Choreographers set out to investigate the landscape that has shaped them through a unique blend of athleticism, humour, naiveté and vulnerability. In a marriage of national icons, historical figures, and personal reflections, they explore what it is to be Canadian, and question who they are and where they come from. The Choreographers are four Montreal dance artists: Katie Ward, Thea Patterson, Peter Trosztmer and Audree Juteau. Between them, they have worked with numerous Montreal choreographers and companies, making their mark in the city’s dance community. Patterson said that the group was inspired by Canada’s diversity, and the discomfort at discussing national identity. “There is some interesting tension to look at there,” she said. “This performance is really directed towards those who are interested in the convergence of forms, where there is openness towards the possibility that anything can happen,” Patterson con-

The Choreographers will delight your patriotic senses at Les Escales Improbables festival. Photo by Valerie Sangin tinued. “The performance is rough and the physicality is raw, it showcases the chaos of effort.” The group began to work on this piece early in February. It was first presented in May at Studio 303, where the dancers as a group are the artists-in-residence. Patterson revealed that the diversity of the four performers, who are from different parts of Canada, was also mirrored in the creative process. “There were some subtle differences in thinking during the creative process,” she said. “We worked parallel as a consensus, and it was a political statement on how we decided things as a nation. But we always developed each idea together as a group.” The Choreographers developed Oh

Canada further while in England this summer. Despite the fact that the piece served to display the national identity of Canadians, Patterson said they were not too worried on how British audiences would take to the piece. “Although they may not know who certain historical figures such as Louis Riel are, it’s human and understandable,” she explained. “And they can recognize and laugh at some common Canadian stereotypes that are known universally.” Patterson also shared the group’s enthusiasm for their performance space. “Our motivation for working at the Fonderie Darling was that it is such a huge space,” she said. “It served as a metaphor for the immensity of Canada.”

The music for the performance will be provided by Montreal artist Michael Feuerstack, better known as Snailhouse. Patterson indicated that the group has worked with Snailhouse before, and were exited to collaborate with him once more for this piece. “It is super easy to work with him,” said Patterson. “He comes in and develops ideas with us, and he always understands what we want.” Oh Canada will be presented on Sept. 8 at 8 p.m. at the Darling Foundry, 745 Ottawa St., as part of the Singulier Pluriel evening at the Escales Improbables Festival of Montreal. For more info on this event, or to check out the full schedule for the festival, visit www.escalesimprobables.com.

VISUAL ARTS

Much of the lucid, nomadic and romantic Le Mois de la Photo includes collection of Danish filmmaker Jesper Just’s work Elizabeth Tomaras Copy editor Once frosh is done and that pounding headache from the festivities has finally worn off, pay a visit to Concordia’s Leonard & Bina Ellen Gallery for something bound to leave more of an impression on you than last night’s drinking. Le Mois de la Photo is an event focusing on issues relating to contemporary photography, and the 2011 edition explores the theme of Lucidity: Inward Views. The photo show has been going on for 20 years, with the gallery having participated in seven of the 12 times it has been showcased. “My idea was to start with the notion of photography as a medium of light. Not only is it made of light, especially in the traditional sense, but it also sheds light, bringing attention and framing specific things,” explained Anne Marie Ninacs, curator for Le Mois de la Photo 2011. “It was possible to think of light as a setting, light on our inner selves, or becoming a tool of consciousness,” she elaborated. “Last time, Le Mois de la Photo was all about the installation, how the image could take different shapes, how you viewed them. My Mois de la Photo is more about the insight of the image.” For this year’s instalment, the Leonard & Bina Ellen Gallery will exhibit Nomad in One’s Own Mind, a collection of the work of Danish filmmaker Jesper Just. His films are described by the gallery’s website as “short and dialogue-less, combining melodrama with film noir, featuring people in enigmatic emotional relationships, with music playing a prominent narrative role.”

“His whole work always has to do with the outside world and how it represents our inner world,” said Ninacs. Just’s films allow viewers to explore places within themselves that are not always tangible. “I often think of the spaces in his films as if you’re reading something on psychoanalysis. If you dream about a space or house, you’re usually visiting a space within yourself. What you discover might nourish the conscious of yourself,” said Ninacs. Just’s artwork does not deal only with complex subject matter. Ninacs guarantees that

“

It was possible to think of light as a setting, light on our inner selves, or becoming a tool of consciousness Anne Marie Ninacs, curator for Le Mois de la Photo 2011

displaying his work at Concordia is fitting. “There are many of his pieces that have to do with aging and it becomes quite an interesting topic for a younger audience,” she said. “One thing I had in mind, when relating it to Concordia, was showing a process. This is why I went back in time and took one piece from Just’s early years to show where he’s coming from and where he’s at now. I think it’s interesting for art students to see that, when you’ve got all this success and everybody wants a piece of you, you’re

A still from Just’s Romantic Delusions, one of the films that will be shown at Le Mois de la Photo exhibit.

still willing to challenge yourself and break your habits of working.” If Just’s creations are not necessarily your thing, there are 25 other shows at 15 different venues to choose from. “There will be all sorts of [media] like video or photo installations,” said Ninacs. “Quite often there will be one piece that will take a full room to be shown so simply entering a room is an experience in itself. Some will be meditative, some

more confronting, some more active.” But waste no time; Le Mois de la Photo is a biennale, and will not return in 2012. Nomad in One’s Own Mind will be running at the Leonard & Bina Ellen Gallery in the LB building, 1400 de Maisonneuve Blvd., from Sept. 7 to Oct. 8. For more Mois de la Photo exhibits, check out their website at www.moisdelaphoto.com

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

HIT LIST

theconcordian

Take me out: arts hit list Where to go for all things art in Montreal Sofia Gay Arts editor

ome of the best things in life come in pairs. From the number of animals Noah took on the ark to the more modern (but equally significant) two-for-one happy hour drink specials, more is always better. So behold, our two top picks of some of the city’s arts destinations. If it’s your first time cruising the fine streets of Montreal, cut out our handy dandy list and bring it with you on your travels.

GALLERIES Belgo (372 Ste-Catherine Street W.) With over 30 galleries and artists’ studios housed in one building, the Belgo offers plenty to satiate your visual arts fix. Remember: when it comes to arts sightseeing, it’s totally okay to skip that geography lecture. So take the day to explore its five floors.

Crtllab (3634 St-Laurent Boul.) Nestled between the bars on the StLaurent strip, Ctrllab is a great place to check out if you want to see work from young artists. Their residency program, which lets artists actually create and live in the back room of the gallery for a two-month period, is one highlight. With new exhibits and events nearly every week, this is one gallery to keep your eye on.

THEATRE Centaur Theatre (500 Place D’Armes) This self-described “premiere Englishlanguage theatre” calls the pinturesque streets of Old Montreal home. The Centaur had the bravado to have put on a musical dedicated to the most famous meat shop in town, Schwartz’s. A night here is bound to be worthy of your scrapbook.

Satiate your dramatic and architectural cravings in Old Montreal’s Centaur Theatre.

GAWK-WORTHY METRO ART

MUSEUMS

Namur Though it’s a little out of the way (unless you’re planning a trip to Village des Valeurs, which is only a block away), the honeycomb-resembling installation that hangs from the ceiling is photogenic and dazzling enough to be well worth the extra minutes of travel.

Champ-de-Mars Before stepping into the streets of Old Montreal, stop for a minute to take in the huge stained glass windows that line the walls of the station. Go right in the middle of a sunny day to witness the best (sober) psychedelic colour effects.

The Museum of Fine Arts is a must-see - just be wary of the tourists

BEST CAFES TO WRITE AT Kafein (1429 Bishop St.)

Shaïka (5526 Sherbrooke St. W)

The shisha may be gone, but this Bishop Street gem still manages to draw in all kinds of crowds. Not only do they have mismatched furniture you can melt into for hours, but they keep things mellow by playing music like The Smiths. Bonus: they may just have the best vegetarian chilli in town.

Taking over a corner right across NDG park, practically anywhere you sit inside this cafe will feel like your own private nook. Besides serving a mean cappuccino in bowl-like large cups, they have art from local artists hanging on the walls to inspire you.

Museum of Fine Arts (1380 Sherbrooke St. W.)

Musée d’art contemporain (185 Ste-Catherine W.)

Steps away from Concordia’s downtown campus, the MMFA offers two ultra-modern buildings bearing art from nearly every century and style, perfect for when you have a couple of hours to kill in between classes. Besides being the place to take in some Rembrandt and Picasso, make sure to go before Oct. 2 to check out the exhibit dedicated to fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier, in all its talking-mannequin glory. You won’t believe it ’til you see it.

Walk long enough through the underground hallways connected to Place-des-Arts metro, and you’ll stumble upon this modern art mecca. It’s small enough for a visit that won’t leave your eyes bloodshot from all the technicolour goodness, but big enough to hold as many artworks from up-and-coming contemporary artists as your little heart desires.

SECOND HAND BOOKSHOPS Encore (5670 Sherbrooke St. W.)

S. W. Welch (225 St. Viateur St. W.)

It’s hard to ignore Encore, and not just because they have an awesome selection of secondhand books, records and more—it literally stands out because of its aqua green colour, easily making it the nicest-looking storefront in NDG. Make sure to bring a rip-proof bag (or a pair of helping hands) for this one, ’cause you’ll most certainly be walking out with more than one treasure.

Chances are, if you ask any book lover to name their go-to bookshop on the island, they’ll mention S.W. Welch. With an amazing selection of rare and secondhand books at prices that won’t leave you begging for bus fare to get back home—not to mention the super-friendly staff— it’s well worth the visit. What’s better, it’s steps away from Montreal cultural landmark (and makers of the tastiest carbs on the island) St-Viateur Bagel.

Encore is your friendly neighbourhood bookstore in NDG. Photos by Navneet Pall

Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com POETRY

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

THEATRE

A room with a view

Don’t be afraid of the dark An ethereal take on Equus premieres at the Segal Centre Rebecca Ugolini Contributor

The Room 22 often puts on evenings of poetry and music, just like last July’s In a Garden event. Photo by Celia Spenard Ko

Local collective leaves the door wide open to share their art Sofia Gay Arts editor In an age where Piranha 3DD is considered an appropriate film title, and people use tiny keyboards to relate their innermost feelings on a daily basis, it’s not hard to imagine that poetry is going through a flux. Luckily for Montrealers, there are plenty of people—and young ones, at that—who are both passionate and active in making sure the written word as we once knew it stays alive and relevant. Such is the case with The Room 22, a local art collective that strives to promote the poetry and art of its members, as well as other artists around the city. Conceived in 2008, the collective’s beginnings were as auspicious as the work that would follow in the next few years. “We had planned to go to a motel room on St-Jacques, to take pictures,” recalled member Marie Jane. “After an entire night of bonding we just realized how much we were longing to create more. The idea was to create a channel in which everything, all our inspirations, all our expressions of art were communicated.” Publishing their work through their website (which offers a mix of poetry, photography and a manifesto that flows as easily as a poem), the eight-member strong collective is able to share their work with the public, as well as showcase the contrast between the members’ poetic aesthetics. “Through the blog, we push each other to create consistently. By seeing others produce work, it makes us want to do the same. The blog becomes a way of sharing every step of the process of writing, as well as visual creation,” explained Marie Jane. “We share our inspirations, our poems, our letters, our secrets…” And like any gathering of creative people working together, they also share in growing as a group. “We have different styles or maybe just different strengths and weaknesses, so from time to time we’ll disagree on certain things,” said member Guillaume Morissette. “In those times, it’s important, I feel, to try

to have empathy for the other person and try to see where the other person is coming from with his/her suggestion.” The collective also publishes their work through zines, a popular medium for young artists, because they are easy to distribute and pose no creative limits. “So far, the zines have been a collection of our work, as well as artists that we know, love and are inspired by,” said Marie Jane. “We enjoy receiving people’s work by email, and we are always looking for new writers and artists to promote.” Being wordsmiths in a modern era, the members of the collective also have their opinions on the direction poetry is headed. Poetry is not as appreciated as it was centuries ago, admits member Nicholas Lindsay, but it sill has a modern footing. “I think today it’s attached to temporary divertissements: [...] music, or Twitter, or street art. But I think that poetry, because of its intimate attachment to the written word [...] is easily lost in a world where the written word is everywhere coming at you from every direction.” Lindsay fears a lot of work is “lost” in the glut of writing available everywhere. “But I think this should force poetry and the best poets to make grander strides [and] step out beyond its limitations to the written word, like explore and reinvent its own presentation and themes.” Room 22 writers are aware of this, he added. At the end of the day, the collective is best described through the members’ own words. As Devin Charitonidis put it: “newborns, rootdown, cosmic, multilateral, poetry.” Morissette’s own description? “Home.” Join The Room 22 on Sept. 10 at the Friendship Cove, 215 Murray St., for We Send the Wave to Find the Wave, an evening of poetry and live music. To see more of their work, visit their website at www.theroom22.com

World-renowned director, choreographer and painter Domy Reiter-Soffer has come to Montreal this fall to open the theatre season at the Segal Centre with his innovative production of Peter Shaffer’s psychological drama, Equus. Based on the real story of a Norwich youth who blinded six horses in an act of passion, Equus traces the interaction between psychiatrist Dr. Martin Dysart and the disturbed 17-year-old Alan Strang as they undergo a psychotherapy program to discover the root and reason for the teenager’s cruel action. Since its first showing in 1973, Equus has intrigued and provoked audiences as a powerful portrait of psychological terror, religious fervour, and sexual obsession. Long celebrated through countless showings, a movie adaptation, and a recent revival in the public eye thanks to the controversial casting of Harry Potter actor Daniel Radcliffe in a 2007 West End production, Equus is a popular theatre choice. Montreal’s own Rialto Theatre hosted a production last April, directed by the accomplished Paul Van Dyck. But Montreal actor Dan Jeannotte (Alan) maintains that the Segal’s offering will be different. “Domy has a really unique vision for this show,” said Jeannotte of his director’s approach. “The show’s going to be very visual. It’s got a lot of beautiful movement in it, and I think it pulls the play off the page in a very exciting way. It’s not necessarily what people are used to with Equus— it’s not a show I’ve seen before. This one has a lot of dance elements in it, a lot of abstract imagery, and it’s really overall a much more engaging piece because of the way [Reiter-Soffer] is approaching it.” The set and costume design promise to make visual Reiter-Soffer’s abstract aesthetic philosophy

for Equus. While the original 1973 production of Equus at London’s Old Vic Theatre utilized actors in deconstructed horse-head masks to symbolize the horses’ presence on stage, Reiter-Soffer’s offering relies on movement and physicality to evoke the horses’ strength and elegant motion. “[The horses] are very stylized… they’re represented by movement-based actors, [and] they don’t have horse masks on, but they’re embodying the horse, the spirit of the horse, through the way they move,” explained Jeannotte. “That kind of stylized element that comes from Domy being the director—it’s seen throughout the whole show.” As a narrative, Equus mirrors the conflicted psychology of its characters: it is at once psychological and physical, introspective and outspoken, timid and wild. Jeannotte found playing the role of the “insular” Alan both challenging and rewarding. “[He] doesn’t really know anyone or have any friends [besides] his parents and the people at the stable. [But] what I think is really beautiful about Alan, and why he’s so fun to play, is the part that everyone can relate to: he has a huge imagination and a rich, rich inner life. “That’s something that people either understand, because we all have imagination, or something that we aspire to, in a way—to have an inner life that is as exciting as his is.” Jeannotte, a founding member of local comedy troupe Uncalled For, also appreciates the balance he’s been able to strike between comedic and serious roles throughout his career as a comedian and an actor. The performer and writer has also appeared in local stagings of As You Like It and Hedda Gabler. “I’ve been doing theatre as long as I’ve been doing sketch stuff and comedy, and the two have always gone hand-in-hand,” he explained. “I wouldn’t want to do just one or the other because it’s important for [my career and for] my own wellbeing to have the light and the dark.” Equus begins on Sept. 11 and runs until Oct. 2. Student tickets are $22. For more information, visit www.segalcentre.org.

music 14

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com PROFILE

Putting good music to use FM Hi LOW wants to share its groovy beats and meaningful messages Allie Mason Contributor Four years ago, FM Hi LOW was a mere sparkle in Fraser MacDougall’s eye. Even though he began by performing on his own, his recordings boasted full-band flavour. Yet he was still a oneman band, performing all the instruments and vocals on his first record Up On the Hillside. Over the next three and a half years, he searched for band members and worked on his sound, but until this past May he experienced a revolving door of bassists and drummers. “[With] all the other previous rhythm sections, we lived together and it was like 24 hours a day with each other,”said MacDougall, admitting that turning friends into professional musicians wasn’t as easy as he thought it would be. “My new approach was to find great professional musicians and then make them my friends.” Luckily, this method was successful. Since he “put out the vibes” as he called it, MacDougall has adopted Simon “Dizzy” Veillet on bass guitar and bass synth, and Sarah Dion on back-up vocals and drums as permanent fixtures in FM Hi LOW. MacDougall found Veillet by posting an ad on the Internet. Veillet’s audition ended favourably and, afterward, the two had a barbecue to celebrate. But all the fun led to Veillet feeling lightheaded and when he got up to excuse himself, he wound up fainting, slamming his face against a wall, and driving his glasses into his eye. This accident resulted in a trip to the emergency room, four stitches, some serious brotherly bonding and how he got the nickname “Dizzy.” After his recovery, Veillet recalled jamming with a talented drummer a few months earlier and suggested to MacDougall they invite her over to jam with them. “It was an instant yes,” said MacDougall, and a few weeks later called upon Veillet and Dion to complete his musical trio.

“

I think music is a very powerful thing. It could hold within it messages and things that may get people thinking Fraser MacDougall, FM Hi LOW founding member

MacDougall describes their sound as “movement music for the body and mind. It’s danceable music. It’s groovy music. It’s based in reggae and funk and hip-hop and all those fun groovy kinds of music.” Lately they’ve been dabbling in dubstep, playing a live set with heavy bass rhythms and a more electronic resonance. After a couple of shows in Montreal, they performed at two large festivals along the east coast this summer: Folly Fest in Gagetown, New Brunswick where they played alongside Grand Theft Bus, and Evolve Festival in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, where major acts like Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Pretty Lights also took the stage. Now, they are back in Montreal and ready for a homecoming.

FM Hi LOW will be performing at the Movement Music Loft Sept. 9. Photo by Kevin Universal But FM Hi LOW is not just another band that wants to get you on your feet; they have a message they want to share. Their lyrics are embedded with themes of social justice, the environment and other topics they feel need to be discussed in popular culture. “I think music is a very powerful thing,” said MacDougall. “It could hold within it messages and things that may get people thinking or motivate them to change the way that they live or they interact with others so that we can make

this change possible.” Their song “Take the Back Roads” reiterates their beliefs with the repeating line, “Come on people / Let’s all get equal / Let’s all get equal / And evolve.” FM Hi LOW practices what it preaches, aiming to make music that can resonate with people of any age, class, or social group. They have a sound that is universal; it reaches beyond categories and styles by blending musical influences with the same unifying intention.

How their music is classified comes second to how it feels. “The music is a vibe,” explained MacDougall. “It’s a positive energy. It’s a life force that people can use in their daily lives in order to keep them motivated through the bad stuff they have to deal with.” You can catch FM Hi LOW in concert Sept. 9 at 10 p.m. at the Movement Music Loft, 391 Chatham St. For more information and their latest album Up On the Hillside visit www. fmhilow.com.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

MIXTAPE

Every student feels differently when it comes to going back to school. For some students, like myself, it can be dreadful. While for others, it is full of excitement. This is why this mixtape has two very opposite moods. Side A is a bit despairing as well as nostalgic. It represents the feeling of summer ending and having to let go of the warm sun and having a free mind. Side B is much more uplifting as well as exciting. Once you get over the fact that summer is gone, you are faced with the wonderful reality of meeting new people, parties and, of course, more knowledge. So however you feel about the imminent arrival of school, hopefully you will find a song or two you can appreciate.

http://8tracks.com/the_concordian/back-to-school

SIDE A: The fading of summer’s glow

Back to school Compiled by Roya Manuel-Nekouei Contributor

1. “Summer Skin” – Death Cab For Cutie - Plans 2. “Good Friend” – Plants and Animals – Parc Avenue 3. “Stuck on the Puzzle” – Alex Turner – Submarine Soundtrack 4. “Against the Grain” – City and Colour – Bring Me Your Love 5. “I’ve Smoked Too Much” – Lawrence Arabia – Chant Darling 6. “Collapse The Light Into Earth” – Porcupine Tree – In Absentia 7. “These Days” – The Black Keys – Brothers 8. “Realize It’s Not The Sun” – Hooray For Earth – True Loves 9. “re: Stacks” – Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago 10.“Into the Hollow” – Queens Of The Stone Age - Era Vulgaris

Quick Spins

SIDE B: Getting back into the groove 11. “The Woodland National Anthem” – Arcade Fire – Arcade Fire EP 12. “Escapee - Architecture In Helsinki” – Moment Bends 13. “Fire it Up” – Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank 14. “Close To Me” – The Cure – Greatest Hits 15. “The Boxer” – The Chemical Brothers – Push The Button 16. “Sober” – Muse – Showbiz 17. “Spiralling” – Keane - Perfect Symmetry 18. “Where Is My Mind?” – Pixies – Surfer Rosa 19. “15 Step” – Radiohead – In Rainbows 20. “Something Good Can Work” – Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History

Retro review

The Weeknd - Thursday (XO; 2011)

Jay-Z and Kanye West - Watch the Throne (Roc-A-Fella; 2011)

The Clash – Combat Rock (Epic Records; 1982)

Normally bands whose careers have successfully spanned over 30 years have virtually nothing left to prove. This is not the case with the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ latest release I’m With You. There’s no doubt that for most people, full attention will be devoted to scrutinizing the void left by John Frusciante on guitar. However, much credit should go to Josh Klinghoffer for filling the gargantuan shoes left behind. Yes, the band still sounds like the Red Hot Chili Peppers we all know and love, borrowing from the funky-pop style they’ve called their own for the past decade or so. If there’s any criticism to be made on this record, it’s that it shows little attempt to move forward with the band’s sound, preferring to continue exactly where Stadium Arcadium left off. That being said, the album in itself is quite good and, although not groundbreaking in any way, contains some of the band’s catchiest tunes to date.

Upon the release of his debut mixtape House of Balloons back in March, Toronto-based R&B crooner the Weeknd (real name Abel Tesfaye) became a scorching hot commodity throughout the music world, and for a good reason: his experimental, dubstep-influenced brand of R&B garnered rave reviews and a co-sign from fellow Torontonian Drake. On Thursday, his second release this year alone, he relies far too heavily on his first outing’s mellow tones and sex, drugs and rock & roll themes, often at the expense of hooks and creative growth. While tracks like the melancholic, seven-minute “The Zone” (on which Drake drops a guest verse) and the stripped down, acoustic number “Rolling Stone” will pull at the female listener’s heartstrings through his frequent use of his falsetto and contemporary R&B vocal stylings, his apparent fixation on partying, sex, and what happens the morning after can become somewhat grating upon repeat listens.

When two of the biggest names in hip-hop come together for one LP, it’s hardly unrealistic for one to expect it to be the stuff of legends. And on Watch the Throne, there are points where the dynamic duo come close to such territory. The album’s cons tend to outweigh its pros at times. Trading verses back and forth throughout most of the LP, the duo’s most explosive moments come on tracks such as “That’s My Bitch” which shows the two at their most motivated, as well as on the Nina Simone-sampling “New Day,” where Jigga and Ye can be heard talking to their hypothetical sons over a mellowed out RZA beat in a rare moment of introspection. The album loses points, however, on an irritating interpolation of Cassius’ “I Love You So” on “Why I Love You”, as well as through the album’s often braggadocious, materialistic themes. While Watch the Throne certainly has its moments of brilliance, its repetitive themes and overall lack of cohesiveness make it somewhat of a shadow of what it could have been.

Not many bands can make a political statement quite like The Clash. Released in 1982, Combat Rock, their fifth studio album, conveys their antiracism, anti-war, anti-aristocracy message in the catchiest way possible. “This is a public service announcement – with guitar!” sings Joe Strummer at the top of his lungs on the opening track “Know Your Rights.” But The Clash itself was a public service announcement not only with guitar but with a blend of genres ranging from funk to reggae. The band managed to infiltrate the mainstream with “Should I Stay or Should I Go?,” one of their most recognizable songs, and delighted people with “Rock the Casbah.” As the album progresses, the songs begin to sound more exotic as traditional drum sets are replaced with bongos and wind instruments add a sense of mystery. Immigration, war, poverty and disillusionment are some of the many themes covered in Combat Rock and The Clash addresses them in a way no band had previously attempted.

Trial track: “Monarchy of Roses”

Trial track: “Rolling Stone”

Trial track: “That’s My Bitch”

Trial track: “Straight to Hell”

7.5/10

6.0/10

7.0/10

Red Hot Chili Peppers – I’m With You (Warner Bros; 2011)

- Robert Flis

- David MacIntyre

- Elizabeth Tomaras

Tuesday, September 6, 2011 BENEFIT

theconcordian

Music shall save the world

Andrew Guilbert Contributor

Fucking Mozart, how does he work?

In the latest of a long line of strange musical projects, Jack White has teamed up with face painted rappers Insane Clown Posse to rerecord something truly old school - Mozart’s “Leck mich im Arsch.” The song, produced by White, uses a Mozart melody dating back to 1782 and whose name roughly translates to “Lick me in the arse.” In a video promoting the new single, which will be released digitally and as a 7” on Sept. 13 through White’s Third Man Records, the collaboration is purported to be “230 years in the making.” In an interview with Billboard, ICP member Violent J confessed “the most respected musician in the world and one of the most hated musicians in the world […] we didn’t expect that call, brother.” Truly, this is the collaboration we’ve all been waiting for.

Concordia student organizes benefit concert to combat famine in the Horn of Africa Giselle MacDonald Interim music editor Whoever said one person can not make a difference definitely needs to meet undergraduate student and activist Afrah Aden. Aden, a community and public affairs major, was disheartened by the famine crisis in the Horn of Africa while watching news reports. Refusing to keep her arms crossed and waiting for something to happen, she decided to step up and organize a charity event. “I was moved by the plight of the victims and felt it was my duty, especially because I am Somali, to lend my support in any way I could,” said Aden. “Many communities across Canada were staging

events to raise funds and I felt it was something that I could organize as well.” With family and friends still residing in Somalia, this issue affects her on a personal level. “Knowing that my people are suffering from famine hurts,” said Aden. “Somalia could possibly lose an entire generation of people [and] this possibility is devastating, even more so because it is avoidable.” Aden was inspired by the Somali diaspora’s ability to mobilize and work with one another for the cause and decided to coordinate a concert that would allow people to be entertained while donating their money to a great cause. “Music is a wonderful medium to bring people together,” said Aden. “I believe that it can also be used to bring awareness to issues of social justice and equality.” The bands performing at the concert all sing about dilemmas that affect the globe, focusing on Africa in particular. The concert will include performances from Zoutenn de Mondélé, who is originally from the Central African Republic and discusses subject matter relating to his culture and the rich artistic history of his people in his music; and Waahli and Meduza, who are members of the multicultural hip-hop crew, Nomadic Massive.

Aden has been involved in humanitarian causes and social justice movements in the past; she has been part of rallies to fight for immigrant, student, and women’s rights. However, this is the first time she’s decided to organize something so meaningful on her own, without the aid of an established group. She believes it is important for universities provide a good place to become politically active. “Universities provide a great place to gain knowledge and connect with like-minded students and faculty,” explained Aden. “Concordia has a long history of students raising awareness and promoting issues of social justice and equality.” Aden’s hope is that enough people attend this benefit concert in order to raise a substantial donation for those affected by this famine. “Even if students are unable to attend this event, I hope that it increases awareness among students.” The concert will take place Sept. 6 at Club Balattou, 4372 Saint-Laurent Blvd. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. All donations for the famine relief effort will be matched dollar for dollar by the Canadian government until Sept. 16.

Were we still talking about this?

The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council has declared radio listeners countrywide can be exposed to the word “faggot” in the context of Dire Strait’s “Money for Nothing” as it does not violate any broadcast code. Last January, the CSBC had ruled that the song did violate their code of ethics, after a single complaint from a listener in Newfoundland and Labrador gave cause for concern. Now, it seems, they have had a change of heart, stating it was up to broadcasters “to make the airplay choice appropriate to their market.” The council surmised that “[Alternative versions] are available for broadcast and, to the extent that broadcasters wish to respect that sensitivity of members of their audience, they have the option to make that airplay choice without any editing of the song on their part.” “Money for Nothing” came out over a quarter of a century ago, in 1985.

Zoutenn de Mondélé (left), Waahli aka Wyzah (centre) and Meryem aka Meduza (right) will perform at the benefit concert

Nothing compares 2 [Your name here]

Eighties songstress Sinead O’Connor has eschewed eHarmony and Match.com in favor of a more unorthodox approach to finding a soul mate. Last week, an article by O’Connor published in the Irish Independent revealed that she was actively searching for a partner as her “situation sexually/affectionately speaking is so dire that inanimate objects are starting to look good, as are inappropriate and/or unavailable men and/or inappropriate and/or unavailable fruits and vegetables.” In a followup post on her website, she added that “Any man wishing to make a case for himself must be between 38 and 55 […] unattached, and aware that he WILL be dumped at the drop of a hat if either Ryan [Tubridy], Adam Clayton, or Robert Downey Juniour (sic) stake a claim.”

Here’s hoping it’s nothing like the Flight of Icarus

Iron Maiden’s lead singer and all-around renaissance man Bruce Dickinson will be piloting one of the first flights out of New York after Hurricane Irene, according to Britain’s Daily Mail. The rocker will fly 200 passengers from Newark to Reykjavík on the Boeing 757 he and his band mates used for their recent The Final Frontier tour. The plane, leased to the band by charter airline Astreus, comes complete with decals of the bands’ logo and mascot splayed across its sides. This is the third time Dickinson has helped fly stranded passengers home; in 2006 he flew close to 200 UK citizens out of Lebanon during the country’s conflict with Israel and in 2008 he flew 180 tourists out of Egypt after the collapse of XL Airways UK left them stranded.

WASTEPAPERMAGAZINE.CO.UK

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

HIT LIST

Hit me up before you go, go A list of Montreal’s finest musical locales Giselle MacDonald Interim music editor

handful of Montreal music venues and record stores await you to step in and pamper your ears with fierce tunes. This hit list names some that might catch your eye... or, in this case, your music taste. Check them out!

MUSIC VENUES

RECORD STORES

La Sala Rossa (4848 St-Laurent)

Casa del Popolo (4873 St-Laurent)

Atom Heart (364 Sherbrooke East)

Whether it’s jazz, breakdance, good ol’ rock ‘n’ roll, folk, poetry readings, reggae, DJs or even film screenings, La Sala Rossa’s got it all. With its whimsical vintage stage and perfect size pit to dance your shoes off, La Sala guarantees you a hell of a time. Soon to play here are Mudhoney, Color Violeta, and The Necks.

Some might say it’s hipster heaven while others agree there are too many mustaches for their taste. But Casa del Popolo offers much more than quirky fashion statements - it gives you a chance to indulge yourself in underground music for fair and affordable prices. Playing soon at Casa are Le Grand Nord, New Apple Taste, and Chad Valley.

Offering an exceptional service and an extensive variety of independent rock and electronic music, Atom Heart will make you want to go all out and buy everything off the shelves.

Club Soda (1225 St-Laurent)

Corona Theatre (2490 NotreDame West)

Beatnick Music (3770 SaintDenis)

Plenty of well-known Canadian artists that have secured a spot on today’s music scene, such as The Tragically Hip and Barenaked Ladies, performed for the first time in Montreal at Club Soda. The shows here are a bit pricier, but damn well-worth it! Matisyahu, Mord Fustang, Two Door Cinema Club, and The Planet Smashers will be rocking at Club Soda soon.

Located in the heart of St. Henri, the vintage looking Corona Theatre accommodates phenomenal live performances. Its old-school vibe and vigorous sound quality will make you feel higher than you might be already. Awaited shows include Twin Shadow, Laura Marling, and Girls.

CDs or vinyls, old or new, top 40 or under the radar. In this rare and obscure record shop, you’ll find whatever tickles your fancy. Take your pick!

Le Divan Orange (4234 St-Laurent)

Upstairs Jazz Club (1254 Mackay)

Recognized as an important joint for Montreal’s music culture, Le Divan Orange participates actively and ambitiously in the development of music in Quebec. So if you feel like being surrounded by funky orange lighting and sprinkling your night with a bit of local sound, Le Divan might be the right place for you! Soon to perform here are Emma Baxter, Tako Tsubo, and Hobo Outlaws.

If the chill mode kicks in and you just feel like laying back on an elegant wooden chair while smooth jazz notes tickle your ears, Upstairs is waiting for you and your refined music taste. The cozy semi-basement counts with music 52 weeks a year to quench your musical thirst, and delicious drinks to quench your university student thirst.

Paul’s Boutique (112 Mont-Royal East) This charming full-of-personality shop might be small, but what it lacks in size it makes up in fun, personalized service with the owner himself... who is actually named Paul (No shit, Sherlock!) It’s like Alice’s trip to Wonderland minus an LSD trip and up a great selection of rock and punk records and posters.

Paul’s Boutique. Photo by Damiano Raveenthiran

sports 18

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com PROFILE

Concordia Stingers guard Kyle Desmarais represented his country and is now ready to lead the Stingers to a successful season. Photo by Navneet Pall

Silver lining: Stinger plays at international competition Guard Kyle Desmarais talks winning silver at Summer Universiade in China

to stack up against guys who are playing professionally overseas, which is a future goal of mine. As a person, I thought China was very different. It was very interesting to walk around the city of Shenzhen. People don’t have much, but they enjoy life and they’re very happy. It was very interesting to see.

Michael Downs Contributor

How did the opportunity to play for Team Canada come about? Well, this team was comprised of only CIS players. A selection committee was made and coach [University of British Columbia head coach Kevin Hanson] said that they spent about four hours on the telephone talking about each player selected. Basically, they were putting together a team that they thought would do the best against international competition.

To say that Stingers guard Kyle Desmarais has had a busy year would be an understatement. After leading the Concordia men’s basketball team to a provincial title and a berth in the CIS National Tournament, the RSEQ Co-MVP and CIS All-Canadian was one of 12 men selected to represent Canada at the 26th Summer Universiade this past summer. The biennial event, held this year from Aug. 12-23 in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, brings together some of the world’s finest university-age athletes. The Canadian men did their country proud, bringing home a silver medal. The Concordian recently spoke with Kyle as he was preparing for his upcoming season with the Stingers. You recently spent time in China representing your country. How did the experience affect you as both a person and a basketball player? As a basketball player it was very humbling. There were some really good guys from Serbia, Australia, Turkey, Romania and basically all over the world. We got the chance

The team was comprised of 12 individuals from 11 different schools, spread over five provinces. Was chemistry ever an issue? Chemistry, to be honest, was never an issue for us. Nobody really had an ego or a secret agenda. Everyone came to training camp with one goal in mind, and that was to win the gold medal. Everyone sacrificed and checked their egos at the door, so chemistry was never an issue despite guys coming from 11 different schools. I think everyone came together really well in those five days of training camp at UBC. The team reached the gold medal game for the first time in 14 years. Could you offer

any insight into what might have led this particular squad to achieve the success it did? The one thing that we could rely on was our defence. Coach Hanson implemented some defensive structure and rules, and we stuck to that. For a lot of the games, shots weren’t falling and our offence wasn’t too smooth. However, we were holding teams that averaged 80 or 90 points a game to about 50 or 60 points, so it was definitely our defence that led us to the gold medal game.

able with each other and it was very satisfying to be out there with the guys and experience something new and exciting.

You were the only Quebec representative selected to the squad. Do you have any idea why that is? Do you take it as a compliment? I thought that some other Quebec players could have made the team. However, their body of work during this season didn’t indicate their potential talent. When they were looking to make this team sometimes all they had were stats and accolades. I definitely think that more Montreal and Quebec players could have made the team but being the only representative was also definitely an honour.

Would you say that your trip to China made you a better basketball player? It mostly made me a smarter basketball player. Most of the players we went up against played professionally. The entire Serbian squad that beat us in the gold medal game was made up of professionals. We even played against a guy that was selected in the NBA draft. Playing against such a high level of competition is definitely going to make you a better basketball player.

Can you recall your favorite moment during the trip and what in particular about that moment set it apart from the rest? My most memorable part of the trip was the one day that we got to leave the athletes’ village. We got to go to the market, where we really experienced Chinese culture. We went to eat at a Chinese restaurant and the team did a great job of bonding in that day. Everyone got a little bit closer and a little more comfort-

Based on your experience in China, do you have any aspirations to return to the Canadian national team in the future? I definitely have aspirations to play for the senior men’s team and Team Canada in general. I’m actually going to Mexico for the Pan American Games with the same team I played with in China.

What in particular will you take from your experience overseas as you prepare to return to the Stingers? I’m going to take the leadership skills I learned in China. Being the team’s point guard, I had to learn to be a lot more vocal and much more of a leader to get guys in position. I’m also going to bring the work ethic and intensity of my teammates there in an effort to win a national championship.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

BASKETBALL

Concordia falls to Niagara in preseason The Stingers lose first tune-up game 85-82 to NCAA school Julian Mei Interim sports editor The Concordia men’s basketball team took the court for the first time Wednesday night, losing a hard-fought exhibition game to the NCAA’s Niagara Purple Eagles by a score of 85-82. Given the electric atmosphere in the gym and the intense play on the court it was hard to tell that it was just a preseason game, something that Stingers’ coach John Dore was hoping for. “I think the intensity of the game is an advantage,” he said. “It teaches our guys to play hard, it was a very physical game and it was a close game and great for the fans to watch.” The Stingers stormed out to a 13-point lead just five minutes into the game. However, Niagara clamped down defensively and managed to get out of the first quarter trailing only 31-24. “(Concordia) threw the first punch,” said Niagara coach Joe Mihalich. “Coach Dore deserves a lot of credit. We were outcoached and outworked for most of the game. They had us on our heels right away and I think we were lucky to win the game.” Niagara was able to generate some momentum late in the first and carry it over into the next quarter. Niagara went on a 9-0 run early in the second quarter, and by the sevenminute mark of the frame they had taken a one-point lead. “I think defensively we broke down,” said Dore. “I think we did a good job early of containing them and stunting their transition game. But then we made some substitutes midway through the first quarter and the defence sort of broke down and (Niagara)

Zach Brisebois (13) and Marvin Jordan (32) battle for ball. Photo by Navneet Pall started getting to the hoop and it continued into the second quarter.” Malcolm Lemmons of Niagara would stretch the lead to 10 points, finishing off an impressive layup as he was falling down to the court after being fouled; Lemmons would make the free throw for three of his 20 points in the game. Fifth-year Stingers guard Decee Krah noticed the tremendous athleticism of the Niagara players.

“Guys (from American schools) are more athletic, they’re bigger, they’re more skilled and they’re tough competitors,” said Krah. “Everyone in [the RSEQ] are tough competitors, too, but these guys are just more athletic.” Concordia managed to get to halftime only down five points and would go on a run to take a six point lead in the middle of the fourth quarter. The Stingers’ shooting, though, went ice cold, and the team was unable to

score a basket for almost four minutes late in the final quarter. Fortunately for the Stingers, though, Niagara wasn’t much better and allowed Concordia to hang around until the very end of the game. After a Niagara turnover with six seconds left in the fourth quarter, Concordia had a chance to tie the game, but Jean-Andre Moussignac’s desperation three-point shot was blocked, securing the Niagara win. For Mihalich, defensive adjustments were key to the victory. “I thought our defence got better (after the first quarter). We started to get back more after we were a little bit sluggish to start and gave up some easy baskets. When we started to play better defence we were able to score some points,” he said. Despite the loss, Concordia managed to hang tough with a Division-I NCAA college and dispelled some of the myths about the inferiority of CIS basketball. “I think (Concordia) would compete with all the teams in our conference. If anyone in our conference wasn’t ready to go, Concordia would beat them,” said Mihalich. The Purple Eagles play in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, where the conference champion receives an automatic berth in the NCAA championship tournament in March. The game was also a brief homecoming for Niagara forward Eric Williams. Williams played two years of high-school basketball at Champlain College with Stingers’ guard Moussignac. “It was great,” said Williams. “I got to see some guys I played with at Champlain who were at the game and it was nice to come back.” Williams also played the role of tour guide for his teammates, many of whom had never visited Montreal. Their impression of the city so far? “They’ve liked it,” said Williams. “They think it’s very different and that the girls are very pretty.”

BASEBALL

Doubleheader sweep out of reach for Stingers Stingers lose close then dominate in twin bill against Ravens Julian Mei Interim sports editor

The old baseball saying “the third out is always the hardest” was proven true once again in the Concordia Stingers’ first game of the season Sunday afternoon. Leading the Carleton Ravens 3-1 in the final inning of the game, Stingers starting pitcher Alex Kechayan recorded the first two outs of the inning with relative ease before it all fell apart. Kechayan would give up a two out walk and single before manager Howard Schwartz removed him from the game, replacing him with relief pitcher Pierre-Marc Lebel. Lebel immediately gave up two singles allowing the tying runs to score. “That was the bottom of their order,” Schwartz said. “They’d gone hitless on the day and they came up with some clutch hitting, so give them credit for that.” After pitching masterfully for 6 2/3 innings, allowing only seven hits and striking out one batter (league games are only seven innings when playing doubleheaders), Kechayan was simply out of gas having thrown over 100 pitches. Though Kechayan would have liked to complete the game Schwartz just simply couldn’t leave Kechayan in any longer. “(Kechayan) pitched a gem,” said Schwartz. “He did everything we possibly asked from him and more. He just had nothing left. He was running on fumes at that point, so guys just started waiting on his fastball because his curveball just wasn’t getting in the strike zone.” Concordia would be retired in order in the bottom of the seventh, leaving the door open

for Carleton to go ahead in extra innings. Lebel would manage to get the first out of the inning before giving up a double, spelling the end of his afternoon. Brian Hutchinson replaced Lebel, but didn’t fare much better. After a base hit put runners on second and third, Schwartz was once again faced with a tough decision to load the bases with an intentional walk, and hope for a double play ball. With the bases loaded Hutchinson walked the next two batters he faced, giving Carleton a 5-3 lead, before pitching out of the inning. Despite the undesirable consequences, Schwartz didn’t regret his decision to issue the intentional pass. “It’s the play you’ve got to make,” said Schwartz. “With runners on second and third with one out you’ve got to give your infielders a chance to make a play. Unfortunately we walked the two batters and that made the difference. But you’ve got to give your fielders a chance.” Concordia would manage to rally in the bottom of the inning, making the score 5-4, but with a runner on third base, Stingers rookie outfielder Tim Riley would strike out to end the game, leaving the tying run 90 feet away. Carleton starting pitcher Charlie Crab completed the game giving up four earned runs, eight hits, striking out five and being credited with the win. Concordia would leave nothing to chance in the second game, though. The Stingers exploded for a 13-run third inning against Ravens’ starting pitcher Tyler Brody en route to a 13-1 victory, that was mercy ruled after five innings. The inning was capped off by a grand slam home run by Stingers’ first baseman Andre Lagarde. “We had control of both games,” said Schwartz. “The only difference was that we didn’t close the door on the last out (in the first game). In the second game our offence just took over and we didn’t even give them a chance.” Lost in the offensive explosion was the

Alex Kechayan came one out shy of a complete game win. Photo by Navneet Pall impressive pitching of Stingers’ starter Brandon Berkovits. Berkovits pitched four, nearly perfect innings, allowing no hits and striking out six batters. The only Raven to reach base against Berkovits was a lead-off walk in the first inning;

Berkovits promptly picked off the runner with what Schwartz called “a professional pick-off move.” Concordia will face archrival and defending national champion McGill on Sept. 6. The game is at 7:30 p.m at Trudeau Park.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

FOOTBALL

theconcordian

Stingers lose to defending champs in football opener

Concordia trumped 36-8 by Laval Stefano Mocella Contributor

Concordia opened their 2011 season in the toughest form possible on Saturday: a game against the defending CIS champions, the Laval Rouge et Or. The Stingers were up for the challenge early on and hung in with the Rouge et Or for over three quarters, only trailing 13-6 heading into the fourth. Laval, however, ran away with the game in the fourth quarter, scoring 23 points in a span of 11 minutes to put Concordia away. Laval jumped out to a 10-0 lead after the first quarter. Kicker Boris Bede booted a 15-yard field goal and, after a two-and-out by Concordia, Laval drove 58 yards in just four plays culminating in a six yard touchdown run by Sebastien Levesque. A rouge and a safety put Laval up 13-0 at the half. After Concordia’s Terrance Morsink’s interception in the third quarter, the Stingers were able to pick up their quarterback by forcing a fumble on Laval’s first play with the ball. Concordia would transform the turnover into some points with a 42-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 13-6 heading into the fourth quarter. But that was as close as Concordia was going to get. Laval stormed back with a pair of touchdown passes of seven and 35 yards to Patrick Lavoie and J.S. Haidara respectively. The Rouge et Or would then return a fumble for a touchdown later on in the quarter, with the game already out of reach. Though disappointed with the lopsided loss coach Gerry McGrath could find solace in his team’s strong defensive play. “The score does not indicate how well our defence played, they deserved a lot better,” said coach Gerry McGrath. “They played hard, they played inspired, they were good enough to beat anybody today.” The defence did an excellent job of forcing turnovers and pressuring the Laval quarterback. Concordia forced three fumbles (recovering one), intercepted two passes and recorded five sacks. Much like McGrath predicted before the game, the Concordia defence would “bend but not break.” Laval quarterback Bruno Prud’homme was 21-of-31 for 255 yards passing with two touch-

Running back Michael Donnelly (7) and the rest of the Stingers’ backs gained only nine rushing yards. Photo by Navneet Pall downs and two interceptions. Concordia also only allowed Laval’s potent running game 126 yards total. However, Laval was able to control the ball for the majority of the game; the team was on offence for almost 40 minutes. “It was a complete effort as a unit,” said cornerback Nathan Taylor. “Our coverage is different this year, and it helped us get more pressure to the quarterback.” Despite some strong play on defence, Taylor wasn’t going to blame the offence solely for the loss. “It’s a team game,” he said. “Everyone just has to worry about doing their part and I’m confident the offence will step it up and we’ll all keep improving.” The Concordia offence was stymied all game.

As a unit, they rushed for just nine yards on 16 carries. Morsink was only 17-of-39 for 134 yards and two interceptions. With about five minutes left, he was pulled in order to give new recruit Reid Quest some playing time in a game that was out of reach. Quest went 4-of-5 for 68 yards and an interception. “We just didn’t execute on offence,” said McGrath. “Our o-line was terrible, our quarterbacking was off and we dropped a lot of balls. I just can’t say one good thing about our offence today.” Morsink shouldered much of the blame for the offence’s shortcomings. “I can’t blame my teammates for all the drops. I missed passes and threw two interceptions,” he said. “My o-line gave me enough time. I’ve got to make my reads

quicker.” On a positive note, linebacker Bryan Charleau made his return after two years of battling knee injuries. “I missed this so much,” he said. “It was great to be back here with these guys. I’ve been waiting two years for this.” Falling to 0-1 when playing the province’s best team isn’t the end of the world, and keeping Laval in check for most of the game should have a positive effect in the coming weeks. If the defence keeps playing like it did on Saturday Concordia should stay competitive this season. The Stingers will visit the Bishop’s Gaiters this Saturday, Sept. 10 at 1 p.m.

opinions

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Write to the editor: opinions@theconcordian.com

EDITORIAL

Remember, remember the student centre CSU has until the end of this month to make a decision on the Faubourg; could we get a little insight? Concordia desperately needs a student centre. Or so Concordia students have been told by successive executives of the CSU. They thought students needed one so badly that they proposed students be charged $2 per credit a few years back for a grand student edifice that is not even close to being on the horizon. Unless of course one counts the Faubourg Ste-Catherine, which is not that good of an idea to begin with. The dungeon-like building on Concordia’s downtown campus is currently up for grabs, with the university needing a decision from the CSU by the end of this month. Will the CSU take it and use it to develop its long sought-after student centre? Who knows; the CSU has yet to say anything official, and the clock is ticking. Let us remember that this is the same executive that ran on the promise of public consultation of the student body when it came to student space. That has yet to actually happen, and there is very little time between now and the end of the month to start getting student feedback. But that kind of dialogue is not very

The CSU has yet to offer a position on the Faubourg as the location for a student centre, while the administration says it has no other alternative. Photo archives. necessary where the Faubourg is concerned. Students have already made it crystal clear that they are not interested in anything related to that less-than-flattering locale. That message was made particularly evident last November when students overwhelmingly rejected a $2,50 increase to the student centre fee-levy. It’s no secret that one of the main reasons behind the No vote was that students did not appreciate the

previous CSU executive’s secretive nature when it came to the location of the student centre, although it was widely known that the Faubourg was the front-runner. The current CSU executive is more than aware of this disinterest in the Faubourg among the student population. VP clubs and student space Gonzo Nieto was even one of the more notable voices in the unofficial Vote No campaign that sprung up during

last November’s referendum. So now that Nieto and his fellow execs are in a position of power, why hesitate in pronouncing the “No” they once pushed so strongly? The answer of course, or at least part of it, lies with the fact that the CSU really has no other idea where to put a student centre. They have admitted as much, and the university administration has already indicated that with the current $2 per credit fee-levy in place, there really is no other option that the university can consider at this point. The CSU has yet to really reveal its thinking on the Faubourg decision. But in the meantime, it’s important to remember that the union has close to $7 million sitting in a bank account, funds stemming from a fee-levy that has yet to be put to good use. This of course provokes a more fundamental question: is a student centre even necessary? It’s a question that would be worth asking a few more times to the student body. While the CSU remains on the fence about the Faubourg or any student centre alternative, students will continue to pay $2 per credit for something that may not see the light of day for another five years, if ever. Considering that money is crucial where students are concerned, it’s time that the CSU reveal its thought process regarding a potential student centre, or just come clean and admit that they really have no idea what to do.

TRANSPORTATION

Barcelona vs. Montreal Why the STM doesn’t measure up Stefani Forster Contributor Barcelona and Montreal boast fine architecture, delicious food, summer festivals and a spectacular nightlife, yet when it comes to public transportation, there is simply no contest. Montreal adopts inferior models of public transportation from its European counterparts, faintly echoing Barcelona’s system of basic principles while seriously lacking in its execution. Barcelona’s public bicycle program, Bicing, was implemented in 2007 and is an irrefutable success story. Montreal introduced a similar program in 2009 with Bixi which has since been riddled with drawbacks, financial hardships and bailouts. The metro systems are no different. One look at their respective websites tells the story. Montreal’s Société de transport de Montréal is a woefully outdated and carelessly constructed afterthought, where Barcelona’s Transports Metropolitans Barcelona is stylish, smart, and proudly integrated into the city’s infrastructure. I marvelled at Barcelona’s superior subway system more than I did at Gaudí’s Sagrada Familia, wondering, “Why can’t Montreal do that?” The difference lies in the TMB’s focus on ease and its attention to detail. Barcelona’s subway stations are equipped with a line of interactive machines that take your cash, print your ticket, and send you on your merry way. There are no booths and no ticket agents. Should you need to speak to someone, there is a help intercom button that immediately con-

The Barcelona subway system is more advanced than the STM, from the website to the stations. Photo by caribb (Flickr) nects you to a real person on-site. In Montreal, if you do not have an Opus card and you are buying a one-way ticket, be prepared to wait in line. The stations usually only have one machine for printing tickets, and stationed behind the ticket booth is one tired human being, who is designated to provide both ticket exchanges and information, making for a painfully slow and aggravating interaction, especially during peak hours. Whatever the STM can do, it seems the TMB can do better. The STM announces the

stations on the loudspeaker as you ride, but the TMB cars have announcements and corresponding maps that light up, so you always know exactly where you are. The STM stations have TV screens with time updates, letting you know when the next train is coming by the minute, but the TMB lets you know by the second. Not to mention, the TMB is airconditioned. One would assume that Barcelona riders pay a premium for such convenience and service, but a one-way ticket on the TMB is 1.40

euros, a mere $2 Canadian or a third less than the STM’s pricey $3 per ride. These small, thoughtful details may seem trivial, but together they add to a noticeably better experience, removing the inevitable headaches that Montreal’s STM riders endure. Antoni Gaudi’s work may be the archetype of Barcelona culture and structural brilliance, but the real ingenuity is found in Barcelona’s underground - an ingenuity that Montreal, for all its European style and charm, has poorly replicated with the STM.

theconcordian

Concordia’s weekly, independent student newspaper. Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011. Vol. 29 issue 2. Jacques Gallant Editor-in-Chief editor@theconcordian. com Kamila Hinkson Managing editor managing@ theconcordian.com Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo News editor news@theconcordian. com Marissa Miller Interim Life editor life@theconcordian.com Sofia Gay Arts editor arts@theconcordian.com Giselle MacDonald Interim Music editor music@theconcordian. com Julian Mei Interim Sports editor sports@theconcordian. com Myles Dolphin Interim Opinions editor opinions@theconcordian. com Jamie Gewurz Online editor online@theconcordian. com Navneet Pall Photo Editor photo@theconcordian. com Katie Brioux Interim Graphics editor graphics@ theconcordian.com Sarah Deshaies Chief Copy editor copy@theconcordian. com Elizabeth Tomaras Copy editor Chris Hanna Interim Production manager production@ theconcordian.com Lindsay Sykes Lindsay Briscoe Production assistants Board of Directors Brennan Neill Emily White Cindy Lopez Ruben Bastien directors@theconcordian. com Editorial 7141 Sherbrooke St. W. CC.431 Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 514.848.2424 x7458 (Newsroom) 514.848.2424 x7499 (Editors) 514.848.2424 x7404 Melissa Kate Gagnon Business manager business@ theconcordian.com Marshall Johnston Advertising manager advertising@ theconcordian.com Business and Advertising: 1455 de Maisonneuve W. H.733-4 Montreal, QC H3G 1M8 514.848.2424 x7420 (Office)

STAFF WRITERS AND CONTRIBUTORS: Robert Flis, David MacIntyre, Andrea Zoellner, Despina Doukas, Rebecca Ugolini, Andrew Guilbert, Allie Mason, Roya Manuel-Nekounei, Stefano Mocella, Michael Downs, Mohamed Harfoush, Shaun Malley, Stefani Forster, Amanda Laprada, Damiano Raveenthiran, Sean Kershaw.

IMPRESSIONS

theconcordian

My journey from west to east A student’s discovery of Montreal Mohamed Harfoush Contributor “No, don’t go to Calgary,” one of my Reuters’ colleagues in Cairo, Egypt said when I told him that I was emigrating to Canada and that I intended on landing in Calgary. “It’ll be very difficult to adapt in Western Canada. You should go to Montreal instead.” I told him that my French was nonexistent and it was easier to find a job in Calgary. “You can survive with English in Montreal,” he said. But I went to Calgary anyway and, there, the only job I managed to get was as a parttime cashier. This was not the problem. The oldest building I had seen in Calgary dated back to 1907, which was too recent for me. The architecture had no style; huge concrete skyscrapers and tasteless wooden cottages scattered the arid wilderness. Although Cairo’s streets are noisy, dirty and chaotic, they tell stories. You may sit in a shabby coffee shop in downtown Cairo looking at a balcony in a debilitated building and one of Naguib Mahfouz’s literary characters will pop out of nowhere. Eventually, after about six months, I made up my mind to go back home and decided to visit Montreal on my way. I arrived here at midnight in 2009. “Whoa! Now this is a city!” I thought. I was tired, but how could I go to bed while the streets were glowing during a huge festival, one which people were enjoying to the max? I threw my luggage in my hotel room and went out to eat. I wandered downtown until 4:00 a.m. Needless to say, I had an amazing four day visit. Back in Cairo, I got my old job back as a sub-editor and translator and decided to study

Graphic by Katie Brioux

in Montreal. I was accepted as a journalism graduate diploma student at Concordia. When I came back to Montreal last May, I faced the tough challenge of studying and writing articles in my second language but the unique style of Montreal’s life and its multiculturalism made it easier for me. In Montreal, people sit in coffee shops nearly all night, as they do in Cairo, which suggests a kind of intimacy between people and places. Although monstrous, multinational corporations are omnipresent in Montreal, the diminishing middle class is still struggling for more human and socially rich interactions. History plays an important role in the city. In addition to the large Arabic-speaking

community, there are a number of people from the Mediterranean, and when I close my eyes I feel like I could be standing on a street in Alexandria. The francophones have a great passion for Egypt and its ancient history. Our uprising made headlines all over the world this year and I have heard encouraging and welcoming comments from many Montrealers since then. When I went to cover the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Festival as part of a school assignment, I identified myself as Egyptian – I had to justify my accent anyway – but people who were more reluctant to speak to my english classmates were a lot warmer to me and quickly made me forget that I was very far away from home.

TECHNOLOGY

In praise of connectivity Sociability in an online age Shaun Malley Contributor “CUT!” yells a man with long blond hair from behind a TV monitor. “We’ll do another one,” he says to an even blonder woman in a leopard print dress, giving her instructions for the next take. The gentleman in question is directing the latest episode of an avant-garde cooking show. If there is one thing his crew loves to do between takes, it is pulling out their smartphones to tweet, read the news or send out feelers for their next gigs. “I can’t do Monday but I’ll definitely be there Tuesday,” says Sandra, the shoot’s petite but fiery makeup artist, into her iPhone. She hangs up and promptly logs into Facebook to peruse the dozen friend requests she has received since last being on the site. Over by the tripod, the director of photography has one hand on the camera while the other taps out a response on a message board with his phone. The gaffer is reading up on track and field results. “Reset!” cries out the director and all the smartphones are quietly pocketed as the crew begins preparing for the next take. This is the world of smartphones: constant connectivity with other human beings and the world in the palm of your hand. There are many naysayers who feel such constant contact is detrimental to society by making people less sociable. Two things can be said in response to that. Firstly: individuals are responsible for their own actions. Having a smartphone gives you the option to be “plugged in” but it does

not make it mandatory. A tool is only as good as its wielder. Getting spammed about male enhancement supplements? Put a filter on your email settings. Got a text or call from someone you are not keen to respond to? Do not respond! This may seem to be antisocial, but it leads to my second point: the nature of socialization is changing. In Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam’s elegiac study of the supposed decline of social participation in the United States, the author laments “the more that my activities depend on the actions of others, the greater the drop-off in my participation.” However, interaction is not diminishing; it is changing with the times. Online social networks do not mean people just stay at home glued to their computers or walk down the

Graphic by Katie Brioux street myopically focused on their iPhones. They allow for like-minded individuals to come together in ways that would have been impossible before mobile Internet. Think of people in Egypt naming their children Facebook due to the key role ascribed to the website in the toppling of the Mubarak regime. The name may strike one as incongruous, but what of people with family names like Smith, Miller, and Archer? They all have roots in some form of technology used by their ancestors. Those movements could have sprung up offline, but online social networks facilitated co-ordination with a speed undreamed of. But if you feel like you need to be “off the grid,” bloody well switch off! You are the one with the power.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

The Etcetera Page

Graphic by Katie Brioux

A new statue was built between the CJ building and the new Genomics Centre on the Loyola campus over the summer. Photo by Navneet Pall

3 4 2 4 1 5 2

8 4

7 5 1 9

9 1 4

Aries - March 21 to April 20 You’re so lucky to have such a large network of friends who love and appreciate your incredible honesty regarding all matters of life. Feel free to share your innermost secrets with them at all times. A few have already started collaborating on a book about you and need two more chapters to finish it. Taurus - April 21 to May 21 The Nigerian scam artist hounding you for $500 is actually an ex-boyfriend, down on his luck after a series of failed infomercials. You take pity on him and tell his parents, who in turn enrol him in Infomercial School. You can feel better about yourself now. Gemini - May 22 to June 21 The likelihood of a trip to the emergency room increases dramatically this week

8 7

4 6 5 6 7 3 7

after you purchase several bottles of champagne, only to have them opened by your blind but lovable friend Jimmy. Your one-eyed fiancée promptly removes Jimmy from the guest list for your wedding. Cancer - June 22 to July 23 All jacked up on Red Bull and Nutella, you run out of a cab only to forget that your shoes are untied. The resulting fall is so spectacular that the driver requires no fare; you’ve done enough. Half of the Haitian community in Montreal knows about it a few minutes later. Leo - July 24 to August 23 Your nightly gene-splicing experiments have attracted the neighbours’ attention. Get yourself a set of dark curtains, some duct tape and a lab coat (you’re crazy, after all.) Virgo - August 24 to September 23 On your latest trip to Ikea, you are told by several staff members that soaking a couch in lime juice is indeed detrimental

Before various forces close in on Moammar Gadhafi’s whereabouts and ultimately pull a bin Laden on him, we should take advantage of the gratuitous entertainment this horrible man provides! @Queen_UK: Text from Colonel Gaddafi: “You think I’d crumble? You think I’d lay down and die? Oh no, not I! I will survive!” Not replying.

@nytjim: More #Qaddafi: “We won’t surrender again; we are not women; we will keep fighting.”

@ianbremmer: #china had no idea about those #qaddafi arms dealer meetings. file under: “too busy monitoring dissidents on gmail”

@blakehounshell: On Gaddafi: “He may be in Venezuela or working as a suspiciously taciturn short-order chef in a falafel bar in Tripoli.”

to its lifespan. “The book lied!” you yell in vain. As you’re being removed from the establishment you find a lucky penny so hey, all’s well that ends well, right? Libra - September 24 to October 23 The man you cut off on the bike path, causing him to raise his fist and shout obscenities at you, ends up being the guy who will be processing your passportrenewal request. You won’t be going to Hawaii for Christmas, but do expect a visit from the FBI after you’ve been made a wanted fugitive. Next time, use the metro. Scorpio - October 24 to November 23 A back-alley collision between you and a pizza delivery guy produces a hilarious new type of flavoured floss. You market it and become rich, but that plant you love still dies. You win some, you lose some. Sagittarius - November 24 to December 21 A police officer shows you a picture that might jog your memory about a crime you witnessed. You politely ask him if you can

go for a jog, you know, to keep stimulating your memory. You don’t come back. Capricorn - December 22 to January 20 That uneasy feeling in the pit of your stomach? The last piece of sushi your friend said you “absolutely had to try.” Now you can “hunt your friend down and injure him.” Aquarius - January 21 to February 19 A chance encounter with a rat early one morning brings you luck for the rest of the week. When the news spreads, your apartment becomes a pilgrimage site for thousands of people. Italian papers call it “La casa di roditori.” Pisces - February 20 to March 20 While you’re out hiking in the Adirondacks, someone tells you about an old native legend involving a large, hairy, apelike creature. “It’s mating season,” your friend says. Queen’s “Under Pressure” plays in the background and you wonder, sure, why can’t we give love that one more chance?

theconcordian is hiring! We re looking for:

- Assistant news editor - Life editor - Music editor - Sports editor - Opinions editor - Graphics editor Submit your application to editor@theconcordian.com before Friday, Sept. 16, 2011, at 4 p.m. By-election will be held at the Concordianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Loyola offices, CC-431, on Sunday Sept. 18 at 2 p.m.