September 3, 2019

theconcordian

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY’S BI-WEEKLY, INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

 /theconcordian  @theconcordian  @theconcordian  theconcordian.com

VOLUME 37, ISSUE 1 | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

Anders goes platinum The Concordian sits down with the Toronto R&B artist after his Osheaga performance p. 10

also in this issue...

news

life

Experts weigh in Taking a quick on Frosh p. 2 breather p. 6

arts

sports

What kind of lamp New chapter are you? p. 8 for Stingers p. 13

opinions

Should T-Swift calm down? p. 15

news

NEWS EDITORS /// news@theconcordian.com JAD ABUKASM & VIRGINIE ANN  @JAbukasm @LaVirginieAnn

EDITORIAL

What's new with The Concordian

Here’s what you need to know about the changes we’ve made for the 2019-20 school year.

The 2019-20 academic year at Concordia University is here. The familiar routine of book-buying, Tim-Horton-guzzling, shuttle-bus-taking, Stingers-cheering and library-seat-searching begins once again. For all returning students, welcome back to downtown living / NDG commuting. For all new students, welcome to Concordia, home of (the always terrifying) Buzz the mascot and the always-convenient Pizza Bella.

As The Concordian prepares for another busy year, our first editorial of the year is dedicated to what we’re doing differently in 2019-20. The biggest item on the agenda: we’re changing from a weekly printed newspaper to a bi-weekly printed newspaper, moving from 32 print issues a year to 16.

This doesn’t mean that you’ll be getting less news; the opposite actually. We felt like we were spending more time putting together a physical issue instead of reporting what was happening on campus in a timely manner. This change means we’re going to be able to provide you with more stories as we transition to a digital first approach.

There were a couple reasons for this decision. The first, of course, being to best serve the Concordia community. Another major reason was sustainability. Based on research done by The Concordian last year, we found that the vast majority of our readers catch up on Concordia news online. We also found that a lot of the physical copies of the paper weren’t being picked up, due to us printing too often and too many copies per issue.

This year, we’ve also reduced the number of copies to better reflect this. This means that we’re using significantly less paper. Our goal to have more students pick up copies of the paper without flooding both campuses with copies that will go unread. Keeping the print version of The Concordian was important to us because that’s how a lot of students first hear about us on campus. From there, many would then move from print, to being regular readers online.. It’s also the way many of our writers first heard of us.

This switch will help us better achieve our goal of producing consistent, timely, and valuable reporting to the Concordia community. Looking at the landscape of student journalism across Canada, we found that more and more publications have begun to take a digital-first approach, and that switch has helped them connect with their university communities more effectively.

For The Concordian, recognizing this trend in student media has helped us plan a clear vision for the future of the publication, which includes focusing on producing timely online content, producing more content, connecting with the Concordia community, being more environmentally conscious and preparing our staff for the digital needs of the media industry.

Anyways, that’s what’s new with us this year. From the editorial team at The Concordian, it’s good to be back. We look forward to waiting for the shuttle in -40°C with you.

FROSH

Frosh week: an increase in alcohol-related injuries

Over half of those admitted to emergency have major complications, expert says JAD ABUKASM NEWS EDITOR A joint research project founded in Sherbrooke brought increased awareness of the frequency and impact of alcohol intoxication in youth – especially during frosh week.

The study, titled Youth Alcohol Use and Its Harms: Case Study in the Community of Sherbrooke, focuses on the city of Sherbrooke and reflects recurrent behaviours across the whole country.

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Alcohol (CCSA), Sherbrooke Ville en Santé and Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux de l'Estrie joined forces in 2018 to evaluate and offer preventive solutions to the city as well as its universities.

According to the study, one individual between the ages of 12 and 24 years old is admitted to hospital emergency rooms due to alcohol-related medical emergencies once every two days on regular weeks.

On week 32 – also known as frosh week – experts observed an increase of admissions since 2012.

“We are often under the impression that having an acute alcohol intoxication is simply a precursor of a big hangover, but it’s not the case,” said Catherine Paradis, Senior Research and Policy Analyst at the CCSA, in an interview with The Concordian.

“Fifty seven per cent of people admitted in emergency have major complications.”

These complications can include anything from fractures, hypothermia, comas, or even

to – in the most extreme cases – death.

“It happens regularly, unfortunately. One death per year is regular in my opinion,” said Paradis. “I think that it makes no sense to go to university and die because you drank too much.”

Aside from health-related issues, excessive drinking during frosh can create social and professional consequences in some cases. Paradis gave an example of a group of intoxicated engineering students from a university she chose to keep anonymous. They triggered the fire alarm which flooded an entire floor during frosh.

The university sued them. As a result, the students’ chances of becoming engineers were ultimately wiped out since one cannot have a criminal record to have a career as an engineer.

To break it down slightly, frosh is usually a week full of different events that include alcohol. Firstly, frosh is mainly for meeting new people in university and alcohol often acts as a social lubricant that facilitates interactions between individuals, according to Paradis. Secondly, it is easy to forget to stay hydrated and to eat when consuming alcohol, both of which are a recipe for disaster.

However, there are easy methods of prevention (referred to as protective behavior strategies). These include the following: eating and drinking water regularly, alternating between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, always staying with a friend and

“We are often under the impression that having an acute alcohol intoxication is simply a precursor of a big hangover, but it’s not the case” - CATHERINE PARADIS, SENIOR RESEARCH AND POLICY ANALYST AT THE CCSA

having a plan to get back home. According to Paradis, such strategies can easily lower the risk of incidents during frosh.

Some universities went even further in regard to alcohol regulation, banning all alcohol during orientation week to discourage students from binge drinking.

St. Thomas University in New Brunswick was the first Canadian university to create a “dry week” 15 years ago. Other universities, like Dalhousie in Halifax, followed the same strategy in 2017.

“They want to let students get to know each other sober,” said Paradis. “If during the first week, students manage to meet friends that share the same set of values and get along well [sober], they will create better friendships overall.”

Managing alcohol during frosh week is also used to decrease interference and

nuisance within the neighbourhood. The University of Guelph put in place a party registration system. By registering a party to this system, students will have their information shared with the police as well as with the city for direct contact should an issue arise at the party. Registered students participate in consultations that include tips on how to properly manage a party and how to reduce neighbourhood complaints.

In return, students decrease their chances of receiving nuisance fines.

The CCSA is working in cooperation with many groups in order to make alcohol consumption in universities safer for students even after frosh week is over. The main issues arise in “wet environments” such as Concordia where alcohol is easily accessible.

APRIL 9, 2019

CLIMATE CHANGE

Leaders and environmental groups react as the Amazon continues to burn The record number of fires in the Amazon spurs political debate HENRY LOVGREN ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Spanning eight countries and more than 5 million kilometres squared, the Earth's largest rainforest is still ablaze. Earlier in August, day turned to night as smoke from the fires darkened the Sao Paulo sky.

The record number of fires in the Amazon rainforest are mobilizing environmental groups and spurring debate about the forest's Indigenous population.

According to Brazil's National Institute for Space Research, the number of active wildfires in the Amazon rainforest increased by more than 80 per cent since last year.

Sustainable Concordia is concerned about the wildfires and deforestation. Their mission statement advocates sustainability through "acting locally and networking globally." In a statement to The Concordian, Sustainable Concordia emphasized the economic link between deforestation and the fires.

"The fires (at least in part) are being set on purpose, driven by an exploitative capitalist system that values products and profit over people," wrote Emily Carson-Apstein, Sustainable C o n c o r d i a's E x t e r n a l a n d Campaign Coordinator.

Environmental group Greenpeace Brazil also blame deforestation. Márcio Astrini, Greenpeace Brazil’s Policy Coordinator, denounced in the Mongabay the practice while linking it to the thousands of fire hotspots.

"Deforestation only damages Brazil’s economy, the planet’s climate and endangers wildlife and the lives of thousands of

theconcordian

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WORLD IN BRIEF JAD ABUKASM NEWS EDITOR

Chris Kalafatidis, Cut the Crap candidate.

Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

people," wrote Astrini.

In an interview with The Concordian, Christian Poirier, Program Director of Amazon Watch, said the cattle and mining industries are the most signif icant contributors to deforestation. Amazon Watch is a California based nonprofit dedicated to protecting the rainforest and Indigenous r i ght s . A cco r d i n g to Ya l e University's Global Forest Atlas, 450,000 kilometres squared of deforested land now are used for cattle ranching. He said removing trees for cattle ranching is often achieved by intentionally setting fires but this year's increase is unusual.

"Fires are an annual phenomenon to clear parcels of land, but this year it's an on an unprecedented scale," said Poirier.

Like Sustainable Concordia, Poirier is concerned about e co n o m i c i n ce nti ve s th at e n co u r a g e d e fo r e s t at i o n .

In a statement, Poirier said that President Jair Bolsonaro encouraged farmers to light

fires, with anti-environmental rhetoric.

"Farmers and ranchers understand the president's message as a license to commit arson ... in order to aggressively expand their operations into the rainforest," wrote Poirier.

The fires attracted international attention at last weekend's G7 summit. Leaders from around the world offered technical and financial support. According to AFP, the G7 pledged $20 million.

Bolsanaro initially refused the aid.

He has since agreed to accept foreign assistance as long as Brazil controls the funds.

Following the G7 summit, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau committed $15 million to fight the wildfires and praised inte r n atio n al co llab o r atio n .

However, Poirier said Canadianowned mines are par t of the problem, referring to Torontobased and traded Belo Sun Mining Corporation.

Belo Sun operates the Volta Grande Project, a proposed open-pit mine in the Amazon located on a 160,000-hect are proper t y.

According to Environmental Justice Atlas – an organization that tracks global environmental conflicts – the project seeks to open Brazil's largest open-pit gold mine. Mining operations often require massive amounts of deforestation and mineral extraction – two detrimental procedures to the forest's sustainability.

Last July, Reuters reported on Belo Sun's numerous legal challenges in Brazillian courts over construction permits. State and Federal Court cases have left the project on hold. On Jul. 12, Belo Sun released a statement lauding a Federal Court of Appeals ruling in Brazil’s capital, Brasília.

However, the judgment was described as a "procedural win."

With legal disputes ongoing, uncertainty surrounds the Volta Grande Project and the Amazon's future. Despite international outcry, wildfires continue to burn in the world's largest rainforest. For now, what effect these fires will have on the Amazon and the world-atlarge remains unknown.

S I M P LY S C I E N T I F I C

Fighting melting ice sheets with submarines JAD ABUKASM NEWS EDITOR

Hurricane Dorian has intensified to a category five storm as it approaches the Abaco Islands on Sunday. The hurricane’s sustained winds have increased from 240 km/h to 290 km/h after landfall in the Bahamas archipelago, according to the National Hurricane Center. Many U.S. coastal dwellers from Florida to California are concerned with potential risks of damaging winds and deadly flooding even if the storm doesn’t directly hit the U.S., according to the Associated Press.

German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier asked for Poland’s forgiveness for Nazi “tyranny” during World War II. The apology occurred on Sunday, in the city of Wielun, 80 years after the bombing of the city, according to the BBC. The small city, located 250 km West of Warsaw, was bombed by the German Air Force on Sept. 1, 1939, marking the beginning of the most devastating war of our era.

Anthoine Hubert, a French 22-yearold Formula 2 pilot, died last Saturday in a fatal crash during a race on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. Since 1994, a lot of progress in terms of security made it possible for pilots to survive the most fatal crashes. However, according to the Agence France Presse, Hubert’s vehicle literally split in half. French flags were put up across the stadium and a minute of silence was held before the start of Sunday’s race in honour of Hubert.

Graphic by @sundaemorningcoffee

Last year, NASA recorded record low Arctic ice sheet surface area, raising the alarm on climate change – and propelled some to develop prototypes to counter the consequences.

Faris Rajak Kotahatuhaha, an Indonesian architect and designer, decided to tackle the issue of melting ice sheets on both the Earth’s poles by leading a project aiming to build an ice-making submarine.

The goal: refreeze the poles.

First, the submersible machine sinks underwater, filling up its hexagonal-shaped tank with seawater. Next, the onboard desalination system expels all the salt from the water before freezing it using controlled ambient temperature, thus creating an ice sheet roughly the size of a large classroom. Letting go of the newly born iceberg, the submarine sinks back into the water and repeats the process over and over again.

According to Kotahatuhaha, the ice sheets will act as sun reflectors, and therefore, prevent the absorption of heat by the oceans.

Eight people were killed and 22 injured in a shooting Saturday in West Texas, including the gunman.

The 30-year-old suspect was known to local police. According to Reuters, the suspect stole a postal van before opening fire on police officers and civilians. Shortly after, he was shot down by the police.

Graphic by Victoria Blair

However, the prototype quickly came under criticism by those saying that the energy used by the submarine outweighs the benefits of recreating an ice sheet. Furthermore, Thomas L. Mote, researcher and professor of geography at the University of Georgia, believes that the project will not have much impact on climate change.

“One of the biggest concerns about sea ice is the decline of thick, multi-year ice that persists through the summer,” said Mote in an interview with Forbes. The submarine would only create six-meterthick icebergs that would take about a month to create.

Another issue is that the type of energy powering the submarine is still uncertain, although Kotahatuhaha’s assures his prototype will be powered by renewable energy to match his objective of sustainability.

Kotahatuhaha’s prototype won second place in a recent design competition held by the Association of Siamese Architects, giving hope for potential solutions to some of the biggest issues of our era.

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theconcordian

APRIL 9, 2019

CONCORDIA NEWS

New year, new president: 10 minutes with Graham Carr

Over the summer, Graham Carr began his new mandate as Concordia’s Interim President and Vice-Chancellor. The Concordian sat down with him to talk about leadership, networking and the university’s challenges.

Following Alan Shepard's seven-year mandate, Graham Carr is stepping in as new Interim President at quite a euphoric and challenging time for the university. Concordia recently took a significant jump among the 2,000 worldwide universities ranked by the annual Center for World University Rankings; the largest surge in any Canadian university in the past year.

As social movements are calling for educational reform and a change in power dynamics, seizing the momentum will be one of Carr’s greatest challenges. So, what’s next?

Carr: I have been in a leadership position at Concordia for quite a number of years.

I think I have been part of a lot of decision making since 2006. We have incredible momentum at the moment and we want to seize that momentum, continuing in our strategic direction. But always asking what can we do more?

What can we do next?

There is a terrific opport u n i t y fo r u s i n t e r m s o f increasing our visibility of the university – nationally and internationally. How can we continue to improve the student experience at the university and increase our research impact for Quebec and Canadian society?

Those are all priorities for us; the appetite to grow, the thirst for knowledge and curiosity about what’s different, those are pretty good drivers for education.

You can't stand still if you're always thinking of the next generation. We need to

POLI SAVVY VIRGINIE ANN NEWS EDITOR

VIRGINIE ANN NEWS EDITOR

always be in that mode of constantly refreshing our reflection about who we are and where we want to go.

Such mentality undeniably helped Concordia’s worldwide reputation, but how can you explain its latest jump in the rankings?

Carr: We have made a conscious effort in Quebec to be better known, to recruit the majority of our students. More than 70 per cent of our students come from Quebec.

We are bringing about 25 per cent francophones into the university now, as well as our international students mix. I think that is also a way of communicating to a wider world, who we are and what we can do.

A student’s experience is something quite personal.

Every voice is different. In a university which holds more than 50,000 undergraduate and graduate students, how do you balance the interests of every student?

Carr: That is a challenge!

Part of the issue is to realize that in a large comprehensive university like Concordia, people’s needs are different.

What might work in business school, doesn't work in the science labs.

The needs of students for apprenticeship opportunities in aerospace engineering, for instance, are different than a student who wants a global experience, like the chance to study another

New Concordia University president, Graham Carr. Photo courtesy of Concordia

language, another culture in another part of the world.

So, the starting point for trying to be successful is to understand what the different needs in the university are, and to realize that with the resources you have are not infinite – how you can use [those resources] in a way that has a big impact for as many students as possible.

I would like to believe that for the staff’s faculty, for university administrators, it’s also all about growth.

It’s all about looking for ways to improve and do things differently -– being curious about what makes a next-generation university.

Those are the things that I find excited about the job.

I’m, frankly, learning new Chris Kalafatidis, Cut the Crap candidate. things every I meet Photo by Gabe day.

Chevalier.

When you look back on your people that I wouldn't own student years and the impact otherwise meet. that education and different For example, when I was experiences had on you, what in the research sector of the do you wish to bring upon university, I got the chance Concordia? to learn a lot about fields of knowledge and expertise Carr: I think if you want that I didn't know. to be successful in higher education, whether you It’s true that it’s usually once are a student or staff or you have graduated that you administrator, it’s because, realize how many opportunities fundamentally, you want were presented to you through to learn. the university…

The university has changed Carr: Yes! It’s about a lot since I have been here. the best opportunity. As a It has gone from strength student – and I don't want to strength. I think it’s just this to be misunderstood – really an opportunity for you have the luxury of time. everybody’s growth; growth You have time to explore, in terms of your curiosity, to experiment. your network.

And I’m sure many stuIf you are a student, you dents have started down have the opportunity to one pathway and realized grow and discover areas “that's really not for me, that you are interested in; here's a different path that to meet new people, to I didn't know about and build your network. Equally, that looks very exciting.”

In the last weeks of August, both Liberals and Conservatives unveiled their TV ads and campaign slogans, ahead of the Oct. 21 vote.

While Trudeau’s campaign decided to go with “Choose forward,” Tories went for “It’s time for you to get ahead,” which you can only imagine fuelled many waves of laughter on Twitter, as they are now just one typo away from being ridiculed.

For Elizabeth May’s Green Party, “Not left. Not right.

Forward together” is their campaign slogan. The NDP has yet to reveal theirs.

Do they all sound the same to you? Truthfully, as we live in a time where scrolling and swiping quickly is generally the way we consume our information, slogans will sadly end up being the only piece of the political puzzle voters acknowledge when heading to the polls.

Yet, the difference is there. What often sounds either like a call for action or an embarrassing pickup line can actually make or break an election.

“The Conservatives are talking about putting individuals ahead, while the Liberals’ forward movement revolves around government and country – ‘you’ versus ‘we,’ if you like,” wrote national columnist Susan Delacourt in The Star.

Words are charming, yet very dangerous as they hide an entire platform. And as Canadians head to the polls in October, forward or together, there will be no coming back.

Graphic by Victoria Blair

Your own path led you to this presidency. The very nature of being a positive leader is in itself fascinating, but as we are running out of time, what would be a must-quality?

Carr: Top quality for leaders? Can it be two? I think one is the ability to listen.

Then, the other is the ability to foster success in people and encourage them to do their best and get the best out of them. Short and sweet.

That would be it! uuuu

APRIL 9, 2019

theconcordian

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life

LIFE EDITOR /// life@theconcordian.com KAYLA-MARIE TURRICANO  @lifewithk_ay

STRESS

Spa day before school gets in the way

A day alone at the spa without technology prepared me for the upcoming semester KAYLA-MARIE TURRICIANO LIFE EDITOR

Graphic by @sundaeghost

Summer 2019 has been busy.

Between my retail job and my internship, I spent my days off catching up on chores, seeing friends and family, and just trying to be an adult as best as I could.

All this running around led me to be more exhausted than I was at the beginning of the summer, which isn’t the best way to start off a new semester.

Last week, I went to the spa to try to take an actual day off before school starts; before I’m thrown into another eight months of stress before I can actually relax again. Since no technology is allowed and I went by myself, I was really all by myself — no one to talk to or to message, no work emails, no social media.

Du r i n g t h e f i r s t h o u r t h e re (out of five total), my mind kept thinking about work, about what other people were doing and posting on social media, what I would write for this week’s paper, etc. The time alone made me zero in on the fact that my brain never stops; it’s always thinking about something other than what’s happening in the moment.

What I did notice, though, was this feeling inside of me, what I could only describe as a ball of

Graphic by @sundaeghost @sundaeghost

Graphic by @sundaeghost

chaotic energy that made it a little b i t d i f f i c u l t t o b re a t h e . I re a l i z e d that it was a feeling of mild anxiety and stress that I hadn’t really noticed before because I was always on the go.

After focusing on my breathing, my mind started slowing down, and I

became more present in the moment: I stopped thinking of work, I forgot about social media. I even lost track of time despite there being clocks everywhere. I became so focused on my breathing and on trying to really relax that I fell asleep.

Over the next couple of hours, I really took that time by myself for myself. I tried out all the different options the spa had available: I went from the hot rooms/water to cold baths, then fell asleep. After a few rounds of this little routine, the ball of stress and anxiety that felt like@ it was consuming my chest andsunstomach at the beginning of mydaegday had significantly reduced. Ihost felt at peace, less stressed, and more aware of my body.

With school having started, it’s inevitable that we’re going to be stressed. The point of this little story is to remind you to be mindful of the effects stress has on you, both mentally and physically. You don’t have to go to a spa to try to de-stress; simply be mindful of your breathing, remain aware of the effects of stress on you before it feels like it’s too much to handle.

When you feel that ball of chaotic energy beginning to build up, take some time (even a few hours) to be away from technology and other people. Take some time alone to focus on your breathing, treat yourself to some at-home spa-like treatments, take a nap — you’ll wake up feeling refreshed, less stressed, and more at peace.

FOOD REVIEW

YUM or YIKES!

LOV: Plant-based with great taste BRITTANY HENRIQUES ASSITANT LIFE EDITOR

Eating out as a vegetarian with allergies can be quite tricky and pricey; so I've set out to find the top vegetarian restaurants in Montreal.

LOV is a vegan and vegetarian restaurant with four locations: thre e in Montreal and one in Laval. Their concept is to serve customers healthy, eco-friendly, botanical meals without compromising taste. LOV’s philosophy revolves around what they call their “eco-commitment,” which involves ser ving wines from organic farming and using local suppliers and ingredients.

With this information in mind, I was excited to try it out. I was drawn to the Montreal-based restaurant from the moment I

first saw their California-bohemian decor and stunning menu passing by.

My first impression upon entering the Laval location in Centropolis was that the design was meticulously thought-out and beautiful. Shades of white, lace, swinging cocoon chairs, and plants all over the restaurant transported me to a Malibu beach.

My friends and I were greeted with a smile and given the option of indoors or outdoors – we chose outdoors in the shade.

Usu ally, my big g es t ch alle n g e is to f ind meatless plates free of peanuts and almonds (because of allergies). On that day, I was also on a carb-free, dairy-free, sugar-free, ferment ation-free diet (doc tor's o rd e r s). N eve r t h e l e s s , b a s e d o n my prior research, I was confident I would find something for me at LOV. The menu is composed of seven starters and 15 main courses, four

of which are salads. As a picky eater, I like knowing most of my options aren't simply salads. I was immediately drawn to the Coconut Curry, a $15 dish composed of basmati rice, kale, carrots, curry coconut milk, and lime.

Unfortunately for me this time, rice was off my list of options. As other options, there was Pok’ai’ – cauliflower rice, cucumber, avocado, compressed watermelon, edamame, cashews, wakame, shiso, and sesame ginger sauce. The $16 plate f it my dietary restrictions, but I was very worried about the odd compressed watermelon thrown into the mix.

Instead, I settled for the Truffle and Caviar, a $14 meal composed of zucchini spaghetti, oyster mushrooms, arugula, tapioca caviar, and truffle sauce. The plate was very well presented, colourful, and was the perfect portion for my smaller-than-average appetite.

I went to LOV during lunch time, and barely had to wait for my food to arrive. My Truffle and Caviar plate was very good, but I worried there was an extra ingredient in the sauce not indicated on the menu. Af ter my meal, I asked the waitress if the sauce had any other ingredients and she told me some soy milk might have been added for creaminess. I was disappointed to know there was an added ingredient I wasn't aware of seeing as I was on a restricted diet.

I should've asked prior to ordering, but I simply trusted the menu.

Nevertheless, the meal was fantastic, but note to self and others: always ask your waiter for a list of all the ingredients if you have any dietary restrictions or allergies.

As a whole, I would give LOV an 8 out of 10 for overall look, service, and food.

APRIL 9, 2019

CLIMATE CHANGE

The Amazon is on fire: Here’s why The world’s lungs have been suffocating due to fires started to make space for agricultural development

Graphic by Victoria Blair Graphic by @sundaeghos

KAYLA-MARIE TURRICANO LIFE EDITOR The Amazon is on fire and it has been for the last few weeks.

There has been an uproar around the world because it’s a horrible thing happening to such an important ecosystem on our planet. People were lashing out at news outlets and organizations because of the lack of coverage.

In just a few days’ time, though, increased coverage of the topic took over social media and became something everyone was talking about.

Countless news outlets were covering the story and #PrayforAmazonia was trending on Twitter as early as Aug. 20.

What people need to understand, though, is that fires in the Amazon are nothing new. Human-created fires are set every year during the “season of the queimada,” which is “when farmers intentionally set fire to the forest for agricultural purposes,” according to complex.

This period usually lasts from June to December, which is when the Amazon Basin dries out, according to National Geographic, thus m akin g it m o re susce ptible to fires. The difference is that they are usually controlled f ires that occur after trees are cut down in a certain area and the fallen trees,

after being left to dry out, are set ablaze to clear the area.

The difference between this year and previous years is that there was an 83 per cent increase compared to the same time period in 2018, according to Business Insider. As of Aug. 21, a total of 72,843 fires took place.

One of the reasons for humans setting fire to the Amazon is the development of agricultural crops.

These crops could be anything from soybeans to palm oil, or the land can be used for cattle farming – considering Brazil was deemed the world’s top exporter of beef in 2018, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

The same source says that the cows, for which there's an estimated headcount of 232 million, primarily eat grass. That's why land is being converted from forest to grazing crops. In a Global News article, it was said that deforestation in the Amazon for the purpose of cattle farming led to the forest losing 17 per cent of its area in the last 50 years.

Forests cover more than 30 per cent of the land on Earth, according to the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF). Not only that, but these forests are home to 80 per cent of land species. Also, forests, especially rain forests, are also responsible

for absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and turning it into oxygen, which, you know, is vital for our survival.

On the same note, rain forests act as carbon sinkholes. The WWF’s website says: “Tropical forests alone hold more than 228 to 247 gigatons of carbon, which is more than seven times the amount emitted each year by human activities.

But when forests are cut, burned or otherwise removed they emit carbon instead of absorb carbon.

Deforestation and forest degradation are responsible for around 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions.” uuuu A lot can come out of this discussion about the Amazon being on fire: is this deliberate blazing of a central part of our planet connected to the increase of climate change in the long-run? Is cattle farming and the meat industry, specifically beef, worth the destruction of important ecosystems?

All of this and more are reasons to be wary of the permanent and potentially irreversible effects of climate change. uuuu

theconcordian

7

the art of being single

W/ KAYLA-MARIE TURRICIANO

Sh t happens, routines fail You know when you meet someone new and life kind of just falls into place?

Your days are occupied with texting them for hours on end, the conversation never fading or getting awkward. Your time not talking to them is hard to get through because you want to know what they’re doing, what they’re thinking, their opinion on x, y, and z.

Life falls into this routine: a morning text is waiting for you when you wake up; you know what time it was sent at without even looking. You know their daily schedule so you know when they won’t be available to chat, you know when they’re in a meeting, on the way home from work, or playing a sport.

The conversations flow so easily, so naturally. You learn their quirks, their slang, their terrible jokes. Even after only a few weeks, it feels like you’ve known this person forever and you look forward to the next morning’s text, the routine you’ve gotten to know and love. Nothing has ever felt so right.

Until it all goes wrong.

One day, the morning text you’ve woken up to for the last three weeks isn’t there. The consistent stream of inside jokes stop. The conversations that you’ve held near and dear, that you’ve looked forward to, day after day? They stop.

The routine is no more and it feels like you don’t even know what you’re supposed to do at 8:23 a.m. when they would normally text you, or from 10-12 when you’d sneakily message them during a meeting; or until 9 p.m., when they’d fall asleep.

Your life gets turned on its head and you don’t know what to do anymore.

Was it something I did or didn’t say?

Something I did or didn’t do? What’s so fundamentally wrong with me that someone suddenly stops talking to me after weeks of cultivating our routine?

Sadness, anxiety, anger and pain creep in — sometimes separately, often all at once.

Eventually, though, they start fading from your memory and life resumes as it was before. You fall back into your routine, the one without the person who made your days brighter and more complete.

Eventually. But it takes time. In the meantime, it’s okay to still feel some lingering uncertainty about why it all ended; it’s okay to still care about them even though they hurt you like they said they never would.

Keep in mind that even though it’s hard to grasp why it happened, it did happen, and there’s no going back or changing the past. This routine will come and go many times, but, one day, it will stay forever. In the meantime, just remember it’s all part of the art of being single.

+

If you have any topic suggestions or questions for advice, feel free to reach out to life@theconcordian.com

arts

HAPPENING IN in and Happening AND AROUND around theTHE White WHITE CUBE Cube thisTHIS week…

WEEK . . .

ARTS EDITOR /// arts@theconcordian.com CHLOË LALONDE  @IHOOQ2

SIGHTINGS

What kind of lamp are you?

Sightings project turned personality-type indicator CHLOË LALONDE | ARTS EDITOR

What kind of lamp are you? Artist, Karine Cossette manifests her research in Sightings. Photo by Laurence B.D

CHLOË LALONDE ARTS EDITOR At the heart of the Hall building mezzanine lives a white cube with transparent walls. This cube, a project by the name of Sightings, is a satellite exhibition space belonging to the Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery.

Projects featured inside the cube change periodically, with its most recent being LAMPS, the 27th version of Sightings.

Within the cube, several images of different neon-coloured lamps hang. The artist, Karine Cossette, is interested in the effects of consumption, both materially and psychologically. She manifests her research using photography, collection, writing, and graphic design.

Having recently completed an MFA in Visual and Media Arts at UQAM, and holding a BFA in Photography from Concordia University (2011), Cosette’s most recent project studies the lamp in its general form. Cossette identifies

figure a. LAMP quiz

SCAN THE QR CODE TO TAKE THE QUIZ

four elements that are integral to the system; a lampshade, base, lightbulb and a lighting device. Each element can be one of a couple shapes or colours.

In essence, LAMPS is a substitution for the 16 primary personalities within the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

In addition to her photographs, Cossette has provided a quiz viewers may take to further interact with the project. I selected the cone lampshade, circle base, yellow light bulb and ‘day close’ state. This reveals, according to Cosette’s quiz, that I am dynamic, curious, and charming, feel excitement, believe there is a lot I don’t know, and shine in the spotlight.

The idea of creating a quiz surrounding such a common object is interesting alone in itself, as this object, the lamp, can exist in many more variations than those indicated by the artist. But for the sake of her work, I think the quiz can be interpreted as the limited options we are given to ‘be ourselves’ when furnishing our homes. Often times, we settle for

figure b. Results

SHARE YOUR RESULTS WITH US    @THECONCORDIAN

items that are not exactly those we initially desired, and end up owning very similar ones instead (see that coffee table from Ikea that everyone has, you know the one.) This item does not represent our individual personalities, but perhaps instead our overall budget need for a coffee table. However, limiting our choices urges us to veer away from our individual desires for the lamp and conforming, instead, to the model of consumption laid out before us.

Cosette’s larger body of work is generated from a manual she created, titled Voir des Choses, or Seeing Things. This manual is comprised of a categorized list of items, like a dictionary.

The expression, ‘to see things’ can have two meanings: figurative, seeing things that are not real and literal, and concrete perception of objects. In her artist statement, Cossette explained that based on her practice of photography, the construction of images reveals objects that can be real, imaginary, or both.

Her lamps, as photographed, are real objects as we perceive them; however the quiz puts forward figurative lamps that represent one’s personality. Participants are then left with a symbol that may or may not be similar to the ones hanging within the cube, and their own personalised definition of their symbol, rather unique to them.

Sightings 27: LAMPS will remain in the Hall mezzanine until Sept 8 and will then be followed by Sightings 28: X ) X + [ ( X ) X { X } X X ] { X } +, an installation and performance-based project centered on violence by Suzanne Kite, PhD candidate at Concordia.

In May, afterLALONDE school had| ended, I spent my CHLOË ARTS EDITOR time drawing and listening to podcasts, waiting to leave for my long awaited trip to visit a In May,inafter school ended, I spent myI friend Vienna.

Onehad of the very few times timeout drawing and listening got of the house wasto topodcasts, see Our waiting Happy to leave for my long tripintothe visit Life: Architecture andawaited Well-Being Agea friend in Vienna.

One of very few times of Emotional Capitalism at the the Canadian CentreI got Architecture out of the house wasThe to see Our Happy for (CCA). exhibition has Life: Architecture and Well-Being in recently the Age stuck in my mind ever since, and after of Emotional Capitalism theisCanadian Centre revisiting, I’ve decided at this one of the best for Architecture shows I’ve seen to(CCA). date. The exhibition has stuck in my mind ever after recently Categorized intosince, smalland segments, the revisiting, I’ve decided thiswith is one ofgrowing the best exhibition is concerned the shows I’ve seen to date.index and the specific international happiness Categorized intoit.small segments, the factors that influence Ranging from ‘Safety,’ exhibition concerned with Belonging’ the growing ‘Air Quality,’is and ‘Community to international happiness index andand the‘WELL™’ specific ‘Walking Alone At Night,’ ‘Views’ factors that influence Ranging fromfindings, ‘Safety,’ the categories, backedit.up with visual express ‘Air Quality,’ the ways and ‘Community in which theyBelonging’ have had an to effect ‘Walking onAlone various Atlives.

Night,’ ‘Views’ and ‘WELL™’ theMost categories, notably, backed the impact up with visual of accessible findings, housing express and the ways location in which on thethey happiness have had index an were effectexemplified on various by lives. those living in temporary homes Mostonnotably, the site the of aimpact volcanoofinaccessible Hawaii. In order housing to and live the location lifestyle on the theyhappiness desire that index fits within were exemplified their budget, by those they are living fully in temporary aware the volcanic homes on grounds the site they of live a volcano on could in be Hawaii. subject In to order another to livedisaster the lifestyle at anythey moment. desire that fits within The their ‘Social budget, Life’ category they aredescribes fully aware howthe an apartment volcanic grounds complex they in Brooklyn live on could Cultural be subject District used to another the promise disaster of aatspecific any moment. social lifestyle to sellThe homes ‘Social by partnering Life’ category with founder describes of how Rookie an Magazine, apartment complex Tavi Gevinson. in Brooklyn Although Cultural Gevinson District announced used the promise her disbandment of a specificin social Junelifestyle 2018, her to contribution sell homes byto partnering the #ApartmentStories with founder ofhashtag Rookie was Magazine, significant, Tavi Gevinson. and gave Although those seeking Gevinson such aannounced lifestyle something her disbandment to idealize. in June 2018, her contribution But how to is the this#ApartmentStories Arts, Chloë? Thehashtag White Cube was significant, does not need and gave to contain those seeking what wesuch traditionally a lifestylerecognise something asto arts idealize. (painting, drawing, sculpture...)

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by OK-RM finally through (London), a long, the exhibition comfortingtakes blue corridor. visitors through Large images rooms ranging hang onfrom the white walls accompanied and clinicallyby archival, texts stating to yellow thingsand like fluffy, “OUR SENTIMENTS and finally through HAVEa BECOME long, comforting STATISTICS blue AND corridor.

DATA,” Large andimages “HAPPINESS hang on RULES the walls ARE DEFINING accompanied SPATIAL by textsVALUES.” stating things The exhibition like “OUR itself SENTIMENTS is designed HAVE and BECOME curated inSTATISTICS such a way that ANDmakes DATA,”viewers and “HAPPINESS feel happy, RULES despiteARE the topics DEFINING theySPATIAL confrontVALUES.” within. The exhibition itself I left is (both designed times) and feeling curated quite in pleased such a way and thinking, that makes “they’re viewers notfeel wrong.” happy, despite the topics Thethey exhibition confront ends within. by exploring various cities, I leftwhere (both times) Vienna feeling is ranked quite first pleased in and the 2018 thinking, Quality “they’re of Living not wrong.”

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Graphic by Ana Bilokin.

APRIL 9, 2019

theconcordian

9

COMMUNITY

How Gallery Parfois is changing the way we think Redefining the white cube through a participatory approach

Graphic by @sundaeghost

LORENZA MEZZAPELLE ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR Walking into the space at Gallery Parfois, an immediate sense of welcomeness is harboured. A plastic rose and a mannequin bust are hap hazardly p lace d o n a t ab le, a studio light shining down on them and casting their shadow across the bare wall. Chill, lo-fi music plays in the background, and a lean black cat moseys around the room. Despite how of te n on e m ay b e in galle r y spaces, this one does not prompt t h e f r i g i d i t y t h a t a l m o s t a l way s instantly arises when stepping into the white cube.

G a ll e r y Pa r fo i s , a n a r t i s t- r u n , do-it-yourself space on St-Laurent Blvd. and Duluth Ave., aims to offer an environment for engagement with ar t. In this context, do-it-yourself refers to a community-driven initiative that differs from most conventional and commercially-based institutions.

Their Tuesday Night Life Drawing sessions were created to fill a space within the industr y.

“Outside of an institutional art school setting, the opportunity to draw a model from life is a rarity,” said Brooke Rutner, the director of Gallery Parfois, which also doubles

a s h e r p h o t o s t u d i o . “A l t h o u g h there is no instruction during our session , prac ticing drawing from life is s aid to b e th e b e s t way to improve one's drawing.”

Sessions are held Tuesday even i n g s , i n o rd e r to a c c o m m o d a t e the large majorit y of people who hold day jobs, and only cost a small par ticipation fee of $5. However, Rutner disclosed that no one would be turned away for lack of funds.

The sessions, which last approximately two and a half hours, consist of a variety of timed inter vals wherein the model changes and holds various poses. First two minutes, then f ive, then 10, and f inally 22 minute inter vals . While this is how most life drawing sessions occur in both the educational and ar tistic milieu, the vibe at Galler y Par fois is much more laid back, and emphasizes the idea of ar t for pleasure. Some par ticipants use pencils, charcoal, pastels, and even electronic tablets. People join halfway through, and others leave.

The ease and comfor t of the space reforms the conventional galler y. The traditional white cube is almost always commercially-based and reliant on exhibiting and, of tentim es , selling ar t .

“The art that is exhibited in these

galleries is ar t that will most likely appeal to the taste of collec tors , aka ar t that will sell,” said Rutner.

Galler y Par fois, on the other hand, focuses on creating an alternative environment for artistic engagement.

Exhibitions feature experimental and emerging artists; work that fosters a dialogue or addresses social issues.

“The overall goal of the space is to foster a community of like-minded creatives,” said Rutner.

Gallery Parfois’ approach towards engaging and participating with art redef ines who gets to be an ar tist. “[There is] an interesting diversity among the regular life drawing participants,” said Rutner. “[They] range from absolute beginners to animation industry professionals.”

The dif ferent mediums used by par ticipants and the various levels of their talent remind the artist that there is not one ‘type’ of making, and that the commercialization of art is not the ultimate goal, but rather to foster a sense of community around ar t-making. “ I do not perceive comm ercial spaces as being inherently lacking or flawed,” said Rutner. “Despite the obvious barriers to entry, they often a ch i eve wh at t h ey s et o u t to d o.

[Being] aligned with such institutions can be an amazing oppor tunity for

an ar tist. I think it’s impor tant to have many dif ferent channels for engaging with and pursuing ar t.”

While traditional galler y spaces aid ar tists in promoting and commercializing their ar t, Galler y Par fois aims to of fer ar tists a d i f fe re nt exp e r i e n ce. T h is is n ot to u n d e r m i n e t h e i m p o r t a n ce of galleries, but rather to provide different types of opportunities for a greater majorit y of people with an interest in ar t-making , and to provide representation for a wider group of ar tists.

I n l i n e w i t h t h e i r a p p ro a c h of offering a space for artistic engagem e n t a n d a s e n s e of c o m m u n i t y within the industry, Gallery Parfois will be launching a new educational initiative this fall, offering affordable workshops on various topics ranging from grant-writing to bookbinding.

Upcoming event info will be posted to t h e s p a c e’s of f i c i a l Fa c e b o o k page, at Galler y Par fois.

Tuesday night life drawing sessions are held every Tuesday, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p. m . at G alle r y Par fois , at 4064 St-Laurent Blvd.

music

MUSIC EDITOR /// music@theconcordian.com IMMANUEL MATTHEWS  IMMANUELMATTHEWS

PROFILE

Anders: platinum plaque and sold-out

An ders discus s e s f i rs t pl a tinum reco rd , s o l d -out s hows and t he powe rf ul tea m behind h i m.

JACOB CAREY ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR Long hair. Leather. A fascination with Anders is nowhere to be found. His team greeted me and sat me down on a park bench in Osheaga’s “Artist World” where we’re supposed to meet for our interview, but the man of the hour isn’t in my line of sight.

There’s talk that he’s eyeing down some sunglasses at a nearby pop-up shop, or that he may be refueling after an exhausting hour of work.

After all, performing in front of a crowd of hundreds in the blistering heat of the summer isn’t always easy.

Mere minutes later, Anders joins our table and introduces himself.

Whatever he was off doing, he made sure to make himself comfor table after his performance, grabbing a glass of wine and opting out of his “Off-White” Jordan 1s for red Palm Angels sliders that matched his t-shirt.

Anders is an extrovert – made most evident by his bubbly personalit y and genuine desire to want to speak about his craft. At just 24-years old, the Toronto R&B singer has a lot to be proud of.

Anders has most recently achieved his first platinum record as a featured artist for his lead vocals on Canadian DJ duo Loud Luxury’s Love No More.

He compared the timing of the release of this song to the story of David and Goliath, since it came out following the worldwide success of Loud Luxury’s multi-platinum single, Body – a truly hard song to follow.

“Me and LUCA, who is kind of my right-hand guy, we created the song one late night in a studio called DAIS back in Toronto and it was originally called: I Don’t Want Your Love,” said Anders. “But I linked up with Loud Luxury, who were like ‘Yo, we wanna work, we wanna do some shit.’ At this time they had just put out their hit song, Body, and it hadn’t blown up yet. It was just sort of starting to-- I remember at the time it was like two million plays and they wanted to do some shit so I was like, ‘Yo, I got this one I already recorded if you guys want to do something to it.’ I sent them the vocals, and then they bounced me back Love No More saying ‘We’re gonna roll it out, we’re gonna go with it.’”

The success of Love No More wasn’t Anders’ first prominent feature in the

Anders and interviewer Jacob Carey discuss music and Toronto’s influence at Osheaga’s “Artist World”. Photo by Jackson Roy

music industry. Following the release of the artist’s second EP, Twos, Anders sold out his debut performance at the Phoenix venue in Toronto that holds over 1000 people. This accolade was documented in detail with the release of The Road to Phoenix, a YouTube documentary curated by NST - the team, friends and label that Anders wholeheartedly stands by.

“Me and my two team members, Derek [Hui] and Will [Nguyen], when we started coming in the scene and making music, we wanted something that was more than just being an artist,” Anders said. “We kind of wanted a brand to go with it as well. So we created NST. In the beginning, we were just selling merch and hats, but eventually, we want to do music, labels, you know.

Film, fashion - everything. That’s just a brand we created to kind of rally behind and it’s also something good for, you know, if ever I want to take some time to chill, we still have NST. It’s not like we’d have nothing to do.”

Anders’ relationship with NST is a two-way street, with both sides often consulting one another before making their next moves. Anders’ relationship with music, which dates back to his early childhood when he was forced into piano lessons and band practice, allows him to play a hands-on role in his songs’ productions. While he takes care of the musical aspect of NST, his teammates help boost the brand and market the products.

“In the beginning, me, Derek, Will – we were just independent artists with no connections to labels, wondering, ‘Ok, how do we market? How do we

push the music?’” said Anders. “Will and Derek came from a background of producing events, so we said ‘Let’s do what we’re good at. Let’s put events out.’ So we did a little run of going from city to city to do these listening parties, because that’s kinda what we knew. We didn’t know that other shit.

I don’t know how to get on a playlist.”

While Anders relied on real-life networking from city to city to build a fan base, the artist is aware of the role that his own city played in his success. Toronto is home to countless of international superstars, namely Drake and The Weeknd-- two of Anders’ inspirations and influences. Without these catalysts, Anders thinks that musicians wishing to make it in Toronto would have a harder time doing so.

“It’s tough cause you know, even

Drake, if it wasn’t for Drake I wouldn’t make music,” said Anders. “When you have somebody around you to look up to and say ‘Oh, they did it. Why can’t we do it?’ Right? But if you’re in the middle of fucking nowhere, where nobody made it, you kind of have to lead by example… There’s so much inspiration but if there’s nobody around you to see that, you kinda gotta draw from other places and pave that path on your own. It’s definitely a blessing to have an example.”

Similar to his idols, Anders does not want to box himself in as just an R&B artist, or just a rapper, but a multi-faceted artist with a lot to show for. In the short time that he’s been in the scene, Anders is proving just how far a strong network, devoted fan base, and loyal team can take you.

Toronto artist Anders performs to a lively crowd at the 14th annual Osheaga music and Toronto artist Anders performs to a lively crowd at the 14th annual Osheaga arts festival Photo by Jacob Carey music and arts festival Photo by Jacob Carey

APRIL 9, 2019

theconcordian

11

SHOW PREVIEW

Christian French: dorm rooms to headline tours

22-year-old Indiana singer-songwriter Christian French brings his alt-pop sound to Montreal IMMANUEL MATTHEWS MUSIC EDITOR Often times, an artist’s biggest dream is to travel around to different cities as the main act on a tour. For Indiana-born singer-songwriter Christian French, that dream is about to become a reality.

For the first time ever, the 22-yearold is going to be headlining his very own tour. After performing in various opening-slot shows on Quinn XCII and Chelsea Cutler’s latest tours, French’s “Bright Side of the Moon” tour is nearing its debut on Sept. 4, in Michigan.

Set to hit Montreal’s Le Ministère on Sept.11, French couldn’t help but reminisce on some of the earlier parts of the journey that many often overlook when discussing artists and their success. For him, his latest tour is the product of all of the work that came before this, whether it be sleepless nights or awkward shows in front of not-so-stellar crowds.

Speaking with The Concordian, French credits his family with being the origin of much of his musical interest. His family always had music playing – a common thread amongst talented musicians and performers. His sister was a member of a successful band throughout his high school years, another thing he said boosted his understanding of the music industry and how things work in the competitive and sometimes inconsistent profession of a musician. Artists like John Mayer and Eric Clapton also had a heavy influence on him, as he admired their songwriting abilities and deep connection to their music.

He b e g a n d a b b l i n g i n s i n g i n g even before entering high school, posting acoustic covers of some of his favourite songs to SoundCloud, and teaching himself how to play the piano, his passion truly blossomed at Indiana University, where he studied

Pre-Med, played on the school’s hockey team, and was a member of a fraternity.

“It was really difficult to manage at first, but like with anything, you get into a sort of routine that kind of normalizes everything,” said French. “I tried to keep a healthy balance and not burn out on any of the three, and I think that really helped me. Of course, there were a lot of nights Christian French is gearing up to hit the stage at Le Ministère on Sept. 11. Photos by Angela Kritikos where I didn’t sleep much, but I just knew Coverart artfor forChristian ChristianFrench’s French’slatest latestEP, EP, what was important and what I had throughout university. Cover Bright BrightSide Sideof ofthe theMoon Moon to get done every day to continue Meanwhile, he was to elevate.” continuously uploading Having that many responsibilities music to SoundCloud in university is demanding, to say the and was performing least. French continued to hone his at small local venues. musical skills, with the crucial support Then, he finally got of a close group of friends. With their his first bi g b re a k . unwavering support from the start, he 22-year-old American was able to push through the barrier singer and multi-inof uncertainty and shyness that holds strumentalist Chelsea many talented musicians back from Cutler invited him on reaching that next level– one that gets tour; this was proof them their very own cross-country tour. t h a t h i s h a rd wo r k “I've had a close group of friends and perseverance had that have been supporting me since I paid off. started making covers,” he said. “They As university studidn’t know what to make of it at first, d e n t s , m a n y o f u s but after they saw me continue to pursue know what it feels it, they knew how much I cared about it l i k e t o h a v e a l o t and were behind me. I was in a fraternity, of t h i n g s t o wo r r y and follow a passion. It's important to and everyone in the fraternity supported about on a day-tomy music, showing their friends across day basis, whether it's related to have a plan and to know what you’re the country, and it allowed for a coun- s c h o o l , l o v e d o n e s , h o b b i e s , o r going to do, but nothing is going to try-wide awareness a lot faster than it passions. When asked if he had any happen unless you take action. There would have been if I wasn’t in college advice to students going through is no better time to start than now.”

You can catch Christian French’s similarly-demanding situations, with supportive friends.” performance at Le Ministère on his French continued to balance a French said one thing: “Do not be scared to take a leap BSOTM tour, on Sept. 11 at 10 p.m. heavily-filled platter of responsibilities

Quickspins BROCKHAMPTON

best highlighted on the standout track “DEARLY DEPARTED” which features one of Dom McLennon’s best verses ever. Setting the tone early, “NO HALO” is a dark, string-led track bringing the best out of each member. The M.V.P. of this album is undoubtedly Bearface, whose vocals have reached new heights, especially on tracks like “BIG BOY” and “VICTOR ROBERTS.” Ginger is a triumphant success that shows just how much America’s best boy band has grown over the last year.

TONES AND I

8.5/10 GINGER

RCA Records Following a brief venture into experimental territory, BROCKHAMPTON have returned with a much more focused album in Ginger. This isn’t a return to the bright, fun style the boy band perfected during their Saturation era. This is a brooding album with each track focusing on the struggles each member has had to deal with since the controversial removal of ex-member Ameer Vann. These struggles are

 TRIAL TRACK: NO HALO  STAR BAR: “When somebody that you know throws you in the fire how do you survive? I kicked down the door inside a home I didn't own just to save a friend's life. Little did I know, the one who pulled the strings was once on my side. I had just moved to Texas, tried to make it right”-Dom McLennon on "DEARLY DEPARTED" — LOUIS PAVLAKOS, STAFF WRITER

melancholic, piano-driven tracks. Her ability to twist and bend words, almost deconstructing their pronunciation and transforming them into an unrecognizable musical sound, perfectly demonstrates her ability to use her voice as an instrument. Also, the fact that she touches on relevant themes, such as sexual discrimination and the importance of the youth, show that her understanding of music goes beyond her natural talent. Tones and I is here to stay, and this short EP was enough to prove it to everyone.

8.5/10 THE KIDS ARE BACK

Bad Batch Records

Tones and I is a newcomer onto the music world’s big stage; although The Kids Are Back is exactly what the world needed from the pop singer since her lightning-fast rise to fame this year.

The 6-track EP highlights the Australian former busker’s creative use of her voice over both upbeat dance-style instrumentals and more

 TRIAL TRACK: Dance Monkey  STAR BAR: “No one wants to listen to the kids these days / Yeah, the fibs these days, yeah / They say that we're all the same / But they're the ones to blame” - "The kids are coming" — IMMANUEL MATTHEWS, MUSIC EDITOR

sports

SPORTS EDITOR /// sports@theconcordian.com MATTHEW OHAYON  @matthewohayon

A N A LY S I S

A look into the Stingers’ new offence Alex Surprenangt is transforming the way the Stingers are playing offence

Alex Surprenant (right) and Brad Collinson (middle) go over game plan with Stingers quaterback, Adam Vance. Photo by Laurence B.D.

MATTHEW OHAYON SPORTS EDITOR One of the major changes that the Concordia Stingers football team made after last season was hiring former St-Jean Géants head coach, Alex Surprenant, as offensive coordinator.

Fast-forward to the present, and Surprenant now has two games under his belt as the Stingers offensive. Those games may not have gone the way the team would have liked, starting out with two losses, but Surprenant knows that this is a young team trying to rebuild their program.

Head coach Brad Collinson and Surprenant put an emphasis on recruiting fast and local players on the offensive side of the ball during the off-season to play in Surprenant’s Run-Pass option, or RPO, system.

“If you want to win [long term] it really depends on your recruiting class,” said Surprenant. “Coach Brad also put together a great coaching staff. The football world is a little community where everyone knows everyone and he surrounded me with a great staff.”

The RPO system is something relatively new to the Canadian football world. It’s a tough system to implement, as there are only three downs as opposed to the American game, where there are four downs where it’s a lot easier to use it in.

“The biggest adjustment is that it’s three downs here instead of four like in CEGEP,” Surprenant said. “But at the end of the day, it’s still football so it’s not that difficult to adapt.”

Another major change to the offence is that they also use a no-huddle system.

That means that quarterback Adam Vance gets the signal from the sideline and yells it to the rest of the team from the line of scrimmage without going into a huddle. This allows the offence to move at a faster pace.

“My inspiration comes from the [Kansas City] Chiefs, [New England] Patriots, and the Oregon Ducks from back in the day,” said Surprenant. “Those offences are the best at getting to the line quickly and using their speed.”

The players aren’t the only ones excited about the new offence. Collinson says he was also very excited to see the system that Surprenant put into place during training camp.

“Any time you put in something new, you get excited and want to learn it,” said Collinson. “There’s a lot of diversity in what we’re doing too, like RPO and zone-read options. Alex ran a really good offence at the CEGEP level and we’re seeing some of it here.”

The first two games of the season proved to be tough ones for the offence for many different reasons. But that is to be expected with a young team trying to find its identity. However, these are not excuses for the coaching staff.

Against Les Carabins de l’Université de Montréal, there were multiple missed opportunities by the Stingers to advance the ball down the field due to penalties and dropped passes that would have extended the Stingers offence’s time on the field.

“If we played our best game and lost 10-3, we would have been happy,” said Surprenant. “But after watching film, we’re not happy. We had a lot of missed opportunities at the end of the game that would have given our team a way better chance at winning.”

Whatever the reason may be for the dropped passes in that game, the Stingers could revisit what worked well for them.

They moved quickly in their no-huddle offence and kept the Carabins, a top three team in the country, on their heels for a lot of the game whenever they got into an offensive rhythm.

However, this past week against McGill, their game plan got away from them.

It started off with a four play offensive drive that ended in an Andrew Stevens punt. McGill caught the Stingers flat footed on defense and drove 82 yards in just three plays and never looked back.

A big part of any offence is the offensive line. Vance and his running backs can only do their jobs if the offensive line gives them the time to make plays.

In the first quarter, starting left tackle Damien Constantin went down with an injury and did not return.

For right-handed quarterbacks, such as Vance, the left tackle is the most important position on the line as that position protects the quarterback’s blindside.

“It’s tough to overcome,” said Vance after Friday’s loss. “We don’t have a lot of depth [at the position]. It’s a really big blow.”

The Stingers found a bit of a rhythm in

COLOUR COMMENTARY WITH MATTHEW OHAYON Something a lot of hockey fans complain about, myself included, is the lack of personality shown by players in the National Hockey League. The players are made to be carbon copies of each other when it comes to everything but their on-ice play. They all show up to games in suits, say the same thing game after game in the post-game media scrums, and give little insight into their lives.

M any h ave of te n c alle d P. K .

Subban the most marketable player in the NHL. He loves to share what’s going on in his life on his social media, which is great for fans that want to see more of their favourite players. So why is it that when he posts a video of himself working out on Twitter and Instagram, it’s met with a barrage of angry replies from fans and media?

The tweet that sticks out to me is from Andrew Walker of Sportsnet 650am in Vancouver. It reads, “Hey has anyone seen any PK Subban summer workout videos? I haven’t noticed. I sure hope he’s training hard for the new season like all the other players.”

Subban is giving fans exactly what they want and, frankly, giving the bland sport of hockey exactly what it needs – a little bit of flavour.

If Subban’s online presence really bothers you that much to the point where it boils your blood, just unfollow him. It’s that easy.

the second half but not enough to mount a comeback, as it was too little too late.

“We came [to McGill] and thought they’d roll over, but last time I checked we haven’t won a game in something like 300 days so we can’t be thinking like that,” Vance said.

The Stingers still have six more games this season to right their wrongs and get the offence on track. It is hard to temper expectations after such a strong effort in their first game against the Carabins, but they are still a very young team with a lot to learn, according to Surprenant.

“Coach Brad told the guys, ‘we need to learn how to win. You’re not born a winner and nothing is given.’ It’s a hard process but we know we will get to where we want to be,” said Surprenant.

APRIL 9, 2019

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13

PROFILE

Fecteau hopes to bring a magic touch to the team Em my Fect eau exc ited for new c hapter w it h St in ger s ALEC BRIDEAU ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team added forward Emmy Fe c teau to th eir roste r this past summer. Fecteau joined the Stingers after winning three consecutive RSEQ championships with the Limoilou Titans in the RSEQ collegiate league.

Fecteau decided to be a Stinger after visiting Concordia and the team’s facilities with her family this summer.

The forward said she immediately felt good during her visit.

“I thought the team was great,” Fecteau said. “The coaching staff is very impressive here, and the group of players seemed very welcoming. They seemed to have a lot of fun. That’s what really convinced me to come here.”

Stingers head coach Julie Chu said the team is fortunate to add Fecteau to its roster. She described the SaintOdilon native as not only a great hockey player, but also a great person and dedicated student-athlete.

“She’s someone who definitely loves to compete and loves to win, and those are characteristics of a champion,” Chu said. “She’s willing to learn, work hard and put in that consistent effort every day in order to achieve that. I think she will have a really big impact on us offensively as she continues to develop as an all-around player.”

FOOTBALL

MATTHEW OHAYON SPORTS EDITOR

Photo courtesy of Lalimou Titans

Chu said the opportunity Fecteau had being in a winning culture with the Titans definitely helped her to gain experience.

“She grew a lot during that time, going from her first to third year where she became captain,” Chu said. “The success is obviously something she’ll continue to bring with her. That’s also the fun part with our players, which is sharing together everything that we’ve gone through.”

Fecteau may have already practiced with the Stingers but will have to wait until Sept. 13 to play her first game at

the university level. Chu is confident Fecteau will adapt well from collegiate to university hockey, as she said there is always an adjustment period.

“I’m not going to put any additional pressure on her to make sure she has to score and be a huge role for us,” Chu said. “What we ask all of our players is to come and be a great teammate, to be involved and have a team-first [attitude]. We know Fecteau has a great character, and will be able to contribute to our team’s culture."

Earlier this month, Fecteau was named to Canada’s National Women’s D eve l o p m e nt Te a m to re p re s e nt Canada in a three-game series against the United States. The forward said it was an amazing experience.

“I shed some tears when I knew I was named to the team,” Fecteau said.

“The group of girls was really nice. It was fun to play with the best players in the competition. I [was obviously proud] to play with the Canadian team.

It was incredible.”

Chu, who played at the international level several times and won Olympic G a m e s a n d I I H F Wo r l d Wo m e n’s Championships medals, said it’s “one of the greatest honours” to play for someone’s country.

“Even those who get an opportunity to go to a camp, but maybe not make an official team, that experience itself is valuable because you’re surrounded

by elite athletes who understand what it takes to be at the highest level,” Chu said. “Every experience we get is something that helps us grow and d eve l o p a s p e o p l e a n d h o p ef ully become better.”

Chu gave credit to Fecteau for her nomination to Canada’s National Women’s Development Team, as only 24 players were selected to the team.

“Fecteau did an incredible job,” Chu said. “She did not just work this summer, but she earned the right for the invitation with her last year [with the Titans]. She’s been doing a great job with her summer training to be prepared for the opportunity. I was really excited she was able to earn a spot in the roster, and knowing that she’s a huge and awesome ambassador for our team as well.”

Fecteau said she is looking forward to this season. She described herself as a hard-working player with good vision, and she hopes to help the Stingers to have success in the quest of many titles. “ I c a n’ t w a i t t o p l ay w i t h t h e Stingers,” Fecteau said. “I hope I can bring the winning touch [to] Concordia.

I’m looking forward to playing with that group of players here. I hope we’ll have a good season and win a lot of championships.”

Stingers lose 51st Shaughnessy Cup

The Stingers offence stalls as they only manage to put up 14 points against McGill

The Concordia Stingers drop their second game in a row, losing to McGill in the 51st Shaughnessy Cup by a score of 40-14.

McGill was led to victory off the backs of receiver Pearce Dumay, who made six catches for 116 yards and two touchdowns, and running-back Donavan Martel who gained 135 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts.

Adam Vance and the rest of the Stingers offence had a tough start to the game, throwing two interceptions and fumbling the ball in the first half.

“We came here with the wrong mindset,” said Vance, the Stingers’ quarterback. “We were really happy with the way we played last week [against Les Carabins] and thought McGill would just roll over.”

Starting left-tackle Damien Constantin went down in the first quarter with an injury that saw him sidelined for the rest of the game.

Constantin is a big part of the Stingers offensive line and his injury was certainly felt by Vance, who was sacked five times in the game.

Here are three things we learned from the loss against McGill:

If the Concordia Stingers want to have any type of offensive success, it starts with the offensive line giving Vance time to get the ball down field. The Stingers offence had a lot of trouble getting any sort of production on the run, or through the air, in the first half against a McGill side that came out ready and determined. If one were to just look at the box score of the game, you’d think the blame would lie on Vance, who turned over the ball four times; twice by interception and twice by fumble.

However, a lot of that blame falls on the offensive line. Vance spent the majority of the game under pressure, forcing him to take a handful of sacks, which forced some poor decisions from the fifth-year quarterback. A reason why this happened was Constantin going down early in the first quarter.

The offence started to see more production in the second half, when Vance had more time in the pocket to go through his reads and allow his receivers to get down field.

Graphics by @sundaeghost

One major bright spot for the Stingers in the game was rookie running back and kick returner, Kevin Foster. Foster hasn’t had many touches with the offence so far this season, but has made the most of his opportunities. In the third quarter, Foster had a 74-yard kick return touchdown, where he made a couple of McGill defenders miss before breaking up the sideline for the beautiful return. Foster has a lot of speed and skill, and will surely become a big part of the Stingers’ offence in the future.

Right now, however, he still needs to adjust to the physicality of U Sports football.

On the other side of the ball, the defensive line has to be able to get more pressure on opposing quarterbacks. McGill’s gunslinger, Dimitrios Sinidinos, had loads of time to go through all his reads and find someone to complete passes to. McGill’s offensive line also had a very easy time creating large gaps for their running back, Donavan Martel, to tear apart the Stingers from the ground. Run stopping was a big issue of the Stingers’ last season and unless something changes, their defense will be spending a lot of time on the field again.

opinions OPINIONS EDITOR /// opinions@theconcordian.com YOUMNA EL HALABI  @HalabiYoumna

CLIMATE ANXIETY

How do we deal with our stress regarding the environment?

How do we deal with our stress regarding the environment?

Graphic by Victoria Blair

CALLIE GIACCONE ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR

As an avid consumer of media, the knot in my stomach continues to tighten everytime I see “climate change” in a headline.

There seems to be one heartbreaking news story after another, whether it is the fires in the Amazon or the floods in Sudan.

This makes me think: I’m not the only millennial with a metal straw, reusable grocery bag, and a deep fear at the back of my mind regarding the doom of our planet, right?

I wish I could say that every news headline made me pick up a picket sign, donate to the World Wildlife Fund, and compel me to eat a vegan diet – but often it just makes me feel like a sack of potatoes. So if I care ‘so deeply’ about the environment, why is my anxiety not motivating me to do anything about it?

In hopes of validating my own anxious thoughts, I started doing some research and I found that I’m not alone in my woes.

In fact, this is not a new development by any sort. According to LiveScience.com, feeling desperate and helpless when it comes to environmental issues is a common psychological disorder called “eco-anxiety.”

The American Psychological Association explains that this anxiety focuses on the feeling of doom and a chronic fear regarding environmental problems.

Thomas Doherty, a clinical psychologist in Portland Oregon, explained to LiveScience. com that people are not taught how to talk about the climate issue.

Graphic by Victoria Blair

“Up to a certain point, arousal — how alert or worried you feel — leads people to take action and perform better, “ said Doherty.

“But overly high levels of anxiety can become paralyzing.”

As Doherty said, anxiety can cause avoidance. For me personally, I often shut down the conversation about climate change because on a global scale it feels like there is nothing I can do to help.

Susan Clayton, one of the lead authors of a climate-change guide by the American Psychological Association, told CNN that our human tendencies towards avoiding conflict and to feel fear, helplessness, and resignation in response to climate change is growing. She continued by explaining that this is limiting citizens from developing “psychological resiliency,” meaning they are not able to handle and conceptualize the reality of climate change.

I am slowly learning that the more dialogue we create regarding our own panic and uneasiness, the less alone we will feel in the world of climate anxiety.

“Treating climate anxiety in children is very similar to treating general anxiety,” said Rhonda Matters, a Child Psychologist in PEI, to CBC – she stated that acknowledging the anxiety goes a long way.

In an interview with CNN, Wendy Petersen Boring, a professor from Yale University, has said she has expanded her climate anxiety curriculum from one week of lessons, to two full courses. She now addresses the emotional and psychological toll of activism in 2019 with

greater depth, as we continue to uncover the urgency of the situation.

I also think it is irresponsible to talk about climate change without talking about privilege.

Although I’m aware this issue affects us all, I have to acknowledge my avoidant anxiety as not only an issue I have to actively work on, but also as a privilege. My socio-economic environment has protected me from many repercussions that other countries, cities and neighbourhoods are dealing with on a direct and daily basis. I am also privileged to live in a country with news outlets sharing truths

about the greater depth, stateasofwe ourcontinue environment. to uncover the urgency Well, as of cliche the situation. as it sounds, “knowledge is power,” I alsobut think learning it is irresponsible how to cope with to talk ourabout own climate change discomfort is also without power. talking I must about continue privilege. to Although voice my anxieties I’m awareinthis the issue hopesaffects they will us lead all, I have to fruitful to acknowledge discussionsmy with avoidant others,anxiety but most as not only an issue importantly I mustI stay haveaware to actively and informed. work on, butaalso As society, as awe privilege. are blocked My socio-economic by the immensity environment of the situation. has Weprotected need to continue me fromtomany learn repercussions how to approach that this other issuecountries, in a productive cities and neighbourhoods sustainable way. Perhaps are dealing Susan withClayton on a direct said itand best, daily “Webasis. can’tIjust am curl alsoup privileged in a ball and to live wait in a country for the endwith of the news world.” outlets sharing truths

ENVIRONMENT

Where are our priorities?

The Amazon is at a tipping point – and the fault is ours

FATIMA DIA HEAD COPY EDITOR When the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral burned, I was heartbroken – to see walls filled with history, culture, and years of human nuance being devoured by red flames was a sight to make the eyes burn.

The world was in an uproar, pictures of the beautiful church were everywhere, hashtags on social media were immediately trending.

The media talked of nothing else.

Now, over 7,200 square miles of the Amazon have been burning since July 2019. As a result, 131 indigenous reserves are turning into ash, and 3 million different species of plants and animals are suffering. It took the world three weeks to pay attention. It took the media three weeks to talk about it.

But still, leaders from the G-7 Summit offered up to $20 million US towards aid for the Amazon. And yet, the offer was refused by Brazil’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, because of a feud with the French president and summit host, Emmanuel Macron. Bolsonaro insisted that in order for there to be ‘talks,’ Macron should apologize. I would call this disturbed priorities from the leader of a country in a crisis.

My questions are directed towards the journalists. I understand that the Notre-Dame

was caught on video and happened in one of the most populated areas in the world. But the Amazon is called the lungs of this planet. Why did it take three weeks?

The rainforest is the world’s biggest terrestrial carbon sinker and is now at risk of becoming dry land. I can’t help but feel that had the world known earlier, we could’ve acted earlier – maybe even prevented this.

Graphic by @sundaeghost

“Scientists say the Amazon is approaching a tipping point, after which it will irreversibly degrade into a dry savannah,” journalist Jonathan Watts wrote for the Guardian. “At a time when the world needs billions more trees to absorb carbon and stabilise the climate, the planet is losing its biggest rainforest.”

Carole Pires wrote in the The New Yorker that Bolsonaro said more land in the Amazon

should be used for farming, mining, and logging.

Much like Trump, Bolsonaro is known for caring little about the environment. His campaign was fuelled with racism, discrimination, and the incessant need to commercialize the entire country. His priorities have always been towards the green – just not the right one.

In what was the most environmentally ignorant act I’ve ever heard, Brazil’s president encouraged deforestation. Brought to us by Bolsonaro, Aug. 10 became Fire Day – a day when loggers intentionally set fire to clear the land for agriculture. According to Pires, Brazilian space satellites caught surges of wildfire soon after, and three weeks later a smokey apocalypse filled the skies of Sao Paulo – thousands of miles to the south. However, on Aug. 29, Bolsonaro issued a fire ban – for 60 days.

The problem didn’t start with the fire, and it will not end in 60 days. The problem is the fundamental misplacement of our leaders’ priorities. It’s a deep lack of ethical and moral values. It’s that we are not claiming responsibility, because it is ours. Was it not the majority of us who elected them?

The Amazon burning is a symbol that represents the casualties of greed. Burning rainforests, the loss of indigenous homes, climate change… all of these world problems have one dominant factor: prioritizing businesses and material gain at the expense of our Earth’s well-being.

APRIL 9, 2019

theconcordian

15

POP CULTURE

Hollywood's girl next door or swift business woman?

W/ YOUMNA EL HALABI

Some actions speak louder than words, others profit CHLOË LALONDE ARTS EDITOR

I was never really a Taylor Swift fan.

Sure, her songs get stuck in my head from playing on repeat on the radio, but Taylor Swift always represented something unattainable; a tall, blonde, blue-eyed, skinny, perfect girl next door loved by everyone who met her.

Her attempt to be darker in her past albums seemed really comical to me.

In my opinion, her recent music video, You Need To Calm Down, tackles more than just the fight for equality. It seems to be shouting to everyone, “Hey! If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it!”

The music video and VMA performance featured cameos by several prominent members of the LGBTQ+ community, such as Ellen DeGeneres, RuPaul Charles, and several drag queens.

According to USA TODAY, after having won Video of The Year at this year’s VMAs, there has been a lot of backlash claiming the pop star is “using Pride as a fashion statement or marketing ploy.” But many in the LGBTQ+ community have her back, and her allyship seems to really benefit the community regardless.

In an interview with Insider, Tan France, Queer Eye’s fashion guru, stated that he believes the community shouldn’t automatically assume that Swift is acting on self-serving motives. France added that

Graphic by @sundaeghost

even though the pop star hasn’t been a vocal advocate until recently, she has taken great strides in her allyship, concluding her music video by urging viewers to sign her Change.org petition in support of the Equality Act. The petition has since obtained over half a million signatures and counting.

The act has yet to pass in the U.S. Senate, and Swift hopes the petition will urge the Senate to proceed. If approved, the Equality Act would protect the LGBTQ+ community from discrimination, ensuring that all American citizens are treated equally.

With a net worth of over $360 million, Billboard stated that the pop star has made some very charitable donations to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation

NOTE TO SHELF

Alaska Disenchanted

Depressed, ‘ethereal’ women are toxic and outdated “So I walked back to my room and collapsed on the bottom bunk, thinking that if people were rain, I was drizzle and she was a hurricane.”

It’s 2014, a 16-year-old Youmna reads these words for the first time, and her mind is blown.

Alaska Young, from Looking for Alaska, is played by the beautiful Kaya Scodelario in her mind, blowing out cigarette smoke, talking about the endless labyrinth of suffering, and wanting to die.

Alaska Young smells of vanilla and cigarettes, with curves in all the right places. She’s carefree, she’s mysterious, she’s promiscuous. She’s a John Green fantasy Youmna wants to embody.

(GLAAD), the Joyful Heart Foundation for survivors of sexual assault, and various Go Fund Me campaigns, among other things.

Her charitable actions don’t necessarily speak louder than her luxuries – what with her two private jets and $84 million real estate portfolio, according to a recent article in the Business Insider. We can’t forget that Swift is not just Hollywood’s girl next door, but a boss business woman doing her best to manage her extreme successes.

Swift released her new album, Lover on Aug. 23. Featuring radio hit ME! and You need to calm down, among other poppy tunes such as The Man (where Swift imagines her life as a man) and Soon You’ll Get Better. In the latter, the star sings “I hate to make this all about me, but who am

Fast-forward to 2019, a 21-year-old Youmna wants to kick her 16-year-old self in the face.

This summer, finding no solace in the myriad of new books I purchased at my local library, I decided to read John Green’s critically acclaimed novel, for the umpteenth time. I remember it as my favourite book during my formative high school years.

That, and The Great Gatsby (more on that in next week’s column). Let’s just say, a lot of disillusionment happened during these past couple of months.

As I read through what I once believed to be an enigmatic novel, I slowly but surely felt my face form into a rictus at every word, every description, every one of Green’s attempts to paint Alaska as this ethereal creature men lust over and who women forever wish to be. What made my experience worse was recalling how I fell for it the first time, and remained under that spell – until now.

The problem with characters like Alaska Young is the romanticization of depression, toxic behaviour and, ultimately, suicide.

One of Alaska’s most famous lines is: “Y’all smoke to enjoy it. I smoke to die.”

Spoiler alert, she receives a phone call while she’s drunk that stirs up hysteria, she hops into her car and ends up driving herself into a tree. Alaska ends up dead, and other characters in the book wonder

I supposedGraphic to talk to? byWhat @sundaemorningcoffee am I supposed to do?” — her music is, after all, about her.

She is the centre of her work, and she just happened to jump on the LGBTQ+ train. We can’t shade her for that.

In my opinion, although she could be doing more for other communities worldwide (ie, donating to Indigenous communities in Brazil affected by the fires in the Amazon,) there is a lot of pressure put on Swift, and other celebrities, to be vocal allies. This makes them prime bait for public backlash – while these are figures that can use their positions for political advantage, they are not politicians, but privileged voting citizens.

They simply have louder microphones than the rest of us.

if she killed herself on purpose.

In spite of it all, I ate up Green’s novel word for word. And I’m assuming a large number of teenage girls did as well. Witnessing the protagonist slowly falling in love with Alaska Young and idolizing this “hurricane” of a person has done wonders for my self-esteem, I’ll tell you that.

John Green’s novels were quite prominent in my teenage years, and yet now I somehow wish they weren’t. Green did a great job at giving male misfits a voice in the world, but in the process, he felt the need to continue the broken-mysterious-woman narrative we are still trying to grow out of.

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