April 13, 2021 by The Concordian

The Concordian.

NEWS // Concordia Look-back / Las Tres Causals / Renovictions / UQAM Nude Photo / +

COMMENTARY // Wellness Culture / Grad Student Housing / How to Keep your Plants Alive / +

ARTS // The Life Ahead/ Collective 4891 / Ar(t)chives

MUSIC // 2011 in Hip-Hop / Brockhampton Review / Taylor Swift Fearless

VOLUME 38, ISSUE 14 TUESDAY APRIL 13, 2021

// theconcordian @theconcordian @theconcordian theconcordian.com

SPORTS // Alec’s Last Article / Liam’s First Year / Andreescu Back on Track

News.

NEWS EDITORS Hadassah Alencar / @Hadassahalencar Juliette Palin / @PalinJuliette news@theconcordian.com

CONCORDIA

Interview with Concordia University President Graham Carr

On this unprecedented year, and a hint on what students es [are] that students who are not currently can expect going forward Hadassah Alencar News Editor Concordia University’s President and Vice-Chancellor Graham Carr virtually sat down with The Concordian to talk about this past year and the university’s plans moving forwards.

in Montreal*… would prefer to be in Montreal, even if some of their courses continue to be delivered online. Our goal with this is that by May, we can actually tell students, this is what the schedule is going to look like.

*On March 29, Concordia sent a letter encouraging international students to make TC: How did Concordia handle plans to move back to Montreal for the fall the changes brought on by the pan- semester. More information can be found here. demic? GC: I’m pretty pleased with how the whole university community responded. I think that faculty members, by and large, really made a great effort … to develop courses in the online environment that were stimulating for students and that allowed them to develop the competencies that they needed. Not to say that [students] enjoyed the situation, nobody enjoyed the fact that we were not able to access campus — but … we had [the] largest graduating class we’ve ever had last June. We had the largest summer enrollment that we ever had. And interestingly, in January, we had the lowest dropout rate from courses that we’ve ever had. So to me what that says is that students, although it was a challenging year, were making adaptations to try and to cope with the situation.

TC: Will Concordia consider providing vaccinations for students on campus? GC: So that’s a discussion point that universities are having with public health. We’ve indicated that we would be prepared to [be a] site for vaccination for members of our own community. But the decision around the rollout of vaccinations is … a decision of public health authorities. For the moment, they’re focused on an age based vaccination process … and we are part of those conversations with public health, about [the] potential strategies with regard to our own community, including students.

TC: A lot of students have complained that the quality of education TC: Can you provide an update on has not remained the same. Can you what students can expect for the up- speak on that? coming year? GC: In March and April of last year when we really had to switch on a dime, from GC: We anticipate and we hope that our fall [2021] will include a much great- in-person teaching to remote teaching … that er number of in-person courses. Our sens- was an emergency situation and I think fac-

ulty members adapted as best they could. Since that time … many faculty members have continued to modify their approach to teaching in an online environment. So I think that the quality of what is available — I won’t say in every single case — generally, online, has significantly improved. TC: How are you hearing back from students without the teacher evaluations? GC: We’ve done a number of surveys with students over the course of the last year. I … meet regularly with both the heads of [the] CSU and the Graduate Student Association. When we were at the height of the closures, we were meeting once or twice a week. Also we had the COVID-19 hotline and web based interaction where we literally received thousands of questions and comments from students. TC: Students were asking for a pass/fail option this past year, and the university granted the option for one class after much deliberation. Could you speak on that decision? GC: Under the context of COVID we were trying to make accommodations which will reduce tension and stress on the student population. If I have any regret about the fall, [it] was that we didn’t come to that decision and announce that decision a few weeks earlier. I think the ideal framework in which to approach a pass/fail option is not something that’s across the board, but something that’s very selective and which has a positive intention of allowing and encouraging students to experiment. This is something that we want to look at with [the] senate as a potential permanent change to the universities approach going forward. TC: There have been calls to reduce tuition. What are your thoughts on that movement?

GC: Tuition for the overwhelming majority of students is set by the Government of Quebec. When students are paying tuition they’re paying for the competency that comes with the credits that they get for the course. And whether that’s delivered in an online environment or an in-person environment, the competencies are still the same. I’m comfortable that the tuition that students pay is to allow them to achieve those objectives.

CONCORDIA

Concordia offers Canada’s first Science Journalism minor Bachelor of Science students will have the unique opportunity to study journalism courses to strengthen their scientific communication skills

Monica Matin Contributor Concordia University is launching Canada’s first Science Journalism minor in the fall semester. The program will teach the skills required to effectively craft science-related stories for the public eye. “For me, it’s the most important topic,” said David Secko, professor and chair of the Department of Journalism at Concordia, in an interview with The Concordian. “It’s the topic that connects everything together; the impact science has is going to impact the economy, it’s going to impact our health and wellbeing, it’s going to force us to deal with topics that are very complex. So this is the perfect training opportunity to become very good and very precise at your communication.” The minor will be available to students in Bachelor of Science (BSc) programs, who will need to complete 24 credits in the Department of Journalism. The courses offered range from reporting and multimedia to speciality courses, exposing students from a science background to the more esoteric elements of journalism. “Since we’re targeting students in science degrees, this is also really about their careers,” said Secko. “The data out there is very clear that if you communicate better in the world, you’re going to have better prospects for your jobs. Not

Photo Courtesy of the Author

only that, but you’re also going to have a higher level of potential impact on the things that you care about.” Concordia’s Science and Journalism department chairs first began working on the program in 2017, according to Secko. Today, the minor aims to allow BSc students to be able to report on scientific topics in an accurate yet compelling way. The program comes at a time when science journalism is growing rapidly into a more quotidian topic in the general public. “We’re seeing a huge growth in the field of science communication over the last 10 years,” said Secko. “We also find people that I deeply respect, like the Haydens, talking about science journalism itself going through a renaissance.” The number of science journalism stories published has skyrocketed in the past year. COVID-19 coverage is reported daily, as it remains the predominant issue throughout the world. The influx of these stories can inevitably lead to contradicting information — though some journalists, like Thomas and Erika Check Hayden mentioned above, defend that science journalists are producing better journalism than ever before. “It actually comes at a weirdly perfect time for this to be launched,” said Cristina Sanza, digital journalism instructor and Projected Futures coordinator. “More than ever, regular journalists who maybe wouldn’t have otherwise dealt with scientific topics are now being forced to do so. People are now realizing why it’s so critical that this type of reporting needs to be done with utmost care and

accuracy.” Sanza works on other science journalism projects at Concordia, notably the Projected Futures summer school. This summer will be the fourth year of Projected Futures, wherein graduate students will experiment with science journalism in ways that will ultimately encourage them to reconsider how science is communicated in society. “Projected Futures is one of the other science journalism-oriented initiatives that has been going on,” said Sanza. “It’s almost like the precursor to this minor, showing that the department has been involved and interested in this kind of stuff for quite a while.” The Concordia Science Journalism Project (CSJP) is another related initiative within the department, having begun in 2008. The project’s initial aim was to establish a platform for science journalism research and pedagogy in the Department of Journalism. Secko is currently leading the project, working to further empower the communication of science through journalistic methods. “One thing that’s distinguishing the department at Concordia is that we’re not necessarily sitting still — not that departments should, but universities can get old,” said Secko. “The push here is that we’re really asking, ‘Where does science journalism need to go?’ And by getting students in BSc involved in this conversation, I predict good things to come.”

NEWS

Out of court settlement reached amid UQAM nude photo scandal

Photo by Kit Mergaert

UQAM’s sex scandal explained

Juliette Palin News Editor Hélène Boudreau, a student at l’Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), recently posted an explicit picture of herself featuring the UQAM logo. This resulted in UQAM suing Boudreau for $125,000. Following the lawsuit, countless women came and showed their support for Boudreau by posting similar pictures of themselves. Evidently, the university could not sue that many of their students. A lot of the criticism UQAM is receiving pertains to whether or not they support sex-work and the hypersexualized female body. Boudreau operates an OnlyFans account, and there were speculations that she used UQAM imagery in her content on the adult site. UQAM sued Bourdeau for defamation. Many female students asked if the university would have had the same reaction if the subject of the photograph had been a white man. However, UQAM argues that a university is a

professional environment, therefore it is no place for nudity. In response to the lawsuit, PhD students Cato Fortin and Stephanie Roussel started an online campaign posting pictures similar to that of Boudreau’s. In Fortin’s Instagram captions, she explained that the research she does directly relates to how literature and institutions try to control women’s bodies. In her opinion, UQAM’s reaction to the events is a clear example of this. Marie-Anne Richard, a student who recently got accepted to UQAM, expressed her concerns. “I love initiatives like this because it’s women supporting women, and I really think that if we want change, we won’t get it from the ‘system,’” Richard said. “So it’s amazing that women come together to make a statement like this. But I just don’t think it

was the right situation.” She explained that although there is nothing wrong with sex work, she doesn’t believe a university is the place for it. “It’s still a place for high education, so I think it’s so understandable that they don’t want to be associated with nudity. Not because the body of a woman is shameful, but because it’s a university.” Alongside Fortin, others are of the opinion that wanting to disassociate from the sex-work environment allows the taboo surrounding the industry to thrive. UQAM and Hélène Boudreau have settled the lawsuit out of court, and set the matter to rest. As part of the settlement agreements, Boudreau has agreed not to post explicit pictures of herself featuring UQAM’s logo.

News.

NEWS EDITORS Hadassah Alencar / @Hadassahalencar Juliette Palin / @PalinJuliette news@theconcordian.com

INTERNATIONAL

In the Dominican Republic, protesters are fighting to decriminalize abortion in three exceptional cases

The three causals

Amanda Defilló Contributor It has been four weeks now since a group of protesters set up camp in front of Dominican Republic’s Palacio Nacional. The group has been posted there in hopes of getting the government to include what are being referred to as “the three causals” in the Dominican penal code. The three causals call for the decriminalization of abortion in three cases; when the mother’s life is at risk, when the fetus has life-threatening conditions and when the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest. The movement has received support from various government officials such as Milagros Ortiz Bosch, general director of ethics and governmental integrity, Antonio Taveras, senator, Dilia Leticia Jorge Mera, administrative vice-minister of the presidency, and José Horacio Rodríguez, deputy, among others. Wal-

Photos Courtesy of the author do Ariel Suero, the president of the Dominican Medical Association(DMA), has also demonstrated support, alongside Senén Caba, DMA ex-president. The cause is also supported by Dominican celebrity Nashla Bogaert who, in a video posted on the official three casuals Instagram page (@rd3causales), expressed her support for the movement. However even with the large amount of support for the inclusion of the three causals in the penal code — which is set to be updated — certain groups are still adamantly protesting against it. On March 27 there was a march organized in celebration of the day of the “child to be born.” During the demonstration pro-lifers drove their cars throughout the city with blue clothes, flags, and signs some which read “RD es PROVIDA,” translating to “Dominican Republic is pro-life” in English. Others read “Salvemos las dos vidas” which means “Let’s save both lives,” in reference to the first causal. The march was called the “Marcha Celeste” — “celeste” meaning

both a light blue colour and celestial, as in from the heavens. An invite to the march, sent by the organizer, the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo, stated that one of the purposes was to “send a strong and clear message that we are a country that protects and defends life in all its stages.” The march received support from multiple churches, not just catholic ones. Despite the opposition from the Catholic Church, other religious groups and select senators, the three causals camp is currently still in front of the Palacio Nacional. Just this week they have hosted a press conference, a guest speaker panel, and a movie showing. The camp is supposedly set to stay until the causals are effectively introduced into the penal code. The camp is open to the public and people are free to attend their activities and show their support.

HOUSING

Tenants in the Plateau are protesting a renoviction

Residents are being asked to leave their apartment for seven months due to Photo by Chloë Lalonde renovations

Fern Clair Assistant News Editor Residents at Manoir Lafontaine were given notice on March 31, stating they must vacate the building by June 30 for seven months, due to renovations. The residents are currently refusing, as they worry this is an instance of “renoviction.” Renoviction is when a landlord evicts all the tenants under the pretense that a large-scale renovation is needed, and then rents out the apartment at an increased rate once the renovations are complete. Montreal is currently in a housing crisis, which has been exacerbated by COVID-19. “At first, like a lot of people, I couldn’t sleep. I was shocked to receive the eviction notice in the middle of a pandemic,” said Renee Thifault, who is 65-years-old and has lived at Manoir Lafontaine for over ten years. She explained that many of the building’s residents are older. “I love my apartment, and I will fight until the last minute to be able to stay,” said Thifault, explaining that she sees the situation as unfair, and is ready to go to the Quebec housing tribunal. “It’s awful that a person could have so much power to kick people out on the streets with no good reason. And that the government tells us the only way we have to defend ourselves is to take them to court,” she said. According to a La Press article, the owners of Manoir Lafontaine, Brandon Shiller and Jeremy Kornbluth, own at least 800 apartments in Montreal under the company Hillpark Capital. In 2017 they

bought a 36-unit building on Coloniale Avenue, the next year they evicted all but three tenants who refused to leave, and according to the article turned the building into modern luxury apartments. Cecilia Marangon, assistant at Concordia’s Off-Campus Housing and Job Resource Centre (HOJO) said that if anyone finds themselves in a situation like this, it is important for them to know their rights as a tenant and make sure those rights are respected. HOJO offers free assistance on housing and job rights to anyone in Montreal. While Marangon stated they do not give legal advice, they can help inform people of their rights. “Remember that they have the right to refuse,” she said, explaining that if tenants believe their landlord is evicting them without a good reason, they can refuse the eviction. This is the case for the tenants at Manoir Lafontaine.

“They have the right to know exactly what kind of work is going to be done, to know what is going to be the compensation which needs to be adequate with the rental market,” said Marangon. She explained that renovictions are not a new occurrence, and it is common for people to come to HOJO with issues relating to renovictions. Manon Massé, Quebec politician and one of the leaders of the Québec solidaire party, visited Manoir Lafontaine in support of the tenants. She posted on Facebook, “Evictions camouflaged by building work are multiplying.” “We hope to gain support. And not just moral support,” said Thifault, who was very excited that Massé visited. “I am happy to see that people are coming together.”

COVID-19

Vaccine passports: an inevitable measure in a post-COVID reality?

As Canada ramps up its vaccination efforts across provinces, the government tries to determine the best options for a gradual return to normalcy Bogdan Lytvynenko Assistant News Editor The United States and the European Union have started outlining what fully vaccinated people can and cannot do, especially when it comes to international travel. While vaccinated Canadians are not granted special freedoms thus far, the Trudeau government is closely monitoring the idea of “vaccine passports.” The concept of an immunization passport has already been in use well before the COVID-19 pandemic. In Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, many nations require international travellers to show proof of vaccination, particularly against yellow fever, polio, or meningitis. This time, however, vaccine passports might also be required for daily life activities even within Canada. Israel, currently the most vaccinated country in the world against COVID-19, has already defined privileges for vaccine passport holders. Those who present a green pass on their smartphone are allowed to dine in restaurants and exercise in gyms, as well as attend mass sporting events. “I really wanted to get the vaccine to finally be able to enjoy the country,” said Ora Bar, a Concordia student currently living in Tel Aviv. She added, “If you want to go to a restaurant and eat indoors, you need to have the pass. Without it, I couldn’t even enter to go to the restroom.” Officials in the United Kingdom are also developing COVID-19 passports, which would show that a person has received either the vaccine or a recent negative COVID test, or has gained partial immunity after contracting the virus in the last six months. Later this April, such proof may be required to safely attend

soccer stadiums, concert venues, and nightclubs. However, in the U.S., immunization passports have become a controversial topic fuelling political and ethical debates. Currently, 47 per cent of Americans are opposed to government-sponsored COVID passports, while a violation of privacy and freedom has been the most common concern raised by the general public. On April 2, vaccine passports were banned in Florida as Governor Ron DeSantis signed an executive order that prohibited all businesses from requiring proof of vaccination from their customers. A few days later, he was joined by Texas Governor Greg Abbott who also outlawed such measures in his state. “Government should not require any Texan to show proof of vaccination and reveal private health information just to go about their daily lives ... Don’t tread on our personal freedoms,” stated Abbott on Twitter. Meanwhile, New York became the first U.S. state to implement a digital vaccine passport. If one were to attend a baseball game, a play or a wedding reception, they would be required to show their vaccination papers. Now, New Yorkers can simply present a QR code via Excelsior Pass, an IBM-powered application available on both Apple and Android for free. As for Canada, it is still too early to be thinking about relaxed COVID-related restrictions even for vaccinated Canadians, according to Justin Trudeau. The prime minister has made it clear that “we’re still in the middle of a very serious third wave.” The Trudeau government is primarily focusing on mass vaccination instead of the freedoms that fully vaccinated Canadians can enjoy. So far, over 770,000 Canadians have received both doses of a COVID vaccine, making up just two per cent of the population. As of April 9, Canada’s vaccination levels are far below those of Israel, the UK, and the U.S. — where 61,47, and 33 per cent of the population has received at least one dose, respectively. This category stands at 20 per cent in Quebec

Graphic by Taylor Reddam (and just over 17 per cent nationwide), suggesting it may be too soon to focus on the post-pandemic life. Nevertheless, Health Minister Patty Hajdu confirmed that Canada has actively discussed the concept of vaccine passports with fellow G7 countries, focusing on international travel in particular. “The G7 partners agreed that there needs to be some consistency and some collaboration among the countries, so we have some kind of system that would be recognizable, no matter where a person was travelling,” Hajdu explained last week. When it comes to using vaccine passports domestically for everyday activities, Trudeau has so far refrained from officially implementing such a system, saying it raises questions of equity. Since the majority of Canada’s population is currently ineligible to get the COVID vaccine, the government is only monitoring the passport’s efficiency worldwide. “These are things that we have to take into account so that yes, we’re looking to try and encourage everyone to get vaccinated as quickly as possible, but we’re not discriminating and bringing in unfairness in the process at the same time,” stated Trudeau in March. While COVID-19 vaccines remain optional in Canada, the country’s chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam also strongly encourages Canadians to get vaccinated as soon as they are eligible. Once a larger share of the population receives both doses of the vaccine, Canadians can expect to have more specific guidelines for those who are vaccinated, along with a plan for a gradual return to ordinary life in Canada.

Despite COVID-19 restrictions, Algeria faces a second wave of its pro-democracy movement The movement is also known as ‘‘the Hirak’’ Asma R. Kermiche Contributor

democratic Algeria.’’ The Hirak protests started two years ago when Algerians resumed their pro-democ- then-president Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced his racy protests on the second anniversary of intention to run the country for a fifth term. However, even after Bouteflika’s resignation on the country’s pro-democracy movement on April 2, 2019, the Algerian community continued to Feb. 22, 2021, following calls for demonput on pressure to bring down the entire regime. strations launched on social networks AlUnfortunately, in March 2020, all protests were giers, the country’s capital. suspended due to coronavirus restrictions, and the AlIn support of their compatriots there, the Al- gerian authorities took the suspension of the weekly outdoor Hirak protests as an opportunity to silence gerian diaspora in Montreal gathers every weekthe voices of the opposition at a time when the moveend from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., not only to demand ment started gaining strength internationally. the departure of the regime in place, but also to According to the draft law presented by Algeriurge the Algerian authorities to end all repression an Justice Minister, Belkacem Zeghmati, during the against militants and journalists. month of March: ‘‘Algerians who have committed acts The protest begins in front of the Algerian outside the territory ‘seriously prejudicial to the interConsulate and ends at Place du Canada. ests of the State’ or ‘undermining national unity’ could Bouzid Ichalalene, director of publication of the electronic journal ‘‘INTERLIGNES Al- be deprived of their nationality, ‘acquired or of origérie,’’ posted about the issue on Twitter, saying: gin.’’’’ This draft law, which was submitted by Zegh‘‘Through their placards, the demonstrators demand “a rule of law,” “a free press” and “a free and mati in the form of an amendment to the nationality law, raised serious concerns within the vast Algerian

population around the world. ‘‘While Algerian activists are prosecuted for their online posts on social media, those of us living abroad may not be able to return home any time soon,’’ said Bochra Rouag, an Arts and Literature student at LaSalle college, during the protest in Montreal. After several weeks of controversy on the subject, the Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced the withdrawal of the draft bill because of a misunderstanding. ‘‘We withdrew it because there were other interpretations,” explained Tebboune during his April. 4th press briefing. The “Hirak” movement has drawn attention internationally. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights called on the Algerian authorities to immediately end violence against peaceful protesters and to stop arbitrary detentions. Graphic by @the.beta.lab

Commentary.

COMMENTARY EDITOR Aviva Majerczyk / @aviva_majerczyk commentary@theconcordian.com

THINK-PIECE

The dirty truth behind “clean eating” “Wellness” has become a ubiquitous term, but is it as beneficial as it’s marketed to be? Aviva Majerczyk Commentary Editor CW: This article contains discussions of disordered eating. Turmeric capsules, alkaline water, detox teas — more and more the market is filling with new-agey products claiming to rid consumers of a multitude of ailments. One the one hand, many see this trend of “wellness” as a good thing. The more healthy food on the market, the more empowered consumers will be to make positive purchasing decisions. However, it may not be as simple as it seems. What we now know is the wellness industry owes a lot of its tactics to ol’ faithful: the diet industry, which cares less about consumers’ health and long-term goals and more about keeping people hooked on their products and systems. The wellness industry is chock-full of pseudoscientific answers to issues they themselves made up. Cleanses and detox regimens are a perfect example of this false promise. As Christy Harrison, a registered dietician and intuitive eating expert, explains, detox companies freely choose which foods they consider toxins, and this is not in line with actual scientific data. These companies label anything from gluten to coffee to peppers as toxins and then sell consumers a nutrient deficient liquid regimen to flush their bodies “clean.” This can lead to a multitude of health problems. As Harrison explains, fasting cleanses can lead to massive drops in blood sugar, hypoglycemia and

Graphic by Taylor Reddam possible further pain from caffeine withdrawals. Further, research shows that “yo-yo dieting” may increase risk of heart disease in women. The madness of the whole situation is that there is no point in detox dieting to begin with. If you have a functioning liver and kidneys, and have not ingested poison, there is simply no need for a detox — there’s nothing in there to “cleanse.” We’ll come back to that word — cleanse — because it’s all over wellness marketing. The diet industry is smart, and over the years marketers have realized that modern women are skeptical of the claims of diet pills, low-fat diets, and exercise programs of the 90s. So, the message had to change. Since the term “diet” tends to conjure up images of gloomy “before and after” shots, flavourless, pre-portioned freezer meals, and constant weighing, the industry has pivoted to a more positive and contemporary image — wellness. Yet, a lot of the tactics of dieting have stayed the same with this turn to wellness, just dressed in new clothing. Cleanses, for example, rely on the same moral idea of food as either good or bad that the diet industry loves to pedal. No longer is food labeled “low fat” or “high fat,” now it’s “clean” or “toxic.” No matter the verbiage, this superimposes a binary between foods, erasing the importance of all types of food in a person’s diet. Despite aesthetic changes, the message stays the same: there is good food and bad food and it’s your job as a consumer to pick which side you want to fall on. When we ascribe morality to food, that carries on to how we view people and their bodies. If it is seen as virtuous to diet and eat salads everyday and sinful to consume fast food, it becomes a personal responsibility to be thin. Thus, this contributes to inaccurate notions

that fatness is a choice, and a scornworthy one at that. Further, wellness culture does little to address the staggering food disparity across North America. Canada, for instance, holds many “food deserts” where healthy and fresh foods are either extremely difficult to find or exorbitantly priced. In these areas, diet concerns are less about healthfulness as much as simply surviving. The shift from dieting to wellness has wider implications than just wasted money on overpriced tuscan kale and chia seeds. The shift towards “clean eating” can be connected to a new type of disordered eating: orthorexia. Orthorexia centers around an obsession with eating “cleanly” and healthily, rather than simply losing weight. Sondra Kronberg, founder and executive director of the Eating Disorder Treatment Collaborative, explained to NPR, “Orthorexia is a reflection on a larger scale of the cultural perspective on ‘eating cleanly,’ eating ... healthfully, avoiding toxins — including foods that might have some ‘super power.’” Yet, this doesn’t make the disorder any less harmful. Though the focus may be less on weight than on perceived healthfulness, when taken to obsessive length, clean eating can still cause a lot of harm to your body, mental health and self esteem. Furthermore, the celebrities and influencers leading the crusade for wellness and clean eating just so happen to be overwhelmingly thin. So, regardless of intention, the perception still stands: healthy = thin. Whether it’s the Atkins Diet or detox teas, it’s important to be wary of the shifting goalposts of the diet — I mean, wellness — industry. These companies are promising an unrealistic aesthetic of health that may leave you worse off than when you started.

LIFE

How to not kill your plants

A short guide for amateur plant enthusiasts

Elyette Levy Assistant Commentary Editor It’s always the same scenario: you wake up with an abnormal determination to reconnect with nature, or perhaps you’ve built up some motivation after hearing your friends getting excited by their new leafy friends — whatever it is, you decide that it’s finally time to bring home a few plants to take care of. You read up countless mom blogs telling you how to care for your plants, scroll through “Top 20” lists telling you what fertilizer brands to get and avoid and the different types of soils you must get. After a trip to the store, where you get a couple of cute, small succulents, you set them up on your windowsill… Only to see them grow browner and sadder every week. Having a collection of plants has become a really popular hobby recently. This isn’t so surprising, considering the many benefits of adding greenery to your home or work space, on top of the desire to bring the outdoors inside while we wait for this pandemic to allow us to leave our houses again. But for those who have not been blessed with

Graphic by @the.beta.lab a green thumb, buying a new plant is more complicated than just going to the store, finding a nice looking one, and reading off the small care tag stuck in the soil. As a recovering serial plant killer myself, I thought I’d share some tips to help you one day build your own indoor forest. Start small. Get one plant that you’ll be focusing your attention on for a little while until you’re certain you have the time and energy to dedicate to your plant friends. Remember, plants are alive, and although you can always go back to the store to buy more, you can save yourself the heartbreak, trouble, money, and negative environmental impact by testing out your ability to care for them before going all out.

Dracaenas and snake plants are pretty safe bets if you don’t have much time to care for or water your plants. They’re both also quite versatile when it comes to the amount of light they can tolerate. Be realistic. Just like we have to accept that we need to donate that shirt that hasn’t been worn in months but could be useful “at some point,” we can’t pick our plants based on the level of devotion we think we could give it. In other words, don’t pick your leafy friend if it means you’ll have to adapt to its lifestyle and care needs, or at least not while you’re just beginning. Take it from me, someone who has killed more than one cactus thinking less water meant less maintenance, and then went on to forget to water them altogether. If you’re the opposite and you tend to give your plants a little too much love, try going for a Chinese evergreen or a Boston fern — they won’t turn yellow when overwatered. Assess your space. Be wary of where you place your pots. Don’t place a low-water plant in the bathroom, where it will be at the mercy of an overly humid and steamy environment. And if you’re not sure where to put that plant that needs “medium light,” you can do a shade test: wait until noon, when the sun is brightest, and stand around in your house. The more well-defined your shadow, the brighter the light in that area. With time, you’ll find yourself looking into more advanced (and daunting) aspects of plant-owning, like soil drainage and water acidity. You’ll get there eventually, but just focus on keeping them alive for now.

STUDENT LIFE

Concordia needs to pay attention to graduate students with families

Photos by Kit Mergaert

Graduate students with families struggle with finding suitable, affordable housing in Montreal

Arwa Hussain Contributor The lack of affordable housing near Concordia University’s two campuses disproportionally affects graduate students who have families. Rents increase exponentially each year, particularly as developers renovate and convert apartment complexes into ten here for the long-term. While undergradhigh-end luxury condos and apart- uate housing is available through Grey Nuns ments. and other on-campus residences, there are no such options for graduate students. An article in CBC News shows that, deGraduate family housing at universities spite the increase in availability of rental such as the University of Toronto has been very apartments in the central part of Montreal in advantageous. These provide opportunities for 2020, the average rent went up to $891, 4.2 socialization; particularly important when arper cent higher than in 2019. Graduate stu- riving from a foreign country, for both students dent families are affected because they can- and their families. It helps build a social netnot share residences, which help other stu- work wherein these families, who understand dents cut down on rent and other costs. The each other’s challenges, can share helpful adrising cost of rent in and near downtown has vice to navigate everything from university life made it very difficult for student families to to healthcare and education for children. live there. They end up having to move farMany newly-arrived graduate student ther away, thus adding commute time and families also lack the required credit checks other considerations. to get many apartments and thus find themIn addition, most graduate student fam- selves in apartments that may not be suitable. ilies, particularly those that are internation- International students with families also often al students, are single-income households or end up spending a large amount of money to living on financial aid and scholarships. Most rent short-term or live in Airbnbs before findinternational students’ spouses accompany ing a suitable apartment, as it’s nearly imposthem on a visitor permit or have to wait for sible to rent an apartment before being physiwork authorizations. Finding jobs is also a cally present in the city. difficult task due to the language barrier and Michelle LaSalle, a Concordia Fine Arts lack of access to employment networks and Masters student, struggled finding an apartsupport that are provided to citizens and per- ment with a young child, when her son was manent residents. just three months old. Most families, like LaConcordia needs to seriously consider Salle’s, have a hard time finding landlords who providing options for students with families, are willing to rent apartments to families with particularly graduate students, as they are of- small children, due to noise and other issues,

which is also not legally allowed under Quebec’s housing laws. The process of finding an apartment with children is extremely stressful, a point to which this author can also attest to. The process is not only competitive but also involves so much emotional labor with having to convince potential landlords to rent to a family. I, myself, was declined from even viewing several potential apartments when I mentioned I had children. Family housing also helps spouses and children who may be isolated to connect with similar families, and can also help facilitate child-care when needed. As both the Concordia subsidized daycares and the Concordia Student Union daycare are located within the university campuses, it helps parents to be located near the daycares. In addition, schools and daycares have very fixed pick-up schedules and require parents to be able to drop anything they are doing to pick up their child in case of an emergency, which necessitates a short commute. Lindsay Pereira, a senior undergraduate student at Concordia, set to start her Masters in English this fall, has three children and lives in a rented 5 1/2 in LaSalle. She spoke about how the increasing rents are difficult to manage on a single income, especially after she made the decision to return to school after twenty years to complete her undergraduate studies and pursue a Masters. Pereira says that even though she lives close to downtown, commuting on public transit used to take up so much of her time. With the pandemic and shift to online learning, it has also been more difficult to find a quiet space to study and take classes from home. She would welcome subsidized housing options, particularly near the Loyola campus, with its green, open spaces that are ideal for a family and the shuttle service that provides an easy and fast commute to the downtown campus. Pereira ended by saying, “I am grateful that I have a suitable place, but the truth is my reality as a student with children is very different from those who do not, and it is high-time Concordia starts thinking about students with families and their needs, particularly with the financial and other effects of the pandemic.”

Commentary.

COMMENTARY EDITOR Aviva Majerczyk / @aviva_majerczyk commentary@theconcordian.com

SATIRE

Small talk changed in 2021 Small talk, chitchat, pleasantries — whatever you want to call it — looks different nowadays

Graphic by @the.beta.lab

Simona Rosenfield Assistant Commentary Editor Small talk, the light conversation you have in social situations, is a ritual best known for its uncontroversial politeness. Yes, the social situations where small talk comes up are long gone, but that’s not the only reason small talk looks different in 2021. Say you mention the weather: “It’s unseasonably warm this spring!” One might just as well respond with the facts: “Yes, well, permafrost in the arctic is melting, releasing the powerful greenhouse gas, methane, into the atmosphere. This creates a feedback loop, where the methane that’s released further warms the earth, which then melts permafrost quicker, which further releases longstored methane, in an unstoppable loop we call climate change. But it’s perfect scarf weather.” See how weather is a no-no? Try again. “How’s the family?” This, while a valiant effort, is still too dangerous: “Well, my parents haven’t seen a soul beyond each other in a year, leaving them in total psychological ruin.” Try again. “How are things?” “I’m anxious and depressed, but for no obvious reason. I have a consistent routine, a big circle of friends, I exercise, I eat well, and I sleep eight hours a night. Despite all this, something still feels deeply wrong — like a yawning chasm — in my core. You?” Try again. What about a simple one? Talk about friends in common. Gossip, at least, should preserve through a pandemic, no? “Have you spoken to so-and-so lately? I haven’t heard from her in ages!” It should be safe, unless your friend is critical of toxic monogamy culture and the pressure cooker it’s been put in with COVID-19 isolation, responding, “That doesn’t surprise me. She moved in with her COVID boyfriend and they only see each other. It can get toxic pretty fast in those conditions. I read that domestic violence is at an all-time high in Quebec. Eight Quebec women murdered in eight weeks.” So, “girl talk” is out. Try again.

“Have you been reading the news? This COVID thing is really wild, eh?” That could work! Right? Wrong! “Oh yes! Last week there were more than 25 deaths reported due to COVID in Quebec!” Local news is out as well. Try again.

We can spend more time developing communication skills, cultivating curiosity about ourselves and others, and creating space for compassion and nuance in the human experience. There’s nothing light to talk about in 2021. So, instead of pretending that spring came early this year, let’s face the facts, and find wellbeing despite the reality. Let’s be honest about the circumstances, heavy as they may be, and plant roots in tangible sources of joy. Don’t know where to start? Read fiction, create art, learn an instrument, practice another language, be present in the moment, take slow breaths, ask people real questions, observe animals, speak your piece and your peace, pause and think before reacting to things, massage your feet, name your feelings, make people laugh, let yourself cry, let yourself laugh.

How about national news? Nope — the toxic waste storage and handling in B.C. reads like a pamphlet on how to be evil. Continental? Nope — the trial of George Floyd — I mean Derek Chauvin — that highlights Floyd’s substance use as a key defense for Chauvin’s murder charges says everything you need to know about access to dignity, justice, and peace for Black Americans, and comparably, Black Canadians. International? Nope — around the world, school-age children are out of school. Even in And please, I beg you, stop maksocieties capable of creating homeschooling al- ing small talk. ternatives, children are dropping out of school. These educational barriers pose the greatest risk for youth already made vulnerable by marginalizing structures during a formative time in their cognitive development. We can search and search to find something light to talk about. Or, we can all agree that small talk in 2021 is dead. We can create joy and meaning in the tangible things going on moment to moment, like hearing birds sing or feeling the sun on our faces. And we can let ourselves cry when faced with the oversaturation of information, the thinning potency of entertainment, those reprehensible systems of governance, and the aloneness of individualistic thinking.

POP CULTURE

Coming 2 America: a light for the Black community Eddie Murphy representing Black culture for the second time in 33 years

Fadima Sultan Contributor

“Before Black Panther, there was Coming to America. It set a precedent, it set a standard, it opened up so many doors, it was the first of its kind to celebrate Blackness unapologetically,” said Jermaine Fowler in a BBC interview. On March 5, 2021, Amazon Prime released the sequel of Coming to America, one of the most important cultural Hollywood statements for the Black community. In 1988, when Coming to America was released, it brought with it a lot of attention. It had an all-Black cast, and it represented African culture on a mainstream level. Although there were some stereotypes such as the perceived submissiveness of African women, they were modified during the sequel. In the original movie, Akeem Joffer (Eddie Murphy) is an African prince from Zamunda who goes to America to find his future queen. In the movie’s sequel, Joffer goes to America to look for his long-lost son, Zavelle, who Joffer brings back to Zamunda to meet the rest of the family. It depicts the multiple differences between African and African-American cultures, yet we can see them blend during both movies, especially the sequel. During the movie, Joffer’s family in Zamunda welcomes his son Zavelle and his fam-

ily from America. We see the differences between the two families but also witness them blend and bring out the best in each other. In the end, Joffer’s daughter becomes the heir to the throne, and his son marries Mirembe, a woman native to Zamunda. She appears as an empowered, independent, and ambitious woman. In Coming to America, African women were portrayed as submissive, dependent, with no ambition, and only aspiring to marriage. The sequel showed, however, that Black women, African-American and African women can be independent, ambitious and powerful. “I’m very excited about African women who are kicking down those pre-existing narratives that held them back. I’m excited by my generation as we’re not taking anything less,” said Nomzamo Mbatha, who plays Mirembe in Coming 2 America, during a BBC interview. The positive representation of Black people in the media is not common, especially in mainstream movies. The Black community constantly battles for more positive representation. “They portray us either as the good ones that are all docile or the aggressive and dangerous person, and it stems from history. That’s sad,” said Victoria, a student at Université du Québec à Montréal. Eddie Murphy both plays the leading role and produced Coming to America and the sequel. He is seen as a role model and an icon around the world, and more importantly, within the Black community. Many other influential figures are in

attendance in the sequel, such as Teyana Taylor, James Earl Jones, Garcelle Beauvais, Leslie Jones, Arsenio Hall, and more. Mbatha, a native South African woman, plays the role of Mirembe, a hairdresser. Having a native South African woman in mainstream media is inspiring to South Africans of the younger generation. The film “speaks of what I want young girls from the African continent to feel — that they’re not invisible and they’re not too far, their dream is tangible — we need to open those doors for African girls and women,” said Mbatha. From Coming to America to Black Panther, it took 30 years for another mainstream Black movie of this magnitude to come along. This in itself shows the lack of representation for people of colour in Hollywood. Since the beginning of 2020, it has been challenging for the Black community because of the pandemic, the Black Lives Matter movement and the loss of influential people in the entertainment business such as Kobe Bryant, Chadwick Boseman, Cicely Tyson, and more. Coming 2 America is one of the biggest mainstream Black movies in recent years. During these challenging times, Black people being represented at such a high level, as well as having Murphy back on screen is a light for the community.

A goodbye Aviva Majerczyk Commentary Editor When approaching the idea of closing out this column, I’ve found it difficult to figure out where to start. To me, the idea of writing about writing often seems a bit overdone, and as a 21-year-old who still forgets to use spell check and typically writes these entries the morning they’re due, I struggle to think of what I could possibly say about the act of writing a column. However, as I look back through the backlog of Small Steps, I realized that I’ve already answered that question for myself. In a previous column, I discussed how creativity is not something that is innate to the core of a person. Creativity shows itself in different ways, and we should celebrate the ways in which it manifests in ourselves, even if that looks more like bullet journaling than it does abstract painting. I think writing can be seen in the same way.

Graphic by Taylor Reddam

To be honest, Small Steps was quite the challenge for me. My typical beat is pop culture critique and media commentary, so the act of sitting down to write a personal reflection every two weeks was a lot harder than I originally thought when I pitched the idea. Yet, in a very pragmatic way, this writing has helped me get in touch with my beliefs. I really relate to Joan Didion’s approach to understanding the act of writing. In her essay, “Why I Write” she states, “I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear.” It’s easy to go about your life with a general understanding of what you believe and what you’re passionate about. However, articulating these thoughts is a whole different issue. When writing Small Steps, I have sat down many times on a Friday morning (sorry copy editors) without more than a vague notion of what I wanted to say, and lo and behold, the ideas eventually start-

ed to flow. Often, I found I would write myself into a different opinion than I thought I held to begin with, and that’s totally okay. Whatever style of writing you feel the most comfortable with, I encourage you to use it to learn a bit more about yourself. While I had a requirement to write every two weeks, lest our editor-in-chief, Lilly, come banging down my door, it didn’t have to be that formal. A journal, blog or poetry notebook can be a great way to stay in touch with yourself. Above all, I’m thankful for this opportunity to write and learn, not just from myself but from all my amazing colleagues and editors.

Arts.

ARTS EDITORS Lorenza Mezzapelle / @lorenzamezzapelle arts@theconcordian.com

Collective 4891 launches their inaugural zine

Making art accessible and inclusive for all Lorenza Mezzapelle Arts Editor Founded by Concordia Communications students Hannah Jamet-Lange and Shin Ling Low, Collective 4891 aims to foster a safe space for artists to create, regardless of their artistic medium. “Our goal was always to create a safe space for people to share their art in,” said JametLange, adding that they wanted to make room for people who perhaps didn’t yet have the confidence to sign up for open-mics or more professional performance settings. “We felt like everyone was doing so many cool things, so many cool art projects, and we really wanted to see it in a context outside of school.” The group initially organized art events in Jamet-Lange’s apartment. In fact, the collective is named after their old apartment number. In order to provide a platform for emerging artists to expand their practice and experience, the collective often took photos and videos, giving the creators a chance to add to their portfolio. However, despite being titled a collective, the team only consists of Jamet-Lange and Ling Low,

both of whom do everything from hosting the events to assembling their zines. “We would love to make the collective a more literal sense of ‘collective,’” said Ling Low, adding that they are interested in expanding their team in order to continue producing and hosting community projects and events. “During [the open-mics] people would oftentimes build confidence during the event, after hearing other people perform and then decide on the spot ‘Hey, I’m going to perform something after all,’” said JametLange. “If people have the confidence and want to perform something they should have the availability to be able to do so.” However, when the pandemic hit, they had to restructure the format in which their events were delivered, all while staying in line with their mandate of making art accessible to all. Therefore, they decided to start a zine. The Community Care Edition of the Collective 4891 Zine features the work of over 20 creatives. In addition to serving as an art project to showcase the work of emerging artists, the zine also doubles as a fundraiser for Black Lives Matter. How so? In order to obtain a copy of the zine, those interested are encouraged to make

a donation to the cause of their choice — going local is highly encouraged — and submit proof of their donation. In return, those interested will receive their order by mail. The zine features everything from paintings to poetry, giving people a chance to display what would have otherwise been placed on a wall or performed at one of the collective’s open-mics. To accompany the launch of their inaugural zine, the collective will be hosting a virtual artmaking event and launch at the end of April. Here, artists who contributed to the zine will be able to share their work, in an effort to allow people to connect with the art and artists who contributed. For more information about Collective 4891 and their upcoming launch event, follow them on Instagram or Facebook. Those interested in receiving more details on obtaining a copy of the zine or donating to a cause, visit this website.

Photographs by Matilda Cerone Cover Page by Melissa Mathieu

FILM

The Life Ahead: an emotional tale of human lives An elder woman and a young boy create a bond despite harsh pasts

Ana Lucia Londono Flores Assistant Arts Editor It was great to see famous movie star Sophia Loren take on the role of a character both strong and vulnerable. After all these years, Loren proves to be the same talented actress she has always been. Directed by Loren’s son, Edoardo Ponti, The Life Ahead is an adaptation of The Life Before Us, a 1975 novel written by French writer Romain Gary. The book was also adapted in the 1977 French drama Madame Rosa, which received an Oscar. This contemporary remake presents the story of Momo (Ibrahima Gueye), a 12-year-old Senegalese orphan and immigrant boy who goes to live with Madame Rosa. A former prostitute and Jewish Holocaust survivor, Rosa takes care of other women’s children, including her neighbour and friend Lola, and an undocumented boy named Iosif, in the port city of Bari in Italy. After Momo robs Rosa at the market, Rosa’s doctor and Momo’s foster father, Dr. Coen, proposes the idea of sending (ART)CHIVES

Momo to Rosa for her to look after him. In light of the incident, Rosa is left with doubt, as she doesn’t trust Momo. In the end, she agrees to take him under her wing. Momo’s story is similar to dozens who struggled in the Euro-Mediterranean migrant crisis, a period highlighting numerous waves of migration in Europe, in which the film takes place. Momo, who lost his mother, a former prostitute, when he was young, tries to find support from an adult. Then, he finds a job as a drug dealer and helps Hamil, a shopkeeper with whom he forms a friendship. The movie seems to propose that Momo has the option of choosing the right path. Momo has a hard time trusting adults since he has never had a real bond with one. As he tries to cope with his hardships, he learns that he is not so different from Rosa since she is also haunted by her past. Momo creates a bond with Madame Rosa, a strong, yet sensible woman who takes refuge in her apartment’s basement to deal with her thoughts as a way to cope with past trauma. Rosa is a mystery in Momo’s eyes. He doesn’t understand the tattooed numbers

on Rosa’s wrist and the various episodes of dementia, where she spaces out, leaving Momo worrying about her. Still, he learns to appreciate her and so does Rosa as she teaches him about her culture, including Hebrew. The Life Ahead presents life stories that many individuals in the world have gone through. For instance, Rosa is suffering mentally from past trauma. In one scene, she makes Momo promise to never leave her at a hospital, reminiscing the harsh experiences she went through, knowing she was imprisoned at Auschwitz. Not being sure of what she means, Momo promises to her in Hebrew. Throughout the movie, viewers can see Momo’s growth as he becomes more mature and compassionate towards others. He’s not to blame as he wasn’t brought up in the nicest environment. Momo learned to care for others. He might not have had the family he wanted, but he was surrounded by people that cared for him. Rosa offering refuge to children of sex workers is an act of love as she sympathizes with the lived realities of the characters that surround her. She learns to appreciate Momo, despite having misjudged him at the beginning of the story. Ponti leaves the audience with the urge to know more about the characters’ pasts. For a film lasting only 95 minutes, it ended quickly. I still wondered about Rosa and Momo’s pasts at the end. I believe this is the most intriguing aspect of the movie; every character has a hurtful past, whether they lost a close person or experienced a cruel life, and they share life together. Their presence in the movie creates a new family. Regardless of what life offered them, they were still capable of coming together, loving and receiving love from one another. Perhaps the message is simple: when we love, it leaves no space for judgment. The Life Ahead is available to watch on Netflix.

the opportunity to create new spaces – first in the mind and thereafter in everyday life.” In fact, in the 1960s, the How the Harrisons’ multidisciplinary couple pledged they would exclusively create art that practice tackled environmental issues involved environmental work as data rather than art. awareness and ecosystems. The couple’s multidisciplinary The Harrisons offered a practice, which ranged a variety unique take on art and its of disciplines, explored forestry purpose, demonstrating the issues and urban renewal, among ways in which society’s inclinaothers. This led them to collab- tion towards beautiful things orate with biologists, urban makes them more likely to care planners, architects, and more. about important issues if they What makes their work are exhibited in a tasteful way. particularly fascinating is not “All of the sudden people are solely the aesthetic aspect of looking at the environment in it, but rather the fact that each one way or another, and they’re piece could be viewed as a looking differently,” said Helen Lorenza Mezzapelle solution to ecological issues. in a video of their sculpture Arts Editor “Our work begins when we Wilma the Pig. “In other words, perceive an anomaly in the it’s bringing their attention Known as “the Harrisons,” environment that is the result in a way that is meaningful.’” Newton and Helen Mayer of opposing beliefs or contraThe work was displayed at the Harrison were trailblazers in dictory metaphors,” they said, Museum of Contemporary Art in the eco-art movement. Their according to a statement on their Los Angeles for their 2012 exhibicollection ranged from mani- studio’s website. “Moments tion Ends of the Earth: Land Art festos to maps, and sculptural when reality no longer appears to 1974, a remake of one of their installations. If a viewer didn’t seamless and the cost of belief earlier installations titled Hog know, they might interpret their has become outrageous offer Pasture, wherein the creative

Art for a changing world

duo recreated a small live pasture within the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. They had intended on bringing a hog into the space, however, the museum refused. Among their other largescale projects is The Force Majeure (2007 to present). The ongoing series is a manifesto for the present and the future and offers proposals to adapt to a changing world. In fact, the Harrisons started the Center for the Study of the Force Majeure at the University of California, Santa Cruz, a research centre that enables the collaboration between artists and scientists in an effort to design projects that respond to climate change. Despite art being often deemed unimportant, the Harrisons’ works and legacy demonstrate the ways in which art can serve as an alternative way of discussing important issues. “Why not artists?” reads a statement on the Centre’s website. “Art is the court of last resort – and our best hope.”

Music.

MUSIC EDITOR Louis Pavlakos / @louispavlakos music@theconcordian.com

THINK-PIECE

Taylor Swift reclaims her past with Fearless (Taylor’s Version)

The re-recording and release of Swift’s sophomore album is more than just a makeover Esme Bale Contributor On Taylor Swift’s sophomore album Fearless, the then-18-year-old singer begged to be saved, but no one was coming to the rescue. Thirteen years later, Swift holds back from altering that innocence with wisdom while re-recording, and captures the same confusion and passion of youth on Fearless (Taylor’s Version). The now-31-year-old has explored indiepop on her last two albums; the first of which, Folklore, won her a Grammy for Album Of The Year. In her latest release, Swift sheds the maturity that she has gained over the years and goes back to her country roots, singing about being caught in the rain, 2:00 a.m., or passionate screaming matches (“Fearless,” “Hey Stephen,” “Breathe,” “The Way I loved You,” “Come In With The Rain,” and “The Other Side Of The Door”). The production is cleaner, and her voice has improved, but at the end of the day, Swift stayed incredibly loyal to the original tracks. The point of the re-recordings is not to perfect these songs; Swift decided to re-record Fearless in order to regain ownership of them.

When her contract with Big Machine Records ended in 2018, she left and signed with Universal’s Republic Records. In her new deal, Swift made sure she has ownership of all her future masters. Regardless, Big Machine still owned the masters of her first six albums. They sold them to private-equity group Ithaca Holdings, which is owned by music manager Scooter Braun. Swift has spoken publicly about Braun bullying her about the masters, proceeding to sell them for a reported $300 million to Shamrock Holdings. Even after the sale, Braun still profits off streams of Swift’s first six albums. In retaliation, she decided to re-record the tracks, so her fans can play her versions instead of ones that benefit Braun. In an Instagram post, Swift writes that she believes that all artists should own their own songs, captioning the picture with “The artist is the only one who really knows that body of work.” On Fearless (Taylor’s Version), she embraces her past, instead of shying away from it. Sung years later, and with the added context of time, the lyrics take on new meanings. On “Fifteen” she sings, “Count to ten / Take it in / This is life before you know who you’re gonna be.” She expresses that there

was no need for her to be in a rush to grow up and figure everything out. There is peace within the chaotic process of being lost in dreams of alternate futures. The original “Forever and Always’’ is filled with Swift’s signature revenge-filled lyrics, sung in a bitter and sarcastic tone, but fans have noticed that the newest version has a completely different feeling. When she sings, “Baby what happened? Please tell me,” the lyric is filled with insecurity, confusion as to where everything went wrong, and most of all, a deep sense of sadness. While years later, Swift forgets about the anger she felt, she remembers the pain her younger self was in, and expresses compassion and understanding towards it. Somehow, in the re-release, Swift has managed to become even more vulnerable with her fans. Alternatively, ”White Horse” comes off as much lighter in the newest version. Previously, it was sung from a girl in the process of moving on, while now it is sung by a woman who has completely moved on. Fans hear the lyrics, “I’m gonna find someone someday / Who might actually treat me well” as more affirmative than just merely hopeful, knowing that she is currently in a long-term relationship with British actor Joe Alwyn who has been the subject of love songs in her last three albums. Fearless (Taylor’s Version) is filled with anger towards boys that broke her heart, herself, and the world. At 18-years-old, Swift writes about fairytale love stories in some songs, while in others she is perplexed as to why there does not seem to be any happy endings. The album shows an inner battle between fantasy and reality. “Change” takes on a completely new meaning in the face of the conflict that ignited these re-recordings. She sings, “It’s hard to fight when the fight ain’t fair.” After being in the music industry for over a decade, Swift is very aware that the way it works is far from just. Confidently, Swift sings, “These walls that they put up to hold us back will fall down.” In revisiting her work, not only does she get to explore the anger that comes with youth, but also the unquenchable hope. While the six previously unreleased songs have the same lyrical tropes that we see throughout Fearless, they sound much more similar to her later work. Swift had no obligation to copy the country style of earlier versions, so she took advantage of this freedom to play around with them. This resulted in these added tracks having more breathing room and a melodic sound. In “You All Over Me (feat. Maren Morris),” Swift explores how she cannot shed her past. “But like the dollar in your pocket, it’s been spent and traded in,” she sings. “You can’t change where it’s been.” With Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Swift rescues and reclaims what is rightfully hers: her past.

The Class of ’11 Hip hop’s last great draft year

Wesley McLean Assistant Music Editor When sports fans discuss the greatest draft classes of all time, there are a few that are a necessary inclusion on any list. Whether it be the ’96 NBA draft class, the ’83 NFL draft class or the ’03 NHL draft class, the best ones see a high volume of players go on to become all-time greats within their respective leagues. In hip hop, while there’s no official “draft” per se, one can still apply that logic to the crop of new artists in a given year and look at the impact they’ve had since entering the game. When you take that into account, it’s clear to see that some of these “draft classes” are stronger than others, but none in recent memory are stronger than the class of 2011. Now, due to the lack of an objective drafting process, selecting the rappers from this class is based solely on which artists had their breakthrough moments, either albums or singles, in 2011. When looking at these moments, the focus isn’t necessarily on mainstream success, but moments in which they gained considerable notoriety

Quickspins

ROADRUNNER BROCKHAMPTON RATING: 9/10 TRIAL TRACK: COUNT ON ME

ROADRUNNER is a return to the lively energetic form BROCKHAMPTON became known for Guillame Laberge Staff Writer BROCKHAMPTON’s newest LP ROADRUNNER is a departure from the depressive and mellow aesthetic of their last album GINGER, as this new record sees the boy band going towards a more mature and hopeful direction. ROADRUNNER is BROCKHAMPTON’s seventh major release in five years, and even though there was a year-and-a half-long wait for a new record, which seems like an eternity for the band, they did the right thing — taking time for themselves to breathe and let the dust settle after GINGER. On GINGER, BROCKHAMPTON’s mood was at an all-time-low, mostly dealing with the departure of member Ameer Vann, resulting in some of their most downhearted and desperate songs to date. ROADRUNNER truly proves that the boy band has turned the page for good on this somber chapter by delivering one of their most

within their respective lanes in the genre. For example, we can look at artists like Danny Brown who, while swimming in critical acclaim for the last decade or so, may not have the sales figures of a major label artist with a big budget. Regardless, he’s been one of hip hop’s most consistent artists of the last decade, with project after project finding their home on a multitude of album of the year lists, starting with 2011’s XXX. The project is incredibly unique and introspective, and while it wasn’t his debut, it was the first to put Brown in the spotlight, bringing him near-universal acclaim and showing his potential to become one of the genre’s all-time greats. Similarly, Tyler, the Creator has found his way on many of those lists in recent years as well, following excellent releases like Flower Boy and IGOR. His emergence on the scene in 2011 came as the cockroach-eating shock rapper in the “Yonkers” video, which was one of hip hop’s biggest moments that year. The video went viral and, while his debut album Goblin wasn’t as well-received by critics as his 2009 mixtape Bastard was, it did help to build a cult-like following for the young artist and his group Odd Future. Ten years on, Tyler is now a Grammy winner and one of hip hop’s most prominent and adventurous figures, who’s become revered by both fans and critics alike for his development and experimental nature. That growth and willingness to take risks is one of the ways that artists ensure longevity and continued success in the industry, and another 2011 draft pick who embodied that growth and progress was the late, great, Mac Miller. Now it’s arguable that 2010 would be Mac’s rookie season so to speak, with his first big mixtape K.I.D.S. dropping that year. However, Mac not only dropped a well-received mixtape in 2011 with Best Day Ever, but he also released his first platinum single “Donald Trump” as well as his debut album

focused and absorbing projects to date. The band is undoubtedly in great shape on this new album and offers anything you would want or see from a BROCKHAMPTON record. They deliver their most aggressive and in-your-face bangers like on “BANKROLL” and on the abrasive opener “BUZZCUT,” which, in the context of the album, strikes even harder

than solely as a single. They also haven’t shied away from making some of the most polished and sweetest pop tunes in the industry with songs like “I’LL TAKE YOU ON” and “WHAT’S THE OCCASION?” — both containing some of their most infectious and enticing choruses to date. As is standard on a BROCKHAMPTON album, we can’t forget a bearface-led

Blue Slide Park, which went on to debut at number one on the Billboard 200, the first independent debut to do so since 1995. From that point until his tragic passing in 2018, Miller grew from a traditional rapper to a multi-faceted, genre-blending artist whose creative output grew more and more unique with each subsequent release, becoming one of his generation’s most important voices. Each generation of music has its defining artists in each genre - The Beatles, Marvin Gaye, Prince, etc. and there aren’t many talents that define this generation of hip hop more than Kendrick Lamar. In 2011, Kendrick released his debut album Section.80 to heaps of praise from critics, gaining notability from fans and fellow artists alike, leading to his eventual signing with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath record label. The album jump-started what has become one of hip hop’s most impressive and consistent discographies, with his next three albums all receiving platinum and multi-platinum certifications, massive critical acclaim, several Grammy wins and even a Pulitzer Prize. Kendrick has gone on to become an all-time great that many people consider to be a top 5-10 talent in the genre’s history, one of music’s most important voices today - proving himself to be the MVP of the 2011 draft class in the process. This is no small feat, as the class includes not only the artists mentioned above but also acts like Future, Meek Mill, Big K.R.I.T., YG, 2 Chainz, A$AP Rocky, Frank Ocean and The Weeknd, to name a few — all of whom have a presence that’s still felt today. It’s a group so absolutely stacked with talent that its impact is undeniable and hasn’t even come close to being duplicated since. 2011’s roster is one that represents a special time in hip hop, one that has gone on to shape the genre since. Graphic by Taylor Reddem

outro track that instantly puts you in your feelings, like on “DEAR LORD.” The boy band still finds time to unwind with some laid back and feel-good rap unmissables with songs such as “WHEN I BALL” and “WINDOWS,” the latter being a posse cut that sees every member come up with a hard-hitting verse. ROADRUNNER surely has something for everyone to enjoy while also being extremely reliable. Kevin Abstract and Dom McLennon especially shine on this project with introspective verses, dropping one bar after another. Highlights include Kevin’s verse on “BUZZCUT,” “THE LIGHT” and on “THE LIGHT PT.II,” and Dom’s verses on “CHAIN ON” and “WHEN I BALL.” Although the performances are top-notch, it is the production that unquestionably steals the show. Every single beat on this project is incredibly well-crafted and thoughtful, all aiming for a clear sentiment in their own unique way. Some of the best instrumentals include “COUNT ON ME,” “BANKROLL,” and “THE LIGHT.” ROADRUNNER is the closest BROCKHAMPTON has come to reaching the level of greatness they once achieved on the legendary SATURATION trilogy, with the new endeavour seeing the boy band pursue this epic run. This new album is another incredible installment in their discography and is one of their most consistent and meticulous efforts yet.

Sports.

SPORTS EDITOR Alec Brideau / @alecbrideau sports@theconcordian.com

Thank you The Concordian Closing on a great chapter with The Concordian Alec Brideau Sports Editor

Gra the.b

I had always been told that getting experience in journalism was important before finishing university and trying to find a job. My time with The Concordian these last two-and-a-half years has been one of the best experiences I could hope for as an aspiring sports journalist. During my first semester at Concordia University, I attended a conference in which The Concordian’s team at the time spoke to us about the paper. Nicholas Di Giovanni, sports editor at the time, talked about the sports section of the newspaper and how to get involved. It didn’t take long for me to start covering Concordia Stingers games and writing articles for The Concordian. I saw an opportunity to share my passion for sports with everyone. I was lucky enough to quickly be offered the assistant sports editor position in my first semester on campus, and for that, I want to thank Di Giovanni. His trust, but also his help and time during my first year with The Concordian, is something I can’t put into words. I don’t know what exactly he saw in me, but by giving me this role, he helped me start a great chapter with The Concordian. To have the chance to cover Stingers games and interview athletes and coaches has been something really special. It was especially unique during that first year as assistant sports editor, since I wasn’t doing a lot of sports interviews on a regular basis.

It was no surprise I would apply for the sports editor position in my second year. I didn’t get the role, as I remained assistant, but it ended up being the best thing for me. This time, I was working with Matthew Ohayon. To have two different editors in two years with the team was really helpful. It showed me different working methods and made me learn even more. I quickly realized that there are so many ways to approach things and work with stories. I think it really helped me with who I am today, writing this last piece as sports editor of The Concordian. When I applied for the role again, in my third year, I was way more ready for this position than I was when I applied at the beginning of my second. I ’ m not saying you should not apply for an editor position in your

first two years. However, you should not be ashamed at all of being in an assistant role for consecutive years. After all, I would be lying if I told you that my goal, when starting out with The Concordian, wasn’t to end up leading the sports section one day. I was looking forward to writing weekly Colour Commentary pieces, deciding pitches and learning even more things again this year. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing me to look at things a bit differently than I imagined them, it’s been a wonderful experience. I’ve been blessed to have Liam Sharp as assistant sports editor. In his first year with The Concordian, Sharp has brought some of the most original stories I’ve seen for our sports section since I joined the staff. He’s behaved like he’s been on the team for a few years now. For that, I thank you my friend. Your dedication and professionalism have been remarkable all year long. I can’t believe it’s already been two-anda-half years since I joined the team. I also can’t believe those are the last words I’m writing for The Concordian. I wish there were more stories to write so I could ask more grammar and structure questions to my copy editor friend Abigail Candelora. To be honest, I’ve probably been asking questions every week to the copy editing team. For that, I want to say thank you, but also sorry. I owe you all a coffee when we finally can meet in person. To this year’s staff, you’ve been amazing. I’ve never seen such an amazing group of people, full of energy and willing to share ideas each week. It’s amazing to think we’ve never met, because it feels like that’s not the case. This has been a really special group. I’m not the one who always talks or gives his opinion, but I’ve always felt included in everything. I’ve always felt like everyone was part of the team and important.

An unforgettable first year at The Concordian A recap of my first year as Assistant Sports Editor Liam Sharp Assistant Sports Editor

In my first year at Concordia University, I got out of my comfort zone more than ever before, and I was determined aphic by @ beta.labto keep the ball rolling during the 2020– 21 academic year.

mentally preparing myself for the challenges ahead, like how a kid playing basketball alone in the backyard might envision game scenarios and buzzer-beaters in immaculate detail. But when the spotlight was on, and it was time to produce the stories I had mentally built up, I was stumped for ideas.

Suddenly, there was “nothing” to When I found out last summer that I would write about. be the Assistant Sports Editor at The Concordian, I was happy, but simultaneously worried, Everyone on the publication staff because I had no clue how sports would be op- helped me at some point — but none more erating down the line during the COVID-19 pan- than Alec Brideau, The Concordian’s Sports demic. Editor. He pointed someone like me, a deer I have always kept tabs on professional in the headlights for most of the year, in the sports leagues, but I was thrilled to get an op- right direction on a near-daily basis. When portunity to bring a similar level of enthusiasm I had questions, be it about life or work, he to collegiate sports prior to the pandemic in the was responsive, supportive, and friendly. form of Concordia Stinger profiles, game recaps, After a couple of weeks of trial and erinterviews with coaches, and much more. ror, things started to settle down as I slowLeading up to the opening weeks of school, I ly but surely got habitual with the pitching, spent weeks writing, and editing routines. Stories were becoming easier to come by, and I was relying less on the default pitches that pertained to collegiate and professional sports.

What was at first a bitter notion became a blessing over time — I eventually took immense pride in writing stories on businesses and people that would never have gotten sports media attention in a normal year. I embraced the idea of branching out to include Esports, and I am grateful to The Concordian’s staff for having an open mind to the idea. In writing about the lives of streamers and covering international Esports tournaments, I realized how enormous the gaming industry is and how much room it has to grow. Talking to business owners that were struck hard by the pandemic was a sobering process that often left me grateful for the little things. Meanwhile, covering the more fortunate businesses that are benefiting from these exceptional times was enlightening for me as an emerging sportswriter. One of the many things I learned through two years in J-school is that the world is full of worthwhile stories and interesting people to write about. During my time with The Concordian, I realized that finding stories is an acquired taste that develops through experience and impartiality. To the entire editorial and management staff that helped turn my raw ideas into fullfledged stories, words cannot express how grateful I truly am for the guidance. I only regret the fact we never got the chance to meet in person. Brideau was a magnificent mentor that balanced everything to a tee. He kept me coordinated and held me accountable during a hectic year. In hindsight, I could not have asked for a better overall learning experience, and I look forward to what lies ahead. Graphic by Lily Cowper

COLOUR COMMENTARY

A great week for Bianca Andreescu Andreescu shows great signs despite injury Alec Brideau Sports Editor two played each other. Despite the loss, it’s been a great week and tournament for the Canadian. She won impressive matches against top players in order to reach the final. Andreescu didn’t play much in 2020, not only because of COVID-19, but also an injury. To see her perform the way she did in Miami will surely give hope to Canadian tennis fans. She defeated players like two-time Grand Slam champion Garbiñe Muguruza and top 20 player Maria Sakkari. In both of Barty delivered an impressive perthose matches, she had to elevate her game formance, which gave Andreescu, who was already fighting ankle pain, absolute- to win important points that ultimately decided the winner. ly no chance. It was the first time these Canadian tennis star Bianca Andreescu played at this year’s Miami Open, her first Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) final since she won her major US Open title in 2019. Unfortunately for Andreescu, she was forced to retire at the end of the second set because of an ankle injury. She was trailing world number one Ashleigh Barty 6-3, 4-0.

Luckily, Andreescu said her injury is nothing serious. It’s been a while since she had to play so many matches in such a short period of time for a tournament, so to see her body take a hit is no surprise. If Andreescu’s week at the Miami Open is synonymous with her performances this season, she’s definitely going to be a player to watch, especially during Grand Slam tournaments. Graphic by Rose-Marie Dion

Editorial:

See ya next fall !

This past academic year at The Concordian has been one for the books. Between onboarding a mostly-new staff to changing up our content, we’ve made a lot of adjustments along the way — not to mention adapting to the whole COVID-19 thing. It turns out that publishing in a pandemic isn’t so easy.

our readers. Despite the fact that most students haven’t set foot on campus for over a year, knowing that so many of you still took the time to engage with our content means more than words can express. You guys truly are the best.

And finally, a big, huge, fat, enormous thank you to our whole staff of managers, editors, assistants, artists, and production professionals. You guys are the heart and soul of this operation. Here’s to (hopefully?) meeting in person someday. For those of you who are sticking around, A big thank you to our contributors for have an amazing summer, and we’ll see you lending us your written words and choosing soon. <3 to share your stories through our platform. Our digital door is always open to new stories, new voices, and new ideas, so if you’re still around next fall, you know where to find us.

The Concordian would like to sincerely thank you, the Concordia community, for your continued support during these past 8 months. This has undoubtedly been one of the most challenging years in our 38 year history — serving Concordia since ‘83, baby — and it wouldn’t have been possible without We love you!

This is The Concordian. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

LILLIAN ROY

editor@theconcordian.com

NEWS EDITORS

HADASSAH ALENCAR JULIETTE PALIN news@theconcordian.com

MANAGING EDITOR

JACOB CAREY

managing@theconcordian.com

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

CHLOË LALONDE

creative@theconcordian.com

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

MICHELLE LAM

digital@theconcordian.com

REVENUE MANAGER

KATERINA BARBERIO revenue@theconcordian.com

BUSINESS MANAGER

LITHUN SARKER

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NEWS ASSISTANTS

FERN CLAIR BOGDAN LYTVYNENKO COMMENTARY EDITOR

AVIVA MAJERCZYK

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COMMENTARY ASSISTANTS

SIMONA ROSENFIELD ELYETTE LEVY ARTS EDITOR

MUSIC EDITOR

PHOTO EDITOR

music@theconcordian.com

photo@theconcordian.com

LOUIS PAVLAKOS

CHRISTINE BEAUDOIN

ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR

PHOTO ASSISTANT

KIT MERGAERT

VOLUME 38 ISSUE 13 DATE APRIL 13 2021

SPORTS EDITOR

HEAD COPY EDITOR

OUR COVER THIS WEEK THE CONCORDIAN YEARBOOK 2021

sports@theconcordian.com

copy@theconcordian.com

WESLEY MCLEAN

ALEC BRIDEAU

MAGGIE MORRIS

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

COPY EDITORS

LIAM SHARP

PRODUCTION MANAGER

MASHEYLA ANDERSON production@theconcordian.com

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

LORENZA MEZZAPELLE LILY COWPER

ABIGAIL CANDELORA HUNTER WALWASKI VIDEO EDITORS

LOLA CARDONA ADAM MBOWE video@theconcordian.com

arts@theconcordian.com

ASSSTANT ARTS EDITOR

ANA LUCIA LONDONO FLORES

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GRAPHICS EDITORS

TAYLOR REDDAM ROSE-MARIE DION graphics@theconcordian.com

BOARD OF DIRECTORS directors@theconcordian.com

BY: CHLOE LALONDE AND LILY COWPER

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April 13, 2021

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April 13, 2021