The Concordian Vol. 31 Issue 21

theconcordian Volume 31 Issue 21

Independent student newspaper at Concordia University. Since 1983.

February 11, 2014

Trudeau wants you to vote Even if it’s not for him p. 3

Photo by Keith Race

In this issue // life arts

music

sports

opinions

Poly love:the more Art and sex: good the merrier p. 5 and bad p. 8

Playlist for ‘getting down’ p. 14

Crazy hockey parents p.16

Nothing wrong with rebound sex p. 18

We tell your stories. Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

theconcordian.com

news 2

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Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Write to the editor: news@theconcordian.com

CITY Milos Kovacevic Assistant news editor

>> Montreal

hoists pride flag The CBC reports that landmarks across the city are set to protest Russia’s controversial stance on gay rights by hoisting, in one way or another, the colours of the rainbow. Montreal’s city hall and the Olympic stadium will both be participating. Montreal isn’t the only Canadian city to don the colours: what started with St. John’s, Newfoundland, has so far been taken up by Ottawa, Toronto, and Laval.

“My role as a mayor, my role as a public figure is to send a message.

Today we are all Russian for all those people who are suffering right now, and we show our solidarity,” said Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre.

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Wine prices expected to increase

February has always been the time of year when the SAQ customarily raises its wine prices by about five cents a bottle. This year the SAQ plans to raise some prices by as much as 70 cents per bottle for certain labels. As reported by the CBC, the SAQ said the increase was necessary to keep up with inflation, and further refused an interview requesting more information. Yves Mailloux, president of the Great Wine Tasting Club of Montreal, has stated that the amount of cheap wines at or under $15 has fallen by almost half in the past four years.

This follows a broad trend which is seeing affordable wines disappear from shelves even as the SAQ’s wine sales themselves decrease.

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Minimum Wage Raise

CTV has announced that, come May, Quebec’s minimum wage is set to go up. Labour Minister Agnes Maltais broke the news at the PQ caucus meeting in Shawinigan last week. Regular wages will go up twenty cents to ten dollars and thirty-five cents an hour, while positions earning tips will see an increase of fifteen cents to eight dollars and ninety cents per hour. Quebec remains in the middle compared to the rest of Canada when it comes to minimum wage, with Nunavut highest at eleven dollars an hour and Albertans lowest at just shy of ten.

Campus event // news

Biology Student Association hosts Sexpo 69 Event aims to explore and educate about sexuality and sexual desires Sloane Montgomery Co-news editor

For your enjoyment and education and just in time for Valentine’s Day, the Concordia Biology Student Association (BSA) will present Sexpo 69, an event that aims to provide students with both fun and factual information on sexuality.

Set to take place on Feb. 12, the idea of Sexpo 69 was born out of the BSA’s desire to do something for students to mark the occasion of Valentine’s Day. “Originally, we wanted to host something fun like a tea party, but we felt maybe it was a bit too girly,”said Rasha Al-Hamsy, VP Internal for the BSA. With the desire to create a fun event for both male and female students, their Valentine theme began to gear more towards sex than love. Eventually the BSA team came to the conclusion that they wanted to provide students with information on sexuality and health services at Concordia, in addition to exploring a more fun side, which would look into fetishes and sex toys.

Highlighting the event will be guest speaker Dr. Jim Pfaus,

a Concordia psychology professor whose research specializes in sexual behavior. Speaking at Sexpo 69 about his research on rats, Dr. Pfaus will explain how different fetishes and sexual preferences appeal to different people.

“We asked Dr. Pfaus to speak at our event because after working with him, we know he is not only down to earth but that he is very knowledgeable on the subject of sexuality and well known in the scientific community,” said Eva Fog, a member of the BSA. Concordia Health Services, the Centre of Sexual Pleasure and Health, Queer Concordia and, Concordia’s Centre for Gender Advocacy,will each be hosting a booth in order to provide education and information on sexual health services. There will also be a fetish booth and a sex toy booth.

The sex toy booth will offer both information and options for purchasing.Should you wish to purchase a toy, the booth will be set up with forms where you can select the toy model you would like and set up a payment method so that your toy will be delivered to your home. This option is available to provide students with a bit more privacy, should they choose to make such a purchase.

The BSA in collaboration with

the Association of Chemistry and Biochemistry Undergraduate Students (ABACUS), Communications Guild (COMS), Journalism Students Association (JSA) and Science College Student Associations

(SCSA), welcomes students from all faculties to come and check out Sexpo 69. The event will be held in the basement of the SP building at Concordia’s Loyola Campus from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Photo from Flickr

CSU // news

CSU has plans to re-open the Swap Shop One student’s trash is another one’s treasure Sloane Montgomery Co-news editor

After being closed for nearly a year, the CSU has plans to re-open the Swap Shop as a Pop-up shop this March at the Sir George Williams campus.

“When our team took office, the Swap Shop was in disarray. It was clear that no one had taken the time to curate the items inside, or advertise that the service existed,” explained VP Internal James Tyler Vaccaro.

The majority of the items in the Swap Shop were unusable, broken, damaged or dirty, consisting mainly of old electronics and soiled clothing.

“The space was unsanitary and had a high likelihood of creating or spreading infestations.

For example, bedbugs can thrive in old clothing, and silverfish can be found in old books, both items that were commonly found in the Swap Shop,” said Vaccaro.

Additionally there had been an issue with individuals who took up residence in the Swap Shop, sleeping there overnight. After security dealt with this matter, a decision was made by the CSU executive to close down the shop indefinitely. Further keeping in mind the safety and health of students using or acquiring products from this space, the executive decided to not re-open the shop until a more sanitary alternative could be found.

“Our initial plan had been to turn the space into a conference room that would be bookable, free of charge, to all student groups.

However, we are in the process of reconsidering all space managed by the CSU, so we did not want to spend money on improvements that would not be permanent,” said Vaccaro.

With students wants in mind

and appreciation for the space’s should get in touch with the VP original concept, the executive Student Life, at studentlife@csu. has come up with an alternative, qc.ca. which will involve the creation of a CSU club that organizes Pop-up Swap Shops around campus.

“This way, students would still have the opportunity to bring unwanted items and give them a second life. This would ensure the project’s continued success, because the club would have the responsibility to properly supervise the events and curate the items,” explained Katrina Caruso, VP Student Life.

To experiment with this concept, the CSU will be hosting the first Pop-up Swap Shop from March 10-12 in the CSU Lounge on the 7th floor of the Hall Building. Any student interested in par- Swap Shop plans to no longer be closed. ticipating in the event Photo by Keith Race

Tuesday, february 11, 2014

Marilla Steuter-Martin Staff writer

Today in 2014, why is it so important to make sure that your voice is heard in politics? This is the question that Liberal party leader,Justin Trudeau, posed to the 300-plus students who gathered to hear him speak at Concordia’s D.B. Clarke Theatre on Thursday, Feb. 6.

The event was organized as part of a campus tour where Trudeau spoke at McGill Univer-

sity, Université de Montréal and Concordia all in one day.

His message was one of youth voter empowerment, in an attempt to combat the “tremendous amount of cynicism surrounding politics.”

“Getting young people to choose to vote and to get involved isn’t just about getting a few more people who are unlikely to vote for Mr. Harper to the ballot box. That’s just a pleasant bi-product,” he said. “What it really is about is changing the nature of conversations that happen in Ottawa and in government.”

According to Elections Canada, in the 2011 federal election, the estimated percentage of 18 to 24-year-olds who showed up

to the polls is 38. While Trudeau was there as a representative of the Liberal Party of Canada, he refrained from expressly encouraging people to vote for him.

Instead, he called for students to research different parties and find one that would best represent their beliefs.

During a question period following the speech, Trudeau was asked about his position on Quebec Premiere Pauline Marois’ secular charter.

“I had the good luck of being able to sit down with Mme Marois, the very day that the newspapers were leaked information on what would be the [charter of values] and I told her straight out, that I thought that it was a very unhelpful direction to be

Trudeau spoke about voter apathy at Concordia Thursday Feb. 6. Photo by Marilla Steuter-Martin

taking — to try and make people choose between their religious beliefs and their jobs.”

He went on to say that the charter would only lead to “divisiveness and polarization” and that “it does us all a disservice when a politician chooses personal electoral gain over service to the society that entrusted her with power.”

Trudeau was also asked about his views on the environment and comments he made in support of the Keystone XL Pipeline at the Calgary Petroleum Club.

“The one thing that I have been consistent on,” began Trudeau, “Whether I’m speaking to the Sierra club, or the Petroleum club, is that we need to figure out how to make what is good for the economy and what’s good for the environment go together.”

While Trudeau took a few shots at the Harper government’s environmental track record, he did not go into detail about his own platform on the topic.

Cameron Ahmad, president of the Quebec chapter of Young Liberals of Canada, said after the event concluded that he was inspired by the student turnout.

“Whenever there’s a room full of young people that, like us, want to discuss politics and get involved and just hear about the ideas of a major lead, that’s hugely inspiring to us.

It means we aren’t alone,” he said. “It means that there are other people out there who are interested and that youth aren’t apathetic.”

Education // news

Cooplearn gains popularity with students With the beta-stage completed, site is growing through word-of-mouth Evan Scammell Staff writer

Have you ever wondered if there were other options out there besides Google Drive and Dropbox for student projects? Well, Ottawa University student Bassil Eid may have the solution for you.

Cooplearn.com is a website for students that offers innovative ways to collaborate as a group to study a certain subject. It was designed to improve students’ grades and study techniques, and also offers online social interactions with other students.

The site was founded by Eid, who is studying economics at the University of Ottawa, and Robin Defaye, in collaboration with graphic designer Ryan Sheppard.

Although Cooplearn.com has been running for less than a year, it’s membership is already growing at a steady rate, and it is improving its services to students and ex-

panding its market.

Eid stated that through feedback from Cooplearn’s student users, they are constantly able to innovate ways to make their services more user friendly and efficient in order to help students to achieve their academic goals.

Some of the more significant changes made to the website include those pertaining to the aesthetic quality of the site, with improved navigation and user friendliness. Students also asked to have improved functionality, making it easier to share notes, textbooks and questions in a more creative way, explained Eid. “We are of course constantly working on functionality. We improved inbox messaging by allowing for a quicker searching for scholars. We also updated our textbooks section in the Studyrooms to allow users to fill in more information regarding a specific textbooks making it easier/cheaper for other students to find. We are also working on adding in a chat.”

The site offers a more organized method of sharing than other online services, such as Google Drive, because the collection of documents uploaded to Cooplearn directly relates to the chosen course or “Studyroom.” This allows students to more efficiently share assignments, exams, notes and add textbooks. For example, on the site, there are specific sections designated solely for assignments and exams where students can “post comments, answers and questions on the spot.”

According to Eid, users in programs such as English, psychology and history use the site the most.

“They use [the site]to collaborate and discuss their assignments weekly. We are however seeing a surge of Econ and Math students registering and we expect them to be about 50/50 with the other programs by the semester’s end.”

The site is available in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, India, Singapore, Switzerland and Denmark. Eids stated that

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Politics // news

Justin Trudeau fills the D.B. Clarke theatre Liberal leader encourages students to vote

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the site is limited to certain countries and markets “in order not to get overwhelmed with feedback and ensure that we create a more user impactful product for our students.”

The site does not use any form of advertising for revenue purposes and Eid says that he will refrain from using it and if in the instance of the necessity of advertising it would be presented so as to not interfere with the user’s experience.

The site has relied solely on word of mouth from student to student for overall recognition of the website and Eid says that this form of marketing generates more than enough registered users and “has turned out to be the biggest promotional technique.”

Since the site is still in its beta form there are a lot more improvements to be made. Eid plans to continue working with students in finding out which changes to the site can be made in order to improve functionality and creativity.

With files from Tim Weynerowski

NATION Milos Kovacevic Assistant news editor

>> Fed’s

announce new First Nations education plan The Montreal Gazette reported Prime Minister Stephen Harper unveiled a new Aboriginal Education plan on Friday in Alberta to a delegation of First Nations, headed by Assembly of First Nations national chief Shawn Atleo. An initial $1.25 billion, with $500 million over seven years and an additional $160 million for implementation, will seek to improve the educational outlooks of aboriginal youth, who suffer from the lowest graduation rates in the country and whose unstandardized diplomas often go unrecognized off-reserve. The bill aims to bring standards in line with the rest of the country, will require the hiring of certified educators, and an enforcement of student attendance. Some First Nations have remained hesitant towards the Federal initiative in light of their past experiences with residential schooling.

>> Vancouver: mail theft capital of Canada Half of all mail theft in the country occurs in the area in-andaround Vancouver, and Canada Post has had enough. To stem the number of missing packages affecting communal mailboxes, the CBC reports, Canada Post has begun leaving fake packages containing tracking devices and strengthening mailbox security, all while working with the authorities to apprehend the perpetrators. This issue is of major concern for urban mail recipients as Canada Post is set to stop delivering door-to-door and will begin to rely almost exclusively on community mailboxes.

>> Canada earns first Sochi medal On Feb. 8, just two days into the 2014 Sochi winter Olympic games, snowboarder Mark McMorris won a bronze medal for Canada. According to CTV News, the Regina native’s path to the Olympics was a difficult and uncertain one due to a broken rib that required specialist help and a balance between careful practice and healing. Following which McMorris needed a minimum third-place finish in qualification to make it to the final event.

“It was like truthfully the most insane roller-coaster ever,” said McMorris.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

WORLD Tim Weynerowski Co-news editor

>> UN calls out Vatican

According to the BBC, the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is publicly denouncing the Vatican for allowing priests to “systematically” sexually abuse children. The UN human rights group claims that “clerics have been involved in the sexual abuse of tens of thousands of children worldwide.”

They are worried about “the practice of offenders’ mobility,” by which pedophiles were transferred from parish to parish to conceal their crimes. Finally, they recommend that the Vatican open files on members of the clergy who “concealed their crimes.” In December, the Vatican refused to reveal data on abuse, following a UN request for information.

>> Doctors flee Syria According to Time Magazine, over 15,000 doctors, or more than half the country’s physicians, have fled Syria over the past three years – a country “whose medical system was once the envy of the Arab world.” More than half of Syrian hospitals have been damaged or destroyed, as reported by the World Health Organization. This is significant because it leaves the country in a more severe medical crisis than it has been since the Arab Spring began. Even medical workers that have remained in Syria throughout the crisis have been forced to leave their jobs, due to dilapidated medical facilities, facilities that have run out of supplies or simply been obliterated.

>> Olympic torch reaches Sochi

The Olympic flame has at last made its way to Sochi after one of its longest journey’s in the history of the Olympics – 65,000 kilometers. This route created popular support and a strong nationalist sentiment, according to The Associated Press. The nationalist sentiment surrounding the flame was encouraged by being taken underwater, to the top of a mountain, into space by the Russians, and relayed by a 101year-old runner. The torch even went to the North Pole. International criticism, however, has stemmed from the torch going out repeatedly, and because it caught fire to runners’ clothes.

Event // news

Concordia hosts an informative panel Students learn about their rights to access to public information her department goes through 500 cases involving access-to-information issues per year with three other judges. Carluccio emphasized that the timing in which a governn Tuesday Feb. 4, The ment document is able to be reSchool of Community and leased and whether or not it could Public Affairs (SCPA), be accessible through the Internet and the Political Science Student are important factors to discuss Association (PSSA) encouraged when deciding on proper legislastudents to come out and get intive reforms, and a “willingness to formed, get engaged and get inchange mindset” by the parties involved in some of the discussions volved would be necessary. and issues that are going on inBrun focused on what the genvolving the right to public inforeral public could do through using mation in Quebec and technology and the InterCanada. net to access information Silence in Canada: and lobby for more transparency from the governThe Right to Public Inment. He stressed that formation, consisted of the government would a two-hour discourse have to improve their with invited panelists “response efficiency” to on the problems Carequests for information nadians have with the if things are to change. legislation surrounding de Souza said that the Access to Informathe law could be used to tion Act. the publics’ advantage in The panelists ingetting the government cluded Carolyn Carluccio, the director of to answer questions in administration at the regards to access to inCommission D’accès a formation. He himself L’information du Quehas investigated several bec; Mike de Souza, stories, including the a political journalist Lac-Mégantic train derailand correspondent for ment, where requested Postmedia News and a The SCPA and PSSA hosted a panel Feb. 4 to discuss Access to Information in Canada. Photo information took up to a specialist in access to by Tim Weynerowski. year to be disclosed.

Evan Scammell Staff writer

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information cases; Jonathan Brun, who has helped in the creation of Nimonik, a way to track and confirm certain laws on mobile devices and Alan Conter, a former CBC Radio executive as well as a part-time faculty member teaching law and ethics in the journalism department. The moderator for the event was Emily McCarthy, the assistant information commissioner of Canada.

The panel focused on discussing issues involving the limitations that the government has on infor-

mation that they are obligated to disclose to the public.

In 1983 the Access to Information Act was passed, which gave Canadian citizens “the right to request access to any record under the control of a federal government institution”(Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Information and Privacy Policy Division).

McCarthy expressed that a lot of pressure is being put on the Harper government to review this legislation and discuss potential reforms. According to Carluccio,

Student activity// news

Concordia hosts the 18th Coms Games Students are looking forward to competing after months of hard work Audrey Folliot Contributor

F

rom Feb. 19 to 23, the 18th edition of the FrenchCanadian Communication Games will be held at Concordia University.

The Communication (Coms) Games is an annual competition between nine universities of Eastern Canada, in which the participants get to compete for four days in 13 different case competitions related to the communications field. The categories include the production of a television newscast, a radio newscast, print journalism, social media, an advertising pitch, film production, a cultural show, and many more. Each university has its own 32 delegates to represent it during the competition.

From October to February, the delegation, chosen after competitive auditions, meets for a minimum of 10 hours a week to prepare for their challenge.

For his third year in the Games, Jean-Frédéric Daigneault decided to take over an extra challenge and become a chief, one of three responsible for managing the Concordia 2014 delegation.

“I wanted to help the project

grow at Concordia. We are just starting to develop an interesting program and I wanted to be part of that progression,” said Daigneault.

“Once you experience the Games, you will want to do it again and again” said Pierre-Luc Miville, former recipient of the gold medal in film production. Miville is participating for his fourth year, and now works as a professional video producer and director.

Having seen four different editions of the Games, Miville said, “The organizing committee this year are pushing the limits of each individual case competition and are bringing new exciting elements to the table. They have also brought many sponsors for each case, which will bring real professional value to the Coms Games.”

Participating for the first time this year, Schubert Laforest explained how he can already see the benefits of partaking in such a competition.

“The networking you do through the Games is beneficial career wise.

The sheer amount of people you meet in the communications field is significant, from professionals to students who will work in the field, which in turn opens many doors,” said Laforest.

Concordia is the only English university to take part in the Coms Game for the last nine years. Last

year, Concordia ranked third overall in the competition, just below Laval University and UQÀM, and in 2012, Concordia ranked second overall.

“It’s about representing your university and honouring the high calibre of your fellow students by refusing to perform any less than the best of your abilities,” said Laforest.

This year’s Games will be spon-

sored by Ici Radio-Canada, La Presse +, MAtv, 98,5 FM and Fantasia.

To support Concordia’s delegation Like them on Facebook: www. facebook.com/jdlcconcordia or follow them on Twitter @ jdlcconcordia Audrey Folliot is a member of Concordia’s Communication Games team.

Concordia’s 2014 French-Canadian Communication Games team. Photo By Marie-Andree Picard.

life

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

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Write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com Lifestyle // Life

Polyamory: Love multiplied is love shared First, there were swingers. Now, it’s time for polyamory to push the sexual boundaries Milos Kovacevic Copy editor

Here’s a joke: a polyamorous couple decide to have a date with their special somebody on Valentine’s Day. By the end of the night, it doubles as an excuse for a house party.

If you don’t get the (admittedly lame) joke, it’s probably because you don’t know what the definition of polyamory is. Unlike swingers, who believe in recreational sex with others and with which polyamorists are often mistaken for, polyamorists are defined by a practice of carrying on multiple emotionally intimate relationships simultaneously. Swingers will sleep with you, but may not love you; polyamorists might just end up sleeping with you and build a deep, long-term commitment to boot. Because of its not-as-prominent profile, polyamory arguably remains even less understood and accepted by society than swinging.

So, to clear the air, The Concordian decided to interview Jocelyn Beaudet, a staff member, Concordia student, and polyamorist himself, to find out the dynamics, both positive and negative, of this often misunderstood lifestyle. What follows is an edited and condensed Q&A. Q. How do you perceive mainstream views of polyamory, its confusion with swinging, and how do you respond to these views?

Polyamory views are in general very misguided. People have this idea that polyamory and open relationships are the same, when in reality they couldn’t be farther apart.

For starters, polyamory is about maintain-

ing relationships between multiple individuals, without restrictions, and implies no central relationship or hierarchy. Swingers, on the other hand, explore outside of their relationship, in favour of the central union between the two involved parties. In the broad sense, swingers value their central relationships over those they establish outside of their significant others. Polyamorous couples are decentralized, and all involved parties are treated as equals.

Q: Because of the perceived link between monogamy and love, or even the view of love as being exclusively directed to one person at a time, polyamory and other similar lifestyles have been traditionally seen as being excuses for hedonism and selfishness. How would you respond?

The inherent misconceptions of polyamory and polygamy comes from people who don’t like the idea of sharing and they tend to imply that people are forced into this situation.

Polyamory in general explores people’s freedom to connect with anyone and generally rely on reaching a position of comfort between parties involved. Not all polyamorous relationships function on the same central basis.

Polyamory is a very personal mode of engaging in interpersonal relationships.

Q: How does one exactly navigate through a relationship like that – what are the rules and guidelines?

First, it’s important to note that there are no main partners. Every partner is treated with equal amounts of love and respect. A primary partner is not more important in that aspect.

In general, these relationships tend to revolve around other poly-centric individuals. The reason for this mainly involves the monogamous idea of belonging to one another, almost like a

form of emotional ownership. This translates poorly and creates jealousy when a partner falls in love with someone else.

The notion of having a primary/secondary is used only as common vocabulary among polyamorous individuals. The idea of a primary is purely defined by account of having spent more time in a relationship with that person.

Imagine being in love with your significant other. That doesn’t negate that you may equally desire someone else. Having this emotional bond with more than one person can be demanding in terms of finding the right emotional balance and being attentive to your partners, but it’s also incredibly rewarding.

Q: How did you come across polyamory, and were there any repercussions for yourself?

My first serious relationship was with a polyamorous woman, and while I was willing to set aside differences (or so I thought at the time) to make things work, I was also very young and prone to jealousy. My initial reaction was negative but as I grew older I ran into a problem where I would constantly fall in love with individuals and jump from relationship to relationship out of fear of hurting anyone. The social consensus was that I was just unable to commit to anyone, and that the guilt I felt for leaving a relationship in favour of another was just reinforcement of that fact.

In reality, this serial monogamy was a result of my refusal to accept that a person can love more than one individual at a time.

Since then I’ve had the opportunity to explore polyamorous relationships and, while they’ve been challenging, making not only yourself

but other people who you deeply care about incredibly happy, and having a fulfilling relationship with them and them with you, is possibly one of the most enriching experiences in my life.

Make no mistake though, polyamory demands you to be attentive to your partners and tend to their emotional needs as much as they tend to yours, and to keep a constant open line of communication.

Q: What resources are available to polyamorous couples in Montreal, or in general?

Honestly, the only place I can recommend is FetLife.com. Most other dating sites are strongly monogamous. I’m not familiar with many poly-centric communities in the city but I’m pretty sure they exist.

Q: How would you recommend for individuals or couples wishing to explore polyamory to try it out?

The first rule of thumb is to set boundaries. There are many different types of arrangements. For example, you can have asexual polyamory, which implies that a person can date around, but sex may be off the table. Like all things, these rules need to be respected by both parties and an open communication between them needs to exist.

The second important notion is to understand that on a personal level, your potential ‘other’ partner is just as important as your current one. If you begin to create a hierarchy within partners, you move away from the concepts of polyamory and into the concept of the open relationship. Ethical, consensual non-monogamy is the motto of polyamory.

That’s all the questions we can think of for now. Any last words?

Much love!

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Tuesday, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

Relationships// Life

Time heals all wounds...but rebounds are quicker How the rebound relationship may be a positive solution to getting over a breakup Candice Yee Staff writer

Rebound relationships or rebound sex is usually portrayed as non-committal flings, never spoken of again. For those struggling to leave behind their previous relationship, Julia, who wished to remain anonymous, and psychologist Dale Robinson believe rebounding can provide physical and emotional benefits.

Rebounding requires a short time frame during a transition between partners. A rebound relationship quickly occurs after the end of another relationship, assumingly with more emotional investment than rebound sex.

Defining the terms of rebounding is simple for Julia, a journalism undergraduate student from Paris.

After a breakup, “they say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else,” said Julia. Last summer, she visited Montreal and fell in love. By the end of the summer, Julia returned to Paris. Distance forced the relationship to end. She began seeing someone else to escape the troubles of a broken heart. Rebounding was a process of “fall[ing] out of love, to fall back in love with somebody else,” she noted.

However, the level of interest and commitment in her new relationship wasn’t mutual. In fact, her casual attitude caused her to open up to her rebound. She was comfortable in sharing her feelings — an experience quite opposite from her previous relationship.

“Sometimes when you care a lot about someone, you don’t want to say what you think,” said Julia. “You’re scared.”

In terms of additional positives to rebounding, she explained that it was nice to be given attention and kindness. Robinson also understands the support rebounding provides.

Robinson has been a counselor since 1994, with a master’s in counseling psychology from McGill University. From her counseling experience with Concordia stu-

dents, Robinson recognizes the emotional instabilities that arise after breakups. According to Robinson, rebounding helps a person “feel desirable, and to know there’s life after a relationship.”

“Sometimes breakups can feel like the end of the world,” said Robinson.

She said that relationships, in general, are the biggest reasons why people seek counseling. Although rebounds act as selfesteem boosters, she warns that the partner who is more emotionally invested will get

hurt. Julie and Robinson believe it is important to establish whether the person is a rebound or a potential long-term partner.

“Know what you want before getting into it,” said Julia.

“People [should] go in with their eyes open,” Robinson added.

She also encouraged individuals who are considering rebounding to be upfront.

Openly discussing the nature of the relationship, and clarifying personal intentions are crucial, she said.

Sex // Life

Make it special:Natural aphrodisiacs for Valentine’s Day Accessible and affordable foods to put you in the mood Barbara Madimenos Staff writer

Valentine’s Day is coming up and despite how warm and fuzzy this holiday can be, it’s also a money pit and let’s be honest: everyone is still recovering from holiday spending.

Yes, I love you, and I know, I feel it too, but my wallet is empty and quite frankly I don’t want to be cheesy with a simple box of Lindt

chocolates, sensual lingerie or heart stamped boxers to make the day special.

This day surely is a “show and share the love” type of holiday, but the pending question is, how?

Never fear, Cupid is here, and he’s dressed in eco-friendly green.

Celebrating this holiday does not mean you have to scramble to a sex shop, nor does it mean going commercial. Spending time together with your significant other and creating an air that pulls you both together can be done in alternative ways. In some studies describing what awakens our senses, especially in the case of increasing sexual desires, aphrodisiacs are doing the trick.

There are a number of foods, plants and

scents that ignite a flame in our bodies, so to speak, that actually increase blood flow in the genitals, thus increasing our sexual desire and performance. In addition, they also set us in a mental state that helps us want to feel and act sexual.

According to Susan Greenspan, a naturopath and therapist, there are many easily accessible ingredients for everyone, young and old, to use to help make the day of love feel as festive as possible while also being affordable.

The first ingredient is asparagus. This vegetable, with its shape seeming already inviting, is a great source of essential vitamins and minerals that help boost histamine, which aids both sexes to reach orgasms.

Avocados are a natural aphrodisiac, according to Susan Greenspan. The Aztects called them the “testicle tree.” Photo by Java JOba, Flickr.

The second ingredient, almonds, which are symbols of fertility, arouse females, and the third ingredient, banana, commonly used to symbolize male gentilia, actually increases male libido. Among these two gender related foods, are others that symbolize male and female gentilia according to Greenspan.

“The Aztecs called the avocado ‘ahuacuatl,’ or ‘testicle tree,’” according to Greenspan, explaining how these ancient people thought the fruit resembled testicles, but ironically contained vitamins and minerals that actually boost the immune system. For women, figs also have great stimulating effects when eaten, explains Greenspan.

For both sexes, using basil in dishes, or just having the scent of the herb linger in your surroundings is also very stimulating.

But of course, aside from all of these healthy foods, we cannot forget everyone’s favourite Valentine’s ingredient: chocolate.

“Chocolate contains a host of compounds including anandamide, the psychoactive feelgood chemical, and PEA (phenyl ethylamine), the ‘love chemical,’ which releases dopamine in the pleasure centers of the brain and peaks during orgasm. PEA is said to help induce feelings of excitement, attraction and euphoria,” explains Greenspan.

Nevertheless, food isn’t the only easy way to get your partner in the lovey-dovey mood for Valentine’s Day. Spraying the bed, or just the general area with rose water creates a romantic air, or if one wants to feel “the heat,” chai-like scents, or peppermint are great too.

So, this Valentine’s Day, go green with your stimulants and explore the many natural aphrodisiacs that will arouse your partner and not your wallet.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

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Food // Life

Greasy highlights from La Poutine Week Over 30 restaurants tried their hand at re-inventing Montrealer’s signature gooey dish Nicole Yeba Staff writer

La Poutine Week was a week-long festival that ran from Feb. 1 until Feb. 7 where participating restaurants created an original poutine for people to try.

“We wanted to take a staple dish and bring it up a notch around Quebec and

Canada. It sounded delicious and fun,” said Na’eem Adam, co-founder of La Poutine Week.

The second edition went well, with the extension to three cities: Québec City, Ottawa/Gatineau and Toronto. It also garnered ten times more visibility with Adam appearing on numerous television shows and with the buzz created through online media.

Adam and his team are thinking of extending the festival across Canada and

eventually into the States.

“We want to make La Poutine Week and Le Burger Week perfect and strong, then we might start with pop-up festivals around things like dessert, pizza, cocktails and maybe even salad.”

Adam and his team tried all the poutines months before the festival to qualify them.

“They were all amazing, but I love it when people do something crazy like Imadake or Chez Boris,” said Adam.

Montreal had 32 restaurants participating this year. There were poutines for every taste, from refined poutines to heavier ones. Some highlights include: Régine Café, which offered a breakfast poutine that featured scotch eggs. Fabergé produced an Italian poutine called La Famiglia that consisted of fries, cheese curds, Italian sausage, veal meatballs and marinara sauce from Drogheria Fine. Royal Phoenix Bar had a pulled pork with green apple coleslaw poutine and Au Cinquième Péché offered a seal poutine which was made up of gnocchi, cheese curds, seal merguez, brussel sprouts and full-bodied juice. La Rosa

Park’s poutine, Lola, was a combination of sweet potato fries with black beans and mushroom sauce.

Other than food, the locale also was a factor in the poutine eating experience. Poutine Centrale is a serious contender to other famous poutine places such as la Banquise and Poutineville. A rustic atmosphere reigns in the Saint-Laurent restaurant. There are large tables and small individual benches made of wood. Large sacks with the Poutine Centrale logo of 50 pounds of potatoes decorate the place. Natural light comes from the front. In the back, you can see graffiti on a wall outside through the doors that lead to a terrace.

Poutine Centrale, with two locations in the city, offered a butter chicken poutine.

You can get a small one for $7.99 or a big one for $10.99. The poutine is a mix of French fries, cheese curds, butter chicken, Indian spices and cilantro. The chicken tastes creamy and buttery. The mix with the fries and poutine was interesting. Who knew an Indian poutine could exist? If you are not a fan of spices or Indian food, you will not enjoy this one. A piece of naan on the side would have been an interesting touch. Butter chicken and naan are the best combination.

La Poutine Week was an intense time for poutine lovers. I have tried ten different poutines over a week. I tried one to two per day and reviewed them. You can read my complete reviews on my blog: favetastes. wordpress.com.

Plenty of poutines to try during La Poutine Week, which one was your favourite? Photo by writer.

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Tuesday, february 11, 2014

arts

Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com

Fiction // arts

Breaking news: Fictional characters are hooking up The Concordian is playing cupid, ‘shipping our favourites into healthy, loving relationships. Or not.

Frédéric T. Muckle Contributor

Since Valentine’s Day is at our doorsteps, The Concordian has put together a team of very serious and very real “cultural scientists” that has cogitated for a week to deliver to you a list of especially peculiar couples. More precisely, this article is a complex experiment trying to put some of our favorite fictional characters together — crossing them over from literature, television and the big screen. Keep in mind that the results presented below are not some average “best couples” from People magazine — instead, you will be reading about original duos that would make sense (or not) in the fictional melting pot that is our collective imagination.

Also, there may (probably will) be spoilers.

A very logical couple One is a favorite methamphetamine producer with a wife that does not respect or support his ambitions and a brother-in-law that wants him gone from future family reunions. The other is the mother of a king, has a particu-

lar talent for exploiting and manipulating the people around her, seems to have some daddy issues, and becomes a widow of her own accord. We are talking here of Walter White and Cersei Lannister, characters from two of the most praised television shows of the past few years — Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones.

When you think about it, it makes absolute sense that those two should end up together: both are unquestionably in ‘empire business’, they both have sons that could bond and become friends over breakfast and, let’s face it, it would be beneficial for both of them to get out of their present, unhealthy relationships. If it were to happen, Heisenberg could expand his market shares by selling his Blue Sky all over the seven kingdoms of Westeros, and Cersei could easily orchestrate a sophisticated stratagem to assassinate and corrupt the whole establishment of Albuquerque. Logical, wouldn’t you say?

A most sexy/badass couple Sexy characters, especially women, are usually only depicted as eye candy and not much else. Still, isn’t it more sexy when said attractive character has some kind of specific

skill, a taste for adventure or any other unusual but spicy habit? That is exactly what we would have by coupling famous archeologist/ teacher/explorer/hero, Indiana Jones, and the vengeful and beautiful Angel of Death, as represented by The Bride from Tarantino’s classic Kill Bill movies.

It may seem like a weird match at first but if you really think about it you will realize that they belong together. First, they love to travel around the world. OK, it is true that Indiana Jones is trying to find ancient artifacts and fight Nazis and The Bride travels around the globe to find and annihilate her ex-coworkers but still, we could easily picture them together in an all-inclusive resort holding hands and sipping on some piña coladas. Also, they would both benefit from each other’s personality traits. The Bride could learn to relax a little with Mr. Jones’ laid-back attitude, and Indy could finally break his pattern of rescuing women and dumping them after each adventure by choosing to be with the independent and fierce blonde assassin that would not be afraid of snakes.

Finally, the simple fact that this couple could kick the ass, both figuratively and liter-

ally, of Brangelina or any other celebrity supercouple demonstrates that they deserve the title above.

While we’re at it: A most necessary couple In a perfect world, Justin Bieber would be dating the Queen of Hearts from Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. It is true that Justin Bieber is not a fictional character — but sometimes it feels like he is.

A woman like the Queen of Hearts is needed in this young man’s life because sincerely, this boy needs some discipline. A dictatorial girlfriend like this would probably do the trick.

A most dysfunctional couple Dorian Gray (The Portrait of Dorian Gray) one of literature’s most egocentric aristocratic characters, and Dennis Reynolds (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), one of television’s most self-centered white-trash characters.

One cannot help thinking that they would form the most unpleasant double date partners of all time. Still, they would probably understand each other perfectly.

Opinion // arts

On virginity and “vaginal knitting’” Sexuality in art — just how much is too much of a good thing?

Mathieu Demers Contributor

Like it or not, there is no getting away from sexual and graphic images these days. They are present in films, television programs, and have been increasingly prominent lately in magazines and music videos.

But, why?

Yes, sex alone is sexy. But surely this is not enough reason for graphic portrayals of it to be found in the media. So unless HBO gives me a good reason for its ubiquitous presence in all of its shows — like say, adding value or meaning to the scene or moving forward a story — I am not convinced of its need to be there.

Peppering an otherwise fantastic narrative with highly-stylized graphic shots of sex and merkin-adorned genitals is much like adding whipped cream atop a venti double caramel macchiato — it’s gratuitous.

Let’s look at infamous photographer and Hollywood sleaze-bag du jour, Terry Richardson. His “art” nowadays mainly consists of photographing underage models in risqué poses — even joining in the photograph, conducting various acrobatic sexual acts with models and actresses.

But what is the message here? That

Richardson is an agile lover? It’s okay if you want to take pornographic pictures, but let’s not pretend they are art. These photographs are intended to cause more shock to the public than awe.

I’m not a prude, however, I can appreciate sex and explicit imagery if they, like any other element of the art production process (dialogue, colour choice, set design, etc.) contribute to the message being delivered.

Australian artist Casey Jenkins made headlines last year when her video perfor-

mance entitled “Casting Off My Womb” made its way to YouTube. The 28-day performance is of Jenkins, as headlines called it, “vaginal knitting” — she inserted a skein of wool into her vagina everyday, knitting continuously until a menstrual cycle was complete.

While shocking, the message here is simple: it’s about being comfortable in your own skin, and dispelling negative assumptions about the vulva and needless fears about a woman’s period.

If you watch the video, be warned that it’s not-safe-for-work, as Jenkins is understandably naked from the waist down, and there is footage of the final product hung proudly and smeared with blood. Though explicit, this is the kind of graphic art I can get behind.

Another shocking and unique performance that was scheduled to take place earlier this year, is Clayton Pettet’s “Art School Stole My Virginity.” The 19-year-old was aware that he was among the last of his peers to have sex, and became preoccupied with the notion of virginity. The performance would take place in a studio gallery, with an audience of about 100, and would consist of Pettet having protected sex for the first time. Pettet’s goal is to address the pressures one feels about virginity head on, and demystify the experience for others.

Due to an arrest for using graffiti to advertise for his show, Pettet’s performance has been put on hold for now, but the artist remains undeterred about completing his work.

“I want them to take away the complete fucking destruction of virginity. Like all of my art, I want to change people’s perceptions,” said Pettet in an interview with The Daily Beast.

Though their unconventional performances have, and will continue to, outrage many people, Jenkins’ and Pettet’s messages are pretty clear — and thought-provoking at that. What are yours, HBO?

Tuesday, febraury 11, 2014

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Theatre // arts

Hell hath no vengeance like a female-deity scorned Arthur Holden’s The Book of Bob is a story of an honest man, grappling with faith Nathália Larocerie Lêdo Staff writer

You are a good person. You guide your life by moral principles; you eat green, do your recycling, and even refuse to own a car and a cellphone. Oh, and you’re an atheist. Then, out of nowhere, comes a female God who decides to put your convictions to the test by hitting you with all kinds of adversities.

Such is the plot of The Book of Bob, a present-day adaptation of the Hebrew Bible’s Book of Job. The poor soul put to trial is Montrealer, Bob — a middle-aged McGill professor who teaches Dostoevsky’s writings on morality and faith.

Suddenly, Bob’s stable life is bombarded in all directions by the caprices of a female deity. A student files a formal complaint against him for mistreating her in front of the entire class; his wife is diagnosed with colon cancer; his son is selling weed and his father commits suicide.

The play explores how Bob’s righteous selfimage is ultimately challenged, and leaves it to the spectators to decide for themselves the authority of faith in one’s life.

Distinguished Montreal-raised actor, Ron Lea, plays the role of Bob. His talent overflows the stage with wit, perception and confidence.

He is definitely convincing in his portrayal of Bob and his charismatic performance makes it easier for the public to sympathize and even identify with him.

Constantly interacting with Bob, in the skin of ten different characters, is the bold actress Lucinda Davis, who was awarded the 2013 META Award for Outstanding Female Actor.

Playing the female lead, Davis was already God in the playwright’s mind even as the play was still taking form, according to an interview with Suzanne Shugar. When you see her on stage, this choice becomes obvious — Davis is incredibly versatile in the way she creates unique traits and voices for each character, while avoiding venturing into the realm of parody.

Moreover, one of the main features of the play are the elaborate, huge screens that envelop the entirety of the stage. Brought forth by cinematographer Benoît Beaulieu and videographers George Allister and Patrick Andrew Boivin, this visual component is highly interactive, always showing where the main character is (home, campus, etc.) and with whom he is interacting. It is a skillful way to avoid dry narration and creates an imaginative ambience.

Holden is captivated by biblical texts and attempted to explore the subject in this new

play. “I’m not looking to change minds. I’ll be satisfied if I touch one or two hearts,” Holden said in the same interview with Shugar.

In this regard, he has been undoubtedly successful; you won’t leave the theatre without philosophizing and making considerations about your own life.

The Book of Bob is the latest play written

by Montreal’s Arthur Holden, and the Centaur Theatre is currently holding its debut run.

The Book of Bob runs until March 2 at the Centaur Theatre. For more information visit centaurtheatre.com/thebookofbob.php

Starring television and stage veterans, Ron Lea and Lucinda Davis, The Book of Bob features giant screens, creating a complete multimedia production. Photos courtesy of Luce TG.com

Film // arts

Tarantino strikes with “great vengeance and furious anger” The Oscar-winning director sued Gawker for leaking the script of his upcoming film Tomer Shavit Staff writer

Sometime in January, Quentin Tarantino’s new screenplay The Hateful Eight was leaked online.

Tarantino’s temper, which rivals that of many of his vengeful protagonists, was aimed at Gawker, a site that provided links to the script, encouraging readers to download it with the headline “Here is the Leaked Quentin Tarantino Hateful Eight Script.”

Tarantino released a statement reeking of venom and rage, announced a lawsuit against

Gawker, and said that he will be shelving The Hateful Eight project indefinitely.

Many have speculated whether this outburst was a publicity stunt, or if Tarantino might be using it as an excuse to back out of a project he’s lost passion for.

While only Tarantino knows the answers to these questions, a rumour has recently surfaced that the temperamental director has since calmed down and that the movie might be happening after all.

The question is: should this be Tarantino’s next film? Let’s take a look at the script and find out.

As a preamble, it must be stated that the fol-

Copies of the first draft of Tarantino’s next project, The Hateful Eight, have since been removed and can no longer be found online. Photo by Jocelyn Beaudet.

lowing is based on a screenplay that is only in its first draft, and will probably be changed repeatedly before the final product.

The Hateful Eight would be Tarantino’s second foray into the Wild West, after the hugely successful Django Unchained.

The story takes place almost entirely in one setting and follows the exploits of John Ruth, a bounty hunter delivering a particularly lucrative cargo to the authorities in the town of Red Rock.

The script is a whopping 146 pages (most Hollywood scripts range between 90 to 120 pages) and all of your favorite Tarantino trademarks are here: long winded yet well-crafted dialogue, tense buildups leading up to bloody showdowns and exposition flashbacks that tell the gruesome backstories of some of these hateful characters.

Due to a blizzard heading their way, Ruth and his prized bounty, Lady Domergue, need to spend the night in “Minnie’s Haberdashery”, sharing it with a handful of eccentric travelers wearing out the storm. The guests at this inn include a decorated Southern general, a wily black bounty hunter and a well-groomed Englishman who seems excessively polite.

What starts as a pleasant pit stop where weary travelers share stories over mugs of coffee, bowls of stew and a nice warm fire, quickly spirals out of control leading to death and destruction.

Not all in this tavern are who they claim to be, and Ruth must uncover the imposter if he hopes to survive the night.

Unlike Tarantino’s recent films, this is not a revenge fantasy and the story is much narrower in scope. Tarantino is going back to basics with a storyline that is similar to his debut film, Reservoir Dogs: one location, a handful of characters that each have their own dark secrets and of

course a body count that rises consistently until the story’s epic conclusion.

Alfred Hitchcock, the legendary director, had a famous example he used for teaching suspense — simply put, if two characters are sitting at a table and talking, no matter what the subject of their discussion, the scene will be boring. But if two characters are sitting at a table talking, and the audience knows that there’s a bomb under the table that’s about to go off, the scene becomes infinitely more engaging. Suddenly we’re at the edge of our seats listening to these characters with rapt attentiveness, knowing that any second now, disaster will strike.

When you read a script written by Tarantino, a man made famous for his love of stylized bloodshed, every scene has an inherent “bomb under the table.” While many scenes in The Hateful Eight depict long conversations between characters, the shadow of Tarantino looms over them, constantly reminding us that these clever jabs and funny anecdotes can quickly turn into a violent bloodbath.

So is the story any good? Absolutely. Tarantino is one of the most exciting storytellers of our time and this script does not disappoint. For a first draft it is borderline incredible, but when you’re one of the greatest filmmakers alive, choosing your projects is paramount.

While The Hateful Eight could be fun as hell as a movie, it would not elevate Tarantino as a filmmaker. It would not be a challenge for him and it would not bring anything new to his audiences.

Perhaps the script leaking was a blessing in disguise — Tarantino’s efforts might be better served on a different project that reinvents his filmmaking and pushes his boundaries, as opposed to this small Western tale.

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Tuesday, february 11, 2014

Theatre // arts

Looking a gift seagull in the mouth

Love and loss are examined in a contemporary adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s tragedy, The Seagull Olivia Ranger-Enns Staff writer

Heart-wrenching assertions and existential ponderings are at the core of Anton Chekhov’s play, The Seagull.

Adapted and directed by Peter Hinton, The Seagull is a story of disappointment pitted against disappointment. Issues of commercialism and idealism, talent and failure are constantly at war with each other.

As with most of Chekhov’s plays, geography sets the tone; the play is set in the countryside, where characters come alive after a stagnating existence in the city.

In this case, The Seagull takes place in a small Canadian country estate in 2014 and presents us with a myriad of characters.

There is Constantine, a failed playwright who is besotted by Nina, who is enthralled by a successful writer, Trigorin. The love triangle only gets more and more complicated. Enter Constantine’s cold and haughty mother, Sorina, who has Trigorin wrapped around her little finger — and things get explosive.

Shannon Currie, playing Nina, outdoes herself acting as both the innocent girl who dreams of an acting career and a woman who is no longer that girl. In a white lace dress showing off her legs, Nina makes small talk with Trigorin and literally throws herself at him, using a line from one of Trigorin’s own books: “If you ever need my life, come and take it.” Here we see the patheticness of it all — a country girl who dreams of the big city life and thinks that Trigorin can help her. Spineless Trigorin accepts Nina’s love but maintains the dog-on-the-leash relation-

ship with Sorina, Constantine’s mother. again over his failure in life, the mother-son stantine is always seen in T-shirts, and the Trigorin is your quintessential dandy. relationship is complex at best. characters correspond via Facebook. Sure, The audience gets some much needed comic So, where does the seagull come in? In the play might have been long (running for relief when Trigorin’s questions poke fun at many respects, the seagull serves as a mov- over three hours) and the emotions drawn himself. As he says when he thrusts himself ing metaphor of lost life and lost ambitions. out, but the Segal Centre’s rendition of The at Sorina’s lap: “I can’t help it! I am called Constantine, driven mad by his unrequited Seagull does a fine job of talking about failby Nina. I can’t help it. How can you find love of Nina, kills a seagull and presents it ure. The audience gets time to breathe, to this attractive?” to her, but she is disgusted by the gift. Later wonder, to despair with the characters, and The mother/son dynamic between Con- in the play, Nina exclaims those powerful by the end, you leave feeling both drained stantine and Sorina is particularly disturb- lines: “I am the seagull!” Nina has become and hopeful. ing and revealing. Sorina does love her son, haunted by the gift.

The Seagull runs at the Segal Centre but she cannot help but feel revulsion when This adaptation of the play worked out until Feb. 19. Visit segalcentre.org for she sees her emancipated, angry son who remarkably well. Nina wears jeans, Con- more information. seems to have no ambition in life.

In truth, Constantine just wants to be loved and to write. When he tries (and fails) to shoot himself in the head, he spends much of the rest of the play with his head bandaged. Constantine asks his mother to change the bandages, adding meekly: “You used to take care of me so gently.”

Sorina breaks down now and again in front of her son, but generally speaking, she is a career woman, an actress, and the companion of a successful writer. Diane D’Aquila, playing Sorina, is the perfect soldier and actress combined. As her character exclaims angrily: “When have I acted in a bad play?” Confronting Adapted by acclaimed director Peter Hinton, The Seagull is the heartbreaking yet comedic story of a group of each other time and time artists who deal with lost love and lost lives. Photo by Andrée Lancier.

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Tuesday, febraury 11, 2014

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Literature // arts

An actor and author far from anonymous A first hand account of James Franco’s book signing event last week Nathalie laflamme Production manager

On Thursday morning, I woke up at 6 a.m., got dressed, and braved the -28 °C weather in order to make my way to Indigo MontrealTrust, where people were lining up to purchase James Franco’s debut novel, Actors Anonymous.

A total of 500 fans were able to purchase the book, some of whom had been waiting in line since midnight. Once they had bought the book, they were given a gold bracelet that would allow them to, at 7 p.m. that night, meet the famous actor, director, author, and visual artist to have their books signed. I was put into group 10 out of 13, and then had to wait over nine hours until I could finally see Franco in the flesh.

The book signing, which took place on the second floor of the store, started 30 minutes late. The crowd, which consisted mostly of young, overly-excited women (I must admit that I was a part of this demographic), screeched his name when he finally welcomed his fans. We were then called up by group number, and were allowed to have two copies of Actors Anonymous signed.

When my group was called, I got in line and started to get nervous. I was about to speak to Franco and had no idea what I wanted to say. Everyone had their phones out at the ready, as there was about a twenty second window between standing next to Franco — therefore having the perfect opportunity to take a quick photo of his iconic crinkly smile — and then it being your turn to go say a few words.

Before I knew what was happening, Franco was asking me how I was. I froze, then told him that I was good. The next thirty seconds are a blur. I remember telling him something lame, like that I thought he was great. Then I mentioned that I had liked the book and he seemed surprised that I even

brought it up. He winked at me and I had to move on.

At about 10 p.m., the event ended and Franco snuck out of the store through a secret exit, leaving his loving fans behind.

The whole event reminded me of a particular part of Actors Anonymous that was quite ironic. At the beginning of the book, Franco talks about how he struggled with being shy and that, when he was 27, he had to teach himself to talk to people. He mentioned that being famous helped and thatnowadays people always want to be seen at his side. He then writes, “Or I’m like Santa Claus: Everyone needs a picture sitting on my knees. The one’s I don’t mind are the young pretty ones.” Well, everyone definitely wanted to take a picture with Franco on Thursday. Thankfully, many of them were young and pretty, so I guess he didn’t mind so much.

As for the novel itself, whether or not the fans had read it remains a mystery. For those of you who considering picking it up or for those of you who have no idea what you had autographed, here is a review.

Actors Anonymous is unique, raw, and gives a little glimpse of what it is like being Franco. The novel follows many seemingly unrelated young actors who are still nobodies, while being interspersed with Franco’s personal experiences with acting. The novel also includes poems about River Phoenix, a letter of apology to Franco’s film class, annotated stories and articles, text messages , and scripts.

The book is roughly based on the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. In Franco’s version of the steps, God is the Great Director, the addiction is acting.

The most fascinating chapters in the book are by far those narrated by Franco himself. In these chapters, he gives readers a glimpse into his world and shows that making movies is definitely not the glamorous job it is portrayed to be. He speaks of the importance of every person who works on a movie, especially the director. Franco writes about the actors he looks up to, and talks about their lives — from Jack Nicholson to Marlon Brando. He also, of course, speaks a lot about art, of what it means to him and

its importance.

It is hard to tell what parts of this novel are fictional and which are based on true events.

Any of his fictional characters could be him, and in some cases, know him or have even dated him. As the book progresses, it also becomes obvious that all the characters are interconnected.

At the book signing, Franco drew a little doodle next to his name. Everyone thought it was a snowman, but the drawing is oddly similar to a doodle one of the characters in the novel, an ex-heroin addict who works at a McDonald’s drive-thru, made for a woman he liked.

Franco’s writing style is simple yet filled with emotion and the content often shocking — talking about rape, death, prostitution, pedophilia, orgies and explosive diarrhea.

Some of the chapters in the book are annotated by one or two other characters, making the text confusing. In these, Franco is referred to as The Actor. One of these chapters includes parts of an article written about Franco that he did not like — each

annotation is a negative comment about the article. It felt like Franco was using his novel as a way to get back at people. Of course, it is hard to tell how much of this story is based on truth.

Although Franco might be telling his readers that the film industry is not necessarily a good place to work, his text still offers a lot of life advice and shows to what extent pretending to be somebody else can affect a person. Franco also shows that fame is definitely not all it is perceived to be. As he writes in his book, “sometimes it would be nice to wear a mask in the outside world.

Just stay anonymous for a while.”

A friend of mine mentioned that she thought Actors Anonymous would not have been published had the author not been Franco. In some ways, my friend might be right; the novel is definitely not your typical best seller. Then again, I do not think anyone other than Franco could have written anything remotely similar to this novel.

Franco fans will definitely enjoy this glimpse into his thoughts — they may even take his advice to heart.

James Franco was at Indigo Montreal-Trust last Thursday evening to sign copies of his debut novel, Actors Anonymous. Photos by Nathalie Laflamme.

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Tuesday, february 11, 2014

Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com

Profile // music

Jay Malinowski sets sail with Martel Bedouin Soundclash frontman discusses side project with The Deadcoast Julian McKenzie Staff writer Jessica romera Music editor

>> Clay Aiken to run for Congress Runner up of American Idol season two,Clay Aiken, announced last week that he would be running for Congress, reports CBC. A Raleigh, N.C. native, Aiken hopes to win his hometown constituency under the Democratic Party.

The position is currently held by Republican Congresswoman Renee Ellmers who questioned Aiken’s qualifications.

Ellmers is quoted as saying in a interview on WMAL Radio that “his performing career is not going so well and he’s very bored.” On his official campaign announcement video, Aiken explained that he is “not a politician — I don’t ever want to be one — but I do want to help bring back, at least to my corner of North Carolina, the idea that someone can go to Washington to represent all the people whether they voted for you or not.” Aiken will compete in the Democratic primary later this May.

Jay Malinowski has grown from his days as a young singer-songwriter in the Canadian band Bedouin Soundclash. Even if he won’t completely admit it.

“I don’t think I’ve changed much,” said Malinowski. “I think I’m less mature than when I was 19.”

Malinowski, who continues to make music with his most recent project under the name Jay Malinowski & The Deadcoast, has been doing some self-reflection while Bedouin Soundclash has been on hiatus. The time away has allowed him to fabricate an audio coming-of-age story, filled with adventure and tales with his ancestor, Charles Martel, as the protagonist.

The double-disc album entitled Martel, is essentially a musical travel log of his voyages during the 1800s.

“After 10 years of touring [with Bedouin Soundclash], I was asking the questions of life like ‘who am I?’ and ‘what do I become?” he said. “I loved the idea of a sailor, that you’re always moving, because the choices I made were very similar. My lifestyle was more or less the same.”

While the goal of the record was to honour his past, Malinowski sees a bit of himself on the new album.

“I wanted to do a journey of this person

named Martel,” he said. “It’s based on the history, it’s based on me, it’s based on my grandfather’s notes, going around the world from Pacific to Atlantic, over 18 songs.”

Martel has received its fair share of buzz on CBC Radio’s website, being previewed as one of the 10 Canadian albums to look forward to in February, alongside other artists like Sam Roberts, Mas Ysa and Solids.

Malinowski even has a website for the album, WhoIsMartel.com, an interactive site that allows fans to look at the track list for the album, gaze at Martel’s travel log, and use an interactive map that tracks his journey at sea.

“Even with Bedouin [Soundclash], it’s always been about hailing things that came before you.”

According to Malinowski, Charles Martel traveled from France to Halifax in 1757 after the country outlawed Protestantism and many fled to other European countries and to North America. Martel fought alongside British soldiers when they attempted to capture the Louisbourg Fortress, which belonged to the French. In return for his service, the British gave him land, where he settled and established a family.

Malinowski recalls hearing these stories from his grandfather, who fed him countless tales of his ancestors and his family lineage.

In addition, Malinowski did some personal research around Cape Breton with other relatives, where he uncovered old family heirlooms.

Martel features the single, Patience Phipps, a name Malinowski fell in love with once he read it amongst his grandfather’s notes. The song itself is about Martel promising his hand in marriage to Phipps, once he has returned from his travels.

Teaming-up with Vancouver string trio the End Tree, Martel brings together folk, European, and Caribbean influences, including calypso music. One song in particular, “Carnival Celebration,” (a personal favourite of his), was recorded in Trinidad. The song was originally recorded in the 1950s by Small Island Pride. The song speaks of Americans trying to leave Trinidad, and also the West Indian Federation, where a group of Caribbean countries joined together to escape British control.

“We did this kind of Eastern European, gypsy rumba [on the track],” Malinowski said. “It was really fun to record.”

Malinowski has enjoyed his time recording and preparing for Martel, and recording as a solo artist in general. The album allowed Malinowski to not only find out about his past, but allowed him to discover himself as an artist. However, he hasn’t closed the door on reuniting with bandmate Eon Sinclair and returning to Bedouin Soundclash.

“Everything’s a journey for us and we’re never going to fake it,” Malinowski said. “As long as Eon and I are friends, we’re going to make a record.”

Martel debuts on Feb.11. Jay Malinowski & the Deadcoast will be in Montreal performing on April 5.

>> X Factor cancelled after three seasons The American version of the singing competition has been cancelled, according to Reuters. X Factor’s creator and judge Simon Cowell is reportedly going back to the U.K. edition of the show “in an effort to help declining ratings there,” reports Reuters. Cowell was previously a judge on American Idol, but left the show after the 10th installment in 2010.

Rock legend Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and pop icon Jennifer Lopez replaced Cowell after his departure from the competition.

>> Unusual Beatles autograph to be auctioned off When The Beatles first landed in America 50 years ago, the lads from Liverpool performed what was to become one of the most important televised musical events in history. John, Paul, George, and Ringo performed for the first time for 73 million viewers on The Ed Sullivan Show on Feb. 9, 1964. NME reports that during their visit, the Fab Four signed part of a stage set, along with other musical guests from the evening.

The autographed wall will be up for auction in April in New York, and is set to sell for up to $1 million, reports AP.

Jay Malinowski from Canadian reggae-ska band Bedouin Soundclash explores his ancestry on his latest album with The Deadcoast entitled Martel. Photo by Victor Penner.

Tuesday, february 11, 2014

Recap // music

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Quick Spins

Mtl wraps up another Igloofest Take a look back at this year’s edition of the local frozen festival Jonathan Cohen Assistant Music editor

Most people cringe at the thought of winter.

The cold and the snow just doesn’t seem to sit well with most; especially in a city like Montreal. Despite the harsh times that hit Quebec, more than 10,000 people each weekend filled the streets of the Old Port throughout the months of January and February to celebrate the beautiful winter wonderland known as Igloofest.

Igloofest is a winter festival that spans over the course of four weekends, where various types of electronic dance music are played. According to Billboard, 85,000 people attended this year’s event; a record-breaking number for organizers.

Igloofest started in the winter of 2007 as a one-weekend gig, and has grown to a fourweekend event due to the large demand for winter partying. This event has put Montreal on the global map for the first ever winter EDM festival, according to Billboard.

In the past, there have been a series of up-and-coming DJs that have had the pleasure of spinning at the main stage, such as Diplo, Lunice, Caspa, Pan-Pot, TNGHT, and many more. This year’s lineup was actually

quite versatile, with acts from RL Grime, Adam Beyer, and Foreign Beggars. The musical vibe at the main stage set a hip-hop and trap influenced environment, whereas on the smaller stage, tech house and deep house, which is a more danceable genre, was mostly played.

What makes Igloofest so unique is that some people come for the music, while others come strictly for the party and the experience.

“Fifty percent of the crowd is not here for electronic music,” said Michel Quintal in an interview with Billboard.

Quintal is the director of programming and sponsorships for the festival, as well as one of the event’s co-founders.

“They’re here for the experience, the fun, the party. Our job is to find those creative, interesting, artistic DJs who can also please those people too,” he added.

There is certainly an Igloofest culture that has emerged since the event’s inception.

Because this event is found in such a cold climate, everyone absolutely needs to dress up and get prepared for partying in the snow.

People love to come dressed in the most ridiculous outfits and wear vibrant colors to stand out. There are even competitions for the most ridiculous outfit inside the festival.

The interesting thing about the music be-

ing played at Igloofest is that it must be genre restrictive. When people are partying in sub zero temperatures, they need to be moving constantly to avoid getting cold. For this reason, upbeat music with high BPM needs to be played to keep the crowd going. This final weekend truly portrayed this with energetic sets. The final few days of the festival included stellar sets from Montreal based Djs Shash’U and Mayssam, and New Jersey native Justin Smith, better known by his stage name Just Blaze.

The main dance floor was filled with thousands of people jumping around in this 8th installment of the festival with temperatures dropping to -20 degrees on some nights. Some people were even crowd surfing proudly along the front of the stage.

Then, when you needed a break, you could simply head over to the fire pits for marshmallows and hot chocolate. Or grab a Sapporo or Jager bombs at one of the multiple bars. That was the beauty of Igloofest; there was always some kind of activity that suited everyone’s needs.

Igloofest 2014 is now sadly completed; with over 85,000 satisfied customers, a record for this event. The Old Port will now be a little bit quieter until summer time kicks back in. Hopefully, next year’s event will be just as mesmerizing.

Katy B - Little Red (Rise/ Columbia Records; 2014) Following her 2011 Mercury Prize-nominated debut, On A Mission, and last year’s critically-acclaimed Danger EP, Katy B is under a lot of pressure to deliver on her sophomore release. Shedding the dubstep beats of her debut for a more sophisticated and mature production, Little Red is a darker and more personal album. We hear a transformation in Katy B, with deep house EDM beats over her urban-pop R&B vocals, there is sadness and introspection following her on the dancefloor. In an interview with Pitchfork, she admitted: “The new album has a lot of songs that I cry to — songs that run really deep.

I’ve gone through a lot of changes in the last couple of years and had a lot of realizations that come through on the album.” Little Red is danceable and catchy, yet offers more under the surface.

Trial Track: “Crying For No Reason”

7/10

-Paul Traunero

Broken Bells- After The Disco (Columbia; 2014) Brian Burton, better known as musical mastermind and producer Danger Mouse, joins forces with indie vet James Mercer from The Shins, for their second full length album together as Broken Bells. After The Disco combines the lyrical ease of Mercer’s indie background with Burton’s smooth electronic R&B influence. Staying true to its name, the album has a dominating retro feel that permeates through most of the tracks. The title track is a straightforward electro-pop song, with heavy disco-dance grooves. Much like disco music, this song is infectiously catchy and will force you to involuntarily break out in Saturday Night Fever inspired dance moves. While the majority of the album has a heavy pop focus, “Leave It Alone” and “The Changing Lights” stand out because of their honest, strippeddown nature, allowing for Mercer’s lyrical prowess to shine. After The Disco weaves The Shins-style guitar work with Burton’s electronic melodies for a dynamic sophomore effort.

Trial Track: “Leave It Alone”

Photo by Keith Race

7/10

-Jessica Romera

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Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Profile // musicPlaylist // music

Playlist: Songs to get it on to this Valentine’s Day Photo from Flickr

Maddy Comi Contributor

1. “Bump N’ Grind” – R. Kelly You’re both ready to start making moves, but can’t seem to take that last step. Let R. Kelly make that giant leap with you, and release yourself from that cramped closet of unexpressed emotion.

2. “Let’s Get It On” – Marvin Gaye It wouldn’t be a romantic song list without this winner of a tune. Though it is a bit blatant, it clears up any illusions that might have been surrounding the evening affair. Getting to the point is an admirable tactic in the game of romance, and this banger will most definitely let your honey know you’re ready to “get it on.”

3. “I’m In It” – Kanye West Now that things have started to heat up for real, it’s time to put down the crooning for a

second. You should welcome Yeezus’ “I’m In It” into the bedroom because Kanye is great and you just shouldn’t argue. This tune not only encourages paying attention to your partner through the powering down of personal electronics, but also gives some interesting sexual advice with great sound effects.

4. “The Way I Are” – Timbaland Now that you’ve turned off your iPhone and turned up the tempo, it’s time to get a little kinky and go back to 2007. If you’ve ever memorized a strip-tease routine, this is when you would start performing it. This is also when you would don your leather catsuit and pull out your weird collection of toys you ordered off the internet. But, as the song goes, they should be ready to handle you the way you are by now, right? Right. Go get ‘em.

5. “Diced Pineapples” – Rick Ross Now that you’re both pretty much ready for anything at this point, just throw caution to the wind and play some Rick Ross. This is where you would mouth along with the lyr-

ics and look right into your lover’s eyes and tell them you’re not into intimate conversation but you really want to get deep like Jules Verne.

6. “Play” – David Banner At this point, everyone should be naked. This is the kind of song that has the potential to turn things up to 11, so embrace it. You are David Banner. You are in a strip club. Work it ‘til you drip sweat. Except don’t take all of his advice and actually break your bed, because that would be uncomfortable for every other day of the year.

7. “Rooster In My Rari” – Waka Flocka Flame You’ve reached the point at which you are beginning to wish you had actually gone to the gym for more than two days in January.

You’re panting and wheezing and you just can’t seem to get comfortable anymore. All parties involved are coated in sweat (thanks, David Banner). Your roommates have turned their stereos all the way up and the neigh-

bours are banging on the wall. This is a critical moment. Do you stop? NO! You listen to Waka Flocka.

8. “Saviour” – Yung Lean Now that you’re both getting pretty tired from flocka-ing, it’s time to take a little breather with our friend Yung Lean. This is the point in the evening where you are almost ready to pass out but are carrying on anyway. These few minutes are crucial in the maintenance of your sexual prowess — so take a little break to rejuvenate.

9. “Bubble Butt” – Major Lazer They say the last lap of the race is the most important. This is where you break the record, push past all of your competitors and show the world you got a bubble butt. Let Tyga’s verse empower you and your booty to rocket through the finish line in all of its glory.

10. “Hallelujah” – Chorus by Handel.

That is all.

Mixtape // music

Valentine’s Day Mixtape Side A: Golden Treasures (19401980) 1. “It’s Been a Long, Long Time” – Harry James & Helen Forrest – Single 2. “Lover Man ” – Billie Holiday – Single

Compiled by Béatrice Viens Coté

“…And the next song is dedicated to all the lovers in the room.” Who hasn’t heard this sentence at a party at least once in their life? Whether it was at a high school dance or at a wedding, it seems we can’t escape these slow dance tunes.

The following is a compilation of some of the best romantic songs from the last 70 years. Side A is a nostalgic homage to our grandparents and our parents, where Side B features an amalgamation of songs Millennials had their first slow dance to, along with some more recent ones. When the signal is given, find your partner and sway along to this mixtape. After all, “any little lovin’ needs a little dancin’.”

3. “La Vie en Rose” – Edith Piaf – Chansons Parisiennes 4. “Too Young” – Nat King Cole – The Nat King Cole Story

Side B: A New Wave (1980Present) 1. “Total Eclipse of The Heart” – Bonnie Tyler – Faster Than the Speed of Night 2. “More Than Words” – Extreme – Extreme II: Pornograffitti 3. “Bed of Roses” – Bon Jovi – Keep The Faith 4. “I’ll Always Be Right There” – Bryan Adams – 18 Til I Die

5. “Love Me Tender” – Elvis Presley – Single

5. “I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing” – Aerosmith – Armageddon: The Album

6. “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” – Paul Anka – Put Your Head on My Shoulder

6. “Underneath Your Clothes” – Shakira – Laundry Service

7. “Something” – The Beatles – Abbey Road 8. “Stairway To Heaven” – Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV 9. “Angie” – The Rolling Stones – Goat’s Head Soup 10. “If You Leave Me Now” – Chicago – Chicago X

7. “You and Me” – Lifehouse – Lifehouse 8. “La Bartendresse” – Éric Lapointe – Coupable 9. “L’ascenseur” – Louis-Jean Cormier – Le Treizième Étage 10. “No.1 Party Anthem” – Arctic Monkeys – AM

sports

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Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com

Women’s Basketball // sports

Sweeping away the competition in style in Quebec City Concordia wins both home and away games this weekend against Bishop’s University this weekend.

Casey Dulson Staff writer

The Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team continued its winning ways on Saturday as it swept a home-and-away series with a 68-41 win over the Bishop’s Gaiters at home.

The Stingers have gone 7-1 in the new year and have an overall record of 9-3.

Coming into the game, the Stingers were ranked sixth in the Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) league.

The Stingers were able to cause some problems for the Gaiters on the defensive side of the ball as the Gaiters committed 27 turnovers, including 16 steals.

Guard Kaylah Barrett — the defending Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RESQ) MVP and two-time all-Canadian

team player — played in limited minutes due to a back injury. She did not play on Friday at Bishop’s.

The game started off great for the Stingers as guard Alex Boudreau got a basket right off the tip-off. The Gaiters would respond within seconds as guard MarieMichele Paquin shot a three-pointer to take the early lead for the Gaiters. But the Stingers would string together a couple of baskets, including several foul shots and a three-pointer by point guard Ashley Clarke to take a 16-11 lead in the first quarter.

The Stingers started off the second quarter with a basket by Barrett. Boudreau would continue to put points on the board as she hit four foul shots within a minute due to a technical foul given to the Gaiters head coach Alex Perno for arguing with the referee. Boudreau hit a three-pointer seconds after her free throws.

The Gaiters got their first points of the

quarter with 4:43 left with a free throw by guard Genevieve Onyeka. Stingers would go into halftime with a 19-point lead, up 35-16.

The Stingers did a great job shutting the Gaiters offence as they only scored five in the second quarter.

The Stingers scored the first points of the third quarter with a two-pointer by centre Serginha Estime. Concordia was putting on a clinic of field goal shots as they would hit three threes in a row by defender Marilyse Roy-Viau, forward Richelle Gregoire, and Clarke.

The Gaiters only got their first basket with three minutes left in the quarter on a Charlotte Jorunn Matthiessen two-pointer.

This would start a 9-0 run for the Gaiters.

However, they were still down 51-27 at the end of the quarter.

The Gaiters then hit two three-pointers to open up the fourth quarter, one by Mat-

thiessen and the other by guard Catherine Rondeau. After a couple of free throws and one basket by the Stingers, Clarke would put the dagger into the Gaiters loss as she hit a three-pointer with two minutes left in the game to make it 64-39 Concordia.

The Stingers’ player of the game was Roy-Viau who had 14 points and 12 rebounds in the win. Head coach Keith Pruden said that Roy-Viau has really matured as a player this year. Both Clarke and Boudreau also had double digit points for the Stingers. Clarke had 13 points in the win and Boudreau had 14 points.

Despite being player of the game, RoyViau thought she could have been better. “[I] was okay but I was late on my defensive rotation,” she said.

Pruden said the game was a “good offensive effort from everybody.” He added that “all the games are big now, [we’re] trying to finish in first [place].”

Men’s Basketball // sports

Stingers lose in nail-biter against Bishop’s Gaiters Concordia’s record now drops to 6-6 in the regular season after dropping their last three games.

Casey Dulson Staff writer

It’s been an up and down season for Concordia’s men’s basketball team. They once had a six-game winning streak in Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) league play, but have quickly dropped their last three. Concordia’s latest defeat came Saturday afternoon at the hands of the Bishop’s Gaiters, 64-61.

The Stingers are .500 as their record now sits at 6-6, third in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) conference. On Saturday, the Stingers battled hard and won 40 rebounds. Stingers centre Zach Brisebois dominated the paint and had nine rebounds in the loss. The Stingers are ranked eighth in CIS total rebounds per game.

The Stingers started the game with a bang as forward Zander Jean hit a three pointer to open the scoring. The Gaiters would respond and go on a roll of their own, scoring 20 unanswered points. The run included two threepointers, by Gaiters forward Majid Naji and guard Sage Holder to end the quarter.

The Stingers only scored eight points in the first quarter and Concordia’s frustration began to show. Late in the opening quarter, the Stingers head coach John Dore received a technical foul for arguing with the refs.

The Gaiters scored first in the second quarter with a three-pointer by guard Jona Bermillo to extend their lead to 23-8. Within seconds, however, the Stingers would respond with a three-pointer of their own by guard JeanAndre Moussignac. Stingers forward Mukiya Post would hit another three-pointer later in

the quarter and cut the Gaiters lead to seven.

Just as the Stingers seemed back in it, Bishop’s guard Onnex Blackwood hit back-to-back three pointers and extended the Gaiters lead to 10. By the end of the first half, the Stingers were slowly crawling back into the game, trailing 40-30.

The halftime pep talk seemed to work as the home crowd saw a different Stingers team emerge from the locker room in the second

half. Brisebois and Concordia forward Michael Fosu made consecutive jump shots and quickly cut the Gaiters lead to six. The Stingers went on a 12-1 run midway through the third quarter and were out in front 42-41. By the time the third quarter was over, the Stingers held a 48-44 lead, shocking the Gaiters.

As the fourth quarter began, the Gaiters were on a mission not to let the game slip away. Gaiters centre Mike Andrews got the

first basket of the fourth quarter. The Gaiters would then take the lead with a basket by forward Dave Belanger, making it 52-50.

The game came down to the final three minutes of play. At the time, the score was tied 58-58 after a field goal by Stingers point guard Adam Chmielewski. Unfortunately, that was as close as Concordia got. Bishop’s went on a 6-0 run to close out the game, handing Concordia their third straight loss.

The Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team go through a rough patch after going on a six-game winning streak. Photo By: Brianna Thicke

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Feature // sports

Sports in the Kids pressured to become ‘The Next One’ Parents need to let to just let their kids play, say Stingers players and staff.

News Andrew Davis Staff writer Chris Cordella & tim Lazier Staff writer/ Assistant sports editor

>> Results early and often for Canada in Sochi

The biggest moment so far in the winter Olympic games happened when two Canadian sisters finished with gold and silver medals in the women’s moguls.

Justine Dufour-Lapointe, who is the youngest of the three sisters, captured the gold, while Chloe Dufour- Lapointe finished second, capturing the silver metal. The oldest sister, Maxime, finished twelfth. Canadian figure skating duo Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir won a silver medal in the free dance team event in pairs figure skating. Charles Hamelin was at it again. You may recognize his name from the Vancouver Olympics where he won two gold medals. Hamelin started these games off on the right foot as he won his first gold medal of the games in short track speed skating (1,500m).

T

here is a predictable stereotype for every minor hockey team which is to have at least one or two crazy hockey parents in the stands. Although we laugh and joke about this, the truth is that there are far too many parents pressuring their kids to compete at a level they are incapable of reaching. Far too many parents believe that their kid has what it takes to be the next Sidney Crosby. They feel that this justifies pressuring and working their child until they no longer have a will to play hockey.

Concordia Stingers head coach Kevin Figsby, who has 30 years of coaching experience working for Hockey Québec and Hockey Canada, has seen his fair share of hockey parents who pressure their kids.

“I’ve seen a lot of kids that can’t handle the pressure that their parents put on them. I’ve seen what it does to the kids, and that’s the worst part,” he said.

“I don’t think parents realize that they put that amount of pressure on their kids. It’s unfortunate, because a lot of the times in those situations, those kids are turned off [by] the game. And that’s the sad part.”

Crazy hockey parents are in no way a new phenomenon, and most people who have played minor hockey can recall several incidents involving parents acting inappropriately.

Former president of Hockey Calgary Todd

Millar is no stranger to these parents. In his book Moron: The Behind the Scenes Story of Minor Hockey, Millar writes: “For whatever reason, near that hockey rink, [parents] think that aggressive, asinine behaviour is acceptable, for those few moments of watching their son or daughter play the game of hockey. Would they act like that in front of their boss, or at a family function? I hope not.

But they do act that way at a hockey rink.”

As a minor hockey player, Concordia’s star forward Olivier Hinse has also witnessed his fair share of crazy hockey parents.

“I’ve seen a lot of parents chirping each other from one end of the rink to the other, and almost getting into fist fights.”

He’s also been witness to parents yelling at coaches or trying to coach from the stands.

“There’s a lot of parents who are taking too much control of their kid, and they don’t let the coach do their job.”

The goal of most “crazy” hockey parents is to turn their child into a superstar. They go about this by trying to control every aspect of their child’s hockey career, which takes away the fun of the game. Kids no longer want to play the game when their parents are shouting at them or the coach, whenever they are at the rink.

Stingers defenceman Youssef Kabbaj has also seen first-hand what an over pressuring parent can do to a young athlete.

“There was a guy who played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He was drafted in the second round, and he was a really good player, “ Kabbaj said. “But his dad was so intense on him, and he would literally demand perfection from him. The guy would score two or three goals,

and it was never good enough for his dad.”

“It ended up hindering his game, because he’s not where I thought he would be now. Parents end up focusing so much on performance, whereas the child doesn’t have the passion to play the game anymore.”

Kabbaj feels that supportive parents help their kids excel, while overbearing parents hinder a player’s growth and development.

“My dad was tough on me. He was demanding, but what he demanded was intensity. He didn’t care if I was going to be the next Sidney Crosby or not.”

Figsby echoes Kabbaj’s point of view, in that the parents who want their kids to be future NHL superstars end up holding their kids back.

“My best players tend to have had great parents growing up. The ones who came to every game were super positive and encouraging, who would do anything for the team and will not say anything to their kid except, ‘Did you have fun?’

The kids that struggle tend to have the parents that are verbally pressuring or manipulative.”

It is natural for parents to want their children to be the best that they can be. It is also important for parents to support their children, and to help them achieve their goals. There is a fine line between support and pressure, and many parents fail to distinguish between them.

“To help their children grow, parents can’t impose stuff,” Kabbaj said. “They have to evaluate where their kid is, and then see how they can help support them to be the best that they can be.

In the end, Sidney Crosby is in the NHL because he worked hard and he wants to be there. I don’t think he would be there if he didn’t want to be.”

>> Canadian women’s hockey unbeaten after two games

The Canadian women squad is 2-0 in group play after beating Switzerland 5-0 and then defeating Finland 3-0. Canada had quite a scare in Monday’s game against Finland where the game was scoreless after two periods, but team Canada dominated the third period with three goals. Their next game will be a renewal of one of the best rivalries in women’s hockey as they face team USA. The States are also 2-0, so the winner of Wednesday’s game will finish first in the group.

>> Gold and silver for Canada in Men’s moguls There were some tense moments on Monday afternoon as the country watched Canadian mogul skiers Alexandre Bilodeau and Mikael Kingsbury as they fought their way down the hill. Bilodeau, who won gold in Vancouver, is a Brossard native and was defending his Olympic title.

Kingsbury, from Saint-Agathe-des-Monts, was competing in his first Olympic games and made quite the first impression. Along with Marc-Antoine Gagnon, there were three Canadians in the final round of six.

By the end of the competition, Bilodeau and Kingsbury finished first and second, respectively. As the two Quebecers celebrated at the bottom of the hill, Bilodeau also celebrated with his older brother, Frederic. Bilodeau has frequently mentioned how much on an inspiration Frederic is. Frederic, who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a child, is Bilodeau’s biggest supporter and never misses his brother’s competition.

Upcoming Stingers Games

Samantha Mileto Sports editor

Come support your Concordia Stingers! More info at Stingers.ca.

Women’s Basketball Thursday, Feb. 13, 6 p.m. vs. UQAM at Loyola Saturday, Feb. 15, 5 p.m. @ Laval in Quebec City Men’s Basketball Thursday, Feb. 13, 8 p.m. vs. UQAM at Loyola Saturday, Feb. 15, 7 p.m. @ Laval in Quebec City

opinions

Tuesday, february 11, 2014

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Write to the editor: opinions@theconcordian.com

Editorial // opinons

Unfortunately for us, reading week is not spring break No classes does not mean no work, students have time-off but not time for themselves

F

rom Feb. 17 to Feb.21, classes at Concordia are suspended for a recess called ‘reading week.’ At some institutions reading week is known as spring break, a time when students get a break from their hectic schedules. Here, at Concordia, however, we want no confusion: reading week is not a vacation.

The purpose of reading week is inherent in the title, it’s time to read, or in other words, study, write essays, and watch Americans go topless on TV, while you recite the periodic table. The expectation is that students will use this week off from

classes to do coursework and assignments, not go on vacation.

Admittedly, you have more time to do these things without having to go to class, but why are we given this time to study in the spring but not in the fall?

At Queen’s University, for example, they have a ‘fall term pre-examination study period’ that usually takes place from the end of November to early December. At Ottawa University, they have a fall reading week at the end of October.

Which begs the question, what is the point of reading week? If the university

thinks we need more study time then why not give us a fall reading week? If the university thinks students need a chance to recuperate before tackling the second part of the winter semester then why do teachers assign work that is to be handed in when classes resume? Why do most midterms follow closely on the heels of reading week?

It seems completely illogical to have a reading week in the winter but not in the fall when both semesters are the same length. Furthermore, why can’t students at Concordia have a spring break? Other

schools do it, how else would you explain the overcrowded Florida beaches? Those fraternity boys are definitely holding beer cans, not textbooks.

If Concordia wants to give students a break from classes so they can catch up on coursework and assignments then they need to be consistent and give students a reading week in the fall as well. If, however, Concordia wants to give its students a much-deserved break, then they need to instruct professors to push back assignment due dates and midterms until at least a week after reading week.

International exchange // opinions

Paris, je t’aime: A love letter from abroad

Why one student’s travels in the City of Lights is the beginning of a semester-long love affair

Tiffany lafleur Contributor

Hey Concordia, I hope you’re enjoying the snow.

As I write this, it’s currently seven degrees and sunny outside.

By the time this comes to print, it will have been one month and a few days since I stepped off Air Transat flight TS110, direct from Montreal to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. One month has passed since I uprooted and moved across an ocean.

I’ve seen the Eiffel Tower, visited a small section of the Louvre, and climbed to the top of the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Arc de Triomphe.

All of these landmarks that have appeared in

countless tourism brochures and History Channel documentaries are now within walking distance.

I like it here. The city has a constant bustle, a humming that never stops. I’ve lost count of the times I’ve stumbled upon a statue or a church tucked away between apartment buildings. Everywhere you look, there are hidden treasures to be found. Everything has a story. It’s a constant battle to both admire the architecture above and, at the same time, look down at the cobblestone streets. And although they are very nice to look at, the main concern when walking around is stepping in dog poop, as Parisian law does not require dog owners to clean it up. Yuck.

Even so, every day is an adventure. In one month, I’ve witnessed three major protests in these streets, and that’s not counting the ones

I’ve heard from afar.

Things are so different here, yet I see reflections of home in these Parisian streets. Walking down boulevard Saint-Germain, I feel like I’m back in Montreal, walking along Saint Catherine Street. Although I don’t really consider myself a tourist, I don’t consider myself a local yet either.

I don’t know if I ever really will, but for now this is my home, my city.

I think the strangest thing I’ve had to adapt to here would be seeing grass in January/February instead of a white blanket of snow. It was quite the culture shock when I stepped off the plane.

That, and the insanely overzealous administration procedures here. Getting a fidelity card to the closest market was an extremely tedious process. I needed a secret code and a pin number.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss home some-

Concordia’s international exchange program provides students with the unique opportunity to study abroad. Photo by tiffany lafleur.

times. For all that can be said of Montreal, it is a friendly place.

The locals pick up on my accent right away here, whether I speak English or French.

At my school, Sciences Po Paris, there are people attending from all around the world. The school itself is an international one, and all students must spend at least a year abroad. I’ve met students from Australia, Scotland, China, the US, and a surprising amount of Canadians, mostly Montrealers.

Although, I haven’t dared to exit the city just yet, my spring break will be spent traveling through Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany.

Everything is so close here that planning where I want to go next is almost difficult .

Although I miss Montreal and poutine week, Paris is a pretty good stand-in.

18

//

Tuesday, february 11, 2014

theconcordian

Column// opinions

Confessions of a 20-something

The best way to be cleansed of a relationship is to get dirty and have ‘rebound’ sex Having sex with someone purely for re- social interactions. However, non-committal In the end, if it makes you feel good, venge is like poisoning yourself — it’s inef- sex is not for everyone. Whatever extra-cur- do it. Don’t worry about the right or wrong fective and can be harmful in the long run. ricular activities you engage in, make sure way to move past a relationship. Don’t worHowever, channelling residual anger into a they are consensual and mutual. You don’t ry about judgement, just do you. need for physical release is understandable. want to be the cause of someone else’s broAnd if the only thing you want to do Sex releases endorphins, and endorphins ken heart, because then the cycle just per- on your back is drink from the bottle and make you happy. Think of sex as a salve petuates itself. watch bad movies, then so be it. for the raw wounds of a break up. I’m not saying it’s a solution, per se, but it is a step forward into independence. It is a way to distance yourself from the negativity of a bad relationship, move forward, and gain back some sense of empowerment.

Yes, I am fresh out of a long-term relationship, and yes, I am having what would be considered rebound sex.

And in case you were wondering, I am currently enjoying the hell out of it.

After being weighed down for so long by an emotionally toxic partner, I am entitled to have a little fun. Though my initial reservations were related to outward judgement and the lack of logic in the situation, I’ve come to realize that I can exercise my right to no-strings attached sexual pleasure whenever I see fit. If I want to shed my inhibitions and experiment, so be it. If I want to sit in class and know that there are bite marks on my chest, that’s only for me to know.

I personally think that it’s a good experience to take a step out of your comfort zone and deviate from your ‘nor- Rebound sex is an old concept given new emphasis by expert discussions Photo by Pixel Endo, Flickr mal’ (and possibly redundant)

Anonymous

A

recent study conducted among undergraduate students at the University of Missouri concluded that in the first month following a break up, one third of participants had engaged in a sexual relationship with a new partner.

In other words, folks in Missouri have loosened their collars and acknowledged the existence of what we fondly refer to as ‘rebound’ or ‘revenge’ sex. And let me tell you, it’s about time.

Rebound sex is a spectacular, empowering and cathartic experience that should be outrightly acknowledged and discussed. It is a far more prevalent, and positive experience than people seem to think.

Unfortunately, the brains behind the study referred to these self-executed ‘slut phases’ as forms of maladaptive behaviour.

It’s a common belief that engaging in rebound sex is a bad, self-destructive habit, driven by anger and a need for validation when in a vulnerable state. I mean, that is conceivably the case when you’re coming out of endless months of those “it’s not you, it’s me” speeches, but rebound sex is not necessarily driven by the need to fill an emotional void.

The generalization about rebound sex being mostly for women exists, no doubt. People have this preconceived notion that newly single women are driven solely by venom, bitterness and a need to unload their emotional baggage on an unsuspecting partner.

For all intents and purposes, I’m not going to disclose whether I am a man or a woman. The fact is irrelevant. Physical need extends to all demographics of people, regardless of their gender, social/sexual status, or romantic circumstance.

To advertise with The Concordian, contact advertising@theconcordian.com Founded in 1983, The Concordian is an independent student-run weekly newspaper with a circulation of 7,000 copies. The paper is distributed over 60 locations on both Concordia’s campuses. Our website receives 200,000 page views per year with 67,000 unique visitors. The Concordian provides engaging news, arts, sports and opinions coverage to Concordia’s 40,000 undergraduate students.

HR_ULaval_Concordian_10,5x3,6_NBc.pdf

1

2014-01-29

13:42

À L’ÉTÉ 2014, PAS DE VACANCES POUR LES PASSIONNÉS! Plus de 60 écoles d’été / 1 300 cours réguliers / 150 cours à distance

ulaval.ca/ete

Word search // ETC

(No description needed)

Although the 2014 Winter

Tuesday, Feb 11, 2014 Vol. 31 Issue 21

Olympic Games in Sochi

Amanda L. Shore Editor-in-Chief editor@theconcordian.com

ago, they’ve gained notori-

Nathalie Laflamme Production manager production@theconcordian.com

only kicked off a few days

ety with stories and photos

Tim Weynerowski Sloane Montgomery News editors news@theconcordian.com

surfacing online about the city’s deplorable accommodations, ongoing po-

Sabrina Giancioppi Life editor life@theconcordian.com

litical angst, and technical

issues at the opening cere-

mony. There is no shortage

Roa Abdel-Gawad Arts editor arts@theconcordian.com

in the Twittersphere this

Jessica Romera Music editor music@theconcordian.com

of comments and criticism week.

Samantha Mileto Sports editor sports@theconcordian.com

@SGHasell: DID YOU HEAR BOUT THE OLYMPICS SO FAR THEY HAVE BEEN SOCHI-TY LOL #sochi2014problems

Lindsay Richardson Interim Opinions editor opinions@theconcordian.com Keith Race Photo editor photo@theconcordian.com

@MarthaPlimpton: Beating up gays, slaughtering dogs, kidnapping whales, lobby-less hotels and dangerous face water. #RoadToSochi @StacyStClair: My hotel has no water. If restored, the front desk says, “do not use on your face because it contains something very dangerous.” #Sochi2014

Natasha Taggart Online editor online@theconcordian.com Jennifer Kwan Graphics editor graphics@theconcordian.com

Bathroom Graffiti of the week//ETC

@markmackinnon For those of you asking, when there’s no lobby in your hotel, you go to the owner’s bedroom to check in. #Sochi2014

Besher Al Maleh Marilla Steuter-Martin Production assistants Milos Kovacevic Assistant News editor Angela De Cicco Assistant Life editor

@shaunwalker7: Still waiting for “preparations” on hotel room to finish. Hoping they’re origami-folding toilet roll, rather than, say, putting the roof on.

Jocelyn Beaudet Assistant Arts editor Jonathan Cohen Assistant Music editor

@BBC_Travel: Checking in room. If toilet and bath pipes aren’t reversed or windows aren’t made of brick, I’ll feel left out. #bbcsochi #sochi2014problems

Tim Lazier Assistant Sports editor Editorial office 7141 Sherbrooke St. Building CC-Rm 431 Montreal, QC H4B 1R6

@Sochi2014Probz: The Sochi Olympics will eventually turn into the Hunger Games #SochiProblems

514-848-2424 ext. 7499 (Editor-in-Chief) Pascale Cardin Business manager business@theconcordian.com

@stan: So this is what interior design is like in a city with “no gays” #sochiproblems

Tyson Lowrie Cindy Lopez Ruben Bastien Board of directors directors@theconcordian.com

Hengchung2night: Rome wasn’t built in a day, but from the looks of it, I think Sochi was... #SochiProblems @PanAmWorldAir Operator of Snowflake 5 was attacked by stray dog at a critical moment #SochiFail #SochiProblems

Elizabeth Tomaras Christina Rowan Milos Kovacevic Copy editors copy@theconcordian.com

Contributors

Photo by Nathalie Laflamme

Evan Scammell, Audrey Folliot, Marilla Steuter-Martin, Candice Yee, Barbara Madimenos, Nicole Yeba,Tomer Shavit, Nathália Larocerie Lêdo, Matt Demers, Frédéric T. Muckle, Olivia-Ranger Enns, Julian McKenzie, Jonathan Cohen, Beatrice Viens-Cote, Maddy Comi,Casey Dulson, Andrew Davis, Chris Cordella, Tiffany Lafleur, Paul Traunero

theconcordian

James Franco

Concordia’s weekly, independent student newspaper.

ART: Birds of Prey @ FOFA until Feb. 14 Bettina Hoffman’s Drain @ OBORO until Feb. 22 Sight Shifting @ Joyce Yahouda Gallery until Feb. 22 In the Night Room @ Articule until Feb. 23 Oscillations of the Visible @ Leonard and Bina Ellen Gallery until Apr. 12 Peter Doig: No Foreign Lands @ MMFA until May.4

THEATRE: Rent @ D. B. Clarke Theatre until Feb. 13 An Evening at the Theatre @ Theatre St. Catherine Feb. 14 Tonight We Play “A Soggetto” @ F.C. Smith Auditorium until Feb. 16 The Seagull @ Segal Centre until Feb. 19 Antigone @ TNC Theatre until Feb. 22 The Mikado @ Moyse Hall until Feb. 22 Coming and Going @ Theatre Prospero until Feb. 22 Shortstanding @ Espace Freestanding until Feb. 23 The Meeting @ Segal Centre until Mar. 1 The Changeling @ Ludger-Duvernay Theatre until Mar. 1 The Book of Bob @ Centaur Theatre until Mar. 2 The Walnut Tree @ Centre Culturel Calixa-Lavallée until Mar. 8 Unseamly @ Bain St-Michel until Mar. 9

MUSIC: Robertson @ Divan Orange Feb.12 Vincent Vallieres @ Metropolis Feb.13 Ane Brun @ L’Astral Feb.13 The Wet Secrets @ Quai des Brumes Feb.13 Kalle Mattson @ Quai des Brumes Feb.14 Sam Roberts Band @ Lion D’or Feb.15 Children of Bodom @ Metropolis Feb.15 Pulses Album Launch @ Divan Orange Feb.15 Together Pangea @ Casa Del Popolo Feb.17 Roomrunner @ Drones Club Feb.18

OTHER: To Russia With Love @ Galerie D Feb. 13 No More Road Trips? @ J.A. de Séve Cinema Feb. 14 Self-Love Cabaret: Me, Myself and I @ Cafe L’Artere Feb. 14 Wired on Words @ Casa del Popolo Feb. 16 Salmon Confidential @ Cinema Politica Feb. 17 Launch of On Loving Women @ Drawn & Quarterly Library Feb. 20 Spectacular China @ Place des Arts until Mar. 1 Montreal en Lumiere @ Quartier des Spectacle until Mar. 2