The Concordian Vol. 31 Issue22

theconcordian Volume 31 Issue 22

Independent student newspaper at Concordia University. Since 1983.

February 25, 2014

Forging a family Concordia’s new football coach, Mickey Donovan, is looking for players to excel on and off the field Page 16

Photo by Nathalie Laflamme

In this issue // news life

arts

Upcoming ASFA elections p. 3

Vagina Monologues Wake Owl spreads back at ConU p. 9 their wings p.12

A day in the life of a dogwalker p. 6

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

music

opinions

Bad baby names p. 17

theconcordian.com

news 2

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Write to the editor: news@theconcordian.com

CITY Sloane Montgomery News editor

City Politics // news

Liberal candidate for newly-formed Ville-Marie riding shares his views Marc Miller is keen to forge paths and harness the power of youth activism

>> Shooting in NDG

Montreal police are searching for at least one suspect after the shooting of two men in Notre-Dame-de-Grace on the corner of Saint-Jacques and Elmhurst Streets. CBC News reported that witnesses saw one of the two men get into an argument with a third man who then pulled out a gun and shot both victims numerous times at approximately 2:40 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 23. The victims, 22 and 25 years old, were rushed to the hospital.

While the 25-year-old is now in stable condition and expected to survive, the 22-year-old is in critical condition.

Police told CBC they fear his life is in danger.

>> CN train derails in St. Henri A CN freight train derailed in the early morning hours of Feb. 23. The derailment occurred in St. Henri just before the Saint-Jacques and de Courcelle intersection, spilling 3,500 litres of diesel fuel. CBC News reported that no one was injured in the accident but the provincial environmental emergency agency, and firefighters had a hectic morning recovering the fuel. André Ménard, a spokesperson for Urgence-Environnement, told CBC that 3,000 litres of the fuel was successfully recovered while the other 500 litres was absorbed by the soil, but that there is no risk to the water supply or sewer system. Louis-Antoine Paquin, a CN spokesperson stated, “it’s too early to suggest a cause.”

Milos Kovacevic Assistant news editor

As a politician trying to reach out and better represent his fellows, Marc Miller is all for devoting great amounts of time to collecting opinions and forging solidarity – except while playing hockey in Sweden.

“I just wanted to play,” said Miller about his time in the rink while living with the Swedes, where Scandinavian consensus-politics dictated everybody’s roles be thoroughly agreed upon and worked out before any ice time. “It drove me nuts.”

Miller, is eager for collaboration everywhere but on the ice, and, if his ambitions as Liberal federal nominee in the newly made riding of Montreal’s Ville-Marie are successful, he may one day represent the interests of students at Concordia.

Miller is typical of the city’s cosmopolitan roots. From a Montreal anglophone mother and Nova Scotian father, he received a solidly francophone education until law school led him to corporate law in Montreal, down south, and across the sea.

His passionate Liberal leanings are firm, but not necessarily dogmatic. He is open to self-criticism and he is cognisant of the fact that there is a long way to go to making the Liberals relevant again.

“The Liberal party has reached the bottom of the barrel,” he said, mentioning the sponsorship scandal and other issues that have deeply

scarred the Liberal’s ability to reconnect with Canadians. “You know there’s something wrong when 90% of the job is showing up and listening. Simply going into the riding, talking to people, getting a deep understanding of the issues is the first step — it isn’t the only one, but it is the key formal step to getting involved with people.”

In an effort to shift momentum and do his part in Montreal, Miller has set his sights on the Ville-Marie riding.

“Ville-Marie is the centre of town. It is truly the core of Montreal.

If you’re truly interested in making a difference, this is a part of the city where you can. There are no sleeper communities [here]. There are communities in dire need of someone that’s really implicated at the local level. We have some of the richest people in the country; we have some of the poorer people of the country.

There’s a real, real need for local politicians, not just federal, but municipal and provincial, to get involved in [the] challenges of income gaps, education, skilled employment, and concern for new Canadians.”

A business-lawyer-cum-politician may not be to everybody’s liking, doubly so for a party that’s been accused in the past for cozying up to the corporate vote. Miller highlights the advantages of his calling, and how working with large corporations can help the little guy: “Sitting where you are, at first glance, they might seem like they are [incompatible]. Being a corporate lawyer, you

work a lot of hours and you talk to a lot of people and you pick up the phone and you negotiate and you make compromises. You work extremely hard. You pay attention to your client, and you hope to make the change that they desire. This translates quite easily, from a purely strategic perspective, to politics.”

Miller has drawn on his professional and personal experiences from living both here and abroad to shape his views. He lived for a few years in New York, a city he described as very competitive and affording him the satisfaction of working with some of the brightest people in the world. Yet the hyperactive New York environment, with its grand emphasis on wealth and deep economic fault lines, wasn’t the ideal place to raise his two children. So instead he went to his wife’s native Sweden, in many ways diametrically opposite to the Big Apple, with its socialism, free health care and education, and its low salary and high taxes. In the end there was no place like Quebec, and no home like Montreal.

Montreal’s cultural strengths and activist streak and strong cultural institutions are all things Miller believes can be harnessed to improve the condition of its citizens.

“I realized [after living abroad] I really, really enjoyed living in Montreal. I really, really love my city and I don’t think I could choose, if I had the choice, to live in any other city than Montreal. I see where it’s going, and I want to make sure it doesn’t go there.”

>> Liberal party wants youth vote This past weekend the Palais de Congres hosted the Liberal Party Convention. The Montreal Gazette reported that a high point of importance on the Liberal agenda is to court the youth vote. With less than 40 per cent of youth aged 18-24 actually going out to the ballots in the last federal election, Robert Asselin, an advisor to party leader Justin Trudeau and universit professor suggests they have to hope for the best. “It’s true that it’s a big problem to get [young people] in the ballot booth, but you have to try,” Asselin explained to The Montreal Gazette.

Marc Miller, is the Liberal party nominee for the newly created Ville-Marie riding. Photo by Adam Scotti

The plan to raise employment, lower debts, and improve education, he admits, is not something you can change in a just a few years. But there are ways to begin, and one of them is with voters.

Cognisant of the deep cynicism of disaffected youth, often alienated by an impersonal and distant political system, he holds firmly to the belief that students and young adults have the potential for great energy and hope, and doubly so for Quebec’s students, familiar as they are with political activism. He’s actively encouraging young people to take back their political rights of participation.

“My advice will be to find a local representative – municipal, provincial, federal – [and] approach them and ask them how you can help.

It’s a real eye-opening experience to get in … and run and organize a campaign. It gives you a skillset you can’t get here [in universities] nor should it be taught here, but it is a fantastic experience in organizing, meeting people, developing people skills, and developing human skills.

I would encourage any student to get out there and get their hands in the soil. There’s a lot of clubs and political philosophy groups and they’re great as well but I think the mistake that’s made amongst the university corps is to stay too close to your comfort zone. And that’s too bad.”

“As Montrealers we have do dare to be able to take the risks whether we fail or not.”

Tuesday, february 25, 2014

Sloane Montgomery News editor

Arts and science students are encouraged to come out to the ballot box for the ASFA Annual General Elections from March 4-6 to vote for the 20142015 executive team.

From 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. polling booths will be up at Sir George William Campus in the first floor of the Hall building and in the Library building lobby; and at the Loyola Campus in the Vanier Library lobby and the atrium of the SP building.

The Arts & Science Student Association (ASFA) is the largest student association representing nearly 18,000 students. ASFA is made up of member associations who represent the individual departments of the arts and science faculty.

ASFA is responsible for organizing events, for managing their member association’s funds and for trying to engage in various initiatives to better the experience of arts and science students at Concordia.

While 700 students voted in last year’s general election, ASFA’s Chief Electoral Officer, Trevor Wilkinson, would like to see that number increase: “Voting, for me, is like a statement to the organization and the University about who we believe is best suited

for the job of representing our rights, managing the funds we give them, and ensuring that our interests and voices are heard.”

Beyond voting in student elections Wilkinson suggests students should take the opportunity to get involved in student life.

“There are multiple advantages of joining a student executive like ASFA. For one, it provides those who are successful at acquiring the position a chance to effect change, which can benefit their fellow students. For another, the steep learning curve required of first-time executives as well as the ability to manage one’s studies, the executive position, and work outside of school as many of the current executives do, provides one with a set of skills that many employers look for in recently graduated students.”

Paul Jerajin, ASFA’s current president, is running for re-election for the second year in a row with no competitors. Jerajin explains that his favourite part of the job is seeing fellow executives and councilors get together and discuss change they want to implement in the university and then actually working together to achieve it.

“The multidisciplinary aspect of ASFA is unmatched. Having so much diversity within a faculty is a great way to see many opinions and expertise come together and have a critical yet constructive discussion on various topics,” said Jerajin.

Jerajin explained that working for ASFA has been not only essential to his university experience, but also to his life experience.

For more information on the candidates visit www.asfa.ca/asfageneral-elections-get-to-know-thecandidates.

NATION

Candidates for the 2014-2015 ASFA executive team: President:

members face charges

VP Internal: Jenna Cocullo Veronic Godbout Peggy Kabeya-Honeyglow Pauline Sarah Pfingsten.

VP Finance: Melina Ghio Parisa Mehrabi

VP Communications: Justin Caruso Haroon Mohar Tiffany Thompson.

VP Social Affairs:

Beginning in metro stations across Montreal and culminating in front of the Régie du logement building on Réné Levesque, protesters on Feb. 19 set up mock waiting rooms as a challenge to the current wait times tenants are subjected to when bringing a case before the rental board.

According to the Régie du logement Quebec’s annual report, (2012-2013), tenants wait nearly two years to have their cases heard, while landlords have their cases heard within 1.2 to 1.4 months.

“We see that there is a systematic prioritization of landlord needs and concerns at the rental board to the detriment of tenants,” said Fred Burrill, a representative for the POPIR-Comité Logement, one of the organizers of the protest.

The protesters are advocating for the rental board to hear cases

on René Levesque for half-an-hour, said Burrill.

The protest was organized by the POPIR-Comité Logement, Le Regroupement des comités logement et associations de locataires du Québec (RCLALQ) and Project Genesis.

In January, Jason Chase and Alicia Lander were detained at Halifax Stanfield International Airport after allegedly engaging in a sexual act aboard an Air Canada flight. CBC News reported that in addition to charges of committing an indecent act, Lander will be faced with charges of “causing a disturbance, assaulting a police officer and mischief.” Chase is also facing charges of committing an indecent act.

>> Large sinkhole

Farhana Jumki Haque Sean Nolan.

VP Academic & Loyola Affairs: Patricia Martone

VP External Affairs & Sustainability: Charles Bourassa Damian Skulic

There are eight students running for five independent councilor spots: Crystal Harrison Léa Lacroix Alex Longinotti Basma Ben Moussa Justin Occhionero Javier Eduardo Valbuena Ramírez James Vaccaro Nikitas Vekris

City // news

Montreal tenants protest extensive wait times at le Régie du logement within three months, that cases be prioritized on a first-come-firstserved basis and that emergency cases, such as those affecting the health and safety of tenants, be heard within 72 hours.

“Nobody likes to wait. Tenants are in situations of real urgency that have significant impact on their quality of life and the rental board is supposed to be an impartial tribunal and not what it currently is, a clearinghouse for evictions,” said Burrill.

Students are no exception.

“We do see often that students, especially students from Concordia and McGill, have a hard time defending their rights and don’t necessarily know about the existence of the rental board to begin with.

As a relatively transitory population by the time they get their hearing, which may be two to three years, they may no longer live in Montreal,” said Burrill.

Approximately 150 people participated in Wednesday’s protest.

Protesters managed to block traffic

Milos Kovacevic Assistant news editor

>> Mile-high club

Paul Jerajin

Mock waiting rooms staged around city Amanda L. Shore Editor-in-chief

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Campus Politics // news

Choose your ASFA executive team Cast your vote in the coming March elections

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In addition to this protest, a five-minute documentary has been prepared through the collaboration of a number of tenant committees and organizations.The documentary aims to portray the kind of issues tenants are facing and is set to be released in the coming months.

in downtown Ottawa

An eight-metre wide sinkhole took over Waller Street in downtown Ottawa on Feb. 20. According to CBC News, the cause of the collapse has not yet been determined but there are speculations that it is related to the construction of Ottawa’s light rail tunnel. The construction crew noticed earth falling from the roof of the tunnel around 10 a.m. Thursday and approximately three hours later, the sinkhole occurred. The hole has since been filled with concrete but the sewers are still disconnected.

>> Trudeau absent during assisted-suicide resolution At the Liberal national convention on Sunday, delegates passed a resolution to lobby for the decriminalization of assisted suicide. However, Liberal party leader Justin Trudeau was not present during the vote. According to CTV News, Trudeau was seen outside the convention hall watching the Olympic hockey gold-medal game.

None of the resolutions passed at the convention are binding on Trudeau as leader and so it is up to him to decide whether the party will promote this idea as part of their election platform.

>> Middle-class plagued by debt

Frustrated tenants protest the two year wait time ment. Photo courtesy of POPIR-Comité Logement.

at le

Régie

du loge-

At the Liberal national convention on Sunday, delegates passed a resolution to lobby for the decriminalization of assisted suicide. However, Liberal party leader Justin Trudeau was not present during the vote. According to CTV News, Trudeau was seen outside the convention hall watching the Olympic hockey goldmedal game. None of the resolutions passed at the convention are binding on Trudeau as leader and so it is up to him to decide whether the party will promote this idea as part of their election platform.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, FEBRUARY 25, 2014

WORLD Sloane Montgomery News editor

>> Sochi 2014 wraps up

Sunday, Feb. 23 marked the closing ceremonies for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia.

Gold medalists for the two-person women’s bobsleigh team, Heather Moyse and Kaillie Humphries, carried the Canadian flag into the stadium. Canada fell short of their 14 gold-medal win from the previous 2010 winter games, but came in fourth overall and third for gold medals. Bringing home 10 gold, 10 silver and five bronze medals, as reported by CBC News. Staying true to Canada’s national sport, both women’s and men’s hockey brought home the gold. The women’s team won 3-2 in overtime against the U.S. and the men’s team went 3-0 against Sweden.

>> Attacks on protesters in Thailand Protesters in Thailand are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Since Feb. 22, three people have died and at least 58 other innocent civilians have been injured. Global News reported that in Bangkok on Feb. 23 a grenade attack at an anti-government protest resulted in the death of a 12-year-old boy and a 40-yearold woman, leaving 22 other protesters injured. On Feb. 22 in Trat, an eastern province on Bangkok, a 5-year-old girl was killed and approximately three-dozen others were injured during an attack on an anti-government rally.

>> Pollution and hazardous smog in China Feb. 24 marked the fifth day of dense, hazardous smog, which engulfed Beijing and large parts of northern and eastern China. The PM2.5 levels (tiny particulate matter less than 2.5 micrometers which can penetrate deep into the lungs) are a shocking 405. CBC News reported that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers levels above 300 to be hazardous. Since October 2013, there have been several episodes of smog outbreak in China and it is currently affecting 15 per cent of the country. As the government continues to investigate,pollution safety measures are being enforced. Commuters and pedestrians outside are told to wear a mask and schools are no longer allowed to let the children play outside. Teams of inspectors visited factories and construction sites that are producing glass, steel, coal and cement products and there are plans to identify any establishment violating production standards.

National Politics // news

Federal budget stresses jobs and youth

CASA sees it as a step forward while the CFS is not impressed Jane Lytvynenko CUP Ottawa Bureau Chief

OTTAWA (CUP) — In a bid to foster job creation, the Conservative budget, presented on Feb. 11, took a student and training focus. Aiming to ease debt loads and address a “skills mismatch,” the Economic Action Plan introduced new programs and changes in funding to existing government initiatives like apprenticeships, internships and research funding.

“Creating jobs and opportunities remains our government’s top priority,” said Finance Minister Jim Flaherty in his budget speech to the House of Commons. “We’re making sure that opportunities are there for everyone.”

In an initiative to train new workers for available jobs, the Economic Action Plan 2014 announced changes to the Canada Job Grant program, which was created with the last year’s budget.

The new program will be launched this year and direct up to $15,000 per trainee in funding from the government and employer.

Since its introduction the program was met with pushback by the provinces, who were originally asked to provide $5,000 of the $15,000 funding.

Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau said the Conservatives promised the grant a year ago and were not able to deliver. Although the program is set to begin April 1, Leader of the Opposition Thomas Mulcair is also skeptical.

“This cannot be done without the provinces,” he said to journalists on Parliament Hill.

While employers are still responsible for providing a third of the grant, the budget says if provinces refuse to negotiate an agreement, the remainder of the funding will be provided directly through Service Canada. Employers will also be able to provide their share of the grant through wages, reducing the burden of coming up with $5,000 up front.

The new budget also created the Canada Apprentice Loan as a part of the Canada Student Loans Program. The loan will “provide apprentices registered in Red Seal trades with access to over $100 million in interest-free loans each year.”

An apprentice will be eligible for up to $4,000 in loans per period of training. The budget says, “at least 26,000 apprentices are expected to apply.”

“Anytime interest-free loans are made available to students it’s a positive step,” said Jon Champagne, Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) national director.

CASA chair Amanda Neilsen agreed and said the budget — and loan program — are “a step in the right direction.”

Canadian Federation of Students (CFS) national chairperson

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty at the announcement of the 2013 budget. Photo by Jane Lytvynenko/Canadian University Press Jessica McCormick was not as happy with the new loans program. She said rather than adding to the constantly growing student debt in the country, the government needs to allocate funds to grants and non-repayable assistance.

Another project, the Flexibility and Innovation in Apprenticeship and Technical Training, is aimed at encouraging innovative training techniques for technical apprentice training.

While only a pilot project, the FIATT will have the ability to support 12 multi-year programs implementing training techniques such as simulators, video conferencing and online learning. FIATT will see $13 million in funding over four years, starting this year.

The Youth Employment Strategy overseen by the government annually receives $300 million for skills and experience acquisition. The government will review the program to “align it with the evolving realities of the job market.” According to the budget, the program will likely focus on science, technology, engineering, math and skilled trade sectors.

Also as a part of the Youth Employment Strategy, the fed-

eral government announced a reallocation of $15 million per year for 1,000 internships in small and medium-sized businesses. McCormick said there are 400,000 young people seeking jobs in Canada and “the investment would only affect about one per cent.”

To help with the job search the government will also make changes to the National Job Bank, modernizing it and making it easy to use.

The federal government acknowledged that the vehicle assessment for the Canada Student Loans program has not been adjusted since 1995. The Conservatives say they will eliminate the current $5,000 exemption for vehicles, meaning students who own them can increase their loan amount.

Nielsen said lobbying against the vehicle exemption is a longtime goal for CASA. She is happy the government decided to tackle the problem, saying “that’s going to give students $8 million in financial aid that didn’t exist and improve access.”

However, McCormick said eliminating the vehicle exemption barely scratches the surface.

“The vehicle exemption will help some students who have cars but the vast majority of people that are accessing the Canada Student Loans program could benefit from non-repayable assistance.”

Flaherty said the government is on track to balancing the budget next year as projected.

“We don’t want to pass on our debts to future generations,” he said.

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life

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2014

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

‘I’d like a cocktail of Joolz, please’ Add this hot spot to your new collection of jewels Belinda Anidjar Staff writer

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woman’s thirst for jewelry is difficult to quench. One sterling silver watch is never enough, any self-respecting fashionista’s minimum arm candy requirement is three, and one rhinestone ring simply will not suffice.

Enter Joolz Bar à Bijoux: a trendy new jewelry bar that opened in late-November, located in the heart of Sherbrooke Street West in Montreal. As I stepped through the glass doors, my eyes immediately drifted towards the martini glasses and Louboutin heels dripping with pearls in glass cases behind a leopard-print bar rail. Needless to say, it was jewel heaven — or shall I say, “Jool” heaven.

It was all very Sex and the City and I was Carrie Bradshaw, ordering a Cosmo filled with diamonds and pearls. As I marvelled at the Karl Lagerfeld watches and an array of refined jewelry that adorned the walls, I was greeted by store owner and Joolz creator, Lydia Mamane and sales associate, Alessandra de Geso, both women sporting black Swarovski slake bracelets on their wrists — a Joolz favourite. As we sat down

on classy white bar stools, I was offered a glass of champagne, fit for a high-class sophisticate.

“I wanted it to be a reflection of myself, of all my favourite things. I’ve always been a big fan of any accessory that incorporates leopard, hence the leopard bar rail,” said Mamane, explaining her vision behind the tasteful décor.

“I wanted people to feel like they were coming into your bedroom, hence why the wall is in velvet with crystal buttons.”

Velvet with crystal buttons. Don’t those words slip swiftly off the tongue?

With a background in her family’s jewelry business, Mamane has worked in the industry for 23 years, and her love for jewelry — particularly pearls — inspired her to launch a project of her own.

With a sharp eye for trends and an entrepreneurial spirit, Mamane took her prior knowledge from the jewelry business and dove into this new endeavor with a more hip and current concept in mind.

Offering “Fun, fabulous Joolz for today’s fashionista,” the goal was to shy away from traditional impressions of jewelry stores and attract a new fashion forward market.

“I wanted people to come in and get that type of feeling of breaking the stigma that jewelry stores are cold, intimidating, uninviting. That’s why I created the bar concept, where you can sit down, select jewelry to try on, while we offer you a nice Nespresso or a glass of wine,” she said. “These days, you see a nail bar and a hair bar, so why not

a jewelry bar?”

Though pearls are her personal favourite, Joolz Bar à Bijoux offers a variety of jewelry to choose from. From Honora luxurious pearls — a Joolz must-have — to elegant Swarovski pieces, this jewelry bar is every classy lady’s fantasy. For the sophisticated diva, the B Couture keepsakes and jewelry will satisfy every craving.

Looking for pieces you’ll want to keep in that jewelry box for a lifetime? Phillip Gavriel, Binah Jewelry Montreal, and Sharelli jewelry are all timeless choices. If cool is the number one word in your vocabulary, you can’t go wrong with Hugo Boss, Boss Orange, and Karl Lagerfeld watches. It doesn’t end there. A wide selection of engagement rings for brides-to-be will inspire every woman’s dreams.

As for price, many pieces fall into an affordable price range that lies between $100$250, and for those with the firm belief that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, there are pieces that fall between $500-$2000. No matter your budget, Joolz carries exactly what you seek for an anniversary, a birthday, or simply an indulgence. Can you really ask for more?

When asked about the name of her store, Mamane replied saying that she wanted a name that was both English and French, to suit Quebec laws.

“I see that now with all the social media and texting that people are changing words around. So it’s easy to pronounce and it evokes jewelry,” she said.

With a catchy name like Joolz, regardless of your maternal tongue, you’ll definitely have jewelry on the brain, and in this inviting atmosphere, you’re bound to become an accessories addict if you aren’t already.

According to de Geso, an FGA certified gemologist who has been working alongside Mamane for seven years, Joolz has a bright future ahead of it.

“I love working here,” she said. “I think the product selection is right. The atmosphere is fun and relaxing. It’s an inviting place to shop. I think it will be the new hotspot and I invite everyone to come in and take a look around.”

Last March, fashion designer Michael Kors tweeted that “accessories are the exclamation point of a woman’s outfit” and that jewelry is the perfect metaphor to describe a woman’s best friend. After all, nothing glistens better against that martini glass than a beautiful rhinestone, right?

So, if you’re a fashionista on the lookout for unique new pieces to add to your collection of jewels, a woman with a taste for beautiful accessories, or even a man seeking a gift for his girlfriend or an edgy new watch, Joolz Bar à Bijoux will ensure that you’re way ahead of the trend. Taking its cue from Swarovski, Joolz predicts a Gold Rush this season, so keep your eyes peeled for some luxurious gold pieces that will have you dropping those martini glasses, hopping into your Louboutins, and making your way towards Joolz Bar à Bijoux.

Lydia Mamane, store owner and creator of joolz, enjoys her own cocktail of jewellery and wants to share her passion of making, selling and wearing her bling.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2014

Student profile// Life

A day in the life of an SPCA dog walker Concordia student shows us the ropes of being a dog walker and trainer at the SPCA christina rowan Copy editor

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hey’re there for you when you need them most. Without having to ask, no matter where or when, whether you’re happy or sad, you can always count on them to be there.

I’m talking of course about dogs. Without judgement or preconceived ideas about you, dogs make for some of the best company in the world. They are, after all, man’s best friend.

Concordia student, Alexandra Sammons, 20, is repaying the favour a dog’s friendship provides. Not to her own dog, but to those that don’t have a home — dogs that live at the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA).

Currently in her first year at Concordia, studying in neuropsychology and working administratively part-time at engineering and construction group, SNC-Lavalin, Sammons spends what little time she has left volunteering at the SPCA as a dog walker and trainer.

To become an official dog walker, it takes more than just a love of dogs. As simple a task as walking a dog may seem, the SPCA has standards and looks for someone who has more to offer than just love. Sammons explains that several steps must first be taken.

“First you have to sign up on the website, give your name, your phone number, and then explain why you want to walk dogs. From there, [the SPCA] will call you, interview you on the phone or in person and see how motivated you are, how interested you are, and whether you have some knowledge of dogs.”

After the initial application, the SPCA asks that you come in for an observation test run by team leaders — experienced trainers who work for the SPCA — who will then determine how compatible you are with the dogs.

“The team leaders will walk dogs with you and two other people [that have applied] and they’ll observe you with the dogs, and have you walk yellow walkers to see how you react when they’re excited,” says Sammons.

Something not everybody knows is that the dogs at the SPCA are divided into two different categories: silver walkers and yellow walkers. Silver walkers are easy to handle, well behaved dogs that can be HR_ULaval_Concordian_10,5x3,6_NBc.pdf

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trained and walked by all volunteers. The yellow walkers are more aggressive, scared, or excited dogs, that perhaps came from an abusive home and therefore require more experienced and trained walkers. As of now, there are approximately 150 dogs at the SPCA, and about 20 of those are yellow dogs. Out of the 150 volunteers, only about 10 of them are yellow walkers.

To become a yellow walker, volunteers must have been with the SPCA for at least one month and must attend a training session run by team leaders and yellow walkers to learn the rules and strategies used when taking yellow dogs out for a walk.

Sammons, who has been volunteering at the SPCA for eight months, hopes to become a yellow walker within the next two weeks. She explains that while being a dog walker is very enjoyable it’s also physically challenging, especially if you are a yellow walker.

“It’s very emotionally demanding, especially physically. You have to pretty much be fit. It’s as if you’re jogging for three hours, but you get used to it, and it’s great physical activity. The dogs are so excited, that they just want to run everywhere,” she said.

During their shifts, volunteer dog walkers take as many dogs outside as they can at one time for either a 15 minute walk or 15 minutes of playtime in the backyard.

“Walking dogs makes you feel like you’re doing something good. You really see that there’s a difference being made. What makes me stay is the fact that I notice that some dogs over the weeks have actually changed, you see that they notice you and remember you. You’re in a community of people who love animals as much as you,” said Sammons.

Since dog walking is voluntary, the SPCA allows volunteers to make their own schedule as long as they do at least a three hour shift on the days they do come in. Since Sammons is a full-time student and works part-time, she volunteers once a week on Fridays, during the school year.

With more and more dogs coming in each month, and dogs not always being adopted, the amount of walking to be done can be overwhelming, but with more volunteers the load can be managed fittingly.

For those who have a passion for dogs and helping those in need, and have some spare time, Sammons strongly encourages you to sign up and volunteer.

“People need to understand, if you want to volunteer, the longer you’re going to stay, the more you’re going to like it.”

2014-01-29 13:42

Sammons goes on to say that the SPCA isn’t a place to feel sadness and despair, it’s a place to help and motivate dogs to understand that there are people out there who care.

At the moment, there are approximately 150 dogs, 400 cats and dozens of smaller ani-

mals such as rabbits, hamsters, and birds residing at the SPCA. If you or someone you know would like to become a dog walker or volunteer at the SPCA visit www.spca.com for information on how you can help.

Concordia student alexandra sammons, has been a volunteer dog walker at the spca for eral months and encourages others to join . Photo by florence fournier

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

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arts

Tuesday, febraury 25, 2014

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Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com Theatre // arts

Black box performance, fourth wall not included McGill Players’ Theatre’s Peter Pan is a minimalistic take on the classic play by J. M. Barrie Marilla Steuter-Martin Staff writer

Everyone knows the story of Peter Pan. It is the story of a boy from Neverland who wouldn’t, or couldn’t, grow up. While many are familiar with Peter Pan, or rather they know the 1953 Disney adaptation, this simplified version of the story is a far cry from J.M. Barrie’s original play and the novel that followed.

The McGill Players’ Theatre production of Peter Pan is an homage to Barrie’s narrative and the themes, both dark and light, which are ever-present in this whimsical story.

The action begins in the nursery of Wendy, John and Michael Darling who embark with Peter on an adventure they won’t soon forget. Along the way they encounter the lost boys, a mischievous fairy named Tinkerbell and the nefarious pirate, Captain Jas Hook.

The first thing you will notice upon entering Players’ black box theatre is the man sitting in the front row on the corner. He wears a red velvet smoking jacket and introduces himself to all who pass by as Barrie. He is of course playing the role of the playwright and he does so with the grace and youthful

enthusiasm for which the man himself was famous.

Mark Weissfelner, who plays Barrie as well as operating a set of bells signifying Tinkerbell, is a delight to watch. His dialogue comes largely from the script’s extensive stage directions as well as blocks of text that are pulled from the novelization of Peter Pan. Director Kelly Richmond was responsible for compiling the additional narration as well as including several elements found within later adaptations of the play.

“The play text, the script itself, is intended for children. And then you have the stage directions and the novel, which are very adult and […] are communicating a lot about mortality and sexuality,” explained Richmond.

“So that was the goal with this production — to take those elements and put them into the dialogue.”

Continuing with the theatrical tradition of casting Pan as a woman, Becca Pearl plays the part exquisitely. Her portrayal of the timeless boy is effortless, ethereal and poignant.

With Pearl representing the forces of light and youthful innocence, Maka Ngwenya is just as potent in her portrayal of the blackhearted Hook.

Ngwenya, who also plays the matriarch of the Darling family, brings a fresh face and

presence to the much-storied character.

The design of the production reflects the whimsical nature of the show while sticking to the basic constraints of a black box space.

“I really like black box because I think it really encourages suspension of disbelief and this idea of letting go and stepping back and saying ‘this is my imagination, let me project into it.’ So that’s sort of why we went for

something more minimal,” said Richmond.

The play is at times funny, painful and joyous, as the themes in this classic coming-ofage story intertwine to create something truly magical.

Peter Pan runs from Feb. 26 – March 1.

Tickets are $6 for students. They can be reserved online at ssmu.mcgill.ca/players/ reservations.

The limited space created in a typical black box theater presentation allows J.M. Barrie to direct the play from the audiences’ seats. Photo by Marilla Steuter-Martin

Exhibit // arts

Stalin and Putin sitting in a tree – LGBT and Sochi To Russia With Love brings the struggles in Russia to Montreal Robin Stanford Contributor

Homophobic legislations have been making the rounds of the media — with the current Sochi Olympics, all eyes are on Russia with their recent anti-queer propaganda bill.

To Russia with Love, by Montrealer Damián Siqueiros, speaks out against Russia’s discriminatory stance through the depiction of various Russian homosexuals in a romantic setting.

The conference, held on Feb. 13, showcased many aspects of the project including the social milieu from which it emerged and the artist’s process. Attended by fifty individuals, including those involved with the project and their friends, spirits were high. But one item was missing: the artwork itself. No art was shown save for a powerpoint presentation projected onto a wall of Gallery D. The pieces themselves did not seem to be important. The focus, rather was on what they represented in the To Russia with Love movement.

The first part of the evening reflected this purpose through a skype call with Russian

artist Alexey Timbul, who gave his account of living in Russia under the threat of violence.

He highlighted how in the current political environment even something as simple as meeting same-gender individuals for a date is impossible.

Traditionally, one could meet other homosexuals through various Internet dating sites, but as of late, these encounters have become dangerous. Timbul alleges that fake accounts are being created on these sites with the sole purpose of baiting homosexuals and inflicting violence upon them. This constant threat did not seem to weigh heavily on Timbul but left the audience quite somber.

Timbul further described the main issue with all pro-LGBT social movements to date.

Whether they be sit-ins featuring same sex kisses, Facebook petitions, media pressure against the Sochi Olympics, or protests — all events have one thing in common: they originate from the West. Within Russia, as homosexuality is publicized as a distinctly Western social phenomenon, the fact that movements come from the outside support this feeling of otherness to Russians. It is in this context that Damián Siqueiros’ work adds to the conversation.

The pieces in the To Russia with Love collection feature iconic historic and modern

Although the photos were not present at last week’s launch at Gallery D, the message remains thought-provoking, powerful and unphotoshopped. Photo by Damián Siqueiros.

queer characters with nationalistic settings.

Reminiscent of Romantic-era painters such as Karl Bryullov and Rafail Levitsky, the images have a similar warm color quality. Through a process of photo-painting, the scenes were photographed and presented without the use of photoshopping. The artist used fog machines, the placement of cement dust, lighting techniques and specialized lenses to capture the artwork.

This was detailed by the author himself, along with a Wikipedia-esque description of every character utilized during the second half of the presentation. During this period the audience drifted in and out of conversation with each other and more wine glasses appeared.

Perhaps the audience’s lack of attention was due to their intimacy with the project or the fact that all images may be found, without exception, on the project’s website.

Although an interesting conference about the overall project, it was not an art display. At the moment, the artist plans to stage the same presentation in as many venues as possible to spread the word about his project. For those who would like more information about the state of Russia and what it is like to be queer within the country the conference is a must see. However, if your interest lies in the art itself, this is a presentation best to be missed.

You can view the pictures themselves on the artists’ website at torussiawithlove. squarespace.com.

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Tuesday, february 25, 2014

Documentary // arts

The lengthy process of turning obsession into art Tim’s Vermeer is a documentary about one man’s endeavour to uncover the secret behind Vermeer’s art Tomer Shavit Staff writer

When was the last time you were truly and utterly obsessed with something? Not interested, not fascinated, but obsessed?

Obsession is a powerful thing. It’s scary, all-consuming and it makes for compelling viewing. Whether it be Katniss Everdeen, Sherlock Holmes or Francis Underwood, the stories we love the most are those about heroes who aren’t just chasing a goal — they’re obsessed with it.

Tim’s Vermeer is the story of one man’s obsession. Not against a dystopian tyranny, an evil mastermind or the president of the United States, but about solving a mystery that has been plaguing the minds of artists and art historians for centuries.

The man is Tim Jenison, an award-winning inventor, technologist and self-made millionaire. The mystery — Johannes Vermeer.

Vermeer was a 17th century painter who specialized in photo-realistic painting. His work contained such elaborate detail, such realism, that theories abound that he must have been aided by some sort of optical mechanism that assisted him in achieving these incredible and unparalleled feats.

Who better than the most famous debunking duo in the world, Penn and Teller, to uncover the secret behind this renaissance-era phenomenon? The documentary is directed and produced by the notorious illusionists and it follows the journey of Jenison

in a quest that spans over half a decade.

Jenison begins with an established theory that suggests Vermeer used a form of camera obscura to create his paintings. He develops this theory further by combining different types of curved mirrors and lenses to create an apparatus that allows any person with no background in painting to produce incredibly life-like and awe-inspiring paintings.

The next stage of his experiment was to recreate one of Vermeer’s classic paintings,

“The Music Lesson”.

This is where the obsession comes in. To recreate the painting, Jenison has to simulate the same room that Vermeer used centuries ago. Most people would have hired a crew to build the room. Jenison is not most people: he recreates the room on his own.

To do so he teaches himself carpentry, glass-making, tile-laying — practically any skill you would need to construct a house — and spends the next 200 days building it

Produced

by Penn Jillette and directed by Teller, Tim’s Vermeer attempts to uncover the mystery behind the photorealism of Joanes Vermeer’s art, 150 years before the invention of photography. Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics

from scratch with the modest help of an assistant. When it is built, Jenison begins to paint the scene with his invented apparatus.

The amount of detail requires him to sit every day for hours and paint meticulously.

After 130 days of painting, Tim’s Vermeer is finally finished. Was it all worth it? Did he manage to solve a 300-year-old mystery?

The documentary takes 2,000 hours of footage and generates an 80-minute film that is fascinating and insightful. Penn Jillette provides humorous narration that adds colour to the film, while also serving as a guide for those of us with only a passing knowledge of art history.

What is truly fascinating in this film, regardless of your appreciation of fine art, is Jenison himself. It is his tenacious personality, his almost childlike excitement in the face of new challenges and his never ending ability and desire to learn new skills that make Tim’s Vermeer transcend its deceptively straight-forward premise.

Jenison says that he worries that the film will have all the excitement of “watching paint dry” but it is his inspiring obsession that keeps us enthralled. Often times you feel sorry for Jenison, a 60-year-old man spending day after day away from his family and home, hunched over a pad with a paintbrush in his hand. But before the film is over, your sympathy is replaced with reverence — even jealousy.

Tim’s Vermeer reminds us how much fun it is to forget about the world, find something that moves us, and simply obsess.

Tim’s Vermeer opens in theatres on Feb. 28 at Cinema du Parc.

Film // arts

The wall that separates the rights and wrongs Omar tells the story of a man forced to determine his allegiances in a politically-charged landscape Elijah Bukreev Staff writer

I

t is so rare and exciting to find a Middle Eastern film in our theaters. Last year, we had the endearing Wadjda from Saudi Arabia, which was directed by a woman — a first for that country. Every year, barriers like that are crossed. This time, the movie is Omar and the country is Palestine.

So says the Academy that nominated it for an Oscar in the Best Foreign Language Film category. In 2005, Paradise Now, also directed by the Palestinian-Israeli Hany AbuAssad, had been granted the same honour, but was ultimately credited as coming from the Palestinian Territories. There is nothing innocent in that change of appellation.

Omar is only the second film to represent the country, which many states have yet to recognize. The film was made by a man who holds Israeli citizenship, with some Israeli actors, shot mostly in an Israeli city, but supported with Palestinian funds. The debate over what is Palestinian and what is not has been raging for an awfully long time and has spilled over into the world of filmmaking.

This is one of the themes in Omar which stars Adam Bakri, who is very confident in his first screen role. He plays a young Palestinian baker, easy to identify with by the way he jokes and takes silly risks for love, like routinely visiting his girlfriend Nadia

(Leem Lubany) by climbing the separation wall.

One evening, he makes the impulsive decision to join his childhood friends in murdering an Israeli soldier. Does that make him a freedom fighter or a terrorist?

The movie takes a clear stand, but is sincere enough to allow for other interpretations. In the end, it’s all a matter of personal conviction, although Omar works as an involving and tense drama regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum.

The young man is quickly found out.

We are not told how. His little world is nothing but a dollhouse to the ubiquitous

Israeli secret police, who seem to read into minds and souls. Omar is then brought in for questioning. Torture methods are immediately used, but prove unsuccessful. The next day, a man sits at Omar’s table in the prison lunchroom and warns him of the dangers that may await him. The police, he says, have informants in the prison, whose task is to befriend the accused and bring them to confess.

Omar is resolute: “I will never confess.”

It is both shocking and darkly humorous to see his new acquaintance later turn up in the interrogation room, plain-clothed.

Agent Rami (Waleed Zuaiter) takes out a

Adam Bakri stars as Omar, a Palestinian baker turned freedom-fighter, in the oscar-nominated film. Photo courtesy of Adopt Films.

recording device and plays back that very sentence. Omar is told it will be used as proof of his guilt, unless he accepts to collaborate, which would mean betraying his friends.

The two men meet repeatedly, as Omar struggles with his new reality. One time, we find them in a casual setting, in Rami’s office. He has just finished chatting with his mother on the phone. Omar stands in prison clothes, miserable but optimistic.

The men exchange a few nice words. It becomes obvious that, under different circumstances, they might have been good friends. They seem to grow conscious of it too, but are stuck within their own incompatible trajectories. Rami is trying to be good at his job. Omar wants to protect his companions and fight for his people. In a way, they are similar: they both wish to conform to their respective societies. Reconciliation begins with understanding their life positions could have been swapped.

Omar is simple, effective and while it lacks a distinctive visual style, it makes up for it with exotic, biblical locations. Above all, what the movie does well is show how a man can be destroyed inside out by an institution — any institution, really — as Omar is methodically turned into a surrogate tool.

Whether he’s working with the police or the freedom fighters, he’s trapped. Officials keep threatening him with a life sentence, but it doesn’t take long for him to realize — the world he inhabits is a prison already.

Omar plays at Cinema Excentris with subtitles in English and French.

Tuesday, febraury 25, 2014

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Theatre // arts

Tête-à-tête with King and Malcolm X The Meeting offers an unexpected encounter of the minds of two African-American activists Shereen Ahmed Rafea Staff writer

Malcolm X tells Martin Luther King Jr. that he had a dream, then smirks and says “Oh, I’m sorry. That’s your line.”

Racial prejudice and the struggle for human rights brought about bloodshed, angst and struggle. The leaders who fought against racism, held onto the hope that there would be better days. Blending frustration with comedy, The Meeting gives the audience a unique interpretation of the famous leaders.

Black Theatre Workshop presents a new twist to the stories of Malcolm X and King in The Meeting, which tells the tale of a fictional encounter between the two activists.

Directed by Quincy Armorer, the plot centers on the imagined dynamic between Malcolm X (Lindsay Owen Pierre) and King (Christian Paul) who, in reality, only met briefly. Written

by Jeff Stetson, it also stars Kareem Tristan Alleyne as Rashad, Malcolm’s bodyguard.

The play situates this meeting by having King go to Malcolm X’s hotel room on the night his house was firebombed.

They vibe with one another from the start, frequently joking about the other’s views. The conversation soon gets heated and a debate on violence and non-violence erupts. Each character becomes defensive as they try to prove the legitimacy of their stance to the other.

This script is filled with comedy, impassioned speeches, witticisms and metaphors. It succeeds in presenting a completely different picture of the two activists — far from the one found in schoolbooks and historical footage.

The characters appear as ordinary every-men, who sing, get angry and even arm wrestle.

Though they despair over their differences, they end up respecting one another.

At times, however, the writing misses in achieving this interpretation. The metaphors become too frequent and the frustration is not always believable.

Paul’s portrayal of King’s spoken voice is flawed in many ways. His accent sounds forced and continuously speech-like. Dialogue that should have sounded like an unpolished, off-the-cuff conversation ends up resembling a prepared address.

Pierre provides a more realistic portrait and succeeds in highlighting Malcolm X’s

emotions and mannerisms.

Another interesting element are the scenes between Malcolm and his bodyguard, Rashad.

Alleyne, whose role is his acting debut, delivers a good repertoire with Pierre and depicts a fiercely protective and friendly bodyguard.

The stage setting is modest and includes a couch, a chessboard, a few small tables and a makeshift window and balcony. The stage is also in close proximity to the audience, which serves to include the viewer in the intimacy of the scenes.

The play highlights some of the main difficulties these activists faced in their plight

and some of the main themes of their agendas. A non-violence stance emphasizes love, peace and unity. The violence view brings up the white man, injustice and self-defense. The debates were peppered with some dramatic pauses that were included for effect, to echo sentiments of frustration, anger or sadness.

There are times and places where this tension worked, and didn’t in others. King and Malcolm X come together, however, during discussions of power and the pursuit of it.

The Meeting runs until March 1 at The Segal Centre’s Le Studio as part of Black History Month.

Though they only met briefly in real life, The Meeting imagines heated debates and passionate dialogues between Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Photo by Andrée Lanthier

Theatre // arts

V-play brings vulnerability and empowerment The Vagina Monologues returns for its seventh season to the Concordia stage Natalia Lara Diaz-Berrio Staff writer

If your vagina could talk, what would it say?

How would it dress? The word ‘vagina’ conjures up infinite complex concepts and issues such as body, culture, sexuality, love and repression.

Eve Ensler, the American playwright, feminist and activist, had those questions in mind.

Her interest in women’s experiences led her to meet 200 women from around the world.

Based on their accounts, Ensler penned the now-famous play, The Vagina Monologues. Ensler subsequently started V-Day, a global nonprofit movement to support groups around the world that aim to put a stop to violence against women.

The Vagina Monologues has been performed for six consecutive years at Concordia.

This year’s production is put together by theatre students in association with the CSU, Volunteers in Action and the Theatre Department. The Concordian sat down with the cast and crew to find out more about the 2014 production.

At the helm is Emily Schon, who has been part of the play for three years — first as actor and then as director. When asked why she participated, three times now, in the production, Schon explained that she’s “passionate about the issues in the play,” adding that the play asks rough questions, making it a powerful tool that helps people to grow by providing an

education.

The 90-minute play focuses on the experiences of “people who have vaginas,” according to Schon. Some of the pieces are on topics that affect everyone: shame, vulnerability, honesty and truth.

For Schon, the show is certainly about feminism. The play was written in the 1990s, which was a very particular era in American culture and feminist history, known as thirdwave feminism. It was during that period that the American punk rock movement, Riot grrrl, was initiated; Take Our Daughter to Work Day was introduced; and the 1994 Violence Against Women Act became instituted.

Although the text draws on events from another time, the issues are quite contemporary: sexual assault, corporatization of the body and body hair, for example. “[The play] is an exploration of feminism, it speaks about feminism past and how we engage with it. As a cast, we talk about feminist present and the exciting part is saying: ‘where do we need to go now,’” said Schon.

While the 13-member cast is mostly comprised of theatre students, two actors are not formally trained. “[Having non-actors in the cast] changes how actors interpret the text. I can put an artistic practice and vision, while recognizing and learning from the others’ artistic visions of the room.”

The cast and crew will have themselves a 360 degree angled room to explore with. The

circular stage within the arena-like room at Café Cleopatra (where they will be holding their second performance), provides an intimacy — even unity.

Schon says the audience “can expect to come [on] a journey with us to celebrate, ask questions, be angry and to feel a wide range of feelings and hopefully meeting together — coming together gives a sense of empowerment.”

As the interview came to an end, the cast and crew were asked for one word that describes the play. A flurry of adjectives descended: “empowering”; “mind-blowing”; “transformative”; “beautiful”; “honest”.

The Vagina Monologues will be presented on March 2 at 8 p.m. in the DB Clarke Theatre and on March 8 at 8 p.m. at Café Cléopatra (18 years of age and over only).

The Vagina Monologues was written by American playwright Eve Ensler. To write the play, met with 200 different women. Photo Courtesy of Emily Schon.

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Tuesday, february 25, 2014

Game // arts

Forty-thousand players and only one controller TwitchPlaysPokemon is a social experiment in online gaming Laura Marchand Staff writer

The PC is evil, start9 is filibustering, Flareon is a False Prophet and all hail the Helix Fossil. These might sound like the gibberish ravings of a cult. Others would describe this as a large-scale social experiment. Some might call it human nature at its finest. You could argue that it’s the modern gladiatorial arena for a tech generation.

But ultimately, it’s just Pokémon.

Specifically, it’s TwitchPlaysPokemon (TPP).

Twitch.tv is a live-streaming site, specifically used for broadcasting video game progress to an audience in real-time. Naturally, the person running the video game is the one playing. However, the person behind TPP turned that assumption on its head by giving the controller back to the audience.

Every Twitch stream comes with a chat box. TPP has been configured so that every command entered into the chat is then fed back into a game of Pokémon Red. What this means is that every person who is watching the game, can also be playing the game — along with everyone else who happens to

be watching.

And as the game’s popularity rose, so did the number of players.

At any given time, the number of people inputting commands at once can fluctuate between 40,000 and 110,000 people, not to mention the 20 million cumulative viewers.

And of course, you can’t get over 100,000 people to agree on anything — especially not how you’re going to evolve your Eevee.

This isn’t only a game, it’s a complex online culture. Political systems have been put in place as viewers can toggle between “anarchy” where, in the original system, every command is executed in order or “democracy” where there is a 10-second delay to tally the votes. It’s not uncommon for anarchists to vote “start”, effectively pausing the game, in a bid to topple the democratic system.

It’s not just politics, either. A pseudoreligious meme has taken shape after the character repeatedly consulted a currently useless item called the Helix Fossil. Exclamations of “Helix guide us” can be found all across the internet, even in forums completely unrelated to TPP. Likewise, the Pokémon have been assigned religious titles, such as “Bird Jesus” the Pidgeot or Flareon “the False Prophet”, the latter of which was released for seemingly no other reason than the fact that the stream deemed it “unholy”.

It isn’t the first video game event to have wide-scale implications. In EVE Online, a massive multiplayer online game, a mis-

click caused further conflict between two warring factions. The cost for the destroyed in-game warships was estimated at $20,000 USD and it was later revealed that a member who brokered relations in the galaxy was an American diplomat stationed in the Middle East.

Likewise, in the infamous World of Warcraft, a glitch caused an in-game sickness called “Corrupted Blood” to spread outside of its intended area. An epidemic ensued across the servers, with low-level players being killed instantly and players of every faction abandoning populated areas to avoid infection. It was only solved after a quarantine and a complete reset of the game-world

and the incident was later studied by the U.S. Centre for Disease Control in case of a real-life epidemic.

So what is TPP teaching us right now?

It’s hard to say. As a participant, I am both impressed and infuriated at human nature.

In one week, up to 20 million people have been able to co-operate long enough to get six out of the eight Pokémon badges but sometimes we cannot decide if we want to go left or right. Am I watching a feat of humanity, or a train-wreck in slow motion?

Helix guide us all.

If you’d like to witness this madness, or even participate in it, you can head over to twitch.tv/twitchplayspokemon.

TwitchPlaysPokemon features tens of thousand of players controlling a single game of Pokemon Red.

Comedy // arts

Bill Burr on hockey, Jerry Seinfeld and Montreal The comedian and actor is set to perform at the Metropolis, twice, next month Ayan Choudhury Staff writer

The Concordian had a nice 15-minute chat with Bill Burr over the phone last Friday. Ten minutes of that interview was spent talking about hockey.

When the Massachusetts native (and Boston Bruins fan) isn’t working on FOX’s hit comedy New Girl, or appearing on AMC’s groundbreaking show Breaking Bad, or telling stories on his popular Monday Morning Podcast, or selling out Carnegie Hall and other major venues across the world, he’s watching hockey.

On this day (Friday, Feb. 21), there’s an important game to be played. It’s the Olympic men’s hockey semi-final between Canada and the U.S. Burr tells me he’s hoping to find a bar in Virginia where he can watch Team USA exact their long-awaited revenge against Team Canada. As we now know, he’s about to be sadly disappointed.

For a widely respected comic who’s becoming increasingly famous by the day, a man known for his hilarious rants, Burr isn’t only easy to talk to, he’s evidently friendly and down-to-earth.

Burr’s already looking forward to his show in Montreal next week, a city which he loves for its beautiful parks, its many restaurants and especially its love of comedy. He’s excited to visit during March (he’s only ever been here for the Just For Laughs festival in the summer). I don’t have the heart to warn him of our ‘spring’ weather.

Despite Burr’s widespread popularity, the man remains humble. When I ask him what he took away from watching Bill Cosby perform recently, he laughs and says “I took away that I suck [in comparison].”

When I inquired about the possibility of an appearance on Jerry Seinfeld’s webseries, Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, he admits that they’ve already discussed it and it’s now a matter of scheduling. He emphatically adds, “Seinfeld is the king.”

During the ‘90s, he reminds me, the old

Montreal Forum was once the “house of horrors” for a Bruins fan. It’s safe to say that in March, the Metropolis should be a veritable house of laughs.

Bill Burr will be performing standup comedy on March 5 and 11 at the Metropolis. For more information on Bill Burr’s upcoming show in Montreal, visit: montrealmetropolis.ca

Burr will be seen alongside Kevin Costner in Black&White, Elizabeth Banks in Walk of Shame, as well as the current season of Comedy Central Kroll Show. Photo by Koury Angelo.

Have you heard about this year’s Oscar pre-party? Head on over to theconcordian.com to see our in-depth coverage of the Oscar contendors.

Controversies, reviews and predictions of the Best Picture, Best Actors and Best Director nominees and more.

ATTN: The Concordian will not assume responsibility for any spoilers!

music

Tuesday, february 25, 2014

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Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com

Profile // music

Painting a landscape with soundscapes Raveen gear up for their upcoming album launch at O Patro Vys cluding bass guitar and drums.

“If you think of the set up, it’s a lot easier to explain [the style of music]. If you heard it, it’s the best way of figuring it out.”

Unlike traditional band recording, Raveen film’s composition is threefold: it has produced their material in pieces, and at times, a beginning, a middle, and an end. miles apart from each other in different cities.

By nature, it is a sequence of images, “It’s a collage,” laughed Seguin. usually accompanied by an audio backdrop This collaborative effort between bandor verbal interactions. Each part of the film is mates often required them to send each other designed to push viewers further into another what they had been working on from Vermont state of reality, to instill in them a certain feelto Toronto, then Toronto to Montreal, for exing, or to create a lasting memory. When you ample. This layering and piecing together of take away all visual cues, you are left to crematerial however, led to a set of tracks that ate your own film, your own memory. In just Seguin describes as “the closest to what three tracks, Raveen prompts you into the di[Raveen] embodied.” rector’s chair to indulge your imagination.

With almost a dozen recorded songs to “For me, it’s a beach at night time, which choose from, over half of them were left on sounds really uppity and pretentious, but the cutting room floor. that’s the only thing that comes to mind,” said “The other songs were more basic,” said Eric Seguin, Raveen’s bassist and vocalist, Seguin, referring to the instrumentation inof the upcoming self-titled EP. Seguin, along volved. “They didn’t really make the cut.”

Wanting their EP to reflect their full sound spectrum, they chose the three tracks they thought contained the most audible layers.

“I guess it’s more to showcase your production skills than your playing skills, because people can see that at our show,” he said.

“We probably chose the most complicated ones,” he said, in order to emphasize the distinction between their in-studio sound and their live performances.

In a live setting, Seguin highlights the importance of having energetic stage presence, especially with a drummer.

“What you need is almost a dancer,” said Seguin enthusiastically. “When you go to a show and you just have a guy standing in front of a mic, it can be so boring. I want people to feel like moving.”

When there are varying personal preferences, it can be almost unavoidable to disagree on certain aspects of production or performance.

“I wanted it to sound more like D‘Angelo and Drake, than you know, a rock show,” said Seguin, “but they push it to be more of a live thing.”

Despite minor differences of opinion, they push each other out of their comfort zones, which for Seguin, can only be a positive thing.

“I think it kind of happens a lot: people end up working with people who are like minded before they play with people who play to their musical strengths.”

“Mostly it’s just about chemistry.”

On Feb.28, Raveen will be bringing their production to the forefront at O Patro Vys for their official album launch.

The next step? Probably putting out a full length LP. “Honestly, I just hope one day someone tells me what movie my music sounds like.”

Raveen will be performing with VLVBVMV and Boho on Feb.28 at O Patro Students Eric Seguin, Stokely Diamantis and Paul T. Geldart form Raveen. Their sound is a combiVys. See event here: https://www.facenation of electronic beats and traditional rock instrumentation including bass guitar and drums. book.com/events/1444102372488233/

Jessica Romera Music editor

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with bandmates Paul T. Geldart and Stokely Diamantis, tried to come up with what their music makes them think of. “We sat down to think about it, but we kept coming up with waves.”

“It reminds me of that feeling you get when you’re on the beach at night time: you’re not supposed to be there then, but there’s something personal about it,” he added. “It’s not day-time music,” Although they have been working on new material for several months, the EP launch will mark their first ever live performance as a three-piece collective.

“There’s definitely a band aesthetic to [Raveen] even if we play mostly electronic music,” said Seguin.

Multiple band members are in the electro acoustics program at Concordia, giving them a solid background in electronic instrumentation allowing for Raveen to combine electronic beats with more traditional rock sounds in-

Jessica romera Music editor

>> Pharrell auctions off “mountain” Grammy hat The infamous brown hat that music mogul, Pharrell Williams, sported at the 2014 Grammy Awards is being auctioned off, reports Rolling Stone. Since making its debut television appearance earlier last month, Williams’ headpiece has been making its way steadily onto almost every media outlet, drawing comparisons to Smokey The Bear and Arby’s logo. The Vivienne Westwood hat, described on the auction website as a “mountain hat,” is starting at $10,500 on eBay. The funds collected from the auction will go towards the organization, From One Hand To The Other, started

by Williams in 2008.

>> Bright Eyes frontman sues over rape allegations Conor Oberst of the indie band Bright Eyes is filing a defamation lawsuit after being accused of rape, reports NME. In the comments section of xojane.com, a woman accused Oberst of raping her nearly a decade ago, when she was 16 years old, says TMZ. Oberst is denying all allegations, and is suing the woman for the defamatory and damaging rumours against him for $1 million. In a recent public statement, Oberst’s publicist stated that “the recent allegations made about Conor Oberst by an anonymous commenter on the xoJane website are flagrant enough to demand our response. This individual’s accusations are absolutely, unequivocally false.”

>> The Exploited’s Wattie Buchan collapses during performance Lead singer of band The Exploited, Wattie Buchan, collapsed during a live performance in Lisbon, Portugal, due to a heart attack. The frontman of the Scottish punk band has reportedly been in the hospital since the show last week, according to The Daily Record. All upcoming tour dates with fellow bands Hatebreed and Napalm Death have been pushed back to May at the earliest. In a recent statement, a spokesperson said that “due to a severe illness Wattie can’t continue with the tour. He will be in hospital for at least a week.” The Exploited last released an album in 2003 and were scheduled to make a stop in Montreal, but the show was cancelled after the group was denied access into the country.

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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Quick Spins

Profile // music

Wake Owl wakes up in paradise Colyn Cameron discusses his new style and sound on his latest album Nathalie Laflamme Production manager

William Fitzsimmons - Lions (Nettwerk Records, 2014) Reflecting his struggles and personal growth since 2011’s Gold in the Shadow, William Fitzsimmons’ fifth studio album, Lions, is a deeply vulnerable and touching effort, with darker thematic elements than his previous releases.

Fitzsimmons’ psychological studies played a huge part in his songwriting. In a recent interview with Daniel Hajek, he admitted that facing depressing thoughts is his only path to a “curative conclusion,” further elaborating that “if you’re willing to acknowledge that really awful deep stuff, that’s how you get to a better place.”

Although his acoustic guitar has been swapped for entirely electronic instrumentation, and his songs boast a therapeutic quality, the results are emotional, yet predictable. We are still faced with 12 unassuming folk ballads.

Lions may not be a career-defining album for Fitzsimmons, but it is beautifully-crafted and melancholic, showcasing the talents of a man who is constantly refining his craft.

Trial Track: “Fortune”

6/10

-Paul Traunero

The Private World of Paradise is the next step for Colyn Cameron, the primary member and singer/songwriter of Wake Owl. This is Wake Owl’s first album, although they released an EP, Wild Country, in January 2013. The EP mostly contained slow, folksy songs, where Cameron played his acoustic guitar.

The Private World of Paradise is completely different. Cameron, working with producer Richard Swift, (member of The Shins and producer of Tennis, Foxygen) and multi-instrumentalist Aiden Briscall, explored a very different, more dynamic sound, creating an upbeat, retro, nostalgic feel to the album.

The 11 songs on the album each bring different, unique vibes, while still fitting together perfectly. “Candy” brings an upbeat, retro pop sound, with a hint of hip hop influences, while “Vacation” has a western, soothing feel. “Oh Baby” has a sultry vibe, while “Madness of Others” is chilling and melancholic. Singles “Candy” and “Letters” have already been released but the full album drops on March 4. “[Working with Swift] was fantastic, he’s really fun to work with. He heard where the songs needed to go,” Cameron said. “We kind of knew we wanted to take the same record.”

The Private World of Paradise still maintains the themes of love, loss, relationships, and the mystery of life that were found in Wild Country, but takes them a step further. “[The Private World of Paradise] is more honest and more direct, [the themes are a] little less buried…its more imaginative and more personal,” explained Cameron.

Cameron found that writing The Private Side of Paradise held different challenges than writing Wild Country had.

“The EP was written almost in one summer, one or two months all of the songs. I was not writing them to put out a record, I was just writing,” he said. “There were different hurdles to get over to make that next step in terms of expectations.”

Cameron knew that he would be performing The Private World of Paradise on tour, and therefore he had to work to write songs that would stay as fresh as possible being played night after night, adding even more pressure.

“We’ve been performing bits and pieces of the album for almost seven months, trying it out live,” he added.

The name of the album came to Cameron as he was illustrating the album.

“I think it was something that came to me after lots of art I was drawing around it, it had this weird mysteriousness that had the same ring to it that a lot of the music had,” he divulged.

Cameron first began making music 10 years ago as a teenager in southern California, where he was born and raised. At first, Cameron wrote and performed hip hop and rap, before discovering the acoustic guitar.

This led to a complete change in his music.

“I was trying all sorts of things, writing songs on the guitar was coming the most naturally, so I dedicated myself to that.”

Cameron said that he would like to possibly collaborate with hip hop artists in the future, and maybe writing for them, but that

he does not think he will rap again.

After graduating from high school, he studied organic agriculture at Emerson College in England. He worked on different farms throughout the U.K., Germany, Chile and Canada. After returning home to Vancouver, Cameron played with a few bands and experimented with music. He then decided to record the songs he had written after his travels. This led to the creation of his first EP, Wild Country.

The EP was successful, and has led to Wake Owl being nominated for this year’s Juno Awards in the breakthrough artist of the year category. Cameron said that he was surprised when he heard the news. He explained that he had not been thinking of awards at all when writing Wild Country, and that it was an honour to be nominated.

Wake Owl kicked off their Canadian tour when they performed on Feb. 15 at the Winterruption Festival in Vancouver, and will be heading out to 13 other performances across Canada. Wake Owl will then perform across the U.S. in April and May. Wake Owl will perform in Montreal at Le Divan Orange on March 1.

Black Atlass- Young Bloods (Fool’s Gold; 2014) Black Atlass’s new EP Young Bloods is far from a masterpiece. After listening to each song multiple times all that comes to mind is lazy production. Each song tries its best to sound suave and invoke a new age alternative electronic music style, but it is simply too overdone. The addition of analog white noise to reenact an old school record player feels tired and has been done by so many artists already. Arguably, the album lacks originality and does not attempt to think outside of the box. It is an extremely safe EP with respect to originality and creativity. Considering he hails from Montreal, and that the deep house scene is quite large, some might find it nice background music for a house party, but other than that it has very little creative insight. If you are looking for some original work, honestly, look elsewhere.

Trial Track: “Jewels”

4/10

-Jonathan Cohen

Wake Owl follow up their award nominated album Wild Country with The Private World Of Paradise out March 4.

sports

Tuesday, FEBRUARY 25, 2014

Chris Cordella Staff writer

Profile // sports

Donovan returns to where it all began The former linebacker brings eight years of coaching experience to Stingers Tim Lazier Assistant Sports editor

It’s the start of a new era. On Tuesday, Feb. 11, Concordia’s Department of Recreation and Athletics held a press conference and appointed Mickey Donovan as the new head coach of the Stingers football team.

“This place is home. And to come back and give back to our team, our school, it means a lot,” said Donovan.

Donovan, 33, is a former all-Canadian linebacker who dominated the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) for the Stingers from 20022004, after which, he played for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the Canadian Football League.

Unfortunately in his first year, 2005, he blew out his knee and had to step away from the game as a player. When the Tiger-Cats decided to keep Donovan on the roster, that’s when he turned to coaching. Donovan thought if he was going to be a part of a team, he was going to help out any way that he could.

“I decided to wake up every morning and be at the office at 6 a.m. and go in and help out in any way possible,” said Donovan. “Whatever it was, I was helping out.”

Since then, it has been a long road back to Concordia for the new Stingers coach. Donovan got his first real taste of coaching when he interned as a coach for the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in 2006. It was there that he fell in love with the idea of coaching and really learnt the ins-and-outs of a program. A part of

that coaching staff was current Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly. It was an eye-opening experience for Donovan as he learnt what it meant to lead a team from the sidelines.

For the next four years, from 2007-2011, Donovan coached at the University of Western Ontario. It was his first full-time job, working as a special teams and defensive coach.

“You learn that it’s a tight ship and the head guy is the man,” said Donovan. “You got to see how [the coaches] worked and what it meant to them. Those are the things I took away from UNH and Western.”

During his stints at UNH and Western, Donovan appreciated what it meant for a team to become a family — a philosophy that defines him as a coach and something that he wants to bring to Concordia.

Donovan wants to create a family atmosphere when players walk into the locker room, gym or practice field. He wants for them to feel as if they are coming home to a family.

“I want these kids to know that we are all here together as a football team, but more than that, as an athletic department and a university,” said Donovan. “That’s what Concordia is all about.”

Being a New Hampshire native, Donovan found a home when he first came to Concordia as a player. As he comes back to the place where his football career first took off, it’s not surprising that Donovan’s number one goal is to make this team a family. Donovan’s goal extends beyond the constraints of a football field.

He wants to make the student-athletes realize that, when they pull on that maroon and gold

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Sports in the News

Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com

//

jersey, it means that they are representing Concordia as a whole, as a family.

“My biggest thing is that I want them to believe and trust in their teammates and coaches,” said Donovan.

The qualities that Donovan will look for in a player is discipline, commitment and passion.

There are characteristics he hopes his players will use as tools to excel long after their playing days are over.

“Being together and by exceeding in life, that is going to make us win,” said Donovan.

“We don’t just win on the football field. We win at graduation day, we win in the classrooms too.”

Donovan takes over from former head coach Gerry McGrath, who was the head coach for the past 14 years and coached Donovan during his playing days. As soon as Donovan heard that McGrath was stepping down, he knew that this was his chance to return to Concordia.

“I wanted to come for this job, this was something that I always talked about and always wanted and it’s something special to me,” said Donovan. “I felt that it would be pretty special to come take over from my coach, my mentor.”

Having been the defensive coordinator and assistant coach for the McGill Redmen since 2011, this will be Donovan’s first job as a head coach. Although it is a much bigger role than Donovan has ever had, he is excited and proud to call himself a Stinger once again.

“For me, it can’t get any better. I feel like I’ve scored the game winning touchdown in the Grey Cup.”

>> Canada wins

gold medal in men’s hockey With timely goals and defensive domination, Team Canada captured gold once again on Sunday vs. Sweden, after winning four years ago in Vancouver as well. Canada only allowed three goals throughout the entire tournament. Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price was named top goaltender of the Olympics. The Canadian media was critical of the Canadian forwards for not producing as much offensively, but when they were needed the most, three different goal scorers contributed to the gold medal win.

Jonathan Toews scored the game’s opening goal with a one-timer past Swedish goalie Henrik Lundqvist. The second goal came from captain Sidney Crosby, who stormed down the ice to score on a breakaway with a deadly backhand. Chris Kunitz gave Canada an insurance goal late in the third period that sealed the deal. This was Canada’s third gold medal in men’s hockey since the NHL was allowed to play in 1998.

>> Finland captures bronze medal

In the bronze medal game on Saturday morning between Finland and the United States, no one could have predicted the game would turn out the way it did. After a 13-second span of two goals by the Fins, the game was practically over. Finland’s Olympic all-time points leader, Teemu Selanne, kicked off the scoring with a wicked backhander. Finland scored another three goals in the third period and the game ended 5-0.

The American team simply seemed deflated after its heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Canada in the semifinals. This bronze medal is Finland’s fourth medal since 1998 which is the most out of any country.

>> Medal count Canada has a lot to be proud of after these Winter Olympics as they finished third in the gold medal standings with 10 and an overall medal count of 25: 10 gold, 10 silver and five bronze; just one shy of their 26 medals from four years ago.

>> Going out in style

Stingers’ athletic Director Patirck Boivin (left) introduces Mickey Donovan (right) at a press conference on Feb. 11 Photo by Nathalie Laflamme

Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse were selected to be the Canadian flag bearers for the closing ceremonies in Sochi. The two athletes are part of the two-women bobsleigh team and won one of Canada’s 10 gold medals in Sochi. They defended their title after taking home the gold in Vancouver four years ago.

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// Tuesday, FEBRUARY 25, 2014

Men’s hockey // sports

Despite a strong play Stingers fall to McGill Redmen A 63-second meltdown leads to loss in playoff opener against old cross-town rivals it was probably one of their strongest games since Christmas.

However, it wasn’t enough. Despite outshooting the Redmen 31-30 and goaltender Antonio Mastropietro making some spectact was game one of the best-of-three ular saves, the Stingers gave up three goals playoff series for the Concordia Stingto a Redmen team that pounced on every ers men’s hockey team, its first playoff single error that they made, despite not appearance in three years. Their opponents making many.

The Stingers were missing three key players in forwards Jessyco Bernard and Taylor Lambke, and defenceman Sean Blunden. According to coach Figsby, this trio could have easily made a difference in the game.

“With them in the lineup, it’s a different outcome tonight,” he said. “To play without these three guys going into the playoffs, I knew it was going to be difficult.”

The Stingers started the game strong and applied some good pressure in the first, but were not rewarded. In the second, the Redmen finally got the first goal of the game, with rightThe Stingers inconsistent play leads to loss in game one of the playoffs against McGill. Photo by Brianna Thicke winger David Rose scor-

Daniele Iannarone Staff writer

I

were their cross-town rivals, the McGill Redmen.

These two teams put on quite a show for the 279 fans that showed up to McConnell Arena, a 3-1 victory for the Redmen on Wednesday night.

Both teams had a strong offensive showing, despite a low-scoring game. For the Stingers, as head coach Kevin Figsby put it,

ing 6:04 into the second period. However, that lead didn’t last long as the Stingers’ centre Olivier Hinse countered just 40 seconds later with a power-play goal.

The Redmen then put this game out of reach for the Stingers in a 63-second span late in the second period, as Rose scored his second goal of the game at 16:40 of the middle frame, and centre Marc-Olivier Vachon scored only 63 seconds later. Despite a furious comeback attempt in the third, all the Stingers could muster was a post and a 3-1 defeat, an outcome that misrepresents the team’s performance and their compete level on this night.

Figsby was happy about his team’s performance but believes there was room for improvement.

“I thought for 45 minutes of tonight’s game, we executed the game plan perfectly, we had a let-down for a minute and three seconds and it cost us two goals tonight,” he said. “I thought there were a couple of guys that let down in the game plan, they didn’t carry out their assignments and the reason is, when you play a team like this, they capitalize when you make mistakes, and all three goals they scored tonight were unforced errors.”

The Stingers entered the post-season having won their last two games before their final home game was delayed due to bad ice conditions They finished the regular season with a 10-13-4 record, good for 24 points, fifth in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA)’s east division.

Men’s hockey // sports

Tough loss in the final game for Stingers’ captain Concordia’s season is done after going 2-0 in the playoffs versus rivals McGill Redmen Samantha Mileto Sports editor

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team saw their season come to an end on Friday night, as they lost their second game of the best-of-three playoff series 8-4 against their cross-city rivals, the McGill Redmen at Ed Meagher arena.

After falling to the Redmen 3-1 on Wednesday night, the Stingers needed to win this game to stay alive in the playoffs.

The first period was a high-scoring affair.

The Redmen were on the board first at 9:06 of the first period, as centre Guillaume LangelierParent trickled a shot past the Stingers’ goaltender, Antonio Mastropietro. Seconds later, Redmen left winger, Patrick Delisle-Houde, knocked over Mastropietro after saving a weak shot. This started a small melee in front of Concordia’s goal before Delisle-Houde was sent to the box for roughing.

The Stingers capitalized on the power play, as defenceman Gabriel Bourret sniped one past McGill goalie, Jacob Gervais-Chouinard, 1:17 into the power play.

With defenceman Adam Nugent-Hopkins in the penalty box with four minutes left in the first period, the Stingers took their first and only lead of the game shorthanded, as left winger Dany Potvin and centre Olivier Hinse erupted on a two-on-one before Hinse potted in the goal for the 2-1 lead.

The lead lasted a mere 30 seconds. Still on the power play, McGill left winger Neal Prokop tied the game at two.

After making a good stop on right-winger

Alexandre Comtois, Mastropietro couldn’t with four minutes left to make it 8-4, putting appointing that our season is over, but I will hold onto the puck and Comtois buried it on the nail in the coffin on the Stingers’ season. tell you, I thought our kids competed hard the rebound to make it 3-2 Redmen with just The end of the game was an emotional and represented our university well all season over 1:30 left in the first period. one for Lovatsis who, after five years with the long.”

McGill made it 4-2 with 37 seconds left, Stingers hockey program, will be graduating Playing a very strong McGill team wasn’t when Mastropietro lost sight of the puck and from Concordia. His head coach had nothing going to be an easy task for the Stingers eicentre Cedric McNicoll scored his first of three but good things to say about his captain, de- ther. goals of the night on the power play. spite the disappointing loss.

“We’re one of the youngest teams in the Concordia jumped out of the gate quickly “Tonight was a night for George Lovatsis. CIS and they have to draw a top-10 team in the to start the second period. After centre Kyle He’s a fifth-year guy and he’s been a team first round of the playoffs,” said Figsby. “We Armstrong made it 4-3 1:06 into the middle leader and I can’t tell you how proud I am of knew it was going to be an uphill battle right frame, Gervais-Chouinard gave up a rebound George tonight,” said Kevin Figsby. “It’s dis- from the get-go. off of a Potvin shot, so captain George Lovatsis, playing in his final game as a Stinger, picked the puck up and potted his team’s fourth goal to tie the game.

Once again, the momentum didn’t stay on the Stingers side for long, as Prokop scored his second of the game to put McGill back on top 26 seconds later. Left-winger Carl Gelinas would add one more half-way through the second period to make it 6-4 McGill.

Two minutes into the third period, McNicoll scored his second of the game from an impossible angle, just high of Mastropietro’s shoulder to give the Redmen a three-goal lead.

McNicoll then snipped Concordia was able to comeback from two two-goal defecits, but fall to Redmen. Photo by Brianna Thicke his third goal of the game

Tuesday, FEBRUARY 25, 2014

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Women’s hockey // sports

Falling to the mighty in second leg of postseason After losing 3-1 to McGill on Friday, the Stingers fall 10-2 on Sunday and get eliminated from playoffs Andrew Davis Staff writer

The Stingers continued to fight into the third period, but the Martlets scored three more goals within 30 seconds of one another, midway through the period. The Stingers scored soon after to make the score 10-2, with Sherrard skating behind the net and passing out front to a wide open Danielle Scarlett.

Head coach Les Lawton felt that the Stingers played very well against the McGill powerhouse, but perfection would have been needed to beat them.

“When you look back, we really lost our opportunity on Friday night [in a 3-1 loss].

[…] We are such a young team, we have to learn from our mistakes, and we have to learn to bounce back from our mistakes.

That can be hard for a young team.”

Lawton also said that although this is a disappointing end to the year, there are encouraging signs for next season.

“We are really excited about our future, as we’ve got 12 first-year players that really brought some good work ethic and passion to our team. We’re very excited for the years ahead,” he said.

It was an emotional end to the game as the four veterans playing their final game

in a Stingers uniform were surrounded and congratulated by their teammates. Five-year veteran Mary-Jane Roper leaves the team with nothing but happy memories of her time as a Stinger.

“Not many girls across Canada make it five years and graduate. A lot of people quit on the way through, and the only thing that helps you get through that is the support system,” she said. “Being a Stinger is about being part of the big family, and Les [Lawton] is great for that. He’s always there if you need something, especially in your first few years.”

It was not a storybook ending to the careers of defencemen Gabrielle Meilleur, and Mary-Jane Roper and forwards Erin Lally and Jaymee Shell. The Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team were beaten by the McGill Martlets 10-2 on Sunday, Feb. 23 at Ed Meagher Arena. The loss completed McGill’s sweep of the Stingers in the best-of-three series in the first round of the playoffs.

The Stingers and Martlets began the first period by trading possession, with a few scoring chances developing for either team. The Stingers broke the deadlock at the 14:15 mark of the period, as forward Alyssa Sherrard snuck behind the defencemen and scored on a breakaway.

McGill kept pressing for the remainder of the first period, and eventually tied the game up on the power play with less than a minute to play. Martlets defenceman, Brittany Fouracres, redirected Katia Clément-Heydra’s point shot, which fooled Stingers goaltender, Carolanne LavoiePilon.

The Martlets scored 30 seconds into the second period on a wraparound by Clément-Heydra. Although the Stingers never let up, McGill scored another goal two minutes later, as forward Gabrielle Davidson backhanded a perfect shot over LavoiePilon’s shoulder to make it 3-1. The Martlets scored four more goals before the end of Redmen dominate Stingers in game two of the best-of-three series at Ed Meagher arena on Sunday afternoon.. Photo by Brianna Thicke the period.

Women’s basketball // sports

The Stingers end their regular season with a win Barrett helps Concordia survive fourth quarter comeback by McGill.

Casey Dulson Staff writer

T

he Stingers hosted the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RESQ) division leaders, the McGill Martlets, on Saturday to close out their 20132014 season. The Stingers were coming into the game having beaten the Martlets twice, handing McGill their only losses of the season. Saturday was no different as Stingers beat the Martlets 61-54.

The Stingers dominated the turnover game which proved to be a difference-maker. The Martlets committed 26 turnovers, which led to 26 points scored by the Stingers. Another strong factor in Concordia’s game was their free throw attempts. The Stingers made the Martlets pay for their fouls, hitting 19 out of 22 shots from the line.

The Martlets would grab the first points of the game with a basket by guard Carolann Cloutier. The Stingers would respond a couple of seconds later with a basket by forward Marilyse Roy-Viau.

It was a competitive first quarter, but the Martlets would take the early lead on a three-pointer by forward Helene Bibeau.

Concordia centre, Tina Mpondani, would make it a two-point shot heading into the second as the Stingers trailed the Martlets 16-14.

The Stingers would strike first in the second quarter with a bang, taking the lead with a three-pointer by point guard Ashley Clarke. The Martlets however would respond in a big way, going on a 9-0 run to lead 25-17. The Stingers refused to be outdone as they stormed back late in the quarter, as Concordia guard, Kaylah Barrett, scored four free throws to tie the game 27-27 heading into halftime.

Barrett, a two-time RESQ MVP and twotime all-Canadian, went down in the fourth quarter with a high ankle sprain. According to Stingers head coach Keith Pruden, Barrett won’t be able to practice this week.

As the game continued to be an up-

and-down battle, the Stingers would grab the lead with two three pointers by guards Alex Boudreau and Clarke. The Martlets would end the quarter with a three-pointer by point guard Dianna Ross, which cut the Stingers lead to three. The third quarter ended 43-40 for the Stingers, setting up an exciting finish.

A turning point came early in the fourth quarter when the Stingers stated the fourth with a 7-0 run. The Martlets would only score at the seven-minute mark of the quarter on a basket by forward, Jennifer Silver, which would start a 6-0 run by the Martlets. McGill would tie the game 52-52 with a minute left, but Barrett would get four points late in the quarter to preserve the victory for Concordia.

The Stingers ended the season with a record of 11-5, which put them in second place in RESQ. Concordia is now off to Quebec City to play in the RESQ playoffs. They will be playing the ‘‘Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) Citadins on Friday night. Concordia hasn’t had that much success against UQAM as they posted a 1-3 record against them in the regular season.

Photo by Brianna Thicke

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Tuesday, FEBRUARY 25, 2014

Men’s basketball // sports

Weak fourth quarter leads to loss vs. McGill The Stingers held a lead after the end of each of the first three quarters, but couldn’t get the W. Casey Dulson Staff writer

The Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team played their season ending game on Saturday afternoon against the McGill Redmen. On this day, it looked like it was going to be a Stingers victory, once again, but a couple turnovers and missed shots in the fourth quarter allowed for McGill to come back and get the 63-56 win.

Both teams missed many shots to start the game. However at the 7:07 of the first quarter, the Redmen scored first on a basket by guard Simon Bibeau. A couple of seconds later, the Stingers got their first basket by point guard

Adam Chmielewski. Later in the quarter Redmen’s, guard, Vincent Dufort, and Stingers guard, Jean Andre-Moussignac, each got two field goals in the quarter.

The Stingers would end the quarter scoring 11 straight points to take a 21-14 lead after the first quarter.

The Redmen scored the first basket of the second quarter by guard Dele Ogundokun.

The Stingers would score on a basket by centre Zach Brisebois. The Stingers would then add three three pointers to their lead, scored by guards Inti Salinas and Jonathan Mirambeau and forward Mukiya Post.

The Redmen ended the quarter on a 7-0 run which included a three pointer by forward Nathan Joyal. The Stingers led 32-27 going into half time.

The Redmen started the second half with a 5-0 run, led by a three pointer by Ogundokun.

The Stingers got their first basket at the 6:05 mark of the quarter scored by forward Zander Jean. The Redmen responded with two straight baskets by forward François Bourque to make only a one point lead for the Stingers.

The Stingers extended their lead late in the quarter with two straight baskets by forward Mike Fosu. Redmen’s guard, Regis Ivaniukas, then hit a three pointer. The Stingers responded with another three-point shot by Salinas. Stingers took a 47-39 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Redmen, like the other previous three quarters, would score first on a two-pointer by guard Jenning Leung. The Stingers got their first basket by Garner to give the Stingers a 49-42 lead. By 5:52 of the fourth quarter, the Redmen tied the game at 53 with a basket by Leung and then broke the tie with a basket by forward Rodrigo Imperador.

The Stingers would tie it up again with

two free throws by Chmielewski. trol what we are able to do, like limit the turnWith 54 seconds left, the Stingers were overs,” Dore said about the game. down two after a basket by Moussigniac. But Concordia bid farewell to centre Zach a perfect 4-4 record on the free throw line by Brisebois, guard Jean Andre Moussigniac and Joyal would seal the deal for the Redmen. The forward Taylor Garner who are all graduating Stingers were outplayed in the fourth quar- this year. ter as the Redmen scored 24 points while Concordia only had nine points.

“A couple of dumb plays on our part that caused us the game,” said head coach John Dore. “[But] there [has been] a lot of personal development and growth in the group from the season.”

The Stingers end the season with a record of 8-8 and finish in third place in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RESQ).

They now head to Quebec City for the RESQ playoffs, where they will be playing the Bishop Gaiters on Saturday afternoon. The Stingers were 0-4 against them this season.

“We have to Stingers end regular season with a loss. Photos by Brianna Thicke play smart and con-

Upcoming Stingers Games

Samantha Mileto Sports editor

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

Women’s Basketball Friday, Feb. 28: 6 p.m. RSEQ semifinal vs. UQAM hosted

by Université de Laval Men’s Basketball Saturday, March 1: 1 p.m. RSEQ semifinal vs. Bishop’s hosted by Université de Laval Men’s indoor soccer Sunday, March 2: 1 p.m. vs. Impact Academy at Loyola Women’s indoor soccer Sunday, March 3: 3 p.m. vs. Montréal at Loyola

opinions

Tuesday, february 11, 2014

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Write to the editor: opinions@theconcordian.com

Editorial // opinons

Why you should want to work for a student newspaper The university newspapers’ hiring season is nearly upon us, have you thought about applying?

In this digital age, as we are so often reminded, we communicate less and less verbally. It has become common for people to communicate in written form, be it through text message, email or instant messaging.

However, this is not only a social phenomenon but a business one as well.

When applying for a job, in most cases, the employer’s first impression of you is through your cover letter and résumé. How you communicate in writing is integral to obtaining the next step in the hiring process.

Furthermore, many business communiqués take place through email or other written correspondence.

In sum, writing is an essential part of both our social lives and our business lives and if we want to excel in either area, it’s important to excel at writing. And there’s no better way to improve written communication than through journalism.

Print, (and online), journalism strives to disseminate information to readers. This information can be local, national or international news; theatre, book, restaurant, food or music review; fashion, culture or human-interest narrative, opinion, game reporting and much more. In essence, no matter the subject, print journalists inform through writing.

In order to be successful at this job, journalists must write clearly and concisely: skills which are also required when writing in a social or business milieu.

The Concordian and The Link are currently looking to hire for the 2014-2015 publishing year. All positions in both papers are open.

Whether or not you are a journalism student, working with one of the university’s newspapers is an excellent opportunity to sharpen your writing skills for real life applications.

Not only do writers get practice with

written communication but they learn how to gather information through interviews and research and then disseminate that information through structured writing.

Editors have the opportunity to gain leadership and management skills as they are responsible for providing writers with guidance and managing the articles and media in their sections. Additionally, communication with writers is usually done through email and is therefore an excellent opportunity for individuals to practice relaying instructions in written form.

As a writer or editor at a newspaper, whether you are communicating with staff members or writing an article, it is essential to take the tone of one’s writing into account. Very often in social communication we forget that the words we choose and the way we phrase our words convey a tone of voice. If we’re not careful our words can convey the wrong impression to the reader. This is another skill that writers

and editors will get to exercise.

It may be redundant to say, but university is all about learning. Outside of the classroom, the university environment provides many opportunities for learning and practicing skills and the student newspapers are one such setting.

Whether or not you have any interest in pursuing a job as a writing professional you can only benefit from writing for a student newspaper. In any discipline, having “writer” as a credit on your résumé is an asset that comes with a skill set that will last you the rest of your life.

Whatever your area of interest, whatever your level of experience, consider applying to write or edit for The Concordian or The Link. You won’t regret it.

For more information on how to get involved or apply at The Concordian contact editor@theconcordian and see our hiring ad in this issue and online theconcordian. com/2014/02/the-concordian-is-hiring-4.

Popular culture // opinions

Weird baby names: into the North West territory It might be hip, it might be cool but parents doom their children with unconventional names Lindsay Richardson Interim opinions editor

In recognition of Canadian singer Lights’ firstborn child being introduced via social media with the obscure (and unjustifiable) name Rocket Wild Bokan, I’ve decided to give my future son or daughter the name Whipna Choba Dog. I mean, why the hell not? It means “that’s cool” in Simlish. Besides, I’m just so avant garde and desperately want to join the ranks of countless other people who don’t realize how stupid their “modern” kids’ names sound.

There is no real collection of words to encompass how I feel about this subject. And apparently, there is no collection of words too obscure to mark down in permanent ink on a birth certificate.

This so called “trend” seems to have expanded gradually over the decades. The simple, concise names of the 1950s, like “Robert” and “Jane” were more or less obliterated when musician Frank Zappa introduced his unconventionally named children: Dweezil, Ahmet, Moon Unit, and Diva Thin Muffin... I know.

Unconventional is really just a euphemism for idiotic — a diplomatic way of passing a very obvious judgement on a parents’ choice.

Zappa made way for the millennials, the contemporary group of offspring

whose names and phone numbers, in some cases, very well resemble each other. Off they traipse to school: Gwen Stefani’s son Zuma Nesta Rock, Penn Jillette’s daughter Moxie Crimefighter, Pharrell’s pride and joy, Rocket Man, and Nicolas Cage’s son Kal-El. As they come and go, parents of decades past scratch their heads and collectively sigh in resignation.

This is a generation of parents whose moronic actions influenced government officials in Sonora, Mexico, to make it illegal to call your child “Facebook” or “Panties.”

But why on God’s green Earth would you even attempt to give your kid a name like

that?

I’ll tell you why: naming your child something unintelligible is an act of narcissism.

When a child is born, they’re too small and underdeveloped to express any future interests or definitive personality traits.

Parents can’t feasibly pick a name for their baby based on what it likes or who it’s going to become. It is a decision fully rooted in the parents’ interests, or the parents’ need to differentiate themselves from other people. By proxy, the children are affected.

It almost seems that a parents’ intellect and cultural savvy is somehow supposed

to be represented in the name they choose for their child. Or they feel this undeniable need to be contrary to social norms and traditions.

The unfortunate fact is, when you name your child, you are inherently giving them a standard to live up to. A nonconforming name should, by default, breed a nonconformist, right? Wrong.

How limiting is it to be raised and ridiculed in the shadow of your own name?

In all honesty, would you expect someone like Bob Geldof’s daughter, Little Pixie, to grow up and be anything other than a tattooed socialite and angsty party girl? I’m sorry, but that doesn’t strike me as a name that would get anywhere near vocational training or medical school applications.

I would honestly love to see a behavioural study done on children with bizarre monikers. Really, are they raised with an inherent sense of entitlement because they feel that they’re completely unlike everyone else? Or are they overshadowed, and saddened by the fact that no one can accurately pronounce or spell “Espn” or “Shoog?”

In the end, many modern families will argue that if their child is nourished and well loved, what does his or her name really matter?

Indeed, I’m sure that little Toilet Seat Fender Cactus will live a very happy life. He definitely will grow up to pursue a successful career as an investment banker.

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Tuesday, february 11, 2014

theconcordian

Column// opinions

Confessions of a 20-something

On social expectations and why one student is really, totally OK with being single Jaimie Roussos Contributor

It happened again today. I ran into a friend I hadn’t seen in a while, and the first thing they asked me was, of course, if there were any new guys in my life.

“Well, no,” I start. But before I have a chance to mention how I’m doing well in school, planning an exciting trip or working a new job, I have already received the “Oh, that’s too bad. Someone will come around soon enough, you’ll see,” response.

This is becoming a common occurrence: the “good things come to those who wait” spiel, as if this bit of unsolicited advice will cure me from the hopelessness I am supposedly feeling from being stuck in singledom.

Well, that is not the case. I am perfectly happy being single. In fact, at this point in time, I think I would rather be single. I’m trying to understand why other people look at it like it’s a problem. They seem to look at “singleness” as if there is something missing — if you are single, you are incomplete.

A relationship is the journey, and singleness is perceived as just a minor setback. It’s seen as the temporary stage until you reach the ultimate goal of finding someone to be with, which is followed by an all around better, happier, more fulfilling state — or something like that.

That is not how I see it. I have always been a girl’s girl. It has always been important to me to have friends I can rely on and people who I know will be there for the long haul. How does that Kelly Clarkson lyric go?

“Doesn’t mean I’m lonely when I’m alone?”

She’s exactly right.

I’m 20 years old, and I have the opportunity to focus on myself. I have the rest of my life to spend it with someone else. I definitely understand the joy and value that comes from relationships, and I’m happy for anyone who experiences that. What I’m saying is that I don’t define myself by my relationship status. I know of girls (and guys as well) that hop from relationship to fling and back again because they feel their worst and their loneliest when they are single. Singleness has taught me to base my

self-worth on myself, rather than in another person.

Valentine’s Day just passed; the day us single girls are supposed to loathe, while we wallow in self-pity with a pint of HäagenDazs.

Does being single mean I automatically have to despise Valentine’s Day and roll my eyes at every bouquet and box of chocolates on my Instagram feed? Because honestly, I don’t. No hashtagging “forever alone” over here.

I don’t look at relationships with bitterness or jealousy; I look at them as some-

thing I don’t feel I need right now. So, no, I don’t want your pity, I don’t want your pep talks, and I definitely don’t want your setups and blind dates. I’m fine. Not the “I’m not actually fine I’m crying inside” fine, but seriously fine.

It’s not like I plan on being single forever, but I like to take things one day at a time. I think singleness has taught me a lot, and I’m still learning from it. Sure, maybe ignorance is bliss, and maybe I don’t know what I’m missing. But what I do know is in this moment, I’m perfectly happy with the way things are.

Film// opinions

And the award for “most boring” goes to...

Why industry figures should teach this old Oscar dog some new tricks Alex Dimeglio Staff writer

As the highest honour achievable in the entertainment industry, it’s safe to say that almost every filmmaker strives to one day bring home an Academy Award. However, despite being the most prestigious title any film can receive, I feel as if the Oscars are slowly losing their appeal and are slipping from their place as the most coveted award for those working in film.

You may be asking yourselves: why are the televised ceremonies earning more snores than standing ovations?

For one, the LA Times estimated that the current median age for Academy Award voters is 63. That’s right folks, groups of old geezers are responsible for determining which film is deserving of the “best movie of the year” title. This is likely the reason why so many of our favourite flicks, actors and directors are snubbed in favour of films that fit the Academy’s interests more so than the spectators’.

There are many past examples of actors or directors who may not have made or starred in their absolute best film, but sweep up the statues because they are well liked

and known to the Academy. Ladies and gentlemen, that’s one of the problems.

A good portion of these voters are likely too mature to recognize new trends and innovative ideas in cinema. This median age is partially what limits the chances of your favourite film even having a remote chance at the prize. The longer this keeps up, the faster the Oscars risk losing all of their younger viewers in favour of some wrinkled, weary channel surfers.

I’m not saying that this year’s nominees are bad, this is actually the first in many years where we have a three way lead when it comes to which movie will be claiming the night’s top prize.

What I am trying to say is that the Acad-

emy should be doing more to reach out to the younger crowd.

An entertaining, risk-taking host is always a great place to start. Enough of this playing it safe business. Ahem, Billy Crystal circa 2012.

Every single time a host ends up playing it safe, they get media-trashed the very next day. Nobody, certainly no host, ever accomplished anything memorable by simply playing it safe. Besides, I say that if you can’t take take a joke, why are you in show business in the first place? In order to survive, you need perseverance and thick skin.

Here’s another obvious change: make all the Academy voters retire so we can get some younger, fresher faces on the panel. Changes like that will help directors like Christopher

Nolan finally get the recognition they deserve as well as finally giving Leonardo DiCaprio a fighting chance at the Oscar that he deserves more than anyone else right now.

Honestly, when has this guy not demonstrated flawless acting? Exactly. A younger panel would breathe a new life into the Academy Awards.

I am so tired of the same types of movies getting nominated year after year. Don’t get me wrong, some of these films are great, but a few unconventional choices supported by some younger voters could really make the Oscars unpredictable. Think about it: don’t you find that you have the most fun watching something where you just cannot predict what happens next?

Photo by RCP from Flickr

Timothy Weynerowski is currently one of the co-news editors for The Concordian. He is also, by The Concordian’s own admission, a plagiarist. Those two facts might sound strange side-by-side, but unfortunately it’s the truth.

Despite the fact that plagiarism is an incredibly serious offence for students and journalists alike, at The Concordian it seems to be no big deal.

It’s no secret that Canada and the U.S. are rivals in areas like politics, the economy, and of course, hockey. After losing the gold medal qualifying match to Team Canada this week, bitter Americans took to Twitter and trended the hashtag #fuckcanada. Canadians were not short on entertaining (yet relatively polite) responses. We love us some social media battles, eh? @ErichHeckel so, #FuckCanada is trending on Twitter you say? That hurts my feelings. I should probably go to the doctor and get that checked, for free. @vam_i_am “@breee_breeY: #FuckCanada fuck those moose eaters” At least we eating, cause clearly America is choking @checkraiseNS In order to #FuckCanada Americans would need to be able to #FindCanada and you know that ain’t happening. @ArinJeanson #FuckCanada is trending and I don’t blame everyone like who wouldn’t wanna fuck Canada we are some sexy ass people

For anyone who may not have seen it, last month The Concordian was forced to issue two corrections relating to an article that Weynerowski wrote for them in which he lifted several passages from an earlier article written by former Concordian news editor Kalina Laframboise. First they acknowledged ‘unintentional similarities’ between the two articles in question, and then when pressed they clarified that Weynerowski had, in fact, committed plagiarism.

Despite this admission, Weynerowski is still employed at The Concordian as an editor. He is still being paid, he is still writing for them, and he is still overseeing and editing the work of other writers. These benefits and duties might seem like the sort of things that would be better handled by someone who hasn’t been caught stealing from other journalists, but nonetheless he is doing them, and being paid to do them at that.

I have a great deal of respect for the students who have been working hard to publish The Concordian this year, and for the students who came before them and published this paper week after week without fail. Timothy Weynerowski’s refusal to apologize, and The Concordian’s refusal to suspend him, is a slap in the face to every honest, hard-working student who took the time and effort to write for them the right way, without plagiarizing the work of others.

All the work that went into the news section leading up to this year, and the work of talented writers who have written this year as well, is now overshadowed by the fact that the section is being edited and written for by a plagiarist. If The Concordian has any integrity, it will suspend him, if not outright fire him, for his blatant and unapologetic theft.

Seeing as that is unlikely to happen, however, all I can do is suggest that any students writing for The Concordian keep a close eye on future articles, just in case they should see their own work under someone else’s byline.

- Matthew Guite, Concordia Student

This letter refers to an article by Tim Weyrenowski written on Jan. 7, 2014 and an earlier article by Canadian University Press Quebec bureau chief Kalina LaFramboise written on Dec. 20, 2013. To see a side-by-side comparison of LaFramboise’s earlier article and later sections of Weyrenowki’s article, see the Jan. 21 issue of The Concordian. To see our statement of Jan. 23, which was accepted by CUP, go to theconcordian.com/2014/01/pleasenote/.

From our Kitchen

@hollyryan1007 Really America? #FuckCanada is trending? I mean were flattered but you’re not really our type. We prefer winners @pascale_tingz #fuckcanada should be changed to #fuckyeahcanada ,that’s how us canadians make the best of everything,like how we turned your gold to silver @EwwCman Lets see if i can use this like the americans, #fuckcanada played a good game @AliMcDougall1 Americans are trending #FuckCanada...should we wear our multiple gold medals while you fuck us or is that too distracting? #GOLD

Amanda L. Shore Editor-in-Chief editor@theconcordian.com Nathalie Laflamme Production manager production@theconcordian.com Sloane Montgomery News editor news@theconcordian.com Sabrina Giancioppi Life editor life@theconcordian.com Roa Abdel-Gawad Arts editor arts@theconcordian.com Jessica Romera Music editor music@theconcordian.com Samantha Mileto Sports editor sports@theconcordian.com Lindsay Richardson Interim Opinions editor opinions@theconcordian.com Keith Race Photo editor photo@theconcordian.com Natasha Taggart Online editor online@theconcordian.com Jennifer Kwan Graphics editor graphics@theconcordian.com Elizabeth Tomaras Christina Rowan Milos Kovacevic Copy editors copy@theconcordian.com Besher Al Maleh Marilla Steuter-Martin Production assistants Milos Kovacevic Assistant News editor

@JoeNadasdi Whenever I see a #fuckcanada hashtag I just go out on my dogsled with my Timmy’s hot chocolate like @_megdaniels I’m sorry did you say #fuckcanada?

We couldn’t hear you over our gold medals and free health care.

Tuesday, Feb 25, 2014 Vol. 31 Issue 22

Angela De Cicco Assistant Life editor Jocelyn Beaudet Assistant Arts editor

Oscar-worthy stovetop popcorn

Jonathan Cohen Assistant Music editor

Ingredients

Her: Fleur de sel and caramel

Tim Lazier Assistant Sports editor

½ cup popcorn kernels 1 tablespoon olive oil Melted butter (to taste) Salt (to taste)

Philomena: Peanut butter, melted butter, salt, sugar and toasted sesame seeds

1. Pour olive oil into a medium-large pot along with four popcorn kernels. Mix the kernels well in the oil. Bring heat up to medium.

2. Once all four kernels pop, pour the rest of the kernels in, mix well, and take off burner for 30 seconds (This is to ensure that all of the kernels reach the same temperature while the oil doesn’t continue heating).

3. Place pot back on burner after 30 seconds pass, and once continuous popping begins, do not take the pot off of the burner until three seconds pass between pops.

12 Years a Slave: Fine sea salt, dark chocolate American Hustle: Butter, salt, light brown sugar, cayenne pepper Nebraska: Bacon, salt, popcorn, maple syrup and ground black pepper Captain Phillips: Sriracha hot sauce and a squeeze of fresh lime The Wolf of Wall Street: Cocoa powder, cinnamon, espresso powder Dallas Buyers Club: Olive oil, chili powder, grated lime peel, cumin, garlic powder, tortilla chip pieces.

4. Pour melted butter and salt to taste.

Here are some more creative topping ideas, inspired by this year’s nominees:

Gravity: Caramel with chewy candy, like Twizzlers or Swedish Berries, and toasted pecans

Editorial office 7141 Sherbrooke St. Building CC-Rm 431 Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 514-848-2424 ext. 7499 (Editor-in-Chief) Pascale Cardin Business manager business@theconcordian.com Tyson Lowrie Cindy Lopez Ruben Bastien Board of directors directors@theconcordian.com

Contributors Christina Rowan, Angela De Cicco, Belinda Anidjar,Marilla Steuter-Martin, Robin Stanford, Ayan Choudhury, Laura Marchand, Elijah Bukreev,Tomer Shavit, Shereen Ahmed Rafea, Natalia Lara Diaz Berrio, Julian McKenzie, Daniele Iannarone, Tim Lazier, Nathalie Laflamme, Andrew Davis, Casey Dulson, Chris Cordella,Jaime Roussos, Alex Dimeglio, Paul Traunero, Jonathan Cohen

theconcordian

Letters to the editor

Concordia’s weekly, independent student newspaper.

Personal Credits Notice

If you received a Common Experience Payment, you could get $3,000 in Personal Credits for educational programs and services.

The Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement.

The healing continues.

Since 2007, almost 80,000 former students have received a Common Experience Payment (“CEP�) as part of the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. CEP recipients are now eligible to receive non-cash Personal Credits of up to $3,000, for either themselves or certain family members, for educational programs and services.

Personal Credits of multiple CEP recipients can be combined to support a group learning activity.

How can I get Personal Credits? Each CEP recipient will be mailed an Acknowledgement Form. If you do not receive an Acknowledgement Form by the end of January 2014, please call 1-866-343-1858. Completed Acknowledgement Forms should be returned as soon as possible and must be postmarked no later than October 31, 2014.

What are Personal Credits? Personal Credits may be used for a wide range of educational programs and services, including those provided by universities, colleges, trade or training schools, Indigenous Institutions of Higher Learning, How do I redeem my Personal Credits? Once approved, or which relate to literacy or trades, as well as programs and you will be sent a personalized Redemption Form for each services related to Aboriginal identities, histories, cultures individual using Personal Credits at each educational entity or languages. or group. Once the Form is received, CEP recipients have the option of provide it to the educational entity or How much are Personal Credits? sharing their Personal Credits with group listed. The educational entity or Adequate funds are available for each certain family members, such as: group must then complete and mail back CEP recipient to receive up to $3,000 š Children š Spouses in Personal Credits, depending on your the Redemption Form postmarked no š Grandchildren š Siblings approved educational expenses. later than December 1, 2014.

Which educational entities and groups What happens to unused Personal Credits? The value of are included? A list of approved educational entities and unused Personal Credits will be transferred to the National groups has been jointly developed by Canada, the Assembly Indian Brotherhood Trust Fund and Inuvialuit Education of First Nations and Inuit representatives. If an educational Foundation for educational programs. entity or group is not on the list, please consult the website for more information.

For more information, including how Personal Credits can be Will I receive a cheque? No. Cheques will be issued directly redeemed by certain family members of CEP recipients that are deceased, visit www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca or call to the educational entity or group providing the service.

1-866-343-1858.

Who can use Personal Credits? CEP recipients can use the full amount themselves or give part or all of their Personal The IRS Crisis Line (1-866-925-4419) provides immediate Credits to certain family members such as a spouse, child, and culturally appropriate counselling support to former grandchild or sibling, as defined in the terms and conditions. students who are experiencing distress.

s WWW RESIDENTIALSCHOOLSETTLEMENT CA