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VOLUME 35, ISSUE 18 | TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2018
Balancing passion and education
Life p. 9
feature
news
Mathusha Thurairajasingam's makeup tutorials are about more than just beauty A professor who's always learning — A part-time faculty profile
arts
CSU to select task A faculty-wide force members p. 3 collaboration p. 10
music
The tunes of Taverne Tour
sports
p. 13
opinions
p. 16
Reflections of an Don't stop after just one day p. 18 Olympian p. 15
news
NEWS EDITORS /// news@theconcordian.com CANDICE PYE & ETIENNE LAJOIE ( @candicepye @renegadereports)
CURRICULUM
Concordia to launch sports journalism course
Intensive one-month course, funded by 2015 Sportsnet donation, to begin in May ÉTIENNE LAJOIE NEWS EDITOR Concordia journalism department chair David Secko announced the creation of a sports journalism course in an email to students on Jan. 30. The intensive 400-level course will be offered from May 7 to 25 starting this spring, and will comprise of three sections: intensive classes, assignments and virtual classes, and final classes in the last two days. The course and its professor will be paid using money the department received as a donation from Sportsnet in December 2015, said Secko in an interview with The Concordian in September. According to Secko, the department’s goal was to create a sports journalism course “that will help cover sports, but also help students who may not want to cover sports interact and gain new skills.” He added that applications to teach the course will be open to all qualified part-time faculty members. Brian Gabrial, a former journalism professor who was the
department chair when the donation was made, said a committee of faculty members decided how the $650,000 donation would be spent. Most of the funds will go towards scholarships and the creation of the sports journalism course, which Gabrial said many students have suggested over the years. However, Gabrial told The Concordian he would have prefered to use the money to buy more equipment for the department. “I probably would not have spent any money on scholarships, because our students have a lot of scholarships available to them,” he said. The Sportsnet donation followed a request made by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). According to a 2015 post by media blogger Steve Faguy, Sportsnet needed to spend 10 per cent of the price it paid to acquire rival network The Score on donations to programs and initiatives that benefit Canada’s broadcast system. The CRTC decision also specified that Sportsnet could not benefit
from the donation in any way, Gabrial explained. For this reason, the sports network could not hire any Concordia students as interns, despite Sportsnet president Scott Moore suggesting this to Gabrial in March 2015, according to emails obtained by The Concordian through an access to information request. In its initial proposal to Sportsnet in the summer of 2015, the university described the course as one “that will challenge students to produce and live-stream a onehour weekly sports program.” It’s unclear whether the recently created course will have a similar format. When asked about the final course format, Secko said he could not give much detail because “the course instructor needs to be assigned first, as they will be leading the class.” However, Secko added that “the department envisions the class to be advanced, intensive professional-skills
training on sports journalism.” The initial proposal also read that the university would like to buy a TriCaster, which is “an all-inone portable device that merges multiple feeds from cameras, telephone lines, social media and more into one signal,” as well as a Dejero, a device “designed to allow reporters and guests to participate in a live remote broadcast that can be transmitted live to a studio.” Gabrial said he hopes students will be interested in the course and sign up for it. “I
would be very disappointed if it didn’t get a lot of interest from the students. It’s a lot of work [to create a course],” the former chair told The Concordian . “If the course is not showing interest, we can’t keep it on the schedule. If there’s no interest for it, you can’t offer it.” Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.
CSU
Housing co-op unlikely to fail despite extra cost Originally slated for June 2018, project now expected to be completed by summer 2019 MATTHEW LAPIERRE ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Concordia’s co-operative student housing complex is behind schedule but not in jeopardy, despite trouble obtaining a construction permit from the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, according to Laurent Levesque, the general coordinator of the Unité de travail pour l’implantation de logement étudiant (UTILE). The building, to be located on Papineau Avenue across the street from Lafontaine Park, was initially supposed to have a facade made of steel, wood and brick. The PlateauMont-Royal borough has since requested that the facade be redesigned to be made entirely of brick before the construction permit is delivered. The problem is that an entirely brick facade will increase the cost of the project by about $200,000. At a regularly scheduled Concordia Student Union (CSU) council meeting on Jan. 24, general coordinator Omar Riaz told council the price increase could jeopardize the project. “Right
The building site for the co-operative student housing complex is on Papineau Avenue. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.
now, we don’t have room for the $200,000,” he said. However, Levesque has since told The Concordian that UTILE is working with the architect and the borough to find a solution. “The situation isn’t as dire as it seems. We’re working on ways that it’s not going to jeopardize the project,” Levesque said.
According to their website, UTILE is a non-profit organization that aims to develop and promote co-operative student housing in Quebec. The group is working in conjunction with the CSU on this project, which is meant to provide affordable housing for Concordia students. Levesque said the project is on track to be completed and ready for
students to move into by the summer of 2019. Last year, Levesque told The Concordian the complex would be opening in June 2018. “There are ways to find [the money],” Levesque said, adding that “$200,000 represents one and a half per cent of the project cost. There’s no way you can cancel a project for this amount.”
According to Michel Tanguay, the communications director for the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, the borough is asking the CSU to simplify their building concept. “The borough approved the project in 2017, but the architecture has to be revised before the permit is delivered,” Tanguay wrote in an email to The Concordian. Students voted in favour of partially funding the project in a 2015 CSU referendum. Funding for the co-operative also comes from government bodies, like the city of Montreal, and the Chantier de l’économie sociale. If the delay continues, Riaz said, it will be a problem not just for the CSU, but for everyone who financed the project. “It’s a $14-million project. I don’t think anyone will let it fail,” he added. Once completed, the building will have approximately 70 units, most of which will be studio apartments, although there will be a few larger units that will be shared. The CSU Housing and Jobs Office (HOJO) will be responsible for administering housings vacancies and finding tenants.
FEBRUARY 6, 2018
What do orange cones mean to you?
theconcordian
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A discussion of infrastructure sustainability issues at Detours Ahead panel
KENNETH GIBSON VIDEO EDITOR A number of people voiced their frustration with inefficient public transportation, poor road conditions and generally chaotic approaches to infrastructure planning and maintenance in Montreal at a panel discussion held on Jan. 30 in Concordia’s Hall building. Although the word “sustainability” normally brings to mind environmental concerns, the panel’s organizers from the Concordia School of Community and Public Affairs Students' Association (SCPASA) said accessibility concerns, such as who does or doesn’t have easy access to public transportation, are an equally important aspect of sustainability when it comes to infrastructure. The panel was moderated by Montreal Gazette columnist Celine Cooper, who began by asking panelists what they think of when they see an orange cone. It was a humorous prompt that allowed each panelist to highlight the issue of infrastructure sustainability from their own perspective.
For Gift Tshuma, a disability activist from Accessibilize Montreal, orange cones simply mean inaccessibility. Monica van Shaik, another Accessibilize Montreal advocate, expressed her hope that an orange cone might mean an important improvement to infrastructure, such as a new elevator at a metro station. Jason Prince, an urban planner and professor at the School of Community and Public Affairs, asserted the orange cone still means corruption and diverting money to organized crime, to which David De Cotis, the deputy mayor of Laval and an executive on the board of the Société de transport de Laval, felt compelled to dispute when it was his turn to speak. De Cotis touted Laval’s accomplishments in making public transit more accessible. He also provided insight into the kinds of trade-offs a city makes when managing limited budgets for public services, such as determining whether there is enough demand for it to be economically sensible to establish a new bus route in an unserved area. De Cotis also mentioned some environmentally friendly initiatives the
city of Laval has adopted, such as reducing transit fares to $1 on smog days. Overall, the discussion was primarily centred around transportation, which has the most day-to-day impact on people’s lives. Panelists spent time discussing what impact the newly elected mayor, Valérie Plante, might have on infrastructure issues. Prince observed that, while a lot can be done on the local level, infrastructure Jason Prince responds to a question from the audience at the Detours Ahead development operates at a provincial panel on Jan. 30. Photo by Kenneth Gibson. level in Quebec and “all the strings lead back to Quebec City.” Other difficulties that panelists winter when snowbanks make bus (STM), to tell them about the problems. identified within infrastructure planning ramps less accessible. “They need these letters right now, in Montreal include tensions between During the question and answer because the political will is there,” he those in the downtown core versus portion of the panel, the topic of said. “We need to keep the pressure on.” periphery boroughs. While people unreasonable commute times arrose. After the panel, Prince told The living in areas served by the metro “It took me 45 minutes to get between Concordian that “students are a special prefer using public transit, those who Côte-Vertu and Lionel-Groulx [metro category of citizens in this city.” He live in the east, west or off-island prefer stations] today,” said one audience noted that there about 250,000 students getting around by car. member. enrolled in schools in the downtown Also driven home during the disIn response, Prince encouraged area in any given academic year. cussion was the scale of the transit them to write a handwritten letter to “Concordia students have political accessibility problem for people in the mayor and Philippe Schnobb, the power,” Prince said. “They should wheelchairs, especially during the head of Société de transport de Montréal wield it to make changes in the city.”
CSU handed task force recruitment
Concordia's decision fulfills only one of the union’s requests for more transparency MEGAN HUNT ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR The Concordia Student Union (CSU) will take over the process of recruiting undergraduate students for the new university task force on sexual misconduct and sexual violence, announced Graham Carr, the university’s provost and vice-president of academic affairs, on Feb. 2. This decision comes one day after the student union held a press conference outlining their opposition to multiple procedures regarding the nomination process for the two undergraduate spots available on the task force. The controversy began on Jan. 26, when Concordia president Alan Shepard released a statement outlining steps the university would be taking in the wake of allegations of sexual violence and misconduct against multiple faculty members in the creative writing program. One of the steps was the creation of a task force that would review current
policies and processes, as well as Bill 151, a piece of Quebec legislation requiring universities to take certain steps to address and prevent sexual violence. It was later announced that four students (two graduate and two undergraduate) would be appointed to the task force. Despite claiming the university was looking for “a diverse group from across the university,” the call for applications specified that undergraduate applicants must have completed at least 30 credits and be in “good academic standing.” On Feb. 1, the CSU held a press conference in their office on the seventh floor of the Hall building. During the conference, CSU student life coordinator Leyla Sutherland read from the union’s press release, claiming the task force procedures violated Quebec law by recruiting undergraduate students without the CSU’s involvement. She cited the “Act respecting the accreditation and financing of students’ associations,” a piece of provincial legislation that
specifies student associations, such as the CSU, “may, alone, appoint students who […] are called upon to sit or participate as student representatives on various councils, committees or other bodies in the institution.” “Beyond the cited legal concerns, this indifference in proper student representation shown by the university goes against both the spirit and letter of Bill 151,” said Sutherland. “It is imperative for students, and only students, to have a say as to who represents them.” The press release also outlined a number of requests, including doubling the number of undergraduate students on the task force and ensuring representation from all faculties. Another request also asked that the requirement of good academic standing be removed. Sophia Sahrane, the research and education coordinator for the student advocacy organization Association for the Voice of Education in Quebec (AVEQ), also spoke out against the task force’s academic requirements
at the press conference. “[The academic requirements] demonstrate a deep lack of both understanding and compassion for the reality of living through the trauma of sexual assault and having to become a survivor,” Sahrane said. “How do you maintain a good academic standing when you have just been sexually assaulted? When you have had your agency taken away from you […] when your abuser is your professor?” Also present at the press conference was Caitlin Salvino, the chair of the Our Turn committee, a student-led initiative aimed at ending campus sexual violence. Salvino claimed it is not uncommon for universities to exclude student unions and the students they represent when addressing sexual violence. “Students and student unions across the country have been locked out of task forces, committees and being able to advocate for policies that are actually survivor-centric,” Salvino said. On Feb. 2, another email related
to the task force was circulated to all students. In this email, Carr wrote that the university had decided to allow the CSU to oversee the recruitment process of undergraduate task force members. The same day, university spokesperson Mary-Jo Barr told The Concordian the university would accede to the CSU executive request “because [its] overriding goal is to finalize, as soon as possible, the membership of the task force so it can begin to work.” Sutherland pointed out that, while the university’s quick response to co-operate is a positive sign, the university has not met the union’s additional demands. “We are very glad that the university is handing this process over to us as we have been requesting,” Sutherland said. “It is absolutely essential that student representatives be chosen by students and not by the administration, which presents a clear conflict of interest […] We will continue to advocate for four undergraduate students and the removal of the good academic standing criteria.”
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theconcordian
FEBRUARY 6, 2018
SEXUAL HEALTH
Navigating HIV in university
Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.
Concordia's Health Services, CSU to offer rapid HIV testing pop-ups CANDICE PYE NEWS EDITOR In a country where it is a crime not to disclose that you have HIV before having sex, it’s no wonder having an STI comes with so much stigma. Canadians who are HIV positive can face criminal prosecution for reasons like forgetting to use a condom or failing to alert their sexual partner of their illness before engaging in sexual activity. These people can be charged with aggravated sexual assault, which carries a mandatory designation as a sex offender and a maximum penalty of life in prison. While these laws are in place for the sake of public health, they might deter people from getting tested. If you don’t get tested, then you can claim ignorance. If you aren’t absolutely certain you have HIV, you can’t be held legally responsible—right? Unfortunately, this is the worst time in recent history to practice non-disclosure and unsafe sex. According to the Community AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE), the prevalence of HIV in Canada is increasing and has been since the late 90s. In 2014, an estimated 75,500 Canadians were living with HIV. This number represents an increase of 6,700 people, or 9.7 per cent, since 2011. CATIE’s website states that more than one in five people living with HIV are unaware that they have the disease. This is extremely dangerous because HIV is a virus that anyone can contract, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. The illness is most often contracted through sexual contact or needle use. According to the Centres for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bodily fluids—such as blood, semen, pre-seminal fluid, rectal fluids, vaginal fluids and breast milk—from a person who has HIV can transmit the virus to someone when they come in contact with mucous membranes (including the rectum, vagina, penis and mouth), damaged tissue or the bloodstream in any way. In a university setting, where many young adults begin to experiment with sex and drugs—and sometimes both, together—students may be putting themselves at a higher risk of infection as a result of limited or no condom use. Luckily, resources to increase sexual education, STI prevention and knowledge about treatment options are available to students now more than ever—you just have to know where to look. IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE AN STI If you’re a Concordia student and you’re worried you might have an STI, you can book an appointment for STI testing Monday through Friday at Concordia’s Health Services on either campus. If you’re experiencing symptoms, you book an appointment with a Health Services physician. If you don’t have symptoms, you can see one of the nurses. There are also a variety of other places around the city where you can get tested for STIs, including CLSCs, Head & Hands and a number of clinics in the Gay Village. It will take approximately 10 to 14 days for Concordia’s Health Services to receive your test results. You must come to the clinic in person to get them, either through the walk-in clinic or by appointment, where a nurse will explain your results to you and refer you to the
appropriate treatment options, if necessary. The Concordia website warns that it is the patient’s responsibility to follow up after an STI test, noting that students should “never assume that ‘no news is good news.’” Even if you are convinced you don’t have an STI, testing is recommended for everyone who is sexually active. Many infections show no symptoms, so Concordia’s health professionals recommend students get an STI screening done every six months to a year. IF YOU’RE AT HIGH RISK FOR HIV If you’re planning on having sex with someone who may have an STI, use a condom. Using condoms properly and regularly is the only form of contraception that also reduces the risk of getting or transmitting an STI. For students at a higher risk of contracting HIV from a partner or through injection drug use, Concordia can also supply you with pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP is a preventative medication that people with a very high risk for contracting HIV can take regularly to lower their chances of getting infected. According to HIV.gov, prescription guidelines recommend that PrEP be considered mainly for people who are HIV negative and in an ongoing sexual relationship with an HIV-positive partner. PrEP can only be prescribed by a healthcare provider. Concordia students can book an appointment with a Health Services physician to discuss whether or not it is the right HIV prevention strategy for them.
Without health insurance (public or private), the monthly cost of PrEP can be up to $995, according to Rézo Santé, an organization that provides gay and bisexual men with sexual, mental, social and physical health information. However, if you are covered by the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ), PrEP is covered under your plan. However, unless you have received an exemption, there would still be a monthly fee (as of 2015) of up to $83.33. Montreal pharmacist Maciek Zarzycki told The Concordian that, while PrEP is effective for preventing HIV, it might not be the most cost-effective prevention method. “It is significantly more cost-effective to use condoms,” Zarzycki said. “For PrEP, you need a prescription from your doctor, as well as a form filled out by your doctor that would approve you to be covered by insurance.” He also noted that PrEP can have several adverse side effects, such as a negative impact on liver health and cholesterol levels. “Considering the side effects and the cost, it is not the best solution,” said Zarzycki. “Condoms are just as effective in HIV prevention, are significantly less expensive and do not give you any side effects.”
HIV RESOURCES AT CONCORDIA Concordia’s HIV/AIDS Project’s mission is to provide a permanent space for dialogue and research on HIV/AIDS and to suppor t students who might be the next generation of HIV/ AIDS researchers, activists and teachers. They offer community lectures, courses and internships for students. Their next event will be a film screening of Memories of a Penitent Heart, a documentary that “explores the relationship between memory, stigma and the AIDS crisis,” at 7 p.m. on Feb. 15 at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The screening will be followed by a discussion with the filmmaker, Cecilia Aldarondo. Concordia Health Services and the Concordia Student Union (CSU) will be offering a free three-day, rapid HIV testing clinic this month . Testing at the pop-ups will be confidential, and the whole process will take only 20 minutes. Patients will simply be required to fill out a health questionnaire and briefly meet with a nurse to review the form. After the nurse collects a few drops of blood by pricking the patient's finger, they will receive their results about a minute later and have a post-test discussion with the nurse. The free, rapid HIV testing clinics will take place downtown at the CSU in room H-711 on Feb. 13 and 14, and at the Loyola Hive on the second floor of the Student Centre building on Feb. 15, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.
FEBRUARY 6, 2018
theconcordian
5
STUDENT POLITICS
Working toward paid internships for students
Concordia student associations gather to discuss the future of internships at the university GABRIELLE VENDETTE STAFF WRITER Huddled around a rectangular table in the Hive Café downtown, executives from various Concordia student associations discussed the future of internships at the university on Jan. 16. The congress, organized by the Concordia Student Union (CSU), followed through on the union’s campaign promise to end unpaid internships. Although it was geared toward student executives, the congress was open to the public. The representatives of each association took turns discussing how internships work in their respective programs and how they could be improved. Asma Mushtaq, the CSU’s academic and advocacy coordinator, explained that while internships “might appear more manageable on paper,” they do not properly capture the “real student experience.” This so-called “real student experience” varies greatly from program to program. According to Mushtaq, during the preliminary awareness campaign regarding unpaid internships, many students
were shocked to learn that unpaid internships are required for graduation in some departments, despite other students getting paid up to $20 an hour for internships. “We’re trying to bring more consistency,” Mushtaq said. Many students have reported that Concordia’s early childhood and elementary education program is notoriously demanding in its internship requirements. Sydney Daoust-Filiatrault, the vice-president of the newly created Early Childhood and Elementary Education Student Association (ECEESA), explained that to graduate from the program, students must complete five unpaid internships over four years. Toward the end of their degree, students are expected to complete three internships, working 25 hours per week for eight weeks. These internships only count for three credits, and students are also obliged to attend a weekly threecredit seminar. This means that, to be considered full-time, students must take at least six other credits of classwork. Students must also receive at least a B grade to pass their internships, and if the same internship is failed twice, the
Representatives of Concordia student associations gathered at the Hive Café to discuss internships. Photo by Alex Hutchins.
student will be asked to withdraw from the program. For Daoust-Filiatrault, this demanding schedule does not take into consideration students who work or have other time commitments. She explained that, on top of 25 hours of weekly work, students must also prepare lesson plans for their internships and do work outside of the classroom. Daoust-Filiatrault added that, while many teachers and administration recommend students study parttime during their internships, this can extend their studies far past
four years. Although it is possible to ask for permission to appear as a full-time student to Concordia while only taking six credits per semester during the internship period, “that doesn’t change how the government sees you,” she said. “So anyone with bursaries loses them, despite working full-time, despite not being able to make money while you’re full-time.” According to Daoust-Filiatrault, this unfairly targets students who need a job to afford their education. “At this point, I feel like we’re losing everything by
doing [internships],” she said. The CSU campaign for paid internships is still in its early stages. According to Mushtaq, the student union is in the process of collecting preliminary data and statistics to present to the university and senate. Collecting this raw data and information about the variety of internship experiences from students is an essential first step to approaching the university, she explained. “Having something concrete from the ground level helps us create a more concrete action plan,” Mushtaq said.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 21, 2018
6:30PM - 8:30PM / MCGILL ARTS BUILDING ROOM W-215, 8 5 3 S H E R B R O O K E S T . W . Free and open to the public. RSVP at misc.iecm@mcgill.ca.
Comic by Libby Hopkinson.
etc
FEATURED CONCORDIA ARTIST
LOUISANE FOZIN
Attempt to materialize Montreal's vibe.
Louisane Fozin, student in Computation Arts at Concordia, strives to become a collaborative multi-disciplinary artist. Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, their care for society had first drawn them towards social sciences in college before discovering their artistic flame. They entered the art world by their interest in sound, but they have explored photography, video, and performance. In their BFA, however, they are also learning to do 3D production and code. Keeping social justice in mind, Mx. Fozin fancies less exhibiting at galleries and more travelling to work in different communities. They believe in the power of art and the role it plays in the emancipation of [marginalized] people.
3D collaborative work with Ana Arrese and Loreanna Lastoria of underwater scene of slaveship wreck.
Artwork produced in honour of surviving February in 2017.
Interactive project done with Processing of tree that grows with sound.
Visual content of 4 environments for sustainability association.
Etc is a space dedicated to showcasing Concordia artists! Submissions can be sent to production@theconcordian.com
life
LIFE EDITOR /// life@theconcordian.com SANDRA HERCEGOVÁ
PERSONAL ESSAY
The power of love overcomes distance One student’s experience and advice for being in a long-distance relationship SARA CHAHROUR STAFF WRITER I have been in a long-distance relationship for the past year, and believe me when I say, I am happier than ever. It all started two summers ago, when I went to visit my family in Beirut, Lebanon. I promised myself one thing as I arrived at the Rafic Hariri airport: no summer crush whatsoever. I was determined not to give in to the first handsome, charming Lebanese guy I met. For a little while, I stuck to my promise and enjoyed the sun, food and time with my family. Two weeks later, I realized the promise I had made to myself was a hoax, and maybe love is just one of those things a person has no control over. That summer in Beirut taught me that love happens when you least expect it and in the most unpredictable ways. I was sitting in a coffee shop with my cousin, casually sipping a vanilla-hazelnut latte, when a six-foot-tall guy, seemingly in his early 20s, walked over to our table. Slightly tanned, fit and sporting a beard, he asked if he could sit with us in the most polite, gentle manner. After speaking with him for less t h a n 1 0 m i n u te s , i t w a s o b v i o u s to me that he possessed the three traits I admire most in a man: he was courageous, down to earth and kind. In that moment, I knew I had to give him a chance and overcome my long-distance relationship fears. The traits I saw in him, as simple as they may seem, are the hardest qualities to find in a man my age. So here I am today, in a healthy long-distance relationship with a trustworthy man who never fails to put a smile on my face. I don’t see him often, and when I do, saying goodbye feels like a stab to the heart—but with effort and commitment, we make it work. For anyone currently facing the challenges of a long-distance relation-
ship, here are some tips my boyfriend and I use to overcome the difficulties of living in dif ferent time zones . WE SEND EACH OTHER A TEXT MESSAGE EVERY TWO HOURS If we are not in class, writing an exam or sleeping, we send each other a text every two hours. No matter how short or unromantic the message, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we are thinking about each other. WE COMMUNICATE We lis ten to e ac h ot h er. Whether he’s interested or not, when I call my boyfriend after a long day to talk about my assignments, he still listens c aref ull y and share s his thoughts and opinions. This is something I admire. We always make an effort to show interest in the other person's day, no matter how small or insignificant the details are. WE SEND PICTURES OF EVERYTHING Whether it ’s a picture of my lunch or a selfie while he's brushing his teeth, visuals are the closest thing we have to reality. We use them until we run out of storage. WE PAY ATTENTION TO SMALL DETAILS A long-distance relationship needs to be handled with much more attention to detail than a normal one. Although I truly do trust him, all it takes is one misleading video on Snapchat to get me asking questions. When I’m not around him, questions and assumptions seem to naturally bubble up. I believe that’s just part of the long-distance package. To minimize this, we do not forget to charge our phones and check-in. We always try to be as clear and straightforward with one another as possible.
WE MAKE SURE OUR VISITS ARE AS LONG AS POSSIBLE We are bot h st udent s on t ig ht budgets, so needless to say, we can’t afford an overseas plane ticket every m ont h . For t hat rea s on , we s t ay as long as possible when we visit each other. It gives us more time to make up for all the date nights and outings we missed during the year.
WE ARE OPTIMISTIC Don’t compare yourself to other couples. Don’t count the days until the next time you meet, because the more you dwell on it, the longer it will seem. Most importantly, don’t lose hope. Love from both ends of the rope isn’t something you find everyday. So if you and your partner share that love, even when you're miles apart, cherish it. Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.
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theconcordian
FEBRUARY 6, 2018
FOOD
How to attain food security in our community
Conversations about food justice filled the room at the fifth annual Transitions Conference SANDRA HERCEGOVA LIFE EDITOR A passion for food and justice gathered people for the fifth annual Transitions Conference, organized by the Concordia Food Coalition. Workshops, discussions and film screenings dedicated to urban agriculture, food security and sustainability attracted a local and international audience from Feb. 2 to 4. “Part of the activity today was to engage students and people from the community about how they see the food system currently, what, ideally, they would like to see [in the future] and how do we go and meet those needs,” said Erik Chevrier, a part-time professor at Concordia and PhD student focusing on food sovereignty, which is defined as the right to healthy food and a sustainable agriculture system. A s par t of the Transitions Conference, Chevrier led group activities and events; “basically interacting with the Concordia community to develop ideas for a food sovereign campus,” he explained. Chevrier has also created an archive of all the student-run food groups at Concordia. “I’ve done close to a 1,000 interviews with people from all the different food groups,” he said. “You can see historical archives, people who founded People’s Potato and other groups, as well as people who are working there.” On Saturday, Feb. 3, a “Food and Social Justice” workshop introduced issues plaguing our food system and potential solutions. The interactive discussion between the presenters and audience members was led by Mia Papp, an environmental science student at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, and Maya Provencal, a political science student at Concordia. “We are here to facilitate discussion, we just want to start a conversation on campus about how flawed the food system is,” said Provencal, who is also the outreach and engagement leader at The Dish Project, a Concordia-based group that lends out reusable dishes for events and meetings. “As soon as I came to Montreal, I was
Students answered important questions concerning food justice around campus. Photo by Sandra Hercegova.
so excited that I had actually picked a city that has all these sustainability initiatives,” said Papp, who is an Australian exchange student. What she has noticed in her time here is that “Montreal has an amazing urban agriculture scene, which we really don’t have in Australia, which is funny because we definitely have an environment that is more suited to that.” To start off the workshop’s activities, participants compiled a list of the environmental and social problems associated with modern food systems. This list included polluted water, trade redundancies and waste, soil degradation and biodiversity loss, food insecurity and a lack of money in the agriculture industry as well as a tendency for unhealthy diets. According to Papp, the significant lack of healthy food in certain regions is attributed to “food deserts,” where there are few easily-accessible supermarkets. “What are in food deserts are usually lots of fast food restaurants—there is lots of food, but it’s all unhealthy with no access to any
Students and the conference organizers gathered to hang a list of food justice issues on the wall for everyone to see. Photo by Sandra Hercegova.
healthy food,” she said. The audience members also discussed how a lack of local farming and fair trade— due to centralized food systems—makes it difficult, if not impossible, for small farmers to enter the industry. “In Quebec, there are quotas on how much needs to be [produced on farms],” Papp explained. “There are small farmers that want to get in the industry, but since they can’t make these quotas, they can’t start these farms.” The audience was then asked a central question: What is food justice, and what would a just food system look like? Participants came up with a list of important factors: educating the community about sustainable food practices; not throwing out misshapen produce; creating more affordable food options; and consuming food responsibly—particularly seasonal eating. “We’re used to having apples all year round, but there is actually a season for them,” Papp explained.
After the audience voiced their suggestions, Provencal and Papp presented a definition of food justice: “A food system that is inclusive, community-wise and participatory without the exploitation of people, land or the environment. It identifies significant structural connectedness that exists within our food and economic systems.” Participants then gathered in groups to discuss how different social identities are impacted by the food system. In one group was Anna Luiza Farias, a Brazilian student from São Paulo studying forest engineering. “I am interested in agriculture and food, and I thought it would be really nice to come here and meet people to see what they think,” she said. Farias explained that the Amazon rainforest is a prominent issue for Brazilian agriculture. “In the Amazon, it is illegal to remove forest land,” she said. “But they are taking this land to use it for cattle farms because the land there is cheaper. People don’t know that this land belongs to the Amazon.” Although the workshop focused on the roots of our flawed foot system—notably colonialism, capitalism, industrialization, exploitation and overpopulation—it also explored solutions. Participants eagerly discussed projects geared toward community restoration, reconnecting youth with food, holding ourselves accountable for our consumption choices, supporting local businesses and farms, and initiating conversations about food sustainability. According to Papp, she has never seen a student-led conference about food anywhere before. “It’s definitely an unsexy topic, but it’s one of the most important topics because we all eat, and [our current food system] is a huge contributor to climate change in the world.” For more information on all Concordia student-run food groups on campus, visit: www.concordiafoodgroups.ca
FEBRUARY 6, 2018
theconcordian
9
COVER STORY
A finance student with 46,000 Instagram followers Makeup artist Mathusha Thurairajasingam created her own beauty social media account, BeautyByMathu PAMELA PAGANO CONTRIBUTOR “The pros of being a full-time student and having an active social media account is that I’m capable of working on both my passions at once,”said Mathusha Thurairajasingam, a second-year Concordia finance student who is better known as BeautyByMathu to her more than 46,000 Instagram followers. Surprisingly, Mathusha used to hate makeup. “I was more into sportive activities, such as basketball, badminton and volleyball,” she said with a laugh. However, her perspective on makeup changed when she started college. Since she could no longer attend the gym on a regular basis, she discovered her “fashion senses.” In 2014, Mathusha’s two sisters encouraged her to create an Instagram page after she began applying full face makeup for fun. “At the John Molson School of Business, I took a marketing class which changed my perception of social media,” she said. “I learned all the key components to be successful as a brand.” That marketing course encouraged Mathusha to set goals for her Instagram page, such as posting good content and spreading positivity online. This resulted in BeautyByMathu getting reposted by famous cosmetic brands, like Anastasia Beverly Hills, Smashbox Studios and NYX Cosmetics. Mathusha was also featured in online magazines, like Elle and Infleur. “People and brands are interested to view my work, since there aren’t many beauty bloggers of my Sri Lankan-Canadian ethnicity,” she said. “I use this platform to not only teach about makeup, but to make people believe in themselves.” Mathusha’s goal is to start her own makeup brand. It’s why she chose to study finance. “I will need to understand the basis of how to manage my budgets, costs and future plans,” she explained. Though Concordia’s finance program provides Mathusha with the education she needs to reach her goal, taking four classes and running her Instagram page can be stressful at times. “It can be overwhelming when you know that your followers want to see more posts from you, but you can’t post because of exams or projects,” she said. “During exams, I feel like I have the need to post for my followers, but at the same time, I have the need to pass my courses with good grades.” In order to balance school and her makeup
"WHEN YOU BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, YOU ARE CAPABLE OF DOING MORE THAN YOU EXPECT."
- Mathusha
Some examples of one of Mathusha’s makeup looks. Photos courtesy of Mathusha Thurairajasingam.
tutorials, Mathusha dedicates one day per week to filming and creating content. She also separates a full makeup look into three posts: an eye tutorial, a face tutorial and one photo of the final result. “[The three posts] give focus to the audience,” Mathusha said. “I want them to know how to do and attempt the look.” She also posts tutorials on her BeautyByMathu YouTube account, although she prefers Instagram. “I still have some experimenting to do [with YouTube] which I am planning on expanding this year," Mathusha said. Ashley Luthawan, also a second-year Concordia finance student and one of Mathusha’s good friends, said she believes Mathusha is great at balancing school and social media. “I’m so proud to see how her content is growing successfully,” Luthawan said. “She’s very talented, and it shows through her videos.” According to Mathusha, striking a balance between her schoolwork and makeup tutorials actually helps her relieve stress. “Sometimes I just need a break from studying, so this helps me balance both,” she said. “It’s
Mathusha said her Sri Lankan-Canadian ethnicity is part of what makes BeautyByMathu unique. Photos courtesy of Mathusha Thurairajasingam.
good to take a breather […] That motivates you to study later.” Mathusha’s Instagram page, however, is about more than just exploring her passion and bringing balance to her academic life. It’s about educating and helping her followers accept themselves for who they are. “When you believe in yourself, you are capable of doing more than you expect,” she said. “Education is important […] but if you have a passion for something, you should always dedicate time for it because time is running, and you don’t want to waste it.”
During your study breaks, you can check out Mathusha’s weekly posts by following her instagram: @BEAUTYBYMATHU
arts
ARTS EDITOR /// arts@theconcordian.com MAGGIE HOPE
EXHIBITION
It's a matter of time and place
Annual FOFA Gallery exhibition displays the work of undergraduate students
JOYCE CHAN STAFF WRITER What do impressionist-inspired paintings, sculptural pieces about political language and a film exploring cultural identity have in common? They’re all featured at the FOFA Gallery’s ongoing exhibition, Matter of Place. Matter of Place is this year's edition of an annual undergraduate exhibition which aims to represent the diverse art practices and research interests of students in Concordia’s Faculty of Fine Arts. This year, the mediums used in the exhibition vary greatly, from paintings, photography and ceramics to videos, textiles and audio art. In addition—as is the case every year— students from several other departments contributed their talents to the exhibition. Concordia professor Angélique Willkie’s contemporary dance class was invited to participate by choreographing performances inspired by the exhibition’s artworks, and a number of art history students were tasked with writing essays about each piece in Matter of Place. These essays have been published in a catalogue created by Concordia design students, which is available to view and purchase at the gallery. The exhibition’s interdisciplinary approach welcomes the viewer into an immersive and multifaceted experience.
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Florence Yee studies painting and drawing, which she described as more traditional fields of art. Her installation at the exhibition, This is Not Photorealism, is a collection of seven paintings hung together salon-style in the vitrine of the FOFA. Most of her paintings reference Claude Monet, a 19th century French impressionist artist who painted water lilies he imported from Japan. Monet even bought land in the French countryside so he could build a large, Japanese-style garden and paint the flowers in their quasi-natural habitat. “I always liked Monet’s paintings as a child,” Yee said. “As I grew older, I realized that many people associated me with water lilies because I’m an Asian woman and I’m sweet like a lotus
This year’s collection of student work spans across media and draws the viewer in to their personal stories. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.
flower. Sometimes, it can be a good association, and other times, it can feel like a stereotype.” Yee said she was interested in how these Japanese symbols came to represent French nationalism. She reproduced original Monet paintings to look like blurry photos taken by tourists, including a timestamp at the bottom to indicate when she made each piece.
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Chris Mendoza is a third-year studio arts major with a minor in art education. His sculpture and performance pieces were inspired by the 2016 American presidential election. Mendoza said he finds political language fascinating. “I was just really interested in language and how it affects the way we perceive the world around us,” he said. “The perfor-
mance that I submitted was a bit of an exploration of that.” According to Mendoza, the sculpture is elevated by his accompanying performance. The objects of his sculpture are arranged in a certain configuration, and his performance adds meaning or use to the objects. Given that such a small number of students are chosen to participate in this exhibition, Mendoza said he feels it is definitely an accomplishment to have his work included.
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Although one of Kevin Jung-Hoo Park’s latest films was selected for the exhibition, the piece, titled Letter(s) from a Gapping Zone, is unfinished. “It started out with following my father’s oldest memory—when he went up to the mountain with his father to bury his oneyear-old sister,” the film production student explained. The film has since evolved into “an autobiographical fiction of a filmmaker who fails to find home.” For the purpose of the film, Park tried to pinpoint the exact location in South Korea where his aunt was buried. This search was also done in the hopes of reconnecting with his roots, because Park said he has always struggled with his Canadian identity. While editing the footage, Park said he realized he was just hurting himself by delving into Camille Lescarbeau’s piece, titled Doux Labeur (2017), is comprised of a hand-typed book and a his family’s past. The film takes tape recording. Photo by Kirubel Mehari. place in the village where his
grandmother lives and where his father was born, yet Park said he felt like an intruder. Since the villagers aren’t used to being filmed or photographed, they were constantly staring at Park while he worked. Eventually, Park said, he hopes to develop Letter(s) from a Gapping Zone into a longer documentary piece by adding voice-over narration about his experience making the film.
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Born in Gatineau, Camille Lescarbeau moved to Montreal five years ago. She studies art history and studio arts at Concordia, but is currently travelling in Iceland. Her contribution to the Matter of Place exhibition is a hand-typed book on a shelf with a tape recording. The piece, tiled Doux Labeur, was created last year in her Art X class, a course that emphasizes “critical and conceptual thinking over medium-specific creation,” according to the university website. When asked what inspires her to make art, Lescarbeau said it is often her creative friends. “I was a dance teacher in high school, so I have been surrounded by people who dance and do music. Many of my friends write poetry, so their writing also inspires me.”
Matter of Place runs until Feb. 23 at the FOFA Gallery in Concordia’s EV building. The gallery is open Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The performance evenings run until Feb. 8, each starting at 5 p.m. Entry is free. More information can be found in the event section of the Concordia website.
FEBRUARY 6, 2018
theconcordian
11
PROFILE
Still life is anything but lifeless
Elisabeth Belliveau discusses inspiration for her exhibition, Ballroom
THE BIG BA-BBAM! SHOW BBAM! Gallery is celebrating their six-year anniversary and the last month at their current location. On March 1, BBAM! will be moving to 808 Atwater Ave., but until then, the gallery is hosting a collective exhibition and art sale. The works of 18 artists who have displayed their art at the gallery over the past six years will be for sale through the month of February.
WHERE BBAM! Gallery, 3255 St-Jacques St. WHEN Now until Feb. 28
DES ESPACES AUTRES EXHIBITION Belliveau uses bronze and aluminum casting to transform living objects, like flowers and fruit, into solid, permanent works of art. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.
ZACHARY COOK CONTRIBUTOR
objects using metal. “It’s still fragile, but I really love that transformation, which is why I think I love animation too,” Belliveau said. “There's something still, and then it transforms into something with emotion. I like that moment, that flip.” Inspiration for Ballroom came from a selection of novels written by Brazilian author Clarice Lispector, including The Stream of Life and The Hour of the Star. These novels, as well as paintings by Giorgio Morandi, an Italian still life painter, sparked Belliveau’s ideas about time, transformation and still life. These ideas became intrinsic to Belliveau’s own work. “Thinking a lot about Giorgio Morandi’s practice, reading Clarice Lispector and really reflecting on the history of still life inspired me,” the artist explained. “I'm an animator, so I think about what it means to bring still objects into life, into movement and into emotion.” Belliveau elaborated on her work in another residency in Japan last summer, where she focused on Japanese traditions of still life and the genre of vanitas art, and was inspired by the rules of Ikebana—the Japanese art of flower arrangement. “In terms of still life, there's this kind of European tradition. I tried to mix it up with some of the things I was really interested with in Japan,” she said. For Belliveau, still life is about domestic
life and the objects surrounding us. “Paying close attention to what things are and where they come from link to ideas about labour, production, who makes things, how they get to our table and all the political movement around that,” Belliveau said. Taking part in residencies is a crucial aspect of Belliveau’s creative process. As a full-time assistant professor at MacEwan University in Edmonton, Alta., Belliveau is constantly busy throughout the academic year. “Residencies are the best way for me to have a total break from thinking about school and my students,” she said. “Usually, during the year, I’m stirring up ideas and I can't wait to get back to the studio, so residencies have been incredibly important to me.” Belliveau is currently preparing for her upcoming month-long residency in Fukuoka, Japan, this May where she will work with a 3D printer. “I love to travel to see work, and I think that's sort of what I do; I collect things, I read things and I try to see as much art as I can,” the artist said.
Elisabeth Belliveau, an award-winning Concordia alumna, still life animation artist, sculptor and art professor, opened the doors to her new exhibition, Ballroom, on Feb. 2. The exhibition will be open for a month, and will feature a two-channel, seven-minute animation loop along with related sculptures. “Fragile, vibrant and transformative,” are three words Belliveau used to describe the works in Ballroom. The exhibition reflects on historically female art practices, such as genre painting, which portrays scenes from ordinary life. In the past, women were not permitted to paint religious portraits or court paintings, which limited them to painting still life. “I look at the work of artists who were creating floral arrangements, still lifes or food that were coded and symbolic,” Belliveau said. “They could bury narratives, meanings and stories within these still life paintings that seemed really innocuous but were really complex. I think that's really Ballroom is on display at La Centrale exciting to think about; women painting Galerie Powerhouse (4296 St-Laurent and finding their way into that world within Blvd.) until Mar. 2. The gallery is open those limitations.” from Tuesday to Friday, 11 a.m. to Belliveau has participated in an array 7 p.m. and on Saturday from noon of residencies across Canada and interto 5 p.m. Entry is free. nationally. She began the works included in Ballroom during a residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in 2016. The theme of the residency was still life, which focuses on the arrangement of inanimate objects. Throughout the residency, Belliveau had the opportunity to work with bronze and aluminum casting. Envisioning and crafting the transformation of materials was one of the artist’s favourite processes while creating the exhibition. These transformations are often done using delicate and temporary objects, such as food and flowers, that The works in this exhibition were created during a residency at the Banff Centre for are casted into more permanent Arts and Creativity in 2016. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.
The VAV now has their second exhibition of the year, titled Des espaces autres or Heterotopias, on display. Works by six students will explore “what it means to be in between spaces, in a state of flux and amongst a complex geopolitical history,” according to the exhibition’s statement. There will be a vernissage at the gallery on Feb. 6 at 6 p.m. Entry is free.
WHERE VAV Gallery, VA building WHEN Now until March 2
DRINK N DRAW AT THE HIVE As part of the Concordia Student Union’s DIY Tuesday event series, the Hive will host a free evening of craft making in collaboration with the Queer Print Club, Concordia University’s Centre for Creative Reuse and The Revolution Will Be Harmonized.
WHERE Hive Café Solidarity Co-op, Hall building WHEN Feb. 6, 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
NINTH FLOOR SCREENING In 1969, students of Sir George Williams University occupied the school’s ninth floor computer lab in protest of racist policy within the university’s administration. This documentary follows the events that led up to what was later called the Computer Riot, as well as race relations in Canada. There will be a discussion following the film.
WHERE Cinema de Sève, LB 125 WHEN Feb. 9, 1:30 p.m.
UNDERGROUND COMEDY RAILROAD COMEDY SHOW In celebration of Black History Month, local comedians will perform a stand-up show held in collaboration with the Dawson Student Union (DSU) and the Dawson Peace Centre. Featured comedians will include Daniel Woodrow, Rodney Ramsey and Keesha Brownie. Tickets are $5 for students and available at the DSU offices. All proceeds will go to the Tyndale St-Georges Community Centre.
WHERE Dawson College Theatre, 2000 Atwater Ave. WHEN Feb. 10, 8 p.m.
music
Quickspins
MUSIC EDITOR /// music@theconcordian.com CALVIN CASHEN
1
MIGOS
PROFILE
Representation through radio Nipivut is an outlet for the Inuit Community in Montreal
Culture 2 (Quality Control Music) Culture 2, the Atlanta rap trio’s followup to the Grammy-nominated album Culture, is a bloated attempt at recreating its predecessor’s success. With 24 tracks totalling one hour and 45 minutes, there just simply aren’t enough quality jams to justify the length. With tracks like “Narcos,” the intro “Higher We Go,” “Bad Bitches Only (BBO),” “Walk It Talk It” and “Too Playa,” the album is filled with songs that either sound too much like Migos’s previous album or are just completely unfinished. For instance, the song “Open It Up” is an exact melodic rip-off of the song “Deadz” from the first Culture. Another glaring problem is that the songs are mixed poorly. For a group as big as Migos, poorly mixed tracks are a big no-no. Sure, there are some great songs to jam to, but realistically, this album would have been average at 10 tracks. At 24, this album is a chore. 11 Trial Track: “Narcos”
5/10 — ALEX COLE, MANAGING EDITOR
HUSSAIN ALMAHR ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR It was Concordia anthropology professor Mark Watson who first told me about Nipivut Radio—which means “our voice” in Inuktitut—during a class in the fall of 2016. The project he helped launch in Montreal sounded exciting and refreshing. However, it wasn’t until I met Christine Lussier, a volunteer at Nipivut Radio, last semester that I knew I wanted to learn more. “Nipivut is the Inuit community radio,” Lussier said, adding that the station aims to bridge gaps in the Inuit community and promote Inuktitut, the Inuit language. “We want to promote Inuit artists,” she added. “We also want to make it sustainable. We want to train our employees and make the Inuit community more unified.” Lussier is a Concordia anthropology major with a minor in English literature at the Université de Montréal. Her traditional name is Qillasiq Naluiyuk, and she had a unique upbringing. “I’m an Inuk from Nunavik, in northern Quebec,” she explained. “I was born in Puvirnituq, and I grew up for two years in Kuujjuarapik, but then I moved to the south shore of
Montreal. [It was a] very francophone setting, a francophone school situation, until university.” As part of a course on social economy and sustainable futures, Lussier needed to volunteer for a non-profit organization. “I had heard a lot about Mark Watson,” she said. “They put me in contact with him.” Since Nipivut doesn’t have many staff members, Lussier said she does a bit of everything—from editing and producing to holding meetings and recording. “Every episode is an achievement in the sense that there’s a lot to do, and it’s usually managed by one or two people,” she explained. “We’re trying to make the family grow more.” According to Lussier, language is an important element of Nipivut. “We always try to maximize Inuktitut; at least 50 per cent of the program, if not a 100 per cent,” she said. “However, right now, myself and my colleague, we are urban Inuk so we haven’t grown up with the language. That’s kind of a struggle.” Instead, Lussier explained, an elder records the Inuktitut segments. “She would very much prefer for us to do it in Inuktitut, but we cannot.” In an effort to engage with people who
want to learn the language, Nipivut has featured episodes that teach listeners Inuktitut. Among the contributors to these episodes is Jobie Weetaluktuk, a Concordia First Peoples Studies professor. “He did a segment where he taught his daughter how to speak in Inuktitut,” Lussier said. “In that sense, it could become an educational tool for Inuit people in Montreal who are seeking to learn more about their traditional language.” Nipivut also provides a place for the Inuit community to express themselves and avoid the misrepresentations and caricatures of other media. “When we talk about Inuit specifically, we’re usually very underrepresented or misrepresented,” Lussier said. “For Nipivut to happen is amazing. We promote mostly Inuit artists and Inuit issues, so it’s an amazing platform that’s just for us, by us. That’s very important.” Many in Quebec and Canada forget or don’t realize that Inuit people exist, Lussier said, or they are associated with terms like “Eskimo.” “It ’s not really representative of us,” she said. “Most people think that Indigenous people are somewhere in a bubble, somewhere else, but we are very much here in the urban space. There are a lot of Indigenous people [in Montreal].” Lussier was keen about welcoming any Inuit interested in learning more about Nipivut or joining the team. “If they are interested in Indigenous issues, Inuit issues, we’re open to engaging in any kind of conversation,” she said. You can listen to Nipivut Radio every second Tuesday from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on CKUT 90.3 FM, or visit their Facebook page. Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.
2
N O AG E Snares Like A Haircut (Drag City)
Snares Like A Haircut is the latest offering from manic noise producers No Age. The duo has spent the better part of a decade plotting and refining a cognitive paragon of punk escapism, unraveling polarities that represent a finessed vision of rock music. Drawing from these tendencies, No Age construct a sound that challenges whether dichotomies can coexist. Short answer: they can and with absolutely masterful results. Combining drilling distortion with crisp, ambient textures, the record is a sharp turn from the complex pop that permeated the band’s previous efforts. Rather, the album lands feet first toward cohesive and romping guitar rock. No Age have perfected their propensity for extremes, coalescing their intuition through remarkably imaginative sounds. Across these 12 sprawling tracks, Snares Like A Haircut tugs and pulls with leverage.
11 Trial Track: “Soft Collar Fad”
8.3/10 — CALVIN CASHEN, MUSIC EDITOR
FEBRUARY 6, 2018
theconcordian
13
FESTIVAL
3
PORCHES
The House (Domino) New York-based songwriter Aaron Maine is an auteur driven by his own seclusion. Channeling the delicate chords of new wave and funk, Porches weave songs rooted in impulses that evoke natural responses. Thrust by an impetus of its own, The House, though hollowed-out in sound, contains a gamut of realized musical ideas. The album locks into grooves that are somehow catchier and more instantaneous than Maine’s debut breakout, Pool. That album pondered the state of the human condition through anxiety-ridden imagery, and The House is an album very much informed by that tension. It constructs heart-wrenching melodies that pull at the very seams of human emotion. Though not entirely halting in its structure, The House lays down some of Maine’s most gripping melodic excursions. The album’s best track, “Now the Water,” is propelled by an icy beat that narrates the social and psychological costs of isolation. The album sparks with a wilting flame, familiar to digest but not enough to get the blood flowing. 11 Trial Track: “Now The Water”
8.1/10 — CALVIN CASHEN, MUSIC EDITOR
FOR EDITOR’S PICKS S THE BEST SONG WEEK RELEASED THIS
Recently Added
Recently Added 11 NOW THE WATER Porches (Domino) 11 POPPER
No Age (Drag City)
11 PACIFIER HABITS
Тпсб (Blackest Ever Black)
11 IN MY VIEW
Young Fathers (Ninja Tune)
11 LIL MUFUKUZ
Dabrye ft. DOOM (Ghostly International)
11 HEAVEN’S ONLY WISHFUL
MorMor (Don’t Guess)
A weekend of musical experiences An indepth look at the bands and artists of Taverne Tour CHARLES FRETIER-GAUVIN STAFF WRITER Taverne Tour shines a spotlight on lesser-known venues and local music. For its third edition, the festival featured 43 bands in 15 venues over four days. Despite the gruellingly cold of February, the weekend saw people flock to the festival’s shows en masse to experience Montreal’s finest in local and international music.
DAY 1: JAN. 31
As the snow began to fall, a crowd of eager music fans flooded through the doors of the historic La Tulipe, on the corner of Mont-Royal and Papineau Ave. That night, the large concert hall would play host to an event sure to set the tone for the weekend. Galaxie held a free show in celebration of the release of their fifth studio album, Super Lynx Deluxe. Veterans of Montreal’s garagerock scene, the group’s unapologetically spacey sound led them to a Polaris Music Prize shortlist nomination in 2011. Despite its awkwardly early starting time, the venue was filled to the brim, so much so that late-coming audience members had to be ushered to the upper levels of the venue’s balcony. With only two singles released from the new record, a sense of anticipation ran rampant through a crowd eager to hear new material. Galaxie, no doubt, satisfied the crowd’s hunger. The sextet, led by Fred Fortin on guitar and vox, energetically ripped through a short set bursting with noise and groove. Propelled especially by the group’s two percussionists, the show was bolstered by their emphatic enthusiasm. The new songs, played with tribal dance beats and elements of electronic music, created a sound both contemporary and righteously timeless. To build on the cosmic, discotheque vibe laid out by the music, the show was also a visually striking psychedelic affair. Multi-coloured lasers shot out from the stage in bunches, sometimes aimed directly at the large disco ball suspended from the ceiling, to create an overwhelming, spinning celestial display.
DAY 2:
FEB. 1
Le Ministère, housed in a former Bank of Montreal building from the mid-1910s, is one of the city’s newest concert venues. From the outside, the brutal concrete structure, adorned with thick columns and a meticulously sculpted coat of arms, seems like the last place in the world you’d go to see a rock show. Yet the space was familiar and welcoming, dimly lit by blue neon lights and packed for Taverne Tour’s most anticipated events—the acid-soaked disco
Galaxie pictured delivering a set of swirling psychedelia. Photo by by Charles Fretier-Gauvin.
impresarios, Wizaard; local idols and experts in 60s pastiche, Anemone; and curators of all things psychedelic, Memphis-based Spaceface. Wizaard’s mellow set, stuffed with an effortless groove, sent the crowd into a dancing trance, readying them for the coming sets rather than stealing the show. Considering the glitter of Anemone’s recent international success and their great local popularity, the group acted as the spiritual headliners of the night. Their set, effervescent and dreamy, enveloped the crowd with its hazy rhythms and velvety smooth psychedelia. The rhythm guitarist stood in the corner, clad in a stylishly baggy grey suit, sleepily strumming his gorgeous 12 string. Meanwhile, Anemone leader Chloé Soldevila stood centre stage at her keyboards, swaying carelessly, enchanting the audience and inviting them into her world. While Anemone won the crowd over with their subtlety and gentle manner, Spaceface took a different approach, opting for a psychedelic energy the audience didn’t quite seem ready for. Formed by Flaming Lips member Jake Ingalls, Spaceface have made a name for themselves through their spacey, psych-rock sound and visual shows that strongly emphasize audience participation. Despite playing a tight set, riddled with enough noise and psychedelia to make you squirm, Spaceface’s sound was familiar, and the crowd was left unengaged. Before the last song, Ingalls told the crowd how grateful he was for the turnout on a Thursday night. By then, however, the crowd had shrunk to about half its original size, making the comment feel more like a personal reinforcement than anything else.
DAY 3:
FEB. 2
Some of the best musicians Montreal has to offer were at Pub West Shefford on Friday. That night’s show eclectically paired Dunes, a desert blues ensemble, with Teke Teke, a hyperactive surf rock band that takes as much from late 60s metal as they do from traditional Japanese music. Half an hour before the show Chloé Soldevila of Anemone serenading a sold-out audience. began, the small pub Photo by by Charles Fretier-Gauvin.
was already suffocatingly packed. In order to reach the stage at the front of the room, band members had to squeeze their gear through the mass of people standing shoulder to shoulder. They inevitably bumped into audience members, but always made sure to apologize. This sense of camaraderie foreshadowed a show that was one of the purest and most honest musical experiences I have ever witnessed. The night began with Dunes, a group self-defined as a co-operative, united by their love of blues and African music traditions. Their set was a collection of heavily rhythmic blues jams led by a smiling man playing hand drums, two women dancing while playing traditional African percussion instruments, and a drummer whose ravishing style took more from jazz than anything else. These jams were accentuated by a wailing harpist, who played his instrument through a distortion-laden microphone, and two guitarists swapping lead and rhythm duties and sometimes soloing in harmony. Audience members danced and sang along to the songs they knew, embracing their proximity to one another and not minding the lack of visual display. Dunes closed their set with an African-inspired rendition of The Beatles’s classic “Get Back,” which sent the crowd into a heightened frenzy. Following Dunes' set, another half hour of chaotic gear-lugging occured before Teke Teke finally took the stage. Clad in matching kimonos—except the group’s flutist/keyboardist who was dressed like a 60s go-go dancer—the group launched into an assaulting surf rock tune. Though immediately recognizable as surf rock, Teke Teke’s sound is a diverse one, drawing from traditional Japanese music, late 60s metal and soul. The group’s trombonist gave their sound a welcome fullness, while the flute added a wistful element. Toward the end of their set, Teke Teke welcomed guest vocalist Maya to the stage. Her voice knew no boundaries as she graciously and naturally shifted from a sensual croon to an unhinged wail. The two encore songs were the most abrasive of the bunch, fast in tempo and noisy. One of the guitarists, who had previously been on rhythm duty, began fiercely soloing, using his strumming hand to tap the strings with a small rod. When the set ended, the buzzing crowd took their time leaving the packed room.
sports
SPORTS EDITOR /// sports@theconcordian.com NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI ( @n_digiovanni)
SOCCER
Preparing for the season months in advance What the Stingers soccer coaches are looking for during the winter season
Madeleine McKenzie prepares to throw the ball in during a game on Feb. 4. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.
NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI SPORTS EDITOR After playing in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) fall season, the Concordia Stingers soccer teams returned to the pitch for the winter season. The teams use the winter season for training, and even though they play seven games against teams in their league, results aren’t a priority for head coaches Jorge Sanchez and Greg Sutton. The Concordian talked to each coach about how they use the winter season to prepare their team for the fall.
WOMEN’S TEAM The women’s team missed the playoffs by two points in the fall season, finishing in sixth place out of eight teams with a 3-7-4 record. Head coach Jorge Sanchez has the luxury of keeping almost his entire team intact for next season, as only graduating midfielder Alice Grandpierre is certain to leave the team. “We have a good core of players, so it’s about figuring out who’s good in the system,” Sanchez said. “Towards the end of the season, we discovered how we wanted to play, and we discovered certain tactical changes that worked. [...] So it’s just reinforcing it and
getting players comfortable with it.” Sanchez noted that, even though the winter season is used to prepare for the fall season, he still wants his players to focus on staying competitive by winning. “Part of the culture at this level is being part of a winning team, and you want to do that by winning games,” he said. Despite frigid temperatures and a constant reminder that it’s not typical soccer weather outside, Sanchez said players know they need to commit to the Stingers in the winter as much as they do in the fall season. “When we recruit them, we tell them if they come to Concordia, they will be playing soccer for an entire school year,” Sanchez said. “It’s not an off-season. It’s not a recreational time.” MEN’S TEAM The men’s team finished in sixth place out of seven teams in the RSEQ with a 3-8-1 record. In November, Sutton told The Concordian the season was marred by injuries, and there wasn’t enough experience on the team to replace the injured players. In the winter league, he’s looking to play some younger players and players who didn’t compete as much during the fall season. “We use [the winter season] as a testing ground for some of the guys who didn’t get to play in the fall, to see how they’re growing,”
Sutton said. “And for our guys who played a regular role in the fall season, they need to continue to improve.” During the team’s first three winter games, Sutton said forwards Simon Malaborsa, who led the team in scoring last fall with six goals in 12 matches, and Peter Campbell, who had two goals, have impressed him the most. “When you have guys who come from the fall and they had a good season, you expect them to do that in the winter, and those two guys have done that,” Sutton said. The Stingers also have two players on their winter team who didn’t play in the fall. According to Sutton, twins Andres and Martin Lopez had to sit out the season after transferring from the United States, but they will be playing next fall. “Those two have a great ability on the ball,” Sutton said. “Now, we just need to make them understand what it takes to be successful in our league and the physicality they need to come with.” So far this season, the men have a 3-0 record, and the women are 2-1. Their next games are on Feb. 11 at the Stingers Dome against McGill. CHECK OUT OUR VIDEO INTERVIEW ONLINE AT THECONCORDIAN.COM
PANEL
Growing the game and creating a legacy A roundtable discussion on the evolution of professional women’s hockey MATTHEW COYTE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Meg Hewings, the general manager for Les Canadiennes de Montréal, remembers going to watch the 1990 Women’s World Hockey Championship in Ottawa. It was the first-ever women’s world championship. As a young hockey player, Hewings watched Team Canada don their now-famous pink-and-white jerseys for the first time. “They actually created [those jerseys] because they didn’t know how to sell women’s sports,” Hewings said. “Right from the beginning, there has always been this weird tension about how women’s hockey truly is a part of the national narrative.” Hewings took part in a panel hosted by Aaron Lakoff, a Concordia media studies graduate, titled “Power Play: A Roundtable on Women, Sports Journalism and Hockey” on Jan. 31. Held at the Feminist Media Studio on the Loyola campus, the panel discussed the growth of women’s hockey, sports journalism and feminism in hockey, among other topics. “If we want to see the game that we watch reflected in real life, we have to build media that is going to amplify those voices that we want to hear,” Lakoff said.
Hewings was joined on the panel by Robyn Flynn, a reporter and broadcaster for organizations such as TSN 690, CJAD and The Athletic, and Safia Ahmad, a recent Concordia graduate currently working as the media relations manager for Les Canadiennes. “We don’t get to hear conversations like this very often,” Lakoff said. “It’s rare to hear the words ‘feminism’ and ‘hockey’ together.” Back in the 80s, when Hewings was growing up playing hockey, she said people couldn’t really understand that she played the sport. “They would say, ‘Oh, like field hockey? ’ and I would say, ‘No, hockey on ice, our national [winter] sport.’” For Hewing s , one of the big gest moments in women’s hockey was the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, when women’s hockey was included as an Olympic sport for the very first time, despite women’s hockey having been around as early as 1891. “No one thought [women’s hockey in the Olympics] would ever happen, and it put the sport on the global stage,” Hewings said. “There was a lot of attention on the game for the first time. As a young student, I was trying to
From left, Aaron Lakoff, Robyn Flynn, Safia Ahmad and Meg Hewings took part in a panel about feminism in hockey. Photo by Alex Hutchins. figure out how it was that we have this national sport that women were starting to be a part of, but somehow still not able to fully access it [the way men could].” The sport has had its troubles growing, but Ahmad knows the momentum for women’s hockey is picking up. “There are more and more fans at the Canadiennes games, which is good to see, and there have been more mainstream media coming to our games,” Ahmad said. “It’s no longer about comparing women’s hockey to
men’s hockey, but realizing that these are two different things.” Flynn said she always hears fans reminisce about the days of the Original Six teams in the National Hockey League (NHL). Now, with the creation of two North American women’s hockey leagues—the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) and the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL)—Flynn said we are witnessing that same era in women’s hockey. “We are creating a legacy,” Hewings added.
FEBRUARY 6, 2018
PROFILE
My Olympic Memories: Julie Chu The four-time Olympian once saw the Games as an “untouchable dream”
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COLOUR COMMENTARY BY NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI
I cannot wait for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games to start on Feb. 9. The Olympics unite people like no other sporting event does. I have a few Olympic memories that I will remember for a long time, and I want to share them.
Julie Chu competed in four Olympics between 2002 and 2014, winning Julie Chu (bottom row, third from left) and the American national team. Photo by Alex Hutchins.
NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI SPORTS EDITOR During the opening ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah, Julie Chu and the rest of the American athletes waited for their turn in the Parade of Nations. As host country, the United States was the last country in the parade, so Chu—who was 19 years old and competing in her first Olympics for the women’s hockey team—had to wait a while. However, as the athletes lined up outside the Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium where the opening ceremony took place, she could hear the cheers coming from inside. “There was a moment where you heard [the stadium] absolutely erupt, and we all knew for sure that Greece had just walked in,” Chu said. Greece leads the parade because of the Olympics’ origins in the country. “I think about it now, and I get goosebumps.” Eventually, the American team made their way into the stadium. “Finally, you [enter] and it just opens up,” Chu said. “It's just bright lights and cheering, and you think, ‘This is pretty cool.’” Salt Lake City was the first of four Olympic Games for Chu, who is now the head coach of the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team. She is one of three players to have participated in four Olympics for the American women’s team, winning three silver medals and a bronze medal in 2006. Only seven other players have four or more Olympic medals in women’s hockey, including Canadian Caroline Ouellette—the
four medals in women’s hockey. Photo by Alex Hutchins.
Stingers’ assistant coach—who has four gold medals. Although Chu watched the Olympics growing up, she said competing in them seemed like an “untouchable dream,” until women’s hockey was included in the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, Japan. “When women's hockey was announced as an Olympic sport, it was the first time I had a dream of going to the Olympics,” Chu said. “I wanted to make that Olympic team one day. I don't know if I had set a goal; 1998 wasn't on my radar because I was only 15. I probably had visions of 2002, but I didn't have a time frame. It was more that I wanted to chase after this dream, and hopefully, one day be able to reach it.” Chu watched on TV as the American team won the inaugural women’s hockey tournament at the 1998 Olympics. While she was watching the Games, her father, Wah, told her, “If you ever make it to the Olympic Games, I'm going to get the Olympic rings [tattooed] on my arm.” Chu said her father is traditional and was against tattoos, so she was shocked when he said that. Neither Chu nor her father mentioned the tattoo until four years later, when she made Team U.S.A. Just prior to the Olympic Games, Wah followed through on his promise, and then Chu’s mother, brother and sister all said they would get a tattoo of the Olympic rings with her number, 13. "They told me beforehand that they would get it before the Olympics,” Chu said. “I told them, 'I don't want to know, because until I [play], I'm not an Olympian.’” After the Games, Chu also got the Olympic rings tattooed to match the rest of her family. Through four Olympics, Chu experienced the Games in different corners of the world. She admits that, prior to the 2002 Olympics in the United States, she had hoped to play in a country she had never visited, so she could travel. But Chu quickly realized how special it was to play at home.
“I was young, so getting into it I realized how awesome it really was,” she said. “Playing in Salt Lake City, I had over 30 friends and family [members] come and be a part of the Olympic Games.” Chu got to travel to Turin, Italy, in 2006, then visit her neighbouring country in Vancouver in 2010, and say goodbye to the Olympics in Sochi, Russia, in 2014. Chu said she experienced a bit of the Italian culture at her second Olympics, but didn’t get to be immersed in the Russian culture at her last Olympics. She said the Olympic village in Turin was in the city, whereas in Sochi, it was an isolated town on its own. Nonetheless, Chu got to meet athletes from different nations in the dining hall at all four Olympics. Even though each country had its own dorm building in the Olympic village, the dining hall was communal, so Olympians from every sport and country ate together. “The dining hall is probably the best melting pot of all the nations,” Chu said. “There have been times when we've sat down and have had meals with people from different nations [...] You're having a conversation, and get a chance to hear about their journey or about their experience at that Olympic Games.” Chu added that, for the most part, Olympians are fun to be around. “I've met some really amazing people along the way,” she said. “[They] have been on the biggest stage, but at the end of it, they're hard-working and just chasing their dream and are proud to represent [their country.]" This year’s Olympics, held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, will be the first in 20 years that Chu won’t compete in. Even though she said not playing for the national team is hard at times, she’s still excited to watch this year’s Games. “Sometimes we blink and [Sochi 2014] didn't seem that long ago,” Chu said. “What I tell [my former teammates] is to enjoy the moment, because it goes fast. Let go of the things you can't control, let go of the external stuff and focus on the moment."
SIDNEY CROSBY’S GOLDEN GOAL After Team U.S.A.’s Zach Parise tied the 2010 men's gold medal final against Canada with 25 seconds left, sending it to overtime, I got nervous and started doubting Canada’s hockey talent. I kept telling myself, “Canada cannot lose to the United States." I’m sure many Canadians were also anxious watching that overtime period. Midway through, Canada’s Sidney Crosby got a quick shot off on goalie Ryan Miller, which somehow beat him, and Canada won the gold medal. I was so excited, I nearly jumped from the couch onto my grandparents’ glass coffee table. A broken coffee table would have changed our mood. I remember watching reaction videos of that goal, and how almost all of Canada screamed at once because we won gold in hockey. It was something special. MARIE-PHILIP POULIN’S GOLDEN GOAL Similarly, I will never forget MariePhilip Poulin’s goal in the 2014 women’s hockey gold medal final against the United States. In the final, the Canadians scored two goals in the last three minutes to come back from being down 2-0, and send the game to overtime. I watched the overtime in my grade 11 English class because my teacher put it on. As we were watching, we heard another class cheer. Canada had scored, but our feed was delayed! In celebration, most of my grade ran through the hallways, yelling, “Go Canada Go!” Some teachers didn’t like it. Oh well, that’s the Olympics. SOCCER CONTROVERSY This memory isn’t so much a sweet one, but a bitter one. In the semi-final of the 2012 women’s soccer tournament, Canada lost 4-3 to the United States. Canadian captain Christine Sinclair scored three goals, but it was the officials who stole the headlines, and the game, from Canada. With Canada up 3-2 in the 80th minute, the referee called a handball in the box against Canada, even though it looked like the ball struck the Canadian defender’s body. The United States got a penalty, allowing them to tie the game and eventually win in extra time. I will remember this game because of the reaction in Canada. People knew Canada got robbed. Normally, Canadians wouldn’t care about soccer, but because it was the Olympics, and against the Americans, we became passionate about it.
feature
PROFILE
A teacher who never stops learning
How Dan Babineau brings his passion for filmmaking to his courses at Concordia and Champlain College
Dan Babineau has been teaching for over 25 years at Champlain College. Photo courtesy of Dan Babineau.
NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI SPORTS EDITOR When Dan Babineau wants to teach his students about filmmaking, he tells them to learn it by themselves. “I realized that where they really learn is the assignments and when they’re off on their own,” he said. “Standing there with a PowerPoint about all the stuff you know is not going to make them learn it.” Babineau has been teaching at Champlain College on Montreal’s south shore since 1991, and has been the chairman of the creative arts department since 2008. He is also a part-time faculty member in the communications depar tment at Concordia Universit y. Yet, Babineau never studied to be a te ac h er. In f ac t, i t w a s n’ t e ven h i s first-choice profession. Babineau was studying literature and language at Champlain College when he decided to take a film class. He enjoyed the class so much that he realize d he w ante d a c are er in t he film industr y. Once he graduated from Champlain in 1975, Babineau began studying communic at ions at Concordia , and gr aduated in 1981. Af ter universit y, Babineau said many of his peers had trouble finding jobs in the film industry, and some bec ame stock brokers or winemakers instead.
how to give their speech; I was pitching in front of committees and standing up a lot.” Babineau said that, by his second year of teaching, he had learned the tools of the trade. He also gave himself rules to live by as a professor. “I promised myself I would never be pretentious, which is something that drove me crazy at university with PhD teachers,” he said. “I’ll tr y not to be dull. If it isn’t f un and e xcit ing , then it ’s probably not worth teaching. And to be myself [...] I’m me. I’m not a trained teacher, but I have creativity.” Champlain College allowed Babineau to continue teaching more courses until he became a full-time professor a few years later. In 2002, Champlain College gave him a permanent position. More than 25 years after he first stepped foot in a classroom to teach, Babineau is still learning. He said a few years ago, he heard his son playing Led Zeppelin on the guitar, which he’d learned to do by watching videos on YouTube. It was then that Babineau realized that, when students are passionate about something , they will lear n it themselves. “As a teacher, what’s the best thing you could do? Make them interested enough so they can learn it, then just get out of the way,” Babineau said. He applies this when teaching a special effects course at Champlain. He said his class is too big to teach everyone individually, so one assignment involves students sharing with the class what they learned about special effects on their own time. In 1999, the year his son was born, Babineau returned to his alma mater to teach a filmmaking class for Concordia’s communications department.
Babineau’s film teacher from Champlain, “I did the same year or two of [lookJohn McKay, who was the chairman of ing] around, trying to get work and, by the creative ar ts depar tment at that accident, ended up in the corporate world point, contacted him about teaching a basically helping companies lie to their course. Babineau agreed immediately. employees with media,” Babineau said. His daughter was born on Jan. 8, 1991, Nonetheless, in the corporate world, and he started teaching on Jan. 20. he fulfilled his dream of making movies “I loved it, and I thought: ‘Wow I’m for a living by creating advertisements in class on my feet shooting around and other promotional videos. For 15 ideas like I used to, but it’s not for stupid years, Babineau freelanced for multiclients and not for stupid products,’” ple production companies. He wrote, Babineau said. produced, directed, added voice-overs He balanced work and teaching for a and sup er v is e d ent ire proje c t s . At few years, but quickly realized teaching times, he worked as a consultant for was his calling. “I suspect I was always companies in need of a stor y idea. destined to teach, without knowing According to Babineau, his background it,” Babineau said. “In the corporate in communications and his passion for world, I was coaching executives on filmmaking helped him a lot with these various projects. “A lot of people working in that business were like shoe salesmen; they didn’t know anything,” he said. “They knew this company wanted a video that said, ‘Molson beer is t he b e st.’ T hey didn’t k now anything about video or how to write a proper script or use the right picture. There I was with the communications background and all these ideas, and I did very well in that business.” Babineau had to travel a lot for his job, and said that, for six years, he commuted between Montreal, Toronto Little Girl Blue, funded by the National Film Board of Canada, was shown and Ottawa. Right before on CBC in December 2016. Babinea is in the middle. Photo by Bruno Parent. his daughter was bor n,
FEBRUARY 6, 2018
Babineau’s film, Little Girl Blue, is a Christmas movie, but it’s set in a hospital. Photo by Thilelli Chouikrat.
L i t t l e d i d h e k n o w, h i s f o r m e r teacher-turned-colleague, McKay, was teaching the other sections of that course. Together, they taught the course until it was cut from the curriculum in 2008. Babineau didn’t teach at Concordia for two years after that, until the university offered him film studies classes, which he has been teaching ever since. Babineau has noticed a big difference in the way he approaches a course at Concordia compared to Champlain. Babineau said students in CEGEP, unlike university students, don’t know what they want to do as a career. “ T h e t hing at C EGEP t hat yo u’re looking for is to help [the students] figure out what they’re going to do next, and what they’re good at,” Babineau said. “At universit y, they ’ve already figured it out, and they’re intellectually way more challenging. [...] People are going to ask you challenging questions because they’re way more smart, they know what field they’re going into and who they are. University, for me, is an intellectual reward.” However, Babineau said he feels rewarded when he notices his CEGEP students finding their passion. Champlain’s creative arts department makes their students produce a short film in their four th semester. Babineau s aid the production is similar to making a real movie, with everyone being assigned a different role, including sound, camera and makeup. “They feel like they’re working on a real film, and they go, ‘Oh my God, this is what I want to do as my real job.’ Three
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Babineau (left) said medical experts helped in making Little Girl Blue. Photo by Thilelli Chouikrat.
week s before they graduate, they f igure it out,” B abineau s aid w it h a laugh. He added that the best moments as a teacher happen outside of the classroom. “I bend over backwards to make the class exciting and good,” Babineau said. “But I know having drinks at Brutopia the night after they finished screening their film will be what they remember from that class.” Babineau and other faculty members often help students out with their film projects. One year, the students wanted to produce a zombie film, and Babineau happily got involved to help them in any way he could. Babineau (left) talking with the lead actress of Little Girl Blue, That involvement included lying Iris Lapid. Photo by Alex Turcot. on the floor and pretending to be a zombie at 8 a.m. on a Sunday. “We’re lying on the floor, and I look at [another teacher] and say, this talent around me, and I taught ‘What a great job we have, eh?’ Can nursing depar t ment and Christ mas. you picture other people whose job But after listening to “Little Girl Blue” them when they were 17,” Babineau said. Af ter receiving funding f rom the is to lie on the floor and wear zombie by Nina Simone, a sad Christmas song, Babineau’s focus changed. National Film Board of Canada, Little makeup?” Babineau said. “Nurse. Christmas. Sad,” Babineau Girl Blue, a 20-minute film, was shown In 2015, Babineau had the opportunity to bring his students from Champlain said. “So I ended up writing a stor y o n C B C d u r i n g t h e 2 0 1 6 h o l i d a y s . and Concordia together to produce about a nurse who has a bad day and Babineau said he had fun making the ends up quit ting her job, but on the film, and didn’t expect it to get so big. a movie. “I had my Oscar speech prepared, During a Christmas lunch at Champlain way home, has to deliver a baby for a one year, staff members from different homeless woman [...] I thought, ‘Oh my but I didn’t expect it to go that far,” Babineau said with a laugh. “All the d e p a r t m e n t s s c r e e n e d h o m e m a d e God, it’s baby Jesus.’” The idea for the film quickly escalated students came on board and raised Christmas movies. “My department is notoriously not involved in school stuff, from a video for a Christmas lunch into the [quality of the project].” Af ter nearly three decades in the so we didn’t do anything,” Babineau said. a bigger production. He started to get That’s when a colleague from the former students from Champlain and profession, Babineau knows his time nursing department suggested Babineau Concordia to volunteer their time to a s a t e a c h e r i s c o m i n g t o a n e n d . write a Christmas film for the following produce the film. Without much of an He made a promise to himself that, year. So he went home, thinking he initial budget, Babineau got a whole a s long he enjoys teaching , he will would write a silly video involving the cast and crew together to shoot for continue doing it. five days. He said seeing his former “If you can’t bring the real fire students work together made and passion, why would you inf lict him proud. it on these kids? They don’t need to “Can you imagine, you see someone whose fire has burned taught a student 10 years out and [do e sn't] t hink any t hing is a g o a n d h e b e c o m e s a interesting,” he said. professional cameraman, Babineau already knows what and then comes back to he will do once he retires: “ When I work with you on this leave teaching, it won’t be to go to project? I have all another job.”
Babineau (on drums) played in a band called The Alpha while he was a Concordia student. Here, the band is playing at Reggies Bar in the Hall building in 1982. Photo by Ian Migicovsky.
This article is part of a series of profiles on part-time faculty at Concordia. Our goal is to highlight some of the incredible work these professors do, while also shedding light on the difference in treatment between being part-time versus full-time faculty. This series came to life with the help of Laurie Milner, the chair of communications for the Concordia University Part-time Faculty Association (CUPFA), and Lorraine Oades, the vice-president of professional development at CUPFA.
opinions OPINIONS EDITOR /// opinions@theconcordian.com SANIA MALIK
Bell Let’s Talk needs to be more than just talk As most of us know, Jan. 31 was dedicated to the mental health awareness campaign Bell Let’s Talk. On that day, the telecommunications powerhouse donated five cents to Canadian mental health initiatives for every text message or call made between Bell users and for social media engagement ranging from viewing Bell Let’s Talk videos to using the campaign’s Snapchat filter to tweeting #BellLetsTalk. The purpose of all this, according to the campaign’s website, is to reduce the stigma around mental illness, improve access to care and support mental health research. Since the first Bell Let’s Talk Day in 2011, the awareness campaign has raised $93.4 million (nearly $7 million on Jan. 31, 2018). This is undoubtedly a tremendous contribution to our society. In Quebec alone, 16 mental health institutions, organizations and hospitals have received between $200,000 and $2 million in funds from Bell Let’s Talk since 2011 (for a total contribution of about $9.4 million). The initiative is about more than just money though. It’s about starting a conversation. Statistics Canada estimates one in five Canadians will experience a mental illness at some point in their life.
Scrolling through social media feeds on Jan. 31 revealed countless stories about these Canadians and their experiences with mental illness. People opened up about their struggles, their journey and their hope. That evening, CTV aired “In Their Own Words: A Bell Let’s Talk Day Special” in which regular Canadians spoke openly about their mental health. These stories are the stories that give others the strength to speak up. These are the stories that will spark empathy among those who might otherwise alienate. These are the stories that will change the way our society perceives and responds to mental illness. Bell Let’s Talk Day has certainly played a major role in making these stories heard. Yet, we at The Concordian want to remind our readers of the necessity to keep this conversation going and to build off of Bell’s initiative. Tweeting a campaign hashtag or liking a video on Facebook one day a year is only the first step in a process that requires consistency and concrete action. If your social media activity contributed to the funds collected on Jan. 31, thank you. But do not think that absolves you of your responsibility to support this cause for the rest of the year.
In the book Digital Mosaic: Media, Power and Identity in Canada, author and communications professor David Taras warns that activism on social media tends to give users “the illusion of involvement without its substance.” This can lead many to substitute real commitment and action with “cheap and convenient” Internet activism. It is a behaviour Taras and other scholars refer to as “slacktivism.” It is a trap we at The Concordian caution you against falling into. So keep the conversation going, and keep it going outside of the digital world. Be proud of your involvement in Bell Let’s Talk Day, but don’t think that alone makes you a mental health advocate. If you truly care about this initiative, expect more from yourself. Share your story or support others who do; educate yourself about what language
can be harmful or helpful; challenge stereotypes and misconceptions. If you truly care about this initiative, truly get involved. Mental health issues and our society’s perception of them are complex; change requires much more than just one day. Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.
SOCIETY
We have a responsibility to help those in need Anti-homeless infrastructure isn't the only thing hurting the homeless—our lack of attention is too AYRTON WAKFER STAFF WRITER I’m sure you’ve seen the guy who sits in front of the garbage cans at GuyConcordia metro, with his “Kindness is not a weakness” sign leaning next to him and a perpetually empty Tim Horton’s cup at his feet. He’s there everyday, quietly asking for change or a meal. Around Remembrance Day, another man appeared in the metro station to collect donations and give out poppies. In a surprising twist, the people who never before had change in their pockets for the man begging everyday were able to produce quarters and loonies for the poppies. Most people rarely give money to panhandlers and are uncomfortable having homeless people loitering in public places. When fewer homeless people are visible, we don’t ask questions about where they went—we are just relieved the metro station is a little calmer. So it’s not a surprise to me that Montreal has anti-homeless infrastructure, because it teaches us that homelessness is best kept out of sight and out of mind. But problems don’t go away by ignoring them. Ever wonder why the seats at Laurier metro are floating cubes? Or why all the benches downtown have armrests segmenting the seats? Presumably, it’s to stop people from lying down in these
areas, namely homeless people who might not have anywhere else to rest. I believe it’s our city’s way of saying we prefer that they sleep on the ground or don’t sleep in public places. We need to change the way we think about homeless people in our society. Homelessness is not a lifetime sentence, nor is it a person’s defining feature. We need to see those without a fixed address for who they are: people in need of help. It can be uncomfortable to talk to some homeless people. They can be dirty, smelly, intoxicated or all of the above. Now imagine
how it feels to be the person in that position. Most of us live very comfortable lives, but sometimes we need to leave our comfort zone to solve difficult issues. A great way to help someone in need would be to acknowledge them and give them the 25 cents in your pocket. We can criticize the city for handling the problem poorly, or we can directly support the people suffering from the city’s lack of attention. In my view, homeless shelters don’t work. They are overcrowded and can be expensive and dir t y, creating an environment prone to disease and crime.
Researchers at McGill University found that it costs $50,000 a year to care for one mentally ill homeless person, according to CBC News. This is an insane sum, especially considering it doesn't seem to be reducing the homeless population in Montreal. Global News reported that the Welcome Hall Mission shelter had 2,700 new clients in 2017. In my opinion, landlords should pay less property tax if they rent to people transitioning from life on the street. Businesses should receive a tax break for employing people recovering from homelessness. This way those stuck in a bad place have more opportunities to pull themselves out of a hole. I believe there are much more effective and sympathetic ways of preventing people from sleeping in public places. We should all feel guilty when we see someone begging. We are young, compassionate, intelligent people who are in a position powerful enough to protest the inhumane treatment of a group of people. When a homeless person protests being stuck on the street, they are cuffed or removed by security. When we protest the circumstances homeless people are stuck in, we are given media coverage and called activists. It’s strange how we blame those who are in need. This poisonous mindset doesn’t solve the problem, and it needs to be changed. Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.
FEBRUARY 6, 2018
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GAMING
The line between enthusiasm and addiction Classifying gaming addiction as a mental disorder can have a positive impact on gamers ESTHER HAGUENAUER CONTRIBUTOR Later this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) will classify gaming addiction as a mental health condition in the 11th edition of their International Classification of Diseases. The organization’s diagnostic manual states that, in the case of any addiction, “the unhealthy behaviour will have had to continue for at least a year before diagnosis is confirmed.” I believe the classification of gaming addiction as a disorder has been a long time coming, and it’s becoming a more prominent issue as children get electronic devices earlier in life. Nearly 40 per cent of children under the age of two used a mobile device in 2013, a jump from 10 per cent in 2011, according to a study done by the California-based non-profit organization Common Sense Media. As soon as video games became accessible on multiple platforms (phones, computers, etc.), their potential risk and impact on gamers increased. According to the WHO website, “in an increasing number of countries and jurisdictions, the problem [of gaming addiction] has reached the magnitude of a significant public health concern.” I’m astonished by the amount of time children under the age of 10, and sometimes as young as five, spend on tablets or phones.
Kids seem captivated by their screens. In my experience, millennials usually received their first phones—flip phones used only for texting, calling and sometimes playing Snake—at about 10 years old and smartphones much later in their teens. However, according to the online tech news outlet TechCrunch, on average, kids these days are given their first smartphones at the age of 10. The percentage of infants to eight-year-olds who have used mobile devices nearly doubled from 38 per cent in 2011 to 72 per cent in 2013, according to Common Sense Media. But enough about phones; let’s get back to video games. A Kaiser Family Foundation study conducted in 2009 found that children in the United States between the ages of
eight and 10 spent an average of eight hours per day using electronic devices, which is longer than the time they spend in school. In addition to consuming so much of children’s time, there are more sinister aspects to gaming, including negative physical and psychological effects. Playing video games for too long can cause migraines and the person might forget to get up, eat and drink, and sometimes even sleep. Violent action games such as Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty were proven to have a negative impact on the hippocampus in the brain, causing lack of orientation and loss of memory, as well as psychiatric illnesses such as depression and potentially Alzheimer’s disease, according to Global News.
The way I see it, the fact that playing video games can lead to serious health conditions is an indicator of how grave the issue is. In my opinion, young gamers are too quick to dismiss how big of an impact videogames can have on their lives. Therefore, gamers tend to deny the fact that they can’t stop playing, which only makes matters worse. I believe people tend to be scared of using the term “mental illness,” assuming it is a sign of weakness. Frankly, it isn’t. Though people might not want to admit how real the problem is, I think the use of this powerful term highlights the importance of the matter. It points to the fact that adults as well as children should take gaming addiction as seriously as any other illness. But do not despair. As long as they’re played in moderation, video games have the potential to expand certain brain capacities, such as perception, attention and reaction time, according to Global News. As such, I believe it’s important to remember that there is a difference between gaming enthusiasts and addicts. The key is for players to remember there is a life outside of video games, to take a step back and prevent isolation. It’s also important to remember that seeking help isn’t a sign of weakness. If someone has trouble putting down the controller and engaging with the world, family and professionals are there to help. Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.
VIOLENCE
The focus should not be Trump’s tweets The 11th shooting in the United States this year must be addressed more humanely EITHNE LYNCH STAFF WRITER Two students were killed and 18 were injured when a fellow student opened fire at a high school in Kentucky on Jan. 23. It was the 11th shooting in the United States since the beginning of the year. Although the shooting gained major news coverage, the conversation turned to the fact that President Donald Trump seemed to take his time addressing the attack, only acknowledging it a day later on Twitter. This slow, nonchalant response caused people on social media to question whether or not Americans are becoming numb to mass shootings. I believe many people in the United States have become desensitized to gun violence, but I don’t think they realize how deep this numbness permeates their lives. When I visited my family in Minnesota for Christmas, I was reminded of the possibility of danger everywhere I went. When I entered malls or movie theatres, there were signs labeling the area as a gun-free zone, which I didn’t think needed to be put in writing. Even the pre-show message during movies in the United States tells you to turn off your cellphone, don’t talk during the movie and report suspicious behaviour or packages. This paranoia is understandable, given the numerous shootings that happen in
public spaces in the United States. Yet, when I pointed out how weird this was to my American relatives, they all seemed to shrug it off. I believe most Americans don’t realize that they don’t have to live their lives in fear. In my opinion, if Americans truly wanted to protect themselves, they would proactively implement much more rigorous gun-control laws. If people were truly angry or sad about the number of shootings that occur in their country, you’d think they would feel emboldened enough to take action. Instead, we hear the same phrase whenever a shooting occurs: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.” Then everyone seems to move on. Meanwhile in Canada, when a shooting occurs, I believe we are not as numb to this issue because we aren’t inundated by these kinds of atrocities. We don’t have to live in fear of attacks, because most Canadians have limited access to weapons. That being said, I do think we experience a level of numbness to crimes as well. When reading about the Kentucky shooting, I was able to empathize much more with the victims’ statements than with the
basic details or the political ramifications of the shooting. Yet, too often when tragic events are reported in the news, victims are reduced to numbers and the story shifts to political debates and finger pointing. In order to revive people’s empathy towards tragic events, the human side of these stories should be the focus. We should be talking about the human beings who experienced these tragic events, the families that will never be the same and the communities that have to put themselves back together. When these stories are told,
it becomes nearly impossible not to feel some kind of connection to the story and the people involved. I believe once connections are made, we are more likely to see people taking real action and trying to make meaningful change. Teenagers died, families were broken and people were physically and mentally scarred by the events that took place on Jan. 23. That should be the focus of these stories—not the fact that the president took too long to tweet his condolences. Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.
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U on om MA LI PR @t ME NAG ZU FE E he T PA ODU ER MD DI OP co AR RIS CT T n E O co R A F ION DA I N I O R TIF TS E rdi OR D an. op VID NS E art FAN ITO OU ASSI co inio EA D NE s@ Y L R m TA STA ns@ SEY ITO W t A he N NT SA SE R AS co FLEU the AS V D A n S NE co co NN ITO SA ISTA MA SISTA nc rdi R N ne LLY S A C RS o N an. GG NT IA rdi ws co an. MA T OP IE @t ÉRA RAIG m co H O A RT S LIK INI he ND m AS O c P E P O o E N D M S H n U S I I c US OT TO ME STA ord R-A E A D SA I C O R N ian I MA T A CH GAN NT N ED OR ph .co mu NDR EDIT LÖ H oto HER ITO m R sic A H OR E R UN EWS @t NA R @t ED ER AN T N h P h eco DE H ITO AS eco CE AL nc Z DI AL OTO nc GO RS LIFE EDITOR EM SISTA ord ord VÁ OPINIONS EX EDITOR EDITOR-IN-CHIEF A ILY NT ian ian HU SSIS .co V . M T c SANDRA HERCEGOVÁ SANIA MALIK T KATYA TEAGUE ID AN o U C m m H S AL T CO IC Concordia University’s I G N SP RA ED life@theconcordian.com opinions@theconcordian.com S editor@theconcordian.com E li N T R O P I F T sa LO H I C weekly, independent IBU A L RT S OR Co R B o ar gra REN S E T nc spo EXAN EDI ph Fre mina bier, ORS DI wstudent CEOPINIONS ord newspaper TOEDITOR rts i D T e ASSISTANT LIFE ASSISTANT EDITOR c F g Q O e s E R @t @t YEE Alm oli, lore as R st u kl y i a U GR i he R CO he AS ANHOURY de , ind niv Mu ahr, Nath ncia m Wa A MIA BURGER co MANAGING EDITOR co TTYSON e rs nt 35,ep nc LE Ar HO PHI nc ntu Ali an rra NI SISTA VOL. 18 o ne ISSUE r o C V cia L e iet ic h CH rdi . M rdi CONTRIBUTORS O N A ALEXANDER COLE ws ende ity’s b a, P , an. Ar BE SS an. L l OL T S a . F p n d nt IST FEB. 34 06, 2018. co L E c h PO c a A e B L o o , B l p S m U Sara Chahrour, Joyce li, J HChan, m e AN managing@theconcordian.com . 7, , IS er D I RT S HE PHOTO EDITOR eff ussa be OR SINE T 20 SU GI in reyFretierOU SS KA AD C Cook, Charles ARTS EDITOR 17. E 1 OV E D I T bu ENZachary M TYALEX 9 R Z O AN OR HUTCHINS s O AN ine Gauvin, COOUR COVER THIS WEEK A T PY Haguenauer, Eithne “ NI MAGGIE HOPE ss@ POR Esther A VE EA ED CO Bla photo@theconcordian.com PO GERPagano, Gabrielle RT GU ITO the Pamela ck Lynch, K A PY E arts@theconcordian.com G AD R PRODUCTION MANAGER HI E c R rap Hi on IN Sby T D V E coAyrton O s“Beauty WEMathu” I RE E h O T t R Vendette, Wakfer i R o O r c R I LOREANNA LASTORIA dia r T EK E b y I A G RS ASSISTANTS S PHOTO VA BECC N y FO NZ Mo by Pamela n.c I F F Photo Pagano. N O lor om RA OP G AN n ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR co LERI AKIRUBEL L production@theconcordian.com t a L en MA h.” LU dve O O G MEHARI D py A c W eY @t CO GER rtis VER RPO NA C U ee O G MANAGER he MACKENZIE CHLOË LALONDE ing BUSINESS SO T R LAD . co RI-M R ST ME T @t ISIN INO E N FOLLOW US ON nc PRODUCTION ASSISTANT O he GI BO ord ANO T H RY O O c ORENZO PORPORINO N A o ian QU nc M U CC RD N E HYACINTH WOURMS R A CC L O E E ord .co H T I W O R H business@theconcordian.com IO JA m ian IES FD EE 12 -431 YOL TINGCOME TO OUR WEEKLY C A .co GRAPHICS EDITOR P.M FR A C MI OB LIE L IRE MUSIC EDITOR AT KLY m ID AMSTORY . MEETING AT DA LOS SERE AFLA CTO A ZEZE LE LIN PIT Y A PU CALVIN CASHEN dir VID KOV BIN MM RS S LOYOLA CAMPUS CH T THE ect EA AC E graphics@theconcordian.com NEWS EDITORS ADVERTISING MANAGER . music@theconcordian.com WR E ors SE ITE CC-431 FRIDAY AT @t Y VICRUPINDER SINGH BAGRI ÉTIENNE LAJOIE Ed he .E ito co DI 7 nc GRAPHIC ASSISTANT T. 12:00 P.M. 141 rial CANDICE PYE ord advertising@theconcordian.com ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR Sh offi Bu ian e c i ALEXA HAWKSWORTH news@theconcordian.com .co Mo lding rbro e HUSSAIN ALMAHR m n PITCH. WRITE. EDIT. (51 tre CC oke S a ext 4) 84 l, QC 431 t. W BOARD OF DIRECTORS ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS . 74 8H 99 242 4B NATHALIE LAFLAMME HEAD COPY EDITOR 1R 4 MEGAN HUNT SPORTS EDITOR 6
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