November 6, 2018

theconcordian

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY’S WEEKLY, INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

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

VOLUME 36, ISSUE 11 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2018

Riding a new wave RYAN Playground debuts stripped-back sound Music p.11

also in this issue...

news

life

arts

sports

McGill protests Ditching school Exploring portals New season, Redmen name p. 2 for business p. 6 to the unreal p. 8 new captain

opinions

p. 12

Why internships should be paid p. 15

news

CITY IN BRIEF

NEWS EDITORS /// news@theconcordian.com IAN DOWN & MIA ANHOURY ( @IanDown1996 @mia_anhoury)

M CG I L L

Students protest Redmen name It’s time to change the offensive name, says Indigenous athlete

MIA ANHOURY NEWS EDITOR The police watchdog, Quebec’s Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI), has opened an investigation into a police chase in the city that resulted in a 30-year-old man being seriously injured on Saturday night , reported the CBC. A police officer was approaching a vehicle, which allegedly struck another car, when the suspected driver fled and collided with two other vehicles before crashing into a tree. The BEI did not reveal which of the three collisions the injured man was involved in.

A poll by Le Journal de Montréal found that Mayor Valérie Plante’s approval rate has decreased in the last year. According to the poll, nearly half of Montrealers want a new mayor, especially due to her tax increase.

Protesters say the name is offensive to Indigenous people. Photo by Esteban Cuevas.

ESTEBAN CUEVAS CONTRIBUTOR McGill University students protested in front of the school’s administrative building last Wednesday to demand the change of the Redmen name as it could be offensive towards Indigenous people.

“Indigenous students are still getting hurt, right now, year after year, while the university continues to delay their decision on the Redmen name,” said Tomas Jirousek, a third-year Indigenous varsity athlete on the men’s rowing team at McGill, from the Kainai Nation in southern Alberta.

Jirousek organized the demonstration at McGill. His campaign has attracted a lot of support on social media, with 2,800 people marked as interested or going on the Facebook event. More than 9,000 people have signed his petition.

This is not the first time McGill’s sports teams have received criticism for having a name associated with Indigenous people.

The Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU) Indigenous Affairs is leading a campaign to change the name for good.

“If you look at the historical legacy of the Redmen name, you see that the university recalled the McGill Squaws and the McGill Indians,” said Jirousek.

“Those are the most derogatory terms to address Indigenous people.”

The men’s sports teams at McGill have been called the Redmen since the end of the 1920s. According to the McGill Athletics website, the name was a reference to the colour of the teams's uniforms. However, in 1980, the Redmen began using a picture of an Indigenous man as its logo.

It was discontinued in 1992, but the name remained the same. In a McGill Athletics press release from 1992, Richard W. Pound,

then chair of the Athletics Board, said: "We believe that the Redmen name and logo are quite separate issues."

The issue emerged again in 2016 as a Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education discovered the past connotations of the name.

“The Task Force notes past usages of the name ‘Indians’ to refer to men’s teams, and ‘Squaws’ or ‘Super Squaws’ to refer to women’s athletics teams, as well as phrases such as ‘Indians on a Warpath’ and ‘Redman Scalpe’ that appeared in McGill media,” said the SSMU Indigenous Affairs in an open letter to the officials of McGill University.

McGill athletes were told to not comment on the issue. Julie Audette, the communications manager at McGill Athletics, redirected media advances to McGill’s media relations. A McGill spokesperson did not respond to The Concordian’s request for comment. However, on Oct. 24, McGill’s Provost and Vice-Principal, Christopher Manfredi, addressed the controversy in a written statement.

“In this particular instance, any decision about the Redmen name must emerge from a process that engages all relevant stakeholders in conversation, drawing us together while building on a sense of shared community and dedication to McGill University,” Manfredi wrote.

The issue has also spread outside of McGill University’s campus.

“I think it all comes down to this lack of listening and genuine consultation with Indigenous people and obtaining consent,” said Louellyn White, First People studies teacher at Concordia University.

“It’s only a name,” said Bhashan de Beaulieu, a Quebecois and Abenaki man that lived some years in the Kispiox Indian Reserve in British Columbia. “It’s not

neg ative. For [Indigenous people], the colour of the skin never had any importance. For them, we are all brothers.

Any Native that you could meet will tell you the same thing,” said de Beaulieu.

More than one thousand McGill students have signed the SSMU’s open letter to change the name. McGill students will be able to vote on the name change between Nov. 9 and Nov. 12. The SSMU Indigenous Affairs is hosting a conference about “Origins, Interpretations & Impacts-Indigeneity & Sporting Imagery” at McGill this Thursday.

“It doesn’t really matter what the next name will be. It only matters that it is nothing racialized [or a] depiction of another culture,” said Jirousek.

The Longueuil terminus station was closed Friday afternoon after a suspicious package was spotted, according to the Montreal Gazette.

Longueuil police established a security perimeter around the station, and Sûreté du Québec explosive technicians determined it was harmless.

The Longueuil agglomeration will dump 162 litres of raw sewage into the Saintb Lawrence River over eight days in mid-November, according to La Presse. This spill will allow the city to repair a water entry pipe that connects to a water treatment plant. Residents in the area are asked to limit their water consumption on these days.

Graphic by @spooky_soda

Hundreds of students gathered at McGill's campus to demand the change of the Redmen name. Photo by Esteban Cuevas.

NOVEMBER 6, 2018

STUDENT SPACE

FASA to renovate Café X

The old caf é will be redesigned as a student-friendly place EITHNE LYNCH ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR The Fine Arts Student Alliance (FASA) discussed the renovation of the Café X space during a general council meeting on Oct. 29.

Café X, formerly located in the VA building, was known for of fering an all-vegetarian menu with vegan and gluten-free options. It was forced to close in late 2017, after not generating profits.

In 2016, FASA contributed $12,000 to the café during its final year to help pay off its tax debt. The group also helped with the expenses associated with the closure of the café last year.

FASA has been in consultations with a design company to come up with a new use for the old space. “We would like to make the Café X space a nicer, more friendly space for people to hang out in,” said Sara Jarvie-Clark, FASA’s general coordinator.

The total project is expected to cost $76,000. FASA is looking to contribute $40,000 and will be seeking external funds to cover the rest of the cost.

“There will be very few continuous a n n u a l exp e n se s a sso c i ate d wit h maintaining the space,” said Jordan Beaulieu, FASA’s office coordinator.

The old café will be turned into a multi-purpose space and will include a sink, coffee makers, a vending machine with healthy options, a computer and

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NATION IN BRIEF MIA ANHOURY NEWS EDITOR

Café X’s VA location closed in late 2017. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

printer, as well as rearrangeable tables and chairs for meetings. The space will also include a blank wall for projections, so the space can be rented out for film screenings. The floors and walls will be renovated as well, and new lighting will be installed.

During the meeting, the council was slated to vote on one of three colour schemes for the floor, walls and counters in the space. Jarvie-Clark reassured members that the design company would not be using materials that are easily stainable.

FASA councillors voted on a patterned floor but will consult the design company about the possibility of having dark floors

and counters, which the current design options do not allow for.

The current renovations differ from the original plan in order to reduce the cost of the project and complete it quickly. “FASA will provide its own furniture for the space, rather than having the cost of furniture built into the cost of the renovation,” said Beaulieu. “Moving forward, we can do more updates to the space as we see fit.”

The timeline for the renovations is still being negotiated. Beaulieu said FASA hopes to start as soon as possible.

“We’re not sure how long the renovation will take, though it’ll likely be pretty quick once it’s begun.”

STUDENT POLITICS

CSU cash flow drying up

Structural deficits, administrative clawbacks draining union’s finances IAN DOWN NEWS EDITOR “At this projected rate, if nothing at all changes—so if we stay exactly on budget target, and nothing is done—during the summer, we will run out of money.”

This was Concordia Student Union (CSU) Finance Coordinator John Hutton’s prediction following the release of the union's audited financial statements for the 2017-18 year. He said if the CSU continues down its current financial path, the union’s cash flow will dry up, meaning its expenditures will outweigh its revenues.

According to the report, the CSU’s net worth increased by more than $3,000 to about $13 million last year. However, this is largely due to a roughly $346,000 increase in the value of the Student Space, Accessible Education and Legal Contingency (SSAELC) fund, and the union has limited flexibility in how it spends this money. The SSAELC fund supports initiatives like the Woodnote Housing Co-operative.

The report shows many discrepancies between the CSU’s budget for 2017-18 and its actual balance for that fiscal year, which ended on May 31. While the budget for the year predicted a roughly $1,300 surplus for the clubs budget line for 2017-18, it ended the year with a more than $78,000 deficit.

The operating budget line, which funds executive salaries, campaigns and legal

theconcordian

B r itish Co lum b ia will now recognize an “X” gender on driver’s licenses, identity cards, birth certificates and BC Services Cards, according to Global News.

Those who are born in British Columbia can switch their gender marker to an X by sending the Vital Statistics Agency a Change of Gender Designation Application form with a confirmation form from a physician or psychologist.

Once approved, the agency will issue a new birth certificate, which the person will be able to use to r e q u e s t a c h a n ge o n o t h e r identification cards.

Catherine Adams from Alberta was sentenced to 90 days in prison on Nov. 2 for abusing her animals, according to the Calgary Sun. Adams is a repeat animal abuser.

New distracted driving penalties came into effect in Manitoba on Nov. 1, meaning drivers caught holding a phone at the wheel can face a $672 fine compared to the previous $203 f ine, according to CTV. A second offence, within 10 years of the first, will result in a seven-day suspension of the driver’s license, which the driver will have to immediately surrender. The use of smart watches will result in the same penalties.

Rainy and dark weather conditions in Toronto on Thursday night likely played a role in 16 people getting struck by cars, according to CTV. A 92-year-old woman was injured and taken to the hospital in life-threatening condition. None of the incidents after dark were fatal, though one woman was killed while taking a taxi earlier that day.

Graphic by @spooky_soda

Graphic by Ana Bilokin.

expenses, among other things, reported a deficit of more than $205,000 instead of the roughly $88,000 surplus that was budgeted for.

Two of the union’s budget lines, advocacy and clubs, are in a structural deficit, meaning significant changes need to be made to the structure of their budgets to keep them from running deficits.

Hutton said these discrepancies were not caused entirely by poor budgeting: He clubs were especially active and asked for

more funding than usual in the previous year, but he could not say why. He said a discrepancy of nearly $20,000 between the budget and the financial reality of the Housing and Job Bank (HOJO) was the result of a grant from the Dean of Students Office that the union budgeted for but did not receive.

The most significant reduction in funds was the result of a clawback by the university in 2017-18. Hutton said that, in 2015, the university misallocated funds to the union,

providing them with an unusually high amount. This mistake was only discovered in the previous fiscal year, at which point the administration clawed back some of the funds in the CSU’s account and withheld others that would have otherwise been allocated to the union, totalling roughly $104,000 in missing revenue.

To correct this, Hutton suggested a combined 36 cent per-credit increase in the fee levies for operations, clubs and advocacy, which would be matched by a 36 per cent decrease in the SSEALC fund fee levy. This would provide the union with more cash while maintaining the same fees for students. Hutton said a one cent per-credit increase is roughly equal to $7,000-$7,600 per initiative, which translates to a budget increase of $250,000-$275,000 for a 36 cent fee levy.

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theconcordian

NOVEMBER 6, 2018

WORLD Media, politics, and partisanship IN BRIEF Panel discussion tackles journalism’s modern challenges JOURNALISM

MIA ANHOURY NEWS EDITOR A new dinosaur species was discovered by Spanish and Argentinian paleontologists in central Argentina, according to The Guardian. The herbivore species, which lived about 110 million years ago, was named Lavocatisaurus agrioensis. Fossils of almost all the bones from three separate dinosaurs were found.

One was a 39-foot-long adult and the others appear to be two younger dinosaurs, each about 19 or 21 feet long.

Moderator Andrew Potter (left) addresses the audience at the McGill University Faculty Club on Oct. 30. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

GRAYSON ACRI CONTRIBUTOR How can Canada and its media learn from the United States’s mistakes and avoid the hyper partisanship that has plagued the country?

That’s what three distinguished journalists covered at “Journalism in the Age of Hyper-Polarization,” a panel hosted

by McGill University on Oct. 30. The main topics covered included fringe groups, trust, and remaining objective and unbiased as a journalist.

The panelists agreed there can be no overarching solutions to these problems.

However, they stressed throughout the event that Canada is relatively free of this partisanship for now.

The first topic discussed was the proper way to cover fringe groups. Philippe Gohier was the authority since he is the editorin-chief of Vice Quebec, a publication that has covered the province’s political fringes

since 2016. He argued that fringe groups should be covered, but with context. The panel also asked the question: how can journalists contextualize fringe groups that have been legitimized? They cited U.S. President Donald Trump’s reaction to the Charlottesville incident, in which he condemned violence “on both sides” as an example of this phenomenon. The panel had no overarching solutions, saying it’s variable case by case.

Jennifer Ditchburn, award winning journalist and editor-in-chief of Policy Options, led the conversation on trust.

She said journalists ultimately have the final say in writing and publishing a story, but choosing not to cover something may harm their credibility. Mark Lloyd, a panelist and professor of professional practice at McGill’s Max Bell School of Public Policy, added that “Journalism is imperfect; it’s called the first draft of history for a reason.”

All the panelists agreed that readers have a responsibility as well: never get your

news from one source, and popularity is not equal to trust.

Regarding objectivity, the panelists challenged the traditional strategy of giving equal coverage to both sides of the political spectrum. They referenced the 2016 U.S. election, arguing that Hillary Clinton’s email scandal shouldn’t have been given equal coverage to the other camp’s numerous scandals. Ditchburn said that equal coverage may not be a fair way of reporting on such issues.

Overall, the message was of hope and cautious optimism . Panelists agreed that media consumers must do their part by consuming a diverse diet of sources. They also stressed that reporters need to continue to inform the public in a diverse and objective way. To the panelists, most of these problems have no overarching fix, or any fix at all. But for the sake of Canada, they stressed that everyone must do their part.

“Journalism is imperfect; it’s called the first draft of history for a reason,” said Mark Lloyd. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

On Wednesday, Peru set a new daily record of 6,708 Venezuelans entering the country, according to Bloomberg. A pull factor for Venezuelans in the past month was the Oct. 31 deadline to apply for a work permit. After Colombia, Peru receives the most Venezuelan immigrants, according to the same source. The permit that 250,000 people applied for over the past month would allow them to work legally in Peru, as well as access health services. About 125,000 permits have already been issued since its creation in January.

The tabled Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, a United Nations migration pact that would make migration safer and more orderly, won’t be signed by Austria, according to The Independent.

Austria’s right-wing government, which ran on an anti-immigration platform, is following in the footsteps of the United States and Hungary.

Esambe Hanakita Kojima, a tiny island off the coast of Hokkaido in Japan, disappeared on Sunday, according to The Japan Times.

The island, which the Japan Coast Guard registered in 1987, used to be visible from Hokkaido and was 4.6 feet above sea level.

At least 15 people are dead and 44 injured after a truck lost control at a toll station and collided with a line of cars in Lanzhou in North-West China on Saturday, according to the BBC. The truck driver told the authorities his brakes did not work and an investigation has been opened.

Graphic by @spooky_soda

NOVEMBER 6, 2018

theconcordian

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RESEARCH

Musical learning and the brain Concordia researchers make an important discovery about the neurology of music ELISE MARTIN STAFF WRITER A new study by two Concordia researchers has uncovered some important findings about musical learning and cognitive functions.

Lucía Vaquero and Virginia Penhune, researchers in Concordia’s Department of Psychology, recently published a study in NeuroImage that reveals the link between the structure and size of white matter in the brain and the learning of melody and rhythm.

"We wanted to explore music learning

in non-musicians, because there had been previous investigations linking structural connectivity to music learning and music practice, but [only] in musicians compared to non-musicians," said Vaquero.

To do this, the researchers recruited non-musicians aged 18 to 35 years old in the Barcelona area. Participants completed a brain scanning session using an MRI scanner, then performed a series of musical tasks.

After the tests, Vaquero used software to “virtually dissect” the brain of each participant. In particular, she analysed the structure of the arcuate fasciculus, which connects the frontal, temporal, and parietal regions of the brain and is thought to play a role in the learning and production of language and music.

Vaquero and Penhune found "the right arcuate fasciculus as being in charge of both melodic and rhythmic learning, which is important because this seems to indicate that the basic networks and

wiring for learning music are present in everybody."

Penhune directs the Penhune Laboratory for Motor Learning and Neural Plasticity.

She is also affiliated with the International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), also known as the Centre for Research in Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM). As for Vaquero, she arrived in Montreal four years ago from Barcelona on exchange while completing her PhD. The experiment was performed in Spain because that’s where Vaquero was studying at the time. She said musical culture differs greatly from one place to another and thus in different countries, learning musical tasks could have been easier or more difficult for non-musicians. This does not invalidate the results of the experiment, since the participants’s musical experience was taken into account.

Currently, the researchers are focusing on another study comparing bilingual people with and without musical training.

They want to explore the brain's ability to adapt to change by forming new connections. The idea is “to study if the brain can change even after two specific trainings, or if there's some kind of limit for those plastic changes,” said Vaquero.

Graphic by @spooky_soda

STUDENT POLITICS

Speaking up against harassment

CSU Judicial Board members targeted following controversial election decision in March MINA MAZUMDER ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR “The poor members of the Judicial Board were bombarded with [aggressive] messages [on social media],” said Samantha Candido, a Concordia Student Union (CSU) councillor on the union's policy committee.

Minutes from an Oct. 12 policy committee meeting describe the harassment faced by the CSU’s Judicial Board following the union’s Annual General Election in March 2018.

During the election, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Nicholas Roberts, disqualified the political party Speak Up, after the release of an op-ed by The Link that endorsed the slate. The CEO interpreted it as campaign material, which, according to election rules, may not be published during polling period.

The CSU’s Judicial Board, which deals with conflicts concerning the CSU’s bylaws and standing regulations, ruled that this was an unjust disqualification, and declared Speak Up the winners of the election. This decision drew criticism from students who disagreed with the ruling.

According to Candido, Judicial Board members were harassed by students on their personal Facebook accounts via private messages. One incident took place in-person directly after the hearing. Some students also demanded their numbers and tried calling them. Candido told The Concordian she does not know if all members were harassed, nor does she

know the content of the messages.

Patrick Quinn, a CSU councillor on the policy committee, said that after the incidents, Mathilde Braems, Sarah Mazhero, and Safa Sheikh stepped down from their positions on the Judicial Board. The only present member is Alex Barcelona.

Braems refused a request for comment.

The remaining former members did not respond to a request for comment.

During the Oct. 12 meeting, the CSU’s policy committee discussed possible solutions to prevent future incidents of harassment.

Candido suggested an honorarium to help the former Judicial Board members better train their new members. She also suggested the implementation of an anti-harassment policy. Candido has not decided if it would be implemented within the Judicial Board alone or more broadly within the CSU’s bylaws.

The proposed policy would discourage all members from responding to any inappropriate messages or messages from unofficial email addresses. Candido said the committee is still deciding how these changes would be implemented.

Quinn said there is a pressing need to appoint Judicial Board members in preparation for the 2019 CSU elections. “They need to be trained better, and [the CSU] needs to be available for them if they have questions,” said Quinn.

The policy committee will move forward with the proposed solutions once they have established a regular meeting time.

Graphic by Ana Bilokin.

life

LIFE EDITOR /// life@theconcordian.com ALEX HUTCHINS ( @alexhutchinns96)

PROFILE

Taking time off to follow your passion

Michel Zhao opted out of cell biology to expand interior design business

Out with the old, in with the new-to-you Trade used clothes for new (ish) ones at ConU’s Queer Clothing Swap ALEX HUTCHINS LIFE EDITOR

Concordia student Michael Zhao is the middleman between supply and demand in the world of interior design. Photo by Fatima Dia.

FATIMA DIA ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR It all started with boredom and a timeless desire to make money.

Concordia student Michael Zhao realized that, despite his love for cell biology, he wanted to do more than study.

“I was really bored, and looking for a job didn’t seem fun for me,” said Zhao.

“I think it’s very important to have fun doing something.”

Last March, Zhao began a project he thought would be a good step toward a lifestyle he felt comfortable with—interior design supply. Zhao is now the middleman in the world of interior design, the link between supply and demand, dealing with furniture, textiles and decorations.

“Right now, we’re doing a lot of old French styles, like châteaus,” said Zhao.

“People see this hundred-of-years-old chandelier and say ‘I want that,’ and I find someone who can replicate or create it with whatever changes they want.”

Zhao’s fascination with symbolism, paired with a bit of Versace influence led him to name his company Arachne.

The name is taken from a Greek myth

in which a talented weaver is turned into a spider after losing to Athena in a weaving contest.

“A lot of things we do are textiles, and Arachne, as in spiders, they weave, right?” Zhao explained with a smile. “And I chose the logo based on that.”

The black and gold logo is a spider shaped like Spider-Man, sharp-edged with long legs and a small body. Two olive leaves symbolizing Athena surround the spider. “The inspiration came from Versace and their black and gold Medusa,” said Zhao. “The idea is I want to make something so beautiful that it will stun everyone that sees it.”

Right now, Zhao is the company's only employee. But, when addressing his customers, he believes it’s important to use the pronoun “we," to establish a form of trust and wholeness for both the customers and suppliers he works with. “I’m the guy who finds all the manufacturers and gets them to work together,” Zhao said. “It’s basically a distribution and collection thing, and there’s more than one party involved.”

When it comes to marketing himself, Zhao targets smaller companies that would not necessarily have the means

to hire a full-time middleman. “For them, it’s better to work with an outsider than to hire someone because I take the risk,” said Zhao. “If I’m an employee at their company, even if it’s my fault, the company is still held responsible.

By outsourcing it to me, it’s never the company’s fault.”

One of his most notable projects this year was a Quebec City home, which the owner wanted to emulate a “princess castle." “Crystals [were] everywhere,” Zhao said with a smile. “She wanted her visitors to have their heels click to crystal on the floors.”

Zhao makes money from each project and, according to him, he has made about $50,000 since his first.

Although he has yet to establish an online presence, Zhao has been on the road meeting with people and companies at interior design expos, cocktail parties and networking events.

Sticking to business cards with an email and a phone number, Zhao continues to strengthen his business locally and internationally. His latest project is in Los Angeles. “It makes me happy that I can sleep in,” Zhao said with a laugh.

If you’re anything like me when it comes to clothes—meaning your closet is overflowing with unused items, yet you still find yourself sifting through thrift store racks on a weekly basis— then pay close attention. On Nov. 7, the Concordia Student Union (CSU) is hosting its annual Queer Clothing Swap on the seventh floor of the Hall building from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. All items are free, as long as you bring your own articles of clothing to replace what you take.

Camille Thompson-Marchand, the CSU's external affairs and mobilization coordinator, is the project’s current manager.

Although the Queer Clothing Swap started prior to Thompson’s involvement with the CSU, she has continued it every year since. “Last year’s clothing swap got very good feedback,” said Thompson. “People seem excited with the idea of having it again.” The swap aims to provide trans, non-binary and genderqueer folk with a safe space where they can explore an array of clothing that reflects their identity.

The event lets them find stylish clothing while also meeting people from the queer community at Concordia.

Designated donation bins popped up on campus on Oct. 22, and will remain open until just before the clothing swap.

Clean clothing, accessories and shoes can be left in blue donation bins in the lobbies of the EV, VA, MB, H and LB buildings downtown, and in the lobby of the SP building at the Loyola campus.

This year, the CSU received a heaping supply of donations from the broader Concordia student body. “Piles and piles of them,” said Thompson. “And it takes days to sort it all out.”

In lieu of having received so many donations, Thompson highlighted that some donations were also left in the Art Nook and at reception desks, as opposed to in designated bins. “We don't have the space to keep the clothes outside the donation period,” said Thompson. If you’re planning to donate clothes (which you should), please make sure they are clean, in relatively good condition, and placed in the appropriate donation bins.

All of the donated clothes that aren’t included in the swap are sent off to FripePrix Renaissance, a non-profit organization whose mission is to facilitate the reintegration of people experiencing difficulty entering the workforce. “This event is also a great way to address overconsumption, a fun way to recycle clothes, and [a way to acquire] new outfits without having to buy them,” said Thompson. “It gives the opportunity for people to explore and define their identity without having to spend an excessive amount of money.”

Graphic by @spooky_soda

NOVEMBER 6, 2018

theconcordian

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PROFILE

A lifetime of lessons from the mountains Author Irene Steiner shares how her education saved her life

Irene Steiner, pen name Irene Even, detailed her life story in her book titled A Life in the Twentieth Century. Photo courtesy of interviewee.

ANDREW YANG CONTRIBUTOR Born in 1929 and now residing in Montreal, Irene Steiner is an extraordinary woman; she is the culmination of vast and tremendous travel, violent and painful hardship, and a relentless devotion to learning. Steiner, Somogyi and Even are all last names acquired from different points in time, stemming from varying circumstances, yet belonging to the same person. Her life stages correspond to her different names, creating a map with pins that connect her long and arduous path. Much like her collection of names and identities, Steiner's story is a vast one.

Steiner, whose pen name is Irene Even, detailed her life story through the perspective of a protagonist named Aya in her book titled A Life in the Twentieth Century. According to the Montreal Times, she is the oldest living university graduate in Montreal having completed three undergraduate degrees. She still attends continuing education classes at McGill.

Learning and educating throughout her life has fulfilled her through trying times, and she continues to advocate for education.

Steiner was born in Nagyfalu, Hungary, a Romanian village before Nazi occupation.

Her parents died when she was three, so Steiner grew up under the care of her grandparents. In September 1941, she began boarding school in Budapest.

Initially, Steiner was reserved and

shy, but through reading and learning, she began to find herself, becoming the energetic, curious and passionate person she is today. In the spring of 1943, Hitler’s fleet marched into the heart of Budapest, leaving Nazi posters everywhere. “They looked like robots. And of course they were not human. They were robots in effect,” Steiner explained in an interview with The Concordian.

Hungarian authorities executed Nazi law with enthusiastic malice, even more than the Romanians. Gestapo-issued edicts calcified fear in the branded stars and the people who wore them.

Bombs fell from British and Russian planes, leaving Budapest destitute. Explosions set the ghastly, dissonant rhythm of the city, a song leaving the dead and dying scattered in the streets. It was the first massacre of the Holocaust to reach a five-figure casualty count.

Students at Steiner’s school were sent home, but she was one of the few left unclaimed and forgotten. She sought refuge with representatives of a Zionist movement, who taught Jewish people how to survive the regime and provided resources to do so. Steiner was given false papers that labelled her a Christian named Somogyi.

Russian liberators freed Budapest from the Germans, yet enslaved them as their own. Some surviving Jews showed their yellow stars with the hope of better treatment, only to be labelled capitalists and enemies of socialism and sent to Siberian

work camps. The Russians were no better than the Nazis.

A line from Steiner’s book reads: “True, she had survived the horrors of Nazi rule, but there was no celebration; her heart was void of emotion in the face of the universal hunger, the naked fear on the face of people.”

Under the guidance of Palestinian Zionist representatives, Steiner was indoctrinated with socialist ideologies. Unfazed by the Soviet oppressors, Steiner dreamt of going to Palestine to build a Jewish state with Russia as its model and Stalin its hero. She lived in a kibbutz (a communal settlement) with fellow survivors in Transylvania for five months, each day hoping to begin their journey to Palestine.

Disguised as Czechoslovakian refugees, Steiner and her group fled from Austria to Italy through the Alps. On foot. The group was relieved when they reached the Jewish Brigade in Italy, which led them to Palestine. The Brigade is where she met Mort, a Hungarian-speaking soldier who took interest in the pilgrimage and in Steiner.

Steiner was coerced into a toxic marriage.

“He was jealous of the air I breathed,” she said. Her young adult years were spent serving Mort, who treated a self-fabricated illness with a drug addiction. Surrounded by pain, Steiner’s optimism cut through the dark as she recalled a good life: “We had money; we had two beautiful houses.”

Steiner and Mort moved to Montreal in 1952. “My unhappiness was so deep in me that one day I just collapsed,” she said. She

described her home as the “infirmary to battle zone,” but she vowed not to remain a wounded medic. Steiner went to school, rekindling the passion that sparked in Budapest. “My formal education really started after [I was] divorced,” she said.

A new liberation prompted her love for learning and teaching. “It was the first thing in my life that gave meaning,” she said.

After completing her studies, Steiner spent 22 years teaching in Sderot, a small village in Israel (formerly Palestine) before retiring in 1997. Her passion and love for learning made Steiner an incredible educator. “The nicest years of my life were in teaching,” she said. When asked if she could label a quality that exists in every great teacher, she instantly said, “Absolutely! You have to believe that those kids can learn.”

The name ‘Steiner’ is Bavarian (‘Even’ is the Hebrew translation); it refers to a person who resides near rock. Steiner’s surname draws parallel with her resilience and grit, as if she took pieces of mountains and incorporated them into her character. Her life is chaptered in three, the Carpathians, the Alps and Mont Royal representing her birth, growth and retirement. In light of this, it is most fitting that Givat HaShlosha, the kibbutz she lived in during her exodus to Palestine, translates to “hill of three.”

Author’s note: some names have been changed throughout Steiner’s book to omit their identity.

arts

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

EXHIBITION

Transcending the realms of reality Corrupted Por tal re shape s inte rdisciplinar y point s of view

Scarlet Fountain’s continuous weaving project began last year. It was inspired by waste materials and the artist’s experience at CUCCR. Photo by Sandra Hercegova.

DAISY DUNCAN ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR Navigating the conceptual realms of reality and the otherworldly, the VAV Gallery’s current exhibition, Corrupted Portal , explores the spaces and complexities between the everyday and the mystical, the exhibition features a diverse mix of interdisciplinary works, ranging from painting to sculpture and performance art. Within each work, there is a distinctive style and form in how each artist interprets the exhibition’s theme.

Each one creates a complex, diverse space for exploration and, by extension, new ideas are brought forth.

When first entering the gallery, the viewer’s eyes go directly to the collection of large paintings and prints on the walls. There is a visual theme in Corrupted Portal of bright, unnatural neon colours, which contributes to the overall concepts of the untraditional and the spaces between reality and the surreal. Sculptures showcased in the exhibition also use materials that explore the untraditional, and question otherworldly realms through their forms.

Juliana Delgado’s olf actor y sculpture references recent events in Brazil, where a fire at the National Museum destroyed many invaluable items and works. The sculpture uses a mixture of scents to recreate the smell of the fire and the burning of these special artifacts and artworks.

Taking a conceptual approach and including various sensory components, the reference of the very real fire is considered in a new, conceptual form.

Through the works, it is apparent how each artist personally interpreted the connections between the everyday and the otherworldly, and how that translates into their art. Themes and focuses explored by the respective artists include witchcraft, technology, institutions and structure in conjunction with the sublime. Themes of nature and the environment are also prominent in the varied artworks. The exhibition creates a space for viewers to explore all of these different realms and

ideas, developing diverse and complex understandings of the relationship between reality and the mystical.

Zachary Potvin William's painting, Crack of Dawn, uses bright, eye-catching colours, fluid forms and detailing. According to the artist’s statement, Williams is inspired by mythical aspects of botany and nature. As the statement shares, although Crack of Dawn explores “the subject of obscenity and perversity in a humoristic manner, formally it is a search for radiant light.”

IV Phases of the Salt Moon (I - IV) by Xan Shian is a quadriptych (four-piece series)made from digital collage and photo manipulation. The works focus on the moon

Each artist interprets and personalizes the themes of alternate realities and the unknown. Photo by Sandra Hercegova.

and its phases, and create intricate textures through the digital work. As Shian explains in their artist statement, “the images query the nature of perceived reality, truthfulness in the digital epoch, and the reliability of memory.”

Corrupted Portal also includes a weaving performance by Scarlet Fountain as part of her ongoing work, Rope Project. Fountain is a Concordia theatre student exploring the boundaries between different disciplines, including performance art, visual art and theatre, which Rope Project considers through its form.

According to Fountain, the project began last year and was inspired by her volunteer work at the Concordia University Centre for Creative Reuse (CUCCR). The project considers the life cycle of materials and how communities can be represented through the waste they create and the materials they throw away.

Fountain’s project also connects to concepts and allegories of diversity.

By incorporating various mediums and binding them together to create a unified structure, Fountain mirrors the diversity of our communities.

Corrupted Portal will be at Concordia’s VAV Gallery until Nov. 9. Scarlet Fountain’s Rope Project weaving performances will take place every Monday from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the gallery, for the duration of the exhibition.

NOVEMBER 6, 2018

FILM FESTIVAL

Navigating the South Asian diaspora Montreal welcomes eighth annual South Asian Film Festival

theconcordian

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Happening in and around the White Cube this week…

CHLOË LALONDE | ARTS EDITOR

Dant (Teeth) focuses on the unconventional relationship between a hungry street child and a medical student who cross paths.

ASHLEY FISH-ROBERTSON STAFF WRITER Outside of Montreal’s Pepsi Forum, it is increasingly rare to see international films in the city. Hollywood dominates the film industry, leaving little to no room for other diasporas. Hosted by the Kabir Centre for Arts and Culture and running for its eighth edition, the South Asian Film Festival showcased South Asia’s best cinematography and presented films in various languages from Oct. 26 to Nov. 4 in Montreal.

“We are committed to showcasing new artistic work that has South Asian content that fosters discussions and explores the world we inhabit,” said festival director Dipti Gupta. “The festival is a platform for filmmakers worldwide whose films have a focus on South Asia and its diaspora.” The festival first began in 2011 and has been an annual non-profit event since.

As festival director, Gupta said she had the honour to select the featured films.

This allowed her to meet many influential people and draw diverse audiences.

The South Asian Film Festival is the

only festival in Quebec that highlights the South Asian region. The festival’s focus on this area of the world allows audiences to understand the way of life in these countries. Overall, Gupta said she hopes the festival sheds light on the art, culture, politics, economics and social issues of this region. “While the films may be from South Asia, the themes are often relevant to the entire world,” Gupta noted.

Last year, the festival introduced a diaspora panel where filmmakers are able to share their work as well as interact with the audience. According to Gupta, this panel encourages local filmmakers and film students in the audience to seek out stories that are important to them and touch on subjects that have not been encountered in film before. This year, four filmmakers discussed their work as well as their journeys in the industry.

In addition to her work in the festival, Gupta has taught a Bollywood course at Concordia for 12 years. She has also been teaching a course on diaspora and filmmaking since last September. “These courses are very much linked to the idea

that I came up with last year to add a diaspora panel to the festival,” Gupta said.

The festival showcased 27 unique films that deal with the theme of diaspora in thought-provoking ways for audiences across generations. Among these was the seven-minute long Bengali film Dant (Teeth) , directed by journalist and scriptwriter, Iqbal Hossain Chowdhury.

Dant (Teeth) is Chowdhury’s first film and focuses on the unconventional relationship between a hungry street child and a medical student who cross paths.

Gupta said she and her team recognise that the festival’s audience is diverse and hope to keep improving every year. “Our staff always makes sure that there is something for each palate and age group and that we can draw an intergenerational audience for the festival,” she said.

The festival will continue in Saguenay from Nov. 16 to 18 in collaboration with Bibliothèques Saguenay. For tickets, visit SAFFM.CENTREKABIR.COM/ EN/2018-EDITION/FILMS-SAGUENAY

RE: RECLAMATION AND RECONCILIATION THROUGH ART Students, artists, curators, writers and scholars come together to discuss how injustice, abuse and marginalization are portrayed in art. Saba Heravi, Adrienne R. Johnson and Soukayna Z. will lead a discussion about how their identities and art practices intersect in a “white male-centered field.”

When: Nov. 6 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Where: The Yellow Door, 3625 Aylmer St. Admission is free.

INUIT ART IN INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE The annual Carol Sprachman Lecture presents Dr. Heather Igloliorte, a curator, scholar and associate professor of art history at Concordia.

Following the end of Among All These Tundras, exhibited at the Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery in Concordia’s LB building, Igloliorte will discuss new developments in the world of Inuit art and examine past Canadian works produced within the circumpolar arctic.

When: Nov. 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Where: Maxwell-Cummings Auditorium, 1379-A Sherbrooke St. W. Admission is free.

VIBE WORKSHOP SERIES: INCLUSIVE DANCE Hosted by the Critical Disability Studies Working Group at Concordia, this workshop is part of the VIBE workshop series, which explores ableism and audism through accessible art practices. Inclusive Dance will feature live music and is concentrated on creative forms of contemporary solo and group dance, listening and connections with music.

When: Nov. 8 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: EV Building, Le Gym Studio C S3.215 Space is limited. RSVP at cdswg.concordia@gmail.com.

ENSEVELIR Andres Manniste is an artist and teacher at Dawson College. He is heavily inspired by the role of the internet in today’s society, especially how artists use the internet to create works of art. Ensevelir or “to cover up, as in to bury,” is a collection of Manniste’s larger body of work that captures mundane moments in contemporary life. Most of his imagery is reproduced from an old television in his studio, its pixelated quality captured in his pointillist approach to painting.

When: From Nov. 8 to Dec. 2 Where: Outremont Art Gallery, 41 St-Just Ave. Admission is free.

Teacher and festival director, Dipti Gupta, hopes to draw diverse audiences with the films she has selected for this year’s festival.

Graphic by Ana Bilokin.

music

MUSIC EDITOR /// music@theconcordian.com SIMON NEW

Quickspins

CINEMATIC MUSIC

Lord of the strings

1

VINCE STAPLES

A young Montreal music student’s ambition sets him apart

FM!

IMMANUEL MATTHEWS ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR While some would say Francis Choinière was nurtured to have an impactful role in the world of classical music, there is no doubt that it’s the young Montrealer’s tenacity and ambition that set him apart.

Currently in his third year of studying music composition at McGill, Francis’s latest musical venture is turning heads around the city. With the help of his twin brother, Nicholas Choinière, and their childhood friend, Gabriel Felcarek-Hope, the three university students recently formed GFN Productions. This was the necessary step to attaining their true goal—presenting the Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring in concert. Essentially, the film would be played on a huge Francis Choinière sees himself conducting more than just classical music. Photo by by Tam Lan projector screen above a choir and orchestra, simultaneously performing the film’s score.

Francis’s creative talents didn’t go unnoticed. elaborate performance, while Nicholas and The creation of the company was necessary Marie-Ève Arseneau, an instrumental music Felcarek-Hope are handling the marketing in order to purchase the rights to present the teacher at F.A.C.E. with 12 years of experience, and logistical preparations. film, though it wasn’t an easy task. remembers him as a student whose mature The concert will include a total of 250 “[GFN Productions] was five months in demeanor greatly exceeded his age. people on stage—100 choir members the making before attaining the rights to “He was always an excellent musician, from the MTL Film Music Orchestra, an produce a concert,” said Francis. “Licensing whether it was playing the trumpet, the additional 50 child choir singers from the this kind of material is extremely complex, piano or singing,” said Arseneau. “Also, in Petits chanteurs du Mont-Royal and 100 and there are many rules and restrictions the fifth grade he created a choir piece for instrumental musicians from the MTL Film that have to be followed.” an assignment in his English class, as well Music Choir.

With the dates of the show set for Jan. as other songs for various choirs in the sixth While the momentum for the Lord of 11 and 12, the trio is looking to solidify all grade. He always had an old soul and an the Rings concert is quickly building, the the necessary pieces in order to ensure a extraordinary amount of determination, OPCM has its sights set on next month, as they have a show on Dec. 9 performing successful, impressionable first presentation paired with his discreet personality.” of the Lord of the Rings film in concert in Francis’ leadership qualities were so Mozart’s “Requiem” at the Paroisse de Montreal. Francis leads the group as the apparent in school that he was even given l’Immaculée-Conception. The Facebook president and production manager, with his complete responsibility of his own class at event page for the Lord of the Rings conbrother Nicholas acting as vice-president times. “In grade 10 and 11, he would rehearse cert currently lists 14,000 individuals as of operations and marketing director, and the band when I was absent or could not “interested,” though Francis isn’t surprised Felcarek-Hope as vice-president of finance have a substitute teacher replacement come by the high level of interest.

“There is an increasing audience for and executive producer. in,” said Carol Kay, a retired instrumental The Choinière brothers first met Felcarek- music teacher at F.A.C.E. who taught at the these kinds of performances,” said Francis.

“People are interested in hearing a live Hope at the school all three of them school for more than 30 years. attended—Fine Arts Core Education (F.A.C.E.) In 2015, Francis and fellow F.A.C.E stu- orchestra accompanied with film. It is School, an arts-focused primary and dent Elie Boissinot founded L’Orchestre et essentially modernizing the classical secondary school in downtown Montreal. Philharmonique des Melomanes (OPCM) to concert.”

Given that GFN Productions has high It was the place that gave them their first allow former high school music students to hopes to produce more shows in various cities real taste of classical music. exercise their passion, even if they chose to At this unique school, students have pursue studies outside of music in CEGEP in the future, Francis’s dreams are quickly becoming more clear and progressively real. multiple vocal and instrumental music and university.

“I aspire to be an orchestral conductor,” classes every week as part of their regular ”We knew a lot of the graduate students said Francis. “I do not, however, want to limit schedule. As a result, the extracurricular who had done music for almost 11 years, piano lessons that the three boys took were and who all of a sudden had to stop just myself only to the classical music sphere additional elements of musical influence, in because they decided to study something as there is much more to be offered at combination with the weekly music lessons else for CEGEP,” Francis said in an interview this point in time. I see myself conducting classical music, as well as large-scale film given by the school. with the CBC. While Felcarek-Hope left the school after Since 2015, OPCM has put on seven music concerts,” he said.

The next OPCM concert, Mozart’s the eighth grade, the brothers remained at shows and taken part in several large-scale F.A.C.E. and graduated in 2014. Francis was concerts, including Harry Potter in Concert "Requiem", is on Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at Paroisse the only one who chose to pursue music at Place des Arts, and Game of Thrones de l’Immaculée-Conception.

The upcoming GFN Production concert, in post-secondary education. He studied Live Concert Experience at the Bell Centre. music at Marianopolis and is now in his In order to prepare for the three-hour- Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, final year at McGill. and-20-minute-long Lord of the Rings show, is on Jan. 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m., at Salle A standout musician from an early age, Francis is rehearsing with the choir for the Wilfrid-Pelletier in Place des Arts.

(Def Jam)

FM! is filled with short, straight-to-thepoint bangers. As soon as the intro cut “Feels Like Summer” starts, the madness of Vince Staples begins. The tracks are filled with his nasty hooks and signature sharp flows. The production is eclectic and doesn’t sound like any other rap album released this year. Songs like “Outside!” and “FUN!” are wildly energetic. The features are also a nice touch as Jay Rock, Ty Dolla $ign and Kamaiyah add personality to their respective tracks.There’s even an Earl Sweatshirt feature. Overall, FM! stands as a strong entry in Staples’s already great discography.

 Trial Track: “FUN!” “Same way since summer school baby J Either imma make the news or I’ll make a plate.” - Vince Staples

8.5/10 — LOUIS PAVLAKOS, CONTRIBUTOR

2

CURREN$Y & FREDDIE GIBBS Fetti (Jet Life Recordings/ ESGN) As of late, collab tapes between two rappers are known to be more about quantity than quality, MC’s often deploying a B-team of hooks and flows for a product that floats by without catching the ear.

This is absolutely not the case with Fetti.

The tape has Freddie Gibbs and Curren$y bringing top-notch flows over some of The Alchemist’s most polished soul-sampled grooves in recent memory. While sometimes thematically limited and rhythmically repetitive, this is a case of three hip hop heavy-hitters punching in the echelon of both MCs’s finest: Gibbs’s Piñata or Curren$y’s Pilot Talk .

 Trial Track: “The Blow” “Bout to take a trip I got coke and dope on my grocery list Oxycontin pack I be switchin’ rackets like Djokovic.” - Freddie Gibbs

8/10 — SIMON NEW, MUSIC EDITOR

NOVEMBER 6, 2018

theconcordian

11

A N A LY S I S

Beef across genres Why beef is unique to hip hop... or is it?

JACOB CAREY STAFF WRITER The prevalence of feuds in the rap world has existed since its beginning and shows no sign of slowing down as 2018 nears its end.

The past year has reminded us why it is so hard to take our eyes off of hip hop and why rap has overtaken rock as the most popular music genre. The spontaneous album releases, the frequent guest features and no shortage of new music keeps fans on their toes at all times. Lest we forget, the rivalries.

Drake and Pusha T’s back-and-forth diss tracks about deadbeat dads and poking fun at the diseased had listeners debating whether there was such a thing as lines not to be crossed in rap battles. Cardi B and Nicki Minaj’s physical altercation at New York Fashion Week reignited the beef between the queens of rap that began last year and is likely to continue into the new year. 6ix9ine and Trippie Redd got personal over popularity and women via Instagram Live. Eminem and Machine Gun Kelly traded lyrical disses after Em rekindled the flame with a subliminal shot towards MGK on his surprise album, Kamikaze. 50 Cent has used Instagram as his platform to poke fun at… well, just about everyone.

This is not to say that rivalries do not

exist in other genres. Kurt Cobain hated Pearl Jam, his grunge rival. It was virtually forbidden to be both a Beatles fan and a Rolling Stones fan. Lynyrd Skynyrd called out Neil Young by name on “Sweet Home Alabama,” and Taylor Swift probably still hates Kanye West.

Yet why do rivalries seem to be so much more prevalent in rap than any other genre?

One reason may be that the majority of rap music is predominantly driven by hypermasculine rappers with something to prove. As everyone strives to be called the greatest, any threat to them is a threat to their manhood. Violence and ego are often the genre’s primary subject matter, and verbal attacks are commonly the weapon of choice. As such, diss tracks have become a public outlet to be used as a battlefield.

Additionally, the popularity of many rappers today can be attributed to their rise to prominence on social media. With thousands or millions of followers keeping tabs on them, one call-out or comment about another artist can be blown out of proportion and easily turned into something more. Rappers can also use social platforms to directly fuel controversies that build on their personas. Social media apps and streaming sites have been responsible for many SoundCloud rappers-turned-more whose personalities are widely broadcast for everyone to see.

Pusha T showed this generation just how far beef can go while staying contained in the music.

Rappers also tend to be solo artists.

This means any fight they find themselves in within the industry is with other artists, making it more likely to be heard of in the media. The type of fights rock bands have tend to be internal, while rap beefs end up on Instagram. Disputes among band members are the reason why the Beatles broke up and why Liam and

Noel Gallagher won’t be having an Oasis reunion any time soon.

Rap battles and diss tracks will be around as long as the genre exists. As long as it remains verbal, beef is perhaps what makes the genre so enticing because it forces artists to flex their hardest and outdo their opponent. After all, there’s only room for one winner.

COVER STORY

The stage is her pla yg rou nd Montreal DJ's new album shows her pop-punk roots

SIMON NEW MUSIC EDITOR “Now I’m at peace with it. It took me a year, but now I am,” said Geneviève Ryan Martel, known as RYAN Playground.

After finishing her newest album, 16/17 in March of last year, she ended up losing relationships that were central to the lyrics and message of the album.

“The plan was to release it August 2017, and then just shit happens,” she said.

Now, 16/17 comes from a place of acceptance. Playground is a DJ, but on her latest record, she lets her voice shine as well as her production, stripping back some of the dense sounds of her previous work. She then delivers lyrics that take on new meanings a year later.

When Playground took the stage at Théâtre Fairmount on Oct. 27, she was solo with just a guitar and a controller, but with the quiet confidence of a full band. As she interspersed cuts from her older material with her new tape, her new voice was apparent. She’s influenced by the pop-punk bands of her youth. “New Found Glory, Yellowcard, all of that,” said Playground. “I felt like I was going back to my old influences. I started to listen back again and realized that I will forever like it.” The result is beautiful, airy vocals with a pop-punk edge over production that’s intimate and, at times, vigorous. Her use

of vocal samples as more of a percussive the perfect amount of everything. People I did a bunch of new music that is very element than a melodic one is refreshing. were very welcoming, very open-minded. stripped-down vocal guitar.”

It’s part Sum 41, part Aphex Twin, with a I just felt welcome.”

As Playground moves her sound forward hint of Montreal flavour.

In Korea, Playground was working on by pulling back on production and bringing When she’s not speaking to the crowd dance music that skewed more toward her voice to the forefront, she sees a pull or drawing them in with her lyric s, her previous work. Then her hard drive from external forces. Something tells her Playground speaks with her production. died and she lost five of seven songs on that a sudden change will work out in the “It’s definitely very explicit,” she said. a new project. She grieved, but found end. “I guess life is sending me a message, “There’s no bullshit when I do music. I like two silver linings. “My favourite track like, ‘Okay, maybe you should focus on to say what I want to say.” The proof is in on there is still existing,” she said, “and this kind of music.’” the dynamic, evocative beats she played live from a drum pad.

“Montreal is for sure going to be my home forever,” said Playground. It’s no doubt that her style and her work in the DJ scene is interwoven with the city at this point, but her inspir at ions come from elsewhere as well. This summer, she was in Seoul for a vacation and a few shows. “If I had no one here and nothing to do with my life, I would move there for sure,” she said. “I just felt super welcome. I felt Playground ditched the equipment, giving the crowd just her voice and guitar. Photo by Simon New. like there, there was

sports

SPORTS EDITOR /// sports@theconcordian.com NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI ( @n_digiovanni)

PROFILE

Devon Thompson leads on and off the ice Fifth-year forward named captain in final season with Stingers

Devon Thompson was voted as captain in her fifth season with the Concordia Stingers. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI SPORTS EDITOR During Devon Thompson’s first season on the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team in 2014-15, they beat the McGill Martlets for the first time in 44 regular-season games.

“That night, our team got together and [celebrated] because we won a regular-season game,” Thompson said. “Now it’s kind of changed, and we’re pissed off any time we lose a game like that.”

The Stingers finished the 2014-15 season with a 8-7-5 record, and a 6-12-2 record in the 2015-16 season. Fast forward a few years, Thompson is now in her fifth year with the Stingers, who won the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) championship in March.

“When I take a step back and look at it, it’s crazy how much we’ve grown,” Thompson said. “Being expected to win is great, and it is pressure, but [head coach Julie Chu] tells us, ‘Pressure is privilege.’”

This season, the players voted Thompson as co-captain alongside goalie Katherine Purchase, but since goalies can’t wear the “C” on their jerseys, Thompson has it.

“It was honourable to be [named captain],” Thompson said. “There are a lot of good leaders on and off the ice, so to get that recognition from my teammates was pretty special.”

Chu descr ibes T hompson a s the “mamma bear” of the team. “Devon is a truly kind person that cares about the people around her,” she said. “That’s what she does in her leadership, she builds those relationships, checks in on people and obviously does a great job on the ice.”

Purchase is also a fifth-year player on

the team, so her and Thompson started their Stingers journey together.

“People think that, because she’s a goalie, she sticks to herself, but she’s always had a really big voice in the locker room,” Thompson said. “For me, she’s the one player I’ve played five years with, so we definitely have a special relationship.”

Last season, Thompson finished with a career-high of six goals and nine assists, good enough for sixth-most points on the team. She played on a line with Claudia Dubois and Sophie Gagnon, who had 20 and 17 points respectively. Along with forward Audrey Belzile, Gagnon and Dubois are the assistant captains this season.

“That group of girls, they’ve been stand-out players every year they’ve been here,” Thompson said. “But also it’s a testament to them-they don’t take anything for granted, they work hard, and they’re the first people on the ice, and last ones off.”

The last two captains of the women’s hockey team, Tracy-Ann Lavigne and Marie-Joëlle Allard, were both drafted

by Les Canadiennes de Montréal in the professional Canadian Women’s Hockey League. Thompson said she learned about hard work from each of them, and that they never took a day off.

Thompson added that Lavigne and Allard proved you don’t just have to be a good player to be a good captain, but you need to be a good person outside the rink.

“If I could be half the captain they were, I would be pretty happy,” Thompson said.

Part of being a captain on a varsity team is having so many new student-athletes on the roster. The Stingers have 12 rookies from Québec, Ontario, the United States, and the Netherlands, so the leadership

group will have to make sure the new players integrate well into the team.

With players from all over the world, there isn’t just one language spoken in the dressing room. Thompson said some of the French-speaking players tend to be a bit more shy speaking English, but she tries to be a vocal leader so they feel more

comfortable. “If you speak the language, you’re going to pick it up eventually,” the psychology student said.

Thompson grew up in Châteauguay, in the South Shore, and hockey wasn’t the first sport she played. She started playing football because her brothers played, and wanted to compete with them. “My parents never really gave that gender excuse. Whatever my brother did, I could do,” Thompson said. “My brother played football, so I played too.”

The captain started playing hockey at eight years old, but still wanted to beat her brother Theo at it. When asked whether or not she’s better than him now, Thompson was sure of herself: “Oh yeah, definitely,” she said with a laugh.

Thompson also had hockey stars to look up to growing up, such as MariePhilip Poulin, Catherine Ward and Caroline Ouellette, one of the Stingers’s assistant coaches.

“She’s intense, but brings poise. You know what to expect and she wants you to work hard,” Thompson said, who was in awe when she was first coached

by Ouellette. “She doesn’t let you take a rest or have excuses. If you want to have [anyone’s] mentality, you would want her mentality.”

The fifth-year forward isn’t too sure what she wants to do after her career with the Stingers is over, but said she enjoys coaching younger kids. “I’m just focused on this year and taking it all in, then worry about all that in April,” Thompson said.

Thompson had a career-high 15 points last season, helping the Stingers win the RSEQ championship. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

Head coach Julie Chu described Thompson as the “mamma bear” of the team. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

NOVEMBER 6, 2018

BASKETBALL

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13

New Stingers make both teams competitive

COLOUR COMMENTARY

Women heading into season ranked fourth in the country

WITH ISAIAH MARTEL-WILSON

ERIC BEAUDOIN ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

WOMEN'S TEAM The Concordia Stingers women's basketball team heads into the 2018-19 season with renewed confidence after going 9-1 in the preseason. U Sports also ranked them fourth in the top-10 ranking in the country on Oct. 30.

Playing against some serious competition from all conferences in Canada, the Stingers played well in the exhibition games and tournaments, winning the Concordia Classic tournament held Oct. 5 to 7.

Coming off a 4-12 2017-18 season, and having a record below .500 for the fourth consecutive season, head coach Tenicha Gittens believes the only way forward is up. With the addition of new recruits and the return of some veterans, this is a combination Gittens is confident about.

“As tough as our conference is, I have a lot of faith and trust in our girls and our coaching staff,” Gittens said. “They have the right focus and mentality.”

This season, the Stingers will see a number of new recruits from across North America, with coach Gittens praising them all. Nelly Owusu of Dawson College, Areej Burgonio of Crestwood Preparatory College in Toronto, Natalie Rae Jeanson of Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ont., and Myriam Leclerc of Cégep SteFoy in Quebec City are the team's new guards. Forwards Gretna-Olivia Inez of Champlain College and Ariel White Gill Bernards High School in New Jersey are also two new recruits.

“Bringing in the six new players, so far it’s worked out for us,” Gittens said. “It’s a testament of the work they put in during the offseason. They’ve been playing very well together, and they practice hard.”

Guard Caroline Task returns to the Stingers for her third year. She looks to build on her 15.2 points per game (PPG), which placed her at second in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) last season.

Forward Coralie Dumont debuts her second year with the Stingers and is looking to play as a force to be reckoned with after her outstanding rookie season.

She had 11.1 PPG with an average of seven rebounds per game, and a field-goal percentage of 39.8, 10th in the RSEQ.

Areej Burgonio is one of six new players on the women’s team. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

Expect fifth-year guard Ricardo Monge (#11) to be a major part of the men’s basketball team. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Along with Task and Dumont, Elise Roy, Sabrina Linéus, Aurélie d’Anjou Drouin, and Ladonna Lamonth are back with the team from last year’s roster.

“I still believe our conference is the strongest in the country,” Gittens said.

“We’ve got to bring it every game. They’ll be prepared to go out there and execute and give themselves an opportunity to get a [a win] to reach our bigger picture.”

The Stingers women’s team is looking to win the first RSEQ title at Concordia since 1999.

MEN'S TEAM The Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team is looking to keep the momentum from last year going in the 2018-19 season. The team seeks to make the RSEQ final for a second year in a row, and win it this time.

The preseason shed some light on some weaknesses for the men’s team, as they went 6-6 overall, but mainly against National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) teams and Canadian teams from coast to coast.

“We played a lot of games and a lot of guys stepped up while others struggled, but that’s the whole point of preseason,” said head coach Rastko Popovic. “[We had] a couple of decent wins, some losses we’d like to have back that were close, but the goal was to play good teams.

These were the country’s top 10 teams.”

The Stingers ended last season with an 11-5 record en route to the playoffs, where they lost in the RSEQ final to the

McGill Redmen. The men’s team have made the playoffs for eight years in a row, winning two RSEQ championships in 2011 and 2012.

There are six new players with the Stingers this season: Tariq Barki-Hamad of Central Tech High School in Toronto, Akim Olak from the London Basketball Academy, Maxime Bellony from Cégep de Thetford, Samuel Lessard from Collège Montmorency, Aleks Simeunovic from Impact Academy Prep school, and Nathaniel Boisvert from Champlain College, Lennoxville.

Although last year’s top scorer, forward Ken Beaulieu, has graduated, guard Ricardo Monge enters his fifth and final year looking to carry momentum from last season. He averaged 11 PPG, with a 33.8 three-point percentage, and a league-leading 89.2 per cent from the free-throw line.

Guard Garry Merisier is also entering his fifth and final year, while Adrian Armstrong and Cedrick Coriolan return for their fourth year on the team.

The new recruits and veterans are among the 16 on the initial roster for the season, which is likely set to change as the regular season progresses.

“Regular season is a different beast.

Preseason is good to prepare and do stuff but now it’s real games that count,” Popovic said. “[We’re] looking forward to getting off to a good start.”

The season starts with a doubleheader on Nov. 8 at the Concordia gym. The women’s team plays at 6 p.m. and the men’s team at 8 p.m., both against the Université de Laval Rouge et Or.

Guard Adrian Armstrong is back for his fourth year with the Stingers. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Derrick Rose, in his 11th NBA season off his injury-filled career, s cored a c areer-hig h 50 point s for the Minnesota Timber wolves against the Utah Jazz on Oct. 31.

His game-winning block and basket sealed the win.

Timberwolves players mobbed Rose on the court as tears streamed down his face. They all knew how much this moment meant to him.

The basketball world embraced Rose during his days as the youngest league MVP in histor y in 2010-11 with the Chicago Bulls.

After Rose's anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear in his lef t knee in the 2012 playoffs, he had doubters, yet many people believed he would return to his former self.

S uf fer ing an ot h er injur y in t h e 2013-14 season and having four knee surgeries, those believers were forced to watch him struggle to find a job. After being traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Utah Jazz in February 2018—his third team in three years—the Jazz dropped him without giving him the chance to play a single game.

Rose was almost out of the league completely, as only Minnesota was willing to sign him to a contract.

S ome would a sk how t he s tor y of a millionaire athlete could be s o i n s p i r i n g . I t ’s n ot a b o u t t h e money, it’s about the adversity he faced within himself that made this performance so special.

Last February, a video surfaced of Rose playing basketball in a local gym in Cleveland. He was not on a roster. There was little press and cameras, no fans, just Rose and a local basketball player helping him workout.

As the injuries continued to pile up, even he doubted his basketball future, contemplating retirement before hit ting 30 years old. Tom T hibodeau , his for mer coach in Chicago, was the only one willing to give him another chance, bringing him to the Timberwolves.

Sometimes one person believing in you is all you need to pick yourself back up.

It was only fitting that, on Halloween night, Rose dressed up as his old self and scored a careerhigh 50 points, ironically, against the same team that waived him just nine months ago. He may never put on a performance like this again, but it doesn't matter. After all the memes about his injuries and all the people trying to bury him, he never quit on himself.

This game will go down as one of the greatest moments in NBA history and for Rose, when asked post-game about what this moment meant to him, he said: “Everything. I worked my ass off. I did this for the franchise, the fans, the organization.

I'm doing ever ything just to win, and tonight was a hell of a night."

opinions OPINIONS EDITOR /// opinions@theconcordian.com SANIA MALIK

EDITORIAL

Standing stronger in solidarity It hurts our hearts to write this editorial. On Oct. 27, 11 Jewish people were gunned down in a synagogue in Pittsburgh. Just three days earlier, a man killed two black people at a Kroger grocer y store in Kentucky. These horrific events remind us of another massacre close to home; less than a year ago, on Jan. 29, six people were killed in the Quebec mosque shooting.

These fatal shootings have one key thing in common: minorities targeted by hateful white men.

When he opened fire on the worshippers in Pittsburgh, the gunman shouted, “All Jews must die,” according to CBC News. He had a far-right social media presence, especially on the website gab. com. Before the shooting, the gunman posted: “HIAS [an American non-profit group guided by Jewish values] likes to bring invaders in that kill our people.

I can’t sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I’m going in.”

The gunman in Quebec held similar sentiments towards Muslims and was pushed over the edge when he saw a tweet from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promising to accept more refugees. According to the Montreal Gazette , the day the perpetrator saw the message, “he took his gun into the

mosque and started shooting ‘to save people from terrorist attacks,’ he said.”

Before he was captured by police, the gunman in Kentucky told a bystander that “whites don’t shoot whites.” According to CNN, he tried to enter a predominantly black church shortly before he

such by authorities. We must recognize the fact that when hatred brews and explodes in such violent and extreme ways, these acts are not “senseless” or “random.” They are vicious attacks on people who are constantly demonized.

All of these gunmen were white and

shot Vickie Lee Jones, 67, and Maurice E. Stallard, 69, at a grocery store. The shooting is being investigated as a hate crime, according to the same source.

What are the common denominators here? The truth is, these are all hate crimes, whether or not they’re labeled as

were fueled by ignorance, anti-black racism, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia.

These tragedies are all the more difficult to process and reflect upon when the 24-hour news cycle seems to churn out such stories every single day. We must find a bet ter way to

interact with these occurrences and understand that they are more than just news stories.

Most importantly, we need to show solidarity. Even if we don’t identify as Jewish, Muslim or black, we cannot simply express shock when violent acts happen. When we stand together and condemn hate crimes, we are not only showing support for victims—we are telling the world that we vehemently disagree with those who perpetuate hate crimes. We are rejecting the motivations that spur white men with guns on. We are choosing to emphasize our humanity and renounce intolerance.

It warms our hearts to see people around the world attending Shabbat services, even those who don’t identify as Jewish. Seeing Muslims forming human defence lines around synagogues, the same way the Jewish community did after the Quebec mosque shooting, is uplifting to see. Watching Montrealers rally against anti-Semitism and attend vigils for the victims reminds us of the strength of community. Hearing members of a black church in Kentucky express solidarity with victims at the Pittsburgh synagogue reminds us of an important trait we all share: compassion.

Graphic by @spooky_soda

INTERNSHIPS

Drowning in distress and trying to stay afloat One student’s contemplation on juggling school, work and the possibility of unpaid internships

CASANDRA BENTIVOGLIO CONTRIBUTOR Picture it: you’re sitting in class, minding your business, waiting for your professor to walk in and begin the lesson. Maybe you’re scrolling through Instagram, maybe you’re cramming for your test. And all the while, you hear your fellow classmates discuss their internships. You panic, mid-scroll, realizing you will eventually have to take on an internship as well in order to graduate.

This is almost the exact reaction I had. As students, our main goal after we get our degree is to find a job. But sometimes, before that, we have to get an internship. In my journalism program, we have had multiple guest lecturers—both current and past students—discuss their experience in the program, and inevitably they mention their internships. These internships, like most, were unpaid. Despite their enthusiastic discussion of internships, I noticed none of these guest lecturers mentioned handling a part-time job as well.

I’ve had the same part-time job for five years now, and it has been grand.

I’ve gotten a few raises over the years

and, despite some bad days, I like my job. At the end of the day, it keeps me afloat. It allows me to pay my bills, put food in my stomach and, sometimes, treat myself to a night out with friends or new clothes. But I can’t imagine having to give up my part-time job in order to take on an unpaid internship. It would

make it hard to afford anything at all.

How am I supposed to deal with going to school during the day, commuting home to do homework, then attending my part-time job for more than eight hours several times a week? For my own mental health, I’d also like to somehow manage a social life amidst all this. And

then, on top of all that, I have to take on an internship that is unpaid, likely working the same number of hours as a full-time paid employee. Where am I supposed to squeeze that into my packed schedule?

Listen, I understand that it’s par t of student life. And I, for one, am well aware of my privilege and how easy I have it. I still live at home with my mom. I have a car. I work a part-time job that’s close to home. I know there are lots of other students who have it a lot harder; those who work full-time jobs to pay for school and rent and food and sometimes even the needs of their relatives or children.

But that’s precisely my point. How am I, or anyone else who encounters the hurdles of student life, supposed to deal with the additional burden of an unpaid internship that takes up our time and effort without compensation?

I’m all for internships. The idea that I could work hands-on in my desired field and get a real-life, real-time work experience sounds awesome. It could be fun, exciting and even lead to a real job. But my concern is how time and money fit into all of this; two things that make the world go round. The two things that keep us afloat in life.

Graphic by @spooky_soda

NOVEMBER 6, 2018

theconcordian

15

CAPITALISM

How to survive in this cut-throat capitalist world One student’s satirical approach to excelling in a competitive environment

TYSON BURGER ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR One of the biggest fears of many students is graduation. How does one find a job and survive in this cut-throat, dog-eat-dog world? The “real world” is even scarier if you’ve spent most of your degree studying social sciences or humanities. You’ve been learning about the failings of global capitalism, and then you’re expected to live in this enigmatic economic system after graduation.

Without further ado, here are a few general tips on how to win in this capitalist society. Since, you know, winning is all that matters.

The first rule is to constantly assess people by what they can give you. This can’t be stressed enough: people are vessels through which you can find success. Disregard anyone you perceive to be of a lower social standing. Shake the right hands (Tip: when shaking hands, pull the person toward you and ensure your hand is slightly on top of theirs.

It’s a fun little way to assert power and dominance). This rule requires a mastery of the social hierarchy upon which every human is immovably placed.

The second rule is to live in utter fear and anxiety all the time. This includes

fear of failure, fear of having your ideas stolen, fear of being cheated, fear of not being good enough, fear of falling behind and fear of starvation and/or homelessness. We live in an economic system based on good old competition, and everyone is secretly hoping you fail so their chances of success increase.

Remember that people are out to get you, so at your deepest level, you

need to truly trust and love no one.

The third rule is to lose any sense of morality or empathy you’ve ever had. You need to get out there and take what you want—and you are going to have to do some morally questionable things to get it. This may include intentionally slandering, sabotaging or even worse. At the end of the day, only one person can get

that promotion you’ve been hoping for, so you’d better decide where your priorities lie. You will often see people who have less than you—quite possibly not even enough to survive—and your gut instinct will be to feel sympathy for them. But before you act too rashly, you need to remind yourself that they didn’t work as hard as you. Everyone gets exactly what they deserve, and there are no existing systems that benefit some people more than others.

Following these three simple r u l e s w i l l m a ke yo u t h e w i n n e r of capitalism in no time. You will develop an unquenchable thirst for consumption in your pursuit for success, but surely happiness lies somewhere at the end of that, right?

If you develop an anxiety so deep and fundamental that you can no longer function, you may consider rewiring your brain to be less concerned with monetary success and rigid hierarchical frameworks, but it’s really up to you.

I’m sure you’ll find your own way to cope with the realization that all the plucky promises capitalism tells its youth, like “you get what you deserve” and “there’s value in hard work,” are ultimately propaganda to preserve the machine. Either way, happy job hunting!

Graphic by Ana Bilokin.

POT

The misconceptions of marijuana Analyzing the misplaced stigma surrounding cannabis consumption

ELIAS GRIGORIADIS STAFF WRITER After years of debate, marijuana is finally legal in Canada. On Oct. 17, the first dispensaries opened across the country.

This is a massive step toward not only making pot safer and more accessible, but also ensuring a degree of product quality that couldn’t be guaranteed in an unregulated market. That being said, I believe significant progress is still needed in regard to the elimination of the stigma associated with marijuana use.

Certainly, cannabis is by no means a product without fault. Just like everything else, overuse of marijuana can have serious side-effects. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry noted that acute cannabis consumption at a young age has been linked with the inhibition of psychomotor skills, short-term memory, and minor cognitive functions.

There have also been studies aimed at examining and contrasting the overuse of marijuana at a young age with the development of certain mental disorders.

While there is a certain correlation, it is crucial to remember that researchers have yet to find any meaningful causality. According to CBC News, Matthew Hill, an associate professor at the University of Calgary Hotchkiss Brain Institute emphasizes that we shouldn’t fall into the stereotypes about pot; instead, we should have faith in the studies being conducted which disprove them.

With all its potential side effects, the

stigma around cannabis consumption still massively outweighs the real risks. We live in a world where the majority of the population is comfortable with people drinking alcohol or smoking cigarettes (more or less). While people aren’t necessarily okay with others being addicted to opioids or pharmaceuticals, it’s definitely still a very common and accepted pain relief method. Yet some of the same people are still adamantly against the very thought of marijuana.

That being said, alcohol, cigarettes, and pharmaceuticals/opioids are distinctly worse for your health in every aspect and deadlier than marijuana could ever be.

Unlike booze, pills or cigarettes, marijuana does not create a chemical dependency in

the brain. While attitudes like psychosocial dependency can be developed, the detox period for this is significantly less painful and shorter than the detox period for chemical addiction, according to CBC News.

Another factor to keep in mind is that not a single person has ever died solely due to marijuana consumption, according to Greencamp, a website that researches cannabis use. Not a single one.

Ever. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, smoking has killed 37,000 people in Canada this year alone, and opioids have taken 8,000 Canadian lives since 2016 according to CBC News. Marijuana is increasingly being seen as a viable alternative to prescription drugs with research being

performed at facilities such as CanniMed and the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse on the medical benefits of cannabis. This shows how invaluable it could be for the creation of effective and addiction-free treatments.

According to the Canadian Institute of Health Information, alcohol consumption also led to the hospitalization of nearly 77,000 Canadians in 2016. Yet pharmaceuticals, cigarettes, and alcohol are accepted aspects of society with no legislation aiming to ban them. Unfortunately, marijuana is consistently demonized, and will remain so for several years to come.

In his book Weed: A User’s Guide, columnist for the cannabis website Leafy and host of the Roll-Up podcast David Schmader explained that a person would need to smoke roughly 1,500 pounds of cannabis in an hour to fatally overdose. According to calculations by the peer-reviewed journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, that would come to about 1,943,965 joints. In one hour. Good luck with that.

At its core, legalization of marijuana takes the first step toward the de-stigmatization of its consumption. Regardless of the potential health benefits or the toxic and deadly products we deem more socially acceptable, marijuana use still has a negative connotation to it. However, with the progressive steps governments are taking to not only decriminalize cannabis, but make it more accessible, one can hope this stigma won’t remain a mainstream concept for much longer.

Graphic by @spooky_soda

16

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