The Concordian - November 7th 2017

Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper

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VOLUME 35, ISSUE 11 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2017

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A vegan's paradise

A weekend of tasting and talks at Montreal's annual Vegan Festival

Life p. 9

also in this issue

news

arts

music

sports

opinions

Avant-pop singer Allard sisters push Speaking up about Candidate wasn't Inspired by her looking to win p. 3 home up north p. 10 tackles cancer p. 12 to be better p. 15 campus racism p. 17

news

NEWS EDITORS /// news@theconcordian.com CANDICE PYE & ETIENNE LAJOIE (! @candicepye @renegadereports)

BILL 62

Panel discussion tackles religious neutrality law

Panelists suggest more National Assembly gatekeeping, more political involvement

A panel organized by the Concordia Student Union discussed the implication of the recently-passed provincial religious neutrality law. Photo by Sandra Hercegova.

ÉTIENNE LAJOIE NEWS EDITOR Human rights lawyer Pearl Eliadis was about to leave a panel discussion on Bill 62 organized by the Concordia Student Union (CSU) early because of an obligation when she asked the panel moderator for the microphone one last time.

“When this bill was debated two years ago, where were all you guys?” she asked. Eliadis’s comments came after an attendee asked how protesters of the bill could have been more proactive.

Eliadis—an adjunct professor of McGill University’s faculty of law— answered mostly judicial-related questions in the small Hall building classroom where the CSU invited guests for the panel discussion on Nov. 1.

She sat alongside Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association (CMLA) national board member Sameer Zuberi and policy analyst Idil Issa. The latter, when asked how society should stop being

reactionary to controversial legislation, sighed before uttering: “I don’t have the answer.”

Throughout the discussion, but also immediately following her question to the attendees, Eliadis urged the public to thoroughly read and study Bill 62.

Specifically, she pointed out the parts other than the second—and most publicized—section, which state: “persons receiving services from such personnel members must have their face uncovered.”

The section—named “services with face uncovered”—has been the most controversial part since the bill passed on Oct. 18. Two days after the law passed, multiple people descended on Montreal’s Park Avenue and in the metro system wearing ski masks to protest against the bill.

The panel’s organizers invited Fatima Ahmad, a McGill student who wears the niqab, to share her thoughts on the new bill and talk about her experience wearing the full face veil.

“I feel really used [and] targeted,” Ahmad told the group of mostly

students gathered in the room. When Quebec Justice Minister Stéphanie Vallée said the law had passed, Ahmad admitted she “was super shocked.”

Ironically, Eliadis noted, the provincial government launched an inquiry into systemic racism in Quebec in September, just a few weeks before Bill 62 passed. “Right hand and left hand, really,” she said, referring to the disconnect within Quebec’s government.

According to Eliadis, section three of the bill, pertaining to reasonable accommodation, is just as important if not more than the ban on covered faces when using public services.

The lawyer criticized section 11.4 as an example, which states that when an institutional body deals with an accommodation request, it must make sure the request is reasonable “in that it does not impose undue hardship with regard to [...] the proper operation of the body.”

“It really is ‘anything goes,’” Eliadis said, referring to the provision’s vagueness.

“Instead of making [accommo-

dation] something that you should be doing in order to ensure that we have inclusion in this country, [the bill] says: ‘Here are all the reasons why you should not accommodate people.’”

MORE INVOLVEMENT IN POLITICS Zuberi, a former CSU executive who also ran as a councillor under the Projet Montréal banner in 2013, encouraged the panel’s attendees to get involved in the political process. “[It’s] because people like us are not involved in those conversations that legislations like this actually pass,” Zuberi said.

The CSU—which already motioned to condemn the bill during a special council meeting on Oct. 19—was supported by the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) vice president of external affairs, Connor Spencer, and Association pour la voix étudiante au Québec (AVEQ) secretary general Rami Yahia at the panel.

Spencer said the bill should be “called for what it is: racist and sexist".

“We do need to take a position on this. We’re students, but we’re also members of society,” he added. “[It’s] not this piece of legislation that’s problematic, it’s the societal conversation that we’re having around this legislation that’s so damaging,” Zuberi argued.

According to Zuberi, company boards of directors and elected bodies in Montreal should also represent the city’s demographic by having the same percentage of visible minorities as in the society itself.

Issa supported Zuberi’s idea, adding that more representation from minority groups at the National Assembly could, at the very least, bring more opposition to legislation like Bill 62.

For Issa, the issue with the bill is more than political: it’s moral. “Use your moral imagination,” she said, “and try to think of what is fundamental to your character, to your beliefs, something that you hold dear, and imagine if it was violated upon every encounter with someone with institutional authority.”

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

POLITICS

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Tyler Lemco’s successful defeat

Montreal’s lowest-polling mayoral candidate is a spark of possibility for his supporters IAN DOWN ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR “When I first announced it, I was like, ‘Oh, this will be funny.’”

These are not the words a typical mayoral candidate uses to describe his campaign. That’s because Tyler Lemco is not a typical mayoral candidate.

The former Epic Meal Time star and Concordia journalism graduate did not win Montreal’s mayoral election. He didn’t even come close.

In fact, it’s unclear whether he wanted to win at all. There were cheers of joy from his Tequila Bar election party when Valérie Plante’s victory was announced on TV. This was not a defeat—not entirely. For Lemco and his supporters, victory was always secondary.

The odyssey of Tyler Lemco started in 2015 during the last federal election. Campaign signs adorned with the YouTube star’s face began popping up all over Montreal. This wasn’t a real bid for office, but it drew considerable attention on social media. “If I accomplished all of that with nothing, let’s see what I can do actually trying something,” Lemco said.

Last February, he met former Mayor Denis Coderre for the first time.

“I jokingly told him I was going to run against him and he laughed," said Lemco. "So, it was that moment when I said, ‘Alright, I’m in.’”

During the race, Lemco received mixed reactions from his running mates. “Plante has been great,” he said. “I’ve spoken to her probably 15 times. We have this weird mutual respect. Every so often, she’ll ask if I’m endorsing her and I’m like, ‘No, we’re still competition.’”

Lemco never managed to woo his other major opponent. “I’ve tried messaging [Coderre]. Even [after] the diss track, I was hoping he would say something. He’s essentially entirely ignored me.”

The diss track in question is a two and a half minute rap track, accompanied by a music video, posted on Lemco’s Youtube page on Oct. 31 as part of his aggressive

Montreal independent mayoral candidate Tyler Lemco finished last in the election, but victory was always secondary.

Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

razor-thin budget. He estimates that he spent about $500 of his own money, most of it on campaign signs and boosted Facebook posts. Lemco’s signs, which he put up around the city himself, encouraged passersby to vandalize them, which Montrealers responded to with enthusiasm.

I n a d d i t i o n to h i s social media campaign, Lemco embarked on what he called a “barto-bar” campaign after struggling to connect with voters in broad daylight. “I go talk to people when they’re their most talkative, when they’ve got a few drinks in them,” he said.

According to Lemco, the most common issues on people’s minds are the pit bull ban and Montreal’s expensive 375th anniPhoto by Mackenzie Lad. versary celebrations.

social media campaign. “Coderre the unfair mayor, you a chump homie / looking like the white version of Professor Klump, homie,” is just one of the attacks Lemco launched against his then-incumbent opponent.

For three and a half months, Lemco ran his campaign on a

Despite his campaign’s lighthearted beginnings, Lemco said he was shocked into seriousness by the support he received. It was then that he realized, “I can’t make this too much of a joke; I have this responsibility to give this a legitimate shot.”

Lemco did have some ideas for improving the city. He wanted to see heated roads rather than snow plows in the winter. Had he won the race, he would have continued vlogging during his tenure to encourage transparency at city hall. He also would have sought to ban rapper Pitbull from the city.

“I’m a fair mayor, and I think the ban on pit bulls is absurd so I’d get rid of that, but I also believe there should be some balance in life,” he said, although he admitted he is a fan of the Miami-based rapper.

Regardless of the odds, there is at least one supporter who will never leave Lemco’s side. “Knowing Tyler, anything he wants to do, he

goes at it full force. So, running for mayor or running for city council, I’m behind him 100 per cent,” said his mother, Brenda Lemco.

That’s not to say she wasn’t skeptical about his campaign at first. “Are you kidding? Is this really what you want to do? Are you serious?” she told him when she learned of his candidacy.

“I think the goal of this campaign first and foremost is to do something positive, try to start some important conversations,” Lemco said. He hopes his campaign will inspire others. “Look at me. Look at what I’m doing and I’m not qualified whatsoever,” he said. “If I win as a byproduct of that, then cool.”

Although Lemco said it’s too far in the future to know for sure, he is not ruling out a second mayoral campaign.

Anyone with doubts about his plans for the future can consult his rap video: “Ima never stop running / Call me Forrest Gump, homie.”

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NOVEMBER 7, 2017

STUDENT LIFE

Collabra-dabra-tory encourages musical spirit

Concordia’s musical improvisation club connects, unites and empowers students CANDICE PYE NEWS EDITOR “I get out of every session with so much energy and a clear mind. It feels very similar to meditation in that way,” said Concordia music student Sara Shields-Rivard. She achieves this mental clarity through a type of musical therapy—one she strives to share with the Concordia community.

Shields-Rivard is an executive of Collabra-dabra-tory, a club at Concordia that practices musical improvisation. Students from a variety of backgrounds are welcomed to sessions every two weeks to contribute to a musical creation using their voices, instruments provided or instruments of their own.

The sessions are often led by Dr. Irene Feher, a professor who teaches voice at Concordia. Feher helps guide the direction of the improvisation by controlling the flow and allowing people to solo, play all together or pass melodies between participants.

Feher and Shields-Rivard came up with the idea for a musical improvisation club together during one of their voice lessons.

“I mentioned something about howtheConcordiamusicdepartment didn’t have enough extra-curricular stuff going on for students. I felt that most people went to class and went home,” Shields-Rivard said.

“I also felt that I was becoming too focused on the academics of music rather than the fun parts of it.”

Feher spoke to Shields-Rivard about Music For People, an organization she is a member of, created

by Grammy award-winning cellist David Darling, that experiments with musical improvisation. They decided it would be the perfect idea to base a student club off of.

Another one of Feher’s voice

Collabra-dabra-tory executive Olivia Charlebois-Brandvold studies classical voice at Concordia. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

students, Olivia Charlebois-Brandvold, is now Shields-Rivard’s co-executive at Collabra-dabra-tory.

“I was feeling a bit down because it was my first year in the music program and I felt like everyone already kind of knew each other, and I hadn’t really made any friends or connections yet,” CharleboisBrandvold said. She was looking for a way to get more involved at school when she found herself in line at the People’s Potato behind Shields-Rivard, Feher and former club executive Meghan Riley.

“Meghan just turned around and said, ‘Hey, we’re in a lot of the same classes together, would you want to run this new club with us?’

And I was like, ‘Hell yeah!’ It was definitely one of those right place, right time moments,” Charlebois-

Brandvold said.

A year and a half has passed since Collabra-dabra-tory came to be and it has since developed into much more than the co-executives ever imagined. Shields-Rivard said they started off with an average of 15 people attending each session, but since the beginning of the fall semester this year, they have doubled that number at almost every meeting.

At their bi-weekly sessions, they experiment with new ideas and methods of improvisation.

Feher and the executives try to facilitate activities that are accessible to both beginner and advanced musicians and singers.

“Last [session], for example, each group picked a nursery rhyme that they were very familiar with. Each group started off by singing or playing

the lullaby as they knew it, but, by the time their time was up, the song had morphed into a whole new song that sounded very different from the original,” Charlebois-Brandvold said. “It was really cool.”

Shields-Rivard said they often practice with the “ABA” structure; starting off with an idea, bringing it to a completely new place and taking back to the original idea again.

“This kind of activity is free and basic enough that it makes it accessible to all levels of musicianship,” Shields-Rivard said. “You can make your improvisation simple or very complex.”

According to the executives, Collabra-dabra-tory is the perfect place for people who are hesitant to try improvisation-based activities.

Charlebois-Brandvold said she has a

Sara Shields-Rivard is a Concordia music student, a singer and a Collabra-dabra-tory executive. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

love-hate relationship with it herself.

“Even though it is a musical improv club, every fibre of my being recoils against improvisation. It’s really hard for me to be vulnerable in that way and not care what people think,” she said. “Because of that, the sessions have become very therapeutic for me. I really feel that, with every meeting, I am taking down another brick from this wall that we put up for ourselves.”

Collabra-dabra-tory provides a space to make mistakes—in fact, nothing is considered a mistake during their musical improvisation sessions.

“One of our club mantras is, ‘there are no wrong notes!’ That way there’s no pressure to ‘sound good.’ The focus [is instead] on feeling and intuition. We are often surprised at the beauty and freedom of atonality,” Shields-Rivard said.

For students who love music (whether they play an instrument or not) and are looking to get out of their comfort zone in a safe space that is free of judgement, the executives of Collabra-dabra-tory wait with open arms.

“Musical improv is so therapeutic,” Shields-Rivard said. “The musicians that come are really amazing—not just at their craft but as people.

You really get to see everyone’s true colours in that room because of how safe we feel together, but also because of how vulnerable the music makes us. We feel connected, united, empowered.”

Collabra-dabra-tory sessions are held every two weeks on Monday nights from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Their next meeting will be on Nov. 20. For more information, visit their Facebook page or e-mail them at: collabra.dabra.tory@gmail.com

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

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HONOUR SOCIETY

Have you been asked to join Golden Key?

Questions and answers about Concordia’s chapter of the international honour society VALERIA CORI-MANOCCHIO HEAD COPY EDITOR An undergraduate student in actuarial mathematics, Lisa Ho was a bit surprised when she was sent an invitation to join the Golden Key International Honour Society. Nonetheless, she was glad to be “recognized for [her] academic achievement” at the Concordia Golden Key chapter’s New Membership Recognition event on Oct. 27.

Psychology students Maneli Nourzad and Mehrnoosh Pezeshk, who also attended the event, joined the honour society because they believed it would look good on their CVs. If the Golden Key International Honour Society sounds familiar, it may be because you’ve received a letter inviting you to join as well. According to the co-president of Concordia’s Golden Key chapter, Natasha Sabelli, undergraduate students in the top 15 per cent of their program are invited to join the non-profit organization.

This amounts to approximately 1,000 letters being sent out across Concordia’s four faculties each year, according to Sabelli.

HOW IS CONCORDIA’S GOLDEN KEY CHAPTER FUNDED?

In an inter view with The Concordian, Sabelli said “all the funding comes from members who join.” The chapter does not receive any money from Concordia. As the invitation to join the society discloses, each new member of Golden Key pays a one-time membership fee of $90.

“For every new member that joins the Concordia chapter, we receive $12 towards our chapter funding and $2 goes towards scholarship funding for the chapter,” Sabelli said.

The remaining $76 goes to Golden Key’s headquarters to fund the more than $500,000 in scholarships distributed by the organization every year, Sabelli added. Some of that remaining money also goes towards conferences like the Golden Key Canadian Regional Summit (CANCON) which the Concordia chapter will host in Montreal in February 2018.

Of the 1,000 letters sent out to prospective members by the Dean of Students office, Sabelli estimates that 500 Concordia students join Golden Key each year.

Concordia’s chapter was formed in 2001 and averages about 1,000

members at the university in any given year, according to their website. There are over 400 chapters at universities across eight countries.

HOW DOES GOLDEN KEY OBTAIN STUDENT INFORMATION?

Technically, they don’t, not until students provide it.

In an email to The Concordian, university spokesperson Mary-Jo Barr said, “the Dean of Students office identifies students who qualify for admittance to the Golden Key International Honour Society.”

This means chosen students are responsible for contacting the organization and providing their personal information if they are interested in joining. “At no time does the university share personal student information with the Golden Key organization,” Barr wrote.

In April 2007, Golden Key was mentioned in a privacy complaint report filed against Ryerson University. A student at the Toronto university contacted the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC)—whose mandate is to promote open government and protect Ontarians’ privacy rights— concerning Golden Key’s access

An example of a Golden Key International Honour Society membership letter. Photo by Alex Cole.

to students’ personal information.

Based on Ontario’s privacy legislation and the Ryerson University Act—which allows the university to collect student information for objectives such as advancements in learning—the investigator determined Ryerson did not reveal “students’ information prior to students’ acceptance of [Golden Key] invitations.”

WHAT COMES WITH JOINING GOLDEN KEY?

According to Brent Pearce, the faculty advisor for Concordia’s chapter, joining Golden Key is a good opportunity for students to give back to the community, build a network of contacts and apply for scholarships and bursaries provided by Concordia’s Golden

Key chapter and Golden Key’s International Honour Society.

According to S abelli, the Concordia chapter gives out two to three scholarships totaling $1,500 to Golden Key members each year. The International Golden Key also awards a $1,500 to $5,000 scholarship to a Concordia chapter member annually, Sabelli added. In 2016, two Concordia students obtained bursaries from the Concordia chapter and one student received a bursary from the international organization, Sabelli said.

To Pearce, joining Golden Key gives members “a ready-made network of well over a million people in the world. […] The International Golden Key is everywhere.”

HEALTH

Ammonia at Parmalat: Low risk for university

After deadly leak in B.C. arena, Loyola High School assures no ammonia used at Ed Meagher Arena ÉTIENNE LAJOIE NEWS EDITOR Three arena workers in Fernie, B.C., after being exposed to ammonia following a leak in October. Ammonia is “very toxic” and “fatal if inhaled,” according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety.

As for Concordia's Ed Meagher Arena, the last ammonia leak dates back to 2005. It was during the month of October, in one of Paul Donovan’s first years as president of Loyola High School.

The leak happened one morning while Donovan and his administrative team—the two vice-principals of academics and the vice-principal of discipline—were across the street at Second Cup, according to a 2014 article in Loyola Today.

Since Loyola High School is located beside the arena, the building was evacuated and students were moved to the nearby St-Ignatius of Loyola Church, with the help of Donovan and his colleagues.

Heather Dubee, the Loyola High School director of communications,

The risk of an ammonia leak at Parmalat factory is not a threat to Concordia students, according to the university. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

confirmed there hasn’t been an ammonia leak at the arena since 2005. According to the school's building manager, the chemical is no longer used, although there’s still ammonia down the street.

The Parmalat factory at the intersection of Elmhurst Avenue and St-Jacques Street still uses ammonia to cool their products, according to Anita Jarjour, Parmalat Canada’s director of government and industry relations.

“The safest and most efficient

way of cooling dairy products and maintaining temperature is the use [of] an ammonia cooling system,” Jarjour wrote in an email to The Concordian.

Two years ago, an ammonia leak happened at a Parmalat factory in Winchester, Ont., according to CBC News. An investigation by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change was launched at the time. The company told the ministry the leak was an “isolated event” and only a litre of ammonia leaked. Nonetheless, a resident

who lived close to the factory told CBC News she “couldn’t breathe [the air].”

According to Jarjour, “it is of utmost importance for [Parmalat] to ensure the safety of the community in which our facility is located as well as the safety of our 360 employees working on site.”

In addition, she explained that Parmalat complies “with all applicable safety regulations and safety measures.”

As a precaution, Dubee said the high school ran an ammonia leak

drill last year. “Loyola’s procedure is to ensure that all students, faculty and staff remain indoors and the ventilation system is turned off,” she explained.

According to Concordia University spokesperson Mary-Jo Barr, “a very specific weather pattern would need to occur for there to be a threat to the Loyola campus” if an ammonia leak occurred. “Concordia’s Loyola campus may be affected, but the risk is very low,” she said.

In the event of a leak, Concordia “would work closely with city of ficials to ensure all of the appropr iate measures were implemented,” Barr said. These measures could involve “keeping faculty, staff and students indoors until the situation is resolved.”

Jarjour confirmed that Parmalat would also work with Montreal city officials in the event of a leak.

“We also collaborate with the city of Montreal’s public safety department to test our external siren if there were to be such an incident,” she said, adding that the next siren test will be on Tuesday, Nov. 14 at 2:10 p.m.

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NOVEMBER 7, 2017

POLITICS

Concordia students react to McGill union vote

Student group executives comment on decision not to ratify McGill university student Noah Lew ÉTIENNE LAJOIE NEWS EDITOR McGill University launched an investigation on Oct. 27 after one of its students, Noah Lew, claimed he was targeted for being Jewish. In a message posted on his Facebook page on Oct. 24, Lew wrote that he was “blocked from participating in student government because of [his] Jewish identity and [his] aff iliations with Jewish organizations.”

Lew, a member of the board of directors of the Students’ Societ y of McGill Universit y (SSMU)—the university’s student union—explained in his Facebook post that “over 100 students” opposed his assent as a director at the SSMU general assembly on Oct. 23.

The McGill student said the reason for the opposition was his support for the ratification of a decision by the SSMU judicial board that the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel violated the SSMU constitution.

“I think it’s very sad that a person is discriminated [against] because of his cultural or religious identity,” Amina Chemssy, the Israel on Campus (IOC) Concordia

Student group executives at Concordia commented on the opposition to assent McGill student Noah Lew as a director of the Students' Society of McGill University. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

president, told The Concordian.

The BDS movement calls for banks, local councils and other institutions “to withdraw investments from all Israeli companies,” according to the movement’s official website.

The movement also calls on governments to “fulfill their legal obligation to hold Israel to account by ending military trade [and] free-trade agreements” and for people and organizations to “withdraw support for Israel and Israeli and international companies

that are involved in the violation of Palestinian human rights.”

In December 2014, Concordia Student Union (CSU) members— totalling approximately 35,000 undergraduate students—voted in favour of endorsing the BDS movement against Israel.

Following the vote, Concordia president Alan Shepard wrote that the “result of the vote [was independent] of the university.”

Chemssy—a friend of Lew—and her colleague, IOC Concordia vice-president of finance Jonathan

Mamane, have been following the situation at McGill closely.

Mamane, who was part of the “Vote no to BDS” campaign at Concordia in 2014, said he was not surprised Lew was not ratified.

At IOC Concordia meetings following the SSMU general assembly’s decision not to ratify Lew, Chemssy said people were shocked. “We thought Concordia was the most turbulent [of the two] campuses,” admitted Chemssy, who ran for an elected position in the March 2017 CSU elections.

“We thought, ‘Oh my God, this is happening next door.

How are we supposed to react now?’” she said. According to Chemssy, she and IOC McGill president Grace Miller-Day are currently planning a “fun and non-political” event to bring people from both universities together.

According to Mamane, “there isn’t much of a working relationship” at the moment between IOC Concordia and Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) Concordia—which supported the 2014 BDS vote. “However, some of us interact and engage other members in civil dialogue,” Mamane said.

The Concordian reached out to SPHR president Mustafa Bokesmati who wrote in a text message that his organization “would like to avoid discussing [the situation at McGill] publicly.”

“We have tried to do things with some organizations in the past and I’ll be honest with you, it doesn’t usually work out,” Mamane said.

“There are values on both sides and, if both groups can’t agree to some things, then it doesn’t end up working out so well and sometimes it’s better to just not do things together,” Mamane told The Concordian.

SOCIETY

Concordia First Nations advocacy group goes digital Indigenous Directions Leadership Group to help student develop business initiatives MEGAN HUNT ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR As one of the newest members of Concordia’s Indigenous Directions Leadership Group (IDLG), Ronald Abraira hopes to bring his knowledge of business management and entrepreneurship to help the group develop initiatives that benefit Indigenous students at the John Molson School of Business (JMSB).

“I’d like to help the group reach out to First Nations institutions and create a bridging program for [Indigenous] CEGEP students and adult education learners,” said Abraira, a JMSB lecturer. “We’re hoping to create a program that’s like Dragon’s Den […] We’re calling it INSTEP: Indigenous Student Experience.”

T h i s p r o g r a m w i l l g i ve Indigenous students the chance to create and pitch original business ideas in a style similar to the successful CBC television series. Abraira said INSTEP will give students enrolled in CEGEP or adult education programs the

opportunity to gain experience in entrepreneurship and help ease their transition into university.

He added that the IDLG hopes to launch the program at some point in the next year, but there is currently no set date.

Abraira is one of four new members to join the IDLG this ye ar. T h e ot h er n e w m embers include Vicky Boldo, an interim elder at Concordia’s Aboriginal Student Resource Centre (ASRC), ASRC coordinator Orenda Boucher-Curotte and Karl Hele, an associate professor of First Peoples studies at Concordia.

Reporting to the provost and vice-president, all IDLG members contribute to the group’s goal of helping Concordia respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Principles for Reconciliation and Calls to Action. A total of 94 calls to action were released by the TRC in 2015, following a seven-year federally funded investigation of the Canadian residential school system. The calls to action include ensuring Indigenous people have equitable access to jobs, training

and education. Another call to action recommended requiring cer tain academic programs, including history, media studies and journalism, to feature curriculums focused on Indigenous history and issues.

The IDLG aims to improve the university’s responsiveness to the TRC principles by preparing a list of current Concordia First Nations initiatives, designing recommendations to increase Indigenous participation in the academic community, and offering input on Concordia’s approach to Indigenous recruitment and admissions strategies.

In addition to welcoming new members, the IDLG launched an online hub that aims to provide First Nations Concordia students with access to resources and information.

The hub, which was launched in October, features a diverse range of information relevant to First Nations students and faculty, including

upcoming IDLG events as well as a list of courses and faculty members in the First People Studies program. There is also a page highlighting Indigenous research and community projects at Concordia.

Some of the featured projects include Acting Out!, a program that offers theatre workshops to Indigenous youth; Nipivut, a bi-weekly Inuktitut radio show; and Journey Women, an art project exploring the theme of healing from the perspective of First Nations women.

According to Abraira, there is no formal application or election process to join the IDLG. The group welcomes Indigenous community members from a wide range of backgrounds.

“This is a group that’s here for all Indigenous students, Indigenous facult y and those interested in outreach to the Indigenous community,” Abraira said.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

life

LIFE EDITOR /// life@theconcordian.com SANDRA HERCEGOVÁ

CREATIVE WRITING

A storytelling series by Concordia students Book author Léandre Larouche shares his short story, “Infrastructure”

LÉANDRE LAROUCHE STAFF WRITER The main street is walking down my body. I've been wandering around for too long now. Thanks to the downtown lights, I see the city's true colours. I see the uncovered faces of churches, condos, skyscrapers and bridges; and the main street keeps walking down my body. I feel its heavy weight crash onto my soul. There's something uncanny about being alone. It's as if everything was more evident, more noteworthy.

I notice how run-down our infrastructure is.

Simultaneous construction around the city is at an all-time high; it monopolizes the public space from the street level to the sky. Giant ladders stand still leaned up against building walls, while operating cranes and piles of materials occupy entire parking lots. Every corner, ostracized, finds itself hijacked by construction equipment. But at this time—it's 11:30 p.m.—nothing's going on, everything's frozen. I see my city as a sad, grayish picture, one upon which I'm forced to lay my eyes, sad and bitter and resentful. I didn't ask to see the city as it is. I didn't ask to be alone tonight.

There are so many bars here, more than I thought. Never would I have expected to see so many of them, on just one street, although I know this city as no one else does. Nor would I have imagined so many people congregating inside them. My friends and I are of the most loyal, trustworthy regulars to the bars we cherish and call home; we never miss, at least not without a good reason, the rendezvous that has become tradition. We are earnest drinkers, fervent chatters and lovers of people; yet I was blissfully unaware that my city had so many choices.

Just to my left is a brewery I must have gone to a dozen times.

As I walk by it, a group of men stand next to the door, smoking c ig are t te s , c h atting and laughing loudly. These rather muscular guys, with beards and

all, are clearly having a good time. I pass just in front of them, slow down and turn back. I shoot a glance inside the bar. I can see the people; I can feel the vibe.

They walk and talk and drink in the laid-back atmosphere; the bar is half modern, half antique. I want to go in. I want to go in and sit down and have a drink. But I refrain and keep walking.

Further down the main street is another bar which I more or less know. I mean to enter that one too. The dim light at the entrance suggests a tiny ray of hope for me. I approach the door, stare at the doorman, and then decide to back off.

This place isn't for me, after all. I keep walking, paying more and more attention to bars and, as I remain in motion, I see plenty of them. I see plenty but they're all full. As soon as I look in, if I dare do so, I don't see any place for me to sneak in. The counters are unwelcoming and so are the tables. There's no place where I might belong.

I accelerate my pace, throwing glances at bars I pass, and I don't go in. I note each one's crowdedness, biting my lips. Panic grows apace, my heart pounding, my head hurting and my mouth becoming dry. I grow dizzy and uncomfortable; I can't see the surrounding light. After a while, I hit the end of the main street only to find myself faced with deep shame. There must be something wrong with me, I think. All the moments spent with friends in bars rush to my mind. Why am I so lonely? Why am I so abnormal? I thought I was someone.

The only place I can get into is a pizza place, empty and just about to close. Once inside, I sit down, slice in hand, and gaze at a condo building being demolished outside. They're not done with it yet, but it already looks like a perfect wreck. I bite into my pizza and tomato sauce falls onto my shirt. The cashier is cleaning up behind me. It's 11:59 p.m. now, and the dawn of a new day threatens me. In a minute, it will be Friday night no more, and I feel like a disappointed disappointment.

I wonder what everyone might be doing right now. I sigh. My infrastructure isn’t any better than the city’s.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

8

theconcordian

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

HEALTH

The issue of over-diagnosing in psychiatry McGill University’s Dr. Joel Paris discusses the line between pathology and normalcy

MINA MAZUMDER STAFF WRITER While the leaves fell and the seasonal blues kicked in, Dr. Joel Paris, a professor of psychiatry at McGill University, gave a lecture on Oct. 30 about the dangers and consequences of over-diagnosing in psychiatry.

According to Paris, there is no rule of thumb differentiating between being sad and experiencing depression. “What is the difference between being unhappy and having a mental disorder? This is not so easy,” he said to those gathered at McGill ’s Rob er t P almer How ard Amphitheatre. “It is difficult to establish any clear boundary between pathology and normality.”

Over-diagnosis is when an illness or disorder is diagnosed more often than is actually present in patients, Paris explained. Along with under-diagnosis, it is the biggest issue in psychiatry at the moment, according to Paris. “Either you miss something or claim that something is there when it isn’t there,” he said.

Paris told lecture attendees that most psychiatrists tend to favour over-diagnosis when in doubt. Disorders such as schizophrenia are easier to diagnose due to specific symptoms that arise in those affected with the illness, he explained.

However, symptoms for disorders such as classical bipolar disorder can be similar to other illnesses, increasing the likelihood of misdiagnosis or over-diagnosis.

“Over-diagnosis leads to overtreat-

ment,” Paris said. “Antibiotics are the classic example, where people with colds get antibiotics. This creates an antibiotic resistance in the population.”

According to Par is , about 11 per cent of C anadians are cur rently on antidepressants. He said this number demonstrates that antidepressants are being over-prescribed, which is a consequence of over-diagnosis. “People in my field are handing out prescriptions like it’s nobody’s business when it comes to antidepressants, and antipsychotics too,” he said.

According to Paris, over-diagnosis and over-prescribing in psychology and psychiatry has affected the way society views diagnoses of mental illness . He called it a diagnostic epidemic. As he explained, the problem lies in people discussing symptoms as if they were professionalyly-made diagnoses.

“The media picks this up and feeds these epidemics. People talk about these things, even socialize it,” Paris said. The fact that it is common for people to declare, “I think I have ADHD” or “my father is bipolar” without a diagnosis exemplifies this, he added.

In looking at mental disorders and the degree to which they are over-diagnosed, Paris said he has found some common mistakes in the diagnosis of everything from depression and bipolar disorder to post-traumatic stress disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and personality disorders. For example, some professionals are likely to diagnose a highly introverted person with Asperger’s syndrome, Paris explained.

“People who are highly-introverted just like to be alone,” he said, adding that this does not necessarily mean they fit the diagnostic criteria of the autism spectrum.

According to Paris there needs to be change in the field of psychiatry and in

the way our healthcare system addresses mental health. “If everyone in the population received 20 sessions of psychotherapy, the government health system would save a lot of money,” he said as an example.

Mental health services, such as psychotherapy, also receive less funding compared to treatments for physical conditions because of the stigma around mental illness and a common fear in society of being diagnosed with a mental disorder, Paris explained. “I think people hate people with mental disorders because they are afraid to have one themselves,” he said.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

theconcordian

9

COVER STORY

Montreal festival is a vegan’s paradise The event’s fourth edition featured tastings, talks and culinary demonstrations

The festival promoted a vegan lifestyle and included stands with food, clothing garments, shoes and skincare products. Photo by Elisa Barbier.

ELISA BARBIER ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR May contain eggs, milk, butter or gelatin are words that could not be found anywhere at Marché Bonsecours this weekend. Ingredients like soy, nuts, legumes and tofu, on the other hand, were readily available.

On Nov. 4 and 5, vegans from across the country gathered for the fourth edition of Montreal’s Vegan Festival. Conferences, culinary demonstrations, dégustations and over 30 stands introduced aspects of veganism to the public.

In the scenic Old Port, the market was packed to its maximum capacity throughout the weekend. A stage was set up on the lower level to host conferences and culinary demonstrations by vegan cooks, artists, athletes, philosophers, sociologists and bloggers. The upper level offered different options of vegan food, drinks, desserts, skincare products and clothing. Festival goers ranging from toddlers to seniors lined up for free samples of cheesecake or kombucha.

Some tried on winter jackets or even got a vegan tattoo.

Among the many people hosting conferences at the festival, Antoine Jolicoeur Desroches, a professional triathlon athlete from Quebec, discussed the health and athletic performance benefits of a vegan diet. Three years ago, Jolicoeur Desroches made the decision to become a vegan after seven years as a vegetarian. “I had always been careful with my impact on the environment, but I had never thought of the impact my eating habits could have,” he said. For Jolicoeur Desroches,

his ethics toward the environment were far more important than the effect this new diet could have on his body and practice. Nonetheless, the results were positive and noticeable. “My performance increased. It became easier to recover, and I became able to use all the energy my body was uselessly spending to digest animal products,” he said.

He advised young athletes to make the transition slowly, adding days or meals throughout the week that eliminate animal-based products, such as “meatless Monday.” “[ Veganism] is a lifestyle that must be established for a lifetime through progressive change,” Jolicoeur Desroches said. He added that traveling for competitions has not hindered his eating habits. “There are always local products like fruits, vegetables, pasta, potatoes or rice. Also, having a set of spices is good to diversify seasoning,” he said.

Seasoning is big part of Sam Turnbull’s daily life. The Concordia alumna and author of the blog “It doesn’t taste like chicken” attended the festival to discuss her new book, Fuss-free Vegan , about vegan comfort food.

Unlike Jolicoeur Desroches, Turnbull made the full transition overnight five years ago after watching a documentary on animal cruelty. Growing up in a family of chefs, butchers and hunters, Turnbull loved cheese and meat. “When I made the switch, it is because I knew I should, not because all of a sudden I was obsessed with vegan food,” Turnbull said.

“At first, I started looking up vegan recipes , but it wa s all k ale, quinoa and energy bars. So I started my blog

because I don’t eat that way,” she said. sources of calcium in your diet is often Turnbull’s blog is unique, as it features forgotten. “Once people have those knacks recipes focusing mainly on comfort food and they make sure to take vitamin B12, like pizza, burgers, sandwiches and things move along really well,” Melina dessert—foods that people don’t usually said. Vitamin B12 is an important nutrient associate with veganism. that comes from bacteria often present “It is all with easy-to-find ingredi- in meat products. ents at local grocery stores, not weird “Vegans don’t lack nutrients more powders or maca root,” Turnbull said than anybody else,” Melina said. She with a laugh. She encourages students emphasised that anybody is at risk of to follow a vegan lifestyle since foods malnutrition in Canada—especially those like cheese and meat can be expensive who lack vitamin D during the long wincompared to fruits and vegetables. And ters. “It is easy to find vegetal proteins diversity in taste is easily achievable using or calcium that are more efficient than spices. “You can make a delicious meal animal ones,” Melina said. with beans and rice as long as you have Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth. the right spices in it,” Turnbull said.

Beans are also the solution for Ves anto Melina, a dietician and lead author of the book The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetic s . Beans represent a source of vegetable protein often forgot ten, according to Melina. She was a veget ar ian for more than two decades before making the transition to veganism 24 years ago.

As a dietician, Melina discussed the dos and don’ts of a vegan diet, but also how to get all the nutrients your body needs.

Learning to add beans, peas and lentils to your recipes as well The fourth edition of Montreal's Vegan Festival was as acquiring non-dairy held at Marché Bonsecours. Photo by Elisa Barbier.

arts

ARTS EDITOR /// arts@theconcordian.com MAGGIE HOPE

PROFILE

Work of passion gains momentum

A young Cree artist speaks about her budding business and aspirations for the future IMMANUEL MATTHEWS STAFF WRITER While homemade jewelry and ink-based artworks might not be an unheard of business idea, not many can say their orders are flown out of Quebec’s northernmost Cree community.

Saige Mukash, a 20-year-old Cree woman, calls her business Nalakwsis—the middle name her Abenaki grandmother gave her in her native language. Nalakwsis products include ink drawings, digital artwork, beaded jewelry and embroidered works, all hand-made by Mukash herself.

While she is a creative woman by nature and always enjoyed making pieces with her hands, Mukash only recently chose a more organized, business-oriented path.

“I chose ‘Nalakwsis’ as my official business title about a year ago, but I’ve been serious in my work for the past two years now,” Mukash explained. Though, what is now a profitable business first started out as a passionate hobby.

Mukash attended F.A.C.E. School in the heart of downtown Montreal, where she was able to exercise her artistic abilities and express herself through various mediums in an organized classroom setting. However, it was returning to her Cree community up north that had the biggest effect on her.

“My art really blossomed when I came to Whapmagoostui to reconnect with my Cree culture,” she said.

Not long after, Mukash created a Facebook page where she could post photos and descriptions of her art pieces; a sort of headquarters for all her works. As people began to show interest in buying her pieces , Mukash realized she would have to take further steps to establish her business. She created two online shops where anyone in Canada with access to a credit card could purchase her artworks.

It was then that Mukash knew she was in business. While she still lives with her parents and two siblings in their home in northern Quebec, Mukash found a way to create her own workspace in her spatially limited environment. She has a small studio space in her home where she crafts all her pieces, packages and ships them.

In the past month alone, Mukash has made over $1,000 in sales, and spends an average of $200 on supplies per month.

However, living three hours away from Montreal by plane is becoming more and

The 20-year-old artist said she is saving up for a studio of her own. Photo courtesy of Saige Mukash. more of a problem. Due to her isolated location, Mukash must order all of her supplies online. “It’s getting very hard to be able to buy supplies online. Shipping is getting very expensive for my community, which is a fly-in only community,” she said.

Not only are all of Mukash’s supplies located hours away, so are the majority of her customers. Shipping fees are added onto every sale she makes. Yet, while these obstacles are present in the young artist’s day-to-day plans, she is not letting them slow her down.

“I think my first long-term goal for my business is owning a studio here in my hometown,” Mukash said. “It’s a struggle for anyone here to own their own business because everything is under the Band Office. You can’t just go and sign a lease for an apartment.”

“My own studio space is what I’m saving up for,” she said. “That’s what I’m aiming for.”

For more information about Saige Mukash, visit her Facebook page: facebook.com/ Nalakwsis-101679637095341/ o r website: society6.com/saigemukash.

Mukash titled this piece, For the missing and murdered.

Photo courtesy of Saige Mukash.

THEATRE FESTIVAL: ONE ACTS 2017

JOHN LITTLE: CITY LIFE FROM 1951

A collection of single-act plays featuring talent from Concordia's theatre department. For specific showtimes, check out the Facebook event.

A tribute toEXHIBITION John Little, | 1 a legendary Canadian painter. This is the first DREAMS collectionSWEET of his work to be authorized Artist in over Abigail 30 years!

Goldman presents latest work, miniature diagrams of murder scenes.

WHERE Alan Klinkoff Gallery, 1448 WHERE Sherbrooke Station 16 Gallery St. W. WHEN WHEN From NowOct. until26 Nov. to Nov. 18 18 VERNISSAGE Oct. 26, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

WHERE D.B. Clarke Theatre, Hall Building WHEN Now until Nov. 11

I'LL TEACH MY KIDS HOW TO BE AESTHETICALLY CORRECT Concordia graduate Raúl Aguilar Canela's first solo show with Centre Clark. There will be a talk with the artist held at the gallery on Nov. 11 at 3 p.m.

WHERE Centre Clark, 5455 Gaspé Ave. WHEN Now until Dec. 9

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

theconcordian

11

EXHIBITION

Telling Indigenous stories in cyberspace

Filling in the Blank Spaces exhibits a multimedia, interactive, cross-cultural dialogue

Lewis and Skawennati’s exhibition, Filling in the Blank Spaces, explores Indigenous identity through technology and art. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

CHLOË LALONDE ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR The Ohenton Karihwatehkwen are the words that come before all else. They call on everyone to give thanks to Mother Earth, Grandmother Moon and Father Sky. Grateful for the environment, all animals and all of creation, we acknowledge Creator, and we thank him for all he has done for us.

Skawennati and Jason E. Lewis’ video piece titled Thanksgiving Address mimics the Ohenton Karihwatehkwen, giving thanks for contemporary technologies such as the computer and the internet.

Located at the entrance of the Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery, this piece also greets and thanks viewers for attending Owerà:ke Non Aié:nahne: Filling in the Blank Spaces.

According to the exhibition’s description, Filling in the Blank Spaces is “an exhibition-forum on the research and creative work of the Aboriginal territories in cyberspace.”

It is an exhibition that demands viewer participation. The majority of the pieces presented require interaction.

Five different video games are set up in the middle of the gallery’s main space.

They were created by the elders and youth of Aboriginal communities during Skins Workshops. In these workshops, video games are made to explore Indigenous stories, mythology and ways of life.

Lewis is a computation arts professor at Concordia as well as an artist and writer.

Both he and Skawennati, a Concordia BFA design graduate, are co-directors of Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace (AbTeC).

AbTeC is a research network based at Concordia that strives to change the world by using digital media to tell stories of the past and imagine versions of the future. The initiative encourages Indigenous and non-Indigenous commu-

nities to participate in the production and viewing of digital media and to create a dialogue between cultures.

The co-directors of AbTeC explained that their goal is to “facilitate the creation of a new generation of media producers while attempting to answer questions about how our stories are told and how these can be remediated via new media.” AbTeC also manages the Initiative for Indigenous Futures (IIF), which often commissions works by Indigenous artists. Such works are projected onto the walls of the gallery and available as postcards.

The neighbouring room contains two virtual reality (VR) pieces, one by Scott Benesiinaabandan and another created during Skins Workshops. In these virtual realities, the viewer can explore a variety of futures and imaginary worlds.

Another space documents the work done behind the scenes at AbTeC and IIF. Here, select pieces from both Lewis and Skawennati’s individual and collective bodies of work are on display. These documentations are from past projects and conferences, including work from when the couple met in Banff in the 90s.

The room also includes material from The Future Imaginary symposium, an ongoing

conference series that brings people together to imagine different futures.

Sketches and design plans for the VR projects are displayed beside two figurines: Skawennati’s avatar from the Second Life online virtual world, and Hunter, the main character in TimeTraveller™, a series of nine 10-minute videos which play in an adjacent room. Each episode retells historical events from the Indigenous perspective, from the life of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha to the 1969 Occupation of Alcatraz and the 1990 Oka Crisis.

The video series is followed by the new media production She Falls For Ages. In September, The Concordian visited The Celestial Tree, one of Skawennati’s installations based off of this machinima. The “machinima” approach is entirely specific to the artist’s body of work. Combining computer animation—similar to Sims graphics—and cinema, She Falls For Ages tells a futuristic, feminist interpretation of the Haudenosaunee creation story.

According to an article written by Lewis and Skawennati in Cultural Survival Quarterly Magazine, “since its beginning, cyberspace has been imagined as a free and

Artists Jason E. Lewis and Skawennati are co-directors of Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace (AbTeC). Photo by Alex Hutchins.

open space, much like the New World was imagined by the Europeans.”

In showcasing art that uses EuroAmerican technology, AbTeC and IIF hope to help Indigenous peoples reclaim their stolen identity. By expressing themselves in the creation of alternative realities, AbTeC encourages artists to create visuals of historical events, stories of the past and hopes for the future. Filling in the Blank Spaces exposes a dialogue which resonates from nation to nation, (re)learning and (re) discovering history in the process.

Owerà:ke Non Aié:nahne: Filling in the Blank Spaces will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. until Dec. 2 at the Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery in Concordia’s LB building.

Models of Skawennati’s avatar and Hunter, the main character of her series titled TimeTraveller™, on display at the gallery. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

music

Quickspins

MUSIC EDITOR /// music@theconcordian.com CALVIN CASHEN

1

JULIEN BAKER

PROFILE

The wild world of METZ

Turn Out the Lights

The band talks Steve Albini and personal change

(Matador, 2017)

CALVIN CASHEN MUSIC EDITOR

On Turn Out the Lights, Julien Baker’s second record, she is immensely vulnerable. The album sounds like an open diary, detailing her battles with mental illness, unsettled relationships and waning optimism about the future.

While her first project, Sprained Ankle, seemed reluctant at times, the ballads on Turn Out the Lights are defiant and confident. Baker’s voice glides over spacious, piano-driven instrumentals.

Her music references her Christianity, without limiting her to a strictly Christian audience. Baker hides pockets of happiness in an album defined by its haunting vocals and melodies. “Sour Breath” is open about alcoholism and loneliness, while on “Hurt Less,” she is candid about her relationship with self-care. Baker is honest and unapologetic over these arrangements, which truly allows her story to flourish.

Since their inception, METZ have displayed a penchant for balancing noisy, no-holdsbarred rock with downright catchy songwriting. But on their latest project, Strange Peace, the Toronto imports decided to hone a new sting, embracing a more artistic edge and exploratory tendencies.

Enlisting producer Steve Albini, the band stretched the contours of its sound to even crazier, more abrasive domains, with tracks echoing hard-edged post-punk and artsy noise-rock. We spoke with METZ’s singer and guitarist Alex Edkins ahead of the band’s Montreal show last month about their collaboration with Albini and the band’s artistic process.

Those who foam at the mouth for METZ’s textural guitars and fuzz-laden production quality won’t have a hard time digesting Strange Peace. Sonically, the album depends heavily on the wall-of-sound technique Phil Spector innovated in the 60s; a fully-fledged example of the noise-rock band taking on more challenging sounds. The piercing auditory arrangements are still there, but METZ has decided to sprinkle in some fancy studio embellishments here and there. Nuanced synthesizer lines quietly occupy the background in some tracks.

Among the most transformative changes METZ underwent between Strange Peace and its sophomore record, 2016’s II, is relocating to a new base of operation. This time around, the band hired noted engineering wizard and hardcore visionary Albini to record at his Electrical Audio recording studio in Chicago.

“Albini was for sure a great fit. It was a really fast process for us too,” Edkins said.

“We recorded the whole thing in four days, and we were there for five.”

"It was one of the most productive weeks of my life," Edkins added. “METZ has played with Albini's band, Shellac, a few times, so he was familiar with our music and he knew we were familiar with his.”

Strange Peace features 11 of 14 studio recordings, which could point to more material from these sessions being released in the future.

METZ seem to be part of a new noise-rock convention with a noticeably unrestrained and reckless inclination to the music. This is mainly echoed in the inordinately anarchic ethos that pervades the music. Despite the creatively rendered ideas, the waves of noise that permeate the band’s general sound are perhaps too chaotic and inaccessible at times.

Nonetheless, Edkins was especially pleased by the well-organized, relatively smooth structure of the recording process. You wouldn’t expect this, given the unhinged nature of the METZ's music.

This condensed time frame no doubt pushed the band to its limit. No wonder the album was jammed out in one sitting.

It’s clear the band pulled heavy influence from tumultuous personal events that overwhelmed its members.

“I was going through a lot of personal changes. I was in a state of shock while writing the lyrics in the midst of Trump’s presidency,” Edkins said. “I also had my first son. So, there were obviously a lot of crazy things going on. The title, Strange Peace, is relating to that calm before the storm—before something bad happens.”

The soulful radiance of Bianca Muñiz The singer tackles her experience with cancer with alarming clarity

CALVIN CASHEN MUSIC EDITOR

Muñiz and her four band members smile through thick and thin. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

where she first learned how to perform solo on stage, which can be an entirely different ballgame without the close proximity of band members.

Yet, Muñiz and her four accompanying backing members are fully attuned with each other. They’ve created a dynamic approach to music performance, interweaving contemporary music with the same spirit traditionally found in jazz music. Each member swaps between jazzy riffs and instantly gratifying pop, all while magnifying the disarming assertiveness of the singer’s voice.

On Sept. 29, Muñiz released the music video for her confident and assured new single, “For You,” through the video hosting service Vevo. The song is the lead single from her first full-length album, which will

9.1/10 — BENJAMIN LANGUAY, CONTRIBUTOR

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

PROFILE

Overcoming immense obstacles is something 22-year-old Bianca Muñiz has been facing her whole life. It’s something that pushed the Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. native to share her voice with the world.

Don’t believe me? Muñiz named her own eclectic style of music. Titled “avant-pop,” it is a wide-ranging mesh of indie, pop, jazz and rock that works to enhance the singer’s soul-tinged vocals.

Muñiz is currently battling cancer for the second time. At just 11 years old, the aspiring singer was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

You would never be able to tell—Muñiz’s presence is nothing short of radiant, her cheerful disposition as infectious as her smooth musical stylings.

Muñiz attended Pleasantville High School in New York because of its exceptional music program.

“I was involved in musical theatre in high school and then jazz and vocal studies in college, so I got to absorb all different forms of music,” Muñiz said. “I’ve always listened to pop and electronic. I love Radiohead. So, I want to say my style is a little bit of everything.”

At the same time, she also enrolled in voice lessons at the Lagond Music School in Elmsford, N.Y., where she was encouraged to cultivate a singular stage presence. It was

# Trial Track: “Shadowboxing”

be released sometime next year.

The video portrays an impending storm of sorts. The person she’s with wants to retreat to escape a cataclysmic fate, but Muñiz flatly refuses, opting to live out her days to the bitter end.

Muñiz’s perseverance alone is more than inspiring, even after coming to terms with her condition. Last November, she developed breast cancer and went through a double mastectomy only a month after her diagnosis.

Following the surgery, she underwent three months of chemotherapy and is now on a medication regimen until March.

“Experiencing cancer for the second time has really shown me what’s important in life—family and friends. And music, of course,” Muñiz said. “It’s not something I really think about. My experiences come out in my songs.”

2

BIG K.R.I.T. 4eva Is A Mighty Long Time (Multi Alumni, 2017) Mississippi rapper Big K.R.I.T.’s new album, 4eva Is A Might Long Time, is one of the most soulful and lavishly produced rap albums of the year. At 22 tracks, the album is split into two discs. Disc one is filled with southern bangers, like “Big Bank” featuring T.I. and the song “Subenstein.” Each track is executed with meticulous detail. The live instrumentation enhances each track, as K.R.I.T.’s buttery smooth flow complements the string instrumentals. While the trend in southern rap has been edging towards trap music, K.R.I.T. resists this temptation by bringing clever and introspective lyrics to the table.

Despite the album's long runtime, listening doesn’t feel like a chore.

Every song feels like K.R.I.T. put his heart and soul into it. 4eva Is A Mighty Long Time is a rap epic that feels like fine dining in a genre full of fast food. # Trial Track: “Subenstein (My Sub IV)”

9.5/10 — ALEX COLE, MANAGING EDITOR

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

theconcordian

13

BEGINNER’S GUIDE 3

21 SAVAGE / O OFFSET / METR BOOMIN’

An exploration of BJM Part 1: A look at the Brian Jonestown Massacre’s humble beginnings

Without Warning (Slaughter Gang, 2017) Like the title suggests, the latest 21 Savage and Offset collaboration, completely produced by Metro Boomin’, dropped without warning on Halloween. From the opening track, “Ghostface Killers,” we get Metro Boomin’s signature dark, moody sound, while 21 Savage and Offset effortlessly flow over the beat. The album lives up to its Halloween release with eerie tracks, like “Nightmare” and “Ric Flair Drip,” that showcase why Offset might actually be the most talented member in Migos. The first five tracks are exciting and catchy, however, the second half of the album takes a more laid-back approach. By track six, “Mad Stalkers,” the novelty of the collaboration wears off until track 10. However, this is an incredibly tight album, with catchy flows and world-class production from one of the best young producers in the game. If you’re a fan of any of these artists, the album is a must-listen. # Trial Track: “Ghostface Killers” ft. Travi$ Scott

7.5/10 — ALEX COLE, MANAGING EDITOR

FOR EDITOR’S PICKS S THE BEST SONG WEEK RELEASED THIS

Recently Added

Recently Added # INTREPID Pinegrove (Dead Oceans) # STILL SERVING 21 Savage / Offset / Metro Boomin (DFA) # ARKHIPOV CALM Converge (Epitaph) # WANNA SIP Fever Rey (Rabid Mute) # ONE Odonis Odonis (Telephone Explosion)

CHARLES FRETIER-GAUVIN STAFF WRITER I was first introduced to The Brian Jonestown Massacre (BJM) through an interview with Californian psych-pop duo Foxygen in early 2013. The latter group had just come out with their second studio record—the clumsily yet aptly titled We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic. I was floored by BJM’s style, which jumbled mod elegance with 60s Californian dirt à la Easy Rider. Their raucous sound was an unhinged take on the Brian Jones-era Rolling Stones.

Founded in San Francisco in 1990 by Anton Newcombe, the group’s rigid leader and only consistent member throughout their near 30 years of existence, BJM has never had a steady lineup. Instead, the band has seen a rotating cast of musicians come and go under Newcombe’s crude tutelage.

In 1991, they put out their first release, Pol Pot’s Pleasure Penthouse , a rough collection of poorly recorded, droney dream-pop in the form of a hand-dubbed, self-distributed cassette. Though far from their best work, it laid the groundwork for what would become one of the most consistently creative discographies of all time.

BJM’s first commercial record, 1995’s Methodrone, released on famed independant label Bomp!, is a classic in its own right. Though the record was widely overlooked by critics at the time, it remains a fan favourite, and was ranked 33rd by mega-blog Pitchfork in their 2016 list, “The 50 Best Shoegaze Albums of all Time.” Despite that, the group never made another record of the sort.

Tracks such as “Wisdom,”—which would be re-recorded for 1998’s Strung out in Heaven, their only record on major indie label TVT—and “That Girl Suicide” remain mainstays in the BJM canon. The record’s closer, the seven-minute epic “She’s Gone,” stands as one of the group’s most powerful tracks, noted for its ability to find serene beauty in its excessive instrumental textures.

Throughout music’s long history, few bands have achieved the same level of cult success as BJM. While rarely seen topping, let alone appearing on “best of” lists, their music lives on today through groups that pull huge inspiration from them. Their cultish charm stems from their refusal to conform to pop conventions, which the band really put into effect in 1996. That year saw acts such as Weezer and Beck releasing weirdo slacker-pop gems that would go on to define the year musically. Newcombe, however, had different ideas.

For BJM, 1996 could go down as one of the group’s most prolific years. Not only did they release three full-length records within a six-month span, these records were deemed masterpieces, each showcasing a different facet of the group’s creative mind.

Take It from the Man!, released in May of that year, is considered the group’s fundamental record, showcasing them at their most deranged and prototypically “BJM-esque.”

Featuring a sound so superfluously British, the one-two punch of openers “Vacuum Boots” and “Who?” possess a speed-fried psychedelia that’s both abrasive and inviting.

This theme of overblown Britannia would continue throughout the 69-minute tracklist, culminating in the 11-minute closer, “Straight Up & Down,” an overbearing ode to heroin riddled with breakdowns, solos and capped off with a vulgar ode to “Hey Jude.” Take It from the Man! also saw Newcombe hand over songwriting duties to bassist Matt Hollywood, whose naive rock-and-roll melodramaticism shined brightest in “Cabin Fever” and “In My Life.”

Toning it down a step, the BJM followed up that record with Their Satanic Majesties’ Second Request. Heavily influenced by The Rolling Stones’ psychedelic cult classic, Their Satanic Majesties Request, this sequel, of sorts, sees the group experimenting with expansive Indian-inspired drones and acid-drenched grooves. Tracks “Cold to the Touch,” “Miss June 75” and “Anemone” show the group at their most hypnotising, delivering subdued, swirling psychedelia

tied together brilliantly by percussionist Joel Gion’s infectiously tight tambourine work.

Their third record of 1996, Thank God for Mental Illness, best demonstrates the group’s tireless work ethic and boundless creativity. Reported to have been recorded in a day for $17.36, the tracklist is comprised of psychedelic, blues-inspired folk songs—equal parts inspired by Bob Dylan, Keith Richards and Syd Barrett. Though less instrumentally complex than their previous efforts, the record’s dusty, lo-fi ambiance gives Newcombe a perfect platform to showcase his beautifully strange songwriting.

Give It Back! (1997) is undoubtedly their most straightforward, musically accessible release. It’s also their most ear wormy and most laden in 60s pastiche and irony. “Not If You Were the Last Dandy on Earth,” their quasi-parody of The Dandy Warhols and their neo-pop star image, shows the group at their most sardonic and confident. Or, alternatively, like a group about to crash.

Signing to large independant label TVT in 1998, BJM’s only record on the imprint would mark the beginning of the end of the group’s golden era. Noted for its cohesion and maturity, the workload on Strung Out in Heaven was benevolently spread out between Newcombe and Hollywood, due to Newcombe’s increasingly toxic heroin addiction. Despite flopping in the eyes of TVT, causing the label to drop them altogether, the album’s higher production value enabled BJM to craft some of their most nuanced songs to date. Hollywood penned songs “Love” and “Spun,” slow-building psychedelic jams, which utilized nostalgia in a way seldom heard in the band’s music.

Unfortunately, these tracks would be some of the final songs to feature Hollywood and the rest of the group’s core. The turn of the millennium saw the majority of the band dwindle out, either to pursue their own careers or simply out of frustration with Newcombe, marking a new era for Newcombe and The Brian Jonestown Massacre.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

sports

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

BASEBALL

Stingers manager has high hopes after nationals Howie Schwartz says team’s pitching impressed him the most this season BEN FRASER STAFF WRITER The Concordia Stingers baseball team wrapped up their season after playing at nationals in Fredericton, N.B., from Oct. 19 to 22. The Stingers finished the tournament tied for fifth place.

It was a mildly successful season for the Stingers. Even with 13 rookies, the team managed to finish 9-7 in the regular season—good enough for second place in the division behind eventual national champions, the McGill Redmen.

In the playoffs, Concordia lost to the Carleton Ravens in the division semi-finals, before winning the wild-card series against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees. This secured their spot at nationals, where the Stingers went 1-2 in the round robin before losing to the Acadia Axemen in the tie-breaker game.

This season, outfielder Miles ArecchiSchuh led the team in batting average, posting a .419 average over 39 at-bats.

Second baseman Kyle Hazel—who manager Howie Schwartz said impressed him the most over the season—and first baseman Stefan Brady tied for the team lead in hits, with 14 each. Third baseman Michael Makarios led the team with 14 runs batted in (RBIs).

As a whole, the team struggled to click behind the plate, only hitting a .236 average and scoring 87 runs during the regular season. To compare, rival McGill scored 151 runs. Schwartz said he hopes to improve on this for next season.

“We underachieved at the plate,” he said. “Our season was won and lost based on what we did at the plate.”

Schwartz added that the team’s entire hitting outlook needs to change, and this will be worked on over the winter at the Stinger Dome.

The Stingers pitching, which Schwartz described as the “weak point” coming into the season, impressed him all season long. The team had an earned run average (ERA) of 3.39, led by pitcher Shane Mullen, with a team-best ERA of 2.03. Thomas Loubser Munn and Sam Blondeau led the team in innings pitched, both with 18 1/3. Loubster Munn made his opponents swing and miss the most, posting a team best of 18 strikeouts.

Schwartz was happy with how his pitchers performed this season. “Our pitching stood out. They played way beyond what I expected of them.”

Despite the struggles behind the plate, Schwartz praised the team’s ability to come together when it mattered most.

“It took a while [to develop], but the chemistry on the team was extraordinary,” he said. “The team started to come together around playoff time.” According to Schwartz, nationals was a wonderful experience, but it was an event to build on. “Winning is very important, but [the team should have] a quality baseball experience,” he said.

There are high hopes for next year’s nationals as well. Schwartz said the goal is “not just participating in nationals, but winning nationals.”

To prepare for next season, Schwartz is already scouting players to fill roster spots. Schwar tz said he has secured t hre e player s for ne x t s ea s on , and h e i s a l s o s c o u t i n g “ ve r y h e a v i l y ” fo r n e w t a l e n t i n B r i t i s h C o l u m b i a and the United States.

The 2017 Stingers team both surprised and disappointed this season, but in a rebuilding year with 13 rookies, it was a year that lef t Schwar t z hungr y for nex t season.

The Concordia Stingers baseball team gathers after a game this season.

Photo by Ben Fraser.

BUSINESS

Illegal streaming biggest problem for broadcasters Sportsnet president Scott Moore and NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly say issue needs to be stopped NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI SPORTS EDITOR At the John Molson Sports Business conference on Nov. 2, Scott Moore, president of Rogers Sportsnet, asked how many people in attendance use cable TV to watch hockey. About 30 per cent of the crowd reluctantly raised their hands.

“That’s not good for [Rogers Sportsnet], because we’re firstly a cable TV company,” Moore said.

Next, he asked how many people use Rogers Sportsnet’s streaming service to watch National Hockey League (NHL) games. At least 50 per cent of the crowd raised their hand, and this time with more pride than the people who said they watch cable TV. Lastly, Moore asked how many people have illegally streamed a hockey game in the past. Almost everybody in the room had their hand up.

“Look at the person to your right and left,” he told the crowd. “That person to the right of you won’t have a job. That person to the left of you won’t have a job. And you’ll be unemployed.”

Moore said illegal streaming of NHL games severely affects his business, and “it’s the biggest challenge facing professional sports.” In 2013, Rogers Communications

Rogers Sportsnet president Scott Moore wants to crack down on illegal sports streaming. Photo by Nicholas Di Giovanni. signed a 12-year, $5.2-billion deal to become the exclusive broadcaster of NHL games in Canada from the 2014-15 season through 2025-26. So Moore wants to make sure customers are paying for his company’s service, and not illegally streaming it online.

“We invest heavily in this content, and we want to make sure [customers] value this content,” Moore said in an exclusive interview with The Concordian after he spoke at the conference. “So we’re working heavily with [other] leagues and content-providers to find ways to shut down the stealing of content, because that’s what it is—it’s stealing.”

Rogers’s streaming service, Rogers NHL Live, broadcasts almost every NHL game, including playoffs, and is available across multiple devices. An annual membership for Rogers NHL Live is $200, while a monthly membership is $30.

However, most streams can be found by simply going to reddit. The Concordian asked reddit users why they would rather stream games than pay Rogers’s subscription fee. The response was overwhelmingly because of blackouts. A broadcast blackout on Rogers NHL Live happens when a fan tries to watch a team

in their local market—i.e. a Canadiens fan in Montreal. Moore said blackouts happen to protect local cable TV. But reddit users said they would prefer streaming games than paying for cable.

“I live in New Jersey, so all Rangers, Islanders, Devils and some Flyers games would be blocked out for me locally and all nationally televised games,” wrote Beth S. “So if I want to cut the cord from cable, then I'd need to pursue a less than legal option.”

Bill Daly, the NHL deputy commissioner, took part in a panel with Moore and Sportsnet reporter Stephen Brunt at the conference.

Daly said the NHL also needs help to shut down illegal streams.

“That’s a Rogers problem, not the NHL’s,” Daly said jokingly before adding: “But no, that's an NHL problem because, if our product isn’t profitable, nobody wants to deal with us.” “[Broadcasting rights] are a property right,” Daly said. “Just like any other property right, it could be possessed and sold, but it shouldn't be stolen.”

Moore added that his company wants to provide a win-win situation for customers, but he said it isn’t a win-win if fans stream games illegally.

“It’s no different than going in and stealing something from the local store,” Moore said. “It is illegal.”

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

PROFILE

Having a sister on your side Marie-Joëlle and Audrey-Anne Allard push each other to be better everyday

NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI SPORTS EDITOR There’s a saying in hockey that your teammates become your family. But for two players on the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team, that’s already the case.

Sisters Marie-Joëlle and Audrey-Anne Allard have been playing hockey together since CEGEP, when they played for the Titans du Cégep Limoilou in Quebec City.

“We’ve been playing with each other for a while, so it’s not that different at the university level,” Marie-Joëlle said. “But it’s nice to have someone you’re close with.”

“It’s fun to have someone on the team that you can have confidence in,” AudreyAnne added.

Both Marie-Joëlle, a fifth-year player, and Audrey-Anne, a third-year, play defence.

Even though Marie-Joëlle plays on the right side and Audrey-Anne on the left, they don’t play on the same pairing.

“We don’t have the same style of play,” Audrey-Anne said. “She’s more offensive, and I’m more defensive.”

The Allard sisters are from Victoriaville, where their parents and younger brother still live. Nonetheless, their parents and grandparents come to Concordia to watch their games. Marie-Joëlle said having both sisters on the team keeps their family on edge during games.

“My mom says, ‘I always have one girl on the ice, so I’m always stressed,’” AudreyAnne added with a laugh.

The sisters have been living in an apartment together ever since Audrey-Anne came to Concordia in 2015. Marie-Joëlle is 25 and Audrey-Anne is 23, but they’re only 15 months apart.

“We are sisters, but we are also two good friends,” Audrey-Anne said. Even though they live together in Montreal during the school year and in Victoriaville during the summer, Audrey-Anne said it isn’t a challenge to be with each other all the time. “It’s just easier.

We are always pushing each other [to be better],” she said.

Marie-Joëlle added: “For sure sometimes we have our little moments where we need

Audrey-Anne (pictured) and Marie-Joelle both play defence but don’t play on the same pairing for the Concordia Stingers. Photo by Brianna Thicke.

to be alone, but we get along pretty good.”

Head coach Julie Chu said Marie-Joëlle and Audrey-Anne are great teammates, and she sees how the sisters encourage each other on the ice.

“It’s great when you have two sisters that are able to play hockey at the elite level," Chu said. "It’s a really special thing.

It’s a testament to how hard they work, and how hard they push each other to be better.”

The Allard sisters are helping turn the Stingers into a winning team on the ice. When Marie-Joëlle first joined the Stingers for the 2013-14 season, they went 5-15-0. By the time Audrey-Anne started playing for the team, the Stingers were winning more often, and even went to the national championship last year.

Even though the team finished with a 10-9-1 record last season, they upset the second-place Université de Montréal Carabins in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) semi-final. They won the best-ofthree series with 6-2 and 3-2 wins, with both Marie-Joëlle and Audrey-Anne picking up an assist in game one. The sisters agreed that

Marie-Joëlle Allard was voted captain by her teammates this season after Tracy-Ann Lavigne graduated. Photo by Brianna Thicke.

winning the playoff series, which was the first time the Stingers won a playoff series since 2005, was the best moment they shared together at Concordia.

“The energy [on the team] was so high,” Marie-Joëlle said.

“When we won, we were just excited and we wanted to just give [each other] a big hug,” Audrey-Anne added. “We were proud of each other.”

The Allard sisters want to continue that winning pedigree with the Stingers this season. Audrey-Anne said she thinks they can win the national championship this season, but Marie-Joëlle said the team needs to have a one-game-at-a-time mentality in order to win. But she added that it’s great to see how much the team has improved since she started.

“It’s amazing to see the girls getting better every single week," Marie-Joëlle said. "It’s something I’m proud of, because I was there at the beginning when the girls weren’t really great. So it’s been a big change, but an impressive one. On and off the ice has been amazing, and I just want to keep building on that.”

Audrey-Anne gets exhilarated just by watching her teammates play. “When I’m on the bench, I get so excited to see my teammates doing plays that last year they couldn’t do,” she said.

Marie-Joëlle was voted team captain by her teammates this season after Tracy-Ann Lavigne graduated last season.

“Anyone has the ability to be a leader, but MJ has shown in her five years how she’s been able to be an impact player on our team, and her teammates honoured her in that way,” coach Chu said.

Marie-Joëlle said being named captain doesn’t change the way she interacts with her teammates or how she plays on the ice.

“To have a letter on your jersey or not, it means the same thing—you’re part of the team,” she said. “Just having the C this year means I have to be a good example for my teammates. It’s good to have a little recognition from your teammates, but it doesn’t change anything.”

Audrey-Anne said she is proud of her big sister. “It just proves that she sets a good example and has good leadership for us.”

theconcordian

15

COLOUR COMMENTARY

BY NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI A few weeks ago, I decided to expand past the world of sports reporting by writing a political story about the municipal election in Dollard-des-Ormeaux.

During an inter view with former DDO mayor Ed Janiszewski, he told me he would re move his funding from Concordia University if I wrote an article that favoured his opponent and Concordia employee, Alex Bottausci.

Obviously, it was never my intention to do so, and I told Janiszewski as much. He then emailed me asking that I send him a draft of the article for his approval, and that I not print his comments about his competitors. After I told him I couldn’t do either of those things, he claimed I was working with a conflict of interest towards Bottausci.

I was shocked by this series of events, and I quickly realized just how different writing about politics is from writing about sports. Although this wasn’t the first time I had covered politics, I never previously had to deal with problems like these. I guess it’s no surprise a mayor of 33 years tried to persuade a young journalist to help him maintain a healthy public image.

This is not something I have to deal with when I cover sports teams or profile athletes. Sports journalism is full of clichés: “We played a good game tonight, but we’ll have to come back stronger next game.” “We’ve just got to get the pucks in deep and shoot it on net.” “The win is important for us, it really boosts our confidence.”

These are just some of the quotes I often get from coaches and players. It makes sports reporting look easy compared to other forms of journalism. Sports journalists may deal with angry coaches after a loss, but it's unlikely they'll threaten the reporter. Sports journalism is really a different form of journalism that doesn’t put reporters in tense or vulnerable positions with their interviewees.

However, I don’t think sports journalists differ from journalists who cover politics. We have to follow the same ethical standards, and we have the same rights.

We are, after all, journalists. All journalism students learn the same material in school. Whether you want to become a sports journalist or not, all journalism students need to learn the standards and ethics of the trade.

This way, sports journalists can expand into other fields with ease, and hopefully be treated with professionalism and respect.

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

Concordia should step up for students who step forward The times are changing—and we don’t just mean the literal time change of Sunday’s daylight savings.

Even a quick glance at the news these days shows that more and more celebrities are speaking up about their experiences with sexual assault. The Harvey Weinstein exposé seemingly opened a floodgate, with people now coming forward with allegations against Kevin Spacey, Dustin Hoffman, Brett Ratner and Ben Affleck, to name a few.

The bravery exhibited by each celebrity who has shared their story is exemplary. Yet we at The Concordian believe more needs to be done to encourage regular people to speak up about their own experiences—be it with sexual assault, racism or any other form of oppression or disrespect that has been swept under the rug.

Following allegations of sexual assault and harassment made against several high-profile Quebecers, Montreal police announced on Twitter on Oct. 19 the creation of a temporary hotline for reporting sexual assault or harassment. Within a week, the police department had received 320 calls, 69 of which resulted in a sexual assault file being opened, according to a press release. This is more than twice the number of sexual assault reports made on average in one week in 2016, according to the Montreal police 2016 annual report.

The creation of this hotline demonstrates the kind of response that can come from making supportive services available in the community. We at The Concordian hope to see more initiatives that encourage people to speak up against intolerable behaviour—particularly here at Concordia.

In September, the Center for ResearchAction on Race Relations (CRARR) announced that a Concordia student was considering filing a civil rights complaint against the university “for discrimination and failure to protect and support.” This student reported being sexually harassed online by a peer and claimed the university “offered her very little support.”

When asked about this case, university spokesperson Mary-Jo Barr responded that, “when a student brings to our attention a concern for their safety, with or without a police report, we look carefully at how we can support that student.”

Even more recently, the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse recommended Concordia and the Montreal division of the Commissionaires security firm pay $33,000 in damages to a woman named Chantal Lapointe. In 2013, Lapointe was stopped by Concordia security guards at the downtown campus. According to Lapointe, the guards asked her for identification, attempted to take her picture without consent,

and called the police when she refused to comply.

The Commission’s report stated that Lapointe’s race and social condition—she was mistaken for a homeless person—played a “decisive role” in the security guards’ decision to intercept her. In addition to the damages, the Commission recommended that the university provide security guards with “anti-discrimination training” and remove elements from its policies “that target and stigmatize homeless people.”

Concordia had until Oct. 27, 2017 to comply with the recommendations. Instead, the university responded that it “will be challenging the Human Rights Commission’s proposal” because Concordia “vehemently disagrees with the findings in [the] reports, which does not include all of the relevant facts,” according to Barr.

We at The Concordian are disappointed that the university has more of a tendency to save face than acknowledge its potential shortcomings and implement suggested solutions. While it may be understandable that the university is trying to avoid paying $33,000, why is there any hesitation to improve policies and employee training? Why, when a student claims to feel unsupported by the

university’s sexual assault resource services, does Concordia immediately respond with claims that the status quo is adequate?

The times are changing and Concordia is at a crossroads. Our society is finally becoming a place where people feel supported enough to publicly denounce inappropriate behaviour.

Members of the Concordia community need to know that when they make their voices heard, their university will be ready to listen and act.

If you would like to share your experience with oppression, assault, discrimination or harassment, we at The Concordian encourage you to email news@theconcordian.com or opinions@theconcordian.com. We are more than willing to listen and share your story.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

MEDIA

The Canadian fascination with American politics

As news consumers, our obsession with entertainment precedes the need to know ELIAS GRIGORIADIS STAFF WRITER President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, was indicted on Oct. 30 for 12 charges, including tax fraud, money laundering and conspiracy against the United States, according to Global News. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.

Even in Canada, it is difficult to find anyone who isn’t talking about this or who isn’t up to date on the drama surrounding the Trump administration. But how many people are talking about the current scandal involving Canadian finance minister Bill Morneau?

The member of Parliament (MP) from Toronto was just fined under the Conflict of Interest Act for failing to disclose economic ties to his businesses, according to the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner’s website. While it has dominated national news for the last two weeks, all anyone seems to talk about is the dumpster fire of a government currently in place south of the border.

That shouldn’t come as any surprise.

According to Abacus Data, a Canadian polling and market research firm, 26 per cent of Canadians get their news directly from social media, while another 14 per cent get theirs online. Given the president’s near constant presence on social media—seemingly more than any other head of state in office—those stories receive more coverage and have

more traction online than local stories.

In fact, local media has been hurting in general. According to the Canadian Radiotelevision and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), half of all local Canadian TV news stations could close by 2020. This shows a trend toward using national and international news as our source of information, especially regarding politics.

In my opinion, that is because of one simple reason: Canadian politics is boring.

In theory, that’s exactly what citizens should want—a boring, stable, scandal-free government. The only problem is that regular, boring local politics now has to compete with daily Washington drama.

I believe the main reason for Canada’s relatively mundane politics is the way we elect our officials. Now this is in no way a piece about election reform, but our first-past-the-post system favours moderate candidates who appeal to the “centre” of their constituencies.

That’s also why Canada has so few significantly right- or left-wing MPs. It also makes for (occasionally) bipartisan legislation and, often, a relatively boring, controversy-free House of Commons.

In the United States, however, many states often elect their representatives based solely on party rather than on a candidate’s merit or ideas. In fact, 24 states and the District of Columbia have voted for the same party since 1992, according to the fact-checking website Politifact. This means candidates

can be as far-right or as far-left as they want and will likely still get elected by their loyal constituencies.

Since the distance on the political spectrum between Republicans and Democrats is much wider than the Conservative-Liberal divide, arguments and differences in opinion are much more explosive and scandal-prone.

Not to mention President Trump and his staff now give international viewers a daily dose of mishaps, blunders and general incompetence that people just cannot look away from.

We can’t blame the Canadian government for not capturing the public’s attention—our

politicians are just doing their job. It does, however, say a lot about our country when our "scandalous" political news stories are about Justin Trudeau pulling someone by the arm or MP Michelle Rempel saying the word “fart” in the House of Commons.

With this contrast in mind, why wouldn’t Canadians prefer to read about the craziness happening in Washington and the Trump administration’s absurdities rather than hear about their own boring local government? It’s like C-SPAN trying to compete with MTV—at the end of the day, people just cannot get enough drama and scandal.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

theconcordian

17

RACISM

Stepping in and speaking out against racism A student’s experience witnessing a racist altercation on Concordia’s shuttle bus CASSANDRA PATRIZIO CONTRIBUTOR I am a third-year student at Concordia.

In all my time at this institution, I had never witnessed a racist altercation. That changed on Oct. 23.

I was on the Concordia shuttle bus heading to the downtown campus when I overheard a conversation between a white male student and a black male student. The white student told his peer that he wouldn’t excel at teaching a certain subject because he is black. The white student went on to state that certain things should preferably be taught by white people instead of black people.

I was completely shocked by the comment.

The black student, a Concordia Stingers player based on his attire, tried to calmly explain to his fellow teammate that the comment was offensive, racist and untrue. Not only did the white student deny that his comment was racist, he also became verbally aggressive, calling his teammate various vulgar names.

As a witness, I was extremely taken aback by this situation. Not only was I shocked that something like this would happen in an arguably progressive society, but that it happened on the school bus. Shouldn’t the school bus be a safe and comfortable space for all students? We all come to school for the same reasons—to get an education.

In this day and age, especially at a school as culturally diverse as Concordia, I would assume students would be safe from this type of behaviour.

Following the incident, I continued to feel unsettled and angry that this happened, and I was frustrated with myself for not stepping in when I had the chance. I noticed a few other students around me looked uncomfortable, but not enough for them to react apparently.

Everyone simply sat quietly in their seat.

Personally, the fact that the white student had become loud and aggressive stopped me from speaking up. I was afraid of angering him and making the situation worse, as well as putting myself in a compromising position.

The situation made me wonder: Why did the white student feel he had the right to talk

down to his peer and question his abilities?

The fact that the white student would not acknowledge that his comment was racist is an even bigger issue. The presence of this closed mindset in our generation has deeply affected me. Needless to say, the colour of a person’s skin or where they come from should not make them inferior nor superior to anyone else.

Truthfully, while the white student’s comment was appalling, the reality is that there were many people at fault in this situation.

Every Concordia student on that bus played a very important role, myself included. The

fact that none of us stood up for the young man or spoke up against the blatant racism is completely wrong. I thought our generation was better than that.

By pretending we did not hear the racist comment, by downplaying what the white student said, by telling ourselves that the situation didn’t concern us, each one of us on that bus reinforced the notion that this type of behaviour is normal. This lack of response desensitizes us to this kind of behaviour, and that is unacceptable. Our apathy must end. The only way we can end racism is by educating each other through intervention and by sharing our stories.

We have to start with ourselves and make our school the best place it can be for every student and faculty member. If every student on the bus that day had spoken up, perhaps the white student would have changed his mindset and taken the situation seriously.

Concordia prides itself on being open and safe, and it should be. Everyone should feel comfortable and safe at school. I hope that, by sharing my story, I have helped raise awareness about racism on campus and the importance of intervening when something like this occurs. Witnessing this event truly opened my eyes to the problem of racism. From now on, I plan to intervene and stand up against this intolerable behaviour.

It only takes one person to start a chain reaction of positive change. If this piece helped open the eyes of just one student to this issue, then it’s a step in the right direction.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Colleagues and Student-Volunteers, I am very proud of the effort we made to welcome prospective students and their families to our campuses during our Open House Saturday, Oct. 28!

And I want to express a very sincere THANK YOU to EVERYONE who came out to help.

We had a great number of visitors, and the vibe was terrific. The sunshine topped it off.

The quality of our academic programs is a great strength, and other strengths, such as the diversity and vigour of our campuses, were also very much appreciated by our guests.

One of our guests was Hélène David, Quebec’s minister of higher education.

I was pleased to join her for an extensive tour, and I am certain she was as moved as I was by all of the tremendous opportunities the Concordia University community provides to those seeking to further their educations.

MERCI ENCORE. Alan Shepard President

Archive graphic by Charlotte Bracho.

Comic by Libby Hopkinson.

18

theconcordian

NOVEMBER 7, 2017

EDUCATION

The hidden value of the ‘useless’ undergrad degree Universities aren’t supposed to find us jobs—they’re supposed to teach us how to learn CALLIE GIACCONE CONTRIBUTOR The discussion about whether an undergraduate degree is useless or not is somewhat redundant. Just like many other points of societal disagreement, this is a systemic issue as well as an individual one. Speaking as a millennial, which Time magazine defines as someone born between 1980 and 2000, I think talking about the “point” or “usefulness” of an undergrad is elitist.

Imagine posing this question to someone who never had the opportunity to go to university. Attending university, or any other post-secondary institution, is a very important and privileged opportunity. In 2017, however, I believe our focus is on making sure we aren’t “behind,” especially when we compare ourselves to our peers and where they are career-wise. We seem to be constantly striving to be more successful than our neighbours.

I believe a fear of inadequacy is what leads to money being wasted and university degrees feeling useless. A person might end up completing a degree they are not passionate about or that doesn't really interest them. Yet some may feel that if they don’t have a bachelor’s degree, then they are not as smart or as important as others.

According to a feature on millennials in Time, “millennials have come of age in the era of the quantified self, recording their daily steps on FitBit, their whereabouts every hour of every day on PlaceMe and their genetic data on 23andMe.” Comparing your career fulfillment and career success is no exception to this trend. Speaking from my experience in a Canadian individualist society, the norm has been to look for a career that fulfils you. It’s a privilege to find a job that brings you fulfillment. But I wonder: are there really less jobs available or are university graduates just soul-searching

for a job and labeling it as “failure” when they can’t find one?

Being able to study something that interests you is a privilege in itself as well.

In many areas of the world, one might not have a chance to pursue something they excel at and find interesting.

A 2016 Ottawa Citizen article reported that “only 58.3 per cent of high school graduates land a job without any additional qualifications, while nearly three-quarters of all university graduates find work after completing their degree, according to Statistics Canada.”

Personally, I think there is a misconception for a lot of people studying at university.

University is not necessarily a place that will lead you directly to a job.

According to Todd Hirsch, a reporter for The Globe and Mail, “your university education, at least at the bachelor of arts

level, was never intended to land you a job. It was intended to make you a more complete thinker. It was intended to teach you how to absorb complex information and make reasoned arguments. It was, quite simply, intended to teach you how to learn. Those are skills that you'll use in any field of work.”

It is important for me to understand that, when I speak about my degree, I am speaking from a position of privilege.

For those living in Canada, education is more accessible than many other areas of the world. Furthermore, being able to afford university and access resources to help finance your time at university is also a privilege. During my time in university, I think I have developed skills that have increased my ability to be objective, critical, ethical and analytical. These things are not specific to my degree, and I think

this is important to note.

I am a journalism student, and I am not sure where my degree will take me. I have switched programs and universities a lot, and through these opportunities, I have been lucky enough to find an undergrad program that interests me. With my degree, I hope to improve my writing, professional and social skills, while learning about interesting and diverse stories and how to write about them.

I’ve come to learn that, whether you are in sociology or nursing, your undergraduate degree can teach you to be organized and methodological. We are entering a changing workforce. Due to this transitional time, I think that, while it may be harder to get a job with just an undergraduate degree, this degree is still valuable.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR I write to voice my support for the Oct. 3 editorial, “Curriculums and Classes: Where Diversity Falls Short at Concordia.” I think it is crucial that students forthrightly address the insufficient diversity of faculty and curricula, challenging faculty and administration to address this problem as directly as possible.

In the Department of English, where I teach, there are presently 28 tenured or tenure-track faculty. Only two of these are people of colour—a figure wildly disproportionate to the diversity of Concordia students. Last year our department hired an Indigenous scholar in the field of Indigenous literature, and this is an important step forward. Yet in the department’s two previous job searches, none of the finalists were people of colour. Since one of those searches was in the field of Global Anglophone Literature (i.e. postcolonial literature), this is particularly troubling.

Unfortunately, efforts to advocate for diversification of faculty and curricula are too often met with anxiety and defensiveness. Last year an English department graduate student proposal for a research assistant position to help diversify syllabi was rejected by faculty. When a hiring committee made diversification of the department a key consideration in a search last year, they were rebuked by a higher committee for prioritizing diversity too much—hardly plausible given the composition of our faculty mentioned above. The English department’s proposal for a cluster hire in Black Studies to support the development of an interdisciplinary minor in that field was not selected among cluster hiring initiatives. It is always possible to gesture toward one recent hire or another in order to indicate progress on these issues, but it is also necessary to point out instances in which such progress has been impeded—especially given the structural reality of neglect on this front over recent decades. Sometimes the same diversity initiatives that are met with initial suspicion and resistance, then blocked at the level of implementation, are lauded as signs of progress because they have been proposed. That isn’t good enough.

The Collective Agreement of the Concordia University Faculty Association states that “The Parties agree that Concordia University would better advance the essential functions of the University, namely the pursuit, creation and dissemination of knowledge through teaching

and research, if the diverse composition of Canadian society were better reflected in the bargaining unit. Therefore the Parties agree to encourage an increase in the proportion of members of under-represented designated groups as defined in the relevant legislation.” My view is that faculty and administration at Concordia need to do a better job of prioritizing this stipulation. It is heartening to see students insist on this point.

Nathan Brown Associate Professor of English Canada Research Chair in Poetics Concordia University

Archive graphic by Charlotte Bracho.

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FEATURED CONCORDIA ARTIST

ALEX MONDRY Alex Mondry is a multidisciplinary collage artist who works primarily with vintage magazines dating back to the 1940s. Her work, alluring in its color palette and dynamic aesthetic, juxtaposes elements in unexpected ways to create an unsettling atmosphere. Alex co-organizes art events under the moniker CTRL+V, with the goal of bringing awareness to the medium of collage, creating a support network of likeminded people and inspiring dialogues around art.

Instagram: @bebespoon CTRL+V Instagram: @ctrlvcollective

Etc is a space dedicated to showcasing Concordia artists!

Submissions can be sent to production@theconcordian.com

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