Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper
VOLUME 34, ISSUE 7 | TUESDAY, OCT. 11, 2016
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Criticized and generalized The debate to outlaw pit bull-type breeds
News p. 3 also in this issue
life
arts
music
sports
opinions
Making sustainable Eating insects for Coming to a bed- From Concordia to Calling to Spotted: fashion p. 6 dinner p. 8 room near you p. 12 p. 17 team Canada p.14 Concordia
news
NEWS EDITORS /// news@theconcordian.com SAVANNA CRAIG & NELLY SERANDOUR-AMAR ( @savannacraig @nellsamar03)
CITY IN BRIEF VALERIA CORI-MANOCCHIO COPY EDITOR
Amphibus collision in Old Port Four people were brought to hospital with minor injuries after an amphibus collided with an oncoming CN train in Montreal’s Old port Sunday afternoon. The CN train struck the nose of the amphibus and dragged the bus along the train tracks, reported CBC News. Fifteen people were aboard the bus at the time of the crash, according Montreal fire department. Bruno Rousseau, chief of operation for the Montreal fire department said the train was travelling at a slow speed. The company in charge of the amphibus, Montreal Amphi Tours did not comment.
Coyotes in Cote-St-Luc Coyotes were spotted in CoteSt-Luc this past weekend. Resident Essie Vineberg’s mother-in-law pointed them out to her while she was at the house, according to CTV News. Vineberg snapped pictures of the animal in her backyard and lateremailedthemtotheborough mayor, Mayor Mitchell Brownstein. Brownstein has gone on record to say “CP Rail will be trapping as of Oct. 25,” but also asked the provincial government to move up the trapping date. Brownstein says coyotes are not dangerous, as long as they're not bothered. Monteregie police Chase: one man dead, one seriously injured One 20-year-old man was killed and another was seriously injured after the car they were in was hit a concrete wall Monday during a police chase in the Montérégie. The accident took place on Highway 30 in Candiac, reported the Montreal Gazette.TheBureaudesenquêtes indépendantessaidpatrolofficers witnessed a vehicle speeding the Highway 930 intersection. Sûreté du Québec officers proceeded to turn on their flashing lights to stop the vehicle containing two 20-year-old men, the BEI told the Montreal Gazette. After turning off his vehicle’sheadlightsandcontinuing to drive, the car with the two men crashed into a wall.
INDIGENOUS RIGHTS
Marching for the missing and murdered
Eleventh annual march honoured the indigenous women who have passed
Community members take to Ste. Catherine Street to generate discussion and action fo r m i s s i n g a n d murdered indigenous women. Photos by Ana Hernandez and Edward McCarry. Supporters lit some candles for the memories of the lives lost at the Aleppo attacks. Photo by Ana Hernandez.
EDWARD MCCARRY CONTRIBUTOR Hundreds gathered early Tuesday night near Place ÉmileGamelin in downtown Montreal. After a solemn opening prayer and a series of speeches, the throngs of people mobilized down Ste. Catherine Street, commencing the 11th annual memorial march for missing and murdered indigenous women. The event was organized by the Centre for Gender Advocacy, an independent, student-funded organization. The goal of the annual march is to honour the memories of indigenous women and girls, and to raise awareness about the systemic nature of the violence against indigenous people. Outlined by the ethereal glow of candlelight, the sea of faces advanced down the streets, chanting tirelessly to the beat of hide drums. Many supporters carried signs honouring
indigenous victims of violence, and expressing solidarity. Guided by a police escort, the march snaked its way through Montreal’s Ville-Marie borough, stopping briefly on the steps of the Quebec Court of Appeals building and concluding in front of Notre-Dame Basilica. Investigations into the treatment of indigenous women in Canada, suggest these women are disproportionately affected by violence and discrimination. According to one Canadian government statistic, 16 per cent of all murdered women in Canada between 1980 and 2012 were indigenous, while making up only four per cent of the total female population. On Sept. 1, the Canadian government launched an independent national inquiry into the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women. The purpose of the inquiry is to examine and report on sys-
temic causes behind the violence experienced by indigenous women and girls. This inquiry was a cause for both celebration and skepticism at Tuesday night’s march. “We have recently heard that there was an announcement for the launching of the national inquiry on missing and murdered indigenous women,” said Stacey Gomez, the Centre for Gender Advocacy’s action coordinator, at the vigil. “We want to draw attention to the ongoing limitations of this inquiry and echo the calls for a Quebec-specific inquiry.” A Quebec-specific inquiry, Gomez explained, would more effectively address the unique problems faced by indigenous women in Quebec, such as the alleged sexual abuse and assault of aboriginal women by Sûreté du Québec (SQ) officers in Val-d’Or. The instances of abuse, which were uncovered by a team of investigative reporters at Radio-Canada last year, led
to the suspension of the officers involved, and revealed a widespread mistreatment of indigenous women by the SQ. In August, the Quebec government decided against launching their own investigation into the allegations, instead leaving it to the broader national inquiry on missing and murdered indigenous women, according to CBC News. Gomez suggests that people educate themselves around the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women. “I see an increased awareness of the specific issue, both in the media and in the general public.” After marching for an hour, the crowd reached its final destination and coalesced beneath the statue of Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve. Under the watchful gaze of the Iroquois hunter, the final speakers were presented, and then the crowd gradually dispersed.
NEWSPAPERS
Newspapers seek government help
The QCNA teams up with group of newspapers for the survival of local print news NELLY SÉRANDOUR-AMAR CO-NEWS EDITOR TheQuebecCommunityNewspaper Association (QCNA) has recently joined the Coalition pour la pérennité de la presse d’information, to raise awareness on the importance of maintaining local print news media. To help them with this issue, they have called on the Quebec government to assist in the long-term survival of print news media in the province. The Coalition stated, in a press release on Sept. 28, they are asking for a temporary five-year financial assistance plan from the Government of Quebec for the province’s newspapers. Included in that assistance is a refundable tax credit covering 40 per cent of the cost of news production,
50 per cent of investments in digital, an increase in the government budget for advertising placements and the abolition of the sales taxes (GST and TVQ) on newspapers sold. With help from the government, it would cost print newspapers less to the transition to digital. Ric h a rd Ta rd if, E xe cutive Director of the QCNA, believes “while the newspaper business is a difficult one right now, it’s logical as experienced newspaper people for us to be at the table with the Quebec government given the ongoing revision of its cultural policy.”
Over the last 37 years, the QCNA has represented Quebec’s independent English and bilingual community newspapers. They joined the Coalition, which is made
up of a variety of daily newspapers ,such as Le Devoir, Groupe Capitales Media s , Hebdos Quebec, media group TC Transcontinental, and many more. On top of the financial aid they are seeking from the government, the coalition and QCNA are also looking in getting exempted from the payable contribution under the Environment Quality Act, which requires financial help from newspapers for the cost of municipal recycling services, which is something that the QCNA feels is damaging to newspapers. Tardif said that it is “forcing owners of newspa-
pers serving small communities, to re-evaluate their budgets with few choices but to consider a decrease in qualified staff and less content.” The government hasn't re sp o n d e d to th e co alitio n’s demand, Tardif believes it will take a few months. Graphic by Florence Yee.
OCTOBER 11, 2016
COVER STORY
Temporary lift of pit bull ban in Montreal
The lifted ban leaves questions about whether or not the breed will be outlawed
haniel er Nat his n w o ll with Pit bu plays h t opted u o S er, ad t s e h nd dog, C CA nine a s P S Photo from s ago. . r a e y s a half tchin ex Hu by Al
SAVANNA CRAIG CO-NEWS EDITOR Pit bull owner Nathaniel South expressed his worry of the complications he and his dog Chester would face if the temporarily lifted pit bull ban is reinstated. “What did my dog do? He’s been catching the ball and climbing fences. He never attacked anybody,” South said, addressing the generalizations about pit bulls that were made in Montreal after a woman was mauled and killed by a dog reported as a pitbull-type dog. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) announced a victory on Oct. 5 following their lawsuit against the city in a press release issued, which stated the ban on owning pit bulls was halted in Montreal until further notice by the municipal court. On Sept. 28, the Montreal city council voted to ban new ownership of pit bulls and pit bull-type dogs in Montreal. However, it only lasted nine days before Quebec Superior Court Judge Louis Gouin ordered the ban be temporarily lifted, pending further discussion. The ban will be discussed in a hearing where the Superior Court will consider the legality of the law. In the press release, Animal Advocacy Department of the Montreal SPCA lawyer, Sophie Gaillard, said, “We are particularly delighted to be able to continue finding adoptive homes for all of our healthy and behaviourally sound dogs, regardless of their physical appearance.” South said he’s had his pit bullboxer and labrador mix, Chester, for approximately nine and a half years. He said he adopted Chester from the SCPA. “I never had problems with him,” said South. Vice president of Concordia Animal Rights Association (CARA)
Katherine Millington said, although an outright breed ban is “an inappropriate, emotional, unscientific response,” however, she does not completely disagree with the imposed laws. “Spaying and neutering, as well as microchipping, will help to keep animal populations under control and ensure that lost animals get returned to their owners,” said Millington. She said sources such as the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association have reported that breed-specific legislation is not an effective plan of action for dealing with fatal dog attacks. “The individuals responsible for this legislation refuse to listen to the experts in this field [which] makes me believe there is some ulterior motive for the ban,” said Millington. South agreed pit bulls should be neutered and spayed. “When they’re not neutered, they can be a very dangerous dog,” said South. “That’s why I don’t disagree with the rule.” However, he said having to muzzle his dog would prohibit Chester from being able to play catch in the park. He said the muzzle also makes it hard for dogs to breathe and pant while they run around. Barbara Kay, a columnist for the National Post, has stated she is in favour of the pit bull ban. Kay said when she was younger it was very uncommon for pit bulls to be domestically owned. She said pit bulls were formerly considered to be owned by bad people. “Pit bulls were considered the kinds of dogs that dog fighters used strictly for illegal dog fighting,” she said. Kay added that it was generally that trashy people who owned these types of dogs. “They had them specifically because they were a tough bully dog and capable of inflicting serious injury,” she said.
However, Kay said there has been a change in the culture surrounding pit bulls—more often, they are viewed as misunderstood, often assumed to be more dangerous than they are. Kay said people began putting the blame of violent behaviour by pit bulls on a bad environment and unsuccessful owners. “The purpose of [the legislation] is to eliminate fatalities and to reduce severe dog bites, those that require hospitalization,” Kay said, and those that cause blindness or an amputation. South said pit bull owners need to be well-educated in order to properly care for this type of dog. This is why people with criminal records are prohibited from owning a pit bull, he said, because they could train these dogs to be dangerous and attack people. Kay said that, much like what happened in Ontario, the ban is simply phasing out the ownership of pit bulls and pit bull-type dogs because the human ownership is an “invention” that is not working. She said she does not advocate for dog euthanasia, but instead is in favour of the protocol adopted in Ontario after the ownership of pit-bull and pit-bull type dogs were outlawed. She said whoever owned a pitbull was not forced to give up their dog,
but could keep them. Millington said the breed-specific legislation has proved ineffective time after time. Citing information she obtained from the Montreal Gazette, she said, “In the last 30 years in this province, five people have been fatally attacked by dogs, all of which would fall into the husky-breed category.” “The stereotype around pit bulls is just a function of society's mass hysteria,” Millington said. “Every few decades a new breed is deemed to be particularly aggressive and is alienated.” She cited in the past Dobermans, German Shepards and Boxer Terriers as all having been similarly prosecuted and deemed to be a dangerous breed of dog. South had Chester running free in the park, and was not confronted by someone in fear or prompting South to muzzle or take Chester home. South said often people don’t recognize he is a pit bull since he is a smaller version of the breed. During the interview, three different dog owners in the park interacted with Chester and expressed their impression with Chester’s obedience and ability to do tricks such as flip when South played with him using the ball. South said their outlook on Chester’s training would be altered if they knew he was a pit bull.
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NATION IN BRIEF NELLY SERANDOUR-AMAR CO-NEWS EDITOR
Victims identified after pickup truck crash Three people who were killed after a pickup truck crashed in northern Ontario have been identified by the police. Investigators said that the truck drove through a low concrete barrier, went airborne and landed in the Atikokan River at Little Falls, according to CTV News. The deceased are 32-year-old Danielle Brown, 30-year-old Charlotte Menson and 27-year-old Henry Butts. twenty-nine year-old Tyler Hunter was also found in the pickup truck, and was then takentothehospital.Thedamage of his injuries are still unknown. Police are still trying to find the cause of the collision. Amish families to move in Prince Edward Island About fourteen Amish families from southwestern Ontario bought low land price farms in the communities of Dundas and Summerville, in Prince Edward Island. This very rural part of P.E.I. is experiencing a big boom in business due to their newcomers. According to CTV news, islanders are thrilled by the Amish interest to their lands, as it is a shrinking, aging corner of their rural province. Different businesses have even installed some hitching posts where buggies can be parked. Amish are groups of traditionalist Christian church fellowships, known for simple living, plain dress, and reluctant to use modern technology.
Winnipeg’s second family misinformed on death of loved one Winnipeg health officials are re-evaluating their policies after a second was falsely reported to the wrong family. According to CTV news, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, operating more than 200 health facilities and programs in Winnipeg, released an apology after the second incident happened. The WRHA said in a statement that they “deeply regret the pain these mistakes have caused.” The statement also added that the WRHA will review patient identifier policies region-wide, with emphasis oncarewhencontactingfamilies about patient deaths. Staff at the hospitals involved in the incidents will also go through more training.
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theconcordian
WORLD IN BRIEF KATERINA GANG COPY EDITOR
OCTOBER 11, 2016
CAMPUS
Deconstructing gendered spaces
Panelists discuss safety and misconceptions surrounding gender-neutral bathrooms Death toll in Haiti tops 1,000 Last week, Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti, killing approximately a thousand people. Since then, according to CBC News, a cholera outbreak has swept the nation’s rural areas due to a lack of clean water, shelter and food due to banana and plantain crop devastation. Haiti’s Port-au-Piment hospital received 60 new cases of cholera. Prior to Hurricane Matthew, only 13 cases of cholera had been reported, but the hospital’s medical director, Missole Antoine, expects that number to climb. According to CBC News, the hospital has no ambulance, cars and must rely on family members of the affected to carry patients to the hospital from these disadvantaged areas. Suicide bombing in Afghanistan kills 14 A suicide bombing, carried out by the Taliban, killed 14 people this past Monday. According to CBC News, 10 of those killed were police officers and four were civilians. The explosion, originating from a car bomb, erupted in Lashkar Gah, the capital of the southern Helmand province. Afghan officials say the Taliban now control over 85 per cent of the province's territory. According to CBC News, this attack comes after the Taliban moved in on Kunduz, the capital of the Kunduz province, again for the first time after being defeated by Afghan and U.S. forces a year ago. NBC suspends Today Show’s Billy Bush Today Show personality Billy Bush was suspended indefinitely by NBC on Sunday. This suspension came after tapes were leaked of Bush engaging in misogynistic banter with Republicanpresidentialnominee Donald J. Trump, according to CBC News. The tape includes both Bush and Trump laughing at and encourageming the sexual harassment and gropping women. According to CBC News, the tape came from Access Hollywood’s archives. On Friday, Bush apologized for his actions. Al Roker replaced Bush on Monday’s edition of the Today Show.
MEGAN HUNT CONTRIBUTOR The Concordia Student Union (CSU) and Centre for Gender Advoc ac y (CG A ) hosted “Queering Bathrooms: Deconstructing Gendered Spaces,” a panel discussion exploring the issue of gender-neutral washrooms and their role in creating inclusive, safe spaces on university campuses on Oct 3. Moderated by Gabrielle Bouchard, the CGA’s peer support and trans* advocacy coordinator, the nearly three-hour event featured a panel of three activists and experts on issues related to trans* advocacy and representation. The panelists included York University PhD student Johanna Fraser-Carrier, whose MA research focused on gender accessible washrooms in Canadian universities; Julien Rose Johnson, an activist and women’s studies major with first-hand experience advocating for accessible bathrooms; and Valerie Jeffcott, an activist and former chairperson of
Dawson College’s gender advocacy The Hive centre. The panel discussed a range of issues surrounding gender-neutral washrooms, including safety, accessibility and misconceptions. The panel’s focus was on the impact of gender accessible washrooms for trans* and non-binary students on university campuses. While safety and representation were key arguments in favour of gender accessible restrooms, the panelists also discussed the negative health effects created by gendered washrooms. Johnson shared a statistic from a Williams Institute study conducted by Jody L. Herman, which stated that 54 per cent of trans* and non-binary participants experienced health issues, including kidney infections, dehydration and urinary tract infections, as a result of trying to avoid gendered public washrooms. While each panelist is an expert on gender and trans* issues in their own right, personal experiences were also brought to the table. Johnson shared the story of their two-year-long fight with Dawson College’s administration to ensure gender accessible washrooms for the institution’s thousands of students. "The administration had zero understanding of what anything I was saying meant," Johnson said. They even had to explain the
concept of trans* people to the administration. "[It] was really not cool. I did not enjoy it."
Ultimately, Johnson was successful, although Dawson’s gender-neutral washrooms were only implemented two months before their graduation. The panelists also offered their perspectives on the best ways to implement gender accessible facilities. Jeffcott pointed out that having gendered washrooms right beside gender-neutral ones still forces trans* and non-binary students to “other” themselves by exposing their discomfort with using gendered washrooms. “My preference would be a situation where there are multi-stalled washrooms and there are also private, individual washrooms,” Jeffcott said, to the agreement of the other panelists. “The concept of options is a great idea,” Johnson added. “There are
people at different levels of “out,” and they want to be able to navigate that as they please.” Although she often uses women’s washrooms, Jeffcott said “while I was still pretending to be a boy, I definitely would have appreciated a gender-neutral washroom.” Concordia University has taken steps to address this issue—according to the CGA’s website, the university now has over 100 gender-neutral washrooms across its two campuses. However, the panel offered input on ways gender neutral washrooms can still strive to improve in terms of accessibility, iconography and social acceptance. “Right now, we are not going to end violence against women or trans* people… but we can still take steps to litigate these issues,” said Fraser-Carrier.
Panelists examined concerns regarding the debate of gender-neutral washrooms, addressing the misconceptions around the topic, safety and accessibility. Photos by Ana Hernandez.
STUDENT POLITICS
BOG to vote on senate representation
During the last senate meeting six of the nine committee members were approved SAVANNA CRAIG CO-NEWS EDITOR Concordia Student Union’s (CSU) General Coordinator Lucinda Marshall-Kiparissis may soon be allowed full privilege to sit on Concordia’s senate, along with other former reprimanded students. Following senate’s approval for students to sit on senate, the final vote will be made by the Board of Governors which will either pass or fail. Marshall-Kiparissis, who has requested speaking rights before each senate meeting, may no longer have to. “As general coordinator of the Concordia Student Union it’s part of my responsibilities to be a representative on senate and the Board of Governors since I’m the primary [person] representative of the union,” said Marshall-Kiparissis. “Senators voted on a proposal that now has to go to the Board of Governors for approval,” said university spokesperson Chris Mota. “If the governors vote in favour of the proposal, then the reprimanded students will be allowed to sit on senate.” This would
not allow reprimanded students to sit specific goal, met throughout the on BOG, however. summer with faculty and student Marshall-Kiparissis said students representatives. who want to sit on senate are bound Marshall-Kiparissis said the ad by certain eligibility requirements, hoc committee was formed after which include term limits that do Concordia’s senate first voted against the not apply to any recommendations other members. made by CSU Students also and Concordia have to be in administration to acceptable grant reprimanded academic students eligibility at standing—not the senate meeting conditional at the end of the standing — last academic year. and cannot be She said the independent recommendation students. was made in light She said both of her and Miller she and Marian being appointed on Miller, elected senate. MarshallGraphic by Florence Yee. to represent the Kiparissis said it faculty of Fine was approved by Arts, were chosen to be senators in six of the nine members of the the CSU’s elections last March. “We committee. “Senate passed without any both received the lowest possible dissent so that was really heartening,” sanction under the code of rights said Marshall-Kiparissis. Marshalland responsibilities related to the Kiparissis said she is really excited 2015 strikes,” she said, adding that to be able to fulfill the responsibility an ad hoc committee, a committee given to her as the CSU general formed to resolve an issue with a coordinator.
She said this is the step in the right direction for students, however, although in the CSU’s mind this represents good progress, it’s not quite complete. Kiparissis said CSU council had a mandate last year recognizing the eligibility barriers to students sitting on Concordia’s bodies is not completely in line with the provincial accreditation act concerning student representation of unions. “We believe it is in our right that any students that the undergraduate constituency deems to be a good representative should be allowed to sit on those bodies without interference from the university,” said MarshallKiparissis. “That means we hope in the future independent students will be able to sit on, that even students with conditional standing will be able to sit on, that students are not bound by a more rigid term limits than faculty are.” The date of the vote was not confirmed before the publication deadline, but those who are interested in viewing the next meeting may attend at the observer's’ room in H-633-1 of the Hall building on S.G.W. campus at 4 p.m. on Nov 2.
OCTOBER 11, 2016
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STUDENT POLITICS
Task force mandate on the horizon
Agreement and collaboration ensues after CRARR's mention of lawsuit to ASFA SAVANNA CRAIG CO-NEWS EDITOR The Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR) issued a press release on Oct. 3 asking the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) to revise their current mandate for a student-led task force. If ASFA fails to accommodate the conditions of the settlement, CRARR is permitted to seek legal action from the provincial Superior Court. The task force is a settlement requirement in the Mei Ling case—in which allegations of sexual and racial discrimination by the former ASFA president and an ASFA executive were made by Mei Ling, a pseudonym used by a former Concordia University student and ASFA executive. She filed a complaint with the Quebec Human Rights Commission against ASFA under the pretences of discrimination and harassment in February 2015, with CRARR as her representative. As the Nov. 19 anniversary of Mei Ling’s settlement approaches, CRARR wants to ensure that ASFA has not forgotten about the mandate or the need to assemble the task force, said CRARR executive director, Fo Niemi. He said the purpose of the press release is not to threaten ASFA. “We’re right now in October, and if things aren’t done by November, people are starting to then gear up for exams and likely people will wait for January,” said Niemi, adding that the winter semester can go by very fast. He said CRARR is seeking to have a mechanism in place to ensure no problem
is ignored and no one is left behind in cases of discrimination, racism, sexual assault and harassment. “My main concern is the way the task force was set up in May,” said Niemi. “It focused more on … sexual assault. You didn’t see racism as a stand alone issue.” CRARR’s ultimatum was meant to motivate ASFA to make the necessary adjustments to the original task force
mandate. Niemi said the focus of their current mandate focuses mainly on sexual assault, when the agreement talks about racism, sexism, discrimination and sexual violence. Niemi said, on August 30, he met with ASFA’s lawyer Michael Simkin, ASFA general coordinator, Andrea Krasznai, and a couple of other ASFA executives in the ASFA office,
and they were very receptive of CRARR’s demands. However, Niemi referenced an article in The Concordian, written on the last task force meeting. He said the meeting covered in the September 2016 article gives the impression that people are not set on or have understood that addressing
racism must be part of the task force mandate. Niemi said since May, CRARR has been concerned with the fact that ASFA has not yet altered the mandate to comply with the spirit of the settlement. Just hours after the Oct. 3 press release was published, Krasznai and Agunik Mamikonyan, community outreach and
sustainability coordinator, began working on an updated mandate to meet CRARR’s request. On Oct. 7, the revised mandate was sent by ASFA’s lawyer to CRARR for revision. Mamikonyan said the mandate was re-written to not only provide solid steps on how they would take action, but they included the aspect of general discrimination. Krasznai said once both the lawyer and the ASFA council approve this new mandate, the implementation process will begin. This includes an assessment of services to be provided for the task force, how ASFA decides who will be involved in the task force. “Most likely I would assume that council will be more or less okay with the [mandate] because it’s things that were already in progress,” Mamikonyan said. Niemi said CRARR is using a one-year mark to assess whether progress has been made and whether legal action needs to be taken. “I don’t think that we will get to the point where they will have to sue us to a higher level or anything, because we’re really trying,” said Mamikonyan. “We think we can find a mutually agreeable solution.” ¡¡ Approval of the revised mandate will be decided by ASFA council on Wednesday Oct. 12 at 6:30 p.m. in room H-767 of the Hall building on Concordia’s S.G.W. campus. .
Graphic by Florence Yee.
MENTAL HEALTH
Jack.org Concordia meets the royals
Student Miranda Benoit met with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to discuss mental health
NELLY SÉRANDOUR-AMAR CO-NEWS EDITOR
She is now a volunteer at the Concordia chapter. It was her active involvement with the organization that got her an invitation to meet Their Royal Highnesses. “It was very exciting,” she said, about being given the opportunity. “I think it was a little bit of luck and hard work mixed together.”
will be hosted there this spring. When the group landed in Victoria, Benoit said she was nervous, but in the best possible way. “I think it’s huge to have people that are so well-known, with such big following, advocate mental health, she said. “[It] really puts the topic on the big stage.”
mental illness. “Based on the interactions, they seemed much more interested in learning from Nineteen student leaders from Jack. us—to understand what our perspective org, Canada's only national network on mental health was,” said Benoit. of young leaders working to end the The students and their guests of honour stigma of mental health, met with The were on the boat for an hour. Benoit said Duke and Duchess of The Duke and the Cambridge on Oct. D u c h e s s we r e 1. Concordia student down to ear th, Miranda Benoit was as they were taking one of them. time with each Benoit, 22, recently students, to learn moved here f rom from them. Newfoundland to start Now that her masters degree in Benoit is back in psychology. Growing Montreal, she’s up in a stigma-free excited to take environment, she said on new projects she was encouraged that the Concordia to talk about mental c hapter ha s in health. However, she Miranda Benoit met with The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Photos courtesy of Jack.org and by Nelly Seradour-Amar (left to right). store. Their next noticed many people big event is pararound her did not have the same type of Before meeting the royals, the group Their Royal Highnesses are active ticipating in the Mental Health Walk, upbringing—so she joined Jack.org. “Jack. of nineteen students had to practice their advocates themselves, she said. The Duke organized by Montreal Walks for Mental org was a wonderful way for me to advocate formalities. “Some of us met in Toronto for and Duchess are very much involved Health Foundation, a-four-kilometer that other people should also have that right,” a training on how to address them, and also with the United Kingdom’s mental health walk to help raise public awareness about Benoit said. the safety of being on a boat since we were organization “Heads Together,” which aims mental health and eliminate stigma and During her studies at the Memorial going to sail one with them,” Benoit said. to change the national conversation on discrimination towards people living with University of Newfoundland, Benoit found While in Toronto, the students also helped mental health and wellbeing, and provide mental illness. For more information, visit the Jack.org chapter of Grenfell Campus. organize the upcoming Jack.org Summit that vital assistance to people struggling with www.mtlwalks.com.
life
LIFE EDITOR /// life@theconcordian.com DANIELLE GASHER
PROFILE
Humans of Concordia: Jack Beaumont A first-year design student is making clothes, the sustainable and eco-friendly way
ELISA BARBIER CONTRIBUTOR Alexander McQueen’s controversial designs sparked Jack Beaumont’s passion for fashion at a young age. This passion quickly turned to action and, at the age of seven, they started sewing. Beaumont’s brand, Conatus, officially launched two years ago when the designer was 17 years old. The idea: to manufacture sustainable clothing. “I realized that the planet is sick and, in order to help it heal itself, we need to work on sustainability,” said Beaumont. Now 19, Beaumont is a first-year design student at Concordia. Conatus is unique, focusing on using sustainable fabrics and dyes for its clothing. “When it comes to fashion, there are already too many people that are doing fashion unsustainably,” said Beaumont. “Eco-fashion is really the only way we can go in 2016.” Beaumont was born in Toronto and moved to Vancouver in 2002. They finally settled down in Vernon, B.C. in 2009, where they still live when they are not staying in residence during the school year. Beaumont said growing up identifying as non-binary was hard. “When I was in Vancouver, the harassment got to a point where there were no
other options but to relocate,” said Beaumont. Through the brand, however, Beaumont was able to create a kind of “shell” from the bullying. They said expressing themselves through fashion helped them stay strong. Beaumont also aims to create clothing that acts as a shell—making the person wearing the garment feel strong and protected but, most importantly, themselves. “There is that fine balance between the strength and rigidity but also the fragility and the softness [of the frabrics],” said Beaumont. Before Beaumont began producing clothes, they extensively researched and taught themselves about fabrics, dyes and different methods of production using organic fabrics. “When I was formulating [dyes], I researched
some of the traditional and contemporary methods of dyeing,” said Beaumont. Black walnut became one of their favourites products to derive dye from. Beaumont produces their clothes from their home in Vernon, B.C. The designer described Conatus as avant-garde—an innovative and extravagant type of fashion. “People admire the brand as it is, but some couldn’t see themselves wearing a lot of it, as it very conceptual,” said Beaumont. The pieces they make have a modern haute-couture look to them. A lot of the clothing
Toronto-born design student, Jack Beaumont. Photo by Elisa Barbier.
is sleek, clean, monochromatic and not too fitted. Beaumont hopes that they can eventually bring Conatus to a less niche clientele, with more wearable pieces. “I hope that it is something that Concordia can teach me—sort of being able to take your own spin on a design and make it somehow wearable and sellable,” said Beaumont. The young designer and their brand have slowly garnered worldwide attention, thanks to their social media platforms, through which Beaumont posts and sells most of their merchandise. The clients, mostly individuals concerned with the environment, contact Beaumont directly through social media, or through their website that is temporarily down. From there, they discuss the details of the piece, including size and colour. If the client is based in Vernon, the order is hand delivered. One of the designer’s ideas for a future project is to take silk fibres and replicate them through a 3D printer or use a vat of genetically-modified bacteria to have them produce a garment formed from bacterial structures. While Beaumont plans to re-launch their website in the near future, for now, you can find their portfolio on Tumblr under “jackbeaumontportfolio.”
MENTAL HEALTH
A Concordia service to help you talk it out Concordia launches a new emotional health coaching service for students
IAN DOWN CONTRIBUTOR Concordia’s Counselling and Psychological Services office launched a new emotional health coaching service for Concordia students dealing with emotional turmoil.
SOS for Your Emotional Health is a series of six weekly private group sessions taking place from Sept. 19 to Oct. 31. The series’ goal is to help students with stress management, anxiety and depression, and dealing with other difficult emotions. “We live in a very anxious world,” counsellor Eric Widdicombe told The Concordian. Widdicombe runs the program with colleague and fellow psychologist, Jewel Perlin. “People have a hard time being able to self-soothe and self-regulate, and they’re looking for ways to do that,” Widdicombe said. Each seminar aims to teach the group a new skill set related to dealing with mental health. In a recent session, the facilitators presented the topic of mindfulness, which is defined as a firm grounding in the present, in current feelings and sensations, rather than a preoccupation with the past or future. At the session,
“the participants had to eat chocolate want to engage in friendly banter, nobody slowly and mindfully, to taste it as if for pushes them … Overall, I feel better. I the first time,” said Widdicombe. This feel that I'm more able to take charge exercise emphasizes staying centered, of situations that would previously have and focused on the present. Previous overwhelmed me and left me feeling seminar topics included emotional hopeless,” they said. regulation and stress tolerance. This program is an addition to the “I realized I was depressed when it resources already offered by Concordia’s occurred to me that my behaviour was Counselling and Psychological Services. changing, and that the changes had a The triage system offers drop-in and negative impact on those around me,” one by-appointment evaluations, that anonymous seminar participant determine which students can begin told The Concordian. “I regular sessions with heard about [the group] a counsellor. Other from the counsellor I ser vices include was meeting with support groups for through the counshyness, mindselling services.” fulness and even The participant perfectionism. said the group’s “Across unidynamic was versities, there’s welcoming and a trend that more encouraging. “I and more students find we all get are presented with along very well m o re d i f f i c u l t and there's a lot problems,” said of respect for Widdicombe. “So boundaries, so if there’s a lot more someone is having students and the ones Graphic by Thom Bell. a bad week or doesn't that are [distressed]
have more severe mental health problems or challenges.” He cited the expanding role of technology in recent years as a major factor in emotional distress. Widdicombe said poor sleep habits, loss of appetite and difficulty concentrating are all signs of chronic emotional distress. While Widdicombe is concerned about these increased instances of emotional problems, he said he remains optimistic. “I think there’s less stigma about mental illness and seeking help for it, so people are willing to come to our service and they don’t have any bones about it.” The group started in September, and is not currently open to new participants. However, Widdicombe said the group will likely run again, perhaps as early as this winter. Widdicombe’s main suggestion for those struggling with difficult emotions is “to seek out help—to come to triage to see what groups we offer, and to know that there’s support out there.” Information on all services is available on the Counselling and Psychological Services webpage, which is accessible through MyConcordia under the heading “Student Services.”
OCTOBER 11, 2016
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BUSINESS
Businesses love your mean reviews JMSB hosted a talk on social media’s role when it comes to innovation in businesses
The event was organized by Concordia’s Luc Beauregard Centre of Excellence in Communications Research. Photo by Alex Hutchins. MINA MAZUMDER LIFE ASSISTANT
Concordia’s Luc Beauregard Centre of Excellence in Communications Research organized an event on social media’s role in business innovation on Oct. 4. Professors, students and businesspeople attended the morning conference to listen to Frank T. Piller, associate dean, professor and chair of Technology & Innovation Management at RWTH Aachen University’s school of business and economics in Germany. The event, hosted by Concordia’s John Molson School of Business, explored social media as a useful tool to improve the ways companies and individuals innovate. Piller said that many of “the ideas that we get nowadays come from social media, and this leads to a better discipline for the communications profession.” He explained many big companies are now using innovative strategies to incite consumers to buy their products. Piller used the drugstore brand Nivea as an example, to explain why their deodorant is successful. “If you
were the product manager of Nivea and wanted to innovate your business, what would you do?” Piller asked. He said he would advise product managers to visit online forums where people discuss, for example, deodorants and their unwanted effects—such as a yellow stain on a white fabric. “Agencies then dive-in, and look into these user communities to fix the problem by creating better products,” said Piller. “When it comes to innovations, it’s all about functionality.” Companies also consider how factors such as the product’s shape or organic ingredients might excite users into buying the product, he said. Piller added that, as a result, Nivea is one of the cheapest, most successful and popular brands in drugstores around the world, especially in Europe. Innovation often starts on the periphery of the organization, he said. When companies are creating or improving a product, t h e y lo ok b e yon d pro duc t management—they look at
Dr. Frank Piller, the speaker at the event, is associate dean, professor and chair of technology and innovation management at RWTH Aachen University in Germany. Photo by Alex Hutchins.
online forums, for example. According to recent studies conducted by the Social Media Examiner, there has been a slight increase in forum participation in recent years. Piller said that frustrated customers often provide useful critiques or reviews about products in online forums. Companies just have to visit these websites and take the comments seriously, in order to find ways to improve their product and the consumer’s experience. According to Piller, there are two main ways to innovate: with the help of frustrated users or dedicated firm activity. He said there are three ways to profit from lead user inventions. The online Business Dictionary defines a lead user as a “specific type of user of a product or service that is on the leading edge of significant market trends.” Therefore, a lead user reflects and finds a way to make something better, before the mainstream has found that way. They
are able to think about how that product or service can work better to reach its full potential. The first way to profit from a lead user is to search for lead user inventions either online or through contacts. The second way is to observe users in online communities such as Facebook and Twitter, which is also known as “netnography.” The third way is to provide infrastructure for users to co-create. Co-creating involves developing collaborative skills, learning to engage, selecting the right participants and using creative problem-solving techniques. “Our emphasis is to absorb the innovation that is out there in the market,” Piller said. Piller said innovation revolves around customer co-creation and creating an interaction space for lead users, product managers and companies— where they can engage, use creative problem-solving techniques and give feedback. He said that the ultimate goal is to have a more balanced approach when it comes to innovation—since there is not just one social media platform.
arts
ARTS EDITOR /// arts@theconcordian.com JESSICA KINNARI & TIFFANY LAFLEUR
DOCUMENTARY
Snap, crackle, chirp: Bugs and the future of food Bugs on the Menu looks at how insect protein is a solution to feeding the world
Although insects are nutritious and viable sources of protein, there is a cultural challenge to serving them for dinner.
TIFFANY LAFLEUR CO-ARTS EDITOR
of bug consumption. “Ian and I had a meeting, and he suggested insect protein as a possible [film] subject, Next time you head to a fancy restaurant and I was immediately disgusted,” said for dinner, cricket cavatelli might be Bradley. “When I started looking around one of the menu options, served along- and researching, I realized that there were side a hearty mealworm soup and tangy a lot of people in the US and Canada who fried tarantula. It might sound revolting were working on trying to normalize insect at first to picture insects as food rather than protein. It really opened my mind to other annoying creepy-crawlies, but the logic possibilities for feeding the world.” behind it is sound and buzzes with According to the film, it is estimated that promise. the world population will swell to over 9 The idea of eating insects because of billion people by 2050. Our methods for their rich source of nutrition and protein farming, agriculture and water dispersal is at the heart of Bugs on the Menu (2016), are already unsustainable given the current scheduled to air on CBC’s documentary the population size—they will not be able to channel in October. provide for an even larger global population. The film explores how insects are curEnter the mighty bug, packing a big rently used as an alternative food source nutritional punch in a small package. The in different cultures in places like Mexico dietary wonders of insects are already welland South Africa. known and touted by the United Nations. Produced by Ian Toews and Mark Bradley The UN Food and Agriculture Association from 291 Productions, based in Victoria, even went so far as to publish a 200-page B.C., the film hops across four continents report in 2013, encouraging restaurants in in an effort to make a case for the human the food industry to add insects to their consumption of insects. The film looks at menus as a way of reducing pollution, the economical, social and business aspects boosting nutrition and curbing world hunger. The documentary takes an all-encompassing look at the insect industry, bringing in expert opinions as well as anecdotal evidence in support of insect consumption. The film provides statistics and nutritional comparisons The advantage of insect farming is that is can be done vertically. between crickets, chicken and
beef. The statistics on the feed-to-protein ratio is especially poignant—cows require on average 10 pounds of feed to produce one pound of protein, whereas crickets require only one and a half pounds of feed to produce the same amount of protein. “Our company and I have always made films about important issues related to environment, human health [and] society,” said Toews. “I've always liked the films to show ‘another way’ to do things. Typically that means a ‘better’ way.” Bradley hopes the film will engage the audience, and encourage them to think differently about insects. “We want the film to spotlight the issue of food security, and get people thinking about other sources of protein that are not as environmentally harmful as traditional proteins like beef,” Bradley said. The film is successful in that it normalizes insect consumption through its footage and interviews. The documentary features experts on bug nutrition, the director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and a host of startup, insect-based snack companies, resulting in a solid argument for the implementation of insect-based protein in Western diets. According to Pat Crowley, an entrepreneur interviewed in the film and the creator of the insect-based p r o t e i n b a r, Chapul, one of out of every 10 people at the annual Michigan State University Bug Buffet was w illing to t r y
insects in 2012. Now, only four years later, only one out of 10 people refused to at the 27th edition of the festival. “There is a hurdle in people’s minds that they have to get over,” said Bradley. “But once they do get over their initial apprehension and try their first bite, and once they realize that insects are food just like anything else, people seem very open to the idea.” In addition to looking at the present situation of raising insects and serving them in different kinds of dishes, the film also looks at the issues on the horizon if and when the mass production and consumption of insects begins. Before insects make the transition from a quirky and adventurous meal choice to an affordable commodity, there must be a modernization to the practice of harvesting bugs. “We want the film to be part of the movement, part of the solution that is finding other sources of protein for humanity,” Toews said. öö Bugs on the Menu airs on Oct. 11 at 9 p.m. ET and Oct. 16 at 9 p.m. ET/10 p.m. PT on CBC documentary channel.
OCTOBER 11, 2016
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FILM
The new second-class citizens
Migrant Dreams looks at the inhumane way workers from abroad are treated in Canada ROMINA FLORENCIA ARRIETA STAFF WRITER On Oct. 17, Cinema Politica will be screening Migrant Dreams, a documentary exploring the situation of migrant workers in Canada. The topic of immigration has been discussed at length in Canada due to the large number of immigrants accepted into the country. However, there is a difference between immigrants and migrant workers. Immigrants come here for permanent residence, whereas migrant workers come to Canada for seasonal employment. The topic of migrant workers is studied in Migrant Dreams (2016), a documentary directed by Min Sook Lee. The documentary is set in Leamington, Ont., a common destination for migrant workers as there are several farming companies located in the area. The process begins with so-called agents,
individuals hired as middlemen who look for workers to bring to Canada, recruiting foreign workers and having them sign a contract to work as seasonal farmers. These contracts are written in English, a language spoken by only a select few of the applicants who hail from countries like Indonesia, Guatemala and Jamaica. Once the workers arrive in Leamington, they are faced with the harsh reality of life as a migrant worker. They are bullied by their recruiters who demand up to 30 per cent of their weekly paycheck to cover their transportation and rent fees—unaware that these requests are illegal. The documentary showcases the workers’ abysmal living conditions, including footage of 26 people sharing what seems to be a garage equipped with only three bathrooms. Some of the dorms are infested with cockroaches, and the employees are under constant surveillance by their employers. H owever, n ot all t h e workers remain silent as their employers benefit from the workers’ naivety and desper ation. In the documentary, Umi, a migrant wor ker f rom Indonesia, explains how she stood up to her boss and recruiter by renting her own apartment. Although she is now living in better conditions, she is still a victim of extortion. Her hours were reduced to discourage other workers from undertaking similar actions, and her employer still holds the threat of deportation
In Leamington, Ont., migrant workers are threatened with deportation if they do not comply with the demands of their supervisors.
over her head. Her apartment was even raided by people who were looking for her passport. Regardless, Umi is forced to continue working for this company, because Canadian law prevents migrant workers from seeking other employment once they’re in the country. Sadly, Umi is just one among thousands of migrant workers being exploited. This documentary seeks to educate viewers and raise awareness about the extortion of migrant workers. Organizations, such as Justice for Migrant Workers, promote farm workers' rights and freedoms, but documentaries like Migrant Dreams are crucial for inciting political and social change as they discuss a topic too often overlooked by mainstream media. cc Migrant Dreams will screen at Cinema Politica on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m.
EXHIBITION
Representing displaced subjects through art
Emma Harake's artwork offers no background, yet all-the-more backstory VALERIA CORI-MANOCCHIO COPY EDITOR The seven works by Lebanese artist Emma Harake hanging in Théâtre Sainte-Catherine Café-Bar demand speculation. The Art-UP! IX exhibition, organized by Studio Beluga, features Harake’s female subjects contending with changing concepts of identity and displacement, as they are cropped from their original background. Without any trace of a setting to suggest correct interpretations, viewers must fully engage the drawn female gazes to form their own ideas about these women’s backstories. Harake, who is currently completing her master’s in fine arts at Concordia, draws the subjects on paper and later traces them with a needle to create depth—like etchings on a zinc plate, in which a sharp tool is used to created a design. She then applies colour to the deep etchings in the paper, what she calls the “scars” of the artworks, before deciding which elements of the background to crop or leave behind. Her artistic influences, ranging from anime movies to comic books and literature like Arabian Nights and Le Petit Prince, help
Harake imagine background stories for the out-of-place subjects hanging in frames. “Whenever I start a new project, I enjoy weaving stories and imagining alternative settings,” she said. Harake sourced the female subjects from her family photos in a rather unconventional way. “Most of them are paintings of anonymous women found in the background of old family albums,” she said. “They are cropped out of their environments and striped of visual distractions.” While scanning her collection of family photos, Harake became intrigued and later obsessed with a woman wearing a tight robe and high heels standing in the background of a birthday party scene. Her speculation of the woman’s identity inspired Harake to search for other photographed strangers to generate stories for—eventually leading her to create the series displayed at Théâtre Sainte-Catherine. In this unique exhibition, the theme of displacement is demonstrated in various ways. The subjects are taken from their already out-of-place setting in the background of Harake’s family photos, and further displaced when the artist crops their drawn backdrops
to leave the anonymous women without any context at all. Although the subjects are anonymous to both the artist and the viewers, their portraits demonstrate relatable experiences of feeling out of place.. One of the larger works, Motherhood (2013), depicts a woman holding a white rabbit wearing a veterinary cone around its neck. Even though the figure is holding the rabbit, she’s not facing the animal or showing it any kind of affection. Her gaze leaves the viewers wondering about her backstory and how ‘motherhood’— of any sort— is significant to her sense of self. One of the smaller works, titled Bound Together (2013), is relatable to many. “[The piece] investigates the eternal search for home and the modern sense that such a search is an unending gaze towards somewhere else,” Harake said. The woman sits on a pile of suitcases, searching for a comforting place to ease her instability. Although most of the background has been removed, an empty closet rod runs behind the figure’s head. It's much like when someone moves into a new home and must fill the closets and cupboards with their possessions to make it their own, the piece evokes a sense of
displacing oneself to start anew. Viewers will find themselves engaging with the artworks, questioning the source of the figures’ speculative gazes, and ultimately, becoming just as curious and perhaps as obsessed as Harake was when she first came across that woman in the tight robe who stood frustrated in the background of her family’s photo. The works will be displayed until Nov. 13, 2016 at Théâtre SainteCatherine Café-Bar, 264 Sainte Catherine Street.
Emma Harake’s works challenge concepts of identity through her cropped photos.
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OCTOBER 11, 2016
INTERNATIONAL ART
The Second French Empire is back
Amrita Kalsi, a Concordia student on exchange in Paris, reports from overseas AMRITA KALSI CONTRIBUTOR To celebrate its 30 years of establishment, the Musée D’Orsay in Paris is hosting The Spectacular Second Empire 1852-1870, an exhibition which showcases lavish and illustrious artworks and artefacts from the French Empire of Napoleon Bonaparte III. The Second French Empire was a period of over-the-top festivities, economic growth and undeniable corruption, celebrating the richness and wealth of France. This lavishness highlighted the recovery from the years of the French Revolution that tore the country apart between 1789 and 1799. The exhibition consists of 13 rooms, each representing a style of artifact or art related to the Second Empire, such as portraits in the third room and interior design in the fourth. Each room is striking in its own unique way, and each room also focuses on the point of view of the rich. When you first enter the exhibition, you immediately encounter a grand portrait of Eugénie de Montijo, the empress of France. Her stance is poetic as she poses against a ruby red curtain, her pale arm reaching above a golden diadem, the powerful symbol of her and her husband’s wealth. As you walk across the museum’s velvet red carpets, you can observe the same diadem and crown from the painting in the distance. They look smaller in person than they do in the paintings, but the 2,840 diamonds of the diadem glimmer brightly through the glass container in which the artefacts are kept. According to the exhibition audioguide, the second room features paintings that were purposely created to depict Bonaparte’s
The wealth on display at the exhibition leaves out a very important factor: it was gathered on the backs of the poor. Photos by Amrita Kalsi.
generosity towards his people. For instance, in one such painting we see Napoleon giving money to the provincial people of France during a time of the great floods. Most of the paintings were commissioned by Bonaparte to the French painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau, with the intent of portraying Bonaparte in a flattering representation through the use of romantic and traditional lighting techniques. The fourth room showcases pieces of furniture that were once housed in the Tuileries Palace. A tilting mirror, created for Empress Eugenie by Alexandre Georges Fourdinois, is exemplary of the luxurious furniture only made available to the royals. As you move through each part of the
exhibition, you discover several aspects that define the aesthetic period of the Second Empire. These include the revival of Gothic architecture, in which sketches of Parisian buildings and paintings depicting Christian themes were exhibited, as well as the imperial furniture from the Tuileries Palace. One of the most striking rooms of this exhibition is the portrait room—a room that captures the eccentric narcissism of French royalty during that time period. With portraits standing more than four feet tall, the faces and bodies of these 18th century notable and wealthy French figures overwhelm the viewer with their pride. The portraits follow a romantic style, where painters would use light to portray their subject in the most flattering manner. The subjects are accessorised with riches such as jewels, bracelets, fur coats and
are often standing or seated against luxurious backdrops depicting their home or workplace. The portraits serve as portrayals of dignity, but were ultimately used as propaganda tools to be replicated and circulated, according to information provided at the exhibition. Despite the mesmerising pieces of jewellery, the beautifully detailed portraits, the ornate frames and vases and the loud, colourful pieces of furniture, there is something uneasy and eery about walking through the life of historical wealth. The exhibition solely celebrates the lives of the rich, whose wealth came at the expense of the poor. Through the eyes of a contemporary observer and foreigner, the corruption of the Second Empire reveals itself through its artwork WW This article is part of a new series on Concordians visiting exhibitions while studying abroad.
THEATRE
Puzzling play comes to Montreal’s theatre
Jerome of Sandy Cove crawls from a Nova Scotia bay to the Mainline Theatre
Zachary Creatchman, who plays Jerome, is the only actor who did not play multiple roles.
JESSICA KINNARI CO-ARTS EDITOR Persephone Productions is bringing its brand new play, Jerome of Sandy Cove, to the Mainline Theatre from Oct. 6 to 16. Based on the true Canadian story of a man named Jerome, who mysteriously washed up on the shores of a Nova Scotia town back in the 1800s, the play examines the man’s life and origins. Written and directed by Persephone
Productions’ artistic director, Christopher Moore, the play features many talented actors including Concordia graduate Natasha Perry-Fagant. While the performance was engaging, figuring out the plotline without a synopsis is not an easy task. I spent most of the play wondering, “Who was that person supposed to be?” and “Why is this happening?” The play alternated between a chronological story about Jerome’s life after
washing up on shore and various short scenes that depicted his possible life before the incident. The play begins with multiple scenes where the dialogue is solely in Italian. At times, it was easy to follow along, however, I feel like I missed many important pieces of information altogether. Spoiler alert: the Italian man who I presumed to be Jerome is quite suddenly, and I really mean suddenly, being chased by a police officer and must flee on a ship. While the officers did seem to be explaining his crime, it was in Italian and I was left utterly confused. There were scenes with pirates, confederate soldiers and a random cowboy, all of whom seemed to be random. There was never any solid connection to Jerome in any of the scenes as they were just all speculations. To top it off, almost the entire cast played multiple roles. The plotline wasn’t extremely coherent throughout. The play did have its upsides though, mostly due to the cast of talented actors. The scenes of Jerome’s life in Nova Scotia featured intriguing interactions between lead actor Zachary Creatchman (Jerome)
and the rest of the cast, particularly the female actors. Any scenes with Creatchman and Dawson theatre graduate Dominique Noel were particularly captivating—they drew the audience in with their chemistry. Creatchman is a true artist and, though he did not talk, for Jerome had lost his ability to speak, his eyes and facial expressions captivated the audience with their depth and intrigue. The music throughout the show was performed live by Sarah Segal-Lazar, and all of the songs and lyrics were written and composed by Segal-Lazar herself. It gave the show a more folksy and intimate feel, and made me feel more at home as an audience member. While this play featured great acting and did have many heartfelt and humorous moments, it fell short in the plot department, and viewers should definitely read a synopsis before heading into the theatre. The show runs until Oct. 16 at the Mainline Theatre on St Laurent. Tickets are $20 for students and $25 for the general public. To learn more about the production, visit their website: www.persephoneproductions.org
OCTOBER 11, 2016
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POEMS
Walk! Walk! Walk! and Selfish
Concordian writer Hannah Karpinski brings us two creative works HANNAH KARPINSKI CONTRIBUTOR Hannah Karpinski is in her third year of the honours program in English and creative writing at Concordia. She hails from Toronto and misses her dog. In these poems, Hannah’s knack for clever wordplay as well her love of dogs are wholly evident. When reading these pieces, one can’t help but get carried away by Karpinski’s playful and energetic diction which somehow manages to be both seamless and unpredictable. These poems were published with the help of Annah-Lauren Bloom.
Walk! Walk! Walk!
Selfish
For Kaleb, Bandit, and Molly
sounds like shellfish tastes like radish: spicy. Feeling peckish? In she comes now with a flourish, whirling dervish apparition— CAUTION! This attraction is not easy to extinguish. Try to fight your titillation. My eyes suctioned— it’s established. She won’t look at you but watch her, like a jellyfish in action. Wish she’d watch me, wish she’d wash me with a gaze of recognition. Feed fixation with her friction, flush carnation, culmination: she elicits the anticipated physical reaction. Here and now I get rejection, only bluish recognition, only. No rash preposition just her rational decisions. Stuck in anguish, think I’ll perish. I can’t squash my adoration! Feeling foolish, I’m embarrashed— shit, my English is diminishing, I’m finishing, I’m fishing, feel outlandish with ambition. I’d audition for a smidgeon of attention from this vision. Used to pray for transposition, now I pray to patient God to please divine some intervention, cure me with a prohibition.
Frail Greyhound keeps beat in bucket of water Pawing and splashing and pawing and splashing and— Sand! SAND! Someone just changed the water The dog park: dirty locale ebbing in appeal Humans watch as dogs steal one another’s newest toys And here they thought The Beaches was gentrified… Playtime for daycare in children’s sandbox Squatting Rottweiler makes eye contact with human pup Releases herself; knows this is not an off-leash area Goldendoodle running in red Gore-Tex Daddy must have spent a nice sum on that beautiful ja— Betrayal! “Bad girl! Out of the mud, you bastard!” Human seeks shade under willow tree Drink: contraband (it’s thermos wine) Only addresses the good-looking German Shepherd Chain link airlock between dog park and human park Pit Bull grips muddied tennis ball in lockjaw Her human avoiding the glare of the empty mouthed Basset Hound Yippy Chihuahua furious with squirrel voices opinion Mommy yells, “Come!” Squirrel advances… RETREAT! “Who’s a good dog? Who’s a good dog?” Human pup wanders away from play structure, unnoticed Not related to a dog but enters enclosure anyway (illegal) Is greeted by twenty, maybe thirty dogs; pets them all evening
In exchange for absolution? Absolutely! The solution should demolish my addiction, should diminish my conviction— now I wear my trousers rolled but I am looking for direction, some prevention of my end, of my to-be annihilation— on the verge of self-destruction losing language relishing my saddish nature I’m a sad fish a sad radish seeking comfort reeking putrid longish longing lest she leave me so UNSADDISHFIED!
Graphic by Florence Yee.
WANT TO GET PUBLISHED? THE CONCORDIAN IS LOOKING FOR ARTWORK, SUCH AS BUT NOT LIMITED TO: PHOTOGRAPHS, DRAWINGS, POEMS, CREATIVE WRITING, COMICS AND EVEN DIGITAL WORKS. SHARE YOUR PROJECTS WITH US AND WITH THE CONCORDIA COMMUNITY! EMAIL OPINIONS@THECONCORDIAN.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION
music
Quickspins
MUSIC EDITOR /// music@theconcordian.com SANDRA HERCEGOVÁ
1
PROFILE
Notes from a Bedroom Tour
GREEN DAY
Revolution Radio
Greg Halpin kicks off his solo tour and debut album SANDRA HERCEGOVÁ MUSIC EDITOR Greg Halpin is coming to a bedroom near you. The singer-songwriter and guitarist kicked off his North American tour on Sept 30, following the release of his first solo album, Notes from a Bedroom, on Sept 23. Before heading to New York City for his first tour performance, Halpin performed his complete new album for the first time at Concordia’s Oscar Peterson Concert Hall on Sept 30. The musician’s “Bedroom Tour” is not your typical music show. Halpin will perform his tunes in different people’s bedrooms in cities across North America. People have invited Halpin to perform in their rooms, where they can invite friends to be part of the intimate audience. This concept was inspired by his new album, which was recorded entirely in Halpin's bedroom. Halpin graduated from Concordia in 2010 with a liberal arts degree and a minor in music. You might have heard him busking in front of the Guy-Concordia metro or performing with his previous indie-pop band. “My first band was called a lot of different things, but mainly it was known as HonheeHonhee. We toured across Canada a few times,” said Halpin. Stefan FudakowskiGow, a Concordia mechanical engineering graduate and former HonheeHonhee band member, is the person who first inspired Halpin to venture into guitar-playing and songwriting. “I started playing the guitar when I was 10 years old with Stefan,” said Halpin. “He lived down the street from me and he wrote songs—I never tried to write any songs until I met this friend.” Halpin’s solo debut was inspired by one particular song he wrote back in college called “Notes from a Bedroom.” Ever since he wrote it, Halpin said, he had been pondering the
idea of developing the song into a solo album. “I liked the title, and I knew it was an idea that I could explore further,” he said. “I was really getting into Bob Dylan’s earlier albums at the time, where it was just him and his guitar. I liked the idea of music all coming from one person.” It was in 2014 that this idea flourished, when Halpin met producer Howard Bilerman. He had wanted to record with Billerman ever since his HonheeHonhee Canadian tour. “I met Howard two years ago, and talked to him about this project that I had. He was on board from the beginning. He lent me his equipment and advised me through the recording process,” said Halpin. Two years later, Halpin achieved his goal of releasing a solo album. He said the process of creating Notes from a Bedroom was as personal as it gets. “It was a really raw creative process,” he said. “I wanted people to feel like they are in my bedroom, and that they are coming into this intimate space.” Some of his new songs are a bit graphic, and most of his lyrics are unfiltered thoughts. “You might be shocked when hearing some of the songs, and that was intentional. I wanted to invite people into my private state of mind,” said Halpin. He said he wants his music and lyrics to connect with the minds of his listeners. “When someone expresses a thought that has been in my mind and I hear it in a song, that’s when I connect to the music,” said Halpin. He tried to further this connection with the bedroom tour concept— a room where you can be your naked self and reveal your natural thoughts, where you can see if you can truly connect with someone. “There are some things that I’ve thought about but I’ve never really said out loud, so I want to dive into that as deep as I can with my lyrics” said Halpin. He said he wrote one of his songs when a bunch of random words popped into his
head during a soundcheck. The words came along with a melody, and he bounced off stage to jot them down so he wouldn’t forget. “I read Bob Dylan’s autobiography where he said that writing a song is kind of like trying to remember a dream. You have an idea, you don’t know what it is exactly, and you’re struggling to remember it,” said Halpin. Those words and that melody became one of Notes from a Bedroom’s hit singles, “One Last Love.” The song took two years to complete. “I was happy that I got through it but it was a long process,” said Halpin. When Halpin toured in May 2016, before the album was finished, he played a few songs from Notes from a Bedroom. He played in Toronto, Ottawa, Kingston and some cities in the US. During that tour, he also performed in people’s bedrooms. “For the first tour I mostly played in people’s houses that I knew. I also found a few strangers. It’s all about reaching out to friends and friends of friends,” said Halpin. Along for the ride was Matthew Raudsepp, a former HonheeHonhee band member, who filmed Halpin’s first bedroom tour performances. Raudsepp is using the footage to create a documentary called The Bedroom Tour, and will be submitting the film to various festivals. Halpin’s latest tour is much bigger than the last. He’s visiting more bedrooms across many more cities, including New York City, Denver and Los Angeles. “I’ve never been anywhere in California, so I’m very excited to be playing in LA,” Halpin said. The tour will wrap up in Toronto on Nov 6. Halpin said he hopes to play for as many people as possible. “I’m still looking for people interested, if anyone knows of a bedroom in need of some music,” said Halpin. If you’re interested in having Halpin perform in your bedroom, contact Halpin through his facebook page “Greg Halpin Music.”
(Reprise Records, 2016) Highly anticipated, Green Day’s twelfth studio album Revolution Radio sounds a lot like what a sequel to 21st Century Breakdown (2009) would sound like. It’s as though the experimental touch we could hear in the band’s ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, ¡Tré! trilogy (2012) has been abandoned in favour of a return to Green Day’s typical, personalized pop-punk genre. You’ll hear the kind of songs that made both 21st Century Breakdown and American Idiot (2004) the successful albums they became: political themes that call for change or more personal texts, both matched with quick-paced beats and carefully executed guitar riffs. However, it isn’t a rock opera—just a bunch of songs that sound well together. As a fan, it’s nice to hear the band go back to that simplicity—maybe it doesn’t have the raw, dirty sound of Dookie (1994) or Insomniac (1995) that so many miss and crave for, but Revolution Radio managed to remind the audience of the band’s roots, without sounding worn out. The record still brings novelty to Green Day’s repertoire, something fans have been waiting for since 2012. cc Trial track: “Say Goodbye”
8/10
MELISSA ETHERIDGE
—Sarah Boumedda, Staff writer
2
MEmphis Rock and Soul (Stax Records, 2016)
Melissa Etheridge’s new album MEmphis Rock and Soul is a beautiful creation. This soul album showcases how Memphis in the 60s influenced Ethridge and made her the artist she is today. Not only has she incorporated other soul musicians from Memphis into the album, but the album was recorded in Memphis as well. One song in particular, “Hold On I’m Coming,” really transports you to the 60s with its acoustic guitar and soulful, raspy vocals. Etheridge’s passion for soul music is predominant in this song, and it seeps through to the rest of the album. This album is a nothing short of a phenomenal work of art. cc Trial track: “Memphis train”
9/10 — Emily Vidal, Assistant Greg Halpin shares his private and honest thoughts through his first solo album Notes from a Bedroom. Photo by Mike Palmer.
Music Editor
OCTOBER 11, 2016
theconcordian
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EVENT
#LECYPHER celebrates year two
3 SUM 41
Founder of Urban Science discusses the live hip-hop jam sessions
13 Voices (Hopeless Records, 2016) This Canadian band has definitely stepped it up with their new album, 13 Voices. “A Murder of Crows” introduces the album, with slow violin classical riffs that suddenly burst into Sum 41’s punk style with strong guitar verses and grungy vocals. The song has a beautiful transition with a strong impact. “Fake My Own Death” is the classic punk grunge song of the early 2000s that Sum41 is known for. Every track afterwards is just as impressive— catchy, yet complex in lyrics and instrumentals. It is important to note that this is lead guitarist Dave Baksh’s first album in nine years, and that Frank Zummo has replaced Steve Jocz on drums. These changes may account for the slight differences and improvements of this album over Screaming Bloody Murder (2011). 13 Voices is definitely something you can jam and dance to. cc Trial Track: “Breaking The Chain”
9/10
— Emily Vidal, Assistant Music Editor SANDRA HERCEGOVÁ MUSIC EDITOR
4
ONEREPUBLIC
Oh My My (Interscope Records, 2016) Pop-rock group OneRepublic’s Oh My My has soared to a mind-blowing new level. Their lyrics are deep and profound, their vocals are passionate and expressive, and their instrumentals are extremely creative and versatile. The track, “Let’s Hurt Tonight” captures intense emotion with it's powerful vocals, lyrics and drums. The album also touches on themes of love and happiness, with impressive lyrics and catchy beats in the track “Wherever I Go.” Oh My My features collaborations with Peter Gabriel, classic rock legend from the 80s on their song “A.I.” They combined forces to create a pop song meant to hit the radio charts. Another collab was with Cassius on electro pop hit “Oh My My”. Their songs on this album greatly resemble Maroon 5’s . I recommend this album for those looking for an upbeat and positive musical experience. OneRepublic will definitely blow you out of the water with this one. cc Trial Track: “Lift Me Up”
8/10
— Emily Vidal, Assistant Music Editor
If you’ve ever wondered where to hear l i ve h i p - h o p m u s i c i n M o nt re a l , #LECYPHER is your answer. Hosted by the collective Montreal hip-hop band Urban Science, #LECYPHER is a live hiphop jam session that happens ever y Thursday night at Bleury Bar à Vinyle. Musicians and emcees gather to play hip-hop as a collective. It is the first and only live hip-hop jam of its kind in Montreal. #LECYPHER celebrated its twoyear anniversary on Oct. 6 by hosting a tribute to legendary live hip-hop group, The Roots. The event was hosted by #LECYPHER’s founder, Vincent Stephen-Ong, who is also the saxophone and keys player for Urban Science. Milla Thyme, a Concordia student majoring in music and emcee of Urban Science, opened the event by performing songs from his new EP album, Eternally the Student . It’s the first time he has released material as a solo artist, and he wrote all the music on this album, he said. His hip-hop, jazz and funk vibe got the whole audience captivated from beginning to end. Mark the Magnanimous, one of the founders of ArtBeat Montreal was the DJ for the night. There were also delicious chinese BBQ wraps offered by Brothers Ku of Restaurant Dobe & Andy. Urban Science began its journey when its founder, Stephen-Ong, visited New York City in 2013 for a gig with the hip-hop group Nomadic Massive. While there, Stephen-Ong, along with Nomadic Massive, went to see the former guitarist of Kalmunity, Jordan Peters, perform at a Thursday night jam session called The Lesson—where top musicians perform pure hip-hop every week. “A few months later, I went back to The Lesson and brought my
The goal of the #LEC YPHER is to specialize in hip-hop music professionally. People might mistake the event for a funky jam, but Stephen-Ong made it clear that it is purely hip-hop.”You can’t go up and play a random funky thing. There’s a language, a sound, an aesthetic to hip-hop that must be respected,” said Stephen-Ong. It’s a jam session, but Urban Science wants to keep the quality level of performances high. #LECYPHER is not to be mistaken with an open mic event. “This is a collaborative jam session. You need to play along with the band and listen to what’s going on musically. It’s in the nature of the event to collaborate—it’s a hip-hop community,” said Stephen-Ong. Urban Science rotates between 20 different members. On any given Thursday, there will be regulars and newcomers playing together. Sometimes, there are guest hosts or well-known hip-hop artists. “I think Montreal has top-notch talent. That is why we have a 20 piece Milla Thyme crew, so we can keep our local opening the nights and do more projects as event with his well,” said Stephen-Ong. new album Urban Science has also Eternally the played at The Montreal Student. Photos International Jazz Festival in by Frederic 2015 and 2016. The band has Muckle. even welcomed the reggae hiphorn,” said Stephen-Ong. “I hop group Les R'tardataires, from got the chance to perform on stage and I jammed. There was nothing Belgium, to their #LECYPHER nights. “A lot of people from the local music scene like that in Montreal.” In June 2014, Stephen-Ong decided to know about us so, when international bring the idea of a live hip-hop collective artists come to Montreal, they hear about to Montreal. He had started to ask himself, #LECYPHER,” said Stephen-Ong. Urban Science is also working on a “What if I got some people together and did a private jam session?” With ideas for new project, called Urban Science Brass a guided improvisation hip-hop band, Band, which will be a New Orleans-style he gathered a few musicians together, marching band that will be jamming to contacted some venues and eventually Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre got a spot at Le Belmont. Urban Science with trombones and tubas. “We have emcees on megaphones that are rapping was born. Still, Stephen-Ong said he felt there while we walk. We did Montreal's first was a lack of a regular hip-hop event ever hip-hop parade,” said Stephen-Ong. in the city. “If you were a hip-hopper Urban Science is known for their live jam in Montreal, there wasn’t a jam session sessions, but they want to be known for in town that happened regularly. If you their original songs too. “We would like to were a instrumentalist that plays hip-hop, make a document of our original music,” forget about it, there was nowhere to go. I said Stephen-Ong. Urban Science will created #LECYPHER nights because there also continue to perform for The Rap was a void to fill,” said Stephen-Ong. Battles for Social Justice and have a few Urban Science moved from Le Belmont upcoming battles scheduled. Keep in touch with Urban Science to it’s current location, a smaller venue on social media for details about their called Bleury Bar à Vinyle, where they upcoming events. started #LECYPHER nights.
sports
SPORTS EDITOR /// sports@theconcordian.com ALEXANDER COLE ( @a_cole39)
PROFILE
From Concordia to Canada’s national team Women’s rugby player Frédérique Rajotte talks about her start in rugby and her career with the Stingers
Rajotte is hoping to play in the rugby World Cup in the summer of 2017. Photo by Alexander Cole. Rajotte was named RSEQ MVP last season after the team went to nationals. Photo by Brianna Thicke.
ALEXANDER COLE SPORTS EDITOR Frédérique Rajotte is a beast out on the rugby field. The fourth-year Concordia Stingers women’s rugby player has become a leader for the established squad, and has picked up a Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) MVP award last year. Her rugby career is impressive—but it’s not the sport that started her athletic career. “It all started in high school. I played soccer competitively, and then one of my coaches introduced me to rugby,” Rajotte said. “I tried out in grade nine, not knowing what it was all about, and ended up loving it. From that day on, I made the team and decided to quit soccer and take rugby on full-time.” Rajotte said that she had no idea there were rugby clubs in her hometown of Markham, Ont. when she first got into the sport. After doing some digging, Rajotte, who was 16 at the time, found a club in her area and played during the summer. She played with the Markham Irish junior team, and was invited to try out for their senior team when she turned 17. The running aspect of rugby came naturally to her, she said, due to her experience with soccer. However, Rajotte admitted that learning the rules of the sport, as well as the physical aspect of rugby, was a difficult transition. “You really need to study the game to be good at it, and I acquired knowledge as I went along,” Rajotte said. “In terms of physical play, at first it was messy. I was tackling high and dangerous, and when you’re young, you don’t have body awareness. But as you go on, you learn a lot.” Part of Rajotte’s rugby journey has
taken place at Concordia. Rajotte said that, contrary to what many people think, she wasn’t recruited by the school. Her sole reason for coming to Concordia was for its communication studies program. Rajotte, who is interested in a career in sports broadcasting, applied to journalism schools across the country—when she was accepted at Concordia, she didn’t look back. “When I got into the communications program, I knew it had taken a lot of work with interviews, the letter of intent and essays,” Rajotte said. “I was super excited and they only took 60 students, so my decision was set.” Rajotte added that, although she was not recruited directly, she did go on a recruitment trip that convinced her to join the Stingers rugby program. Rajotte now has one year of eligibility left after this season, and said she has every intention of playing out her final year with the squad. For Rajotte, playing for the Stingers comes with a sense of belonging that, in many ways, feels like a tight-knit family. In her last couple of seasons with the team, Rajotte wants to make the most of the opportunity and make her coaches proud. “You walk into the complex, and it’s like your second home,” Rajotte said. “I think wearing the jersey and knowing that it’s my last couple of years, I just want to win some games, be a part of the wonderful team we have.” The Stingers changed their game plan this season, which, according to Rajotte, put pressure on the team. As a result, the team struggled in the first game of the season against the Université de Laval Rouge et Or, losing by a score of 45-26. Despite that, Rajotte said the team has been able to bounce back, which is something she is extremely
proud of. Not only is Rajotte seen as a talented player, she and her teammate, Alex Tessier, are also considered leaders on the team. Rajotte said that her and Tessier, who are also roommates, have discussed their roles with each other, and agree that there can be pressure at times to perform well. “Yes, there is some pressure because some people on our team look up to us and they want that leadership,” Rajotte said. “There’s definitely been some pressure on our shoulders. We want to perform at games and practices—and we try our best to lead by example.” Aside from the Stingers, Rajotte plays for Canada’s national women’s 15s rugby team, and this summer, she played in the World Rugby Super Series. Rajotte played alongside her Stingers teammate Tessier, and the team won the whole tournament after beating England 52-17, the United States 33-5 and France 29-10. “This summer was huge. A lot of training went into it,” Rajotte said. “Winning it and going undefeated with all of those girls was really the highlight of my career so far.” During the World Rugby Super Series, Rajotte said that the team gained a lot more media exposure than she expected. In the past, women’s rugby, and rugby in general, has been brushed aside by Canadian media outlets because sports like hockey, football and baseball are a bigger part of Canada’s sports culture. Rajotte said that, to change this mentality, rugby needs to be introduced more frequently at the youth level, which will allow the sport to grow and become part of the public consciousness. Rajotte added that, while there was good coverage which gave the team better repre-
sentation, there was still a lack of promotion for the event, which left people unaware that the event was even taking place. “In my opinion, there still needs to be work done when it comes to talking about the event prior to it happening,” Rajotte said. “It would be cool if [the media] would do profile pieces on the national team athletes, and do them on the bigger platforms like TSN and Sportsnet.” “People knew we won the Super Series, but some people didn’t even know what it was or what it means,” Rajotte said. Rajotte hopes to be a part of the 2017 Rugby Women’s World Cup next summer in Ireland. Rajotte said selections for the team will be made on Oct. 17, and if she makes the team, she will be going to Ireland in November for a three-week tour in preparation for the tournament. She added that balancing rugby and school can be difficult. However, when teachers are on board, it makes it easier. “I’ve had teachers who think it’s awesome and wish me luck and are super supportive,” Rajotte said. “ Some of my teachers in my other classes don’t understand and are close-minded to sports, which is so hard because that’s who I am.” While making the World Cup team is a top priority for Rajotte, she hasn’t forgotten about her Stingers. Last year the team made it to nationals, but was defeated in the bronze medal game against their fiercest rivals, the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees. Rajotte wants to improve on that performance, and said that doing well at nationals this season would be better than winning the Super Series. “I’m hoping that the highlight of this year will be making it to nationals and performing well. That’s next on my list,” said Rajotte.
Making it count in his last year
Stingers men’s hockey captain Olivier Hinse has big goals for his final season ALEXANDER COLE SPORTS EDITOR
du sport étudiant du Québec. Hinse believes the team’s fortune will change this year, and that the Stingers have When the Concordia Stingers men’s a great chance of being a top-tier hockey team was eliminated from the team. Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) “We have to go all the way,” playoffs last year, team captain Olivier Hinse said. “We have a great Hinse had a big decision to make. Hinse goalie, so I think our hopes are had one year of eligibility left, but he was high and we’re going to go all also graduating. Some believed he would the way.” no longer be a Stinger—this was not the Hinse added that the team’s case. main issue in the past has Hinse opted to enroll in a year-long been finishing on plays. He certificate program, allowing him to play out said the team used to lack his final year of eligibility with Concordia. consistency, but he hopes “I think school-wise, it was a great that bringing so many new opportunity to get a graduate certificate player s onto the team in business administration,” Hinse said. this year and introducing One of Hinse’s passions is children. them to the system can Hinse did his undergrad in child studies, change that. and hopes to use his graduate certificate This season, Hinse in business administration to open up will be without one of a centre for kids. Hinse said he knows his favourite linemates how to help kids develop and grow, but from last year—forlearning the business side of things will ward Jessyko Bernard. help him in his career. Last season was “Hockey-wise, I think we’re going Bernard’s final one to have a great group of guys this year. with the team, and Knowing we have talent coming up and n o w H i n s e w i l l Concordia being my home, it’s why I came be playing on a back,” Hinse said. brand new line The Stingers finished last season with with newcomers a record of 10-12-6, which placed them Philippe Sanche Olivier Hinse is in his fifth and final year of eligibility with the seventh out of nine teams in the Réseau and Anthony Concordia Stingers. Photo by Alexander Cole. Deluca. Beyond this season, Hinse said he Hinse said he is confident in the chemistry he is already building would love to keep playing hockey, and if he was ever given the opportunity with his new linemates. “[Bernard] was great and we to go pro, he would. For now, his main had a lot of chemistry together,” priority is hockey. “I’m almost 26 so I’m thinking of my Hinse said. “Every year, you lose guys and new guys ‘plan B,’ but right now I’m still focusing come in. I know that my on my ‘plan A,’” Hinse said. Hinse’s final season will also mark linemates right now, Deluca and Sanche, his third year as captain of the team. will do a great job He said his philosophy when it comes of getting me the to being a captain is simple: create an puck, and I can atmosphere that’s inclusive. “The key to [being captain] is making feed them as well, so we’ll sure you create a sense of family and respect,” Hinse said. “Being captain of all score.” the Stingers is a great thing, and I’m so proud that it’s my third year.” According to Hinse, his biggest take-away from his time with the Stingers and the CIS is that players create their own chances . When Hinse joined the team in his first year, he admitted that he was coming off of a disappointing season in the QMJHL. Looking for a fresh start, Hinse said he wanted to go all out with the team and come out of the gate strong. Hinse added that the CIS doesn’t get as much coverage as it should, and he hopes that, moving forward, people will begin to realize how high the level of hockey is. “I’m always going to remember that the CIS should be more known around the world. It’s the second greatest league in Canada, right after the NHL ,” s aid This season is Hinse’s third as captain of the team. Photo by Brianna Thicke. Hinse.
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theconcordian
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OCTOBER 11, 2016
in the news BY ALEXANDER COLE N OVA SUSPENSIO MARIA SHARAP HS NT MO REDUCED TO 15
Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova had her two-year tennis suspension reduced to 15 months, according to CBC News. Sharapova was originally suspended after testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug, meldonium, during the Australian Open in January. CBC News said Sharapova appealed the suspension to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), who reduced the suspension by nine months. Despite Sharapova claiming she was unaware that meldonium was an illegal substance, the CAS decided Sharapova still has a degree of fault in the situation. Sharapova will be able to return to tennis in April 2017 at the French Open. YS FAN ROWDY BLUE JA CHARGED D AN IED TIF EN ID
During the Toronto Blue Jays wild-card game on Oct. 4 against the Baltimore Orioles, Orioles outfielder Hyun Soo Kim had a full beer can thrown at him while trying to catch a fly ball. According to The Toronto Star, the fan who threw the beer can has been identified by police as Ken Pagan, a copy editor for Postmedia. However, The Toronto Sun, which is owned by Postmedia, reported that Pagan denied his involvement in the incident, and that he was drinking from a plastic cup that night, not a can. The Toronto Star later reported that Pagan has been charged with mischief for the incident. Orioles centerfielder Adam Jones added that fans were shouting racial slurs at players throughout the game. The Blue Jays won their match against the Orioles in extra innings. NG M JR. NOT HAVI ODELL BECKHA LL BA OT FO ITH FUN W
New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. told ESPN last week that he isn’t having fun with football anymore. According to Beckham, referees have been targeting him with bad calls, and opposing players have been taunting him. Beckham added that the media has unfairly gone after him for his recent poor behaviour during football games. Beckham has been caught getting into fights with opposing players and causing a scene on the sidelines. According to ESPN, Beckham explained that his image has been tarnished since last season, when he had a fight with Washington Redskins cornerback, Josh Norman. Beckham has been unable to score a touchdown in the first four games of the season.
opinions OPINIONS EDITOR /// opinions@theconcordian.com DAVID EASEY
EDITORIAL
Dear students: stop hiding behind Spotted: Concordia
Yes, we're going there. Someone call the fire department to put out this blaze. Now we will admit, we do enjoy Spotted: Concordia for their cheeky content. Where else can one find a mixed bag of pathetic romantic posts, an endless supply of memes and, of course, actual concerns from Concordia students? Recently though, members of the Spotted community have been taking aim at the student press, posting vindictive messages about The Link and our beloved paper, The Concordian. These posts have described our publications as "SJW," which means Social Justice Warrior—and claimed that we don’t accurately represent the university. One post even targeted our opinions editor,
calling him a "liberal and socialist;" and stated he was reminiscent of "a goddamn buzzfeed article." Sounds like we’ve got ourselves a troll on our hands. But this is part of the job, and as journalists, we are accustomed to dealing with harsh comments along these lines. Whenever you publish your writing, it’s bound to be criticized to some degree. We’ve also seen political critiques from students that claim we are leftist, while others will claim that we’re too right-wing and conservative compared to our counterparts. Most of these comments are coming from individuals who’ve only read one article, or seen a cover or two, because we try to be nonpartisan and present the facts in a professional and
journalistic manner, as best as we can. We also try to be open to the different views out there. But we clearly can’t please everyone, and that’s okay. The real problem here is that certain students think our paper is controlled by university bureaucrats that tell us what to write, spewing propaganda on the weekly. The truth is actually quite the opposite, and while we occasionally communicate with Chris Mota, the director of Communications at Concordia, our news and opinions sections have actually spurred a reaction from the university in the past. Particularly, when we broke the news story regarding the student who filed a human rights complaint against Concordia last month.
It’s also important to add that The Concordian's content is made up of student contributors who submit their articles every week. The students come from a variety of academic backgrounds, writing levels and styles. Our editorial staff is also quite diverse, with many individuals on our masthead coming from backgrounds in JMSB, the arts and fine arts, and not solely from the journalism department. This creative and pluralistic environment allows the writers to express their unique and distinct voices. Our pages are open to everyone from the student population—moreover, we also accept articles from fellow alumni. If you want to write, you can. If you don't like what you see, you can get in contact with us and write what you think needs to be written. Whether it’s a rebuttal to an opinions piece you disagreed with or a letter to the editor, there are ways to express yourself through The Concordian. We are open to critique, and, in fact, encourage it, as we are always looking to better our content. That being said, we are all students collaborating, thus, we are all learning as we go. It's way more cowardly to hide behind a computer screen under the guise of Spotted: Concordia—instead, why not contribute to student press and have your voice really heard?
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Dealing with the police as a visible minority How my experiences and perceptions of the police have changed over the years
Graphic by Charlotte Bracho.
SANIA MALIK STAFF WRITER As a person of colour, I’ve grown up to learn that professionals might not always help me. In airports, my family and I are always scrutinized—it’s become comical when my mother’s hijab and my father’s brown skin are glared at. I’ve
sat quietly as police officers show lack of interest when my mother’s car gets hit—instead of looking into her eyes, they stare at her scarf. I’ve sat quietly when my father’s explanations are ignored and instead, police officers smirk at his accent and refuse to listen. I read the news and I feel angry at the way people of colour are mistreated
in the States, and even in Canada. The things I see and have dealt with reinforce my negative idea of them. Usually, I steer clear of police officers because I have the perception that they’re more likely to be rude to me, than helpful. However, a recent video spread on social media has made me question my misconceptions about police officers. On September 21, Leon Shand, a man in a wheelchair, was being harassed by a Montreal police officer who identified himself as Officer L’Heureux. Shand was in the middle of crossing the street when the light turned red. L’Heureux confronted him for being in the intersection, and then aggressively pushed his wheelchair and searched through his bag without a warrant. After seeing the video, I was disgusted by the way Shand was treated. I was outraged when the police officer said, “I’m going to give you a fucking ticket. You asked for it.” My reaction was to immediately revert to my bias about police officers. Shand, who is black, was at the wrong place at the wrong time. My first thought was, “It’s because he’s black and in a wheelchair.” After a few moments, I realized I made a hasty generalization. How was I to know whether or not Officer L’Heureux acted like that because Shand was black? I found myself questioning the opinions I’ve held for so long.
Why was I so quick to jump and label the officer as racist? Many believe that Canada doesn’t have a race problem when it comes to policing—but that’s not necessarily true. Statistics Canada tracks fatal police shootings when an officer is criminally charged, however, statistics about race are not recorded. According to The Guardian, between 2005 and 2015, the number of black convicts in Canadian prisons has jumped by 69 per cent. In another report released by CBC News, the province of Ontario will be reviewing the way police officers interact with indigenous peoples, after a series of deaths whilst in police custody. Although these statistics and facts do exist, I can’t rely solely on them and my experiences when I label police officers as rude or racist. I’ve realized that perhaps there is more to Officer L’Heureux—maybe he was having a bad day, or maybe he’s drunk on the authority that’s been handed to him. The main thing is—I don’t know everything. I can’t possibly justify my own misconceptions and biases without confronting the possibility that maybe I’m wrong. While experiences do factor into our perceptions of people, we shouldn't typecast police officers, especially when so many people are trying to hold them accountable for doing the same to civilians.
OCTOBER 11, 2016
theconcordian
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TRANSIT
Bikers Beware! Your pockets are in danger!
Cops litter the Maisonneuve bike path with their cash-grabbing tactics ALEX HUTCHINS PHOTO ASSISTANT One of my favourite weather-permitting pastimes is biking. Even in Toronto, where I’m from, I cycled everywhere—to school, to meet friends, to work. As a student, I've been using my bike for years to cut back on transportation costs. In all those years, I never once got a ticket while on my bike. I'd never really even considered it. But a few weeks ago, I got a ticket for not making a complete halt at a stop sign—and I am beyond pissed off. I was biking along a typically quiet, low-traffic section of the Maisonneuve bike path, around 2:30 p.m. I slowed down as I approached an intersection somewhere between Clarke and Greene Ave but, after seeing it was clear, I decided to continue through, mainly to keep my momentum—which hundreds of bikers do all the time—and it all went smoothly. There were no car-bike or bike-bike altercations. Yet the next thing I knew, a whistle was blaring behind me. I stopped and turned around to see what had happened, only to find this G.I Joe-like officer running towards me at full-speed. It was all so overly-dramatic—the chase, the questioning, the identification process. I mean, I truly could not believe it was me that he was pulling over. I was issued a $48
ticket, which although it isn’t a substantial amount, it still puts a decent dent in my alreadytoo-small student budget. I thought I was the anomaly until, within 24 hours of being issued my ticket, I found at least two other cyclists on social media who received the same fines for going through stop signs. These two cyclists were ticketed in front of Laurier Park and at the corner of Bellechasse and St Dominique, according to two Facebook posts on the MTL Trading Hole page. The whole situation reached another level of ridiculous when the officer ticketing me attempted to reassure me by saying: “I’m issuing you this Photo of a Montreal police officer moments after issuing a ticket. Photo by Alex Hutchins. ticket in the name of road safety.” Hold up. Rewind. Let’s pretend that my ticket would not be writing this article. But was an because “it would have created negative was truly issued “in the name of road safety.” officer stopping cyclists there? Nope. publicity,” reports the same CBC News article. Firstly, I would have been given a statement Because you see, fellow bikers, these Does this sound as though all this ticketing is saying they were in an area where the safety cops don’t get into their cruisers wanting truly “in the name of road safety?” of road-users was legitimately threatened. For to make our roads safer. The Montreal police And to what avail? The issuing of this ticket example, Melville Ave, where cyclists would have admitted previously that “officers in the to me and a few other bikers won’t cause be emerging from Westmount Park, having city's special traffic squad are given traffic ticket some societal cathartic re-evaluation of how gained speed through the sloped, winding quotas,” according to CBC News Montreal. we navigate and share the roads. It’s time we paths. This is blocks away from Clarke Ave Following this is a statement highlighting how find a more effective solution—something that though, and had I been flagged there, I likely the police didn’t admit to traffic quotas earlier really is in the name of road safety.
SOCIETY
Concordia's campus is not a “free market”
Why liberal bias on campus ultimately hurts freedom of speech when debating these issues KATERINA GANG COPY EDITOR Free speech has recently become a contentious topic at The Concordian. Last week, the newspaper published an article titled “Safe spaces: Both useful and necessary,” refuting my previous objections to safe spaces. One of the ar ticle’s main arguments stated that “the increase in safe spaces across university campuses is a sign that the concept of a safe space is succeeding in this ‘free market.’” But claiming that all universities, and Concordia specifically, represent a free market of ideas is not just intellectually dishonest—it’s laughable. Liberal bias is institutionally entrenched by students and universities. Dissenters can do little to be heard when universities, university groups and students stifle opinions. The Toronto Sun reported that Generation Screwed, a group opposing expanding entitlements and government control, was kicked off a parking space at Laval University last month for “unsanctioned activism.” The university demanded the group get a permit to protest, which the school refused to give without stating a reason. “The very concept of having to get a
permit to express yourself we think is just absolutely ridiculous,” said Aaron Gunn, executive director of Generation Screwed, according to the same article in the Toronto Sun. Protesting is a right—one university’s should not institutionally control. Even when universities do the right thing, many students help perpetrate this
incident in Alberta and my own experiences as a conservative have shown me it is, we’re left with no choice but to succumb to Big Brother or be shunned. N a r r at i ve - co nt ro l h a p p e n s at Concordia too, albeit more insidiously. Recently, Reggies hosted a Rap Battle for Climate Justice, organized by the CSU and
authoritarian control of the narrative. According to CBC News, a student from Mount Royal University in Calgary was recently threatened and robbed of his “Make America Great Again” hat by students who called it “hate language.” I like to wear my “Make America Great Again” hat too. The pro-safe spaces article in The Concordian indicated speech limitations in safe spaces are no more extreme than Canada’s Charter. But when political disagreement is deemed hateful, like the
student groups, to discuss the topic of pipelines, fossil fuels, and tar sands through a rap battle. Despite featuring arguments and counterarguments for environmental justice, the event wasn't a real battle. The pro-economy performers were caricatures “dressed in suits, walking around throwing fake $100 bills in every direction,” according to The Concordian article covering the event. Participant Mutatayi Fuamba even admitted that everyone present shared the same opinions. “We
are all against fossil fuels—we are all for social justice and climate justice,” he said. Climate justice is complex. Yes, protecting the environment and communities is important—but so are the millions of jobs and dollars tied up in Alberta’s oil industry. I’m tired of our campus pretending it wants to tackle big issues, then asserting its bias as inherently correct through careful manipulation of speakers. We’re not having discussions so much as lectures in echo chambers. As the pro-safe spaces article implied, the opinions of marginalized students should be heard—but dissenters shouldn’t automatically be labeled hateful, racist, sexist or anything else. I don’t want liberal or marginalized speakers silenced—I want a variety of speakers. I want to be persuaded with well-formulated arguments from both sides. I want to be encouraged to share my opinions and political affiliations without fear of attack, theft or character assassination. When Concordia organizes events with speakers from the same side of the argument under the guise of discussion, not all sides are being truly addressed. Those who haven’t done a lot of research on some of these complex issues might assume all sides are being represented, and that liberal ideas are winning. But they’re not—they’re just not competing. Graphic by Florence Yee.
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Artists from Concordia featuring
Camille Durand Gauthier SCAN OF INDIGO ON COTTON, 2016, DIGITAL PRINT, 160 X 120 CM
SCAN OF INDIGO ON SILK, 2016, DIGITAL PRINT 160 X 120
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY OF SCULPTURE, 2016, DIGITAL PRINT, 160 X 120 CM
ANALOG PHOTOGRAPHY OF MIX MEDIA, 2016, DIGITAL PRINT, 160 X 120 CM
Camille Durand Gauthier is a Concordia student majoring in studio arts. Interested in printmedia techniques, she tries to mix in analog and digital processes into her work. She always incorporates some element of 2D or 3D. In this series, "Sky. Sea" she plays with the perception of space, on both microscopic and macroscopic levels. SKY 1, 2016, DIGITAL PRINT, 90 X 90 CM
ANALOG PHOTOGRAPHY OF SCULPTURE, 2016, DIGITAL PRINT, 160 X 120 CM
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OCTOBER 11, 2016
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1. The human of Concordia this week 3. The tennis player in Sports in the News 4 . A new documentary about insects 6. A bedroom performer 7. Where poet Hannah Karpinski is from 11. An ops piece describes getting a ticket on a...
The Concordian’s team EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CRISTINA SANZA editor@theconcordian.com MANAGING EDITOR GREGORY TODARO managing@theconcordian.com PRODUCTION MANAGER PAULINE SOUMET production@theconcordian.com PRODUCTION ASSISTANT PARISA FOROUTAN JEN FARROW NEWS EDITORS SAVANNA CRAIG NELLY SÉRANDOUR-AMAR news@theconcordian.com
Graphic by Pauline Soumet.
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LIFE EDITOR DANIELLE GASHER life@theconcordian.com
PHOTO EDITOR ANA HERNANDEZ photo@theconcordian.com
ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR MINA MAZUMDER
PHOTO ASSISTANT ALEX HUTCHINS
Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper VOL. 34, ISSUE 7 OCT. 11, 2016 OUR COVER THIS WEEK
GRAPHICS EDITOR FLORENCE YEE graphics@theconcordian.com
“Don't bully my breed” mural by Cryote. Photo by Savanna Craig.
GRAPHIC ASSISTANT THOM BELL HEAD COPY EDITOR KATYA TEAGUE COPY EDITORS KATERINA GANG REBECCA LUGER VALERIA CORI-MANNOCHIO copy@theconcordian.com CONTRIBUTORS Megan Hunt, Edward McCarry, Elisa Barbier, Ian Down, Romina Florencia Arrieta, Amrita Kalsi, Hannah Karpinski, Sarah Boumedda, Sania Malik.
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