The Concordian - September 12 2017

Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper

VOLUME 35, ISSUE 3 | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2017

theconcordian.com  /theconcordian  @theconcordian

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theconcordian

Taking pride in her size

Fourth-year midfielder looks to lead Stingers Sports p. 15

feature

news

By-law beats local petition p. 2

A Summer in Uganda: Bicycles and bedsheets

life

Student's novel of life after death p. 7

arts

music

Whimsical exhibit Documenting at the VAV p. 9 grief in song p. 13

p. 10

opinions

Language without the politics p. 18

news

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

COMMUNITY

By-law deals fatal blow to residents' petition Construction of research centre on Loyola green space to move ahead despite opposition

N.D.G. resident Irwin Rapoport. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

IAN DOWN ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR N.D.G. resident Irwin Rapoport’s campaign to save the Loyola campus green space was dealt a fatal blow on Monday.

Construction of the new research centre on the green space will now move ahead after Côte-desNeiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough officials discovered a clause in Bill 122, a new provincial law adopted in June, which states “public property intended for collective use in the education sector is no longer subject to approval by a referendum.”

Rapoport and other N.D.G. residents had hoped to preserve the green space. “The residents are seeking a moratorium on any development of green space on the campus,” Rapoport told The Concordian early last week. A group of residents wanted to have the development moved to one of the nearby parking lots, with an underground parking garage built to replace the current lot.

Following a borough council meeting on Monday night, Rapoport called the legislation “an attack on democracy.”

He criticized the borough for its oversight. “You didn’t cross the t’s and dot the i’s on this one,” he said.

C.D.N.—N.D.G. Mayor Russell Copeman said the city is just respecting the rule of law. “I was as startled as the next person about this [discovery],” he said. “But we’ve double-checked everywhere, and

we really feel that, by our legal department, we have no option but to reject the petition. It would be illegal to hold a register under these conditions.”

With the threat of a referendum off the table, Concordia can move forward with its plan to begin construction of the $52-million research centre this spring. The building, which will house research centres for nanoscience and cell biology, will occupy 15 per cent of the nearly 8,800 square metre field behind the Richard J. Renaud Science building.

Rapoport said he is concerned the research centre may only be the beginning of development on the green space. At an C.D.N.—N.D.G. urban planning committee meeting on Aug. 7, he confronted a Concordia official about whether or not further developments would follow. “I asked him: ‘Would you guarantee that the remainder of the field would not be developed?’ He couldn’t say no. He couldn’t say yes or no.”

University spokesperson Mary-Jo Barr said Concordia has no plans to develop the green space beyond the current project. Furthermore, “any future development would need to be approved by the borough and would involve public consultation,” she said.

Even moving the development would not solve all of the community’s concerns. Lisa Kagan lives adjacent to the green space, and said she is worried about noise pollution from the construction and the building’s ventilators. She also

worries the building’s presence will create more traffic on her street, which borders the space.

“Already, I have to deal with a lot of Concordia students on my quiet street hopping my fence, and parking and traffic.” She said students often block her neighbours’ driveways with their cars. In addition, she said, before Concordia security stepped in, she would catch a student hopping her fence “at least once a week.”

Rapoport had originally petitioned the city to open a register on the project, gaining 95 signatures of the necessary 12 before the clause in Bill 122 was discovered.

Rapoport said he will continue to fight this project. “We’re going to have to appeal to a higher level of the opposition of Montreal.”

“This green space is more than just Concordia’s green space—it’s become a de facto public green space,” Rapoport said.

Concordia student Gabi Mandl disagrees. “I am so thankful that Mayor Copeman and the council unanimously approved the project because they clearly understand how valuable it is,” the chemistry graduate student said. “This isn’t a building being constructed for business or profit. It is for students to be able to learn and flourish.”

Mandl said she hopes to pursue her PhD at Concordia once the new centre is built. She said the community’s demands are unreasonable and unrealistic. “I don’t think it’s a good use of funding to build [an underground] parking lot when all they have to do is build a building

next to a parking lot on a huge, unused plot of grass,” she said.

Some residents had previously proposed moving the building either to the parking lot across campus next to the physical services building or the one next to the green space behind the St-Ignatius of Loyola Church. Mandl said the first option would place the new building too far away from the existing science building for the two to be connected by a tunnel. Such a tunnel is necessary to protect the student body from exposure to dangerous substances, including nanoparticles and cell cultures.

The tunnel is also necessary to protect samples from contamination and exposure to the elements.

Biochemistry undergraduate student Tommy Roumanas said the human cells Concordia uses for research must be kept safe while in transport. “Human cells are very, very delicate,” he said. “As

soon as we take them out of that 37 C incubator, we’re on a timer.”

Furthermore, contamination of these cells can go unnoticed for months.

As for the parking lot next to the green space, which is close to the science building, Mandl said she worries about the cost of replacing this lot with underground parking.

According to one study, underground parking garages cost on average about $41,600 per space. At this rate, replacing the roughly 80 existing parking spaces would cost more than $3.3 million.

Furthermore, Barr said the university does not have permission to build on the suggested parking lot.

According to Barr, a website is in the works to keep the public informed on the project. “Our neighbours are important to us,” she said. “They have always been welcome on our campuses. We aim to create a campus that is an asset for all.”

Concordia chemistry graduate student Gabi Mandl. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

SEPTEMBER 12, 2017

theconcordian

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DRUGS

Carrying fentanyl’s kryptonite at Concordia

Should student leaders have access to naloxone, the opioid antagonist?

CANDICE PYE NEWS EDITOR As the infamous fentanyl crisis begins to slither its way into Montreal, many Canadian university students fear deadly substances could be lurking in the drugs recreationally consumed at backto-school parties and orientation events. Combatting the possibility of fatal opioid overdoses is a priority for many student associations.

Recently, student association executives and frosh leaders across Canada have expressed interest in carrying naloxone kits at university orientation events to prevent drug-related deaths. Naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan, is an antidote medication used to counter the effects of opioids.

According to the government of Ontario, a kit typically includes two vials of naloxone, two syringes with needles, two devices to open vials safely, a pair of non-latex gloves and a card identifying the trained owner of the kit.

Allowing student leaders to have access to naloxone is tricky territory, according to McGill University nursing student Nathalie Wong. Based on what she has learned in her nursing courses, she said the signs and

symptoms of opioid overdose can often be mistaken for cardiac arrest.

In the event of someone suffering from a cardiac arrest (rather than respiratory arrest—a very common symptom of opioid overdose), Wong said the victim would be in need of immediate CPR, not naloxone.

“If a student leader isn't trained to see opioid overdose on a regular basis, then it can become very difficult to assess and distinguish [from] another health issue,” she said.

According to Wong, she only began learning about these topics after about 30 weeks in nursing school. She said she did not feel capable of properly diagnosing an opioid overdose until she had participated in clinical rotations at the hospital. Even today, Wong said handling powerful antidotes and overdose victims is no small task.

“If I, as a student nurse, needed to administer [naloxone] to a patient, I would have my [instructor] with me,” Wong said. “So, even as a student nurse, with three years of study and training, administering [naloxone] is a very big deal.”

Wong said she is pleased that paramedics in Quebec are finally beginning to carry the drug with them when they respond to calls, as opioid concerns continue to rise across the country, especially among

university-aged students.

When it comes to orientation events and the possibility of dealing with overdoses, Concordia student and ASFA frosh leader Immanuel Matthews said he was not trained to administer any sort of antidote, but he was thoroughly educated in prevention and intervention.

“We had two two-to-three hour long trainings to prepare us to handle situations concerning alcohol, drug use and just to provide a safe, enjoyable experience for freshmen during frosh,” he said.

According to Matthews, frosh leaders were also instructed to call paramedics in case of an emergency and to immediately report any incidents to Concordia security and ASFA executives. As for naloxone, Matthews said he believes administering it is a job better left for those with proper training.

“I think that first responders should be able to administer it,” he said.

“Sometimes an overdose victim has minutes that decide whether they live or die, and I think that first responders are in responsible enough positions to be granted that authority.”

While doctors and nurses on

campus are technically authorized to administer naloxone, director of public relations and official university spokesperson Mary-Jo Barr said having specially trained paramedics would be much more efficient.

“Due to the nature of a drug overdose, where heart rates can drop dramatically and leave one immobile, it’s far better to place naloxone in the hands of the front-line first responders who are closer to the scene,” Barr said.

She added that Concordia is closely monitoring the situation regarding naloxone in Quebec and across Canada.

“The province is considering allowing certain people with special training to administer it,” Barr said.

“If such changes are adopted, our front-line responders would be well placed to administer the drug. At this time, we are waiting to hear about the government’s next steps.”

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

STUDENT RESOURCES

Sumaiya Gangat advocates for student-parents

Amid lack of support for student-parents at UQAM, Concordia helps: CUSP coordinator MEGAN HUNT ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Judging by a recent opinion piece written by Sophie Lamontagne in La Presse, the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and the Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sports aren’t on the same page.

According to Lamontagne, the chair of the Student Parents Support Committee of UQAM, the university is not adopting the Ministry of Education’s definition of full-time student when it comes to student-parents.

The ministry considers a parttime student who is enrolled in a minimum of 20 hours of class per

month and is at least 20 weeks pregnant, is a single parent with a child aged 12 or younger or lives with a child younger than six as a full-time student. However, individual universities are able to determine their own definitions of full-time student status.

Such is the case at Concordia, where any student-parent taking six credits per semester in addition to being either 20 weeks pregnant, single with a child under the age of 12 or married with a sixyear-old or younger qualifies as a full-time student.

Due to the more lenient criteria for full-time student status, student-parents at Concordia who fulfill this criteria are eligible for bursaries, scholarships and a reduced-fare OPUS card.

Sumaiya Gangat, the coordinator of the Concordia University

Student Parent Centre (CUSP), said finances and access to childcare are primary challenges faced by student-parents. Despite a limited budget, Gangat said CUSP supports student-parents through annual giveaways of Christmas gifts, second-hand items and backpacks with school supplies, which are funded by the campus bookstore.

According to Concordia’s Undergraduate Calendar, each credit represents a minimum of 45 hours of coursework, meaning parenting students with six credits per semester will be completing nearly 70 hours of coursework per month. Gangat said she encourages student-parents “to talk to their teachers at the start of the semester.”

Gangat said CUSP, which is currently staffed by only three employees, also offers to accompany the student to explain their situation to the teacher.

CUSP, Gangar added, is especially useful for international student-parents. “They meet people here and develop a con-

nection that lasts a lifetime [...] they come here because they feel comfortable, they feel a sense of belonging,” Gangar said.

The centre has a play area for children, a computer lab, a fully-equipped kitchen and nursery, although it does not offer childcare.

Currently, there is a waitlist for Concordia’s campus daycares: Centre de la Petite Enfance Concordia downtown, which has 80 spots, and Centre de la Petite Enfance P’tits Profs at the Loyola campus, which has only 12. The centres are available to all full-time staff and students, but financial assistance is offered only through the Ministry of Family and Children, not through the university directly. Gangat said she believes the support of faculty and other students is necessary for student-parents to thrive.

Gangat said CUSP is currently looking for volunteer tutors and baby-sitters, and will provide the volunteers with CPR and first aid training.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

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theconcordian

SEPTEMBER 12, 2017

MEMORIAL

A candlelight vigil for young Inuit women

Activists, friends mourned the loss of Siasi Tullaugak and Sharon Barron on Friday IAN DOWN ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR A candlelight vigil was held in Cabot Square on Friday evening to commemorate the deaths of two Inuit women who had been living in Montreal.

Roughly 150 people gathered to mourn the passing of Siasi Tullaugak and Sharon Barron, both 27 years old. Speeches were given by activists and locals who knew the women.

According to the Montreal Gazette, the women’s bodies were found two days apart, on Aug. 28 and 30. While Montreal police are treating both cases as suicides, many in the community are suspicious of the causes of death.

Nakuset Sohkisiwin, the executive director of the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal, was the vigil’s lead organizer. “Many come to this city for a better life,” she said. “So we are here for Siasi and Sharon who came to the city thinking that they would find something better.”

According to the Montreal Gazette, both the women were from northern Quebec communities, Tullaugak from Puvirnituq and Barron from Kangiqsualujjuaq.

Community members mourn the loss of Siasi Tullaugak and Sharon Barron at a vigil in Cabot Square on Sept. 8. Photos by Kirubel Mehari.

“[Barron] had a good spirit,” said David Chapman, the director of the multi-service homeless shelter Open Door. “She would come in and give you a big hug, and you could see a kind of real liveliness in her face.”

“In the last year, she had moved to Dorval and was trying to make a break from life on the street,” he added.

As for Tullaugak, Chapman described her as “feisty.”

“She would not take flak from

anyone,” he said. “She had a really strong spirit about her.”

Sohkisiwin said she was pleased with the turnout, given the vigil was organized on such short notice. “It was definitely needed,” she said.

“A lot of times, when women go missing or they pass away, there’s no space for people to express themselves.”

Among those at the vigil was Concordia student George Lenser.

He volunteers at the Roundhouse Café in Cabot Square and said,

while he didn’t know the women personally, he had seen them around. “The majority of the community strongly believes it was not suicide,” he said.

According to Lenser, Cabot Square has been frequented by homeless Indigenous women for years.

Lenser and Sohkisiwin both expressed a lack of faith in the ability of governments at any level to instigate change for missing and murdered Indigenous women.

Nonetheless, Open Door intervention worker Jean-François Tessier tried to offer a positive message to those gathered. “I know it can feel hopeless out here, and it can feel like no one cares about you,” he said during the vigil. “But one thing I would hope that everyone who’s trapped in the streets out here can take away from this is that you are loved. There are people who care about you, and your life does matter, no matter how it may feel.”

PA RT-T I M E FAC U LT Y

Job instability: A stress for part-time profs

New collective agreement will reduce number of credits necessary for health care coverage ÉTIENNE LAJOIE NEWS EDITOR Concordia University Part-Time Faculty Association (CUPFA) chair of communications Laurie Milner left a tenure position at Va n c o u v e r ’ s E m i l y C a r r University of Art and Design for a part-time faculty position at Concordia.

It’s a unique situation, she admitted, but she “wanted other things in life, other than being inside one academic community.”

While being a part-time faculty member allows her to work outside the university, it is also a lot more unstable than working full-time.

“The stresses for a part-time faculty member can be pretty high in terms of job security,” Milner told The Concordian. That’s because part-time teachers must apply for courses at the beginning of every year, no matter how long they’ve been working at Concordia. Milner said part-time faculty often start with only three or six teaching credits a year, the equivalent of just one or two classes.

This issue is compounded by the fact that CUPFA members are only eligible for health care coverage after 50 credits of seniority,

a condition agreed upon in their last collective agreement signed in April 2012.

Milner said “part-time faculty often [don’t] have coverage for nine to 10 years” because of that condition.

The union’s new collective agreement with the school—which has to be approved by Concordia’s Board of Governors—will reduce the number of credits necessary to obtain coverage from 50 to 45. The health care plan includes access to psychologists and other mental health professionals.

In a statement, Concordia Universit y vice-president of ser vices Roger Côté said the agreement between both sides was a “representation of the teamwork and positive contributions of all parties.” Milner said CUPFA members are happy with the agreement, but wished the number of credits to qualify was even lower.

CUPFA’s chair of communications added that the topic of mental health has been discussed in the Department of Studio Arts’ appraisal committee where Milner said departments do a “very intensive self-reflective analysis of where we are and where we want to be.”

The topic of mental health was also discussed in a Fine Ar t s Facult y Council steering committee by the faculty’s dean, Rebecca Duclos. Milner said “she was very happy [...] it was raised as one of the issues we should focus on more.”

Duclos w a s a p a r tt ime f acult y member herself at Concordia and eventually became the dean of graduate studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago before returning to Concordia in August 2015.

Milner, who described Duclos as “sensitive to part-time [faculty],” said department chairs and deans have a big influence. “It’s possible that you have a chair who is not particularly sensitive or supportive of part-time faculty, and they set things up in ways that suddenly exclude you from courses that

you’ve been teaching for a very long time,” Milner explained.

According to Milner, the university has lost about 100 part-time faculty members in the last 10 years, partly because of the increase in limited-term appointments or LTAs. These positions are described by the Concordia University Faculty Association as appointments “limited to a stated term and which carries no implication that the appointee [will] be reappointed or considered for tenure.” Milner

told The Concordian that LTAs have a heavy workload which consists of six courses in their first year and seven in their second and third, which pales in comparison to the workload of part-time faculty members.

“If [part-time faculty] have been there awhile, they’re not only losing money—they’re losing the health insurance if they had it, they lose their access to the library to continue their research,” Milner said. “So the stakes are so high for people. ”

SEPTEMBER 12, 2017

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LIBRARY

Webster Library renovations enter their final phase University vice-provost of digital strategy and university librarian Guylaine Beaudry said plan is to open fourth floor on Sept. 12

MINA MAZUMDER STAFF WRITER Concordia’s Webster Library is entering its fourth phase of renovations with the final upgrades to be made in the coming weeks, according to the university’s vice-provost of digital strategy and university librarian, Guylaine Beaudry.

Beaudry, who has been a member of the team managing the renovations since the project began in January 2015, said the plan is to reopen the fourth floor and the other half of the third floor by Sept. 12.

Once the floors are open to the public, there will be only minor adjustments left to complete, Beaudry said. The only area left to be renovated is the visualization room, which is a new addition to the third floor, she said. This studio will have one wall covered with projection screens for student projects.

“That [final] piece will be delivered

by the end of December,” Beaudry said.

“It will put an end to our project.”

Students can also create simulations for class projects with the help of staff, Beaudry said. Construction workers are currently adding a window to the room so that passersby can see the studio in use, she said.

According to Beaudry, the university invested $36 million for the renovations. “So far, we are on-budget, even a bit below,” she said. “We are actually delivering before the date that was initially planned [which was December 2017]. Everything tells us that we will be able to deliver 98 per cent of it [on Sept. 12] if you put aside the visualization studio.”

The library’s new configuration has 3,300 seats, which is an addition of 1,800 seats. Among the new features on the fourth floor are four presentation practice rooms equipped with recording materials for presentation playbacks.

“It’s a one-button system,” Beaudry

explained. “You put in your USB key, press a button and you start recording.

Your recordings will be saved on your USB key, [and the room] includes video and sound recording.”

“We will also be improving our digital signage,” Beaudry said, referring to screens placed around the library displaying maps to guide students.

These maps will also be accessible through the new Concordia app, Beaudry explained.

With the construction coming to an end, Beaudry said the library’s team will now be working to push their spill-proof mug campaign and emphasize the use of designated food areas. More study hall monitors will be hired to enforce these regulations, and banners will be hung throughout the building to remind students. “We are also working to better understand the needs of our students to give them the services that they need,” Beaudry said.

BUSINESS

Faculty union denied business tax exemption

Protecting members from discrimination is a secondary mission for CUCEPTFU, judge rules

JOSH FISCHLIN CONTRIBUTOR The Concordia Unive r sit y Continuing Education Part-Time Faculty Union (CUCEPTFU) was rejected in June for a business tax exemption because protecting its members from discrimination and harassment was deemed to be the union’s secondary mission by Judge Léonard Serafini of the Quebec Municipal Commission.

In order to be deemed eligible for a business tax exemption, Perry Shearman, the vice-president of collective agreement for CUCEPTFU, had to prove the union’s space is used for non-profit activities and that the primary use of the space is to protect members from discrimination and harassment.

The Concordia University Faculty A ssociation (CUFA) applied for the same tax exemption. “CUFA’s argument was that they’re working

for the members of the organization who face discrimination because of their ethnicity or because they’re handicapped,” Shearman said. “And that’s kind of the argument I made.”

CUCEPTFU applied for the tax exemption at the recommendation of the university because of CUFA’s earlier success. Two other unions—the Concordia Professional Employees Union and Syndicat des chargées et chargés de cours de l’Université de Montréal (SCCCUM)—had also been rejected for the same exemption, according to Shearman.

“So far, there has been no serious consequence [of the rejection] and we don’t really anticipate any serious consequences,” said Shearman who represented the union at the hearing on May 24.

The business tax on the union’s office at 2130 Bishop St. is linked to the downtown Montreal commercial development association (SDC), which is an association meant to stimulate economic development in the region.

The SDC does not tax the university, but since the office is used by CUCEPTFU—even though it was given to them by the university—Serafini determined it should be taxed.

“As far as I know, we have never had any contact with this local business development corporation.

They’ve never approached us asking for participation or asking what they could do for us,” Shearman said. He said he believes there is a disconnect between the union and the entity they are expected to pay taxes to fund.

As for the argument CUCEPTFU made at the hearing, the union has had past success protecting its members against discrimination. The

union argued in favour of equalizing wages between male-dominated and female-dominated part-time faculties. “The university adjusted the rates so that they were being paid the same,” he said.

Despite the union's examples, Serafini concluded that protecting people from discrimination is just an accessor y to the union’s primary mission, which is to conduct negotiations and apply the collective agreements.

According to Shearman, the judge prodded about the union’s allocation of funds, possibly as a method to evaluate whether protection against discrimination is a primary function of CUCEPTFU.

“Of course, not all of the dues collected go to fighting discrimination,” he said. “You know, we have savings in case we ever had a labour dispute and needed to have a strike fund or something like that.”

Although the union has had some success defending its members from discrimination, the frequency at which it deals with such cases “might be a couple a year,” Shearman said.

While Serafini pointed out that members of the union are not socially or economically disadvantaged, Shearman said they represent a group that deals with precarious employment. “I mean, we’re working contract to contract,” he said.

According to Sheaman, CUCEPTFU still owes money for taxes it hasn’t paid in the last four years. Citing clause 7.06 of their collective agreement, however, he said the university must provide a furnished space to the union free of charge. “Our position is the university should pay this,” he said.

Archive graphic by Florence Y.

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life

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

FILM PRODUCTION

A glimpse into the world of visual effects at Effects MTL

Montreal hosted the east coast’s largest international VFX and animation conference SANDRA HERCEGOVÁ LIFE EDITOR The high-quality visual effects seen in newly released films such as Ghosts in the Shell and Deadpool are a testament to how the visual effects (VFX) and animation industries are thriving.

In both of these movies, the outstanding imagery was created by the Montrealbased VFX studio, Atomic Fiction.

“Every year the creative challenges are different,” said Kevin Baillie, the co-founder and VFX supervisor at Atomic Fiction.

“Nineteen of the 20 highest-grossing films of 2016 were VFX and animation driven.

This shows how people care about the work that we do—they love it.”

Baillie had high praise for the VFX industry as he addressed the crowd at this year’s Effects MTL, the largest international VFX and animation conference on the North American east coast. On Sept. 6 and 7, film producers, graphic designers, artists, students and fans of VFX films gathered at Palais des congrès for the conference.

During the opening keynote talk, Baillie discussed the challenges he has faced as an artist and a studio owner. “We put ourselves on the line everyday. We do so creatively, technically and financially,” he said. “When I put something on the line, I feel like the world is looking at me, waiting for me to screw up.”

In retrospect, Baillie said, he should not be so worried about making mistakes. “It’s important to embrace the fact that people aren’t watching you that closely and to take some risks, move forward and be open,” he said.

Being among leaders of the VFX film industry and hearing about their journeys as producers was a rich learning experience for attendees looking to make a career in VFX or film production. The event included a multitude of panel conferences featuring major producers from companies such as Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), one of the most well-known VFX companies in the

A representative from Atomic Fiction (right) speaks with an Effects MTL conference attendee. Photo by Sandra Hercegová.

world. The discussed topics ranged from the lack of women in the VFX field to the visual effects seen on Game of Thrones.

Effects MTL also offered master classes (similar to workshops), where artists and animators got one-on-one time with experts on specific topics such as animal and human anatomy in VFX. There was also a job fair, which was a great opportunity for networking. It was a hub for aspiring graphic designers and visual artists searching for a career with leading companies in the industry.

During his talk, Baillie suggested the best way to advance the VFX industry is to recognize the full potential and talent of the visual effects and animation industries.

He listed a few things he believes can help companies within the VFX industry in the future. Baillie said he has noticed

Moderator Benoît Touchette alongside VFX film producers during a panel discussion at Effects MTL. Photo by Sandra Hercegová.

that VFX companies often try to have too many specialities.

“There are lots of different categories, such as episodic, film, special venues—it’s important that we, as visual effects companies, recognize the limits of what each of these areas of focus demands and make sure not to be over-committed,” he said.

Baillie’s company, Atomic Fiction, is currently working on the Netflix-original drama TV series Stranger Things as well as some movies. “It’s really hard getting into the groove and context, switching from one work to another even if they are similar,” he said.

Baillie also mentioned how hiring the right people and having diversity and culture in the work environment are important tools for success.

“Nobody wants to work with a whole bunch of people who are exactly like themselves. I think that is the killer of creativity,” he said. “We want to make sure that we have an as diversified workforce as possible.”

Effects MTL had a total of 1,100 attendees this year, and welcomed 266 companies along with 60 exhibitors and sponsors.

T h e c o n f e r e n c e ’s main sponsors were Atomic Fiction and the Montreal-based video production company, MELS. Another Effects MTL panel, presented

by the Québec Film and Television Council, assembled VFX film producers to share their work experiences. Among them were Gretchen Libby from ILM; Nancy St. John, who is an independent VFX director; film producer William W. Wilson III; Randy Starr from Legendary Pictures and Eli Dolleman from Amazon Studios. The panel moderator was Benoît Touchette, the head of visuals at MELS Studios.

The audience was composed of people working for visual effect companies, graphic designers, visual artists and students. An important yet simple question was raised: how does one become a VFX film producer?

The panelists agreed that a strong work ethic and great communication skills are important qualities to have for this job.

According to Libby, it’s also important for aspiring film producers to understand the many roles and steps that go into producing a live-action shot.

“We really are the meeting place of the film world—everything that the film world does eventually comes to us,” she said. “If you can involve yourself in student projects that touch on various other elements of the filmmaking process, I think it’s really important to bring that knowledge to what we do in visual effects.”

Dolleman, who worked as a freelance producer, said producing for television or movies is a unique career. “As a person who could never figure out what to do, if you have a lot of different interests, producing is almost the perfect track to take—one day you are worried about the balance sheet, another day you are trying to solve a creative problem, another day you are dealing with political issues,” he said. “It truly gives an opportunity to deal with a lot of different things.”

AUGUST 29, 2017

theconcordian

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PROFILE

Concordia literature student to launch self-published book The French novel focuses on a quest for identity and contemplates existentialism

Concordia English literature student Léandre Larouche will be self-publishing his French Novel, Hétérochrome, in October. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

MINA MAZUMDER STAFF WRITER

Hétérochrome is the stor y of a CEGEP student who, in addition to being fascinated by literature, cinema and existentialism, is deeply curious about what comes after death.

“He decides to commit suicide to get that answer. But by doing so, he realizes it wasn’t the actual reason why he committed suicide,” explained author and Concordia student Léandre L arouche. “ There’s something not quite right in his life [...] something deeper, psychologically, that really troubled him.”

In his third year of English literature, Larouche will be self-publishing this French novel in October.

According to Larouche, Hétérochrome was a product of his boredom. “When I was in high school, I was really bored.

I didn’t know what to do with my time so I started writing.” He said he wrote the first draft as a short story in Grade 10 while he and his classmates were learning how to write short stories.

“I wrote it about four to five times, and at some point it really got where I wanted,” Larouche said.

The full-length version of the novel

was written mostly during his CEGEP years. When he began his degree at Concordia, Larouche said he continued to revisit the story until it felt perfect.

“The whole thing took over four years,” he said.

Larouche said he can relate to many writers who feel discouraged about their work and don’t believe they can complete it. “I told myself that if I didn’t finish one thing, I was never going to finish anything else. I just kicked my butt,” he said. “It was a feeling of necessity.”

After many attempts at contacting publishing companies, Larouche decided to self-publish his novel. “Over the last year, I’ve been knocking at every publisher’s house and nothing good came out of it,” he said. “I felt that it was necessary to make it available now.”

Yet Larouche urges aspiring writers not to use self-publishing as a way to skirt the hard work of producing a novel. “Don’t see [self-publishing] as the easy way. Ultimately, you want to publish [your work], but you also want to make sure it’s publishable. Make sure it’s high-quality. Be organized.”

Larouche said his goal is to sell about 50 copies of Hétérochrome. “You have to be wise and good at self-promoting,”

he added. “And learn to accept that it’s going to be small.”

Larouche also recommended that writers who choose to self-publish still ask someone to look over their work and give feedback. One thing he said he should have done was ask strangers (often referred to as ghost readers) to read his book so that they could offer comments without a bias.

“Make sure it’s read by many different people, and see where their feedback intersects,” he said.

Larouche also advises writers to read their own work out loud to make sure the ideas flow.

“You have to do it, otherwise you’ll never hear the rhythm,” he said. “You have these ideas, but it’s hard to put them into words. [...] Make sure that every sentence goes well with each other.”

According to Larouche, one of the biggest challenges he faced during the writing process was his own impatience.

You want to see the final result, he said, but it can’t get there without time and hard work.

Although writing a French book while studying English literature might sound challenging , L arouche said it didn’t affect his work. “If it did, it

would be in a positive way,” he said.

“I’ve been educated for more than 20 years in French. I can write more complex sentences [in French] and have it perfectly right.”

The novel draws on themes of identity, coming of age, self-exploration and existentialism, among others that many readers, particularly young adults, will find relatable. Larouche said he believes a major theme in Hétérochrome that his readers will connect with is the idea that “everybody feels different.”

“It’s a lot about who you want to be, who you think you want to be, [who] your parents would like you to be, [who] everybody else wants you to be,” he said. “It’s that struggle. It’s definitely something that everybody thinks about.”

Larouche said he hopes his book will encourage university students to reflect on their pasts and the events that made them who they are today.

“It’s written from a CEGEP student’s perspective, and in that sense, [university students] will think about themselves when they were in CEGEP,” he said.

For more information or to purchase the book, visit: www.leandrelarouche.com

arts

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

PROFILE

Capturing raw beauty in everyday people and places New to Concordia’s photography program, artist ASVJAD is inspired by a recent trip to Morocco CHLOË LALONDE ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR Working mainly off of his Instagram account, ASVJAD strives to capture raw beauty in everything and everyone around him.

Born in the Bay Area of California and, as he put it, “molded” in Montreal, the Concordia artist discovered his passion while conducting freelance shoots of his classmates and capturing candids for the Fine Arts Core Education High School yearbook in 2013.

ASVJAD explained that he started out using a small second-hand digital camera.

The more he photographed, the better he got, learning more about his own style along the way. The artist said he aspires to produce works as eye-catching and provocative as Terry Richardson’s and as timeless as Robert Mapplethorpe’s. These inspirations can be seen in his portraits, which have an incredible dramatic edge, both in black and white and in colour.

ASVJAD is also inspired by old blackand-white foreign films and the work of Sally Mann (particularly Candy Cigarette circa 1989). He prefers to use subtle props to pack a punch, a choice that is influenced by Ren Hang’s modern and eclectic photographs.

As a freelance artist, he enjoys collaborating with other freelancers because it enables him to work without the creative restraints that may come with working for an agency.

In his work, ASVJAD focuses on empowerment, sexuality and the body. He said he looks for a unique, structural appearance, a fresh face and a distinct energy. When organising a photoshoot, ASVJAD will often take the time to get to know his models and go over styling (clothing, hair and makeup) options long before the day of the shoot.

Utilizing his background as a fashion stylist, ASVJAD will even help former clients shop for upcoming events. “I always had a love for fashion—I think it comes from my mother. From a very young age, she and my aunt would make their own clothes,” he explained.

ASVJAD often asks his subjects to think back to a time when they were sad or angry, as he likes to play with emotions in his work, specifically surrounding the past. This creative process allows the artist to enhance aspects of his clients’ personality, mood and overall aesthetic.

During a recent trip to Morocco, the artist spent much of his time photographing everyday Moroccan lifestyle. His goal was to capture members of the LGBTQ+ community, an extremely oppressed group in Morocco because of the country’s strict laws against same-sex relationships. Since he was dealing with such taboo subject matter, he said reaching members of the community proved to be rather difficult.

This series of photographs remains incomplete, due to the fact that only two individuals were willing to have their pictures taken.

ASVJAD was able to get in touch with Paco (the model in figure. 2) only after contacting him through social media. ASVJAD said he is

Figure 3: Hassan II Mosque across the water from Paloma Beach in Mohammedia, Morocco.

planning on adding to the series throughout the upcoming year.

“Every single person has something to offer, no matter their skin colour, race or sexual orientation,” the artist added.

One of his photographs (figure. 3) was taken on 35mm film.

It outlines the Hassan II Mosque across the water from Paloma Beach in Mohammedia, Morocco. Having visited his home country a mere three times, ASVJAD grew up seeing the pristine landmarks, tourist attractions and stunning Moroccan imagery only through photographs. In order to record a raw, Moroccan reality, he attempted to understand the country with the same energy Figure 2: Paco photographed by ASVJAD for a new series on the and attention that he LGBTQ+ community in Morocco. gives to his models, the artist explained. ASVJAD photographed the his photographs and editing their overall flea markets and the outskirts of Casablanca, appearance when the subject requests it. as seen in one image (figure. 4), which shows ASVJAD is now enrolled in Concordia’s a man praying in the streets. undergraduate photography program. He said The artist said he has “always appre- he is looking forward to exploring technical ciated the fact that photography can lighting, working in studio spaces, developing freeze a moment in time that can never film in darkrooms and being surrounded by be completely recreated.” ASVJAD shows creative people of all disciplines. The artist his love for spontaneous moments and quick said he hopes his work will grow and evolve glimpses into the psyche when it comes to from the constructive criticism of his peers retouching his work. He only ever makes in a new, structured environment. changes to the colouring, sharpness of Photos by ASVJAD.

Figure 4: A man praying on the streets of Casablanca.

AUGUST 29, 2017

theconcordian

9

EXHIBITION

Student artists bring playful humour to life The VAV Gallery teams up with POP Montreal and the Art Matters Festival to showcase Concordia talent

Mel Arsenault contributed her series of papier-mâché sculptures which are made to resemble various types of rocks. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

MAGGIE HOPE ARTS EDITOR

“POP Montreal is a big organization that’s really made a name for itself and has a reputation in the city,” said Mattia Zylak, the exhibitions coordinator of the Art Matters Festival. “It’s What could be expected of an event that great to be able to get students and student is the result of a collaboration between work associated with that.” three well-established forces within At the beginning of the summer, the three Montreal’s art community? A visit to the organizations extended a call to artists who VAV Gallery between Sept. 11 and 15 will had previously shown their work in either provide the answer. last year’s Art Matters Festival or at the VAV POP Montreal, the Art Matters Festival Gallery during the 2016-17 school year. POP and the VAV Gallery have come together Montreal approached Art Matters and the to create POP Matters at the VAV, a playful VAV with the themes of DIY, neo-pop and exhibition showcasing the work of seven humour, which elicited varying responses Concordia artists. Pieces by Ben Compton, from the artists involved.

Mel Arsenault, Hea Kim, Ayse Gauthier, Paule Compton, one of Concordia’s intermedia Gilbert, Sabrina Maisonneuve and Lucas students, said he found that the exhibition’s LaRochelle will fill the gallery to collectively themes were ideas he “worked with a lot in create a fun and lively atmosphere. [his] own artistic practice.” By recontextualizing everyday objects and experiences through multimedia performances, Compton said he aims to give the audience a new perspective and bring forth new ideas. He identified the exhibition’s theme of humour as relating to his work quite specifically, because humour is often attached to experiences of everyday life. His live performance piece “explores the theme of waking up.” Compton explained that his piece includes him making live music and performing to t he music , while f i l m i n g h i s p e r fo rmance and projecting it onto a wall. He will be performing at the exhibition’s vernissage on Sept. 14.

Arsenault and her series of sculptural pieces were also selected by the small jury of the event. Cons t r uc te d Hea Kim’s work is influenced by the “colourful and saturated city” of out of papier-mâché, South Korea, where she spent her childhood and adolescence.

Arsenault’s pieces are Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Ben Compton, pictured below, will be performing his piece at made to resemble rocks the exhibition’s vernissage on Sept. 14. Photo by Alex Hutchins. of different shapes and sizes. The painting and drawing student explained she has always been interested in geology and wanted to create a series that would give life to rocks, which are usually seen as passive, dormant objects. Each papier-mâché piece has been paired with sections of written dialogue, which are placed on the wall behind the sculptures.

Arsenault explained that she wanted to convey the idea that the rocks are communicating with each other.

“With this project, I’m [tapping] into relationships, social differences,” Arsenault said. “The fact that the protagonists are rocks and not people, I guess it’s easier to get into the dialogue and the story behind it. They’re neutral protagonists, and they can talk about anything.”

Kim, a part-time fibres and material practices student, contributed her whimsical, intricately Gauthier’s piece is a series of printed images, constructed sculptures to the exhibition. which all together form one expansive grid.

Kim uses a variety of pastel-coloured craft The artist explained that she has conducted materials, such as plastic drinking straws, to extensive research on the topic of grids, and create intriguing and playful displays. The artist, chose to explore their versatility by constructing who grew up in South Korea, described her her own, using thread. She found that the pieces as “friendly and nostalgic.” finished piece fit quite well with the DIY theme She explained that she wanted to create POP Montreal proposed, because her piece is her own version of a shrine, much like the accessible to everyone. “In theory, it’s endless ones in Buddhist temples she visited as a child. and anyone could repeat it,” Gauthier said.

Kim borrows traditional Asian symbols like “The grid is a very rigid form, but it’s [also] the Buddha, and constructs them out of really flexible. You can be very playful in it.” unconventional media, thereby presenting POP Matters at the VAV will be on them in a new context. The result is a unique display at the VAV Gallery from Sept. juxtaposition that lends itself perfectly to the 11 to 15. The vernissage will take place exhibition’s themes of humour and DIY. on Sept. 14 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Entry Gauthier, a studio arts student and print is free. The gallery is located in the VA media major, interpreted the theme of playfulness and applied it to her work using grids. building, at 1395 Réné-Lévesque Blvd. W.

feature

A SUMMER IN UGANDA: PART TWO

Getting around on two wheels Bicycles Against Poverty simplifies transportation in Uganda at an affordable cost

The Avon Five Star bicycle manufactured in India, but assembled in Gulu. Photo by Travis Sanderson.

TRAVIS SANDERSON CONTRIBUTOR Bicycles Against Poverty is only about a 10-minute walk down Eden Road, but as I arrived, I wondered why I did not take a bicycle.

The small handmade sign at the entrance was just a bit off the road—enough that, if you were not looking for it, you might miss it. A yellow dog was lying lazily in the sun next to a sun-faded green gate.

Peering through the slats, I could see a modest house and a yard full of tall trees.

It reminded me of a farmstead from back home, only filled with mango and palm trees.

Men wearing coveralls were working on a few bicycles at the far end of the yard. Next to me, the dog yawned, and I assumed he was not their guard dog. Or at least not a very good one.

I let myself in through the gate. In front of the house, I was greeted by a young man standing in the shade. He introduced himself as Nicholas Ogaba, the credit officer for Bicycles Against Poverty, or BAP. He told me he had been working there for almost five years. The first few were spent as a community-based trainer, acting as a liaison with the community, then as an intern. He came aboard full-time three years ago.

Based in northern Uganda, BAP is a microfinance organization that helps people with modest incomes in need of credit loans.

BAP was created in 2009 to assist with the rebuilding of northern Uganda after a brutal, 20-year civil war between Joseph Kony’s militia and government troops. With a significant number of people displaced and many livelihoods drastically altered, the conflict had subsequently left the region struggling to adapt to a whole new way of life.

In the wake of this social disruption, a man named Muyambi Muyambi ventured up to Gulu from the south of the country so that he could better understand what had happened and assess the situation in-person to see what he could do to help.

Since access to reliable and affordable transportation was one of the main concerns in Uganda, both before and after t he w ar, Mu y ambi explored various ideas that might offer transportation solutions to those who needed it most. Eventually, he thought of the idea that eventually became BAP. It was simple: provide transportation to everyone who needed it by combining modest and reasonable loans with a mode of transportation that would be easy to use and easy to maintain. And so Bicycles Against Poverty (BAP) was born.

According to the numerous people I had spoken with in Uganda, wheeled transportation is not only more convenient than walking, it can also mean access to cleaner water, to improved healthcare and to better education.

More importantly, for agriculturally-based communities, it also provides access to better profit margins for produce by allowing small-holdings farmers to access more markets and buyers.

When a simple bicycle is fitted with a sturdy rear rack, it becomes more than just a bicycle. It becomes a sort of truck capable of carrying sacks of grain, bunches of bananas or, in many cases, live chickens. (I even had the opportunity to witness bicycles transporting live pigs and goats.) During my initial meeting at BAP in late June, Ogaba even told me a farmer living outside Gulu had found his wife collapsed and unconscious on the floor of their home, but was able to ferry her to the local healthcare facility on his bicycle.

Think about that—a bicycle ambulance.

But why the bicycle? Based on my three months in Uganda, motorcycles, which Ugandans referred to as “bodas,” appeared to be fairly ubiquitous across the country.

They filled the streets everywhere I went.

However, as many of the boda men told me, these vehicles, which cost more than four million shillings (about $1,400 CAD), are often out of reach for many Ugandans. Not to mention they are expensive to maintain and, of course, the cost of fuel is another expense to factor in. In comparison, a bicycle is affordable, relatively easy to maintain and doesn’t require any fuel.

The total cost of one of these bicycles is 270,000 Ugandan shillings (about $90 CAD). When purchased through BAP, there is no interest charged and, to keep the logistics and associated costs simplified and efficient, groups of 15 people or more are encouraged to apply under a united “village savings and loan association.”

SEPTEMBER 12, 2017

theconcordian

11

Uncovering privilege in everyday tasks

Why Canadians should be grateful they don’t have to wash their bed sheets every week JULIE HOANG CONTRIBUTOR

Photo by Travis Sanderson.

Through these associations, individuals agree to a minimum and maximum weekly savings commitment, say between 1,000 and 5,000 shillings. As a group, this fosters a savings pool which can further increase the performance of those savings as well as their purchasing power. Once approved for participation in the program, an initial payment of 40,000 shillings is required to guarantee delivery of a bicycle while the remaining balance is then paid off by the participants at a rate of 24,000 shillings per month for 10 months.

As Ogaba explained to me, the bicycles BAP uses, which are manufactured by an Indian company called Avon, are not only affordable but also noted for their robust construction. This makes them more suited for the rough roads of the Ugandan countryside. The bicycles arrive in Gulu disassembled and in cardboard boxes, but a team of four workmen from BAP can assemble the bikes at a rate of one every two hours per worker, or a total of 12 per day collectively. The bicycles are then distributed on predetermined days to rural communities by loading all the bikes on a transport truck. Ogaba estimated that more than 1,000 bicycles have been distributed since he’s begun working with the company, and BAP’s bicycles are now distributed anywhere within about 100 kilometres of Gulu to communities such as Amoro and Anaka.

Although Muyambi is no longer involved with BAP at the ground level—he’s pursuing his MBA at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business in New Hampshire—he is still an active board member based in the United States.

The organization is now also working to address the transportation needs of participating groups, especially small-holdings farmers who may be more vulnerable with respect to access to markets, water points, healthcare and schooling because of their increased isolation from these resources.

Ogaba said he is confident in his team’s ability to achieve their new goals, and I had no reason to argue. What BAP is doing appearred to me to be a well-run and wellthought-out approach to empowerment.

I noticed Ogaba check his watch, and I realised I had taken enough of his time. After all, there were still many bikes to assemble, and delivery day fast approaching. So, with the local customary handshake—a traditional clasp of hands with an added grasp of each other’s thumbs, then back to the clasp—I bade my new friends farewell and made my way back to the sun-faded green gate. As I closed it behind me, my wave goodbye was reciprocated by all inside but went completely unnoticed by the lazy dog, still basking in the sun.

“How often would you say you wash your bed sheets?”

The Canadian interns’ answers: once a week, every two weeks, every month.

Ugandans? Every week.

The distinction was brought up during one of the bi-weekly check-ins for interns living on the compound in Gulu, Uganda, where any frustrations with communal living were aired out and discussed.

There were 11 Canadian and four Ugandan interns living on the compound, which also happened to be our workplace. We slept in huts—six women in one, five in another and the four men in a third.

With two beds per bunk, we lived in pretty close quarters. Cleanliness and consideration for others’ space was definitely a recurring issue, especially in the shared common room.

Yet, it came as a surprise for many of us Canadian interns that our Ugandan co-workers were concerned about how often—or rather not often—we washed our bed sheets. Some of us Another privilege was pointed out during the interns’ argued that washing sheets was time-consuming, considering discussion: privacy. Canadians often have the privilege of everything is washed by hand in Uganda. Others argued that sleeping in their own room. Even in situations of communal their bed was their own personal space and, therefore, when living, such as having roommates or living with family, we and how often they washed their bed sheets was of no one often have our own space with our own walls, bed and privacy. else’s concern.

Having a private space gives us the flexibility to wash Another argument was Uganda’s frequent and sporadic our sheets at our own discretion. In contrast, Ugandans weather changes. It wasn’t uncommon for it to suddenly live not just with their immediate families but their extended rain—sometimes for a few minutes, sometimes all night—in families as well. They also have more children on average, which case our bed sheets would take more than a couple meaning more people per household. In these cases, indiof hours to dry outside. viduals live in closer proximity to one another. This means During a subsequent discussion with just the Canadian less privacy, not to mention a greater likelihood of smelling interns, however, a different perspective occurred to us. Back each other's dirty bed sheets. home, we have washing machines and dryers for laundry. That In Montreal, bed sheets are simply bed sheets. In Uganda, alone is a privilege, even in Canada. Laundry becomes less they were an eye-opening indicator of our privilege back home. time-consuming. These machines allow us to do our washing Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth without having to worry about weather changes. We get to decide when it’s convenient for us to do laundry.

Back home, we have the technology The Centre for Entrepreneurship, Education and Development, or CEED, and the financial resources that not only is a non-profit organization based in both Montreal and Gulu, Uganda. make doing laundry convenient, but that It works to empower youth to be agents of change in their communities add a level of comfort and ease to our through cross-cultural skills development and information sharing. lives many take for granted. We have a consistent supply of electricity. We Each year, students from Concordia University travel to Uganda and have data plans when our Wi-Fi goes work alongside Ugandan interns on various community projects that out. We have cars to shield us from aim to benefit the youth of Gulu. precipitation when we travel.

This is not to say Ugandans don’t Travis Sanderson spent three months working as a communications have electricity, Wi-Fi, data plans or intern in Uganda this summer. He has produced both written material cars—but what Canadians call everyday and radio documentaries that reflect his experiences with the people goods are luxury items in Uganda. I of Uganda. should add, though, that Ugandans are doing pretty well, even without Julie Hoang spent the summer working as the head of social media for our “everyday” goods. Solar panels the Youth Advocacy and Communications project, which aimed to are used to harness energy, bodas provide youth in Gulu a platform where they could share their stories (similar to motorcycles) and bicycles of struggle and success. allow people to get around and many Ugandans make do at home without Wi-Fi or data.

music

Quickspins

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

1 BRAND NEW

THINKPIECE

The visual sounds of Radiohead

Science Fiction

HUSSAIN ALMAHR ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR

After eight years, pop-punk band Brand New released a great album, Science Fiction. This albumisbeautiful,darkandexploresthetollsof mental health issues in exhaustive detail. Every song onthe album hasadifferentsound—some haveguitarsoundsinfluencedbysouthernrock, as well as the band’s classic emo stylings. Jesse Lacey’sdeepvocalssound fraughtwithintense emotion, especially on the songs “Waste” and “Desert.” The lyrics paint a powerful and descriptive picture of personal mental health issues.Thislinefrom“SameLogic/Teeth”stuck with me: “Every new layer you uncover reveals somethingelseyouhate/And then you cracked your head, and broke some bones / And when you glued them back together you found out youdiditwrong.”Although,somesongssounded dull,like“CouldNeverBeHeaven,”BrandNew nonetheless came out with an emotionally potentalbumthathasthepotentialtoresonate with anyone.

A retrospective on the band’s album artwork and music videos

Despite the fact that music is primarily an audio-based platform, visuals have always played an integral role in how the medium is consumed.

Album artwork, costumes, logos and music videos are important, even necessary. For an artist to cultivate a public image that defines their style of music, they need to display a particular interest in visual media.

Radiohead, for instance, has placed an emphasis on visual aspects. Always working in tandem with artist Stanley Donwood during the recording process to create striking album artwork, Radiohead backs up its music with similarly strong visual elements.

From the 1995 release of The Bends, lead singer Thom Yorke, under the pseudonym Dr. Tchock, has collaborated with longtime friend Donwood on every aspect of the band’s visuals. According to a 2006 The Guardian interview with Yorke, the friends met while attending the University of Exeter in England. They shared a mutual reverence for experimental art and music. Since then, the pair have collaborated on Radiohead’s iconic album artwork and packaging: from the cold, desolate highways of OK Computer (1997) to the colourful and glitchy energy of In Rainbows (2007) and the aged sliver of the recent A Moon Shaped Pool (2016).

Radiohead’s album art manages to capture the mood and atmosphere set out by the ambitious sounds of their albums, creating visuals that enrich the music.

Through their artmaking process, Yorke and Donwood capture the full spirit of the music. According to NME, Donwood even painted album art for A Moon Shaped Pool while the band recorded it in an adjacent room. While listening to the band record, Donwood translated the soundscapes emitting from the recording room into visuals—encapsulating the energy of the music through unique and often strange imagery.

For the cover of A Moon Shaped Pool, Donwood and Yorke utilized weather conditions to create living artwork. Earlier this year, in an interview with Creative Review, Donwood said: “I did some experiments with pools of water and paint and wind on quite a small scale, and it seemed to work in quite an interesting way. So I thought, ‘Well this will be great, I’ll just scale up.’

So I bought a ridiculous number of large canvases and paint, and we all went down to Provence, just south of Avignon, to where

(Procrastinate!

Music Traitors, 2017)

11 Trial Track: “Waste”

8.5/10 — HUSSAIN ALMAHR, ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR

2 [Radiohead] recorded—a place called La Fabrique, which is a really lovely place, an old mill where they used to make the red dye for Napoleon’s uniforms.”

This process created truly bold artwork, reflecting the maturity of the band and the vibrant, organic sound of their album. The pair are never complacent in the way they make art, always challenging themselves with new ideas and styles.

Music videos also have the ability to complement the accompanied music as they pair the songs with a matching aesthetic.

Radiohead’s music videos are sometimes dark and twisted, strange and cryptic, emotional and even funny.

The video for “Just” (1995) revolves around a grieving man, laying on the sidewalk. A passersby asks him, “What’s wrong?” with subtitles denoting their conversations.

The video and lyrics combine to make an extended metaphor about the systemic disadvantages often faced by minority communities. The video ends with the man telling the large crowd of people what’s wrong, except that part isn’t subtitled. The band, to this day, has never revealed what the man said.

“Paranoid Android” (1997) is a strange animated video, matching the song’s eerily raucous sound. The video follows a boy’s strange day, which includes naked mermaids, a drunk politician who decapitates himself, a man with a head growing out of his stomach and an angel flying a helicopter. It’s a frantic and chaotic video that perfectly captures the essence of the song—encapsulating the disconcerting feeling of being disoriented.

Recently, Radiohead has released relatively subdued videos. As the band has matured, their creative approach toward music videos has matured as well. The video for “Lotus Flower” (2011) features the wild dance moves of Yorke, shot using a simple black-and-white camera filter. For the “Daydreaming” (2016) video, the band enlisted the help of prolific movie director, Paul Thomas Anderson. The video has Yorke walking through different vignettes of people’s lives, eventually receding into a cave, atop a mountain covered in snow.

The video for “Burn the Witch” (2016) is a stop-motion film which retells the story of the 1973 cult-classic film, The Wicker Man—about a policeman who is entrapped into participating in a sacrificial ceremony.

The videos are not simple or lacking complexity. For example, stop-motion animation is very intensive work, which requires each shot to be fully realized on paper before shooting in a proper studio.

And while the video for “Daydreaming” may look simple, the variety of locations and the ability to light them correctly for a 35mm camera takes a lot of preparation.

Nothing a savvy director like Thomas Anderson can’t handle.

Visuals are never an afterthought for Radiohead; the band works tirelessly to produce art that enriches its music. Video and artwork give fans a shared experience, with fans working together to uncover the hidden meaning behind each minute detail.

Music goes beyond just sound—when love and care are put into the visuals, something truly special is created.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

WIKI No Mountains in Manhattan (XL Recordings) After first breaking onto the scene as onethird of the New York-based alternative hip-hop group Ratking, Wiki finally released his debut solo album, No Mountains in Manhattan. The album is, in a few words, a love letter to Wiki’s hometown, New York City. This is captured in a sound that is both completely unique to Wiki and in line with NewYorkhip-hopconventions.NoMountains in Manhattan is full of highlights, starting with the tone-setting opener “Islander.” The song sees Wiki displaying his skills over two fantastic instrumentals in under two minutes.

“Mayor” finds Wiki boasting about his music being for his hometown, not for the commercialism of radio or the pop charts. “Baby Girl” is an ode to the woman in Wiki’s life and the love they share, placed over some beautiful production work from Montreal’s own Kaytranada. The album is among the year’s best hip-hop releases, with Wiki continuing to show growth while remaining one of the genre’s most unique voices.

11

Trial Track: “Mayor”

6.5/10 —WESLEY MCLEAN, STAFF WRITER

SEPTEMBER 12, 2017

theconcordian

13

INSIGHT 3 XXXTENTACION 17 (EMPIRE Distribution) You know that edgy kid in high school who wears all black clothing, eyeliner, spiked bracelets and speaks in tongues at the back of the classroom? Well they probably love this XXXTentacion album. Ever since the Florida rapper came onto the scene with his breakthrough hit “Look at Me,” XXXTentacion has become a parody of himself, trading in his hard-hitting rap style for a “too edgy for you” grunge style that no one wanted. Each song features DIY guitar and drum instrumentals that sound like they were mixed inside of a can of SpaghettiOs, while XXXTentacion croons his way through the tracks. What’s unfortunate about 17 is that the songs themselves have potential. The album addresses themes of suicide and depression—topics that need to be talked about. However, the surface level lyrics and disrespectfully bad performances make this one of the worst albums of 2017.

11 Trial Track: “Revenge”

1.5/10 — ALEXANDER COLE, MANAGING EDITOR

How Mount Eerie copes with grief Phil Elverum talks latest album and the pitfalls of navigating death

FOR EDITOR’S PICKS S THE BEST SONG W E E K. RELEASED THIS

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11 HOW DO YOU SLEEP?

LCD Soundsystem (Columbia)

ERIN WALKER CONTRIBUTOR “Death is real” is the first phrase that introduces Phil Elverum’s A Crow Looked at Me. What makes this album different from the rest of his work is the realness and pragmatic honesty in the face of death after having experienced it first-hand.

Elverum is a renowned musician from Anacortes, Wash., who performs under the moniker Mount Eerie. He was previously the frontman and producer for the coveted lo-fi band, The Microphones. The band reached mass acclaim with dreary and introspective music that explores themes of nature and solitude with fuzz-laden guitars and echoey reverb.

Mount Eerie’s most recent album, A Crow Looked At Me, is Elverum’s most raw and personal work yet—and rightfully so. It was released this past March, and recounts memories and feelings of grief after the passing of his wife, Geneviève Castrée, a native of Loretteville, Que. Castrée died of pancreatic cancer last July.

What Elverum is best at describing is his literal and emotional environment.

This is prominent in previous Mount Eerie and The Microphones work, where he contemplates his place in nature, the world and the universe. But in his new project, Elverum attempted to eliminate artistic symbolism and metaphors to construct an album that is undoubtedly the raw and honest chronicle of the aftermath of his wife’s passing. In it, he explores the grieving process that follows death and the experience of raising a daughter without her mother.

References to space, time and nature are all still prominent throughout the album—noting the passage of time since Castrée’s passing, recounting significant spaces in Elverum’s town and house that stir memories. The most significant is the event that inspired the album’s name: a crow following him and his daughter on a hike.

Elements of symbolism were not intentional. Still, the album contains poetic allusions to crows, and Elverum is aware of this. “I tried hard to eliminate symbolism, but I didn’t succeed 100 per cent,” Elverum said. He said he feels there is a mysterious, poetic beaut y to being followed around the forest by a crow, indulging in the romantic and melancholic idea that it could be an embodiment of his dead wife. He wasn’t tr ying to make a statement—his goal was to present himself accurately as an artist and let people glimpse what death actually looks like. “Poetry, art, metaphor; these things felt stupid and self-indulgent in the context of Geneviève dying,” he said. “They seemed like small potatoes.”

However, Elverum is aware that his older work contemplated existential questions about death and one’s place in the universe. “I maybe was mostly trying to say, ‘Death is real’ to myself,” Elverum said. “[I wanted] to correct all my past years of songs where I am exploring the idea of death without really having a sense of the human experience of it.”

When writing the songs for his latest project, Elverum intended the album to be a personal documentation of experiencing death first-hand rather than art itself.

“When these songs started taking form, I had no intention of releasing them,” Elverum said. “I was just expressing myself in the way I had done for 20 years previously, refining feelings and ideas into song shapes. I was doing it only for me.”

It’s this personal stream-of-consciousness brand of lyricism that has defined Elverum’s new album, with subtler and softer guitar work instead of the fuzz and reverb-heavy noise elements in his previous work with The Microphones. “[A] limited palette of instruments is consistent for the whole album,” Elverum said about the album’s production. “Janky electric guitar, complicated piano chords, weird slow drum machine, loud sparse bass, unobtrusive music that lets the singing communicate.”

Elverum said it felt good to have an outlet to examine this experience of loss.

“I was just burrowing into the experience and trying to document it,” he said. “The experience itself was, of course, extremely difficult, like the worst thing ever, but the documentation of it and the songs were not. They were joy.”

Though A Crow Looked At Me is a deeply personal work, it opens up the topic of death in a forthright way, emphasizing the importance of being true to oneself and living life to the fullest. “We’re all going to die and nobody knows when,” he said. “So fear, hesitation and restraint seem like big wastes to me now.”

Mount Eerie is currently touring the United States and Canada. He will be performing during the POP Montreal festival at the Ukrainian Federation Hall on Sept. 17.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

sports

SPORTS EDITOR /// sports@theconcordian.com NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI ( @nickdg11)

RUGBY

Men’s team heads into season full of hope Returning head coach Craig Beemer says his group is developing good chemistry NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI SPORTS EDITOR The 2016 season was a difficult one for the Concordia Stingers men’s rugby team.

They finished the season with just one win and seven losses. Craig Beemer had been hired as the head coach just weeks before the start of last season and faced a lot of challenges in his first year.

“We had a lot of injuries, a few guys tore their knees,” Beemer said. “I think in the first game of the season, we had 12 guys starting.”

Heading into the 2017 season, which started with a 34-10 away win against the McGill Redmen on Sept. 10, the head coach said his team has learned from their previous season.

“When you have a tough year recordwise, it shows your character and really makes you reflect,” he said.

Last year, Beemer had no time to recruit or prepare for the season. Although he was a head coach at McGill for eight seasons and an assistant coach with the Stingers for two seasons, he had never been thrown into the fire so fast.

“I was here as an assistant coach, but it’s a totally different atmosphere,” he said. “I wasn’t charged with handling day-to-day activities. Then having that on my plate, dealing with injuries and trying to challenge guys who probably weren’t ready to do a task, it definitely took its toll and allowed me to reflect at the end of the season.”

Head coach Craig Beemer had a full off-season to recruit and prepare for the 2017 season.

Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

In the off-season, Beemer had a lot of time to reflect on the 2016 season and prepare for the upcoming season.

He also added three new recruits to his roster: fly-halfs Sam Montminy and JeanChristophe Vinette and second row player Adreano Alacchi.

Montminy is the highlight of the trio.

Beemer said he was a starter for St-Anne’s Rugby Football Club when they won the Quebec Rugby championship—the highest-ranking rugby competition in the province—in 2016.

Vinette has only been playing rugby for two years and made the team during tryouts.

Alacchi, who started playing rugby at Loyola High School, played with the Quebec U18 team in 2015 and 2016. Beemer had high praise for Alacchi, who measures in at six-foot-five.

“He may not be a superstar now, but he will be in the future,” Beemer said.

The rookies will complement a team with many players who were in their shoes a year ago. The Stingers had 13 rookies on

the 30-man roster last season, but the head coach said having his group grow together will only make the team stronger.

“People came back relaxed, comfortable and knew what they were getting themselves into,” Beemer said. “As opposed to last year, when some wide-eyed rookies didn’t know what was about to occur.”

“A lot of the rookies from last year played rugby this summer, got into the gym, and they look like completely different players, in a good way,” Beemer added.

Another crucial aspect of the Stingers development is the return of four key players. Fourth-year fly-half Moritz Wittmann and second-year winger Daniel PelletierRagguette are returning from knee injuries, while third-year centre Charles Debove also returns from an injury. Flanker Lucas Hotton, who was a rookie on the team during the 2014 season but didn’t play in 2015 and 2016, is rejoining the Stingers this season.

Beemer expects the returning veterans to add to his team’s strength, which is what he calls “rugby experience.”

“We have some really high-level rugby players who played at the Canadian Rugby Championship,” he said. “From a rugby experience level, with those four guys coming back and the new recruits coming in, we’re a much more seasoned team.”

After a long off-season of recruiting and training, Beemer said he sees a bright future ahead of his team.

“We’re going to be a lot more competitive this year,” he said. “The guys are excited to get back onto the pitch.”

FITNESS

The ultimate hockey workout to improve lower-body strength Here are some exercises to increase your speed on the ice this hockey season MATTHEW COYTE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR In hockey, speed kills . The spor t is punishing to s ay the least , so being able to keep your legs moving at high speeds is an important skill.

I n 2 0 0 5 , t h e N a t i o n a l H o c ke y League (NHL) implemented a new set of rules to speed up the game, such as eliminating the two-line pass rule and penalizing holding and hooking infractions. Since then, the grinding style of play, which rewarded slower but stronger players, has begun to go out of style.

In professional hockey today, every team is looking for players who have the speed necessary to accelerate p a s t d e fe n d e r s . C o n n o r M c D a v i d , one of the fastest and most skilled players in the NHL, is proof of that.

To get that fast, he has been training every summer since high school with former player and renowned fitness

guru, Gary Roberts, according to the Globe and Mail. Roberts has trained e l i te p l aye rs l i ke Steve n St a m ko s and Phil Kessel, whose games are focused on speed.

Here is a list of some of the best exercises you can do to increase yo u r l e g s t re n g t h , b a l a n c e a n d speed to be just like the pros .

HILL SPRINTS This exercise is the perfect way to build up explosiveness in your legs. Being able to draw power from your quads, even while exhausted, is a way to gain an advantage over opponents in the final minutes of a game. Former Edmonton Oilers captain Andrew Ference told the Globe and Mail this exercise helped him improve his athleticism. “I pick the steepest hill I can find,” he said. “It teaches me to deal with tired legs.

I will never feel that exhausted in a hockey game.”

S Q UAT S T h i s re l a t i ve l y s i m p l e e xe rc i s e is integral for building lower-body strength. Its many variations can isolate specific muscle groups or simply add another layer of difficulty to a workout. For example, the one-legged s q u at n ot o n l y wo r k s o n b u i l d i n g t h e q u a d r i ce p s but also devlops balance.

J a ro m i r J a g r, t h e o l d e s t active player in the NHL at 45 years old, has been doing 1,000 squats everyday since he was seven, according to the New York Times .

B OX J UM P S This is another exercise designed to help build powerful leg muscles. New York Rangers forward Chris K re i d e r, k n o w n fo r h i s ability to beat opponents in open ice, uses this in his

workouts. His trainer, Ben Bruno, told Men’s Journal that this helps make Kreider’s legs “as strong and powerful as possible.” Bruno added that the box jump exercise “improves his conditioning so that h e c a n e x p re s s that strength and power over the duration of a long game and a long season.”

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

SEPTEMBER 12, 2017

COVER STORY

Grandpierre takes pride in her size At 5-4, the midfielder from France plays an aggressive style that surprises opponents NICK LARIVIERE CONTRIBUTOR Alice Grandpierre may be an aggressive Concordia Stingers midfielder today, but she didn’t always like soccer.

Grandpierre's story starts in ChateauThierry, France, where she was born.

Growing up in France, she was actually a gymnast and never played soccer. In fact, she said she disliked the sport and thought it was a waste of time.

However, w hen her f at her ’s job forced her family to move to China when she was 14, Grandpierre had to give up gymnastics, as there was no team at her new school. In search of a new athletic activity, Grandpierre decided to give soccer a chance. This is when she fell in love with the game.

“I love the sport. It's part of my life now,” she said. When it comes to watching soccer, though, she has a particular preference.

“I am more interested in watching women play soccer than men,” Grandpierre said. “For me, as a woman, it is more interesting to see them play.”

When Grandpierre started playing in China, her first coach saw her athleticism and put her in the midfield—an athletically demanding position. She played all four years of high school, excelling at midfield where she continues to play today. When she got to Concordia, head coach Jorge Sanchez recognized that she belonged there. However, it took some time to get used to playing 11-a-side soccer with the Stingers, as she had only played sevena-side in China.

“It was hard, but I eventually got the hang of it because I worked for it,” Grandpierre said.

Her favourite thing about playing soccer is that it allows her to be aggressive towards her opponents.

“I love coming in hard for the tackles, and the others don't expect it,” she said. “I just love playing hard on the other team. Midfield is where all the action is, so I enjoy playing it and being in the middle of the action.”

M e a s u r i n g i n at f i ve -fo ot-fo u r, Grandpierre is one of the shortest players on the team—but that doesn't stop her from playing aggressively. She takes pride in the fact that she's undersized on the field. Even her favourite player is small.

“My favourite player is Eugénie Le Sommer, mainly because she kind of has the same physique as me,” Grandpierre said. Le Sommer is a striker who also stands at five-foot-four. She plays for Olympique Lyon in France, as well as for France’s national team.

Playing in her fourth year with the Stingers, Grandpierre is currently the longest-serving player on the women's team. She also occasionally wears the captain’s armband during games. She said she is excited to have a leadership role again this season and to help mentor the younger players.

“I'm part of this leadership group. I find I lead mainly on my play,” Grandpierre said.

The French midfielder moved to Montreal to study exercise science and play soccer, but has since fallen in love with the city. She said she enjoys the

theconcordian

15

COLOUR COMMENTARY

BY NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, the kids aren’t jingling bells and no one is telling you to be of good cheer. Yet it’s still the hap-happiest season of all. And that’s because it’s the busiest and most exciting time of the year for sports fans.

Starting in September, right through to mid-December, this is the only time of year when almost all major sports leagues across the world are playing.

The National Football League (NFL) started on Sept. 7. The C ana dian Football L ea gue (CFL), Major League Soccer (MLS) and Major League Baseball (MLB) are all in the t w i l i g h t s o f t h e i r re g u l a r seasons and will all be in their postseasons by late-October or early-November.

In October, the National Hockey League (NHL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) will both kick off their seasons.

Alice Grandpierre’s soccer journey didn’t start until she was 14 and living in China.

Photo by Alex Hutchins.

For European soccer fans, all the major leagues started in August, and the Champions League and Europa League both start this week.

For racing fans, NASCAR and Formula One are at the tail ends of their regular-season schedules.

When the leaves start falling and it gets colder outside, that’s when I know it’s the best time of the sports year. Who doesn’t love spending Saturday watching some CFL action, European soccer or the NHL, followed by an entire Sunday watching the NFL or the MLB postseason? It really brightens up the mood, as the sun sets earlier each night and the weather gets dark and gloomy.

Alice Grandpierre plays with the ball during a practice with the Concordia Stingers women’s soccer team. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

fact that she can speak both French and English in Montreal and be understood in both languages. She also speaks a little bit of Spanish and picked up some Mandarin during her time in China.

Her k n ow le dge of Mont real ha s allowed her to be a residence assistant at Concordia and guide new university students through the ins and outs of the city. Last season, as a seasoned veteran on the soccer team, Grandpierre was assigned to live with two rookies and to mentor them on life in Montreal. As she has gone through the pressures of being on a new team and adjusting to life in a new city, she said she helped the two players cope with the challenges of both soccer and school.

Grandpierre’s time at Concordia was spent studying with the hope of becoming a physiotherapist. Now, in her final year at Concordia, Grandpierre said she isn't entirely sure what the next step in her journey will be. She is hoping to go to osteopathy school in order to become a physiotherapist.

“I want to be able to help athletes rehab from their injuries,” Grandpierre said. However, she knows that soccer will remain part of her life even after school.

“I'm not really sure where I'll be playing soccer after this year, but I know I want to continue afterwards,” she said.

“Soccer has become an everyday part of my life, and I don’t want it to change.”

However, for university students like myself, this creates a major problem. To study or to watch sports? Usually, I make time for both. After high school, when watching sports became a problem, I learned to manage my time so that I completed my school work in time to watch the hockey, football or soccer game I really wanted to see. It’s relaxing, and it gives me a chance to forget about school.

I think every university student needs that escape—and for sports fans, now is the perfect time to do so. Just don’t get too stressed if your favourite team starts losing.

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

EDITORIAL

Scientific advancement is worth a bit of grass As many people know, Concordia means “harmony” in Latin—but this sense of harmony was recently threatened as the university, its students and NotreDame-de-Grâce residents clashed over the construction of a new building on Loyola campus green space.

Concordia plans to begin constructing a $52-million science research centre on its Loyola campus this spring.

The centre will take up 15 per cent of the nearly 8,800 square metre field. Some N.D.G. residents are unhappy about the green space being taken over by a building and urged the university build the centre on one of the nearby parking lots instead.

N.D.G. resident Irwin Rapoport had even garnered 95 signatures for a petition against the project. It was previously believed he only needed 12 signatures to require the city to open up a registry. This registry would have given the borough’s residents the power to call a referendum on the issue, presumably derailing the project. Just like that, the future of Concordia’s science student body would have been taken out of their hands.

Yet a discovery on Monday swept any chance of a referendum off the table. Côte-des-Neiges— Notre-Dame-de-Grâce borough officials discovered a clause in Bill 122, a new provincial law adopted in June, which states “public property intended for collective use in the education sector is no longer subject to approval by a referendum.”

It was a development in this confrontation that shocked many of those on both sides of the argument, not to mention borough officials themselves. It is a development we at The Concordian were very pleased to hear.

While the green space in question is used by students for soccer games and locals enjoy walking in the grass, it is essentially useless. While we do not wish to undermine

the importance of preserving green spaces, we at The Concordian believe a small section of grass is worth sacrificing for the sake of future scientific discoveries and the education of Concordia students. In fact, the two go hand in hand.

As a series of devastating hurricanes continue to ravage islands in the Caribbean and inundate the United States’ southern coastal states, it becomes harder and harder for even the stubbornest of climate change deniers to turn a blind eye to the evidence. As Montreal Gazette columnist Allison Hanes recently wrote, these meteorological disasters “should be a wake-up call that the long-predicted hazards of climate change are now on our doorstep.”

Now more than ever, the global community needs to be taking steps to limit the effects of climate change. Our way of life needs to adapt, and we need science to do this.

This is why the construction of the university’s new science centre is, in the words of Concordia chemistry graduate student Gabi Mandl, “kind of a major deal.”

While the centre won’t deal specifically with solving climate change, its purpose is to foster collaboration among researchers studying everything from biology and chemistry to engineering, health and sustainability.

This is the kind of scientific collaboration our university, our community and the world needs. It is how we will move forward as a species and preserve the planet we call home. It is why we at The Concordian fully support the construction of the science centre, even if it means sacrificing a portion of our green space.

Sometimes you have to pick your battles. We at The Concordian are out to save more than just a patch of grass. There is so much more at stake.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

CULTURE

Why glorifying drinking isn’t fair to either sex York University’s campaign paints an overly simplistic picture of alcohol consumption AMANDA VITARO STAFF WRITER

You’ve cut the tag off your new black dress, curled your hair, paid your Uber driver and finally got past the bouncers in front of the club. Now, all that’s left to do is wait for “prince charming” to buy you the cosmopolitan you’ve been craving all week.

From song lyrics telling us to be on our worst behaviour to Hollywood blockbusters painting alcohol as the cure to a boring existence, pop culture wants us to believe the best nights of our lives are the ones we don’t remember. Partying is labelled as the defining element of our youth.

Infatuated by the ideas of only living once and the fear of missing out, it’s no wonder so many of us perform the role of partiers willingly.

We must be confident, bold and loose—and not just with each other, but with our drinks too.

According to the Canadian Centre of Substance Abuse, women are generally more vulnerable to the effects of alcohol than men for a variety of reasons, including less overall body weight and more fat tissue.

These facts prompted Toronto’s York University to launch a campaign against binge drinking at the end of August, right before frosh week.

While this seems like a good idea, many felt the campaign was inherently sexist.

The campaign’s poster depicts a young woman staring at her cellphone in horror alongside the slogan, “Don’t try to keep up with the guys.” At the bottom of the poster, the line reads: “It’s not just about keeping an eye on your drink, but how much you drink.” While done with good intentions, it is a message that shames, guilts and blames women.

The campaign was heavily criticized for suggesting women are at fault for their own victimization. Emphasizing the idea that women must control their drinking insinuates women can prevent bad things from happening to them so long as they don’t drink too much.

As a young woman, I found the ad problematic but not for the reason it came under fire. Yes, perpetuating the myth that drunk women are “asking for it” is undoubtedly problematic and wrong. Nonetheless, I appreciated that someone at least tried to expose the pressure women feel to live up to binge drinking standards.

What disappointed me about this ad was how it completely failed to communicate that this pressure is not put on us by men, but by the media.

By focusing on sex alone, the ad ignores critical factors which impact a person’s drinking habits—what age they started, how often they drink, if they’re drinking on a full stomach. None of these considerations have anything to do with sex, yet they have everything to do with

a person’s susceptibility to alcohol.

Both the media and the York ad campaign paint overly simplistic portrayals of alcohol.

Cultural media, like television, music videos and song lyrics, paint binge drinking as an amazing escape. But being drunk doesn't guarantee that you'll feel bold or happy. In reality, being drunk triggers different responses, ranging from euphoria to depression. The ad campaign fails to communicate this, and instead paints binge drinking as a problem rooted in biology.

Even from a biological standpoint, though, the ad completely misses the point. I guess its creators forgot that tall women exist. Being 5-10 myself, I can attest to the fact that some women are able to take in more alcohol than “the guys” before ever feeling a thing.

The York University campaign is problematic because it assumes that binge drinking is a pressure felt only by women. In reality, binge drinking is a pressure placed on both sexes by media which glamorizes the effects of alcohol. Pop culture places binge drinking on a pedestal. We are taught to praise alcohol for its ability to make us “go with the flow.” What many fail to realize, however, is that the media’s glamorization of

alcohol instills pressures on us to behave in gender-specific ways. The stereotypical view perpetuated by mass media is that binge drinking is bold, confident and expected. Saying no is weak, boring and odd. These stereotypes apply whether you are male or female.

I believe the success of a responsible drinking campaign lies in exposing one very simple truth: the media profits off our compliance to gender stereotypes in nightlife culture. It’s up to us to reject the myth that masculinity and femininity are measured by how much you can or can’t drink.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

SEPTEMBER 12, 2017

theconcordian

17

RACE

The inconvenient truth about white people and racism Munroe Bergdorf and the L’Oréal controversy highlights a deeper, systemic problem SANIA MALIK OPINIONS EDITOR “I’m not racist. I don’t even see colour.

Plus, I have a ton of black friends.”

These are common excuses most white people choose to reiterate whenever the heavy topic of racism arises in conversations. Regardless of the excuses, there is a sense of discomfort that white people feel when discussing racism. It’s a state that’s being labeled as white fragility.

According to the Huffington Post, Dr. Robin DiAngelo, a social justice educator, created the term to describe a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable, triggering a range of defense moves.”

Some of these moves include fear, guilt, anger, silence and defensiveness.

A recent example of white fragility can be seen through the L’Oréal controversy.

L’Oréal hired their first black transgender model Munroe Bergdorf, but she was recently fired because of the comments she made condemning racism in response to the events in Charlottesville, Va. In a now-deleted Facebook post, Bergdorf said: “Honestly, I don’t have energy to talk about the racial violence of white people any more. Yes, ALL white people. Because most of ya’ll don’t even realize or refuse to acknowledge that your existence, privilege and success as a race is built on the backs, bloods and death of people of colour. Your entire existence is drenched in racism […] ” After this post received a lot of negative attention, L’Oréal f ired Bergdorf. In a statement, the company said they support diversity and tolerance towards all people—regardless of their race, background, gender and religion.

The company stated: “We believe that the recent comments by Munroe Bergdorf are at odds with those values, and as such, we have taken the decision to end the partnership with her.” Bergdorf’s comments can be understood to mean all white people are inherently racist, which can be considered promoting a negative view of a certain race—ultimately going against L’Oréal’s policy.

In an article in The Guardian, Katherine Craig, a human rights lawyer and social change consultant, wrote: “If you grow up in a racist society, through no fault of your own, some of that racism is bound to stick subconsciously. It’s an unconscious conspiracy in which we are all complicit, unless we fight it.”

In a BBC interview, Bergdorf elaborated on her comments by saying that white people are socialized to be racist, just as men are socialized to be sexist.

She emphasized the idea that it is each person's responsibility to "unlearn" that socialization.

Bergdorf and Craig make similar points: white people can be inherently racist, not because they choose to be, but because they are born into a world that places their lives and wishes above everyone else’s. When we grow up, we are influenced by everything around us and the argument that all white people can be intrinsically racist

is a plausible one. Whiteness has long been considered a positive thing, while darkness a negative thing. If one grows up seeing only white dolls and white actors on TV, it’s possible they might grow up with the idea that their race is better, prettier and superior to others.

If that’s what our society is promoting, why wouldn’t someone unconsciously believe that?

Speaking from my own experience, growing up enthusiastically following white characters in TV and pop culture, I really believed that my brown skin made me inferior to white people.

I barely saw representation of people of colour, which led me to internalize the racism I was surrounded by. If that was my reaction to these messages as someone who isn’t white, isn’t it possible that white people can feel superior due to the same exposure?

Bergdorf explained in the same BBC interview, “white people need to get over the fact that yes, [this socialization is] a really uncomfortable and inconvenient truth. Get over that discomfort. Think about how it makes us feel.”

Bergdorf’s comments were racially charged, but she was calling out white people for their r acism. If you find that offensive then you are part of the problem. When Bergdorf said, “Yes, all white people,” she isn’t wrong—white people inherently benefit from the fruits of a society built on white privilege.

Systemic racism, which emphasizes

how white privilege is built into every level of society—like education, health care, criminal justice and housing—and will always favour white people over people of colour.

White people don’t really have to worry about being victims of violence by law enforcement. No one will ever question how you got a job—it’s assumed you were qualified and right for it. You are able to speak about a certain subject without being expected to represent your entire race. You will never walk with the weight of your skin colour bearing heavy on your shoulders.

A lot of people are arguing if the comment s made by Bergdor f were made about black people, they would be considered racist. In my opinion, Bergdor f ’s comment s shouldn’t be labeled as such.

Racism is more complex and powerful than just discrimination and a feeling of superiority. Sure, a person of colour can feel superior to and discriminate against a white person, which isn’t right. But those are individual acts—not systemic. Racism is ultimately the result of power and prejudice. People of colour do not hold any power against white people—therefore they will never be able to systematically oppress them.

As a white person, you can walk away from prejudice. People of colour cannot walk away from racism. Wherever people of colour go, racism is an inherent part of the society we live in. We can

change our hairstyles, our clothing and our mannerisms—but we cannot change the colour of our skin.

Bergdorf’s comments were harsh, yes. But they hold a grain of truth. The response it has garnered is a prime example of white fragility and white privilege. It’s a response to the inconvenient truth.

In the same BBC inter view, Bergdorf said, “with white privilege, if you are not actually dismantling racism, if you are not going to pull people up from the bottom of the pyramid to the top, then you are participating and benefitting from racism.”

When white people feel defensive or uncomfortable during a conversation about racism, they should ask themselves why they feel that way. What they don’t realize, or refuse to acknowledge, is that their whiteness is a privilege—and that privilege puts people of colour beneath them. But this isn’t to say white people will never be able to help people of colour, combat racism or dispel their own negative ideas about other races.

As Craig explained, “any white person who is serious about racial equalit y has to be anti-racist. This requires us to actively acknowledge our privilege, because that privilege—even though we never asked for it—is the very cause of the inequity suffered by others [...] We have a choice: be offended, or be part of the solution.”

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

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theconcordian

SEPTEMBER 12, 2017

LANGUAGE

The poetics of language should be stronger than its politics Anglophones choosing French universities signifies a deeper change in Montreal society

“Montreal is home.”

That’s a statement I’ve heard on more than one occasion from native-Montrealers and newcomers alike. I’ve heard it from born-and-bred Torontonians and proud Vancouverites. I’ve heard it said in English, French and even Spanish.

As someone who grew up in the faraway town of Saguenay, Que., I am very aware of how great the city’s energy and culture is.

But Montreal, as one of my Canadian literature professors put it, is the centre of very complex, divisive politics. Indeed, language politics bring out the worst in people and foster a hostility I have a hard time wrapping my head around.

Last month, the Montreal Gazette published a compelling article about a Montreal lawyer who found herself choosing to study at Université de Montréal (UdeM) despite being an anglophone. According to the article, when Serena Trifiro wasn’t accepted into McGill University, she opted for UdeM. “Today, Trifiro says she’s infinitely grateful for this turn of events, as it helped her pass the Quebec bar and facilitated her career in Quebec,” the article said, adding that Trifiro said she believes “the perks were well worth the struggle at UdeM.” The Montreal Gazette’s piece addressed the fact that more anglophones are choosing to attend French universities. Among other statistics, the article pointed out that the number of English-speaking students at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) rose from 193 in 2012 to 519 in 2016.

I am a born-and-bred Saguenéen who loves the English side of Montreal, and I came to study English literature at Concordia with the goal of eventually leaving the province. In my opinion, the increase of anglophone students in Montreal’s French universities is significant.

Forty years after passing the controversial Bill 101, this increase shows that Montreal has successfully affirmed itself as a French-speaking city, and yet is still accessible to both French and English speakers.

Of course, Trifiro’s initial hesitation to study in French is both understandable and telling about the state of language relations in Montreal. Some francophones are often closed-off and even hostile towards English-speaking Montrealers. I myself have gotten the infamous dagger eyes for speaking English with a friend in public. Yet French can be a complex and difficult language, and many people in Montreal—especially English-speaking university students—live here with less than adequate French skills, which I think is regrettable.

Languages are meant to be learned with passion and interest. Unlike what many might think, even with Pierre-Elliott Trudeau making both English and French Canada’s official languages in 1969, Canada is not and will never be a truly bilingual country—except in Montreal.

To be fair, I’m fine with that. Not everyone needs to be bilingual, so long as we can be civil and accept each other. In a way, I do feel a sense of pride in seeing anglophones acknowledging that French is necessary to build a career in Quebec. I think that has always been the point of encouraging French education, at least for a portion of the population.

To get another perspective, I spoke with

Alexandre Viger-Collins, a Concordia political science graduate. Despite what his first name suggests, he is 100 per cent anglophone. He grew up in an anglophone community where, he confessed, people don’t have much incentive to learn French.

Nonetheless, he ended up studying political science at UdeM, which was more or less an accident. While attending a French university was never his intention, he said he is now positive that it was for the best.

Viger-Collins said he intends to work in provincial politics, and while studying in French will certainly have a positive effect on his career prospects in this province, he said he has also gained much more insight into Quebec’s culture. He said he now feels more integrated into the society.

The bridge between French and English in this province needs to be built on both sides. Although I believe we

francophones have work to do in terms of accepting those who don’t speak French, I am confident in saying that Montreal has become a good place for both communities to live in, despite recurring tensions. Ultimately, I think the attitude of people like Trifiro and Viger-Collins encourages this generation and future generations to have a different outlook on the French language.

This recent surge in anglophones choosing to study in French seems to be an indicator that the city is changing for the better.

In light of this, my hope for the future is not only that more anglophones attend French universities, but that they do so with motivation, for the love of the French language—not by force or as a last resort.

When it comes to education, I believe we should let go of the politics and give more room to the poetics of language.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

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