The Concordian - January 17th, 2017

Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper

VOLUME 34, ISSUE 16 | TUESDAY, JAN. 17, 2017

theconcordian.com  /theconcordian  @theconcordian

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It's time to speak up

Women come together to combat self-censorship

Life p. 5

also in this issue

news

music

arts

Preparing for Syria seen ConUhacks 2017 p.3 through art

p.8

sports

opinions

Javasoul takes A crowded net for Valuing Middle over Igloofest p. 12 the Stingers p. 19 p.16 Eastern lives

news

NEWS EDITORS /// news@theconcordian.com SAVANNA CRAIG & NELLY SERANDOUR-AMAR ( @savannacraig @nellsamar03)

CITY IN BRIEF KATERINA GANG COPY EDITOR AZUR trains taken off the track The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) has decided to take all AZUR trains off the tracks after an hours-long shutdown on the Orange line this weekend. According to CBC News, the closure was due to damage sustained to an AZUR train’s signaling equipment as it passed through Du College station. The transit authority discovered damage on all 12 AZUR trains, which wascausedbyabnormalcontact between the trains and tracks.

The STM plans to install cameras underneath the trains to further investigate the problem, according to CBC News.

City in talks to host 2025 world fair Two Montreal city councilors plan to recommend Montreal be the host city for the 2025 World Expo. According to Global News, this suggestion is meant to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Montreal’s Expo 67. At the next municipal meeting, councilors Marvin Rotrand and Justine McIntyre will ask the Coderre administration to investigate the possibility of hosting. According to Le Journal de Montreal, Paris is the only other applicant.

Montreal has until May 22 to create a feasibility study, convince federal and provincial governments to participate, and send in a final application. $400 million pledged towards social housing The federal and provincial governments have decided to put $407 million towards social housing programs in Quebec over the next two years. This comes in addition to the $577 million already pledged under the Investment in Affordable Housing Agreement. According to CBC News, this money will allow for the hiring of support staff and will help build 200 social housing units and affordable rental units in Montreal.

Réseau d'aide aux personnes seules et itinérantes de Montréal (RAPSIM), a joint group of over 100 community organizations, will be in charge of the construction process, according to CBC News.

CAMPUS

Reshaping ASFA from the ground up ASFA executives weigh in on critiques they received and their vision for the future

ASFA is hoping to be more present on campus, with several events planned in the near future. Photo by Ana Hernandez.

SAVANNA CRAIG CO-NEWS EDITOR As ASFA executives roll out for another semester, The Concordian sat down with a portion of the team to learn about their future plans for the upcoming semester, their inability to reach quorum in December and their response to criticism the association has received in the past.

Talk of reforming ASFA In April 2016, ASFA held a vote with the referendum question of whether the federation should be restructured or not, which was ultimately rejected. Executives weighed in on revisiting the vote.

“Before you reform ASFA as a whole, you should try to fix what’s already there and do your best for it to be representative of the goals that ASFA has,” said ASFA vice-president of internal affairs, Julia Sutera Sardo.

“There are some issues that were found in the by-laws,” said Sutera Sardo. Some by-laws are currently under adjustment, she said. The policy review committee, a committee responsible for reviewing policies to ensure they are proper, has been very focused on updating by-laws and ensuring that they are accurate, said Sutera Sardo.

“The problem with the reform proposal last year is that it was very poorly made,” said Agunik Mamikonyan, ASFA’s vice-president of external affairs and sustainability and a former School of Community and Public Affairs councillor. “I would say the team wasn’t as driven to make ASFA rise again and become what it used to be.”

We have had to deal with a lot of things this semester," said Sutera Sardo, referring in part to the executive team's revision of improperly passed standing regulation, including last year's reform policy. The policy was meant to restructure the federation but was ultimately rejected in April.

Reflecting on ASFA not reaching quorum in December From Nov. 28 to 30, ASFA held a vote at both campuses to increase

ASFA’s fee levy by $0.12—from $1.22 to $1.34 as of January 2017.

However, the vote failed to reach the minimum of 450 votes required to validate the vote.

“Just because quorum wasn’t reached does not mean ASFA is not present,” said Mamikonyan. It does not mean ASFA is not doing well, she said, it just means people may be satisfied enough not to feel a need to vote.

“We had 20 out of 32 member associations conduct elections during the by-election period,” said

MAs with one another, including a recently-announced wine and cheese for MAs in February.

Accepting the past and moving forward E xecutives responded to criticisms made to ASFA by student-media and other sources.

“ASFA from 2015 is not the same as 2016 ASFA. We’ve changed and the Mei Ling affair is part of ASFA’s past,” said Sutera Sardo.

“We’re not silent about it and we’re trying really hard to work to stop any oppression that’s happening.”

Graphic by Florence Yee.

Sutera Sardo. She added it was a hectic time, which may have had an impact on people coming out to vote for ASFA. “One of the reasons we wanted to increase levy fees was to give some more money to member associations,” said Sutera Sardo. This would help member associations (MAs) do new things and try to engage their own memberships, she said.

ASFA is not giving up on engaging MAs as a whole, said Sutera Sardo, adding that executives have been organizing events to connect

ASFA passed an anti-racist position motion during council on Jan. 12. The motion states that the association should recognize the impact discrimination, systemic racism and colonialism has on black and indigenous people and people of colour and to be an ally to them.

“We just want to enrich student life on campus and protect the rights of our students,” said Sutera Sardo.

This semester, ASFA will be releasing an academic journal, which will give arts and sciences students a chance to publish academic work.

Additionally, Sutera Sardo said there

will also be an anti-racism and procreation of indigenous cultures workshop, a queer and sexuality conference and a sustainability fair held by ASFA. They will also be purchasing feminine hygiene products which will be readily available and free at MA offices in weeks, said Sutera Sardo.

ASFA’s general coordinator, Andrea Krasznai, aims to ensure proper organization for the future, by creating an executive guide to help incoming executives feel supported. It will include valuable tips and information, such as a list of ASFA computer passwords or how to register a student organization.

There are issues like this that pop up during an executive's mandate that could have easily been avoided had this information been passed on directly, said Krasznai.

Commenting on critique ASFA has undergone criticism regarding the federation being useless or indirect. Some of the executive team provided a response for these critiques.

Krasznai said she disagrees with statements pertaining to ASFA being unuseful. “The question at the end of the article, “what is the point of ASFA”—I said it in my campaign,” said Krasznai, referring to an article The Link published in 2016. It questioned ASFA’s relevance, referencing the history of the association failing to reach quorum.

A SFA’s goal is to provide academic and social enrichment, said Krasznai. ASFA provides grounds for connecting students socially and directing students to academic resources students may not know about, she added. Some of these resources can be knowledge of bursaries Concordia offers, which Krasznai said the university is failing to properly advertise to students.

Krasznai said a goal within her mandate as general coordinator is to put all of the bursaries on the ASFA website. Krasznai said she only found out about bursaries during her third year.

Referring to the same article, Mamikonyan said ASFA was critiqued on not having a clear vision. “That’s why it’s so wonderful,” she said.

“There’s such diversity within [ASFA] that there’s different opinions coming together.” She said she sits on many boards that don’t have a variety of opinions. “Everyone’s expressing the same opinion and that’s not the point of board members.”

JANUARY 17, 2017

TECHNOLOGY

HackConcordiatohostsecond Hackathon ConUHacks II will bring more than 400 students together Graphic by Florence Yee.

NELLY SERANDOUR-AMAR CO-NEWS EDITOR Montreal’s prime major league hacking marathon, ConUHacks, is gearing up for its second edition of the 24-hour “hackathon” competition.

Organized by HackConcordia, a group of computer science and software engineering students, the event will bring together more than 400 students from across North America to show off their self-

expression and creativity through technology. The hackathon will take place at the John Molson School of Business on Jan. 21, at 6 a.m. and will end Jan. 22, at 7 p.m.

The main goal of the hackathon is to create new web or mobile services over a limited time period, in this case, 24 hours. Hackathon projects, or ‘hacks’ can come in the form of websites, mobile applications and robots.

The free event welcomes students from all programs, whether they

are new to the concept or not.

The hackathon will be hosting tutorials and inviting mentors to help anyone having trouble with different softwares.

“You’re provided with mentors, various workshops, equipment and free food throughout the event,” said participant Aboud Dalab about the competition. “After the time-limit hits, individuals or teams present their projects.” The winners will be chosen by company mentors.

HackConcordia is one of the

multiple hacking groups in North America and is part of the official student hackathon league, the Major League Hacking (MLH). MLH helps finance more than 200 weekend invention competitions, bringing more than 65,000 students together from around the world, according to their website.

This year’s ConUHacks will be open format, meaning students will be able to create their projects on web, mobile, desktop or hardware applications.

To give an idea of the scale of the event, last year Concordia received 1,252 applications, but only took 388 participants from 29 different universities. Most of the participants last year came from the U.S. Some of the most used applications, such as Facebook Chat and the “like” button were first created at internal company hackathons. Another example of a notable hackathon development is GroupMe, a group messaging application that Skype bought for more than $50 million.

Hackathons are, in a sense, a career fair for students in computer science and software engineering programs according to participant Korhan Akçuran. He believes that, for many students, himself included, hackathons are a great opportunity to think about their future careers as programmers and to meet great contacts. Prizes are also given to winning projects. Last year’s prizes amounted to close to $26,000.

HackConcordia will provide coffee and food, but suggests the hackers to bring a change of clothes and toiletries. Registration to participate is still open on ConUHacks’ website.

Meet some of Concordia’s participants!

Korhan Akçura Second year, software engineering(MA)

“ I d e c i d e d to j o i n t h i s y e a r ’s ConUHacks II because I have a competitive personality and I like to solve challenges. I also believe that my creativity will be pushed to its limit with the limited time given. I am participating for self-improvement and to give the best of me to produce a successful software project in a short time. I participated at the Quebec Engineering Games and Quebec Engineering Competition while I was an undergraduate at Concordia.

My mission is to apply my programming skills in a competitive environment, to produce an original project with my team.

I will enjoy being in an environment with like-minded people where I can learn, share and develop my programming and technical skills. But most of all, I am participating for the fun and the satisfaction that will come after accomplishing the challenging task.”

Aboud Dalab, Secondyear,marketing (BA) “I decided to join the hackathon to learn from all the mentors who will be present. I was introduced to the hackathon world because of my friends in the computer science program and then did my own research to find other hackathons near Montreal. When you’re hacking, you’re building, so we will see as a team what we will decide to create.

Generally, hackathons are very messy due to the 24-hour time limit. I doubt that we will follow a specific form of hacking due to time.

Another great part of hackathons is that they are looking for people from all sorts of backgrounds, meaning not only programmers and software engineers. This prepares us for real life because to create a software project, you need all kinds of people from different fields.

Daniel Privorotsky, Second year, software engineering (BA) “I decided to tjoin the hackathon for a few different reasons. First off, the fun that comes from creating new things, challenging yourself and placing your knowledge to the test. Additionally, it is a great opportunity to meet people and expand your net work. And, of course, it looks pretty good on your CV. My friends told me about the hackathon, which is why I joined. I have participated in one hackathon event before, but this year will be my first time at ConUHacks. I am excited to see the challenges that will be given to create the [projects]. Since there exist many different kinds of programming languages, interfaces, platforms and so on, having members who specialize in certain fields can be very helpful.”

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NATION IN BRIEF KATYA TEAGUE HEAD COPY EDITOR High-ranking military officer fired Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, the second-highest-ranking officer in the Canadian military, was relieved of his duties on Monday morning after allegedly leaking highly classified information, according to The Globe and Mail. As the vice-chief of the defence staff, Norman was the leader for corporate strategies in the Forces and held “anextremelypowerfulposition,” according to the same article.

It is still unknown whether the alleged leaks were to journalists or business interests of another country, reported The Globe and Mail. The current comm a n d e r o f t h e N a v y, Vice-Admiral Ron Lloyd, has been appointed as the interim vice-chief of the defence staff.

Beaver’s DNA mapped for Canada’s birthday A team of molecular geneticists at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto has sequenced the genome of the Canadian beaver to mark the country’s 150th birthday, reported the Canadian Press. The researchers believe their six-month project is the first time the Canadian beaver’s genome has been mapped and published. Not only was the project meant as a birthday present for Canada, it was also a test run for a new technological approach to mapping genetic blueprints and studying diseases in humans, according to the same article.

Investigating Trudeau’s tropical vacation An investigation has been launched by Canada’s ethics commissioner into Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s family vacation to the private home of Aga Khan in the Bahamas, reported CBC News on Monday. This was following a letter to the commissioner from the Conservative’s ethic critic who claimed that accepting the hospitality and using the helicopter of a billionaire philanthropist whose foundation receives millions of dollars in funding from the federal government potentially violates the Conflict of Interest Act, according to the same article. The Liberal Party president and a Liberal MP, along with their spouses, were also guests on the trip.

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WORLD IN BRIEF SAVANNA CRAIG CO-NEWS EDITOR

Pipelineproposalcould impactBCmarinespecies Marine biologist Sarika CullisSuzuki, who focuses on the importance of sound to marine biology life, has reported that the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline project may impact marine life.

Species such as the plainfin midshipman require the males to sing to attract females to their nest to lay eggs, reported Motherboard. However, the pipeline construction will cause noise pollution in nearby waterbodies. Seismic noise has been responsible for bruising crabs, for a lag in development and creating malformations in scallops and can lead to acoustic trauma to squid and octopus.

Canadian teen to help youth sue U.S. Quebec-born Jacob Lebel has joined a collective of 21 Americans aged nine to 20 in pursuit to sue the U.S. government over infringement of constitutional rights for supporting a fossil fuel industry, which contributes to environmental degradation.

“By the time you see the full effects, by the time we see the full catastrophic effects of the decisions that we're making right now, it will be too late,” Lebel told CBC News.

Julia Olson, executive director and chief legal counsel of Our Children’s Trust, responsible for leading the lawsuit, told CBC News the trial will commence summer or early fall of 2016.

Istanbul nightclub massacre shooter in custody ISIS is claiming responsibility on an attack made on an Istanbul nightclub on New Year’s eve, which resulted in 39 lives lost. They stated it was in response to Turkish military activity in northern Syria, according to CTV News. Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbekistan national responsible for the attack, was found in a house in Istanbul’s Esenyurt district, which belonged to a friend of his from Kyrgyzstan. He was found by a special operations police raid on the house. According to CTV News, the subjects have been obtained in Istanbul’s main police headquarters to be questioned.

JANUARY 17, 2017

HOUSING

Housing tips for students CSU Housing and Jobs Office luncheon for students

CHLOE RANALDI ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Looking for a place to live in Montreal can be overwhelming, especially for international students who are unfamiliar with the city. Concordia’s Student Union off-campus housing and job bank (HOJO) held a free lunch for students on Jan. 16, offering tips on how to find a place to live in the city.

HOJO is an off-campus res ource cent re in t he mezzanine of the Hall building at SGW campus and CC-426 at Loyola Campus which advocates for students’ workers' rights and tenant rights. HOJO helps students find affordable, safe and clean housing in Montreal. They also provide free-legal information to students regarding leases, roommate problems, jobs and any other issues they may face.

The “Lunch and Learn” featured a presentation on apartment renting laws in Montreal and different tips to

help students find a home in the city.

“Landlords pray on international students who are afraid to point out problems they might have with their lease and apartment,” said Safrine Mouajou, a HOJO representative. “So many students come to our services afraid of their landlords and scared to defend their rights.”

When searching for a place to live, students should look at whether

schools and if they are looking for a roommate when searching for a place to stay,” Brais added. “Make a list of [traits] you search for in a roommate.” In addition, students should find out whether electricity, heating, phone, Internet and parking are included in their rent.

Brais said HOJO does not recommend homestay, where a Concordia student lives with a

their future home has gas or electric heating, what sorts of appliances are included and whether the place is furnished, said HOJO representative Hannah Brais to the crowd of students during the presentation.

“Students should take into account factors such as proximity to their

Montreal family and shares their home. She recounted previous instances of abuse in homestay situations, where locks had been put on the fridge, preventing students from eating and keeping food at the home they were renting.

Mouajou also suggested that

Graphics by Florence Yee.

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students "go out and explore the city" when searching for a place to live. "Do not simply rely on the pictures listed online," she said. "See the place for yourself.”

“When signing your lease, make sure that the unit you saw is the same unit you are renting,” said Brais.

“Leases automatically renew each year and tenants should give three to six months’ notice in writing to their landlords if they wish to end or transfer their lease.”

HOJO representatives also discussed students’ rights, such as landlords must give tenants 24-hours’ notice before entering their apartment space. Students always have the right to refuse rent increases, said Mouajou. If they have a problem with the amount, they can discuss it with their landlord or file a motion with the rental board commissioner.

For more information on student housing and job options, HOJO encourages students to make an appointment or visit their website www.csu.qc.ca/hojo.

CAMPUS

CSU announces BIPOC committee The organization will be exclusive to students of colour, a first of its kind

and people of colour) Committee will be open exclusively to racial minorities on campus, making it the first orgaGraphic by Florence Yee. nization of it s k ind at MEGAN HUNT Concordia. Sahrane said the idea ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR for the BIPOC Committee came after witnessing barriers for BIPOC The Concordia Student Union students and organizations at (CSU)’s academic and advocacy Concordia firsthand. coordinator, Sophia Sahrane, “Since I started my mandate, the announced plans for a committee CSU has not been supporting BIPOC led by and designed to serve projects or initiatives or issues, or black, indigenous and people when they do support it, it’s very, of colour at Concordia. Sahrane very minimal,” Sahrane said. “I publicly announced the upcoming looked at all the projects from my committee via Facebook. [executive] team and a lot of the The BIPOC (black, indigenous proposals [they receive] are from

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non-BIPOC individuals.”

Projects and student groups led by BIPOC students and focused on BIPOC issues will be able to apply directly to the committee for funding. Sahrane said she hopes the committee will lead to collaborations and special projects with BIPOC-led groups on campus. Sahrane also confirmed the committee will have an annual budget of $15,000, and all funding will be allocated to BIPOC individuals and initiatives.

While the group is not open to white students or accepting proposals for projects led by white students, Sahrane said the committee will be welcome to all BIPOC students, including individuals who pass as white.

“For people who are black, indigenous or POC but don’t look it, being BIPOC is still a part of their identity, so they’re welcome to apply as well,” said Sahrane. “It’s exclusive

in the sense that it’s non-mixed, but we’re trying to make the CSU as a whole more inclusive.”

Currently, the CSU is looking for BIPOC students interested in joining the committee on a volunteer basis.

The application asks for a commitment of four to six hours per month and interested students can apply on the CSU website until Jan. 28.

For Sahrane, having a CSU committee focused exclusively on the needs of BIPOC students and having guaranteed funding for BIPOC projects is essential to ensuring a more inclusive student union and a more inclusive campus.

“BIPOC individuals are people who have been racially marginalized, as well as economically and socially in our society,” said Sahrane. “So this is a way to counter that… to level the playing field.”

With files from Nelly SerandourAmar and Savanna Craig.

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life

LIFE EDITOR /// life@theconcordian.com DANIELLE GASHER

COVER STORY

Enough with the self-censorship

Béatrice Media and Imago Theatre organized a panel on women and self-censorship

Host Rebecca Munroe (far left) and panelists Dominique Pirolo (left), Tracey Steer (center) and Christina Vroom (right). Photos by Danielle Gasher.

DANIELLE GASHER LIFE EDITOR On the mild and rainy evening of Jan. 11, in Montreal’s Centre-Sud neighbourhood, some two or three dozens of people met to talk about women, self-censorship and change.

The event, titled “Women Talk About SelfCensorship,” was organized in partnership with Béatrice Media, an independent media production company, and Imago Theatre, a theatre company whose mandate is equal representation and feminist storytelling.

The conversation, which took place at Café Sfouf, welcomed three panelists and CJLO radio broadcaster Rebecca Munroe as the host. The event was recorded for Béatrice Media’s podcast, Béacast. “ H e l p l e s s .” “ We a k .” “ S m a l l .”

“Unempowered.” The evening’s three strong and successful panelists were asked by the host to remember a time when they felt they censored their words. They had to recount how it made them feel in that moment.

Luckily for these women, they now rarely feel helpless, weak, small or unempowered.

“10, 15 years ago, I don’t think you were taught to speak about your opinion, empower yourself,” said panelist, Dominique Pirolo, about her childhood experiences with speaking up.

Today, Pirolo is a talent acquisition specialist for a software company in Montreal. She explained her assertiveness developed over time.

The panelists talked about this self-censorship tendency among women, and where they felt it came from. Panelist Tracey Steer, a self-employed writer whose work has appeared in Today’s Parent and Reader’s Digest, believes a lot of it has to do with women’s need to be people-pleasers. “It’s not always a bad thing. But, it’s not always a good thing,” said Steer. “And it takes a while, I think, to undo—not just being pleasing, and not just trying to keep everyone else around you happy.”

For panelist Christina Vroom, the associate director of university advancement for McGill

University’s faculty of dentistry, assertiveness came in her adult life.

“I grew up with two brothers and a mother who was very opinionated,” she said. “She was my hero. I wanted to be like her, but I often felt I couldn’t contribute on the same level. There was a feeling of, ‘I’m going to disappoint.’” Vroom explained she used to feel the need to keep the peace and balance out the big opinions and personalities already

took place. Audience members brought into question larger societal problems, such as the patriarchy organization in North America and gender inequality in the workplace.

Together, the audience, panelists, host and Béatrice Media co-founder, Adriana Palanca, brainstormed ideas for promoting change and being the change. “It can start with education and really teaching younger people about it.

And empowering young girls. And teaching men that it’s okay that women have a voice,” said Munroe.

Pirolo, who hires people as a large part of her job, had Béatrice Media some advice co-founder, for women Adriana Palanca seeking t a l k s a b o u t employment. self-censorship “I noticed that (left).

present in her household. Today, Vroom says she has “no problem rocking the boat.”

The panelists addressed the double-standard they feel is present when women demonstrate assertiveness.

“When I became much more assertive with myself and not shy, a friend of mine said to me, ‘You’ve become very aggressive.’ I said, ‘I think you mean assertive.’ And he said, ‘No, no, aggressive,’” Vroom recounted, as the crowd ooh-ed and ahh-ed in disbelief . “He said to me, ‘I think that’s why you’re single.’

I said, ‘I think that’s why we’re not going to be friends anymore.’”

Steer addressed how people tie the identifier “bitch” to women who are simply demonstrating confidence.

“That’s the thing, you know, because you don’t want to be seen as a bitch. Men are assertive and women are bitchy,” said Steer.

In the “talk-back” period of the discussion, the period when the podcast stopped recording and the discussion opened to the audience, a larger conversation about action and change

when I’m hiring and interviewing individuals, and I interview men and I interview women, the women are not selling themselves the way they should,” said Pirolo.

According to a 2012 study conducted by Brigham Young University and Princeton University researchers, men dominate conversations during business meetings.

The study found women only spoke 25 per cent of the time in meetings, with men speaking 75 per cent of the time. According to research conducted in 2013 by a data tool called Twee-Q, women make up 62 per cent of Twitter users. However, Twee-Q’s stats found that men are retweeted almost twice as often as women, with almost 63 per cent of all retweets belonging to men.

Palanca said she and Mireille St-Pierre founded Béatrice Media to reinforce feminism in media organizations and to start conversations about women, equality, social progress and empowerment. “[Béatrice Media’s] version of feminism, at its most basic, is: ‘I want to be able to do what a dude does and not get judged for it.’ That’s it, right? And, for us, we weren’t seeing that reflected in a lot of the media that we saw around us. And we said, ‘This is what we feel, this is what we want to see reflected,’” Palanca told The Concordian.

Palanca said she was happy with how the evening unfolded and looks forward to doing similar events in the future. She described the talk as a test-run. For Palanca, good, progressive conversation is about “cutting through the judgement, cutting through the habitual behaviour, cutting through the bullshit.”

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theconcordian

JANUARY 17, 2017

BOOKS

“Read any good books over the holidays?”

Concordians recommend their favourite winter reads to students

Utopia for Realists- Rutger Bregman

and the new dystopia we face today. He discusses problems within the food industry, advertising and how societies have lost their sense of leisure. He argues that a lot of the world has become pessimistic, and many refuse to believe another utopia could be around the corner. Bregman thinks what is lacking, most of all, is the will to believe in an upcoming utopia, complete with 15-hour work weeks and long, healthy lives. This nonfiction book makes you think and forces you to reflect on the modern world—how things have evolved and how they will continue to evolve.

-DANIELLE GASHER

By following mainstream media on a daily basis, we aren’t given the impression the world is doing too well. In a lot of ways, it isn’t. However, in this book, young European theorist and journalist Rutger Bregman argues the world has also come a long way in many ways. He talks about “two centuries of stupendous progress,” where the world saw a decline in warfare and a spike in technological advancements in the 19th and 20th centuries.

He writes: “What would have been miraculous in the Middle Ages is now commonplace.”

His book is a well-researched, detailed and refreshing exploration of modern-day society

The Hidden Life of Trees- Peter Wohlleben Spending more time looking at screens than the sky has been normalized in North American culture. This is why Peter Wohlleben’s The Hidden Life of Trees is a refreshing, interesting read. Wohlleben spent more than 20 years studying, working and writing about trees. His admiration for trees is obvious in his writing. He writes about them with the same affectionate tone pet owners use towards their animal companions, which helps him direct the reader's’ attention to the many similarities between animals and trees. Once you enter the intricate world of forests—a world perhaps you didn't know existed— you won’t want to leave. Wohlleben is adept at translating complicated scientific concepts into an easy-to-understand and engaging story, featuring trees as the main characters. Life tends to be busy and fast-paced, especially for students.

This book is a striking reminder there is so much going on in the natural world we are unaware of, and we should pay more attention to these things.

-AYSHA WHITE

Born a CrimeTrevor Noah A lot of us know Trevor Noah as the funny and smart new face of The Daily Show. But upon reading his compelling, humorous and sometimes heartbreaking memoir, the SouthAfrican-born comedian and television host became so much more to me. This maturely-written book has made me care about The Daily Show and Noah’s commentary more than I already did. In his book, Born a Crime, Noah shares extremely personal experiences—bringing us into his childhood of troubled households, poverty and life within a politically unstable country. His memoir recounts unexpected and intimate aspects of his upbringing, such as his trouble-making habits as a boy and his complex relationship with his mother and grandmother. Through humour and poignant storytelling, Noah transports us to Johannesburg in the 90s. This book is an important one—a thought-provoking read recounting the life of an important and admirable public figure.

-DANIELLE GASHER

TECHNOLOGY

Selling textbooks without the hassle of the haggle Three McGill graduates soon to launch a textbook-selling app for Concordia and McGill

MINA MAZUMDER ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR As the new semester rolls in, so does a new textbook-exchanging app. Venndor, founded by recent McGill graduates Anthony Heinrich, Julien Marlatt and Tynan Davis, is a classifieds app with the goal of helping students buy and sell textbooks without the need for haggling or negotiating prices.

The beta app, also known as the first version of the app, has been live for two months at McGill. This period permitted the founders to see how people were using the app and make any necessary changes before officially launching it at both McGill and Concordia. In the time of the beta launch, the app helped students sell textbooks, but also household items

such as lamps and furniture. The app will officially launch for McGill and Concordia in mid-January.

The idea started over a year ago when co-founders Heinrich and Marlatt were frustrated because they were having trouble getting a good price for textbooks they wanted to sell. “People would just negotiate with you and haggle with you back and forth on Facebook postings. It was frustrating because it would lead to a lot of wasted time and it wasn’t enjoyable,” said Heinrich.The app started as a business class project. The teammates thought about a concept where the buyer offers a price without being given a starting price by the seller. They liked the idea of the final selling price being the middle ground between what the buyer offered and the price the seller initially had in mind. Heinrich gave the example of wanting to sell a phone for a minimum of $20. If the buyer offers $40 upfront, then the final selling price would be $30 if they were using the Venndor app.

This idea inspired the app’s name.

Venndor comes from the term Venn diagram—a diagram of two circles overlapping to create a smaller ovalish shape in the middle of the two.. The selling price of the textbook is therefore the middle ground, or the middle area of the Venn diagram.

The app includes a bookmark page that acts as a kind of ‘buy later’ section for undecided students. There is also an instant messaging page for buyers and sellers to

correspond and arrange a meeting time and place. Instant messaging ensures that students don’t necessarily have to give any of their personal information to purchase textbooks.

In the fall of 2015, after Heinrich and his teammates got good feedback from their professor for their app idea in a class project, the students decided to enter the McGill Dobson Cup, McGill’s annual startup competition.

“We made it to the semi-finals. The judges weren’t really into it but we decided to go

after the idea anyway,” said Heinrich. Then, the students got accepted into the 2016 McGill Summer X-1 Accelerator program, an intensive 10-week summer program that helps students create their startup ideas through training programs and seminars.

“The entire thing was a huge learning experience,” said Heinrich.

Heinrich said this year’s focus will be observing how students use the app, in order to start planning any changes to the version of the app launching soon.

Graphic by Florence Yee.

Co-founders Anthony Heinrich (left) and Julien Marlatt (right).

Photo by Ana Hernandez.

arts

ARTS EDITOR /// arts@theconcordian.com TIFFANY LAFLEUR

CREATIVITY

How to unleash your inner artist

Here are some ways you can tap into your creative energy at home or in the city 3. Le Gym

MAGGIE HOPE ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR

If you’re looking for more of a commitment, Concordia’s Le Gym offers a wide selection of weekly dance and fitness classes. This may not be what immediately comes to mind when discussing creativity, but a dance class can be challenging both physically and artistically. Le Gym hosts classes that range from belly dance and hip-hop to swing and salsa. You can try out your first class for free and then sign up for the semester if you find something you enjoy. The schedule and more information is available on the Concordia website.

Are you feeling academically unmotivated? Creatively unfulfilled? Well we have the solution for you! No really, there are ways to deal with the feeling of wanting to quit school and join a garage rock band.

Many students can relate to feeling creatively or artistically stunted while trying to manage an academic workload. In a world of requirements, GPAs and memorization, it’s easy to neglect your artistic side. There are always those who seem to effortlessly find time for “fun” activities while juggling other responsibilities—but for the most part, striking a balance between work requirements, social activity and downtime is a serious struggle. Putting time aside to find activities that are creatively stimulating becomes increasingly difficult, especially when you’re not sure where to start. If you find yourself sinking behind the shadow of impending assignments, take a breath, find something creative to do—either with friends or by yourself—and schedule it in as if it were an appointment. Here are a few suggestions to get you going.

4. The FOFA G alle r y

Visiting one of the finest galleries in the city has never been easier. Located in the EV building on the Sir George Williams campus, the Faculty of Fine Arts (FOFA) Gallery not only displays the work of Concordia fine arts students, but that of alumni and faculty as well. The quality of the FOFA exhibitions is known to be of high caliber, which always makes it a pleasure to visit. Making Spaces, an undergraduate student exhibition, opened at the gallery on Jan. 16. If you’d like to branch out of the university community, Arsenal Montreal ($8 for students) and DHC/ART (free admission) are both known for the quality of their exhibitions. From Jan. 13 to March 11, Arsenal Montreal is displaying the work of Marc Seguin, a Canadian multidisciplinary artist. At DHC/ART, Wim Delvoye’s exhibition runs until March 19. His work breaches the subjects of economy, globalization, and technology through a multidisciplinary approach.

1. Le Milieu

Le Milieu Co-op is an “open and inclusive creative art studio and exhibition space,” according to their website, as well as a vegetarian café. The studio and café offer a variety of workshops and free studio space which are open to the public, whether you’re an amateur artist or a skilled professional. A large variety of second-hand materials, such as paint, clay, and fabric are available upon donation. Studio space is free, and is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some of Le Milieu’s events include a knitting circle, kombucha making, silkscreening, and a clothing swap.

5. Create an art studio at home

2. Ceramic Café Studio

This café offers cheap ceramic painting for adults and children. It may seem like a juvenile activity, but it can be really relaxing and fun. The process is simple: choose a ceramic object from their selection, go to town on your mug or lamp or piggybank, leave it with them to bake, pick it up later and put your masterpiece on the mantle for all of your friends to admire.

The café is open late most nights, doesn’t require any reservations, and is a great activity, whether you bring a large group of friends or a few close buds.

G raphics

by T

hom

Be

ll .

When trying to implement artistic practices into your routine, having an accessible space to create and express yourself makes all the difference. Some easy and affordable ideas to start off with are sculpting, painting, sketching, collage and embroidery.

DeSerres stores have a wide variety of supplies at various prices, so you are bound to find what you are looking for. If you were particularly inspired by—let’s say—an exhibit at the FOFA Gallery, but don’t know where or how to start, start at home!

Grab some basic clay, a set of watercolors, thread or yarn and old magazines and you’ll be good to go. If you need some advice or extra help to complete your vision, stop by Le Milieu. Their volunteers would be happy to help.

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theconcordian

JANUARY 17, 2017

EXHIBITION

Syria from the point of view of Syrian artists New exhibition at Skol showcases Syria through a different lens GABRIELLE VENDETTE CONTRIBUTOR In a small white room near Place des Arts, the work of five Syrian artists portrays what they perceive as the reality of living in and being from Syria during the current civil war. The multidisciplinary exhibition, featuring photography, film and ink drawings, shows a different view of war-torn Syria than what we’ve seen in Western media.

The exhibition is called Internal Landscape, a title that references both the geographical landscape of Syria and the internal landscape of the artists' minds and memories, according to the exhibition's curator, Delphine Leccas.

The goal of the exhibition is to capture “the impression we have of a country that we have left and the image we have of this country in the back of our brains, the emotions we continue to hold of this country,”according to Leccas.

The main themes that come through the various art pieces are nostalgia and a will to return to a normal life, yet these seemingly clash with the courage, strength and pride that emanate from the works of art. “People continue to live in Damascus.

They have dreams, and they want to have a future like [everyone] else in the world,” said Alma Salem, cultural advisor for the exhibition. The exasperation and defiance of the Syrian people comes across in the exhibition—both emotions blend together in the featured works.

Leccas is the co-founder of the non-

profit organization AIN, which supports young Syrian artists. She lived in Syria from 1998 to 2011 and worked with many artists, showcasing them in exhibitions organized by the association. She said that, before the revolution, the artistic scene in Syria was mostly underground.

“The majority of foreign artistic directors who came to Damascus came face to face with the official art scene that didn’t interest them at all, and they would leave saying, ‘Syrian art is very academic. It’s not very interesting,’” Leccas said. “But they didn’t have access to all the workshops where artists were working in the shadows.”

She said that the revolution and war pushed many artists to different parts of the world and social media helped to propagate Syrian art and make it known. Leccas said there was “a need, a vital necessity” for the artists to produce art and share it in light of what was happening in their homeland.

“There is a real danger in creating art, and we forget that because we have a tendency in Europe and in the Western world of seeing the artist as someone who entertains themself,” Leccas said. “We forget that the artistic act can be a strong political act and that it can put lives in danger.”

The five artists featured in the exhibition are Aiham Dib, Muzaffar Salman, Randa Maddah, Monif Ajaj and Reem Al Ghazzi. All of their works were created when they still lived in Syria during the civil war and three of the artists still live and produce art in Syria. öö Internal Landscape runs until Feb. 25 at the Centre des arts actuels Skol.

The pieces featured in the exhibition show Syria from the point of view of artists, and offer a glimpse of what it’s like to be at the epicenter of a civil war.

POETRY

Student spotlight: I ’m eating a doughnut Concordia creative writing student weaves tale of doughnuts and curious finches MICHAEL LOTTNER CONTRIBUTOR Michael Lottner is a Montreal native in his second year at Concordia University, completing an honours degree in creative writing. This column was put together with the help of Annah-Lauren Bloom.

for Meredith in the park, missing you quite a bit. A woman comes up to me and asks for directions to the nearest water fountain. "Twenty paces north-east," I say.

"I can't thank you enough," she says. "Would you do me the honor of looking at my photographs?"

After flipping through pictures of her grandkids and china sets, a shot of a tiny bird catches my eye.

"If you give me the rest of that delicious-looking doughnut," she says, "I'll tell you the bird's name."

This is my third doughnut of the morning, so I accept her offer. "Thank you," she says. "This is my Bethina.

She's a real Curious Finch." Discovering a new specimen is exactly what I need right now. I picture the inquisitive little birds perched on people's shoulders, chirping their life's stories and planting seeds of curiosity.

I spend the rest of the day eavesdropping on conversations. When someone asks someone else, "Do you think Doug will be alright?" I see wings flutter out the corner of my eye. But that's the closest

I come to spotting a Curious Finch. Disappointed, I wonder if maybe Curious Finches have no interest in getting to know us, and only use us for our big brains. I can hear your voice in my head saying you bet they don't even know a Doug.

What if I were to tell you Doug is their benevolent leader and lover, and he's recently gone missing? Do you know where Doug is? No one expects life to be a single vast expedition, true. But—er, if you see Doug, tell him I miss him. That's all. I'm heading to sleep now.

A purple bed awaits your return, Doug. Yes, I've known you were Doug all along. I just needed a little something to throw myself for a loop. The doughnuts were a good deal, but didn't keep me company for long, and once I got going, I couldn't stop. "What happens if I start missing Doug too much?" I asked myself. "You'll see. It's all up the world's sleeve," I responded. "Everything gets sorted out up there."

The moon glimmers off my Krispy Kreme coupons, expressing some strange chirps.

I turn to your side of the bed. Then I turn again, and again. Yet no matter how many sides I turn toward, yours is somehow always the other side.

etc

Featured artist of the week with Miranda Pipino

ABANDONED WAREHOUSE, 2016

MY CITY, 2015

SHAPES, 2015

Miranda Pipino is a 3D artist from Dawson College in the 3D Animation & CGI program.

She explores different artistic fields in her work, such as digital painting, 3D modeling, lighting and character animation. She aims to narrow in on different themes with each work, but she is particularly fond of action, adventure and horror genres. She hopes to pursue a career in gaming or film.

CLANK, 2015

DEMON HEAD, 2016

feature FEATURE

Healing athletes one injury at a time

Part-time exercise science teacher John Boulay has worked at events like the Olympics and the Francophone Games

“Go back to the 1990s—concussions weren’t on anybody’s radar.” - Boulay ALEXANDER COLE SPORTS EDITOR

J

ust a few blocks away from Dawson College is the office of Concordia University part-time faculty professor John Boulay. Upon walking in, you are immediately greeted by a plastic spine in the corner of the room and the helmet of former Montreal Canadiens player Bob Gainey hanging on a coat rack by the door with a laser pointer attached to it.

The combination may be odd but it’s all part of his work. When Boulay isn’t teaching, he works as an osteopath and an athletic therapist at Osteo Med-Sport in Montreal, a clinic that specializes in injury rehabilitation and health maintenance.

Boulay said, while holding his Bob Gainey helmet with pride, that the helmet and the laser pointer are used on patients who are recovering from concussions. Essentially, the patient puts on the helmet and has to keep the laser pointer within a small circle.

It’s a test to see if the patient is regaining their balance.

In terms of his teaching career, Boulay said he teaches what he knows. For the last 20 years, he has been a part-time exercise science teacher at Concordia, the same

school he got his degree from.

“I was taking my classes at Loyola in the brand new exercise science program,” Boulay said. “Before I got there, the program was called biophysical education.”

Boulay knew he wanted to get into athletic therapy after injuring his knee in high school. He was a football player at the time and the athletic therapist for the team was one of his grade 10 classmates. Boulay said he thought his classmate’s skillset was interesting, and kept the profession in the back of his mind.

“I was thinking of getting into medicine at the time,” Boulay said. “I applied for medicine and didn’t get in so I figured I would do an undergraduate in something that would be fun. So I picked the new exercise science program at Concordia, did it in three years and never went back.”

After graduating from Concordia, Boulay said there were only about two or three athletic therapists in the province at the time. This lack of therapists led Boulay and some friends he graduated with to open up their own clinic near the Olympic Stadium.

However, as Boulay described it, politics and paperwork kept the clinic from opening.

Despite not opening the clinic at the stadium, Boulay was able to open one

at Concordia, where he spent nearly a decade. The clinic at Concordia was called the Concordia University Sports Medicine Clinic and was open to the entire population of Montreal.

“We were asked to open the clinic but we were also asked to teach some undergraduate courses,” Boulay said. “We were just fresh out of our bachelors with no teaching degree. I was teaching kids the same age as me so I told them, ‘You don’t have to call me Mr. Boulay. You better call me John.’”

When Boulay and his partners opened the clinic, there were six national Olympic teams stationed in Montreal at the time, including the judo team, the wrestling team and the diving team. Since their clinic was the only clinic in Montreal, they became the go-to place for any national team athletes who were injured or needed care.

Of all of the teams, Boulay worked with the judo team the most and ended up working with them full-time for 22 years.

During those 22 years, he was the Chair of the Sports Medicine and Science Committee for Judo Canada from 1985 to 2008.

“I went from provincial to national to international tournaments,” Boulay said.

“I also went to the Olympics and the Pan Am Games. It was just a case of right place,

right time and right opportunity.”

Boulay’s first experience with international competition was at the first-ever Francophone Games in Casablanca, Morocco in 1989. He explained that, at the time, the judo team’s budget was low, which meant he was the last line of defence if an athlete got injured.

“We were in the middle of the desert half the time,” Boulay said. “Honestly, it was quite rural and very backwards.”

After having gone to so many international competitions, Boulay said his favourite was by far the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney, Australia. He said he and his colleagues “had a ton of fun” over the 13 days, as they got to experience a new culture and exchange therapy techniques with trainers from other countries.

Boulay said the 2000 Olympics were also different from more recent ones because there wasn’t as much security present.

“It was a very innocent time,” Boulay said. “We’re talking about pre-9/11 so there was less security and everyone wanted to have fun and embrace the world. Everything was really open and friendly and we could visit the other mission houses.”

Aside from working with national teams, Boulay has collaborated with NHL and CFL teams. While he hasn’t treated the athletes

JANUARY 17, 2017

directly, he has worked with the therapists who help rehabilitate the athletes.

According to Boulay, the teams don’t want their players to visit private clinics. However, some doctors are always looking for better ways to treat athletes and he has been able to give advice when doctors come knocking on his door.

“Usually, we get called in to consult when something bad happens,” Boulay said. “The first time I was called in to work with the NHL was when Richard Zednik of the Montreal Canadiens suffered a spinal injury. We’ve been helping the Montreal Canadiens’ guys for a few years now.”

Boulay’s career in athletic therapy led him to become the founding president of the Quebec Sports Medicine Council. He said his goal in creating the council was to bring athletic therapists together so that they could work as a team instead of as competition.

The council discusses ways to improve how athletic therapists perform their jobs. One is sue t hey have all come together on is concussions and how to better treat athletes who suffer from them.

“Go back to the 1990s— concussions weren’t on anybody’s radar,” Boulay said. “[Athletic therapists] used to pull athletes out of competitions when they got concussions.

The coaches would hate us, and it took three deaths for them to finally start listening to us.”

For the last 14 years, Boulay has been teaching the Advanced Emergency Care in Sport course, which teaches students how to react and take care of athletes who have sustained an injury.

He and one of his colleagues have collaborated on the course, with Boulay taking care of the theory aspect and his partner working on the more practical side of the course.

This year, however, Boulay found out he would not be teaching the course. According to Boulay, the exercise science program decided to take three courses from the curriculum and assign them to a teacher undergoing a limited-term appointment (LTA), which is a term that usually lasts three years.

“They decided to take a recent graduate who just finished their master’s and dumped our three courses on this poor person,” Boulay said. “I wish them well but it took me 13 years to figure out how to teach one course and I’ve been in the business 30

theconcordian

11

years. It’s a hard assignment.”

Boulay explained that, as a part-time faculty teacher, he realizes there are campus politics, especially when it comes to issues like LTAs. He said it can be frustrating when part-time faculty members have their courses taken away because by the time the replacement’s term has ended, the old teachers are off doing something else.

Despite losing his class this year, Boulay still teaches. However, he has to travel a bit farther as he now works at the Univsersité de Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) and the Université de Sherbrooke. At UQTR, Boulay teaches two courses in their new exercise science program, and at Sherbrooke, he teaches sports care and first response.

Boulay said he’s able to balance his workload between Osteo-Med Sport and teaching because he has a passion for it.

“During the semester, I’ll take two mornings off of my clinic and actually lose money because my practice makes more money than teaching classes,” Boulay said.

“But I do it because I love it. It’s not about money, it’s about giving back.”

He also added that what he teaches can help people in life or death situations which, for him, is important.

“Rule number one in my classes is that you’re going to encounter some deaths and my second rule is that you can’t change rule number one,” Boulay said. “Then there’s rule number three, which is that if we do our jobs right, we can lessen the amount of deaths we encounter and that’s really what it’s all about.”

"It's not about

the money, it's about giving back."

Photos by Alex Hutchins.

This article is part of a series of profiles on part-time faculty at Concordia. Our goal is to highlight some of the incredible work these professors do in and outside of the university, while also shedding light on the difference in treatment between being part-time versus full-time faculty. Several profiles will have accompanying videos on our website theconcordian.com. Look out for various profiles throughout the semester! This series came to life with the help of Lorraine Oades, VP of the Concordia University Part-Time Faculty Association (CUPFA)

music

Quickspins

MUSIC EDITOR /// music@theconcordian.com SANDRA HERCEGOVÁ

1 THE XX

PROFILE

Montreal's eclectic DJ: Amir Javasoul The house DJ performed at Igloofest’s opening weekend

Amir Javasoul Djing live in Fabric, London. Photo by Nick Ensing.

SANDRA HERCEGOVÁ MUSIC EDITOR Igloofest brings thousands of people together to dance in the ice-cold winter to the beats of the world’s best DJs. The festival kicked off on Thursday, Jan. 12 and will be going on until Feb 19. On Saturday, Jan. 14, Amir Javasoul, a house DJ based in Montreal, closed the Videotron stage from 10 p.m. until midnight. His high energy techno beats kept the crowd warm throughout the night. The audience danced enthusiastically to his european style techno sounds until the very last minute.

Javasoul has been Djing at Igloofest for the past 10 years and is known for performing at other festivals and clubs in the city, including Piknic Electronik and Stereo. “Igloofest is something unique. I can’t think of any other festival in the world that brings over 10,000 people to dance in the cold,” said Javasoul. According to the Igloofest website, 2016 welcomed 79,000 people to the festival, 25,000 of which attended the opening weekend last year.

A computer engineer by day and a renowned DJ by night, Javasoul began spinning vinyl 20 years ago. Growing up in Montreal, he started going to clubs which, he said sparked his passion for electronic music. “I just really liked the complexity of electronic music,” he said. “At the time, most people were listening to rock or pop.

Techno and house was a new type of music that had endless possibilities.”

According to Javasoul, It was Derrick Carter, a legendary Chicago house DJ and

producer, who first inspired him to take on the art of mastering house and electro beats.

Javasoul said there are three cities that are important in house music: New York, Detroit and Chicago. New York house was a by-product of disco. Detroit experimented more with new technology and machinery—it was more industrial and techno-oriented. Chicago was in between, combining elements of house and techno.

“Usually, people who started Djing back in the days, they connect to these original sounds. I connect most with Chicago house, ” said Javasoul.

It can be easy to confuse house and techno music. “House music has a more organic sound to it. It derives from disco, and when you listen to a house track you hear more instruments, baselines and percussions,” said Javasoul. “Techno is much more linear. It is more industrialized and computerized.”

According to Javasoul, today’s technology makes it easier to mix a lot of different sounds and genres together. “There is less of a need to distinguish between house and techno,” said Javasoul. “You can create a beat that has both elements combined. We can simply start to call all of it electronic music.” He said technology has also taken away the actual need to know how to mix records. Today, a computer software can do it all for you. “When I started, it was about mixing vinyl records together. You learned the real craft of mixing records,” said Javasoul.

Whether Javasoul plays at Igloofest for 10,000 people or at Stereo for 1000

people, he said he needs to adapt his music to the crowd’s ambiance. “I never plan in advance. It’s always on the fly,” he said. “I get there, I feel the crowd, I test some tracks here and there to see how the reaction goes. It’s always been an impulsive process.”

He said his number one rule about Djing is to never program a set—it's what makes electronic music different from all other ge nre s of m u sic . “ You have the liberty of creating on stage. DJs can play live sets and create beats right on the spot,” said Javasoul.

In 2001, Javasoul moved to Paris, where his musical career blossomed. He got to try out his music with a completely different crowd and was able to gain experience Djing around Europe.

“I got to play in many cities such as Paris, Berlin, London and Ibiza,” he said. “I was in France for 10 years and it was the most important years of my DJ career.” He played in renowned clubs such as Queen, Studio 287, The End, Ministry of Sound, Pacha Ibiza, Crystal Istanbul and Fabric.

In January 2015, Javasoul played in the main room of club Fabric in London alongside Craig Richards and Ricardo Villalobos who are both renowned DJs in the underground scene. DJ Ricardo Villalobos also came to Montreal for the MUTEK festival in 2014. “Fabric was the most important gig of my life,” said Javasoul. “I played with the two best DJs in the world in one of the best clubs in the world.”

Javasoul has also performed at the Burning Man festival and multiple times for Piknic Electronik. “Piknic Electronik and Igloofest organizers are the same crew. They love to showcase local and international talent and they find a good way to blend both together,” said Javasoul.

It’s Javasoul’s interaction with the audience and sharing his love for music that makes the experience of performing most worth it, he said.

“The best part is when you get the reactions of the people you play for. Being an international DJ has also made me a lot of friends from around the world. You become friends because of the music and then your friendship grows” said Javasoul.

Recently, Javasoul has been working on a collaboration called “Creatures of Habit” with DJ producer Maher Daniel. Together, they released a vinyl record last month.

Stay tuned for Javasoul’s upcoming shows, where his house beats will send you running to the dance floor.

I See You (Young Turks Recordings, 2017) Five years ago, The xx released their hit album, Coexist. They are now back with I See You, where their distinct smooth electro and dreamy pop ballads resurface. The opening track, “Dangerous,” mixes an electro, upbeat tempo with soft-spoken vocals—something The xx has always known how to perfectly combine. “Say Something Loving” continues with upbeat, romantic sounds and words—it sounds just like a love poem turned into a melodious pop fairytale. “Lips” has beautiful electro rhythms—it’s the song to put you in a relaxing trance of gentle electro euphoria. The last few songs are sad, emotional and deeply moving.

If you have an interest for sorrowful melodies, you’ll enjoy them. “A Violent Noise,” the last track on the album, plays with both high and low tempos.

The track fuels different moods throughout, making it an interesting listen.

11 Trial Track: “Lips”

7/10

—Sandra Hercegová, Music Editor

2 YOU ME AT SIX

Night People (Infectious People, 2017) If you’ve missed the classic, sweet sound of pop-rock, Night People has got you covered. The album opens up with “Night People,” a track that will get that adrenaline pumping with its high energy. It has a feel-good, edgy but sweet sound and raspy vocals. You can tell this track would be killer to watch live. The party keeps on rolling with “Plus One,” where the high-energy guitar riffs and loud singing continues.

The first few songs on the album are reminiscent of past hits from The Killers.

In “Heavy Soul” and “Brand New,” the tempo lowers down to a soft, rockish interlude that could easily be played on any afternoon. It has a nostalgic feel of 90s pop rock. It’s easy to listen to and just as easy to enjoy. When “Swear” hits the speakers, they bring back high-energy and intensity on guitars.

The last few songs feature cool guitar riffs and rhythms that are instantly appealing and memorable.

11 Trial Track: “Legend has it”

7.5/10 —Sandra Hercegová, Music Editor

JANUARY 17, 2017

theconcordian

13

PROFILE

3 NINE INCH NAILS

Not the Actual Events (EP) (The Null Corporation, 2016) Nine Inch Nails’ Not the Actual Events has industrial electro rock sounds. It is a dark, mysterious collection of electro and gritty rock tracks—definitely not something you’ll hear playing on Top 40. Just one listen to its opening track, “Branches/ Bones” can turn your mood into an electro rage. “Dear World” is the track to play at an after-hour rave, as it seems appropriate to fill the dark hours of the night with its sound. It has less rock rhythms than the EP’s other tracks and more of a high-energy, linear techno beat. “She’s Gone Away” begins with the sound of heavy breathing through a telephone along with spooky wind noises. It is the gloomiest track on the album—the deep voices and fearsome sounds are spine-chilling. “The Idea of You” begins with heavy, rock guitar riffs with deep, indistinguishable, whispering voices, which make it all the more baffling.

Not The Actual Events has a unique dark electro rock flavour that deserves a listen.

11 Trial track: “Branches/Bones”

7/10

—Sandra Hercegová, Music Editor

4 INJURY RESERV

E

Floss (Las Fuegas, 2016)

Injury Reserve’s Floss was one of the most pleasant surprises of 2016. With consistent variation in every aspect of the music, no two songs sound alike.

Floss opens with “Oh Shit!!!” which, after a few seconds of calm, eerie piano keys, breaks into this raucous, in-yourface hook that immediately pulls the listener in. “All This Money” has the group placed over an instrumental reminiscent of mid-2000s Neptunes production and pits its aggressive hook against smooth, laid-back verses. “Keep On Slippin” is the album’s most vulnerable moment, as Ritchie and Vic Mensa open up about their deteriorating mental states and the issues they have with their significant others. Floss plays with both traditional and experimental hiphop sounds, creating a style completely unique to the album. This is another solid release from a young group that has the potential to be one of modern hip-hop’s best.

11 Trial track: “All My Love"

8/10

—Wesley Mclean, Staff Writer

Heavy-metal punk band Gutser

Chris Aitkens is a Concordia student by day and a rockstar by night EMILY VIDAL ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR Behind the screaming vocals of the heavy metal-punk band Gutser is Concordia undergraduate student Chris Aitkens.

Aitkens is currently pursuing a BA in the Journalism program. The singer-songwriter founded the band in 2014, and said he feels he has finally found his place in the music world. “I think this is the band that I was meant to play in after all those years,” he said. “I finally found my voice. I finally found my sound.”

Aitkens first got involved in the music scene at 14 years old, after going to an all-ages Halloween show at Club Lambi. “I saw these incredible bands and I just really wanted to be part of what they were doing,” he said.

“The first band that I saw was Trigger Effect, which to this day is still my favourite band, even though they dissolved a few years ago.

I started going to more shows and started to develop my taste in music, and then wanted to be in my own band.”

At 16 years old, Aitkens formed his first band with high school friend James Armstrong, and went on to start other bands after that. “Most of them were terrible to begin with,” said Aitkens, adding that Gutser actually took off by accident. “It started off with myself singing, James Armstrong playing bass and James Thomas playing drums,” he said.

The bassist, Armstrong, has been with Aitkens since the very beginning of his musical career. “I’ve known him for half of my life, so we’re really good friends,” said Aitkens.

Aitkens then started talking with Thomas, the drummer, who at the time was playing with the band Bearmase. “I kept on annoying him, [saying], ‘Yo, man, we’ve got to be in a band together,’” Aitkens said. They were still missing a guitar player, but, according to Aitkens, when Thomas brought along guitarist Paul McWhaw, they immediately hit it off.

“We’ve been playing, every single week for almost three years now,” he said.

Aitkens said he feels he can fully rely on his Gutser bandmates, a connection he never had with previous bandmates. “It’s often very difficult to find people who are as enthusiastic [about music] as you are,” he said. “It took me a while to finally find a band that was stable enough [to play with].”

However, being a Concordia student by day and the frontman of a heavy metal-punk band by night does have its challenges. “There's this whole lifestyle of staying up very late and drinking. But when you have school the next day, then it’s kind of difficult to maintain that rockstar lifestyle,” said Aitkens.

What makes it all worthwhile is the fact that he loves performing on stage. “I’m a bit shy in real life, but when I’m on stage, I’m the centre of attention and I can say anything, do anything,” he said. “It just feels really good. I don’t have to be such a lonely person all the time. I can be part of something bigger than myself.”

The band is set to release their first EP titled Gutser Sucks within the next month. “We still have a bit more recording to do and there’s the whole technical aspect of mixing, mastering and getting our CDs together. Hopefully we’ll get that done in about a month,” he said.

While they are not sure what venue they will be having their launch party at, Aikens said he would like for it to be held at Turbo

House in Saint-Henri. It is run by his favourite band, Trigger Effect, so he said that there is a certain sentimentality about that place.

Aitkens said that he hopes people will enjoy their new songs. “I want people to listen to our music and think, ‘Oh wow, this is a really intense and energetic band. I would love to go see them live, and I would love to party with them,’” he said.

According to Aitkens, their music has an in-your-face tone that’s also humorous.

“The way I like to describe it is: it’s painful for us to play and it’s painful for people to watch, just because it’s so fast and so demanding.

It takes every ounce of our energy to get through one song,” said Aitkens.

A theme that is present in their EP is disillusionment. “[It’s about] being pushed to be a certain way and then snapping out of it all of a sudden and just realizing, ‘Wait a second, I can think for myself, I don’t have to do what the television tells me to do, I don’t have to do what the church tells me to do’ or anything like that,” Aitkens said.

On Feb. 4, Gutser will be performing at On Rock Community Services in Pierrefonds, an annual benefit show for the homeless. Aitkens said this could be a very good opportunity for the band. “There’s most likely going to be children there, so I’m wondering if I could inspire any young kids to pursue music the same way I was inspired 10 years ago,” he said.

Rocking out at the Buckfest (above).

Photo by Miguel Mendes.

Gutser is always high-energy on stage (below).

Photo by Sam Boyd.

14

theconcordian

JANUARY 17, 2017

JAZZ

Are you ready for a jazzy warmup?

Concordia's jazz crew can be found at Upstairs bar every Wednesday CAROLINE RACICOT CONTRIBUTOR Concordia’s jazz community can be found at the Upstairs Bar & Grill every Wednesday, where Concordia students and teachers will jazz up your heart and soul.

At 5 p.m., Upstairs’ stage is reserved for talented jazz musicians to show off their savoir faire. Pianists, bassists, saxophonists, guitarists, drummers and singers are always ready to make you tap your feet. You will hear swing, bebop, blues and, if the night allows it, a little hard bop. You will also be exposed to a new generation of musicians.

Dave Turner, a professional alto saxophonist and Concordia jazz music professor, often shares the stage with his students.

“It’s very important for students to perform in front of a public and play with other musicians instead of practicing alone,” he said. “It improves their musicianship and playing with professional musicians is a great teaching tool.’’

Turner has released a total of 10 albums, including Café Alto, which was nominated for a Juno Award back in 1987.

He has performed in New York, Brussels, Amsterdam, Rotterdam and at many jazz festivals in Montreal and Toronto. He said his preferences are Latin jazz and hard bop, and when it comes to his prefered songs, you could catch him listening to Tito Puente’s classic, ‘‘Oye Como Va.’’ Along with Turner, you might also see Josh

Rager, a great pianist and Concordia music teacher at Upstairs. Rager also performs extensively in Japan, Europe and across North America. In 2005 he was nominated for the Montreal International Jazz Festival’s Prix du festival. In 2007, he played at Carnegie Hall with Nikki Yanofsky, appearing also on her debut, Juno-nominated DVD/CD, “Ella...Of Thee I Swing.”

Concordia jazz student Mathieu Tassie said he recognizes the value in going to the Upstairs jam sessions. ‘‘Performancewise, you learn a lot, and playing with different musicians every week gives you experience and the chance to build your musical vocabulary,’’ he said.

Tassie started playing the saxophone when he was 11 and began playing jazz at around age 13.

He said his teacher at the time told him

the key element to playing jazz is to listen to a lot of it.

Ta s s i e f i r s t started to listen to Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and John Lee Hooker. Right now, he said his favourite jazz musician is Sonny Rollins, an 85-year-old jazz legend. More of a bebop player, Rollins has played it all, from swing, blues and bebop to hard bop, pop, R&B and funk. He even recorded with The Rolling Stones on their album Tattoo You. When performing, Tassie said he first

listens to the piece but also tries to sing the melody and the harmony before starting to play it on his sax. He also tries to figure out how the sounds link together to project an emotional reaction. Most importantly, Tassie’s learning tool is transcription, which is when you listen to a song and write out the melody and chords on a music sheet.

Transcribing a song is one of the most effective ways to learn music, according to Tassie.

He said it helps him understand what the song is all about, by revealing its rhythmic motifs and its intricacies. öö To learn more about Concordia’s jazz community and to enjoy the students’ live performances, come by the Upstairs Bar & Grill, 1254 Mackay Street, on Wednesdays at 5 p.m.

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Send it all to production@theconcordian.com

Ethan Soil on drums along with Mathieu Ta s s i e o n t h e s a xo phone.

Photo by Caroline Racicot.

Graphic by Thom Bell.

JANUARY 17, 2017

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sports

SPORTS EDITOR /// sports@theconcordian.com ALEXANDER COLE ( @AlexCole_80)

MEN'S HOCKEY

Three’s company, four’s a crowd The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team now has a quartet of goalies with the addition of Marc-Antoine Turcotte ALEXANDER COLE SPORTS EDITOR Coming into the 2016-2017 season, Concordia Stingers men’s hockey head coach Marc-André Élement brought in a plethora of fresh talent, including leading goal-scorer Anthony Deluca, forward Philippe Sanche, forward Anthony Beauregard and defenseman Mickaël Beauregard.

In addition, Élement brought in two new goaltenders to make the team more competitive on the back end. The first was Philippe Cadorette, who was an exceptional goaltender with the BaieComeau Drakkar of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Cadorette had the league’s best save percentage in 2014 and made the all-star team that same year. The second of these goalies was Marc-Antoine Turcotte, who played for the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL. “We had the opportunity to improve at the goalie level. Now I’m not saying last year our goalies didn’t do the job.

We didn’t have the same team,” Élement said. “We had the chance to bring in two goalies with a lot of QMJHL experience and it’s been an opportunity to let in less goals per game and right now we’re having success.”

When the season started, Cadorette quickly became the team’s number one goalie after two solid games against the Carleton Ravens. Turcotte, on the other hand, had to wait until the winter semester to suit up for the Stingers, as he was ineligible to play due to age restrictions.

Turcotte got his first start with the team on Jan. 4 in a game against the Royal Military College of Canada. He turned aside 20 out of 21 shots in the match, with the team winning 7-1. Since then, Turcotte has been established as the backup goalie.

However, with Cadorette and Turcotte currently holding the number two top spots, the Stingers are in an interesting situation, as they now have four capable goalies on the roster. Miguel Sullivan, who is in his second year with the team, and Antoine Marchand, as well as Turcotte and Cadorette, are all competing with each other for the top spot on the team.

For Élement, the competition is healthy, as none of the goalies have been guaranteed the starting job. According to Élement, if the goalies want to be the starter, they have to earn it.

“It’s going to be big competition to get in the net,” Élement said. “When you have competition, you get better and this is why I like competition within the team.

It’s a healthy competition and all of the guys work really hard. They’ve definitely given us a hard time to choose who’s going to play.”

According to Cadorette, having three other goalies to compete with has helped him improve his game this season.

“It’s been good competition because

we all want to be the best,” Cadorette said. “Competition makes you better, and there’s plenty of that here.”

Sullivan, who was the starting goaltender at the end of last season, said battling for the net is nothing new, and that it’s a situation every goaltender faces no matter where they play.

“I can’t speak for the other guys, but I haven’t changed the way I play,” Sullivan said.

“I still come to the rink and focus on what I have to do. I’m trying to improve everyday.”

“We all know that we can’t afford to take a day off because we’re all ready to play,” added Marchand.

While all four goalies are in intense competition with each other, according to Turcotte and Sullivan, the competition has remained f r iendly t hroug hout t he season.

“It’s been a lot of fun this year. In practice, we play off each other, we kind of joke about it all and the four of us all have good chemistry together, so there’s never been any issues between any of us,” Marchand said.

“I would definitely say it’s a healthy relationship between all of us for now,” Turcotte said.

Before the season started, Cadorette and Sullivan were the top two goalies on the team. With the addition of Turcotte, Sullivan is now the third string goalie and Marchand is the fourth.

Despite his status as a fourth string goalie, Marchand, a fourth-year veteran, has taken his role in stride and been a role model for the younger goalies, according to Élement.

“Being in my fourth year, there is obviously a responsibility on my end to be a leader and to help the team out as much as I can in any role that I’m given, and my mindset is to get better on my own and help us all get better,” Marchand said. “Cadorette and Turcotte have come to me for help in terms of guiding them through the university process, and I’m more than happy to help since I’ve done it before.”

Marchand added that, despite not playing this year, he and the other goalies on the team feel they all get a fair shot in practice. He said, no matter what, he has been put in a position where he feels ready to play if anybody goes down.

With Marchand leaving the team at the end of the season, Élement addressed whether or not he will be looking for a fourth goalie to replace him.

“We’re going to stick to three goalies for now,” Élement said. “I’m happy with how they’ve all played and they’ve definitely met our expectations.”

Marc-Antoine Turcotte was added this fall, but only became eligible to play in January. Photos

by Alexander Cole.

Miguel Sullivan has been with the team since last season and has played two playoff games.

Philippe Cadorette has been the team’s starter this year.

JANUARY 17, 2017

S

The most fun you’ll have in your life Why organized sports are an immensely fulfilling experience ALEXANDER COLE SPORTS EDITOR Walking into a crowded hockey dressing room for the first time at the age of 10 was probably one of the most intimidating moments of my life. For two years prior, I had been begging my mom and dad to sign me up for hockey, but every time I asked I was be told “no” because I hadn’t even learned how to skate yet.

With aspirations of being a goalie, it was essential that I knew what I was doing once I strapped on my skates. I had played goalie enough in street hockey to think I’d be the next Patrick Roy. It’s why I needed my parents to sign me up. However, I was nowhere near that talented and my parents were right.

I went on the ice for the first time with gear my parents had bought for me at Canadian Tire, and it was my first time ever skating. As soon as my shining silver blades hit the ice, I fell face first, with the metal bars of my goalie mask hitting the ice.

Of course, like any 10-year-old who has just felt a sudden wave of embarrassment, I started to cry. But I picked myself up and made it through the session.

After the practice, on the drive home from the arena, almost in unison, my mom and dad asked me if I “still wanted to play.”

I had begged to play for too long to tell them no and, quite frankly, my decision to keep playing hockey was one of the best decisions of my life.

Organized sports are a weird animal.

On the one hand, you have the kids who aren’t that talented but who play for fun, and on the other, you have the ultra-talented kids whose parents have enrolled them in every single training camp imaginable.

Those are the kids who are dedicated to making the NHL, the NBA or the NFL. I, however, just wanted to play for fun.

No matter what type of player you are, organized sports are a great way to spend your childhood. As a shy kid who didn’t have many friends when I started playing hockey, (yes, sad I know), playing sports was a great way for me to meet new people. Some of my best friends are people I met through hockey or people I already knew but bonded with because we were on the same team.

Playing organized sports also gave me the confidence to do things I never thought I could. It gave me an outlet to be passionate about something.

Allowing myself to be passionate about something without feeling judged is a big reason why I’m here doing what I’m doing today.

Now it may seem tacky or cliché, but the best part about playing organized sports is the memories.

Be it waking up at 5 a.m. for 6 a.m. practices in the dead of winter or driving to Kanata, Ont. every year for tournaments, some of the best days of my life have been spent in an icy arena.

The wins, the losses—they all meant something to me when I played. My goal was to never become a professional, but being competitive and dedicating myself to something was easily one of the

coolest things I ’ ve had t he chance to do.

A couple of years ago, I had to quit because of school and other commitments, but I still think a b o u t p l ay i n g almost every day.

It ’s s om e t hing I miss and an oppor tunit y I’d recommend to anybody.

It ’s f unny, bec ause people always ask me why people care about sports so much. It’s definitely a hard question to answer, but I think it becomes easier once you’ve actually played a sport. Whether it’s the camaraderie, the feeling you get after a big win or just the sense of belonging and purpose, sports bring people together.

They ’re fun. Nothing more, nothing less—and I think that’s all you really need to know.

While most of you reading this are probably past your teenage years, it isn’t too late to get involved in organized sports. Beer leagues, office leagues and adult leagues can be found for pretty much every sport out there. Even if you’ve never tried the sport you want to play, these adult leagues are filled with novices and former high-level players who just want to have a little fun. A great resource is clubmontreal.

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PORT

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RECREATION

theconcordian

Rant of the Week

BY ALEXANDER COLE

F THE LET’S GET RID O T SHOOTOU When the NHL came back from its season-long lockout in 2005, the league implemented a new rule to get rid of ties. The rule stated that, if a game was tied after 60 minutes, the game would then go to a five-minute overtime period.

If the game was still tied, it would go to a shootout.

ca, which gives a list of leagues that cover a variety of sports that you can join.

You don’t have to be a kid to reap the benefits of organized sports and that’s what’s great about them. As sports fans, we all have dreams of scoring a game-winning goal or making the last save in a shootout.

These are moments we think we have to be professionals to experience, but that isn’t true. All you need is some friends, a great sport and the toughness to keep pushing yourself when things don’t go the way you want them to at first.

"Qu itting hockey was on e of

the hardest decisions of m y life."

"Playing sports has given me an appreciation for why sports fans are so crazy."

Photos by Lorraine Du Cap.

If you don’t know what a shootout is, it’s when everyone clears the ice and the only people on the ice are a player at centre ice and the goalie.

The player gets an open breakaway and has to score on the goalie. In the NHL, the winner is determined by who has the most goals after three shooters. If the game is still tied, they keep going until a winner is decided.

In international hockey, the shootout has also become popularized, and goes up to five shooters instead of three. This version of the shootout was seen during the 2017 World Junior Hockey Championship final in Montreal this year. The United States defeated Canada 5-4 in the shootout and took home the gold. No matter how many shooters you have, a shootout is the worst way to win a game, and the worst way to lose.

Now you may be thinking that I’m just saying that because Canada lost—but that’s not the case. If Canada had won, I would have said the same thing.

Because the format of the shootout is based on individual skill rather than team effort, when games go to shootouts, it is usually the team with the most skilled individuals that wins. Even if the losing team played better that night, their lack of individual talent will cost them the win.

Furthermore, hockey is more complex than a few breakaways.

Games are filled with strategy, hits, shots from every angle, power plays, penalty kills and great goaltending. When you limit the outcome of a hockey game to a few breakaways, you’re undermining the hard work the players on both teams have executed all game.

As someone who has played hockey, I know that no one feels good about winning in a shootout. It’s not a real indicator of who the best team is and, in the context of a championship game, the shootout is a joke.

Sudden-death overtime is the best way to end a game, because both teams keep playing until someone f inally scores . Now that’s exciting.

opinions OPINIONS EDITOR /// opinions@theconcordian.com DAVID EASEY

EDITORIAL

The river runs red

The wind howls as the full moon creeps out from behind the clouds. A dark presence is awoken during this sacred time as the evil brews within the human species. Suddenly, women start to bleed from their uteruses and their minds become enraged with foul, demonic fantasies.

They become unstable for about a week and all hell breaks loose.

Menstruation is often regarded in this light, painted as a savage and primitive burden that makes women seem weak and dirty. Here at The Concordian, we hope to combat this medieval narrative. Menstruation is a beautiful and natural process that should be celebrated instead of shunned.

Our university is making great strides regarding this issue of mesntruating. The Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) recently proposed a plan to provide free feminine hygiene products in all member associations (MA) offices to students. According to our news

team, this proposal includes purchasing an estimated $2,000 worth of products available for faculty and staff to access for free. From our understanding, the proposal will be decided upon in February. We see no reason why it shouldn’t be unanimously approved by voting members of ASFA. Health Services have always provided free feminine hygiene products, but students have said that they can sometimes run out—meaning women are forced to make a quick trip to the local pharmacy.

The Concordian believes all women should have access to affordable menstrual products, because women shouldn’t have to shell out the big bucks for something completely natural and out of their control. In July 2015, the federal government removed the GST (goods and services tax) and the HST (harmonized sales tax in applicable provinces) on tampons and other feminine hygiene products, according

to the National Post.

Across the globe, the situation is more dire, however. For example, women in Iran don’t even have access to tampons because it’s believed they will rupture the hymen and destroy their virginity, according to an article in Women’s Health. This means they have to use pieces of cloth and diapers to absorb the blood, considering pads are difficult to come by. The subject is so taboo that women can’t even publically discuss the topic without getting in trouble with the religious police.

In Latin America, specifically in countries such as Argentina and Venezuela, the economic instability—mainly the depreciation of their currencies—has triggered a mass shortage of goods, especially tampons and other feminine hygiene products. This means women must resort to buying these goods on the black market for a highly inflated price, according to The Guardian. If the shops do get a shipment

of tampons, women normally have to queue on the street for several hours just to purchase a small box, which is also at a highly inflated price, according to the same article.

And don’t even get us started on the male reaction towards menstruation. How many times have you told a dude you were on your period and suddenly he made a series of judgements and observations about you? Maybe the person said “oh, well that explains why you’ve been so moody lately,” or, “too much information, I don’t need to hear about that.”

Women have been getting their period since the beginning of time—why should this be a subject that makes a lot of men uncomfortable?

We applaud ASFA for working towards making female hygiene products more accessible to all students, and breaking away from the stigma that periods cannot be openly discussed.

Graphic by Florence Yee.

CONSERVATISM

Weighing in on a controversial book deal Conservative journalist Milo Yiannopoulos gets major publishing deal BEN FRASER CONTRIBUTOR Outspoken media f igure Milo Yiannopoulos has once again found himself at the center of a controversy, as he signed a lucrative publishing deal.

Yiannopoulos is a right-wing journalist for Breitbart News. According to several sources, including the Los Angeles Times and The Guardian, he signed a new book deal with Threshold, a conservative subsidiary of the Simon & Schuster publishing house, worth a reported $250,000 USD. Yiannopoulos was banned from Twitter a few months prior for allegedly harassing Ghostbusters and Saturday Night Live star Leslie Jones, tweeting that she was “barely literate,” and should tolerate the racist online abuse she was enduring at the time.

He has said many things that are considered offensive; he has openly criticized the Black Lives Matter movement and has voiced his utter distaste for feminism. While I personally don’t agree with everything Yiannopoulos says, I do admire his gall and his confidence to stand up for what he believes in.

I myself tend to lean right and in this day and age, being a conservative is often viewed in a negative light.

Especially in a time of political correctness, it’s difficult to have an open and honest discussion without being silenced

for stating our own thoughts.

I applaud the publishing house Simon & Schuster for standing up for free speech and standing by Milo Yiannopoulos and giving a conservative a platform to voice his opinions.

As for the Twitter ban, it seems the conservatives are the only targets. For example, Laci Green, a notable feminist, tweeted “We are now under total Republican rule. Textbook fascism. Fuck you, white America. Fuck you, you racist, misogynist pieces of shit,” after Donald Trump won the presidency. Sounds pretty hateful to me, so why isn’t Lacy Green banned from social media?

Let’s turn our attention MTV now. The channel recently produced a video called “2017 Resolutions for White Guys” that targeted white men and explained how they can "improve" in the new year. The video was later deleted by MTV, but it was one of the most offensive videos I have ever seen. Yet, this is seen as okay because of political correctness—because if you’re white, it’s fair game. Can you imagine what would happen if I, a white male, made a video called “2017 Resolutions for Black Guys”?

Free speech is a symbol of Western values—values that millions have died protecting. It disappoints me that we forget how the world was nearly destroyed when we fought against fascism and the silencing of free speech in Germany, Italy

and Japan more than 70 years ago.

Political correctness is killing us. It kills our society and it prevents the free flow of ideas. It needs to stop and it needs to stop now. English crime writer Phyllis Dorothy James put it best: “I believe that political correctness can be a form of linguistic fascism, and it sends shivers down the spine of my generation who went to war against fascism.”

Yiannopoulos is a character, that much

is true. And as a person who enjoys political discourse, and discourse in general, I will be buying his book when it comes out in March. Free speech can never be silenced. As political commentator Ben Shapiro said, “Facts don’t care about your feelings.”

Graphic by Florence Yee.

JANUARY 17, 2017

theconcordian

19

WORLD

Dealing with terrorism and empathy in a climate of fear Are Middle Eastern lives worthless in the eyes of the Western world?

CHARLES PROCEE STAFF WRITER On New Year’s Day, 2017, a gunman entered a nightclub in Istanbul's Beşiktaş district. Seven minutes later, 39 people lay dead and the attacker had escaped into the crowd.

I learned of this attack through Twitter.

However, I was hard pressed to find any other concrete information from major news sources. A Canadian even died in this ISIS attack and yet barely a passing glance was made.

Why is this? Why is an attack in Paris “an attack on all humanity,” as President Obama called it, while attacks in non-Western nations barely make it out of the newsroom? The answer is complex.

One could assume that Turkey, a country seen as a nexus between the East and West, perhaps shares the perceived characteristic violent connotations of its Middle Eastern neighbours. This, I think, is only half right.

It is certainly true that Turkey has a history of terror attacks—primarily from Kurdish rebel forces—an ethnic minority who’ve been pushing for cultural and territorial independence for decades.

ISIS has recently been wreaking havoc across the nation, as the Syrian civil war spills across the border, with 415 Turkish civilians and soldiers having been killed since June 2015, according to The New York Times.

Yet, Turkey is also considered by many to be a “Westernized nation,” the strongest member of NATO next to the U.S. and a secular democracy. So why aren’t acts of terror in Turkey and other non-Western nations treated like world-shaking events as they are in Paris, Brussels or Berlin?

As Molly Crabapple of The Guardian wrote, the West is conditioned to perceive Middle Eastern lives are “cheap.” To a certain extent, I am inclined to agree with this perspective. For instance, on November 12, 2015, two suicide bombers killed 42 people in a Beirut market. This attack was reported by western media but focused on the fact it was an “explosion in a Hezbollah stronghold,” rather than an ISIS attack against innocent civilians, according to The New York Times.

Presenting this attack and countless others in the Middle East as routine incidents of sectarian violence has the effect of normalizing violence in that region rather than showing us what it truly is: a robbery of innocent lives that is worthy of our attention.

However, the responsibility for this normalization is not solely at the feet of the mass media—the public plays a part in effacing the significance of these attacks.

Social media is a perfect example of such a disparity in empathy. The Charlie Hebdo and Bataclan attacks in Paris in 2015 both elicited mass public outcry. This sympathy manifested itself in the hashtags #jesuischarlie and #jesuisparis. In addition, attacks in Brussels and Berlin in 2016 garnered similar responses. But where was the outcry and mass public support following terrorist attacks in Nigeria, Turkey, Lebanon and Iraq, many of which occurred within weeks or days of the Parisian and Belgian attacks?

I asked this exact question on social media—Facebook specifically. What was surprising to me is the fact that all of respondents acknowledged the lack of media and public sympathy for non-Western victims of terror.

They almost unanimously felt the reason for the lack of empathy was that they could see parts of themselves in Western nations but not in others.

For example, Paris is iconic and romanticized in the West. One respondent said she could imagine herself at the Bataclan the night it was attacked, in much the same way she

could see herself at the Metropolis here in Montreal. But why doesn’t the New Year’s attack at an Istanbul nightclub elicit a similar response? Surely Turkish people enjoy music, friends and life just as much as Parisians and Montrealers.

The reasons behind such a lack of empathy are many and hard to capture in an article of this length. However, I believe that thinking about these questions is a good exercise for broadening our worldview and opening our hearts and minds beyond what is familiar and comfortable to us. In other words, this an opportunity to cultivate a sense of empathy for those deemed different from us.

With ISIS committing atrocities on what seems like a weekly basis, lack of empathy and a belief that violence in the Middle East is “just how things are over there” are a threat to the values we claim to hold and the lives of those fleeing places like Syria and Iraq.

Such beliefs only feed the rhetoric which equates Muslims with terrorism. We owe it to ourselves and our fellow human beings to be cognizant of such gaps in our empathetic compass, and to directly address these issues. If not, how can we truly deny that we consider Middle Eastern lives “cheaper” than our own?

Graphic by Florence Yee.

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