The Concordian - September 19 2017

Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper

theconcordian

VOLUME 35, ISSUE 4 | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

theconcordian.com  /theconcordian  @theconcordian

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Playing for their city

Jay Som and other local artists graced the POP Montreal stage Music p. 15

also in this issue

news

life

arts

sports

opinions

Queer stories take Improving tests What it means to Discussing the The journey of a Myanmar crisis p. 2 photojournalist p. 9 centre stage p. 13 for concussions p. 16 be Canadian p. 19

news

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

HUMAN RIGHTS

MIGS’s Kyle Matthews on the situation in Myanmar

Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies executive director Kyle Matthews comments on the situation concerning Rohingya people in Myanmar. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Rohingya killings are textbook case of ethnic cleansing, says institute’s executive director MATTHEW LAPIERRE STAFF WRITER Last week, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, condemned the treatment of the Rohingya people by the Burmese government , labelling it a textbook case of ethnic cleansing.

Myanmar’s government has denied the media and international observers access to the Rakhine state located near the Bangladesh border where, according to fleeing villagers interviewed by Human Rights Watch, soldiers from the Burmese military are executing civilians, raping thousands of women and burning down hundreds of Rohingya settlements.

Myanmar has never granted citizenship to the mostly Muslim Rohingya and tensions have been high between them and Myanmar’s Buddhist majority population for years. On Aug. 25, the conflict reached a tipping point when a Rohingya militant group staged a coordinated attack on 24 police stations and outposts in the region, Al Jazeera reported. Since then, the Burmese government has

cracked down on the Rohingya under the guise of a security operation, according to the same publication.

The U.N. Refugee Agency estimates that, as of Sept. 11, over 370,000 Rohingya refugees have fled from northwestern Myanmar to Bangladesh.

Kyle Matthews, the executive director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (MIGS) at Concordia, agrees with the U.N. high commissioner’s accusation. He said the Burmese government is breaking international law by engaging in ethnic cleansing, and people need to speak out.

Matthews works with parliamentarians, researchers and activists—including Quebec Senator Romeo Dallaire—to increase public awareness of genocide and violent extremism.

MIGS’s goal is to prevent mass atrocities like the Rwandan genocide from ever happening again.

Researchers at the institute have been following the situation in Myanmar for years, but as it has become more dire, Matthews has started to speak out. Here’s what he had to say about the Myanmar crisis.

Q: Would you use the term “ethnic cleansing” to describe the situation in Myanmar?

A: I think it's a textbook case. There are verified reports of villages being burnt. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have confirmed, through satellite technology, that it is taking place. There have been tales of refugees crossing into Bangladesh, giving accounts of Myanmar's military attacking the villages and threatening that if the Rohingya don't leave, they would kill everyone. It's ethnic cleansing, that's for sure.

Q: What's the definition of ethnic cleansing?

A: Well, there's a legal definition, and it's encompassed as one of four mass atrocity crimes under the Responsibility to Protect principles, [a global political commitment endorsed by all U.N. member states]. The term “ethnic cleansing” came out of the Balkan conflict. It’s where you use physical violence to intimidate a population to get them to leave the area where they're living and to ensure they never come back. So it's not genocide, where you want to destroy the group in whole or in part, but it's to basically kick them off the land and make sure they don't come

back. So it fits that. Others have said that there's also a genocide going on.

Q: Is the distinction between genocide and ethnic cleansing important in this case?

A: No, I don't think so. Whether it’s genocide or ethnic cleansing has to be analyzed by a court of law, but I think it’s safe to say there are mass atrocity crimes taking place.

Q: The Burmese government is denying access to observers and media in the Rakhine state. Why is that important?

A: I think they're denying access because they've got something to hide. Before all this violence took place, there were crackdowns on international NGOs. We worked with some Canadian NGOs in Rakhine state. They've talked about very difficult challenges to get there. Media has had trouble accessing the area.

That's textbook when a government is conducting mass atrocities.

Q: Is it important for countries or leaders to denounce these types of situations?

A: I think it's important. I think most leaders are afraid to do that, but we have a legal responsibility. Canada, for example, has an additional

responsibility because [Myanmar leader] Aung San Suu Kyi is an honorary Canadian citizen. We have a responsibility to speak out.

International law is quite clear; there's nothing there that says we're supposed to be quiet. I think we have to speak out. When you don't name a certain human rights violation, then you're avoiding what's really taking place. So I think, politically, we need to stand out. However, the most positive thing about Myanmar has been all of these other Nobel Peace Prize winners denouncing what's happening. That gives [the issue] moral voice, and it also shows political leaders an incentive to be more forceful.

Q: What can individuals do?

A: There's a lot you can do. First of all, we live in a democracy. We can use our individual voices to write to political leaders—be that the Liberal government or the opposition—to say that this is important to us and we want Canada to take more action, we want Canada to speak publicly and denounce this regime.

We don't have to fall into apathy.

We can use our individual power to try to make change. In every humanitarian disaster, it comes down to individuals that show leadership and make a difference.

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HUMAN RIGHTS

Persecution of Rohingya in Myanmar condemned

Protesters call for Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi to be stripped of Nobel Peace Prize IAN DOWN ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Montrealers came out in full force to condemn the persecution of Myanmar’s mainly Muslim Rohingya people on Saturday, Sept. 16.

At half past noon, roughly 150 people—many of them from Montreal’s Muslim community— marched from Concordia’s Hall building to Place Ville Marie, chanting slogans which criticized Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her government. The event was organized by former Concordia student, Majed Jam, whose goals were to inspire action and raise awareness about the plight of the Rohingya.

An estimated 370,000 Rohingya have left the eastern state of Rakhine to seek refuge in Bangladesh af ter clashes with Burmese security forces.

Although the predominantly Muslim Rohing ya have long been a persecuted minority in Myanmar, state violence against them increased in August after 12 Burmese security officers were killed by Rohingya militants, according to the BBC. The Burmese government claims that military action has been carried out only against insurgents, but many Rohingya have reported Burmese security forces bur ning dow n entire villages, BBC reports said.

The Burmese government has refused to grant citizenship to the

Rohingya, which has rendered most members of the group stateless since the signing of the 1982 Burma Citizenship Law, according to Human Rights Watch.

Montreal protesters called, among other things, for Suu Kyi to be stripped of her Nobel Peace Prize. Demonstrator Aisha Mirza bore a sign, made by her cousin, which read “Aung San Suu Kyi = Hitler rising.” She said she had no personal connection to the events in Myanmar, but that “we should stick up for [the Rohingya] because there’s no one there for them in Burma.”

Demonstrator Romean Alam also has no personal connection to the situation, but said whenever such atrocities occur around the world, “we should stand up and be there and help those people [in need].”

Upon arriving at Place Ville Marie, demonstrator Raees Ahmed unveiled a list of demands for the Canadian government. He asked for a parliamentary motion officially condemning the Burmese government for its inaction and for Canada to join other countries in putting international pressure on the Burmese government, including the use of sanctions.

Ahmed also demanded that leader Suu Kyi be stripped of her honorary Canadian citizenship.

He then urged the Bur mese government to allow international media and aid into the Rakhine state, where the violence is taking place.

Protesters march through the streets of Montreal to condemn the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

Demonstrator Aisha Mirza holds a sign during a protest in Montreal condemning the persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

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SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

CONCORDIA SHOOTING

75 minutes of silence, 25 years later Former university associate professor George Abdou speaks out about the 1992 shooting ÉTIENNE LAJOIE NEWS EDITOR With a gun pointed at his head, George Abdou remained silent for 75 minutes. He was in a room with a man who had already shot several of his colleagues. The smell of blood on the shooter’s hands was pungent.

The firearm was no bigger t h a n a to y g u n A b d o u h a d bought for his sons. In court, the shooter was asked why he didn’t kill Abdou. “I didn’t kill him because he was not afraid of death,” the shooter answered.

On Aug. 24, 1992, Valer y Fabrikant, an associate professor from Concordia’s engineering department, walked onto the ninth floor of the Hall building and killed professors Aaron Jaan Saber, Matthew Douglass and Michael Hogben and the chair of the electrical and computer-engineering program, Phoivos Ziogas. Hogben and Douglass died on the scene; Ziogas and Saber died a few hours later in hospital.

At t h e t i m e , A b d o u w a s an associate professor in Concordia’s engineering department. He had only been there for a year, having transferred to Concordia from the University of Windsor. He lived in St-Lazare, outside of Montreal, because it was halfway between Cornwall, Ont.—where his wife worked— and Concordia’s downtown campus. “I loved the place. The kids were happy in St-Lazare.

We had a very nice house,” said Abdou in a recent interview with The Concordian . The incident on Aug. 24 ultimately changed everything.

At around 2:30 p.m., while working in his of fice with a PhD student he was mentoring, Abdou heard gunshots. He told the student to leave and stepped out of his office to find his door scratched and five bullet casings on the floor in front of him. To his right, he saw a secretary, Elizabeth Horwood, bleeding.

She had just been shot in the thigh.

“I star ted to comfor t her and, at the same time, she was screaming, ‘Where is the other secretary?’ So, we entered the chair office,” said Abdou.

B y t he t ime Fabr ik ant returned, Horwood and another secretary had fled. “Then, he simply pointed at me [and told me] not to move and pointed the gun at my head for 80… about

75 to 80 minutes,” recounted the former Concordia professor.

Abdou stood beside Fabrikant in the room, looking into his eyes and watching his finger on the trigger. The perpetrator of the attack—a Belarus-born émigré—was talking on the phone with authorities, who were trying to calm him down.

“You didn’t kill anyone,” the police told him. “ Things are going to be better than you think.”

Abdou’s mind was racing.

Not only was he worried for his life, he was also anxious about the well-being of his two sons.

Abdou had left his sons, aged four and six, along with the son of a visiting professor, with a new babysitter. “She told me, ‘By 4 p.m., if you don’t come, I’m going to leave them in the street,’” Abdou remembered.

He looked at the clock. It was 4:15 p.m. “What are the three going to do in the street?” he thought. None of his friends knew where the babysit ter lived, and he wasn’t able to reach anyone anyway.

“In the meantime, I had a feeling of guilt. If I did anything wrong and [Fabrikant] dies because of this, I’m going to [be] the killer now,” Abdou told The Concordian .

Swat teams arrived at the office and stood by the door.

As Fabrikant was taking his finger off the trigger to give the phone to security guard Daniel Martin, who was also in the room, Abdou kicked the gun away from the assailant’s hands with his left foot.

“I ran toward that gun and I lay down on it,” Abdou said.

“When I looked back, the security guard dropped the phone and he went and held [Fabrikant]’s arms. I went back to him and I was kind of hysteric, asking ‘Why are you doing all of this?’ The security guard was screaming ‘Open the door.’”

I n re s p o n s e to M a r t i n’s shouts, Abdou exited the room, awkwardly holding the shooter’s gun. He immediately realized the authorities had confused him with Fabrikant. He threw himself and the gun on the ground and was handcuffed by police. It was only af ter subduing Abdou that police realized their mistake.

Abdou was driven to the police station where he wrote his ow n of f ic ial s t atem ent because the arresting officer didn’t speak English and,

therefore, couldn’t transcribe his statement correctly. The professor was eventually able to get a ride from the station to the babysitter’s home, where he found the three children safe.

T h at n i g ht , a M o n d ay, frie nds c ame to se e him .

“Everyone was interested in the story, but I couldn’t take it ,” Abdou said. At 8 p.m., less than five hours after the shooting, Abdou collapsed. “I woke up the next day. I cried a lot,” Abdou s aid, pausing intermittently.

Fabrikant ’s trial spanned a year. Abdou was the last witness to testify. Throughout t he ordeal , A b dou’s elde s t son was the most affected. “I was trying to hide the event,” the professor explained. “But

apparently he went to school [and] they were bringing him the newspapers, so he was aware.” To get a fresh start, the family eventually moved to New Jersey.

In April 1993, Abdou got a call from the dean of NJIT asking him to come in for an inter v iew. When he f inall y responded in June, the dean told him: “I don’t want to know when you are coming, I want to know if you’re coming, yes or no.” Three months later, Abdou visited NJIT’s Newark campus for the first time with his wife and met the dean.

A b d o u h a d re q u e s te d a te n u re p o s i t i o n , m o n e y to buy equipment for a seminar and a desired salary. When he arrived on campus to discuss

these requests, the dean was on the phone in his office but was pointing to an envelope on the table. “After he finished the call, he said, ‘This is your first cheque, we didn’t know where to send it,’” Abdou recounted, laughing.

The former Concordia professor has been at NJIT ever since. He is now the associate c hair of t he indu s t r ial and manufacturing engineering department.

Despite having a difficult childhood at times, Abdou said his two sons have been very successful.

“They both finished [school], they’re both physicians. I’m so proud of them.”

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

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CHILDCARE

CSU daycare set to open its doors in March Waiting list available as of December, according to CSU coordinator Omar Riaz IAN DOWN ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR The Concordia Student Union (CSU) daycare is set to open in March, according to the CSU general coordinator, Omar Riaz.

The daycare, which was first proposed in 2011, will begin construction at 1424 Bishop St. after the building contract is approved at the CSU council meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 20.

According to Riaz, the daycare will be able to care for 50 children at a time, and will accommodate newborns and toddlers. There will also be a study space on the upper floor for parents. The waiting list is set to open up sometime in December, Riaz told The Concordian.

Once open, the daycare will be subsidized by the CSU which will bring the cost below the government-subsidized rate of $7 per hour.

According to an article published by The Concordian in February, the daycare was scheduled to open this fall.

However, Riaz said difficulties in obtaining construction permits and unanticipated structural work on the partially demolished building delayed the project.

Riaz said the project is still well within its nearly $1.5-million budget. This is despite

the partial demolition of the original building having been discovered to cost $15,000 more than anticipated due to an incorrect quote for the project distributed within the CSU, according to an article published by The Link in December 2016.

The project is a welcome addition for many student-parents. While Concordia currently has a daycare located at each campus, the spaces are limited and the waitlists are long.

Larissa Buss is an Concordia Student Union daycare to open in March on Bishop St. on Concordia’s downtown campus. Photo by Alex Hutchins. education student who has two sons, aged two necessary” for any parent who came about as the result of a ents frequently report missing study commissioned by Concordia class, missing exams, handing years and three months. wants to study.

She said her oldest son was C h r i s t i n e M a n e n d e z , in 2011, titled “Student-parents in assignments late and even on the waiting list for Concordia’s who works at the Concordia and their children: How can we dropping out because there are daycare service for a year and University Student Parents help them? An analysis of the simply no timely, safe, flexible, a half before being admitted. Centre (CUSP), also testified student-parent experience at affordable childcare options.”

Although Concordia does not Waiting lists for other daycares to the difficulties of being Concordia University.” The study are similar. “They tell you, 'Put a student-parent. She said found that “many student-parents track the number of student-paryour name on the list when Concordia daycare ser vices do not have access to flexible, ents cur rently enrolled, the you’re pregnant,'” she said. never returned her call when she affordable childcare that would aforementioned study estimated Like all international stu- was a student-parent. She said allow them to attend classes,” that student-parents likely repdent-parents, Buss does not many parents delay or forego due to limited daycare spaces resent about 10 per cent of the h ave a c ce s s to s u b s i d i ze d their education because they and t he s t udent s ’ f inanc ial university’s student population, restrictions. Furthermore, the which is compar able to the dayc are s er vices . She s aid lack the time and money. daycare services are “absolutely The idea for the CSU daycare study stated that “student-par- national average of 11 per cent.

DISCUSSION

How gentrification affects the local music scene A conversation about underground music and art of DIY venues at POP Montreal SHARON YONAN RENOLD CONTRIBUTOR A jam-packed room on St-Urbain Street played host to a rare discussion during POP Montreal on Sept. 17 about the struggle Montreal musicians face in the wake of gentrification.

Famous for its one-of-a-kind art scene, Montreal has also garnered a reputation for its boundless local music

scene. However, even in a world where creativity flows free, artists say it’s hard to ignore how much gentrification has changed the city.

Venues close, struggling musicians move away, new residents complain about noise.

Out of these struggles arose a DIY music culture. Tired of the exhausting requirements associated with owning a venue, artists found ways to open venues without the

proper permits, making them illegal.

It’s a throwback to New York City in the 60s––a bustling, crowded stage where bands like the Sex Pistols and The Clash got their start.

While this creates a myriad of legal problems, artists often feel they have no choice but to create a place to hone their craft. Yet, with the rise of gentrification in Montreal neighbourhoods, these legendary places are disappearing. What was

once a welcoming, art-driven environment for DIY venues is becoming a concrete jungle of new condos and overpriced coffee shops. The artists move away and the music that once dominated a region goes with them.

“If the [venues] are all gone, where are artists going to play?” asked Sybil Bell in an interview with The Concordian. She’s the creator of Independent Music Week, a festival promoting small venues around the U.K. featuring new local bands.

“They need to [learn their craft] in a small venue,” she said. “They have to be able to make mistakes, learn what it means to go on tour and learn how to deal with people.

Without that, there just won’t be a new chance with other artists coming through.”

Katie Jensen, the moderator of the POP Montreal panel, recalled the moment she realized developers were affecting small and DIY venues in her hometown of Toronto. She has been producing a monthly art, music and food event called Feats in the East for the last six years. In that time, Divan Orange, a music venue on St-Laurent Blvd., she’s had to change venues six had to pay $15,000 in fines because of noise times, as they closed one by one. complaints in 2014. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

“That’s when I realized about the venue crisis we were having in Toronto,” she said. “I started paying attention to these conversations that were being had between venue owners and community members.

That really got my interest.”

There is no record of how many Montreal venues have closed over the years, but many musicians claim it’s something they observe every day, and it isn’t simply because of the rising rent costs. Panelist and McGill professor of urban media studies, Will Straw, explained that a key issue is newcomers to newly-gentrified neighbourhoods.

“They come to the neighbourhoods and don’t like the presence of music—so they make noise complaints,” he said.

Bell pointed out that, without legal or DIY venues, Montreal’s music scene wouldn't be the same. Grassroots musicians would have no way of developing their sound or performing for an audience.

“If you’re driving to work and listening to music, where did that music come from?” she asked. “It’s from a band that started out at a small venue, got good and got signed.”

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SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

MENTAL HEALTH

The effects of on-the-job stress

Links between on-the-job stress and mental health unclear to Concordia administration ÉTIENNE LAJOIE NEWS EDITOR When asked if the stressful work instability experienced by parttime faculty union members at Concordia could improve, Carolina Willsher, the associate vice-president of human resources, declined to answer.

According to the Concordia University Part-Time Faculty Union (CUPFA) chair of communications, Laurie Milner, job security is the main stressor for members of the union.

In an interview with The Concordian, university spokesperson Mary-Jo Barr and Willsher said it was unclear if workload and on-the-job stress can be linked to mental health issues.

“We all bring something to the table. We are the product of our experiences and the baggage that we bring, positive or negative,” Willsher answered.

The same question was asked to the vice-provost of faculty relations, Nadia Hardy, who didn’t directly answer the question. “If the situation of part-time faculty members can be improved with respect to how many contracts they can foresee in the future, it’s a year-to-year calculation,” she responded.

In a May 2014 survey, British newspaper The Guardian asked 2,500 respondents, ranging from PhD students to vice-chancellors in the United Kingdom, if their mental health problems were a direct result of their university job. The survey found that two-thirds of the respondents said their job was the cause of their illness, citing, among other concerns, heavy workloads.

Hardy said the workload for academics is fairly consistent across Canada. “If there’s an issue that comes from workload, this is across the board and not specific to Concordia,”

Mental health risks unclear to Concordia associate vice-president of human resources Carolina Willsher and spokesperson Mary-Jo Barr.

Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

Hardy told The Concordian.

According to Hardy, it’s not possible for members of a specific department to have a different workload than the rest of the university. “Workload is described in the collective agreement we have, so it’s not the chair who decides on the workload in the unit,” Hardy said.

Concordia’s last collective agreement with the Concordia University Faculty Association (CUFA) stated that “teaching load for each member shall be determined in a fair and equitable manner by the dean.”

Hardy explained that the university communicates to its chairs, deans and administrators how to handle a situation when a university employee identifies an issue, “but not to solve

[the problem] or enter a discussion about what’s happening.”

“Managers and chairs are not trained [...] to be psychologists, but they are trained and informed about how to recognize somebody who may be in distress and then refer them to the resources that they may need to be able to assist them,” Willsher added.

At a faculty of fine arts council steering committee meeting in September, Dean Rebecca Duclos named mental health as one of the issues that needed to be addressed by the faculty as a whole, Milner told The Concordian.

“I’d say that our deans are aware of the situation, letting

people know that if there are issues, please come forward and we can help,” Willsher said.

Although recent studies have found that the number of Canadian post-secondary students with mental health issues has increased, statistics concerning professors and faculty have never been published at Concordia.

Willsher said her department receives annual reports detailing the number of people who have accessed the university’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The program––an external health service provided by the Canadian company Homeweb––is confidential, meaning the university doesn’t know who among the faculty and staff have

accessed the service.

“It’s been fairly consistent in terms of the access” Willsher said, without referring to a specific time frame.

Milner said, although Homeweb is available to CUPFA members, she doesn’t think “that’s quite the same as a psychologist that you’re choosing and you’re meeting with.”

Avenues for university professors

Hardy said faculty members who have mental health issues usually reach out to their chair or dean. Hardy, who acts as a point of contact between the faculties and the university’s human resources department, added that some faculty members may come to her directly.

“Depending on where they work and the relationships that they have built across the university, they may choose to speak to their chair or to their dean or to someone in human resources,” Hardy said.

“They also have the possibility to reach the Office of Rights and Responsibilities or to come to the provost office.”

In April, Maclean’s magazine surveyed 17,000 students at almost all the university campuses around Canada. Students were asked to rate the quality of their school’s mental health services. Concordia wasn’t ranked in the top 15 universities and 51.8 per cent of students said they felt overwhelmed on a daily or weekly basis in a separate question.

“We’re constantly benchmarking ourselves against other organizations,” Wilsher said. “I think Concordia is very different today than it was five to 10 years ago because we continue to improve, make sure that we are current and meeting the needs of our population.”

extra

Comics by Libby Hopkinson.

life

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

HEALTH

The city’s first meditation studio

Welcoming Montrealers to take a deep breath and relax at Présence Meditation

Andrew Rose, the co-founder of Présence Meditation, at his studio in the Mile-End. Photo by Elisa Barbier.

ELISA BARBIER ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR The sun’s early golden rays were subtly parting the shadows of potted plants through the curtains into the room.

Only the faint sounds of birds chirping and distant voices from the street could be heard.

Inside, a pleasant warmth caressed the faces of some participants. Sitting with crossed legs, tall spines, hands on their thighs, with eyes closed and a restful expression, they are meditating.

About a year and half ago, Andrew Rose, the co-founder of Présence Meditation and one of its instructors, decided he wanted a studio to solely practice meditation. On Sept. 13, he opened Montreal’s first secular meditation studio in the Mile-End. For the occasion of POP Montreal—an annual international music festival—the studio offered free classes from Sept. 13

to 17. It was as an introduction to the practice of meditation and an opportunity to try different teaching styles.

If you walked by 207 St-Viateur St. W., it would be hard to believe the building is anything other than a regular apartment.

Yet, if you climb the dimly lit stairs, you’ll find a bright and spacious room filled with potted plants and dark blue cushions spread across a squeaky wooden floor. In a hidden corner is a desk where people can register or sign-up for a membership. On the other side of the cushions is a small room with a sofa facing a bookshelf filled with books on meditation and mental health.

Rose said he wanted to create a space for people with varying knowledge about meditation to come in and sit for 30 minutes a day or a couple of times a week. “Every class is accessible and suitable for beginners,” he said. Varying in length from 15 to 60 minutes, the classes focus on periods of the day with sessions like late-riser, after work, lunch or morning meditation.

A view of the serenity found in a Présence Meditation room.

Photo by Elisa Barbier.

On Sunday mornings, an outdoor class teaches meditation while walking. Rose said more classes will be added as the studio grows. Drop-ins, monthly memberships and inclusive 10-class cards are available at a student-discounted price.

Ro s e s a i d h e wa n t s P ré s e n c e Meditation to be a space for people to meditate together and become Montreal’s first cohesive meditation community.

“You can certainly do it alone, but when you are starting out, having a group and someone to guide you is much more practical,” he said.

According to Rose, the studio has a unique approach to meditation with 12 teachers from different backgrounds and a partnership with Mindspace Clinic, a Montreal-based organization that specializes in using cognitive mediation to strengthen mental health. Rose emphasized the secular aspect of the studio. “We are not endorsing particular techniques or religions,” he said.

Rose said determining who is qualified to teach meditation is a sensitive topic at the moment. He pointed out that Présence Meditation focuses more on teaching techniques and less on the psychological problem-solving aspect that meditation can offer. “We made sure that our teachers have the techniques,” he said.

“Some even went through the mindfulne s s-b a s e d st re s s reduction program taught in clinics.”

While scientific stud-

ies show meditation can have considerable impact on the brain, Rose said it’s not a solution to tackle every problem. “Meditation is more efficient when practiced regularly.

It is not a magic pill.” He explained that it involves long and arduous training—he has been practicing meditation for 15 years, but more seriously in the last 10 years.

Rose also mentioned the potential anxiety that comes with meditation, as one has to deal with unwanted emotions. He said that is a challenge in and of itself.

“Sometimes the [emotions] come up to the surface as tears, sometime as laughs,” he said. Nonetheless, Rose emphasized the importance of the practice. “It is hard in the beginning, yet truly worthy on the long run,” he said.

This was a challenge I faced during a late-riser session at the studio last week.

With little sleep and an empty stomach, the breathing exercises—meant to help visualize our bodies as spaces and our breathing as time—enhanced my hunger to a point of obnoxious discomfort.

Yet, as we kept going, the overwhelming hunger transformed into an unexpected deep joy and thankfulness that brought tears to my eyes. Needless to say, it was an emotional rollercoaster. After I completed the session, my outlook on things like breathing, mind and body connection were remarkably transformed.

Rose said he tries not to have overly high hopes about the studio’s future. While he said he believes there is a need and desire for this type of studio in Montreal, Rose doesn’t try to convince people of the benefits of meditation. Instead, he encourages people to experience them first-hand.

Quoting his favourite line from the American TV show Reading Rainbow, Rose said with a smile: “You don’t have to take my word for it.”

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

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PHOTOGRAPHY

The journey of an award-winning photojournalist Concordia University invited Barbara Davidson to share insights about her life and career SANDRA HERCEGOVA LIFE EDITOR In the words of renowned war photographer Robert Capa: “If your photographs aren’t good enough, then you’re just not close enough.” One thing is certain: Barbara Davidson has gotten close enough to produce emotional photos that evoke empathy.

“The most important thing my upbringing taught me is empathy,” Davidson said. “It’s something that one really has to possess in order to be a really good photojournalist or good journalist.”

On Sept. 14, Concordia University invited Davidson to a homecoming keynote panel at the DB Clarke Theatre.

Since graduating from Concordia with a bachelor's degree in fine arts 27 years ago, Davidson has won three Pulitzer prizes, which is the most prestigious award for journalists.

Davidson has also earned a national Emmy Award and was twice named newspaper photographer of the year by Five kids sleep on the bed while their Pictures of the Year International. mother sleeps on the floor. Photo by “I usually don’t talk about Barbara Davidson in her feature on gang myself in these presentations. violence for the Los Angeles Times.

I’m usually far more interested in the people that I document,” she said. “Since it’s Montreal and I’m coming photos into their suitcases. home, I thought that it would be nice to give “We had this drawer that was people a perspective of how I ended up full of all these family photos, living in the United States and covering all and I loved them so much,” the stories that I covered.” she said. “Photography really Davidson discussed elements of her meant something in my family. career and life as an award-winning phoIt was a really special thing.” tojournalist, and how she paved her way Davidson was 15 when to success with nothing but hard work and she first decided she wanted perseverance. She was raised by her Irish to become a photographer. “I mother, who worked part-time while taking didn’t really know that I would care of seven children. be this kind of photographer.

“My upbringing had a profound I didn’t know that my dream influence on the journalist I became,” would end up here on the she said. “It really taught me what it’s front page of the Los Angeles like to go without, to live a life that was Times,” she said. difficult. It taught me about the human Davidson began her career condition from first-hand experience.” working for one of Concordia’s According to Davidson, it was her student newspapers, The Link. grandfather, who took pictures of her family, “I learned a lot about my craft who inspired her passion for photography. here at Concordia University, “He was the original photographer of working for the student the family,” she said. “He had an incredible newspaper. It was incredibly important for passion for taking pictures.” When Davidson’s me,” she said. “I spent more time on that parents left Ireland for Canada in search of newspaper than I ever did in class.” a better life, they packed bundles of family Since then, she has travelled around the world, covering different crises in Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Gaza, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the United States. She documented the catastrophe and repercussions of hurricane Katrina and was recently in Texas covering the devastation of hurricane Harvey for the New York Times.

“I had been trained as a Red Cross worker before I became a journalist, so I was and still am always interested in the most vulnerable people,” she said.

Davidson has also done a lot of work abroad. “It was like parachute journalism, where I would be dispatched to Iraq and hit the ground and figure out how to navigate,” she said. During the presentation, Davidson showed a video compilation of some of her photos taken abroad. The rawness of the Barbara Davidson speaking at the photos demonstrated how close Davidson homecoming keynote panel at Concordia managed to get to the lives of thousands University. Photo by Kirubel Mehari. of different people all around the world.

A victim of gang violence in Los Angeles.

Photo by Barbara Davidson.

These pictures said more than a thousand words—they showed the strong emotions people experienced in their most vulnerable life situations.

Davidson made it clear that her career did not come easily. It has taken her a long time to get to this point, and she discussed how rejection was part of her journey.

“I [used] my rejection to fuel my desire to make it because this craft of photojournalism is so competitive and it’s so difficult so that rejection could have made me fall into a corner and have me cry a lot—but it just made me angry and it made me want it even more,” she said. “It made me say, ‘I’ll show you.’”

Davidson also explained that it isn’t necessary to travel overseas to document death and destruction—it can happen right in your backyard. When Davidson moved to Los Angeles, she said she noticed that many people were desensitized to violence.

In nearby low-income neighbourhoods, people were experiencing a high level of gang violence. She decided it was her

time to tell a substantive story about the victims of gang violence.

As part of her talk, she showed a short film which introduced the audience to the families she ended up spending a lot of time with for this project.

“I always paid attention to people caught in the crossfire, the innocent victims who really had nothing to do with conflict but were caught in it,” Davidson said. When she initially approached her editors at the Los Angeles Times with her story idea, the newspaper rejected it.

Davidson ended up working on the story for about six months on her own before she was given the green light to have her work published in the newspaper.

Davidson told the audience loud and clear: “You can study to be a journalist, which is a wonderful thing, but if you don’t have it inside of you to really be a journalist, you’re not going to be a journalist. It’s something a lot more than just learning trade—it’s a way of life. It’s not just a job for me.”

arts

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

EXHIBITION

New exhibition occupies indoor and outdoor space

Experience four distinct installations in the FOFA Gallery’s La Rentrée CHLOË LALONDE ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR Like reading through someone’s journal or overlapping streams of thought, the Faculty of Fine Arts (FOFA) Gallery welcomes students back to school with La Rentrée, featuring the work of four Concordia artists and a local poet in four distinct installations.

Corina Kennedy, a graduate of Concordia’s studio arts program, contributed her piece, titled Tender for All. It features carved characters that mimic the way lettering is traditionally carved into the marble walls of old-fashioned banks. The artist explores “limited, disjointed and repetitive language” in an imitation of the way debt collectors communicate with their clients. Kennedy’s insulation foam installation is massive, occupying the entirety of the York Corridor Vitrine, by the entrance of the gallery.

After having shown Tender for All in a studio space in New York, Kennedy found that tailoring the insulation foam to fit the York Corridor Vitrine was a new challenge.

“The sheer length and foot traffic around it is gratifying enough,” Kennedy said. “But seeing it behind that glass is really delighting [to] me because insulation foam is something that is supposed to get hidden behind a wall. So the glass is just the opposite of that.”

Since graduating in 2007, Kennedy has accumulated her share of student debt, so she wanted to express the stress associated with that. She added that the struggles of “many viewers […] with student debt” may be reflected in this work. The artist said she imagined passersby will only stop at

her piece for a moment before moving on, because so many people put off confronting their debt.

Inside the gallery, Concordia painting and drawing professor Adrian Norvid’s collection of drawings and paper sculptures dominate the space. Sprawled across the walls, The Bejesus explores Norvid’s thought process during his creative endeavours in a crude, comical way.

In a separate room from Norvid’s display, Erin Weisgerber’s piece, Minerva’s Owl, explores a variety of film processes. By capturing New York’s Kodak tower through three different types of film, the Concordia graduate intended to show her viewers a raw, playful approach to cinematography. One example of this is Weisgerber’s decision to keep all glitches with the camera and film in the piece. The film loops through cycles of day and night, which are projected onto a wall. The space between the projector and the wall is divided by three mesh screens, enabling the viewer to walk between them and experience the different film techniques to interpret the piece.

Outside the gallery and spanning the facade of the Engineering and Visual Arts (EV) building is Andrew Forster, a part-time studio arts teacher, and Erín Moure’s contribution.

Paraguayan Sea presents an excerpt of Brazilian writer Wilson Bueno's book of the same name. The large, yellow banner of text stretches across the outside of the building, catching the viewer’s eye as they walk past.

Bueno’s original text was written in three languages: Portuguese, Spanish and Guaraní.

Moure, a local poet and translator, incorporated the original Guaraní text into the piece

and translated the Portuguese and Spanish parts into English and French. By doing so, not only did Moure make this beautiful text available for English and French speakers, but she also emphasized the diverse cultures within Montreal.

The creative process behind the project was twofold; Moure provided the translation of the text while Forster designed the final product. In his colleague's words, Forster became “intrigued by the text and by the nature of a polylingual text as ‘skin.’”

Forster then took this idea and decided to bring it to the public by “laminating it to architecture.”

Paraguayan Sea interrupts the noisy advertisements on Ste-Catherine Street and explores public speaking, surface, depth and the utility of art in a public space. The text itself has been described by the artists as “a murmur heard in the streets of a city at all times.” The translated version of Paraguayan Sea has been published and will be available for purchase at the FOFA Gallery on Nov. 9 during a discussion panel of the artists' work. Both Forster and Moure will be present at the event.

The indoor exhibitions at the FOFA Gallery are open Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Oct. 20. Paraguayan Sea is open 24 hours and will be up until Dec. Works by Corina Kennedy, Adrian Norvid, Erin Weisgerber, Andrew Forster and Erín Moure make up the FOFA Gallery’s newest collection, La Rentrée. Photos by Kirubel Mehari.

8. Admission is free.

REUSE

Help save the environment and your wallet One of Concordia’s newest initiatives makes art production more affordable for students OLIVIA DERESTI-ROBINSON CONTRIBUTOR Concordia’s newest, underground fine arts initiative (it is literally located in the basement) deserves some recognition. The CUCCR, nicknamed “sucker” by its creators and members, is both environmentally friendly and financially accessible to students.

It works by collecting excess supplies and used art materials from places around campus (studio classrooms, the Visual Arts building storage rooms, and the Grey Nuns residence) and making them readily available to the Concordia community and members of the public in one location. According to the initiative’s depot coordinator, Arrien Weeks, CUCCR’s members are people of all ages, spanning from ages “four to eighty.”

Membership is required to utilize the centre, but both it and the use of the materials are completely free.

The centre is located in the Hall building and it can be tricky to find. However, starting on the ground floor of the building, there are signs and

stickers that help lead the way.

The CUCCR space was also built entirely from waste materials found on campus. The wooden signs, shelving, tables and organizers were repurposed to create a warm, welcoming and store-like room where materials are categorized and displayed in an organized way. The types of materials can vary depending on what is collected and donated, but what is currently available varies from wooden boards to rubber bands and even miniature sand buckets. Used canvases are also a “hot seller,” said Weeks.

Additionally, the centre also accepts material donations to be re-used by fellow Concordians. However, be sure to check CUCCR’s website before bringing something in, as the organization doesn’t accept certain materials such as used textbooks, oil paints and articles of clothing.

According to Weeks, since the centre’s opening in March, they have had an influx of memberships but hope to increase membership even more over the school year. Recently, they’ve gained more exposure through

studio arts class presentations and trips to the centre. In the future, Weeks said, CUCCR hopes to expand their initiative to a larger and more accessible space on a ground floor, “to increase our visibility even more, but also to have more space to collect more materials.”

CUCCR’s main goal is to largely reduce Concordia’s waste. According to Weeks, “up to today, CUCCR has collected over four tonnes of Concordia’s waste, and members have checked out over two tonnes of that waste.” In the years to come, Weeks said, they hope to exponentially increase both of these numbers—which are recorded through the centre’s checkout system.

“We have pretty much everything, so just come by and take a look,” Weeks added.

CUCCR is open Tuesday to Thursday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and is located at H013-7 in the Hall building. For more information on materials available, becoming a member, donating and more, check out CUCCR’s website:

www.cuccr.ca

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

theconcordian

11

THEATRE

Delving into queer experiences Dane Stewart debuts a self-written, directed and produced endeavour

MAGGIE HOPE ARTS EDITOR

Foucault’s philosophy, along with a number of theatrical pieces using a technique called verbatim theatre prompted Stewart to While reflecting on the intent behind writing start writing his own play. Verbatim theatre his newest theatrical piece, Dane Stewart involves the playwright conducting a series expressed that he wanted “to combine of interviews, transcribing the interviews and Foucauldian, feminist, queer theorists using the direct quotes to script the play. So, and their texts with lived experiences of as Stewart explained, the actors in a verbatim people in Montreal.” theatre piece would speak the words of the As one of Concordia’s recent graduates of interviewees. the individualized master’s program, Stewart Typically, this method is used in documenis set to debut his play at the MainLine Theatre tary-style plays so actors portray the real-life on Sept. 21. The production, titled The History people whose words they are speaking. Stewart, of Sexuality, explores themes of power, sex however, decided to use the verbatim theatre and queerness in the context of student life in technique in order to adapt real-life experiMontreal. The plot follows five graduate students ences into the lives of fictional characters. He who are enrolled in a seminar studying the conducted interviews with several people philosophy of French intellectual Michel Foucault. within Montreal’s queer community about Stewart said he had studied Foucault’s work their experiences. Then, Stewart extracted at Concordia himself and became particularly sections of these interviews to be spoken inspired by the philosopher's book, also titled by the characters in his play. By doing so, The History of Sexuality. the playwright added, he was able to include a variety of perspectives outside of his own without needing to speak for anyone.

Stewart called this technique “fictionalized verbatim theatre,” although he recognizes that he may not be the only playwright using it. He developed this method while working on his thesis for his master’s degree, and received a grant from CALQ (Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec) to further improve it himself. The grant allowed him and his team to hold workshops in order to explore and develop this writing technique. With this help, they were able to write several drafts and spend time perfecting Stewart’s work.

After finishing his thesis and graduating from the master’s program where he studied theatre, communications, and gender and sexuality Dane Stewart wrote the play as part of his thesis for his master’s degree. Photo by Alex Hutchins. studies through an interdisciplinary

program, Stewart began working towards showing his play at the MainLine Theatre. He worked alongside Michelle Soicher, a fourth-year undergraduate theatre student who took on the role of assistant director and stage manager to gain experience as well as academic credits.

“Queerness, non-normative sexual identity and sexual practice have been a big part of my life. It’s also been a very challenging part at times,” Stewart said.

Although drawing upon his own experience as someone who identifies as queer was extremely useful, Stewart said he wanted to capture the realities of other people in Montreal’s queer community as well. Through conducting a number of interviews and refining his writing technique with the workshops funded

by CALQ, Stewart is finally left with The History of Sexuality will be playing at the MainLine a piece that he said he believes tells Theatre from Sept. 21 to 30. the stories of the individuals featured Photos courtesy of Erika Rosenbaum Photography. “very well.” “is to present queerness—to present non-norThe playwright also recognized that the mative sexual practices, sexual identities and stories explored in his play are just a small expressions of gender—as just intimate and portion of the diverse experiences that make honest and real.” up the queer community as a whole. He added, “A lot of media and a lot of art that’s sur“I also am a believer in intersectionality and rounding queerness and queer sexualities and striving—as someone who takes up a lot of genders these days, I feel is quite sensational,” space or has the capacity to take up a lot of he added. “[The characters in the play] are just space in life and in society—to subscribe to people going through their daily lives. I think the mandate of ‘take space to make space.’” it’s important for us to see that.”

According to Stewart, The History of Sexuality The History of Sexuality will be playing is very much based in reality. The setting is a at the MainLine Theatre, at 3997 Boul. replication of what attending graduate school St-Laurent, from Sept. 21 to 30. Showtime in Montreal is like today. It was important to is at 8 p.m. with additional showings at Stewart to not only acknowledge the diversity 2 p.m. on Sept. 23 and 30. Tickets are within the queer community in Montreal, but available through the Facebook event and also to represent the characters in his play as the MainLine Theatre’s website. Prices can real people living real lives. vary depending on your financial situation.

“One of my goals with the piece,” he said,

12

theconcordian

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

TO R O N TO I N T E R N AT I O N A L F I L M F ES T I VA L

Explosive, on and off the ice I, Tonya recounts the true story of competitive ice skater Tonya Harding TIFFANY LAFLEUR STAFF WRITER Directed by Craig Gillespie and written by Steven Rogers, I, Tonya is a dark and dramatic comedy recounting of competitive ice skater Tonya Harding’s career. Starring Margot Robbie as Harding, the film portrays the foul-mouthed, powerful athlete’s rise to fame and subsequent fall from grace.

Thick-skinned, no-nonsense Harding refuses to adjust her image in order to please the uptight judges.

She skates powerfully to upbeat disco songs while wearing low-quality, handmade costumes. Though her abilities are far superior to the competition, her status as an outlier in the skating community results in docked marks for presentation.

When she becomes the first American woman to land a triple-axle during a competition, her name is secured in the history of competitive figure skating. Yet, Harding’s success is jeopardized when

her ex-husband and deranged friend hatch a plan to secure a spot for her on the 1994 Olympic team, resulting in an FBI investigation.

The film is shot documentary-style, including ‘interviews’ recounting past events from each character’s perspective. The dry comedic slap comes when the ‘true’ portrayal of events is shown, often contrasting with the story that is shown in the movie.

The film emphasizes Harding’s relationship with her mother, LaVona (Allison Janney), and her boyfriend-turned-husband-turned-ex-husband, Jeff (Sebastian Stan). Both relationships were chaotic and violent, with both Jeff and LaVona claiming to care for Harding despite their actions showing otherwise.

Serious issues such as domestic and parental abuse, class struggle and the negative effects of fame are central to the film’s narrative. It presents Harding as a victim of circumstance, as well as a deeply flawed person who refuses to hold herself accountable for her mistakes. As a whole, this film is a worthwhile addition to the sports drama genre.

Margot Robbie, right, plays a tough-as-nails athlete who wants to skate more than anything.

The race to light up the world

The Current War pits two electricity titans against each other in a fight of wit and ego TIFFANY LAFLEUR STAFF WRITER

Edison and Westinghouse’s competition culminates as they bid to secure the contract for the Chicago World Fair.

It is the age of darkness, and two bright minds compete to be the first to turn night into day.

The Current War depicts the intense competition between Thomas Edison (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George Westinghouse (Michael Shannon), two brilliant American inventors whose respective patents saved lives and changed the world in their own right in the late 1880s.

Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, the film shines a light not only on the brilliance of the men at the forefront of science, but also on the egos that ruled their decisions, pitting sheer innovation against strategic political marketing. It pulls the curtain back from these historical miracles to highlight how sometimes the greater electrical system isn’t the one that is most efficient, but the one that is best marketed.

When Westinghouse finds a better, cheaper way to transport electricity over vast distances, he reaches out to collaborate with Edison, who scoffs

at the thought of someone creating a better electrical invention than his own. But as more American cities subscribe to Westinghouse Electric, Edison uses dubious methods to ensure that his system is perceived as safer and better overall. As the 1893 Chicago World Fair approaches, Westinghouse and Edison wage a very public battle to secure the contract to light up the fair, thus ensuring their names be inscribed in the history books.

The film dabbles in the mudslinging used in the press, especially by Edison, who claimed his competitor’s system was dangerous. Fueled by the fear of having his ideas stolen from him, Edison uses all tactics possible to destroy Westinghouse’s reputation, preying on the fears the general public had of electricity.

The film idolizes neither inventor, instead portraying each as human. Despite their brilliance, both Edison and Westinghouse were ruled by their egos and were deeply flawed human beings. But this contributes to the film’s success as it shows that even the most brilliant and revered historical figures were human.

When another’s success is your failure Brad’s Status is a movie for those who wonder if they’ve chosen the right path TIFFANY LAFLEUR STAFF WRITER Directed and written by Mike White, Brad’s Status is a movie about a man reflecting on his life, and wondering how he got to where he is.

Brad’s (Ben Stiller) life is comfortable. He is happily married and the founder of a non-profit organization.

His son, Troy (Austin Abrams) will soon be going off to college with the hopes of gaining admission to Harvard University.

Brad has a lot to be happy about. And yet, he is kept awake by his nightly reflections on his life.

Is he enough? Has he fulfilled his potential? Did he peak early?

This feeling of having fallen short is exacerbated when he compares himself to his old college friends—a big shot Hollywood director, a hedge fund manager, a White House spokesperson and a retired tech guru. Brad’s feelings of mediocrity are enhanced

while touring university campuses with his son, who allegedly has the grades to get into whichever school he wants, including Harvard.

Brad is haunted by what could have been. He has a hard time accepting his perceived mediocrity, so instead he blames his wife and external circumstances.

Interestingly enough, the film was shot at Concordia.

If you watch closely, you’ll clearly see parts of the Hall building, the CJ building and the Loyola campus.

During one scene in particular, you can even spot a few posters advertising Concordia’s strategic directions.

The film takes an introspective look at how Brad analyzes his life. To do so, it uses mostly voice-over, which both works and detracts from the film, as there is a lot of telling rather than showing. Though it makes for an easy watch, it also undermines the very real despair Brad feels. It’s a poignant film that takes an intrinsic look at the sense of lacking one feels not with their own achievements, but rather when faced with the success of one's peers.

In Brad’s Status, Brad (Ben Stiller) struggles with how he thinks he is viewed by others.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

theconcordian

13

TO R O N TO I N T E R N AT I O N A L F I L M F ES T I VA L

Festival flicks range from tragedy to suspense

Eager crowds gather in hopes of catching their favourite stars in between screenings. Photo by Elijah Bukreev.

Everything from the horror film mother! to the Darkest Hour drama graced the TIFF screens ELIJAH BUKREEV STAFF WRITER Especially in its frenzied first days, the Toronto International Film Festival is a thing of beauty.

There’s a sense that most of Hollywood— meaning the stars, directors, producers, publicists, critics, bloggers and even everyday Angelenos—migrates north of the border, at least for a time.

Lines regularly stretch across whole blocks as people gather in astonishing numbers. Sometimes, they spend hours waiting to see a movie that’s captured their attention, even when the odds of getting in are next to none.

With seemingly more people in attendance every year, you have to wonder how much a single festival can grow—especially one that’s based in the downtown of an already busy city. Logistical issues are to be expected—delays are the norm, and some screenings carry an air of unpredictability.

The first screening of Loveless on Sept. 7, for instance, was marked by an unusual occurrence.

The Cannes-winning film, by Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev, had to be restarted when organisers noticed there were no English subtitles.

The audience was then made to rewatch the opening

scenes—painfully slow-paced the second time around and, ironically, dialogue-free.

Luckily that took nothing away from the powerful film that followed. To call it a drama wouldn’t do it justice; it aspires for tragedy on an almost metaphysical level. Although the premise is fairly simple, the audience is made to feel like there’s more to the film than what they can grasp.

A man and his wife have fallen out of love and are going through a divorce. Neither seems overly excited about the prospect of caring for their 12-year-old son, who, in a nasty shouting match, is described as a burden. We observe the boy’s reaction as he overhears the exchange, his mouth widening in a silent scream. The next day, he eats his breakfast, exits the house and disappears.

The rest of the film follows the parents’ search for the boy, assisted by a group of dedicated volunteers.

What may come as a surprise, if you’re familiar with Zvyagintsev’s previous works such as Elena and Leviathan, is the dark humour which carries the first part of the film. Perhaps it could be attributed to the attitude of the main characters, who remain oblivious to their son’s feelings until he decides to act on them. There’s a sense of pervading absence, an emptiness of feeling that renders the search grim

and nearly hopeless. The director excels at creating ambiguity, leaving many open ends and a sense of dread that lingers long after the film ends.

Another fantastic picture screened at TIFF was Joe Wright’s eagerly awaited Darkest Hour. It is an examination of Winston Churchill’s first days as prime minister, in which he struggles with a choice between seeking peace with Germany or pursuing a potentially annihilating war.

The man is played by a fully transformed Gary Oldman, a performance that all representations of Churchill will now be measured against. Taking occasional liberties with the facts for dramatic purposes, the film reflects on an individual’s ability to shape history. It is infused with Churchill’s well-remembered wit and beautifully shot by Bruno Delbonnel.

Delbonnel’s style is often evocative of 18th-century painting, proving that he is a master of colour and lighting. It’s easy to imagine the film as a companion piece to Dunkirk, to which it will inevitably be compared. It is also something of a mirror image to Downfall, which depicted Hitler’s final days.

Wright had already created unforgettable Word War II scenes in Atonement, and here he draws the viewer into the conflict through the eyes of the British government. Churchill is strongly disliked at first, and the existential threat that the country faces

does not impede any customary political games. He is evidently a figure of fascination for the director.

The camera rarely leaves Churchill’s side, sometimes framing him as a man in complete isolation. This gives Darkest Hour an effective theatrical feel, and makes it a superb character study that reflects not only our evolving view of history, but also the current political anxieties which may colour your perception of the film.

If there is one final mention to make, it has to be mother!. The oddly titled new picture from the masterful Darren Aronofsky is a divisive film that has infuriated some and delighted others.

A much sharper and altogether more accomplished biblical allegory than the filmmaker’s heavy-handed Noah, mother! conveys the feeling of an extended fever dream, much like a nightmare scene from Black Swan extended to feature length.

Set in a secluded Victorian house, it follows an obsessive poet (Javier Bardem) and his young wife (Jennifer Lawrence) who must deal with the arrival of a number of unannounced guests with unexpected consequences.

The focus of the film is on Lawrence’s character, who is subjected to increasing tension. Rejecting any kind of realism, the film progresses like a raging wildfire, climaxing in a scene of utter destruction.

Those hoping for conventional horror are bound for disappointment, as this is an artful mind game that defies traditional storytelling.

It is an experience both intensely creepy and thoroughly entertaining.

The film unfolds with a dose of humour, taking great pleasure in creating multiple levels of meaning with every turn. Sure to provoke heated debates and fanatical analysis, mother! is an absolute success.

A puzzling, unpredictable and uniquely cinematic treat.

While mother! is already out in theatres, most of the films screened at TIFF will take longer to get to you. When they do, you should also look out for Joachim Trier’s stunningly shot Thelma and Martin McDonagh’s gripping Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri.

music

Quickspins

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

1

GUIDE

A beginner’s guide to C86 music The short-lived style blended sticky pop melodies with tender poetics

BROCKHAMPTO

N

Saturation II (Empire, 2017)

Earlier this year, rap collec tive Brockhampton dropped, in my opinion, one of the best hip-hop projects of the year, Saturation. A few months later, the group, led by Kevin Abstract, is back with another set of songs that range from grimey bangers to R&B slow jams.

Songs like “SUMMER” offer a softer side to the tracklist, with beautiful vocals and smooth production. All the while, songs like “JUNKY” show off a more braggadocious side of the group’s members.

The beat is strong and heavy, while the lyrics hit you like a sledgehammer.

Compared to Saturation, Saturation II has better R&B tunes, but the bangers don’t hit as hard as I would have hoped.

Nonetheless, Saturation II just goes to show how much range this group has.

With these two albums, Brockhampton have cemented themselves as the best rap collective out right now.

11 Trial Track: “JUNKY”

8.5/10 — ALEXANDER COLE, MANAGING EDITOR

CHARLES FRETIER-GAUVIN STAFF WRITER Lacking the cosmopolitan cool of the mod revivalists, the existential ennui of the post-punkers, and the glitter of the new romantics, the rise of the C86 movement in the 80s was sudden and bizarre in a way that seemed very fitting considering the artists at its core.

C86 was first coined by the British magazine NME in their eponymous 1986 cassette compilation, created with the purpose unearthing new groups from Britain’s burgeoning indie-pop scene. The term served not only as a descriptor of the jangly, overblown pop sound of the groups, but of the shambling and emotionally fickle mentality that drove them.

In essence, C86 was more of a movement than a singular musical style. Very much a regional affair, the groups hailed from smaller, middle-class communities, rather than the metropoles usually associated with the glitter of rock-and-roll stardom. The groups themselves mirrored their peculiar musical upbringing, as the movement was primarily perpetuated by tenderly lovesick middle-class kids with nothing else to do but pour their feelings into song.

Former NME writer Andrew Collins summed it up per fectly when he referred to the movement as “the most indie thing to have ever existed.”

Characterized by its healthy use of jangly guitars and superfluous pop melodies draped in a thick blanket of sentimentality, the honesty which sifted through this formula is what gave C86 its charm. This allowed it to withstand time and remain

ever-present within the scope of British indie-pop.

The Pastels, a Glaswegian group led

by Stephen McRobbie, is the group that best personified C86. As delicate and soft-spoken as they were abrasive and disjointed, this duality was first presented in their 1982 debut seven inch vinyl record Songs for Children, would influence hordes of young Brits to pick up instruments and try to capture the same emotion. While far from their best work, the cultural impact of this seven inch proved immense, becoming somewhat of the cornerstone for the C86 movement to come.

This trend would live on through groups such as Edinburgh-based band Shop Assistants, whose nervy, black leather pop shined brightest in their charmingly bitter ode to an ex-lover, “I Don’t Want to be Friends With You,” and The Flatmates, a Bristol-based group who broke out at the same time as their dreamy pop anthem, “I Could be in Heaven.” Largely rooted in punk, the bubblegum coated melodies, lo-fi scuzz and 60s girl group influence allowed these groups to deviate from the norm.

This approach created an original and contemporary sound which reflected not just the music scene, but the era itself.

P a i s l e y-n at i ve s C l o s e L o b s te r s expanded the style even further. Their debut single, “Going to Heaven to See if it Rains,” released by Fire Records, incorporated a tinge of psychedelia. This influence proved rare in the context of C86 as it drew more from the subtle ethereal tones of contemporary British groups than the acid-soaked psychedelia of the 60s.

Still, this dash of dream pop injected the Scottish quintet with a fuller sound and

made them one of the most endearing and influential groups of the movement.

Their 1987 debut album, Foxheads Stalk This Land , a record chock-full of twee anthems, drew as much from The Byrds as much as they did from Cocteau Twins.

This balance of differing sounds perfectly encapsulates C86, as it stands as one of the few classic LP’s from the movement.

Despite its naive facade, to dismiss the C86 style would be a crime. Many groups, such as the groovily soft-spoken Mighty Mighty and the aforementioned Close Lobsters, integrated outspoken political messages in their music. However, the group that best translated its politics to music was undoubtedly London-based McCarthy. Sporting an especially shambolic sound, the group incorporated strong left-wing politics in their music. This political slant would consume nearly every one of the McCarthy’s singles released in the five years they were together and cemented the band’s legacy in C86 lore.

The vast influence C86 had on future generations is hard to miss. The cataclysmic rise of Britpop acted as a follow-up of sor ts to the movement. This was especially perpetuated by less polished groups like Elastica and Supergrass.

The past few years have seen a rise in groups channeling the aesthetics of the heartbroken mid-80s pop kids. Bands such as Alvvays, Girlpool and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart play a crucial role in preserving the C86 style.

These bands still incorporate contemporary influences, however, to craft their own sound. And yet, this is added proof that the spirit of C86 still lives on.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

2 NOTHING BUT THIEVES

Broken Machine (RCA Records, 2017) Modern society, mental health and the ever-growing navigation of the political landscape blend together in this outstanding second album from Nothing But Thieves.

As a huge fan of this band, my expectations were high for their second record. Their newest album, Broken Machine, exceeded my expectations. Having already heard an eclectic mix of early-released tracks, from the head-pounding “Amsterdam” to the sorrow-filled vocals of “Sorry,” I was sold.

The record is filled with political contempt and thoughts preoccupying restless minds.

The vocals are raw, and with every performance, the band wears their hearts on their sleeves. The album is filled with a career-defining soul. Instant classic “Particles,” explores the many wonders of Conor Mason’s voice, only to be sent into a whirlwind with the closing tracks “Get Better” and “Number 13.” The album flows effortlessly and only edges Nothing But Thieves closer to world domination with their passionate, guitar-based rock.

11 Trial Track: “Particles”

9.5/10 — SARAH-JANE NASH, STAFF WRITER

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

theconcordian

15

FESTIVAL 3 ANNA OF THE NORTH

Lovers

The best and worst of POP Montreal

The week-long festival brought a plethora of bands to Montreal’s best concert venues

(Different Recordings, 2017) On Anna Lotterud’s debut album, Lovers, she harkens back to an era of pop music she couldn’t possibly remember, given her young age. Still, the singer’s acute admiration for the genre allows her to form her own chapter in its history. The soft sounds from the soul-bearing, electro-pop singer-songwriter emanate a nostalgia of the 80s and 90s no recent artist can properly reproduce. Nothing on Lovers truly disappoints or feels out of place. “Baby” is haunting and simple, setting the record up perfectly. The soft sounds and synth pleasure of this unmissable debut offers just enough for Ibiza-ready remixes, successfully bringing the 80s to 2017. “Someone” is the track to focus on, combining the disco melody of Boy Meets Girl’s “Waiting for a Star to Fall” and the drum beats of what could be an M83 track. It perfectly marries the two and gives a glimpse at Lotterud’s artistry.

11 Trial Track: “Someone”

8/10 — SARAH-JANE NASH, STAFF WRITER

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

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11 TINSELTOWN SWIMMING

IN BLOOD

Destroyer (Merge)

11 REST

Charlotte Gainsbourg (Because)

A crowd waits for Blanck Mass to take the stage at POP Montreal on Sept. 13. Photos by Mackenzie Lad.

CALVIN CASHEN MUSIC EDITOR Following a decrease in enthusiasm over the last few years, there was a fair deal of pearl-clutching over whether or not the summer festival circuit was indeed losing its edge. This doesn’t seem to be much of a concern in Montreal.

As the summer leaves tint to brown, eager concert purists and artsy, indie kids flocked to POP Montreal. In its 16th installment, the city-wide music festival still retains the magic that kept it going during its inception.

The POP Montreal curators are probably the most well-versed tastemakers around.

Upon discovering all the festival had to offer over the last week, we found that POP is, by definition, a true music festival.

But to insinuate that the festival is by all accounts "music first and questions later" is to denounce the key to POP's success.

And that formula for success stems from the festival’s adept understanding of how the music industry operates. There was plenty of music, sure, but gallery installations, Q&A panels, film screenings and programming for kids and families served as the affair’s main crux.

Integral to POP's programming is an emphasis on the local arts and culture scene.

While there was a slew of internationally touring acts at the top of the bill, their performances were supported by local concert staples.

11 DUM SURFER

King Krule (Columbia)

11 THE GATE

Björk (Pod/Inertia)

11 PLIMSOLL PUNKS

Alvvays (Polyvinyl/Transgressive)

Jay Som performs on the Petit Campus stage at POP Montreal on Sept. 17. Photos by Mackenzie Lad.

Here's how it all went down...

CALVIN CASHEN MUSIC EDITOR BLANCK MASS This year, F**k Button’s Benjamin John Power released his third solo album under the moniker Blanck Mass. The album is intended to symbolize “a previous year teeming with anger, violence, confusion and frustration.” As the brutally shrill opener, “The Rat,” unfolded into a fit of metallic synths and swells, attendees were seen covering their eardrums. The artist’s proclivity for noise injected his performance with an intensity unmatched by other performers.

OH SEES John Dwyer has maintained control over his project, Oh Sees, for the better part of two decades—changing lineups and shuffling between sonic territories while churning out some of the most compelling and nail-biting psychedelic music of his generation. Still, despite its propensity for unpredictability, Oh Sees pins down an unparalleled vivacity.

This same spirit clearly overtook Dwyer, as he danced and pranced around stage with a devil-may-care inclination.

This didn’t compromise the quality of the performance, however, as his nervy guitar dexterity propelled him through the set. Though this compiled into a rugged, relatively unadorned sound, Dwyer’s franticly kinetic energy was supplemented by his bandmates’ breakneck riffs.

WEYES BLOOD Weyes Blood has a brand of artistic finesse that translates just as powerfully live as it does on record. The velvety textures of her voice were often replaced by an infusion of rootsy folk with fuzzy AM rock—styles she no doubt pulls inspiration from. The audience witnessed the artist switch flexibly between scornful kiss-offs and flowery poetics on the turn of a dime. The new Sub Pop Records signee offered no sneak peaks from her forthcoming record, but flexed a variety of fleshed out renditions from her

debut, Front Row Seat. The adaptability with which the backing band postured itself allowed them to cycle through the set like the pulse of a heartbeat.

JAY SOM After breaking into 2017 with an everpoised and confident debut, indie pop artist Jay Som basked in the divine glow of the Petit Campus stage. She performed a collection of gorgeously ornate and burgeoning pop songs with an artistic slant that absorbs from the lofty heights of 80s synth rock.

CHARLES FRETIER-GAUVIN STAFF WRITER NAOMI PUNK To call Olympia-based trio Naomi Punk alienating would be a crude understatement.

The band forged their career with a discombobulated brand of surrealistic grunge and an equally bizarre bass-free lineup. While they’ve amassed a fair share of doubters, the band has no doubt achieved cult status within their specific niche.

Their headlining gig at La Vitrola on POP Montreal’s opening day on Sept. 13, however, did nothing to win over skeptics. Though the energy was there on stage, the lack of bass rendered the set laughably disjointed. The group's twin guitarists drowned the crowd in a muddle of twangy cacophony.

The trio played as if breaking into abstract jam sessions—performed in the disjointed manner you would associate with school kids playing music together for the first time.

The sets closing song, “Tiger Pipe,” a bleary, minimalistic single from their recent double album, Yellow, would go on to define the set.

Performed over a pre-recorded backing track, the audience looked on as the lead guitarist packed up his gear and walked off during the set. Meanwhile, the drummer sat on in his throne having seemingly fallen asleep and the lead singer put his guitar down and began testing his interpretive dance skills whilst howling in his signature Cobainian drawl. A fitting end to a night of noise, confusion and disappointment.

sports

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

FOOTBALL

Stingers dismantle the Redmen in homecoming game Quarterback Trenton Miller sets school record with six touchdown passes in 68-16 win

MATTHEW COYTE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR There’s a good chance the McGill Redmen football team will be having nightmares about their recent game against the Concordia Stingers.

In their first meeting of the season on Sept. 16, the Concordia Stingers, wearing their classic maroon and gold uniforms, beat the McGill Redmen, in their vintage white and red jerseys, by a score of 68-16. Concordia scored 30 points in the first quarter.

On the opening drive, Trenton Miller, the fifth-year quarterback, found receiver Jarryd Taylor downfield for a 56-yard pass that put the Stingers at McGill’s one-yard line. On the next play, running back Jean-Guy Rimpel gave the Stingers the lead, scoring his first of two touchdowns in the game. Rimpel also finished the game with 78 yards rushing.

The early offensive burst brought fans to their feet, and the rest of the game kept giving them reasons to cheer.

It was a lead that would go unchallenged

by McGill, as the Stingers continued to make play after play, both on offence and defence.

The defensive line, led by six-foot-five Wade Leeroy Cyr, swarmed McGill quarterback Frédéric Paquette-Perreault. The Stingers defence disrupted plays all game, with two sacks and two interceptions. Meanwhile, the McGill offence only generated 377 total yards on 63 plays, versus Concordia’s 589 yards on 64 plays.

The Stingers played in front of 4,813 fans at Concordia Stadium as part of their homecoming event. It was the perfect day for the homecoming game, with the unmistakable energy of one of the oldest university rivalries in the country.

“This rivalry has been going on for so long. It’s always a battle,” said Stingers defensive end Lukas Redguard. He added that the atmosphere of the game had an impact on how the game was played. “It’s great. We need this every game. It was awesome, the turnout was awesome, the fans are great.

They got loud when we needed them to get loud. It was a good day.”

Last season, the Redmen beat the Stingers 21-8 when they played at Concordia. Stingers head coach Mickey Donovan said that loss stayed with him all year.

Receivers Vince Alessandrini and Jarryd Taylor celebrate a touchdown versus the McGill Redmen on Sept. 16. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

“This week, I properly prepared these guys the hardest I’ve done all year,” Donovan said.

“We rode them this week. This win shows me that we have a group that is willing to listen, and that can perform.”

While the offence was putting up points like they had discovered a glitch in the latest Madden video game, the stands were electric. The homecoming didn’t disappoint fans and alumni.

Brent Bodkin, the Stingers announcer and a former player, talked about the heated rivalry between the cross-town universities.

“This is the biggest rivalry in university football in Canada,” Bodkin said. “It doesn’t matter what the records are, what the rosters are—when it’s Concordia versus McGill, whether it’s here or at Percival Molson Stadium [McGill’s home stadium], the intensity always gets picked up.”

Concordia University also honoured the 1967 Loyola College Warriors and Sir George Williams Georgians football teams as part of the homecoming game. The former members of the Concordia athletic family proudly walked onto the field after the game and saluted the current roster.

Former Concordia football player and

Stingers defensive linemen face the McGill Redmen on Sept. 16. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

business graduate, Bob Jones, commented on how the game has changed since his time as a player, and talked about the team’s performance.

“The quality of football now is a lot better than when we played,” Jones said.

“The team is a lot better than our group of guys.”

Jones added: “It was a super game. They brought us in for a reunion, and they put on a performance that we’re very appreciative of.”

The lopsided score left McGill fans obviously disappointed, but they continued to cheer their team on.

“I think it’s pretty cool,” said McGill fan Sylvain Dethier. “Both sides are cheering for their team, and I think that’s fair.”

Miller made Stingers history at Saturday’s game, breaking the school's previous record for most passing touchdowns in a game. The record was previously set by Sean Hoas in 1998. With six passing touchdowns, Miller was just one touchdown pass short of matching the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec’s (RSEQ) record of seven passing touchdowns in a single game.

“It’s sweet. But while my name might be in the record book, unfortunately, the names

of our offensive line won’t be in there,” Miller said. “They were giving me all day to throw, and our receivers were making plays.”

The Stingers offence was efficient against a McGill defence that seemed confused at times and completely unable to defend against passing plays. Miller found receivers down the field almost unopposed, with McGill’s defensive backs and defensive line unable to put enough pressure on the quarterback.

He threw for 472 yards and passed his six touchdown passes to four different receivers.

Taylor, Vince Alessandrini and Kyle Greenbaum each caught a touchdown pass, while Sam Nadon had three touchdowns.

However, it seems Miller and the Stingers are already looking forward to the next matchup against the McGill Redmen on Oct. 14 at Percival Molson Stadium.

“Anytime we can beat our rival McGill, it’s one of those games you’re circling [on] your calendar,” Miller said. “Hats off to them, they played well. I know they’ll come back strong next game so we can’t take anything for granted.”

The Concordia Stingers' next game is away on Sept. 24 against the Laval Rouge et Or.

Receiver Yanic Lessard carries the ball against the McGill Redmen on Sept. 16. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

HEALTH

How to diagnose concussions earlier Emerging technology aims to prevent athletes returning to the field too soon MATTHEW COYTE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR “On average, there are eight concussions per team per year,” according to Dr. Alain Ptito, a professor of neurology and neurosurgery at McGill University.

Those eight concussions per team refer to both the McGill varsity football and hockey teams. He has worked with them in his research to help determine a way to diagnose concussions more efficiently.

Emerging technology is improving the way researchers analyze injured athletes in sports such as hockey, football, soccer, basketball and rugby. According to a 2007 study by Ptito, concussions had become such a problem that “improved approaches to diagnosis, investigation and management are urgent.”

In an interview with The Concordian, Ptito talked about the introduction of new technologies being used in the diagnosis of mild traumatic brain injuries, otherwise known as concussions.

He said he hopes more sports teams, both professional and collegiate, will begin using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to provide a baseline brain scan to test athletes who may have a concussion.

“We’ve been interested in concussions for a while,” he said. Despite the presence of a concussion, some brain imaging technology cannot accurately diagnose the injury. “When you do a conventional test of imaging, such as a CT [computed tomography], or an MRI, almost 100 per cent of the time, they come up normal [despite the presence of a concussion].”

Ptito noted that an fMRI is significantly more accurate at diagnosing concussions than MRI or CT scans. The fMRI is able to detect activation in targeted areas of the brain when the subject is carrying out a task that will stimulate the specific region of the brain.

According to Ptito, when a certain region of the brain is stimulated, it requires more oxygen and blood. That stimulation of blood and oxygen is what the fMRI picks up, and is known as brain activation. The fMRI can capture a concussion by scanning certain regions of the brain to see how much they activate. When symptoms are severe, targeted regions of the brain will activate less or not at all.

In his research, Ptito worked with the McGill varsity football and hockey teams. Before the season began, he tested the athletes using the fMRI to get baseline results. During the season, if an athlete suspected they had concussion, they would go see Ptito to retake the test within 72 hours of the head trauma. Ptito would then compare their results to their baseline results to diagnose whether the athlete has a concussion.

Ptito explained how comparing athletes to a general baseline result is the “second-best option,” while the best option is using an athlete’s own baseline test to diagnose concussions.

“It’s great when you can compare to an athlete’s own baseline test,” he said.

Concordia’s own PERFORM Centre, located on the Loyola campus, has been conducting similar baseline testing.

The centre works closely with Concordia athletes from the football, hockey and rugby teams, and has implemented its own concussion research.

In an interview with The Concordian, Deborah Cross, the manager of community and education programs, and Lee Ann Papula, the head athletic therapy internship instructor, explained some of their concussion diagnosis methods.

“We use the ImPACT (Immediate PostConcussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing),” Papula said. “On the field, the athletic therapists use a Standardized Concussion

after a concussion, and must return to their baseline results before being cleared to play.

The PERFORM Centre boasts an impressive array of top-of-the-line technology, and Cross discussed another reliable way of diagnosing concussions.

“We’ve just started using the NeuroCom, which is a balance assessment tool for, obviously balance, but also to look at any kind of vestibular disturbances (inner ear imbalances) if you had had a concussion,” she said.

The machine was accurately described

by Cross as resembling a climbing wall. The subject is placed on a metal balance board and strapped into a harness attached to the ceiling while facing the colourful wall of the machine.

The technician will then instruct the subject on whether or not to keep their eyes open or closed. While the subject’s eyes are either open or closed, the machine will begin to -Dr. Alain Ptito, professor at McGill University. move and sway, and the subject will attempt to stay balanced.

Assessment Test (SCAT). That’s the major According to the developer, Natus tool used in on-field scenarios. The ImPACT Medical Incorporated, a medical device test was developed more clinically.” and software provider, the NeuroCom uses This test is much like a computer game, the “vertical force exerted through the with participants receiving a numerical patient’s feet to measure centre of gravity score at the end. The athletes come in at and postural control.” Cross added that the beginning of the season in order to the PERFORM Centre was one of the first obtain a baseline score. The athletes are university centres to use the NeuroCom test. asked questions that assess non-verbal Cross and Papula both explained how problem solving, reaction time, memory this, combined with eye-tracking technology, and attention span. can accurately diagnose a concussion. As “It’s known, in North America, if not well, the NeuroCom can theoretically be the world, as one of the top tests. It’s used as a training mechanism for those backed by a ton of research,” Papula said. recovering from concussions as a way to “I can say that 99.9 per cent of schools that work on regaining balance. have a certified athletic therapist go through With the ImPACT test, as well as SCAT and follow the protocols from the the addition of the NeuroCom balance consensus of SCAT.” test, it’s difficult for athletes to conceal “Do all the schools do ImPACT testing? their symptoms in order to return to the We were probably one of the first. We started field quicker. The on-field SCAT test alone about four years ago,” she said. “More and leaves the possibility open for athletes to more schools are using it, but I definitely hide symptoms, according to both Cross don’t think all of them are.” and Ptito.

Stingers athletes who have been diag“Athletes have a tendency to minimize nosed with a concussion using the on-field their symptoms,” Ptito said.

SCAT test will go to the PERFORM Centre Cross and Papula agreed the fMRI is to retake an ImPACT test. Papula said they even more accurate than the ImPACT, SCAT may take the ImPACT test multiple times or NeuroCom, but the cost of the fMRI is simply too high for many universities. For reference, Canadian Magnetic Imaging in Vancouver charges $1,245 for scans of mild traumatic brain injuries, while the ImPACT test provided at the PERFORM Centre costs only $25.

The PERFORM Centre’s technology and medical capabilities have drawn interest outside of the Concordia Stingers as well. The centre is currently working with French soccer powerhouse Paris St-Germain’s Canadian academy, as well as Collège Montmorency’s basketball team, to provide baseline concussion testing.

Despite the progress in concussion testing, Ptito said there are still many questions about the injury that he wonders about. “Eighty per cent of athletes recovered in three months.

For 20 per cent, symptoms linger,” he said. “We’re asking ourselves now: are there genetic aspects that we haven’t found yet?”

“On average, there are eight concussions per team per year.”

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

theconcordian

17

COLOUR COMMENTARY

BY NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI On Sept. 13, the Montreal Alouettes f i re d h e a d co a c h J a cq u e s Chapdelaine and defensive coordinator Noel Thorpe. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody who follows the Alouettes. They have a 3-9 record, lost their last five games and haven’t won any of their five road games. The Alouettes currently sit in third place in the East Division, on the verge of missing the playoffs for a third-straight year. In simple terms, the Montreal Alouettes aren’t a good football team.

I don’t have a problem with seeing Chapdelaine go, but it’s difficult to see a once-great franchise fall to the bottom of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

When I was a kid, I loved watching the Montreal Alouettes. Every week, I devoted my time to watching them dominate the league. I remember how former quarterback Anthony Calvillo, who was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame on Sept. 14, used to destroy opposing defences. When Calvillo had Ben Cahoon, Jamel Richardson, S.J. Green and Kerry Watkins as his receivers, and an offensive line led by Brian Chiu and Scott Flory to protect him, the Alouettes offence was the most exciting one to watch in the CFL. In 2009, Montreal had a 15-3 record during the regular season, and scored 600 points for an average of more than 33 points per game. To compare, last season, Montreal went 7-11 with 383 points, an average of nearly 22 points per game. Oh how far the team has sunk.

Calvillo won three Grey Cups with the Alouettes in 2002, 2009 and 2010. He was their star, and since his retirement following a concussion during the 2013 season, the Alouettes have failed to recover.

The Alouettes have been on a downward spiral since Calvillo’s retirement. They’ve had five different head coaches since 2013, and over a dozen starting quarterbacks since Calvillo left the field. With head coach constantly changing, this team hasn’t found a consistent style of play since 2013.

Former general manager Jim Popp seemed to love firing coaches so he could take over the head coaching duties, and current general manager Kavis Reed will serve as interim head coach for the final seven games after firing Chapdelaine.

This coaching change is just another crisis in the team’s postCalvillo era. The Montreal Alouettes used to be fan favourites in the city, but now, the organization keeps letting fans down.

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

EDITORIAL

Know your rights as a tenant

As we enter the third week of the fall semester here at Concordia, many students are beginning to settle into their routines, their workloads and their living spaces.

The experiences students have with their living situations vary widely: some are finding themselves in the apartment of their dreams with a landlord who is attentive and sympathetic, while others, unfortunately, are not.

It is not uncommon for landlords to take advantage of the inexperience of their student-tenants. This is why we at The Concordian hope to help educate students about their tenant rights and how to defend them. We’ve heard many horror stories of students being taken advantage of by their landlords. It’s for this reason that we’ve decided to address some of the injustices that are commonly inflicted on student-renters, and encourage students to stand up against them.

Believe it or not, landlords are not allowed to ask for any kind of deposit—for keys, damage or otherwise—when you first move in. This will come as a shock to some students, as we have heard countless stories of landlords asking for these payments. But it’s an important fact to be aware of.

Even some of our own editors at The Concordian have experienced situations where their landlord asked for a deposit of one month’s rent. Not knowing otherwise, they complied. Yet when they moved out, the landlord kept the $200, claiming it was for cleaning fees, even though the tenant cleaned the space before leaving without existing

laws requiring them to do so.

One of our editors, Matthew Coyte shared his experience with renting apartments. He had found an apartment that seemed ideal on Kijiji, for $1,600 a month. But when he and his friends got to the apartment, it was the complete opposite of ideal.

“The place was run down, unfurnished,” he said. “The worst part was the landlord, who had demanded that if we were interested in renting the apartment for the coming school year, we would need to put down a security deposit, which would

cost us the first two months’ rent.” When Coyte and his friends explained that Quebec renting laws make it illegal for landlords to ask for payment before the beginning of the lease, the landlord cited reasons of “making sure [they] would honour the agreement.”

These are just a few of the many situations students face when trying to find an apartment.

As a renter, you sometimes have to use your own discretion when deciding whether what a landlord is asking for is fair. You should be aware of the risk you are taking if you decide to go through with

renting an apartment.

Students should also be aware that landlords are, by law, required to clean an apartment before the move-in date, perform necessary repairs in a timely fashion and give 24 hours notice before entering the apartment. Concordia Student Union’s Housing and Job Resource Centre (HOJO) has a website listing all of the things landlords are and aren’t allowed to do, as well as a list of precautions to take prior to signing a lease.

François Saillant noted in the Montreal Gazette in 2016 that the average rent in Quebec was $712 per month ($744 in Montreal). “To pay such a sum without spending more than the standard of 30 per cent of your revenues,” he wrote, “you must have an annual income of more than $28,500, which is obviously not the case for many tenants.” With rent this steep, students need to make sure they get what they’re paying for. It’s your duty as a tenant to stick up for your rights, not only for your sake, but for the sake of other tenants. It’s much harder to fight injustices when they become the norm.

Landlords have been taking advantage of young people for a long time because, well, first-time renters are often naive. If you’re renting an apartment this year, take the time to learn your rights so that you know when they’re being violated. If you think something about your rental agreement or living situation seems unfair or unclear, the university offers a variety of services, including HOJO, where you can speak to someone about the issue. The important thing though, is to make sure you speak up about it.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

VIOLENCE

This is not a conflict, this is a genocide Western media has the power to highlight the injustices in Myanmar—if they pay attention CHLOË LALONDE ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR My sister was the first to inform me about the ongoing genocide happening in Myanmar.

She only found out about it through an Instagram post. This revelation left me in complete shock. The fact that this unforgivable violence has been going on for more than three years is astonishing. But most shocking is that it has barely received any coverage in Western media, until now.

According to Al Jazeera, the Rohingya people are a Muslim minority living in a state originally known as Burma. There are currently 1.1 million Rohingya people living in Myanmar, and they are considered one of the most persecuted groups in the world. The Rohingya make up five per cent of Myanmar’s 53 million citizens, and mostly live in the state of Rakhine, which is described as one of the poorest states in Myanmar, “with ghetto-like camps and a lack of basic services and opportunities,” according to the same source. In addition, the Rohingya have been denied citizenship since 1982, making them illegal residents and stateless.

The majority of the population in Myanmar is Buddhist. This is a religion that honours life and is dedicated to living humbly, while doing as little harm as possible. Yet according to The Guardian, Ashin Wirathu, a nationalist Burmese Buddhist monk and leader of the country’s anti-Muslim movement, is allegedly parading

across Myanmar spewing hate messages and inspiring violence against Rohingya Muslims.

Labeled the “Face of Buddhist Terror” by Time magazine, Wirathu claims he is only “warning” his people about Muslims, when he is truthfully inciting hatred against them, according to The Guardian.

The civilian leader of Myanmar is Aung San Suu Kyi. She actually has a Noble Peace Prize, and according to the Washington Post, she’s a “democracy icon.” Yet, Suu Kyi has been criticized for refusing to acknowledge the violence taking place in her country as an actual genocide.

When asked in interviews about the violence, she often claims the media is “exaggerating” and refuses to criticize the country’s military, according to the Washington Post.

In my opinion, labeling violence as a genocide makes it more urgent, and it takes us back to the horrors of colonialism, the Indian Act, the Rwandan genocide and, of course, the Holocaust. Discussing any kind of ethnic cleansing as genocide makes it more real because it reminds us of history, and of how many people have been murdered for being different.

For a long time, the violence in Myanmar has been considered a conflict of ideologies, a religious dispute between Buddhist Nationalists and Rohingya Muslims, without being labeled a genocide. It also wasn’t being investigated

by Western media for a long time—I suppose Western media overlooked the issue because

we’re so concerned with social justice, healthcare, President Trump and climate change in our own nations.

I don’t really blame us—we’ve got our own problems to deal with. But it’s sad to realize that it wasn’t until the conversation shifted and some outlets, like Al Jazeera, started using the word genocide that we suddenly became all ears.

Human Rights Watch has released a report criticizing Suu Kyi for doing nothing about the excessive violence against Rohingya Muslims.

According to the Telegraph, a recent military crackdown c aused almost 90,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh, where they are in desperate need of basic necessities. Not only are the Rohingya people unwanted in Myanmar, they are also unwanted in Bangladesh, according to TRT World.

In my opinion, this marginalized group needs a safe zone and international intervention. But this will not happen without global acknowledgement. On Sept.

16, Concordia alumnus Majed Jam, organised a demonstration protesting

the treatment of the Rohingya Muslims. This was not only a way to protest the genocide, but a way to capture the attention of the world, or at least Montreal’s attention.

The Western world’s attention is an extremely powerful tool that can shed light on this ongoing violence, and it is our responsibility to make sure people pay attention.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017

theconcordian

19

IDENTITY

Being Canadian rather than 'not American' A reflection on Canada's national identity and why we should just be ourselves LÉANDRE LAROUCHE STAFF WRITER The celebration of 150 years since Canada’s Confederation does not come without a few controversial questions. Amid the festivities, people from across the country have been denouncing the treatment of Indigenous peoples. As well, some people in Quebec—citizens and politicians alike—have reiterated the need for the province to be part of the constitution or to become a sovereign state.

While reconciliation and constitutional issues are of the utmost importance, I’d like to bring forward an aspect of Canada’s identity that’s often omitted. It’s an aspect that is crucial to what we’ve become in the century and a half since Confederation.

I’ve always been interested in the different political ideologies in Canada. It wasn’t until recently, though, that I realized there is a hidden one. One that pervades and homogenizes other ideologies so well that all lines are blurred, making us oblivious to it.

Indeed, I think there are not two but three main ideologies in today’s Canada: Quebec nationalism, Canada’s British roots and American exceptionalism. The latter proposes that the American economic system, political culture and democracy are uniquely rightful, thus making them the default model to follow. This ideology is certainly the most entrenched in our

public discourse, as we see Canada becoming more similar to the United States.

American exceptionalism has positive and negative sides, depending on one’s position.

For many Maritimers, the ideology is a denial of their deeply-rooted identity, while for some Québécois, it may reinforce republicanism and the sovereigntist sentiment, stemming from a shared sense of British oppression.

But for both groups, it entails the takeover of their culture by mass consumption as sold by large media and corporations. That said, the Americanization of Canada likely serves neither Québécois nationalists nor Maritime loyalists.

The United States is currently walking down the road of isolationism and protectionism, a road that none of Canada’s identity groups are fond of. This is why I believe uniting to assert our right to political independence is the best thing we can do. In many ways, the current U.S. president has proven his values conflict with those of our country, and yet it is very difficult to stand up against our closest ally and neighbour.

Most of the time, when I ask someone what it means to be Canadian, the answer either has to do with multiculturalism or not being American. But to what extent is the latter true?

Our economies are integrated to the extent that we can’t foresee a future without a trade partnership with the United States. From NAFTA to Netflix, we are annexed now more than

ever—the result of decades of neighbour-friendly policy making. I think this is concerning, given the political polarization in the United States and the looming threat of a war with North Korea. No matter how different we Canadians think we are, we may one day begin to see the downsides of such a close link with our southern neighbour.

I’m not here to tell anyone what kind of Canada they should strive for, nor am I here to lecture the United States. What I’m here for is to claim that we don’t have to be like

Americans to be more favourable as a world power. We can make our own path, we can be ourselves and we can stand for what we want.

Our government should be more receptive to different identity groups in Canada than to the United States’s influence. It should take Canada for what it is: a politically and geographically complex place rather than an attempted replica of the United States. But the first step is for the population to read and learn about the past, and realize how Americanized Canada has become.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

DEBATE

Balancing silence and rage in discussions The difficulties of facing arguments with those who hold different opinions

ELISA BARBIER ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR There is no winning or losing when it comes to a discussion. At least, this is what I try to tell myself after every heated argument with a friend or relative. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to convince myself of this with much success.

It is easy to get carried away when a subject you are passionate about is brought up by somebody whose opinion conflicts with your own. While some may react rapidly with

directness, others may feel the need to remain silent, fearing the aftermath of a disagreement.

Comedian Tina Fey recently wrote a segment for Saturday Night Live following the events in Charlottesville, Va., denouncing white privilege and white supremacy through satire. In the skit, she jokingly said that people should just eat cake in response to white supremacists. A lot of controversy emerged in response to the segment as many criticized Fey for encouraging people to ignore racism rather than take action against it.

Disregarding racism gives it the space to grow and the time to strengthen, eventually

leading to atrocities such as the ones seen in Charlottesville on Aug. 12 which led to the death of 32-year-old Heather Heyer.

Closer to home, according to a Statistics Canada report, the number of Islamophobic hate crimes reported to police in Canada increased by 60 per cent from 2014 to 2015.

Facing racism and bigotry can be terrifying, but reminding yourself of the experiences their victims go through should be enough to motivate you to try changing someone’s mind.

Regrettably, some may see it as a hassle or a useless fight to confront a narrow-minded person, and prefer to silently avoid conflict.

While I strongly encourage people to stand up for their beliefs, I have not always done so in my own life. France, my home country, only legalized same-sex marriage in 2013. In 2010, when I began to discover my sexuality, homosexuality was still rather taboo in France, especially in the countryside where I am from. I hid my very own traits from most, making sure not to show signs that would reveal who I am.

Yet, it was hard to ignore the comments, the degrading names, the unfounded criticism or the blatant disgust some people around me expressed toward openly queer people.

Unfortunately, directly calling them out was challenging. Avoiding confrontation can sometimes be the safest solution, and it is sometimes the

only thing that can be done.

This tendency to avoid conflict has unfortunately become even easier in our social media age where you can effortlessly choose the content you want to see or ignore. Yet, interacting with people who hold differing opinions is a good way to understand why they don’t agree with you. Furthermore, focusing on one issue and ignoring other issues around social matters such as gender identification, religion, women's rights, healthcare or historical truth is not a way to be actively open-minded.

Over the years, I’ve become more and more outspoken about some of my opinions. An example would be a three-day long argument my roommate and I had about whether taking in refugees in Europe and North America was a good thing. The opinions he had on the matter were the gasoline fueling my fire. Occasionally during the argument, we would lose track of the points we were making or try to use irrelevant information as evidence—we just wanted to be right. After three days, we both agreed on one single thing—you need a strong will to learn and have a productive, mind-changing discussion.

Simply believing that opinions will evolve and shift over time is the worst way to seek change. Protests that turn violent and arguments that focus on winning rather than proving a fact-based point aren't good solutions either.

It is important to speak with people of different backgrounds and ask them about their own experiences. And while a person’s experience may not be enough to change your view, complementing it with research from diverse sources will allow a productive exchange of ideas.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

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