theconcordian Volume 31 Issue 11
INdepeNdeNT sTudeNT NeWspaper aT CoNCordIa uNIVersITy. sINCe 1983.
November 5, 2013
CSU: Time to halt STM’s fuzzy logic on fare fees Page 3
Photo by Keith Race
In this issue // life arts
Customization is trending p. 5
music
sports
opinions
Doc follows Egyptian Editors share Football coach protests p.10 musical tastes p.12 retires p. 14
We tell your stories. Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian
Physician-assisted suicide? p. 17
theconcordian.com
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Tuesday, november 5, 2013
Write to the editor: news@theconcordian.com
CITY KElly Duval Co-news editor
>> halloween drug bust
On Oct. 31, customs agents at Montreal’s Trudeau International Airport discovered what they believe to be two kilograms of cocaine stashed inside three pumpkins found in a woman’s luggage when scanning equipment detected a chalky substance inside the pumpkins. Mercedes Jerez Farias, whose court documents show her as a resident of Montreal’s South Shore, was charged with importing drugs and drug possession for the purpose of trafficking. Farias would face at least two years in prison if found guilty.
Campus // nEWs
Sexual Assault Resource Centre opens soon Providing students with education and awareness TimoThy WEynEroWsKi Contributor
Concordia’s new Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC) officially opens Nov. 11, and the centre’s co-ordinator, Jennifer Drummond is eager to get started. Drummond holds a masters’ degree in social work from McGill University, and currently leads the board of Stella, an organization that advocates the rights of sex workers. According to Drummond, 1 in 4 female students will experience some form of sexual assault in a university, usually during the first
few months of school, and 1 in 8 men will experience a sexual assault in his life. “Coming out as having experienced a sexual assault can be very difficult,” said Drummond. The amount of sexual assault incidents reported are only the tip of the iceberg as even today, a sexist culture prevails in which men still dominate. “We all have a part to play in order to help prevent sexual assault,” said Drummond. Drummond explained that at Concordia University, we are diverse and all have different personal, family and community values and have had different life experiences that affect how we deal with sexual assault. There are only six universities with a sexual assault resource centre in Canada, and Concordia is now one of them. Drummond ex-
plained that this may be because sexualized violence is a challenging subject to address; people struggle to know where to start. “Not to assume that sexual harassment occurs only among students, I will be educating and counseling faculty as well,” said Drummond. The centre’s mission is to provide support to those affected by sexualized violence and to work towards the prevention of sexual assault. It will be important for the centre to make connections with community organizations, resources on campus and to collaborate with various departments. The centre will be looking for student volunteers, from any department, to get involved in order to help provide education and awareness on campus. Howard Magonet, director of the Counseling and Develop-
ment centre, is hoping for what he called a “snowball effect, where it keeps building momentum.” By this, Magonet means he hopes that as more students talk about the sexual assault resource centre and get involved with promoting awareness, more and more students will do so as well. Drummond explained the importance of creating an environment in which survivors can come forward and talk about what they have experienced and receive support. She explained that sexualized violence is perpetrated predominantly by men against women, but that this type of violence does also occur outside of that context and can be perpetrated by any gender. The SARC is located in the GuyMetro building, Room GM-300.27, where Drummond can be reached for more information.
>> Flu
season Fast approaching A Quebec-wide flu vaccination campaign took off on Oct. 31. Quebec Health Minister Réjean Hébert is urging more doctors and nurses to get the vaccine since about a quarter of workers in the healthcare sector contract the flu each year, slowing down the treatment of the public. Hébert predicted that approximately 400,000 people across Quebec will catch the flu this year and said the provincial government is planning to ensure that people who get sick will have access to needed health services during the holidays.
>> saying ‘au revoir’ to Quebec Statistics Canada figures show more Quebecers have left the province in the first six months of 2013 than at any one time since 1997, with more than 17,000 people leaving the province. CTV’S Caroline Van Vlaardingen conducted a special report on this. She contacted 17 Montreal moving companies,11 of which stated they’d seen an increase in people leaving Quebec. According to this report, some reasons for leaving include paying high taxes, language laws and political dividedness. Many people are also moving to Ontario while still working in Quebec and some francophones are also planning on leaving.
ConCordia’s sexual assault resourCe Centre, loCated in the Guy-Metro buildinG, will open nov. 11. photo by Keith raCe.
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Tuesday, november 5, 2013
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Csu // nEWs
CSU demands equality for reduced STM fare age keeping full-time students from benefitting from student privileges ChrisTina roWan Copy editor
The Concordia Student Union (CSU) and seven other Montrealbased student associations are in the midst of requesting price reductions for all full-time students, regardless of their age, when it comes to Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) public transportation fares. After joining forces with several student associations around Montreal, the CSU released a collective statement containing its goals. “The CSU supports equal access to resources for all students. While we have been proud to partner with the STM in encouraging sustainable travel methods, we cannot support the inequality contained within its policy on student pricing. While a reduced rate for full-time students is important, limiting who may be considered full-time based on age does not
reflect the reality of university life. Resources for students should be available to all students.” According to the STM website, in order to obtain student privileges for a monthly pass on one’s Opus card, the individual must be a fulltime student at an institution recognized by Quebec’s Ministere de l’Education, du Loisir et du Sport (MELS), and be 25 or less by Oct. 31 of that year. “We expect the STM to offer the same reduced fee to all full-time students, regardless of their age,” said CSU president Melissa Kate Wheeler. “So far we’ve been [promoting our demand] through social media and by speaking to the press, [but] we intend on increasing our support for this cause in the coming weeks through posters around the school, and by discussing it at our next council meeting.” With bus and train passes getting more expensive each year, the significance of this demand is pertinent for the students in question. STM fares have increased near-
ly $10 in the last five years. In 2008, a student discount monthly bus pass cost $36, whereas now it costs $45.50, an increase of 26.4 per cent. As for a regular bus pass, in 2008 it cost $66.25 and now is $77.75, an increase of 17.4 per cent. For those who take the train, the most expensive mode of transport, fares range between $69 to $121 for students, and regular fares between $87 and $151, depending on the zone. The CSU’s current demands for reduced student fares are not their first attempt. Back in February of 2010, the CSU made the same demand and created a petition which received 330 signatures online to allow students regardless of their age or enrollment status to be eligible to receive student fares. The petition, which was directed at the City Council of Montreal, highlighted several areas concerning the STM student discount requirements and its unfairness to certain students, specifically to fares applying only to those aged
25 or less; not to part-time students but only full-time; STM being the only Canadian public transportation company to place an age restriction on which students qualify for the student discounts; that the average age of Concordia’s student population is 26; that those who continue their studies past the age of 25 often have greater debt; and that the city of Montreal has pledged its commitment to accessibility for both public transportation and higher education on several occasions. Unfortunately, after approaching the STM with the petition in 2010, the CSU was unable to successfully negotiate an agreement. This time, however, the CSU hopes the STM will recognize the severity of the demand by publicizing more extensively in and around the school. The Concordia Student Unions’ next council meeting will take place Nov. 13 at 6:30 p.m. where the situation will be discussed further.
Campus // nEWs
Concordia professor wins Prix du Québec marguerite mendell honoured by the Quebec government for work in social economy KElly Duval Co-news editor
Concordia professor and economist Marguerite Mendell will receive the ‘Marie-Andrée-Bertrand Prix du Québec’ award for social innovation on Nov. 12 at a special ceremony to be held at the Assemblée nationale du Québec. The Prix du Québec honours individuals who advance knowledge in their fields over their lifetime which benefits the culture and expertise in Quebec. Maka Kotto, minister of culture and communications, and Pierre Duchesne, minister of higher education, research, science and technology revealed the award recipients on Oct. 28. Of the 13 recipients this year, Mendell is the only professor at Concordia University to be recognized. “I was thrilled, there’s no other way to describe it,” said Mendell. “It’s a remarkable recognition of many years of hard work.” Concordia University nominated Mendell for the award. “The great source of pride for me was the fact that my university thought that highly of me,” she said. Besides teaching at the Concordia School of Community and Public Affairs, where she engages her students in community based research, Mendell has collaborated with practitioners in community economic development, social economy and the finance sector. “I continually enjoy bringing my research to bear on my teaching and
as often as possible to engage students either as research assistants or to accompany me on trips,” Mendell explained. Mendell was not able to bring her students on her most recent trip, however, as she left for Korea on Nov. 2 to attend the 2013 Social Economy Global Forum, co-hosted by the mayor of Seoul and the Government of Quebec. The GSEF is an international event, where more than 1,000 participants are expected from more than 30 countries around the world. This year’s program will focus on the concept of social economy. Mendell will be the keynote speaker and present an additional series of lectures. “I’m going to address the role of the social economy in urban regeneration and also in societal well being,” said Mendell. Earlier this year, she gave MarGuerite Mendell will reCeive the prix du QuébeC nov. 12. a presentation at the United Nations Research Institute for Social lanyi’s work, who is known for his “Quebec has been my school,” Development in Geneva on social opposition to traditional economic she expressed. “Quebec is a very and solidarity economy. thought. dynamic place and we always have In 2012, Mendell was awardShe also co-founded the Mon- things to think about and discuss, ed the inaugural ‘Prix Pierre- treal Community Loan Associa- to get irritated about … It’s a place Dansereau’ from the Association tion, the first microfinance organi- where dialogue is important and a francophone pour le savoir, for her zation in Canada, in 1990. lot of the initiatives that I work on commitment to improving society. “I’m proud that I’ve been able are the results of dialogue.” Mendell is also the co-found- to combine my research, my teachHer published work on the er and director of Concordia’s ing and my involvement directly social economy in Quebec has Karl Polanyi Institute of Political in organizations,” said Mendell. gained international attention in Economy, established in 1988. While having contributed to the global effort to create economWith Polanyi’s daughter, she co- the development of Quebec soci- ic initiatives to reduce poverty. created the Karl Polanyi Archive, ety, Mendell expressed how much “I’m very lucky that I thrive on a research tool for scholars in all she has learned from the province my work,” said Mendell. “I’m pasdisciplines interested in Karl Po- as well. sionate about the work I do.”
NATION TimoThy WEynEroWsKi Contributor sloanE mongTomEry Co-news editor
>> rob Ford back in hot water
Last spring, the Toronto Star and Gawker published a video allegedly showing Toronto mayor Rob Ford smoking crack. The Toronto police claim they have possession of the video, after recovering it off the hard drive on which it had been deleted. According to Hamutal Dotan, editor-in-chief of the Torontoist website, “[Ford] is notoriously reluctant to offer explanations when it comes to allegations and questions he’s not comfortable with.” City councillor Jaye Robinson, a former member of Rob Ford’s executive team, said that the city does not have the power to make the mayor step down, the only option is for the mayor to step aside on his own. Rob Ford stated he will continue to serve the public, and will run for re-election.
>> elderly
couple’s suicide raises Questions Questions about whether or not enough is being done to support the aging Canadian demographic were raised after the double suicide of an elderly Toronto couple Oct. 29. Marika Ferber and Vladimir Fiser plunged 18 storeys together from their apartment. The latest data from Statistics Canada shows that males in their 80s have the highest suicide rate among any age group, with 31 out of every 100,000 people killing themselves, up from 11.5 per 100,000 people in 2009.
>> right-wing
policies From conservatives PM Stephen Harper will be returning to Ottawa with a strong policy agenda from this weekend’s Conservative Party Convention. In an effort to placate the growing scandals of his government and disenfranchisement of his base electors, Harper’s policy plans for Canadians has shifted significantly to the right. The party has embraced a social conservative agenda on six main points: Labour— adopting “a right to work law” to squash unions in the work place; Healthcare—no support for assisted suicide legislation; Abortion—not legal on the issue of gender selection; Gun control—ensuring private ownership is protected; and lastly, Crime—concurrent sentences for criminals with more than one strike.
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theconcordian
Tuesday, november 5, 2013
Politics // nEWs
WORLD sloanE monTgomEry Co-news editor
Conservative party’s agenda until 2015 official speech from the throne titled “seizing Canada’s movement” delivered oct. 16 JanE lyTvynEnKo CuP oTTaWa BurEau ChiEF
>> two
journalists murdered in aFrica Claude Verlon and Ghislaine Dupont, journalists for the French radio station RFI were abducted and killed shortly after interviewing a local political leader, Ambeiry Ag Rhissa, in the town of Kidal, Mali. Upon the discovery of the bodies, French President Francois Hollande said that the killings were “despicable.” The two journalists had already visited Kidal earlier this year in July to report on the first round of presidential elections. Rhissa told BBC, “I heard an unusual noise in the street...I went out to see what was happening…There was a man on the ground who had a weapon. He immediately pointed it at me and said, ‘Go back inside, go back in’!” Their deaths bring the total number of journalists killed worldwide, so far in 2013, to 42.
>> 23-year-old laX gunman Faces death penalty The gunman of the Los Angeles International Airport shooting that took place on Friday Nov. 1 has been convicted of murder and may be facing the death penalty. The 23-year-old shooter, Paul Ciancia, is currently at a Los Angeles hospital after having been shot by police in the mouth and leg. Witnesses say that Ciancia specifically targeted transportation officers, asking civilians if they were part of the TSA; if they were not, he spared their lives. Although Los Angeles International Airport has been reopened, the incident affected, “About 1,550 flights with 167,000 passengers,” according to airport spokesperson Nancy Castles to BBC.
>> russian protestor is missing Convicted Pussy Riot punk rock band member, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, has not been heard of since she was transferred from a prison east of Moscow, according to her husband Pyotr Verzilov. In a BBC article, Verzilov said his wife was last seen being relocated from a Mordovia prison to another prison in Chelyabinsk, Russia, on Oct. 24. Under law, authorities must inform family about a transfer within 10 days of the convict’s arrival at a different penal institution. Tolokonnikova was sentenced to two years in prison last year for her part in a performance of a “punk prayer” criticizing Russian President, Vladimir Putin. Found guilty of hooliganism, the 23-year-old musician was sentenced to two years in a penal colony.
OTTAWA (CUP) — MPs, senators and reporters gathered in the Red chamber of Parliament Wednesday, Oct. 16, for the official speech from the throne. Marking the opening of the second session of the 41st sitting of Parliament, the speech featured the Conservative party’s agenda until 2015. Titled “Seizing Canada’s moment,” the speech was delivered by Governor General David Johnston. Lasting about an hour, the speech offered little in terms of a student agenda. It outlined a continued focus on the controversial Canada jobs grant and hinted at debt reduction among other legislation the Conservative government hopes to enact. The governor general did, however, acknowledge youth are facing high unemployment rates while claiming the government has created jobs throughout its tenure. The youth unemployment rate is double the rest of the country’s, according to Statistics Canada. The speech said that in order to address the “skills mismatch” in the country the government will push forward with the controversial Canada Jobs Grant. Originally outlined in the federal budget, the program will be an up to $15,000 grant with $5,000 collected from employers, the provinces and the federal government. The grant has been criticized by
offiCial speeCh froM the throne featured Conservative party’s aGenda until 2015. photo by Jane lytvynenKo. provinces, with whom consultations about the program were not held. Johnston also said price discrepancies between Canada and the USA will be addressed. For the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) this means its campaign to lower textbook prices could be a success. Some textbook prices are artificially inflated be-
cause of a tariff imposed on books imported from the U.S.. “Eliminating this private tax won’t cost the government a penny and will help every student dollar go further in the pursuit of education,” said Jonathan Champagne, CASA national director. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair told media after the speech that the Conservative government is trying
to “change the channel” from recent Senate scandals and urged the prime minister to follow through on his promises. Liberal leader Justin Trudeau said the speech was “disappointing.” While the throne speech is commonly used to outline the upcoming session’s agenda, it is not binding and the government may choose to focus on different issues.
Employment // nEWs
Grim job prospects for youth disputed TD Economics report challenges the notion that Canada is facing a skills crisis JanE lyTvynEnKo CuP oTTaWa BurEau ChiEF
OTTAWA (CUP) — The notion of today’s youth being the “lost generation” is being challenged by a new report from TD Economics. Published Oct. 22, the study focused on the skill mismatch and labour shortages in the market over the last 10 years. It found the picture is not as grim as it has been painted. “The notion of a severe labour market skills mismatch has topped the headlines,” reads the report. “With data in hand, we debunk the notion that Canada is facing an imminent skills crisis. At the same time, there is some evidence of mismatch across certain occupations and provinces, but the sparse, non-time series data prevent us from saying whether the situation today is worse than in years past.” The report looked at three key areas: the Canadian labour market over the past 10 years, whether
there’s a skills mismatch and what for those aged 15 to 24 not only in should be done about it. It honed Canada but across the globe. in on areas where there are com“Occupations widely thought to monly perbe in shortage ceived skills have recorded shortages or considerably some have been surpluses, inlower unemlabelling the current cluding the ployment rates youth generation as the trades and than their lost generation, ... For arts degrees. counterparts us, while we determined “Some in the surplus the unemployment rate have been camp,” reads is higher, part of the labelling the the TD Ecocurrent youth nomics report. reason for that is where generation as “Still, vacancy we are in the economic the lost genrates outcycle. eration,” said side of some Sonya Gulati, - Sonya Gulati, economist pockets (e.g., senior econotrades) are not mist at the significantly TD Bank Group who co-authored higher than the national average. the report. “For us, They also have not accelerated over while we determined the unem- the past few years.” ployment rate is higher, part of the Gulati explained one of such reason for that is where we are in examples is graduates with arts dethe economic cycle.” grees. According to StatsCan, in 2012 “What we found in terms of the youth unemployment rate was the arts degrees is typically people 14.5 per cent compared to 6 per graduated with a lower labour marcent for workers aged 25 and up. ket outcome in terms of salary and However, the rate is historically low it usually takes them a longer time
“
to get a position, but overtime that difference between specific fields begins to narrow,” she said. The TD Economics report gives a number of recommendations for governments, employers and potential employees. It says job training is not happening at the same rate as it used to be. While the Conservative government’s newly introduced Canada Jobs Grant is a step in the right according to Gulati, more can be done to improve Canada’s job market. “[Employers can] provide incentive to a worker for taking on the job training,” she says. “For instance you may get a tax break if you seek training above and beyond what you already have. You can give employers incentives to make sure the skills workers have are aligned with what the needs of the general labor market are.” Students need to look for prospects before they enter a field of study to make sure they can get employment after graduation. Despite prospects not being as bleak as predicted, both Canada and its citizens should take steps to safeguard their employment.
life
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Write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com marketing // liFE
According to marketers, the customer is always right how customization proves to be a strong method of marketing hanna-Joy FarooQ staff writer
A new study from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) identifies customization as one of five trends shaping consumer behaviour. “It’s a great way to differentiate yourself in a crowded market,” said Pierre Cléroux, chief economist for the BDC. The study finds that consumers are looking for products catered specifically to their needs and desires, and new technology makes it all possible. Customization — individually customized goods or services — is profitable for companies because customers feel appreciated when their individuality is promoted. The trend will soon reach smartphones — making them as unique as the way you take your coffee. In late October, Google-owned phone company, Motorola, unveiled Project Ara: a buildyour-own-phone approach to smartphones. Project Ara will enable users to buy a basic frame and customize every aspect inside of it, from adding a keyboard, to choosing the battery and camera size. This level of customization has yet to be seen in smartphones, but Google remains hopeful the move will increase its current 6.9 per cent smartphone market share. While customization remains mostly un-
charted territory in the realm of smartphones, it’s well established in the coffee world of handcrafted beverages. Starbucks Coffee is a shining example of the success of customization. Customers are notoriously known by baristas for their long list of amendments to standard drinks. If the many recent store openings in the province of Quebec are any indication, letting customers have their way seems to be in their best interest.
However, customization can be like overeating, according to Leslie H. Moeller, vicepresident of the Booz Allen strategy and technology consulting firm in Cleveland. “It feels good when you’re doing it. Then you wake up one day and you’re 80 pounds overweight,” Moeller told management magazine strategy+business. Marketing professor, Jerry Wind, from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, added, “If customers have too much
choice, they cannot make a decision; they freeze.” While customization is mostly great for businesses, it can be a pitfall for consumers. Eli Pariser, author of The Filter Bubble, argues that despite the perks of customization, unintended negative consequences may arise. In a TED talk, Pariser explained that the Internet is being subject to filtering, without users necessarily being consulted beforehand. Sites like Facebook, which are tailored to our individual online habits, filter our content accordingly. News and search results, on engines like Google, act the same way using various algorithms. As such, we risk not getting exposed to critical information, simply because other information is being filtered out by customization. To demonstrate how extreme this idea of relevance could become, Pariser asked two friends, Scott and Daniel — both Caucasian and both from New York — to google “Egypt.” Daniel’s first page didn’t mention anything about the protests in Egypt, which was a major headline at the time, while Scott’s page did. Instead, Daniel’s results included links to travel agencies, the CIA Factbook of Egypt, and Egypt Daily News. These filters, according to Pariser, amount to a “filter bubble.” The danger, he argues, is that you don’t decide what gets in, and more importantly, you don’t see what’s left out. While filtered content or “customized content” raises a number of privacy and information questions, the fact remains that most consumers want a product best suited for their needs and what better way to have that then by actively taking part in the production process — whether it’s your double non-fat extra foam macchiato or your new smartphone.
Positive psychology // liFE
Blame squeezing the life out of cuteness on science
Why going crazy for cute entices aggressive reaction miChEllE gamagE staff writer
The next time you pick up an adorable little fuzzy puppy and declare it to be so cute you’re going to die, don’t blame your emotions. Blame science. A group of graduate student researchers at Yale University recently coined the term “cute aggression,” to explain the body’s response to overwhelmingly adorable things and presented a paper on it earlier this year. SoulPancake, a YouTube channel dedicated to positive psychology, picked up on this study and incorporated it into their new series, The Science of Happiness. “[Yale scientists] found out that if you’re overwhelmed with a sense of happiness or giddiness, your body and your brain looks
for some way to quickly and efficiently exert that,” said The Science of Happiness co-creator Mike Bernstein in a behind-thescenes video on YouTube. “And the fastest way your body can come up with, is aggression.” Now, this doesn’t mean that you’re more likely to turn around and start kicking faces after you see a kitten sneeze and fall over. The aggression is more likely to be exerted by pinching someones cheeks, squeezing too hard during a hug or popping bubble wrap. Yale researchers had 109 volunteers look at cute, funny, or neutral pictures and asked whether they agreed that it was I-just-can’thandle-it cute or if they felt the need to squeeze something and say “grrr.” They found that the cuter the picture was, the more aggressive the response would be. “We think it’s about high positive-affect, an approach orientation and almost a sense of lost control,” said research group-leader Rebecca Dyer in an article written earlier this year by Popular Science contributor Shaunacy Ferro and entitled “Why Do We Want to Squeeze Cute Things?”
After the initial test, the researchers invited the volunteers back, gave them bubble wrap, and had them watch another animal slideshow. Volunteers would pop 120 bubbles while looking at cute pictures and only 80 to 100 bubbles when looking at neutral ones. SoulPancake did a similar test and found that one volunteer popped 45 bubbles for the cute pictures and only four for neutral ones. Dyer has two theories for why we display cute aggression. First, she suggested that when we are unable to reach through the screen and take care of the cute thing (which we are biologically programed to do) we become frustrated, and then aggressive. Conversely, our brains are overwhelmed with the torrent of happiness that cuteness brings so the brain gives the happy emotion a negative response in an attempt to balance the high levels of energy and emotion. This is similar to when we are so overwhelmed with happiness that we begin to cry. “Ultimately cute aggression is nothing to worry about,” said The Science of Happiness’ host Julian Huguet in SoulPancake’s
video “A Study of Cute Aggression.” “But, if that aunt [who also pinches your cheeks] does tells you that you’re so cute she could just eat you up, run.” To check out the video and many other positive psychology studies search ‘The Science of Happiness - A Study of Cute Aggression’ on YouTube.
response
to Cuteness explained by sCienCe.
photo by serGiu baCioiu, fliCKr
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Technology // liFE
Privacy please! Information at risk of being sold
how advertising is now geting priority over the protection of our online personal information JaimiE roussos staff writer
What do you do when you want to get to know someone? You check their Facebook page, of course. What are they studying? Where do they work? What bands do they like? This kind of information that was once only disclosed through conversation is now available to all. If you think your friends — well, your Facebook friends — are the only ones accessing this information, think again. Facebook has been the target of many privacy complaints in the past. Most recently, Bell Canada announced their new policy that will collect data on customers’ television, web and phone patterns to create targeted ads. Which entails having ads specific to you and your interests. This “relevant marketing” policy will come into effect on Nov. 16. According to Bell Canada’s privacy policy on their website, Bell will be able to access all customers’ network usage information, which includes web pages visited, search terms, location, app and device feature usage, television viewing, and calling patterns. Facebook also has targeted ads, and uses all the information you provide: your location, your age, your job, and your interests. The social media site tracks all of your “likes” as well, and you can end up seeing ads for something you personally liked or even for something your friend liked.
Journalism professor and social media expert, Lisa Lynch, says people aren’t that aware of privacy settings and with the constant updating of social media, it’s hard to stay on top of everything. There is not much use in getting worked up over the fact that Facebook — and now Bell — is using the information available on our profiles to their advantage. It is the price we pay for engaging in free social media that has us interacting in the open. “We are not their customers,” says Lynch. “We’re the product, what they are selling.” The best way to avoid becoming the product is by getting informed on how better to protect the information we put online, update our privacy settings and maybe even be more selective with the kind of information we share. However, Bell Canada has made it possible to opt out of their access to your network usage. You can choose to receive “relevant, targeted ads” or “unfiltered, random ads,” the latter being the opt-out option. Lynch believes targeted ads are the future of advertising, and gives the example of Hulu, an American online television-streaming website. On Hulu, they have an “Ad Tailor” feature, which means they ask whether or not an ad is relevant to you. For ad customization, they also have a feature called “Ad Swap,” where you can choose which ads you see. “It is the next evolution in user choice and control,” specifies Hulu’s support page. In terms of ad blocks, there is an online
service called Social Fixer, which allows you to customize your Facebook settings and remove annoyances. There used to be a setting to hide advertisements, however this feature has recently been disabled due to legal threats from Facebook. More companies are becoming proactive in shutting down websites that try to block their ads. “Advertising is getting much smarter everywhere,” Lynch explains. “The expectation
of being able to get around these things will lower [and] we will gradually accept them.” It is easy to forget that part of our lives are lived online. Sharing who we are and what we do has become a part of how we identify ourselves and how we socialize. Companies using personal information for targeted ads may seem like nothing to worry about however it is important that we become more conscious of our online activity, what we share and who has access to it.
health // liFE
When it becomes more than just the freshman 15 how much is too much? The prevalence of food addiction and how it weighs heavily on students DEsTiny Kaus The Carillon (university of regina)
ratory team assessed 652 adults from Newfoundland and Labrador — 415 women and 237 men — to try and find a link between food addiction and obesity. The study concludes that the prevalence of “food addiction” was 5.4 per cent (6.7 per cent in females and 3.0 per cent in males) and increased with obesity status. The study goes on to explain further results:
“Our results demonstrated that ‘food addiction’ contributes to severity of obesity and body composition measurements from normal weight to obese individuals in the general population with a higher rate in women as compared to men.” These results bring us to the question: Why is food addiction and obesity such an issue in
REGINA (CUP) — When asked the question, “Do you have a food addiction?” University of Regina students had a variety of answers. Some individuals answered with a resounding “Yes!” Others responded with specifics: “Ice cream!” or “Oranges. I love mandarin oranges because they’re really sour. I’d be depressed if I didn’t have oranges.” While others still stated that, while they don’t think they have a food addiction, they often use food to cope with stress or boredom. There were students who bluntly answered “no,” and the occasional student who had experienced a loved one suffering through an eating disorder and knew the serious health problems associated with food addictions. One thing that all of these students agreed on is that food addiction is a growing issue in today’s society and can lead to obesity. The Faculty of Medicine of Memorial University of Newfoundland recently released its findings about the issue in an article titled, “Food Addiction: Its Prevalence and Significant Association with Obesity in the General Population.” Dr. Guang Sun and his labo- food addiCtion, an epideMiC of our Current Culture, affeCts Many shapes and sizes. photo by fliCKr user Colros
today’s culture? Neil Child, a psychology professor at the University of Regina, explains that self-image plays a huge role in food addiction and obesity. “I’ve counseled clients who say they’re fat and have as their issue a disproportionate urge to eat fat foods,” he said. “Not so strangely, this self-described issue is that of selfimage, being obese and decidedly, from the client view, unattractive.” Not only does this issue of food addiction and obesity stem from self-image, but it also comes from various environmental pressures. John Papandreos, coordinator of recreation services at the University of Regina, explains that students face a lot of stress, such as financial instability, personal/social relationships, work, school and body image. “Students, as a means to overcome these life challenges, often resort to potentially life altering measures i.e. substance abuse, eating disorders, food addictions and even suicide,” he said. To help those struggling with issues related to food addiction, Concordia offers services such as resources for study skills to decrease stress, professional psychologists, clinical counsellors, as well as personal, group, and emergency counselling. Services like these can help combat the growing problem of obesity.
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Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com Museum // arts
A New face at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal Recently appointed director, and Concordia graduate, sees a grand future for museum Marc-Olivier Laramée Staff writer
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he only Canadian museum exclusively dedicated to contemporary art just got itself a new director. Concordia University graduate, John Zeppetelli, is the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal’s 13th director. Zeppetelli’s travels abroad have given him the opportunity to embrace all kinds of art, but this opportunity is specific to contemporary art. After completing his studies at Concordia, Zeppetelli left for England. This was the turning point in his career. At the Institute of Contemporary Arts, he worked with Iwona Blazwick who went on to create the Tate Modern, Britain’s national gallery of international modern art in London. In New York, Zeppetelli graduated from the Whitney Museum of American Art’s independent study program; a prestigious curriculum wherein only 15 students get the opportunity to learn the ins and outs of cultural organizations. Upon returning to Montreal in the mid ‘90s, Zeppetelli worked as a librarian in
Hampstead, Montreal, and often lectured in art history and design at Concordia. In addition, Zeppetelli took on the position of curator at the Saidye Bronfman Centre. Afterwards, he worked as the art director and chief curator of the DHC/ART foundation for contemporary art for the next six years. At that point, Zeppetelli had cultivated a wide contact roster that has now become valuable to his new directorial
career. His nomination as the head of the Montréal Contemporary Museum is something of a revolution in the museum’s history. He is the first amongst the museum’s 13 directors in 50 years not to come directly from within the organization. Zeppetelli is excited about the large undertaking of renewing the museum’s physical space. With help from the board
John Zepetelli took his position as director of the museum in August. Photo by George Fok
of directors, the museum will receive funding of $35 million for expansion that will double the gallery space, and create a new entrance on St. Catherine Street. “If everything goes well, in one year or so, construction should start,” said Zeppetelli. The museum renovations would be ready in 2017 for the 375th anniversary of the city of Montreal. “It is important to offer platforms to exchange ideas, debate, discover. We do it but I want more. Presenting conferences, movie projections, this is my new vision of the museum,” said Zeppetelli He wants to combine and continue to use the museum to welcome the Jazz Festival, POP Montreal, Nuit Blanche as well as welcoming electronic music. Respecting the museum’s original mission is also important for Zeppetelli, adding that it is imperative that they “promote and preserve contemporary Québec art and to ensure [there is] a place for international contemporary art through acquisitions, exhibitions.” The Montréal Biennale of 2014 is an event the museum looks forward to participating in. It is Zeppetelli’s goal to put his museum back on track and position it at the forefront of the world’s contemporary arts stage.
Memoir // arts
An American memoir of life, love and Sarajevo An ode to two cities, The Book of My Lives pieces together essays to create a life’s story Shereen Ahmed Rafea Staff writer
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Bosnian refugee brings with him his habits, thoughts and ideologies and struggles to make them fit into the western world. Aleksandar Hemon wanders two cities with his memories, filled with questions. Hemon grew up in Sarajevo, hanging out with his “raja” group, living with his parents and sister, and loving the city with all its complexity. Hemon writes about his life in a stunning new memoir titled The Book of My Lives, his first attempt at non-fiction. Published earlier this year, the book consists of a collection of essays, most of which were previously published in The New Yorker. Hemon infuses these essays with emotional insight and sharp observations, combined with diverse memories. Hemon doesn’t stick to a specific timeline. Instead, he moves backwards and forwards in time; in one instance he highlights the structure of Sarajevo’s neighbourhoods, in another he relates childhood memories. He speaks about his family life, about war, immigration and political rebellion. These diverse essays fit together to complete the puzzle on how he views his life.
He recalls innocently calling a boy “Turk” at a birthday party, not knowing what it meant. To his shock, the boy, a Bosnian Muslim, burst into tears. This experience introduced him to the racial tensions that plagued his hometown. Hemon was in Chicago when the war broke out, and became stranded in the United States as a result. He uses this background to describe feelings of loneliness in a new town and his slow process of adapting. He is a wanderer and makes Chicago his home by familiarizing himself with every nook and cranny of the neighbourhood. He never lost touch with his Bosnian roots and went back to visit, describing the difficulty of seeing a city that is not yours anymore. His writing is elegant, seamless and mixes humor with raw emotions. The tales jump from a family dog Hemon acquired, to Bosnian food and culture, to his writing endeavors. His descriptions make you smell the cuisine and empathize with a population who endured a traumatic war. The saddest essay is about the death of his young daughter from cancer. It is a tearful recollection of an unexpected tragedy and a family dealing with a void in their hearts. Although his previous books, such as The Lazarus Project and The Question of Bruno, were fiction, Hemon establishes
himself as a strong contender in the non-fiction genre. His memoir is an honest account of his upbringing and his current life. Hemon’s memories that shaped his identity as a Bosnian-American are raw, insightful, funny, and sad at the same time. His hometown of Sarajevo becomes intriguing as a city, and the image of its people transcends the war horrors flashing on the television screen. He has penned a total of five books and written many stories for The New Yorker making it hard to believe that Hemon learned most of his English as an adult.
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Lecture // arts
On drawing, painting, performance and the artist Sobey Award-winner and studio arts professor Raphaëlle de Groot discussed her recent projects Natalia Lara Díaz-Berrio Contributor
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woman is walking barefoot; her head covered with paper, her body with long fabrics, plastic feet stuck to her arms. Who is
she? She is Raphaëlle de Groot, a Montrealbased artist and guest studio arts professor at Concordia University. As part of the Artist’s Talk series, de Groot gave a public lecture last Wednesday in the VA building. Eliza Griffiths, painter and assistant professor at Concordia, introduced de Groot’s practice as “interdisciplinary and polymorphous, maybe rooted in drawing. It includes performance, installation and curating projects.” The talk started with a video of a performance done in the Venice Biennale earlier this year. It was a two-hour and forty-minute performance that took place in a public garden. As the artist explains: “I wrap my head in a piece of paper with tape which blinds me completely.” All the actions executed after are guided only by her “hands and [her] sense of touch [to find] some points of reference
that [she] memorized before.” In all her works, de Groot takes risks, constantly reinventing herself. By displacing her body, she questions the role of the artist and their place in the creation of art. In earlier works, de Groot operated using her experiences with groups of people that were outside of the realm of art. From there she drew inspiration, established connections and would invite them to contribute with their own creations, with their own signatures — whether it was through drawing, writing or photography. “Her work always develops through projects or strategies involving her alone or with others within social groupings including: blinds, nuns, factory workers, putting herself in that environment,” Griffiths explained. For example, between 1999 and 2001, de Groot started a project with blind people titled “Colin-maillard.” She drew them while they were drawing objects as they were touching them. She saw blind people as “experts of a different perception of the world that we can’t have, because we have our eyes.” There is always an interest for the space outside the vision and for the notion of construction of the self. Her process first begins with the accumulation of a wealth of information and
the collection of different objects. After which, de Groot becomes “a kind of curator of the body that the research has generated.” She explained that in her work, “there is intuition at first and consciousness and awareness comes through process and often after.” de Groot is interested in history, and in creating dialogue and conversations. There is always a “sensitivity to materials and aesthetics even when [she] is doing documentary work,” said Griffiths. Artist’s Talk series is held by the department of studio arts periodically. For more information on their upcoming lectures, visit: studioarts.concordia.ca. For more information about de Groot’s work visit: raphaelledegroot.net
“Her work always develops within social groupings including blinds, nuns, factory workers,” said Griffiths
Cinema politica // arts
Outrage and fear follow partial meltdowns of nuclear reactors Protests were held in Tokyo, Japan following the 2011 Fukushima Daichii nuclear disaster Ayan Choudhury Staff writer
On March 11, 2011, an earthquake struck off the coast of Japan, creating a devastating tsunami that swept over cities and farmland in the northern part of the country in Tohoku. Recorded as a 9.0 on the Richter scale, it was the most powerful quake ever to hit the country (in comparison, Montreal’s earthquake last fall registered at 4.5 on the Richter scale). These natural disasters subsequently led to a nuclear emergency, as a result of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station suffering partial meltdowns and releasing radioactive material directly into the atmosphere. Today, the official count of the dead and missing is above 24,000. The cleverly-titled Radioactivists, directed by German filmmakers Julia Leser and Clarissa Seidel, follows the anti-nuclear demonstrations held in Koenji, Tokyo immediately following the tragedy. Organized mainly by a group of activists known as Shiroto No Ran (Amateur’s Revolt) and a group of political musicians from the Human Recovery Project, the protests featured people from all walks of life, gathering more than 15,000 people by the third demonstration. Combining music and visual arts, the atmosphere was festive rather than tense. These scenes were surprising to many Japanese citizens given the country’s lack of a protest culture. In fact, these were the first major demonstrations the nation had seen since the 1970s. The anti-nuclear movement in Japan has taken great leaps since the first protests highlighted in Radioactivists. In fact, since 2011, the number of protests in Tokyo against the use of nuclear power have dramatically in-
Two German filmmakers, Julia Leser and Clarissa seidel, join Japanese demonstrators during the rallies against the effects of the nuclear disaster in their documentary, Radioactivists creased, culminating in 2012 with the country’s largest anti-nuclear event yet (gathering more than 75,000 people). Japan’s history with nuclear power is a fascinating one. Despite the nuclear bombings in Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II, the country’s reliance on the use of nuclear power reactors has grown steadily since the 1960s. Prior to the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, Japan generated 30 per cent of its electrical power from nuclear reactors. Thus, when Leser and Seidel turn their cameras towards the endless bright lights in the bustling streets of
downtown Tokyo, they implicitly ask: how much longer is Japan capable of maintaining its electric consumption? Featuring interviews with sociologists, writers, and activists, Radioactivists is thoroughly engaging and intellectually stimulating during its first half. However, the film strays from its narrative focus when the cameras simply follow the protests for long stretches of time. The film’s strengths are showcased most during its aforementioned interviews. For example, political scientist Chigaya Kinoshita speaks of the initial shock felt
by all after the earthquake and tsunami occurred. While the world hailed the Japanese for their so-called stoicism in the face of great adversity, Kinoshita argues that his countrymen simply didn’t know how to react to the situation. It’s safe to say they’re reacting now. Radioactivists screens Monday Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. in room H-110 – 1455 de Maisonneuve W. Director Karol Orzechowski will be in the audience. The film will be followed by Women of Fukushima (2012). For more information, visit cinemapolitica. org/concordia
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opera // arTs
It’s not really over till this fat man sings
opera de montreal presents verdi’s iconic masterpiece and his last opera, Falstaff olivia rangEr-Enns staff writer
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h, Falstaff. Verdi’s timeless operatic classic takes centre stage at the Opera de Montreal this month, guaranteed to issue a few laughs and approval from the audience. In many respects, Falstaff is comedic and light-hearted while remaining thought-provoking. Based partly on Shakespeare’s play The Merry Wives of Windsor, this three-act commedia lirica takes on dark themes of revenge and retaliation in a subtle fashion. John Falstaff, a pot-bellied drinker bogged down with financial troubles, realizes he needs to fix up his bank account. Also, Falstaff has not checked himself out in the mirror lately, since he still believes he can woo wealthy ladies. Mistake number one: Falstaff sends out two love letters to Alice Ford and Meg Page, both wives of affluent Windsor citizens. Mistake number two: the letters are identical. At first amused, the wives become angry and decide that Falstaff needs to learn a lesson. Page and Ford, along with Mistress Quickly, scheme to pretend they are interested in Falstaff. The jovial Mistress Quickly steals away to Falstaff’s residence, claiming that both women are enthralled with Falstaff. Overjoyed, Falstaff delivers a mighty aria (“Va, vecchio John/Go, old Jack, go on
your way”). Meanwhile, Mr. Ford (husband of Alice) learns of Falstaff’s ruse and interrupts his attempts, ready to lynch Falstaff. Hiding behind a hamper, Falstaff is shortly thrown out in the ditch through the window. Things are not looking good for Falstaff. By Act III, Falstaff is grumpy. Licking his wounds, he resolves to dowse his sorrows, so out comes the mulled wine. Encouraged to seduce Alice once again, Falstaff hits another brick wall when a horde of “elves” and “fairies” (who are actually his disguised servants) thrash at him violently. Marie-Nicole Lemieux shines in her role as Mistress Quickly, whom she has played no less than 52 times. “I love being back home in Quebec, but I won’t say that I am not stressed,” she said. “I am as nervous about the role as [I was] in Milan, Paris or London.” Lemieux finds Verdi enthralling because of the opera’s freshness and youthfulness. “This was a man nearing the end of his life, and he managed to make this opera sound both joyful and young. He was 76years-old! I also love to sing Verdi because it is very dramatic. It is like champagne,” said the contralto. Lemieux credits the good team she has been working with for her success so far. “The orchestral conductor is magnificent. When we perform together, I sometimes get emotional. [Once], my make-up was running all over the place by the end of one performance,” Lemieux recalled.
Speaking of her role, Lemieux feels it is an important one, vital to the storyline, adding that she loves playing the mistress. “Mistress Quickly is the link that holds people together. She is a very developed character, she is always intervening in situations,” she explained In the title role is Oleg Bryjak; Gianna Corbisiero plays Alice Ford and Lauren Segal takes on Meg Page. Internationally renowned Italian conductor Daniele Callegari takes the baton, leading the Orchestre Métropolitain. David Gately, stage director for Falstaff, also nurtures fond emotions for the opera.
“I have directed this opera a total of eight times, and to this day it remains one of my favourites,” he said. “The piece is full of life, full of good spirits. The more I direct Falstaff, the more I am amazed,” says the Seattle-based director, adding, “I love directing in Montreal too. This will be my fifth time directing in this city.” Before each performance, a pre-Opera talk with musicologist Pierre Vachon will shed light on the opera in the Piano Nobile room at 6:30 p.m. Verdi’s Falstaff will run for four days only on Nov. 9, 12, 14 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier.
for only four days this Month, FalstaFF’s foolhardy hero will brinG CoMedy and sonG to Montreal’s operatiC staGe. photo is a still froM youtube
Poetry // arTs
Poet’s Corner Heart Beats?
By: Karina Licursi We’re not standing on any ground We’ve lost what we found The paradigm is an illusion Yet it has us all confined to confusion Like an ancient monument; solid at first glance Don’t touch it, or it’ll dissolve Yet why are we holding onto What we choose not to solve? All you have is sink or swim Let your artist in Let go with the tide and float When the heart beats, it makes the loudest note Who can tell a wolf in sheepskin? When one is blinded by a goat When the heart beats, the soul marches on Speak loudly, speak clear Threats can’t match up to what we hold dear Hey, at least we have each other Hey, we have more to discover Or maybe there is order in this chaos Maybe it’s time to find what we’ve lost
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When the heart beats, it doesn’t ask for much Just that to let go of such and such, And to make room for that much It’ll be easier once duality collapses So the heart beats… can come alive to the masses
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AT ITS VERY BEST
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theconcordian Documentary // arTs
On the front lines of a revolution— and looking in Documentary, The Square, follows three Egyptian protests from January 2011 until July 2013 TomEr shaviT staff writer
Egypt. The cradle of civilization. The mother of the world. Arguably the most influential country in the Arab world; it is said that where Egypt goes—most Arab nations follow. In the winter of 2011, Egyptians were in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, removing a despot that had ruled over them for 30 years. The Square, a documentary by EgyptianAmerican Jehane Noujaim, follows the dramatic events that turned Tahrir Square into an international symbol of revolution and hope, but also of turmoil and despair. The film is the first of its kind, following not only the fall of the Mubarak regime, but the tumultuous and bloody aftermath. In fact, The Square brings us the story of not one, but three revolutions: the first to depose Mubarak, the second to depose military rule, and the third to depose Mohamed Morsi. While the sheer vastness of the throngs of protesters makes for compelling footage, the truly insightful moments are the smaller and more personal scenes between the main
characters. The film focuses on a cast of revolutionaries, each from different backgrounds and differing ideologies. Ahmed Hassan is a young idealist who hopes for a more liberal and progressive Egypt to emerge from the dust. During the anti-Mubarak protests he meets and befriends Magdy Ashour of the Muslim Brotherhood. This friendship represents a moment in time when all of Egypt was united in one cause, and this unity proved strong enough to end a powerful all-encompassing regime of 30 years. But even in those optimistic days the camera catches hints of the catastrophe that will follow. Arguments between Islamists and liberals, accusations of ulterior motives— all swept under the rug as a greater villain (Mubarak) was present. It is in apartments lit by candlelight — because of the frequent power outages — that we see how the emotionally charged, slogan-shouting days in the square are tempered with weary debates and worried whispers at night. In Mubarak’s last public address before he was deposed he said, “I’m afraid for the outcome of this situation, and that the youth who are calling for change, will be the first to
suffer the consequences.” This proves to be somewhat prophetic when we see the revolutionaries back in the square after Mubarak is ousted, this time to remove military rule and demand a democratic election. The military,who helped dispose Mubarak and who were once heralded as the heroes of the people, are now firing live ammunition into crowds of protesters and running them over with military vehicles. Movie stars are also part of the stellar cast. Khalid Abdalla (The Kite Runner, Green Zone) is the son of a political activist that was exiled to England in the ‘70s. Abdalla moved back to Egypt when the revolution started, in order to take part in the historic endeavor. A great scene in the film is an argument he has with his mother after the fall of Mubarak, about whether or not the Egyptian people are ready for democracy. His mother thinks that elections should happen immediately, as this is what the Egyptian people are fighting for. “But there are no decent parties,” Abdalla exclaims to her, “we’ve been living in a vacuum for 30 years!” Once again, words become prophecy when the Muslim Brotherhood wins the Parliamentary elections and then the Presiden-
tial elections. A year after the first democratic election in Egypt, we see our heroes back in Tahrir Square, this time to depose the newly elected Morsi, who is accused of awarding himself excessive powers and drafting a constitution that alienated non-Islamists. The Square is a monumental achievement. It follows three years of some of the most groundbreaking events the Middle East has ever seen. The footage is sometimes difficult to watch (in one truly harrowing scene we see army vehicles run over protesters, followed by images of the flattened bodies) but the underlying message is that no matter how vicious the oppression, no matter how violent the resistance or how high the death toll, the spark of revolution, once ignited, cannot be quelled. “It’s something fundamental inside people that is moving them,” says Abdalla. “I don’t know how you kill that.” The Square, opens the Montreal International Documentary Festival. It will be shown in the original Arabic with French subtitles on Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. at the Monument-National’s Ludger-Duvernay Theatre with director Jehane Noujaim in attendance. There will also be regular screenings of the film during the festival.
This week, exclusively at theconcordian.com: We give you photographic coverage of one of the hottest exhibits in town, “Modified,” by artist Jennie Philpott, including the opening night with a flesh hook-pull suspension performance! Warning: Graphic and explicit content.
music
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Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com
review // musiC
KIN fables: ‘a musical, visual journey into fable’ montreal brothers intertwine mediums with their latest project DaviD aDElman Contributor
A mysterious knight in shining armour blasts a ram-horn, calling the short fantasy film KIN into action. A young boy with distinct yellow galoshes runs in slow motion out of a ghastly mansion, while a knight chases him through an enchanted forest. A childprincess, pale as the moon, approaches a stream, a diamond necklace is revealed lying stagnant in the flowing waters. The knight and the boy in the yellow galoshes collapse simultaneously. The boy regains his footing and is welcomed by a tribe of dancing spirits that resemble the puppet-villain Jigsaw from the Saw film series, only curious and inviting-looking and not so creepy. Pause. While most successful films begin with words on paper, the McKinnon Brother’s KIN, which took home the award for Best Cinematography at the Montreal Fantasia Film Festival and the Cyprus International Film Festival, began with a few tracks on Logic Pro composed by Seb McKinnon, a graphic designer with no background in music. After graduating from Dawson College in illustration, Seb was designing illustrations for the card game Magic: The Gathering and
was hired by Ubisoft as a game designer. orchestral, the choirs, the epic drum beats, “I went by the musical name of Clann Turning all his medieval fantasies into elabo- but we wanted to bring a modern element to for this project. We stumbled upon vocalist rately designed reality, Seb was living an il- KIN, so that’s why we introduced the trance Charlotte Oleena by chance and that made lustrator’s dream, until he discovered Logic beat,” said Benjamin, who still cannot be- the KIN EP into what it was,” he said. Pro and the art of song-making; that’s when lieve the process of how this all begun. In the realm of KIN, it is not just the myeverything changed. “While I started making the music, Ben thology of the characters and world, but the “As a concept artist, I design knights or and I began constructing a storyboard and music that sets the tone. any creature that has something to do with that’s how this story started to tumble,” said The McKinnon brothers are gaining atfantasy. I remember while I was at Ubisoft, Seb. tention in the Montreal cultural milieu for about two years ago, I really wanted to do As more and more faces were created for this project, which is unlike any film ever something on my own. That’s when the KIN, Seb went back to the drawing board created before in the genre of fantasy. It’s a ideas for KIN really came to me,” said Seb. and began drawing a graphic novel about musical, visual journey into fable, its visualAkroan Horse, Debt to the Deathless, the story, which inspired some of the shots ly mystifying and intensely emotional narraDrown in Filth, Vaporkin, were just a few of the film. But it is really through the music tive guided by trance-like electronic music. of the countless creatures and mythical war- where the story began. Divided into three short films, Salvage, riors he gave life to. Her & The River, and RequiFueling the hordes of em, the McKinnon brothers Magic card collectors have completely self-funded with riveting visuals this project and are now raisno longer thrilled Seb ing money on kickstarter to the same way because see this multimedia project the world he was creto its completion. ating was beyond “You watch Braveheart the realm known to and there are certain mofantasy-lovers. His ments in the film where all new concept, KIN, the sounds disappear and was born through you are left with the soundthe mélange of beats tracks that are almost on the and with the partnerverge of being a music vidship of his filmmakeo,” said Seb. ing brother, Benjamin “Goosebumps moments, McKinnon. connecting with those mo“Most fantasy ments when you are watchshort films or feaing a film and you feel the ture films that you chills, that’s what we strive see have soundtracks to create,” said Benjamin, MCKinnon brothers CoMbine MediuMs in latest proJeCt KiN. seb MCKinnon. concentrated on the finishing Seb’s thought.
streeter // musiC
Concordia: what’s pumping through your headphones? students reveal their diverse musical preferences saBrina CurialE Contributor
Have you ever met someone who didn’t listen to music, or liked it at all for that matter? Neither have we. The fact is, the majority of people are plugged into beats regularly. Walking down the streets of Montreal, it’s hard not to notice the incredible street style and uniqueness that Montrealers possess. You can’t help but wonder what genre of music is going through the wire. Venturing out to Concordia’s Sir George Williams Campus, namely the Webster Library and the Hall Building, we asked a sample of 50 students, “what are you listening to?” As expected, finding students with earphones on was an easy task. However, getting them to divulge the details was another story. Some were a little shy to expose the truth behind their musical taste. Others admitted to being equally curious about what another person on the street was listening to. Others
were just using their headset to speak on the phone — we apologized for the interruptions. All in all, we were able to get some Concordia students to share their likes—and very few dislikes — when it comes to music. Time and again, students expressed that they “like everything.” On a positive note, it exemplified the open-mindedness of Concordia students when it comes to listening to the universal language that is music. Getting down to it though, there was real variety in individual preferences. “I like alternative rock, can you tell?” said Concordia student, Shane O’Gorman,who was wearing an AC/DC T-shirt. Bands like Arctic Monkeys and Fall Out Boy were also on the playlists of rock fans at Concordia. From there, the answers ranged anywhere from hardcore rap, to electronic music, to Beethoven classics. Student Brandon Johnston even passed over his headphones to give us a listen to Nicolas Jaar — a unique electronic, yet ruminative sound. By the end of the questioning, electronic music seemed to be the genre that reigned supreme among the rest. Students were caught listening to songs by Zomboy, Chris Liebing, Carlo Lio, and Dubfire.
Craig Cloutier (Flickr)
Hip-hop music was also a common preference among the students asked. Software engineering student, Eric Philippona, who had Joey Bada$$’s “World Domination” playing, said he sticks to rap music because, “it pumps me up.” This had to be the most common response students gave for listening to their respective genre of music; the music that people chose was always a reflection of their mood. The one student who admitted to having compositions by Beethoven in their iTunes library, said it was soothing to listen to while studying. Ena Trebinjac, who studies economics at Concordia, laughed when she shared. While she listens to everything, she happened to be listening to reggaeton from her Zumba
course. “It could be a lot of different music, like today I was listening to “Lady Marmalade,” which is an old song but it’s upbeat,” said psychology student, Cassandra Fehr. “I always listen to music that’s upbeat.” One interesting observation that Fehr agreed with was that the male students at Concordia seem to be more plugged in to their playlists than their female counterparts. As much as there is variety in the genres of music that Concordia students choose, they all have one common attribute: the feel of the music is what determines its playing power. If an artist has the capacity to convey a message through their song and a listener has the ability to feel something from it, it will most likely be found in one’s playlist.
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Event // musiC
Light up the night for a good cause JEssiCa romEra music editor
>> Billy Joel is back in a New York state of mind On New Year’s Eve, the Piano Man will return for a solo performance in his home state for the first time since 2008, ringing in the new year at the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn. Since 2010, Joel has been recovering from hip replacement surgery, one of the main contributing factors to his absence from the stage. Despite his steady recovery, Joel performed in Madison Square Garden over a year ago for a Hurricane Sandy relief benefit. His New Year’s Eve show will be kicked off by Ben Folds Five with ticket prices ranging from $64 to $200.
>> The Amazing SpiderMan 2’s star-studded soundtrack For the upcoming Spider-Man flick, producer Pharrell Williams has joined forces with the Smiths’ guitarist Johnny Marr, Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger and legendary filmscore genius Hans Zimmer. Williams and Zimmer have previously worked together on Despicable Me. The superhero film starring Andrew Garfield, reprising the title role, and actor-rapper Jamie Foxx as baddie Electro is set for release in May 2014.
>> Neil Young joins the Red Hot Chili Peppers onstage for a good cause On Oct.30, Neil Young joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers to raise money for the Silverlake Conservatory of Music, a school started by RHCP bassist Flea. Since the Southern California school’s inception more than a decade ago, Flea has enlisted the help of some of his well-known musician friends, like Patti Smith, to help raise funds. Flea and the rest of the Chili Peppers humbly opened for Young, playing crowd pleasers like “By The Way” and “Around the World.” After several songs, frontman Anthony Kiedis paid tribute to the late Lou Reed with “a moment of noise,” instead of the traditional moment of silence, according to Rolling Stone.
>> So long, Jo Bros: boy band of brothers calls it quits After close to a decade of winning over teenage girls everywhere with their infectiously catchy pop songs, the Jonas Brothers have decided to call it quits. After a recent string of cancelled tour dates, including a Montreal stop, the band’s spokesperson announced that “there was a big disagreement over their music direction,” and that the split was a unanimous decision. The band of brothers recently released two singles, but it is still not clear as to whether or not a full album will ever see light, leaving die-hard fans feeling unsatisfied. Meanwhile, all three Jonas brothers have been pursuing separate musical side projects.
students and musicians raise funds for the leukemia and lymphoma society sara DuBrEuil staff writer
W
hen Anthony Di Cintio’s family friend Matthew was diagnosed with leukemia, Di Cintio wanted to find a way to show his support, rally the family, and bring people together around the cause. Combining music, stand-up, homemade baked goods, and coffee, his upcoming event, Light the Night Coffee House, is designed to do just that. Di Cintio is the main organizer, with friends and classmates in the McGill faculty of medicine volunteering to help run it. “I thought if I could organize a charity in respect to him and his family, it could be a sign of hope,” said Di Cintio. “I did it to bring up the spirits of the family, and I
think it has.” The Light the Night Coffee House is a fundraiser being held in support of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS), which is a voluntary health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education, and patient services. The event is in its third year and has raised $3,500 for the cause. With the goal of expanding and attracting more than just immediate friends, this is the first year it’s being held downtown. The night is styled like a coffee house with a set of acoustic musical acts (including Di Cintio himself), stand-up comedians, and an open-mic session. Under the theme ‘Mardi Gras,’ there will also be a photo booth, bake sale, raffle prizes and of course, lots of coffee. “I thought of something I would enjoy doing and going to,” said Di Cintio about organizing the event. “It’s going to be a nice, kickback acoustic night.” Concordia student, Liana Di lorio, is planning on performing during the openmic portion of the coffee house. “I love the event because it’s low-key, laid back and, ultimately, a full night of entertainment for a really great cause,” said Di
lorio. “The LTN coffee house has that kind of ‘We can make a difference’ vibe without pressuring you to make a donation.” Matthew himself is currently in the hospital, having just finished a round of chemotherapy and is awaiting a bone marrow transplant. His girlfriend, Cristina Cinquanta, is the senior campaign co-ordinator for the LLS’s Light the Night Walk in Montreal. She and Matthew joined the walk in 2009 and since then, with the help and support of family and friends, have raised $105,000 for the society. “The Light the Night Coffee House fundraiser has contributed tremendously towards our team goal and the goals of the society, which is to find a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families,” said Cinquanta. “We are extremely thankful for Anthony’s support and generosity.” Tickets for Friday’s event cost $15 and all proceeds will go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, through the Light the Night Walk 2014. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 8, at Thompson House Ballroom, 3650 Rue McTavish.
Editor picks // musiC
C
urious to get to know your friendly staff here at The Concordian? Check out what musical masterpieces we are currently craving and what jams we can’t live without. “The latest Arctic Monkeys album, AM, came out in September and I’ve had it on constant replay since then. I’m completely and utterly obsessed with every track on this record: it’s definitely the Sheffield lads’ best since their 2006 debut Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. If you haven’t listened to it yet, drop absolutely everything you’re doing and check out “One For the Road” and “Arabella.” You’ll thank me later.” -Jessica Romera, Music editor “I’m currently really loving Kodaline’s music. They’re an Irish indie-alternative rock group and they are just lovely! They’ve been around for a while, under a different name, but changed it up and released their album this year. They haven’t gotten too much coverage on this side of the pond, but I say watch out for these guys. If you’ve never heard them check out “All I Want” and “All Comes Down” for starters.” -Casandra De Masi, Opinions editor “I’m really into blonde female alternative rockers right now: Metric, The Sounds, Florence+The Machine, The Asteroids Galaxy Tour. It’s music I can dance to on my walk home. It’s upbeat and uplifting and just makes me feel joyous.” -Amanda Shore, Editor-in-chief “I’ve been listening to Half Moon Run often these days. On their debut album Dark Eyes, the first two songs “Full Circle” and “Call me in the Afternoon” are especially catchy and I like that each song has quite a different feel from the others. Plus, they’re a Canadian band based in Montreal.” -Kelly Duval, Co-news editor “This month has been the month of pop
Photo by Carmela Nava (Flickr)
music for me. I can’t seem to get everything on the Top 40 out of my head and I’m not embarrassed to say I’m loving it. Favourites: Justin Timberlake’s “TKO,” Lady Gaga’s “Applause” and Drake’s “Hold on, We’re Going Home.”” -Natasha Taggart, Online editor “Indie-flavoured pop band Bastille has been getting me through this chilly weather. Their best selling single “Pompeii” is just one of the many great songs on the album titled Bad Blood. The acoustic live in Paris version of “Flaws” is flawless in fact and on repeat right now. Dan Smith’s vocals soar straight to my soul and what makes Bastille even better is their killer cover of TLC’s “No Scrubs” and Miley’s “We Can’t Stop.”” -Sabrina Giancioppi, Life editor “I should’ve been born in the ‘40s. My ears just can’t digest anything other than jazz and blues. Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan. Sometimes, however, I come across a contemporary
artist with an old-timey blues soul. Recently, I stumbled upon Paolo Nutini. “Loving you” and “Million Faces” are especially lovely.” -Roa Abdel-Gawad, Arts editor “I really haven’t been listening to new music. It’s just a mix of Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Velvet Underground and CBC Radio 3.” -Keith Race, Photo editor “Lately I’ve been going back to some classics. The album Rumors by Fleetwood Mac has been playing on repeat in my car for the past few weeks. It never gets old!” -Nathalie Laflamme, Production manager “Right now I’m really loving the New Yorkbased duo MS MR. Their style, indie pop, is super mellow and easy on the ears anytime of the day. I’m just starting to listen to their latest album Secondhand Rapture, but what hooked me was their four track 2012 debut EP Candy Bar Creep Show. The tracks I’d recommend are “Bones” and “Hurricane.”” -Christina Rowan, Copy editor
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Profile // music
BRAIDS look inward for inspiration
Local trio experiment with electronic sounds on their latest album Jessica Romera Music editor
In a windowless one-car garage turned studio in Outremont, Montreal-based BRAIDS crafted their most introspective and reflective material to date. “A lot of our inspirations were changing,”said vocalist and drummer Austin Tufts of their latest record, Flourish//Perish. “We wanted to convey some different emotions.” “We decided we wanted to have a writing and recording style that was more conducive to those palette of emotions,” he said of the dark and intimate recording space. “It’s like 100 per cent different; it’s a completely different beast.” While their previous material displayed a youthful energy that translated with ease into live performances, fueled mainly by alternative pop instrumentals, their sophomore release boasts an impressive array of sounds and styles. On tour for their debut album Native Speaker, the locally based trio composed also of keyboardist, guitarist and lead vocalist Raphaelle Standell-Preston and bassist, guitarist, percussionist and vocalist Taylor Smith, discovered
their appreciation for electronic beats. “There’s a totally new sonic palette that we were discovering with a lot of electronic music,” said Tufts. “These sonics so much more appropriately reflect what we’re actually feeling and the things we wanna express.” The period between their last record and Flourish//Perish was an emotionally charged one since the band underwent a drastic reconfiguration. Formerly a four-piece collective, BRAIDS became faced with the reality of continuing as a trio. “I almost feel like it’s a transition record,” said Tufts. “We wanted to sort of focus on a more subtle and subdued set of emotions, more melancholy, a little bit more reflective, introspective, because those are the things we were feeling and we had sort of grown up a little bit,
braids released their latest album Speers
we were not quite angsty anymore I don’t think. Flourish//Perish is a really nice collection of songs that reflects a period in our lives.” Through their extensive touring, BRAIDS encountered some of the biggest influences in the electronic and House music scene, namely producer Aphex Twin and musician Clark. “It was a totally new and fresh experience for us,” said Tufts of the encounters. Their ever-evolving sound can be attributed to the band’s refusal to be chained down to a specific style. “I think genres are kind of overrated to be honest,” admitted Tufts. “I don’t think we ever nailed down a sound that we were sort of aiming for.” “There’s no one song that gets the entire album across,” he adds. “I don’t really think
Flourish // Perish
back in
Quick Spins
August. Photo
by
Landon
there’s any point in trying to pin something down.” Regardless of being Calgary natives, BRAIDS are proud to call Montreal their home now. What attracts them most to the local music scene is that Montreal doesn’t necessarily expect you to sound a certain way, and is extremely open to different styles. “I think the community that we’re a part of is a very enabling community,” said Tufts. “It’s a community that says ‘yes’ to a lot of different sounds.” The band connects with the audience not only on a musical level during a hometown show, but on a personal level as well. “There’s always a sense of pride that comes from playing in your hometown,” he said. “It’s always refreshing to go home.” Before officially unleashing their sound on Montreal almost half a decade ago, the band was initially called The Neighborhood Council. “That was pretty terrible,” laughs Tufts. A self-proclaimed “interwoven and interlaced” group, the trio opted for their current moniker instead, which they feel more accurately represents who they are. “We’re a very tightly knit group of friends, and we’re also very tightly knit musically,” said Tufts. “It’s a good reflection of what we do musically. One of the strongest things you could do to three individuals is to braid them. So if you take three individual pieces of hair, you could break them very easily but if you braid them together, they become very strong.”
Quick spins // music
Arcade Fire - Reflektor (Merge Records; 2013)
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - The Speed of Things (Warner Bros; 2013)
Big Dreams - REAL (Independent ;2013)
Albert Hammond Jr. - AHJ (Cult Records; 2013)
On Oct. 29, Montreal rock icons, Arcade Fire, released Reflektor; the group’s fourth album and the follow-up to the 2010 Grammy album of the year, The Suburbs. The new album brings a slight change in style from their previous works, adding synthesizers that stir up recollections of the disco era. Caribbean drum patterns give the whole package a laid back feeling in stark contrast to their previous work’s sense of urgency. The highly anticipated album does not disappoint with several thought provoking and catchy songs covering a variety of topics. Arcade Fire delved deeper into symbolism than ever before; Reflektor presents lyrics that can be analyzed on several levels and rarely present a straightforward message. Overall, Reflektor is an amazing achievement and a major step forward for a band that was already arguably one of the top groups of modern rock.
The sophomore slump doesn’t seem to have affected Detroit electro-pop duo, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.. Following the critical success of their 2011 debut, It’s A Corporate World, Josh Epstein and Daniel Zott have returned with an album that solidifies their place in the post-new wave revival. With comparisons ranging from The Beach Boys to Vampire Weekend and Phoenix, The Speed of Things thrives in the bands’ pop sensibility and sense of humour. Their sound is both nostalgic and modern, with ‘60s pop and Afro-Caribbean tinged melodies and vocal harmonies over a layered electronic background. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. certainly did not reinvent themselves with their second release, but what they did accomplish was a cohesive album that feels lighthearted and accessible, yet still thoughtful and dynamic.
Trial track: “We Exist”
Trial Track: “Run”
REAL, the latest mixtape from Montreal rap group Big Dreams, has lyrics that hit harder and features better production than its predecessor, Stars. REAL is laced with emotion, even on tracks like “YDKM” and “Shut It Down” where you’d expect the group to leave their deeper undertones to the side. Instead, they creep up to the surface. That being said, their emotional side doesn’t hold them back. The group’s members are between 19 and 20 years of age and are not living lavish and rich lifestyles. They’re rapping about what they feel, what they’ve gone through, and what they know. However, it is refreshing to hear them go off and spit, like on “High Tech/Mos Def 2,” where three quarters of its members, Task the Radd, Timeliss, and Myles spit over an old-school sounding beat. It’s chill, and perhaps a bit safe and lacks a bit of variety, but the group is growing and maturing and they’ve got time to branch out and be larger than life. Trial Track: “High Tech/Mos Def Part 2”
It’s been five years since Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. released his sophomore record ¿Cómo Te Llama? During this hiatus, he battled crippling drug addiction and other demons. Since his tour in rehab and subsequent recovery, Hammond Jr. has been channeling his energy and concentration into his latest record, AHJ. The 15minute album showcases the guitarist’s entrance to sobriety and maturity with basic clean-cut sounds, dropping many instrumentals that were prominently featured on his previous releases. Having released AHJ on fellow bandmate Julian Casablancas’ Cult Records, Hammond Jr. does not entirely lose his gritty guitar riffs signature to the Strokes on tracks like “Strange Tidings.” Familiar Strokes drum beats and basslines can also be heard sporadically through the album, most notably on “Rude Customer.” Though the EP is well-crafted displaying a new chapter of his musical career, the short track list leaves listeners waiting and wishing for a full length release. Trial Track: “Strange Tidings”
9.5/10
- Justinas Staskevicius
7/10
- Paul Traunero
6.5/10
- Julian McKenzie
8/10
-Jessica Romera
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Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com
Football // sports
Sports in the Family comes first for Gerry McGrath News Former Alouettes kicker shares his experiences as Concordia’s head coach Tim Lazier Staff writer Chris Cordella Staff writer
>> Three wins in under a decade
The Boston Red Sox have won their third championship since 2004, yet it was the first one they won at home since 1918. This was a series with the St. Louis Cardinals that went back and forth through the first five games with a lot of odd finishes. For example, a reversal call in game one swung momentum Boston’s way and an obstruction call ended with a Cardinals win. Then in game four we saw a pick off attempt in the ninth inning by a Red Sox pitcher with two outs, catching a Cardinal off the base to end the game. But the game six finale was much less dramatic. The Red Sox solved Cardinals rookie pitcher Michael Wacha early and often, which led to a 6-1 decisive win to take the world title.
>> A blizzard in Colorado
Colorado Avalanche goaltender Semyon Varlamov was charged last week with second degree kidnapping and third degree assault, according to CBC. He allegedly did this to his girlfriend, who in a recent interview said he might have a drinking problem. Things got more interesting when it was announced that he would keep playing after he was released on $5,000 bail. He played Friday night in Dallas against the Stars and won the game 3-2.
>> CFL playoffs are set
The regular season ended Saturday night and the Canadian Football League are down to six teams looking to punch their ticket to the Grey Cup in Saskatchewan. The eastern semi-final will be the Montreal Alouettes going on the road to face the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the winner will go on to play the Toronto Argonauts. As for the west, the B.C. Lions will travel to Saskatchewan to take on the Roughriders, where the winner will take on the Calgary Stampeders. The games will be on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. and they can both be seen on TSN and RDS.
In all his years as Concordia’s football coach, his office has never looked quite like this: old trophies on the floor in the corner, waiting for packaging and only a few pictures still hanging, showing bare white walls. It’s a strange sight, but Gerry McGrath is getting ready to move on. Following the Stingers’ last game of the season (a loss to Sherbrooke on Oct. 26), McGrath gathered the team for a post-game speech. Unbeknownst to them, it would be McGrath’s last. He told them he wanted to spend more time with his family and, after 14 years as head coach, he announced his retirement. “I think Concordia will become a great football program in the near future,” said McGrath. “I just think at this point it was time for me to move on.” McGrath has thought about retiring for a while. With three young kids at home, it was time to turn his focus from football to family. “At this point I need to put my family first,” said McGrath. “But Concordia is a close second and will always be.” McGrath explained how there’s no defining moment that he his most proud of during the span of his career. Being able to go to work everyday with young men and coaches who were just as passionate about football as he was is all he could have ever asked for. “The thing that I will miss most is the kids.
I work for my players, I don’t work for anybody else,” said McGrath. “I work for the kids I recruit and for the coaches that work with me.” There’s one thing that hasn’t been packed away in McGrath’s office: a large plaque, hanging on the wall, of miniature helmets inscribed with Stingers who’ve gone on to professional teams, both NFL and CFL. Although he’s proud of seeing his players excel on the field, or achieving their dreams by making it to the pros, these are not the most important things for McGrath as a coach. “I know I have the players who made the pros on the board, but there are guys that have come through here who didn’t make professional football,” said McGrath. “Some have PhDs or went on to have great business careers and become leaders in their communities. Those things are just as important.” Coaching was always about much more than
wins, losses, and individual stats for McGrath. Not only did he want to be a coach on the field, but a mentor and teacher off it. One of the things that he learnt over the years was how to communicate with the players, that yelling and getting worked up on the sideline only goes so far. “At the end of the day people will forget scores of football games, but people won’t forget someone who cared about them and was there for them,” said McGrath. “Really at the end of the day that’s enough reward.” Despite his plans to stay on with the Stingers next year as an advisor, many realized how much he meant to them when he told his players about his decision to step down. “It’s very emotional,” said senior linebacker Max Caron in a press release after the team’s final game. “For me, Gerry’s been there my whole career. What I love about Gerry is that he really cares … I’m really going to miss him.”
Photo by Brianna Thicke
Book review // sports
Bruins Hall of Famer releases memoir
Thirty-five years after retiring from the NHL, Bobby Orr tells his story Samantha mileto Sports editor
It’s the moment many hockey enthusiasts across North America have been waiting for, a moment many fans, and even people around the National Hockey League, thought would never happen. Bobby Orr has finally written his long-awaited book, Orr: My Story. Many books have been written about him, including Stephen Brunt’s Searching for Bobby Orr, without ever having interviewed Orr or his family because the subject never wanted the attention. Thirty-five years after retiring, he finally decided it was his turn to tell his story. It’s amazing how someone who is arguably the best hockey player to ever play the game can remain so humble. But modesty is the definition of Orr and this book. Orr: My Story is more than just the former number 4’s “tell-all” of his hockey career. Though
he does provide more insight into his ascension in the hockey ranks, the book is dedicated to thanking the people who helped him get there. For example, Orr had this to say in the book about his first Stanley Cup victory with the Bruins in 1970: “[...] I never really liked individual honors, because they seem to miss the point. No one guy can accept the praise for the statistics he puts up, because it takes all kinds of unacknowledged help to get there. All the coaches in minor hockey and in Oshawa. All the friends and volunteers, teachers and billets. The neighbors who lent a hand at some point, and the teammates’ parents who drove me to the rink.” In the book, Orr never fails to mention how his family, his teammates and his coaches have made him the player he was with the Bruins, and the person he is now. He even dedicates a chapter to Don Cherry, his coach in Boston and the flamboyant host of the CBC’s Coach’s Corner on Hockey Night in Canada. Orr explains how much Cherry meant to him and his family and almost makes you want to the warm up to him. Much of Orr: My Story is also advice to parents and younger players, as Orr wanted people to learn from his experiences, good or bad. And if you’ve followed Bobby Orr’s career, you’d know he’s had his fair share of both.
For example, Orr writes that hockey should be played to have fun and if you’re good enough to make a career out of playing, great, but that’s not the goal. Orr says that his best memories involve playing shinny hockey in outdoor rinks in Parry Sound, because of how much fun he had, and that he never stopped having fun, even in Boston. His advice to parents is to let kids play, because the point of playing is to have fun. Orr also offers his opinion on fighting, that it has a place in the game but blind-side hits and hits from behind need to be removed. Orr also dedicates a chapter to his former agent, Alan Eagleson. In short, he was a fraud and stole from his clients, including Orr. While Orr admits that he trusted Eagleson and should have paid more attention to his finances, Eagleson betrayed him and left him broke after Orr retired. Now, Orr works as an agent, but never handles players’ money, believing that the players need to learn how to manage their own money. What you get out of this book is that Orr doesn’t see himself as a legend, as he is perceived to be. He proves throughout the book that he was not only a special player, but a special person to know as well. Orr: My Story was released on Oct. 15 and is available at most bookstores and online retailers.
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Corey Cup// sPorTs
Undisciplined Stingers fall to McGill in Corey Cup Concordia’s men’s hockey team blows third period lead after losing winger to injury Elias laraDi Contributor
The Concordia Stingers were looking for their second win of the season as they were hosting the McGill Redmen for the Corey Cup title at Verdun Auditorium on Saturday night, but fell 3-1 to their cross-city rivals. The game got off to a fast start for the Stingers. Only 1:50 into the first period, centre Olivier Hinse took a pass from defenseman Sean Blunden, rushed up the ice in a flash, and got a quick shot past McGill goaltender Andrew Fleming for a 1-0 lead. Ten minutes later, Anthony Nobili was called for slashing, which sparked a fight between Blunden and Redmen right-winger, Benoit Levesque. Both men received penalties for the fighting. Three minutes later, the Stingers seemed undisciplined once again, getting another penalty when forward Ben Dubois was called for holding. The positive factor was that Stingers goaltender Antonio Mastropietro was stopping every shot he faced. After one period, Concordia was up 1-0 over the McGill. The second period started off as a physical battle between the two teams. Things then turned ugly when Redmen left-winger, Patrick Delisle-Houde threw a punch at Stingers right-winger Jessyco Bernard. Bernard suffered a concussion and was forced to leave the game. Delisle-Houde was as-
sessed a two-minute and 10-minute penalty for roughing. Stinger’s head coach Kevin Figsby was furious with the call, thinking it should have been treated as a game misconduct. Near the end of the second period Concordia received a minor penalty as defenseman Gabriel Bourret was called for hooking. Nearly minutes later, with mere seconds left on the clock, Concordia got yet another penalty when left-winger Dany Potvin was called for high sticking. Concordia still held a 1-0 lead heading into the third period. However, in search of the tying goal, McGill was firing shots left and right but couldn’t beat Mastropietro. On a power play at the start of the third period, McGill finally got on the board with a shot from defenseman Ryan McKiernan, that went in as a McGill player bumped into the Stingers goaltender. After the goal, Mastropietro complained that he was interfered with and that the goal shouldn’t have counted, but the referee told him that a Stingers player had pushed the McGill player into him. With the score tied 1-1 it was the Stingers’ turn to struggle offensively. The McGill goal seemed to slow the Stingers down. McGill’s hard work and patience finally paid off as Delisle-Houde, who had returned from his 10-minute penalty, scored the go-ahead goal to give his McGill Redmen the 2-1 lead when he got a close range shot past Mastropietro. At the 11-minute mark of the third period, Stingers defenseman Adam Nugent-Hopkins
was called for roughing. Their undisciplined play turned to anger as Bourret and Redmen left-winger Carl Gelinas got into a scrap, which they both were penalized for. With one minute to play, Concordia pulled their goaltender during a face-off in the offensive zone in favour of an extra at-
tacker, but an empty net goal by Redmen’s Max Le Sieur sealed McGill’s win at 3-1. “We didn’t have any execution, we were undisciplined, we had injured players, we lost a top forward, there was poor officiating and we didn’t play our best,” Figsby said after the game.
stinGers Men’s hoCKey teaM lose Corey Cup aGainst rival redMen at verdun auditoriuM. photo by brianna thiCKe.
rugby // sPorTs
Power outage causes men’s rugby game cancellation The stingers pull out a 38-17 win against the Carabins on sunday ChrisTinE BEaTon staff writer
not surprising considering the building was constructed in the 1950’s. The backup plan in situations like this is to find an alternate date convenient to both teams which is what we did,” said Gibson. “We’re all taped and ready to go,” said Nico Krawczyk, a Stingers second row, mo-
ments before the game was officially cancelled. “I’d rather just find another field at this point.” Having only one league game left against Bishop’s before they head into the semi-finals, Gibson is clear about what to expect going into playoffs: “More of the
same fast paced, exciting, hard-nosed rugby.” The Stingers play their final regular season game against Bishop’s on Friday, Nov. 8 at Coulter Field in Lennoxville. Make sure to check out the live-streaming of the game on the Gaiters website.
T
he Concordia men’s rugby team was due to play against the Montreal Carabins on Friday, Nov. 1, but due to windy conditions and power outages at the Loyola campus, the game was postponed to Sunday, Nov. 3. Despite the cancellation of the game, the men overpowered the Carabins on Sunday night, winning the game 38-17. This is the sixth win for the Stingers this season, securing them a spot in second place, right below the McGill Redmen. “Even if the power had come back, the campus security had closed the athletic fields for security reasons due to all the stuff blowing around and they were not going to open it again until the wind died down below the levels we were experiencing,” said head coach Clive Gibson about the game’s cancellation. Scheduled for 7 p.m., the game against the Carabins was only decided to be postponed at 7:20 p.m. As the Carabins packed up to leave, both coaches could be seen pacing around the building, asking players when they were available to play next. Eventually, all Stingers disappeared into the locker room and were told that their game would be postponed until Sunday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.. “There are no back-up generators —
Men’s ruGby teaM wins last hoMe GaMe of season in postponed GaMe on sunday aGainst MCGill. photo by brianna thiCKe.
opinions 16
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Tuesday, november 5, 2013
Write to the editor: opinions@theconcordian.com Editorial // oPinions
Journalism for the sake of sensationalism: no thanks Publishing embarrassing photos does not serve anyone’s best interests The Concordian strives to be a publication of integrity, which is why we have chosen not to publish photos which portray members of a certain student association allegedly using illegal substances. The Concordian does not deal in ‘yellow journalism.’ Yellow journalism places the focus on articles that are ‘sensational.’ These types of articles are most often given prominence in tabloid magazines. It is our belief that to publish such a photo would not serve a legitimate purpose. Although the picture in question involves members of a Concordia student association, we have confirmed that funds from the student association were not used to purchase said illegal substances, nor does the asso-
ciation condone the partaking of these substances. Furthermore, the photos were taken at an event that took place off-campus and which did not involve the university. What people choose to do in their personal time is not our concern and although publishing such a photo may titillate our readers, it would only serve to humiliate and hurt those involved. Although we recognize the importance of the governance of student associations, we do not feel as though their personal choices need to be publicized so long as their choices do not affect their promises to the student community they serve. This issue brings to mind the current mayoral debacle in Toronto. Toronto Police have informed the public that they are in possession of a video which shows Mayor Rob Ford using a crack pipe. Since reports of this video first surfaced, the public has been titillated by this story, amused no doubt by
the embarrassment the city of Toronto is enduring on account of the alleged disreputable behavior of their mayor. However, the fact remains that the video is not absolute proof that Ford has used crack cocaine. A photo or video can be misleading in that it does not present the whole truth of the situation. Yes, Ford is a public figure; yes, these alleged actions reflect negatively on his city and yes, the activity in question is illegal. However, is there a purpose being served by disseminating this information? The allegation that Ford has partaken of illegal substances has not affected his approval ratings. His council has lost faith in him, but not the public. Therefore, the publication of Ford’s alleged drug use has served only to embarrass him and Toronto. There is no evidence that suggests that Mr. Ford is a regular crack cocaine user. There has been no indication that Ford’s job performance has been affected by the one
alleged incidence of him with a crack pipe. All that can be gleaned from this is that Ford made a mistake. Ultimately, we tend to expect better from our elected representatives but these people are human and do make mistakes. What should determine the worth of an elected official is their record in office, not what activities they may partake of in their free time. Since it is our belief that the revelation of video evidence alleging a single instance of Ford using drugs has not served a worthwhile purpose, so too do we believe that publicizing the use of illegal substances by student association members in their free time is not worthwhile. That being said, we will remain vigilant. If it is discovered that these elected representatives are behaving in ways which would shed a negative light on Concordia and its student associations, then we will report it to our readers.
Provincial elections // oPinions
Marois’ electoral gamble will amount to a loss Delaying elections until next year will likely only bring same result for Parti Québécois gEorgE mEnExis staff writer
It would be untrue to say that Quebec’s political scene isn’t wildly entertaining. This zoo we call our political system has been embarrassingly inadequate for the past few years, no matter who has been running it. When it came time to hit the polls last year, it was none other than Pauline Marois, infamous leader of the Parti Québécois, who took the vote by a mere one per cent, ousting the corruption-laden Liberal Party. After more than a year of watching Pauline Marois and her minority government struggle to make any valuable contribution to the province, Quebecers were eagerly awaiting to see whether she would call an election at the end of this year. The answer is a resounding ‘no.’ It seems 2014 will be the next time we’ll be choosing a provincial leader. “The government doesn’t want general elections in 2013,” Marois told the press on Oct. 26. “The population gave us a mandate and we will continue to assume it. In the next few days, we will present our governmental orientations for solidarity because we think a responsible government must take care of people. We will also present our electrification strategy in transportation because we want Quebec to be a leader in that technology.” Most importantly for Marois, it
gives her a bit more time to convince voters to let her stay, no matter how unlikely that seems when you look at the facts. Marois’ time in office has been a laughing affair. All the good she’s done politically has been almost completely shunned and overshadowed by a few major stunts that changed her reputation from separatist leader to separatist wacko. Regardless of when the elections are held, the hole Marois and the Parti Québécois have dug themselves will barter the
same result: a change of heart politically for Quebecers. Whether it’s the reformed liberals, with Pierre Couillard now holding the reins, or the newly formed Coalition Avenir Quebec, it is highly unlikely that Marois will ever lead this province again. QMI Agency political analyst Jean Lapierre said the PQ realized it didn’t have the poll numbers to win a majority government. “Marois got spooked,” Lapierre said, according to The Toronto Sun. “Marois has
been preparing for months to open a window for an election, and she choked.” The truth is that as a province this isn’t what we need at the moment. Like the rest of the world, Quebecers all over the province have real issues that need fixing. Our education system is in debt and needs more funding, our construction system is a mess, and our province is falling apart economically, mirrored by the economic plan the Parti Québécois announced last week. “The economic plan announced last week signals a shift away from fiscal austerity, along with a hefty dose of interventionism in industrial policy that is destined to be rejected by the opposition parties at the first possible opportunity,” said Pierre Martin, a professor of political science at the Université de Montréal, in an article for the Toronto Star. We took a gamble when we gave a separatist party a chance, and we lost our chips. Truth is, Quebec is a diverse province with an amazing population, and preserving the French language is an incredibly important issue. That being said, the party in place is simply too immature to lead. You cannot focus all of your attention and energy to language and “identity issues,” and ignore other pressing matters. It’s especially disconcerting that the one issue they are focusing on is being handled incorrectly. The people in this province need to be united, and all the Parti Québécois has done is create issues to separate us. It’s time for a change.
Tuesday, november 5, 2013
//
17
health // oPinions
Physician-assisted suicide: YES to a right to die, but NO to having your doctor do it Photo by amandaBianca, Flickr
The need to maintain the wall between patient and doctor milos KovaCEviC Copy editor
T
he Quebec government is one step closer to amending endof-life care with the successful second-reading vote on Oct. 29 of Bill 52. The Bill, if ultimately passed, will usher in some big changes for end -of-life care. It will make Quebec the first and only Canadian province legalizing a patient’s right to die. Assisted suicide by itself is nothing ground-breaking in our part of the world. Four U.S. states, including neighbouring Vermont, have provisions for it, some going back all the way to 1997. Canada, by comparison, lags in that it considers it a criminal offense similar to homicide. What Quebec’s Bill 52 hopes to do is not only make it attainable, but expand the list of those who can administer it. In the U.S. states that allow it, a doctor can carry out a patient’s desire for assisted suicide by prescribing a lethal dose of medication, to be taken by the patient at their own volition if the patient suffers from a terminal condition. Bill 52, on the other hand, suffers from vagueness in the wording of the eligibility criteria. The relevant clauses state only that the patient must “suffer from an incurable serious illness,” while another requires that the patient must also “suffer from constant and unbearable physical or psychological pain which cannot be relieved in a manner the person deems tolerable.” What exactly is an incurable and serious illness, and how is it different from a terminal condition? Paranoia of slippery slopes aside, who’s to say a debilitating case of arthritis or Alzheimer’s, amongst others, won’t be grounds for assisted suicide? What are the reasonable bounds of tolerability, if any? Terminal is a firm term with strong boundaries. A “serious illness” isn’t.
Additionally, how does one judge unbearable psychological pain? Yes, the bill requires “repeated requests” from individuals, provides psychological testing if needed, and needs the affirmation of a second physician. Yet this isn’t enough. What if a patient is in the throes of the prolonged effects of a depression and related psychological anguish (which often come on the coat-tails of medical prognoses) — is such consent valid? Depression can come and go. Death, by contrast, is permanent. One may wish to die today, but what of tomorrow? The right to die is a controversial one, but at the very least one largely confined, for good reason, to a single person: the patient. Death should be a private, personal choice under reasonable circumstances, and while the doctor may disagree or agree, the final decision is quite literally out of their hands. Bill 52’s proposed outline will make it not only possible for doctors to carry out assisted suicide, but make it obligatory. Doctor-assisted will become doctor-administered, keeping it equally out of their hands in making the choice but in their hands to carrying it out. A doctor’s refusal to carry out the patient’s wish to die would be considered a denial of proper medical care. Is this the responsibility we should be pawning off on our physicians? Thankfully we have an example of a system like Quebec’s in Europe. Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland all allow some form of assisted suicide, and the numbers of procedures are now into the thousands each year. Yet the worrying fact isn’t that the numbers are growing but who is doing it. While the majority are still terminal patients suffering from illnesses such as cancer, a steadily increasing amount are electing to go through with it because of such conditions as blindness, depression, or complications from sexchanges, amongst others. It is a doctor’s duty to do best by the patient. In cases of terminal, painful conditions, this opens up the possibility of giving in to the patient’s
desire to end their life. However, expanding the criteria to allow any condition the patients themselves see as ‘unbearable,’ and instituting it as a professional duty, is going too far and amounts to a lackadaisical effort to keeping individuals alive. Quebec is doing an admirable thing by giving patients the right to die, but they’re acting hastily in implementing it. Not everybody who wants to die should have the avenue to do so, and the word-
ing of the Bill must make this clear. Before we go too far, we should go slow, and institute policies similar to America’s. All parties involved must admit a certain ethical line is irrevocably crossed when doctors go from overseers of death to active agents in carrying it out. Canadians (foremost Quebecers) are now asking themselves if they are ready to cross this line, and all the moral weight that comes with it.
Photo by Mark Cloggins, Flickr
18
// Tuesday, november 5, 2013
Column // oPinions
Confessions of a 20-something
The shameless emotional investment in television anonymous
I
f you’re the type of person who says they don’t watch television because it is a waste of time, and judge others who do, I probably won’t be able to take you seriously. I’m not here for your pretentious attitude. I just feel like there is something so special about television. You get to follow characters every week through different storylines, and you get to watch them grow on screen. When you are watching really good television it is all worth it for the character development. Jesse Pinkman, of Breaking Bad, is a great example of this. If you’re like me, watching television leads to you getting invested. I mean, emotionally invested. I can carry on full conversations about some of the television shows I watch, and I sometimes find myself speaking about the characters as if they were real people. I know I am not the only person who has fallen into this trap, and to be honest I am really not bothered that I have.
The thing some people find ridiculous about my little television obsession is my need to ship characters together. For those of you who don’t know, ship is short for relationship. If you’ve ever frequented sites like Tumblr, you’ll notice that a lot of users use the phrase “I ship so and so.” No, it doesn’t mean that they want to see their favourite television and movie characters voyaging the high seas. It means that they want to see the characters get together. If it just so happens to unfold on a boat, then that is a pure coincidence. I just cannot help but get emotionally
involved. The writers behind these shows obviously want us to squeal, while wrapped up in our snuggies, eating Ben and Jerry’s Cookie Dough ice cream while ugly crying like it’s no one’s business. Is this strange and unhealthy behaviour? In moderation, no, I don’t think so. When you become a fan of a television show, you may become emotionally attached. Think about it. You let these characters into your life for 30 to 60 minutes every week. We are essentially following them on their journey. If a show is well written, this attachment to the characters is inevitable. That’s the
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whole point of good television, right? I attribute my detailed analysis and love of character interaction to my love for writing. I thoroughly enjoy writing characters. Ever since I was a child I’ve made stories out of nothing. I would watch the birds go by, give them names and plan out their lives. I even gave them accents! I suppose this is why I get so invested in characters on television. The writers are essentially creating these people and relationships that are supposed to have enough substance to last months, and years. I admire that, and I play along. It’s a little bit of harmless fun that creates a much needed break from the harsh realities of real life and mundane schoolwork that sometimes lacks creativity. I don’t see what’s weird about having an emotional reaction to a drama or comedy series. That’s why I watch them. In saying this, I do have my limits. I think there is a line between cute and fun shipping and emotional attachment, and then the creepy, really bizarre side of outlandish online fan fiction and photo manipulation. I mean, it’s cool, whatever floats your ship…but sometimes I find myself on the weird side of the Internet and I have to stop for some self-reflection. Also, to those who say television rots the brain, I believe I am doing just fine, thanks. It’s all about balance.
hashtags // oPinions
male. Just in case her followers are unsure of what they are looking at. Thanks for adding that hashtag. Good looking out.
CasanDra DE masi opinions editor
OH, CANADA! Halloween was certainly scary for Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, as police revealed that they are in possession of the video that allegedly showed the mayor doing crack cocaine. Twitter exploded at the news that the video finally found its way to police, and here is what some people had to say: @wallyweeins: They need to do a remix of the ice-t song #imyourpusher and call it “I’m Your Mayor.” @jesterat4: Hey Rob Ford, better call Saul! @allisonmdavey: Does the #robford #crackvideo come with a blooper reel?
H
ashtags are special because they bring people together on Instagram. It’s one big community of nonsense and a lot of incoherence. We’ve taken the liberty of browsing the interwebs for popular Instagram hashtags. The result: our generation confuses us.
6) #Instacool
10) #longhairdon’tcare
With the porn industry’s recent HIV scare, they’ve decided to branch out and experiment.
What? What don’t you care about? Hair health is very important. This is usually attached to a photo of a girl with, you guessed it, long hair. Also what we expect an Afghan dog would hashtag her selfie with. 9) #SWAG
How about Insta-no. This shows up on the most random photos. Also what we would expect to be the hashtag if an air conditioner ever took a selfie. 5) #cloudporn, #foodporn
4) #payday Usually found attached to the picture of a teenager’s $50 bill and five singles; or if you are a university student, Monopoly money.
It is the term that just won’t die. Usually accompanies a photo of a tween with a Jbiebs poster peeking through in the background.
3) #laughing
8) #iphonesia
2) #throwbackthursday
We don’t even know what this means. If Apple marketed and sold a disease, this is what it would be called, and people would buy it.
Basically “look how cute I was when I was small.” Also a great way to humiliate your brother who used to have a ‘90s Nick Carter mushroom cut.
7) #Girl
1) #eyes #mouth #legs
Usually found on the photo of a… fe-
Usually found on a photo where no one is actually laughing.
Now we’re just naming body parts.
cat breeds (meow...)
@desirae1985: I just got surprisingly excited at the thought of being able to watch #RobFords #crackvideo.
Amanda L. Shore Editor-in-Chief editor@theconcordian.com Nathalie Laflamme Production manager production@theconcordian.com Kelly Duval Sloane Montgomery News editors news@theconcordian.com Sabrina Giancioppi Life editor life@theconcordian.com Roa Abdel-Gawad Arts editor arts@theconcordian.com Jessica Romera Music editor music@theconcordian.com Samantha Mileto Sports editor sports@theconcordian.com Casandra De Masi Opinions editor opinions@theconcordian.com Keith Race Photo editor photo@theconcordian.com Natasha Taggart Online editor online@theconcordian.com Jennifer Kwan Graphics editor graphics@theconcordian.com Elizabeth Tomaras Christina Rowan Milos Kovacevic Copy editors copy@theconcordian.com
@fireysky: it’s like knowing, deep in your heart, that your man is cheating on you and finally getting proof.
Marilla Steuter-Martin Besher Al Maleh Philippe Labreque Production assistants
@stats_canada: Rob Ford is 79% more worried about that video of him eating an entire baked ham
7141 Sherbrooke St. Building CC-Rm 431 Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 514-848-2424 ext. 7499 (Editor-in-Chief) Pascale Cardin Business manager business@theconcordian.com
@proteautype: I’m not saying Rob Ford is Toronto’s Walter White. I am saying he’s Toronto’s LiesEnberg.
Tyson Lowrie Cindy Lopez Ruben Bastien Board of directors directors@theconcordian.com
And she was pretty decided on the situation: @aleighbell: no one cares if you knew or didn’t know you were being filmed! You’re a crackhead. Please RESIGN! I want my city back!
Tuesday, Nov 5 2013 Vol. 31 Issue 11
Contributors Timothy Weynerowski,Jaimie Roussos, Hanna-Joy
ragdoll mainecoon siamese bengal munchkin
sphynx scottishfold britishshorthair abyssinian tard
Farooq, Michelle Gamage, Shereen Ahmed Rafea, Ayan Chowdhury, Tomer Shavit, Natalia Lara Diaz Berrio, Karina Licursi, Oliver Ranger-Enns, Marc-Olivier Laramée, David Adelman, Sabrina Curiale, Sarah DuBreuil, Tim Lazier, Chris Cordella, Christine Beaton, Elias Laradi, George Menexis,
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Concordia’s weekly, independent student newspaper.
ART:
Modified @ Studio Mauve until Nov. 23 Coven Ring @ Articule until Nov. 24 Beat Nation @ MACM until Jan. 5 Combine 2013 @ FOFA Gallery until Dec. 6
THEATRE:
Solos @ Mainline Theatre until Nov. 9 Rabbit Hole @ Free Standing Room until Nov. 10 The Lamentable Tragedy of Sal Capone @ MAI until Nov. 10 Seeds @ Centaur Theatre until Nov. 24 The St. Leonard Chronicles @ Centaur Theatre until Dec.1 Falstaff @ Opera de Montreal until Nov. 16
MUSIC:
Mark Berube @ Cabaret du Mile End Nov.5 The Treasures @ Cabaret du Mile End Nov.5 My Bloody Valentine @ Metropolis Nov.6 Kavinsky @ Societe des Arts Technologiques Nov. 9 Alesso @New City Gas Nov.9 James Blake, Nosaj Thing @Metropolis Nov.9
OTHER:
Canadian Festival of Spoken Word until Nov.9 Radioactivists @ Cinema Politica- Nov. 11 Modified @ Studio Mauve until Nov. 23