The Concordian

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sports life

Stingers come home empty handed from nationals P. 19

A firsthand account of the unrest in Oman P. 7

Two CSU slates rally on poster night

Letters on P. 20 Full coverage P. 6 Tuesday, March 15, 2011

arts Discovering the realm of a monthly gamer club P. 11

music Canadian Music Week highlights homegrown talent P. 13

opinions CSU springs a leak in mutinous council meeting P. 20

Proposal for closed session turns CSU council into a shouting match Meeting ends early as Pudwell supporters and other councillors clash Evan LePage News editor As CSU president Heather Lucas brought forth a motion to enter closed session at last week’s council meeting, a clearly divided room of councillors and students at large quickly devolved into a disorganized shouting match that ultimately ended the night early.

Lucas and the executive maintain that only certain HR issues related to former VP Morgan Pudwell’s resignation were to be discussed in closed session and a majority of councillors agreed, passing her motion soon after it was proposed.

“I think it’s very important right now and there’s a lot of personal and sensitive information, not only on Morgan Pudwell’s side, but as well for the CSU executive and council,” said VP Hassan Abdullahi on the motivation for the motion.

“However, given her allegations on finances being very grave we take that very personally, so that will be addressed in public session and we will not need to address that in closed session.”

But members of the audience and the minority of councillors who voted against the motion made it blatantly clear that they would not leave, at risk of being left out of the loop on the questionable details surrounding Pudwell’s departure and the accusations that went with it.

“I think that this is a travesty,” yelled student Alex Matak over the murmurs and calls to order that followed the passing of the motion. “I’m inviting everyone here who just got a gag put on you to stay in the room with me because I’m not leaving unless you can physically carry me out Heather Lucas.”

“I think for a union that calls for transparency and accountability all the time it would be wildly hypocritical to go into closed session right now,” said councillor Michaela Manson before the motion was passed. Manson was one of a small group of councillors who voted against Lucas’ motion that included Lex Gill, Joel Suss and Heba Abdel-Hamid.

The discussion that followed the motion was scattered, conflictive in many cases and all of it essentially took place outside of the realm of council since any further discussion of opening the meeting would have needed to take place in closed session, something the executive loudly reminded the overwhelmed chair of repeatedly as he struggled to mediate the situation.

The situation became so heated that VP finance Ramy Khoriaty phoned security, asking them to come to the room in case of an incident.

When asked about making the call, Khoriaty initially denied it. But when confronted with the fact that he was witnessed phoning them, he admitted that he had phoned because he is a member of Concordia’s Emergency Response Team and was responsible in case of an emergency. “I saw that there might be some conflict, and so that no one got hurt and everything went smoothly I wanted a security agent on the spot,” he said following the

See “Executive memb...” on p.3 Volume 28 Issue 24

More than 50,000 rally against budget

Jacques Gallant Assistant news editor

With just five days left before finance minister Raymond Bachand was set to table his budget, more than 50,000 people from across Quebec converged on downtown Montreal last Saturday to take part in a largely peaceful protest against the tuition hikes and privatization measures that the Charest government is likely to enforce.

The protesters, representing close to 150 unions and other organizations, made their way from Place du Canada to Premier Jean Charest’s office on McGill College, causing the temporary closure of several downtown streets.

Organized jointly by the Alliance sociale and the Coalition opposée a la tarification et a la privatisation des services publics, the event saw Quebecers march in support of a wide range of issues including tuition freezes, accessible health care, and a moratorium on shale gas drilling. Many of the banners targeted the premier personally, such as a poster that had Charest’s face taped to the head of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, illustating the protesters’ belief that Charest and the Conservative Iron Lady were the same person in terms of policies. ‘’I think they [the government] should be scared,” said Concordia student and former CSU VP sustainability and promotions Morgan Pudwell.

“I’m so impressed that so many people from different groups showed up and I think the students

See “Student and...” on p.2

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Tuesday, March 15, 2011

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City in brief Jacques Gallant

$500 more for tuition?

Try $1,000

Just days before the Liberals table their budget, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal is calling on the Charest government to increase tuition by $1,000 a year over a three-year period, instead of the $500 per year plan that is likely to be included in the budget. The organization, whose board of directors includes former Concordia president Judith Woodsworth, justified its position by noting that the Quebec government already funds 68 per cent of the universities’ operating costs, compared to 53 per cent in the rest of the country. However, the group said that the increase should be adjusted according to the field of study, and should be accompanied by a substantial new contribution to the loans and bursaries system.

Fees going up at ConU

Concordia sent an email last Friday informing the student body that beginning with the 2011 summer session, tuition fees will rise as decreed by the provincial government. Quebec resident students and international students will see an increase of about $3 per credit, but out-of-province students will face the most significant increase: $7 per credit. Furthermore, the non-refundable confirmation fee that goes toward a student’s tuition fees will rise from $75 to 100. University spokeswoman Chris Mota explained that this increase was necessary to put Concordia on par with other Canadian universities. She also noted that the reason the late registration fee has been increased from $50 to $75 was to deter students from registering for classes at the last minute.

CSU introduces international service bursaries

Last week’s Concordia Student Union council meeting started off on a positive note, as the council changed the union’s standing regulations in order to include two international service bursaries of $500 each. The bursaries were the idea of Arts and Science councillor Menachem Freedman who, having volunteered abroad the last three summers himself, said that opportunities for funding for students looking to independently volunteer abroad with an NGO were few and far between, which is something he wanted to change. “I think that it’s really important to give undergraduates the opportunity to volunteer abroad,” he said. “I think it betters their education; I think if Concordia could support it, it would better the image of Concordia; and I think it makes the world a better place.”

ASFA elections cheaper than last year

According to ASFA’s chief electoral officer, the cost of this year’s general election as well as the byelection earlier in the year for VP communications cost less than last year’s general election.

Nick Cuillerier told ASFA’s council last Thursday that the estimated costs for this year’s election, not including the CEO’s salary, came close to $6,900, compared to $11,600 last year. Cuillerier preferred not to elaborate on the changes he has proposed for next year’s election until they have been reviewed by one of ASFA’s committees.

Continued from cover...

Student and labour unions march in downtown protest; 10 people in their 20s arrested are amazed to see people from other unions out supporting them.”

Pudwell was part of a group of about 40 students who had met at the Hall building prior to the protest to prepare their banners. Although no figures exist regarding the number of Concordia students at the protest, Pudwell estimated that her group had inflated to about 60. Two Concordia Facebook groups created in the leadup to the protest both had several hundred students listed as attending.

Irmak Bahar, also involved in mobilizing students, felt that even during the final week before the protest, the CSU had not done enough to promote the event. ‘’I was hoping that they would, but I haven’t seen that unfortunately,’’ she said. One of her complaints was the CSU’s failure to follow up on her request to move their table promoting the protest from the Hive to the G-Lounge at Loyola, a place Bahar felt would attract more students.

But CSU president Heather Lucas, also in attendance at the march, countered by saying students should have directed their concerns directly to the executive.

“Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if there were complaints they should be brought directly to our attention or else we simply won’t know that they exist,” said Lucas. “We have, however, done a lot in terms of publicizing the event as [VP external and projects] Adrien Severyns and representatives from our student lobby group the FEUQ came to help us table and flyer. There was also a link on our webpage, as well as a special newsletter sent just for this event.”

Lucas estimated that several hundred Concordia students were probably at the event, and noted that many CSU councillors and most of her executive were also there.

“We could see a real student movement that turned out because they wanted to see change,” she said.

“They wanted the Charest govern-

ment to know that we are students who don’t believe in inaccessible education and we’ve made that clear.”

Before the protest kicked off, 10 people in their 20s - six men and four

women - were arrested on charges on conspiracy. According to La Presse, the 10 were dressed in black and were carrying weapons that included a hammer. One member of the group

was also prohibited from attending protests. The CSU has not heard whether any of the 10 were Concordia students. The group was due to appear in court yesterday.

The massive crowd likely included several hundred ConU students according to Heather Lucas. Photo by David Vilder

While the protests ran smoothly, 10 were arrested before the event even started. Photo by Almudena Romero.

ELECTIONS

Queer Concordia and The Void magazine return to referendum ballot Council reverses CEO’s decision on fee levies Sarah Deshaies Editor-in-chief Students will get a chance to vote on whether to give student organization Queer Concordia and student publication The Void fee levies after all. Both groups are back on the referendum bill despite being turfed from it early last week by Chief Electoral Officer Oliver Cohen.

The initial decision to pull the groups off the ballot came after both were found to not yet be incorporated under Quebec law,

a requirement stipulated in the motions accepting them onto the ballots. Concordia will not pay out fee levy funds to unincorporated groups, though the CSU does not list this requirement in its bylaws.

Cohen, who was not present at the council meeting, worded a proposal for each fee levy to make it to the ballot.

Lawyer and Concordia professor Patrice Blais, who teaches a course on non-profit organizations and who has been counselling QC on the incorporation process, spoke in favour of re-introducing the QC fee levy to council on Wednesday with QC representative Joey Donnelly.

Both motions were passed by council at the start of the meeting.

“I think we’re lucky, I think it

worked,” said Void editor-in-chief Cole Robertson, who was not able to be at last Wednesday’s meeting but was represented by two other organizers, Michael Chaulk and Jack Allen. “I think that the issues with incorporation will be sorted very quickly,” Robertson said, adding that they had heard back from the government after filing for incorporation at the end of January.

He expects the Void will be incorporated by the end of April.

The Void was also waived the need to replace their original required petition, as the first one was misplaced at the January council meeting, supposedly after it was handed in but before it could be given to the chair.

For now, the campaigning will

begin for both organizations, who are each seeking $0.02 a credit per undergraduate student. QC is seeking to establish a support service centre for queer students with a part-time employee. The Void currently operates on grants and funding taken from different organizations, and are looking for a steady source of funding. They would also like to print on higher quality paper and be able to pay organizers, who volunteer, said Robertson.

The money allotted should net each group $12-14,000 a year.

They join current fee levy organization CJLO radio, which is seeking a $0.09 increase to its current $0.25 a credit, on the ballot.

Polling will take place March 29 through 31.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/theconcordian Continued from cover...

Executive member calls security in case of incident meeting, emphasizing that security was called to be on stand-by and not to remove students from the room.

Khoriaty added “before I called security [the chair] was searching for a phone to call security. So it was after the chair’s approval.”

While emotions flared, councillor Stephen Brown attempted to present a neutral stance following

the motion. Standing up and loudly commanding the crowd’s attention, Brown stated “Now if we have a sit in and we have to call security upstairs then we don’t get down to any of the issues. Nobody gets to see the numbers. I don’t get to see the numbers.”

“Look, nobody’s coming after Morgan with pitchforks and torch-

es,” he continued. “We are a civilized society. This is an institution of learning. And we’re going to do things the legal way.”

But the mass of individuals on both sides of the issue weren’t willing to compromise, and with discussion of the agenda at an impasse, the chair was prompted to, and agreed to, adjourn the meeting.

The CSU has announced a special council meeting tomorrow night to tackle only a few of the many agenda points that were not addressed last week. Pudwell’s resignation will not be addressed at the meeting, though a full financial report will be given by Khoriaty.

CSU

Criticism of Pudwell’s work continues Councillors, former CSU employee claim Pudwell helped botch campaigns. women’s week Sarah Deshaies Editor-in-chief Disorganized, lacking in leadership and neglectful: this is how former councillors and one employee who have worked with Morgan Pudwell are characterizing her after the former CSU executive resigned from her position as VP sustainability and promotions.

Both her detractors and supporters have come out swinging since she emailed her three-page resignation letter shortly after midnight Friday March 4. In it, Pudwell levelled a number of accusations against the CSU. At council on Wednesday, March 9, both Pudwell and the executive she left restated letters shared earlier in the week. Members of the executive laughed quietly, seemingly in cynical disbelief while Pudwell read, and the former VP sighed while president Heather Lucas read their comments.

After an intense stand-off of supporters ended that meeting early, Pudwell circulated another statement she didn’t have the chance to read aloud because of the ensuing brouhaha.

Shortly before the meeting began,

however, Arts and Science councillor Teresa Seminara circulated a letter signed by 16 out of 27 CSU councillors. In it, Pudwell is singled out for having failed as chair of the women’s caucus, a committee started last year at council that is allotted $500 to plan pro-women’s activities. As council took place the day after the 100th anniversary of the international women’s day, it was clear that there were few if any activities to commemorate the annual event.

“Over the past academic year, Pudwell has demonstrated a lack of leadership and accountability as our student representative, especially with regards to her role as chair of the women’s caucus,” the letter reads.

Pudwell, however, said that the blame does not fall squarely to her shoulders. She and Lucas, she said, were co-chairs. But in an email forwarded by Pudwell to the Concordian, Lucas informed Pudwell on Feb. 28, before her resignation, that she was not a co-chair to begin with, but only there to help. Pudwell believes the accusations that she bungled Women’s week and that the event was cancelled because of her resignation, are attempts to “discredit” her character. She claims that she sent out two emails to caucus members, but that a meeting never materialized due to lack of response, and that Seminara herself failed to inform her of any ideas she had for the week’s events.

Pudwell also suggested that women’s week could have gone forward regardless, since she had prepared promotional material for the event.

Alexandra Baptista, a graduating JMSB councillor not seeking re-election for any position, sat on

the women’s caucus committee with several other councillors. She did not sign Seminara’s letter, but is not sure where to assign the blame. “I think there was a lack of organizing there, at the chair level. [Women’s week] was just brought to our attention twice,” she said, referring to the emails sent out by Pudwell. “I think more could have been done in that respect, for sure.”

She was also under the impression that Lucas and Pudwell were co-chairs.

Beyond the women’s caucus, one former CSU employee alleges that Pudwell was never prepared with promotional material for other campaigns, which falls under her portfolio. Daniel Shakibaian, a JMSB student on leave from the CSU as a campaigns manager, who is seeking a senate seat on the Action slate, said that campaigns were hurt because Pudwell did not have posters and materials prepared when required.

Shakibaian worked with the new executive from the start of their term in June 2010, to January 2011. He said working with Pudwell was “a little frustrating, to be honest.”

When reached on Monday night about Shakibaian’s comments, Pudwell countered that she was not given enough notice to request graphics from CSU designers. “At the end of the day, they’re artists, and they need to be given a reasonable amount of time, and to expect all types of flyers and posters in an hour after just giving them the information that the event was even happening is unreasonable.”

Pudwell highlighted the fall Peace Week campaign as a rushed project, while Shakibaian said the $1

campaign, his first, faltered because of promotional material. Because Pudwell failed to delegate tasks, he could not get promotional material for two weeks, and he had to launch a campaign without flyers and posters.

But communications, Pudwell said, are behind the snafus.“The executives didn’t talk to me very often, especially [Adrien Severyns and Shakibaian] when they were planning events, gave us very little notice in time to get their posters done.”

Speaking after the council meeting, members of the executive seemed to still be in shock by Pudwell’s resignation.

“I must have read that letter probably 50 times,” said VP Loyola and advocacy Hassan Abdullahi of Pudwell’s resignation letter. “Trying to make sense of it and just where she was coming from, it completely knocked us off guard because on the day before Heather and her were out singing karaoke. It was baseless accusations I’ve heard a million times over and I found them very silly, a joke honestly.”

But Pudwell maintains that she is being attacked by a specific group of people: “I think it’s interesting that a lot of these people are from the same group of friends, or the same group of political ideas.”

As for the questions raised about her competency as an executive, “I think that [the executive] is starting to feel they’re being questioned too much,” she said, “and rather than dealing with those issues, [...] all they’re trying to talk about right now is whether or not I printed posters in time [...] I think that’s completely inappropriate and not the point at all.”

CSU

CSU pres takes responsibility for inaction at BoG Lucas concedes she could have done more in BoG, but points to other efforts on governance Evan LePage News editor While none of the issues raised by outgoing CSU executive Morgan Pudwell in her letter of resignation were addressed at council, the remaining executives spoke out again on Monday, maintaining that most of her allegations we completely false. The one exception is the issue of university governance, on which president Heather Lucas conceded that she could have done more to follow her mandate within the Board of Governors.

“I was mandated by council to bring up to the Board the issues that [were voted on at the last council meeting],” Lucas said, referring to the

February meeting that saw council pass a motion put forward by students at the Informational General Meeting.

The motion mandated the student representatives on the Board to call for the resignation of all external members of that body. “I didn’t get the opportunity to,” she continued. “I take responsibility for not presenting that at the Board, simply because I had come late.”

These comments come in response to a section of Pudwell’s letter in which she states that the IGM and council motions “have not been upheld by the student representatives at the board. The representatives have failed to make these wishes clear, and at the most recent meeting, failed to say anything at all.”

Yesterday, Pudwell reasserted these statements, saying “[the students] gave [Lucas] basically what they wanted her to say and it still hasn’t been said. I don’t think that’s okay.”

In her letter Pudwell also pointed out that “council has yet to receive a written report from any BoG representative, despite their clear and codified duty to do so.”

On this note, Lucas said that these reports have traditionally been given orally and then recorded in the minutes but that she was willing to make

the change to written reports if council really felt it necessary.

While she’s ready to take the fall for her actions at the last Board meeting, and said she will definitely bring up these issues at the next meeting, Lucas and the rest of the executive are not apologizing for their other efforts in representing students on the governance issue.

“I think what needs to be clarified is what we did and what more we can do,” said VP Loyola and advocacy Hassan Abdullahi.

Abdullahi listed all of the things the CSU has done since the university’s governance became a clear concern of students in the late winter: holding the IGM, passing the IGM motions in council, taking those motions to Senate and supporting them in that body, emailing Board chair Peter Kruyt and even sitting down with the university’s new president Frederick Lowy. “So in our position we’ve done everything we possibly could have on the governance issue and it’s still not enough,” Abdullahi said. “We understand students are still upset but we need them to come to us and tell us what more we can do.”

Lucas echoed the need for student involvement, saying “I’ve made a

mistake. Help me do a better job, help me push for what you want me to push for. If I don’t know what these concerns are besides the fact that you’re angry, how can we productively bring this forth to the BoG?” In response to these comments, Pudwell said that at the last executive meeting, Lucas herself admitted not enough had come out of Senate.

Pudwell also said she asked to be included in the meeting with Lowy, a request Lucas ignored. “I asked her to say that we are a team that represents a large group of students,” Pudwell explained, “and the reason we were elected as a team is because we represent different views and different people and she said she would ask him.” But according to Pudwell, Lucas later admitted never even raising the question of bringing all the executives to the meeting and, as a result, she still has no idea what was discussed in that meeting.

As for the CSU’s future efforts on the issue, the remaining executives said that they are currently working on a governance review package, in which they plan to address what they called the ‘flawed’ format of the Board.

3

Quotes from Council

“

Complied by Evan LePage

Everything that was brought up in the letter of resignation seems to be very public and the reason the students are here today is because of this resignation for the most part, and because of the implications brought up both by her letter of resignation and the response.

-Arts and Science councillor Joel Suss, during the meeting

“ “

I think one very good reason to go into closed session is so that we can have a frank discussion about the elections that are coming up without getting anyone into trouble in terms of breaking bylaws.

-Arts and Science councillor Menachem Freedman, during the meeting

I think that there was just too much emotion in that room. I think that if we had just checked that emotion at the door and went in there level-headed with everyone trying to say their piece, but in a civilized manner, it could have gone a lot better.

-Arts and Science councillor Alex Gordon, following the meeting

4

theconcordian

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Nation in brief Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo

NDP introduces PostSecondary Education Act

The federal New Democratic Party introduced a bill in the House of Commons Thursday with the aim of providing affordable access to post-secondary education around Canada. In a press release, the NDP said the Post-Secondary Education Act, proposed by education critic Niki Ashton, is modelled after the Canada Health Act. Ashton said the future prosperity of Canada is dependent upon access to high-quality education.

Gimme a break, gimme a break

Students at the University of Alberta have voted in favour of starting the fall semester early in order to implement a fall reading week, the Gateway reported. Fifty-five per cent of students backed the referendum question, which was featured on the ballot of the annual student elections. However, with a 15.8 per cent voter turnout and narrow margin, the victory revealed the complicated nature of the project, according to outgoing student union president Nick Dehod. President-elect Rory Tighe said he will take that into account as he continues to negotiate with university administration to implement the initiative. The proposal suggested classes start before Labour Day so as to allow for extra time off around the Remembrance Day long weekend.

University of Waterloo appoints new president

Feridun Hamdullahpur was appointed president of the Ontario university by the senate and board of governors on Friday. Hamdullahpur joined the senior administration at Waterloo in 2009, according to the Waterloo Record. After a brief stint as vice-president academic and provost, he was appointed interim president in October of last year, r placing David Johnston, who left to take up his duties as Governor General. A professor of mechanical and mechatronics engineering by training, Hamdullahpur spent nine years at Carleton University as VP research and international. Both Johnston and the chair of the board of governors have praised his appointment.

Teachers to sell majority stake in MLSE

The Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan is looking to sell their shares in Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment. The pension plan is asking for a minimum of $1.5 billion for its 66 per cent stake, according to the Globe and Mail. Ontario Teachers is the MLSE’s largest shareholder.

MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum, who owns 20.5 per cent of the corporation, is thought to be considering an acquisition. Tanenbaum has first right of refusal; if he moves through with the purchase, he will hold 60.3 per cent. TD Capital, the third largest shareholder, would get 39.7 per cent of the shares if it exercised its right to buy, but it is thought unlikely that it will do so.

Investment bank Morgan Stanley has been hired to find buyers. The MLSE’s assets include the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, and Toronto FC.

CAMPUS

Your electronics are likely supporting violence in the Congo: student group New student organization wants ConU to recognize their indirect responsibility in the violence Evan LePage News editor In purchasing cellphones, laptops and other assorted electronics, you likely play a role in ongoing conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This isn’t something you can easily avoid, but it is something a new organization at Concordia is trying to address, one signature at a time.

The Concordia Initiative for a Conflict-Free Campus was created by students Aidan Pine and Melissa Kabasele last October as a way of raising awareness about what they felt was a major problem receiving too little attention: the role that mining gold, tin, coltan, tantalum and tungsten have in financially supporting the groups

behind the ongoing, devastating violence in the DRC since the Rwandan Genocide.

“The significance of these is that they’re found in every consumer electronic,” Pine said. “Tungsten is what makes your cell phone vibrate, tantalum holds a battery charge, tin is used in everything, gold is used in everything.”

Due to their wide use, Pine said electronics companies often just follow the supply chain, without necessarily tracing the minerals back to the source.

“Probably the biggest problem is that there is not a single company that can claim to be conflict mineral free.”

The CICC has been circulating a petition to student and community groups since the fall which they hope is an important first step in pressuring companies to avoid using conflict minerals in their products. The petition essentially pushes Concordia to recognize the problem in the Congo, as well as their own indirect role in driving it forward through their large annual investments in electronics that probably contain those conflict minerals.

“Concordia university has 158 electronics products companies that they have annual contracts with, some of which are in the tune of a few

million dollars,” Pine said, which he believes gives the University the ability to exert some pressure. This is why the petition also asks that they push this message to the companies they invest in, in the hopes that in the long-term these corporations will, in the interest of maintaining their consumer base, begin to trace their supply chains and seek conflict-free minerals for their production processes.

The group is planning on presenting this petition to the Board of Governors at the end of March in the hopes of getting their endorsement and having it included in the University’s Official Electronics Procurement Policy.

In the mean time, they are continuing to collect signatures from other groups, most recently the Concordia Student Union at last week’s council meeting.

The petition has also already been signed by campus groups including Sustainable Concordia, the Concordia Volunteer Abroad Program, as well as external organizations like the Communauté Congolaise de Montréal and youth organization Alliance de Jeunes Congolais.

“So far the student support has been very, very effective,” said CICC administrator Aaron Barcant. He noted that a January screening of conflict-

mineral documentary Blood in the Mobile at Cinema Politica created a lot of “buzz.”

“We had a significant amount of people coming to volunteer,” he said.

“So that was very supportive and influential on us and that inspired us to take further action.”

They will be trying to continue this buzz with a free panel discussion on March 22. The Concordia International Forum on Conflict Minerals will feature Blood in the Mobile director Frank Poulsen, as well as Canadian member of parliament and vocal supporter of the cause Paul Dewar, among others.

While they recognize that without any companies who guarantee the use of conflict-free minerals, the petition is non-binding in effect, the CICC sees it as a necessary short-term step in a long-term process.

“We send a message up the chain,” Barcant said. “It is our belief that once enough people at organizations and in communities start demanding this, just as it happened in the conflict with blood diamonds, a company will take the initiative and open their supply chain, make it transparent and start providing this service.”

ASFA

MASSA’s place within ASFA ‘uncertain’ Math and Statistics Students’ Association hoping to find a compromise by April Jacques Gallant Assistant news editor Due to certain controversial sections of its recently-adopted bylaws that clash with those of the Arts and Science Federation of Associations, the Math and Statistics Students’ Association risks being kicked out of the umbrella organization if no compromise can be found, as was made clear at last Thursday’s ASFA council meeting.

The tension comes after MASSA’s members voted overwehlmingly in favour of accrediting the association during a referendum held on March 2, 3, and 4. Before the vote, MASSA also adopted a new set of bylaws that contain at least two provisions that conflict with ASFA’s bylaws, noted ASFA VP finance Alexa Newman.

First, the documents state that all of MASSA’s revenues must be deposited in the association’s bank account within two days of the revenue being obtained, while current ASFA rules stipulate that all member associations’ revenues must be declared through ASFA. And second, MASSA’s bylaws indicate that if they come into conflict with ASFA’s bylaws, the MASSA bylaws may take precedence. ‘’When we have bylaws that conflict, either our bylaws need to change or their bylaws need to change. If not, we can’t accept them as a member association,’’ said New-

man, urging councillors to consider what place MASSA could continue to occupy within ASFA. ‘’I don’t think it’s fair for you guys, who abide by our rules, to allow another group to have voting power and access to the same things you do but without having to abide by the rules.’’

During the hour-long debate, MASSA councillor Bruno Joyal defended his organization’s new bylaws while at the same saying there was definitely room for compromise. ‘’Kicking MASSA out of ASFA is very radical and unnecessary,’’ he said. ‘’MASSA is really looking forward to working with ASFA. Although we are challenging ASFA’s bylaws, I think it’s a very constructive challenge and could end up making ASFA a much stronger organization if the challenge is taken up.’’

The VP finance shot back by distributing to other councillors emails from two concerned math

and statistics students who said they were ‘’pressured’’ and ‘’coached’’ to vote for something they didn’t really understand, referring to the accreditation referendum. Newman forwarded the emails to the Quebec government.

The Ministry of Education’s accreditation agent was, as of last Thursday, still in the process of recounting the ballots from MASSA’s referendum, a necessary step before official accreditation. Joyal continues to maintain that MASSA sought accreditation in order for math and statistics students to have a ‘’moral representative’’ as well as more financial control while still being associated with ASFA. In an effort to reach a common ground, it was proposed that ASFA’s policy review committee be mandated to analyze MASSA’s bylaws before April 7 and present solutions at ASFA’s next council meeting.

CAMPUS

Drugs main reason for residence evictions this year Policy needs to be reviewed: residence life director

Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo Assistant news editor Another batch of students has recently been evicted from Concordia residences, bringing the total number of evictions this year to around 15.

In January, nine students were evicted from residence for smoking marijuana. First year student Gabriel St-Jean, who was one of the nine, had been leasing a room in Hingston Hall on the Loyola campus before the eviction. He said on Jan. 24 that he and approximately 12 other students were in Loyola’s Jesuit residence at the time

of the incident.

“They didn’t catch us doing anything, it just smelled, a lot,” he said. “One of the [residence assistants] came and they said they had to write us up and then once they filed a report with everyone’s names, he just wrote in the report that it smelled like pot.” A week later, St-Jean received a written notice of the eviction.

D’Arcy Ryan, the director of residence life, confirmed around 15 students have been evicted from residence this year. Although he declined to discuss the particular incident involving St-Jean, he said drug use has been the primary reason for the evictions.

“With respect to drugs and primarily smoking, we’re not here to lay judgment on it, saying whether it’s right or wrong,” he said. “For us it’s more the safety aspect of it and the hazard that it poses to the students themselves in

residence in terms of fire safety.”

Residence life has a zero-tolerance policy with regards to smoking and drugs, something Ryan pointed out the students were familiar with beforehand.

“I know the students were not happy with the decision, yet they all signed the lease which clearly outlines what could happen,” he said.

In the Residence Life Community Living Standards and Discipline Code, which is attached to the lease, the use of illegal drugs is listed as a level three offence, out of a possible three levels. The disciplinary action for the offence is listed as “severe,” with likely eviction from residence. Residents then have a week to find new accommodation.

St-Jean pointed out other universities use a fine or warning system.“Honestly I’ve never been written up for anything before and then

that was just the first thing that happened and I got kicked out right away, and I was pretty angry,” he said.

Ryan said that while they didn’t always deal with incidents with such a firm hand – last year, they tried a more lenient system – it didn’t seem to work.

“We tried this year to be a little more strict, to see if that would have an effect and it hasn’t so we will be re-looking at the policy for next year to see if we can find some sort of solution that’s more amenable to the situation,” he said.

St-Jean alleged three of the 12 students remain in residence because they didn’t admit to smoking in the room. “You know they got out clean but we tried to be honest and we got kicked out,” he said.

scouting for

talent!

The Côte-des-Neiges/NotreDame-de-Grâce Corporation de

Talented, young CDN/NDG entrepreneurs

développement économique communautaire invites future young entrepreneurs wishing to invest in the area to a series of free workshops on private or collective entrepreneurship.

Experienced educators will suggest tools to develop your talents, by combining creativity, innovation and success.

The workshops will take place on

Wednesday, March 23, 2011 between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM at the Côte-des-Neiges Centre de ressources communautaires, situated at 6767 Côte-desNeiges Rd., Montréal QC

Participants can register on site between 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM All workshops are free of charge!

Small business workshops for young entrepreneurs 1:30 PM

1:30 PM

1:30 PM

1:30 PM

Comment trouver son idée d’entreprise

Démarrer une entreprise : une opportunité d’affaires ou juste une idée

Starting a Social Economy Business

Monnaie-Money: Dollars Make $ense

Anissa Kherrati Economic Development Agent / Social Economy, CDEC CDN/NDG

Brian Smith, Project coordinator, Carrefour Jeunesse-emploi de Côte-des-Neiges

Ginette Gauthier, Andragogue M Ed., Conseillère en créativité et carrière

Abdellah Azami, Conseiller aux entreprises, CDEC CDN/NDG

2:30 PM

2:30 PM

2:30 PM

2:30 PM

Financing a Startup Business

Green Thumb Youth Coop

Meilleures pratiques en affaires

Business Plan Outline

David Spencer, Financial Analyst, CDEC CDN/NDG

Amanda Wong, President & Carrefour Jeunesse-emploi de Notre-Dame-de-Grâce

Claude Lauzon, Directeur, CDEC CDN/NDG

Valérie Patenaude, Management Adviser, SAJE Montréal Centre

3:30 PM

3:30 PM

3:30 PM

3:30 PM

Comment trouver son idée d’entreprise

Comment rédiger un plan d’affaires

Démarrer en Économie sociale

Yvan-Julien Ntwari, Conseiller en Gestion, SAJE Montréal Centre

Anissa Kherrati, Agent de développement économique / Économie sociale, CDEC CDN/NDG

Démarrer une entreprise : une opportunité d’affaires ou juste une idée

Ginette Gauthier, Andragogue M Ed., Conseillère en créativité et carrière

INFO Éliane Zal | 514-342-4842 | eliane.zal@cdeccdnndg.org

Abdellah Azami, Conseiller aux entreprises, CDEC CDN/NDG

6

theconcordian

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

World in brief Evan LePage

Oxford no longer exclusive to the rich

Newly released statistics from reputable British university Oxford indicate that more students studying at the institution are coming from ‘poorer’ backgrounds, according to a U.K. Press Association report. About one in seven undergraduates, or 13.5 per cent of the 9,505 total students at the university, in 2009/2010 came from households bringing in less than £25,000 (approximately $35,000) annually. One in 10 students also came from households with incomes of less than £16,190 (approximately $22,500) yearly, qualifying them for free school meals. The figures indicated that more of the students who were admitted to Oxford last year, and offered spots next year, came from state schools rather than private schools.

Stamps are so 2010

As of April 1, people rushing out to send their Christmas cards or internship applications in Denmark will no longer have to frantically dash to the post office. The European nation’s post office will be introducing a service that allows people to send a text message to pay for postage. The Mobile Postage service is a simple one: send a text with the word “PORTO” to a specific phone number, and you’ll get back a text with a code which you write on the envelope. The price of a stamp is then charged to your phone bill. Stamp collectors all over Denmark just had their worlds turned upside-down.

I think that defeats the purpose...

Lent is a 40-day period between Ash Wednesday and Easter every year when practising Christians, if they so choose, give up a vice as an act of penance. But 38-year-old American J. Wilson might just be playing the system. Wilson will be giving up all sustenance except beer and water for the six-week holiday. A home brewer and beer blogger (as well as newspaper editor), Wilson said he is undertaking the challenge because of his fascination with Franciscan monks who, centuries ago, brewed a special beer called “liquid bread” to drink instead of eating during Lent. The Iowa man has brewed his own recipe, of which he will have four pints, or 1,200 calories, each day. While this may seem like an incredible task to adults, if you just threw in a few boxes of Kraft dinner, Wilson would be living on the same diet as about a half of the students in rez.

Dalai Lama gives up politics

In the interest of giving the Tibetan people an elected leader, the Dalai Lama has announced that he will be removing himself from the political arena, the BBC reported. The announcement was made on the anniversary of the Tibetan uprising in 1959, with the Dalai Lama stating he would begin the process of amending the constitution to give an elected leader authority over the exiled government. The 75-year-old Buddhist leader has held a powerful role in the Central Tibetan Authority, the government in exile, for half a century. Despite saying he would retire from politics for decades, now that the announcement has been made many, including exiled Prime Minister Samdhong Rinpoche, have pleaded with him to stay. They’ve expressed concerns that his departure would decrease the legitimacy of their efforts and that no new leader could match his level of authority and respect.

ELECTIONS

Familiar faces lead Action and Your Concordia slates on poster night CSU campaign kickoff sees some work, some play Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo Assistant news editor You’ve never seen students so excited to be in school. Supporters of both slates – Action bedecked in blue, Your Concordia in a variety of colours – chanted and cheered to get pumped up for the first official night of Concordia Student Union elections campaign.

To a backdrop of whoops and cheers, it was revealed that Action’s presidential candidate, Concordia undergraduate psychology association president Khalil Haddad, would face off against Your Concordia’s candidate, current CSU councillor Lex Gill, in this month’s elections.

The presidential candidates were on the same wavelength when preparing their slate – the fight against tuition hikes and greater transparency are at the top of their priority list.

Gill touched upon last Wednesday’s CSU council meeting as indicative of a problem with transparency. “That meeting was a visible display of the disconnect between the current executive and most councillors, and students sort of broadly and I think trying to close people out of a room isn’t a solution to problems,” she said. “Accountability and transparency isn’t a campaign promise, it’s an expectation for the job. It’s a job requirement.”

Haddad pinpointed the allegations of financial mismanagement that have arisen with the resignation of VP sustainability Morgan Pudwell, who is now running with

Members of both teams were forced to wait at each floor before flooding the walls with posters. Photos by David Vilder Your Concordia. “There’s been a lot of rumours going on about financial mismanagement and personally I’ve been very disappointed about this year,” he said. “We want to really bring something new to students.

We want to ensure that financial transparency is something that is extremely important and the way we’re going to go about it is by informing students, because I think that is what it comes down to.”

With that in mind, he plans to make monthly budgetary reports available to students online.

The teams set off to poster their way through the Hall building shortly before midnight. But, before the supporters rushed upstairs,

chief electoral officer Oliver Cohen explained that in the interest of order this year, supporters would be forced to wait after postering each floor before rushing up to the next one. In that manner, a crowd of face-painted students bearing armfuls of campaign posters built up at the escalators before they were allowed to burst forth to each floor.

As soon as they were allowed onto the first step of the escalators they would rush to fill up the allotted board space.

Students will wake up to see the faces of their student government candidates across campus, but will also be able to find out more about their candidates from profiles to be

posted on the CSU’s elections website in the coming days. Elections take place March 29 through 31.

CHARITY

Fundraisers hit the pavement (literally) for Montreal’s homeless youth Fourth annual “Five Days for the Homeless” campaign at Concordia this week Renee Giblin Staff writer On the corner of de Maisonneuve and Guy, on the downtown campus of Concordia, a group of students, professors and alumni wearing bright orange t-shirts lay in their sleeping bags on dozens of recycled egg cartons last night. It was their second of five nights living on the streets of Montreal, a challenge they’ve undertaken to raise money for homeless youth through charity Dans la Rue. “I have a better understanding of the homeless life in Montreal,” said Josh Redler, Concordia grad and coordinator of “Five days for the Homeless,” of his participation in the event for past four years.

Inspired by a similar event organized by business students at the University of Alberta in 2005,

Participants brave first night of cold. Photo by David Vilder a friend of Redler’s asked him if he was interested in starting the fundraiser at Concordia, which he was.

However, Redler thought the event should include students in all the departments of the university and not just the business department.

He also felt that the campaign does not only help in raising funds, but is making people understand the hardships of living without a home.

“The hardest thing is when people walk by and don’t look at you,” he said, adding that “you feel rejected by people in your community. “

Over the next few days the orange-clad participants in the fourth edition of “Five Days for the Homeless” at Concordia will be seen walking around the downtown campus, collecting change from passersby with water bottles and buckets.

And while at the end of the night they gather together on the street corner and set up camp, the participants still try keep up with their courses and attend class.

Tonight a few guest sleepers will also reportedly join the group, including 74-year-old JMSB professor Mahesh Sharma and CTV Mon-

treal’s Christine Long.

Despite all the local media attention, Redler’s most memorable moment was when a homeless man named John joined them for the last three days of their campaign in 2009.

They gave John a sleeping bag, and in turn, John shared his life story and stayed with the group. To this day, he keeps in touch with Josh and joins him in the fundraising events.

Now John is looking into getting low-income housing.

Kristina Partsinevelos, another longtime participant, said she feels the homeless are misunderstood they are not all alcoholics or drug users, but could be homeless because they lost their job, for example. One thing that she learned from her experience is that once a person becomes homeless, it is very difficult to get out of that cycle.

“Once someone is on the street, they have no one to turn too,” she said.

Partsinevelos and the other Concordia participants have set a goal of raising $35,000, a mark they surpassed last year. McGill University, École des Hautes Études Commerciales and Université du Québec à Montréal are all participating in the event as well this week.

“Five Days for the Homeless” ends March 18.

life

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

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Write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com

INTERNATIONAL

Have a seat at Oman s comfortable revolution Concordia graduate tracks the revolution from Muscat Myles Dolphin Contributor After 40 days and 40 nights in Oman, I decided to attend the sit-in taking place in front of the Majlis ash-Shura (Consultative Council) here in Muscat. People have been coming for a few weeks now, and even the lack of an official response from their leader, Sultan Qaboos, has failed to hinder the steady increase in protesters.

I fully expected to share the experience with members of the international media, or at least with some Omani journalists, but none could be found on either night I attended.

That would explain the immediate attention I drew upon my arrival there; people surrounded me and asked me who I worked for, and what I was doing there. The mood was extremely peaceful, as over 500 Omanis from all walks of life voiced their concerns over how their beloved country was run.

I first spoke with Basma al-Kiyumi, a lawyer and activist who was adamant about the key demands the Sultan had yet to address. “We want our corrupt ministers [fired] and replaced by members of the Shura, who’ve been elected by the people. Many of them have been in power for a long time, and have filled their pockets with funds that should have been redistributed amongst the people.”

A constitution is also highly important for Omanis, she added, as it would ensure a separation of powers that does not yet exist. She scoffed at the minister reshuffling that took place last week, and likened it to a game of chess. Sultan Qaboo’s latest move put some legislative and auditing power into the hands of the state council, which used to serve solely as advisers.

The feeling is clear; people adore the Sultan and recognize his achievements for Oman, often referring to him as “father” - but they are fed up

Sit-in at Majlis ash-Shura in Muscat March 4. Photo by writer with the rampant corruption exercised by various ministers.

Basma is part of an ad-hoc committee that was supposed to fly to Salalah, a city in southern Oman where more than 20,000 people gathered last night in an impromptu show of solidarity.

She was to be joined by Mohamed al-Harthy, an Omani writer and poet I also spoke with, who had once been imprisoned for over a month due to comments made about the Sultan. Their plan is to ensure co-ordination between the cities, and to gather all the demands before submitting them to the Sultan at a later date.

Al-Harthy highlighted the fear that reigned in all Omanis until a few weeks ago. “People felt paralyzed, unable to complain about the smallest issues because they would have been taken away and imprisoned.” Asked if the protests in Tunisia and Egypt had influenced Omanis to speak up, he replied enthusiastically. “Of course – an older gentleman I spoke to earlier was in tears because he was finally able to share his

story in public, without fear of reprisals.”

Although the minimum wage was bumped up to 200 Omani rials (approximately $500 CAD) a month last week, people told me it wasn’t nearly enough. “It should be 300 or 400, at least,” explained Nasser, an executive with the National Bank of Oman. “If companies complain that they can’t afford it, the government should step in and subsidize the rest. Our basic fundamentals are not being addressed, and that’s all we’re asking for.”

Clearly, these feelings have resonated within Omanis for quite some time now, but strict laws preventing gatherings and freedom of expression have impeded their ability to be heard. Omani newspapers continue to emphasize the proSultan rallies, rather than focusing on the sit-ins, which are anything but anti-Sultan.

Contrarily to other Arab revolts, the leader here is adored, the demands are straightforward and reasonable, and there is no sectarian split to fuel violence. In fact, with the exception of

the sporadic clashes in Sohar, demonstrations around Oman have been peaceful and wellorganized.

A week ago, an anonymous Arabic text message was sent to my phone in the middle of the night. It claimed the riots in Sohar had been incited by “paid foreigners and spies from the United Arab Emirates.” A spy row between these neighbours has severely strained relations, but mediation by Kuwaiti leader Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah seems to have cooled off both parties. Al-Harthy explained to me that many Omanis living near the UAE border work there, which would explain the high ratio of UAE license plates in Sohar, and the reason why Omani Intelligence would try to lay blame on UAE nationals for the violence.

Harthy ended our conversation with his strongest statement: “The psychological wall that divided people from government has finally collapsed, and citizens are free to express their stories and experiences with each other.”

At the time of writing this article at the beginning of March, a new anti-corruption task force has just been established by the Sultan, and four ministers have been let go. Clearly, Omani voices are being heard, as proven by the timely decrees issued by the Sultan during the past few weeks.

I asked Ahmed al-Mukhaini, an independent researcher for human rights, about the progress that had taken place since last Sunday. “We’re very optimistic about the outcome,” he said with a smile. “The number of people attending the sit-in has consistently increased, and we are seeing real plurality amongst the crowd. There is unison in our demands and requests, and we are moving towards nationalistic reform while shying away from individual needs.”

Myles Dolphin is a recent Concordia graduate in English literature and Arabic culture. He is currently teaching English as a second language in the Middle East, in order to improve his Arabic and to get a feel for the region. He moved to Muscat, the capital of Oman, in January to teach at an international school and plans on being there indefinitely.

INTERNATIONAL

An ordinary day that ends with an earthquake Concordia exchange student living in Tokyo tries to get his life back Sarah Deshaies Editor-in-chief Philippe McKie was having an ordinary day last Friday. He got up for a Japanese lesson this morning, and went to meet his girlfriend, Mami for a leisurely lunch.

They had gotten to their local eatery, a restaurant in the busy Tokyo neighbourhood of Ikebukuro. It was there that the devastating magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck Japan.

While most Concordia students were safely asleep or at Reggies’ in Montreal that Thursday night, McKie was 13 hours ahead in Japan, and needed to find shelter. Luckily, the film production student escaped serious injury and made it home safely.

For now McKie is actually on a scheduled break from school, and he is taking the time “to chill.” He has not heard of any disaster relief efforts that he could be involved in.

McKie says he’s dismayed by most of the international coverage he has seen, which he finds has dramatically sensationalized the disaster.

McKie has been interviewed by a few Montreal radio stations, and has also posted his thoughts

The disaster in Japan is rampant, affecting mostly the Northern part of the country. Flickr on a CBC blog.

“I’m really feeling the local perspective at this point,” he shared, reflecting on how local people are adapting and worrying about relatives and friends.

Local media coverage, according to his girlfriend and Japanese friends, is focused on getting back to normal. “It took Tokyo 24 hours to get back on its feet,” said McKie, though the government has mandated rolling blackouts to conserve energy.

“If there’s one society can work overtime and deal with this situation, it’s Japan,” said McKie, confident that the country’s fortunes will get better. “They’re probably doing every measure necessary to make sure that this whole [incident] will get cleared. However, the scary thing is that for one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world, it’s so scary how one event like this [has destabilized Japan.]

It would have been very easy for things to be much worse. If the apex of the earthquake was

closer to Tokyo, it would have been absolutely unthinkable.”

McKie also has a guest to show around.

Lise Gauthier, his mother, hopped on a plane from Canada, and flew over to visit him. (She was scheduled for awhile back to arrive Friday, but her flight was delayed. Gauthier arrived the next day. McKie characterizes his mother as “headstrong.”)

One Quebecer is now confirmed dead. The priest died of a heart attack after the quake hit.

When asked whether the notion that one Canadian will not be returning home bothered him, McKie answered, “When this event was happening, there were moments where I feared for my life. However, [I’ve realized] especially with my mother arriving, that I made a decision in going on this journey, just like this missionary. I made a decision to go into this other land, and in a sense, there’s a responsibility with that. When you go on an adventure, part of the package is this risk factor.”

McKie, however, will not let the earthquake hang over this experience so far as an exchange student in Japan. “If I could put it in one word, it’s epic,” he said of his experience.

He will remain in Japan until August, and hopes to DJ and promote events in Tokyo. *** Concordia spokesperson Chris Mota said Monday that McKie and one other Concordia student are currently studying on exchange in Japan, and both are doing well. She said that when disasters like the recent quake occur, Concordia checks in students to make sure they are safe.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

RECIPES

HEALTH

St. Patrick’s Day brunch

Host a pre-parade meal with these Irish themed treats Renée Morrison Staff writer

Graphic by Amanda Durepos

Cancer preventing diets Tips to help you eat your way to a healthier life Felicia Di Palma Staff writer Cancer has become a word most of us fear, and with good reason, considering an estimated 74, 000 people having died from cancer in 2008 according the Canadian Cancer Society.

According to a study from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC) published in the European Journal of Cancer, only five to 10 per cent of all cancer cases are due to genetic defects. The remaining cases they report are due to lifestyle factors including smoking, diet, alcohol, physical inactivity, obesity and sun exposure as well as infections and environmental pollutants.

While there is not one miracle food that can be consumed to lower the risk of cancer, being aware of what ingredients go into your meals and making certain lifestyle changes can reduce your chances of becoming a cancer patient.

Lifestyle changes to make before changing your diet 1. It is time to cut out the smoking because it keeps your immune system from reaching its maximum strength, which can bring on cancer.

2. Next is cutting the excessive tanning.

3. Finally, it is important to limit the amount of alcohol your body consumes.

Understanding the diet First things first; you need to be introduced to some Super-Food lingo: antioxidants, beta-carotene, fibre, protein, vitamins galore.

A diet comprised of all these cancer fighters, along with the lifestyle changes mentioned above, will be the healthiest and most effective way to go about preventing cancer.

This kind of diet will also boost your immune system. “The body needs to have all the necessary elements like vitamins and minerals to be able to produce antibodies and other defence mechanisms used by the human body,” said dietitian Marta Grzegorczyk, who founded Info Nutrition, an in-home nutrition service. “Without these elements the body cannot function properly. Antibodies that protect the body’s cells against free radicals have a positive effect on the immune system.”

Fats and preservatives Limiting fat intake is important, said Grzegorczyk, especially saturated and trans fats, as they are linked with numerous health problems. “It is also important to encourage the consumption of unprocessed foods, as some of the chemicals used as food additives can be harmful to the body and could trigger cancer cells production.”

Our bodies do need fats though, but, preferably the healthy fats (yes, they do exist).

Walnuts, almonds, olive oil and avocados are full of monounsaturated fats. Instead of reaching for a bag of chips, go for a hand full of walnuts or pistachios. For those allergic to nuts, pumpkin seeds, olives and especially

fish like salmon are suggested replacements.

The Canadian Cancer Society also lists food additives like preservatives as dangerous to your health. On their website they write: “When meat is preserved by smoking, curing or salting, or by the addition of preservatives, cancer-causing substances can be formed. These substances can damage cells in the body and lead to the development of colorectal cancer. Research shows that eating processed meat increases the risk of cancer.

Save processed meat for special occasions, such as ham for a holiday dinner.”

Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory COX-2 is an enzyme that could lead to inflammation and pain. It also could cause tumour cells to grow. By counteracting COX-2, you could prevent cancer cells from growing.

Howard Epstein, the director of Technology and Business Development at Cosmetic Actives and Bio Active in New Jersey who has done research on food and cancer prevention, said that “quercetin found in red onions and various fruits and vegetables suppress COX-2 enzyme.”

Quercetin is a flavonoid, a plant chemical that can act like an antihistamine and antiinflammatory. It is also an antioxidant, which are vitally important, said Grzegorczyk.

“Antioxidants help to prevent oxidation of molecules caused by free radicals, this means that they help to slow down or prevent damage done to cells in our body. Oxidative damage done to cells contributes to health problems like heart disease, diabetes and cancer.”

Antioxidants can be found in something as tiny as a blueberry yet could protect you from cancer. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants said to prevent skin cancer.

Antioxidants can also be found in spices, one of the most powerful is cinnamon. Cinnamon functions as an anti-inflammatory as well as an antioxidant and has the ability to prevent blood clotting, to prevent bacteria, like fungi, from spreading, to regulate blood sugar levels and to lower blood pressure.

Now that we know cinnamon is great for the body, let’s talk about the Batman to its Robin, apples. Apple peels, especially the darker in color apple peels like the red delicious apple, have “cancer preventers” in them like antioxidants, vitamin A and C and minerals like calcium, potassium, and iron. According to a 2007 study at Cornell University that was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, apples peels can not only destroy cancer cells, but can also prevent them from spreading.

Rui Hai Liu, an associate professor of food and science at Cornell University and senior author of the study, told Science Daily, “We found that several compounds (phytochemicals, more importantly flavonoids and phenolic acids) have potent antiproliferative activities against human liver, colon and breast cancer cells and may be partially responsible for the anti-cancer activities of whole apples.”

Vitamins Vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E and beta-carotene are also important elements of a cancer diet. While many of us would search for these in supplements, Grzegorczyk said that is not always the right choice to make.

Rather she said it is better to eat whole foods that contain all the vitamins and nutrients.

The reason is that dietary supplements often only provide one component, whereas in food you get a multitude of different components.

“Supplements can also be deceiving because they give the consumer a false impression of healthy eating. The consumer presumes that because they are taking vitamins, they do not have to eat as many healthy foods,” added Grzegorczyk. “If you rely on nutrition alone to make sure you have all your essential dietary components, you are much more prone to make healthy food choices and have a balanced diet.”

Beta-carotene is an organic compound best known for giving fruits and vegetables their red, orange and yellow pigments. It can provide approximately 50 per cent of the vitamin A needed in a daily diet and is said to be effective in preventing cancers, especially breast cancer and ovarian cancer. It is found in carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, mango, apricots and butternut squash. Other vitamin A foods include liver, spinach, kale, cilantro and thyme.

Vitamin C foods include oranges, as well as papaya, strawberries, lemons, cauliflower, broccoli and more. Their cancer-preventing qualities were discovered by a team of Johns Hopkins University scientists who found that the antioxidants may destabilize a tumour’s ability to grow under oxygen-starved conditions, an effect of vitamin C. While good for your health, it should not be taken in excess as a means of cancer prevention.

Quick Tips

Shopping: The rule of thumb when choosing your fruits and vegetables is to go for those that are rich in colour. These tend to have the most nutrients and a higher ability to fight cancer. Examples include broccoli compared to cauliflower. While cauliflower contains vitamins C and K along with potassium, broccoli could help reduce cholesterol, contains beta-carotene and has the highest amount of vitamins compared to any other vegetable.

Recipe: Grzegorczyk provided a great snack recipe that contains antioxidants, vitamins, proteins, healthy fat and vitamin E: - 1/2 cup of 0 per cent fat yogurt - 1/2 cup of mixed berries - 1 tsp of honey

Foods:

Healthy fats: Walnuts, almonds, olive oil, avocados, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, olives and salmon.

Antioxidants/anti-inflammatory: Foods rich in quercetin include black and green teas, capers, apples, red onions, red grapes, citrus fruit, tomatoes, broccoli and other leafy green vegetables, and a number of berries, including raspberries, cranberries and blueberries. Dark chocolate and cinnamon are another good source of antioxidants.

Vitamins: Vitamin A is found in carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, mangoes, apricots and butternut squash, liver, spinach, kale, cilantro and thyme. Vitamin C foods include oranges, papaya, strawberries, lemons, cauliflower and broccoli.

If your plan is to party like the Irish all day on March 17, don’t forget to fuel up on energy in the morning. Why not call over some friends with a “top o’ the morning” and start celebrating early this year? Try these recipes for the perfect St. Patty’s brunch, and your invites will feel like it’s their lucky day.

Irish Coffee Cheesecake Tip: make this cake the night before your brunch and let it chill in the fridge overnight.

Serve as a dessert after brunch.

Pre-made graham cracker crust (available at most grocery stores) 3 packages of cream cheese 1 cup sugar 4 large eggs 1 1/2 cups sour cream 1/3 cup Baileys Irish liqueur 2 tbsp instant coffee Use an electric mixer on a medium speed to whisk the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar and the eggs, continuously mixing.

Stir in the sour cream, Baileys and the instant coffee and mix until smooth.

Transfer the mixture onto the pre-made graham cracker crust and place in the preheated oven at 300 F. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean from the center.

Chill for at least 4 hours in the fridge.

Pot O’ Golden Potato Cakes

These require a bit of effort because of the shredding, but you can just as easily chop the potatoes into slices and make home fries instead. Use all the same ingredients except the eggs, flour and baking powder.

2 eggs 1 medium sized onion, chopped fine 1 garlic glove, chopped fine 3 tbsp. flour 1 1/4 tsp baking powder 2 cups shredded potatoes Salt and pepper Oil for frying Blend the eggs, onion and garlic together in a bowl. Stir well then add the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Add the shredded potatoes and stir well.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, add enough oil to coat the pan. Carefully drop tablespoons full of the mixture into the pan.

Cook each side until the edges are crisp and the pancakes are golden brown. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any extra oil. This recipe makes about 10 potato cakes.

Irish “Hamrocks”

Find some thickly sliced ham at the grocery store. Pre-cooked is easier, but if you can’t find any, ask the butcher how long to cook the ham according to its weight.

Using a small sharp knife, cut the cooked ham slices into the shape of four-leaf clovers and serve these alongside the potatoes.

Green Fruit Skewers

Using canned pineapple or peaches, add 1/4 cup of green crème de menthe (or a few drops of green food colouring) to the combined fruit pieces in syrup. Let the green colour soak into the fruit for 30-45 minutes and arrange the fruit chunks onto skewer sticks.

arts

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

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Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com VISUAL ARTS

Arts Matters leaves viewers with something to think about Two exhibits give perspective on what home and beauty are all about Sofia Gay Copy editor Beauty In Obsession In the all-too-important world of beauty, nothing stays still for long. Things change quickly and, as consumers, we must try to keep up with the ceaseless changes in the way we should desire to be seen. Curated by Hania Souleiman and copresented by Concordia’s 2110 Centre for Gender Advocacy, the real feat of Beauty In Obsession lies in its capacity to make the viewer really pay attention to each work. Housed in the Galerie Rye, with its massive windows allowing sunlight to sheath the wooden floors of the open space, viewers are surrounded by sculptures, photographs and paintings that beg for attention and can, in fact, retain it. The messages of the pieces in the exhibition range from exuding desperate cries of “love me, love me” to portraying a confident attitude of self-assurance in one’s appearance.

Julia Waks’s boxes, framed with used lipstick and fuchsia tulle, look like something fit to

be found in a washed-up ballerina’s dressing room. Ripped pieces of lingerie cut across words marked in lipstick, bearing messages such as “This is you wanting to be loved.” The effect they create is entrancing, making the viewer want to take a closer look at what’s meddled in the decay, but at the same time, creating a sense of wariness about getting too close.

Portraits of fashionable men in various states of undress claim the wall by a piano, their faces exposed and their eyes bearing down on the viewer. The effect that artist Jeffrey Togerson creates is strong, making one feel that the men know the viewers better than the viewers know themselves. In poses that rival those of Greta Garbo and Rita Hayworth in their emulation of old Hollywood glamour, they emanate strong feelings of pride and confidence.

Also represented is the concept of repetition, in Laura Adelaide Hudspith’s sculpture of pristine, white chair legs lying on top of each other, entitled “Chair Leg Soft Tissue.” It speaks of trying to preserve perfection and beauty through the act of blending in. However, it is the broken chair leg, consciously placed on top of the others, that truly captures the viewer’s attention.

By exploring the theme of how the same obsessive habits and drive to achieve a certain ideal of beauty can open both the realms of self-destruction and unabated confidence, the exhibition ends up making viewers look into themselves. The works hide nothing and there

is nothing left for the viewers to do but take an introspective look at their own ideals of beauty and ask themselves what it is and if the journey to obtain it is worth it.

Beauty in Obsession will be at Galerie Rye, 1331A Saint-Catherine street E, until March 19. The vernissage will be on March 15 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Home, Paralleled Walking through the Ctrllab gallery reminds one of what it’s like to visit someone’s house for the first time. Although the visitor gains hints of what the life of those who live there must be like, it’s hard to gain access to the full picture.

The works featured in Home, Paralleled, curated

by Dan Smeby, work together to get behind the façade and bring out the real experience for all to see.

Laid out like a house, you can wander through the gallery and look at images of works shown on a TV atop the fridge, and end your journey at a side room past the bathroom that holds Pamela Lepage’s “Into the Dark” – a painting that takes over the whole room in its glowin-the-dark glory – or have a chat with artistin-residence Katie Pretti. The gallery is serving as a home to Pretti, who is living there through March to create a painting-in-the-round.

A bed boasting rectangular pieces of foam and pillows sits under a sign that pleads viewers

to not “interact with it in an overly boisterous manner.” That would be Jia Chen Cardy Lai’s “Comfort Food,” a multimedia installation that looks inviting and safe, emotions that many people link with thoughts of home.

At the other end of the spectrum is “Mass Elastic” by artists Maya Cardin, Stephanie Coleman, Kaleigh Macrae and Emma Campbell, which takes a far less literal approach to interpreting the concept of home. The installation features drawings of mountains and castles, with pieces of the installation literally detached from the wall, jumping out at the viewer, and with drawings of bears sprinkled here and there.

Yet it is the small paper cut-out drawing of a bear, hanging from a piece of blue string by itself, removed from the chaos, which really captures one’s curiosity.

Home, Paralleled invites the viewer over for a visit that will leave them with a feeling of having gained a bigger insight into someone’s home life than stilted first-meeting conversations with relatives and brief glances at decades-old portraits.

The proverbial family mantles of the artists are stripped bare for all too see, leaving the viewer with their own interpretation of a simple but known four-letter word we’re all familiar with.

Home, Paralleled runs at Ctrllab, 3634 Saint-Laurent Blvd. until March 19. For more information on these and other exhibits, check out artmattersfestival.com.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

FESTIVAL

Here s something everyone can enjoy 29th International Festival of Films on Art offers diversity for all artlovers Valerie Cardinal Arts editor The International Festival of Films on Art kicks off on March 17, and this year, it’s a doozy; there are 227 films from 22 countries being screened over 11 days. Only 37 of the films are in competition, but according to festival co-founder René Rozon, the noncompetition sections are also worth checking out. Since Concordia University is a partner, many films will be shown in the J.A. De Sève Cinema. With this many films ranging in subject from Tintin to Jean-Paul Gauthier, there is certain to be something for everyone playing at the festival. Here are the films I’m excited about seeing.

1. HOOP Marites Carino’s five-minute film about hula-hooping will be shown as part of the Diagonales program. It will be accompanied by a performance flashmob on March 18 when hula-hoopers will take over Place Des Arts for three hours in the afternoon.

HOOP premiers on March 20 at the Cinémathèque Québecoise.

2. Comic Books go to War Director Mark Daniels looks at how the violence and senselessness of war has been translated into comic book form in this fulllength documentary. He takes a look at the journalistic and political information in comic books by artists such as Art Spiegelman, Joe Kubert and Marjane Satrapi.

Comic Books go to War opens at the Museum of Contemporary Art on March 19, and will play at Concordia’s J.A. De Sève Cinema March 20.

3. Dix Fois Dix Following the exhibit of Otto Dix’s work in the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Concordia grad Jennifer Alleyn explores the artist from 10 different points of view, and looks at how he used art to force the world to see the truth about itself.

Dix Fois Dix premieres at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts on March 24.

4. The Picture of the Napalm Girl When people think of the Vietnam War, one picture often sticks in their memory: that of a girl running down a road, screaming, her clothes completely burnt off by napalm. But what has become of the child in the photo?

Marc Wiese finds Kim Phuc in Canada, and gets her story about the famous photo.

The Picture of the Napalm Girl pre-

HOOPS features choreography and performance by Rebecca Hall, founder of Montreal’s IHOOPU hoop troupe. mieres March 19 at the Museum of Contemporary Art, and will play at Concordia’s J.A. De Sève Cinema March 27.

5. Sur les Traces de Marguerite Yourcenar The opening film of this year’s FIFA looks at writer Marguerite Yourcenar through the lenses of a road movie, showing viewers the paths traveled by the first woman named to the Académie Française.

Sur les Traces de Marguerite Yourcenar premieres at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts March 17.

6. MTL Punk – The First Wave Concordia grad Érik Cimon looks at what happened when the punk movement arrived in Montreal in 1977, from the point of view of the people who were there to experience the scene. Thirty years later, former punks recount the music, drugs and rebellion associated with the movement.

MTL Punk – The First Wave premieres at the Cinémathèque Québécoise March 21.

For more information and the full program, check out artfifa.com.

MTL Punk includes rare footage of the beginnings of Montreal’s punk scene.

THEATRE

Not your average Vagina Monologues

Concordia’s production promises an update of the original, no red feather boas Samantha Mastromonaco Staff writer

Hold on to your knickers, ladies! This year’s production of The Vagina Monologues promises to bring Eve Ensler’s 1996 off-Broadway show into the 21st century with an ambitious director, a talented cast and a whole lot of emotion as the key ingredients.

The Vagina Monologues is a collection of monologues whose main premise has to do with any aspect imaginable related to the vagina. Topics range from rape and mutilation to masturbation and sex. They can be laughout-loud funny or viscerally emotional. One monologue’s focus is the celebration of the usually taboo word “cunt.” Every monologue, however, has one similar underlying theme:

the empowerment of women.

“The Vagina Monologues express the need for community within the women’s scene,” said Kendall Savage, the director of the production. Savage is a second-year theatre student at Concordia and it is her first time directing a show. But do not underestimate this director’s abilities; Savage graduated from Toronto’s Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts and the Players Academy, and confidently asserts that she’s ready for her first directing opportunity.

“I love directing,” said Savage. “I love it more than acting. I love having an idea and bringing it to life. It’s a high. It’s better than anything.” Though Savage admits that it would not be her first choice of play, she was eager to bring The Vagina Monologues out of the 1990s. Savage “tweaked” certain parts of the script, editing out repetitions and modernizing the sometimes-dated language.

Also omitted from her production’s recipe: the usual black and red colour scheme and, more specifically, red boas.

“I’m under the impression that there’s always this very stereotypical ‘I’m a woman!’

undercurrent [in The Vagina Monologues],” said Savage. “Not that that doesn’t work. It’s fun and lighthearted, but it’s been done. I’m trying desperately to move away from the stereotype presentation of the monologues.”

Her method of escape? A strong, talented cast made up of six Concordia theatre students whose chemistry and dedication to the show’s performance was evident in their rehearsal last Wednesday night. The emotion they emanate in the chorus-like monologue entitled “Say It,” describing the women forced into prostitution by the Japanese government during Second World War, will leave the audience in a speechless horror, gasping for air.

“The whole nature of it is very different from any other show that we would be doing at Concordia,” said actress Lindsey Huebner.

“It’s an assembly of monologues and we found ways to sort of work them together as a team, which is really cool and different from most other Vagina Monologues that you will see.”

“It’s been a chaotic process,” said fellow Vagina Monologues’ actress Norah Paton, “But if we didn’t have such a strong team,

this show probably wouldn’t be happening right now.”

For Savage, directing The Vagina Monologues has been smooth. Finding a venue for the performance, on the other hand, was not as easy. Since it is not a production by Concordia’s theatre program, funding is limited, coming entirely from Concordia’s Volunteers in Action. While it was hosted last year in the D.B. Clark Theatre in the Hall building, the play is returning to The Hive at Loyola, where it was staged two years ago, and coming to the Grey Nuns residence downtown.

VIA is donating all of the proceeds to Women Aware, a nonprofit organization for the benefit of victims of domestic abuse and City of Joy, a women’s safehouse in Congo.

For a theatrical experience that is sure to please vaginas from all walks of life (and other organs, too) head out to the Hive at Concordia’s Loyola campus on March 18, 19 and 20 or to the Grey Nuns Residence March 26 and 27. Tickets cost $15 for Concordia students and $20 for the general public.

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/concordianarts

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

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PHOTOGRAPHY

Concordia exhibit shows another side of Africa Patricia Vasquez Lopez photographs the faces of Burkina Faso Shereen Rafea Staff writer There’s another side to the extreme poverty in Africa. Concordia journalism student Patricia Vasquez Lopez wanted to show that side by taking natural, spontaneous pictures during her internship in Africa last summer. Her pictures can be seen this week at an exhibit entitled The Faces of Burkina Faso, which is part of the Concordia Student Union’s Poverty Week events.

“I think that makes the pictures beautiful,” said Lopez, “It wasn’t perfect, it wasn’t planned, it was a moment that I captured.”

According to Lopez, there are many ways to discover new places and help people in Africa. Lopez herself was one of seven communications students from Quebec interning at the Association Munyu in Burkina Faso.

At this women’s organization, they held workshops to train African journalists in multimedia and investigative reporting. The internship was organized by the Ministry of International Relations and OXFAM. While she was in Burkina Faso, Lopez loved capturing spontaneous moments on

Children pose for Lopez’s camera. Photo by Patricia Vasquez Lopez camera. “Every time I had my camera out, those kids would go crazy on me,” said Lopez. “They were like ‘me me me, I want a picture.’”

Her exhibit features 24 portraits of the faces of friends and neighbours that she met in Burkina Faso. Six of the pictures are black

and white, and 18 are in colour. While most were spontaneous, some were posed. Lopez believes the photographs give the viewer an insight into the lives of the people she met.

“These pictures communicate something special,” she said. “It shows faces, communicates a lifestyle, a culture, and it’s something

very simple, but at the same time it has a very strong message behind it.” Lopez explained that her photos show the good nature of the people.

“You see these people through their eyes,” said Lopez. “There’s no malice in them, they’re completely open people and nice and very transparent.” She stated that the people she met were happy with simple things, and form a friendly community.

Lopez hopes viewers will be inspired to start their own projects.

“Patricia Vasquez’s exhibit on Africa will put a human face on the many issues confronting this continent already plagued by extreme poverty,” wrote the CSU’s VP external Adrien Severyns in an email.

Lopez developed an interest in photography while taking courses at Vanier College.

She credits her love of the craft to her mentor, Robert Del Tredici, a Canadian photographer who currently teaches cinema at Concordia University. Lopez is a member of the Concordia chapter of Journalists for Human Rights and used to work for CIBL radio station.

“Her exhibit will contribute to educating the Concordia community on the many faces of poverty around the world,” said Severyns.

Catch the exhibit outside CSU office on the seventh floor of the Hall building this week, and look for it at the Centre Culturel Simon Bolivar from April 1 to 15.

VIDEO GAMES

Beer, muffins and video games A writer gets immersed in gamers’ monthly meet-up Lana Polansky Staff Writer The third floor of the Brasserie Artisanale L’Amère à Boire was dim, with a steady buzz of conversation by the time I arrived. Students, game developers and artists sat at wooden tables – many holding beers, all in deep and animated conversations. A tall, brown-haired man shook my hand and introduced himself as Nick Rudzicz. A young man with fair hair stood up and greeted me. That was Stephen Ascher, a Concordia student. Our small chat revealed that we had taken a class together. Go figure. It’s a small world.

Ascher and Rudzicz, co-founders of Montreal’s Mount Royal Game Society, spent last week at the 13th annual Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, the world’s largest professional forum for video game discussion, on the same weekend they were supposed to have their monthly meet-up at the St. Denis bar.

“In the end we decided the best solution was to keep it in the same place and push back the meet-up by one week,” said Ascher. On the first Wednesday of every month, MRGS holds a video-game-centric event featuring game demos, speeches, presentations and plenty of open discussion about video games in the realms of art, business and culture.

At first, the intimacy of the room intimidated me, but it didn’t take long to find a place. As quickly as I had pulled out my laptop in a vain effort to appear professional, student Nate Fowler sat down on the other side of my table. Fowler is in his third-year of game design at Champlain College in Vermont and had only been here once before.

“It’s a good bar, there’s people who I can relate with and can talk to, it’s [good for] contacts,” he said. “It’s kind of all around fun and awesome – and it’s really relaxed.”

Our conversation quickly evolved from social niceties, to an interview, to an in-depth theoretical conversation. I became immersed in the environment, in the cognitive and emotional thrall of intense artistic and intellectual debate. It was like being sucked into the

richness of an intricately designed game world.

I had wondered about the tide that conversation takes at these events. Was it about business collaboration? Was it about art, design or theory?

Fowler was adamant that game design needs more diversity to flourish. “When you have so many people who have the same background it’s just going to be inbred.”

He added, “I know a lot of game designers – the good ones – do weird stuff on the side. Like, they don’t sit around and play games; they take vacations to weird places, they try new stuff.”

MRGS is very much about bringing people together. “Of course, there’s definitely something to be said for local connections,” stated Ascher.

“I think it’s been a boon for local indies to realize they’re not isolated, that they can encounter other people with the same set of interests doing the same sort of things right outside their doors.”

“Some folks are already happily employed at AAA game companies. Some are making games solely for fun, as hobbyists or are students. Some are already deep into their own projects and don’t need to network or collaborate in a professional sense,” said Ascher.

Gender issues, religion, artistic integrity, business, video game violence, philosophy and politics – among others – wove their way into my conversation with Fowler. To say that all points remained faithful to the topic of games would be misleading. But that’s what we’d always come back to – and veer off from again.

Our conversation stopped momentarily when Rudzicz stood to give a brief speech that was muffled under white noise, bar music and poor acoustics. Rudzicz – and Ascher – briefly mentioned their attendance at GDC, explaining the delay, assuring everyone nothing was lost. March Madness was actually planned to be casual, promising only socializing and the exhibition of game demos. No big speeches or presentations this time.

Aaron Saloman, who recognized Fowler, sat down at our table while an intense round of Jesus vs. Dinosaurs was being projected. The game pits Darwin against God, each one suspended from the sky by rope. The gameplay consisted of a Tetris-like build mechanic wherein Darwin’s player would create green, wheeled dinosaur-headed machines out of differently shaped blocks. God’s player would do the same, creating Jesus-headed vehicles and leading to a battle of dominance between the Jesus and dinosaur vehicles.

Originally from Ontario, Saloman now resides in Montreal. He is a musician, audio technician and producer, who dabbles in sound design. Saloman has worked on the music for Critter Crunch for PlayStation Network and has a working relationship with Toronto-based game company Capybara Games.

I noted how, despite the small size of the event, there were plenty of attendees from out-

side the city. “This [game society] is in its infancy, which is maybe attractive. Particularly, the one in Toronto is fairly mature in the sense that it has already spawned successful companies,” Saloman responded, adding, “This one’s only been going for like six months.”

Saloman, Fowler and I exchanged ideas, expounding on matters such as game criticism and censorship, music, psychology and cinema.

“It tends to be different from an online message board, where there might be a deeply cohesive tide of opinion that can sometimes have a chilling effect on debate and creative discourse,” Ascher said. March Madness confirmed MRGS’s contribution to the expanding discourse of a growing artistic medium.

My intention had been to be a fly on the wall, an observer of an MRGS social. Instead, I became a player.

BURLESQUE

Last weekend’s Grand Burlesque Show united some of Montreal and the world’s finest burlesque performers. This year featured a stunning tour around the world, stopping at destination places such as Spain, Italy and the Czech Republic. Showgoers were greeted by hosts in sparkling costumes at the well-decorated venue, and were treated to even more stunning costumes onstage - including organizer and performer Scarlett James sporting a live snake.

James offered three nights of sexy, flirty fun featuring such artists as Montreal’s own Team Burlesque (Miss Sugarpuss, L. Diablo, and Seska Lee), Gentry de Paris, BonBon Bombay and even steampunk magician Professor Wick. The event wasn’t only about striptease; it also featured a contortionist, opera singer, tap dancers and a So You Think You Can Dance finalist. James’s next big production is the third annual edition of the Montreal Burlesque Festival in August. Photo by Tiffany Blaise For more pictures of The Grand Burlesque Show, check out our online photo gallery at www.theconcordian.com/section/arts

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theconcordian

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

CINEMA POLITICA

Where have all the honeybees gone?

Concordia grad looks to solve the mystery in her documentary Ben Croll Contributor Examining the ongoing disappearance of the North American honeybee, The Vanishing of the Bees is equal parts mystery, thriller and eye-opening exposé.

Concordia graduate Maryam Henein, along with co-director George Langworthy, have put together a captivating documentary.

Since 2007, honeybees have been mysteriously vanishing from their hives, and scientists have yet to reach a definitive answer as to why. But the consequences of losing them are all too well-known, and only too scary.

Honeybees help produce countless fruits and vegetables, pollinating millions of crops each year. That pollination is integral to almost every conceivable kind of agriculture, and those little bees are single-handedly responsible for a whopping one-third of every piece of produce that hits our tables. Losing them altogether would be catastrophic.

Henein has taken it upon herself to put an end to this problem by examining just what these creatures are, why they might be vanishing, and what can be done to stop it. She said making the film was motivated by a need to do some good. “I wanted to do something that makes a difference - to make a film that gives back.”

What led her to the vanishing bees, like so much of her life, was a combination of luck and fate.

Upon finishing her journalism degree in 1996, Henein found herself moving to Los Angeles. It was “not really for my career,” she noted, “but because I had fallen in love with a boy.”

Eventually, she found a job at mass-media news organization, but grew disillusioned with its sensationalism and lack of substance.

She soon quit, and took jobs as a researcher for production companies in England and Hollywood, and freelanced for publications as varied as Penthouse, Detour Magazine and the Montreal Gazette.

The disappearance of honeybees is a phenomenon that has been named “Colony Collapse Disorder.”

A near-death experience several years later changed her course again. “I was hit by a car, and dragged 50 feet into the road. It took me a long time to recover, but because of the accident, I started doing nutrition and alternate ways of healing, and that opened me to the whole green movement.”

And while looking for a way to make a difference, the universe seemed to send her a series of signs. “I had a lot of bee visitations of different sorts. Whether it was driving into a swarm on a busy street or having them fly into my apartment, I just have had several different magical interactions with bees.

There were too many strange incidents to just dismiss.”

And so work began on her four-year mis-

Rock-A-Doodle

sion to get this film made. The production itself saw many stops and spurts, and by the time the film was released in England in 2009, Henein wasn’t entirely happy or satisfied with the final result. She felt it was too long and felt somewhat aloof. Not everybody agreed though, and the film was serendipitously given new life after being screened, unbeknownst to her, in the most unexpected of places.

“Leonardo DiCaprio saw it on the set of Inception, and screened it for Ellen Page. Ellen was really moved by it, and agreed to narrate it,” marveled Heinen.

With Page signed, Henein and Langworthy were then able to shorten The Vanishing of the Bees, refocus it and add the voice of

youth and sensitivity they felt was missing.

And now, four years later, as the film is complete and ready to screen, does she feel like her journey’s finally winding down?

“I’m still very much working on the movie!” she said, laughing. “We’re still doing outreach. We’ve launched our Bee The Change campaign, and the UN invited us to present it on Environmental Day this June, and there are still screenings all over the nation. I’m still very much working on the movie. I’d like to move on, trust me!”

Daniel Spinali Staff writer

still deserves some credit. It was trying to take down the Disney Animation machine during a point at which it could not be stopped. Think of it as a teenager entering a slam-dunk contest with Michael Jordan; the winner is clear, but people will remember the challenger.

If there is a movie that you know of (and enjoy) but you feel like it will soon be another relic of the film industry, go out, rent it and then show it to your friends. Help keep movies like Rock-A-Doodle alive.

This week, I dusted off the old beta machine and pulled out a tape that probably hasn’t seen the light of day in 15 years, Don Bluth’s Rock-A-Doodle.

Chanticleer is a rooster who believes (as do all the barnyard animals) that his singing makes the sun rise every day. That is, until the day the Grand Duke of Owls sends one of his goons to kill Chanticleer. The goon is unsuccessful, but the sun begins to rise without Chanticleer’s singing, leading the barnyard animals to realize he is a phony. Their taunting hurts Chanticleer so deeply that he decides to leave the farm forever.

Once Chanticleer leaves the farm, the Grand Duke uses his organ to create rain clouds to block out the sun so he and his owl followers can have control of the land around the farm (because owls, in this movie, are essentially allergic to any light source). It’s then up to Patou the dog, Snipes the magpie, Peepers the mouse and Edmond, a boy who was turned into a cat by the Grand Duke, to bring Chanticleer back from the big city to make the sun rise again over the farm.

Rock-A-Doodle does not live up to other Don Bluth productions. By saying that I am not trying to discourage you from watching it, but opening a door to explain what went wrong. The movie came into existence far too late in order to be a big player in the full length cartoon market. Don Bluth had major successes during the ‘80s with An American Tail, All Dogs Go To Heaven and The Land Before Time, in a time when Disney was producing flop after flop, which meant that virtually any well-written and well-made cartoon would be a success. Sadly, Rock-A-Doodle hit the screens during Disney’s renaissance, and combined with a plain story, this led to a lacklustre performance at the box office.

With those facts in mind, Rock-A-Doodle

The Vanishing of the Bees will play at Cinema Politica March 21 at 7 p.m. The filmmaker will be in attendance. For more information, check out cinemapolitica.org

Directed by Don Bluth, 1991 Starring Glen Campbell, Christopher Plummer and Charles Nelson Reilly

Photo via movievaults.com

music

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

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Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com

FESTIVAL

Canadian Music Week brings together young talent that is clamouring to be heard The Concordian hits up Toronto’s largest indie music festival to discover that while there are plenty of Canadian bands out there, not all are worth listening to Cora Ballou Staff writer Every year, Toronto welcomes a slew of artists in a city-wide showcase known as Canadian Music Week. Along with over 800 performances, CMW is an industry event complete with a series of conferences, movie premieres and networking opportunities. This gives new bands the chance to be seen by labels, managers and the media.

Because the Concordian tries to bring you the freshest music news, one of our own decided to make the trek to the other side of the provincial line to tell you about her CMW experience.

Day one If the weather was indicative of my weekend to come, I was in for a bad trip. From the moment I exited the train at Toronto’s Union station, I was sprinkled by a fine rain that persisted the entire time I was there. Fortunately, this proved to be a false omen.

Even though I was itching to hear some music, I first had to get my pass. This meant getting lost in the labyrinth that is the Royal York Hotel while trying to avoid the seemingly endless stream of industry reps, band managers and local media celebrities that were eagerly schmoozing it up all over the first and second floors.

Once I finally found the press room and was – to their benefit – promptly given my pass, I decided to head downtown to visit the coolest sounding venue in the CMW pamphlet: The Velvet Underground. Unfortunately, not many people seemed to agree with me, as it was practically empty.

As I walked in, local band The Shanks were just taking the stage. A drum and bass duo, the former was dressed in a navy uniform while the latter appeared to be going for a look that was somewhere between an AC/DC schoolboy and a Russian oligarch. Jumping around on the small stage, founder/bassist/songwriter/ singer Pistolwhip Shankenstein aka Ian Donald Starkey replicated the moves of Angus Young to the band’s grunge-metal musical backdrop. The small crowd urged him on as he jumped to the front of the stage and stuck out his tongue at two screaming girls who were standing at the front.

In an apparent fit of excitement, the furry hat he had been wearing came off and was thrown into the empty crowd where it fell onto the floor in what I imagined was a unmistakably lonely thump, underlining the absurdity of the whole situation.

So after the rock-out-all-instruments-blaring finale, I decided it was time to find where everyone else was at. With this in mind, I made my way down the street to see much-hyped U.K. band The Targets. The venue, a boudoirthemed bar complete with an exotic dancer by the stage, was packed to the hilt with industry types who were busy exchanging business cards. Onstage, the “lads” from Cheshire, U.K. were nervously chugging down their beers, even though they looked to be nowhere near the legal drinking age. But from the first opening notes, any doubts about this band’s hype evaporated.

Sounding slicker than some rock veterans, these

Left to right: Dan Reardon, Aaron Harvey and Rob Janson of Sandpaper Viper Command. Photo by writer – as I found out later – 19-year-old musicians tore through a set of heavy indie-rock that was reminiscent of ‘70s British punk band The Jam, with some Ramones thrown into the mix. Creating a wall of sound that reverberated to the back of the venue, The Targets were a breath of fresh air with their quintessentially British look, sound and feel. Though nothing new was truly featured that night, it was clear that these small town English boys are worth watching out for.

Upon speaking with them the next day, they proved to possess the kind of boyish charm that only the British seem to have perfected. Though they are unsigned, this fact does not deter them.

In reality, they are proud to point out that they are a perfect example of the fact that you can pursue a music career without the help of a major label.

Day two I woke up to another grey day and, still in my pyjamas and with a slight ringing in my ears, phoned Montreal-based punk band Without Will for a quick interview. On their way to Toronto for that evening’s gig, the group was extremely cordial, albeit a little flustered by the combination of driving and talking.

Although they have been together for a few years now, they were nonetheless heading to their first showcase-style festival. “It’s pretty exciting for us. There’s hundreds of bands from every genre who will be playing, so it’s going to be a good time,” said one of the members though I couldn’t quite make out who it was.

Having always enjoyed road wearied venues, I decided that I would spend the night at legendary Toronto punk bar Sneaky Dee’s. As I walked in, Hamilton natives Huron were finishing up their set. The first of that night’s string of heavy alternative rock groups, they looked like a stereotypical college band. With their bearded lead singer and their ruggedly handsome plaidadorned guitarist, they mixed rural sounds with

Black Sabbath-style heavy riffs. In front of me, a heavily intoxicated gentleman was busy jumping around to an imaginary beat while his friends served as bumpers on either side of him. As the next band set up, I watched him slow dancing - or perhaps passing out - on a girl in the front row.

Next on was Sandman Viper Command, self-proclaimed “suburb kids” from Burlington, Ont. After the introductory line, “Let’s play some rock ‘n’ roll,” the band launched into an indie-rock set reminiscent of early Strokes or The Hives. The most striking aspect of the band was their look, which could be summed up in two words: strikingly good-looking. But apart from this admittedly shallow first impression, Sandman Viper Command gave a surprisingly impressive performance. They even managed to pull off a stereotypical rock ‘n’ roll finale, with friends joining them on stage for the last number.

To my dismay, I later found out that this was a regular occurrence for the band, which made the whole thing more contrived.

Before saying goodnight, I managed to catch a performance by Teenage Kicks which featured, in the words of guitarist Patrick Marchent, “a more refined form of rock ‘n’ roll with no gimmicks.” This, I must admit, was a pretty good description of their sound. With a howling lead singer and heavy alternative sound, Teenage Kicks were definitely rockin’.

Day three Having been a Kurt Vile fan for many years, I decided to see him play at the Great Hall in Toronto’s hip neighbourhood of Queen St. West.

When I entered the packed venue, Vile was already on stage, with hair flowing down and his face pressed near his guitar, playing his usual psychedelic pop songs. Still using an inordinate amount of pedals, Vile’s set focused on his newer tracks which were much more structured than any of his previous material.

Yet nothing could have juxtaposed the previous night’s sets better. Here were road weary travelers that barely broke a sweat during the entire show; a far cry from yesterday’s sweat soaked indie kids. The atmosphere wasn’t helped by the various technical difficulties that Vile encountered. There were numerous instances where screeching feedback and an inexplicably failing microphone plagued the band’s set. But the crowd undoubtedly enjoyed it, for as the band began to take down their gear, the room filled with shouts of “more songs!”

After debating whether or not to stay for the legendary J. Mascis, I opted to walk down the street to a smaller venue - The Garrison - in the hopes of catching some local Canadian talent who go by the name Imaginary Cities. Unfortunately, even though the place was full, the set proved to be less than imaginative. Although it was refreshing to hear a female vocalist, the overall sound was generic at best. Not to say that Imaginary Cities isn’t a solid band. Leader singer Marti Sarbit was soulful and the music was a feel-good blend of rock and funk. But “pleasant” doesn’t always translate to “interesting.”

The palatable, overly easy-listening nature of the band just left a bad taste in my mouth.

“Home, let me come home...”

Even though I didn’t get to see even half the bands that played for CMW during my short stay in Toronto, I was truly surprised by the amount of talent that was present. With South

By Southwest just around the corner, many of these same bands will be making their way down to Texas this week to showcase their skills on American soil. If the quality is anywhere near what was seen this past weekend, then Canadian music should be making waves in the next few months.

14

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 Q&A

theconcordian

Working with musical geniuses: an interview with Mark Kates Andrew Guilbert Staff writer

Permission to reband

Hard rock band The Darkness has announced that they have reformed and will be touring with their original lineup in 2011. The reformation marks the end of a five-year feud between guitarist Dan Hawkins and lead singer Justin Hawkins. The founding members and siblings split in 2006 due to Justin’s drug and alcohol related health problems, leading to The Darkness’ dissolution later that same year. This news comes after the frontman famously denied last year’s reunion rumours, calling them “essentially horse shit” on his Twitter in July. You can check out the band’s new website www.theactualdarkness.com

Alice In Chains bassist to revisit Dirt

Former Alice In Chains bassist Mike Starr was found dead at a house in Salt Lake City last Tuesday. Starr, who had exposed his drug problems to the world on the reality TV show Celebrity Rehab, had been battling a heroin addiction and had been arrested last February for outstanding drug charges. These facts, in conjunction with a voicemail message in which Starr is heard pleading for drugs on the night of his death, have led many to speculate that his death was drug related, though the toxicology reports that would confirm or deny this could take up to two months to come back.

From “November Rain” to financial gain

Former Guns N’ Roses bassist and current Velvet Revolver member Duff Mckagan has launched his own wealth management firm, Meridian Rock. Mckagan, who obtained a degree in economics from Seattle University, explained the purpose of his firm as a way for young musicians to make sound financial decisions - something he himself had trouble with in his GNR heyday. “You think the money is going to keep coming,” he said in an interview with Fortune Magazine. “When you get that big contract, or your record goes platinum and you’re selling out concerts, you don’t see that it’s going to end.” Should anyone be interested in hearing some of the 47-year-old rocker’s advice for free, check out Duffonomics, a weekly financial column Mckagan writes for Playboy.

NAACP honours white trash

The Detroit chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s decision to honour musician Kid Rock has irked some African-American civil rights leaders. The issue at hand is Rock’s association with the confederate flag and its association to the once-segregated south. Adolph Mongo, the head of Detroiters For Progress, said that Rock’s use of the flag is “a slap in the face of anyone who fought for civil rights in this country.” Mongo is among a group of NAACP members who will be boycotting the May 1 event due to Rock’s presence. Kid Rock, real name Robert James Ritchie, is set to receive the Great Expectations Award as acknowledgment for his work with African-Americans and the city of Detroit.

Ja Rule Ja-iled

American rapper Ja Rule has been sentenced to two years in jail starting this June after his July 2007 arrest for attempted criminal possession of a loaded gun. The “Between Me and You” lyricist had plead guilty in the case and called his sentencing a “minor setback for a major comeback” on Twitter. The judge ruled the rapper could start serving his time in June so that he could use the time he had left to resolve a federal tax issue and put the finishing touches on his upcoming album, The Renaissance Project.

Band manager shares the wisdom he has gained as a veteran in the music industry Cora Ballou Staff writer

Among the many guest speakers who were present at this year’s Canadian Music Week was Mark Kates, the man responsible for getting the likes of Sonic Youth and Nirvana to sign with Geffen Records in the early ‘90s. He is also American psychedelic band MGMT’s current manager. Between presentations, he sat down with the Concordian to answer a few questions about his extensive experience in the music industry.

Concordian: How did you get started?

Mark Kates: The simple answer is that I followed a passion. I eventually moved to [Los Angeles where I] worked for an independent label, which led to my working at Geffen, which was the most visible stuff I did until recently [with MGMT]. After that, I ran [the] Grand Royal [label] for the Beastie Boys, and then I moved back to [my hometown of] Boston where I started a record label […] In the process I started managing, and that’s me now.

Former Nirvana manager Danny Goldberg refers to you as the alternative college radio expert at Geffen Records in his book, Bumping Into Geniuses. What did he mean by that?

Basically, I created the alternative radio department [at Geffen]. ‘Alternative radio’ didn’t really have a definition [at Geffen] until I got there. I was hired because the A&R [talent scout] people didn’t think there was anyone at the company who knew how to market the bands they were signing. So I worked with bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees [and] XTC. [I also brought] Sonic Youth to Geffen, which led to Nirvana [being signed].

People say that the ‘90s were a ridiculous time to be working in the music industry. I heard that the A&R guys had a million dollar expense budget. Is this true?

[A million dollars] sounds a little outrageous, but I will tell you that I used to fly first class to anywhere over four hours [away].

I remember I [once] had a $14,000 round

Legendary band manager Mark Kates signed grunge bands Sonic Youth and Nirvana in early ‘90s. trip to England [just] to go have a meeting with Elastica about the cover of their album.

I know that sounds outrageous, but what my bosses would say if they were sitting next to me would be ‘Yeah, and that record was really successful and that plane ticket was cheap in comparison, and back then album covers mattered.’

So my point is that a lot of money was being spent. And every time I would see something that would irritate me, I would go to the head of business affairs [at Geffen] and he would say ‘Look, it’s okay. We sold enough records […] to cover that and a lot of other things.’ So if you’re signing [bands like] Aerosmith, Guns N’ Roses [and] Nirvana, if you’re generating - [with] single albums $50 to $100 million dollars in profit, you can spend whatever you want.

Does it bother you that what most people want to know about you is what you did with bands like Nirvana?

No. I was so lucky to be able to work with that band. The last few times I saw them play was to go talk to Kurt [Cobain] about making a second video for In Utero, which never happened. [But] either on the way to France or on the phone from France […] where I got to see one of their last shows, he admitted that

he just didn’t think they could make a better video than “Heart-Shaped Box” and they didn’t really want to try.

I know I had a lot to do with why it happened, but I still consider myself lucky and frankly, I’m very glad that I put [in] the time that I did. I’m so lucky that I got to see them play as many times as I did.

What would you tell somebody who wants to work in music now?

They have to do it themselves. Yes, to some degree it’s up to us [managers] to create the opportunities [for the artists], but they [also] have to reach people themselves. And I’m sorry but yes, there’s unfathomable clutter on the Internet involving music and too many artists that aren’t talented that are taking up space. But somehow people get through.

That’s where social media really gives you a chance to get going. Because […] there are people in the media looking for new things all the time. [You have to do] everything you can for your own career and don’t worry about what anybody else is doing. You don’t need a manager until you have too much going on to do it yourself.

See Kates’ roster at fenwayrecordings.com

16

theconcordian

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

PROFILE

Five Alarm Funk crisscrosses musical genres to unite the old with the new Vancouver band wants you to dance while they rock, funk, jazz and punk out Katelyn Spidle Music editor These days, it seems like the trend for most bands is to try to avoid being pigeonholed into one genre. Unfortunately, listeners are all too eager to lump bands into the seemingly all-encompassing genre of “indie,” to the point that an exceptional number of groups end up being either overlooked for their presumed lack of originality, or given too much attention for being thought of as merely part of the “scene.” Consequently, the hunt for a new, distinct and unique sound is the ultimate challenge for musicians and listeners alike.

While Vancouver’s Five Alarm Funk tends to fall through the musical cracks and slip through listeners’ fingertips, their sound is anything but indie. Rather than turning their backs to musical categories in an attempt to invent their own, FAF are more inclined toward stringing a whole whack of them together. The result is a sound experience that is wholly familiar yet undeniably fresh.

Perhaps the term that most closely describes FAF is “funk orchestra,” but according to guitarist Gabe Boothroyd, even this isn’t sufficient. “I think that in spirit we’re more of a rock band,” he said. “When we started off, we were really influenced by Afrobeat and Afro-punk [...] We were originally playing more of that style of music, but most of us started out in high school playing in rock bands and so that influence started creeping in a bit more. We just wanted to rock out.”

Having rifled through an array of horn play-

ers in the years since the four original members got together in high school, FAF is now a solid 10-man crew. “It was really just the people who really wanted to be in the band and make it a priority above everything else,” said Boothroyd of the permanent lineup. In order to settle on the right musicians, FAF had to find people who could give up their day jobs and travel away for weeks at a time. “The writing process that we have and the kind of music that we play – it takes some work to put it all together,” he said.

For the most part, Five Alarm Funk leaves lyrics out of their tunes. “We don’t want a singer,” said Boothroyd. “The emphasis is really on the arrangements that we’ve come up with and the interplay between the instruments [...]

We’ve toyed with that idea but [...] I think that one singer always puts the focus more on just that person, but this is more about the band as a whole.”

Songwriting is another thing that the band approaches with an everybody-is-equal attitude. Most songs come out of rehearsal, which Boothroyd ensures they do a lot of while in Vancouver. “Sometimes it’ll start just from one riff at rehearsal and we’ll just keep hashing it out over a number of rehearsals […] and develop it from there,” Boothroyd explained. “Other times someone does come in with a lot more flushed out idea and a bunch of horn parts and guitar parts. But then in the rehearsal process everything gets changed and cut and switched around once every body’s actually playing it.”

The band has seen its share of high points, having played to crowds of over 5,000 people at the Vancouver Jazz Festival and also having played a set during the 2010 Winter Olympics, but it is still chasing its ultimate goal. “If we were on tour and playing for great crowds every night - that would be our dream,” Boothroyd said.

“We’re already doing that to a degree, but we just have to get a little bigger and better at it and then we can just all be doing it full time and really

make it be the only thing that we’re concentrating on.”

For those who have never experienced the group live, Boothroyd warns people to “expect a lot of energy, a lot of varied musical genres [and] a lot of intense arrangements but also a lot of visual elements, with dancing and jumping around

and a little bit of choreography and that sort of thing. Expect to dance, we’re into that.”

Five Alarm Funk will play at Belmont on March 15.

Head to www.theconcordian.com/section/music to hear a song by Five Alarm Funk.

Five Alarm Funk play a mixture of rock, funk, jazz, metal and punk. Photo by Ryan Andrea

Quick Spins

Retro review

Dirty Beaches- Badlands (Zoo Music; 2011)

Banjo or Freakout- Banjo or Freakout

Mother Mother- Eureka (Last Gang; 2011)

The Smiths- Meat Is Murder (Rough Trade; 1985)

Dirty Beaches is Vancouver solo artist Alex Zhang Hungtai, and his debut LP is a tormented reduction of rock ‘n’ roll. Any notion of familiar song structure is abandoned for nearly half the record, manifesting as moody, lo-fi rumblings. Hungtai comes nearly to the point of breaking into tongues on the hypnotic “Sweet 17,” which serves as the album’s most memorable moment. Expect restless love, lust and longing to haunt the record’s 26 minutes, but don’t expect any kind of resolution. These songs are devoid of any pop fingerprints, embodying a disarticulation of familiar sounds. As if the album art didn’t already give it away, this is a dark record – but not one completely without hope. Although Hungtai’s reverb-saturated delivery renders most of his lyrics barely decipherable, the emotional content grants passage into Badlands’ possible intent. Hungtai is basking in some kind of struggle; this record is anything but a cry of submission.

London-based producer Alessio Natalizia has been creating his brand of bedroom-pop since he began playing with a music program on his girlfriend’s laptop in Hackney, London. He has since released a slew of EPs and demos, attracting the attention of noted producer Nicolas Vernhes (Animal Collective, Dirty Projectors, Bjork and Spoon), with whom he collaborated on his first LP, Banjo or Freakout.

Supplying neither banjos nor freak outs, this album is a mix of the dreamy and the dreary.

Songs like “105” and “Idiot Rain” boast pop sensibility and richly textured sound, sure to please fans of Atlas Sound or Panda Bear, and show definite potential. Unfortunately, most of the album’s offerings are so frail that they could simply float off, if not weighed down by aimlessly synthesized distortion.

Once Natalizia’s skills are honed and he has reached maturity in the industry, we might hear something more noteworthy from Banjo or Freakout.

If you’re looking for a sweet-and-sour poppunk indie record, Mother Mother’s second album Eureka may be it. Mother Mother is surely part of this country’s indie’s ‘crème de la crème” while distancing itself from other Canadian bands in the genre. And they’ve proven it once again with their latest concoction, which is edgy as hell.

This record is fresh and upbeat, and their legendary layering of vocals is ever-present.

Slow songs like “Simply Simple” are soothed by lingering keyboards, while tracks that are more fast–paced, like “Chasing It Down,” rely more on beats created by clipped vocal melodies and loud drums.

Colourful yet never cheesy, Eureka is wellcrafted, clean cut and methodically recorded.

At the core of most songs are very melodic beats. Guitars are mostly rhythmic, voices are mastered and layered, and the arrangements are overall harmonious.

Meat Is Murder is a great introduction to The Smiths. Although their 1986 release The Queen is Dead is recognized as their greatest album, the sound of this 1985 record proved that The Smiths had found their identity. This album takes their well-known characteristics, such as Morrissey’s moody lyrics and Johnny Marr’s spirited guitar riffs, and crafts them into something more defined and creative.

“The Headmaster Ritual” starts off the album with these Smiths staples as typical Marr melodies mingle with thought-provoking words. Serious lyrics are often candy-coated with Marr’s uplifting melodies. Tracks such as “Rusholme Ruffians” and “Nowhere Fast” have a rockabilly flavor.

These two songs are toe-tapping tunes, but they will take some time to get used to if one is just getting acquainted with The Smiths.

Finally, “Meat Is Murder” is any vegetarian or vegan’s anthem. Disturbing slaughterhouse noises fill the intro and outro of the track. This song is the most chilling track The Smiths have ever recorded.

Trial Track: “Sweet 17”

Trial Track: “105”

Trial track: “Baby Don’t Dance”

Trial Track: “The Headmaster Ritual”

7.8/10

-Colin Harris

6.0/10

-Paul Traunero

8.0/10

-Lea Choukroun

- Roya Manuel-Nekouei

Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

17

CONCERT

Art Matters, but so does the music Concordia student curates an artisticallydriven concert featuring four artists and six bands Katelyn Spidle Music editor Last Wednesday saw music and art collide for a one-of-a-kind Art Matters event at La Sala Rossa.

Six bands took the stage throughout the night, and their tunes guided the video projection of still-art images that patterned the musicians’ skin and instruments.

“The idea of video projection with music has been done before, for sure,” said the event’s curator, first-year Concordia film student and local musician Derek Branscombe. “I think the difference is that […] all the visuals you see are things that Concordia students have made.” He pointed out that all of the bands had at least one member who was also a Concordia student. “All the clips are being triggered live, in time with the music,” he continued. “I think this is really cool because [they’re] really good original visuals that have never been seen before, [made] by Concordia students, re-mixed live and responding to the music.”

While the Art Matters festival is geared toward celebrating visual art produced by

Concordia students, Branscombe proposed doing something a bit different as a way of combining his two main interests: music and film.

“Mine is the only one that’s really a concert, so it’s a bit different from the general Art Matters type of exhibit,” he said.

Kicking off the night was the ambient electro-acoustic sounds of Fuck Fish, a solo artist who also plays in Wilderling, with the visual accompaniment provided by Perry Flannigan. Next up was local psychedelic group Omaha, who jammed amongst the abstract brushstrokes of Matias Graham. The Commission, a live-beats hip-hop quartet made up of Concordia music students, was to follow, and artist Damaris Baker coloured their socially-conscious rhymes.

Branscombe’s own band, Wilderling, married the works of Graham and Baker for their indie-pop set, while techno-house duo Sibian & Faun guided the visual projections of Emma Owen. Headlining the event was trio Pop Winds, who mixed undecipherable noise with dreamy saxophone, haunting keyboards and echoey vocals to create an experimental, electronic vibe. For their set, Pop Winds lead the audience through a visual summary of the night’s four contributing artists - resulting in a multi-medium, artistically collaborative mosaic.

With such a wide variety of musical genres infused into the event, Brandscombe explained that he chose “basically just who I thought would lend well to the videos.”

Although, according to Branscombe, the event was meant to be equally about the music as it was about the visual art, he thinks that, “[...] it’s turned out just how it’s naturally evolved - to being dictated more by the music.”

Derek Branscombe curated the event as well as performed with his band.

Hip-hop quartet The Commission are all Concordia music students. Photos by Tiffany Blaise with

the tax experts

I GET EVERYTHING I WANT Purple Haze

by Cora Ballou Staff writer In the druggie universe, there are two types of people: those who like to move and those who like to talk. The first may or may not wear tight fitting neon outfits covered in glitter, and are most comfortable in strobe light-infused spaces. On the other hand, the latter prefers the safety of an old couch, perhaps framed by a poster of neon swirls, in a circle of like-minded friends who enjoy discussing the importance of this moment RIGHT NOW. Although I am obviously being facetious, it is undeniable that there is a difference between the enthusiasts of uppers vs. downers. So no matter what you like to do on your Friday night, this mixtape has got you covered. Start with Side A to find the meaning of life, then flip to Side B to get the party started.

1. “Mohammed” - The Dandy Warhols -Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia - 2000 2. “Shadowplay” - Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures - 1979 3. “Venus in Furs” - The Velvet Underground - The Velvet Underground & Nico - 1967 4. “Classic Rock in Spring/Freeway in Mind” - Kurt Vile - Constant Hitmaker - 2008 5. “Gold Dust Woman” - Fleetwood Mac Rumours - 1977 6. “Been Smoking Too Long” - Nick Drake Time of No Reply - 1986 7. “Terrapin” - Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs - 1970 8. “Pink Frost” - The Chills - Kaleidoscope World - 1986 9. “666 Conducer” - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Baby 81 – 2007 10. “All My Hate and My Hexes Are For You” - Crocodiles - Sleep Forever - 2010

11. “Super-Sonic” - The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Give It Back! - 1997 12. “Fire” - Kasabian - West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum - 2009 13. “The Equaliser” - Clinic - Walking With Thee - 2002 14. “Hallelujah (Club Mix)” - Happy Mondays - Hallelujah - 1989 15. “Deceptacon” - Le Tigre - Le Tigre (1999) 16. “Bang Bang Rock & Roll” - Art Brut Bang Bang Rock & Roll - 2005 17. “T.R.O.U.B.L.E” - We Are Wolves - NonStop Je te Plie en Deux - 2005 18. “Wolf Like Me” - TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain - 2006 19. “She Bangs the Drums” - The Stone Roses - The Stone Roses - 1989

H&R Block offers students like me special student pricing. I take advantage of it every year. Best of all, they’ll get me back an average refund of $1,000.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE NEW SOLIDARITY TAX CREDIT with help from H&R Block

STUDENT TAX PREP

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And FREE SPC card* hrblock.ca | 800-HRBLOCK © 2011 H&R Block Canada, Inc. *$29.95 valid for regular student tax preparation only. Cash back service included. To qualify for student pricing, student must present either (i) a T2202a documenting 4 or more months of full-time attendance at a college or university during 2010 or (ii) a valid high school identification card. Expires December 31, 2011. Valid only at participating H&R Block locations in Canada. SPC Card offers valid from 08/01/10 to 07/31/11 at participating locations in Canada only. For Cardholder only. Offers may vary, restrictions may apply. Usage may be restricted when used in conjunction with any other offer or retailer loyalty card discounts. Cannot be used towards the purchase of gift cards or certificates.

JOB NAME: TS ‘11 YOUNG ADULT NEWSPAPER - FRENCH - REV

Side B: Uppers

DOCKET/AD#: 11-HRB-025-BW-QC-BE-3

Side A: Downers

NEWSPAPERS:

To listen, visit: theconcordian.com/purple-haze

sports

18

Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com

PROFILE

“Jesse and I have good chemistry,” explained his defence partner Kiefer Orsini (6). “So I try to take some of Jesse’s penalties off him because he’s an assistant captain and fifth-year player.” Photo by Cindy Lopez

The student and the teacher The Stingers’ number one defence pairing on keeping each other in line Simon Tousignant Staff writer As Jesse Goodsell skates up the ice, he can hear the heckling coming from his defence partner Kiefer Orsini: “Goodsell, you’re terrible!”

Unfazed by the ribbing, Goodsell keeps working on the ice, without taking a shift off in the post-season scrimmage. “He never shuts up,” he said between laughs. “I talk a lot myself, but he’s quite the heckler.”

Goodsell, a veteran of five seasons for the Stingers, forms the team’s first defensive pairing with Orsini. Playing together for the first time this year, they quickly earned head coach Kevin Figbsy’s trust and were used in all situations on the ice.

“I think Kiefer and Jesse are two of the most talented defencemen in the east conference of the OUA [Ontario University Athletics],” said Figsby. “They’re our number one pairing, it’s what every team looks for and we were fortunate that they gelled in training camp this year.”

Gel they did. In a sort of twisted brotherly relationship, Goodsell – three years older than Orsini – plays the role of the big brother, while being the one who gets the most verbal abuse. He fully accepts this role, perhaps

because he sees a lot of himself in Orsini.

“My first year, I was like him. I was in great shape and I was a very good player,” said Goodsell. “I was suspended all the time and got ‘tens’ [10-minute major penalties] all the time for yelling at the refs.”

Orsini, one of Concordia’s major offensive weapons, has been a frequent visitor to the penalty box this season. Often walking a fine line because of his fiery personality and competitive nature, the 23-year-old has amassed 119 penalty minutes this year, more than any other Stinger.

Orsini’s explanation? “Jesse and I have good chemistry,” he said. “So I try to take some of Jesse’s penalties off him because he’s an assistant captain and fifth-year player. I didn’t want him to take as many penalties as last year so he could sign pro somewhere!”

After the two shared a laugh, Orsini expanded on the real reasons behind his penalty woes. “I play on the edge and walk a fine line and sometimes I don’t know how to walk that line properly,” he said.

But Goodsell, as usual, had his partner’s back. “Kiefer’s the most competitive guy on the team,” he said. “He works hard all the time and things become frustrating when they don’t go your way as a team. He crosses the line because he lets the frustration get to him sometimes.”

Playing his big brother role perfectly, the 26-year-old has been a calming influence on Orsini. Goodsell knows about and understands Orsini’s on-ice troubles, which Coach Figsby is quick to point out.

“Kiefer is an emotional player and Jesse is an emotional player as well,” he said. “The emotions that Kiefer showed this year are the

same that I saw Jesse show in his first two years here.”

In his last season at Concordia, Goodsell quickly realized the impact he could have on his younger partner.

“I learned how to not cross the fine line [between a clean play and a penalty] and how to control my emotions to make myself a better player when I started playing here,” he said. “And I learned it for Kiefer too.”

Through the jokes and the heckling, Orsini gave credit to Goodsell for helping him with his temper.

“He [Goodsell] was the main reason I got less major penalties than I used to get,” he explained. “He tried to force into me that if you cannot walk that fine line, don’t walk it.

If you can walk it and be successful then it’s a good thing but it cost the team some games directly because of my lack of focus and discipline. Jesse did a lot to help me in that department this year.”

However, a passionate personality is not the only thing the two share. Both extremely talented defencemen, their individual games combine on the ice to offer a great fusion of offence and defence. While the 6-3 Goodsell imposes himself with his physical play and booming shot, Orsini balances it out with his blazing speed and natural puck-moving instincts, not unlike the Canadiens’ rookie defenceman P.K. Subban.

While there were bumps on the road, Orsini explained the path to success for himself and Goodsell was a process.

“During the first month of the season, Jesse let me get my feet wet and get comfortable,” said the Montreal native. “After that, we started growing off each other and once he

proposed to his girlfriend, he started scoring goals and made my job easier!”

Goodsell explained his role in creating the bond between the two players.

“Being a vet of five years, my first thing coming in was that you’re my D partner and I have your back no matter what; I’ll do everything for you, on or off the ice.”

Sadly for the Stingers, this chemistry was displayed for the last time in their final playoff game against the UQTR Patriotes. While Orsini should be back next year, Goodsell – a history major – has reached the end of his Stingers career after five seasons.

However, it does not mean his work here is done.

“I’m very thankful for Concordia for giving me a chance,” he said. “It’s something I’ll always remember and if I ever have a chance to come back and contribute to the program somehow, I definitely will.”

Figbsy hopes he can bring some of his veterans back in the nearby future.

“Jesse was part of a recruiting class that included (current captain) Marc-Andre Element and (goaltender) Maxime Joyal,” he said. “The three of them are going to be very difficult to replace in terms of their leadership. I’m looking to involve all three in the program, if not next year then in the years to come. Certainly, they will all be welcomed back if they want to.”

If one thing is for sure, it is that Goodsell will be sorely missed on the Stingers’ bench next season. Nobody will miss him more than his ‘little brother’, but the lessons Orsini learned this year while playing alongside Goodsell will surely account for more than he could ever imagine.

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/concordiansport

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

BASKETBALL

Seventh seed Stingers bow out of nationals after back-to-back losses Men’s basketball come home empty handed after winning season Nick Frost CUP Sports bureau chief HALIFAX (CUP) — Coming into the CIS men’s basketball Final 8 as the number-seven seed, the Concordia Stingers wanted to buck their assigned ranking, and demonstrate the same resolve on a national stage that helped them win consecutive games to end the season and propelled them to become this year’s RSEQ champions.

While that seemed to be the case on their first night of the tournament, the Stingers failed to advance to the winner’s bracket and showed a dichotomous performance the following day, as they left Halifax both early and emptyhanded.

The tournament kicked off Friday afternoon on a day where close battles and surprising efforts from underdogs became a running theme. And perhaps none of the day’s games better demonstrated that point than the last of the quarterfinals between Concordia and the second-seeded Carleton Ravens.

Despite nearly losing the lead several times in the second half, Carleton managed to prevail against the number-seven Stingers in a 73–66 victory that was much closer than even a sevenpoint deficit would suggest.

Carleton took a slim 34–33 lead into the half by virtue of a last-second layup from first-year forward Thomas Scrubb, but finished the second quarter in a dead heat with the Stingers in shooting percentage, clicking at an even 40 per cent.

The trend of poor shooting continued for both teams with Carleton hitting just 28 of 67 shots all game, and Concordia not far off, nailing 23 of 59.

From a technical standpoint, it’s hard to pinpoint what, if anything, went wrong for the Stingers. However, an incident in the fourth quarter — one that head coach John Dore believes was a missed call on the part of the referees — may have in fact been the turning point that kept Concordia out of range.

With the Ravens failing to move the ball past half-court due to a relentless Stingers attack, and nine seconds having already expired from the shot clock, it appeared that Carleton had committed an eight-second violation, which should’ve resulted in a loss of possession.

Instead, the referees called for a jump-ball, which Carleton won — and subsequently scored on, giving them a four-point lead — thus depriving Concordia of an opportunity to narrow the deficit.

Dore was visibly upset with the call out on the court, shaking his head endlessly at the officials’ decision. After the loss, his words were few, but poignant.

“Let the TV cameras be the judge if it was good or not,” Dore said. “It was there for every-

body to see.”

Despite the controversy, however, the Stingers coach commended the effort his team put up against an opponent that was otherwise expected to run amok on them.

“I have to say I’m really proud of what this team has accomplished this year,” Dore said.

“We finished first in our conference — this is a team that people picked to finish fourth in our conference. Nobody thought we’d get out of our conference — not only did we get out, we got better and better as the year went on.”

Stingers guard Decee Krah led all scorers with 21 points, while CIS Player of the Year and second-year forward Tyson Hinz chipped in 19 for the Ravens.

After giving the Ravens all they could handle in Friday night’s quarter-final matchup, the Stingers turned their attention to the sixth-seeded Dalhousie Tigers on Saturday afternoon for an opportunity to play in Sunday’s fifth-place game.

Instead of feeding off of the momentum from their surprising effort against Carleton, the team instead came out looking slow and, at times, lifeless as they dropped their consolation semifinal 76–65, officially ending their season in the process.

While both teams gave sloppy, noncommittal performances throughout the first two quarters, and even with Concordia managing the better shooting percentage in the first-half, the hometown Tigers were able to captialize on nine Stingers turnovers and consistently maintain leads all the way to the half.

The game turned on a dime, however, when Dalhousie opened up a 12–2 run to start the third quarter, establishing a 19-point cushion with a 50–31 lead. The Stingers would trail by as much as 20 points before the end of the quarter.

“It’s a combination of things: foul trouble, Evens Laroche sitting out, they took a [ninepoint] lead at the half,” Dore said of his team’s second-half start against Dalhousie. “We were just breaking down a little bit, offensively and defensively — especially defensively.”

The coach also attributed the Stingers’ lacklustre performance on Saturday to the team having used up the majority of its energy attempting to knock off the number-two Ravens.

“I think we expended a lot of energy [Friday] night and we didn’t get a lot of production out of our bench [Friday] night, and the gas tank was half-empty today,” Dore said. “But you’ve gotta give Dal credit — [Tigers guard] Simon Farine’s a good player and they have four fifth-year guys who wanted to go out on a high.”

Adding injury to insult, Stingers centre Zach Brisebois went down with an injury midway through the fourth quarter after landing awkwardly on a rebound attempt.

“It’s an ankle sprain, but it’s the last game of the year, so he’ll have lots of time to recover,” Dore said. “He’s only gonna get bigger and stronger and better.”

Prior to exiting the match, Brisebois finished with 12 points and seven rebounds, while Krah led the charge yet again for Concordia, dropping 20 points. Farine, a second-team All-Canadian, led all players with 21 points and 10 boards for Dalhousie.

The Stingers talk strategy during one of their two games last weekend. Photos by writer

Stinger Zach Brisebois reached for the ball but Dalhousie’s Joseph Schow already had a hand on it.

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opinions 20

Write to the editor: opinions@theconcordian.com

EDITORIAL

Rules are great, but we want accountability Shouting match highlights how wrong both sides are

On Wednesday night, the worst Concordia Student Union council meeting in recent memory went down in a hail of insults, yelling and an utter failure of transparency. Don’t take our word for it - there were about 100 people there who can tell you about it. Four video cameras filmed it, with three of them streaming live on the CUTV website.

Appropriately, since the CSU feels like a sinking ship, the words ‘travesty’ and ‘mutiny’ were bandied about. In the end, we all went home with more than half the agenda untouched, and a crummy feeling inside.

Who’s guilty for the way things unfolded at Wednesday’s council meeting? Well, each side is laying the blame on the other. When the CSU executive motioned to go into closed session to discuss former VP Morgan Pudwell, her supporters, and most of the room, refused to leave, as required by closed session rules.

What resulted was an impasse where half the room - councillors, students, members of the student media - was screaming at each other in a childish display of screwed-up doggedness.

Most student representatives seem to want to fault the students who showed up: ‘They bullied us, they shouted us down, they didn’t follow the rules.’

How wrong they are. These students are lors just wanted students to shut up, go home attempting to send a clear message to their and not interfere in and inconvenience their elected representatives. Some councillors otherwise cosy little meetings. Where some argued that the presence of the students was councillors have the luxury to come and leave unnecessary, because as elected officials, they early, and a small minority of councillors were there to represent students’ interests. actually bothers to voice opposition to the Well, just because a slim minority of executive, as they should.

Concordia’s The CSU undergraduates executive miselected you to stepped in calling a position last for closed session.

April doesn’t While the procemean the elecdure is called for torate doesn’t when discussing have the right employee probto tell you how lems, Pudwell is they feel. Just not some random because we undergraduate vote in 308 hired to staff the members of CSU reception. parliament She ran with every national a slate and was election, does elected as a VP on that mean a public platform Canadians stop with a mandate; caring about if she did not what hapfulfill her duties, Graphic by Sean Kershaw pens in Ottawa for another fours years or so? we should know why. Pudwell herself stated We don’t stop calling and writing our MPs, open session could carry through. Her supwe don’t stop reading the newspapers and porters feared she would be attacked unneceswatching the nightly news, and we don’t quit sarily; to that, we say Pudwell is a smart, organizing protests, marches and sit-ins. grown woman who fully understood the We have a representative system at consequences when she quit her office, and Concordia, but students should still be emcould handle herself in closed session. On the powered to participate and make their voices other hand, councillors said that the measure heard. We get the feeling that certain councilwas needed to avoid potentially embarrassing

Pudwell.

Why this sudden concern for Pudwell’s reputation, when a group of councillors signed their name to a letter released to the meeting whining about how she supposedly bungled the women’s caucus?

Either way, we fail to understand why the CSU felt the need to stick to the rules and not adapt themselves to the situation at hand. In digging in their heels, they created an adversarial relationship with the students who elected them - and who won’t hesitate to virulently oppose them in the near future.

To top it off, how can we trust the CSU executive, after they openly lied to the Concordian about calling security on students in an interview shortly thereafter? This betrayal of trust casts doubt on everything they say; how do we know all that would be discussed at council would be limited to Pudwell’s employment record?

Some students who refused to leave did a disservice to themselves and to everyone else by starting the yelling that led to the downward spiral that led to the meeting’s early end. By all means, a sit-in is fine, but yelling is best reserved for an outdoors protest, not an indoor conference room.

Bring on the students and the cameras, we need big, open CSU council meetings; they should not be a private, cosy affair. But while we’re at it, we need a CSU executive and council that does not oppose students, and we need student observers who don’t treat council meetings like a rally.

to please respect Roberts Rule of Order in the future and allow us to have civilized meetings with productive discussions and resolutions.

especially Hassan Abdullahi, whose quick temper should be an embarrassment for the CSU. I urge students to think carefully about the upcoming elections and not to believe in everything that is promised. Last year I voted on the issue of transparency and this is not what I am seeing.

LETTERS

Re: CSU Council meeting Last week’s CSU council meeting was an astonishing display of contempt for student democracy and parliamentary procedure. All undergraduate students enrolled at Concordia are welcome and are encouraged to attend CSU council meetings as long as they respect the rules in place and the authority of the chairperson.

Council voted in favour of going into closed session to discuss the serious allegations put forth by the ex-VP promotions and sustainability. The parliamentary procedure of “in camera” closed session meetings should be used sparingly and only when absolutely necessary.

CSU councillors take their jobs very seriously and constantly strive to best represent students while respecting the integrity and reputations of others. Do not be fooled by those who would tell you that the last council meeting was a victory for anyone. It was in fact an unfortunate loss for all undergraduate students. Because the council meeting was adjourned prematurely, we were not given the opportunity to address the allegations of financial mismanagement and barely covered half the points on the agenda.

Both the CSU’s VP finance and the general manager had gone to great lengths to prepare a comprehensive presentation of the CSU’s operating budget in order to ensure full financial transparency. Presentations from Five Days for the Homeless and the CSU legal information clinic were not given, nor were students able to learn the details of the CSU’s pending lawsuit with the Canadian Federation of Students.

Councillors work hard for students and we want you to know that we are always willing to open a dialogue and are always open to constructive criticism. Disrupting council meetings is ultimately counter -productive and does not accomplish anything meaningful. We plead with undergraduate students

Aaron Green CSU Councillor After watching some of CUTV’s footage of the CSU meeting that took place on Wednesday, March 9, 2011 I feel obliged to say something.

This is not an attack on any individuals; this is not in defence of any of the executives or council members. My goal is, quite simply, to get as many people that read this to think carefully when they vote in this years elections and to encourage as many people as possible to vote […] . Because after watching that meeting, this vote seems more important than ever.

First of all, I am certainly disappointed in all the execs that resigned this year, with the exception of those who did so for job/scholarship reasons. I voted for you, I followed your campaign and I supported you. To see someone resign so close to the end of their term tells me that my vote did not matter. If there were deep seeded issues to be addressed, they should have been addressed with more than four weeks left in the semester.

Secondly, I am flabbergasted at the way the students sitting in on the meeting behaved. Interrupting the Chair, under any circumstances, is (at least to me) uncalled for.

Regardless of whether or not I agree with the vote that was passed to enter a closed session, I disagree with the means that opposed it.

There were important issues on that agenda, which will now have to wait. That is unfair to the majority of students; who were not at this meeting. Again, the fact that this all happened with four weeks left in the semester and so close to the campaigning season raises red flags for me, and I hope it does for you, too.

Thirdly, do not forget that most of our representatives are not paid. They donate countless hours for you, for me and for themselves. On top of this they are students with exams to study for and essays to prepare.

There needs to be a level of mutual respect, and if that cannot be upheld then student

politics at Concordia are, pardon my rashness, pretty doomed. If the current union is so corrupt, and I am not arguing one way or the other, then it is a good thing their term is almost up, right? Let us allow cooler heads to prevail on this one. If a similar situation arises with next years student union, let us not wait until the last month of their term to call them on it. To do so is unfair for everyone and will solve nothing.

Lastly, and most importantly, this makes it more important than ever to be active come elections. Encourage your friends and classmates to pay attention to the campaigns and encourage them to vote. Just give yourself five minutes less of Facebook-ing a day and your studies will not even suffer at this crucial time of the semester. Make your vote educated, make your vote count.

It’s in our hands Concordia.

Sarah Holden BA Political Science I am a student who was in attendance at the CSU meeting on Wednesday evening. I am greatly disturbed by how the meeting was handled by the CSU and I am left with very little faith in them. Well before Morgan Pudwell’s resignation was discussed, the CSU’s lack of responsibility was revealed with the issues surrounding Queer Concordia and Void Magazine. It was clear that the only reason these issues were being discussed was due to the CSU Executives not fulfilling their duties.

When Pudwell’s resignation came to the table the CSU failed to be open to discussion with the students and a closed council was purposed too soon for the council to understand the student’s perspective. In Heather Lucas’ statement in response to the resignation she spoke of having an open office and being willing to answer questions. However she barely spoke at the meeting and did not show any sign she was interested in students’ concerns.

I am very disappointed by the urgency with which the CSU suggested a closed session. I found a lack of listening from the VPs,

Jonathan Kobewa I am an engineering councillor, a position I’ve held for two years consecutively. In these years I have not seen a more uncivilized and disappointing council meeting as the one last Wednesday. The utter disrespect and undisciplined conduct of a certain group of students was unprecedented and it’s my strong conviction that their behaviour does not represent the majority of the student body.

As councillors, we’ve been elected to represent students in a fair and democratic election. Our duty to the students is to oversee the decisions taken by the CSU and monitor its conduct. First and foremost, we ensure that the bylaws and the standing regulations that this union abides by are followed. These rules ensure an efficient and ethical democratic process.

The closed session that was required was not meant to shut out the students but to provide an individual evaluation to a former executive that would guarantee her right to privacy, after which the meeting would have proceeded as usual. The reaction of the visiting students was unjustified and demonstrated that they were unaware or misinformed about the procedures council is required to follow. I stand by the decisions of the council in that meeting.

Rasim Hafiz MSA Concordia president CSU engineering councillor

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Tuesday, March 15, 2011

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DEBATE

Is anti-Semitism on the rise?

Or are recent outbursts and media coverage just blown out of proportion?

Marissa Miller Staff writer

A

s optimistic as we’d like to be, racism is nearly impossible to eliminate entirely. Over time, we can hope that people will stop judging others based on colour, race or religion. For Jewish people, one of the oldest communities of the world, that time can’t come soon enough. Recent outbursts and events suggest that there may still be a disdain for Jews. Designer John Galliano was fired from the House of Dior after he yelled at a Jewish couple in France and told them he loved Hitler. A Quebec tourist in Germany was arrested after he gave the Nazi salute on the steps of a German building. Any gesture or symbol of the Nazi regime is strictly prohibited in Germany and is punishable by time in prison. Montreal is a city of many cultures, but do you think anti-Semitism is prevalent here and at Concordia? Send your opinions to the editor at opinions@theconcordian.com

Domenic Del Vecchio Contributor

Eliminating all racism is a work in progress

Anti-Semitism never really went away Out of the ashes of the Holocaust, the state of Israel was born in 1948, but the aura of anti-Semitism lingered. The extreme reaction was Holocaust denial. Burying the images of Jews being tortured deep in their minds, and burning any tangible evidence of such was a quicker fix than helping to repair the situation. This was the mentality of many, but not all, nations.

After the Holocaust, Jews were left to mend the broken pieces themselves. The liberation did not cause them to recede back into their closets, but rather, communally begin the process of self-actualization. Their plight for essentials was no easy feat. Since education has always been considered a core value among Jews, many earned professional degrees, and began to flood the fields of medicine, law and finance. Their prosperity overshadowed their past and somewhat redeemed their spirits.

This is where the anti-Semitic cycle repeated itself. “The simplistic understanding of people is that victims are poor and underprivileged,” says Rabbi Reuben Poupko of Beth Israel Beth Aaron Congregation. “People draw a link between being impoverished and deserving sympathy.” He explains that seeing many Jews reside in affluent communities while upholding successful, professional occupations places them in an ironic situation.

The very fact that Jews are successful almost gives anti-Semitism legitimacy. They do not fit the common criteria of what society considers an underdog.

The new ways we have found to communicate with each other have facilitated the rise of anti-Semitism. It is becoming increasingly easier to insult other cultures over the Internet with little repercussions, and this habit of bad behaviour is continued in public.

Those who hate never forget their own personal experiences of feeling belittled, according to British doctor and psychiatrist Anthony Daniels, from Psychology Today.

It may not be a far stretch to suggest that our society is experiencing a feeling of selfloathing, which is instigating the urgency to make anti-Semitic remarks and reinforce the scapegoat status of the Jews. A 2009 study published in the Boston Review found that nearly 25 per cent of non-Jewish Americans blamed Jews for the economic turmoil and recession of 2008.

Is anti-Semitism more prevalent now than it has ever been? Not necessarily, since it is doubtful that the mob mentality has changed.

It is true, however, that we are hearing about more incidents of it due to increased access to media outlets and our collective obsession of hearing about controversial issues.

Graphic by Katie Brioux

What did students have to say about this? Check the Etcetera page for Word on Campus to find out!

While the Jewish people have faced their fair share of hardships in the last century, and certainly, throughout their lengthy history, many believe that they are still painfully stricken with the same Jewish “branding” that plagued them once before. With the progression of today’s society in terms of racism and prejudice, it is difficult to believe that our society still singles out Jews as targets for economic and social failures.

Anti-Semitism does not continue to darken the very social mentality abreast in today’s world and to suggest that we live in a society with a collective mentality akin to the Third Reich is ludicrous. Modernism has played a significant part in the asphyxiation of various racial and cultural prejudices, including anti-Semitism, rendering prejudiced thoughts both socially and morally dishonourable.

While anti-Semitic sentiment was prevalent throughout much of Europe during the first and second World Wars, much effort has been incorporated in the re-stabilization of egalitarian views on the culture around the globe.

Portrayals of Judaism in the media have attempted to strengthen the image of Jewish individuals in society among the general population.

Beloved television characters such as Jerry Seinfeld (Seinfeld), Ross and Monica Geller (Friends), Grace Adler (Will & Grace), Ari Gold (Entourage), as well as Rachel Berry and Noah Puckerman (Glee), are among the many that have contributed in raising the general appreciation for Jewish citizens in society. In addition to their general popularity, many of these characters make reference to their faith, not only bringing the issue to the forefront of the program, but also educating audiences on the cultural and historic practices of Judaism. This social education is essentially desensitizing viewers and familiarizing them with the cultural makeup of the Jewish faith.

Positive media portrayals of certain groups or classes of individuals can alter their previously negative stereotype. Likewise, although films like Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ have been viewed as anti-Semitic, works such as Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds and the Coen Brothers’ A Serious Man, to name a few, portray the struggles of the Jewish people, strengthening the collective acceptance of Jewish culture. Even certain comic book characters like Legion and Magneto, both Holocaust survivors, devalue anti-Semitism, in this case by portraying Jews in positions of superpower.

I am not suggesting that anti-Semitism does not still hold a place in the values and opinions of some individuals in our society, because uttered statements like “He’s such a Jew” will unfortunately prove otherwise. The mosaic of cultural stereotypes will not disappear overnight, because unfortunately racism will always exist. It is the ego-centrist nature of man that governs the narcissistic tendency to value oneself and one’s own cultural armoire as superior to those of others.

With each new generation being educated on values of social equality and cultural acceptance, and exposed to interaction with members of varying cultures (certainly the case here in Canada), the proliferation of anti-Semitism and other forms of prejudice is slowly being stifled and diluted.

I am aware that such a view can be considered naively optimistic and, although anti-Semitic sentiment may never fully become extinct, it is only through such optimistic methods that it can begin to wither.

theconcordian

Concordia’s weekly, independent student newspaper.

Tuesday, Mar. 15, 2011, Volume 28 Issue 24.

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HEALTH

Sarah Deshaies Editor-in-chief editor@theconcordian.com Brennan Neill Managing editor managing@theconcordian.com Evan LePage News editor news@theconcordian.com Jacques Gallant Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo Assistant news editor Emily White Life editor life@theconcordian.com Savannah Sher Assistant life editor Valerie Cardinal Arts editor arts@theconcordian.com Katelyn Spidle Music editor music@theconcordian.com Kamila Hinkson Sports editor sports@theconcordian.com Chris Hanna Opinions editor opinions@theconcordian.com Owen Nagels Assistant opinions editor Christopher Kahn Online editor online@theconcordian.com Tiffany Blaise Photo editor photo@theconcordian.com Katie Brioux Graphics editor graphics@theconcordian.com Trevor Smith Chief copy editor copy@theconcordian.com Morgan Lowrie Sofia Gay Copy editors Jill Fowler Production manager production@theconcordian. com Jennifer Barkun Francois Descoteaux Lindsay Sykes Production Assistants Board of Directors Tobi Elliott Richard Tardif Ben Ngai directors@theconcordian.com

Editorial 7141 Sherbrooke St. W. CC.431 Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 514.848.2424 x7458 (Newsroom) 514.848.2424 x7499 (Editors) 514.848.2424 x7404 (Production) Francesco Sacco Business Manager business@theconcordian.com Marshall Johnston Advertising advertising@theconcordian. com Business and Advertising: 1455 de Maisonneuve W. H.733-4 Montreal, QC H3G 1M8 514.848.2424 x7420 (Office) 514.848.7427 (Fax) STAFF WRITERS AND CONTRIBUTORS: Renee Giblin, Felicia Di Palma, Renée Morrison, Myles Dolphin, Samantha Mastromonaco, Ben Croll, Shereen Rafea, Lana Polansky, Daniel Spinali, Andrew Gilbert, Cora Ballou, Giselle McDonald, Lea Choukroun, Paul Traunero, Colin Harris, Roya Manuel-Nekouei, Nick Frost, Simon Tousignant, Eva Kratochvil, Alex Woznica, Marissa Miller, Domenic Del Vecchio, David Vilder, Navnett Pall, Almudena Romero, Emily Tench, Sean Kershaw, Amanda Durepos.

Daniel Brioux

People who smoke enjoy it and should be left alone. Photo by Fabiana Zonca/Flickr

Smokers are people, too Constantly nagging smokers doesn’t make them stop smoking

Josh Linton The Sputnik (Wilfrid Laurier University - Brantford) BRANTFORD, Ont. (CUP) — I have had an epiphany: smoking is not positive for one’s health.

This revelation may have occurred as a result of my 14 years of public education, my parents’ warnings and disapproval, the many discriminatory anti-smoking advertisements or even the graphic warnings on and inside the cigarette packaging.

I can, without a doubt, tell you that it did not occur through non-smokers telling me about their grand revelation. People tell smokers this known fact to enlighten them, to “save” them or to point out their imperfections.

But stating the obvious doesn’t enlighten people, nor does it grant one genius status; it makes you a fool, similar to “enlightening” someone about their skin colour.

Trying to save people by trying to make them quit isn’t saving them, either. About one in four Canadians are estimated to die from cancer, but I can tell you that the one in four Canadians aren’t all smokers. Nine in 10 Canadians have at least one risk factor for heart disease and stroke. These factors include smoking, alcohol, physical inactivity, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. Newsflash: 100 per cent of Canadians will die.

There is no saving us because today, everything kills us — lead, plastics, sugar, falling coconuts (look out!). People will live the lives they wish to live. Pointing out another person’s smoking problem is only a defence mechanism to shelter your own self-conscious mindset.

Public smoking no longer affects nonsmokers because smoking can’t occur within public buildings. Walking by a smoker outside will not give you cancer, but the cellphone held to your ear, the car fumes you breathe,

the sun in the sky and even the chemical-laced food you eat just might.

I smoke because I enjoy it. Mixing it with the mental and biological addiction that makes it a problem, it becomes a problem I enjoy.

Obesity is a problem, too, but if someone is happily obese, is it right to remind them constantly about the life-threatening problem? If you say yes, put yourself in their shoes.

Smoking does not affect people’s mental abilities. Someone can smoke without impairing their driving; they can work and talk and perform any task.

Imagine that you are drinking at a party and someone tells you the dangers of drinking and tries to get you to stop drinking. And this happens every time you drink. “That’s going to rot your liver, you know!” they chide you.

This would annoy you and probably ruin drinking for you.

I can tell you that it annoys me and ruins smoking for me, but I will continue because three years of being lectured and warned has not stopped me. I smoke, I feel, I eat, I sleep, I breathe, I cry, I smile, I walk past you, I sit beside you in class. I am not just a smoker, but a human being just like you.

CULTURE

Interculturalism is just assimilation by another name Suggested policy just will not work for Quebec Alex Woznica Staff writer Recently, Gerard Bouchard, best known for co-chairing the 2008 Bouchard-Taylor Commission on reasonable accommodation, along with a number of prominent Quebec academics, published an article calling for the implementation of a policy of interculturalism in Quebec.

Their call comes in part as a result of the sort of anti-immigrant and anti-multicultural sentiment which has characterized at least some segments of Quebec society for some time. While the authors of the article hail interculturalism as the key to promoting integration and claim that it can save multiculturalism as a value in Quebec, in reality, it appears to be a guise by which the policy of multiculturalism can be politely replaced with a policy of assimilation.

Although certainly not a new concept, interculturalism is often misunderstood.

It sounds quite like multiculturalism, but it varies from that concept in a number of important ways. Multiculturalism involves all cultures being equally valued, and treated accordingly. Interculturalism, on the other hand, does not place all cultures on the same level, and involves the promotion of a single civic culture. It also encourages interaction between different communities living in one place.

Replacing the policy of multiculturalism with one of interculturalism is a problem for a number of reasons. Firstly, the policy of multiculturalism is legally mandated, and has been for some time. Canada officially adopted it in 1971 under Pierre Elliot Trudeau. Multiculturalism was enshrined into law by the 1988 Multiculturalism Act, which recognized the right of ethnic groups in Canada to preserve and share their cultural heritage, encouraged government institutions to be respectful of all cultures, and, perhaps most importantly for Quebec, promised to encourage the use of languages other than English or French.

For interculturalism to be given as much importance and legitimacy as multiculturalism, some sort of constitutional amendment would be required, which is next to impossible to achieve in this country.

Aside from the legal problems with insti-

tuting interculturalism in Quebec, there is the problem of what this would actually involve, beginning with the call for a single and unified civic culture. While this idea might have worked 50 or even 60 years ago, the fact remains that Quebec society is no longer in any way homogeneous. Quebec’s population is growing more diverse by the day, and to try to pretend that a single and unified civic culture that is truly representative of Quebec’s population could even be agreed upon is a grave mistake. In this regard, Bouchard and his co-authors are either fooling themselves, attempting to fool the people of Quebec, or both.

If the creation of a truly representative civic culture is most likely impossible, what would a policy of interculturalism involve?

Quite obviously, it would mean the assimilation of Quebec’s English-speaking and immigrant population into francophone culture.

While Gerard Bouchard and his co-authors like to go on about concepts like social cohesion and integration, if they were being truly honest with the people of Quebec, they would call a spade a spade and admit that what they are calling for is the assimilation of all the people of Quebec into la belle province’s francophone culture.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

The Etcetera Page

On Wednesday night, the hubbub over at the CSU council meeting was so great that the hashtag #csucouncil trended on Twitter in the Montreal area. Students, councillors and executives alike had something to say during and after one of the most heated #csucouncil meetings this year.

Q: In light of recent anti-Semitic comments and actions exposed in the media, do you think we are seeing a new wave of anti-Semitism? Why or why not?

Jesse Cardin - third year-philosophy

- All students wanted was to NOT enter closed session. Please don’t forget that #csucouncil (Fahim Moussi, @sugarmilkcoffee)

“No I don’t think that antiSemitism could come back because of the response to what happened in the Holocaust. You can have it to a certain degree, but it will never come back to the same degree that it was. I don’t think it ever could come back.”

- pathetic night. #csucouncil got bullied. sad day for #democracy (Georges Alexandar, @GeorgesAlexandr) - why are @csuconcordia execs & councilors yelling at students? #csucouncil (Mathieu Perron, @matness) Graphic by Katie Brioux

- It is unfortunate that the #csucouncil meeting had to be adjourned because of intimidation tactics. (CSU, @csuconcordia)

Dominique Rivard - second-year philosophy “No, I think that if anything, it being in the media just gives people more backing now to speak out against it and I think that you will see all the people that are in support of it now because of these comments.”

Omar Al-Farajat - second-year mechanical engineering

Compiled by Eva Kratochvil

“I think that racism, so to speak, is inherent to human nature, it’s part of our genetic makeup and it’s part of evolution really, it’s a survival mechanism in a way. But it’s very primitive and obviously dated. It’s just about being cautious of something that isn’t like you, so I don’t necessarily think that anti-Semitism is back.”

Thousands gather to protest increase in tuition fees. Photo by Navnett Pall

Aries - March 21 to April 20 You might see someone you’ve looked up to in a different light this week. Don’t fret over it, you can’t change this person no matter how much you try.

Taurus - April 21 to May 21 You like to think you have a warm personality, but that isn’t always so. Try to resist the temptation to argue, and don’t play into people’s games.

Gemini - May 22 to June 21 You can be a tad bipolar at times. Not to the extreme, but take a look at the way you say “no” to people, and try to be a little more tactful this week.

Cancer - June 22 to July 23 Forget about the coming weeks and enjoy the moment. You enjoy being close to home, so don’t force yourself to do something that doesn’t interest you.

Leo - July 24 to August 23 Your lion heart has been beating hard lately, and you can’t figure out what it is. Take time to reflect on things this week, and you’ll understand what’s been bothering you.

Virgo - August 24 to September 23 Someone around you has been a little manipulative, and this annoys you.

Don’t bother trying to point it out to them. They’ll figure it out on their own.

Libra - September 24 to October 23 Sometimes that mountain you think you’re climbing is just a tiny mole hill.

Focus on the bigger picture, make a to-do list and you’ll be prepared for everything.

Scorpio - October 24 to November 23 There’s no shame in apologizing. You can be the bigger person, for once, and

admit you were wrong and start fresh.

Sagittarius - November 24 to December 21 This is an easier week to get through for you. Do your breathing exercises, sleep in on the weekend and remember to smile. It’s all good.

Capricorn - December 22 to January 20 Think about your future from time to time. What you have been doing lately only benefits you in the short run. What about the long run?

Aquarius - January 21 to February 19 Just be yourself. You may feel the need to put on a façade or take up a different personality in front of certain people, but there is no need for that at all.

Pisces - February 20 to March 20

You know what you have to do and how much time you have to do it. Focus and do it, because you know you can. It won’t be fun, but no one said it would be.

You share a birthday with...

March 15: Eva Longoria, Fabio, Will.i.am March 16: Flavor Flav, Jerry Lewis, James Madison March 17: Rob Lowe, Kurt Russell, Nat “King” Cole March 18: Adam Levine, Dane Cook, Vanessa Williams March 19: Bruce Willis, Glenn Close, Ursula Andress March 20: Fred “Mister” Rogers, Spike Lee, Carl Reiner March 21: Johann Sebastian Bach, Rosie O’Donnell, Gary Oldman

Do you have what it takes to lead a student paper?

We re looking for the next generation of leaders.

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We’re accepting applications for the following positions: * Editor-in-chief * Managing editor * Production manager * Chief copy editor If you’re interested in joining our team send in an application (CV, a small portfolio, and a brief paragraph about yourself) to elections@ theconcordian.com by 4:00 p.m. March 24.

We’ll be holding interviews in our Loyola office in CC431 March 26 at 2:00 p.m.

Attention members: The Concordian will be holding its Annual General Meeting on March 27 to elect a new board of directors and to discuss the financial standing of our non-profit company.

All existing members of our company are cordially invited to attend and to vote on important issues for our organization.

If you are not an existing member and wish to join, or if you are interested in becoming a director, please contact us for more details at directors@theconcordian.com.

The AGM will take place on Sunday, March 27 at 2 p.m. at our Loyola office; room CC431.

theconcordian

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we tell your stories

Do you love the smell of print in the morning?

The Concordian is holding elections for next year’s masthead.

We’re looking for section editors: * News * Music * Life * Sports * Arts * Opinions

As well as the following technical positions: * Photography editor * Graphics editor * Online editor

If you’re interested in joining our team send in an application (CV, relevant clippings, and a short paragraph about yourself) to elections@theconcordian.com by 4:00 p.m. March 18. We’ll be holding the elections in our Loyola office March 20 at 2:00 p.m.

Get involved and you’ll have enough print to last you a year.

To check this week’s events go to theconcordian.com