November 12, 2019

The Concordian.

SEPTEMBER 5, 2017

LIFE // YUM or YIKES: Mimi & Jones / Zero Waste festival / The art of being single

ARTS // An ode to Judy Garland / DécouvART / Bladerunner / Parasite / SPECIAL FEATURE

SPORTS // Stanislas Blazkowski profile / Basketball homeopener / Colour Commentary

NEWS // Online optout/ Concordia divests / Loyola tree planting / World in brief

 // theconcordian  @theconcordian  @theconcordian theconcordian.com

OPS // Lily Singh's identity politics / Riots in Chile / The backfire effect / Language politics

*music *news pg. pg.

12 2 VOLUME 37, ISSUE 12 TUESDAY NOV. 12, 2019

News.

NEWS EDITORS Jad Abukasm /  @JAbukasm Virginie Ann /  @LaVirginieAnn news@theconcordian.com

STUDENT POLITICS

CSU online fee levy opt-outs reached referendum Jad Abukasm News Editor

Concordia students will go to the polls from Nov. 12 to 15 to vote on six referendum questions the Concordia Student Union (CSU) is putting to the ballot with online fee levy opt-outs, raising many concerns across the university.

Fee levy groups are student-run groups, semi-independent from the CSU and are elected through referendum. They include The Concordian, The Link, the Frigo Vert, Cinema Politica, and many more. Although they are not part of the union’s student clubs, they are funded by them.

They give access to multiple services on campus for all students, like food services, student media and environmental advocacy centres.

The motion was proposed by CSU President Chris Kalafatidis. However, he explained he is not binding the CSU to his decision since he proposed the question as a neutral student at large.

While students have always had the option to retract their shares from fee levy groups, Kalafatidis wants to facilitate the

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process.

“It’s always been a part of the deal that ‘we’re all going to pay for this collectively, but we do have the right to opt-out,’” Kalafatidis said. “All we’re doing is embracing technology to make the process easier for everyone.”

The controversial question faced a lot of opposition from CSU councillors and fee levy groups themselves. In fact, none of the 23 groups have expressed support, rather the opposite.

“The way the process works now in person is a positive thing where people can be informed face to face to understand what services we provide,” said Emily Carson-Apstein, a Concordia student employed at Sustainable Concordia. “From there, it’s their decision to opt-out and we’re not critical about that. Moving the system online makes it impartial. It makes people make hasty decisions that they don’t understand the consequences of and it shuts down the conversation before it even starts.”

McGill University switched to online opt-outs in 2007. Students' Society of McGill University’s President, Bryan Buraga, said that this caused many fee levy groups to struggle

with financing.

“This led to a decrease in the quality of services provided by these groups until the optout rate stabilized, after several years, to approximately 10 per cent rate of what it is today,” Buraga wrote in an email to The Concordian.

Full-time Concordia students with a four-class course load pay $58.44 per semester for fee levy groups at the moment.

Carson-Apstein explained that students can easily see a return on these fees by occasionally attending offered services, like movie or documentary screenings and eating at the People’s Potato – even just once every two weeks.

The People’s Potato serves free vegan food for students. On average, it serves around 400 to 500 people a day.

“[Online opt-out] would drastically reduce the income that we get and by consequence the number of people that we serve every day,” said Ian Herrera, member of the board of directors of the People’s Potato. “We would have to reduce the serving time. That would mean [serving fewer] people. People that sometimes really need it.”

But Kalafatidis said that if the question were to pass, the CSU would still have to sit down with all the fee levy groups to discuss the new opt-out process. Kalafatidis has yet to consult any of them. An option, Kalafatidis proposed, would be a checkbox system. Students will be required to read a description of the group prior to checking the opt-out option.

The question on fee levy opt-outs was brought up last year by the CSU slate Cut the Crap, which Kalafatidis was part of. On top of opt-outs, the slate also proposed election reform and cleaner bathrooms.

“[Fee levies] are the backbone of Concordia’s culture,” Herrera said. “Concordia’s culture isn’t dirty toilets, it’s this.”

The CSU w ill a lso be ask ing if students: 1. agree with the Concordia Student Union endorsing a Fall Reading Week proposal and pursuing its implementation at Concordia University; 2. agree with the Concordia Student Union endorsing a university-wide food waste reduction proposal and pursuing its implementation at Concordia University; 3. support giving all faculties equal representation on the Council of Representatives by changing the structure to three Arts seats, three Science seats, three Gina Cody seats, three JMSB seats, three Fine Arts seats and one Independent Student seat. At the moment, 14 seats are allocated to arts and science, six to Gina Cody, four to JMSB and three to fine arts; 4. agree to a non-opt-out fee increase of $2.08 that would result in a 50 per cent reduction of le Gym and PERFORM centre fees and free Stingers game; 5. approve the Sports Shooting Club to be officially recognized as a CSU club.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth

SIMPLY SCIENTIFIC: Daylight savings Jad Abukasm News Editor While we did enjoy an extra hour of sleep last week, daylight saving may have become an old useless practice.

In 1895, New Zealander George Hudson introduced the concept of “daylight saving” as a way to enjoy more after-work sunlight to catch more bugs. Yup! To catch more bugs, as Hudson was an entomologist. This would allow h i m to sig n i f ic a nt ly ex pa nd h i s bu g collection.

However, it was only in 1916 that Germany became the first country to put it into practice, but with different intentions than catching beetles and butterflies. Daylight saving was actually enacted to save precious coal energy to fuel World War I. Since coal was the primary source of energy, Germany really made big savings. The thinking behind the decision was that people staying outside longer would reduce their artificial light consumption, which it did!

Fast forward a century later, in an era where electricity is king and research has shown that daylight saving is no longer effective. Brian Handwork reported in National Geographic that the method may have become obsolete since it has no effect on energy savings anymore because of the alternative lighting methods we are using.

In fact, it might be dangerous for our health. The same article quotes a study by the University of Alabama in Birmingham that showed an increase of heart attacks and suicide rates during the Monday and Tuesday after moving the clocks an hour forward in spring.

While the causes are still unknown, researchers think it is an amalgam of the body’s adaptation to that change.

It turns out that as much as I tried finding compelling pro daylight saving arguments, there are none to be found except one.

The further we move away from the equator, the more seasonal changes in daylight affects a region. This is due to the tilted axis of the Earth. In Winter, northern countries will have less light. Changing the hour would be an advantage for those regions since they would enjoy slightly more daylight.

Overall, daylight saving has become obsolete and brings more trouble than advantages. Although I only stated two downfalls, a quick Google search shows thousands of articles bashing the method, and honestly, it is worth giving it a look! But for now, the only thing we could have done was to enjoy our extra hour of sleep last week.

Graphic by @sundaeghost

SUSTAINABILITY

Planting trees at the Loyola Campus

The Concordia Greening Project collaborated with non-profit organization Soverdi in planting over 185 trees at the Loyola campus Diona Macalinga Contributor You may have noticed a new addition to Loyola’s scenery this week – around 129 Concordia students, professors and staff planted various types of trees that are native to Quebec’s forest system on campus.

The Loyola tree-planting event began last week, on Nov. 5, but the idea came up last February at the Concordia Greening Project’s first committee meeting.

The Concordia Greening Project is a new student-faculty collective that aims to promote greener practices on Concordia campuses.

Before the project, the campus’ landscape was mainly occupied by species of maple trees. Now you can find more than 20 varieties of Indigenous species such as the Canadian Serviceberries, White Birches, Red Oaks and Jack Pines.

“It’s a shame not to use the wonderful space that we have to its fullest benefits,” said Concordia Biology Professor Rebecca Tittler.

“Trees provide cleaner air, water f i lt r at ion a nd a lso i mprove s well-being,”

Trees feed off carbon dioxide which takes up a little more than 75 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

“Young growing trees sequester a lot of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and put it into their own growth; the growth of their leaves and trunk,” Tittler said.

According to a 2019 StatCan report on greenhouse gas sources,

the combustion of fossil fuels is the biggest emitters of carbon dioxide in Canada.

Trees are also commonly used to help fight extreme hot weather by providing shade and protection against heat waves. They cool the air with the water filtered through their roots, which is later released through the trees’ leaves. Trees also filter

WORLD IN BRIEF:

Berlin’s Wall, Bolivia’s unstable democracy, and "virginity" tests Virginie Ann News Editor

This weekend marked the 30th anniversary of the Berlin’s Wall fall. More than 100,000 people celebrated this historical event in the city, where images and videos from Nov. 9, 1989, were projected onto buildings, reported the Associated Press. German Chancellor Angela Merkel took the opportunity to remind the world of the danger of taking democracy for granted. "The values on which Europe is founded – freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, human rights – they are anything but self-evident and they have to be revitalized and defended time and time again," said Merkel during the official ceremony, as reported by various outlets. Built after the end of World War II, the Wall divided East Berlin, occupied by the Soviets, from the West, controlled by the Western allies for 28 years during the Cold War.

stormwater runoff from transporting toxic substances into nearby rivers and avoid contaminating the city’s clean water system.

A little over 100 trees were planted around the Stingers Dome, 44 more native trees near Hingston Halland and 41 forest trees similar to Quebec’s woodlands in front of the Communications Studies and

Photo by Laurence B.D.

Journalism building.

“We’re just students trying to see action in what we’re studying and trying to make changes,” said Founding Member of the Concordia Greening Project Theo Vergnet, who also studies Human Environment at the university.

With over 500,000 people who joined this year’s Montreal climate march, this is a step up for Concordia students and faculty members to demonstrate their part against global climate change. The event went on for four days, but the new installation provides the Loyola campus with a sustainable and longterm solution to certain environmental issues.

These Indigenous trees will be used as a teaching tool for the biodiversity classes taught by professor Tittler at the university. Being right outside the school buildings, students in the Sustainability program can get a more hands-on experience of the subject rather than learning about it from lectures in a classroom setting.

Over $50,000 went into funding Loyola’s tree-planting project, with the City of Montreal subsidizing 54 per cent of the cost and TD Bank covering 36 per cent as part of its #TheReadyCommitment program.

Concordia University contributed 10 per cent.

“I think it’s a great partnership between institutions and Soverdi.

Green spaces are really important; that we preserve and take care of it.” said Mayor of Côte-des-Neiges-NotreDame-de-Grâce Sue Montgomery in an interview with the Concordian.

She visited the sites and even planted her own tree at the campus.

Instability in South America continues to grow as Bolivia President Evo Morales resigned after nearly 14 years in power. On Monday, the country entered what the Associated Press referred to as an era of political uncertainty, after Morales stepped down over ongoing protests about the legitimacy of his re-election, earlier in October. Morales, the first Indigenous Bolivian president, had controversially abolished the limits of presidential terms, even after the 2016 referendum showed a majority were against that decision. While Carlos Mesa, who finished second to Morales in the election, called this a “democratic popular action,” BBC South America correspondent Katy Watson pointed out the fact that the military was behind what few people dared to call a coup, which strongly endangers the country’s democracy.

American rapper T.I. prompted strong backlash after revealing in a podcast that he’s been taking his 18-year-old daughter for annual hymen checkups, to make sure she’s still a virgin. In a segment aired on Ladies like us last Tuesday, which has since been removed, T.I. explained that “not only have we had the conversation, we have yearly trips to the gynecologist to check her hymen. Yes, I go with her … I will say, as of her 18th birthday, her hymen is still intact.” Medical experts were quick to denounce his comments, stating that there is no such thing as a scientific-based virginity test, but rather a shameful procedure, reported The New York Times.

Graphic by @sundaeghost

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MENTAL HEALTH

FEBRUARY 20, 2017

Graduate students explore artificial intelligence and the early detection of eating disorders Callie Giaccone Assistant Opinions Editor

Concordia graduate students Elham Mohammadi and Hessan Amini developed a research paper explaining an algorithm, using artificial intelligence, to detect signs of anorexia through social media for the Conference and Labs of the Eva luat ion For u m (CLEF) 2019, this September.

CLEF is a conference that has been running since 2000 in Lugano, Switzerland. It aims to address a wide range of topics, primarily focusing on “the fields of multilingual and multimodal information access evaluation.”

Mohammadi and Amini worked under the supervision of Concordia Professor in Computer Science and Software Engineering Leila Kosseim.

Social media platforms are a rich source of information for research studies because people use these outlets to share a large sum of data in relation to their emotions, thoughts and everyday activities.

The research was based on a simulation scenario using past posts from social media. In an interview with The Concordian, Amini explained that there are a few reasons the study was focused on anorexia specifically.

“It wasn’t covered that much

in literature,” he said. “Finding out the patterns requires a more complicated source of analyzing information.”

Their focus was on the ea rly detec t ion of t he eat i ng disorder.

“We don’t want to detect the risk after it has happened or after it has caused damage to the person,” Amini explained.

“We want to detect that the person is showing signs of anorexia.”

The focus of the study was to test the algorithm. Amini clarif ied t hat t heir role is not to

diagnose or analyze the data.

The study is about the system’s efficiency in labelling these signs.

With this, they are able to send this data to an expert to closely evaluate it.

Su r f i ng t hroug h over 2,000 social media posts would be tedious and time-consuming, so the researchers used an algorit hm ca l led “at tention mechanism.” This algorithm systematically filtered through the abundance of posts to detect those that were the most important, using keywords.

They had one data set that was already separated by users that showed signs of anorexia

and those that did not, as well as another set of data that was not categorized at all. Mohammadi and Amini analyzed the data to compare the function of the system; however, it must be noted that when dealing with personal data, ethical complications may occur.

Mohammadi explained that when dealing with user’s data, some people might be hesitant to have their personal information analyzed. “People might not be comfortable with it,” he said.

In bei ng able to detec t certain patterns of anorexia on social media, more complex research topics arise. Although this is a good start, Amini explains that this research requires many experts sitting together and discussing solutions.

Amini notes that although people think artificial intelligence (AI) systems like this are set up to replace humans, the opposite is true.

“AI is going to be there to help humans,” he said. Amini explains that it will make the lives of psychologists and mental health practitioners easier.

Although this research is not the final solution, it can help bring awareness to those in need of mental attention and create a healthier society.

Graphic by Victoria Blair

ENVIRONMENT

Concordia announces plan to divest

The Concordia University Foundation just announced its intention to withdraw all of its investments from the coal, oil and gas sector before 2025 investment in sustainable funds from 2017 as Virginie Ann News Editor The Concordia University Foundation plans to be the first Quebec university with 100 per cent sustainable investments within five years. Currently, $14 million of Concordia’s $243 million assets is going into the coal, gas and oil sectors.

“We believe that being socially and environmentally responsible in our investments is the surest way to be Concordia University’s best possible fund management partner,” said Howard Davidson, Chair of the Board of the Concordia University Foundation, in a press release Friday. “Investing in sustainability is not just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do.”

While Concordia cancelled classes for the climate strike on Sept. 27, some questioned why the university still invested in fossil fuels, as pointed out by Jacob Robitaille, internal coordinator of Concordia’s La Planète s’invite à l’Université in a previous interview with The

Concordian.

“It doesn’t send a straightforward message,” Robitaille said of Concordia’s environmental position.

But now, the university is aiming to double investments that generate social and environmental impact with a financial return. For instance, Concordia partnered earlier this year with Inerjys Ventures, a global investment fund promoting the adoption of clean tech.

“Promoting sustainability and fighting climate change are priorities for the Concordia community,” said Concordia’s interim President

Graham Carr in a press release. “Our researchers, students, faculty and staff are all engaged around this issue and want to be part of the solution. The Foundation’s commitments are crucial next steps in our sustainability journey.”

Student organizations, such as Divest Concordia have long advocated for the withdrawal of the university from those investments. In 2016, the student-run group joined forces with the CSU to create the Joint Sustainable Investment Advisory Committee (JSIAC). Now, they see their own $10 million

laying the groundwork for the university’s decision, Divest Concordia explained in a statement sent to The Concordian.

“This has always been an issue of priorities, and it’s great that the foundation agrees with what the students have been shouting about for years,” said Emily Carson-Apstein, the Divest Concordia representative on the committee. “It’s a social movement as much as a financial one, and this announcement has a lot of power for the climate justice movement across the country. We’re looking forward to keeping the students updated as this process goes on.”

Long-time member of Divest Concordia Nicolas Chevalier agrees.

“Concordia has finally decided to listen to the voices of the student body and align their investment portfolio in a way that doesn't fund our collective demise. Climate change is one of the most important issues of our time, and the institutions that produce research on this crisis should strive to align their operations with the science, fossil fuel divestment is no exception.”

MENTAL HEALTH

A conversation about mental health in BIPOC communities at Concordia

The Haitian Student Association of Concordia partnered up with mental health groups to destigmatize mental illness in BIPOC communities

POLI SAVVY:

Marissa Ramnanan Assistant News Editor

Quebec’s obsession with Catherine Dorion’s clothes

On Nov. 8, the Haitian Student Association of Concordia collaborated with My Mental Health Matters and Stronger than Stigma to host an open discussion about mental health in Black, Indigenous, People of Colour communities (BIPOC) through an event called “It’s Not All In Your Head.”

“We’re broadcasting the message that anyone struggling, both emotionally or physically, isn't alone,” said Stronger than Stigma President, Jillian Caplan. “That’s so important, especially in a high stress, academic environment. A dynamic conversation is a key component of mental health advocacy, so the best way to tackle the stigma surrounding mental illness is to talk about it.”

Three speakers candidly shared their struggle with mental health as part of the Stronger Stories segment of the event.

Jean Felando Noël, one of the speakers, said the event gave him the opportunity to be a voice for people who share his identity, by being a man, and by being someone from the Haitian community.

"I feel like some people kind of stay in the dark about how they feel, until they have somebody who steps forward and shares their story with others,” said Noël. “It shows them that it's okay to speak, it’s okay to force yourself – so I honestly wanted to be here to be a voice [for] people; to be the voice of others who probably don’t have the chance of talking."

Annick Maugile Flavien, the founding coordinator for the Black Perspective Initiative and co-moderator of the conversation, said it’s especially important to talk about mental health and illness in communities who tend to avoid acknowledging it.

In some racialized communities, “mental health is stigmatized in ways that are beyond just our family and friend dynamics, but also rooted in deeper colonial histories, and ideas of race, and religion-all of these things make for a very complicated individual life that is tied to a larger history,” said Maugile Flavien.

Virginie Ann News Editor White gloves off; Quebec politics is obsessed with pieces of clothes we should or shouldn’t wear.

Off-campus mental health resources:

- Argyle Institute - The Emotional Mental Health Centre CBT Clinic - The Montreal Therapy Centre On-campus resources:

Zen Dens Concordia Students’ Nightline Empower Me Stronger than Stigma “I really wanted to get a sense of what the emotional climate is with students at Concordia right now, and learn from their wisdom, and learn from their stories and be sensitized to what’s happening in people’s daily lives, in faces that we see everyday,” said Maugile Flavien.

Photo by Cecilia Piga

Last week, it has once more demonstrated its patriarchal tendency to try and shut down women based on what they wear.

On Nov. 7, Catherine Dorion, the Québec Solidaire MNA for Taschereau, was refused access to the National Assembly in Quebec City for – cue dramatic music – wearing an orange hooded sweatshirt. This came at the end of another scandal involving the MNA, after a photo of her Halloween costume sparkled a lot of attention from the media.

She appeared sitting on the main desk at the National Assembly, wearing what one would consider as the authentic, classic outfit of a female minister; high heels, skirt and a blazer.

Sadly, this is yet another example of a reductive obsession, where society is pushing the rhetoric that women must first gain credibility based on what they look like, not what they have to say.

For anyone not following Quebec’s politics, since her election, Dorion has been considered the underdog, a young politician challenging the conventional decorum while wearing “regular” clothes with her jeans, Doc Martens and colourful t-shirts.

A profound issue that arises from this scandal is the message it sends about who has a place in politics. Having such a debate over what some consider as a poor choice of outfit undeniably reflects the idea that politics is reserved for a certain elite; an elite who can af ford to constant ly be well-dressed.

Well-dressed according to who? When we take the true meaning of democracy – as to power to the people – it needs to reflect the diversity of our society, whether that means popular fashion, flamboyant, classy or simple day-to-day outfits.

This issue resonates deeply because the truth is, I haven’t emancipated myself yet from feeling the pressure that women have to look the part, to dress up in order to be taken seriously. I’ve long struggled to look good, but also try not to attract unwanted attention. I don’t want to be listened to because of my looks, but because of what I have to say.

Right now, Quebec is reinforcing this feeling by sending the message that women’s words and ideas won’t be considered… Unless we comply.

What Dorion is trying to do is show how politics are not reserved for old white men wearing ties. She is standing up against boomers afraid of change, who see wearing a hoodie to the National Assembly as a call for anarchy.

Ok boomers, breathe. This is simply what diversity in representation looks like.

Graphic by @sundaeghost

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Life.

FEBRUARY 20, 2017

LIFE EDITOR Kayla-Marie Turriciano /  @lifewithk_ay life@theconcordian.com

SUSTAINABILITY

Clearing a path towards a waste-free future

Montreal Zero Waste Festival gives a glimpse of where the climate movement is headed Lorenza Mezzapelle Assistant Arts Editor

The third annual Montreal Zero Waste festival took place at Marché Bonsecours in Old Montreal, from Nov. 8-10.

Held by the Association québécoise Zéro Déchet (AQZD) who aims to sensitize and inspire citizens, governments, enterprises and organizations to become aware of the benefits of developing a zero waste lifestyle the festival explored sustainable consumption, ecology, and composting among other eco-conscious themes.

With 14,000 expected visitors, up from the 7,000 attendees in 2017, the festival featured around 90 exhibitors, from hygiene products, to fashion, services and home goods. Over 90 per cent are Quebec-based initiatives.

“When [Life Without Plastic] started out, it was very difficult to get people’s attention regarding zero waste and zero plastic because people thought that all of the products they put in the recycling were, in fact, recycled,” said Chantal Plamondon, co-founder and president of Life Without Plastic. The company is a zero waste brand aiming to eliminate plastic use from everyday life by offering entirely compostable products.

“It’s only recently that people have started to realize that there is plastic everywhere, and that garbage finds itself in the ocean,” said Plamondon. “Now, there is an increased conscientiousness around Montreal, for the past three-four years, around plastic and garbage waste and consumption.”

While the idea of a zero waste lifestyle was very niche a few years ago, it is now making its way to a larger portion of the population.

Solid shampoo and conditioner bars were mass popularized due to Lush Cosmetics’s surge in recognition. Bamboo toothbrushes and solid deodorants are also slowly making their way into pharmacies, and institutions are opting out of selling plastic water bottles, such as McGill.

“You don’t expect that we produce so many beautiful, quality items here [in Quebec],” said Coralie, a returning visitor who chose not to give her last name. “It’s so easy to just go to WalMart and everything is cheap, but it’s not a conscious purchase. Here, you can slowly take steps towards a more simple way of life.”

However, Plamondon noted the superficiality that lies within the green industry.

“People get very swayed by marketing, they will think ‘oh, look a bamboo toothbrush’ because the packaging says ‘organic’ and ‘zero waste.’ But if the bristles are made of nylon, it’s not compostable,” she said.

“The good thing is, people are aware of the problem and they are looking for a solution, they just need to dig a little fur-

ther and see what they are actually buying.”

In fact, the sudden surge in adopting a zero waste lifestyle, and the conscientiousness that comes with this, has incited many to make their own products. This can help minimize their ecological footprint as much as possible and be certain of what exactly they are consuming.

“Seeing all the products gives you ideas; there are so many things you can make yourself,” said Audrey-Anne Pouliot, who attended the festival for the first time after a friend ’s recommendation.

“I’m trying to change my lifestyle and the way I consume things,” said Philomène Dévé, another festival goer. “I purchased a lot of things to help me make my own products.” She noted that the climate march was, in fact, a driving factor towards her changing her lifestyle.

An estimated 500,000 people attended the Sept. 27 climate march, a 900 per cent increase from the 50,000 who attended Nov. 10, 2018, according to statistics from La planète s’invite au parlement, an independent coalition fighting for climate justice and one of the climate march organizers.

me think that I was buying way too much and this buying pattern didn’t correspond with my true values.”

But the problem does not lie solely in the hands of the consumer, nor does the solution. While the environment and sustainability have definitely become a trend within the past year, it is important to remember that, with a movement comes infatuation and, ultimately, people who are trying to make money.

“Manufacturers must involve themselves, because they are currently exporting the price of plastic; they make the product without asking themselves what will happen to the waste, thinking that it’s not their problem,” said Plamondon. “As consumers, we have to inform manufacturers and give them incentives; we have to let our favourite brands know that we want them to make more effort in regards to waste production and packaging.”

When it comes to food, clothes and transportation, being mindful of what one is purchasing and how much one is consuming is a good mindset to have. In fact, the Global Footprint Calculator allows for you to calculate your personal ecological footprint based on factors such as how much meat you consume, the distance you travel daily and your electricity consumption.

Moreover, w ith the Concordia University Foundation announcing its intention to withdraw all of its investments from the coal, oil and gas sector before 2025 earlier this week, it is becoming more apparent that key players in Montreal are increasingly invested in fighting for the c l i m at e a nd ad o p t i ng s u s t a i n a ble practices.

From 2018 to 2019, there was a 9 per cent increase in the implementation of food waste collection in the city, bringing the total up to 540,000 units offering composting services, bringing hope for the future of waste elimination and zero waste initiatives in the Greater Montreal Area.

“This sensitivity for the environment really increased in the past few months,” said Dévé. “Especially with all the infatuation for the climate march, and it made

“The way that we are currently living is not viable, so this type of festival is really good to initiate everyone and introduce them to a new way of living,” said Dévé.

While adopting a zero waste lifestyle is one aspect towards a waste-free future, it is not the only thing you can do. Eating less meat, shopping second-hand and supporting local businesses is a great place to start.

“I think there is a certain path [towards a waste-free future] that has been made that is irreversible,” said Plamondon. “I think it is durable, I have hope.”

“It’s one small step at a time,” said Coralie.

“To simplify life.”

For more information about the Association québécoise Zéro Déchet and how to get involved you can visit their website: www.aqzd.ca/.

Calculate your global ecological footprint at www.footprintcalculator.org/.

Photo by Britanny Clarke

SEPTEMBER 5, 2017

the art of being single

W/ KAYLA-MARIE TURRICIANO

“I just want to know?"

This week I have a lot to say – so here we go.

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve written about a variety of topics that deal with the less *glamorous* side of the dating world, where things don’t really go as planned. With pieces like “Let it go,” “It really be like that sometimes,” and, most recently, “Stop overthinking everything,” I got pretty deep into the type of psychological strength it takes to just let things happen when it comes to dating.

And while I’ve become more inclined to take my own advice recently and do just that – just let things happen – there is a gray zone. Sometimes, the hardest part of not being able to just let things happen is the uncertainty: not knowing if the other person is remotely interested and whether or not all your interactions seem like they might mean they’re interested because you’ve overthought every detail. Not knowing if there actually is any chemistry between you or if you’re projecting because you like them, but are maybe too scared to admit it because you’re just trying to let things happen.

It’s being uncertain of if you should take the leap and potentially jeopardize whatever platonic relationship you have with someone. All this is because you’re unsure how they feel about and you don’t want to ruin what you already have but aren’t opposed to potentially having more because the chemistry is there and other people see it too.

It’s like in international relations (I’m a political science major too, okay, bear with me): in an archaic world, realists and liberals hate uncertainty because there's risk involved. This is also in economics and free-market theories, for all of you who might relate to this by that approach.

Basically, the uncertainty of the situation – of whether they might like you, of whether they’d be down to try to build something with you, if there’s actually chemistry or if you’re projecting – is scary.

The “maybe, maybe not” of it all can really wreak havoc on your mental state and can cause even more overthinking, which, as I’ve previously written, we should try to avoid.If the whole world would just be upfront about what they wanted, we would all be so much better off. Imagine that: someone likes you? They tell you straight up. Don’t feel the same? Tell them. You have a loathing for someone’s entire existence?

Woah there, but also, you do you boo, tell them and it probably won’t be such a big deal because everyone would just be telling their feelings all the time.

Honestly, all this is just to say that

YUM or YIKES! Mimi & Jones Noemi Stella Mazurek Contributor Mimi & Jones, the new vegan diner in Mile End, embodies its location flawlessly. It’s eager to be hip, accomplishing somet hing alternative while mimicking a vintage diner scene.

It was a spur of the moment decision I’m happy we made. After a sunny day spent wandering the Plateau and Mile End, crunching the gilded foliage beneath our boots, we swung into Mimi & Jones.

At 4 p.m., we were the only customers inside the tiny, brightlocale. We slid into the only booth (from which, beyond the restaurant’s outdoor terrace, we had an uninterrupted view of Parc Avenue) and bopped along to the 50s rock and pop hits as we scanned the menu.

Furnished in retro decor (bar stools, black and white floor tiles, leather seats), at face value, Mimi & Jones appears to be just another modern take on a classic 50s diner.

But the entirely vegan menu is what sets it apart from the rest.

Thankfully, Mimi & Jones doesn’t sacrifice greasy staples in the name of veganism. They impressively and creatively accomplish everything a regular diner would serve with strictly plant-based ingredients. We ordered cheeseburgers, milkshakes, deep-fried nuggets, caesar salad and ravioli in attempt to sample as much as we could from the short but concise menu. We were not let down.

Though Mimi & Jones is a licensed establishment, we chose not to spike our milkshakes and enjoyed the thick, sweet, creamy goodness just the same. I ordered the cheesecake flavour, which came adorned with morsels of tangy, melt-in-yourmouth cake that provided a nice contrast from the deliciously sugary shake.

Next, our food arrived in bright red baskets lined with checkerboard paper. Overall, the flavours and textures accurately mimicked those of their non-vegan counterparts, and were just as satisfying.

The Mimi Burger was exceptionally assembled: loaded with all the usual toppings, the handmade

the gray area in any aspect of life is hard to deal with, but it can really take a toll on your mental state when it comes to relationships. Personally, I would just want to know how people feel about me to avoid the whole guessing game and to undercut all the “maybe, maybe not.”

This brings me to my next point – two for one this week! – in the case that things don’t work out as you hoped and everything goes to shit (re: “Shit happens, routines fail”), just allow yourself to feel.

It sounds simple enough, but often we're upset at ourselves for being so upset about things not working out as we hoped. Instead of being upset over actually feeling an emotion, we should just skip a step and actually just feel everything – and then move on. Trying to prevent yourself from the natural process of reacting to something, especially to something sad or shocking, will only do more harm than good and will also likely cause you to overthink.

SO, to sum all this up: 1) the gray area sucks, so try creating as few as possible to avoid heartbreak; 2) if you get heartbroken, allow yourself to feel and then just move on.

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If you have any topic suggestions or questions for advice, feel free to reach out to life@theconcordian.com

patty rounds off the perfect balance of flavours. The Croquettes Jones, which I ordered with the maple-dijon sauce, were simply addictive. The tofu was breaded and deep-fried to golden perfection resulting in crunchy, but not overly greasy nuggets. The ravioli, which we drowned in the rosé sauce, was equally delicious. The pasta pockets were nicely al dente and the tofu-almond “ricotta” filling was soft and creamy.

If there was one dish that disappointed, it was the caesar salad.

Though it was enjoyable, topped with roasted chickpeas and capers, it lacked t he essence of its t rad it iona l inspiration.

Though each individual appetizer, drink or dish wasn’t outrageously priced, the bill did add up to a little more than I was anticipating, especially considering portion sizes.

However, vegan food can be expected to cost a little more, and we did leave thoroughly stuffed.

I’ll confess: I’ve been dreaming about the flavourful sauces and greasy goodies at Mimi & Jones since our impromptu afternoon adventure.

However, I think next time, I’d go at night for a fresh experience. The diner and bar are open until 9 p.m.

Thursday to Saturday, and until 8 p.m. on Sunday and Monday.

Comfortably retro, satisfyingly filling and innovatively delicious, I could go for a hearty burger and some crispy croquettes at Mimi & Jones any night of the week.

FOOD: 4.5/5 PRICE: 3.5/5 SERVICE: 5/5 AMBIANCE: 3.5/5 Graphic by @sundaeghost Photo by Noemi Stella Mazurek

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Arts.

ARTS EDITOR Chloë Lalonde /  @ihooq2 arts@theconcordian.com

FILM REVIEW

Los Angeles, November 2019 : Looking back at Blade Runner, 37 years into the future The 1982 film’s prediction of artificial intelligence, humanity and sexism today Lola Cardona Staff Writer Blade Runner (1982), directed by Ridley Scott, is one of my favourite films of all time and has undeniably impacted science fiction as a whole. Where would we be without those iconic shots of Los Angeles and those smokey rooms reminiscent of film noir? Blade Runner’s impact can be seen in films like The Terminator or The Fifth Element, and so many more. Don’t forget the film’s quintessential question, which seems to become more significant as technology progresses: what makes us human?

The dark, rainy world is brought to life with neon lights and glowing umbrellas. Blade Runner was a look at the 21st century if humanity remained unchecked and exploited its resources with no thought of future generations. There’s no nature in Blade Runner’s LA, just crowded streets and huge buildings. The average person has never seen a real animal or plant. This may not be our world in 2019, but if we can learn anything from this film or the news, it’s that we may be on our way.

There is a bold use of colours while remaining faithful to the film noir aesthetic by contrasting between dark and bright areas of the shot, whether we’re on the streets with Rick Deckard or climbing through abandoned build-

ings. Even the replicants in the film (the bioengineered people used for labour) are distinguished from humans by the cinematography. In certain scenes, replicants’ eyes glow, which never happens to any human characters. Jordan Cronenweth, the film’s cinematographer, achieved this effect by placing a two-way mirror and a dim light underneath the camera to reflect said light into the actors’ eyes.

The screenplay by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples is great in many ways, but it’s not without issues.

On the one hand, the film is kind of basic and a little slow. When you break it down, the plot is about an ex-cop who has to murder four escaped replicants.

Then he does it.

However, it has great world-building and examines some fascinating characters, leaving you on the edge of your seat by the finale. The ambiguous ending incites interesting conversation about artificial intelligence and humanity.

There are definite elements of Blade Runner where it loses points for me. Specifically, I’m referring to its outdated treatment of women. The “love” meant to exist between the two main characters is practically nonexistent, and what is essentially a scene depicting sexual assault is set to sensual saxophone music. As if it’s supposed to be romantic. In this particular scene, Deckard is essentially manipulating the female lead,

Rachael, into telling him she wants him.

It was clear that Rachael didn’t want to do anything with Deckard, but he switched the situation onto her.

Today, this speaks volumes to what is happening in the world with the fairly recent emergence of the #MeToo movement, and even resembles real experiences women have faced. There is a promotion of the idea that men can control women to do what they please.

In Blade Runner as a whole, the female characters have no real autonomy as they are replicants. Although it’s an extremely uncomfortable scene to watch today, I can understand that it’s a product of its time. Having been written in the late 70s and early 80s, it was smackdab in the middle of an overwhelmingly misogynistic time in Hollywood. This

FILM REVIEW

Graphic by @joeybruceart

Parasite: Laughing in the face of adversity

Cole Paquet Contributor In the few short weeks since its North American theatrical premiere, Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite has received extensive critical praise, winning numerous accolades and awards. A recent article from variety reports that Parasite now holds the box office record for highest per-screen average of any foreign language film.

And, in addition to being awarded the prestigious Palme D’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, Joon-ho’s latest is

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expected to sweep the Oscars come 2020.

Parasite is a dark comedy about a family of con artists that conspire their way into jobs they are unqualified for. At the same time, it is a thriller about a heist gone awry, a horror film and a familial drama infused with thoughtful commentary on class and economic disparities.

To reduce Parasite to a single descriptor would be to do it a disservice, for it is many things all at once. Joon-ho is a veteran filmmaker and crafts a masterful, chameleon-esque melding of genres that seamlessly shifts from one tone to another, subverting audience expectations throughout the duration of its run time.

The film tells the story of the Kims, a poverty-stricken family living in a shabby basement apartment in Seoul. When the

son, Ki-woo, is presented with a chance to tutor the daughter of the wealthy Park family, he poses as an English instructor to secure the position.

Seeing this as an opportunity to aid his family’s dire financial situation, Kiwoo devises a scheme to exploit the naïvete and benevolence of his employers. Soon, through deceitful tactics, Ki-woo begins acquiring jobs for the rest of his family, and the Kims begin infiltrating the lives of the Parks.

Where Parasite shines is in its poignant dissection of class, rooted in the juxtaposition of the film’s two families, the Parks and the Kims. The Parks, affluent and successful, represent the wealthy elite situated at the top of the social ladder; the father, an influential and accomplished businessman, and the children constantly touted as prodigious, destined for greatness. And yet, despite their privilege and prestige, the Parks are naïve, oblivious and disconnected from the world outside theirs. The patriarch’s constant reference to a “disgusting odor” that emits off of poor people emphasizes this disconnect and even suggests an internalized disdain for the less fortunate.

Comparably, the Kim family are destitute and disadvantaged, struggling to survive in an economic system working against them. With the parents unemployed and the children without any foreseeable opportunities for advancements, the family resorts to scamming and manipulation in order to get ahead.

scene serves as a reminder that we’ve come a long way in how women are treated in film, but frankly, we still have a very long way to go.

Blade Runner engulfs you into each frame and Scott creates a beautiful and dangerous world you want to explore. All of the characters are kept at a distance where you can understand their motives but leaves room for ambiguity.

Blade Runner’s action-movie plot and oppressive treatment of women is where it loses me, but has had an undeniable impression on science fiction with its cinematography, production design and enigmatic ending.

The disparity in their circumstances is highlighted when a heavy downpour envelops the area. Whereas the storm simply means a cancelled camping trip for the Parks, it results in a severe flood for the Kims, one that engulfs their entire apartment.

On a superficial level, the two families are completely different, but they are, in fact, united by a shared factor; their habitual exploitation of and reliance on others. Of course, the parasitic nature of the Kims is evident in their readiness to leech off of their oblivious benefactors. But just as the Kims comfortably take advantage of their hosts, the Parks too, are heavily dependent on their workers.

With the Kims working for the Parks as domestic help (preparing meals, cleaning, chauffeuring and tutoring), it seems as though the latter are totally incapable of performing simple tasks by themselves. They rely on the Kims to keep their household, and by extension, their personal lives afloat. Both families, while their methods differ, are simply trying to survive in a capitalist system, and with their cards so unevenly dealt, is one method truly more justifiable than the other?

Parasite raises questions of dependency and exploitation in a skewed economic system, while simultaneously examining the ways in which we respond to such a discrepancy. It is a subject that Joon-ho addresses in a frank and darkly comedic manner, seemingly laughing along at the absurdity and cruelty of it all.

POP CULTURE

SEPTEMBER 5, 2017

EXPOSURE

Fifty years after her passing, Judy Garland’s star shines bright

Networking: not just for entrepreneurs Discover emerging artists at DécouvART

Graphic by @sundaeghost

Lorenza Mezzapelle Assistant Arts Editor

Austin Henderson Contributor Those who are familiar with Judy Garland (1922-1969) will probably associate her with The Wizard of Oz (1939), but in a career that spanned four decades, Garland made 34 feature films and a series of albums including Judy At Carnegie Hall (1961), for which she was the first female artist to win a Grammy for Album of the Year.

Rupert Goold’s biopic, Judy (2019), premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) to critical acclaim, especially for Renée Zellweger’s transformative performance as Garland.

Though biopics seem to be the most accessible medium for navigating a celebrity’s life and career, there are other venues where they can be produced just as well, and perhaps even more successfully.

On Oct. 10 at the Diving Bell Social Club, Montreal-based drag queens and performers paid homage to Garland’s legacy in Crystal Palace: The Judy Garland Show!, which allowed the audience to consider the seemingly endless ways we might interpret, represent and celebrate a pop culture icon’s legacy.

Like other celebrities whose lives were cut too short, Garland has often been diluted to her personal battles, focusing on her status as a “tragic figure,” and not emphasizing the resilience and strength that earned her place in entertainment history. Adapted from Peter Quilter’s 2005 play End of the Rainbow, Goold’s Judy focuses on the last year of Garland’s life, when financial struggles led her to headline a five-week residency at the Talk of the Town nightclub in London.

The film is sprinkled with flashbacks to her days under contract at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc (MGM), with Darci Shaw portraying young Garland. Judy aspires to shine a light on Garland’s lesser-known final days, when decades in the throes of the entertainment industry had caught up to her, personally and professionally.

Since we are in a moment in which the misogynistic attitudes of the entertainment industry are being confronted, the film can be difficult to watch at times.

Flashbacks to Louis B. Mayer’s MGM soundstages – the studio that activated her lifelong dependence on prescription drugs – speculate what could have hap-

pened to Garland and many other stars during the Studio Era.

Zellweger most noticeably transforms into her role through body language, from the way she holds the microphone to her posture and facial mannerisms. When Zellweger sings – live, without dubbing – her uncanny portrayal is only slightly blurred, as her vocal intonations are too convincing to detract from her ability to capture Garland’s spirit.

accompanied the performer, who was clad in a handmade red gown under a dimmed spotlight. Additional highlights included a powerful rendition of the immortal ballad “Over the Rainbow” by Blonde, and a tragic-yet-hilarious cover of the torch song, “The Man That Got Away” by LePoz. Cameos by Barbra Streisand (Prudence) and Liza Minnelli (Segalowitz) underscored the impact that Garland has had on the careers of other legendary songstresses.

With an audience spanning three generations, the room abounded with a soaring appreciation for Garland. It was easy to smile throughout the evening, even in the more melancholic moments, because the show’s evident attention to detail exceeded that of a blockbuster stage production.

As someone who is about 50 years too young to have seen Garland perform in-person, this was a night that will be difficult for me to ever forget.

As Judy ends on the hopeful yet heart-wrenching notes of “Over the Rainbow,” Crystal Palace concluded with a lively performance by Judy (Slippers) and daughter Liza (Segalowitz). Indeed, both Judy and Crystal Palace: The Judy Garland Show! demonstrate the many ways that a celebrity’s life can be celebrated, represented and questioned.

Though the flashbacks act as signifiers of Garland’s past, there could have been more references to her accomplishments after The Wizard of Oz. Nevertheless, the sniffles I heard in the theatre – mine included – cannot be ignored. As exuberant as the concert scenes are, the film’s most effective moments are far more intimate.

A heavyhearted conversation with daughter Lorna Luft in a red telephone box confirms Garland’s unconditional love for her children, and a fictionalized post-concert visit to the apartment of two adoring male fans – a gay couple – captures Garland’s enduring significance among the Judy is playing in select theLGBTQ+ community. atres and will be released for

Due to Garland’s adoration purchase next winter. Check within the LGBTQ+ community, she out the Diving Bell Social’s remains a popular subject for drag per- diverse range of programformances, most lovingly highlighted ming at their website, divingat a recent tribute at the Diving Bell bellsocial.com Social Club.

Featuring Crystal Slippers, Photo by Britanny Clarke. the two-hour show began with a reenactment of Garland’s television appearances. Performers Peaches LePoz, Prudence, Maxine Segalowitz, and Dolly Blonde also provided their talents to an evening that was all about Garland. Hosts Tranna Wintour and Thomas Leblanc provided humourous commentary throughout the evening, offering trivia and sharing their perspectives into why we are still celebrating Garland 50 years after her death.

A stripped-down performance of the song “It Never Was You”

by Slippers, most poignantly showcased Garland’s contribution to Hollywood history, as clips of her films

I have been to many vernissages and galler y openings. They are all more or less the same; upbeat music plays on a sound system – or a DJ, usua lly a f r iend of t he ar t ist, plays a live set – t he crowd consists of young creatives and their friends or a well-established artist and middle-aged art enthusiasts looki ng to pu r c h a s e a work or p a s s t he t i me .

W hile lively, t hese events are genera lly not like any t hing you see on T V.

The second edition of DécouvART, howe ver, wa s ver y much l i ke somet h i ng out of a n episode of Sex and t he Cit y, Gossip Girl or any show who’s premise evolves around Manhattan’s elite. Upon entering into t he lobby elevator, one could hear loud, upbeat electronic music, played by a DJ. Ca meras f lashed continuously as photog raphers c apt u red a r t ist s posi ng i n f ront of t heir work s, a nd groups of young people stood poised, cocktails in hand, as t hey conversed.

As t he na me DécouvA RT sug gest s , t he space was prov ided as a place for d iscover y of current happenings in t he Montrea l a r t mi lieu and aimed to promote emerging artists in Quebec.

Held at Ga l ler y Gora, t he event was hosted by Fondation Proaction International, whose mission is to suppor t ar tists as a means of enriching t he ar ts and culture sector.

The featured works were selected among artist applications and included painting, sculpture and photography. Collectors, gallery owners, a gent s a nd Q ueb e c’s m i n i ster of c u lt u re were among the invited guests. Attendees were invited to vote for t he b e s t a r t i s t a nd were g iven t he oppor tunit y to w in up to $10,000 in prizes.

Ka r i ne Demers’ Pl iage 63/A rch itec t u re consisted of black and white pieces of paper, folded geomet r ic a l ly, a nd a ssembled to for m va r iou s shapes. The origami-like work changed colours depending on t he angle from which it was being obser ved; a peach tone if look ing from t he right, and a bright yellow from t he lef t.

A lex is C ou zi no’s ser ies of t h ree work s na med Nage Macabre consisted of black velvet mounted on canvas and sequined silver f ish. The work offered a representation of the current state o f t h e o c e a n s , a s c au s e d b y s o c i e t y, a n d t h e romanticized beaut y of the world, which is gradua lly being destroyed.

The variet y of innovative ar t works, t he large crowd and upscale environment of DécouvART demonstrated t hat network ing events don’t have to be exclusively for entrepreneurs. The overa ll reach and presence of the press seemed to promise opportunity for emerging artists in the Montreal area. While it is another topic to be had, DécouvART helped contribute to t he idea t hat t here shou ld be a reward for creative work.

After all, exposure doesn’t pay the bills.

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Feature.

FEBRUARY 20, 2017

People, innovation, or bricks, mortar and art stacked in a corner?

Digging into the world of art & finance at Concordia and beyond

Photo by Cecilia Piga

Chloë Lalonde Arts Editor

Happening in and around the White Cube this week…

“If culture is valuable, culture works should be valued the same way, not just verbally,” said Marc Lanctôt, curator and Musée d’Art Contemporain de Montréal (MAC) union delegate.

According to an article in The New York Times, “wealthy donors are generally happy to contribute to construction projects – often drawn by naming opportunities – they are far less excited about subsidizing unsexy operating expenses, like salaries and benefits.”

Public spreadsheets that document and protest unpaid internships and unfair wages in the industry currently include over 4,000 entries from museum professionals all over the world, including Montreal.

The MAC is among the six Montreal-based entries on the spreadsheet. There are two active unions at the MAC, one of which is for front-of-house staff and educators.

The other is for professionals: conservators, curators, education tour managers and workshop leaders, registrar’s office, art transportation, collections management, communications and press relations, etc.

The employees at the MAC were under a common agreement (like a contract) which expired in 2015, although the conditions are still applicable today and provisions in the contract are still applied. However, there have been no financial changes, no pay increases since 2015 and certain provisions no longer pertain to the reality on the ground. Their bosses have no incentives to make any changes.

Their employers are keeping that money, spending it on renovations and increasing their own salaries. Simply put, Lanctôt suggests the museum should not “spend on what we can’t afford if we can’t pay our people right.” He added that John Zeppetelli, MAC Director and Chief Curator, is

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“acting like his hands are tied, that he isn’t really the director of the museum, the government is.”

“This is a multi-tiered problem [...] how we organize work and labour needs to be rethought,” said Lanctôt.

“We want salary increases comparable to those granted to our bosses over the past five years,” wrote @prosdumacmontreal on Instagram on Oct. 6. The affected workers have been actively protesting since Sept. 17, doing public interventions and striking on their breaks and during peak museum hours, such as the Janet Werner opening on Oct. 30.

“We have nine more strike days up our sleeve that will be deployed at strategic times,” said Lanctôt. “Everything that has to do with culture in Quebec and Canada is highly accountable to the state and public funding, very arcane. Issues are bogged down in complicated spreadsheets and legal labour language. We don’t want the public to lose track of what’s a stake; we have to stop gauging away at cultural workers. It’s the people that matter.

Otherwise, it’s just bricks and mortar and art stacked in a corner.”

The Art + Museum Transparency group has stated that “many of the most vigilant and vocal activists in the current movement are those working front-of-house positions [...] gallery security officers, education, retail and visitor services staff.” These labour

activists are fighting the institution’s growth, urging cuts of unnecessary expenses and “fancy” renovations in favour of protection from unjust firing, basic healthcare insurance coverage, paid parental leave, and so on.

“Pas de pros, pas d’expos!”

“Museums remain extremely hierarchical, with power concentrated in the hands of a very few who dictate benefits, wages and workplace procedures out of step with the economic realities of our time,” reads the same statement by the Art + Museum Transparency group.

Museum staff are unionizing across the United States with the Marciano Art Foundation Union (MAF), and continue to prove the viability of the field, urging institutions to embrace Graduate and Undergraduate student internships instead of pushing them out, forcing them to consider otherwise.

At Concordia, the VAV Gallery has just released its 2019-20 Year Plan.

It discloses their financial constraints by breaking down their budget and emphasizing the measures being taken to remedy the issue.

The slow, accumulated deficit was not noticeable in last year’s financial report. Dropping by big chunks every year due to the gallery’s ambitious developments, they were forced

to downsize from last year’s programming.

This year, the VAV Gallery will host smaller shows, showing larger bodies of work from three or four artists, working one on one with them to create a tailored exhibition plan. The exhibitions – now numbered and not titled in order to avoid lumping artists together with broad themes – will be more cohesive, focusing on overlaps between individual practices.

Alexia McKindsey, the VAV’s financial coordinator, knew the decision would come as a shock to Concordia Fine Arts students, but the reality is that if these drastic measures aren’t taken, the gallery won’t be able to operate next year.

“We never wanted it to come to this,” said McKindsey.

“This is the worst case scenario.”

Having cancelled their winter artist call-out, three out of four Fine Arts students contacted by The Concordian, who have chosen to remain anonymous, said they would consider opting out of the VAV’s fee levy should it increase from $0.85 to $1 per credit.

“The gallery has already selected its programming for the entire year – why am I paying for something that is not giving me the opportunity to show my work?,” said one student, an Art Education major.

“Especially when last year’s pro-

The faculty received this incredible donation, but where is it? In the big hole where the VA garden used to be?

Despite last year’s incident – the tragic death of art education student and sweet child of the universe, Ming Mei Ip – there are still no basic services in the building.

“No one cares about the VA. We are the smallest faculty and the most neglected building on campus,” said McKinsdey. “We don’t know enough about where our fee-levies go and how we benefit from them as students.”

FASA, we love you, we know you’re doing your best, but like, the Art + Museum Transparency group stated, these institutions – universities, museums and galleries alike – remain powerful hierarchical structures out of touch with the social and economic realities they are surrounded by.

According to McKindsey, the donation isn’t reaching the VAV Gallery or any other student-run, fee-levy projects.

Concordia has a weird system when it comes to money.

For anyone who has ever received an honorarium or has had to be reimbursed by the university, this isn’t new information.

Unlike the gallery’s transparency, the money donated to the university and specific faculties isn’t being disclosed to students.

Rumours around student organizations is that it’s a cyclical system, hinting to a new, “innovative” project unfolding towards the end of the year.

Funding opportunities for student projects The Fine Arts Student Alliance (FASA) just released their Broke Student Handbook, which provides students with accessible and low-cost options for everything from art-making materials, funding opportunities, academic services and basic necessities.

Among these services are the

Regroupement des Artistes en Arts Visuels (RAAV) and L’Artisan du Renouveau et de la Transformation Écologique (ARTÉ). RAAV is an association of artists that represent and defend the interests of Quebec artists. ARTÉ is an independent company mandated by the city of Montreal to manage the reuse centres.

Not many are aware of the numerous showcasing and funding opportunities available for student projects across the university. FASA Special Project Grants, the Concordia Council on Student Life (CCSL), the Concordia University Small Grants Program (CUSGP), the Concordia University Alumni Association (CUAA), the Sustainability Action Fund and Concordia Student Union Special Project Funding are among the many programs that will encourage eligible student projects, new clubs, publications, events and more.

Showcasing outside of the White Cube Outside of student newspapers, Concordia is home to several publications. Some journals linked to various departments, like the InArte Journal, CUJAH and others offer free range to most students. Soliloquies, Yiara and l’Organe all offer a creative platform for writers and artists. Their difference lies in the language they are diffused in: l’Organe is in French, Yiara is bilingual and inter-university, and Soliloquies focuses on creative writing, poetry and prose, bringing together creative English-speaking students across the university.

A new addition to this list is Scribbles which, unlike Yiara and the InArte Journal which accept submissions from all departments within the Faculty of Fine Arts, will accept creative work from students across the university.

The magazine’s executive team doesn’t follow the typical publication masthead, similar to The Concordian’s editor/assistant structure. Instead, they have a president and various VPs and coordinators, characteristic of clubs within the John Molson School of Business (JMSB).

That being said, the executive team is not restricted to JMSB students. Communications, be-

SEPTEMBER 5, 2017

havioural neuroscience, software engineering and creative writing are among the team’s majors.

“In addition to our publications, we have the goal of informing students about the creative world by holding conferences with actual writers, journalists, artists and so on,” said Scribbles President Sara Shafiei, BComm Marketing.

The launch of the first publication took place on Oct. 30.

Attendees paid $15, giving the magazine a head start.

“Guests were able to get their hands on a copy before anyone else and simply enjoy some food and music while celebrating with the team and getting to talk with other creative students,” said Shafiei. “We are brand new, don’t have many sponsors and are still growing as a committee. We received a small amount of funds from CSU which was barely enough to get our first edition printed. The event itself had costs, as hospitality also charged us. The tickets helped us fund the event. However, our magazine itself [is] free.”

Throughout the first weeks of November, Scribbles’s first issue will be placed around campus for students to pick up.

Interdepartmental and cross-faculty pollination is what makes our projects stronger, making voices louder, as students stand in solidarity as young creators and entrepreneurs.

Projects like Concordi’art– which claims to create a space for both fine arts and business students – really just focus on c om m e rc i a l i z ing and capitalizing on pre-existing ideas. The group’s recent Bob Ross paint night at Reggies, which was sponsored by Concordia Stores, charged students $15 to paint along with a projection.

They did not collaborate with the Department of Art Education, who would have been more than thrilled to assist.

Concordi’art did not respond to The Concordian for comment.

The VAV Gallery is looking to collaborate with other departments and fee-levy groups for their winter programming.

Among these are plans to coordinate a special exhibition with the Fine Arts Reading Room, the InArte Journal, CUCCR, Art Matters and more.

Clara Micheau, FASA Finance Coordinator and representative of the Faculty of Fine Arts for la Planète s’invite à l’Université (LPSU) at Concordia, posted on the Concordia Fine Arts Student Network Facebook page on Nov. 5, urging students to vote against online opt-outs in the upcoming CSU by-election (Nov. 12-14).

“Art Matters is not the only feelevy group we are talking about here,” wrote Micheau. “People’s Potato is one, as is Queer Concordia, Cinema Politica, Food Coalition, Centre for Gender Advocacy, The Concordian and more. They all provide life-saving services to you or your friends or that student you don’t know but who has found their support group in them. They are everywhere, supporting our community.”

Fee-levy groups can offer superb opportunities to enhance careers and build reputable references, in any faculty. For more information and to encourage fee-levy groups, visit concordiacommunity.org Graphic by @joeybruceart

gramming was excellent, I see no reason why a top level fine arts undergrad university can’t have a student gallery that can offer the space for students to exhibit their work, attend events and be engaged in the Montreal arts scene,” said another student. The Studio Arts major said this in regards to the $5.6 million donation to the faculty from the Peter N. Thomson Family Trust, received last spring. “It feels like things are happening up top and the students don’t have a say, like an extension of Cafe X closing.”

Graphics by @ihooq2

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Music.

MUSIC EDITOR Immanuel Matthews /  @immanuelmatt music@theconcordian.com

PROFILE

Minoe’s journey in the music world Montreal artist explains her path and goals Maria Bouabdo Contributor

Minoe, a 20-year-old R&B singer, started performing in musicals when she was around eight years old, as well as singing national anthems and in honour choirs. She joined her first band at 16. She now sings solo and sometimes plays guitar, opting for more creative, solo-driven artistry.

“I needed a stage name because I didn’t have one for a long time and I had a show coming up, so I was in a rush,” she said. “I went to my roommate and I wanted something to do with the ocean because I’m from Nova Scotia (Halifax), so she said ‘whale’ as a joke. Then, she said ‘minnow,’ and I liked it. I realized I spelled it wrong, but I liked it that way, and it ended up working well.”

Minoe came to Montreal three years ago to continue working on her

music and start studying at Concordia University. She is doing a double major in art history and studio art.

Minoe’s latest song “Cellphone” is about an ex-boyfriend who would never put his phone down, but she said it can apply to anyone.

She added that her previous song, “Best for You,” is about getting out of an unstable relationship, putting her needs first and doing what’s best for her.

“There are a lot of songs that I really relate to, and I want to be that for somebody else if that’s a possibility. It would be amazing,” Minoe said.

She is now focusing on shows and PR work. Her team consists of her manager

Dany, also known by his producer name Fairchylde, and her stylist Julia, owner of Explicit Mess Boutique.

Because Minoe finds inspiration everywhere – from Destiny’s Child to Louis Armstrong – she is not afraid of trying different genres.

The next step in the musician’s career is to start travelling. She said she would like to perform in Toronto.

“I really want to experience as much as I can and perform wherever people will come and see me perform. I’m grateful for any opportunity,” Minoe said,

adding that one of her goals is to release either an EP or an album next year.

She also said she’d love to start collaborating with more artists, such as Kaytranada, a HaitianCanadian DJ and record producer, and to perform in big festivals, like Osheaga and Coachella.

“It’s so important to surround yourself with friends who support you,” Minoe said. “I have that and I’m grateful. They always help me with my music. My best friends Ellis and Mia have been so instrumental and important in me believing in myself and doing what I want to do.

I couldn’t ask for more incredible people in my life.”

Minoe emphasized that people shouldn’t give up because of what others say. With absolute certainty, she said: “I don’t believe in luck. If you want to succeed you have to work hard and keep going.”

Photo by Britanny Clarke

SHOW REVIEW

Toro y Moi truly emits inner and outer peace … there’s no single way to find that Chloe Lalonde Arts Editor Toro y Moi takes me back to my years in high school: playing Tame Impala, MGMT and Toro y Moi in the yearbook room, lying on the grass with our heads in a circle, feeling whole with the world and one with my friends... yeah, I did that.

On Nov. 5 at Corona Theatre, Chaz Bear, aka Toro y Moi, aka Chazwick Bradley Bundick, brought this back.

Bear, who changed his name four years ago when he married Samantha Beardsley, feels fresh, composed and genuinely happy; he emits a gentleness. He sings, his eyes squint, a smile spreads across his face. Moving across the stage in a dance that feels characteristic of Childish Gambino.

Blissful. Real. Truly himself, in love with his music; a joy that rubbed off on the crowd.

His band members feel very Portland – I’ve never been to Portland, any Portland, but that’s the vibe – complete with long shaggy hair,

blundstones, thick socks, button down shirts and reusable canteen bottles. Bear wore an Everlaneesque get-up, mod wide-leg blue pants (not jeans), a black jacket, and a black mock neck, which he kept on the entire time – a rarity on stage. Performers usually strip halfway into the third song.

The stage glows with simple, pleasing colours: pinks and purples, blues and greens, yellows, oranges, peaches… the instruments highlighted with bits of f luorescent orange tape scrawled with “TORO E MWA,” a translucent drum set of the same colour. His crisp lyrics linger, echoing not only in the theatre, but mashed up in my mind days after the show.

You saved my life, I don't want to be alone, I want somebody, I don't have time for this weather... Die for my love... For a second I forgot who I was, I thought I was over you ... now I don't know who I am ... I feel weak, uhuh...

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On Oct. 29, Toro y Moi released “Soul Trash,” a 30-minute long art film by the same name of a mixed tape released in January of last year. The duo moves away from simple lo-fi musician status and into the world of pure artistry.

Sixteen minutes in, the film pauses to watch Bear, wearing a bucket hat, eat chips.

“I see two of you, I see one of me,” he says, pointing to the viewer, a photographer taking pictures of his reflection, I imagine.

The whole thing is pretty obscure.

As though Bear was given a paintbrush, needle and thread to collage together this masterpiece, his new album, Outer Peace, feels authentic, not as laboured or crafted as I felt in some of his older albums.

Now the poster child of chillwave, his music crosses boundaries, feeling very 70s indie pop with a sprinkle of some c l a s s i c T- P a i n autotune.

Outer Peace spea k s to finding satisfaction, oneness and peace out in t he world, rather than just within.

Whet her in blending genres, dance, work or just being present in a social environment… there’s no one way to find that.

Photos by Cecilia Piga

COVER STORY

Black Midi makes it look easy Leaves the crowd wanting more Evan Clarke Contributor

“I just want to get the energy right,” said Brooklyn-based MC Fat Tony as he waved a stick of burning Palo Santo around the stage.

Standing on the monitor he engaged the crowd and took them on the journey which was his set. His hands flew back and forth from his laptop to his turntable, to one of the two microphones he was using, employing his incredible MC abilities as he showed the diversity of his music.

Quickspins EARL SWEATSHIRT FEET OF CLAY RCA Records

The former Odd Future member delves deeper into the abstract sounds explored on 2018’s Some Rap Songs.

At this point in his career, Earl Sweatshirt has fully exceeded any expectations that were set during his early career with Odd Future.

The 25-year-old rapper has been turning heads for nearly a decade, growing every step of the way.

While sonically this isn’t too far

The Houston native flew through his songs, some of which sampled music from many different genres – from fast-paced punk to Texas country and 80s pop. Shortly after performing a song about his decision to eat healthy, Fat Tony left the stage to the cheers of the satisfied audience.

Casually strolling onto stage, Black Midi picked up their instruments and immediately thrashed away while the pink and blue lights strobed over the energized crowd. For a band of twenty-somethings, the complexity and musical prowess of Black Midi is mind-blowing and sets an extremely high precedent for other bands.

Based out of London, England, Black Midi were formed while the members attended Brit School, the school responsible for celebrated alumni Adele, Amy Winehouse, and Tom Holland, to name a few.

The Mercury Prize-nominated band wasted no time and controlled the stage as they performed “Near DT, MI.” Bassist Cameron Picton recited the sparse lyrics while the band played softly; the audience anticipating the next change.

A quick pause, and the wall of sound began as they wailed on their instruments and the bassist screamed into his microphone, while a young man climbed onto the stage and perfectly timed his stage-dive. Guitarist and lead vocalist Geordie Greep prowled the stage as he sized up the audience, his hands flying over the fretboard and strings.

After a quick finish to the song, Black Midi diverged into what they do best: jamming.

Drummer Morgan Simpson held the gaze of the other band members while they read each other for signals of where they would be headed next.

The intense instrumental blended seamlessly into “Speedway,” the second track off their debut album Schlagenheim.

Their musical abilities were on full display;

8.8/10  TRIAL TRACK:

MTOMB

 STAR BAR:

“Sellin’ kids culture with death, circlin’ like carrion The more the merrier, phone got you livin’ vicarious Ice melting ‘cause it’s so hot The veil lifts, the pain salient” (Earl Sweatshirt on “74”)

from the raw, lo-fi sound of his fantastic 2018 LP Some Rap Songs, it still feels fresh. Most of the songs here are under two minutes and don’t have a semblance of traditional song structure. Earl is marching to the beat of his own off-kilter drums and warped horn samples, creating a musical identity that is uniquely his.

Serving as the perfect companion piece to Some Rap Songs, FEET OF CLAY paints a poetic portrait of a man trying to come to terms with loss, heartbreak and addiction.

Earl’s growth as both a man and an artist are apparent, and this is another great entry into his already phenomenal catalogue.

— WESLEY MCLEAN, STAFF WRITER

particularly Simpson’s drumming. In 2014 he was awarded the “Young Drummer of the Year” award, and it was clear that night that it was well earned. His hands flew across the set, often so fast that they appeared blurred. When lead singer Greep wasn’t gracing the crowd with his unique croon, he was directing the band using his arms, to indicate where the dynamics of the music should go next – arms up for louder and arms down for quieter.

Lead guitarist Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin resembled a young Jonny Greenwood as he bent over his guitar and shredded the ear-drums of the audience with his fast and powerful strums.

Black Midi took the crowd through the better part of Schlagenheim, filling the rest of the set with instrumentals and their 2019 single “Talking Heads.”

It would appear that Fat Tony’s energy cleansing technique did its job. The energy was just right, and Black Midi performed as well as expected, leaving the crowd chanting for more.

FKA TWIGS

MAGDALENE

RFC Music Group

FKA twigs creates worldclass pop music on MAGDALENE

MAGDALENE comes four years since twigs’ first full-length release, LP1. While LP1 introduced twigs as an innovative artist to follow, MAGDALENE cements her as one of the most creative voices of modern pop music.

As is evident from the record’s title, MAGDALENE is steeped in Christian references. The juxtaposition of religious symbolism and sexuality can often be used as a cheap ploy for subversiveness in pop songwriting. Yet, because twigs brings the Christian elements both into the lyrics (as on “Mary Magdalene”) and into the orchestration (as with the choral singing on “Thousand Eyes”), this combination makes complete sense.

Photos by Cecilia Piga

manifesto for pop music’s future, and you can expect to hear it’s influence in countless albums to come.

9.5/10  TRIAL TRACK:

HOME WITH YOU  STAR BAR:

“I'm a fallen alien I never thought that you would be the one to tie me down But you did In this age of Satan I'm searching for a light to take me home and guide me out” (twigs on “Fallen Alien”)

Despite the R&B sensuality that flows through this record, it is also deeply pained. To say MAGDALENE is a breakup album might be a bit reductive. Yet, many of the tracks deal with twigs coming to terms with who she could be outside of a broken relationship.

MAGDALENE is a tortured, spiritual

— AVIVA MAJERCZYK, STAFF WRITER

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Sports.

SPORTS EDITOR Matthew Ohayon /  @MatthewOhayon sports@theconcordian.com

PROFILE

“I just want to play rugby and do my thing” Stanislas Blazkowski’s successful rookie year with the Stingers Kayla-Marie Turriciano Life Editor

“Stan’s a thinker: he’s not overly loud, he’s quiet,” said men’s rugby head coach Craig Beemer about what he’s observed of fullback Stanislas Blazkowski his f irst year as a Stinger.

“Obviously, he’s a really talented rugby player. He’s still young so even though he’s already got all these accolades, you can see that he still wants to learn and continue to improve.”

The 21-year-old started playing rugby for the Montreal Rugby Club when he was 11. Before that, Blazkowski played a variety of ot her spor ts: hockey, judo, boxing, and soccer among them.

After spending the first few years of his life in Melum, France, Blazkowski’s parents, who had visited Montreal when they were you nger a nd a lways wanted to live here, finally made the move when Blazkowski was five years old.

“When I [became] a teenager, I didn’t know what cult u re I shou ld refer to the most, between the French one and the Canadian one, especia l ly while I lived in Montreal a nd a l l

my family was in France,” said Blazkowski about how it felt living in both countries at various points in his life. “It was kind of tricky, but now I feel Canadian and French at the same time.”

In 2016, Blazkowski moved back to France and played for the Racing Club de Narbonne Méditerannée U22 team. It was a competitive environment and, even though Blazkowski enjoyed it, it unfortunately didn’t work out. This is in part — Blazkowski explained that it was a complicated situation — because the age group he was playing in was lowered by one year, and, despite still having one year of eligibility left, no one recruited him, opting instead for younger players.

Last summer, Blazkowski decided to come back to Montreal to play for the Stingers and attend JMSB as an international business student.

“I love traveling, I speak three languages, I want to discover the world,” said Blazkowski about what he hopes to get out of his degree. “If I can do this through my job, this would be perfect.”

Coming to Concordia wasn’t a hard decision. During his time in Montreal playing for Team Quebec over the summers while he was still living in France, Blazkowski met c o a c h B e e m e r. H e reached out to the head coach, knowing that

Concordia was hosting the 2019 Canadian University Men’s Rugby Championship (Nov. 20-24) and that the men’s rugby team had been successful in past seasons.

Blazkowski also previously played with many other players on the team from Team Quebec and from when he played for various other clubs, such as RC Montréal, Beaconsfield and Town of Mount Royal RFC.

“[Rugby] is the kind of spor t where you go to war with people and, after a game, it’s all friends,” said Blazkowski about t he spor t’s cu lt u re, not i ng t he chem i st r y a nd bonds he’s built over the years.

“What you share on the field, you’ll share off the field too.”

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And what they’ve shared on the field is a third consecutive all-win season, claiming the 201920 RSEQ Prov incia l Rugby Championship title on Nov. 9. With a successful year for the Stingers, Blazkowski also had an epic rookie year, and was named to the RSEQ first all-star team.

“He has really high standards. He wants to be improving all the time,” said Beemer about the type of player Blazkowski is.

“He already is a good player but in the two, three years he’s going to be here, he’s going to be a much better player just purely based on his own drive and his willingness to be really really good.”

Despite his obvious talent, for Blazkowski, it doesn’t matter.

“I don’t really care about that kind of thing. I just want to play rugby and do my thing.”

Being a full time student isn’t an easy feat for anyone and requires a lot of time management.

Playing as a varsity level athlete on top of student obligations doesn’t ma ke t hings easier. On top of studying international business, rugby training and practice can take up to four hours a day, four days a week, with games on weekends. All this leaves little time for much else, but Blazkowski still manages to enjoy some leisure activities such as reading, watching sports and “hanging out with the boys.”

At the end of the day, regardless of the time and work it takes, or the honours received, Blazkowski just wants to play rugby and wants to try to make it to the highest level he can.

Photos by Laurence B.D.

PROFILE

R ARY U LO ENT O thew C MM t a / Mayon O w C Oh

Alex Cousineau takes on bigger responsibilities this season with the Stingers men’s hockey team

A hockey team’s coaching staff plays a key role in its team’s success. Yet, some coaching positions are less familiar than others. That would be the case of goaltender and video coaches, both occupied by A lex Cousineau w it h t he Concord ia Stingers men’s hockey team.

Cousineau joined the Stingers last season, leaving a similar position with the Collège Français de Longueuil in the Ligue de Hockey junior AAA du Québec (LHJAAAQ). It was when Stingers’s head coach Marc-André Élement looked to recruit players from the Collège Français that they met and Cousineau decided to join the team.

“He wanted to know my interest in joining their coaching staff,” Cousineau said. “I’m [now] starting my second year.

It went really well last season. It was really fun. To go from Junior AAA to u niversit y hockey is completely different.”

W hen C ousi neau joi ned t he Stingers last season, his role focused more on the video aspect of the job. As a video coach, Cousineau works with and evaluates video sequences of the Stingers’s games. He also communicates a lot with the staff.

Cousineau takes more responsibility this season with Jim Corsi, the team's other goaltender coach, who's been hired as goaltending development coach by the Columbus Blue Jac ke t s i n t he National Hockey League (NHL) in August 2018.

He said it isn’t much different now, since he occasionally worked with Corsi and goaltenders last season.

“For sure, to be more alone this year is different,” Cousineau said. “However, the job remains similar. Last year, I worked with Jim, and we shared ideas. This year might be more about my ideas, but we’re still continuing on what we established last year.

I know the guys more this year, so I’m more comfortable with them.

Last year was a new environment with the goalies, so it was about get t ing to k now t hem. This year’s going really well so far.

I think it keeps going better and better with time.”

Cousi neau sa id t he goaltending part of his job relates a lot to the human side of the game. He explained that yes, he works with goaltenders to improve their game, and watches videos with them to see what they’re doing well and what needs work, but something

key at this level is to make sure they’re in a good state of mind.

“[It’s also about their] mental preparation, you spend a lot of time with them on the road and off the ice,” Cousineau said. “It’s important to talk and make sure their life outside hockey is going well because if there's something that doesn't, it can affect them in hockey.”

Cousineau coached goaltenders of all ages and said that university athletes are professionals, and don't need to always be told what to do to be better.

“With them, it's more of a conversation," Cousineau said. "We'll try different stuff instead of [me telling them] to do specific things.

There's a relationship of trust with them. When they're going well, then you know it will go well in games.”

Cousineau said the best part of this job is to be around the players and staff. Finishing a bachelor in management, the coach said this role with the Stingers is a big investment, but it’s worth it.

“We have a great group with a great coaching staff, so it's super fun to be here,” Cousineau said. “It's demanding weeks, asking for a lot of time, but it's really fun and we couldn't ask for more. The hockey caliber is also incredi ble . I t h i n k u n i ve r s it y ho c k e y i s underrated a lot. [People] don't necessarily watch it, but when they come to the games they’re really impressed. I think that also makes me enjoy my job even more.”

Photos by Laurence B.D.

Alec Brideau Assistant Sports Editor

Why do fans put so much stock into prospects?

If you’ve been reading my columns, I think I have made it pretty clear that I am a Montreal Canadiens fan. Like most fans, I love trade rumours – they create fun discussions and make imaginations run wild.

Amid the New Jersey Devils’ horrendous start to the NHL season, Taylor Hall’s name has started to surface in trade rumours. The 28-year-old winger will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the year and will presumably not be resigning in New Jersey.

I think it is objectively fair to say the Canadiens have one of the top five best prospect pools in the NHL. Ryan Poehling, Nick Suzuki, Alexander Romanov; the list goes on and on.

Here’s where the two connect: the idea of Taylor Hall being traded to the Habs has caught fire in the Habs-Twitter world.

Naturally, when the idea of Suzuki, a first round pick, and another player was thrown around as a hypothetical trade, fans were split in saying either yes or no to that idea.

I understand that Suzuki and the others are exciting prospects. In Suzuki’s case, he has the potential to be a top six centre in the NHL. The operative word in that sentence is potential. If he were to reach that ceiling, it would be amazing. On the other hand, he can very well fall f lat and become a 40-point-player.

Hall doesn’t have the potential to be an elite scorer. The former Hart Trophy winner has already proven to be one while playing for two pitiful teams. He is an instant game-changer that is worth taking a one year gamble on.

The fact is, a marquee free agent has never signed with the Canadiens. There are too many factors working against the organization. They need to be creative in how they acquire elite talent.

Potential is nice. But it is just that: potential. Nothing more.

Some fans, and this is not exclusive to Canadiens fans, fall into a trap of overvaluing potential and would not give it up for a tangible asset.

You may have noticed that I excluded Cole Caufield from the list above. That’s where I draw the line. Caufield is considered by many analysts as a “can’t miss” prospect.

Other than him, when it comes to acquiring elite talent, potential should not be the determining factor on a possible trade that pushes the needle of a team from being a bubble playoff team to an instant contender.

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FEBRUARY 20, 2017

BASKETBALL

Stingers open season with clean sweep over UQAM

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Photos by Laurence B.D.

Opinions.

OPINIONS EDITOR Youmna El Halabi / @HalabiYoumna opinions@theconcordian.com

PROTEST

What is really happening in Chile?

Esperanza Tacchi Staff Writer

The social unrest and constant riots beginning on Oct. 14 have really taken a toll on Chile, which appeared to be the most economically and politically stable country in South America, as reported by BBC. This alleged reputation has proven to be just a façade when a significant amount of the population decided to protest against the numerous years of social injustice.

As a Chilean living abroad, it hurts to see my natal city in flames, but mostly it is sad to see how for years, hate, human rights violations, resentment and oppression have taken over the country, until the people couldn’t take it anymore.

On Oct. 18, the metro fares in Santiago were raised by 30 pesos (approximately $0.05 CAD).

This increase was the straw that broke the camel’s back after many years of undignified living standards. A student collective spearheaded a movement that called for fare evasion, known on social media as #EvasionMasiva. The initial protests resulted in turmoil; supermarkets were sacked, thousands of people marched the streets, and the majority of Santiago’s metro stations were completely scorched, as mentioned by Vox.

Eventually, it wasn’t just Santiago’s students anymore. The movement had reached other cities in Chile, and soon, millions supported the cause. Since the police force was unprepared to handle the situation, President Sebastián Piñera declared the country to be in a state of emergency. He sent the military

on the streets and reintroduced a strict curfew that Chileans last experienced during Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s.

Furthermore, Piñera went on national television to claim that the country was “at war” with its own people, a statement that infuriated the protesters even more. Piñera later rectified his claim by proposing an economic reform and cancelling the rise in the metro fares. However, these measures did nothing to smooth things over.

By now you may be wondering, why is it that people continue to protest and refuse to go back to their routines? Chile has an enormous accumulation of wealth where one per cent of the population earns 33 per cent of the country’s wealth. The social inequality breach has continued to expand throughout the years to the point where the minimum wage is so low that people spend about 20 per cent of their salaries just on transport. They have unworthy pensions, a poor health system, high rates for student loans, a poor educational system, draughts, precarious jobs, collusions, capitalization of national resources, and so on. But most importantly, people are asking the government for a constitutional change. Chile’s constitution was changed by Pinochet in 1980, and still remains the same today – which epitomizes the extent of the dictator’s legacy and is key in understanding the people's frustrations.

Today, the protests continue, and the movement has adopted the slogan “Chile has awoken!”

Those who endure to march refuse to go back to their normal lives and resign to the degrading living conditions caused by Pinochet’s neoliberal economic model. According to The Guardian, 7,000 people have been arrested, at least 18 people have died, and the number of people who were abused by the security forces is high, yet unknown. Santiago’s metro damages go up to approximately $400 million and busi-

COMEDY

What’s up with Lilly Singh?

Chantal Marie Schromeda Contributor Lilly Singh’s comedy in her YouTube videos is overly theatrical for my taste. However, there is no denying her accomplishments as an Indian and openly bisexual woman in the media.

In an article from The Globe and Mail, Singh is praised for redefining late-night TV on NBC. Hosting her own show, “A Little Late with Lilly,” an accomplishment traditionally

Graphic by Victoria Blair.

dominated by white men, is impressive, to say the least.

Furthermore, Singh’s jokes are not without their share of controversy, and criticism. Some ever took their disapproval to online platforms.

“The Curious Case of Lilly Singh,” a YouTube video by user j aubrey, nitpicks Singh down to her core. It should be noted that j aubrey is male and, well, white. He has been critical of many other large YouTubers such as Lele Pons and Tana Mongeau. In December 2018, Forbes released a list of the most successful YouTubers. No women were men-

Graphic by @sundaeghost.

nesses have lost near $1.4 billion. Despite this, the majority of the people march in peace, they are out there hoping to achieve a dignified living and basic human rights. As stated by BBC news, on Oct. 24, protests broke the record for the biggest peaceful march since the 1990 when Chile returned to democracy.

It is distressing to see Chile go through this situation, but it was also inevitable. The people can only take so much social injustice and poverty.

The situation goes beyond choosing a side; the international, local and social media each portrays different fragments of reality. Nothing is black and white, there are many different shades in between. Chile needs to rise above its people’s differences, come together, heal by solving its embedded issues and invest in its future.

tioned on this list, so Singh took to social media to voice her disapproval. “If you already have more success than you know what to do with, nobody wants to hear you complain about representation,” j aubrey said. The YouTuber criticizes her for “playing the victim” despite her financial success.

In her late-night show, Singh often uses white people as the focus of her jokes. What is wrong with this exactly? Well, nothing in my opinion, but j aubrey seems to think that if she wants to make jokes about race, she should do so in a creative manner.

He focuses on her “racism” towards white people with her punching-up humour. “It’s the way she shoves her identity down her audiences throat,” he said. This is hardly a step in the right direction. Singh’s punching-up humour is not racist towards white people. You cannot be racist towards a group of oppressors, sorry, j aubrey.

This is a dangerous mindset to have when it comes to race, feminism and the representation we see in the media. This is not where growth occurs, but rather where it remains stagnant.

Singh is an oppressed minority, and painting her as some kind of bitter feminist for voicing that recognition in the workplace is still very much unequal, is another gripe in an unfair, white male power balance. We have been able to make small steps of progress in regards to discrimination, but these small steps have only occurred from speaking out.

Prejudice is rooted in the framework of society. Having these discussions is vital in the fight for equality.

While the comments Singh has received from j aubrey are neither here nor there, she has been the topic of legitimate criticism from the Black community. McKensie Mack wrote a viral essay in 2017 on modern day blackface. Mack states that Singh also steps in and out of blackness, like many white people. That she performs “a stereotyped version of Black culture and identity.” Mack criticized Singh for using Blackness as a costume, “she puts on Blackness in the morning and takes it off at night.” Singh has dressed in chains, rapped on a basketball court and worn cornrows for her YouTube videos. She has also made jokes at the expense of the Punjabi community on air. Singh told Jessica Alba in an interview that her children wrapping towels around their heads would look like her Punjabi friends. She later took to social media, to apologize for the joke.

Singh has failed to acknowledge how her comedy has been seen as offensive to the Black community. It would be worth acknowledging her mistakes with appropriation.

Though, as far as I’m concerned, if you are offended by Singh’s punching-up humour, then in the words of comedian Stephen Fry, “well, so what?”

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Opinions.

FEBRUARY 20, 2017

OPINIONS EDITOR Youmna El Halabi / @HalabiYoumna opinions@theconcordian.com

LANGUAGE

Speak whatever you want in Canada

It’s disrespectful to tell anyone not to speak their native language Katherine Vehar Contributor Multiculturalism in Canada is often explained as being a mosaic, with every person retaining their identity and coming together to form a colourful and diverse nation. But what is to be done when pieces of our mosaic start turning on each other?

Last week a video surfaced of a woman’s racist tirade in a Shoppers Drug Mart in Burnaby, BC.

The woman, who is visibly agitated, tells employees that “speaking in Chinese” in front of her is “rude as fuck,” and demands that they “speak English in Canada.”

Describing someone speaking another language as rude, then following that by telling them to “shut up” and demanding that they speak in English, is racist.

It fuels an “us versus them” mentality which cannot be tolerated. People living in Canada, no matter if they were born here, have a citizenship, or are newly arrived

immigrants, have the right to speak whatever language they want as private citizens.

What takes me aback the most in this video is the brazenness of the perpetrator.

She does not seem fazed by the fact that she is being filmed, or that a child is standing right next to her. She continues her verbal assault shamelessly.

S h e spews hatred and racism without even flinching.

She speaks to the employees in a tone that would be inappropriate to inflict on an animal.

She doesn’t seem to think o f her opinion as wrong or controversial. If you’re in Canada, no matter where you might be from or what your mother tongue may be, you speak in English.

There are more than 200 different languages spoken in Canada, according to data from the 2011 Canadian census. Hence, there is a certain level of absurdity in assuming that when you leave your house you will only hear English or French, and a level of insanity if you decide to go on a racist rant about it.

Furtherm o r e , considering the fact t h a t English a n d French are colonial languages and are not even native to Canada, why should we see monolingualism as favourable?

Multiple scientific studies have concluded that knowing more than one language is good for our brains. A 2013 study from

Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences showed that bilingualism delays a person’s age at the onset of dementia.

Bilingual participants in the study developed dementia 4.5 years later than their monolingual counterparts.

Bilingualism also has positive effects on children. A study done by the University of Oregon showed that compared to monolingual children, bilingual children have stronger inhibitory control. This allows them to pay attention, take turns, and follow instructions better than their monolingual peers.

Besides improving cognitive function, being able to speak more than one language can make you more employable, help you when traveling abroad, and enables you to hold on to your culture.

Clearly, cases of people demanding others to only speak one language has little to do with anyone’s wellbeing, and more to do with hate and intolerance.

At the end of the day, if hearing someone speak a different language deeply disturbs you, maybe you should just stay home.

Visual by Laurence B.D.

STRESS

This is fine, I’m fine!

Learning how find a work-life balance has been ... a process Kayla-Marie Turriciano Life Editor You know the meme of a dog in a room on fire, where the speech bubble says: “This is fine”? Yeah, that’s me, I’m the dog. Also a plausible comparison is me as Ross in Friends after having too many margaritas: “I’M FINE!”

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Why am I “fine,” you ask? Hi, my name is Kayla-Marie Turriciano, and I take on too many projects at once (as seen in my Twitter bio), and am definitely not in over my head.

In my first year at Concordia, I wrote about how it’s important to maintain a balance between work, school, and a social life, and how you can’t do better than your best. In my second year, I called myself out for being a hypocrite because I had

completely gone against my own advice and had a terrible workschool-life balance. I was literally in a perpetual state of stress and anxiety and admitted that it was easier said than done.

Now in my third year, I have something else to add to this stream of articles about balance in life. This past year has honestly been one of the most emotionally draining. From last summer to present, I’ve barely had time off: I went from the fall semester, to winter, to a summer semester intensive, then an internship and a job, to now back in school full time while holding down three jobs. On top of that, I regularly contribute to sections within the paper other than my own.

A lot of people in my life – family, friends, peers, coworkers, basically everyone – worry that I’m going to soon suffer a burnout.

They say I’m overworked, overstressed, and am generally doing too much. Our lovely opinions editor, Youmna, regularly keeps me in check to make sure I don’t have a breakdown by spreading myself too thin. I constantly reassure her

I’m doing fine – and here I am writing this article when I have two others this week on top of all my other work and assignments.

See, the thing is I actually am fine. I’ve definitely not been fine in the past, suffering mini breakdowns from being overworked and overtired, resulting in me crying at the kitchen table after someone slightly raises their voice at me.

But truly, this time, I am fine.

I don’t know if it’s because I’ve mastered all this multitasking, if I’ve become numb to everything or if I’ve just peaked and reached nirvana.

Maybe all the theoretical political science courses discussing Lucretius and Seneca have taken a toll on me.

Whatever it is, I just know that, while I am taking on too many projects at once, I’m actually not stressed, nor do I feel like I’m going to be crushed under the weight of everything.

I truly, finally, actually am fine and I’m not in a theoretical room that’s on fire – I’m just living my life, totally fine.

Graphic by Salomé Blain.

PERSPECTIVES

Why is it so hard to change your mind?

Conveying a message to someone with an opposing view is a constant struggle Callie Giaccone Assistant Opinions Editor It’s Tuesday and I’m hanging out with a close friend.

She’s going on about her boyfriend, who’s acting like such a Gemini. I roll my eyes. She tells me she wishes she were dating a Scorpio, because they would be much more compatible. After a few minutes, I snap.

“Horoscopes aren’t real!” I yell. She stops talking and looks at me. Her eyes soften as if she understood what I meant. Could this really be? Had I really gotten through to her? The short answer is no, absolutely not.

“That’s exactly what a Capricorn would say,” she said, seemingly amused. Discouraged, I place my head on the desk.

Alright, let’s unpack this scenario. You might think that I’m right and that the idea of horoscopes are “hippy-dippy” or fake. On the other hand, you might be frustrated, and think that my friend is the correct one – I truly am a textbook Capricorn.

Whether it’s a debate about horoscopes, a television series, or a political opinion, these types of discussions happen daily.

We are constantly facing different points of view, yet our own opinions often don’t change. One of the reasons for this could be explained by the concept the backfire effect.

This term was coined by two researchers, Brendan Nyhan and Jason Reifler. Craig Silverman, a writer for Columbia Journalism Review explains that the backfire effect is when, “your deepest convictions are challenged by contradictory evidence, your beliefs get stronger.”

Essentially, debunking myths or trying to convey a message to someone with an opposing view can often cause the exact opposite response that you’d expect.

Nyhan and Reifler conducted an experiment where they wrote

inaccurate news articles about political topics. Once a participant read the inaccurate article, they were immediately told to read the corrected version.

One of the fake news articles falsely stated that weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq.

Even after they corrected it with a second article, people who supported the war sunk into their belief of the first article. People that were against the war easily believed that it wasn’t true.

It’s simple; humans don’t like being wrong. Typically, in a discussion, we are hesitant to lean in and listen to what the other person is saying.

In today’s political climate, there are certain discussions and ar-

guments that dehumanize and disregard the human rights of the topic at hand. There are a lot of systematic and historical reasons for societal issues such as racism, xenophobia and sexism. It’s truly impossible for one single term, like the backfire effect, to define all the patterns in society.

That being said, it’s important to challenge our instincts. Often humans have too much pride to do this. To go back to my small example, if I were to listen to my friend when she talked about horoscopes, I would likely learn something interesting.

If, after one or two conversations, I wasn’t completely sold on the idea, it’s still useful to learn about this other perspective. Perhaps I would learn that horoscopes hold an important part in her life, help her understand her environment and very often reflect her reality.

Although it’s not always possible, there is a value in taking a break from being the hard-headed humans we have evolved to be. To fight against the backfire effect, we need to relinquish our defensive instincts, let our guard down and listen carefully to the evidence that’s being shared.

Photo by Britanny Clarke.

DISCRIMINATION

Struggle is intersectional

One’s suffering does not undermine another After more than a century of quiet cowardice, the United States House of Representatives voted to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide, condemning the killing of 1.5 million Armenians and other Christians by the Ottoman Empire between 1915 and 1923.

As it appears, 405 members of Congress voted in solidarity with Armenians, and 11 voted against the resolution, while three abstained. A nearly unanimous, bipartisan House vote raises the question: why has it taken more than 100 years for Congress to form this consensus?

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, the only Democrat to abstain from voting rather than recognize the genocide, calls the vote a “cudgel in a political fight” against Turkey, amid tensions involving military operations in Syria. According to Omar, the genocide should be recognized “based on academic consensus outside the push and pull of geopolitics.” The Congresswoman also used the vote as an opportunity to call for a “true acknowledgement of histori-

cal crimes against humanity” which addresses not only the Armenian Genocide, but also the transatlantic slave trade and systematic murder of Indigenous people.

The academic consensus on the Armenian Genocide accounts for some of the most brutal instances of human rights abuses in history. Raphael Lemkin, the man who coined the word “genocide,” named the mass murder of Armenians as a definitive example of the term. Over 30 countries announced solidarity with Armenians prior to the United States in the wake of violence experienced by their ancestors as well as

the continued violence perpetrated by genocide deniers.

It’s naive of Omar to suggest that the Armenian Genocide could exist “outside the push and pull of geopolitics.” The mass extermination of a group of people doesn’t happen by accident; it’s calculated, organized, and entirely political. The fact that Turkey, along with many other countries, will not acknowledge the struggles of Armenian people to have their history recognized, emphasizes the importance of the House’s decision to vote.

Perhaps this is what’s so jarring about Omar’s position; instead

of acknowledging the collective trauma involved in a 100-year-old contested genocide, the Congresswoman uses the House as a soapbox to speak over the issue at hand, advocating instead on behalf of black and Indigenous people and the systematic violence they have faced. Although black and Indigenous struggle in America predates the Armenian Genocide – not to mention both groups continue to face discrimination and violence – it’s hypocritical to advocate for an intersectional call to arms encompassing all genocides only to abstain from voting in solidarity with Armenians.

Intersectionality and solidarity involves showing up for one another; the House has passed resolutions recognizing the struggles of black and Indigenous people in America before, but this is the first concerning the Armenian genocide.

Graphics by @sundaeghost

Arianna Randjbar Video Editor

Though this resolution is the first of its kind in America, the vote may motivate other countries to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide and start a dialogue about accountability and solidarity.

Graphic by @sundaeghost

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Editorial.

FEBRUARY 20, 2017

Think before you opt-out

Voting yes to online opt-outs will harm student groups From Nov. 12-14, Concordia students will be able to cast their vote for or against online opt-outs for fee levies. Let’s break down what that means.

At its core, a fee levy is a small amount of money charged to students on a per-credit basis, which go back into providing essential student services. According to the Concordia Student Union (CSU), fee levy groups on campus receive either all or part of their annual operating budgets fro m p er- cre dit fee levies.

Some of these groups include, but aren’t limited to: the Centre for Gender Advocacy, the People’s Potatoes, QPIRG, the Concordia Co-op Bookstore, Cinema Politica, CJLO, The Concordian and The Link, as well as the Concordia Food C o a l it i o n, S u s t a i n a bl e Concord ia, t he Concord ia Greenhouse and so, so many more incredible groups on campus.

Students have always had the opportunity to opt-out of these services, but they have had to do so in person. This system affords student groups the opportunity to explain their services to these individuals before they move for ward with opting out.

Online opt-outs would facilitate blind decisions to save a few bucks without understanding how important these services are to students across the university.

Many fee levy groups directly address important aspects of student life, and many groups have developed deep relationships with the student body. Groups like the People’s Potato and the Hive Cafe Solidarity Co-Operative provide hundreds of free lunches to students on both campuses.

The Center for Gender Advocacy offer trans health resources and confidential peer support.

We like to believe that student media groups such as

ourselves help the Concordia community as well by reporting on all aspects of the university and holding the school accountable.

We at The Concordian strongly oppose online opt-outs, and we stand alongside all other fee-levy groups on campus, as many of us use their services on a regular basis.

We urge students to vote no to online opt outs, not simply because we would not be able to exist as an organization wit hout fe e levies, b ut because the push for online opt-outs coincides with a significant increase to the athletic fee lev y, which students cannot opt out of in any way.

This paints a clear picture of which services are valued by the university. We, on the other hand, believe every one of these groups holds value and deserves to be protected.

This is The Concordian.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF KATELYN THOMAS editor@theconcordian.com

LIFE EDITOR KAYLA-MARIE TURRICIANO life@theconcordian.com

MANAGING EDITOR MATTHEW COYTE managing@theconcordian.com

ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR LILLIAN ROY

CREATIVE DIRECTOR ALEX HUTCHINS ceative@theconcordian.com PRODUCTION MANAGER MACKENZIE LAD PRODUCTION ASSISTANT CHLOË LALONDE DIGITAL EDITOR MACKENZIE LAD digital@theconcordian.com NEWS EDITORS JAD ABUKASM VIRGINIE ANN news@theconcordian.com ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS FERN CLAIR MARISSA RAMNANAN

ARTS EDITOR CHLOË LALONDE arts@theconcordian.com

OPINIONS EDITOR YOUMNA EL HALABI opinions@theconcordian.com ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR CALLIE GIACCONE PHOTO EDITOR LAURENCE B.D. photo@theconcordian.com

ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR LORENZA MEZZAPELLE

PHOTO ASSISTANTS BRITANNY CLARKE CECILIA PIGA

MUSIC EDITOR IMMANUEL MATTHEWS music@theconcordian.com

GRAPHICS EDITOR WEDNESDAY LAPLANTE graphics@theconcordian.com

ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR JACOB CAREY

GRAPHIC ASSISTANT VICTORIA BLAIR

SPORTS EDITOR MATTHEW OHAYON sports@theconcordian.com

VIDEO EDITOR ARIANNA RANDJBAR video@theconcordian.com

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR ALEC BRIDEAU

VIDEO ASSISTANT CALVIN CASHEN HEAD COPY EDITOR FATIMA DIA

COPY EDITORS MAGGIE MORRIS NICOLE PROANO copy@theconcordian.com BUSINESS MANAGER BRANDON TAING business@theconcordian.com BOARD OF DIRECTORS DAVID EASEY MIA ANHOURY ORENZO PORPORINO MAGGIE HOPE KATELYN THOMAS directors@theconcordian.com

CONTRIBUTORS: DIONA MACALINGA, NOEMI STELLA MAZUREK, COLE PAQUET, AUSTIN HENDERSON, LOLA CARDONA, WESLEY MCLEAN, AVIVA MAJERCZK, EVAN CLARKE, MARIA BOUABDO, CHANTAL MARIE SCHROMEDA, ESPERANZA TACCHI, KATHERINE VEHAR, JOEY BRUCE, SALOME BLAIN

Concordia University’s bi-weekly, independent student newspaper VOL. 37, ISSUE 12 NOVEMBER 12, 2019.

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