The Concordian VOLUME 39, ISSUE 17
CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1973
TUESDAY Feb. 15, 2022
INSIDE THE CREATIVE MIND OF AALIYAH CRAWFORD “As I learned printmaking, it was like a language I understood. How to make prints just felt very intuitive” BY ASHLEY FISH-ROBERTSON Arts Editor
Some people are simply born to create. This is certainly the case for Aaliyah Crawford, the general coordinator of the Fine Arts Student Alliance (FASA) and co-editor in chief of Yiara Magazine. Since the age of five, Crawford has been creating art. She later went on to study printmaking at John Abbott College, where her interest in the medium flourished. She is now in her final year at Concordia where she is majoring in Studio Arts. Crawford spoke with The Concordian about her passion for printmaking, her creative process, and more. THE CONCORDIAN: WHAT APPEALS TO YOU MOST ABOUT PRINTMAKING? AALIYAH CRAWFORD: I learned printmaking at John Abbott. At first I didn’t think I would like it. I was kind of confused by the whole thing. I was like, ‘why would you want to do something that a machine can do?’ As I learned printmaking, it was like a language I understood. How to make prints just felt very intuitive and I was really comfortable with the medium. It’s really Continued on page 13
CSU HOLDS TOWN HALL ON ANTI-BLACK RACISM NARMEEN IMAM | Contributor
The event intended for Black students to share experiences and opinions freely
Concordia’s President’s Task Force on Anti-Black Racism held an online Town Hall on Anti-Black Racism on Feb. 10 during which
students and alumni gathered to discuss the preliminary recommendations put out by the Task Force in Nov. 2021. The online event was exclusively open to Black Concordia students and alumni with the goal of creating a safe space and prioritizing Black voices. The event gathered about 30 individuals from different departments and was coordinated by three
members of the Task Force’s leadership committee — Camina Harrison-Chéry, Alysha Maxwell-Sarasua, and Isaiah Joyner. “In terms of interactions, people were very vocal, Concordia students are always ready to share their experiences,” said Harrison-Chéry, communications student and external affairs and mobilization coordinator at the Concor-
dia Student Union (CSU). “We had some really great discussions, and it made me recognize that we need these spaces more often — spaces where we can prioritize Black voices being heard,’’ said Maxwell-Sarasua, political science student and intern for the Black Perspectives Office. “There’s a sense of safety in Continued on page 6
NEWS
COMMENTARY
ARTS
MUSIC
SPORTS
PHOTOS: Trucker Convoy passes through Montreal
Do we properly engage with Black History month?
Art events for you to visit in Montreal
Musicians in the wake of COVID
Concordia’s basketball program is back at it
pg. 5
pg. 8
pg. 15
pg. 16
pg. 18
2
The Concordian
News
TUESDAY Feb. 15, 2022
“STOP EVICTIONS” Quebecers demand better social housing solutions “Stop paying the rich! Increase investments in social programs!” read a poster BY HANNAH TIONGSON Assistant News Editor PHOTOS BY CATHERINE REYNOLDS
On Feb. 12, hundreds of marchers gathered around Norman Bethune Square and walked through downtown Montreal demanding radical solutions against the current housing crisis in Quebec. Le Front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPRU) and other groups joined to organize the first mobilization of a week of regional actions. Housing problems are the new normal. Every day the FRAPRU and other housing organizations see the dramatic effects of the housing crisis, noting the escalating number of tenants who struggle to afford excessive rent increases and face eviction. “Today, we are going to call on Quebec Premier François Legault to make the housing crisis a real political priority,” said Véronique Laflamme, organizer and spokesperson of the FRAPRU. Excessive rent increases and evictions are a daily occurrence in the province. “In the last three Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) budgets, there have been 500 new financial, social housing units for all of Quebec. In Montreal, only in the last year, there were 800 new families and households on a waiting list for low-income housing. Twenty-four thousand renter households in Montreal are just waiting for low-income housing,” Laflamme added. Laflamme explains that the FRAPRU
opposes the government’s current plan of privatizing housing assistance. She says the government should fund the AccèsLogis Quebec program, an initiative created by the Société d’habitation du Québec, which supports non-profit and cooperative housing projects. Andrée Laforest, minister of municipal affairs and housing and member of the CAQ for Chicoutimi, recently announced the Quebec affordable housing program last week that will expand public funding to the private sector. The Programme d’habitation abordable Québec (PHAQ) aims to provide affordable housing by having a maximum rent set by the Société d’habitation du Québec corresponding to about the median rent. However, the new program is also open to private for-profit developers. “As long as we are in capitalism, we will have to fight like this all the time
to have access to housing. It is because society that is based on profit and not on the needs of the world,” said Marianne Amiô, member of the Socialist Fightback Students organization. Maryan Kikhounga-Ngot, an organizer of the Projet d’organisation populaire, d’information et de regroupement (POPIR), is marching to emphasize what they believe is the only option to improve the housing crisis: investing in social housing to stop enriching the wealthy. “[The CAQ government] wants to kill the AccèsLogis program and replace it with a program that is private funding. To mask it, he says it is an affordable housing program,” said Kikhounga-Ngot. “Someone on social assistance is not able to pay a 4 ½ for thousands and some that is what he calls affordable,” she added. Protestors also demanded better assistance for the homeless communities in Quebec.
Catherine Marcoux, community organizer for the Réseau d’aide aux personnes seules et itinérantes de Montréal (RAPSIM) says 10,000 new social housing units per year is necessary. “We believe that the Quebec affordable housing program will not meet the needs of homeless people. What we really need is social housing,” Marcoux said. Another organization marching was La Table des groupes de femmes de Montréal (TGFM). Véronique Martineau, coordinator and organizer, pointed out how the housing crisis affects vulnerable women. Last year, a study conducted by TGFM showed that women are having more difficulty finding affordable housing due to discrimination and prejudice. “We doubt that private developers will develop real community housing that will truly meet the needs of women in their diversity,” Martineau said. “Having funding for social housing adapted to women in all their diversities is a very important issue to overcome systemic barriers such as racism, sexism, homophobia,” she added. Moving forward, the FRAPRU has scheduled more protests until Feb.18 all around Quebec. The next protest will be on Feb. 14 in front of Laforest’s office in Saguenay.
Sébastian Laliberté, one of the protest organizers. Montrealers facing rent hikes and evictions took to Sainte Catherine street Saturday, demanding better government assistance.
TUESDAY Feb. 15, 2022
News
3
The Concordian
Endometriosis, A Gut-Wrenching Disease that continues getting ignored
Endometriosis is, a disease so debilitating it can wreak havoc on the physical and mental well-being of women all over the world BY GABRIEL GUINDI | News Editor GRAPHIC BY MIAO
A pain so searing the simple task of getting out of bed becomes a chore. Unable to move, you lay there, immobile, never knowing if the pain will lessen or ramp up. Hoping that if you position yourself a certain way the crushing pain will dwindle to something bearable. Alone you cry, trying to remedy the situation via a concoction of self-administered methods and prescribed medications — all to no avail. As the suffering progresses you begin to lose hope, asking yourself why doctors continue to doubt your symptoms, assuring this as normal and turning you away. Endometriosis is a disease that affects one in 10 women and can present itself in four levels of severity. It occurs when the lining tissue of the uterus, known as the endometrium, grows outside of the organ. The exposed tissue thickens, breaks down, and bleeds inside the body with no way of escaping, causing inflammation resulting in bouts of extreme pain and in many cases possible infertility. Maria-José Arauz is one of the many people who deal with the disease. Before her diagnosis, Arauz dealt with symptoms similar to endometriosis for five years. After visiting multiple specialists, she continued receiving the same conclusion: that her pains were related to menstruation and there was nothing that could be done. “They were good doctors, I mean they weren’t bad doctors with bad reviews, […] they’re just not prepared to treat people with endometriosis so most of them told me to take Advil.” Though she waited for nearly half a decade before getting diagnosed, Arauz says it usually takes some women even longer to receive a definitive diagnosis. Dr. Sarah Maheux-Lacroix is a gynecologist who specializes in research and clinical care for endometriosis at the CHU de Québec Laval University research centre. Maheux-Lacroix believes that medical negligence that women like Arauz face derives from the complexity in identifying endometriosis in the body to provide a proper diagnosis. “The gold standard to diagnose endometriosis is surgery. The fact that it requires surgery is one of the factors that can contribute to a delay in diagnosis.” Maheux-Lacroix says the only way to avoid misdiagnosis is to spread awareness on both a medical and societal level. “There are
“I wasn’t functioning like a normal person.” some doctors that are good in women’s health and others that are not, so I think we need to talk about it more.” “For me to get all of that was a really
hard process because I had to fight and advocate for myself, I had to show that my life wasn’t normal and that all the pain
“I’m on the floor crying in pain and at the same time I’m vomiting from the pain as well.” I was having and the anxiety I was living due to this wasn’t normal,” Arauz said. Endometriosis affects women living with the disease at different levels. It can vary in four stages of severity that define the extensions of lesions in the pelvis. Some may be at a stage four and asymptomatic, while others can be at stage one and experience high sieges of pain imminently impacting their quality of life. Women experience pain caused by endometriosis usually when they’re about to begin their menstrual cycle. The pain forced Arauz to plan around her disease instead of freely living her life. “There are days I can’t cook
or can’t eat. I cannot work, I have to cancel all my plans. It’s like I have to plan everything according to the day I have my period,” Arauz said. The disease can be very extensive in the abdomen and pelvic regions creating a slew of many other complications. “It can affect fertility, it can also lead to chronic pelvic pain, and can create cyst ruptures that can cause acute pain that would require emergency surgery,” Maheux-Lacroix said. Other complications that Maheux-Lacroix noted include torsion of an ovarian cyst, and possible infections that can lead to detrimental health problems. “Endo can invade some structures such as the rectum and urinary tract system and could affect the function of the kidneys and bowels.” According to her research, there are likely different types of endometrioses that affect women differently. Being diagnosed with breast cancer a few months after her endometriosis diagnosis in 2019, Arauz noticed a difference in care when comparing her cancer treatment to her experiences with endometriosis. “I got my treatments on time, I had a really good follow up, but I can’t say the same thing for endometriosis. Endo doesn’t kill you like cancer does, but it can
“I actually find that the pain that I went through with endometriosis was worse for me than breast cancer treatment.” More Funding for Research Is Needed kill your quality of life,” Arauz said.
MIAO
According to EndoAct Canada, the disease costs the country $1.8 billion per year. Though much more research is needed, Maheux-Lacroix believes that funding only happens when diseases are a societal concern. “As a society we decide that we want to focus on cancer or we want to fund diabetes so it’s the lack of discussion and because it’s taboo there’s that lack of discussion.” However, she’s hopeful that desensitizing the disease will eventually further funding and development for proper solutions. “It’s political and there are plenty of priorities and unfortunately endo is definitely not one but I think people are ready to hear about the disease and put more money to properly study it. It deserves to be studied a lot more.” On Jan. 28, EndoAct Canada started the #ActOnEndo campaign to raise awareness for endometriosis. Their goal is to contact all MPs in the house of commons to advocate for the federal government to develop an action plan for people living with the disease. Since the campaign started, executive director of EndoAct Canada Kate Wahl says that the campaign is off to a strong start and they would love to contact all 338 MPs to spread the message. “We have a tracking sheet of MPs that have been contacted by advocates in the community. The last time I looked at it we’re sitting around 70 MPs in the first week,” Wahl said. “It really just speaks to the importance of this to people living with endo to see action and leadership from our elected officials on the issue.” More research and awareness is needed to spread the message so that more women can be efficiently and effectively treated, to avoid years of suffering and receive the proper treatment they so desperately need.
News
4
TUESDAY Feb. 15, 2022
The Concordian
Panel on Bill 21 highlights its issues The Socialist Fightback club organized the proMarxist event on how to fight back against the Bill FERN CLAIR Former Assistant News Editor
Over 80 participants attended an online panel on Feb. 7 geared towards Concordia students on how to challenge the controversial Bill 21. The event was hosted by Socialist Fightback an activist organisation that aims to promote Marxist ideas among students and workers. The group organized different panels such as ‘How to Overthrow Capitalism’, ‘The LGBTQ Struggle’ and the ‘Fight for Socialism’. “Bill 21 will not be enough for them, as soon as they need to scapegoat Muslims or another religious group, they will try and bring it [secularism] up again,” said Benoît Tanguay editor of La Riposte socialiste, who led the discussion at the panel. Bill 21 was passed in 2019, and bans the wearing of religious symbols by teachers and other government employees who are in positions of authority. The bill is the first of its kind in North America, with a grandfather clause that exempts employees already in said positions, though they lose these exemptions if they are promoted or transferred to another institution. In April 2021, the Quebec Superior Court upheld the majority of Bill 21, but stated the bill couldn’t be applied to teachers, principals, and vice principals at public schools who teach in English as it would violate the protected minority-language education rights. Tanguay explained that Bill 21 has to be fought by the classes and not the “bourgeoisie party,” as in the rich and those in power. According to Tanguay, it doesn’t matter if the people in power are liberal or conservative, both use racism as a tool to push their agenda. “Racism is a useful tool to divide workers, to channel their anger away from those in power,” said Tanguay. The National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM) said in a statement that “Bill 21 is a form of secondclass citizenship in Quebec, which is disturbing and is punishing minorities by withholding identities.” “It has come in the way of the careers of many Quebecers wearing a kippah, a turban, or a hijab. Simply put, forcing Quebecers to choose between their jobs and their identities is unjust,” explained the statement. In 2021, Fatemeh Anvari,
an elementary school teacher in Chelsea, Quebec was told she could no longer teach in class because she was wearing a hijab, and was moved to a position outside the classroom. The NCCM said that in 2019 they filed a lawsuit within 24 hours of Bill 21 being passed along with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, and while they have not yet been fully successful, they were able to strike down parts of the law earlier this year. Now the NCCM is headed to the Court of Appeal of Quebec to strike down the rest of the law. “This is not an easy road, not least because of the Quebec government’s use of the notwithstanding clause in the crafting of the law in an attempt to shield it from constitutional challenges,” said the NCCM. The United Nations has warned Canada about how Bill 21
violates fundamental human rights, and the NCCM have said they have been repeatedly disappointed as federal leaders sit on the sidelines, allowing the livelihoods of minority groups in Quebec to be taken away. The NCCM outlines steps people can take to help stop Bill 21, and they have begun a petition calling the Prime Minister to intervene. According to Change.org, if the petition
acquires 75,000 signatures it will be the largest one on the website. “We have seen students and community organizers rise up and protest the bill on the streets. But the road ahead is long, and we need to see more Quebecers and Canadians stand up and take action against this law,” implored the NCCM.
Concordia has no immediate plans to address boilwater advisory in the annexes running water to Concordia’s annex buildings. In a September 2021 communication by Concordia Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), it was announced that “preliminary findings appear to indicate the presence of lead in the water of certain annex buildings on the Sir George Williams campus.” The response by Concordia was to provide water bottles to the annexes,
Student Organizations feel Concordia’s struggle to permanently address water-advisories is indicative of other maintenance issues BY EVAN LINDSAY | News Editor
Since water advisories were first posted on Concordia’s downtown campus, little has been done to implement a long-term solution and provide clean
until free standing water coolers were eventually installed. They also posted signage at sinks and faucets. Further testing was completed to determine the severity of the lead content in the annexes. Following a second test, the water advisory in some buildings was removed. However, many buildings were still determined to have unsafe drinking water and were placed under water advisory. According to Internal Affairs Coordinator of the CSU, Harrison Kirshner, two of
the annexes that were particularly affected were the P and K buildings, where many club offices are located. “There is an investigation that needs to be done. It’s not a quick fix, unfortunately,” said Lina Filacchione, the manager of occupational health and hygiene for EHS. “We have to know where it’s coming from, what the actual problem is before you start to figure out what’s the solution to this.” Continued on page 7
News
TUESDAY Feb. 15, 2022
Montreal’s
5
The Concordian
Trucker Convoy Protest Photogallery at the scene of the anti-mandate manifestation PHOTO STORY BY CATHERINE REYNOLDS | Photo Editor
Police officers on bikes observed the crowd at Jarry Park as well as the nearby metro station.
Protesters voiced their opposition to Canada’s vaccine mandates, with signs stating “Assez la division et l’oppression. Non au passeport vaccinal” (Enough division and oppression. No to the vaccine passport). Many also wore black t-shirts with the words “#LibreChoix” (#FreeChoice).
After a march in Villeray, protesters gathered in Jarry Park among dozens of cars and trucks in support of the Freedom Convoy in Ottawa. The crowd was a sea of red and white from the protesters’ Canadian flags, several of which were flown upside down.
The anti-mandate protest, “Unis dans l’amour pour la liberté” (United in Love for Freedom), was organized by groups Quebec Pro Choix and La Jeuness au Front, among others. were flown upside down.
Many protester signs referenced religion, such as “Love of life starts with Jesus Christ!” and “Jésus sauve nous” (Jesus save us). There were also numerous flags and signs supporting former U.S. President Donald Trump.
6
News
TUESDAY Feb. 15, 2022
The Concordian
TOWN HALL: WHY THERE IS NOTHING WRONG ABOUT BLACK-ONLY SPACES Continued from cover NARMEEN IMAM | Contributor
terms of being in a group that understands you and shares the same experiences as you,” said Maxwell-Sarasua. “This was to prioritize our safety essentially because unfortunately, despite people’s best efforts and best intentions, they might not understand how they continue to perpetuate the harm that we’re trying to stop,” said Maxwell-Sarasua. The event was exclusive to Black students and alumni in an additional goal of protecting their privacy and encouraging participants to speak freely, without any judgment. “On the sensitivity issue, we [organizers of the event] signed up for this to act as representatives, but they [other participants] did not sign up to be the display,” said Isaiah Joyner, former general coordinator of the CSU. “Right now, we’re in brainstorming mode, but there’s going to be a time for allyship, there’s going to be a time for when people want to support the Black community,” added Joyner.
Main feedback from participants The Task Force offered 12 preliminary recommendations detailed in their report, as part of their two-year
mandate to address systemic anti-Black racism at Concordia. In getting students and alumni to register for the Town Hall, individuals were asked to fill a form indicating which recommendations they wished to prioritize during the meeting. The following three are the recommendations that were the focus of this Town Hall. 1. Create a certificate and minor program in the short term that focus on Black and African diaspora studies in the Canadian context and commit to the ultimate creation of a major program. Participants had two main strands of thought regarding this recommendation, says Maxwell-Sarasua. “One was that it can’t just be an isolated certificate or course that you can opt into — it should be part of a core-curriculum within all faculties.” “The other strand was to see how to corporate a diverse view of Black and African diaspora in terms of the curriculum and having an intersectional approach to building these programs while recognizing that we’re not all a monolith — we don’t all come from the same places or have the same experiences.” 2. Implement a mandatory and continuous university-wide training program on anti-racism that includes a specific chapter on anti-Black racism. “The main points for that one was mainly to offer Concordia students a kind ground line and
basis of information about microaggressions,” says Maxwell-Sarasua. However, participants during the Town Hall said they were skeptical about a one-off training that many would forget shortly after completing it, according to Maxwell-Sarasua. “I think the main focus was that there should be lived, and practical experiences implemented into the training,” says Maxwell-Sarasua, “it shouldn’t just be given by someone with a PowerPoint, rather it should be offered by local community members who can give more of a practical base rather than just generalized theories of microaggressions.” 3. Create a permanent student centre servicing Black students. “Now that we have the Black Perspectives Office, it’s kind of growing itself and has the potential to become this Black student center where you’ll have an office space and more social space for students,” says Harrison-Chéry. Participants shared how important they felt it is to have these dedicated spaces on both campuses, which are often predominantly white spaces, adds Harrison-Chéry. Another goal of this centre would be to reflect the diversity of students and understand different perspectives, including those of Black students who live in residences, or international students. “The goal is really to have a Black students center that revolves around all those different needs that Black students have across campus,” says Harrison-Chéry.
Forced to repeat messages Despite this being the first time the Task Force opened up its floor to hear from Black students and alumni about its preliminary recommendations, many sub-committees and the CSU have previously held similar student consultations regarding anti-Black racism. “The CSU had a town hall specifically related to the Black Lives Matter campaign and we noticed a lot of things overlap and similar discussions,” said Harrison-Chéry. “It’s important to acknowledge that these aren’t new ideas that we’re communicating,” she added. As part of the sub-committee that deals with history, Harrison-Chéry said she often comes across documents from the ’60s and the ’70s of Black students voicing similar opinions as today. “Black students say the exact same things and the exact same demands so hopefully this institutional push means that there’s no need for town halls like these in the future,” she adds.
More work needs to be done
ALEXA HAWKKSWORTH
“Even though this work won’t affect us right now in the short term, we know in the long run this is what needs to get done,” said Maxwell-Sarasua. “I find that there’s this sense of erasure — that this has been done by many people before us, so there’s this sense of ‘how much longer do we have to yell for us to be heard.’” Maxwell-Sarasua added that though we are far from the 1968 computer
centre incident era, “we still have a lot of work to do.” The 2015 documentary Ninth Floor depicts the events also known as the Sir George Williams Riot, where Montreal students occupied the university’s computer room for 13 days to protest discrimination — one of the most important student protests in Canadian history. “It’s not being told to Concordia students even though it’s part of Concordia history,” said Maxwell-Sarasua. Similar to this Town Hall event, the Task Force is hosting a Roundtable on Campus Safety and Security on Feb. 17 for Black students and alumni to share their ideas on making safer and more welcoming and supportive spaces.
TUESDAY Feb. 15, 2022
News
7
The Concordian
WATER COOLERS ARE GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE ANNEXES Continued from page 4 BY EVAN LINDSAY | News Editor
The origin of the lead will determine if the water issue falls under the city of Montreal or Concordia’s jurisdiction. But, the investigation to determine the origins of the lead is delayed and permanently fixing the issue is not Concordia’s first priority at the moment. “The main issue is really making sure that they have drinking water. That’s the base priority,” said Filacchione. Despite Concorida’s response, student organizations are feeling uninformed about the situation. Matthew Dodds is the office manager of Concordia’s Graduate Students’ Association, which is based out of the annex. He says the last communication regarding the water advisory came out last November. “Some updates like ‘we are still testing the water, or here are some infrastructure solutions we’re working on’ would have been nice,” said Dodds. “These are old buildings, we do deserve to know what’s going on in them, we do work in them. We provide services out of them.” While Dodds and other student organizations affected by the advisory want to be kept in the loop, there is not much more to tell them according to the EHS. “There’s been no new updates since then. We send updates when we are doing some testing,” said Filacchione. “It’s still ongoing. It’s still on the agenda, but as for the ‘when’ and ‘how long it will take,’ I don’t have the answer for that unfortunately.” The most likely next step according to Filacchione would be to get consultants to come and determine the source of the lead, but even that has not yet been put into motion. The lack of communication from Concordia’s maintenance services echoes other issues that Dodds has experienced working out of the annexes. “It took me two weeks to get a lightbulb
changed,” said Dodds. “I wonder sometimes if the maintenance team at the university is smaller than it should be.” Kirshner has been in communication with the university regarding the water advisory and other maintenance issues. Like Dodds, he says that this response from the university is nothing new. Many organizations have struggled in the past to receive prompt maintenance support. “It’s important for them to take action, because students deserve to have an on-campus environment no matter what building they’re in, including the P and K annexes. I think those are the annexes that most of student life takes place in, and clubs deserve to have adequate resources in their office space,” said Kirshner. “It’s typical of this institution. So, for example, the Muslim Students Association have a library at the ground floor of the E annex and the roof is about to collapse. So they can’t use the library. I’ve been trying to follow up [with Concordia] since September on this and they say ‘we’re working on it.’ Well, okay, but what are you doing about it?” Despite the fact that the university has
visit NASH84.com
Water coolers were provided in Concordia’s annex buildings. Signs were placed above drinking fountains to warn against using them. PHOTOS BY KAITLYNN RODNEY
followed through on their promise to supply water coolers, Kirshner wants to see greater action on maintenance issues. Kirshner says he has a scheduled meeting with EHS regarding clubs and the annexes in general where he wants to “get the ball rolling” on these issues. But for now, there are no long-term plans to provide clean running water to the annexes other than the installation of water coolers. Filacchione said they know these
spaces are occupied and used by many departments and faculty. “We need to be cognizant of that and make sure we’re meeting their needs.”
8
The Concordian
Commentary
TUESDAY Feb. 15, 2022
Do we properly engage with Black History Month? Black Concordia students on BHM, allyship, performatism, and how Concordia’s administration and non-Black student body can do better Special thanks to Sundus Noor, freelance journalist, and Amaria Phillips, co-founder and president of the Black Student Union for their contributions
On Black History Month Amaria Phillips: We should be able to do that all year. And that they believe that if we accept the month, we are basically accepting the bare minimum, and we’re accepting the fact that that’s okay. AP: I feel like this is a great way to focus in [on Black History]. I agree it should be for the whole year, it shouldn’t just be limited to one month. AP: [February can be] a moment where we learn so much. And we get to celebrate and just really have this moment for us. Obviously when February ends, yes, of course — continue the celebration. Let’s continue recognizing the people who made contributions in this society, in this world and in history.” Sundus Noor: Over the past couple of years, I haven’t really felt very connected to the holiday, or felt like it resonated with me, simply because of how it is perceived in Canada. [It feels as if] the attempts of education sometimes come across as very disingenuous. People just kind of don’t really see it as an important month most of the time and they just sort of scramble for content.
one who, you know, they’re not really super willing to do that, respect that. SN: It’s okay to be ignorant on certain situations or things. I think educating yourself, taking the time to learn, ask questions, [or] look[ing] at a lot of the resources that are available at Concordia is the step to educating yourself. AP: Things are posted, things are out there. But people just decide not to listen or read or take in the information. AP: I would like to see people participate in more active conversations. Not invading Black spaces, but when we do have [...] these conversations where we’re actually saying, ‘yeah, come
are not a part of that group may] feel very uncomfortable, when it comes to, you know, not wanting to step on people’s toes. [...] With that in mind, they often leave [the event planning] towards the Black student population to, you know, organize and do the events and do everything. A lot of [the responsibility] is sort of on us. SN: If people can work together, I think there would be like a way to collectively contribute and create events that are very much inviting to everyone, and also cater to Black students without feeling very awkward.
Resources, tools & fun things for BHM
On performatism in allies AP: Tap in as much as you can now, during Black History Month, so that you’re informed as much as you can be for the rest of the year. AP: I don’t mind the [post] resharing. But I just really hope that like, it’s being actually read and meditated on and understood. But also I hope that they’re not just relying on that one post for education or whatever. Because there’s only so much you could put in a post, right? AP: Reposting — that’s like the bare minimum. It’s great, but it’s the bare minimum as well. [...] Are you having those difficult conversations? Are you speaking up for Black people when you hear something racist, or whatnot, like, what are you doing actively, right?
“But where do I start?” AP: You gotta know who to ask. For me, I don’t mind personally. Yeah, I’m just that type of person. AP: For [a lot of Black activists], the work is draining enough. And to have someone on top of that [asking a bunch of questions], you know, kind of like asking a teacher for extra help after hours. It’s like, it’s after hours, you’re technically done, you know? [...] If people are out there willing [to help], you can see that the person is willing to educate, then gravitate towards that person. But if you come across some-
Black Healing Centre coming in Spring 2022
in, because we need to talk,’ be there.
When trying to amplify Black voices AP: So either you give the [opportunity to write/educate/create] to a BIPOC person, a person of colour, or if no one’s able to do it, then [do it yourself], but in a way where you’re saying, ‘this is not even about me, this is like me, amplifying the voice of someone who if I don’t do it, nobody’s gonna do it. AP: We can’t be saying we want changes, but no one is willing to actually be present to, you know, to help those changes move forward, right. So feel free to engage and be present when those [opportunities] are being offered. SN: When it comes to any month, or any celebration that is centered around a specific group of people, [people who
On Black experiences in the academic realm SN: I feel like the [Concordia] student body and the institution are two separate entities. In terms of [representation], the student body has the Black Perspectives Office, different clubs and even the student papers are always very diverse, and represent the student body, but I feel like the institution doesn’t really feel like it’s their job to do anything. SN: A lot of the programming for Black History Month is curated by people of different clubs. And with all that going on, [...] I feel like the most the university does is sort of share what’s going on as opposed to, you know, amplifying people’s voices. SN: Concordia, the institution – I don’t really think that they’re doing
the most that they can do for [Black] people. And I don’t know if there’s, like, an interest for that. Anytime I get an email from Concordia, I just see it as incredibly disingenuous.
To communicate to the non-Black Concordia student body AP: I’m not saying that you have to be a full-on advocate and speak as a spokesperson or a panelist about Black affairs. That’s not what we’re saying. [...] Because please do not speak for us. But there’s so many things that I feel like, you know, allies could do, that they’re not doing and yeah, and it goes back to like, are you speaking up? When you see that there’s only one Black person in the room, are you questioning that? [...] Did we take the chance to invite [Black people]? Did we give them equal opportunities? AP: That is what I’m talking about when I’m talking about allyship. Actively speaking up and doing things with your privilege that helps out the BIPOC community.” AP: There’s a lot of things that I would like to speak to, you know, non-Black people about that I don’t really fully understand. And it’s going to be a vice-versa thing. So having those conversations are necessary.” AP: Speak up when you see things that are not right, speak up when you’re, like, in a space and it’s just predominantly white.” SN: I think making the effort to educate yourself is like the first step of being an ally.” - Sundus Noor
Time to reflect If you take anything away from his article, it’s that you need to take the time and read, truly listen, and watch every marginalized voice you come across. You need to sit in the uncomfortable feelings of being a white person, complicit to the centuries of ongoing oppression still overwhelmingly present today. You need to do whatever is in your power to create an equitable world, where people can re-learn and accept history, and grow in spaces that encourage cultural heritage. You must create a space where marginalized voices can thrive in the absence of fear, persecution, assimilation and violence. Take a minute and think of what you can do to make things better — and how to be better.
Commentary
TUESDAY Feb. 15, 2022
9
The Concordian
It’s okay to be uncomfortable – confronting our complicity through The Lily Pod A Concordia podcast that teaches us how vulnerability can connect us to ourselves and each other BY ANTEA ZIVANOVIC | Contributor
Often when I think of Linneah Shanti, I think of all the things that have to do with feeling good. A feeling of goodness that isn’t attached to something I can hold, no matter how much I adore croissants and cappuccinos. A feeling of good-ness that unwinds from budding empathy, love in bloom. A feeling of good-ness that, like her podcast, would be the worst thing to keep secret. Originally from Ontario, Shanti is currently based in Montreal and in her third year of Interdisciplinary Studies in Sexuality at Concordia University. The two of us were introduced during our first semester at university. A year and a half later, in January 2021, she started The Lily Pod. The idea had been on her mind for a while before then, morphing itself from a yearning to create something special. What she ended up creating is now a space for learning and exploring, focused on the disentanglement of ideas and quenching curiosities. When I asked Shanti to try and contain The Lily Pod to a set of defining words, she playfully replied with “Queering the existence of life.” TC : So where did the name come from? LS: The initial intention for the name came from my desire for this podcast to be a safe, peaceful, and loving place. I decided to take garden imagery — which for me evokes a sense of calm, safety, serenity, and welcoming. Flowers, water, and green-
ery have always played a big role in my feelings of belonging and safety, which I wanted the podcast to reflect. ‘Lily’ is [also] a name my partner calls me because it’s an acronym for “Linneah I Love You,” which felt really special given the loving space I wanted to create. TC: Given that the podcast is something that is both yours and something you share — where does being vulnerable fit into this context? LS: It fits in with how I and listeners confront our own questions, instincts, and learned ways of thinking about the world. In the process of thinking about and creating the episodes, I’m constantly confronted with how much I want to share and what I really think about something… putting my thoughts into the void can be both really scary but also really liberating. I get a few messages a week from listeners interpreting what I’ve said in a really personal way, and I find this openness to vulnerability really special. It’s this cool cycle where this vulnerable experience for me is made public, then made personal to someone, and then reflected back to me… we’re all going through it together. TC: You’ve explored so many topics throughout the last year, from desirability, to the male gaze, to polyamory, to the complexities of gender… Is there one topic that has stuck with you more than the rest? LS: I immediately gravitate towards what it means to desire and to be desired in the unique context of our own indi-
Satire: Creative V-Day gifts guaranteed to impress — even a day late Who wants flowers anyways? BY TALIA KLIOT Assistant Commentary Editor GRAPHICS BY MEDLINE SCHMIDT
Your beloved Nivea lip balm is on its last legs. A daily walk to the pharmacy is in the cards for you this morning. You begrudgingly make the trek through the bitter cold to the nearest Pharmaprix (or maybe you’re a Jean Coutu person — this is a choose-your-own adventure, I guess). As you walk through the aisles, you’re met with semibare shelves full of pink everything — from chocolates, to teddies, to flowers. A shiver runs down your spine. Could you have forgotten? You brace yourself as you fish
around the old masks in your jacket pocket to find your cell phone. To your dismay, it proudly displays the date as February 15. You’re in deep shit. At this point, you’re panicking. How can you explain forgetting about THE holiday of love to your significant other? Will this be the end of your relationship? How can you come back from this? (In a blind frenzy, it slips your mind that they too may have forgotten). Luckily, you won’t have to, since I’ve compiled a list of the four best next-day Valentine’s Day gifts that put chocolate and flowers to shame, and are guaranteed to leave your lover enchanted enough to forget about you forgetting.
Swag socks I know what you’re thinking, but trust me on this one. While socks might seem like a simple stocking stuffer or a leftover Christmas present, you can repurpose them with the help of a sweet pun. By gifting your boo a pair of socks with a card reading “you knock my socks off,” you’ll not only make them a free elf but also warm their
vidual identities… how this intermingles with gender, sexuality, the body, perceptions. What it means to understand our positionality and using this understanding to connect us even if our experiences aren’t identical. TC: If there’s one episode you recommend to first time listeners, which one would that be? LS: The polyamory one! It was the first collaborative episode and was recorded with two beautiful friends. It felt like I was doing something more than just sitting down and recording… and it reflected a lot of different themes from a queer perspective, really encapsulating what The Lily Pod is.
How to listen to The Lily Pod
My favourite place to listen to Shanti’s podcast is in my bedroom, in the midst of my process of getting ready to go somewhere. I often catch myself audibly agreeing with her, or suddenly hyper-focused on a new thought she’s helped me connect with. Regardless of where I am when I hit play, I’ve found that by the end of each episode I’m always left feeling some type of new. The Lily Pod is available on Spotify, Buzzsprout, and Apple Podcasts. You can find more of Linneah Shanti @linneahrae and @thelily.pod on Instagram.
the sky out of a plane? This is also a pricey gift, which certainly helps with the lateness of the delivery. Everyone knows that expensiveness has a direct correlation to how much you care.
A will to live heart (and their feet). Bonus points if they have cartoons of an animal that your special someone has mentioned finding cute once. It’s almost effortless, but foolproof.
Relationship self-help book Is your person an avid reader? This is the perfect gift for them. Instead of finding the latest silly fiction, expand their horizons with something more personal and refined. A relationship self-help book is a genius way to satisfy their paper craving while setting yourself up for an even healthier connection. Regardless of whether or not your relationship is going smoothly, it’s always good to have tools in case it goes sour. Extra credit if it’s called “It’s Not You, It’s Me,” highlighting that you also have stuff to work on. It’s incredibly thoughtful — there’s absolutely no way your partner could get the wrong idea.
Skydiving tickets This one is pretty self-explanatory. What says “I love you” like being strapped to a stranger and falling from
This is probably the hardest to acquire — you won’t find one lying on the shelves of the pharmacy. To find a will to live, you’ll have to search far and wide, or maybe even embark on a quest. However, if you do manage to get one, this is the gift to end all gifts. If you succeed, please let me know. We might be able to get a two-for-one deal. With any of these items, you should have no trouble saving your Valentine’s Day. You’re welcome. And if for some reason, these ideas don’t work for you, you can always go for an apology or a heartfelt card, but that’s kind of basic.
10
Commentary
TUESDAY Feb. 15, 2022
The Concordian
What makes Molotov cocktails worthy for a journalist? In the pursuit of finding the answer to journalistic woes, I was reminded why I am here BY SRUTHI MATTA | Contributor KAITLYNN RODNEY
Omicron or I’m-in-class? Exploring the impact the return to campus is having BY RHEA GIULIANA | Staff Writer
I heard the ping of my email, and saw it was from Concordia — instantly, my heart started racing. I read the email and my heart sank. We were returning to campus as of Feb. 3, 2022. This was two weeks ago. Concordia has since re-opened its door to students, with most campus activities returning in person. My initial reaction to the news of in-person classes was anger and disbelief: was Concordia seriously doing this? We are still at the height of a pandemic, and their response was to make us all go back? I instantly started to spiral — at the time, this was the worst news I could have gotten. Truth is, going back to campus right now is scary. For one, I am the mom of a 15-month-old. He cannot get vaccinated, he cannot wear a mask. He is vulnerable to COVID. Now, twice a week, I have to go to campus and potentially expose myself to COVID even more so than before. On top of the added risk, Concordia doesn’t seem to be implementing too many measures to ensure that the return to school is safe. I would feel so much better if there were more measures put in place. This semester is now bound to be a mess. Don’t get me wrong — I want things to feel normal again. I just don’t know if that’s going to happen. I am frustrated and scared about being in person. I feel rushed in my return to campus. What was the real reason? Is it really just because of government directives? The reasons are varied. Many people I know are over COVID, and think that we just need to move on. They say that at this point, we have to accept COVID is not going away, so we need to “just live life” and let things go back to normal. I tend to fall more into the other category, where I think most of us just need a little more time. We need to remember that we have not officially entered the endemic phase here, and I think it would be better to value health and safety before other things. With all the conflicting opinions, we will never really know the real reason Concordia decided to go back in person so quickly. There are aspects of in person learning that I miss and am looking forward to. I miss jumping into conversations and not having to wait in the Zoom
queue — it would definitely make my seminars a lot more enjoyable. I’m even looking forward to something as simple as holding a physical book in the library again. Those things will be great, but not at the expense of me, my family, and my classmate’s health. All that being said, I am at a place where I have accepted that this is our shared hell-hole that we call reality. I don’t have much of a choice, other than signing the petitions calling for a slower transition that have been circulating. I have to comply, and make sure that I do what I can to be safe with my return to campus. I also realized that I don’t have to go through this alone. There are resources that I can access at Concordia that can help make this transition easier. Concordia offers short-term psychotherapy, which can help with the transition with going back to in person learning. Of course, the experiences that each student will get may not be the same. So it’s important to note that there may be some challenges accessing these services. Regardless, it is still a resource that Concordia offers, so at least getting some information about it can be a starting point to having support during a difficult time. While you are waiting for the professional services, there are things you can do on your own that could help. Something as simple as creating playlists with happy music might help put you in a better mood. Or cooking that dish you have been thinking about cooking for oh-so-long. Even going for a nice walk to get some fresh air, might make things a little less scary. One of the most interesting things is that Concordia offers some selfhelp tools, including a wellness tracking tool, and various workbooks that students and staff can consult. Sometimes we just need some self-reflection, and that may help. There are also text/phone support options that students can access. While most of these are external links, they are still being suggested through Concordia, like Wellness Together Canada, which has many resources and options for people to use and perhaps help them. Sure, they’re not perfect, and people need to explore what works best for them, but this is at least a foundation that could help students. While I am still incredibly nervous about the potential exposure, and wishing Concordia would do more, I have hope that with time and with access to resources, the semester will be the best it can be despite all the issues we are still facing.
Patricia Mukhim, an investigative journalist and the editor of The Shillong Times was greeted with a gasoline-filled Molotov cocktail at her house on April 17, 2018 in Meghalaya, India. She had been reporting on illegal limestone mining in the northeastern hilly state with a fragile ecosystem. Raman Kashyap, a freelance investigative journalist at Sadhana TV, Uttar Pradesh, India, was at first declared missing and later found dead on Oct. 4, 2021. He was covering the ongoing farmer protests where a vehicle of an official allegedly ran over protesters. I could have brushed these examples off as anomalies in the vast profession that is journalism. But the stats didn’t support me either. In Reporters Without Borders’s 2021 World Press Freedom Index that ranks nations according to their press freedom and safe reporting laws, India ranked 142 among 180 countries. This calls out a crisis in Indian journalism, the very crisis I decided to be a part of. These events and stats made it really hard for me to convince my dad to fund my journalistic interests. Like any Indian father, he too was religiously following the loud news debates, atrocious insensitive headlines, clickbait thumbnails and shameful coverage of what is now merely labelled news. He politely asked me to choose something else to pursue. When I first shared my intentions to still pursue journalism, the immediate response was a shocking “Why?” followed by a big “No.” My loved ones were worried about my safety — and it was a valid fear. They knew I would be too ambitious to cover a mere puff piece instead of a scandal. Thankfully, I convinced them. Once travel restrictions around the world were lifted, I flew thousands of kilometres from Hyderabad, India to Montreal to study journalism. I hoped that it would give me a global perspective on the respected profession. Soon after arriving, I luckily came across an investigative article by Ricochet Media, which reported on police brutality in Montreal against student journalists during a protest. The Canadian Association of Journalists also published a press release condemning multiple attacks on journalists and reporters covering protests in Montreal and Quebec City. They requested police to take action against the attackers. What I learned from instances like this is that the world views journalists and our profession as something to be restricted, disrespected, and controlled with an iron hand no matter the continent. Why do these journalists keep going back to the field, back to their newsrooms, back to reporting and investigating just to be shoved around, arrested and even killed? Why am I still
here writing for newspapers and looking for events to report on? It is because journalism is a powerful profession — one that I want to be a part of. My presence as a media person suddenly made people around me selfaware of what they said and did. That was something to take pride in. It’s crazy to think that I, a student journalist who just started her classes, am already making people nervous. It was this power of journalism that still drives me and convinced my loved ones to support me. Journalism is founded on the efforts made to seek the truth, and I believe that the profession derives its power from this truth. Truth-seeking is also one of the founding pillars of freedom of the press. In the same way, the makers of the Indian Constitution included freedom of speech and expression as some of the fundamental rights for its citizens, with a few press or media exceptions. But where do we draw the line in our reporting, when it doesn’t guarantee complete truth? Some journalists get hit with death threats and “sedition” cases for digging deep or getting closer to a hidden truth. However, those who spread and propagate falsified truths remain unaffected. The reason behind those who benefit from fabricating truth being unharmed is complex. When the truth is being weaponized, fabricated and projected from behind a shroud of imagined righteousness, those holding the weapon are not harmed, nor those who fixed the targets. I could be at the right place trying to debunk false news at the wrong time and become an easy target in this chaos. Now, I understand the collective concern and worry my friends and family had for me and my professional choices. In the wake of all this, what is journalism fighting for? For the truth that is losing its sanctity? For righteousness that is constantly maligned? For an ultimate value that can never be achieved? No. Journalism fights for change. Mukhim’s reporting moved the local government to make amendments to licensing limestone mining. This was a partial win as the illegal and environmentally harmful extraction of the locally abundant material hasn’t stopped. But neither will she. Efforts of journalists like Kashyap, along with many local farmers, enabled change. They covered different angles of the farming laws, collected reasons for the dissent, debunked fake rumours for over a year, and finally led the government to annul the new farming laws. Hope that change can be achieved, even in part, pushes journalists to keep going against the odds. It inspires young journalists like me to take up this profession so that in every article I write, I am able to push the wheel of change, one millimetre at a time. It is great to witness journalism striving for noticeable changes and generating value for itself by overcoming the negative effects of the actions of some of its own, seeking truth, and hopefully being safe to practice. Until then, cheers to Molotov cocktails on weekday nights.
TUESDAY Feb. 15, 2022
The Concordian
11
Features “You’re creating your own life based on what you want” Meet owner of the Cocktail Bomb Shop
Kiana Gomes, a second year Journalism student, started a bakeshop in the middle of the pandemic from the comfort of her own home. A few months later, she expanded her business to selling cocktail bombs. BY HANNAH TIONGSON | Assistant News Editor
During the first COVID Christmas holidays, most other students were taking a break from Zoom classes. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Kiana Gomes was converting her home into a Willy Wonka chocolate factory and perfecting her first “chocolate bomb.” Hot chocolate bombs are chocolate spheres filled with chocolate milk powder and marshmallows. When put into a mug with hot milk, they explode to make hot chocolate. Gomes thought they were a great way to treat yourself during the winter in lockdown. Gomes started her bakeshop to ease her boredom during quarantine and pursue her baking passion. During the first wave of the pandemic, she started baking cakes for friends and family. “I started making cakes because I didn’t really have a job because of the pandemic.” It was late October 2020; Montreal had just entered into a red zone, restricting people from non-essential activities and services. The weather was getting colder and the days shorter. Like many people, Gomes was stuck at home in need of distraction. When her mom suggested she sell her cakes on Facebook Marketplace, she began b a k i n g f i v e c a k e s a l m o s t e v e r y w e e k . Gomes baked custom birthday cakes using coloured frosting and edible decorations. Her personal favourite was an Among Us birthday cake. Inspired by a video she saw on Facebook, Gomes had the idea of making chocolate bombs for the holidays and decided to sell them on Facebook Marketplace. The chocolate bombs were the perfect product to sell during the cold winter stuck in another lockdown. In just a few weeks, she launched Kiki’s Bakeshop from her house around the Montreal area. Soon after she began her venture, her family members were welcomed by the mouth-watering smell of chocolate and peppermint. In contrast, the room itself was cold and dry — they had to turn off the heaters to keep the chocolate bombs from melting. As her family entered the kitchen, they were welcomed by the sight of chocolate bombs scattered along counters, leading up to her dining table. Around fall 2020, while most students keep their cameras off so no one sees their bedhead, Gomes closed hers so no one would see that her shirt was white with flour. With the help of her mom and two family friends, she made hundreds of chocolate bombs a day. Her family’s garage quickly turned into Gomes’ own mini warehouse. Sales exploded. Continued on next page
PHOTOS COURTESY OF KIANA GOMES
12
Features
TUESDAY Feb. 15, 2022
The Concordian
Gomes was selling chocolate bombs on Etsy, shipping them to the United States, while also selling them locally in Montreal. Local orders were picked at her house, while the U.S. orders were shipped through Canada Post. It was hectic; her days were long but felt short. During her Christmas break that year, Gomes started her days at 5 a.m, working over 12 hours. Time flew by as she packed what felt like endless boxes of bombs all day, drinking lots of hot chocolate in the process. However, as the holiday season came to a close, her chocolate bomb business started to die down. She knew that they would not be very popular after the winter months. Gomes needed a new idea to keep her business flowing. Inspiration struck when she came across a video on social media of a bartender in New York City making cocktail bombs for a special event. She then searched the recipe online and experimented to find the perfect ratio for the ingredients. For Gomes, putting the puzzle pieces together was a matter of trial and error. “The first bombs that we made are not even the same bombs that we make now,” said Gomes. “Before, it took longer to dissolve, now it dissolves in two minutes, and the flavours are stronger. There’s a lot of things that I figured out along the way.” The cocktail bombs are similar in concept to bath bombs. You add them to a glass of sparkling water and pour in a shot of liquor of your choice. They can also be prepared as mocktails, making it a great option for children and non-drinkers who wish to join in on the fizzy fun. Gomes’ cocktail bombs are unique. The ingredients have a high quality and natural focus, with the final products packaged in biodegradable plastic. These bombs make a great addition to any drink by adding fun colour and taste. A popular flavour is the Peach Bellini bomb. As Gomes describes, it tastes like a peach with a splash of tequila. Other choices include margarita, blue raspberry, raspberry orange, mojito, mimosa, and piña colada. Gomes’ involvement on TikTok was also a major factor in the success of her business, as she began making short videos to promote her products. “When I first posted the TikTok about the bomb, I knew it would be something big,” said Gomes. Gomes was happy with the amount of good reviews and comments from her TikTok videos.
“Because the business came so fast, we had a lot of time to adapt on what people were saying: what we should change, what’s good, what’s not good, to finally come up with this perfect product, but I wouldn’t even call it perfect, because it’s constantly evolving. Like tomorrow we might change something or add new flavours,” Gomes said. “I feel like the product is so new. It doesn’t really exist, [it] is is growing with the business,” she added. Her cocktail bombs are now being sold in different Linen Chest stores around Montreal, as well as Pusateri’s Fine Foods, and smaller gift stores. They are also shipped to the US and internationally through the Cocktail Bomb Shop’s website. Since March 2021,Gomes has seen her business grow exponentially. Instead of working from her workshop at home, she now owns an office in downtown Montreal, with 10 full-time employees. From working in her messy kitchen and garage, Gomes now has a small office and an open space with designated areas for her employees. The sections are divided into three departments: manufacturing, packaging, and shipment. The employees are constantly producing bombs, while Gomes focuses more on the on the administrative side of the operation, such as clearing paperwork, answering emails, taking phone calls and attending meetings. Though she misses making the cocktail bombs, she is very happy that her business has flourished. “Follow your passion, because I really liked baking so I decided to sell the cakes, and it brought me to this,” said Gomes. “Everything that I did was out of the fact that I enjoyed doing it. It wasn’t doing something that I was miserable in.” “If you want to be an entrepreneur, you just have to do what you love because the business can be generated from anything.” Gomes still attends university part-time while running her business. She explained that she loves the program and is willing to finish her degree as a backup plan. “Every day, it just continues to grow. I guess sometimes it hits me that it’s not that small anymore. I think that every day is just an adventure. I don’t know how big it’s going to get or if it’s going to stop tomorrow. Who knows? But right now, I’m just going to ride and see what it becomes.” Gomes’ quarantine hobby ended up creating the perfect product for a socially distanced picnic in the park. GRAPHICS BY JAMES FAY
TUESDAY Feb. 15, 2022
The Concordian
Arts
13
artist of the week.
COVER ARTIST AALIYAH CRAWFORD ON HER CONNECTION TO PRINTMAKING AND MORE Continued from cover
BY ASHLEY FISH-ROBERTSON Arts Editor
fascinating, it’s very labour intensive. But as I’ve been doing print now for nine years, I don’t feel the same way about it anymore. Now I’m really into monoprinting and book arts. I’ve been really enjoying that and finding different ways of using a medium that I think can be really rigid in a more flexible kind of way. TC: WHAT THEMES DO YOU LIKE TO EXPLORE IN YOUR WORK? AC: It’s a lot about me, it’s kind of like a diary or like a dream journal. I kind of meditate on my own experiences. For me, when I’m working, I don’t often know what I’m making while it’s happening. And then when it’s finished, I almost look back and learn secrets about myself that even I didn’t know. It’s really fun, but also kind of terrifying. TC: CAN YOU BRIEFLY WALK ME THROUGH YOUR ARTISTIC PROCESS? HOW DO YOU BRING AN IDEA TO LIFE? AC: Lately I’ve been making a lot of books, so when I’m doing a book project I tend to be writing all the time. I keep little notes on my phone or computer, and eventually I’ll start to notice a theme. If I keep writing about the same thing or certain key words keep coming back up, something’s happening. Usually it starts with a title. I tend to know the title of all my book pieces before I make them. So I’ll start to think about what I’m noticing in the work. I have a little studio space [at home], and I’ll take everything out. I work with a lot of different mediums, so I’ll take some stuff out and I’ll block off like five hours to make something. I’ll do that about five times and then I’ll go through everything I made and sort of notice a theme. Then I try to tease it out. I’ll work on the same pieces again, I’ll do a lot of layering, and revisit a lot of old things I made. There’s usually a lot of writing in my work, so I’ll edit what I wrote. Then I have to make it into a book, so I have to do the layout. When I make the book I either get it printed somewhere or I do it myself, and then bind the book. TC: YOU MENTIONED THAT YOUR WORK OFTEN CENTRES ON YOU, AND THAT IT’S ALMOST LIKE A DIARY. I WAS WONDERING IF THERE ARE ANY PARTICULAR PIECES YOU’VE CREATED THAT CAPTURE YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A BLACK ARTIST? WHAT HAVE THESE PIECES TAUGHT YOU
ABOUT YOURSELF? AC: With my work being so autobiographical, it inevitably captures some of the essence of my experiences as a Black person. Some of my work has brought up memories from my childhood where I experienced racism before I really understood what it was. I think it left me with a feeling of being other, growing up in a predominantly white community. It’s been interesting revisiting those memories as an adult through my work and reshaping the narrative that I had internalized about myself. TC: HOW HAS YOUR WORK EVOLVED OVER TIME? AC: It’s becoming more honest and less fixated on perfection. I think when I first started making art I spent a lot of time making things that I thought other people wanted me to make. I think I was just trying to figure out, in terms of getting a degree and pursuing it as a career, how I could make art that’s marketable. Now I don’t think about anything (laughs). It’s so much more fun that way. I feel like when I started studying it in CEGEP, it kind of sucked the joy out of it, because everything I made was part of my art practice and part of some overarching creative narrative of my life. I longed for when I was a kid and I would make art for hours and hours on end, and I never really thought about what I was making or what it meant, if people would like it,
if I could make money off of it, or if it was important. That’s why I wanted to be an artist, because I love that process.
GAB CASTELO
TO SEE MORE ON CRAWFORD AND HER WORK, VISIT AALIYAHCRAWFORD.COM OR FIND HER ON INSTAGRAM @AALIYAH.I.CRAWFORD PRINTS BY AALIYAH CRAWFORD
14
Arts
TUESDAY Feb. 15, 2022
The Concordian
INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGIES at the Eastern Bloc art gallery The gallery just opened their new spaces with a show that features largescale artworks STORY AND PHOTOS BY VÉRONIQUE MORIN Assistant Arts Editor
Technology fuses with physical interactions in Eastern Bloc’s most recent exhibition titled Techno//Mysticism. The show features four works from emerging artists who explore new possibilities for technology in their artistic practices. It is the first event to take place in the art gallery’s new space. “Ultimately, technology may never provide the transcendence we seek, instead operating as a pixelated reflection of our enduring quest for meaning, both inside and outside of the digital realm,” reads the opening statement of the exhibition. This excerpt sets the tone for a show that leaves visitors with unanswered questions and reflections on their relationship with the digital world. Located on Louvain St. in the industrial area of the District Central, the Eastern Bloc gallery is not exactly the type of business that one would expect to come across in the neighbourhood. With windows offering a view of the surrounding concrete buildings and parking spaces, the art hub feels like a little world of its own. Catherine Averback, production coordinator for Eastern Bloc, described the pieces of the show as “very physical, both in terms of their actual scale, and in the way that the audience is asked to interact with them.” Xuan Ye’s work ERROAR!#1, placed beside the entrance, particularly speaks to this statement. The piece is a large-scale representation of an artificial intelligence brain that has been printed on a two metre square vinyl sheet. The artist was inspired by the defeat of one of the most talented players of the board game Go, Lee Sedol, against an AI adversary called AlphaGo in 2016. The piece presents the immensity and complexity of AlphaGo’s brain. Ye invites visitors to get close to the work and even walk on it. A QR code grants access to an augmented reality website. Visitors are then able to experience the work and see words appear on top of it through the platform. By this point, visitors might have noticed constant rumbling sounds playing in the gallery. They get louder
and louder when approaching the work titled O )))) Ghost Echoes ; Where Pathways Meet. The high tower-like creation features small windows to look into. To see what is presented, one must step on the sand surrounding the piece. The closer visitors get to the installation, the more the volume increases. Marilou Lyonnais A. created this sound installation with Etienne Montenegro. O )))) Ghost Echoes ; Where Pathways Meet is equipped with a system that detects human presence and distributes sound accordingly. The videos featured in the art creation present internet archives gathered by the artists. As explained in the presentation of the work, the piece considers the relationship individuals have to technology since it “evokes the echoes of virtual solitude and media feedback,” reads the text accompanying the art piece in the gallery. For Averback, another aspect of the show is that “all of the works in there physicalize technology in a way that the visitor […] becomes very aware of the container and not just the content.” This reflection especially relates to
Baron Lateigne’s work, Nature Morte 7, which first shows the insides of an electronic system to the audience. Lanteigne assembled seven screens in a visually striking sculpture. The main piece hangs from the ceiling. Viewers first see its electronic inner workings highlighted by fluorescent lights. It features colourful digital videos at the front of the exhibit, and on the floor six illuminated screens are placed on top of a pile of cables. An abundance of bright green plastic leaves complements the work. Their presence enhances the piece title’s play on words, being Nature Morte 7, as digital representations of nature are contrasted with fake physical plants. The Scryer, an intriguing art creation by Nicolas LaPointe, also requires visitors to get closer to experience it fully. A long and thin white marble piece catches the eye. On it are minuscule inscriptions. A microscope slowly scans the line of the text which is transmitted on a screen beside the work for viewers to read. Lapointe’s creation presents excerpts of advertisements on Kijiji that were engraved with a laser on
the marble. The art piece presents an interesting duality between the meticulous work of the creator and the absurdity of the words featured in the work. In Techno//Mysticism, Eastern Bloc has brought together a small group of artists who all question the place given to the digital aspects of our society. As explained by Averback, the show reflects on “the ways that technology and our lives are sometimes confusingly interlinked.” This exhibition also speaks to Eastern Bloc’s larger mission, which is aimed at supporting emerging artists and their experiments with science and technology. The art hub’s new spaces provide creators with more possibilities for workshop spaces and artistic residencies. With this new show, the gallery offers a unique experience by balancing discoveries, curiosity, and absurdity. TECHNO//MYSTICISM IS PRESENTED UNTIL FEB. 26 AT 53 LOUVAIN ST. W.
Arts
TUESDAY Feb. 15, 2022
15
The Concordian TAYLOR REDDAM
Glimpse into Wifredo Lam’s The Jungle Despite Lam’s extensive collection of works, one particular painting persists as his most memorable BY ASHLEY FISH-ROBERTSON | Arts Editor
Shake off those winter blues with some exciting new art events this month
Until March 20th. Jouer av ec le temps : Photography exhibit featuring circus artists presented at TOHU. Loc ated at 2345 Jar r y St . E unti l Mar ch 13.
Until March 13th.
Art event roundup: February
WIFREDO LAM
Until March 26th.
Without any context, Cuban-born artist Wifredo Lam’s The Jungle could be perceived as a wild fever dream, where surreal creatures are intertwined with the jungle’s flora. Stare at this piece for long enough, and you might convince yourself that you’re able to make sense of the jumble of limbs as you attempt to figure out which foot belongs to which creature. Or, stare at the piece for too long, and you might become more and more confused. Many people appear to be equally mesmerized and stumped by this painting, mainly for its unruly blend of cubist-style shapes and its restrained colour palette, with its cool blues and tinges of red and orange that aid in concealing Lam’s creatures. None of the beings in this painting clearly resemble humans, though they do share several human characteristics, such as feet, hands, and eyes. If one starts to examine The Jungle in all of its painstaking detail, they might find some things that appear out of place. Take for instance, in the top right corner of the artwork: a hand grasping a
large set of shears. Or if we examine the jungle’s trees closer, we’ll find that their trunks resemble something else entirely: sugar cane stalks. While these two details could easily be skimmed over, they’re important hints in regards to Lam’s inspiration for this chaotic piece. Cuba, with its history of slavery and colonialism, served as a catalyst for The Jungle, with Lam explaining, “I wanted with all my heart to paint the drama of my country,” Lam explained, “to disturb the dreams of the exploiters.” The shears and sugar cane stalks can be perceived as a commentary on the colonizers who arrived in Cuba during the sixteenth century. Much of Lam’s work seeked to celebrate Afro-Cuban spirituality and culture, and also served to change the ways in which people viewed colonized countries. Lam’s work offers an insight into the country’s diverse cultural background, and instead of focusing solely on the role that colonizers played in the country’s history, he manages to reclaim western notions of Cuba being a primitive country, utilizing them in his art to create engaging, abstract scenes. Although Lam produced an impressive variety of works throughout his career as an artist, The Jungle persists as one of his most complex works to date.
Feb. 18 to May 15.
Until March 13th.
BY VÉRONIQUE MORIN Assistant Arts Editor ASHLEY FISH-ROBERTSON Arts Editor The Disint egr ation Loops: Living Sound presents this immersive installation featuring works from composer William Basinski. Loc ated at the Phi Centre
Feb. 18 to Sept 18.
NFB Film Fe sti val : Several special events are underway courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada to celebrate Black History Month, including screenings and Q&A sessions. This year’s theme is centred around Black Health and Wellness.
Feb. 16 to 19.
Feb. 20. Feb. 19 t o 22 .
16
The Concordian
Music
TUESDAY Feb. 15, 2022
Musicians in the wake of COVID Three artists from different walks of life speak on the the effects of COVID BY SARO HARTOUNIAN Assistant Music editor
William Cote-Monroe treads carefully around his studio apartment filled with amplifiers and music gear. His multi-holding guitar stand shares a space with his refrigerator in the kitchen. Where you would normally find the television, you see a home studio where he spends his free time recording and practicing music. His KRK speakers stand in place of house plants. This is the after-effect of COVID’s wake that Cote-Monroe and so many other musicians are left in. The pandemic left many stranded without a job, livelihood, passion, and in extreme cases, a place to call home. When Montreal went into lock down in March 2020, starting on March 20, 2020 to be exact, Cote-Monroe was in Ontario playing as a guitar player for a group called Chinsee and the Eclipse. They had just played in London, Ontario the night before and their Toronto gig was then cancelled with their Montreal show following suit. To add the cherry on top, schools were also cancelled for two weeks. “I had a feeling that it was gonna be much longer than two weeks. It just didn’t seem feasible. The two weeks was probably just to comfort us,” said Cote-Monroe. Faced with having quite a bit of work suddenly disappear as an artist, and the severe reduction of income, and loss of momentum that came with it, Cote-Monroe had to shift certain priorities in his life. “All these festival gigs that I was going to have during the summer which were supposed to launch my career just dried up,” he said.
Cote-Monroe plays very few shows, and the majority of them happen to be solo shows, which entail just a guitar and vocals. That’s easy. However, playing with others now chalks up to more of a task as vaccine passport limitations fell into place. “You have to acquire your QR code to play and it became quite frustrating to play with other people because others didn’t have their QR codes and neither did members of the audience,” Cote-Monroe said. These audience members then get kicked out and if there were three to four bands playing at the event they all end up going home with nothing. “It’s more worth it to bring your friends over to watch you jam,” he said. Cote-Monroe hopes to add a full-time drummer and bassist into his ensemble, as well as get a driving license and a van for the band in order to be on the road every other week around Quebec and Ontario. The struggle will soon reveal itself as Cote-Monroe will have to start on a clean slate when it comes to networking with other artists and finding new jobs to help him sustain his goals as a full-time musician. Fortunately, the pandemic led to him centralizing himself and his creative outlook. He picked up drawing for his album artwork. “I’m not some trained sketcher and I’m just drawing art that I vibe with,” Cote-Monroe said. He is currently also learning the ropes in mixing and mastering so that he can ideally release a song per week because he can write like that now. “I’m just trying to bring it back to that level of which I can release music that I like and people care about.” What affects artists, naturally stems
Guillaume’s picks A lot of hot rap songs have seen the light of day recently, enough to make my hyperactive ass sit back, put them on a loop and relax. With that said, here are three songs that have been in my rotation lately. JOHNNY P’S CADDY BENNY THE BUTCHER, J. COLE
On Repeat OUR MUSIC EDITORS SHARE WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO LATELY
This hookless single sees Benny the Butcher and J. Cole both spit back to back striking verses with a heavy delivery riding along a chill instrumental. ETA (WITH SNOOP DOGG, BUSTA RHYMES & ANDERSON .PAAK) DR. DRE Released for the new GTA update, this collaboration features an amazing soul-sampled beat and a great chorus by Snoop Dogg. The best part of the song is without a doubt when
JAMES FAY
from what affects venues. There has been a collective called Growve MTL which organises music shows in the form of live sessions at several locations but mainly on the Saint Laurent and Saint Denis streets, including Turbo Haüs and Blue Dog. The event’s cofounder is none other than Shayne Assouline, a jazz studies student at Concordia, alongside professional beatmaker Shem G and Marcus Dillon, a silvertongue lyricist. According to Dillon, a member of the Dust Gang community, they are both members of a band named The Many which congregated in 2018 at a pub called Urban Science, which offers jam sessions under their “Le Cypher” event. Growve MTL’s main act is The Many, who are linked with the Dust Gang community. Dust Gang’s goal with Growve MTL is to have musicians who are at ease with their musical skills come together, so that they always contribute something new each time. Even if they play the same song at many events, they make each show fresh in this way. For example, because of their diverse influences and past experiences, a new musician with a violin will perform differently than the other stringed musician, like a bassist. They are set to return to the local scene on March 2 according to Assouline. Joseph Mascis (J) is the frontrunner of the Americana suburban alternative rock band known as Dinosaur Junior. As a band, they have been active since the late ‘80s, spanning
almost four decades. Before COVID, the band only stopped playing live shows once in the 90s due to conflict between members. However, the pandemic has put a new stress on the group, causing them to stop twice in total. “People always come up to me and say ‘COVID must’ve been great for you,’” Mascis said. “Um, well actually no, I haven’t liked it at all, I mean.” Emmett Jefferson Murphy, Dinosaur Jr. drummer, stated at one point that he didn’t even have a family to go back home to. He would be holed up in the house alone with nobody to converse and interact with during COVID. “It’s not easy, far from it in fact,” said Mascis. Mascis’ famous wall of Marshall 4x12 amps crowded his living room, while the Jazzmaster and Telecaster lay pell-mell over the couch. His living space was in disarray and one can tell he is not used to it. “It was horrible, I mean, I just haven’t been home that much ever since I was a kid or something, it’s just not how I usually live my life, I’m always going places and touring, so it was tough.” Cote-Monroe says that “everything is temporary,” and maybe it is, as Assouline and Mascis share his sentiment on the whole COVID ordeal. As the artists wait to go back out on tour again to exercise their passion, they’ll have to overcome the main COVID hurdle just like they hurdle over the smorgasbord of equipment in their houses.
Dr. Dre and Anderson .Paak trade bars at the beginning. A must-listen.
Frusciante back as the band’s guitarist has delivered, ironically with a fitting title: “Black Summer.” A darker song from them than usual, but it still feels like driving through the Hollywood Hills.
2012 (FEAT. DAY WAVE) SABA A wonderful song about a young teenage school love over a laidback beat. Saba provides a great hook and also solidifies himself as an incredible storyteller on this one.
Saro’s picks My most recent music sessions have been all over the place: a little bit of funky Red Hot Chili Peppers, a little bit of soft grunge Eddie Vedder, and a little bit of alternative/indie with Father John Misty. That being said, my volatile music taste has brought me many a gem which I would love to share with you. BLACK SUMMER RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS This well-awaited single with John
INVINCIBLE EDDIE VEDDER An uplifting song from the surfer grunge icon with strong elements of Bruce Springsteen. This definitely sounds like a song that could be in a surfing documentary the moment the athlete goes through the eye of the wave. Q4 FATHER JOHN MISTY If ABBA and Rufus Wainwright could have collaborated, they would have made this song. It’s a warm and happy melody involving a harpsichord (weird right?) that could be played in a Wes Anderson movie.
Music
17
TUESDAY Feb. 15, 2022
The Concordian
Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show: Dr. Dre’s family reunion on home ground was a spectacular one This star-studded halftime show was one for the ages. BY GUILLAUME LABERGE | Music Editor
Whether you are a football fan or not, Super Bowl Sunday is always a night you circle in your calendar. Some might use this yearly event as an occasion to appreciate one of the most-watched sporting event of the year, others use it as an excuse to gather round with friends and family to drink cold brews and eat an unreasonable amount of chicken wings. One thing is for sure though, everyone enjoys the halftime show. From 15 to 20
Quickspins The Toronto-based group doesn’t let listeners hold back the watergates WILD RIVERS SIDELINES WE RATE IT 8/10 TRIAL TRACK AMSTERDAM SARO HARTOUNIAN Assistant Music Editor
minutes packed with performances from legendary artists to the likes of Prince, Beyonce and Paul McCartney creates one of the most talked about music events of the year — propelling superstars into legendary status. The LVI Super Bowl made no exceptions by spoiling hip hop fans with the invitation of Dr. Dre and friends to headline this year’s show. And by friends, I mean four of the greatest MCs the legendary producer has ever worked with: Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige. With the Super Bowl taking place in the Golden State, it was only natural to name the Compton native Dre as a headliner. The show started off with Dre and Snoop appearing on top of small white
houses, to perform their hit “The Next Episode,” followed by 2Pac’s “California Love,” where Snoop rapped the late East Coast rapper’s verse. Following another track from the two, both Blige and Lamar performed two songs of their own while Eminem jumped on the chorus of “Forget me Drew” before performing his own “Lose Yourself.” An upside-down 50 Cent made a surprise appearance on the set to rap his hit song “In Da Club.” While far from being the most visually stunning or creative halftime show, the music more than made up for it with hit after hit being played. This concert saw six of the most influential hip hop artists of the millennial generation, one being arguably the greatest
rapper of the 2010s perform their best work. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg without a doubt stole the show, showcasing that Cali connection and looking like the coolest fifty-somethings out there. Lamar’s theatrical performance was also a highlight, with the Compton artist performing what might be his most important song “Alright” – especially during Black History Month. And while I could have gone without Mary J. Blige’s or Eminem’s performances to let the three West Coast rappers sing more songs, I get their inclusion to this lineup and they still did their thing. All and all, this year’s halftime show was a memorable one and Dr. Dre orchestrated what might be the best hip hop-focused Super Bowl halftime show of all time.
Well folks, here you have it: the new album Sidelines by Wild Rivers has been released. It has been six years since their first self-titled LP and they’ve used the time to mature and develop their musical craft. Hailing from Toronto, Ontario, the Canadian folk band consists of Devan Glover, Khalid Yassein, and Andrew Oliver. Their use of songwriting elements often reminds avid neo-folk listeners of Gregory Alan Isakov, The Paper Kites, and Blanco White. Sidelines is a thirty-minute trip down high school memory lane, reminiscing of the many milestones that are staples within one’s journey through adolescence. The opening track “More or Less” sets the theme for the rest of the album. The band is thinking back to the good old days of high school with lyrics like “The best friend you had for ten years, that video store just disappeared, first person that you loved, last time you used algebra.” Did they peak back then? Sounds like they did. The album takes a heartbreaking turn with the third track called “Long Time,” where Yassein and Glover emulate a phone call between two high school sweethearts that have broken up, but Glover’s character still hasn’t moved on. “Four years, how you wanna play
this?” It’s been a while since they have spoken to one another but whenever they do it feels like they were the same “two kids lying in the basement.” While there is a lot of reminiscing, Glover knows that she has to bring herself back to the present, even though it’s emotionally painful. “I gotta get along
tance boyfriend,” said Yassein, in an interview with Music For The Misfits. It almost seems like the entire album is a road trip of sorts, looking at life flash past you through the side windows like Bon Jovi’s “Lost Highway,” only a little softer. The sixth track “Weatherman” successfully reproduces this feeling with lyrics like “Rolling down the window of the driver’s seat, looking for a place to breathe, knowing where I’m at and where I’m meant to be, trying to close the space between.” Being one of the more upbeat songs, the moral behind it has a more positive undertone than the other songs: be present and “look around, you’re missing all the good stuff.” Perfect to put on while taking a trip down memory lane with an old photo album of your youth, or just during some down time. There’s no denying that Wild Rivers has their own sound. When it comes to indie/folk they have the textbook slide guitar in the background to give a dreamy feel, yet they’re not afraid to use pad presets of synthesizers (pads being background chords that ring out), filling the space and giving a softer feel to the song itself.
with life, but you still run my mind.” Did you think you were done being heartbroken? Think again, because two tracks later it’s “Amsterdam,” which “is the retelling of a friend’s breakup, who had big plans to move to Europe to be with her long-dis-
18
The Concordian
Sports
A long-awaited return to competition for Concordia’s basketball program The extended pause to the RSEQ regular season was a burdensome time for the Stingers, but has given the teams additional time to fix issues in their game BY LIAM SHARP | Sports Editor
On Monday, the RSEQ announced the resumption of university games as of Feb. 14, following Premier Legault’s press conference last Tuesday. Before the return of the regular season, here’s what you need to know about the Stingers basketball teams.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Concordia finished their November slate of games with an underwhelming 2-2 record after a promising start to the season, which saw the Stingers beat McGill and Bishop’s in commanding fashion. Head coach of the women’s team Tenicha Gittens knows her players have the ability and talent to win on any given night, but has preached consistency above all else over the extended break. “The first four games were like a rollercoaster ride for us,” Gittens said. “It’s one thing to be good, [...] but we’ve been working on finding the competitive fire and sense of urgency from the jump. The RSEQ is well balanced, so we really need to bring our A game every single night.” “Right now, we have this bitter taste in our mouth from the way things ended
[in November], so it’s about keeping that level of urgency throughout.” In some ways, the long layoff from competition was a blessing in disguise for the Stingers. For the players with high-usage rates like Caroline Task, Coralie Dumont, and Nelly Owusu, the break allowed their bodies to recover for a looming playoff push. Several players were coming off injuries to begin the season, and used the time to properly adjust to the in-game intensity. Johannie Lamoureux is a first-year guard who has been out of the lineup this season due to concussion protocols, but should now be getting significant minutes according to Gittens. Serena Tchida is another freshman who will need time to bounce back from her past knee setbacks. Gittens praised the entire team for the dedication they’ve shown during the hiatus, but emphasized two players in particular. “Myriam [Leclerc] is just a naturally gifted player. She can average 14 points [per game] and people think she’s okay, but really she can average about 22 [points per game]. We’re starting to see glimpses of that and that’s really exciting,” Gittens said. “Areej Burgonio gets the whole team going,” Gittens added. “She’s exciting, she’s our heart, our energy.”
MEN’S BASKETBALL Much like the women’s squad, the Stingers men are looking to improve on their 2-2 record. In discussing the first four games of the year, men’s basketball head coach Rastko
Popovic was proud of the way the team defended down the stretch. “Our game against Bishop’s [on Nov. 18], we kept them under 50 points, which isn’t something you see often in our league when you see some scores in the 80s and 90s,” Popovic explained. “In practice, we spend a lot of time working on our defence, because we can’t really control our offence, but what we can control is how hard we move our feet and rebound.” At the end of the day, defence can only take a team so far, and the team’s offence, particularly their three-point shooting, will eventually need to follow suit. Through four games, the Stingers have gone 23-106 on their attempts from beyond-the-arc, which come out to a little under 22 per cent. Popovic was quick to point out that many of the looks were wide-open, and said it’s simply on the players to knock them down. “Olivier Simon has been very dominant for us, but we need to do a better job of supporting him outside the paint by knocking down our threes,” Popovic said. “If we can do that, the entire offence will open up for us.” Simon has led the Stingers in scoring and total rebounds in three out of four games played so far, demonstrating his importance to Concordia’s system as their go-to guy. Popovic was also impressed with his rookie guards Alec Phaneuf and Olivier Koumassou Bernier, who earned their spot in the rotation. Sami Jahan had a slow start in his sophomore year considering his standout rookie status in the 2019-20 season, but the Stingers coach expects the point
TUESDAY Feb. 15, 2022
Stingers’ forward Name facing off against the Laval team in the fall semester. PHOTOS BY CATHERINE REYNOLDS
guard to bounce back from his shooting slump in the second half of the season. Popovic would have liked his team to have had more time to practice together, but said he’s happy to see his players get a chance to do what they love again. “With only eight games when things start back up, it’s going to be like a mini season where every game will become even more crucial for standings in the playoffs,” Popovic remarked. “It’s exciting and if we can improve our offence, I think we’ll be a very fun team to watch.”
STINGERS’ FORWARD OLIVIER ROY
Sports
TUESDAY Feb. 15, 2022
19
The Concordian
The Blackhawks attempting to silence the past and Kyle Beach’s case does not mean moving on
JAMES FAY
Addressing what happened to Kyle Beach in 2010 is a crucial part in making sure today’s Blackhawks players feel safe BY MARIA BOUABDO Assistant Sports Editor Trigger warning: this story contains mentions of sexual assault.
“We’re not looking back at 2010, we’re looking forward.” “We’re not going to talk about Kyle Beach.” “We’re not going to talk about anything that happened.” The above was said to reporter Mark Lazerus from The Athletic by Chicago Blackhawks owner Rocky Wirtz, when asked what the team is doing to make sure what happened to Kyle Beach doesn’t happen again. In 2010, Beach was a black ace on the Blackhawks, a minor league player brought onto the NHL squad as an extra skater during Chicago’s playoff run. The Blackhawks ended up winning the Stanley Cup that year, but the truth about Beach being sexually assaulted by former video coach Brad Aldrich got buried under the team’s success. The people who should have supported Beach, and who should’ve helped him get the truth out, looked the other way. It took over 11 years for the full story to come out, after an independent investigation by law firm Jenner & Block came to an end and a full report was released in October 2021. The report states that “two former Blackhawks players claimed in their interviews and publicly in 2021 that, during the 2010 playoffs, ‘everyone’ knew about Aldrich engaging in inappropriate conduct with players.”
On top of this, the organization’s mishandling of Beach’s case led to another victim, who remains anonymous, and multiple alleged victims coming forward. The Blackhawks organization has been heavily criticized for their mishandling of the situation, only adding fuel to the fire with the quotes from Wirtz at the latest Blackhawks town hall event on Feb. 2. How can one look forward without looking back? How is it possible to move on from something without processing it first? In a statement released to the public a few hours after the event, Wirtz apologized about his outburst at Lazerus and Phil Thompson, a Chicago Tribune reporter, who was also irrationally shut down by Wirtz in a similar way. However, his initial reaction to the question, and his silence on what the organization’s present situation looks like are more telling of how wrong and concerning the present situation appears. Lazerus asked a fair question: “what are the Blackhawks doing, what have the Blackhawks done, what will the Blackhawks do to empower a player in a similar situation to make sure that doesn’t happen again?” It is even more justifiable to ask this knowing it took over 11 years for the full story to come out and for everyone involved to pay the consequences of their actions, to an extent. The Jenner & Block report was followed by management members involved in the 2010 incident leaving the team. This includes Stan Bowman and Al MacIsaac, the general manager and senior vice president of hockey operations, respectively. Aldrich left the Blackhawks in 2010 after the end of the season, but volun-
MADELINE SCHMIDT
COLOUR COMMENTARY Brian Flores’ uphill battle against the NFL shows flaws in the league’s hiring process
ON FEB. 1, THE FORMER MIAMI DOLPHINS HEAD COACH FILED A CLASS-ACTION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE NFL AND ALL 32 TEAMS BY LIAM SHARP | Sports Editor
It’s not unusual for drama to surface in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. For some reason, the extra
teered at a high school in Michigan, where he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old student in 2013. He was sentenced to nine months in prison and was added to the list of sex offenders in the state. Aldrich’s name was also scratched out from the Stanley Cup with a series of “X’s” following the investigation report on the Beach case. It definitely does not feel like the punishment fits the crime. Both the Blackhawks and the NHL are to blame: the Blackhawks for how they handled the situation and allowed it to stay secret for years, and the NHL for how it responded to the investigation report, with only a $2 million fine. There should’ve stricter punishment, which only shows how much progress the NHL still has to make. One cannot see how this story unfolded without wondering how much less harm it would’ve caused if it were handled properly. Instead of hiding the truth and not supporting Beach, what if the management had gone to the police? How would it have unfolded then? That is all hypothetical; nothing will ever change the past: how the Blackhawks mishandled the case
in 2010, and the trauma that will haunt Beach for the rest of his life. But what could change is the present and the future of the team and its players. What can also be done is making sure nothing of the sort happens again. But that cannot be done by silencing the past and forgetting about it. Ensuring these players feel safe should be the number one priority of the organization, and that simply cannot be done by staying silent. People in power have to know they can’t do whatever they want and get away with it, and the players need to know the entire team, management, and staff stand with them, and will support and protect them if need be. Making the locker room a safe space for players to talk about anything would be a good first step. That can only be done by addressing the Beach case, letting players know that the organization is aware of their wrongdoings, and asking them what they would like to see occur to make sure it doesn’t happen again. But the absolute last thing that should be done is staying quiet.
week of hiatus (ignoring the Pro Bowl, because I honestly don’t know a single person who cares) tends to stir the kettle of NFL headlines. A little over a week ago, Brian Flores’ NFL lawsuit became this year’s pre-Super Bowl noise that dominated sports media. Among the many allegations outlined in his 58-page filing, the former Dolphins head coach spoke out about his personal experience with racial discrimination in the league’s hiring process. The story was a topic of discussion on mainstream news platforms and latenight talk shows in the days following the allegations. I won’t go into the details here but there’s no shortage of information available, and Flores has since spoken about the lawsuit in an interview on ESPN’s “Get Up.” Super Bowl LVI will be a wildly entertaining and eventful distraction, as the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams battle for a oncein-a-lifetime chance at immortality. But once the limelights dim, I hope developments in Flores’ situation continue to nab the attention of sports fans. Objectively, Flores is qualified to coach an NFL franchise. He put in the groundwork as a scout and assistant coach in New England, winning four Super Bowl
rings with the Patriots. In his two-year tenure as head coach of the Dolphins, the 40-year-old helped produce consecutive winning seasons. Nonetheless, he was inexplicably fired shortly after the 2021-22 regular season, a decision that shocked most people in the sports world. There is an esteemed list of premier head coaches in the NFL, including the likes of Bill Belichick, Mike Tomlin, and Andy Reid to name a few. Flores doesn’t have the pedigree to be on that echelon yet, but purely from a football perspective, he is a coaching talent that should be highly sought by most NFL teams, in theory. At the time of this writing, there are two Black head coaches across 32 teams (one before the Houston Texans announced the hiring of Lovie Smith on Feb. 7). When you consider the fact that 70 per cent of the players in the NFL are Black, something obviously doesn’t add up. By speaking out, it’s likely Flores has jeopardized his career as an NFL head coach by choosing this path against the league. But no matter the legal outcome, the attention he has drawn will hopefully set up an infrastructure that allows minority coaches an equal opportunity at success.
NASH84 Inviting all those interested in journalism — come to NASH84! What is NASH84?
MASTHEAD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF HADASSAH ALENCAR
PHOTO ASSISTANT KAITLYNN RODNEY
EDITOR@THECONCORDIAN.COM
GRAPHICS EDITOR JAMES FAY
MANAGING EDITOR MAGGIE MORRIS
GRAPHICS@THECONCORDIAN.COM
MANAGING@THECONCORDIAN.COM
GRAPHICS ASSISTANT MADELINE SCHMIDT
CREATIVE DIRECTOR LILY COWPER
VIDEO EDITORS ANTHONY-JAMES ARMSTRONG MARIE STOW
CREATIVE@THECONCORDIAN.COM
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER MICHELLE LAM
VIDEO@THECONCORDIAN.COM
DIGITAL@THECONCORDIAN.COM
REVENUE MANAGER KATERINA BARBERIO
FEATURES EDITOR MÉLINA LÉVESQUE
REVENUE@THECONCORDIAN.COM
FEATURES@THECONCORDIAN.COM
NASH is Canada’s largest student journalism conference, bringing student journalists and other young writers together with acclaimed journalists and media professionals for a weekend of engaging discussions on the current media landscape.
See the schedule, meet the NASH84 presenters, buy tickets & more at
NASH84.com
BUSINESS MANAGER LITHUN SARKER
ASSISTANT LORENZA MEZZAPELLE
BUSINESS@THECONCORDIAN.COM
NEWS EDITORS EVAN LINDSAY GABRIEL GUINDI
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MIA ANHOURY MATTHEW COYTE MAGGIE HOPE ALEX HUTCHINS CHLOË LALONDE AVIVA MAJERCZYK LILLIAN ROY
NEWS@THECONCORDIAN.COM
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR HANNAH TIONGSON COMMENTARY EDITOR JULIETTE PALIN
BOARD@THECONCORDIAN.COM
COMMENTARY@THECONCORDIAN.COM
CONTRIBUTORS SRUTHI MATTA ANTEA ZIVANOVIC RHEA GIULIANA NARMEEN IMAM
ARTS EDITOR ASHLEY FISH-ROBERTSON ARTS@THECONCORDIAN.COM
ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR VÉRONIQUE MORIN MUSIC EDITOR GUILLAUME LABERGE MUSIC@THECONCORDIAN.COM
ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR SARO HARTOUNIAN SPORTS EDITOR LIAM SHARP SPORTS@THECONCORDIAN.COM
Congratulations to our nominees! The Concordian has been nominated for three John H. McDonald Awards, one of Canada’s most prestigious awards recognizing excellence in student journalism. The winners will be announced at the JHM award ceremony, at NASH84, the national journalism conference The Concordian is hosting this year. Former News Editor Bogdan Lytvynenko has been nominated for the Public Health Reporting Award for his story entitled Canada’s COVID border measures pose challenges for international students. Photo Editor Catherine Reynolds was nominated for Student Photojournalist of the Year. Editor-in-Chief Hadassah Alencar was nominated for the Multimedia Indigenous Reporting Award on a story about the Montreal’s Native Women’s shelter.
Read More at theconcordian.com
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR MARIA
CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SINCE 1973
PRODUCTION MANAGER SIMON POULIOT
VOL 39, ISSUE 17 FEBRUARY 15, 2022
PRODUCTION@THECONCORDIAN.COM
PRODUCTION ASSISTANT KIT MERGAERT
COVER BY AALIYAH CRAWFORD EDITORIAL OFFICE 7141 RUE SHERBROOKE O BUILDING CC #431 MONTREAL, QC H4B 1R6 (514) 848-2424 x7499
HEAD COPY EDITOR HUNTER WALWASKI COPY@THECONCORDIAN.COM
COPY EDITORS LUCY FARCNIK CRIS DERFEL
www.theconcordian.com insta @theconcordian twitter @theconcordian fb /theconcordian youtube subscribe to our channel
PHOTO EDITOR CATHERINE REYNOLDS PHOTO@THECONCORDIAN.COM
We are always looking for writers, photographers, and visual artists! The Concordian highly encourages BIPOC writers and artists to contribute to our newspaper! Reach out to editor@theconcordian.com
to learn more.
Become a Contributor