Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper
theconcordian
VOLUME 34, ISSUE 20 | TUESDAY, FEB. 14, 2017
theconcordian.com /theconcordian @theconcordian
theconcordian
Electric and eclectic Concordia student and DJ Honeydrip is making waves at CJLO
Music pg. 12
also in this issue
news
ASFA to meet with The Link p.2
life
arts
Cheap vegan eats Coms professor p.7 on campus debuts film p.9
sports
opinions
Not your average Microaggressions football player p.14 turn to violence p. 18
news
NEWS EDITORS /// news@theconcordian.com SAVANNA CRAIG & NELLY SERANDOUR-AMAR ( @savannacraig @nellsamar03)
CITY IN BRIEF NELLY SERANDOUR-AMAR CO-NEWS EDITOR Conservative leadership candidates meet for debate
Twelve of the 14 candidates running for the leadership of the federal Conservative Party will meet on Tuesday night for a debate in PointeClaire, Que. Kellie Leitch and Kevin O’Leary confirmed their attendance at the event, which will be hosted by the Pierrefonds-Dollard Conservative riding association. This will be the first bilingual debate where O’Leary will be present. He announced his candidacy one day after the French-language debate back in December. According to CBC News, each candidate will have a minute to respond and will be granted five opportunities to jump in for a maximum of 45 seconds. The event will start at 7 p.m.
Snowfall breaks 1998 record
Snow removal due to Sunday’s snowfall has led to three gas leaks on the island overnight. The snowfall broke the record from Montreal’s 1998 19.8 centimeters of snow with 29 centimeters. According to CBC news, Jacques-Alain Lavallée who is in charge of snow removal for the city said it takes about four days to remove centimeters of snow, but that the workers were prepared. Ten more centimeters of snow are expected on Wednesday.
Bus assault suspect arrested Longueuil police arrested a man suspected of attacking a passenger on a bus . According to CTV News, the attack happened on Jan. 17 when a man on a bus blocked the aisle with his leg, then punched a man who pushed past him to get off the bus. During the weekend, someone recognized the suspect and called the police which led to an arrest. His chargedshave not been finalized yet.
ASFA
ASFA to meet with The Link
The team plans to meet with the student newspaper to discuss recent media ban
NELLY SERANDOUR-AMAR CO-NEWS EDITOR During the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) monthly meeting on Feb. 9, the council decided they would be meeting with The Link to discuss a future working relationship with the student newspaper. ASFA also formally apologized to their membership for the way they released their initial statement to cut ties with The Link. On Monday, Feb. 6, ASFA published an open letter on their Facebook page announcing that the ASFA executive team would refrain from commenting on or engaging with The Link until the newspaper published a public apology or until the end of their mandate. The reasons listed were recording individuals without consent, having a biased agenda, misconstruing information and disregard to certain individuals’ mental and physical health. The letter was published under the entire ASFA executive team, however, councilors of the Member Associations were not aware of the decision before it was made public. The Link was also unaware that ASFA was going to publish a letter, nor were they consulted about it beforehand, according to the editor-in-chief,
Jonathan Caragay-Cook. Agunik Mamikonyan, ASFA’s vice president of external affairs and sustainability said if The Link would continuously have to put disclaimers on articles about not receiving comment from ASFA, it would look untranspar- ASFA will be meeting with The Link in the near future. Photo by Nelly Serandour-Amar. ent on the association’s the attendees didn’t feel comfortable the method that they chose to release part. Therefore, a public statement from ASFA themselves being recorded, or didn’t know they their statement to their membership explaining why they refuse to provide were being recorded. According and will provide a full public statement comment was best, she said. “If [on a to Andrea Karsznai, president about what led to their decision in the The Link article] it says that the ASFA of ASFA, the reporter from The upcoming week.” The second part executive does not want to comment Link did not ask for consent from of the motion stated, “That the ASFA on something, it looks bad on us. It the participants at the meeting. releases a statement on its platforms says that we are hiding something,” However, Caragay-Cook told The stating that it will seek out The Link Concordian that they do have audio to have a meeting to discuss a future said Mamikonyan. “In the past couple of months, proof of their reporter announcing working relationship between The we’ve been experiencing a lot of himself at this particular meeting. Link and the ASFA executive.” Councilor Paolo Drago, VP Internal At the end of the meeting, Caragaybias towards us, in specific from The Link,” said Mamikonyan.“I don’t want of the Concordia Undergraduate Cook told The Concordian he thinks the to speak [of] the whole newspaper Psychology Association, said both issue will soon be resolved. “I’m happy because there are great writers and ASFA and The Link bring something that the executive took this meeting great photographers, but there are positive to students. “ASFA puts on and hopefully we will meet soon,” he some individuals in there who make great outings and great events, but said. “Regardless, we were going to it hard for the ASFA team to function The Link reporters have a job to do continue to report on ASFA—The Link and that’s to report on ASFA and has reported on ASFA for as long as at its best.” According to some of the council- students need that too,” Drago said. the association has existed.” During the meeting, the ASFA ASFA will be releasing a stateors, The Link's biggest transgressions occurred when a reporter recorded a council came up with a motion, ment in the upcoming week with Task Force meeting on racism, sexism which passed as a vote. It stated, more details about their initial and sexuality, even though some of “The ASFA executive apologizes for decision regarding The Link.
ELECTIONS
CASAJMSB gears up for elections The elections have been promoted via Facebook advertising
IMMANUEL MATTHEWS STAFF WRITER Between Feb. 13 and 17, students intheCommerceandAdministration Students’ Association (CASAJMSB) will be given the opportunity to have their voices heard. In the annual CASAJMSB General Elections, JMSB students will be able to elect their peers into positions within CASA's executive team, including president, VP finance and VP events, among others. The positions for subsidiary presidents and independent directors are open as well. Since Concordia only allows registered student groups to use the school's bulletin boards, as stated on the school’s website, CASA has chosen to advertise the elections using Facebook posts and pre-election debates. Benjamin Zoldan, a JMSB marketing student, believes the publicity for the elections has been effective this year. “I’m well aware of the upcoming elections. There’s a lot
of news about it on social media so it’s pretty hard to miss,” said Zoldan. The student turnout for last year’s elections represented only a small percentage of those able to vote. Of the 7,000 students who were part of CASA, only 488 students voted. That’s approximately 6.9 per cent of the association’s membership. “Getting students involved with student governance is something that many, if not all business schools suffer with,” said Evan Pitchie, CASAJMSB’s current president. “In fact, this year as president and last year as VP External, I was fortunate enough to meet other student leaders from business schools all over Canada. Every year, one of the topics we discuss is how to get students more involved and engaged with the student association.” Anojan Kanagalingam, a student in the accounting program, said more students need to get involved. “More students in JMSB should vote, in order to get a better representation of what they want,” Kanagalingam said. “Seven per cent is a horrible turnout ratio.”
In an attempt to increase student participation, online voting has been introduced as an option in this year’s election. By sending in their name, student ID number and a photo of their student ID card to cro@casajmsb.ca, students were able to vote from home, however, only between Feb. 8 to 9. “When it comes to CASA's implementation of an online voting system, I must admit that I thought the idea was good and definitely one to be explored,” said Pitchie. “That being said, I was against implementing it for this upcoming election.” Pitchie said the proposal for an online voting system was brought forth to the board for the first time on Jan. 17, when awareness week—the first week of the election period—was happening just the following week. Pitchie said the decision was too rushed. “My opinion is that [online voting] is one that could have been explored if this proposal had been presented sooner or if we slowly started working
on its implementation now for the next election in 2018,” said Pitchie. He said due to a short time frame this was not possible. “I hope that next year's board has the necessary amount of time to review and test something of this magnitude,” said Pitchie. He said at this time, he cannot comment on how many people signed up to vote online. In-person polling stations will be open between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the JMSB lobby, at 1600 Blvd. de Maisonneuve West.
Graphic by Florence Yee.
FEBRUARY 20, 2017
CAMPUS
Reporting on refugee crises
CBC foreign correspondent talked about her experience covering the refugee crisis
The room was filled with students, alumni and teachers from the journalism program. Photos by Alex Hutchins.
NELLY SERANDOUR-AMAR CO-NEWS EDITOR Nahlah Ayed, a foreign correspondent with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) based in London, England, gave a talk on Feb. 8 at Concordia University to discuss issues of immigration, migration and refugees. She opened the discussion with a clip of an episode of CBC’s The Fifth Estate called “Saved at Sea,” which she reported on. The Fifth Estate is a weekly Canadian i nve s t i g at i ve d o c u m e nt a r y program which reports on various political and controversial issues and the people whose lives are affected by them. Ayed’s “Saved at Sea” focused on refugees and migrants who were rescued from the Mediterranean Sea by the Red Cross/MOAS Responder. In the episode, she tells their stories and details their efforts to find a better life in European countries. “This has been a documentary 15 years in the making,” said Ayed. Back in 2008, she met an Iraqi refugee as he waited her table at a restaurant in Paris. “I was thinking about writing a book on refugees and the Middle East, but he wasn’t very comfortable talking to me. He didn’t want any trouble,” she said. Having traveled on foot from Iraq to Europe, Ayed believed he was the perfect example of the lengths people were willing to go to escape Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Ayed described how, in 2003, there were thousands of people fleeing Iraq, usually to Syria which was safer at the time. “This new wave that started was something we’d never seen in the Middle East before,” she said. Ayed was then sent to the Iraq border with her crew. “I stood at that border, and thousands of people were crossing the border with their belongings, children,
ex tended families and their stories,” said Ayed. There were two stories coming across the border, Ayed said. One about Iraq itself and the politics, the other about these people tr ying to regain control over their interrupted lives. “I felt that the future of Iraq itself rested on what these people could do to survive successfully,” she said. “ D oze n s of s to r i e s we re based on that one day at border. I wanted to do a story of people who were doing the impossible to get out of the country.” In 2015, people were starting to pay more attention to refugee crises, Ayed said, this time to the Syrian crisis. Due to the prominence of social media, the Syrian crisis became more accessible. “I remember meeting two Syrian women talking about the dilemma about what to do with their children, their young men. Once they were old enough, they were either going to be recruited by ISIS or by the Assad regime and, therefore, they would send them out to smugglers or any other ways to get them out of Syria,” she said. “We went out to the borders, just like we did in Iraq, but this time in the heart of Europe,” Ayed said, as this was the location where people were fleeing to at the time. Her main question was what motivated these refugees. Eventually, the journalist got a spot on one of the Red Cross Responder t r avelling in the Mediterranean thanks to a Fifth Estate producer. “We were on the ship eight days before we finally saw a few boats coming towards us,” she said. “I had essentially a day to find the answers I was looking for.” Some people fled in hopes to have better lives and securit y, some for economic reasons and some were forced to leave by smugglers. Following the lecture, the
journalist answered some questions from the audience. Several people asked about her role as a journalist when interacting with refugees. “[Refugees] feel betrayed by the media and the only approach is to be honest,” she replied. She said that about two out of three people will be open to sharing their story, but it depends on the person. “There is nothing more important for a journalist than to use the truth as a weapon. You want to tell the stories you see and hope people will open up to them.” Ayed herself experienced hard times when reporting in Iraq, which she told The Concordian about. “We were about to cover a story after Saddam had fallen, and we were near an explosion and I felt very unsafe. The crew
and I were separated and I was physically harmed before a really nice guy, who understood I had nothing to do with it, came to save me,” Ayed said. S h e a l s o o f f e re d s o m e tips to aspiring international journalists. “If you want this c areer, you should st ar t by c ove r i ng fo re ig n s to r i e s i n Canada,” she said, suggesting cultural community centres as one place to find such stories. “That’s what I did.” She added that learning a second language is definitely useful, but that it shouldn’t hold a journalist back from pursuing a story. For her next project, she will try to contact people from the Red Cross Responder, to find out where they are now and how their lives have changed.
theconcordian
3
NATION IN BRIEF KATYA TEAGUE HEAD COPY EDITOR
Trudeau and Trump’s first meeting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived at the White House on Monday morning for his first meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, reported the Toronto Star. The two leaders were both smiling and appeared to greet each other warmly, according to the same article, before holding a 15-minute one-on-one session in the Oval office. The Prime Minister’s visit also included a women’s business roundtable discussion set up by Ivanka Trump, a joint media conference and meetings with U.S House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, reported the Toronto Star. Trudeau returned to Ottawa Monday evening. Ontario promises mercury clean-up The Ontario government promised to find and remove all the mercury contamination poisoning the people of Grassy Narrows and Wabaseemoong First Nations, according to a statement issued Monday by theenvironmentandIndigenous relations and reconciliation ministers.Mercurywasdumped in the river that flows through the two northwestern Ontario First Nations by Reed Paper in the 1960s and early 1970s, reported CBC News. Recent scientific reports show the water is still contaminated and more than 90 per cent of the population in these two communities show signs of mercury poisoning. Blizzard buries the Maritimes Over 100 flights were cancelled at Halifax International airport and schools, municipal services and government offices in Nova Scotia were closed on Monday as Atlantic Canada continued to be buried in snow and battered by winds. According to the Canadian Press, blizzard and winter storm warnings were issued for much of the region, and Environment Canada issued storm surge warnings for areas around Halifax due to large waves and winds of up to 110 kilometres per hour. Snow fall totals ranged between 20 and 75 centimetres, reported the Canadian Press.
Nahlah Ayed is a foreign correspondent with CBC based in London, England.
4
theconcordian
WORLD IN BRIEF SAVANNA CRAIG CO-NEWS EDITOR Neo-nazi Hitler lookalike has been arrested in Austria A 25-year-old man, who refers to himself as Harald Hitler, has been arrested by authorities in Austria. While details of his arrest have not been released, police spokesman David Furtner told the BBC the man has recently moved to Braunau am Inn, a town in Upper Austria where Adolf Hitler was born. The look-alike was spotted having his picture taken outside the birth home of Hitler, located in the same town. “The young man knows exactly what he’s doing,” Furtner told the BBC, describing that this is not a joke or piece of performance art. The man has also been identified in Graz and Vienna. U.S. freezes funds of Vice President of Venezuela
Sanctions have been imposed by the Trump administration on the Vice President of Venezuela, Tareck El Aissami. He has been blamed him for being largely involved with international drug trafficking, according to the Treasury Department. As a result, his U.S. finances have been frozen and under the “Kingpin Act.” El Aissami will be prohibited from entering the States, according to USA Today. El Aissami has assisted shipments of narcotics from Venezuela, while having power over planes that depart from Venezuela, according to the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control. Playboy to publish nude photos again Playboy has reversed their decision to not publish nude photos, according to the BBC. The magazine marketed their March-April edition using the hashtag #NakedIsNormal. "Today we're taking our identity back and reclaiming who we are," tweeted the magazine's new chief creative officer, CooperHefner.Hefnerdescribed the change last year as a mistake. The magazine has decided to drop “Entertainment for Men,” a subtitle listed on their covers. "Playboy will always be a lifestyle brand focused on men's interests, but as gender roles continue to evolve in society, so will we," said Hefner to the BBC.
FEBRUARY 20, 2017
CAMPUS
SARC re-opens in the Hall building
The Sexual Assault Resource Centre moves to a new, comfortable yet private location SAVANNA CRAIG CO-NEWS EDITOR The Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC) opened the doors to its new office in the Hall building on Feb. 10, welcoming students to a more open and accessible space. SARC is a Concordia service which offers support to students, faculty and staff who have been impacted by sexual harassment or assault. The centre is now located in H-645 in the Hall building on the downtown campus. It was previously located on the third floor of the GM building since SARC’s inception in the fall of 2013. “I think that moving to the Hall building represents an important step for us in terms of our growth and also in terms of our visibility,” said Jennifer Drummond, the SARC coordinator. “I think the Hall building has greater student traffic.” Drummond said the new SARC office is still in a private area. “Students coming to access our services will still have that privacy and confidentiality,”
SARC coordinator Jennifer Drummond's off ice. Photo by Savanna Craig.
said Drummond. The new office is not only larger, but it has a reception area for students waiting to attend an appointment. “I think a reception is really important because it not only provides support to the volunteers at the drop-in, but also, to me, it provides a safe landing spot for someone when they first show up to SARC,” said Drummond. “Especially if they’re a bit nervous, it gives them a private area to wait and relax before deciding whether or not they want to go into
the drop-in [centre].” Drummond’s previous office was located in a small room off of a hallway in the GM building. Drummond said if she was in a meeting and her door was closed, it may have felt unwelcoming for someone who had had difficulty coming to SARC in the first place. “Coming up against a closed door can be really upsetting, especially if you’re already having a hard time getting there in the first place,” said Drummond. “You
work up this courage and you get to the door and the door is closed—that can be detrimental to someone’s recovery and process in getting help, and they may never come back.” In terms of SARC becoming more prevalent on campus, Drummond said moving the office to a more evident spot on campus was an important step. “We are holding a big event on March 2. It’s in collaboration with the Atwater Library and Computer Centre and their project about eliminating cyber violence against women and young girls,” said Drummond. “We are collaborating with them to do an event about responding to and preventing cyber violence, and that can include gender-based cyber violence, online harassment or abuse of a sexual nature.” “We’re going to continue to have events like that each semester,” said Drummond. SARC is open Monday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. To make an appointment or for any other inquiries, email sarc@ concordia.com or call 514-848-2424 ext. 3461 to reach the drop-in centre.
CAMPUS
CSU against proposed renovations
The student union believes building a wall would negatively affect student groups
MEGAN HUNT CO-NEWS ASSISTANT The Concordia Student Union (CSU) has decided to stand in solidarity with the Muslim Student Association (MSA) and other students against a proposed renovation in the Hall building at Concordia’s downtown campus. The renovation in question is the construction of a glass wall on the seventh floor of the Hall building, between a small and large lounge near the CSU office. While both lounges can be accessed by student groups for free, the larger lounge is
bookable through the CSU, and the smaller lounge is bookable directly through the university. Currently, the lounges are not separated by any physical barrier and student groups can use both spaces for larger events, such as the MSA’s weekly Jumu’ah prayer. According to Aloyse Muller, the CSU’s external affairs and mobilization coordinator, both spaces are central to student life on the downtown campus and the pending renovation would negatively affect student groups on campus. During the CSU’s monthly meeting on Feb. 8, the union
welcomed YannLazare Makayat Bouanga and Mohammed Allalou, two guest speakers from the MSA, to discuss their opposition to the proposed wall. They believe this renovation will limit the capacity for weekly prayer sessions and reduce the amount of space available for student groups to meet and hold events. They said the university has suggested the student group place a limit on the capacity of the weekly prayer sessions to prevent the need to use the smaller lounge. However, the MSA is against this idea, claiming it could harm the group’s sense of community and lead to Muslim students being turned away from a public event. During the meeting, Muller proposed a motion for the CSU to officially support the MSA and
officially oppose the construction of the wall. The motion also promised that the CSU would seek to maintain the ability to allow student groups to access the small lounge area, and that, if the MSA struggled to find adequate space for prayer sessions in the future, the CSU would help them acquire it. The motion passed unanimously. “Concordia claims that the attendance of the Friday prayer must be limited to its current attendance otherwise there would be too many people on the seventh floor for its floor capacity,” Muller told The Concordian, “But this problem, in terms of floor capacity, is not the MSA's fault. The MSA has enjoyed this space without problems for a number of years now, after having been pushed from space to space by Concordia throughout the years.” According to Muller, the CSU and the MSA plan to meet with staff from the university to discuss possible solutions to this issue.
CSU held their monthly council meeting in H-767, not far from the location of the imposed wall to be built. Photos by Ana Hernandez.
theconcordian
FEBRUARY 20, 2017
5
NATION
No electoral reform for Canadians
Canadians respond to Trudeau’s decision to abandon electoral reform plans CHLOË RANALDI CO-NEWS ASSISTANT Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s recent decision to scrap plans for electoral reform has disappointed many voters, Concordia students included. The Liberals will not go forward with their pledge due to the lack of consensus on the kind of electoral system Canadians would prefer, stated Trudeau in an interview aired on Global News. The announcement garnered mixed reactions, including mobilization from those in support of electoral reform. A National Day of Action for Electoral Reform took place on Parliament Hill and in various cities across the country on Feb. 11. In Montreal, protesters gathered outside Jarry metro station then took to the streets to express their disappointment on the retraction of the Liberal’s campaign pledge. The crowd marched to Trudeau’s constituency office on Crémazie Boulevard East, according to the Montréal Gazette. “We created the Facebook event
[for all electoral reform events] shortly after the 2015 election as a reminder to follow up on Trudeau’s promise that his government would bring forward electoral reform legislation within 18 months,” said Caitlin Urguhart, the organizer of National Day of Action for Electoral Reform. “The event quickly went viral, with more than 10,000 people responding as interested in attending.” “Members [of the Facebook group] were outraged and wanted to do something about it. I saw the opportunity to mobilize people across the country and started to organize [the event],” Urguhart said. “We are demanding a fairer, more collaborative and more representative democracy,” she said. “No path worth walking is easy, so we're asking this government to do right by Canadians and walk the hard road to electoral reform.” Urguhart said now is not the time to give up on our democracy. “Now is the time to get to work.” According to CTV News, during Trudeau’s election campaign, he
pledged to voters “that the 2015 election will be the last federal election using the first-past-thepost” system. First-past-the-post, or single member plurality (SMP), is when voters cast one vote and the candidate who receives the most votes in a constituency wins the riding and a seat in the House of Commons. SMP is credited to be most successful when there are two political parties, however, as the number of parties increase, the less it is said to reflect voter wishes. In the 2015 federal election, the Liberal government won a majority in the House of Commons with only 39 per cent of the vote. As a result, the Trudeau Liberals have held Town Hall meetings across Canada where electoral form was discussed. They created an all-party parliamentary committee to review a wide variety of reform options, such as proportional representation, ranked ballots, mandatory voting and online voting. Some within the Concordia
community weighed in on Trudeau’s decision to abandon electoral reform. “I think that it is really telling of the Trudeau government of their broken promise on electoral reform,” said Alex Tyrrell, a Concordia student and leader of the Quebec Green Party. Tyrrell recommended a preferential ballot electoral system, where voters would rank their preferences from most to least favourable candidate, to better represent citizens votes. However, one student understood Trudeau’s decision to maintain the
current electoral system. “A l t h o u g h I s u p p o r t t h e Conservative Party, it seems to me that Trudeau shows maturity and political savvy in abandoning electoral reform,” said André Grant, a Concordia political science student. “Instead of slavishly sticking to campaign promises, he's realized many of them are unrealistic. That takes maturity.” “Whether you agree with his policies or not, Trudeau did this because he believes it's good for Canada,” said Grant.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will not be restructuring the Canadian voting system. Photo by Andrej Ivanov.
PROTEST
Pipeline mobilization via phone calls
Water activists held a phone-in day to hold banks and PM Trudeau accountable to divest SAVANNA CRAIG CO-NEWS EDITOR A small, yet determined group of environmental activists congregated around a table on the seventh floor of the Hall building to make phone calls to banks and urge them to divest from the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and the Trans Mountain Pipeline on Wednesday. Climate Justice Montreal (CJM), a group that supports climate and environmental justice by virtue of education, calls to action and standing in unity with communities affected by environmental issues, organized the phone-in. The event, which began at noon, housed participants at a table located in the Concordia Student Union (CSU) lounge, adjacent to the long, winding line of students waiting for People’s Potato to open. Callers were offered scripts, which explained why activists would like banks to divest from pipeline projects. The importance of prioritizing the environment and communities threatened by the Trans Mountain and DAPL pipelines was outlined in the scripts as well. Three Canadian banks are currently funding the DAPL construction—TD Bank, Scotiabank
and RBC. Political representatives and agencies were called to push for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to no longer support the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion. “All together, TD gave $2.5 billion to the Dakota Access Pipeline and I don’t think any resistance [for] these pipelines is going to come from the government at this point,” said Maya Provençal, a participant involved with CJM. “Especially with Donald Trump—he’s ver y pro-fossil fuel, pro-pipeline—so I think one of our only hopes is to get big banks and big companies to pull their money that they have invested in these pipelines,” said Provençal. “Without that money, the Dakota Access can’t go forward,” Provençal said. She said she thinks targeting the banks is one of the most effective things activists can do. “TD is the biggest investor by a lot,” said Provençal, explaining that since it is the largest funding body of the DAPL, CJM is focusing primarily on targeting TD Bank right now. “I could see us targetting other banks in the future.” The Trans Mountain expansion project, imposed by Kinder Morgan—an American energy infrastructure company—will enable the construction of a new pipeline to run alongside
the existing Trans Mountain pipeline—which runs between Edmonton, Alta. and Burnaby, B.C. “We have this website where you can find your member of Parliament, your representative, by entering your postal code and then we have a script,” said Provençal.
Provençal said Amy Miller, a participant in CJM, sent an email out last week to advocate for more mobilization against pipeline projects. This resulted in formulating this event framed around calling TD Bank and political representatives. “I think sometimes people don’t realize how easy it is to just make an event like this. Really it’s
a matter of just pulling a couple of chairs together, having a script, having the numbers organized,” said Miller. Miller hopes to have mobilization take place each week. “Whether it’s pickets at
“We’ll see more action around that in the city soon,” she said. “It’s not about just divesting the Dakota Access Pipeline, but it’s about stopping fossil fuel extraction at the source for all projects,” said Miller. “We can’t have
Climate J ustice Mo ntreal he event in th ld their e CSU lou nge in th building. e Hall Photo by: Savanna C raig.
different TD Banks every week—which will probably be what’s next—or doing another march, doing another action at TD Bank, we definitely plan on keeping the pressure up,” said Miller. Provençal said CJM hopes to take on an entire campaign dedicated to bank divestment in the near future.
greenhouse gas emissions rise, we can’t have the tar sands continue to expand.” “It’s 2017, there’s no more time for talk, the time is now—we need to keep it in the ground,” said Miller.
life
LIFE EDITOR /// life@theconcordian.com DANIELLE GASHER
FEMINISM
Talking global feminism at Université de Montréal The French university hosts its first-ever conference on intersectional feminism GABRIELLE VENDETTE STAFF WRITER The Regroupement des étudiants de l’Université de Montréal en soutien de l’ONU Femme hosted its first-ever event on Feb. 6—a conference dedicated to international feminism called “Le féminisme autour du monde: orient et occident.”
The conference coincided with the Semaine interculturelle de l’UdeM, a week dedicated to promoting the plethora of cultures that exist in and outside the universit y through conferences and Speakers included activities. The conference philosophy featured two speakers: professor Ryoa Ryoa Chung, a professor Chung, and of philosophy at UdeM, doctoral candidate and Khaloua Zoghlami, in communications, a doctoral candidate in Khaloua Zoghlami communications at UdeM. Photos by Alex The bulk of the Hutchins. conference focused on international feminism and the many problems that arise when trying to apply feminist theories to women in varying cultural situations. Chung, the first speaker to address the crowd in the lecture hall, outlined many of the theoretical problems associated with using liberal feminism as the ideal way for women to emancipate themselves in other countries. Liberal feminism is assumed to be the most objective feminist theory because it pulls from the Liberal political theory, but it can impose Western values onto different cultures. Chung warned that, while laced with good intentions, liberal feminism easily veers into this type of imperialism when proponents of this type of feminism do not make themselves aware of the particular struggles women in underdeveloped countries to in Tunisia was very confining. face. “You had to be a specific type of “When we want to speak in solidarity woman to truly benefit from the rights for another person, there are pitfalls allocated to women, because if you that we need to avoid, and one of these were a women who wore a veil, was pitfalls we need to avoid is positioning attached to your religious practice, ourselves as the saviour who knows came from an underprivileged area, how to save the other woman from were black or were a collection of all herself,” Chung said. that, these privileges did not concern She cited many examples where the you or were not concretely applied to epistemology and the basic theoretical you,” Zoghlami said. constructs of some branches of She said one of the oldest and most feminism already put specific groups at influential feminist associations in a disadvantage. For example, sometimes Tunisia, L’Association Tunisiennes des the perspective of a religious or racial Femmes Démocrates, supported the group cannot even be recognized by government’s measures to dissuade the majority, therefore any specific women from wearing their veil. At that challenges they face are not represented same time, the government was already in any actions taken. enforcing bans that blocked women Zoghlami brought to light many who wore a veil from getting a job or an of the theories presented by Chung education. The liberal feminism these during her discussion, using her own women borrowed from their French experiences as a Tunisian-born woman counterparts, she said, was derived as a springboard into talking about from an imperialistic mindset and left intersectional feminism. She said the no room for some women to practice type of liberal feminism women ascribed their religion if they so chose to.
Zoghlami added that this was not a type of feminism she could identify with, because, in her view, it only fought for a small portion of women. She said she struggled to consolidate her identities as a woman and as a Muslim. Only recently was Zoghlami introduced to the idea of intersectional feminism. Intersectional feminism argues that there are specific challenges associated with women who associate to more than one group, such as religion, race or sexual orientation. It states these specific challenges should be fought in tandem with one another, not separately. For Zoghlami, this means being able to fight for her rights as a Muslim woman, not as a Muslim and a woman. Lia Ferranti, the president of the Regroupement des étudiants de l’Université de Montréal en soutien de l’ONU Femme, said the group really wanted to host an event in relation to the very popular Semaine interculturelle de UdeM. “We asked ourselves how we could
talk about feminism and interculturality, and we told ourselves, well why not talk about feminism around the world?” Ferranti said. Wi t h 6 0 0 p e o p le i nte re s te d i n their Facebook event, Ferranti was surprised by how easily the conference came together. She said both Chung and Zoghlami were extremely open to speaking at the conference. “We realized that their two subjects really corresponded to the Occident and the Orient, and we set it up in a way to try to touch on everything, and it all came together,” Ferranti said. She said the university was there to help and support them along the way. “We are the first feminist organization recognized by UdeM,” Ferranti said. “The executive committee is practically all the founding members.” The group is currently awaiting official recognition from the UN headquarters in N ew York in order to be named UN Women UdeM, but Ferranti said it will still take a while.
FEBRUARY 20, 2017
theconcordian
7
SCHOOL
Dealing with homesickness in university Two Concordians open up about their experiences with homesickness in university BEN FRASER CONTRIBUTOR Concordia is home to thousands of outof-province and international students. The university welcomes students from more than 150 countries. For many, coming to Concordia means living away from their friends, family and home for the first time—something that isn’t always easy. Homesickness is a real problem for university students. U.S-based psychologist Christopher Thurber co-authored a study on homesickness in university students in 2012. The study published in the Journal of American College Health, found up to 10 per cent of students suffer from serious homesickness, which can actually interfere with their productivity. For Elaine Genest, a first-year Concordia journalism student from Toronto, the end of her first semester away from home was hard. Genest was living in residence and, as rooms and halls emptied while she finished up her exams, she felt alone. All semester, she said she felt like she was part of a family thanks to residence, but when people started leaving for the Christmas break, she was hit with a wave of homesickness. “I felt like I needed to rush back in case I lost it all, even though there was no
reason for me to believe it. Every single one of those days, I dreaded being alone in my room, hundreds of kilometres away from home,” said Genest. She said the homesickness took a toll on her, mentally. “Managing emotions in those situations can be extremely difficult, as this is your most
vulnerable state. You feel like a kid who just wants to go home,” she said. Diana Tapia, a Concordia film animation student from Mexico, said her homesickness kicked in after a few months of living in
Montreal. “I wanted to stay home all day and sleep, and I didn’t even want to talk to my family a lot because it made me more nostalgic,” said Tapia. While homesickness didn’t affect Tapia academically, it made her question her decision to move. “I felt really sensitive about
on campus and talk to people. “Take advantage of the Montreal and Concordia community,” said Tapia. “There are a lot of free events on campus happening all the time. Although it can feel a bit awkward or discouraging going alone, if you make the effort of going, you can make some good friends and start building your own community,” she added. When Genest started to feel homesick in late December, she tried to focus on good memories from the semester—times when she didn’t feel so alone. “The first night in residence, my [residence] assistant came to my rescue and pulled me out of my room and into one of the meetings—everyone who lives on the floor gets together and talks about anything and everything. Now I have a big, loving family right down the hall,” she said. The students also recommend that international students feeling homesick join a club that reminds them of their country, or play an on-campus sport. Essentially, they suggest any activity that gets the mind off anxious thoughts Graphic by Thom Bell. and loneliness. Genest stressed, above all, to not be afraid to speak about homesickness. everything—I cried really easily watching TV. Students feeling homesick or lonely I also questioned if it was the right decision can also reach out to Concordia’s Health for me to move at times,” she said. Services. Their offices are in the GM Tapia’s and Genest’s advice to students building on the downtown campus and experiencing homesickness is to get involved in room AD-131 at the Loyola campus.
FOOD
The top five vegan spots on campus
Concordia has plenty of healthy, vegan food options if you’re on a budget ANNAH-LAUREN BLOOM CONTRIBUTOR For many people, the word “vegan” conjures up images of somber salads and poor imitations of everything they know and love, at exorbitant prices. For students on a tight budget and tighter schedule, the idea of maintaining a vegan diet can seem downright impossible. I used to feel the same, until I actually committed to veganism in my first semester at Concordia three years ago. After my transition, I started looking around for vegan options wherever I went, especially on campus where the afternoon slump can be particularly brutal and long hours in the library demand sustenance. I was pleasantly surprised to discover a plethora of cheap, quick and delicious vegan options to hold me over between classes and now they can hold you over, too. 1. The People’s Potato I would be doing a great disservice to ask readers to spend any money before I let them in on possibly the most honorable use of our tuition money—the People’s Potato. A Concordia classic, People’s Potato is a fully vegan soup kitchen that serves a free lunch every weekday from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on the seventh floor of the Hall building. The meals are always tasty, packed with nutritious ingredients, and they don’t make half-bad leftovers. (Perfect for late nights in the library. They’ve certainly saved
my butt a few times). 2. The Green Panther Located near the Hall building on Mackay Street, the Green Panther offers delicious soups and sandwiches at a perfectly reasonable price. Their falafel pita is a classic, and for a good reason. Their other pitas should not be underestimated, though, particularly the barbecue tofu one. Also, check out their organic, all-natural energy drinks for a steady boost of energy that won’t give you the caffeine-crazies. 3. Le Frigo Vert An awesome co-op located on Mackay Street right across from the Library building, Le Frigo Vert offers (mostly) vegan, organic and fairtrade, from produce to prepared meals at very affordable prices. All Concordia students are automatically members (sign up at the cash register), which means discounts on everything. It's the perfect place for a cheap, delicious vegan snack on the go. My recommendations: 60-cent samosas, Injera wraps, or falafel wraps from Nilufar delivered there every day. 4. The Hive Yet another amazing Concordia co-op, The Hive serves coffee beverages (with your choice of soy or almond milk), as well as a plethora of sustainably-sourced vegan options—from breakfast burritos to pastries. The Hive is located in the Mezzanine of the Hall building on the downtown campus, and on Loyola campus,
on the second floor of the Student Centre building. The Loyola location offers free lunch every weekday between 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. 5. Nilufar Nilufar is a bit further from campus, but slightly cheaper than The Green Panther. They offer equally as tasty falafel and serve the perfect student food. Fast and filling, you can’t go wrong with a couple of falafel or tofu wraps. Due to a wide variety of options, Eating vegan is a this is also a perfect com- cheaper, environpromise when eating out mentally-friendly, with non-vegan friends. and arguably healthNilufar is located at 1923 ier diet. Photos by Ste-Catherine St. Ouest. Andrej Ivanov.
arts
ARTS EDITOR /// arts@theconcordian.com TIFFANY LAFLEUR
OSCARS
Oscars predictions: Who will bring home the gold? The Concordian’s film critic-in-residence gives his two cents about the upcoming Academy Awards Affleck for Manchester by the Sea and Denzel Washington for Fences. The younger Affleck brother is the current frontrunner for his moving, subtle performance as a man consumed by guilt and internal anguish. Should the Academy go with Washington, he would join a very small club of three-time acting Oscar winners.
ELIJAH BARON STAFF WRITER If you’re like me, there are few things you find as enjoyable as indulging in the entirely pointless, but enormously thrilling game of predicting the Oscars. The nominations aren’t as hard to predict, but only one can win in each category, so you either get it right or you don’t. Nervous? Just think of the eternal glory and bragging rights you will get with every correct guess. Let’s take a brief look at the main categories. Best Picture The big winner of the night hasn’t been this easy to predict in years—it can only be La La Land. The picture got a historic 14 nominations, which means that, if a different
film were to win, it could be the biggest snub in Oscar history. Just like nothing could sink James Cameron’s Titanic, Damien Chazelle’s musical masterpiece is simply unstoppable. For all other categories in which La La Land is the nominee, it can safely be expected to win. Best Director Although there have been splits between Best Picture and Best Director in the last few years, the incredible support for La La Land could guarantee its success in both categories. That would make Chazelle the youngest Oscar-winning director ever—and he completely deserves the honour. Best Actor in a Leading Role This is one category La La Land is unlikely to win. The ongoing race is between Casey
Best Actress in a Leading Role And now back aboard the La La Land train. The competition in this category is absolutely staggering—heavyweight Annette Benning couldn’t even manage a nomination—but Emma Stone, being the emotional anchor of her film, is expected to win. You might also want to watch out for Natalie Portman as Jacqueline Kennedy in Jackie —it’s the type of role the Academy usually adores. Best Actor in a Supporting Role After two years of noted absence, AfricanAmerican actors are back in the Oscar race, dominating the supporting categories. Mahershala Ali is the favourite here, for a memorable part in the wonderful Moonlight. While it’s easy to root for this likeable performer, it’s okay to hope the Academy gives due consideration to Jeff Bridges as a sheriff in Hell or High Water, and even more so to Michael Shannon as another, more sinister
sheriff in the underrated Nocturnal Animals. Best Actress in a Supporting Role This Oscar belongs to Viola Davis already. She came close to winning for brilliant roles in 2008’s Doubt and 2011’s The Help, and the third time’s going to be the charm. She outdid herself in Fences, consistently stealing scenes and proving herself to be one of the finest talents of our time. Best Original Screenplay For a long time, it seemed like Manchester by the Sea was a sure winner here—musicals don’t win in the screenplay categories, we were told—but La La Land has emerged as the alternative. Here’s to the musical that could. Best Adapted Screenplay If there’s one film to even remotely challenge La La Land in the Best Picture race, it’s Moonlight. The movie, after all, comes as a powerful response to the call for diversity that has challenged the Academy in recent years. While its odds of winning in most categories are all but hopeless, the three-part story of a gay African-American young man making his way through life, which is adapted from an unpublished play, deserves to be celebrated for its unique and insightful screenplay. Graphic by Florence Yee.
CONFERENCE
Why is television important right now?
Film critic Emily Nussbaum discusses television's impact and the not-so-certain future of the small screen
ALEXANDRA COLATOSTI SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR When compared to films and novels, it’s easy to look at television as the lesser medium of storytelling. Yet, Pulitzer Prizewinning television critic Emily Nussbaum argued for the importance of television due to its longevity and ability to connect with audiences in ways that movies and books can’t. Nussbaum took part in the “Future Small Screen - Talking Television” conference, Concordia’s second Thinking Out Loud event of the year held in collaboration with the Globe and Mail. “It’s frustrating to hear that a TV show is ‘like’ a great movie or novel. As if television series aren’t as artistically ambitious as movies,” said Nussbaum. “They are episodic, they span over a few years, they have specific genres, and they have a unique relationship with their audiences.” Nussbaum mentioned one formative series in her career as a film critic—Buffy the Vampire Slayer. “I really developed a fanhood about it. It was sad to me that nobody was talking about Buffy with the same seriousness as something like The Sopranos,” she said. “We tend to overvalue TV shows that don’t look like TV shows.” The conference, held at Concordia’s D.B.
Clarke Theatre, also featured Concordia media professor Joshua Neves, who had a completely different view of the subject. Rather than looking at television as an art form, Neves focused on the ways television is used as a medium and how those methods reflect society. “I’m interested in how television is used in other media, like in art galleries and museums or in films when someone is watching TV or a film—the idea of a box within a box,” Neves said. It’s impossible to talk about the importance of television today without mentioning the emergence of streaming services, or the option to pause and rewind. These new additions have not only changed the way people watch TV but they have also changed the way TV shows are made, according to Nussbaum. “TV is not the underdog anymore,” said Nussbaum. “It began as a mass-commercial form where everyone would sit around the TV with your family, and you consumed what was on the screen and then you forgot about it afterwards. Now, TV series are stories that are really happening.” While Nussbaum expressed her nostalgia for the television of her childhood—when everything was live and less cinematic—she acknowledged that, especially within the last five to seven years, there has been a significant change in
television as a medium. Series are now made knowing that people will pause and rewind, whereas before they were made with the idea that they would be viewed live and only once. She added that it will continue to ebb and flow in the years to come. During the question period, one audience member inquired about the everchanging fine line between film and television. Nussbaum gave a poignant answer: “With movies and books, you make them or you write them and then you release them, and people see it and respond to it afterwards,” Nussbaum said. “But with television, you have more of a long-term relationship [with the audience] and the show changes in response to its audience.” Nussbaum said the future will see more
content creators star in their own shows, what she referred to as the “auteurist blend of creator and star” genre (see: Girls, Atlanta and the British dramedy Fleabag). Should those shows be on cable networks or should seasons be released in full on Netflix? Nussbaum said that, while the latter is great for binge-watching, “Netflix makes television look more like film, and I think there’s a loss that happens in that.” The aforementioned loss being that when episodes are released on a weekly basis, the wait between episodes allows more time for audiences to digest and discuss them. When a show’s season is released in full, the viewing experience becomes more singular and less about the community-feel viewers get when watching, or live-tweeting together.
Part of Concordia’s Thinking out Loud events, the conference focused on TV and where it is headed. Photo by Ana Hernandez.
FEBRUARY 20, 2017
theconcordian
FILM
Le Concierge: Exploring the meaning of home
Concordia professor Frederico Hidalgo’s film screened at La Cinémathèque Québécoise AMANDA VITARO STAFF WRITER It was a special weekend for Montreal filmmaker and Concordia communications professor Federico Hidalgo. His latest chef d’oeuvre, Le Concierge, premiered Friday, Feb. 3 at La Cinémathèque Québécoise, attracting film enthusiasts and the general public alike for an evening of entertainment, reflection and intrigue. Hidalgo not only wrote the film, but also acted in and directed it. Le Concierge tells the stor y of a concierge responsible for the upkeep of a small apartment in Montreal. As part of his duties, the concierge must also show the vacant space to potential renters. Despite its lackluster appearance, the space becomes highly desired by people from all walks of life, including an immigrant artist, a widower and a teenage girl seeking independence. As he meets with more interested c l i e nt s , t h e c o n c i e rg e b e c o m e s increasingly disturbed by a peculiar reality—the owner of this building refuses to choose a tenant. With people continuously opening up to him about their house-hunting struggles, the concierge bears a heavy weight on his shoulders. The audience is urged to reflect on notions of honesty, humility and, ultimately, home. Members of the audience at Friday night ’s screening included some of Hidalgo’s students from Concordia. Nasim Gizabi, who is completing a specialization in communications, said seeing his teacher on the big screen was “a great experience.” “I think maybe now, when I see him in class, it will be different,” he said. “He always talks about the films we make in his class, and now we know how he himself makes them. I saw him actually doing the things that he has been teaching us about—cinematography, mise-en-scène and acting. It’s amazing.” Gizabi also pointed out the similarities between Le Concierge and works by Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk. “He makes films with characters who don’t speak at all. I personally prefer films with minimal dialogue, and Le Concierge was something like that. I liked it,” he said. Zoé Realffe Dagenais, who is pursuing a major in communications, said she enjoyed the way the film was shot, and agreed that seeing her professor on screen was a unique experience. “It was kind of weird seeing my prof on screen, but I have more of an appreciation for him now,” she said. “When you see your prof actually doing something that he’s teaching you, it’s kind of cool. That he acted, directed and wrote this film is really inspiring.” As an exploration into the many reasons why we seek a place to call home, Le Concierge maintains an ambiance that is both insightful and introspective. “The mood is kind of mysterious and psychological,” said Hidalgo, who starred in the film as the concierge. The idea for the story emerged from his own experience renting an office in an apartment complex. “I saw a lot of people who were going through difficult transitions in their lives,
taking these little apartments like the one in the film,” he said. “I became interested in how you can pick up a sense of the types of difficulties they were going through, even though you don’t know them very well.” Staying true to his real-life inspiration, Hidalgo sought out a small space. However, this meant working with a smaller production team of three to four people, plus Hidalgo, compared to some of his previous films which could include over 50 crew members. Le Concierge did not receive any grants. Instead, Hidalgo relied on the support of family and friends to put the film together. Making use of the resources provided by family and friends is one of the ways Hidalgo encourages aspiring filmmakers to get their foot in the door. “Start by taking stock of what things you can put together, aside from getting some money. Then, start writing and think of things you can do with the resources you have already at hand.” “Instead of writing something that you would need a lot of resources for and hoping that one day you get it together, think of [scenes] you can make with the resources you already have,” said Hidalgo. Similarly, he also encourages writers to create scenes according to the spaces which are available to them. With a series of accomplishments under his belt, including winning Best Screenplay at the Brooklyn International Film Festival and the Miami International Film Festival for his 2003 film, A Silent Love, Hidalgo maintains a special appreciation for the film scene here in Montreal. With so many beautiful locations in the city and such a diverse population, Hidalgo said Montreal filmmakers hold a unique ability to tell many different kinds of stories. “I find it very, very inspiring because you don’t feel limited by one homogenous culture that can only understand certain types of films or certain languages,” he said. “It’s very competitive, but it’s competitive everywhere. I think it’s a pretty good place to make films.”
Hidalgo’s film, Le Concierge, features very little dialogue, letting the mise-en-scène tell the story instead.
9
feature FEATURE
The JMSB professor who does it all
An insight into the eclectic life of Concordia part-time professor Robert Soroka DAVID EASEY OPINIONS EDITOR
Robert Soroka teaches marketing, management and finance at JMSB. Photos courtesy of Robert Soroka.
The rain flooded the streets, as the cold, damp air crept into the hollows of my bones. It felt like I was in the British capital i n s te a d of o u r b e l ove d metropolis, for the rain made everything seem grey and melancholic. On this drear y day in Oc tober, I w a s dodg ing puddles and pedestrians because I had an interview with a legendary figure at Concordia. When it was first announced at that we’d be starting a feature series on part-time professors, I looked at the list and randomly chose the name Robert Soroka. To be honest, I thought he had an interesting name, and I knew nothing about him. After claiming him off the list, I soon discovered Mr. Soroka was quite popular at our offices. Several of my colleagues were jealous I beat them to the punch and landed Soroka. They told me he was “amazing” and “one of the best professors at Concordia.” I won’t lie, I was nervous and felt utterly unprepared to meet him. “What if I screw this up?” I thought to myself, as I walked up the staircase. For a moment, I considered fleeing from the interview, but I pushed through the anxiet y and knocked on his door. Upon meeting the professor, my nerves calmed down. We sat down and, since I’m no good at small talk, we jumped right into the interview. We decided to start from the beginning and discuss his education. “I did my bachelor’s of commerce at McGill in marketing and management information systems,” Soroka said, as he detailed his undergrad experience. He liked business and ended up getting his first degree at the age of 20. A rarity to say in my opinion, considering students these days take their time getting their undergrad. Following his degree at McGill, Soroka started working as a marketing analyst at a large Eastern Canadian retailer. During this period, he started his MBA at Concordia, working during the day and studying at night. By the time Soroka was in his early 20s, he had his master’s in business administration and several years of work experience under his belt. Following his master’s degree, Soroka saw an advertisement for a teaching
position for a local college and decided to apply. Applying to be a teacher marked a turning point in his career, because Soroka began to actively pursue teaching positions while continuing to work full-time. He eventually landed two teaching positions at two different local colleges in Montreal and began teaching part-time at both institutions. “I thought the interaction with students was invigorating, and being in an academic environment was stimulating,” said Soroka, as he recounts a time when he used to work during the day as an analyst, then teach in the evening, balancing what he described as a tough and jam-packed schedule. But another shift would soon occur, as the man decided to switch gears and enter law. Yes, you read correctly, the man began his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree, which is essentially a graduate-level law degree, at the State University of New York. Following this degree, Soroka worked within the criminal law sector in New York state for some time before returning to Montreal. It appears Soroka always had his eye on the education field. He had the opportunity to meet with the chair of the marketing department at the John Molson School of Business while he was working full-time. He said this individual trusted him and gave him a teaching position, based on the fact that Soroka had acquired a decent amount of experience in the business world. This job kick-started Soroka’s university teaching career at Concordia. He currently teaches courses in marketing, management and finance at JMSB, while also working at Dawson College. He stressed that, even though he’s a part-time faculty member, he contributes immensely to the community at Concordia. “I choose to contribute and to teach, and it’s a great feeling” he said, as I tried to jot down all his involvements at Concordia. I can see clearly on his office wall that he won the distinguished teaching award in 1997, demonstrating his capabilities as an educator. He currently has a three-year appointment on senate, sits on the hiring committee for the JMSB marketing department and previously sat on the business school’s strategic planning committee. He’s also worked with students on case competitions, is a union representative for the university and worked on developing the credit programs for the School of Extended Learning. “As part-timers, especially with a business background, there many more lucrative ways of earning a living.” he said, “but we chose to teach and to contribute.” Apart from dabbling in law, business and education, believe it or not Soroka is also a talented playwright and thespian. He’s acted in a few plays during his lifetime, stating that he loves to communicate with audience, whether it’s through education, the law or the arts. During one play in particular, he had a lot of
FEBRUARY 20, 2017
theconcordian
“As part-timers, especially with a business background, there many more lucrative ways of earning a living.” he said. “But we chose to teach and to contribute.” downtime between between practicing for every scene and he thought he “could do a better job” in terms of writing the script. So he decided to write a play of his own and he turned out to be quite talented at it. He wrote a few more including Thesis of Life, which has been produced three times, according to his website. “How do you deal with rejection?” I asked the multitalented professor, considering I’m just about to graduate and have a bit of anxiety about my professional future. Soroka told m e t h a t, i n e ver y professional situation, you’re bound to face some sort of rejection. For someone who’s experienced a lot of highs during his diverse career, I was surprised to hear those words. He then told me that, every time he’s faced some sort of rejection, he’s used it as a learning experience, and each experience has inevitably contributed to his learning. As I began to wrap up the interview,
another revelation came out. It turns out Soroka was also a local television personality in Montreal, appearing on both CTV and Global. In between all his other activities and commitments, he submitted a demo reel and a resume to the CTV studios. A producer immediately called him and set up a lunch. He offered Soroka a spot on Montreal Today, a morning show where Soroka would act as ‘the consumer cop,’ drawing upon his expertise to provide an business analysis on a variety of topics. He met a lot of professionals during this period and also got to do some investigative journalism after a few years on the show. Professor, lawyer, business man, playwright and television personality. Give me my asthma pump, I’m about to pass out. After concluding the interview with the multitalented professor, I felt rather inspired and uplifted by Soroka’s stories. He is an example for the entire Concordia
“I thought the interaction with students was
invigorating, and being in
an academic environment was stimulating."
students and staff alike, especially when it comes to being involved in several different projects and juggling many responsibilities. If I could take anything away from this interview, it would be a stronger motivation to get involved in the Concordia community and the proof that it is possible to have it all.
This article is part of a series of profiles on part-time faculty at Concordia. Our goal is to highlight some of the incredible work these professors do in and outside of the university, while also shedding light on the difference in treatment between being part-time versus full-time faculty. Several profiles will have accompanying videos on our website theconcordian.com. Look out for various profiles throughout the semester! This series came to life with the help of Lorraine Oades, VP of the Concordia University Part-Time Faculty Association (CUPFA).
11
music
Quickspins
MUSIC EDITOR /// music@theconcordian.com SANDRA HERCEGOVÁ
1 SYD
COVER STORY
Wherever the waves take her
A look at the passionate, up-and-coming DJ behind CJLO’s Waves of Honey
KATYA TEAGUE HEAD COPY EDITOR It’s 10 p.m. on a Friday night, and DJ Honeydrip just started her set. Tonight, it’s at the Ti Agrikol bar. The night starts off quiet. Intimate couples and groups chat near the bar as mellow hip-hop beats fill the air. Two young men walk into the bar and immediately start swaying to the rhythm. It’s not long before others follow suit and take to the dance floor. Honeydrip makes eye contact with one of the dancers, smiles and sways to the music. As the bar fills, she switches up the beat, shifting to some African-inspired dance tunes, and the crowd responds. Honeydrip tunes out the people standing near her, her focus now on cueing the next song. She puts one of her headphones to her ear, twists a few dials on the mixer, all while rocking her body to the music. The transition is seamless. I comment on the complexity of the equipment in front of her, and how easy she makes it look. “It used to look foreign to me too,” she says. “Trust me.” Two years ago, before Honeydrip was Honeydrip, she was Tiana McLaughlan and she was in her first year at Concordia University. A cheerleader all through high school and CEGEP, McLaughlan was searching for a new hobby at a school that didn’t have a cheer squad. “I wasn’t quite sure what to do with my free time anymore,” she said. An advertisement in the school agenda for CJLO, the university’s radio station, caught her eye. “I was very, very keen... I wanted to meet them, to show that I was super interested,” McLaughlan said. So she set up a meeting with the station’s volunteer coordinator. “Apparently most people aren’t as keen as I am usually, so I got in right away. A week later, I was offered to apply for a show.” McLaughlan said the vibe she aims for with Waves of Honey, her Sunday night show, is “the kind of music that people groove to, bob their head to.” She often plays hip-hop instrumentals and smooth, synth-based electronic music. “I always try to keep a mellow
Tiana McLaughlan, aka Honeydrip, DJs at bars, nightclubs and events run by student organizations. Photo by Mira Barbara.
vibe—watching the sunset or just chilling in degree at Concordia. the park kind of music,” she said. “I mean, we’ll see where McLaughlan said the show made her want life takes me,” she said. “I’m to DJ, and gave her a weekly opportunity to so into music in general that practice. “It helped me learn much faster,” I don’t care where I end she said. up, so long as I’m doing It’s also given her the chance to connect something related to music.” with various musicians and DJs. Many of the It’s 10 p.m. on a Sunday night, and “you are artists featured on her show are people she’s listening to Waves of Honey on CJLO 1690AM. met through SoundCloud. This is your host, Honeydrip.” “At first, you kind of feel like every The show kicks off with “Racquets” by artist is out of reach—they’re famous, they Indian Wells. McLaughlan adds a personal must be, so there’s no way you can talk to touch to the atmospheric instrumental, playing them,” she said. “But what I’ve learned a lot around with some effects on her mixer. is that they’re super humble, and they’re super “Some DJs like playing around with open to being interviewed, whether they have effects. Others not so much,” she said. I ask thousands of followers or not.” her if she’s the kind who does. She grins and In January, McLaughlan took on the role of nods enthusiastically as she twists a dial, electronic music program director at CJLO. A highlighting the toc-toc tennis sounds that major part of the job is promoting the electronic inspired the song’s title. music community and connecting her station’s Later in the show, she interviews Canadian DJs with local artists and bigger names. DJ Kid Koala. She’s a little nervous, but soon She herself has been getting increasing they’re having an animated discussion about opportunities to showcase her own DJing. his innovative, unorthodox way of practicing On Jan. 20, she opened for Purity Ring, scratching using the wax paper burger wrapping an electronic music duo from Alberta, at from his fast food job before he could afford Newspeak. proper equipment. “Newspeak was always somewhere that “Very primitive, humble beginnings,” he I really, really wanted to play,” McLaughlan tells her. “But also very joyful times.” said. “It’s a place that has international DJs Sounds not unlike the circumstances and performers come through, and I’m just McLaughlan currently finds herself in. super blessed to have gotten to play there.” McLaughlan’s radio öö Tune in to Waves of Honey every Ideally, McLaughlan would show, Waves of Sunday night from 10 to 11 p.m. on like to get into Concordia’s Honey, features CJLO 1690AM. electroacoustics program. “I mellow electronic know a lot of people who’ve music and interviews been in that program, and with musicians and they’re amazing producers and DJs. Photo by Katya Teague. artists,” she said. “I would definitely want to create my own music,” she said. “I feel like if there’s one thing I want to leave behind in this world, it would be some cool tracks.” Yet becoming a big-time performer isn’t a must for McLaughlan. She discussed career possibilities such as music editing, owning her own record label or even working for music festivals once she completes her marketing
Fin (Columbia, 2017)
A few years back, Odd Future’s sole female artist, Syd, and her new band, The Internet, released their third and most successful album, Ego Death, to universal acclaim. The next step for most bands would be to follow up with a project that tries to capitalize on that success. For The Internet, it meant time to produce solo projects. This is Syd’s debut as a solo act, but you can’t tell by listening to it. Fin ’s varied production styles range from familiar, smooth, The Internet-like tracks such as “Smile More,” and 2000s R&B-style productions like “Know” and “Body.” Syd also features modern-day trap instrumentals such as “No Complaints” and “All About Me”. Though many of these songs are a change in style for the singer, she still makes them her own. This album is smooth, sexy, confident and a solid debut for Syd. Whatever her next move is —be it solo or with the band— there’s a lot to look forward to. 11 Trial Track: “Body”
9/10
—Wesley McLean, Staff Writer
2 WIKI & YOUR OLD DROOG
What Happened to Fire? (RTNC & Y.O.D, 2017) Two of New York’s best up-and-coming MCs have joined forces in a five-track EP that packs a punch stronger than most albums try to achieve. Your Old Droog’s traditional rap style and gruff voice with Wiki’s smooth, catchy flow complement each other so well. It’s surprising this collaboration did not happen sooner. The immediate standout is the third track, “Vigilantes.” This song features the pair rapping about protecting their city as vigilantes. It houses a cinematic feel in the instrumental, which is accompanied by Wiki and Droog showcasing their impressive storytelling abilities whilst trading verses. Another standout is “Facts 3,” in which the pair trade bars over a heavy bassline, 808-driven instrumental. The only knock on this project is that Wiki’s verse is poorly mixed on “Parlay.” Overall, it’s a very pleasant surprise from some of the best MCs New York has to offer. 11 Trial Track: “Vigilantes”
8/10
—Wesley McLean, Staff Writer
FEBRUARY 20, 2017
theconcordian
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PROFILE
3 HAND HABITS
Wildly Idle (Humble Before the Void) (Woodsist, 2017) Having plied her trade for years as lead guitarist in the Kevin Morby Band, Wildly Idle (Humble Before the Void) is the songwriter’s debut album. It’s the one fans have been waiting for. Playing around with her instantly recognizable guitar sound, which has become a staple of Morby’s live shows, she takes it one step further to create something of her own. Wildly Idle is a truly personal affair. Lyrically brimming with emotional fragility, her use of warm, tender guitar tones brings the listener closer, killing off any sort of uneasiness, and installing a sense of “we’re in this together.” Her songs are slow gentle pieces of spacey folk riddled with lap-steel and soft atmospherics that rarely change pace. They create a hypnotising tone which engulfs the listener, allowing them to get lost in the melodies. Wildly Idle is an album which incites comfort—a subdued gem by a young artist with a heavy heart. 11 Trial track: “All the While”
9/10 —Charles Fretier-Gauvin,
Staff Writer
4 LUPE FIASCO
Drogas Light (1st & 15th Entertainment, 2017) The album’s opening track, “Dopamine,” is ironically missing it. Its monotone bassline and average hook are a disappointing opener for an artist like Lupe Fiasco. This leaves a bad impression on the whole album. Lupe Fiasco used to have his own distinct style and sound in previous tracks, such as “Hip Hop Saved My Life,” “Superstar” and “Shining Down.” However, you won’t hear any of his old-school charm on this album. In Drogas Light, Lupe Fiasco sounds like your generic rapper trying to sound like Drake. The lyrics are shallow and revolve around booze, drugs and honeys. His song “Promise” sounds like a replica of Drake’s “Steeze.” It’s so obvious that it makes you wonder why would someone copy another rapper’s style and call it their own? His track “Made in the USA” is definitely not making America any better with its generic beat and over-repeated chorus. This album fell flat like tap water.
Priests bring punk-rock back to life Priests kick off North American tour for their LP Nothing Feels Natural SANDRA HERCEGOVA MUSIC EDITOR It’s a casual night at Casa Del Popolo, sitting side by side with punk-rock band Priests. Grunge music is playing in the background and sandwiches are being ordered as the band awaits their moment to shine on stage. On Jan. 27, Priests released their first full-length album, Nothing Feels Natural, under their own label, Sister Polygon Records. The album brings punk-rock back to life with its raucous guitar sounds and post garage-rock aesthetic. It’s the soundtrack that will take you back to the CBGB days in New York City. These post-punkers have made Montreal the third stop of their North American tour. “Are winters always this cold over here?” asked bassist Taylor Mulitz. Priests lineup consists of Daniele Daniele on drums, Katie Alice Greer on vocals, G.L Jaguar on guitar and Mulitz on bass. The band was founded in Washington, D.C. back in 2012 when Daniele moved there for grad school. “I had just started to play drums and I wanted to keep playing. I was on the lookout and met Katie at a show. We ran into G.L Jaguar at the next show and decided to start a band,” said Daniele. Initially, they played shows as a trio until they decided to add a new member. “G.L Jaguar met Taylor, our bassist, and he joined us a year later,” said Daniele. Irony stems from their band name, as there is nothing priest-like about them or their music. “At first, it was kind of a joke, because none of us could be priests. I’m Jewish, the other two are women and Taylor is also Jewish” said Jaguar. According to Jaguar, the band felt they urgently needed to start making music. They felt frustrated about the political issues arising at that time, and decided to take part in the Occupy Wall Street movement. The Occupy Wall Street was a movement against social and economic
inequality worldwide. “We had to make music and couldn’t imagine not doing it. We were in weird places in our lives,” said Jaguar. “Our first show was in a living room and our second show was at Occupy D.C which was part of the whole Occupy movement.” According to Greer, everything is political and her personal feelings are political, which is the meta theme of Nothing Feels Natural. “Now that we’re in the era of Trump, people look back at Obama and think, ‘Ah, sunny times,’ when those times for us were very dark in a lot of ways. The main themes of the album revolve around anxiety, depression or defeat, and trying to find a way forward,” said Daniele. The album’s lyrics represent the personal-political theme through their metaphoric storylines. “There’s a lot of frustration that we are working out through playing music. It’s cathartic. It makes sense that sometimes, when you are writing lyrics, you use it as a way to escape that and create a narrative that isn’t about your own life,” said Mulitz. For instance, their track “Lelia 20” was written from the point of view of the movie character Lelia from the movie Shadows, a film by John Cassavetes. “Katie was writing the song from the perspective of this character at age 20. If you listen to the lyrics, people understand them in such different ways because they are political,” said Mulitz. In wterms of the creative process, it is lead singer Greer who writes all the lyrics, and the band as a whole works together on the instrumentals. “Katie has notebooks filled with lyrics, and then we come to practice different riffs together that we compose individually,” said Mulitz. However, the song “No Big Bang,” was written by Daniele—it is a song about insomnia. “Most times, I can’t sleep because my brain would just keep going. Even if I want to rest, if I have an idea that really grabs me, I just can’t stop obsessing over it,” said Daniele. She said finding an idea
that excites you can bring forth creativity in a lot of ways, but the flipside is you risk getting trapped in your own mind. “Ideas can spiral out of control,” said Daniele. In Priests’ music video “JJ”, the bandmates are filmed one by one as their faces and upper bodies are touched by the others without their ability to stop it. What inspired the “JJ” music video was their low budget. “It was a very cheap way to make something visually effective. I saw that in a Kanye West music video and thought it was a great effect,” said Greer. Greer went on to express how people have tenuous relationships with how they’re being perceived, as we exist in a world where so many conversations happen on social media. “Conversations through performance can be useful when you connect with people, but it can constantly make you so aware of yourself. I think a video like this one, where you see these faceless hands touching you, mirrors feelings like that,” said Greer. According to Daniele, Nothing Feels Natural was a hard album to make and it took them a long time to finalize it. “We’ve been writing this album for three years. We first started recording it a year and a half ago,” said Daniele. Priests have been playing these songs for a while, but this tour is the first time they’ve noticed people are connecting with their music in a meaningful way. “It’s more than just, ‘Oh, yeah this is cool music!’ This time, people know the songs, they are able to connect with them,” said Jaguar. “The excitement of someone knowing the song and being excited about it in return makes me way more excited on stage,” said Daniele. Priests have the simple goal of making a living out of music. When it comes to the music they make, “we don’t ever want to settle in one place. We’ve always been a dynamic band,” said Greer. “I think we all dream and hope for consistent evolution. We are aesthetically restless.”
11 Trial track: “Promise"
2/10
—Sandra Hercegová, Music Editor Priests are Daniele Daniele on drums, Katie Alice Greer on vocals, G.L. Jaguar on guitar, and Taylor Mulitz on bass. Photo by Audrey Melton.
sports
SPORTS EDITOR /// sports@theconcordian.com ALEXANDER COLE ( @AlexCole_80)
PROFILE
From the football field to the press box Andrew Barlett talks about football and being a broadcaster at Concordia University
1 ALEXANDER COLE SPORTS EDITOR On any given Friday or Saturday night, the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team is usually playing a game at the Ed Meagher Arena. On this particular Friday night, the Stingers are playing the Western Mustangs. They may not be the best team in the league, but the Stingers know they have to play well if they want to win and get those crucial points for the standings. Meanwhile, up in the press box are Andrew Barlett and Salim Valji. Both men are broadcasters for the Concordia Stingers basketball and hockey webcasts. Valji does play-by-play, while Barlett does the colour commentary. Before the game, Valji and Barlett strike up a conversation with a couple of Stingers, who approach Barlett and shake his hand. He smiles, makes a couple of jokes and then turns back to Valji for some notes. The men who approached Barlett are not just Stingers at the game, they are also his teammates out on the football field. Barlett is not just a broadcaster—he is first and foremost a defensive end and captain of the Concordia Stingers football team. Born and raised in Burlington, Ont., sports have always been a part of Barlett’s life. His father won a Vanier Cup with the Acadia Axemen in 1979. With a desire to follow in his father’s footsteps, Barlett took up football and hockey. “Just watching football with my dad, I would pick his brain, and later on we had Argos season tickets so I grew to have a huge passion for the Canadian game,” Barlett said. “Playing on great teams and having great coaches, with my dad alongside me, was my inspiration to keep getting better and better.” With a bigger passion for football, Barlett eventually decided to ditch hockey and went through the recruitment process for
university in his last year of high school. Despite calling Concordia his home for the last five years, Barlett never thought he would wind up in Quebec. “I spoke to and got recruited by a number of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) teams in Ontario,” Barlett explained. “Throughout my whole high school career, I figured if I played in university it would be in Ontario because that’s all I knew.” After winning the Ontario championships with his high school team, a few coaches from Concordia approached Barlett and offered him a spot on the team. From that point on, the coaches stayed in contact with him and Barlett came to Montreal for a recruiting trip. Barlett, who is studying human relations, immediately took a shine to Concordia and has done almost everything he can to stay involved in the school.
2
Last year, he was the vice-president of finance for the department of applied human science, and the year before, he was the vice-president of academics for the same department. Furthermore, Barlett is a part of two charities on campus, as well as Concordia’s SWARM, which aims to get more people to attend Stingers games. He has even earned the nickname “Mr. Concordia,” thanks to his pride in the university. “One reason why I stay involved is to gain experience in so many different fields and really find out where my passions are,” Barlett said. “The main reason though is the fact that I get to give back. No one is self-made so, for me, the fact that I can help other people is special.” When it comes to broadcasting, Barlett has been a part of the Stingers webcast for three years now. After working on
the webcast in a supporting role, Barlett figured he would give being a broadcaster a shot. Some inspiration from a few former teammates helped guide his decision as well. “I got into it because I used to do statistics for the webcast and some of my former teammates were on the broadcast and they had no prior experience,” Barlett said. “I eventually told myself that that’s what I wanted to do, and it happened.” Valji and Barlett have been partners for the last three years. They linked up with one another when Valji started his first year of journalism at Concordia. Valji, who had an interest in broadcast journalism, signed on to be part of the Stingers webcast. For the first year of their partnership, Valji and Barlett only called men’s hockey together. Over the last two years, however, they have been doing basketball and hockey together for the men’s and women’s teams. According to Valji, working with Barlett has been fun because they both have laid-back personalities. Valji said they are always trying to make their audience laugh and, over time, they have been able to develop great chemistry. “In terms of our chemistry and play calling, it was a feeling-out process,” Valji said. “Now, I know when he's about to make a point or reveal some stat. Occasionally, we'll scribble notes down, but at this point it's instinctual.” As Valji and Barlett prepare their notes with just five minutes until the broadcast, a Stingers employee taps both men on the shoulder and hands them each 1. This is Barlett’s last a headset for the season with the game. Barlett and Concordia Stingers Valji adjust their football team. ties almost in 2. Barlett has earned unison and then the nickname “Mr. turn around to Concordia” during his face the camera. time here. Photos by They’re live. Brianna Thicke.
Lighting the lamp in his first year
Men’s hockey forward Anthony De Luca has made an early impact with the Stingers
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PROFILE
theconcordian
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FEBRUARY 20, 2017
Rant of the Week BY ALEXANDER COLE
“STICK TO SPOR
TS”
Since deciding I wanted to be a sports reporter in high school, I have had a mix of encouraging and unencouraging teachers. There are those who inspired me, who helped me grow as a writer and broadcaster. And, there are those who were uninspiring, who flat out told me that “sports journalists aren’t ‘real’ journalists.”
ALEXANDER COLE SPORTS EDITOR After a first-round exit from the playoffs last season, the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team went on a mission this offseason to acquire as many talented rookies as possible. The team brought in starting goaltender Philippe Cadorette, forwards Philippe Sanche and Anthony Beauregard, as well as defenceman Mickael Beauregard. Also among these new players is rookie forward Anthony De Luca who, in his first year alone, is ranked second in U SPORTS in scoring, with 41 points. He has 23 goals and 18 assists, and has the most goals of all rookies in the league. “Honestly, I think last year helped me a lot, going to a pro team at 20 years old,” De Luca said. “It’s hard to get used to the pro game at such a young age, but once you go through that, you really get used to anything and nothing shakes you up.” The pro team De Luca referred to is the Alaska Aces of the ECHL, a team he played for during the 2015-16 season. With the Aces, De Luca played 46 games, scoring seven goals and earning 13 assists. For De Luca, the hectic travel schedule and experiencing different time zones on a weekly basis is what has allowed him to deal with any kind of hardship thrown at him on and off the ice. De Luca said the toughest part about transitioning from pro hockey to university hockey was getting to know all of the new guys he’d be playing with. “You’ve got to adapt to every league you play in,” De Luca said. “From going to junior to pro, it was all about speed, but now it’s just about execution and finding chemistry.” Since joining the Stingers, De Luca has played most games on a line with captain Olivier Hinse and Sanche. All three forwards have had success playing together, as Hinse and Sanche both have 28 points each. For the past few games, however, the Stingers have been without Hinse due to his involvement with Team Canada at the Winter World University Games in Almaty, Kazakhstan. In order to fill the gap, De Luca and Sanche have been playing with rookie forward Anthony Beauregard, who joined the team in January. So far, the line has been just
as good, with Anthony Beauregard picking up 15 points in just 10 games. “It’s fun to be playing with a lot of good guys,” De Luca said. “I’d say Sanche is my best buddy off the ice so obviously it is easier for me to be playing with him. Now that [Anthony] Beauregard has jumped into the lineup, it’s even better.” This season, the Stingers are having one of their best seasons in years. They are second in the East Division—last year they finished seventh. They have a record of 18-7-2 and are already eight wins ahead of last year’s team which finished with just 10. U SPORTS has the Stingers ranked seventh in the country and in heavy competition with the Queen’s Golden Gaels and the McGill Redmen for top spot in their division. De Luca explained that a large part of their improvement from last season is thanks to the work of head coach Marc-André Élement. “[Élement’s] a younger guy and the players relate to him. They can go into his office at any time to just talk,” De Luca said. “It’s nice to know that he’s always on our side.” De Luca further explained his respect for his coach by telling the story of how Élement got him invited to Team Canada’s Winter World University Games try-outs. Originally, De Luca was not invited to the training camp, so Élement called the coach of the team and got De Luca an invitation. However, because De Luca is in independent studies and hasn’t declared a major, he was not eligible to play in the tournament. Now, the Stingers are looking towards the playoffs as a top-seeded team in their division.
De Luca is in his rookie season with the Stingers and is tied for second in the league in scoring. Photos by Brianna Thicke.
De Luca said the team has mixed emotions heading into the post-season. “I’d say the mood in the room is a mix of nerves and confidence,” De Luca said. “A lot of the guys in the room have played junior hockey so they know what it’s like. The season is its own thing and the playoffs are a new season so anyone can beat anyone, we just need to be ready mentally and physically.” De Luca and the rest of the Stingers will take on the UOIT Ridgebacks in the first round of the playoffs, which start on Feb. 15 The interview in this article was conducted by Matthew O’Hayon. Words by Alexander Cole.
I get it. Politics and current affairs ultimately affect our lives the most, so it’s natural to feel that they deserve their place atop the journalism pyramid. Yet this hierarchy seems to inspire the assumption that those who cover sports are inept, unintelligent and should never comment on matters that don’t relate to sports. Not only is this thought-process insulting, it’s also absurd. Conor McKenna, a sports broadcaster for TSN 690 in Montreal, took to Twitter recently to voice his displeasure about Donald Trump’s immigration ban. After voicing his political opinion, various people commented, “stick to sports.” If you’re a sports journalist who’s gotten political in the past, you’ve definitely heard the phrase before. Even after McKenna expressed how absurd such comments were, people continued to say they follow him for sports updates, not political commentary. If I were to “stick to sports” and never speak up about anything else, I would probably go crazy and, after about a year, I would become sick of sports. Furthermore, since when are you only allowed to talk about one thing? Reporters from other fields voice their opinions on other topics all the time, and no one seems to mind. But because we’re sports reporters who talk about something that is seen by many as “ridiculous” and “unsubstantial”, we’re seen as dumb jocks who have no clue what we’re saying. When sports journalists talk about politics, it may not be from a journalistic standpoint but rather from the standpoint of a citizen. As citizens, it is our right and moral obligation to hold those in power accountable for their actions. Just because you follow us for sports coverage, doesn’t mean we’ve given up our ability to express our feelings as citizens. As someone in a journalism program, I’ve always felt alienated by those who cover campus politics. I’ve felt that my opinion doesn’t matter to them because I’ve been told so many times to stick to sports. It’s a frustrating feeling that will persist until people start to realize there’s more to us than just sports.
opinions OPINIONS EDITOR /// opinions@theconcordian.com DAVID EASEY
Aside from the editorial, the articles that appear in the opinions section do not necessarily reflect the points of view of our staff.
EDITORIAL
A ban on one is a ban on all The Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) sent shockwaves throughout the Concordia community early last week when they announced they were implementing a ‘ban’ on The Link newspaper. The letter posted to the association’s Facebook page said the ASFA executive will “abstain from commenting on, or engaging with” the newspaper. The reasons listed were for unethical practices, such as recording individuals without consent, having a biased agenda, misconstruing information and causing harm to certain individuals’ mental and physical health. There were no specific examples of coverage or names of reporters provided. ASFA says this ‘ban’ will be in place until The Link formally apologizes or until the end of their mandate on May 31, 2017. Here at The Concordian, we feel as though ASFA should instead be apologizing to The Link. From one student newspaper to another, The Concordian formally stands with The Link. It can be argued that an attack on one media outlet is an attack on us all. We must fight for the freedom of the university press,
and this move by ASFA is purely absurd and quite frankly, autocratic. The Link ’s editor-in-chief Jonathan Caragay-Cook told The Concordian they were not approached by ASFA about the letter they published nor did they reach out about any issues the organization was having with the newspaper’s coverage. Fundamentally, if ASFA had issues with recordings and the way stories were reported on in The Link, the ideal protocol would have been for them to complain to The Link’s editor directly. They chose not to, and instead put out an overwhelming ban. Bottom line, ASFA did not take the appropriate action to solve this problem from the get-go. Just because ASFA has been subject to negative coverage by The Link that they may disagree with, it is not reason enough to
instill a ban. If anything, this makes it appear as though ASFA has something to hide that they don’t want The Link to uncover, or that they can’t handle any criticism. It stinks of lack of transparency. This letter simply paints the ASFA executive team as irrational and unprofessional—it was extremely unclear and we need solid proof in order to believe any of the claims made. We understand if ASFA has issues with particular reporters or methods of reporting, however, there is a way to communicate that to a media outlet without instilling a ban outright. It’s reminiscent of what’s going on in America with Donald Trump and the media. We would hope that, if any of our own writers here at The Concordian were causing problems or conducting their interviews
in shady ways, we would be contacted directly about it before any sort of action takes place. We would hope to be kept in the loop about a reporter who is not doing their job correctly so we could address the issue first-hand. In this case, The Link was left in the dark. However, we learned that ASFA voted at their meeting on Thursday that they would meet with The Link to discuss their future working relationship. Despite this good news, this should have been the action taken by ASFA from the beginning. We are disappointed that ASFA has not yet formally apologized to The Link for this hasty letter. Instead, they have apologized only to their membership, for the way they chose to release the statement. The Concordian believes this ban should be immediately rescinded, and we hope the two groups can resolve this problem as soon as possible. As media, we must be able to hold our student politicians and student organizations accountable. Without us, how will students be informed about what may be going on behind closed doors? Graphic by Florence Yee.
IMMIGRATION
Canada’s foundations are based off of immigration Exploring multiculturalism and immigration during these turbulent times QASIM WARRAICH STAFF WRITER The word ‘immigrant’ evokes many emotions in me every time I hear it. It connotes a sense of hope and excitement that a family will be starting their new life in this country, yet it’s paired with a sense of nervousness for the trials they will face. Canada is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year, and many citizens will be marking this day by reflecting on their own cultural diversity, demonstrating how immigration has essentially shaped this country over the last century. Being an immigrant anywhere in the world is often a daunting and terrifying experience. To gather up all you own and say goodbye to the home and friends you’ve always known for a chance at something better is a perilous task many of us will never have to face. I myself have had the privilege of being born a Canadian citizen because my parents immigrated to
Canada from Pakistan over 30 years ago. “One out of five people in Canada's population is foreign-born” according to a 2011 report released by Statistics Canada. Approximately 1.1 million foreigners immigrated to this country between 2006 and 2011, according to the same report. New data should be available in the near future though, considering the Trudeau government conducted a nationwide census in 2016. But the question remains—is Canada truly home for immigrants and their families? Yes. I think many immigrants would agree. Canada is the country that has given many a new life, opportunities and freedoms. For my father, it’s a place where he has been able to see his children benefit from things he could never have dreamed of as a child, such as the education or healthcare systems. Many families who have immigrated are now seeing their former homes face catastrophic war or other devastating
situations. This strengthens our sense of gratitude for our new home and the opportunities it has brought our families. However, it’s not as if we’ve forgotten where we came from. Many of my friends refer to themselves as Pakistani-Canadian, Syrian-Canadian or Vietnamese-Canadian, and consider both Canada and their former or parent’s former country as home. Sadly, Canada still has a long way to go to be considered truly multicultural. For example, public schools rarely celebrate or educate their students about any holiday traditions other than Christmas, such as Hanukkah, Eid, or Diwali. Though the cultures are prevalent, they are not really celebrated in the mainstream. Without question, the experience of being a non-immigrant Canadian is much different than that of an immigrant, or the child of an immigrant. I can’t count how many times, after telling someone I’m Canadian, I’ve gotten the response, “No, I mean where are you actually from?”
Though harmless questions like that are the least of my worries, I am concerned by the recent surge in racist propaganda that has popped up on Canadian campuses, including McGill and the University of Toronto. Flyers with “Make Canada Great Again,” or “Fuck Your Turban” strewn across them in big letters have made appearances at across schools in the country, according to CBC News. So, although Canada is unquestionably our home, there’s still a sense that many people here don’t agree. And what can be done? Realistically, we have to continue moving towards bringing multiculturalism to the forefront, especially to the younger generations. Growing up, it was rare that anyone wa s cur ious about my Pakistani heritage, but as I got older and met international students, I found they were much more open and curious about my culture. This is the key—to open our minds and continue to learn about each other’s pasts. Graphic by Thom Bell.
FEBRUARY 20, 2017
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BUSINESS
Let’s talk about Canada's corporate philanthropy Analyzing philanthropy in major businesses in an age where PR is everything TYSON BURGER STAFF WRITER During the Bell Let’s Talk campaign, which took place a couple of weeks ago, social media sites were brimming with people sharing their experiences with mental illness in an attempt to raise awareness. For every tweet, Instagram post, Facebook videoview and Snapchat geofilter that mentioned the campaign, and for every call or text made by a Bell customer on Jan. 25, Bell donated five cents to various mental health resources. Millions of people supported the campaign, including celebrities like Ellen Degeneres, Ryan Reynolds and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. According to an article by CTV News, the campaign raised $6.5 million this year, and more than $79 million total since its debut in 2010. This event is simultaneously one of the most effective mental health fundraisers and awareness campaigns in Canadian history, and also one of the greatest marketing strategies of all time. Bell was the number one company on everyone's minds on the day of the event, and in a context of selfless philanthropy no less. It can be assumed, however, that selfless wasn’t entirely the case. The purpose of the campaign, in part, was undoubtedly to spread brand awareness, and thus grow financially. Is there a problem with the duality of this campaign? Does its success from a marketing perspective take away from its success in raising awareness for mental health issues? According to an article in The Globe And Mail, out of 1.2 million Canadian children affected by mental illness, only a quarter receive appropriate treatment. It is clear that there is a stigma around mental illness, because it is not being treated the same as a physical illness—such as a broken bone—to which Canada’s health care always provides adequate aid. In order to end this stigma, we need to be comfortable talking about it as a real illness, and we need some loud voices to start the conversation. In our society, corporations hold a lot of power and influence, thus they have some of the loudest voices. They are capable, then, of effecting real change and, as is the case with Bell Let’s Talk Day, that change can be extremely positive. My only problem with it is that the economic market that we live in runs on self-interest, and it is hard to see any corporate act outside of that context. For me, Bell crossed a line in using mental illness in the manipulative, profit-driven environment of the marketing world. Mental health is such a serious issue to people who have been affected by it. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, one in five Canadians will experience mental illness at some point in their lifetime. I’m convinced that Bell saw an opportunity to capitalize on that fact, and that they don't really have the interest of those with mental illnesses in mind. Hints of this emerged on the day of the campaign, when the CBC broke a story about a Bell Media employee who was fired after requesting time off—with a doctor’s note—to deal with their mental illness. Bell is still a profit-oriented company, and I think that to believe otherwise is not only false, but
potentially dangerous. In my view, Bell is capitalizing on mental illness. They are profiting off of the pain of millions of people, which is immoral. Bell’s power as a major corporation makes them one of our best resources for fighting the stigma around mental illness. However, I don't think that we should view this as a permanent way to deal with the problem of mental illness in our society. Once the conversation is more free and the stigma gone—or at least drastically decreased—the problem should be dealt with by more responsible institutions that solely have people’s best interests in mind—such as the government and notfor-profit organizations—rather than left in the hands of corporate companies that don’t. I propose that for now we view the Bell Let’s Talk campaign as a necessary evil, and as a stepping stone towards a society that deals with mental illness more effectively and morally.
Graphic by Thom Bell.
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theconcordian
FEBRUARY 20, 2017
RELIGION
How microaggressions lead to mass shootings Freedom of speech ultimately translates to the notion of responsible speech
FLORENCE YEE GRAPHICS EDITOR Racism operates on a spectrum, and all of it matters. Its more extreme versions do not appear out of nowhere. Quite like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, racial violence builds itself on top of its smaller forms. Once a part of the pyramid is normalized and accepted by a dominant group, a higher part starts developing. Like racism against any marginalized group, islamophobia is no exception. In the wake of the shooting at a mosque in Quebec City a little over two weeks ago, many have wondered how our society has come to this. As Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard told reporters following the attack, “We are all responsible,” according to the Montreal Gazette. And it all starts at the bottom of the pyramid: microaggressions. Yes, a microaggression, despite its unfortunate terminology, does matter. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a microaggression as “a comment or action that is subtly and often unintentionally hostile or demeaning to a member of a minority or marginalized group.” This includes comments about belongings, appearance and preferences (among others) that appear in
a person’s daily life. I won’t bother trying to pronounce your name. Where are you really from? Your parents must be so strict. How’s the war in your country? These remarks suggest that there is an image of who "true" Canadians are, grounded in Eurocentric whiteness and Christianity. The microaggressions alienate people and subconsciously start to form an insidious divide that makes the group as an other in contrast to the imaginary us. They quietly hint that some people just don’t belong. Then comes prejudice: the over-generalizations, the assumptions and the hatred. Asians are taking my job. All Muslims hate Westerners. Black people are violent criminals. All terrorists are Muslim. The aforementioned divide limits daily experiences that could improve understanding between communities. Instead, the more distant interpersonal relationships become, the less empathetic people are. The marginalized group is dehumanized, reduced to the most sensational headline, and summarized as a general threat to that illusory us. The fear seems justified now. Time for some old-fashioned discrimination. During the 2013 provincial election, Pauline Marois put up Bill 60: The Quebec Charter of Values—a
thinly-veiled attempt at banning civil servants from wearing Islamic headscarves, the most common “obvious religious garment.” While Jews wearing kippas and Sikhs wearing turbans would also be forced to remove their religious items, a poll conducted by CBC in 2014 found that 78 per cent of anglophones and 70 per cent of allophones agreed that the legislation would disproportionately target Muslim women. Hijabs and niqabs were deemed too conspicuous despite the giant beacon-like cross on Mount Royal and the cross hanging in the National Assembly of Quebec that would be allowed to remain. That bill, along with the many debates on limiting religious accommodation, such as Kellie Leitch’s screening for “anti-Canadian values” and an American travel ban from Muslim-majority countries, turns exclusionary thoughts into discriminatory actions. The government-sanctioned actions indicate to the general population that this type of discrimination is completely okay. Quebec’s growing xenophobia in “defense of francophonie,” and attitudes adopted from France’s similar anti-immigrant and islamophobic stances set the stage for a terroristic mass shooting. It had all the components of normalizing violence to occur.
After all, Alexandre Bissonnette, the alleged shooter, was found to be a keen follower of Trump and Le Pen’s nationalistic rhetoric on social media. In this whole process, there has been an abuse of so-called freedom of speech. If you think about it as “just political correctness” or “limiting freedom of expression,” I hope you also think about your part in inciting race-based violence in direct and inevitable ways. Nothing you say or do happens in a vacuum. Even the smallest actions can contribute to the greatest tragedies. What you say matters every step of the way. So act like it. No one wants to make your comments illegal, but everyone can call you out for their inappropriateness and take measures to correct them. Social consequences should befall anyone who causes societal harm. Just as freedom of the press can be abused, so can freedom of speech. After all, they both influence social cohesion and the well-being of others. Freedom of speech means assuming responsibility for your speech. Please consider your role in the ongoing tensions. You may not have fired the gun, but you helped load the bullets.
Graphics by Florence Yee.
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Featured concordia artist Parisa Foroutan
ELLIPSIS, 2016.
SCHEHERAZADEH, 2014.
" I wa s born i n I ra n , Tehran. I have received my undergraduate study in Graphic Design at Tehran University of Art. I moved to Canada in 2012. Currently, I am MFA candidate in InterMedia program at Concordia University. I mostly work with video installation. My body of work revolves around t h e s p at i o -te m p o ra l experience of in-between-ness."
METAMORPHOSIS, 2015.
AT FIRST IT WAS NOHING, 2014.
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