September 4, 2018

theconcordian

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY’S WEEKLY, INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

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

VOLUME 36, ISSUE 2 | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

Returning to his roots Brad Collinson returns to coach the team he once captained

Sports p. 12

also in this issue...

news

arts

life

Overhauling the Fostering love Hall building p.3 with the SPCA

p.6

music

opinions

Storytelling with How Heartstreets Is boycotting each shot p. 8 p. 14 defy genre p.11 effective?

news

NEWS EDITORS /// news@theconcordian.com IAN DOWN & MIA ANHOURY ( @IanDown1996 @mia_anhoury)

CITY IN BRIEF

STUDENT RIGHTS

Free expression at Concordia The Campus Freedom Index measures free expression at Canadian universities IAN DOWN NEWS EDITOR

M a s c o u c h e r e s i d e n t To u f i k Benhamiche is still stuck in Cuba 14 months after a boat trip went wrong.

During an excursion in July 2017, Benhamiche lost control of the boat and killed a woman from Ontario.

However, his conviction of criminal negligence causing death and four-year sentencing was overturned by Cuba’s highest court. His wife, Kahina Bensaadi, said Cuban authorities are refusing to allow him to leave the country as the case is being reinvestigated. Bensaadi is now considering taking legal action against the Canadian government to push them to bring her husband home.

Graphic by @spooky_soda.

How free are Concordia students to speak their minds without fear of censorship or persecution?

Published annually since 2011, the Campus Freedom Index evaluates the state of free expression at univer sit ies across Canada. Each year, 60 C anadian s chool s are assigned letter grades for the policies and practices of their administrations and unions regarding free expression.

The Index is published by the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, a Canadian legal nonprofit whose mission is “to defend the constitutional freedoms of Canadians through litigation and education,” according to its website.

Since Concordia’s first evaluation in 2012, its grade has risen in every category, with one exception.

In 2012, both the student union’s policies and practices received a grade of D. However, in 2017, their policies dropped to an F, even though their practices rose to a C during the same time period.

In its 2017 policy evaluation, the CSU was penalized for a section of its Mezzanine Information Tables Terms and Usage Policies which states, “The CSU reserves the right to remove anyone from the premises that is objectionable or unruly,” without defining “objectionable” or “unruly.” It was also criticized for taking of f ic ial st ance s on polit ic al causes such as “‘Climate Justice,’ ‘Divestment,’ ‘Anti-Consumerism,’ and ‘Indigenous Sovereignty.’”

C SU General Coordinator Sophie Hough-Martin said that as the representative body of the student population, the union was obliged to adopt those positions once they were voted on by the council. “We are bound to the political positions adopted by our membership from our positions book,” she said.

She dismissed the Index’s evaluation, saying, “I do not feel their methodology adequately appreciates the context of freedom of expression within Canada and Quebec, nor do I feel it is reflective of the CSU’s policies and procedures.”

MIA ANHOURY NEWS EDITOR

Although the CSU did not earn any strikes for its practices, the union earned a C in this category, since its policies received a poor grade, but its commitment to free speech has not been sufficiently tested in recent years.

Concordia’s administration was criticized for its policy on “Communication of Discriminatory Matter,” which states “It is an offense for a member to engage in the distribution, communication, publication or public exhibition by any means of any matter deemed to be discriminatory or to expose a person or persons to hatred or contempt.” The university still earned a B for its policies.

The administration’s practices earned a C due to a 2015 incident in which a talk by Liberal MP Marc Garneau was forced to postpone following threats of violent protest. The administration failed to issue a statement on the incident, earning an automatic F. Following the Index’s methodology, a school or union’s grade rises by one letter every year following such incidents to account for their chilling effect on free expression.

In an email to The Concordian, university spokesperson Mary-Jo Barr said the school’s policies regarding free expression are “adequate.”

“Concordia University has always been, and will always be, a place where students and faculty

engage directly with important public issues,” she said. “We are justifiably proud of the traditions here of intellectual inquiry and vigorous debate.”

Both administrations and unions are evaluated on more than a dozen criteria.

Administrations must ensure that controversial lectures, speeches or other events are allowed to take place and are adequately secure. They must not fund school bodies that engage in “ideological advocacy.” Michael Kennedy, the Justice Centre’s Director of Communications and Development, defines ideological advocacy as, “Engaging students in advocacy or promotion of vague, loaded concepts like ‘positive environment,’ ‘equity,’ or ‘inclusivity.’”

“These terms are sometimes used to empower universit y officials to restrict free expression rights, despite such restrictions exceeding the Criminal Code limits on freedom of expression,” he said.

Unions must treat and fund clubs equally regardless of belief.

They must not censor campaign materials or speeches during elections, nor adopt positions on politics or current affairs unrelated to university education.

Both unions and administrations must have a “clear and unequivocal commitment to free

A 20-year-old man was stabbed Saturday night on Saint-Laurent Blvd. near Milton St. The police responded to a call at around 3:15 a.m. and found a man at the scene with an upper body injury. He was hospitalized, but his injuries were not life-threatening. Police are investigating the stabbing, and they suspect that the perpetrator was involved in a conflict between multiple people, which escalated. Saint-Laurent Blvd. was closed between Sherbrooke and Prince Arthur St, as police established a perimeter to investigate the crime scene. Police have not found any suspects.

speech on campus” and an anti-disruption policy for controversial events enshr ined in relev ant document s , and mu st not have campus speech codes or imposed safe spaces. For every failed After four years as the senior criterion, the mark drops vice-president of Quebec’s Caisse by one letter grade. de dépôt et placement, Christian Kennedy said the Index Dubé announced he is running as a arose out of a 2010 court provincial candidate for the Coalition case in which the Justice Avenir Québec (CAQ) in the La Prairie Ce nt re re p re s e nte d a riding. His candidacy means he is giving group of Universit y of up a salary of roughly $1.3 million. CAQ Calgary students who had leader François Legault was present been punished by their during Dubé’s debut. “He knows all the university for displaying economic players in Quebec very well. anti-abortion graphics. “We That’s a big advantage,” said Legault. knew from the beginning that this wasn't an isolated incident, but there was no Graphic by @spooky_soda. aggregate data to properly assess how widespread the issue of unjust campus censorship for featuring women of colour.

Kennedy said incidents that was becoming,” he said in an email to The Concordian . “We are over four years old do not thus decided to compile the data inf luence a s c hool ’s g r ade. ourselves and publish an annual However, “We want each report report measuring the state of free to provide a running record of how free speech rights have speech on campus.”

Some of the incidents cited been treated in the past,” he said.

Of the 60 universities evalin Concordia’s ev aluat ion happened over a decade ago. uated across Canada, only five The evaluation of Concordia’s received an A for any criteria, administrative practices men- and just one received multiple: t ions an incident in 1992 in Bishop’s University received which a white artist presenting perfect evaluations for its an exhibition at the school had administration’s policies and some of her paintings banned practices.

SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

theconcordian

3

NATION CSU approves $50,000 drug cap IN BRIEF HEALTH

The insurance limit will safeguard its plan from large claims IAN DOWN NEWS EDITOR

Graphic by @spooky_soda.

The Concordia Student Union (CSU) has approved a $50,000 cap on prescription drug coverage for every student under its health insurance plan.

In a special council meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 22, the union voted to introduce the cap

following the recommendation of its health insurance provider, Alliance pour la santé étudiante au Québec (ASEQ).

In a letter to the union, the ASEQ said the $50,000 maximum is necessary to safeguard the health plan from abnormally large claims. “We are not aware of any students who have made claims to this level,” the organization said. “While the risk is abstract, it is not zero, and an overall limit is therefore recommended as a precautionary measure.”

“Recent developments in pharmaceuticals have led [ASEQ] to reassess the risk for the CSU,” the letter said. “Specifically, we are concerned about new specialty medications, including biological medications, which can be extremely expensive.”

Under the new rules, students who take prescription drugs will only be reimbursed up to $50,000, after which point they will have to cover any extra costs. The cap applies to all prescription drugs covered by the health plan.

Under the previous regulations, one abnormally high prescription drug claim could have led to a fee increase for every student, from 5 per cent for a claim over $25,000, to 35 per cent for a claim over $300,000.

The letter from the ASEQ further states that the CSU was the last student union in Quebec without such a cap on prescription drug claims.

CSU Finance Coordinator John Hutton said the previous administration was approached by the ASEQ in January to change its regulations, but action was never taken.

Hutton said this limit is well above any claim a student is likely to make. According to documentation provided by the CSU, the highest claim made by any student since 2012 was $33,572.89 in the 2013-14 academic year, followed by $16,810.99 in 2014-15.

“This policy will not mean that people will be denied healthcare,” said Hutton. “It means that when the insurance plan the student has is insufficient to cover [their condition], it will give them opportunities to activate what’s called a

compassionate care clause that a lot of pharmaceutical companies are required to have.” Such clauses offer coverage for drugs not covered by public healthcare or insurance, with the exact terms and conditions varying from company to company.

“We are there to help make sure compassionate care clauses get activated,” said Hutton.

Although the new rules also prevent intentional exploitation of the system, Hutton said this was never the primary goal of the cap.

Other forms of insurance provided by the CSU already have limits. According to the ASEQ, the union’s dental plan has an annual maximum of $750, and its travel plan can cover claims up to $5 million.

All Canadian undergraduate students who have not opted out are covered by the plan.

International students are covered by a different plan, which is not administered by the CSU. Students can learn more about the CSU’s health and dental plan on the union’s website.

MIA ANHOURY NEWS EDITOR An Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada will be available in stores on Sept. 20. It shows a never-before-seen map of Canada without provinces, territories, or capital cities, but rather land claim agreements, treaty areas, traditional lands, Indigenous languages ,and forced population movements, according to the CBC. Over 1,000 Indigenous knowledge keepers and writers contributed to the Atlas produced by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.

Rockyview General Hospital in Calgary is the first hospital in Canada to help wounded patients cope with pain by using virtual reality (VR) technology. Two Samsung Gear VR headsets were anonymously funded for the hospital, which help distract patients while their wound dressings are changed. According to the hospital report, there is a 75 per cent reduction in discomfort as a result of the use of VR. The intensive and cardiac care patients are also testing out this new technology.

CONSTRUCTION

Henry F. overhaul

New active-learning classrooms and a renewed Student Success Centre to be done in 2019 MIA ANHOURY NEWS EDITOR While summers in Montreal are synonymous with construction, Concordia University won’t be missing it this fall as the Hall Building continues to undergo major renovations on the sixth and seventh floors.

In recent years, the university has been undergoing major construction and introducing new infrastructures, such as in the Webster library and the Faubourg building. The Hall building renovations began in Fall 2017, and they’re expected to end in 2019.

The goal of the renovations is to provide the “Concordia community with next-generation facilities that foster intellectual mixing, internal collaboration and education that’s connected, transformative and fit for the times,” according to Mary-Jo Barr, Concordia University’s spokesperson.

Construction will be going on throughout the semester on both floors. However, Barr said the work will be conducted outside of the building’s normal hours of operation.

Three new active-learning classrooms will be built on the sixth

Graphic by @spooky_soda.

floor. Active-learning classrooms are designed to motivate students to actively engage in their own learning. Its layout consists of several round tables to encourage interaction.

Two of the classrooms will be nearly identical with a capacity of 65 each, and two display systems at opposite ends of each room, according to the construction notice.

It also says the third classroom will have a capacity of 96 with 12 display systems, which will allow for smaller groups to work together.

According to Barr, “the active

classrooms will be available to all faculties and will provide faculty members with a teaching space that allows for flexible setups and new innovative integrated technology.”

I n s te a d o f b u i l d i n g n e w classrooms on the seventh floor, the renovations will contribute to the development of a new centralized space for the Student Success Centre (SSC) on one floor, replacing the currently scattered locations.

The renovations will respond to the needs of the centre, with new meeting rooms and training rooms. According to Barr, the new

A massive fire broke out at North West Rubber, a rubber-making plant, late Saturday night and continued until early Sunday morning this past weekend in Abbotsford, B.C. No injuries have been reported. The fire department was called onto the scene around 9:30 p.m. The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, however it is not the first time the plant has been set aflame. In 2015, multiple pallets of rubber caught fire, sending spews of heavy smoke into the air.

The Front d’action populaire en réaménagement urbain (FRAPPU) began its historic long-distance march, “From Cities to Villages for the Right to Housing,” on Sunday.

The 550 km march will end in Quebec City on Sept. 29 with over 250 people participating. According to FRAPPU, their goal is to “highlight the serious denial of the right to housing that is prevalent in Quebec and Canada.”

SSC will have office suites for students to meet with Graphic by @spooky_soda. learning specialists, career advisors, and counselors one-on-one. there are already a many students This part of the project comprises who frequent the area because of seven rooms in total, including a the Concordia Student Union and writing room and mathematics People’s Potato. “The new space laboratory. The aim is “to support will have greater visibility to the student success within Concordia and students it serves,” said Barr. to provide cutting edge resources A new request for proposal and facilities to support those for audio-visual equipment in activities for both undergraduate the new spaces will be released and graduate students,” said Barr. in the coming months, which will The seventh floor was strategi- outline the updated specifications cally chosen, according to Barr, as for the project.

4

theconcordian

SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Crossing the line to get a study permit French student Nolwenn Bouillé does "Le tour du poteau"

WORLD IN BRIEF MIA ANHOURY NEWS EDITOR Two muslim women in Malaysia were caned on Sept. 3 in religious court for attempting to have sex in a car last April. The 22 and 32-year-old women were caned six times in the Sharia High Court in the Terengganu state. According to BBC, it is the state's first time convicting for same-sex relations and the first public caning. It was viewed by over 100 people. An Islamic enforcement officer had found both women in a public square, and last month both pleaded guilty to breaking Islamic laws. They were sentenced to be caned six times and received a fine equivalent to $800 USD.

Argentinian president, Mauricio Macri, announced measures to be established to solve the country’s currency crisis. He said Argentina cannot keep spending more than it earns. The tax on exportation of certain grains will rise. Macri also stated that approximately half of the nation’s government ministries will be abolished, but no particular ministries have been specified yet.

Graphic by @spooky_soda.

EITHNE LYNCH ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Nolwenn Bouillé was excited t o s t a r t h e r f i r s t ye a r a t Concordia. But first she had to do “Le tour du poteau.”

The purpose of “Le tour du poteau” (“Flagpoling”) is to change one’s visa status. However, in order to do so, a person must leave and re-enter the country. Bouillé did this by taking a bus to the New York border, then crossing back into Canada moments later.

This wasn’t the first obstacle she had encountered when coming to study in Canada. While living in Hong Kong, Bouillé, a French citizen, decided that rather than go back to France for university, she would study in Montreal. She wanted to see other countries and practice her English while maintaining the security of being in a French-speaking city. She chose Concordia for its film studies programs, since she wanted to minor in it, and chose to major in political science.

She started filling out all the documents needed to come to Canada and study in Quebec.

Bouillé said everything was going well until she started applying for her study permit. “The study permit was a problem because at first they told us we didn’t need a medical check-up,” said Bouillé.

However, a week before leaving for Montreal, Immigration Canada emailed her saying she would need

to have a blood test, chest x-ray and a general check-up as part of the application process. She was provided names of doctors and was told the tests could only be done by someone on the list. “We eventually found someone who could do all that a week before leaving,” said Bouillé. She sent in her information and came to Montreal with all her documents.

Bouillé said there was never any clear reason given as to why Canada required a full medical exam as part of the application process.

“When we arrived at immigration, we were waiting for about an hour at the first desk,” said Bouillé. She was then moved to a room with other international students. “We waited for a long time, probably about two hours. It was about midnight at this point.”

When she was called, she presented all the necessar y documents to the immigration officer and expected to receive her study permit. “He told me basically that I shouldn’t have flown to Montreal at all.” This was because she had never received confirmation that the study permit had gone through.

Bouillé said she was never aware that she needed confirmation. “I just knew that when you arrive at the airport, you’re supposed to go to a desk and they have the documents and they give you the study permit.”

Bouillé was sent to another

waiting room to have her case looked at again. There, she met with another Canadian immigration agent. “This woman told me that she had two options: she could either send me back home directly on the next flight, or she could give me a tourist visa for 11 days.”

Bouillé was told if she got the tourist visa, that once her study permit was confirmed she would have to do “Le Tour du Poteau.”

“I think she was trying to scare us somehow, she was like ‘I don’t know, I don’t know’ but she finally gave [me] the opportunity to get the tourist visa,” she said.

The agent also told her that because she didn’t have the study permit, she wouldn’t be allowed to attend her classes. “That kind of stressed me out because I didn’t want to lose a week,” Bouillé said.

Once she had the tourist visa, Bouillé went to the International Student Office (ISO) at Concordia for help. She said the assistance she received in person was very helpful.

Bouillé said that although the ISO was helpful when she met with the advisor in person, they were never involved in the initial application process. “They just give you a list [of documents] and you have to do it yourself,” she said. “It was difficult at first because you have to get through all those immigration websites and they tell you different things.”

A week later, Bouillé got the

study permit confirmation.

She completed “Le Tour du Poteau” by crossing Two Birman Reuters reporters, Ko the New York border, then Wa Lone and Ko Kyaw Soe Oo, were walking across the street sentenced on Sept. 3 to seven years back into Canada. Once in prison for sharing “state secrets” on the Canadian side, her during an investigation into the official study permit was execution of 10 Rohingya commoners. processed and issued and The bodies of the ten were found after she returned to Montreal. the massacres that started on Aug. 25 In an email to The 2017 against the muslim minority in Concordian , university West Birman. According to Le Monde, spokesperson Mary-Jo both the reporters fell into a trap orgaBarr offered tips to new nized by the Birman police as they students coming from were getting close to the truth. The abroad. “Students should law in question dates back to the British read the Pre-Departure colonisation and could have sentenced Guide,” she said. “They the reporters to 14 years in prison. The should ensure they have verdict on Monday coincides with a all of their documents with report made public on Aug. 27 by the them when they travel, UN, in which the Birman army is accused including their Letter of of genocide against the Rohingya. The Introduction.” Barr said report also asks that the army general, students should attend a Min Aung Hlaing, and his five adjoints Pre-Arrival Webinar, where present themselves in front of the they can learn how to apply International Court of Justice for their and what to bring when crimes against humanity. traveling. She suggested students contact the ISO for Graphic by @spooky_soda. information and assistance.

Barr said, “students who arrive struggle she faced in obtaining through Trudeau Airport can also the study permit. “I don’t think request Accueil Plus – to have they realize how difficult it is to their study permits prepared apply when you’re in another ahead of their arrival.” country,” she said.

Bouillé said the ISO could Bouillé hopes that by sharing communicate better with interher story, she will help other national students. “With the international students, as well time differences, it’s not easy to as inform Canadian residents of get someone on the phone and the lengths that some people emails take time.” However, she have to go to in order to obtain didn’t fault the university for the study permits and visas.

SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

theconcordian

5

STUDENT LIFE

Mindfulness training coming to Concordia CSU funds three four-week workshops to teach stress management MINA MAZUMDER ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR The Concordia Student Union (CSU) has allocated $5,000 for three four-week mindfulness training programs given by The Mindful Project for the 201819 academic year.

The mindfulness program will run for four consecutive weeks between midterms and finals. The program will be held three times a year: once in the fall term on the Loyola campus, and once at each campus in the winter term.

Each session will last an hour and 45 minutes, which includes 30 minutes of theory and 45 minutes of practice. Each week will focus on one of five themes: mindfulness, stress, procrastination, empathy, and self-compassion.

Sophie Hough-Martin, General Coordinator of the CSU, said that this idea was first proposed by psychology student, Léa Homer, who presented data to prove that mindfulness training has a positive impact on students.

This data was collected during the previous academic year, when the workshop was held at the Loyola chapel in the fall and winter terms, and funded by Concordia’s Undergraduate

Psychology Association (CUPA).

Hough-Martin brought Homer’s idea to the council meeting on Aug. 22, and council voted to support the program for this academic year. This is the first year the CSU will fund the program. “We ran on a platform that centred on mental health, and this project directly relates to giving students an accessible, affordable method of receiving training in mindfulness and meditation that would otherwise be financially unviable for them,” Hough-Martin said.

Homer, now the coordinator of The Mindful Project, said the idea to create mindfulness training workshops for students came from being a psychology student and having the desire to help people. “I always knew I wanted to work in mindfulness related to psychology,” she said. “I saw that there wasn’t this program offered at Concordia and I really believed that I could put it together.”

Elvis Grahović, a lawyer, mindfulness coach and the instructor of The Mindful Project, said mindfulness is defined as paying attention to the present moment without being judgmental. “It is a state of mind that everybody can access,” he said. “It is being able to assess

Graphic by @spooky_soda.

what is happening inside of you.”

Homer said mindfulness helps students face their daily struggles with curiosity, openness and kindness. “It teaches you to focus on the present moment with an open mind,” she said, adding that students are a vulnerable population and are prone to stress and anxiety. She also said mindfulness programs around the city can be expensive, so it was crucial for her

to make the program affordable.

Grahović said the workshops aim to show students different meditation practices. He hopes students will obtain a sense of peace from the program. “My biggest wish is for students to really make the practice their own,” he said.

Hough-Martin will work with council to extend the program after this year if the workshops are beneficial for students. “Pending the

success of this year’s Mindful Project, we will be re-assessing and asking council to set in place a long-term strategy for continual funding of The Mindful Project and other mental health and wellness initiatives like it on campus,” she said.

“If you believe and understand that your brain and your mind are the most important assets that you have, taking care of it makes sense,” Grahović said.

ADMINISTRATION

Concordia projected to eliminate deficit by 2020 Recent investments in education have allowed Concordia to once again approach a balanced budget IAN DOWN NEWS EDITOR Concordia’s administration is projecting to eliminate its deficit by 2020, according to its 2018-19 budget.

In a media briefing on the school’s budget for the upcoming year, Concordia’s Senior Director of Financial Planning and Budget Services, Jean-François Hamel, said the administration should return to a balanced budget by the end of the 2019-20 academic year.

Cuts to education since 2010 — about $1.5 billion, according to Global News — have plunged Concordia into a deficit. However, new investments in education in 2017 — including a pledge of $3.4 billion over five years, according to the Montreal Gazette — have created an opportunity for Concordia to re-balance its budget.

Hamel said one of the keys to reducing Concordia’s deficit is its increasing enrollment. University enrollment in Quebec is declining across the board, especially outside of major urban centres. However, Hamel said Concordia’s enrollment has been steadily increasing — by 6 per cent in two years, according to the university’s website. Hamel

said several factors play into this, including its urban location and English language of instruction, both of which appeal to international students.

Denis Cossette, Concordia’s Chief Financial Officer, said the universit y also continues to attract graduate students in large numbers, as well as francophone

CEGEP students who wish to pursue their studies in English.

He also credits Concordia’s voluntary retirement program with helping to reduce the deficit by offering 109 faculty members an early retirement in 2017.

Hamel does not expect the university’s tuition hike for international students in deregulated

programs to affect international enrollment. In May, the university approved a 3.28 per cent tuition increase for international students in the Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science and the John Molson School of Business following the deregulation of tuition for those programs. “We’ve been applying these types of increases

Archive photo by Alex Hutchins.

to international tuition for years now,” said Hamel. “All we’ve seen is an increase in the international student population, even though we were increasing the fees.”

The administration predicts that the deficit at the end of the current academic year will be $1.9 million, down from $3.9 million in 2017-18. Hamel said a total of about $90 million was cut from Concordia’s operating budget between 2010 and 2017, but that it should regain this funding by the 2022-23 year.

Cossette said because the administration doesn’t decide how faculties spend their funding, individual programs and activities were not singled out to be cut in order to reduce the deficit.

In total, the university is predicting $496.9 million in revenues and $498.8 million in expenses for the 2018-19 year.

Cossette said several factors make the administration’s deficit timeline uncertain. The ongoing diplomatic spat between Canada and Saudi Arabia and the resulting lack of Saudi nationals at Concordia will leave a gap in enrollment.

The election of a new provincial party on Oct. 1 could also mean big changes for university funding.

life

LIFE EDITOR /// life@theconcordian.com ALEX HUTCHINS ( @alexhutchinns96)

ANIMAL SHELTERS

How to save a life

Opening your home and heart to the SPCA goes beyond helping animals in need ALEX HUTCHINS LIFE EDITOR “I went into this saying to myself: I’m going to gain companionship, and I’m going to look for a dog that really needs me,” said Concordia student Sabrina Prosser. She is the proud owner of Alfie, a rescue Siberian husky from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). “I didn’t realize I was the one who needed zootherapy,” she said.

Prosser met Alfie through the Montreal SPCA’s foster care program, and became his foster parent toward the end of October 2016. If you’re an animal lover who isn’t quite ready to commit to a pet long-term, this program gives you the opportunity to have another heartbeat in the house without having to plan much ahead.

“The foster care program helps us save more lives,” said Anita Kapuscinska, a Concordia John Molson School of Business graduate and media relations coordinator for the Montreal SPC A .

Kapuscinska described it as one of the best tools the SPCA has for volume influx management, and in terms of potential foster parents, “university students are just such a perfect fit.”

Although each animal's case is different, a typical fostering period can range anywhere from one to three months, explained Kapuscinska. The SPCA works with aspiring foster parents to find an animal that best suits their living environment, caregiving abilities and financial situation, she said. “We’re in this together.”

“If I had a question about [anything],” said Prosser, “I just called them, and they gave me all the information I needed.” All veterinary assistance is also covered by the SPCA, she said.

Both Kapuscinska and Prosser are Quebec natives who moved to the island of Montreal to attend CEGEP. “I grew up in a household where we always had pets, and we're also an Italian family,” explained Prosser. "Going from that to living completely alone was really intense and quiet.”

Alfie, enjoying a weekend outside of the city in Barkmere, Que. Photo courtesy of Sabrina Prosser.

Starting university can be a daunting experience, especially if you’ve just moved away from home for the first time. I’ve had pets ever since I was young. As a toddler, my parents owned two large dogs, after which my mom got a black cat, and my dad got two English bulldogs. Not all in the same house, though, thankfully.

Three years ago, when I packed up my prized possessions and relocated from Toronto to Montreal to start university, I didn’t miss my family nearly as much as I missed my family pets. (Sorry mom). Two years ago, I decided to get myself two rats, and have since shared two foster cats from

Belly-up and covered in lipstick kisses, Alfie grins sheepishly at the camera. Photo courtesy of Sabrina Prosser.

the Montreal SPCA with my roommates.

“We really wanted a dog in our lives,” explained Olivia McFarlane, a Concordia student and active foster parent with the SPCA, “but we knew we couldn't support a dog for an extended period of time.” McFarlane and her two roommates have fostered three dogs through the SPCA over the past year and a half. McFarlane explained that one of the hardest parts of fostering an animal is that you never know exactly what you’re going to get. “The SPCA will inform you as much as they can,” she explained. But with a dog that may have a slew of behavioural issues, “you're not going to know what to expect all the time.”

Prosser recalled the late day in October when she brought Alfie home from the SPCA. “He ended up peeing all over my apartment. He chewed everything, and he had no idea what furniture was,” said Prosser, with a smile. “And somehow that charmed me.”

After a lengthy court battle between the Montreal SPCA and the dog's previous owners, Prosser officially adopted Alfie in April 2017. While Prosser ended up adopting her foster pet, both Kapuscinska and McFarlane continue to foster animals. Kapuscinska said her first foster pet was the most difficult to say goodbye to, but afterwards, she described always having a feeling of accomplishment.

“We saved this animal,” she said, “and you helped them find a forever home.”

Prosser explained that she often receives

praise for having saved an animal in need.

“I'm like, no no no, he rescued me,” she said.

Prosser explained that she struggles with anxiety and when it is more pronounced, she can spiral into slumps of depression.

However, Alfie’s high energy and demand for attention “really forced me out of my vicious circle,” she said. Prosser explained that there were many days when Alfie pushed her out of bed with cuddles and kisses. “I love him so freaking much,” she said.

As university students, it often feels like we’re perpetually stressed about something, and it can be difficult to maintain a positive morale. Given that our financial and living situations are typically fluctuating, adopting an animal isn’t always viable. Temporarily fostering animals through the SPCA will not only give you access to animal companionship (re: infinite snuggles), but you’re providing a home to an animal that would otherwise await adoption in a cage. Be warned, though, falling in love is known to occur!

For more information on how to start fostering with the Montreal SPCA, visit WWW.SPCA.COM/ GET-INVOLVED/FOSTER To keep up with Alfie's journey on Instagram, follow @SIBERIANHUSKYALFIE

SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

theconcordian

PROFILE

Paving a career path

Niloofar Moradi speaks about fueling her ambition with passion

Anticafé My new favourite café-workspace ALEX HUTCHINS LIFE EDITOR

Moradi is an active member of the Concordia volunteer community and in May 2018 was presented the Young Alumni Award for her outstanding contributions to the university. Photo courtesy of Concordia University.

SARA CHAHROUR ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR “For all aspiring engineers, find and follow your passion, work hard, work smart, get involved, feed your soul through volunteer work, and remember to carry the torch for the next generation,” said Noolifar Moradi, a Concordia University alumna and recipient of the 2018 Concordia Young Alumni Award.

The award is given to an alumni who has graduated in the last 15 years and continues to be involved in the Concordia community.

Moradi has always been an exemplary student. In 2010, she completed her bachelor’s in mechanical engineering at Concordia, and in 2015, gained a master’s in applied sciences at the École de technologie supérieure.

Her p a s sion and commit ment to aerospace engineering and her contribution to its community also led Moradi to win the Elsie MacGill Engineering Award for 2018.

Each year, eight women across

Canada are nominated by the Northern Lights Aero Foundation (NLAF) for the Elsie MacGill Awards. Established in 2009, the NLAF honours outstanding women who have made a significant contribution to their field and continue to lay the groundwork and encourage other women to excel in the industry.

Nominees are chosen based on their determination, perseverance, enthusiasm and personal accomplishments in aviation or aerospace engineering, as well as their ability to inspire others.

Moradi started as a turbo dynamics engineer and then shifted her focus to turbine mechanical design. She began her professional career at Rolls Royce Energy, but was still drawn to aerospace and aviation. When Moradi was offered a position at Pratt & Whitney, a top player in the aircraft engine manufacturing world, she accepted the challenge. Ever since then, Moradi has devoted her career to turbine aerodynamics and turbine design.

Despite having a lot on her plate at work, Moradi always makes time to give back to the university. “I do simple volunteering activities at Concordia," she said.

When the university hosts its annual open house, it calls upon a group of alumni to spend a day talking to possible future students about what it’s like to study at Concordia. Moradi hasn't missed the event for the past five or six years.“I find it so rewarding to be able to explain to people about my journey,” she said.

Moradi also attends numerous seminars and speaks to first-year students about the current job market, her experiences and what she's taken away from that. “What I love about Concordia is that they made such a huge effort in preparing the students for the real world, by giving them talks, courses on software packages, it’s basically hands-on engineering," she said.

Moradi hopes to inspire students and push them to set goals for themselves.

“I do not see myself doing anything else on a daily basis,” says Moradi. “I truly believe that if you do what you’re passionate about, it won’t feel like a job, it will feel like following your passion.”

When it comes to being productive, whether that’s pumping out an assignment for a class or an article for The Concordian, it can’t be done at home — I have to go to a café.

Some will hermit in their room (re: cell) for the weekend, but I can’t resist the alluring smell of freshly ground coffee. Paired with the buzz of vitality and obscure music that fills some of my favourite go-to spots around Montreal, cozy cafés are next to irresistible for me.

As I struggle to pull open the front door to Anticafé (turns out I had to push), the barista greets me and asks, “Est-ce que c’est votre première fois ici?” (Translation: Is this your first time here?). Anticafé is located

by Champs-de-Mars metro station, in the bustling European-esque Old Port, at 406 Notre-Dame St. E — a very francophone part of Montreal.

Yes it is my first time, and I’m already in love. The exposed brick wall, the succulents and floor plants that litter the lounge space, the mismatching upholstered armchairs, the lofts with massive writing desks — all of the decor fits together so perfectly. Imagine an elderly individual who danced shoeless at Woodstock, collects jazz vinyls, and owns a parakeet named Clancy, yet manages to keep up with the millennial hipster trends.

This person is the assumed interior decorator of Anticafé.

It’s taken me awhile to find my favourite hideouts, which are typically in N.D.G, within walking distance of my apartment. However, Anticafé is one quaint hub I will always trek across the city for, and not simply for its eclectic decor. Arguably, the best feature of Anticafé is that you pay a grand total of three dollars per hour.

During this hour, you have access to everything at the café, with the only catch being that you serve yourself. Everything from specialty coffee, tea, biscuits, toast, and other light snacks, which can vary slightly depending on the day, are there for your taking. The barista will even help you prepare any specialty coffee you want, so no worries if you don’t know how to properly steam milk to get that perfect microfoam for a latte!

I enter my name and email address on the touch-screen computer near the front entrance to start my timestamp, and slowly make my way through the café. Toward the back, there is a decent size kitchen, filled with driftwood shelves stocked with unique mugs, jars, tea cups and saucers, opposite a full espresso bar. As the barista begins making my Americano, I assemble a small plate of saltines and carrots, find a quiet table-for-two near the window and begin writing what you just finished reading.

Graphic by @spooky_soda.

7

arts

ARTS EDITOR /// arts@theconcordian.com CHLOË LALONDE

PHOTOGRAPHY

Capturing emotion and heart World Press Photo is back in Montreal for its 13th annual exhibition

The World Press Photo exhibition returns to Montreal, showcasing the best documentary photography from around the world. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

MACKENZIE LAD PHOTO EDITOR Nestled in the heart of Old Montreal is a small window into the whole world; one minute you’re gazing down a tree-lined promenade of the Old Port and the next you find yourself confronted with the mountains of garbage piling up on the shores of New York City, Japan and the Netherlands.

The World Press Photo exhibition has a unique way of making the viewer look far beyond their immediate surroundings and into the intimate lives of others. This year, the travelling exhibition returns to Montreal for its 13th edition, showcasing the best documentary photography from around the world under one roof.

Yi Wen Hsia, the exhibition’s manager and curator at World Press Photo, said the contest is one-of-a kind, both in the scope of its subject matter and its reach as an internationally touring exhibition.

“This year, we received over 73,000 images from more than 4,000 photographers from many different countries,” she said.

The photos are viewed by an independent jury of photographers, editors and other experts before being narrowed down to first, second and third place winners in each of the eight categories. “We always strive to reflect what is happening in the industry; we saw that the environment and the issue of sustainability is one that has become more and more prominent,” said Hsia of the newly added Environment category.

Present among the winning photographs are recurrent themes pulled from

international news headlines over the past year and captured through multiple lenses. Images of right-wing extremism in the United States—including the widely circulated image of the car that drove into a crowd of protestors killing one woman in Charlottesville, Va.—hang adjacent to photos of riots in Venezuela and a series about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

“Another major topic that we saw was the issue of the Rohingya fleeing into Bangladesh,” Hsia said. “We have a couple of winners this year dedicated to that topic.” She said this may prevent the touring exhibition from entering Burma due to the heightened political tensions and the government’s refusal to officially recognize the Rohingya as its citizens.

Regardless of the topic, each winning photo shares what is arguably the most important element of documentary photography: a powerful story. According to Hsia, the story behind the image and the context in which it is taken is a significant factor in the selection process.

“We want viewers to have a deeper understanding,” she said, after describing one photographer’s brush with death in the midst of a protest and another’s decade-long commitment to her subjects.

This “deeper understanding” lies at the heart of World Press Photo’s mission to give time and space to important visual stories that will resonate with audiences in a world so oversaturated with disposable images.

Anna Boyiazis is one of this year’s winning photographers with a story that began long before capturing the images that won her second place in the People category. Her series, Finding Freedom in the Water, depicts

a group of young girls clad head to toe in modest swimwear, learning how to swim for the first time off the coast of Zanzibar, Tanzania in East Africa.

“I had visited the island before, and I was told girls don’t swim. To which I replied, ‘This one does.’ I was being told what I was doing was inappropriate,” Boyiazis said.

Time passed, but the experience resonated with her. “Once the idea was planted, it just blossomed as a perfect merging of my interest in humans rights, public health and women’s and girls’ issues.”

Upon learning that an organization called Panje Project was finally providing an aquatic education opportunity to local girls, Boyiazis jumped into action. She reached out to Panje Project asking to come document the organization’s work but received no response. After weeks of waiting, Boyiazis wasn’t ready to give up, so she boarded a plane to Tanzania.

“It was the best way to present my idea face-to-face. After that, it took two months for the idea to be presented to all of the teachers, parents, community leaders and elders to make sure they were comfortable with their girls being photographed,” she recalled. But it didn’t end there.

“After access was secured, I spent two weeks teaching the instructors English and an additional week in the water without my camera.”

Finally, after months of anticipation and preparation, Boyiazis stood waist-deep in brilliant aqua blue water watching young girls leave their conservative cultural restrictions ashore and experience the euphoria of floating for the first time.

Though the majority of her time was

spent without a camera in hand, Boyiazis noted that the level of trust established over the course of the project allowed the subjects to be vulnerable with her. This sense of intimacy is reflected in her series of photographs.

“I think after a while of all that, the preconceived ideas that I had needed to be discarded, because I have to be true to the story that is right in front of me,” Boyiazis said. “If I’m looking for all of those other things, I might miss what’s actually going on.”

When asked if she approached her work with a journalist’s consideration for a story or an artist’s eye for aesthetics, Boyiazis didn’t miss a beat. “Emotion.

Heart,” she responded.

The age-old saying “good things come to those who wait” is entirely appropriate here and for most of the award-winning photographs that line the walls of the World Press Photo exhibition.

There is something to be said for an extraordinary stroke of luck that creates a striking photograph. For Boyiazis, though, a real connection between the photographer and the story is more than a guiding principle of documentary photography; it is the philosophy of her practice.

“Do stories that matter to you, and don’t care if anyone might not be interested,” Boyiazis said. “I mean, it makes me want to cry; I didn’t think anyone would ever resonate with this. But here it is.”

The 13th annual World Press Photo exhibition runs from Aug. 29 to Sept. 30 at 325 Commune St. E. The exhibition is open seven days a week, and students get a discount on the admission price.

SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

theconcordian

9

EXHIBITION

Breaking down walls and heightening accessibility Redefining Montreal’s urban landscape in Surfaces

Surfaces will be on display at the Promenade des Artistes in the Quartier des Spectacles until Oct. 28. The exhibition is outdoors and open to the public. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

DAISY DUNCAN ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR Montreal is alive with street art, from huge murals and intricate details, to vibrant colours and distinct graffiti. In artworks across the city, there is a re-understanding of the landscape and surrounding environment. Traditional ways of viewing and accessing art are challenged.

Surfaces , on display from Aug. 23 to Oct. 28 at the Promenade des Artistes in Quartier des Spectacles, is a multidisciplinary urban exhibition showcasing works from some of Montreal’s most successful street artists. Displaying 14 works by 16 artists and collectives—including Miss Me, Omen, Zek One and Shalak Attack—the exhibition features distinctive and varied works.

The exhibition’s pieces are primarily displayed on large, individual panels, paired

FESTIVAL

with signs that provide information about the respective artists and their practices.

Two sculptural works are also displayed; one made of individually detailed concrete cubes and the other is a car, decorated with writing. There is diversity and variety in the distinct style of each artist, which showcases the versatility of the street art format and provides something for every viewer.

Miss Me, a prominent figure in Montreal’s urban art scene, is known for her explicitly political and feminist art. At Surfaces , the artist’s panel consists of five mostly nude female figures, all with their faces covered by a ski mask with cartoon-style mouse ears. The bodies are adorned with drawings and statements, including “IT’S NOT ME, IT’S YOU” and “Stop blaming women for the misbehaviours of men.”

Cedar Eve is an Anishinaabe artist and a Concordia fine arts alumna, having

graduated in 2012. Her piece in Surfaces depicts brightly coloured, surrealist figures in spaces of transformation and metamorphosis. The work is connected to her First Nations identity and is inspired by stories shared with her as a child.

In the case of both these artists, the political and the personal are explored and shared through their work. Taking up space in a city and displaying these powerful messages is also arguably a political move.

Accessibility is a regularly discussed and dissected issue within the art world. Who can access art? How does privilege and class influence accessibility? Institutions, such as art galleries and museums, often appear as exclusive spaces for select communities, and are not always physically accessible for all. Further boundaries can

be found in the realms of academia. Art is often not accessible in this way either, as many viewers often feel discouraged by the potential condescension within the artistic community.

Street art explores and challenges these questions and the normative institutions of viewing art. Painting on structures and areas within the city also fights the concept of ownership and select viewing, heightening accessibility for all. This aspect was clearly considered by the curators of Surfaces, who aptly display the 16 works in a public, outdoor space rather than inside a gallery.

Surfaces will be on display at the Promenade des Artistes in the Quartier des Spectacles until Oct. 28. The exhibition is outdoors and open to the public.

Miss Me, a prominent figure in Montreal’s urban art scene, is known for her explicitly political and feminist art. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

“ O n e Love . N o J e r ks . ”

All are welcome at LadyFest’s annual comedy extravaganza CHLOË LALONDE ARTS EDITOR Co-producers Emma Wilkie, Sara Meleika, Lar Simms and Deirdre Trudeau created the festival to give comedians like Stacy Gagnidze the platform they need to share their funniest selves with the world. LadyFest includes a wide range of talent, from stand-up and storytelling, to improv and sketch comedy.

Gagnidze is a Concordia alumna from the John Molson School of Business (JMSB) and has been a comedian since she was a teenager. Today, she performs with Mess Hall and Colour Outside the Lines. Mess Hall, an impov-based comedy club, is dedicated to performing the Harold structure known for its specific and difficult format. The Harold structure consists of three unrelated, yet overlapping scenes and typically lasts between 25 and 40 minutes. Colour Outside the Lines is an improv team that is all about diversity and uplifting voices from different racial, cultural, religious and linguistic backgrounds.

Gagnidze has also performed at Just For Laughs, and she identified the difference between the two festivals in their creative mission.

LadyFest was created with a social mission, to uplift women’s voices in comedy, while Just

for Laughs is exatly what the name suggests.

“Today, Just For Laughs is playing catch-up in this space,” she said. “LadyFest audiences who attend have made a conscious decision to come out and support female and female-identifying performers. As a performer, this offers me a safe space onstage where I can take risks and explore boundaries.”

Co-producer, Lar Simms also broke into comedy as a teenager in Winnipeg, taking improv classes and performing in plays. “When I moved to Montreal, taking improv classes at Montreal Improv in 2012 really helped me to build confidence and trust my comedic sensibilities, as well as develop a sense of group mind when collaborating with the imaginations of others,” Simms said. Since then, she has added stand-up, sketch, clown and other character performances to her theatre background.

“Performing, speaking your truth onstage or just being absurdly silly and having that resonate with a large crowd can be an empowering experience,” she said, for both the audience and the performer. According to Simms, collective laughter can be cathartic and healing, making it important to strive for the space to do so, especially in an industry where comics have long been underrepresented in local and mainstream comedy.

That being so, attending comedy shows that are increasingly accessible to these kinds of audiences encourages funding for the creation and development of such spaces.

A personal blog post by Sandra Battaglini, award winning stand-up comic, actor and writer, criticizes Canada for hosting Just For Laughs, the world’s largest comedy festival, when the Canadian Council for the Arts still refuses to fund stand-up because it is recognized as entertainment, rather than art.

Graphic by Ana Bilokin.

“We create art by stringing together words in such a way that culminates in laughter,” Battaglini writes. “It releases so many endorphins, you could say it saves lives. It certainly saved mine.”

Gagnidze will be performing with Colour Outside the Lines at Théâtre Ste-Catherine on Sept. 8 at 8 p.m. The troupe will be sharing the stage with Yas Kween, an ensemble of women of colour brought together by Nelu Handa, who stars on CBC’s Workin’ Moms.

music

MUSIC EDITOR /// music@theconcordian.com SIMON NEW

FROSH

Frosh or festival?

Music festival-influenced party ends ASFA Frosh with a bang IMMANUEL MATTHEWS ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR While not every student who attended the Arts and Sciences Federation of Associations ( ASFA ) 2018 Orientation Week has been to a music festival yet, its final event was their way of immersing every attendee in a world of booming bass, laser beams and dancing DJs. Concordia’s Or ientation Week is a series of events and activities organized by each of the school’s four associations.

The student-led activities are held a few days before the start of the semester, and are meant Waves fist pumping along with the crowd before the beat drops. Photo by Immanuel Matthews. to welcome incoming students to the university world.

The Montreal Science Center, located part-time party starter. Recently surpassing Ruslana Malytska, known as KHAOS, in the city’s Old Port, is usually a place his two year mark as a DJ, Czich always was the show’s closer. From Ottawa, she for families and couples seeking an tries his hardest to find time to do what has graced the stages of some of Canada’s educational experience. However, its top he loves — making people dance. biggest festivals, including Escapade floor reception hall became the venue “[The students] all want to have a Music Festival in Ottawa, Villa Paradizo for something a little louder this past great night and dance as much as they in Montreal, and Ever After Music Festival Saturday night — a music festival. can, and I love being able to give them in Kitchener.

The event was titled “Golden State just that,” Czich said. “They also have so Known for her energetic stage presParty,” appropriate for ASFA Orientation much energy they give off when dancing ence and diverse song selection in her Week’s (also known as “Frosh”) California- and shouting/singing and it makes it a sets, KHAOS kept the crowd jumping and themed parties. It included a stage with lot of fun.” dancing for the entirety of her 90 minute an impressive laser show to accompany The duo that is WAVES is currently set. Her blend of dancehall, hip-hop and the DJs’s music, a patio where party-goers on its “U Forever Tour” around Canada, EDM songs was the combination chosen could go to escape the tightly packed crowd performing mostly at other universities to please the diverse crowd. for some air, and multiple bars strategically such as St. Francis Xavier University and According to Enya Leger, a second placed throughout the venue. Alcohol- Acadia University, in Nova Scotia. ASFA -year journalism student, Student Life seeking Frosh leaders and ‘froshies’ Frosh’s Golden State Party was the second Coordinator for ASFA, and organizer of their Frosh events, it isn’t always easy to (freshmen who attend Frosh) had more stop on their month-long tour. than enough variety within the venue to WAVES’s music falls under the EDM- please everyone.

“We get so many people from all over satisfy their needs. pop genre, not unlike the ultra-popular The lineup for the Golden State Party EDM duo, The Chainsmokers. Their songs the world with different backgrounds,” consisted of the opening act DJ Czich, a generally share an upbeat electronic dance she explained. “Some people love EDM and Concordia student who DJs in his free style, typically with a pop singer lacing house, other people want R&B and hip-hop, time; WAVES, a Toronto-based duo; and their lyrics smoothly over an energetic so it’s tough deciding what the best route KHAOS, a veteran festival performer instrumental. The trademark drops that is for music.”

For fourth-year biochemistry major from Ottawa.

EDM songs are so well known for are also Christopher Czich, a.k.a. DJ Czich, is a used to add emphasis and excitement to and Frosh Leader, Sneh Patel, fellow Concordian DJ Czich was the highlight fourth-year communications major and their songs. of the night. “I know Show-closer KHAOS adjusts her mixer settings, facing the lively crowd. Photo by Immanuel Matthews.

DJ Czich from various events such as Reggie’s Thursdays, Party at the Port and various local events,” he said. “[DJ Czich’s set] was a great mix of hip-hop, top 40 and EDM which made it very easy to dance to, and the mixing was very clean,” Patel said. “The only issue was that his set was too short.”

While Concordia students prepare themselves for the start of classes, those who attended ASFA Frosh’s final event can look back on the night to help them cope with the end of summer.

Quickspins 1

D E VO N WELSH Dream Songs (You Are Accepted) Genre: Alternative, Indie.

Montreal’s own Devon Welsh, formerly part of the electronic-pop duo Majical Cloudz, released his first album this week as a solo artist. Dream Songs is contemplative yet abstract, contrasting cynical lyrics with spacious production through simple keyboard work. Welsh is aware of his dreaming-nature but can’t seem to stop getting lost in escapism.

It is the backdrop of his life and is reflected through the airy but urgent electric guitar and piano, sometimes soaring and other times swaying. There is less synth than in the music of Majical Cloudz—Welsh uses it as an extra touch to emphasize the largerthan-life sounds, to add sparkle and romanticism to his reveries. Welsh’s simultaneous raw and ambiguous lyricism flows through the whole album, but each song begins to sound too similar to the next. Welsh confidently sings a flat note in one instance, waking us up from the daydream and bringing us back to our flawed and disorderly reality.

I see the intent, but this bit was unpleasant.

The main takeaway of this album is Welsh’s stark, introspective lyrics bringing the dreamy sonics back down to earth.

11 Trial Track: “Lucky Strike”

8.5/10 — ERIN WALKER, CONTRIBUTOR

2

BLOOD ORANGE Negro Swan (Domino Recording Company) Genre: Alternative/Indie Rock, Hip hop

Devonté Hynes has quietly cultivated one of the best discographies this decade, and this is another stellar addition to his already incredible catalogue. Negro Swan is Hynes’s fourth album as Blood Orange. It’s also his most personal and introspective effort to date. He meditates on the human desire to be loved and accepted. Even Puff Daddy, a man known for his confidence and bravado, shows a more vulnerable, human side of himself on the track “Hope.” This album’s themes are perfectly placed over one of the most gorgeous soundscapes of the year. The record is narrated by author and trans rights activist, Janet Mock, who emphasizes the importance of staying true to yourself and not letting people’s ideas and opinions dictate who you are. Negro Swan is a beautiful and deeply engaging body of work, cementing Hynes as one of the greatest artists of his generation.

11 Trial Track: “Jewelry”

9.5/10 — WESLEY MCLEAN, STAFF WRITER

SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

theconcordian

11

PROFILE

Carving out a place in Montreal’s music scene Loca l d uo Hea rt s t reet s s peaks abou t c reating ou tside t he conf in e s of gen re

Heartstreets refuse to be categorized. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

MACKENZIE LAD PHOTO EDITOR A quick Google search of “Heartstreets” will pull up a description of the band as being R&B, soul, dance, and electronic all at once. In this instance, Google too is at a loss for words—or at least one that encapsulates a sound defiant of any one (or two or three) categories.

But that might not be such a bad thing.

According to Gab Godon, one half of this Montreal-based duo, the beauty lies in the ambiguity. “Our music doesn’t always make sense, and I don’t think we have one song that will completely describe what we do. We are a lot of things,” Godon said.

"What we are is two girls, singing, rapping and always creating together, and that becomes Heartstreets.”

On paper, Heartstreets is a collaboration between longtime friends Godon and Emma Beko, who bonded over a love of music and a persistent creativity. To become acquainted with their music on a sonic level, however, brings a whole new understanding of their partnership. Punchy, electronic beats and smooth rhythms offer a dynamic backdrop for Beko’s intricate, 90s hip hop-influenced raps and Godon’s soulful vocals, which draw from the R&B mastery of Lauryn Hill and the Fugees.

Each contrasting element brings out the best in the others, blending seamlessly and eroding the narrow delineations imposed

by preconceptions of their sound.

It should be no surprise that the musical partnership came together in a similar way.

Like a plot-twisting scene from a movie, everything fell into place for the duo over a bottle of wine and an Adele song.

“Hometown Glory,” Beko recalled, was the song Godon showed her that pivotal night. “She sang it and I thought it was so beautiful, and there was a blank space in the song and so I was like, OK I’ll show you some of the raps I’ve been writing.”

The rest was history and the duo hasn’t stopped creating together since. “It was so fun,” Beko said of their first time in the studio. “We did a second one and a third one and at one point we had four [tracks] I think? And the producers were like, let’s put it out. We hadn’t even really thought about creating a band or having a music group really; it was just out of pleasure.

And it still is out of pleasure.” The only thing they needed was a name for the new project. “We had a bunch brainstorms and ideas, and a friend of ours had suggested ‘Street Hearts’ because we’re two, and the duality between grittiness and the soft side we have,” Beko recalled. “But there was a band called Street Hearts—a Rolling Stones cover band—so then we just did Heartstreets.”

Godon described their first release as the moment the pair realized making music could be more than just a hobby. “Once the EP was out, there was the release party

at Théâtre Fairmount. It was a big venue, and the first show we were producing. I remember after that I was like, yeah this is happening. We’re in it and we're not getting out of it; we want to go all the way."

Carving out a unique place in Montreal’s music scene seemed to happen unintentionally for Godon and Beko, as they began to grow in popularity after the release of their first album, You and I, in 2016.

“I guess we were very innocent at first and didn’t really realize what was going on in our city. We were more focused on becoming artists and creating our identity and our vision,” Godon said, noting the large francophone presence in the local hip hop scene. “We do music in English, so it does separate us from a lot of the francophone artists who are more out there.”

“After eight years, we still feel kind of like outsiders, but not in a negative way I think, we just assume it. But it’s not stopping us from trying to reach our goals,” Godon said. “Making music is not easy. I’m discovering, more and more, it is a shark’s world. But that’s just the way it is. We’re still just trying to do the best we can.”

Fast forward several years, and the duo have performed at festivals like Osheaga, the Montreal International Jazz Festival, Pop Montreal, Canadian Music Week, and, most recently, Mile Ex End Montreal.

They’ve worked with local producer, Kaytranada, on the single “Blind,” and with

Ryan Playground on the song “Lead Us,” one of Beko’s favourite collaborations.

“When we do it live [...] she’ll be accompanying us without the beat, so it’s just her acoustic guitar and our voices,” Beko said.

“It’s super cool to do. Since our music is mostly electronic, we do one formula of our show where it’s us and a sampler, but it’s fun to break it down sometimes and make it acoustic and intimate.”

F o r t h o s e w h o h ave ye t to a d d Heartstreets to their playlists, Godon and Beko have some recommended starter tracks. “Listen to ‘Under My Skin’ and ‘Cruising With You,’ which are two of our most popular songs that have very different vibes,” Godon said.

“Completely different vibes, but you’ll feel a continuity in the music because, like Gab said, when we’re together there’s this vibe we give off,” Beko added.

Up next for the pair is a new song, this time a collaboration with francophone singer, Ariane Brunet, who goes by L'Isle.

“It’s our first feature in French, our first bilingual song, and it’s awesome,” Beko said. The song is set to be released on Sept.

21. Beyond that, Godon said the duo are continually exploring their collaborative creativity and are excited to see where it takes them next. "We really do this because we like making music and we like sharing it with our fans and performing. It’s just for the pleasure of being able to share that.”

sports

SPORTS EDITOR /// sports@theconcordian.com NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI ( @n_digiovanni)

COVER STORY

Journey from Stingers captain to head coach Brad Collinson’s football career has come full circle since he played for Concordia

Brad Collinson captained the Concordia Stingers football team in 2000, and now he’s the head coach. Photo by Mackenzie Lad. ERIC BEAUDOIN ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

time with the team, and established himself as a leader both on and off the field. That hasn’t changed since, according to some of his current players, who describe him as strong and tough, but fair.

Collinson was then signed as a free agent by the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and started every game during the 2003 season. The Alouettes won the East Division and made it to the Grey Cup, ultimately losing to the Edmonton Eskimos that year.

“That was a childhood dream,” Collinson said about playing in the CFL. “I’m a Montreal kid, born and raised, so when you get the opportunity to play for your hometown, it’s always special.”

That stellar season would end up being his first and last as a CFL player. “Unfortunately, it wasn’t my choice to step away when I got released after training camp in 2004,” Collinson said about leaving the Alouettes.

He went back to Concordia to finish his degree and became a part-time staff member for the football team, as he would

be unable to rejoin the Stingers as a player due to his year in the CFL. Collinson received his degree in leisure science in 2005.

“You always want to find something that you love to do,” Collinson said. “As a leisure science student, it all related to coaching and working with individuals to help them achieve their goal. It was just a natural thing for me to come do coaching.”

In 2010, Collinson stepped away from Concordia and moved onto head-coaching jobs for U18 Team Canada and Team Quebec. He was also an assistant coach with the Université de Laval Rouge et Or, and during his time, they played in six Vanier Cups and won four.

“We’re building that winning culture here,” said Collinson about bringing his winning pedigree to Concordia. “I am trying to instill that work ethic. It’s not going to happen overnight; it’s a process that I think the kids are adapting to well.”

Most football coaches at the professional and collegiate level have played the sport at some point. Collinson made

that transition long ago with success as an assistant coach and expects his past will help in excelling the program.

Brad Collinson, 39, was named the new “I think it helps having the experience Concordia Stingers football head coach on both sides,” Collinson added. “I’ve in June 2018. However, the coach’s grabbed things from each person along return to Concordia is just another the way and developed my own style. chapter in his long football career.

I also want the guys to understand the “It was always a personal goal of mine to history here and make them aware that be the coach at Concordia,” Collinson said. this school is special.”

A St-Bruno native, Collinson, began his Collinson has no aspirations to coach football career as a kid, under the guidance in the CFL, so his aim and focus remain of his father who played football as well. strictly on the job and what he is doing at Collinson described his younger self as a Concordia. big kid who played many sports before “This is the age I want to work with. It’s settling on football. the age where we can help them the most The first big step in his football career and get them to achieve their goals with the was becoming a member of the Vanier biggest rewards,” said Collinson. “There’s Cheetahs football team in 1996. During no amount of money that would make his time at Vanier, he was scouted by me leave here for the CFL.” National Collegiate Athletics Association The head coach added that the Stingers (NCAA) teams in the United States, and are giving the players resources to develop

by Canadian universities. He accepted a on and off the field. He said his main focus scholarship for the University of Tennessee will be making sure his players graduate. at Martin after graduating with a diploma Collinson brings a lot of experience and in communications in 1998, but that knowledge to the Concordia Stingers The Stingers went 3-4 last season and lost in the first round of the playoffs. Archive photo by Alex Hutchins. didn’t last long. football team that could help them this “I got my DEC from CEGEP and was coming season. With his background hoping to get my first year credited as a player and an assistant coach, [at Tennessee Martin], which usually he understands what it would take happens,” Collinson said. “After the to turn this young Stingers team into tour they said, ‘No we don’t do that.’ a winning one. The Stingers will be So, I made an academic decision seeking their first Vanier Cup appearto come home shortly thereafter.” ance since 1998, and the team’s first Once he returned to Quebec in victory in its history.

2000, he joined the Concordia Stingers “We always have the goal to football team. Playing as a centre win the Vanier Cup. and if we don’t and long snapper, Collinson was believe that, it’ll never happen,” named captain early on during his Collinson added.

SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

VARSITY

Bringing passion back to Stingers games

theconcordian

13

COLOUR COMMENTARY WITH NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI For first-year students, the transition to university can be really tough, even more so for those who want to watch sports. It can be challenging to balance your priorities. I still love to watch live sports on TV, but being in my third year at Concordia, I’ve learned a thing or two about balancing school and sports. Here’s what you need to do to survive university as a sports fan.

1 Men’s soccer goalie Karl Gouabé is in charge of marketing for the Swarm.

Photo by Alex Hutchins.

The Con cord ia Swa rm got a rebr and for the 2018 -19 seas on NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI SPORTS EDITOR Concordia’s athletics director, D’Arcy Ryan, can be found at most Stingers’s sports games.

He’s usually supporting the university’s teams, even on weekends. This year, he wants to see an energetic crowd at the sports games.

“We want to be as competitive as possible,” Ryan said. “I want other [teams] to not want to come play here.”

The athletics director wants to see opposing teams face an intimidating atmosphere, and he might just get it this year. The Concordia Swarm, an old supporters group of the Concordia Stingers, is getting a revival this year after two years away.

This year, the Swarm went through a rebirth, and Ryan said that was thanks to Kathleen DiCaprio, the Stingers’s marketing manager.

DiCaprio is a Concordia graduate, and she said that while she was a student, she didn’t know when Stingers games were, but would have attended them if she did. When she was hired by the Stingers in April 2018, she wanted to make sure other students knew about the sports teams.

“My main goal is to get more students aware,” DiCaprio said. “It’s not necessarily to get more ticket sales or more money, it’s just to show [students] what Concordia has to offer.”

DiCaprio wanted to bring the Swarm back to increase students’ awareness of the sports teams, so she hired students to help her. “At the end of the day, students listen to students.

They don’t listen to deans or the higher people

in the university; they want to hear stuff from students.”

Men’s soccer goalie Karl Gouabé, who is taking care of marketing and partnerships, was one of the students hired.

“When I joined [the Swarm], the challenge was to make the distinction between the Stingers and the Swarm,” Gouabé said. Before the rebranding, the Swarm used the same logo as the Stingers, and often students thought they were part of the Stingers.

“When [the Swarm] used to show up at Frosh, for example, they got a lot of questions asking if they did try-outs for the Stingers,” Gouabé added. “That’s the biggest purpose of the whole rebranding.”

So the Swarm came out with a new logo and a new motto in August. Their old slogan, “Fear the Swarm,” was replaced with “Born to Bee.” Gouabé said the new identity is to distinguish the Swarm from the Stingers brand. The Swarm is associated with the Stingers, but not directly part of their team.

“On our social media, we’re making sure people know we’re the official page of the supporters group,” Gouabé said. “So my job in there is to make that distinction as clear as possible.”

The third-year soccer goalie said Facebook and Instagram are the biggest tools to promote their group.

“The Facebook and Instagram business pages are very great to reach out to very specific target audiences, like reaching out to specifically Concordia students,” Gouabé said.

The Swarm want to let students know about the Stingers, and see more students at the games. Archive photo by Alex Hutchins.

“I don’t see myself going out there and collecting emails. It’s really weird asking a student for their email so I could tell them to come to games.”

Gouabé said he’s already researched what audiences he needs to target, and the next step in promoting the Swarm is to pay for promotion on social media. He said the Instagram page has gotten over 200 new followers since they started last month, but paid promotion will help them gain followers.

The Swarm will be at four games this fall season, including the football home opener on Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. at the Concordia Stadium. For the pregame party, there will be a barbecue, face painting, an inflatable house, beer, and food trucks.

“We’re going to have Swarm gear, and we have flags, banners, chants” Gouabé said. “We’re going to be trash-talking the other team, but keep it G-rated.”

Gouabé said the Swarm will also be at the baseball home opener on Sept. 11, the football homecoming game on Sept. 22, and the Erica Cadieux Memorial game. The Erica Cadieux game is an annual women’s soccer game during which the Stingers accept toys to donate to the Montreal Children’s Hospital. The group will add more games as the season goes on.

“Our goal for this year is to fill these stands as much as possible, even with the soccer games,” Gouabé said.

DiCaprio said she would like more students to come out and watch Stingers games too.

“I saw the numbers from last year, and at some of our football games, less than 10 per cent of students were there,” DiCaprio said.

“It’s a student university game, how is this even possible? My goal is to increase that number significantly so we could get more students at the games and have more fun events.”

While Stingers crowds may be tough against opponents, like Ryan wanted, the director also believes the Swarm will do more than just intimidate the other teams.

“The Concordia Swarm will tie in the Concordia community and students who like sports,” Ryan said. “It’s a great way to unite first-year students too.”

You can check out the Concordia Swarm on Facebook and Instagram @CONCORDIA_SWARM for all their news and events.

Know your priorities: Is that Montreal Canadiens preseason game really that much more important than your 3000-word essay due yesterday?

Probably not. But what if your football team is playing in the Sunday-night game against their division rivals? Well, that’s a game you can’t miss. As a student, when you want to watch a particular game, you have to decide what you really want to watch. Once you do, you probably have to take into consideration what time it’s at, then you can plan your day accordingly. Personally, I use games as motivation to complete my assignments — my personal deadline is whenever my favourite team is playing.

2

Do not stress: Watching sports is supposed to be relaxing, and as a student, you need that.

Everybody has a hobby and clearly yours is watching sports, so just do it! Sometimes you may get swamped with work, but it’s okay to take a 30-minute break to catch the end of a game. Hopefully, if your team wins, it will give you some extra motivation to work. In the middle of writing this, I stopped to watch extra time of the CopenhagenAtalanta Europa League qualifier.

You can’t bury yourself in books all day and forget about your passion.

3

G o o u t a n d p l ay s p o r t s: Playing a spor t is one of the best ways to destress from school. Whether it’s going to the gym or signing up for a team sport, students need that physical activity. Watching sports is one way of taking a break from school, but playing one is also great, and impor tant, for your mental and physical health. I love playing team sports because it gives me that physical exercise and a certain element of socializing that going to the gym doesn’t have. If you’re a student new to Montreal, Concordia has intramural hockey, soccer, basketball, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball that you can sign up for on your own or as a team. Get out there and play!

opinions OPINIONS EDITOR /// opinions@theconcordian.com SANIA MALIK

EDITORIAL

The past, the present and the press This year marks the 35th anniversary of The Concordian newspaper. In those 35 years, the student-run newspaper has undergone major shifts—just like any form of media. We believe that at any point in time, the media reflects the values of the society it thrives in.

They say history is written by the victors (read: oppressors?), and what is the press but a first draft of the history books.

With this in mind, we can appreciate that the voices highlighted in a newspaper in 1983 were much different from those that find space in a newspaper today.

But that isn’t to say both newspapers, at both moments in time, weren’t important.

A university is home to diverse voices and ideas, and therefore, should support a platform where all of these unique perspectives can be heard. While a student newspaper doesn’t necessarily give every person a voice, it certainly helps recognize our collective ideas as we elevate even the voices pushed to the margins. We at The Concordian are proud to use our tools and platform to shed light on important issues that make up Concordia University.

A look through our archives shows that even in the year 1990, the idea of women walking home at night and their safety was a concern. Even though, with

the recent #MeToo movement, it might seem like this is a conversation we’re only beginning to have, it’s safe to say this issue has been present for years—centuries, actually. Other stories in past issues of The Concordian emphasized gun control laws in Canada and the mistreatment of marginalized groups by law enforcement.

In 2018, these issues are still at the forefront of our minds. The news constantly reiterates these concerns, and rightfully so. But it’s both troubling and refreshing to learn that these same issues were being highlighted in our newspaper three decades ago. Troubling because these problems are still so ever-present; refreshing because we’re glad these stories were given a platform in our newspaper.

That’s not to say The Concordian has always been a place for pieces that empower voices and highlight necessary topics. Just like other media throughout the ages, its content is a reflection of the time and place in which it exists. It is undeniable that the voices and stories of many have long been silenced—and are still being ignored—by the bulk of mainstream news and entertainment outlets. Since minority experiences were (and are) often seen as inferior to those of the social majority, news outlets reacted accordingly. The sentiment of “give the

people what they want” was solidified in our history.

Here at The Concordian, we do not deny our part in perpetuating harmful narratives in past years. However, as much as we work to adapt to changing social norms and values, we also aim to maintain ideals of inclusivity, respect and honour.

Every week, we work to produce content that is representative of what matters to students at Concordia. As we begin this new year, we’d like to thank our fellow students for supporting our endeavours, and for allowing us to tell your stories. We love hearing from you, so please do not hesitate Concordia's first official mas to reach out. Our hope cot, "The Stinger". Archive pho to by Jonas Papaurelis. is that somewhere amongst our pages, you find something you can identify with.

PROTEST

A stepping stone to systemic change Examining how boycotting companies can affect our society

TYSON BURGER ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR In a consumer culture, branding is invaluable. On many occasions, activists and general consumers have attempted to use this fact to influence the actions of companies both small and large. Though most of the time the strategy of boycotting is ineffective—maybe because not enough people get on board, or they lose interest too quickly––sometimes these forms of protest have a real economic and social impact. But is it one that lasts?

Is it one that can inflict real social and cultural change?

To begin to answer that question, I’ll look at what happens when boycotts occur at a local level. In a community, there is a close connection between individual members, such as business owners and their customers, and reputation means everything. An example of this in Montreal is the case of TRH bar (Trash Bar).

Earlier this year, a fundraising party was held for a former bouncer who was convicted on three counts of sexual assault and sentenced to 18 months in prison. People were outraged by this; the bar lost a lot of its customer base and received over 1000 onestar ratings, according to Eater Montreal. All of this resulted in the bar issuing an apology, doubling the fundraising money, and donating it all to an organization that helps victims of

sexual assault, rather than giving it to Steve Bouchard, the perpetrator of the assault.

An example of a boycott on a corporate level is Nestle. For years, people have been trying to bring this company down for reasons ranging from child labour and depriving communities of drinking water (which is conveniently bottled and sold back to them), to copious environmental pollution, price fixing, mislabeling, and much more (a comprehensive list can be found at zmescience.com). There have been countless documentaries and boycotting campaigns against Nestle, but the

Graphic by Ana Bilokin.

company has survived all of it without facing significant consequences. But the problem here is more about the workings of capitalism than Nestle. After all, Nestle may stand out as a bad company, but they are by no means an anomaly. I believe this is a problem that needs to be solved by a systemic change that takes power away from major corporations.

On the other hand, even if boycotting campaigns against Nestle aren’t effective in bringing the company down, they can still alert people to the way our society operates, and perhaps lead them to question their moral

values and become politically active. In other words, even if Nestle doesn’t fall or change their behaviour because of individual boycotting strategies, those strategies may nonetheless influence more people and more powerful players to take up the cause.

What that may look like is exemplified in the global boycott of South Africa, during the apartheid regime. Many countries and corporations refused to do business with South Africa until they ended their system of radical racial segregation in 1994. While many experts have pointed out that this success of a large-scale boycott was an exception, not the rule, it is still an example of what a boycott looks like when powerful players take part.

Boycotters often have specific, singular goals. Sometimes they achieve those goals, and sometimes they don’t—which is usually dependent on the size of their target and the level of power held by the groups that take part in the campaign.

Something that is present in every boycott case is a questioning of moral values—people deciding where they stand on particular issues, what they will and won’t put up with—which contributes to changing cultural values as a whole. I believe the immediate demands of boycotts are not an end in themselves, but rather a stepping stone to a systemic shift toward a society made up of participants who act morally because they want to, not to maintain profits.

SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

RACISM

theconcordian

15

The scary use of the “R” word Today, we can’t just be not racist—we must be anti-racist

KATELYN THOMAS COPY EDITOR If you feel like you have to explain why something isn’t racist, a) it probably is and b) you’re on the wrong side of history.

At an event organized by the Federal Liberal Association in St. Jean on Aug. 16, a woman interrupted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s speech by incessantly yelling his name until he had no choice but to acknowledge her.

“I want to know when you will give us back the $146 million that we paid for your illegal immigrants.” Those are the words that Diane Blain shouted at the top of her lungs (and into my ear) in a corn field off Highway 133 in Sabrevois, Que. Surrounded by flabbergasted Liberals who were just there to have a good time, Blain threatened to throw a punch at any person who asked her to calm down.

In the midst of the madness, Trudeau attempted to appease the woman by outlining a few ways the government is giving back to Quebecers. Once Trudeau felt he had given her an appropriate amount of attention, he resumed the speech he had come to give.

But she wasn’t satisfied. “You didn’t answer my question,” Blain said. As she repeated it,

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the event in St. Jean on Aug. 16. Photo by Katelyn Thomas.

a man found his way to her side to chime in with, “We are not on Mohawk territory.” (We were, in fact, on Mohawk territory).

So, Trudeau put aside diplomacy and called it like he saw it. “This intolerance regarding immigrants does not have a place in Canada,” he said. “Canada was built by waves of immigration that were welcomed by First Nations, who showed us how to build a strong society, and the people who come here, generation after generation, to build stronger communities, this is what makes us stronger as a country. Madam,

your intolerance does not have a place here.”

The crowd erupted in cheers, and Trudeau exited stage left. But later, the internet exploded.

I was shocked to find that even some Liberals felt Trudeau’s reaction was a little uncalled for.

I later realized this reaction was largely due to the footage that circulated online shortly after the event. The video conveniently begins later than the kerfuffle did, meaning you don’t hear Trudeau’s initial level-headed response.

Some say Blain’s question was valid and that Trudeau called her racist to avoid having to answer it. I call bullshit. Trudeau called her

racist because he, like any compassionate person, doesn’t believe the borders of our country are where we should draw the line between which humans we care about and which ones we don’t. Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the right to asylum, reads: “If you are persecuted at home, you have the right to seek protection in another country.” It saddens me that this concept continues to be questioned today.

Racism isn’t always blatant; it manifests itself in many different forms. Trudeau recognizing and denouncing an instance of subtle discrimination means he has an awareness that we should expect from all our leaders as well as ourselves. Being non-racist simply isn’t enough. We have to be anti-racist. We have to actively denounce everyday racism in our thoughts, speech and behaviour. The first step in doing so is calling it by its name.

Racism has always been racism. People aren’t taking things more personally than before. We’re just reaching a point in time where people feel empowered to demand better. And they should.

If there’s one thing I was left with after the bizarre evening I spent in a corn field, it was immense faith in the leader of our country and a sense of hope that change is on the horizon.

CAREER

Professional persona vs. public persona Why we must keep a distance between our private and professional side

YOUMNA EL HALABI STAFF WRITER Recently, Twitter struck again with a post that resulted in the end of someone’s career. In August, a woman tweeted: “Everyone shut the f*ck up I got accepted for a NASA internship.” A man named Homer Hickam tweeted back: “Language.” To which the woman responded: “Suck my dick and balls I’m working for NASA.” Hickam replied with a simple statement revealing his identity as a member of the National Space Council that oversees NASA. As quickly as it started, the woman’s heated tweet got her fired from her intern position, according to Buzzfeed News.

Inevitably, the entire exchange as well as its outcome caused a fair amount of backlash online. Some people defended Hickam’s choice to end her internship before it even began. Others, however, went so far as to attack Hickam’s “white-man privilege” for firing a woman because she didn’t mind her language.

Eventually, it was discovered that Hickam was not involved in the decision to fire the woman. Hickam explained that he only replied to her tweet as a warning because he feared she would lose her job if NASA officials saw the tweet.

This brings us to the topic of the day: Should there really be a difference between a person’s personal and professional persona? In my opinion, there should be. Biases and opinions tend to scare some people off and affect how they view others. In this case, excessive

swearing smeared a woman’s professional persona. Had she made sure to keep her personal persona, one where she is the master of her own words, different from her professional one, she would not have suffered such consequences.

Ideally, nothing should faze an employer’s

get past certain values or habits their employees have.

Social media is a dangerous place to venture, and while people may think the World Wide Web is synonymous with freedom of expression, it definitely isn’t.

Once a person chooses to use your public

Graphic by Ana Bilokin.

view of their employees besides how they deliver the work asked of them. If someone’s competence is not affected by their opinions or, in this case, excessive swearing, why should they be punished for it? However, oftentimes, that is not the case. Too often, employers cannot

persona against you, there is little you can

do about it. There is little you can do about how certain people will choose to hurt you and get away with it.

In a perfect world devoid of limitations and social norms, people would not worry about such things. They would be trusted

in the professional world despite opinions they have or their way of life. Unfortunately, in our world, people are held accountable for what they choose to show to the public, and not without reason.

Human beings are biased creatures, whether we like to admit it or not. Once we see a person act a certain way, we cannot control the need to put that person into a box or stereotype. At times, that can get harmful. For example, an Islamophobic employer will inevitably let his negative bias affect his choice in hiring a Muslim individual, regardless of the person’s professional abilities.

In my opinion, this is rigid and counterproductive. Excessive stereotypes derail people from possible life opportunities, especially on a professional level. For instance, when one hears a person excessively swearing, one might think they are not professional and borderline disrespectful. Nonetheless, this is the reality of our ever-evolving world, and while some constraints might seem unfair, others—such as keeping certain things private—are deemed necessary.

In the case of the woman on Tw itter, she not only swore excessively, but directed her language toward an important person in her field of work—a person she obviously did not know to be of such importance until he corrected her. Hence why it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to such stories. Ideally, one should not fear their private lives affecting their professional life, because the profession should only be defined with the work you put into it.

16

theconcordian

SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

Graphic by @spooky_soda.

Every Wednesday from 3pm to 4pm beginning on September 12th!

Missed an episode?

Visit mixcloud.com/the_concordian for all episodes!

theconcordian's team EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MAGGIE HOPE editor@theconcordian.com MANAGING EDITOR CANDICE PYE managing@theconcordian.com PRODUCTION MANAGER LOREANNA LASTORIA production@theconcordian.com PRODUCTION ASSISTANT ELENI PROBONAS SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR MATTHEW COYTE

NEWS EDITORS IAN DOWN MIA ANHOURY news@theconcordian.com ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS MINA MAZUMDER EITHNE LYNCH

news_assistants@theconcordian.com

LIFE EDITOR ALEX HUTCHINS life@theconcordian.com

OPINIONS EDITOR SANIA MALIK opinions@theconcordian.com

ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR SARA CHAHROUR

ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR TYSON BURGER

ARTS EDITOR CHLOË LALONDE arts@theconcordian.com

PHOTO EDITOR MACKENZIE LAD photo@theconcordian.com

ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR DAISY DUNCAN

PHOTO ASSISTANTS CHRIS ROBERTS HANNAH EWEN

MUSIC EDITOR SIMON NEW music@theconcordian.com ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR IMMANUEL MATTHEWS SPORTS EDITOR NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI sports@theconcordian.com ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR ERIC BEAUDOIN

GRAPHICS EDITOR WEDNESDAY LAPLANTE graphics@theconcordian.com GRAPHIC ASSISTANT ANA BILOKIN VIDEO ASSISTANT ARIANNA RANDJBAR CONTRIBUTORS Erin Walker, Wesley Maclean, Youmna El Halabi

Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper

HEAD COPY EDITOR VICTORIA LEWIN COPY EDITORS KATYA TEAGUE KAYLA-MARIE TURRICIANO KATELYN THOMAS copy@theconcordian.com BUSINESS MANAGER FRANCIS LADOUCEUR business@theconcordian.com ADVERTISING MANAGER BILAL QADRI advertising@theconcordian.com BOARD OF DIRECTORS NATHALIE LAFLAMME SAVANNA CRAIG DAVID EASEY directors@theconcordian.com

VOL. 36, ISSUE 2 SEPT. 3, 2018.

OUR COVER THIS WEEK “Returning to his roots” Photo by Mackenzie Lad. FOLLOW US ON    COME TO OUR WEEKLY STORY MEETING AT THE LOYOLA CAMPUS CC-431 FRIDAY AT 12:00 P.M. PITCH. WRITE. EDIT. Editorial office 7141 Sherbrooke St. W Building CC - 431 Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 (514) 848-2424 ext. 7499