March 26, 2019

theconcordian

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY’S WEEKLY, INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

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VOLUME 36, ISSUE 24 | TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2019

A united front in the midst of division Montrealers mobilize against racism and xenophobia News p. 5

also in this issue...

life

arts

music

sports

opinions

Life as a student Club Unity against FIFA showcases Homeshake flops Working in the free water p. 5 diversity p. 8 with Helium p. 11 off-season p. 13 politician p. 15

news

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

CITY IN Fighting for the right to be paid BRIEF

STRIKE

Over 40,000 students across Quebec continue to strike against unpaid internships

MIA ANHOURY NEWS EDITOR An 18-year-old Marianopolis College student died on Saturday from a meningococcal infection, according to CBC. Montreal public health officials are communicating with her family to make sure it doesn’t spread. Meningitis can be spread through coughing or kissing. It is still unclear how she contracted the disease.

A 26-year-old man was charged with attempted murder after stabbing Father Claude Grou during Friday morning mass at St. Joseph’s Oratory, according to City News. The priest suffered minor injuries and was released from the hospital. The mass was being broadcasted on a Catholic television network.

Four men are in custody after allegedly stabbing two men during a fight in the Plateau-Mont-Royal early Saturday morning, according to CBC. A sharp weapon injured two 23-year-olds in the upper body, but police say they are not in critical condition.

Protesters at the “Le printemps commence maintenant” rally against unpaid internships. Photo by Sandra Hercegova.

SANDRA HERCEGOVA VIDEO EDITOR The Journalism Student Association (JSA) held a one-week strike against unpaid internships in solidarity with over 40,000 students and interns across Quebec.

The strike, which occurred from March 18 to 22, offered activities and workshops organized by the Journalism Student Strike Committee. During the strike, students were asked not to attend classes or hand in assignments, and not to cross picket lines.

Journalism students Miriam Lafontaine, Erika Morris and Jon Milton presented a strike motion at a January general assembly, which was approved. Sandrine Boisjoli, an education student from UQAM, helped students on the strike comittee organize the strike.

“The biggest thing is that we want to get as many students together to put pressure on the provincial government to change our laws around internships,” said Lafontaine.

The students who participated in this strike fought for their right to get paid for their work. “We are doing valuable work.

We are contributing something valuable to the community and that merits some form of compensation,” said Lafontaine.

Morris said she can't take an unpaid internship because she cannot afford it. “I can’t juggle being a full-time student with my work and another job and an unpaid internship—it’s too much,” she said. “An internship is a valuable experience that everyone should have access to.”

Lafontaine argued there are interns doing

unpaid internships who end up having the same responsibilities as an employee.

“Those cases really blur the line between what is work and what is study,” explained Lafontaine.

Another issue raised by Boisjoli was how existing paid internships are mostly found in male-dominated work fields, such as engineering. “These people usually get paid internships that are well paid. Whereas, in more female-dominated jobs, interns have no remuneration or compensation,” she said.

“We ask for the same equity [...], to be paid and protected in our fields.

This will help valorise our profession.”

On March 20, over 100 students from different universities and faculties gathered at Place Émilie-Gamelin to march against unpaid internships.

“I’m here today out of solidarity for people, such as minorities and women, who are most impacted by unpaid internships—people who can’t afford and who are not in a privileged position to take an unpaid internship,” said Caitlin Yardley, a Concordia journalism student.

According to Yardley, job security is another reason she participated in the protest.

“As newsrooms are being impacted, there is no secret that they are hiring [unpaid] interns to do paid work. As a journalist that wants to secure a job in the future, we can’t let this trend continue,” she said.

Yardley said working 40 unpaid hours a week should be illegal. “I think that should be completely stopped,” she said.

“If we can implement a mandatory wage

for interns or a mandatory hour cap, that would make things a lot more equitable.”

Holding a “B**ch better have my money!” sign high and proud was the Concordia Student Union's Finance Coordinator, John Hutton. “I am here because work is work and work should be paid—it’s as simple as that,” said Hutton. “Labour rights is student rights, it’s human rights, and it's also a women’s rights issue.”

According to Hutton, a lot of businesses have realized there is a constant flow of internship opportunities every year, so they have eliminated real jobs, which are then filled with internship positions. “It’s not just exploiting students, it’s also dragging down wages all across the workforce,” said Hutton.

Hutton hopes the provincial government changes the labour code for all internships to be paid. He would also like Concordia to change their policies. “Departments that require their internships to be unpaid for credit should have that [policy] removed so everyone has the chance to take paid internships and get credit for them too,” he said.

In the crowd, two social work students from L’Université de Montréal (UdeM) held a sign initialized “AÉSSUM en grève,” which translates to: “Social Work Association of UdeM on strike.”

“For myself, and on behalf of the AÉSSUM, we would like to position ourselves concerning a blatant injustice: why are people from the social work field not being paid the same way as people who have a bachelors in engineering?,” said Laurence Blanchard, a social work student at UdeM.

The bronze statue of Queen Victoria in Montreal was doused in green paint on Saturday Night, according to Global News. The group who claimed responsibility for the vandalizing is called the Delhi-Dublin Anti-Colonial Solidarity Brigade.

A 21-year-old woman was hit by an STM bus on Friday as the driver was turning left on 24 Ave. from JeanTalon St., according to Global News.

The woman was taken to the hospital in critical condition and the 63-year-old dr i ver w a s t reate d for shoc k in hospital.

Graphic by @sundaemorningcoffee

“We also deserve to be paid for the work that we do because it is work,” she added.

Blanchard’s classmate, Anne-Laurence Bertoldi, said this is also a feminist battle, “because we notice that a lot of the female-dominated jobs are not paying their interns,” she said.

According to Blanchard, within their social work program at UdeM, students are required to complete 750 hours of training through unpaid internships. “If you are not certified to have achieved these hours of training, you cannot practice as a social worker,” explained Blanchard. “Then we are told that these internships are volunteer placements but they are work placements,” she said.

Blanchard said that the majority of employers in their field support this movement.

“What we want to say to the government is to wake up. We all work but it does not mean that, because we are in the field of social care, that we are less important. The government needs to adjust its priorities.”

MARCH 26, 2019

theconcordian

3

STRIKE

Community and Public Affairs on strike SCPA students join journalism students in fight for paid internships

MINA MAZUMDER ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Undergraduate students from the School of Community and Public Affairs (SCPA) officially launched a week-long strike Monday which lasted until Friday, March 22.

On Monday, SCPA students picketted in front of classrooms in the Hall building.

There was also a workshop about the importance of strikes, which explained why people should not cross picket lines and what tactics to use during a march.

“Unpaid internships are a pressing issue because it is unpaid labour,” said Rhys McKay, a member of the SCPA strike committee. “We are paying [tuition fees] to do free work.”

They added that internships in the program are mandatory for graduation and most of them are unpaid. “The internship needs to be 120 hours [in total] and we need to find it ourselves.”

McKay said this issue mostly affects people from marginalized communities who face financial barriers that impede them from taking an unpaid internship. “It really puts people who are low-income in a precarious position because the completion of their education is based on them completing unpaid labour,” they said.

According to McKay, many people

ELECTIONS

SCPA students were among the many associations in Quebec to strike this month. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

are not aware of the unpaid internships in SCPA because it is a small program.

“There isn’t much awareness about our program in general,” McKay said. “Our field is diverse, so the internships are similar to the ones found for social work or political science [since] they deal with non-profit based work.”

While McKay planned on taking an

unpaid internship this semester, they are waiting until the strike ends to see what happens.

“We shouldn’t have to do unpaid labour in order to accomplish our studies,” said McKay. “If there are no changes that happen, it really demonstrates that the Quebec government does not care about students.”

The strike goals echo those of other student associations, in saying that all internships should be paid and that interns should be protected under Quebec’s labour law.

SCPA students participated in two protests against unpaid internships along side jour nalism students and students from other Quebec universities and CEGEPS. “Supporting each other is really important, as we organize such a big undertaking and learn what it takes to work towards such an important goal,” said Brenagh Rapoport, the finance secretary of the SCPA’s student association.

Rapoport said the strike has helped educate the student body about the purpose of a strike. “The reaction has been engaging from many students,” she said. “Not everyone has understood why the strike is necessary, but that’s just generated a wonderfully productive community conversation around the necessity of student organizing.”

Rapoport hopes the two marches will result in systemic changes. “The stronger our presence together, the stronger the message we will send to our university administrations and the Legault government that unpaid internships unfairly hurt students,” she said.

CSU candidates face off

Members of three slates debate student apathy, sexual assault IAN DOWN NEWS EDITOR Sustainability, sexual violence and student engagement were the main themes of the night as candidates for the Concordia Student Union’s (CSU) general elections participated in a debate on Monday.

Candidates squared off in front of an audience of about 60 students in the Hall building’s seventh-floor lounge. Candidates for each position took the floor alongside their opponents to answer pre-submitted questions and those from the audience.

“What do we stand for? It’s in the name,” said Chris Kalafatidis, the general coordinator candidate for the slate Cut the Crap. “But most of all, we want to clean the bathrooms.”

Kalafatidis is a fourth-year political science student, CSU councillor and the president of the Political Science Students Association. He emphasized sustainability, saying it was “the one issue every student is affected by.”

Kalafatidis’s opponent, Margot Berner, stressed the need to combat sexual violence and hold the administration accountable in light of Concordia's sexual violence scandal. “We have to be able to hold our administration accountable past the end of the year,” said Berner, who represents the slate riZe. A third-year English student and CSU councillor, Berner helped

redesign the Arts and Science Federation of Associations’ (ASFA) anti-harassment and sexual violence policy last fall. She also pledged to bring international students into the CSU’s health plan.

Members of the third slate, New Communit y, faced tough questions about their connections to the Solidarity Economy Incubation Zone (SEIZE). SEIZE is a Concordia-based group whose goal is to support local businesses that operate in the solidarity economy. This semester, their proposed fee levy referendum was rejected twice by the CSU's council. Now, New Community, whose candidate for general coordinator, Marcus Peters, is also the project leader of SEIZE, has made the group a key part of its platform.

Political science student and former CSU councillor Alex Karasick asked if the slate’s intention was to promote SEIZE's agenda, despite being rejected by council twice. Although SEIZE was a key part of their platform, external affairs candidate for New Communit y, Jessica Avalos Salas responded that the resources New Community was promising to provide would be accessible to all students.

Candidates also addressed the issue of student awareness of the CSU. “I think it’s pretty sad when Concordia Spotted has more likes on Facebook than the CSU,” said Kalafatidis. Peters said the key to promoting engagement is to appeal to the diverse interests of the student body.

Only CSU councillor Jane LefebvrePrevost ran independently, under the banner “No More Slates.” In her pitch for academic and advocacy coordinator, the fourth-year women’s studies student emphasized the need to support low-income students. She said that when she first became a Concordia student, she relied on food banks. “When you’re putting this much into your studies [as a low-income student] and you’re barely even making even, why even try?,” she asked. If elected, Lefebvre-Prevost said she would advocate for a subsidized tutoring program.

Monday also marked the first day of the campaign period, which will continue until April 1. Polling takes place between April 2 and April 4.

The candidates for general coordinator (from left): Marcus Peters of New Community, Chris Kalafatidis of Cut the Crap, and Margot Berner of riZe. Photo by Hannah Ewen.

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theconcordian

MARCH 26, 2019

COMMUNITY

A cycle of success

Campus bike shop keeps the wheels turning for NDG cyclists

NATION IN BRIEF MIA ANHOURY NEWS EDITOR A Quebecois couple was found dead in their Florida home on Friday night, according to CBC. The case is being treated as a double homicide. Neighbours were checking on them when they realized their door was unlocked and walked in to find the bodies on the floor.

As southern Africa is being hit

by Cyclone Idai, the Canadian government announced on Saturday it will be donating $3.5 million to help humanitarian organizations on the ground, according to CTV. The death toll is over 600 with Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe having been hit the hardest.

The room that now houses Le Petit Vélo Rouge used to be a storage space for abandoned bikes. Photo by Jad Abukasm.

JAD ABUKASM ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR The Physical Services Building, or PS building, seems like any other Loyola building. Located at the back of the campus in the middle of a parking lot, the building hides an interesting room, one urban cyclists would refer to as a bicycle paradise.

Stacked with handlebars, pedals, wheelsets and bike frames, PS-141 is home to Le Petit Vélo Rouge, a non-profit bike shop opened in 2010 by Concordia students. Their goal was to build bikes out of used parts and sell them to people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford one.

“A bike can totally change someone’s life,” said Noah Sadaka, a volunteer at Le Petit Vélo Rouge. “When you’re not dependent on paying over $100 a month for STM passes, it’s a huge gain.”

“I used to live in Toronto, where the metro passes are much more expensive than in Montreal, so I decided to start biking,” said Sam Little, another volunteer at Le Petit Vélo Rouge. “That’s how I started learning to fix them, and my knowledge of bike mechanics grew from here.”

Before it was occupied by Le Petit Vélo Rouge, PS-141 was Concordia’s storage space for bikes that were left unattended for over six months. Eventually, if unclaimed, the bikes were given to charity. Le Petit Vélo Rouge used these bikes to start this student-run organization.

The bike coop’s current goal is to promote cycling and sustainable culture in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG) community.

In fact, other than disposable parts such as brake pads and chains, all parts are recycled from old bikes.

Le Petit Vélo Rouge accepts volunteers from all cycling backgrounds. Being an expert

On Thursday, an oil tanker carrying eight million litres of petroleum was drifting away from the southwest coast of Newfoundland, according to The Toronto Sun . The Canadian Coast Guard is monitoring the ship, which was damaged by ice on its way to Montreal.

in bike mechanics is not a requirement. make a difference in winter,” said Blouin.

In fact, most of the volunteers learned “My goal is to start selling them to stuIn its budget released Wednesday, most of their repairing skills in the shop. dents at around $70 for them to be safer Saskatchewan will invest over “Another part of our mission is having during winter.” $500,000 to create an organ people improve their cycling skills and “If you can make enough for next winter donor registry, according to empower them to be able to repair their at such a low price, we might consider Global News. This comes after own bikes so that they don’t have to pay selling them,” said Sadaka, teasing Blouin. the Humboldt Broncos bus crash a bike shop,” said Sadaka. Inside the shop The shop has been suppor tive of that killed 16 people, one of whom are five bike repair stands. Sadaka and Blouin’s idea by supplying him with the was an organ donor who was Little say they are always in use during proper materials. These kinds of tires are able to s ave the lives of six the summer by cyclists fixing their bikes. equipped with metal spokes to properly Canadians.

“Last year, we even had people in the adhere on icy roads.

Graphic by @sundaemorningcoffee hallway tuning their bikes,” said Sadaka.

Blouin has been building recycled bikes While the shop might be full in the for more than five years now. Finding a Sadaka and Little hope the shop summer, that’s not the case during the shop with all the right tools was a gem, will keep self-sustaining and helping winter. In fact, having more than five according to the cyclist. customers a week is rare this time of year.

“Bike tools are really expensive and the biking community in NDG grow.

Instead, volunteers focus on building bikes really only have one utility,” said Blouin. In the meantime, Le Petit Vélo Rouge to sell when the temperature heats up. Last “It’s really helpful to have such a privileged will keep passing on its passion, one bike at a time. year, Le Petit Vélo Rouge was so popular access to them.” among NDG residents, it did not need to ask for funding from Concordia associations such as Sustainable Concordia and the Concordia Student Union to stay open. This was a first in the shop’s history.

“We got to a level where we made enough money solely by selling bikes that we no longer needed to apply for grants,” said Sadaka.

Volunteers at Le Petit Vélo Rouge are not alone in making biking affordable for all. Bernard Blouin, a 63-year-old bike commuter w ho conduc t s research on alternative medicine in his free time, is currently working on home-made winter tires. He is a year-round regular at the shop.

“These kinds of tires cost The shop was able to financially sustain itself last year thanks to sales. Photo by Jad Abukasm. around $200 and can really

MARCH 26, 2019

theconcordian

5

WORLD A call to stop the denial of racism IN BRIEF COVER STORY

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Montreal

MIA ANHOURY NEWS EDITOR Over 100,000 people marched the streets of London to demand a second Brexit referendum on Saturday, according to The Washington Post. This comes after the Brexit day was postponed to April 12 at the earliest, instead of March 29. The march was organized after an online petition asking Britain to stay in the E.U. passed with 4.5 million signatures.

At least five people are dead after a shooting at a government building in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, on Saturday, according to Time. The country’s deputy minister of labour and social affairs is one of the victims. Another 10 people were injured. Al-Shabab, an Islamic extremist group linked to al-Qaida, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Over 100 people participated in the Montreal demonstration against racism and xenophobia. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

ALEXIA MARTEL-DESJARDINS STAFF WRITER

which present a real social danger for our society and let’s walk together today against the racist and xenophobic policies For the third time since November 2017, of this government,” said Chebbi, at the protesters gathered downtown this Sunday beginning of the protest.

Many people at the demonstration to denounce racism and xenophobia, in Montreal and elsewhere. People at the expressed their opposition to the CAQ’s demonstration criticized the current immigration plan, Bill 9, also known as political context and the Coalition Avenir the Tinder of immigration, and to the Québec (CAQ) government’s policies, legislation banning religious symbols for government employees. calling them racist and discriminatory.

“We want to demonstrate that we Safa Chebbi, an antiracist, decolonial activist disagree with the CAQ government’s and spokesperson for the demonstration, said this event sends a clear message against decisions on secularism and we also come in solidarity with the victims in New the CAQ’s policies.

“Let’s stay vigilant and united in the face Zealand,” said Carolane Foata, a protester of the provocations of this government, holding a sign with Quebec Premier François Leg ault ’s pic t ure and the caption “No hope.” “ Ye s , t h e r e i s racism and islamophobia in Quebec and it’s important to unite so that everyone who is racialized feels welcome here,” said Foata.

Midway through the demonstration, the protesters stopped at the intersection of Sherbrooke St. and McGill College Ave., near Legault’s o f f i c e s , t o m a ke speeches aimed at his government.

The urge to recognize the existence of islamophobia in Quebec and to fight it arched back to feminist discourse Marlihan Lopez, vice-president of the Féderations des femmes du Québec was at the protest. Photo by Mackenzie Lad. during the demon-

stration. Demonstrators expressed their disagreement with the government’s intention to ban religious symbols for all government employees.

“Although this law affects men and women of many religious communities, especially racialized ones, this law will mainly target muslim women because they are vulnerable to islamophobia and gendered [discrimination],” said Marlihan Lopez, vice-president of Fédération des femmes du Québec (FFQ). “It is them who will suffer to a greater extent the impact of these measures for job accessibility.”

When asked what kind of actions they hoped to see from the government, Chebbi emphasized the necessity to take action and to show popular mobilization.

“I think it is time to stop this denial of islamophobia and racism,” said Chebbi. “We categorically refuse the laws that they are proposing. We cannot make populist laws of that kind pass and affect minorities.”

Some people at the demonstration had directly experienced acts of racism and discrimination.

“I am here as an individual, as a Canadian, as Lebanese-Canadian,” said Hend Mady, a Champlain College student wearing the hijab, while holding a Palestinian flag and chanting with other protesters.

“I’ve faced racism in the workforce and I have faced racism in school as well by peers and teachers [...]. It’s important to participate in the march so that people can understand that racism is real and it affects everyone.”

Participants chanted slogans that claimed the government implemented racist policies, and many chanted against the police, who surrounded the group.

Some police officers biked at the front of the protestors, while others walked on either side of the participants.

On Sunday, Thailand held its first general elections since the 2014 coup, according to Bloomberg.

Fifty-one million people are voting after spending five years under a military government.

Teachers in Morocco took to the streets of Rabat on Sunday to demand better working conditions, according to BBC. Several thousand people attended the protest to ask for permanent contracts and to fight the rising cost of living. The protest is one of many mobilization methods taken by teachers who have been striking in recent weeks.

Graphic by @sundaemorningcoffee

The demonstration galvanized people from many different backgrounds and organizations. Some protesters felt that the fight against racism is intertwined with other causes they fight for.

“As climate change is getting worse, [...] the number of climate refugees is just going to go up and up and up, which is also going to lead to harsher immigration laws and more racism,” said Alison Gu, a demonstrator.

Members of different social movements took part in the event to show their solidarity with victims of racism and discrimination.

Chants to free Palestine were heard throughout the march, with some protesters carrying Palestinian flags and maps. Socialist Fightback, the Canadian section of the International Marxist Tendency, said racism is deeply connected with the cause they are fighting for.

“Racism as we know it today, at least, would not exist without capitalism, it arose very much as a form of class exploitation and continues to be so to this day,” said Finnegan Arthur, a member of Socialist Fightback. “If we want to end racism for good, as we understand it as a form of systemic oppression, then capitalism needs to go as well.”

life

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

NIGHTLIFE

Unity refuses to give tap water to paying patrons Quebec lacking clear legislation around bars only offering overpriced bottled water

Graphic by @sundaemorningcoffee

ALEX HUTCHINS LIFE EDITOR As young people living in Montreal—a city known for its rampant nightlife— hitting St-Laurent Blvd., Bishop St., or anywhere along Ste-Catherine St. E for a night on the town has become almost a rite of passage. McKibbin’s Irish Pub, Grumpy’s, Complexe Sky, Club Unity, and SuWu are just a handful of Montreal’s popular nightlife venues.

While there are many variables that can ruin a fun night out with friends, being charged astronomical prices for bottled water after being refused tap water may not be the first thing that comes to mind.

In a Facebook post made to a private group on March 10, Montreal resident Julia Ryan recounted her negative experience with multiple bartenders at Club Unity, located at 1171 Ste-Catherine St. E. “One of my friends got a little bit too intoxicated and was dizzy and sitting on the ground,” wrote Ryan in the comments section of her post. “I went to [the] bar on all three floors and asked three different bartenders for water, as she was almost passed out, and they basically said ‘Tough shit, buy a bottle.’”

In an interview with The Concordian, Ryan went into more detail about the four hours she and her friends spent at Club Unity, which totaled around $90, including the $8 cover charge, coat check, multiple drinks, and tip. “We decided on a pitcher of long island iced tea, which was given to us with three straws and no glasses,” said Ryan.

About an hour after the first round, they ordered a second pitcher. “It was reasonably busy, but not a crazy night. By around 1:30 [a.m.], we were dying for water.” Ryan explained that a bartender told her there was no water available by the glass, and instead sold her bottled water for $4.50, which she and her friends shared.

Legislation around restaurants and bars offering free, potable tap water can get pretty convoluted. The majority of people hold false assumptions around what laws are in place, on both the provincial and federal levels. In the Reddit subthread r/ontario, an image posted by user fgejoiwnfgewijkobnew shows a sign in an Ontario comedy venue that reads: “Bottled water is the only water available. Period. (And yes, it is legal.).”

The subthread post is headlined with the caption: “Isn't it illegal in Ontario to deny patrons access to free drinking water at a bar? It's a safety thing right?”

In a thread on Stack Exchange, a Q&A platform for professionals, students and those with relevant knowledge, user CGCampbell summarized the widespread loopholes in legislation around providing free, potable drinking water in restaurants and bars. “ Tap water must be provided by restaurants in their bathrooms for the washing of hands, and that said water must be of drinking water quality,” wrote user CGCampbell. “But they are not required to offer it in a glass, free of charge.”

As the user goes on to point out, there are many laws in Quebec that strictly govern the quality of water, and what is defined as drinking water, in chapter Q-2, r. 40 of the Environment Quality Act. “There are laws in several other Canadian jurisdictions that do require free drinking water on request, but those laws also do not stipulate the glass must be provided for free.”

Some comments on both the Stack Exchange and Reddit threads are quite informative, and the majority of users agree on one thing: whether it’s legal or not, “denying tap water to patrons sounds like a douchey thing to do,” wrote user baween on the Reddit subthread.

Aside from providing paying customers with free tap water arguably being the ethical decision, discouraging people from regularly drinking water in environments where drinking is encouraged poses health concerns. In a CBC article from 2014, Karen McColl, a researcher hired by CBC, went to 25 bars around downtown Halifax and asked for a glass of tap water.

While the majority provided her with tap water, a handful of bars—coincidentally venues that also charged up to $10 in cover fees—would only offer bottled water.

The article makes no mention of specific legislation around providing free, potable tap water. Instead, it vaguely references addiction counsellors who recommend intermittently drinking one glass of water per one alcoholic beverage.

Ultimately, it seems that the lack of clear provincial and federal legislation around providing free tap water to paying customers results in bartenders at nightclubs such as Unity taking matters into their own hands.

“The three bartenders I spoke to were extremely dry and abrasive,” said Ryan. “I’m more of a bar person, [but] I’ve never had an experience like that at any bar or club ever. I had been to Unity once before, three years ago, and it was a pleasant experience with good staff. Completely unlike the last time.”

MARCH 26, 2019

theconcordian

ARCHIVES

50 years later: Re-examining the past A closer look at the role of student journalism in the SGW Affair

Studying abroad changed how I viewed the comforts of home JACOB CAREY ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR

The SGW Affair took place between Jan. 29 and Feb. 11, 1969. Photo by Victoria Blair.

VICTORIA BLAIR CONTRIBUTOR With the Sir George Williams Affair, one tends to think about the riots, the violence and the destruction of property, amongst other things.

The Affair took place between Jan. 29 and Feb. 11, 1969, when students overtook the seventh and ninth floor computer centres in the Hall building.

The students occupied the centres to protest anti-black racism in classrooms.

It started as a peaceful protest, but turned violent after the riot police got involved, and was later classified as the largest student occupation in Canadian history. According to CBC, about 200 students occupied the computer centre for roughly t wo weeks, and on the day of the police riot, 97 arrests were made.

Most accounts of the events that took place focus on the occupation, the involvement of the police, and the destruction of the computer centre that resulted in $2 million worth of damage.

While we can expect there to be more to the story than what's available, what most often don’t consider the integral role that student journalism played in the SGW Affair. The Georgian, the student newspaper at the time, was there from the beginning, covering the events leading up to the Affair, giving readers a more complete version of what happened.

As a continuation of the Protest and Pedagogy event series that was held from Jan. 30 to Feb 16, a pop-up exhibition in the media gallery of the CJ building on the Loyola campus offers a glimpse into these events from a different and more personal perspective.

“It was a very important part of the whole process,” said Christiana Abraham, curator of the pop-up exhibition and a Communications Studies professor at Concordia. “It played an important role in mediating and reporting on what was going on during the occupation, and before the occupation started.”

A pop-up exhibition in the CJ building’s media gallery is a continuation of the Protest and Pedagogy event series. Photo by Victoria Blair.

The Georgian acted as a platform to send a clear message to large numbers of students, similar to today’s social media. Its writers were authorized to go in and out of the occupied spaces, allowing them to report on the events as they were happening.

This archival material included a lot more information than the mainstream press; it often offered more details and context about what was really happening. Our perception and remembrance of the events might have been different if the mainstream press had included these details.

“It offered a different narrative of the events,” said Abraham. “It’s given us other kinds of truths and representations as compared to the historical narrative that we have.”

The representation of the events portrayed by the mainstream press did not include many truths like this. They did not accurately portray the students and their frustration, the solidarity between them and the strong female roles that came out during the event.

“The mainstream press made it out to appear as if it was a very racialized event, between black and white,” added Abraham. “But when you start looking through these archives, you come to see that there was a lot more solidarity than we have come to know.”

The Georgian published the names of all 97 students who were arrested and went on to add how a majority of the students arrested were white. These 97 names included the names of some of the women involved in the Affair. One of the women arrested was Anne Cools, one of the protesters who later became the first Black person to be appointed to the Canadian Senate.

“I was really impressed with the professionalism of the student press at the time,” said Abraham. “Even fifty years later, they are a very important source for us. They gave us an inside view of what was going on that the mainstream press didn’t offer.”

The pop-up gallery presents visitors with a new and more intimate perspective on the events that took place 50 years ago. The CJ building media gallery is open to visitors from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until March 29.

There is a multitude of reasons as to why someone would not sign up for a study abroad program: financial stability, course availability, or maybe the fear of homesickness. For those who have studied abroad, however, they know very well that reverse culture shock is arguably the worst part of it all.

In 2017, Frances Carruthers published an ar ticle in The Guardian titled "My reverse culture shock: returning from a year abroad is tough." Carruthers spoke about her feelings of detachment upon returning to her home in London after an exchange in Canada and attributed her feelings to two things: “I had idealised home in my mind, and I’d expected everything to remain exactly the same while I was gone.”

Following my term abroad in San Francisco in the fall of 2016, I felt like I was coming back a new and revitalized person. Having established new friendships, made fond memories, lived on my own, and rocked a bleach blonde hairdo, I was excited to return with the same good vibes that kept me so happy across continent.

While Carruthers and I agree that coming home is the hardest part, we differ in our expectations of how things will be upon returning home. While she was sad to see everything had changed, I was most disappointed to come back home and see everything remained the same.

To my dismay, everything back home seemed stagnant, as if time had completely frozen in my absence. The constant buzz and excitement that took over my life during a semester abroad was met with the same lifestyle one may hope to leave behind when applying for exchange.

“The hardest part was going from a fast-paced lifestyle, where every week and ever y experience was novel and exciting, back to the dull weekly routines I had left behind,” said Julia Saragosa, a Concordia student who studied in the Netherlands in 2017.

Our sentiments are surely not isolated cases. A Google search for “post-exchange depression” brings up about 70 million results including articles on how to deal with it. Post-exchange depression can happen for the same reasons that one could develop a travel bug, as the recurring thrill of being somewhere new and doing something new comes to an abrupt end where everything seems old.

The upside to reverse culture shock is that it all ends eventually. As time passes, the memories of exchange all fade into one. The faces become less familiar and home starts to feel like home once again.

Once the thrill and excitement dies down, you realize that maybe the true comfort of home lies in the fact that nothing ever changes.

Graphic by @sundaemorningcoffee

7

arts

Happening in and around the White Cube this week…

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

FESTIVAL

Films to promote diversity of culture Art festival FIFA kicks off with a controversial but beautiful documentary OLIVIER DU RUISSEAU CONTRIBUTOR Art and film enthusiasts were once again delighted to gather in museums and cinemas across Montreal to experience various screenings, installations and conferences, exploring the topic of art, as the 37th Festival International des Films sur l’Art (FIFA), began last week.

Au temps où les arabes dansaient, a documentary by Belgian-Moroccan director Jawad Rhalib, opened the festival at the Monument-National last Tuesday, in a formal ceremony, welcoming both artists and the public to the event. The film was followed by a discussion with Rhalib.

The film certainly is a unique and necessary picture. It tells the story of various artists from Arab countries where Islamic fundamentalism seems to have taken over the government and the population’s mores, often shutting the artists down, forcing them into more conservative forms of art, or self-censorship.

The documentar y star ts in an old Moroccan couple’s kitchen, as they speak about a time they once knew when Arabs “could dance.” Looking at old pictures of the woman performing “oriental-style dance,” the couple is nostalgic of that early postcolonial era in the 1960-70s.

We then learn that Rhalib, who narrates in the beginning and end of the documentary, experienced severe psychological trauma and discrimination in his adolescence in Morocco. His mother was a traditional Egyptian dancer and his reputation suffered, in a time of growing fundamentalism and conservatism amongst North African and Middle Eastern countries.

With the camera closely following the different dancers and theatre performers’ every move, and traveling to Egypt, Iran, Morocco, France, and Belgium, the public gets to know them all intimately.

CHLOË LALONDE ARTS EDITOR THEATRICAL RELEASE: DÉRIVE What does it take to make a film? After 13 years of planning, writing and filming, Concordia film production graduate, David Uloth’s feature film was finally released in theatres on March 8, International Women’s Day. A drama, Dérive showcases the strength of a mother and her two daughters navigating a recent loss in the family.

For showtimes, consult www.cinemamontreal.com.

Jacinthe Brisebois, FIFA’s programming director said the opening film was serving to promoting diversity of culture and opinion.

One group is particularly interesting, and consists of Arab-Belgian artists putting on a play based on the novel Soumission

by Michel Houellebecq. The group of performers externalize their fear of appearing Islamophobic and criticize the author for his dramatization of the Muslim Arab diaspora’s impact on Europe, while still defending their right to free speech.

“Our lives are in danger here,” said one performer to his stage director. “I need to know you’ll be with me when my fans from Molenbeek come looking for me.” He was emotional, afraid of the angry reactions he would get from a mainly Muslim crowd at a play questioning the authority of Islam and its role in politics.

“This film is not about Islam, it’s only a tiny portion of it,” said Rhalib at the end of the screening. “It is about art and free speech, about respecting one’s individuality and humanity.”

Between the mountains of Teheran, the beaches of Morocco, and the cafés of Paris and Brussels, one thing unites everyone in the film: the desire to come back to the freer days of Nasser and pre-revolution Iran (shown in the film with archival images). That era is

Au temps où les arabes dansaient, a documentary by Belgian-Moroccan director Jawad Rhalib, opened the festival at the Monument National last Tuesday.

portrayed as a time when women were not forced to wear headscarves and Arabs were allowed to dance and express themselves independently.

Although very controversial because of its free critique of Islamic fundamentalist politics and its depiction of Iran as an Arab country, Au temps où les arabes dansaient is a visually compelling film, as it beautifully captures Arabic dance and performance art.

It is also a necessary one in today’s context of political correctness and extreme viewpoints leading to censorship, all over the world.

Even a viewer who wouldn’t necessarily agree with the film’s point of view, nor have a strong knowledge of the issues raised in the film, would still enjoy the participants’ energy and the commentary they make about the importance of art in general.

Jacinthe Brisebois, the festival’s programming director, is one of the new members of the FIFA team, with Philippe U. del Drago, the executive director of the event, who arrived in the last year. The new team is aiming to “connect with a younger audience” and “create more interactive opportunities” with the public. Brisebois said the opening film served that purpose, as well as promoting diversity of culture and opinion.

“Our programming will be very much dedicated to engaged art,” Brisebois said.

“We felt the need to put diversity forward, diversity of opinion, languages, and practices.”

“With the arrival of virtual reality and immersive films, we’re trying to reach a younger audience,” Brisebois said. FIFA Experentia, at Place des Arts, was a new addition to the festival, consisting of 11 virtual reality immersive video works, from March 20 to 24, at l’Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme.

“We’re also organizing more and more events outside of Montreal, and we’re starting a year-long series of conferences and screenings,” said Brisebois. She added that the winners at this year’s FIFA will also be touring in cinemas across Montreal and in other festivals.

Au temps où les arabes dansaient will be shown again on March 28 at 5:30 p.m., at Cinéplex Quartier Latin. FIFA will continue its activities until March 31. For showtimes, tickets, and to learn more about FIFA, visit their website: A R T F I FA .CO M

FARR ART BOOK SYMPOSIUM The Fine Arts Reading Room (FARR) is a library resource at Concordia University which offers residencies, computer access and printing services. The symposium will consist of a series of events and workshops. On March 26, Tommi Parrish will lead an artist talk at 3 p.m., followed by a zine-making event. At 3 p.m. on March 27, Taylor of Bookbinder's Daughter will lead a binding workshop, and on March 28, the symposium will end with a zine fair from 12 to 5 p.m. and a publication grant finissage from 5 to 7 p.m.

WHEN: March 26-28 WHERE: EV Junction (EV2.785) All events are free and required materials will be provided.

apəTHē/ apəTHē/, or “apathy” is a play created and written by the students of PERC490, Performance Creation Mainstage, a year-long theatre production class. Sara Jar vieClark, FASA general coordinator, theatre student and musician (who performed at Somewhere Shared’s event, Somewhere Inside ), and Scarlet Fountain, intern at Concordia University's Centre for Creative Reuse (CUCCR) and artist behind the Rope Project, are among several students involved in the production.

WHEN: March 27-30 WHERE: F.C. Smith building, The Cazalet Theatre (Loyola Campus) For show times and tickets visit their Facebook event page.

Tickets are $12 for general admission and $7 students and seniors.

CONVERSATIONS IN CONTEMPORARY ART PRESENTS ANDRÉANNE ABBONDANZA-BERGERON Andréanne Abbondanza-Bergeron is a Montreal-based artist, teacher, Concordia alumna and current artist-in-residence at Concordia University as the 2017 recipient of the Claudine and Stephen Bronfman Fellowship in Contemporary Art. Abbondanza-Bergeron is inspired by architecture, working with sculpture and installation to “point out the disparities bet ween inside and outside, as they point out to various forms of built and social structures of control; dictating access or rejection into a specific structure or relationship,” as described on the event page. For more infor mat ion about t he Conversations in Contemporar y Art talk series, visit concordia.ca/cica.

WHEN: March 29 at 6 p.m.

WHERE: de Sève Cinema, McConnell Library Building (LB-125).

The event is free and open to the general public.

Graphic by Ana Bilokin.

etc

FEATURED CONCORDIA ARTIST

LOUISE CAMPION My current practice focuses on the exploration of awareness and emotional survival in a context of global violence. Through my paintings and drawings, I wish to engage with the viewer in ways that are both empathetic and educative. As our western ways of life leave a lot of us feeling isolated and stranded, I want people to know they aren't alone and that this very idea of isolation as a common factor can bring us together to then in time, inspire action. My hope with every new piece is to bring often overlooked information into light to spark a conversation on mental health, social issues, global warming or general interrogations I have regarding the ecosystem I live in. The voluntary avoidance of faces in my images forces me to find new ways to communicate feelings and emotions and mood. It also forces the viewer to focus on something else than the figure. Furthermore, by accenting the anonymity of my figures they become moving things, more than human entities which allow me to take a step back from anthropocentric thinking and explore the human society in itself, from above.

LOUISE.CAMPION@OUTLOOK.FR WWW.LOUISECAMPION.NET

Etc is a space dedicated to showcasing Concordia artists!

Submissions can be sent to production@theconcordian.com

music

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

SHOW REVIEW

Dilly Dally thunder into Montreal

A riff-laden show for those looking to cast off what’s keeping them down KENNETH GIBSON STAFF WRITER Devotees of heaviness, Dilly Dally, opened their latest North American tour at Bar Le Ritz on March 18, with support from Montreal’s buoyant garage-rockers NOBRO. Dilly Dally named their 2018 album Heaven because they say it feels like something they would have made if they all died, equating the feeling to the pressure and touring workload that came with the success of their 2015 debut, Sore.

The music on Sore fused punk with altrock and had more of a sneering delivery than Heaven, which is more meditative and formed around the tempos and rhythms of doom metal rather than punk.

They began with the opening track from Heaven, “I Feel Free,” which they released as the lead single last summer to announce the band’s return. The title, according to singer and guitarist Katie Monks, refers to the band’s desire to move on from any petty grievances they developed while touring for Sore.

The song seems simultaneously more restrained and more emotionally intense than what can be found on Sore, but as Le Devoir pointed out in its review of the album, it also kind of sounds like Coldplay.

What the music press fixates on most with Dilly Dally is Monks’s vocals, which

jump between raspy whispers and throaty screams. It is the kind of singing that leaves you wondering how much tea they must drink to be able to do it on a regular basis.

And Monks’s singing is a large part of what gives Dilly Dally their unique identity. The music itself is skillfully crafted but sometimes feels like it adheres too conventionally to what influences it.

On the other hand, the song “Doom,” unsurprisingly one of the heaviest songs on the album, is enjoyable precisely because it proceeds over a fairly typical metal riff that nonetheless touches some primordial part of you.

If the song structures sometimes feel a little commonplace, then other elements join the vocals to create an intensity and personality that elevate Dilly Dally well above their peers.

This alchemy came through in crushing renditions of “Sober Motel,” “Marijuana” and “Sorry Ur Mad.” The setlist was skewed toward their newest release, but made sure to touch on highlights from Sore like “Desire” and “Purple Rage,” the latter of which came with a cover of Drake’s “Know Yourself” as a lead-in, something they’ve been doing since their 2015 shows.

A smart move was the inclusion of NOBRO as the opener, a band that Dilly Dally had played with before on a tour with U.S. band FIDLAR. All four members play like they are wholly committed to carrying the energy of the performance by themselves.

Dilly Dally singer and guitarist, Katie Monks performing "I Feel Free" from Heaven. Photo by Kenneth Gibson.

What they play is strident and fun-loving, in the vein of 70s proto-punkers New York Dolls, and features the kind of catchy, singalong chorus one expects from simple and honest rock and roll.

Yet, their music deftly combines various eras of guitar-oriented music, from the hard rock of Thin Lizzy, to the virtuosity of Van Halen. It goes without saying that they never fail to entertain.

SHOW REVIEW

Jungle: Bringing back the soul London funk outfit brings the 70s into 2019 at MTelus

Jungle is now on tour spanning four continents, playing For Ever.

AMANDA POLESE CONTRIBUTOR Jungle, a band from London signed to XL Recordings, is currently on tour promoting their 2018 album, For Ever.

On March 17, the 70s funk band stopped in Montreal to perform at MTelus. The show opened with alternative rock band Houses; Heavy guitar and drum beats filled the air at the antique-style venue and perfectly set the scene for the show.

Jungle will be followed by Houses on their tour throughout the U.S. Jungle arrived on stage around 9 p.m. after much anticipation from the crowd. A large sign hung high, displaying their logo in bright lights. Just below, a stage filled with smoke slowly cleared and revealed the seven band members in formation, with “J” and “T,” the founders of the band, leading in the front row. Josh Lloyd-Watson and Tom McFarland have been friends since childhood—and formed the group in 2013.

They jumped right into their first single, “Smile,” and the crowd sung along. The most captivating thing about Jungle is how accurate their live renditions of their

music are. They sound spectacular; it’s almost hard to believe. They didn’t miss a single beat, and their harmonies were synchronized perfectly. They performed “Heavy California” next, and their energy was contagious.

Nearing the end of their performance, the band walked off the stage without a word. Fans instantly began to call for them and sing the Habs-appropriated bullfighting anthem, “olé olé olé olé, olé olé.” They walked back onto the stage, and without hesitation, played one of their number one hits, “Casio.” It was exhilarating to see everyone singing along and appreciating the music. They closed the show with “Busy Earnin’,” from their first studio album, Jungle. This song originally reached the U.K. top 50 Independent Singles in 2014, catapulting their career.

Many people went to the back of the venue to wait by the tour bus and catch a glimpse of some of the band members.

Others wrote the band members’ names on the tour bus as a final ode to an amazing show that truly enamored all who attended.

Touring the world, Jungle's next show will be in Liverpool on March 31.

MARCH 26, 2019

SHOW REVIEW

theconcordian

11

Lo-fi lethargy

Montreal indie staple Homeshake delivers a performance more vague than entrancing SIMON NEW MUSIC EDITOR

Peter Sagar pitched his voice up for most of his set. Photo by Simon New.

“Feels like a loosely-packed living room in here,” said Peter Sagar, Homeshake’s frontman. The crowd didn’t know whether or not to take it as a jab. It didn’t matter.

Homeshake, for those who don’t wear Vans in the winter, is a project started by Sagar, former Mac DeMarco guitarist. He left the band when Homeshake started to gain traction. Based out of Montreal, Sagar’s brand of concerningly chill, stumblingly smooth indie-rock has become omnipresent in the city’s lo-fi circle. Fresh out of DeMarco’s band, Sagar’s sound started similar to his prior squad’s, but has gained a more hazy and abstract R&B bent with each of his four albums since In the Shower in 2014.

That distinction could have been refreshing if the haze hadn’t obscured any clear direction or trail for the band to blaze. Melodies never quite get fleshed out and Sagar’s lyrics rarely stray from the mundane and the faux-profound. The result, in the form of their latest Helium, is an album that knows it wants to be chill but not much else. Critics of DeMarco have levelled kindred complaints with his music, but his live shows are notoriously raucous. He got detained by the police at his own UCSB show in 2014. Sagar, emancipated from DeMarco, arguably toned down his set for Wednesday night’s Théâtre Fairmount crowd.

Sagar was set behind a buf fet of effects, an SP-404 sampler, and a pitch shifter for his voice. His falsetto vocals wavered between what felt like two notes.

The bassist was centre-stage most of the time and provided some movement to an otherwise standstill set. The drummer, equipped with a kick, two cymbals, a snare and a drum pad, was on point, but the percussion was expectedly sparse.

Sometimes though, a woodblock on the 2 and the 4 is all you need, and Homeshake posted deep in a groove, locking the audience into a real trance

at moments. Everything coalesced into something tangible that the band should have showed more of; music that was inconsequential by design but served a very specific purpose to a select group of people on a single Wednesday. Mostly though, the melodies were vague and Sagar’s R&B crooning lyrics even more so.

Even some of the band’s more musically defining tracks like “Give It to Me” and “Call Me Up” lost some of their character; the lack of animation and Sagar’s bizarrely quiet stage presence revealed how similar all of the songs really were. The main riff

on “Give It to Me” was still hard as nails.

The audience was riding a thin line between vibing and boredom. Sagar was aloof to a degree that his level of fame doesn’t usually allot for. After an opening track, the audience applauded and he visibly shrugged. “You’re fuckin’ quiet, I like that,” he said. But they weren’t in some deep reverie as much as they were just looking for something to latch onto onstage. Homeshake could be excellent as a house band; people in the back of the venue were catching up and talking shit. This show could have

been a 5-star Off The Hook employee networking event; Homeshake was a stellar soundtrack to chat with acquaintances to. Unfortunately, the music was just as surface-level as some of those catch-ups.

Homeshake closed with “Every Single Thing,” and just as they started to bring the energy up, they left without a word.

“Peter! Peter! Peter!” A group of girls started a chant in the front row. But Sagar is known to be anti-encore. It might have been the strongest stance he took that night.

Quickspins DDG

SORRY 4 THE HOLD UP The YouTuber-turned-rapper and recent Epic Records signee, DDG, is looking to solidify his place in the hip hop world. His latest project is a short but sweet reminder of the constant work he puts in to reach musical stardom.

Sorry 4 the Hold Up, a clever twist on Lil Wayne’s classic mixtape series, Sorry 4 the Wait, is a four-track project whose major theme revolves around the complicated, public breakup he

went through in 2018 and his actions following the split.

On the album’s opening track, “Lil Baby,” the 21-year-old smoothly croons over an electric guitar-based instrumental produced by superstar beatmaker Mick Schultz. DDG provides a detailed account of his intimate encounters, possibly reflecting on past events with his ex. Sorry 4 the Hold Up’s third track, “Hold Up,” holds the only feature of the EP. Queen Naija, fellow YouTuber-turned-artist, accompanies DDG on an emotional message to their past loves. Queen Naija went through a similar high-profile breakup in 2018, so it's fitting that she shares the track with him.

The project’s final track, “Run It Up,” features an interesting trio of rappers to close out the EP. Released prior to Sorry 4 the Hold Up, the song includes YBN Nahmir, G Herbo, and Blac Youngsta, each of whom showcase their individual styles and flows on the club anthem. “Run It Up” is produced

by Taz Taylor, who’s known for creating

the beat for Rich the Kid’s three-time platinum single, “Plug Walk.”

While DDG’s fan base awaits a longer body of work, they should only expect a full project to be released once he gets through his Breaking the Internet tour, set to end on April 18. Nevertheless, Sorry 4 the Hold Up, despite being only four songs long, is just the right amount of music needed to hold them off—for now.

9/10  TRIAL TRACK: Lil Baby  STAR BAR: “I think it's really your pride / You not expressing what you feel inside / Girl, I don’t know what you’re trying to hide / You said that you loved me, that shit was a lie” - DDG on “Hold Up” ft.

Queen Naija - IMMANUEL MATTHEWS, ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR

DAVE

abusive relationship. Psychodrama is an emotional heavyweight of an album filled with brooding beats and brutally honest moments of self-reflection. The year is still young, but Dave may very well have a contender for album of the year with this project.

8/10 PSYCHODRAMA Dave’s debut album, Psychodrama, is quite literally a therapy session.

The intro cut “ Psycho” sees Dave attacking his insecurities and troubles in a three-minute lyrical onslaught. It’s very much a tone-setter, as the UK rapper doesn’t slow down in any of the following 10 tracks. The 11-minute “Lesley” is the strongest bit of storytelling this year, in which Dave details the downward spiral of an

 TRIAL TRACK: Psycho  STAR BAR: Star Bar: “Furthermore, I should bring that bitch down to Streatham / And then make her spend a day in a veil like a widow / Kiddo, we seen swords longer than a limo / My bros are blacksmiths like Jaden and Willow” - Dave on “Psycho” - LOUIS PAVLAKOS, STAFF WRITER

sports

COLOUR COMMENTARY

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

WITH DEAN MATHEOS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Getting stronger in the off-season Stingers hope to learn from first experience at nationals in 20 years

From left: Tenicha Gittens, Caroline Task, Myriam Leclerc, Areej Burgonio, and athletics director D’Arcy Ryan. The players received their RSEQ awards before their semi-final game. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI SPORTS EDITOR A year after finishing the regular season with a 4-12 record, the Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team made it all the way to the U Sports nationals this season. They qualified after losing in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) final against the Laval Rouge et Or, and were eliminated by the McMaster Marauders in the quarter-finals at nationals.

Despite their successful season this year, head coach Tenicha Gittens believes her team needs more depth. “Our bench has been thin all season long, so when we get [to nationals], it does matter,” Gittens said on CJLO Sports on March 11.

Injuries contributed to the short bench this season. Rookie Nelly Owusu was injured before the regular season began, and hasn’t played since, shortening the roster by one. “She was a big part of what we wanted to do,” Gittens said. “She was part of our starting line-up [in preseason games]. I think if she had been healthy throughout the season, she would have been fighting for the rookie of the year.”

Looking ahead to next season, Gittens hopes to increase the team’s roster

through recruiting, but doesn’t have any official commitments right now.

“Not having Nelly, this is where it really hurt us, in this postseason,” Gittens added.

“To have her in that rotation would have done wonders for us. It would have been a completely different basketball team.”

Gittens wants her team to get stronger physically for next season, to avoid any future injuries. “Physically, I thought we were weaker than most teams out there, so that’s something we have to get better at,” she said. “We have the talent, we’re just inexperienced. There’s ways we can get around that, and it’s just building our mind to sustain [the season].”

The Stingers benefitted from having the U Sports and RSEQ rookie of the year, Myriam Leclerc. She led the RSEQ in points and assists per game, with 18.8 and 4.6, respectively. Leclerc was also named to the U Sports second all-Canadian team, and the RSEQ’s first all-star team.

Guard Caroline Task was also named to the RSEQ first all-star team, and rookie guard Areej Burgonio made the RSEQ all-rookie team. “[Leclerc] is just a special talent, and every once in a while, you’re lucky enough to get a talent like that in your program,” Gittens said. “She does everything. She’s a shooting point guard, she’s a

Burgonio (pictured) averaged 4.1 points in nearly 24 minutes per game this year. Photo by Gabe Chevalier.

passing point guard, and she gets buckets at will [...]. She’s a tremendous talent and she’s raised everybody’s level of play.”

However, Gittens wants to see Leclerc get stronger over the summer, just like the rest of the team. “She’s been banged up all season long, but she’s one of those players that’s going to play through [injuries],” Gittens added. “She literally has to be broken to stop playing. We saw that in the final against Laval, when she didn’t play the second half because she physically could not go anymore [...].

After that final game at nationals, she told me, ‘Coach, I’m going to be tank this summer,’ so she knows what she needs to work on.”

At the national tournament in Toronto, the Stingers lost to McMaster 86-68 in their first game. The Marauders went onto win the national championship, beating the Rouge et Or in the final. In their consolation game against the Acadia Axewomen, the Stingers had a two-point lead after three quarters, but they ultimately lost 86-74.

“It was a disappointing end to the season,” Gittens said. “But we ended the season at nationals, so even though it seems like losing those two games made the season a wash, we have to remember we got to this point. I knew our biggest challenge going in would be the inexperience of it all, and I knew the other teams going had a taste of nationals.”

The Stingers last played in the national tournament in 1999, and started with the seventh seed as a wild card berth. About this year’s trip to nationals, Gittens said: “We enjoyed the banquet and being treated as one of the top eight teams in Canada, because they have to soak all of that in. We watched basketball and just kind of learned from the other teams that kept moving on.”

If they do get back to nationals next season, they’ll know what to do.

“The experience [at nationals] was definitely the biggest takeaway,” Gittens said.

“You try to get them to buy in and believe, and kind of sell them on a dream that they can get there. Now they know the path to take.”

Coming into this season, the Montreal Canadiens were projected to be near the bottom of the league. After trading their two best goal scorers, Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk, everyone wondered where the offence would come from. Yet, the Habs are fighting for a playoff spot in the final stretch of the season.

A few weeks ago, it was a fourteam race between the Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets and the Canadiens for the two wild card spots. Three of these teams are in the Metropolitan Division, meaning the third seed in the division is up for grabs. One of these teams will have to miss the playoffs.

With the Penguins and Hurricanes surging up the standings, Montreal and Columbus are competing for the final spot.

Columbus currently holds the tiebreaker, which is overtime and regulation wins, so Montreal needs to surpass Columbus’s point total.

Montreal still has games against Carolina and Columbus to gain ground, but the Metropolitan teams aren’t making it easier for Montreal to squeeze in. Over the last month of the season, the Metro teams played each other at least once, leaving a possibilit y for them to hur t each other. However, Montreal has failed multiple times to win games, and take advantage of other teams’ losses.

With a handful of games left, is it worth it for the Habs to be in the playoffs? They have more points than Columbus, but have a more difficult schedule. If they make the playoffs, they would face-off against the league-leading Tampa Bay Lightning.

The odds of Montreal beating Tampa Bay in a series are slim. Is it worth being eliminated in the first round and getting a firstround draft pick between 16th and 19th overall? Or is it better to miss the playoffs for a better draft pick?

As nice as it would be to make the playoffs, the team has come a long way since the beginning of the year, making it a successful season no matter the result.

If they miss the playoffs and don’t win the lottery, they would have the 15th pick. In the current format, any team can win the top three picks. Montreal would have a one per cent chance at the number one pick and a 3.3 per cent chance at a top-three pick, according to Tankathon.

Whether in the playoffs or not, Montreal is a young and tough team to play against, and will only get better with young talent knocking on the NHL’s door.

MARCH 26, 2019

theconcordian

13

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Stingers experience nationals for the first time Losses to Ryerson and Saint Mary’s give Concordia vision for next season NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI SPORTS EDITOR In their first U Sports nationals appearance since 2012, the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team lost both of their games in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In their quarter-final game against the Ryerson Rams, the Stingers lost 8747; the Saint Mary’s Huskies beat them 84-67 in a consolation game.

“It was a first experience for all of us at nationals, players and coaches included,” said head coach Rastko Popovic on CJLO Sports on March 11. “We knew it was going to be a different experience since it’s something we never lived before.

You can’t just imitate walking into a big [arena] like that.”

Dalhousie University hosted the nationals at the Scotiabank Centre, which has a seating capacity of over 10,000 people.

The Stingers qualified for nationals after winning the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) championship on March 2.

In their opening game, the Stingers played a strong Rams team that lost in the final last year, but won bronze this year.

The Rams had five players 6’7 or taller, while the Stingers’s tallest

players—Aleks Simeunovic, Olivier Simon, and Matthis Guerut—are all 6’7.

Popovic said he spoke to other coaches before playing Ryerson, and they all said the Rams do a good job at contesting inside shots. The Stingers’s game plan was to shoot three-pointers, but they went 3/36 from three-point range, which hurt them on the scoreboard.

“We knew we were going to have to make some three-point shots to stay in the game,” Popovic said. “Early in the game, it didn’t help that we fell behind 12-0. We had some great looks, but they just didn’t fall down.”

Adrian Armstrong, who made a team-high 56 three-point shots this season, went 2-12 in the game against Ryerson. The Stingers did a better job with their threes in their second game, going 12/32, but Saint Mary’s did better with their overall shooting.

“It was a great learning experience, but we’re disappointed with the results,” Popovic said.

“Now we have a good idea of what it takes to make it to the next level.”

Near the end of their game against Saint Mary’s, Popovic subbed off fifth-year guards Garry Merrisier and Ricardo

Monge for the last time in their Stingers careers. Popovic said it was an emotional moment for the whole team.

“We see these guys more than we see our family some days,” Popovic said. “We spend a lot of time together at practice, in the weight room, individual workouts, etc. So these guys are like my family. You never think about that moment until it comes, when you realize this was the last time they came off the floor.”

The head coach was already thinking about next season with some of the substitutions he made in the last quarter of that final game. Rookie guard Tariq Bakri-Hamad, who averaged 1.6 minutes per game this season, played 12 minutes against Saint Mary’s and scored 10 points.

“Against Saint Mary’s, we made a run [and cut their lead] in the second half,” Popovic said.

“Tariq was on the floor during that run so those are very valuable minutes for him.”

The players will take a break to focus on their exams, but Popovic wants to see them in the weight room as soon as possible. Even though the 2019-20 regular season starts in November, the Stingers could be playing preseason games as early as August.

Head coach Popovic expects Sami Ghandour (#24) to have a bigger role in next year’s team. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

FOOTBALL

Football team benefitting from full off-season Stingers have announced multiple recruits, new assistant coaches ahead of new year ALEC BRIDEAU ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

from Quebec, which will be interesting because Concordia hasn’t been able to have a lot of them in the last few years. I Since becoming head coach of think it’s been a major plus to be the Concordia Stingers footable to recruit in CEGEPs, and, ball team last June, Brad Colmoving forward with the new linson finally had a full off-seastaff, I think it will be our focus to son of work. He was able to try to get as many CEGEP players work with his coaching staff as possible.” and team to prepare for the Collinson expects his team next campaign. to be competitive next season.

Collinson, a former Stingers He said the team will focus on captain and CFL player, was offione game at a time and aim to cially announced as the new head be a tough opponent. coach last June. Compared to last summer, when he only had two “At the first day of trainmonths to meet his new team and ing camp, that will be the work with them, Collinson’s first message,” the coach said. full off-season with the Stingers “One day, one repetition, one practice at a time. Every week this year finally allows him to and weekend, when [it will be speak with the players about their Expect quarterback Adam Vance (pictured) to be challenged for his starting role. Photo by Mackenzie Lad. time to] play our opponent, aim for next season. He said it’s beneficial for them to have time to work his players in order to know them better The Stingers recently recruited new we will definitely be prepared.”

The 2019 Réseau du sport étudiant du and prepare for next year. and identify what stage of development players to the program with hopes of “Last year, with the situation that we the team is in. improving the team. Collinson said these Québec football calendar was unveiled were in, we learned and [had the chance “Last year was not easy because recruits will help build the foundation the earlier last week, with the Stingers to see] and evaluate what was going on,” [I arrived] in the summer,” Collinson program wants to have for years to come. playing their first game of the season Collinson said. “This off-season, we decided said. “Now, with this full off-season, “I think the thing with recruiting is that against the Montréal Carabins at home to go in a different direction and make they know how [the coaches] are and you never know,” Collinson added. “You on Aug. 23.

They will then play the historic changes—sometimes change is good.” what we are trying to accomplish, try to recruit the top ones. They are the The head coach added that this time so getting that message passed is a type of people we want here playing at Shaughnessy Cup against their rival, of year gives him the chance to meet all lot easier.” our university. We have a lot of recruits the McGill Redmen, on Aug. 30.

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

EDITORIAL

Hideous figures in history must be taken down You’ve probably heard of the debates surrounding whether or not certain statues of historical figures should continue to be proudly displayed. The reason for removing these statues is often that they’re celebrating historical figures that promoted and perpetuated oppression. Take the statue of Sir John A. Macdonald in Montreal’s Place du Canada, for example. Just last week, a group identifying itself as part of #MacdonaldMustFall drenched the statue in red paint, according to the Montreal Gazette.

In a statement, the group said, “Macdonald statues should be removed from public space and instead placed in archives or museums, where they belong as historical artifacts.”

Similarly, the statue of Queen Victoria in front of McGill’s Schulich School of Music was coated in green paint on Sunday, according to the Montreal Gazette. An anti-colonial group called the Delhi-Dublin Anti-Colonial Solidarity Brigade said it was responsible. In a statement published online, the group said, “the presence of Queen Victoria statues in Montreal is an insult to the struggles of self-determination and resistance of oppressed peoples around the world, including the Indigenous nations of North America (Turtle Island) and Oceania, as well as the peoples of Africa, the Middle East, the Caribbean, the Indian subcontinent, and wherever the British Empire committed its atrocities.”

We at The Concordian strongly agree with groups like #MacdonaldMustFall and the

Graphic by @sundaemorningcoffee

Delhi-Dublin Anti-Colonial Solidarity Brigade.

Proudly displaying figures like Queen Victoria and Sir John A. Macdonald means praising their actions—actions which, in reality, are nothing to be proud of. As most know, Sir John A. Macdonald was a part of the approval of the first residential schools in Canada, according to Global News. He set up treaties with Indigenous Peoples and broke them, and starved thousands who lived on reserves, according to the same source. The Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario (EFTO) has called him the “architect of genocide against Indigenous Peoples.”

To this day, many of the struggles Indigenous communities face in Canada can be seen as results of Macdonald’s legacy. How can we praise a leader who helped create these hardships? The same goes for Queen Victoria—how can we praise

a leader who perpetuated oppression for so many around the world? How can we support colonialism, imperialism and repression of self-determination?

The answer is, we can’t. And we won’t.

We at The Concordian support groups who dedicate their lives to combating and resisting against symbols of oppression—symbols like statues, plaques or any other form of commemorating a hideous figure in history. The call to remove these statues reminds us of another event two years ago, where counter-demonstrators in Charlottesville, Virginia clashed with white supremacists who were protesting against the removal of a statue of Confederate icon General Robert E. Lee. The protest turned violent, with a car ploughing into the crowd of anti-racist and anti-fascist protestors, killing one and injuring 19 others, according to Al Jazeera.

We at The Concordian believe statues of oppressive historical figures is one of the many ways white supremacy is still upheld in our society. We’re proud to see groups and people that fight against this in proactive ways, by choosing to attend anti-racism protests. We must remain vigilant, and we must become more outspoken against all forms of oppression. For those who think this is an old conversation, it’s too close to home for us to turn a blind eye—our current CAQ government is playing a role in upholding racist ideologies, by establishing values tests and French-language tests for immigrants. Canada’s complicit too— Barbara Perry, a professor at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology and an expert on hate groups in Canada, believes between 120-130 hate groups exist in Canada today, according to Al Jazeera.

Some of these hateful people exist online, in the darkest corners of the internet and some even in broad daylight on Facebook comments and Twitter threads. Others form and join farright groups like La Meute in Quebec, the Proud Boys, Soldiers of Odin and anti-immigrant group Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident (PEGIDA). Perry told Al Jazeera that this onslaught of hate groups is “a unique era in our history.”

Unique, indeed. Uniquely terrifying, wrong and downright disgusting. We at The Concordian fiercely denounce all oppressive acts, figures and groups. We stand by those who fight against this systematic oppression and white supremacy that continues to see the light of day in our society.

CULTURE

The absence of Montreal in pop culture

Exploring how the city’s French language hinders it from integrating into larger society MADEHA CHOUDHURY CONTRIBUTOR “Montreal? I’ve never heard of it.”

That’s what my cousin from the UK told me when I met her for the first time. She knew I lived in Canada, but the only Canadian city she knew was Toronto.

However Montreal isn’t a stranger to the world—it’s Canada’s second biggest city. It’s the second largest primarily French-speaking city in the world, after Paris.

We have Just For Laughs, the largest international comedy festival in the world, held in Montreal every July. Dishes like poutine are known to taste better here than they do elsewhere. We’ve also got bagels and smoked meat, that are uniquely made here.

Despite its prominence, pop culture shies away from Montreal. It’s not commonly referred to as the best city in Canada. It’s not a cultural hub for food, sports or music. Why not? What does Montreal fail to offer that other major cities do?

It’s not a question of what the city doesn’t have. It’s what we do—French is what makes the city different, unlike any other North American city. Our official language makes us stand out from others, but it’s also the reason we’re excluded. Living in Montreal and in Quebec, there are things we don’t have access to because of language restrictions.

You won’t find some popular restaurant chains here, and I’m assuming it’s because their businesses don’t offer services in French. Red Lobster, Popeyes, and Nando’s are just a few of the restaurants that are English-based, and nowhere to be found in Quebec. The amount of money they would have to invest for translation purposes and whether these restaurants are in demand from Francophones is another issue to tackle.

Not to mention, Quebec’s language laws, like Bill 101, which requires businesses to make French the most predominant language when offering their services.

In sports, we have the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens as a proud part of the city’s culture.

The hockey team encourages sportsmanship, and brings people of different ages and backgrounds together to support a representative

of Montreal. But back in 2012, Francophones protested outside of the Bell Centre for the exclusion of French-speakers in the Habs management—they had an English-speaking coach at the time and barely any Francophone players on the team, according to CBC News.

Montreal is the only city in the NHL league that had to fight for language rights; the other teams are from American and Canadian cities, and are unable to relate to language being an integral part of a city’s culture.

Within the NBA, the only Canadian team in the league is the Toronto Raptors.

Previously, the Vancouver Grizzlies existed but was merged into the Memphis Grizzlies.

There are investors who’ve expressed interest to the NBA Commissioner in an expansion for a Montreal-based team, and even though the Raptors play an annual preseason game here, Graphic by Ana Bilokin.

the NBA just isn’t French. Yet, according to Sportsnet, a Montreal team in the NBA would most likely be successful, based on a “market attractive index.”

In terms of local talent, Montreal is home to few popular artists. Sure, Leonard Cohen and Celine Dion are highly respected and have received notable achievements, and both called Montreal their home at a time in their life. But today, you probably won’t hear their music topping the charts.

Popular artists in this generation are people like Drake, who shared his spotlight with Toronto and is credited for generating $440 million of the city’s tourism industry.

Montreal, on the other hand, is lacking a comparable figure. Francophone artists seem to be more promoted than Anglophone artists. We see them given the opportunity to be on French shows like La Voix and Star Académie—opportunities the English-based artists wouldn't have. The top two Montreal playlists on Spotify are French, with more than half the songs in French.

Pop culture is hard to define, but food, sports and music are just a few components of it. It’s more or less the same in different North American cities, but Montreal isn’t a part of western pop culture. I’m not saying this city lacks culture—I’m saying French makes it harder for us to integrate into larger society.

MARCH 26, 2019

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POLITICS

From the inside: An ex-student executive’s perspective One student’s take on joining politics at Concordia, and why it might not be worth it ANONYMOUS Ah yes, it is that time of the year again—student elections. Can’t you see the hype and the booming level of interest? The crowds surrounding candidates vying to sit as executives on bodies that are supposed to be your representative voices at this school?

If you can’t, then that’s perfectly fine. In fact, you are probably part of what Concordia’s student population has become—apathetic, indif ferent and honestly annoyed at the thought of seeing campaign posters shared on Facebook or plastered on the walls of the campuses.

As someone who was once involved in the student politics game, I got to know the good, the bad and the ugly. I got to know the pros and cons, the triumphs and the hardships. I have experienced the toll that it takes on your academics, your sleep cycle, your mental and physical health and close relationships. I would like to use this opportunity to reach out to my fellow students, notably, first years at Concordia.

There has been a great absence in what you really want out of a university experience. Your voices have not been heard nor included in the ever yday decision-making process. When I was a

first-year student, I never got the chance to get to know my student leaders nor my department and faculty associations.

Mind you, my ignorance may have been due to the fact that I didn’t attend Frosh activities, which could’ve been a stepping stone to do that. As a student executive, Frosh and orientation activities were often held as the sole standard in introducing students to university life. However, as time progressed, there was less of an initiative to involve those students—a lost chance to get them interested in student politics.

As I got more involved throughout my studies, I noticed an emerging concentration of power—the same students running for higher positions, including yours truly. At the time, I thought student politics would help boost my skills and talents, and it does. There is no fault in that claim. Student politics teaches resourcefulness, networking and time management while balancing a school schedule and having a job— because student politics doesn’t pay unless you are one of the fortunate few to get elected to a full-time CSU executive

position. Being involved also highlights your organizational skills.

Being an insider in this concentration of power would irritate and bother me. I had always wanted an out. As some kept climbing this food chain of power, the negativity and polarization increased. I would stay late working on projects, and ask myself the following questions: “Is this worth it? Should I resign right now and not look back? How much would this matter on a CV?” Doubt and regret started to settle in. I would always finish my mandates, only to start a new one weeks later. I never gave myself a break and to this day, it pains and saddens me.

Imagine if I never got involved in the first place. I would have had better grades, I would have made more friends on the outside than the inside. However, it doesn’t matter anymore. I have no more regrets.

Getting involved in student politics can be a joyous opportunity, especially if you want to make the most out of a university experience. But be extremely forewarned at the immense cost and sacrifice that it entails. One must never give up their own mental peace for the sake of others.

For the election candidates: stand up for yourself, cry if you must and never look back at the hard decisions in life.

Your heart will thank you later.

Graphic by Ana Bilokin.

EDUCATION

Trade school shouldn’t be frowned upon One student’s thoughts on trade school versus a university degree, and why we should have a choice LAUREN CASSANDRA CONTRIBUTOR Since elementary school, my parents have always told me that in order to be successful, I would need a university degree, and that I would amount to nothing without it. Whenever I failed a math test, I was threatened with the possibility of working at Walmart for the rest of my life—because somehow failing grade 7 math means that the furthest I’ll get in this world is being a cashier in a blue vest.

A university degree is considered the best thing you can have. While it can be, university isn’t for everybody—and that’s okay. We aren’t all built for university life.

Some of us prefer to work manual jobs as mechanics or plumbers. Some of us want to use our creativity to become makeup artists and hairdressers. But some of us will be happier spending four years and thousands of dollars in school for our dream job.

There is nothing wrong with pursuing a trade. If we want to spend our lives working a manual job where we’ll inevitably have a bad back then that’s okay—we’ll be happy with our career choice and broken back.

In April 2018, the pressure to attend a four-year college remained so strong in American society that many high-paying jobs in the trade were currently sitting

empty, according to NPR. In an article by VICE, Queens Tech principal Melissa Burg said, “I think those [trade] jobs go unfilled because skilled labor is looked down upon, even though those skilled labor people make more money than I do.”

Yes, a university degree is regarded highly in today’s society. Yet, while a degree is important in the eyes of employers, not everyone is built for academic life and no one should be forced into it.

Going to trade school should be encouraged instead of looked down upon. We need electricians, plumbers, hairdressers and makeup artists. It is ridiculous to expect everyone to be happy in academics—and it’s time to realize that and promote pursuing a trade as a valid career path.

While having a university degree may make it easier to get a job, it doesn’t mean that job will be in your field of study. You can have a degree in neuroscience and still be working at McDonald’s because there are no jobs in your field.

VICE’s article also touched upon how people often associate going to college with earning more money—an idea that isn’t necessarily true, since sometimes people waste more money going to college than they get out of it.

That being said, both university

and trade school can bring someone amazing opportunities. If you’re studying what you love and what you see yourself doing for the next 40 years of your life, then the essays, tests and hard work put into your degree is worth it. Yet, only one type of schooling is stigmatized, seen as less than the other, and that’s not right.

Society should not be putting so much pressure on

young adults to spend thousands of dollars on a piece of paper if they want to pursue a trade. A bachelor’s degree does not equal happiness; you can be successful and happy while pursuing a trade.

Spend money on something you actually like instead of something that will make you miserable. Comedian John Mulaney said in his Netflix comedy show, John Mulaney: Kid Wonder, “I paid $120,000 for someone to tell me to go read Jane Austen and then I didn’t.”

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

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