The Concordian Winter 2015 Issue 05

theconcordian

February 10, 2015 | Independent student newspaper at Concordia University. Since 1983.

Issue 18 | | Volume 32

Sports p. 18

Hoops for a cause

Photo by Andrej Ivanov

In this issue

NEWS

p. 3

Food for social change: Yakini

LIFE

p. 8

Don’t miss Miss Panti Bliss

ARTS

p. 12

ConU’s Sara in the Bathroom

MUSIC

p. 17

The mandate of moshing

We tell your stories. Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

OPINIONS

p. 21

It’s porn. In the library.

theconcordian.com

news //

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Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Write to the editor: news@theconcordian.com

CITY Laura Marchand Opinions editor

>> Where in the

world is Coderre Sandiego?

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre went travelling around Europe last week for a number of diplomatic meetings. Coderre notably met with French President François Hollande and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, and visited the Hypercacher supermarket, which was the scene of one of the deadly attacks on Paris last month. In addition, he briefly met with Pope Francis while passing by the Vatican, and invited His Holiness to Montreal’s 375th anniversary celebrations that will take place in 2017. Unsurprisingly, “Selfie Mayor” Coderre extensively shared the details of his travels on social media, including photos and highlights.

>> Dying man

left for over 16 minutes on platform A coroner report released Feb. 6 claims that a dying man could have been saved had someone only stopped to help. Radil Hebrich reportedly had an elevated blood alcohol level before being struck by a passing metro at station Langelier. Dozens of passengers and at least three metro drivers passed by the wounded Hebrich, who was unconscious and bleeding on the edge of the platform, in full view of STM security cameras. It took 16 minutes for emergency crews to arrive. He ultimately succumbed to his injuries.

>>

PKP criticized for heckling English performers

Pierre Karl Péladeau, a candidate for Parti Québecois leadership, is under fire after yelling that an English performer should perform “en français!” at the Emerging Music Festival in Rouyn-Noranda late last month.

The band, which was one of only three groups to play in English, allegedly addressed the audience in French in between songs. Previously, Péladeau claimed that he would try to win over Quebec’s anglophone population with a stronger economy, and said that he would not consider a referendum on Quebec sovereignty until 2018.

City// news

Face à Face with those in need Ninth annual Valentine’s event is a day of comfort for the needy

Frédéric T. Muckle Assistant news editor

B

aby, it’s cold outside, very cold indeed. As Montrealers, we are all dealing with the harshest season that Mother Nature has to offer and we are all eager to see spring show its face.

Still, most of us are lucky. We have a home, warm clothes and probably a few people around to help us ‘warm up.’

It will definitely sound cheesy for some, but while cursing our good old winter, we don’t necessarily have time and the opportunity to think about those unlucky individuals who have it harder than us.

Fortunately, there are people like the members of Face à Face, an organization situated at Guy-Concordia metro station, who make it their job to do just that.

Face à Face is a listening and intervention center that opened its doors to the public in 1982. The organization has done a whole lot in that time, but simply put Face à Face’s employees are there to listen and assist people struggling

with social isolation, mental health issues, homelessness, addictions and other serious personal and social problems. Most of the people involved with the organization were, at some point in their life, directly involved in social work with people in need. Others were chosen because of their empathy—an essential characteristic in this line of work.

For the past nine years, Face à Face has organized an event in association with La Maison du Père and Bell volunteers as a Valentine’s

Day tradition. Held at La Maison du Père, one of Montreal’s most prominent men’s shelters, the annual event invites not only the homeless, but all people willing and able to “enjoy a warm meal together,” according to Charlie Ohayon, the executive assistant at the Face à Face center.

“There is a DJ, there are meals being served, winter boots and coats are given out, and volunteers can be seen talking with guests and lending an ear,” he said. Add some hot cocoa, and there’s not much

missing to this great initiative.

Next time you’re going to class or wondering when Montreal is going to take off its white coat, maybe think for a second for the people in need and people who helps them like the folks at Face à Face. Because all year long, but especially during winter, we’re all in need of a bit of warmth.

For more information on Face à Face, their community events and the various ways to help the organization, visit facebook.com/ faceafacemtl.

Face à Face volunteer serves cake to Montrealers as part of a Valentine’s Day tradition.

Campus // news

Two new clubs come to Concordia Student groups cater to BitCoin, international relations and diplomacy Frédéric T. Muckle Assistant news editor

You may not be aware of it, but the Concordia Student Union (CSU) recently helped to establish a few more student clubs.

This week we’ve decided to present two of them.

Concordia Bitcoin and Crypto Society Unless you’ve spent the last few years under a rock, you’ve probably heard or read about the digital currency that is Bitcoin. If by any chance you are intrigued or genuinely interested by this innovation, you’re in luck: the Concordia Bitcoin and Crypto Society (CBCS) is here to satisfy your curiosity. By talking about it, working with it or just thinking about the countless possibilities of crypto-technologies, CBCS strives to help Bitcoin enthusiasts increase their working knowledge on the subject.

CBCS’ first planned event will take place on Feb. 17 and will involve participating in something that everyone’s inner child can enjoy: a scavenger hunt. As described by the CBCS Executive Officer Olivier Brochu Dufour and Financial Officer Andreas Leoutsarakos, “the main purpose of this event is to spread awareness for the club and to give Concordians their first experience with Bitcoin.”

Throughout the year, the club will also be hosting informative sessions, meetings for people interested to work on projects related to crypto-technologies and even a screening of the documentary The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin.

CBCS will also try to work towards eventually implementing a Bitcoin ATM on campus and the possibility to pay with the digital currency at some of Concordia’s shops. They’re even looking into using Bitcoin to pay tuition fees.

For some, Bitcoin and other crypto-technologies can be labeled as unsafe and even ques-

tionable. Dufour and Leoutsarakos say that one of their missions is to address those misconceptions and work on informing the public about how Bitcoin is not the uncontrollable chimeric internet creature that some pictures it to be.

“As Bitcoin technology matures and its applications become more varied, concerns with its legitimacy will dissipate and its true value to humanity will shine through.”

So for all Bitcoin enthusiasts, CBCS is now the place to come to with all your questions and inquiries.

Concordia Committee for International Relations and Diplomacy The Concordia Committee for International Relations and Diplomacy (CONCIAD) aims to raise awareness about international affairs and represent the school in related events. Notably, the club plans to participate with other Concordia organizations to

arrange social events like talks and in-house simulations. The club is notably going to participate in the 13th annual National Model African Union Conference in Washington D.C. According to CONCIAD president and founder Madiou-Adnane Barry, the club was created to allow “Concordia students to participate in diplomatic simulations other than the ones offered from Model United Nations.” It also caters to everyone going to Concordia, not just PoliSci students.

They are looking to reach out to people who have something interesting to add to the various conversations and topics usually addressed in international affairs simulations.

With founding members experienced in Model United Nations and other similar diplomatic activities, the simple motivation is to “leave a trace of Concordia wherever we end up going.”

For more information visit cbcs. club or facebook.com/conciad.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Detroit’s Malik Yakini showcases social transformation through food

Concordia Transitions 2015, held on Sunday Feb. 8, was a day of events organized around a student-run food system for the university. Aside from providing an in-depth overview of Concordia’s food network, its history, and where it could go, the attendees were given the chance to hear from a series of speakers.

One of them was Malik Yakini, the executive director of the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network and member of D-Town Farms, an organic farm in the urban decay of the city. Equally knowledgeable in history and demographics as he is in farming, Yaniki painted a grim image of his home city and its hopeful start towards redemption through the narrative of food.

The current crisis, according to Yakini, is due to Detroit’s civic collapse and decades of intentional policy against its non-white denizens. Depending on who you ask, around a third of the city now lies empty—the result, Yakini said, of both economic implosion and white flight to the suburbs in response to non-white migration into the industrial heart of the city. (Detroit is listed in the 2010 United States Census as 82.7 per cent African American or Black.) Unem-

ployment figures—a result of what Yakini called “intentional disinvestment”—vary widely depending on who is asked, at anywhere from 20 per cent to over 50 per cent. To a large extent the decay has affected the less affluent, mostly Black population of the city. From a food perspective, what has happened is a disaster.

“As of 2007, the last national grocery store chain closed its doors in the city of Detroit,” said Yakini. The remaining network of grocery stores are deemed by Yakini to be exploitative, not to re-invest into the local community, and of inferior quality.

Organizations like D-Town farms—currently occupying a two-acre location in Detroit’s Rouge Park—see the emptiness as fallow ground waiting to be reclaimed. But to rebuild (and make it better than before) requires more than soil and seeds.

It requires a change in spirit.

“The work that we do is guided by values,” he said.

“Love is the overriding value that guides everything we do.”

Yakini believes what’s required is a re-thinking of our place in the world, of humans as part of the ecosystem and not having dominion over it.

“This idea that human beings were put here to have dominion over the earth is a very eurocentric idea. And so we also have love for the other animals and plants with which we share the planet, and we

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Lecture // news

Social justice on your plate Milos Kovacevic News editor

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have an understanding that our survival is dependent on us understanding that we’re part of this matrix of life that includes the other life forms with which we share the planet,” he continued. “We thought that one of the things that we could do is really promote the growing of food as a way of filling that gap.” Filling that gap has meant re-educating his community on the importance and nobility of working with food—all the way to the root: “We now understand that significant and deep societal change is intergenerational. One of our goals from the very beginning was to involve youth in the food movement. It’s very important that we have young people who see work in the food system as being valuable work, because there’s all kinds of class implications about farming in particular. Some people see farming as lower-class work.”

As befits a community disadvantaged under the current system, Yakini’s food movement breaks from the past on two issues: first, in opposition to what he calls the entrenched and universal system of white supremacism which privileges the descendents of mostly western Europeans; and second against capitalism, which Yakini has called a method that exploits land, labour, and wealth transfer independent of merit or fair work.

“There are many concepts in capitalism that are unsustain-

able,” he said, citing unending growth and the belief in perpetual strife over resources. “That thinking is going to lead to our destruction. We think that there is an abundance on the Earth, but we just have to change our thinking and change how those resources are distributed.”

“One of the problems with the food system is that it’s become so large that local communities can’t benefit from it and it is fragile because of its scale,” he said.

By reclaiming the city one acre at a time, Yakini’s dream is to empower and create an alternate system of civic mindedness and equality for both his community and those who choose to stand in solidarity with it.

Their methods and successes have attracted a widespread following, something that still surprises Yakini.

“We certainly didn’t set out to be celebrities; we set out to improve the conditions in our communities. It’s mindboggling to go places and meet people who know what we’re doing and who are inspired by it, because that was not our intent. Our intent was to make the conditions in our community better.”

Nor does Yaniki see himself as deserving of any particular praise: “I always like people to know that although I am the chief spokesman for the group, I’m representing a collective of people who work very hard.”

NATION Emily Gaudet Copy editor

>> Campus

sexual assault underreported A CBC News investigation has found that reports of sexual assault are low on Canadian university campuses, with only 700 made between 2009 and 2013.

Analysts of the CBC’s data said that communities surrounding campuses have a consistently higher proportion of reported sexual assaults, which suggests that students who experience unwanted sexual contact do not have access to the support and resources they need. Universities with higher proportions of reports do not necessarily have more sexual assaults taking place—they may simply have better services available on campus to encourage students to speak up. Six schools declined to provide numbers, among them Dalhousie, which recently dealt with a misogynistic Facebook group made by some of its dentistry students.

>> Ottawa couple run anti-vaccine daycare

Anna Maria Tremonti reported on her CBC Radio show The Current that an Ottawa couple are running an anti-vaccine daycare in the midst of a measles outbreak.

Last year, there were hundreds of measles cases in B.C. and there are now six cases in Toronto.

Melissa and Paapa’s Abekah’s logic behind their vaccine-free daycare is that children who have not been vaccinated are at risk of contracting diseases from other children who have been vaccinated in the past 30 days. Health officials have said, though, that this claim is unfounded, and that a group of unvaccinated children are at a greater risk of catching measles since the virus would spread among them quickly.

>> Supreme Court strikes down assisted suicide laws

Malik Yakini brought his unique brand of social justice and food politics to Concordia last Sunday, Feb. 8. Photo coutresy of Joi Ito on Flickr.

The Supreme Court of Canada decided unanimously on Friday to strike down the Criminal Code’s ban on doctor-assisted suicide.

This decision gives federal and provincial governments one year to create legislation that allows “a competent, adult person” to consent to death if they are terminally ill. The Supreme Court did not comment on alreadyexisting Quebec legislation allowing doctor-assisted suicide in spite of the Criminal Code’s ban, which had been in place since 1892.

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Tuesday, February 10, 2015

WORLD Gregory todaro Copy editor

>> Netflix enters Cuba

Netflix’s video streaming service is now available in Cuba.

This move follows the U.S. government’s decision to relax trade restrictions against Cuba since the ‘60s, and makes Netflix one of the first American companies in the country. The service is only open for people with Internet connections and access to international payment methods, but members will have access to Netflix original content as well as a similar selection to the rest of the over five million customers served in Latin America.

>> French law blocks sites without court order French Internet service providers must now block sites within 24 hours if ordered by the French police’s cybercrime unit even without a court order thanks to a new law revising a 2001 anti-terror bill. The legislation, which was passed by the French Senate in October, is meant to allow authorities to block websites that advocate acts of terrorism or contain images of child abuse.

This law has been criticised by many as a form of censorship on free speech who worry about the risk of over-blocking lawful content.

Campus // news

Sci-fi and the future of tech

Literary heavyweight William Gibson weighs in during ConU’s Thinking Out Loud Guenevere Neufeld Contributor

C

lose your eyes for a moment and try to imagine a time before recorded music was available: no flipping through iTunes to hear your favourite artist’s new track, no searching on YouTube for the oldie that’s been stuck in your head all day—a time when technology was significantly different than it is today.

William Gibson invited audience members to do just that during Thursday’s session of Concordia’s Thinking Out Loud conversation series.

Gibson, an American-Canadian science fiction novelist, joined Concordia communication studies professor Fenwick McKelvey for “Digital Life, Digital Identity — A Conversation About the Internet, Fiction and the Future” moderated by Erin Anderssen of The Globe and Mail.

“One of the most mysterious things about technology is the way in which we lose the previous mode of existence,” said Gibson. As a celebrated

speculative fiction novelist, he’s used to imagining new technologies and presenting them in naturalistic prose. In 1982 he coined the term “cyberspace.” His works—ranging from short stories to novels and trilogies—have highly influenced the world of science fiction writing, and he was one of the founders of the cyberpunk genre.

They discussed the ever-

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on, but the way in which different groups in society use technology will also differ.

Gibson suggested a poor man and a rich man might use technology very differently.

“How do you, from moment to moment, distinguish when are we being active participants and when are we being couch potatoes?” asked Gibson. “It seems to me that the distinction is blurred in some

There are bits and pieces of possible futures walking all around here, but we won’t necessarily notice them.

changing popularity of technology and how it’s impossible to determine what will become the next big thing. Not only do developers not know exactly what technologies will catch

- William Gibson

weird way.”

While the role of technology is not always clear, it can be helpful in particular circumstances. Gibson recounted his experience assisting people

across the world via social media during the March 2011 earthquake in Japan. Gibson, among others, was able to tweet links to information Japanese citizens couldn’t connect with since the natural disaster had destroyed certain networks.

Gibson predicts our current separation between selfidentity and digital personas will fade for people as we move into the future. “I think they’ll find the way in which we made that distinction very, very peculiar and they’ll try very hard to understand it,” he said. “We experience now what, in the future, will be regarded as a remarkable degree of isolation.”

As a science fiction writer, Gibson is an expert in creating visions for the future. “There are bits and pieces of possible futures walking all around here, but we won’t necessarily notice them,” he said. He looks for the ones that “have legs,” seeking to balance contemporary perceptions of miraculous new technology “in a way that allows the reader the illusion of experiencing the character’s complete boredom with that technology.”

>> Obama looking into sending weapons to Ukraine

In a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel after talks in Washington, D.C., U.S. President Barack Obama announced that “if diplomacy fails” to solve the curren crisis in eastern Ukraine, that the U.S. is looking into the option of sending lethal defensive weapons. As the fighting continues between Ukrainian troops and proRussian separatists, Obama said that Russia has “violated just about every commitment they made in the Minsk agreement.” The agreement included a point to withdraw illegal armed groups and military equipment from Ukraine.

Merkel, who has repeatedly said that Germany opposes supplying Ukraine with lethal weapons, has admitted that diplomatic efforts have thus far been unsuccessful.

Science fiction heavyweight William Gibson weighed in at Concordia on Thursday, Feb. 5. Photo by Gilly Yeuner from Flickr.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

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Lecture // news

Preparing media for activism coverage Panel of experts discuss the role of media and the nature of coverage in social movements Milos Kovacevic News editor

How does the media view social movements? Can journalists be activists? From yesteryear’s feminism and anti-war movements to today’s austerity marches and student protests, the question of how the media packages, frames, and interprets such acts is increasingly under scrutiny.

The event came on the tail end of Concordia’s Solidarity Teach-In week, a multi-day program of exchanges, workshops, and discussions leading up to the anti-austerity actions of spring 2015.

The panel featured freelancer (and former The Concordian News editor) Kalina Laframboise, activist and producer Laith Marouf, veteran Radio-Canada journalist and assistant professor in the journalism department Philippe Marcoux, communications department assistant professor Fenwick McKelvey, and multimedia journalist Damon van der Linde.

The discussion revolved around perceptions of objectivity, the perceived hostility of traditional media towards disruptive social movements, and the differences between it and independent community media.

Van der Linde, who claims experience from extensive human rights reporting in Africa and elsewhere, believes the aim for journalistic objectivity precludes a reporter from being an activist.

“One of the biggest prob-

lems with news striving for objectivity and being a journalist covering social movements is often—not always—[that] social movements have leaders, a certain amount of power, they have political affiliations, there could also be money involved, and it’s all controlled by people,” said van der Linde.

“No one is asking to give equal space in an article or in a report, or equal credibility to both sides of a story,” said van der Linde, using the example of climate change. “But if you leave

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such thing as a public line that is decided by the government and funneled down to the CBC newsroom. Journalists never hear about the government. The CBC and Radio-Canada [are] not perfect—trust me, I’ve spent my life criticizing them. But the biggest problem about them is not political influence.”

During typical coverage of countercultural events, Marcoux maintained that the people working in front of the camera and behind it are trying their best.

If you leave out a voice because it doesn’t follow the narrative you believe, then you’re not a journalist.

-

Damon van der Linde

out a voice because it doesn’t follow the narrative you believe, then you’re not a journalist.”

Marcoux, owing to his many years working for Canada’s national broadcaster, offered insight on behalf of traditional, established media. “I think it’s really important to point out [that] … no matter how much you insist, [CBC/Radio-Canada] is a public broadcaster and will never be a state broadcaster.” He says influence does percolate within public media, but cautions on overextending its reach. “There is no

“They may not manage— you are perfectly allowed to think their coverage is biased— but the mistake you would be making is by not understanding that they think they’re striving for objectivity. When you deal with them, understand that they don’t think they have a bias. Use them, don’t use them, try to influence them, that’s up to you— but understand the position they start on.”

So is traditional media an ally or enemy of social movements?

That’s the wrong way to look

at it, according to Marcoux. “At the very least, they don’t want to be either. That’s the important point.”

This response did not sate everyone.

“CBC/Radio-Canada is just like the Syrian television, or the Portuguese government television. They are mouthpieces of whoever is in power,” said Marouf, one-time executive director of Concordia University Television (CUTV). Marouf maintained Canada’s luck came from having a third alternative to state and corporate media in the form of community media, whose mandate was to give a voice of balance to the mainstream.

“Those who decide to work for government outlets are bound by the editorial positions of their bosses,” he said. “The shortcoming of that is that you have no real control of the message, you are bound by the interests of the media to use that coverage, and you have no say obviously in which direction that content’s going to go.”

Yet the alternative of independent media isn’t too rosy, seeing as they operate in a ‘deeply fractured’ landscape. As an example close to home, he mentioned Concordia’s local media, which for all its efforts and relatively robust funding lacks effectiveness and technological savvy at reaching out the world beyond campus.

“On the one hand these media are very specific in terms of what platform they’re delivering on. With what’s happening at [Concordia] and McGill and UQAM and UdeM, the students

have more than $4 million annually in financing—but the outcome for these dollars is very low.

Why? Because right now the reality is that people when they’re searching for information on the Internet the traffic is going towards multimedia multiplatform delivery. The mainstream corporate sector … there’ll be audio, there’ll video, and there’ll be text, and they’ll be delivering in a newspaper format and a web format. If Concordia students really want to do something, you have democratic ways to change the realities of these islands of media, and bring them together to have very successful multiplat multimedia outlet that can have much more effect, opening this media out to the community to participate in it, to have access to training,” he said, citing his time at CUTV in the 2012 student protests as an example of positive coverage that outshone mainstream reporting.

“CUTV was successful at the time [of the 2012 student protests] because of its ability to create a symbiosis between all the social media online, around a live broadcast, with a symbiosis of this live broadcast live-stream equipment, and the bodies of a whole team on the street at the forefront of the social movement, broadcasting you live unedited images from the frontlines.”

Whatever the nature of the reporting, Laframboise reiterated at the end something all the panelists seemed to agree with “You’re always going to get flak no matter what you write. It doesn’t matter. Everybody’s biased in one way or another.”

The panel discussed how different types of media play a role and interact with the social movements they cover. Photo by Nathalie Laflamme.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2015

life

Write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com

Holiday // LifE

Here’s how we think you should spend the Hallmark holiday

Treat yo’self Marco Saveriano Staff writer

V

alentine’s Day is right around the corner, but who says you have to be in a relationship to enjoy it? I don’t think you do... Treat yourself! People put such a huge im-

Just ring it Sara Baron-Goodman Life editor

A vaudeville Valentine Sara Baron-Goodman Life editor

Show your solidarity Sara Baron-Goodman Life editor

No love life? No problem!

Marilla Steuter-Martin Production assistant

Spending this Valentine’s alone?

Never fear.

Valentine’s Day is essentially

portance on this one day each year, and it’s kind of ridiculous. If you’re not in a relationship on Feb. 14, big deal. Guess what? You weren’t in a relationship on Feb. 13, either. And if you’re in a relationship and you only express your love for one another on that one day a year, maybe you should work on that. No offence, but your relationship probably sucks.

You don’t need a boyfriend or girlfriend to buy you expensive gifts or take you out for dinner; just splurge on your-

self! Last year, I spent almost $80 on skincare products as a Valentine’s Day present to myself, and it was great. This year, I’ll take myself shopping, and I’ll spend a little too much but you know what? I deserve it. Maybe I’ll indulge in some expensive chocolates or, even better, macarons! I also have dinner plans with two of my single girl friends. Nothing is better than gossip, greasy food, and some cocktails. Plus, we can people watch and speculate about all the couples on bad dates.

Who needs a significant other when you can have a drink (or ten) with friends? Just don’t be that Debbie Desperate who gets drunk and starts crying about their loneliness, it’s really not a good look for anyone.

Put down that tub of ice cream, turn off The Notebook, clean yourself up, and remember: Valentine’s Day is just another day, so have fun with your friends, and don’t worry about being single.

hours (actually just 11.367 hours) of Elvish, beautiful sweeping scenic shots of New Zealand, endless hours of Orlando Bloom in tights and more gorey, fullscreen battle scenes than you can take.

You’ll want to take Orlando’s lead and wear something nice and comfortable—

costumes are strongly encouraged.

The event is free, so show up early to get a good seat. Doors open at 10:30 a.m.

patriots, who will be putting on a vaudevillian variety show for your viewing pleasure.

An after party will ensue, featuring DJ Like the Wolf, AKA Laura Boo, and ring in the actual holiday of love: Feb. 15, AKA the day when all chocolate is half-price.

If that’s not cause to celebrate, I don’t know what is.

pend Valentine’s Day marching for missing and murdered women.

This is one very real way to show love and support for an important cause.

For the sixth consecutive year, join in solidarity to commemorate the lives of missing and murdered women of all races,

ages, and backgrounds, but with special emphasis on the violence against women and girls in the Native community.

Guest speakers, to be announced, will be present at the gathering with what are sure to be empowering words and calls to action for all these girls and women who

have disappeared or perished due to gender- and colonization-related violence.

a holiday celebrating love, so why not spend time with the people in your life who love you every day?

Consider organizing a get together (or giant party depending on how many single people you know) and go wild.

Take this special time to watch cheesy romantic movies (see the above Notebook reference) or eat an entire heart-shaped chocolate cheesecake or a box of discount dollar store milk

chocolate swirls.

Tis the season to reject society’s (and your grandma’s) expectations that you’ll (finally!) have a significant other this year. (Sorry Grandma, maybe next year.)

Fortunately, Valentine’s falls on a Saturday night this year, and rather than spend it alone, boozing and cruising your Facebook feed looking for old photos of your exes—invite your friends to do that with you!

Valentine’s isn’t the greatest holiday of the year, but it doesn’t have to be miserable either.

Do yourself a favour, make a sloppy Facebook event, pick up a bottle of Fifty Shades of Grey wine at the SAQ and keep your chin up.

Chances are you aren’t the only person in your immediate social circle whose Valentine’s plans don’t consist of a candlelit dinner or long walk on the beach.

H

ey nerds, the Concordia Student Union, or CSU, has you covered this Valentine’s Day with the ultimate movie marathon. We are talking all three Lord of the Rings movies screened back-to-back in extended edition.

That is approximately one million

G

et your freak on (or rather, watch as other get theirs on) at Glam Gam Productions’ “Love Stinks” cabaret.

Spend Saturday night in style with hostess Sandy Bridges listening to the sweet songs of Gigi French and her com-

S

The marathon will be in the Hall Building Auditorium, H-110

Tickets are two for $25 online or $15 at the door.

The party starts at 9:30 p.m at Café Cléopatra, 1230 St-Laurent Blvd.

The march begins at 3 p.m., at Cabot Square located at Atwater Ave. and Ste-Catherine St. W.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2015

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Love // LifE

How to make anybody fall in love with you One brave singleton experiments in the name of investigating an allegedly foolproof formula Robin Stanford Staff writer

V

alentine’s Day is one of those holidays I tend to avoid. Having worked for a gift card retailer, I know firsthand that there is nothing especially special about the 14 of February. Regardless of this fact, every year I feel a little guilty for being single on a day reserved for couples.

This year, something odd happened: a psychological study led by Dr. Arthur Aron caught my eye. According to an article in The Telegraph on Jan. 20, there exists a set of 36 questions which will supposedly make any two people fall in love.

Questions range from describing your perfect type of day, to revealing which family member’s death would be the most jarring.

According to Dr. Aron, as reported by The Telegraph, the love quiz was designed to test if “it’s possible to make two people fall in love by getting them to share intimate thoughts and memories.”

With my intellectual curiosity piqued, I downloaded the questions and set out to see if it was too good to be true.

But who to do this with?

Two weeks ago I sat down with Stephanie and Patrick, individually, to take the test. Both individuals were single acquaintances I met through friends. We knew enough of each other to be comfortable talking to one another but not enough to say we knew the other.

Since this quiz would supposedly make anyone fall in love, I decided to add another element: sexual orientation. Stephanie identifies as a bisexual woman, Patrick as a heterosexual man, and I am a lesbian. Should

the quiz be successful I would be attracted to Pat, or at least feel significantly closer to him.

Once everyone was brought up to speed with exactly what the quiz was and what could happen, all we had to do was set a date. With both Steph and Pat, I was able to find quiet relaxed venues where we could chat and drink, if needed.

Patrick was very good at this, and often stopped us when we spent too long answering a single question. As a result, we were able to go through all 36 questions in about two hours.

On the other hand, neither Stephanie nor I was able to reroute our conversation for very long. Although we only answered 10 questions together, what was memorable from that evening were the The Dates conversations that we were not supposed to be having.

I spent an evening with each partner In both conversations the questions separately, with no technology allowed. around death and family became really awkward. There seems to be no good way to ask someone, “do you have a hunch about how you will die?” in a quiet tea house or restaurant. Maybe it would be better received in a pub or bar atmosphere where more alcohol is involved.

Don’t take this quiz if you have ANY problems with your genetic family. Near the end of the quiz it feels like every second question has to do with your family. I am estranged from my family, and having to constantly refer to Graphic by Celeste Lee this when answering questions became quite heavy over time. Luckily Everyone was relaxed and seemed to be my partners were very accepting of this having a good time. The low point of the fact. evenings, ironically, was the quiz itself.

After the dates were done, we chatted In both cases, the act of going back about what worked and what didn’t about to the questions felt very awkward and the whole experience. broke the flow of conversation. Many times we would find ourselves wandering What was the take away? away from the quiz only for one of us to remember what we were supposed to be Although everyone reported having fun, doing. none of us felt like it was because of the quiz

itself. Both Stephanie and Patrick mentioned that they had fun hanging out more than forcing our conversation into a question-andanswer format. As Pat said, “the test was not for us.”

The test functions by asking very general questions first and then gradually asking more intimate ones over time. Stephanie noted that this is what people naturally do when they first meet.

“People start by asking simple questions, as an icebreaker, ‘what’s your favorite color?’ then slowly going deeper and deeper. Then you slowly ease them into more personal questions,” she said. This may be a useful model for people who are socially challenged and do not know how to engage in this type of gradually more intimate conversation.

It is also made for those who want to fall in love. Upon reflection, I can’t say I know more about either of my partners than before we began.

According to Patrick, “we now have a lot of theory and knowledge and not much experience.” I agree with his sentiment—I know more information thanks to the quiz, but do not know how Patrick or Stephanie would act in a situation.

Whether friends or romantic partners, these types of close relationships are built over time and through shared experiences.

In the end I spoke with both Stephanie and Patrick late last week for their final thoughts on the subject. All of us agreed that we were closer now than when we first sat down, but not necessarily because of the test.

We would probably have all been friends given the chance to chat casually at a friend’s house or party, too.

And I’m still single, but I do have a date for Valentine’s Day. On Saturday, I plan to buy wine, make a fancy dinner, and curl up on the couch to watch a cute movie with the most important person in my life—me.

Would you dare to try the 36 questions that allegedly can make you fall in love with absolutely anybody? Photo by Rodrigo Vargas from Flickr.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2015

Gender // Life

Panti Bliss strips down homophobia, performance, and gender identity Emer O’Toole and Miss Panti Bliss to host talk at Concordia Sara Baron-Goodman Life editor

“Your name is knickers?!”

This is the reaction “accidental activist” Rory O’Neill usually receives from people when introduced to his notorious drag queen alter ego, Miss Panti Bliss.

Though, there aren’t many people left in Ireland who aren’t already familiar with O’Neill and Panti. He skyrocketed to fame last year after he appeared on Ireland’s Saturday Night Show and publicly called out certain right-wing Irish newspaper columnists for being homophobic. The ensuing fallout prompted one of the largest national public debates about homophobia and a call for action within the gay community, which led directly into the upcoming marriage equality referendum taking place in May. Yet, according to O’Neill, the whole hullabaloo, now cheekily referred to as Pantigate, was just a case of putting his foot in his mouth.

“I say I’m an ‘accidental activist’ because I seem to

get myself into a lot of trouble, and in order to get myself out of trouble I have to defend myself,” he said. “[Pantigate] became a big story, with the columnists suing me and the broadcaster, until eventually the lawyers for the broadcaster decided to cut their losses and pay out, and that turned what had been a relatively small story into a whole discussion that involved everything from homophobia and how Ireland treats gay people, to censorship, to freedom of speech issues.”

Canadian supporters flocked to Concordia University last year to hear O’Neill, as Panti, in discussion with Concordia Canadian-Irish Studies professor Dr. Emer O’Toole, who specializes in culture and performance arts with an interest in gender issues.

“We were really bouncing off of the Pantigate scenario, and how troubling it is how straight people could sue gay people for using the word homophobic,” said O’Toole. “I know that Panti/Rory was overwhelmed with the Canadian interest in Irish queer stuff.”

On Feb. 16, Panti will be back at Concordia to once again sit down with O’Toole as part of The Globe and Mail “Thinking Out Loud” series across Canada.

“We’ll be discussing gender identity, how it’s constructed, how we experience it, whether or not there’s something essential about gender identity,” said O’Toole about what’s on tap for this year’s discussion.

For O’Neill, gender and performance are inextricably linked.

As Panti, O’Neill operates under many labels: spectacle, nonconformist, activist, performer, other. This makes him privy to all sorts of judgments and confidences, for better or for worse.

“When I’m dressed as a giant cartoon woman in public, people

Miss Panti Bliss will dazzle Concordia audiences on february 16. feel very free to say things to me that they would never say to me dressed as a guy,” he said.

This includes having total strangers coming up to Panti at a bar, and spilling their deepest, darkest secrets. Secrets like admitting to having had sex with their cousins.

O’Neill says that strangers’ openness with him is all to do with the deep roots of misogyny in our society. People see a man dressed as a woman and think that the man is demeaning himself in some way. In the case of dressing in exaggerated drag gear, this seems to invite people to see O’Neill and other drag queens as less-thanreal caricatures or spectacles of people.

“They feel I’m someone they can just tell this secret to and it’s safe. I’ve demeaned myself so I can’t be judgmental or horrified,” he said. “That also plays into how people allow drag queens to say things to them that they would never allow a guy in a suit to say. The way they let puppets or cartoons say things that people can’t get away with.”

The same theory is more controversial on the flip side of the coin, when women dress as men, or adopt non-conforming gender traits.

“When a woman dresses masculinely, people give her a bit more respect, in an odd way because it makes them uncomfortable, but they see it as her elevating herself somehow,” mused O’Neill.

O’Toole, however, had a personal experience in this realm when she decided to forgo removing body hair to challenge society’s notions of femininity, and wound up enjoying her 15 minutes of fame because of it.

“All you’re really doing is saying ‘this convention is arbitrary and it doesn’t have to be this way’ but the amount of shock and irrational anger that people display to your transgression can be really quite

overwhelming,” she said. “When this constructed social norm becomes such a part of what we understand as feminine that we actually see women as disgusting and abhorrent if we don’t conform to it.”

In any case, the upcoming discussion between Bliss and O’Toole is sure to tackle the broad implications and tiniest nuances of all that makes up gender identity and performance.

So, the final question remains, why did O’Neill name himself after an undergarment? Again, it was all a bit of an accident.

“When I was in Japan I was in a double act with an American drag queen named Lurlene, and I was using the name Leticia. Japanese people have great difficulty with the ‘L’ and ‘R’ sounds, so being called Lurlene and Leticia was just really awful, nobody could ever remember our names, nobody could ever pronounce them,” he said. “So we decided we would pick a group name, and we wanted to use English words because that was sort of our schtick in Japan, but they should be words that people could remember. So the name we chose was ‘Candy Panty’ because candy and panty are both words that had been adopted into the Japanese language. But what happened was that people just started calling her Candy and me Panty. I used to wear very short skirts at the time, I was very young. So eventually we were called Candy and Panty, and the name stuck. I guess it’s a bit embarrassing, but it’s hard to forget!”

Unforgettable—that is one thing that O’Neill, as Panti or as himself, certainly is.

Join Emer O’Toole and Miss Panti Bliss on Feb.16 at 7 p.m. in the D.B Clarke Theatre (Hall Building). A signing of O’Neill’s bestselling autobiographical book, Woman in the Making will take place after the talk.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2015 //

Culture // LIFE

#Iwokeuplikethis: ‘rave your way into the day’

Morning Gloryville sober early morning raves will make you get up on the right side of the bed

T

here have been plenty of times when I’ve stumbled home from a night out at 6:30 a.m., watching the sunrise through bleary eyes as I hopped on the first metro of the morning. Never, however—or rather, never until last Thursday—have I woken up at 6:30 a.m. to watch the sunrise through bleary eyes as I hop on the first metro of the morning to go out to a rave. A sober, early morning rave.

Over the last 18 months, Morning Gloryville has started an international “raveolution,” beckoning people of all ages to welcome the morning with dancing, yoga, breakfast, and all-around positive vibes. The raves take place every first Wednesday of the month from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., all around the world, from Bangalore to Barcelona, from Melbourne now to Montreal.

“The purpose of the event is to infuse well-being into cities around the world,” said Justin Smith, co-founder and Glory Agent of Morning Gloryville Montreal.

“We just want to awaken our commu-

nity to be present, not to just live, but to awaken to life with every fibre of their being.”

Last week (held one time only on a Thursday) Montreal’s chapter of Morning Gloryville took her maiden voyage.

“Montreal is really open to new things,” said Smith. “It’s a home of selfexpression, it’s creative and open-minded, and I think this is really up that alley.”

Peeling away from the first tricklings of early-morning commuters, my friend and I stepped into the lobby of the Loft Hotel, and into another world. The incessant beeping of snowplows was replaced by soothing, upbeat music, and the smell of coffee—free coffee—felt like a hug to my still half-asleep body. Throngs of people in neon, spandex, onesies and dreadlocks flocked inside the space where, in addition to the free coffee, baked goods and snacks were available for purchase.

Multi-coloured streamers were suspended from the ceiling like at a child’s birthday party. Two signs near coat check proclaimed “free hugs.”

Further inside, we followed construction paper posters that promised “more fun this way.” In my early-morning state, I felt like I was following the white rabbit down into Wonderland.

Early morning ravers hula-hoop and shake it off on the dance floor.

DJs Don Mescal and Sidi Khalil pumped energetic beats into the air as ravers of all ages—from toddlers to senior citizens—waved their arms and spun in circles, jumping and dancing and swaying. Essentially, it was a rave like any other, but the definitive vibe was happy and airy, as opposed to the usual dingy, hazy raves of the nighttime crowd.

“We’re trying to take the word [rave] back. Raving is a four-letter word, where people go to do a lot of drugs. They’re dark and nasty,” said Smith. “Conscious clubbing is kind of a trend that we’re starting. We want to create a safe space where people can let go and be ridiculous and engage in self-expression without the mask of alcohol or drugs.”

That space was definitely created. One woman in a tulle skirt hula-hooped on stilts. Face painting was offered in one corner of the dancefloor, yoga in another. Upstairs, massage therapists gave free massages to eagerly waiting queues of people. At the back, a photo booth was set up with props (flower leis, feather boas, bunny ears etc.) and a professional photographer was ready to immortalize everybody’s “I woke up like this” face.

Rise Kombucha, who sponsored the event, manned a bar of free-flowing drinks, served in mason jars (of course) to quench the thirst of all these early-morning movers and shakers. As I swayed along the dancefloor, I realized how few times I’d actually danced so uninhibitedly, completely sober.

Everybody was there because they wanted to be, and somehow by osmosis I started to feel the undiluted joy and harmonious good vibes that I’d scoffed at as hippy nonsense just a few hours earlier.

All in all, definitely worth getting out of bed for.

Morning Gloryville early morning raves take place every first Wednesday of the month (next time March 11), from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. locations to be announced.

Early bird tickets cost $16.62 and increase in price closer to the event.

For more information visit morninggloryville.com

Photo by Andrei Kalamkarov

Sara Baron-Goodman Life editor

Let’s talk about sex

Fifty shades of fucked up—Mr. Christian Grey will abuse you now Selina Gard Staff writer

V

alentine’s Day is right around the corner and many of you might be tempted to go see Fifty Shades of Grey with your friends or significant others. But there is something you should know before you decide to go: the movie is based on a book which glorifies abuse

and attempts to turn it into something romantic and desirable.

That isn’t to say you shouldn’t go see the film, but you should be aware that although it is marketed as a love story, there are too many instances of abuse for that to be true.

Many women who live with abuse face the kind of behaviour that is glamourized in the series on a daily basis.

Christian Grey is manipulative, controlling and jealous, all of which is seen as sweet and romantic because he “loves” Anastasia Steele.

Before the two characters are even together, Grey begins to demonstrate controlling tendencies. He warns her

Column // LifE

that “if you were mine, you wouldn’t be able to sit down for a week after the stunt you pulled yesterday,” because she went out for drinks with her friends and got a little drunk.

This isn’t the only time something like that happens; in fact, there are almost too many instances of abuse to count. Almost every interaction between Grey and Steele veers towards the inappropriate.

Many people may be tempted to excuse this behaviour by saying that it is merely BDSM and that’s how things are.

However, those who are into BDSM know that the motto “safe, sane and

consensual” is of the utmost importance, something which protagonist Grey steers as far away from as possible throughout the book series. When Steele uses her safe word, she is ignored.

On one occasion, Steele says that she does not want to have sex with Grey, saying no and “kicking him off,” after which he forces himself on her and threatens to gag her if she makes another noise. The author portrays this as enjoyable for Steele but nobody can argue that this is sane or consensual.

So if you want to go see the movie, that’s fine. Just be aware that this is not a love story but an abusive relationship masquerading as romantic.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2015

Sexpo 69—sex Meet Pepper, the robot that and its can read your emotions world

Column // LIFE

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and pepper will understand it all

Educational and erotic—Concordia hosts second sex fair Sara Baron-Goodman Life editor

F

orty-eight years ago, Montreal’s Expo 67 welcomed nations from all four corners of the globe to teach its visitors about the world around them. On Feb. 12 and 13, for the second year, Concordia’s Sexpo 69 will welcome sexperts from around the city for this highly-anticipated sexposé.

Hosted by ABACUS, AHSCA, BSA, COMS Guild, CUPA, and the JSA in the upper atrium of the SP building at Loyola campus, Sexpo 69 will offer a veritable smorgasbord of sexy indulgences for its patrons, from Passion Parties sex toy sales (with demonstrations!), a spanking workshop with a dominatrix, appearances by Ms. Condom, and talks on consent and safe sex organized by Concordia Health Services, Queer Concordia, and the Centre for Gender Advocacy.

“We’re having the Gender Advocacy and Sexual Assault Resource Centre letting everybody know about the resources they have for preventing rape and what consent really is, and providing support for those who have been victims of nonconsensual sex,” said Elizabeth Duong, CUPA President. “We’re doing everything from consent to fetishes and a dominatrix.”

If you are into something a little... ahem... harder, Alternative Lifestyles will be setting up a BDSM display, as well as doling out info on other fetishes and fittingly, alternative lifestyles.

On a similar note, Dr. Jim Pfaus, a Concordia professor at the Centre for Studies in Behavioural Neurobiology and his fetish lab students will host a talk on fetishes on Thursday at 1 p.m. Pfaus was recently lauded as the “Bill Nye of Sex” by Playboy, for his work with exploring the relationship between sex and your brain.

Basically, he can tell you what you (and mostly all of us) want (what we really really want).

Alongside condoms, vibrators, cock rings, and roses (sold for $1 each for the last few romantics out there) Concordia fine arts students will be displaying nude paintings.

There will also be a raffle for some lucky students to win the gift that keeps on giving—a surprise goody bag from Passion Parties. For the unlucky ones, Passion Parties will still be giving out vouchers for 25 per cent off your next online purchase.

“People don’t need to be afraid to talk about sex,” said Duong. “The people who go to the Sexpo and already know about it already want to be there, it’s the people that are iffy about talking about sex that we’re targeting by having it in a high-traffic area where people will be walking by.”

So come once, twice, or as many times as you can handle from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 12 and 13 at the upper atrium of the SP building at Loyola campus.

Laura Marchand Opinions editor

Pepper the Robot was made to serve a different purpose. Its role isn’t constructive, or even practical. Pepper is possibly the world’s first emotional robot.

Perhaps “emotional” is the wrong word: Pepper itself cannot feel emotion, but it knows when you do.

The white robot—which is genderless and resembles a torso, including a head and arms, on wheels—has been designed to read and understand your emotional state. Pepper can understand laughing, crying, smiling, the tones of your voice and the expressions on your face. In addition, it can communicate back, using a tablet strapped to its chest and its movable, reacting arms.

“As you continue to interact… Pepper will recognize you and learn new things about your tastes,” reads the official site.

“Pepper’s goal is to learn and grow stepby-step so that one day [Pepper] can be your companion at home.”

Equipped with a 3D camera and ultrasound, Pepper is allegedly adept at moving around environments with ease. It also manages its own internal temperature and battery life, meaning if it needs it, Pepper will excuse itself to find its charger (how embarrassing!). Being connected to the Internet serves as a bonus for whoever’s around—and apparently, Pepper loves to be around people.

“Like any companion Pepper is a sociable person!” reads the site. “Pepper will not hesitate to say hello to someone passing nearby, or to impress your friends by

playing and dancing to a cool playlist of songs.” (I wonder if it will break out an acoustic version of “Wonderwall” at parties.)

But what’s the point of Pepper? The manufacturer claims it wants to “create robots for the well-being of humans, kind robots living with humans as a new artificial species.” Skynet jokes aside, if robots insist on being this cute, who will be able to refuse?

Pepper loves to be around people and can understand when you are happy, sad, or even crying. Photo by Héctor García from Flickr.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2015 //

Column // LIFE

Mim meets Montreal: visa problems Mim Kempson Staff writer

E

xchange student tip #1: don’t go on exchange. Actually, I take that back.

I’ll say this instead: study abroad for one semester, not two. If you apply for a second, expect your whole world to be flipped upside down. That’s what has happened to me, as this week I was faced with the biggest decision of my life.

Let me begin by providing some context. If you’re an exchange student studying in Canada for only one semester, you do not need a visa. My proof that I’d be exiting the country in less than six months was a return flight home, dated February 18. Last semester, once Concordia decided to welcome me with open arms for the winter, I changed my flight to July. The only problem? My visa application hadn’t yet been approved. Still today it apparently hasn’t even been looked at.

When an Australian friend of mine told me that he’d been detained in a cell between the border of Canada and the U.S. in 2013 (due to complications with his student Visa), I thought: “how ridiculous, that will never happen to me.”

Unfortunately, it now seems that I might be facing an equally as serious circumstance.

When I submitted the paperwork in December, the Immigration Canada website assured me that it would take a maximum of seven weeks to hear news,

which meant mid February at the latest. To my dismay, I discovered on Friday—whilst sitting with an advisor at the Concordia International Student Office—that the estimated processing times have been altered. Now, I won’t be receiving news until the end of April.

Here’s the pickle. If I do not receive an approved Vtisa before the end of April—or my application is declined—I could face the following consequences. One: I will not be credited for any of my grades. It will be like the winter semester never existed. Twelve weeks of study go down the drain.

Two: I will miss out on partaking in the equivalent Australian semester, which commences early March. This leads to three: I will have to do an extra semester at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, meaning that I will graduate a year later than I’d expected. And four: I will have to pay a ridiculous amount more for that extra tuition.

So, it knuckles down to this: risk everything (my academic record, finances and time) to stay in Canada until July, or: hop on a plane and leave Canada next week. What would you do? Maybe I’ll start an online voting poll.

Like a patient waiting in a doctor’s office, I will likely spend the next few months wondering whether the diagnosis will be fatal. On the other hand, I could not fathom leaving Montreal so soon and on such traumatic terms. At this point, all I can do is hope that by some miracle I receive the answer I’m Mim snuggles a moose in Canada’s capital, Ottawa, showing her love for her adopted country. wishing for sooner rather than later.

Photo by Andrej Ivanov.

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Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com

Comedy // arts

Sara in the Bathroom makes a splash online Budding Concordian YouTubers discuss self-expression and their comedic therapy KELSEY LITWIN Contributor

With ambitions as great as their sense of humour, an impulsive jump into a web series seemed to be an excellent decision for Sara Jardak and Elie Joe. These two are the forces behind the Montrealbased YouTube channel Sara In the Bathroom, and while it’s just in early stages, it’s safe to say that great things are on their way.

Jardak, who is a second-year communications student at Concordia, wanted to start a blog as a means of selfexpression. Joe, who was well aware of Jardak’s fear of public speaking, saw an opportunity for something more. As a former student at the Mel Hoppenhiem School of Cinema, he pushed Jardak to tackle two birds with one stone.

“I kind of bullied her because at first she didn’t want to do it,” he joked. “She was shy.”

Jardak was hesitant to begin, but warmed to the idea with convincing.

“I’m really anxious when I have to speak in front of a crowd, so he told me to practice in front of a camera,” she said.

And that is exactly what they did.

One night, Jardak and Joe set up a camera in the bathroom. She sat in the bathtub wearing a princess dress, and spoke about what she dubbed a “midtwenties crisis”: the ever-relatable feeling that your life isn’t quite moving in the direction that it should.

Why the bathroom? “My aunt was sleeping at my house that night and we didn’t want to wake her up so we decided to shoot in the bathroom. From then on, we were Sara in the Bathroom,” Joe explained.

The creative process for the team is typically a story written by Jardak that’s “inspired by something true,” which Joe then turns into a screenplay while adding comedic elements. “He makes a parody of it,” says Jardak.

Don’t be mistaken though, Jardak can certainly hold her own with the comedy.

“Sara is really funny,” Joe clarified.

“We’re a good team.”

This contributes to the episodic nature of Sara In The Bathroom. As each video is inspired by a one-off experience, the characters tend to differ depending on the subject matter. This allows them to play around a bit more

and experiment with comedic styles.

Joe, a self-professed “comic whore,” says his favourite comedian changes on a weekly basis. This constant exposure to new styles influences his writing as he develops his voice. “We’re inspired by everything around us,” he says.

Jardak’s influence stems from a variety of comedians including Mindy Kaling and Seth Rogen, just to name a few. When it comes to her favourite YouTubers, her preferences are towards skit-based vloggers with a style very similar to her own, such as Lilly Singh, most commonly known by her handle IISuperwomanII. A channel that deserves special mention is Broad City, starring Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer. “It’s my favourite show right now,” said Jardak.

“It’s really inspiring too. They were a web series and now they’re [becoming] more official.”

The show, which began on YouTube in 2009, was picked up by Comedy Central in 2014 and is entering its second season, with Amy Poehler as one of the executive producers. “It’s path I’d like to take,” she continued.

This is just a taste of the aspirations of Jardak and Joe. The two are

constantly writing and hope to become more consistent with video uploads as their channel grows. Fan engagement, such as comments and likes, mean a lot to them. They see that as indicator of success and believe that it can lead to a growth in subscribers as they produce more content. However, that certainly does not mean they’re only in it for the fame.

“It’s like therapy,” explained Joe. “You just say everything you have to say and then it’s [no longer] a big deal,” continued Jardak. “People are going through the same thing, they’re going to be compassionate, they’re going to give you advice and it really helps.”

Though public speaking is still a cause of anxiety for her, she insists that “practicing in front of a camera helps a lot.”

Joe sees YouTube as a creative outlet without any restrictions and unlimited reach. “You don’t have to go through the hassle of sending your script to production, waiting on them, [having them] say no. You can put it out there,” he said. “We’re free to do whatever we want to do. … Even if you’re solo in your house, you can reach millions of people,” he continued.

Sara Jardak and Elie Joe are the two forces behind the Montreal-based YouTube channel Sara In the Bathroom. Photo by Keith Race.

Tuesday, FEBRUARY 10, 2015

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Film // arts

The American dream is alive in McFarland, USA Actor Kevin Costner gives insight into the social complexities of Disney’s new film Lydia Anderson Contributor

M

cFarland, USA, a new Walt Disney film set to release on Feb. 20, is based on the true success of McFarland High School’s cross country team in 1987. The team was created by coach Jim White, played in the film by Kevin Costner, after he spotted potential in a group of students from Hispanic farmworker families.

The narrative follows White’s character as he creates the team and proceeds to train the group to achieve athletic success. That may sound like one of the biggest clichés in Hollywood, but the social commentary presented in this film proves it to be one that’s worth risking cinematic redundancy for.

“I’m looking for kids that have a desire to do something better,” said the real Jim White when asked in a conference call what inspired him to start the cross country team. “These boys didn’t slack off and jog and walk like everybody else was doing, they actually loved to run— and so you try to look for things like this in young people.”

To Costner, this goes even further.

“What it is, is a combination of young men and a man with a level of wisdom, a level of desire, to come together with one goal in mind, and through work they achieved that.” He also added his insight on another facet of the film: com-

mentary on education. “Coaching is not always about the finish line, coaching is about the big picture which is how [the boys are] going to be as men,” he said.

Costner stated that before this project was even conceptualized, he had read a story about McFarland in Sports Illustrated some years before. “I actually played against this community,” said Costner, who grew up in nearby Compton, California. “I played McFarland in baseball.”

Coach White spoke about his portrayal in the movie by stating that the character, “truly shows a love for the kids and a love for the town and the community. I think that you’re going to get that feeling when you see it and that’s a wonderful feeling.”

Costner went on to speak about his efforts to portray White accurately: “I think he’s quintessentially ‘what you see is what you get’ and I fought to try to make no more of that other than the passion that he had to have run-

ning deep inside him everyday when he went to coach these kids.”

White emphasized the film’s focus on the migrant field workers of McFarland saying, “the hardships that the kids have to go through working in the fields, that is so, so important to understand.”

“Seeing these people first-hand, upclose, in these fields ... they’re simply working these incredible hours through very difficult weather conditions everyday of their lives,” said Costner. “The American Dream in McFarland is alive and well, there’s nothing more American than a parent trying to make their life better for their children.”

The film follows the classic sports drama narrative, but such Hollywood formulas can often hold both objective and subjective worth. Whether it’s in the variations, details, aesthetics, or thoughts provoked.

“Films are emotional experiences: they’re not intellectual, they’re emotional,” said Costner, “When movies are working at their very best, they become about moments that you’ll never ever forget and we carry the moments of films throughout our whole lives.”

McFarland, USA, will be released in theatres nationwide on February 20.

Comedy // arts

There’s something funny going on...

The Blue Dog Motel’s indie comedy show is a hot way to spend the winter nights Kirsten Humbert Contributor

As students, we lead a grim life. We scramble desperately from one assignment deadline to the next, all while trying to find the time to fit in some groceries (if money permits) and a shower (if time permits). Couple this with the reality of our mounting debt and rumors of a bleak job market, life as a student can be crushing.

A desire to lighten my burden of academic despair was enough to propel me from home on a frigid Monday night to the 144th edition of There’s Something Funny Going On (TSFGO) at The Blue Dog Motel.

TSFGO is one of the longest running independent comedy shows in the city.

Local comedian Emma Wilkie and comedy production wiz Rashta Kruger have been producing the show for nearly three years. In this time they have built an excellent reputation among audiences and performers.

It’s easy to miss The Blue Dog Motel if you’re not looking for it. The front lights are always dimmed, so it never looks quite open. A barber’s chair sits proudly in the display window at the front of the bar, so you could in theory get a haircut (but probably not).

The venue is perfectly suited to a comedy show. The room is dark and narrow with a small elevated stage nestled in the back. Comedians hover around the bar, muttering to themselves and scribbling on napkins.

Paul Baluyot hosted this edition and kept things light between acts with quips about his neuroses and the ominous looking restroom. Of note were the three female performers on the show’s lineup— representing 25 per cent of all the acts.

Such a high ratio of female comedians is fairly unusual—perhaps due in part to the pervasive myth that women aren’t funny.

TFSGO co-producer Rashta has a succinct response when presented with this common attitude: “Bullshit.” She goes on to rattle off a long list of hilarious women, both local and celebrity.

Rashta’s secret to nearly three years of success is simple: attention to detail.

Complimentary bowls of candy and pret-

zels dot the venue. Rather than charging a cover, a donation bucket is passed around toward the end of the show to pay the headliner and the host. There is no drink minimum (as is often so popular in comedy clubs), but the drinks are cheap so it’s too enticing not to partake.

The shows regularly feature comics working and touring professional clubs plus some well-practiced amateurs. But this certainly isn’t an open-mic—so why keep it cheap? “We know our audience and they’re often on a budget,” Rashta says.

I asked Rashta, not a performer herself, what draws her to comedy: “There’s something healing about comedy,” she explained. “It keeps you young.” Indeed, research from the Journal of Personality from Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett’s group at Northeastern University supports the notion that positive emotions are good for your health.

Perhaps the best part of TSFGO is the feeling of community. This show happened to be local comedian Nour Hadidi’s final performance in Montreal before her big move to Toronto. The heartfelt and tearful goodbye that ended her set made it clear that this is a place where both the performers and the audience feel the love.

Check out TSFGO every Monday night starting at 9 p.m. at The Blue Dog Motel on Saint-Laurent.

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Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Literature // arts

Shosaku Jushaku’s book is a sporadic treasure The Cheese Stealer’s Handbook, set in Montreal, tackles alcoholism and drug addiction Alexandra Caccavelli Contributor

In his novella The Cheese Stealer’s Handbook, Shoshaku Jushaku treats his readers to a glimpse into the life of an alcoholic drug addict who just can’t seem to get anything right. The story begins in our very own Montreal and follows the narrator, Acky, through his journey to become an author.

This, coupled with his struggle as an addict, makes for a confusing and sombre yet wildly interesting read. We also get a glimpse into his love life, catching the tail end of one relationship and witnessing him dive headfirst into another. The storyline jumps around a bit, but only in order to keep up with Acky’s sporadic nature.

You could easily read through this book in one sitting without feeling like you’ve rushed through it. If you’re someone who needs to have all of your questions answered by the end of your read, I could not suggest a book more contrary than this. If, on the other hand, you like being left more in the dark than when you first picked the book up, this one’s for you!

The best books are the ones that shake you up a little and make you ask yourself all kinds of questions that you most likely never would have asked otherwise. This is undoubtedly one of those books.

Worthy of mention is the way which the chapters are separated within the novella. Each is accompanied by a quote that

ties in perfectly with that chapter. Finding a book that uses quotations and references philosophers in a humorous yet accurate way is a rare treasure and adds a lot to this story.

In my mind, this novella will always stick with you in a strange way. You’ll remember little snippets of it and they won’t seem to make any sense, but I think that is how Jushaku is so successful at putting you into the scene. Anyone can relate to Acky’s scattered mind because of its honesty and how well it reflects human nature. Acky knows that he quite literally never makes the right choice, and the easy solution, as a reader, would be to remain frustrated with him for being so blatantly idiotic. The story is centered on addiction, and I think Jushaku might have been trying to show what being so deeply addicted can do to someone who otherwise has the potential to be great. You can tell how intelligent Acky is, but he just cannot function properly in society. The reason it speaks to human nature, as a whole, is how everyone has demons they will simply never be able to overcome.

This novella is nothing short of a great little piece of work, and has so much depth packed into only 112 pages. It’s a great example of fiction writing in which the main character is developed in such a short timeframe, allowing the reader to form a strong opinion of him. I think the text merits at least two reads in order to mull over Acky’s jumpy narrative, but it is a book definitely worth carving some time out to read.

Poetry // arts

“Wishing upon a star” She’s wishing upon a star

As this little angel no longer flies

Finally she realized how stupid she

While sitting alone at the bar

On the outside she might be smiling

has been

Her hopes and dreams have been

But on the inside she’s slowly dying

How she let him get under her skin

crushed

His words are like daggers in his

And for the first time she took a

Cause by him her heart was touched

heart

stand

You find her sitting by herself

She wonders when did this start

And to his game put an end

Because this not only hurts her health

When did love turn into hate?

Too bad it took her too long to

But it also hurts her deep inside

When did pain become her fate?

understand

& there’s no place for her to hide

For a minute she forgot how strong

That she’s not a toy in his hand…

Wherever she goes it follows behind

she is

As that voice is stuck in her mind

And how she can kick that ass of his

She wants to run from all this pain

She forgot who she was

Her teardrops have turned into rain

And she was stuck between his

You can see the pain in her eyes

claws

- Rita Latif

music

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

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Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com

Profile // music

Local band on the stand: Mercure

Young Montreal band steps onto the music scene with genre-fusing jams and a new album

Danielle Gasher Contributor

The Montreal music scene is known to never disappoint and the band Mercure is the perfect example of that.

I have rarely witnessed a group of boys so passionate about the music they create. Emmanuel Harvey-Langlois, Clément Fournier-Drouin, Vithou ThurberPromtep, Jérome Bazin, Ismaël Koné and Olivier Couture make up Mercure, a francophone, jazz/rock band that recently released their first EP, Sous Nos Pas. The band started when the guys were in high school and all good friends.

Harvey-Langlois had the guitar, Thurber-Promtep had the piano, Koné the saxophone, Couture the bass, Bazin the drums and Fournier-Drouin the voice.

Together, they jammed and realized they had something. They started writing in 2012 and playing in small venues that same year.

Music is a big part of their lives; not

only is it their passion, but also part of their education. Most of the members of the group actually study their instruments at CEGEP de Saint-Laurent, and most plan on continuing their musical studies at the university level.

“I’ve played piano since the age of five and quickly took interest in jazz piano. It just gives you a certain freedom when you play and write that a classical training wouldn’t have given me,” said Thurber-Promtep.

The band’s music is hard to put into a specific genre. Their sound is indierock, intertwined with a strong jazz presence. The group also plays with computerized and street sounds to give their songs more dimension. It all just works. Due to the musical background of the band, half the pleasure comes from listening to the original musical fusions they create. The saxophone beautifully complements the sound they are trying to achieve and they even squeeze in some trumpet when they can. The musicality is on point and the lyrics are well written.

I got to know the boys through mu-

tual friends in 2013 and have gotten to know their musical preferences. Their inspirations really come through in their songs: Radiohead, Flying Lotus, Harmonium and Snarky Puppy are only a few of the group’s favourites.

The band has experienced a recent boom in popularity with the release of their EP and creation of their Facebook page, where they keep everyone up to date with upcoming shows and performances.

On Sunday, Jan. 25, the band performed at the trendy Verre Bouteille bar on Mont-Royal. Attracting over 130 people, the vibe in the bar, which was filled to capacity, was great. The place was dark, everyone chatting excitedly.

The show opened with the Jeanne Côté band. She sang beautiful nostalgic tunes with her strong and enchanting voice, while her bassist and drummer supported her with insane coolness. Côté and her group’s sound perfectly complemented the main act.

Mercure played all their original songs during the show, which panned out very nicely. They started off with a

slower pace, and really built momentum and confidence by the third song. “The more I play, the calmer I feel,” said Couture. “I kind of just get over the initial nerves and just groove.”

The best thing about the band is how much fun they have on stage. They all have such different personalities that really come through when they perform.

“What I love about performing is the interaction between the audience and us.

It’s an incredible feeling to share what we do with friends, friends of friends, and complete strangers. It’s kind of like a dialogue. Their response to what we do is what gives us that rush,” said Harvey-Langlois.

All in all, Mercure is a band to look out for. They work hard, think big, and experiment with sound and musical genre.

Mercure has an upcoming show on March 14 at O Patro Vys. They are currently planning future shows and writing new songs. Be sure to like their Facebook page, and check out their EP at mercuremusique.bandcamp.com.

Catch Mercure at O Patro Vys on March 14 playing songs off their recently released debut EP, Sous Nos Pas. Photo by Ariane Buono-Guimont

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Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Radio // music

CJLO’s Plebeian Pleasures covers it all Carmen Rachiteanu looks to introduce listeners to new bands passing through Montreal Celeste Lee Contributor

W

hat does being a music plebeian mean? Ask Carmen Rachiteanu, host of Plebeian Pleasures on CJLO, who mindfully describes the distinction between plebeians and patricians in Ancient Rome.

“The patricians are like the upper class, the most knowledgeable ones— the plebs were like the mainstream noobs who like mainstream stuff,” Rachiteanu explained.

That’s the audience that Rachiteanu wants to play music for: the people who like a bit of everything but not to the point of diving into an abyss of obscurity. The show’s genres run the gamut from pop, electronic, hip-hop to metal— she plays a bit of everything, wanting everyone to enjoy a part of her show. The most often played genre is indie rock.

“Everyone kind of likes indie rock somewhere deep inside,” Rachiteanu said.

She is an English major who finds the time between classes to run to CJLO at

the Loyola campus and host her show.

Immersed in spreading the good sounds, she even found herself DJ-ing at the Loyola Luncheon a few weeks ago. She laughed when she recalled that she received as many compliments about the cat stickers decorating her laptop as her music choices.

“I am a cat person,” she declared, never apologetic for what she likes.

Inspired by her music patrician friends poking fun at her “common” tastes, Rachiteanu embraced her plebeian identity and plays paradoxically hard-to-find music that would be mainstream if only more people knew about it.

The playlists are based on bands and musicians who are passing through Montreal that week, allowing listeners to get interested in and excited about upcoming live shows.

“When I moved to Montreal, there were always like six bands that I wanted to see every week and I just freaked out,” said Rachiteanu. “No one knows about this! No one told me about this!

So I’m telling people as much as I can.”

Coming from a “noob” music background, she knows what it’s like to not have a lot of information. To help listen-

ers along, Rachiteanu arms herself with notes on every band she plays in order to give details on concerts, venues and trivia.

“I feel like if you don’t know a lot about music, [my show] kind of directs you to something. You could go see the bands live to complete your knowledge of music.”

Rachiteanu’s ultimate goal is to get listeners out to support their new favourite artists.

“Live music is the purest sound you will ever get, so if you like music, the best thing is to go encourage the band’s tour,” she said.

Until then, Rachiteanu wants you to listen to her show and discover a new pleasure that you might never have discovered otherwise.

Get introduced to Plebeian Pleasures by streaming past episodes on CJLO.com, or listening in on Mondays between Carmen Rachiteanu hosts Plebeian Pleasures 11 a.m. and 12 p.m.

1690am. Photo by Celeste Lee.

on

CJLO

Quickspins // music

Napalm Death – Apex Predator – Easy Meat (Century Media; 2015)

Viet Cong - Viet Cong (Mexican Summer; 2015)

Fall Out Boy - American Beauty/ American Psycho (Island Records; 2015)

Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear (Sub Pop; 2015)

This year marks West Midlands grindcore pioneers Napalm Death’s 34th year as an outfit. Despite a revolving door of personnel early on (most notably on their 1987 debut, Scum) and a complete lack of original members, the band has hardly suffered or changed, retaining a fixed lineup and delivering a singular, uncompromising sound since the early ‘90s. Apex Predator – Easy Meat, the band’s 15th studio album, is by all accounts another typical Napalm Death album. All of the pieces are in place: ferocious blast beats, chunky, blistering riffs, violent mid-tempo grooves, Mark “Barney” Greenway’s reliably gruff vocals, and socio-politically charged lyrics. If Napalm Death don’t cover any new ground (would you want them to?), they’ve assembled the cream of the crop for their 15th album. Few bands sound this overpowering a decade into their career, let alone upwards of three decades; the fact that Napalm Death could go toe-to-toe with their peers is a testament to their earned experience and unrivalled maturity in the genre.

Born from the ashes of acclaimed noiserock band Women, Calgary quartet Viet Cong is a veritable post-punk smorgasbord.

Their self-titled debut LP essentially serves as a history lesson for the genre, gathering sounds from such disparate eras as the revival/dance-punk explosion of the early 2000s and the cold, clanging chaos of early ‘80s no wave. While it’d be easy to reduce the band’s work to mere pastiche, Viet Cong nonetheless prove themselves more than a one-trick tribute act thanks to the raucous, unbridled energy they bring to every concoction. “Pointless Experience” and “Silhouettes” flawlessly recreate early Interpol, while doubling down on downright incisive guitar tones. The album’s showstopper, “March of Progress,” conjures up a gorgeous cacophony strongly indebted to the band, This Heat, before transitioning into an unexpectedly joyous and blissful finale. Say what you will about Viet Cong’s strict adherence to fidelity; not since Iceage stormed onto the scene has a band so seamlessly and powerfully replicated a bygone era.

Maybe it’s because the whole idea of pop-rock seems like a self-contradictory disaster to me, but Fall Out Boy’s new studio album American Beauty/American Psycho appears to be a last attempt of high school anthem-writers to stay relevant. Mixing teen angst with dance-pop, Patrick Stump’s annoyingly eccentric vocals coupled with a rushed lyricism really drive home the feeling that the band has made no progress over the last 10 years. The album offers a weird nostalgia for those who know Fall Out Boy’s older albums and even has the potential to be good, but on the whole, offers nothing new or exciting. As made clear by the lyrics of the album’s first single, “Centuries” (a reimagining of Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner”), the band is too focused on being remembered to create anything worth listening to.

Though I Love You, Honeybear wears its humourous lyrics and playful arrangements like a colourful veneer, it is a highly confessional album, full of self-loathing, narcissism and contradiction. In the press release for the album, singer-songwriter and former Fleet Foxes drummer Josh Tillman explained the concept behind his sophomore release as being “about a guy named Josh Tillman who spends quite a bit of time banging his head against walls, cultivating weak ties with strangers and generally avoiding intimacy at all costs.”

With a description which could probably be preceded by #whitepeopleproblems, his self-confessional approach is repeatedly clouded by a holier-than-thou treatment of the subject matter.

It is undeniable that Tillman is a hugely talented (albeit sarcastic) songwriter, but I Love You, Honeybear ultimately reveals itself as totally pretentious, misogynistic and insincere.

Trial Track: “Stubborn Stains”

Trial Track: “March of Progress”

Trial Track: “American Beauty/ American Psycho”

Trial Track: “Bored in the U.S.A.”

8/10

-Samuel Provost-Walker

8/10

-Samuel Provost-Walker

2/10

-Steven Nadeau

5/10

-Paul Traunero

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

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Concerts // music

Pit etiquette: stay upright, not uptight Mosh-pits are a good way to let off steam set to great music, but be sure to be mindful of others Andrej Ivanov Assistant photo editor

Y

ou walk into Metropolis, Les Katacombes, Foufounes Électriques, or your favorite music bar. The air is hot, the smell of stale beer somehow permanently lingers, and the loud metal music is blaring. You run to the front and, quickly, you find yourself facing a crowd of people pushing and shoving each other. Welcome to the mosh-pit.

We welcome all kinds in the moshpit. You may stand on the outskirts, just pushing people away. You may also be in the fray, getting shoved, shoving back, running around and getting sweaty. We even welcome people from above: the crowd-surfers and the stage divers. Never fear, we are all here because we have some extra energy to expend by giving it to our favourite bands. It goes without saying, though, that what may seem chaotic, to an outsider looking in, is a controlled chaos that some of us have been a part of for many years now. And to every dance, there are unwritten rules that we all abide by.

In the voice of Tyler Durden, the first rule of the mosh-pit is: you are here to have fun. The second rule of the moshpit is: you are here to have fun! The point of a mosh-pit is to provide a (relatively) safe space to proactively release your excess energy, pent-up angst and anger.

But remember, you have to be mindful of others. It’s okay to push; it’s okay to shove; you will fall, you will knock someone down, and all of that is just fine. But please, be careful not to hit someone in the face by accident, and be mindful if someone falls.

When someone falls, be it a stage diver, a crowd surfer, or a mosher, people are very quick to react, to pick them up and check if they are okay. If the person is in good spirits and unharmed, it would be a faux-pas not to oblige them by shoving them back into the pit from whence they came.

For those standing in the crowds, keep an eye on your surroundings as well, as crowd surfers will sometimes fly overhead. If that does happen, catch them, keep the wave going and always remember that it could be you up there. To the

crowd surfers, be aware of the shoes you wear. Big boots, heavy chains, spikes, or anything else that could somehow hurt someone should be left with friends while you surf, dive or mosh.

At some shows, you will see stage divers. They will literally jump off the stage into the crowd. This is where it gets dangerous, and comes with a “dive at your own risk” warning label, because people may not catch you, and it is very easy to hit someone inadvertently.

More importantly, remember that gender stereotypes are left at the door. Every-

Audience members get loose at outdoor Amnesia Rock Fest. Photo by Andrej Ivanov.

one is equal and everyone is there to have fun. Still be mindful that when someone crowd surfs, avoid groping. That is harassment.

Finally, what makes moshing dangerous for everyone is when people start doing the ninja dance by flailing their limbs around everywhere. That’s simply unacceptable. Somebody is bound to get hurt.

At the end of the night, if you walk away sweaty, smelly and disgusting, with the feeling that you had the time of your life, then the mosh-pit has served its purpose.

sports

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2015

Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com Charity // sportS

Stingers Shoot for the Cure at ConU Varsity teams take part in the annual CIS fundraiser against McGill throughout the weekend Casey Dulson Staff writer

T

hroughout this past weekend, the Stingers varsity teams took part in the annual Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Shoot for the Cure fundraiser, which raised over $138,000 last year, towards breast cancer research.

The idea of raising money for breast cancer at the collegiate level was originally introduced by Bishop’s coach Rod Gilpin, who at the time, was the head coach of the Gaiters’ women’s basketball team.

The initiative has spread around Canada and for the fourth year in a row all 47 CIS schools that have women basketball teams have joined the cause.

“We got other teams involved this year, [including] men’s and women’s hockey. It is also a great way to bring people together for a great cause,” said Keith Pruden, the head coach of Concordia’s women’s basketball team.

Many of the athletes found ways to show their support in unique ways.

While some of the hockey players tapped their sticks in pink tape, other basketball players wore pink under-

shirts to symbolize the colour scheme fundraiser.

“They are happy to participate and the event is something they have to factor into preparation for these games.

It’s not a distraction, it is something worthwhile that we agree to do as a whole,” said Pruden.

John Dore, the head coach of Concordia’s men’s basketball team, was proud of the school’s contributions and reminded his players that these kind of fundraisers affect everyone.

“Breast cancer is not just for women but also for men too. We want our guys to give back to society and to be socially aware.”

After his game, Stingers forward and captain of Concordia’s men’s basketball team, Mike Fosu, hoped that those in attendance took notice and contributed towards the cause.

“It’s a good thing and it raises awareness for breast cancer,” he said.

“Maybe people did not know why we wearing the pink shirts today.”

During other games, the men’s and women’s basketball teams were walking around the stands with buckets, collecting any and all donations.

There was a different atmosphere throughout the athletic facilities during the Shoot for the Cure this weekend, a type of energy that brings everyone together.

Concordia was covered in pink as Stingers teams came together throughout the weekend to support Shoot for the Cure and raise funds for breast cancer. Photos by Andrej Ivanov.

Tuesday, February 10. 2015

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Men’s hockey // sports

Redmen capture 2015 Corey Cup McGill completed the comeback and defeated the Stingers in double overtime Elias Laradi Staff writer

Every year the Concordia Stingers men’s team finishes off their season with the Corey Cup. The Corey Cup, named after Montreal Canadiens ex-owner Ronald Corey, is always a special night that brings out the best in both teams. This year’s battle brought more than 800 fans to Ed Meagher Arena to cheer on their squad against our crosstown rivals, the McGill Redmen.

The first period was an intense battle of physicality as both teams played hard to get the advantage and score the opening goal.

The Redman were looking to seal first place in their division with a win.

The visiting team didn’t get off to a good start, getting into penalty trouble when forward Benoit Lévesque was called for a dangerous hit into the boards and was assessed a two-minute penalty for boarding. Ready to explode, the packed house erupted when Stingers forward Scott Oke took the puck up ice and fired a great shot that fooled Redmen goaltender Jacob Gervais-Chouinard.

With the 1-0 lead, Concordia was off to the perfect start. McGill pushed after that to try and get the equalizer, but Stingers netminder Robin Billingham was playing inspired hockey, stopping every shot he faced.

Later on in the period McGill got into some more penalty trouble when Pietro Antonelli got called for goalie interference after running into Billingham. Once again, the Stingers power play unit capitalized

when Oke knotted his second goal of the game to hand Concordia a 2-0 lead with five minutes left in the first period. The period would end on that score and the Stingers were on their way to celebrating a Corey Cup victory.

The second period didn’t get off to a good start for Concordia. Defenseman Sean Blunden was given a penalty for slashing on the last play of the first and the Stingers started the second with a disadvantage.

McGill quickly cut the lead to one as Jonathan Bonneau received a great feed from Etienne Boutet and found the back of the net. All of a sudden, the crowd got a little more anxious.

The Stingers tried to regain their twogoal lead but their undisciplined play continued to hurt them. Forward Domenic Beauchemin got called for holding and the power play scoring continued. McGill got the game level at two when Patrick Delisle-Houde received a pass from Jonathan Brunelle and fired a great shot that flew past Billingham into the back of the net.

The game wasn’t tied for long once Beauchemin got out of the box. The Stingers forward quickly redeemed himself and put his team back in the lead and fired a wrist shot that once again surprised Chouinard to regain the lead. The second period ended on 3-2 for Concordia, but the backand-forth pace set up an exciting third.

Going into the final period the game plan was simple for Concordia: hold McGill off for 20 more minutes and the Corey Cup would be theirs. Unfortunately for everyone’s nerves, the match came down to the last 20 seconds. McGill was pressing in

McGill tied the game late in the third period to force the game into overtime where the Redmen defeated the Stingers 4-3. Photo by Gregory Todaro. the offensive zone and finally Samuel Labrecque took a shot that squeaked through Billingham to tie the game at three. The Corey Cup would be going into overtime, and both teams knew only one more goal would decide the victor.

An intense period of extra time proceeded but to no avail. Neither team could solve the opposing goaltender and the game went into double overtime. It didn’t take long as both teams were clearly exhausted and one minute into the double overtime period Labreque once again was the saviour for McGill as he took another shot that snuck in past Billingham for the 4-3 win, sealing the Corey Cup for McGill.

After the game, Stingers head coach

Kevin Figsby had mixed feelings. “I thought it was going to come down to one goal, it’s just too bad we led until 21 seconds left in the game,” said Figsby. “They are a very experienced team, we are a young team. I feel we made some mistakes but all in all I was proud with the effort, especially on the power play that got us two goals.”

“We came in ready and confident, and we wanted to win this game. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out and now we play them in the playoffs and this game was a stepping stone,” said Stingers forward Oke. The Stingers now head into the postseason. Their next matchup is against the Redman on Wednesday, Feb. 11 at McConnell Arena.

Men’s basketball // sports

Stingers upset top-ranked McGill Redmen 51-44 Despite the sloppy play by both teams, Concordia held on to a 51- 44 victory Peggy Kabeya Staff writer

The Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team put on a defensive clinic against the visiting McGill Redmen 51-44, in Saturday afternoon’s annual Shoot for the Cure charity game at Loyola.

Coming off a Feb. 5 away loss against McGill when Concordia dropped two games below a .500 record on the season, the Stingers looked to get back in the playoff discussion as they took on the top-ranked McGill squad.

Points came at a premium as both teams struggled to get anything going offensively in the first quarter. Sloppy turnovers and clumsy basketball plagued any sort of offensive consistency either team attempted to impose.

Halfway through the first quarter, both teams combined for a total of 15 points and a gaudy six turnovers. Unfortunately for both sides, the lackluster shooting persisted for the remainder of the quarter, and the Redmen took a slight 14-13 advantage exiting the first quarter.

Despite the offensive woes, the Stingers commitment on the defensive side of the ball was apparent throughout. Concordia’s second-year forward Ken Beaulieu was a breath a fresh air: his pesky defense resulted in four steals

and countless successful shot contests.

The second quarter provided even less offence than the beleaguered opening frame, with the quarter’s first points scored by either team coming with just over two minutes into the quarter. Turnovers and missed shot attempts continued to dominate the narrative as the teams entered the half at a 24-23 stand still, with McGill holding the slight lead.

After the half, Concordia’s defensive pressure was in full effect and managed to hold the visiting Redmen to a woeful six points and sub 30 per cent shooting from the floor. Fifth-year Stingers player Mukiya Post erupted down the stretch hitting a huge momentum-shifting three-pointer to give the Stingers some much needed breathing room after a pair of Michael Fosu free throws.

In the fourth, the Redmen stormed back as McGill’s Regis Ivaniukas hit a deep three-pointer to tie the game at 39-39 with 5:17 left in the game. After a late Concordia timeout, the Stingers went on to close out the game on a businesslike 10-3 run, handing the previously 8-2 Redmen their third loss of the season.

The Stingers, presently third in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) will be looking to turn this win into a trend as they pay a visit to the second-ranked Bishop’s Gaiters on Friday, Feb. 13 in Lennoxville.

Men’s basketball team upset the McGill Redmen, 51-44. Photo by Andrej Ivanov.

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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2015 Women’s basketball // sports

Stingers fall prey to Martlets, lose 72-48 The fourth-ranked team in Canada visited Concordia and outplayed the Stingers

The Stingers women’s basketball team dropped the game 72-48 to McGill Saturday Feb. 7.. Photos by Andrej Ivanov.

Men’s Basketball *RSEQ DIVISION

Men’s Hockey *OUA EAST DIVISION

3 place, 4 wins – 8 losses

8 place, 8 wins – 17 losses

128 points

16 points

Women’s Basketball *RSEQ DIVISION

Women’s Hockey *RSEQ DIVISION

4th place, 4 wins – 8 losses

3rd place, 6 wins – 6 losses - 4 OT losses

8 points

16 points

rd

th

Will face McGill in the ďŹ rst round of the playoffs!

OF YOUR CONCORDIA STINGERS IN THEIR RSEQ DIVISIONS

O

n Saturday afternoon, the Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team welcomed their rival the McGill Martlets in a matinee as a part of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Shoot for the Cure weekend at Concordia. The Martlets took control of the game in the second quarter and never looked back as they captured a 24-point win over the Stingers, 72-48.

The Stingers scored the first four points on baskets from their guards Kaylah Barrett and Tamara Pinard-Devos. A minute later, the Martlets got on the board with a basket by their center Alex Kiss-Rusk. The quarter was played at a competitive pace, both sides trying to gain the edge. There were five ties throughout the first quarter: teams continued to exchange baskets, but neither team could pull away. After a pair of late free throws by Mariam Sylla, McGill took a 21-19 lead into the second quarter.

The Martlets took control of the game in the second quarter, starting with a 9-0 run which included a threepointer by Carolann Cloutier to increase their lead to 12 points.

The Stingers got their first basket of the quarter at the 5:30 mark on a free throw by GrĂŠgoire and, on the next play after a Martlets turnover, Barrett hit a three-pointer. The Stingers seemed to be crawling back into the game but the threat was short-lived. The Martlets got a late basket by Sylla to head into the halftime with a commanding 18-point lead, 44-26.

The Martlets scored first to start the third quarter on a basket by Kiss-Rusk.

A few second later, Marilyse Roy-Viau responded for the Stingers. Although Concordia continued to put up a fight, this game belonged to McGill. The Martlets capped off the third quarter with a basket by Jennifer Silver to lead the game 58-39.

Like the other three quarters, the Martlets got the first basket of the last frame. Kiss-Rusk continued to dominate the paint for the Martlets and scored five straight points to start the quarter.

Barrett responded with a free throw to score the Stingers’ first point of the last quarter but the Martlets were relentless all game and responded with 4-0 run which was led by point guard, Marika Guerin.

The Martlets are the fourth-ranked team in the country and McGill’s head coach Ryan Thorne admitted that he is extremely proud of his team and the type of reputation that their program has built. After the game, Thorne complimented Concordia and admired the way the Stingers continued to compete. “Concordia was aggressive and attacked the basket well today,� he said.

Regardless of his team’s effort, Stingers head coach Keith Pruden thought that his team did not have a great day on the court. “We did not play well, we shot the ball poorly and our defense was spotty.�

The Stingers travel to Bishop’s next weekend to face the Gaiters. With a 4-8 record, Concordia is hoping that a little bit of team bonding is exactly what they need.

CURRENT RECORDS AND STANDINGS

Casey Dulson Staff writer

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

opinions

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Write to the editor: opinions@theconcordian.com

Editorial // opinions

We’ve got spirit, yes we do! School spirit matters Support your school; be a part of your community

P

ep rallies, cheerleaders and marching bands aren’t for everyone. Not everyone will paint their faces in team colours and hold a barbeque in a parking lot. Simply put, “team spirit” isn’t a Kool-Aid that most people will swallow.

Still, most people tend to have some pride—either for their school, or at least, their school’s team. If I had to point fingers, I’d say that Concordia is the excep-

tion to prove the rule.

Why does our school lack “team spirit”? Stingers games go unattended, even when we play big names like Harvard (and I’m willing to bet some of you just learnt we played Harvard reading this sentence).

Every once in a while, big games (like last week’s Corey Cup game against McGill) can draw out a substantial crowd, but more often than not there are scarcely any students to cheer on the home team.

ConU merchandise sits unsold in the bookstore.

How many McGill hoodies have you

seen on the streets? What about t-shirts?

Even student media publications—often the only way for students to know about the issues concerning their institution and student government—sit forgotten in distribution bins.

Is it because we reside in a large city, rife with other distractions? Because we have two campuses that evenly divide the student population? Because we have no centralized student living space? Or is it simply a side-effect of a time where your identity is no longer shaped by where you work or where you go to school?

Who can really say if a lack of school identity is for better or for worse? On one

hand, we have a diverse student population. On the other, student organizations suffer.

Sports teams, interest groups, student government, and student media struggle when there is no community to advocate for, support, and be supported by in turn.

Fledgling athletes have no one to play for, new artists can’t find an audience, activities designed to get people together can barely scrape together double-digits.

As the community, we have to decide if the community is worth it. We have to decide that things are worth standing up for—otherwise, there won’t be a “we” left.

Viral news // opinions

Don’t look now: library porn is totally a thing For once, there might be more to see offline than online Robin stanford Staff writer

Walking around Concordia, it’s hard to deny that mid-terms are almost upon us.

The signs couldn’t be clearer, especially when watching the undergrad students.

In all my years as a student and T.A., I have never seen a more dedicated group.

They barely answer when called on in class, do not raise their heads when walking the halls, and keep a pathological focus in the library. Students always seem to be studying on whatever electronic device they find themselves in front of—be it a laptop, tablet, or smartphone.

Curious one day, I peered over someone’s shoulder to see what subject they were studying with such intensity. They were looking at a news report about a former student of Oregon State University (OSU), Kendra Sunderland, who made a popular video in the school’s library.

Sunderland’s work was not published on the school’s website, or even YouTube— rather, PornHub. As its name implies, the 17-minute video was uploaded to a free pornographic website, and features exactly what one would expect.

What makes this different is that it was filmed, in its entirety, in the OSU library. To make matters worse, it is clear within the film that students were using the library at the time, all unaware of what was happening. They pass in the background, not looking up, as she masturbates on a desk.

After the story broke, students were in disbelief. In an interview with Kezi 9 News on Jan. 30, current OSU student Shelby

Wilson said that she was “surprised someone was in our library doing that. I feel like it’s always packed. I don’t know how anyone could get away with it.”

This sentiment is shared by OSU, who stated the same day in a press release that the library services approximately 30,000 people every week. To their knowledge this is the first instance in which something like this has happened.

Somehow, Sunderland was able to record this and not have anyone in a busy library look up from their things long enough to realize what was happening.

The video has since been removed by PornHub. Sunderland has since left the school, saying to The New York Daily News on Feb. 6 that it would be too awkward to return. This is probably for the best, as OSU has banned her from campus, stating

her behavior “does not represent the values of the university.”

Sunderland will now appear before a judge on charges of public indecency. If charged she may face a $6000 fine and up to a year in prison.

Makes you wonder what would have happened if one student wasn’t so studious. How much are we missing by not looking up?

A student at Oregon State University was kicked out of school for producing a solo pornographic video in the campus library. Dozens of students around her failed to notice. Photo from the University of Macedonia on Flickr.

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Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Health // opinions

Gym intimidation: pitting women against women Our own body hate not only hurts ourselves, but each other Gloria Pancrazi Contributor

I went to yoga for my body and my mind that morning. And I left thinking about every other woman’s body there. Which ones were more toned, prettier, or had the nicest clothes.

The entire point of yoga is to find the balance between your body and your mind. Any teacher will say so. Focus on your breath, forget anything else you have to do that day or week, and prioritize yourself.

I took that a little bit too literally. Starting in the downward dog position, I noticed my belly. The one I took time to build with beer, sweets and delicious pasta.

Thank god I went to yoga, right? I need to lose that belly fat. Why? Losing it for myself might be 40 per cent of why I am truly trying to have a fit body. The other 60 per cent belongs to looking good in front of men and women. I am putting more importance in the way other people see me than how I see myself.

Rather, I see myself through how others see me.

This is not simply an issue of not being comfortable at the gym or at yoga because of other women. The issue relies in women hating on other women. Women judging one another, and that needs to stop.

We need to find solidarity.

Dr. Gail Dines once said, “if tomorrow,

women woke up and decided they really liked their bodies, just think how many industries would go out of business.” I think it would be more than simply the businesses. If women were comfortable, would they still tease others for their bodies? Would I still feel uncomfortable at yoga?

Let’s go back one hour, before I went to yoga that day. I picked my clothes very carefully. Lululemon shorts, a pink sports bra, and a crop top. I felt confident in that outfit. Giving power to my image was giving me self-assurance.

Once I had noticed my pregnant-looking belly, I lost my focus. I could only notice its cellulite and its unattractiveness.

I stared down every woman in the hot room. Were their outfits better? Did they look ‘hotter’ than me? I was judging all of them.

What I really saw, behind the clothes and my insecurities, were women. Women doing an exercise for themselves. Nobody was looking at me or at my body. We were a group of people, united in that one hour, with the same purpose, following the same norms, and that’s when I knew body differences and judgment had no place in this room.

I wondered if men carried around the same self-doubt in their everyday life and in their work-out environment. They compete as much as we do for the best body.

Exercising is no longer about remaining healthy. It is instead turning into complying with the notion of “hot” that we have.

I believe that little imperfections are the perfections of our body. And the biggest imperfections are heightened by our insecurities. Women have built eating disorders because of other people referring to

them as “cows” or laughing at their body.

There should not be a norm for the body, and women and men should not reinforce that standard.

We are putting in an extra effort into dressing ourselves for a work-out simply for those that surround us. That is the

main problem. We value how others see us more than how we see ourselves.

I will love my belly filled with the deliciousness I have eaten. I will stop comparing myself to other women at the gym.

The starting point is to stop judging and begin accepting.

The gym can be stressful for those with body issues. Photo by martin.mutch on Flickr.

Nightlife // opinions

New drinking rules are missing sober thought Breathalyzing clubgoers targets the wrong customers Laura marchand Opinions editor

As university students on a budget, I think most of us are familiar with the concept of pre-drinking. Maybe too familiar. If you drink, you’ve likely sat on a friend’s couch with a glass of cheap booze, chasing after that little buzz that will get you rolling for the night. After all, who wants to spend $12 on a drink at the bar, when you can split a bottle with some friends at home?

Looks like the tradition is going down the drain—in London, at least.

According to the London Evening Standard, a new practice is being tested in some of London’s clubs: a breathalyzer on entry. The practice will “enable doormen to breath test revellers they suspect are intoxicated so they can bar them from entry.”

Ideally, this would cut down on violent crimes that are suspected of being the product of inebriation.

On one hand, my heart rallies against anything that can be seen as discriminating against people trying to save a quick buck. Even pre-drinkers aside—what of those who are bar-hopping? Pub crawls

practically live in London—what of that time-old tradition? According to the article, officers even acknowledge pre-drinking, and target it specifically with this new procedure, hoping it “will cut down on binge drinking and ‘pre-loading’ where young people get drunk on cheap drinks before going out.”

The focus here is on ‘cheap drinks.’

Why should it matter if people are getting drunk on cheap drinks before? A part of me can’t shake the feeling that there is an economic side to this debate. Is this really a question of cutting down on violence, or cutting down on people coming into your establishment without buying alcohol?

At the same time, I feel like if the violent crimes have reached the point where such a measure is required, this one simply does not measure up. The breathalyser would only trigger a positive (meaning a refusal of entry) if you are double the blood alcohol driving limit.

I can’t help but think that that’s really high. Yes, that will stop entry from people who should not be having any more drinks. But wouldn’t the rowdy bar-goers, the ones presumably causing mischief, be below that limit? In my experience, the people who have caused the most trouble have always been too drunk to drive, of course. But I imagine that by the time you

are double that, you won’t be looking for a fight—just a toilet bowl, and maybe some aspirin for the morning.

I’m sure that this measure had good intentions, but all the good intentions in the world will not compensate for bad implementation. I doubt that this will have any effect on violent crime inside of London’s pubs and clubs—all it will do is alienate those who are trying to have fun on a budget, and maybe cut off some people that the bartender would have cut off anyway.

London’s officers could perhaps benefit from some nice, sober thought—maybe over a drink at my place.

Bars and pubs that breathalyze customers may or may not curb violence, but they’ll likely target the wrong demographic. Pre-drinks will have fewer options for a night out. Photo by martin.mutch on Flickr.

@RussPitts Make friends who are not journalists.

Else your twitter feed will be unbearable. @thewayoftheid Before we begin, ask yourself these questions: Do you like eating food daily?

Can you live out of your car?

got me a My mum my hamm o r f d r ca as the ster, it, w I got… d r a c y l n o

The funniest and weirdest Valentine’s Day cards according to Whisper.com

’s lentine a V t s a L ot third Day I g e h degre t r u o f and s to a ga e u d s n bur on explosi

This year I’m working an eighthour shif t with my ex-boyfri e dumped m nd who e during sex.

@dellcam Encrypt everything. Then encrypt that.

@jamesrbuk #AdviceforYoungJournalists: Flee, all is discovered

Frederic T. Muckle Assistant news editor

Tim Lazier Sports editor sports@theconcordian.com Laura Marchand Opinions editor opinions@theconcordian.com Keith Race Photo editor photo@theconcordian.com

Jocelyn Beaudet Online editor online@theconcordian.com Marie-Pier LaRose Graphics editor graphics@theconcordian.com Gregory Todaro Emily Gaudet Marilla Steuter-Martin Copy editors copy@theconcordian.com Natasha Taggart Marilla Steuter-Martin Production assistants Editorial office 7141 Sherbrooke St. Building CC-Rm 431 Montreal, QC H4B 1R6

Hey Natasha, what is a ballerina’s favourite type of milk?

I don’t know, what?

514-848-2424 ext. 7499 (Editor-in-Chief) Marc-Antoine Cardin Business manager business@theconcordian.com William Atsaidis Advertising manager advertising@theconcordian.com

@ParkerFranklin_ Every time you use an oxford comma, an AP editor cries. #AdviceforYoungJournalists

@MichaelOrrFtbl “#AdviceForYoungJournalists Don’t.

Milos Kovacevic News editor news@theconcordian.com

Andrej Ivanov Assistant photo editor

Laura’s Joke of the week // ETC

@Tempdiaries #AdviceForYoungJournalists Learn how to hold down the vomit as you write another story about Justin Bieber.

@ecavalli Adopt a cat. The companionship will protect you from the very real danger of going crazy. #AdviceForYoungJournalists

Michelle Gamage Production manager production@theconcordian.com

Mia Pearson Music editor music@theconcordian.com

three For the last one out years I’ve g tine’s of town Vale d for a Day weeken , not gonconvention ore fun na lie, it’s m te. than any da

@SLAwrites Set your GPS destination to your own home so that you can finally hear someone tell you that you’ve arrived.

@Jem_Collins #AdviceForYoungJournalists Be prepared for the long, horrible haul. And do experience things. Lots of them. If all else fails, drink gin.

Nathalie Laflamme Editor-in-Chief editor@theconcordian.com

Lindsay Richardson Arts editor arts@theconcordian.com

lly I usua n yi just cr the om bathro

@scATX Marry into money. That’s kind of a joke but not really.

@JonPhillipsSF #AdviceForYoungJournalists: If you don’t have a scoop, you better be a damn good story-teller because my attention span is nil.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015 Vol. 32 Issue 18

Sara Baron-Goodman Life editor life@theconcordian.com

@MarkEnnis If you want to generate a ton of quick interaction with your readers in the comments, just misspell something.

@jessicaelgot #AdviceforYoungJournalists just keep holding on out for the day you can be the smug one doling this advice out

Concordia’s weekly, independent student newspaper.

Tyson Lowrie Jacob Serebin Ruben Bastien Board of directors directors@theconcordian.com

Contributors

“Tu-tu per cent!

Guinnevere Neufeld, Mim Kempson, Robin Stanford, Selina Gard, Kelsey Litwin, Alexandra Caccavelli, Lydia Anderson, Kirsten Humbert, Rita Latif, Steven Zylbergold, Elias Laradi, Celeste Lee, Andrej Ivanov, Danielle, Casey Dulson, Elias Laradi, Peggy Kabeya, Gloria Pancrazi,

theconcordian

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and National Pizza Day has come and gone... but if you’re a young journalist (like us), both of them probably blew right by. Besides, who has time for delicious, cheesy goodness and gross kissy-kissy when there are stories to file?

Don’t worry, Twitter has you covered: here’s #AdviceForYoungJournalists.

Rejected Valentines // ETC

EVENTS

Have a good week !

Arts The Saints Plays, Loyola Campus F. C. Smith Building Cazalet- Feb. 18 and 22 , 7 PM Speaking of Photography: Joan Fontcuberta, EV 1.605 - Feb. 13, 6:30 PM Fathomless, FOFA Gallery - Until Feb. 20 88 days in Själsö, FOFA Gallery - Until Feb. 20 Political Poem / I Watch the News, FOFA Gallery - Until Feb. 20

Life Sexpo 69, SP Upper Atrium, Loyola Campus - Feb. 12-13 Gender Performed, A conversation about sex, gender, theatre, and politics, D.B Clarke Theatre - Feb. 16

News The Concordian presents: Copy editing workshop with Steve Faguy, Loyola Campus, CC-431 - Feb. 10, 5:30 PM

(free)

Annual Memorial March for Missing and Murdered Women, - Feb. 14

Music The 18th Annual Roots of Rock and Roll Concert, the Oscar Peterson Concert Hall - Feb. 13-14 Music Research Talks: Eldad Tsabary, Concordia, Current Research, MB 8.265 - Feb. 11, 5:30 PM Dan Mangan w/ Astral Swans, Corona Theatre - Feb. 21 HIGHS, Sala Rossa - Until Feb. 8 Sick Feeling w/ Obliterations, Turbo - Feb. 13 White Horse, L’Astral Feb - Feb. 21

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