The Concordian Winter 2015 Issue 01

January 13, 2015.

News p. 3, 5

Volume 32

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Issue 14 |

Independent student newspaper at Concordia University. Since 1983.

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theconcordian

Montreal is Charlie

Photo by Keith Race

In this issue

LIFE

p. 8

Mim takes to the ice

ARTS

p. 9

Johnny Legdick delights

MUSIC

p. 12

Vaselines still smooth-sailing

SPORTS

p. 15

ConU: home of best coach

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

OPINIONS

p.17

Pledge to be pleasant

theconcordian.com

news //

2

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

write to the editor: news@theconcordian.com

CITY miLos KoVACeViC news editor

>> STM PILOT PROJECT

According to CBC, the STM has launched a pilot project in the new year aimed at improving service and getting its ticket agents out of their booths and into the crowds. Limited currently to a handful of stations like Lionel-Groulx and Jean Talon, and only off peak hours, employees will spend more time out of their chairs and more time aiding and interacting with the public. Though supportful, unions have expressed concern over service slowdowns.

>> RIVERDANCERS, NOT RAVERS

2015’s Bal-En-Blanc, Montreal’s largest and most famous EDM music festival, will move away from its typical Palais des Congrès venue and will be held instead at the Bell Centre. Organizers made the announcement this week and stated it was due to a scheduling conflict with years-old reservations by the World Irish Dancing Championships. It will be held in April, and tickets will go on sale next week.

>>

ANONYMOUS THREATENS MONTREAL POLICE Global News has reported that the ‘hacktivist’ group Anonymous has threatened the police with reprisals after a homeless ‘village’ in Viger Square was dismantled by authorities over the winter months. Anonymous has called it a raid against the vulnerable and dispossessed and threatened to occupy the space unless the police backed down; the city has, for its part, stated it was trying to save lives by getting people indoors and into homeless shelters during the coldest months of the year.

>>BICKERING OVER SNOW

Plateau Mont-Royal representative Luc Ferrandez was upset over the city not being properly clean after the most recent snowstorms, according to La Presse. Turns out, some boroughs decided to respond weakly to the snowstorms as to avoid having to pay for overtime by claiming it was “record absenteeism” on the part of their employees.

Campus // news

Concordia president looks to 2015 Alan shepard discusses budget, a new library, and the BDs movement miLos KoVACeViC news editor

Concordia President Alan Shepard has said the university is becoming increasingly vocal against the ongoing austerity cuts, but that respectful negotiations and accommodation from both sides would be the only way forward under an austerity mindset.

“I don’t like to draw lines in the sand because [these] relationships are long-term,” said Shepard on the limits of patience. He said that compared to many of Quebec’s other institutions, Concordia remained one of the ones better off financially.

“I’ve never been the type who drew lines in the sand.”

Shepard also reiterated the university’s distancing from the student union’s recently successful Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS) vote, saying to restrict the flow of students between Israel or limit research links was a form of discrimination at odds

with Concordia’s pluralistic mandate.

The BDS campaign seeks to sanction Israel based on what it calls human rights abuses against the Palestinians. It raised controversy at the school last semester amid multiple allegations of violations from both sides.

Now the question is how it will be enacted and what the stance will be between the student body and the administration.

“Concordia does not and will not discriminate against any student wishing to study here,” said Shepard, who penned a response against BDS when it was voted in back in December 2014.

On a more positive note, Shepard said the Webster Library would begin undergoing renovations that will expand student spaces by shuffling several office floors to the Faubourg building and turning the space into study areas and a sprinkle of state-ofthe-art technology, including 3D printers. In addition there will be special rooms calling for absolute silence and technological upgrades.

concordia PreSidenT alan ShePard.

City // news

Protest threats nix Canada-Israel event Chance of violence forces police to cancel Canada-israel relations talk nAThALie LAfLAmme editor-in-chief

A

n event scheduled for Jan. 12 with MP Marc Garneau, was postponed indefinitely because the Montreal Police allegedly alerted organizers that they were anticipating violent protests in response.

The talk, organized by the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting (CAMERA) and the Canadian Institute for Jewish Research (CIJR), was supposed to look at Canada-Israel relations.

Garneau is the MP for Westmount—Ville-Marie and was one of the first Canadian to go to outer space back in October 1984. He was appointed as the executive vice-president of the Canadian Space Agency in 2001, and became the president in November of the same year.

Bradley Martin, CAMERA Fellow and Representative for Montreal and a student at Concordia, wrote on the event’s Facebook page at around noon on

Jan. 12 announcing the talk had been cancelled because the Montreal Police had notified them of a violent protest was set to take place because of this event.

At around 7 p.m., Martin posted to clarify what had happened, writing the following: “This morning, the Montreal Police informed CIJR that their cyber division detected a planned protest of the event. This protest was estimated to consist of about sixty demonstrators and considered to be hostile and violent.

Under the circumstances, it was determined that the venue could not be secured properly and the safety of attendants would be at risk. It was therefore decided that the event would not take place as planned and be postponed indefinitely.”

In the post, Martin spoke for both organizations and said that they were very unhappy with the situation. “We are very disappointed and outraged about the fact that our rights, and the rights of an elected Member of Parliament, to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly have been compromised,” Mar-

tin wrote. “Threats of violence and intimidation tactics are not acceptable behaviors and cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. We live in a beautiful country, where the freedom of speech and assembly are foundational to our way of life.”

The decision to postpone the event was made by the CIJR’s National Chairman Jack Kinsler.

He felt they had no choice but to cancel the event because the call from the police happened shortly before the talk was set to happen, and because they hadn’t organized the event themselves.

The CIJR had allowed CAMERA to use one of their spaces to host the talk, located at 1396 rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest, Suite 218.

Kinsler told The Concordian that he was very unhappy with the situation, especially after this week’s attack on Charlie Hebdo staff this week in France. “[The threat of a violent protest] shouldn’t have happened in the first place. MP Marc Garneau should have been able to come and speak to people in a civilized manner without threats …

as soon as one side intimidates the other something is wrong there, there’s a malice, there’s a problem,” Kinsler said.

The Montreal Police were contacted and said that they were not the ones who alerted the event organizers, although both CAMERA and the CIJR confirmed that they had been contacted by them. According to CIJR, the information concerning the protest came from the police’s information department.

Israel on Campus: Concordia has posted on their page that they are unhappy with the situation. They wrote the following in a Facebook post: “It is extremely disheartening and upsetting that members of our own national government are not given the chance to share their ideas freely for fear of violent consequences.

Israel on Campus believes in free speech and the right for a free flow of ideas. We will not be silenced and we will continue to fight for Israel on our campus and in our country.”

The event has been postponed indefinitely.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

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Campus // news

TRAC put in trusteeship, exec sacked executives threatened by legal action for discussing final report publicly miLos KoVACeViC news editor

An official investigation sorting out dysfunctionalities amongst the executives of the Teaching and Research Assistants at Concordia (TRAC) union has concluded in judging some culpable, others innocent, and effectively removing all parties involved.

The organization was placed in trusteeship and the former executive was forbidden to discuss the report, lest legal action be taken.

This bizarre turn of events began after three executives—Mobilization and Communications Officer Robert Sonin, Bargaining Officer Isabelle Johnston, and Vice President Darya Saryan— submitted formal complaints in September over what they alleged were extensive interference and violations carried out

by TRAC President Nader Janari Nodoushan.

The investigation, carried out by parent union Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), eventually came to include counter allegations by Nodoushan on interference, racism, and disrespect. TRAC Grievance Officer Gounash Pirniya, the fifth and fi-

nal exec of the organization, was also drawn into the fray, accused of not doing her job properly.

Sonin said it was widely known around the office at the time that Pirniya was Nodoushan’s girlfriend.

The official investigation was meant to take only a few weeks.

Instead, it took months, during which the animosity continued and TRAC activity ground to a halt.

“We [were] supposed to be in negotiation for pay. We [weren’t] doing any preparations. [We weren’t] doing any of the things we’re supposed to do because [of the investigation]. They told us to sit and wait and do nothing,” said Sonin.

The final report, released at the end of December and recently obtained by The Concordian, found Nodoushan culpable on several points—using TRAC funds without authorization, proceeding with expenses rejected by the executive committee, interference with and attempted removal of his peers, and bylaw violations—and removed him from his position with a recommendation he not be eligible for re-election for at least a year.

Yet the report commented that Nodoushan was not found to be acting with “ill will.”

Despite ruling that the complaints against Sonin, Johnston, and Darya—which included accusations of racism—were baseless, the report removed the three from their positions as of Jan. 7, judging the working environment too toxic to be allowed to continue.

This cleaning of the slate did not sit well with the executives.

When Sonin complained, he was simply told he was not barred from putting his name in the hat at the next general assembly and could run again—but under PSAC rules as opposed to TRAC rules. These required that TRAC be paying dues to PSAC, which Nodoushan had stopped doing.

That means that in effect Sonin and his fellow executives are now not qualified to run. “[PSAC] kicked me off an executive for no reason, giving no cause … then I have to go get reelected, and [PSAC] expects me to mobilize while not getting paid. I’ve lost my job, and I have to do this in my spare time to get my job back,” said Sonin, who was the only one willing to speak on the record under the threat of legal action.

“They found that our complaints had merit, so they fired us,” he said.

He says his decision to post

the report on TRAC’s Facebook group (he judged it in the public interest of the membership to know the conclusions) caused a demand within the hour to take it down. A few hours later he as well as at least one other exec were sent cease and desist notices by PSAC lawyers who forbade them from distributing the findings, calling it confidential property belonging to the union.

The actual report contains no mentions of confidentiality nor does Sonin recall ever agreeing to this stipulation verbally or contractually, aside from receiving strict verbal instruction not to discuss matters during the investigation for fear of prejudicing the evidence.

Additionally, Sonin questions PSAC’s decision to retroactively clamp down on the report, since without eventual distribution it was unclear how TRAC members would know in advance what they would be voting on during the upcoming general assembly. “[PSAC] failed the union.

They failed their members by their inaction, and by [their] sidelining.”

Neither TRAC nor PSAC could be reached for comment by press time and Nodoushan declined to participate by citing the confidentiality of the report.

City // news

City mourns Charlie Hebdo attack montrealers march and attend vigil for victims of terrorist action in france fRÉDÉRiC T. mUCKLe Assistant news editor

miLos KoVACeViC news editor

>> KEVIN VICKERS NAMED IRISH AMBASSADOR

Canada’s new ambassador to Ireland will be none other than Seargent-atArms Kevin Vickers, the man who braved danger and may have been the one who killed the gunman on a rampage in Parliament in November.

CBC reported that Vickers served for 29 years in the RCMP and joined the House of Commons in 2005 as the director of security. Partially Irish by descent, Vikers called it a great honour.

>> BIRDS, BIRDS, BIRDS!

Despite provincial favourites and hundreds of species to choose from across many landscapes, Canada has no official national bird.

Canadian Geographic has opened a contest to the public to change that, calling on for suggestions on what our avian symbol should be.

The contest is set to run until 2017 when they hope to nominate a bird on the occasion of Canada’s sesquicentennial anniversary.

Go to canadiangeographic.ca/ nationalbird/ to vote for your favorite feathered friend, and tweet it too!

>> THREE ARRESTED FOR ALLEGED TERRORISM Suliman Mohamed, a 21 year-old from Ottawa arrested on Monday, and Ashton and Carlos Larmond, twin brothers arrested on Friday, were all charged on various alleged terrorism-related charges. According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Larmond brothers, who both attended Rideau Hall High School in Ottawa, were accused notably of participation in the activity of a terrorist group, facilitating terrorist activity and attempting to leave to country to conduct terrorism activities overseas.

O

n Wednesday, Jan. 7, two armed attackers gained entrance into the building of satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris and opened fire on the employees, killing 10 and wounding 11 others. Two police officers were also casualties of the shootout. The two brothers responsible for the attack, Chérif and Saïd Kouachi, 32 and 34 years old, escaped from the police. An alleged 18-year-old accomplice turned himself in to the police the following evening, multiple sources reported.

Charlie Hebdo is a satirical magazine known most notably for its provocative caricatures, including those of the Prophet Muhammad. A Molotov cocktail attack burned down the publication’s office in 2011 and it was the target of numerous threats in relation to its cartoons. Wellrespected cartoonist and editor in chief Stéphane “Charb” Charbonnier, and fellow employees Jean Cabut, Philippe Honoré, Georges Wolinski, Bernard Verlhac and Elsa Cayat, were some of the 12 victims.

NATION

>> CANADA SENDING SPIES TO THE NORTH

a SuPPorTer of charlie hebdo aT wedneSday nighT’S vigil in downTown monTreal. PhoTo by KeiTh race.

On Thursday, another attack took place in Montrouge, a community in the southern Parisian suburbs, resulting in another victim. The attacker, Amedy Couli-

baly, was allegedly connected to the Kouachi brothers, and later proclaimed in a video his allegiance to ISIS. He escaped before he could be arrested while the

authorities narrowed down the search for the Kouachi brothers in a suburb north of Paris.

Continued on P.5

The CBC has gotten hold of documents revealing that the Canadian military routinely conducts counter-espionage missions in the far Arctic against sabotage, spying, and subversion activities. Though such activities are normally reserved for intelligence agencies like CSIS and the Canadian military has admitted to such exercises, they’ve remained mum on the reasons why or against whom.

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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Campus// news

WORLD miLos KoVACeViC news editor

>> TOYOTA OPENS FUEL-CELL PATENTS FOR FREE USE Toyota has released to the market all 5,680 of its patents related to its fuel cell technology, the company announced last week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. CNBC said the decision comes on the cusp of Toyota’s launch of a new fuel-cell sedan in the U.S. and Europe. Toyota’s executives were quoted as stating they’d taken the decision to attract innovation and investment in the fuel-cell market, and thus improve performance and reduce costs for the consumer.

>> CHINA BANS BURKAS IN URUMQI Chinese state news has announced the country has decided to ban public wearing of burkas in Urumqi, the capital of its north western province of Xinjiang, in an effort to improve security. Xinjiang is primarily Muslim in religion and ethnically Uighur, not Han Chinese, and the restive province has been a source of recruitment for Islamists on account of its frequent clashes against authorities and their heavy handed tactics.

Quartz reported China as previously having forbidden Xinjiang students and civil servants from fasting on Ramadan, and certain cities have had everything from hijabs to large beards curtailed or banned.

>> WAR, TERRORISM AND THE WEB

The Twitter and Youtube accounts of the United States’ Military Central Command was hacked on Monday by people allegedly working on behalf of the group known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Threatening messages towards the American population and its militaries, personal information of American militaries and ISIS propaganda videos were put online by those accounts. The hacks were in part to protest American involvement and bombing in the MiddleEast. The accounts have since been shut down.

>> UKRAINE EXPM WANTED BY INTERPOL

Ukraine’s deposed president, Viktor Yanukovych, ousted and chased out of the country last year in the chaos that eventually concluded with Russia’s annexation of the Crimea, has been put on the Interpol wanted list. BBC reported the Ukranian government as having spent months reasoning with Interpol for the request.

Be prepared by knowing your rights CsU’s legal information clinic organizes student information workshop fRÉDÉRiC T. mUCKLe Assistant news editor

T

he Concordia Student Union (CSU) legal clinic organized a free know-your-rights event on Monday, Jan. 12, at The Hive Café situated at the downtown campus. The workshop was put in place to give students basic and necessary information about the rights of the average citizen vis-à-vis the police.

Subjects such as when to say no the police, what to do if detained, the importance of the contemporary tendency of filming police altercations and other general tips were addressed by the hosts of the event.

David Rovics opened the two hour long event with an intimate concert. Rovics is an internationally known indie musician known for the controversial topics he addresses in his songs.

Here’s a few basic principles shared at the event that could always be useful: You don’t need to identify yourself. Only if you are arrested by the police (by the way, they should clearly state so, and if they don’t, you are strongly encouraged to ask

if you are and why) should you give the following information: your full name, your complete address and your date of birth. Everything else is out of bounds.

Police can briefly detain you, but not for long. You should regularly ask them if you are still detained since they can’t hold you indefinitely.

You have the right to stay silent. It may seem a basic tip, but a lot of people rationalize that if you did not do anything bad, you should cooperate with the police. The thing is, you don’t need to and sometimes just stating that you have nothing to tell them may make you avoid some unnecessary DaViD roViCs PUttiNG oN a shoW at MoNDay’s eVeNt. Photo by FrÉDÉriC t. MUCKle. complications or further interrogations.

Film it! If you are in- You are supposed to have the clear and state to the police volved in a police altercation, right to film the police, even if that you don’t give them the as the accused party or a wit- they don’t like it. right to do so. Even if they do They can’t go through search you, and hypothetically ness, you should always try to film it or ask around to see if your things. Police may ask find something incriminating, someone else did. The police you to look through your be- further down the road you may may be frustrated by this prac- longings, and may do so even be able to get out of trouble by tice, but it may also restrain if you don’t want them to. Still, showing that this was an illegal them from doing certain things. in those cases you should be search.

Campus // news

JMSB hosts Intl. Case Competition singapore’s nanyang Business school takes first miLos KoVACeViC news editor

Through rain and snow, John Molson has played host to the International Case Competition (ICC) for 34 years. This year’s event was no different in persistence, but it was bigger, and it was better.

“In the MBA circuit competitions, it is the oldest, the biggest, and the most interesting in the world. It is one of the most cherished events of Concordia, at least on the international forum.” said Marketing and Sponsorship organizer/volunteer and JMSB student Roberto Blanc.

“Most importantly it allows us to develop our soft skills that don’t necessarily come in class: our public presentation skills, our speaking skills.”

“It provides an out-of-class experience,” he said, explaining how he along with his team were put in charge of organizing everything from the ground up: the funding,

logistics, cost management, and scheduling. It was an immense competition with hundreds of participants and onlookers. The amount of planning involved means that arrangements for this competition started pretty much after the last one ended. Advisors helped and gave strategic support and vision, acting as executives would for an actual company. A board of governors that has stayed constant throughout the years essentially acted as a BoG of a corporation. Blanc said their mentoring gave organizers the motivation and confidence to deal with the immense amounts of pressure riding on their shoulders.

The ICC’s main leverage in terms of recovering some of their costs came from the chance for sponsors to observe the huge pool of talent showcased—talent that companies at home and abroad were very keen on assessing and courting.

“They [the international schools] consider this the Olympics of international case competitions.” For a full week, teams drilled or competed day and night in round robins, which winnowed out the participants and pushed onward the best, while banquets

and cocktails gave them the platform to network.

“For the past few days, my email accounts and my Facebook and my LinkedIn have been boiling,” said Blanc.

This year’s theme was sustainability and all the case competitions dealt with it in one way or another. Blanc’s team took the message to heart. Every single decision the organizers took was built on it: from picking up the delegations in zero-emission cars and using biodegradable printer ink, to organizing banquets made exclusively of organic and local food sourced whenever possible from co-ops. They hope the efforts will push the ICC to a level four sustainability certificate from the Quebec government.

“We wanted to show that sustainability was more than a word, more than something that is in fashion,” said Blanc.

The event has also given him insight into the different approaches to business taken by different cultures. Asian teams, more often than not, emphasized teamwork and low-key comportment— though Singapore stood out in that regard, being more individualistic and heterogeneous as befitting an

entrepreneurial and multicultural nation-state (Singapore went undefeated in every case competition and ended up winning the ICC). Germans were generally over-prepared, with larger support teams, while Finns cared as much about the social aspect as the competition. Then there were delegations like South Africa and the Netherlands which managed to stay happy and joyful throughout.

“To me, it was one of the best, if not the best, experiences I got from my MBA,” said Blanc.

Results: 1st place: Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore - $10,000 prize 2nd place: Porto School of Business, University of Porto, Portugal - $7,000 prize 3rd place: Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina, United States - $5,000 prize Richard Outcault Team Spirit Award for enthusiasm and involvement: Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town, South Africa JMSB made it to the semifinals but ultimately lost to the Porto School of Business.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

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5

City // news

Montrealers march in solidarity with France On Friday, the Kouachi brothers barricaded themselves in a small printing company in Dammartinen-Goële, 25 miles northeast of the French capital, while Coulibaly attacked and took hostages in a Kosher store, taking four more lives.

In a coordinated strike French police conducted two separate operations to get to both the Kouachi brothers and Coulibaly, leading to the death of all three attackers.

Thus concluded the 53 dreadful hours that France’s population experienced.

Montreal is Charlie Like many spots across the globe, Montreal organizers quickly showed their support and held vigils and marches of solidarity.

Over 1,000 people gathered in front of Montreal’s French Consulate on McGill College Ave. on Wednesday night, while a much larger march occurred on Sunday morning.

Professional cartoonist JeanSébastien Bérubé was one of the many people present at Wednesday’s vigil.

“I feel directly concerned because of my work as a cartoonist,” he said when asked about his reaction. “I was shocked and deeply affected by those events because, for me, it’s a direct attack against freedom of speech.”

Bérubé also mentioned the effect that the shootings had on his profession. “In the cartoonist community, there is a lot of soli-

darity at the moment,” he said.

Laetitia Colonna, a graphic designer and webzine columnist also present at the vigil, laid out one basic notion that resonated in the inspiring roars emanating from the crowd present on Wednesday night: “I protest today because I want to show that we must not let ourselves be controlled by fear,” she said. “We must continue to express ourselves freely.” Colonna outlined the fact that this kind of gathering was also a way to ensure the future of those fundamentals rights. “I’m also here because I want my kids to be able to express themselves freely at all times,” she said. “We must not let ourselves be intimidated by such acts.”

Part of the crowd that gathered in spite of a glacial weather was already familiar with Charlie Hebdo’s work, but some of them also showed up to the vigil without any prior knowledge of the magazine’s work; the people present on Wednesday night were united by grief, but also by the will to express their support of the victims, the notion of liberty and the freedom of speech.

Another vigil was organized on Wednesday by Montreal City Hall in which Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre participated. A great number of those spontaneously organized gatherings took place around the world in the first 24 hours of those tragic few days.

In the aftermath of the attacks, even more gatherings were orga-

Though crowded, the mood of Sunday’s march was quiet and sombre. Photo by Keith Race.

nized, notably on Sunday when over a million people mobilized in Paris. Police estimated some 25,000 people marched silently in Montreal from Place des Arts to the French consulate on McGill Ave. The movement adopted the phrase “Je suis Charlie” and symbolically brandished pens during vigils in support of the victims

of the attack. Other signs read “Liberté, cher liberté, guide nos pas,” “Je suis même pas peur!” and “Je suis Ahmed Charlie,” referring to the French policeman Ahmed Merabet, who was killed point-blank execution-style and has come to symbolize the fact Muslims are neither apart from, nor unconcerned and unhurt by this brazen attack on humanist

Sunday’s march to the French consulate drew an estimated crowd of over 25,000, according to the Montreal police. Photo by Keith Race.

values.

“I’m here because this is unacceptable. Whether or not you agree or support this sort of satire, nobody should be killed for writing or singing or a performance,” said Arian Leduc, 29, who had taken a few hours off his Sunday morning routine to come out with his friends and show solidarity with the crowds.

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TUesDAY, JAnUARY 13, 2015

life

write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com feature // Life

They say you can’t come home again...

Battling the worst firstworld problem: posterasmus depression sARA BARon-GooDmAn Life editor

O

n June 15, 2014, I boarded a plane at Charles de Gaulle airport, heading home to Montreal after six months studying at Sciences Po Paris through the Concordia exchange program. I was numb as I went through customs, loaded up on bottles of Bordeaux at duty-free, and eventually boarded the plane. “It’s not over until I land,” I kept telling myself.

I sat down in my seat, half-listened to the “in case of emergency” spiel the stewardess gave, and started to cry—and I am not a crier. In fact I very rarely emote at all, let alone in public. I continued to cry as I watched Frozen and Her, and made small talk with the very worried and confused gentleman next to me.

I got off the plane, having composed myself sufficiently while I went through baggage claim and customs. Everything felt wrong, disorienting, unreal.

My mother ran to greet me at the ar-

rivals gate, rushing up to me in a Love Actually-esque display of airport emotion.

As I hugged her, I started to cry again— and not cute delicate tears, but full-on, snot-running-down-my-face, heavingand-blubbering crying.

“You realize that most people here think that you’re crying with happiness at seeing your family again,” she whis-

“

pression syndrome. The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is a non-profit organization that links students in higher education with international host facilities to study or intern abroad—essentially it’s a network for international exchanges like the ones offered through Concordia and other schools worldwide. Post-Erasmus depression is a common experience

A few hundred years ago, gout was considered the disease of the privileged.

Today, that title goes to post-erasmus depression syndrome.

pered in my ear. “They probably think this is touching. They don’t know that you’re dreading being here and would love nothing more than to turn around and get back on that plane.”

My response was something like “nkalhekwvbwaaahhhhaaahhajoewj.”

A few hundred years ago, gout was considered the disease of the privileged.

Today, that title goes to post-Erasmus de-

amongst students upon returning from the glorious life of exchange to the grim realities of life back home, and it is certainly not exclusive to the European network (they just came up with the name first). This may just be the quintessential first-world problem, but it isn’t one to take lightly.

Already, the vast majority of college and university students experience some

kind of mental illness. A 2013 article in the Globe and Mail breaks down mental health statistics among students, finding that 90 per cent of students felt anxious and “overwhelmed at all they had to do,” while just over 50 per cent relayed feelings of hopelessness, and 63 per cent admitted to being very lonely. Almost 10 per cent had considered suicide in the last year, and 1.3 per cent had attempted it.

“We do see more depression and anxiety than we did a few years ago,” said Dale Robinson, Psychologist and Manager of Counselling and Psychological Services at Concordia.

We can all agree that these statistics are troublesome, though not surprising.

University courses are demanding, and it can be difficult to juggle academic responsibilities with working to support yourself, padding your resume with extracurriculars or internships, and navigating the treacherous waters of social interactions in your twenties.

Now, imagine that for a semester—or a year if you’re really lucky—you get to escape all the mundane, mind-numbing stresses of your life. You get on a plane, maybe to somewhere you’ve never been before. As quickly as it takes to get over your jet lag, you’re completely immersed in a new life, meeting new people, seeing new, exciting, beautiful things. Your only responsibility is passing your classes,

Graphic by Marie-Pier LaRose

TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015 which are often much less arduous than the ones at home anyways. Weekends are free to travel the world near your host city, or explore your new home, or forge bonds with other students from around the world. You learn about their cultures, teach them about yours, and find out that despite having grown up at opposite ends of the world you have a lot in common. You experience new things together. You breathe lighter with this extreme freedom. You’re living your life entirely for yourself. Every day is a new adventure to be had, and as cheesy as it sounds, it will change you.

Then, in the blink of an eye that also seems like an eternity, you’re gone. Back home, back to where you started. You’ve changed, but nothing else has. Back to your soul-crushing part-time job and mini-dramas with people you feel that you’ve outgrown, and a city that feels a lot smaller than you left it.

“Change is always a stressor, and anyone who has vulnerabilities of any kind is going to feel that impact much more,” said Robinson. “[Psychologist Abraham] Maslow talked about the hierarchy of needs; everything is built around the basic structure of where you live and what’s around you. When you change that, it changes everything else.”

A recurring theme amongst students who experience depression upon coming home from exchange is the reported feeling of being stifled by the lack of freedom and new experiences once you return.

“The word I keep using when people ask me about being back is ‘bittersweet.’

Yeah it’s great to see everyone but I miss the possibilities being on exchange offered,” said Matthew, a Concordia student who recently returned from studying abroad in Paris in the fall semester.

“Five months flies by and most is the same back at home. I know I constantly feel wanderlust, so being back just means I can no longer hop a budget flight under $100 and discover a completely new place in a weekend. Instead my option is $250 or more to go to Toronto.”

Robinson explains that readjusting to a new environment, especially after such a huge change as going abroad, can be difficult for many people.

“We adjust and respond to our environment, we can’t expect to be picked up and dropped off somewhere and be exactly the same,” she said. “For example, if the student went away and they felt more autonomous, were able to explore and experiment with their own identity, and then going back home you’re one of the family again, one of the kids again, you lose that autonomy.”

It is this kind of shift, which many students feel to be regressive, that has the potential to become a stressor that causes depression.

“Leaving for an entire year to Australia kind of made me want to start over entirely from scratch,” said Thierry Tardif, another Concordia student who spent a year studying abroad in Sydney, Australia.

“I had a job, I paid my rent, my phone, my entire life over there was my own and I didn’t feel the need to meet anyone’s demands or my parents’ needs...I was my own person.”

For students battling with readjusting to life after exchange, Concordia International offers their services.

Sometimes simply sitting down and speaking with somebody about your experience abroad can be helpful, whether that’s in the form of mentoring a student thinking of going on exchange in the future, or sitting down with one of the International Liaison Officers, explains Pauliina Rouleau, International Liaison Officer for Europe, Middle East, and Africa at Concordia International.

“Staying active definitely helps readjusting to being home, and discussing with other people who have gone on exchange as they’ll be able to most likely relate to the feelings you’re having,” she said. “Personally I encourage returning

“

students who are missing the international environment to get involved with CISA [Concordia International Student Association] as their goal is to bring students together in a warm and friendly environment.”

Then, in the blink of an eye that also seems like an eternity, you’re gone. Back home, back to where you started. You’ve changed, but nothing else has. Back to your soul crushing parttime job and mini-dramas with people you feel that you’ve outgrown, and a city that feels a lot smaller than you left it.

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Robinson agrees that the best way to get over the readjustment hump is to stay active, and evaluate yourself and your goals on a new level.

“I’d encourage students to not be afraid of what they’re feeling, and to use that as an opportunity to ask themselves ‘what do I need right now?’,” said Robinson.

And, if your depression persists, you can always make an appointment with a psychologist at Concordia’s Counselling and Development department. This semester, they are launching a workshop entitled “Four Ways to Feel Better,” which will be held four times per semester starting Jan. 23.

In any case, going abroad is an incredible opportunity. It allows you to discover yourself as well as the world around you in unimaginable ways. It’s a dream life, to be sure, but it can also be a launching pad for future travels and goals.

“Honestly nothing helped me until I made plans to go back,” said Jessica Prupas, a McGill student who studied abroad in Leeds, United Kingdom two years ago.

She is now looking forward to attending grad school in London next year.

“All in all my mind is made up,” said Matthew. “I will not be staying in Montreal or Canada for very much longer.”

Graphic by Marie-Pier LaRose

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TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2015

Let’s talk about sex

The abortion pill: coming to a physician’s office near you?

Sara Baron-Goodman Life editor

S

o, this week isn’t about sex per se, but rather about a potentially revolutionary pill that could help you deal with the unwanted aftermath of said sex, up to nine weeks later.

According to an article published on December 24 in the Globe and Mail, Health Canada is currently deliberating on legalizing a pill containing mifepristone, a drug which, combined with another medication which is already available by prescription from any physician, can medically terminate an early pregnancy by inducing contractions.

According to Planned Parenthood,

once the mifepristone is taken, it stops the production of progesterone, which causes the lining of your uterus to break down. When combined with the second drug (of which there are currently several available varieties, the most common of which being misoprostol), the uterus will begin to shed, causing the pregnancy to end. It could take up to three weeks for the pregnancy to be expelled. Basically, it’s just like getting a particularly heavy and crampy period.

Health Canada is taking their sweet time with the decision to legalize mifepristone—it’s been something like 800 days that they’ve been agonizing over whether or not to make the pill available through any hospital or clinic—normally, they have a window of 300 days to reach a decision, according to the same article.

The delay is questionable, as mifepristone is already legally available in over 60 countries worldwide, including our notoriously conservative neighbours in the United States.

The decision should be reached by the second week of January, so if all goes according to plan, the drug could become available much sooner than later.

Abortion is currently legal in Canada, though depending on where you live, it can be almost impossible to actually access a clinic where they are performed.

According to Global News, almost half of the 94 abortion facilities in the country are located in Quebec, while British Columbia and Ontario have relatively accessible facilities in city centres as well as in selected rural areas. However, there are only eight abortion facilities throughout the Prairies, four in all of the Territories, and four throughout Atlantic Canada.

Prince Edward Island doesn’t have any.

Especially for these girls and women living outside of main cities in Canada, making mifepristone available from any doctor could mean the difference between spending large amounts of time and money to travel cross-country to the nearest abortion clinic (or resorting to less safe,

Column// Life

less preferable options), and being able to pick up the prescription from their local doctor and receive the medical abortion.

And instead of having to endure an invasive procedure in some sterile-looking office, getting rid of an unwanted pregnancy could be just as simple as visiting the clinic and popping a pill.

Of course, this is not to say that medical abortion is any less of a potentially difficult and emotional decision to make as a procedural one would be. But, in creating this new option, it would make that decision just a little bit easier, just a little bit more comfortable for a lot of women.

Statistics Canada reported last year that roughly 31 per cent of Canadian women have had an abortion in their lives. Making it that much more accessible, and that much less invasive, could simply make better a process that is already extremely common and extremely safe.

All of which to say, stay tuned for updates. We could have a revolution on our hands.

Column // LifE

Mim meets Montreal: Ice ice baby Episode 9: In which Mim finds her skating legs Mim Kempson Staff writer

T

he first time I went ice-skating I vomited on the rink. The second time, I got my finger trodden on by an ice skate. These somewhat comical occurrences were then complemented by my multiple slips and falls: the classic banana-peel kind. That was ten years ago.

A couple of days before starting the winter semester, my native Montrealer friend took me ice-skating. My fond memories of this winter activity fostered high expectations. Put Mim on an ice rink and it’s like watching a slapstick comedy. How could I possibly top my pre-existing ice-skating faux pas with sufficient comic relief?

Luckily, the closest naturally occurring body of frozen water happened to be across the road from our apartment.

It was colder than -20 celsius that day; I could not have fathomed walking further. The lake at Parc Lafontaine had frozen over two weeks prior. On New Years Eve my friends and I had strolled across it with regular shoes, but traversing it with skates was a whole other experience…

The moment I stepped onto the ice I gripped my friend’s arm like a koala clinging to a tree in a hurricane. Picture a grandma hunched over a walking aid.

I was so scared to move that my friend had to pull the human statue that was me along the ice for the first half of the

lesson.

Eventually, once she had enlightened me with several useful techniques (like, “line up your nose with the foot that is in front”), I quickly got the hang of it.

Despite being 100 per cent Québecoise, out of nowhere my friend adopted an Italian accent as she cheered me on.

Perhaps she did it to embody the optimism of a proud Italian mama: “she’s so fast, she’s a pro!”

I regret to inform you that I am no longer an ice-skating clown.

I can proudly say that I only fell once, and I didn’t get up for a while. I lay there on the ice, limbs outstretched in a star-shape, and stared into the snowing sky as classical music played from the speakers that were dotted around the park. Dozens of people skated across the lake effortlessly. A group of boys played a game of hockey. Couples skated handin-hand whilst chatting. Four giggling girls formed a chain and glided across the ice.

When I arrived in August the park

was covered in picnic rugs, bicycles, skateboards and people tanning in the sun. Ducks drifted across one side of the lake while water erupted from the fountain on the other. It is five months later: the season has changed but the morale has not. That’s something I love about Montreal. Its people maintain high spirits in even the most tedious of weather.

I’ve discovered that one way to escape the dreariness of winter is to seize every opportunity to make an event of it. Solution number one: ice-skating.

Mim takes a moment to assess potential injuries after her one and only fall. Photo by Maïté Dion Larouche.

arts

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

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write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com Theatre // ARTs

Johnny Ledgick: A Rock Opera has serious footing The quirky rock opera wows festival-goers with profanity and ballads hAnnA-JoY fARooQ Contributor

On Friday I got to see Johnny Legdick: A Rock Opera at the Centaur Theatre during the 18th annual Wildside Festival.

The verdict? You lot should give Johnny and his merry band of oddballs a leg up by catching the show as well.

The story goes that Johnny (played by Colin Macdonald) was a man born with a leg in lieu of genitalia, and was sold to the Suckadacocka circus as the latest addition to its freak roster. Johnny and fellow oddities Hannah Handvag (Arielle Palik) and Steve the Steed (Travis Martin) plan an escape to Diversus Homo, a land where they won’t suffer from the stigma of their eccentricities. Bananas, basset hounds, a bearded lady, a bad man and a bunch of puns intertwine throughout their journey to freedom.

If the crude sexual humour doesn’t entice you, the music most likely will. The sevenman band played a range of styles that included classic rock, blues, doom metal (personal favourite), and a power ballad. The variety eased the pacing transitions. The catchy music combined with the singing—particularly Johnny’s—was the best part of the show.

The plot is not exactly new—it is rife with fantasy tropes and nods to well-known works like The Lion King and The Rocky Horror Show.

Nonetheless, Johnny Legdick is a breath of fresh air because it’s hilarious in its treatment of itself. It is lightheartedly self-reflexive and immature in tracking the perennial quest to belong and to find oneself.

The immaturity is funny as well as a commentary on the childishness of how hard it continues to be for some to feel accepted.

Johnny Legdick is a perfect fit for Wildside.

Curated

by Johanna Nutter, the festival is a selfdescribed plunge into the adult world while keeping its roots in childhood. The Legdick team repre- arielle PaliK (lefT) sents this splendidly in a combination of witty writing and dynamism.

One of my two only quips concerns the scene where Johnny, using his third leg, displays his lack of mini golf technique. I think it would have been funny if I could actually see it. I was seated a row or two ahead of the middle row, slightly off-centre and had to crane my neck to get a partial view of the action—a problem that could be easily fixed by placing Johnny three steps back.

and

TadZeo horner-chbib (righT) caPTivaTe in The wildSide’S SurPriSe hiT.

The second quip concerns costume. I have no complaints regarding Johnny’s dangling pseudo-genitalia, but Hannah’s handvag had so much potential. For future runs, the team should consider filling her handvag with liquid so that when the inevitable union of their not-so-naughty bits occurs it will genuinely be an explosive affair. No, that’s not too immature for the Suckadacocka circus.

Johnny Legdick is currently on its third

run. The piece is a collaboration between Playwright Hero, a Montreal theatre company, and The Jem, a local acoustic rock trio. The rock opera premiered at the MainLine Theatre last year and was revived during the Montreal Fringe Festival. Critically, it’s been well received and lauded for its hilarity.

Catch it at the Centaur Theatre on Jan. 15 and 17.

Theatre // ARTs

The Way You Tell Them doesn’t look for laughs playwright Rachel mars analyzes the nature of comedy KARen mAsseY Contributor The Way You Tell Them is a solo show about comedy but it is not, at first, meant to be funny.

Presented as part of the Centaur Theatre’s 18th annual Wildside festival, the show was written by Rachel Mars, a theatre performer from London, who promises to “[look] at the internal world of the joke teller.’’ She recounted the story of her Jewish family’s history and their relationship to humour. The result was experimental comedy that is at once personal, intuitive, and thoughtful.

Her study of humour takes a documentary theatre form, and she invited us into a living room setting.

She directly addressed the public, asking to be told offensive jokes. The audience’s participation created an informal atmosphere.

The integration of piano and accordion music,

as well as a laugh track, eased the transitions throughout her piece. Everything in the show is there for a specific reason.

Mars strives to understand the dichotomy between the funny and the serious. She warned the audience that the show would become more and more serious as it unfolded.

She reminisced about the first time she thought she was funny, as a three-year-old, and how she got a kick out of the rush of endorphins.

She spoke about her addiction to being funny and about how some of her family members were notoriously hilarious.

She remembered going through many children’s joke books when she was a kid, including Leo Rosten’s Giant Book of Laughter.

Mars wore a white T-shirt with a drawing of lungs on it and comical red shoes, along with her black pantsuit. The lungs are a symbol of laughter and of life, and this theme came back several times throughout her show, playing a central role in The Way You Tell Them and taking on multiple meanings. Mars drew interesting parallels between lungs and her family, the Holocaust, and comedy.

She explained her research on the effects of laughter, and how humans are prone to involuntary laughter at the most inappropriate times. She presented archival audio footage of

an interview with J. Robert Oppenheimer, who is known as the father of the atomic bomb. Her analogy between human atrocities and laughter was astonishing. Mars also used an excerpt from a video interview with a person living with AIDS. The show’s twists forced spectators to reflect on comedy and laughter as a coping mechanism.

Mars spoke about not being a serious person, and how comedy allowed her to say just about anything.

Wearing a grey one-piece wolf costume, she left us with her personal reflection on the contradictions of humanity in a clever way.

The show will be presented on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 9 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 14 at 7 p.m., and on Friday, Jan. 16 at 7 p.m.

seniors or people under 30. Single show passes are $15, or $12.50 for subscribers, students, seniors and people under 30.

Tickets cost $50 for a four show “superpass,” or $40 The way you Tell Them STarring rachel marS runS unTil for subscribers, students, jan. 16.

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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Music video // arts

‘Elastic Heart’ is a stretch for some conservative viewers Sia’s avant-garde offering does not deserve controversy Lindsay Richardson Interim arts editor

The briefest, most understated summary would include the following: a 12-year-old dance prodigy, a 28-year-old actor-cum-delinquent-cum-performance artist, skintight fleshtoned suits, a birdcage, and about five minutes of interpretive, contemporary dance. Or are they spontaneous convulsions? This, and all other aspects of the video, are hard to clearly and confidently define.

After the release of the music video for “Chandelier” earlier in 2014, Sia solidified herself as an ambiguous, faceless performer with a taste for envelope-pushing music videos.

Featuring Maddie Zeigler (the “face” of the operation) and Shia LaBoeuf, the video boasts not only a remarkable physical display, but a stirring emotional one as well.

Comments arose with a fervor as the video was shared over social media and aired on mainstream networks. Scores of restless and confused viewers claimed that the video implied “pedophilia,” citing the age difference

and the obscure or “creepy” movements between the two performers.

In response, Sia came forward and made a public apology for the video, although she had previously stated on Twitter that the video represented the inner struggle between her “2 warring ‘Sia’ self states.”

Since the apology, the video has undergone a number of lengthy and analytical responses by “experts,” both certified and self-appointed. With interpretations exploring concepts like “inner struggle” and “fatherdaughter conflict,” there is still a resounding sense of confusion and suspicion surrounding the singer’s opus.

However, pausing for a moment to unclutch our pearls and untwist our knickers, we have to consider why everyone is so unsettled. In fact, there is ample evidence that Sia is bringing artistry and integrity back into the music video medium, but viewers are very likely turned off by things they can’t wrap their head around. Shia LaBoeuf and a reality show wonderchild embroiled in an emotional onscreen “body battle” are no exception.

Are they a little closer than what’s deemed “acceptable” by social norms? Probably. Is LaBoeuf still trying to compensate for his public missteps? Possibly. Is the video implicitly sexual or perverse? Maybe in some people’s eyes. Do some extremists insist on reading it as Illuminati propaganda? Yes, in the perfect example of how to waste both time and energy.

But the negative reactions to the video have

Shia LaBoeuf

and

Maddie Zieglar

have an emotional phsyical exchange in the re-

cently released video for sia’s single

“Elastic Heart.”

less to do with its content and/or contributors, so much as the fact that it tests people. Music videos, especially as of late, are three to five minutes worth of illustrative, complimentary images that don’t usually require much attention. Women, cars, blatant displays of luxury and hedonism consume the airwaves. Whether you watch intently or passively, the message remains the same: materialism is paramount.

Sia’s video is the opposite; stark, confrontational, and riveting, it challenges viewers to dig deep and accept a sort of visual or artistic

“chaos.” Like most forms of modern and/or performance art, the video requires a lot of introspection and questioning. Unlike most other music videos, it doesn’t offer a fantastical or outlandish escape from “reality.”

It is raw, and like life coach Diane Passage wrote in a piece for The Huffington Post: “the cage, the fight, the moments of peace, the emotions, the inability to control, the desire for control, the highs, the lows, and more are feelings, ideas and states that most of us can relate to in our everyday lives.”

music

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

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write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com

Business // mUsiC

Ambitious Concordians want to help your band Two students kickstart their own companies by diving into music promotion and production industries miA peARson music editor

W

hen a canary is brought down into a coal mine and survives, coal miners can assume that the mine is safe to work in and free of hazardous gases.The risky behaviour of the canary is something Jason Athanase Baronette can relate to.

“I jump into things pretty head first—I always have,” he said. Baronette is the creator and owner of Yellow Bird, a music production studio located in Outremont.

The 27-year-old Concordia geography student spent the last two years building the studio from the ground up, and the final product is a musical candy store—it’s a building perfectly equipped and designed for a musician or music producer’s needs.

“Yellow Bird has two parts to it. There’s the professional recording side where my team and me do a lot of different movies, we produce albums, we manage some artists. On the other side, we work on fostering relationships with musicians. So we have a community centre-style building, and we have three or four different rehearsal rooms. Bands can come in and build relationships [with] each other, have a place to practice, a nice place to record, and overall just learn.”

from lefT: alec johnSon

Walk the halls of the Yellow Bird jam space, and you’ll be greeted by two spacious jam rooms booming with the sound of local bands. Around the corner, there’s a lounge area that occasionally sees a packed box of neatly ordered empty beer bottles.

Across the hall, another recording facility is the the process of being setup.

Alec Johnson describes Yellow Bird as his second home. Johnson is the creator and owner of 93 Productions.

“We specialize in artist representation and promoting them,” Johnson said. “We also do the production of concerts, shows, and various events. Recently, we decided to branch off into catering as well.” The 21year-old Concordia urban studies student started 93 Productions in order to help artists learn the ropes of the industry, and to help spark their musical career.

“I want to do something special ... I want to be somebody that artists can rely on. Especially in the industry in general: there’s a lot lopsidedness and problems with it. 93 Productions is there to help an artist, a band, feel comfortable and grow,” he said.

These two ambitious Concordia students have often teamed together for artist representation and production. James Shannon, a folk/house singer/songwriter, is one of the artists whose album was recently recorded at Yellow Bird. Johnson and Baronette have developed a brotherly

relationship of mutual respect, both parties’ talents complementing the other. The philosophy that surrounds both new businessmen is one of approachability, openness, and humility.

“Our philosophy at [93 Productions] is that we treat everybody equally, we love each other like we’re family, and, when we do something, we do it well,” Johnson said.

However, both companies have encountered some bumps along the way that had the creators doubting whether or not they could proceed. Baronette had to rebuild the studio after experiencing two floods— gushing water being a fatal blow to a lot of expensive recording equipment and space.

Johnson continues to knock heads with competing music promotion companies, but remains assured of his abilities and grounded in his philosophy.

“There’s a lack of resources for artists in Montreal... also at the same time it’s a really popping industry,” Johnson said.

“We have bands on our radar that are coming up left right and centre. I just think somebody needs to take the time to foster them and to teach them the ropes in order for them to able to accelerate. Montreal can be—and I think will be one day—a huge music hub.”

Yellow Bird is certainly a new resource that could be put to good use by bands of any genre. Baronette explained, “in Montre-

al, you’ve got two different stratifications: you’ve got the really not well-run and not well-supplied studios and then you’ve got your really expensive recording studios—I wanted to hit that middle ground so that people who didn’t have a million dollars could come and record in a nice place, and that higher-end clients could also come in, and their needs would still be fulfilled,” he said.

Baronette spent a year on the road, working sound for big names like Akon and Mac Miller. Having played music since the age of 14, Baronette shared how his experience working with bands led him to learn how to work audio equipment.

“I fell into this sort of by accident... somebody needed to work the PA system during rehearsal and somebody had to do it at the show. Somebody had to organize the shows... I ended up taking on those jobs.

All these little facets I was doing—because we couldn’t afford someone to do it—now I do them all as a business.”

The two music enthusiasts will be hosting an event entitled Encore on Jan. 10 at O Patro Vys. The event is the album launch for James Shannon, and it will be catered by 93 Productions.

For more information on 93 Productions, visit 93productions.com For more information on Yellow Bird, visit yellowbirdaudio.com

of 93 ProducTionS and jaSon aThaneSe baroneTTe. of yellow bird STudio. PhoTo by mia PearSon TaKen aT yellow bird STudio.

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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Quick Spins

Feature // music

We’re all streaming for success The consequences of low album sales on those who depend on them Cristina Sanza Contributor

Panda Bear - Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper (Domino Records; 2015) Under the moniker Panda Bear, experimental musician Noah Lennox has released his fifth full-length album, Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper. While Lennox is surely best known for his work in the band Animal Collective, his solo material proves to be just as remarkable. His style employs rhythmic sensibilities, using the canon technique: repeating and layering vocals and synth samples. Panda Bear continues in this vein but feels soulful and gentler than the 2011 album Tomboy. The new album has out of this world sound using harp samples and frog-like croaks and several tracks are linked by short inter-galactic interludes, perhaps a perfect soundtrack to your first venture into outer space. The lyrics are indecipherable for the majority of the album.

However, Lennox’s vocals have an incredible rhythmic sound that lulls you into an electronic daze, and track six, “Boys Latin” is a good example. Not to mention the lack of understanding leaves more to the imagination, which, in this case, is a good thing.

Trial Track: “Tropic of Cancer”

9/10

- Oneida Crawford

Ryan Adams – Do You Laugh When You Lie? (Pax-Am; 2014) Ever since he made his comeback in 2014, Ryan Adams has been restless. Non-stop touring, releasing a full-length self-titled album and running his own label—Pax-Am—are a few of the things that Ryan Adams has been occupied with. Despite his busy schedule, he added the release of a single series of seveninch records, which so far included Vampires, Jacksonville and 1984. And what better way to end 2014 than adding another single to the books? His newest seven-inch, Do You Laugh When You Lie?, was out on Dec. 9. The EP is composed of three songs; the title track on Side A and “By the Way” and “I’m In Love With You” on Side B. In comparison to his previous two albums that drifted into old-school punk and country tunes, this EP reminds you more of the old Ryan Adams. Although there is solid work in both the music and lyrics, Do You Laugh When You Lie? might leave you feeling a bit incomplete.

Trial track: “I’m in love with you”

7/10

- Evgenia Choros

In 1985, Billboard certified platinum albums to over 15 artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins and Madonna.

By the end of 2014, Taylor Swift’s 1989 was the only album to go platinum. It’s not that people aren’t listening to music, they’re just listening to it in another way.

Music streaming websites have been on the rise for over five years. In the first six months of 2014, music streaming increased by 42 per cent from 2013, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the entertainment industry’s leading music data information provider. Physical album sales dipped 14.3 per cent, and even digital sales went down 13 per cent.

Spotify, a Swedish music streaming company, has recently grown popular worldwide. With over 30 million songs accessible for free, even on mobile phones, Spotify has attracted more than 50 million listeners from over 55 countries. Although streaming sites have affected both physical and digita sales, it is argued that they are an alternative to illegal downloading and music piracy.

“The way I see it, record labels got really greedy in the CD era and started charging truly exorbitant amounts of money for each disc, which pushed younger listeners to piracy as sites like Napster rose in the 1990s,” Zack Greenburg, business and music writer for Forbes, said. “Music’s price was over inflated, but then crashed as a generation got used to downloading it for free.”

Napster, a file-sharing website where music was downloaded for free, caused album sales to plummet in the 1990s. Since then, physical record

get left behind, making basically zero dollars.”

While the average amount artists make per stream may have increased with the growth in users on Spotify in 2014, the numbers are still deceiving. Spotify claims that artists receive between $0.006 and $0.0084 per stream. Ed Sheeran’s song “Thinking out Loud” was number three on Spotify’s top 50 songs streamed the week of Dec. 28, and was listened to over 2.85 million times. With the figures provided, he would hypothetically have made between $17,100 and $23,940 in that week alone.

These numbers, however, don’t take into account that the revenue is split between labels, producers, songwriters, artists and others. The artist could in turn only make a small fraction of that revenue.

Sometimes, exposure is more important than money for indie artists: “[We] currently support music streaming services like Spotify,” said Brendan Lucas, president and co-founder of 5on4 Records Inc. in Montreal. “During the infancy stages of an artist’s career we believe that having the music available on any platform possible will be a benefit for their exposure. Although not as financially rewarding as a direct iTunes sale, music streaming exposes the music to a much larger audience.”

With the steady increase of users that listen to music online, the industry is quickly following through with the streaming model. In December 2014, Billboard announced that streams will count towards the rankings on the Billboard 200, and 1,500 song streams from any streaming service will count as an album sale. Streaming is here to stay, and artists can only hope that streaming revenue will soon equate to that of Graphic by Marie-Pier LaRose a standard album sale.

stores like HMV have resorted to selling other products such as clothing and accessories to keep the business going.

“It’s really hard. We’ve never been able to reverse the whole streaming and illegal downloading movement,” said Nadia Fortin, manager at HMV LaSalle.

“People got the impression that music was free, never realizing that people work to put the product out and they never get paid. To increase sales, we have arranged with our suppliers to sell the records at a competitive price.” Though Napster became illegal, retailers like HMV now have to compete with sites like Spotify.

Free music keeps listeners happy, but the reality is different for artists. Brittany Kwasnik, an independent musician from Montreal, plans to remove her music from Spotify.

“You have higher chances of people listening to your music through Spotify, but even if you get 100 people to listen to your album, you hope that out of those people, some of them would go out and buy the album,” Kwasnik said. “The reality, most times, is that they’re not going to actually buy your album. They’ll continue to stream it, and eventually you’ll

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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

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Profile // music

Daydream with The Vaselines The band fits smoothly back together after their 21-year hiatus with new album, V for Vaselines Sam Haughton Contributor

Speaking from his living room on a stormy day in Glasgow, Scotland, Eugene Kelly tells me about the genesis of his band, The Vaselines. He sounds very relaxed, almost affable, and his tone does as much as the story itself to help elucidate the central spirit of the group.

“We were just barely out of school when Frances [McKee] and I met,” says Kelly. “We just started going to clubs in Glasgow and meeting people who were into the same kind of music. [We were] discovering things, discovering films and music, really for the first time … Frances and I just decided to be part of it ...

When you do something when you’re that young, you don’t really see it as the beginning of a career. You put your heart and soul into it but you don’t really think ‘oh, this is gonna pay the bills,’ you just enjoy it as something that could disappear.”

That youthful ephemerality is one of the central draws of The Vaselines’ early work. It’s comforting in a way to hear what is essentially a few friends taking shots at each other and making dirty jokes (“Rory Rides Me Raw” stars a femalefriendly bike seat, “Molly’s Lips” can be interpreted at least two different ways), all underscored with a Velvet Underground style of sunshiney pop that never strays too far from a simple two-chord structure. This sense of ephemerality was further cemented by the band’s breakup almost immediately after the release of their first LP, Dum Dum, in 1989.

A full 21 years would elapse before they released another one. In the interim, nearly every genre of music experienced massive changes, and in fact, a whole new one, known as hip-hop, became the central focus of both the mainstream and the underground. The Vaselines, meanwhile, experienced one of the luckiest breaks a band can really hope for—they were covered by one of the biggest rock groups in the world. During the early ‘90s, Nirvana performed and recorded three Vaselines compositions: “Jesus Don’t Want Me For a Sunbeam,” “Molly’s Lips,” and “Son of a Gun” bringing a level of renown to a set of songs made “mostly for a laugh,” that was completely unexpected. “I haven’t had a job for 20 years,” Kelly told me, which we both agreed was probably the end-goal of being any sort of artist, “the royalty payments from those [songs] really helped us through the early years.”

Both Kelly and McKee had bands in these intervening years. Kelly’s band Eugenius (formerly Captain America), was signed to Atlantic Records, and proved to be relatively successful, while McKee’s band Suckle, formed with her sister, recorded two sessions for John Peel’s BBC Radio 1. After playing a few promotional shows together in 2006, The Vaselines officially rejoined, and in 2010 released Sex With An X, an album that, though certainly the work of at least slightly more mature songwriters, maintain the friendly intimacy that turned Dum Dum and the Sub-Pop compilation album, The Way of The Vaselines, into cult classics. That said, Sex With An X is often more enjoyable than these works, mostly owing to

some solid production that manages to make the music more aurally palatable while not sounding overly slick, and the simple fact that Kelly and McKee sound like they’re not straining themselves vocally on most tracks. The highlight of the album is “I Hate The 80’s” which is as catchy as it is bittersweet, closing with the nostalgic “Where did that boy go/

Where did that girl go.”

Last year’s V For Vaselines, is just further confirmation that The Vaselines can still put together a great set of songs, and it contains what I personally think is the hidden gem of their entire catalogue.

“Single Spies” feels like taking a breezy jog at sunset, sounding very reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac’s brand of soft-rock

with ‘60s handclaps thrown in for good measure.

The Vaselines play Bar Le Ritz (formerly Il Motore) this Sunday, Jan. 18. I’ve already promised to try to start a moshpit, seeing as Kelly vividly remembers a show in Scotland where “people were actually punching lumps at each other,” though I’m fairly certain that’s illegal.

Catch The Vaselines play their classic rock cult songs at Bar le Ritz Sunday Jan. 18. Photo by Niall Webster.

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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Top five // mUsiC

Late list of top 5 albums of 2014 we’re well into 2015, but it’s not too late to praise these five 2014 albums pAUL TRAUneRo ConTRiBUToR eVGeniA ChoRos Contributor

>> Rap God sued Being included in the 60th anniversary edition of the Guinness World Book of Records is quite an accomplishment, especially if you manage to say 1,560 words in six minutes and four seconds. That was no challenge for rapper Eminem as he blasted out his song “Rap God,” and conquered a place in the famous books. But it looks like the Detroit rapper was playing “rap god” with someone else’s song. Raymond Jones, a member of the rap-trio Hotstylz is suing Eminem and his record label for $8 million over the song, according to TMZ. Jones, AKA Raydio G, claims that “Rap God” features a 25-second use of Hotstylz’s “Lookin’ Boy,” which dates back to 2007. So far, Eminem has not commented on the issue.

>> Long live the king If he was still alive, Elvis Presley would have turned 80 on Jan. 8. But who says there can’t be a party without the birthday boy?

In memory of the king of rock‘n’roll, Legacy Recordings have planned a year-long celebration that will satisfy both the old and new fans of Elvis’ music. The pre-fiesta preparations started with the release of The Complete ‘60s Albums Collection Vol. 1 on iTunes. The set features all the LPs Presley recorded between 1960 and 1965, which have been remastered. However, the big fuss is happened on Jan. 8 when ElvisTheMusic.com lauched a comprehensive online database of all things Elvis.

Additionally, Graceland also live streamed an 80th birthday celebration for the singer in which Priscilla Presley made an appearance.

>> Slipknot to start a new chapter?

Even though Slipknot released its fifth major studio album, .5: The Gray Chapter in Oct. 2014, the band seems to be releasing a new album sooner than expected. In a recent interview with Music Radar, guitarists Mick Thomson and Jim Root said that they were hoping to start working on a new record as soon as they finish .5: The Gray Chapter‘s touring cycle. “It enables us to have songs in the can already before we go in a studio to work on a new album. We hope to do our next record sooner after touring .5. We don’t want to spend the same amount of time between albums as we’ve done with the last two,” Thomson said in the interview with Music Radar. Root added: “I’m constantly writing, maybe a little more than other guys in the band. I find it a very therapeutic thing to do on the road, where you’re estranged from your hobbies. But there are many cooks in the kitchen, so I never really had much opportunity to put my stuff forward before.”

her tracks. The album is a fusion of hip hop, rap, UK garage and house; a seamless mix enabled by the superb production, in addition to Banks’ confident rap phrasing and raw talent.

Because of its fearlessly contemporary sound, unapologetic personality and all of the doubt and criticism surrounding its release, Broke With Expensive Taste has earned the top spot of 2014!

5

Flying Lotus - You’re Dead!

Incorporating the improvisational spirit and ecstatic energy of hard bop jazz with Flying Lotus’ signature blend of ambient electronica and hip hop hooks, You’re Dead! immerses the listener in a twitchy, psychedelic journey, full of surprises and chaos.

Jazz music is viewed by many as a dated musical genre; You’re Dead! deserves its place on the top albums of 2014 for its innovation, creativity, and for infusing jazz music with new life and relevancy.

4

Timber Timbre - Hot Dreams

The Canadian folk-blues trio have always incorporated a cinematic quality into their music.

For their third studio album, Hot Dreams, they pulled inspiration from sinister southern gothic themes and haunting tales of love, lust and the occult, to create the feeling of a film noir-style western.

Lead singer Taylor Kirk’s haunting baritone, paired with the eerie atmospheric instrumentation featured throughout the album, immediately draws you into the glamorous yet menacing world unfurled.

Hot Dreams feels so timeless and immersive, it’s undeniable that Timber Timbre are masters of storytelling.

Azelia Banks

3

D’Angelo and The Vanguard Black Messiah

Originally intended for a late-2015 release date, D’Angelo decided to unleash his revolutionary spiritualism in light of the recent Ferguson protests and Occupy Wall Street movement.

Black Messiah is one of the most raw and organic albums of the year, painstakingly crafted during his 15 year absence from the music scene, while battling drug and alcohol addiction. This is soul music with real soul: dark and tormented, yet spiritual and uplifting. With all of the racism, violence and oppression we’ve witnessed this year, Black Messiah’s message is essential.

St. Vincent

2

St. Vincent - St. Vincent

Drawing a clear influence from her recent collaboration with ex-Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, St. Vincent’s eponymous fourth studio album is a departure from her previous sound, with glorious results!

The album incorporates elements of funk and art-rock, all within St. Vincent’s distinct pop sensibility, to create an irresistibly confident and progressive release that nearly stole the top spot on my list.

1

Azealia Banks - Broke With Expensive Taste

This year saw the surprise release of Harlem rapper Azealia Banks’ highly anticipated debut album, Broke With Expensive Taste. It’s been three years since Banks’ breakout single “212,” but the delay has done nothing to affect the freshness of

Flying Lotus

sports

Tuesday, January 13, 2015 //

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write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com profile // spoRTs

Donovan earns Coach of the Year After his inaugural year, the family-first concept has led to success on the field sAm oBRAnD staff writer

“Keep dreaming and keep believing, because without the dreams, it’s a hard life to live.

I kept dreaming,” said Concordia Stingers rookie head coach Mickey Donovan.

After revamping the Concordia Stingers football program, Donovan captured the top honour by being named the Réseau du Sports Étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) Conference Coach of the Year.

Donovan appeared to be quite flattered to have even been considered for the award.

However, his ambitions are set to a higher standard, and he feels as though the award represents more than just an individual honour.

“There’s only one trophy I really want and I haven’t gotten it, but to be the Coach of the Year in RSEQ, I really appreciate it,” said Donovan. “I think it’s a staff award.”

Donovan even went as far as getting individual plaques made for his entire coaching staff in order to emphasize their importance.

“A team isn’t done by one guy, and it’s not done by 10 guys, it’s whoever is involved.

Whether it’s the water guy, to the head coach, to one of the players, we’re all together and we’re all in it with some type of piece that keeps us together,” he said. “You treat everyone how you want to be treated, make everyone feel good, and everyone will be happy.”

Coaching alongside his brother Pat, the Donovans and the football staff led the Stingers to an impressive 5-3 record, as well as the team’s first playoff appearance since 2011.

Despite losing to Laval in the conference semi-finals, Donovan admitted that the season was fulfilling. It built a foundation for seasons to come, and he says that everyone is too competitive to settle for anything less than a title.

“They always say, ‘which one is your favorite championship?’ It’s the next one, and that’s how it goes for me, my brother, and the other coaches,” Donovan said.

“We all have main goals and our main goal is to get to the top. We want to be the best in the country,” he added.

When asked about the unity of the squad and the program, Donovan took a step back to reflect upon the season as a whole and focused on a single game that he believes to have served as the catalyst for the team’s morale.

“I think it all just came together. We had a pre-season game at Queen’s and we were down at halftime and we kept fighting and we won, and until this day I think that was the game that gave these guys life,” said Donovan. “It gave this program life again.”

A former Stinger himself, Donovan preaches a positive mentality and familyfirst environment to his players and coaching staff. He says that with the countless destructive events that take place around the globe, there’s simply no room for any

negativity in his locker room.

Donovan made it clear that one of the biggest keys to his recent success comes courtesy of his brother Pat. The relationship and respect between the two is evident to everyone involved with the team. Donovan says that the spirit and heart of his brother keeps him in check and allows him to make the proper decisions.

“I think the guys here, the players here and the coaches that we have, we preach family. And I could do that very easily because I have my brother working with me and the other coaches that I have are very close, it’s pretty good,” he said. “The kids see it, and they feel it and they believe in it.”

Donovan believes that if a single player comes to the field feeling unwelcomed or distraught, the team suffers as a unit. He shows extreme

compassion for his players and coaching staff and tries to secure the well-being of their environment.

“To show your love and your care for people when you truly mean it, it’s something natural that just comes off of you as a human being and I think that’s what pulled it all together in the right way,” said Donovan.

Sports in the News eVGeniA ChoRos staff writer

>> GOLD PRICES FOR A GOLD TOURNAMENT

This year, Canada beat Russia 5-4 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Jan. 5 to bring home the gold in the World Junior Championship. According to an article published by The Gazette last week, despite their success, the team did not manage to bring in as many fans in the preliminary games at the Bell Centre. According to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), low attendance at the Bell Centre was a result of the high ticket prices that Hockey Canada posted for the tournament. In a conference on Jan. 4, IIHF president Rene Fasel said, “Hockey Canada decides the prices of the tickets, not us,” according to TSN. Face-value tickets for games in Montreal started at $71.

>> HALL OF FAME ELECTIONS

According to ESPN, after receiving the necessary 75 per cent of the vote from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, four players were elected to the baseball Hall of Fame on Jan. 6. Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio will be officially inducted to the Hall on July 26 in Cooperstown, NY. “I was so excited. I was crying, I ain’t going to lie. I’m 49 years old—I was an emotional mess when it happened. Then I asked them if it was a prank phone call,” Craig Biggio told ESPN. A fan favourite that many Montreal fans may remember, Martinez, was a member of the Montreal Expos from 1994-1997.

>> HERNANDEZ TRIAL

Photo by Brianna Thicke

The trial of the former New England Patriots player, Aaron Hernandez, began on Jan 9, according to the ESPN Boston outlet. The former NFL player is accused of murdering Odin Lloyd, a 27-year-old semi-professional football player from Boston, in June 2013.

According to prosecutors, Hernandez and two other men picked Lloyd up at his home in Boston’s Dorchester area and took him to an industrial park near Hernandez’s home in North Attleborough, where he was shot to death. The trial is expected to last six to 10 weeks.

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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

men’s hockey // spoRTs

Stingers start second half of season with win Concordia’s men’s hockey team earns a hard-fought victory over the University of Toronto eLiAs LARADi staff writer

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team was looking to kick off 2015 on a positive note as they hosted the Toronto Varsity Blues on Friday, Jan. 9. The Stingers did just that with an impressive 5-3 win over the strong Toronto squad.

The Stingers started the game fast and just 19 seconds into the game, they jumped on the board with a 1-0 lead.

Forward Jessyko Bernard got a great pass from Gabriel Bourret and wired a quick shot past the Blues goaltender for the first goal of the game.

Twenty-two seconds later, the Stingers took to the power play when Blues player Michael Markovic got sent to the box for tripping. Toronto managed to kill the penalty and then started to turn the game around as they started to dominate

the tempo.

Toronto tied the game with 12 minutes left in the first period when Dean Klomp fooled Stingers goalie Robin Billingham with a quick release.

Concordia pushed to regain the lead but fell into some penalty trouble when Stefano Momesso got called for roughing.

Surprisingly enough, Concordia regained the lead while shorthanded: Bourret sprung Olivier Hinse with a breakaway pass, who tucked the puck past the goal line and restored Concordia’s lead.

Toronto pushed and continued to outshoot Concordia but could not beat Billingham. The Stingers got into more penalty trouble when forward Roberto Mormina got called for roughing. Concordia managed to kill the penalty with more extraordinary play from Billingham and, with 46 seconds left in the period, increased their lead. Phillipe Hudon got his first goal as a Stinger and led the Stingers into the first intermission with a 3-1 lead.

To start the second period, Toronto decided that a change in net was needed, and Garrett Sheehan replaced Michael Nishi. The change didn’t work. Four minutes later Concordia scored a goal on the power play to increase their lead to 4-1.

Stingers forward Marc-Olivier Brouillard got a pass from Hinse and beat Sheehan on his first shot of the night.

Toronto finally got another goal on the board and beat Billingham when Christian Finch fired a superb wrist shot past Concordia’s netminder. The period ended 4-2 and, as the Stingers headed into the locker room for the final intermission, the win was within reach.

The Blues refused to back down and forced the Stingers to earn the victory.

Toronto managed to cut the lead to one when Jeff Brown found the back of the net on a quick snap shot. Despite the tense moments late in the game, Concordia would seal the victory with 30 seconds left on an empty net goal by Antoine

Houde-Caron.

After the game, Stingers Head Coach Kevin Figsby was proud of his troops.

“I was impressed with our team, with our new guys Phillipe Hudon, Stefano Momesso and Jordan Bernier. They have been great acquisitions [during] Christmas time.”

The best player on the ice throughout the game was undoubtedly Concordia’s goaltender, who took a moment to admire his performance after the game.

“I felt pretty good, I felt refreshed,” said Billingham. “I got some new gear and it’s good because I felt taller out there. I was in Ottawa with my goalie coach training which helped a lot.”

After Friday’s win, the team travelled to Ryerson University on Saturday, Jan. 10. and lost to the Rams 3-2. The Stingers now sit at 7-14 and will try and turn things around on Friday, Jan. 16. when they visit the University of Windsor to play the Lancers.

Upcoming Stingers games COME CHECK OUT THE CONCORDIA STINGERS IN ACTION ON HOME TURF !

Men’s Basketball

Women’s Hockey

Thursday, Jan. 15, at 8 P.M. VS Bishop’s

Friday, Jan. 16, at 7:30 P.M. VS McGill

at Ed Meagher Arena

at Ed Meagher Arena

Women’s Basketball Thursday, Jan. 15, at 6 P.M. VS Bishop’s at Ed Meagher Arena

MORE INFO AT STINGERS.CA

CoNCorDia’s CaPtaiN oliVier hiNse sliPs the PUCK Past toroNto’s Goalie MiChael Nishi DUriNG the seCoND PerioD. the stiNGers WeNt oN to WiN 5-3. Photo by briaNNa thiCKe.

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

opinions

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write to the editor: opinions@theconcordian.com editorial // opinions

No one deserves to be murdered for words This week’s tragedy at Charlie hebdo reminds us of the importance of freedom of speech When putting together our small, hyperlocal, weekly publication, there are many things that we worry about. Often, we worry about being late for sending the paper to the printers. Other times, we fear getting an angry letter from someone unhappy with a story. We hope we haven’t printed any errors. And, once in a while, we fear getting a letter from a lawyer.

But there is one thing that we are never worried about, something which no journalist should ever have to fear.

The fear that someone will dislike what has been published to the point that they

feel it is acceptable—no, necessary—to send journalists and publications letters filled with hate. The fear that these people will throw a Molotov cocktail into the publication’s office. The fear that armed people will enter the office and attempt to shoot and kill as many of its employees as they can.

Simpy because these journalists—these human beings—exercised their right to free speech.

On Jan. 7, two armed gunmen walked into the office of the satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo. Ten employees and

two police officers were shot dead. Their satirical drawings were known internationally for depicting touchy subjects with an irreverent pencil to paper, including comics ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad.

Since the tragedy, the whole world has come together to remember those who died last week, and to speak of the importance of freedom of speech. Those who took to the steets in protest, it is important to remember, supported many things more than just boundless free speech. You do not have to support what the editorial staff at Charlie Hebdo chose to print, but

their right to do it should not be threatened under any circumstances.

Regardless of whether the public agrees with the satire produced or not, everyone deserves to live in a society where discourse on controversial issues is allowed, period.

In that sense, The Concordian is Charlie. We believe that innocent people should not be killed over drawings and words, that differences in opinion should be welcomed, and that freedom of speech is a human right that should be a given for everyone, everywhere.

Culture // opinions

Hate New Year’s resolutions? Resolve to be nicer support those who are trying to do better: don’t minimize them

the world.

In early January, people make resolutions. And I think that’s amazing.

Everyone is letting their dreams out of the little closets in their mind. People are trying to become better. People are rolling up their sleeves for their own sake, and the sake of those around them.

So, when did resolutions become passé?

I’ve been hearing it more and more: “most people don’t go through with them anyway,” “they’re clogging up my gym,” or some-such thing. Besides the idea that

it is “your gym” (get off your fitness highhorse), I have to ask—who the hell do you think you are?

You don’t want to make a resolution? That’s perfectly fine. And if people are pressuring you to come up with one, that’s horrible. A resolution has to be something you want to do, otherwise it loses all meaning. These next paragraphs aren’t aimed at you.

It’s for the people who openly mock and criticize people who decide to make a resolution. How dare—and yes, dare you—mock someone for trying to make

themselves better? For trying to make someone else’s life better? I don’t care if they took your favourite treadmill at the gym, or if you blame them for buying up all the supplies for your favourite hobby.

I don’t care if you’re the kind of person who hates when people don’t finish what LAURA mARChAnD they start. opinions editor Because they are trying. They are trying really fucking hard. Do you know how intimidating it is to be out of shape I absolutely love New Year’s Eve. and walk into the gym for the first time?

Though, to be honest, I couldn’t care How scary it is to pick up a huge, comless about a ball dropping or people plex and daunting hobby? How absoluteswarming Times Square. I’m not a party ly terrifying it could be, person—I’ll take tea and looking at a map of the slippers over a club any day big wide world and deof the week. Changing a ciding to go at it alone? number on the date holds, It takes a metric ton of frankly, very little sentimencourage. tal value to me. On top of all In my eyes, dethose, it’s cold—especially ciding to do better is so without the sentimentalsomething we should ity of the holidays. all hold on the highest Know what makes New pedestal. Even if they Years so amazing? People. only go to the gym It seems that, in early once. Even if they nevJanuary, everyone comes er touch a paintbrush. alive. They glow with someEven if they never purthing you don’t see any chase a plane ticket. other time of the year. SudI’m willing to stand on denly, they’re talking about the sidelines cheering going to the gym. Getting on the people I care healthy. Saving the enviabout, for however ronment. Finishing that big long they’re willing to project—or maybe getting go. Maybe they’ll make their big break. it, maybe they won’t.

Look around: quiet peoBut I refuse to be the ple are coming out of their gatekeeper standing shells. People are looking between them and for love. Some are cutting their dreams—and you and dying their hair, or comshould too. pletely changing their look.

In 2015, resolve to I’m talking about learning be a supportive human languages, learning to draw, learning to (finally) ride a maKing reSoluTionS iS a STaPle of new yearS, Though There SeemS To be a growing Trend of reSoluTion-baSherS. PhoTP from flicKr being. Clearly, you need it. bike. Getting ready to travel by alan cleaver.

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Tuesday, january 13, 2015

Social media // opinions

Five thousand miles for one connection?

One man’s social experiment reminds us that online relationships shouldn’t be discredited as shallow Laura Marchand Opinions editior

F

or most of us, the “Suggested Friends” feature on Facebook is something we happily ignore. Filled with friend-of-a-friends, distant family we’ve never heard of, or people we’ve purposely tried to avoid adding, very few people even give it a second glance—let alone travel across the world looking for them.

So what compelled Belgian Man Victor Van Rossem to travel over 5,000 miles to meet his Suggested Friend?

You see, Rossem saw an interesting man pop up in his Suggested Friends list.

His name was Neal D. Retke: 49 years old (Rossem was 24 at the time), with a long, scraggly beard and living in Texas. At the beginning, Rossem did not understand why Facebook’s algorithm had told them to connect.

“I became fascinated by him. He had a long beard and looked a little unusual.

He did art performances and paintings of mythical creatures and strange beasts which only made me more interested in him,” Rossem told The Daily Mail. “He looked like someone I wanted to meet—a very eccentric person.”

So he did exactly that. After Facebook

messages went unanswered, Rossem took the next natural step—and flew to Texas.

Rossem plastered Austin with posters that read: “Are you, or have you seen this man? Facebook said we could be friends.

Please help!”

But what could compel a person to track down a stranger based off a social media algorithm? Rossem says he wanted to take friendship back “to the real world”—personalize it, I suppose. He ultimately did track down Retke, who (luckily) did not find the whole thing creepy at all. They might even see each other again this summer.

On one hand, I agree with one aspect of Rossem’s idea: that becoming superficial “friends” is so, so easy. A friend acceptance on Facebook. A mutual follow on Twitter. Wham, bam, thank you ma’am—friendship done.

However, I take offense to the idea of bringing something back to the “real world.” Because despite what your parents might have thought, online relationships are—for all intents and purposes— “real.”

I have had an online friendship for over ten years now. It took three years before we would meet, and can sometimes go years before we meet again. For the vast majority of our friendship, we’ve talked exclusively through text. Likewise, for half a year, my romantic relationship—

and every other relationship I had based in Montreal—was relegated to Skype.

I can’t help but object to the idea that you need to physically meet someone in order for a relationship to be real. I see countless articles claiming that the Millennial generation is “anti-social” and “attached to their screens,” without the authors taking into account who is on the other side. Does the Internet give us the tools to have hundreds of superficial, “friend accepted” relationships? Yes.

Does the Internet allow us to have deep, meaningful relationships with people all over the world, regardless of age, ethnicity, sexuality or “social status”? A resounding yes.

I appreciate what Rossem was trying to do: to make a friend request more than a click of the button. But not all relationships online are so shallow: next time I travel thousands of miles for someone I’ve only met online, I promise you, it will be for a friend.

Posters were plastered all over Austin, Texas, seeking a man Facebook suggested for Belgian Victor Van Rossem. “Neal D Retke For President” Facebook Page.

Consumerism // opinions

Dild-uh-oh: not the ‘toy’ kids were hoping for Play-Doh dildo toy ‘ruins Christmas’, claim parents ROBIN STANFORD Contributor

E

veryone has been there. One last holiday present to buy for the child of a friend you haven’t seen in ages. What do you get the child who has everything, and for whom a sex toy may be too risqué? Mattel is there for your needs, with the Sweet Shoppe Cake Mountain playset.

Included is an “extruder”—or plastic icing topper—for use with Play-Doh putty. It is shaped much like half of a cucumber with a spiral along the cylinder and a beaded texture ring for the child’s comfort. Parents should not be worried about the object slipping from their child’s grasp, as Mattel has been kind enough to include a flared base.

Needless to say, much like the “buttplug” sculpture in Paris, not everyone was appreciative of the company’s newest product. As reported by CBC News on Dec. 31, customer Jennifer Turner claims that her daughter receiving this gift “ruined our Christmas.” Similarly, others on Twitter questioned how such an adultseeming toy came to be included in the Play-Doh set.

Congratulations should be extended to the individual(s) who came up with the creative design and managed to convince marketing to package this product. How did that even happen? Only two possibilities come to mind: a dare gone too far, or

an awkwardly intimate evening. Regardless, the decision to replicate something from the “pleasure chest” was daring to say the least.

The marketing department clearly dropped the balls on this, but probably meant well. Any individual looking at this design would know how difficult it would be for the general public to take.

Was there no focus testing among the parents, who would, one would imagine,

the extruder tool, included with from bmance_kingdoms on Twitter.

be buying your product? If so, their odd expressions were probably a clue of what was to come.

As a result of the extruder’s production, customers poured onto Play-Doh’s Facebook page with comments and pictures. Mattel, for their part, handled complaints with the grace expected of any major corporation. All questions, comments, suggestions, and angry assertions were removed from the Play-Doh

Matel’s Sweet Shoppe Cake Mountain

playset.

Photo

by

Facebook page. To their credit, a new design has been announced and they will be sending disgruntled customers new extruders.

The victory was well-won by the outraged parents. One can only wonder how they plan to rid the world of other Johnson imitators. First among them being the cucumber, which would need to be taken out of homes and school kitchens. Characters such as Disney’s Pinocchio would require a major overhaul as well, or at least rhinoplasty. The Washington Monument would also need to be reworked, in order to remove the unseemly design.

The question that no one seems to be asking is how does this affect the children? At the time of writing, no information was available on this.

It would seem, from evidence in children’s cartoons, that they don’t understand sexual humor or necessarily recognize shapes the same way as adults.

BuzzFeed, for example, has published many lists showing adult humour that was not understood by their intended audience. For example, in SpongeBob SquarePants, SpongeBob is caught watching sea-pornography in one episode. In another, he tells another character not to drop the soap. Children do not understand this in the same way as their parents will.

Regardless of how damaging this toy is to the young psyche, the true danger is clear. Parents seem worried about that day when their child goes looking for their extruder and can’t find it anywhere.

When the parents can’t be bothered to look. The day that their youngster enters the room with another object, says they can’t get the “icing” to come out—and is holding Mom’s toy instead.

Recipe // eTC

The world was shocked by the events unfolding in Paris, and that was perhaps most evident on Twitter. #JeSuisCharlie quickly became the most tweeted hashtag in the history of Twitter, with over 3 million tweets and counting. Hereʼs a selection of some of the insightful, and at times, divisive opinions online this week.

@kikikucko How am I supposed to remember all of this? #finalsweek @sallykohn “Would be nice if all those supporting #JeSuisCharlie would also oppose France’s ban on hijabs. Because free speech.” @AllisonHanes “#JeSuisCharlie, of course, but what about #Baga? Why did the world ignore Boko Haram’s Baga attacks?” @TheBeaverton “World Leaders march in Paris to defend their exclusive right to suppress journalists.” @Ostrov_A “Born today 1729, Edmund #Burke: “Only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” How apt today. #JeSuisCharlie”

This healthy comfort food, from our Production Manager Michelle Gamage, is a fresh and simple beet salad that makes a warm, light and vegetarian dinner that everyone will enjoy.

-Salty feta ½ cup, crumbled -Beets 3 medium sized, chopped -Fresh mint a whole bunch -Extra virgin olive oil 1/3 cup -Couscous -Raisins

Tuesday, November 25, 2014 Vol. 32 Issue 13 Nathalie Laflamme Editor-in-Chief editor@theconcordian.com Michelle Gamage Production manager production@theconcordian.com Milos Kovacevic News editor news@theconcordian.com Frederic T. Muckle Assistant news editor Sara Baron-Goodman Life editor life@theconcordian.com

2 cup 1/3 cup

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. 2. Scrub the beets with water and a scrub brush. Cut them into twoinch cubes.

3. Place the beets on a baking sheet, then drizzle them with about four tablespoons of olive oil.

4. Wrap tin foil over them tightly. Cook for about an hour until tender.

5. Rinse the mint, and then coarsely chop it.

6. Boil two cups of water. When boiling, add the couscous. Stir once, remove from heat, and cover for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, fluff with a fork and put in a large bowl.

7. Add the mint, raisins, and olive oil to taste.

8. When the beets are finished, add them to the bowl, and crumble feta on top. Serve warm.

Crossword // eTC

Mia Pearson Music editor music@theconcordian.com Tim Lazier Sports editor sports@theconcordian.com Laura Marchand Opinions editor opinions@theconcordian.com Keith Race Photo editor photo@theconcordian.com Andrej Ivanov Assistant photo editor Jocelyn Beaudet Online editor online@theconcordian.com

@JulianTheIntern “I’m at this wrestling event and one of the wrestlers has #JeSuisCharlie drawn on his back. It’s everywhere.”

Marie-Pier LaRose Graphics editor graphics@theconcordian.com Gregory Todaro Emily Gaudet Marilla Steuter-Martin Copy editors copy@theconcordian.com

@La_Casella “Best accessory of the night so farGeorge Clooney wearing #JeSuisCharlie lapel pin #GoldenGlobes #solidarity”

Natasha Taggart Marilla Steuter-Martin Production assistants

@pauleedle “If US had reacted to 9/11 with big unity demos instead of 2 ill-conceived invasions, how might the world be different now? #JeSuisCharlie”

Editorial office 7141 Sherbrooke St. Building CC-Rm 431 Montreal, QC H4B 1R6

@thelittleidiot “Can someone draw a cartoon of a teacher patiently explaining to Islamic extremists and Kim Jong un that art isn’t literal? #JeSuisCharlie”

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

@cathywilcox1 “3 million people march in solidarity. Not vengeance. #JeSuisCharlie”

William Atsaidis Advertising manager advertising@theconcordian.com

@sooojune ““They wanted to bring France to its knees. They brought Europe to its feet.” #JeSuisCharlie”

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

@AlexiaTarare “#JeSuisCharlie not because I agree with what they were printing but I agree with the fact that they had the right to print what they think.” @GabriellaPks ““I do not agree with what you say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.” - Voltaire #JeSuisCharlie #IAmCharlie”

Lindsay Richardson Arts editor arts@theconcordian.com

Contributors

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Marco Saveriano, Oneida Crawford, Evgenia Choros, Sam Obrand, Elias Laradi, Saray Oritz, Marie Briere, Robin Stanford, Matthew Civico, Stephen Ho

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Beets by Michelle

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