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life sports

Dress to impress: Montreal fashion week and Pop P. 8-10

Womens hockey prevails P.5

POP brings down the house

P. 16-19

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

arts Artist Stephen Talasnik creates a carnival of perfect lines P. 13

sports Women’s rugby is not what you think, says Stinger Jackie Tittley P. 22

editorial Closed-session meetings impede democracy P. 23

Volume 28 Issue 6

Photo by Shannon H. Myers

Board of Governors defeats two motions on tuition

Grad students’ president vows to continue fighting against rising international tuition fees Jacques Gallant Assistant news editor

Although the two motions looking to ease the financial burden of international and graduate students may have been denied at last Thursday’s Board of Governors meeting, the Graduate Students’ Association’s president doesn’t think the day was a total loss.

“I look at it as a kind of win, because we had at least nine or 10 governors who voted in favour, which tells us that there is support for our demands,” said Adnan Abueid, who is hoping to bring the motions before the board again.

While several governors voted against the motions (which were taken together), most didn’t raise their hands at all, preventing the two-thirds majority required to pass.

The first of the two bills called for the board to respect the will of the 2,500 people who signed a petition to cease further tuition increases for international students.

In the wake of the deregulation of certain programs by the provincial government, the Board of Governors voted in May 2009 to up the tuition for international students beginning in the fall 2009 session by 50 per cent (an extra $6,000 per year) for graduate business programs, by 28 per cent (an extra $3,199.92 per year) for business undergrads, and by 17 per cent (an extra $1,950.24 per year) for undergrads in engineering and computer science. Tuition was again increased for the same students for the summer 2010 session.

The GSA’s first motion also demanded that

Concordia’s international students be immediately reimbursed for the above-mentioned costs and that financial transparency be provided to discover how the money stemming from the increases has been spent.

“The increases are troubling because you have students arriving in Montreal who don’t have awards or support from their own government,” said Abueid, who lashed out at the university for failing to properly inform the international student population of the modifications to tuition.

He also inquired as to why Concordia doesn’t charge international students resident tuition fees in its PhD programs, as is the case at McGill and Université de Montréal. According to university spokeswoman Chris Mota, the reason is budget-related.

“It is important to remember that the government charges international students the same rate at all universities, but at McGill they have decided to absorb the difference in their PhD programs in order to charge international students resident tuition fees,” she stated. “This is just not an option at Concordia right now when you look at finances.”

The GSA’s second motion called for the board to rescind the new billing structure for graduate students, which requires them to pay their tuition fees in larger lump sums. ‘’When you think of international students who also have that 50 per cent increase, it’s a lot of money to pay up front,’’ said Abueid.

As this is a transition year for the billing structure, grad students have until Aug. 31, 2011 to pay their tuition fees.

According to the board, the new system aligns Concordia with other Quebec universities and allows for access to an annual sum of $600,000 for funding graduate programs and student support.

Not good enough, according to Abueid. ‘’It’s only certain students who benefit from this kind of support, but yet it’s all students who have to pay.’’

Former FASA VP’s name cleared at council Students in fine arts looking to move forward after constitutional fiasco Jacques Gallant Assistant news editor A month-long war of words over whether or not the executive of the Fine Arts Student Alliance had the right to terminate their VP finance came to a close last night with the student’s name being cleared and with calls made to modify FASA’s embattled constitution.

“I’m satisfied and I feel it was productive,” said former VP finance Laura Glover following FASA’s council’s unanimous decision to clear her of all allegations made against her by the executive. “I just hope that issues like this don’t come up again in the future.”

The issue in question revolved around FASA executive asking Glover in a letter dated Sept. 1 to resign from her position after only four months, citing a lack of confidence in her

See “‘Heated meeting...” on p.3

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Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

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City in brief Evan LePage

Proposed BoG changes don’t sit well with faculty

At a Concordia Board of Governors meeting on Sept. 30, members of the board were offered recommendations on structural changes by the Ad Hoc Governance Review Committee that some faculty members didn’t take to kindly. Lawyer and board member Rita de Santis spoke on behalf of the committee, and suggested multiple changes they felt would make the board more effective, including reducing the number of board members from 40 to 24, and reducing the number of standing committees from 14 to eight. The reduction of board members would also translate into a reduction of faculty members on the board from six (six full-time) to three (two full-time and one part-time), which drew some critical response from those in attendance. One member of the faculty used his comment to point out to de Santis that “the faculty is the heart of the university.”

Water main break closes part of CC building

All morning classes on the first floor of the Loyola campus’ Central building were cancelled on Monday after a water main break. According to one campus security worker, a 24-inch crack in the water main led to flooding in the building. The problem could not be fully fixed during the morning, causing afternoon and evening classes in the same location to be relocated as a result of the flood.

QPIRG McGill alleges electronic, physical attack

McGill University’s branch of the Quebec Public Interest Research Group has been at the centre of two apparent attacks in recent weeks, the McGill Daily reported. Last Tuesday, the QPIRG’s website was hacked and their homepage changed, possibly in connection of an ongoing campaign from certain McGill organizations, like Conservative McGill, encouraging students to opt out of the research group’s fee-levy. A week earlier, members of the opt-out campaign clashed with members of QPIRG in the hallway, when the latter alleges that one of their board members was grabbed and prevented from leaving by former Conservative McGill president Jess Weiser. The confrontation apparently occurred after members of QPIRG removed fliers and posters from the opt-out campaign’s table.

ConU students promote MTL in NYC = Tremblay serves poutine

Four business students from Concordia got a chance to illustrate their marketing prowess, grasp on social media and city pride when they were selected to create an advertisement campaign promoting Montreal’s trade mission to New York City, the Gazette reported. During New York’s ad week last week, the campaign was put into action through a few stunts, including a Cirque du Soleil performance and Mayor Gérald Tremblay serving poutine at a Montreal-sponsored party. The ad campaign was originally assigned as class work last May, but the board of the Association of Quebec Advertising Agencies were apparently extremely impressed with the students’ submission and advanced understanding of social media, and put them in charge of the project.

CAMPUS

Two candidates on ASFA byelection ticket

ASFA trying to encourage voting as students decide on new VP communications Evan LePage News editor The nominations are in, and only two names will be on the ballot for the VP communications position in the Arts and Science Federation of Association when students go to polls next week.

“While in some elections we receive more candidates than others, we respect the time constraints most students encounter while in university and we appreciate those who decide to involve themselves in student government,” Nick Cuillerier, ASFA’s chief electoral officer, wrote in an email.

The two candidates, third year political science major Golam Kazi and third year communications studies student Natasha Launi, began their campaigning period last week, and have until Oct. 11 to make an impression on the faculty’s students.

This fall’s byelection was made necessary by the resignation of Marco De Gregorio, who decided to end his studies at Concordia and move back to Calgary. De Gregorio became ASFA’s VP communications after accusations of illegal campaign spending overturned the initial election victory of candidate Sarah Moore.

With only two candidates in the running and few posters filling campus walls (only Launi had posters up by print time), the byelection will

likely attract an even lower voter turnout than elections last spring. Despite acknowledging that all student associations face the issue of low voter participation, Cuillerier said ASFA is striving to improve, starting with this byelection. “This year, we are increasing voter awareness through using Facebook, posters, and engaging students on campus to vote,” he said.

This effort is being reinforced in the messages of both candidates.

“I would like to encourage everyone to get informed about the elections and go out and vote,” Launi wrote in an email. “We are fortunate to live in a society where we get to choose the people who represent us and a lot of students completely take that right for granted.”

Kazi also encourages all students to take the time to vote, regardless of their candidate of choice, and added that he spoke with Launi, and they were both “certain that this would be a proper and clean election.”

He concluded: “So it would be a shame if students didn’t come and be a part of this amazing process.”

Voting takes place Oct. 12 and 13 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the lobby of the Hall Building, the fourth floor of the Hall Building, and the lobby of the LB Building downtown, as well as the lobby of the AD building and the lobby of the SP Pavilion on the Loyola campus.

Your Candidates Golam Kazi Kazi has volunteered with ASFA and the CSU for many events including every Cultural Night, and has been DJ for multiple events as well.

Why are you the best candidate

for the position?

I think I’m the best candidate for the position because I have a good understanding of crowd mentality.

When it comes to promoting events and advertising, it is not just a matter of creating a Facebook group or putting up posters. Not to say that those aren’t good options. But it is important to understand the nature of whatever it is that is being presented to the students. I also have a better understanding of the inner workings of ASFA given my close relationship with most of the executives from last year.

What will your mandate be if elected?

My mandate is very simple. I want make ASFA more accessible to the students. So I’m calling my campaign the “Our ASFA campaign” and its goal is to give the students a voice in ASFA. So I’m taking specific steps to ensure students can have a say. I will be arranging a meeting time every week at school, open to all students who can come and speak to me in person to voice their concerns, have their ideas heard or just simply talk to me. I’m a big proponent of creative work whether it is music, visual arts or any other form of self-expression.

So I would promote and organize online contests where students can submit their work to ASFA and be recognized for their contribution to an association, which is essentially theirs.

I will also establish stronger relationship with all the member associations.

What message would you offer to students?

It’s a simple message. It is your money that goes into funding everything ASFA does. These are your years as a student and should be the most memorable years of you lives. But

only you can design these memories.

So elect me and give me a chance to have your voice heard.

Natasha Launi Launi has been active on the Coms Guild as a representative, VP Social and now Co-President, and is also a professional photographer and graphic artist.

Why do you feel you’re the best candidate to fill the position?

I feel I am the best candidate for the position because I work in communications on a professional level and I study it. I am fluent in all aspects of the communications field like graphic design, filming, editing, photography, and public relations. I am beneficial to the ASFA executives because I offer a lot of hands on experience, something the other candidate does not have.

What will your mandate be if elected?

I want to create visibility for ASFA (i.e. better website, visibility campaign, using social media), protest for student rights and communicate effectively on behalf of ASFA. President Woodsworth plans on lifting the tuition freeze by 2012 and for many students this would be a big financial burden. I have a voice and encourage speaking up for what is right.

What message would you offer to students?

There are so many interesting events and opportunities available to Arts and Science students organized by ASFA. Apathy is a problem amongst students and when you get involved you gain as much as you give. Get involved, see what’s out there for you and most importantly, go out and vote!

CAMPUS

Sustainable Concordia takes tougher stance on board members Board reps must now write end-ofyear reports, and face penalties for missing meetings Alessia Faustini Contributor Sustainable Concordia’s annual general meeting last Thursday resulted in several changes to the organization’s constitution, which now pushes a little more involvement from the individuals sitting on its board of directors.

Notably, electorates who miss two consecutive meetings without giving adequate notification will be considered “resigned,” and this clause will also be enforced during summer months.

“The article relating to absenteeism, in this context, is an attempt to express the importance of the summer session for planning and

strategic visioning, both key components of BOD responsibilities,” said the organization’s external communications coordinator Pawel Porowski.

According to Sustainable Concordia’s office manager Ghanish Ghoorah, the stricter rules pertaining to the board of directors were actually largely the work of the board itself.

“This is the first time Sustainable Concordia has had a BOD who worked very closely with us, and we learned a lot from the very beneficial collaboration/experience,” Ghoorah wrote in an email. “Hence, the board proposed some changes.”

The changes were largely motivated by difficulties encountered last year, when resignations left only five people sitting on the board, and consequently made maintaining the voting quorum of four difficult to maintain.

We are very excited about the constitutional changes that were approved by our membership this year,” said Porowski. “The board of directors, which is now celebrating its first full year of activity since Sustainable Concordia’s incorporation in October of 2009, will now enjoy better

cohesiveness within the organization and stronger relationships between its members and SC staff.”

Held in the CSU Lounge in the Hall building, the 2010 general meeting saw more than 60 attendees unanimously approve the constitutional amendment concerning the repercussions for board members missing meetings.

The changes are indicative of the organization’s expectation for a heightened level of commitment from its elected members - an expectation that also came through in a second constitutional amendment which requires all paid staff of Sustainable Concordia to prepare a detailed report at the end of each fiscal year.

Ghoorah added that the second modification was made in order to help keep track of achievements and build institutional memory, as well as to help “train new staff and produce a more accurate bi-annual SC report.”

Apart from constitutional amendments, this year’s general meeting was also the forum for members of the organization, which is student fee levy,s to approve the budget for

the upcoming year. Twelve people from three different categories were also elected during the meeting to sit on the organization’s board: six undergraduate representatives, three staff and faculty representatives and three honorary members.

Despite some constitutional changes, the organization remained committed to its mandate. Amidst much talk from members of the organization about the significance of living in a sustainable and responsible manner, both on an individual level and within the school sphere, Philippe Colas, a professor at the John Molson School of Business who was involved in the creation of Sustainable Concordia, looked towards the future of sustainability in the university with his address to the room.

“I think sustainability needs cross-fertilization between different faculties,” Colas said. “I dream one day of having a minor in sustainability available at Concordia, which would include having our students learn with all different fields including management […] marketing, as well as philosophy and geography.”

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/theconcordian CAMPUS

Continued from cover ...

Heated meeting leads to creation of ad hoc

committee to re-examine flawed constitution ability to attend to the responsibilities of the position. The letter was signed by co-presidents Paisley Sim and Neal Moignard, and CC’ed to Tricia Middleton, the student relations coordinator in fine arts.

In Glover’s opinion, the move to remove her was unconstitutional, for according to FASA’s constitution, the president or presidents cannot terminate a member of the executive.

Such an action would require a twothirds majority vote by council.

For their part, the executive maintained that what they did was legal, due to the fact that the finance VP is not elected, but rather appointed and paid an hourly wage. This titlerelated confusion brought about a constitutional catastrophe that lasted for weeks.

During that time, a website set up by fine arts students, calling itself FASA reform, published private emails sent between the executive and certain member clubs of the alliance, which defamed the image of FASA, according to co-president Paisley Sim. “FASA reform’s website and its Facebook page should now disappear because it has certainly done some damage to FASA,” she said.

The motion passed last night also cleared the executive of the allegations made against them on the FASA reform site.

Sim feels that the alliance will now be able to move forward because the VP finance predicament has made the council fully realize

that they inherited a constitution she was partly to blame for the althat was far from perfect. liance’s surplus, a statement that This was made highly obvious was retracted by the executive at last night, as vague constitutional last night’s meeting even before the clauses provoked a melee of emo- motion clearing Glover’s name was tions and opinions among FASA’s 17 passed. member associations. In the middle Although the former finance of it all, VP maintains a newlythat most of appointed what was neutral said about her chair did was false, Sim his best to would not “Council should not keep everycomment on one focused contain elitist, dictato- the issue, staton the topic ing that she rial co-presidents who preferred not at hand, which was to dwell on bully and threaten far from the past. easy.

“Seeing fine arts students,” Glover, as FASA has who officialnow come AJ West, president of the cinema ly resigned to a decision students association from her on this point, position at I’d rather just last night’s look at the council future,” she meeting, said, promiswas permiting that many ted to make a statement in which exciting things are to come for fine she said she felt her character had arts in the coming year. been diminished by the executive’s So FASA’s executive’s right to terreasons for her firing, most of which minate Glover’s position may still not she claimed were not true. be completely clear, but representa“I also want to reiterate that these tive AJ West says he is content with reasons were never communicated what was hashed out at last night’s to me in a personal setting,” she said meeting. The cinema students assoto applause from those gathered. ciation, of which West is a member, Among the allegations were as well as the dance students assothe fact that Glover had apparently ciation had been at the forefront of failed to return FASA’s keys and that calls for more transparency at FASA,

“

going as far as proposing a formal recall of co-presidents Sim and Moignard for, among other things, creation of an unconstitutional executive position.

“Council should not contain elitist, dictatorial co-presidents who bully and threaten fine arts students,” said West in his presentation to council.

West indicated that an email sent by co-president Moignard to CSA, DSA as well as the design art student association seemed to allude that their club status under FASA could be jeopardized due to their opposition.

In any event, the motion for recall was never considered, but West feels transparency has been attained.

“We didn’t necessarily expect that motion to go through in the beginning anyway,” he said. “Our goal was to have council discuss the executive’s decision [regarding Laura Glover’s termination] and that’s what they did and they decided on it. So it’s great.”

At the very end of the meeting, well past 11 p.m., a motion was passed to set up an ad hoc committee composed of one member of the executive (current VP finance Julie Johnston), four members of the council, and one student-at-large to offer recommendations on modifying the constitution to ensure once and for all that such warfare among students never takes place again.

ADMINISTRATION

Di Grappa quits after almost 25 years

Former acting president decamps to McGill Sarah Deshaies Editor-in-chief

After almost 25 years working in Concordia’s administration, vicepresident of services Michael Di Grappa is moving on to bigger and better things -- namely, a new job at McGill University.

Concordia announced Sept.

29 that Di Grappa will be stepping down Oct. 31 to become the new VP administration and finance at McGill.

Di Grappa said he was approached over the summer by a headhunter on behalf of the university. The hiring was decided upon by McGill’s board of governors at a Sept.

28 meeting.

The decision was not an easy one. “It’s extremely difficult. I’ve only known one employer my whole career, although I’ve changed position within Concordia from time to time in 1986,” Di Grappa said. “The thought of leaving Concordia was a scary one, and something I didn’t take lightly.”

But Di Grappa decided to make the jump. “I realized it was a big opportunity and a big challenge and I thought it would be something that

would be wonderful to try,” he said.

He will be taking on the financial portfolio, which he says is more complex work to handle. And the prospect of McGill as a strong research university was also promising.

Di Grappa received his degree from Concordia’s School of Community and Public Affairs in 1984, and completed a master’s degree in public policy and administration at New York’s Columbia University. He completed an internship at Concordia in summer 1985, working on the planning of the Library-McConnell building, and began his career in 1986 as an assistant to the Office of the Rector. He has held the position of VP services since 2000.

Notably, Di Grappa filled in as acting president of the university following the departure of Claude Lajeunesse from the top job in November 2007, until the hiring of current president Judith Woodsworth in July 2008.

Di Grappa declined in a phone interview last week to discuss his potential change in salary. But records from McGill show that François R. Roy, the last person to hold the post of VP administration and finance at McGill, received a base salary in 2008-2009 of almost $275,000; with other elements added, his total salary was just over $300,000. For that same year, according to Concordia, when Di Grappa was VP services and acting president, his base salary was just over $240,179, for a total just over $330,042. The potential difference in salary between the two jobs could be an extra $30,000 at Concordia.

Nation in brief Evan LePage

BC Journalism students win documentary Emmy

Journalism students from the University of British Columbia have been awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Investigative Journalism in a News Magazine for a documentary they filmed. The documentary, Ghana: Digital Dumping Ground, focused on the shipment of electronic waste and aired on PBS in June.

Thanks to a $1 million donation from the Mindset Social Innovation Foundation, the students were able to travel to locations like India and Ghana during the filming process in 2008. The 10 graduate students are the first ever Emmy-winners from a Canadian journalism school, although their professor, Peter Klein, had already won an Emmy for his work as a producer on 60 Minutes.

The announcement was made at the 31st annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards on Sept. 27.

Facebook okays breastfeeding paintings, but not photos

Facebook has restored the account of B.C. artist Kate Hansen after removing her for three days for posting a photo of herself breastfeeding a child. While she regained access to her page on Saturday, the photograph in question had been removed from the site, the CBC has reported.

Hansen’s own paintings, which also frequently feature women breastfeeding, remained on her account despite previously being removed on at least one other occasion last April. Facebook allegedly justified the removal of the art saying that the paintings went against their “posting policies.”

Grunting offers tennis players an advantage

New research out of Canada and the U.S. is showing that there’s more to tennis grunts than just annoying TV viewers. University of British Columbia and University of Hawaii researchers have found that the noises players make during tennis matches may actually slow down the response time of their opponents, and make their returns less accurate.

To test the theory, 33 UBC students watched video of a player hitting the ball and had to quickly say which direction it would be headed. Essentially the hits that were accompanied by grunts drew slower reactions, and less accurate guesses from the study’s participants. Based on these findings, we can only assume that hockey and soccer players will soon begin grunting as they wind up for a slapshot or prepare to kick a ball.

Pigs block highway in Toronto

Di Grappa called the decision to move to McGill “extremely difficult.”

When asked to describe any notable moments from his time at Concordia, Di Grappa revealed he was proud of overseeing the revitalization of the Loyola campus, as well

as the recent additions of the MB and EV buildings, and the acquisition of the Grey Nuns property for student residences.

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Some 250 pigs (actual pigs, not police) got one last chance to avoid the slaughterhouse when the tractor trailer carrying them overturned on highway 427 in Toronto. At around 4:30 a.m. Monday, the tractor trailer drove onto one of the ramps leading off of the highway when it flipped, allowing 60 of the 235 pigs loose on the highway, forcing the exit to be closed until around noon that day.

The pigs, who were on the way to the abattoir and slated to become food, reportedly gave police and firefighters a rough time when they attempted to round them up. The 26-year-old tractor driver, who was uninjured in accident, was charged by the Ontario Provincial Police for careless driving.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

World in brief

CITY

To honour the many missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada, Montrealers took

Evan LePage

to downtown streets Monday

University dean makes scholarship holders do chores

A vice-president and dean of New York’s St. John’s University has been charged with forced labour and bribery after she reportedly forced students to do chores and other work for her, saying that if they didn’t they might lose their scholarships. The former dean, Cecilia Chang, was already suspended from the university on charges of embezzling more than $1 million when these new charges arose. Apparently, the work Chang was having students do in exchange for their scholarships, which amounted to 20 hours a week on average, included shovelling, babysitting and chauffeuring, among other chores.

Chang’s lawyers have since said all the allegations are false, which is understandable considering she faces up to 25 years in jail if she’s convicted of the charges.

Rick Sanchez fired over Jon Stewart bigot comment

CNN anchor Rick Sanchez put his foot just a bit too far into his mouth while on a satellite radio show last week, and was fired over comments about Jon Stewart and “Jews.” During the radio interview, Sanchez, who has appeared on The Daily Show’s humorous wrap-up segment “moment of zen” three times in the last few months, said Stewart was a bigot towards “everybody else not like him.” He also made a sarcastic comment implying that “everyone who runs CNN” is Jewish and that Jewish people are no longer an “oppressed minority” in the U.S. Sanchez hasn’t directly addressed the firing on his Twitter feed, which has over 145, 000 followers, though he did tweet “greats show today, last night on air,” on Sept. 30.

Koreas agree on short reunion of 100 families

One hundred families split up during the Korean War in the 1950s will reportedly be reunited following an agreement between the two nations.

The families will meet on Oct. 30 at a mountain resort in North Korea, marking the second such reunion in two years. Since 2000, over 20,000 families separated during the war were briefly reunited in person or via video, but this represents only a small fraction of the millions who were forced to leave their loved ones. Communication across the North/South Korean border is normally blocked for all citizens, but the nations reportedly plan on increasing the frequency of these reunions. This year’s event is set to happen despite doubt raised because of debate over the location of the reunion and failed discussions between their two armed forces.

evening for the fifth annual Sisters in Spirit March and Vigil. The walk took participants from Cabot Square, down Ste-Catherine Street to their final destination at Phillips Square, where a candlelight vigil took place. The event, which according to the Missing Justice website is only one of 77 held in Canada, is also meant to denounce the government’s lack of action in addressing the ongoing problem. Photo by Tiffany Blaise

SCIENCE

Public puts controversial Concordia research under the microscope Café Scientifique offers the public the chance to question research that goes beyond the limits of nature Nicole White Contributor Members of the public showed clear concern over the safety implications of synthetic biology at last week’s Café Scientifique forum as Vincent Martin, Concordia associate biology professor, defended his research project based in that field.

Synthetic biology involves genetically engineering and synthesizing biological components to create new systems or reproduce and modify the

to the impact it could have [on society]. You just do not know.”

For the last year, Martin and his team have been attempting to genetically engineer the growth of morphine in yeast with hopes of producing a cheaper alternative for its production.

“Progress is fairly good,” Martin said. “I was hoping for more, but so far it’s good.”

Over 70 people attended the discussion forum at the Irish Embassy pub last week, including general science enthusiasts, university students, staff, alumni and industry representatives.

They took advantage of Café Scientifique’s informal, open discussion and posed their questions and concerns about synthetic biology to the panel of experts.

On the panel, Martin was joined

by Canada Research Chair in Plant Biotechnology Peter Facchini from

University of Calgary and associate law professor Richard Gold from McGill University.

Also present in the audience were representatives from Génome Québec, who fund Martin’s research.

They took the opportunity to direct questions to the panel about the positive effects synthetic biology technologies might offer, including the potential for pharmaceutical production, application of biofuels and environmental remediation.

But despite the positive possibilities, even the scientists admitted that repercussions of developing these technologies could have negative consequences.

“If it gets into the wrong hands or goes in the wrong direction, you could do some crazy things. You could synthesize anything,” said professor Martin. “That is where the risks lie.”

LECTURE

Doctor aids plight of sick Ethiopian children through adoption and medical service

CNN hero Doctor Rick Hodes tells Concordia students to get involved however Iraq breaks world record, they can unfortunately

Iraq is the new holder of a world record as of last Friday, but few citizens will be celebrating. The Middle Eastern nation officially broke the world record for the country with the longest break between parliamentary elections and forming a government as of last Friday. A March election in Iraq drew many complaints and took three months to be ratified. The leading party, the National Alliance, remains four seats short of the majority needed to appoint a leader to parliament. Friday marked 208 days without an elected government in Iraq, surpassing the previous record of 207, held by the Netherlands after a period of failed governments in 1977.

structures of existing ones, and the audience at last Wednesday’s event seemed to be very aware of the negative potential of the emerging science.

They raised questions about what could occur if regulations were developed to allow these new technologies to prosper.

“You’re essentially talking about life as a commodity,” said science enthusiast Ben Goloff. “Creating bacteria is one thing, but when you get to the point where you can create multicellular organisms that you can have a conversation with, that’s when issues start to arise. You’re essentially playing god.”

There was a general consensus amongst the crowd who seemed to have similar concerns about the unknown power synthetic biology technologies could possess.

“To hell with the laws,” audience member Bob Forstien said to the panel, “You are fantastically ignorant

Philippa Duchastel de Montrouge Staff writer Few people can actually say they’ve devoted their lives to helping children in need, but even fewer can say they’ve brought them into their home, and family, in order to do so.

Dr. Rick Hodes is one of the latter.

“Adoption is not the answer to spinal disease,” joked Hodes, medical director in Ethiopia for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.

But 10 years ago, in order to

help Semegn and Dejene, two young Ethiopians suffering from spinal tuberculosis, adoption was the safest option. By adopting the young orphans, Hodes could add them to his health insurance, covering their surgery in Texas and allowing them into the United States.

“I had to think about it -- for a weekend,” he said. “It was that easy. Nobody else would help, I had to do something.”

Since then, Hodes has developed medical programs that send children to the U.S. and Canada for heart and spinal surgery.

Hodes spoke to a packed auditorium at Concordia’s Homecoming 2010 AbitibiBowater lecture last Tuesday night. The lecture, entitled “This is a Soul: From sickness to healing in Africa,” consisted mostly of anecdotes of Hodes’ 22 years in Africa. While lecture tours are often fundraising events, for the student audience he focused more on his work, his life and his philosophy: finding a way to help those in need.

In 2007 Hodes was recognized

for his work and named as one of “CNN’s Heroes,” a title awarded by the news network to ordinary people for their extraordinary achievements, in the “Championing Children” category.

In a slideshow accompanying his lecture, picture after picture of disfiguring diseases and young children with the posture of 90year-old men shocked the audience.

Hodes opens his home to as many children as he can accommodate, and there is never an empty bed in his modest Ethiopian abode. Of the 20 or so kids that reside with him while being treated, he has officially adopted five boys, the maximum legally allowed. A bachelor, Hodes cares for them himself, making sure they receive medical care and go to school.

The lack of medicine and health care in Ethiopia makes his job a demanding one. Catering to medical needs for the poor, Hodes talked about the difficulty of finding the resources available to treat the locals. He is infinitely grateful for

the Internet, as it has brought in manpower and promoted awareness from across the world. With one click of a mouse, a photo of a young Ethiopian’s spine ironically twisted like a question mark is uploaded to a co-worker in his home city of Long Island, N.Y. to help in the diagnosis.

Communications student Vanessa Risch admired Hodes’ work: “You live in your own bubble, think your school, work and friends are the most important things ever,” she said. “It’s eye-opening to see how he gives all that up to help people he doesn’t even know.”

Hodes concluded his lecture by asking his audience to get involved and help people: “One day the Messiah will come and say ‘show me the bottom of your shoes’. Wayne Gretzky wisely said ‘you miss 100 per cent of the shots you never take.’ So get your shoes dirty and take your shots.”

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

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TUITION

Board of Governors meeting draws attention of tuition protesters A small group of students protested tuition increases both in, and outside Concordia as board members voted on tuition motions Trevor Smith Copy editor Students armed with picket signs and makeshift bullhorns gathered outside of the GM building last Thursday morning and chanted “freeze freeze tuition fees,” demanding that Concordia’s Board of Governors rescind the tuition increases posed on international students Members of Free Tuition Montreal, a group whose goal is to lower and eventually eliminate the tuition costs of higher education, organized the protest to coincide with Concordia’s fall Board of Governors meeting. The group had proposed two motions to the board, asking that all of the tuition increases imposed without notice in June of 2009 (which was sometimes up to 50 per cent) be refunded to the students. They also wanted a reversal of the billing fee structure and an immediate cease in any further tuition increases in this session or upcoming sessions for all international students.

“The students in Quebec have spoken out more than other provinces and this is why we are privileged students,” said Erik Chevrier, one of the original founders of the group. “It is because we put our foot down and said that we do want to have accessible education.”

The protest drew the participa-

tion of a handful of students including Dirk Ortgies, an international student from Germany enrolled in the Chemistry department. Ortgies recalled that last year his tuition was $1,000 more for the winter semester than the fall, despite him having the same course load.

He was not the only one who faced tuition increase without notification either, Ortgies stated. “It has affected a lot of other students in my department.”

Another one of the demonstrators, Eric Seguin, was out protesting to help make the international students’ tuition increase known to the general student body who he believes is generally unaware of this “injustice.”

After about an hour of picketing outside on the street, the protesters moved to the inside of the of GM building where the Board of Governors meeting was being held.

The protesters remained outside of the actual room, but upon entering the building security came over to ensure a peaceful and quiet demonstration.

When asked after the event, Chevrier said he thought the protest and the actual vote was a success.

“Considering [the protest] was at eight in the morning and in the rain I’d say there was a good turnout” said Chevrier. “As far as the resolution goes, I am actually quite surprised.”

While neither of the resolutions, which were voted on as a group, passed, they did receive nine votes in favour, compared to only three votes against it, with the 28 board members who abstained leading to their failure. Free Education Montreal hopes that because this vote was technically in favour of the resolution, but didn’t pass due to abstentions, they will be able to present it to the board again for another vote.

Protestors brought their tuition fight both outside, and inside Concordia’s buildings. Top photo by Andrew Guilbert, bottom photo by Trevor Smith

EMPLOYMENT

Post-secondary students feeling the effects of the economic downturn: StatsCan Despite difficulties, stats show a dramatic increase in the number of students Brennan Neill Managing editor Less post-secondary students were able to hold or find a job during last year’s economic downturn, said a recently released Statistics Canada report.

The report found that during the 2009-2010 school year 45 per cent of students, approximately 542,000 people aged 15-24, were employed while studying. The 45 per cent is down from 2007-2008, which showed

that 48 per cent of students were holding jobs during that year.

Statistics Canada also reported that between 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 the number of employed post-secondary students fell by 30,000, highlighting the effects of the economic downturn.

Also according to the report, the labour market of 2009-2010 was the worst year for post-secondary students aged 20 to 24 since the recessions of 1982 and 1993.

However, there is some good to be found amid all the bad. According to the report, today’s employment rates are well above those reported during the ‘70s, which were determined to be about 25 per cent.

The drastic increase comes as a surprise to Concordia’s Student Success Centre, which often sees students trying to hold jobs and balance their academic work.

“A lot to the times people won’t

explicitly complain about work and school,” explained Geff O’Brien, student success manager and fourth-year psychology major. “It’s not something they think can change, they think that school can suffer but work can’t.”

O’Brien suggested that students explore alternatives to work like financial

aid programs.

Other statistics showed the average hourly wage of post-secondary students increased from $10.75 to $11.80, but they were working one hour less per week. The average total earned by post-secondary students held at $6,300 during the 2009-2010 school year.

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$11.80 $6,300

per cent of postsecondary students employed in the 2009-2010 academic year

Average hourly wage increased to $11.80 for post-secondary students in 20092010

The report also found that 50 per cent of women were employed while pursuing post-secondary education compared to only 40 per cent of men.

The service sector made up 96 per cent of the jobs held by post-secondary students, with the majority being in retail trade followed by food service.

Average total earned by postsecondary students during the 2009-2010 school year

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Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010 CITY

Charest says no to Big O; RIO says great The Régie des installations olympiques says parliament would draw out tendering process Geneviève Trudeau Senécal Contributor Quebec Premier Jean Charest shut down a request for the creation of a parliamentary committee on the future of the Olympic Stadium last week.

The second roof of the stadium, built in 1999, is reaching the end of its lifetime, according to the Régie des installations olympiques, which takes care of the stadium and surrounding facilities, such as the Olympic Park.

Early last week, Gérard Deltell, leader of the Action démocratique du Québec, requested a parliamentary commission on the future of the stadium, asking the government to eye every option, “from demolition to reconstruction.” The request was quickly denied by the Charest government to the, perhaps unexpected, pleasure of the RIO. Sylvie Bastien, media represen-

The roof of Montreal’s Olympic Stadium has made the headlines once again, after years of debate and speculation. Photo from Flickr tative for RIO in Montreal, said the tendering process is way too long and congratulated the provincial government on their decision to refuse what she called a “pointless discussion.” Bastien insists that it would take even longer to settle this case were everyone be allowed to bring in their own opinion. “We will consult with everyone, but not through the parliament,” she said.

Currently, the roof needs to be

FUNDRAISING

Centraide kicks off fundraising year with a mission to surpass themselves Aid organization hopes to raise $55.3 million in Montreal this year, $1 million more than in 2009 Renee Giblin Staff writer The season of giving starts a little earlier for Centraide. The aid organization is hoping, with the help of generous Montrealers, to be able to give a little more than last year.

Every year Centraide, the French chapter of United Way, kicks off a variety of fundraising campaigns in Montreal starting in the fall to help raise money for those in need. Last week, the organization started its annual campaign by setting a mission for itself: to raise $55.3 million by Dec. 15 and surpass last year’s total by a full million.

The success of this mission, according to Michèle Thibodeau-DeGuire, president and executive director of Centraide of Greater Montreal, begins with the people in this city.

“If you add a few thousand more people giving, that would make a big difference,” she said, adding that companies have also expressed support for the new mission. “Corporations have told us that gifts would be a bit higher.”

Thidobeau-DeGuire clearly believes their new goal is attainable, partly because the reputation of the organization is spreading and people

are seeing the positive effects of the programs they fund.

Centraide develops programs around the city for people of all ages and ethnicities, which in the past has included programs to assist young people living in poverty as well as projects targeting new immigrants and the elderly. Thibodeau-DeGuire explained that people are more willing to donate money, because they realize that their is a need for these types of projects in the city.

“It is an incredible opportunity to invest in specific projects that have a lot of capacity to change things,” she said.

One of the new programs Centraide is starting is called Pathways to Success, a Verdun-based program which encourages students to stay in school. Thibodeau-DeGuire said the results in a sister program in Toronto have been incredible. The numbers of students continuing their education and going to college in lower income families increased from 20 per cent to 80 per cent.

Concordia is actually the first university to have a student body organize campaign drives for Centraide and sit on their board of directors, which Thibodeau-DeGuire called a new and exciting approach in raising awareness of the issues in the city in younger people. She said that Concordia is the force behind Montreal, because it has students that come from all over the world and walks of life and it fascinates her how involved Concordia students are in the Montreal community.

“Concordia is the example of what Montreal can become,” ThibodeauDeGuire said.

heated all winter in order to prevent snow accumulation, which is “a complete waste of energy,” according to Bastien The stadium is thus closed from December until March every year as a precaution in case of collapse, though they can “get the permission of Montreal’s fire department to host an event in winter time, assuming there is no risk of snow in the weather forecast,” Bastien added.

While some argued the simplest solution would be demolition of the stadium, Bastien said this is a complete disillusion. “We have asked for an evaluation of the costs of demolition to give the question an answer. The initial estimate is at $700 million, almost as much as it cost us to construct it in the first place,” she explained.

The Olympic Stadium has only been fully paid for since Nov. 14, 2006, and has been used on 141 days, though last year saw an imposed closure of the facility. “We

“

don’t demolish hospitals or libraries or schools or local arenas because they are not profitable,” Bastien said. “With a good roof, it could be

“It can never become profitmaking, but it is the only building in the province of Quebec that can currently host more than 22,000 spectators.

Sylvie Bastien, media representative for RIO in Montreal

open to many events we have to refuse in current times, in the winter.”

Moreover, Bastien insists that the stadium has a “social and commercial vocation” that cannot be ignored. “It can never become profit-making, but it is the only building in the province of Quebec that can currently host more than 22,000 spectators. Toronto and Vancouver have theirs; there is no reason for Montreal to give up on its own, especially at that expense.”

The RIO is currently considering new proposals, notably that of a retractable roof, an idea submitted in late August. That proposal forced the RIO to review its stated intention to go along with the proposal for a $300 million permanent roof put forward by Société SNC-Lavalin.

They reopened a new process, meaning it might take “several years” before a new roof is actually constructed.

life

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Write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com RECIPE

From the garden to the jar Transforming your leftover tomatoes and berries into savoury sauces and jams Felicia Di Palma Contributor The cool breeze has officially brought the autumn season upon us. While we put our shorts and bathing suits away and take out our winter attire, we need to decide what to do with our remaining summer garden produce. Everyone tackles the end of gardening season differently. Some will just eat the last of the tomatoes and fruits as they are, others will make pestos, jam and sauces out of them. For those who think making a jam or a sauce is too difficult, you will soon be converted as both recipes are deliciously simple.

Preparation: Purchasing and sterilizing the jars The first thing you need when making sauce or jam is jars. Any jars made out of glass and can close tightly are good. You can buy a box of 12 mason glass jars for under $10 at Rona.

Once you have acquired your jars, the first step is to sterilize them. You can wash them with hot water and soap or you can put the jars and caps in a pot of boiling water.

Make sure to sterilize the tongs you will use to remove them and be careful not to put them on a dish rag to dry. The reason is because the rag will contaminate the sterilized jar and will force you to start the process all over again.

Once you have properly sterilized, turn your oven on to the minimum heat setting and put only the jars inside. This dries your jars and keeps them warm, which is important because if you put hot jam into a cold jar it will tense up the fruit.

Nonna Pina’s Sicilian salsa di pomodoro When it comes to preserving your tomatoes, the easiest thing to make is tomato sauce. One simply can’t compare canned to homemade tomato sauce, especially when the recipe comes from a Sicilian grandmother (namely, my own).

Ingredients: - 20 or more tomatoes - 1/2 teaspoon of salt per 20 tomatoes (can add more if necessary) - 1 sprig of fresh basil for every jar

This sauce has a very simple flavour which allows you to dress the sauce up and add other seasonings.

Directions: 1. The first step is to get all your nice, red tomatoes soaking in cold water. Once they’re clean, cut off the stems and any bruised or sick looking areas. If you see a black spot, cut it out.

2. Once you are done, put a large pot on the stove at medium-low heat.

3. Then chop the tomatoes into fours and throw the pieces into the pot, add some salt and cover.

By covering the pot, the steam inside will release all the liquid from the tomatoes, which is what we want to happen; this is what gives the tomato sauce its consistency.

The reason you add such a little amount of salt is that it is all that is necessary to take the tomatoes from sweet to savoury. Keep in mind that this sauce will go straight to the jars, but once you use it for your pasta then you can add more salt and spices for taste.

Note: To quicken this process, take a potato masher and mash the tomatoes to release the juices.

4. Don’t forget to stir at least every couple of minutes. The tomatoes will most lately take up to 20 minutes to release all their juices.

5. Next, take a tomato strainer and put one to two ladles of sauce in at a time. The strainer blends your tomatoes and your juices while separating the skins.

If you don’t have a tomato strainer then you could use a blender but you will have to pick out any dry tomato skins that you see by hand.

6. Take your jars out of the oven and fill them with your tomato sauce. Add the fresh basil leaves on top and seal the jars.

7. Put the jars in any room that is at room temperature and cover them with a blanket for two weeks.

The blanket keeps the tomato sauce warm and gradually eases the sauce to room temperature. The jars need to stay warm and covered, otherwise the lids will pop allowing air to enter the jars and spoil the sauce.

Phil’s strawberry, apple and blueberry fusion

Sugar dissolves as fruit comes to a boil in step six of the jam recipe. Photos by writer

Finding a jam recipe I liked was difficult.

A lot of them called for pectin, which is a thickening agent made up of the carbohydrates from heavy fruits like apples. It is used in jams, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. I wanted to make a jam that didn’t involve thickening agents or anything but fresh fruits and a lot of sugar.

This recipe is a combination of several different ones and the result is one super delicious jam.

Ingredients: - 6 cups of strawberries, chopped into fours - 1/2 cup of blueberries - 1 apple, finely chopped and peeled - 3 cups of white sugar - 1 tablespoon of lemon juice - 1 tablespoon of apple juice, preferably all natural apple juice Directions: First things first: now that you know how to do it, wash your jars and put them in the oven.

1. Wash your strawberries and hull them.

Hulling your strawberries means you are going to take the tip of your knife, insert it near the stem and cut a circle all around the stem.

When removed properly the stem and core should look like a mini cone.

The reason you’re doing this is because you do not want the cores in your jam, because they are not going to become as soft as the rest of the strawberry.

2. Once they are hulled, chop your strawberries into fours and add them to a large pot on medium heat.

3. Then, wash your blueberries and add them to the pot. You do not need to chop them, just add them whole.

4. Next, peel and finely chop your apple and put it in the pot. Apple picking season is almost over, so if you want a really fresh one, run to a farm now! (You can pick up the apple juice while you are there, too.)

5. Add the three cups of white sugar, lemon juice and apple juice to the pot.

6. Turn your stove to medium heat and watch the sugar dissolve.

Making jam actually does not require that much stirring, but keep an eye on your jam to making sure it is not burning, especially on the bottom.

7. Let it cook for about 25 minutes.Your jam should transform from a red to a fuchsia colour. Once it is fuchsia just stir to make sure everything is mixed in perfectly and that there aren’t any apple pieces that are still yellow in colour.

8. When everything looks ready, take the pot off the heat and wait about 10 minutes before putting your piping hot jam into the hot jars.

9. After closing them tightly, place a dish rag or towel around the jars and leave them in the fridge for two weeks before eating.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

MONTREAL FASHION

FASHION WEEK SPRING/SUMMER 2011

Savannah Sher Assistant life editor

An insider look at the Week’s top styles: everything from whites and florals to stripes and lace

The 19th edition of Montreal Fashion Week took place last week at the Bonsecours Market in the Old Port. Up and coming local designers showed their Spring/Summer 2011 collections alongside MFW staples like Marie St Pierre, Valerie Dumaine and Christian Chenail. All of Montreal’s most stylish writers, buyers, bloggers and shoppers were there check out the newest fashions.

Montreal Fashion Week is much smaller and more intimate than the major shows in New York, Paris, London and Milan. The designers and models often mingle with the media and public after the shows. Some designers like Helmer showed over the top Lady GaGa-esque costumes but for the most part every look that went down the runway was extremely wearable for the average Montrealer.

Streamlined neutrals echo Phoebe Philo at Soia&Kyo.

Sabrina Barilà sent model down the runway in vibrant florals.

Minimalism

separates that could be easily mixed and matched. Some highlights were a long cream tuxedo style blazer, a camel coloured skirt with scalloping detail and a scarlet floor-lenth gown with floral appliques.

Ever since Phoebe Philo did her first collection for Celine three seasons ago, fashionistas have been favoring pared down minimalism. The trend, ironically, is to skip the trends and focus on well-made pieces that will last for years to come. Montreal designer Marie St-Pierre has never been one to focus on what is ‘in style’ but rather to make chic staples.

Her decision to skip the flashy fashion show and stage a more intimate viewing at her atelier near Atwater market echoes the tone of her spring collection. A couple of pieces were on mannequins and others were hanging from the ceiling or on racks.

The colour palette was almost entirely black, white, red and beige, which made for many

Here is a look at the top trends that showed up on the runway this week:

Florals Showing florals for spring/summer is not exactly a novel idea, but they were present at almost every show in Montreal. At Barilà they were colourful and abstract, at Coccolily they were bright and bold, at David Dixon they were classic and vintage and at Annie 50 they were classic and romantic. There wasn’t much of the small floral print that’s been popular in recent seasons. So don’t be afraid to go bold.

Geometric striped bodysuit at Valerie Dumaine.

The whites at Barilà were a pure ivory.

Stripes

White

Stripes were all over the spring runways, whether it was in a nautical style like at Eve Gravel or in a bold graphic look at Valerie Dumaine. One of the most covetable looks in the Eve Gravel show, which was held off site at Restaurant Vallier, was a flared white and navy dress with striped cap sleeves. When the model wearing a bold black and white striped bodysuit walked down the Valerie Dumaine show there was audible excitement in the crowd and garnered a round of applause midway through the show. The collection also featured a long sleeved striped mini dress that would be perfect for a night out dancing.

All the major designers have been showing white this season in New York, Milan, Paris and London. Trendsetters like Phoebe Philo at Celine and Alexander Wang made white a focus in their collections. Fashion mainstays like Dolce&Gabbana and Ralph Lauren prominently featured the shade as well.

The Montreal designers weren’t far behind, incorporating this fresh look into their shows.

Marie St-Pierre had simple structured pieces while Barilà opted for a more flirty, feminine take on the trend. The colour works as a clean accent and pairs nicely with the other spring and summer trends.

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The Paria Lambina models wore lavender and blush giving the collection a ladylike polish.

Feminine

Brights

The classic lady-like look dominated the fall 2010 runways and it looks as though the trend is here to stay. The Eve Gravel models all came out with bright red lips, wearing pearls and lace gloves to accompany their outfits. The collection featured high waists and bustiers paired with worn-in looking brown oxfords which gave the looks an easy edge. Paria Lambina’s girls all wore pastels in light floaty fabrics adorned with bows and ruffles.

Wesley Badanjak opened his LOVAS show with a series of show stopping hot pink cocktail dresses. The Coccolily show was made up entirely of vivid colours, and colorful hues were mixed and matched at New York Fashion Week by Rachel Roy and Prabal Gurung. If you’re feeling daring, pair two bright shades together for a fashion forward look.

Cut-Outs

In Dolce&Gabbana’s spring show in Milan, almost every look that went down the runway included lace. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are the masters of creating timeless yet sexy looks and this season was no exception. Isabel Marant and Alberta Ferretti also incorporated lace into their shows.

Naana Tennachie Yankey embraced the lace trend offering skirts, T-shirts and bodysuits in the fabric.

Ghana born designer Naana Tennachie Yankey apprenticed with Marc Jacobs in New York before moving to Montreal to start her brand. Her line for spring/summer 2011 was made up of cocktail dresses in vibrant primary colours that combined 1960s shapes with an African flare. What made the garments really stand out though was the fact that there were strategically placed cut-outs in the modestly cut shifts. This created an air of sensuality without revealing too much skin.

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

Naana Tennachie Yankey used cut-outs for a subtle sensuality at Coccolily.

Lace

To see images from all the designers at Montreal Fashion Week visit www.montrealfashionweek.ca

Dramatic hot pink gowns opened Wesley Badanjak’s LOVAS show.

Coccolily girls were trendy in skirts, cropped t-shirts and underwear.

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Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

FASHION

Fashion POP showcases local designers UQAM design student wins with collection made up of simple structured pieces Natacha Medeiros Contributor As part of POP Montreal, six Montreal-based designers battled it out this past Wednesday night at the Rialto Theatre for Fashion POP, a fashion show and design contest. Each was given two months to create a mini-collection of six unique looks, which were shown on the runway and judged by five industry panelists.The designers found a common theme, all using structured silhouettes, sheer fabrics and a hint of androgyny.

Natasha Thomas, a fashion design student from UQAM was the victorious designer, winning $1,000 cash, a $500 gift card from Le Château, the events major sponsor and a 12page spread in Worn Fashion Journal.

The winning collection Thomas says that the clothing in her collection was inspired by the blur between illusion and reality. She distorted simple, basic pieces to the point that they became new. “You need to get imaginative with your fashion,” she said. Her collection featured structured pieces, blacks and whites and dresses and blazers that encompassed her underlying theme of simplicity. The staple of her collection was the trench coat, but with a unique take featured cut outs at the elbows.

Despite coming out on top, Thomas is humbled by her win. She described her competitors as very strong and admitted “they were all so good.” With the money, Thomas plans to keep making clothing and is already working on several ideas, like her printed scarf and knit projects. Thomas is also currently in the works of launching her own website, which should be up shortly. Based on what she has shown at this year’s Fashion POP, it would be best to keep an eye out for her name since her simplistic and beautiful designs scream ‘next big thing.’

The other looks José Manuel St-Jacques: Inspiration came from Hungarian countess Elizabeth Bathory, who murdered virgins and bathed in their blood for eternal youth. Shocking, yes. But, although gory in words, this serial killer vision transformed beautifully onto fabric.

Silky, flowing dresses with subtle patterns, almost seeming hand-painted, came down the runway. Muted reds and creamy browns gave the collection a romantic, poetic look.

Market Market: Amélie Tessier and Isabel Vinuela are the vision behind this unique brand. As graduates of École supérieure de mode de Montréal, they have worked with Montreal’s Harricana, a line that recycles old fur apparel. Their collection is soft in fabrics and colours and surprisingly boasts a mature look for the youthful 20-somethings behind the brand.

“The collection is inspired by masculine clothing,” explains Vinuela. “We take basic clothing, street wear, so the shirt, t-shirt, pants, trousers, and we mix them with pieces that are a little more classic.” Vinuela also explains that they try to deconstruct the pieces and mix them with materials that are unusual for that type of clothing.

THIRD EYE: Created by Marie-Julie Dessaivre, this brand is both exciting and very current. Dessaivre uses only ecological fabrics and recycled furs which has helped her start up her brand because the cost of eco-friendly textiles is cheaper than any other fabric.

Prototype: Designed by LaSalle College graduate Catherine Durocher, the muse for this collection was zoology. Complete with a fish purse and fox adorned jacket, the collection was full of animal hints and geometric lines. & many others: A mini-collection by Caroline Laquerre, a UQAM graduate in fashion design. The layering of thoughts and how they transfer onto fabrics was the designer’s main influence for her collection. The line was complete with bodysuits and translucent fabrics.

Designer tips Fashion can be costly and at times it may seem impossible to stay on top of all the latest trends. José Manuel St-Jacques suggests students save their money and splurge on one or two killer items. “I would rather have less stuff and mix it with Value Village, or whatever,” says St-Jacques whose chosen item is his shoes. “They were really expensive but [they are] amazing, I’m going to use them forever.”

It is also not all about copying high-end trends. Market Market designer Vinuela explains that people can ignore fashion trends in order to create a unique style. Designer Dessaivre from THIRD EYE has similar advice and emphasizes the importance of personal style, but also suggests scouring sale racks for some of those more expensive items.

Angie Johnson, the owner of label Norwegian Wood and last year’s Fashion Pop winner guest judged this year’s event and is used to the frugal lifestyle of students.

“Mix high and low,” suggests Johnson.

“And my high is not designer high, it’s like: wow I spent a little bit of money on this and I mix it with something vintage or taking something old and trying to wear it in a really new way, wearing skirts as dresses, cardigans upside down, just getting really creative.”

Models in Prototype pose at the end of the runway at the Rialto Theatre. Photos by Tiffany Blaise

EXCELLENCE WITHIN YOUR REACH GET TO KNOW US Admissions reps on-site to answer your questions

MCGILL OPEN HOUSE

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2010 M.D.,C.M. PROGRAM PRESENTATION AT NOON Faculty of Medicine

Visit our Web site: www.mcgill.ca/medadmissions Email: admissions.med@mcgill.ca Deadline for submissions: November 15 (non-Quebec residents) January 15 (Quebec residents) (MCAT optional for Canadian citizens and permanent residents who hold a bachelor’s degree from a Canadian university)

McGill University, 1200 Pine Ave. West (between Peel and Drummond) Peel Metro Station

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

11

FREE STUFF

Stretching the student budget A few ways to get things for free or at least for very cheap Natacha Medeiros Contributor Cliché as it may sound, students are considered pretty damn broke. As much as you may work, let’s face it, funds can get pretty low after all the textbooks and tuition are paid for. Let us embrace our student stereotype and bask in the fact that we’re totally strapped for cash. Here are a couple of ways to pinch those pennies, stretch those dollars, and get a few deals for free (or, let’s compromise: how about really, really cheap?).

Sites such as Craigslist, Kijiji and even Facebook marketplace have tabs marked free.

Yes, people actually want to give you things.

Nice, right? Well, once you sift through items such as cribs and cardboard boxes, you can actually score some pretty cool stuff. How about a bookshelf for your dorm or a semi-new TV? Use these sites to your advantage and you can find some really useful things that won’t damage your wallet in the slightest. Just be careful with furniture because lately bedbugs have been a problem here in the city.

So, now you’re wondering how to get on Craigslist if you don’t have Internet at your place.

Well, start at school. Concordia’s free wireless network allows you to connect virtually anywhere on campus, so while you’re on break (or in class, we know you do it) start searching.

If you prefer surfing somewhere with more of an atmosphere, there are tons of cafés around the downtown and Loyola campuses that give you access to the internet – usually all you have to do is buy a coffee. And even then, if you don’t want to fork over $6 or more at Starbucks, make sure to go with a friend that you know is willing to buy an overpriced mezzo caramel whipped latte

creation, whatever that means.

Now that you have saved some hard earned cash by scoring some free Internet and some free stuff, you might think you can go shopping for some new clothes. Well, you’re wrong. You’re still broke, remember? So get started on some spring cleaning nice and early and encourage (or force) a couple of friends to do the same. Then, pick a date, pile your junk, uh, I mean valuables, and swap! It is a good alternative to going to secondhand stores and you can make a night out of it. With clothing swaps You wont spend a dime and you get a cleaner closet out of it too.

Not so shabby.

So you’ve done a clothing swap, checked out Kijiji for some free things, and now you’re bored.

But, you’re a student, right? So be studious and tackle that essay that you’ve been putting off all week. Project Gutenberg is a virtual literary database that has 16,000 books available for free download or online reading. It’s a great, free resource that will come in handy when writing papers, searching for quotes, or simply reading a book. Chances are they won’t have a lot of current or specialized stuff, but works that are out of copyright will most likely be available.

Surely by now you have worked up an appetite from writing that essay, but you can’t afford your usual grocery bill this week. Why not take out that box of cereal and that bottle of soda, plus whatever else you can find in your cupboard, turn them over, and dial the 1-800 number on the back. Companies love to hear feedback from real customers, and when it is slightly negative feedback, they love sending unsatisfied customers vouchers to redeem free stuff at the grocery store. You might feel a little guilty, but just think about how much these companies rake in compared to you. It will make this dirty deed that much easier.

Another way to stretch your dollar is by taking advantage of the fact that you are students. There are tons of resources out there, like the Student Price Card, which is only $9 and it gets you great deals on retail, restaurants, and entertainment. And although you might feel like your mother looking through the Publi-Sac, clip those

coupons! Seriously, they can save you a bunch of money, just ask your grandma.

Another easy way to score some free stuff is to turn on your radio and call, call, call for those contests. The busy signal might get seriously annoying, but if you keep trying you may just end up winning some pretty cool, and free, prizes.

So, who said that nothing’s free? These are just a few of the ways to get some stuff for cheap in the city. Take advantage while you can, because soon enough your student status will run dry and you’ll have to enter the real world, get a job, and actually start paying for things. And, if at the end of the day, you still find yourself a broke and hungry student, you can always go home to mom and dad’s, where you know a warm meal will be forever awaiting you on the table.

Sites to visit When looking for those “free” tabs on online marketplaces check out www.kijiji.ca, www. craiglist.com or www.facebook.com/marketplace Interested in reading The Kama Sutra of Vatsyayana or Pride and Prejudice? Visit www. gutenberg.org for a list of free downloadable books.

To obtain a Student Price Card check out www.spclive.com and receive a $10 gift card free from Bluenotes, Suzy, Jean Machine or Pentagon

Graphic by Sean Kershaw

ACTIVISM

Beads of Awareness: fashion meets global responsibility Fair trade initiative brings the conditions and needs in Uganda to a Canadian market Jacob Roberts Contributor Within a year of traveling to the community of Gulu, Uganda, Concordia student Thomas Prince launched Beads of Awareness, a social business with friend and business partner Laura Schnurr. Their intention was to raise awareness about the conditions in Uganda and aid the country’s development.

“We want people to [look at the beads] and say, ‘this comes from Uganda, what’s going on in Uganda?,’” says Prince, who explains that the African country is facing rebuilding in the aftermath of a 20-year civil war.

Prince experienced this situation firsthand after spending the summer of 2009 rebuilding the community of Gulu with the Concordia Volunteer Abroad Program. While working in the Northern Uganda community, Prince grew close to the native Acholi people.

Before he left, a local business owner approached him with jewelry made from recycled paper beads. He wanted Prince to bring the beads back to see if there was interest for such a product in the Canadian market.

Upon his return to Montreal, Prince, who is studying anthropology and economics at Concordia, showed Schnurr the collection. It consisted of about 50 or 60 necklaces and a couple hundred loose beads.

“Immediately I thought it was some of the

most beautiful [jewelry] I have ever seen.

It was very unique,” says Schnurr, who is majoring in International Business at the John Molson School of Business. The beads themselves are made from reused paper and coated in a waterproof varnish.

“A lot of people think they can’t go out in the rain with the [beads] because they’re paper, but it’s not true – they’re fine in water,” Schnurr says.

The unique quality of the beads made Schnurr believe that Montreal would in fact have a niche market for the products. But what really grabbed her interest was the possibility of creating a socially responsible business.

Schnurr describes BOA as a combination of international development and social awareness and as an alternative form of globalization. Their goal is to raise awareness about Uganda in Canada, with the jewelry acting as a conversation starter.

Schnurr acknowledges that not everyone buying their jewelry is going to be interested in the human rights aspect. But, with the product made by an Ugandan woman and not a machine in a factory in some unknown city, it puts a face on the product. The idea, Schnurr says, is to get Canadians thinking about not only the country of Uganda, but primarily the people.

For Prince, the rebuilding that Uganda needs isn’t just housing projects like the ones that he worked on in 2009. Instead, the country requires a redevelopment of infrastructure to help the country become self-sufficient, something BOA is aiding by working with women’s groups and child soldiers. As well, it is creating jobs for people who would otherwise be in a difficult position to enter the job market.

BOA is also involved in development projects in Uganda, donating 20 per cent of their revenue to funding underprivileged schools

which do not receive government funding.

Long-term goals for BOA include microcredit initiatives for Ugandans to build their own businesses and aid in agricultural production.

The aim is to help Uganda have sustainable food and become self-reliant.

Being green is also an important part of BOA’s mission. The gift boxes, product tags and flyers all come from recycled paper.

BOA is trying to become fair trade-certified through TransFair, a major Canadian authority on fair-trade businesses. The procedure is long and costly but BOA is hoping to be fully certified in the next two to three years. In

the mean time, BOA is satisfied by providing living wages for their craftswomen that are matched with wages at a fair trade-certified women’s co-op in a similar region which also produces handmade beads Currently, BOA is trying to market their product to local stores and events taking place in Montreal, as well as setting up an online shop.

To purchase a necklace, bracelet or a pair of earrings, and help their efforts in Uganda contact either Prince or Schnurr via their website: www.beadsofawareness.com.

Beads of Awareness necklaces at the company’s launch party. Photo by Abby Veronneau

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theconcordian

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

arts

Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com

VISUAL ART

Surrealism ‒ with a twist MMFA exhibit highlights man’s effect on the world Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo Contributor

What is surrealism in a nutshell? It’s probably something along the lines of The Earth is Blue Like an Orange, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts’ latest exhibit of contemporary art. The exhibit is mostly standard surrealist fare right down to its title, which is plucked from Paul Éluard’s 1929 poem of the same name. However, it deviates from the surrealist canon with its almost moral stance against urbanization.

Already, the title is a nod to the importance of literature in the movement: it places the exhibit in the middle of the “Golden Age” of surrealism. In fact, much of the exhibit reverts to the roots of the cultural and philosophical movement. The dichotomy between nature and urbanity, fantastical scenes, and Freudian psychology are all prominent features. For example, Japanese artist Tetsumi Kudo’s work is visually very evocative of Dalì’s “The Persistence of Memory,” which is regarded as one of the staples of surrealist art.

Where the exhibit parts ways with the movement, however, is in how it portrays man’s detrimental effect on the world.

This theme is striking, although not from the get-go. The exhibit both begins and ends with film installations, which signals that the battle between city and nature is fluid and ongoing.

The two pieces that make this statement the most strongly are installed in the center of the exhibit, separated by an orange wall. On one side is Canadian artist Emily Vey Duke’s piece “The Kingdom of the Emancipated Companion Animal,” in which two feral cats docilely sit on a tree trunk fashioned to look like a chair. The trunk is oriented towards a screen, across which the words “We are the afflicted and the rash” eventually appear.

On the other is Montreal photographer and sculptor Karine Giboulo’s “All You Can Eat” installation, which connects the natural world and the man-made one. Giboulo represents the food chain as an assembly line, where pigs are grown, then consumed by children, who in turn follow a factorylike existence. According to her website, the piece was inspired by a 2007 trip to a factory in Shenzhen, China, where young workers live their lives in close 24/7 proximity to their work assembling products for Western consumption.

The rest of the exhibit is arranged around these two statement pieces in a circular fashion, so that they seem to rest at the core of the exhibit.

“

Where the exhibit parts ways with the movement, however, is in how it portrays man’s detrimental effect on the world.

The Earth is Blue is the second exhibit in the MMFA’s recent move to display its contemporary works in “unusual themebased presentations.” The first exhibit, Global Warming: Scenes from a Planet under Pressure, also touched on the condition of the environment.

The MMFA succeeds in creating an exhibit that both retains its historical sensibilities and feeds discussion on the place of surrealism in the modern world.

The Earth is Blue Like an Orange is on display for free at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts’ Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion, 1380 Sherbrooke St. W., until March 2011.

Two closeups of Karine Gibalo’s “All You Can Eat”. Photos by Karine Gibalo.

Kiki Smith’s “Red Meens,” easily the most impressive installation of the exhibit.

Photo by MMFA.

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Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

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VISUAL ART

Talasnik s carnival of perfect lines First Canadian show was eight years in the making Jasmine Papillon-Smith Contributor

Wander down quiet Alexandra St. in Villeray and enter Battat Contemporary for a trip to a parallel universe called Panorama: monolithe intime, the fruit of Stephen Talasnik’s artistic vernacular.

Fortunately, Talasnik’s first Canadian show, which has been in the making for the last eight years, does not disappoint. The Philadelphia native, who now lives and works in New York, has bestowed his multidisciplinary talents on montrealers with a collection of 14 works in drawing and sculpting.

The artist’s strength lies mostly in his ability to execute both drawing and sculpture with machine-like precision in a manner that is reminiscent of early Russian Constructivism. The show is a carnival of perfect lines, curves and perspectives. In fact, it almost feels like Talasnik’s personal world is a carnival. His subjects are abstract representations of spokes, wheels, and gears floating in varying foggy abysses of a futuristic industrial world. The pieces are all very architectural and geometric, and, of course, completely non-figurative.

However, the show lacks depth. Parts of it feel as though they are artistic interpretations of the Jacques Cartier Bridge, or enlarged versions of the matchstick maquettes of famous landmarks created by François Pignon in Le Dîner de cons (the film Dinner for Schmucks was based on think Steve Carell building mouse dioramas).

Needless to say, they don’t leave the viewer overcome with emotional reverence.

The show’s centerpiece, entitled “Nimbus,” was conceived by the artist as a site-specific installation. The piece, which has been in the making since 2002, was created specifically for the gallery, and as such, moves through space in a striking manner. The sculpture, made from basswood, hangs from the ceiling. The application of red paint to the sculpture is as precise as all of the other aspects of the show, and only adds to what is undoubtedly the epitome of Talasnik’s futuristic and meticulous style.

The show’s two best pieces are “Ribbon Candy,” a bamboo and basswood sculpture, and “Urban Scroll,” a panoramic graphite drawing. They strongly suggest the relationship between Talasnik’s mechanical skill and theme, together creating works of obsessive-compulsive splendour which nevertheless seem emotionally inarticulate.

“Ribbon Candy” is breathtaking in its perfect symmetry and graceful flow. Curled basswood adorns the 3D bamboo structure, beautiful and

Stephen Talasnik brings pieces that can only be described as architectural and geometric. Photos by writer

visually complicated from every angle.

Talasnik’s ability to create a dark and misty atmosphere is such that even the show’s only collage, a boldly-coloured 2D piece called “Stage Set,” comes off as dim and nebulous. Another example of his industrial themes and linear drawing is “Diagrams: Iceberg”, the first piece to

confront the viewer upon entry, which is filled with gradations of graphite.

Battat Contemporary holds all the charms of a small, independent art establishment: whitewashed walls, hardwood floors and a remote location.

Panorama: monolithe intime runs until Oct. 23. Whether you’re into Talasnik or not, it is definitely worth a walk down Castelnau to take a look at the gallery at 7245 Alexandra St., Suite 100. Parc or de Castelnau metro.

CAMPUS

Co-op s Reading Series highlights homegrown talent ConU grad and student will be event’s first headliner Chris Hanna Opinions editor

Graphic by Katie Brioux

For its eighth anniversary, Concordia’s Co-op Bookstore is celebrating like no eight-year-old ever would. Starting Wednesday evening for the next six weeks, the Co-op will be holding readings of published works by their Montreal-dwelling authors.

Larissa Dutil, store co-manager, bookseller and outreach coordinator, takes full credit for the idea of the series. She said that too often, the Co-op forgets to celebrate its anniversary because it falls around the beginning of the fall semester, one of their busiest times of the year. The Co-op has had public reading events in the past, but this is the first time they have revolved around an anniversary.

“Lucky number seven would have been

sexier,” admitted Dutil, who thinks the anniversary should really just be an afterthought.

Dutil believes the writers will be the main attraction to the event. She hopes the series will be a good lead-up to the Co-op’s Annual General Meeting, where members vote on

“

One way that my publisher and I have summed up the book, is equal measures funny and sad, punk rock and grandparents.

which direction the organization is going and its upcoming projects and ventures.

The Local Legends Reading Series will feature six writers, whom Dutil describes as “friends of the Co-op.”

The first will be Jeff Miller, a Concordia

graduate who has just begun a master’s degree in English literature at the university, on Oct. 6.

His book Ghost Pine: All Stories True was published last spring and was in-the-making for over a decade. The stories are about Miller’s time in Ottawa and Montreal as well as his trips across North America, and have previously been published in his zine. The Montreal Gazette featured Ghost Pine on their list of recommended summer reads. The book also enjoyed some time on the paper’s bestseller list back in May. Miller’s stories are about relationships, friends and family. He describes them as universal.

“One way that my publisher and I have summed up the book,” Miller said, “is ‘equal measures funny and sad, punk rock and grandparents.’”

Upcoming readers and writers will include Louis Rastelli, Larissa Andrusyshyn, Jp King, Daniel Allen Cox and Mark Ambrose Harris.

The Co-op Bookstore is located at 2150 Bishop St. The event will begin at 7 p.m.

Admission is a suggested donation of $2.

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Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010 FILM

Fighting to put Doc highlights activist Maude Barlow’s work on water conservation Valerie Cardinal Staff Writer How much do Canadians really know about their own freshwater? Not enough, according to Liz Marshall, director of Water on the Table. “I want people to reflect deeply on water usage and the greater spiritual and philosophical question of whether water is a human right or a commercial good,” she said. For example, she continued, most people think Canada has more freshwater than it really does: in reality, we only have 6.5 per cent of the world’s supply.

“

This is not science fiction. This is where the world is headed unless we change course.

Maude Barlow, crusader for water conservation

Maude Barlow, the main subject of Liz Marshall’s documentary and a well-known crusader for water conservation, is squarely on the side of water as a human right. At the beginning of the film, Barlow talks about a scenario where no one can afford water but the extremely wealthy. She alarmingly concludes, “This is not science fiction. This is where the world is headed unless we change course.”

Marshall has wanted to make a film about Barlow since she read the activist’s book Blue Gold. “The book sort of haunted me and I never let go of it fully.”

However, not everyone is as supportive of Barlow’s point of view. Barlow refers to

early feminist Nellie McClung’s expression, “Nobody likes an alarm clock in action.”

When it comes to water protection, Barlow is that alarm clock.

Despite its clear point of view, the film also takes the time to speak to people who see water as a commercial good. Marshall speaks with economists, professors and journalists who see Barlow’s viewpoint as too radical, or even completely ridiculous.

Executive director of advocacy group Environment Probe Elizabeth Brubaker is all for getting water to those who need it. However, she believes it can best be done with privatization instead of without it. “When a resource is free, people don’t have any incentive to conserve it,” she said.

Marshall’s film follows Barlow from protests to the tar sands to meetings at the UN and press conferences. The camera even reveals Barlow’s personal life, showing her enjoying time with her grandchildren as she discusses the importance of having a safe, loving environment to escape to once in a while.

Water on the Table explores the effects of the Alberta tar sands on the environment as well as nearby native communities. At a press conference, member of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Mike Mercredi spoke of six cases of cancer in one year in a community of 1,200 people. “If the water flowed into the city, if people were dying in the city, I think something would be done about that,” he commented.

“As Canadians, we do have a responsibility,” affirmed Marshall. “Water is part of our heritage.” She hopes that viewers will use the information they gather from the film to demand change on a governmental level.

“It’s not a doom and gloom film,” she said.

“I wanted to make something to create some kind of positive response.” Marshall wants Water on the Table to have the same effect on its viewers as it did on her. “I’m more aware of conservation, that the water flowing from my tap is a privilege.”

Water on the Table will be playing at Cinema Politica Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. in H-110.

For more information, check out www.cinemapolitica.org. As part of Climate Awareness Day, both Liz Marshall and Maude Barlow will be present for a Q&A session.

on the table

after the Quebec premiere of the film.

Barlow is a prominent water conservationist, and the subject of Water on the Table.

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

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FESTIVAL

Montreal improv steps up Local, visiting troupes promise a great fifth year at Montreal Improv Fest Sarah Deshaies Editor-in-chief English improv has grown by leaps and bounds in the last few years, and consequently, so has the fifth edition of the Montreal Improv Festival.

The fest, which started off all those years ago with only two local troupes, now boasts 10, including Montreal’s veteran performers and newcomers, as well as a handful of out-oftowners here to prove their mettle.

Marc Rowland, one of the festival’s performers and directors, definitely thinks that the festival has grown in size and quality along with the state of Montreal’s improv. “I think that, especially in the last few years, we’ve started bringing out-of-towners and that’s sort of put the Montreal improv community on the map finally. That people are like, oh, there’s really good stuff going on there and some really fun things happening.” To put it simply: “We’re starting to become a thing that people realize exists.”

Rowland pointed to a decade-long lack of local improv on the docks of comedy giant Just for Laughs. “I imagine people just sort of forgot we existed,” said Rowland, who points to On the Spot as the bright spot in a bleak scene.

But, “one troupe is not a scene. Two troupes is not a scene.”

In the past few years, with the advent of new improv groups and a new improv venue, Théâtre Ste. Catherine, performers are garnering more attention and “notoriety.” To

Graphic by Vincent Beauchemin

Rowland, improv is flourishing in the city: “I think we’re starting to hit a critical mass.”

Some of the Montreal acts include On the Spot, the venerable group which has been playing regularly around town for over 20 years. There’s girl act Queen (“not the band!”) and the Jam, a musical improv led by Kirsten Rasmussen, in turn a member of Montreal Improv, which is putting together an ‘80s time travel piece in the vein of Back to the Future.

Fringe Festival darlings Uncalled For will be performing at the fest in advance of their first scripted staging this October in Possible Worlds, directed by Concordia professor Liz Valdez.

And there’s the Bitter End, another newcomer that has perfected both the web series and a regular ‘sitcom’ on stage, with a new live project on the way.

Rowland credits visiting troupes with

bringing “fresh ideas” to Montreal, and keeping the local community from getting too “incestuous”. Upcoming visitors include Sexual Tyrannosaurus from Toronto, also known as Sex T-Rex. Rowland was hard-pressed to describe Sex T-Rex’s schtick, saying they described their work with jungle sounds.

Straight up from New York is Dearly Beloved, which is resurrecting a macabre comedy act from a few years ago called The Wake. The performers pick an obituary, and proceed to spin a story about the recently deceased person’s life.

Musical improv is on the agenda with Winnipeg’s Outside Joke sextet staging a long-form “improvised anti-musical.” Another foreign musical act is Wilder & Wilder, oddly enough a one-man act by Denverite Stephen Wilder, who posted excitedly about coming

University of Ottawa

Explore with Canada’s leading researchers.

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here. uOttawa in Montreal

Visit us at the Salon national de l’éducation on October 13, 14 and 15, 2010, at Place Bonaventure.

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to Montreal on his Facebook page last Friday.

Wilder’s half-hour show is an improvised musical, and with his stage act name, Wilder is guaranteed to have more than a few characters up his sleeve.

Check out the improv festival not just for a belly laugh, but for a chance to chart how our city’s improv scene is getting better and better every year.

The Montreal Improv Festival gets the ball rolling Oct. 6 to 9, at Mainline Theatre, 3997 St-Laurent Blvd. General admission is $10. The workshops are taking place on Saturday, and each last three hours. The cost is $50. Check out www.mprov.ca for schedules, and email contact@mprov.ca for information about the workshops.

music

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Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com

Karkwa mesmerize a sold-out Metropolis audience.

POP MONTREAL Riley Drever Contributor

L

All photos by Shannon H. Myers

Flying by the seat of our pants: the Concordian experiences POP Montreal

ast week the POP Montreal festival showcased over 300 acts performing at over 50 venues. In its ninth year, the festival continued to bring high-quality international music, film and art to the streets of Montreal. The following is just a tiny taste of what was to be taken in during this amazing collaboration enjoyed by thousands of POP-goers this year.

In an early indication of the popularity of the festival, many of Wednesday’s shows were sold out. One such show was Menomena at La Sala Rossa, where the band’s performance more than measured up to the unspoken expectations of this excited and fresh-eyed crowd. The group alternated lead singing duties between baritone guitarist/ electric bassist/foot synthesizer(ist?)/baritone saxophonist Justin Harris, keyboardist/guitarist Brent Knopf, and drummer Danny Seim, who were all positioned at the front of the stage. Joe Haege of 31Knots was enlisted as a backup soloing guitarist for this tour, adding a dimensional thickness that is a prominent feature of their recordings. The tunes swept seamlessly between rigorously rockin’ numbers and slower, heartfelt expressions.

Menomena’s percussionist Danny Seim.

The Library Voices combine solos with aerobics at Petit Campus.

Thursday night, local favourites and recent Polaris Prize winners Karkwa played to a sold-out crowd at the Metropolis. The group played beautifully with an elaborate and excellently synchronized light show to add effect to their melodic, high intensity songs.

The connection between the two singers

was on point and in perfect unison until they started playing different songs in the middle of the show - a surprising mistake for a group that is able to sell out the Metropolis. Regardless, the crowd loved the show and sung along with enthusiasm and emotion, and overall the show was very impressive.

Karkwa’s lead vocalist and guitarist, Louis-Jean Cormier.

In direct contrast to the magnitude of the Metropolis, the next stop was the elaborately decorated Rialto theatre for a smaller, local showcase. As the singer of the the Pop Winds belted out lyrics and beats from his keyboard, one couldn’t help but notice that his ridiculously huge T-shirt seemed somewhat out of out of place in the elegant theatre. The crowd,

which filled about half the venue, appeared to enjoy the music, but not nearly as much as the enthusiastic stage dancer who spent the entire set dramatically dancing around the stage with a robe and white scarf as props. At one point, while still dancing, he lit a candle, carried it across the stage, blew it out and continued to be one with the hypnotic music.

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Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

17

Marnie Stern had her first onstage giggle fit

Holy Fuck push the boundaries of experimental electronic rock at the Little Burgundy POP Loft.

at Cabaret Juste Pour Rire.

Thursday night ended at the Little Burgundy Loft where Holy Fuck headlined the late show. The warehouse setting was a drastic change from the large number of intimate theatre venues around the city. This created an industrial ambience perfect for the Toronto-based live-electronic group to reward the rowdy crowd with a dance party worthy of the long trek to the venue. Perhaps it was due to that long trek, or perhaps it was because of their amazing use of electronic synth, live drums, bass guitar, 35mm film and toy keyboards that people got involved and dancing until the lights came on.

Friday saw Deerhoof of San Francisco commencing the night at La Tulipe. The venue was already packed upon arrival so refuge was found in the balcony where the view was spectacular. The stage was dominated by the presence of the less-than-five-foot-tall lead singer Satomi Matsuzaki, who bounced around the stage in a beautiful balance of sporadic robot moves and flowing tai chi motions. Drummer Greg Saunier took over the other half of the stage with intense and powerful use of his meagre four-piece drum kit. He spoke on the band’s behalf on several occasions in terrible, drawn-out French that was either learnt on the journey to Montreal or salvaged from faded memories of a high school class. Either way, the crowed loved it.

To close the set, Matsuzaki bravely took her place at the small drum kit (in a very short dress) while Saunier took a guitar and the group played a cover of The Troggs’ “With a Girl Like You.” As the first chord was strung, a massive disco ball was illuminated with green light and the entire venue felt like a ‘60s prom night for about three minutes. It was beautiful.

Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens performed later that night at La Sala Rossa, which was illuminated with seductive red lighting and half a dozen sparkling chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The crowd was older and more professionally dressed than many other shows, but that didn’t hold back the energy. Naomi Shelton was supported by two guitarists, a drummer, and her three backup singers, the Gospel Queens. All four of the singers took turns at lead vocals to the crowd’s delight and all were endowed with powerful and beautiful voices. Between each song, Shelton thanked and blessed the crowd. Not a typical occurrence for a Friday night on St-Laurent.

Saturday night began at Studio Off Interarts, a Film POP venue, with local musicians D’eon and Grimes. The show opened with a short film documenting the lives of some local artists and musicians. Then D’eon and Grimes performed a live soundtrack to the 1920s silent film The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari using keyboards, a piano, vocal synthesizers and a drum box as people struggled to find floor space in the little gallery. Although the music was great and the film was incredibly interesting (it is noted as introducing the twist ending to cinema), the meshing of the film and the soundtrack was not especially impressive.

Down the street, Marnie Stern performed at Cabaret Juste Pour Rire. Stern is an upand-coming New York rocker. Things became interesting between songs when she claimed to be looking for her baby-daddy and had an obviously awkward conversation about it with her bassist. She immediately redeemed herself with some great music highlighted with some very technical finger-tapping

It’s a Pop Winds pyjama party at Rialto.

The Budos Band blowing minds.

One of Naomi Shelton’s backup singers takes the spotlight at La Sala Rossa.

The Silly Kissers fascilitate a hipster sockhop at Rialto.

D’eon and Grimes creating silent film soundtracks live at Studio Off Interarts.

guitar riffs and Rainbow Gathering-inspired lyrics.

The highlight of Saturday night, and perhaps the festival, was The Budos Band; a nine-piece Staten Island-based group that played intensely high-energy, flawless afrobeat funk to a lively sold-out crowd. It

was impossible not to feel the music and the energy, even way back at the coat check.

The front was a different story, and people were hanging on every precise note of every instrument while losing their shit.

Although there were hints throughout the show, it became very clear that The Budos Band is actually metal group trapped in a

funk and soul band’s body when Jared Tankel, the thick-accented trumpeter introduced their new album, The Budos Band III as the one with the “fucking cobra” on the cover as opposed to their last album, The Budos Band II, “the one with the fucking scorpion on it.”

He then told the excited crowd, as he introduced the band’s latest single, that “this is the hardest shit you have ever heard in your fucking life!” And the upbeat funk continued while the crowd danced on.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

POP PARTY

That s na cho Party, say cops Armen at the Bazaar plays Hollerado’s second annual unofficial nacho house loft party Uzma Khan Contributor POP Montreal’s Friday night loft concert on St. Laurent Blvd. was a huge hit. Featuring the Postelles, Dinosaur Bones and Armen at the Bazaar, the show went on until 2 a.m., when the cops cut it three performances short. The party, however, carried on into the early hours of Saturday morning.

This was the organizer’s second such party, officially known as Hollerado’s Annual Pop Montreal Nacho House. Hollerado is an Ottawa-based rock band that coined the nacho house party concept last year. A surefire recipe for success, this party brings together music, alcohol and specially prepared nachos, all under one residential roof.

A highlight of the evening was the oneman act Armen at the Bazaar, the second performer of the night, who wooed everybody with his voice and music. This 23-yearold Toronto native had people singing along with his more mellow songs such as “ZED” and dancing to faster numbers like “Fire.”

Stylistically similar to Imogen Heap and self-professed to be inspired by tUnE-YarDs, Armen uses looping to create his desired effect. He begins by creating various sounds with instruments like drums, guitar and his

Armen at the Bazaar took to the stage before the night’s line up was cut short. Photo by Dan Crowdar own voice, recording them as he goes, and then replaying them at intervals during the song. The true attraction is his strong and melodious voice; Armen began training at the Toronto Children’s Chorus at the age of four.

Now a McGill graduate living in Montreal, this fiercely ambitious musician is determined to make his name on the indie scene. His music so far is a blend of folk, pop and indie, but what he’s working on these days, or nights rather, is “borderline dancy.” Since Armen has a day job, he puts in studio time at night,

MIX TAPE

Gender Roles Arranged by Shannon H. Myers Music Editor

Our role in society, as determined by our sex, is often reinforced through media. Music is no exception. While I’d like to believe these artists are above the limitations of sex and gender, they make some valid and poignant points on these socially reinforced roles. To listen, visit 8tracks. com/the_concordian/gender-roles.

SIDE A: 1. “Action Woman” - The Litter - Songs We Taught the Fuzztones, 1967 2. “Woman (MSTRKRFT remix)” - Wolfmother - Woman Single, 2006 3. “Stripper” - Sohodolls - Ribbed Music for the Numb Generation, 2007 4. “Break Up Girls!” - The Raveonettes – In and Out of Control, 2009 5. “Woman in You” - Ben Harper - Burn to Shine, 1999 6. “I Was Your Woman” - Jenn Grant - Echoes, 2009 7. “Little Trouble Girl” - Sonic Youth - Washing Machine, 1995 8. “Living Loving Maid (She’s Just A Woman)” - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II, 1969 9. “Just Like A Woman” - Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde, 1966 10. “Natural Woman (Aretha Franklin cover)” - Katie Stelmanis - Join Us, 2008 11. “Les Femmes” - Yelle - Pop Up, 2007

SIDE B: 1. “Gay Sons Of Lesbian Mothers” - Kaki King - ...Until We Felt Red, 2006 2. “Boys Don’t Cry” - The Cure - Boys Don’t Cry, 1979 3. “Just A Boy” - Angus & Julia Stone - A Book Like This, 2007 4. “Pile of Gold” - The Blow - Paper Television, 2006 5. “Take It Like a Man” - Dragonette - Galore, 2007 6. “Bigger Boys and Stolen Sweethearts” Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor, 2005 7. “Girl Boy” - Blonde Redhead - Blonde Redhead, 1995 8. “Boys Better” - The Dandy Warhols - Tigermilk, 1997 9. “You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine” - Death From Above 1979 - You’re A Woman, I’m A Machine, 2004 10. “Fancy Footwork” - Chromeo - Fancy Footwork, 2007 11. “Feeling Gay” - Black Lips, Let It Bloom, 2005 12. “I Can Make You A Man” - Tim Curry The Rocky Horror Picture Show Soundtrack, 1975

going for at least five hours at a time. He is also a huge fan of electronic music, which might come as a surprise to his listeners, but he is certain electro beats will make their way into his music in the future. He feels his music so far has been lacking percussion, and he is working hard to incorporate this into his next EP. The goal, Armen said, is to get people dancing.

Another appeal to Armen’s creations are his lyrics. Although he suspects they are his weakest link and confessed to having trouble writing them, his lyrics do not lack depth. He has a theory that seems to help him, which is to avoid over-thinking it. “If you start thinking too much about what you write, it sounds contrived.” Armen feels his other area vulnerability is his lack of classical training. He has a lot of respect for people who know their theory well, but relies more on gut and uses his ear to figure out what he needs to play. “Trial and error is such a huge part of my songwriting,” he admitted.

Armen’s first official tour as a solo artist begins the first week of November in Mon-

treal. He will then make his way to Toronto, New York, Boston, Maine, Vermont and Ottawa, coming full circle back in Montreal Nov. 18 at Casa del Popolo.

The Postelles, from New York City, had the crowd of some 200 people dancing, crowdsurfing and converting the place into a mosh pit in response to their electric performance and edgy beats. Dinosaur Bones also added flavor to the night with some fast tunes that gave the audience what it wanted, finishing up just in time for the police bust. Hip-hop group Grand Analog was due to play next, offering a change up from the indie vibe, but the incredible noise level and people waiting in a lineup downstairs may have been what ushered in the cops, robbing them of their turn onstage.

For those who were hoping to see cancelled performers Grand Analog, Ismism and The Balconies play last Friday, check out their MySpace pages for upcoming shows, and pray the cops don’t piss on the party.

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Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

Quick Spins

19

Retro review

Crocodiles - Sleep Forever (Fat Possum Records; 2010)

Ben Folds & Nick Hornby – Lonely Avenue (Nonesuch Records; 2010)

Neil Young – Le Noise (Reprise Records; 2010)

Sublime - 40 oz. to Freedom (Skunk Records; 1992)

The beginning of the new millennium saw the rise of “heroin chic” groups. Bands like the Strokes and the Libertines became examples of trashy decadence, where no amount of excess – be it sex, drugs or alligator prints – was ever enough. They were the 21st century’s Rolling Stones, with a darker, grungier side. The Crocodiles are no different, having had their fair share of overdoses and wayfarer sunglasses. In substance, though, this up-and-coming Californian duo far surpasses their pop-rock peers.

Sometimes rock, sometimes electro, Sleep Forever is a psychedelic masterpiece. Sounding like an updated version of Brian Jonestown Massacre, they deliver a cohesive and refreshingly short album. With soaring tunes like “Mirrors” and “Sleep Forever,” these reverbsoaked tracks can only be described as arena rock with junk store instruments. With all its glamour and ambience, Sleep Forever delivers all the California cool without any Valley Girl irritants.

In a refreshing twist, Lonely Avenue finds Ben Folds putting down vocals and instrumental lines to the words of Nick Hornby, author of High Fidelity and About a Boy. Ranging from the political (“Levi Johnston’s Blues”), to the sappy (“Claire’s Ninth”), to the melodramatic (“Picture Window”), Lonely Avenue takes the listener on a rollercoaster ride – which unfortunately sometimes ends up going off the rails. The album gets off to a weak start with three rather unmemorable songs but as soon as “Doc Pomus” kicks in, Folds redeems himself with catchy melodies and memorable lyrics. Fans of either Folds or Hornby will appreciate that their quirky styles come out in spades. However, those intrigued by this unique creative mesh should realize that it was an experiment, and not an entirely successful one at that. Ultimately, Lonely Avenue is not particularly memorable and suffers from a lack of cohesion that cannot be ignored.

Le Noise could not be a better name for Neil Young’s latest release. Besides being a play on producer Daniel Lanois’ name, the album shows just how much sound one can make with a guitar, a voice and some studio magic. Yet this record still manages a kind of melodic minimalism. The lack of a backing band leaves only the masterfully textured guitar and looping, reverbheavy vocals that at times sound more like Kid A-era Radiohead than typical Neil Young. The acoustic “Love and War” and “Peaceful Valley Boulevard” are the only reminders of the old Neil Young and give a much-needed break from the dirty guitar tones which dominate the other six tracks. Even though the record is brief at only eight songs, the generally slow pace of the album make its length just right. Raw and noisy, Le Noise is a rare find among today’s studio-processed music.

40 oz. to Freedom is an account of the lifestyle that ultimately lead to the death of lead singer and guitarist Bradley Nowell from a heroin overdose shortly before the debut album’s release. While mostly telling of Long Beach party life, this record has a wide scope of emotion and a hell of a lot of soul.

“Date Rape” features Bradley singing and toasting about the scenario, how his friend “Ebin” became a Nazi, and the importance of “KRS-One” – all supported by a band that knows just what to do.

The organic, honest music here fits with its lo-fi production. The band worked with what they had, and proved you don’t need a huge budget to make a classic record. While the production value may be low, the music lends itself to this aesthetic.

This is one of those essential records for any fan of punk, reggae, dub, ska, and hip hop. It manages to be an homage to all the music the band loves while still having a distinct sound. The influence these guys had is undeniable – and it started here.

Trial Track: “Picture Window”

Trial Track: “Angry World”

Trial Track: “Sleep Forever”

9.0/10

-Cora Ballou

7.0/10

- David Li

7.5/10

Trial Track: “40 oz. to Freedom”

- Robert Flis

- Colin Harris

Did you know… …that you can apply NOW for the 2010-2011

Undergraduate In-Course Bursary Program!

The online In-Course Bursary application is now available on the MyConcordia Portal.

The Concordia University Foundation, along with various corporations, private individuals, and alumni, contribute funding to the In-Course Bursary program, which assists Undergraduate students in acceptable academic standing and financial need.

For further information, consult the online In-Course Bursary application which is available through the MyConcordia Portal, or visit the Financial Aid and Awards Office website at http://financialaid.concordia.ca To apply for the Undergraduate In-Course Bursary Program, log on to your MyConcordia Portal account, then follow the Financial > Financial Aid links to the web applications section.

Please note that the Undergraduate In-Course Bursary program is only open to Undergraduate students in second year or higher, with a Last Annual GPA and Cumulative GPA of at least 2.00.

As well, students receiving an Entrance Scholarship, Entrance Bursary, or In-Course Scholarship at Concordia University for the 2010-2011 school year are not eligible to apply for the In-Course Bursary program.

Graduate-level students and Visiting Students are not eligible to apply.

Applications will be considered in late November 2010 and results will be announced to applicants in early December.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Sunday October 17, 2010 at midnight Apply today! Don’t delay!

sports

20

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com SOCCER

Hard work pays off as

Stingers win their first game Late goal sinks last place team; Concordia women now in 6th Christopher Palma Alfaro Staff writer Concordia’s women soccer team prevailed Friday night in a hard fought game, as they outlasted the visiting UQTR’s Patriotes 1-0 to capture their first win of the season.

At the 74th minute, Stinger Sarah Sullivan, with an accurate 15-yard strike, was able to place the ball over the keeper’s head and in the UQTR goal for what would be the decisive and lone goal of the contest. Teammate Hannah Lise, who had subbed in 10 minutes earlier for attacking purposes, was the one who placed the lob ball in front of the net that found Sullivan’s foot. The goal received loud cheers from the significant crowd that fought the cold weather at Concordia Stadium. This was heartbreaking for the Patriotes who, only moments before the goal, had missed a scoring chance.

The game started with the Stingers being aggressive in the opposing zone, trying to set the rhythm. At the 12th minute, a Concordia attack resulted in the UQTR’s goaltender leaving the goal and with the ball on Sullivan’s foot, she missed the open net left. Sullivan again, at the 18th minute, initiated a semibreakaway with a pass to Emily Hubbard, who missed by inches left of the goal.

The Patriotes also had their chance to score with several counterattacks in the second portion of the first half. They even took the upper hand at moments with well-constructed attacks that pinned Concordia in their zone. However, aside from a dangerous strike at the 41st minute that Stingers’ goalkeeper Andrea Davidson was able to save, the Trois-Rivières ladies were not able to tangibly threat the Concordia goalkeeper. The half ended in the UQTR zone with Concordia mounting increasing attacks.

The Patriotes’ best player, Jessica Lavallée, got injured in the first half but was on the field at the start of the second. Her return did

Midfielder Sarah Sullivan scored the game’s only goal. Photo by Clovis-Alexander Desvarieux not go unnoticed, as she was one of the main reason UQTR dominated the first 10 minutes of the second half, creating chances for her teammates and for herself. At the 50th minute, she escaped from a Concordia defender and fired towards the goal, only to hit the horizontal post. The rebound was missed by one of her teammates. Several other chances

were missed by the UQTRs forwards’ lack of opportunism, missing point-blank shots and being unable to punch in rebounds.

The Stingers were able to gather back possession and ultimately score. The Patriotes tried to even the score with many attacks from the wings, but Concordia’s defence stood tall by stopping the progressions on

all of the opponent’s attempts and even, at times, forcing UQTR back in their zone.

The Stingers extended their winning streak by beating Bishop’s 2-0 on Sunday.

The hope to capitalize on the momentum with two homes games next weekend: Oct. 15 vs. Sherbrooke at 6:30 p.m., and Oct. 17 vs Laval at 1 p.m.

RUGBY

Stingers destroy Sherbrooke 92-0 in women’s rugby blowout Kelly Greig Staff writer

The only question heading into the women’s rugby game against Sherbrooke on Sunday was not will they win, but will they outscore last week’s beating on Bishop’s 65-0? The Stingers didn’t disappoint with a 92-0 rout of the Sherbrooke Vert et Or to remain undefeated.

“At one point I looked up at the scoreboard near the end of the game and thought it was 35-0,” said captain Claire Hortop, “but in the sun I couldn’t see the line. I guess at that point it was 85-0, not 35-0. I was shocked at the end when it was 92.”

Concordia was unstoppable from the opening whistle to the 80th minute. The Vert et

Or’s tackling was extremely weak and it took at least two players to take one Stinger down.

Often Concordia just ran right through Sherbrooke’s arms. “If you don’t tackle in rugby it’s kind of hard to stop us from scoring,” said head coach Graeme McGravie.

The Stingers used this game as an opportunity for their reserves to log some game experience. They also tried to take the opportunity to work on some of their set-plays, but often didn’t even get the chance. “We actually kept trying to get a five-metre scrum because we wanted to work on driving those five metres,” said Hortop before joking about sabotaging a scoring chance to work on a scrum instead.

Like clockwork, Concordia scored every tenminute interval in the first half. Near the end

of the game they had fine tuned the scoring to two-minute intervals. In total the Stingers scored an astounding 14 tries and 11 conversions.

Scorers were Emma Gaudet-Reichelson (three for the second time in as many weeks), Jackie Tittley (two and 22 points in kicks), Claire Hortop, Cara Stucky, Erika Hamilton, Patricia Lapierre, Katrina Cohen-Palacios, Mandie Aldridge, Laura Ng, Melissa Gagnon and Hughanna Gaw. You can count the number of times the Vert et Or had possession in Stinger territory on one hand.

There were displays of Stinger strength all over the field. From the forwards to the backs it seemed like the only time Sherbrooke got a

break was when Concordia messed up.

The last two weeks have been light for the Stingers, playing the weaker Bishops and Sherbrooke, but the true test of the team will come in the next two weeks. On Sunday they face the Laval Rouge et Or and exactly a week later they square off against the McGill Martlets.

If the team beats Laval this week they will be guaranteed a first-place finish. After debating every possible outcome and the affect it would have on the standings in the upcoming games, McGravie stating it simply as, “really we just want to go there and kick the crap out of them.”

The Stingers will play Laval on Sunday at PEPS Stadium in Quebec City at 1 p.m.

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/concordiansports

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

21

SUMMARY

Stingers soccer sweep weekend games Women’s hockey opens home slate with strong tournament showing Jamie Gewurz Sports editor With three games between both the men’s and women’s teams resulting in three wins this weekend, both athletes of the week unsurprisingly turned out to be soccer players. Defender Alli Burgess earned female athlete of the week, as she was a key reason the women’s soccer team notched two consecutive shutouts.

Burgess also added a goal off a free kick in Sunday’s road victory over Bishop’s. Dutch import Matthijs Eppinga continued to make fools of opposing defence men by scoring two goals and assisting on another in a 3-1 over UQTR on Friday. After yet another MVP performance, Eppinga is stunningly averaging nearly one point a game (four goals and one assist in six games).

The women’s hockey team opened their home season with the annual Theresa Humes Tournament, which has been running since 1985. The tournament was played on a tougher note since Humes sadly passed away this past summer. The Stingers official website has described her as “instrumental in making women’s sports and recreational activities a proud tradition at Concordia University.” She

had been working for Concordia Athletics since 1975 and was elected to the Concordia Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.

This year’s tournament was held in October for the first time, and the team opened at the Ed Meagher Arena with a 5-4 overtime loss to Guelph on Friday. Left winger Maggie MacNeil was the game’s MVP. The next day, a rink attendant arrived early Saturday morning only to discover a strange rust-coloured liquid on the ice. After discovering the liquid came from a cracked refrigeration line, the game was postponed to later that night (as opposed to the original afternoon start), and moved to McGill’s McConnell Arena. The change of scenery proved to be a good thing for Concordia, as goalie (and the game’s MVP) Steph Peck led the way with a 3-0 shutout over York.

The problems at the rink were fixed in time for Sunday’s game against Ottawa, but the Stingers fell 2-1. Fourth-year centre Catherine Rancourt played strong enough to earn MVP honours for that game, as the Stingers played tough all weekend despite dropping two out of three. The regular season gets underway Friday at McGill’s McConnell Arena.

The football team meanwhile, traveled to Laval to face the Rouge et Or, and got flattened 4610. It should be noted that Laval is the number one ranked team in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport, and before this game, was standing 4-0 and beating their opponents by an average score of 38-7. Last year, the Stingers opened the season and lost 51-0, and traveled there again for the playoffs only to lose 63-1. So the game was actually a slight improvement. With veteran quarterback Robert Mackay out for the

fourth consecutive game, sophomore quarterback Terrance Morsink once again got the start.

Unfortunately, Morsink and the Stingers weren’t able to get anywhere against the Laval defence, as the constant pressure forced him into four interceptions and just over 200 yards passing.

On the ground, the Stingers were not much better, piling up 10 yards rushing while being forced to throw in order to come back. After a tough loss (albeit against a very strong team), the Stingers sit at fourth place with a 2-3 record, and only four games left. In order to make the playoffs, the Stingers can’t let themselves fall below fourth. The quest begins with a Saturday home game against last-place and winless McGill, before two consecutive road games against Montreal and Sherbrooke, the third and fifth place teams (respectively). They end the season with a home game against Laval.

The women’s rugby team absolutely throttled Sherbrooke on Sunday, winning 92-0,

and they have yet to lose a game all season.

They will look to continue that streak when they travel to Laval on Sunday. The men’s rugby team meanwhile, had their game rained out, as the official Stingers Twitter account, @The_Stingers, remarked “apparently the town and the university [were] under water.” Unless the game is rescheduled beforehand, the men don’t play again until Oct. 17 at Sherbrooke.

The baseball team as usual had another busy week, crushing John Abbot College 12-3 before traveling to Ottawa and splitting a doubleheader, losing 3-1 in the first game, but winning 6-1.

The Concordia lacrosse team won their second consecutive game, 11-8 against a team from Laval. They play two games on Saturday on McGill’s campus, 9:00 a.m. vs. Brébeuf, and 3:00 p.m. vs. Montmorency. If you’ve always wanted to see lacrosse, show up and enjoy.

SOCCER

First win comes at a cost for Concordia s men s soccer team Lower-body injury claims rookie midfielder Christopher Palma Alfaro Staff writer The Stingers closed out Friday night’s doubleheader against UQTR with a 3-1 victory, but they also unfortunately lost one of their better players in Enos Osei.

The start of the game did not show one team taking the upper hand in the action, most of the play was focused in the middle of the field. The first real chance of the game came at the 10th minute, when Concordia’s Matthijs Eppinga received a pass from Karim Haroun and batted the ball off the right post.

After this play, the Stingers started to take control of the game and were more aggressive than their counterparts. At the 14th minute, the ball found Eppinga in the area; he eluded a defender but had no angles on his strike, being pinned next to the back line. Moments later, Enos Osei was able to get in open field but was neutralized by the Patriotes’ defence, only putting a long shot on goal. For the 10 minutes that followed, Eppinga and his teammates unleashed a flurry of attacks towards the UQTR’s goal.

A little over 20 minutes into the game, the Stingers started to let the Patriotes get back in the game. Two minutes later, off a free kick by UQTR’s Robin Marceau, the Patriotes’ Geoffrey Jouvin was able to lose his defender and took the unattended ball, leaving him alone against Concordia’s goalkeeper Khalid Ismail, who he beat without difficulty.

After the goal, Concordia continued to apply pressure and create scoring chances. Then, at the 35th minute, the Patriotes’ Marc-Antoine Simard hit Osei, who had just passed the ball, with a two-footed, spikes-up plunge to his shins. The hit was so forceful that it was heard all around the stadium. Simard only received a yellow card on the play. Osei stayed down for a long period, unable to walk; he ultimately left the stadium on a stretcher with ice on his immobilized left ankle

and tibia. The Stingers’ therapist said that Osei suffered a lower body injury.

When the game resumed, the Stingers seemed to channel their emotion from what happened to their teammate and played with vigour to try to even the score. During the stoppage time, they succeeded when Eppinga passed to ClaudeArthur Diesse who, alone in front of an open goal, had little difficulty finishing the play. The Stingers hit early in the second half only three minutes in, Diesse returned the compliment, giving the ball to Eppinga who stepped beside the

goalkeeper and kicked it in for the goal.

During the second half, Concordia looked like the better team and continuous pressure on the opposing defence created many scoring chances for the Stingers. At the 65th minute, after a handball by a Patriotes defender that prompted a penalty shot, Eppinga scored his second of the contest with a forceful strike to secure the 3-1 triumph.

The second half was undermined by many fouls and yellow cards, with the referee’s choices at times seeming inexplicable. For example, the

head referee gave UQTR’s Geoffrey Jouvin two yellow cards and sent him off for disagreeing with one of his decisions, leaving the Patriotes a man short for the rest of the game.

After the game, head coach Lloyd Barker said that the win “was nothing short of what [they] deserved” but they still have a “big hill to climb.”

The men’s soccer team will face Sherbrooke next on Oct. 15 at 8:30 p.m. at Concordia Stadium.

Gonzalo Paredes looks for an open teammate with three UQTR players in close pursuit. Photo by Clovis-Alexander Desvarieux

theconcordian

22 PROFILE

Violent femmes they are not Clearing up misconceptions and talking rugby with Jackie Tittley Kamila Hinkson Assistant sports editor There are a few things that Jackie Tittley wants you to know about rugby and female rugby players.

Firstly, she and her teammates clean up nicely.

“People just have this image – I don’t know why – of some barbaric girl in shorts and a tee blowing people over. Yea, there are a few of those out there, but quite a few of us are very good looking.”

Secondly, it’s not as dangerous as it looks.

“There is a misconception out there about blood, and guts, and ‘Give blood, play rugby,’ and yeah, all the media you see is guys with their heads split open, but of course – that’s what gets people riled up.”

And thirdly, “It’s called a try. Not a touchdown.”

The 22-year old third-year leisure science student and inside centre for the Stingers knows what she’s talking about; she’s been playing for nine years. But it wasn’t always her passion.

The youngest of four children, Jackie was enrolled in soccer at five, a result of a happy coincidence.

Her father, former CFL player and Concordia Hall of Fame member Larry Tittley went to sign up his two older daughters and son for soccer, and came back having signed up all four children.

Initially upset that her youngest daughter would be playing soccer so young, her mother, Kathy Tittley, couldn’t argue with her husband’s reasoning.

“He laughed and said, ‘But the fourth child was free,’” she recalled with a laugh.

Tittley also played tackle football for the Lakeshore Cougars for three years, and was on the swim team at her local pool.

“

Jackie Tittley tackles a McGill Martlet during last September’s Kelly-Anne Drummond Cup, which the Stingers claimed. Archives

“It’s a technical game; I think she likes the challenge of how the plays unfold.”

Her year consists of club league games with the Montreal Barbarians in the spring and summer, Concordia games in the fall, and indoor rugby and training during the winter.

Two years ago, she was a member of Canada’s under-20 team, and last year she played for the Quebec senior team, but decided to take a break from it this past summer.

This year, Tittley leads the Stingers offensively with 60 points.

She single-handedly scored 32 points on Sunday, in the form of two tries and 11 conversions, in a 92-0 trampling of the Sherbrooke Vert et Or. Claire Hortop, the Stingers captain, knew before meeting her that Tittley had a reputation for being a good player. But she also

helps out in another respect.

“I’m the captain, but she helps me a lot.

She’s vocal and a leader with the girls.”

During her career at Concordia, Tittley was the leading scorer last season. She has also been named a Quebec Student Sport Federation all-star twice, Canadian Interuniversity Sport All-Canadian once, QSSF female player of the week twice and Concordia female athlete of the week five times.

Though her father’s playing career ended before she was born, Tittley believes her affinity for contact sports came from him.

He was also a decorated athlete, and was named CFL all-star for two years of his 10year career.

But her mother knows she got a lot more than a penchant for hitting people from him.

“Everyone says she’s her father’s daughter; she even walks like him. I think she really

admires her dad.”

Tittley’s passion for rugby goes beyond the Stingers. She coaches girls’ rugby at St. Thomas, follows the national team, and can tell you all about mini-rugby, a form of the game used to introduce children to the sport.

“When you play this sport in Montreal, it’s hard not to be really involved [at every level]. It’s a pretty tight-knit community.” She added: “It kind of envelops you in a good way, I think. It becomes an extension of your family.”

Tittley knows a professional women’s rugby league in Canada is still a long time coming, and that fact has helped shape her plans for the future.

“I think once I’m done school, I’ll still play, but I think other things will take priority over rugby.”

University of Ottawa

I’m the captain, but she helps me a lot.

She’s vocal and a leader with the girls.

Study Law in the National Capital

Claire Hortop, Captain of the Concordia Womens Rugby team.

8 8

“I’d switch from football pads to soccer shin guards in the car,” she said with a smile.

“But I loved it.”

Her parents pulled her out of football after she turned 13, when there was a good possibility of her playing with boys far bigger than her.

She continued playing competitive soccer and had even started practicing with the junior Quebec team.

But at 15, she decided soccer just wasn’t doing it for her anymore.

“If you want a turning point in her career, that would be it,” her father said.

She grew up watching her siblings play rugby for St. Thomas High School in PointeClaire, so she decided to take up rugby instead.

As she put it, soon after she had “jumped” onto the Quebec junior team, went to nationals with them and never looked back.

“I think she likes the contact – a lot. As a soccer player, she was pretty fearless. We used to say she played with reckless abandon,” explained her mom.

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Application deadline: November 1, 2010 For more information:

www.commonlaw.uOttawa.ca

editorial

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

23

Write to the editor: opinions@theconcordian.com CAMPUS

Democracy doesn t function behind closed doors transparency vanishes behind a thick woodpanelled door.

Accountability is one of the most valued attributes that a politician can have. By holding a closed-door meeting, members of the counsel and board are no longer weighed down by the responsibility of voting. Votes can be cast and manipulated without any fear of consequence since the public will never have any idea that they’ve been wronged. It’s the openness of general meetings that keeps the public in the know. By holding a closed-door meeting, the counsels and board are denying the public a right to keep our representatives responsible for our better interest.

Transparency is a vital cog in the clockwork of democracy; without it democracy would sputter to a stop and stall. It’s through transparency that we learn why votes were cast the way they were and if there is any reason they were not cast at all. Money is often at play when it comes to votes. If there are any objections, they should come to the surface. It is, after all, money most often collected from students up for vote. Closed-door meetings only hide a vote from the public and offer little chance to grip onto what was once ours after it’s gone.

The public should always be critical of the use of closed-door meetings, whether there are legitimate reasons for calling one or if it is simply an abuse of the privilege. It’s too easy to call a closed-door meeting and leave any shred of accountability or transparency waiting on the other side of the door.

The counsels and board should never be comfortable calling a closed-door meeting if they are truly acting in the spirit of democracy and they should always give a valid reason for barring the public. Until then, there will always be a faint whiff of something not quite right seeping in from under the door.

Recent rash of private meetings are not a good sign for the university As the first month of the academic year falls from the calendar, a disturbing trend seems to be taking hold in the various administrative levels of Concordia. No one seems to be willing to let us, the public, in on their meetings. The most recent “closed-door” meeting took place this past Tuesday as the board of governors barred the public for a period of

“

The counsels and board should never be comfortable calling a closed-door meeting...

time. But the board is in good company; the CSU and ASFA has also used the tactic at counsel meetings held this past month.

While closed-door meetings can serve some good in protecting the privacy of applicants, they do more to hinder and harm the democratic process at this university. No longer are counsel members held accountable for how they vote and any semblance of

LETTERS

RE: Banning bottled water at Concordia It amazes me that people are so passionately discussing banning water bottles while at the same time at least a third of Concordians walk around with disposable coffee cups.

If anyone was really worried about being green, they would look at the bigger problem first. Coffee cups, unlike water bottles, are not recyclable, they take up a lot of space in landfills and many people mistakenly throw them in recycling bins, ruining the recyclable material that was there.

Okay, water bottles are also a problem.

People should ideally carry a bottle of water and refill it. I agree with that. Now, banning the sale of bottled water on campus is not going to do much. These people are probably not water drinkers. If they were, they would have noticed that a bottle of water on campus is $1.75, much more expensive than anywhere else. They would also have noticed that most people who have water bottles don’t have Aquafina, which means they are already getting their bottled water elsewhere.

Banning the sale of bottled water on campus would only affect visitors or people who forget to bring their bottle and don’t have time to go outside to buy a bottle of water.

Also, soda comes in a bottle or can. I must be missing something here, but I don’t see how drinking soda instead of water helps the planet.

Now, if anything needs a campaign, it’s the coffee cups. UdeM has banned them already,

why can’t Concordia? People would still bring cups from cafes around campus, but the amount of cups sold at Tim Hortons and Java U would be worth the effort. Coffee cups are altogether evil, and unlike plastic water bottles, nobody keeps them for days to refill with more coffee.

Denise Marques Leitão

RE: Banning bottled water at Concordia I read with interest the column written by Kayla Morin that appeared in the Sept. 28 edition of The Concordian entitled, “Boycott the bottle and enjoy tap water.”

First and foremost, the editorial team at the Concordian is to be congratulated for presenting both sides of the bottled-water argument for all to consider. At the half-dozen university campuses across Canada where the sale of bottled water has been banned, this was not done by the local campus newspaper, students’ union or university administration.

Getting back to Ms. Morin’s piece, numerous statements were made about bottled water that have long been confirmed as false a mythology one typically finds on anti-bottled water activists’ websites on the Internet.

For example, Health Canada regulations for bottled water must be as strong and protective of public health as provincial regulations for tap water. However, Concordian readers need not take my word for it, nor Ms. Morin’s for that matter. When it comes to the quality, safety or regulation of bottled water, they can get the facts by simply visiting the Health

Canada website. Her specific comments about leaching are simply wrong.

Further, according to independent research firm Quantis International, bottled water has the lightest environmental footprint of any bottled beverage. The average bottle of water travels less than 250 km from source to shelf.

Compare that to 2,400 to 3,200 km for fresh fruit and vegetables and most consumer packaged goods, according to Washington agricultural consultant Dan Murphy. Ms. Morin’s oil and plastic usage statistics are incorrect.

Plastic water bottles account for about 0.02 of 1 per cent of the municipal solid waste stream in Canada. If the bottled water industry disappeared tomorrow, there would be no appreciable reduction in the amount of refuse going to landfill. They also make up less than 15 per cent of abandoned materials found in public spaces.

If Concordia University and its students want to undertake a meaningful environmental initiative, consideration should be given to joining with the government of Quebec and the beverage industry to introduce public spaces recycling on campus.

In closing, hear, hear to Benjamin Woodman and his support for personal choice!

Sincerely, John B. Challinor II, Director of Corporate Affairs at Nestlé Waters Canada

RE: Apathy doesn’t pay in the long run Regarding your editorial “Apathy doesn’t pay in the long run” -- here are a few alternative

views to ponder.

Let’s define schools as well-honed mass systems for obedience training, where students learn to “do as told,” with an absolute minimum of self-choice and self-thinking -- and are then publicly measured in their obedience skills. In that light, “apathy” is an incorrect assessment of why students do not show up for self-led cultural events.

A far more accurate reason is “no one told them to” -- which captures the fact that students perform, as trained, to do only what they are required and directed to do.

So, it is leaders of the students -- the administration and faculty -- which are at fault for not properly leading the students to achieve the desired outcome and results.

If those same leaders simply relied on the same approach they’ve long perfected for the “education” of students -- namely, to withhold all the most vital choices for themselves, as to “what and how to learn and study, act and think,” and punish disobedience by public disclosure of graded obedience -- then, with that “cultural curriculum and schedule” in hand, students would show up in mass, for all those cultural requirements, with the same level of self-led mindfulness they bring to their classes and lives, and “apathy” would be as rare as failing grades.

Or, perhaps “student apathy” is a hidden prime aim of all schooling -- to produce generations of easily-led students, workers, shoppers, and voters?

Thomas Hatfield

24

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

opinions WORLD

Peace in the Middle East Binational state a more sensible solution than a two-state one Alex Woznica Staff writer

On Wednesday, Reuters reported that George Mitchell, the U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, was to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in an effort to salvage the current round of peace talks between the Israeli government and the Palestinian leadership. These talks aim to achieve a two-state solution to the decadesold conflict between the two groups inhabiting Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. The idea of a two-state solution for the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is one that is taken for granted by many as being the only path towards peace in this troubled region. Unfortunately, the two-state solution, as decades of failed talks have demonstrated, is a flawed, and seemingly unreachable goal. If peace is truly desired by all, subsequent negotiations must focus on the goal of creating a democratic, egalitarian, and multi national state comprised of the totality of the areas now known as the state of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

The main problem with a “two-state solution” is that it is simply not a very realistic goal. To start, figuring out the borders of these two states is next to impossible. There are currently thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and Israelis living on what would most likely end up being the “wrong” side of the border. As well, there are many contentious locations that both sides furiously claim as their own. Jerusalem, the current capital of Israel, is seen by both Palestinians and Israelis as the capital of each of their states. What would happen in the event of the implementation of the two-state solution?

As well, one has to consider what the Palestinian state that would result from a two-state solution would actually look like.

There is no way that Israel would allow a Palestinian state, which would be comprised of so many of its enemies, to have any real independent power, especially in the areas of foreign policy and defense. Israelis and their government have seen too many examples of Palestinian ill will to allow for the creation of a truly independent, and most likely hostile Palestinian state.

One cannot consider the possibility of a

Vous voulez aller plus loin ? two-state solution without considering who would administer the Palestinian state which would result from this. The first problem one encounters when considering this is that the currently occupied Palestinian territories are ruled by two separate and ideologically incomparable groups. The West Bank is controlled by Fatah, a secular party, which has its roots in the early struggle for Palestinian independence, while Gaza is controlled by the Islamic group Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by most western states.

Violence erupted between the two factions in 2007, and any sort of reconciliation between the two groups does not seem likely in the near future.

The lack of unity between the two parties which claim leadership of the Palestinian struggle for independence has taken the form of what is essentially a civil war. That being the case, it seems unlikely, even if a Palestinian state were created, that the two groups would stop fighting, and unite towards the goal of providing the Palestinian people with the sort of peace and democracy that they

Prenez la voie rapide.

Client : HEC Montréal Martine Plaziac 514 340-6622 Graphic by Katie Brioux martine.plaziac@hec.ca

deserve.

If a two-state solution is not a viable option, then what is? One possible answer to that question is one that comes from, of all places, Canada, which, like Israel and occupied Palestinian territories, is a country with two distinct groups, which traditionally differed both religiously and linguistically.

Like the Israelis and the Palestinians, the English and French in Canada fought, both culturally and militarily for many years, but since Confederation in 1867, the English and French segments of the Canadian population have been able to work together to form one of the most egalitarian and democratic states in the world.

As in Canada, the Israelis and Palestinians could find the peace in the form of a binational, multi-religious state comprising the entirety of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. A constitution could be constructed that would guarantee equal representation for the Palestinian and Israeli segments of this state, much as Canadian constitutional documents give equal protec-

Graphisme : Go création tion and representation to Canada’s French Isabelle Champagne and English communities.

514 279-9419 The idea of a two-state solution to the info@go-creation.com Israeli/Palestinian conflict is simply not vi-

able. The improbability that a truly independent, peaceful, and democratic Journal ThePalestinian Concordian state could actually be created, Format : 1/3coupled with the democratic deficiencies in the 6,2 x 8,9inherent po. existence of a Jewish state have only one noir & blanc possible solution: the creation of a binational, multi-religious state in what is now Israel and Parution : the occupied Palestinian territories.

Only with octobre such a state can the 5people of 2010 this troubled region hope to achieve real democracy and peace.

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25

POLITICS

Backward don t ask, don t tell policy needs to be repealed Conservative intolerance is keeping the American military from being all that it can be

nothing about lesbians and gay men that makes them inherently unfit for military service, and there is nothing about heterosexuals that makes them inherently unable to work and live with gay people in close quarters.”

In 2006, a Zogby International poll showed that 73 per cent of overall US military personnel felt comfortable serving alongside gays and lesbians. A CBS/New York Times survey conducted in February earlier this year shows that 58 per-

Owen Nagels Assistant opinions editor

cent of Americans are in favour of gays serving in the military (up from 42 percent in 1993), but still 28 per cent were vehemently opposed to it.

Today, so many gays and lesbians in the military continue to be harassed, stigmatized, and sometimes physically abused. Yet they are the ones that are discharged and sent home, and the ones committing the abuses continue to serve and represent their country. This sort of double standard has no place in an organization whose aim it is, ironically, to promote peace.

Any soldier who has

The rights and freedoms of gay Americans took another serious hit last week. The American senate successfully blocked a motion that would have repealed the now controversial “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which allows gays and lesbians to serve in the military, so long as they keep their sexual orientation a secret.

Once again, conservative Americans are holding their country so far behind the rest of the world. Repealing DADT would put the American military on par with most nations’ armed forces, including Canada, who have no problem with gays serving.

This shouldn’t even be an issue. It is completely absurd to think that gays and lesbians are going off to risk their lives for a year and a half or longer, in dangerous countries like Iraq or Afghanistan, just for the chance to sneak a peek at another person’s genitals in the shower.

The reality is that sort of thing can be done back home without the risk of getting their limbs blown off by an IED. It’s crass, but it’s true.

When DADT was created in 1993 in the early days of the Clinton administration, research psychologist Dr. Gregory M. Herek said “there is

an issue with gays and lesbians serving in the military must ask themselves one question: will this person’s sexual orientation have any affect on his or her ability to help me stay alive? The answer to that question is an obvious ‘no’. Gays and lesbians are just as capable of doing the job as any heterosexual.

Between 1994 and 2003, the US military has spent over $190 million (other estimates put the figure closer to $363 million) recruiting and replacing the 9,488 troops that were discharged for their sexual orientation when DADT was first put in place. This included valuable personnel, like language experts who were fluent in Arabic.

For a military that has suffered tremendous casualties in the last nine years or so, it makes no sense to turn away or discharge any soldier that is willing to risk his or her life to serve the United States.

Equal opportunity should not be limited by race, gender or sexual orientation, and persecuting anyone for who they are is against the constitution. By repealing DADT, the U.S. will not only be saving money, but they will be taking a great leap forward in the civil rights of gays and lesbians. The time to end this discrimination is long overdue.

NATIONAL

Voluntary census will cut federal costs The Concordia Council on Student Life (CCSL) makes funds available to support projects that enhance or contribute to the quality of student life at Concordia.

Do you have an exciting idea for an event that will engage your fellow Concordia students?

Are you planning on producing a journal to help Concordia students gain experience in publishing and exposure for their work?

Dreaming of starting up that new initiative to improve student life on campus but lacking the funds to do so?

GUIDELINES & ONLINE APPLICATION AVAILABLE AT: http://deanofstudents.concordia.ca/funding-and-awards/ccslspecial-projects

Fall Deadline: Friday, October 15, 2010 Please contact the Dean of Students Office with any questions: SGW–H-637 ext.3517 / Loyola-AD-121 ext.4239 Or email to: lbroad@alcor.concordia.ca

But certain groups will be misrepresented because of new guidelines David Li Contributor

Last week, the recent uproar in the debate over the long-form census continued. Despite criticism and strong resistance from provincial officials, all three opposition parties and the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada, the Conservative government stood firm in its decision to make the upcoming 2011 long-form census voluntary.

Should this change come into effect, it could compromise the quality and accuracy of the statistics about Canadians, which, in addition to frustrating researchers, would have important consequences for minority groups in Canada.

The changes that the Conservative government proposed to Statistics Canada’s long-form census mean that its completion by 20 per cent of the population every five years would no longer be mandatory. Instead, approximately 35 per cent of Canadians would receive a voluntary form to fill out the next time it comes around in 2011.

Although this does not seem particularly startling, statisticians across the country have been up in arms over the decision. The reason for this is simple: the accuracy of statistics depends on the randomness of the sample. It is unfeasible and simply not worth the resources to survey every single person in Canada. Instead, a representative part of the population is surveyed – the sample.And herein lies the problem: a voluntary census would not contain data from a truly randomsample, since certain demographics are more likely to respond than others. The Fédération has launched a court challenge in response to the change, arguing that the change violates the Official Languages Act. Minority groups, like

French-speaking Canadians, tend to be underrepresented in voluntary surveys, creating a selection bias in the sample. This reduces the government’s ability to recognize and respond to the needs of these communities.“The government must know what our needs are terms of health, of education, of everything, to know how to better deliver services and programs and respond to our needs,” said Fédération president Marie-France Kenney. Some criticize Harper and believe that he has a hidden agenda. By diminishing the visibility of minority groups, he could justify reducing the social benefits given out by the government, since the needs on paper appear to be less than what they actually are.

The intent behind Harper’s move are probably not, however, as malicious as that. This could easily be jusitified as part of his continued attempt to reduce government intervention by diminishing costs, and to protect the privacy of those who do not want divulge their sensitive information. Furthermore, his objection to imposing jail time as a consequence for not responding to the mandatory survey seems entirely justified.

However, this argument totally ignores the fact that the Liberal opposition has supported a move to abandon jail time as a punishment.

The opposition will also debate the changes to the census in an opposition day on Wednesday, which, although not legally binding, will strengthen the voice of resistance to the voluntary census.

Despite these efforts, all indications point to a 2011 long-form census being voluntary. As a result, its potential consequences cannot be ignored and must now be dealt with. With the interests of government researchers and minority groups in mind, the best thing we can do right now is to fill out the voluntary form and be truthful with our answers. If enough people take the time to answer the questions as best they can, and not attempt to skew the data out of ignorance, we just might be able to get data that accurately reflects the truth. If it is voluntary, the 2011 census cannot be expected to be as reliable as a mandatory survey, but hopefully it will be salvageable and useful enough until 2016, when (fingers crossed) new policy returns this pillar of our society to its rightful state.

theconcordian

26 Concordia’s weekly, independent student newspaper.

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010 Volume 28 Issue 6.

Sarah Deshaies Editor-in-chief editor@theconcordian.com Brennan Neill Managing editor managing@theconcordian.com Evan LePage News editor news@theconcordian.com Jacques Gallant Assistant news editor Emily White Life editor life@theconcordian.com Savannah Sher Assistant life editor OPEN Arts editor arts@theconcordian.com Radina Papukchieva Assistant arts editor Shannon H. Myers Music editor music@theconcordian.com Cora Ballou Assistant music editor

GOVERNMENT

Anti-smoking ad plans put on hold for the time being The federal government opts to focus on contraband cigarettes instead Lindsay Sykes Production assistant When everybody is on board to proceed with the plan, why abort the mission? This is a question many people are left with now that the six-year plan to proceed with a campaign to increase the size of graphic health warnings on cigarette packs has been put on hold.

Instead, the federal government has decided to go forward with a plan to prevent the sale of contraband cigarettes, a problem that tobacco companies see as the greater issue.

The announcement, which was made

by Health Canada at a closed-door meeting in Newfoundland earlier this month, took provinces by surprise. After millions of public dollars were spent on this campaign, how is it that the plan could simply be scrapped? And for what? To aid tobacco companies in the war against contraband cigarettes, which will essentially lead to putting more money in their pockets?

This is not to say that contraband cigarettes do not deserve the attention of the government. After all, illegal tobacco cuts into tax revenues. However, it is also a more difficult issue to tackle, with a demand for more money to be spent on it in the long run.

Since the lurid ads were placed on cigarette packages nine years ago, many health ministers have seen positive results. However, they’re eager to update and improve these images, as well as include a toll-free line for smokers to call for support in the battle to quit smoking.

After nearly 10 years of having anti-smoking

ads on cigarette packs, it is time to up the ante and make a greater statement. Increasing the size of the ads to 90 per cent and renewing the photos with more grotesque images was the aim of this campaign, and a good one at that. One of the photos in consideration for the packages was of an Alberta cancer patient named Barb Tarbox, dying in her hospital bed.

This is something that would surely hit home for a lot of people.

Is it fear of the discomfort and disgust these images will invoke in people that has this plan being taken off the table for now? Isn’t that the purpose of these images, after all; to be a preventative measure for future smokers and a motivation to quit for those who already smoke? The fight to prevent smoking all together should be most important and choosing to ignore this campaign is not a beneficial decision for the country. This is simply not a good move in a war being fought for the health of Canadians.

Jamie Gewurz Sports editor sports@theconcordian.com Kamila Hinkson Assistant sports editor Chris Hanna Opinions Eeditor opinions@theconcordian.com Owen Nagels Assistant opinions editor Jacob Serebrin Online editor online@theconcordian.com Tiffany Blaise Photo editor photo@theconcordian.com Katie Brioux Graphics editor graphics@theconcordian.com Aeron MacHattie Chief copy editor copy@theconcordian.com Alecs Kakon Trevor Smith Copy editors Jill Fowler Production manager production@theconcordian. com Jennifer Barkun Francois Descoteaux Vincent Beauchemin Lindsay Sykes Production Assistants Board of Directors Tobi Elliott Ben Ngai directors@theconcordian.com Editorial 7141 Sherbrooke St. W. CC.431 Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 514.848.2424 x7458 (Newsroom) 514.848.2424 x7499 (Editors) 514.848.2424 x7404 (Production) Francesco Sacco Business Manager business@theconcordian.com Marshall Johnston Advertising advertising@theconcordian. com Business and Advertising: 1455 de Maisonneuve W. H.733-4 Montreal, QC H3G 1M8 514.848.2424 x7420 (Office) 514.848.7427 (Fax) STAFF WRITERS AND CONTRIBUTORS: Geneviève Trudeau-Senécal, Alessia Faustini, Nicole White, Philippa Duchastel de Montrouge, Renee Giblin, Felicia Di Palma, Natacha Medeiros, Jacob Roberts, Valerie Cardinal, Jasmine Papillon-Smith, Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo, Riley Drever, Uzma Khan, Colin Harris, Christopher Palma Alfaro, Kelly Greig, David Li, Alex Woznica, Faiz Imam, Clovis-Alexandre Desvarieux, Camille Nerant

The federal government should rethink plans and focus on the fight agaisnt contraban cigarettes. Photo by Tiffany Blaise

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To apply, just send in your CV with two writing samples to elections@theconcordian.com The deadline to apply is Friday October 15th at 4 p.m.

Elections will be held Oct. 17 at our Loyola office, CC-431.

theconcordian

The Etcetera Page

27

“Should water bottles be sold on campus?”

- “The Facebook movie is out! It’s a cool film, until halfway in when your mom joins the theatre & looks through your drunk photos.” - Jimmy Fallon (@jimmyfallon)

Martin LePage, seventhyear human relations: “Yes or else all you have is tap water. Water bottles may be bad for the environment but unfortunately the best quality of water is the one you’re buying.”

Stevie Fisher, first-year psychology: “I think they should be in very few places. I carry my own reusable bottle but I do see the point in people wanting plastic water bottles.”

Susan Jamaeddine, fourth-year cellular molecular biology: “It depends.

There aren’t many fountains everywhere so you still need them sometimes.

But I bring my own from home.”

Want to say something about the word on the street? Send your responses to opinions@theconcordian.com.

- “If I could have one superpower, it would be the power to have three superpowers.” - Stephen Colbert (@StephenAtHome)

- “One of the advantages of a newspaper is that I don’t have to wait for it to load. #stupidcomputer” - Steve Faguy (@ fagstein)

Compiled by Brennan Neill

Horoscopes Aries – March 21 to April 20 Find out which animal you most resemble facially, physically, etc., and try to emulate its way of being. If you’re squirrelly in the face, go stuff yourself up with nuts, if you’re fishheaded, stay in your bowl, and if you’re a tiger, take what’s yours.

Taurus – April 21 to May 21 Mighty bull is no mightier than mighty bullfrog when he leaves his horns at home. Mighty river is mightiest in the shallows, where big rocks bring it to life. Mighty man knows no mightiness, for it can’t be known in the doing of it.

Gemini – May 22 to June 21 You will see through cheap advice and silly gimmicks this week, through the interwoven layers of deception, towards some greater truth.

It’s subtle isn’t it, that truth, subtle, yet so very intricate. Contemplate it for a minute.

Cancer – June 22 to July 23 People often use the metaphor of a ship at sea to describe the project of nation-building - the ship of state they would say. You should start

thinking of life as the ship of you. What kind of ship do you want to be? Where do you need to get?

Leo – July 24 to August 23 My roommate keeps a “word of the day” page a day calendar on the shelf beside his door. Not only does it help him learn new words, but the new words shape the way he lives. Do you have anything that helps you learn and guides you?

Virgo – August 24 to September 23 Cost is relative. Something isn’t worth anything if nobody is willing to pay for it. That’s the basic principle behind the law of supply and demand. I know it’s sad to realize that market forces determine our lives, but sometimes you just have to play the game.

Libra – September 24 to October 23 OK, Libra, so here we are. Everyone knows where each other stands, but what on earth does it all mean. Impasses like this don’t usually get solved, should this one be left to stagnate like the others, or is there more to it?

Scorpio – October 24 to November 23 Reverse yourself on a pivotal decision, and use humor to explain your flip-flopping. That way, everyone will be like “ha, you’re so funny!” rather than “you fucking flip-flopping hypocritical bastard,” or other alternatives.

Sagittarius – November 24 to December 21 My dog is the most handsome little puppy that ever was, but he’s terrified of cameras or anything photographic. So here’s this ultimate chick magnet, cutest dog ever, but I can’t even show him to people. Still, I’d rather save some things for real life.

Capricorn – December 22 to January 20 If you wake up at noon and want pizza for breakfast, you can get a hot, fresh lunchtime slice and nobody will be the wiser about your unhealthy lifestyle, but if you wake up at 9 a.m., there won’t even be any pizza anywhere.

Easy choice huh?

Aquarius – January 21 to February 19 Nobody can decide what will happen to you this week but yourself. You’re in a strong po-

sition, but its not the most ideal. Sometimes I really like letting others decide for me. But you’re the decider now, so take action.

Pisces – February 20 to March 20 I recently saw a magnified picture of a vinyl record and a compact disk. The CD looked like some alien code way up close like that, weird little dots. The vinyl, on the other hand, looked like you were hang gliding through the grand canyon. That’s all.

You share a birthday with...

Oct. 5: Kate Winslet, Patrick Roy, Ray Kroc Oct. 6: Amy Jo Johnson, Elisabeth Shue, Le Corbusier Oct. 7: Rachel McAdams, Simon Cowell, Archbishop Desmond Tutu Oct. 8: Matt Damon, Sigourney Weaver, R.L. Stine Oct. 9: Brandon Routh, Sharon Osbourne, John Lennon Oct. 10: Mya, Brett Favre, David Lee Roth Oct. 11: Luke Perry, Eleanor Roosevelt, Henry John Heinz