The Concordian

theconcordian Tuesday, March 20, 2012

life The best thing we ever ate in Montreal P. 8

music The Cat Empire wants to make you purr P. 13

sports Grin and Barrett: Q&A with Stingers star P. 15

Volume 29 Issue 25

Photos by Navneet Pall

MARCHING TO MARCH 22 CONCORDIA KICKS OFF STRIKE WITH A MARCH AND ENDS WITH PROVINCE-WIDE PROTEST University will completely shut down on March 22 day of action Joel Ashak Co-news editor The last day of the week-long strike voted on at the Concordia Student Union’s March 7 general assembly will coincide with the massive province-wide protest against tuition hikes set to take place on Thursday, March 22. On that day, Concordia University will shut down both of its campuses.

An email sent by Provost David Graham and vicepresident institutional relations Bram Freedman on Monday to all students and staff stated that, considering 15,000 protesters are expected to gather around Concordia before heading for the march towards Canada Place on Thursday, the university had to ensure the safety and security of the university community and members of the public by closing down and stopping all university activities for one day.

The university, however, will reopen on Friday, March 23.

“The area is going to be congested with people,” said Concordia spokesperson Chris Mota. “There is not enough space in and around campus to allow people to gather and facilitate access in the same time.

[Closing Concordia] was the right call to make.”

The March 22 protest will see tens of thousands of students gathering in the streets of Montreal, according to organizers at the Coalition large de l’Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante.

A Concordia delegation will be meeting in front of the Hall building at 12.30 p.m. and will meet with the rest of the protesters at Canada Place.

The Concordia week-long strike kicked off last Thursday with a march of more than 200 ConU students through the streets of downtown Montreal.

Some of them gathered early in the morning in front of the Hall building, chanting, dancing and peacefully blocking the front entrance of the building with tape and balloons. At 11.30 a.m., about 100 students started marching around the downtown campus, eventually joined by at least 100 more protesters along the way.

“At the beginning, we were supposed to stay around the Hall building, but then a bunch of people said ‘let’s go to Charest’s office [on McGill College Avenue],’ so we did,” said CSU VP external Chad Walcott. “It went amazingly well and our numbers more than doubled during the march. I think we proved loud and clear that English students are not that apathetic and we definitely gave Montreal a little wake-up call saying that Concordia University is still alive and well.”

After a couple of circles around the Hall building, the protesters — accompanied by a giant bookworm made out of a dozen students hiding under sewed sheets — started walking on Ste-Catherine Street, escorted by police cars and attracting drivers’ and pedestrians’ attention with vuvuzelas. The students then went up McGill College Avenue for a quick stop in front of Quebec Premier Jean Charest’s office, before heading back towards Concordia.

“I am extremely proud of Concordia students today,” said School of Community and Public Affairs professor Anna Kruzynski, while dancing with the students after taking part in the march. “It’s the first time in Concordia’s history that students go on strike for more than one day. We have to take the tuition hikes issue to the street in order to be visible and gain the most support before the provincial government

passes the budget on March 20.”

Kruzynski added that even though the decision to strike was not an easy or a unanimous one, it was a necessary sacrifice for the future of the education system in Quebec.

“There’s a lot of students who probably don’t understand why we need to strike,” she said. “But if you look at the history of student movements, the many strikes we had made it possible to stop tuition hikes or improve the loans and bursaries programs. If it weren’t for those strikes, people here would be in the same situation as students in other provinces where they have to pay $5,000 in tuition fees every year.”

When Tuesday’s march ended around 1 p.m., students remained in front of the Hall building, enjoying free food and partially blocking traffic by chanting and dancing in the street to the sound of drums.

“It’s just day one so people are still trying to figure out what is going on,” said psychology student Kathleen Khall about the turnout at the march. “The strike went really well and there was a lot of support from people who weren’t Concordia students as we were marching. As the days go on, people will probably participate more and I hope the movement grows and that we don’t let the French schools do all the work for us.”

As for the CSU’s strategy in preparing for the March 22 protest, Walcott said he aimed to move away from the picketing “inside,” as such action was more in the hands of faculty associations, and “bring everybody to a festive atmosphere outside in the streets.”

“We’re going to keep people active, motivated and marching,” Walcott said. “If we continue like this, we will hopefully get a positive momentum and make all students join us without even having to picket.”

A sale of presidential proportions P. 5

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Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Write to the editors: news@theconcordian.com

Local briefs Joel Ashak

Picketer may sue

An anthropology student at Universite Laval is considering suing his departmental association for preventing him from gaining entrance to his classes. Le Soleil reported that the student, who asked to remain anonymous, filed a mise en demeure on Feb. 27 denouncing “illegal picketing” and asking the anthropology students’ association for a total of $600 in compensation for the four classes he is missing. The student claims picketing is only legal for union workers and that students are solely entitled to boycott classes if desired.

The student gave 20 working days to the association before he said he would take the case to small claims court. If he does, the case could set a provincial precedent.

Fond Rouge: buy a pixel against tuition hikes

GOVERNMENT

CLASSE proposes alternative provincial budget Student organization says tuition hikes are not inevitable Joel Ashak Co-news editor The Coalition large de l’Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante recently took matters into their own hands and decided to work on an alternative budget to present to the provincial government, instead of simply asking for a tuition freeze.

Quebec Finance Minister Raymond Bachand will present his budget on March 20 at the National Assembly. This past weekend, CLASSE held a press conference in order to share concrete ideas with the government to find revenue sources that would fill the education system’s deficit and avoid tuition hikes.

“What we keep hearing from the Liberal government is that tuition hikes are inevitable, but we say that these are just political choices,” said CLASSE spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois. “This budget is also our way of showing that, as much as the student movement is capable of putting pressure and protesting, we are also capable of bringing concrete propositions to the table.”

The main points of the CLASSE budget involve improving universities’ management of public funds and reforming the fiscal system, which would make companies and individuals generate more income, without increasing tax burdens.

“The measures put forward in our budget are nothing revolutionary,” said Nadeau-Dubois. “These are measures that have been tried before and that have proved to work.”

The first proposition brought up by the CLASSE budget tackles universities’ use of public money, notably

A group of web designers that is neither related to student associations nor to labour unions has set up a crowdfunding website aiming to collect funds for the creation of a social campaign against tuition hikes. The method used by Fond Rouge allows Internet users to donate money in exchange of pixels, each one of them costing one dollar. The idea of the project comes from a Montreal-based interactive communication company called HYPRACTIF. Their objective is to involve not only students, but also the public by giving them means to contribute in the fight against tuition hikes. The money gathered will help buy advertising space to support the cause. So far, the website collected $3,842 from 236 contributors. Visit their website at fondrouge.org.

Spokesperson of pro-tuition hikes group resigns

The spokesperson of the most prominent pro-tuition hikes group, the Mouvement des étudiants socialement responsables du Québec, resigned last Tuesday. In a blog post, Jean-Francois Trudelle explained that the “unsuitable” comments made towards Arielle Grenier, a fellow member who appeared on Radio-Canada’s Tout le monde en parle, the eye injury suffered by Francis Grenier, the CEGEP student who was hit by a sound grenade during an antituition hikes protest, and Quebec artists wearing the red square in support of the anti-tuition hikes movement during the Jutra awards were the main reasons for his resignation. He also mentioned Education Minister Line Beauchamp’s inability to defend her own tuition increases and leaving student groups such as the MESRQ to defend them for her.

when it comes to advertising and in- million per year. vestments. The association also asks “These are very profitable comthat money be invested in “real” edu- panies that are not taxed anymore cation. thanks to Charest,” said Nadeau“Dealing with mismanagement Dubois. “This tax would not really problems with fines is very problem- harm these companies and it would atic as it shows the government is not be an intelligent way of funding not even aware of the real problem,” said only education but the public service Nadeau-Dubois, referring to the $2 as a whole.” million fine that Education Minister Nadeau-Dubois said, however, Line Beauchamp imposed on Concor- that the CLASSE had still not heard dia University. anything from the government regard“What we really need to do is to ing their alternative budget, but said make sure the funds are entirely allo- he was not surprised considering it cated to education and research, and has been a pattern since the beginning not for advertising, real estate or sever- of the anti-tuition hikes movement. ance packages,” he said.

“For now, we are just impatiently The coalition calls for an increase waiting for the provincial budget on in taxes on corporations’ capital, March 20,” he said. which could amass to up to $800 million per year, LECTURE when studies reveal that a totally free education would cost the provincial government between $175 and $405

Questioning the politics of rape

Nahila Bendali Contributor

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Activist and author Jane Doe lectured at Concordia on March 15, where she spoke about the politics of rape and how her story shaped the Canadian legal system.

It is with a red square on her vest that Doe began to speak about her journey. Her talk, entitled “The Politics of Rape,” detailed her precedent-setting story of her own rape, to her judicial battle against Toronto police. ‘‘My work is not about rape per se, but about defining it, the nature of its harm […] and to examine how our institutions benefit from sexual assault,’’ she said.

Doe was raped in Toronto in 1986. She did not know that the police had been aware of a serial rapist but failed to inform the women in the neighbourhood that he was lurking in the area. ‘‘The police informed me that I was the fifth woman getting raped in a six-block radius of downtown Toronto,” she said. “They knew the attacks were cyclical. In fact, I was raped a day before they thought the suspect would strike again.”

Doe said the police did not inform the population because of two myths that are still ongoing about rape and sexual assault: if informed, women would become hysterical and the rapist would flee.

After the rapist was convicted and sentenced to 20 years—something practically unheard of at the time—Doe was expected to put it all behind her and get on with her life. ‘‘That wasn’t working for me,’’ she said. ‘‘I didn’t feel like justice had been done. Some other men could rape again; other men were doing it daily. Other men have done it to their friends and family.’’

She said that if the police had issued warnings, those rapes might not have happened in the first place.

Doe engaged in an 11-year-long lawsuit against the Toronto police’s Board of Commissioners for negligence and charter violation, which she won. Her book, The Story of Jane Doe, was published in 2004.

Jenn Clamen, a professor at the Simone de Beauvoir Institute, said that they were really proud to have Jane Doe speaking at Concordia. ‘‘Jane Doe has impacted on the study of sexual assault in Canada and internationally,” she said. “Her name, experience and struggle for justice are integral to the study of law, criminal justice and sociology.”

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

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3

STRIKE

CASA and ECA vote against strike Three faculty associations held GAs last week George Menexis Assistant opinions editor Some of Concordia’s largest faculty associations held general assemblies this past week to determine where students stand on the strike against tuition increases. The feeling at most of the GAs was the same, that the majority of students were not in favour of striking.

JMSB’s Commerce and Administration Students’ Association, the Engineering and Computer Science Association and the Fine Arts Student Alliance all held GAs this past week.

Over 300 undergraduate students attended the ECA general assembly on March 15 on the 7th floor of the Hall building to vote on an official stance on the strike.

“It’s the first time we’ve held a general assembly in over two years,” said Ali Talhouni, VP internal of the ECA. “Many people came up to us and asked for this, so we felt compelled to give the students their own choice.”

The meeting started with some confusion as ECA President Nathanael Occenad had to call for order

FASA STUDENTS LOST QUORUM BEFORE THEY COULD VOTE ON PROLONGING THE STRIKE. PHOTO BY MARILLA STEUTER-MARTIN many times, trying to organize the sea of students waiting to vote. The meeting came to a close with over 200 ECA students voting to stay in school and not strike.

Not everyone in attendance agreed with the result however.

“I don’t understand how we voted against the strike,” said firstyear engineering student Laura Cerrahyan. “Money is being seriously mismanaged and it’s saddening that

we aren’t joining the rest of Quebec.”

At the CASA assembly held on March 14, 843 students showed up to vote. JMSB students voted overwhelmingly against the strike, with 710 students against and 123 students for.

FASA’s general assembly on March 16 didn’t go as well as expected. The lack of turnout and the loss of quorum prevented the final vote

to be be taken, resulting in a continuation of the strike for fine arts students. Quorum is approximately 315 students and before students began to leave, the assembly was able to pass several motions, including the establishment of a committee to handle all strike-related issues.

“We have a very high quorum and we lost it about three hours in,” said FASA President Paisley Sim. “The meeting was orderly, as legiti-

mate as it could be, and productive given the fact that we know we have a strike committee.”

Other students who planned on voting to end the strike were more disappointed with the outcome.

“I was hoping in the end that those of us who have been on strike for two weeks were going to vote to end the fine arts strike, so that we’re technically done with the strike the same time the CSU is,” said Peter Shaw, a first-year theatre student.

Another FASA general assembly is set for Friday, March 23, at 3 p.m.

A petition had been circulating to call for an Arts and Science Federation of Associations GA, but organizer Cassie Smith explained that since the CSU would be calling another GA on March 23 to vote on prolonging the current undergraduate strike, there would be no need for it.

ASFA has since released a statement saying that “the last thing ASFA wants to do is to put a whole faculty ‘on strike’ when there is a clear lack of solidarity on the issue.”

Instead, ASFA encouraged students to organize on a departmental level and vote in the upcoming CSU GA. With files from Marilla SteuterMartin.

For a list of upcoming GAs, visit www.theconcordian.com STRIKE

CSU

CSU to hold second general assembly next Monday Laforest and Gallardo reinstated Increasing number of groups lend support to student strike Marilla Steuter-Martin Co-news editor A special general meeting has been called for Monday, March 26 at 2 p.m. by the Concordia Student Union to vote on the possible extension of the week-long student strike. The meeting has been called in response to a petition put forward by three students, Gabrielle Provost, Éloise Landry and Tram Bui. The petition requested that the meeting take place on March 23, but CSU President Lex Gill explained that due to space issues and double bookings, a general assembly on that date would be impossible.

“We don’t want to step on anyone’s toes,” she said.

The chosen location of Monday’s assembly, the Reggie’s terrace, can accommodate up to 1,200 people and Gill stated she was “fairly confident that it will fit everyone.”

She went on to say that she was concerned about the strike being renewed at the CSU level because JMSB and engineering and computer science students have already voted against it at their own GAs. A special CSU council meeting has been called by councillors Sabrina D’Ambra, Iain Meyer-Macaulay

and Nadine Atallah for Wednesday, March 21 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the upcoming general assembly and set future provisions.

Meyer-Macaulay explained the agenda was set before the CSU announced that it would be holding another GA and doesn’t reflect the most recent updates.

The agenda includes a motion to call for a GA on March 22, which would prove impossible due to the university being closed. MeyerMacaulay also said that there was still much to be discussed, including the possibility of holding a referendum following the GA to include students who were unable to participate in the strike voting process.

At the general assembly, students will be given the opportunity not only to vote on the renewal of the strike, but to accept certain clauses from the minimum agreement as well.

The minimum agreement is a proposition brought up during a national student associations conference last year that requires, among other things, that student unions not negotiate with the government unless all umbrella student groups were present, and that they do not criticize the actions of other student associations in the fight against tuition hikes.

The three clauses of the proposition are solidarity, non-recommendation and non-denunciation. CSU council has tried to pass the minimum agreement twice in the past without suc-

cess.

The current motion to renew the strike, if passed, would last one week, and require the CSU to financially support those faculties and departments already striking, as well as reconvening the following week to vote again.

Shortly after the first March 7 GA where two-thirds of students present voted to strike, the United Steelworkers, who represent Concordia’s technical workers, issued a statement in support of the student movement.

The letter states that the USW Concordia branch stands in solidarity with students protesting tuition hikes and demands better financial management from the university.

In a similar show of support, more than 200 Concordia University professors from both full-time and part-time unions have signed an online statement saying that they do not support the hikes or any further attempts to “privatize Quebec universities.”

Despite this, in a statement released on March 16, Concordia President Frederick Lowy reaffirmed the university’s stance that should the strike continue, operations will continue as usual.

“Our first priority, as always, is to dedicate our available resources to teaching and learning, and we are committed to working with the government to ensure sustainable long-term funding for universities,” Lowy wrote.

Candidates trying to ‘make up for lost time’ Marilla Steuter-Martin Co-news editor Two formerly disqualified candidates in the Concordia Student Union elections have been officially reinstated by the judicial board and have hit the ground running in the final days of campaigning.

At its March 16 meeting, the CSU’s judicial board ruled that A Better Concordia’s presidential candidate Schubert Laforest and VP academic and advocacy hopeful Lucia Gallardo should be allowed to participate in the elections, two weeks after being disqualified by the chief electoral officer when their student status came into question.

Laforest explained that his team had spent the weekend planning and that their focus was to “make up for lost time.”

He said that through intensive online campaigning, the release of individual candidate videos, and by maintaining a presence on campus, A Better Concordia would regain as much ground as could be expected.

“We need to coordinate as a team,” he said. “If we do that, we’ll be okay.”

Despite the setbacks suffered by his affiliation, “this experience has really brought the team together,” he said. “It’s taught us how we’re going to be operating in crisis situations.”

At the hearing, the affiliation pre-

sented evidence indicating that Gallardo and Laforest, both international students, had experienced procedural trouble with their visas and this was the cause for being temporarily unregistered.

“When you’re an international student, your status is volatile,” said Laforest.

Upon being notified by Holoubi on March 7 that they were not eligible to run, the two applied for temporary membership to the CSU, which they were granted by CSU council upon request. Temporary membership allowed them to still run in the election and participate in campaigning events.

The presentation of the cases for both sides at JB became fairly tense as the hearing progressed. At one point, one of the members of the board had to ask Holoubi to be more aware of his tone and “be nicer.”

Following the hearing, Laforest commented that “this has been a very arduous process,” and that he was looking forward to moving on.

Holoubi declined to comment further following the judicial board’s decision. Concordia Could Be’s presidential candidate Melanie Hotchkiss said that she was “unable to comment at this time seeing that the decision has yet to be rendered in writing.”

Polling for the elections was scheduled to take place March 20 to 22, but with the announcement that the university will be closed on March 22, the last day of polling will be moved to Friday, March 23.

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Tuesday, March 20, 2012 STRIKE

On the picket line

CAMPUS

theconcordian

JB member resigns after filing public complaint Discussion at CSU council turns into ‘he said, she said’ Marilla Steuter-Martin Co-news editor

We’re picketing because we need to raise awareness for the strike and get as many people out of the class as possible. Ever since the CSU mandate, we’ve been going around classes, making noise, nothing to prevent students from going in, but to discourage them.

A lot of students don’t know the implications of having tuition rise, so as they notice more and more students are doing something and causing such ruckus, it might make them dig deeper and realize maybe it isn’t just about money.

Lindsay McLaren Accounting

Mathew Palynchuk Philosophy and political science

We have an antioppression mandate, in women’s studies and in feminism, and we aren’t interested in oppressing anyone. What would Simone [de Beauvoir] say? She would say no to the hikes. And the balloons, we have to be festive about this. There’s a lot of negativity that is happening and we don’t want to be part of that because ultimately we are working for something good.

Héctor Villeda-Martinez Women’s studies

Going full-out is necessary to be effective and to half-ass a strike is just hurting ourselves and unfortunately, that’s what I see happening around Concordia a lot. That’s why I’m dressed completely in red. There are so many places you can go in [Hall] and completely forget that we are on strike and I think that’s a problem.

So whatever I can do to remind people that this is going on and it affects all of us, is what I’m going to do.

It was all about accusations and resignations at the Concordia Student Union council’s most recent meeting.

On March 14, judicial board member Nadim Kobeissi resigned following the very public discussion of his complaint concerning fellow JB member Shannon Thomas and the tension and lack of respect that he said exists between them. Kobeissi said that Thomas’ past behaviour towards him had been “insulting” and “passive aggressive,” making him feel unwelcome at meetings.

As council prepared to enter into closed session to hear the complaint, former CSU councillor Tomer Shavit declared that he would not leave the room and demanded to know whether the JB complaint affected him personally. Shavit went as far as to say that council would have to forcibly remove him if closed session were to be declared.

CSU President Lex Gill encouraged everyone present to remain calm, saying that no such measures would be taken.

“I would rather see this meeting adjourned than see security called on [Shavit],” she said.

It was decided that the JB’s complaint would be heard in open session. Kobeissi was visibly uncomfortable as he stated his case.

Kobeissi said that Thomas showed signs of “incompetence” and that he was driven to make this complaint “out of desperation.”

In an interview with The Concordian, Thomas explained that since she first became a member of the JB, she did not feel welcome. She said that she felt criticized by other members for not

knowing as much about Concordia politics.

“There’s no requirement to be politically savvy,” she said.

Thomas said that it was difficult to learn the bylaws and procedures since there was no clear system of file organization and very little training going into the position.

“It was evident that [Kobeissi and JB Chair Ceejay Desfosses] were threatened by me,” she said.

Thomas also said that nothing was communicated to her directly, and that Kobeissi’s statements at council shocked her. “[Kobeissi] didn’t come to the meeting with any evidence,” she said.

Shortly after making his complaint, Kobeissi addressed council again, informing the room that he had officially submitted his resignation to the JB. “It’s unfortunate that people who are trying to push for integrity have to step down,” said Desfosses. “I refused to participate [in Friday’s hearing regarding the reinstatement of Schubert Laforest and Lucia Gallardo as CSU candidates] because I felt that everything was being done in bad faith.”

Desfosses said afterwards that there had been “a lot of animosity on the board [that] kept getting worse and worse.” She called it a “match of he said, she said” and emphasized that she stood by everything Kobeissi said at the meeting.

Desfosses said that the board brought up the issue of Thomas’ attitude many times.

“Every time we try to address the issue, we get defensiveness and mocking sarcasm,” she said.

Kobeissi declined to comment further following his resignation.

PROTEST

Spontaneous protest sparked by unknown source

Casey Stainsby Theatre and development

Photos by Navneet Pall

A text message from an unknown source indicating the presence of Quebec Premier Jean Charest in Google’s newly-opened downtown Montreal offices quickly spread among students on Monday. The text message said that Charest would be at Google Quebec headquarters’ grand opening at 3 p.m. and ended with “keep this secret but please forward.” About 300 students showed up in front of the designated building on McGill College Avenue in a mix of confusion and excitement as they started protesting. Students then tried to barge into the offices and were met by about 20 SPVM officers. After a 10-minute confrontation, the students were pushed away from the building’s entrance and pepper sprayed in the process. They then continued to protest and left the premises without further altercation. For more photos from the event, go to www. theconcordian.com.

Education Minister Line Beauchamp was also supposed to be at a public function the same day; she was scheduled to make an announcement regarding bullying at Ecole secondaire HenriBourassa in Montreal North, but cancelled because, according to her press attache, she did not want protesters to disturb the “classes and security” of the students inside.

Photo by Navneet Pall

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

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5

PROTEST

Anti-police brutality march turns chaotic Annual event leads to vandalism, violence and arrests Audrey Folliot Staff writer Almost 1,000 citizens took to the streets last Thursday night to participate in the 16th annual march against police brutality in downtown Montreal.

In the end, 226 protesters were arrested, 36 in isolated cases, and the others in a mass arrest, according to police chief Marc Parent.

Seven police officers were slightly injured in the process, as were two protesters. Of the 226 who were arrested, three adults and one youth were still in custody Friday morning. They are facing assault, weapons and breach of probation charges.

The march began relatively peacefully in Berri Square at around 5 p.m. and slowly made its way up Berri Street, surrounded on all sides by police forces, on foot, in cars and on horseback.

Some of the protesters were part of Secours Rouge, an organization that seeks to protect the rights of political, revolutionary and anti-capitalism prisoners. Sarah, a member of the group, said they were at the march this year to defend their rights.

“We are here to defend our right to protest, our right to be opposed to the anti-conformist capitalist politics of the government,” she continued. “It’s a way for us to send a message to all those people who are marginalized in society and who experience daily police brutality or have been arrested.”

Less than half an hour into the march, some protesters began throwing projectiles at police officers. Marchers were informed that as long as they kept to the flow of traffic, they would not be stopped.

In defiance of this, the march turned towards the downtown core and police forces were immediately deployed in an attempt to disperse the crowds.

Police cruisers went speeding after the crowd, followed by lines of riot police in full gear. Officers

ALMOST 1,000 PEOPLE TOOK TO THE STREETS FOR THE ANNUAL PROTEST. PHOTOS BY NAVNEET PALL proceeded to block protesters off at the corner of Sherbrooke and Aylmer Streets, hitting on their

shields to scare people off and throwing concussion grenades at protesters.

However, nothing seemed to discourage the angry crowd. As protesters made their way down to Ste-Catherine Street, some kept throwing objects at the police and screaming obscenities. A few courageous protesters sat in the middle of the street, facing the police.

Despite the escalation, the most motivated protesters continued on, splitting off into smaller groups as police blocked off certain streets, effectively dividing the mass.

Those left at the front proceeded to vandalize stores and smash two police cruisers, one of which was flipped over.

With such a heavy police presence, many have voiced concerns about how much recent protests, including those against tuition hikes, have been costing Montreal police.

SPVM spokesperson Anna-Claude Poulin said it would be some time before they would be able to release a financial estimate.

“The information regarding the cost or the resources implied in the recent protests is not going to be compiled before the end of the events,” wrote Poulin in an email to The Concordian. “It is impossible for us to even make an estimate of the situation considering the magnitude of it.”

Speaking to reporters last Friday, Montreal Mayor Gerald Tremblay said his patience had run out with the annual march, and indicated that he was prepared to look at “all options” on how to deal with future demonstrations in Montreal’s downtown core.

The mayor’s press attache, Darren Becker, told The Concordian that the city has been tabulating the costs of the recent protests, and plans to make an official request to the provincial government for compensation.

“Montreal is the metropolis of Quebec and the provincial government must ensure that the city has all the means necessary to deal with these public demonstrations,” he said. “Once we finalize the costs, we will inform [Quebec City]. In other words, no official request for compensation has been made yet. The city plans to though.”

With files from Marilla Steuter-Martin.

REAL ESTATE

For sale: a presidential condo Professors and students ‘selling’ Frederick Lowy’s home today Jacques Gallant Editor-in-chief A luxurious condominium on Doctor Penfield Avenue is up for sale this morning, although it’s highly unlikely that its occupant is willing to vacate the premises.

A group of students and professors from postsecondary institutions throughout Montreal are holding a “sale” at 10:30 a.m. on March 20 in front of the Hall building, hoping to find a high bidder for Concordia President Frederick Lowy’s condo. The sale is not actually a sale, but rather “a symbolic, creative, fun event, that is more meant to get the dialogue going,” said School of Community and Public Affairs student Liz Colford, the event’s student spokesperson.

“The idea is anybody is invited to come and place a bid for the condo. We’re hoping for a big turnout,” she said.

The major source of frustration for the organizers is a controversial $1.4 million interest free loan that was issued by Concordia to Lowy last year upon his return to the university following the Board of Governors’ ousting of Judith Woodsworth. Lowy, who served as Concordia’s rector between 1995 and 2005, was on the verge of mov-

ing and had already made a commitment to purchase another residence outside of Montreal, and the loan was provided to cover that transaction.

Concordia has stated in the past that it has an agreement in place that would ensure that Lowy, who makes $350,000 a year, repay the loan once he sells his Montreal condo when his term ends

this summer.

According to the event’s other spokesperson, Philippe Morin, an economics teacher at CEGEP Marie-Victorin, the idea for the home’s auction came about at a meeting of Profs contre la hausse, a group of professors who oppose the provincial government’s imminent tuition hikes.

“We wanted to bring under the spotlight the mismanagement of public funds at universities, part of which is the ridiculous pay of university principals, and Concordia’s principal quickly appeared on our shortlist,” he said. “Concordia has been kind of emblematic of mismanagement of funds over the past five or six years. [...] Just the fact that Concordia lent [Lowy] $1.4 million interest free [...] while thousands of students have to pay incredible debts and interests to banks, it just seemed too ironic for a university that actively promotes tuition hikes.”

Concordia has come under fire frequently over the past year for its management of public funds, not only related to Lowy’s loan, but also regarding severance packages totalling more than $3 million that were dolled out to several former senior administrators dating back to 2009.

The university recently raised the ire of Education Minister Line Beauchamp, who slapped Concordia with a $2 million fine for its handling of public money. The fine came shortly after the university announced that it would hire external auditors to review severance packages totalling $2.4 million handed out to five former senior employees.

“If Concordia is uncomfortable with what we’re planning, it’s because they know [the loan] makes no sense,” said Morin, a former Concordia student.

The university declined to comment on this morning’s sale.

For updates on what happened at the “sale,” visit www.theconcordian.com on Tuesday

6

Tuesday, March 20, 2012 FEE LEVY

CSU

Le Frigo Vert looking for a helping hand Fee levy increase for organic food co-op to appear on CSU ballot

CSU exec accused of not being a student Chair investigates status of everyone on executive and council

Leah Batstone Staff writer Concordia’s organic food co-op, Le Frigo Vert, is asking undergraduate students to vote yes to an eight-cent increase of their current fee levy in the upcoming Concordia Student Union general election.

The non-profit organization asked undergrads for a 12-cent increase to its 25-cent per credit fee levy in March 2010, but it was rejected. A fee levy among graduate students was voted down last April.

Bronwen Agnew, who works at Le Frigo Vert, hopes this year will be different as the co-op is in dire need of support, she said.

“We are at a bare bones time in terms of staff; we are down to five people,” she said. “Because of the fee levy not passing last year, we couldn’t hire new people when others left.”

She explained that the increase, which would add approximately $44,000 to Le Frigo Vert’s annual budget, would be used to cover higher rent and maintenance costs.

“Our fixed costs as an organization have been increasing every year, but we’ve had the same fee levy for eight or nine years,” said Agnew. “In that time, our rent has gone up astronomically.

If we don’t get the fee levy increase, it would be a huge hit.”

theconcordian

Marie-Josee Kelly & Marilla Steuter-Martin Staff writer & co-news editor

THE CO-OP WANTS AN EIGHT-CENT FEE LEVY INCREASE. PHOTO BY NAVNEET PALL When asked why they were asking for eight cents this time, instead of 12 cents like in 2010, Agnew said part of the reason is that they need some kind of increase. She indicated that she thinks that one of the reasons the increase was voted down in 2010 was because of the amount they were asking for. Le Frigo Vert has since had time to reevaluate their budget. Agnew said they have worked things out and realized an eightcent increase is sufficient.

Le Frigo Vert was founded 20 years ago when several students wanted to combine their resources and money to buy organic food at affordable prices.

The initial support from other students was phenomenal and the collective decided to ask students if they’d be interested in paying a fee levy per credit so that every undergraduate student would automatically be a member of the co-op.

Since then, Le Frigo Vert has been

providing students with low-cost organic and local food on the downtown campus. They sell seasonal fruits and vegetables grown locally, organic bulk food, directly traded organic coffee, and homemade natural shampoos and soaps.

Every Concordia student is a member of Le Frigo Vert, and is welcome to use the space or volunteer there. Agnew said it is important for Concordia students to understand that Le Frigo Vert is a student space, saying that the eight cents added onto each credit will go towards providing a better environment and service for students.

“The student population, and Quebec in general, is thinking a lot about student poverty,” said Agnew. “With tuition fees being what they are, and about to go up, I think our organization represents a stand against that.”

General election polling will be held on March 20, 21 and 22.

The current student status of Concordia Student Union vice-president advocacy Morgan Pudwell was questioned last week, leading to a report issued by Chair Nick Cuillerier. The report stated that two unidentified members of either council, the executive or the judicial board were not registered students according to the Dean of Students’ office, but the names are not being divulged just yet.

The issue arose when former CSU councillor Tomer Shavit accused Pudwell of not being a registered student at the March 14 council meeting, an allegation that she said was unfounded.

“Yes, I am a student,” Pudwell told The Concordian. “I’m not comfortable announcing my class schedule publicly [but] I am taking a class. [...] It is disconcerting that Mr. Shavit has taken the personal issues he has with members of our executive to such low levels.”

She went on to say that access-

ing or claiming to have access to confidential information is a breach of privacy, and should be taken seriously.

“I certainly hope Mr. Shavit recognizes the implications of his behaviour,” she said. “It is shocking and upsetting that students’ rights are being abused in such a manner.”

With regards to not divulging the identities of the two individuals who were not on the office’s list of registered students, Cuillerier indicated there could be a variety of reasons for why they are not. He said both people have been notified and have been asked to apply for temporary CSU membership status until the union’s next regular council meeting on April 11, where Cuillerier said he hopes the two people will elaborate on why they may not have been on the list.

Despite Pudwell’s denial of any claims against her, Shavit maintained that he “got this information from a very credible source within the CSU.” If Pudwell’s name is released as one of the students not registered on the membership list, she could face legal action, said Shavit.

“If it’s true, the ramifications are very serious because [Pudwell] is not a fee-paying member, so it’s illegal for her to collect a salary,” he said.

MARCH

Montreal marks anniversary of Syrian revolution On Saturday, March 17 a march commemorating the oneyear anniversary of the Syrian revolution was held that began at Norman Bethune Square at the corner of de Maisonneuve Boulevard and Guy Street and ended at Phillips Square.

Approximately 800 people were in attendance for the afternoon march. The demonstration was peaceful and participants chanted and held signs. At the March 14 Concordia Student Union council meeting, a motion was passed that expressed solidarity with Syria ahead of the one-year anniversary. Several students were in attendance at Saturday’s march, alongside people ranging from toddlers to grandparents, making the atmosphere of the event positive and hopeful.

Photos by Navneet Pall

life

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

7

Write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com SEX

When the court is in your bedroom BDSM sexual practices continue to hover in a legal grey area Julia Hunter The Martlet VICTORIA (CUP) — “Consent is a critical tool in western legal traditions,” writes University of Victoria’s Dr. Maneesha Deckha in her article “Pain, Pleasure and Consenting Women.”

However, BDSM (bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, sadomasochism) sexual practices hover in a legal grey area where the law states that people cannot consent to physical harm unless it’s in the context of “socially useful activities.” Acceptable activities have been recognized

by Canadian common law as sporting activities, body piercings and tattoos, surgical interventions, and stunts. S/M sexual practices, in the eyes of Canadian courts, do not fit the bill.

Pat Califia, gender outlaw, sexual anarchist, and revered LGBTQ writer and activist, writes that it’s hard to talk about sadomasochism in feminist terms because some of the slang S/M people use to talk about their sexuality is characterized by words like “roles,” “masochism,” “bondage,” “dominance” and “submission.”

In an anti-S/M feminist context, these meanings differ greatly from their significance to S/M folks. Califia also argues that the mass media, clinical psychology and the anti-pornography movement have sullied the term “sadomasochism” and that minority sexual behaviour has been distorted throughout time.

Because media usually depicts BDSM as violent or dangerous, people without a lot of exposure to kink may not think there is much difference between rape culture and bondage enthusiasts.

The 1987 British “Spanner” trials, for example, convicted a group of gay men for assault occasioning bodily harm for their involvement with S/M practices. The courts ruled that consent was not a valid defense.

Dr. Georgia Sitara, sessional lecturer in the women’s studies and history departments at the

Photo by Tess Forsyth/The Martlet

University of Victoria, states that the law, in the case of the Spanner trials, ignored some of the key elements of S/M like safe words that ensure the safety of participants.

“In the case of the law,” Sitara affirms, “consent is immaterial and irrelevant.”

With particular regard to BDSM practices, the state can take the position that it is in its mandate to protect citizens from bodily harm, and inflicting bodily harm is illegal.

Sitara also advances the argument of Ummni Khan, who worked on the Bedford case in Ontario, where police raided an S/M dungeon in residential Toronto. Khan suggests that the state has monopoly on humiliation and degradation.

“The police were very brutal with the women,” Khan relays. “The women were strip searched, and the police demanded

demonstrations.”

Sitara also suggests that there is a heterosexual privileging that occurs within the courts and that sentencing is often harder on queer S/M practitioners. The Spanner trials are a reflection of this. When men in play parties who practised S/M in the privacy of their own homes were sent to trial after a homemade video fell into the wrong hands, the dominants were charged with assault, and according to scholar Chris White, the men who participated as submissives were convicted of aiding and abetting assaults upon themselves.

On the other hand, the court of appeal argued during another case that a married heterosexual couple in which the husband branded his initials onto his wife’s buttocks, with her consent, was not a matter of criminal prosecution.

Califia argues that BDSM is not a form of sex-

ual assault, but a consensual activity that involves polarized roles and intense sensations. A scene is always preceded by a negotiation between the participants: who will play which roles, what activities are likely to occur or not occur, and how long the scenes will last. According to Califia, the key word to understanding BDSM is fantasy. S/M culture is a theatre in which sexual dramas can be acted out and appreciated.

Good BDSM requires the same qualities as every other good relationship: trust, honesty, safety, risk-taking, creativity, personal growth, mutual respect and affection.

Pain and pleasure are both subjective experiences and depending on the context, it may frighten you, anger you, urge you on or get you hot. And for S/M practitioners, it is all about the pleasure, baby.

RESTO REVIEW

Enter Le Bremner: Chuck Hughes’ seafood hot spot Hughes mixes up drinks with flair—and melts some hearts along the way Christine Beaton Contributor

M

y first thought when I walked down the mismatched concrete steps of Le Bremner and through two hand-painted wooden doors into a tiny space simply marked “Restaurant” was “I hope I meet Chuck Hughes.”

My second thought when I walked into the cozy, dimly-lit restaurant and looked around at the bar, loaded with fresh fruit, alcohol, people picking at appetizer-sized meals and a good-looking bartender was “There are a lot of hipsters in here.”

Then, as we passed the kitchen en route to our spacious booth in the main eating area, led by a friendly hostess wearing red Keds, I thought

to myself, “If Chuck Hughes is in that kitchen I’m going to ask him to marry me.”

If you have no idea who Chuck Hughes is, it means you have never watched more than three hours of the Food Network in a row, a feat which I accomplish daily. He is the youngest Canadian chef to win Iron Chef America, owns two successful restaurants, has his own television show on the Food Network and is from our wonderful city.

To top it all off, he has a French accent, boyish charm and an adorable smile.

Naturally, as soon as my two friends and I sat down, we asked about the drinks. The menu boasts homemade tonics and syrups, fresh fruit, unparalleled cooking techniques and mixed drinks that “pay homage to the genius of history.”

Our energized waiter explained that Le Bremner has three specialty drinks every night, depending on the fruits and vegetables found at that time of year. This ensures that every customer gets fresh juice in their drink, which makes a huge difference taste-wise.

We ordered one of each specialty cocktail, along with three plates of appetizers: kimchi snow

crab with crispy rice cake, giant garlic fried oysters and cheesy garlic bread topped with arugula.

The drinks arrive first, and each one is more delicious than the other. We took turns sipping from each other’s drinks, unable to believe the mix of fruit, alcohol and sugar. The spicy ginger and carrot juice mixed with a splash of Cointreau, which I, admittedly, expected to taste like blended baby carrots mixed with cheap vodka, left me pleasantly surprised; it had a smooth taste, like the alcohol wasn’t even there, and a spicy aftertaste from the ginger. The two others were a blend of pineapples roasted in coconut oil and sour limes, proving that opposites attract when it comes to Le Bremner cocktails.

After the drinks, the food seemed less exciting. The cheesy bread was good, with a spicy marinara spread under the mountain of cheese, giving it a kick you were not expecting, but at $16 it was overpriced and not worth the spare change.

The seafood was cooked perfectly, but lacked the flavour and the je ne sais quoi that you would expect from superchef Hughes. I would recommend reserving a space at the bar rather than in the din-

ing area; the prices of the plates do not lend themselves to the budget of a struggling student.

Despite the lacklustre food, the space itself was enough to convince me to go back. It was quirky and cozy. A plastic fish hung on one wall and crystal chandeliers lined the other. The bar was a monstrous wooden structure with apothecary vases full of vibrant, colourful fruit and a sign that read “Bar Rules: Rule #1 The bartender is always right. Rule #2 If the bartender is wrong, see Rule #1.” The bathroom counter was made completely out of dimes, and old-school radiators lined the tiny space. Despite the restaurant’s small size, it has a big personality.

Near the end of the night, after finishing more amazing drinks, we mustered up the courage to ask our waiter where Chuck Hughes was.

“You just missed him,” our waiter said, smiling at the three tipsy girls who have a tiny crush on one of Montreal’s most famous chefs. “We get that a lot.”

Le Bremner is located at 361 St-Paul St. E. in the Old Port.

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Tuesday, March 20, 2012

theconcordian

FOOD

The best thing I ever ate: MTL edition Concordia students give their take on their favourites from the most succulent and the most mouth-watering foods the city has to offer

Spicy beef and vegetable soup from Shabu Shabu

Empanadas from Barros Luco

Poutine taquise from La Banquise

If you’re tentative when it comes to tolerating spice, Shabu Shabu’s spicy beef and vegetable soup will make you want to plunge your head into a bucket of ice water and cry to your mommy. It is served in a giant stone bowl continuously heating a heaping pile of beef strips, glass noodles, seaweed, bamboo shoots, egg and scallions in a chili-based broth. I’m usually kind of a wimp when it comes to heat, but this happens to be my go-to dish because the Korean cooks created it so that its spice never overshadows its flavour. The soup’s zest hinges on its balance of spice, salt and a touch of creaminess, and you can call in advance to request a meatless version. Once you get to your third spoonful of the soup, just when you get this burning need to call the fire department, find solace in the complimentary (and refillable!) bowl of rice and side dishes that include kimchi (fermented cabbage), pickled seaweed, alfalfa sprout salad and potatoes doused in some sort of honey glaze. Finishing this soup, despite its colossal size, won’t be a problem because it’s exciting to discover all of the cool exotic veggie treasures hidden at the bottom of its sea. Unless you’re a wimp.

Located on 6180 St-Jacques St. - Marissa Miller

Ever since my first visit to Barros Luco, a Chilean eatery named after a former Chilean president who had an appetite for steak sandwiches, I find myself craving their homemade dishes. Everything on their menu is savoury and fresh, but the empanadas are little bundles of pastry delight and stole my heart. The crust is thin, flaky and perfectly golden. The beef is my favourite, and the most popular. It’s stuffed with ground beef, caramelized onions, salty black olives and a hard-boiled egg. They serve the empanadas hot with a useless warning because I always seem to burn my tongue with anticipation.

What really makes Barros Luco’s empanadas different from other places is the fact that you don’t have to eat your way to the middle of the pastry before you get to some stuffing. The best part is the secret ingredient, their homemade salsa they give you with every order. It’s flavourful and spicy, but not to the point where you can’t taste your food. I like to put some in my empanadas, in my sandwiches, and on my plate for extra dipping—it’s that good!

Located on 5201 St-Urbain St. - Stephanie La Leggia

Creation of beauty is not an easy deed. It requires experimentation and creativity, and La Banquise has done exactly that with their poutines. With over 25 different types of poutine on the menu and over 200 positive reviews online, it’s evident this family-owned business is making poutine very well.

There’s a line of people outside the door almost every time I stop in. My favourite poutine on the menu is the poutine taquise. It is served with cheese and gravy of course, but on top of that is a dollop of sour cream, guacamole and a sprinkling of cubed tomatoes. Skeptics could argue that guacamole and gravy wouldn’t taste good together, but let me tell you, it is a match made in heaven. The pistachio green guacamole is refreshing, and the sour cream adds a smooth buttery taste.

Tomatoes only increase the freshness of the meal, and oddly trick me into thinking what I’m eating won’t go straight to my thighs. Combined with the salty, warm gravy that is poured on the homemade fries and melts the cheese to perfection, the poutine taquise at La Banquise is a beautiful delicacy.

Located on 994 Rachel St. E. - Leah Batstone

Smoked meat sandwich from Reuben’s

Cannolis from Patisserie Alati

Mini lamb burgers from L’Orignal

When it comes to delicious foods, I’m not ashamed to tell you that I’ve been around. A lot. However, as I continue on my trek for the most delicious foods in our gluten-rich city, there’s always one place with that one particular dish that can always bring a smile to my face, even at the toughest of times. There’s a certain emotion that emerges from within my soul when I describe the smoked meat platter at Reuben’s on Ste-Catherine Street. Mark my words, in a city famous for the quality of its smoked meat, Reuben’s gives every single smoked meat restaurant, including Schwartz’s, a run for their money. There is nothing better than Reuben’s smoked meat sandwich, fresh french fries and an old-style dill pickle. Montreal on a plate. Without exaggeration, you feel like a champion after finishing off a smoker at Reuben’s.

Not recommended if dieting.

Located on 1116 Ste-Catherine St. W. - George Menexis

Many bakeries and restaurants around Montreal claim to have the best cannolis in the city. As someone who is not fond of ricotta to begin with, finding the perfect cannoli was a challenge, but I managed to do it. The best cannolis I ever ate are the ones at Patisserie Alati in St-Leonard. Usually bakeries display their pastries including the cannoli, but the difference with Alati is they are made fresh upon order. It’s one of the main reasons why they are so yummy! If you’re in a rush you may not appreciate the wait, but then again you’re silly if you don’t. I would rather wait 10 minutes for an Alati cannoli than have them boxed in five. The shell is darker than usual, but so crispy. The dough doesn’t even taste fried. The filling is whipped to perfection and super light. There is just something about the way the sugar, cream and ricotta blend together that creates an explosion of sweet goodness in your mouth.

Located on 5265 Jean-Talon St. E. - Alyssa De Rosa

You know an appetizer is good when it becomes the sole purpose of your visit to a restaurant. That is the case with the mini lamb burgers from L’Orignal. So what makes this simple-sounding dish special? The meat is tender, juicy and cooked to perfection. Even a die-hard beef fan will be conquered. The burger is so moist and flavourful, you do not even need sauce. Topped with gooey mozzarella, it literally melts in your mouth at first bite. The ratio of bread to meat is on point, with the meat being the main star and the bread a solid supporting actor. And let’s face it, anything that comes in miniature format is more fun to eat. The sliders are accompanied by kettle cooked chips that become addictive when dipped in the mayo. You can order three mini burgers for $9 or four for $12, which is very reasonable for a higher-end restaurant like this one.

Located on 479 St-Alexis St. - Anouare Abdou

arts

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

9

Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com VISUAL ARTS

The art of getting by Art in Action continues at Gallery X

description states that the structure “suggests our capacity to construct new environments.

Environments that are transient, nomadic, adaptive, inclusive: created from a diversity of materials from a diversity of perspectives.”

Across from the partial couch is the second half of the gallery, located inside a turquoise painted room. Here, as before, guests have two options. Turning to the left, one can peer out the wall of windows overlooking the construction on Bishop Street. Or, looking to the right, one can ungracefully lean over someone studying in an effort to examine Keara Yim’s selection of high-colour photos that illustrate Canadians’ relationships with the land they inhabit.

Although Yim’s bright outdoor-themed photos (one two three tree) mirror the openness created by the wall of windows, the feeling of a room wide enough to walk around in is just an illusion. The room is pretty narrow.

All the artwork is on the walls, but all the seating is up against the walls, too, underneath the artwork. Therefore, visitors can’t really see anything if they choose to sit down.

Him, Her, Us by Bianca Hlywa offers an examination of subtleties in gender differences through the representation of similar androgynous figures. Opium Dreams by visual artist Emily Yun Ching Claire and literary artist Ryan Kai Cheng Thom has strong messages of diaspora, queer desire and gender fluidity, and requires a lot of looking-at time.

So while the student strike may last for another week, Art in Action proves that there is certainly room for art in the Concordia fine arts landscape, no matter how many students it takes to meet quorum.

Nicholas McHugh Contributor

S

tepping into the VA building’s Café X, guests have two options: turn immediately to the left and be greeted by a glass cylinder full of food, a smiling face, and a giant chalkboard of tasty options, or turn immediately to the right and be greeted by a topless, bald, androgynous monster-human spewing paper fortunes out its mouth.

That’s right. Art in Action is still happening.

Gallery X, which inhabits the walls of Café X, is hosting the works of seven of the 30 artists who contributed to the 2012 Art in Action exhibition that ended March 4. The gallery will continue to show the pieces until March 24.

For those who can’t go—or those who just want something to read—here’s the rundown.

As mentioned above, the gallery decided to place the most shocking and unappetizing work closest to the entrance and directly next to the food. Shaw Desjean’s La Logorrhee comprises three pieces: two square canvasses, and that alarmingly ugly (in a good way) human form, which is meant to represent man’s inadequacy in expressing feelings in words.

To the left is Naomi Large’s Our Boxes, a group of brightly painted squares with vague human forms. The pieces attempt to explore “the human form in its natural state,” and the societal boxes in which its sexuality is constrained.

Turning around, visitors can take a seat on what looks like one half of a 1980s fam-

Photo by writer

ily sofa. On the way there, it’s hard to miss Karen Boyles’ Lighten, a giant graphite draw-

ing of a kind of patchwork parachute-tent attached to strings weighed down by bricks. The

Art in Action runs at Gallery X (VA building, second floor, room 229) until March 24.

For more information, visit www.gallery-x. com/current.

CINEMA POLITICA

The view from up close Two docs zoom in on overcoming obstacles through art Brandon Judd Staff writer Documentaries are generally about reducing distances between the viewer and subject(s).

A well-made doc will be able to place a complete neophyte in the world of the film, and make them understand it.

Biographical documentaries operate in a similar way, but differ in that they don’t require an explanation of setting; the world is understood, but the subject is not. These films are inherently mirror-like: the narrowed distance between the viewer and subject motivates reflection in the viewer.

The tricky part, however, is to make the subject easy to relate to without simplifying or objectifying them. This is doubly difficult when dealing with more marginal groups.

How Does It Feel, a National Film Board-

backed documentary written and directed

by Lawrence Jackman, opens bluntly. Kazumi Tsuruoka, who suffers from cerebral palsy, explains his feelings to the camera.

The opening is the sole scene without subtitles, and CP makes his words all but indecipherable. With subtitles—or, I suspect, with listening practice—Tsuruoka is pointed and eloquent, something the film makes clear in its second scene.

This opening is an excellent bit of instructive contrast: any assumptions an audience may have about the lucidity of this man are teased out by the opening, before the film makes it clear that Tsuruoka’s limitations are purely physical. Tsuruoka isn’t well-spoken despite his condition; his physicality has little bearing on the quality of his thought.

Tsuruoka isn’t a documentary subject simply because of his condition. It’s his one-man show that makes him particularly noteworthy. In it, he sings a variety of jazz and blues standards, as well as some ballads, many of which are elevated to an entirely different level of meaningfulness by

the realities of his life. Thus, “outside, I’m masquerading / Inside, my hope is fading / Just a clown / Oh yeah since you put me down / My smile is my make-up I wear,” is no longer just a breakup song, it’s a way to exercise a much deeper pain.

This type of art therapy is quickly gaining a strong reputation for the results it can yield, not just as an emotional output but as a confidence-building and prejudice-breaking experience.

It’s the kind of thing Concordia’s Centre for the Arts in Human Development offers, as documented in Ryan Mullins and Omar Majeed’s The Frog Princes.

In this self-narrated piece, we’re introduced to a production of The Frog and the Princess: A Musical Ecodrama acted out by adults with developmental delays, some physical, some mental. The play becomes an incredibly stressful experience for some of the players. While others find it easier, all seem to get a serious boost in confidence from the intimidating task of memorizing lines and being on stage.

At the same time, some of the actors

have to face their pains and fears head-on.

Rayman, who plays the Frog Prince, must endure a scene where the entire court of humans laughs mercilessly at him for being a frog. In the first run-through, what starts as fiction quickly begins to invoke a deeper, more visceral emotion in Rayman.

His exit from the stage seems too abrupt to be simply acting, but the emotion nevertheless stays largely on stage; it takes almost no time before Rayman’s posture returns to its nonchalant norm.

Both of these documentaries avoid any pitfalls with depiction of their subjects, and as a result, the characters we meet are neither over-sympathized nor over-simplified.

There’s eloquence and limitation, poignancy and simplicity. In other words, there’s not much difference in these characters than in the ones that populate any other documentary; distance, here, is not a factor.

Catch a viewing of How Does It Feel and The Frog Princes on March 26 at 7 p.m. in H-110. For more information, visit www. cinemapolitica.org/concordia.

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theconcordian

VISUAL ARTS

The wonderful world of work ARTX 480 students present their year-end exhibition Sofia Gay Arts editor With the fight against tuition hikes escalating, becoming more unpredictable than mid-season weather, it’s refreshing to hear that some Concordia class projects are going swimmingly.

This includes the ARTX 480 (advanced integrated studio in contemporary art practices) course’s year-end exhibition entitled Work.

The course began in the fall semester and the culminating exhibition, an integral part of the class, will feature pieces from all 19 students. “We thought that it could be a great opportunity to connect outside of Concordia and represent Concordia, represent artists in [the] community,” said contributing artist Joy (Jee Yoon) Lim. The choice of theme was crucial, as it had to represent both the subject matter and media that varied so widely between the participating students, ranging from video to installations and performance pieces.

“Because we are just an arbitrarily thrown together group of students, we wanted a theme that could be pretty flexible to us all,” explained artist Zoë Ritts, describing the different ideas within the theme, such as work in relationships, work as labour and work and the body.

Some pieces also have an element of audience interaction, as in Lim’s piece, Coffee/Tea Break, which has attachments around cups and plays with the smell on top in order to stimulate different senses.

“Usually you’re not supposed to touch the art, not supposed to go near it [...] for me, the artwork itself is the experience, not the cup,”

SET IN AN OLD TEXTILE FACTORY, WORK EXPLORES THE MANY FACETS OF ITS THEME. explained Lim. “So I don’t mind if the cup is ruined, as long as the person has some experience and goes home and thinks about that.”

Attendees will also have a chance to have their future divined for them through Marlee Parsons’ performance Psychic Cell Reading, which involves taking a swab of saliva from two volunteers, placing it under a microscope and projecting an image of the cells, from which she will do her reading.

The group of ARTX 480 students ventured out into the city, and chose the Grover building on Parthenais Street as the site to put on their exhibit rather than the Concordia art gallery hub, with its reigning champions being VAV and FOFA. “The place is a former textile factory, which is really obvious when you’re looking at the architecture inside. It’s these big rooms that are now perfect for galleries [...] Different generations of people such as artists have moved into

the building, and so we were really interested in using this as a site, because the artists have fought to keep it [from becoming] a condo building,” said Ritts.

The exhibit reflects the interdisciplinary element of ARTX 480. “It’s called interdisciplinary studies—interdisciplinary meaning connecting art with other disciplines, other issues around the world or community-based,” explained Lim. “So we’re basically not creating art just for the sake of making art, just to display, but [...] to convey some messages through that.”

They showed their support by adorning their poster and postcards with a little red square, keeping the student strike in mind, of which they were generally in favour.

“By the time the strike started, our classes had begun to happen off Concordia campus anyway because we were in the gallery space working,” said Ritts. “So in that sense we didn’t have to cross any picket lines. Our class

was able to continue within the spirit of the strike. And I think it also fell under the aspect of the strike, which is an emphasis on creating art and continue supporting each other outside of the physical university space.”

Ultimately, through Work, the ARTX 480 students are hoping to introduce visitors to taking in a different kind of contemporary art.

“For those who don’t really know art, I think we have great examples that [are] not very conventional, and that’s very interactive,” said Lim. “Usually people don’t expect that. [...] Coming here, they can experience a greater range of all kinds of contemporary art.”

Work runs at the Grover building (2065 Parthenais St., metro Frontenac) until March 31. There will also be a panel discussion with invited guests on the many kinds of labour on March 27 at 7 p.m. For more information, check out workyourwork.weebly.com.

LITERATURE

Pens, paper, prestige Undergrad English awards honour students’ hard work Amanda L. Shore Assistant arts editor

A

ll year long, students in English are busy writing essays and students in creative writing are cooped up composing works of poetry and fiction. However, once a year they have the opportunity to turn that essay or creative piece into more than just a grade.

The Excellence in Studies of English Literature and Creative Writing awards gift students with a monetary prize in return for their best work on the essay topics of English literary studies, literature written in English before 1700, literature written in English from the 18th century to the present and in the categories of poetry and fiction.

Submissions are usually due at the beginning of February and outstanding works in each of these categories are shortlisted, with the winners being announced at a ceremony dedicated to the finalists. This year’s ceremony will be held on March 23 in LB646 on the SGW campus.

The 2012 finalists for the A.G. Hooper Prize awarded for the best essay on the top-

ic of literature written before 1700 are Marta Barnes, Veronica Belafi, John Casey and Dylan Sargent. Casey was last year’s recipient of this award. His essay on Viola’s identity in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night was said to have been chosen because the judges were keen to debate the arguments of his essay with him.

Along with the cash prize, Casey said the award “afforded a great opportunity to get together with my peers, other people that had similar interests to mine after the award ceremony. It was just a nice opportunity to hand in a paper to be read outside the classroom.”

The Irving Layton award, a tribute to the late author, is awarded for excellence in the writing of poetry and fiction. Professor Mary di Michele was this year’s judge for the poetry section of the award and described the shortlisted works as “beautiful pieces and very varied in terms of what they were about.”

One poem, for example, is a cycle of sonnets about working as a deck hand in Labrador while another is a celebration of pinball. This year’s shortlisted poets are Michael Chaulk, Stefano Faustini, Emma Healey and Domenica Martinello.

For Heather Davidson, last year’s recipient of the Irving Layton award for fiction, receiving the honour was about more than just the monetary reward. “I was nervous about graduating, so the award meant a huge boost. Keep doing this crazy writing

thing,” she said. “It was the beginning of everything fortunate and literary that’s come after. The Irving Layton award represented all the great people at Concordia who believed in me while I was still trying to believe in myself.” The finalists for the Irving Layton award for fiction this year are Michael Chaulk, Alex Manley, Tyler Morency and Dylan Sargent.

The Compton-Lamb Memorial Scholarship is awarded on the basis of academic excellence as well as the submission of an essay about English literary studies. Finalists for this year’s scholarship are Robin Graham and Matthew Dunleavy. Finalists for the MacGuigan Prize, which is awarded on the merit of an essay written about a work of English literature written between the 18th century and the present, are Veronica Belafi, Danielle Bird, John Casey, Paula Wilson and Kevin Yildirim.

Winners of the Excellence in Studies of English Literature and Creative Writing awards will be announced on March 23 during a ceremony in LB-646 at 2 p.m.

All faculty, staff and students are invited to attend.

Graphic by Alessandra McGovern

music

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

11

Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com REVIEW

Under the Snow Festival showcases underground musicians Montrealers come out of hibernation for five-night alternative music festival Katelyn Spidle Staff writer

Thursday, March 15: Elfin Saddle @ La Sala Rossa

Montreal’s Under the Snow music festival was created by Jeff Rioux back in 2005 as a way to make up for the fact that not a whole lot goes on in terms of cultural activities at this time of year. While originally intended as a one-time event, the festival was successful and has since gone on to attract bigger crowds and better-known artists. This year, folk staple Julie Doiron drove in from Sackville, N.B. to revisit her second solo album, Loneliest in the Morning.

The bands that played Under the Snow this year were generally unknown, perhaps making the festival’s name all the more adequate. Now in its eighth year, Under the Snow continues to fly relatively under the radar, much like the bands it puts on the bill. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but the whole affair was lacking a festival vibe. However, none of that really mattered, having had the opportunity to see two great, and fittingly low-key, performances. Here are the highlights.

Montreal-based experimental folk outfit Elfin Saddle launched their third album, Devastates, at La Sala Rossa on Thursday night.

The band uses a truly unconventional approach to sound, applying bows to cymbals and saws while simultaneously jingling bells with their feet and creating enchanting vocal harmonies.

Friday, March 16: Julie Doiron @ La Sala Rossa

In this candid performance, Julie Doiron played her 1997 album, Loneliest in the Morning, from start to finish.

The former Eric’s Trip bassist ended her set with an Eric’s Trip song, as well as some more recent solo material.

Saturday, March 17: Pat Jordache @ La Sala Rossa

While rumoured to be the highlight of this year’s festival lineup, Pat Jordache paled in comparison to the previous nights’ performances.

Opening act Mac DeMarco didn’t take the stage until 10:30 p.m., pushing Jordache’s set very late. As it turns out, the band’s unoriginal sound wasn’t worth the wait.

Photos by Allie Mason

12

theconcordian

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

PREVIEW

It Takes Time...to get along Montreal’s Intensive Care find harmony in compromise Paul Traunero Staff writer

I

ntensive Care have been creeping around the Montreal music scene for quite some time. After releasing their first studio album Fairytales from the Island in 2009, under the production of Jace Lasek of fellow Montreal band The Besnard Lakes, they have been tour-

ing extensively and working on new material for their next album.

The group’s diversity is something of a hook, as its members hail from Lebanon, Canada and the United States. It’s a mélange that has shaped their upcoming EP It Takes Time, which will be released during their next gig at Casa Del Popolo on March 22.

The band says their new material was inspired by “endless debates about the state of contemporary society and the way eastern and western cultures interact,” an

issue that each band member has struggled to overcome, both within the band, and through their assimilation into Montreal society.

“With It Takes Time and the LP to follow, we wanted to challenge the way society perceives modernity in a time when life is becoming unnaturally comfortable,” said lead singer, Philippe

with

the tax experts

Manasseh, nervously smiling as he handles his shiny new iPhone.

Each member of Intensive Care brings a certain eclecticism to their craft. Lead guitarist, Nadim Maghzal is currently completing a PhD in cell and molecular biology and drummer Evan Tighe completed a bachelor’s degree at Concordia University in jazz studies.

“We often find each other at a loss for words when it comes to expressing ourselves and resolving conflicts, and often we misinterpret each other,” admits Manasseh.

Such a melting pot could cause tension, but instead, the boys of Intensive Care use it as a strength.

“When we play, all that goes away, and we just switch to a whole other mode of discussion,” he said.

But the band admits that the key to their success is compromise.

“Having to make sacrifices all the time is truly stimulating,” said Manasseh.

“We believe strongly in making music that we like as a group and we all just happen to enjoy more complex pop music.”

Musically, their influences converge around indie rock bands like Wolf Parade,

Concordian

for all of their material, past and present. “[The band] recorded the album in a manner that was as close to our live sound as possible,” explained Manasseh. “We used our own equipment, sang on a standard live microphone, and tried not to layer the songs to the point that we couldn’t perform them live.”

Check out Intensive Care at Casa Del Popolo on Thursday, March 22 at 8:30 p.m. for the release party of their new EP It Takes Time, featuring guests The Golden Isles and Technical Kidman.

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© 2012 H&R Block Canada, Inc. *Average is based on all student returns prepared at H&R Block in Canada from January 1, 2011 to May 2, 2011 for 2010 tax returns. The average refund amount calculated for students was over $1,100 CAD. This amount cannot be guaranteed and varies based on each individual tax situation. **$29.95 valid for regular student tax preparation only. Cash Back service included. To qualify for student pricing, student must present either (i) a T2202a documenting 4 or more months of full-time attendance at a college or university during 2011 or (ii) a valid high school identification card. Expires July 31, 2012. Valid only at participating H&R Block locations in Canada. SPC Card offers valid from 08/01/11 to 07/31/12 at participating locations in Canada only. For Cardholder only.

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Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear, but Manasseh sees the group as independent and distinct.

“I truly think that our influences come mostly from non-musical art forms, such as movies, literature, comics and science,” he said. These outside influences played a crucial role in inspiring the writing process

4. “Twelve More” (6:31)

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

13

PROFILE

The Cat Empire effect

Australian cult favourite brings their 10th anniversary tour to Montreal

Andrew Guilbert Staff writer

>>>We don’t need no education?

Madonna’s foray into the African education sector has hit a bit of a snafu. Malawi government officials are said to be “fed up” with her lack of consultation regarding her intention to open 10 new schools in the country in partnership with non-profit group buildOn. This is not the first time Madge has butted heads with the government; officials were equally angered last year when Madonna scrapped plans to build an academy for girls without informing the proper authorities. “Now she decides to announce that she plans to build 10 schools without getting authority from us again,” said Ministry of Education spokeswoman Lindiwe Chide.

“We now feel like this is all about propping up her global image and not in our interest.”

>>>They ain’t too proud to sue, either Sixties Motown group The Temptations have filed a class action lawsuit against Universal Music Group seeking unpaid royalties on digital downloads. The group claims that downloads and ringtones count as licences, which would mean they would be entitled to half of all the net receipts from those sales. The suit covers a variety of other artists signed to Universal Music Group’s label who would also be entitled to compensation should the court find in their favour, including Eric Clapton, Guns N’ Roses, Nirvana, the Police and the Who.

>>>Is this the tiny town from Footloose?

Boston police have decided that moshers at a Flogging Molly show at the House of Blues last February violated safety rules and have cited the venue for their security personnel’s lack of intervention. The police report details how 60 concertgoers participated in “aggressive mosh pit dance,” which resulted in people getting slammed against each other and knocked to the floor. “Dancing is a First Amendment right, but the behavior itself is a violation, especially when it becomes dangerous and a public safety hazard,” a police spokesperson told the Boston Herald last week. In a statement addressing the citation, the House of Blues maintained that the safety of their patrons was a top concern and that they were actively working with city officials to “address concerns about moshing and other forms of expressive dance.” In response to the incident, the House of Blues has put up illuminated signs throughout the club stating that moshing is no longer allowed.

>>>I’ll believe it when I spot it

Napster founder Sean Parker, speaking at SXSW last week, said some things that definitely raised eyebrows, with one of the more boisterous statements claiming music streaming site Spotify will “overtake iTunes in terms of contributions to the recorded music business in under two years.” Parker, who has reportedly invested $15 million in the streaming service, claimed that the sluggish nature of the Apple music site will be its downfall. “Even the iTunes store, to this day, is so slow. I’m amazed,” he said. Parker may not be blowing smoke, as it was reported last week that Billboard magazine now uses stats from streaming sites like Spotify and Rhapsody to partially determine which artists will comprise its “Hot 100” chart.

AUSTRALIAN SEXTET THE CAT EMPIRE BRINGS REGGAE INFUSED SKA TO METROPOLIS MARCH 30 AND 31.

Elizabeth Mackay Assistant music editor

W

hen a band tours incessantly, individual shows can get lost in a shuffle of airports, continental breakfasts, and sweat, but The Cat Empire’s Felix Riebl can’t say the same about their time in Montreal.

“The first time we went to Canada, we played in Montreal to a room full of people who knew all the words,” recalled Riebl. “A few years later, we played the main stage at the Jazz Festival, and it was one of the biggest audiences we had ever played for. So Montreal is a very special point in our tour.

We’ve made lasting friendships there, and everyone in the band is looking forward to those shows.”

The Cat sextet truly feeds off of their tours. Trumpeter and vocalist Harry James Angus, drummer Will Hull-Brown, DJ Jamshid Khadiwhala, keyboardist and back-up vocalist Ollie McGill, bassist Ryan Monro, and vocalist Riebl are each established musicians in their own right, but together they jive, jam, and soak up the sounds of their surroundings.

“We got into this cycle where we would tour, then make albums about the excitement and pressure of the tour,” explained Riebl.

“Our music is about the spirit of travelling, while being open-minded.”

There are many terms one could use to describe The Cat Empire, and jazzy-Australian-ska-reggae’d Afro pop is what first comes to mind. Yet the band claims no one “sound” is intentional, and they don’t wish to be defined by genre or continent. The result is a feel-good, toe-tapping, sing-a-long, groovin’ escape.

“I don’t think it matters that we’re from Australia, or from anywhere else,” explained Riebl. “We’re not active cultural ambassa-

dors, we’re musicians. We play together, and ment.” that’s our sound.”

They established a strong Australian fanTheir live shows first hypnotized dance- base, toured the American west coast, and hall audiences into a frenzy over a decade played a sixteen-show stint at Edinburgh ago in their homeland Australia. In time, Festival before their 2003 debut studio althey gathered an bum The Cat Emimmense internapire went platitional following num in under five through word-ofmonths. mouth, playing over “The whole a hundred shows experience took a year and sliding us by surprise,” unscathed under said Riebl. “Even mainstream meafter a successdia’s radar, retainful album, we ing underground were never quite status. sure where it all Five albums and came from. When over 800 shows latyou’re playing live er, The Cat Empire for an audience, it is finishing its 10th becomes real, and anniversary tour in you know where dedication to the you stand. [The fans that greased success] can be their wheels. quite alienating, The band first but it was a hell of began as an acaa ride.” demic instrumental The Cat Emexperiment in 1999 pire “effect” isn’t with McGill, Riebl entirely captured and Monro meeting in recordings on stage as part of alone. After expethe Jazz Cat, a nineriencing them live, piece outfit from and watching the different Melbourne band and crowd schools. That same - Felix Riebl, vocalist feed off each othyear, they got toer’s euphoria, one gether and formed understands how The Cat Empire, which began as a trio, but concertgoers become rabid hype machines. became much larger with the addition of An“It’s really a question of atmosphere,” gus, Hull-Brown and Khadiwhala in 2001.

Riebl guessed. “It’s the combination of the They gigged around Melbourne, from audience and the music, and what that does playing shows just to pay rent, to headlining to a room.” local festivals.

“I remember after one of our biggest The Cat Empire are playing back-to-back shows, saying ‘I wish I could do this every shows at Metropolis (59 Ste-Catherine St. night,” recalled Riebl. “And then, that’s kind E.) on March 30 and 31. Tickets are $39.20 of what happened. It was a wondrous mo- in advance.

The whole experience took us by surprise. Even after a successful album, we were never quite sure where it all came from. When you’re playing live for an audience, it becomes real, and you know where you stand. [The success] can be quite alienating, but it was a hell of a ride.

14

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

theconcordian

MIXTAPE

W

hether it’s a question of accessibility or where the provincial government’s priorities lie, this is a historic moment for CEGEP and university students in Quebec. Protests and sleep-ins are taking over Montreal’s downtown core. It’s chaos for change; for those who don the red square, this is not a quiet battle. The strive for accessible education is a loud revolution and a long fight. Though the weather is getting warmer, Education Minister Line Beauchamp should be aware that the students won’t quit until the freeze settles in. So, for those of you who choose to strike, or for anyone who is against the hike, this mixtape is for you.

Songs to strike to Compiled by Kalina Laframboise Staff writer

SIDE A: Hungry for change

SIDE B: Get ready to rage

1. “Bulls on Parade” - Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire 2. “The Hand That Feeds” - Nine Inch Nails With Teeth 3. “Walk” - Pantera - Vulgar Display of Power 4. “Fuck Authority” - Pennywise - Land of the Free?

5. “I Fought the Law (and I Won)” - Dead Kennedys - Single 6. “Brainstew/Jaded” - Green Day Insomniac 7. “Flagpole Sitta” - Harvey Danger - Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone?

8. “I Get it” - Chevelle - Vena Sera 9. “Fight the Power” - Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet 10. “Bound for the Floor” - Local H - As Good as Dead

11. “Uprising” - Muse - The Resistance 12. “Seven Nation Army” - The White Stripes - Elephant 13. “Deer Dance” - System of a Down Toxicity 14. “Down With the Sickness” - Disturbed - The Sickness 15. “Bodies” - Drowning Pool - Sinner 16. “The Kids Aren’t Alright” - The Offspring - Americana 17. “Break Stuff” - Limp Bizkit - Significant Other 18. “Re-Education (Through Labor)” - Rise Against - Appeal to Reason 19. “Man in the Box” - Alice in Chains Facelift 20. “When Worlds Collide” - Powerman 5000 - Tonight the Stars Revolt!

QUICK SPINS

Retro review

Kaiser Chiefs - The Future Is Medieval/Start The Revolution Without Me (Fiction [Polydor]; 2012)

Good Old War - Come Back as Rain (Sargent House; 2012)

Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself (Mom+Pop; 2012)

Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A. (Columbia; 1984)

Although Kaiser Chiefs’ new album The Future Is Medieval was available to European audiences for close to a year now, it was finally released and retitled for North American audiences as Start The Revolution Without Me on March 6. The album, produced by Tony Visconti (David Bowie) and Ethan Johns (Crosby, Stills and Nash, Kings of Leon), is much more indie rock than their previous efforts. The band layers multiple instruments and vocals, even ‘80s-style synthesizers—all melded together so well that none are overpowering. The problem lies in the band’s inability to decide whether they should fully embrace new wave/experimental or be the catchy pop, post-punk band that audiences fell in love with. This comes to a head mid-album, where tunes begin easily bleeding into one another because the songs are too nondescript. Nonetheless, the album is super catchy, the kind of catchy that haunts you in class, on the bus and in the shower.

“This is the last time / this time I know I’m done / I have a purpose / that’s what I tell myself,” begins what is quite possibly the most charming folk record in recent memory.

Come Back as Rain, the Philadelphia folk-pop trio’s third album, is the perfect coalescence of happy-go-lucky pop melodies and deeply meaningful folk poetry. But it’s so much more than that. Taking not only from pop and folk genres, the album ebbs and flows between country and rock, heavy and light, fast and slow. The intricate acoustic guitar in the ballad “Amazing Eyes” lifts you from within, carrying the essence of romantic nostalgia, while the heavy rhythm of “Can’t Go Home” conjures up images of campfire sing-a-longs with summertime friends and lovers. With messages of lovers past and present, living in the moment, making mistakes and hoping for the future, this album has the potential to warm you up on the dreariest day spring can throw your way.

Chicago multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird had his latest effort debut at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 chart, and has continued to remain in the public eye with a showcase at the famed South by Southwest Festival (SXSW) and a stellar performance on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report.

Evoking tones of indie folk and baroque pop, Bird’s sixth studio album relies heavily on violin, whistling, guitar, glockenspiel and Bird’s voice. The album is calming, despite coming out from a breakup, reaffirming the old adage that art comes best from adversity.

Bird’s magic continues for just over an hour on the disc, leaving even the slightest detractor marveled.

The only criticism is that it perhaps runs a bit too long in parts. Despite that, the album will please fans of Arcade Fire, folk-God Bob Dylan, or even classical music enthusiasts.

Commencing with the familiar keyboard tune accompanied by a pounding snare in “Born in the U.S.A.,” all the way until the pouring emotion found in “My Hometown,” this album showcases Springsteen’s faithful ties to America. The iconic cover shows The Boss’ backside in blue jeans, with a snapback hanging off his right pocket as he stands before what appears to be the American flag.

Springsteen’s biggest ‘80s hits are all on this album: “Born in The U.S.A.,” “Dancing in the Dark,” “Glory Days” and “I’m on Fire.”

This record didn’t just turn Springsteen into a mainstream rock star, but rejuvenated his career as well. This is not to say Born To Run or The River were not great albums, they just didn’t have the same widespread appeal. This album is not only representative of American patriotism, but it may as well be the soundtrack for the national ethos of the American Dream. You could say, musically, Springsteen is the American Dream.

Trial track: “Little Shocks”

Trial track: “It Hurts Every Time”

Trial track: “Eyeoneye”

Trial track: “I’m Goin’ Down”

7.6/10

9.0/10

9.1/10

- Andre-Joseph Cordeiro

- Allie Mason

-Andre-Joseph Cordeiro

-Alex Giardini

sports

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

15

Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com BASKETBALL

Reflection time with Kaylah Barrett Discussing the season that was and the future with the RSEQ women’s basketball MVP Chris Hanna Production manager The Concordian: You obviously had a great season, but you were also nursing some injuries. Tell us about that.

Kaylah Barrett: It started out with my back and it just floated around throughout the season. I couldn’t really do anything because we were playing. I just had therapy sessions and kind of went along with it and hoped after the season I could rest. Then my fingers were getting jammed, and it was just a consistent thing, but it was nothing that stopped me from playing. I had therapy for most of the year and continued to play. It’s just a mental thing for me. Pain is just something you got to suck up.

It’s all in your head. You just play through the game and after you can worry about bumps and bruises, and crying and whatever else that happens.

You missed the last game of the regular season. Was that because of your injuries?

KB: Pretty much. There was no point in going into the playoffs injured. We already knew the deciding rankings for what was going on. It was okay to sit out for that one game.

How much did you take away from the team’s eight losses this season?

KB: We’ve had a lot of big ones. A couple of upsets. Us and McGill are rivals. The two wins and two losses against them were really rough for us. Also, they had the deciding game for the finals so it was hard. We just have to learn from our experiences and next year hopefully we get new recruits and build a stronger chemistry on the team and we’ll be able to go, hopefully, 16-0.

Does it hurt more when you lose to McGill?

KB: It does. Especially in their gym. They have such a big fan base. When they’re here, they feel it. We got our two wins [at home]. When we go to McGill, it’s always overwhelming for us.

Last year, you were the RSEQ Rookie of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year. This year, you’re the MVP. Do you feel like you’ve done it all?

KB: No. I still feel like I can go on. Last year, if you looked at my stats, I really didn’t shoot at all. Every year is an improvement for me. I hope to keep building.

You’re one of the first Stingers in a long time to get these awards, let alone in a row. How does that feel?

KB: It’s really overwhelming for me. It just kind of hit me, like oh my gosh, I have a record of something-something I can keep for myself.

You just came back from Saskatchewan. You scored 34 points against Regina. What was it like playing such a big game on the road?

KAYLAH BARRETT HAD AN OUTSTANDING SEASON SCORING A CAREER HIGH IN POINTS AND TAKING HOME CONFERENCE MVP. PHOTO BY JOSH SCHAEFER

KB: Those 34 points were not easy. It was really hard for us in the first quarter, but we tried our best. They’re the No. 1 ranked in the country, so we were obviously the underdogs. And it was tough on the road after all the travelling. It was kind of awkward. I had a couple of people yelling out my stats from Quebec. They were trying to throw me off, but it didn’t really work. The fan base was just like, “Who is that girl? She plays for Quebec. Playing the No. 1 team and she’s scoring like that.” They’re just kind of shocked that I did so well during that game.

sible. They know our schedules, they know our deadlines.

hopefully next year we can have a better season.

So then it’s safe to say you’re definitely coming back and remaining a Stinger next year?

KB: [laughs] Yes!

You’re like an unknown there.

KB: Yeah, exactly.

Still, if you’re on the road, you have to make time to get your schoolwork done. How do you do that?

KB: It’s really hard, but once you see everybody around you doing their studies, it’s motivation, like “Oh my God, I feel guilty; I need to start studying.” When we were travelling to Saskatchewan, in the airports—we had a lot of layovers. As soon as we sat down and someone pulled their books out, we were like “alright, let’s go.” Everybody pulled their books out. It’s a team thing. Everyone comes together and helps each other.

A lot of students struggle to multitask.

You take your team to provincial finals.

How do you balance your time with the Stingers with your academics?

KB: In pre-season, it’s a lot harder than the regular season for us, because we travel much more often. Our coaches are very supportive; they’re very concerned with our schoolwork and they try to be involved as much as pos-

What are your plans for the summer?

KB: I plan on going home for a month just to see my family and my friends for a bit.

In June, I plan on coming back and working hard with some of my teammates. Our therapist will give us workouts to do over the summer. Our coaches will be here to help us out. Pretty much develop our game as a team, more chemistry, bring in the new recruits, so

We spoke about all of your awards.

What are your personal goals? Where do you go from here?

KB: I kind of want to follow in my brother’s footsteps. He plays over in Europe. I hope that when I’m done, I can go and play overseas, if it’s possible. I got to make the right connections and whatnot. Hopefully I can have a good four years of university so I can do that.

What are your expectations for the next season?

KB: I can only hope to exceed for next season.

You’ve seen the talent that we have on our team. I feel like we can definitely go No. 1 in Quebec and possibly—no, definitely, make it to nationals. We’re definitely going to be a big threat next year.

16

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

theconcordian

BASKETBALL

In March it s NCAA all the way

Canadian university basketball can’t match U.S. excitement Julian Mei Sports editor

T

he weather is starting to warm, the kids are finishing March break—for a sports fan it can only mean one thing: it’s time to fill out brackets.

Each year, millions of people fill out their NCAA basketball brackets in anticipation of one of the premier sporting events of the season.

Even in Canada, this distinctly American event is the main topic around water coolers across the country. What few people realize, though, is that the CIS stages a tournament with a similar format to the NCAA. The difference between the two is that while the NCAA men’s basketball tournament is a highly-anticipated, moneygenerating machine that airs on national networks, the CIS tournament passes in relative obscurity and requires hiring a private

investigator to find the games on television or the Internet.

The question is why?

Undoubtedly, the NCAA is a higherquality game at the top of the brackets.

However, several CIS teams, Concordia included, play preseason games against NCAA Division-I opponents and the games are often very competitive, with CIS teams winning a fair amount. So while Canada may not have premier programs like North Carolina and Kentucky, the quality of CIS basketball is definitely watchable.

It could also be argued that name recognition plays a factor, but for every Duke or Kansas in the NCAA tournament, there is a Murray State or Gonzaga. Which school do you think Canadians could tell you more about between Carleton or Wichita State?

Likewise, most Canadians hardly watch any NCAA basketball during the regular season, so with the exception of a few premier prospects, NCAA basketball players are just as unknown to the average Canadian viewer.

Concordia men’s basketball coach John Dore has been at the school for 22 years and made 12 appearances in the national championship tournament and believes the lack

of attention to the CIS tournament is due in part to national insecurity.

“It’s the Canadian inferiority complex,” said Dore. “Everyone just assumes everything south of the border is better. The programs down there have all the bells and whistles and more money so everyone just flocks to that.”

Perhaps the biggest draw to the NCAA though has nothing to do with quality of play or notoriety of schools and players involved. It really comes down to one thing: The Bracket.

The format of the NCAA tournament is just really, really fun. It is simple and allows anyone—from the college hoops fanatic who can tell you the name of Norfolk State’s coach’s dog to an 81-year-old woman who thinks Duke is the new rapper her grandchildren enjoy—to make predictions and have the same chance of winning whichever pool or friendly bet they may be involved in.

The fact that the NCAA tournament also features 64 teams, opposed to eight in the CIS tournament, is a huge advantage. You can design an office pool knowing that everyone’s bracket will be different. It also leaves more opportunity for the always

marketable “Cinderella Story.” Sure, the final four teams remaining in the NCAA are usually the higher seeds in the tournament, but the fact is that no matter how good a team is, they can have their season completely uprooted because Insert-Name-Here State’s point-guard played the best game of his life.

In Canada the stories are not as compelling. The few number of schools in the CIS limits the tournament’s capacity. As a result, only the top eight schools in the country make the tournament so there is no true sense of an underdog that came out of nowhere. If the best two teams win their first-round games, any possibility of even a marginally compelling underdog story is out the window. Also, the tournament takes place in just one weekend (compared to the three-week marathon down south) so it is hard to get attached to any team in particular or get to know the players.

As enjoyable as CIS basketball can be to watch, the fact remains that no matter how the league is marketed or how much the quality of play improves, Canadians will always prefer to watch Duke vs. North Carolina over any other Canadian university matchup.

opinions

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

17

Write to the editor: opinions@theconcordian.com EDITORIAL

Tuition increases be damned; it’s management that needs fixing Those who argue against tuition increases say they will only succeed in plummeting students further into debt, while those in favour of the hike say the extra money is desperately needed to improve the quality of education and research in Quebec’s universities.

But as the general strike continues at Concordia, what all stakeholders need to take into account is this: universities probably already have enough money to function properly, they’re just not using the cash in the most efficient way.

Exhibit A: the $1.4 million interest free loan issued by Concordia to its very gracious interim president, Frederick Lowy. The loan was granted so that Lowy would be able to purchase a residence outside of Montreal that he had already laid eyes on before accepting to come back to Concordia as its faithful and wise leader. The university has said that he will pay it back when he sells his condo later this year.

But interest free? We’re talking about $35,000 that Lowy will most definitely not be paying back.

Exhibit B: the numerous severance packages that Concordia has dished out without a care since 2007 (or probably even before that). One of the most notable packages was of course the $703,500 forked over to Judith Woodsworth when she was so unceremoniously given the boot by Concordia’s Board of Governors in December 2010. Others include former vice-president advancement and alumni relations Kathy Assayag, who made off with a cool $700,000 for her troubles. And let’s not forget Woodsworth’s predecessor Claude Lajeunesse, who got the hell out of here in 2007 with $1.3 million in his pockets—so much for disgruntled.

Exhibit C: the freakishly massive paycheques that Concordia’s senior administrators get the joy of cashing. Lowy alone makes

$350,000 (more than the Premier of Quebec, not that he deserves a whole of dough in the first place), while many other senior vicepresidents and their minions in the university’s bloated bureaucracy earn well into the six-figure salary range. No tightening of the belts or counting of the pennies for this lot.

Exhibit D: wondrous expense accounts that don’t really have any limits set in stone on how much you can be reimbursed. That is, if you’re someone like Frederick Lowy, who can fly business class if the flight lasts a certain number of hours (about $4,000 to Victoria, B.C. last year, for example). What about putting some of this money toward financial aid? How dare you even suggest that to a senior administrator, they have far more pressing issues to think about, like jet lag and flowers for the Loyola office they never visit.

Concordia has certainly tried to improve its image when it comes to the management of

public funds. The university will hire external auditors to review severance packages handed out to former senior employees. The auditors will hopefully tell the Board of Governors what the rest of us have been saying all along: you messed up.

The education minister may think she’s done the whole province a favour by punishing Concordia with a $2 million fine, but it’s doubtful that even that will be much of a wakeup call for the administration.

No, what’s needed is for all students to realize that the money already being disbursed to universities such as Concordia is being put in all the wrong places. So when students march this Thursday in a province-wide protest against tuition hikes, hopefully they will remember the loan, the severance packages, the cushy salaries and the expense accounts, and then remind the government that universities are places of learning, not banks.

DEBATE

To be or not to be: connected The STM recently confirmed that negotiations are underway to bring cellular service throughout Montreal’s metro system by the end of 2013. Currently, the STM only offers coverage in a handful of stations.

But it has no plans to extend Wi-Fi coverage (which is limited to the 747 Express) over the bus lines.

Andre-Joseph Cordeiro Staff writer It is time for the STM to step up their game. Montreal has the third busiest public transportation system in North America (after New York City and Mexico City). Despite receiving the 2010 award for outstanding public transit system from the American Public Transportation Association, Montreal’s transit authority has lagged behind other cities on numerous fronts, including technology. Back in 2007, the KT Corporation started offering wireless coverage to all areas of Seoul, South Korea, including the city’s subway lines.

The STM would benefit by following the South Korean model; the latter enjoys some of the fastest Internet speeds and lowest prices in the world.

Wireless coverage would provide an extra incentive for riders to join the STM’s initiative to go green. Why drive to work when on the metro, you can plan your day, update your calendar, collaborate on that presentation or submit a paper you have due?

For the cellular coverage that’s already planned, the new service would provide an apt communication system should an emergency take place in the metro. If, for example, a blackout occurs, users could contact authorities and give a clearer

picture of the situation.

While there are many advantages to more connectivity, some detractors have suggested that it would lead to a rise in theft of electronic devices.

An increased police presence (which is already in effect) would help curb this, as well as the education of users.

Others have said that the number of loud, noisy users on public transit would increase. However, the truth is that loud people exist regardless of the technology that is available to them. That is no reason to limit technological progress.

I look forward to the day when the STM finally catches up with the times, offering Wi-Fi on its bus lines and making cell phone service available on the metro. Until then, I’ll still be playing Tetris and solitaire.

Audrey Folliot Staff writer Is there anything more annoying than having to listen to the conversation of a person sitting next to you on a bus as they scream on their cell phone, oblivious of the people around them? I don’t think so.

The time spent on the bus or metro is the only time of the day to do absolutely nothing useful and put your brain on hold. Use

that time to relax, clear your mind of negative thoughts, and listen to music. It’s not the time to make a dozen phone calls or Skype with your best friend in Australia.

If Wi-Fi and cell phone service were offered on the metro, this would be the beginning of a nightmare. The situation on overcrowded buses, such as the 105 in NDG, is already painful enough. If I had to go through this on the metro too, I think I’d rather walk to school.

Has our dependence on technology become so bad that people can’t even wait a few minutes between metro stops to check their emails or send a text message? This dependence can be dangerous, because the more time we spend on our phone, the less we spend actually interacting with other human beings.

I am not an exception to the rule. I am as addicted to my phone as anybody else, maybe even more so. But unless there is an emergency, I never make phone calls on the bus, ever. I keep quiet.

It’s just a matter of common courtesy. Phone calls seem to make people louder and ignorant of who is around them, and other people might not want to hear how their blind date with their friend’s cousin went.

The time I spend in the metro is the only time when I can’t use my phone, and sometimes I wish there were more of those times.

Graphic by Sean Kershaw

18

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

theconcordian

#SLACKTIVISM

Kony 2012 brought out the worst in social media Viral campaign sets a dangerous precedent for future generations Myles Dolphin Opinion editor

T

o all the hashtag warriors out there who helped make Kony 2012 the most viral video in history: you’re sending the wrong message.

Not only did you share a video that was misleading and rife with inaccuracies, you also set a dangerous precedent. You made it alright for slacktivism, and clicktivism, to be acceptable. You missed the point of social media and its incredible potential.

Both of these philosophical concepts are derogatory for a reason. They describe Internet users who would rather perform a series of feel-good measures with no end result, rather than being truly proactive and making an effort to contribute to an important cause.

The prime example of slacktivism is the recent Kony 2012 campaign, lead by the NGO Invisible Children. Their goal was to raise awareness of Joseph Kony, the leader of a dwindling Ugandan guerrilla group. They were successful: their YouTube video has so far been watched by over 82 million viewers.

But how did they think they were making a difference by producing this video? Furthermore, how did they think you and I, with no military resources at our disposal, could in any way help their cause?

Osama bin Laden didn’t need the Internet to make his videos viral; he released them himself, and media outlets around the world broadcast them without hesitation. He was, by all accounts, one of the world’s most infamous people, right up until his death last year. He and Kony were both on the run, both protected by various bodyguards, and both backed by funds you and I don’t know about. Was bin Laden caught because of his notoriety, or because social media users raised awareness of the terrorist activities he was planning? Of course not.

So, Joseph Kony is a household name. Now what?

According to Invisible Children’s 30-minute collage of emotional YouTube clips, the only way you and I can affect Kony’s capture is by purchasing an “action kit”: wearing a bracelet and putting up posters on April 20. You could donate to IC, but that money would likely go

Graphic by Sean Kershaw

towards producing another shiny video full of bells and whistles and you would actually be helping the corrupt Ugandan military, which IC publicly supports. Kony left Uganda several years ago, so what’s the point?

The key is using social media effectively. It’s shocking to see how seriously advanced our society’s attention deficit disorder is because just two months ago, we were given a perfect example of how to effectively use social media in order to bring about change: the protests against the SOPA and PIPA bills in the United States. Although I can recognize the irony here of a “lack of effort” (the Internet-wide blackout that helped shelve the bills happened because Internet users stopped going to influential websites), this was a real example of cause and effect by way of social media.

Can you imagine the effectiveness of the current protests against tuition strikes if their efforts were focused entirely online? “Hey Jean, what’s the deal, eh? I don’t want to pay higher tuition fees. #angry.” Thankfully, students have

taken to the streets and just like traditional grassroots activism, it’s all about being proactive, which includes getting off your comfortable chair and marching the streets to create change.

We’re setting a bad example for future generations with Kony 2012. While social media can be used effectively for certain causes (the Arab Spring protests is another example), it’s important to realize that it cannot be used for others. Coordination was the key for the Arab Spring and anti-SOPA campaigns, but it did not exist with Kony; there isn’t really anything else you can do besides click and share a link. You can’t congregate in a public place and share your discontent for Kony (unless you and your friends are willing to fly to Africa and look for him yourself).

This was the first real instance in our history where slacktivism was truly showcased. We need to reverse this dangerous trend and make sure that we deal with the next cause differently. With video production costs decreasing at

an alarming rate, we need to educate people to show them the real potential social media has, as opposed to encouraging slacktivism and the habit of Facebook status-changing.

This is a new event for our generation: we’ve been thrust into uncharted waters, an environment where the barriers of participation have been lowered, and it’s suddenly become very easy to feel like we’re taking part in something big that will create change. We need to figure out when to pick our battles, so to speak.

In 2010, the Red Cross managed to raise more than $5 million in two days, via text message, following the Haiti earthquake. That happened largely because of social media and that’s a cause we have to support.

The Red Cross donations went to Haiti— the Kony video will remain in cyberspace forever, while the man himself remains free somewhere in central Africa.

But at least you have a shiny new bracelet, right?

For letters of endorsement for candidates in the upcoming CSU election, go to www.theconcordian.com

What did you think of this paper?

Send us your letters to editor@theconcordian.com before Friday at 4 p.m. The Concordian reserves the right to edit your letters for length, clarity, taste and style.

Letters are limited to 400 words.

The Etcetera Page Drink of the week

Tuesday, March 20, 2012 Vol. 29 issue 25

THE MENEXICAN

JACQUES GALLANT Editor-in-Chief editor@theconcordian.com

KAMILA HINKSON Managing editor managing@theconcordian.com

Last weekend was Saint Patrick’s Day, a day commemorating Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland.

Decked in green, wearing “Kiss me, I’m Irish” pins and drinking Guinness beer, Montrealers were out in droves thanks to unseasonably warm weather. I myself explored the city for that elusive pot of gold but came up short, yet again. I guess I’ll have to settle for those chocolate gold coins.

CHRIS HANNA Production manager production@theconcordian.com

JOEL ASHAK MARILLA STEUTER-MARTIN Co-news editors news@theconcordian.com

PAULA RIVAS Life editor

SHAIMAA EL-GHAZALY Assistant life editor life@theconcordian.com

@DamienFahey “Kiss me, I’m Irish!”“Keep

all of my feelings inside for decades, I’m Irish Catholic!”

SOFIA GAY Arts editor

AMANDA L. SHORE Assistant arts editor arts@theconcordian.com

@BadAdviceNurse The little guy in my

basement can say he’s not a leprechaun all he wants, but he isn’t getting out until I get my three wishes.

ALLIE MASON Music editor

ELIZABETH MACKAY Assistant music editor music@theconcordian.com

@StephStartsOver If I don’t make at least 3

bad decisions today my dead Irish relatives will be very disappointed. @hipstermermaid St. Patrick drove all the

horrible snakes out of Ireland and onto Ed Hardy shirts. @badbanana Here’s a classic Irish drinking

game. Never stop drinking.

@buck4itt In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, the

Kardashian sisters are only fucking the Boston Celtics.

JULIAN MEI

4 ice cubes 1 oz. tequila 2 oz. pomegranate juice 1 oz. lemonade 1 lime wedge

Sports editor

ALEX GIUBELI Assistant sports editor sports@theconcordian.com

MYLES DOLPHIN

Graphic by Phil Waheed

Opinions editor

GEORGE MENEXIS Assistant opinions editor opinions@theconcordian.com

We all dream about it. Stress free lives in the Caribbean, where the most exercise you have to do is adjust your tanning chair to face the water and the sun at the perfect angle. Well, I have a solution. Take some of this and you’ll be transported into a world of bars by the beach and mediocre buffets after your first drink...or seventh.

- George Menexis

NAVNEET PALL Photo editor photo@theconcordian.com

KATIE BRIOUX Graphics editor graphics@theconcordian.com

MARISSA MILLER HEATHER RIMINGTON ELIZABETH TOMARAS

This week s impossible crossword puzzle

Copy editors copy@theconcordian.com

JENNIFER BARKUN SOPHIA LOFFREDA KERRY MACKINNON Production assistants

ACROSS

EDITORIAL OFFICE

1- Beer buy; 5- Org.; 10- Thick slice; 14Literary work; 15- Birth-related; 16- Circle at bottom, point at top; 17- Mixture that has been homogenized; 19- Feminine suffix; 20Sun Devils’ sch.; 21- From the U.S.; 22- Armed guard; 24- Kathmandu resident; 26- Taylor of “Mystic Pizza”; 27- Largest ocean; 33- Disconcert; 36- Charged; 37- _ kwon do; 38- Network of nerves; 39- Standard for comparison; 40- Metallica drummer Ulrich; 41- _ Schwarz; 42- More delicate; 43- Quotes; 44- The act of superseding; 47- Interpret; 48- Contrive; 52Sterile; 55- Enervates; 57- “Treasure Island” monogram; 58- Black-and-white treat; 59- Inflammation of the skin; 62- Actor Epps; 63Chopper topper; 64- Pro or con; 65- Cookbook amts.; 66- Brewer’s need; 67- Hammer end

7141 Sherbrooke St. W. - CC.431 Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 514.848.2424 x7499 (Editor-in-Chief) 514.848.2424 x7458 (Newsroom) 514.848.2424 x7404 (Production)

MELISSA KATE GAGNON

Business manager Interim advertising manager business@theconcordian.com

BRENNAN NEILL EMILY WHITE CINDY LOPEZ RUBEN BASTIEN

Board of Directors directors@theconcordian.com

DOWN 1- “Over There” composer; 2- Strike _ ; 3Add together; 4- That, in Tijuana; 5- Weak; 6- All there; 7- Celestial body; 8- Bran source; 9- Pertaining to an office; 10- Attractive route; 11- Protracted; 12- Actress Heche; 13- Ale, e.g.; 18- Australian cockatoo; 23- Bunches; 25- Basilica area; 26- Passenger ships; 28- De-

BUSINESS AND ADVERTISING

creased?; 29- Loses color; 30- Coup d’ _ ; 31Bern’s river; 32- Capone’s nemesis; 33- Pound sounds; 34- Boyfriend; 35- At the apex of; 39Hostility toward men; 40- Waterfall; 42- At liberty; 43- Seashore; 45- Mistakes; 46- Disclose;

49- Bandleader Shaw; 50- Move effortlessly; 51- Ruhr city; 52- Rubber overshoe; 53- Upper limbs, weapons; 54- Gather, harvest; 55- Mex. miss; 56- Author Oz; 60- Fair-hiring abbr.; 61AOL, e.g.

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