The Concordian - November 17th, 2015

Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper

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VOLUME 33, ISSUE 12 | TUESDAY, NOV. 17, 2015

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Montreal mourns Paris attack

News p. 5

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

LIFE

ARTS

MUSIC

SPORTS

OPINIONS

Using science, growing rice p. 6

An Indigenous bilingual tale p.10

Protesting record labels

Stingers MVPs of the season p. 14

Solidarity not hostility p. 17

p. 11

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015 NEWS EDITOR GREGORY TODARO news@theconcordian.com

NEWS CITY SAVANNA CRAIG Staff writer

Montreal sewage dump ends early Repairs to a broken interceptor—which required sewage to be dumped into the St. Lawrence river—finished three days early on Saturday announced the city of Montreal on Saturday. Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre’s decision to dump 8 billion litres of sewage into the river was met with resistance from citizens and environmental groups. The sewage dump began just after midnight on Tuesday. Global news reported that the total amount of sewage released in the river was 4.9 billion litres, less than the original prediction of approximately 8 billion litres.

Public consultation to be held on fossil fuel emissions

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RELIGION

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Vatican finance talk at Loyola High

Talk shed light on reality of the recent financial document leaks in the Vatican MATTHEW SHANAHAN Contributor Loyola High School in NDG hosted the president of a new Pontifical Commission focusing on Vatican economic reforms on Thursday.

Joseph F.X. Zahra of the Pontifical Commission for Reference on the EconomicAdministrative Structure of the Holy See has been chartered to investigate current accounting practices among Vatican offices and bodies, as well as to help devise new strategies for greater fiscal responsibility and transparency. The talk was sponsored by Loyola High School and the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation—a non-profit organization which promotes Catholic social doctrine based in Vatican City.

Zahra is a Maltese economist

who was hand-picked by Pope Francis in July 2013 when this particular pontifical commission was launched.

Zahra’s talk, which lasted about 45 minutes followed by a question and answer period, was spent primarily highlighting what exactly these economic reforms are. He also discussed the goals of the commission going forward and when the commission expects to see results.

The general framework of these reforms as described by Zahra begins with a worldwide demand for transparency.

“This need for transparency begets a need for responsible economic behaviour and sustainable use of resources,” he said. “You can’t use accounting principles that are 50 years outdated. This is done through the urgent task of reforming the market economy with the point of view of the

Christian preferential choice for the poor.”

Zahra went on to say that the world needs to focus on creating an environment

time and that the eventual goal is to become a model for the world on economic issues. This change, he said, has to come from a culture change in the

This requires a renewed understanding of labour and virtue in contrast to the two extremes of market individualism and state interventionism.

— Joseph F.X. Zahra in which entrepreneurial initiatives can thrive. “The wrong education policies and inflexible labour rules can lead to persistent unemployment,” he said. “This requires a renewed understanding of labour and virtue in contrast to the two extremes of market individualism and state interventionism.”

Zahra also made it clear that these reforms will take

Vatican. Zahra insists that it will take a few years to come into effect, and hopefully become that role model that so many people have expected and waited for from the Catholic Church. This, said Zahra, is precisely why the recent financial document leaks at the Vatican are not scandalous on behalf of the Church but rather a breach of trust from those who leaked the documents.

TALK Montrealers will soon be invited to a public consultation on how to reduce fossil fuel emissions. The public consultation hosted by the Office de consultation publique de Montréal will take place on Nov. 21, according to Montreal Gazette.

The OCPM will be sending a summary of the recommendations to Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre before he sets off for the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11. Those interested in participating can register online.

Teachers stand against education cuts Strikes have begun for thousands of Anglophone school teachers across Montreal and Laval. Educators from the Pearson Teachers’ Union and the Montreal Teachers Association have come together in Downtown Montreal to protest budget cuts, according to the Montreal Gazette. Many protesters say they feel that an overpopulation of students in classrooms affects the quality of educators teaching these students.

Canadian companies straining Guatemala Activists say mining companies are using “divide and conquer” tactics GREGORY TODARO News editor @GCTodaro Guatemalan investigative journalist Luis Solano gave a presentation at McGill University on Thursday concerning the ways mining companies use militarized security strategies to silence resistance. At the talk, organized by the McGill Research Group Investigating Canadian Mining in Latin America, Solano spoke about Tahoe Resources, a Canadian-based mining company, and how their tactics have caused violence and conflict.

Solano, whose words were translated into English, said mining in Guatemala began to take off in the mid-1990s after the end of the country’s civil war. He said that in order to create incentives for companies to develop in Guatemala, the government— along with mining companies looking to operate in Guatemala—reformed the country’s mining act and reduced royalties from six per cent to one per cent.

Canadian companies were quick to apply for mining licenses from the government and then find companies who could carry out the work on the ground.

“In 2007 it all moved into the hands of Goldcorp … it is one of the companies that is most implicated in human rights violations in our country,” said Solano. “2010 saw the founding of a company called Tahoe Resources with shareholders and capital from Goldcorp.”

Tahoe Resources’ Escobal Mine project in southeastern Guatemala is around 1,300 sq. km—twice as big as Toronto— making it the third-largest silver mine in the world. In 2013, Solano said the communities within the boundaries of the concessions handed out to companies decided to start holding community consultations.

“About 90 to 95 per cent of the population … has said no, we don’t want these projects,” he said. “But the government and the mining company were never willing to accept these results.”

He said there is fear in the communities that the land and water will be contaminated through the mining process. The area around the Escobal Mine uses farming and dairy produc-

tion as its largest forms of economic activity so contamination could destroy their only way of making a living.

Solano said despite the peaceful nature of resistance to these mining projects, the government and the mining company started to consider it dangerous resistance.

“Because it’s resistance that could actually put a stop to the mining project, there have been moves made to characterize it as terrorist resistance,” he said.

The government and the company have responded with both public and private security agencies, Solano said. “This has led to a series of military operations that is designed to put an end to this peaceful resistance.

What they want to do is infiltrate the resistance movement, charge

certain people with crimes, kidnap people, slandering leaders, illegal detention and also attempting to divide the communities to better divide them and do away with this resistance.”

Solano said these tactics were designed by International Security and Defense Management (ISDN), a U.S. Army defense contractor with a track record in intelligence and counterinsurgency.

Solando said there is a co-responsibility between governments, armed forces and transnational companies in the repression of human rights in Guatemala.

“All of these actors are also responsible for the divisions created among the people, and what’s happening with Tahoe Resources is a pattern you see worldwide,” Solando said.

Luis Solano (right) spoke at McGill University on Thursday.

Photo by Gregory Todaro.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015

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TALK

Turkey: a “laboratory” of democracy Thinking Out Loud series looks at journalism and human rights

NATION SAMUEL P.-WALKER Music editor

Liberals drop niqab appeal

GREGORY TODARO News editor @GCTodaro

Following a brief period of governmental transition, Trudeau’s Liberal government has decided to drop the controversial niqab appeal proposed by the Conservatives.

According to the CBC, newly appointed Attorney General and Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould has officially withdrawn the challenge, stating that her government “will ensure that we respect the values that make us Canadians, those of diversity, inclusion and respect for those fundamental values.”

The appeal was requested when Zunera Ishaq, a devout muslim, refused unveiling at her oath-taking ceremony.

“T

urkey is a graveyard for journalists,” said veteran Turkish journalist Amberin Zaman, speaking to the crowd at a lecture in Concordia’s D.B. Clarke Theatre Monday night.

She described the influence the government of Turkey has over the firing of journalists, where hundreds of journalists across the country have lost their jobs because they’re either seen as critical of the government or aligned with a group the government finds threatening.

This is what Turkish media is coping with said Zaman during the Thinking Out Loud lecture.

Zaman, along with Kyle Matthews, senior deputy director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies at Concordia were guest speakers at the A Conversation About Journalism and Human Rights talk. The lecture was moderated by foreign editor for The Globe and Mail Susan Sachs. The talk, which was also co-presented by the Austrian-based International Press Institute, focused on what Zaman calls “unremitting and sustained” suppression by the government on Turkish media.

Zaman herself was fired from the Turkish newspaper HaberTurk after publishing articles against the government. “[The Turkish public] are no longer privy to critical views of the government, so all you have is propaganda,” she said. “What’s also troubling is that now the government is also targeting the Western press … now foreign journalists who write stories that make the government uncomfortable can face expulsion—as did Fréderike Geerdink, a Dutch journalist recently who was prosecuted in fact prior to her expulsion on terror charges.”

“Every single year while my colleagues in the Western press are getting ready to renew their press accreditation [in Turkey], they really worry, ‘will I be accredited again this year?’” Zaman added. “They feel that pressure very intensely. To what degree will that influence their reporting, I wonder?”

When Sachs asked Zaman if she felt her own reporting was influenced by this, Zaman replied, “I’d like to think no.”

Zaman was personally targeted by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last year: he called her “A militant in the guise of a journalist,” and told her she needed to “know your place.”

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From left to right: Susan Sachs, Amberin Zaman, Kyle Matthews. Photos by Andrej Ivanov.

“I think it’s very frightening when you see a state that … has full political power and still feels obliged to actually pressure businesses and private media to toe the line,” said Matthews. “It’s a spiral. How do you get out of that?”

One possible outlet is Twitter; Zaman said that the social media platform is especially popular with younger Turks. In 2013 during massive protests in Istanbul’s Taksim Gezi Park, the hashtag #direngezi was trending.

While social media has allowed people to get and share information Matthews said the Turkish government is trying to exert it’s influence online as well.

“In Turkey, we have seen that social media platforms have been shut down numerous times,” he said. “It turns out that 60 per cent of requests to Twitter to shut down accounts or posts … came from the Turkish government.”

However, Matthews also said that social media can greatly empower individuals.

“I think for authoritarian governments [social media is] the one thing that drives them nuts,” he said. “They try to shut down Twitter, they try and shut down Facebook but they can’t control it … I don’t think the 21st Century is going to be very kind to control freaks because you can’t control the flow of information. They can shut down cell phone access, they can shut down the internet, but there are so many new technologies being introduced to allow individuals to bypass that.”

Provinces uncertain on Syrian refugees Following Friday’s tragedy in France, Canada’s provincial leaders have reiterated their stances on the current Syrian refugee situation. Kathleen Weil, Quebec’s immigration minister, has reaffirmed that the events in Paris have not changed the province’s position on the matter. According to the CBC, Weil told reporters that they would take the necessary precautions to ensure safety for Quebecers and Syrians alike. Sask.

Premier Brad Wall had a different take on the matter, insisting that Canada suspend the refugee plan in the wake of the Paris attacks as to not “undermine the refugee screening process.”

Turkish journalist Amberin Zaman.

Provost and Vice-president Academic Affairs Benoit Antoine Bacon.

Convicted Toronto teen avoids jail time A teenager in the Toronto area who was found guilty of first-degree murder for the death of Constable Garrett Styles has avoided jail time following a re-evaluation.

The teenager, known only as S.K. in the legal proceedings and who was 15 at the time of the incident, was pulled over by Styles while driving a minivan full of teenagers.

According to a report by CBC News, the driver attempted to flee, dragging Styles off of his feet. The van later rolled over, paralyzing the teen driver and killing Styles.

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WORLD JESSICA ROMERA Copy editor

Hacktivist group declares war against Daesh Following Friday’s attacks in Paris, online hacktivist group Anonymous has announced they will be waging war against Daesh, according to BBC News.

In a YouTube video posted on Sunday, a masked spokesperson speaking in French said the group will launch cyber attacks amongst other things in retaliation against the “Islamic State.” In the video, he says “[Anonymous] will launch the biggest operation ever against [Daesh].”

Four dead in Bujumbura shootings Four people have been reported dead including a police officer after a series of attacks in Burundi’s capital, according to The Globe and Mail. Mayor Freddy Mbonimpa’s home was also attacked during the night, but nobody was harmed.

An anti-government sentiment has fueled violent protests across the country since April when current President Pierre Nkurunziza announced he would run for office for the third time, and later won a “disputed election,” according to The Globe and Mail. Over 200 people have died since the protests began.

POLITICS

Questions remain on Trudeau’s portfolio The Prime Minister is Canada’s first Minister of Youth LAURA MARCHAND Staff writer

A

s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau begins his fouryear term in Ottawa, all eyes have been on his cabinet: the gender parity, the “badass” defence minister, and the refugee crisis, to name a few. Yet one portfolio continues to evade the public eye: the Prime Minister’s.

In addition to being named the Prime Minister, Trudeau has assigned himself two folios: Intergovernmental Affairs and Youth. The former position has existed for over 20 years, tasked with solving federal-provincial and interprovincial conflicts (such as territory) and any issues that cross provincial lines.

The other is not quite so clear.

Canada has never had a dedicated minister for youth affairs. Since 2003, the cabinet has had the Minister of Families, Children, and Social Development, which attended to issues including, but not limited to, the Canada Student Loan Program (CSLP). But the position that Trudeau created and then gave to himself—“Minister of Youth”—is without precedent.

Which is not to say he is unfamiliar with youth issues.

Trudeau completed the University of British Columbia’s education program, and spent years teaching in a K-12 school in the Vancouver area, in addition to being a substitute teacher across the city.

Justin Trudeau during his victory speech on Oct. 19. Photo by Andrej Ivanov.

Following the Liberal Party’s defeat to Stephen Harper’s Conservatives in 2006, Trudeau joined the party and became the head of the Liberal ‘youth task force.’ The force was formed to investigate issues such as youth voter engagement and the role of youth gangs in crime. At the time, Trudeau was described by the Ottawa Citizen as being “an activist on youth and environmental issues,” and pleased that “people are going to start really looking at some youth issues.”

Over the course of the election campaign, Trudeau also made several promises that may fall under the jurisdiction of Minister for Youth.

Trudeau promised to create a “Youth Advisory Council” staffed by 18- to 24-year-old Canadians who will provide non-partisan advice directly to Trudeau on national issues. Other promises include a $30 million investment

to create 40,000 “youth jobs,” a plan delaying student loan payments until the graduate makes over $25,000 a year and a support system for lowand middle-income Canadian families to help them pay for post-secondary education.

For some, Trudeau’s creation of the youth position is encouraging. “[He rightfully] gave himself this portfolio,” said Thierry Tardif, a fourth-year Concordia University student and spokesperson for VoteNote, an app which gives people information about political candidates in their ridings. “He, as the Prime Minister, will be able to reconnect youth with the politics of our country … he’ll help reform the bond between youth and elected officials.”

Others claim they find Trudeau’s new position vague.

“The thing I’m the most

confused about is what this position Trudeau now has means,” said Sarah Winchester, a third-year Women’s Studies student at Concordia University.

“I’m not even sure what [these] ‘youth issues’ are … I think that other issues could be addressed [instead].”

“Our future is the future of our young people. It means giving them the right tools to succeed and to contribute to our economy,” said Trudeau at a campaign event on Sept. 11, according to the CBC. Numbers from Elections Canada seem to suggest that first time voters—such as immigrants and youth—played a significant role in handing the Liberals their majority win. Pilot projects, such as advanced polling booths on universities for any riding across the country, may have also played a role in encouraging youth to vote.

H E Y YO U

Oscar Pistorius begins his community service The former South African Paralympian, who was convicted of manslaughter in the shooting of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013, has begun his house arrest sentence, according to the Associated Press.

Pistorius served a year of his five-year sentence in prison, but will now spend the rest of the four years left on his sentence at his uncle’s home in Pretoria. Pistorius reportedly shot Steenkamp through a bathroom door because he believed she was an intruder in their home. The Associated Press reports this was Pistorius’s first public appearance since his release from jail.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015

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CITY

Montreal stands in solidarity with Paris

Three different events held for Paris outside French consulate in Downtown Montreal

Candles, tokens, flowers and messages were gathered in front of the French consulate in support of the French people. Photo by Andrej Ivanov.

GREGORY TODARO News editor @GCTodaro

T

housands of people flooded McGill College Avenue over the weekend in response to the attacks that killed 129 people in Paris on Friday.

Over three days, vigils and marches were based around the French consulate in Downtown Montreal. Candles were lit in memory of the victims and attendees carried signs, French flags and sang the French national anthem. The attack in Paris was the second terrorist attack in two days, following Thursday’s attack in Beirut, Lebanon that killed 44 people.

The first gathering took place Friday night. The first of seven attacks in Paris happened at around 4 p.m. EST—9 p.m. local time in France—and by 10 p.m., around 200 people were outside the consulate in Montreal for the first of three events.

An even larger vigil with more than 1,000 people took place Saturday afternoon.

On Sunday, Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre led a march of more than 1,000 people from Place des festivals to McGill College Avenue. He walked arm-inarm with French Consul General to

Montreal Catherine Feuillet, Quebec Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie Christine St-Pierre, federal Minister of Canadian Heritage Mélanie Joly, Coalition Avenir Québec leader François Legault and other political representatives.

After a minute of silence for the victims, Coderre spoke in French to the crowd. He spoke briefly, highlighting the importance of everyone standing together against acts of violence—including the Daesh attack which killed 40 people in Beirut on Thursday.

“At this rally today, Montrealers of all origins and religions are expressing their deepest sympathy and solidarity to those closest to the victims and everyone affected by violent acts,” he said.

“I spoke with my good friend and colleague [Mayor of Paris] Anne Hidalgo yesterday,” Coderre added. “I also spoke to my friend Bilal [Hamad], who is mayor of Beirut. I told them that Montreal stands in solidarity with them … and that together we will work to ensure a high quality of life.”

Feuillet spoke after the mayor. “Since Friday, French people all over the world are standing united,” she said. “Here, Montrealers have been with us since the first second. We are deeply touched by the solidarity given.”

A family gathers in front of the consulate on Sunday.

Photo by Marie-Pierre Savard.

On Friday evening, 200 hundred gathered in front of the French consulate as the events were still unfolding. Photo by Andrej Ivanov.

Two participants light candles at the march on Sunday.

Photo by Marie-Pierre Savard.

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LIFE

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015 LIFE EDITOR CRISTINA SANZA life@theconcordian.com @theconcordian

ENGINEERING

Changing how rice is farmed one acre at a time Engineering Without Borders member Maxime Desharnais is making a difference in Ghana KATYA TEAGUE Staff writer The first time that Maxime Desharnais, a civil engineering student at Concordia, walked on the 1,000 acre rice field in the village of Nabogo in Ghana last May, he found a snake.

Anyone in the village will tell you that if you find a snake on the field on your first day, “your field is going to be a success,” Desharnais said.

Months later, while many farmers in the region were losing their crops due to drought, Desharnais’ 17-acre test field was just that—a success. However, this probably has little to do with the snake and a lot to do with the use of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI).

Desharnais spent four months in Ghana last summer as part of the Junior Fellowship program offered by the organization Engineers Without Borders.

“I wanted to work on the field.

I wanted to get my hands dirty,” Desharnais said. “That was my goal and I got exactly what I wanted.”

Desharnais (4th from left), with Adongo (centre) and others from Nabogo, Ghana. Photo courtesy of Maxime Desharnais.

The program organizers put him in contact with Miles Adongo, a young man looking to improve the way his village farmed rice. The SRI has farmers nurse the seeds, plant them systematically, and use irrigation, which controls water flow to foster plant growth. The process uses 80 to 90 per cent less seeds than the conventional technique, and nursing the plants makes them stronger.

Although other Western African countries are currently using SRI, no one in Ghana has proven that it’s “commercially viable” yet, said Desharnais. That’s where Adongo and his farm come in.

“Everything we’re doing is for the community,” Desharnais said, adding that

Adongo’s plans involve promoting the involvement of women in farming practices.

“The ultimate goal is processing our own rice for Ghana,” Desharnais said. The country currently has to import most of its rice, Desharnais said.

Now that Desharnais is back in Canada, it’s all about funding for the project. He is essentially the liaison between Canadian companies and Adongo’s farm.

“I heard numerous times [from people] ‘can I trust him?’ or ‘is he going to scam us?’” Desharnais said. His focus has been on breaking these misconceptions about funding African projects.

The project recently received funding from a large North American company and next summer Desharnais will be

going back to Nabogo to follow-up on where the money is going and how it has affected the field.

“Next year, it’s going to be different,” Desharnais said. The plan is to increase the test field from 17 acres to 80 acres.

According to Adongo, the field’s persistence through the recent droughts has given many villagers confidence about SRI. “They’re scared to change the practice because it’s their subsistence,” Desharnais said, adding that, “[Growing rice] a big struggle with the weather.”

The hot sun already limits the length of the farming season because the soil becomes too dry, Desharnais said.

When there is water, it’s rain-fed and in abundance, sometimes too much for the tractors to handle.

The solution is irrigation, but for now the project can’t afford it. Desharnais has no doubt that it’s in the farm’s future, though.

At Concordia, his hydraulics class was recently learning about irrigation channels. “When I’m in class, I’m thinking about how I could apply that on the field,” he said.

You can learn more about Miles Adongo and his projects at kumvana.ewb.ca/portfolio/miles-adongo.

TRANSIT

Metro etiquette seems obvious, but some need reminding Here’s some advice for the daily users and abusers of public transit VALERIA CORI-MANOCCHIO Contributor After my seven-year relationship with the STM transportation services, voicing grievances are long overdue. Even though riding public transit does not require conducting yourself like a member of the royal family, most of us can agree to follow these etiquette regulations.

Be aware of limited public space Making myself comfortable on public transit sounds amazing but I know it’s impossible since there are other people who may want to sit down or simply hold on to the communal pole. I am but one millennial who has reached that empathetic conclusion so I’ll enlighten my peers and other generations as well. To the men and women who love spreading their legs in obscenely wide positions or enjoy leaning their entire torso against a pole—stop. It’s beyond irritating. If the culprits reading this still think their widespread seating style is acceptable, the next time you take public transit during a busier part of the day, take an observant glance around to see all the other passengers giving you a frustrated

look. I’ll undoubtedly be there in spirit.

Avoid talking to someone with headphones on It’s great that some people feel confident enough to strike up a conversation with the stranger sitting beside them. It’s not so great when some people try talking to other STM users who are clearly engulfed in their own business—basically, most young adults. Sometimes—no, most of the time—we really want to escape into our own bubble. No matter how charming you are, disrupting anyone with earphones is not going to be the start of a pleasant conversation.

Let others get out before you get in Anyone who uses public transit should

have this maneuver mastered—but yet here I am explaining it. To the countless aggravated business people crowding the doors, please take a deep breath and take a step—rather, a few steps back. To the people rushing to squeeze themselves into the metro or bus while that older woman is still trying to exit—chill out. These actions are akin to entering an elevator before the people in the elevator have stepped out.

Does trying to push against the current of people lead you to your hellish office any sooner? Are you that desperate for a seat?

Or a pole to lean your entire body against?

Do not toss your physical and emotional baggage everywhere First, I’m empathetic if you are travelling with luggage on public transit— I’ve been in Rome’s overcrowded

You won’t get a seat any faster by blocking the metro doors.

Photo by Marie-Pierre Savard.

metro with a suitcase that took up more space than I did. I get it; a weary traveller deserves some extra space to accommodate their cumbersome baggage. But just to be clear, a weary traveller is not someone who enters the metro or bus in a fashionable getup with a single, oversized tote bag or hipster knapsack that apparently needs its own seat. To you fashionable urbanites on the STM, while you might believe your bag has its own presence, keep it off of other passenger’s seats and out of people’s way.

Second, do not let the convenience of public transit fool you, it’s still the worst place to argue with someone, be it over the phone or in person. I know this because I’ve sat on a bus unable to avoid hearing about a stranger’s friend’s boyfriend’s friend who said whatever to whomever.

Yes—I repressed any memory I had about overhearing the conversation. While every passenger on that bus entered as complete strangers, we all exited, completely annoyed by the one man trying to win an argument no one wanted to hear.

To all the guilty parties reading this, I hope my words will slowly teach you to mind your metro etiquette. If not I’ll gladly write another piece expressing new and aggravating stunts I witness on public transit. Knowing the nature of things, I’ll probably have to.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015

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HUMOUR

Porcelain Pilgrim: The outdoor defecation If you eat pizza and poutine when you’re lactose intolerant—you’re in for trouble STEPHEN HO Staff writer Going off the topic of the last article’s meditations, I would like to consider the interesting blend between the private and the public that washrooms afford us.

In our day-to-day lives, many things in the world seem to be divided into the private and the public, a vestige and inheritance of the modern age. However, the space of the washroom, the water closet, is an ambiguous place and, as such, makes us uncomfortable. I cannot speak for the female experience, but in mine it is taboo and certainly worth a harsh word or at least a dirty look if eye contact is made at the urinal.

The washroom is a private space made public out of necessity, not out of preference. The act of defecation or urination is a subject so personal that sometimes even with our closest partners we feel ashamed or embarrassed to discuss or to perform before them. And yet, we do it in public on a daily (or nearly daily) basis. What an interesting phenomenon. A topic brushed over or swept aside due to its sensitive nature, or rather, our sensitive nature.

In almost all aspects we have become more progressive. All except this. I like writing these stories because they are a common ground. In the same, and far less amusing way that math is a common language. Do we dare dream of peace and unity through the common topic of poops and poots? How absurd, but how magnificent it would be.

In line with the ambiguous nature of our perception of defecation, I would like to, as usual, present you with a short anecdote.

I was out late with some friends one night this past summer and we decided to pick up a snack before we all headed home. Usually in the late hours the goto meals are always greasy and cheesy. It’s normally the best thing ever, unless you’re lactose intolerant—which I am. Actually, it’s still the best thing ever because it’s like the forbidden fruit for me. That salacious pizza just asking to be in my mouth, I mean, just look at its dressing! So I ate it. With a side of poutine. If anyone who is reading this is lactose intolerant, you probably know that eating any of those items on their own is problematic to say the least… but together?

That’s almost a death wish.

Being the idiot I am, I figured it would be fine and I’d just hold it in until I got home. No big deal. I said my goodbyes and hopped on the metro, beginning my long journey back to the West Island. My journey consisted of metroing to a station (which I

will not disclose) where I had parked my car and then driving back to the west.

Halfway through the metro ride I knew there was no way I was going to make it all the way. Alone with my own thoughts and the ever increasing potential of soiling myself, I quickly considered my options.

The metro itself definitely wasn’t an option, most stores or restaurants were closed… where could I go? I wracked my brain for a feasible solution.

Finally, I arrived at my station and I awkwardly speed-walked my way towards my car some blocks away. I felt myself beginning to prairie-dog and I knew it was an emergency that couldn’t wait any longer. I knew I had a Kleenex box in the car but did I really want to go outside? My body made that decision for me and I constructed a makeshift cover between my car itself and the open door of the front passenger side. I hung on for dear life to the handhold on the ceiling, squatting next to my car in the middle of the parking lot while my bowels turned themselves inside out.

Needless to say, I finished that up as quickly as possible and sped away under the deep cover of night, leaving only a steaming pile as a testament to my fatal dietary decisions.

Don’t worry though, it rained heavily the next morning so I’m sure it all worked out and there’s totally no way anyone could have stepped in that. Right?

If we all learn to make light of these humorous and most definitely human experiences we can all relate to (mostly), I think we’d, as a species, be a step closer to understanding each other no longer through a discourse of difference but through one of empathy. Or maybe that’s some pseudo-philosophical bullshit I pulled out of my ass faster than cheese curds go through me. Who knows?

Graphic by Kim Lam Shang Leen.

GAMING

Not a glitch: polyamory is Fallout 4

Bethesda Softworks is giving gamers more ways to feel like they belong in their latest installment ANONYMOUS Contributor It’s rare that a video game company does something very good by doing nothing at all. Last week, Bethesda Softworks decided to not make polyamory a big deal in Fallout 4.

Polyamory, the act of responsibly being in a relationship with two or more partners, is a viable lifestyle choice for the player of the game in this installment.

News first broke of the possibility of polyamory through gaming journalist Jim Sterling’s YouTube video series The Jimquisition on Nov. 9. It has since been verified and reported on by sites such as Destructoid, Fusion, and has made the rounds of Reddit.

Internet reaction has been mixed, however. Sites such as Destructoid have reported on the positive effects of this new implementation. Staff writer Jed Whitaker said in his “You can be polyamorous and bisexual in Fallout 4” article that he had no interest in Bethesda Softworks’ new game “until I learned that I can finally be represented in an actual video game.”

On the other hand, other responses have been less positive. Although some have been quick to hail the progress that this potentially means for video games, others, as Reddit user Spackles pointed out in his summary of user com-

ments, have highlighted that “Bethesda Softworks is [just] too lazy to actively exclude people.” For these individuals, polyamory is seen as a glitch that was not caught in the game’s production.

Others, such as YouTube user Mike Sloan, feel that this is a slippery slope for the gaming industry. He commented on Jim Sterling’s video: “Where does it end for some people though, can you make love to the dead before you eat [them] in the game?”

Clearly it’s long before popular opinion matches the advances made

by Bethesda Softworks on this issue.

Bethesda Softworks has made no statement suggesting that this feature will later be patched out as a glitch.

For those who are polyamorous, Fallout 4 provides a sense of acceptance in its handling of the topic. Concordia undergraduate student and gamer, who asked to be only identified by their gamer handle Soykaff, put this issue into focus. “Somebody over at Bethesda gets [polyamory],” they said. “It isn’t presented as a weird life choice … That message isn’t active acceptance and incorporation, but rather, treating the subject the same way you treat every subject.”

It should be noted that larger websites such as IGN and PCgamer have not yet noticed the polyamory feature. This speaks to the optional nature of engaging in such activities. Much like the option to engage in same-sex relationships in the

game, this content will probably not be found by many players.

What makes the option to engage in polyamory any different than the option to engage in same sex relationships in game such as Dragon Age: Inquisition? In

both cases, game developers are giving players the space to feel like they belong, without taking away content from those who are not interested in these experiences.Isn’t that what we want from our video games anyway?

Graphic by Charlotte Bracho.

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ARTS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015 ARTS EDITORS ELIJAH BUKREEV and LYDIA ANDERSON arts@theconcordian.com @theconcordian

FILM

The films you love have an expiration date

Éléphant Classiq’s Claude Fournier explains the importance of investing in film preservation ELIJAH BUKREEV Co-arts editor @ElijahBukreev As the Roman aphorism goes, “art is long, life is short.” While most art will in fact last longer than a human life, it will eventually decay, which only restoration can prevent.

When you think of restoration, you might think of paintings or monuments, but you might not immediately think about film.

Claude Fournier, the co-director of the “Éléphant: mémoire du cinéma québécois” film restoration project, estimates a film’s lifespan to be a hundred years if properly stored. Éléphant, named in reference to an elephant’s exceptional memory, started in 2008 as a means to preserve Quebec’s cinema. “[We began the project] when we realized that 90 per cent of all silent films, American or foreign, had been lost forever. As far as sound films go, 50 per cent of films made before 1954 have also been lost,” said Fournier. Since its launch, Éléphant has been responsible for the full restoration of over 225 Quebec films. It has also made these films accessible countrywide through Illico

and iTunes—most of them had previously been impossible to find. Éléphant is fully subsidised by Quebecor, which according to Fournier has invested close to $20 million in the project since 2008. “If the Quebec government could fully grasp all the work we’re doing, they would pay for us to produce new restored film prints,” said Fournier.

Film prints are preferable because digital copies are often unreliable, he said.

“Not many people in the audience know that the films they watch, which are now mostly shot digitally, are even more perishable than those shot on film stock,” said Fournier. Digital files for films are so massive that data is likely to get corrupted within five or six years, which means they have to be regularly updated.

While Éléphant started as a means to preserve Quebec films, it has since then entered the international scene after being invited to the Cannes film festival’s Cannes Classic section.

It has now evolved into a film festival of its own, known by the name Éléphant Classiq. The festival will be dedicated to restored international films—the first event of its kind in Canada. “Our purpose is that, at least once a year, people

Claude Fournier spoke of film preservation at the press conference for Éléphant Classiq. can discover restored films from foreign countries on a big screen,” said Fournier.

The first edition of the festival, which opens on Nov. 19, will have francophone cinema as its theme. Next year’s theme has already been announced to be Italian cinema. Many films in the programming were made in the ‘70s or even ‘80s.

“A new definition of a classic film is emerging in the industry ... [They say] a film must be 20 years old,” said Fournier.

After it’s reached that age, it is eligible for restoration, which it might very well require, he said.

To express the importance of film preservation, Fournier paraphrased a quote from French director Claude Lelouch, saying “no film is completely empty ... Within any film, there is something valuable, even if it’s just one scene or one shot.” For that reason, Éléphant’s present goal is to restore as much of Quebec cinema as can be saved—about 800 more films. Éléphant Classiq runs from Nov. 19 to Nov. 22. For more information, visit elephantclassiq.canoe.ca.

FILM

Soviet history through the eyes of the people

The flag of the Russian Federation was raised on Aug. 21, 1991.

Sergey Loznitsa’s The Event is like few documentaries you’ve ever seen ELIJAH BUKREEV Co-arts editor @ElijahBukreev In December 1991, the U.S.S.R. was officially dissolved. Before that happened however, in August of the same year, several senior government officials attempted to overthrow Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and take the country off the course of dissolution.

In his new documentary titled The Event, Ukrainian filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa turned the camera not on the coup itself but on the people of St. Petersburg, or Leningrad as it was known at the time. This is another film screened by the Montreal International Documentary

Festival to challenge the popular conception of a documentary. The Event is the kind of film Alfred Hitchcock used to call pure cinema. “Pure cinema,” as said by Hitchcock in an 1963 interview with Peter Bogdanovich, “is complementary pieces of film put together, like notes of music make a melody.”

The Event consists of previously unseen footage shot for the most part at public gatherings. As it opens, the viewer is dropped right in the middle of one.

No historical context is given, no narrator provided. The film takes the perspective of a regular citizen, a silent pair of eyes in the crowd, and documents the situation as the people of St. Petersburg experienced it—through proclamations and portable radio devices.

Loznitsa uses elaborate sound design to illustrate the confusion felt by the Russian people. A variety of voices, likely belonging to passers-by, provide

People of St. Petersburg watched the flag being above the city. comment or remark on the situation.

“They say Gorbachev is dead,” says one voice. “Is Yeltsin alive?” asks another. To hear “down with communism” is chilling—for much of the U.S.S.R.’s history, these words simply could not be said.

To see the Soviet flag come down is equally powerful.

There is at the heart of the film an interesting contrast—the fact that the viewer is made to feel like a participant gives the film a sense of immediacy, while the fact that the footage is black and white directly sets it in the past.

The result is close to time travel—you find yourself transported into a historical event as it is happening, with some added knowledge of the future. You see thousands of people gathering to reclaim their country, and then for a split second you notice a young Vladimir Putin—the mayor’s aide in 1991—and you know their hopes will be trampled on by history.

An ironic use of music from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake underlines the director’s sourness at the fact that this event, which ended with the coup being thwarted and was seen as a victory at the time, would eventually lead nowhere. Loznitsa’s film is in some ways a prequel to his previous documentary, Maidan, which illustrated how another mass gathering—2013’s Euromaidan— led to Ukraine’s recent revolution.

After the U.S.S.R. collapsed, not a single member of the Soviet regime was prosecuted, which is revealed by a written epilogue. As Loznitsa concluded, several revolutions later, the more things changed within most ex-U.S.S.R. states, the more they stayed the same.

The Event will be screened at Concordia’s J.A. de Sève Theatre on Nov. 20 at 8:30 p.m. and at Cinéma du Parc on Nov. 21 at 9:15 p.m.

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SHOW

Explore the universe at the Planetarium Dark Universe/aurōrae take you into the Milky Way and the northern lights REBECCA LUGER Staff writer

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long with Dark Universe comes aurōrae, the second part of a double feature program the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium is showing. Visitors get to experience outer space and the solar system before gazing at the aurora borealis, better known as the northern lights.

Dark Universe was presented at the Chaos Theatre of the planetarium where bean bag chairs covered the floor so as to get a perfect view of the show being projected on the domed ceiling. Astrophysicist and host of the remake Cosmos series Neil deGrasse Tyson narrated Dark Universe, which might open your eyes to the vastness of the universe and our own Milky Way galaxy. The Milky Way is but one in our entire solar system that has thousands of other galaxies within it. To consider the millions of other solar systems that exist around us is to realize just how vast the universe is and how small and insignificant we are in comparison. It’s weirdly beautiful. The visuals alone are gorgeous and you are given a spectacular look into our galaxy.

In the Milky Way Theatre where aurōrae took place, the seating was arranged in a round circle surrounding a large projector. The domed ceiling was covered in stars soon to present the aurōrae show. The host started by introducing the ideal stargazing time in Montreal—around 5:30 a.m.—which is the best time to see Mars, Venus and Jupiter along with the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. She also pointed out the North Star, Polaris, which is the guiding path of aurora borealis.

The show began with an explanation on the technical details of how aurora lights can occur. Although one would assume that the northern lights could only be seen in specific areas of the world— namely in the North, perhaps in Alaska— they can be seen in Quebec and even all the way to the tropics. You may want to visit the North and see it all with your own eyes someday, but aurōrae will give you a fantastic closer look at the lights,

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the movement patterns and the colours.

The host mentioned a legend where the aurora borealis were actually celestial beings or gods playing ball with the head of a human. When humans come across the lights they are to bow their head so as not to catch the attention of the gods.

The fluid and rhythmic motion of the lights make it easy to see why one would think it was figures playing ball.

The colours of the aurora are dependent on the sun’s solar flares hitting the Earth’s magnetic shields and coming into contact with the different gas particles in our atmosphere, as the host explained.

The beauty of the northern lights was splendidly captured by aurōrae.

Be sure to check it out, there are other shows to be seen as well as a fun interactive exhibit.

The double feature Dark Universe/aurōrae is on until September 2016. Tickets are $8 on Thursday evenings.

Dark Universe is shown in the Chaos Theatre and explores the Milky Way.

Experience the wonder of the northern lights in the aurōrae show.

Gaze up and enjoy the immersive 360-degree experience of space and lights at the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium.

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015

THEATRE

Stories of the Northwest Territories

Akpik Theatre presents Tumit, a northern Indigenous play performed in English and French PAULINE NESBITT Staff writer

Tumit, a northern Indigenous play that combines memory, poetry and traditional storytelling as a means of dealing with the curve balls life can throw your way, opened on Friday. This is the first northern play that was inspired, written, translated and performed by Indigenous women to be presented in Montreal in both English and French.

“Tumit,” the Inuktitut word for tracks, is used as a powerful metaphor in this onewoman play to signal both the geographical location of the action as well as the path Sarah, the main character, takes as she struggles with life. She is a woman in her thirties living in the Northwest Territories who discovers she is pregnant after having kicked her husband out. She is broke and has to move out of the apartment. While packing for the move she reflects on the different cycles of her life and gains a serenity that fortifies her determination to confront the challenges she faces.

Tumit was written by Reneltta Arluk, who lives in the Northwest Territories.

She said that the inspiration came “from

Reneltta Arluk both wrote Tumit and stars as Sarah in the English role. the gut”—a need to tell northern Indigenous stories to a wide audience. “We are a small population on a large land mass, and I think our stories should be shared with each other, with other people … Our young people’s voices are important,” said Arluk. She added that although the story could belong to any woman anywhere, it is the manner in which Sarah deals with the situation that makes it a unique northern story. For Arluk, Tumit “offers an opportunity for communities to come to-

gether … it’s a way to show and share.”

Jessica Abdullah considers directing this play as a social experiment, in that the actors used the same script in two languages.

She added that while the performances are distinctly different, the actors came up with similar elements for their character development without her guidance, which she attributes to a successful French translation.

“It was crazy at times, to be going from one [language] to the next, but fascinating,” said Abdullah. She mused that the play evokes a

motif of perfection, but Sarah’s tracks show that accepting life as it unravels, “warts and all,” makes us stronger.

Arluk assumes the role of Sarah in English, while Emilie Monnet, a Frenchspeaking Montrealer and Indigenous woman, plays this character in French.

Although the action takes place in the apartment, an interesting mix of recorded sounds and music track Sarah’s life. A soft, haunting music filled with bird song recalls her childhood when she accompanied her grandparents as they followed the tracks of rabbits out on the ice. Pieces of popular music situate her as a young adult and the Indigenous voices heard throughout the play stamp its location.

After Friday’s performance in English, Arluk shared her culture by offering a tasting of bannock—an Indigenous flat bread— that was served with stew.

Tumit is produced by Akpik Theatre, which develops and produces northern Indigenous stories.

Performances continue until Nov. 21 at Mainline Theatre, 3998 St. Laurent Blvd. Student tickets are $20 and can be purchased at akpiktheatre.com/ tumit.

FILM

Explore how flight changed the world

Soar through the air and appreciate the extraordinary history of aviation on the IMAX Telus Theatre screen.

Living in the Age of Airplanes takes you on a journey across seven continents in IMAX. TIFFANY LAFLEUR Staff writer Flying across the Atlantic has become banal. Rather than it being seven hours of pondering the miracle of racing across the globe at high speed in a metal container thousands of feet in the air, the act of flying is now all about thinking on how to spend the next seven hours.

In Living in the Age of Airplanes, the banality that comes along with the idea of air travel is tossed out the win-

dow as the audience is invited to take an awe-inspiring journey filmed in 18 different countries and seven continents.

Directed by Brian J. Terwilliger, narrated by Harrison Ford and distributed by National Geographic, this documentary illustrates a comprehensive evolution of the world since the invention of the airplane and how the ability to hop across continents has sparked immense change in the course of human history.

Incredible cinematography meets a booming and singular soundtrack, working together to capture all your senses as you become engrossed in the film. Featuring jaw-dropping camera work, there are no wasted or “filler” shots and every single frame is perfectly composed.

The soundtrack matches perfectly with the visuals, complementing the narration.

Using a combination of melodies, the symphony perfectly matches with the visuals.

On the giant IMAX screen, you feel as if though you were in flight, soaring above and through the clouds, over forests and deserts and oceans. You can feel like you’re flying without ever leaving your theater seat.

The movie explores aviation in five steps. First, it explores life before airplanes connected the world. Airplanes allow you to zoom across the globe and back for a vacation, but before aviation trips were often one-way affairs. For 200,000 years, the fastest travel speed of humans was attained by a brisk walk,

sprinting or horse-riding. The wheel, the boat, the steam engine and cars all made us move faster. And then came flight.

“In a single century, aviation went from impossible to nearly perfected,” said Ford in his narration.

The movie then goes into how airport gates function as portals to the planet, how aviation redefined the notion of a location being remote, how airplanes bring the world to us and how it offers us a new perspective on our home planet.

The documentary explores the more subtle ways that aviation changed the course of history. Not only did it facilitate human travel, but goods are now shipped worldwide. Roses that are grown and picked in Kenya are flown to Amsterdam, and in under 24 hours are shipped internationally. It takes three days for them to end up decorating a dining table in Alaska. This internationalization of goods and products is only made possible through flight.

The film is as informative as it is entertaining. As passengers, we are familiar with the mobility aspect of planes: cramped space, long waiting times and little sleep. In this documentary, we are able to put those frustrations aside and rethink of how aviation changed our societal realities. This film is a must-see for the documentary fan or anyone interested in the wonders of flight and the technology that has made it happen.

Tickets for Living in the Age of Airplanes cost $12 at the IMAX Telus Theatre. For more information visit montrealsciencecentre.com/imaxtelus-theater.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015

MUSIC

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MUSIC EDITOR SAMUEL PROVOST-WALKER music@theconcordian.com @theconcordian

PROFILE

Life after labels with Protest the Hero

Two years after crowdfunding Volition, PTH are once again taking matters into their own hands

Protest the Hero are currently celebrating the 10th anniversary of their seminal debut Kezia, playing it uninterrupted and in full.

Pacific Myth is not simply a drawnout release schedule for the band’s next album. “We’re recording the songs as we go along,” said Walker, “The secell I’d like to say it’s noth- ond one isn’t even mixed yet and Nov. ing against labels …” said 15 is coming up fast. I also recorded Rody Walker, lead vocalist some vocals for the third one.” The band of Protest the Hero, “but labels suck.” hopes that this approach will satiate The Canadian progressive metal band fans, while also giving them tracks that is in the process of self-releasing their are “as fresh to the fans as [they are] to second independent album in a manner the band. The music will be as new as it that, much like their music itself, is un- can be,” said Walker. conventional.

When the band publicly announced On Oct. 15, the band released they were leaving labels behind in Janu“Ragged Tooth,” the first track in what is ary 2013 with an Indiegogo campaign to promised to be a monthly release sched- crowdfund their fourth album Volition, they ule. For a fee, a minimum of $12 per year, were secretly unsure of what to expect. subscribers will receive one track each “Our third record [Scurrilous] didn’t do month as part of a project the band has so hot,” Walker said. “We were blaming it dubbed Pacific Myth, which will culmi- on the decline of record sales, but now I nate in a physical release of the tracks in think that the truth was, people just don’t standard album format. like that record so much.”

“When we were kids we wantFans did not know it at the time, but ed to do a kind of ‘vinyl of the month their support would determine whether or club’,” Walker said, “NOFX did it and we not there would even be a Protest the Hero. thought it was an interesting way to put “We were in a precarious position out music back then.” and [the Indiegogo campaign] was a After coming to the conclusion that last ditch effort. If it didn’t work out we the subscription price for a vinyl club would have put out the record and called would be too steep, the band did the it quits,” said Walker. After a successful next best thing: “We found a way to do it campaign, the band felt a sense of rewithout costing an arm and leg by going juvenation. “It was really a surprise. It to a digital platform,” Walker said. did really, really well and was breath of life into our careers,” said Record companies are usurpers; Walker.

While it may seem they drain you. It was an easy strange, this success was decision to leave. the reason the group de— Rody Walker cided against going with JUSTINAS STASKEVICIUS Staff Writer

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Indiegogo when it came time to fund Pacific Myth.

“We kept going back to the incredible memory of opening the page and seeing [the Indiegogo campaign] take off,” said Walker. “There was no way we could recreate or surpass that and we were too afraid of jeopardizing that memory.”

While he admits that leaving the corporate music structure has meant taking on more work, Walker has no regrets.

“Even if it was the end of our band, it is the best thing you could do as an artist,” said Walker. “Record companies are usurpers; they drain you. It was an easy decision to leave. We’d all been broke for so long and knew exactly why.”

The band blamed their financial shortcomings on the corporate model.

“How it works is that [the label] gives you a cash advance to make the album; it’s not a huge lump sum, but you’ll never make it back because albums don’t sell,” Walker explained. “You’re stuck in the label’s back pocket after that. So we found ourselves back in the same position after three albums.”

The vocalist has some advice for young musicians.

“If you are independent, stay independent. Sure, important labels can seem seductive and sexy, but there’s nothing wrong with staying independent. You know, I look at [the band] Intervals. They’ve always been independent. They’re a good example of how to stay independent and produce quality music in a way that’s beneficial for the band and audience. To any musicians

who are with the labels, get the fuck out as soon as you can.”

On Aug. 30, 2005, long before their shift towards independence, the band released their debut album Kezia. Ten years later, Protest the Hero is celebrating the release with a cross-Canada tour, performing the full album at every stop along the way. “It’s a little peculiar,” said Walker, “stranger than what we’ve done in the past, because everyone knows the set list, everyone knows what’s coming up.”

A tour focused on an album that is over a decade old would not be complete without some deep cuts. “Some of the songs we have played ad nauseum, but others we haven’t played live since the album came out. I very much enjoy playing some of them, more than some of the new stuff, but hearing the same old ones over and over … it’s like a fart in a shit-storm,” said Walker.

One track that tour-goers will have to get their fill of is “Blindfolds Aside,” as they won’t hear it played live for a while; “I don’t think that there’s been a show we’ve played since the record was released where we haven’t played that song live. I’ve made them promise that it won’t be on the set list next tour.”

As for those who are wondering ‘which hero?’ the band is protesting: “Probably Superman, yeah Superman sucks.”

Protest the Hero will be at Foufounes Électriques with Mandroid Echostar on Nov. 21 for their “Kezia X Anniversary” Tour. The show is sold out.

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015

PROFILE

The sunny, optimistic side of Surfer Blood Faced with a number of unexpected and harrowing changes, the Florida band perseveres

Surfer Blood currently consists of (from left to right) Mike McCleary, Tyler Schwarz, John Paul Pitts and Lindsey Mills.

SARAH JESMER Contributor

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lternative rock meets the Florida coast with Surfer Blood, who is gearing up to show the world what they can do by going back to their roots all the while blazing a new trail of sound on their new album, 1000 Palms.

Surfer Blood released their third record in May 2015, which has defined itself as a redemptive and optimistic album from a band of constant reinvention.

Since they formed in 2009, the band’s sound has shifted from a surf rock vibe to a more pop rock tune on their second album, Pythons.

Take the highly popular song “Swim” that splashed onto the scene and turned heads when it made it onto Pitchfork’s Top 100 Songs of 2009 list. “Swim” was included in 2010 on the band’s debut album, Astro Coast, an album composed of pounding chords, reverb and the feeling of tropical coastal weather.

Although the same basics of faroff vocals and power chords were brought over to Pythons, the album was treated to a lukewarm reception, being described as “disappointing” by Consequence of Sound and “insistent jangle” by Rolling Stone.

Following a split with their former major label Warner Brothers, 1000 Palms proves that back to basics with a few new tricks can make a difference.

The band took a more independent and hands-on approach to producing, ditching big time labels and working with Joyful Noise Recordings.

“We had complete freedom and I feel like we actually wanted to try and do something with it,” said lead singer John Paul Pitts, or JP. “And I always think about writing [album opener] ‘Grand Inquisitor’; we were like ‘we should probably make this the first song on the record,’ which is something we probably wouldn’t have

done before when we were on a bigger 2015 that did not appear on 1000 Palms. different away from it.” label with more people listening in and While Fekete takes a sideline from Pitts explained that he goes for more giving advice and stuff like that. I think Surfer Blood, Mike McCleary is taking his for mood than replication when it comes we tried to push ourselves to try writing place as guitarist for the current tour. The to live performances and tour life. “I’ve songs differently,” he said. tour also features Lindsey Mills on bass never been too particular about trying The 11-track album 1000 Palms proves seeing as original bassist Kevin Williams to replicate the sound on the recording to be more than just a series of repetitive has since moved to pursue another ca- exactly live because ... what I get from basic chord progressions. From the hi- reer in Texas. listening to a record at my house versus hat and dancing electric guitar-infused With the addition of McCleary and going to a show is so different that I think love ballad of “I Can’t Explain” to the fast, Mills, all four members of Surfer Blood the music should reflect that a little bit bongo beats in “Point Of No Return” and come from the same high school. too. We honestly do just jam out on stage harmonizing bridges of “Into the Cata“We’re lucky to have so many friends quite a bit,” he said. combs”, Surfer Blood shows variation who are good musicians and truly fans After a colourful past of opening for throughout their songs while weaving in of the music. They kind of get what the Pixies, performing at festivals like their classic electric guitar banter. we’re going for,” said Pitts.

Coachella 2014, and performing on Late In its “Tom Night With Jimmy Fallon in 2012, the fuclosing had a very ture of the band looks positive though We had complete freedom and I song, “NW unique also unpredictable. “Who knows what feel like we actually wanted to try Passage,” style of we’ll do next,” said Pitts when asked the com- and do something with it. playing about where he sees the band going in bination of guitar but the next few years.

— John Paul Pitts you know acoustic As “NW Passage” ends the album on guitar and he can’t a reflective and optimistic note, Surfer the sound of birds chirping transports the be in the band for obvious reasons right Blood’s future takes on the same hopeful listener to a soothing summer drive through now. It is slightly different right now with hue: “And I’ll be there to see the day/You a wooded area in the wake of a sunset. a new guitarist, but I think that could be and I will grow, not decay.”

These last few years have proven to a good thing too. It keeps things interbe particularly eventful for the band as esting for me and hopefully people who Catch Surfer Blood opening for Nate time brought changes to the lives of in- come to our show who have seen us be- Ruess at the Virgin Mobile Corona dividual members and the group as a fore will take something maybe slightly Theatre on Nov. 17. Tickets are $30. whole, one unfortunate example being the sickness of original member and guitarist Thomas Fekete.

In the spring of 2015, the band announced that it would be starting a GoFundMe page for Fekete after he was diagnosed with sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Through benefit concerts, online donations, donation collections from shows and more, Surfer Blood has raised thousands of dollars for their fellow bandmate.

In November 2015, the band also started the Thomas Fekete Medical Fund Benefit Auction, selling unreleased records and demos from groups such as The Doors, Cults and Yo La Tengo. The The band are currently raising funds for co-founder and guitarist auction also includes a vinyl of “Tidal Thomas Fekete’s (second from left) sarcoma treatments.

Wave” by Surfer Blood, a song recorded in

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RECOMMENDATIONS

A beginner’s guide to holy minimalism

Though religious in nature, this sacred genre isn’t as impenetrable as its name suggests steeped in European sacred tradition, which sounds centuries old but has been composed and re-popularized only within the last 50 years or so. The label “holy” does not relegate the work to purposes of liturgy. Rather, it suggests themes of spirituality and religious contemplation, considering some of the music’s settings in biblical texts.

The term minimalism is usually associated with the style of avant-garde American composers like Steve Reich and Philip Glass, whose work is recognized for electronic and instrumental experimentation, counterpoint drone-like undertones and repetitions of phrases and themes.

While holy minimalism draws from these techniques, it also pulls from traditional genres including plainchant, Gregorian chant as well as 19th century classical composers. With vocal and instrumental influences, there are both choral compositions and instrumental works attributed to the genre. In terms of texture, vocal patterns are more monophonic and homorhythmic rather than polyphonic. A traditionally slow use of repeated phrases, rhythms, or puls-

es also identifies with holy minimalism.

The renowned masters responsible for this contemporary revival of sacred Mediaeval, Renaissance and Eastern Orthodox music are Arvo Pärt born in Estonia, Henryk Górecki born in Poland, and the late John Tavener born in England. Though grouped categorically in the holy minimalist genre, their oeuvres are diversified by unique styles of arrangement, particular technique and use of instruments.

For instance, the word “tintinnabulation”—used famously by Edgar Allan Poe to describe the resounding sounds of “The Bells” in his aptly titled poem— has been appropriated by Pärt. He uses the term to describe the technique where he composes particular chords to evoke the ringing of bells. Interestingly, Tavener’s compositions have implemented the gentle tapping of ancient Tibetan bowls for a particularly monastic tone.

Tavener is perhaps most famous for “Song for Athene,” which guided the funeral procession of Princess Diana at Westminster Abbey. His other notable works include “The Lamb,” a setting of the text from the poet William Blake, and “The Protecting Veil.” These pieces are more accessible for the classical music sceptic

who balks at the possibility of listening to a 40-minute canticle.

The ubiquitous Pärt is credited in 70 film soundtracks on IMDb. His two notable compositions “Fratres” and “Spiegel im Spiegel” written for cello, violin and piano, have inspired filmmakers like Paul Thomas Anderson in his 2007 film There Will Be Blood. Last but not least, Górecki’s “Symphony #3, Op. 36, “Symphony Of Sorrowful Songs” is an hour long, three movement stunning symphonic lament with a solo soprano.

The effects of holy minimalism obviously differ for each individual, but generally, there is evocation of a deeply emotional response, perhaps because of a heightened awareness of spirituality drawn from the choral texts or the beauteous harmonies.

For some, the music is incredibly meditative, especially because of the repetition; this is exemplified in Tavener’s “Funeral Canticle,” in which the middle chant text is repeated twice and the opening and closing are bookended monophonic prayers. In a way, listening to holy minimalism is a means of connecting to the origins of musical history, without leaving the 21st century.

Alessia Cara — Know-It-All (Def Jam, 2015)

Grimes — Art Angels (4AD, 2015)

Mgła — Exercises in Futility (Northern Heritage, 2015)

St Germain — St Germain (Warner France, 2015)

Raspy vocals, smooth runs, and a little bit of teenage angst yields Toronto-based artist Alessia Cara’s debut full-length album Know-It-All. The album includes her successful debut hit, “Here,” along with all the tracks from her EP Four Pink Walls. While the first half is backed with punchy kick beats and breathy harmonies, Cara leaves room for vulnerability and simplicity in the second half, namely in the piano ballad “Stars.” Melodically, many tracks adhere to a traditional pop formula but each track ties into the next to tell a story about rebellion, growing up and embracing your individuality. Her ability to play with sarcasm and cynicism when telling stories is what makes her words relatable as opposed to preachy.

Her punchy, tell-it-like-it-is lyrics, along with her effortless vocal flow and raspy tone differentiate her from her R&B counterparts. If you’re looking for some mainstream attitude and spunk, Cara’s your girl.

Since her 2012 album Visions, Grimes has kept a relatively low profile, leaving fans waiting for new material with bated breath. For her fourth studio album, the Canadian artist brings her signature brand of sugary-sweet synth pop to the forefront with Art Angels. “Laughing and Not Being Normal” opens the album with an eerily cheery and theatrical track that borders on an old European opera, while “Flesh Without Blood” and the title track provide jittery layered and sunny synth-heavy sounds. Other tracks like “Life In The Vivid Dream” sound like a melancholic ‘80s-inspired ballad. Though the album doesn’t feature any instant classics like “Oblivion,” her star-making single from Visions, Art Angels still features 14 sonically varied tracks that will be showcased in full splendour at her sold out show at Metropolis at the end of the month.

Though Poland’s Mgła doesn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, liberally employing the tremolo riffs and deafening blast beats that have become synonymous with black metal, Exercises in Futility seamlessly bridges the melodic and the purgative.

Anchored by some absolutely stellar production and razor-sharp precision, Mgła flawlessly recreate the stark, cold atmosphere of genre pioneers Darkthrone and Mayhem without relying on cruddy lofi aesthetics. The Polish band narrowly walk the tightrope between melodic black metal and the more straightforward dissonant assault of black metal’s Norwegian innovators; the album’s opening track, “Exercises in Futility I,” expertly balances catchiness and heaviness, juggling the two without ever confounding them. Exercises in Futility serves as a welcome reminder that an album’s originality isn’t everything; sometimes potency is more than enough.

In the 15 years since his breakthrough sophomore album Tourist made a splash among jazz aficionados and downtempo fans alike, France’s Ludovic Navarre has remained relatively quiet. It seemed as though the famed producer had essentially run out of things to say, accomplishing a feat in itself by bridging two unlikely audiences. Though St Germain adheres to a few of the producer’s staples, namely his penchant for combining the deep house pulses of the early ‘00s with cool jazz instrumentals, the album takes on a new flavour in the form of world music. Infusing elements of West African Mande music, Navarre brings a modicum of new life to his tried and true formula; rather than simply beating the same horse for a third time, Navarre’s ambition is genuinely appreciated. As a long-awaited follow-up to a critical peak however, St Germain simply suffers from being too little too late.

Trial track: “Wild Things”

Trial track: “Flesh Without Blood”

Trial track: “Exercises in Futility I”

Trial track: “Real Blues”

7/10

7/10

8/10 SAMUEL PROVOST-WALKER 6/10 SAMUEL PROVOST-WALKER

ONEIDA CRAWFORD Staff writer

Graphic by Samuel P.-Walker.

Hiding under the umbrella of classical music, “holy minimalism” is a genre

QUICKSPINS

CRISTINA SANZA

JESSICA ROMERA

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015

SPORTS

SPORTS EDITOR ALEXANDER COLE sports@theconcordian.com @theconcordian

STINGERS

Miller and Rajotte named season MVPs Some of the Stingers best players are now among the RSEQ’s most valuable DANIELLE GASHER Staff writer American-born quarterback Trenton Miller of the Concordia Stingers was awarded the Jeff Russel Memorial Trophy on Nov. 13 which is a honour given to the most outstanding player in the RSEQ division.

“It feels great, but I want everyone to feel great about it because Concordia is a family and when someone wins an award, we all do,” Miller said.

Miller is now the Quebec representative for the Hec Crighton Trophy which is given to the best player in the CIS. Miller is the second Concordia Stingers athlete to win Quebec MVP honours this fall as Stingers women’s rugby third-year center Frédérique Rajotte captured the RSEQ MVP award last month.

Miller, a native of Buffalo, New York, dazzled the RSEQ division this season after leading the Stingers to a 4-4 record. He is the fourth Concordia Stinger player to win the award and the first since quarterback Scott Syvret won it in 2005.

In his first season in Canada, Miller led the RSEQ in passing with 2,384 yards and 20 touchdown passes. He also completed 204 passes which was second-best in the CIS. Miller was able to break the Stingers record for most touchdowns and completions in a season which belonged to former Stinger quarterback Rob Mackay. Miller played in all eight games this season but only started in six.

Miller said that his favourite moment from the season was when the Stingers clinched a playoff berth against their rivals, the McGill Redmen, on a last-second 30yard field goal by Keegan Treloar.

“The celebration on the field was pretty special and something I’ll never forget,” Miller said.

Miller is in his first year as an MBA student at the John Molson School of Business, which is something he admits is quite difficult when combined with football.

“It’s more of a thing where you just have to do it, don’t complain and just get your work done. No excuses,” Miller said.

The Stingers ended their season with a playoff loss to the Laval Rouge et Or. Miller will now head to Quebec City for the CIS awards ceremony to see if he wins the Hec Crighton Trophy. He will be up against Calgary Dinos quarterback Andrew Buckley who captured it last year, as well as St. Francis Xavier running back Ashton Dickson and Western

Mustangs quarterback Will Finch.

Rajotte, who won the MVP award for women’s rugby, is a third-year communications major and a native of Markham, Ontario. Rajotte led the Stingers to a 6-1 record this season and became the second straight Stingers player to win MVP. Last year it was Alex Tessier who took home the coveted prize.

“I feel extremely honored and proud to be a part of the Stinger family and receiving this award,” Rajotte said. “I have to give credit to my teammates. We’ve had an unbelievable season together.

Rajotte’s season is still not over as her and her teammate Tessier will be touring England in December as members of Team Canada.

Stingers quarterback Trenton Miller makes a rush against the Carabins.

Photo by Andrej Ivanov.

OPINION

The Montreal Canadiens pay tribute to last week The Habs reveal new retro jerseys and go on a father-son trip

With the Winter Classic less than two months away, the Montreal Canadiens unveiled the jersey that they will wear when they face their rivals, the Boston Bruins, outside on Jan. 1.

Although simple in design, every aspect of the jersey pays tribute to part of the Canadiens rich 106-year history.

According to an article on the official Habs website, the shade of blue on the chest was “inspired by the firstever Canadiens jersey worn after their founding in 1909,” and the ‘CH’ logo is similar to the one worn when the team won their first Stanley Cup in 1924, with the ‘C’ in white and the ‘H’ in red.

On the arm of the jersey, a globe which symbolizes their status as world champions can be found. This globe was originally on the jersey worn after the 1924 championship. The year of the globe logo is also the year that the Canadiens began their historic rivalry with the Bruins.

they go through, the travel, the schedule that they keep, the things they do to keep themselves fit while they’re on the road,” Jerry Price said in an article on the Habs website. “We enjoy it.”

Despite the week of appreciation ending in a couple losses, the Habs still sit a top the Eastern Conference.

Graphic by Charlotte Bracho.

SARAH KOSSITS Staff writer

Finally, the red collar of the jersey is similar to that of the 1945-1946 jersey, when the Canadiens beat the Bruins to earn their sixth Stanley Cup. In an article on the Habs website, team executive vice president Kevin Gilmore said that they “wanted to underline and pay homage to [their] earliest meetings with [the Bruins].”

However, the Canadiens’ past is not the only thing they paid tribute to this week.

Every year, the Habs host a father-son trip where the fathers of the players get to join their sons on the road and are treated to a game as well as valuable time with them. This year, the fathers made the trip to Pittsburgh to see their kids take on the Penguins on Nov. 11. The Habs ended up losing the game 4-3 in shootout.

Although Carey Price remains out with an injury, he and his father Jerry made the trip to Pittsburgh.

Price’s father was a huge contributor to Price’s success, as he had to fly his son to practices and games three times a week in Williams Lake, B.C., which is approximately 300 kilometres away from their home.

“It’s really enlightening seeing what

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015

WOMEN’S HOCKEY

Stingers shut out Carabins

Stingers win 1-0 against a relentless team from the Université de Montréal FRANK PAVAN Contributor

O

ne goal, impeccable goaltending and a stingy penalty kill was all the Stingers needed to claim their third victory of the season on Nov. 13 at Ed Meagher Arena.

Heading into Friday night’s game, the Concordia Stingers were riding a three-game losing streak and had the division’s best team coming in to face them at home. Their opponent, Université de Montréal, came into the game on a three-game winning streak while holding down first place in the RSEQ division with a 4-1-1 record. The Stingers had their backs up against the wall, however the silver lining was that they had beaten the Carabins in their opening game of the season 2-1.

Concordia did not wait long to make their presence felt. Stinger forward Keriann Schofield opened the scoring five minutes in with a bullet of a wrist shot which beat Montreal’s goaltender Marie-Pier Chabot.

“Honestly, I didn’t even look at the net. I just shot it hard and it ended up beating the goalie,” said Schofield.

It turns out Schofield’s first period goal was all the team needed to secure their third win of the season, though the indisputable first star honours went to Concordia’s goaltender Katherine Purchase. If it wasn’t for her efforts between the pipes, the outcome of the game might not have been the same for the Stingers. Purchase held off numerous offensive surges from the Carabins and made some superb saves throughout the entirety of the game.

Concordia went on the penalty kill four times throughout the game and despite being down a player Purchase stood tall and made sure to back up her teammates.

“I think our team has one of the best penalty kills in the league which allows me to stay focused in net and remain confident despite us being down a man,” said Purchase. “I’m confident we can kill off any penalty, especially when the shot blocking was as good as it was tonight.”

Julie Chu, who has been appointed head coach until Les Lawton returns,

was animated behind the bench the entire game. She was always motivating her players and congratulating them when a good play was made. Assistant coach Mike McGrath and Chu both celebrated with a loud high five as the horn blew to signal the end of the game.

“One of the mottos for our team this season formed by Lawton is that everything is earned,” said Chu. “We made sure that was the case today, one shift at a time.”

Chu had nothing but praise for her sophomore goaltender and made it very

clear that everyone has full confidence in Purchase.

“She was tremendous,” said Chu. “She was just so steady and calm out there. It really boosted the confidence of everyone on the team.”

“We took it to them tonight, we played hard our first match against them and managed to get a win and the outcome was the same tonight,” said Schofield.

The Stingers next game is Nov. 20 at home against the McGill Redmen where the team will be looking for their fourth win of the season.

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SPORTS

IN THE NEWS ALEXANDER COLE Sports editor

Greg Hardy abuse case surfaces Greg Hardy of the Dallas Cowboys was put into the spotlight once again this week after graphic pictures of his ex-girlfriend were released to the public via Deadspin. During the 2014 season, Hardy missed 15 games for allegedly assaulting Nicole Holder, who was his girlfriend at the time. Once released by the Panthers, Hardy had signed with the Cowboys and missed the first four games of the 2015 season after being suspended by the league for his actions.

After Deadspin released the images of Holder, there was much debate surrounding Hardy and what the league should do with him. This week Hardy made an apology on Twitter, but followed up by putting the phrase “innocent until proven guilty.” For now, no action has been taken against Hardy.

Canada World Cup of Hockey roster

Tracy-Ann Lavigne goes to the net on Nov. 13 against the Carabins.

Photos by Marie-Pierre Savard.

According to NHL.com, the general manager of Team Canada is looking to fill out his roster for the World Cup of Hockey that will be debuting next September. According to the website, for general manager Doug Armstrong, it is a given that many of the players who played in the Sochi olympics will be a lock for making the team. This means that fans can expect to see the likes of Sidney Crosby, P.K. Subban, Jamie Benn and Carey Price out on the ice for Canada in the brand new tournament.

While many spots are filled up, Armstrong believes that picking the remaining players will prove to be difficult as many players have had great starts to the season. By March 1, Armstrong and his management team will name the first 16 players to make the team.

The U.S. Soccer Federation bans headers from soccer Forward Sophie Gagnon makes a rush up the ice against the Carabins.

The Stingers women’s hockey team defeated the first-place team from Université de Montréal by a score of 1-0.

Soccer players aged 10 and below will not be allowed to head the ball after a ruling by the United States Soccer Federation. According to the CBC, the ban extends to players between the ages of 11 and 13 where the players can only head the ball in practice. The ban is a response to a class action lawsuit that was filed last year in relation to concussions amongst soccer players.

According to The Today Show, the reaction to the move has been mixed.

Some soccer players have expressed frustration and believe that not allowing headers will hinder development while some believe it is more important to teach kids the fundamentals with their feet first. In 2012, soccer player Patrick Grange died from ALS, which researchers at Boston University claimed was from CTE, a disease caused by brain damage.

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015

RECREATION

Rock Climbing: embracing the vertical world A spotlight on one of the most terrifying and dangerous sports in the athletic world MATTHEW LAPIERRE Contributor The sport of rock climbing is visceral, its only goal being go up and don’t fall.

Rock climbing is a cross-cultural pastime, and can be practiced just about everywhere on Earth, from the local gym where climbers pull on plastic, safely belayed from above, to the highest cliffs and mountains on earth where very often the elite of the sport climb with little to nothing protecting them should they fall.

The ludicrous amount of risk which must be accepted to undertake some forms of rock climbing (like traditional climbing and alpinism) transport pros beyond the recreational realm. With climbing and alpinism, the ability to be cool under pressure is paramount.

There are however sport branches where speed, strength and technique are highlighted.

When rock climbing becomes competitive, the goal is simple: climb higher than your competitors. The three main styles of competitive climbing are bouldering, speed climbing and sport climbing.

Bouldering is climbing on a small scale. A competitor must figure out the proper sequence to get to the top of a small, but extremely challenging “problem” with gymnastics mats to catch them should they fall. These “problems” are aptly named as they require problem solving skills and creative body contortions to get to the top. Bouldering is becoming

increasingly popular on the world stage and one does not have to be an aficionado to appreciate the spectacle of watching the world’s most elite climbers perform flashy moves to get to the top of a hard problem.

Speed climbing is perhaps not as popular as bouldering but it is even more sensational. The set route is the same at every competition, so athletes memorize the sequence to the point where they seem to fly up rather than climb. Don’t believe me? Type “speed climbing” into YouTube and see what you find.

The final form of competitive climbing is “sport” climbing, in which athletes climb up long technical routes.

Endurance and technique are highlighted and the winner is the one who climbs the highest.

Simple.

Sport climbing was on a short list to be included in the 2020 Olympics but after a long decision process the IOC decided not to adopt it.

Rock climbing outdoors will perhaps remain fringe for eternity due to the risks involved, but maybe one day the athletic versions of the sport will help familiarize the broader public with the vertical world.

For those who want to try the sport, Allez Up on St Patrick Street is a great place to practice. Another place would be the Shakti Rock Gym on St Viateur Street East. Both places offer classes for beginners.

Graphic by Charlotte Bracho.

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015

OPINIONS

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OPINIONS EDITOR MATTHEW CIVICO opinions@theconcordian.com @theconcordian

EDITORIAL

IN SOLIDARITY WITH VICTIMS, REFUGEES, AND MUSLIMS

C

anada is at war. We declared war on Daesh, or the so-called “Islamic State” of Iraq and Al-Sham, more commonly known as “ISIS” in October 2014, and extended the war by a year this April. According to the National Post, Canada sent Canadian CF-18s to drop airstrikes on Daesh-held areas throughout this time.

France is also at war, but unlike Canada its citizens have been exposed to the horrifying violence of this conflict.

On Nov. 12 two suicide bombers killed 44 people in Beirut, Lebanon, and injured 200 others according to Al Jazeera. These bombings happened in a popular civilian district and Al Jazeera reported a third suicide bomber was stopped before he could detonate and create more carnage.

Not even a day later the news broke there had been a similar civilian attack in Paris and 18 people were thought to be dead. The live stream from BFMTV revealed the death toll was higher, and more gut-wrenchingly horrifying, than anyone could have anticipated early on in the night. In the morning, 129 people were reported killed.

The Concordian stands in solidarity with the victims of these Daesh attacks.

These civilians are victims of a conflict they never directly participated in, and their deaths are horrific acts of terror that should be mourned.

However, it is also important to not have a knee-jerk reaction which turns ignorance into anger, and fear into hatred.

This was an attack by Daesh which demonstrates the cruelty and violence that the refugees and immigrants streaming across Europe are fleeing from. It’s the perfect demonstration of why we need to keep accepting refugees into Canada.

Frank Chalk, the director of the Montreal Institute for Genocide Studies, or MIGS, was quick to emphasize the difference between potential militants and frightened refugees. “[Daesh] has nothing to do with the core values of Islam. It’s based on an interpretation and even then it’s eccentric,” said Chalk. “The whole idea of spiritual belief is to make the believer a better person who behaves in a decent way towards everybody, not just those who are part of the same faith,” said Chalk.

“There is nothing in Islam that says because you are not Muslim you need to die. This is an extreme version of a splinter group that has emerged based on hatred of Western values.”

In an article published by the CBC, security expert and University of Ottawa professor Wesley Wark said protecting civilians from suicide bombers and public shootings is incredibly hard. “Civilian soft targets are the ultimate symbolic targets.

In the minds of Daesh and related jihadist groups, the objective is to sow sufficient

Showing Daesh we are not afraid; a participant’s sign speaks for us all. Photo by Marie-Pierre Savard. fear and discord through terror attacks that countries will lose the will to fight back,” said Wark in the article, saying good intelligence is our best defense.

Chalk cited similar precautions.

“Of course we have to be very very careful to monitor the terrorist networks, their communication networks and have very good human intelligence … to be aware of when attacks are being planned, and to disrupt them and apprehend the people who are engaged in trying to kill people in their countries and in our own countries,” said Chalk.

Yet, more than this, our best defence goes beyond paying money so our government can screen incoming refugees and to monitor our neighbourhoods said Chalk.

“I think good intelligence work, care-

ful monitoring, and most important of all maintaining the communications with the communities that migrants live in is the central job that assures us of a high level of security and greater success at integrating the communities and sharing our values with them,” said Chalk.

Daesh does not represent Islam.

Daesh does not represent refugees and immigrants from the Middle East. And Daesh will not dictate how we treat our fellow Canadians, or people who are desperately fleeing violence and who want to become our fellow Canadians. It is essential that we don’t allow the fear and anger felt towards one group turn into the hatred and mistreatment of others.

Take a moment to remember why Daesh is attacking civilians.

If Daesh is turning to civilian targets

then they are trying to undermine the morale of the people in countries like Lebanon and France, with the hopes that the civilians will force their governments to pull out of the conflict said Chalk.

Terrorist attacks will bring the European governments under enormous pressure to close their borders and retaliate with heavy handed attacks, which helps radicalize more moderate Muslims in the West he added.

“So we have a choice,” said Chalk.

“We can play into their hands and be very heavy-handed,” or we can have faith in our intelligence service and “[send] the message that we will not turn ourselves into xenophobic police states and we will not give a victory to the terrorists of [Daesh] and the hate mongers of [Daesh].”

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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015

WEB CULTURE

Starbucks doesn’t hate your holiday—it just doesn’t care The Seattle-based coffee giant cares about selling lattes, not representing Christianity

Exhibit A: The offending Starbucks holiday cup. Photo by Marco Saveriano.

MARCO SAVERIANO Contributor Another day, another pointless controversy brewing on social media.

This week’s drama involves Starbucks and their annual holiday cups. Since 1997, devout Starbucks customers have awaited their arrival to signify the beginning of the holiday season. The design varies from year to year, but has consisted of things from snowflakes and snowmen to Christmas ornaments and reindeer. When the holiday menu debuted at the beginning of the month, the seasonal cups had no snowflakes or Christmas trees—in

fact, they had nothing at all, they were just simply red. You might think this is just a creative liberty, a new minimalist approach to the holiday classic, but some people on social media took this as a n all-out war on Christmas.

Even though some years the cups didn’t feature any sort of religious symbolism— unless it was a snowy night in Jerusalem when Jesus was born—many outspoken Christians believe that removing things like snowflakes and Christmas ornaments from the cups was Starbucks’ attempt to push their secular agenda on their customers and is yet another sign of our society’s decline into political correctness. The decision prompted people on Twitter to start the

hashtag “#BoycottStarbucks,” and Joshua Feuerstein, a former television and radio evangelist, went so far as to say that “Starbucks removed Christmas from their cups because they hate Jesus.”

Republican presidential candidate and all around hothead Donald Trump even addressed the controversy by calling for a Starbucks boycott, and suggested that he wouldn’t renew the lease of the coffee chain’s Trump Tower location in New York.

Starbucks set the record straight by explaining that they intended the two-toned ombré design to be a blank canvas to encourage customers to draw their own designs and tell their own stories as a way to embrace people from every background.

“In the past, we have told stories with our holiday cups designs,” Jeffrey Fields, Starbucks vice president of design and content, said in a statement. “This year we wanted to usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stories.”

This controversy not only seems unwarranted, but completely ridiculous. A Starbucks cup is just a piece of cardboard that you fill with a fancy $6 latte and then throw in the trash. They are not trying to make a political statement. And the cups didn’t even always represent Christmas!

Snowflakes and snowmen are not Christmas-related, they are winter-related, and the cups are for the seasonal drink menu from November to January, not a Christmas menu. There doesn’t need to be a religious connotation at all; even if they have featured Christmas trees or Santa Claus on their products through the years, those images have gotten so commercialized that they barely even represent the Christian religion for most people. What’s the point in getting mad? Do people really have nothing better to do? Besides, it’s a coffee shop chain—since when are they the moral compass for the nation?

Possibly the most laughable part of the whole thing is that outraged customers started telling baristas that their names were “Merry Christmas” so that they would have to write it on the cup. Seriously—because nothing says “TAKE THAT, STARBUCKS!” quite like spending your money in their store. You sure got them! If you’re truly outraged by this whole ridiculous situation, just stop buying your daily venti non-fat caramel brûlé latte and go somewhere else that will cater to your immature overly-sensitive needs.

ADVICE

Ask a Wizard: Slaying the unholy homework hydra A truly magical advice column TRYNAMINGUS III Grand Wizard

Trynamingus III, CEO of Ask a Wizard, Inc.

I’m feeling a bit stressed. Term papers, year-end projects, and all those readings I’ve neglected over the term are suddenly due and I’m overwhelmed. Do you have a potion to help me study? Any fauns or mermaids who give discount tutoring rates? Any and all advice is appreciated.

Sincerely, Seriously tested

One doesn’t need to possess much skill in scrying to know the difficulties you’re facing, so I shall put my crystal orb aside. I do believe I can be of some service, however, in this, your pressing hour of need.

The hard truth of this matter is this: you will find yourself in this position again. Not because you are weak but because you are human, and humans are finite. The feeling will come and go and change form, but like a pendulum it returns unbidden. It is the same for wizards, if you can believe it.

As finite creatures we will always be surrounded by a crushing amount of opportunities, challenges, and decisions—not to mention homework.

But now is not the time to give in to de-

spair! Neither is it the time to chase after magical shortcuts like spells and potions.

Also, steer clear of fauns when there’s work to be done. They’re rubbish with deadlines; I swear all they do is dance.

Perhaps there’s a chance we can get at the root of the problem if—and only if—we avoid moonlit forest clearings rife with the hoof-beats of a faun party.

While there are a number of tinctures and potions available in enchanted mountain-side caves and from traveling sales-gnomes, I do not recommend them. They help for a moment but weaken the will as well as the body. You will grow to need them and they will not love you back, no matter how great your desire for them. If a gnome offers you a vial, say no.

Potions are off the table then, but I can still offer you a bit of magic: perspective.

It’s a funny bit of sorcery, perspective, and can hurt as likely as it is to help. Few of us seek it out in times of trouble, but what a help it can prove to be!

I will try to be tactful. You, are small.

Very, very small. Not pixie-small but, in the grand scheme things, really quite little. Even a Grand Wizard, while undoubt-

edly a bit larger up close, is just as insignificant from the proper Perspective.

And here is where Perspective cuts two ways: it can either be liberating or debilitating.

To see one’s self and one’s projects as small; as one person in a big school, on a large planet, in what may as well be an infinite universe—it can free you from the crushing nearsightedness that many humans suffer.

Or it can crush you—if you believe the lie that you are insignificant.

What is a letter grade compared to love? What is the whole of philosophy to an evening of good bread and wine with friends? If the whole of your humanity is actually quite small, how much greater are you than your trials?

We can learn from the difficulties we live, even when we fail. The only real failure is running away. It’s a lesson that everyone keeps on learning and no matter how long your beard gets, it remains a struggle. This dragon has many heads, but it can be vanquished.

You have a lot on your plate. But when you’re finished there will be fauns and dancing and friends and laughter.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2015

@theconcordian

Tweets of the week #Porteouverte The evening of Friday, November 13 saw the hashtag #ParisAttacks trend in French and English. That night was dark, but it was also pierced with small, powerful lights. #PorteOuverte was a digital candle in people’s windows; an offering of shelter and safety in a very big, very scared city. Let’s celebrate open doors with #PorteOuverte.

@Ali_Davis I’m so amazed by the Parisians who tweeted under #PorteOuverte. What a perfect combination of kindness and badassery. @swambi But #PorteOuverte has just made me sob. In the middle of not knowing who’s attacking you, you welcome total strangers for safety.

Letter to the editor Vote yes to CSU referendum Concordia students build the world they want to live in.

Whether it be through the Concordia Farmer’s Market which, through action, puts local and small farmers—the people who work to grow our food— front-row center in our community spaces.

Whether it be through the fine-arts-created Cafe X (on the 7th floor of the EV, and 2nd floor of the VA), which led the way, showing students that it is possible for students to operate their own cafe’s and inspired the creation of the Hive Cafe Solidarity Cooperative which is now regularly seeing it’s best days thanks to community support; Whether it be through the transition from a traditional business to a non-profit solidarity co-op such as Burritoville. A truly collective effort to preserve alternative spaces and wholesome food for the community; Whether it be through the Concordia-led creation of the Popular University Student Housing (PUSH) Fund, which is set to pave the way forward on affordable student housing in the long term, while also helping to foster community and fight gentrification; Whether it be any of the other countless initiatives, like Campus potager, the Community University Research Exchange (CURE), and many, many more; Whether it be any of these projects, Concordians

@PARPRAEAF7 Martin used to be said “Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” and French people have already proved me through #PorteOuverte @hi5sss There’s more of us than them #PorteOuverte @GalileanGrace Local Parisians are opening their doors to anyone who needs shelter tonight.

In the midst of evil, there is still good. #PorteOuverte

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are definitively working to engineer a more equitable future that places community needs and community concerns, expressed by the communities themselves, at the center of their economy.

The future Solidarity Economy Incubator, with student permission, aims to support the development of a new economy through projects like these both on campus and beyond, by introducing students to the solidarity and community economy through internships, semester-based training programs, conferences, consulting and mentorship programs and more.

We are a group of students that have worked countless hours on some of the projects listed above, and we are asking for your support so that we can stay-rooted, continue to provide student-based support for campus projects and build off of the institutional knowledge we’ve gained through these efforts to help students connect with transformational community and solidarity enterprises beyond the confines of Concordia.

So, if you like what’s been happening on campus lately, please vote yes to the CSU’s Solidarity Economy Incubator referendum question on Nov. 24, 25, and 26—and let’s continue building a community-centered economy based in cooperation and mutual support.

— BEN PRUNTY AND ERIKA LICON

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Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper VOLUME 33 | ISSUE 12 | TUESDAY, NOV. 17, 2015 Cover photo by Andrej Ivanov.

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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK MONTREAL’S QUARTIER DES SPECTACLES CHANGES ITS COLOURS TO THOSE OF THE FRENCH FLAG IN SUPPORT OF THE FRENCH PEOPLE

Pavillion Président-Kennedy. Photos by Pierre A. Lepetit (

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The bell tower at UQÀM.

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