The Concordian - March 8th, 2016

Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper

theconcordian

VOLUME 33, ISSUE 22 | TUESDAY, MARCH 8, 2016

theconcordian.com /theconcordian

@theconcordian

theconcordian

When society gets you down, fight back Side By Side is tackling a world of sexism, harassment and low self-eseteem with feminist workshops

Life p. 5 also in this issue

news

arts

music

sports

opinions

ASFA could be in OdM welcomes Revisiting To Pimp Rock-climbing in One year after for an overhaul p. 3 The Wall p. 10 the Plateau p. 9 A Butterfly p. 13 sexual assault p. 15

news

NEWS EDITORS /// news@theconcordian.com GREGORY TODARO ( @GCTodaro) & LAURA MARCHAND (

CITY IN BRIEF

BY GREGORY TODARO CO-NEWS EDITOR

Montreal to host first Canada Pride festival Montreal will be the first host city for a new Canada-wide pride week. Canada Pride, a collaboration between approximately 80 pride organizations across the country, will take place between Aug. 11 to 20 of next year and could bring in as many as 800,000 visitors to the city.

Montreal Pride spokesperson Steven Ross told the Montreal Gazette the idea was pitched during a meeting of pride organizations last year. The event will reportedly happen in a different city every four years.

The 10-day festival will include sporting events, concerts, a three-day conference on the advancement of LGBT rights, and a pride parade, according to the Montreal Gazette.

City councilors discuss gender parity Project Montreal city councillor Valérie Plante is calling on Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre to work towards creating gender parity in the city’s Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee, which is the city’s top council, has 12 members and only four of those members are women, reported CTV News. Plante cited Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s efforts as an example that gender parity in politics is possible. Plante also expressed concerns about the number of women working for the city, at 37 per cent.

Activist groups push for social housing funding Social groups launched a campaign on Monday to ask the provincial government to stop cutting funds from social housing projects. The Montreal Gazette reports social housing activists are facing a crisis, to the point where reversing the cuts aren’t enough: instead, activists want the provincial government to increase subsidies for social housing, including co-operative housing projects or projects started by community-based non-profit groups.

Montreal Executive Committee member Russell Copeman told the Montreal Gazette the city has also been pressuring the government to step up its funding.

@Marchand_L)

TECHNOLOGY

The future of safe technology

Online users should take precaution with the information they share

BY SAVANNA CRAIG ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR In our electronically dependant society, the majority of people carry a smartphone in their hand. This has created an easy process for some to intertwine their lives with social media and self-t rack ing apps, such as Facebook or Fitbit. The production and distribution of these new technological advances makes the near future a bit of a mystery.

Can we ensure the private information we share with apps and social media accounts will remain secure?

On March 1, two journalists and a teaching assistant from Concordia’s Institute for Information Systems Engineering took to the stage of D.B. Clarke Theatre to answer that question. The talk “Connecting to Your Tech Future: A Conversation About What’s Next” is the third discussion in the Thinking Out Loud series, presented

by Concordia and moderated by The Globe and Mail’s Jared Bland.

Graham Carr, VP of Research and Graduate Studies at Concordia University opened the conversion.

“As individuals, we’re poised to become walking, talking, big data sets,” Carr said. The talk was then taken over by two panelists; journalist Nora Young, host of CBC radio’s technology talkshow Spark and author of The Virtual Self: How Our Digital Lives Are Altering the World Around Us; and assistant professor Jeremy Clark from the Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering also participated in the talk.

Young described the difference in present day society and past to be that technology is now everywhere around us. “Data and information now is ubiquitous,” Young said.

Take ads that track your browser history and personalize advertisements towards you. Young and Clark explain this as a result of algorithms monitored by computer programs.

“What we’re seeing is shaped so much by algorithms,” said Young.

“We don’t know what the biases are baked into the algorithms. We don’t know [how] it is determining what we see in our newsfeeds.”

The Concordian talked to Young prior to the event to discuss how algorithms can determine what advertising is provided for us.

“So, in the Facebook newsfeeds case, an algorithm is figuring out what news stories and posts to show you, based on a number of

Three panelists discuss the implications of technology in the D.B. Clarke Theatre.

Photo by Savanna Craig.

factors,” said Young. She men- distributed information submitted tioned that it is not known what by users to 76 other parties. Ad Age the factors are, but it is assumed wrote that “the FTC did not reveal that it is stories you have read in which apps or wearable devices the past, shared or commented it analyzed in its study; however on. “As far as ads go, sometimes it said it analyzed data sharing by the ads you see are just following free apps for pregnancy, smoking you around online based on what cessation and exercise.” Jah-Jiun you searched for last,” she said. Ho, an attorney from the FTC said The ads you frequently notice that of the 12 apps studied, four after you search a product, such as apps sent data to one company a book on Amazon, is an example. specifically. Ho also said that the The longer you are online the study found the names and emails more you are being tracked by of the apps’ users. Ad Age claimed algorithms, she said. that due to this, companies have Young also mentioned that the potential to connect data on users of self-tracking apps should customers from each app to find take precautions, as these apps out more personal information. may record possibly sensitive The Concordian asked Young information, such as the details what discretion we should take of your health. “That while online. might include per“In many ways, “As far as ads sonally identifying the problem is go, sometimes information, so it a l a c k of p l a i n the ads you makes s ens e to language transparsee are just consider what kind ency on the part of following you of data trails we’re these companies leaving ,” Young as to what exactly around online said. “You might is being done with based on what not care about that the data ,” s aid you searched for data being used Yo u n g . “ I t c a n last.” for the purposes therefore be diffiNORA YOUNG, CBC of targeted ads, cult to know what’s RADIO HOST but you might care being collected, about it being used and therefore what for other reasons.” precautions you ought to take.” She According to an article from said the best way to avoid this is Lifehacker, a weblog that dis- choosing not to sign up for social cusses technology and personal media, though Young calls that productivity, health apps we are an “imperfect” way of not having using may be selling the data we your personal information sold. submit to private companies. As What other forms of security Lifehacker points out, the buyers should we be worried about? include advertising companies. Ad Clark said that, currently, online Age, a magazine about marketing security is terrible. “There was and media, reported that a 2014 a search engine that someone Federal Trade Commision (FTC) created where you could look study of 12 health and fitness at all sorts of cameras of people apps found that the apps had online or people who, in their

homes, have nanny cams set up pointed at their crib,” said Clark.

Clark said that this is not hacking, as people have set up these cameras to be publically accessible by a URL. While you have to actively search for sites such as these, it is easily available on the Internet. However, he notes that in the early days of computers and networks there were problems with security—it has since improved tremendously, and people still use networks today. “The sad security state of the Internet ... is sort of a phase,” Clark said. “They’ll get better and we’ll stop worrying about those early concerns, then we’ll turn to the longer-term concerns, which are the privacy implications of these things.”

The Concordian also asked Clark what precautions users of social media and apps should have, to which he said we should question these apps and what type of data they are collecting. If they are collecting data, we should ask if this data will be given or sold to other companies. “The answers might be buried in terms of service or a privacy policy, but it can be hard to find it and parse out exactly what the legalese means,” said Clark. “Ultimately we all take calculated risks. It is good to assume the worst and decide if the utility we get from tracking is worth it.”

The trouble may lie in our willingness to accept the safety of apps and social media sites, as Young suggests. She describes our ease of acceptance as a cultural issue. “We have a lot of blind faith in data and we have a lot of blind faith that algorithms are neutral,” Young said.

MARCH 8, 2016

CAMPUS

BY SAVANNA CRAIG ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

While some see change as necessary, others fear consequences

Increase in wage gap for Canadian women

Graphic by Charlotte Bracho.

Starting on March 16, the Arts and Science Federation of Associations is asking students to determine its fate. Of three referendum questions, one is looking to change the structure and role ASFA plays in student life, and in the weeks leading up to the vote students have taken strong stances either for or against the proposed changes.

ASFA Council voted during their group’s Jan. 28 special council meeting to send three referendum questions to vote. The question causing the rift is Question Three, which asks students to approve bylaw changes that would fundamentally restructure the organization. The new ASFA executive team would be made up of three positions: an internal coordinator, who would assist member associations (MAs) and internal matters; a financial coordinator to maintain ASFA and MA finances; and an advocacy coordinator, who would deal with all matters pertaining to student advocacy.

ASFA council voted to send the official proposal to lawyers, who would then rework the bylaws to create a new structural organization based on ASFA’s suggestions.

In their report, a lawyer from Simkin Légal recommended that a “more prudent course of action would be to delay the process and recommend that the new administration conduct a thorough consultation earlier in their mandate.”

However ASFA president Jenna Cocullo said the bylaw changes represent a necessary move for the future of the organization. “ASFA doesn’t work, and everyone knows it doesn’t work,” she said. Despite

the lawyer’s recommendation, “This way, MAs can do this on ASFA council voted to approve a more personal level. ASFA will the proposal, which Cocullo said just be a financial body [for MAs],” passed without a vote against it. she said. “Instead of ASFA throwing Students in opposition of the events, it’ll be the MAs.” bylaw changes fear a decline in Duong said she’s also concerned social events for students.The that the change in structure would new structure would eliminate mean ASFA will no longer give out the position of VP Social from academic awards to students. In the ASFA executive, meaning the response to this claim, Cocullo organization would no longer take said while standing regulations on a leading role in for the advocacy organizing events. coordinator don’t “It would be a “It’s important specifically mandate sign that the not just because academic awards, members don’t [we’re] getting rid council could add understand of student orienthem to the positation and giving tion’s requirements what’s going on students a chance by a t wo-thirds if they were to to bond, but it won’t majority vote. turn down this actually encourage Cocullo said referendum.”

MAs to have their there was “a lot of JASON POIRIER LAVOIE, own events,” said mismanagement” PSSA PRESIDENT Elizabeth Duong, from ASFA’s execcurrent councilor utives in the past of the Concordia Undergraduate and the new structure would Psychology Association and help reduce that mismanagement.

Question Three opponent.

Instead, there will be a commitHowever, Cocullo said the end tee-at-large association who of the VP Social position will open would be responsible for events up the floor for MAs to create their at the MA level. It would be under own orientation events. the scrutiny of the ASFA executive “Launch [week] doesn’t have instead of part of it. to disappear,” she said. “Those Cocullo said she also feared that [MAs] who want to do events can several MAs including the Political do them together.”

Science Students Association, or Cocullo also said the importance PSSA, could leave ASFA if some of Question Three goes beyond the form of restructuring isn’t approved. role ASFA provides for fostering However, PSSA president Jason social events for students.

Poirier Lavoie said this isn’t the case.

“It’s all about MA autonomy and “The PSSA’s official position efficiency at ASFA,” she said. “We on that issue is that whether it can focus less on ASFA and more passes or fails, we will remain on MA events.” within ASFA,” he said. “We’ll just While ASFA’s VP finance Christina be severely disappointed if the Massaro is undecided on Question members refuse this restructuring.”

Three, she also believes MAs can “We would strongly implore the get together and create social members to let it pass,” he added. events for the larger Arts and Poirier-Lavoie also said that Science community. for member associations without

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N AT I O N I N B R I E F

Deep divide over ASFA referendum

BY GREGORY TODARO NEWS EDITOR

theconcordian

accreditation and their own fee levy, leaving ASFA would be “suicide.”

“It’s my personal opinion that if an exec were to simply tell you that they want to leave ASFA, they don’t understand what it means,” he said. “Our only source of funding is ASFA.” While the P SSA plans on announcing its own referendum for a fee levy, Poirier Lavoie still believes “even if we were to successfully acquire this fee-levy … the PSSA should not leave, nonetheless.”

“This has to happen,” he added.

“It would be a sign that the members don’t understand what’s going on if they were to turn down this referendum.”

Cocullo said regardless of the result, it’s important that Arts and Science students educate themselves on the changes and make their opinions heard at the ballot box.

If students choose to pass Question Three, opponents to the changes said that the future of ASFA is uncertain. Duong feared that new MAs may not be able to form under the ASFA banner because of the elimination of the VP internal position. Cocullo said this simply isn’t the case. If Question Three is voted down, Cocullo herself isn’t sure what will happen to the organization.

“Hopefuly there will be another attempt for a restructuring the year after,” she said. “It’s a matter of finding a change for ASFA that works, even if it’s not this one.”

Both the “yes” and “no” committees established to represent each side of the restructuring debate began their campaigns on March 7. Polling will take place on both campuses from March 16 until March 20.

Oxfam Canada and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives announced Canadian women maintain a smaller wage for the equivalent amount of work done by their male counterparts. The study also found women carry the responsibility of added unpaid work more often than men.

Currently, women earn 72 per cent of what men earn, while in 2009 the rate was 74.4 per cent.

CBC News reported the wage gap was not a result of women working fewer hours. “Nor is it the result of different levels of education and experience. Even when all of these factors are considered, the result remains the same: a wage gap,” said the report.

Ottawa funds world women’s health program The federal government has pledged financial support to the United Nations to promote global reproductive health. The funding will not support abortion services, however Canada will continue to aid UN Population Fund (UNPFA) with $5 million in funding for the contraceptives supplies program. Fifty million dollars will be provided to South Sudan to train midwives and other healthcare workers within five years. The federal government has also announced they will follow through on the conservative government’s commitment to UNPFA to avert pregnancies in Honduras teenagers. It will cost $11 million in the next five years, and The Globe and Mail claims a total of $15.6 million will be provided to UNFPA.

Pharmaceutical companies sold defective drugs In an investigation by the Toronto Star, Canadian pharmaceutical companies have knowingly sold defective prescription drugs. The investigation found data that has been ruined, hidden or changed, proving the drugs were perhaps unsafe or tainted.

The study also included informat ion showing proof of side-effects noticed by consumers had gone unreported.

The Toronto Star reported since 2008, more than 40 drug companies in Canada, including Apotex, the generic pharmaceutical company in Toronto, have allegedly violated manufacturing regulations.

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theconcordian

WORLD IN BRIEF

BY SAVANNA CRAIG ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Iran to execute 100 prisoners for drug violations

MARCH 8, 2016

HEALTH

Success and dangers in a little pill

Few students abuse ADHD meds, but it doesn’t help grades, says expert

Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the decision to execute 100 convicted narcotic offenders, reported VICE. Mahmood Moghaddam, director of Iran Human Rights, confirmed the decision on Friday, and said that prisoners have been told to prepare for their executions. VICE reported more than 2.2 million in Iran have an addiction to drugs such as methamphetamine and heroin.

Moghaddam said in 2016 600 people were executed for crimes such as these. In February, drug-related executions were stopped by Iranian authorities in the weeks leading up to parliamentary elections, but have seemingly resumed.

North Korea threatens action against war games A statement issued from the North Korean capital Pyongyang threatened “indiscriminate” nuclear strikes in response to military drills by South Korean and U.S. forces. The nation’s state-run news channel Korean Central Television reported North Korea “will launch an all-out offensive to decisively counter the U.S. and its followers’ [hysterical] nuclear war moves,” according to BBC News. They also reported this year’s war games are the largest in history between the U.S. and South Korea: approximately 17,000 U.S. troops and 300,000 South Korean troops are preparing for the threat. “If North Korea ignores our warning and makes provocations, our military will firmly and mercilessly respond to it,” said by Moon Sang-gyun, a spokesman for the South Korean Defence Ministry.

Nancy Reagan, former first lady passes away After battling with Alzheimer’s, wife of former U.S. president Ronald Reagan passed away at the age of 94. Nancy Reagan served as first lady from 1981 to 1989. Apart from her title as first lady, Reagan was an actress during the 1940s and 1950s, as well as an Alzheimer’s advocate after first learning her husband was diagnosed with the disease. She also spearheaded the “Just Say No” anti-drug campaign. Reagan’s Chief of Staff said she was “indispens able to Ronald Reagan’s political success.”

Adderall is but one of the ADHD medications that students abuse to help them study. Photo by David Easey.

BY LAURA MARCHAND CO-NEWS EDITOR After she took the pill, she felt like she was flying. Sasha—whose real name has been changed to protect her identity—had struggled with anxiety and depression in the past, and it had been showing in her grades. Desperate, she turned to her doctor—and the ADHD medication he suggested.

Sasha was never tested for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but she still found herself taking the generic Ritalin prescribed by her doctor. After that, she remembers being able to get prescriptions and refills easily.

“I would go see my family doctor ... and he would just prescribe me my medication,” she said.

To her, it was a blessing. Sasha believes the drugs helped bring back her marks from failing grades to straight A’s. “I was able to do so much in so little time,” Sasha remembers, recalling a time when she could write page after page of essays in mere minutes. “It was as if each second were a minute of work,” Sasha said.

But Sasha may be part of an increasingly shrinking group. While it seems that Ritalin and Adderall are widely used among the Concordia student body, Gabriella Szabo, a health promotion specialist with Concordia University, says that’s simply not true.

“Sometimes, this [drug use] is written about as if it’s something that’s very commonplace,” Szabo said. She explained that in 2013, Concordia participated in a nationwide study looking at student behaviour on campus. On the topic of misuse of ADHD medication, the study found that only five per cent of Concordians had misused

such drugs in the past 12 months.

“Calling it an ‘epidemic’ is really cool and eye-catching and sexy,” Szabo said. “But it’s simply not what the research shows.”

In addition, Szabo war ns students looking to improve performance will likely not find better grades in a pill bottle. “In students at the university level who are not diagnosed [with ADHD], it doesn’t have an impact … you [have to understand the material], and there’s no medication that does that.”

Sasha first began taking the pills in her second year of CEGEP to help bring up her grades. Although she had been seeing a psychiatrist, Sasha says she found the sessions unhelpful: no one addressed the root cause of why she wasn’t succeeding. “They never really continued to look into [my struggles with school],” Sasha said. So she continued to take the pills.

Szabo says that for some students, medication may not address the gaps in their education. “Maybe [some students] haven’t learnt how to study,” she said. “Take a look at your high school education. Do you feel you were prepared for university?”

In Sasha’s case, she still doesn’t know if she actually has ADHD. She was told there was a “huge waiting list” to be tested at a price she found herself unwilling to pay.

Instead, she continued to take the pills, desperate to improve her academic performance.

But after several years of continuous use, Sasha began to realize the medication was losing its effect. “I went back to my doctor a couple of times and told him the [new drug] Concerta is not working,” she said. “And he’s telling me it’s the best on the market … so he says he’ll just up my medication.” Since

then, Sasha said her dosage has been upped at least three times, without any effect. “It’s been a year [that] I’ve been struggling. I’m still not focused,” she said.

Now, even with the high dose, she worries her struggles with school are even worse than before.

“I’ve gotten to be very forgetful ... I don’t know if that’s the medication,” Sasha said. “I don’t know if it’s a brain thing. Has taking this drug continuously all the time … is it something that is going to affect me? I don’t know.”

This year, Sasha is beginning to see her grades slide again. “I went from starting school with a 3.47 GPA, down to a 2.0,” Sasha said, referring to the times when the medication was working and when it was not. “I don’t know if it’s killing me more than making me better.”

Szabo warns every medication has adverse effects, and ADHD medication is no exception.

“Stimulants like Ritalin—used in people who do not have the conditions—can lead to psychosis, seizures, and cardiovascular events like heart problems,” she said.

“Maybe that’s where a person will say ‘Okay I’m having a problem, because now I’m putting myself at risk of messing up my heart, or my brain.’”

On the topic of doctors prescribing ADHD to students, Szabo hopes professionals will continue to be prudent. “One would hope that this will not be prescribed to people without a diagnosis, of course.

One would hope that doctors are acting responsibly,” Szabo said.

“Especially with this level and type of medication.”

However, Szabo also said most students are not likely getting ADHD medication from health

care providers. “One of the bigger issues is when people who do have it prescribed for a medical condition choose to share it,” she said.

It’s not an unfamiliar process to those who have prescriptions.

“I gave a few [pills] to friends,” Sasha said. “[One of them] took my medication, a year and a half ago. She was able to do her work but she ended up staying up all night because she took it so late.”

Szabo believes awareness on sharing prescription drugs could go a long way to curbing the supply on campus. “It’s not going to help in their grades—it’s going to put them at risk of heart problems and brain problems with these adverse effects.” The sharing and sale of prescription drugs is also illegal.

But Sasha thinks it’s better than some of the other options that students have. “I think it’s a more healthy alternative [than chugging Red Bull],” said Sasha. “I don’t see it being an issue because it’s accessible—which it is! Yes, the pharmacist puts restrictions on it [but it’s still easy to access].”

That’s a dangerous line of thinking, warns Szabo. “I would say that is a wrong statement, because [prescription misuse] is the number one reason people are sent to the emergency in the hospital when it comes to medication,” said Szabo.

“They’re using this medication that wasn’t prescribed to them.”

But Sasha doesn’t see an end in sight for students using prescription drugs. “I think we’re in a period where we need to be like robots.

It’s too fast-paced,” she said. “I think we’re noticing now that [the education system] needs a reform … The expectations that they put us on, it forces us to think of other alternatives.”

life

LIFE EDITOR /// life@theconcordian.com CRISTINA SANZA ( @Cristina_Sanza)

COVER STORY

Side By Side is changing the world, one workshop at a time

Two Concordia students are battling society by empowering and educating girls

Tvine Donabedian (left) and Serene Qandil (right) co-founded Side By Side when they decided someone needed to start fixing society, because currently it isn’t fair for women. Photos by Michelle Gamage.

BY MICHELLE GAMAGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF @missmishelle When Serene Qandil faced sexual harassment for the first time, the Concordia philosophy first-year didn’t ignore it, laugh it off, or shy away from the problem.

Instead, she decided to tackle it head on.

“We understand that we can’t change the world and make it better right away, but at least we’re doing our part and we’re sparking a fire in some people,” she said.

Pairing up with Tvine Donabedian, a Concordia first-year studying anthropology, the pair formed Side By Side, a non-profit, feminist, self-positivity workshop which they take all around Montreal to youth groups, classrooms and anyone else who requests their presence.

“You’d be surprised, there’s a demand for it—there’s a large demand for it,” said

Donabedian. “Less in high schools but a lot of youth groups have contacted me and been like, ‘come talk to our girls, come talk to our guys.’ … there’s people who need this.”

Focusing on knowledge they’ve pulled from workshops, classes, life experience, lectures and articles, the pair tackles everything from body-positivity to preparing young girls for what kind of harassment they might encounter and what resources to use to fight back. It’s a workshop for girls, by girls.

“It’s cool because we’re not that much older than them so we’re experiencing the same things they are,” said Qandil. “We bring a different perspective than if you go to talk to your teacher or your mom. Even if your school has a guidance counsellor it’s still different because we understand how Instagram works. If you go to your mom she’ll be like, ‘it’s okay, they’re just likes so who cares.’”

Side By Side currently uses three ‘menus’

with different talking points, which groups pick and choose from to customize the workshop.

The three broad topics they tackle are self-esteem, sexual assault, and women’s health and feminism.

Games are a centrepiece of the talks, where, for one of the games, participants need to say three non-physical things they love about themselves. Sometimes it’s hard.

“It’s heartbreaking because we can think of a million things [we love about you] and we don’t even know you yet,” said Qandil.

“It shocks them. We’ve had a girl stand for five minutes and she couldn’t think of one thing, and that’s scary,” added Donabedian.

Older groups are dying to talk about sexuality, but the pair approaches the topic with care.

For anyone 14 years old and under they can’t talk about sexuality without parent-consent forms. They make it clear that they are neither nurses nor guidance counsellors, and won’t answer medical questions like whether to take the morning-after pill or not. Instead, they empower girls with accessible information.

They also play the ‘porn versus ad’ game, where girls have to guess if the explicitly sexual images are from pornos or from advertisements. Everyone fails, and even Qandil and Donabedian forget which is which some days, but that just reinforces how much critical thinking should be used every day, they said.

They also work to prepare young girls for the possibility of harassment or assault in the future.

“Some things we’d be told or we’d see on the Internet and [we were] like, ‘that’s never happened to me, that’s not going to happen to

me,’” said Donabedian. “And then I went out for the first time Downtown and got catcalled and I was like, ‘oh, it’s not a compliment.’

And you get it,” she said, adding she wished someone had warned her what it was like.

“It’s happened that some creep is following me and my friends and you shrug it off … but you’re being followed by a potentially violent person. You shouldn’t shrug it off. That shouldn’t be normal for a girl to experience.”

But Donabedian and Qandil are fighting back. With every workshop they do they receive more and more positive feedback.

“They message us, they email us, they find us on Facebook and are like, ‘you inspired us to do this,’ which is a great way to quantify [the success of Side By Side],” said Donabedian.

One 17-year-old is hosting a comedy show and donating all profits to Side By Side.

Another girl has been inspired to fight sexist dress codes against females.

Currently the pair are working on launching their website—which should be ready for summer—and figuring out what to do with their donations. One idea is to donate the money to an all-women’s shelter; another is to create a scholarship for girls who have attended their workshops. They’re also working with male volunteers to bring another perspective into their workshops.

Anyone interested in contributing to the website—be it artists, photographers, writers, or volunteers—should contact Qandil and Donabedian at sidebysidesociety@gmail.com. All are welcome, and everyone is encouraged to contribute.

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theconcordian

MARCH 8, 2016

ANIMALS

CARA wants to cut the chain

Concordia’s animal rights association is working with the SPCA to ban dog chaining in Quebec

BY ANNA KROUPINA CONTRIBUTOR Every year in Quebec, thousands of dogs are chained outside and neglected by their owners, forced to endure extreme weather climates for long periods of time, according to the Montreal SPCA. The SPCA and the Concordia Animal Rights Association (CARA) have come together to organize the “Cut the Chain” campaign, which aims to ban the long-term chaining of dogs in Quebec.

Many provinces in Canada, including Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, have already implemented laws against chaining dogs, according to the SPCA. “Understanding animals and what they stand for can bring a sense of compassion to our own lives,” said Lara Mackenzie, president of CARA. “If you wouldn’t want to be chained outside, why would [dogs]?”

On March 18, CARA will be organizing an event that will encourage students to sign the “Cut the Chain” petition. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the lobby of the MB building.

“We will be there with iPads and encouraging people to sign the petition,” Mackenzie said. “It’s about getting students

to take literally two seconds of their time [to sign]. Many of us have a strong passion for dogs, and I am sure people will be willing to help.”

Sophie Gaillard, a lawyer with the animal advocacy department at the Montreal SPCA, said dog chaining has become a big issue.

“It’s a problematic phenomenon, because it is inhumane and unsafe,” she said. “Dogs who are chained are at an increased risk of injuring themselves by getting tangled up in their chains. They are also frequently neglected because people aren’t typically paying close attention to them, so if they are sick or injured, it isn’t quickly detected.

In the winter, dogs are exposed to extreme cold and extreme heat in the summer.”

According to SPCA inspectors, people chain their dogs when they are untrained or misbehaving, but sometimes they are chained to be used as house guards to protect their owner’s property. According to Gaillard, one third of complaints from the inspection department are related to chained dogs.

Gaillard said chaining can cause psychological distress for dogs. “Dogs are social and active animals and when they are isolated, they are unable to play or exercise and they develop severe behaviour

problems related to boredom and frustration,” she said. Dogs who are chained by their owners are at a much higher risk of displaying aggressive behaviour, and they are also three times more likely to bite—children in particular, Gaillard said.

“Dogs want to be with their families in a house where there are people, and [passing the law] would greatly improve dog welfare,” said Gaillard. “Even if people do want to keep their dog outdoors, there are better ways of doing it than keeping them at the end of a chain. For example,

in a fenced-in yard with an adequate dog house, maybe access to a garage.”

The petition can be signed at cutthechain.ca.

Visit cutthechain.ca to support the campaign by signing the petition.

Graphic by Thom Bell.

FASHION

Representing our multicultural city with Kumo Montreal

Montreal-based streetwear brand brings diversity to fashion

Kumo Montreal aims to highlight local artists and cultural diversity in the city of Montreal with their streetwear designs.

Photo courtesy of Kumo Montreal.

BY SANDRA HERCEGOVA ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR What happens when you combine Montreal’s multicultural diversity, local artists and streetwear? In January, three young designers striving to make a name for themselves officially launched their own clothing line: Kumo Montreal.

Founders Anthony Xu, Suthan Sangaralingham and marketing manager Russell Chow created a clothing line that aims to ‘rep’ Montreal and its diversity by offering multicultural-inspired t-shirts and beanies for men and women. The garments

are designed and made in Montreal and cost between $20 and $40.

The founders have different educational and cultural backgrounds: Xu studies architecture at Université de Montréal, Chow studies finance at Concordia and Sangaralingham is a full-time webmaster and IT professional. Xu and Chow are from China, and Sangaralingham is from Sri Lanka. “Myself and Suthan came [to Montreal] when we were both seven years old. We noticed how every neighbourhood had its own culture mix ... We have African neighbourhoods, Greek and Indian neighbourhoods,” Xu said. “Montreal has every

kind of nationality that you could possibly think of on one island. We definitively want to emphasize this unique trait of our city through our clothing line and designs.”

Kumo means cloud in Japanese, which corresponds with their slogan; “Cloud your judgement.” “All judgements and negative comments are left out the door. We accept everyone no matter where they are from,” Xu said.

For the Chinese New Year, they designed a t-shirt that said Montreal in traditional Chinese symbols. Xu said their goal is to make collections throughout the year that will represent different ethnicities. Their

first collection is more Asian-inspired to represent their own culture.

They also plan on collaborating with local artists and bloggers. “We want to promote Montreal’s artists because they are talented and are not getting enough exposure,” said Chow. “For our new collection we will ask a variety of different artists to create any kind of art relating to the way they feel about Montreal. This will reflect each artist’s own style and vision, which will bring uniqueness to our brand.”

Chow said their next photoshoot project will include people from all over the city.

“We are all about being bold. Our brand is not apologetic, we do what we want and we are not trying to follow a trend,” said Xu. “We have our own hype which is trendy yet mixed with our own creativity. We start everything from scratch.”

Their new collection will offer sweatpants, hoodies, t-shirts and windbreakers. Their items will be sold at boutique Vingt-Trois located at 2162 Ste. Catherine St. by the end of March.

Xu gave some advice to young entrepreneurs: “Don’t be afraid of failure or people’s judgements and don’t be driven by money. If your drive is not pure you won’t be in it for the long run. Also, to outwork and out connect your competition is the major key.”

C h e c k o u t Ku m o M o nt re a l at KumoMontreal.com. Catch them at the Université de Montréal’s fashion show on March 24 at the Fairmount theatre, or the Dawson College fashion show on April 30.

Calling all cool cats!

Montreal might be a frozen wasteland, but that won’t stop us from planning for warm spring days and hotter summer nights.

This year’s editorial team has—and continues to be—stellar, but what can we say? Gotta graduate sometime. And that means

all of The Concordian’s editorial positions will be up for grabs soon!

So pull out those dusty typewriters, polish up on your photography experience, wax your mustaches into pleasing curls, and replace the batteries in your recorders. It’s street-hitting, question-asking, answerdemanding, corruption-uncovering, politics-following time. We need a team to follow school politics, clear a path through Montreal’s nightlife scene, brave smelly locker rooms to interview star-athletes, tackle modern human rights issues, and identify the best damn slice of pizza in the city.

Want to blog about LGBTQIA+ communities in the city?

Have an itch to cover everything underground and musical pumping through Montreal’s speakers? Want an outlet to vent about modern racism? Are you an uncanny newshound just waiting to be unleashed on university politics?

send your application to

applications@theconcordian.com with your CV, résumé, and three writing samples (500 words max each) attached.

Or drop by a Friday meeting for more information.

All prefered-pronouns, religions, non-conformers, races, ages and identities welcome.

theconcordian

arts

ARTS EDITORS /// arts@theconcordian.com LYDIA ANDERSON ( @LydiaAndersonn) & ELIJAH BUKREEV (

@ElijahBukreev)

EXHIBITION

The Phi Centre hosts Missme’s Army of Vandals Missme takes a stand against the hypersexualization of women in modern society

BY SALIA HADIDI CONTRIBUTOR As you walk into the exhibition room on the Phi Centre’s second floor, you find yourself being stared at by prints of women wearing nothing but their T-shirts, which they have lifted up for the occasion. Warm welcome, right? Think again. They are not here to seduce you, they are here to embrace and affirm what has been taken away from them—their feminine power and stature. The biggerthan-life wheatpaste pieces—a type of paste-up art affixed to walls using flour and water—are the work of a street artist named MissMe. You may have already come upon one of them as she originally plastered them on walls all across the city.

She didn’t stop at Montreal though, as she exported her art to the streets of Dakar, London and Havana, to name a few.

I came across her work for the first time through a short video—directed by Mohammad Gorjestani for Brit+Co company and presented at this year’s South by Southwest festival—which showed the origins and purpose of her work, namely why she quit a successful job in advertising and started walking down Montreal’s streets at night to put up her art. Frustrations that arose from

certain aspects of her career, along with issues such as social media censorship—some of her content was deemed inappropriate and taken down—made her take a stand against the hypersexualization of women in today’s society. And while most will agree to women taking back control of their sexuality, some argue against the necessity of nudity to move the debate forward.

Indeed as you face the so-titled Army of Vandals, all 36 of them sporting almost nothing but a black balaclava with attached ears, your focus will go to their bodies. After you’ve discovered the first aesthetic of realistic bare skin, you start pay attention to the details of the strong and proud figures’ messages. Modeled on the artist’s silhouette, they feature some of her past projects like “Horny Betty,” “Fingers with Attitude” and “Unicorn Boob” as part of her body.

MissMe’s inspiration doesn’t stop at her Army of Vandals. As a singer and avid fan of soul music, she previously drew her idols, including Nina Simone, Billie Holiday and George Gershwin, as a tribute to their artistic influence. She also touched on recent events with “The Story of a Refugee Family

ARMY OF VANDALS MissMe created the exhibition in front of the Nuit Blanche 2016 crowd. Photos courtesy of the Phi Centre.

from the Middle East” posters put up in bus shelters, in which she depicts Mary and Jesus as refugees, drawing a parallel between the biblical figures’ journey and the current crisis.

Ultimately, MissMe would like to live off her art, and proclaims herself an artist vandal who uses streets as a platform, rather than a street artist per se. As she calls out for “self-confident women to join … the army” for an upcoming art installation on her Facebook page, you get the feeling that you will shortly be seeing much more of her.

So keep an eye out for her work on the streets and go check out her exhibition which is extended until April 2 at the Phi Centre, in partnership with Lez Spread the World.

FILM

Into the heart of the Amazon

Embrace of the Serpent leads you on an exploration of Indigenous civilization

BY ELIJAH BUKREEV CO-ARTS EDITOR Deep in the Amazonian jungle is a people who were brought to Earth on a giant anaconda that descended from the Milky Way. At least, there used to be, until there was no one else to tell the tale to, and it was forgotten. Embrace of the Serpent invites you into a vivid dream from a culture that has been allowed to go extinct. It’s like finding an old photograph, wishing you could step into it to learn its mysteries, and then being able to do so.

In the early 20th century, a shaman named Karamakate (played by Nilbio Torres and

Antonio Bolivar), who is the last of his kind, accompanies two scientists, one German and the other American, on their separate quests for a sacred plant. The two stories, inspired by the scientists’ actual journals, are set thirty years apart, but you wouldn’t know; there’s no sense of time in the jungle, only a feeling of eternity and vastness of space. To call their journey an adventure would be misleading—it’s much more of an exploration, and it goes deeper than the literal jungle.

It’s an exploration into a culture that has continuously remained hidden. You can hardly apply Western values to this world, and what’s more, you wouldn’t want

Embrace of the Serpent marked the first time a Colombian film was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film.

to; to see your own identity imposed on these people is revolting and sad. While colonialism is not the film’s only focus, it is shown how civilizations clash when they come in contact, as one, perhaps inevitably, suppresses the other.

A memorable scene involves the German scientist, known as Theo (Jan Bijvoet), showing a compass to the members of a tribe and then realizing his grave mistake.

They refuse to give it back; Theo is dismayed, as their original knowledge based mostly on astronomy will now be lost. Other, more extreme situations involve the rubber trade and the Catholic church, as the characters encounter a tyrannical priest who bans Indigenous children from speaking their birth languages, and a psychotic self-proclaimed messiah that recalls Apocalypse Now. The film makes no attempt to entertain or deliver a traditional narrative and yet is effortlessly awe-inspiring, filming the jungle the way you would film a church. No set can possibly compare to the real thing, and there’s no doubt at any point that it was shot on location, which makes the director’s control over image

all the more impressive.

It’s eerily quiet and restrained, and you could even say unemotional, but then you wouldn’t know how to judge. When has Amazonian culture ever been portrayed with such utmost respect and wonderment?

How often has a film taken an Amazonian perspective at all, and not just exploited it for its exotic qualities? There is a strangeness to it all, a captivating otherness that will speak to anyone interested in Latin American magical realism.

Only 16 people remember the language spoken by the main characters. The Colombian director, Ciro Guerra, has said in several interviews that the Indigenous people he cast were the only ones he could get, simply because there are so few of them left. Does a falling tree in a forest make a sound if there’s no one to hear it? Does a dying civilization? As long as such films will be made, the answer will be yes.

EMBRACE OF THE SERPENT Directed by Ciro Guerra Starring Nilbio Torres, Jan Bijvoet, Antonio Bolivar, Brionne Davis Released on March 11, 2016 Duration 125 min

MARCH 8, 2016

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OPERA

Opéra de Montréal: the 2016-2017 season The Wall, Don Giovanni, Dialogues des Carmelites and more are coming to Montreal PICTURED Roger Waters spoke at the Opéra de Montréal’s upcoming season announcement on March 3. Waters has created an operatic adaptation of The Wall.

Photos by Marie-Pierre Savard.

BY PAULINE NESBITT STAFF WRITER The Opéra de Montréal announced the lineup of its 2016-2017 season at the pressroom of the Olympic stadium on March 3. The list of performances includes Aida, Don Giovanni, Dialogues des Carmelites and La Bohème, but it was the announcement of a new operatic adaptation of The Wall by Roger Waters, a founding member of Pink Floyd, that really had people talking.

This new piece, entitled Another Brick in the Wall – the Opera, will be part of the celebrations marking Montreal’s 375th anniversary. Waters, representatives of

Opéra de Montréal and Montreal’s 375th Anniversary Committee were present at the announcement.

Waters said he wrote The Wall because of an unpleasant situation that occurred at the OdM 40 years ago that involved him spitting in the face of a spectator who appeared on stage during a Pink Floyd performance. Waters explained he spat because he perceived that the audience was not really listening to the music and lacked appreciation. He admitted to being a little fuzzy about the precise details of the event, but mused that at his age his memory shouldn’t be trusted anyway. However, he said creating The Wall certainly helped

him move on “from the enmity of spitting in someone’s face towards a position where love becomes more important than that enmity.”

Waters said he was initially dismissive when he was first presented with the project because most symphonic versions of rock music he had heard sounded disastrous. “They [usually] stick slavishly to the melody,” he said, which is why he has consistently rejected all requests for commercial presentations of The Wall.

Waters said he had not really been involved in the development of the project so far. Composer Julien Bilodeau has been given complete creative freedom over the music, which he said is a dream come true, but Waters remains the librettist—the words are his.

Another Brick in the Wall – the Opera will be presented next March and will feature an all-Canadian cast.

Michel Beaulac, the OdM’s artistic director, described the season’s lineup as an operatic journey spanning two centuries of music, which includes several classical works.

He explained that traditionally the Opéra de Montréal launches and ends each season with popular operas that he referred to as “blockbusters.” Those would be Aida in September, a grandiose, yet tragic tale of love and betrayal that

is set in politically unstable Egypt; and La Bohème in May, a tale of love, youthful dreams and illusions.

Beaulac said he is completely committed to casting Canadian artists as much as possible and that 80 per cent of this season’s casts are Canadian. He added that young Canadians who have taken off in the operatic world across the globe would play most of the roles in Don Giovanni. “I chose that work because I could put together all those young artists who are great ambassadors for both Montreal and for Canada,” he said.

Beaulac pointed out that staging Don Giovanni and Dialogues des Carmelites provided excellent opportunities to showcase Canadian operatic talent. He said he had deliberately included the latter opera with Montrealer Serge Denoncourt in mind because he is such a talented stage director and, “it is one of [Denoncourt’s] fetish operas—he is completely overtaken by the story.”

Beaulac remarked that planning an opera is not easy, but it is important to have the best artist for each role. This means that in addition to possessing the right singing voice, they have to look the part and be able to act the role convincingly. He said he never schedules an opera until he has succeeded in attracting the artists he wants for each role.

Subscriptions for the season or single tickets can be purchased at the box of f ice at Place des A r t s or at operademontreal.com. The Opéra de Montréal offers a special rate of $25 for front row seats for all their productions to all students under 30.

music

Quickspins

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

Get the playlist: http://spoti.fi/24Na9kV

OPINION

Examining To Pimp a Butterfly’s ripples

RIHANNA

1

ANTI (Westbury Road/Roc Nation, 2016)

A year after its release, the world still hasn’t quite recovered KENDRICK LAMAR To Pimp A Butterfly swiftly became a soundtrack for a struggling black America.

BY SAMUEL PROVOST-WALKER MUSIC EDITOR With Section.80, we were formally introduced to Compton’s Kendrick Lamar.

With good kid, m.A.A.d. City, we fell in love with the rapper, his densely layered and autobiographical narrative transporting us to a stark, dangerous and very real world. Even with these increasingly staggering releases, nothing really prepared us for To Pimp a Butterfly.

With four universally lauded releases under his belt, his latest in the form of a compilation released on March 4, Kendrick Lamar is fast becoming one of hip-hop’s most important songwriters and one of contemporary music’s standout artists. In the year since To Pimp a Butterfly was released, the dialogue surrounding the album has barely waned. If anything, its impact and reverence has only grown with time, influencing genre contemporaries and giving people, namely black Americans, a sliver of genuine hope in the face of continued oppression.

So why is To Pimp a Butterfly so highly regarded and what sets it apart from genre contemporaries like, say, Kanye West or Run the Jewels’ latest? For one, its scope is simply astounding; at 78 minutes and 16 tracks, the album explores deeply personal thematic content with unparalleled precision.

Exploring the concept of black celebrity within a uniformly white system in a selfless, deeply intimate manner, Lamar touches on everything from racial inequality, toxic materialism and institutionalized discrimination while positing the entire experience through his own personal lens. Chronicling his ascent into stardom and personal descent into depression, Lamar focuses on identity and what it means to be a black man in modern America. In doing so, Lamar brings his audience to eerily unsettling corners of the human psyche, as in the heart-breaking “u” — perhaps one of the most vivid depictions of depression ever portrayed in music.

Most impressively, Lamar accomplishes the most personal and sermonizing of dia-

logues without ever sacrificing the album’s accomplished musicality. Featuring jazzy instrumentals by Thundercat and Kamasi Washington and the production work of Flying Lotus, Boy-1da and Pharrell Williams among many others, To Pimp a Butterfly exhibits a rich, textured and incredibly organic sonic palette that’s at once lavish and equally tasteful in light of its thematic content. As Lamar bares his soul, gorgeous string arrangements flutter while a host of jazzy horns blare freely.

As a result, Lamar’s vision is wholly uncompromised, with no selections feeling like perfunctory radio hits. With an album as critically and commercially successful as good kid, m.A.A.d. City comes creative carte blanche, and the rapper puts this to exemplary use.

Given Kendrick Lamar’s stature as a hip-hop heavyweight, one could argue his influence on the medium’s public face is undeniable, with many acts attempting to follow in his footsteps. After all, To Pimp a Butterfly’s raucous single “The Blacker the Berry” inspired nuanced debate in regards to its closing twist detailing its central hypocrisy. In the face of mounting frustration in the United States with regards to the unfair treatment of blacks, Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly got the ball rolling in a big way, inspiring mainstream contemporaries to tackle these issues head-on in an effort to add to the conversation, for better or worse.

Take Macklemore’s “White Privilege II” for example, a song with good intentions and an interesting alternative point of view on the matter that’s ultimately undone by its lack of musicality and hokey, unfocused content. Though Macklemore is no stranger to social issues, his attempts at tackling the Black Lives Matter protests in a nuanced way come up incredibly short; at over eight minutes in length, the song is simply too drawn out for radio appeal and too narratively scattershot to serve as a statement. In the end, it’s a song with a valid point of view and discourse that’s ultimately for no one. If Lamar influenced

a wave of social activism in hip-hop, the level at which he accomplishes this is made resoundingly clear simply by looking at some of his contemporaries.

Most importantly however, it’s impossible to ignore To Pimp a Butterfly’s massive cultural impact. In its attempts to discuss systemic racism and the flaws of black and white America, the album found a very passionate audience among black Americans. It swiftly became the soundtrack to a struggling black America, instilling a sense of hope and empowerment in the face of mounting police violence and criminal negligence against blacks.

Protesters nationwide took to the streets chanting the chorus to “Alright,” an agitated declaration of hope in the face of pain and strife, in an effort to send a vivid message.

In an article for Rolling Stone, writer Greg Tate likened “Alright” as the “We Shall Overcome” of our generation. He also attributes both To Pimp a Butterfly and D’Angelo’s long-awaited Black Messiah as “the first tuneful meditations of this era to come within spitting distance of canonical conscious-groove masterworks like Curtis Mayfeild’s Superfly and Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On.” Ultimately, 2015 was an interesting year for hip-hop and black music, with the genre being acknowledged by many as the voice of a struggling generation.

Take Run the Jewels’ Killer Mike for example; a year ago, the mainstream struggled to put a face to his name, yet here he is making the rounds as Bernie Sanders’ very own hype man. Though there’s still a long way to go, artists like Kendrick Lamar and D’Angelo have provoked fruitful and interesting conversations on difficult topics, contextualizing much of black America’s problems without ever simplifying them.

Though Taylor Swift’s 2014 album 1989 was deemed 2016’s Album of the Year by the Grammy Awards, To Pimp a Butterfly’s continued impact not only on music but on social movements across America ultimately renders this declaration inert.

Rihanna decides to march to the beat of her own drum for her eighth studio album ANTI. The Barbadian musician steers away from her club music past and puts out a more genuine and timeless record. Her tracks are a brilliantly crafted melange of reggae, dancehall, R&B and pop; Vulture has even classified her album as “industrial dancehall.” She flaunts a soulful side of her vocals in “Love on the Brain,” a jazzy song that takes us back in time to evoke the classic jazz vocalists Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James. A dub-style R&B track about the dark side of fame titled “Consideration” speaks to an unidentified “you” about her struggle to flourish as an artist in the music industry. RiRi proves to be a more well-rounded and mature artist this time around.

Trial track: “Consideration”

8/10

2

— Krystina Scenna

THE 1975

I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It (Dirty Hit/Interscope, 2016) The 1975’s sophomore album is much like their first, bringing back the electro-pop rock days of the ‘80s. Songs like “Love Me” and “UGH!” kick things off well as the guitar riffs and groovy basslines take you back in time and make you want to dance. However, as the album goes on, softer, more ambient sounds take over and can be sleep-inducing. While the band does try to stray away from their signature sound, these instances are unimpressive and overlong, especially with the album being 73 minutes long. After a while, many of the instrumentals and lead singer Matthew Healy’s lyrical themes start to become excessively repetitive; if you’re looking for something other than drugs and sex, you’re in the wrong place. Overall, the 1975’s new album is fun, if lacking in imagination.

Trial track: “Love Me”

6/10

— Alexander Cole

MARCH 8, 2016

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CLASSICS MORE LIKE THIS http://theconcordian.com/ ?s=Quickspins

Top art pop albums of the ‘80s These albums are as musically inventive as they are lush

BY CALVIN CASHEN ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR

3

KANYE WEST

The Life of Pablo (GOOD Music, 2016) The Life of Pablo is a straight-up mess.

“Mess” in this case however should not be read as something negative. The Life of Pablo is a mess in the same way an abstract painting is until you spend some time reflecting on what’s behind the brush strokes. Ranging from talking about God to bragging about his penis size, Kanye manages to provoke, to bring hope, and to channel people’s wild sides.

To compliment these themes, Kanye uses numerous voices including Young Thug, Kid Cudi and The Weeknd. Voices and lyrics are further enhanced by backdrops that include rap and EDM production, brass players and gospel choirs. An artist’s album would generally feature the artist as a prominent colour directly in the foreground of its painting.

With The Life of Pablo, Kanye is not just a prominent colour on the canvas; he is the painter behind the work of art.

Trial track: “Highlights”

9/10

— Emmett Stowe YUCK

Stranger Things (Balaclava Records, 2016)

4

The days when the minds of Max Bloom and Daniel Blumberg came together to create Yuck’s first self-titled album are gone. Blumberg left the band to pursue other projects, but for one moment in time, this London four-piece captured the attitude of mid-nineties indie rock subculture 15 years after the era ended.

With Bloom now providing the bulk of the vocals and songwriting, Stranger Things sounds rigid and overly formulaic compared to their vulnerable and candid 2011 album. By distorting the vocals in each song, the album tries to sound hip but ends up sounding more like it’s drowning under water. However, songs like “Cannonball” and “Hold Me Closer” are clever and drenched in so much fuzzy distortion you could almost pet it. Stranger Things is like a less annoying Weezer, which isn’t exactly a bad thing.

Trial track: “Hold Me Closer”

7/10

— Mia Pearson

Like visual arts, music is a medium of expression that’s open to interpretation.

Art pop is one of the many pragmatic movements endorsed during the ‘80s that aimed to diverge from the expected.

Elements of this style are based around notions that art can be appropriated into music. As influential as art pop has been on our musical stratosphere, its purveyors are a more intriguing force to analyze.

Avoiding traditional aspects of music and centralizing on artifice, the sheer inventiveness of art pop outshines its atypical gestures. Here are some of the most distinctive and globe-altering revolutions ‘80s art pop had to offer.

Playlist

1

KATE BUSH – Hounds of Love (1985)

Kate Bush approaches heartbreak through poignant middle-earth scenarios and doe-eyed imagery. Her ability to paint lyrical portraits is built around a deep affinity for musical fantasia. Hounds of Love relishes in that fondness but addresses it realistically.

Blossoming with creativity, Hounds of Love is an abstract dreamscape of euphoric synths and crystalline production, yet its striking narratives feel painfully self-aware and human.

“Running Up That Hill” gallops in a hazy mirage of ‘80s melodrama—tensioned and just waiting to explode. The track’s darting drum rhythm wounds Bush’s dogged vocals in a web of ‘80s grandiosity. “Cloudbusting,” Bush’s take on government conspiracies, traces out baroque-pop strings and fleshes out the drum rhythm with emphatic choral chants.

The record’s B-side feels like a different realm entirely, comprising of tracks filled with suffocating depth and prickly tones.

The album leaves an indelible mark, and does so with that explicable dichotomy it masterfully possesses—the A-side’s

larger-than-life compass and the B-side’s haunting beauty.

2

TALKING HEADS – Remain in Light (1980)

T h e Ta l k i n g Heads’ defining moment as a band was forged during a period of immense change. That awkward shift between the ‘70s and ‘80s found the Heads at a crossroads, where they still functioned in accordance with punk, but yearned for a more experimental edge. Unwilling to settle for one or the other, Remain In Light was the resulting product of that creative ambivalence. Byrne’s anxious guitar noodling mingles with tribal drums, supporting inventive polyrhythms and spastic bass hooks. The record feels pop sensible but is calculated to be inaccessible at the same time. It’s punk music for the futurists, by the futurists.

TALK TALK – The Colour of Spring (1986)

3

Talk Talk had aspirations beyond radio-manufactured pop and The Colour of Spring appeared to be that brief compromise. In actuality, it bridged the gap between the two, offering intelligent pop music with the sensibilities of an auteur—the best of both worlds. Mark Hollis unleashes passion in “Life’s What You Make It,” with a thick piano hook carrying his plaintive anecdote. Acidic guitar licks pass the newwave threshold into a styling enigmatic of ‘90s proto-goth. The transition from the ‘80s to the ‘90s has never been more pronounced than it is here.

4

ROXY MUSIC – Avalon (1982)

synth pop, Roxy Music drew on their ever growing fixation on art and glamour and projected it outward. Their ‘80s hit swansong, Avalon was the first and final glimpse at an improved Roxy Music—their sound more layered with detail and injected with new life. Avalon boasts a sleek ‘80s production style, with slight variations made on its trademark glimmer. At its core, the record is pure pop; strident vocals crooning at a consistent pace amongst faux-reggae guitar plucks.

5

GRACE JONES – Nightclubbing (1981)

The queer movements of the ‘80s a n d ‘ 9 0 s cemented Grace J o n e s ’ g o d dess-like stature in pop culture. Nightclubbing is an unsworn culmination of her influence.

Nightclubbing is many things: a deep-cutting triumph, an idyllic pride record and a ruthless seizure of homophobia. Jones excellently hones her objective of sexual liberation in this love letter to retro-soul.

Everyone in range of this record has to sit down, shut up, and listen. The record’s power lies in Jones’ disarming androgyny, which adds an extra hint of venom to her stinging hostility. Musically, Nightclubbing is empowering pop bombast; aesthetically, it represents a sturdy, well-crafted middle finger.

L AURIE ANDERSON – Big Science (1982)

Big Science is best known for the eight-minute epic “O Superman,” a monochromatic pop song held together by a computerized vocal loop. It’s an enigma of a song that’s m o r e p e r f o r m a n c e t h a n music; something that more easily evokes a bizarre image than any semblance of mood.

Evolving from primitive art-rock into fully-fledged

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production assistants D WHAT YOU NEE D O GO TO BE A T PROD ASSISTAN

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Know how to win at using Adobe InDesign and Photoshop? If you know Quark, that is cute but useless. No one uses Quark anymore.

A creative eye is ideal, and having your own style to incorporate into our own would be rad too.

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Help our production team lay out different sections each week, and pitch and develop your own unique page designs.

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sports

SPORTS EDITOR /// sports@theconcordian.com ALEXANDER COLE ( @a_cole39)

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Previewing the Stingers playoff chances Concordia’s men’s basketball team will be playing UQÀM in the first round 1

PICTURED

(1) The Stingers swept UQÀM in four games this season. (2) Stingers Guard Jaleel Webb storms the UQÀM defense. Photos by Marie-Pierre Savard.

BY CASEY DULSON STAFF WRITER

2

The Concordia men’s basketball team will be playing the Citadins from UQÀM on March 11. The game will be played at McGill, as McGill is hosting the RSEQ Final Four. Concordia finished second in the RSEQ while the Citadins finished fourth.

The Stingers finished the year with an 18-11 record including the pre-season, but they finished with an overall regular season record of 10-6. The Stingers swept all four games against the Citadins this season. The closest game between these

two teams was in Concordia’s last game of the season on March 3, where the Stingers won by a slim margin of 76-74.

The Citadins placed second in the RSEQ in terms of offense as they averaged 73.7 points per game this season. Despite their torrid offense, the Citadins were dead last in scoring defense as their opponents scored an average of 75.7 points per game on them. The team was first in the RSEQ in regards to offensive rebounds, with 664 rebounds in 15 games this year, which averaged 44.3 rebounds per a game.

The Citadins are led by their Batman and Robin duo: third-year forward Kewyn Blain and second-year point guard Greishe Clerjuste. Blain took the league by storm this year, scoring 253 points and averaging 16.9 points per game in 15 games this season. He finished second in the conference in scoring. Blain led the RSEQ in assists with 85 and he also led in steals with 41. Blain was tied for first in defensive rebounds with 88 this season.

He is likely the front-runner for the RSEQ MVP this year.

Clerjuste was right behind his teammate in conference scoring as he scored 251 points and averaged 16.7 points per game.

In the last game between the Stingers and the Citadins, Blain dropped 24 points and Clerjuste added 17 points in the game.

The Stingers will need to find a way to defend these two players if they want to

win against UQÀM. The Stingers led the conference in scoring defense as they held their opponents to just 65 points per game.

The Stingers were also efficient at defending shots as they led the conference in defending field goal shots. Opposing teams took 1,077 shots on them this season but made just 384 of those shots.

The Stingers will be relying on their third-year forward Ken Beaulieu to create scoring chances against UQÀM. Beaulieu was fifth in RSEQ scoring this season with 214 points and an average of 14.3 points per game.

The Stingers will also need to attack the boards with rookie centre Ahmadu-Tijani Umar and fourth-year forward Michael Fosu. Umar had 95 rebounds this season and was sensational in the last meeting against the Citadins as he came off the bench to record a double-double with 26 points and 13 rebounds.

The X-factor for the Stingers will be potential RSEQ rookie of the year forward Schneiders Suffrard. Suffrard has really come into his own during the second half of the year. He scored 164 points and averaged 10.3 points per game this season.

The Stingers have not won an RSEQ title since 2012 and with a win against the Citadins, they could potentially be playing against either Laval or McGill for basketball supremacy in Quebec.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The Stingers look to make it to the RSEQ finals Concordia takes on the first-place Martlets in provincial playoffs

BY CASEY DULSON STAFF WRITER After four months of playing basketball, the Stingers will be heading into the RSEQ final four on March 10 where they will be playing the McGill Martlets who are ranked first in the nation.

The Stingers finished the season with a record of 7-9. The team was swept by the Martlets this season, losing all four games.

The two times the Stingers played the Martlets at McGill, they lost by five and two points respectively. The Stingers have not beaten McGill in two years with their last win being on Feb. 22, 2014.

The team has a tough job ahead of them if they want to beat the Martlets. McGill finished first in the RSEQ in terms of offense and defense. They averaged 63.5 points per game and their opponents averaged 51.0 points per game. They are also an excellent shooting team as they led the RSEQ in field goal percentage, making 346 shots out of 840.

The Martlets are led by third-year centre Alexandria Kiss-Rusk and fourth-year forward and reigning RSEQ MVP Mariam Sylla.

Kiss-Rusk was fourth in RSEQ scoring with 203 points, while averaging 13.5 points per

game. She led the conference in field goal percentage with 53.3 per cent and led in blocked shots with 31.

Sylla led the conference in rebounding for a third year in a row with 97 rebounds.

She also scored 144 points in 11 games. The Martlets’ secret weapon is first-year guard Gladys Hakizimana who scored 181 points this year. The last time these two teams met, Hakizimana scored 19 points.

The Stingers on the other hand are a defensive-minded team as they led the RSEQ in forced turnovers. They had 361 takeaways this season.

The Stingers will depend heavily on their three-point shooting as they made 82 shots from three-point line this season. Stingers fourth-year shooting guard Marie-Ève Martin led the conference in three-pointers made with 32. The Stingers will need strong performances from their one-two punch of fourth-year all-star forward Marilyse Roy-Viau and third-year forward Richelle Gregoire if they want to pull off the upset.

Roy-Viau scored 222 points in 15 games this year, which was good enough to be third in the conference. Gregoire scored 241 points in 15 games which placed her second in the conference.

1 The last time the Stingers played McGill, Gregoire scored 25 points while the Martlets held Roy-Viau to just nine points. The Stingers two X-factors will be their bench and second-year shooting guard Aurélie d’Anjou PICTURED Drouin. The Stingers (1) Point bench this season guard Tamara combined for 112 points Pinard-Devos battles a UQÀM which included 46 defender. (2) points by rookie guard Stingers forward Latifah Roach. D’Anjou Richelle Gregoire Drouin has improved storm doen the her play over the last court in an earlier match-up against two years. She started UQÀM. Photos the year coming off

by Marie-Pierre the bench but since Savard. the second-half of the season she has become a regular starter. She scored 97 points in 377 minutes this year.

If the Stingers defeat the Martlets, they will either play Laval or UQÀM for the RSEQ title.

The Stingers women’s basketball team has not won an RSEQ championship since 1998.

2

MARCH 8, 2016

theconcordian

ROCK-CLIMBING

Rock-climbing in the old Papineau Theatre Zero Gravité’s building is a large piece of the Plateau’s trendy history

PICTURED Climbers pick their way up rocky precipices before doing some yoga.

BY ALEXANDER COLE SPORTS EDITOR

O

n Papineau St. in the Plateau, things are not a s t h ey o n c e we re .

Factories are now cafés, working-class apartments have turned into trendy condos and an old theatre is now a rock-climbing gym.

The rock climbing gym features a wide, white, western style façade. It towers over a street which in eras past used to be filled with suited gentlemen and fashionable ladies looking for a cool night out. The long extinct crowds were attracted to the tall building by a bright backlit marquee which promised entertainment in the form of performance art. That same marquee which once projected movie titles and superstars’ names into the night now reads: “Zero Gravité: Escalade et Yoga.”

Inside, Rose Riley works the cash.

Riley is more than just a cashier: she is an experienced climber who has rockclimbed as far away as Thailand. She has only been working at Zero Gravité for nine months but loves it. Who wouldn’t? It has a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. The walls are being mounted by climbers who are locked into intense mental struggles as they desperately cling to small plastic climbing holds high above the ground yet can’t be seen by those reclining below.

Cool reggae floats around the main room, emanating from speakers embedded in a high ceiling embossed with carvings of gods and mythical beasts; the only vestige of the golden-era theatre it once was.

Despite only taking up rock climbing less than a decade ago, Riley already has more experience on the hot end of a rope than

most life-long climbers. As an employee she enjoys climbing for free on Zero Gravité’s 120 climbing routes which vary in difficulty from beginner to advanced.

All of which is inside a building that is almost 100 years old.

Originally built in 1921 as the Papineau theatre, Zero Gravité was first an auditorium, then a porn theatre and then a bingo hall.

In 2012 it became what it is today thanks to the dream of Riley’s bosses: Eric Aubut and Patrick Lévesque; two Quebec-based climbers with a vision of completely transforming the old theatre into a facility dedicated to climbing. The building itself hasn’t changed on the outside. Inside however, it is entirely different. Where there was once a ticket desk there is now a snack bar. Where there was a lounge there is now a yoga studio. Where there was a balcony there is now a bouldering wall. Where the stage once stood, there is now a 37-foot high wall covered in tattooed climbers artfully ascending a colourful plastic façade.

Community is important at Zero Gravité as it is in many climbing gyms, according to Riley. They host frequent events ranging from competitions to parties. The community of climbers always turn out to make these events successful but still Riley doesn’t think Zero Gravité is special; “It’s the same feeling of comradery and community you see around any climbing gym,” she said.

However, Zero Gravité is not just any climbing gym. On the walls, in the same spot where years ago a stage displayed the finest performing art of the era, a thin climber with a ghostly forest tattoo on her back maneuvers her way beautifully up a brightly colored route. The inked images appearing to shift and move with her muscles as if the trees are being shaken by a strong winter wind. Zero Gravité is special. Performance art is still being displayed here. Though the actors have changed, the purpose of the old theatre has not. In the historic Papineau theatre, things have changed, but in a way they are just as they once were.

Photos by Melissa Martella.

Photo illustration by Florence Lee.

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opinions OPINIONS EDITOR /// opinions@theconcordian.com DAVID EASEY

EDITORIAL

LB building should leave bathrooms neutral The latest refurbished section of the downtown library was revealed Friday with students free to explore the airy renovated space. Gentler lighting, bright colours splashed across the walls, clean white orderly tables and brightly coloured carpets to match greeted students. The space has been granted a much-needed facelift to modernize its dark, dingy interior that depressed more than inspired.

But how much has the library really modernized? After all, new lights and desks are great for students, but the bathroom policy still segregates and discriminates against many Concordians. The new washrooms after all are only for men or women. No gender neutral bathrooms exist within the library space, which is open 24 hours to students. A PDF, which lists all of the gender neutral bathrooms

Photo by Michelle Gamage.

on campus, says there is only one neutral bathroom in the building on ‘LB 0.’ Campus security did not know where this was, and a search of the library did not reveal the mythical bathroom.

But here’s the thing. The fifth floor of the LB building is still having the finishing touches put on it, with signs identifying what gender a bathroom ‘belongs’ to still to be added.

On Friday the bathrooms were gender neutral. Concordia had made a progressive step to making the fifth floor a safe space for anyone who had to pee. However, over the weekend paper signs were put on the doors, and more permanent signs will likely be installed separating those who sit and stand to pee.

Those signs should never be installed, and Concordia University should instead allow the fifth floor washrooms to be gender neutral.

Put up signs like the Hive Cafe in the Hall building, identifying which bathrooms have urinals and which ones have stalls.

Let students decide for themselves which bathroom they’d prefer, gender aside.

For students who are more comfortable in a washroom with an assigned gender, all of the other floors of the LB building will still host gendered washrooms. But let’s make a progressive step towards making a safer space for all students and leave the washrooms on the fifth floor gender neutral. After all, students doing homework at the library have better things to think about than if they identify more with the little figure wearing a skirt or pants.

Concordia officially offers the choice to identify as male, female, or just by your name on your diploma, degree, or certificate. There is also an impressive host of gender neutral bathrooms scattered throughout both campuses. But the LB building has been neglected in these developments—until now. Here’s to hoping Concordia can recognize this amazing opportunity and do the right thing.

Looking for gender neutral washroom locations? Google ‘Concordia gender neutral washrooms’ and check out the PDF which list s all of the washrooms on campus.

WELLNESS

Being bitter can take the sweetness out of life Harbouring bitterness can create walls between those we love

BY JESSICA KINNARI ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR Being bitter and holding onto emotions for too long is absolutely detrimental to friendships—and believe me, it nearly destroyed one of mine.

Harbouring negativity will just lead to resentment, unhappiness and an overall poor state of mental health. In the end the best thing to do is let it go, for bitterness is toxic and can poison all aspects of your life.

One of my closest friends and I had a falling out some time ago over a communication issue. Both of us were feeling a tremendous amount of emotion, but couldn’t properly express it. Our miscommunications eventually led to the disintegration of our friendship.

According to the book entitled Embitterment: Societal, psychological and clinical perspectives, bitterness occurs when an individual feels like they’ve lost control over a particular situation. Since they couldn’t prevent an undesired outcome, negative emotions begin to resonate.

My personal feelings align with the information above, because I felt like I lost control of the situation despite, my best intentions.

Normally time heals all things though, but not in this case. After a bit of distance, we tried to catch up not too long ago over lunch, but couldn’t seem to patch things up. The bitterness still resides deep within

my being, and I can no longer connect with this individual.

Bitterness affects your entire life, and it is like a cancer that eventually spreads to other domains.

I think about our fight every day, wishing I wasn’t so angry and upset over the way things ended up. I think about it constantly, regretting how I should’ve initiated a conversation with him, and understand the rea s on of our falling out.

“Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them,” said Bruce Lee. If something bothers you everyday then it is a problem, one that needs

to be addressed.

I carry around this bitter need to fix things, and it affects my daily life.

Just walking home from school or going to class can be a battle if I’ve been thinking about the fight. I’ll sometimes choose to not go places or hang out with my friends because the bitterness makes me go to a dark and horrible place.

The feelings of resentment now have turned inwards towards myself and are affecting my own personal happiness.

Letting these feelings get in the way of your own well being is not a healthy emotion.

I firmly believe that you are in charge of your own happiness. Sometimes letting go and working it out is the best way to fix the situation.

Letting go of the bitterness will make things better,

even if the friendship has ended at least there will be less pain.

The greatest example of not letting bitterness take control is Nelson Mandela.

If he can forgive and forget those who mistreated him, then we can forgive the little things that we have done, even if it’s difficult to accept.

Bitterness is a toxin that will seep into all the crevasses of your mind. It will affect your happiness, your friends, and sometimes even your family.

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong,” said Mahatma Gandhi, a sentiment we should all adhere to.

Want your voice heard? Have something to say? Write for the Opinions section opinions@ theconcordian.com

Graphic by Thom Bell.

MARCH 8, 2016

theconcordian

15

HEALTH

Exploring another aspect of sexual violence Regardless of gender, we are all susceptible to this issue

BY DAVID EASEY OPINIONS EDITOR Guilt, exploitation and shame fill my mind as I try to recollect the troublesome event at my favourite haunt in the Old Port. I sip on my americano at a vigorous rate as the memories begin to surge.

“It’s just sex, don’t be so uptight,” I tell myself. “But sex is not supposed to be like that, though,” says another inner voice, as the caffeine high finally kicks in and the hypothetical pendulum begins to swing.

I start to write this article, feeling a melancholic mix of liberation and anguish. For tackling the subject of sexual assault is both exhaustive and difficult, to say the least.

As an openly gay and single male

*

Sexual assault is any unwanted, non-consensual, sexual contact. There are a range of behaviors and actions that fall under the definition of sexual assault. Sexual assault is not only unwanted penetration (rape), it is also any unwanted touching, kissing, grabbing etc.

For the purpose of this article, the terms sexual assault and sexual violence will be used interchangeably throughout.

living in Montreal, I’ve enjoyed the dating scene here in our beautiful city.

Meeting and engaging with people from all walks of life has always been a passion of mine.

Things all changed one-year ago, when I decided to stop by the house

of a guy I was dating at the time. We had only been seeing each other for few weeks, but I enjoyed his company and thought he was rather interesting.

Thinking we’d just talk and have a glass of wine, I was looking forward to a quiet evening filled with intellectual debates and relaxation. But to my surprise, I soon discovered the true nature of his intentions.

He kept making sexual advances, which left me caught off-guard and slightly uncomfortable. His constant persistence eventually ate away at my protective barriers and I was soon unclothed.

Although I initially consented to having sex, a furious debate raged in my mind on how to escape. The thoughts persisted for quite some time until I could no longer hold them back.

I told the individual to stop immediately. He didn’t.

I told him I wanted to leave. He physically prevented this and told me I had to stay all night.

I managed to leave sometime later, feeling defiled and vulnerable. I blocked his number as soon as I got in my car and knew I’d never see him again.

According to the Concordia’s Sexual Assault Resource Centre, “a consenting partner is one who enthusiastically agrees to be there and involved, who is able to give permission freely and without fear, pressure, force or intimidation.”

In the following days I went about my life normally, and coined the evening as a ‘bad date’ to my closest confidants.

It wasn’t until a few days later that I realized the true severity of the situation.

I was recounting the story to a dear friend of mine over a cup of tea sometime later, when she suddenly burst into tears over the details. Her emotion alarmed me, and I was confused as to why she was so upset. She then informed me

that I was sexual assaulted.

It hit me like a ton of bricks: my consent had been violated and I was harmed by someone I apparently trusted. Suddenly my reality felt like it was shifting and I saw everything through the grey prism of the assault. I blamed myself harshly for being so naive and began to hate myself for allowing this to happen.

Roughly one in six men will experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. Regardless of gender, almost 80 per cent of will know who their perpetrator is, according to the Sexual Assault Resource Centre.

A report released by the Department of Justice Canada in 2013 showed most survivors of sexual assault are female, with the majority of incidents going unreported to police.

“Police-reported data for 2010 show that males accounted for 12 per cent of sexual assault victims,” outlines the report. The literature acknowledges this is a small percentage, but mentions that it’s difficult to get men to come forward and talk about the issue.

There has been a renewed emphasis placed on sexual violence in general, especially with the trials of Jian Ghomeshi and Bill Cosby, along with the Kesha court case dominating headlines.

Last week, Lady Gaga performed her powerful song “Til It Happens To You” at the Academy Awards in front of a global audience of more than 65 million viewers, according to Nielsen.

The Oscar-nominated song was written

by Diane Warren and Gaga, who both revealed they are survivors of sexual assault in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times.

The ballad was written for the documentary The Hunting Ground, a powerful film that addresses the issue of campus rape across the United States. During

*

If you are in immediate danger on campus, call (514) 8483717—option one, or 911.

Sexual Assault Resource Centre (GM-300.27).

Mon.–Thu. 10 a.m.—4 p.m.

(514) 848-2424 ext. 3461.

Centre for Gender Advocacy 2110 Mackay St. Mon.–Fri. 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

(514) 848-2424 ext. 7431.

Photos by Marie-Pierre Savard.

For peer support call (514) 848-2424 ext. 7880.

For 24-hour support, call 1 (888) 933-9007.

Lady Gaga’s set, she brought onstage with her a courageous group of young adults, who bore the words ‘survivor’ inked on their forearms.

Sexual violence is being brought to the forefront of our consciousness, and important conversations are being spurred as a result from this exposure.

The importance here is that the issue of sexual violence is being brought to the forefront. Society is being exposed to the conversation.

I consider myself lucky, mainly because immediately after the incident, I took advantage of our university’s amazing resources. As awkward and painful it was to walk to the Sexual Assault Resource Centre in the dimly lit GM building, I knew talking about it would prove to be cathartic—especially with a professional.

It’s been almost one year since the assault and I remain defiant. The incident may have affected me in many ways, but it has not changed the fabric of my being. I’m still dating, socializing and studying like any normal adult in their early 20s.

Some days can be rather challenging, mainly because the memories sometimes come flowing back, especially when I have a drink. Intimacy has also proven to be quite difficult, because it’s hard to lower my guard.

I take solace in knowing that I’m not alone fighting this battle. By shining a beacon of light on this dark subject, it is my hope that it may encourage those suffering alone in the shadows to come forward and seek the proper help. It is time that as a society, we begin to discuss sexual violence more openly. We must continue to work towards a collective agreement that moves to prevent future cases from occurring—regardless of gender, sexual orientation or race.

theconcordian

etc

Vote to make ASFA new again Back in the ‘90s there was no ASFA, and department associations, the groups most directly connected to their members, were under the umbrella of the CSU. Budgets were doled out sparingly from on high, regulations were onerous, and liberating even a few bucks to throw a start-of-semester wine and cheese party was an ordeal. Department associations were not oppressed so much as ignored.

ASFA was created as a CSU group to demand recognition, and to cut through that red tape and get funding to the people who could put that money to good use in their own departments— its member associations. There was to be almost no structure, other than monthly meetings where representatives from the departments could compare notes and discuss matters that affected the whole faculty, coordinate initiatives, and decide who would take care of things between meeting—an executive in the true sense of the word, a few people whose function was simply to represent and carry out the decisions of the group. That was the ASFA we tried to create.

But that ASFA never really came to be. In subsequent years I was disappointed to see ASFA transform into a CSU in miniature—with an increasingly centralized structure, an executive demonstrating less transparency and accountability while disbursing a much increased budget, hardly governed by a council with diminishing authority, not effectively coordinated, and focusing on ever more dubious social activities at the expense of issues with major implications to students and education generally, issues that concern accessibility, quality, equity, and respect.

There is now an opportunity to reverse this trend—to empower member associations, and the students that make them up—that means you. This plan does not go as far as I (and others) would like to see it go—but it is a good start, and this change will make a significant and positive difference to student life at Concordia—and you can make it happen: Vote!

Letters to the editor

Vote yes to ASFA restructuring On March 15, 16, and 17 there will be a referendum to decide whether or not ASFA should be subject to massive institutional restructuring. Everyone should vote yes. The proposed changes would see ASFA reduced in size and headed by fewer executives with more clearly defined mandates, and with the goal of being able to support the autonomy and interests of the student associations they represent. Given the significa nce of this referendum students deserve to know what a vote for or against this referen dum means, and, more importantly, why they should vote in favour for it.

The plethora of problems associated with ASFA are both deeply embedd ed and diverse in nature, ranging from cantankerous and unproductive council meeting s, to the condoning of sexist and racist conduct. One might justifiably add the lack of transpa rency and lack of financial accountability, as well as the high turnover rate of executi ves (a problem which, as a former executive, I contributed to). However, some might perceiv e these things as problems not to be solved with a hasty referendum. For those who do think this, let’s be clear what voting against this referendum is supporting.

By keeping ASFA the way it is we are further entrenching institutional practice s which undermine and fail to represent student interests, perpetuate unaccountabili ty, and have no clear direction when it comes either to listening to students or leading with executive projects and initiatives. These practices actively violate student academic interests and the welfare students are suppose to derive from having a representative student organization.

These are not the characteristics of a representative institution, they are the characteristics of a tyrannical club, perverted with power and depraved to the core.

So despicable in fact, as to willingly treat the students it represents as nothing more than means to deriving income, a means that can be tapped in order to fund extravagant parties, parties organized with a complete disregard for consent or any other sexual violenc e.

Having fewer executives and committees which are mandated to listenin g to students and fostering the autonomy of the students associations representing each department is a step away from the toxic mess that is ASFA. On March 15, 16, and 17, the students of Arts and Science will decide voting yes will move us forward. Voting no will keep things the same, and by the same I mean unapologetically opposed to the well being of the students it represents, and indiffere nt to the problems of the past.

Next week I hope students will consciously restructure the decrepit instituti on that is ASFA, and will do so to the disdain of the old guard that stood by and help perpetrate the vulgar policies and practices of the past, and who now pathetically veil their contempt for students well-being with accusations that the referendum is “overly simplist ic,” “hasn’t been thought through,» or “hasn’t taken everyone’s opinion into accoun t.” I have faith that next week students will rise above this deception, restructure ASFA, and take it away from the tyrants.

MARCH 15, 16, 17: vote to make ASFA new again.

Robert Sonin ASFA president 1996-’97

The Concordian’s team

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MICHELLE GAMAGE editor@theconcordian.com

ASSISTANT ARTS EDITORS TIFFANY LAFLEUR AMBRE SACHET

PRODUCTION MANAGER PIERRE A. LEPETIT production@theconcordian.com

MUSIC EDITOR SAMUEL PROVOST-WALKER music@theconcordian.com

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT PAULINE SOUMET NEWS EDITORS GREGORY TODARO LAURA MARCHAND news@theconcordian.com NEWS ASSISTANT SAVANNA CRAIG LIFE EDITOR CRISTINA SANZA life@theconcordian.com ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR SANDRA HERCEGOVÁ ARTS EDITORS LYDIA ANDERSON ELIJAH BUKREEV arts@theconcordian.com

Ian Campbell, former VP academic Loyola

ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR CALVIN CASHEN SPORTS EDITOR ALEXANDER COLE sports@theconcordian.com ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR JONATHAN STILL OPINIONS EDITOR DAVID EASEY opinions@theconcordian.com PHOTO EDITOR MARIE-PIERRE SAVARD photo@theconcordian.com PHOTO ASSISTANTS KELSEY LITWIN MELISSA MARTELLA

GRAPHICS EDITOR FLORENCE YEE graphics@theconcordian.com GRAPHIC ASSISTANT THOM BELL HEAD COPY EDITOR NATHALIE LAFLAMME COPY EDITORS JESSICA ROMERA WALID MARAQA copy@theconcordian.com CONTRIBUTORS Mina Mazumder, Pauline Nesbitt, Salia Hadidi, Emmett Stowe, Casey Dulson, Matthew Lapierre, Jessica Kinnari

BUSINESS MANAGER JAYA GAUTAM business@theconcordian.com ADVERTISING MANAGER PIERRE A. LEPETIT FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES advertising@theconcordian.com BOARD OF DIRECTORS NATHALIE LAFLAMME JACOB SEREBIN MILOS KOVACEVIC directors@theconcordian.com

Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper VOL. 33, ISSUE 22 MARCH 8, 2016 OUR COVER THIS WEEK “Side by Side”

by Michelle Gamage FOLLOW US ON COME TO OUR WEEKLY STORY MEETING AT THE LOYOLA CAMPUS CC-431 FRIDAY AT 1 P.M. PITCH. WRITE. EDIT. Editorial office 7141 Sherbrooke St. W Building CC - 431 Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 (514) 848-2424 ext. 7499