The Concordian

theconcordian Volume 30 Issue 25

IndependenT sTudenT neWspaper aT ConCordIa unIVersITy. sInCe 1983.

March 19, 2013

Protesting police brutality

The 17Th annual anTi-police bruTaliTy proTesT ended quickly and violenTly friday nighT wiTh over 250 arresTs of demonsTraTors and journalisTs in The downTown core. Photo by Keith Race

More than 200 demonstrators were kettled during last Friday night’s protest in Montreal between 5 and 7 p.m.. The busy area was crowded with police, demonstrators and bystanders as officers used tear gas and concussion grenades to disperse crowds and form perimeters.

The protest informally ended when more than 200 people were placed under mass arrest on Ste-Catherine

St. near Sanguinet St. where two large groups were surrounded by police, handcuffed and taken away in city buses. Kettling, a police tactic often used during last spring’s demonstrations against tuition fee increases and Bill 78, sees protesters contained within a limited area and provides only a single option of exit-

ing. Journalists from several media outlets, including The Concordian and The Link, were also detained but released shortly after.

According to the SPVM, the majority of those arrested were in violation of municipal bylaw P-6.

In this issue // life arts

music

sports

opinions

Everybody loves fondue P. 9

Efterklang’s ghost town sound P. 15

Tennis returns to Concordia P. 17

Hungry enough to eat a horse? P. 21

JErEMy EasT Contributor

Montreal’s 17th annual anti-police brutality march was a disjointed and hectic affair that led to the arrest of more than 250 people.

Service de police de la Ville de Montréal officers descended on the Friday evening protest early, separating groups of demonstrators and making arrests moments before the event began.

Officers clashed with small groups of protesters on Ste-Catherine St. near Place-des-Arts several times

Getting sassy on stage P. 12

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

Continued on P. 6

theconcordian.com

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Tuesday, march 19, 2013

Write to the editor: news@theconcordian.com

CITY Kalina laFraMBoisE news editor

>> Flippity Flop In a weird turn of events, the Parti Québécois announced last week that massive budget cuts are in place for public and private daycare centres for this coming summer. Starting July 1, a $37 million reduction will affect the Association québécoise des centres de la petite enfance, with an additional $18 million being cut from public funding provided to private daycares. Premier Pauline Marois initially promised a 3.2 per cent increase in funding but has since given up on her word, emphasizing the need to balance the budget.

>> Jailbreak cut short by oFFicer buzzkill A daring prison escape by two fugitives from a Saint-Jérôme detention centre which involved a helicopter, two accomplices and a high-speed car chase, finally ended with all four men in custody Sunday night. The two escapees, Danny Provençal, 33, and Benjamin Hudon-Barbeau, 36, began their escape Sunday afternoon when a helicopter hovered over the jail and lowered a rope for the two men to grab onto. The helicopter pilot was forced at gunpoint by the two accomplices to fly over the jail but was unharmed when found by police.

>> More

collusion, oF course According to SNC-Lavalin’s vicepresident Yves Cadotte, two mayors in Longueuil were part of a complex and convoluted system of corruption. During the Charbonneau Commission on Monday, Cadotte testified that his firm bribed elections campaigns in return for municipal contracts in 2005 and 2009 — all under the watch of mayors Jacques Olivier and Claude Gladu. Cadotte said that other firms were also part of the system, with information being given out way before the municipal government opened a tender process for firms.

city// nEWs

Students to vote on Greenhouse fee levy The Concordia Greenhouse Project needs financial aid to survive KEiTH raCE Contributor

The Concordia Greenhouse Project is reaching out to students by asking for the approval of a fee levy in hopes of securing a budget in the wake of potential closure.

The Greenhouse is asking that students approve a 12 cents per credit fee levy in a referendum this month to provide funding for a wealth of services and locally grown veggies on the 13th floor of the Hall building and several community gardens.

While the Greenhouse has been around for 50 years after the merge of Sir George Williams University and Loyola, the sciences eventually moved to Loyola Campus and abandoned the initiative. When plans were made to tear it down eight years ago students, faculty and Sustainable Concordia moved in and brought it back to life under an expansive rejuvenation project.

“In a really quick amount of time we started writing grants, we created more positions, we opened up all the rooms,” said Marcus Lobb, a co-ordinator of the City Farm School. “There are all kinds of different community

projects that are taking up the different rooms and we do a huge ceiling production each year. There’s a lot to it, it’s really vast.”

The Concordia Greenhouse is now looking for permanent funding. In the last academic year its expenses totaled $90,846. If the fee levy is accepted it would raise approximately $75,000 during the 2013-2014 academic year.

The rest of their funding would be found through grants for sustainability programs, private donations and fundraising initiatives.

Fee levies often provide programs and infrastructure to students; many consider them to be an effective means to provide valuable opportunities, though not every student has a chance to benefit directly from the endeavor.

Those who may not want to pay for services in which they don’t personally have a stake in have options.

Every year there is an opt out period providing ample opportunity to those students who may disagree.

“I feel that [the Greenhouse] is kept a little secretive and a lot of people . . . would be thinking ‘why am I paying two dollars towards this when I didn’t even know it existed,’” said Dillon Crosilla, a geography student at Concordia. “So I can see some hesitation from people there.”

Photo by Madelayne Hajek During the last two years students across the anthropology, sociology, engineering, geology and economics departments have engaged in the Greenhouse’s offerings. The Concordia Greenhouse also supplies food to Cafe X, Frigo Vert and on-campus markets for healthy and inexpensive produce.

In order to oversee operations and ensure an ethical use of the students’ investment, the Greenhouse will be forming a Board of Directors that will comply with the Concordia Student Union’s standing regulations. An annual general meeting is also held every

fall where students have the binding authority to approve or reject the proposed budget.

The vote will be held across March 27, 28 and 29, between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.. A 50 per cent plus one majority of votes is needed to decide on the initiative. If passed, full-time students can expect a $3.24 yearly fee added to their tuition fees.

Similarly, Sustainable Concordia will also be holding a fee levy referendum in hopes of expanding student contribution to 15 cents per credit starting in fall 2013.

language // nEWs

Creating a double standard Bill 14 could limit access to anglophone schools for children on the move roBin DElla CorTE assistant news editor

The hearings on Bill 14, the Parti Québécois’ proposed language reform bill, at the National Assembly last week continue to cause controversy in the anglophone community.

The bill is designed to reinforce French as the language of work, education and government. Bill 14 will make French “the normal and everyday language in which they address others and are addressed” and “[make] sure that it is possible for all who so desire to live in French in Quebec and that French is the language used in the public sphere.”

It will also repeal the provisions on the bilingual status of municipalities, increase red tape for smaller companies which will be required to offer more French services to their employees, and affect the rights of military families.

The bill that serves to tighten

French in this province will restrict access to English schools.

One of the exceptions to this law is in Section 72 of the Charter of the French Language, which claims removing “an exemption for the child of a member of the Canadian Armed Forces or his spouse’s child.”

However, if Bill 14 passes it would amend this law, forcing children of a member of the Canadian Armed Forces to attend a French institution.

Steven Lafleur, a physiotherapy student at McGill University who was able to attend an English high school since his dad was in the military, does not agree with the changes at all.

“I think that this bill is total nonsense,” Lafleur said. “My parents are in the military and I for one have gone to English schools for the sole reason that they are in the army.”

Lafleur explained that the main reason why children of parents who served in the military would be an exception to the law is because they don’t control where they are posted.

According to section 88.0.4 in Bill

14, nothing under the subdivision of education “shall be interpreted as requiring or authorizing a decrease in the quality of English instruction dispensed by schools to students declared eligible for instruction in English.”

Lafleur was born in Cold Lake, Alta., where his parents were posted when he was born before moving to Saguenay.

He explained how difficult the transition can be for a child adapting to a new home.

“I can imagine how a child would feel if he/she would move to a totally new place, have no friends and on top of that, have to learn a new language,” Lafleur said. “By granting military children the right to attend English schools, this made it easy for those being posted in and out of Quebec.”

Lafleur stated that should the bill pass, there will be consequences.

“If the bill passes, I know of at least two schools that would probably have to close, being mostly composed of military kids,” Lafleur said. He doesn’t understand why the govern-

ment would remove this privilege to children whose parents served in the Armed Forces.

“Bill 14 doesn’t do anyone any favours,” said Donna Varrica, Dawson College’s communications co-ordinator. “We’re going to be worried if the bill passes because we’d lose a portion of our enrollment.”

Bill 14 wants to create a second exit test in anglophone colleges, Varrica stated. Usually, when leaving a college, you complete an exit test in the language of your school. If Bill 14 passes, it will implement a second exit exam in French within the anglophone colleges required by graduation but will not implement an English exit test in francophone colleges.

“They would create a double standard by doing this,” Varrica said.

“In a sense, it would penalize francophones.”

The passage of the bill will be decided by the Coalition Avenir Québec, the party that holds the balance of power in the National Assembly right now.

Tuesday, march 19, 2013

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campus // nEWs

Council appoints a new president

MaTTHEW GuiTé assistant news editor

VP sustainability andrew roberts to keep both portfolios Kalina laFraMBoisE news editor

T

he Concordia Student Union is no longer leaderless as VP sustainability Andrew Roberts was appointed to the position of president during last Wednesday’s regular council meeting.

The CSU was without a president since Feb. 12 following the official resignation of Schubert Laforest, who cited a decline in health as his reason for leaving.

The executive began by presenting four candidates as options to council: VP clubs and internal Nadine Atallah, VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon, VP Loyola Stefan Faina and the absent VP academic and advocacy Hajar El Jahidi. Atallah, despite receiving zero votes from councillors during the contentious Feb.13 council meeting, did not rescind her candidacy.

Immediately following the announcement, Faina withdrew his name prior to the discussion held by

council over potential options for a new president. This left three options from the executive to be voted upon.

Lauzon stated that he was ready to take on the position despite adamantly declining the opportunity in February. He explained that as president he would have clear modes of communication with the executive and council.

In a snap decision, Roberts offered to be considered — a suggestion he refused at the earlier date of Feb. 13, stating he did not want to deal with the “politics” that come with the role of president.

“I’ll throw my name in,” said Roberts.

Upon saying that the room was too tense, Roberts put forward his candidacy and council quickly passed a motion from Councillor Gonzo Nieto for Roberts to be the fourth candidate on the list.

Some councillors expressed concern over appointing Roberts since he was initially reluctant to even be considered for the role and were uneasy about putting Roberts in such a position.

“Andrew is awesome,” said coun-

cillor Hardial Rosner. “But he really, really doesn’t want to do it.”

However, councillor Chad Walcott argued that Roberts was the best outcome for appointing a new president from the executive.

“Andrew is trying to step up and do the right thing,” said Walcott. “He’s the only one who I would vote for.”

Following tense discussion surrounding all four candidates, council went to a secret ballot to determine the next president of the CSU. Roberts will continue as president through the end of his mandate until June 1.

The CSU was at an impasse for more than a month following the Feb. 13 meeting that left both the executive and councillors unhappy with the outcome and one another.

The executive recommended that Atallah replace Laforest following his unsuspected departure but this didn’t sit well with council. It quickly divided the room, pinning the executive, who felt Atallah was best suited for the position, against councillors, who refused to appoint Atallah. Councillors demanded other options but no other executive was willing to take on the

portfolio at the time.

The discussion ended as contentiously as it began, with councillors Nieto and James Vaccaro pursuing a complaint with the CSU’s Judicial Board over bylaw 7.4. The bylaw states that should there be a vacancy in the presidency, council shall appoint a president from the vice-presidents; should no vice-presidents be willing then a councillor may be appointed with two-thirds majority of votes.

However, the bylaw does not instruct what to do should the only vicepresident who is willing be rejected by council but does not withdraw their candidacy.

JB ruled in favour of council but allowed the executive to first present other options than Atallah for councillors to choose from.

Now that council has appointed their new president, it seems as though it will not appoint another student to take on Roberts’ portfolio. The new president said he would continue to work in both capacities but that council must move forward together.

“This isn’t a be all, end all,” said Roberts. “It’s a group effort.”

campus // nEWs

Backlash over procedure from council Errors produce repercussions, contention during meeting Kalina laFraMBoisE news editor

A lack of communication and failure to follow procedure is interfering with the production of the Concordia Student Union once again.

Various changes to the organization’s bylaws are in danger of disappearing should they not be included during the general elections as a referendum question.This process not only went undone, but also went unnoticed until Judicial Board Chairperson Nick Cuillerier brought it to the attention of council last Wednesday.

The oversight could mean that revisions to bylaws ‘I’ and ‘J,’ and a modification to bylaw 10.2, fall flat before they were ever truly recognized.

Bylaw ‘I’ was changed to reference bylaw ‘J’ to provide a committee to oversee the spending of the student centre fund.

The executive did not realize the implications until it was brought forth after Cuillerier saw a notice of polls poster at Concordia the same evening.

The mistake, while VP clubs and internal Nadine Atallah promised it would be quickly rectified, garnered backlash from council.

“This is a huge dereliction of duties,” said Councillor Chad Walcott. “I want to know what happened to let you screw up to such a massive degree.”

The executive did not have a clear answer as to why the notice requirement was never done other than it was an error.

As the notice requirement was not fulfilled, the CSU used a notwithstanding clause under the standing regulations since the changes were not announced in the postering.

“Any ordinary motion, resolution or regulation who derogates from the code can only be adopted with a clause stating that the motion operates regardless of the code of standing regulations. The clause must state which article(s) are not to be applied towards the motion. Such motion requires a 2/3 majority vote and will cease to have effect 4 months following its approval,” standing regulation 267 reads.

This allows the revisions to the bylaws to be put to referendum and the executive was mandated through a motion to issue an email to the undergraduate student body to inform them of the question before 6 a.m. Thursday morning but has to yet to do so. missing reporT, missing meeTings A Senate report from VP academic and advocacy Hajar El Jahidi was missing from the documents presented to council last Wednesday. Councillor James Vaccaro asked for the report but El Jahidi was absent due to illness.

However, since Vaccaro and Senator Chuck Wilson were both present, they quickly went over the details of the last Senate meeting.

It also came to light that El Jahidi, since taking her mandate in November, has yet to attend any Steering Committee meetings. The total number of meetings is now at five, three of which El Jahidi was part of the executive for and has missed.

Speaking to The Concordian, El

NATION

>> lights, caMera, raid?

Immigration activists in Vancouver, B.C., are protesting the arrests of eight migrant workers in a raid on a construction site where camera crews accompanied immigration officials and filmed the arrests for a television show. Oscar Mata, one of the migrant workers arrested during the raid, told CBC that when he asked the officials about the cameras they told him not to worry as it was for a reality T.V. show. According to their website the show, Border Security: Canada’s Front Line, follows Canada Border Services Agency officers working at air, land and marine crossings in B.C.’s Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.

>> hadField takes over iss Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield made history last Wednesday night when he was officially declared commander of the International Space Station. With a career as an astronaut that spans over two decades, he is the first person other than Russian and American astronauts to be commander of the station. Hadfield has also become a social media sensation, posting pictures of different areas of the Earth during his time on the ISS to the delight of his followers.

>> assault at

elder care hoMe

Photo by Marilla Steuter-Martin

Jahidi said that her absences were unfortunate but were out of hands as factors including IT problems and sickness prevented her from being present for Senate and steering committee meetings.

“For steering committee I was very unfortunate as I haven’t been able to attend. For the first meeting I was out of town but I sent my regrets, and for the second one I was sick and I couldn’t make it,” she said.

El Jahidi also said omplaints about her absences were never brought to her prior to being aired elsewhere such as at CSU meetings, and that despite difficulties attending meetings she had made an effort to keep up with Senate and steering committee events.

“I’ve been keeping in touch with what’s been happening at the steering committee,” she said. “I tried once to talk to the other person who was at steering, I think it was Chuck [Wilson], but he wasn’t that responsive.”

Conversely, Senator Chuck Wilson said that is not true.

“That is not true — no one knew,” said Wilson. “Danielle Tessier would specifically ask me, awkwardly, if I knew if Hajar was coming.”

Wilson said that he was sending updates on meetings since February.

“I’m really not sure where this is coming from,” said Wilson. “I’ve been trying to keep everyone aware of what’s happening at Steering, and I’ve never heard so much as a peep from Hajar about it.”

Part of the responsibilities of VP academic include the coordination and the chairing of meetings of the student academic caucus, as well as sitting on Concordia’s academic bodies.

A Senate report has yet to be filed. more backlash The same meeting produced remarkable tension throughout the room, this time aimed at Chairperson Jean-François Ouellet for not following procedure during council.

During multiple votes, Ouellet counted abstentions within the total number of votes — a process that violates Robert’s Rules of Order. An abstention, or the refusal to vote, is not technically supposed to influence the outcome of a vote.

Furthermore, council lost patience with Ouellet when he refused to acknowledge Councillor Gonzo Nieto’s challenge to the chair toward the end of the meeting.

Both Nieto and Walcott left shortly after the challenge was disregarded.

An attack by a 72-year-old man at an senior’s residence in Toronto has left one woman dead and another in the hospital according to police.

Peter Roy Brooks, a resident at the home, is being charged with second-degree murder and aggravated assault after attacking two female residents, age 72 and 91, with a weapon. The 72-year-old woman died from her injuries but the other was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

>> garneau steps aside For trudeau Former astronaut and Liberal leadership candidate Marc Garneau dropped out of the race on Wednesday and threw his support behind Justin Trudeau, saying that mathematically it was impossible for him to close the gap between himself and his rival. According to Garneau’s own campaign, Trudeau leads the race for the Liberal leadership with 72 per cent, followed by Garneau’s 15 per cent. During his announcement Garneau complemented Trudeau’s ability to rally people to his cause and said that he would remain a loyal soldier under the new Liberal leader.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, march 19, 2013

WORLD roBin DElla CorTE assistant news editor

>> Francis

says sup

Pope Francis made his first public prayer in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican Sunday where about 300,000 individuals watched in awe. Pope Francis leaned out the window of the papal apartment, the pope made an appearance outside where he shook hands with visitors and kissed the foreheads of children leaving the chapel.

The pope accepted a kiss on the cheek from a woman and asked people to “pray for me” where he also asked for prayers on his Twitter. “This is what he was known for as he was cardinal in Argentina, getting amongst the people,” Vatican analyst David Perlich told CBC News. “So I am sure this is setting the stage for what we can expect for years to come.”

>> Mass arrest

over rape

Police arrested five men Sunday due to the gang rape of a Swiss woman who was attacked in central India while on vacation with her husband. All men admitted to the attack that happened Friday night as the woman and her husband camped outside in a forest in Datia district of Madhya Pradesh. The couple reported that the woman was raped by seven or eight men, but due to darkness were unsure of the exact number.

Similarly, her husband was tied up and physically assaulted. Several high profile cases of sexual assault have prompted the government to pass a law increasing prison terms for rape from the already seven to 10 years to a maximum of 20 years.

Meet your Concordia scale projects: promoting spaces that already exist, like the seventh floor CSU lounge needs a facelift.

CarolinE BourBonnièrE - VP ExTErnal & MoBilizaTion CanDiDaTE

If you could change one thing about this year’s CSU, what would it be?

There have been some successes this year but this perception that council has been vocal due to personal vendettas. Council has been vocal this year because there is a lot to be vocal about.

I want to develop a stronger stance with the FEUQ and build a more united voice at Concordia. I want to organize a successful divestment campaign with VP sustainability candidate Ben Prunty.

If you could change one thing about this year’s CSU, what would it be?

I would organize weekly meetings with all faculty executives and CSU executives. That would have solved a lot of communication issues and lack of Fine Arts seats.

Experience: With my experience at ASFA, I think it will help with the FEUQ while understanding the workings of a federation and what my students want.

I have a wealth of experience organizing speaker events, namely ASFA Talks.

Strengths and weaknesses: My strength is diplomacy. My weakness is when I am invested and deem an event successful, I take it personally when people tell me I haven’t been doing a good job.

With your platform, what do you want to change about the CSU?

If you were approached with a similar situation to the political science petition, how would you react?

ASFA voted unanimously on that petition and mandated me to present the petition to faculty council but before you need to bring it to steering committee. I was personally caught between following the rules and doing my job properly while maintaining ties between the administration, and what seemed right as a student representative. That was a great lesson learned for next year since I might be obliged to stand up to administration and I’m definitely not afraid of putting any pressure on the university.

JaMEs VaCCaro - VP CluBs anD inTErnal CanDiDaTE focused on what I am doing to the extent that all my focus on that one thing.

Experience: I’ve done a lot of volunteer work throughout my existence and typically very active in high school up until university where I took a break to focus on my studies for a couple of years. I was CSU secretary — taking minutes at every meeting. This year I am on as an Arts and Science councillor and sit on several committees.

ticket

Experience: I’ve been working for the past year and a half to bring a new club to Concordia, the Political Bouillon.

I know how important it is to get back to clubs quickly and with an informed response. As internal, I’ve worked with different parts of student governance and know how organizations work with one another.

Strengths and weaknesses: I think my strength would be the ability to entertain and idea without necessarily agreeing with it. My biggest weakness is being incredibly

If you could change one thing about this year’s CSU, what would it be?

When it comes down to it, council was full of dedicated people who wanted to make it work and we sat on committees that never met.

How are you going to make the student centre consultation a success?

It has to be a multi-problem approach, we can’t just throw a survey online and we have to go out and get the information from students. We have to be on our feet and talking to students one on one across both campuses and all faculties.

Do you feel your team can adequately represent the needs of all students?

Yes. I think that this sort of assumption that students coming from a faculty can accurately represent everyone from that faculty is faulty. I don’t think not having an engineering student will stop us from representing our students.

Strengths and weaknesses: I think I have two fundamental strengths: I see good things in everybody and I think it makes me more approachable. My weaknesses are I think I set a lot of personal goals and don’t always follow through. I have a hard time rolling with the punches when it’s of a personal nature.

What will you do to ensure students are sitting on academic bodies?

It’s about visibility. It’s about letting them know what their role is.

We’d make sure to come out really, really hard with information everywhere and encourage people to get involved.

With your platform, what do you want to change about the CSU? I’d like to really go out and integrate student feedback into our plans.

Another thing is visibility and providing opportunities for students at large to get involved. Responsibility and long-term planning, things like student centre can’t be rushed. Smaller-

Do you think there’s a reason why you’re unopposed?

Students are either disenchanted with the union or don’t know what it is. I think we’ve had an exceptionally bad year at the CSU. My team is strong and we’re quite qualified. It’s about turning it around and giving the students their union and their voice.

CrysTal Harrison - VP loyola CanDiDaTE ing on here, increase services and let students know that services are here.

I want to help with food options. Another smaller thing is lack of printers.

Advocacy, HOJO, legal services should be available here.

With your platform, what do you want to change about the CSU? I want to turn the CSU into an organization that student groups and students want to work with and get involved with instead of seeing it as an organization that fails students time and time again.

>> one-way The wait is finally over — the man behind the private space project dubbed Mars One is searching for people willing to travel to Mars and not return home. “The technology to get humans to Mars and keep them alive there exists,” Bas Lansdorp told CBC Radio Day 6 host Brent Bambury in an interview. “The technology to bring humans from Mars back to Earth simply does not exist yet.” The never-to-return explorers will require eight years of training and the search will begin later this year. Lansdorp claims he’s looking for people who are dependable, good in groups and “at their best when things are at their worst.”

The flight is scheduled to leave in September 2022.

Melissa Kate Wheeler - Presidential candidate

Kalina laFraMBoisE news editor

Experience: I’ve been on COMS Guild for two years, a councillor for ASFA, as well as two external committees. I bring a direct communication with students.

Strengths and weaknesses: My strength is definitely my passion for this campus and my spirit and positive attitude in tense situations.

My weakness is that I do take things pretty personally.

With your platform, what do you want to change about the CSU? I want people to know what is go-

If you could change one thing about this year’s CSU, what would it be?

It’s hard to answer this. I would change just how negative everything was. It’s just the general attitude of the students because of all of the contention between council and CSU. What are your plans for the Hive?

I know the Hive café has been this mythical unicorn but everyone talks about making it a reality. We’ll be doing it over summer. Things are pretty much signed off for construction.

Any regrets jumping from ASFA to the CSU? No, none at all. It was the perfect fit. My heart is in Loyola and the CSU allows me to do all that I truly care about.

Tuesday, march 19, 2013

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campus// nEWs

Student Union candidates KaTrina Caruso - VP sTuDEnT liFE CanDiDaTE and honest and real and don’t take a lot of crap. You can count on me to do the job done. My weakness is that I get stressed and I can be a little emotional.

Experience: I’m currently Editor-in-Chief of CUJA, a FASA councillor, [part of the] Clubs and Services committee and I’m also an ex-officio Fine Arts officer for CSU. Strengths and weaknesses: I’m organized, I’m responsible

With your platform, what do you want to change about the CSU? Working in communications, website, calendar works. As well as just organizing projects in what students really want and actually need.

I’d like to collaborate more with students who aren’t involved like JMSB and ENCS. If you could change one thing about this year’s CSU, what would it be?

Communication is lacking and often at times I’ve been wondering what’s been happening prior to me

being on the CSU. I would change accountability because I feel a lot of people aren’t being honest.

How will you act as student faculty liaison with faculty associations?

I like being involved with CASA, ENCS, FASA meetings because they are important and I will bring what they need to the CSU. I’ve never personally seen Alexis Suzuki at my FASA meetings.

Why are you running unopposed?

It’s unfortunate that we can only hear about these open positions the week before, there is a real lack of communication.

sCoTT Carr - VP FinanCE CanDiDaTE

Experience: I have a very different experience from a lot of the candidates and I’ve been really involved in JMSB. I’ve been involved since I’ve walked into the door and I have a lot of experience in case competitions that has taught me a lot about analytical abilities. It’s about that extra little something.

Strengths and weaknesses: I am extremely straightforward, I

will tell you what I am thinking and to a certain extent that can play on a positive and a negative.

With your platform, what do you want to change about the CSU? There are some structural changes and the first thing I’m going to have to do is learn. I’m going to need to learn a lot and then analyze a lot. I want to assess CUSACorp, its structure, how it operates, its marketing. Then it’s about assessing the students of Concordia and I see them as a target market, and we need to know the needs of our target market.

If you could change one thing about this year’s CSU, what would it be?

I don’t think the CSU has enough business knowledge on board. You can say Keny Toto fulfilled his mandate but at the end of the day it’s about going beyond the basics.

Do you have a plan for Reggie’s?

I think anyone coming in here saying they have a detailed plan hasn’t done their research and any plan needs to be in pencil because things are going to change.

There is a lot of potential there, it’s prime real estate with a lot of access to students and it’s not being utilized.

As you’re the only candidate running opposed, why should students vote for you?

I don’t like to focus on the negatives about the other candidate but I have a lot of experience with businesses, and bringing a diverse experience. I’ve done well.

I feel that I’ve worked hard to acquire knowledge and I would like to use that knowledge in a great social meaning.

PiErrE TarDiVo - VP FinanCE CanDiDaTE line funding and transparent reports.

I would like to change the way we make decisions and come up with a rule of thumb as to how we would accurately fund projects. As for transparent reports, they would be accessible to everyone.

Experience: Well, I bring three years of business education from JMSB. I bring my knowledge as a councillor and now, my knowledge about the CSU is quite elaborate. Also, It won’t be a big learning curve of learning dayto-day activities of VP finance. I also sit on the Financial Committee.

Strengths and weaknesses: I think my strengths are that I’m easy to work with and that I am diplomatic. I think most of council and most of the execs get along with me and I never really anger people. I guess my weakness is experience.

With your platform, what do you want to change about the CSU? I’ve been promoting four platform points. Ethical investments is one — it’s important to remember we represent an image of progress. There are procedural platform points: stream-

Experience: So basically I’ve been sitting on Senate for two years now and that is largely my experience. I’ve been involved with student politics as a Senator in a variety of different ways.

Strengths and weaknesses: My main strength is probably a very pedantic spirit. For weaknesses, I would say that I overload myself. It’s

With your platform, what do you want to change about the CSU? To co-ordinate between departmental faculty, Senate, and Board of Governors. I’ll be meeting regularly with faculty representatives because that’s what’s coming to Senate. On the advocacy side, it’s something I have a lot less experience in. I’d like to engage students in a discussion about higher education and the theory of elearning.

If you could change one thing about this year’s CSU, what would it be?

I would have had the correct and most up to date version of the bylaws and standing regulations to everyone.

If people are working off the wrong standing regulations, that may explain

a lot of this year.

VPAA has admittedly been a contentious position this year, what will you do to change that perspective?

My basic stance is do the job.

We’re being elected to work 40 hour weeks and if we do that, do the work we are mandated to do and spend the time in engaging with students and demonstrate we’re doing the work appropriately then it takes a lot of contention out of it.

Is the ineligibility of independent students sitting on Senate something you’d pursue?

Definitely. If I am elected then I will hopefully be talking with both the provost and president about the issue of independent students sitting on Senate. I think infringing upon that right is unfortunate.

As you’re the only candidate running opposed, why should students vote for you?

I get along with the people running on the current team and there would be a team dynamic if I were working alongside them. In terms of dedication, I’ve been interested in this much longer.

BEnJaMin PrunTy - VP susTainaBiliTy CanDiDaTE the food system at Concordia. Hive Café is something I want to get off the ground and see operating by the fall. I think it’s important to allow students to have a say in where their food comes from and I want to be a part of Concordia’s negotiation process for a new food contract.

GEnE MorroW - VP aCaDEMiC & aDVoCaCy CanDiDaTE about being able to manage my time better and limit my scope.

If you could change one thing about this year’s CSU, what would it be?

Well I think not much was done this year. I think there has been a lot of mess ups, and I think that’s widely known.

Do you have a plan for Reggie’s?

It’s always a very important point for VP finance and I want to take on the challenge. My idea is to hire extremely competent external directors and a competent business manager. By controlling the inventory, we would be reducing costs and we would increase sales and have more events. Having food available at Reggie’s would definitely be something I’d consider.

Experience: I have experience in social economy and I’ve been sustainabilityminded for a really long time. I’ve been on the sustainability and action fund board this year, involved with Sustainable Concordia and several conferences on sustainability. I’m involved in the Liberal Arts society, ASFA council, councillor for CSU. Strengths and weaknesses: I have strong analytical skills and an understanding of sustainability. I’m definitely driven. My weaknesses would be I’m not stretching myself thin which is something I’m working on.

With your platform, what do you want to change about the CSU? Basically I’m very interested in

If you could change one thing about this year’s CSU, what would it be?

The website is a real problem.

There’s a certain lack of transparency when the website isn’t running – I can’t find the bylaws.

How will you make the student centre sustainable?

I don’t know that the student centre exists. I think my role in that is that we do find the right people to make it sustainable. Apparently JMSB is incredibly sustainable so I’m gathering there are a few experts around.

How do you feel about running unopposed?

It’s a sad day for democracy, that’s for sure but I do think that I am qualified so I know I will commit to this project and portfolio.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, march 19, 2013

Mass arrests cut anti-police brutality march short Photos by Keith Race and Joseph Leger

Photo by Joseph Leger

Continued from cover The controversial law, which was passed in the midst of last year’s student protests, forbids the covering of one’s face during a demonstration and demands that authorities be provided with a protest itinerary lest participation be declared illegal.

Those detained were given tickets and released before midnight.

The historically violent march began on a tense note with several hundred people gathered at the corners of Ontario St. and St. Urbain St. amidst a heavy police presence. Cavalry and riot squads attempted to block off the roads leading out of the square while other units moved through the crowd, searching protestors and making preventive arrests.

“You can see from the police here that the SPVM are becoming more efficient as a paramilitary force, and the problem is that this is exactly what

people are protesting against,” said demonstrator Marc-Antoine Bergeron.

“Evidently, the police don’t want this protest to even take place.”

The march was declared illegal minutes after 5 p.m. on the basis that a planned itinerary was not provided to police, and demonstrators were ordered to disperse.

At that point the march began to make its way south on St. Urbain St., but did not reach the end of the block.

Police charged the group, breaking it into smaller factions that were then forced to flee a Sûreté du Quebec riot squad that materialized out of an underground parking garage.

The tactic disorganized the demonstrators, and they did not manage to re-form as a large collective. Smaller, splintered groups were confronted by police for the rest of the evening.

Twenty-two of the arrested face criminal charges that include obstruction of justice, disturbing the peace, outstanding arrest warrants and possession of incendiary objects. Two police officers were injured during the evening’s events.

The anti-brutality march has traditionally been notorious for violence. More than 200 people were arrested at last year’s event, at which a police cruiser was overturned and windows of businesses along the march’s route were smashed.

Police prepared for the worst Friday morning, going so far as to hand out flyers downtown warning the public to avoid the protest. By the march’s end, a few patrol cars that had been damaged with bricks were the only acts of vandalism reported.

Photos by Keith Race

campus // nEWs

FASA objects to province-wide budget cuts Fine arts students upset following massive decreases in funding to the department MaTTHEW GuiTé assistant news editor

The Fine Arts Student Association has come out in opposition of the proposed budget cuts for their department following a council meeting two weeks ago where they voted unanimously against budget cuts and the proposed indexation of tuition.

Following the announcement last month that the Fine Arts department would see their budget cut by 15 to 20 per cent which would lead to re-

duced classes and less equipment, FASA met to discuss their options.

Among other actions, a petition is being circulated to Fine Arts students to inform them of the cuts and to ask for their support in fighting against them.

Jessica Gilbert, VP internal communications for FASA, told The Concordian that the petition has been posted at both Cafe X locations in the VA and EV buildings where Fine Arts students could sign to show their support.

Mim Lennig, a third-year Fine Arts student, told The Concordian

that while she had not seen or heard of FASA’s petition, she was strongly opposed to any further cuts to the Fine Arts department’s budget.

“The classes are already too big, considering the size of the classrooms, and there’s never enough tables for everyone, there’s never enough easels for everybody and the easels are no good,” she said. “I mean it kind of creates a bad experience to begin with, so I think it’s a ridiculous idea to begin with to cut the budget, but who cares about the Fine Arts students, right?”

Within the same motion, FASA

also made official their opposition to the Parti Québécois’ planned tuition increase of three per cent a year.

One of the reasons included in the motion is the fact that top-level nonacademic administrators are only taking a pay cut of 2.4 per cent while indexation is increasing their pay by 2.54 per cent, thus netting them an increase despite the university’s financial difficulties.

Upon the surprising announcement of the slashes in funding from the provincial government in early December, Concordia University had to cut $13.2 million out of its operat-

ing budget for the 2012-13 academic year. This forced the university to declare a deficit and interim Provost Lisa Ostiguy said that the reductions “would be felt across the board.”

In a press release on their website, FASA stated that they were “calling on the current government of Quebec to repeal its cuts to university spending,” and that following their March 6 meeting, “the FASA council unanimously voted to oppose any cuts to the faculty’s operating budget, to oppose any fee indexation, and to oppose any type of austerity measure.”

CSU ELECTIONS

ANNOUNCEMENT OF

POLLS The Concordia Student Union’s 2013 Elections and Referenda are underway!

Nominations: March 4 – March 9 Campaigns: March 12 - 25 Polls: March 26 - 28 All undergraduate Concordia students are eligible and ENCOURAGED to participate, by running for elected positions, informing themselves about candidates and issues, and of course by voting!

EVERY VOTE COUNTS! AVAILABLE SEATS

Executive

President

Council of Representatives

VP Academic & Advocacy

VP Clubs & Internal Affairs

VP Finance

VP Student Life

VP Loyola

VP External Affairs

14 Seats in Arts and Science 3 Seats in Fine Arts 6 Seats in John Molson 4 Seats for Independent Students 3 Seats for Engineering

VP Sustainability

Senate

1 Seat for Arts & Science 1 Seat for John Molson 1 Seat for Independent Students 1 Seat for Visual Arts 1 Seat for Engineering REFERENDUM QUESTIONS Sustainable Concordia – Sustainable Concordia is a student run organization that offers environmental, social and economic services and products such as: composting, recycling, bike

parking, sustainability assessments, internship opportunities, and events. It has operated for a decade on a contribution of 5 cents per credit. Do you agree to increase Sustainable Concordia’s fee levy by 10c per credit, to a total of 15c per credit effective Fall 2013?

Concordia Greenhouse – The Concordia Greenhouse Project is an initiative that uses several garden sites on campus, including the Henry F. Hall building roof-top, as all-organic spaces geared towards education, experiential learning and community building. Do you agree to a new fee levy of 12c per credit to maintain the operations of the Concordia Greenhouse Project effective as of Fall 2013.

Concordia Food Coalition – Would you like to see the CSU actively support the new affordable, sustainable, student-run food service initiatives on campus?

NOMINATION PERIOD: March 4 – March 8 (ending at 5:00 pm)

All Concordia undergrads are encouraged to run in the 2013 Elections! Nomination forms can be obtained at the downtown CSU office, the Loyola CSU office or from the Chief Electoral Officer (H-462-3). Nomination forms must be submitted in person (by the nominee themselves) to the Chief Electoral Officer. Nominees handing in completed forms will be issued a receipt and candidates’ information pack. The names of nominees will remain confidential until the closing of the nomination period. All nomination forms must be submitted by 5:00 pm on Ma rc h 8 . Any late forms will not be accepted. Further information, including CSU Elections 2013 campaigning policies, may be obtained from the Chief Electoral Officer.

REFERENDUM COMMITTEES (deadline: March 8th at 5pm)

All Concordia undergrads may participate in the “Yes” or “No” Committees for the above stated Referendum Questions. Committee participants will promote their respective platforms throughout the campaigning period. All individuals interested in participating in a referendum committee should contact the CEO before March 8 th for instructions

INFORMATION SESSIONS

Public & Nominee Information Meeting - A public information meeting will be held Tuesday March 12 at 6:00 pm in the CSU cafeteria Referendum Committee Information Meeting – The tentative date for the formation of referendum committees is Friday March 8 at 6pm in the CSU small lounge Executive Debates – Executive debates will be conducted in the CSU’s large lounge on Wednesday March 20th at 4:00 pm, and available online through CUTV

POLLING INFORMATION - Polling stations will be open March 26, 27 &28, from 10am to 8pm. All Concordia undergrads (who are registered for at least one class for the winter semester) are eligible to vote, and may do so at one of the following locations: 1) Hall Building Lobby 7) CC 4th Floor Lounge 2) Hall Building 4th Floor 8) SP Lobby 3) Webster Library Atrium 9) CJ Lobby 4) EV Lobby 10) Vanier Library 5) MB Lobby 11) VL Lobby 6) Visual Arts Building Lobby

For more information please contact Andre-Marcel Baril at ceo@csu.qc.ca, or visit the website: csuelections.wordpress.com

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Tuesday, March 19, 2011

theconcordian

An open letter to students

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Tuesday, march 19, 2013

life

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Write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com resto // life

Fondue…or is it fun-due?

An exploration of cheese in the Old Port’s Creperie Chez Suzette MArtA BArneS Staff writer

The love for cheese is something Montreal has happily inherited from its French heritage – and its fondue is a testament to this. Creperie Chez Suzette gives a wondrous array of inventive fondues for both the casual and dedicated cheese lover.

Tucked into St-Paul’s St. in the Old Port, Chez Suzette is the very meaning of the word cozy, inside and out. Lace curtains let in lots of light and a peek at the cobblestone street. Furnished with wood in the interior and decorated with potted plants, it feels like somewhere between a stop off at grandma’s and a visit to the turn of the century – especially during the summer with the carriage rides clopping by.

Bringing the eyes back to the menu, it becomes apparent that the decision between fondues is going to be a tough one. Each is served with a cubed-cut baguette, olive bread, and Italian herb bread, as well as a bowl of diced green apples and sweet red grapes. There is of course

the original cheese fondue, but if you’re feeling adventurous, the sundried tomato, pesto and olives, as well as the pepper and three cheeses fondue are good choices.

The former comes bubbling hot with whole chunks of tomato stewing in the molten dairy.

While the cheese doesn’t have a particularly exciting flavour, and has at first, a vaguely alcoholic aftertaste, the texture and added spices of the tomatoes and herbs quickly make up for it. Combined with the cool sweetness of the grapes, the fondue is absolutely delicious.

The pepper and three cheese, however, is the best of the bunch. Where the sundried tomato is clearly made-up of just one variety of cheese, the three cheeses in this one are delicately balanced and distinct. The pepper gives a nice kick to it, and between the sweet apples and the baguette, the gustatory experience is one to impress.

Should you run out of dipping materials, the attentive and warm-spirited waiters will happily bring fruit and bread refills free of charge. With that said, this meal is not one for casual second helpings. It is rich and so filling that even room for dessert can easily become a faint, unrealistic

Photo by Andrea Sun

desire.

As for the fondue enthusiasts, the fun doesn’t stop at the cheese. The regular chocolate fondue, as well as the deluxe Baileys and Grand Marnier, are a sweet and sinful indulgence.

While an appreciation for cheese can be an expensive taste, Creperie Chez Suzette offers one of the most affordable dinners of the sort in Montreal. The cheese fondues range from $18.95

to $20.95 per person, while the chocolates go for around $17.95 to $24.95, depending on the type and if you decide to share.

So before finals start boiling away your time, take a well-earned break in the Old Port for some cheese - you won’t be sorry.

Creperie Chez Suzette is located at 3 St-Paul St. East.

fashion // life

Model and celebrity tug of war History may say celebrity, but we’re seeing a shift in trend MAriA HinOPOrOS Contributor

F

rom Kim Kardashian to Adriana Lima, has any Hollywood starlet not graced the cover of a magazine? Throughout the last couple of decades, there seems to have been a shift when it comes to the magazine industry.

Traditionally, when you would peruse through the pages of Vogue, you would see nothing but nameless and slender beautiful figures. Flash forward to the 2000s and you’re bombarded with Hollywood’s A-listers.

Recently, the 22-year-old Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence was chosen to be the new face of Dior for the spring/summer 2013 campaign. She joins timeless South African beauty Charlize Theron who has been representing the brand since 2004. John Galliano first approached the actress when he wanted to replace Estonian model Tiiu Kuik for the “J’adore” advertisements.

This evolution from model to celebrity has

me thinking, which helps increase magazine and fashion brand circulation?

Anna Wintour, famously known for the inspiration behind the movie The Devil Wears Prada has been editor-in-chief of Vogue since 1988. She was first offered the job because, believe it or not, the magazine had been losing ground to ELLE. “Vogue is a fashion magazine, and a fashion magazine is about change,” said Wintour in an interview with Judith Newman in 1990. By 1989, models became too mainstream for her.

They were something of the past and she was a woman of the future. She needed someone edgier, more known, more in the now. Someone no one would suspect or even dream of seeing on the front cover, someone like Madonna.

While the other publications remained fixated on models, Wintour dove into a new realm; the world of celebrities. During the ‘90s, every Hollywood it-girl made an appearance on one of magazine’s semi-gloss pages. Wintour foresaw the celebrity obsession and used it to her advantage increasing magazine sales.

Today, even iconic haute-couture brands like Dior and Chanel use celebrities for their campaigns. Models get the boot while the celebs get the job. That may have been the trend for the last two decades, but it seems like models are making a comeback. With the help of social media sites like Twitter and Instagram, models are extending their fanbase and nudging their way into the pop culture of celebrities.

Graphics by Jennifer Kwan

British model Lily Monica Donaldson has appeared on the covers of Vogue UK, Vogue Australia and Vogue Italia and has represented fashion houses such as Dior, Dolce & Gabbana and Max Mara. In 2011 and 2012 she was a Victoria’s Secret angel and rocked the catwalk at the lavish and vibrant Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

As for Canadians, no one does social media better than Toronto-born model Coco Rocha. She was the first high-fashion model to reach one million social media followers. Rocha has been the face of pretty much every designer, ranging from Yves Saint Laurent to Gap. In 2012, Karl Lagerfeld hired her for his Macy’s collection brand.

Vogue Paris has included her in the top 30 models of the 2000s.

Glenn McMahon, CEO of St. John Knits, told Women’s Wear Daily that her decision to replace Angelina Jolie with supermodel Karen Elson was based on the need for a clean slate for the fashion

company because the actress “overshadowed the brand.”

Magazine editors are also looking for fresh faces, and gearing more towards well-known models rather than the obvious celebrity of the moment. Not to mention that most magazines usually include a three-page feature of the celebrity on the cover, and readers have become quite tired of reading the same stories on the same people.

One of the reasons for this shift is that more industries, with the help of social media sites, are producing their own celebrities that don’t necessarily come from the big screen.

When it comes to modeling, there are just some things that celebs cannot do. Sure, they’re stunning, flawless even, but when a photographer needs to capture that picture-perfect, million-dollar shot, a model knows how to position herself to get it within seconds.

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Tuesday, march 19, 2013

theconcordian tech // life

Wine, dine and Instagram me Surrender your phone for a cheaper meal GeOrGe MenexiS Opinions editor

It seems the true meaning of date night has changed in recent years. A night out used to be a means of escape for most people, where one’s company can be enjoyed over a bottle of a restaurant’s finest wine with no distractions. These days it seems like people go from one distraction to another, browsing their smartphones, failing to remember the wonderful, conversation-filled evening they were supposed to be having.

Most are keen on tweeting how their night is going rather than enjoying it; Instagramming their foods and posting their location on Facebook with an endless list of social media responsibilities. This, according to a study done by the University of Essex in England, is directly linked to a decrease in interpersonal connections. In the study, couples who conversed with a phone close by reported lower relationship quality.

Countless examples of technology taking over our social lives have been studied, argued and discussed as companies find different ways to attach us to their products and this is a serious problem. Restaurant owner and chef Mark Gold, who currently owns Eva Restaurant in Los Angeles, has come up with an innovative technique to help all who dine at his restaurant avoid that “lower relationship quality” reported by the study.

His idea is simple enough: get five per cent off your bill if you leave your cell phone at the door.

“People have tweeted us, emailed us saying ‘Oh my God, thank you for doing something,’” Gold told the Huffington Post in an interview.

Once the news of Gold’s new concept began circulating, the story went viral. Numerous media stations began contacting him and he had an endless stream of emails from other restaurateurs congratulating him on such a great idea and informing him that they, too, would put forth this initiative in their restaurant.

This idea has me curious and excited for what the future can possibly hold for culinary establishments in the city. Montreal restaurant owners don’t seem to think it’s such

a bad idea either.

“I think it’s a great idea,” said Elixor’s owner George Prontzos. “I can’t tell you how many people are glued to their phones sometimes.”

Some may argue that because we’ve become so dependant on our phones, taking it away from people would actually worsen their dining experience.

At least, that’s what Baton Rouge manager Christina Fegitis thinks about the idea.

“I don’t think it would enhance the dining experience in the least,” she said. “Everyone is so dependant on their phones for business and for pleasure, taking it away from them would probably just stress them out.”

Who knows how life works sometimes.

Somebody, maybe very close or maybe hundreds of miles away from Eva, will be in-

spired by chef Gold and his quest to improve the dining experience. This person will then inspire another and that one another and one day, maybe, the future of the restaurant industry will have been changed forever — a dining revolution. Now excuse me while I go Instagram my sandwich.

Graphic by Jennifer Kwan

fashion // life

Local designer gives us a taste of decades past lustre Boutique offers tailor-made with a touch of vintage tAniA Di PAlMA Staff writer

With this year’s spring/summer 2013 trends that are bold and daring from head to toe, you can’t go wrong stepping into the trendy and sassy Lustre Boutique. Yasmine Wasfy, the designer behind it all, brings it all, from extravagant prints, to geometric shapes and stripes.

The boutique looks like a beautiful and sophisticated designing studio and the name itself describes what the store is all about. Unlike others, you get the dizzying feeling of a time traveller, from the British Invasion to the Rococo Era, from rock ‘n’ roll to Mad Men. Wasfy established Lustre Boutique in 2006. She has taken her playful and vintage-inspired designs outside of Montreal, bringing them to Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa and Edmonton. Though in the beginning, most of Lustre Boutique’s pieces were finely-made dresses for the romantic and confi-

Photo by Madelayne Hajek

dent woman, it now carries feminine tops, bottoms and locally made accessories and shoes with a rocker twist. Not only does Lustre offer unique and tailored pieces, it also takes special orders.

We sometimes have an inner urge to rebel and that comes through in our choice in clothing. The pieces we wear help define us, and that is exactly the energy that Lustre brings.

The collections are extremely modern, but what shines through in every one of Wasfy’s pieces is the way she embodies different eras through her designs. Wasfy blends many different styles from different decades into one piece of expertly tailored clothing.

Her wholesale line and retail collection all aim to please the feminine and chic woman who loves to play dress-up, but Wasfy is aware that certain fits and fabrics are not made for everyone, so she offers custom fittings.

The material for her unique designs consists of rich European fabrics with a vintage look at a budget-friendly price.

Her pieces are made for the everyday woman who appreciates fashion, as well as the career woman who often needs pieces to help transition from day to night.

Another quirky detail is the names Wasky gives to her designs, such as “Backwoods Barbie Dress,” “Prairie My Heart Dress” and “Edge of Seventeen Dress.”

New pieces are added weekly, each with their own twist. If you are looking to find one-of-a-kind fashionable and wearable pieces, look no further.

Lustre Boutique is located on 4068 St-Laurent Blvd.

Tuesday, march 19, 2013

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resto // life

Batter up at Brit & Chips this fish ‘n’ chips joint will deep fry anything!

SABrinA GiAnCiOPPi Staff writer

Photos by Rae Pellerin

Brit & Chips, with its cartoon fish jumping out of a Union Jack logo, pays homage to traditional chippy shops in Britain by serving up the staple dish of fish and fries. I know fish isn’t for everyone but it is hard to argue that fried food isn’t good food. When it comes to Brit & Chips, it definitely hurts to be health conscious because that would mean missing out not only on the wide range of savoury fish, but the variety of innovative, unique batters.

The cod was moist, not too salty and cooked perfectly, encased in a Burgundy Lion batter that was light, puffy and melted in your mouth. The salmon with Guinness batter did not disappoint either, and was a great balance of textures for the flaky fish with its crunchy coating.

What tied this delicious meal together was the sweet flavour of the tartar sauce which complemented both the fish and fries.

The short-cut fries brought in more of a Quebec flavour and style, but still no objection.

Nothing paired better than the Fullers London Pride beer. This smooth pale ale, suggested by the waitress, was the best choice of the night. I tend not to venture too much with beer for fear of not liking it, but this was a winner and helped cut the grease of the fish ‘n’ chips with impeccable grace.

Other nibbles on the menu that looked mouth watering were the tandoori popcorn chicken, and haddock in a maple syrup batter, which upon my second visit are sure to be picked. Not to mention the lists of extras offering half portions of fish, pickled onions, scotch egg and the option to deep fry anything for $3.50!

The combination of Led Zeppelin playing in the background and the food served atop a sheet of newspaper gave the whole place a really cool vibe. Its casual tone and affordable prices ranging between $5 and $15 makes this place perfect for a student’s palate and pocket.

However, it seems that Brit & Chips may have bigger fish to fry when the Côte-des-Neiges Rd. location recently received a visit from the Office québécois de la langue française. The restaurant was issued a letter demanding a change in certain menu listings and a switch in the window decal from “fish and chips” to “poisson frit & frites.”

Owner Toby Lyle told CTV he “can’t comply with this because it will literally kill [his] business” and went on to explain that he understands the “reason for the law, but if laws like this exist to wipe out businesses it is the exact opposite of what the government should be doing.”

Montreal may be in a language upheaval but Montrealers are resilient, especially when it comes to their appetite. English signs or French signs, none of that takes away from the delicious, finger licking fish ‘n’ chips that will surely leave you satisfied.

Brit & Chips is located on 433 McGill St. and 5536A Côte-des-Neiges Rd.

recipe // life

Jerk chicken for the Jamaican soul

We bring you a taste of the Caribbean Photo by writer

ArOHie CHOPrA Staff writer

Have you had enough of this icy, cold Canadian weather? Well, it’s time to turn up the heat with

a tropical twist on a classic Jamaican dish.

After spending my Christmas holidays in Jamaica, I learned three things: the Patois language is extremely addictive, the “no worries” attitude is incredibly infatuating and the craving for authentic jerk chicken is constant and everlasting.

I was daring enough to climb the Dunn’s River Falls and cliff dive from Rick’s Café but, upon my return, I was intimidated by this recipe and its elaborate list of spices. Finally, I decided it was time to tie up my hair, roll up my sleeves and prepare for a jammin’ time!

Once you have successfully marinated the chicken, feel free to be creative. You can eat a traditional jerk chicken meal by including side dishes such as rice and plankton or attempt this Caribbean inspired recipe for jerk chicken tacos.

½ cup olive oil ½ cup white vinegar Salt (to taste)

Jerk ChiCken TaCos (serves four) 2 chicken breasts (skinless and boneless) 6 to 8 tortillas

1. Place all the ingredients for the marinade into a blender and puree until smooth.

2. In a well-greased non-stick skillet, cook the chicken at medium heat for about 10 minutes, flipping once in between. Once it is golden brown on both sides, add ¼ cup of water and cover the skillet. Let the chicken simmer gently for another seven minutes.

3. Remove the chicken from the skillet and let it cool slightly. Use two to forks shred the chicken.

4. In a large bowl add the shredded chicken and coat with the marinade. Once the chicken is thoroughly covered, place it in the fridge and let it marinate for at least two hours.

5. Mix all the ingredients for the mango salsa in a separate bowl.

6. When ready to serve, warm up the chicken and warm the tortillas. Garnish with the mango salsa.

Jerk ChiCken Marinade: 2 yellow onions (chopped) 1 bunch of green onions (chopped) 2 garlic cloves (chopped) 1 cup orange juice 2 tbsp lime juice 2 chili peppers (chopped) 1 tbsp ground cayenne pepper 1 tbsp ground black pepper 1 tbsp ginger powder ¼ cup honey ¾ cup soy sauce 2 tbsp sugar ½ tsp sage ½ tsp nutmeg ½ tsp cinnamon

Mango salsa: 1 red onion (diced) 1 tomato (diced) 1 green onion (diced) 1 mango (diced) 1 tbsp lemon juice ¼ cup cilantro salt, pepper and ground cayenne pepper to taste

arts 12

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Tuesday, march 19, 2013

Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com art exhibit // arts

Welcome to the freak show Horror, disgust and fascination fill the Monstrosities exhibit at Diagonale Centre d’artistes ariana trigueros-Corbo assistant arts editor

B

eyond the walls of Montreal’s prestigious Museum of Fine Arts there is another art scene that lives in small, obsolete areas of the city. Spread out across the Mile End and the Plateau are gallery spaces hidden in random, industrialized buildings, waiting to be discovered and explored. Such is the case of Diagonale, a gallery located on Gaspé Ave., and which is currently harbouring Monstrosities, yet another artistic endeavour showcasing the work of Concordia students.

Monstrosities consists of a selection of works by undergraduate students completing their major in fibre and material practices, one of the lesser known studio programs in the fine arts department at Concordia. As the exhibit’s descriptor so quaintly puts it, “the

artists deal with notions that tie textile and the body together, exploring the relationship that exists between the two and how they contrast and complement each other.” The result is a combination that will provoke both nausea and utter astonishment.

Body Of Consent, one of the easiest pieces to spot upon walking into the exhibit, is the work of artist Véronique Tremblay. What at first will earnestly remind viewers of a set of genitalia disembodied in limp pieces, is actually meticulously thought out. As audiences approach the piece they realize that on this pink, shiny fabric, the author has printed thousands of words that could typically be related to sexual encounters, be they one night stands or full-on relationships. Words linger on textile, reminding viewers of the consequences and weight that come with this burlesque illustration of these fundamental body parts.

The most impressive and notoriously nauseating piece in the exhibit is, without a doubt,

Untitled by Cardy Lai. Using what appears to be strands of thick woollen string drenched in coffee, the artist realistically makes viewers want to gag by creating an accurate depiction of fecal matter. Although some question the artistic value of such a piece, it does play a more traditional artistic role phenomenally well: it effectively recreates reality. In fact, the depiction is so well executed that viewers will squirm, cringe and even turn away if they are the more sensitive type. Stomachs will certainly churn as audiences will have no trouble imagining the texture and stench to accompany this piece.

Other works also stand out in the exhibit, though less scandalously. Stephanie E.M. Coleman’s Maladjusted, an impressive piece of lingerie, plays with transparency and symbolism. As for Mask: Bestialiska,

by Benita Whyte, this last piece is a combination of sculptural endeavours and video presentation. The piece has this particularly monstrous touch to it, as the video reveals a

subject slowly and meticulously removing a mask in a movement to reveal her face.

Notions of freedom and liberty are perhaps unintentionally evoked by the gallery’s setup, as the shadows on the wall remind us of birds flying off into the horizon.

There is some criticism to be had in regards to the curatorial style of the exhibit.

Considering the symbolic value of their work it would have been nice if the artists had provided some sort of descriptor to further enlighten their audience on the creative process that accompanied their work. This is because with understanding comes fascination. After all, it’s a fundamental rule of human nature: horrify us and we simply won’t know how to look away.

Monstrosities will be running until March 23 at Diagonale Centre d’arts, 5455 Gaspé Ave. local 203. Admission is free and the gallery is open from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday to Saturday.

Photos by Madelayne Hajek

theatre // arts

A night for celebrating vaginas Warning: not suitable for people prone to blushing roa abDel-gaWaD staff writer

The beginning of 2013 left many of us with a bitter taste in our mouths as millions watched the news of 14-year-old Malala Yousafzai’s attempted assassination in Pakistan. As an activist, she dealt with promoting education for girls, the Delhi gang-rape case and the ongoing ‘War On Women’ in the United States. These are exactly the kind of issues V-Day tries to raise awareness about and fight against. In fact, one of the ways they plan on doing so is by putting on shows like the upcoming production of The Vagina Monologues, being held at Café Cléopâtre later this week.

For those of you who are unaware, The Vagina Monologues is the brainchild of playwright Eve Ensler, who composed the mono-

logues in 1996 after interviewing hundreds of women on subjects such as virginity, sexuality, rape and love. The monologues have since been continually tweaked and added to in order to address topical issues such as women’s oppression under Taliban rule or the social integration of transgender people in society.

This year’s production has been in the works ever since director Emily Schon, a theatre-development student at Concordia, participated as an actress in last year’s show.

“This production is very exciting for me as a director [because] as part of the theatre department, we struggle to find work with a lot of female characters,” she explains.

Cast member and first year theatre student, Leah Goldie, adds that “there are quite a few plays that are all male and no one questions this,” expressing how thrilled she is to finally be part of an all female cast.

As the themes of the monologues vary between hilarity and horror, Schon made it a priority to create a safe and intimate environment for women; instilling trust in order to embark in the process of undertaking and discussing the personal, gritty subjects brought forth.

Koumbie, another cast member, explains: “We eased into it. We had to discuss the content before we could begin to discuss the show.”

And what a show it promises to be. The 75 minutes will include dance, originally composed music, spoken word and yes — our yearly dose of the notorious triple orgasm. The show is “a celebration of women, of young women,” Schon says. Composed of nine monologues, the topics will include Bosnian rape camps, ovarian cancer and vagina workshops. “[The monologues] resonated with me because these are real stories. You can connect with them because these things really happened,” Koumbie says.

When asked about the choice of venue, the infamous Café Cléopâtre, Schon said “What better place to talk about vaginas than in the oldest strip club in Montreal!” In keeping with the venue, the play has a cabaret feel as well as a sense of intimacy, as the monologues frequently directly address the audience from a stage that is at knee level with them. Schon hopes to create an atmosphere that allows for an open and wide discourse on the successes and struggles of feminism.

Proceeds from the show, sponsored by Volunteers in Action, will go to Herstreet, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping homeless women in Montreal by providing shelter, meals and counseling, along with many other services.

The Vagina Monologues will run for one night only on March 24 at 8 p.m. at Café Cléopâtre, 1230 St. Laurent Blvd. Tickets for students are $10 dollars and $12 dollars at the door.

Tuesday, march 19, 2013

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fiction serial // arts

Tourne au Rouge Part 8 of an ongoing fictional story from our staff writer andy Fidel

G

rasping the cool iron bars of the birdcage, Todd watched the Shadow. It sat on its knees as it rummaged through a stack of used board games and puzzles. From above, he could hear the sound of footsteps and high-pitched voices arguing with each other. Todd wiped his runny nose on his sleeve while the Shadow grabbed the boxes, one after the other, and shook them to hear the pieces rattle. Then, it tossed them aside with obvious frustration.

Startled by the strange surroundings, Todd moved his whole body to look around. Model airplanes hung from the wooden beams. Dusty cobwebs filled each upper corner and on the wall beside Todd, pinned with a rusty nail, was a sepia-toned portrait of two boys. They were standing on the ice beside a large black hole. Quietly, Todd leaned forward to get a closer look.

The photograph was damaged, nearly torn in half as though it had been folded too many times.

“That’s me,” said the Shadow, holding a green box with faded images of snakes and ladders under its arm.

Todd flinched slightly, but the Shadow merely pointed to the short, plump boy with the pinched smile in the photograph.

The Shadow shuffled its feet and muttered, “And that’s my brother, Jester.”

The taller boy had the same frozen expression. He held a fishing cane in one hand and had his other hand on his little brother’s shoulder. Todd’s eyes widened as he recognized the tall boy by his fiery red hair; it was Jester Thingrim, the old man who was after Anya.

“What do you want?” asked Todd in a small voice.

The Shadow sat cross-legged in front of the birdcage and set the board game on its lap. It brushed away ages of dust and dirt from the box with its long thin fingers and said, “A friend.”

“Friends don’t...“ Todd started to say, then thought better of it and closed his mouth.

Under Todd’s steady stare, the Shadow prepared the game: unfolding the board and setting it on the floor between them. Then he took two wooden tokens and set them on the board.

“Do you still want to play?”

Cautiously, Todd reached out as far as he could through the iron bars and picked up the dice. “What happened to you?” he asked, letting the dice roll around in his hand.

“I fell in the water,” said the Shadow. “And…” “Are you a ghost?”

“I don’t think so,” said the Shadow. “Are you?”

“No!” Todd blurted out in surprise. A brief silence followed his words, and then the young boy furrowed his brows. “When can I see my sister?”

“Tomorrow.”

“What if I want to see her now?”

“You can’t,” said the Shadow, shaking its head. “It’ll make Jester mad.” It shuddered a bit and lowered its voice. “You don’t want to make him mad.”

Illustion by Jihane Mossalim, Gallery 203

“Let’s play a game,” said Todd, shaking the dice in his cupped hands. He blew into them long and hard. “If I win, you let me out.” He raised his hands high above his head.

“And if you win, we can play another game.”

“Deal.”

Beneath a yellow pavilion, the children huddled around a large bucket of popcorn while they waited for their turn.

Billy dug his hand to the bottom of the bucket to scoop out a couple of un-popped kernels as he observed the mime at the other end of the counter. She wore a black-and-white polkadot dress with white ruffles around the neck and sleeves with a matching cowboy hat. Swiftly, she ripped children’s tickets with her teeth and gave them a shotgun in return.

Billy threw a kernel up in the air and caught it in his mouth.

“Are you okay?” he asked Anya.

“Fine,” she snapped. She felt her blood boiling—not only did Todd run off again, but she spent all of her time worrying about her brother when she could have been looking for Ma. I should have asked Jester Thingrim when I had the chance, she thought to herself. “I just—” A loud bang caught Billy’s attention. He pumped his fist in the air and shouted: “Woo-hoo!” cheering on a boy his age who finally hit one of the balloons after randomly shooting all over the place. When the children had finished their rounds, the mime collected the shotguns and made her way toward Billy. From the back pocket of his trousers, Billy pulled out his ticket and gave it to the mime as fast as he could. Anya held out one of hers as well.

“Billy,” said Miranda in a wheedling voice. “Can I have one of your tickets?”

Billy ignored her. His eyes were fixed on the mime. She chomped down on their tickets, and then swallowed them in a single gulp. A wide smile stretched across Billy’ face as he wrapped his fingers around the shotgun.

“Please.” Miranda tugged repeatedly at Billy’s sleeve. “I have to go to the Mirror Maze.”

Anger flashed across Billy’s face. He tried to pull his arm back, but the more he pulled the harder Miranda clung to him.

“No!” he said, thrusting her back.

Miranda squealed: “Hey!” and rubbed her right arm. “That hurt.”

Anya shifted uneasily. This was the first time Billy had raised his voice at Miranda. She watched his lips twitch into a grin as he cocked the gun and aimed at the nearest balloon. His finger pulled the trigger and—Bam!—the balloon exploded into little pieces of red rubber. He cocked the gun again and fired, this time hitting two balloons.

Irritated, Miranda’s nostrils flared. “Aren’t you going to say sorry?” she demanded. She was about to tap Billy again when a twinkle of light on the prize shelf caught her atten-

tion. Miranda reached out with her chubby finger to grab the tiara. But before she even got close, the mime slammed her fist on the counter. She jabbed a finger at the wooden sign beside her that read: 5 hits – 1 prize. Miranda rolled her eyes.

“If I win,” said Anya. “You can pick a prize.”

Instantly, Miranda’s eyes flashed.

For a moment, Anya fumbled with the shotgun. She had never seen a real gun before in her life, much less tried shooting from one. Imitating Billy, she clumsily positioned it on her shoulder and aimed. Anya winced when she fired. She had not expected the shotgun to have real bullets and felt a sharp pang in her shoulder as though someone had punched her.

“You missed!” said Miranda, disappointed. “Billy, please, can you do it? We only need one more hit.”

“I only have one ticket left,” said Billy as he put the shotgun down on the counter. “And I want to do something else.”

“I’m not very good,” said Anya, handing her shotgun over to Billy. “Here, you do it.”

“Are you sure?”

Anya said: “I’d do anything to get her shut up,” and winked.

“I won’t say a word,” plead Miranda. “Promise!”

Billy tried to hold back a laugh but it snorted out through his nose. He accepted the shotgun and leaned on the counter to get a better aim. There were no more balloons in front of him and those in front of Anya joggled too much in the wind. Miranda took a few steps back to let Billy concentrate until she noticed the red ticket in his back pocket. Unable to resist, she plucked it out.

A voice boomed from behind. “There is no stealing in this carnival.”

The children jumped and turned around to find Jester Thingrim towering over them. With a quick flick of the wrist, he swept the ticket out of her hand. He handed it back to Billy.

“I only got one ticket,” said Miranda, puffing out her chest.

“It’s not fair. I want more.”

“More you shall have,” said Jester Thingrim with a grin. He snapped his fingers at the mime with the cowboy hat. Immediately, she jumped over the counter and hurried over.

“Please escort little Miss Miranda back to the ticket booth,” he said, “where she can have all the tickets she pleases.”

“As many as I want?” said Miranda in an excited voice. She wrapped her arm around the mime and followed her willingly, her head held up high.

Anya watched Miranda disappear in the crowd of children, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. Then she turned around and faced Jester Thingrim. She was far more frightened of him than Miranda was, but eventually she said: “I want to find my mother.”

A smug grin formed along the edges of his mouth. “Come,” he said. “She’s waiting for you at the Carousel.”

“I already saw it,” said Anya. “She wasn’t there.”

“You didn’t look inside.”

music 14

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Tuesday, march 19, 2013

Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com

profile // music

New Music Canada: KAPRI The do-it-yourself breakout artist self-funded the making of her music video KeiTh Race contributor

S

hoot it. Throw it online. Wait and see how people react. Online publishing platforms like YouTube and Facebook are putting success into the hands of talented and motivated individuals. I got to watch the process as KAPRI, singer-turned-art-director, danced and sang for the making of her new music video, “Jake Sully,” which she also co-directed.

I sat down and spoke with KAPRI about the video and life as a performing artist in general. Apparently she’s been busy, to nobody’s surprise. As an independent artist, she’s taken on a lot and has been going strong for a year and a half.

“It’s been a short time. A very short space of time. I’m really pushing things,” she said. “The way the world is with social media, you have to move fast. Our audience has a very short attention span and is a wider audience. There are so many of us trying to do the same thing now, so you’ve got to keep moving. Have to keep moving!” she

explained, smiling and snapping her fingers for emphasis.

“Now you’re really on your own,” she continued. “Put out your YouTube videos, let’s gauge how many hits you get and then we’ll sign you. Obviously it’s not that easy, but that’s what they’re looking for now [...]

And that is such a benefit for a lot of people who don’t have the financial means to do it. You can get a camera, create covers and do it yourself.”

Though she’s about as independent as it comes, KAPRI has intentions, or at least hopes, that her determination will score her a chance to experience the benefits of working with a more traditional label.

“I’m working on my online presence because I’m not the biggest fan of Twitter and Facebook and fan pages and everything [...] I would love to work with [a label] and a team and we start something from the ground up and we build,” she said.

While everyone in every profession would love a bigger budget, KAPRI seems quite adept at inspiring others and creating original works with very limited resources.

The designer clothing and much of the team’s time were volunteered in the making of the video, and the project was entirely

self-funded.

There is one exception to the one-woman-production: her producer.

“Dan Vallen. He’s working as my producer,” said KAPRI. “I write and come up with the melodies; I’ll hum them and he is the one person who knows how to translate my crazy thoughts into music. He is amazing, so talented and I am so happy that I found him. Really it is the two of us. We are a team.”

It was a day of choreographed dancing, wardrobe changes, racks and racks and racks of clothing and even a little bondage. The entire video took place on a 12by-14-foot infinity wall. Two massive lights blaring towards the ceiling highlighted the action. KAPRI herself was split between performing in front of camera and the organization that surrounded it. She spoke with her co-director between takes, getting one scene finished and another established. As busy a day as it was, the mood was relaxed; everyone was running but there was plenty of time found for laughter.

“The dynamic of everyone on set that day was just so strong,” she said. “It was like everyone wanted to be there. I wanted to open the doors at this beautiful studio

and just invite everyone to see what’s going on. I could feel it, literally magic was happening.”

The video is slated for release this April and you can find more about KAPRI on her website at www.kaprimusic.com.

top 10 // music

10. Pacman You’re a miniature yellow blob trying to get by in a dark maze of black and blue. All you wanna do is eat, eat, eat but you have creepy monsters chasing after you! The goofy interlude stands as an outcue for an adventure that will make you run for your life! But be warned, this catchy beat might just pop up in your dreams.

Iconic video game themes saTuRn De Los angeLes staff writer

9. Street Fighter Choose your character and go mash those buttons hard with fury. Kick, punch, hit. Pull off a 1-2 combo. Multiple rounds, sudden death, free for all. FIGHT! Each “fighter” has its own theme track and the music used in every battle brings that irresistible adrenaline rush.

8. WipE’out” A neo-futuristic environment of lights, concrete buildings and steel tracks donned with gorgeously designed race pods.

The succulent trance music will hit you, too. The WipE’out” series has a hidden musical treasure you can’t afford to miss, mixing aesthetics with trippy music.

7. Tetris There goes one block, another block, and one more falling down on you. Align and turn them into never ending straight lines.

The entertaining yet mind-boggling (and at times annoying) 8-bit tune that accompanies is the Soviet’s best export: the widely respected puzzle-game, Tetris.

6. Sonic the Hedgehog When you‘re the world’s fastest hedgehog, what do you do when your worst enemy is on a mission to take over the world? The Sonic Adventure series on the Sega Dreamcast platform was known to carry rock music during gameplay and it was something that fans mourned when the platform folded in the early ‘00s.

5. Assassin’s Creed When you suddenly get kidnapped unknowingly, technology brings you to a world a thousand years back. You’re on a mission to hunt people in order to regain your ancestor’s tainted honour. The mysterious and eerie music amplifies the intensity of the gameplay found in Assassin’s Creed, Montreal’s pride and glory.

4. Super Mario You have a simple mission — walk outside, collect some stars and get some mushrooms. Oh, and don’t forget to save Princess Peach while keeping your day job as a

plumber. The folks who made the game in the early ‘80s made your adventure easy for you. Don’t forget to thank them.

3. Final Fantasy One-on-one duel. You’ve got no time to waste. May the best fighter win and may you revel in the iconic melody that celebrates the sweet taste of victory. Remixed for decades, the encounter between you and your enemy invokes the iconic battle theme for the long-running role-playing game series, Final Fantasy.

2. The Legend of Zelda You’re a blonde-haired kid on a quest.

Walking in dungeons, fighting monsters and solving puzzles to save the world (and Princess Zelda, of course). The music is what hardcore players call the anthem of video games, composed by legendary game musician Koji Kondo. Remember the N64 Ocarina of Time? There you go.

1. Pokémon You walk in tall grass. You encounter a wild creature. You have six pocket-sized monsters on you. Which one will you choose to save you? The battle theme in Pokémon, since its inception in 1995, might as well represent the core essence and joie-de-vivre of the entire Pokemon game series — the battle that every trainer encounters, and the accomplishment in savouring victory.

Tuesday, march 19, 2013

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profile // music

Midnight musings as musical fuel What started out as writer’s block turned into a new type of brainstorming

sTephanie uLLman music editor

Every night for two years, Dave Hartley, who plays music as Nightlands, would periodically rise from his slumber and sing, muse, or hum into a tape recorder. Suffering from “crippling writer’s block,” it was the only way that the musician was able to properly articulate any ideas that he considered valuable. The only issue was that these strokes of genius almost always made appearances in the dead of night.

“I would often hear songs while I was falling asleep or in the middle of the night when I was dreaming,” said Hartley. Unsatisfied with the material he was producing in his waking hours, he turned to unconventional measures.

“It took a lot of practice and was hard to do, but I started waking myself up and singing into a tape recorder,” he said. “A lot of it is just hilarious gibberish, real tongue-twisters and weird stuff that doesn’t make any sense. But occasionally, there are these little melodies and lyrical stuff.”

While Hartley currently has everything under

control, from his sleep patterns to his musical career, it was not always so: the Nightlands project owes its existence to a job layoff.

“There was a three-year period where I was basically unemployed, and recording with [my other band] The War on Drugs,” he said. “I had a lot of time to be creative and experiment a bit, which is a luxury that not many people have, so I was lucky. The project was born out of that.”

As someone whose musical beginnings are rooted in playing the trumpet in elementary school, the bass guitar in high school and as a member of multiple bands over the years, it comes as no surprise that Hartley evolved into a multi-instrumentalist; “By virtue of being musical and being around it, you pick things up.” His true musical awakening, however, happened in sunny Philadelphia.

“I feel like I came of age in Philly,” he said.

“When you’re living in the suburbs and at college, you think you know what it’s like to be musical, but really, you’re just trying to get laid by playing music onstage. Then you meet people who are really doing something profound and it crushes what you thought you knew. I met a ton of really creative people who were dedicated to

trying to do something that was pure.”

And so it began. Since then, Nightlands has taken off, producing Forget the Mantra, his debut record, and Oak Island, which was released in late January. For those curious about the contents of the dream tapes, some of the tracks on the first record have samples lifted straight from them: “Fly, Neanderthal” starts off with a direct pull from one of the twilight recordings.

Oak Island sees less of such transposition, as Hartley shifted his attention towards other details.

“It was more about the recording process and writing songs in a more conventional way,” he said. “Not super conventional - I don’t sit down and write them on a guitar or anything, I just record and build these sound structures. I didn’t use any of the dream stuff, although I think the music is dreamy in its own way.”

Indeed, the sound that Nightlands possesses dances a line of haunting and comforting, undeniably dream-like and celestial. To Hartley, however, this does not dictate the omission of elements of weight and groundedness.

“I use a lot of major seventh chords,” he said.

“You can describe those chords as being comforting, but not completely comforting - it’s kind of twisted. I tend to gravitate towards those sounds, and I don’t exactly know how to get them, but I’ll just mess around until I do.”

Similar concepts can be found on some of Hartley’s favourite albums, such as The Beach Boys’ Friends.

“The kind of music I like is the kind of music that rewards extended attention,” he said. “I know that if I overdub less vocals and mixed a single vocal much more forward, [my music] would be easier to listen to, and you could listen to it without having to lean in as much.”

But that’s not the Nightlands way. “Maybe someday, I’ll want to make a record that smacks [listeners] right in the face, but for now I’m more interested in the geeks and the nerds like me.”

Nightlands plays Il Motore with Efterklang on Friday, March 22 at 8 p.m.. Tickets are $15.

profile // music

Efterklang breathes new life into an old town These Danes visited the abandoned town of piramida to record mia peaRson staff writer

It’s safe to say that Efterklang is the only band that eats instant oatmeal in the morning and then travels to an abandoned Russian coal mining town, all while wondering if they should have brought a shotgun along to protect themselves against the polar bears in the area.

The band is from Copenhagen and since forming in 2000, they’ve been mixing a unique cocktail of sound by drawing from a bunch of different genres. These include indie rock, pop, classical and electronic, with hints of soul music thrown in for good measure.

When it came to creating their new album Piramida, hanging around the cobblestone streets of Europe wasn’t enough to tickle their sense of inspiration. The band members were approached

by Danish director Andreas Koefoed and shown photographs of a ‘ghost town’ on the island of Svalbard in Norway.

“We were mesmerized and instantly knew it had to be that location,” said bassist Rasmus Stolberg. Fifteen years ago, the coal mining community called Piramida was hurriedly abandoned by its 1,000 inhabitants. All the buildings and equipment are still standing and the health

hazards associated with the decaying town didn’t stop Efterklang from using the area as their own personal playground of sound.

Andreas Koefoed filmed the men for a movie they made about their experience in Piramida as they played with new sounds - stomping, banging and yelling in different dangerous locations.

Lead vocalist Casper Clausen is shown climbing into a narrow pipe and landing in an eightmeter-high empty gasoline tank. He begins to sing and project his voice to the small opening at the top of the tank; the ensuing sound is appropriately chilling. The band was especially fascinated by new mediums they could find on the island that could introduce “several notes with different pitches,” said Stolberg. Most of the album was recorded on the island and the sounds they created can’t be found in a typical recording studio.

The ghost town also offered the band a new atmosphere and feeling which they were able to capture and translate into music. The men were overwhelmed by the sensation that people didn’t belong on the island. By looking around at the lifeless buildings, “you realize how young our species is and how incredibly old and powerful our planet is.”

The area also holds the most Northern piano in the world. Once used by the Piramida inhabitants for concerts, the grand piano still remains in

one of the rooms of the town. Upon hearing this, Stolberg remarked on how seeing and playing this piano excited his boyish sense of adventure.

For the premiere of Piramida, the band was accompanied by an orchestra of 50 people at the Sydney Opera House building, designed by Danish architect Jørn Utzon. The band members barely slept between rehearsals for a month before the premiere; the resulting show “was simply incredible” as an experience, Stolberg said.

During the first performance of their song “Ghosts,” the men had massive grins on their faces as the orchestra slowly built the foundation of the song. As the song progressed and Clausen gently jumped in with his unique voice, the band began to feel a sense of “community and focus [with] everyone present in the room.”

Clausen referred to these moments as “magical,” and Stolberg described how he was overcome with the sensation that “time and energy flows differently.” The band was brought back to their time spent in Piramida as they revisited the sounds and lyrics inspired by the ethereal area.

With one listen of the album, you can hear Efterklang overturning all the boundaries placed on sound and bringing to life the ghostly feel of the abandoned town of Piramida.

Efterklang plays Il Motore with Nightlands on Friday, March 22 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15.

anDReW guiLbeRT staff writer

>> The landslide bring that down too? // Stevie Nicks’ NPR interview last week at SXSW touched on a number of topics, including Nicks’ influences, her new solo album, tour, and her time with Dave Grohl’s Sound City Players. The most striking topic broached, however, was the state of modern feminism, which Nicks believes to be losing ground. “We fought very hard for feminism, for women’s rights,” Nicks said during a Q&A with the audience. “What I’m seeing today is a very opposite thing. I don’t know why, but I see women being put back in their place.

And I hate it. We’re losing all we worked so hard for, and it really bums me out.” Nicks recalled the atmosphere that her and band mate Christine McVie dealt with in their Fleetwood Mac heyday, saying that they had strived to alter the perception of women in rock ‘n’ roll at the time.

“I said to [Christine], we can never be treated like second-class citizens. When we walk into a room we have to float in like goddesses, because that’s how we wanted to be treated. We demanded that from the beginning.”

>> She tweets the dumb //

If you’re at all familiar with Azealia Banks, you know that she waxes vulgar on a near constant basis and has a knack for getting into feuds with pretty much anybody from Perez Hilton to Baauer a.k.a the “Harlem Shake” guy, but her latest Twitter rant is one for the books. “Fuck those old saggy white niggas stone roses. I wish them nothing but excrement and death. Wow! I must really fucking be a superstar… You’ve got an established band trying to sabotage my lil rap bitch shine. Wow a bunch of old white men trying to bully a young black girl…. What the fuck else is new in this world ???” The cause of all the animosity? Both played at Australia’s Future Music Festival, where Banks claims the Stone Roses started their equipment check during her set to purposefully sabotage her at the behest of her ex-tour manager. She has since removed the tweets, claiming the Stone Roses had apologized, though no official statement was made on the band’s part.

>> The number of the yeast //

Metal has a long and storied history, much of it appropriately soaked in booze, so it is only fitting that one of the biggest monsters of metal have sunk their flag into the brewing business.

Iron Maiden, in collaboration with England’s Robinson Brewery, have announced that they’ll be coming out with their very own ‘Trooper’ ale, a 4.7% beer with “Malt flavours and citric notes from a unique blend of Bobec, Goldings and Cascade hops.” The video announcing the new brew features lead singer Bruce Dickinson offering a tour of the Robinsons Unicorn brewery and explaining how the project came about. “As a fan of traditional English cask beer, I thought this could actually be something really exciting,” said the singer. “We could actually develop a proper, real, long-term beer.” Though the band had approached many receptive brewers with the idea, they eventually went with Robinsons due to their standards. “When we got in touch with Robinsons the great thing about [them] was what they wanted to know was were we serious about really brewing a long term beer, having a long-term relationship with the brewery and us,” said Dickinson in the video. “It was almost like we were on trial, it was like going on a job interview.” Though there’s no announced release date, fans can sign up for news at www.ironmaidenbeer.com.

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Tuesday, march 19, 2013

theconcordian mixtape// music

Time for Osheaga Dreaming KNOWLEDGE ACQUIRED 1. “Lisztomania” – Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus 2. “Winter Winds” – Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More 3. “Pictures of You” – The Cure – Disintegration 4. “Cousins” – Vampire Weekend – Contra 5. “Stubborn Love” – The Lumineers – The Lumineers 6. “Demons” – Imagine Dragons – Night Visions 7. “Wings”– Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – The Heist 8. “Explosions” – Ellie Goulding – Halcyon 9. “Undercover Martyn” – Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History 10. “Swimming Pool (Drank)” – Kendrick Lamar – good kid, m.A.A.d city

FEELING AUDACIOUS

béaTRice Viens côTé contributor

1. “Other People” – Beach House – Bloom 2. “Old Pine” – Ben Howard – Every Kingdom 3. “Tongue Tied” – Grouplove – Never Trust a Happy Song 4. “Lightning Bolt” – Jake Bugg – Jake Bugg 5. “Safe and Sound” – Capital Cities – Capital Cities EP 6. “Nights Like This” – Icona Pop – Nights Like This EP 7. “Show Me Your Stuff” – Diamond Rings – Show Me Your Stuff 8. “Vehl” – Kidnap Kid – Single 9. “White Noise” ft. AlunaGeorge – Disclosure – Single 10. “Feed Me Diamonds” ft.

Raven – MNDR – Feed Me Diamonds

T

he end of winter is almost like Christmas for indie music lovers.

Music festivals’ lineups get revealed and we keep waiting for the day we’ll finally receive the gift we soon hope to unwrap in Montreal: the Osheaga festival. From year to year, varied lists of musicians are presented, sometimes surprising but always terrific, thanks to big names but also emerging local and national artists. We’ll help you learn more about the 2013 edition with this week’s mixtape. Side A features music from more well-known bands that will put you into the mood as you’re getting more and more excited about Osheaga and start planning your perfect music weekend.

Side B provides songs from musicians that are worth discovering and that should get more recognition.

Quick spins// music

Megan Hilty - It Happens All The Time (Sony Masterworks; 2013)

Cool Serbia – Cool Serbia (Cacophony Recorders; 2013)

Dave Grohl & Friends - Sound City: Real to Reel (RCA; 2013)

Devendra Banhart - Mala (Nonesuch; 2013)

You may have heard of her achievements on Broadway or NBC’s Golden Globe nominated series, Smash. With It Happens All The Time, Megan Hilty wants to expose her true self without any pretense, storyline, or character attached.

Don’t expect showtunes or standards, this is a contemporary pop album. Covering artists like Sara Bareilles, Bruno Mars and Damien Rice, as well as some original compositions, Hilty sounds more like watered-down Norah Jones or Dido rather than a Broadway star. The production and arrangement is too sanitized, stripping the songs of their rawness or originality. The only standout track is “Be A Man,” where some of her talent and passion is finally displayed.

Overall, Hilty needs to realize that conveying sentiments through pop songs is very different than portraying a character on stage. Stick to what you know.

Cool Serbia’s self-titled debut album leaves the listener in want of proper adjectives to describe their genre-defying sound. While roots in the surf-rock category are apparent, distortion and aggressive instrumentals distance it from the clean-cut style.

Earworm rhythms and upbeat tempos appeal to a pop-loving crowd, sure to coax any audience (no matter how reluctant) into dance. To put it straight, if The Beach Boys and The Jesus and Mary Chain had a love child, they would name it Cool Serbia.

The sanguine track “Kill Someone” delivers hazy energy through its brilliantly méli-mélo instrumentals. In approaching music with such a do-whatfeels-right attitude, Cool Serbia created a track-list full of diversity and creativity.

The Brooklyn-based trio boasts a strong foundation in the retro world while spicing it up with a plethora of progressive add-ons and the resulting catchy, mesmerizing sound proves it to be a recipe for success.

With Sound City: Real to Reel, Dave Grohl delivers what is arguably this year’s best rock album.

Members from every rock band under the sun join forces to create pure rock heaven on this tribute album to one of the industry’s most legendary recording studios. Stevie Nicks, Trent Reznor, Joshua Homme, and others tear the roof off the weathered Sound City Studios in L.A. Pounding drums and shredding guitars weave their way through all 11 tracks with style and infectious rhythm.

On “Cut Me Some Slack,” rock god Paul McCartney and Nirvana members Krist Novoselic, Pat Smear and Dave Grohl deliver a killer track that seamlessly blends the raw energy of “Helter Skelter” and “Territorial Pissings.” If there were ever someone who could take Kurt’s place for a day it would be Sir Paul.

This album proves once and for all that rock ’n’ roll is still going strong.

Devendra Banhart is known for creating eclectic and quirky sounds and his latest album Mala is no exception. After a three-year hiatus from music, Banhart is back with 14 brand-spanking-new tracks.

Mala showcases Banhart’s signature haunting acoustic sound with subtle electronic glimpses here and there, exemplified perfectly in “Fur Hildegard von Bingen,” a track named after a medieval German feminist. Banhart’s first single, “Never Seen Such Good Things,” is light and catchy, reminiscent of the artist’s earlier work. Banhart stays true to his Venezuelan roots with Spanish songs like the ballad “Mi Negrita,” giving the album a familiar yet fresh feel.

Although Banhart has traded his signature wild, bushy beard for some slight stubble, Mala proves that the singer can venture off in new creative directions, all the while staying true to his folksy roots.

Trial track: “Be a Man”

Trial Track: “Tear Me Up”

Trial track: “From Can to Can’t”

Trial track: “Never Seen Such Good Things”

3.0/10

- Paul Traunero

8.5/10

- Victoria Kendrick

11/10

-Selina Gard

8.5/10

-Jessica Romera

sports

Tuesday, march 19, 2013

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Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com tennis // sports

Tennis is coming back to Concordia Get your rackets ready, organizers are holding tryouts for the new stingers tennis team this spring samantha mileto assistant sports editor

Concordia will be joining the Quebec University Tennis League next winter and are holding tryouts for any Concordia student wishing to play.

There will be five other teams in the league next winter, including McGill, Montréal, Sherbrooke, UQÀM and a team from Quebec City. The second edition of the Quebec University Tennis League will begin in the winter of 2014 according to Ginta Cojocaru, one of the organizers behind the Concordia tennis team.

Tryouts for the women’s team will be taking place on Saturday, March 30 at Uniprix Stadium. The men’s team has already been set.

The team is being organized by two friends and Concordia students, Andreea Trifu Constantinescu, a first-year international business student from Romania and Ginta Cojocaru, a second-year political science student.

“So far, the students who have contacted us for the tryouts are very excited about the idea of having a tennis team at Concordia,” said Cojocaru. “It’s encouraging. In case not enough students come to the recruitment, we are planning on having other tryouts towards the end of summer.”

Both women have a long history of being involved in tennis.

Constantinescu began playing tennis when she was three-years-old in Romania.

When she moved to Canada at 14, she competed nationally and provincially until she turned 18. At 19, she won a scholarship to play for Oklahoma Christian University, the top-ranked National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics team and was a NAIA allAmerican for two consecutive years. After two and a half years in Oklahoma, she transferred to the John Molson School of Business at Concordia.

Cojocaru’s tennis career started at age seven. She began playing competitively at 10-years-old, when she won the Quebec Championship in both singles and doubles.

She won two more Quebec Championships before she had to quit because of a serious back condition.

Cojocaru’s passion for tennis hasn’t died, however. She’s wanted to build a team at Concordia since she started in 2011 and got much encouragement from Constantinescu and François Giguère, the director of the new Quebec University Tennis League.

“I decided to start this project because I think tennis is a beautiful sport which people should be given the opportunity to play,”

Stade Uniprix will be home to ConCordia tenniS next year. while the men’S team haS already been ChoSen, the women are holding tryoUtS.

said Cojocaru. “It’s a shame that tennis is somewhat seen as a ‘secondary’ sport in Canada. Not only has tennis enabled me to travel, meet new people and keep in shape, but more importantly, it has developed my discipline, perseverance, dedication, fair-play attitude and competitive personality.”

Concordia will have a men’s team and a women’s team, consisting of six players each.

The team will also include replacement players if the demand to join is high. Constantinescu will be a player on the team and will be coaching as well and the organizers will choose a coach among the players on the men’s team. The team will train at Uniprix Stadium.

According to Katie Sheahan, athletic department director, Concordia has had tennis teams before and has played in tournaments with other universities, but they were not part of the RSEQ and the CIS and therefore didn’t play as the Concordia Stingers. It will continue to be this way with this new team. “[Past tennis teams were] self-organized and self-funded,” Sheahan said. “University students may, from time to time and/or year to year, organize themselves in order to

“

it’s a shame that tennis is somewhat seen as a ‘secondary’ sport in Canada.

compete in a sport they wish to pursue while studying. They may do this recreationally via intra-murals and our door is always open to discuss helping this to develop where feasible. Students may also, as in the case of this group looking to play competitive tennis, wish to compete with like-minded students from other universities and when this is true, students organize and fund themselves to play under the Concordia name.”

Cojocaru said it’s too early to predict

- Ginta Cojocaru Organizer whether there will be a high turnout for the tryouts or how successful the team will be.

Cojocaru and Constantinescu are hoping to have a team soon so they can organize tournaments and exhibition games during the fall, before their season starts in winter 2014.

For more information about tryouts, students can contact visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ConcordiaTennisTeam

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theconcordian

Tuesday, march 19, 2013

hockey // sports

Should visors be mandatory at all levels of professional hockey? hockey players from Concordia’s men’s stingers team weigh in on the discussion Chris CorDella Contributor

After an injury to New York Rangers defenseman Marc Staal, where he took a vicious slap shot to the eye, some are wondering why more teams aren’t implementing rules that would force their players to wear visors.

There have been plenty of other eye injuries in the National Hockey League which have cost players games and even careers.

The fact of the matter is that there is no guarantee that visors would completely stop these incidents from happening, but it would definitely make these situations less serious.

NHLers are known as tough guys, but the tough-guy mentality is perhaps getting in the

way of players’ safety. Players don’t want to wear them because some feel uncomfortable with them on. They said the exact same thing when helmets became mandatory.

The NHLPA wants nothing to do with the visor issue. They believe you should have the right to choose whether to wear one or not.

Most players are playing with one, but it’s still a shame whenever an eye injury happens to somebody not wearing one.

Concordia Stingers men’s hockey players Adam Strumas and Kyle Kelly have completely different views on the subject. In their league, it is mandatory to wear a visor.

“If I had the choice, I would continue to wear a visor. There’s no doubt about it,” said Kelly. “My eyesight is far too important for me to risk an injury that may affect my vision for the rest of my life.”

“With regard to the NHL, I do believe they should make visors mandatory,” he went on to say. “People’s eyesight is far too important to risk leaving it to chance. I believe that the implementation of mandatory visor use in the NHL should be grandfathered in, just like the use of a helmet was grandfathered in many years ago.”

Strumas believes players should still have a choice once they reach the professional level.

“In university hockey, there are very few fights that break out, so I would keep my visor on if given the choice,” he said. “If it was pro hockey, I would take it off. I don’t think the NHL should implement a rule forcing players to wear a visor. It’s always been a player’s choice at that level. Players have respect and keep their sticks down, anyways.”

With this discussion garnering mixed reactions from all hockey players and fans, it will be interesting to see whether visors will become mandatory in the sport’s future.

hockey // sports

Stingers say goodbye to four veteran players the women’s hockey team will have spots left by departures DaviD s. lanDsman staff writer

J

ust as every season goes by, student athletes also come and go each year. This year, the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team had to say goodbye to Emilie Bocchia, Veronique Laramee Paquette, Mallory Lawton and Laurie Proulx-Duperre, who hung up their skates after

illustrious careers with the maroon and gold.

These girls have varied experience, from playing two seasons, all the way up to five.

Some have had number changes and others kept the same one throughout their time with the Stingers. In the end, there is no doubt they will have left an impact on this now, much younger Concordia team.

Alternate captain Bocchia, for one, was unable to grasp at the notion of her career being over.

“It feels like it’s not over yet, I’ve reached my pinnacle,” said Bocchia, who played four years, and wore number 26 throughout. “I had a lot of fun being a part of this team.

These are memories that won’t be forgotten.”

For Laramee-Paquette, she was only eligible to suit up for two seasons with Concordia after having played in the United States prior, but she still relished the opportunity.

“I’m now ready for a new challenge,” added Laramee-Paquette, following the team’s final regular season game against McGill. “I didn’t expect to finish my hockey career here in Montreal, but I’m glad I got to. It was truly a good life experience.”

Mallory Lawton has had Stinger blood in

her way before her career with Concordia began in 2008, so her departure was emotional. She was named captain of the team prior to the start of this past season, and she wore the ‘C’ proudly on her jersey.

“I’m not yet ready to give it up, it still hasn’t sunk in,” explained Lawton. “I would’ve preferred a better ending, but the program [at Concordia] is so prestigious, the experience itself was so worthwhile.”

The lone defender in the crop of retirees, Proulx-Duperre played her five years at Concordia establishing herself as a leader amongst blueliners.

The departures signify that change for

the Stingers hockey squad is close. While head coach Les Lawton has already made one signing, Dawson College’s forward Jesse Keca, there are a few empty spaces on the roster.

Players who missed the majority of the season with an injury will almost act as new recruits. Forward Erica Porter missed the first half of the season, and Danielle Scarlett missed the entire season.

When training camp opens in the summer it’ll be interesting to see what will become of the team who only managed two victories throughout the 2012-13 season.

Tuesday, march 19, 2013

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basketball - season review // sports

A look back on the Stingers 2012-13 basketball season

by The Concordian’s sports editor Kevin Duarte

Injuries & inconsistency plague men’s season

T

he Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team were favourites heading into the 2012-13 season, after dominating the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec conference for two straight years.

However, injury troubles even before the season started made things tough for the team right from the get-go.

In November, the Stingers won their first three contests to open the season. Two close losses at the end of the month, against McGill and Laval, knocked the team out of first place. Concordia would never get that first place spot back.

For the rest of the season, the Stingers were never able to get a good winning streak going. As soon as they would win two straight, they would go on to drop the one or two games. The team had some roller coaster performances, blowing out teams in some games, and dropping fourth quarter leads in other ones.

When the team was healthy, they brought back glimpses of their dominating performances from previous seasons. Unfortunately, players kept going down, forcing head coach John Dore to constantly adjust his lineup.

At the end of the season, the Stingers finished with a 9-7 record, more losses than both their last two seasons combined.

Concordia’s biggest victory of the season came on Nov. 15, when they beat the Laval Rouge et Or by 28 points. Laval returned the favour handing the Stingers their biggest defeat of the season on Feb. 23. The Rouge et Or beat Concordia by 22 points, in a match where Stingers needed to win to secure home playoff advantage.

Offensively, the maroon and gold led the league in most overall points and average points per game. They had three players finish in the top 10 of the league in terms of average points per game. Evens Laroche and Kyle Desmarais finished in third and fourth overall with 15.1 and 15 points per game respectively. Guard Jerome Blake was in 10th spot overall in the league with 12 points per game.

It was defensively where the team lost some of their games. The Stingers found themselves in the middle of the pack in most defensive stat categories. Although, rebounding was the exception as the Stingers were the best offensive rebounding team and second best defensively behind McGill.

The below average Stingers season could have also come down to an overall improvement of the four other teams in the league. As expected, McGill put pressure on the Stingers all season long and ultimately dethroned Concordia, winning the RSEQ Championship. After finishing last in the two prior season, Bishop’s Gaiters turned things around and ended up beating out ConU for second place in the standings and went on to eliminate the Stingers in the playoffs.

Concordia will use the off-season to regroup and come out strong next year. Fewer injuries will hopefully lead to more consistent play from the 20-time RSEQ champions.

Women’s team finishes second, despite improved record

L

ooking back on the 2012-13 women’s basketball season, the Concordia Stingers can be proud.

The season before, the Stingers finished the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec conference in second place and fell to the McGill Martlets in the championship playoff game. They suffered the exact same fate this year.

Concordia started the season in November with four straight wins. Their first loss came against the Laval Rouge et Or on Nov. 30 when the Stingers fell 50-49 in Quebec City. The Stingers managed to find themselves on the Canadian Interuniversity Sport top 10 rankings for a few weeks.

For the rest of the season, the maroon and gold had a tough time putting more than two wins in a row together. A three-game winning streak in February was their next best run.

The team finished the season with 11 wins and five losses. This was an improvement on last season’s 8-8 record. Last year, an 11-5 record was good enough for first place. Just as Concordia improved, so did McGill who finished two wins ahead.

In the playoffs the Stingers had home court advantage in the semi-finals. They hosted the UQÀM Citadins at Concordia Gym on Feb. 27. In the regular season, Concordia won all four meetings between the two sides. The playoffs were not different. ConU won 65-62 and had a chance to face McGill once again in the finals.

After trailing most the game, the Stingers had a strong fourth quarter comeback and were only down by a basket with 17 seconds to go in the game. The Martlets hung on for a slim 51-48 victory.

The Stingers’ strong season did not go unnoticed at a provincial and national level. Guard Kaylah Barrett was named to the CIS first all-Canadian team for the second consecutive year. First-year forward Marilyse Roy-Viau was selected for the national all-Rookie team.

Provincially, Barrett was named conference MVP for the second straight year.

She also was a first team all-star for the third consecutive season. Roy-Viau was named as a second team all-star and also made the all-Rookie team. First year guard Tamara Pinard-Devos also won RSEQ all-Rookie honours.

It was not just players collecting silverware. Head coach Keith Pruden won RSEQ Coach of the Year. Concordia had a young team this season. Five of 12 players on the team were rookies. Three more were sophomores. Pruden did well to recruit these rookies and showed plenty of confidence towards them all season long.

Given the team’s success this past season, Pruden will be able to keep a similar team for the next few years. The women’s basketball team has a bright future ahead, having already showed their potential this past season.

opinions 20

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Tuesday, march 19, 2013

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

‘An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises’ a new CsU executive will have their work cut out for them The headline is a quote from Mae West which perfectly sums up our feelings about Concordia Student Union elections. Campaign period is like the honeymoon phase of the relationship: everyone is all smiles and promises. It happens every year. Candidates come forward, they say they want to see substantial changes to the CSU and all we can do as students is mark our ballots, cross our fingers and try to believe them.

The problem is that it is always easier to criticize something from the outside than

working to improve it from the inside. Trying to pull the CSU out of the slump it has fallen into will be a near-impossible task; to call it an uphill battle is a huge understatement.

Much like the image problems Concordia is facing based on its less-than-squeaky-clean history, the CSU has had a very tough year management-wise and is paying the price for it. Once people get the idea that the union is poorly run, ineffective and a black hole for student money, it isn’t so easy to change that perspective.

This year we have seen screw-ups of all kinds, shapes and sizes. Some have been laughable and some have been deeply disappointing. Our advice to those brave souls whose interest in student politics has re-

mained intact despite the very convincing arguments to stay away; let this year be a lesson to you.

Consider the mistakes of those who have come before you to be your biggest advantages. Don’t fall into the same negative patterns and foolish miscommunications that others have because you can’t afford to repeat them.

In other words, there is no reason not to do better when you can prepare for the worst.

Controlling Concordia student’s money and making decisions that will affect the whole community is a serious thing and not to be taken lightly. Outgoing executives may not have the highest approval rating from council now, but they have a year’s worth of experience under their belts which shouldn’t

be overlooked.

They say you don’t learn nearly as much from your successes as you do from your mistakes, and if that is indeed the case, the 2012-13 CSU executives should be experts by now. And basically anyone who was watching from the sidelines should be too.

The students at Concordia deserve representatives who will be transparent, who will make communication a priority and who will organize themselves and their events carefully.

Candidates: we hope you follow through on your promises because a CSU executive that is united and effective benefits everyone, and if you don’t, we won’t hesitate to remind you of them later on.

military // opinions

Drone usage is not going to fly obama’s drone programs are illegal, immoral and ineffective GreGory Todaro assistant opinions editor

T

he United States government was built on what is called the “system of checks and balances.” It was designed specifically so not one part of the government could have all the power.

However, Obama’s ability to call for drone strikes himself without any other clearance is an outrageous breach of this American political ideal.

Along with the American public outcry, the ripples of the U.S. drone policy have moved passed American politics and caused a stir in the international community. This issue has gained so much notoriety that the United Nations has begun an investigation to determine the legality of the drone program. The investigation, led by Ben Emmerson, is to focus on legal justification for an expansive drone program.

However, it’s hard to see how they could find one.

As international human rights lawyer Jessica Corsi told the Huffington Post, “Illegality, immorality and ineffectiveness …

I would argue that the current drone policy employed by the United States and by Israel, are, to some extent, all three.”

The legal issues surrounding drone usage breaks domestic laws and has been questioned by both internal and internation-

al experts. International law expert and University of Notre Dame professor Mary Ellen O’Connell argues that international law authorizes nations to kill people in other countries for three reasons; self-defense to an armed attack, with authorization from the United Nations, or assisting another country in their lawful use of force. In a 2010 report, the U.N. has also established that drone killings may be lawful during an armed conflict, but must be within the field of battle. New York University law professor and U.N. special rapporteur Philip Alston said “outside the context of armed conflict, the use of drones for targeted killing is almost never likely to be legal.”

The immoral aspect of the use of drones has also been brought up. When one man has no oversight on what he can and cannot do, that system has the potential to be misused on a very large scale. Not one person should control that much power. There needs to be the establishment of some balance, some force that takes all of this power from one person.

Despite the legal and moral arguments against the drone program, the biggest outcry by far has been due to the ineffectiveness of drone attacks; according to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, between

474 and 881 civilians have been killed by drone strikes in Pakistan alone. However, this number may actually be higher because of the criteria used to determine civilian casualties against militant casualties. According to the New York Times, the Obama administration considers any “military-aged male” as hostile, and their deaths do not get counted as civilian casualties. This fact, alone, means there are potentially hundreds of deaths of innocent men who just happen to fall within a certain demographic.

Don’t get me wrong, Obama has been doing an excellent job as president; the

DOW is back to pre-recession levels, unemployment is down and he’s pushing for a ban on assault rifles, however, I find the current drone policy very unsettling.

While other countries are moving towards drones as well, it’s the United States that is setting the precedent for the usage. It’s up to the U.S. to lead the world in the right direction on this matter. A drone should not be considered any different than a bomber. Obama and the rest of America needs to come to realize this before everything gets even more out of hand.

Photo from Flickr

Tuesday, march 19, 2013

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food // opinions

You are what you eat, right?

Consumers should be pushing for more information about their meat Tiffany LafLeUr staff writer

P

ackaged goods and frozen meals are disappearing from the shelves in Europe, however, it’s not the consumers who are responsible.

After the Food Safety Authority of Ireland released a press statement in January that some burgers had tested positive for horse and pig DNA, products from a number of different companies all over Europe have been recalled. It has left many with a sense of distrust towards the food industry, especially since many brands such as Burger King, Taco Bell and Nestlé have tested positive for tainted meat.

Although the culprits have not yet been identified, investigators suspect that slaughterhouses in Poland and Romania are involved in the scandal. There have also been arrests at the Peter Boddy abattoir in Yorkshire, England. So far there’s a lot of he-saidshe-said, coupled with finger pointing in all sorts of directions, but no one is stepping up to take the blame.

The meat industry isn’t a straight line from slaughterhouse to the supermarket anymore. According to an article published in The Guardian, “there are around 450 points at which the integrity of the [supply] chain can break down.” So think maze, not straight line.

The irony with this scandal is that many consumers are aware that meat has become ambiguous. It has come to include a multitude of additives, some of which the pronunciation of is exhaustive and confusing.

When you buy supermarket “meat,” chances are it contains maybe 80 per cent actual animal. And that’s being generous. In the UK, burgers that contain at least 50 per cent beef are considered legal. So, it isn’t so much that horse meat has been masquerading as beef, but that there is a feeling on behalf of

the consumer of being duped. There is still a stigma attached to eating horse, although it is considered a delicacy in some countries.

The tenderly nursed image of a happy farm with healthy animals is fictional.

In the real world, farms have become industries that work in a mechanical and oftentimes inhumane fashion. Consumers shouldn’t be surprised that they aren’t getting what’s advertised. According to National Geographic, some meats labeled as beef were actually entirely horse.

Although the presence of horse meat is disturbing, what’s more chilling is the overwhelming presence of pork. According to The Conversation: “when the discovery was made in November 2012 in Ireland, a third of beef samples contained horse DNA but over 85 per cent contained pig DNA.” Since pigs are not given the same status as horses, the numbers may not be as disturbing. However, given that pig and cattle are usually processed in the same production line, this may lead to questions about the cleaning methods used by the plant, as well as cleanliness and sanitation.

Every time there is a new scandal involving meat, there is uproar, outrage and cries for change. Heartfelt apologies from companies usually follow, with a solemn promise to do better by their customers and learn from past mistakes. The thing is there’s always a new scandal, sometimes with deadly consequences. Take the recent XL Foods E. coli outbreak, which resulted in the largest beef recall in Canada, or the

Graphic byJennifer Kwan

Maple Leaf Foods Listeriosis outbreak in August 2008.

If we want to truly learn from this horse meat scandal, then consumers need to set higher standards for the food they buy. Proper labeling, proper production and proper

distribution need to be implemented in order to prevent this from happening again. The only way that companies are going to stop getting away with cheating their consumers is if we demand the right to know exactly what we are eating.

language // opinions

Confessions of a bitter, trilingual Quebecer Why this province needs a younger, more open-minded attitude GeorGe Menexis opinions editor

As a Montrealer of Greek origin who is fluent in Greek, French and English, I look at Quebec and all the incidents that have occurred in the past few months and I ask myself this one, simple, question: what the hell is going on?

But there’s another question Anglophones and Francophones should be asking themselves: why can’t we embrace bilingualism in this province? Why can’t we accept that Quebec is a province of two official languages and both will be equally represented

from now on? Why do we insist on pointing fingers at each other and accusing the other side of undermining the other’s language?

Since the election of the PQ government, things have seriously worsened. The Office quebecois de la langue française found new life after receiving unnecessary funding from the provincial government and have put it to absolutely no use by attacking restaurants like Buona Notte, ultimately making a fool of themselves and of the PQ in the process.

These are old school techniques that the younger, more open-minded generation of Quebecers simply don’t understand or appreciate.

We’ve come an extremely long way since the creation of Bill 101 and the last thing we need is for Premier Pauline Marois to reignite that good-for-nothing fire. No matter how hard you try, no matter how much you push, Quebec has unofficially been branded a bilingual state since then and all you’re do-

ing is tainting your already-tarnished image straight out of politics.

The younger generations of anglophones and francophones in this province have accepted the fact that Quebec is and will be an open-minded province that is accepting of two official languages. There certainly remains an older generation of anglophones and francophones who are extremely bitter towards each other, but like it or not, they will disappear as the next generation comes along.

What really presses my buttons, however, is the fact that Quebec has the potential to be the greatest province in Canada if we set our mind to it. Imagine a Quebec where everyone is bilingual and most are trilingual considering the fact that we already are a melting pot of diverse cultures. Imagine the businesses we could attract, the growth we could instigate and the money we would save by exterminating useless organizations

like the OQLF, by not researching the possibility of separation from Canada and by stopping the creation of discriminatory bills such as Bill 14.

I am a bitter Quebecer and I’ve had enough. Not bitter against the French or the English exclusively, but bitter against the tension that still lies between the two after all these years. To all who still have a problem, grow up, embrace your neighbour and work on living in a bilingual Quebec, and not a unilingual one.

Whether its being forced to order pasta and other foods in French, or be forced to walk if I can’t buy a metro ticket in French, so be it. I will walk, straight out of this province, to the excess of open-minded provinces and states that surround Quebec. Just like so many did after the referendum. Quebec is coming dangerously close to that once again.

It’s time for the younger generation to step up and put an end to this.

22

//

Tuesday, march 19, 2013

society // opinions

Eliminating homophobia, one commercial at a time GeorGe Menexis opinions editor

Our provincial government has been criticized quite often since being elected — and rightly so — for various reasons, among them spending public funds on a government institution like the Office de la angue française and creating bills that have most scratching their heads in anger or confusion. However, credit must be given where it is due. Quebec has once again proved that it is an innovative province with just the mindset to come up with excellent, unique ideas.

The Quebec government has launched a $7.1-million ad campaign that will last five years and will look to crack down on homophobia in Quebec. The commercials will show normal situations between couples, in which the viewer has no idea until the very end of the ad that it is between a same-sex couple. The narrator will then proceed to ask, at the end of the commercial, “Does this ad change what you were thinking about 20 seconds ago?”

Homophobia is not a joke. Approximately 78 per cent of us, according to an 800-person survey conducted by the provincial government, are comfortable with diverse sexual orientations.

Despite Quebec being an open-minded province

ad campaign looks to question our acceptance of sexual diversity Graphic by Jennifer Khan

in regards to sexual orientation, homophobes still exist. Although we say that we are open to people having different sexual orientations, this ad campaign will try to see how open we really are as a province.

“We learned in our research that Quebec

is viewed as open to sexual diversity—but homophobia still exists and it still exists in Quebec,” said Martine Delagrave, who works for Cossette Communication, the firm that developed the ads.

“Our idea for a first campaign was to shed some light, to have some awareness about how open we

really are.”

The truth is that a lot of us aren’t as comfortable with sexual diversity as we would like to think. Although we have come a long way since then as a people, there is still a long way to go and whoever says otherwise is kidding themselves.

That’s why I think the provincial government was spot on with these ads. They’re looking to put a positive light on diverse sexual orientations by shocking or surprising us towards the end of the ad. As we’re watching, we realize that there’s nothing odd about the situation; a woman finding a note from her partner, her partner being a woman at the end, or a man arriving at the airport, looking for his lover, who is another man. What’s good about these ads is that it makes the homophobic viewer think about why he or she is homophobic in the first place by portraying the couples in an everyday situation. This, for me, is a starting point in eliminating homophobia. The next batch of ads will probably go even further in proving this particular point.

In a 2006 census conducted by Statistics Canada, it shows that there are more than 45,000 same sex couples in Canada, 18.4 per cent of those residing in Montreal. These numbers cannot be ignored, and we must move forward in completely eliminating homophobia from our societal ranks.

letters // opinions

Letters to the editor Hardworking and Honest CSU Leaders

To the Concordia Student body,

With the student union elections right around the corner I felt it important to introduce you to, and express my support for, CSYou presidential candidate Melissa Wheeler.

Melissa and I originally met while working for the same company, and I felt compelled to get to know her right away. Anyone who has met this lovely lady has definitely felt the same, she has the ability to converse in a way that you know you’re being heard and understood, a trait lacking in current politics.

Working with her has given me the opportunity to get to know her professional ethic, and the word I would use to describe it is assiduous . She manages to balance school, work, and campaigns and is dedicated to all three.

A great example of this work would be her public education and awareness campaign Love Doesn’t Hurt. She is willing to do anything for what she believes in and she believes in an honest and hard working CSU. Reading the CSYou’s platform will give you a great idea of what Melissa has in store for Concordia and what she wants to see is positive, sustainable projects that future Concordians can also benefit from. She has been involved with the union for two years giving her the experience necessary to accomplish these plans efficiently.

She is also scrupulous about accurately representing the needs and voices of all Concordia Students. While two campuses could be daunting for the inexperienced CSU leader, Melissa also has a way of getting people together and I have confidence in her plans to strengthen the relationship between SGW and Loyola.

On a more personal note, I feel its important to metion how amicable Melissa is. Concordia students should have a president they feel they can approach with ideas andprojects, Melissa is that girl.

Students of Concordia I implore you to do your research, read the CSYou campaign and if you’re still undecided invite Melissa out for tea.

As the incoming President of the John Molson School of Business’ Commerce and Administration Student Association, also known as CASA JMSB, and outgoing President of CASA Cares, I am glad to announce my support for Scott Carr as the VP Finance of Concordia Student Union. Scott is no stranger to me seeing as both of our associations collaborated last year to organize a successful fundraiser benefiting Moisson Montreal and voted as the most innovative project at JMSB. Scott has been actively involved ever since he went through the doors of the MB building because he understands the value of making an impact on people’s life. Currently, he is President of Concordia’s Entrepreneurship and Management Association (Enactus Concordia) and sits at CASA’s Board of Directors’ meetings as a voting director. Many assume that JMSB students’ main concern is the bottom line: profit. However, part of Scott’s responsibility is to ensure that the triple bottom line is taken into account: People, Planet, and Profit. He understands the affects that businesses have on the people in our community and the environment in which we live in. His involvement with Enactus and various initiatives at JMSB has proven that not only does he listens to the people around him and understands their needs, but that he can also implement a plan, which will ultimately make a difference.

Driven by results, Scott has not only excelled as a President, but in casecompetitions as well, which enabled him to acquire the analytical skills required to keep CSU and its projects financially sustainable. As an active member of the JMSB community, I am positive that he will be able to bridge the gap between JMSB and CSU and I am looking forward to working together with the union to make Concordia University a better place for the students.

With his clear dedication to the community, his ability to listen to students, and his solid business background, I can say with confidence that Scott Carr is the perfect candidate as CSU’s VP Finance.

Regards,

-Annastacia Acheson Sebek -John-Michael Minon Outgoing President of CASA Cares Incoming President of CASA JMSB

Letters to the editor

It’s the one holiday everyone has learned to celebrate and love: St. Patrick’s Day. Thousands of people gathered all over the world yesterday to wear the classic green that so wonderfully represents Irish culture and march in hundreds of parades. Needless, it was probably a rough Monday morning due to our tendency to drink on St. Patrick’s Day. Here are the Tweets of the week!

If I were on a desert island (I’m talking LOST here, not Bora Bora), I’d want two things. I’d want a swiss army knife and I’d want Melissa Kate Wheeler. Okay, I’d probably also want sunscreen and my iPhone, but you can’t have it all. Except for with a vote for Melissa and the CSYou Team.

She is not only super fun to hang with, easy to talk to, and good to look at, she is a human swiss army knife. Seriously, girl’s got everything. Mel is incredibly intelligent and could school most people I know on the ins and outs of CSU policy and internal affairs. She spent her first year being involved with the CSU as council secretary, basically soaking up all the information (and writing it down really really fast) she could so she could be an outspoken and knowledgable member of council the following year. She is always fair, wellspoken, and is respected by her fellow councillors.

Mel is also a passionate and committed individual. Having started the Love Doesn’t Hurt campaign this year, she has dedicated herself to helping others recognize cycles of violence in relationships and provide a place for them to get help. She does these things because she genuinely just loves spreading the love.

One of the most huggy people I know, Mel really just cares about people. She genuinely sees the best in everyone, and even in times of conflict or stress, she is able to make clear-headed decisions in the best interests of everyone, not just herself.

A vote for Melissa and her CSYou team is a vote for versatility, hugs, really fast typing skills, and a Union that will work for You, represent You, and respect You. -Maddy Griffin

@kathyholt69: “Love having clover

in the corner of shower. Your all welcome to join me. #fragile #StPatricksDay”

@SxyNrdyHotnDrty: “o all that woke

today with beside a stranger: if you pee green, it was probably the beer, but get tested anyway to be safe! #StPatricksDay” @KatietheRae: “A man brought me a

flower at work. He was on his way home from St. Patricks day....it was 11am. I think he was a real life leprechaun.” @sselseracLER: “Definitely bought

multiple episodes of millionaire matchmaker when I was schwaystedd #StPatricksDay #pattistanger”

@jhals21:“Today, I should be forced to

stand on a busy street holding a giant sign that says “I’m an asshole and I can’t handle St. Patricks Day.” @ameliabobelia: “Just wrote “Happy

St. Patricks Day” on my quiz and turned it in...whoops”

There has been a flurry of activity regarding the funding cuts to Fine Arts programs. FASA stated that 15 to 20 per cent of funding will be cut from the faculty and their programs.

The most innovative moments in history come from ideas and creativity. Someone had to think of a wheel before inventing it and then realise its potential. A team of astronauts designed rockets and ships to

Marilla Steuter-Martin editor-in-Chief editor@theconcordian.com

Sophia loffreda production manager production@theconcordian.com

Kalina lafraMboiSe news editor news@theconcordian.com

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aManda l. Shore arts editor arts@theconcordian.com

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Kevin duarte sports editor sports@theconcordian.com

george MenexiS opinions editor opinions@theconcordian.com

photo editor photo@theconcordian.com

nataSha taggart alySSa treMblay

Hello fellow undergrads, I would simply like to say a few words regarding our upcoming CSU elections, in particular, about presidential candidate Melissa Wheeler. She may be the only candidate this year, but I would challenge you to find a better candidate for the role.

While many of you are no doubt aware of Melissa’s involvement in the Concordia community, including being one of the most vocal members of council this year, as well as heavily involved with the Love Doesn’t Hurt campaign, there are some other important things that you should know about her.

Melissa is both a smart and driven young woman, who is unafraid to stand up and fight for what she believes is right. She is also one of the single most compassionate people I know, and will drop everything to help someone in need. This young woman cares enormously about Concordia, especially its students. I have no doubt in my mind that Melissa is going to do everything in her power to defend the rights of students, and to ensure that their university experience is the best it can possibly be.

While I am certainly encouraging you to vote for Melissa and the CSYou slate in the CSU elections from the 26-28 of March, I would like each and every one of you to do more than that. Check out the CSYou slate, their ideas, and their campaign. Get in touch with Melissa and voice your concerns about your university. You are fortunate enough to have an excellent candidate in front of you; she wants to help you.

Please, do not waste this opportunity, and get involved, even if it simply means just asking her a quick question. I would like to hope that we have learned after this year the importance of involving ourselves in our student government.

@txtfromlastnite: (516): sorry for laughing and taking pictures while you were having an asthma attack on st. patricks day.

An Open Letter Regarding Funding

Tuesday, March 19, 2013 Vol. 30 Issue 25

Madelayne hajeK

dicks drawn on me... #stpatricksday”

@slat06: “Going to roll in a ball and cry

Concordia’s weekly, independent student newspaper.

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online editors online@theconcordian.com

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explore the far reaches of our galaxy. Musicians create lyrics that make us question, explore or forget about our problems. All of these accomplishments required ideas and creativity.

The Faculty of Fine Arts alumni are internationally recognised as some of the best in the world. Arcade Fire won the Grammy for Best Album and Edouard Locke is combining film with groundbreaking choreography. I am excited to see what the next generation of alumni will give to the world.

Unfortunately, the devastating cuts to Fine

Arts will kill the creative potential of our students. There will be less mentorship opportunities, less exploration and fewer performance opportunities.

I hope every student and alumni of Concordia will help FASA in fighting against these cuts.

-Andy Filipowich BFA Contemporary Dance, 2012 2011-2012 Concordia Senator 2010-2011 FASA Representative

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the etc. page // opinions

Events of the week: March 19

Tuesday ART MATTERS - RuinS - 18H - VAV GAllERy Wednesday ART MATTERS - youTH WEll WASTEd - 18H - BBAM! GAllERy Thursday ART MATTERS - CuRio (finiSSAGE) - 18H - CoAT CHECk GAllERy Friday THEATRE - JACquES BREl iS AliVE And WEll And liVinG in PARiS - 20 H - MAinlinE THEATRE saTurday ART - MonSTRoSiTiES ConCoRdiA’S fiBRE ExPoSiTion -12H- diAGonAlE sunday THEATRE - THE VAGinA MonoloGuES - 20H - CAfE ClEoPATRA