Vol. 42 Issue 12: November 26th 2024

Page 1


HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS PROTEST AGAINST CONCORDIA’S POSITION WITHIN THE ISRAEL-PALESTINE WAR

The protest was notably marked by actions reminiscent of the Nazi party from one protester.

@fa.beauchemin.journalisme

Over 10,000 students from 12 student associations at Concordia University were on strike last week, and hundreds of students gathered outside the Hall Building on Nov. 21 in solidarity with Palestine and other student strike demands.

Shortly after 2 p.m., the protesters broke into the Hall

Building and then made their way up and down the 12 floors of the Hall Building. Some people graffitied “Free Gaza” and other messages in solidarity with Palestine or criticizing Concordia inside and on the outside of the building, notably on the sixth floor of the escalators. According to the Service

de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) media relations officer

Mariane Allaire Morin, the police have opened an investigation for mischief based on the graffiti inside the building.

The SPVM also opened an investigation into alleged assaults on two Campus Safety & Prevention Services (CSPS)

security guards, Allaire Morin confirmed. She said that the security guards did not sustain major injuries. No arrest has been made in either case.

NEWS

Students strikes end with a protest against NATO pg. 3

SPORTS

Frisbee, Concordia’s ultimate intramural sport pg. 6

LES PAGES FRANCOS

Valorisation du français : où en est Concordia? pg. 8

ARTS & CULTURE

Students rally to save Concordia’s Creative Reuse Centre at vibrant fundraiser pg. 11

MUSIC

Swifties join forces in Toronto pg. 12

OPINIONS

Is it the most wonderful time of the year? pg. 14

PHOTO COLLAGE BY HANNAH BELL // PHOTO EDITOR

Concordia Student Protest (Continued from cover)

Concordia University did not respond to our questions regarding the protest.

While the vast majority of protesters did not engage in acts of violence, the protest was overshadowed by one protester’s acts directed toward the group of about two dozen pro-Israel counter-protesters gathered outside the Hall Building.

In videos circulating on social

media, this protester told the pro-Israel counter-protesters that the “Final Solution is coming your way” and did a Nazi salute in their direction. The Final Solution was Nazi Germany’s plan for the mass murder of all European Jews during World War II.

According to several news organizations, the person in question was the owner of the Second Cup Café at the Jewish

General Hospital in Montreal. In a statement on X, Second Cup Café announced it had “shut down the franchisee’s cafe and [is] terminating their franchise agreement.”

Mark Weiner is a Concordia student who was part of the group of pro-Israeli counter-protesters. He criticized the rhetoric used by some pro-Palestinian protesters and called for the university to be a safe space for all students.

“We want Concordia University to be a safe space for everybody, including the Jewish students, that have felt their voices and lives in danger over the past year or so,” he said.

Allaire Morin said the SPVM’s Module des incidents et des crimes haineux — the hate crime division — opened an investigation into the incidents.

The Concordia branch of Students for Palestine’s Honour and Resistance (SPHR) co-organized the protest, which was endorsed by all 12 student associations who were on strike. An SPHR Concordia representative, who requested anonymity on the basis that he feared negative consequences from the university for being part of the group, said the individual was not a member of the group and condemned her actions.

“Our stance is very clear that we condemn any Nazi actions and any Nazi rhetoric that are used in general,” he said. “At the end of the day, if we have individuals who are just doing these very stupid actions, then there’s nothing we could do exactly because it’s an individual action.”

He also explained that SPHR could not go to every individual protester who attends their protests to ensure they would not do such actions and that it was clear to him that most protesters were peaceful and knew about SPHR’s position against

fascism and Nazism.

The aim of the strikes was to protest Concordia’s investments in companies selling weapons to Israel, employment partnerships with these companies, and what they claim was a security-heavy reaction to pro-Palestinian protests, and to demand Concordia cut ties with various Israeli universities.

In an email, Concordia University’s deputy spokesperson, Julie Fortier, denied that the university had invested in the arms industry.

“The Concordia University Inter-Generational Fund (CUiF, Concordia’s primary investment arm) is actively working on ways to increase transparency with regard to its investment practices, decision-making processes, and reporting,” Fortier wrote in an email. “As we have stated previously, we do not have investments in the arms industry.”

Fortier also said that Concordia would not cut ties with Israeli institutions, as that would go against the university’s value of academic freedom.

Prior to the protest, Fortier said that CSPS had faced increased aggressivity by some protesters, notably during the student walkout on Sept. 25 and the protest on Oct. 31. She also explained that Concordia does not differentiate in their response based on the organizers.

“SPVM is only called when necessary and in accordance with Concordia’s policies, such as during incidents where the safety and security of community members are threatened or when criminal acts are committed on campus,” Fortier wrote via email. “All protests are managed in the same manner, regardless of who is organizing them.”

Before the protest began, Danna Ballantyne, the external & mobilization coordinator at the Concordia Student Union (CSU) and Palestinian student, expressed her grati-

tude to her fellow students who voted on strikes in solidarity with Palestine.

“I’ve been saying this for months to anyone who will listen just how insane it is to see a keffiyeh on someone who isn’t Palestinian,” she said. “Just that. Just a keffiyeh makes me feel like I am supported and protected in doing what I need to do to advocate for my people.”

In total, approximately 85,000 students from Quebec CEGEPs and universities were on strike in solidarity with Palestine last week.

“Having 85,000 students in this province telling their universities that they are not going to tolerate the mistreatment of my people and, in general, oppress and colonize people globally, it really is beyond inspirational,” Ballantyne said. “I feel like my optimism in the movement has grown exponentially in this past week.”

SPHR Concordia posted a video on Instagram in which multiple CSPS security guards shoved picketers out of the way to a classroom in the Hall Building and pushed them to a nearby stairwell. According to their representative, the incident took place Friday afternoon.

Fortier explained that CSPS took action after they received a complaint from the class, which was not part of the departments that had voted on a strike mandate. She also stated that CSPS’ objective is to de-escalate situations, but that students could not block access to classes.

“The class the protesters went to was an engineering class where students had not voted to strike and wanted to go to class,” Fortier wrote in an email. “A student trying to get to class could not, and agents separated the group to prevent an escalation between students. Striking students need to also respect others who wish to go to class.”

Protester holds Palestine flag in front of police on Mackay and De Maisonneuve Blvd.
PHOTO BY FÉLIX-ANTOINE BEAUCHEMIN // NEWS EDITOR
People swarm the ground floor of the Hall building.
PHOTO BY FÉLIX-ANTOINE BEAUCHEMIN // NEWS EDITOR
Protesters march down MacKay t.
Graffiti on sixth floor of Hall building.
PHOTO BY FÉLIX-ANTOINE BEAUCHEMIN // NEWS EDITOR

Students strikes end with a protest against NATO

The protest ended when the crowd was tear-gassed after vandalizing the Palais des Congrès.

Hundreds of students from Montreal CEGEPs and universities marched on Friday night to protest the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) during its Parliamentary Assembly in Montreal, which took place over the weekend.

According to SVPM spokesperson Mariane Allaire Morin, a 22-year-old woman was arrested for assault on a peace officer and obstructing police work. Two men aged 22 and 28 were arrested for obstructing police work. The three individuals, who were released at the scene, will eventually face court.

Around 85,000 students from 35 student unions across Quebec had voted to strike for Palestine. Hundreds of people began assembling at 4:30 p.m. at Émilie-Gamelin Place near Berri-UQAM metro station. They headed to the corner of Sainte-Catherine St. W. and Saint-Urbain St. in the Quartier des Spectacles, with more protesters joining the group.

“This is a class issue, and NATO perpetuates impartial laws that don’t hold war criminals accountable,” said Concordia Urban Planning Association President Alésia Keimi. “I think protesting against NATO is more about protesting against the class like the classist imperial[ist] system. These institutions will only change their ways if we force their hand, and we won’t.”

In 2024, 23 members out of NATO’s 32 countries are expected to increase their military spending to a minimum of two per cent of their Gross Domes-

tic Product (GDP), an agreement originally made in 2006. Canada aims to reach their target of $82 billion by 20322033, double the projected military spending for 2024-2025.

The United States has recognized Israel as a major nonNATO ally since 1987, and it is a member of NATO’s Mediterranean Dialogue forum. Two of the points addressed at this weekend’s Parliamentary Assembly were the strengthening of NATO’s integrated air and missile defence, support of Ukraine until victory, and to discuss opportunities for the responsible military use of AI.

“It’s ridiculous that we’re paying for weapons when there are people sleeping in the streets,” said Concordia political science alumnus Jonathan South, who was holding a paper maché effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Look at how big our tent city is. We call ourselves rich. We call ourselves developed. And like Tupac said, ‘They got money for wars, but they can’t feed the poor.’ And he wrote that in the ‘90s. Nothing’s changed.”

A Netanyahu effigy was burnt in the middle of the pavilion, sending the crowd west down Saint-Urbain St.

Riot police followed the crowd out of the square, intervening with the protest just after the intersection at RenéLévesque Blvd. and Saint-Urbain St. after having multiple tense interactions with the pro-

testers. The crowd and police had many exchanges involving flares, projectile launchers, and explosive paint canisters.

“The strike campaign has been an attempt to show the student body that they have power and to put the power in their hands,” said Concordia Revolutionary Communist Party representative Laurent Cardinal. “In Quebec, it’s been particularly successful because there’s this tradition of grassroots mobilizing, [the 2012 strike on student tuition hikes] obviously being the most recent example.”

The crowd turned onto Viger St. and through the Palais des Congrès underpass, where members broke windows of the convention building. Two minor fires were reported to have been ignited on two separate cars. Shortly after, riot police used tear gas to disperse the protesters.

The protest ended at around 7 p.m. near the Gare Centrale.

Protesters march in front of Palais de Congrès. PHOTO BY FÉLIX-ANTOINE BEAUCHEMIN // NEWS EDITOR
Protesters walking down Sainte-Catherine St. W. PHOTO BY FÉLIX-ANTOINE BEAUCHEMIN // NEWS EDITOR
Riot police controls protest. PHOTO BY FÉLIX-ANTOINE BEAUCHEMIN // NEWS EDITOR
Protesters march down Saint-Urbain St. HOTO BY FÉLIX-ANTOINE BEAUCHEMIN // NEWS EDITOR
Netanyahu effigy burned in Place des Arts. PHOTO BY FÉLIX-ANTOINE BEAUCHEMIN // NEWS EDITOR

Over 1000 trees take root at Loyola

New planting sites create venues for advanced learning and increased biodiversity on campus

This semester, Concordia worked with a local nonprofit to plant over 1000 new trees and shrubs on the Loyola campus.

Jackie Martin, the lead for the tree planting project, said she hopes this project will create new learning opportunities for Concordia University students.

“I want these to be pedagogical spaces,” said Martin. “I want people to come out and learn from them.”

As Concordia’s Urban Agriculture and Biodiversity Coordinator, Martin has spent the last few months collaborating on this project with Concordia and the non-profit organization Soverdi. Earlier in the year, Soverdi reached out to Concordia, offering to provide over $500,000 of materials and labour to plant trees and shrubs across campus.

“Soverdi paid for everything; it didn’t cost us a cent,” said Martin.

Ecology experts at Concordia and Soverdi were consulted to develop a planting and monitoring plan that aligns with the Campus Master Plan.

Planting has taken place in four zones across campus, including one area devoted to research. The north zone is sit-

uated by the Jesuit Residence (JR), the south zone covers the area behind the athletic complex, the ornamental zone faces the athletic complex, and the research zone is situated behind the Vanier Library.

Carly Ziter and Emma Despland, professors in Concordia’s biology department, said they will be monitoring the research zone to help answer some of

The Wellness Pantry fights for better financial assistance

Sex and Self Concordia hosts a binder drive at Le Frigo Vert to overcome funding challenges.

JIA MARGUERITE SCHOFER

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

@JIAMARGUERITE

The student-run club Sex and Self Concordia has given students free access to wellness products to make safe pleasure and gender-affirming care accessible for the past three years.

The club’s Wellness Pantry at Le Frigo Vert has relied on donations and partnerships to provide resources such as menstrual products, safe sex materials, and genderaffirming items. Since its launch, the pantry has distributed hundreds of wellness items, reflecting the community’s commitment to solidarity. Monthly donations typically include 300 menstrual products, 200 condoms, and 50 to 100 pregnancy and ovulation tests from brands like joni, Bellesa Boutique, Ovary and Uberlube,

The pantry is hosting a binder drive at Le Frigo Vert until Nov. 26 and will be accepting donations year-round. This drive aims to substitute the previous support of the gc2b charity program, which supplied returned binders. The program suspended operations due to a lack of returned binders.

“Binders are a luxury item [...]. Buying a binder is not feasible for many people, let alone returning them,” said Cameron Brunet, pantry director at Sex and Self.

After losing the gc2b sponsorship, the pantry now depends on smaller donations from other organizations, ranging from five to 50 items per donation. Although it allows operations to continue, it emphasizes the need for more sustainable funding, which the pantry hopes to obtain by applying for grants.

The club has hosted events to bring more money and redistribute it into the pantry and has also considered crowdsourcing. However, Brunet hopes to find another source of income for the pantry.

“We don’t have to ask from the community that we’re serving for them to fund us because,

Soverdi’s research questions.

Despland specializes in plant-insect interactions and will focus on monitoring insect biodiversity in the research zone. Ziter, an urban ecologist, will monitor the health of the environments more broadly.

Ziter said there is growing interest in using urban “mini-forests” to increase biodiversity and promote human health.

Still, she added, many questions remain about the effectiveness of these sites and how to design them successfully.

“Having a research plot on campus provides an opportunity to add another data point to studies that are asking these questions,” said Ziter. “It also provides a teaching tool for students to be able to understand how these types of systems can be studied and monitored.”

Narcisse Hassan, a second-year ecology student, hopes these sites will give her more opportunities to witness biodiversity firsthand.

“If you plant more than 1000 trees, you’re going to get so many bugs and birds, and that’s really exciting, especially because we’re in an urban environment,” said Hassan.

Hassan shared that ecology students like herself would pre-

viously have needed to drive nearly an hour from campus to Mont-Saint-Hilaire to get hands-on experience. Now, she will be able to practice field work right on campus.

“Often in sciences, we focus on what happens in class and what happens in the book, but the real learning is the application of knowledge, and that happens outside the classroom,” said Hassan.

Beyond the research and educational benefits, Martin said that increasing tree canopy cover — coverage provided by trees and other plants — and promoting biodiversity are two of the primary goals for the project.

Canopy cover is especially relevant for regulating the temperature of the campus. The planting zones by the JR parking lot was chosen specifically to help reduce the heat island effect of the concrete.

Going forward, Martin said that she hopes to integrate other ecological projects into the planting zones.

“There’s so many great benefits to this project,” said Martin. “Keeping the momentum up and keeping people engaged and growing the team will be the key to success.”

in my heart, it feels like it defeats the purpose,” they said.

Le Frigo Vert provides space and storage for the pantry, which is essential for its operations. Their support has been crucial for the pantry’s success, said Brunet.

“It needs to be here. Where else can it be?” said Donald Armstrong, a member of the Frigo Vert collective. “We’re Frigo Vert. It just fits with supporting people that need support.”

The influx of individuals who came to Le Frigo Vert needing help accessing the pantry’s products surprised Armstrong.

“They couldn’t be the person they’re meant to be because they couldn’t afford it or didn’t know how to source it,” he said.

“That’s so scary to me.”

“These things are so hard to just buy on your own because it’s not easily accessible for anyone,” pantry user Evangeline Paqupa said. “These things are important because they make trans people’s lives or queer people’s lives easier, and just anyone’s lives easier.”

Paqupa got to her first pair of tucking panties at the Wellness pantry, provided by Tuckituppp.

“Wearing my tucking panties out for the first time, it was euphoric. It was a very gender-euphoric feeling for me,” she said. Brunet shared that they ran into many individuals who told them they were grateful for the pantry because their parents threw away their sex toys or because they lost their products in an apartment fire.

“[They] just wanted to feel good again,” Brunet said. “It feels good to be a reliable resource.”

Despite the lack of funding and the loss of sponsors, they are still proud of the support they have provided.

“Some kind of a pantry rather than no pantry is still a success,” Brunet said.

Tree saplings on the Loyola Campus
PHOTO BY JEREMY COX // NEWS EDITOR
Sex and Self Concordia’s Wellness Pantry at Le Frigo Vert. PHOTO BY JIA MARGUERITE SCHOFER // ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Concordia launches bilingual immigration research hub, promoting national collaboration

Concordia introduces the Institute for Research on Migration and Society, bridging the gap between Quebec and the rest of the country in tackling migration issues.

Earlier this month, Concordia University unveiled the Institute for Research on Migration and Society (IRMS), the first bilingual research hub in Canada. By encouraging collaboration between Quebec and the rest of the country, the institute aims to

examine how digital technology affects migration.

“We’re the first bilingual immigration research hub in Canada, which is significant given the divided nature of immigration politics and research between Quebec and other provinces,” said Kassandre Thériault, coordinator of IRMS. “Quebec tends to have fully French research hubs focused on local contexts, while other provinces often don’t consider Quebec’s perspective.”

The IRMS is building partnerships with other universities across the country like the University of British Columbia and Toronto Metropolitan University. The institution is part of Canada’s First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) for a project called Bridging Divides.

“The project looks at how digital tools, such as platforms for applying for immigration status, affect the immigrant journey — whether they make it

easier or add complexity,” explained Thériault.

The research focuses on studying migration from a social science perspective, using an interdisciplinary approach and integrating computational social sciences.

The institute is not only focused on producing research and informing public policy but also on training graduate students. It is actively recruiting master’s and PhD students, offering funding and opportunities to contribute in their future projects.

The launch of IRMS represents a necessary initiative in the research and collaboration on migration issues, according to Julie Fortier, the deputy spokesperson at Concordia.

“We look forward to seeing our researchers inform further the important discussion happening right now in our country around immigration,” said Fortier. “This new hub will not

only strengthen interdisciplinary research in this area but will support collaborations with scholars at other Quebec and Canadian universities.”

“Everything we do is bilingual,” said Thériault, commenting on the institute’s commitment to bilingualism as central to its mission.

“This ensures we can effectively engage with both English and French-speaking communities, as well as work with universities and policymakers across the country.”

The institute brings a new dimension to Concordia’s research ecosystem by focusing exclusively on immigration.

“Our two senior researchers [Marie-Jeanne Blain and Mylène Coderre] are highly recognized in immigration studies, especially in Quebec, and our work is bringing national visibility to the university,” Thériault mentioned.

The launch of IRMS comes as Concordia faces tough choices about resource allocation, including the recent closure of the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies (MIGS) due to budget constraints.

With new researchers joining, partnerships expanding, and projects launching, the institute aims to provide critical insights into one of Canada’s most pressing and politicized issues.

Protesters gather at City Hall to protest bike paths

Pro- and anti-bike path advocates on Montreal’s growing bike infrastructure.

Forty residents from across Montreal gathered outside City Hall last week to protest what they call “mismanagement of city funds” by the city and its borough governments.

The protest took place at 6 p.m. on Nov. 18. Protesters criticized Montreal’s decision to remove parking spaces on many residential streets to make way for bike paths.

Protesters held up signs with messages like “Not anti-bike, but for an equitable solution for all citizens” and “Montreal: a metropolis, not a village!”

Non-profit organization Coalition for Democracy Montreal organized the protest. According to their website, their mission is “to uphold democratic processes and ensure citizens’ rights.” Organizer Sia Spanoudakis addressed the crowd, citing the “one-way discussion” the group had with the city over the removal of parking.

“We tried to speak, we tried to have a dialogue, but as one reporter told me, it takes two

parties to have a dialogue,” Spanoudakis said.

Marc Perez, the leader of Coalition for Democracy in Montreal, echoed the same sentiment, saying that the city “just doesn’t want to listen.”

He explained that he created the organization in response to this issue, to “give a voice to Montrealers.”

Perez was dismayed at the recurring pattern he noticed at different borough council meetings regarding answers to questions such as issues with bike paths.

“The city has a copy-paste response,” he said. “And bottom line, we’ve realized that the city does not hold consultation forums. They hold information sessions.”

The Coalition for Democracy is planning to file a legal injunction against the City of Montreal regarding implementation of bike paths and have what they call “a proper consultation” on the subject.

Jason Savard, of the NDG Cyclist and Pedestrian Association (NDGCPA), disagrees with the Coalition for Democracy’s idea to file a city-wide injunction stopping the current bike path development.

“That sounds far-fetched to put an injunction across the whole city, assuming they’re all doing bad, these bike paths,” Savard said. “So that one’s a

bit too generalized.”

Lucas Freeman is a Concordia student who cycles to the Loyola campus every day. Overall, he says he has been satisfied with Montreal’s bike path system, calling it exceptional by North American standards.

“Montreal’s nothing to write home about compared to Amsterdam, but compared to Boston or even compared to Toronto, I think the city is actually doing a great job,” he said.

Irwin Rapoport, a spokesperson for the Association de voisinage de la rue de Terrebonne in NDG, addressed the crowd during the rally. The group has been fighting the CDN-NDG borough council since the council proposed

the Terrebonne bike path in February 2023.

“They’re not listening to us,” Rapoport said. “They refuse to listen to us, and we’re going to defeat them [the borough mayor and councillors] in the ballot box in November 2025,” he said.

Not all residents share this view on the new infrastructure.

Savard had a positive outlook on the Terrebonne bike path.

“We get a lot of people saying that the street is quieter now, safer [because] cars go slower. There’s less cars on the street, essentially,” said Savard.

Freeman was a bit more nuanced.

“I tried using the Terrebonne route once and I found that the

connection to get you to the Decarie area was not amazing,” he said. “I have to say that could be improved.”

He also explained that most members of the NDGCPA drive cars, but are also environmentalists who believe that Montreal should do more to promote active mobility in the city, which includes cycling.

“We’ve got to put a shift in the way we transit or move around the city, and steering away from the cars or at least reallocating that public space from the parking to the street, to the roads, to better methods, get around in safer and healthier ways such as cycling or taking the bus,” he said.

Protesters at the Coalition for Democracy Montreal rally outside Montreal City Hall on Nov. 18.
PHOTO BY HANNAH BEACH // CONTRIBUTOR

SPORTS Frisbee, Concordia’s ultimate intramural sport

Players with a wide range of experience compete throughout the entire year. The goal: to win the Canadian championship.

Each Wednesday night between November and April, the Stinger Dome is packed with flying discs and excitement. Amid dozens of teams from across Montreal, you can find the Concordia ultimate frisbee team practicing and competing for up to five hours per week. Whether in the offseason or preparing for nationals, the team members enjoy being together and playing the sport they love.

“My favourite part [of playing] is the community it builds,” said one of Concordia’s team captains, Sophie Belanger. “I’ve met a lot of people who go to Concordia and who enjoy play ing frisbee, which is amazing. They’re two big things in my life, and getting to find the peo ple who cross over in those lit tle segments — it’s really fun.”

Ultimate frisbee, widely known as “ultimate,” is consid ered a modern sport compared to others. Created in 1968 by a student in Maplewood, New Jersey, ultimate is one of the fastest-growing sports in North America.

Games are typically played in a seven-versus-seven play ers format. Teammates work together to pass a frisbee until reaching an “endzone,” similar to American football.

At Concordia, the frisbee team is recognized as an intra mural sport, which is a recre ational-style group of sports that Concordia offers. Each in dividual who signs up to play has to pay their own share of the price.

Just two seasons ago, the team barely existed. Concor dia team captain and player Romain Guignier said that af ter the team rebranded, it saw an overwhelming amount of interest from student-athletes. The rebranding consisted of in

creased advertising, a modernized logo, and new jerseys. This has given the team a rebirth.

“I actually get to share my love for frisbee with people at the same school, and that was not the case in my first semester and last year,” Guignier said.

“It was quite tough, and now we’ve built a group where everyone wants to go practice even when we don’t have official practices — everyone is committed.”

Guignier explained that the ultimate frisbee program at Concordia grew from eight players to 54 this past summer.

not as high of a level. So ideally for me, I would really hope to have a women’s team with solid coaches.”

“Our goal, when we gathered up with the execs before the season, was to have both a competitive side, so [that] we have

participate in. As many as eight five-versusfive teams and 24 fourversus-four teams com -

Ultimate frisbee practice at Stinger Dome. PHOTOS BY MATT PISCINA // SPORTS EDITOR

The Scoreboard: An undefeated week for the Stingers winter sports teams

Stingers continue to dominate the playing surfaces as the midseason break approaches.

The Stingers went six for six in game action this past week.

As the end-of-semester break nears, the Concordia Stingers’ winter sports teams played six games over the weekend. Matchups against inner-city rivals, a trip to Western Ontario, and win streaks on the line were all at play on the ice and on the basketball court.

Here is what happened this week:

BASKETBALL

The Stingers women’s and men’s played in one game over the weekend. The teams played back-to-back on Nov. 23 against the Université Laval Rouge et Or.

The women’s team kicked off the action at John Dore Court. The Stingers came into the matchup with a 1-2 record, trying to earn their first winning streak of the season. Laval have outscored their opponents 222150, winning their first three matchups of the season.

But on Saturday afternoon, the Stingers’ defense was the story.

Up by five points at halftime, the Stingers came out in the second half flying. The team went on a 9-0 point run that powered them to a 61-45 win. With the Stingers handing Laval their first loss of the season, Concordia finds themselves one win behind the Rouge et Or in the Réseau du Sport Étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) standings.

The women’s team will play their next game when they host the McGill University Mart lets on Nov. 28. Tip-off is set

for 6 p.m.

The Stingers men’s team then faced Laval, trying to continue the momentum from the previous game.

A dominant performance from start to finish gave the Stingers a 90-71 victory, improving Concordia’s record to 3-1.

They will travel to face the Bishop’s University Gaiters on Nov. 30 for their final game before the winter break. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.

HOCKEY

It was a busy weekend on the ice as well. The Stingers hockey teams played two games each, with the women’s team playing two against the Université de Montréal Carabins and the men’s team playing two against Ontario universities.

The men’s team faced off first against the Brock University Badgers on Nov. 22.

Tied with a 2-2 score heading into the third period, the Stingers exploded for four goals en route to a 6-3 victory at Canada Games Park. The team looked to keep their momentum going when they visited the University of Guelph Gryphons the next day.

The quick turnaround after their first game was no issue for Concordia. Forward Alexander Gaudio scored his first two goals of the semester, giving the Stingers a 7-0 victory over the Gryphons.

With the win, the men’s hockey team improved to an Ontario University Athletics (OUA) best 14-0-2 and continues to be ranked second highest amongst USports men’s hockey teams across Canada.

They will host the York University Lions at home to close out the first half of the season. Face-off is set for 2 p.m.

The Stingers women’s hockey team also played two games this past weekend. They played in a home-andaway against the Université de Montréal Carabins.

The team first hosted the Carabins at Ed Meagher Arena on Nov. 22.

In a battle against the former RSEQ women’s hockey runner-up, the Stingers ran up the score and earned a 7-2 victory. They would travel to

CEPSUM Arena for another matchup on Nov. 24.

This game saw another dominant Stingers effort. With two goals from defender Leah Kosowski, the Stingers and goaltender Arianne Leblanc shut out the Carabins to sweep the weekend of wins.

The top-ranked team in Canada will welcome the McGill Martlets to Ed Meagher Arena on Nov. 29. Face-off is set for 7 p.m.

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Where the Olive Trees Weep : Un portrait sur le traumatisme palestinien

Les Where the Olive Trees Weep : Un portrait sur le traumatisme palestinien

Un documentaire met en lumière ce que les Palestiniens vivent au quotidien.

Cinema Politica a diffusé le documentaire Where the Olive Trees Weep le 18 novembre, marquant sa septième projection de la session. Ashira Darwish, une journaliste Égypto-Palestinienne qui vivait en Cisjordanie, est le personnage principal et l’une des réalisatrices du documentaire. Elle a été forcée de quitter son pays à la suite de la diffusion de son film, car celui-ci pouvait mettre sa vie en danger.

Présente à la discussion qui a eu lieu après la diffusion, Darwish déclare : « À ce mo-

ment-là, nous avons été réduits au silence à un point où nous ne pouvions rien dire en Cisjordanie, alors que le génocide se déroulait. Les réalisateurs m’ont dit que nous pouvions soit enterrer le film, soit que je devais quitter le pays. Je me suis dit que si je suis réduite au silence ici, autant partir et crier au monde avec mes poumons grands ouverts partout où je vais. »

Where the Olive Trees Weep, réalisé et dirigé par Zaya et Maurizio Benazzo, prend place deux ans avant les évènements du 7 octobre 2023 et suit plusieurs Palestiniens dans leur quotidien tandis qu’ils racontent leurs récits de colonisation.

« Nous avons projeté deux films sur la Palestine, un sur le Liban et un sur l’Iran, dit Jasmin Ghorbani, coordinatrice à Cinema Politica. Je suis vraiment contente de voir que ce sont ces événe-

ments qui attirent le plus de monde, car c’est [des sujets] très importants. »

Composé de témoignages, d’archives historiques et de reportages réalisés par de nombreux journalistes palestiniens, le film retrace l’histoire de l’occupation israélienne en illustrant toutes les formes qu’elle a prises ces dernières années.

« Visuellement, le documentaire se concentre sur la terre et sur toutes ces personnes différentes qui ont leurs moyens de subsistance liés à la terre en Palestine, dit Ghorbani. Cela démontre vraiment le lien ancestral autochtone qui existe avec cette terre. »

Le psychologue Gabor Maté participe au documentaire, apportant une nouvelle perspective sur la relation entre les injustices subies par les Palestiniens et les conséquences à long terme qu’elles auront sur les prochaines générations.

Aux côtés de Darwish, Maté voyage sur place pour donner des conférences qui aident les Palestiniens à surmonter leurs traumatismes.

« Nous ne pouvons pas guérir le traumatisme palestinien à ce stade, affirme Darwish. Tout d’abord, il doit y avoir une guérison collective, une justice et une rétribution, puis vous pouvez examiner les réflexions individuelles du traumatisme de chaque personne ».

Dans le film, on voit cette forme d’aide collective prendre place à travers toutes les tranches d’âge, que ce soit chez des adultes qui souffrent de paralysie émotionnelle ou des enfants qui se posent des questions sur le manque de sécurité au quotidien.

Darwish raconte avoir subi de la torture de la part de soldats israéliens à cause des reportages qu’elle a réalisés sur les injustices que vivent les Pal-

estiniens et des manifestations auxquelles elle a participé. « À la base, les images du film allaient faire partie d’une très petite section sur la Palestine dans un long documentaire sur les effets du colonialisme et le traumatisme autochtone à travers le monde », affirme Darwish, en annonçant que ce long documentaire sortira en janvier prochain.

La projection a été réalisée en collaboration avec le Raah Lab, le cinéma Teesri Duniya et Cinema With a Conscience. Le documentaire était co-présenté par Désinvestir pour la Palestine et Concordia Strike 4 Palestine. Cinema Politica organise des évènements autour de questions politiques et sociales du monde entier avec une projection tous les lundis à 19 heures.

Clap de fin pour la 50e campagne

Centraide de Concordia

Clap de fin pour la 50e campagne Centraide de Concordia

Cette année encore, grâce à la mobilisation de sa communauté, Concordia a dépassé son objectif, en récoltant la somme de 200 711 $ au profit des Montréalais et des Montréalaises.

C’est au Centre SHIFT pour la transformation sociale que plusieurs membres de la communauté universitaire se sont réunis le 19 novembre pour célébrer le succès de la campagne Centraide 2024 de Concordia, débutée le 16 octobre.

Cette collecte de fonds marque une étape symbolique dans la collaboration entre l’organisme et Concordia. « La campagne Centraide de Concordia partage le même anniversaire que l’université.

Toutes deux célèbrent leurs 50 ans d’existence en 2024 », explique Graham Carr, recteur et vice-chancelier de Concordia. Depuis 1974, Centraide du Grand Montréal soutient des organismes communautaires locaux engagés dans la lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion sociale. Chaque année, un habitant sur cinq de Laval, Montréal et de la Rive-Sud bénéficie des services de l’organisme. Cela représente près de 800 000 personnes aidées par l’intermédiaire des 375 organismes et projets communautaires soutenus, d’après l’organisme. Dans un contexte marqué par une hausse du coût de la vie, un sondage réalisé en avril 2024 par Centraide et Léger révèle que 48 % des Québécois ressentent un stress financier important. Les résidents non permanents, les personnes vivant seules ou encore les immigrants figurent parmi les populations les plus touchées par cette problématique, d’après Centraide. Alors que près d’un demi-million de Québécois vivent dans la pauvreté, Claude Pinard, président et directeur général de Centraide, rappelle dans leur

étude sur l’anxiété financière qu’il « est plus important que jamais d’appuyer les organismes communautaires afin d’aider ceux et celles dont la situation est difficile ».

L’événement de clôture a également été l’occasion de revenir sur les acteurs et activités clés ayant contribué au succès de la campagne. « Nous souhaitons remercier les membres du comité de campagne, l’équipe de Centraide ainsi que les 352 donateurs, et toutes les autres personnes grâce à qui nous avons dépassé notre objectif de 200 000 $ », a salué Philippe Beauregard, coprésident de la campagne aux côtés d’Annie Gérin.

Cette 50 e édition s’est démarquée par des initiatives

inédites qui ont enrichi la collecte de fonds, comme l’organisation d’un bingo ou encore d’une friperie. Plusieurs activités phares des éditions précédentes étaient également au rendez-vous, telles que le dîner spaghetti ou encore la tombola.

Les heureux gagnants tirés au sort le 19 novembre se sont vu offrir différents prix, dont un iPad ou encore plusieurs cartes cadeaux.

Le concours de photos d’animaux domestiques a de nouveau fait sensation : Luna est la grande gagnante parmi les 66 compagnons à quatre pattes ayant participé, après avoir remporté une médaille d’argent lors de l’édition 2023.

Bâtissant sur le succès de la campagne, le service d’Orien-

tation et de réussite professionnelles (CAPS) organise le 29 novembre un marché des fêtes au bénéfice de Centraide. Le marché mettra de l’avant les créations des artistes talentueux qui étudient à Concordia.

Exprimant sa fierté, Graham Carr a souligné dans son discours « l’engagement des Concordiens et Concordiennes qui, d’année en année, continuent de soutenir cette mission essentielle qu’est celle de Centraide ». La campagne de Concordia continuera d’accepter les dons jusqu’au 31 décembre, offrant à chacun l’opportunité de contribuer à cette cause à l’approche du temps des fêtes.

Philippe Beauregard, co-président de la campagne Centraide, lors de l’événement.
PHOTO PAR ELISA GALLOT // COLLABORATRICE

Lire des livres traduits

Lire des livres traduits

Comparer la lecture de romans traduits avec celle de leurs versions originales.

Lorsque j’étais un enfant, je devais constamment chercher des traductions lorsque je voulais lire. Parfois, je lisais des livres écrits dans ma langue maternelle, l’ukrainien, mais la plupart des séries que j’ai lus en grandissant venaient de pays anglophones.

Artemis Fowl, Chroniques du bout du monde et Le rat en acier inox sont toutes des séries que j’ai lues pour la première fois grâce à une traduction de la langue d’origine.

Cependant, j’ai perdu de l’intérêt pour toutes ces séries de livres. Bien que je sois resté fan de la plupart d’entre elles, j’ai réalisé l’importance d’une bonne traduction littéraire, car continuer les séries dans une autre langue m’a souvent semblé très différent. Cela m’a fait réfléchir à l’importance de comprendre l’idée de l’auteur à travers la langue qu’il utilise.

Voulant m’assurer que je jugeais les livres de manière équitable et qu’ils n’étaient pas simplement mal écrits, je me suis lancée dans une expérience : choisir un livre à relire en anglais et dans ma langue maternelle pour les comparer.

Cela a confirmé mes soupçons, car le livre traduit m’a rappelé les souvenirs chaleureux de l’exploration du monde

fantastique des Chroniques du bout du monde, lorsque j’étais enfant. La version anglaise était tout simplement un bon livre.

En lisant plus sur le sujet, je me suis rendu compte que la traduc tion d’un livre dans une autre langue comporte beau coup plus de facteurs que je ne le pensais. La décision d’adapter ou non les noms des personnages et des lieux qui pourraient ne pas fonctionner dans la nouvelle langue, de rééval uer la classification et le genre du livre et le remaniement de

la couverture peuvent faire en sorte qu’un excellent livre soit apprécié par un plus grand nombre de personnes et attirer l’attention du public cible. Par exemple, La voie des rois de Brandon Sanderson a été traduit dans plus d’une douzaine de langues, et la couverture du livre a également été adaptée dans la plupart d’entre elles, illustrant des éléments de cette histoire – à l,exception de la traduction polonaise. Cette couverture, qui représente un chevalier générique portant une armure, a confondu les anciens lecteurs et en a certainement détourné de nouveaux.

Un exemple plus person-

ukrainien et je n’ai pas été impressionné. J’ai eu du mal à terminer le premier livre, car la traduction décrivait le monde de manière assez ennuyeuse et les séquences d’action me répugnaient.

Je l’ai relu quand j’étais adolescent et que je maîtrisais l’anglais. Le livre s’est lu beaucoup plus facilement, avec beaucoup plus de sens et de fluidité. Plus récemment, j’ai mené une expérience similaire en comparant Le comte de Monte-Cristo d’Alexandre Dumas en anglais et en français, sa langue d’origine.

J’en suis arrivé à la même conclusion que pour les livres de mon enfance : la version anglaise avait beaucoup plus de sens. J’ai toutefois trouvé que les descriptions de la version française étaient longues et bizarrement exprimées.

Ceci étant une expérience personnelle, je pense que tout le monde devrait essayer un livre traduit par rapport à un livre original afin de déterminer la langue dans laquelle il préfère lire.

GRAPHIC PAR KEVEN VAILLANCOURT // GRAPHICS EDITOR @KINDAOKEV

QUICKSPINS : J’AI MENTI. — Damso

QUICKSPINS : J’AI MENTI. — Damso

Damso est de retour avec un nouvel album. Entre puissance et introspection, si c’est ça mentir, on en redemande.

PAR CHARLOTTE WEISSLER COLLABORATRICE

Damso fait son retour inattendu avec J’AI MENTI., un album publié le 15 novembre 2024. Avec des paroles brutes, des mélodies apaisantes et un accompagnement percutant, Damso affirme sa liberté créative, loin des cases. Un album sincère où il n’a plus rien à prouver.

Alors que le public du rappeur belge attendait avec impatience la sortie de BĒYĀH, prévue le 30 mai 2025, cet opus surprend.

Quelques semaines après qu’un fan lui avait exprimé son envie d’entendre de nouveaux morceaux, Damso a annoncé un projet initialement prévu comme un microalbum. Après avoir accumulé trop de morceaux, il l’a trans-

formé en album complet : J’AI MENTI., un clin d’œil à ses déclarations passées.

Une file de personnes plus stylées les unes que les autres s’est formée devant le Théâtre

Paul-Desmarais le mercredi 13 novembre dernier, non pour un événement mode, mais bien l’événement d’écoute immersive du nouvel album de Damso. Dès 9h, les passionnés rangeaient leurs téléphones et enfilaient leurs casques pour découvrir le nouveau projet.

Ce projet réunit de nouveau plusieurs artistes qui ont paru sur des titres classiques du rappeur bruxellois, y compris Kalash Criminel, Angèle, Kalash, et son frère Michkavie pour ce nouveau projet.

Aux côtés de son compatriote congolais, Kalash Criminel, Damso interprète « Limbisa ngai », une démonstration de force en termes de rap et de flow, avec des échanges en lingala sur un beat de musique amapiano-électro sud-africaine.

Après « Silence » et « Démons », notre duo belge préféré – Damso et Angèle –nous offrent douceur et pop avec « Tout tenter », une chanson sur la peur de l’engagement

et des dilemmes émotionnels. Kalash et Damso, c’est une évidence. Après des immanquables comme « Mwaka Moon » et « Malpolis », ils reviennent en force sur du shatta – un sousgenre du dancehall – qui fera forcément lever l’auditeur de sa chaise. Intitulé « Alpha », c’est la proclamation du mâle absolu. La complicité des deux artistes aux voix graves frappe à chaque écoute, puis une chose est sûre : tu te laisses emporter. Entre piano doux et basse puissante, « Schéma » est une prise de conscience de schémas amoureux répétitifs. Au fil des couplets, la voix du rappeur devient de plus en plus grave, et la phrase finale : « je crois qu’au fond on sait très bien que c’est moi », résonne comme une révélation. Damso se rend compte, en même temps que nous, qu’il parle en fait de lui-même. Sur une guitare envoûtante, « Conséquences » est une véritable montée en puissance. On débute avec une voix chantée, et petit à petit, une tension s’installe, jusqu’à ce que les percussions viennent s’allier à la voix, apportant une dimension presque tribale. Le contraste est adouci par un

refrain mélodieux, créant un équilibre parfait. Dans une interview pour France Inter, Damso décrit le studio comme un terrain de jeu. J’AI MENTI., c’est un album en toute sincérité, où il retrouve la liberté créative qu’il avait il y a dix ans, à ses débuts dans la musique. Alors que ce nouvel al -

bum vient tout juste de sortir, BĒYĀH – le prochain et supposément le dernier – est déjà terminé, prêt à voir le jour en mai prochain. Chanson cible (morceau saillant): Conséquences

NOTE : 8/10

CHANSON CIBLE : « CONSÉQUENCES »

Pochette d’album de J’AI MENTI. par Damso. SOURCE : APPLE MUSIC

Arts & Culture

From the Arctic to Polynesia, panelists shared their culture at Rock Your Mocs

Celebrating Indigenous cultures starts by listening to members of Indigenous communities.

Concordia has been taking steps to facilitate education for Indigenous students and spread knowledge of Indigenous cultures. Among these steps, the university hosts a yearly Rock Your Mocs event.

Rock Your Mocs is a weeklong event that celebrates Indigenous cultures through photos of moccasins. Each year, the panel invites Indigenous guests to share their stories and talk about Indigenous cultures and the fabrication of moccasins.

“The purpose is really to highlight and celebrate Indigenous cultures through our clothing, our footwear, all different aspects of our physical identity and our connection to our history, and our ancestors,” said Aidan Tecumsah Condo, the events coordinator for the Office of Indigenous Directions (OID).

Condo also explained that

this year, they decided to include more Indigenous voices by inviting Indigenous speakers from the Arctic, Polynesia, and the prairies of Canada.

“We wanted to expand our topic, and we wanted to talk about a broader scope of Indigenous regalia and clothing and how that impacts culture and identity,” Condo said.

Indigenous clothing and accessories have been at the centre of misconceptions and appropriation, especially around Halloween. This panel aimed to educate and share their cultures among Indigenous and non-Indigenous participants.

“Part of the Rock Your Mocs [is] to kind of educate, because a lot of people have misconceptions about clothing and stuff, and a lot of people still use the wrong terms like ‘costumes,’”

Condo said.

Since educating and shar -

ing are at the forefront of Rock Your Mocs, the structure of the panel was closer to a relaxed conversation rather than a presentation. The goal was to encourage people to share and ask questions.

On Nov. 18, panelists Glenn Cruz and Natasha MacDonald were invited to speak. Cruz shared insight into Māori culture as well as his own experience as a Māori and Hakka instructor.

Cruz shared his love of connecting by sharing his experience with people, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous.

“As long as there’s respect and you’re taught from a credible source, it’s appropriate for others who are not Māori,”

he said. MacDonald shared that she used to feel disconnected from her Inuit culture, having moved away from her community at a young age.

“I was having an identity crisis and I wasn’t sure how to express myself anymore,” MacDonald said.

At some point in her life, she tried to reconnect with her language because losing it felt like losing a part of herself, she explained. Making art has been a

way for her to embrace her Indigenous identity.

Allan Vicaire, the senior advisor of the OID, explained that they always strive for new topics and speakers.

“For me, it’s a theme about how urban Indigenous people connect to their culture, whether or not they live in their communities,” said Vicaire.

For future events, the OID is hoping to widen perspectives further and invite Indigenous guests from different parts of the world.

“We’re hoping that next year, if we continue to do this, we can bring other Indigenous cultures [to] talk about similarities, but also maybe distinctions in each community,” said Vicaire.

Natasha MacDonald and Cheyenne Henry at the Rock your Mocs event. STILL FROM LIVE PROJECTION.

Students rally to save Concordia’s Creative Reuse Centre at vibrant fundraiser

The CUCCR held an art market to keep the resource alive.

The seventh floor of the Hall building was buzzing with chatter on Nov. 19 as the Concordia University Centre for Creative Reuse (CUCCR) held a market fundraiser in an attempt to save the organization from shutting down.

Dozens of stands showcased Concordia University students selling various handmade art pieces and wellness products, filling the room next to the temporary greenhouse. Most pieces on sale at the market were made from recycled materials provided by the CUCCR.

The CUCCR collects the “trash” from all departments at Concordia and makes it available for students to grab for all types of purposes.

“It might be dishes, it might be tables, costumes, decorations,” said Ryan Assakir, the Arts & Science Federation of Associations’ (ASFA) finance coordinator and member of the Students for the Centre for Creative Reuse (SFCUCCR).

“It helps a lot with the university’s sustainability quota, and it is also the first university reuse centre in Canada, so it’s a lot of things that would be bad to lose.”

All proceeds from sales made at the market were donated to the organization as a way to raise funds after Concordia recently decided not to renew the contract of the CUCCR’s workers nor their designated space as part of its austerity measures.

“We want to raise funds, but also awareness about the CUCCR’s precarious situation,” explained Assakir.

“We want to show the administration that students do care about this initiative.”

The market was also a way for the SFCUCCR to amass signatures for the appeal to save the CUCCR. Assakir said that they have obtained over 2000 signatures so far.

The SFCUCCR was pleased with the turnout at the market. Within the first couple of hours, they amassed over $1000. Assakir explained that one of the market’s goals was to reach the engineering students who may not know about the initiative but can strongly benefit from it, as the CUCCR donates computers, monitors, mouses, and other technological equipment.

Claire Connolly, a ceramics major, and Grace Haycock, an art education student, held a booth at the market. They sold handmade prints, ceramic necklaces, collages, recycled dreads and paints, polymer clay, and paintings. Most of their pieces were made out of recycled materials. They chose to participate in the art market to help save the CUCCR.

“It’s a really good opportunity for us to help with the cause and to market our art,” said Connolly.

Students walked from booth to booth, speaking to the artists and buying themselves little treats or doing some sustainable Christmas shopping. Zoë Heffring and Oliver Gullikson, both students at Concordia, heard about the market through their close friends who work at the CUCCR and through social media. They came to check it out and support the cause.

“I love an art market; it’s my favourite thing,” said Gullikson. “It’s really nice to see the generosity and community care coming out to support this resource that we all love and want to protect.”

Heffring and Gullikson both study scenography. They explained that they constantly use the materials provided by the CUCCR for their projects. Gullikson added that without this resource, most of their projects would not have been achievable. Plexiglass is one material they were able to get for free from the CUCCR, which would have been very expensive to buy otherwise.

“I think it goes beyond being a great resource for fine arts students,” said Heffring. “It’s also a wonderfully creative recycling initiative. I think if the school cares about sustainability at all, they should put money towards a resource like that.”

Claire Connolly and Grace Haycock sitting at their booth.
PHOTO BY MAYA RUEL // ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
Students walking around the art market. PHOTO BY MAYA RUEL // ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
Booths at the CUCCR Art Market. PHOTO BY MAYA RUEL // ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Music Swifties join forces in Toronto

Concordia students look back on the Eras Tour after Taylor Swift finally performed in Canada.

After touring worldwide for over a year, Taylor Swift finally made it to Canada. She performed in Toronto from Nov. 14 to Nov. 16 and Nov. 21 to Nov. 23, joined by American singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams as the opening act.

With no tour stop in Montreal, thousands of locals, including many Concordia University students, made their way to Toronto over both weekends, excited to pour their hearts out with Swift.

Daniela Orrego-Grosso, a second-year economics major, travelled by car with her dad and cousin.

“It was kind of awful because it’s a long drive,” she said. “I fell

asleep, but my dad told me the traffic was horrible.”

Some Swifties decided to take the train instead of worrying about traffic and gas.

“I travelled by train. It took about five hours,” said Kami Meghan Ounanian, a second-year human relations student. “It was smooth, and I got some homework done.”

Once in Toronto, people relied on Uber to get around instead of driving. Toronto Uber prices were more affordable

than in Montreal; a 15-minute drive in downtown Toronto was around $12, almost half what it would cost in Montreal.

Some fans who weren’t far from the Rogers Centre decided to walk instead. While it might usually have felt scary to walk late at night, the area was packed with Swifties all heading in the same direction. Police and staff were stationed to ensure safety and order.

“I walked [for 20 minutes], and since they had closed a

couple of streets, it was faster than if I had gone by car,”

said Ounanian.

The city arranged for shuttle buses to facilitate post-concert transportation and extended public transportation service hours. However, for those who took the subway, it was a hassle.

Hotels in Toronto were packed with out-of-towners attending the Eras Tour. Some hotels prepared Swift-related events, played her music or offered gift bags to concert-goers.

“It was full of Swifties,” said Orrego-Grosso. “You could tell because most of them had merch.”

Every concertgoer was given an LED wristband that lit up in sync. Fans from previous shows have been keeping them as memorabilia. Others bought merchandise as souvenirs, ranging from $65 for a t-shirt to $105 for hoodies.

The concert felt like one big community gathering, with fans open to socializing with those around them. Trading friendship bracelets themed around Swift’s albums between fans contributed to the warm

LAY DOWN MY LIFE Tour Review:

and friendly atmosphere.

“Honestly, it didn’t feel like [being] strangers that much, but more like we’re kind of all friends,” said Orrego-Grosso. “We all share [our] love for Taylor.”

While some die-hard fans of the singer watched the concert’s film beforehand, others preferred to go in blind.

“I didn’t know a single thing except the fact that she had two [surprise] songs,” said Orrego-Grosso. “I didn’t know the setlist for her or Gracie. I didn’t want to know it. I wanted it to be a surprise from beginning to [end].”

For fans who have followed Swift since her earliest work, seeing her in concert proved to be a dream come true, allowing them to experience the songs they all grew up on.

“I went to one of her other concerts in 2015, and I got emotional thinking about how much we’ve both grown since then,” said Ounanian. “It was amazing to see that many people there all singing her songs.”

JPEGMAFIA pushes energy to extremes

The experimental hip-hop veteran invigorated a crowd at MTELUS, highlighting the genius of his musical catalog.

JPEGMAFIA closed out the North American leg of his recent LAY DOWN MY LIFE tour with an electrifying show at MTELUS in Montreal.

As the crowd excitedly waited with their phone flashlights in the air, an ambient guitar melody drifted through the venue. It played for over three minutes, creating a long and patience-testing intro to the show. Fans began chanting “Peggy” before the rapper even hit the stage. He finally emerged from the darkness, rocking a matching black cowboy hat and trench coat lined with streamers.

“What up y’all? My name is JPEG-mother****ing-MAFIA,” was his first utterance of the night. The audience cheered unanimously, erupting into an even louder ovation as he launched into “Jesus Forgive Me, I Am a Thot.”

The rapper’s bold, pronounced delivery powered through the speakers, as did

his auto-tuned singing on the same track. The rapper never let up, hitting every word and flow precisely as he shouted his lyrics, rapping at high speed. This was the case for the entire performance, which was done without any background vocals or backing track — making it all the more incredible.

The crowd was perfectly in sync with the artist, following his every lead: they waved their hands from side to side during “WHAT KIND OF RAPPIN’ IS THIS?,” chanted “f*** you, Peggy!” in a call-and-response

during “1539 N. Calvert,” and went bar for bar on nearly every track, filling in sudden lyrical pauses in his delivery.

The audience brought brash rock-concert energy to abrasive tracks like “i scream this in the mirror before i interact with anyone.” The title track from SCARING THE HOES made for a standout moment — the best in its section of the show, according to JPEGMAFIA himself. Fans clapped along to its instrumental while opening up a floor-wide moshpit before allowing the chaos to unfold as

the beat dropped. “Real N**a” doubled down on the mayhem, with a circle pit opening to the tune of the track’s tribal drums and unruly yelping from an Ol’ Dirty Bastard sample.

The variety in the artist’s catalog shone through the setlist, spanning his entire solo discography. The wide range of influences — from Brazilian funk to R&B to rock — made the show even more dynamic. One moment, the audience was crooning along to Peggy’s trademark cover of “Call Me Maybe.” By the next song, they were jump-

ing along to the dance beat at the end of “SIN MIEDO,” creating a scene straight out of a nightclub, only to be in rockand-roll mode for the next track. Regardless of the tone of the songs, the crowd was energetic and engaged during every single one.

“The production on the new album is catchy and has so much energy,” said fourth-year economics major Karl Kawaja. “The album was meant to be played live, as every song is such a headbanger. I expected the show to be intense and I got exactly what I wanted.”

The intricacies of JPEGMAFIA’s highly stimulating production style were crystal clear in the mix, from video game startup sounds to abrasive crashes and various blips. The sound system brought the best out of his production, with the various rock riffs on his new album roaring throughout the venue. The low ends resonated beautifully, with the sub-bass on “BALD!” feeling especially light and ethereal despite its intensity.

Draped like hip-hop’s lone ranger, JPEGMAFIA put on a spectacle that testified to his unparalleled excellence in his unique lane. The rapper’s live show emphasized the appeal and genius of his unique, experimental catalogue, whose wildness is undyingly brought to life by his cult fanbase.

JPEGMAFIA performing at MTELUS on Nov. 19. PHOTO BY HANNAH BELL // PHOTO EDITOR
Taylor Swift performing at the Rogers Centre on Nov. 16.
PHOTO BY GINANE DESLAURIERS // ASSISTANT ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Album rollouts are taking forever

While some artists play the long game, is it better to cut to the chase?

When Playboi Carti began rolling out his new album I Am Music (for the third time) in December 2023, his first consistent string of releases in years came with a seemingly plausible promise: “2024, Music.” Since then, his fans have received more outfit pictures than actual musical releases, with only a handful of singles being dropped throughout the year.

As of Nov. 22, nearly every week and month of the year has come (and gone), unlike the album. Carti’s fanbase has been teased for over three years now with new album titles, rollout attempts, and announcements, with no final product materializing yet.

The trend is common, with other artists leaving their fans in the dark over long periods of time regarding key album updates.

SZA failed to deliver her deluxe edition of SOS, announced shortly after the original’s December 2022 release. She re-

turned a year later to reveal a new project titled LANA and some of its cover art, but only a single and a snippet of a song would surface in the eleven months that followed. A$AP

Rocky had finally announced an Aug. 30 release date for DON’T BE DUMB, his first album in six years, only for it to be delayed until fall, extending an already egregious wait for fans (the album remains without a release date at the time of publication).

“I’m all for an artist taking their time with a creative endeavor,” said Aidan Flanagan, a third-year literature major at Concordia. “But when it gets to a point where they are making big spectacles out of announcing records and consistently delaying and dropping breadcrumbs for years on end, it does nothing but make me want to listen to other artists who do drop music when they say they will.”

While fans of these artists have continued to wait almost too patiently, other artists have rolled out their albums in rapid timeframes, capitalizing on short notice to create lightningin-a-bottle anticipation.

Tyler The Creator’s latest album, CHROMAKOPIA , was unveiled and released within just twelve days, the same timeframe in which Playboi Carti

posted a few photos of himself wearing a polo top to his Instagram story.

“It was a very short rollout, but not too short,” said

secondyear economics major

Tredy Méroné

about CHROMAKOPIA.

“Concise, and kept us wanting more until we basically got the full deal, a.k.a., the album.”

The sudden hype translated into success: the album landed atop the Billboard 200 albums chart, selling 300,000 units in just four days, as it was released on a Monday (instead of the standard Friday).

“I used to be very entertained by long, drawn out rollouts [like] Donda, Whole Lotta Red, SOS as they would give me all this suspense. CHROMAKOPIA made me realize that all this suspense for music is not re-

ally necessary; it doesn’t really change my level of enjoyment of the music,” said Flanagan.

Surprise releases have been an effective method for artists to spark immediate hype around a record while skipping the antics and letting the music speak for itself.

“Not every artist can do it. We’ve seen Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and Bad Bunny do it — they’re iconic players, they can do anything. Minimal pre-promotion definitely works, and then these guys are rolling on the album for a hot minute and properly promoting it. It succeeds, especially when it’s good: YHLQMDLG by Bad

MM…FOOD, twenty years later

Concordia students talk about the personal impact of MF DOOM’s album upon its re-release.

@OLD_OR_NEWER

The 2004 album MM…FOOD by late underground rapper MF DOOM celebrated its 20th anniversary on Nov. 16, 2024.

The album was re-released the day prior, commemorating the occasion. The new record features three new remixes of “Hoe Cakes” by Ant, Jake One, and a beatbox/vocal-only version from MF DOOM. It also features a Madlib remix of “One Beer.”

“I have a huge MM...FOOD poster in my room because of how much I love this album,” said Safa Hachi, a fourth-year communications and cultural studies major at Concordia. “It really changed the way I listened to and appreciated music.”

MF DOOM, real name Daniel Dumile, was a British American rapper and a prolific songwriter. He has released solo music under his own stage name and numerous aliases, as well as collaboration projects. DOOM wore a metal gladia-

tor mask that had a rich canon within his work.

“MM…FOOD is an example of MF DOOM’s genius, seeking the death of the rap culture by using food as double entendres. Which is pretty comedic but shows how clever he was,” said Minh Tu Chau, a third-year computer engineering co-op student at Concordia.

Dumile described DOOM on MM...FOOD as “a rather ugly brother with flows that’s gorgeous” on “Beef Rapp.” The character is also said to be “like D.B. Cooper” in his mysterious nature on “Hoe Cakes.” It is made clear that DOOM is a mask-wearing villain bent on world domination.

The 20th-anniversary re-release of MM…FOOD features several interview clips from Dumile, in which he explains some of his creative process and personal difficulties with his art.

“The interview on the third disc of the re-release was a pleasure to listen to,” said second-year philosophy major Benny Gaucher. “It’s rare enough to hear DOOM speak on his music as a creator, aside from maybe the Red Bull interview. To hear him speak on MM...FOOD at the time of its release was just amazing, [and] the KMD stuff too. It’s corny to say, but it literally offers a picture of the man behind the mask.”

Bunny was a crazy album,” said Lu B, a Montreal DJ and co-founder of the Latin event collective Frikiton.

Regardless of whether rollouts are lightning-fast, elaborate, or tiringly drawn out, the audience will be ready to support the album whenever it arrives.

“Carti is stringing us along because he knows we’ll be there when or if the music drops, no matter what. It’s at no cost to him,” Flanagan said.

With only five Fridays to the year left, Playboi Carti fans can only hope that “2024, Music” doesn’t ironically spill over into 2025.

KMD was a hip-hop trio that Dumile took part in from the late 1980s to mid-1990s. The band tapered off about a year after the death of one of its members, Dingilizwe Dumile, Dumile’s younger brother. On the track “Conquering Writer’s Block,” which forms part of the third disc’s in -

terviews, Dumile explained the way he continued to find inspiration.

“The English language is so vast. Not to mention the different dialects of slang that’s involved,” he said. “Plus, when you get other languages mixed with English, and their dialects and slangs that came from

people migrating into America…you know what I’m saying? From the Irish to all the different types of people. You know what I’m saying? There’s no way you’re gonna run out of stupid s*** to say.”

GRAPHIC BY NOAH RUBEL // CONTRIBUTOR
Album cover for MM...FOOD (2Oth anniversary edition) by MF DOOM. COURTESY OF APPLE MUSIC

Opinions Forever a little Nutcracker rat

Even as our entertainment interests shift.

The excitement of being one of the “little rats” in my former dance studio’s rendition of The Nutcracker is something I don’t think I’ll ever forget.

I have absolutely no photographic evidence of this event (thank God). Our jazz teacher who choreographed the piece, the lovely Ms. A, decided we would be “little rats” who knew how to hip-hop.

This was in 2013, and by no means did my dance studio do the traditional Nutcracker

All thirteen of us marched proudly onto the stage at the Jewish Community Centre in Vancouver and hip-hopped our little hearts out to some Michael Jackson music.

The audience loved us. And we loved them.

If Michael Jackson’s music

wasn’t enough indication already, our studio’s artistic director was “quirky,” so our rendition of The Nutcracker was some botched version of the classic.

Either way, it was a blast, and although I only performed in this botched version of The Nutcracker the one time (I never auditioned for Goh Ballet’s Nutcracker, I was very loyal to my studio), ballet performances hold a very special place in my heart.

Maybe it’s because I have done at least ten year-end recitals in my life or because this particular ballet has become so adjacent to the holiday season.

Although I’m by no means excited for the holidays this year, especially Christmas music, my go-to Christmas playlist is still, to this day, the Nutcracker soundtrack. Big surprise there.

That being said, I have definitely noticed a decline in interest in going to the ballet as a whole, and, now that I’m think-

ing about it, events like the opera as well.

Our unwillingness to attend these so-called “classic,” high-society forms of entertainment has been influenced by many factors. One of them is the cultural shift with our evolving entertainment preferences. We seek more accessible and on-demand entertainment, all of which come from streaming platforms, movies, or concerts.

As mentioned, there’s a certain

elitism associated with activities such as the opera or ballet because, historically, they were performed for and accessible only to people of high society.

Some also may think that the relevance has dissipated over the years since the stories told through these forms of entertainment are from different time periods and have a certain disconnect from today’s life.

The obvious con? Expense. Tickets to see ballet or the opera easily run you upwards of $120 (although, the Goh Ballet Nutcracker in Vancouver is averaging around $70). This, along with the time commitment, can put a strain on people — it’s so rare for us to be able to truly focus on something lasting a solid two hours, with a short intermission, these days.

As a former dancer, it’s really sad to see such a decline in something that’s so highly coveted and honestly, so classically sophisticated. Ballet and opera have been associated with a very high-brow culture, a culture that tends to emphasize artistic traditions and their historical roots.

Although there’s a significant decline in interest, they still hold such a major cultural and artistic significance, especially to those who are able to appreciate the depth and beauty behind the performances.

Is it the most wonderful time of the year?

It’s Nutcracker season! The most glamorous time of the year for ballerinas, but what about what happens behind the curtains? Is it as glitzy and glamourous as we think?

Nutcracker season is upon us, folks! For those unfamiliar with the show, it’s the one time a year that ballerinas look forward to most. A Christmas spectacular that dancers spend most of the year gearing up to perform for thousands of people across the globe.

As someone who was a part of the ballet industry for 10 years and performed in count-

less productions of The Nutcracker, I can confidently say it’s rewarding. When you get on the stage dressed in the most glamorous costume with beautiful makeup and a full house cheering for you at the end of the show — that is truly a feeling like no other.

But that part only exists about 10 per cent of the time.

The other 90 per cent of the time, ballerinas are worked to the bone day and night because the lifestyle of a ballerina is at the forefront of a dancer’s mind within activities like sleeping, eating, socializing, and so much more. Professional ballerinas often don’t have time to socialize outside of the time spent in the studio. Most ballerinas spend 60 to 70 hours in the studio a week.

Along with being overworked, many classical ballerinas suffer from eating disorders like

anorexia and bulimia because of the high expectation for a dancer to not just be skinny but beyond skinny; they should have no curves, no stomach, a short torso, and long legs. And if you don’t fit this preconceived mold, you are constantly reminded of it by teachers, directors, and fellow dancers, until you reach the point of not wanting to eat at all.

The concept of perfection also ties into this because, in society’s eyes, a ballerina is proper, poised, dainty, and feminine. She is the ultimate image of grace and perfection. A ballerina’s identity is so closely tied to her work that, if she does not live up to this ideal, it can slowly chip away at her self-worth.

All of this will typically end up resulting in mental health issues such as depression, body dysmorphia, anxiety, panic disorder, and the list goes on.

This was a factor in my decision to leave the ballet industry after working professionally from the age of nine to 18 after

I started dancing at two years old. What started as pure passion and love for the art slowly died under the pressure and maltreatment I received. There came a point where my gratefulness for the amazing mentors and experiences I had over the years was not worth losing myself. I was more important than the glamour and beauty of trying on your elegant costume for The Nutcracker, or the overwhelming sense of

pride in the cheers of the crowd.

All of this is to say that the ballerinas you see on stage every Christmas are not perfect, and if you took a glimpse behind the curtain, the magic would fade. Because even though ballet can be a rewarding and fulfilling career, it can ironically also be the one thing that takes your passion away from you.

The Cast of The Nutcracker Dec. 2018, posing for a photo after a long series of shows and travel.
PHOTO BY JAYDE LAZIER // SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER
Inside the State Opera House in Vienna.
PHOTO BY MARIEKE GLORIEUX-STRYCKMAN // EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

What is the deal with Pinterest?

Pinterest is becoming just another social media app enforcing unrealistic standards of success.

With 537 million monthly active users, Pinterest has been a widely used app for curating an “ideal” lifestyle. Whether to set the vibe for the coming season as winter rolls around or to create a specific personality, Pinterest is a trove of inspiration.

When Pinterest was first released to the public in 2010, it gained popularity as a platform where users could gather and arrange ideas: a “digital pinboard.” By 2011, it had reached 10 million users, breaking records.

What began as this digital pinboard for organizing photos and inspirations has now become a hub for influencers and brands driving trends. Pinterest began emphasizing aesthetically pleasing, curated photos, which has become yet another ideal of a perfect life.

Vision boards of carefully compiled and neatly arranged lives took over, creating a new standard of perfection.

This raises the question: do Pinterest boards inspire realistic ideals, or do they promote unattainable goals?

With TikTok trends becoming more popular, Pinterest has hopped on the bandwagon. A prime example is the “It girl/

Clean girl” aesthetic that began on TikTok, combining elements of minimalism, self-care, and a classy, polished look. The beauty magazine Byrdie called the trend unattainable, saying: “From head to toe, the clean girl aesthetic requires you to be at your best, without looking like you spent time getting there.”

From minimal makeup, effortless hairstyles (that aren’t actually effortless), and a very chic sense of style, the clean girl image adheres to conventional beauty standards, balancing sophistication with simplicity.

But it’s far from simple.

Algorithms have amplified this idea of the “perfect girl” by promoting similar content and frequently showing an endless scroll of photos.

These aesthetically pleasing images often align with conventional Western beauty standards, fitness ideals, and unattainable lifestyles.

This change makes it harder for users to resist comparing themselves to these curated ideals, which can have nega-

tive effects on mental health. From body image concerns to the pressures of perfection and the overwhelming information overload, Pinterest reflects the bigger challenges of social media.

However, this app still holds potential for positivity. When used mindfully, it can remain a source of inspiration free of the pressures of comparison. Vision boards can help users organize goals, find motivation, and celebrate creativity. My Pinterest boards are full of drawings, gym workouts, recipes, and photos of my dream job and aspirations.

Pinterest can be the ideal app for creating the perfect vibe. You can find any photos you want and create any kind of board you like. Whether you’re curating your dream style, gathering inspiration for your future home, or choosing your next nail colour, Pinterest’s versatility is like no other.

Ultimately, the key lies in how we engage with what is presented to us through Pinterest. If we can recognize that the “perfect Pinterest girl” is just an ideal — a curated girl — we can use the platform for what it was meant to be: a fun, creative space to explore and express ourselves.

Fare evaders hurt more than just the STM

The STM and Montreal residents must do better.

Lately, it’s hard not to notice the steady stream of people slipping through the backdoors of the bus or jumping over metro turnstiles. While many straphangers may overlook fare evasion, thinking it doesn’t impact them directly, it does.

It’s vital that people pay for their use of public transit, as the money generated from fares is what helps the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) maintain the transit system and pay its employees. It’s logical to assume, then, that with less money generated due to fare evasion, coupled with a 10 per cent increase in ridership in 2023, the efficiency of the transit system could be impacted. Further, with less money to pay conductors, metros and buses could run less frequently and become overcrowded.

As a result of lost revenue, the STM would likely raise transit fares, which currently stand at $3.75 for a one-way fare in Zone A, $0.40 more than a transit fare in Toronto. In fact, the STM has already raised transit

fares this year, although a oneway transit fare in Zone A remains unchanged.

An STM fare hike would disproportionately affect marginalized communities, who are more likely to live in poverty, according to a report from the National Advisory Council on Poverty. Students would also be more likely to be impacted,

with the poverty rate being highest among people ages 18 to 24 in 2020.

In 2023, the STM issued 7,194 tickets for fare evasion, totaling $1,085,300 in fines. This is up from 2022 when the STM issued 5,052 tickets. While this number was slightly higher in 2021 than in 2023, it’s important to note there are

only 164 special constables, also known as inspectors, on a system that had a total of 288 million trips in 2023.

However, fare evasion doesn’t only impact Montreal.

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) reports that they will lose $123 million because of fare evasions this year. In 2022, the Metropolitan Trans-

portation Authority (MTA) in New York City lost $700 million in transit fares.

To combat this, the TTC has started to remove the “no-tap” fare gates that open automatically when approached. While these gates are intended to be used by riders such as children under 12 and those paying by cash, token, or ticket, other people use them to avoid paying. Now, they can only be opened manually by ticket agents.

In New York City, the MTA has started putting inspectors on buses to enforce fare payment after raising fares in 2023. New York City also offers low-income residents reduced fares as a part of their Fair Fares NYC program.

Yet the STM has announced no plans to combat fare evasion despite its tangible impact on the transit system. Therefore, the STM should be transparent about this issue and implement a series of measures to tackle it before it spirals out of control. The payment of transit fares should be considered a civic duty ensuring society’s smooth running.

An STM bus in and around Rosemont. PHOTO BY CHLOE SIOHAN // CONTRIBUTOR
GRAPHIC BY SEMIRA KOSCIUK // PODCAST EDITOR

CROSSWORD CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1. The academic season we are about to enter 6. Arguing, through writing

11. Take a few minutes to rest 14. A thing that isn’t acceptable

15. Dwarf buffalos

16. Talk, talk, and talk 17. Things

18. Swift without vowels

19. Tattoo, briefly 20. Laughing through text

21. Red Bull’s sister racing team

23. Call Bullshit, abbr. 24. Preparing for a test

27. To be or not to be, in the past

29. Meet Mars and Rose there

31. Wuthering Heights author, abbr.

32. A place to leave your car

35. Utter joy

37. See you , alligator!

39. Tasks to complete as a student

42. Michaud’s film based off of Kim Thúy’s novel

43. Lives in daydreams with Styles

44. Farewell

45. Extremely bad

48. Pressure of circulating blood, briefly 49. The Dragon Warrior

50. Chicken food chain

53. Rodent

55. Ube, for example 58. “There we go!”, in french

60. Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, abbr.

61. First version

63. Money in Milan

64. Expression used by text when annoyed or surprised

65. Country used to recreate the Colosseum in Gladiator II 66. Begin

F

Elsa goes the unknown

Christmas, in Paris.

Letter that introduces our city

Opposite of wins

Domingo’s home 8. Never too late to apologize

Alcoholic Anonymous 10. Letter of the heart of questions

Connections to Tiles

12. Triple (source of) power

13. Multiple Microsoft slides, abbr.

22. Good, fr.

25. Spilled gossip

26. Kind of apples you attend

27. Weaving site

28. 1999 Rom-com “ from the ”

30. Weed

32. (Being of) value to a business

33. Pounds per square inch

34. My family name, for short (hint:

username)

36. Somewhat a suffix

38. The road where Euphoria and The Hunger Games meet

40. Grandfather of Luffy or growth at a reasonable price

41. Cashews and pistachios

46. The Plateau-Mont-

47. On the shelves of Christmas 48. October’s gemstone, also screen time app

50. Phoebe Thunderman actress 51. Rosa, e.g. (in Barcelona) 52. Ensemble

54. Now known as fairy 56. Subsequent beginning 57. Metropolitan Transportation Authority but make it STM style 59. “ and about” 61. Slide into a message 62. Dorm worker, briefly

Editor-in-Chief: MARIEKE GLORIEUXSTRYCKMAN editor@theconcordian.com

Creative Director: FINN GROSU creative@theconcordian.com

Managing Editor: EMMA MEGELAS managing@theconcordian.com

News Editors: J EREMY COX, FÉLIXANTOINE BEAUCHEMIN

News Assistant: JIA SCHOFER

Sports Editor: MATTHEW PISCINA

Sports Assistant: MATHILDE COLLS

Music Editor: STEFANO REBULI

Opinions Assistant: DANYLO PERKOV

Arts & Culture Editor: MAYA RUEL

Arts & Culture Assistant: GINANE

Copy Editors: CHANTAL

Photo Editor: HANNAH BELL

Production Manager: MAC CHAPLIN

Business Manager: LITHUN SARKER

Distribution: GUY LANDRY

Printing: H EBDO-LITHO

Social Media Manager: JAYDE LAZIER

Board of Directors: HADASSAH ALENCAR, AVIVA MAJERCZYK, LILY COWPER, SAKIB HOSSAIN, JAMES FAY,

Music Assistant: RYAN PYKE
SASKIA WODARCZAK
Video Assistant: DIEGO CERVANTES
Podcast Editor: SEMIRA KOSCIUK
BY SASHA LAPOINTE LAWLESS // CONTRIBUTOR

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