Vol. 42 Issue 14: January 14th 2025

A GAZAN’S DREAM BEYOND BORDERS

To Joudi Alafranji, an end to the war means fulfilling her dream of studying abroad and being an artist without limitations.

BY EMILY PASQUARELLI // VIDEO EDITOR

“I didn’t like watercolours. I hate them. I will hate them forever,” Joudi Alafranji said, giggling. But she still uses them because right now, they’re the only art she has access to.

Alafranji is a 24-year-old visual artist from Gaza City who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in dentistry at AlAzhar University in the spring of 2023. Alafranji was accepted into Concordia University last fall. But, instead of starting her

graduate diploma in community economic development, she has been trapped behind closed borders.

When Alafranji isn’t painting or taking photos, she’s assisting with dental work in a tent in the Middle Area of Gaza. She hopes to work in humanitarian aid.

The Israel-Palestine war has been ongoing for over 15 months. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitar-

ian Affairs, more than 45,000 Palestinians and 1,500 Israelis have been killed in the conflict.

Last spring, Alafranji interned in facial reconstructive surgeries at the Al-Aqsa Hospital.

“I had to see injured people, to see people pulled out from the bombings, I had to see people living in the hospital,” Alafranji said.

Just finding a medical scrub was a struggle.

“Get me out of here,” she said in between laughs on a call interview, which would cut mid-sentence as she lost her Wi-Fi connection.

This is the seventh war she lives through.

NEWS

Boycott

Divestment

Sanctions petition calls for special general meeting to force Concordia to divest pg. 3

SPORTS

Stingers men’s hockey splits weekend games as second half of season begins pg. 6

LES PAGES

FRANCOS

S ept Stingers représenteront le Canada aux Jeux mondiaux universitaires d’hiver de la FISU 2025 pg. 9

ARTS & CULTURE

New Year highlights! pg. 11

MUSIC

QUICKSPINS: DeBÍ TiRAR MáS

FOToS — Bad Bunny pg. 13

PHOTO COLLAGE BY HANNAH BELL AND STEFANO REBULI // PHOTO EDITOR

(“A Gazan’s dream beyond borders” continued from cover)

“The seventh of October, in the morning, we were all in disbelief of what was happening … Nobody understood really anything,” Alafranji said.

She described six endless days of bombing and extreme horror, during which she sheltered in a corridor of her house alongside her family of nine.

“There was no distinction between the days. I don’t remember how many hours I slept throughout these six days. It was intense bombing. They never stopped,” said Alafranji.

Alafranji remembers fearful thoughts of suffocating under the ceiling or witnessing her loved ones killed.

“I wasn’t really scared of death itself. I was scared of things that wouldn’t make you die,” she said.

DISPLACED

On Oct. 13, 2023, civilians in the North were urged to evacuate to the South of Gaza immediately. Alafranji felt a sense of relief.

Alafranji and her family packed anything they could take with them. The artist initially packed her beloved art bag but told herself: “No. I will never be able to draw with this horrific situation.” She left the bag behind.

She beats herself up over that decision every night. She had nightmares about that small bag of art supplies for three months.

As she evacuated her home with her family, Alafranji saw collapsed buildings for the first time and could hear explosions nearby.

“When I got out of the car and finally, we were here, I was reborn. I could look at the sky,” she recalled. “We saw my relatives that weren’t alone. Everyone else was suffering. [...] I felt, ‘Okay, there’s still life.’” She is now living in the South of the Middle Area of Gaza, in a packed house with 34 other displaced relatives, creating difficult living conditions.

SURVIVING

With the temporary ceasefire in late November 2023 came famine for Alafranji and her family. There were no food markets in her area, and they survived off of flour until aid arrived.

In April 2024, Alafranji began her dentist internship in the maxillofacial surgery department at the Shuhada alAqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah of the Gaza Strip.

“I hated it. I hated everything about it, really. I was just in our ‘home’ for months and hadn’t really faced what the reality is,” she said.

It wasn’t until she saw peo-

ple’s faces at work that she felt artistically inspired again for the first time since the war began. Alafranji could barely find any of her usual art supplies, charcoal, and graphite, after being displaced. This forced her to explore new mediums, like pencils and watercolours.

Alafranji crafted her own sketchbook titled “War Journal” out of paper, a piece of cardboard, and cloth taken from a World Central Kitchen grocery bag. She filled it with watercolour drawings, some of which document her life during the war, using photos she took as a reference.

FRIENDSHIP

In the earlier months of the war, Alafranji fostered a long-distance friendship with Montrealer Brenda Keesal.

Keesal is a 63-year-old artist and activist. She identifies as a “Jew who grew up in a Zionist world.”

“It really wasn’t until I was a young adult and even more into adulthood that I started to learn about the Palestinians. And it was life-changing for me,” said Keesal.

After Oct. 7, Keesal contacted Alafranji’s uncle, who she had met years ago at an event in Montreal, to check in. He responded almost instantly. He assured her that he and his immediate family were safe but shared that his other relatives weren’t, including his niece.

A few weeks later, Keesal received an email from Alafranji, who wanted to tell her story. Their back-and-forth email chain fostered a remarkable friendship. They called almost every day for months, despite difficulties with Alafranji’s internet connection and the seven-hour time difference.

“She told me, ‘I’m an artist,’” recalled Keesal. “Another thing that she said to me was, ‘My lifelong dream has been to

study abroad,’ and that’s really what got me.”

With her network in Montreal, Keesal reached out to various people to kickstart Alafranji’s university applications and encouraged her to get back into art.

WAITING

Last spring, Alafranji was accepted into the International Masters for Health Leadership program at McGill University. The program was mostly online, which made it difficult for her to obtain a student visa. Her poor internet connection meant she would be unable to attend classes.

She was later accepted into Concordia University’s Graduate Diploma in Community Economic Development for the 2024 Fall semester.

“I hope that universities can be spaces that facilitate people finding new paths when they have been in the midst of the kind of violence she has experienced,” said Anna Sheftel, principal of Concordia’s School of Community and Public Affairs.

“We did everything we could to accelerate and support her application within the context of Concordia’s admissions processes and were well-supported to do so,” said Sheftel.

Left with no choice, Alafranji deferred her acceptance until the winter semester, which is still in question.

Keesal describes Alafranji’s situation as a dreadful “waiting game.”

The border has been closed since early May 2024, when the Israeli military invaded the Rafah crossing into Egypt.

Alafranji is currently undergoing dental training in a private clinic in the Middle Area, which is in a tent close to where she currently resides. The clinic works solely on solar energy, as there is no other source of electricity in the region.

Alafranji’s student visa application to study in Canada is pending until she completes biometrics in Egypt.

RESILIENCE

Alafranji is currently job hunting.

“It’s part of accepting this horrific reality that I have been delaying it,” Alafranji said. “I don’t want to look for a job in a place that I don’t want to stay in. But I have to.”

Keesal helped Alafranji start a GoFundMe page to share her story and seek financial support. While some of the funds will go towards supporting her family of nine, it will also cover tuition fees, visa expenses, flight costs, the fee crossing the border through Egypt when opened, and other essentials.

Alafranji emphasized that there are no more universities

left in Gaza.

“That is why I need to do this program and to raise funds to do it because everyone has the right to learn,” said Alafranji.

Alafranji dreams of having her own art exhibition in Montreal. In the meantime, she’s finding ways to stay positive.

“A year ago, if you told me this, I would literally burst out laughing — I was never ever a positive person,” she said happily.

“I would always mourn my life and cry. I was so depressed. [...] But ironically, I started focusing more on reading more self-help books, exploring religion, exploring God, loving my art, loving myself, loving learning, wanting to experience everything, believing that I actually can be an international student.”

WAR JOURNAL ART PIECES BY JOUDI ALAFRANJI

Boycott Divestment Sanctions petition calls for special general meeting to force Concordia to divest

The first CSU council meeting was marked by debates about the petition and an attempt to call for a dozen members’ resignation.

BY CHANTAL BELLEFEUILLE COPY EDITOR

The Concordia Student Union (CSU) announced at its first regular council meeting (RCM) of the year that over 250 students had signed a petition calling for a special general meeting (SGM) regarding the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Movement (BDS) at Concordia University.

Held on Jan. 8, the RCM also featured a motion requesting the resignation of over a dozen CSU staff and councillors. The motion presented by Coun. Drew Sylver failed to pass in a vote of three for and 10 against.

BDS AND SGM

The CSU has scheduled an SGM on Jan. 29, during which all undergraduate students will debate and vote in person on the CSU’s BDS stance.

The petition demands actions like demanding full transparency of Concordia’s financial investments, ending the partnerships with several companies, including Bombardier and Lockheed Martin, and with Israeli academic institutions, re-enroll suspended students

who were involved in pro-Palestinian movement, and commit to limit the presence of the Montreal police and cut the security contract with Percentage International.

The CSU would present the motion to Concordia’s Board of Governors (BOG) for a vote if passed.

Coun. Liora Hechel worried that 450 students, the standard quorum for an SGM, would have the power to vote on this motion to represent the over 30,000 undergraduates en rolled at Concordia.

Coun. Mohamad Abdallah expressed concern regarding students’ future internships and job opportunities. He questioned if they would be jeopardized if the university were forced to divest from en gineering companies such as Bombardier, Pratty & Whitney, and Airbus.

However, Chairperson Mya Walmsley declared Abdallah’s concerns out of order and ex plained that once an SGM is called through a petition, it overrides the council’s vote and inquiries, and the people must decide through participation in a referendum.

“The reason [the petition] is presented [at the RCM] is to make sure that the councillors are aware,” they said. “Every body is going to have the oppor tunity to debate it at the SGM.”

MOTION TO RESIGN

Sylver presented a motion ac cusing over a dozen CSU staff and council members of failing to remain neutral in their roles,

neglecting their responsibilities, and using their positions to push personal and political agendas. The motion asked for

mandated its council to remain neutral or that Salman held the position of SPHR. As of Sept. 3, SPHR has not been a CSU club.

“I can’t help but see this as more of a symbolic attempt to repress student voices and repress the political nature

Updates on the CSU and StartUp Nation

The CSU and StartUp Nation continue to dispute club policy and status.

BY MEGAN MILLS DEVOE ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

The CSU remains in a legal dispute surrounding the status of StartUp Nation.

In December, the Clubs and Spaces Committee of the CSU unanimously voted to revoke the club status of StartUp Nation due to violations of the Clubs and Spaces Policies. This resulted in legal backlash from StartUp, which prevented the CSU from ratifying the decision.

On Dec. 1, StartUp Nation, a club dedicated to promoting Israeli identity and cul-

ture on campus, announced an on-campus tabling event featuring Yoseph Haddad, an Arab-Israeli journalist and ex-IDF soldier. According to the CSU, StartUp Nation did not provide sufficient information about the external guest speaker during their booking application. This failure represented a violation of university policies regarding the use of space on campus. Concordia’s policy specifies that requests for events involving external guest speakers must be submitted 20 business days prior to the event. Further, CSU policy specifies that it is the responsibility of the applicant to “provide the CSU with accurate, complete, and up-todate information” about the event. Failure to do so can result in approval for an event to be rescinded. As such, the CSU contacted StartUp Nation the night before the event to inform

StartUp Nation proceeded to host the event on Dec. 3 in the Hall mezzanine without permission from the CSU, albeit not using the tabling space. In response, protestors from Solidarity for Palestine Human Rights (SPHR) Concordia and other pro-Palestinian activist groups objected to Haddad’s presence on campus by organizing a rally in the Hall building’s mezzanine at the time of the event.

The event escalated into a conflict between the two groups, and in the following days, the CSU and the Hive both released statements that accused Haddad and StartUp Nation attendees of harassing members of the university community.

Following the event, the CSU Clubs and Spaces Committee unanimously passed a motion

tus of StartUp Nation on Dec. 4. On Dec. 5, the CSU Policy Committee met and changed some of the existing CSU policies on clubs to allow the Internal Affairs Coordinator to recommend that a club’s status be revoked.

On Dec. 10, law firm Choueke Hollander LLP sent a demand letter to the CSU, ordering them not to ratify the minutes of the previous Clubs and Spaces committee meeting as well as the previous Policy Committee meeting. Following this, on Dec. 11, a court ordered the CSU to read a statement indicating that they would not revisit the ratification of these minutes until the CSU council meeting scheduled for Jan. 22. The CSU complied with these demands.

On Dec. 11, StartUp Nation filed an injunction application in the Superior Court of Que-

permanently annul the CSU’s decision to revoke StartUp’s club status as well as annul the changes made to the CSU club policy.

On Dec. 13, the CSU responded to the application, declaring its intention to “contest and establish a timetable with the other parties in the present matter.”

External affairs and mobilization coordinator for the CSU, Danna Ballantyne, stated that the CSU will be attending an injunction hearing in late January.

Choueke Hollander LLP has a history of involvement with legal disputes at Concordia. Notably, Michael Hollander represented StartUp Nation in Zorchinsky v. SPHR Concordia.

GRAPHIC BY KEVEN VAILLANCOURT // GRAPHICS EDITOR @KINDAOKEV

Palestinian student assaulted in the Hall building

Christopher Bahnan condemned Concordia’s refusal to send out a warning to students following his assault in December.

BY MARIEKE GLORIEUXSTRYCKMAN

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

@WRITING_MARIEKE

Christopher Bahnan had just finished his final exam on Dec. 17 when he was attacked in the Hall building in what the po lice are allegedly investigat ing as a sexually and racially motivated assault.

The assault took place in the Hall building’s lobby, about 30 metres away from a Campus Safety and Prevention Services (CSPS) desk. Despite the prox imity, Bahnan and his friend Donya Mashkuri, who was with him at the time of the assault, said it took five minutes for CSPS to get to the scene.

That evening, Bahnan was walking on De Maisonneuve Blvd. towards the Hall building on his way to meet up with friends. The first-year Palestinian English literature student was, as always, wearing a keffiyeh on his shoulders, and he had nail polish on.

Bahnan covered his face as the man attacked him and tried to disengage. He recalled the man trying to grab his keffiyeh and pull it off his shoulders.

Mashkuri yelled for help from the Hall building lobby.

As he reached the Hall building, a tall man he didn’t know started heading his way. He did not have a backpack and did not seem to be a student, according to Bahnan.

“And so I kind of stopped and went to the side, but he still just shoved full force into me and knocked me to the side,” recalled Bahnan.

He ignored the man and kept walking, but the man started challenging him and hurling homophobic and racist slurs at him, at which point Bahnan turned around and flipped him off.

“He started walking towards me more aggressively,” said Bahnan. “I continued to just not engage with him, and I said, ‘No, I don’t want to fight you.

“ I didn’t know what to do because he was this really tall guy,” they said, “and so I just was yelling for help, and Concordia security was nowhere to be found.”

A few students eventually rushed to pull the man off Bahnan, and the man ran away.

Bahnan was badly bruised, and his glasses were broken.

He later found out that he had a fractured sinus wall.

Once security agents got to Bahnan, the man had gone, and they started asking questions about the assault. Bahnan said that one agent referred to the incident as a “fight.”

“This wasn’t a fight; this was a man assaulting me,” he said. “This wasn’t me getting into an altercation with somebody over

BY TRISTAN MCKENNA NEWS EDITOR

JUSTIN TRUDEAU SAID HE’LL STEP DOWN, WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

The Liberal Party (LPC) will elect a new leader on March 9. The LPC leader could be prime minister until federal elections in October … unless Parliament wants a national vote sooner. A lot can change in ten months, but recent polling suggests that Conservatives could win in the fall.

one student.”

The police arrived about 20 minutes after the attack.

“ I did not sleep that night,” said Bahnan. “One of my biggest fears is getting a concussion and never waking up, so that was very much what was on my mind and kept me from being able to get any sleep that night.”

Both Bahnan and Mashkuri expressed outrage that it took security so long to reach Bahnan.

“Those security officers are always there to go and tell people, ‘Hey, you can’t smoke here, or hey, you can’t do this,’” said Bahnan. “But they’re nowhere to be found when there’s actually a violent crime being committed.”

When asked to comment on the incident, Concordia Deputy Spokesperson Julie Fortier wrote that she could not share information about this specific case but that “as soon as our agents are alerted to an incdent,

MONTREAL MAYORAL RACE

Valérie Plante, head of Projet Montréal, will not seek another term as city mayor. On March 15, Projet Montréal is expected to elect a new leader who will compete in fall elections. It’s still unclear who other candidates for city mayor will be. Election night will be in November.

his request to send out an email about the assault.

“Security alerts are issued if there is an imminent or active threat to the safety of community members, as was done a number of times during fall protests when acts of violence or vandalism occurred,” wrote Fortier.

She did not share more details on why this incident did not meet these criteria.

“ I found that very hypocritical and nonsense that they would do an email for a protest warning people about the possible dangers, but not send an email when somebody was actually attacked on campus grounds and for apparently racially motivated reasons,” said Bahnan.

For privacy reasons, the Montreal police could not confirm details of Bahnan’s case. Spokesperson Caroline Labelle explained that while hate crimes were not a standalone offense in the Criminal Code,

CLIMATE MILESTONE

Scientists have confirmed that 2024 was the hottest year on record. 2023 also beat previous records. Earth’s average temperature also exceeded 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels; an indicator of poorer environmental outcomes and a threshold set by the Paris Agreement.

dia because his brother, father, and grandfather had all attended the university, with the latter joining as a mature student like him.

But since the assault, Bahnan has considered not returning to Concordia.

“This entire past, well, two years almost at this point, it has been a constant failure by Concordia to see to the security needs of all of their student body,” he said. “I already felt like it wasn’t a very safe environment to be in. And since the attack, it’s doubled all of those anxieties. It’s made that fear real. It’s made it cemented into an actual physical manifestation of aggression and violence.”

MEASLES OUTBREAK

Quebec has also seen outbreaks in 2023 and 2024, but health officials are still concerned. If you’re vaccinated against measles, the risk of contracting it may be low. Symptoms include fever, cough, running nose, and red patches. In 1998, measles was considered eradicated in Canada, but unvaccinated individuals can lead to outbreaks.

GRAPHIC BY ALEXANDRA NACKLEY / CONTRIBUTOR / @KNICK.NACKS

CUPEU signs new collective agreement with Concordia

New agreement sets hybrid work and condensed work week rules in stone until June of

BY JEREMY COX NEWS EDITOR

The CUPEU has signed an official agreement with Concordia, setting guidelines that better represent

Among other conditions, Concordia cannot refuse less than 30 per cent of remote regular work for an employee without a valid reason. This means employees are entitled to a minimum of three days of remote work on a biweekly basis.

The previous collective agreement between CUPEU and the university expired on May 31, 2023. In June 2023, Concordia president Graham Carr announced the decision to request faculty return to in-per-

After picketing for over one week, the two parties reached an agreement in principle.

The negotiation applied for employees from the faculties of Fine Arts, Engineering, John Molson School of Business (JMSB), Arts and Science, and Office of Vice-President, Research and Graduate Studies (OVPRGS). Other stipulations were stressed for CUPEU members who did not fall under these faculties in order to cover all possible opportunities for the university to access

one-and-a-half days to people. Back in 2023, they could unilaterally change it as they wished,” said CUPEU VP of negotiations Sigmund Lam.

On Dec. 17, both parties signed the collective agreement, which had been drafted on Sept. 30. Two signatures are yet to be added to the contract, although the agreement is already in effect.

“We are very happy that we reached an agreement that addresses the needs of both the union members and the university,” said Concordia Deputy Spokesperson Julie Fortier.

“We have grounds to grieve, and they can’t really contest at that point. So this guarantee basically makes it a lot easier to breathe

because it’s written into the letter of agreement,” said Lam.

The collective agreement is retroactive, spanning from June 2023 to June 2026. According to the agreement, the employees will receive compensation for what they have been entitled to since last year in the form of retroactive pay.

“I think most of the members who directly benefit from the hybrid working group are happy, thankfully,” said Kalfon. “On the service side, most things are staying the same, so they continue to be happy, I hope. But those of us on the academic side, I think, insist on improvement.”

The official agreement will be published online shortly after Jan. 14.

“We’re already [in 2025]. You know, in a year, we’re going to start negotiating again,” said Kalfon. “We’re always after the eight ball getting the negotiations done, but it is a three-year contract, and it is in effect for three years.”

GRAPHIC BY KEVEN VAILLANCOURT / GRAPHICS EDITOR @KINDAOKEV

Majority of Quebecers dissatisfied with education system, new survey suggests

Nearly 70 per cent of respondents believe that major changes need to be made.

BY MEGAN MILLS DEVOE ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

According to a recent Léger survey, 68 per cent of Quebecers believe that Quebec’s education system is in need of a major change.

On Jan. 2, the Centrale des Syndicats du Québec (CSQ) announced the results of this survey at its first press conference of the year.

“[The result] doesn’t really surprise me,” said Hayley Bleho, a Concordia English literature student in her final semester. “I think that there’s a lot of frustration for Quebecers

with the education system.”

The survey found that 63 per cent of respondents believed that educational services in Quebec were not appropriate or sufficient.

While many factors play into the results, CSQ President Éric Gingras highlighted the role of tightening budgets in the quality of education.

“You cannot cut one dollar in education right now; [the budget is] not sufficient,” said Gingras.

On March 12, 2024, the Quebec government presented a 2024-25 budget, which increased spending on post-secondary education by 3.5 per cent. Despite the overall increase in university funding, Concordia University and other English universities are largely excluded from these benefits. In June, Concordia reported losing more grant funding than

any other university in Quebec.

“I wouldn’t say that there’s been a drop in the quality of my education, but I’ve definitely seen the effects of the tightened budgets,” said Bleho.

Specifically, Bleho said that she noticed a reduction in the number of courses available, which has made it difficult to enroll in specialized courses.

Gabriella Barakat, a Concordia philosophy and sociology student, had a similar experience enrolling in courses.

“You really just have to be on the nose about it; it’s as if you’re on Ticketmaster buying concert tickets,” said Barakat.

49 per cent of survey respondents believed that young people in Quebec do not have access to safe and healthy learning environments. Even though there are student services, Barakat said she finds them inaccessible due to lack of infor-

mation and long wait times. Bleho said that she has been hesitant to seek support from the university due to a lack of information.

“I thin the services are there, but I just lack guidance to navigate it,” said Bleho.

Understaffing due to budget cuts and poor employee retention has become an issue throughout schools in the province, and universities are not exempt from this trend. Due to budget constraints, Concordia currently has 180 unfilled staff positions and will not begin “strategic recruitment” of new staff until the 2025-26 academic year. This is one of the many budget strategies Concordia has implemented. According to Concordia Spokesperson Julie Fortier, only a small number of these unoccupied positions relate directly to student services.

On Dec. 11, Anne Whiteclaw, provost and vice-president, academic of Concordia, and Denis Cossette, CFO, published a budget update on the university.

“Due to the high uncertainty created by the Quebec government’s tuition changes and the Canadian government’s new visa restrictions, Concordia lost roughly 1,400 students, or 3.4 per cent of the student population, this academic year — the largest decline in its history,” Cossette and Whiteclaw wrote in the budget update.

Bleho expressed frustration with Concordia using funds to promote the image of the university for its 50th anniversary during a budgetary crisis. “It just kind of feels like their priorities are in the wrong place.”

SPORTS Stingers men’s hockey splits weekend games as second half of season begins

The team suffered its first home loss of the season but bounced back with a vengeance.

BY MATT PISCINA SPORTS EDITOR

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team was back in action this weekend for the first time since the winter break. The team played back-to-back days against two Ontario opponents, the University of Windsor Lancers and the University of Waterloo Warriors, adding one loss and one win to their record.

The Stingers finished the first half of the regular season as well as they ever have.

After their final game before the break, on Dec. 1, the Stingers led the entire Ontario University Athletics (OUA) men’s hockey standings with

unanswered goals by the Lancers saw the Stingers trailing 3-0 after two periods at Ed Meagher Arena. If the Stingers failed to even the score, they would suffer their first home loss of the season.

Concordia managed to score two quick goals with 11 minutes remaining in the third.

The Stingers pressed hard, outshooting Windsor 15-3 in the frame. Ultimately, the comeback would fall short as the Lancers added an empty netter, cementing the victory.

Forward Blake Richardson spoke proudly of the team’s relentless fight in the third period.

“We knew after the second [period] that we weren’t dead,” Richardson said. “We have a lot of character in that room; we hadn’t lost in regulation, so we knew we could come back. I think we showed it; we came up short at the end, but I think we can build on that for tomorrow

after the first period and a 3-1 lead after the second.

In the third, the floodgates opened.

The Stingers scored four goals in the final frame to pad their lead and secure their league-best seventeenth win of the season. The chippy yet competitive nature of the game was what head coach Marc-André Elément liked most about the win.

“[Waterloo] is a physical team; they’re a big team on the other side,” Elément shared.

“I think our guys really responded to the physicality of the game, […] it

The Stingers will carry their 17-1-2 record into their next matchup on Jan. 15 against the Université du Québec à

Trois-Rivières Patriotes. Puck drop at Colisée de Trois-Rivières Jean-Guy Talbot is set for 7:30 p.m.

The Scoreboard: The second half of the winter season has begun!

The Stingers men’s hockey team added another win at home while men’s basketball took down rival Rouge et Or.

BY MATT PISCINA SPORTS EDITOR

The Concordia Stingers have returned to action for the first time since the beginning of December.

While only the Stingers men’s hockey team played this weekend, both the women’s and men’s hockey teams finished the first half of the season in first place in their respective divisions. On the court, both women’s and men’s basketball looked to start the second half on the right foot, eyeing the playoffs.

Here is what happened this week:

HOCKEY

The Stingers men’s hockey team finished the first half of the season at the top of the

Ontario University Athletics (OUA) men’s hockey standings. This was coupled with them being ranked second amongst USports men’s hockey teams in Canada as of Jan. 13.

The team hosted two games at Ed Meagher over the weekend. They first faced off against the Windsor Lancers, who finished the first half of the season winning eight of 10 games. In this matchup, the Lancers stayed hot.

Concordia made the game competitive at the end but were handed their first home loss of the season with a score of 4-2. In their game against the Waterloo Warriors the following day, the Stingers bounced back boldly.

The Stingers jumped out to a 3-1 after two periods and never looked back. They scored four more goals in the third period and won by a score of 7-2.

The team will bring their 17-1-2 record into their next matchup on Jan. 15 against the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) Patriotes. The Stingers women’s hockey team returns to action on Jan. 17 when they face the McGill University Martlets.

BASKETBALL

The women’s basketball team kicked off the action for Concordia this weekend. They faced the Université Laval Rouge et Or for the second time this season, following a 61-45 Stingers win on Nov. 23.

The Stingers led by as much as 12 points in the third quarter but ultimately fell to the Rouge et Or by a score of 76-65. With the loss, the team’s record dropped to 2-5 on the season.

The Stingers men’s basketball team faced Laval the same night.

In a blowout, the Stingers avenged their opponent, winning by a score of 83-65. The win boosted Concordia’s record to 5-1 on the season, which currently ties Bishop’s University for the top spot in the Réseau du Sport Étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) men’s basketball standings.

The Stingers women’s basketball team will be back in action on Jan. 16 when they face the McGill University Martlets at 6 p.m. The men’s team will follow up on this game with one of their own. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m.

The PWHL’s regular season is underway as the Montreal Victoire live up to their name

Montreal’s professional women’s hockey team currently leads the league in points.

BY MATT PISCINA SPORTS EDITOR

The 2024-25 Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) regular season has started, and there is certainly a buzz going around Montreal. Nine games in, the Montreal Victoire sit in second place for the entire league. It was a disappointing ending to the team’s inaugural season in 2024 for the team and its fans. The team lost three straight overtime games to get swept out of the playoff semi-finals against Boston back in May. Yet, the team displayed several positive storylines that carried into the new season.

Forward and team captain Marie-Phillip Poulin finished 2024 in third place for scoring leaders across the league. This was backstopped by a goaltending duo consisting of Olympian Anne-Renée Desbiens and league leader in save percentage and goals against average, Elaine Chuli.

The team also came into the new season with new jerseys, a revamped logo, and an official team name: the “Montreal Victoire.” On top of these additions was a change of their home venue.

The Victoire are now playing their home games fulltime at Place Bell, which holds a capacity of 10,000 fans, compared to just over 4,000 at their old home, the Verdun Auditorium. Two of their three home games have reached full capacity.

The team has continued to play in front of thousands of fans on the road, too. The Victoire have regularly played in the arenas of National Hockey League teams, including one

at the Vancouver Canucks’ Rogers Arena. This game against the Toronto Sceptres saw over 19,000 fans in attendance — a league-high for fans this season.

In terms of standings, the Victoire have not disappointed.

The PWHL uses a 3-2-1 point system as compared to the tra ditional 2-1-0, which means that a regulation win earns a team three points, an over time win earns two points, and an overtime loss earns one. As of Jan. 13, Mon treal holds a record of four regulation wins, two overtime wins, one overtime loss, and two regulation losses. This is good for 17 points in the league standings.

The Victoire have also had their fair share of milestones early in the season.

Five players, including four rookie skaters, have scored their first career PWHL goal.

Forward Abby Boreen, who Montreal acquired from the Minnesota Frost in the offseason, is tied for first in team scoring. This has given the Victoire additional scoring they did not have last season. Seven players are within one point of first place in team scoring for Montreal, displaying the team’s

The Montreal Victoire still has 21 games to play in the regular season before it wraps up on May 2. If they finish in the top four in the standings, they will compete in the playoffs for a second straight season. The ultimate goal for the Victoire is to compete in the Walter Cup.

GRAPHIC BY KEVEN VAILLANCOURT // GRAPHICS EDITOR @KINDAOKEV

GRAPHIC BY KEVEN VAILLANCOURT

Les

Pages Francos

En partenariat avec et financé par l’Organe.

Les Pages francos de retour cet hiver

Les Pages francos de retour cet hiver

On lira encore des articles en français dans le Concordian dans les douze prochaines éditions. Soyez à l’affût et contribuez-y.

PAR CLÉMENT LECHAT

COORDONATEUR DE L’ORGANE

Les Pages francos à l’automne dernier, c’était 35 articles, 16 collaborateur·ices, et toute une équipe derrière pour assurer la publication. Ils et elles ont couvert une grande variété de sujets comme les répercussions de la guerre au Liban à Concordia, les plaintes de locataires de la coopérative étudiante La Note des bois, ou encore la trop faible reconnaissance de la Journée nationale de la vérité et de la réconciliation au Québec. Merci du fond du cœur à

toutes les personnes qui ont contribué au succès de cette section financée par l’Organe et produite par le Concordian pour promouvoir l’expression médiatique en français sur les campus de Concordia. Pour écrire dans les Pages francos cet hiver, vous pouvez me contacter à organe@ cutvmontreal.org ou sur Instagram à @organe_concordia pour être ajouté à notre bassin de collaborateur·ices ou envoyer vos propositions

d’articles. Tous les sujets sont les bienvenus dans les Pages francos.

L’Organe organise des ateliers d’écriture journalistique tous les mardis de 12h à 13h30, alternant entre le campus du centre-ville et celui de Loyola. C’est l’occasion de se retrouver pour travailler sur vos articles, les faire relire, poser des questions, préparer une entrevue ou trouver des sources. Pas besoin de contribuer aux Pages francos pour y participer.

Musique québécoise en 2024:

Le premier atelier aura lieu le 14 janvier aux bureaux du Concordian (CC-431 au campus Loyola), puis se déplacera au Centre pour étudiant·es francophones (H-608.02) le 21 janvier. Les équipes de l’Organe et du Concordian ont hâte de vous lire cet hiver!

Retour sur

une année difficile

Musique québécoise en 2024: Retour sur une année difficile

Les artistes d’ici peinent à avoir le même impact que leurs collègues américains sur les plateformes d’écoute.

PAR JASPER BLEHO-LEVACHER COLLABORATEUR

D’année en année, les Québécois écoutent de moins en moins les interprètes de leur province, alors qu’ils se tournent de plus en plus vers les sites de streaming, selon l’Observatoire de la culture et des communications du Québec. En 2024, la tendance s’est maintenue.

Lors de la dernière année, seulement 6,8 % des chansons écoutées dans la province étaient interprétées par des artistes d’ici. Pourtant, ce nombre s’élevait à 7,5 % en 2023 et 8 % en 2022.

Pour Julia Dumontier-Larochelle, une jeune auteure-compositrice-interprète en début de carrière, cette tendance à la baisse n’est pas surprenante.

« C’est sûr que c’est plus difficile de percer dans cette masse d’artistes américains qui ont énormément d’influence, explique-t-elle. Il y a un effet de masse qui fait qu’on veut connaître ces phénomènes-là. »

Dumontier-Larochelle écrit à la fois des chansons en anglais et en français, mais veut de plus en plus se définir comme une artiste francophone et québécoise. Néanmoins, c’est bien la chanteuse américaine Taylor Swift qui l’a inspirée à commencer à composer ses propres chansons lors de son enfance. Aviva Majerczyk, qui travaille à la radio communautaire CJLO, située sur le campus Loyola de l’Université Concordia, décrit cette influence dis-

proportionnée de la musique américaine comme une « hégémonie culturelle ».

Dans le cadre de son travail, Majerczyk doit former des nouveaux DJ et s’assurer que leurs listes de lecture soient conformes aux règles du Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des télécommunications canadiennes (CRTC), qui oblige les stations de radio à jouer une certaine quantité de musique d’ici.

« C’est intéressant parce que les nouveaux DJ, surtout ceux qui sont jeunes, ont souvent de la difficulté à trouver assez de contenu local ou même simplement canadien [pour être conforme aux règles du CRTC] », explique-t-elle.

positrice-interprète de Gatineau, fait carrière dans le monde de la musique folk depuis quelques an nées déjà.

Elle a joué au Québec, dans le reste du Canada et au Royaume-Uni, où elle a chanté à la fois en anglais et en français. Elle met de l’avant l’importance de l’argent comme facteur clé de la popularité de la musique américaine.

« Il y a des avantages [...] à avoir un gigantesque label derrière toi, dit la musicienne. Ça crée une industrie inégale. » Kelly a aussi remarqué cette inégalité sur les sites de diffusion en continu.

« Pour les plateformes comme Spotify ou Apple Music, c’est beaucoup plus facile de choisir une Taylor Swift ou un Noah Kahan, au lieu de choisir

Gatineau », dit-elle en riant.

Dumontier-Larochelle rejoint la Gatinoise sur ce point. Selon elle, les algorithmes de ces plateformes ne permettent pas à la musique québécoise ou locale d’être facilement découvrable.

« C’est comme si [la musique québécoise] était définie comme un style à part entière, remarque l’interprète. Si j’écoute du Phoebe Bridgers et que je voudrais découvrir de la musique d’ici qui est similaire, je ne sais pas comment chercher ça. Je ne sais pas comment l’algorithme pourrait me mener là. »

Majerczyk déplore elle

manière dont les algorithmes des sites de diffusion en continu choisissent la musique qu’ils suggèrent aux auditeurs.

« Je pense que c’est dommage, parce que ça produit une sorte d’uniformité dans les habitudes d’écoute des gens », dit-elle.

Selon elle, une solution parmi plusieurs pour s’assurer de la survie de la musique locale serait d’encourager une participation plus active de la part des mélomanes.

« Les gens se plaignent des prix trop élevés de Ticketmaster, mais si tu vas voir un show dans ta ville, tu vas dépenser 10 à 20 dollars seulement! »

ATELIERS D’ É CRITURE JOURNALISTIQUE

• Travailler avec toi sur tes articles

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Prochain atelier: Mardi 14 janvier, 12h à 13h30, Aux bureaux du Concordian (CC-431) Puis, toutes les deux semaines!

Inscriptions et questions: organe@cutvmontreal.org

Sept Stingers représenteront le Canada aux Jeux mondiaux universitaires d’hiver de la FISU 2025

Sept Stingers représenteront le Canada aux Jeux mondiaux universitaires d’hiver de la FISU 2025

Les athlètes de Concordia

représenteront le Canada dans les deux catégories de hockey.

PAR MATHILDE COLLS

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR

La fin de semaine dernière, sept Stingers se sont réunis à Turin, Italie pour participer aux Jeux mondiaux universitaires d’hiver de la Fédération Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU).

La compétition a commencé le 11 janvier. De nombreuses disciplines sont au programme, notamment le ski, la planche à neige, le curling, le pati nage artistique, et hockey, sport dans lequel les Stingers participent.

« Avec cette opportunité, je vais ren contrer des athlètes incroyables de partout au pays et dans le monde, partage Jordyn Verbeek, gardienne de but des Sting ers et étudiante en qua trième année. Rien que ça, c’est quelque chose que je vais garder en mémoire pour le reste de ma vie. En plus, vivre ces Jeux avec trois de mes coéquip ières de Concordia, c’est très spécial pour moi. »

Le tournoi est l’un des plus grands événements

sportifs universitaires d’hiver.

Les Jeux remontent à 1960, avec une première édition tenue à Chamonix, en France. Depuis, ils ont lieu tous les deux ans et accueillent des milliers d’athlètes et d’officiers provenant de plus de 50 pays.

Le Canada a remporté un total de 105 médailles aux Jeux d’hiver de la FISU, incluant celles obtenues lors de l’édition 2023 : 33 médailles d’or, 30 d’argent et 42 de bronze.

Lors des Jeux de 2023, le Canada a dominé le hockey en décrochant l’or dans les tournois masculin et féminin, grâce, entre autres, aux performances remarquables de Stingers comme Rosalie Bégin-Cyr et Emmy

chez les femmes et Tyler Hylland chez les hommes.

Cette année, sept Stingers représenteront le Canada dans les deux équipes de hockey : la gardienne de but Jordyn Verbeek, la défenseure Alexandra-Anne Boyer, et les attaquantes Émilie Lavoie et Émilie Lussier chez les femmes. Du côté masculin, le défenseur Simon Lavigne et les attaquants Mikael Huchette et Mathieu Bizier ont été sélectionnés.

Comme l’Université de Concordia n’a pas d’équipes universitaires dans les autres disciplines des Jeux, le hockey est le seul sport où seront représentés les Stingers. Cette opportunité est importante pour de nombreux étudi

« C’est une belle opportunité pour montrer à tout le monde que notre université est l’une des meilleures au pays, de nous projeter et de prouver que nous pouvons être parmi les meilleures universités année

Elle explique qu’elle a toujours rêvé de représenter le Canada et de porter la feuille d’érable. Elle souligne également sa fierté de représenter Concordia. Le décalage horaire de six heures à Turin pose un défi particulier pour les Stingers. « Nous ne sommes pas habitués à ce fuseau horaire, explique Lavigne, étudiant de troisième année. Nous aurons également un horaire chargé, donc la gestion du temps et de l’énergie sera essentielle. » « Je pense que, bien sûr, le décalage horaire sera une adaptation au début, mais cela ira mieux avec le temps sur place, ajoute Lavoie. Je dirais aussi que jouer avec des joueurs qu’on ne connaît pas [sera aussi un défi]… Ce sont les meilleurs joueurs du pays, mais ce sont aussi des joueurs avec qui on n’a pas l’habitude de jouer. » Bien qu’elle estime qu’un temps d’adaptation soit nécessaire, elle fait confiance à l’équipe d’entraîneurs pour les pousser à leur meilleur. Les sept Stingers se sont retrouvés sur la glace le 11 janvier et ont gagné leur premier match. L’équipe féminine a gagné 16-0 contre Taipei, et l’équipe masculine 11-0 contre la Corée du Sud. Les Jeux d’hiver de la FISU 2025 seront diffusés en direct sur les plateformes FISU.TV, Discovery+, et Max.

Arts & Culture

Concordia’s Sex & Self club prepares to launch bold, inclusive sex magazine

Students are invited to express themselves creatively on sexrelated topics.

BY MAYA RUEL

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Concordia’s Sex & Self club will launch its first-ever sex magazine in March 2025. The project, called Sex(Ed.), is overseen by Mikaela Barry and Olivia Quintus-Bosz, both new members of the club.

“I got involved in Sex & Self because I felt like it appealed to my inner mission,” said Quintus-Bosz. “I’m from Texas, and sexuality is very taboo for the average Texan. I wanted to talk about it openly.”

The club’s mission is to create a safe space on campus for all students, especially visibly

queer people. One of their most distinctive initiatives has been the Wellness Pantry.

“When I heard about this club, I thought that if I were ever going to do something extra-curricular, this was it,” said Barry, a second-year sexuality major.

The magazine is their newest project and will include photos, poems, essays, drawings, and anything else students submit that relates to their own definition of sex.

“Whatever it means to students, whatever falls under the umbrella of sex for them, we are interested in,” said Barry. “It can just be a selfie you took with your friend where you think you look good or something you wrote in your journal.”

Barry and Quintus-Bosz both applied to take over the project, which started out as a vague idea. They brainstormed and found a concept with the help of their friend and fellow sexuality major, Jia Schofer, who is not an official club member but has been helping out with the magazine. Quintus-Bosz then started promoting the project on Instagram and took over the graphic design part on social media.

“The goal for this magazine is to spark a conversation around sex that everyone can partake in and allow us to talk with people we are afraid to speak about sex to,” said Schofer. The Sex(Ed.) team collaborates with a class of graphic design students who work on

Two by Two, Together exhibition forges deeper connections

The art of dialogue through art's duality.

BY GINANE DESLAURIERS ASSISTANT ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

The Museum of Fine Arts showcases pieces from its new collection in its latest exhibition, Two by Two, Together, to stimulate dialogue about the art’s themes, format, period, and interpretation.

“The concept is that the visit should be done with someone, either a relative or a friend,” explained security guard Ahmed Benkhalifa. “It creates a bond between two people that come to see the exhibition.”

The exhibition presents a collection of 80 art pieces the museum has acquired over the

past five years from all over the world and from underrepresented, marginalized artists.

Most works are presented in pairs to stimulate discussion between visitors about the illustrated themes, format, history, medium, and more.

“Maybe [it allows us] to compare or demonstrate different points of view,” reflected visitor Iana Brezeky. “Or things that are very similar but don’t communicate the same thing.”

The exhibition aligns with the museum’s efforts to strengthen the relationship between different cultures. It offers visitors from different backgrounds the opportunity to feel connected and represented through the curated artwork.

While the works are paired based on similarities, what they have in common isn’t always obvious.

Nicole McGee, an undergraduate student in art history at Université du Québec à Montréal, mentioned a pairing of two still-life paintings — one from the 18th century and another more modern piece — saying it is not an obvious choice as both are a different representation of still-life.

“It really is more about showing the non-changing in humanity,” she said. “At the same time, there’s an evolution, too; there is something that brings us back to the basics.”

She believes that pairing artworks together represents the continuity of representation and history of art. McGee’s idea of duality and continuity aligned with Brezeky’s interpretation of the pieces.

“We’re talking about forests, we’re talking about the night… I have the impression that on the right it’s a bit more peaceful than on the left because there are characters that seem a bit, or funny, or scary,” said Brezeky. “The red sky is often a sunset or fire.”

The painting, Natives Playing on the Land by Cowichan/ Syilx First Nation artist Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun, is featured next to Nicolas Party’s Paysage to contrast the cultural backgrounds and the artists’ unique experiences, in-

the magazine’s layout. Meanwhile, other members of the Sex & Self club are planning a vernissage for the launch of the project in March to promote the magazine and the students’ work. Entry will be free to any student who has contributed to the magazine.

“We really want to feature the voices of the Concordia community,” said Barry.

She adds that so far, the team has only received about 10 submissions, which was not a surprise as they are aware that what they are asking for is very vulnerable and personal.

“Still, sometimes when we are running out of steam, we will receive a new submission, which is always so beautiful and moving, and it gives us the motivation to finish the project,” explained Quintus-Bosz.

The Sex(Ed.) team is still accepting submissions until Feb. 1.

terpretations, and connections to nature.

“Putting these two paintings together enhances them,” said McGee. “[They] are not in competition, they are complementary. I think that they highlight each other.”

The Two by Two, Together

exhibition’s main goal is to stimulate conversation so that what the artworks con vey ultimately remains subjective to all.

The exhibition will be open at the Museum of Fine Arts until Oct. 5, 2025.

Graphic design for the promotion of Sex & Self. GRAPHIC COURTESY OF OLIVIA QUINTUS-BOSZ

Paintings and sculptures from the Two by Two, Together exhibition Museum of Fine Arts. PHOTOS BY GINANE DESLAURIERS // ARTS & CULTURE ASSISTANT

New Year highlights!

Going back to school is easier when a good movie awaits you at home.

MOVIES

Babygirl (2024)

BY KAILEE KRENTZ COPY EDITOR

Grab your popcorn! In this teasingly tense story of cat and mouse, production company

A24 has paired Nicole Kidman and Harris Dickinson to star alongside each other as CEO and intern.

The two exchange charming wit in passing conversation, adding a layer of comedy to the film as we witness their relationship electrify, heightened by flashing strobe lights, intense rave music, and intoxicating innuendos.

The story entertains the idea of power imbalances associated with erotic kinks as Kidman’s character, Romy, jeopardizes her livelihood, entertaining the fantasy Dickinson’s character, Samuel, is offering.

TV SERIES

Arcane (2021-2024)

BY ALENA VO STAFF WRITER

With season two’s release in November, the holiday season was a great time to revisit this beloved animated series. Arcane is a trauma-laden masterpiece that nobody can get enough of. That’s par for the course for a series obsessed with duality; as twin cities Piltover and Zaun prepare for war, conflict explodes between two

Though the Winter break is already over and we are all about to fall back into a hectic routine, we need to make sure we’re taking some time to unwind after a cold, long day of classes.

mendations of movies, TV shows, and books curated by Concordia students that you should check out to keep warm during the back-toschool season.

Alongside the intimate cinematography and developed plot line, the music and sound increase the film’s intensity with layered, melodic, and slightly distorted heavy breathing matching the accompanying beat. All in all, this may not be a film you want to see with your family, but grab a group of friends and enjoy watching this fascinatingly twisted relationship unfold.

The Six Triple Eight (2024)

BY MAYA RUEL ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

In this historical movie, we follow Lena along her journey as a Black woman joining the American army during World War II.

After the man she loved

tragically dies, she decides to enroll to honour memory. Her battalion works hard under terrible conditions and has to deal with misog yny, racism, and classi cism.

resilience, sisterhood, and love. It is beautifully produced, very moving, and one of the best modern feminist films I have ever watched. The acting and costumes are incredible. The plot is straightforward and simple, yet so intricate and well thought-out.

you on your toes from beginning to twist ending. If you want to watch something that will keep you on the edge of your seat, I recommend you give this movie a chance.

This was my favourite watch during the holidays.

The Carry-On (2024)

BY MAYA RUEL ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Nosferatu (2024)

BY LILIANNE LACHAPELLE STAFF WRITER

This new release is a great homage to its original source material and other gothic pieces.

ventions in his remake to enrich the story and further explore some of the original’s themes. The focus on female hysteria and sexuality adds depth to the rendition and is reminiscent of other gothic classics that defined the tradition.

The performances of Nicholas Hoult (Thomas Hutter), Lily-Rose Depp (Ellen Hutter), and Bill Skarsgård (Count Orlok) perfectly completed this film. An overall fun and fascinating rendition of the classic.

material handed to the viewer on a silver platter.

If you enjoy media that makes bad times feel like the best thing to ever exist, you’ll love Arcane. And with two short nine-episode seasons, it’s a small time commitment for a sweet and satisfying conclusion.

Couples Therapy (2019-2024)

BY HANIFAH SINON

That is the risk participants in the Showtime reality show Couples Therapy dare to take.

Practicing in New York City, Dr. Orna Gurlanik is a psychologist, psychoanalyst, and main star of Couples Therapy. On camera, she offers therapy to real couples navigating complex and heart-tugging issues. Any resident of “The Big Apple” can receive these sessions for free, a service that would otherwise cost $700 individually. The catch? The whole world might see.

The casting directors select a group of couples for Dr. Gurlanik to work with, but only half make it to the screen. Episode after episode, you watch the same couples sit down and share some of their most shameful actions, crushing fears, and shaping heartbreaks. There is a voyeuristic pleasure in diving into the private lives of strangers — it almost feels like gossip. Peculiar people

tion this semester. The slowburn psychological thriller follows a group of recluse Greek students at a sleepy university. Watch as the group unravels as it tries to navigate the dire consequences of its actions.

Tartt’s writing hyper-focuses on the smallest details, whether it be a piece of clothing or the slightest mannerism of charac-

and experiences are constantly revealed. Yet surprisingly, the feelings and needs expressed are universal. My sibling and I binged a season during the holidays. More times than I could count, we’d stop the show and reflect out loud. Do you think he realizes what he’s saying? Could this be related to what she shared about her childhood? We’d practically play therapist — the game was both entertaining and introspective.

There might be skepticism about the ethics of such a show, but it’s clear that the process is handled with care. Despite the provocative nature of the concept, it’s simply a touching lens into human connection and its complexities.

Dune: Prophecy (2024)

BY SORAYA YALE-RAMANATHAN STAFF WRITER

If you’re a fan of Frank Herbert’s novel Dune or its film ad aptations, try Dune: Prophecy, a prequel series set 10,000 years before the original story. The series follows the Bene Gesserit sisterhood, an order of women best described as space witches.

Their story is set on a backdrop of a massive intergalactic empire rife with corruption. Immerse yourself in the political intrigue of this sci-fi world as multiple factions fight to control the imperium.

Having already read or watched Dune will give you more insight into the story’s lore, but it’s not a prerequisite to enjoying this spin-off. This series might even inspire you to check out the source material. With six episodes, around an hour each, this series offers viewers a way to ease into Dune’s dense lore and worldbuilding at their own pace.

ter, creating a rich world. The story pulls the audience into a world that is both familiar and foreign. While the narrator is an average, moody university student from a middle-class family, he manages to fall in with a group of oldmoney academics. Tartt pulls you into a world where students lay around in suits while drunk-

enly having philosophic debates in Latin. If you’re looking for a book to inspire you to become a pretentious academic this semes ter, pick up a copy of Secret History.

Music Where did the Ducks go?

Online

artist Theory of Ducks forms a new live band.

BY RYAN PYKE ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR @OLD_OR_NEWER

Saam Shahab is a first-year English literature major at Concordia who releases music under the name Theory of Ducks.

He began making music when he picked up the guitar in 2022. Initially, Shahab’s artistic presence was confined to the online world. Most of his following came through social media.

“I didn’t really focus on the whole local scene, which I kind of feel like I missed out on,” he said.

He combatted this by recently recruiting a live band, composed of fellow Concordia students to join him for performances.

This band consists of firstyear mechanical engineering major Ilai Eirew on drums, second-year philosophy major Benny Gaucher on bass, and second-year psychology major Matty Fudge on guitar.

Shahab’s artist name comes from the duck allegory used in J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye: “I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over.”

“I think everyone had a high school Catcher in the Rye phase,” Shahab said, laughing.

The name was also informed by bands that used animals in their names, such as Slaughter Beach Dog.

He is inspired by artists like Alex G, Elliot Smith, and Starry Cat, all of whom make music that features overbearing in-

strumentals overtop of quiet or somber vocals.

The band began with Shahab and Eirew jamming together. Eirew has been playing with Shahab for around a year and a half, a time in which they have done around eight or nine shows, according to the two.

Gaucher and Fudge are the more recent additions to the roster. They have both been playing with Shahab and Eirew for a few months.

“The music is very fun to play,” said Eirew. “It’s nothing too difficult, so there’s not really a fear when it comes to messing up live. It’s just being there for fun.”

“One of the biggest things that strikes me is how organic his music is,” said Fudge of Shahab. “The lyrics are very — I mean, from where I’m standing, they look so intuitive to him. It just kind of flows out of him.”

Fudge highlighted the importance of performing for an artistic project.

“I think that performance is a really key part of art,” said Fudge. “You can’t have art or artistry in a vacuum; you need call-andresponse.”

Each band member writes their own parts for each instrument based on Shahab’s original music.

Gaucher described the writing process as “democratic.”

Each musician relies on the

other to decide what sounds best. They do this in jam sessions, where the group practices for shows.

Shahab plays a separate instrument for the live aspect,

choosing an electric guitar over the acoustic one he uses when he records music.

All of the group members are friends, and they hope to continue collaborating.

“It’s such a cool thing being able to share the music you make with a live audience,” said Shahab.

Theory of Ducks performing on July 21, 2024. PHOTO COURTESY OF ARI LAFRANCE // @NOSTALGIAJUSTRETURNS

QUICKSPINS: DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS —

Bad Bunny

The Puerto Rican superstar returns with a dynamic ode to his motherland.

BY STEFANO REBULI MUSIC EDITOR @DSIIIGN

In just a few years, Bad Bunny has become a global superstar. He has effortlessly navigated between Latin trap music and reggaeton and then back and forth, notching numerous accolades in the process (including the most-streamed album in Spotify history).

His sixth studio album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS (“I should have taken more photos”), is a heartfelt ode to his motherland, Puerto Rico, both sonically and lyrically. There are all sorts of shoutouts to its cities and boroughs and descriptions of its scenery and vivid energy (“CAFé CON RON”) across the songs.

Over colourful synths of all kinds, the production rallies numerous Latin styles such as salsa and dembow, the traditional Puerto Rican styles of plena and jíbaro, and of course, reggaeton — painting a vivid portrait of the island’s musical landscape.

The features on the album are also exclusively local artists: Dei V and Omar Courtz

guest on the perreo-ready anthem “VeLDÁ”, RaiNao and Chuwi lend enticing vocals to their respective appearances, and Los Pleneros de la Cresta lend themselves to the plena track “CAFé CON RON.”

While 2022’s Un Verano Sin Ti stood out for its wide incorporation of genres, this record takes it further by interweaving them in unique ways, often combining multiple styles within a single track. Salsa samples that lead into thumping dembow bangers, reggaeton anthems with oscillating synths and numerous beat switches, and thumping club beats followed by traditional rhythms; the album encapsulates a wide range of sounds while constantly providing unexpected turns, making for an unpredictable and enthralling listen. There are tons of dynamic changes and stops, be it abrupt moments of silence that will have you checking if your headphones are broken or sudden dialogue passages. These stylistic changes and choices are the same types of ambitious creative decisions that made ROSALÍA’s MOTOMAMI an equally enticing and compelling record, worthy of critical acclaim.

“BAILE INoLVIDABLE” is a standout, six-minute odyssey that kicks off with the singer crooning over ambient pads,

synths, and a signature horn riff before these serenading trumpets become the foundation of an entire salsa section. It’s a stunning standout filled with instrumental passages and heartfelt lyrics about a lost love and how they were his “unforgettable dance,” notably its chorus: “No, no te puedo olvidar / No, no te puedo borrar” (“No, I can’t forget you / No, I can’t erase you”).

The album’s lyrics are especially touching, with recurring themes of heartbreak,

longing, and pensiveness.

Most tracks are sincere and heartfelt, but the most poignant lyrics arrive in the form of social commentary about Puerto Rico in its current state.

“LO QUE LE PASÓ A HAWAii” is a call against gentrification, a cry for Puerto Rico’s culture to be preserved before the island sees a similar fate to Hawaii. The title track, “DtMF,” is especially touching in its melancholic reminiscing about a past lover, but also the artist’s earnest thanks to those around him; his proclamation

that he’s now preoccupied with “the things that are truly worth it,” especially hoping that “his people never move away.”

“Dile que esta es mi casa donde nació mi abuelo / De aquí nadie me saca, de aquí yo no me muevo” (“Tell them this is my home where my grandfather was born / No one’ll kick me out of here, I’m not going anywhere”), he raps on the closing track “LA MuDANZA.” It’s only an ode to the archipelago he grew up in, but simul-

QUICKSPINS: Perverts — Ethel Cain

Hayden Anhedönia brings the listener into the eerie world of Ethel Cain in her latest EP.

BY RYAN PYKE

ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR

@OLD_OR_NEWER

Hayden Anhedönia, better known as Ethel Cain, released a new EP titled Perverts on Jan. 8. Cain is a persona created by Anhedönia that inspired what a New York Times profile described as a “conceptual career.”

Multimedia artist Anhedönia plans on releasing three albums, three books, and three movies inspired by the character of Ethel Cain, according to that same article.

Perverts is the second release of the musical trilogy. The EP, however, is closer to an album in its runtime.

The name of her character brings to mind immediate religious imagery. “Cain” may be a reference to the story of Cain and Abel from the Bible, in which Cain commits the first murder. The link between reli-

gion and perversion is central to Anhedönia’s work, reflecting the gruesome nature of the Bible itself.

These religious themes are imbued in her latest album. The very first song, the titular “Perverts,” includes a reimagining of the hymn “Nearer, my God,

to Thee.” Anhedönia uses audio distortion to highlight the unsettling spin on Christian imagery that will be used throughout the album.

Anhedönia’s work as Ethel Cain often deals with shame. This is especially seen through the tracks “Punish”

and “Pulldrone.”

There are long stretches of instrumentals throughout the album. This creates an eerie, lonely tone, which is emphasized by lines such as “If you love me, keep it to yourself” from the song “Vacillator.”

In the previous track, “Houseofpsychoticwomn,” Anhedönia sings about her affection repeatedly. At first, she is hard to make out under the droning beat, but her voice gradually gets clearer.

The other lyrics are also deliberately obscured by the music but don’t have the advantage of being repeated. This leaves only one clear message: “I love you.”

The message, paired with the title of the song, tells the audience exactly what the narrator thinks of love. She views it as a torturous thing. The artist also sings about being “Punished by love” in the aforementioned “Punish.”

In the song “Onanist,” Anhedönia sings, “I want to know love/I want to know what it feels like.” This references the dual themes of the album: love and addiction. The last song, Anhedönia clarified on her Tumblr, “is about throwing your life away to get high.”

taneously a vow for it to resist change and adversity, maintaining its beauty as he has always known it.

The rest of the album, like this statement, is a dynamic, carefully crafted reflection that uplifts Puerto Rico and its culture, straight from the heart of Benito Martínez Ocasio.

SCORE: 8.5/10

TRIAL TRACK: “BAILE INOLVIDABLE”

With the lens of addiction, the last lines of “Onanist” take on a different tone. Anhedönia repeats, “It feels good/It feels good,” before ending the song on the inconclusive line “It feels.”

The tracks on Perverts span vast fields of emotion. Anhedönia effectively immerses the listener entirely into Ethel Cain’s world. The natural droning sounds and deliberate pace grounds the story.

This album is a departure from the more mainstream pop sound of Anhedönia’s previous album, Preacher’s Daughter. When asked about the change on Tumblr, Anhedönia replied that she simply liked drone music.

She elaborated on this sentiment in the announcement for Perverts, saying, “I’d also like to [thank] the natural drone music that exists everywhere in this world, in transformer boxes and powerlines on the side of the highway, in the radio static of an empty AM frequency … I love you, sound; you have always been there for me.”

SCORE: 8/10

TRIAL TRACK: “PUNISH”

Album cover for DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS by Bad Bunny. COURTESY OF APPLE MUSIC.

Album cover for Perverts by Ethel Cain. COURTESY OF APPLE MUSIC

Opinions

New Year, failed resolutions

Every year, we put pressure on ourselves to make and keep ambitious resolutions, only for them to fall flat.

BY JONIFAH RICHARD CONTRIBUTOR

At the beginning of every year, there’s a mad dash to reinvent oneself. For thousands of years, New Year’s resolutions have existed in some form for

What was at first for Babylonians promises to pay their debts and return borrowed items to the Gods has over time become promises of self-improvement to ourselves: go to the gym three times a week, wake up earlier, read a book each month, eat healthier, run a marathon … the possibilities are endless!

With the pressure of new beginnings and fresh starts, we tend to envision the “best” versions of ourselves.

However, I’m not sure I know a single person who has stuck to their resolutions for more than a few

months, myself included. According to Forbes’ 2024 New Year’s resolutions statistics, the average resolution only lasts 3.74 months, with 22 per cent of resolutions lasting until February and another 22 per cent until March. In my experience, the big, ambitious goals I thought would motivate me eventually felt like self-sabotage later down the line.

There’s often pressure associated with making New Year’s resolutions, which are often centered around health, finances, and relationships. We believe that the bigger the goal, the better;

better people because of it. And so, we make our grand resolu tions, which are easier to break than they are to make.

After the pressure of creating the resolutions comes the pressure of keeping them, especially when we have big expectations for ourselves, I think this pressure makes us impatient with ourselves, despite many resolutions requiring a lot of time and dedication to achieve.

For example, many resolutions, whether it be going to the gym or quitting smoking, require discipline for them to actually come to fruition. Discipline isn’t a skill that’s easy to come by, at least for most people. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day, or a year for that matter.

BY KEVEN VAILLANCOURT // GRAPHICS EDITOR @KINDAOKEV

Confessions of a serial resolutions breaker

New Year, Who dis? The art of making New Year’s resolutions stick.

BY YASMINE BOUZAR CONTRIBUTOR

It’s January, and the promise of new beginnings is finally upon us. Far from a contemporary fad, New Year’s resolutions have been practiced for over 4,000 years, tracing back to ancient Babylon. But as the tradition has aged, so has our faith in it.

According to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, 70 per cent of adults don’t set New Year’s resolutions. The common refrain? “Most New Year’s resolutions are abandoned by February anyway.” But does that mean we should

accept this as an unshakable truth? Perhaps not.

As Einstein famously said, repeating the same action while expecting different re sults is the definition of insan ity. Why not apply that wisdom to our hopes and ambitions? If sticking to resolutions feels like a losing battle, perhaps it’s time to pause and ask yourself why. What went wrong last year? Why couldn’t you stick to that fitness regime or that budget? I, too, fell down the trap of writing lofty resolutions year after year, only to watch them crash and burn — I hate to say it — by February.

ting blind faith in a New Year’s miracle. Instead, chose to be hon with myself.

I realized the problem wasn’t a lack of love for books but a lack of a plan. Read ing wasn’t integrated into my routine; I hadn’t set aside dedicated time, and I wasn’t carrying a book for those spare moments or picking literature I was genuinely excited about.

Discipline is just as important as the goal itself because, without discipline, our goals are unattainable. Self-discipline isn’t a skill that you can master overnight, so it feels a bit like setting yourself up for failure, which may leave you with feelings of incapability and self-doubt, eventually abandoning the goal entirely.

the past, this impatience with myself led me to drop resolutions that were important to me — the classic “I’ll just try again next year.”

The issue is that it’s just as hard to pick up those resolutions again later in the year because they are still too big and intimidating. It’s unlikely that we’d suddenly decide to have patience with ourselves, especially when the year is “running out.”

A New Year’s trend I’ve taken a liking to is making a short list of small “ins” and “outs,” or “valid” and “cancelled” for my more chronically online folks. The “ins” are things you’d like to incorporate into your life, while the “outs” are things you no longer want to carry into the new year with you, whether it be a mindset or habit. It feels less intimidating and more specific, to me, at least.

For me, introspection came after the fifth year of wishing for a newfound love of reading every Jan. 1. When no magical transformation occurred, and after many expensive trips to the bookstore, I stopped put-

I then discovered the ever-popular SMART goals: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Although googling what SMART stands for whenever we come up with and write our resolutions might feel redundant, the core principles are valuable.

To keep things simple, let’s remember two of them: measurable and achievable, the

track your progress and stay motivated, while the attainable aspect grounds you to reality, making sure you are not setting yourself up for failure before you begin. With that in mind, turning resolutions into actionable, manageable steps becomes much more straightforward. Planning, not wishful thinking, is the secret ingredient to successful resolutions. And don’t worry, buzzwords like “discipline” will come later, I promise.

Want to read more in 2025? Great! What’s stopping you?

energy? Schedule weekend reading sessions. Lack of funds? Explore online resources offering free books. (Please beware of piracy websites such as Project Gutenberg and Anna’s Archive that promise (and deliver) free access to expensive books.)

Who knows, with the right plan in place, this could finally be the year you unlock your full potential — without relying on New Year’s deceitful magic. Let’s all aim to change things up this year and “outSMART” our excuses. Einstein would approve.

GRAPHIC

The power of memory

The architect of our past.

BY SASKIA WODARCZAK OPINIONS EDITOR

My first memory is of my late cousin, Praneil.

I was likely two, and my family was visiting my late Oma and Opa at their apartment just outside of Steveston, B.C. Myself, Praneil, and my cousins Rekha, Sunil, Rupa, and Rakhee were walking back to the apartment after a cousins’ walk into the village.

Praneil had a habit of throwing random stuff high up in the air and then dashing around to make sure he could catch it. It could be anything: sunglasses, a football, me — but that day he was tossing his car keys up in the air and catching them.

He got a bit overconfident and tossed his keys really high. They proceeded to fall through the boardwalk slats and splash into the Fraser River, sinking to the depths of Steveston Harbour.

Naturally, we were all shocked, and because Praneil knew that he would be in big

trouble, we all jokingly harped on him a bit. Praneil and Sunil didn’t tell their mom, my aunt, about this until years later.

I’m sure those keys are still there at the bottom of the river.

Memories are the purest form of experience and identity. They shape us into who we are and contribute to our sense of self. They’re the connection to all versions of ourselves, and when we look back, memories don’t just connect us with a specific moment in time, but also to feelings, thoughts, and sometimes even pain.

They don’t live only in our psyche, though. They’re kept alive through countless mediums: photos, songs, home videos … There’s always something there to remind us and transport us back to a specific moment in time of joy, sorrow, or nostalgia.

It allows people, even those who have passed away, to live forever. They’re kept alive through those around us and the memories we share. There’s a comfort that lies in knowing that through memory, our loved ones aren’t truly gone as long as there’s something, or someone,

Revisiting natural history museums

They aren’t just for kids.

BY DANYLO PERKOV ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR

Spending most of my winter break in Vienna, I made sure to visit not only art museums but also the local natural history museum. It was a surprisingly wonderful experience, one that I had begun to lose touch with.

Throughout my childhood, my mom brought me to as many history and science museums as she possibly could. Fine arts museums were out of the question for her because my brother and I were very active children. Thus, we spent a lot of time at interactive exhibits, learning about the Earth’s crust or Leonardo da Vinci’s helicopter design.

As I got past middle school, I began visiting art exhibitions mostly. I was convinced I’d already learned everything I could, having visited many natural history museums while growing up.

However, spending a day at the Museum of Natural History of Vienna has convinced me otherwise. Already knowing concepts such as crystalline structures or the rough timeline of modern humanity spreading through the planet allowed me to concentrate on really reading every small info plaque accompanying the exhibits. Many of the things I saw and learned about might not have interested

who reminds us of them.

The emotional connection to memory truly shows how profound our past can be and how strong its power to evoke is.

I’ve always wished that we had the ability to replay or view our memories again and relive those moments for just a little while. There are many things I’d like to see again in detail, from a third-person point of view, just to reflect, and many I’d like to see just to prove that I’m right about something (can’t hurt, right?).

However, there’s a fragile beauty that comes with memory.

As we get older, memories fade, and our recollection of people, places, and events stuck in time, gets lost. While memories help solidify our past, they’re also like fragile glass that can shatter, especially if someone remembers the same thing we do but in a different way. We can, unintentionally,

my nine-year-old self, but I was surprised by how many small bits of information and fun facts I was able to gather.

During my visit, I completely lost track of time and almost had no time for the museum’s second floor.

The oldest salt mine in the world? Got it. Lombard’s migration into northern Italy? Got it. Weird recreations of what we think prehistoric creatures looked like? You bet. I’ve got it all now.

And, of course, I had to visit one of the rare gems of the museum: the Venus of Willendorf.

The 30,000-year-old statuette is certainly worth seeing. I recommend that anyone with a day to spare in Vienna stop by the Museum of Natural History and check out this piece of European prehistory.

Revisiting natural history museums is a wonderful experience for people who study outside the wide range of natural sciences yet still wonder about the world and want to refresh their knowledge.

The biggest advantage of going to science museums as an adult is being able to choose which sections interest you enough to spend hours wan-

alter our perception of a shared memory or experience, molding them to meet another’s recollection of the same event and in some way destroying our own. Memory shapes us into who we are; through them, we learn

and grow — it is essential. It serves as a bridge between the past, present, and future. Memory is no more than a personal vault where moments of our lives are locked away.

dering in and which you’d like to skip entirely. Not having any time restrictions allowed this magical day to happen.

One thing I know for sure — when I get back to Montreal, I will be revisiting some museums that aren’t just art

galleries, like Redpath, Pointeà-Callière, and the Montreal Aviation Museum.

Not enough people wonder about how brief humanity’s history really is and the captivating millions of years that passed before we existed. Knowing more about this subject can both highlight how special humanity’s existence is and also show us how insignificant our presence is to the planet we call home.

Vienna’s Museum of Natural History.

PHOTO BY MARIEKE GLORIEUX-STRYCKMAN // EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Fraser River in Richmond, B.C. PHOTO BY SASKIA // OPINIONS EDITORWODARCZAK // OPINIONS EDITOR

NEW YEAR, NEW CROSSWORD NEW YEAR, NEW CROSSWORD

BY MAX TARDIF // CONTRIBUTOR

ACROSS

1. Icy moon of Saturn named after the Titan of mortality

2. African ruminants known for their horns

3. The process of separating a mixture into its components

DOWN

1. To make certain by any means

2. Capable of being aimed

3. Detachment, abbreviated

5. Fourth note of the solfege

12. Following in time

18. Diagraph found in

the word “toe”

24. Animals known for being the kings of the jungle

25. 505 in Roman numerals

26. Speech impediment

27. Worn down or weakened by attrition

28. One of the maritime

provinces

29. Three-dimensional shapes related to ellipses

30. Put up with

31. Teacher’s assistant, abbreviated

32. The direction of the sky

33. Made one feel excluded

4. A common cereal grass

5. The largest bone in the body

6. Id est, abbreviated

7. User licensing agreement

8. Video game brand known for Pong

9. Caterpillar appendage used as a leg

10. Monetary exchange common in sporting events

11. Short for satellite

12. Everything

13. Not the same

14. Where crops are sowed

15. Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers

16. Atop

17. Preposition used in the infinitive tense

18. To take a lethal dose of something, abbreviated

19. Violent public disturbance

20. Terminates

21. Regards highly

22. Acronyms often found on invitations

23. The opposite of subtracts

from a group

34. Capital of South Korea

35. Improvised explosive device

36. Auction rooms

37. Game where one player chases the others

38. Note to self

TEAM // 20242025

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