Volume 43, Issue 4

MAHSA AMINI YASIN JAMALZADEH ZAKARIA KHIAL MOHSEN MOHAMMADI FOAD GHAMIDI MINO MAJIDI REZA LOTFI FEREIDOON MAHMOUDI FARJAD DARVISHI MOHSEN GHEYSARI AMIR NOROOZI ABDOLLAH MOHAMMADPOUR FARDIN BAKHTIARI AMIN MAREFAT SADREDIN LITANI DANESH RAHNAMA ROOZBEH KHADEMI MILAN HAGHIGHI MOHAMMAD HASSAN TURKAMAN MILAD ZAREH PEDRAM AZARNOUSH MEHRDAD BEHNAM HANANAEH KIA HOSSEINALI KIA GHAZALEH CHELAVI REZA SHAHPARNIA FARZIN LOTFI SASAN GHORBANI HAJAR ABBASI YASER JAFARI ERFAN REZAEI MOHAMMAD FALLAH AMIRALI FOUDADI SAEED MOHAMMADI PARSA REZADOOST JAVAD HEYDARI MAHSA MOGOUYI HADIS NAJAFI SEYED SINA ROUHI MOUSAVI MEHDI ASGARI MOHSEN MOHAMMADI MEHRZAD AVAZPOUR MOHAMMAD HOSSEINI KHAH MOHAMMAD FARMANI MAZIAR SALMANIAN SARINA ESMAELZADEH

Volume 43, Issue 4 • October 12, 2022 • thelinknewspaper.ca "Are You Guys Always Angry? Yes," Since 1980

CONCORDIA’S INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION SINCE 1980

News Iranian Reporting Must Continue P. 4

News ConU Security Fails Disabled Student P. 6

Fringe Arts Fall Baking Essentials for Students P. 9

Editorial CAQ Celebrates While Women Die P. 15

Andrew’s PUB • • • • •

Free pool table all day Large Beer $6.00 Pitcher: $16.00 Mix Drinks: $4.25 20+ kinds of shooters: 4 for $11.00 Taxes Included Facebook:

Andrews Pub - official

1241 Guy

South of St.Catherine Street

ADVERTISE WITH THE LINK on stands every two weeks ads@thelinknewspaper.ca

YOU MAY HAVE FOUND THIS LINK NEWSPAPER,

but what about next time?!?!

MAYBE CHECK THIS OUT?

▶

www.klaxson.com

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR PIERRE HOBSON * 514-817-3877

thelinknewspaper.ca

KlaXson Tap Dance School

NEWS

Debtors’ University

3

GRAPHIC NADINE ABDELLATIF

Concordia’s Lackluster Accommodations for Iranian International Students in Debt Zachary Fortier n early 2019, Darya faced heavy Iherself bouts of depression. She found calling mental health hot-

lines for the first time. Unable to sleep or eat, she felt her world crumbling around her.

Darya, an international student from Iran, watched her home country fall into chaos as crippling economic sanctions fueled mass protests.

“I felt like I was in mourning, a mix of rage and anxiety. These were really dark days, triggering my eating disorder and depression, and I know I was not the only one,” she said. Fuel would soon be added to the fire as the school year picked back up.

Darya had a new problem: she owed Concordia money. Following Iran’s economic crash, Concordia granted international students from Iran extensions in order to pay their outstanding balance—but with a deadline. She would have to find a solution before Dec. 31, 2019.

“Economists are now predicting that this currency crisis will likely continue in the coming years. Unfortunately, Concordia lacks the means to sustain these measures in the long term,” wrote Dean of Students Andrew Woodall on Sept. 9, 2019. “We are also concerned that some of you may be increasing your debt loads to a

point that will make it impossible to pay back.”

Darya owed Concordia $8,824.16. As an international PhD student, she was only allowed to work 20 hours a week as per Canadian law. Fearing interest rates and debt collectors, she had to borrow money from a friend to pay off her outstanding balance.

given ample time and support to pay their tuition. “When the Iranian currency crisis started in 2018, Concordia offered temporary measures for tuition and fees to international Iranian students as some of them were encountering difficulty accessing funds from Iran in order to pay their tuition fees,” she said.

ance to avoid debt collectors or the accumulation of further interest.

“It's not as if one student was irresponsible, no, we were more than 300 students,” Darya said.

“We wrote letters to the dean; we signed it, all of us. We were asking for an extension—we were literally asking for mercy.”

“We wrote letters to the dean; we signed it, all of us. We were asking for an extension—we were literally asking for mercy.”

The economic crisis gripping Iran in 2018 and 2019 was the result of the sanctions placed on the nation following the United States’ withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal. The nation’s economy was thrown into disarray, causing the Iranian rial to crash in value.

Feeling like international students were being taken advantage of, Darya was upset by how the university asked for money.

“Concordia clinged to the expectation that our families would help us. They have no idea,” she said.

Because of the sanctions, the rial dropped down. If my mom wanted to help me, her whole salary for two months would be worth $80 when converted.”

According to Concordia Spokesperson Vannina Maestracci, Iranian students were

“The measures,” Maestracci continued, “allowed international Iranian students, at Concordia, to delay the payment of their tuition fees for several months, with no interest or late fees, and with many accommodations for specific and particular cases.”

Many Iranian students Darya knows have similar stories. “One had to pay $25,000. I had to pay close to $9,000. A friend of mine had to pay $17,000 at once,” she said. “This crisis has turned all of us from students to debtors.”

When accounts go unpaid, or “become delinquent,” as is stated on Concordia’s website, the university turns to an “external collection agency.” According to Darya, hundreds of Iranian students wrote a letter to the dean of students asking for additional assist-

-- Darya

Bahar, an international student from Iran who wished to remain anonymous, said she felt anything but support from the administration as she struggled to pay off her balance of $2,562.46.

Having dealt with financial issues from Concordia during the course of her PhD, Bahar was once again let down by the lack of support mechanisms the university provided her with. “We, as international students, are bringing lots of money to Concordia. They don’t acknowledge us, they just put the money in their pockets.”

“If they’re not willing to help us out financially, I would at least hope they would acknowledge what is currently going on in Iran,” Bahar said. “We can’t be there to support our families in person.

Iran’s political turmoil has con-

tinued devolving since the 2019 protests. In September 2022, Following the murder of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian woman who died in custody of the nation’s morality police, the country has once again errupted into chaos.

On Sept. 27, the university put out a list of resources for Iranian students in crisis. The list included phone numbers to the international student healthcare plan, as well as links to Concordia’s Zen Dens.

“I remember calling a mental health hotline,” Darya said. “I called every single number on the list of resources available to me.

The earliest appointment was in seven months.”

“There are over a thousand international students from Iran at Concordia,” Bahar said. “We pay tuition, we pay taxes—too much money to not even get basic support when we are in desperate need of assistance.”

Since the uprisings in 2022 across Iran following Mahsa Amini’s death, many Iranian students have turned to political organizing. Darya has been at the front lines of organizing protests across Montreal with the Iranian Student Association of Concordia University.

“It costs nothing to spread awareness,” she said. “We’re not giving up.”

thelinknewspaper.ca • October 12, 2022

4

NEWS

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: Iranian Reporting Must Continue Media Ought to Amplify Voices, Not Muffle Them Marianne Liendo-Dufort eeks have passed since the W death of Mahsa Amini, the 22-year-old Kurdish woman who

succumbed to her injuries while under police custody. Yet, protests and vigils persist, organized to support those living under the current government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

On Oct. 1, people gathered worldwide, including in Montreal, to express their frustrations about the human rights violations occurring in Iran.

“I have been feeling so many emotions in the past 12 days,” said protestor Azi Vaziri. “I’ve been feeling guilty, I’ve been feeling sad, I’ve been feeling angry. I’ve been feeling a lot of love and support from people who do show up and do post and do amplify the message.”

Mainstream media have been reporting on the ongoing issue in Iran since Amini’s death, but most of the reporting has been done by citizens themselves on social media.

Twitter threads and hashtags are where their voices are amplified and reach other countries.

“Continue using the hashtags, continue spreading the message,” said Vaziri. “This [demand] is from the people who are in Iran, fighting right now.”

The issue is more than one woman’s death—it’s about anyone who voices their opinion against the restrictions forced on women

by Iran’s current regime.

It’s Nika Shakarami, a 17-yearold whose body was found ten days after she was last seen being chased by authorities on Sept. 20 in Tehran.

It’s Hananeh Kia, a 23-yearold shot dead while walking back home from the dentist in Nowshahr on Sept. 21.

It’s Minoo Majidi, a 62-yearold mother of two, shot while protesting for Mahsa Amini in Kermanshah on Sept. 20.

It’s Hadis Najafi, a 22-year-old TikToker shot dead while protesting Masha Amini’s death in Karaj on Sept. 21.

It’s Sarina Esmaeilzadeh, a 16 year-old student who died in Karaj on Sept. 23. Police reports say she died by suicide, yet Amnesty International says she was killed by repeated hits to the head with a baton in Karaj on Sept. 23.

“It’s not just an issue about religion, about the hijab. It’s a women’s rights issue, it’s a human rights issue,” explained Vaziri. “It’s just a basic, basic, basic human right to just be who you are in

your skin and not have your government try to control that.”

A.H., a protestor who did not want to share their name to protect their family and friends in Iran, shared Vaziri’s feelings about witnessing so many people coming together in reaction to the situation.

“I think it’s one of the biggest feminist and human rights movements happening around the world,” A.H. said. They also explained that while many people in Iran might want a drastic change in the situation, such a fast change will likely not be sustainable.

“We had the revolution before [in 2009], and that was a rapid change,” A.H. explained.

They added that the situation quickly developed into something the population did not like. “We need a stable, peaceful change, in my opinion.” For A.H., stability and peace will hopefully bring long-lasting, sustainable changes.

“People [in Iran] are not asking for a regime change from an external point of view—they’re going to do that on their own,” said Vaziri.

“They’re already fed up. They just want the world not to forget.”

Vaziri explained that media outlets should be held responsible and accountable for their reporting and coverage. “When it’s no longer new, it’s no longer reported as news,” Aziz added. “We need that journalistic integrity to keep pushing and keep digging and keep figuring out why politicians aren't really doing anything.”

Arsho Toubi, who protested alongside Vaziri, remarked that thorough reporting also applies for governments and the various laws and treaties they sign.

People in Montreal have been living in a bubble of relative peace and democracy for generations, Toubi stated. “They’ve never known any real difficulty, like life-challenging events the way that a lot of people in the rest of the world have known,” she added.

This difference in realities only enhances the need for accurate media reporting, explained Vaziri. “Stay informed, and get out, and amplify the messages as much as possible,” she said. Studies and reports from organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch do come out, but it takes time to gather the data and conduct a proper analysis, Vaziri explained.

thelinknewspaper.ca • October 12, 2022

According to her, it is up to everyone to keep on top of this issue. “This does not pertain to one country necessarily,” she said.

“There are other places in the world where this is happening to women, to young people, [...] to freedom of speech.”

“When it’s no longer new, it’s no longer reported as news.”

Read Online:

PHOTO IVAN DE JACQUELIN

PHOTO IVAN DE JACQUELIN

-- Azi Vaziri The latest Amnesty International report discloses only a fraction of the inequalities and increasing instability happening in 154 countries, including Iran. “It’s happening there and it will happen here one day,” said Toubi. “You need to care about all of it.”

PHOTO IVAN DE JACQUELIN

PHOTO IVAN DE JACQUELIN

PHOTO IVAN DE JACQUELIN

NEWS

5

La Falaise Saint-Jacques: From Forgotten Dump to Rebirthed Forest PHOTO AATEFEH PADIDAR

A Group of Volunteers Transformed an Area Used to Dump Garbage Into a Community Forest Aatefeh Padidar he Falaise Saint-Jacques is a T beautiful, wooded area along the Ville-Marie highway. It’s hard

to believe that this area was once a garbage dump. For decades, Montrealers remembered the Falaise Saint-Jacques as a dumping site. In fact, many of them used it for that purpose.

“Residents from [Notre-Damede-Grâce] would dump their garbage, snow, tires and even furniture they didn’t want too,” said Lisa Mintz, founder of the Sauvons la Falaise conservation group, dedicated to preserving the SaintJacques escarpment.

“Because there’s a whole highway and everything else between here and the rest of the Southwest, nobody cared about it,” she added, gesturing at the whole area.

A Strategic Sanctuary The Falaise links green spaces in Westmount, Notre-Dame-deGrâce, Montreal West, Lachine, the Southwest and LaSalle. Despite covering just over 20 hectares, its position makes it a significant target in the effort to save and link green spaces.

It is home to some 65 species of birds, many of which use the escarpment as part of their migratory flight path. The escarpment is also a quiet refuge for local wildlife, such as squirrels, foxes and a large population of brown snakes.

According to Montreal’s Policy on the Protection and Enhancement of Natural Habitats, the Falaise is one of ten eco-territories on the Is-

land of Montreal slated for priority protection and enhancement.

For Mintz and her group of volunteers, the quest to save the Falaise started in 2015, when she discovered that parts of the Falaise were being bulldozed for construction.

The activist said the cleanup has been going on for years, but it was not her who started the motion.

Once during the 1980s, the area was cleaned and regreened.

“Workers from the [union of the Commission de la fonction publique de Montréal] came here and cleaned it all up and put fences, but people cut holes in the fence and continued dumping their garbage,” Mintz pointed out.

Today, little garbage can be seen in the area and instead of fences, a bike road was stretched through the highway.

A Green Walk On Sept. 17, residents of NDG, activists and a number of politicians gathered at the Falaise to celebrate the opening of the green strip at the foot of the Falaise. The strip acts as a buffer zone next to the CN railway tracks and Highway 20. It’s a multipurpose path for cyclists and pedestrians along forested areas and grasses.

The band was constructed by Transport Quebec, which finished the project in June 2022. But it was Mintz and other members of Sauvons la Falaise who pushed the city’s officials to make it happen.

“In the beginning, it was just

a small group of senior citizens that started writing proposals and asking questions from the city officials and going to the council meetings,” said Hedi Dab, a member of Sauvons la Falaise.

Hedi said the construction of the green strip is excellent but what was promised to them was Dalle-Parc. The park was supposed to be a bike and pedestrian bridge and elevated park over Highway 20 that would link NDG to the Lachine Canal and LaSalle.

“We are here for the DalleParc,” member of Sauvons la Falaise Michel Tesler said.

“I’m here to support people who believe that we need an improved nature present in our city,” Tesler added as he handed out pamphlets about the Falaise to people at the opening event.

The Dalle-Parc project was initially promised as part of the Turcot Interchange redesign but was later shelved. All attempts made

by The Link to contact officials involved in the project have failed at the time of printing this story.

The Mission Continues Although the majority of the Falaise is cleaned, activists say there are still people who secretly dump their garbage in it.

“The biggest problem we have right now is the dumping of garbage that comes from the businesses at the top of SaintJacques,” Hedi said. “People have been fined, businesses have been

fined, but still garbage is being dumped. Last year, we pulled 200 tires out of the Falaise.”

As the winter approaches, another concern presses on: snow.

The Falaise has been a snow dumping site for years.

“The problem with the snow is that it got salt and dirt in it. The snow also pushes down the trees, so it causes erosion,” Mintz said.

She explained that invasive species are another threat the Falaise is dealing with.

“There are a lot of invasive species here. When the Falaise was regreened, several invasive plants threatened its biodiversity,” Mintz said, pointing at intertwined plants on the side of the road.

An Educational Hub Sauvons la Falaise is not only trying to preserve the area, but they are making it a place of education.

Mintz likes the Falaise area as an environmental teaching ground and a place that school groups could visit to teach children about nature.

“I started environmental teaching education four years ago, and we do many things here,” Mintz added.

The Falaise has been the scene of many changes, from a forgotten garbage dump to a bike and pedestrian path. People might witness more significant changes in the Falaise, which could erase the memory of the dumping site from the minds of Montrealers.

“We are here for the Dalle-Parc [and] to support people who believe that we need an improved nature present in our city” -- Michel Tesler

To tackle this issue, environmental volunteers from Mintz’s team have been involved in a project with the city of Montreal.

Their main job is to detect invasive and exotic plant species that are not indigenous and native to Quebec. “The Falaise is in danger from these invasive species. Some plants have no natural predators here, and they change the soil chemistry and make it toxic for the native plants,” said Bruce Dawe, a volunteer member of the project.

PHOTO AATEFEH PADIDAR

thelinknewspaper.ca • October 12, 2022

6

NEWS

Disabled Student Unable to Evacuate During Fire Drill

Concordia Security Mishandled a Student on Crutches During Learning Square Drill

Kaity Brady disabled student was unable A to safely exit the Learning Square building during a fire drill

last month and is raising concerns about campus accessibility and evacuation policies.

Jess Marshall, an undergraduate student in the English department, uses crutches on and off to help with hypermobility-related injuries and chronic pain. Marshall was in a science fiction class in the Learning Square building on Sept. 26 when fire alarms went off.

Marshall never made it out of the building. Instead Marshall was instructed to stay in the building

by Concordia security because a transfer chair could not be found.

As students and instructors flooded the building’s stairwell and emergency escape, Marshall looked for security guards for guidance as they ushered students out.

“I was worried I was going to get trampled [...] and I was certainly pushed around a lot. I managed to make it back [to the fire escape], and [the security guard was] like, “go go go,” Marshall said.

The student said the fire escape was too precarious to attempt an exit because it had holes in the sheet metal. “Definitely big enough that even if my crutch couldn't fall through—which I honestly think it could have—it could very easily get stuck and wet in there, and I could fall.”

According to Marshall, the guards radioed downstairs to ask if a transfer chair was available, the usual protocol in evacuations of mobility-impaired people, but there wasn’t one. Marshall said

after asking what would happen if this was a real fire, one guard made a remark suggesting they would carry mobility-impaired students down.

“She made a joke about how she would throw me over her shoulders,” said Marshall.

“First of all, I'm injured. I don't want a random person—no offence to the security people— picking me up and dragging me down a flight of stairs in the middle of it. I don't think they're trained for that and I don't trust them to do it safely,” said Marshall.

Marshall explained that luckily, a friend, Ace Côté, was in class that day and able to help figure out what to do. Côté, a second-year creative writing student, explained that they have participated in safety trainings in the past and are rather familiar with drill procedures, but that what happened that day in the Learning Square didn’t inspire confidence at all.

“It was frustrating watching how the situation was handled. It’s a very steep staircase to go out, and there was only one guard—if it had been an emergency, I was not confident they would have been able to get Jess out in any sort of way, much less a way that was not painful or humiliating,” said Côté.

“It felt like they were given very cursory instructions and were not prepared to deal with anyone with mobility issues,” Marshall added.

Marshall said navigating campus stairwells using crutches can be trying at the best of times and especially in emergencies. “People have no idea how ELIN

CQU

E JA AN D TO IV

PHO

thelinknewspaper.ca • October 12, 2022

to have common courtesy with crutches and they overcorrect by just standing at the bottom of the stairs for the full seven minutes to get up,” Marshall said.

Concordia’s website has information related to mobility-impaired students and fire drills. It points to the use of an “Evac-chair” in emergencies and suggests that these chairs are designed to be placed in hallways and near exits ready for an emergency. Marshall said the security guards acknowledged that there should be a chair, but that they did not know where it was or why it wasn’t there that day.

The page also says it's within protocol at the school to leave mobility-impaired individuals on the floor during drills. Contrary to what the guards told Marshall, the website explicitly states that carrying a person out of the building is not recommended.

Marshall and Côté were especially concerned when they noticed the guards radioed downstairs and told the security desk that everyone had been evacuated, which they dispute, as they were both still in the building when this was said.

After the security guard couldn’t find the Evac-Chair, according to Marshall, “she just messaged down being like, ‘we safely evacuated the mobility-reduced person,’ and then she

winked at me and was like, ‘yeah, you can stay up here. It's fine,’ and that was that.”

“They fully lied. I wasn’t safely evacuated,” Marshall said. “I don’t know what I would do in an emergency at this point, and I have not been able to get a straight answer from anyone.”

Marshall said regardless of whether the emergency is real, it’s problematic that disabled students will potentially miss out on safety drills that others get to experience in full.

While Marshall and Côté don’t blame the instructor for what happened that day, they say it would have been nice if the instructor had some awareness of what to do in this situation and checked in with the students who remained upstairs.

According to Concordia’s website, there is specific safety training for emergencies that students and staff can take by special request.

They are voluntary and subject to cancellation due to low enrollment.

Marshall explained that the Access Centre for Students with Disabilities is too difficult and time-consuming when it comes to providing and maintaining accommodations. Marshall doesn’t think students should have to

deal with formal accommodation processes to be able to evacuate safely. Marshall gave student athletes as an example, who could get injured at any time and need accommodations quickly.

Concordia Student Union Executive Coordinator Fawaz Halloum told The Link he will bring up Marshall’s experience with Michael Di Grappa, the university’s vice-president of services and sustainability.

“This doesn’t shock me,” Halloum said. “Accessibility needs to be a bigger priority at Concordia and we need to make sure each and every building has the required support for disabled students.”

Neither Marshall nor Côté felt supported from administration, their instructor or security. Côté didn’t feel that anyone at Concordia took their friend's safety seriously.

“I don't think it was a successful fire drill,” Marshall said. “And I don't think I would be saved there in an emergency.”

NEWS

7

Big Picket Energy PHOTO IVAN DE JACQUELIN

Arts and Science Students Strike for Fall Reading Week Zachary Fortier

P

artially blocking a door and sitting in a hallway in the middle of the Loyola campus’ central building, Rami Zemouri and Erik Hristev were playing a game of chess.

The two students, both executives in the Concordia Undergraduate Biochemistry, Chemistry and Physics Society, were not simply shooting the breeze on a Tuesday morning. Their ultimate gambit— picketing their physics class—required even more strategizing.

Moments earlier, three security guards entered the hallway after being called by picket-line-crossing biology students in a neighbouring classroom. “Our physics picketing was planned, but the biology students spontaneously joined in,” Zemouri said of the biology students who formed their own picket line in front of their classroom.

As security arrived to oversee the situation, the line-crossers found a way to bypass picketers and sneak into their biology class. Once the guards assisted the biology professor into the room, the next-door physics professor entered onto the scene. Only one student showed up to the physics class—the others skipped in solidarity.

Between Oct. 3 and Oct. 7, over a dozen student associations within the Arts and Science Federation of Associations participated in a strike for a fall reading week.

Classes were picketed, but multiple activities and workshops were planned across both campuses.

Although a fall reading will be implemented in 2023, the strike was a symbolic measure for student action and immediate change on campus. In lieu of a reading week, the Fall 2022 semester merely had a reading day on Oct. 11.

Hundreds of students participated in the strike in one way or another.

On Oct. 4, the first official day of the strikes, the Loyola campus was quieter than usual. Akira Oikawa, vice-president of communications within the Communication Studies Student Association, was patrolling the CJ building’s hallways.

“I’m so shocked that nobody’s here,” Oikawa said.

“I’ve only seen about three people show up to their classes so far,” he added. With the help of ASFA Communications Coordinator Payton Mitchell, Oikawa set up a coffee station in the lounge area for fellow strikers.

Organizing and planning the strike was no easy feat, according to ASFA executives. Just days before the strike week began, Mobilization Coordinator Ashley Torres contracted COVID-19. Without her presence, other coordinators, like Mitchell, amped up their involvement.

Oct. 4 was a hectic morning for strikers at the downtown campus. At 11:30 a.m., dozens of demonstrators attempted to block off street corners near de Maisonneuve Blvd. and Bishop St..

ASFA General Manager John Hutton and CSU Sustainability Coordinator Sean Lévis, who acted as the strike’s police liaison, were immediately approached by SPVM officers once protesters started blocking streets. According to multiple sources within ASFA, nobody had been in contact with the police to let them know how their event would be planned.

Grabbing a megaphone, ASFA Academic Coordinator Lily Charette encouraged the crowd of painters and protesters, hoping to boost morale. The police forced the painters to relocate to the sidewalk, where two smaller paintings were made.

Across Concordia, classrooms in multiple buildings were tagged with leaflets made by the different member associations on strike. MAs tailored their pamphlets to their liking, placing them on the doors where classes were supposed to occur.

Besides picketing classrooms, multiple events were planned throughout the week. On Oct. 5, “all-nighters,” gatherings from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m., took place at both libraries. At the Webster library downtown, ASFA Internal Coordinator Scarlet Guy handed fresh cups of tea to passersby, explaining the purpose of the strike.

At Loyola’s Vanier library, organizers handed out slices of pizza to participants. They had laid out poster boards for students to write out their biggest issues with the university. One student wrote about overbooked mental health

services. Another student added on: “Same thing for me. There was no place anytime [to seek professional help]. Their alternative was [a] 24h suicide hotline.”

On Oct. 6, MA executives erected an inflatable obstacle course on the Loyola Quad. “Access Mental Health Services Here,” a parody of Concordia’s lack of mental health support for students, was written on a sign next to the obstacle course. “If Concordia wants to give us Zen Dens and therapy dogs, we’ve got a bouncy castle for them,” said Mitchell.

A rainy Friday capped off the fall reading week strike, concluding the demonstrations. While this year’s strike was organized by Arts and Science undergraduates, next fall semester’s official reading week will be Concordia-wide.

PHOTOS IVAN DE JACQUELIN

thelinknewspaper.ca • October 12, 2022

8

FRINGE ARTS

Ordinary Wonder Tales: Fantasy Meets Daily Experiences Emily Urquhart Contrasts her Life With Folklore and Legend Claire Helston-VanDuzer s a university student I often A have a difficult time justifying reading books that aren't aca-

demic. As I sit doing something that supposedly brings pleasure, I chastise myself for not devoting this time to my ever accumulating pile of readings.

Perhaps I am not choosing books that offer an escape that I intuitively associate with the act of reading for pleasure. This is where Ordinary Wonder Tales by Emily Urquhart differs.

Alternating between intimate family tales and related myths, Urquhart paints a nostalgic image, stringing along certain comforts that satiated my yearn for escapism.

Emily Urquhart is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in the Toronto Star, The Literary Review of Canada and Guernica Longreads. She draws on her doctorate in folklore to incorporate legends and myths in her novels. With a large repertoire of pieces, many of which have been nominated for awards within the National Magazine Awards, Urquhart demonstrates her skill for weaving her knowledge of myth and legend into non fiction. Ordinary Wonder Tales is a great example of this. It is a personal account of her life experiences, from tales of ghost stories she saw as a child to being a mother herself. Within all the stories encompassed in her memoir, she draws on mythical elements to illustrate the lessons she’s learned.

When seeking literary escape, I tend to gravitate towards fantasy books that I devoured in my middle school days. I'll be the first to admit that I still enjoy reading the Harry Potter series on a rainy October afternoon.

Ordinary Wonder Tales acts as a more mature alternative to this.

Urquhart’s corrobation of legends to day-to-day life offers the same getaway and warmth that indulging in a supernatural world can.

So, to all the retired fantasy lovers out there, please do yourself a favour and read this book.

Urquhart skillfully employs imagery throughout her novel, illustrating her most intimate moments through well-placed details. She transcribes her experience conducting fieldwork in a small Newfoundland town with personal and emotional language.

She refers to her research method at this time as “mythological doom scrolling, the grimmer the legend, the more sated I am. I go to bed only once I've read the worst, most appalling pestilence tale I can find.” In this journal-like read, she adeptly invites the reader to be her confidante. Ordinary Wonder Tales is a vulnerable work that reads like delving into memories of a life that could've been yours.

In her set of essays entitled “Lessons for Female Success,” Urquhart details experiences of hers in which she was either victim or a learner of the dangers of being a woman. She accompanies these stories with myths of a woman es-

caping her killer, noting the abnormality that the woman survives in the end. The tales she uses in these essays soften the sharp edges of female trauma, and allow herself and the reader to give their story an alternate ending, one in which they are the heroine who escapes.

As Urquhart puts it, the use of the supernatural is well-suited for telling a woman's story because “It can't be taken down, it's yours.

And it belongs to you. And nobody can go in there and try to tell you that it isn't right because it exists only in your own head. So it has a power of its own in that way” Detailing experiences of her own childhood, family and being a parent herself, Urquhart maps out a comprehensive tale of a life lived. Like any other, this life story holds pain, but Urquhart also brings attention to the joys of motherhood and family. She turns her own experiences into family folklore to share with her children, and within these stories, uses legend to allow her kids an understanding of her experiences.

The kinship that she holds with her children is continuously incorporated into her stories. They act as a participatory audience for these tales, alternating between inspiration for her storytelling and sources of comfort. Though this book does not highlight her motherhood as a primary component of her storytelling, her children are omnipresent in the novel, lending love and understanding to her tales.

COURTESY BYRON EGGENSCHWILER

I found comfort reading this book. This novel uses myths as a mother's forehead kiss, or an all too knowing hand-squeeze of a friend at the end of a particularly bad night. My inner child's desire for fantasy was left equally satiated.

Ordinary Wonder Tales has opened my eyes to the ways that the mythical can allow opportunity for women to tell their own story in a forgiving environment. It has encouraged me to seek out other narratives that do the same.

Libra: The type to never study and still get straight A’s.

Virgo: Everyone thinks you’re the angel of the zodiac, but I bet you’ve managed to sneak in some notes during at least one midterm.

Midterm Horoscopes Sophie Dufresne Cancer: Congrats on surviving midterms! How many all-nighters did you pull because you were too busy crying about how much work you had to do?

Leo: If you feel confident about your midterms, I’m sure you can continue lying to yourself until you receive your grades :)

Sagittarius: Partying the night before a midterm is actually known as self-handicapping in psychology. It means you knew you’d fail regardless of what you did, but you wanted a convenient excuse, so you’ll blame the tequila.

Taurus: I hope you had multiple alarms set and didn’t sleep through any midterm…or did you fall asleep during your exam?

thelinknewspaper.ca • October 12, 2022

Gemini: I know you’d probably rather watch TikTok videos than study, but maybe consider completing at least some of your readings by the final. Unless you want your GPA to suffer.

Pisces: Being the teacher’s pet won’t get you bonuses in uni, I’m not sure why you’re even trying?

Scorpio: I’m sure finals will go better for you. You just have to maintain hope and maybe study a little.

Aquarius: Are you really surprised that you got that one question you answered creatively wrong? Creative isn’t better when the answer is straightforward.

Aries: Who would win in a stubborn match: an Aries or a strict grader who never ever ever changes a student’s grade? Probably an Aries.

Capricorn: I’m sorry you didn’t survive midterms. My condolences, but one of the signs had to be the scapegoat.

FRINGE ARTS

9

Fall Baking Essentials for Students Student-Friendly Recipes for Study Sessions, Late Nights, and Crispy Autumn Mornings.

Kathleen Champoux all is arguably one of the best times in Montreal for baked goods.The fresh fall produce is available for a F good price and is perfect for warming up your student meals. Making local foods can help you stay on budget while allowing autumn colours to decorate your plate.

GRAPHIC NADINE ABDELLATIF

Pumpkin Spice Coffee

Quick and Easy Apple Pear Pie

Savory Pumpkin Biscuits

We all love a good pumpkin spice latte, but paying upwards of seven dollars per cup is not friendly to a student budget. So, why not make it yourself?

You can’t have a hot beverage without something to snack on, right? Be it on a cozy night in or gobbled up on your way out the door, pies using fresh fall fruits can never disappoint. (Bonus, it’s plant based!)

We’ve covered coffee and desserts, but what about something savoury? These pumpkin biscuits are perfect as a side dish or warmed up in the morning with some butter.

You’ll need: Coffee or tea of your choice ½ cup of milk 1 tbsp. canned pumpkin ½ tsp. pumpkin spice seasoning ½ tsp. cinnamon 2 ½ tsp. sugar Whipped cream (optional) Start by brewing your coffee or tea. While that finishes up, head to the stovetop. In a pot, combine the milk, pumpkin, and spices.

Over low heat, constantly stir the milk until it is warm, bubbling slightly, and everything is mixed.

Once the milk is ready and the coffee or tea is hot, pour the milk into your drug of choice and top with whipped cream and extra cinnamon. Delicious!

You’ll need: For the filling: 4 apples 4 pears 2 teaspoons of cinnamon 2 tablespoons of brown sugar 1 teaspoon of vanilla For the crust: Cold water A pinch of salt 1 teaspoon of baking soda ½ cup of vegetable shortening 1 ½ cups of flour Start by preheating the oven to 375° F, then begin peeling and chopping your apples and pears, reserving a few slices of each to decorate the top of the pie. Mix the fruits in a large bowl, adding the cinnamon and brown sugar. Let that sit while you make the crust.

In a separate bowl, slowly add the flour, shortening, and margarine. When mixed, pour in the cold water to form a more cohesive dough. When the dough is able to be rolled into a ball but is no longer sticky, split it in two. Spread one section of the dough into the bottom of your pie plate and reserve the other half for the top.

Place the pie plate in the oven for ten minutes or until the edges of the crust start to brown. Then, add the filing and spread the other half of your dough over the top.

Decorate with the reserved fruits.

Continue to bake for another 30 minutes or until the pie is brown and bubbling.

Let it cool, and enjoy!

Why I Write

I write to fill empty pages with feelings I want to be reminded to forget.

I write to scribble and burn my thoughts, so they absorb the page with ink for those words to never go away.

Callista Mille

I write and hate and write some more until that hate turns into grief.

You’ll need: 2 cups of flour 1 tbsp. baking powder A pinch of salt ⅓ cup of shortening ¾ cup of milk ¾ cup of canned pumpkin Start by preheating the oven to 450° F. Then mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Once combined, cut the shortening into pieces and add it in along with the milk and mix. It should give a very dry dough. Add the pumpkin and mix again.

The dough might be a little sticky at this stage. Flour your work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Flour the top of the dough then use a rolling pin or a wine bottle to spread it to about a half inch tall, adding flour as needed.

A circular dough cutter works best, but any cookie cutter you have will do. Get the shapes out of the dough and add them to a cookie sheet. Bake them for 12 minutes. Take them out when they’re starting to brown.

Let them cool off slightly, split them in half, and eat with your favorite spreads!

Enjoy Creating fall treats is a great way to warm your space and your plate. Most of these recipes use the same main ingredients in different ways to make sure you stay on budget while still being able to add some fall spirit to your dishes.

I write so one day maybe just maybe I’ll remember why I hate it so much.

Puzzle #1

Sudoku 4

9

8

1 2 5

7

6

2

3

8

1

7

4

2

9

8

9

1

4

1

6

9

5

3 9

4

4

8

2

3 9

9 3

7

3 7

6

3

Fill in the puzzle so that every row across, every column down and every 9 by 9 box contains the numbers 1 to 9.

7

thelinknewspaper.ca • October 12, 2022

10

SPORTS

SCOREBOARD MEN’S RUGBY

FOOTBALL

W 58-0 vs. Carleton Oct. 8

L 31-13 vs. UdeM Oct. 8

WOMEN’S RUGBY

BASEBALL

L 48-13 vs. Carleton Oct. 8

W 15-2 vs. McGill Oct. 7

WOMEN’S SOCCER

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (Exhibition)

W 2-1 vs. Sherbrooke Oct. 7

MEN’S SOCCER W 3-0 vs. Sherbrooke Oct. 7

L 84-67 vs. St. FX Oct. 8

MEN’S BASKETBALL (Concordia Classic) L 72-60 vs. Dalhousie Oct. 7 L 75-62 vs. Trinity Western Oct. 8 L 75-70 vs. TMU Oct 9

SCHEDULE WOMEN’S RUGBY

MEN’S HOCKEY

MEN’S SOCCER

Saturday Oct. 15 vs McGill at 3 p.m.

Saturday Oct. 15 vs RMC at 3 p.m. Home-Opener Sunday Oct. 16 vs. McGill at 3 p.m.

Friday Oct. 14 @ Laval at 8:15 p.m.

Sunday Oct. 16 vs. UQTR at 1 p.m.

WOMEN’S SOCCER

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (Waterloo Tournament)

MEN’S RUGBY Friday Oct. 15 vs. UdeM at 12 p.m.

WOMEN’S HOCKEY Saturday Oct. 15 @ Cornell at 2 p.m

thelinknewspaper.ca • October 12, 2022

Friday Oct. 14 @ Laval at 6 p.m.

Sunday Oct. 16 vs. UQTR at 3:30 p.m.

Thursday Oct. 13 vs. Guelph at 8 p.m.

Friday Oct. 14 vs. Waterloo at 6 p.m.

Saturday Oct. 15 vs. UNBC at 6 p.m.

MEN’S BASKETBALL (Carleton Tournament) Friday Oct. 14 vs. Carleton at 8 p.m.

Saturday Oct. 15 vs. Victoria at 6 p.m.

Sunday Oct. 16 vs. McMaster at 12 p.m.

SPORTS

Game of the Week:

Concordia Rugby vs. McGill The Fifth-Seeded Stingers’ Open Fall Sports’ Post-Season Conor Tomalty he first instance of fall playT offs is here, with the Concordia Stingers’ women’s rugby

team taking on the McGill Martlets on Saturday, Oct. 15.

The first-round match-up has fifth-seed Concordia, who finished the season with a 3-3 record. The Stingers are heavily favoured going against the lastplace McGill team who went winless in 2022. The last time the two anglo universities faced one another was during the Kelly-Anne Drummond Cup wherein Concordia dominated 55-3.

The Stingers experienced a turbulent campaign. Their .500 record is a reflection of the team's inconsis-

GRAPHIC NADINE ABDELLATIF

tency. In matches where Concordia wins, they have a point differential of +92, yet in games where they lose, the differential is -166.

At one point in the year, the Stingers were ranked 9th in the U Sports national power rankings. If it were not for the loss against Carleton University on Oct. 8, Concordia would likely still be ranked in the top 10.

The Martlets are susceptible to speedy play. They have given up an atrocious 61.5 points per game. If the Stingers execute their typical game plan, consisting of quick passes and utilizing their stamina, they will win.

Concordia’s stud players will set the tone. Captain Mahalia Robinson evolved into her leadership role, as her vocal candour has steadied solid group efforts this year. Forward Roxanne Galarneau had notable games this year as well. She amassed two multiple-try games against McGill and one against the Université de Sherbrooke Vert et Or; the latter of which granted Galarneau Stingers’ Athlete of the Week honours.

11

These two are just some of the many players who have made impressive contributions to Concordia. The Stingers’ aforementioned quickness and stamina culminated with a sturdy defensive line and textbook tackling that head coach Jocelyn Barrieau implements.

Despite being a Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec consolation game, the atmosphere will be prideful, nonetheless.

Concordia’s contemporary success and healthy rugby community will culminate in a boisterously exuberant game from the cheering section. With a historic rivalry entwined between the two universities, who have shared coaches and glory throughout the many years of play, this will just bolster the crowd’s excitement even more.

Both teams look to move past this stage of post-season play with a win. Kick-off has yet to be decided.

Stingers’ Weekend Wrap-Up: Oct. 7 to 9 Thanksgiving Weekend Means Big Games Conor Tomalty Football: Fourth place in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec It’s fair to say this will not be a championship year for the Stingers’ football team. Their loss against the Université de Montreal cements a losing season as their winning record will be under .500 from this point on. The offence has played poorly as of late, and last weekend was no exception. They only succeeded in scoring points during the last quarter. For a unit that was well-praised prior to the season’s start, they have underwhelmed many who support the sport, to say the least. The fourthplace team takes the final playoff spot. As long as the McGill Redbirds continue to lose, Concordia will accept a consolation entry.

Next game against the McGill Redbirds Oct. 21 at 7 p.m..

Women’s Soccer: Sixth place in the RSEQ The last place Université de Sherbrooke Vert et Or was a much needed punching bag for the Stingers. A 2-1 victory is not domination, but the offensive syn-

ergy had clicked of late. Forward Osa Iyare and Captain Bryanna Campbell scored for Concordia.

Going forward, the race for the playoffs is still on-going with third and fourth table positions still up for grabs. The Stingers themselves only trail fourth place by two points. The road ahead is not easy, but the playoffs are in sight.

Next game against the Université Laval Rouge et Or on Oct. 14 at 6 p.m..

Men’s Soccer: Fifth place in the RSEQ The men’s team’s weekend reflects one identical to the women’s team. A 3-1 win over Sherbrooke meant both soccer squads went home with a smile. Unlike the women’s team, the standings in the men’s division is wide-open with second place and fifth place differing by four points. If the women’s road ahead is difficult, the men’s team has a four-car pile-up clustering the freeway.

With four matches remaining, the Stingers will need as many wins as they can muster if they want to achieve playoff representation.

Next game against Laval on Oct. 14 at 8:15 p.m..

Women’s Rugby: Finished fifth in the RSEQ A 48-13 defeat at the hands of the Carleton University Ravens kicked Concordia out of the U Sports top 10. On top of this, Concordia rests in fifth place, only trailing UdeM in point total. Had the Stingers bested the Carabins, they would be preparing for the championship semifinal. Alas, Concordia is poised for the eighth place McGill Martlets in the quarter-final consolation round.

Next game against the McGill Martlets in RSEQ Quarter-Final Consolation Men’s Rugby: Fifth place in the RSEQ The Stingers’ men’s team strolled into Carleton and shined from the get-go. A 58-0 decimation bumped Concordia to 3-2 on the year. Only the top four teams make the playoffs, therefore Concordia will have to win from here on out if they want to nudge their

way into the post-season. If anyone is capable, it will be coach John Lavery’s defending championship team.

Next game against UdeM Oct. 15 at 12 p.m..

Women’s Basketball: Pre-Season The Stingers’ women’s basketball team continued with a pre-season scrimmage against St. Francis Xavier University on Oct. 8. The 84-67 loss is a negative, however, with the plethora of players coming from the recruiting class, coach Tenicha Gittens’ squad is still building up chemistry. The real test is sure to come in the regular season. For now, the Waterloo Naismith Tournament is the next stage.

Next game against Guelph University on Oct. 13 at 8 p.m..

Men’s Basketball: Concordia Classic Tournament Three straight losses for the men’s team in the Concordia Classic Tournament is bad news to report. The good news is that it’s only the first tune-up tournament of the early year. With plenty of

basketball to be played, teamwork is a key focal point. Complete coverage of the tournament and assessment are important aspects to focus on, but for now, the Stingers will have to prepare for the Carleton Tournament.

Next game against Waterloo University on Oct. 14 at 8 p.m..

Baseball The baseball team was exceptional. A 15-2 win over McGill was the perfect Thanksgiving weekend treat. Only two games under .500, coach Howard Schwartz’s team is finding its form with a point differential of +20 in their last two games. Pitching and position play are coming into their own, just in time for the Ontario University Athletics tournament on the horizon.

Next game against College Laflèche on Oct. 11 at 7:30 p.m..

thelinknewspaper.ca • October 12, 2022

12

OPINIONS

Who Can We Trust With the Keys to the Ivory Tower?

The Repeated Failures of Our Black Leaders Sandra Mouafo hen the Balarama Holness W 'scandal' came out, I overlooked it. I thought this was yet

another Black person in power who failed to meet the bar of Black excellence which is set in heaven.

Right before the 2021 municipal elections, it was reported that members of Holness' non-profit, Montreal In Action, mass resigned.

This included the majority of both his board and executive team. A chaotic and alienating work environment and loss of confidence from the board towards Holness ultimately led to five out of six members to resing in late 2019.

Not long after, more resignations followed suit. They included the two women seasoned activists Black Catherine Diallo, the former co-chair of research and advocacy, and volunteer Shalaka Shah.

When non-white public figures are embroiled in political drama, the criticism always seems to echo the loudest. The media scrutiny and the wrath of social media always become most violent when they exit the depths of Twitter and enter our daily conversations and classrooms.

I was also tired of the never ending blabber of the world, and made a habit of ignoring most scandals or abstaining from commenting in any kind of public format. I had no doubt there was some justification for the social media uproar, but too often, its volume was disproportionate for the alleged offence.

But I found myself beginning to relate to Shah and Diallo when I encountered my own Balarama Holness a few months later.

My experience was all too similar to the shared experience of many women of color just like myself. A leader in my case—the former general coordinator of the Concordia Student Union, whose regular misogyny, unjustifiably large ego and crippling incompetence derailed the goals of the union—I worked for negatively impacted my well being and job satisfaction.

As the Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity manager of the union, it was my job to ensure the equitable treatment of all employees. It therefore, became my job to ask, uncover and document the accounts of abuse and harassment experienced by many employees, mostly women. This too took its toll on me as the complaints became a daily occurrence and the

behaviours of the perpetrator dangerously increased in boldness.

Yet, no one seems to discuss the emotional toll of the psychological harassment of being at the mercy of such egoistic leadership.

Inevitably, I too reached my breaking point. Despite all the rewarding work I had already put in, the many projects still underway or the indescribable fulfillment my work had once brought me.

This didn't stop him from claiming all criticism was racist and unwarranted. He claimed victimhood despite having never issued an apology to any of his victims, aside from requesting to speak to me once his impeachment became imminent, which I respectfully declined.

As the brilliant actress, writer, producer and comedian Issa Rae once said, "I am rooting for everybody Black." But those same people would not care about me if their positions didn't require my vote or if there wasn't any clout to be gained

thelinknewspaper.ca • October 12, 2022

from exploiting black suffering and turning it into a commodity.

What would happen if we could conceive of the nuances of a Black man in power? Comment and criticize the individual as a reflection of their character rather than their ethnicity. Maintain the focus on their poor leadership skills, communication skills, organizational skills, or better yet, the harm their sheer incompetency can cause, especially when directed at their own people.

Should we not subject our Black leaders to more scrutiny before seeking to empower them to represent us in rooms most of us will never even have the chance to walk into?

Not for the sake of seeking perfection or (Black) excellence, but rather to ensure the continuous aim for social justice. What is the value of an advocate without community to inform the direction they should lead it towards? One who vague-

ly gestures at everything else as the culprit of the criticisms they refuse to face when we dare inquire about motive, competency or objectives.

Willfully ignoring the harm they have caused, so that the image of themselves they have so carefully constructed remains uninterrupted.

Sounds like communal narcissism to me, but what do I know? So what happens once those types of people are given the keys to the ivory tower?

In sociology, the term ‘habitus’ refers to the ways one person's unique experiences influence their perspectives on the world. It helps raise questions like "Who is your loyalty to?" or "How do you define your morality?"

French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, in his oeuvre of the same name, then adds the notion of distinction. In other words, what distinguishes those with the upbringing and resources necessary to be given access to so-called high society. Those without it may never hold the keys to the ivory tower.

These proverbial rooms are what Bourdieu refers to as fields—social spaces in which specific discourses and institutions, like a classroom, church or congress, can be found.

Every field has power struggles within them to determine what does and doesn't belong in it and

allows gatekeepers to uphold those boundaries and reward or punish people within it. So if economic capital, or money, is not a viable option for Black leaders to get into the fields that hold power over large communities and populations, social capital, such as a hurting community, must then prevail in its place and grant them access.

From Kanye West to Candace Owens or from Kamala Harris to Meghan Markle, these individuals weaponize Blackness by exploiting the painful experiences of the Black community out of convenience, not benevolence. Once they have their set of keys, they rejoice in the money and power that comes with it and leave the rest of us to fend for ourselves. Make no mistake, our collective outrage and hurt is a commodity that rises in value every election season.

They will freely criticize others for doing less than what they never truly intended to do or will inevitably fail to realise. But a seat at the table does not guarantee a plate, and soon they breadcrumb us with unfulfilled promises as they reappropriate the meaning of community out of necessity rather than care. Where would you guess the allegiance and loyalties of such a person lie.

Continues on p. 13

GRAPHIC NADINE ABDELLATIF

OPINIONS

Sex-Editorial: Debunking Common Period Myths

Breaking the Stigma of Menstruation, one Myth at a Time

AYA L M

Callista Mille

HIC M

I never truly understood the depth and toll of the harm caused by this type of false leadership until I witnessed it first hand.

Truly, until it was aimed directly at me. It was enough to make me walk away from a position which came with many benefits, none of which were worth my sanity or health. But the failure to properly vet our leaders comes at the cost of the progress of the Black community.

Black leaders especially have often put the emphasis on the accumulation of political power (or social capital). The Obama presidency, for instance, represents the culmination of those efforts for many. But often, Black driven political clout comes at the expense of true Black economic and social advancement.

Has political success truly been a major factor in the historical upward social mobility of disenfranchised groups out of poverty?

Can leaders elected on social capital truly have an understanding of the issues at hand? Are they both experienced and empathetic enough to pursue policies that actually create the change they campaigned on? Are they able to apply pressure regardless of being disliked because they prioritize the importance of its success over the perception of their image?

I have seen a lot of moral entrepreneurs and peacemakers in these positions; the self appointed kings, queens and representatives of Black people. But I have yet to see someone who I can fully trust with the keys to the ivory tower.

I personally want a Will Prosper rather than a Canadian Barack Obama to represent me in these rooms. I don't want the promise of change under a guise of benevolence. I want someone who has been and continues to be in the trenches with the rest of us.

Perhaps then, the ideas of people that look like me are what the political agenda is based on rather than what our labor is exploited over for a talking point or a mere shield for any form of criticism.

Maybe then, the keys are for us all and the kingdom becomes ours instead of at the mercy of a greedy undeserving king whose throne is made of the sweat and tears of the people that got him there.

I know of a certain general coordinator (and self appointed king of Black people) who, once removed by his own people, refused to give back the keys to the kingdom. Forcing his constituents to bear the cost of the replacement of every room he still demands access to.

GRAP

Continued from p. 12

13

Tampons will take away your virginity If anything, this myth reinforces the idea that virginity is a social construct. There is nothing impure about using a piece of cotton that stops your flow from ruining your favorite pair of pants. Many cultures and communities view tampons as taboo because of the idea that tampons could potentially break your hymen and take your virginity.

As for the original definition of virginity, it has been passed around for years, shutting women down for being sexually liberated.

Today, virginity is often linked to the intercourse between a man and a woman—excluding the LGBTQ+ community. Tampons have been intrinsically associated with penetration since their creation, putting at equal level both tampons and male genitalia. Whether someone chooses to wear pads, tampons or other sanitary products, these are purposely meant for periods—menstruation and sex are separate topics!

Only women get periods.

Respecting people's identities is crucial, especially now that education surrounding marginalized gender identities is becoming more accessible and younger generations feel more confident about coming out.

Many people experience periods—and not all of them are women. Transgender men, nonbinary, intersex and genderqueer individuals (the list goes on) can have periods too.

Advertisements tend to portray cisgender women when promoting sanitary products, which can be alienating for those who don’t feel part of the accepted norm. Using gender inclusive language when talking about periods, particularly on a university campus where students are more likely to face sexism, transphobia and bullying, will create a safer environment for everyone.

All women menstruate Not all women get periods either—there are a variety of exceptions that make this idea a myth. For instance, Transgender women don’t menstruate. Many cisgender women who experienced menopause no longer have periods either. Additionally, women with underlying conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome or premature ovarian failure might not menstruate either.

Other causes like eating disorders and specific medications may stop or delay periods. There are also scenarios where women take certain forms of birth control to stop their periods all together.

Period blood is unsanitary The stigma that period blood is dirty or unhygienic has been around for decades. Individuals have been taught to be embarrassed about bleeding, when this bodily function is normal and perfectly healthy. During menstruation, the uterus lining sheds blood and tissue, a natural process in response to not having a fertilized egg. All of our organs contain blood, so why is period blood any different?

A part of this misconception comes from the idea that the color of your period shows how clean it is—but the range in color actually shows the blood’s level of oxidation. During periods, blood and tissue are excreted, so they are usually less liquidy than regular blood cells. Yet, red blood is still preceived as taboo and dirty. Up until 2020, when Kotex released a period ad with blood-like liquid, the infamous series of ads portraying blue liquid on sanitary products were a perfect example of the stigmatization of periods.

PMS isn’t real Premenstrual syndrome is very real, and it affects three out of four people. Society uses PMS pejoratively to justify supposedly emotional behaviors in people with periods.

PMS is often associated with moodiness and irrationality—but the range of symptoms covers much more than that and varies for every menstruating person.

Premenstrual symptoms include tiredness, headaches, low mood and tender breasts. Some people can experience mild symptoms, some more prominent symptoms, and others none at all. Regardless of your experience with PMS, this myth invalidates people who menstruate as well as those who don't menstruate, common with IUDs. This can often discourage them from seeking help, even in extreme cases such as endometriosis, a painful disorder where cells from the uterus' inner lining develop outside the uterus.

While progress is being made surrounding period myths, they continue to perpetuate the lack of menstrual products as well as educational resources for young people with periods. These myths are only some of the many out there, and because they are perpetuated throughout generations, it makes it harder for many governments to validate the need for sanitary product funding and proper menstrual education. By openly talking about periods, we can end this worldwide stigma surrounding them.

GRAPHIC NADINE ABDELLATIF

thelinknewspaper.ca • October 12, 2022

14

OPINIONS

Immigrant’s POV: The CAQ Win may Determine my Future Immigrant Struggles will Continue in Quebec Maria Cholakova he results of the elections may T not seem surprising to many, but for immigrants like me, and

for those who haven't mastered the French language, the looming future remains daunting.

In mid-May, the Quebec government proposed Bill 96. If passed, the bill would mandate French in business operations and transactions, bring changes in English CEGEPs by limiting the number of students who can attend, impose more French classes, and coerce immigrants to learn French within the next three years.

Even after massive protests and outrage from residents across the country, on June 1, Bill 96 was passed. Since then, I have been worried about my future in the province.

GRAPHIC PAUL-EMILE LANDEZ

After the provincial win of the Coalition Avenir Québec, a list of promises was posted online addressing what the party is planning to achieve in the next four years.

The most damaging one, of course, is regarding immigration.

According to Global News, the government will cap immigrants at 50,000 per year, claiming, “the province has reached its capacity to integrate immigrants and teach them French.” If people who have newly immigrated have not learned French within the next three years Legault has vowed to revoke their immigration certificate and report them to the federal government.

Whether that promise is kept isn’t important. What is important is the fear and pressure im-

Where do the Lesbians go?

The Lack of Lesbian Bars in Montreal is Absurd

Zélie Martin

GRAPHIC NADINE ABDELLATIF

thelinknewspaper.ca • October 12, 2022

migrants feel to learn a third language. Having a future in the province and not getting deported is what matters. Imagine leaving your home and coming to a country for a better future, just to be offset by a government’s refusal to be bilingual. These new rules hurt newcomers as well as students, store owners and many others.

Don’t get me wrong, I would gladly learn a third language, but being forced to do so brings a sour taste to my mouth. Nobody should be forced to do anything, especially when it affects their livelihood. Purposefully making it harder for newcomers is counter-intuitive to the idea of immigration, but more so, restricts them from adapting to known that I’m into Iofhave women since my second year high school, when my friend in

physical education class said unprompted, “when I first met you, my gaydar went off.”

My hometown, California, was filled with white cisgender heterosexual individuals. Nonetheless, I thankfully found other queer people by chance in school.

Upon arriving to Montreal in 2021, I made a plethora of queer friends and acquaintances, and I had the pleasure of experiencing queer events here and there. Before coming to Montreal, I looked up “gay bars in Montreal” on my computer, and the results were disappointing.

The Gay Village should be called ‘The Gay White Cis-Male Village’ since there are no spaces to be found for Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Non-binary or people of color in this supposed homosexual haven. I was surprised to find that the last Lesbian bar in Montreal closed in 2014.

Recently, Champs, a sports bar on St. Laurent, has been slowly transitioning into a Lesbian bar. It hosts Lesbian events curated towards different demographics and interests like oil wrestling, sports nights and DJs. These specific queer events, however, are the only time when the space is purely queerbased. On most nights, it’s just like any other heterosexual bar.

Quebec society. On top of that, learning a new language isn’t easy—it takes months, even years to do, especially on a higher level.

The pressure of learning is even higher when it affects your studying, work and health.

In these moments, I appreciate my voting power back home, which I unfortunately can’t exercise here.

Sadly, the elections do not highlight and account for all voices.

Many immigrants do not have any voting rights but are a huge part of Quebec society. They are the reason for the province's multiculturalism and diversity. The government should embrace that rather than turning its back on it, not only for their benefit but for us all.

It is a shame that Quebec, in the next four years, will be under the control of a party that has made sarcastic and degrading comments about immigrants not working and has associated immigrants with violence and extremism. Last week, Jean Boulet, Quebec’s immigration and labor minister claimed that 80 per cent of immigrants don’t work or speak French, which he later retracted as a statement. Not only does the statement create a false narrative, but is completely inaccurate.

According to statistics, every 1 in 5 jobs is held by an immigrant.

Such statements push newcomers

away from Quebec. It isn’t their task to preserve French or to take the brunt of the false narratives thrown their way.

Immigrants aren’t the only minority group that have been disregarded by the CAQ. Religious groups, indigenous communities, women and the LGBTQ+ community, marginalizing them, through harmful policy and political rhetoric. It’s discouraging to see thousands of people protesting, voicing their opinions on social media and sharing their concerns about the future of Quebec, to only be ignored. Sadly, this is all connected to one message: “You aren’t welcome.”

If you ask me now if I will continue living in Quebec after I graduate, I won’t hesitate to tell you that I won’t. It’s devastating to see the direction in which the province is going, especially for one which claims to pride itself on being multicultural. The feeling that a governmental power has so much control over my life has had its toll on me both physically and mentally. So, where the future leads me, I don’t know, but I highly doubt it would be in Quebec.

In reality, queer events are the main source of gathering for the women-loving women, trans, and queer Black and Indigenous people of color community at the moment. While these events move around to bars and create a welcoming and enjoyable environment, they do not solve the issue of having a space you can depend on for queer fun and mingling.

What irks me is that while gay men can go to any gay bar to find hookups, maybe kiss a little or just dance with someone they’re attracted to, I need to plan to go to a Lesbian event to do that. I want a go-to place where I can interact with people like me, not a dance party/oil wrestling/poetry slam event that happens once every couple of months.

I am tired of going to regular (straight) bars with all of my queer friends. It is always noticeable how out of place we are, but our options are either that or a gay bar that opens at midnight with bad techno music.

Last semester, I went to a very straight club on a second date with a girl I met on Tinder. It seemed like we were the only gay people there and the ambiance was sub-par at best.

I think one of the main reasons for the decline of Lesbian spaces in Montreal and the United States, is because gay white men have

always been at the forefront of the queer community. As always, when women and trans people of color fight for their right to love who they love and identify how they want, gay white men dominate and take all the credit. Sure they are gay and face prejudice, but they are also cis, white and male, which gives them almost as much privilege as the next guy.

The other reason is an obvious one: the patriarchy. Society is catered toward white cis men and probably will be until they go extinct. People think they need to provide men with more spaces when they already have everything! In Montreal, there are over two dozen gay bars and currently zero lesbian bars.

My question is, why were there more lesbian bars when homophobia was more socially acceptable versus now? It could be because you can now go to a regular bar with your girlfriend and not get hatecrimed or arrested. But would it not make sense that there be more queer spaces in this time of acceptance?

I guess for now I will need to settle for sports games and Ed Sheeran but I can only handle that for so long. .

EDITORIAL

15

CAQ Celebrates While Women Die ine femicides in nine weeks. That is N nine times where the provincial government failed women by not providing

enough resources to end conjugal violence.

An estimate of 11 women in Quebec have died from this in 2022 alone.

The rise of conjugal violence is a growing epidemic in Quebec and politicians have yet to address it. Even during the campaigning period of Quebec’s 43rd provincial elections, candidates merely expressed their frustrations and sorrow towards the deaths of Synthia Bussière, 38, and her two children—the most recent victims at that time.

And yet, this problem is not new in Quebec nor in Canada. Domestic violence cases hit record highs last year. In 2021, Quebec reported the second highest number of femicides in Canada, with a total of 26 women killed. One hundred and seventy-three femicides were reported in the country, of which 32 per cent of the victims were racialized and 19 per cent were Indigenous.

Domestic violence cases will not end without a concrete solution.

A study conducted by University of Sherbrooke found that this spike in conjugal violence is strongly related to the confinement measures and ongoing health crisis. Researchers found that stress from confined living situations, increased job losses and the cancellation of activities led to a higher risk of abusers turning to violence to as an outlet.

Even during the heights of pandemic waves, François Legault, Quebec’s re-elected premier, was greatly criticized for his actions

Volume 43, Issue 4 Wednesday, October 12, 2022 Concordia University Hall Building, Room H-645 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W. Montreal, Quebec H3G 1M8 editor: 514-848-2424 x. 7407 arts: 514-848-2424 x. 5813 news: 514-848-2424 x. 8682 business: 514-848-7406 advertising: 514-848-7406

towards the issue despite claiming that stopping domestic violence was a priority.

The Coalition Avenir Quebec originally pledged $22.5 million in 2021 over five years to finance shelters for victims and help curb domestic violence. After critics calledout Legault for the small funding he gave to women’s shelters, the government announced that it would increase this budget to $222.9 million. While this action could be a step in the right direction, Legault’s intentions are questionable as it seems like he only made this decision to appeal to public pressure, amid the upcoming elections. While Public Safety Minister Genevieve Guilbault announced that $92 million of that budget would go to funding women’s shelters, the rest of the budget’s allocations are unclear.

Moreover, Legault’s implementation of curfews throughout the pandemic disproportionately harmed women in abusive relationships. The curfew trapped them in houses with their abusers, making it harder to escape.

While COVID-19 confinement measures certainly worsened the situation for women in abusive relationships, domestic violence won’t just go away once the pandemic is fully eradicated. Domestic violence was around prior to the pandemic, except the reported cases were significantly lower.

How then, can we stop the ongoing pattern of domestic abuse?

Throwing money at the problem isn’t the solution. Rather, politicians must follow through with their promises and ensure that the funding is being used wisely.

In 2020, Legault announced that $120 million would be invested to create more

GRAPHIC NADINE ABDELLATIF

safe spaces for women fleeing abuse. This money, however, was never used to open up more shelters for women escaping unsafe homes. The premier has since promised to take matters into his own hands, but has yet to take responsibility for his neglect of the situation.

Domestic violence cases continue to rise, and we must question whether the CAQ has done enough and ever will. Our premier continues to kiss his own ass for the bare-minimal work he has done.

The Link is published fifteen times during the academic year by The Link Publication Society Inc. Content is independent of the university and student associations (ECA, CASA, ASFA, FASA, CSU). Editorial policy is set by an elected board as provided for in The Link ’s constitution. Any student is welcome to work on The Link and become a voting staff member.

Material appearing in The Link may not be reproduced without prior written permission from The Link.

Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters 400 words or less will be printed, space permitting. The letters deadline is Friday at 4:00 p.m. The Link reserves the right to­­­edit letters for clarity and length and refuse those deemed racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, libellous, or otherwise contrary to The Link ’s statement of principles.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2022-2023: Voting Members: Caitlin Brady-Lomoth, Caroline Marsh, Diane Yeung | Non-Voting Members: Rachel Boucher, Adam Gibbard, Colin Harris, Michelle Pucci | Advisor: Laura Beeston TYPESETTING by The Link PRINTING by Hebdo-Litho.

CONTRIBUTORS: Kaity Brady, Kathleen Champoux, Maria Cholakova, Claire Helston-VanDuzer, Paul-Emile Landez, Maya Lm, Zélie Martin, Callista Mille, Sandra Mouafo, Aatefeh Padidar House Ads: Adam Gibbard Cover: Marilou Brickert, Ivan de Jacquelin

How then, can we stop the ongoing pattern of domestic abuse?

On one end, the CAQ is prioritizing social programs, help lines and shelters. But are these solutions adequately funded and truly helping victims escape abusive relationships?

Or are more radical steps necessary?

Some suggest reforming the justice system, which oftentimes penalizes women who denounce their abusers by evoking their allegations in custody disputes.

How many more women must die for their lives to be taken seriously?

editor-in-chief coordinating editor managing editor co-news editor features editor fringe arts editor sports editor opinions editor community editor copy editor creative director photo editor video editor graphics editor business manager operations manager computer technician distribution

OPEN MOHAMMAD KHAN OPEN ZACHARY FORTIER MARIANNE LIENDO-DUFORT OPEN JAIME KERR CONOR TOMALTY OLIVIA INTEGLIA SOPHIE DUFRESNE MARIANA CHAJON OLIVEROS MARILOU BRICKERT IVAN DE JACQUELIN AUDE SIMON NADINE ABDELLATIF RACHEL BOUCHER ADAM GIBBARD ANURAG MOPALA GUY LANDRY

Corrections for Vol. 43, Issue 3: In “Thousands of Climate Protestors Fight for Future Generations” p.6, the pull quote on the page was wrongly attributed to Shanipiap rather than Normand Pilot, The Link regrets this error. In the Editorial “Vote Him Out” p.15, Joyce Echaquan’s year of death was expressed as 2021 when it should have stated 2020, The Link regrets this error as well.

Oct. 14 Managing Media

with Laura Beeston (online)

Oct. 21 Sports Beat Reporting

with Julian McKenzie (online)

Oct. 28 How to Get Into Free Lancing with Mattha Busby

Nov. 4

Packaging Your Story (print, web, social media) with Colin Harris

Nov. 11 Adding Context/Balance to a Story with Verity Stevenson

Nov. 18 How to Film an Event with Aude Simon

Every Friday @ 4 pm in H-645 PITCH MEETINGS

Do you feel passionate about a current issue? Do you enjoy writing? Come join our editors in our weekly pitch meetings!

Every Tuesday @ 5 pm in H-645 POSTMORTEM

Help us improve our publication in a group critique of our latest issue.

Every Friday @ 5 pm in H-645

linknewspaper linknewspaper

TheLinkNewspaper thelinknewspaper

thelinknewspaper

HAPPENING @ THE LINK

UPCOMING WORKSHOPS AT THE LINK !