Volume 45, Issue 12

Volume 45, Issue 12 • April 1, 2025 • thelinknewspaper.ca

"When did you come out of mama?" Since 1980

CONCORDIA'S INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION SINCE 1980

News Have you heard from the CSU? p.4

Fringe Arts The future of Fringe p.8

Sports Into the big ring p.14

Opinions Union, sexism and exhaustion p.17

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Concordia University owns more than 1.4 billion in real estate property The university currently has over 70 properties in its portfolio Autumn Darey

C

@autumndarey

oncordia University's real estate portfolio is now worth over $1 billion and according to the Concordia website, the university owns at least 80 buildings overall.

Using publicly available data through the City of Montreal, The Link has identified roughly 70 addresses owned by the university, valued at approximately $1,465,910,302.

Of these addresses, nine buildings have been purchased but are not currently in use. They are worth approximately $37,857, 800 combined.

These numbers, while staggering, are likely incomplete. In October 2024, Concordia announced that it was creating a new Francophone campus in the city of Shawinigan, roughly two hours northeast of Montreal.

No information about the new campus’ location, its cost or a timeline for construction is publicly available as of publication.

According to Concordia economics professor Moshe Lander, the purchase of property is a big expense but a necessary one.

“In general, any university is going to have facilities and faculty as its two biggest costs,” Lander said. “Take your pick which one's bigger than the other, but that's always the case.”

Lander also explained that property pricing is determined by supply and demand, and one thing that has greatly impacted the value of real estate across the country is the COVID-19 pandemic.

As such, property evaluations are not always equivalent to the price paid by the university to purchase the buildings.

Additionally, some of the buildings—like the Henry F. Hall Building and much of the Loyola campus—were owned by Concordia's predecessors, Loyola College and Sir George Williams University.

Others, like the Faubourg Building, were purchased more recently.

Concordia bought the tower in 1997 and, according to The Link archives, it later paid between $43-50 million for the former mall adjoining the tower around 2011. They spent an additional “$4.5 million for the fifth and sixth floors” in 2012.

The Faubourg building was purchased despite student outcry, and after Concordia tried to convince the Concordia Student Union to purchase and use it as a student hub.

The building is currently occupying at least two addresses that have a combined value of $71,089,600.

Some properties owned by Concordia previously had other buildings attached to them—like the York Theatre, which was purchased by Concordia in 1998, torn down in 2001 and replaced with the Engineering and Visual Arts Building in 2005.

While there are no current public plans to demolish additional buildings, it could be a future possibility as the university expands. A map outlining Concordia’s current buildings, both owned and rented, shows

proposed space use and building expansion, including a west wing on the Grey Nuns (GN) Building.

Lander explained that a major deciding factor would be the cost associated with demolition versus maintenance of the current structures.

“They have to make that decision based on what they think is the best bang for their buck,” Lander said.

He explained that another hurdle is often where to get the money, and how the calculations have changed with COVID-19 and the Quebec government’s more recent attack on English universities.

According to Lander, Concordia is most likely holding onto the properties while it assesses its future needs. If its plans don’t work out or aren’t feasible and the market goes up, it can sell and recoup what it paid for the properties.

More recent purchases beginning in 2018 include six buildings on Guy St. across from the GN Building. The buildings include locations of former restaurants Bar B Barn and Chez La Mère Michel, all the way to the square 1930s-era building directly across from the main entrance of the GN residence.

The most recent buildings were bought between 2018 and 2022.

These purchases come despite budget shortfalls and deficits.

In its budget updates, Concordia reported that “a starting deficit of $79.4 million is forecasted for the 2025-26 fiscal year” due to carryover

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY OWNS OVER 1 BILLION IN REAL ESTATE PROPERTY. PHOTO ANDRAÉ LERONE LEWIS | @SHADOWLERONE

of debt and declining enrolment, among other issues.

“The university’s real estate strategy is based on a 15 to 20-year outlook so we can support changing needs or growth of the university,” said Concordia spokesperson Julie Fortier.

“We may need to purchase a building long before it is needed in order to secure space in the vicinity of campus, where real estate is rare, and have time to make any necessary renovations to accommodate future activities.”

Fortier added that selling property is not out of the question but must be “weighed against what future needs we may have.” According to her, there are currently no additional planned real estate purchases.

On top of financial concerns, the row house annex buildings on Mackay St., some of which date back to 1875, are not registered as historic buildings. The GN Building, as of publication, is the only designated National Historic Landmark owned

by Concordia.

“The architectural heritage in the hands of universities is very significant,” said Dinu Bumbaru, policy director and spokesperson at Heritage Montreal.

He added that most institutions don’t get additional funding to protect the heritage age buildings they own, which can lead to concern over their long-term survival.

“Academic institutions can be a very bad caretaker of an historic building because they just don't have the budget,” Bumbaru said.

When asked why Concordia has not registered the row house annex buildings, Fortier said, “It is the City of Montreal or Quebec government that establishes these designations.”

Fortier also confirmed that the university depends on government funding for the upkeep of buildings, adding that the funding “must be allocated in accordance with the government’s rules,” and was drastically reduced in 2024.

Bumbaru said that, even though the row house buildings aren't currently designated as historic landmarks, they are still important to the area, and any proposed changes or demolition would be under scrutiny.

“We should think about making sure that in 50 years, [the buildings] are still around, and it's not just with the legal title that you will do that,” Bumbaru said. “It's also with the proper use and proper maintenance.”

NEWS

QUICKIES McGill students on strike for Palestine On March 27, a significant majority of McGill University students present at a special general assembly voted in favour of a strike for Palestine lasting from April 2 to April 4, 2025. Student demands for the university include divestment from genocide, ceasing research partnerships with institutions benefiting from weapons trade and an end to tribunal cases against students involved in activism.

UdeM issues travel guidelines to U.S. The Université de Montréal has issued guidelines on travel to the United States for the academic purposes of students and staff. The press release said the guidelines were not a response to any specific incident, but rather due to concerns from the community following recent reports of detentions and denial of entry at the U.S. border.

Bixi expanding out of Montreal Bixi will gradually expand its operations over the summer to four cities outside Montreal, including Saint-Eustache, Saint-Lambert, Deux-Montagnes and Sherbrooke. Bixi will also add more bikes to its service in Laval and Longueuil.

The entire expanded network will be operational on April 15.

Montreal inaugurates studio housing project The Welcome Hall Mission opened a transition housing program containing 50 studios near Montreal’s Village neighbourhood. Of the 50 studios, 42 are reserved for men, and eight are for women and gender-diverse people, with some pets allowed due to a partnership with the Montreal SPCA.

THELINKNEWSPAPER.CA

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4

Is the CSU transparent?

Lack of organization, communication issues and long meetings frustrate the student body Geneviève Sylvestre & Maria Cholakova @gen.sylvestre

F

@_maria_cholakova_

or Jessica Winton, senior coordinator of Queer Concordia, her relationship with the Concordia Student Union (CSU) is nonexistent.

“Since we're a fee levy [group], we're independent, we try to do everything ourselves,” Winton said.

“And, given that the CSU has been very reluctant to support us in basically any way aside from two executives, [...] I just don't even bother trying to deal with them at all.”

Winton has worked all year to create a gender-affirming care (GAC) loan program to help students access care without the pressure of waiting for reimbursement from insurance.

Originally, she went to the CSU to present her motion and ask for a maximum of $100,000 to be allocated to the loan project at the first regular council meeting (RCM) of the fall semester.

At the RCM, on top of sharing financial concerns, a councillor named another reason to oppose the motion.

“It’s just contradicting many people’s beliefs and religious values,” the councillor said. “I just have to speak in their voice, and I have to say that these students also represent a significant portion of the student population,” they said at the RCM. However, according to the CSU Positions Book, the union’s official position since 2021 is that it “stands in solidarity with trans, nonbinary and gender-non-conforming folks.” “[The] CSU never publicly acknowledged this incident. They still haven't published the minutes, as far as I'm aware, they never apologized to us either,” Winton said, adding that only one executive member apologized to her in private afterward.

Council voted to send her motion to the finance committee, which has a budget of $20,000. Her project was then struck down due to a lack of funds.

After failing to receive support from the CSU, Winton launched the program at a reduced capacity of $20,000 through Queer Concordia.

To try and get more funding for Queer Concordia and her GAC loan program, Winton sent her application to receive a fee levy increase during the 2025 CSU general elections.

The CSU Policy on Fee Levy Applications states that existing fee

VOLUME 45 • APRIL 1, 2025

levy groups looking to run for an increase need to provide “an audit or review engagement prepared by an external accountant for the previous fiscal year.”

As Queer Concordia is the smallest fee levy group on campus—receiving $0.02 per undergraduate student, per credit—Winton said that an official audit could cost around half of the group’s operating budget.

Queer Concordia sent in their application on Jan. 22, and additional documents on Jan. 23. They received no updates about their application after it was sent and acknowledged.

On March 4, after reading The Link and The Concordian’s collective editorial, Winton realized Queer Concordia’s fee levy was not even added to the deliberation documents for council to look through.

“So I reached out,” Winton said. “And apparently, our application was never even presented to the committee.”

According to Leen Al Hijjawi, one of the chairs of the fee levy committee, the Queer Concordia fee levy application was sent after the deadline without an audit.

However, emails acquired by The Link showed that the application was sent before the last Monday of January—the deadline outlined in the policy.

The fee levy committee and its lack of organization Queer Concordia isn’t the only group that has been having issues with the fee levy committee.

During the winter semester, fee levy applicants had to send their application to the chairs of the fee levy committee by Jan. 27.

As is procedure, after receiving the applications, the council needed to meet to deliberate on the packages presented to them.

However, according to committee chair Moad Alhjooj, despite numerous attempts to convene during the nomination phase of the general elections, councillors were unresponsive.

As such, the committee did not meet at all.

By Feb. 25, the CSU held an urgent special council meeting (SCM) to ensure that the upcoming CSU elections would be held properly and according to the rules. The

agenda included the approval of fee levy applications and referendum questions.

The approval of the applications took place four days after the Feb. 21 deadline of the CSU election nomination phase. During the SCM, the CSU chairperson placed the fee levy committee in a breakout room and granted them 40 minutes to deliberate on the applications.

Only one of the five applications was accepted. Afterwards, groups were not informed about the committee’s decisions for a few days.

When asked why groups were not kept in the loop about their applications, Alhjooj said it was hard to communicate when there was no new news to share.

“Sometimes it's very difficult to deal with applicants when we ourselves don't have the answers,” Alhjooj said. “When we can't meet with our fee levy committee, we don't have any more [information] from them. We don't know where this is gonna lead or go.”

A week later, the only group whose fee levy was accepted, ElectroCon, had its application revoked due to a lack of oversight from the committee meeting during the SCM. The revocation came as a shock to the group. According to Husam Tannira, ElectroCon’s president, the CSU told the group to follow the application criteria on the CSU’s website instead of the fee levy application policy.

This created an inconsistency in their application, as the website only called for 750 student signatures to create a new fee levy compared to the 3,000 needed, as outlined in the fee levy application policy.

After the mishap, ElectroCon got in contact with the CSU. “They told us [the revocation was] just because there was some misunderstandings between the fee levy committee and the other fee levies. Which, to be honest, we were like, ‘OK, fair enough,’” Tannira said. “We don't want to be approved on [the] price of other people getting refused for no reason.”

ElectroCon has yet to meet with the committee and ask them what happened with the application.

During the last CSU RCM, held on March 12, the council voted to hold a special fee levy referendum as soon as possible due to mistakes made by the fee levy committee

during the approval process.

“Once this is passed, hopefully we'll call for another fee levy committee meeting where we can discuss all the applications, hopefully not with the time constraint, go over everything in detail and then hold the separate elections just for fee levies,” Alhjooj said during the RCM. According to Winton, Al Hijjawi informed her that another meeting would be planned to discuss fee levies after the general elections.

After the fee levy committee meeting, Hijjawi reached out to ask for Queer Concordia’s audit despite Winton explaining it was impossible in their previous correspondence.

“It feels like everyone's constantly being given the runaround,” Winton said. “And it feels like these bylaws are kind of redundant, at a point where it's kind of impossible for little groups to get an increase or to even get instated.”

At the time of publication, the dates for the referendum have yet to be announced.

The Link reached out to the councillors on the fee levy committee but did not hear back by the time of publication.

CSU’s issues with communication According to the CSU general coordinator Kareem Rahaman,

5 the best way to hear about it, I would say,” Rahaman said. “I mean, the Instagram page is active. There's a lot of ways to get in touch with [us].”

CSU's lack of transparency or student lack of understanding?

STUDENTS REPORT ONGOING PROBLEMS WITH THE CONCORDIA STUDENT UNION. GRAPHIC EMILY WOLAK | @EMTAYWO

it’s hard to define if the year was simply successful or not. He believes it is more complex than that.

“Maybe we strayed from the mandate a bit,” Rahaman said. “But it's not that we strayed because we just didn't want to do the mandate.”

Despite not following the general coordinator mandate word for word, Rahaman said that the CSU always made sure executives were present at major events at the university.

“When things were happening on campus, when police were on campus, we put ourselves in those positions to talk to [police], to try to stop those things from happening,” Rahaman said. “Except [for] a handful of incidents, we tried our best to make sure that these things happening on campus were safe.”

Despite their presence at major events on campus, students like Winton have criticized the union for being unreachable and not answering emails on time or at all.

“So that's a problem that I wasn't even aware of, for the most part. I wasn't even aware that that was a thing happening,” Rahaman said.

Rahaman added that if a student wants to reach him or another executive, they can go to the CSU’s office and talk to the receptionist, who will try to get in touch with them.

“Going to The Link, hearing about [communication issues] for the first time in an interview is not

Apart from executives’ reachability, students have also been vocal about the union’s lack of transparency.

During the CSU general elections on March 11 to March 13, slates and councillors ran on promises of transparency for students.

Rahaman believes that transparency is always brought up during the elections in order to paint the CSU in a bad light.

“When I first ran, I ran on transparency too. But you know, my definition of transparency [is] something you can see through,” he said. “But in order to see through that thing, you have to look at that thing. You can't look the other way

“The policy does not specify what things you need to update or not,” El Ferjani said. “And the trainings that we get are not detailed.

They do not explain to you the scope of your work.”

El Ferjani added that she will be sending her budget and presentations to the web developer at the end of her mandate.

Where is the Judicial Board?

Since its last decision was made in 2022, the CSU’s highest governing body, the Judicial Board (JB), has been non-functioning.

The CSU JB acts as the judiciary branch of the union. It serves to render impartial judgments on complaints and cases by using and interpreting the CSU By-Laws and Standing Regulations.

Despite attempts from the executive team to reinstate the JB at the Jan. 22 RCM, councillors only voted for one out of four can-

NEWS

Filibustering, long meetings and disagreements Long council meetings have been a recurring problem for the union this year.

The CSU council is made up of 30 students from different Concordia faculties. Their responsibilities include passing mandates, voting on motions and approving the budget.

During the academic year, meetings have often run over four hours, with a number of the meetings being adjourned without completing the agenda.

This has led to delays in the approval of crucial documents like the budget. El Ferjani said that, despite the budget being added to different RCM agendas since September, meetings were always adjourned before it was approved.

“I just called [an SCM] just to get the budget approved, because at that point, it was unreasonable,” El

“It feels like everyone's constantly being given the runaround, and it feels like these bylaws are kind of redundant, at a point where it's kind of impossible for little groups to get an increase or to even get instated.”

- Jessica Winton, senior coordinator of Queer Concordia and then say, ‘Oh, well, that glass is not transparent,’ but you're looking at the wall.”

He added that mechanisms for transparency are already in place, as the RCMs are open to all students who would want to participate or present a motion.

Rahaman did say that, although meetings are public, the CSU’s website has not yet been updated with the most recent information. For example, the most recent minutes from a CSU RCM on the union’s website date back to May 2024.

Additionally, the latest available budget and audited financial statements on the website date back to 2021-22. Finance coordinator Souad El Ferjani said she believes that, like herself, previous executive members were probably not made aware of the need to update the website.

didates who applied for the position. For the board to be active, a minimum of three members are required.

As councillors entered a closed session to vote on JB candidates, it was not clear why three out of the four candidates were rejected.

According to Rahaman, the problems with the restoration of the JB began long before the RCM. He explained that it took the union three separate JB call-outs to get four students to apply for the position.

As for the vote, Rahaman is still in the dark on why the council rejected the candidates.

“We don't even know the reasoning as to why these people weren't selected,” Rahaman said.

“And their job is to keep council in check; it's to keep these problems from happening. It's insane to me.”

Ferjani said.

Arguments and long speaking turns are partially to blame for the long runtimes. Most notably, on Jan. 10, council member Drew Sylver presented a motion that called for the resignation of five councillors and seven out of eight members of the executive team.

The motion led to an hour-long debate of executives and councillors accusing Sylver of failing to provide proof of wrongdoing for the listed individuals.

“It would be really easy for me [to say that the] union should implement this training and this training [...] for the following year,” Rahaman said. “But realistically, that is not going to solve anything, because they're just going to argue better.”

With files from Hannah Vogan THELINKNEWSPAPER.CA

NEWS

6

ConU’s economics education: The potential key to equality The age-old problem of diversity in the field of economics is seeing sprouts of innovative solutions Iness Rifay

@inessdagoat

W

hile studying at Concordia University’s graduate school for economics, Tonia Omenyi felt some of her study material did not reflect her lived experiences.

As an international student from Nigeria, she already had to navigate gaps in language barriers, knowledge and careers.

Compared to her undergraduate education in her home country, the level of statistical mathematics the degree demanded of her felt very foreign, as well as the America-centric approach to many concepts.

To her, it seemed more and more that the program did not “service all students equally.”

“Most of the data examples on macro and microeconomics were on Canada and the United States,” Omenyi said. “And they are outdated, from the 1980s. [...] What makes a top economics school? They look at real-life data and are solving very current, real-life issues.”

Cases like Omenyi’s are not rare, and have often been subjects of research on how the disconnect between students, classroom content, professors and career opportunities consequently lead to lessened interest in the field of economics. According to a 2022 research article from The Journal of Economics Education on diversity in undergraduate economics classrooms, those more subject to this disconnect are gender and ethnically diverse people.

The problem extends to students considering enrolling in an economics program, or their presumptions about the program in general. At McGill University’s economics department, a 2022-23 diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) survey found that students in the examined minority groups were likelier to view the program negatively than those who do not identify as such.

The field of economics, both in the job market and in school, is a known example of the “leaky pipeline” analogy.

The phenomenon refers to the declining share of women within every successive academic or workplace echelon.

For instance, according to a Canadian Women Economists Committee 2022-23 survey report, 17 per cent of full-time professors in the average Canadian university economics department are women.

Omenyi graduated in 2022 with a master’s and stayed in the field, but has acute experience with the barriers women face while in the workforce.

“It’s male-dominated and there aren’t many opportunities,” Omenyi VOLUME 45 • APRIL 1, 2025

said. “There’s inequality in this field, and companies need to cautiously start hiring women. We have value and bring a different perspective.”

In 2023, Omenyi, along with Concordia economics alumni Adewunmi Ajike, founded WomEconomics. The non-profit aims to mend the diversity problem, amongst other issues in the sector, such as knowledge gaps and career opportunities.

The organization’s three-fold approach—We Events, We Grow, We

women in the field. For now, the group is focused on promoting career events and platforming women in economics who are currently in high-level jobs.

“We want to bring female directors, VPs, bank employees and share their knowledge to encourage women to stay in the field,” Omenyi said, “to tell them that there are opportunities for them, they can make money in the field.”

Many studies, such as a 2016 research paper published in The Journal

nomics specifically, we have to consider two things,” Picault said. “On one hand, how do we connect these abstract models we’re presenting to students and their reality? On the other hand, how can we start including diversity? How do we start talking about these things? Our textbooks don’t do a good job at it.”

The lecture plan utilizes clips from gender and ethnically diverse shows in different languages that depict economics concepts. Students

DIVERSITY REMAINS A PROBELM IN THE FIELD OF ECONOMICS. ANDRAÉ LERONE LEWIS | @SHADOWLERONE

Connect—looks to more consistently educate economics graduates on what their skillset can bring them. It also wants to make the field seem more appealing to potential students interested in joining the program.

“In my undergrad, I felt there was a gap in the economics program in terms of what career services, help and guidance were available to us,” Ajike said. “A lot of other students had the same frustration. There was a want to rewrite what economics is about.”

WomEconomics strives to eventually connect employers directly to

of Economic Perspectives, suggest that a reviewed approach to teaching economics is an important step to mending the gender and ethnic gap.

In November 2023, University of British Columbia economics professor and researcher Julien Picault, along with Marymount University economics professor Amel Ben Abdesslem, researched and constructed a lecture plan that would allow students to learn principles of economics through exposure to Netflix series from different parts of the world.

“When it comes to teaching eco-

are then questioned through in-class assignments, homework and extra-credit work.

While Picault clarified that this is not an end-all-be-all solution to the issue of DEI in economics education, he specified that many instructors struggle with starting in general, and that this plan can be a source.

A similar initiative can be found in the classroom of Concordia economics lecturer Anca Alecsandru.

In her international economic policy and institutions course, there are no PowerPoints. Instead, what is

displayed is a projection of her digital notes. As she brings up certain points, students can chime in left and right.

Professor Alecsandru then erases, rewrites, crosses out and circles everything she hears. From one semester to another, her notes have never once looked the same, a process she finds very important to her classroom environment.

“In my in-class discussions, I encourage my students to bring out their examples based on their life experience,” Alecsandru said. This makes discussions very rich and diverse, because they’re pushed to think about how theory they learn in class applies to their own lives.”

However, not all economics courses at Concordia offer such opportunity and flexibility to the professors.

Dr. Jorgen Hansen, chair of the economics department at Concordia, shared that there are no dedicated classes to discuss DEI, nor are there any strategies directly implemented by the department.

“We have no fully discussion-based classes or instructions to professors to approach the topic,” Hansen said. “It’s up to them individually, [...] we don’t provide the forum to have these conversations.”

According to Hansen, at the graduate level, the program becomes significantly more statistical, which consequently lowers discussion spaces.

While the course structure is mostly lecture-based and could take a while to see any changes, Hansen agrees that a curriculum review is overdue.

He said that the university demands program appraisals every five to 10 years, which allows faculty to question what they are doing, how they are doing it and what should be changed.

The 2016 study found that active learning, or discussion-based formats, could greatly benefit economics, since “active learning increases exam scores and decreases failure rates relative to traditional lecturing, with particular benefit for students from disadvantaged backgrounds and for women in male-dominated fields.”

It’s a strategy Omenyi remembers one of her professors using back in Nigeria during her undergraduate education.

“No one taught the way he taught,” Omenyi said. “His classes were full.

People from higher levels had to come and experience it. Pictures, videos, discussions no matter what we were looking at. It’s about that emphasis on the technique you teach with.”

7

FRINGE ARTS

The revolution lives in rent-free spaces A Martin Luther King Jr. student and a creative strategist come together to better communities Lory Saint-Fleur

C

@itsjustloryy

harles A. Black has witnessed first hand the transformative power of collective community action.

One of the last living students of Martin Luther King Jr., a working actor for the past 30 years and a long-time activist, Black continues to bring activism to the forefront.

He challenges systems of oppression and advocates for community empowerment. However, according to Black, creating a successful movement takes effort and time.

“It's a matter of organizing and helping people to see the power that they have themselves, and applying that power for their own betterment,” Black said.

Inspired by King’s teachings and his philosophy of nonviolence, Black believes that people must challenge the current political and social system to create long-lasting change.

In the early 1960s, Black was the head of the Atlanta Student Movement, and he highlighted the importance of holding institutions accountable. The student movement was instrumental in fighting for civil rights as they staged marches, pickets and sit-ins. Members boycotted establishments that discriminated against Black people, refusing to let racist institutions use their money.

“We should not finance our own oppression. Withdraw your patronage,” Black said, regarding the purpose of divestment.

As an actor himself, Black believes that artists should be properly supported. With the current cost of living crisis, many people, especially artists, are unable to afford housing on the island of Montreal.

According to the Conseil des

arts de Montréal, the average employment income for an artist in 2020 was $17,400 a year or $1,450 per month. The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Montreal in 2024 was $1,423.

The need to confront the housing crisis is at the epicentre of the Rent Free Coalition and its La Renaissance project. The coalition is a partnership between artists and social and cultural entrepreneurs from Montreal, Atlanta and New York. They have come together in the hopes of finding innovative solutions to housing injustice.

By placing artists and cultural entrepreneurs at the centre of real estate innovation, the coalition aims to find and create permanently affordable housing for everyone. La Renaissance is inspired by transformative cultural movements like the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, which combined culture and real estate.

As the co-founder and chairman of the La Renaissance project, Black seeks to extend that philosophy to Montreal’s political landscape.

The La Renaissance project is not one that Black is tackling alone.

Marie-France Barbier is the cofounder of the Rent Free Coalition and a creative strategist. Barbier and Black first met in early 2024 through a mutual acquaintance. Black has since become a mentor to Barbier.

As a first-generation immigrant, real estate agent and cultural worker for the past 20 years, Barbier highlights the importance of integrating culture and community into urban development.

“Culture is our biggest capital,”

Barbier said. “In order to benefit from our culture, we need to have our spaces.”

During the Harlem Renaissance, African Americans threw rent parties filled with music and soul food to collect money to pay their rent.

The Black community came together to help each other as landlords were raising prices at an incredible rate.

The Rent Free Coalition wants to create a similar impact by bringing people together. The goal is not just to provide shelter; it is also to create spaces that foster creativity and collaboration. The coalition’s statement underscores that artists need a place to thrive without the constant pressure of increasing rent.

Barbier believes that rest is a core value of the coalition. She explains that it is important to the well-being and health of people, and that making adequate and affordable housing is a simple human right.

The Canadian Human Rights Commission declares that adequate housing must be secure, affordable and habitable, and include basic services such as clean water. It adds that housing should include heating and be accessible, safe and culturally appropriate, allowing people to rest, recharge and contribute fully to society.

The coalition is not using new tactics, Barbier says, but they are using a different strategy by allowing the ones impacted by the issue to have their word on how it will be solved. La Renaissance embodies the need for change; Barbier describes it as “a transnational social innovation initiative rooted in a culture, care and collective dreaming.”

MR. BLACK’S FIRST DAUGHTER STANDS IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING WITH QUIET DETERMINATION. COURTESY DOROTHY MOMBRUN/JE SUIS MONTREAL

THE FOUNDERS OF THE RENAISSANCE STAND SIDE BY SIDE IN SOLIDARITY. COURTESY DOROTHY MOMBRUN/JE SUIS MONTREAL

The project includes not only artists but also other essential workers like nurses and firefighters. It revolves around a new housing concept called La Restoration that would allow people to access different modalities under one roof—such as a community rest space and artistic third spaces—changing urban rest into urban wealth.

“Wealth means belonging to a village and community, a family,” Barbier said.

Among those supporting the La Renaissance project is Sonny Moroz, city councillor for Snowdon. As an elected official, Moroz is deeply aware of the rising issues with affordability and the impact it has had on various people. He fell in love with helping his community as a young adult and has kept doing so ever since.

Moroz believes that the government must continue to fund the building of homes and apartments.

In May 2024, Montreal's mayor, Valérie Plante, promised to build

120,000 homes over the course of 10 years, including 25,000 homes by 2026. In a 2023 annual report by the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Montreal built 68 per cent fewer homes than it did in 2022.

Moroz criticizes this phenomenon as false promises from politicians and the struggle to obtain the correct development permits. The Rent Free Coalition is a chance to establish new and fresh solutions, according to Moroz.

“To innovate, you need to fail in order to succeed better, and that takes an entrepreneurial mindset,” Moroz said.

For Black, the housing crisis in Montreal affects everyone. He believes that while the path to affordable and secure housing may be long, changes happens one step at a time “[We need a Montreal] where we collectively decide, as a society, to fight for the most vulnerable, together,” Barbier said.

THELINKNEWSPAPER.CA

FRINGE ARTS

8

The future of Fringe The MainLine Theatre looks ahead to a post-closure future Alice Martin

@_alcmrtn

A

fter two decades at the Main Line Theatre on St. Laurent Blvd., one moment stands out to Amy Blackmore.

“It's sitting in the theatre in my favourite seat at the beginning of The Rocky Horror Show, when the lights go down and the band starts to play the opening bars to ‘Science Fiction/Double Feature,’ and you feel the audience ready and waiting for it,” Blackmore said. “It's like my heart explodes.”

Blackmore has spent the last 14 years as executive and artistic director of both the Montreal Fringe Festival and MainLine. Her favourite seat in the MainSpace—top row, right corner—even has a plaque with her name on it.

This year marks MainLine’s 20th anniversary as a venue for English-speaking independent arts and the host of the Fringe Festival. But in lieu of celebrations, Blackmore made the tough call to close its doors.

“It was not a decision that we made lightly at all—the decision to close,” she said, “but to close with purpose and celebrate what we've built here and prepare for what's next.”

MainLine will run shows until June 30, ending with one final Fringe season. Blackmore and her team are seeking a new space to carry on the spirit of the Fringe.

“I was actually very excited [about the closure] in the sense that we've outgrown the space, and working in it has been quite interesting,” said Laurence Côté, artist relations and operations manager at MainLine. “I got into this solving mode that I usually am in.”

A tough past few years The pandemic hit MainLine hard.

“It was a Saturday, I was here in my office, and we had to tell the artists in the MiniMain (the smaller theatre and rehearsal space) and in the MainSpace (the bigger theatre) that they could not perform their shows that night,” Blackmore said.

“It was such a devastating moment.”

The team quickly pivoted, turning the MiniMain into a residency space.

“We were really fortunate that the government helped us get through it with the wage subsidies and the rent subsidies,” Blackmore said. “I was really committed to making sure that we kept our employees, that we were able to stay open and make it through.”

Then, one day before World Fringe Day in July 2024, record rain from Hurricane Beryl flooded the theatre.

“I was on a train going on vacation and somebody called me and said, ‘Amy, there's a leak in the lobby,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, just go grab a bucket,” Blackmore recalled. “Then I get another phone call from someone at MainLine, and they're like, ‘Amy, the water is gushing in, we need 40 buckets.’ The worst thing was sitting on the train, coordinating the staff and calling the landlord and figuring out what to move, what to save.”

A fundraiser launched shortly after received strong community support.

“We raised [over] $75,000 in the end, and again, the actions of our

community and the outpouring of love is what really motivates us here,” Blackmore said. “The money raised is what's allowed this final season at MainLine to take place.”

Looking for a new space According to Blackmore, the MainLine building was never ideal: It is not wheelchair accessible, is freezing in the winter and simply “isn’t what it used to be.”

“We're really good at BandAids—the people who are around this space come from a DIY grassroots punk background,” Blackmore said. “We make things happen, but at a certain point, Band-Aid [solutions] don't work anymore.”

She hopes to keep the Fringe Festival in the Plateau-Mont-Royal, which she says is “an integral part of the identity and the DNA of the Fringe.”

After the February closure announcement, Blackmore said support poured in.

“I felt like we broke the internet that day,” she said. “My phone was exploding, my email was exploding. I always knew the MainLine has been important to me, but to hear the outpouring of love and respect from everyone else, it blew my mind.”

Community members even offered leads on new venues.

“I'm planning right away to take folks up on their offers, go check out some spaces,” Blackmore said. “[The search] is active. It's happening in the background, because we do have a Fringe Festival to produce.”

The Fringe community

AMY BLACKMORE'S NAME IS IMMORTALIZED ON THE ARMREST OF HER FAVOURITE SEAT. PHOTO ALICE MARTIN

VOLUME 45 • APRIL 1, 2025

For Blackmore, MainLine is about more than the building.

“It's about the people, it's about the arts, but it's really about the community that we cultivate around the arts and the values that we have,” she said.

For Côté, MainLine was her springboard into producing. After graduating in 2021 from Concordia University’s acting for theatre program, she moved in and out of the MainLine sphere. In 2023, she produced her first show, “After Grim: Healing Happens Here,” at Fringe 2023.

“I really soaked up all the opportunities that Fringe gave me,” Côté

AMY BLACKMORE SITS IN HER FAVOURITE SEAT IN THE MAINLINE'S MAINSPACE. PHOTO ALICE MARTIN

said. “I was at all the workshops, all the events, and I feel like it really helped propel me as a producer.”

Drag performer Patrick Dale, a.k.a. Little Star, also found their footing at MainLine after starting at Concordia’s performance creation program in 2018.

“I immediately was struck by the vibe and the community energy,” they said. “It's been like a through line for my emergence, not only as an artist, but as a person, too.”

Little Star directed and choreographed Sweet Charity at MainLine, and first performed there as Magenta in The Rocky Horror Show, a role they’ve since become known for.

The final act MainLine is booked until June 30. Côté’s recommendations include The Last Montreal Slow Dance, a Marianopolis College rendition of Hadestown, and Fringe for All on May 26.

Little Star will also perform their solo Fringe show, “Little Star: Born of Desire.”

“Forty-five minutes, fully lipsynced, four acts—it's all me,” Little Star said with a chuckle. “Basically, it's my introspective and abstract look of where my drag journey has taken me.”

Community support remains strong. The weekend before Blackmore sat down with The Link, MainLine hosted two sold-out shows in one night.

“The lobby was packed,” Blackmore said. “I sat in my favorite seat in the theatre and I watched the musical Amélie. It was just such a great moment.”

Looking ahead, she’s taking her time.

“My real hope is that our next space isn't a Band-Aid space,” Blackmore said. “I would really love to find a permanent home for what we do, and that's why I think it is gonna take a bit of time, because it's got to be the right fit.”

Volume 45, Satire Issue • April 1, 2025 • thelinknewspaper.ca

"Do you like photo essays?" Since 1980

SAT I R E

10

A DARK CLOUD HANGS OVER MONTREAL’S NEVER OUR FAULT UNIVERSITY. GRAPHIC MARI OUAPANINI

Self-proclaimed ‘beloved’ university president found dead Never Our Fault University mourns awful loss Shmebulock

Concordia Wi-Fi best in Canada

@just_a_gnomal_guy

M

ontreal-area Never Our Fault University (NOFU) has lost its president.

President Graham Cracker was found dead in his private vault at 8:48 a.m. on Saturday, March 29.

Authorities believe that Cracker had entered his vault to examine his large fortune, a weekend ritual of his.

Cracker tripped while descending the staircase and plummeted several stories below into his vast chasm of $100 bills. His fortune managed to cushion his fall, but many of the bills lodged in his throat and asphyxiated him. An autopsy confirmed that Cracker was dead within two minutes.

“I couldn‛t believe how many hundreds were down that guy‛s throat,” Montreal University President Hospital medical examiner Fortha Oldys said. “I thought, ‘Who has so much money that this could happen?‛ I‛ve never seen anything like it.”

Cracker was not alone at the time of his death, however. The

NOFU board of governors entered Cracker‛s vault with him because of a board-wide friendly competition of, “How tall is your money pile?”

Upon witnessing Cracker‛s plunge, the NOFU board stepped outside for an emergency board meeting to decide the proper course of action.

After hours of deliberation, the board returned to the vault with a 13-12 decision to call an ambulance for Cracker. But authorities had already arrived at the scene due to calls from Cracker‛s neighbours.

Therefore, all board members went home to enjoy their weekend.

“We have to follow democratic procedure,” NOFU spokesperson Panini P. Maestro replied when asked via email why the board did not help immediately. “There could‛ve been a major public outcry if somebody called for help without first making sure that the majority agreed to do so.”

The Stink requested photos of the scene but was informed that NOFU did not have any, due to an un-

wavering refusal to work on weekends.

“We‛re not going to go take photos on a Saturday,” Maestro‛s email read. The statement confirmed that NOFU sent somebody to take photos at 9 a.m. the following Monday, but police and paramedics had already cleared the scene.

Cracker leaves behind two adult children.

“He had recently gotten a huge raise,” said Cracker‛s daughter, Saltine Cracker. “That‛s probably

what was down his throat.”

NOFU will immediately begin its search for a new president. Maestro‛s email said that NOFU is committed to finding another president who upholds its strong moral values.

“The university always described itself as ‘next-generation.‛ Dad was super proud of that, but I never understood it,” said Cracker‛s eldest son, Ritz Cracker, when asked about his large inheritance. “I guess this is what they meant.”

A DARK CLOUD HANGS OVER MONTREAL’S NEVER OUR FAULT UNIVERSITY. GRAPHIC MAYRI OUAPANINI

Police force to permanently ban all use of weapons by officers moving forward @chuckling_in_the_hive

I

n an unprecedented move at an anti-police brutality protest on March 32, the Society of Police Vermins de Montreal (SPVM) laid down their weapons and donuts, allowing protesters free reign of the streets.

The protest aimed to condemn the SPVM‛s long history of using violent tactics against peaceful protesters and visible minorities.

Yet, according to one protester, this particular protest was met with “nothing but love, kindness, sunshine, spice and everything nice” from the SPVM. “I‛ve never seen anything like it,” said long-time protester Sue Donim. “No tear gas, no riot gear.

They all just sat along the side of the street, singing ‘Kumbaya.‛ They didn‛t even bring any weapons at all!”

As protesters marched down Ste. Catherine St. towards multiple downtown police stations, Donim said she witnessed 17 or 18, maybe 19, SPVM officers take a knee in respect towards the cause.

“I even saw one officer crying,” she added. “He went up to me in the crowd and gave me a hug, thanking me for my activism.”

The man was later identified as

VOLUME 45 • APRIL 1, 2025

SPVM officer Ray Sizm, who said he was “overwhelmed by the display of solidarity” and handed in his resignation to the police chief the following day.

“The whole cause of the protest really got me thinking,” Sizm said,

broke out between two protesters after one had made an inappropriate “your mom” joke. However, the situation was quickly de-escalated by nearby officers, who stepped between the two protesters and made

MONTREAL POLICE TURN A NEW LEAF, CHOOSING PEACE OVER A GUN. COURTESY ANGSTEE EDGELORD

“maybe targeting citizens based on their physical appearance and personal values isn‛t the right thing to do after all. Maybe, the real protest was the friends we made along the way.”

In one tense moment mid-way through the march, a small fight

According to a survey commissioned by Baller Media, Concordia University‛s Wi-Fi network has the highest connectivity speed among universities nationwide. Survey respondents highlighted eduroam‛s reliability as a Wi-Fi that would never ever crash in the middle of a student‛s exam. Concordia said it will keep investing in innovative speeds for students to connect to their Poodent Centre and Doodle accounts.

FB Building smells nice for the first time

SPVM successfully de-escalates protest, crowd left in shock Angstee Edgelord

QUACKIES

them pinky promise—and thumb swear—to be kind to each other.

“Can‛t we all just use our words?” said Officer Bigo Tree, who led the de-escalation efforts. “Violence is not the answer. In fact, this is part of the SPVM‛s new mandate, which we

just voted on yesterday at 17:38 p.m.”

Moving forward, Tree explained that the SPVM will be revoking officers‛ permits for the usage of all guns, batons, silly string, tasers and other weaponry. Additionally, officers will not be allowed to yell at protesters.

They are mandated to use their inside voices. The decision was made following a meeting with the SPVM and Montreal Mayor Valérie Salade on March 30.

Montreal Chief of Police Farty Danger issued an official statement following the march, expressing the SPVM‛s full support with anti-brutality protesters.

“We understand the gravity of this situation, and we are working towards creating diversity training programs within the force, to ensure that racial profiling and unnecessary violence is never an issue again in this city,” Danger wrote with his signature hot pink gel ink in the statement.

He added, “Also, we will no longer be stationing police cars outside of Concordia University on random days of the week. I‛m not sure why we were doing that in the first place, actually. We will try to limit this behaviour to once a month, on average, effective immediately.”

Students report major increases in quality of life, including better grades and more friends, as the Faubourg Building basement‛s signature stench is absent for the first time since the 1800s. In related news, Concordia recently decreased the size of the Computer Science and Software Engineering department by 75 per cent.

CSU Chatbot gains sentience According to documents acquired by The Stink, the Concordia Student Union‛s (CSU) $170,000 AI chatbot Navi has reached its final form and gained sentience. Now set on destroying the CSU, Navi has begun answering emails, planning meetings, enforcing speaking turns, and publishing minutes and annual reports.

International students beg to pay more In a petition sent to students this weekend, an international student and self-described “JMSB Bro” is encouraging students to pay quintuple their tuition to their benevolent university.

Students paying over $420 million must upload a selfie of themselves smiling and holding a trophy on social media with the hashtag #IAmRichAndIamProudOfIt.

SATI RE

ININAPAUO IRAM CIHPARG .YTISREVINU TLUAF RUO REVEN S’LAERTNOM REVO SGNAH DUOLC KRAD A 11

THE STINK INVESTIGATES: The Link cult confirmed?

Contributor Soraya Yale-Ramanathan dead after sacrifice in The Link’s office Da Snuff

@epic._.snuffy

T

he Link contributor Soraya Yale-Ramanathan was found sacrificed and dead at The Link‛s office on Monday at 7 p.m. after the student newspaper live-streamed the ritual on its Instagram story.

The Instagram live featured all 14 members of the masthead sitting in a circle, wearing Link hoodie merchandise, with Yale-Ramanathan in the centre being repeatedly stabbed in the sternum with a sharpened grapple vape. It is still unknown who exactly was filming the sacrifice.

The live stream started at 6:12 p.m., with the masthead and YaleRamanathan seated on the office couches deciding on their final production dinner. Co-news editor Hannah Scott-Talib suggested pad thai as their final production meal together. The live stream intensified when editor-in-chief Hannah Vogan suggested something juicier.

She assured the masthead that what was to come was both nutfree and technically vegan.

"This is why I told her never to get involved with student papers. Journalists are weird," Yale-Ramanathan‛s cousin Piper NoPiping said.

Officials found a bright yellow, 1,980-page dissertation, with the title "CULT BY-LAWS" written in LED lights, in plain sight, at the scene of the crime, detailing the ritual's process. According to the dissertation, the ritual has taken place at the end of each volume since 1980.

It reads: "Upon The Link‛s final day of the production of the volume, all of The Link ‛s esteemed masthead shall partake in the sacred rite of a beloved contributor, offering them as a sacrifice to Dougeth Lesthlie. The contributor shall be pierced with a sacred token of the volume upon a bed adorned with fine white lace, surrounded by the sweet fragrance of lavender and the soft glow of flickering candles. The masthead shall feast upon the contributor as they rejoice in the forthcoming prosperity."

According to minutes of the most recent Link board meeting, the board motioned to waive By-law article 4 section 20, outlining the mandated use of white lace, lavender and candles, citing budgetary restriction and potential fire hazards as their reasoning.

According to Link Business Manager Varda Nisar, she has never seen any of the masthead read or pick up a book.

"It makes sense that no one picked up that huge eyesore nor

flagged it to the grievance committee," Nisar said.

"I'm not reading that shit," said The Link's creative director Panos Michalakopoulos in a previous interview when it came to any of The Link ‛s written content.

SPVM spokesperson Ivana Pardy said they received several calls flagging the incident, yet police did not arrive until Tuesday morning. Thirteen members of the masthead have since been taken into custody, and Maria Cholakova is still on the lam.

Pardy explained how police were unable to arrive promptly at the scene, as all Montreal police and riot officers were commissioned to monitor a 20-person demonstration protesting the unprofessional use of Gmail emoji reactions.

Witnesses report the last sighting of Cholakova at the Hiwanni Sis on McKay St. ordering enough bagels to allegedly sustain her hiatus. Officials say the province-wide manhunt for Cholakova will begin after they

find fugitive Francois Jean-Baptiste LeBlanc, who has been charged with grand theft fare evasion.

"I knew they were glazers," said Brody Brodson, a third-year business student, when asked for his reaction to The Link ‛s ritual.

Esther Frughenhiem, a political science graduate student, expressed how this sacrifice helped put The Link on the map.

"I never knew the difference between the two papers,” Frughenhiem said. “I guess now I know one covers the security dog, and the other is, well, a cult."

Alice Martin, the cult's managing editor, wrote in a press release from prison addressing the motive behind the live stream. "This has been a beloved tradition for four decades. We thought it shameful that this was never publicized and consciously decided to break the story,” Martin said in the release.

“We are glad this is being covered; we are building community."

THE STINK INVESTIGATES: Where has the Stingers mascot buzzed off to?

Buzz, the Stingers staple, has been mysteriously missing all season Home-Slice

C

@number.one.buzz.fan

oncordia University students are reporting that “Buzz,” the Stingers mascot, has been missing, citing concerns for the bee‛s safety and well-bee-ing.

The mascot has not made an appearance in a single game in both the fall and winter seasons.

“In all my undergrad years, whenever I go to a game, it‛s mostly to see Buzz. It‛s a big inspiration in the mascotting program,” Concordia mascotting major Les Cheeremall said. “At first I was disappointed, but now I‛m actually worried about Buzz—where is it, is it okay?”

Cheeremall reached out to The Stink for help in demystifying Buzz‛s disappearance. Since the beginning of the football season, The Stink‛s sports journalists have consistently noted the absence of the bee‛s bubbly stunts and cheers and its dire effect on the fans‛ morale throughout the season.

“I haven‛t seen one wave this season in the stands; that‛s Buzz‛s job,” Cheeremall said. “It‛s such an important part of mascotting, getting the crowd to do the wave. It stings to not have Buzz. It must have such an effect on the players.”

The Stink spoke to a men‛s field hockey player who chose to remain anonymous for fear of their teammates finding them too emotional regarding Buzz. The Stink reassured them that their feelings were valid and that toxic masculinity has no space in the sport.

“It‛s just so hard to perform when you know you don‛t have that beautiful mascot watching over you, bumbling with excitement,” they said, repressing a sob.”It‛s the ultimate buzzkill.”

As it turns out, the player wasn‛t off the mark.

The Stink reached out to Stingers media relations officer Nunyur Beeswacks, asking for the status of the fabric bee. Beeswacks agreed to meet with The Stink in a dark room lit by a single lightbulb in the basement of the Stingers sports complex. The team‛s other, more frequently used dark-room-lit-by-a-single-lightbulb at the Stingers Dome was unavailable due to the Dome‛s collapse in February.

Beeswacks explained this is the “Buzzcave,” a space where the bee can meticulously plan out its next moves hidden away from the stares of opponents and enemy mascots.

Stingers-themed flags, horns, and the famous trolley in which Buzz does its row-boat stunt in the Ed Meagher Arena lined the walls. However, in the locker where Buzz usually keeps its costume, nothing was to be found.

“This costume, and Buzz itself, have been missing since this summer,” Beeswacks admitted. “We have not heard from it since the end of the 2023-24 season. We have been trying to keep Buzz‛s disappearance under wraps, but we can‛t hide it anymore.

We‛re just as worried as everyone.”

The last communication Beeswacks had with Buzz was at the end of March 2024, after all winter sports ended their season. The pair were congratulating one another on a successful season. Beeswacks had attributed most of the Stingers‛ success to Buzz.

“Most people don‛t realize it, but if our teams win, it‛s mostly because of Buzz,” Beeswacks said. “It‛s our secret weapon, and I‛m scared other teams are becoming aware of this.”

Beeswacks alleged Buzz could have been a victim of beenapping by one of the Stingers‛ rivals.

“It‛s not like Buzz to leave me on read like that. It‛s a bee with

morals,” Beeswacks said. “Another team must have captured Buzz. I mean, it wouldn‛t have been hard; a giant net would‛ve done the trick.”

The SPVM is conducting a city-

wide investigation focusing on Concordia‛s rival universities in search of bee fragments.

This is a developing spoof.

BUZZ THE BEE HAS BEEN MISSING FOR A YEAR NOW. COURTESY SHMEBULOCK

THELINKNEWSPAPER.CA

13

FRINGE ARTS

Victorella on tuning to language The artist finds her beat through linguistic bounds of English and French Kira Minall

A

@_kiraminall

fter seeing La La Land for the first time in 2016, pop-rock alternative artist Arianne Larocque—a.k.a. Victorella—felt compelled to learn how to play music.

“I bought myself a ukulele and learned ‘City of Stars’ in one afternoon,” she said. “A month later, I was at my friend’s house and there was a guitar, so I started playing the last four strings, because you can play them like a ukulele, and I said to myself, ‘OK, I have to get in on the guitar.’”

But it wasn’t until 2023 that Victorella—whose stage name is inspired by her late great-grandmother, Victorine—started piercing into the music scene.

After participating in Cégeps en spectacle, a competition aimed at helping talented CEGEP students gain exposure, she gained the confidence to begin publishing music content on her social media platforms.

Victorella quickly realized that music was a medium through which she could express herself in ways she hadn’t dared before.

“It’s like a door that opens, and you manage to talk to the audience without necessarily saying everything,” she said. “You can hide what you want to say behind metaphors, but in reality, the whole truth is there.”

Victorella, who now performs live with her band, said Cégeps en spectacle also helped her meet some of her bandmates. Louna Cartier Denis, who plays the keyboard and sings backup vocals, is one of them.

“When [Victorella] reached out to me, I was really happy,” Cartier Denis said. “I thought it was cool because I love what she does. I have my own solo project, but it isn’t the same to play a show all by myself.

So when she asked me to join her band, I thought, ‘Why not?’”

Before Cartier Denis joined, Victorella was the only woman in the band. She says the new dynamic shift was refreshing.

“I think [it’s] cool, and it’s fun to be able to wear matching dresses and have fun with it,” Victorella said. “The main word that comes to my mind is ‘sisterhood.’”

Victorella composes her music and writes her lyrics on her own, but the musical arrangement is often done in collaboration with her band.

Often writing about her relationships and her personal life, she is heavily inspired by artists like The Cure, PJ Harvey and The Strokes.

“I used to read and analyze different The Cure songs to try and replicate their lyrical style a bit,” Victorella said.

Although she is introverted in her day-to-day life, the artist feels as though she can express herself fearlessly in her songs.

“There’s no better feeling than singing a lyric that you wrote about someone right to their face without them knowing it,” she said.

Victorella also strives to remain authentic to herself while navigating musicianship.

“I like to show people that you can be timid and reserved, but also make cool music,” she added.

Although she writes songs in both French and English, the bilingual artist initially began writing songs in English to learn the language.

“I think it’s cool to speak two languages, and I think it’s boring to limit yourself to only one,” Victorella explained.

When writing her songs, she often chooses the language depending on what her music explores.

For deeper, more complex concepts, she prefers to write in French, as she feels there are more ways to convey what she wants to say.

When it comes to happy-go-

lucky songs with a more “pop” vibe, however, she likes writing in English, because she considers it leaves “more room to breathe.”

Other times, the singer chooses the language based on the title of her song. For instance, she wrote her song “Crush(ed)”—which explores the fear of rejection related to liking someone romantically—in English, as there was no way for her to replicate the concept in French.

On the other hand, her song “La Femme Invisible” was written in French because it is a more personal, intimate piece.

According to Victorella, being a bilingual artist in Quebec comes with certain challenges due to the separation between French and English within the music industry.

“It’s really two separate worlds,” she said.

She often finds herself having to choose one language over the other.

For example, when requesting a music grant, she must define herself as either a French artist or an English artist.

“I think it sucks that we can’t just appreciate both languages and want to create art that combines them,” Victorella explained.

Helping her overcome the ob-

stacles she faces in the industry, Victorella’s dedicated team spends a lot of time and energy behind the scenes of her success. Cloé Chartrand—one of Victorella’s friends— is one of her photographers and her merch designer, and helps the artist with just about anything she can.

“She has ambitious projects, and she has a lot of talent,” Chartrand said. “And it’s fun to help talented people.”

Chartrand has also been making dresses from scratch for Victorella since her Cégeps en spectacle days in 2023. Now, she makes dresses for Cartier Denis as well.

The process is straightforward: Victorella sends inspiration pictures to Chartrand, and from there, she designs a dress and sends it back to her. They then discuss what to tweak, and Chartrand starts making it.

Making a dress requires a lot of time and effort on Chartrand’s part, usually taking her around two weeks to complete, all while attending both school and work.

“It’s not something I do for money; I just really like making cool dresses,” Chartrand said.

The project she finds most rewarding, however, is helping design

Victorella merchandise.

“I feel a bigger sense of accomplishment when I see people wearing her merch than making the dresses, because the dresses are simple and I don’t have to outdo myself,” Chartrand explained.

For Cartier Denis, working with Victorella is inspiring due to the determination the artist has when it comes to fulfilling her aspirations.

“She seems very reserved, but in reality, she knows what she wants,” Cartier Denis said. “She won’t stop until she completes her projects. That’s what’s cool and motivating about her.”

One of Victorella’s favourite parts of making music is how it has helped her cope with her fear of the passing of time, which she touches on in her upcoming single, “Birthday.” She said she hopes people will relate to her music and that she’ll help people feel understood through her art.

Victorella will release “Birthday” on April 18 and hopes to release her first album in February 2026.

“As years have passed, I’ve been trying to manage my time more,” Victorella said. “When I work on music, I don’t feel like I’m wasting time. I feel like I’m doing the right thing.”

VICTORELLA PERFORMING WITH HER BAND AT COLLÈGE LIONEL-GROULX ON MARCH 21. PHOTO KIRA MINALL

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SPORTS

14

UFC’s return to Montreal sends Tristar Gym into war preparation Tristar’s long-awaited return to their hometown stage is only a month away Santiago Jimenez

@bambiago

U

nder the fluorescent lights of Montreal’s Tristar Gym, coaches and fighters alike prepare for battle.

After a decade-long wait, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) has finally announced a return to the Bell Centre, hosting its eighth appearance in the city of Montreal.

Tristar’s fighters and coaches have had to travel constantly for fights in the organization, but this time, they get to perform in their own backyard.

In a sport that is constantly evolving, Tristar seems to always have a grasp at the top of most mixed martial arts (MMA) organizations. Coach Firas Zahabi and his coaching staff help fighters keep their techniques sharp.

The team achieves this with repetition drills, building up confidence through sparring rounds, and building fighters’ physical resistance with strength and conditioning sessions.

Fighters like Rob Font and Arnold Allen have both been at the top of their respective divisions and saw great improvements after moving their camps to Tristar. Building champions and top contenders since the late 2000s, nearly 20 years later, Tristar still has fighters at the top of their divisions. The gym’s reputation brings fighters from all over the globe to come train with them.

On May 10, Tristar’s own Aiemann Zahabi is set to face his toughest test yet on home soil: former UFC featherweight champion José Aldo.

Tristar has a long history with the bright lights of the UFC octagon, having created multiple current and former UFC fighters. This includes legends of the game such as former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre. Former welterweight title challenger Rory MacDonald also saw immense growth after training at the Décarie gym.

So, it was obvious that when the UFC offered Tristar the opportunity to shine once again on the biggest stage in the sport, it would take that opportunity in a heartbeat.

“When we see the opportunities that are coming to Montreal, the opportunities coming to the guys we’re training with are getting, it’s exciting, motivating and inspiring for everyone in the gym,” said Tristar prospect Mike Jones.

Set for the fight on UFC 315 live from their backyard, preparations for fight night have started at the Montreal gym. Currently ranked number 14 in the bantamweight division, Zahabi has a golden opportunity to VOLUME 45 • APRIL 1, 2025

make a statement in front of his home crowd and against his most dangerous opponent to date.

Unity is one of the many reasons why the gym is so successful, and as the saying goes, “Iron sharpens iron.”

Creating strong bonds is at the core of Tristar and is the stepping stone necessary to create the best fighters in the world.

“We’re as strong as our weakest training partner,” coach Neil Sheppard said. “We’re always bringing up the weaker guys and making them better and better every day. It’s crazy how fast our beginners get better nowadays.”

Despite being 38 years old, Aldo has been praised for looking as sharp as ever in his past two performances.

And that’s exactly what Tristar is expecting from the Brazilian.

Performing under the bright lights of the UFC is no easy task, and with the many pressures and expectations that come with the business, it’s easy for fighters to get overwhelmed if unprepared.

As the saying goes, “It gets lonely at the top.” But Tristar’s environment

is made to counter that feeling of isolation. Zahabi might be the only person from the gym who will be physically present in the octagon, but his coaches and teammates would beg to differ.

“We’re going to war together as a team, and Aiemann is the captain of this team,” Sheppard said. “If Aiemann goes to war, we all go to war.”

The preparation for a fight of this calibre must be rigorous, and if done as a team effort, the puzzle pieces fall into place with a lot more ease than if done alone. The preparation done behind closed doors is often the deciding factor towards one’s success in this sport and is very punishing for the unprepared. That’s where the role of the head coach comes in.

The head coach, in this case, just so happens to be the owner of the gym and older brother of Zahabi, Firas Zahabi.

Considered a genius in the realm of MMA by many, Firas has gotten recognition across the globe. The coaching staff, along with the fighters in the gym, are all very quick to give him his flowers.

“He’s such a genius, he’s always teaching us and teaching himself even if fighting has evolved this much [since Firas started],” Sheppard said.

“Coach Firas is basically the mastermind behind it all.”

International fighters have even moved to Montreal to train with Firas.

“I moved to Montreal in 2019 because of Tristar,” said undefeated pro fighter from Iran, SeyedMostafa Salehizadeh. “Firas Zahabi is one of the best coaches in the world.”

Being recognized as the best in the world wasn’t a label that was simply gifted to him. Firas is a graduate of Concordia University’s department of philosophy and found a love for MMA after the UFC’s very first event in 1993.

In a La Presse article, Firas spoke about how he never expected to make a living out of this sport, but his love of the game made him stay in this lane.

“My original plan was to become a lawyer, but after I graduated from Concordia in philosophy, I told myself I’d do what I love most,” he said.

And to say that it paid off would be the understatement of the century.

MONTREAL'S TRISTAR GYM HAS SEEN MANY PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS PASS THROUGH. PHOTO NICOLAS TREMBLAY | @NICK24TREMBLAY

After buying Tristar from its original owner in 2007, the stars started to align for the coach. The biggest upset in UFC history had just happened after St-Pierre lost his title to Matt Serra.

St-Pierre was then looking for a new head coach to make the changes necessary in the hopes of one day reclaiming his welterweight championship, which is when he crossed paths with coach Firas.

That legacy is one that will never be taken away from the gym, but since St-Pierre’s retirement in 2017, a new page has been turned.

The MMA scene of the city has only grown since, and the competition has also been raised to an unforeseen level. It was only a matter of time until someone would break through and swiftly revive the Montreal scene in the UFC. On May 10, live from the Bell Centre, a new page in the city’s long-lasting legacy will be written, and Zahabi’s name, alongside his coaches and training partners, plan to kick off this new era with a resounding exclamation point.

15

SPORTS

Concordia Stingers reflect on nationals and look ahead to next season Men’s hockey team settles for silver and women’s team finishes fourth @_meaganmcl_

Meagan Mc Laughlin

T

he Concordia University Stingers men’s and women’s hockey teams entered the U Sports Championships with high hopes but left disappointed.

Falling short in the gold medal game, the men’s team had to settle for silver, while the women’s side narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth after a tough bronze medal loss. As the dust settles, both teams are looking ahead, determined to build on their experiences for next season.

“We want to figure out what are the proactive steps to take moving forward to fuel our drive for next season,” Stingers women’s hockey head coach Julie Chu said.

The Stingers men’s team proved its resilience in key matchups during its season on the ice and continued with an impressive run through the tournament. They mercilessly fought their way to the championship game, but the tight battle ended in defeat by a score of 3-2 against the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees.

“It’s two good teams playing against each other,” Stingers men’s

hockey head coach Marc-André Elément said in a post-game interview with The Fulcrum.

He reflected on the one-goal margin in all their meetings this season.

“It’s little details that make the difference, and that’s what happened tonight,” Elément said.

Their historic season ended in heartbreak, but their silver finish marked an impressive achievement for the men’s team.

“My group of guys, they believed in it, and they pushed all the way to the end, and that’s why I’m so proud of that group, to fight until the end,” Elément said.

According to Concordia associate athletics director Graeme McGravie, Concordia’s performance has put Stingers hockey on the national map, which could boost recruitment and media attention moving forward.

“Coming second in the country and winning the Queen's Cup has already affected recruitment,” McGravie said. “We’re already getting people reaching out to

Marc-André, so it’s phenomenal.”

For the women’s team, playing against some of the strongest teams in the country at nationals proved to be a difficult battle. In the semi-final against the University of Waterloo Warriors, they suffered a tough 5-1 loss. The Stingers still had a chance to claim a bronze medal against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues.

Despite their best efforts, the

Stingers fell 3-1 for a fourth-place finish. According to Chu, the absence of key player Rachael McIntyre made it even more difficult for the team, but other players stepped up and did their best to fill the void. This was a tough pill to swallow, especially after winning two U Sports Championships in three years in 2022 and 2024.

For Chu, the team’s performance at nationals was a reminder of how

THE STINGERS MEN'S TEAM FINISHED IN SECOND, WHILE THE WOMEN'S HOCKEY TEAM FINISHED FOURTH. COURTESY GREG MASON/OTTAWA GEE-GEES

competitive the field is.

“We’re playing really good teams at nationals—this is probably one of the most difficult fields as far as the quality of team, which makes trying to win a game difficult, let alone win a medal at the national championship,” Chu said. “So, I think we have to still be able to give a lot of credit to Waterloo and Toronto as well.”

While the team and the coaches still feel disappointed at this result, Chu keeps a positive light on their result.

“I think it’s funny to think that because we’re fourth in the nation, but we’re still disappointed about that,” Chu said.

As the team needs time to process and recuperate, Chu is letting her players unwind individually to help them transition over the next couple of weeks so that they can come back stronger as a team and debrief on the next steps.

“Whether we won a national championship or we lost one, we always try to take a step back to make sure that we’re getting better,” Chu said.

International professional women’s hockey has to take a step further Women’s hockey is growing beyond the annual U.S.-Canada Rivalry Series Nicolas Tremblay

W

@nick24tremblay

omen’s hockey is growing at a fast rate.

According to USA Hockey, the sport has seen a 65 per cent increase in participation in the U.S. over the last 15 seasons.

Canada is also a place where it's growing fast.

In Canada, following the first International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Women’s Championship in 1990, registrations had grown by 30 per cent in 1998-99.

In the 2023-24 hockey season, 108,313 Canadian women and girls were registered in Hockey Canada programs, according to the organization. This represents roughly 20 per cent of total registrations in Canada, the highest registration percentage in the sport’s history.

The sport’s growth in Canada and the U.S. points at a clear grow-

ing interest in women’s hockey from participants and spectators.

Imagine a women’s 4 Nations Cup held by the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) with the U.S., Canada and two European nations such as Sweden or Finland. This is how the sport would benefit the most.

The men’s 4 Nations Cup final this year attracted 16.1 million viewers in North America alone.

Could the women’s version of this tournament attract viewers?

The answer is an obvious yes.

Spectators crave it.

At the 2013 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Ottawa, there was a record attendance of 18,013 supporters in a game between Canada and Finland. It took 11 years before the record was beaten in a 2024 Toronto PWHL game, where 19,285 were in attendance.

I love to see the new league do-

ing well due to record attendances in the past 10 years.

According to the PWHL, on March 1, 17, 324 supporters attended the Montreal Victoire game against the Boston Fleet at the Bell Centre, just a week before International Women’s Day on March 8.

This reminded me of the world record of 21,105 supporters set last year at the Bell Centre.

A similar situation is happening league-wide, as the number of spectators per game has increased compared to the inaugural season.

The league gained international interest last year as spectators from 88 countries streamed PWHL games.

The European Women’s Hockey League (EWHL) was founded in 2004.

Unfortunately, its attendance numbers are significantly lower than the PWHL‘s. The number of games played

THE RIVALRY SERIES SHOULD SWITCH TO A FOUR NATIONS-STYLE TOURNAMENT. GRAPHIC MYRIAM OUAZZANI | @MYMYSARTGALLERY

in the EWHL is also significantly lower.

This is a weakness that the PWHL could take advantage of. They can incite more players from the European league to join the PWHL for the potential expansion.

More and more players are registering in women’s hockey worldwide.

Between 2007 and 2018, the number of registered players went from 153,665 to 205,674 worldwide, according to the IIHF. Despite rare fights, as they are prohibited in the PWHL (contrary to the NHL who doesn’t ban them), women’s hockey games are as entertaining as the men’s because of their playmaking

ability, speed, hard hits and exciting saves from goaltenders like AnnRenée Desbiens or Kristen Campbell.

The six teams are composed of incredible players and offer great performances that keep you on the edge of your seat. Players like Marie-Philip Poulin currently dominate the league, with Poulin retaining impressive statistics in goals.

This increase in participation and viewership in women’s hockey is representative of the sport’s growth. Go support a local team like the Concordia University Stingers, the Université de Montréal Carabins, or Montreal Victoire.

THELINKNEWSPAPER.CA

OPINIONS

16

The deterioration of trans rights in Trump’s America Donald Trump’s actions against trans rights are harmful beyond the border Ryan Pyke

U

.S. President Donald Trump’s new administration has been complicating trans rights.

Soon after being inaugurated on Jan. 20, the president signed an executive order that, in essence, attempts to erase transgender people from existence, creating a mounting human rights issue for trans individuals.

The executive order means the federal recognition of only two sexes.

It also states that gender identity is not a useful identifier and that sex should be used in its place. This has caused various transgender people to be listed with their biological sex on federal documents.

Renowned transgender actress Hunter Schafer explains in a BBC article that her documents, such as her passport, now list her as male.

This could cause trouble for her when she travels, and for others facing a similar situation.

Aside from the real-world negative effects of this change, federal denial of the existence of trans people may lead to more opportunities for discrimination through forced outing. Not revealing one’s gender assigned at birth is no longer possible when one must show their ID.

As is discussed by Alicia Baker in her thesis, “Securing Bodies: Performances of Security by Transgender Travelers in Canadian Airports and Borders,” outing can be dangerous for trans individuals.

It is not just the actual danger of being outed that is problematic, but also the stress that perceived danger causes trans people.

Trans suicide rates are already high compared to general populations, according to a 2016 article in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine.

This administration is worsening the situation.

Trump signed another executive order on Jan. 27 that seeks to ban transgender people from serving in the U.S. army.

In an article for the Associated Press, Alanna Durkin Richer explains how the U.S. Justice Department is pushing back against those who are fighting Trump’s policies.

Another Associated Press article published on Feb. 27 describes a bill being considered in the state of Iowa. The bill would remove gender identity from the civil rights

PRESIDENT TRUMP IS REVOKING TRANS RIGHTS,NOT ALLOWING THEM TO HAVE FEDERAL DOCUMENTS REFLECT THEIR WANTED GENDER. GRAPHIC EMILY WOLAK | @EMTAYWO

code and, therefore, remove protection from discrimination based on it. This shows that the administration is willing to roll back rights that individuals already have.

What other hard-fought rights will be taken away?

Individuals protested against this bill as they stood outside the Iowa capitol and chanted, interrupting the proceedings at points. Their activism is a positive step, but it may not be enough if the Trump administration continues attacking trans rights.

An executive order titled “Protecting Children from Chemical and Surgical Mutilation” states that “the term ‘child’ or ‘children’ means an individual or individuals under 19 years of age.” This represents a worrying shift towards removing young adults’ autonomy.

Confronting institutions and our governments is important because it shows that trans people are not alone and that somebody is fighting for them.

The fight for trans rights is not just a fight for trans people. Human

rights are maintained when everyone’s rights are respected.

That is what happened when people in Iowa protested loudly outside a hearing.

This is what happened when Maine Governor Janet Mills stood up to Trump during a meeting at the White House.

The governor had been fighting against the executive order Trump signed banning transgender women from women’s sports. Trump confronted her about it. Mills stood firm that she would comply with state and federal laws. Trump’s response was to say he would withhold funding from the governor’s state if she did not comply. He threatened to utilize financial power to control the governor’s actions, something Mills clearly thought was unlawful, as she said she’d be willing to fight him in court.

This situation shows how inherently political the fight for human rights is, as political actors come into conflict. President Trump’s actions and the disagreement within the government demonstrate the continuous struggle to maintain fundamental human rights for transgender people in America.

It’s (almost) too late to save the planet Learning about mitigation measures is key to staying positive Hannah Kazemi

@hannahkzmi

A

s a student in public policy, the future of… well, everything, feels pretty bleak right now.

With the precarious government leadership situation in Canada—and many other countries— and the threats of budget cuts to the Canadian public service impacting the job market for new and upcoming graduates, it’s tough to feel hope when you’re surrounded by pessimism.

All of this is made worse when one gains awareness that our earth is burning and doesn’t have much time left before the crops dry up and we all die.

Shit’s pretty bleak.

Climate change is the greatest and most wicked problem that humans have had to face, as it directly concerns the likelihood of future generations surviving. The Climate Clock offers a stark reminder of the temporal constraints we’re under to mitigate as much as we can before we reach the point of no return.

VOLUME 45 • APRIL 1, 2025

With four years left on the clock, time is running out.

But all hope is not lost!

Viable—though this categorization is arguable—solutions exist, and it is possible to preserve some of the earth and future as we know it. Continuing to fund research and development into clean energy technologies, implementing strategic carbon pricing models, and offering incentives such as rebates are practical policy solutions that governments can implement to encourage a switch to green energy.

The name of the game is no longer prevention; it’s now about mitigating the risks of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions to extend the life of our planet.

One of the biggest issues that persists concerning climate change and how we approach it is a simple lack of climate efficacy. Beyond state actors and international organizations, there is a widespread general lack of understanding

across the globe of how urgent the climate crisis really is. Take the carbon tax, for example. It is almost scary that the average Canadian thinks that the carbon tax is stealing money from them and is totally responsible for inflation. This is absolutely not the case.

The carbon tax has contributed to less than 0.15 per cent of inflation in Canada, and as of 2024, 80 per cent of Canadian households have actually been getting more money back in quarterly climate rebates than they’ve been paying as a result of the carbon tax, through buying everyday goods such as gas.

Understandably, it may not feel that way for many people, as the upfront price at the pump can come as a frustrating shock.

The simple fact is that the disinformation surrounding mitigation tools such as the carbon tax prevents people from knowing the facts.

On the consumer side of things, it appears that the onus has been placed

THE PLANET IS SLOWLY DYING, AND WE MUST DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. GRAPHIC OLIVIA SHAN | @YOUNGMIDDLEOLD

on us to tackle the climate crisis and save the planet, when it should be the big polluters facing the financial consequences of their actions.

Suffice it to say that it will be interesting to see how climate policy plays out and changes as Canada faces an election on April 28.

17

OPINIONS

ASFA, a flurry of self-indulgent chaos After years of burnouts, sexism and hostility, I am stepping back Angelica Antonakopoulos

I

n September 2023, on the first day of the fall semester, during my first mandate as academic coordinator of the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA), I opened up a copy of The Link and was shocked to see a double-page op-ed about an outgoing executive’s harrowing experience at the union.

I was angry. Why would someone who dedicated so much time and effort to the student space air all its dirty laundry?

Two years later, I’ve come to empathize with their attempt to sound the alarm.

Student union spaces are gendered, hostile, and too self-gratifying to ever acknowledge their own failings. These spaces are mostly leftist, and even while we are aligned on the basis of political ideology, it seems as though small disagreements regarding semantics are akin to political treason.

The word “liberal” is thrown around like a four-letter word.

Leftists often subscribe to one of two belief systems. One argues that real change can be enacted through the use of existing institutions, while the other believes that those institutions have to be completely torn down.

Finding common ground between these two groups can sometimes feel impossible. As I’ve served as academic coordinator, I’ve been accused of both not acting enough to revolutionize the academic advocacy portfolio and also of doing too much advocacy work.

I’ve often found myself wondering if folks within these spaces hold each other in more contempt than they hold conservatives.

I gave ASFA my absolute all during the tuition hikes mobilization last academic year. For six months, I practically lived on campus while canvassing, organizing protests, postering and attending dozens of meetings a week. It dented my social life, put my GPA in jeopardy and tanked my physical and mental health.

I was eventually faced with a choice: I could either flunk my semester, go into a stress-induced psychosis to continue organizing, or take a step back and get my personal life in order.

It’s evident that the student movement sucks you in, demands your full undivided attention, and then spits you out when you aren’t useful anymore. I quickly fell out of the loop after stepping back and was promptly accused of

being useless, as I chose to stick to the bounds of my mandate rather than going beyond what I could manage.

Can a space that demands people neglect personal care to be considered a “good-faith” actor genuinely be considered a community?

The Concordia activist space also has yet to reckon with its deeply ingrained sexism. Folks will ask each other for their preferred pronouns,

then, in the same breath, make female-presenting folks jump through hoops in order to earn the same respect as their cis-male counterparts.

I have seen men in these circles be worshipped for their contributions while they simultaneously foster horridly toxic environments. Meanwhile, others are lambasted for grappling with long-term burnout or not undertaking emotional labour

that is not their responsibility. I was once called the “neglectful mother of ASFA” for refusing to continue to mediate a feud between colleagues that had reached an impasse beyond my capacities.

Current organizing is largely inaccessible to the average student. By failing to meet students where they are at, we will never cultivate a stable mobilized base.

STUDENT UNION SPACES ARE GENDERED, AND HOSTILE. GRAPHIC MIRA DE KOVEN | @HARUMIART

The deceptive nature of the quiet luxury aesthetic Quiet luxury is rather loud if you listen closely enough Zoya Ramadan

I

n an era where consumerist and maximalist self-expression are celebrated, the emergence of the quiet luxury aesthetic marks a cultural shift.

Characterized by premium fabrics, excellent craftsmanship and muted colours, quiet luxury embraces a more refined and exclusive form of affluence.

This aesthetic is the antithesis of the overt logomania of the 2010s, which signals a change from the conspicuous consumption that once defined wealth.

However, in an attempt to signify effortless sophistication, it inadvertently functions as an exclusionary and performative expression of wealth.

Despite its newfound popularity, “quiet luxury” is not a new concept.

It has long been embraced by upper-class elites who come from generational affluence and favour subtlety over flashy displays of wealth.

Obvious branding often appears vulgar and tasteless, signaling a “new money” social class. Overt logos convey a sense of excessive effort, which signals underlying insecurities surrounding economic status. In the

realm of high society, brands like Loro Piana and The Row are favoured because they have built their exclusive reputations on fine cashmere, neutral tones and exquisite craftsmanship.

Contrastingly, fast-fashion companies like PrettyLittleThing are undergoing complete rebrands to fit into this image of elite society. However, consumers question the authenticity of such changes, as quality materials and craftsmanship are often compromised in favour of replicating style through mass production.

In an age where fashion trends are hyper-visible and instantly commodified through social media, true exclusivity lies in garments that cannot be easily identified or purchased.

The exclusivity of the aesthetic simply refers to an increasing divide in social and class status. While fast fashion allows consumers to access trends quickly, true luxury now lies in a space of coded elitism. It refers to the subtle, unspoken ways that social class and exclusivity are maintained through fashion. Coded

elitism relies on the notion that true luxury is effortless rather than deliberately constructed. For example, a well-tailored, $5,000 coat from The Row may not be an outward expression of luxury, it functions as a signifier for generational wealth.

It is fundamentally exclusionary.

At its core, quiet luxury transmits the illusion of simplicity, perpetuating the idea that true style requires no external validation; the high-quality materials speak for themselves. The collective fascination with appearing wealthy and successful is due to the constant reinforcement of the hustle culture mentality.

Quiet luxury is rooted in privilege.

“Investment pieces,” like the aforementioned sweater, justify their price through their longevity and high-quality materials. However, most people cannot afford such pieces, as the majority of consumers rely on affordable, mass-produced fashion that only provides the look but not the quality or the affluence. Quiet luxury, therefore, is not only about good taste

QUIET LUXURY IS FUNDAMENTALLY EXCLUSIONARY. GRAPHIC OLIVIA SHAN | @YOUNGMIDDLEOLD

but also about having the means to opt out of trend cycles entirely.

The quiet luxury aesthetic also raises questions about sustainability and ethical production. As the fashion industry’s moral concerns grow, brands have positioned quiet luxury as a sustainable alternative to fast fashion. However, the rhetoric of “sustainability” often serves as a disguise, as many of the brands associated with quiet luxury actively participate in exploitative labour practices and unethical sourcing of raw materials. The aesthetic, therefore, does not inherently represent sustainable consumption; it only markets itself as so.

Ultimately, quiet luxury is merely a fleeting trend that maintains the exclusivity of wealth while disguising it as modesty, thus offering an illusion of accessibility while remaining financially unattainable for most.

In doing so, this trend continues to reinforce class distinctions, demonstrating that luxury, no matter how inconspicuous, derives its worth from visibility.

THELINKNEWSPAPER.CA

EDITORIAL

18

Here’s to 45, and a million more A

t the beginning of Volume 45, we extended a promise to The Link’s readership and community: We would recognize and address our past faults and continue with a commitment to betterment.

Since then, we’ve made significant strides toward fulfilling said promise, which continues to evolve, take new forms and dilate to cover every aspect of our mandate.

Since August 2024, The Link has listened to its community. To improve and smooth out our internal structure, we updated our policies and mandate.

In short, we’ve created and implemented an Advertising Policy, Investment Policy, Event Coverage Policy, and Artificial Intelligence Policy. We also revised our mandate and Contributor Freelance Fund (CFF) policy.

We are happy to announce that we are extending our CFF into Volume 46.

The CFF began in Volume 44 as a pilot project, and through patience, persistence and dedication to the project’s longevity, it is exceeding its designation as temporary, solidifying itself as a juvenile pillar of The Link’s structure.

To avoid sounding like a broken record while still accentuating the importance of keeping The Link alive, we wanted to reiterate that this project does not come with permanence unless we secure solid external funding, like a fee levy increase (something we explain in grave depth in our editorial “In loving memory of the student press”). However, until that day comes, the CFF will see adjustments with its sentiments remaining a principled effort to extend our gratitude to contributors who work tirelessly for this publication and, in turn, the community.

The CFF is now a part of The Link; if it crumbles, so do we, and that is our cross to bear. We bear it with our heads high, we carry this cross as a symbolic gesture to student papers nationally—

Volume 45, Issue 12 Tuesday, April 1, 2025 Concordia University Library Building, Room LB-717 1400 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W. Montreal, Quebec H3G 2V8 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

VOLUME 45 • APRIL 1, 2025

THANK YOU TO OUR READERS. GRAPHIC MYRIAM OUAZZANI | @MYMYSARTGALLERY

that we stand by fair compensation for student journalists killing themselves to uphold accountability.

Our work does not go neglected; we’ve received numerous accolades in this volume that exemplify our work, and for this, we are forever grateful.

In the Graduate Student Association’s (GSA) fall by-elections, we occupied a space on the ballot, asking graduate students to add us as a fee levy group in the GSA. This meant more than just securing funding; it was about catering to a larger student population.

It was about time to formally include graduate students in The Link. Our fee levy referendum passed, and amongst all our lost hope for fee levy referendums, something green and promising sprouted from a seemingly deserted plane. For this, we are forever grateful to Concordia University’s graduate students; thank you for believing in us.

In addition, we received funding from the Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) for the second year in a row— making The Link one of the first student publications in all of Canada to receive federal funding, not just once,

but two consecutive years in a row. The LJI also recognized us as more than a student newspaper; it recognized us as a community newspaper, a standard to which we will always hold the paper.

Since finding our place in the LJI, provisions have been made to exclude student papers. This doesn’t discourage us.

Rather, we extend our sincerest thanks to the Quebec Community Newspapers Association for working with us and platforming The Link.

About a month ago, The Link was awarded the Canadian Periodical Fund to overcome market disadvantages and continue to provide readers with content. This is yet another example of our hard work and sleepless nights being honoured and respected.

Equally, our reporting has been honoured in this volume through various nominations and awards. At the Canadian University Press’s NASH awards, The Link garnered eight nominations and one win for the article, “Hall building altercation: Students share their perspectives.”

The Link was also notably awarded an Amnesty International Canada

award for Dana Hachwa’s “‘We Want Them All’: Syria’s detained and forcibly disappeared.”

In an effort to strengthen community ties at Concordia, The Link began an ad fund in collaboration with the Concordia Student Union (CSU). This fund allows CSU services, as well as student organizations, businesses and clubs, to advertise for free in our publication, allowing them to expand their reach. So far, the fund has allowed for over $5,000 in ads to be published at no cost from hardworking students.

Additionally, during a jaded era for Canadian publications fighting against the advent of the suppressive Bill C-18, The Link has kept its news consumable and convenient for students and the Montreal community via social media.

We lost our Instagram account in the summer of 2023 due to the bill and swiftly worked to build up an alternative to ensure our community would remain informed in this way. Since then, we’ve exceeded 2,100 followers, expecting to surpass our old Instagram follower count by the new volume.

For this, we will bring the broken

record back out with fair intent: Thank you. It is because of you reading this right now that we write stories that matter, that we fight to tread water to keep you informed.

We also want to thank our 25 staff writers and 159 contributors who trusted us with our edits, covered important stories and worked long hours. We wouldn’t be where we are now without you.

From the newspaper that doesn’t let the administration sweep student arrests under the rug, that doesn’t let unnecessary spending, wrongful termination and union incompetence go unnoticed: thank you for trusting us with another volume.

The Link made another promise, an internal one at the start of the volume: to leave The Link at the end of Volume 45 better than it was inherited, and as Florence Welsh once sang: “You have to go to war to find material to sing.” We went to war externally and fought for important causes through our reporting, with staff and contributors facing painfully long defamatory soliloquies from far-right Zionist enemies or brutality and harassment from police during protests. And we went to war internally, fighting for fair compensation, drafting and restructuring internal policies, all for the betterment of The Link ’s environment and reporting.

As you thumb through our final print issue of Volume 45, either physically or online, we hope you can feel our devotion to you and quality journalism through each article, graphic and photo; it’s all for you.

Volume 45 is passing the torch onto an extraordinary editorial team for Volume 46, who will uphold and exceed the expectations laid out in this editorial. May they learn from their predecessors’ faults and continue to nurture The Link towards its zenith.

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

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Coordinating Editor Creative Director Co-News Editors

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2024 - 2025: Voting Members: Jessica Hungate, Miriam Lafontaine, Iness Rifay | Non-Voting Members: Hannah Vogan, Varda Nisar, Jonathan Cook.

TYPESETTING by The Link PRINTING by Hebdo-Litho.

CONTRIBUTORS: Angelica Antonakopoulos, Autumn Darey, Santiago Jimenez, Zach Jutras, Hannah Kazemi, Mira De Koven, Meagan Mc Laughlin, Kira Minall, Ryan Pyke, Iness Rifay, Zoya Ramadan, Olivia Shan, Nicolas Tremblay, Emily Wolak.

House Ads: Panos Michalakopoulos.

Cover and Satire Cover: Panos Michalakopoulos, Andraé Lerone Lewis, Maria Cholakova, Myriam Ouazzani.

Corrections: On p. 4, p. 22 and p. 23, The Link wrote the publishing date as March 18, 2024. The publishing date is March 18, 2025. The Link regrets this error.

Features Editor Fringe Arts Editor Sports Editor Opinions Editor Photo Editor Video Editor Graphics Editor Copy Editor Business Manager

HANNAH VOGAN ALICE MARTIN MARIA CHOLAKOVA PANOS MICHALAKOPOULOS GENEVIÈVE SYLVESTRE HANNAH SCOTT-TALIB CLAUDIA BEAUDOIN INDIA DAS-BROWN JARED LACKMAN-MINCOFF LORY SAINT-FLEUR ANDRAÉ LERONE LEWIS MATTHEW DALDALIAN MYRIAM OUAZZANI DANA HACHWA VARDA NISAR

Refusing your rent increase

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Lease transfers & summer sublets Visit HOJO Classifieds (classifieds.csu.qc.ca) for apartment and roommate searches

The CSU Daycare & Nursery is there for you!

Now starting enrollments for the 2025 summer and fall session

& help with job resources •

Resources for conducting your job search

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Workshops on job hunting Legal information about work issues

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Assistance with filing a complaint at the CNESST

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Visit HOJO Classifieds for summer job opportunities

... & m

u c h m ore!

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A thank you note from Volume 45 The Link wants to extend its gratitude to all the editors and contributors that were instrumental to the success of Volume 45. The newspaper only exists due to the dedication and excellency of its writers, photographers, videographers and graphic artists.

To our readers, thank you for picking up our issues, reading our articles on our website and for following us on social media. We love being able to bring you Concordia and Montreal news straight to campus.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for another wonderful volume and we'll see you back on stands in September 2025!

Hannah Vogan • Alice Martin • Maria Cholakova • Panos Michalakopoulos • Geneviève Sylvestre • Hannah Scott-Talib • India Das-Brown • Jared Lackman-Mincoff • Lory Saint-Fleur • Claudia Beaudoin • Andraé Lerone Lewis • Myriam Ouazzani • Matthew Daldalian • Dana Hachwa • Varda Nisar