Volume 47, Issue 2

"There's a buzz in my pants" Since 1980 Volume 47, Issue 2 • September 22, 2026 • thelinknewspaper.ca

News Anglophone concerns over election materials p.3

Fringe Arts Angelo Ameur, dance pioneer p.9

Sports Connecting soccer and queerness p.10

Opinions Invest in free public transit p.13

EDITORIAL OPINIONS SPORTS FRINGE ARTS

NEWS

Quebec election information distributed solely in French Anglophone communities have raised concerns, quickly becoming a court matter Eliane Laframboise

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ith the Quebec provincial elections approaching, Élections Québec announced that due to Bill 96, all voting information would be presented only in French. Every election, Élections Québec mails the provincial election guide, the notice of entry and the reminder card to make elections simple for voters. This year, it announced that all three would be in French only, with English information available exclusively online. However, on Sept. 16, a Quebec civil court ruled that this would infringe on the rights of anglophone Quebecers, and ordered the reminder cards to be mailed in English and French. According to the court, ordering the mailing of the provincial election guide and notice of entry in English this close to the Oct. 5 election would be unrealistic and expensive; thus, these documents will remain solely in French. Since its announcement in 2022, Bill 96, which aims to reform the Charter of the French Language, has had its fair share of visibility across

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the province. Montreal has been at the centre of the conversation, with historically prominent anglophone communities growing concerned about how this might affect them. In simple terms, the bill declares French as the province’s only official language. Among the wide range of changes, the bill has affected the current elections, with Élections Québec, an independent organization, announcing it would release information only in French to comply with the bill's new demands. Premier of Quebec Christine Fréchette, in response to the announcement, affirmed that the rights of the English-speaking community are being respected. However, many seem to disagree. The Parti communiste du Québec was very clear in its opposition to Bill 96. Ivan Byard, NotreDame-de-Grâce candidate and secretary general of the Ligue de la jeunesse communiste du Canada, affirmed its position. “We’ve been clear in denouncing it, but also trying to make the links beyond English-speaking com-

munities, looking into the rights of students, parents and also workers,” Byard said. Many of their policies centre around education, also a target of Bill 96, and according to the candidate, Byard's party’s focus on education is not random. According to its constitution, free and accessible education for all is more than important, no matter the language or the age. “English education is an easier target,” Byard said when asked why Bill 96 was so impactful on education. Byard primarily blames the Coalition Avenir du Québec (CAQ) and the attacks it made on democratic rights. “We've seen them go after the rights of unions and school boards," Byard said. "The main reason for these attacks is to weaken the ability of the people to fight back.” After working the Montreal elections last year, Concordia University political science student Julia Miller had direct contact with voters, furthering her concerns about language equality. Miller said her ex-

perience with language was small but noticeable. She said no one mentioned accommodation or the need to speak English during her training, despite the 13 per cent of Montrealers who are anglophones. During the online training, there was no mention of English at all. “It was implied that everything was in French,” Miller said. Her main coworker that day was an anglophone, but she only heard him speak French. According to Miller, when compared with the past, this is a huge difference, and the lack of English information, or even accommodation for other languages, is somewhat to blame. “I understand why they have this bill, but I don’t think it should be as strict and as implemented,” Miller said. Miller noted that with Montreal being such a big international student centre, and Canada being a bilingual country, Bill 96 pushes too far. For residents who grew up in Montreal, Bill 96 was disappointing but not surprising. Stuart McDonald, who lived in Montreal over 50 years ago, grew up within a tight-knit anglophone community in the Anjou borough. “It was like being on an island of English in the French community,”

McDonald said. But as he grew older, his English-speaking high school introduced francophone students, and at his work, both languages were spoken. “Montreal at that time was very bilingual, very open, very relaxed; people talked the language they wanted to,” McDonald said. It was only when he moved away in 1982 and came back from Toronto to visit some time later that he noticed the first big changes. According to McDonald, the island was not as he had known it all his life. Montreal’s slow descent into restrictive laws, such as Bill 96, was not unexpected, to say the least, but for many, it still taints their memories of the city. “Montreal had died,” McDonald said. Voters must check if they are registered. If they aren’t, online registration was cut-off on September 21st so voters must register by Oct. 1 in person at their riding’s office to vote. The Quebec provincial election will take place on Oct. 5, 2026. Polling stations are open from 9:30 am to 8:00 pm. The Election Quebec website showcases the different candidates running in every electoral division. MOST VOTING INFORMATION WILL BE MAILED SOLELY IN FRENCH, INFRINGING ON THE RIGHTS OF ANGLOPHONE VOTERS. GRAPHIC KASEY LAMER

SEPTEMBER 22, 2026 • VOLUME 47

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NEWS

FRINGE ARTS SPORTS OPINIONS EDITORIAL

No CTRL over AI Do Concordia fine arts students agree with AI at the university? Marissa Guthrie

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@ marinoellle

oncordia University has decided to move forward with its CTRL + AI – Human Creativity and Agency in the Age of AI initiative, which aims to use a practitioner-led approach to artificial intelligence (AI) in arts and academia despite criticism from students. Launched last February by Concordia’s fine arts department, the initiative argues that AI can be a tool to amplify creativity rather than a threat to it, and is backed by the Tom Berry Fund for AI and Creativity. The most recent CTRL + AI event, held on Sept. 15, aimed to discuss what AI could reveal about being human. Speakers included Concordia professor Eldad Tsabary and McGill University postdoctoral fellow Scott DeJong. The conference explored AI projects undertaken by these academics, such as Tsabary’s virtual village and DeJong’s ethics-based video game. Tsabary’s village contains several AI-generated characters whom he interacts with from their perspective rather than that of a creator. He monitored their behaviours and how they mirror humans in their interactions, from collaboration to violence. “I did not want to play god,” said Tsabary.

DeJong’s video game titled Feed the Machine offers a simulation of journalists facing the option of AI use in their work and the consequences that come alongside it; those who opt to use AI gain more points, but can be penalized by obtaining “delusion tokens,” which mirror the misinformation that AI often provides in research, and if AI is relied upon too heavily, everyone loses a job opportunity that is given to the AI tool. Both Tsabary and DeJong briefly discussed their personal views on the conversations around AI. DeJong expressed a desire to create friction in the conversation around AI to counter a doom mentality that leads to apathy as AI continues to emerge in society. He remarked that as a musician, AI-generated music did not interest him, but he continues to invest in the technology through his village. The overarching perspective among the speakers was that AI will continue to be present in society and promote cautious engagement with the technology, promoting critical consciousness in further engagement with it. Tsabary offered his perspective on AI's impact in the field of fine arts and emphasized that the fears about AI are valid and its possibilities are real. “We humans are [...] super creative and adaptable. And [...] when suddenly

some of our functions are taken away into the machines, then what do we come up with now?" Tsabary said. "I think it's still our place and our ability to do that. But it's hard not to grieve the loss of something that you've worked all your life.” Tsabary views AI as a technology that will not go away on its own, informing his perspective on critical engagement with it. “I don't know how we can stop it,” Tsabary said. “We haven't been able in history to really stop anything. Instead, finding the right conversation about how to not stop, but to actually find the boundaries.” From his perspective as a professor, he said that he could not change the state of AI in his class alone, but he wanted his students to form a stronger understanding of the issues it poses. Tsabary claims that Concordia's AI guidelines are too generic and that transparency is an issue. “They're good, but they don't tell me how to actually do it in a course about AI coding. I find the guidelines from yesterday are not good today," Tsabary said. "It's just a

matter of the nature of reality right now. They can't really hold through for too long. But values [of care and respect] can.” Tsabary believes that having a specialty in art is not enough to make it as an artist anymore. “It doesn't feel like you can specialize and stick to a specialty anymore; your super skill has to be your adaptability,” Tsabary said. “And, of course, I say it from the point of privilege, at the point of life where I have the means to go with what I am good at.” Several Concordia students have shared their concerns regarding AI use in the fine arts program. Alice Ross is a student in Concordia’s design program and believes that it's hard to fight for the value of the arts in a society where productivity comes first. They expressed frustration with the university's vague language when discussing AI initiatives. “AI is a free-for-all right now," Ross said. "I wish we had more structure and guidance from Concordia.” They said that many educational resources highlight the uses of AI more strongly than the risks it poses. “It would be nice to see Concordia take a stand on AI, show us they’re taking the risks seriously instead of treating it like any other class or technological innovation,” Ross said.

Concordia has made several efforts to integrate AI into art constructively, such as creating opensource digital creation tools and AI participation at MUTEK, a Montreal-based electronic music and digital arts festival. However, students like Ross believe the university has yet to meaningfully address the existential threats AI poses to their future as artists. “AI most definitely poses a threat to my future job prospects,” Ross said, noting the frequent use of AI in modern graphic design projects formerly done by real graphic designers. They also addressed the threat of AI plagiarism as an artist. “I don’t know if an [Large Language Model] LLM is going to take my art and destroy it,” Ross said. Fellow fine arts student Sophia Corbett echoed these sentiments and believes it is hypocritical of schools to foster students while supporting tech that will harm them without addressing said concerns. “[This] institution claims to prioritize its students while actively working with something that will ruin the world,” Corbett said. Corbett also expressed fear for the creative process amid AI automation, a core value of art as a whole. Ross also noted that Concordia receives external funding for its AI development programs, calling into question whether its implementation reflects Concordia’s true beliefs concerning AI. “The university is an institution and will never truly be neutral, and so I am curious how we are actually talking about AI in these talks and classes,” Ross said. “I am more interested in why we are using it, what are the impacts of using it, rather than how to use it.” Ross, who serves as the mobilization coordinator for the Fine Arts Student Alliance (FASA), urged students to voice their concerns and get involved with their community. They noted that it is FASA's job to help students regarding this issue. “FASA is ready to hear [students] talk about AI in fine arts; we are going to make sure our voice is heard at the faculty level," Ross said. “We still don't know everything there is about this topic, and there are many different strings to pull to find all the answers, and that can be complicated and frankly annoying to do.” FINE ARTS STUDENTS ARE INCREASINGLY FRUSTRATED WITH THE INTEGRATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THEIR PROGRAMS. GRAPHIC HELENA REYES TERUEL

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VOLUME 47 • SEPTEMBER 22, 2026

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EDITORIAL OPINIONS SPORTS FRINGE ARTS

NEWS

Building rockets in between classes Space Concordia Solid Rocketry members spend 40 hours a week on their rocketry projects Rhemi Lazar

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pace Concordia Solid Rocketry launched its newest creation at the Launch Canada competition last month on Aug. 18. CR26, also known as Icarus-Daedalus, reached 47,975 ft. in the air, an absolute feat of achievement for the team. Solid Rocketry is the newest division of Space Concordia. Helia Borran, project manager of Solid Rocketry, believes this year’s launch was especially challenging. “This was the first two-stage rocket in the history of Concordia,” Borran said. “No one has ever made a two-stage rocket.” The launch also became the division’s highest-reaching rocket, breaking not one but two Concordia University rocketry records simultaneously. The club recruited members through a thorough interview process and introductory task. Although it’s not simply a sign-your-name-ona-welcome-sheet kind of gig, it isn’t inaccessible. “They explain to us: over here it’s okay to be a beginner; the only thing

you need to bring is your desire to learn and be curious,” Solid Rocketry member Fiza Khan said. Space Concordia is one big umbrella club; the separate divisions work essentially as standalones under a unified body. Once a student chooses to join, they can pick from five divisions: robotics, liquid rocketry, solid rocketry, spacecraft and space health, with other sub-sections under each. “We have a strong Space Concordia team around us, working side

by side in the lab even though for the most part our projects remained separate,” Habakkuk Stephen said, a former member of the space health division. The team is an essential part of this project and is entirely volunteer-based, with no academic or monetary compensation. Sponsors, the university, and the club fee levy cover the cost. Although none of the monetary cost comes out of the student members’ pockets,

they pay a hefty price for their passions. Their workload often comes to 40 hours a week, equivalent to a fulltime job on top of a full course load. “There is a point where you have to establish a balance, and the balance established might not be the healthiest," said Khan. Space Concordia devours time from these members, a student’s most prized commodity. “It humbles you,” said Khan when

THE SPACE CONCORDIA SOLID ROCKETRY TEAM LAUNCHED THEIR NEWEST CREATION, CR26 OR ICARUS-DAEDALUS, AT THE LAUNCH CANADA COMPETITION ON AUGUST 18. COURTESY CAMILA VASQUEZ/SPACE CONCORDIA SOLID ROCKETRY

talking about the workload. In return, they get to see Icarus-Daedalus fly, their rocket named after the Greek myth of ambition and innovation. The students say it’s clear what they receive in return is unquantifiable. “From my time at Space Concordia, fun was what I mostly got out of it. But when I got a job in my field thanks to my work in space health at Space Concordia, I realized how much more than that it gave me,” said Stephen. The Solid Rocketry division is still in its early years; they have built a rocket every year since 2023, and a month ago, a year of passion and teamwork culminated in a record-breaking two-stage rocket they hoped might fly too close to the sun. Now the team and the rocket have begun their uphill climb, as last year’s successes are now in their arsenal, and they’re ready to reinvent. “We launch it, we do a postmortem report, and we close it. We put it on the shelf, and the new one starts,” said Borran.

Young Montreal job seekers struggle to get responses

Young workers face increased competition and changing hiring practices in a challenging job market Dilan Kiki

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oung job seekers in Montreal say they are struggling to get responses from employers as they compete for work in a challenging job market. For 21-year-old Karla Samo, a student at Cégep Marie-Victorin, the job search has meant sending out many applications without receiving responses from employers. “I’ve applied to over like 20 jobs, and I haven’t gotten a single call, not even an email, like nothing,” Samo said.

She described submitting applications as feeling like sending them into a “black hole.” Samo said she has been unemployed for about four or five months. She lives alone and said being without a job has made it difficult to keep up with rent, food, car insurance and other expenses. Her experience comes as Montreal’s overall labour market shows signs of improvement. According to Statistics Canada, the unemployment rate in the Montreal census metropolitan area fell to 7.0

MONTREAL JOB SEEKERS ARE FACING A SLEW OF REJECTIONS IN A SPARSE JOB MARKET. GRAPHIC HELENA REYES TERUEL

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per cent in August from 7.2 per cent in April. Young workers, however, continue to face challenges finding employment. Across Canada, the unemployment rate among returning students aged 15 to 24 was 12.9 per cent in August. While that was down from 14.3 per cent a year earlier, it remained above the pre-pandemic average of 11.2 per cent for the month of August 2019. Dominique Guay, a job counsellor at Carrefour jeunesse-emploi Saint Laurent, said many of the young people she works with are facing similar difficulties. “The biggest problem is not getting called at all,” Guay said. She explained that employers have more applicants to choose from, and people with different education and experience levels sometimes compete for the same positions. “Some job seekers are applying to hundreds of positions without hearing back,” Guay said. Guay said some begin to question their resumés or abilities after repeatedly applying without getting a response. She said online job platforms have also expanded the competition. “You’re no longer competing with

the kids on your block,” Guay said. “You’re competing with all of Quebec.” Another challenge is the use of automated systems that screen applications, noted Guay. With many people applying for the same position, some employers use technology to narrow down resumés before a person reviews them. “You can write the most beautiful prose in your CV that has ever been seen, if you don’t have the keywords, the robot will not retain your CV,” Guay said. Jacqueline Bienvenue, a manager at a Laura Canada clothing store in Montreal, said she is receiving more applications than in recent years. Bienvenu does not use artificial intelligence to screen resumés and was not aware it was being used in her field. When applicants drop off resumés in person, Bienvenu said she tells them that if they do not hear back by a certain date, another candidate has been selected. When hiring, she said she is willing to hire young people without previous experience, and for an entry-level cashier position, she focuses more on the applicant’s personality than their previous experience. “It’s enthusiasm. Able to com-

municate,” Bienvenu said. “They don’t have to have experience. I can train them.” Availability, however, can be a problem. The manager said some young people apply for retail positions but are unwilling to work nights or weekends, when stores often need employees. “You have to be a little bit flexible,” Bienvenu said. She said young job seekers should be prepared to start in an entry-level position and work their way up. Guay also recommends starting the job search early and tailoring resumés to the language used in job postings. She said using relevant keywords can help applicants when an employer uses an automated screening system. Despite the difficulties she is seeing, Guay said she remains optimistic as employers and job seekers learn to adapt to changes in hiring. For Samo, the search continues. After months without work, she said the lack of responses has been difficult to deal with. “The silence is honestly the worst part of it, because the hope you get and the overthinking are just so exhausting,” Samo said.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2026 • VOLUME 47

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NEWS

FRINGE ARTS SPORTS OPINIONS EDITORIAL

Federal government falls short on youth demands for good green jobs The campaign, which demanded an annual investment of $1 billion, received $40 million in federal funding for a pilot program Rahul Balasundaram

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he Government of Canada's anticipated rollout of the Youth Climate Corps (YCC) pilot falls short of the ambitious demands required to tackle the climate and unemployment crises, advocates say. The YCC is a national advocacy and mobilization campaign demanding that the federal government invest $1 billion annually to create 20,000 two-year, living-wage job training and placement opportunities for youth aged 35 and under to tackle the climate crisis. The campaign, launched by the Climate Emergency Unit in 2023 and now housed under the Small Change Fund, envisions three job domains aligned with local climate priorities and solutions: building infrastructure to reduce emissions, strengthening climate resilience and providing emergency response support following extreme weather events. Through these streams, the campaign aims to build the labour capacity needed to meet Canada’s climate targets,

while giving young people in-class and hands-on learning opportunities, as well as a certification to pursue climate-related careers. In November 2025, the federal budget committed $40 million over two years, starting in 2026-27, to create a YCC pilot, which is far short of the ambitious goal proposed by its campaign. Bushra Asghar, the campaign’s executive director, recently learned that Employment and Social Development Canada plans to roll out a wage subsidy program in which employers would be required to cover 25 per cent of the salary and receive up to $12,000 in funding. She said rolling out a similar model to the Canada Summer Jobs program does not meet the widespread mobilization required to tackle the climate and youth unemployment crises. “We are deeply concerned that the federal government's Youth Climate Corps pilot has been scaled down to the point of irrelevance," Asghar said. "As it stands, it will not meaningfully challenge skyrocketing youth unemployment or advance climate action." She criticized the pilot’s proposed parameters, which would pay youth a

minimum wage instead of a living wage, compress the training from two years to four months, exclude non-citizens and cap the age limit at 30 and under. The YCC campaign is inspired by the New Deal era, when millions of jobs were created to rebuild the economy after the Great Depression in the United States. The Civilian Conservation Corps was part of this large-scale effort, which employed 3 million young men to build America’s national park system and restore lands and forests. “It’s this idea that in moments of extreme turmoil, if you invest money into young people, they can build the things that we need, like public interest projects for public good,” Asghar explained. While the federal government and approximately 650 municipalities have declared a climate emergency, she said the actions should reflect a similar sense of urgency, including by “spending what it takes to deal with it.” “If you call this an emergency, how are you going to act in that manner? Are you moving at the speed and scale that is required?” Asghar asked. Asghar said the program is an opportunity to address both the climate emergency and the unemployment crisis. According to Statistics Canada, the unemployment rate for

youth aged 15 to 24 years old is 12.9 per cent, higher than the pre-pandemic average of 10.8 per cent from 2017 to 2019. As youth are pushed to join the military and artificial intelligence (AI) risks eliminating jobs, Asghar said there is no economic recovery plan for young people being left behind. The World Economic Forum, for instance, found that entry-level jobs in the United States have fallen by 35 per cent in the last 18 months, largely because of the rise of AI. The support for the YCC is widespread among young people. A 2023 poll showed that 65 per cent of people aged 18 to 35 would consider enrolling in the program. Luisa Ndiaye, a human environment student at Concordia University, said the program puts young people in a position to actively build the nation amidst the climate crisis. Ndiaye says that the initiative would give youth optimism. “We can actually take our own destiny into our hands and build towards the future that we want to live in,” said Ndiaye. Similarly, Mika Sauvageau, a law student at the Université de Montréal, said the program embodies a long-term vision. She said that while many young people are reluctant to have children due to the climate crisis and anxiety

about the future, the YCC invests in future generations. “That’s what we are trying to do with this program: look to the future, to our children, and to our grandchildren,” Sauvageau emphasized. Shathvahi Ramesh made a day trip from Scarborough, Ontario, to Montreal to attend a YCC workshop on organizing for climate justice in August. Ramesh said she was eager about the program's prospects because it would allow youth to pursue more meaningful opportunities. Ramesh highlighted that many young people, especially from immigrant backgrounds, are forced to take on more “stable” careers to support themselves and their families amid the cost-of-living crisis. “It’s kind of discouraging if I have to sit in front of a computer for eight hours a day and just make a billionaire even more money,” Ramesh said. Asghar said that while the pilot program is designed to fail, the campaign will continue to demand that the government expand the scope, ambition and accessibility of the YCC. “Young people deserve real pathways into climate careers and genuine belonging, not bureaucratic shortcuts,” said Asghar. There is no clear timeline yet for the implementation of the YCC pilot. INVESTOR SUMMIT ACTION ON SEPT. 14, 2026. COURTESY HAILEY ASQUIN/COMMON HORIZON

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VOLUME 47 • SEPTEMBER 22, 2026

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EDITORIAL OPINIONS SPORTS

FRINGE ARTS

NEWS

A love letter to men and youth Aïcha Diallo

Hey Men! I’d like to tumble with you—seek out the rising sun of your pulsating skin. Rope me in with your rusty exhale and everything else. It makes you wonder, would you fall to my knees like your gaze says you would? Then, how come I’m always running to you? I crumble to the undying road under your gazing horizon. You’ve taken me everywhere and everywhere else, to the lonely respite, my head twirls when I imagine myself beside you. After the bodily explosion and rhythmic exhales, I’d like to slip inside of you for the first time, all at once. Hold your body weight and forget my nights. Back then, I barely knew. I drifted in high fives and 3 p.m. jokes. I searched for an affection you could never give me. Still, I felt the pulse when the girls melted and went weak-kneed. I wondered what that was all about. Then, I spent too much time on the internet and annihilated my mind. Sex was painted as a sensory blackout. Totally maxxed out on waxed girls and chest implants. Chunky moustaches and overplayed narratives, empty pizza boxes. Pools and fragmented exploitation industries, I wondered what those girls thought of when they were wide open to the point of discomfort and fabricated screams. Man-handled grips, hungry hands and pink nipples, toes curling, joints moving in and out of pleasure points, stirring sighs and musical groans of lustful heaven, moans from plastic hedonism. My eyes widened as organs collided aggressively. Well, this is love, isn’t it? And maybe I’d never have it 'cause I didn’t know you could wax yourself down there. Sell your body for dollars, not always of your own right. I was clueless back then. All I felt was the pulse when he kissed her with the girth of a leading man. When his hands slid inside her–my body swivelled with rippling envy—I wanted more, more. I was clueless back then, but I knew, under this worldly scope, that I’d always perform, even in bed, even when you didn’t know me, you reeled me in with your decency and everything else, we shared so many songs just to become friends in the undying light of our town. Until high school ended, I walked on the dream of never dredging around these halls again. When my new world began, I was boiled by the turmoil of an insecure girl’s past. THELINKNEWSPAPER.CA

How could I ever forget myself? How disappointment and agony destroyed my 17-year-old body? How could I forget the himbo hunks of 8 a.m. lectures next to the Forum? How, when in faraway towns, you split my heart open to the sound of The Beatles? Or how, for two years, I thought I loved you? Sweetness remained when I met the guys who talked with their hands and whom I acquainted with Johnny Cash on blue floors. When they lay there next to me, I saw their young-adult torsos under their green shirts and their nasal voices. The guys of wrong time, chunky arms, short-lived rap careers and supportive voices of fading faraway. Almost acid dreams and childhood ecstasy of memories we were not sure of. All the guys with their colliding bodies on Halloween nights. I remember how your eyes shone in your young-adult whimsy when I first saw you. My mind drifted to the possibilities and everywhere else. I was struck by your demeanour in a smiley disarray, your shrill voice of fun and total trouble. Your naive eyes and worldly body. On your smoke breaks, I wondered how the wind blew you by when your lungs shattered. Your laugh splattered with joy; you always called with the height of desire and a wave-chilling calm. When we said goodbye, I sensed you held back. But, I knew, you might miss me too. Shine on in your endearingly disorganized ways; never lose the uncaring spirit, but don’t let it eat you whole. May you find good in the total mess you’ve painted. Now, I look back on you, misty-eyed Swiss man. You've wrung me around a time I never thought possible. My world warped at the sight of your smile and when you first asked me about California. I saw a planet away from what you failed to share with me because I wanted to believe that one day, I’d sit on that rock with you, out in the wild of our nights.

How your eyes glistened in the young adult wind, and I wanted to hug you with the plight of all that’s good, warm your tall shoulders and dissolve into Montreal. In the middle, I say hello to the guy friends I have made along the road. Those who I’ve laughed so heartily with, shared SpongeBob theories on our way to McKibbins, the ones who let you ramble on about Kevin Costner. Welcome, you university guys of sweet talk and jazzy brains, blond buzzcuts and record collectors of swift voices and 2012 humour. The ones that feel as nostalgic as the last days of school. A salute to the ones you remember fondly, how they perched over to show you pictures of their cats and twinkled their eyes in your horizon. Saying your name with the weight of a thousand suns, sounding like the sweetest bird. Flying you by and blushing in the shuffles of envy, the Greek gods of smarts and curly hair. I feel like a girl out in the wild of her young adult wind, when I want, and I want. I search for the pulse when I avoid your eyes and look for you in furniture stores. Your arm dances with your tattoos when you stand tall and make way before you smile at me. In my head, I'm jumping your bones and kissing you whole— all that sweetness just for me? Let us not forget the sparse smiles and windy hair of strenuously energizing young Mark Ruffalo lookalikes, and for the cherry on top of this whirlwind game, the water-laced bodies, local surf dudes with eyes like the waves and threads so cool you’d wanna get tubed. Let us not forget everything else. Let us not forget everything else that could have been. Let us not forget what was. It’s been a treat. XO

That I'd grow up beside you–in the halls and stories I wish you had told me. You’ve been one of the hardest to forget, but I don’t want to take you away just yet. Too soon, you’ll fade so far away into the mountain’s shadow. I wish you well, and I’ll always remember you in the orange light, on that one night.

HOW DO YOU HOLD MEMORIES AND THE PRESENT IN TANDEM? GRAPHIC HALLE KEAYS

SEPTEMBER 22, 2026 • VOLUME 47

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NEWS

FRINGE ARTS

SPORTS OPINIONS EDITORIAL

Social media, passion and music Montreal-based musician and director Luka Ferraro leverages the fun he has doing social media to promote his music Ryan Pyke

@pykenotpike

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uka Ferraro isn’t sure if he’ll stay in the same genre forever, but for now it excites him. As an indie pop-rock musician who studies film production at Concordia University and has a prominent social media presence, he makes music that he likes, which for now involves making energetic tracks. “The goal is to really translate the emotions during the sessions, which for me, often, is a lot of, I guess, excitement, joy and fun,” Ferraro said. His background as a director allows him to be very open-minded about collaboration, and he writes alongside many friends. “There’s a great feeling when we write music, and I try to package that as well as I can,” Ferraro said. Some of his inspirations include Dominic Fike, Jon Bellion and LAUNDRY DAY. Ferraro has over 7,000 followers on Instagram. His philosophy with social media mirrors his philosophy with music: to make things he enjoys. Ferraro believes many artists make content they’re not passionate about to promote their music, which inevitably leads to burnout. “It’s really hard to be disingenuous for a long period of time,” Ferraro said. He began making videos entirely for his own enjoyment when he was young, and like many kids in this generation, dreamed of being a YouTuber. Ferraro would post magic tricks and recreations of action movies. So, when he started making music in his late teens, making videos came naturally. “For me, it was just the fun of it. ‘Oh, I get to be an artist, I get to make music videos,’” Ferraro said. “It was like a bonus.” He says that he enjoys the visual aspect of his projects just as much as making the music itself. Ferraro makes two distinct types of videos: short-form social media videos and longer-form music videos. He says that he gets a lot of help making both types of content. “I’m lucky to be around a lot of really talented friends,” Ferraro said. In particular, he mentions recently working alongside local Montreal director Josh “Pop” Popovsky. Ferraro's music videos lean towards comedy, and he experiments with different styles. He works with what he’s passionate about, as well as what the people around him are passionate about.

“It’s really important to me that in all pieces of the art I make that it’s palpable that there was fun had in the creation of it,” Ferraro said. He doesn’t take himself too seriously and focuses on presenting his most authentic self, as much as one can through the funhouse mirror maze of social media. Ferraro says that he doesn’t ever see himself as a “serious artist.” “I think I can only really be me, who is a very, like, relatively normal human,” Ferraro said. When he was younger, he was interested in gymnastics and drumming. “If you mix drumming and gymnastics, you kind of get breakdancing,” Ferraro said. “So I was really, really into breakdancing for all of high school.” Ferraro attended a dance school called Break City in the West Island and performed around the province. There, he danced with his friend Ash Stewart. Stewart describes himself as Ferraro’s first fan. Stewart says that Ferraro wasn’t very good at first. “He managed to work really hard and become a fantastic musician, and I’ve been listening ever since he decided that it was even something he could possibly do,” Stewart said. Stewart is a filmmaker and actor. He filmed, directed and edited the music video for the song “SMS,” highlighting Ferraro’s collaborative process.

Ferraro largely stopped dancing when COVID-19 hit, which is also when his music journey began. During the pandemic, he and his friend George Olivier started an indie rock duo called 20 Minutes Til Sunrise. They had danced competitively together in high school and wanted to find something creative to do without leaving their house. They pirated Ableton, a digital audio workstation, on their laptops and started learning instruments at home. “On the first project, you can literally hear us borderline learning how to write a song across the entire thing,” Ferraro recalled. “It starts off pretty rough.” He still incorporates dance into his art, even if it’s not his main focus anymore, and you can still see him dancing in many of his music videos. Ferraro works very collaboratively. He has a handful of people who chip in from time to time, but mostly he collaborates with his friend Napoleon Comeau. Comeau has been working with Ferraro since spring of 2025. Comeau works as a producer on Ferraro’s music and also handles mixing and mastering. They write a lot of the songs

together, sitting in the same room and coming up with lyrics, chords and beats on the spot. Comeau says that usually, within an hour, they have a mostly complete product. After sessions at Comeau’s home studio, Comeau works alone to prepare the songs for streaming platforms. Right now, the two are meeting twice a week to work on Ferraro’s next album. Comeau describes Ferraro’s working style as dynamic and quick. There isn’t much hesitation. “If it feels right, we just go with it,” Comeau said. He describes Ferraro as fiery and disciplined, saying that Ferraro wants to work as quickly as possible to keep the momentum going. Comeau mentions that Ferraro often dances or does push-ups during the writing process to maintain that spark. Comeau also says that Ferraro is obsessed with data and with the game of social media, which has no doubt led to a lot of Ferraro’s

social media success. Ferraro occasionally brings other people in to help out. Whether he recruits them specifically for something he’s having trouble with or someone happens to be in the same room while he and Comeau are writing and offers an idea in passing. “A good idea is a good idea, and just because it wasn’t mine, like I shouldn’t punish the song for that,” Ferraro said. In terms of lyrics, Ferraro once again returns to this idea of authenticity. He doesn’t want to try to be something he’s not. So, his songs often reflect whatever is currently on his mind. While he is currently invested in music, that doesn’t mean things will stay that way forever. “In my mind, being an artist isn’t confined to a medium; it’s more of a way of thinking about things and a way of approaching things,” Ferraro said.

EMERGING INDIE POP-ROCK MUSICIAN LUKA FERRARO PERFORMING AT LA SALA ROSSA. PHOTO JANNA TOUBAL @JANNA.MEDIA

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VOLUME 47 • SEPTEMBER 22, 2026

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Meet the dance pioneer who wants to save hip-hop Angelo Ameur saw its birth; he hopes no one has to see it die Charlie Hassett

@liyshar

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e had only been back for 24 hours, but he was already in the thick of it. As smooth rhythms pulsated through a downtown Montreal park and the gathered crowd watched dancers take to the stage one by one, their bodies moving to the music, one man sat just behind the action. His eyes were totally fixed on the display in front of him, his hand hovering as he scratched the occasional note on a paper pad. Flanked by two fellow judges with equally steely stares, you wouldn’t think that the aging man judging Montreal’s latest street dance battle had just flown 15,000 kilometres to be here. But for Angelo Ameur, hiphop dance is everything. A longtime figure in the Montreal scene (or an ‘OG’ as he prefers), Ameur arrived from the United States to study at Concordia University in 1987. At the time, he said hip-hop dance was still in its infancy in the city. So, when he began dancing, people took notice. “They was like, wow, what kind of dance is that?” Ameur recalled, “How do you do that?” “It's hip-hop,” he explained back then. Today most people know hiphop as a genre of music. Actually, it is the name for a wide-ranging culture that emerged from New York City's African American neighbourhoods in the 1970s. Pierre-Michel Jean-Louis, better known as Bboy Afternoon, is a Montreal street dancer, teacher and competition judge with over 20 years of dancing experience. He described hip-hop culture as encompassing dance, music, lived experience and visual arts. Jean-Louis said hip-hop dance began with the emergence of breakdance, or breaking as the community calls it. However, the acrobatic, difficult-to-perform movements did not suit relaxed social settings, so people adapted them. “In a party space, not everyone is going to break, so there has to be some type of dance that is a little bit more accessible to everyone,” Jean-Louis said. While hip-hop and its dances have since become global phenomena, Ameur emphasized the fact that there are no strict rules and that its roots lie in freedom of expression. “Hip-hop is not a certain step. It’s a feel, it’s a groove, it's soulful,” THELINKNEWSPAPER.CA

Ameur explained. After years of teaching at different studios, Ameur and his then-partner, Cindy McAuliffe, established Urban-Element Zone in 1999, the first dance school in Montreal dedicated to just teaching hip-hop. Ameur said interest was instant. “People came right away. They were like, ‘Whoa, what is this?’” Ameur said. “We were packed. We had waiting lists.” But after an entire career teaching hip-hop dance, Ameur now finds himself worrying about its future. He is particularly concerned about how social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok are turning hip-hop into a commodity detached from its culture. “Hip-hop is not about popularity. Hip-hop is about sharing,” Ameur said. “Hip-hop nowadays, for me, it's washed out.” Jean-Louis shared the same concerns but went further. He explained that hip-hop’s mainstream popularity has allowed money-driven interests to turn it into a product for consumption. “Nowadays, what’s happening is that it’s a free-for-all," JeanLouis said. "Whoever has the money, whoever has the power, can just decide to do whatever they want with the culture.” For those in hip-hop, it is not just a hobby, but a real culture born from resistance and the lived experience of being Black in North America. And of all people, Ameur would know. After all, he was there when it began. Born in Madagascar in 1968, Ameur moved to the United States as a teenager, at the perfect moment to experience the birth of hip-hop culture. Soon enough, he was immersed in it, constantly dancing with friends and taking part in dance battles. Now in his fifties, rather than sit back, Ameur is more determined than ever to pass on his firsthand cultural knowledge to the next generation. So, he did the only thing he knows how: he started a new dance school. Founded in 2021, Educate ‘n’ Dance aims to reconnect hiphop with its roots as a dance developed in the streets. Instead of making students copy a teacher, the philosophy is to help students find their own way of expressing themselves through a

connection to music and understanding of their own bodies. “It was very challenging, especially when I started,” said Timothée "Timo" Ly Jean-Claude, one of the school’s first students. “[Before] I would just follow somebody, but now I have to follow the music for it to tell me what I have to do,” Jean-Claude said. He said the approach helped change his relationship with dance. After dropping out of high school for a while and even quitting dance, he began training again at Educate ‘n’ Dance, where he gradually regained his confidence. His hard work eventually paid off when, after a couple of years, Ameur asked him to start teaching classes alongside him. Unfortunately, things have not been easy for Ameur. In 2014, he was diagnosed with osteoporosis, a condition

that triggers a slow weakening of the bones. Since then, he has undergone a hip replacement and is currently waiting for surgery to replace both his knees. Still, that has not stopped him from dancing. “If I don’t dance, it’s like I’m not even alive,” Ameur said. Looking ahead, he hopes his new school will do more than only teach and support the next generation of hip-hop dancers. “It’s to keep that culture alive,” Ameur said frankly. Ultimately, he believes that responsibility will fall to his students. "My wish is that they take what I've started and keep on going with it and keep it alive as long as they can,” Ameur said.

For him, continuing to teach and preserve hip-hop despite his age and physical challenges is part of the same philosophy he tries to pass on to his students through dance. "Life is about fighting for what you want to do, what you believe in, what you want to achieve," Ameur said. HIP-HOP OG ANGELO AMEUR. COURTESY SCOTTIE AYRTON AU YENG KONG

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Montreal’s lesbo-queer soccer league takes the field The JUKE Collective aims to connect soccer and queerness Rahul Balasundaram

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arc Saint-Michel in the Plateau is lively on a gloomy Sunday evening. This is where around 30 lesbo-queer women, transgender folks and non-binary people come to play pick-up soccer every week. While the turnout is a bit smaller this time around because of the pre-match rain, the energy is still electric, both on and off the field. The weekly pickup games are part of JUKE, a lesbo-queer and trans inclusive soccer collective established in 2022 in Montreal. Based on the values of equity, inclusivity, collaboration, safety and respect, the volunteer-run league creates a space for beginners and experienced players in the 2SLGBTQI+ community to play "the beautiful game." “I used to play soccer when I was a kid, and I tried to play when I moved to Montreal. I played maybe once or twice in co-ed leagues, and it wasn’t great, so I just stopped playing altogether,” Cath Lafortune says, reflecting on their own experience playing in traditional co-ed soccer leagues and underlining the importance of spaces like JUKE. Laf, one of the organizers of the weekly recreational leagues, echoes this sentiment. “Oftentimes, playing sports in mixed teams, it’s just a different vibe. You don’t get as many passes,

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and the spirit is harsher,” they said. They shared how important it is to create inclusive spaces where the queer community can build connections through sports such as soccer. This is not limited to the field, as friends and family come to cheer the players on while building a community of their own on the sidelines. The players, also known as Jukies, drop in for weekly games or sign up for a season pass, with a discounted rate for Black, Indigenous and racialized players. Funds raised through season passes and drop-ins cover costs such as renting the field and purchasing pinnies and equipment. In the summer, players are divided into teams when they arrive on the pitch, while teams are created ahead of time for the indoor fall and winter seasons. Last fall, after responding to community demands to play at a more advanced level, JUKE launched Montreal’s first competitive lesbo-queer soccer league, which follows a championship format. Charlotte Carl is the captain of her team in the competitive league. “Despite my queer identity, I think it’s a thing of pride that you can still play despite who you are because soccer can be very cismen-centric sometimes,” Carl said.

VOLUME 47 • SEPTEMBER 22, 2026

Carl has followed her passion for soccer for 25 years in India, the United Kingdom and Canada. She said she is grateful for the opportunity to continue playing the sport through JUKE over the last two years. “I feel really happy that a place like JUKE exists where trans, non-binary and even gender-fluid people can play,” Carl said. She highlighted the importance of such inclusive spaces to build companionship, community and support systems for queer people. For Lafortune, JUKE creates a space to reconnect with the sport while navigating their queerness. “I guess I came into my queerness at the same time as I started coming to JUKE. So this was me coming back to the sport I love,” Lafortune said, who has been playing in the JUKE leagues for four years. They also shared how co-ed leagues emphasize gender, namely by requiring teams to have two female players on the field at all times. Lafortune said players are perceived through their gender before they even step onto the field, as teammates express their surprise that they are “good for a girl” or are simply looking to meet the gender quota to play. JUKE forgoes such rules.

“It’s a space where you don’t have to think about your gender on the field. It’s not part of the interaction," Lafortune said. "For me, I’m finding a way back to a sport without having to think about gender, without having to justify who I am.” While the weekly soccer collective is an introductory space to queerness, Lafortune also said their relationship with JUKE is constantly evolving as they navigate their own queer journey. The collective is also a space for new players to learn and enjoy soccer. Riley Dupuis, who never played the sport before, was introduced to the weekly matches through a friend. Now, three years later, they are one of the collective’s organizers. JUKE is engaged in various social and political causes here in Montreal. During the summer, the collective organized a Queer World Cup as part of Wild Pride. The tournament brought together 60 players to celebrate pride through soccer. In December 2023, JUKE hosted a solidarity match for Palestine before a protest. Their Instagram account affirmed that “as a queer and trans soccer collective, JUKE firmly supports Palestinian liberation, opposes Zionist occupation and condemns so-called Canada’s

complicity in Israel’s ongoing genocide.” JUKE is also registered as a non-profit organization in Quebec and has a board of members to oversee the collective. Dupuis emphasizes the importance of not only having a transparent board, but also one that is decentralized and allows players to provide feedback, discuss suggestions and voice their concerns. As people come in and out of the collective, Dupuis also shared the challenge of knowledge retention, which is necessary to ensure JUKE is sustainable. “One thing we want to work on is to pass on more knowledge to the next generation to take over what we worked on this season,” Dupuis said. To do this, organizers document behind-the-scenes efforts that go into running JUKE smoothly, from logistics to scheduling. The collective hopes more Jukies will play in their recreational and competitive leagues in the upcoming year. The summer season wraps up on Sept. 27, with a short break before the fall leagues start in October.

A PLAYER FIRES A SHOT AT A JUKE SOCCER GAME. PHOTO CLÉO CLAMEN

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The rebirth of a league After 41 years, Division 1 men’s university hockey will return to Quebec Samuel Kayll

@sdubk24

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orty-one years after men’s Division 1 university hockey left Quebec, a new league will rise in its place. The Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) has announced the return of the Division 1 men’s hockey league, aiming to create an upward pathway for Quebec players through high school, CEGEP and university. “It's a really good day in Quebec, and it's a really good day for U SPORTS Hockey across the country,” said Pierre Arsenault, chief executive officer at U SPORTS. “When you look at one of our core sports in men's hockey, this is the most significant growth story that we've had in a long time.” Six teams: Concordia University, McGill University, l’Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR), l’Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC), École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) and l’Université de Sherbrooke will join the conference for its 2027-2028 inaugural season. The league will be the newest instance of a Quebec men’s university hockey first division since the Quebec Universities Athletic Association (QUAA) dissolved in 1987. Concordia, McGill and UQTR will play their final season in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA)

conference this season before heading to the RSEQ. UQTR, the defending league champions, has won four of the past five OUA titles, with Concordia taking home the Queen’s Cup in 2025. Concordia Stingers men’s hockey head coach Marc-André Élément, who served on a decision-making committee with other coaches, praised the opportunity for Quebec student-athletes to choose their opportunities on the ice and in the classroom. “It's going to be great for hockey in general and for all the kids to have the chance to choose which institution fits best for their profile,” Élément said. The three non-OUA schools— ÉTS, UQAC and Sherbrooke—will make the move up from Division 2 to join the new RSEQ. According to Gustave Roel, the RSEQ’s chief executive officer, each team involved voluntarily joined the expansion talks while leaving room for future additions. Despite the disparity in program strength, Élément praised the new teams for their development, adding that it created pressure on the top schools to perform. “The teams are recruiting well, so I'm not worried about the calibre

at all of this league,” Élément said. “It's just going to force everybody to get better. You've got to find ways to recruit better, get better and all.” Roel mentioned that around 13,000 student-athletes compete in hockey across all the RSEQ’s levels. The conference’s goal is for Quebec university hockey to represent a leading option in the careers of provincial players who hope to play at higher levels. “Our ambition was clear: to allow these young people to continue developing on the ice while, of course, building a future through a quality university education,” said Roel at the league’s press conference on Sept. 15. Stingers mentor coach Jim Corsi pointed out that many Quebec players compete against each other in junior hockey, but end up going out of province to continue their hockey careers. He said the new league would allow them to stay close to home while competing at a high level. “Many of the junior kids are going to be going to these universities today as opposed to trying to find a spot in the rest of Canada or even in the NCAA [National Collegiate Athletic Association] and continue to express their hockey abilities,”

Corsi said. “So now the competition is even tighter. It's going to mean a lot more.” Roel also emphasized the strengths of Quebec’s education system and the benefits of continuing one’s education into university at an RSEQ school. “Student-athletes will be able to continue their development in a Quebec-based Division 1 circuit, proudly represent their universities and advance through an academic pathway,” Roel said. “In summary: study here, play here, develop here and graduate here.” The return to Quebec marks a new chapter for Concordia, which has established itself as a national powerhouse throughout the past several seasons. The Stingers won the aforementioned 2025 Queen’s Cup and looked set to challenge for another conference title in 2026, before a stunning 2-0 series defeat against Queen’s University knocked them out of contention. Concordia Stingers captain Alexandre Nadeau acknowledged the importance of a Quebec university league as it strengthens provincial teams and promotes the continuation of players’ careers. “We were playing in Ontario, but it's different there,” Nadeau said. “We're happy to have a league here and have an

opportunity for the guys playing LHJMQ [Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec] and all the colleges.” As the new league prepares for competition, both the RSEQ and U SPORTS will keep an eye out for signs of success. Benoit Doloreux, the RSEQ’s university division director, praised the league’s potential for a quick return to excellence across the board. “We're going to get to a point that the level between the first team and the last team is just the closest possible to have exciting games and an exciting league,” Doloreux said. “That's essentially the goal, to provide a great experience for student-athletes and fans and the university community as a whole.” While Nadeau expresses his excitement for the challenge, he’s not overlooking the year ahead, where he hopes to lead the Stingers to further success. “We're pretty happy to have it, but we have a season to do, and we want to win this year,” Nadeau said. “I think we have a pretty good team, so that's the first thing we want to focus on.” As some of the nation’s top teams prepare to unite under the same umbrella, Arsenault sees the potential for exponential growth within the province. “To see the reaction in these new communities, to see the reaction of the pride of Quebec having their own league again, that will be a really big driver of success,” Arsenault said.

THE RSEQ ANNOUNCED THE NEW DIVISION 1 MEN'S HOCKEY LEAGUE AT A PRESS CONFERENCE ON SEPT. 15. PHOTOS NICOLAS TREMBLAY @NICOLAS.TREMBLAY.JOURNALISME

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SEPTEMBER 22, 2026 • VOLUME 47

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Bishop’s University football returns to the RSEQ What does the Gaiters’ return mean for the Stingers' upcoming football season? Kassidy Jacobs

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he Bishop’s University Gaiters have returned to the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) for the 2026 football season after spending eight years in Atlantic University Sport (AUS). The addition expands the RSEQ to six teams and introduces a familiar yet new opponent on the Concordia University Stingers’ radar. The Gaiters cited high travel costs as their reason for returning to

the RSEQ. Competing in the AUS conference meant travelling to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, requiring teams to fly as their main mode of transportation. This created costly and time-consuming travel for all teams league-wide. The conference's expansion comes at a time of transition for the Concordia Stingers, as the team’s previous defensive coordinator, Paul Eddy Saint-Vilien, has been appointed as interim head coach. He suggests the Gaiters’ comeback will

BISHOP'S UNIVERSITY MARKS THEIR RETURN TO THE RSEQ MEN'S FOOTBALL LEAGUE IN 2026. GRAPHIC DIA DIEKMANN @DIADRWS

create a healthy rivalry. “I think our conference needed this,” Saint-Vilien said. “Having the extra team will make great competition for us.” The Gaiters’ arrival also occurs at a moment when the Stingers' offensive line has been met with adversity. Starting quarterback Antoine Ouimet suffered a leg injury during a preseason game against Guelph. Glenn Valentine, a former MVP at John Abbott College, stepped up as the Stingers’ starting quarterback at the start of the regular season. “Becoming the starting quarterback hasn’t been too stressful because my coaches have always set me up really well and have given me first-team repetition practices from the beginning,” Valentine said. Star Gaiters defensive back Alex MacDonald recorded 43.5 tackles, two sacks and three interceptions last season, making him a key player for the Stingers offence to watch. Valentine expressed that while he doesn’t see the Gaiters as a threat, the Stingers will have to adjust to how their new opponents play.

“Bishop’s hasn’t played in the RSEQ for a while now,” Valentine said. “Since we haven’t faced the Gaiters recently, I can’t really plan around what game strategy works on them.” Saint-Vilien, on the other hand, believes the Stingers have everything under control when it comes to facing Bishop’s, as they'll have time to study and adapt to the Gaiters’ gameplay. “By the time we play them, we’ll already be three games into the season,” Saint-Vilien said. “We're going to be able to watch and have an idea of what they’ve been doing.” Shifting focus to the defence, the Stinger’s star defensive back, Mendel Joseph, feels excited heading into the team’s match-up against their newest opponent. “I love facing new receivers that I’ve never played against,” said Joseph. “And I love a challenge, so it’s going to be exciting playing against a new team.” Joseph shared Valentine’s sentiment, saying that facing an unfamiliar team will be a test for the Sting-

ers. The defence will face Bishop’s’ back-to-back AUS MVP and star quarterback, Justin Quirion, adding another challenge to the matchup. Still, Joseph remains confident in the defence's ability to make the necessary adjustments and handle whatever the new matchup brings. “It’s going to feel different playing a new quarterback,” said Joseph. “But after the first quarter, I think we’ll be able to adapt to their offence's game plan.” While the Stingers expect some obstacles when facing the Gaiters, they believe Bishop’s will also have their work cut out for them, as they settle back into the RSEQ. “The RSEQ is a tough conference; it’s probably one of the best in Canada,” Saint-Vilien said. “So I think they’re going to have to adjust to us, and the other teams, a little more than we’ll be adjusting to them.” Concordia will face Bishop’s twice this season. Their first matchup this season will be on Sept. 26 at the Gaiters’ Homecoming, before they host the Gaiters at Concordia Stadium on Oct. 31.

We’re in 2026—stop using women’s bodies to sell sports If Novig is “just sports,” why do they need to sexualize a woman to sell it? Marie Latifpour Moozar

“T

@marie_moozar

hink you know sports? Prove it,” said Sydney Sweeney, as she stared into the camera with her chest covered by nothing but two footballs. It was the opening line of a Novig ad created to promote their sports prediction-market app, which claims to be “just sports.” Not politics, not drama, just sports. But the ad doesn’t show sports. It shows Sydney Sweeney posing with varying sports equipment while half- or fully-naked. This includes shots with a football held between her legs, shoulder pads over her chest, sitting naked on a basketball hoop and racy tennis shots filmed from behind. The message is clear, and it has nothing to do with athletic knowledge. There's nothing wrong with Sydney Sweeney choosing to be half-naked. Owning your sexuality isn’t the problem here. The problem is Novig’s use of a woman’s body to sell a sports product in an industry where

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women have spent decades fighting not to be sexualized. As a woman working in sports media, I know exactly how quickly credibility can be stripped away and replaced with comments about appearance. Men can show up however they want and be taken seriously. Women have to prove constantly that we’re here for the sport, not to be gawked at. Our opinions, knowledge and skills shouldn’t be diminished because of our appearances. That’s why this ad hit a nerve. It demonstrated the idea that a woman’s value in sports is tied to her looks, not what she knows, and that desirability still matters most. This perception undermines the work of athletes and journalists who fight every day to be recognized for their skills, voices, analysis and performances. Female athletes and sports media professionals reacted immediately, leading to turmoil on

VOLUME 47 • SEPTEMBER 22, 2026

social media. People like reporter Emmy Raine and Olympic athlete Tara Davis-Woodhall posted photos of themselves competing and interviewing with the caption: “Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sports look like.” Their message was simple: sexualizing women to sell a sports gambling app is outdated, lazy and harmful. If Novig is “just sports,” then show sports. Show athletes. Show competition. Show the passion that makes people care. The ad could have delivered the exact same message with Sydney Sweeney fully clothed, playing the sports being referenced. Instead, it chose to rely on a cliché that women in sports have been trying to ab ol i s h for years. And yes, it's that deep.

Because women have been trying to prove for years that we're more than just our bodies. That we can be equals, especially in the sports industry. That we're not here to tempt athletes or to sleep with them. Rather, we are here because of our love of sports, our passion for the emotions they bring out in people and our deep appreciation for analyzing them. As an athlete, I can affirm that my body can push just as much as a man’s, that my butt isn’t what’s impressive and shouldn’t be your focus during a volleyball match,

but my smash, my serve or my pass should be. I can be feminine, wear makeup, want to look good, but also want to surpass myself to my fullest without having you comment on my appearance. We deserve to be taken seriously in sports because of our knowledge and expertise, not our bodies. And we don’t need you sexualizing us to prove that we belong.

NOVIG'S CONTROVERSIAL AD ALIENATES A COMMUNITY IT SEEKS TO UPLIFT. GRAPHIC HALLE KEAYS

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Free public transportation is worth investing in Fare-free transit for a greener, more affordable and more accessible Montreal Serena Totera

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@serena_.totera

hat’s the use of a public transit system if the people can’t even

use it? Over the past year, Montreal has seen its public transit system expand via the Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM), making it easier for students living in the West Island and North Shore to get to and from campus. Personally, it has reduced my commute time by approximately 30 to 40 minutes! However, I can’t help but wonder how beneficial this expansion truly is if students are struggling to even afford transit fares. As with every year, the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) and the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) have introduced another fare increase. Although single-use fares will remain unchanged, the cost of most other types of passes will rise by at least 3 per cent. This increase is particularly concerning amid Canada’s affordability crisis. According to the Centraide du Grand Montréal, roughly half of Quebec’s residents are feeling heightened

financial anxiety and 86 per cent are experiencing financial strain. Many Canadians are struggling to get by as the cost of rent, food and gas rises. And for students, tuition is getting more expensive. The last thing Montrealers should worry about is the cost of public transportation—a service that's essential to so many of them. In an ideal world, public transport would be completely free for all. But how feasible would that even be? Turns out, many cities worldwide have already implemented a fare-free system. Chapel Hill in North Carolina and Châteauroux in France have offered free commute options for over two decades. In recent years, many others, like Belgrade in Serbia and Tallinn in Estonia, have followed suit. In fact, entire nations now have similar systems. In February 2020, Luxembourg became the first country in history to make public transportation completely free for residents and tourists alike. Implementing such a system in Montreal would be momentous, making the system more accessible to more people and increasing ridership.

This has certainly been true in 14 years old. The STM also recently gium, is a prime example. After 16 Luxembourg. The country saw a mas- introduced a free transit program for years of a fare-free system, they unsive rise in ridership after adopting seniors, helping them maintain a bet- fortunately had to reintroduce fares in 2024 due to rising costs. The Montreal fare-free transportation, especially ter degree of independence. Research shows that easy access program for seniors alone costs apon the tram. The number of riders rose from 6.2 million in 2019 to 31.3 to transport can positively affect a proximately $40 million per year. Nevertheless, there are cities that million in 2024. Orangeville, Ontario person’s overall health. When that saw a similar influx of passengers af- transport is free, it makes it easier for manage to pull it off or, better yet, ter introducing a fare-free pilot pro- everybody, but especially vulnerable thrive. Free transit is, without a doubt, gram in 2023. In its first year, ridership populations, to maintain social connections and access services that im- worth it in the long run. doubled. A decision like this also benefits prove wellbeing. And who in Montreal would say Of course, offering free transit for no to free transit? the environment, as increased ridership would lead to fewer vehicles on all is very costly. Hasselt, a city in Belthe road and, by extension, a reduction in air pollution. Montreal also alreadyoffers free public transportation to certain populations. Children aged 11 and younger are permitted to ride for free, so long as they ride with someone WHAT'S THE USE OF A GOOD PUBLIC TRANSIT SYSTEM IF THOSE WHO NEED IT MOST CAN'T AFFORD TO USE IT? PHOTO SANTIAGO SÁNCHEZ who is at least

What the heck is professional attire anyway!? From King Charles to tech bros, looking "professional" has always mattered Nathalie Bucur

@_genes1s__

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ashion trends are perpetually cyclical. In a society defined by a highly consumerist culture, clothing items shift from fresh, hot, or cutely vintage to outdated, overdone and a bad look. In the workplace, these clothing trends play an implicit, yet undeniable role in what is considered professional and unprofessional. People entering the workforce have to find their footing in this business-casual or suit-jacket world. Whether we like it or not, self-expression gets deprioritized in the name of professionalism. At first glance, this workplace standard seems clear and well-defined. However, it also falls victim to trends and pressures people to maintain a certain "look" at work. While many workplaces require a certain uniform for safety reasons, this isn't the case for non-practical, or white-collar jobs. Typically, these jobs have a dress code that emphasizes a three-piece suit and tie, blouses, pencil skirts and a “natural” presentation. Some workplaces have loosened their dress codes over the years, mirroring the changing norms and THELINKNEWSPAPER.CA

expectations. However, whether consciously or unconsciously, it remains true that some presentations and ways of dress appear inherently more "professional" than others. For example, something as simple as a tattoo or a different hair colour can be enough for many employers to deem you unprofessional. Even if these professional norms are nothing more than fashion trends, people often treat them as the only way to conform in a modern workplace. However, much of modern-day office wear is just a result of preexisting trends and styles that have been standardized as "must-wear to gain recognition and respect." Most notably, of course: the threepiece suit. Its origins can be traced back to the 17th century with King Charles II of Britain, and its popularity among regular people increased after the mass industrialization of the 19th century. This was due to its simplicity, which allowed it to be mass-produced for working people. Even then, this style was not immobile, though its status as the peak of professionalism remained. For ex-

ample, the three-piece suit evolved to attire norms. include women's styles during the 20th Still, this shift does not address the century. expectation to conform to whatever is Now, business casual is taking popular. Over and over again, self-exthe professional world by storm, with pression gets cast aside for the sake of a jeans, blouses and shirts becoming more "professional" apincreasingly normalized in the pearance to sell oneworkplace. Much of this can be self better as a workattributed to big tech CEOs, of all er. A survey of U.S. people, who wore relaxed clothing women aged 18 to to convey relatability and simpli75 found that 96 city to their consumers. per cent believed Examples include Steve style was crucial to Jobs and Jack Dorsey, two professionalism. tech giants who sold the image of the "common man" to their audience by wearing laid-back, relaxed clothing. Ironically, what made their style unconventional for the time has shaped workDESPITE THE FASHION WORLD OPENING UP TO THE WAVE OF WORKPLACE BUSINESS CASUAL, place FITTING IN REMAINS THE GOLD STANDARD. GRAPHIC LAUREN MCCARTHY @LAU.MCC

Even as standards have relaxed over the years, how you present yourself still matters. The problem remains: shouldn’t professionalism be based on attitudes, behaviours and work ethic, rather than something as individual as personal style? While there should be basic rules and norms, especially when it comes to personal hygiene, there shouldn't be a social penalty for standing out, especially since it's praised when the rich and powerful do it. I worry that in times of extreme conformity, where standing out can be the basis for judgment, there will be no place to be unique, different or simply yourself, both in and out of the workplace. Thanks to social media, private and public spheres of life are becoming increasingly intertwined, and with this comes the expectation of inherent professionalism across the board. People bring their skills, expertise and life experiences to their workplace. No one should be forced to leave parts of themselves behind.

SEPTEMBER 22, 2026 • VOLUME 47

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NEWS FRINGE ARTS SPORTS

OPINIONS

EDITORIAL

Nostalgia Nook: It isn’t raining women anymore Is Hollywood intentionally leaving the modern woman behind? Mischa-Elisabeth Clarke

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ou’re such a Carrie! Well, you’re definitely a Samantha. No, what you are is a nostalgic soul, dreaming of an era that no longer exists. Over the past decades, we’ve been made to believe that younger is better. In television, once women hit a certain age, they become mothers. This label can stifle the representation of the nuances of womanhood. Since the end of the pandemic and the SAG strike, there's been a decrease in

@ mischaelisabeth TV show output. Is this decrease to blame for the disappearance of the beloved character archetypes we grew up with? Young adult and teen content has been dominating the industry for well over a decade, and as a result, the era of adult lifestyle television we grew up alongside has fallen into obscurity. What's been missing in recent TV shows are complex, messy adult women who remind us that it's okay not to have it all figured out, and that our

lives continue to exist beyond our romantic relationships. We’ve lost the luxury of seeing our struggles reflected in groups of women who’ve not only overcome the same obstacles we face, but evolved into more fulfilled versions of themselves by forging genuine communities with the other women around them. Recently, there has been an attempted resurgence of this au-

WILL WE BE FORCED TO BEAR WITNESS TO THE TRAGIC FALL OF A TRULY CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD FRIEND GROUP? GRAPHIC YOUSRA AIT

thentic content with TV shows like Adults, Overcompensating and Not Suitable for Work. What all these shows seem to be short of, however, are those quintessential female friendships that taught us the value of a close-knit community. The lack of representation of female friendships and women in television in recent years hasn’t gone unnoticed by viewers. Many young adult TV shows are failing to develop authentic female characters the way they used to. The once diverse group has dwindled to one or two girls in a group of men, intended to be eroticized as the postmodern manic pixie dream girl. Or perhaps, this is the Hollywood exec cheat code to pass the Bechdel test. What we’ve been subjected to is a push for oversaturated love triangles and never-ending cheesy storylines that have completely bulldozed the true power of young adult media. It's becoming more crucial with every growing step towards conservatism that women do not get boxed into outdated archetypes that serve to limit our ability to connect. Archetypes like the ones we grew

up with allow women the opportunity to express themselves in a vast array of ways that have recently been limited. Female friendships and women in general deserve to exist as complete beings, like their male counterparts. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, young women were fortunate enough to have TV shows like Girlfriends and Sex and the City to provide inspiration and hope for their adult years. We all long to have the honest complexities of our 20s and 30s represented on our screens again; not only for ourselves and our inner teens, but for next generations to come. And with the ever-changing world around us and the loss of these comforting models, many women may feel as though they are alone in feeling lost. Personally, I find it comforting to know that we all carry pieces of the characters we grew up watching. Don't we deserve a fun, feelgood show that offers a glimpse into what’s to come? Or will we be forced to bear witness to the tragic fall of the truly classic Hollywood friend group?

Is a bachelor’s degree keeping its promise? A degree can provide knowledge and opportunity without providing a clear destination Esamaar Eid

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or as long as I can remember, university has been presented as a fairly simple equation: choose a "good" degree, work hard, graduate and you’re guaranteed to find stability. Some degrees seem to carry that promise more strongly than others in today's world. Engineering, medicine, law and finance are often seen as safe choices. We're repeatedly told they'll open doors and lead to steady careers. As a university student myself, I'm no longer convinced that choosing the "right" major guarantees anything. I'm in the process of completing a Bachelor of Science. I often hear that a science degree looks great on a resume and paves a direct path to a career. I believe it can, but having many possible paths laid out in front of you is different from knowing one of them will definitely lead to a stable job. This issue is bigger than any particular degree. No matter the

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field of study, entering the workforce feels increasingly difficult for current university students. We're told to get a post-secondary education to become qualified, yet these days, a degree alone does not seem to make us qualified enough. Even entry-level positions often ask for previous experience. We are therefore expected to build experience while completing our studies. Internships, volunteering, networking, student organizations, part-time work and personal projects can start to feel less like opportunities and more like requirements. This impossible cycle raises a frustrating question: how much are students truly expected to accomplish before they're even considered employable? Technology and the ever-growing impact of artificial intelligence on workforces complicate this question even further. While technological changes

VOLUME 47 • SEPTEMBER 22, 2026

force students to consider how secure certain careers will remain in the coming years, they have also simultaneously created entirely new ways to earn a living. People can develop skills online at low cost, freelance, build portfolios, start businesses or work in digital industries where what they can do matters just as much as the degree on their résumé. These developing industries make the value of university more complicated. If someone can learn a marketable skill outside a classroom, gain experience online and build a career without spending years and thousands of dollars completing a degree, students will naturally ask whether a traditional education is necessary. Education provides knowledge,

A DEGREE'S ABILITY TO GUARANTEE OPPORTUNITIES HAS DWINDLED OVER THE YEARS. GRAPHIC AIA SEGAL @BOBAIIIIA

discipline and opportunities that online learning cannot always replace. But its role is changing. Students today often have to treat university as only one part of their career preparation. I still believe education has value. But students deserve more honesty about what a university degree represents today. Choosing a traditionally strong major may improve your chances. It may open doors and lead to a relatively secure profession, but it

will never give you absolute certainty. The real issue is no longer simply which degree is safest. It’s whether our education is giving us the knowledge and practical skills we need to build a career. If the job market is changing, what students learn should also evolve with it, rather than leaving them wondering how much of their education will truly help them once they graduate. THELINKNEWSPAPER.CA

EDITORIAL EDITORIAL EDITORIAL EDITORIAL EDITORIAL EDITORIAL EDITORIAL EDITORIAL OPINIONS SPORTS FRINGE EDITORIAL ARTS NEWS

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n Oct. 5, Quebecers will have the opportunity to elect a different party to the seat of power at the National Assembly. Anglophone community newspapers like The Link are especially important during these periods of election coverage. Especially since, with the passage of Bill 96, all voter information has been sent in French. Although a recent court order has changed this, English is still being pushed to the margins of civil society. This, alongside the scapegoating of Quebec’s minorities, shows how exclusion has come to define our political culture under the Coalition Avenir du Québec (CAQ). Since coming to power in 2018, the CAQ has repeatedly reshaped who can access public institutions, services and opportunities in Quebec, often leaving linguistic and minority communities to bear the most bitter consequences. One of the clearest examples came early in its mandate. Bill 21 expanded Quebec’s secularism policies and barred public servants in positions of authority, such as public school teachers, police officers, judges and prosecutors, from wearing religious signs at work. The CAQ continued to broaden the scope of these restrictions. In 2025,

Volume 47, Issue 2 Tuesday, September 22, 2026 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

THELINKNEWSPAPER.CA

GRAPHIC HALLE KEAYS

The Link wants you to go vote! Bill 94 extended the ban on religious symbols beyond teachers to other school employees and people who regularly provide services to students. The restrictions expanded again with Bill 9, passed in April 2026. The law extended the religious-symbols ban to workers in subsidized daycares and several other public sectors, while also prohibiting religious practices in many public institutions and spaces under government authority. Bills such as these have drawn heavy criticism for disproportionately affecting Muslim women and other visible religious minorities. These issues affect not only the broader Montreal community but also the student experience at Concordia University. As of Sept. 1, designated prayer spaces are no longer permitted on our campus except the Loyola Chapel. Concordia has also faced significant financial pressure following the CAQ government’s decision to increase out-of-province tuition fees. This has led to our funding as an English university being threatened by the CAQ’s choice. The CAQ has also grossly misused government funds during its tenure in power, going $500 million over budget in creating the Société de l’as-

surance automobile du Quebec’s new software system, known as SAAQclic, and losing a $270-million investment in Northvolt Batteries North America's parent company for the construction of a battery plant. As an advocacy newspaper, The Link has a responsibility to keep these consequences and governmental misdemeanours in the public eye. Our job is to tell the stories that risk being pushed out of the spotlight and to make space for the communities whose voices are too often ignored or silenced by those in power. The news media has forever been essential to democracy, holding politicians accountable and informing the public about the decisions made in their name. As the next Quebec election quickly approaches, our job of advocating for the downtrodden and questioning the powerful has become increasingly paramount. This election is more than just the reshuffling of politicians in the National Assembly. It's an opportunity for Quebecers to decide what direction they want the province to take. Provincially, our public services have been executed on the altar of austerity, leaving us with failing education, healthcare, infrastructure and an

affordability crisis that is pricing people out of a good life. In this election, the frontrunners are currently the Parti Québécois led by Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, according to a new Segma Research poll. Throughout his campaign against the CAQ, Plamondon has tied the province's education problems to immigrants, even though this is a multifaceted issue driven by years of underfunding. Another contending party running against the CAQ, the Quebec Liberal Party, has been plagued by inner-party controversies. Pablo Rodriguez, elected as the party's leader last summer, resigned in December amid allegations of vote-buying. His replacement, Charles Milliard, has reportedly failed to gain respect from veterans within the party. Not to mention, in the last Quebec provincial election, only 66 per cent of eligible voters came out to cast a ballot. A third of Quebec stayed home and stayed silent. The CAQ won around 40 per cent of the vote, meaning that less than a third of Quebec voted for them. For the people who didn’t vote, they may have thought that their individual voices didn’t matter, that one vote couldn’t do anything. However, if they

The Link is published 12 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. BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2026- 2027: Voting Members: Iness Rifay, Matthew Daldalian, Geneviève Sylvestre| Non-Voting Members: Dana Hachwa, Safa Hachi, Payton Mitchell, Samuel Kayll. TYPESETTING by The Link PRINTING by Hebdo-Litho. CONTRIBUTORS: Rhemi Lazar, Dilan Kiki, Marissa Guthrie, Eliane Laframboise, Rahul Balasundaram, Charlie Hassett, Aïcha Diallo, Kassidy Jacobs, Marie Latifpour Moozar, Serena Totera, Esamaar Eid, Mischa-Elisabeth Clarke, Nathalie Bucur, Helena Reyes Teruel, Kasey Lamer, Janna Toubal, Cléo Clamen, Dia Diekmann, Aia Segal, Lauren McCarthy, Santiago Sánchez, Yousra Ait COVER: Halle Keays, Naya Hachwa HOUSE ADS: Halle Keays CORRECTIONS FOR VOLUME 47, ISSUE 1: On p. 9 in the article "Adjusting to a world without Limited Term Appointments," the name of Kate Sterns, the director of Concordia's creative writing program, was misspelled. The Link regrets this error.

had all cast their ballots, they might have been able to oust a long-serving politician who takes their wins for granted. Young Canadians are the most likely to stay at home, with almost half of 18-to-24-year-olds not voting in the 2025 federal election. This needs to change. We don’t have to continue on this downward spiral. In this nihilistic age, people are paralyzed with fear. But when we recognize that things can change, hope can push us all towards collective action. It's up to each voter to inform themselves and decide which choice best represents their interests. And work does not have to stand in the way: on Election Day, employers must ensure workers have at least four consecutive hours available to vote, without a reduction in pay or another penalty. Regardless of who takes power after the next election, or whether a minority government is formed, The Link will continue to report on stories where communities are directly affected by the policies passed in the National Assembly. Voting is one of the clearest opportunities we have to decide what kind of Quebec we want to build. Show up, do your part, go vote.

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor Creative Director Co-News Editors Fringe Arts Editor Sports Editor Opinions Editor Photo Editor Video Editor Graphics Editor Copy Editor Business Manager

SAMUEL KAYLL CLAUDIA BEAUDOIN NAYA HACHWA SEAN RICHARD KARA BRULOTTE RYAN PYKE COLIN VAN DEN AMEELE JAIDEN GALES NICOLAS TREMBLAY SORAYA YALE-RAMANATHAN HALLE KEAYS CHANTAL BELLEFEUILLE PAYTON MITCHELL

SEPTEMBER 22, 2026 • VOLUME 47

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