The Concordian - October 10th 2017

Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper

VOLUME 35, ISSUE 7 | TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2017

theconcordian.com  /theconcordian  @theconcordian

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theconcordian

Playing at the Sandbox

Learning and creating with emerging technologies in Concordia’s makerspace Life p. 6-7

feature

news

A look at the opioid crisis in Montreal

arts

music

sports

Cycling memorial Alumna filmaker Hip hop's fixation Sanchez puts his on Mount Royal p. 4 fights pipeline p. 9 on depression p. 12 players first p. 14

p. 10

opinions

Knowing when to seek help p. 18

news

NEWS EDITORS /// news@theconcordian.com CANDICE PYE & ETIENNE LAJOIE ( @candicepye @renegadereports) )

POLITICS

Students, faculty react to Kurdish referendum

Turkish Student Association Concordia fear independence will spark violence IAN DOWN ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Kurds in northern Iraq voted overwhelmingly in favour of establishing their own independent state on Sept. 25. In the aftermath of the referendum, which has received both support and criticism from the international community, Concordia students and faculty were divided in their feelings about Iraqi Kurdistan’s f ight for independence.

Turkish Student Association Concordia (TSAC) condemned the independence movement in a written statement to The Concordian. “We don’t support any separative movements that might cause violence,” the organization wrote. “Moreover, we don’t separate our members as Kurdish or Turkish. For us, we are one together.”

“I suggest you also support peace,” the statement continued.

“What happened is very sad news that will potentially cause more violence in the region.”

This statement was in line with the Turkish government’s official

stance on the referendum. The country fears the creation of an independent Iraqi Kurdistan could encourage an independence movement among its own Kurds, who represent 15 to 20 per cent of Turkey's population according to the BBC. Quoted in The Independent on Sept.

30, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said: “They are not forming an independent state, they are opening a wound in the region to twist the knife in.”

Juman Al-Mashta, president of the Iraqi Students’ Association at Concordia, declined to comment on the referendum, saying the association is only a “cultural association” with “no official stance” on the issue. According to CNN, the Iraqi government has declared the referendum “unconstitutional” and is prepared to use violence to suppress separatism in the region.

Concordia professor Richard Foltz said he doesn't foresee violence in the region. As an expert in Iranian civilization, his field of study has often brought him into contact with the culture, history and society of the Kurds, an Iranian people. He said he believes it is in

Turkey’s best interest to maintain its trading relationship with Iraqi Kurdistan and to have a relatively stable democracy on its southern border.

He said Canada should break away from the United States’ foreign policy by officially backing Kurdish aspirations for independence. Foltz acknowledged that any referendum for independence around the world may be a “sore spot” for Canada, given Quebec’s history of referendums for sovereignty.

According to Foltz, since the time of former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, who successfully kept Canada out of the Iraq war, “Canada’s foreign policy Concordia professor Richard Foltz doesn’t said has been dictated by he believe the Kurdish independence referendum will cause violence in the region.

Washington.” He said the Photo by Alex Hutchins.

United States. is “trying to for independence,” he added. play both sides” by “sup“There is nothing that porting the Kurds militarily foreign officials, organized by the anybody can do or say on the one hand, while at the same U.S. State Department, which col- that will entice them to renounce time [having] this stubborn insistence lectively agreed the referendum that aspiration,” Foltz said. “I on maintaining the integrity of Iraq.” should not take place, according to think that any foreign policy—be Prime Minister Justin Trudeau the National Post. it Canada’s or America’s or has avoided publicly taking a side Foltz said he does not know Russia’s or Iran’s or Turkey’s—if on the issue. However, a week whether or not the Kurds will gain it wants to be a successful foreign before the referendum, Canada independence. However, “the Kurds policy, needs to begin with that participated in a joint meeting of will never, ever give up their quest understanding.”

VIGIL

Montrealers honour Indigenous women

Hundreds gathered for 12th annual vigil to remember the missing and murdered MEGAN HUNT ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Dreary weather wasn’t enough to stop hundreds of people from gathering in downtown Montreal on Wednesday, Oct. 4 to honour Canada’s missing and murdered Indigenous women.

The two-hour memorial event, held at Place Émilie-Gamelin, was coordinated by the Quebec Native Women’s Shelter and Missing Justice, a grassroots solidarity organization focused on Indigenous women’s issues. Throughout the evening, there were speeches in both English and French from various activists and family members of victims.

According to a 2014 RCMP report, there were 1,181 cases of homicide or long-term disappearances involving Indigenous women between 1980 and 2012. In 2015, Statistics Canada released data suggesting that, while Indigenous people make up just five per cent of Canada’s population, they are the victims of nearly one quarter of all of the country’s homicides.

Chelsea Obodoechina, a rep-

Demonstrator holds a sign that calls for “Justice Now.” Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Hundreds gathered to remember missing and murdered Indigenous women on Oct. 4. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

resentative of Missing Justice, spoke about these horrifying statistics at the vigil, noting that the issue extends beyond women.

“This phenomenon […] is also affecting Indigenous boys and young men,” Obodoechina said.

“And we keep them in our hearts tonight.”

According to the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC), Montreal’s annual vigil was one of many held across the country on Oct. 4. The NWAC claims that, when the vigils were first held in 2006, there were only 11 held nationally.

Since 2014, over 200 vigils remembering missing and murdered

Indigenous women have been organized across Canada every year.

Vigil attendees raise their hands to show they knew a by the same name as one of the women who had Ellen Gabriel, a woman been murdered or gone missing. Photo by Mackenzie Lad. Mohawk activist, also spoke at the vigil and reflected on the “There are more [Indigenous] increased participation, noting that children in the child welfare system there were only 20 attendees at the today than there were in residential first event in Montreal 11 years ago. schools,” Gabriel said. “Justin Trudeau Despite the increased attention recently gave a speech to the United to the issue and the launch of a Nations talking about Indigenous 28-month national inquiry in 2016, people [...] but he’s presented no Gabriel reminded the audience that solutions on his part.” there is a long road ahead before Throughout the evening, attendees Indigenous women—and Indigenous lit candles and some even brandished communities as a whole—receive signs with phrases including “Justice justice.

For Our Women and Girls” and “Sisters

in Spirit.” One speaker at the event asked those gathered to raise their hand if they knew a woman with the same name as some of the women who had been murdered or gone missing in Quebec since 1980. By the end of her list of about a dozen names, the overwhelming majority of the crowd had their hands up.

Cheryl McDonald, a Mohawk woman whose sister, Carleen, went missing over Labour Day weekend in 1988 in Akwesasne, also spoke at thevigil. She talked about how Carleen’s body had been found several weeks later by a hunter. Although McDonald was visibly emotional while recounting the story of her sister, her speech remained hopeful.

“We, as women, have to stop hurting each other before we can expect men to,” McDonald said.

“I choose to live and leave a trail of love behind me.”

While it may have been a night of mourning, the speakers reminded the audience that it was also a night of remembrance, resilience and hope.

“We will remember these women,” Gabriel said in her closing remarks, “and we will continue to fight.”

OCTOBER 10, 2017

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CYBERSECURITY

Phishing emails circulated to Concordia students

University sends warning to students not to open hyperlink in spam mail ÉTIENNE LAJOIE NEWS EDITOR An email was sent by Concordia University to students on Oct. 3 advising them not to open a phishing email circulating in the student community. The phishing email was sent by newsonlineconcordia@concordia.ca, according to a screenshot sent by the university.

The phishing email read: “Concordia University Latest News & Media.” A second line included a hyperlink with the words “Breaking News. Find out more.”

In its message to students, the university asked to “please delete [the email] immediately [...] Phishing techniques such as this can spread viruses and malware."

The message continued: “A recent example of the dangers of this type of email is the WannaCrypt/ WannaCry ransomware attack, which paralyzed thousands of computers across the globe.”

Phishing emails and potential cyberattacks have been com-

monplace in Montreal universities over the past two years. Last May, 120 computers at the Université de Montréal were infected by the WannaCry virus, which encrypted copies of user files before deleting the originals, forcing people to pay a ransom to regain access to their documents.

On Aug. 31, as previously reported by The Concordian , phishing emails were also sent to McGill University students.

Cyberattacks occurred on two occasions at Concordia in the last two years. In March 2016, keyloggers were installed at the Webster and Vanier libraries. The devices allow hackers to record all the keys pressed by a person, allowing them to remember everything that was typed.

In April 2017, the university’s online course system, eConcordia, was also hacked.

Concordia President Alan Shepard told The Concordian in September that cyberattacks were a “big issue.” “We were lucky in

Phishing emails were sent to Concordia University students by a fake adminisboth episodes that we tration email account in early October. Photo taken from ???. didn’t have any major damage that we’re aware of,” he said, referring to the two incidents at Concordia.

According to Shepard, the university made “some technical changes to try and prevent repeats of these episodes.” The president wouldn’t disclose what these changes were.

Raymond Chabot Grant sional services Thornton, an to assess the accounting firm, university’s audited the univercybersecurity sity’s IT security in risks. Shepard as a “large-scale review of said the result of the assessment 2017, according to Shepard. The IT audit was part of the c y b e r s e c u r i t y.” A s t h e T h e will be private. annual audit presented to the uni- Concordian previously reported, Eight different companies a call for tenders was sent by the versity’s board of governors. Shepard bidded for the contract, including said the audit showed the university’s university in July through the Bell Canada, Montreal-based publicly accessible Système GoSecure and Okiok Data. The cybersecurity had strengthened.

The audit differs from a sep- électronique d’appel d’offre du value of the contract is still arate project Shepard described Québec (SEAO), seeking profes- unknown.

COMMUNITY

Bishop Street business owners want peace

Construction on downtown street has caused some to consider closing up shop MATTHEW LAPIERRE STAFF WRITER Restaurant and bar owners on Bishop Street want financial compensation from the city of Montreal for lost revenue due to the construction of a new metro ventilation station that’s driving customers away.

According to the the Société de transport de Montréal, the station will replace an aging one on De la Montagne Street and provide fresh air to the green line between the Peel and GuyConcordia stations. The STM said work on the station began in October 2016 and should be finished by mid-2020.

That’s too long for Carlo Zahabi, the owner of Le Gourmet Burger, a restaurant on Bishop Street that’s been hit hard by the construction.

He said sales have dropped by as much as 60 per cent since the work began.

“I’m three to four months behind on my rent,” Zahabi said.

“It’s a real possibility that I’ll have to close down.”

In April, Zahabi and a coalition of Bishop Street business owners filed a lawsuit against the city of Montreal and the STM requesting $2,500 compensation for every month of construction, and $25,000 to commision a private engineering firm to inspect the project and see

Bishop Street business owners say construction on their street caused by renovations of the STM’s green line may put them out of business. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

if it could be done faster. The coalition also wants free advertising for their businesses in the nearby Peel and Guy-Concordia metro stations.

Last week, a judge denied the coalition’s request for temporary compensation—which would have given the businesses financial aid before the case went to trial. It’s a decision that seriously hurts the businesses’ ability to stay open even up until the trial date which will likely only take place in 2019, according to Legal Logik, the firm representing the merchants.

“We tried to show [the judge]

that it was urgent,” said Gaby Nassar, the owner of Kafein, a café-bar on Bishop Street affected by the construction. “Now the delays will be substantial.”

The construction turned a usually busy street into a tangle of concrete barriers and metal fences. On their website, the STM urged pedestrians and cyclists to avoid the section of Bishop Street where the work is taking place.

“They’re blocking access to my restaurant with a fence,” Zahabi said. “It’s a dead end sidewalk, and they put up a sign that says

‘Trottoir Barré.’ Who’s going to come down there?”

Both Nassar and Zahabi said they’re unhappy with the way the STM notified them the work was going to start. “[The STM] said they sent fliers,” Zahabi claimed. “That’s not any way to notify a business of construction in front of their place.

They should have prepared a plan to save us before they started the work.”

Nassar agreed: “They could have approached us months in advance to talk instead of letting us cry for help.”

In February, the city of Montreal unveiled a plan to reconstruct a large part of St-Hubert Street. The work is slated to begin in the summer of 2018 and continue until 2021. The city announced it will be offering financial compensation to St-Hubert Street merchants who lose business as a result of the construction.

The city did not offer any compensation to the merchants on Bishop Street. “[The city] told us [they have many] resources for financial programs to help businesses out when there’s construction, but for some reason we’re an exception,” Zahabi said. “I don’t see any exception. It’s all work.”

According to Zahabi, the construction has already forced two restaurants on Bishop Street to close and another to file for bankruptcy.

The coalition of Bishop Street merchants is determined to continue their legal battle against the STM and the city of Montreal. The STM refused to comment on the Bishop Street construction, noting that information about the project is available on their website.

“It’s a situation that needs a bit of attention,” Nassar said. “The city is being slow and not active.

We’re not going to give up. My business has been here 15 years.

We’re going to keep fighting.”

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OCTOBER 10, 2017

MEMORIAL

Cycling community climbs for Clément Ouimet

Montreal cyclists come together to remember young rider who died on Mount Royal OLIVIA O’MALLEY STAFF WRITER Camillien-Houde Way is one of the most popular training routes for Montreal cyclists because it provides a challenging climb up and over Mount Royal. On Oct. 6, hundreds of cyclists clipped into their pedals at the base of the trail—not to train, but to honour 18-year-old Clément Ouimet.

On Oct. 4, Ouimet was descending the mountain, just south of the Belvedere lookout, when he collided with an SUV. The driver of the SUV made an illegal U-turn in front of the cyclist. Unable to stop, Ouimet hit the vehicle and was rushed to hospital with head injuries. He died later that night.

The driver remained at the scene and did not sustain any injuries. No charges have been made, but police said the investigation is ongoing.

Ouimet’s death shocked the cycling community. Espoirs Élite Primeau, the Laval cycling club Ouimet was a part of, wrote on their Facebook page: “No words can describe all the pain

and distress we are experiencing right now.”

According to CBC News, fellow cyclist Édouard Beaudoin wrote on the team’s Facebook page that he was “devastated” by the accident.

“Knowing that Clément died doing what he loves, it completely destroys me. No one should meet death practicing their favourite sport,” Beaudoin wrote.

Benoit Tessier did not know Ouimet per- Montreal’s cycling commusonally, but had heard nity climbed Camilien Houde of him through the Way to honour Clément cycling community. Ouimet, a young rider who parking lot near Tessier said he felt it died on Oct. 4 Photo by Beaver Lake. was important to attend Kenneth Gibson.

Many indithe memorial ride to viduals in the pay his respects. “He was a good cycling community are demanding cyclist and had good potential. that the city do something to make He was just too young to die,” Mount Royal safer for cyclists.

Tessier said.

Jacques Wiseman frequently rides After a moment of silence, up Mount Royal. “I do it myself, but members of Espoirs Élite Primeau I never descend because I always led the silent memorial ride up the expect an accident going down,” he winding Camillien-Houde path. The said. “It’s not secure enough. I think two-kilometre climb ended at the a wall [between the two lanes] or

something must be installed.”

Cyclist Patrick Vanpeorgh agreed and said more protection is needed all the way up the route. He suggested the barrier separating the car lanes should be extended up the mountain, to prevent cars from making U-turns.

Wiseman said he is appalled by the amount of car traffic on the mountain, calling it a “tourist trap.”

“It’s too easy and too fast for cars to cross the mountain. It’s

basically a highway on the mountain with bikes,” he said.

“It’s a big safety concern,” Wiseman added. “It must be addressed soon. It’s an easy and cheap fix in my mind.”

In a post on Twitter, Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said he would create a group to study the area and determine whether CamillienHoude Way should continue to be accessible to cars crossing Mount Royal. According to Coderre, the group would consist of organizations such as Vélo Québec, Amis de la montagne, Table concertation du Mont-Royal and the Conseil du patrimoine de Montréal.

“A death is one too many. An accident is one too many, and we have to take care of that,” Coderre said.

A photo of the young, promising cyclist was hung alongside medals and race numbers on the traffic light at the bottom of the hill where t h e m e m o r i a l r i d e s t a r te d .

Underneath, bouquets of flowers were piled on top of one another, surrounding the pole.

STUDENT LIFE

QPIRG Concordia to expand student resources

Organization turns focus to the future following annual election, fee levy increase MEGAN HUNT ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Following the recent election of new board members and an eight-cent fee levy increase, Concordia’s chapter of the Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG) is focusing on increasing research stipends and expanding their student resources.

The grassroots organization, which has historically focused on funding research and community-based projects aligned with their progressive political views, elected 12 members to their board of directors on Sept. 27 during their annual general meeting.

Since the organization works with both the Concordia and Montreal communities, it has two separate boards: one consisting of students and the other made up of community members. Any Concordia student with a valid student ID and all community QPIRG members (non-students who have donated at least $10 to the group or who volunteer 10 hours per year) were able to vote in the election.

Eamon Toohey, who was elected to the community board of directors on Sept. 27, said the board will spend the year developing and funding “radical, grassroots social justice initiatives” and will be

prioritizing marginalized voices.

“I’m really excited to work with a whole new crop of board members to support the folks working for a brighter tomorrow in the city a n d b e yo n d ,” To o h e y s a i d .

“Especially folks at the margins fighting for Indigenous sovereignty and migrant justice. Those two fights are brutally suppressed and forgotten, but absolutely vital.”

In addition to new board members, the organization recently received an increase to their annual student fee levy. According to the group’s 2016-17 financial report, between January 2007 and November 2016, the group received 31 cents per credit per undergraduate student, with the

exception of students who chose to opt out in the first weeks of each semester.

Through a referendum vote during the fall 2016 Concordia Student Union (CSU) by-elections, the QPIRG was granted an eight-cent fee levy increase.

Under this new model, undergraduate students pay 39 cents per credit per semester, or $11.70 annually for a 90-credit degree.

The graduate student fee levy of 50 cents per credit was unchanged.

“It was up to Concordia undergraduates to decide at the polls,” Toohey said of the referendum.

“When voting closed, our fee levy was raised, allowing us to support social and environmental initia-

tives all over the city.”

While the group’s primary source of income is fee levy funding, it’s impossible for the QPIRG to predict how much funding that will be, as all students have the option to opt-out each semester. According to financial records from October 2016 to August 2017, the group’s total revenue for the 2016-17 fiscal year was $238,586 with approximately $220,000 coming from student fee levy funds.

The QPIRG insisted the increased funding will be put towards community-based programs and research projects.

According to Hesser Garcia, a newly-elected community board

QPIRG Concordia focused on research stipends and expanding resources available to students.

Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

member, the fee levy increase has already allowed the group to fund a $3,000 summer stipend, which they granted to Captive Minds.

According to the QPIRG’s 2016-17 annual report, Captive Minds is a Little Burgundy-based mentorship project that connects black, low-income youth with an adult mentor in the prison system. Garcia said this stipend is “the first in many to come,” now that the group has increased funding.

“We were also able to provide better support for our alternative agenda, School Schmool , and our alternative library,” Garcia said. School Schmool is a free student planner that features articles and resources, including food banks and low-cost mental health services in the Montreal area. The alternative library, in QPIRG Concordia’s office at 1500 de Maisonneuve Blvd., offers books, magazines and audio-visual media focused on environmental and social justice issues.

In total, the QPIRG invested $20,000 in community and campus projects in 2016-2017. Several board members said they are hopeful the increased fee levy will allow them to expand funding for these programs even further in the coming year.

life

LIFE EDITOR /// life@theconcordian.com SANDRA HERCEGOVÁ

HUMANS OF CONCORDIA

When doodles become your own fashion designs

Concordia student and founder of Heure de Sieste T-shirt brand discusses his creative process

Daniel Vigny-Pau’s poses with a few of his T-shirt. Photo courtesy of Daniel Vigny-Pau.

MIA ANHOURY CONTRIBUTOR It’s abstract, awry, and mangled—yet you can still recognize what it is. Tristan has an ear replaced by a face, Noah has a mouth instead of an eye, and Mathilde is two-faced with a mouth where her heart should be. Tristan, Noah and Mathilde are screen printed T-shirts from the online store Heure de Sieste.

At 20 years old, Daniel Vigny-Pau, a second-year computer science student at Concordia, launched his own clothing line in September. It’s called Heure de Sieste, and it all started because Vigny-Pau was bored in a CEGEP physics class.

A portrait of Daniel Vigny-Pau, the founder of the Montreal T-shirt brand Heure De Sieste.

Photo by Sandra Hercegova.

He started doodling in a notebook “trying to see how [to] distort people’s bodies or add random body parts to different places,” he said. That same notebook became VignyPau’s sketchbook by the end of the year. He would stay up until 2 a.m. drawing if he was feeling down or in a bad mood.

Last year, Vigny-Pau looked into launching his own line of T-shirts with his designs.

Yet he thought it was “too complicated and expensive” so he didn't pursue it further. He continued drawing, though, and turned his personal Instagram into a fashion-focused account. That’s when his follower count went from 300 to over 1,000.

Streetwear clothing really encompasses Vigny-Pau’s personal style, especially brands like Comme des Garçons and Undercover.

Even his biography on Instagram reads “I like clothes.”

Last spring, Vigny-Pau was motivated by friends and family to bring his designs to life. A friend asked him at a house party: “When are you going to do something in fashion?” Yet, it wasn’t until he teamed up with his current business partner, who wanted to remain anonymous, that Vigny-Pau’s idea started becoming reality.

His partner, who is in his first year of business school, has connections with manufacturers in Asia and takes care of the behind-the-scenes aspect of the business. For his part, Vigny-Pau takes care of the website and the brand’s social media platforms. Coincidentally, a week before he created the website, Vigny-Pau learned how to use HTML in a web programming class

at Concordia, which helped him design the website he wanted.

“A lot of people nowadays have their own brands, but I wanted to do something different,” he said. “I'd like to think that these drawings are unique and not something people have seen before.” He described the T-shirts as minimalist, since the graphics are in black or white, yet bold due to the compelling design on them.

Vigny-Pau said someone once told him his designs look demonic. While he understands this description, what he sees are illustrations that are simply distorted and twisted. “I like to start with a face because they are so interesting, there is so much you can do with it,” he explained. The smaller features of the face are what he distorts—like drawing another face where an ear should be. He designs each illustration in one sitting in pencil. If he messes up, he said he finds a way to make it work because it’s not meant to look real. He never uses an eraser. “I let it come to me when I draw it,” Vigny-Pau said about his artistic process.

When Vigny-Pau was coming up with a name for the brand, he felt a French name would be best since it’s a Montreal brand. As he was scrolling through proverbs and French expressions, Heure de Sieste stood out to him. Vigny-Pau said he felt it was relevant, as most his drawings come from late-night sketching sessions right before bed. Sleep is also associated with nightmares, which is one of the vibes he goes for when designing the shirts. The logo is simple because his focus

is less on the brand’s name and more on the graphics themselves.

Even though he’s a computer science student, Vigny-Pau always had an artistic side growing up. “I play piano, I did a lot of arts in high school,” he said. So creating and having this clothing line is a fun way to keep his artistic side active while in university. One of his drawings is even featured on the album cover of Out Here, a mixtape by his friend, Paul Ha. The T-shirts for sale right now are available in a limited quantity, which Vigny-Pau said is a way to keep the clothing unique. He also intends to introduce more apparel to keep the line alive.

Heure de Sieste has a lot of plans for the future. Vigny-Pau said he hopes to release hoodies or perhaps even coach jackets with a print on the back. In the meantime, he has learned that it takes a lot of effort and time to turn a drawing into the custom-made T-shirts he sells to customers. Even once he has the first sample of the T-shirt ready, Vigny-Pau explained that the process isn’t over—there’s usually some tweaking before finalizing it, which he said takes patience.

Heure de Sieste’s winter collection will be released in December and will feature jumpers.

“I want to finish my degree,” Vigny-Pau said. “ I like programming, but [the clothing line] is a fun thing to have on the side. I really want to see where it goes.”

Check out what Heure de Sieste has to offer by visiting:

www.heuredesieste.com

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theconcordian

OCTOBER 10, 2017

TECHNOLOGY

A community space for Concordia students

Technology Sandbox offers a place to learn about emerging technologies and create innovative projects

Urmila Deb uses 3D printers at the Technology Sandbox to create a reduced prototype of a project for her final year as a mechanical engineering student. Photo by Elisa Barbier.

ELISA BARBIER ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR SANDRA HERCEGOVA LIFE EDITOR Through the glass walls, students passing by witness the familiar sight of hundreds of heads bent down with eyes fixed on textbooks and computer screens. Yet just a few steps further down the hall is a vastly different scene. The smiles on the faces of people holding game controllers and screwdrivers break the oppressive stillness on the second floor of the Webster Library.

Last winter, the Technology Sandbox at Concordia was created based on the concept of makerspace—a public space that gives people access to machines and tools for small-scale projects. It is the brainchild of Concordia’s head librarian, Guylaine Beaudry, and part of the Webster Library’s renovations. According to Jasia Stuart, the Sandbox’s technology analyst, the idea is to offer students and staff experiential learning using new technologies in a hazard-free environment.

Stuart’s job is to decide what equipment is purchased for the space and what will be

made available for rent. “It is about finding the fine balance between distinguishing established technologies from trends and finding interesting and stimulating material that is good value,” she said. In addition to the many machines available for use at the Sandbox, equipment can be rented for three days or two weeks by all Concordia students and staff members.

Stuart’s co-worker, Sean Cooney—known by his middle name, Tailor—is the Sandbox’s technician. He oversees the functioning of most of the space’s technology, including the 3D printers, the virtual reality (VR) headsets as well as the soldering and electronic equipment.

Cooney also helps students use the machines and software.

The Sandbox’s services are divided into four categories: 3D printing, electronics, media creation and virtual reality. Each category has equipment that can be loaned-out, including alienware computers, Playstation VR, cameras, microphones, green screens and Raspberry Pi programming kits.

“We make sure to have a lot of the common tools that people would use for their projects,” Cooney said. Other machinery, such as a

When Daron Kasbar (right) is not studying software engineering, he comes to the Technology Sandbox to work on his electric longboard. Photo by Elisa Barbier.

sewing machine, a vinyl sticker cutter, synthesizers, motor kits and brainwave scanners are available for use at the Sandbox.

Since its opening in February, the Sandbox’s users and following has steadily increased, according to Cooney. “The summer was certainly busier than expected,” he said. Thanks to a thriving community of volunteers, in addition to Cooney and Stuart, the Sandbox managed to handle an unprecedented number of people and projects, and prepared equipment for the new semester. “It got really busy Cooney’s interest in electronics makes it easy for him to during the end of the winter semester with unsolder a delicate piece from a piece of hardware for a all the engineering students finishing their student that could not do it. Photo by Elisa Barbier. projects, and I believe it’s safe to assume the same for this semester,” Cooney said.

Technology has been part of Cooney’s life serve as introductions for Concordia staff or for as long as he can remember. “I have just students to learn complicated vocabulary or been intensely curious about technology,” interface in a structured environment. “It is also he said. “Anything you need to know, we a way for students [who] are less assertive can teach you—material-wise, we usually to come and know as much as others who have it all on hand.” would walk in and say, right off the bat, what Stuart mentioned it is not always easy they want to do,” she added. Workshops are to properly welcome newcomers to the held once or twice a week. “We try to keep Sandbox since she and her co-workers them up to two hours for students to attend are often busy helping others. Yet, between their classes,” Cooney said. she and Cooney still make an effort “There doesn’t have to be a direct corto approach students who look relation between what people are studying intrigued by the machines, inviting and what they do at the Sandbox,” Stuart them to print a small design said. The space counts many engineering and from the 3D printers or try computer science students as regulars, but VR applications. also welcomes students studying business, Stuart is also responfine arts and humanities. “It is a place where sible for developing, you can have fun, learn and develop projects planning and hosting with people from different departments,” workshops. “The workCooney said. shops are there to help Described as a “dream job” by both Cooney new people break into and Stuart, the Sandbox is a place where new technologies,” she people can create from their own imagination said. Stuart pointed out and meet like-minded people with a burning that most workshops sense of curiosity.

OCTOBER 10, 2017

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VIRTUAL REALITY According to Cooney, VR is just a stepping stone to more advanced technologies. “Virtual reality is an emerging technology with a lot of potential recognized by people inside and outside of the tech community,” he said.

One of the Sandbox’s purposes is to teach people how to develop their own VR applications. Users can explore these skills through introductory workshops on Unity—a game developing software—and by using one of two computers with HTC vive headsets—which are currently the best on the market.

The headsets, equipped with a unique tracking system, allow instant localization and orientation of the users so they can move freely in a wide playing area. This allows students developing applications to create content using spatial movement, an important characteristic of VR. “This [system] varies from traditional virtual reality headsets, with which you need to look at a computer and sit down,” Cooney said.

In order to get newcomers accustomed to VR, the Sandbox uses a 3D painting application. “Very few people are going to be making their masterworks with this

application, but it is a very polished, very tamed first experience,” Cooney said. Other applications, such as Google Earth, flight simulators, zombie games or a roller-coaster simulator are available once users feel more comfortable with VR. The Sandbox also offers two student-made applications— application that explores the rules of gravity and a multidimensional application that allows players to pass through windows into a world of Van Gogh-style watercolours.

“We are aiming to have as much student-generated content as possible,” Cooney said.

He added that he loves to see people try VR for the first time. “Just to see the reactions, varying from a fairly mute awe to a full-on wow of people being flabbergasted, is incredible.” For Cooney, VR is unique because there aren’t many experiences that allow someone to be surrounded by stars. He said he believes in the educational power of VR, “because it is so immersive. It is a very effective learning experience—you will definitely remember things,” he said.

Omar Qadri paints in mid air as he tries virtual reality for the first time with the HTC vive headset at the Technology Sandbox.

Photo by Elisa Barbier.

REGULARS AT THE SANDBOX Lloyd Bureau A Concordia student majoring in supply chain operations management at the John Molson School of Business, Lloyd Bureau is one of many students who come to the Sandbox to work on a personal project. “I heard about Technology Sandbox and their five 3D printers earlier this semester,” he said.

“All the softwares are available for us and easy to use—all of this is free for students.

It’s amazing how much support we get from Concordia.”

Bureau is the founder of a startup company called Trinity, which makes freestyle scooters products. “We design, manufacture and distribute the products to specialized retailers in sport stores all around the world,” he said.

All of Trinity’s products are manufactured in Montreal. “We hope to keep it that way for as many of our products as possible,” Bureau added.

Trinity currently sells four products that have been developed over the last year in five different international stores. Among these locations is the California-based Vault Pro Scooter. “It’s the biggest online retail store in the world for freestyle scooters,” Bureau said.

Bureau regularly brings his scooter to the Technology Sandbox in order to improve

and work on his products. “This is the first product we came up with,” he said, proudly holding up a scooter he’d created in part using the Sandbox’s 3D printer. “Basically, we are rethinking the scooter from A to Z, every single part on it, so that we can find a way to improve it,” he said.

Rahul Ranjan Ranjan is doing his masters at Concordia in information system security. He is passionate about the technological world and is a staff member at the Sandbox. “I work here to help people. I help people learn about technology. If there is someone who wants to learn how to use the 3D printer, I am here to guide them,” he said.

Of the Sandbox’s five 3D printers, one is multi-material—it creates products in more than one colour, contrary to the typical single-material 3D printers.

The first step to 3D printing at the Sandbox, Ranjan explained, is to bring in the design of the item. “We can also help you create the design here and download it,” he said. The design needs to be downloaded as an STL file. “After downloading the file, we use a software known as Slicer which converts the STL file into G-Code,” he said.

When studying mechanical engineering becomes too stressful, Muneer Rehman comes to the Technology Sandbox to unsolder hardware. Photo by Elisa Barbier.

According to Ranjan, G-Code combines X, Y and Z axes to produce a three-dimensional result. “If there is a print that is five centimetres, it will create coordinate points and then the points will connect. Slicer will create the layers of your model,” he explained. The final step is to actually print the 3D version of the model.

The time it takes to print something in 3D depends on the size of the project, Ranjan said.

Generally, for something three centimetres tall, it takes about two hours.

Ranjan also helps out with the Sandbox’s media creation lab, which offers users access to software such as Adobe Creative Suite, Photoshop and Illustrator. To create music, Garageband and Ableton are also available, and there are two synthesizers on-site for students to produce their own music. “If you have any idea, or if you think about a cool project and say ‘I want to do this, but how can I do this?’ We can help you get started with your idea,” Ranjan said.

Daron Kasbar Daron Kasbar is also a regular at the Sandbox, where he spends his time building his own electric longboard. “It’s a fun project,” he said. “I didn’t do it for school. I did it mostly to help myself get around.” Kasbar is currently taking prerequisite courses in order to study software engineering at Concordia.

According to Kasbar, his electric longboard was inspired by Casey Neistat, a YouTuber from New York City who vlogs about electric longboards and skateboards. The electric longboards Neistat features on his YouTube channel are expensive, Kasbar said. “One board is around $1,000 to $2,000 minimum.

I can’t afford it so I decided to make my own instead,” he said.

While Kasbar used some parts of his old longboard to create the new one, other elements, such as the enclosures for the electronic components and the motor, were made using the Sandbox's 3D printers. “The wheels, the motor, the 3D printed parts, that’s all from me. The enclosures and all plastic parts that you see here came from my own 3D printing, and most of them are from my own designs,” he said.

Kasbar said building an electric longboard is not as complex as it seems. “It’s simple to build. You can do it on any longboard or skateboard. You just need a battery, an ESC (electric speed controler) and a motor,” he explained.

The longboard can go up to 30 kilometres an hour and can run for three straight hours at that speed. Kasbar also built in a crucial safety mechanism. “If there is a shortage of battery, the electric speed controller will plug itself out of the battery so that it doesn’t overheat” he said.

For Kasbar, the Sandbox is one of his favourite places at Concordia. “I can be myself and share my creativity with anyone,” he said. “The people here will either improve my ideas or understand what I'm talking about—I feel comfortable sharing my ideas here.”

Cooney and a co-worker go over Urmila Deb’s 3D printing design in the Slicer software to analyze why her design is having difficulty to print. Photo by Elisa Barbier.

arts

ARTS EDITOR /// arts@theconcordian.com MAGGIE HOPE

EXHIBITION

Miss Chief Eagle Testickle goes to Europe

Kent Monkman exhibits four video-paintings at the Pierre-François Ouellet art contemporain gallery CHLOË LALONDE ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR Kent Monkman’s work is both beautiful and confrontational. Of mixed Canadian and Cree ancestry, the artist uses painting, video and performance art to help First Peoples 'discover’ Europe as colonizers 'discovered’ their land.

The Pierre-François Ouellet art contemporain (PFOAC) gallery exhibits four of Monkman’s video-paintings in The Human Zoo, where Monkman brings his drag queen alter-ego, Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, to Rome, Athens and Berlin.

The Human Zoo imposes Miss Chief Eagle Testickle onto pre-existing European landscapes, including View of the Colonnade

by C.W. Eckersberg (1813-16) and The Erechtheion on the Acropolis by LancelotTheodore Turpin de Crisse (1805). Monkman uses Miss Chief to embody two-spirit identities among First Peoples, constructing her background as an artist and performer.

In a description of the exhibition, the PFOAC explained “since the arrival of Europeans in the Americas, Indigenous peoples traveled to Europe as ambassadors for their own people, captives, performers and as specimens for human zoos.”

The Immoral Woman (2015).

Still from video.

The Human Zoo (2015). Still from video.

The Syposium (2015). Still from video.

The Immoral Woman (2015), which is set in Rome, presents seduction within binary and non-binary gender identity. Miss Chief flirts with a young cardinal while studying the Christian passage from John 8:3-11: “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her.”

In this passage, Jesus is reminded of the punishment for adultery under the law of

Moses, which states that women caught committing adultery will be stoned to death. When a group of accusing scribes and Pharisees heard Jesus’ words, they left the scene one by one. None of the accusers were without sin. When it was finally only Jesus and the adulteress who remained, he said: “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? Neither

do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”

In a piece set in Athens, Miss Chief paints a young, toned man, while four others drink wine in front of the Acropolis in Athens.

PFOAC described this video-painting, titled The Symposium, as “Miss Chief’s homage to the classical artistic, aesthetic and philosophical traditions of ancient Greece.”

In Berlin, Miss Chief performs for her rival, George Catlin, who intends to paint her. Catlin was a 19th century American painter whose focus was on portraits of First Peoples or “Indians” living in the United States. The Human Zoo depicts Miss Chief's performance anxiety and fear of being exhibited in Catlin’s pop-up gallery in the streets of Berlin behind Freiheit castle.

In all of his work, Monkman put an emphasis on the scarcity of opportunities available for Indigenous peoples and the injustice and inequalities they face everyday.

The exhibition will be open Wednesday to Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Pierre-François Ouellette art contemporain (963 Rachel St. E.) until Nov. 4.

Photos courtesy of Pierre-François Ouellet art contemporain.

POP-UP

Urban artists meet to connect and create

Station 16 Gallery merges works from Montreal and New York City in street art exhibition LAURENCE BRISSON DUBREUIL CONTRIBUTOR A street art exhibition that brought together Montreal and New York City artists will be on display for an extra month to allow more urban art lovers to admire the collection of works. Hosted by Station 16, a local contemporary art gallery, NYC meets MTL Street Art Pop-Up Gallery was intended to run from Sept. 8 until the end of the month. The exhibition will now be open until Oct. 31.

During the opening, over 20 artists were invited to participate in a live painting session.

It was the New York artists who created a new mural for the Station 16 print shop. Andrea Cook, the creator of the Pussy Power series, contributed her design of a reimagined Chanel perfume bottle to the artistic process by inscribing the title of her series on the bottle.

The exhibition showcases a refreshing diversity of work and includes creations by Concordia’s own Laurence Vallières, Whatisadam (WIA) and Jason Wasserman. Wasserman, who graduated from Concordia in 2004 with a degree in fine arts, is now working as an independent illustrator. “Station 16 is involved in this big cross-section of different styles, and they chose the artists exposing at their gallery accordingly,” said Wasserman, who is also a partner of the Station 16 print shop.

A recurring theme that is present in the pieces

by Montreal artists in the exhibition is Canadian,

A viewer stands in front of one of Jason Wasserman's pieces.

Photo by Anna Larovaia.

specifically Montreal, imagery. With Wasserman’s illustrations of both cliché and underground sectors of the city and Whatisadam’s iconic Maple Sizzurp Drum, Montreal is well represented.

“Montreal is such a big part of my identity,” Wasserman said about his source of inspiration. “I have so much attachment to this city so, for me, it’s not only a natural but also an authentic theme.”

Wasserman described ‘street art’ as an umbrella term used to describe a variety of art, including styles such as sculpting, stencil graffiti and murals, all which can be found at the NYC meets MTL Street Art Pop-Up Gallery.

By featuring the work of artists from two separate cities, the exhibition successfully merges inter-city street art communities. “Working with

Andrea Cook’s contribution is part of her series of provocative pieces titled Pussy Power. Photo by Anna Larovaia.

other artists is great for learning but also for networking,” Wasserman said, adding that he now follows some of the New York artists on Instagram. “It’s important for independent contractors to network and help one another.”

This is a lesson Wasserman was taught during his time at Concordia. “I spent a lot of time late at night in Concordia’s art studio. I was in my own bubble. The work I created there was sometimes unsatisfying, and I realized it was because I was self-exploring through work that was meant to be created for others to relate to and gain from,” he said.

The gallery is not only a chance for art enthusiasts to see creations that cross international

borders, but according to Wasserman, it is also an opportunity for artists such as himself to share and learn from one another.

NYC meets MTL Street Art Pop-Up Gallery will be on display until Oct. 31 at Station 16 Gallery. The gallery is open Tuesday to Thursday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Friday until 5 p.m. Private viewings can also be arranged.

OCTOBER 10, 2017

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FILM

The war story of Standing Rock

Michelle Latimer spoke about the importance of her new series with VICE at a recent screening

MAGGIE HOPE ARTS EDITOR OLIVIA DERESTI-ROBINSON CONTRIBUTOR “It changed my life to be there. It’s very rare as a filmmaker that you actually get to revisit your heritage and what means the most to you,” said writer, producer and director Michelle Latimer at a recent screening of her films Sacred Water and Red Power. The films received a standing ovation from the crowd, which brought Latimer and several audience members to tears.

As part of their fall programming, Cinema Politica screened two films by Latimer on Oct. 2. Latimer, a graduate of Concordia’s film program, partnered with VICE Canada to make RISE, an eightpart series that showcases “Indigenous communities across the Americas [...] protecting their homelands and rising up against colonization,” according to VICE’s website.

Cinema Politica screened the first two parts of the series, titled Sacred Water and Red Power, which document the events surrounding the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) protests that took place at the Standing Rock reservation in North and South Dakota last year. The screening was followed by a discussion with the filmmaker, who is in Montreal to be part of Cinema Politica’s jury at the Festival du Nouveau Cinema.

Sacred Water introduces DAPL and what its installation means for the Indigenous communities that live in its path. Essentially,

if built in its entirety, DAPL would destroy about 380 sacred sites that are home to a variety of Indigenous tribes in the central United States. Additionally, the pipeline would threaten the water supply of all Indigenous tribes living along the Missouri River and in the surrounding area. Red Power expands on the political dynamics that surround the pipeline and uses historical footage to show how the Indigenous population in the area have been treated throughout history.

Latimer, who is Algonquin Metis, spent nine months at the reserve getting to know the growing community there and documenting their struggle to hold onto their land. At the screening, Latimer admitted that, although she knew the Standing Rock protests would be important to record, she did not anticipate the duration and size to which they would grow. The filmmaker chose to partner with VICE Canada for her films to reach a larger audience than she would have had on her own.

While the concept of land ownership is a point of contention between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations, the basic premise of the first two films is that the land the pipeline is set to cut through is extremely important to a large population of Indigenous people. They do not claim to “own” the land, but instead emphasize that generations of their people have lived off of it and it is not the U.S. government’s to take.

I n a d d i t i o n to r u n n i n g t h ro u g h sacred land, the construction of DAPL began without a building permit that needed approval from the Sioux tribe, who live on the Standing Rock reserve.

The Sioux people, who call themselves water protectors, denied DAPL access to their land. In August 2016, however, the pipeline began construction despite not being approved.

How dire this situation became is something Latimer emphasized after the films ended. “In my nine months there, I realized I’m willing to die for this. It gives a kind of power and personal journey to those films. I think you see the importance of what people are fighting for and why,” the filmmaker said.

Unfortunately, less than a month after the water protectors’ short-lived victory on Dec. 4 2016, President Trump’s administration made the decision to follow through with the construction of the pipeline and everything the Sioux fought against. Latimer mentioned that DAPL is fully functioning today, already with a spill within the first three months of its construction.

Although it may seem like the battle is completely lost, Latimer encouraged viewers to find the positives in the situation.

She emphasized that what happened at Standing Rock can give us power and hope for the future. The DAPL protests were just the beginning of a bigger battle that we must continue to fight. Latimer noted that there are other pipeline projects that need to be stopped—such as the Kinder Morgan and Line 3—and action is already being taken to do so.

The impact of the Standing Rock protests has already taken effect. “[What’s] happening since Standing Rock is people are mobilizing, and they’re connecting, and they’re already looking at how to

mobilize against these larger infrastructure projects,” Latimer explained.

In times as dark as these, Latimer added, light is what brings people together and encourages them to keep going. An influential form of light, she said, is creating art. “Due to the onset of surveillance and undercover informants at the camp, there was a level of paranoia that started that was really scary to be a part of […] and art was the thing that lifted people’s spirits.”

She explained that there were drum circles and concerts which took place almost every night at the Standing Rock reservation, as well as poster and banner-making tents which helped ignite participants’ spirits and gave them hope. Latimer found that her filmmaking allowed her to express her point of view as an Indigenous person and “channel” the stories of those around her.

Latimer and the other Indigenous protesters in the film highlighted that the installation of these pipelines is not just an Indigenous issue—it concerns all of us. This is an environmental issue, a social issue, a global issue. “We have this planet to protect, and it’s all we’ve got,” she concluded.

Sacred Water , Red Power and the rest of the RISE series can be found on VICE’s website. For upcoming C i n e m a Po l i t i c a s c re e n i n g s a t Concordia, visit www.cinemapolitica.org/concordia. Screenings a re h e l d i n t h e H a l l b u i l d i n g i n room H-110 every Monday at 7 p.m. Entry is by donation ($5 to $10 is suggested).

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

feature

DRUGS

The killer drug striking our nation Rates of fentanyl contamination rise as a more potent opioid hits parts of Canada

An approximation of the amount of each drug that could induce an overdose. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

SAVANNA CRAIG SENIOR CORRESPONDENT Naomi Atkin had heard all about the opioid crisis. For the last three years, the 22-year-old volunteered with harm reduction organizations in Toronto.

Among her responsibilities was attending concerts and raves to provide a safe support system to anyone who might have been experiencing a bad drug trip.

However, it wasn’t until this summer, when her former boyfriend died of a heroin overdose, that the epidemic took on a new meaning for her.

“I’d never been personally affected by it before and had someone actually die,” Atkin said.

Thousands of lives have been lost in Canada because of opioid-related overdoses, spiking in the 2000s with an increase in abuse of prescription and recreational oxycodone, according to The Globe and Mail. While Oxycontin, the brand-name version of oxycodone, was removed from the pharmaceutical market in 2012, other opioids such as fentanyl and carfentanil have kept overdose rates high. Atkin’s home province of Ontario reported the second highest number of opioid-related deaths between January 2016 and March 2017, according to federal government statistics.

This number, 865, was topped only by British Columbia, the province often deemed ground zero of Canada’s recent opioid epidemic. In April 2016, the province declared a public health emergency following a heightened number of fatal overdoses.

The number of opioid-related deaths in British Columbia was higher in the first six months of 2017 than it had been in that same time frame the year before. However, June saw the lowest number of deaths in 2017 in the province up to that point—a

total of 111, which amounts to just under four deaths per day, according to the CBC. Despite the decrease in June, the presence of fentanyl in other illicit substances has accounted for an overall increase in drug overdoses in B.C. since 2012, according to the B.C. Coroners Service.

Fentanyl is a potent opioid pain medication typically available by prescription as a patch and about 100 times more powerful than heroin. However, it is no longer the strongest opioid being mixed with other drugs.

Carfentanil—which is about 100 times more potent than fentanyl—was first detected on the streets of Vancouver in November 2016, according to the Vancouver Sun. A month later, Health Canada confirmed the opioid was found in Ontario, manufactured to resemble green Oxycontin pills. As little as 20 micrograms of carfentanil can be lethal—less than a pinch of salt, according to the Alberta RCMP. In August 2016, the Calgary Police Service, the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency confiscated one kilogram of carfentanil at Vancouver Airport. The confiscated batch would have been enough to create 50 million deadly doses, according to the RCMP. Between September 2016 and June 2017, carfentanil was reported in Manitoba, Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia and in a Saskatchewan penitentiary, according to the CBC. While carfentanil has yet to be detected on the streets of Montreal, Global News reported that 209 grams of the substance were seized at the Montreal-Mirabel airport in January.

Of these two opioids, fentanyl remains the most commonly found in Canada. According to an investigation by The Globe and Mail, black market fentanyl is being manufactured in China and illegally smuggled across the Canadian border in packages weighing less than 30 grams—below the legal weight of a package border guards can open without

the consent of the recipient.

Fentanyl’s low cost and high potency allows drug dealers to spend less and earn more if they cut the opioid into other drugs, most commonly heroin, to heighten their effects. Across the country, there was a 40 per cent increase in street drugs testing positive for fentanyl, Global News reported in October 2016. According to the CBC, there have been cases in Montreal of fentanyl being found in cocaine, MDMA (molly or ecstasy) and PCP, among other illicit substances.

According to Dr. Warren Steiner, who obtained his degree from McGill and has been practicing psychiatry since 1988, many of Canada’s opioid users originally got hooked on prescription painkillers.

“Doctors, as a group, over the last 10 to

20 years, have been very irresponsible in their use of prescription [opioid] painkillers, and that led to a big part of this,” said Steiner, who has been employed at the Montrealbased private rehab centre 360 DTX since its opening in 2014. Over-prescription of opioids facilitated the development of addiction among many patients, Steiner said. “Then you progress from the regular prescriptions—you start buying from the street, and you go up the ladder to the more and more potent drugs,” he added.

Included in this phenomenon is what Steiner referred to as “divergence of prescription.” In Canada, Steiner said a significant number of prescription painkillers end up in the hands of someone other than the

OCTOBER 10, 2017

person they were intended for. “It’s not the person they’re prescribed to who ends up taking them—they get borrowed, given away, sold on the streets,” he said. “Divergence of prescription is a big part of the drug problem, and physicians have to take responsibility—and we are. There are now courses and more and more articles and education for doctors to be much more vigilant in prescribing opiates.”

Regardless of the origins of such substance abuse, a key factor in the current opioid crisis is the frequency with which fentanyl and carfentanil end up mixed with other drugs. Based on the stories Atkin has heard, it is something she said can happen more often than most expect.

“A lot of dealers sell more than one type of drug—so someone who has a lot of cocaine might also be selling heroin or fentanyl,” she said, adding that this can lead to contamination of lesser drugs. Traces of fentanyl as little as three milligrams—while sufficient to trigger an overdose—will not be enough to evenly contaminate an entire batch of cocaine. As Atkin explained, this makes contamination less likely to show up with a drug test kit if only a portion of the batch is tested. “That’s why it’s important to be prepared,” Atkin said. “You never know when that could happen.”

Atkin recently began volunteering at a pop-up safe injection site in Moss Park in downtown Toronto because she wanted to be more involved in preventing fatal overdoses.

“I think that nothing good comes to people who are using heroin because it’s just so dangerous—especially now,” she said. “I saw someone overdosing on the street just a few weeks ago.” Although she had a naloxone kit with her—the opioid overdose antidote—an ambulance arrived before she needed to use it.

“I thought about it afterwards, and even though it was such a scary experience, I would rather have been prepared for something like that, than not at all,” Atkin said.

“It’s important to realize that anything can happen at any moment, and being prepared is better than the alternative.”

CLEAR SIGNS OF AN OPIOID OVERDOSE Cold, clammy skin. A limp body, seemingly deep in sleep. Slow breathing. A faltering or halted heartbeat. These are the symptoms of an overdose.

Imagine you and your friends are sitting around a coffee table snorting cocaine. A mid-party upper to boost your energy, perhaps. You start off small, to test your tolerance. Your friend, on the other hand, snorts a larger line. Following that bump,

your friend sinks back into the couch, looking dopey or at least quite out of it. They become unresponsive and look as if they’re settling into a deep sleep. They may begin snoring or choking, their fingernails or skin may turn blue, their pupils may grow small or their eyes will begin to roll back. Not only is it important to know that these are not the typical effects of cocaine use, it could also be life-saving to know that these signs are likely indicative of fentanyl or carfentanil contamination.

Death caused by an overdose can happen within minutes of ingesting the drug, although it often happens up to a few hours later after the user has fallen into a deep sleep. Nonetheless, overdoses need to be handled swiftly.

In a scenario like the one described above, call 911 immediately. Someone should check the person’s breathing—if it’s slow or shallow, inject naloxone to regulate their breathing. If naloxone is not available, administer CPR to help the person breathe until first responders arrive.

If the person’s breathing is compromised, a lack of oxygen can cause brain damage within minutes. “When you have a lot more of that substance in your blood, then other receptors are also triggered, and those receptors are decreasing the ability of the brain to breathe,” according to Dr. Sophie Gosselin, a medical toxicologist at the McGill University Health Centre. “Rather than breathing at 16 breaths per minute, some of these people breathe at eight breaths per minute, or four breaths per minute," she said. “That’s not enough to give the body all the oxygen it needs and that’s when they go into a coma."

If you incorrectly assess an overdose and inject naloxone, it will not harm the person, as naloxone does not induce a high—it only blocks effects of other opioids to the brain.

“A death from an opiate overdose is really someone falling asleep, losing consciousness and getting into a very deep sleep where they can’t wake up, even though they should feel the need to breath—they stop breathing and they die from that,” according to Steiner.

As Gosselin explained, when the brain does not have enough oxygen it strokes out and your heart starts to give out—sometimes the user will stop breathing all together.

“If a user experiencing an overdose has a stroke from lack of oxygen and is placed on life support, the damage has already been done,” Gosselin added. “If taken off life support, their body would not have the ability to sustain breathing alone.”

Although there are three categories of opioids—natural, synthetic and

semi-synthetic—the effects these drugs have on the brain are the same. They all bind to opiate receptors in the brain. The difference is the degree in strength of each opioid.

Natural opiates, such as codeine and morphine, are commonly used to alleviate pain and accompany a variety of medical procedures. “Those activate the opiate system very mildly,” Steiner said, adding that these drugs activate only about five per cent of a person’s opiate receptors.

Stronger, semi-synthetic opioids, however, such as heroin and oxycodone, have a greater impact on receptors. “They bind very strongly to these receptors in the brain, and they really turn on the system,” Steiner said. This is what makes these substances highly addictive, but also more dangerous.

“The opiate system affects the respiration and the heart, which is why people overdose and die.”

Naloxone is the medication used to counter the effects of opioids and is either injected or ingested as a nasal spray. It can reverse an overdose by blocking opiate receptors, essentially pushing the heroin or fentanyl off the receptors, Steiner explained. “[Naloxone is] something that can save many, many lives if it’s out there in the community.”

MONTREAL’S RESPONSE The municipal government has been taking precautions over the last few months in preparation for a predicted influx of opiate overdoses.

Safe injection sites were introduced at the beginning of the summer and, in September, the city announced an initiative to make naloxone more accessible.

Safe injection sites provide a space for users to inject drugs and, if there is a medical

theconcordian

11

emergency, a healthcare worker employed at the site can attend to the person.

Two safe injection sites opened in Montreal in June: Dopamine in HochelagaMaisonneuve and Cactus in downtown Montreal. “For us, it has been a nine-year battle to open this site in our facility,” said Martin Pagé, the director of Dopamine.

Pagé said another safe injection site is set to open in the Centre-Sud neighbourhood this fall. Once all three sites are open to the public, they are estimated to provide service for a total of 200 to 300 drug injections per day, according to the Montreal Gazette.

After the centres close for the day— Dopamine closes at 1 a.m. and Cactus at 4 a.m.—a van drives around Montreal offering a mobile safe injection space. The service is called Spectre de Rue. Safe injection sites exist in Vancouver, with plans to open others in Surrey and Victoria have been approved by the federal government. Ottawa opened its first safe injection site on Sept. 26 and Toronto currently has a pop-up site in Moss Park.

When asked if safe injection sites would encourage drug use or not, Steiner said, “People are going to use drugs and they're going to use them badly, but you try to protect them. You can’t just say because someone’s a drug user, they deserve to die.”

On Sept. 5, Mayor Denis Coderre announced a pilot project to supply police officers and firefighters in certain boroughs with naloxone kits and training to use the antidote, according to the CBC. Access to naloxone has been scarce in Montreal, as only four pharmacies in the city carry the antidote, according to the National Observer. Additionally, proper training on how to administer naloxone has been limited to first responders, community workers and staff at the city’s safe injection sites.

“It is an epidemic in B.C. and it’s an epidemic in Toronto and the states,” Steiner said. “I wouldn't call it an epidemic [in Montreal], but it’s certainly a public health crisis, which we don't want to become an epidemic.”

Safe injection sites provide the community with greater access to naloxone. However, some, like Pagé, believe there needs to be greater access outside these sites.

“We administer at the moment, but we do not give the kit,” Pagé said. “[Police and firefighters] should have had [naloxone] a long time ago. For us, the authorities are a bit late.”

“It’s going to come east,” he said, referring fentanyl and carfentanil. “There was no reason to think that [Eastern Canada] should be spared from this crisis.”

Graphics by Zeze Le Lin.

Photo by Alex Hutchins.

music

Quickspins

MUSIC EDITOR /// music@theconcordian.com CALVIN CASHEN

1

THINKPIECE

Soundcloud’s fixation on suicide Artists like Lil Peep and XXXTentacion tackle issues of mental health and depression

WOLF ALICE

Visions of a Life (Dirty Hit, 2017)

Wolf Alice’s second album, Visions of a Life, is a bold, brave and brilliant effort. The Brit rockers have made a record so jaw-droppingly advanced that it is definitively a potential contender for album of the year. Following their 2015 debut, My Love is Cool, the group’s sophomore album is an effortless extension of their sound. The musicality displayed in each song has just the right combination of intricacy and immediacy. Wolf Alice grip onto their dirtier, nastier roots on “Yuk Foo” and “Formidable Cool.” Guitarist Joff Oddie’s riffage is tumbling and sleazy, while singer Ellie Rowsell savagely howls: “That’s all he fucking did when he fucked you on the floor!”

Elevating the record from its grunge roots, “Don’t Delete the Kisses” is a standout track.

The song, with its cinematic grace, is becoming an instant modern classic. With Visions of a Life, Wolf Alice have removed any doubt of their status in the UK music scene.

11 Trial Track: “Space & Time”

9/10 — SARAH-JANE NASH, STAFF WRITER

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CALVIN CASHEN MUSIC EDITOR California rapper Lil Peep is leading a new nexus of rap artists. He recently released his debut album, Come Over When You’re Sober— a self-obsessed project which grossly portrays depression as something to be fetishized. Peep raps lethargically about depression over pop-punk inspired trap instrumentals, which usually transitions into a banally sung chorus about taking Xanax and smoking a healthy dosage of weed. When he sings, it resembles the cadence of blink-182 or Simple Plan.

Also like Peep, Soundcloud mammoth XXXTentacion uses his history with suicide and depression as the focal point of his image and music. The topic of mental health serves as a means for these artists to establish an air of authenticity, given the grave imagery expressed in the music. In an interview with Pitchfork, when discussing his history with depression, XXXTentacion said, “Some days, I’ll be very down and out, but you won’t be able to tell, really, because I don’t express that side of myself on social media. That’s the side of myself that I express through music. That’s my channel for letting all that shit out.”

Suicide is an especially relevant topic in hip hop right now, with rappers of varying influence and range ruminating on their experiences with mental health. When surveying the current music scene, the vast majority of new rappers who have personally faced mental health issues rarely shy away from expressing their tribulations.

XXXTentacion’s has been making waves on

Soundcloud with his mix of emo lyricism and edgy, anything-goes demeanor. His new song “Jocelyn Flores” peaked at number three on the Billboard. Lil Uzi Vert’s sleeper-hit, “XO TOUR Llif3,” which centres on the hook “Push me to the edge / All my friends are dead,” ubiquitously earned the award for Song of the Summer at the VMAs last August. The song ponders the mental hell of contemplating suicide in the midst of a failed relationship.

That same day, Logic performed his suicide-prevention anthem “1–800–273–8255.”

These topics can be cathartic for artists. It may come as a surprise, then, that much of the public hadn’t expressed more involvement or concern about mental health until after seeing Logic’s performance. Following the VMAs, it was reported that the suicide prevention hotline saw a 50 per cent spike in calls.

If you’re confronting the same feelings the rappers describe, it’s understandable why you’d feel inclined to gravitate towards artists like XXXTentacion—someone who has yet to overcome his problems. For that reason, this has the potential to position XXXTentacion as a more pragmatic and sympathetic figure.

Yes, it’s a troubling proposal for artists to sing so candidly about death and depression. But, this approach may very well offer a window into the ways X’s fans relate to his music.

Depression and suicide imagery in rap music isn’t necessarily a new phenomenon. Not only because rappers as successful as XXXTentacion are bridging the gap between art and reality, but because his own experiences are intrinsically intertwined with those of his fans. He is one of the main proponents of death as art or aesthetic, which he put on full blast when

he posted a controversial Instagram video last August where he simulated his own hanging.

Consumers are actively seeking music which puts these topics of mental health centre stage. But if this concept of depression as a trend disturbs you — as it should — the imperative is not to ignore it and pretend it doesn’t exist. For us to instill important mental health awareness, it’s important to absorb a certain understanding of the larger, systemic complexes of mental health. This may lead us to a deeper understanding as to why an artist like XXXTentacion might feel depressed.

In addition to the pain that came with growing up in a broken home, his propensity for sporadic violence reflects America’s blatant reluctance to promote conversations about mental health. This also explains why a large portion of his fan base might be predisposed to suffering from depression.

These young rappers who display a certain fixation on death recall the MySpace melodrama of the early-2000s emo revival. Perhaps this is a byproduct of culturally-imposed gender roles, in which boys are discouraged from expressing a full spectrum of feelings for fear of being labeled “weak” or “soft.” This new embrace of the sad-boy aesthetic might be a step in the right direction. It’s definitely a start in the process of dismantling preimposed stereotypes, but not necessarily an end to the stigma surrounding mental health.

If you or a loved one are experiencing suicidal thoughts or emotional distress, please call Suicide Action Montreal at 1-866-277-3553 or visit Concordia’s mental health services for help.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

LIL PUMP Lil Pump (Warner Bros., 2017) South Florida trap rapper Lil Pump has made quite a name for himself over t h e l as t few m o nt hs . H is si g n atu re shor t, minute-and-a-half-long songs comprised of nothing but a three-word hook and distorted bass have captured the attention of rap fans and hypebeasts alike. With singles like “D Rose” and “Flex Like Ouu” under his belt, Lil Pump is f inally here with his debut mixtape.

Let’s just say, if you’ve heard one Lil Pump song, you’ve heard them all. In fact, if you’ve heard 15 seconds of a song, you know his entire catalogue.

Lil Pump does little to switch up his flow or the beats he raps over. Even t h e t a p e’s f e a t u re s , w h i c h i n c l u d e names like Lil Yachty and 2 Chainz, are uninspired. But if I have to say something positive, this mixtape is catchy as hell. The simplistic hooks lend themselves well to singing along and, while not diverse, the beats slap.

11 Trial Track: “Gucci Gang”

4.2/10 — ALEX COLE, MANAGING EDITOR

OCTOBER 10, 2017

theconcordian

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Q&A 3

DEMI LOVATO Tell Me You Love Me (Island, 2017)

Demi Lovato’s sixth studio album, Tell Me You Love Me , delivers all of what we expect from the 25-year-old pop-princess: captivating, powerhouse vocals laced with soulful spunk strewed across 12 R&B-inspired tracks. Contrary to Lovato’s fifth album, Confident , this LP falls flat with the lack of booming, energetic tracks. They’ve been substituted with slow, entrancing beats, such as “Lonely” and “Only Forever.” The second half of the album features mostly laidback, deep-cutting ballads, such as “Concentrate” and “Hitchhiker.” Nevertheless, Tell Me You Love Me will have you snapping your fingers and bobbing your head along to the music, whether it’s to the fast-paced, unapologetic “Sorry Not Sorry” or the emotionally-charged melodies of “Only Forever.”

11 Trial Track: “Tell Me You Love Me”

8.2/10 — ALICIA ARDELLI, STAFF WRITER

FOR EDITOR’S PICKS S THE BEST SONG WEEK RELEASED THIS

Talking video games and racial inclusion Japanese Breakfast's frontwoman ponders the creative process

DANA DURELL CONTRIBUTOR

and make it. It felt really good to see people interact with it, and I was really happy with it.

Michelle Zauner just released her second album with the band Japanese Breakfast, Soft Sounds From Another Planet. It's bigger, more ambitious and succeeds in building on what Zauner began with Psychopomp in a very real way. The singer also released an online role-playing game, Japanese BreakQuest, in conjunction with the album. Here’s how our conversation went down.

Q: A video game is a really unique way to promote the new album. I saw Jay Som perform a few weeks ago, and I hadn’t rescued them from space jail in the game yet, and I felt a little awkward about that. I’m glad space jail doesn’t stop people from touring.

Q: What’s up?

A: I’m just sitting in a van.

Q: Right! On tour. Do you play any games on the road? That's a lot of driving.

A: Unfortunately, our guitar player dropped my Nintendo DS in a puddle of water, so I haven’t been able to play any games this tour. But I’ve been editing a lot of video footage for upcoming music videos, so that’s another thing I spend a lot of time in the car doing.

Q: So you’re very productive instead of playing video games?

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A: I try to be. Lately I’ve been having a lot of back pain so I just kind of miserably stare out the window and try to zone out.

Q: Well, I’m sorry to hear that. What game were you playing on your DS before it got wrecked?

A: I was playing Chrono Trigger, and I was pretty into it. But someone fucked it up for me…

Q: I was just playing your video game, Japanese BreakQuest. It’s really good.

What was making it like?

11 DRINK I’M SIPPIN ON Yaeji (Godmode) 11 TAKE ME APART

Kelela (Warp)

11 PALE EYES

Iglooghost (Neo Wax Bloom)

A: It was really fun. I feel like I got to do all of the really fun stuff—basically tell someone who knows how to make games what to do. Elaine Fath, she did the majority of the game design and I just described how I wanted the characters to be, what I wanted them to look like, where I wanted the world to be and look like, what kind of references I wanted to put in, and helped out with a lot of the dialogue and scripts.

She was the one who developed the actual gameplay and told me what steps you have to take in order to complete it. It was really collaborative and fun. It was a back and forth thing since February.

I really enjoy art that’s focused around a narrative in any way, and I think that RPGs (role-playing games) are a really fun medium for that. I grew up playing RPGs, since I was five, with my dad, and it was a really meaningful bonding thing for us.

It was fun to be on the other side of that

A: [Laughs.] Yeah, yup.

Q: In the game, you directly reference your tour with Mitski—were a lot of people included in the game people you met on tour?

A: Yeah, for sure. I think that when you’re on the road as much as we are, your friend group changes from one that lives in the same city and becomes more people who also tour all the time. You end up at the same kind of festivals or venues or on tour together, so you can hang out. I just wanted to do a fun nod to them because I think the people playing the game maybe already know that we’re friends or have toured together, or are fans of both of our music.

Everyone I put in the game I consider a friend.

Q: You’ve spoken about being an Asian woman in the music scene, and about how you want your work to create more space for Asian artists in music scenes you’re part of. Have you noticed anything changing over the course of your music career?

A: Yeah, we’re definitely trying to create a community. I feel really lucky to be a part of that—it wasn’t always like that.

It’s hard because I feel like I create my own community too, and the one that I’ve created for myself is a little bit more balanced in terms of representation. It’s a difficult thing.

Q: How did you get into making your own music videos?

A: I worked with [cinematographer] Adam Kolodny on, I think, seven music videos.

His passion is cinematography. He really likes creating the image and making the [shots beautifully lit] and being a behind the scenes guy. When we started, I didn’t really know that much about making music videos, and I felt like he probably wanted to direct. He directed the first two, and we conceptualized them together.

For the third one—“Everybody Wants to Love You”—he encouraged me to take a directing role. I think he wanted to focus more on the cinematography, and he doesn’t really identify as a director.

It was something I was already naturally doing in the first two videos, I just didn’t know that that’s what it was. After that, I fully transitioned into a directing role

and Adam focused on being the amazing director of photography that he is.

Q: How have you found folding that extra workload into your regular schedule?

A: It’s challenging. My body doesn’t want to keep up with my ambitions, currently. But it’s a beautiful life and a beautiful job to be able to make things that excite me. I can’t really complain. It’s hard to balance, but it’s a real privilege.

Q: If you had one tip to give to somebody making a music video, what would you tell them?

A: Oh god! Try not to get overwhelmed.

The best thing to do is to do as much preproduction and planning as possible, and I think that location scouting is really important.

If you have an environment that’s really captivating, it kind of does the work for you.

Q: I feel like it’s hard to conceptualize how much work actually goes into a music video while you’re watching it.

A: Oh, absolutely. I’m working on a video now that has a lot of stop-motion animation, and I spent 12 hours making maybe 10 seconds of content. I never really used Photoshop before this, and the learning curve of spending hours figuring out Photoshop and then also doing stop-motion has been quite the challenge.

I’ve harassed people in my vicinity to teach me something several times, but then I won't ever really learn it until I do it myself.

Q: Have you set aside any music video ideas because they were too ambitious?

A: I’ve never set aside an idea, but they've definitely been too ambitious for us and, honestly, this video I've been working on with the stop-motion is the hardest one. There's no strenuous shooting involved, but all of the labour goes into the editing. It's a lot of work in a different way. This was supposed to be our easy one. Hah! Lately, my ideas have become bigger and bigger. As you become more competent, I think that's what happens. It seems like you should be able to save yourself some work, but then the ideas that pop into your head are stuff like: “I want a crane shot of this cool gymnasium,” and then you just become too big for your britches.

Q: It sounds like you want to keep challenging yourself too, instead of always doing the easiest thing.

A: Yeah, absolutely. For sure. I feel the same way about making records. I find myself taking on more, and the best work comes when you're slightly out of your comfort zone.

Japanese Breakfast played at Bar le Ritz in Montreal on Sunday, Oct. 8.

sports

SPORTS EDITOR /// sports@theconcordian.com NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI ( @nickdg11)

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Jorge Sanchez has put his players first since 2002 Veteran head coach, in his 16th season, emphasizes work ethic, responsibility and having fun MATTHEW COYTE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR When The Concordian approached women’s soccer head coach Jorge Sanchez about doing an interview for a profile of him, he was hesitant.

“It’s not about me,” Sanchez said. “It’s about the players.”

Sanchez has become synonymous with the Concordia Stingers women’s soccer team.

Ever since taking over the role in July 2002, the coach has worked to improve the program.

Sanchez began his coaching career with the Lakeshore Soccer Club and also coached at John Abbott College. After coaching in the West Island, he moved to the provincial level, where he helped Quebec’s under-15 and under-17 women’s teams. From 1997 to 2001, he was an assistant coach for the national team’s training program, where he would train Quebec prospects who were considered hopefuls for the Canadian national team.

In 2002, the Stingers were looking for a full-time coach. Sanchez said he found himself at a professional crossroads.

“I didn’t want to go back to coaching club,” he said. “One morning, I was reading the paper and saw a job posting for head coach of the women’s team at Concordia […] so I said, ‘I’m going to take a chance, apply and see what happens.’”

Fifteen years later, that leap of faith has paid off. “I now find myself being one of the more senior coaches in the department. I kind of like that role,” Sanchez said.

Head coach Jorge Sanchez has been with the Concordia Stingers since 2002.

Photo by Matthew Coyte.

“I like to think that I’m a player's coach, who trusts his players and demands loyalty from my players—not to me, but to the program,” he said.

“I'm not someone that is going to yell and scream all the time, but I have standards and I expect players to live up to them,” Sanchez said. “But I like to think that when they need me, I'm there.”

His players seem to agree. “He is a very committed coach,” said fourthyear midfielder Alice Grandpierre. “[He] will do anything in his power to do what is best for the team and his players.”

Third-year midfielder Laura Lamontagne added that a running joke for the players on the team has been Sanchez’s use of Twitter, where he is constantly updating scores and news related to the team.

“In a way, it’s funny, but it also shows how much he takes his coaching role seriously and wants our program to get more recognition,” Lamontagne said.

The veteran head coach has always been very adamant about supporting his players and helping them with what he calls his three pillars.

The first pillar is to remember to have fun. “Soccer is a game. If you’re not having fun doing it, you should probably be looking somewhere else,” he said.

F o r t h e s e c o n d p i l l a r, S a n c h e z wants players to be a part of the total student-athlete experience.

“It’s not just about the sport. They have to be successful in the classroom to even be eligible to play,” he said. “ I w a n t to c r e a te a n e n r i c h i n g b u t competitive environment. Ver y positive, very supportive environment [...] never forgetting that on Tuesdays and Thursdays at practice, they’re competing to get on the field as starters.”

Lastly, Sanchez wants players to take responsibility for their actions, both on and off the field. “As individuals, are they doing ever ything in their control to be successful?”

As much as the veteran head coach enjoys winning , that ’s not the main focus of his job.

“You want good soccer players, but I hope I’m helping [the players] become good people as well,” he said.

While Sanchez is not at the end of his career just yet, he said he wants to retire with the Concordia Stingers.

“T h i s wi l l p ro b a b ly b e my l a st coaching role. I've put so much time and energy into this, it would be hard to start over somewhere else because this is my passion,” he said. “It’s intertwined with who I am as a person.”

ESPORTS

EA Sports misses the mark on gameplay in FIFA 18 Bad ball control actually makes this year’s soccer video game worse than last year’s edition

The Concordian gives FIFA 18 a yellow card for its bad gameplay. Screenshot.

NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI SPORTS EDITOR FIFA 18 gets a yellow card for bad gameplay this year, and it’s almost a straight red. EA Sports’s newest edition of the soccer video game is, surprisingly, worse than FIFA 17.

The most frustrating part of this year’s gameplay is the player’s ball control. Bad ball control, or as soccer fans like to call it, bad touches, was a problem in FIFA 16. Although EA fixed this in last year’s edition, it’s back.

Every player seems to be bad at controlling the ball in the game, including Juventus superstar Paulo Dybala, who is one of the best dribblers in the world.

Ball control is at its worst when a player receives a strong pass in the midfield—the ball bounces off his feet and goes flying in front of him, which leaves the ball open for your opponent to take. Yet even when your opponent takes the ball, they can’t control it and lose it right away. It’s a never-ending cycle that has teams alternating possession in the midfield, making gameplay terrible.

To avoid playing a sloppy game in the midfield, playing out wide with wingers and fullbacks is the best option. Crossing is a lot better this year.

EA added three new crossing styles to the game: a driven cross, a high cross

The game’s realism is one of its rare bright spots. Screenshot.

and a scoop cross. All three are effective at finding an open man in the box to blast a sweet volley or a powerful header past the keeper.

Tackling and physical play is also different in FIFA 18 compared to FIFA 17 . In last year’s game, EA integrated a physical gameplay that benefitted stronger players who were able to easily out-muscle weaker opponents both on and off the ball. In FIFA 18 , all players are weak and go down easily.

It’s stereotypical for soccer players to go down with the slightest of touches, but this is a video game, and seeing your player drop to the ground when you’re

trying to score with him is infuriating.

Presentation is probably the best it has ever been in the FIFA franchise.

The FIFA 18 website promotes new, immersive stadium atmospheres, which feature fan-made signs all over the stadium, team-specific chants, pregame traditions and new player-fan interactions during goal celebrations.

It’s probably the best part of the game, but the good-looking presentation only masks the bad gameplay.

Fans of the franchise can only hope EA will update the 2018 edition through downloadable patches to improve the gameplay.

OCTOBER 10, 2017

PROFILE

Frustrating forwards is better than scoring Stingers captain Olivier Georges was turning heads even before his time at Concordia

Olivier Georges prefers stopping goals rather than scoring them. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

ELIAS GRIGORIADIS CONTRIBUTOR I had the pleasure to get to know Olivier Georges, the centre-back who has captained the Concordia Stingers men’s soccer team for the last twoand-a-half years.

I spoke to him after a team practice, and the first thing that struck me was how different he was compared to when I've spoken to him after matches. Constantly smiling and very laid back, he didn't seem like the same guy who’s so focused and intense during games.

My first time watching Georges play was at CEPSUM, on the Université de Montréal campus, where the Stingers faced off against the Carabins, a top team in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ). The game did not go Concordia’s way—the Carabins won 7-3—but the first thing I noticed was the centre-back wearing number 20 who was in control of his team even before the game started. He pumped his team up by vocally encouraging them before the game, and was directing his teammates on where to position themselves during the game.

His style of play and control of the Stingers back line was everything one could hope for from a defensive leader. Despite constantly being vocal and organizing the play, he always managed to calm his team down when on defence.

The more I watched the Stingers, the more he became one of the most consistent and entertaining players on the field.

Off the pitch, Georges is anything but the fiery and passionate defender who seems to be everywhere at the same time during the game. He is smiling and always willing to chat, even after a tough loss or a grueling practice.

At a young age, when most players wanted to score goals, Georges never really expressed a desire to play as a forward. He preferred defending his goal rather than attacking his opponent’s.

“Coaches would always ask me to go up forward because I was so fast, but I never really got into that,” Georges said.

“I could always see the whole play from

Olivier Georges right where he belongs: in front of his goalkeeper, defending his net, during the 2016 season. Archive photo by Alex Hutchins.

defence, and I always enjoyed frustrating forwards more than scoring goals.”

He isn’t afraid of stepping up to help his team attack, as he is good in possession of the ball. He embodies the newer generation of defenders like Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos, who are rising in the professional ranks because they can shut down any attacking forward but could also score goals themselves.

Regardless of how comfortable with the ball or how quick he is, Georges always preferred playing defence. And he’s quite good at it too. Georges was named a RSEQ Second Team All-Star in 2014 and 2015, and a RSEQ First Team All-Star in 2016. The RSEQ All-Star teams consist of the best players in the conference from a given season.

For Georges, who also ran track and field and played varsity volleyball, soccer has always been his favourite sport.

“When I had to choose between [other sports] and soccer, there was no choice to make,” he said. “I’ve always loved being active, but my hand-eye coordination is terrible so it just makes sense that I play a sport where you’re not allowed to use your hands.”

Despite getting an offer to play for the semi-pro St-Hubert Soccer Club last summer, Georges is uncertain about his future career in soccer.

“I was way too busy, but maybe after I graduate I can think about playing there. But I have no definite plans for the future of my career,” he said.

Georges is currently studying Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL). It offers a lot of opportunities to teach abroad and that is something he wants to do.

“That’s definitely been a dream of mine,” Georges said. “I’ve always been fascinated by travel and to be able to go abroad to teach would just be a dream come true.”

Teaching also requires a lot of leadership and direction, which is what Georges shows with the Stingers right now.

Having been an integral member of the Stingers since his freshman year, Georges has experience with the hectic and perpetually busy life of a student-athlete.

“It’s definitely demanding. I have to take a bunch of evening courses since we practice every day from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. so I have to plan my schedule accordingly,” Georges explained. “But there’s no way I would ever give it up. I would be way too bored without this part of my life.”

Georges added that being part of the soccer team was also a great way to begin university. “Starting off with 23 new friends was a really good part of my first year.”

Although he will be saying goodbye to the Stingers jersey at the end of this year, he has left behind a lasting impression with the team. And I’m sure opponents won’t forget his ability to defend against attacking players either.

theconcordian

15

COLOUR COMMENTARY

BY NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI The decision by the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) and U SPORTS to cancel the Concordia Stingers game against the Université de Montréal Carabins, which was scheduled for Oct. 5, is questionable to say the least.

On Oct. 4, a day before the game, Université de Montréal (UdeM) released a statement saying the game was cancelled because several members of the football team, both players and coaches, fell ill with gastro. The school added that those affected on the football team were under quarantine for 48 hours. The RSEQ also decided the game will not be rescheduled for a later date.

I understand the league has the health of everybody, including fans, in mind. The last thing student-athleteswant,especiallyduringmidterms, is to get sick with gastro. It’s good that UdeM and the RSEQ made the issue public rather than staying quiet about a fast-spreading virus.

But at the same time, is this bad enough to cancel a football game?

I’m not a doctor, but I would think only extreme health conditions would force the RSEQ to outright cancel a game.

The Stingers and Carabins will now have one less opportunity at a win than every other team, which could hurt their playoff chances. And for players who want to be noticed by pro scouts, one less game could mean the difference between being drafted or forgotten by teams.

My biggest issue is how the RSEQ is playing in UdeM’s favour. The Carabins want to be considered one of the best teams in the country.

Yet champions battle adversity, such as injuries and illnesses, and the Carabins aren’t stepping up to battle adversity right now.

According to the CBC , the University of Manitoba Bisons had a case of mumps last season.

Head coach Brian Dobie told Global News that as many as 20 players may have been infected with the mumps, and they still had to play a game against the Calgary Dinos on Oct. 14, 2016, which they lost 63-6.

The Dinos are like the Carabins, a top team in the Canada West University Athletics Association (CWUAA), while the Bisons are a middle-of-the-pack team, much like the Stingers. So why did the CWUAA and U SPORTS allow that game to be played, even though Dobie said his players had been in quarantine? If that game wasn't cancelled, then why did the RSEQ and U SPORTS cancel a game when a top team like the Carabins had players in quarantine?

It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if the Stingers were the team that was sick. I guess we will never know.

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theconcordian

OCTOBER 10, 2017

BASKETBALL

Experience, chemistry will lead women's team Head coach Tenicha Gittens looks to build off surprise playoff run to RSEQ final last year

Head coach Tenicha Gittens wants to lead the Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team back to the RSEQ final. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

DEAN BERTOIA CONTRIBUTOR “Nothing beats experience.” That’s what the head coach of the Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team, Tenicha Gittens, said she believes. She is counting on experience and chemistry to lead her team to a successful 2017-18 season.

With two seasons worth of experience as a head coach, and a team with many returning players, Gittens is looking to build upon last year’s incredible season. Despite

finishing in fourth place in a five-team division with a 7-9 record during the regular season, the Stingers were able to make it all the way to the final of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) last season.

They upset first-placed Laval Rouge et Or in the semi-final before losing to the McGill Martlets in the final.

Throughout this year’s training camp, Gittens has noticed the team is more comfortable with her systems, both on offence and defence, which gives her confidence in the team’s ability to implement them in games.

According to Gittens, players are now familiar enough with these schemes that she doesn’t need to keep teaching them every practice. Instead, she can focus on other aspects of training. This kind of familiarity with Gittens’ strategies gave players a head start coming into training camp, and made it easier for new players to adjust to the team.

Familiar faces are not the only advantage this team has going into the 2017-18 season.

There are also some recent additions which should help bolster the lineup. Ashley Moss, who missed the entire regular season and playoffs last year with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), is now healthy and ready to contribute. At 5-11, she brings athleticism and versatility to the team, being that she can slot in at either guard or forward.

Coralie Dumont is another exciting new addition. She is a lengthy 6-1 guard who, according to Gittens, can stretch the floor with her three-point shooting. She averaged double digits in both points and rebounds in her three years playing for the Champlain St-Lambert Cavaliers in CEGEP. On paper, both players should help improve the team’s offensive rebounding, which finished dead last in the division last season

at 30.4 rebounds per game.

Gittens used the Concordia Classic Tournament, which ran from Oct. 6 through 8, to test out her new players and get her team ready for the regular season. She said it provided the most authentic form of preparation for the regular season: “We just [needed] that tip-off, more in-game experience.”

The tournament also allowed Gittens to evaluate all the strengths and weaknesses of her team. One principle she sought to improve on going into the tournament was ball movement—the team was middle of the pack in assists per game last year with 12, and near the bottom of the division in overall field goal percentage at 35.2 per cent. Good ball movement would help secure more open shot attempts to increase their field goal percentage.

While there is always room for improvement, Gittens is confident in the group of players she has in front of her. According to the head coach, the speed and athleticism of her players enable them to form a solid team identity. They are a hounding defensive unit, as shown by their league-leading 10.1 steals per game last season. On offence, Gittens added, they are a speedy transition team with solid shooting.

The Stingers play pre-season games for the rest of October. They will tip off their regular season at home on Nov. 9 against the Bishop’s Gaiters.

MEN’S HOCKEY

Marc-André Élement has high expectations After finishing second in OUA conference last season, the head coach wants a championship this year

JONATHAN CIACCIA CONTRIBUTOR Returning head coach of the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team, Marc-André Élement, plans on taking his team all the way to a championship this year.

“We want to win the championship, and we have the players in place to do it,” he said.

After his team’s successful run to the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) quarter-final last year, Élement said he believes his team is ready to put up a fight against the conference’s top teams. “We’re bigger and we’re ready to play a physical game,” Élement said.

Last season, the Stingers finished second in the East Division of the OUA conference with a record of 19-7-2. They defeated the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Ridgebacks in the first round of the playoffs, making it the first time the Stingers advanced to the second round in 16 years.

They lost in the second round to the Queen’s University Gaels.

This off-season, Élement set out to recruit the best players he could get his hands on to improve his team. Defenceman Carl Neill joined the Stingers this season.

He was drafted in the fifth round by the Vancouver Canucks in 2015. His presence will have an immediate impact on their blue line.

Despite finishing second in their division last year, Élement insisted there is room

for improvement with the team’s defensive game—an area where the Stingers struggled collectively.

Out of the top four teams in the East Division of the OUA, the Stingers allowed the most goals against, with 75.

“We want to limit our opponents’ time and space with the puck,” Élement said. “We want to always be in their face.”

The Stingers signed forwards Massimo Carozza and Alexis Pépin, who both played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) last year. Pépin last played for the Val d’Or Foreurs, and was a fourth-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2014. Carozza last played in junior for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. Both players are expected to add firepower up front, as they both averaged over 0.6 points per game in the QMJHL. The team has also added a new goaltender to the mix. Julio Billia, who is presently injured, will be battling to be the starting goalie against second-year goalie MarcAntoine Turcotte throughout the season.

Billia spent his last five seasons playing for the Chicoutimi Saguenéens in the QMJHL. Élement said Billia is a big asset to the Stingers.

The coach also has high expectations for returning forwards Philippe Sanche and Anthony Beauregard to lead the Stingers

Marc-André Élement said he has the right players to win a championship.

Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

in their offensive game. Sanche finished with 30 points in 26 games last season, and Beauregard finished with 19 points in 12 games. The team finished with the second-most goals in the league last season with 118, and Élement hopes they can carry their scoring over to this season.

“We want to [beat] other teams with our speed,” Élement said. “We want to promote university hockey, and we want to be at the top of our league.”

But the Stingers will have to find ways to score without former captain Olivier Hinse, who is now playing pro hockey in Denmark.

He scored 17 goals and had 11 assists in 23

games last season. Concerning the team’s leadership void, Philippe Hudon will be the captain for the Stingers. Sanche, Raphaël Lafontaine, Alexandre Gosselin and Dominic Beauchemin will be the assistant captains.

The second-year head coach has prepared his team for the season since August.

In seven pre-season games, the Stingers had a record of 4-2-1. But now it’s time for the regular season.

“We’ve had a hard training camp and we are going to be ready for the beginning of the season,” Élement said.

The Stingers kick off their season on the road against the McGill Redmen on Oct. 13.

etc

FEATURED CONCORDIA ARTIST

JAC B E AU M O NT When it comes to my practice, my roots are fairly deep in fashion and material arts. But when exploring my potential in other mediums, such as painting, drawing or fiber arts, I force myself to think deeper than the material on the surface of the body and look into to the wearer. As a queer individual, my own personal notion of beauty is far from the cisgendered norm.

Growing up, I was troubled with feelings of body dysmorphia, depression, anxiety and even hatred of myself. Throughout this process, I found art was a fantastic way to develop a clearer vision of my notion of beauty and begin my journey to accept the body I have. My artwork became a way to show others my distorted reality of my own body, and how I strive to achieve happiness within it.

WH ERE TO FIN D JAC: INSTAGRAM: @jac_beaumont WEBSITE: jacbeaumont.squarespace.com

Etc is a space dedicated to showcasing Concordia artists!

Submissions can be sent to production@theconcordian.com

opinions OPINIONS EDITOR /// opinions@theconcordian.com SANIA MALIK

Reducing homelessness in Montreal We often see them on the metros, street corners and in alleyways. We usually ignore them to avoid guilt and perhaps uncomfortable conversations. According to a 2015 study commissioned by Mayor Denis Coderre’s administration, there are 3,016 homeless people in Montreal. Those are the same homeless people we see every day and, unfortunately, often ignore.

In 2014, city workers installed “anti-loitering” spikes that were meant to deter people from sitting in certain areas. They were removed after receiving backlash from Coderre, as he called the spikes "anti-homeless," since many homeless people often sleep near those areas.

The same mayor is now heavily focusing on homelessness in Montreal for his municipal election campaign. According to the Montreal Gazette, Coderre promised to sleep on the city’s streets to show he has the homeless in mind.

And, more importantly, he is now considering implementing wet shelters in Montreal. Wet shelters allow homeless alcoholics to consume alcohol under supervision, with the goal of gradually lowering their dependence on the substance.

The Toronto Star reported such shelters already exist in Toronto and Ottawa, and work well in those cities. The wet shelters would be similar to safe injecting sites, where addicts can reduce harm when using substances. Along with the wet shelters, Coderre also has new initiatives to reduce homelessness in Montreal, according to CTV News. These include a second census of Montreal’s homeless population, 400 more spaces in rooming houses, and services

aimed at youth, the LGBTQ+ community, women and Indigenous communities.

We at The Concordian think it’s great that Coderre wants to address homelessness in Montreal, and we hope his initiatives are carried out. It’s promising to see that he’s interested in improving the conditions for homeless people, but we hope he doesn’t get distracted by theatrics.

It’s also important to realize that, although Montreal’s mayor is now focusing on homelessness in the city, other community members have been doing so for a while— and have affected real change. Toe2Toe, for example, is a non-profit organization run

by Chris Costello, a Montrealer. The initiative

focuses on giving homeless people proper footwear, namely socks—a piece of clothing that’s often overlooked. According to their website, since 2014, the organization “has raised thousands of dollars and collected more than 15,000 pairs of socks for the homeless.” The organization also speaks to various community groups in order to raise awareness about homelessness and the importance of proper footwear.

Another community member, Gilles Chiasson, started a knitting group that aims to let homeless people know they aren’t ignored by the Montreal community. Chiasson has experienced homelessness, according to the Montreal Gazette, and he said he hopes to

protect homeless people from cold weather with sweaters, leg warmers and hats. However, the knitting group’s main goal is to form a sense of connection between homeless people and the rest of the community. In the same article, Chiasson explained that homeless people often don’t feel connected to their families or community. He said he believes that if a homeless person receives something that was hand-knitted for them, it will make them feel like someone is attempting to connect with them, and that someone cares.

There was also the recent launch of the online tool 2000Solutions that illustrates data and information about homeless people in Montreal. The organization also aims to house 2,000 homeless people by the year 2020, and they want to prove it is possible to change a homeless person’s life.

Ultimately, it’s important to note there have been efforts by community members in past years to eradicate homelessness, or at least raise awareness. Groups like Toe2Toe, Chiasson’s knitting group and 2000Solutions are just some of the ways Montrealers have tried to help fellow Montrealers. We at The Concordian strongly hope Coderre, if re-elected, follows through with his initiatives to improve the conditions of homelessness in our city. We hope he sticks to his promises. A determined mayor can play a big role in helping us come together and help our fellow community members. And more importantly, we hope this editorial has made you wonder what more you can do to help the homeless.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

MENTAL HEALTH

Getting a ‘handle’ on mental illness

One student’s experience with OCD and depression, and how she learned to seek help ANISA SCEGO CONTRIBUTOR Close your eyes. Imagine walking the halls of Concordia University, just like every other day. All is well when, unexpectedly, your breath is stolen away from you. Your limbs become numb and your vision starts to wane.

You panic. Your body does not belong to you anymore. Your flight or fight response kicks in, and all you want to do is escape the absolute dread you are feeling.

For some, this may sound like a horror movie scenario. Unfortunately, many students at Concordia do not have to imagine this nightmare. Attending school, studying and completing assignments are a struggle for individuals suffering from mental illness, such as myself. Luckily, those afflicted by mental health issues don't have to struggle alone.

When I was a child, I had rituals I felt compelled to do even though they made no sense. Whenever my mother left the house, I felt the need to kiss her four times on each cheek. If I did not do this, I believed she would die a horrible death and it would be my fault. No one understood my behaviour until I was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) at age 12.

"So great," I thought to myself. "I have OCD. I need to pull out and push in my chair four times and twist doorknobs until it feels just right. This

is not what I want to be doing, but I can handle this." And I did. All by myself.

A few years later, I began to experience a new feeling. It wasn’t quite sadness. I had felt sadness before. This feeling was far worse. It made me feel like I was imprisoned in the world I called home. This feeling turned the world grey and black, with only nuances of the colours I knew were supposed to be there. At 16, I was diagnosed with depression.

"So great," I thought to myself. "I have depression to go along with my side dish of OCD and anxiety.

I really don't want to find out what dessert will be." I was in absolute misery, but once again, I handled it on my own.

The thing about 'handling' a mental illness is that, eventually, the handle breaks. I took on the demons in my head alone for so long that they took the reins of my life. I had no choice but to watch as they sucked the life out of me.

At this point, I was so worn down that I simply did not care anymore. I stopped going to school because I thought: "What is the point in trying anything when your mind is constantly clouded with dark thoughts?"

On good days, I would force myself out of bed, brush my teeth and, if I was lucky, I could muster the energy to take a shower.

But when it came time to leave the house, I would crumble and find refuge under my

blankets. On bad days, I didn't make it out of my bedroom.

I don't remember the exact moment I decided enough was enough, but I remember feeling angry. I felt angry that my brain was holding me hostage; it was robbing me of experiences, challenges and opportunities. I finally decided it was time to get the help I needed. I found a psychologist in the youth sector of the Jewish General Hospital as well as a psychiatrist who prescribed me medications to level out my emotions. I am learning new ways to cope with these emotions, like focusing on the present instead of freaking out about some imaginary scenario that might never happen. Now, I make an active decision to care for myself every day.

I won't lie—getting better is difficult at times. However, it’s the most worthwhile work you will ever do for yourself. And like any new endeavour, the beginning is the hardest part.

Admitting to yourself that you are sick and that you need help puts you in a vulnerable position. Once you start getting better though, it will all be worthwhile.

Statistics Canada reports

that one in five Canadians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. You may have heard this statistic a hundred times before, but I would like you to take the time to reflect on it.

Statistically speaking, you, someone you know or someone you will meet will struggle with a form of mental illness. If you are suffering, please seek help. If you know someone who is suffering, please help them. Life is too precious to be spent in mental agony, and you are too important to stand for it.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

OCTOBER 10, 2017

theconcordian

19

MEDIA

Striking a balance between good news and bad Why The Goodnewspaper’s disregard of the negative isn’t the solution to improving society

HANNA FATHI CONTRIBUTOR So, what do you want to hear first: the good news or the bad news?

With all that is upsetting in the world today, from natural disasters and terrorism to politics and everyday life, it’s understandable that many people feel powerless whenever they see the news. The scales of justice and equality seem to be tipped down, and it’s getting hard to imagine they could ever lift back up. A new quarterly publication called The Goodnewspaper aims to change this by only printing “good news.”

What falls under this category are mainly stories about people who “[cut] through the negativity by doing something different.

They focus on hope and goodness and happiness,” according to the newspaper’s founder, Branden Harvey, on his podcast, Sounds Good. The idea is to motivate and inspire readers by sharing these positive stories, and help them see the world in a more positive way.

The Goodnewspaper also offers a weekly newsletter that claims to feature the most inspiring and positive news from around the globe. Although this may sound like a good idea in theory, it certainly isn’t in reality.

Ultimately, I don’t think this newsletter should be seen as a legitimate news source, given it is censored to purposely avoid any upsetting news. In an attempt to avoid upsetting readers, The Goodnewspaper fails to tackle everyday issues like unproportional government services, poverty and injustice.

Instead, it focuses solely on stories about people who have used a positive outlook to change their life.

The Goodnewspaper targets people looking for hope rather than negative news. Yet the problem with only hearing about success stories is they can make other shortcomings look colossal in comparison. It can be hard for everyday people to relate to these grand success stories, especially if they don’t have the same resources or opportunities. This newspaper brings attention to the fact that it’s a privileged idea to think everyone has time, money and physical abilities to do good deeds. The truth is, not a lot of people do.

In contrast, local and national news report things that affect regular people. These outlets

reinforce the idea that, as a community, we are all partly responsible for what happens around us. It’s hard to hear about tragedies, to learn about the low points of society and to wonder how to make the world a better place. And remaining an informed citizen in today’s fast-paced world doesn’t make any of this easier. But being aware about bad situations is a good thing. It’s what gets people motivated to change the situations around them.

The news today may seem negative, but it’s important to remember the stories being

told are ones we need to be talking about.

And contrary to what The Goodnewspaper suggests, most of the news stories published or broadcasted aren’t meant to make people feel bad. Rather, exposing yourself to the bad news is an opportunity to learn about your community and question what can be changed.

People who stress out about world events would certainly benefit from this newsletter, but there are also a lot of people who will use it to ignore their responsibilities. It can be hard to motivate yourself to be an agent

for change, but avoiding reality will limit your ability to question why things happen and make it harder to change these bad news stories into good ones.

We shouldn’t cut negativity out of our lives—we should learn from it. Every serious news story directly affects real people, and reading The Goodnewspaper won’t fix their problems. The truth is, there will never be a perfect balance between good and bad news, but as a society, we need both to survive.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

Comic by Libby Hopkinson.

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