The Concordian Vol. 31 Issue 15

theconcordian Volume 31 Issue 15

Independent student newspaper at Concordia University. Since 1983.

December 3, 2013

Drainville ditches debate Page 3

Photo by Keith Race

In this issue // life arts

music

HPV prevention in Mary Poppins pops Flatliners come to a gel p. 5 into theatres p. 8 life p. 9 We tell your stories. Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

sports

opinions

Horseback riding at Concordia p.12

Are libraries obsolete? p. 14

theconcordian.com

news 2

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Tuesday, december 3, 2013

Write to the editor: news@theconcordian.com

CITY Kelly Duval Co-news editor

P-6 anti-protest bylaw contested by Jaggi Singh On Nov. 22 Concordia associate launched a constitutional challenge Timothy Weynerowski Staff writer

>> Meteor heard in Montreal

On Nov. 27, the CBC reported that a meteor entering the Earth’s atmosphere was the cause of a loud boom and flash of light on Nov. 26. The meteor passed over Montreal at around 8 p.m., according to researchers at the University of Western Ontario. There have been no reportings of fragments of it on the ground, but researchers said it was likely no bigger than a basketball. While the Quebec provincial police said they received many calls about the incident, there were no reports of explosions or fires.

>> Concordia’s new reading room On Nov. 28, Concordia University unveiled the new Mordecai Richler Reading Room which features some of the furniture, papers and other items that belonged to the Montreal author, reported the CBC. The Globe and Mail stated that McGill University was first offered the collection, but turned it down. Richler dropped out of Sir George Williams University, which merged to become Concordia, and later returned as a writer in residence. The room will be used at Concordia for literary readings and master classes.

>> Anglophone language police?

The CBC reports that around 12 West Islanders protested the lack of bilingual signs in Fairview Pointe-Claire mall on Nov. 30. The protesters are calling for a boycott until they see more English signs inside the mall, which one of the protesters said would cause stores in Fairview to miss out on West Islanders’ holiday spending. Fairview’s administrators said that while they can’t control what individual retailers do, they are passing the complaints on to the stores.

City // news

On Friday, Nov. 22, Jaggi Singh, a member of several associations at Concordia University, started the process of launching a constitutional challenge to Montreal’s P-6 bylaw which prevents protesters from demonstrating without providing the city with an itinerary prior to the rally.

Thousands of protesters have been arrested and fined under the P-6 bylaw. Since the Maple Spring in May 2012, hundreds more have been detained and fined under new P-6 provisions raising firsttime fines to more than $600. It also penalizes a refusal to share demonstration routes, and wearing a mask over one’s face.

Singh characterized it as, “a vague law that is applied arbitrarily.” He described a common police tactic known as “kettling,” in which protesters are herded together by police, arrested and fined. Many demonstrators besides Singh have been ticketed and jailed under this law using this technique.

Singh was fined under the P-6 bylaw on June 9, 2012, in downtown Montreal during the Grand Prix. Though he was not participating in a demonstration, Singh was arrested, jailed, and fined $634.

After a 17-month delay, Singh

went to court last Wednesday in front of Judge Sophie Beauchemin at Montreal’s municipal court. According to a Singh’s press release, he succeeded in securing a second pro-forma, to begin the process of contesting the P-6 bylaw.

Besides, QPIRG, (Quebec Public Interest Research Group), Singh is a member of No One is Illegal, Solidarity Across Borders and Convergence des luttes anticapitalistes (CLAC). Among these groups, more than 84 others joined in signing a community declaration stating, “We will not submit to municipal bylaw P-6.” Singh believes P-6 will be defeated in the streets, not the courts, by groups not posting their itinerary ahead of demonstrations making “P-6 unworkable” for the city.

“It’s not in the courts or at city hall that P-6 will be defeated, but in the streets, as community groups organizing demonstrations continue to openly defy the P-6 bylaw, and make it inapplicable by street-level resistance,” stated Singh.

Furthermore, Singh claims that police profile and target certain groups for arrest. For example, while many demonstrations were not ticketed (Harper Mutiny, Status For All, A qui la ville) last spring, two CLAC-organized protests were allegedly targeted for mass arrests and tickets on April 5 and May 1, 2013.

Demonstrators protest against P-6 bylaw. Photo by Keith Race.

Along with 400 others, Singh was also charged under the P-6 bylaw on May 1, and will also be contesting the ticket on constitutional grounds.

A press release is available on

his website with links to the sections of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms allegedly being violated. He can be followed or reached through QPIRG, Facebook and Twitter.

Campus // news

Experimenting in Concordia’s public space Urban planning students take their research on human interaction to the streets Paula Monroy Staff writer

In his Public Space and the Public interest Class, Soukwan Chan, a professor from the university’s department of geography, planning and environment, assigned his students to come up with a multidisciplinary project in three weeks to encourage interaction between strangers in different public areas by using the urban settings themselves as a stimulator.

Of the ideas, Chan asked the class to rate the ones which stood out, and the students favoured the Nov. 20 public library installation set up on the corner of Guy St. and de Maisonneuve Blvd, which cost the group $50 and consisted of a bookshelf holding over 150 books, a sofa and two chairs.

Concordia urban planning students set up a library installation on the university’s campus in an effort to stimulate human interaction in public space, impressing fellow students by making use of the space and getting strangers to interact with one another.

“Sometimes artists create public art that is just there to decorate, and it’s not meaningful to the place,” said team member Elizabeth Thongphanith. “The comfortable setting of the library, we thought, would spark interaction with the built environment.”

The library setting was meant to play up the “democratic nature of public libraries,” said team member Patrick Serrano. He explained the group theorized that the majority of users would be students coming from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.

Based on their data, the group

counted 156 users throughout the 13 hours of the installation. While the group expected 28 per cent of users would engage in conversation, 7 per cent ended up doing so.

The group attributed their results to climatic factors, believing there were less users due to the cold weather. A time-lapse video was also produced, which includes interviews with those who used the space. “[People] want to see more, not exactly this experiment, but a better use of the great space we have that nobody uses. People liked the idea that finally something new and interesting was happening,” said group member Brett Hudson.

Chan explained the projects showed the importance of building more possibilities for interaction in the public space. “We are

concerned about others less and less,” said Chan. “We rely more on the virtual world than networks to communicate, to connect…The stores that have automated doors, for instance, have eliminated even the smallest possibilities for interaction.”

The groups came up with a wide variety of projects, including a farting machine designed to force awkwardness at main street intersections, as well as notes seemingly written by secret admirers or friendly unknowns the students then passed to strangers in an effort to evaluate gender interaction.

“In all these experiments we realize that people are comfortable with spaces,” said Chan.

“But there’s value in trying to break those bubbles and to try to get people to interact with each other.”

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Debate becomes more of a discussion with two remaining politicians present Kalina Laframbroise CUP Quebec Bureau Chief

It was the showdown that wasn’t.

Concordia University’s Graduate Students’ Association organized a debate about the highly-contested Charter of Values proposed by the Parti Québécois, which included Minister responsible for Democratic Institutions Bernard Drainville. The minister backed out the morning of, citing safety concerns.

With less than three hours before the debate in Montreal on Thursday morning (Nov. 28), Drainville announced his decision to pull out due to a planned demonstration by students denouncing the charter. In a statement released by the PQ, it cites that Concordia could not guarantee security for Drainville or attendees in the wake of a protest.

“We see that a group of people are threatening to disturb the debate instead of allowing us to have a democratic discussion,” said Drainville in the statement. “I sincerely regret this situation.”

However, the debate continued and so did the protest against the charter that consisted of approximately 10–15 students.

“We need to walk out on the street without being seen as others,” said protest organizer Christina Xy-

The GSA hosted a panel on the Charter of Values. Photo by Keith Race.

Following the debate, students asked questions regarding the legislation, though some of them couldn’t be answered by Weil or Frappier since the bill was proposed by the PQ. Drainville has visited francophone universities such as Université Laval in Quebec City to defend the PQ’s charter over the last few months. The debate at Concordia passed without incident.

The Charter of Values, known as

Bill 60, aims to promote secularism in the public sector by prohibiting civil servants from wearing “ostentatious” religious symbols and limiting time off based on religious grounds.

It also seeks to amend Quebec’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms by outlining measures for reasonable accommodations. The PQ announced Bill 60 in early September and it has garnered a mixture of opposition and support.

Gender issues // NEWS

Lawsuit planned to invalidate the province’s restrictive laws on sex-changes

The Centre for Gender Advocacy and the Clinique Juridique Juripop will sue Quebec to revoke a law that infringes on the rights of trans people by enforcing restrictions for changing one’s sexual identity.

The organizations announced the lawsuit on Nov. 20, the Transgender Day of Remembrance.

The centre filed a human rights complaint to the Commission of Human Rights and Youth Rights in August regarding article 71 of the Quebec Civil Code. This article requires that every person who wants to legally change their gender identity must be a Canadian citizen, over the age of 18, and undergo surgical structural modification of the sexual organs.

While the commission responded saying the centre had a strong case in challenging this law and was in good standing to represent trans people, they refused the complaint based on technicalities.

“The law makes it mandatory for [them] to have a real victim of direct discrimination, so it means that we can’t just address a systematic discrimination, we have to have people who have actually

Paula Monroy & Sloane Montgomery Staff writer & Co-news editor

fossil made public

Centre for Gender Advocacy to sue Quebec lived it,” said Gabrielle Bouchard, the centre’s peer support and trans advocacy coordinator.

To move forward in challenging this law, the centre will require at least one person to claim they’ve been a victim of discrimination in not being able to change their gender marker due to any of the three restrictions outlined in article 71.

The centre is waiting to officially send forth the lawsuit, since on Nov. 26, the National Assembly voted on an amendment to Bill 35 which would remove the surgical requirements for anyone wishing to change their gender marker, Bouchard explained. The bill should be passed into law by the end of this session, before Christmas.

“Right now, there’s the potential that one of the three things that we wanted off the law by going to court might actually be done just by legislation,” said Bouchard.

The centre is waiting to see if the amendment will include further barriers that infringe on trans people’s’ rights, or claim that the law only be applied in several years.

“We have to wait before we celebrate anything,” she said.

Even if the amendment lifts the regulation that surgery is required for a sex-change, the Centre will go forward with the lawsuit against

NATION

>> Dinosaur

Kelly Duval Co-news editor

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GSA // news

PQ Minister drops out of charter debate at ConU dous, from Quebec Public Interest Research Group.

Jaggi Singh, a well-known Montreal activist and organizer of the demonstration, denounced the charter entirely.

“I’m not saying Bernard Drainville is a bad person,” said Singh.

“But he is complicit in racism.”

The debate turned into more of a discussion with Liberal MNA Kathleen Weil and Québec Solidaire’s André Frappier, who both mocked Drainville and the PQ’s absence to discuss a bill proposed by them.

Frappier called Drainville’s absence “disappointing” while Weil said that she was sure the debate would still be peaceful if Drainville was present. The discussion lasted about two hours; both Weil and Frappier explained why they could not support Bill 60. Frappier said while his party supports secularism and sovereignty, the proposed legislation isn’t appropriate.

“What does that even mean, Quebec values?” asked Frappier. “We are horrified to see a process like this that puts others aside.”

Weil echoed the statements, explaining that Bill 60 will fail in court and called it “inapplicable.”

“It’s too disruptive for Quebec society to be living this debate,” said Weil. “You don’t legislate because people are fed up — there has to be a real problem.”

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Quebec since discrimination will and necessary resources to push still exist against non-Canadian this lawsuit forward, but many citizens and trans people under other transgender-rights groups the age of 18. are working alongside them and Before the proceedings are Juripop. filed in the coming weeks, founder “We’re not doing this in a and Executive Director of Juripop, vacuum,” said Bouchard. “We’re Marc-Antoine Cloutier, has asked doing this in concert with other the Minister of Justice, Bertrand organizations.”

St-Arnaud, to take responsibilTo learn more or to make a doity and change the Civil Code of nation, visit juripop.org.

Quebec in order to respect the rights of trans people.

“The Minister of Justice is doing the best he can within the situation he’s in,” said Bouchard.

Juripop and the Centre for Gender Advocacy have also launched a fundraiser for the lawsuit to raise money for trans people who may need to testify in court.

“They’re already in precarious situations so we want to be able to provide for them,” said Bouchard.

The centre is the plaintiff since they Photo of Gabrielle Bouchard by Jocelyn Beaudet. have the means

On Nov. 27, the CBC reported that a baby dinosaur skeleton was discovered in Alberta’s Dinosaur Provincial Park. Paleobiologist Philip Currie found the 1.5metres long skeleton buried in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, and thought at first it was a turtle shell. Researchers calculated that the dinosaur was three years old when it died approximately 70 million years ago. They also assume the dinosaur drowned while wandering into a stream and was covered in sediment, which explains the well-preserved skeleton and soft tissue. The discovery was made in 2010 but was only recently made public.

>> Live streamed suicide attempt

CBC news reported that on Sunday Dec. 1 a 20-year-old student and dorm resident from the University of Guelph, Ont. streamed his suicide attempt online. The student announced anonymously on a online message board that he would kill himself and broadcast the video live.

Bringing in an audience of 200 people, the young male set fire to his dorm room turned off the lights and went in his bed to wait to be burned alive for his online audience. The fire was reported and then extinguished at approximately 8 p.m. on Dec. 1 by the Guelph Fire Department and the boy was brought to the local hospital where he suffered only minor injuries.

>> Four teenagers die in car crash The CBC reported that four teenagers died in a car crash in Notre-Dame, N.B. on the morning of Saturday Nov. 30. The RCMP explained that the four teens were in a four door sedan and that it veered off Highway 115 just after midnight, on the morning of the accident and that the car had rolled over several times. One of the victims was 17 and the other three were 18 years old. Members of the small community of 2,300 citizens gathered to mourn their loss and support the four unfortunate families.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Campus // news

Standing committee positions filled at CSU meeting Concordia students were assigned new roles and a new committee was formed on Nov. 27 Amanda L. Shore Editor-in-chief

T

he Concordia Student Union (CSU) convened for its second-to-last meeting of 2013 on Nov. 27 in which they filled empty standing committee spots and discussed new substantive and informational business.

There are eight standing committees as part of the CSU’s gov-

erning structure: Clubs and Space Committee, Appointments Committee, Policy Committee, Finance Committee, Events Committee, External and Campaigns Committee, Sustainability Committee and Loyola Committee.

With the exception of the academic caucus, the committees are each composed of four members of council, a member of the executive who is either the president or designated by the by-laws and a student-at large who is appointed by the council.

VP Loyola Crystal Harrison at CSU meeting. Photo by Keith Race.

According to the CSU document, Description of University Bodies & CSU Standing Committees, “The purpose of these committees is to extend the running of the Union out beyond the executive, and to bring Councillors and students at large into the planning and agenda-setting stages of the Union’s activities. Executives are there to execute the mandates of Council, and by extension of Concordia’s under- CSU VP Academic and Advocacy Gene Morrow. Photo by Keith Race. graduate students.

Committees play a vital role in helping to shape the Justin Caruso was also appointed committee is composed of three portfolios of each executive more to two committees: Events Commit- executives, three council members completely.” tee and Loyola Committee. Nikos and the CSU general manager. The On Nov. 27, newly elected coun- Pidiktakis will join the External three executives are: Melissa Kate cillors, Michael Richardson and Ga- Campaigns Committee, Virginia Wheeler, President, Katrina Carbriel Velasco were appointed to the law joins the Appointments Com- uso, VP Internal and Gene MorPolicy Committee. They will join mittee, Maylen Cytryn and Kyle row, VP Academic and Advocacy. councillors Wendy Kraus-Heitmann, Arseneau join the Clubs and Space The council members are: Maylen Reena Patel, Melanie Hotchkiss and Committee and Patricia Martone Cyrtryn, Kabir Bindra and Justin VP Academic and Advocacy Gene joins the Loyola Committee.

Caruso.

Morrow. Councillor Charles BourasA new committee, the HR The next council meeting will sa was appointed to two com- Committee, was also formed dur- take place on Dec. 11 at 6:30 p.m. mittees: External and Campaigns ing this meeting. The purpose of in H-763.

Committee and Events Committee. the HR Committee is to provide strategic employee direction. The

GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR EXAMS AND FINAL PROJECTS After exams, enjoy the holiday break.

Thanks for everything you do to make Concordia a great university.

Alan Shepard President

life

Tuesday, december 3, 2013

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Write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com

Health // Life

HPV vaccine no longer only form of prevention McGill’s new project, CATCH, proposes a self-applied gel that may benefit HPV prevention Sabrina Giancioppi Life editor

McGill PhD student Joseph Tota has recently launched a new research project on HPV prevention under the supervision of Dr. Eduardo Franco. This project, called CATCH, stands for Carrageenan gel Against Transmission of Cervical HPV and seeks to evaluate a possible alternative to the vaccination by the use of a lubricant that contains the algae carrageenan.

“CATCH is a randomized controlled trial that was designed in response to a discovery made by scientists working at the National Cancer Institute where they identified carrageenan, an inexpensive gelling agent that is non-toxic, safe on animals and humans, to be a potent HPV infection inhibitor,” explains Tota.

According to the Canadian Cancer Society, the human papilloma virus (HPV) is the second-leading cause of cancer among women in the world, following breast cancer. With more than 120 types of HPV that fall into low-risk and high-risk categories, 75 per cent of sexually active women will acquire the HPV infection over a lifetime.

HPV-6 and HPV-11 are two of the more common low-risk infections that infect the skin and genital area and can produce warts.

HPV-16 and HPV-18 are categorized as high-risk infections that can lead to cervical cancer.

In 2006, the Federal Drug Association approved the HPV vaccine, commonly known as Gardasil or Cervarix. The Santé et services sociaux website explains how Quebec offers the vaccine to girls and women as early as the age of nine as part of a free vaccination program administered in schools. Other girls under the age of 18 can be vaccinated for free at the CLSC or with their doctor. However women over 18 who don’t have medical insurance must pay approximately $130 per dose, a price set by the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board of Canada. For both teenagers and adults, three doses of the vaccine over a six-month period are recommended for proper protection, therefore the total cost is rather expensive and Tota explains perhaps not the most preventive after all.

“The current available HPV vaccines only target up to four different HPV types: 6, 11, 16, and 18, and are effective only if administered to girls prior to the onset of sexual debut,” said Tota.

The carrageenan gel being studied by CATCH may be effective in preventing all types of HPV, if administered immediately before sex and among women of all ages.

Accessibility and cost of HPV prevention is something Tota and his team are keeping in mind while they run this study.

“If our trial demonstrates carrageenan to be effective in protecting against all genital HPV types, then we expect that many more personal sexual lubricants will become available by different manufacturers containing carrageenan,” said Tota. “Despite

being required to apply the gel on an ongoing basis, its costs are substantially less [than the vaccine].”

The gel must be self-applied prior to each act of sexual intercourse, “in the same way as other personal sexual lubricants that are purchased over the counter,” said Tota.

A small amount (five to 10 millilitres) may be applied directly to the vagina, penis or condom prior to sex. Afterwards, the gel may be removed with warm water.

This discreet method of prevention would make it empowering for women, explains Tota, especially “women who are unable to refuse sex due to cultural, social, or financial arrangement.” For women in developing countries, where HPV infection is rampant, this gel may prove to be a useful adjunct to the vaccination which would have “enormous and immediate public health implications,” according to Tota.

Currently the HPV vaccine is the only form of prevention and has faced criticism over the years. In 2012, The Globe and Mail published an article expressing parents’ concerns and how their biggest fears revolved around not having enough information about the vaccine, feeling rushed to make a decision about whether their children should get it, and how they questioned its safety. The vaccine looms in the shadows of Big Pharma and some are sceptical

about whether it is just a push to promote their vaccines.

In the United States, the vaccine has been argued to promote sexual promiscuity among young teens, an issue The New York Times addressed last October after a study proved that the vaccine is not going to give girls a license to sexual activity.

“Despite our best attempts to convince parents of its safety, some will continue to deny permission to vaccinate their daughters,” said Tota. “For children and adults who have been denied access to vaccination for whatever reason (cost, safety, or other reasons), a carrageenan gel may be the only other effective means to protect against HPV.” For individuals who are against vaccines, Health Canada’s Natural Health Products Directorate has labelled the CATCH project as a natural intervention. Carrageenan is a gel naturally derived from three species of red algae. It has a long history of human use and has been employed extensively in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries as a stabilizer and emulsifier.

CATCH has received the support and ethical approval from Concordia’s Student Health Services and the microbiology department at Université de Montréal, something Tota explains is necessary when trying to recruit students to be part of the trial. However,

“[Carrageenan gel] should not be considered as an alternative to HPV vaccination in countries that can afford both methods of protection,” reiterates Tota.

HPV is a serious health issue for women and young girls and while there is a lot of talk about HPV in the media. Gabriella Szabo, health promotions specialist at Concordia, explains how it is important to get a pap test, get tested for STIs and discuss the vaccination.

“Unfortunately, the majority of women coming now to get the vaccine have already had changes in their cervical cells,” said Szabo.

“Cervical cancer screening with the pap test and/or the HPV test is a proven way to prevent cervical cancer,” said researcher and clinical specialist for women’s health, Dr. Marie-Hélène Mayrand from the CHUM research centre. “I will always argue that we should and could be doing more to improve women’s health, although, I would like to point out that Canada leads some of the most cutting-edge, academic research in HPV, as the new study by Dr. Franco’s team underlines.”

If you are a heterosexually active woman between 18-29 years of age and you are interested in participating in this study, check out www.mcgill.ca/catch/ join-us.

New research project introduces a carrageenan gel as potential inhibitor of hpv infection. Photo from flickr user Sanofi Pasteur.

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Tuesday, december 3 , 2013

Activities // Life

Some great holiday activities sure to get you in the spirit Winter break is nearly here so for those staying in Montreal, be sure to check these out Angela De Cicco Staff writer

Continues on Dec. 18. Saving Mr. Banks, the story of Walt Disney and Mary Poppins

starring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson is out on Dec. 20. Finally The Wolf of Wall

Christmas in the park Located at the Olympic park, this year’s festivities include live music, a Christmas tree sale, hot chocolate stands to keep warm and free skating as of 4 p.m..

Fire on Ice Montreal’s Old Port will be lighting up our winter nights with Fire on Ice, a display of fireworks set to movie scores during which you can skate for free on the Bonsecours Basin skating rink. Fireworks take place every Saturday night from Dec. 14 to Jan. 4.

Street starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill will grace the screens on Christmas day.

The Nutcracker For another year, Montreal puts to stage the extravagant ballet The Nutcracker. The ballet runs on Dec. 7 and 8 at the Centre Pierre Peladeau for $40 and is sure to get you into the holiday spirit.

Atrium festivities The bitter cold can sometimes keep us locked inside, but this year check out the lively indoor skating rink at the Atrium. If you don’t have a pair of skates, no need to worry, you can rent! It’s a great place to enjoy an outdoor activity without losing sensation in your hands and feet. Skating at the Atrium runs all season at the fair price of $7.50.

Oh, Christmas tree The Museum of Fine Arts will be displaying more than 35 decorated trees by local associations and culture groups in Montreal. Each year presents a different theme with one-ofa-kind hand-painted ornaments and decorations. The event runs from Nov. 29 to Jan. 5.

Movie-lovers Nothing compliments cold weather like a good movie. Here are some anticipated flicks coming to theatres this holiday season. For J.R.R Tolkien fans, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug comes out on Dec. 13.

Those looking for a laugh should check out Will Ferrell in Anchorman 2: The Legend

Montreal Gospel Choir Experience the magic of the holidays through some soulful choir as the Montreal Gospel Choir performs on Dec. 8 at the Olympia Theatre. Tickets range between $25-$35.

POP Montreal This holiday season, POP Montreal puts on Puces Pop, an event that brings together the talented scene of designers, crafters and artists. If you are looking for a unique gift for that special someone, you can purchase these novel handmade goods from Dec. 13 to 15 at Eglise St. Denis.

Finances // Life

Is peer pressure making you spend more this holiday season?

How to take control of personal finances to help better prepare for the future Sara Cornett Staff writer

A

ccording to a new consumer trends survey called “Every Dollar Counts,” Quebecers’ spending habits are greatly influenced by those around them, and it’s wreaking havoc for their personal financial goals.

When Simon Préfontaine, a financial advisor at Lafond Financial Services, first started looking to improve his own finances, he said he had to start paying off his debts by spending less than he made and living more within his means.

“You have to make tough choices,” said Préfontaine.

“Sometimes that means finding a new crowd to hang out with and friends who will tell you the truth.”

Préfontaine is quick to point out that peer pressure is not a new thing. Ultimately, you must face yourself.

“Financial success,” he said, “is 80 per cent behaviour and 20 per cent knowledge.”

Préfontaine occasionally volunteers his time and expertise to offer personal finance courses that are designed around peer support.

“Your accountability partner should not be your advisor.

He or she is paid to help you,” he said. “You can’t call them up on a Saturday and have

them listen to your struggles.”

Rafael Sorili, a liberal arts student, is also tackling his personal finances. He recently attended a workshop called “Budgeting to Your Values” given by Judy Lashley, a financial advisor at Concordia University. It was part of a series offered by Student Services during Concordia’s first ever Financial Literacy Week this past November. Sorili works parttime to supplement his loans and bursaries, and plans to go on to graduate school.

“I got tired of being a hostage to my finances,” said Sorili. “I’m looking to empower myself financially.”

What appealed to him about the workshop was how it focused on building a bud-

get that reflects his own values and reality as opposed to some idealistic plan.

“Once you know your values,” said Lashley, “it’s a lot easier to make decisions.”

Sorili has already booked a follow-up appointment, and is now saving all his receipts for a month. With the advisor’s help, together they will go through his receipts to determine where he spends his money.

Sorili’s goal is to break free from student poverty. He says he refuses to be a victim.

“Being a student does not have to mean being poor,” he said.

Lisa Kanash also believes that values should dictate her budget, and not the other way around. Kanash, who is graduating this

semester in marketing at the John Molson School of Business, said that generosity is an important value to her regardless of her financial situation. She’s learned to manage her money well by observing her family’s habits and values.

“My mother is resourceful. She’s always learned to do things herself, so was my grandmother,” said Kanash. “And both my dad and brother fix things, so we didn’t spend money when we didn’t have it. I’ve learned the value of a dollar.”

Kanash continues to buy second-hand clothing for herself like her mother did when she was growing up. She says she never learned to hoard because her mother taught her the principle of “buy one thing, give one thing.” She buys food on sale and in bulk.

“I don’t spend a lot on food. I eat a lot at home and I pack my own lunches,” said Kanash. She also anticipates the unexpected by putting aside an emergency fund.

As a marketing student, Kanash says she is more aware of how stores mark up their prices and use certain tactics to sell their stuff. She hopes to use her marketing knowledge and skills to raise the profile of non-profit organizations and fundraise for worthy causes.

For help with your finances visit concordia.ca/offices/ faao.html to view the services Concordia’s Financial Aid&Awards Office has to offer.

arts

Tuesday, DECEMBER 3, 2013

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Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com Literature // arts

Tales of intrigue and gentlemanly adventures in Africa The hand-made graphic novel Pure Steele is part satire, and part homage to pulp adventure Jocelyn Beaudet Staff writer

Graphic novels, a storytelling medium that relies on both words and visuals to tell its narrative, has been steadily growing in popularity over the past decade. With classics like 300, Scott Pilgrim vs The World and Watchmen, these modern narratives have masterfully combined the arts of writing and illustration. To those who are avid fans, though, Pure Steele may come off as a surprising change to the usually popular balance found in the examples given above.

The story of Pure Steele follows a British party of adventurers into the depths of the African jungles and savannahs in search of lost treasure. Set in the 1900s, the text-intensive and beautifully assembled package that is being offered to you by Concordia graduates Kim Belair and Ariadne MacGillivray, does a perfect job in putting the reader in the time with dialogue that is not only believable, but also timely. Ripe with the moral superiority that came with 19th-century colonial Britain during the annexing of African lands, and sexist behavior exhibited by men in the wake of women’s growing social identity, the novel makes no excuses for these inadequacies, and in fact, uses them as a

storytelling tool.

Sitting at a whopping 234 pages — comprised mostly of text — this graphic novel is anything but a short read. With that said, taking away the graphical presentation of the novel would heavily detract from the way the story is told. Choosing to have the story presented in the form of multiple narrative perspectives, rather than using an insider’s description, or a detached narrative, helps readers understand the characters and their motives, but also allows readers to read between the lines and uncover details that would ruin the story’s intrigue should they be revealed in another narrative fashion.

The novel is built using journal clippings (which are handwritten) and typewritten letters to and from London and Africa, with background illustrations to help accompany these letters. Although the pacing is a little slow at first, it’s never made unbearable.

With the exception of a few anachronisms, the book is believable by all standards. If a single complaint could be lodged, it would be the dubious choice of font used for the handwritten journals, which at times was a little difficult to decipher for those who haven’t read cursive documents in a while.

All things said, Pure Steele is energetic, full of originality, and explores an often-forgotten time period with distinction, tact, and accuracy that builds a convincingly realistic

tale and requires very little suspension of disbelief. The price tag is hefty at $40, but comes chock-full of beautiful, unique artwork, making this a must-have for any fans of both graphic novels, and fans of stories

reminiscent of Indiana Jones.

You can find out more information about Pure Steele and its authors, as well as purchase the novel itself on their website at puresteele.com.

When an aging treasure hunter goes missing, his daughter Eleanor recruits the world’s greatest explorer to hunt him down. Photo courtesy of PureSteele.com

Opinion // arts

What not to watch this holiday season Viewer be warned: helping you make informed choices for 2013 films

make a porn star blush, and drug use and gang violence which makes Crips and Blood seem like they would break into song and dance at

Alex DiMeglio Contributor

Once you’ve submitted that final essay and sat your very last exam, you can finally watch some of those movies that have been on your radar the past few months. Well, here are some flicks you should avoid like the plague, unless you want your Christmas to become as depressing as Ebenezer Scrooge’s life at the beginning of A Christmas Carol.

Spring Breakers: What seems like a typical teen-comedy is actually a mortifying trick. Your body will get stuck in a permanent cringe as you watch former Disney stars stray away from their wholesome images. It would be a disaster to watch this movie with your family, because the minute you see Selena Gomez take a hit from a bong, you’ll surely realize this isn’t anything like her movie Monte Carlo. Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens are all grown up in this film and you should refrain from seeing it, unless you are comfortable getting uncomfortable with your parents. Spring Breakers has enough sex to

the drop of a hat. Discomfort and depression is what you’ll feel with this downer of a movie.

So avoid it and keep your personal, awesome

fantasy about spring break alive.

A Madea Christmas: Oh good Lord, another one?! This is already the sixth — thats right, sixth — Madea movie Tyler Perry has decided to thrust upon the world. This one huge cliché of a film is about the title-character, Madea, paying a surprise visit to her daughter on Christmas and obviously, trouble ensues. Even though this is a Christmas movie, please avoid it at all costs because if we keep giving Tyler Perry money, he will continue to believe that he is funny. Alas, even if you hang new decorations and tinsel on last year’s Christmas tree, it will sadly remain dead.

Evil Dead: Stupid is a word that comes to mind after only 30 minutes into this film about five friends who summon evil spirits that end up possessing them. The combined IQ of this group must be around that of Brick Tamland from Anchorman, because even inviting Veronica Corningstone to his “pants party” was a better idea than any of these characters have in this movie. You can’t help but get annoyed with these teenagers for being so naive. On top of the frustration, the violence is too over top for the holiday season. So do yourself a favour and avoid this terrible film and just wish this pure evil, dead.

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Film// arts

‘A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down’

Saving Mr. Banks tells the backstory of how Disney’s classic Mary Poppins made it to our screens Tomer Shavit Staff writer

Saving Mr. Banks takes us behind the scenes of one of the most iconic films in history, Mary Poppins. The film focuses on the interplay and rivalry between author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson, witty, imperious, fantastic) and Walt Disney (Tom Hanks, exuberant, charming, sincere) who wishes to adapt her book series into a film.

As far as Travers is concerned, turning Mary Poppins into a “silly cartoon” is an atrocious idea, one she equates to “selling out.” It’s a vile concept she would never consider — until that is, the royalties from her book sales dry up and she faces financial uncertainty.

A dejected Travers finds herself on a flight

from dreary London to sunny Burbank, CA. “Sunny” in this case, is an understatement.

Just as Mary Poppins enters the cartoon world of penguins and merry-go-round horses that come to life, so does Travers leave a somber reality to plunge into the glitzy fantasy land of Disney Studios — and she couldn’t be more adverse.

Since Travers has not signed the contract yet, Disney and his employees are at her mercy.

The set design is fantastic, transporting us to Burbank in the ‘60s, and is aided by the fact that the Disney Studios and Disneyland itself have not changed too much in the last 50 years. All the characters look like they were taken off the set of Mad Men, so there is much eye candy for fans of tailored suits and elaborate hairstyles.

It’s not long before the team that “Uncle Walt” has tasked with adapting the book,

Poetry // arts

Poet’s Corner Twin-kle Merry Christmas By: Kevin Savard

screenwriter Don DaGradi (Bradley Whitford) and the musical Schwartzman brothers (B.J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman) realize that Travers is not there to cooperate or make their lives easy.

Her demands become increasingly ridiculous (no songs, no cartoons, no Dick Van Dyke, no colour red) and when the chipper Disney denizens see that Travers is entirely immune to their upbeat charms, a tug of war ensues between a writer desperately clinging to an idealization of the past, and entertainers looking to bring her characters to the audiences of the future.

This conflict is the most enjoyable part of the film due to the sly dialogue delivered by Thompson, who steals every scene she’s in, even the ones opposite Hanks.

Hanks’ performance of Walt Disney focuses on the magic and splendor of a visit to a Disney theme park with only a glimpse at the chains and cogs that make the rides function. You can’t build a multibillion-dollar company on smiles and fairy dust alone, and it would have been apt to see a bit more of the practical side of Disney — the visionary businessman and shrewd empire-builder that wouldn’t take no for an answer.

So why is Travers such a difficult nut to crack? Why does she retain her jaded cynicism even in the happiest place on Earth?

Juxtaposed with the 1961 story is the tale of eight-year-old Helen Goff (Travers as a child) in turn-of-the-century Australia. The girl with the golden locks is forced to grow up all too quickly when her quirky, funloving father (Colin Farrell, a strange casting

choice but he makes it work) brings his family to ruins by succumbing to alcoholism.

While bedridden, little Helen tries to brighten his day by reading him the first poem she has ever written, a poem that has won first place in her school.

“It’s not exactly Yates, is it?” spits her father to her heartbroken face. These flashback scenes provide answers to some characterbuilding questions.

Unfortunately, little Helen does not get the Disney ending she hopes for, and by the midpoint of the film we understand the experiences that shaped Travers into a lonely dispassionate old lady but also — because all great writing must come from pain — into a brilliant writer capable of capturing the imaginations of children and adults all over the world.

The movie does take many liberties with the truth. In real life, Travers was not at all happy with the film, and she refused to allow Disney any rights to the rest of her books. After the premiere, Travers demanded that the animated segments be removed and Disney denied her request telling her that “the ship has sailed.”

But a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down and Saving Mr. Banks is an emotional roller coaster that will make you cry, make you laugh and — fitting to a movie about the Disney Corporation by the Disney Corporation — make you leave the theaters with a little more joy in your life than when you went in.

Saving Mr. Banks will be opening in Montreal theatres on Dec. 20.

Twins Emma and William.

Every-theme Christmas.

Cards with candy from friends, cinnamon-hot chocolate, hanging out, Reindeer paper mâché, carolling in the Eve. William’s so silly, cheeks bright red, Emma dressed in green, oh mighty gleam.

They dream what Silent Night, Cookies milk for proof, Canadian chill still, snow globe essence, red bow ready, Emma cuddles teddy, William cocoons wool, Celebration on the horizon, the great light broken silence Eyes Open,”Mommy-Daddy!” burst into bliss, “Merry Christmas” honey bunnies, Hugs cuddling warm hearts, eggs orange-juice bacon toast, Socks full of surprises, Dressing snazzy, frosty car, choir children Bethlehem, Hallelujah! Turkey trimmings-we are stuffed, Singing Dancing Laughing, Snoring fire.

Divine birth, Lord we Love!

Coupled with Disney’s quest for rights, is the story of P. L. Travers’ difficult childhood, that shaped her identity as a writer. Photo courtsey of Disney Enterprises, Inc.

music

Tuesday, december 3, 2013

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Profile // music

Quick Spins

Flatliners find their pulse Freelove Fenner - Do Not Affect A Breezy Manner (Fixture Records;2013) For their first full-length studio album, Montreal’s Freelove Fenner serves up more than a dozen carefully crafted tracks on Do Not Affect A Breezy Manner. Their debut album displays a cool and relaxed vibe that sinks deep into the guitar licks and drum beats. Lead singer Caitlin Loney’s vocals are reminiscent of Metric’s Emily Haines, with its dreamy and introspective quality.

On tracks like “All Things Break Through,” the reverb on the vocals are especially prominent, giving them an ethereal, dream-like texture. The title track is a romantically relaxed two-and-ahalf-minute instrumental interlude with several sets of ‘ooohs’ serving as background vocals. Do Not Affect A Breezy Manner is a dynamite debut effort by the Montreal trio.

Toronto natives The Flatliners released their fourth studio album Dead Language on Sept.17. Photo by Scotte Woods.

Trial Track: “Dr. D”

Discussing influences and friendship on their latest release Justinas Staskevicius Staff writer

L

oud, aggressive and energetic— these are the three pillars of punk rock and Toronto’s The Flatliners have mastered these. Placing a particular importance on their live shows, this hard-hitting four-piece has toured extensively over the past decade. With the recent release of the band’s fourth studio album, Dead Language, these vets prove that there certainly is no rest for the wicked.

While many bands routinely see changes in their line-up, The Flatliners have remained undivided since their formation, a feature that has allowed them to become a tightly knit musical unit. Chris Cresswell, vocalist and guitarist for the group, recently spoke to The Concordian and discussed the band’s journey from the suburbs to center stage.

The Flatliners’ story is that of a group of tight knit, lifelong friends coming together to play the music that they love.

These four musicians, so close that they share multiple tattoos including a beer can and Autobahn sign, rose through the ranks and ultimately came to share the stage with the very bands that inspired them in the first place. The band officially formed in 2002, but as Cresswell pointed

out, the seeds of the group were sown years earlier. Cresswell’s mother introduced him to Scott Brigham, the band’s future lead guitarist, at a young age.

“This is Scott, he’s your new friend,” Cresswell recollected.

The duo met Jon Darbey, the group’s bassist, while in second grade and later percussionist, Paul Ramirez. Cresswell grew up listening to a variety of music including Weezer, The Foo Fighters and Oasis, but he attributes his punk education to his older brother.

“He got me into grunge. Nirvana, Pearl Jam and punk like NOFX and No Use For a Name. One of the first bands I got into was Rancid,” the frontman recalled, “I got my mom to drive me into town to get [Rancid’s 1995 platinum album]… And Out Come The Wolves. I got it on cassette, I still have it somewhere.”

Darbey, previously a guitarist, was forced to play bass because as Cresswell stated “we already had two of them.”

With the release of the band’s second album, The Great Awake in 2007, The Flatliners joined their heroes Rancid, No Use For a Name and NOFX as label mates, at Fat Wreck Chords.

“We’re proud to have been able to tour with some of the bands that we have,” he said.

Their most recent album’s name is a nod to both the fact that the band “released [their] first album in 2003 on CD and the format was already pretty dead,” as well as a connection to the lyrical themes of the album.

“A lot of songs on the album are about screwing up and starting over,” Cresswell

stated.“Its like Latin, it’s a dead language but a lot of other languages use it as a base. They used the parts of it that worked and they made the parts that didn’t work, better.”

This long awaited album, the followup to the group’s highest charting album to date, 2010’s Cavalcade, was recorded in two large sessions.

“We recorded all the instruments for the album at the same time live in studio, with no click track, and did the vocals last,” said Cresswell. “We felt that we tour and play together enough to do that, we’re more of a live band than a studio band anyways.”

The band also recently contributed to The Songs of Tony Sly: A Tribute. This compilation album was released Oct. 29 in dedication to the former frontman of No Use For a Name, Tony Sly, who passed away unexpectedly in August of 2012.

The album has songs by a variety of punk stars such as NOFX, Bad Religion and Rise Against, among others, covering the songs of Tony Sly with profits going to the Tony Sly Memorial fund.

“We’ve been at Fat Wreck Chords for a long time so when Fat Mike (owner of Fat Wreck Chords and NOFX frontman) asked us to play we wanted to do it” said Cresswell. “We narrowed it down to ‘Fireball’ because it was the one song we all agreed to.”

Cresswell added that while it was a terrible event, he was glad to have been a part of the album and was happy that the funds were going to a good cause.

The Flatliners will be playing at Cabaret Underworld on Dec.21.

7/10

-Jessica Romera

The Flaming Lips - Peace Sword EP (Warner Bros.; 2013) The Flaming Lips’ newest EP draws its name from a track that made its way onto the soundtrack for the ‘80s sci-fi remake of Ender’s Game. As a result, the band created a six-song, 36-minute EP. Beginning with symphonic, almost heavenly tones, the title track branches out into what sounds like a kaleidoscope of laser beats. “Is the Back At The End Good” is the softest song on the album. Simplistic piano keys start it off, eventually giving way to a more instrumentally heavy beat, elevating the song to psychedelic highs. It’s a decent EP with a couple of good tracks, but there is definitely room for improvement leading up to the release of their next album.

Trial track: “Is the Back At The End Good”

7/10

-Alex Melki

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Profile // music

For the love of music: an interview with Gisèle Quartet Local musicians blend genres on their debut album Olivia Rangers-Enn Staff writer

Think of a blend of jazz and rock. Add some political speeches about influential figures like Martin Luther King...and there you have it, folks. Welcome to the Gisèle Quartet.

With beautiful melodies, political themes and crunchy chords, the band’s first album, Roger, is the perfect kind of music to listen to if you are in the mood for good, no-nonsense jazz.

“We are four musicians, and the fun part of this project is that we are all friends,” said, one of the musicians, Louis Beaudoin.

“I play electric guitar, Dave Croteau is on drums, Alex Dodier performs on the saxophone and Miriam Pilette plays guitar.”

The four musicians, three of whom live together, thrive on their friendship and maintain it is crucial to let their music reflect just that.

“When you play an instrument, I believe the instrument is an extension of yourself,” posited Beaudoin. “As such, you need to really connect with others in a band. Luckily for us, we get along very well. We are very honest with one another too. If we think something needs to be improved, we say it candidly.”

Influenced by musicians such as Chris Potter, Kneebody, Medeski Martin & Wood and King Crimson, Beaudoin acknowledged that the quartet’s music is heavily nuanced by other musical giants.

“We like to listen to a wide variety of music. We listen to [Dmitri] Shostakovich just as much as we listen to rap. We don’t like

to have explicit references to other musicians, but if you listen closely to our album, you will hear sounds that will remind you of other composers,” said the guitarist.

Another influence, though perhaps not musical, manifests itself in the band name.

The name of the quartet has personal connotations for one of its members.

“We decided to name our quartet after my grandmother, Gisèle, who is still living and is very excited that we named ourselves after her. She has a special place in my life,” explained Beaudoin.

Making their first Gisele Quartet release their debut album Roger on Dec. 3. Photo by Miriam Pilette. album was a challenge, but a rewarding one for the band who pre- decided to have some fun with the titles of terested in making money. What we are infers being on stage rather than in the studio. the songs,” said Beaudoin, who usually is terested in is transferring our energy to the According to Beaudoin, expressing them- responsible for the made-from-scratch gen- audience. That is what counts. The 10-secselves in front of an audience allows for a esis of a song. “We have funny titles such ond high you get on stage when everything deeper connection with the music, one not as ‘Littérature sous-marine’ (Underwater clicks…that is what counts. It’s almost like necessarily achieved while in a controlled literature) and ‘J’aurais pu être un dauphin a drug. We need that 10-second feeling.” environment. mais j’aurais jamais lu Camus’ (I Could Though he is sure of what his music rep“When you perform, you can improvise, Have Been a Dolphin but I Would Never resents, when asked about the future, Beauyou can let go a bit, you can really sink into Have Read Camus).” doin shrugged, almost unconcerned. the music. When you record, you are more Despite the group’s achievements thus “We are more of a creative artistic group, tight, more restrained. It’s hard recording far, the idea of making money off of music meaning that we live primarily for the muyourself for the first time and trying not to is not their priority since they all have other sic, not for what tomorrow brings. Miriam is make any mistakes,” he added. jobs and alternate sources of income. the best at organizing ourselves. That said, The titles of their songs are particularly “Although we are all trained profession- we are planning on going on a tour, going to comedic. Mostly in French, the titles take on ally at universities, we have other projects places like Quebec City and Saguenay.”

The Gisèle Quartet performs at Le Labo a lighter tone. on the go. Being a musician is hardly easy, “Since our work is all instrumental, we let me say that. But we are not really in- on 552 Jarry St. on Dec. 3 at 7 p.m.

Top 10 // music

Top 10 albums of 2013

Compiled by Paul Traunero 1. Arcade Fire - Reflektor Arcade Fire’s follow-up album to their Grammy-award winning album, The Suburbs, is dark yet surprisingly danceable. The band knows how to take risks and challenge themselves all while keeping with their signature style. Reflektor is Arcade Fire’s most musically complex effort to date.

2. HAIM- Days Are Gone

The debut album from the California sister-trio is the perfect mix of nostalgia and modernity. It’s refreshingly bold yet familiar, boasting influences from Stevie Nicks and Wilson Philips. Days Are Gone is melodic and a real treat for any ‘90s child.

concise work and displays a sense of confidence and playful sophistication that was lacking from their previous albums.

dance and R&B, Cupid Deluxe was inspired by the alienation and heartbreak of the New York underground LGBT community.

5. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories Random Access Memories was well worth the eight years since the last studio album from French electronic duo, Daft Punk. Boasting a mix of dance, electronic, soul and disco, the lead single, “Get Lucky,” was in heavy rotation all summer.

8. Emilíana Torrini - Tookah Tookah showcases the essence of who Emilíana Torrini wants to be as an artist. Atmospheric synthesizers soar over her folky indie pop melodies to create a richly layered, evocative experience.

3. Cecile McLorin Salvant - WomanChild Pulling inspiration from jazz legends like Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, and Ella Fitzgerald, Salvant offers something fresh and original all while steeped in tradition.

Her technical ability, tempo and charisma displayed in WomanChild are evidence that she is far from a novelty act, but a true original in a re-emerging genre.

6. James Blake - Overgrown With his sophomore release, James Blake is stepping out of his electronic shell and revealing his humanity. Overgrown showcases a raw and soulful side to the minimalist post-dubstep sweetheart. With several tracks produced by Brian Eno and a strong focus on songwriting and melody, Blake’s sophomore release is experimental yet accessible.

4. Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City With their third album, Vampire Weekend have finally shed their ivy-league peppiness and demonstrated their full potential.

Modern Vampires of the City is their most

7. Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe In between writing songs for Sky Ferreira, Solange and Britney Spears, the Essex born street punk turned Brooklyn hipster recorded his sophomore album. With a clear influence from early ‘90s Prince, new wave,

9. M.I.A. - Matangi Initially reworked because it was deemed “too positive,” the fourth studio album from the outspoken English-Sri Lankan is creative and playful. The songs are chaotic and fly by at a brisk pace, creating the sense of excitement and exoticism that we’ve come to expect from M.I.A..

10. Jon Hopkins - Immunity Having previously worked with Coldplay, Imogen Heap and Brian Eno, Jon Hopkins certainly knows a thing or two about versatility. With his fourth studio album, we are immersed in Hopkins’ intriguing fusion of modern classical, techno and ambient musical styles. Immunity is both energetic and contemplative.

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Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com

Men’s basketball // sports

Stingers take first of the season versus Rouge et Or Men’s basketball team ends three game losing skid with a regular season win against Laval Casey Dulson Staff writer

After a 0-3 start to the regular season, the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team came out strong in a 77-70 win over the Laval Rouge et Or last Friday night at home.

The Stingers won the tipoff to start the game and scored the first point of the first quarter on a foul shot by Stingers’ forward Zach Brisebois. Stingers forward Mukiya Post gave Concordia a 3-0 lead with a successful jump shot three minutes into the quarter. After another jump shot by Post, Laval responded with a three-pointer by guard Karl Demers-Belanger to tie the game up at five apiece.

After the Rouge et Or took a 11-10 lead past the midway mark of the quarter, the Stingers went on to score six straight points to regain the lead. With 2:21 left, Brisebois stole the ball and with no Rouge et Or player in front of him, he decided to jump to the hoop for an easy layup. With nine seconds left in the quarter, Post shot a field goal to give the Stingers a 19-15 lead.

In the second quarter, Laval was able to tie the game at 19 with two consecutive jump shots by centre Boris Hadzimuratovic.

Stingers guard Evan Gill came off the bench and electrified the crowd with a three pointer to give Concordia a 29-27 lead with 4:16 left in the quarter.

Gill then tied the game up at 31 with just over a minute left in the quarter after a nice give-and-go between him and guard Adam Chmielewski. Laval held onto the ball in the last minute but could not find the right shot to make. Concordia led 33-31 going into halftime.

Stingers now 1-3 on the season with win against the Rouge et Or. Photo by Brianna Thicke

Post got the first basket of the second half to put the Stingers up 35-31. Rouge et Or responded quickly with a two pointer of their own. Stingers forward Michael Fosu scored two straight baskets. A beautiful passing display by Chmielewski on a give-and-go with Post ended in a missed basket. However, Post was able to pick up his own rebound and score a two-pointer. The Stingers were in front 57-45 at the end of the third quarter.

Laval capitalized early in the fourth quarter with a two pointer by Belanger. Stingers responded with a three-pointer by guard Jean-Andre Moussignac. Moussignac then had a breakaway and made an easy layup.

Chmielewski ended the game with a late three pointer as the Stingers won their first game of the season 77-70.

“The guys competed hard and did not lose focus,” head coach John Dore said. “[They] played for the whole forty minutes [and] moved the ball well.”

Post was the Stingers leading scorer with 21 points in the victory. Post, Fosu and Brisebois each finished with double-digit points.

Fosu had 10 points and five rebounds in the victory.

-With files from Samantha Mileto

Women’s basketball // sports

Stingers solid on defence in win against Laval

Concordia’s women’s basketball team now .500 in the regular season with victory at home Casey Dulson Staff writer

In search of their second win of the regular season on Friday night, the Stingers played a solid defensive game in the second half to beat the Laval Rouge et Or 49-39 at home.

Laval won the tipoff but was called back because the ball went out of bounds. Concordia won the next tip-off and drew first blood with a two pointer by point guard Ashley Clarke, followed by a basket by guard Kaylah Barrett.

The Stingers and Rouge et Or traded baskets at the four minute mark of the fourth quarter.

A couple of foul shots also helped the Stingers extend their lead before the end of the quarter.

The score after one quarter had the Stingers up by seven.

The Stingers started with the ball in the second quarter and struck first with a two pointer by Clarke, where she was wide open in Laval’s court. Under a minute later, Clarke stole the ball and passed to forward Tamara Pinard-Devos, who scored the basket to give the Stingers an 18-7 lead.

After center Tina Mpondani made it 21-10 for the Stingers on two free throw attempts, the Rouge et Or, who had six unanswered baskets to go into the halftime, were only down by five points. The score at halftime was 21-16 for the Stingers.

The Stingers had many missed opportunities in the first half as they took 37 shots and only connected on seven.

Both teams combined for 31 points in the third quarter. Laval started with the ball and quickly went on a 4-0 run only a minute into the quarter.

Stingers responded to the early run by Laval with a basket by Barrett, which gave the Stingers a 23-20 lead. However, Rouge et Or tied the game up with a three pointer by center Veronique Fortin-Tremblay. The Stingers broke the tie with a basket by Marilyse Roy-Viau.

The Stingers were able to pull away with a lead with the help of Barrett, who scored two free throws at 7:39 of the third quarter to make it 25-22 Stingers and then a three-point jump shot at the midway mark to make it 3024. Four consecutive free throws by Roy-Viau and guard Cynthia Suissa gave the Stingers a 34-24 lead with three minutes left to play in the third quarter. But Laval responded late with two three pointers by forwards Gabrielle Girard and Raphelle Côté to cut the Stingers lead to four. The score was 36-32 for Stingers at the end of the third quarter.

The Stingers strong defensive play in the final quarter is what ultimately won them the game. Concordia stopped Laval from getting any baskets until there was 3:40 left in the game. Laval finally got their first points in the quarter at the 2:50 mark which was a threepointer by Côté.

After Côté scored two free throws for Laval to reduce Concordia’s lead to 40-34 with 3:39 left in the game, Barrett scored the Stingers next eight points to give them a 48-39 lead.

Clarke’s free throw in the dying seconds sealed the 49-39 Stingers win.

Barrett finished the game as the Stingers leading scorer with 20 points.

Next up, the Stingers will be hosting its annual Concordia Adidas Tournament which starts Dec. 28.

-With files from Samantha Mileto

Stingers are 2-2 so far this season with a win agaunst Laval. Photo by Brianna Thicke

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Profile // sports

Sports in the More than just your average student News Casgrain wants “varsity” designation for Concordia’s independent athletes Andrew Maggio Staff writer Chris Cordella Staff writer

>> Daniel Alfredsson returns to Ottawa

Former Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson returned to Ottawa for the first time on Sunday at the Canadian Tire Centre since he started playing for the Detroit Red Wings. Alfredsson played in Ottawa from 1995-2013 and served as captain from 1999-2013. This summer, Ottawa saw their face of the franchise leave to play for Detroit for more money and, according to Alfredsson, a better chance to win the Stanley Cup. After the national anthems, the Senators presented a tribute video on the big screen showing clips of Alfredsson and thanking him for his time with the organization. Alfredsson was then given a standing ovation by the fans. During the game however, the mood changed and Alfredsson was booed whenever he touched the puck.

Alfie assisted on Detroit’s first goal and scored the empty net goal to ice the game for Detroit as they beat the Senators 4-2. Alfredsson was also chosen as third star of the game.

>> NFL sideline traffic

O

ne of the key aspects of student-athlete success, both on and off the field, is being able to manage one’s time and have a flexible schedule to allow for training,study, work and play. Isabelle Casgrain, a 20-year-old management major at the John Molson School of Business, is also an athlete—an elite equestrian show jumper at that—but is currently juggling school and training with no support from the school’s athletic or academic departments.

“In CEGEP [at André-Grasset] I was part of a sport-études program, and that allowed me to have midterms and exams moved so that I could compete and train properly,” said Casgrain.

“They would organize my schedule with me, so we would make my schedule in such a way that would be advantageous for me.”

“I arrived here, and there was nothing.

There’s support for varsity athletes, but for independent student athletes [not on varsity teams] there was no support, no knowledge.

There was pretty much nothing they could do for me.”

Casgrain has battled through the early morning wake-up calls and late bedtimes because of training, classes, studying, and travelling, but she has not buckled under the pressure. She’s had worse days, having suffered major injuries in a show-jumping accident in 2011.

But, she’s bounced back from that and is now one of the top ranked show jumpers in the country in seventh place. She’s accomplished

this at the same time as having to deal with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which sometimes leads to bouts of hyperactivity.

Yet, despite all of the obstacles in her way, she is still focused on the issue at hand: getting independent athletes at Concordia to be treated like varsity athletes.

“I think we’re just as important as the varsity athletes and we’re part of this school just as much as they are,” said Casgrain. “I would be honoured to carry the Stingers logo—I’m just not allowed to.”

Casgrain contacted the associate director of Student Athlete Services, John Bower, at the beginning of August, and asked about the school’s elite athlete designation, but was told she was not eligible for it because she was not a varsity athlete.

At the time, Casgrain asked if there was anything else available, but the major turnover

In a Thanksgiving game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin was standing very close to the field when Baltimore returner Jacoby Jones brought the ball down the sideline near Tomlin. Jones was nearly tripped up because of where Tomlin was on the sideline and reports came out on Monday morning that a fine could be coming from the NFL for the Steelers and Tomlin. However, there has been no official word on the fine.

>> Canadiens recap The Canadiens have been red hot lately winning four of their last five games before Monday night’s tilt against the New Jersey Devils, including a 4-2 win Saturday night against their rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Montreal will be busy this week as they play four games in six days with a home-and-home against the Devils Monday and Wednesday. They will then play two straight games at the Bell Centre where they will host Boston on Thursday and Buffalo on Saturday night. As of Sunday night, Montreal sits in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with a 15-9-3 record.

>> A $50,000 spill Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd was fined $50,000 this week after spilling his drink on the court to get a stoppage late in the game last Wednesday against the Los Angeles Lakers, after he had used up all of his timeouts. The Nets did get some extra time due to the stoppage to draw up a play during the clean up but still lost 99-94.

Casgrain juggles student life and athletic career. Photos by Vanessa DC Photographe

in the athletics department —with the likes of Bower and new athletic director Patrick Boivin just recently joining the department and still learning the ropes of their new jobs— became a handcuff in representing a chance to create new opportunities for student-athletes like Casgrain and delayed any possibility of Casgrain getting immediate help.

According to Bower, there is some infrastructure currently in place to help students like Casgrain, but the accessibility of services offered by the Department of Recreation and Athletics is still a work in progress. The crux of the issue is giving the classification of “varsity athlete” to independent athletes like Casgrain.

“In the context of Isabelle Casgrain, we are talking about students who are recognized by the Alliance Sport-Études, of which Concordia is a partner,” said Bower. “In general, these are either students who have been identified by their provincial sport organization as being, or having the potential of being national or international calibre athletes in a variety of individual sports. This was brought to my attention in August when Isabelle first contacted us asking to be recognized as a ‘varsity athlete.’”

Bower went on to say, “Any student-athlete who is recognized by the Alliance Sport-Études has access to the Stingers ACE (Academic Centre of Excellence) program, which includes assisting with the student-athlete in selecting courses, liaising with professors and faculties, helping find tutors, etc.”

“The university also permits these students to have flexible or modified schedules to accommodate their competitions and training schedules,” Bower continued. “It should be noted that these students are not considered to be ‘varsity athletes’ as that designation is reserved for students who compete for Stinger teams in recognized sports leagues, for example the CIS or RSEQ.” Casgrain’s situation has raised several questions for the athletics department. With the new administration this fall, Bower only found out about the Alliance Sport-Études program once both Casgrain’s and the Stingers’ competitive seasons began.

However, Bower and Casgrain will be meeting in the near future to begin to set up the foundation for supporting independent student-athletes down the road and how to integrate them further into the Stingers’ sports culture.

Meanwhile, Casgrain is continuing to manage her hectic schedule. Her goals are set and the future looks bright —we might even see her competing in an Olympic Games one day.

She dreams of one day being able to go to the mecca of equestrian, Great Britain, and train there while getting a master’s degree.

Right now, though, she’s not only looking to help herself, but other current and future independent athletes at the school. If all goes according to plan, we could be seeing a new swarm of Stingers joining the athletics department sooner than we think.

opinions

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

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Write to the editor: opinions@theconcordian.com Editorial // opinions

Poor excuses for PQ’s absence from debate Bernard Drainville’s refusal to attend panel shows a lack of conviction

T

he minister responsible for the proposed Quebec Charter of Values, Bernard Drainville, declined to attend a debate on said charter, held earlier this week by the Graduate Student Association. He declined for reasons of security, saying that he felt the risk of things getting out of control were too high at this event, according to CTV. Yes, there was a well-publicized protest outside the room where the debate was to take place but a

protest in itself is only a threat if violence is threatened.

The announcement of the protest, posted on QPIRG’s (Quebec Public Interest Research Group) website, solicited students and other community members to gather outside H-767 at 11:30 a.m. The posting contained no threat towards Drainville. It stated simply that, “QPIRG Concordia is encouraging both community and student members who oppose Bill 60 to mobilize this coming Thursday.� Drainville’s choice to boycott the debate implies that he did not think that his arguments for Bill 60 could stand up to the arguments of those who oppose this bill.

If Drainville really believes that Bill 60

has merit, he should have felt no fear in facing the people gathered against it. A person with strong convictions does not back down from a fight.

There was a lot of media present at the debate and it was a perfect opportunity for Drainville to make his points heard. Instead, his absence ensured that arguments against the bill were the only thing attendees heard.

Perhaps Drainville feared that a debate sponsored by a university would provoke questions that would poke holes in the ideology behind Bill 60. Especially since Concordia is mostly known to be in opposition of the charter. Perhaps this was the real risk he saw in coming to Concordia

on Thursday.

The PQ didn’t seem to feel there was any security risk when they attended debates about the tuition freeze during the student strike, but then in that circumstance they were on the side that had the most supporters.

The PQ should be embarrassed by Drainville’s conduct. By not showing up to defend his charter he gave the charter’s opponents all the power. His absence clearly shows a lack of conviction in Bill 60. If Drainville isn’t willing to do everything in his power to convince people of the validity of this bill, then it would appear that Drainville doesn’t really believe in Bill 60 and that says a lot.

Holidays // opinions

Reminiscing on the yuletide and joy of Christmas past Growing older shouldn’t spoil the fun of the holiday season Marco Saveriano Staff writer

The holiday season: loved by most children, and dreaded by many adults. As we’ve gotten older, the holidays just don’t feel the same. People may sometimes get excited over the snow and gifts, but it’s not quite as magical as it once seemed to be.

The winter wonderland fantasy, for one, has lost its appeal. When you’re young, you always look forward to that first big snowfall. You knew that with the snowfall came the snowmen, snow angels, forts, ice skating and a nice cup of hot cocoa when you finally retreated back into the house.

If you were really lucky, you may even have had a snow day. We always heard our parents complaining about the weather, but we never understood how anybody could possibly hate this beautiful season. That is, until we grew up.

The snowmen and snow angels have been replaced with shovelling, and for those with cars, have been replaced with the dreaded driving conditions.

It leads people to become more and more aware of soggy socks and frost-bitten toes every year. Let’s not even get started on how the wind dries up the skin. We never noticed these things as rambunctious youngsters, but now it’s all many people think about.

Sure, it’s possible to appreciate the beauty of our city covered in a white blanket, but there is a limit. At least we can still warm up with a nice cup of hot cocoa, give or take a few shots of Baileys.

Christmas itself isn’t quite the same either.

During my childhood, I would lay in bed, practically shaking with excitement on Christmas morning. Nothing seemed more exciting than getting up on Dec. 25 and waking up everybody in the house at the crack of dawn.

After months of anticipation (for those of us who eagerly prepared our Christmas list before the air even had a chill), we finally got to see what Santa Claus brought for us.

Nowadays, it’s not unlikely to lay awake in bed worrying about our Christmas shopping or dreading our family get-togethers.

The illusion of Santa has also long been shattered. We now know that it was our parents who waited for us to fall asleep to hide our presents under the tree. There is now the stressful responsibility of buying presents for everybody else—something we never had to worry about as children.

While we may no longer jump out of bed at the crack of dawn, it is still fun to see what we got. Let’s be real, a present is a present.

Child or adult, it is still exciting to be showered with gifts. It may not have the same feeling of glee as the old days, but who can complain?

Adults and children may not perceive the holidays the same way, but that doesn’t mean growing up leaves nothing to look forward to.

As cheesy as it sounds, now that we’re adults, we’re able to enjoy what’s truly important: family, friends, and the spirit of giving.

When we were kids, all we wanted was to open our presents and play in

the snow. Now, we get to be the ones who spread the excitement, whether to our younger family members or within our community. Isn’t that enough?

If the feeling of spreading joy doesn’t warm your tiny Grinch-like heart, just remember one thing: now that we’re legal, we can have a lot more fun at holiday parties.

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/FFER VALID UNTIL $ECEMBER $OES NOT INCLUDE 6)0 TICKETS Š 2009, 2010 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.

CHARACTER DESIGN: TETSUYA NOMURA

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Tuesday, december 3, 2013

Culture // opinions

An ode to our forgotten communal sanctuaries Libraries are a lot more than a place to check-in and check-out Laura Marchand Contributor

I’m ashamed to admit that I did not visit the library often when I was young. It didn’t even have its own building: relegated to a forgotten corner of the public complex, and often overshadowed by the hockey rinks and swimming pools, most children only went when forced by the school.

How could I blame them? The books were too high, the lights too artificial, the ambiance too quiet for someone who just wanted to run around outside. It wasn’t— isn’t—the best library in the world. I will be the first to admit to its failure, and my own.

Still, the few times I was forced to wait for my sister’s swimming lessons to end, it was a welcome calm from the shrieking and splashing coming from the pool. I didn’t understand half the titles on the spines I passed, but that’s not what mattered.

What was important was that it was a respite. I had found a place where I could curl up at (or under) a table with one of my favourite things (a book) in my hands.

The librarians didn’t ask me if everything was OK. The man at the computer didn’t care if I didn’t have many friends. The tall, metal shelving units—that always seemed to straddle the fence between “imposing” and “protective”—wouldn’t judge me for getting picked last.

I could slip into my book and forget. I was a kid, and I was running from the normal problems kids have: social life (or lack thereof), sports (or lack thereof), insecurities (in abundance). I needed the library as a hide-away from my fairly small issues. If it

could give an awkward, gawky kid like me a breather, what was it doing for those who were doing much worse?

What section does the unemployed man go to when he can’t pay his rent? Does the single mother wait with bated breath for another storytime reading? What about the new Canadian—who doesn’t speak much French or English, but can recite more national history than any of us—what about him, who checks out children’s books and tries to stammer a thank you to the librarian? To the boy who sat across from me that one time, whose stack of books towered over my own and read with terrifying furor —what were you hiding underneath the long-sleeved shirts that you wore even in the summertime?

The library isn’t just books. The library is

safety, community, hideaways, and silence when everything else in life is so loud.

A Kindle isn’t going to drown out the sounds of your family fighting, and you can’t close the door on an iPad. You can’t do that with a book, either. You can get lost in a veritable palace of books, and in there you can study, or draw, or cry, or strum an invisible guitar. Our libraries, even our dusty, god-awful libraries, even at their worst, they are our best.

I don’t need my library like I used to.

In fact, I barely visit that one anymore. I’m still a reader, and there’s no greater joy than being surrounded by free books. It’s no longer a shield I put up between me and the world. Now, it’s just a footnote of my life, like countless other people and places I’ve come to know.

Some people have the strange idea that libraries are obsolete. They call them wastes of space, wastes of money, wastes of time. Libraries are publically funded, which means that it takes much more than one person to keep them alive. I want to protect the place that protected me, but I can’t do this alone.

So, I’m begging. My sanctuary is dying.

It’s not a church, a synagogue, or a mosque yet it saves people. Grab your neighbours and your leaders by their collars. Point them to the awkward-year-old, the new Canadian, the single mother, and show them who they’re failing. Look them in the eye and dare them to say these places aren’t worth keeping.

The library is quiet, but we don’t have to be.

Religion // opinions

An honest mistake being blown out of proportion Why Costco’s bible labelling error does not warrant the outrage and attention Lindsay Richardson Staff writer

The term “religious” shopper took on a literal meaning last week when Pastor Caleb Kaltenbach, browsing at Costco, noticed that the retail giant had labelled its inventory of Bibles as “fiction.” This observation and Kaltenbach’s subsequent tweets incited a very strong reaction among some Christians.

Kaltenbach later explained that he was more intrigued than offended over the matter but regardless, Costco issued a public apology, blamed a labelling oversight in the distribution department, and stated that it “should have caught the mistake” before the holy books hit the shelves in Simi Valley, CA. Customers, however, continue to have mixed reactions. Non-believers are saluting the company for “taking a stance” against organized religion, while others are staging boycotts and expressing their anger via social media. Angry tweets ranged from people asking whether this would have happened with the Koran, and also people vowing to no longer spend money at the giant retailer.

Those that have reached out on the Internet, calling the incident “ironic” and “hi-

larious,” are the ones who have the right idea.

Those who are outraged are blowing the incident completely out of proportion. Kaltenbach stated to Fox News that “what Costco did doesn’t seem too tolerant,” insinuating that the company was perhaps provoked by an unknown agenda.

In reality, this was exactly what company representatives claimed it was: an oversight.

Costco is the second largest retailer in the United States, carrying thousands of products in their stores at any given time. With the volume of inventory being shipped in and out of warehouses, it isn’t inconceivable that a product or two put onto shelves is mislabelled.

The public isn’t outraged about the labelling alone, they are outraged that a multinational company seems to be mocking the text on which its whole belief system is based. The assumption is ridiculous, seeing as Costco wouldn’t stand to gain anything by making this kind of statement.

Large companies are largely focused on its imports, profit margin and marketing techniques. It would be very bizarre if board meetings discussed strategies to blatantly enrage devout, God-fearing citizens.

The labelling is a very minute detail, and the controversy is only stemming from

the fact that it is a religious book. Some groups don’t believe that the text can be realistically categorized anywhere. An article for the Canadian Atheist’s website claims that a “fiction section is for deliberate fiction,”and the Bible shouldn’t be labelled non-fiction on the grounds that it is “just badly flawed from the perspective of history, science, philosophy or indeed common sense.”

Ultimately, credit should be given to Costco for actually carrying the Bible among its other books. One would think that committed Christians would be happy that the word of God is available in a store primarily

known for its economy sized packs of Gatorade and Kraft Dinner.

If people want to get lathered up about big companies and their policies, redirect the focus to important issues that affect our world and the people in it, like work conditions, environmental preservation, or international fair trade.

A one-inch sticker on a Bible should not shake Christian religious convictions. The simple, realistic solution would be to just peel it off and move on. Although, given the intensity of the reaction, fundamentalists may begin lobbying for a new commandment: thou shalt not mislabel.

Customers were unhappy with the mislabelling of Bibles. Photo by Ryk Neethling, flickr

Social // opinions

With the semester com-

ing to an end, there’s no doubt that the holidays

are fast approaching and millions of children are

awaiting Santa Claus and his gifts. This fictional

character, while created mainly for commercial

purposes, brings joy to

many people all over the world. In fact, Santa has

his own Twitter account...a few of them actually, and

I think we may have found the authentic one...

Here’s his bio: “I deliver 2 billion presents in one

night to a bunch of shithead kids. I’m having a beer.”

@loadedsanta: ONE MONTH TIL XMAS KIDS! (And I haven’t done shit yet!!!) @loadedsanta: Rudolph’s favourite movie is “Rudy.”

He says he ‘identifies with it.’ What a dick.

Finding a balance between caring about yourself and others

Audrey Folliot Contributor

I’ll admit it, I sometimes put my own interests before those of other people.

I haven’t always been that way. If I look back to the beginning of last year, I used to rely a lot on what other people would think when making a decision for myself.

Was it a lack of self-confidence? Was it a search for approval, or just an attempt to make others happy? It was probably a mix of all three, but I often disregarded my own wants and needs in order to please others.

I can’t be the only one to have done this.

This kind of behaviour can be very detrimental to an individual’s personal development. Only caring about others is as unhealthy as only caring about yourself. Just like a lot of things in life, balance between the two is key.

Being altruistic is to have concern about the welfare of others, sometimes sacrificing for the benefit of others without seeking any personal gain. I believe I am a very altruistic person. However, is it really necessary to sacrifice one’s self-interests all the time in order to be altruistic? Is doing something for our own benefit such a bad thing when it brings no harm to others?

I do not think that caring about your own interests, wants, and needs, when there is no aim to cause harm to anyone, makes you a selfish person. It only shows

that you are a confident individual who knows where they are going in life, and does not feel the need to please everyone to feel good about themselves.

True altruism is a great thing, since putting other people’s needs before yours can bring a lot of happiness. However, if you constantly do so, you risk being taken advantage of and end up doing things you do not necessarily want to do, and you will not be happier.

I used to be afraid of opting out of group outings when I didn’t feel like going, because I was scared that my friends would not invite me anymore. So I would go even though I knew I wouldn’t enjoy it, mostly because I also used to hate spending time alone. Now, I even crave that alone time some days.

Being selfish simply means that you care for yourself and choose to do things that you enjoy. It is perfectly acceptable to say no to things you do not feel like doing.

Nowhere does it say that, in order to be an altruistic and caring person, you have to say yes to everything. Saying no is the best way to regain control over your own life and to build stronger self-confidence.

Next, you have to identify your own needs to ensure that your actions will benefit both you and those who you want to make happy.

As I said, balance is key, and the key to a happy life is to balance your altruistic tendencies with your more selfish ones. I really do enjoy spending time with other people. I love to put in extra efforts to make them happy, and I will not hesitate to forget about myself for a while for someone else’s well being. But if one does not care about oneself in the first place, who will?

Christmas Movies (Happy Holidays to all!)

Frosty lost his hat and he’s insecure

about being bald. Haha, kids. What a bald loser.

Look kids, elves don’t know how to make “Xbox One.” They still fuck up “kite”

Sabrina Giancioppi Life editor life@theconcordian.com Roa Abdel-Gawad Arts editor arts@theconcordian.com Jessica Romera Music editor music@theconcordian.com Samantha Mileto Sports editor sports@theconcordian.com Casandra De Masi Opinions editor opinions@theconcordian.com Keith Race Photo editor photo@theconcordian.com Natasha Taggart Online editor online@theconcordian.com Jennifer Kwan Graphics editor graphics@theconcordian.com

514-848-2424 ext. 7499 (Editor-in-Chief)

Donner asked for a raise. Donner!!!

I’m like dude I totally forgot you were

Pascale Cardin Business manager business@theconcordian.com

still alive.

@loadedsanta: Rob Ford for

Tyson Lowrie Cindy Lopez Ruben Bastien Board of directors directors@theconcordian.com

mayor of the North Pole

@loadedsanta: K so any kid

who asked for a PS4 Santa changed it

Contributors

to “wooden train”

sucks. to “wooden train”

Kelly Duval Sloane Montgomery News editors news@theconcordian.com

7141 Sherbrooke St. Building CC-Rm 431 Montreal, QC H4B 1R6

@loadedsanta:

Except Josh from Pasadena. That kid

Nathalie Laflamme Production manager production@theconcordian.com

Marilla Steuter-Martin Besher Al Maleh Philippe Labreque Production assistants

@loadedsanta:

Santa loves each and every one of you!

Amanda L. Shore Editor-in-Chief editor@theconcordian.com

Elizabeth Tomaras Christina Rowan Milos Kovacevic Copy editors copy@theconcordian.com

@loadedsanta:

@loadedsanta: Remember kids,

Tuesday, Dec 3 2013 Vol. 31 Issue 15

elf thesantaclaus loveactually itsawonderfullife

achristmascarol homealone thepolarexpress

Timothy Weynerowski, Paula Monroy, Kalina Laframbroise, Sara Cornett, Angela De Cicco, Lindsay Richardson, Kevin Savard,Jocelyn Beaudet, Tomer Shavit, Alex DiMeglio, Olivia Ranger-Enns, Justinas Staskevicius, Paul Traunero,Andrew Maggio, Casey Dulson, Chris Cordella, Marco Saveriano, Laura Marchand, Alex Melki, Audrey Folliot

theconcordian

Confessions of a 20-something

Concordia’s weekly, independent student newspaper.

ART:

Beat Nation @ MACM until Jan. 5 Combine 2013 @ FOFA Gallery until Dec. 6 Ellipsis @ Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery until Dec. 18 Porcelain: Breaking Tradition @ Art Mûr until Dec. 21 Splendore a Venezia @ MMFA until Jan. 19 Actors, Networks, Theories @ Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery until Jan. 25 L’Éther @Wilder & Davis Gallery until Feb. 7

THEATRE:

The Pipeline @ Infinithéâtre until Dec. 8 The Elephant in the Room @ Freestanding room until Dec. 8 Urban Tales @ Centaur Theatre until Dec. 14 The Nutcracker @ Les Grands Ballets until Dec. 30

MUSIC:

Where Giants Once Stood @ Cafe Chaos Dec.3 Gisele Quartet @ Le Labo Dec.3 David Gogo @ Eglise Sacre- Coeur Dec.7 Holograms @ Il Motore Dec.7 Dog Day @ Drones Dec.11 Street Meat @ Grumpy’s Dec.13

OTHER:

Margaret Atwood in Conversation with Sheila Heti @ Drawn and Quarterly Library Dec. 4 Spoken Screen @ Agence TOPO Dec. 5 Suite #30 @ Place des Arts until Dec. 6 Montreal Burlesque Festival @ Club Soda until Dec. 8 image + nation LGBT Film Festival @ Various until Dec. 8 Magic Evening with Canadian authors @ Restaurant Souvenirs d’Indochine Dec. 8 Paris is Burning @ Cinema Politica Dec. 9