The Concordian - October 18th, 2016

Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper

theconcordian

VOLUME 34, ISSUE 8 | TUESDAY, OCT. 18, 2016

theconcordian.com  /theconcordian  @theconcordian

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Damp, but not a damper

Walking in the rain to destigmatize mental illness News p. 3

also in this issue

life

arts

Tackling midterm Getting lit at the stress eating p. 6 museum p. 9

music

sports

opinions

How to record Women's hockey's Don't judge my your own music p. 13 newest captain p.14 hijab p. 17

news

NEWS EDITORS /// news@theconcordian.com SAVANNA CRAIG & NELLY SERANDOUR-AMAR ( @savannacraig @nellsamar03)

CITY IN BRIEF VALERIA CORI-MANOCCHIO COPY EDITOR

Former Rizzuto associate murdered Vincenzo Spagnolo, 65, presumed member of the Montreal mafia, was shot and killed in Laval Saturday night. Spagnolo, owner of several businesses and alleged loyalist to the Sicilian branch of the mob, was reported to be an associate of the late Vito Rizzuto, former head of a powerfulcrimefamily,according to CTV News. Spagnolo remained active following Rizzuto’s death, Andre Cedilot, author of a book on the Montreal mafia, told CTV News. Laval police said Spagnolo was shot once in his home. Surete de Quebec officials have not reported any suspects.

Two McGill Professors nominated for Quebec’s Writers’ Federation McGill neurologist Liam Durcan and professor of behavioural neuroscience Daniel Levitin have been shortlisted for the QWF’s Hugh MacLennan Prize for Fiction and Mavis Gallant Prize for Non-fiction, respectively. Durcan’s The Measure ofDarkness is about f an architect attempting to live his life after waking up from a coma, reports CBC News. Levitin’s A Field Guide to Lies: Critical Thinking in the InformationAge, discusses separating lies and truth in a digital age. Winners will be announced on Nov. 22, at the Corona Theatre.

Reports of Sexual Assault at Laval University Police are investigating reports of sexual assault in Laval University’s residences. Three suspects in their 20s have been identified, but police have yet to arrest anyone, according to CBC News and CJAD. The suspects were seen roaming hallways and knocking on doors in the residences. Police are investigating four on-campus break-ins that occurred Friday night, which resulted in two cases of sexual assault. Three other sexual crimes were reported following other breakins that took place Saturday, officials told CJAD. Laval University's security services will reportedly help police with the investigation.

EDUCATION

Improving indigenous education

Canada as a whole is still in denial of Aboriginal rights MEGAN HUNT NEWS ASSISTANT On Thursday, Oct. 13 the John Molson School of Business (JMSB) hosted “The Role of Canadian Universities in the Development of Indigenous Communities,” a conversation that focused on the role of post-secondary education in indigenous economic development.

The conversation featured Ghislain Picard, the Assembly of the First Nations’ regional chief for Quebec and Labrador, along with Elizabeth Fast, a Concordia assistant professor in the department of applied human sciences and J.P. Gladu, the president and CEO of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business.

The event, moderated by Francois Bastien, an instructor at both JMSB and the Kiuna Institution, a First Nations college in Odanak, explored a number of issues that affect Aboriginal students and communities across Canada.

In his opening remarks, Picard reminded the audience that while progress has been made in recent years, Quebec and Canada as a whole still have a “denial of indigenous rights and indigenous title … We have a lot of catching up to do,” said Picard.

According to the panelists, an area that needs improvement is

Canada’s education system. According to the C.D. Howe Institute, the high school graduate rate is significantly lower among First Nations students compared to other Canadians.

The dropout rate is 58 per cent for students on reserves, while only 30 per cent for others. Likewise, indigenous university students face multiple barriers including racism, according to Fast.

“Universities aren’t culturally safe spaces. There is a lot of racism [and] it doesn’t get talked about or acknowledged enough,” said Fast.

She said often, some of the most unsafe experiences happen in the classroom, one of the reasons for this being many students are coming to university knowing very little about what the contemporary indigenous person’s reality has been.

Fast’s proposed solutions included seeking more Aboriginal representation in university staff and having First Nations communities and Canadian institutions work together to develop educational strategies.

“One of the things we need to do is educate everybody, be ready to learn, and come from a co-learning perspective,” said Fast.

Fast was not the only panelist to discuss the importance of working with indigenous communities to create solutions.

Panelists sit in JMSB to discuss the need for improvement to the indigenous education system in Canada.

Photos by Ana Hernandez.

Gladu said that negative stereotypes about indigenous people still exist, and both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians must move past them in order to empower future generations. Gladu said in the past fiscal year, First Nations-owned businesses had contributed $12 billion to Canada’s GDP. “It’s just a matter of time before [indigenous] communities start generating and managing wealth,” said Gladu. “There’s a big opportunity

to do that together … but we need to see ourselves as successful in every part of society, and other Canadians need to see us as successful as well.”

While the panel was meant as a reminder that there is still progress to be made in Canada, the discussion focused more on solutions than on problems.

“We need to find a balance. We need to measure our failures, but we need to measure our progress as well,” Picard said.

CONCORDIA

Students voice evaluation concerns

Confusion over whether Graham Carr will not have to undergo a review

The incident at senate was discussed during CSU council. PhotobyAna Hernandez.

SAVANNA CRAIG CO-NEWS EDITOR Newly-appointed provost, Graham Carr, will not be receiving a review for his previous position as VP of research and graduate studies as he enters his new role, a move which some students on senate were concerned about.

During a Concordia senate meeting on Oct. 7, former CSU academic and advocacy coordinator Marion Miller asked Concordia president Alan Shepard if an evaluation committee will be struck to review Carr. What Miller didn’t know when she posed the question was that it had already been decided that Carr would not

undergo a review for his position as VP of research and graduate studies.

“He didn’t answer my question at all,” said Miller, adding that Shepard briskly stated, “you know the answer to that, Marion.” Miller said she genuinely did not know the answer to the question.

Sofia Sahrane, the CSU academic and advocacy coordinator, also tried to address the issue with her own questions, Miller said. Sahrane already had some insight on the subject, Miller said, including that an evaluation committee had been assembled but Carr would not be evaluated, since his role had just changed.

Miller said Sahrane specifically

asked why Carr’s evaluation would not be taking place and how it was possible for a senior administrator to fulfill a top academic position for 10 years without a review.

“I’m not saying that Graham Carr has done some problematic things in the past five years, but I think even for the best of the leaders and management it’s important to still have input and have a review,” Miller told The Concordian.

Concordia University spokesperson Chris Mota clarified that Carr nor anyone in this position would not need to undergo a review, as Carr is starting a brand new position.

Mota said Carr was not reviewed for his position as VP of research and graduate studies because he was leaving that position. “You don’t evaluate someone when they’re leaving, you evaluate them if they want to renew for a second mandate.”

She said the evaluations are

either done at the end of the fourth or beginning of the fifth year of the mandate. “Graham chose not to seek renewal, he chose to go for the position of provost,” said Mota.

“When you say ‘was there any review for that’ well you can’t review somebody when they’re entering a position, he hasn’t done the position, there’s nothing to evaluate.”

Regardless of Carr's employment with Concordia since 1983, Mota said he was treated like any hire.

She said for any job—he would have undergone a search process to see if he has the qualifications or not. “He earned the job,” she said.

“If he wants a second term as provost at the end of the fourth year or the beginning of the fifth of the current mandate that he’s in, he will be evaluated.” Marion said in regards to Mota’s comments, she wishes there was more input from the Concordia community in the appointing of Carr as provost.

OCTOBER 18, 2016

COVER STORY

Montrealers walk for mental health

People from the city gathered to help raise awareness about mental health

theconcordian

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NATION IN BRIEF KATYA TEAGUE HEAD COPY EDITOR

Picking up the pieces after Matthew Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil requested financial aid from the federal government to help deal with the damages caused by hurricane Matthew, according to CTV News. Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale told CTV News that the province estimated at least $10 million in damages. Nova Scotia and other parts of the Maritimes experienced record-setting rainfall, flooding, washouts and power outages over Thanksgiving weekend. Nova Scotia has already provided $500,000 worth of emergency funding to Cape Breton.

Participants are all smile while walking in downtown Montreal to raise awareness on Mental Health. Photos by Alex Hutchins.

NELLY SÉRANDOUR-AMAR CO-NEWS EDITOR Hundreds of Montrealers came together on a rainy Sunday morning to raise money and awareness for mental health.

Children and adults participated in the 8th annual MONTREAL WALKS for mental health event.

The four-kilometer walk began at Phillips Square, passed by Concordia University and parts of the downtown Montreal area before concluding back at Phillips Square.

Throughout the year thus f ar, MON T RE AL WAL K S ha s raised $32,000 during various events, which will be donated to non-profit organizations that provide mental health services in Montreal.

MONTREAL WALKS for mental health director Orly Ashair was impressed by the number of people who committed to the event and walked through the wet weather.

Walkers participated individually or in teams.

“Different organizations share a fundraising drive with us,” said Ashair. Out of the money raised, Ashair explained the organizations get to keep 60 per cent to donate to a group of their choice, which must be related to helping mental health.

The remaining 40 per cent goes toward s f unding t he year ly MONTREAL WALKS for mental health. However, organizers of the walk are strictly volunteers, thus unpaid, Ashair added.

One of the teams that took part in the event was Jack.org

Concordia , t he uni ver sit y ’s chapter of the broader Jack.org organization. The organization consists of a national network of young leaders seeking to change perceptions of mental health.

The group walked in the pouring rain to help eliminate stigma and discrimination towards people living with mental illnesses.

A l e x i s Pe r e z , J a c k . o r g Concordia’s president attended Sunday’s walk. “During this experience, people shared their stories,” she said. “From my perspective, it was great to unite as one, and come together to end the silence around mental health.”

A s par t of Ment al Health Awareness Month, Jack .org Concordia is teaming up with the university to host a variety

of events and activities, including yoga and art session, throughout the month of October. Their goal is to teach all students about mental health and have people share their personal stories.

According to the MONTREAL WALKS website, currently, about 18 per cent of Quebecers have a mental health disorder. In Montreal, 29 per cent of people will experience depression, anxiety disorders or disorders related to drugs or alcohol in their lifetime. Also, two out of three people suffer with mental health in silence, for fear of being judged and rejected, according to the website.

In the last four years, the event has raised more than $35,000 yearly for local community mental health organizations.

A girl’s final day in 1985 The Manitoba RCMP used their Twitter and Facebook accounts on Sunday to post first-person messages about 15-year-old Kerrie Ann Brown, a girl who was murdered in 1985, according to Global News. The article reported Brown’s body was found in Thompson, Man. 30 years ago, but the murderer was never caught. Both the RCMP and the Brown family told Global News they hope this social media blitz will help bring peace to the family. The same article reported that the RCMP was trying to be as accurate as possible in their posts depicting Kerrie Ann’s final day.

Canadian seeks injunction against the Cleveland Indians Douglas Cardinal, a prominent Canadian indigenous activist and architect, is seeking an injunction against the Cleveland Indians baseball team, arguing that the team’s name and mascot are offensive and discriminatory, according to the Montreal Gazette. Cardinal filed applications with the Ontario Superior Court, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario and the Canadian Human Right Commission, according to the same article.

A Superior Court hearing was held on Monday to discuss a ruling that would prevent the team from using their regular jerseys, team name or logo during their game against the Toronto Blue Jays this week.

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theconcordian

WORLD IN BRIEF ALEXANDER COLE SPORTS EDITOR

OCTOBER 18, 2016

HEALTH

Calling for modernity in religion

Concordia student writes letter to archbishop who condemns the use of condoms Global deal reached to limit pollution In an effort to fight climate change, 200 nations agreed to a deal on Oct. 15 to limit the use of greenhouse gasses, according to the Montreal Gazette. The agreement was based around talks about hydrofluorocarbons (HFC’s) which are considered to be the world’s fastest-growing pollutant.

According to the Montreal Gazette, the new agreement is legally binding and puts a cap on the use of HFC’s, beginning in 2019. The countries hope to reduce HFC’s by 80 to 85 per cent by 2047. The Montreal Gazette reported that experts believe that reducing (HFC’s) is the best way to reduce global warming.

Donald Trump claims US election is rigged According to ABC News, Donald Trump claimed on Oct. 15 that the election is being rigged in favour of Hillary Clinton. While in New Hampshire, Trump said that recent sexual assault allegations against him were being spread by the media to help Clinton win the election. Trump also implied that Clinton was on drugs during the last debate on Oct. 9 and that both candidates should undergo a drug test before the next one. ABC News reported that Trump provided no evidence for his claims.

Syrian rebels recapture town of Dabiq from ISIS

Concordia student Jorge Bricenor, an activist fighting against HIV/AIDS, promotes safe sex as a means to prevent infection. However, Bricenor is frustrated with the public condemning of condoms by religious figures, which he sees as a great risk factor to infection.

Recently, Bricenor, who studies sociology and human relations, was angered by the Catholic Archbishop Hector Aguer of La Plata, Argentina— who publicly condemned the use of condoms. Aguer published his opinions in a column, titled “La Fornicación,” in the La Plata daily newspaper, El Día. In his article, Aguer characterized casual sex as animal-like, stating fornication as a sign of dehumanization. He condemned the use of condoms, and made particular references to their use by athletes at the 2016 Olympic games.

The Guardian estimated a use of 42 condoms per athlete during the Rio Olympics. Bricenor said Arguer was furious that the Brazilian government was handing out condoms to athletes upon their arrival in Rio, claiming it was promoting promiscuity. Bricenor added that Aguer

ures preach against homosexuality and condemn the use of birth control, is not limited to South America—it can be seen in our own community.

On Oct. 7, a religious activist was preaching anti-gayness, anti-abortion and anti-sex statements on Concordia’s Sir George Williams campus. He was accompanied by two others who were holding signs depicting acts that will send people to hell, such as homosexuality and premarital sex.

While the preacher chanted about actions he deemed unholy into a microphone, a crowd of Concordia students gathered around him. A few students obtained a megaphone and chanted back “don’t hate, masturbate,” to protest the religious activist’s stance against masturbation.

A crowd of approximately 35 students emerged to watch some Concordia students and the religious activists on campus clashing with one another, as students were not in protest of their religion, but against preaching discrimination toward sexual freedom and homophobia.

Along with continuous chanting, one student began handing out condoms to promote safe sexual freedom.

After just over an hour, the protest diffused and the religious activists left campus.

“Morals are not defined, morals are biased, morals are not inclusive,” said Bricenor. “Therefore, when arguments emerge from religious standpoints, there is conflict and not everyone feels welcome.”

He said radical religious beliefs undermine the ability for followers to think for themselves.

Bricenor said education is essential for knowing how to reduce risk of HIV/AIDS. He drew on two organizations in Montreal that inform people about sexual practices, being REZO-Santé and for Ready for Action. You can visit both of their websites online and find more information regarding safe sex and contact information for more help. ¡¡ Find Jorge Bricenor’s letter to Archbishop Hector Aguer on ou website.

Graphics by Florence Yee.

A group of Syrian rebels supported by Turkey, recaptured the town of Dabiq, Syria from the Islamic State on Oct. 16, according to the Guardian. Dabiq has been an ISIS stronghold since their rise to power. After pressure from the rebel fighters, ISIS members fled from the town.

According to the Guardian, the operation to reclaim Dabiq had been on Turkey’s radar since August. Dabiq is the site where American and British journalists and aid workers were beheaded on film.

SAVANNA CRAIG CO-NEWS EDITOR

thinking,” said Bricenor. This motivated him to write a letter to Aguer, opposing and discussing the flaws in “La Fornication.” He said people who have the privilege to address the crowds do not measure the amount of damage that can be done.

Concordia religion professor Alexander Nachaj said the archbishop's comments towards condemning condoms are not what he would call radical, as he is towing the party line of where the Catholic Church stands on reproductive rights and sexual health—which Nachaj said is outdated and not modern at all.

Nachaj drew on the example in recent Catholic history of the second vatican council, which was a major council in Sociologyand human the 1970s where they tried relations studentJorge to modernize the church.

Br i c e n o r s i t s i n “They essentially had this Concordia’s green- great opportunity to embrace said using condoms is house. Photos by contraceptives and put more Savanna Craig. a promiscuous act. emphasis on women’s health, Bricenor said Aguer’s con- even HIV—but the way the council demnation of condoms is very unfolded, they had all these modern dangerous and can compromise the ideas but reproductive rights and safety of anyone who follows the sexual safety just fell to the wayside.” archbishop’s words. As a sociologist, He although added not a lot Bricenor believes a lot of people end of bishops and archbishops may up following the words of those of comment as Aguer has, this is the who they look up to—whether it’s official stance of the Catholic Church. a religious figure or a politician.

“Just as a human standpoint I think Part-time Concordia faculty it’s a major issue to be discouraging member and religion professor the use of contraceptives” he said.

Steven Lapidus from the Institute “Until the Pope himself changes for Canadian Jewish Studies said things, no Catholic [figure] is religious figures have a direct officially going to be [promoting influence on their followers, and contraceptives],” he said, adding that they can influence societies through many Catholics use contraception the government and educational regardless of the Church’s stance. systems.

However, he said due to it being the He said abstinence has proven official stance this is why we see not to work, those in abstinence practices such as condemning the programs and pledges may still use and distribution of condoms. “It have sex, but are not learning the most likely does lead to the spread proper education to reduce sexually of HIV, unwanted pregnancies and transmitted infections. “Simply other complications.” banishing condoms is never proven Bricenor believes condoms are to be helpful or successful in the one of the great barriers against abstinence program,” said Lapidus. infection. According to Aidsmap, “They’re advocating something if condoms are used 100 per cent that is not working from a medical of the time, with the typical rates standpoint—clearly it’s dangerous.” of slippage and breakage taken Bricenor said, for him, Aguer’s into account, condoms provide column is a matter of life and death. protection against HIV/AIDS up to “I’ve had enough of religious leaders 80 to 85 per cent of the time. who impose on others their ways of Instances where religious fig-

Activist Jaggi Singh (photographed on the right) describes he was protesting against to bigotry of this preachers speech, however not against christians.

OCTOBER 18, 2016

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PROTEST

Montreal demands a $15 minimum wage

Various community and anti-poverty groups rallied together to #FightFor15 NELLY SÉRANDOUR-AMAR CO-NEWS EDITOR On Saturday Oct. 15, more than 1,000 people gathered at Villeray’s Parc le Prevost to rally for a $15 per hour minimum wage in Quebec.

The demonstration united more than 30 different anti-poverty, community and student-run groups, as well as different party leaders from Projet Montreal and Quebec Solidaire.

One of the main campaigns that took part in the rally was 5-10-15. Their goal is to improve working conditions. Five represents having your work schedule at least five days in advance, 10 represents ten days off for illness or family matters and 15 represents a $15 minimum wage per hour.

Virginie Larivière, spokesperson for 5-10-15, said it was clear all the different organizations present needed to come together since they were mainly asking for the same thing—a minimum wage of $15. “It’s a big start today—it’s the first time we are all going out publicly,” she said. Many participants were wearing a 5-10-15 sticker to show their support for the campaign.

“Today, we are marching to demand for a minimum wage of $15 an hour, because we find it unacceptable and inconceivable that in 2016, workers are working full-time and still find themselves below the poverty line,” said Dominique

Daigneault, president of conseil central de Montreal Metropolitain CSN. “It’s a question of respect for those who work daily, to provide them with services and the opportunity to have a decent living.”

Minimum wage in Quebec is currently $10.75 per hour.

Daigneault said the campaign is continuing to move forward due to the increase of groups joining the movement. “We’re joining a vast movement that is taking place all over North America.”

Protesters walked from Le Prevost Park in Villeray to Parc metro station. Valerie Plante, the councillor for Projet Montreal, was impressed with the number of people who showed up. “It’s one of the main steps we need to take to keep going,” she said. “I’m happy to see that in Montreal, and throughout Quebec, we are moving forward to request that everyone gets a fair wage,” she said.

With files from Cristina Sanza

More than 1,000 people attended the demonstration. The demonstration took place at Villeray’s Parc le Prevost. Photos by Nelly Sérandour-Amar.

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life

LIFE EDITOR /// life@theconcordian.com DANIELLE GASHER

MENTAL HEALTH

My experience with mental health

What it's like to deal with depression, binge eating disorder and attention disorders

ELISA BARBIER CONTRIBUTOR I used to try to pinpoint when it all started, but I have come to realize that there is no precise beginning to my experience with mental illness.

In my case, it was just an accumulation of things, like drops that accumulate in a glass until it inevitably overflows.

I grew up in Annecy, France, surrounded by mountains, lakes, nature and caring friends and relatives—a perfect environment.

Everything began crumbling apart when my parents divorced.

I first met with a psychologist when

I was seven, to help me understand and accept my parents’ situation.

My parents eventually remarried, and I ended up moving to Paris with my mother in the eighth grade. That is when I truly started to feel my glass begin to overflow.

I faced rejection. I faced rejection because of my fashion style, because of the place I came from. Most importantly, I faced rejection because I made the mistake of being open about my homosexuality. I dealt with daily looks of disgust.

At the age of 14, I began binge eating.

It started as a nasty habit, and turned into an addiction that I still fight. I would come home, walk straight to the kitchen, sit on

the floor with my bag and jacket still on and stare at the wall as I compulsively stuffed my face with food.

I developed perfectionism and attention problems in high school. School has always been a challenge for me. Seeing my grades drop due to all my emotional struggles only generated more stress linked to failure and limited my attention span even more.

I found myself in a vicious circle. My glass was overflowing. It was too much.

During my last year of high school, I asked my mother to help me find a psychiatrist who could help me, at the very least, with my attention deficit.

The psychiatrist ended up diagnosing me

with depression, and I was prescribed a daily dose of antidepressants.

It was then that my life started to slowly piece itself back together.

After six months, I had stopped taking the medication. The pills helped and I started focusing on the things I loved in my life again. I started feeling better.

During my healing process, I talked to friends who could relate and help, or at least listen. I eliminated toxic relationships from my life. I focused on doing things I truly loved. I did photography and drawing.

I watched anime. I skateboarded and baked.

Over time, focusing on my hobbies and passions made me feel better.

These were all things I had left behind during my dark time. It took me time to realize that these things were what I was missing to help myself heal.

Most of all, I wouldn’t have gotten better without working on self-love. It took baby steps to gain back my confidence but every day, no matter how hard, I would tell myself that I should love myself for who I am.

I still have downs, and I have accepted that I always will. I don’t believe there are any immediate or magical solutions to mental illness. It was little and then progressively bigger steps that helped me towards remission. That’s what it takes.

Open up to someone, surround yourself with the people who love you, do what you enjoy and work on being healthy.

Graphic by Florence Yee.

COLUMN

Exploring the healthy side with Fardad Debunking stress eating: Tis’ the season of midterms and takeout FARDAD JABBARY CONTRIBUTOR Midterm season is officially here, and stress is creeping up on many students.

Although people respond to stressful situations differently, a lot of us have a common struggle: stress eating.

Emotional eating can happen for a variety of reasons, but this week we will specifically analyze stress as a cause.

When your body is put under prolonged stress, a multitude of physiological changes happen, namely, your body releases a hormone called cortisol.

Cortisol plays a key role in human survival—think about it from an evolutionary standpoint. Your body registers stress as a “fight or flight” situation. When your body thinks it’s in a life or death situation, it “panics” and urges you to consume calories for strength and survival, when really, all you need is a deep breath.

Needless to say, exam period is a stressful time. Seeking refuge in the glory of pizza or greasy fries when the workload gets overwhelming is something a lot of us can relate to.

While this may provide momentarily relief—due to the release of other hormones like dopamine—the underlying cause of your stress still remains.

Additionally, feelings of guilt about eating too much may enter into the equation and end up adding to your initial stress.

But how can you tell the difference between being actually hungry or just feeling stressed?

There are a few telltale signs. Here are the most important ones: We usually turn to comfort foods or unhealthy foods when we are stressed.

Let’s just say cauliflower and broccoli aren’t the food of choice when cramming for an exam.

According to Harvard Health, consuming comfort food triggers two changes in the brain. First, it stimulates the reward centre of the brain by releasing feel-good hormones. Second, it has been shown to temporarily counter the effects of the stress-producing and processing hormones.

So not only does comfort food provide a “happy fix,” but it also temporarily takes the stress away.

According to American pediatrics

doctor Dr. Mary Gavin, and many other experts, contrar y to stress cravings, physical hunger isn’t instant. It takes time for the digestive system to process food.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, when you feel physiological hunger, it’s due to the gradual release of the hunger hormone, ghrelin. Ghrelin itself is released over time, thanks to “feedback” provided by sensory nerve endings in the digestive tract, including the intestine and colon.

So if you suddenly have a “need” for a bag of chips, take a second to reflect on how stressed you are in that moment.

You might just need to relax and take a deep breath.

Here are a few things you can do to help combat stress eating during exam time: .

G et moving . Exercise releases endorphins so hop to it. Physical activity also releases those feel-good hormones and it gets fresh blood flowing to the brain, making you feel more awake.

Drink a lot of water, regularly. Dehydration oftentimes manifests as hunger. Staying hydrated helps keep your body healthy

and your brain active.

Call a loved one or a friend—but make sure you don’t end up talking about studying or exams. The aim here is to take your mind off all the stress by hearing a familiar voice and maybe cracking a joke or two.

Tell the person in advance that you don’t want to be talking about school.

Fardad is a science student here at Concordia. He wants to share his research and learning about the science field with the Concordia community.

Graphic by Thom Bell.

OCTOBER 18, 2016

theconcordian

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FINANCE

Euros, Dollars, Pounds...what about Bitcoins?

A controversial digital currency leaves some users and experts optimistic and others skeptical LÉANDRE LAROUCHE CONTRIBUTOR When digging into popular Canadian newspaper archives, searching for the keyword "Bitcoin" might bring up a scar y overload of information on cyber-attacks and ransom payments.

Right about now, though, you might also be asking yourself, what in the world is a Bitcoin?

Created in 2009 by a developer who goes by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto, Bitcoin is an international digital currency.

It started as an open, non-profit system.

Today, it is most often associated with its affiliation to the black market, and how well it serves criminals.

It is virtually impossible for one person or one organization to control Bitcoin, according to Erik Voorhees, CEO of ShapeShift—a service that allows people to exchange money in different digital currencies. The Bitcoin system is different from all other government-issued currencies.

Montreal is home to the Bitcoin Embassy, an office where developers and entrepreneurs seek to educate the public about Bitcoin—a payment system that is both a bank and a currency.

Located on St-Laurent Boulevard, the embassy is open to the general public.

Employees provide consultations and written resources from leading experts to help any interested civilian, or business leader understand what Bitcoin is and what it can do for them.

Bitcoin bypasses banks and government authority, said Voorhes. Transferring money with Bitcoin worldwide is free, no questions asked. The currency is stored in a digital wallet—basically a smartphone or a computer. From there, the currency can also be printed out.

Only the account owner has access to the information contained in the “wallet.”

A Bitcoin transaction is done by sending the payment to the address generated by the user’s Bitcoin wallet.

Canadians can buy Bitcoin from online sellers like Coinbase, or from one of the 117 Bitcoin ATMs across the country. One of them is located at Montreal's Bitcoin Embassy.

The list of corporations accepting Bitcoin payments is getting longer. For instance, you can add money to your Microsoft account with this currency.

Students at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia can use Bitcoin to pay for their textbooks. It is also possible to pay your bills with Bitcoin using Bylls.com, a payment service firm that “was incubated at the Bitcoin Embassy,” wrote Danny Bradbury in an article for the specialized website CoinDesk.

“Bitcoins are created by the network itself, over time,” said Voorhees. The process is called mining, and it consists of resolving mathematical equations with sophisticated and powerful computers. The mining process is about creating a kind of track record for all Bitcoin transactions that have been made. This process exists to prevent people from re-spending their Bitcoin. This mining process is available to anyone who has the appropriate computer software.

Bitcoin is a self-sufficient and self-regulating system—it creates a certain amount of bitcoins every ten minutes—this number is subject to inflation—and this amount is distributed among miners who have solved the equations.

According to yBitcoin Magazine, for the next four years, 12.5 bitcoins will enter the system every ten minutes. Voorhees wrote in yBitcoin that, as of October 2015, approximately 14 million bitcoins had been created, and that the system is capped at 21 million.

Chief architect for Bitcoin Store, David Perry, wrote in yBitcoin that Bitcoin is "a simple, elegant and modern replacement for the entire concept of money."

"The effect will be to remove much of the current bureaucracy and barriers to entry, presenting a huge opportunity for the world's 2.5 billion unbanked people," said Tuur Demeester, an investor, analyst and expert on Bitcoin and blockchain technology, in the same publication.

Bitcoin is a decentralized system which can be used by anyone who has access to Internet. "It means a citizen of a tyrannical nation can hide his financial assets from seizure," said Voorhees. "It means the wealthiest and the poorest of the world now have the same authority over their money."

Bitcoin could undermine the current economic system, to some degree, if it started being used by the masses around the world. "It democratizes finance just as the Internet democratized speech," said Voorhees.

While some experts like Demeester thinks Bitcoin belongs in everyone’s wallet because of its economic potential, others, like Voorhees, are most concerned with the fact that “private property can now truly be controlled by the owner.”

The embassy provides consulting services and information on Bitcoin for any interested passersby or business owners.

Photos by Danielle Gasher.

arts

ARTS EDITOR /// arts@theconcordian.com JESSICA KINNARI & TIFFANY LAFLEUR

DANCE

Alumni bring a dance show to Montreal

David Albert-Toth and Emily Gualtieri are dancing their way across the city with their show La Chute

Parts and Labour_Danse’ show La Chute is currently on tour around Montreal. Photo by David Vilder.

JESSICA KINNARI CO-ARTS EDITOR Dance, like any art, is constantly evolving, and that’s a driving force for Concordia alumni David Albert-Toth and Emily Gualtieri. Their award-winning show La Chute is currently touring Montreal and being performed at various Maison de la Culture venues until Oct 28.

La Chute’s creation began back in 2009, and Gualtieri said its purpose “has complexified over time.” The show draws inspiration from various sources, like Eugene Ionesco’s play Rhinoceros, as well as a person’s journey through life. “We knew early on that the [character] was not English, and from

another time,” said Gualtieri.

“We really wanted to play with ideas of life and identity. Your sense of identity— sometimes in life you’re so sure about it, and then suddenly you’re not. And we wanted to play with it all in one piece, in a non-obvious way,” she said. The character navigates through various stages and emotions, changing abruptly from innocence to anger to fear and vulnerability, all the while on the verge of insanity trying to define his identity.

This character who the audience watches struggle through different emotions and stages has been seven years in the making.

Albert-Toth and Gualtieri have been working on La Chute in installments since 2009, and

what audiences see today is very different from the original version. “This is version two that you are seeing,” said Albert-Toth.

The original piece was expanded on after being part of a mentorship program with Canadian choreographer Melanie Demers, who helped morph it into this new show. “We are always thinking about how can we update [the show], and it’s always evolving,” said Gualtieri. “But sometimes you have to go back to that original idea and remember what the idea is,” she added.

While going back and expanding upon the themes of older shows is something that Albert-Toth and Gualtieri are always doing, they also are always creating new things.

They said they are most excited about their

new shows that are coming out very soon.

“There’s always a desire to reuse old ideas that you’re not quite done with yet, kind of like re-listening to old albums,” said Gualtieri.

“I agree,” added Albert-Toth. “It’s like I want to re-watch Seinfeld but I also really want to finish Stranger Things because I’ve only got one episode left.”

The pair recently performed at Concordia’s Studio 7 event, and they said being back at Concordia felt a little bit weird. “Being in an institution again was a little bit jarring,” said Gualtieri. However, they believe it is important for both students and alumni to show each other their work.

“We’re all creating and all learning, and it’s important to remember what it’s like to be there,” Gualtieri said. “I want to be more involved with having a discussion [with current students].”

Albert-Toth and Gualtieri officially formed their company Parts+Labour_Danse back in 2011, and since then, their choreography has gained recognition within the Canadian dance community. La Chute won the Audience Choice Award at Toronto’s dance: made in canada festival in 2015, and the duo also won awards for another one of their shows, In Mixed Company.

Visit their website at www.partsandlabourdanse.com for the various dates and locations of their upcoming performances.

All performances presented with the Maisons de la Culture are free.

FILM

Festival du nouveau cinéma highlights

Here’s a look at a few of the festival’s films that have stood out so far for their remarkable storytelling

ELIJAH BUKREEV STAFF WRITER In this second week of the Festival du nouveau cinéma, let’s take a look back at some of the best films screened so far— some of these will be screened again, and all are expected to play in theatres.

The Student, a Russian film based on a German play, takes a look at religion and atheism in Russia.

Aquarius

The Student

American Honey

Neruda

Controversial in Brazil, its country of origin, for political reasons that have more to do with the filmmakers than with the film itself, this is a sensitive character study elevated by a career-defining role for aging legend Sonia Braga. A woman refuses to give up her apartment when the building is being bought up by a conglomerate that plans to destroy it. She hangs on to the apartment as a piece of the disappearing world she was once a part of. She knows she will die, and she knows the building will eventually be gone, but she will not allow it to happen on her watch. The accumulation of subtle details and elements of the woman’s life creates a portrait that conjures up feeling and respect for her.

This is a rare and important look at religion in Russia—a once atheist country that is no longer averse to embracing fundamentalism when it suits a political purpose. It's odd to realize the film is based on a German play, when everything in it feels topical and adapted to the reality it depicts. A high school student suddenly becomes a Christian fanatic, interpreting the Bible as a call to arms in this tense and staggering story. If the film is somewhat didactic in its approach, it feels not preachy, but well-measured—in fact, much of the dialogue is lifted straight from the Bible—with the sources, such as book and chapter numbers appearing on the screen. The structure seems to reference the great anticlerical texts of the Age of Enlightenment.

Undoubtedly one of the best films of the year, American Honey is the worthy winner of the Jury Prize at Cannes—the third such win for English director Andrea Arnold. It is a wild and memorable alcohol-fueled road trip through an invisible America, one of social outcasts and abandoned youth. Don’t let the 162-minute running time scare you away. For its startling authenticity and social realism, it demands comparison to the Dardenne Brothers’ best work. While it presents characters and situations that often feel all but hopeless, it never loses sight of the light at the end of the tunnel—one that is sometimes just a flicker, but can grow into a camp fire. This film should end the debate on whether or not Shia Laboeuf can act. Spoiler alert: he can.

Nowhere near an ordinary biopic—or even, perhaps, an ordinary film—this is a fittingly poetic exploration of Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda’s persona and art, depicting an episode of Chilean history through playful, contemplative experimentation with form and content. Luis Gnecco, as Neruda, on the run when Chile outlaws the Communist Party to which he belongs, and Gael García Bernal, as the inspector on his trail, are exquisite in ways that transcend the conventional cat-and-mouse relationship you would expect. The unnatural colours and dreamlike editing create a distinct environment in which truth and fiction overlap in tribute to a larger-than-life character.

OCTOBER 18, 2016

theconcordian

9

EXHIBITION

A night at the museum, Montreal-style

With DJs, funky lights and catering, Chiaroscuro completely changed the mood and tone of the MMFA

TIFFANY LAFLEUR CO-ARTS EDITOR Typically, you don’t get to admire contemporary artwork while nibbling on a macaron and sipping a specially-made cocktail. But at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) latest series of events, that’s exactly what you get to do.

On Friday, Oct. 14, the MMFA underwent a drastic transformation from 7 p.m. until midnight for its first Chiaroscuro night. A cultural event designed to attract a younger art-loving audience, the event allowed new and seasoned art enthusiasts to enjoy the museum and its exhibitions, literally in a new light.

Chiaroscuro is a 17th century Italian art term used to describe the play of shadow and light in paintings or drawings. This term perfectly summed up the décor at the museum, as green and blue lights bathed museum attendees in their glow, totally changing the look of the modern architecture of the space. Designed for an 18 to 30-year-old crowd, the event’s aim was to provide a new type of experience in the familiar setting of the museum.

The event, which took place on three floors of the museum, completely altered the feel and mood of the space for the evening. This isn’t the kind of artistic or cultural event that you come to stroking your chin, trying to find the message in the medium. Rather, it’s the kind of event where you gather your friends and head to the museum for a unique experience, which includes music as well as food and specialty drinks.

With different types of catering available, visitors had the choice between popcorn, cake pops, poutine and macarons. Each floor also had a bar, serving three specialty drinks crafted for the evening. The cocktails, mixed by Monsieur Cocktail, a Montreal-based team of mixologists, were inspired by the theme of Chiaroscuro and coyly named the drinks after artists or artworks, like the Shadow of Rodin and the Reflection of the Thinker.

Along with the sumptuous food, there were many musical elements as well. Two DJs spent the evening spinning tunes, giving the museum a lounge-type feel where everyone could mix and mingle between visiting exhibitions.

In addition to the DJs, there were a few other unique musical elements to the soirée. An opera singer drew a large crowd

near the stairs of the second floor with her powerful and eloquent performance, as she sang along with the DJs tunes. This demonstration from the Atelier lyrique of the Montreal Opera, an artist-in-residence program for Canadian opera singers and pianist-vocal coaches, is just one example of how Chiaroscuro night offered attendees a completely different experience from a typical museum visit.

As if the music, lighting, food and cocktails weren’t enough to entertain, there were also a few smaller events taking place during the main event.

On the third floor, the mapping collective MAPP MTL projected their work on a wall.

Attendees were invited to sit or lie down on the floor to better see the projection of lines and dots intersecting and chasing each other. The hypnotic work, projected in a dark room, pulled you in with its calming, yet engaging movements across the wall.

Also on the third floor was a painting activity, where attendees were invited to use fluorescent paint in a room lit only by a black light. These paintings were then assembled into a mural containing the works of everyone who participated.

Overall, the strength of the event was in remapping and altering the mood and feel of a museum that most Montrealers are familiar with. These changes let seasoned museum-goers interact in a new way in a familiar space, while giving enough sensory stimulation to those who don't really consider themselves the museum type.

For those intrigued by cultural events, or even the concept of a cultural event, Chiaroscuro is a must-see. With two more such events planned in the coming year, it

will be interesting to see how the MMFA makes each event stand out in its own unique way. It would be fascinating , in future events, for the museum to fully embrace the chiaroscuro spirit and play with light and sound in the galleries themselves, thus offering attendees not only a different feel to the museum, but a new perspective to artwork they might be familiar with as well.

The dates for the following two events have not yet been released, but keep checking their website for more information at www.mbam.qc.ca.

MAPP MTL used one of the rooms to project their artwork on the wall, while viewers sat on the ground to admire the work. Photos by Tiffany Lafleur.

10 theconcordian

OCTOBER 18, 2016

PHOTOGRAPHY

Women photographers at MMFA

SHE Photographs looks at women through cameras wielded by female photographers GABRIELLE VENDETTE CONTRIBUTOR The first thing you notice when you walk through the SHE Photographs exhibition is the variety of subjects and photographic techniques presented. Everything from still-life photography, to self-portraiture to collage is featured. There are black and white photos and colour ones, lone photographs the size of a wall and some that come in a series, and yet, they all convey a sense of unity.

Each picture addresses a different aspect of being a woman in today’s contemporary society. They grapple with themes such as solitude, old age, relationships and love. The visitor gets snapshots of the artists’ lives and points of view through the photographs, and this creates a very intimate link between the audience and the artists.

Diane Charbonneau is the curator of Modern and Contemporary Decorative Arts at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA).

She said she believes it is important to have an exhibition that focuses solely on work done by women because it allows us to interact more with the feminine perspective. She said it is essential to look at the subjects women address in photography.

As curator for this exhibition, she went through more than 500 pieces and picked ones that present a vast realm of subjects.

According to Charbonneau, she was inspired by all the different themes that women address in their photographs and wanted to showcase a wide variety of photos.

The exhibition features many artists from Canada, mainly Montreal, and abroad. One

This photo of Mrs. Thérèse MacGuire by Claire Beaugrand-Champagne is part of her series “Old People,” and is featured in the SHE Photographs exhibition. Photo by Claire Beaugrand-Champagne.

artist on display is Geneviève Cadieux, an associate professor of photography at Concordia.

Cadieux has been featured in multiple national and international exhibitions. In 2011, she was the recipient of the Governor General’s Award for Visual and Media Arts. Fascinated by the human body, it is the central subject in much of her work. According to her website, she enjoys focusing on very small details and expanding them into larger elements.

Claire Beaugrand-Champagne is another veteran photographer. Her occupation has taken her to many places around the world, including Italy and Thailand. Beaugrand-Champagne said she uses photography as a way to talk about social issues. In this exhibition, a few pieces from her photography series “Old People” and “Women from Montreal” are on display.

Beaugrand is currently working on a project called “Montrealers,” where she goes to people’s houses and photographs them in their environment. She said she believes where a person lives says a lot about who they are.

Everyone takes pictures these days, Charbonneau said, but this exhibition is a chance for us to take a step back and look at the perspective these women offer us. She said photography is so relatable because we recognize ourselves in each shot.

SHE Photographs runs until Feb. 19 at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

OPINION

Live action films: Worse than you imagined

A study on the reasons Disney is remaking its beloved animated movies ROMINA FLORENCIA ARRIETA STAFF WRITER If you’ve been following entertainment news recently, you might have heard Disney is planning on releasing live-action retellings of its classic animated movies.

The first film in this genre was Alice in Wonderland, a 2010 remake which grossed over $1 billion worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. Although the Jungle Book exceeded thestudio's forecasted expectations, the recent onslaught of adaptations announced within the last week has left some people dumbfounded.

There are now 12 live-action Disney films in the works, including some childhood favorites like Aladdin and The Little Mermaid. Even a Chip ‘n’ Dale adaptation was announced earlier this month, according to mashable.com. In my opinion, these remakes are a ridiculous idea with the sole purpose of increasing the production company's bottom line. Why is Disney rushing out all of these remakes instead of developing new ideas?

For starters, according to Business Insider, Disney is a risk-averse company, and every time they take a chance with a challenging project, they fail miserably.

For example, their attempt at entering the video game business—which, according to the same source, resulted in hundreds of jobs lost and the closing of six video game studios. According to Forbes, movies like Mars Needs Moms and John Carter lost the company upwards of $500 million. It is becoming incredibly difficult to attract audiences with new ideas in a world filled with derivative works, or works based on something that already exists, like a book.

Moviegoers want to go see a film they know they are going to enjoy, not risk spending two hours grinding their teeth, Business Insider states.

It is also important to mention that Disney, like any other company, has to have a constant stream of output. The many animators hired by the company can't remain idle—it would bankrupt the studio.

Hence, any project, no matter how absurd, might start production if the executive team believes in its money-making power, as said in the book Creativity Inc ., by Pixar president Edwin Catmull and Amy Wallace.

According to the same book, by adapting their previous works, Disney believes they will attract millennials who have been increasingly avoiding movie theaters.

According to an article in The Atlantic, people

between the ages of 15 and 30 grew up watching The Lion King on VHS and will go see its adaptation regardless of its quality.

This is worrisome as the increase in ticket sales might cause Disney to believe that they no longer need to come up with new ideas—they can just continue to allow one remake after another.

This is not the first time Disney has opted to recycle stories rather than develop something new. The studio has been releasing sequels to their animated films since the late 90s and early 2000s,

from Cinderella 3 to Aladdin: The Return of Jafar . At least the company had the decency to release those films straight to video instead of giving them worldwide theatrical releases.

According to Catherine Russell, chair of Concordia’s Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema, filmmaking is constantly evolving.

Due to its constant transformation, the movie industry should be dominated by adventurous producers, not money-hungry executives.

Graphic by Florence Yee.

OCTOBER 18, 2016

theconcordian

11

FILM

Stigmas tackled on the silver screen

The Au Contraire Film Festival aims to change negative representations of mental illness

In Good Words, a film by a former Concordia student, a smooth interview suddenly goes awry when the question of mental health arises.

TIFFANY LAFLEUR CO-ARTS EDITOR In film, mental illness has often been used as a scapegoat, or as an excuse for a character to act a certain way.

T here is a predict able pat ter n that emerges—characters living with mental illness are often isolated, dangerous or unpredictable. They are dependent on caregivers. These characters find themselves being defined by their illnesses and are at the mercy of their symptoms.

This is especially true in the horror genre, where many “evil” or “bad” characters are crazed, deranged, or on the run from a psychiatric hospital.

The Au Contraire Film Festival, a film festival focusing on the theme of mental illness, seeks to change this negative representation of mental illness by challenging the usual narratives surrounding mental illness. From Oct. 25 to 28, over 20

works by filmmakers around the world will be presented at the fourth edition of the festival, which will take place at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

Each film defies the conventional understanding and representation of mental illness and instead offers edgy alternatives. Each work destroys stigmas of mental illness by reclaiming what it means to either be living with mental illness or know someone who is.

Philip Silverberg, the festival’s founder, thinks there are a few gems worth noting in the program. “Our free Youth Awareness Matinée for senior high school students is always a much awaited event, and this year we are featuring an interactive assembly, using short films, to combat stigma,” said Silverberg. “We are also excited by a new program called Animated Minds that features short films that, in some manner, involve animation in the production.”

The festival will open with a monologue by internationally-renowned comedian Christophe Davidson. Drawing on his own experiences with mental illness for the first time on a public platform, Davidson will talk openly about his own struggles, while incorporating a comedic element.

Silverberg considers this comedy routine, followed by the screening of a Patient’s Rites, to be one of the most powerful parts of the festival’s programming. Patient’s Rites is a musical documentary, and tells the story of a patient who spent nearly two decades in a psychiatric hospital after descending into psychosis.

This year, the festival will also feature a short film by a former Concordia student. Robby Reis, a Montreal-based filmmaker and founder of the Montreal film production company Natali Film, graduated with a bachelor of fine arts in film production from Concordia’s Mel

Hoppenheim School of Cinema. Good Words , directed by Reis, is a short film that looks at what happens when the subject of mental health comes up in a job interview. The short film will be screened on Thursday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m.

Since the festival’s inception, Silverberg has noticed a shift in how mental illness is portrayed. “At the local media level, there are increasingly more human interest stories that touch on the positive achievements of those who have mental illness. Although sensational headlines involving fanatic behaviour spike the stigma, on the whole there is a definite trend of acceptance,” Silverberg said.

The festival opens on Tuesday, Oct. 25 with Davidson’s monologue. Tickets for screenings are $10 and can be bought on the festival’s website. Tickets for the opening and closing ceremony days are also available online, although the prices differ.

THEATRE

Battered: Jealousy, love and redemption

In this new play by Arthur Holden, characters both suffer from and enact violence PAULINE NESBITT CONTRIBUTOR Battered, a play focusing on the acts of aggression that occur when jealousy seeps into a relationship, opens Oct. 18.

I sat down with Arthur Holden, playwright, and Diana Fajrajsl, director, to discuss how it came together.

Battered, a play focusing on this type of aggression, opens Tuesday, and I sat down with Arthur Holden, playwright, and Diana Fajrajsl, director, to discuss how it came together.

This two-act play revolves around two couples. In the opening scene, Bobby Lyons (Brett Watson) and his girlfriend Filo (Gitanjali Jain) are angry at each other and it is soon revealed that Filo’s broken arm was an undesired consequence of their latest confrontation. A judge orders Lyons to get anger management counseling, and he starts his treatment with Eleanor (Susan Glover), a psychiatrist. However, Eleanor is also facing issues with her lover, Frederick (Shawn Campbell). Throughout the play, Holden said, everyone commits acts of violence but are also its victims. In spite of this, hints of redemption as the play’s central theme are detectable.

Holden said the play’s title represents the various ways in which people commit acts of aggression against each other. “There are times when we do things physically to each other that we shouldn’t do, never intending to cause damage,” he said. According to Holden, aggression can manifest itself emotionally or psychologically, sometimes deliberately or accidentally, even by simple gestures. “People can [also] say things to one another that leave no physical scars, but that change relationships and personalities forever,” he said.

At first glance, it would appear the story is sourced from the ongoing social discourse about violence against women, particularly those that occur in romantic relationships and marriages. However, Holden revealed that the play started out with basing two characters off of his friends, who are actors.

Then, he came up with scenes that captured their performance styles. Holden explained as the play developed, he decided to add another couple and, again, these characters were based on people he knew. “I was really writing for people, rather than about an issue and, as I wrote, I realized that I had a subject that I liked—guilt and violence are things that matter to me.”

According to Holden, Battered does not

seek to deliver a message on violence. “Along the way, I realized that I was writing about something that has political significance—most stories do ultimately … but I like plays that raise questions more than provide answers.”

Fajrajsl said since this is a newly-released play, it was important for her, as the director, to be as mindful and faithful to the author as possible, and not give the audience a sort of pre-digested meal. She said in preparation for this directing role, she read On Aggression

by Konrad Lorenz to help enhance her understanding of the difference between the

emotionally-charged forms of aggression that humans display, and the instinctual aggression that manifests in animals. “The actors I am pretty much leaving alone since they actually know more about their characters than I do because they did about three workshops of the play,” said Fajrajsl. Battered was part of Infinitheatre’s 2014 Pipeline series, where the public was invited to offer feedback on the play. öö Battered opens on Tuesday Oct. 18 and runs until Nov. 6 at the Rialto Infinite Studio, 5711 ave. du Parc.

Student tickets are $20.

Shawn Campbell, Susan Glover, Gitanjali Jain, and Brett Watson star in this play.

music

Quickspins

MUSIC EDITOR /// music@theconcordian.com SANDRA HERCEGOVÁ

1

RECOMMENDATIONS

60s rock songs that changed it all An introduction to rock and roll’s most remarkable hits EMILY VIDAL ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR The late 60s to early 70s marked the best and most formative years of rock and roll. Some rock groups created their own unique sound that would influence new styles of rock music, including progressive rock, psychedelic rock, punk rock and heavy rock. Here are some of the songs that, not only changed the very face of rock, but inspired a whole new generation of music.

Procol Harum: “A Whiter Shade of Pale” (1967) This deep and powerful song was not only a precursor to many styles of rock music, but it had an enormous impact on many rock musicians. The sound of the organ takes you on a journey through time, in a majestic and other-worldly way. The song incorporates classical music and rock, making it a precursor to symphonic rock and, by extension, progressive rock. People who have analyzed the song over many years notice the band took many of their influences from the classical pianist Johann Sebastian Bach, according to Billboard magazine. This track also has psychedelic rock elements—music that mimics the mind-altering experiences of being on psychedelic drugs. The descending bassline sounds both classical and ceremonial, while also giving the impression of timelessness.

There are other psychedelic aspects layered throughout the song, such as the distorted, almost backwards-sounding guitar. The song has garnered an enormous amount of success, in fact, according to Rolling Stone Magazine, the song has sold 10 million copies worldwide. This song was also inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.

The Rolling Stones: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (1965) This song not only launched the Stones’ career, but it hit a raw musical nerve.

People were immediately drawn by the band’s rebellious opinions about society and sexuality, which is revealed through both their lyrics and their strong instrumentals. The song’s lyrics clearly express the annoyance of constant advertisements and incessant consumerism. The song also talks about their frustration with the female sex and a woman’s inability to be satisfied sexually, which did garner some controversy at the time. While they definitely had bold, in-your-face lyrics, The Stones’ music told powerful stories.

The very first note of the song is the devil’s interval, otherwise known as the augmented fourth, which quickly gives a distinct sense of tension and anger. The distorted guitar sounds, done through a Gibson fuzzbox, only furthers this feeling of dissatisfaction and aggravation with the world. The title, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” rebels in its rejection of proper grammar. Needless to say, the song opened up a whole new world of rock music, paving the way for musicians to be more colourful and expressive in both their lyrics and their instrumentals.

Rolling Stone Magazine placed this song second on its “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list. This song, however, only marked the beginning of what was to come for the band, as they went on to be one of the greatest rock and roll groups of all time.

The Kinks: “You Really Got Me” (1964) This song showed The Kinks’ ability to create a unique sound that was way ahead of their time. The guitar solo was a precursor for heavy metal. The use of power chords heavily influenced future rock players in the realms of heavy metal and punk rock.

The popular American rock band Van Halen even covered this song in 1978. Brothers Ray Davies and Dave Davies were the very heart and soul of The Kinks, and the combination of their talents made the band a huge success for many decades following this release. The younger brother, Dave, was an extraordinary guitar player, and Ray, on the other hand, was one of the greatest songwriters in rock and roll, with hundreds of songs under his belt, such as “Come Dancing,” “Lola” and ‘Waterloo Sunset.” “You Really Got Me” was the British rock band’s breakthrough hit, establishing them as one of the top British Invasion acts in the United States. It was also a number one hit on the UK’s singles chart when it was released in 1964. After decades of success, the band was finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

VAN MORRISON

Keep Me singing (Caroline Records, 2016) Who hasn’t danced with a huge smile on their face to Morrison’s 1967 classic hit “Brown Eyed Girl”? Morrison’s new album, Keep Me Singing, includes some compelling songs. It remained relatively true to the distinct sound we know and love from this artist, however, it was presented in a disappointing way. Although the renowned Irish musician is known for his upbeat and ballad tunes, this album’s sound feels forced and has inauthentic joviality. Morrison, now 71-years-old, is starting to sound his age. Throughout the album, the singer’s voice sounds pushed to its limits and tired. The tiredness of his voice awkwardly clashes with the upbeat swinging rock ballads that seemingly seek to replicate what the folk-rock genre was doing in the 60s.

Although Morrison introduces some original elements with interesting hints of jazz in his songs “Every Time I See a River” and “Look Behind the Hill,” overall, the album was disappointing musically.

11 Trial track: “Look Behind the Hill”

5/10

—Danielle Gasher Life Editor

TOR MILLER

American English (Glassnote Records, 2016)

The Beatles: “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (1967) The Beatles must be included in the list of most influential rock songs of all time. Around 1967, the band decided to take a break from touring and playing their music live. Paul McCartney came up with the idea of creating an entire album that sounds as though they are playing in front of a live audience, and it opened up a whole new door for the band.

By moving away from the constraints of their well-known and established band, this also gave The Beatles all the creative freedom in the world to explore their musical identity and their sound. This kind of creative spunk is what is most inspiring about both the song and the album. The album won four Grammys in 1968 and Album of the Year, the first rock LP to receive this award.

2

Tor Miller’s fan base may not be vast, but with the release of his debut LP American English, he is likely to gain a whole new audience. The 13-track album features only two songs from his debut EP Headlights (2015)—the title track and “Midnight”—providing old and new fans with plenty of new material to take in.

While most of the songs on the album err on the side of pop rather than the piano-driven ballads he is becoming known for, Miller manages to incorporate the right amount of soul in his instrumentals and earnest lyrics. He has successfully distanced himself from the boy bands of his generation, putting himself in a category all on its own. His adoration of New York City shines through in songs like “Washington Square Park,” “Rag N Bone” and “Chelsea,” making American English a love letter to the city he was born and raised in.

11 Trial track: “All Fall Down”

7.5/10

— Alexandra Colatosti, Online Editor

theconcordian

OCTOBER 18, 2016

13

RECOMMENDATIONS

How to record your band’s first EP

3

A 12-step guideline for those entering the recording world

AGAINST ME!

Shape Shift With Me (Total Treble Music, 2016) Against Me!’s most recent studio album, Shape Shift With Me, is a true-to-form, punk rock album. The loud drums, screaming vocals, and crazy guitars really take the listener back to pre-New Wave Against Me! with its quality instrumentation. However, the album lacks some of the lyrical depth present in their earlier works. Songs like “White People for Peace” and “High Pressure Low,” focused on politics and was featured on their earlier albums. Those songs along with their most recent album, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, were far more lyrically interesting than the songs on Shape Shift With Me. Most songs on this album focus on the singer’s disdain for the past, the loss of old love, or budding new ones.

And while the songs are still very entertaining, like “Rebecca,” which still has that raw, vocal anger fans have come to expect from Laura Jane Grace, the songs seem to lack a level of depth and “punkness” due to their subject matter.

DAVE TONE CONTRIBUTOR

11 Trial Track: “Rebecca”

5/10

— Katerina Gang, Copy Editor

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1

Mad love.

(Atlantic Records, 2016) Jojo’s first studio album in 10 years, Mad Love., is an upbeat, empowering record with touching moments scattered throughout. The album opens with the heartfelt piano ballad “Music.,” where Jojo sings about her late father. As she reaches for the higher notes, you can hear the strain in her voice, which makes the track all the more raw and emotional.

There onwards, the album is mostly a mix of club anthems and R&B tunes that dive into lyrical themes such as empowerment and doing your own thing. Many feature dance rhythms and beat drops that are typical, along with overproduced vocals.

“FAB.” is arguably the most unique up-tempo track—it features rapper Remy Ma. Standing for “Fake Ass Bitches,” the song is packed with solid vocal runs and punchy lyrics. Overall, there isn’t enough depth to this record, but as Jojo concludes, from here on out, she’s going to “Rise Up.” 11 Trial Track: “FAB.”

Editor-in-Chief

Write lots of songs

.

Get into the habit of writing everyday. Even though most of your songs will get tossed, you’ll come across a few gems worth working on.

Play those songs to your band, entourage or the public as a busker. See what the reaction is.

JOJO

5.5/10

If you’re a musician looking to record your first EP album, here is some advice that could benefit you. I’ve been there and have made many mistakes that I want to share so you can avoid making them yourself. This is a general guide aimed at those who are entering the recording world.

— Cristina Sanza,

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Write a band agreement.

The agreement will ensure everyone is on the same page before you spend any time or money on the project. Make sure these elements are crystal clear with all parties before moving forward: who wrote the song and who owns the copyright to it, who owns the copyright to the sound recordings, who will pay for the recordings, mixing and mastering, what the credits will read on the website and physical albums, and the division of royalties.

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. Practice, practice, practice It’s cliché because it’s true.

Your band needs to be confident enough with the songs you want to record for your EP. Make sure everyone knows exactly what their parts are. Arrange the songs so there’s a change in dynamics, and don’t overplay. I sang, played guitar, bass and synth on my band’s first EP, and it was a bit messy because I was riffing too much on each instrument. Let each instrument take turns in the lead and rhythm parts. . Setting up for recording Figure out which electronic device or recording software

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you will use to record. I recommend “Reaper” software. Once you’re recording, every signal coming into your computer should not be over -9 decibels. Anything louder than that can cause clipping. Make sure to have a metronome set for each song, to ensure a professional sound recording.

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Recording instruments

For drums, I suggest going to a studio and having a professional help with this—it will make an enormous difference on the overall sound of the recording. Drums are the most technically challenging instrument to record. For bass, having fresh strings are a must. A real amp is preferable over a simulation. Use a compressor placed between the guitar or bass and amp to get a constant signal level. For synthesizers, use a compressor placed between the synth and the audio recording interface.

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Recording vocals

Rent a few mics to see which one suits the singer’s voice best.

Next, put together a vocal booth, either by building one or using mattresses/moving blankets or duvets. You don’t want to hear any of the room’s reverberation in the mic. Have three sides that block the outside sound and sing towards the open area. Suppress the sound area above you, as sound will bounce off the ceiling.Use a pop filter and place yourself about a foot away from the mic.

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Comping

Record four takes of each instrument and even more for vocals. Comping means using the best of each take to create the best version of the song. Isolate each individual instrument and play it with the metronome. Listen to the track in eight bar sections and use the take most closely played to the metronome. For vocals, you want to listen to the vocal track much louder than the other instruments. What you’re listening for is the right pitch and

emotional delivery.

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Mixing and mastering

I highly recommend finding professional engineers to mix and master your EP for you. Be ready to spend between $600 and $1500 on mixing and make sure you get three full revisions of each song included in the price. When you receive the first mix, listen to it on a variety of speakers and headphones, and write a list of what you want changed in each song. An agreement or contract here is vital to protect your band and the engineer from any misunderstanding or fraud. Sign a work-for-hire agreement, which states that the engineer shall not receive any royalties from the music, and also, that they do not own the sound recordings.

For mastering, expect to spend between $200 and $500. The goal of mastering is to get each song at the same volume and as loud as they can be.

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Release

Book a venue for your EP release show a few months in advance, on a Saturday night if possible.

You want to have as many people present at your release, as well as press, bloggers and music reviewers. Hire someone who can take good pictures, and find an opening act that will warm up the crowd before you headline. Post your music on Bandcamp the day of the show, and have download coupons ready to sell to your fans, friends and family.

Typically, an EP goes for $3 to $5, so you can include this in the cover charge—when people pay $5 to see your show, they get a download coupon for your EP.

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Promote

Create an electronic press kit full of professional band photos, logos, biography information, recordings, stage plot and contact/booking info. Send it to radio stations, music review sites and booking agents. Aim to book one or two shows a month.

Graphic by Thom Bell.

sports

SPORTS EDITOR /// sports@theconcordian.com ALEXANDER COLE ( @a_cole39)

PROFILE

A small player with a tough personality Women’s hockey player Tracy-Ann Lavigne talks about being a captain and her playing techniques

(1) Tracy-Ann Lavigne is beginning her first season as captain with the Stingers. Photo by Brianna Thicke.

(2) This is Lavigne’s fifth and final season with the Concordia Stingers. Photo by Brianna Thicke.

(3) Lavigne prides herself on her physical play. Photo by Ana Hernandez.

NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI STAFF WRITER Despite her small stature, Concordia Stingers women’s hockey captain TracyAnn Lavigne has a big personality. The five-foot-three centre is completing her fifth and final year with the team, and beginning her first year as captain.

Lavigne has a never-back-down attitude.

On the ice, she’s a grinder and not afraid to get physical with her opponents in the corners. Likewise, she doesn’t back away from a challenge off the ice, whether it be in the gym or the classroom.

“I’m a go-getter. I have to go get [what I want], and I won’t quit until I get it,” Lavigne said. “I know I have to work hard in the gym and on the ice.”

Lavigne was one of two co-captains last season, and this season her teammates voted for her to become full-time captain.

Some players change when handed a leadership role, as the task of commanding a group can skew their personality. Lavigne, however, has no intention of changing her style now that she's captain.

“I’m really proud [to be captain], but it won’t change how I’ll play,” Lavigne said. “I will always stay the same person, and I will

do what I have to do.”

“I lead by example but I can also talk,” Lavigne said. “I like to communicate a lot with my teammates [on the ice].”

As the captain of a team, Lavigne’s attitude and emotions rub off on her teammates, so she said she tries to stay as positive as possible.

“I’m never negative towards my teammates,” Lavigne said. “I’ve always been positive because I don’t like when someone’s negative next to me because it will bring me down.

Now that I have the ‘C,’ I have to always be positive, but it’s easy for me.”

For student-athletes, a positive attitude is not always easy to maintain. Between studying and playing hockey, Lavigne said her teammates often get overwhelmed and need a boost at times. Lavigne is the first to console a teammate and try to put a smile on their face.

On the ice, she is the one to tap a teammate on the knee or offer a fist bump and words of encouragement. When her teammates make mistakes, she reminds them to put it behind them and learn from them. Off the ice, if Lavigne sees a teammate in a funk, she will go talk to them and try to cheer them up.

“I sit with them sometimes if it’s really intense. I just talk to them, and I just try to cheer them up,” Lavigne said.

Lavigne describes herself as a “goofball” on the ice with her teammates. After learning how to skate at the age of two, Lavigne played boys hockey until she reached the Bantam level at 13-years-old.

Girls playing boys hockey before their teenage years is not uncommon, however, Lavigne faced adversity along the way.

“I had to [be tough]. I was the only girl—I had to prove myself all the time,” Lavigne said. “I would always have to be ready to work hard.”

The Montreal native was much smaller than most of the boys she played against, and she is still unafraid to go up against men now. When asked if she would like to go on the ice with the men’s hockey team, who was practicing during the interview, Lavigne seemed excited about the challenge.

“Seriously, I wouldn’t mind going there and trying to go hard against them,” Lavigne said with a smile.

Lavigne only played against other girls once she started playing at the higher levels. She played Bantam and Midget AA hockey for the Canadiennes de Montreal before playing at Dawson College for three years.

Lavigne said this adversity and the constant need to prove herself is reflected in her style of play. She admits she is tough to 2

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play against and isn’t worried about going up against bigger opponents. She is the player on the team who will do the physical work so her teammates can get the puck in an open space.

“I’m the grinder. I’m the one that’s going to go in the corners and won’t be easy to [play against]. I just want to get the puck out when I’m there,” Lavigne said.

Lavigne spoke about her rugged style of play with a sense of pride. She added she will not become physical enough to merit a penalty. For such a tough player, her penalty time—56 penalty minutes in 85 games with the Stingers before this season—is surprisingly low.

Lavigne has been with the Stingers since the 2012-2013 season. The finance student said she is happy and “feels at home going to Concordia.”

By the end of this season, Lavigne will have played over 100 games wearing the Stingers maroon and gold. Over her career, she has had many great memories, but the one that sticks with her the most is friendship.

“I’ve been here five years so I see people come and go, and I meet new people,” Lavigne said. “All the friendships that we make here are what I appreciate and what I like the most.”

Climbing at Concordia University Exploring the Laurentians with the Concordia Rock Climbers Association

MATTHEW LAPIERRE STAFF WRITER

while the group may have been small, the association’s executives are expecting a rise in membership and participation.

“Rock climbing is becoming more popular,” said McCullagh. “It’s going to be in the Olympics. There are more gyms opening up. The community is expanding.”

An increase in the CRCA’s popularity may take some strain off COC, whose trips are often at full capacity. The club hosts frequent hiking trips to mountains such as St-Sauveur and Orford. They hire busses to transport as many as 45 students to and from the hikes.

Brynn Low, one of the COC’s co-presidents, said that the strain of running such a large group is being felt at the top.

“Our participation this year has gone up over 100 per cent. All of our events have sold out in literally minutes,” Low said. “It’s been insane. It’s awesome but it’s a lot.”

The COC’s hikes are meant to be entr y-level, providing the opportunity for city-dwelling students to get outside and meet new

people. They are open to Concordia students interested in getting some exercise away from the city.

“We try and do hiking trips almost every weekend in the fall, and then we do a chalet trip once a semester and we do things like ice-skating in the winter,” Low said.

The popularity of the COC makes it hard to believe that it has only been around for about 10 years. Furthermore, according to Low, the group had barely been active until three years ago and has since experienced a transformation.

Both the COC and CRCA can be considered modern when compared to Montreal’s oldest university outdoor association—the McGill Outdoors Club (MOC) which has been around since 1936.

While not yet on par with an established organization like the MOC, adventure opportunities at Concordia are skyrocketing.

Leaders of Concordia’s outdoor clubs have plans to develop and get more people outside in the coming years.

“We want to build. We want to buy gear, ropes and [bouldering] pads,” McCullough said. “We want to expand the community.

Becoming like the MOC is an eventual goal.”

Packer, fresh off the wet cliffs of Montagne d’Argent and smiling ear to ear, agrees.

“We just want to let climbers connect with each other and introduce people to the sport we love,” said Packer.

Who would want to get up early on a Sunday, drive two hours through fog to the Laurentians and hike 15 minutes uphill all just to go rock climbing on an overcast October morning?

Concordia students would.

Matthew Packer is a business student at the John Molson School of Business and one of the executives of the Concordia Rock Climbers Association (CRCA). Just last week, he was clinging to a cliff on Montagne d’Argent, a popular rock climbing area, leading a group of four Concordia students up the mountain in the rain.

Moments earlier, the group had been staring up at him, but as the rain came down, they began rummaging through their daypacks, past peanut butter sandwiches, granola bars and harnesses, to get out their rain coats.

“Had anyone checked the weather forecast?” someone yelled.

Not a comforting thought when you’re 20 meters above the ground. Packer, along with the CRCA climbers, know that cliffs are slippery when wet. It’s usually not as enjoyable to rock climb in the rain. And yet, somehow, the group of eager young climbers are all smiles. Maybe it’s because, up until recently, this opportunity would not have been possible.

The CRCA was founded last year by two Concordia students looking to share their passion for climbing.

Nicholas McCullagh, a computer science student and the CRCA’s vice president of events, got involved after he noticed the university’s outdoor club, Concordia Outdoors Club (COC), didn’t offer much for someone who was either already a passionate rock climber or looking to delve into the sport.

The four students who joined the executive team on their rainy trip to the Laurentians two weeks ago are pioneers in a sense. They are among the first people to attend a trip hosted by the CRCA, and CRCA member Melanie Allard climbs up Montagne d’Argent. Photos by Nicholas McCullagh.

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in the news

BY ALEXANDER COLE WS SHINES IN AUSTON MATTHE BUT AF MAPLE LE S DE

Auston Matthews, who was drafted first overall in the off-season by the Toronto Maple Leafs, made National Hockey League (NHL) history by scoring four goals in his NHL debut, according to CBC News. The rookie became the first player in league history to do so. Matthews scored his four goals before the start of the third period, and had two goals by the end of the first period. According to CBC News, Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock had nothing but praise for the 19-year-old, saying that Matthews has great maturity and plays with the poise of a 27-year-old. Despite the four goals, Toronto lost their game to the Ottawa Senators 5-4 in overtime.

RRICK ROSE DETECTIVE IN DE FROM GUN ES DI SE RAPE CA NDS OU W SHOT

Nadine Hernandez, 44, a Los Angeles detective who had been investigating rape claims against National Basketball Association (NBA) star Derrick Rose died on Oct. 11, according to CBS Los Angeles. Police responded to a call about a nearby shooting and, when they got to the scene, found Hernandez had been shot. According to CBS Los Angeles, paramedics brought He rnandez to the hospital where she later passed away. A gun was found at the scene and police are currently investigating the incident as a suicide. Hernandez had worked with the Los Angeles police as a detective on several high profile cases. CBS Los Angeles reported that Rose’s attorneys had previously stated that no criminal investigation was being done for this case.

CK COLIN KAEPERNI NT CO RACT RESTRUCTURES

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has restructured his contract, according to nfl.com. The new contract states that if Kaepernick gets injured, he will not receive $14.5 million in guaranteed money.

The original deal also stated that Kaepernick would be a member of the team until 2020, however, the new contract has shortened the agreement by three years, according to nfl.com. This means that Kaepernick’s contract expires in 2017, although he has the option to opt out in 2016.

With the ability to opt out of his contract, Kaepernick will be able to test the free agent market in March 2017.

opinions

OPINIONS EDITOR /// opinions@theconcordian.com DAVID EASEY

EDITORIAL

It's time to take climate change seriously Todaywewearblack,andenteradarkperiodof mourning. We struggle to accept this harsh concept of death, and naively pray to the gods for some sort of miracle. We’re not grieving for one particular person, but rather for the loss of an entire coral ecosystem off the coast of Australia. An ecosystem that had previously thrived for 25 million years.

Suddenly, a hand reaches out of the darkness and slaps us in the face in a swift and dramatic motion. “The Great Barrier Reef isn’t dead yet you damn fool,” says the strange mysterious voice, as we struggle to regain our composure.

Earlier this week, a cheeky obituary was released by Outside magazine that sensationally declared the death of the giant reef in Queensland, Australia. The article quickly spread on social media, with The Sun and the New York Times adding fuel to the fire.

While it appears the Great Barrier Reef isn’t dead yet, it is in a critical state according to The Guardian. The same article highlights that almost a quarter of the entire maritime ecosystem contains bleached coral, and the reef is continuing to bleach at an alarming rate.

Corals are living marine organisms and have a symbiotic relationship with tiny algae called zooxanthellae, which gives the coral its vibrant color. According to National Geographic, warming ocean waters stress the coral and

cause it to expel the algae, which leads to the bleaching of the reef. In some cases, the coral can recover, many organisms do in fact die, leaving an ominous grey exoskeleton.

This alarming phenomenon is not isolated to the Great Barrier Reef, with evidence proving that all coral species are at risk. Bleaching is thought to be caused by a combination of the warm El Ñino current and climate change, according to The Guardian.

It’s definitely troublesome to see the general public only caring about the reef once it’s been pronounced dead by some travel magazine.

We should all be thinking about this ecosystem and our environment as a whole.

Collectively, we humans have contributed to the decimation of the Great Barrier Reef—amongst other natural disasters—by exploiting the planet’s resources and producing unfathomable amounts of waste.

We’ve screwed up bigtime, and it’s important to realize all of our actions—even halfway across the world in Montreal—can have a direct impact.

“But what can we do here at Concordia?”

You may wonder, and the answer is right before your eyes. The Concordia Student Union (CSU) recently announced by-elections, which will take place from Nov. 15 to 17. There are two referendum questions that address the university’s environmental status.

Photo showing Bleached plates in Key Largo, Florida by Matt Kieffer.

The first referendum asks whether the student population agrees with the demands of Divest Concordia, in asking the university to remove all of its investments in fossil fuels and “related industries.” The goal here is to reinvest in something more sustainable in regards to the environment.

The second question asks whether the CSU should support the fossil fuel divestment campaign until the university has completely divested from these assets.

Every small action that we take, collectively, adds up to big change. Take public transit instead of driving. Recycle. Compost. Reduce your beef intake and switch to more sustainable

sources of protein. We are all to blame for the damage inflicted on the Great Barrier Reef, as well as the rise in global temperatures.

Wasting time pointing fingers and shifting the blame won’t take away the fault that rests on each of our shoulders.

Here at The Concordian, we ask that students become more environmentally conscious, and understand that our planet is in a dire state. Now before you call us hippies, we fully support these two referendum questions and urge the entire student body to vote yes in the upcoming by-elections.

Also, please recycle our newspaper once you are done reading it.

EDUCATION

The mandatory attendance policy at Concordia How the university's policy actually improved my educational experience

AMANDA VITARO CONTRIBUTOR I enter the dim lecture hall, eyes drooping with fatigue and boredom.

It’s the beginning of the semester, and this is my third and final class on a long Tuesday afternoon. I’m wandering the room in search of a seat, already counting down the minutes until I can leave.

A guest speaker is introduced amidst a clatter of emotionless clapping and deep resentment. I realize I’m really only here for one single, simple and superficial reason: to sign my name on that damn attendance sheet.

Welcome to Journalism 206: Introduction to Reporting, also known as the mandatory conference.

For the next hour, I will stay put and pretend I am not fantasizing about catching the next bus. The only time I will move is when I am confronted with every student’s greatest foe: the infamous attendance sheet.

Having been at Concordia for three semesters, I’m all too familiar with the terms and conditions of the university’s attendance policy. According to the university regulations listed on their website, “class participation which, in certain disciplines, may justify an attendance requirement,” implies students have to go to class to get participation grades.

Despite my pride as an ambitious university student, my academic merit is subject to the same policing and babying of a high school

student.

I thought by now I wouldn’t have to justify myself when I can’t make it to class—let alone be punished for it.

“I really don’t have time to listen to someone else’s success story,” I think to myself. “I’m trying to create my own.”

Yet to my surprise, after attending this mandatory conference for the past few weeks, I suddenly realized how wrong I’d been about this class. When Montreal Gazette reporter Christopher Curtis spoke to our class, my world was revolutionized. He told us that we can infuse our journalism with creativity, and use our writing as an expressive tool to disseminate thought. Curtis was definitely insightful, and if it hadn’t been for the attendance sheet, I would’ve missed this inspiring lecture.

I receive school credit for listening to the testimonies of successful people in my field. I get to learn the dos and don’ts without so much as lifting a finger. It is the most valuable hour in my entire week, and remarkably, it is also the most effortless.

Concordia often holds special events at which alumni and guest speakers are invited to share their stories. When stressed and overworked students need to sacrifice something from their schedules, most likely, they will end up skipping the extracurricular visit. Only those with spare time and flexible schedules can afford to attend these events.

All students deserve an equal opportunity to receive real-life inspiration. By making the

guest speaker conferences mandatory in the curriculum of every university program, this chance would be made fair.

Fortune favours the prepared mind. No matter how high your GPA, no matter how great your personality, you will always be at a disadvantage if you shelter yourself from the realities of the field you are trying to enter.

As a student who loathed the mandatory attendance policy for the past three semesters, I am happy to say that I am finally pleased to see an attendance sheet. I sign my name with pride, knowing that my presence is not just a boost to my GPA, but to my wisdom as a professional.

Graphic by Florence Yee.

OCTOBER 18, 2016

theconcordian

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SOCIETY

How dare you judge a woman in a hijab

A rebuttal to a disturbing and misinformed article regarding the burkini ban SANIA MALIK CONTRIBUTOR Last month, The Concordian published an opinion piece entitled “Advocating for a full ban of the controversial burkini.” The argument made by the contributor was typical. It claimed that Muslim women who wear the burkini are disempowered and are prevented from “taking full control of their bodies.” After reading the article, I was infuriated, annoyed and disturbed to say the least, and I’m tired of these stereotypes surrounding Islam.

A 2016 study released by the Environics Institute, a Canadian-based social science research centre, revealed the number of hijab-wearing women has increased over the last decade in Canada, particularly among younger adults between the ages of 18 and 34. Also, 52 per cent of Canadian Muslim women wear the hijab or other headscarves in public, according to the same study. Many women choose to wear the hijab—they don’t wear it simply because they were coerced into doing so by their religion, as the article implied.

The idea of the hijab as a tool of oppression is widely held throughout the Western world. In my opinion, the hijab isn’t a symbol of oppression. Oppression exists because of various socio-economic reasons, and it exists in countries outside of the Muslim world.

I won’t argue that oppression isn’t a problem in Islamic countries. There are a lot of countries under Islamic law that impose restrictions on women which are completely unjustified—but these are not issues that stem from Islam. For example, in Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to drive. Many people blame Islam for this policy but in the Qur'an, it is stated nowhere that this is true.

Countries such as Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are led by predominantly male political and religious leaders who—in my opinion—misinterpret the Qur'an and implement made-up rules that allow them to control women. It’s a question of culture, not religion.

In the article that was published, the writer chose to use a verse from the Quran that says that women should conceal their bodies and only reveal themselves to their husband. The thing is, there’s a huge double standard when it comes to Islam and the idea of sexism. For example, in the Christian bible, there are also verses where women are deemed inferior to men.

I could take any religious quote from any religious text and distort the meaning, thus taking it completely out of context.

When the Qur'an was first written, it actually gave a lot of women in the Arab Peninsula rights they didn’t have before. For example, the fourth chapter of the Qur'an is titled “An-Nisa” or

“Women” and discusses women’s issues and inheritance laws. Women were now allowed to inherit property during this time, and were entitled to child support if they chose to divorce.

To a Muslim woman who chooses to wear the headscarf or to dress modestly, the hijab means to be free. She is choosing to put the attention not on her physical beauty, but on the other assets that make her who she is: her brain, her wit, her thoughts.

The hijab emphasizes a woman’s personality, and she is simply asser ting that her physical appearance shouldn’t play a role in her social interactions. Also, women who choose to wear the hijab might be doing so because of their own personal relationship with God.

There are various reasons for women to dress modestly‑not just because they feel forced to do so.

When I defend the hijab, I’m usually told that I have internalized sexism and that I’m allowing women to be oppressed by Islam.

But that’s not true. I’m an intersectional feminist, which means that I advocate for those of various social identities and those who are oppressed or discriminated against because of their race, sexuality, etc. While I agree a woman shouldn’t be forced to wear something she doesn’t want to, I also defend the idea that a woman shouldn’t be told not to wear something just because it might offend a few Westerners.

The hijab is another form of female expression, not oppression. Here in Canada, women are allowed to dress however they want, and Muslim women absolutely have the right to wear the hijab if they chose to do so.

Graphic by Florence Yee.

SAFETY

Why Concordia needs a ‘female only’ space

The university should create mandated safe space specifically for women

Graphic by Florence Yee.

MELANIE PROULX CONTRIBUTOR A s a feminist and a sur vivor of sexual assault, I’ve been very open in sharing my own personal experiences, keeping in mind it may provide the strength and courage for other survivors to come forward and speak out.

My experiences with sexual assault are unfortunately not unique—an estimated 460,000 women are sexually assaulted every year in Canada, according to the YWCA, Canada’s largest multi-service organization for women.

When I saw Kelly Oxford, a Canadian author, screenwriter and social media blogger ask women on Twitter to share their first experience with sexual assault in response to Donald Trump's leaked audio saying he grabbed a woman “by the pussy,” a flood of memories came back.

What was my earliest recollection of sexual assault? The time a stranger pressed

himself up against me on the metro? The time someone slapped and grabbed my butt as I headed to class? The time a guy groped my breasts and then laughed as I ran off crying?

Could these (amongst other more graphic) instances be why I often feel unsafe walking alone? Or why I feel uncomfortable being at school surrounded by groups of men? I had never really thought about it before.

I realized I often felt unsafe in public, but I always assumed it was because I grew up in a small town. I never thought there could be another reason.

This is why women need a women-only space at Concordia. We shouldn’t need our own space. We should not feel afraid when men sit next to us. We should not feel unsafe at our own school—but some of us do.

We feel unsafe and uncomfortable because so many of us have had similar experiences with sexual assault, and sometimes more than once. Women are also the most vulnerable to sexual assault, with 15 to 20 per cent of female students experiencing some form of sexual violence during their time in university, according to Concordia’s Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC).

Hopefully one day women can stop being afraid, but for now, we should have a place of refuge, even if it's just to study for a few minutes without being ogled—even if it's just to finally catch our breath and

say "I am safe." How many women do you know go to the washroom just to get away from men who are harassing them? I can say with certainty that the vast majority of the women I know have.

Several universities across Canada have implemented designated women-only sessions at their campus gyms, including the University of Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Ryerson, according to The Mcgill Daily.

It is time for Concordia to prove that it is a progressive, feminist university by taking an initiative to make women feel safe, not just when they exercise, but wherever they are in the school by giving them a safe space.

Kelly Oxford received thousands of tweets from women sharing their stories of sexual assault. The number of incoming tweets was so overwhelming that her story went viral. Sexual assault is not a rare occurrence, and victims of it are everyday people like you and me.

Whether it’s that shy girl who sits in the corner at the back of class and keeps to herself, or that bubbly girl who goes to every party—it can be anyone. Any of these women may (and probably) have been a victim of sexual assault.

The first step to making a change is awareness. If you'd like to see a womenonly space at Concordia, talk to your friends, your peers, or your program's student organization.

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7 3 5 8 4 1 2 5 1 7 4 9 2 8 1 8 5 1 4 3 3 7 2 1 5 6 7 6 7 3 5 1 6 7 9 6 9 BY 4 7 6 1 2 1 5 1 9MARY K.6GAILLARD 3 9 5 5 6 3 1 7will recount some of her 3 6 9 Mary K.8Gaillard 4 7

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nated field. She was unprepared for the various6difficulties she 3 encountered 8 2 at Columbia 7 5 5 9 University, in Paris and at the particle physics 7 6 3 9 3 1 laboratory CERN, in Geneva, Switzerland 9 3 1 8 1 before joining the9Berkeley6Physics 6 faculty as2 woman 4 She will describe 7 member.

9 7 4 8 9 its 2first 3 5 in 1 the physics 8 5developments that3she wit7 6 2 1 7 6 2 depth nessed and participated in dynamic period 5 6 7 2 4 4 1 of 5 8 1 its inception, in the late 1960s and early 3 5 led to the Stan1 9 developments 9 5 7 1970s. These 6 dard Model 8 6 Physics. The8Standard 5 6 1 of particle 3 7 7 6 8 Model has been 1confirmed by experiments, 9 5 6 8 3 4 culminating in the discovery of the Higgs Random:720374795-v3-40-L1 Random:720374796-v3-40-L1 particle physics in 2012.

2016-10-03,She 5:17 PMgive some vivid reflections on the will CONCORDIA UNIVERSIT Y 2 in4physics today 5 7 4 9 3 7 1 current 2 3and status of women 7 1 4 1 S H E R B R O O K E S T . W. , 3 future 9 of the field. 8 4 importantly8on the 1 6 2 most

8 9 6

5 3 6 TIME: 8:00 P.M. 5 Thursday, 4 2October 20th, 2016 8 DATE: PLACE: Oscar Peterson Concert Hall

1 9 8 7 4 9 5 7 6 2 3 2 9 FREE 6 7 1 ADMISSION 5 9 8 CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY 7141 SHERBROOKE STREET WEST, MONTREAL

I N F O R M A T I O N : 5 1 4 - 8 4 8 - 24 24 E X T . 2 5 9 5

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THE SCIEN CE CO LLEG E O FFER S A PROG R AMME F O R H I G H LY M O T I V AT E D S C I E N C E S T U D E N T S .

https://kjell.haxx.se/sudoku/

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The Science College is part of Concordia University. It offers gifted science undergraduates the opportunity to complement their regular curriculum with interdisciplinary training and early introduction to the methods of scientific research.

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Artists from Concordia featuring Feliz Tupe Self-Portrait - 2015

Shhh, forever - 2016

Feliz Tupe is an artist, zine-maker, and facilitator with a BFA in Studio Arts with a Minor in Psychology from Concordia University.

As a multiinterdisciplinary artist she uses drawing, performance, interactive installation, and documentation to explore social themes, grounding her work as a social practice.

Currently, as a person recovering from an Eating Disorder, she is interested in how her mental health influences her work.

Demons as I Pray - 2016

Consent/Le Consentement - Zine - 2016

An Attempt to Locate My Body - Screenprint - 2015

20 theconcordian

OCTOBER 18, 2016

Name:

The Concordian Crossword Based on t his week's issue!

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3. The first name of our graphics editor 5. Our featured artist this week 9. A song by The Kinks that changed rock music 10. The campus our offices are located 11. A film from the FNC article that is also an astrology sign 12. Many rallied this weekend for a $15...

1. This opinions piece argues Concordia needs a space for...

2. The name of Van Morrison's new album 4 . The MMFA hosted this type of lighting event 6. Our new science & health columnist 7. Where the Concordia rock climbers went recently 8. The height of Tracy-Ann Lavigne

The Concordian’s team EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CRISTINA SANZA editor@theconcordian.com MANAGING EDITOR GREGORY TODARO managing@theconcordian.com PRODUCTION MANAGER PAULINE SOUMET production@theconcordian.com PRODUCTION ASSISTANT PARISA FOROUTAN JEN FARROW NEWS EDITORS SAVANNA CRAIG NELLY SÉRANDOUR-AMAR news@theconcordian.com

Graphic by Pauline Soumet.

ARTS EDITORS JESSICA KINNARI TIFFANY LAFLEUR arts@theconcordian.com

MUSIC EDITOR SANDRA HERCEGOVÁ music@theconcordian.com ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR EMILY VIDAL SPORTS EDITOR ALEXANDER COLE sports@theconcordian.com ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR JAMES KIERANS

NEWS ASSISTANT MEGAN HUNT

OPINIONS EDITOR DAVID EASEY opinions@theconcordian.com

LIFE EDITOR DANIELLE GASHER life@theconcordian.com

PHOTO EDITOR ANA HERNANDEZ photo@theconcordian.com

ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR MINA MAZUMDER

PHOTO ASSISTANT ALEX HUTCHINS

Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper VOL. 34, ISSUE 8 OCT. 18, 2016

GRAPHICS EDITOR FLORENCE YEE graphics@theconcordian.com

OUR COVER THIS WEEK

GRAPHIC ASSISTANT THOM BELL

“Mental health walk” Photo by Alex Hutchins.

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