The Concordian - November 21st 2017

Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper

theconcordian

VOLUME 35, ISSUE 13 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2017

theconcordian.com  /theconcordian  @theconcordian

theconcordian

A taste of home

Syrian cook Wafaa Maalouli fulfills dream of owning a restaurant Life p. 8

also in this issue

news

A fresh face in local politics

arts

p. 5

music

opinions

sports

M for Montreal Beauty in muck Making her and salmon p. 10 festival review p. 15 debut (again)

p. 17

Remembering to appreciate p. 19

news

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

STUDENT RESOURCES

Concordia opens new wellness centre downtown

New centre includes student advocacy, counselling and psychological services MEGAN HUNT ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Concordia has introduced a new “wellness centre” on the downtown campus, a move intended to increase accessibility to vital student services.

The centre, which opened to the public on Nov. 13, is on the third floor of the GM building. It houses five offices that offer services related to wellness, health and accessibility, including the International Students Office, Counselling and Psychological Services, the Student Advocacy Office and the Access Centre for Students with Disabilities (ACSD).

“The new wellness centre provides students with state-of-the-art facilities in a welcoming environment,” said Concordia spokesperson Mary-Jo Barr. “Providing a consolidated space makes the GM building an all-encompassing location for health and wellness at Concordia’s downtown campus.”

Before the wellness centre opened, all of these services were located in the Hall building but on different floors. Each office moved the weekend prior to opening to ensure weekday office hours would not be interrupted.

An entrance to the GM building where the new wellness centre is located. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Unlike each office’s previous location, the wellness centre was specifically created with accessibility in mind. There are four elevators that can be used to access the space, and all washrooms, hallways and doorways are designed to accommodate students with reduced mobility.

Along with the new wellness centre, the GM building also houses a number of important student services, including the downtown Health Services Centre, the Office of Student Tribunals, the Student Academic Services Office and the Financial Services Office.

According to Barr, the project included multiple renovations over an eight-month period. Each office operated during regular hours at

their previous locations while construction was underway in the GM building. In total, the renovations cost $3.2 million.

The construction included completely redesigning the third floor of the GM building to accommodate the offices and the students who use them. Along with accessible washrooms, the centre also has automatic doors to assist students with mobility issues.

“The space users were directly involved in the planning of this new space to ensure it meets their needs and the needs of the university community,” Barr said.

The wide range of services available at the wellness centre include mental health workshops from

The International Students Office is one of the resources at the new wellness centre.

Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Counselling and Psychological Services, tutoring and academic advising available at the ACSD, and assistance with visas and study permits from the International Students Office. Students who have faced charges underthe ConcordiaAcademic Code of Conduct or the Code of Rights and Responsibilities may also receive free and confidential advice from the Student Advocacy Office. Additionally, the wellness centre will be a space for students to take accommodated or rescheduled exams.

While each office operates separately, many of the services provided are related and utilized by the same students. For example, students with disabilities may require both exam accommodations, counselling ses-

sions and assistance from the ACSD, making the wellness centre a convenient location.

Angela Ghadban, the interim manager at the International Students Office, said the new location is a helpful change for the office.

“I see the move to the GM building […] as a positive move,” he said. “The new space is bright, clean and functional, and we have access to amazing seminar rooms that we will use for our student activities, including our social events and our orientations.”

Ghadban added that sharing the space with Health Services, the ACSD and counselling services makes it easy for International Students Office employees to refer new students to these services.

“We can walk them right over to the services they need,” Ghadban said. “The GM location is very central for the SGW campus so, in terms of access for our international students, I think it is a big plus.”

According to Barr, while similar services are offered on Concordia’s Loyola campus, there are no plans to build a similar wellness centre there at this time, as these services are already located in the same building.

FOOD

CSU branch pushing for fee levy increase

Concordia Food Coalition seeks to make food services financially sustainable, student-run

MATTHEW COYTE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR In May 2015, Concordia University awarded Aramark Corporation the school’s food services contract, which made the company the main provider of food services on campus.

Aramark was brought on with the promise of providing more vegan and fair-trade options over five years, with the option for Concordia to renew that contract for two separate one-year extensions.

Despite three years remaining to that initial contract, the Concordia Food Coalition (CFC) is already preparing to make a bid for the contract when it expires in 2020. The CFC is a branch of the Concordia Student Union (CSU) whose mission is to “facilitate a transition to a more sustainable food system in collaboration with organizations at Concordia,” according to their website.

At the moment, the organization is campaigning to increase their fee levy from $0.08 to $0.16 per student per credit, which would more than

double their annual revenue, from $55,300 to $117,263. If enough students vote in favour of the increase, it would take effect at the beginning of the 2018-19 academic year.

“The end goal of the CFC is to take over the food system at Concordia and implement student-run, sustainable, healthy [food] options,” said CSU councillor Rowan Gaudet, who is acting as the CFC’s campaign manager. “The increase in fee levy is just one of the steps towards that. [...] The fees just get us more resources.”

In addition to making more of the university’s food systems student-run, the CFC wants to eventually wean some of the larger food services off of school funds and make them financially sustainable, according to Gaudet.

Gaudet and CFC volunteer Samuel Oslund both cited the Hive Cafes and the Concordia farmer’s market as examples of what student-run, financially sustainable food services on campus would look like. The Hive used to be a working group within the CFC but has since “graduated,” Gaudet explained. Initiatives such

as the farmer’s market that “graduate” and become financially sustainable are still run by the CFC, he added.

However, they no longer depend on funding from the university.

According to the CFC’s proposed 2018 budget plan, which is based on a successful fee levy increase, the additional capital would result in an increase in the organization’s payroll expenses from $31,200 to $76,843. With this money, the CFC would add a paid communications coordinator position and a paid Concordia farmer’s market coordinator position, as well as develop an employee health insurance plan.

The fee levy would allow for the external and internal coordinators to increase their hours from 15 to 25 hours a week.

Oslund further discussed the CFC’s goal to provide students with locally grown, organic food at a more affordable price and focus on making healthy food options more accessible to students.

“The CFC is formed as the backbone of the food movement here at Concordia. It’s the behind-the-scenes

push for a lot of the student-led food movements,” Gaudet said. “Voting for the CFC fee levy increase is voting for student-led food.” All undergraduate students are eligible to vote.

The budget the CFC has provided also includes a plan to decrease the organization’s deficit from $31,912 to $3,174 by the end of 2018. Without the potential increase in funds from the fee levy, the CFC’s deficit is projected to be $24,099.

Out of the $117,263 the CFC would receive in the event of the fee levy increase, they have budgeted $10,800 for project expenses in 2018, which

would be a decrease from the $15,425 the group budgeted for 2017. This decrease will take effect even if the fee levy increase isn’t approved, and can be partially attributed to the fact that returning groups will receive a maximum of $1,000 from the CFC next year. In addition, the Hudson Community Farms will not be reapplying for their $3,500 in funding next year.

Students can vote on the CFC fee levy increase during the CSU by-elections on Nov. 28, 29 and 30.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

NOVEMBER 21, 2017

theconcordian

3

STUDENT LIFE

A pre-med club for aspiring doctors

MedSpecs Concordia informs and supports students pursuing a career in medicine

Concordia students at a seminar hosted by MedSpecs. Photo courtesy of MedSpecs’ website.

CANDICE PYE NEWS EDITOR Although Concordia offers a variety of science majors in fields of study like biology, chemistry, physics and engineering, the university does not offer a pre-medical program.

For students not currently attending preparatory years of study for medical school at universities like McGill or the Université de Montréal, the field of medicine can be hard to navigate.

Founded in 2014, MedSpecs Concordia is the university’s first and only pre-medical club. The group is dedicated to informing and supporting undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career in medicine. They help students find out more

about the different careers related to medicine and ensure students take the steps necessary to achieve their goals.

“We are a club that is dedicated to helping students who are interested in pursuing a career in medicine,” said Joanne May Ramil, the co-president of MedSpecs Concordia. “Concordia doesn't have many resources for students interested in medicine, so our group has tried to fill that gap.”

The MedSpecs Concordia team offers workshops and seminars to students, focusing on information relevant to the medical school application process, such as MMIs (multiple mini interviews) and the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test).

MedSpecs Concordia also hosts lectures at the beginning of every school year, which

Joanne May Ramil, the co-president of MedSpecs Concordia. Photo courtesy of Facebook.

feature students and other guests from medical and dentistry schools who discuss their experience in medicine and the application process. Last year, the group held their first networking event, bringing together Concordia students and different health professionals, such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists.

“It was a huge success, and we plan on organizing another one in March,” Ramil said.

MedSpecs Concordia is partnered with the ICU Bridge Program, a volunteer program that allows university students to shadow healthcare professionals in intensive care units. This year, MedSpecs Concordia is also partnered with Next Step, an MCAT preparation company, which offers courses and practice exams to help students study for the MCAT. Sara Hojabri, a Montrealer studying medicine abroad at University College Cork, said her experience with the medical school application process was long and tiring.

“I applied to medical school three years in a row, and I can't even tell you how many schools I applied to,” Hojabri said. “It’s also a hassle getting loads of [recommendation] letters and writing a different personal statement for each school as they all have different requirements. At some stages, it was like a full-time job.”

Hojabri said that to prepare for her applications, she read through pre-medical forums like Student Doctor Network and a pre-med

subreddit. She also spoke to people studying medicine and those who had already been through the application process.

“In my case, it was a very discouraging process, receiving tons of rejection letters every year,” Hojabri said. “That's just sort of the way it is for a lot of people, though, and the forums do help with that because it helps you see you're not alone.”

Throughout her undergraduate degree at McGill, Hojabri occasionally used the services provided by the Science Undergraduate Society of McGill University (SUS).

Similar to MedSpecs Concordia, the SUS offers assistance with the medical school application process. While she found the group to be fairly competitive, Hojabri said it was more or less useful. “[They] do raffle off MCAT classes, and I actually got one of them. It was super helpful because it ended up being half price,” she said.

Ramil said Concordia students should look forward to upcoming MedSpecs Concordia events.

“This year, we have a lot of fun things planned,” she said.

Earlier this month, MedSpecs Concordia and the Concordia Pre-Dental Student Society hosted an event called “So You Want to Become a Doctor?” that featured lectures from two medical school students and one dentistry student who shared tips and tricks about making it in their respective fields.

According to Ramil, they also

discussed extracurriculars, volunteering and research.

O n N o v. 2 3 , M e d S p e c s Concordia is offering a free first aid workshop in collaboration with First Aid Montreal. The event will take place at 6 p.m. in room CC-308 at the Loyola campus and will give a general overview of basic first aid training, covering issues like wound care as well as bone and joint injuries.

In partnership with Next Step, MedSpecs Concordia will be raffling off an MCAT preparatory bundle, which will include a preparation course and a set of practice exams. Tickets for the raffle will be sold cash-only during the first-aid workshop for $2 per entry, $5 for 10 entries and $10 for 20 entries.

Next semester, Ramil said MedSpecs Concordia will be hosting an MMI workshop, where students will be able to participate in a variety of interview simulations.

“We are also planning on having a mock MCAT day in partnership with Next Step, where we will simulate the whole testing procedure,” Ramil said.

“We have also been in contact with Friends of MSF at McGill, and we might co-host a suturing workshop in the winter semester, however nothing has been set yet.”

For more information about their upcoming events, check out MedSpecs Concordia’s Facebook page or medspecs.concordia.ca.

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theconcordian

NOVEMBER 21, 2017

UNION

CUPFA and Concordia reach a consensus New collective agreement enacted retroactively, to expire on Dec. 31, 2017

Photo by Alex Hutchins.

MIA ANHOURY STAFF WRITER After two and a half years of negotiations, the Concordia University Part-Time Faculty Association (CUPFA) and the university’s administration signed a new collective agreement on Nov. 10. However, it will only be in effect until Dec. 31, 2017, because it retroactively fills the void since the last collective agreement expired on May 1, 2015.

According to Patrice Blais, CUPFA’s vice-president of grievances and collective agreement, the new agreement addresses many issues the association brought to the negotiating table, such as the pension plan and online courses for part-time facult y members. Concordia spokesperson Mar y-Jo Bar r said the university wishes to represent a united front with the union with regards to the collective agreement.

Although negotiations began in May 2015, they were slowed down by a number of factors, including administrative changes in both parties, a replacement

of the university’s vice-provost—the chief negotiator for faculty relations—and a CUPFA election, Blais explained. The process was also slowed because the two parties re-wrote most of the collective agreement rather than simply making a few amendments.

Among the association’s goals for the new agreement was a decrease in the number of credits required for part-time faculty to be given access to benefits, including a pension plan, sick leave and a comprehensive health plan. The previous agreement set the minimum at 50 credits of seniority, but that requirement will be lowered to 45 credits in the new agreement.

The previous collective agreement also did not have any guidelines as to how parttime facult y members could implement extra duties, which are task s such as ac ademic advising, course coordination and supervising graduate students. These tasks offer more work opportunities, according to Blais, which is important to CUPFA. However, Blais told The Concordian that extra duties

were previously done by fulltime faculty because of the lack of criteria for part-time faculty.

The new collective agreement has clear-cut parameters for the implementation of extra duties by part-time faculty, including a remuneration model for such tasks.

Another significant change to the collective agreement is the modernization of paternity leave, as the previous agreement did not include paternity benefits. “Fathers will be able to get complementary benefits the s ame way that mothers do,” Blais said about the new agreement. This amendment allows fathers who are part-time faculty members to receive an income from the school during their five-week paternity leave, Blais explained. This amounts to 93 per cent of their regular salary, which is in line with last year’s adjustment to the Quebec parental insurance plan.

While Blais stated that improvements were made in the new agreement, CUPFA focused on pressing issues. “I am happy we’re going into a second round of negotiations [for the next

collective agreement] because there are issues that still need to be addressed,” he said.

One of the issues CUPFA will be keeping an eye on are course cuts within the university.

According to Blais, approximately 150 courses were eliminated because of government budget cuts and a decrease in enrollment three years ago after admission letters were sent out late.

In t he 20 16-17 ac ademic year, approximately 80 courses were added to the list of those offered to part-time faculty. “We expect that with an increase in enrollment [...] and voluntary retirement, it will lead to more work opportunities,” Blais said.

“It’s the end of a long process of negotiation and hard work, but the party doesn’t last very long,” he added.

During the negotiations for the next collective agreement, CUPFA will table an application process for online courses with parttime faculty, as these courses are structured differently than in class course.

Parallel to the negotiations about the collective agreement, CUPFA had discussions with Concordia about representation within the university.

The association is demanding the creation of a part-time benefits committee, specifically for health benefits, and a non-voting seat with privileges in the university senate. These two demands have passed all the internal steps of approval and will be addressed at the board of governors meeting on Dec. 5.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth

NOVEMBER 21, 2017

theconcordian

5

PROFILE

Make room for the millennial

Lachine borough councillor Younes Boukala is giving a voice to his district and his generation

Photo by Alex Hutchins.

ÉTIENNE LAJOIE NEWS EDITOR Next winter, while Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante makes some important political announcement, Lachine borough councillor Younes Boukala might be in class at the Université du Québec à Montréal. This is the reality of being the city’s youngest municipal politician.

At 22, Boukala is taking over t he leader ship of L ac hine’s J.-Émery-Provost district, one of the borough’s most impoverished areas, under the banner of Projet Montréal. It’s a sector he knows all too well—he still lives there with his parents in cooperative housing.

I first spoke to Boukala in August, at the start of his campaign. He had just finished his mandate as youth ambassador of Lachine—one of Montreal’s 19 boroughs—for the city’s 375th anniversary.

The purpose of the project, organized by the Forum jeunesse de l'île de Montréal (FJIM), was for young Montrealers “to raise

awareness about the reality of young people in their borough, to mobilize and consult with other young people in the borough,” according to the forum’s website.

During a trip to China with Boukala and other youth ambassadors last spring, FJIM president Jennifer Teasdale-Raymond spoke to Boukala about the possibility of running in the November municipal election.

“You need to be a bit audacious,” Boukala said in August about running for election. This is particularly true in the J.-ÉmeryProvost district, where high school graduation rates are low—just like voter turnout. Boukala admitted his parents had never voted in municipal elections before he announced his candidacy.

According to data collected

by Le Devoir, at lea st t hree of the polling stations in the J.-Émery-Provost district had a voter turnout rate of less than 25 per cent in 2017.

During this campaign, Boukala discovered his area was home to two very distinct groups of people: those who have lived in Lachine their whole lives,

and immigrant families who just arrived in Montreal. Despite their differences, Boukala said the two groups were united in their cynicism towards politics.

Boukala thought he represented both groups. He was born in Morocco but moved to Montreal when he was just one year old.

“I saw what was necessary for families to integrate [into a new community] through the experience of my parents.”

“At the same time, I lived with native Quebecers and went through the Quebec education system,” he explained, “so I had the right profile.” Boukala said he considered himself “the middle ground” that could unite the multicultural and native Quebec communities in his district.

The young candidate had difficult moments throughout his campaign, but he told himself “it was part of life and that nothing was easy.” His laid-back attitude was apparent during our conversation. “I’m someone who enjoys life,” he said.

The week and a half following the election, before being sworn in, was when Boukala finally

relaxed. He was tired, understandably. From late August to the start of September, he went door-to-door to campaign every day for at least four hours. On sunny days, he would leave his house at 10 a.m., campaign for eight hours and return home at 6 p.m. to eat.

“Doing eight hours of canvassing was something,” Boukala said, admitting that campaigning can be tough on morale. “It’s not easy when someone shuts the door on you, and then the neighbour is a Projet Montréal supporter,” he said. “You’ve got to find a balance.”

GETTING YOUNG PEOPLE INTERESTED IN POLITICS One of Boukala’s objectives has always been to make municipal politics interesting to the younger generation. “Listen, we’re not only there to study and work in fields we don’t like,” he said about young people. “You don’t need a doctorate to be a candidate. You only need to be on the field, in your district.”

Retired people were surprised when he spoke to them during his campaign, Boukala remembered with a laugh. “Well then, how did this happen?” he remembered people asking, surprised by his age.

Throughout his time in college and university, Boukala said he never had one specific goal. “I lived and grabbed hold of opportunities as I went along,” he said.

Now he has the opportunity to make a change as a councillor.

“Councillors can be pawns or trailblazers,” Boukala said. “I want to walk in my neighborhood and think ‘I’m happy I did this. I improved the life of my fellow citizens.’”

Last Thursday, on Nov. 16, Boukala was officially sworn into office. Eleven days prior, Teasdale-Raymond surprised Boukala at the Corona Theatre where Projet Montréal gathered on election night.

“He wasn’t expecting [the result],” Teasdale-Raymond said. Running for election was a challenge, Boukala admitted, “but if you never challenge yourself, you never go forward.”

6

theconcordian

NOVEMBER 21, 2017

MENTAL HEALTH

Siding with evidence rather than opinion

Psychology training programs like Concordia's need to be at the forefront of the push for evidence-based approaches, according to Concordia professor Adam Radomsky Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

Concordia professor: Measuring client progress through feedback is necessary ÉTIENNE LAJOIE NEWS EDITOR In May 2016, 26-year-old John Chayka was named general manager of the National Hockey League’s Arizona Coyotes.

Chayka’s hiring was not only surprising because of his young age, but also because he was th e f ir st an aly tics- drive n executive to lead a hockey organization. He has never played professional hockey, and was a recent business administration graduate from Western Universit y’s Ivey Business School.

Since the successful use of performance metrics in the early 2000s by Major League Baseball’s Oakland Athletics, many sports have followed suit, hiring stats geniuses in their 20s and 30s to manage their teams. Politics, like sports, have also embraced the use of metrics for polling and recruitment. According to clinical psychologist Tony Rousmaniere, big data could also transform mental health treatment, “if only psychologists would stop ignoring it.”

In an essay published last April in The Atlantic, Rousmaniere reminded readers that therapists don’t have instruments of measurement as other doctors do, like stethoscopes or lab tests.

Instead, therapists are the instruments themselves—they are the ones who measure how much their client’s mental health has improved. According to Adam Radomsky, a Concordia

professor and the university's research chair in anxiety and related disorders, this is a real problem in mental health care.

“There are guidelines [from the Ordre des psychologues du Québec (OPQ)] saying that you should use evidence-based approaches, but there are no evidence-based police out there to come and make sure you’re doing something that’s been shown to work,” Radomsky told The Concordian. The OPQ is the professional body responsible for licensing psychologists in the province.

What Radomsky described as “evidence-based approaches” and what Rousmaniere calls feedback-informed treatment, or FIT, in his article, are types of feedback that inform therapists about the progress their clients are making. According to Rousmaniere, “perhaps no field faces higher barriers of incorporating performance feedback than psychotherapy.”

Clients often feel vulnerable when meeting a therapist, Radomsky explained, since they might not talk openly about the state of their mental health, even if it’s deteriorating.

“Many clients are more willing to report worsening symptoms to a computer—even if they know that their therapists will see the results—than disappointing their therapist face-to-face,” Rousmaniere wrote in The Atlantic.

Radomsky said evidence-based psychologic al therapy can refer to two different

things. The first is the use of a treatment that’s been shown to work, “that’s been studied extensively [and] it has met that threshold,” he explained. The other “is that you use evidence to track the progress of your work with clients or patients.”

The Concordia professor— who has a small number of clients in addition to teaching—added that he “absolutely would not” be able to work without client feedback.

According to Rousmaniere, nearly 50 feedback systems for therapists have been developed over the last 20 years.

Radomsky explained that many of the clients he has seen and supervised fill out one or “a very small number of questionnaires” every week or each time they come in for a therapy session.

“These are often standardized questionnaires, validated through scientific studies, so we know what they’re measuring and we know how well they measure them,” Radomsky explained.

“Then we track that over time to make sure that things are moving in the [right] direction.”

One system developed by B r i g h a m Yo u n g U n i v e r s i t y researcher Michael L amber t involves a 45-question online survey conducted before each appointment. If the clients appear to b e at r i s k , R o u s m a n i e re explained in The Atlantic, “their therapists are sent alerts that are colour-coded for different concerns. Red for risk of dropout or deterioration, yellow for

less-than-expected progress.”

Rousmaniere said his “anecdotal impression is that use of FIT today remains disappointingly low among therapists.” According to Radomsky, using an evidence-approach is “very uncommon for some, and absolutely required for others.”

It can often depend on the psychologist’s training, Radomsky said. Older approaches to psychotherapy “weren’t really subjected to scientific tests in the same way some of the newer approaches are.” One of the newer and most commonly used approaches by psychologist right now, according to Radomsky, is cognitive behaviour therapy.

“I think that those of us [who] have been trained in the newer approaches, [like] cognitive behaviour therapy and other similar approaches, a part of what you do is you track the progress of your work,” he added. “I think some people would never use it, some people would always use it. I’m not sure how many people are in between.”

EDUCATIONAL PROCESS Radomsky said clients should ask their therapists about their approach and whether there is evidence to show that it works.

However, he admitted it can be uncomfortable to ask these questions. “If the answers seem strange or cryptic or vague, find another therapist,” he advised.

“A good therapist is happy to answer these questions.”

The Concordia professor tells

his clients that, “if after about eight weeks, we’re not starting to see some improvements, I might need to fire myself.”

“I refuse to be an unhelpful therapist,” Radomsky said. “It doesn’t mean that the problems will be all gone in eight weeks, but what it does mean is that we should be tracking the progress of the work.”

According to Radomsky, the big gest push towards using evidence-based approaches comes from training programs like those in Concordia’s psychology department.

“I think it’s sometimes harder for people who’ve been doing things in a particular way for a very long time to change,” Radomsky said. “I think they should, but at the moment, there isn’t a way to force them to do that.”

Five years ago, the OPQ, which could not be reached for comment before publication, star ted requiring practicing psychologists to take courses or attend conferences to keep their training up to date, Radomsky told The Concordian.

“All psychologists providing ther apy in the province are required to show that they are continuing to learn and train on an ongoing basis,” he explained.

The research chair said he believes the increasing use of evidence-based approaches is an ongoing process, and it needs to be more common. “ What is the alter native?

Opinion doesn’t cut it.”

life

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

RETAIL

The ever-evolving world of fashion business The Fashion Business Uncovered conference gathers entrepreneurs to discuss the future of retail

MINA MAZUMDER STAFF WRITER A gathering of world-renowned entrepreneurs shared their experiences in the fashion industry on Nov.17 during the fifth edition of the Fashion Business Uncovered conference, hosted by advertising company Sid Lee. Among these entrepreneurs were Gregoire Baret, a general manager for Aldo Group; Marie-Pierre Bossé, a store manager for the Montreal-based Groupe Dynamite, which includes the Dynamite and Garage brands; and Hugo Thibault, the senior director of global communications and digital marketing for the coat brand Mackage.

According to Megan Munroe, the co-executive director of Fashion Business Uncovered, this year’s event brought together more invitees and speakers than previous years. “The reason why everyone is here is because they want a career in fashion, so we really wanted to pay homage to that,” she said.

Inviting successful entrepreneurs from the fashion industry to speak at these events, Munroe added, is a great way to shed light on the success stories of people in the industry and showcase different perspectives about fashion. “The essence of our event is to educate people who may only have an education in business and how they can apply that to a hobby they are really passionate about [like fashion],” Munroe said. “Our goal is to show that there are so many ways that you can work in the fashion industry that extend

The Fashion Business Uncovered conference invited entrepreneurs in the fashion industry to discuss the future of retail. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

beyond just designing or modelling.”

Several of the speakers emphasized how fashion and business are changing rapidly.

According to Baret, the main issue now is that retail stores are trying to compete with the efficiency online stores, such as Amazon, provide consumers. “It forces the industry to redefine the role of retail stores,” he said. “The waiting time [for customers] has shortened because of offers and commerce. Now, it is normal to instantly get your product, a wider set of choices and instant product recommendations.”

However, Baret said he still believes in

the importance of human contact in the costumer’s experience. “Today, despite everything, the physical moments in a retail store are important for giving advice and guidance, as well as the physical contact with the product,” he said. He also pointed out that technology cannot replace face-to-face communication. “It gives you a human side, a point of view where technology cannot replace a seller or a human,” Baret said, adding that these interactions in retail “help to give a supplementary quality service.”

According to Charles de Brabant, the executive director of the McGill University

Bensadoun School of Retail Management, changes in the technology and fashion industries are giving companies new ways to grow their business. “The biggest change is in the digital space, from social media to e-commerce,” he said. “It allows certain business models to survive and thrive, because the community is a global community and that’s the way fashion has evolved.”

Despite all the changes, de Brabant pointed out that the fashion business industry still makes a difference in the lives of consumers. “The reason why I love this industry is because it touches the heart, and if you get it right, you make people’s lives happier,” he said. “This is an industry where you have to show some passion, love and understanding.”

Baret emphasized the importance of being creative and bold in business, citing Netflix’s toppling of traditional film rental stores such as Blockbuster. According to Baret, the business idea of Netflix is one that inspires innovation and risk-taking. “Today, if you want to stay relevant for consumers, you need to be bold,” he said. “You need to be brave and you need to be able to take such risks and adapt to new environments.”

As such, Baret advises business students to take risks and to learn from their failures.

“We see that in many success stories; the first couple of years were difficult. You need to be able to take risks, be able to adapt, be able to learn from your small and big failures and continue to advance.”

JMSB

Competing for a sustainable outcome

Students seek strategies to attract target market to new eco-friendly taxi service SARA CHAHROUR CONTRIBUTOR Students from all over Montreal came up with recommendations and strategies to attract customers to an eco-friendly taxi service at this year’s John Molson Sustainable Enterprise Committee (JSEC) case competition held on Nov. 17.

The Concordia group paired up with Téo Taxi, a cab service that is 100 per cent electric, the company is looking to create a new service geared toward students, called TéoPool. Based on the idea of carpooling, Téo customers could choose to share their ride with a stranger headed in the same direction to split the bill, diminish the number of cars on the road and have the opportunity to socialize. For this competition, students had three hours to develop a marketing strategy that would attract the target market while keeping in mind the company's brand and commitment to sustainability.

"We want the leaders of tomorrow to leave this competition determined to educate others on sustainability,” said JSEC co-president Anthony de Souza. “Our

goal is to spread the word to all Montreal students." In teams of four or five, students from different backgrounds, universities and majors—ranging from industrial engineering and economics to English literature and anthropology—presented their creative ideas to a panel of judges, including a Téo Taxi representative as well as John Molson School of Business professors and alumni.

“We focused most of our strategies not so much on leveraging the whole ecofriendly aspect, but more on how to target students who are very price sensitive,” said Anaïs Roger, an international management student from McGill and a member of the winning team.

Among the strategies presented by Roger’s team was “gamifying” the application, which would keep loyal customers enthusiastic by offering them rewards and cheaper rides.

Other ideas included collaborating with Tourisme Montreal to introduce the brand to foreign students, and offering women-only rides catered to women who would feel more safe and comfortable sharing a ride with other women.

The winning team of the 2017 sustainability case competition. From left, Carolanne Ryner, Anaïs Roger, Boris But, Erin Wen and Romane Yang. Photo by Sara Chahrour.

“I don’t think there is any contradiction between profit and sustainability, and you students have given us amazing solutions and a glimpse of the future,” said Patrick Gagné, CEO of Téo Taxi and a member of the jury, at the end of the event.

“As millennials, we actually do care about the environment because, if we don’t do something right now, the way things are going,

there will be nothing left for us in the next 20 to 30 years,” said Safwan Hye, another one of the competitors and a Concordia student double-majoring in accounting and business technology management. Although there could only be one winner, the teams ended the competition with new connections and the motivation to keep an eye out for future sustainable solutions.

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theconcordian

NOVEMBER 21, 2017

COVER STORY

A Syrian cook makes a home in Montreal

A day in the life of Wafaa Maalouli, co-owner and cook at Bab Sharqi, a traditional Syrian restaurant

Bab Sharqi is a traditional Syrian restaurant in St-Laurent. Photo by Mia Anhoury.

MIA ANHOURY STAFF WRITER When you walk into the Bab Sharqi restaurant in the St-Laurent borough, there are round wooden arches on the wall. The centre arch has an oil painting of the actual Bab Sharqi, known as the Eastern Gate, which are the doors leading into the old city of Damascus in Syria.

The restaurant serves Syrian cuisine—everything from traditional appetizers, including stuffed grape leaves and kibbeh, to charcoal grilled meats with authentic seasoning. The restaurant celebrated its one-year anniversary in Montreal on Oct. 29.

However, Wafaa Maalouli, the cook and co-owner of the restaurant, has a story that goes back much further than one year. Before she moved to Canada in 2014, Maalouli was a popular caterer in Damascus. She cooked everything from ma’amoul, a traditional Syrian desert, to savory appetizers like sambousek, the Middle Eastern version of samosas. These foods were not only time consuming to make, but could only be done by hand.

Things became unstable when the war in Syria began in 2011. After her husband passed away, Maalouli decided to move to Canada to be reunited with her children, who were attending Montreal universities at the time. Initially, she wanted to open a catering business in Montreal for small parties, reunions or even students who lived on their own. But Samer Assis, her brother, had bigger plans for her. He encouraged her to pursue her dream of opening a restaurant.

Maalouli described it as surreal when Bab Sharqi first opened its doors. Many of the decorations around the restaurant were brought from Syria. A hand-carved metal ornament plate and an old rose water kettle hang on the wall. Next to them is an oud, a traditional Middle Eastern instrument similar

to a guitar. There is also a picture frame displaying a collage made from the wrappers of Syrian snacks and bars.

“My brother and I wanted this restaurant to feel like home to Syrians, and to those who didn’t know Syria to feel like they were there” Maalouli said in Arabic.

Even the fabric of the couches was imported from Aleppo, she added.

Here is how a day in her life goes: MORNING: “It’s incredible how time flies fast here,” Maalouli said. “It didn’t use to feel like this in Syria.” She wakes up every morning at 6 a.m. The first Traditional meals like charcoal grilled kebabs, thing she does is pour herself two grape leaves and baba ghanouj make Bab Sharqi Co-owner and cook Wafaa Maalouli alongside her brother a delicious home for Syrians in Montreal. cups of Arabic coffee. “It’s the only Samer Assis at the Bab Sharqi restaurant. Photo by Mia Anhoury.

Photo by Mia Anhoury. time I give to myself for the day,” she said. “I felt it was my duty to help them.”

Throughout the evening, while people she explained.

Every Tuesday, Maalouli stocks up on are enjoying their dinner, Assis swings by An hour later, Maalouli is the first to arrive the tables to make sure everything is to the at the restaurant. She looks at her journal and cold food, like her famous tabbouleh salad customers’ liking. Maalouli said she always scans the orders she has due for the next and her tasty hummus. Every tabbouleh tries to leave the kitchen to greet customers few days. Then she decides what she needs batch is made with fresh ingredients, from too. Knowing that everyone is enjoying her to prepare that day. The cooking begins as the tomatoes to the parsley to the mint.

The oil and bulgur used in her recipes are food, whether they are Middle Eastern or soon as she writes up her list.

Canadian, its her favourite part of the day.

Maalouli always has double the res- imported from Syria.

Although she has a chef in charge of the ponsibilities, juggling the restaurant and her EVENING: grill and the meats, Maalouli is in charge catering orders. Her mornings are reserved In the evening, customers begin to fill up of everything else. “I always like to keep for preparing the catering orders. the restaurant, and the rush begins. “While it challenging myself, and to compete with may look like a party, I know that everyone other Middle Eastern restaurants,” she AFTERNOON: said. “I started making something no one “Once I put on my apron and start coo- in the kitchen is running around to get everything ready,” said one of the waiters, else here does: the dessert ma’amoul with king, I’m on a roll and I spend my day in the cheese.” Indeed, no one else in Montreal kitchen,” Maalouli said. Assis comes in around Bahaa Alicham, in Arabic. He explained that cooks this specialty from Latakia, a city on 1 p.m. to help with the food deliveries. He not a single meal is served without Maalouli Syria’s northwestern coast. also takes note of all the food that needs to checking to make sure it’s perfect.

“Being part of this has made me feel Maalouli’s day ends with a messy kitchen be ordered and re-stocked. and a deep breath in as she starts thinking Maalouli’s employees are all Syrian like I am part of a family,” Alicham added. about the next day. “I love that I get to wake refugees with restaurant experience who “When I see her too frustrated or stressed up everyday and do what I love,” she said. have recently moved to Montreal. “It felt about an order, I’m there for her. I tell her to take a break for a second.”

“Not many people get to say that.” like a natural thing to hire Syrian refugees,”

NOVEMBER 21, 2017

theconcordian

9

TECHNOLOGY

Representing queer women in tech

The organization Lesbians Who Tech is a community that unites queer women in tech ELISA BARBIER ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR They represent in tech. They are queer, inclusive and badass. In a male-dominated industry, they seek visibility and inclusivity. The Montreal chapter of the Lesbians Who Tech community met at Montreal’s Le Cagibi bar on Nov. 15 to listen to panelists talk about their use of technology to trigger social change.

Lesbians Who Tech is a community for queer women and their allies working with or around technology. The group was founded in San Francisco in 2012

by Leanne Pittsford, but it officially launched in 2014. Since then, it has brought together more than 30,000 members with over 35 chapters around the world. The organization offers coding scholarships to queer and gender non-conforming individuals, covering 50 per cent of their tuition. However, the community’s main goal is to create visibility for its members.

Rachel Jean-Pierre, a digital marketing analyst, started the Montreal Lesbians Who Tech community at the beginning of 2016 after attending the organization’s summits in New York City and San Francisco. She said she wanted to give Montrealers access to the opportunities the community offers.

Jean-Pierre was later joined by Rebecca Woodmass, the founder of the web-design company Quill Creative. “I saw it was very inclusive and it tried to encompass all the types of queer and trans folks, and it really encouraged me,” said Woodmass about the New York City summit she attended.

In 2014, women made up less than 30 per cent of employees in the global tech industry, according to UNESCO. In 2017, women held 19 per cent of the tech positions at Twitter, 20 per cent at Google and 17.5 per cent at Microsoft, according to the companies’ annual reports. Through Lesbians Who Tech, JeanPierre and Woodmass want to address the issue of inequality by building

Tech Montreal chapter discussed Guest speakers and founders of the Lesbians Who es. Photo by Elisa Barbier. chang l socia about bring can ology how techn

confidence and giving a voice to Montreal queer women in the tech industry.

“I am aware I am a woman. I am a black woman. I am a queer woman, and I am not easily intimidated,” Jean-Pierre said. She is making an impact in the tech industry by tackling ignorance and “macro” aggressions in her environment one day at a time. “I take initiatives,” she said. “I remind my co-workers what is not appropriate, and l remind the executives that we need real change, not simply [inclusivity programs in companies].”

Woodmass uses web-designing with Quill Creative to empower and give visibility to queer, trans and marginalized individuals, with a focus on accessibility for people with disabilities. “I redirect the funds of my business and my personal money to pay very well

their allies within a way for queer women and Lesbians Who Tech events arenetwork bound. Photo by Elisa Barbier. the tech industry to

the people that I hire, which are always queer, trans, people of colour, suffering from disabilities or people who are older,” Woodmass said. She also uses Facebook groups to seek out people who are marginalized, as she said she could not do this through regular hiring procedures.

During the gathering at Le Cagibi, guest speakers presented their background in tech and how they use it to bring about social change.

Justine Gagnepain and Abigail McLean presented their project on women’s mental and neurological health. In the form of an audio-visual chat box, wmnHealth analyzes answers to questions specific to a disorder in order to track symptoms and detect problems. Its first module aims to detect concussions,

then provides a weekly follow-up that often cannot be done with a doctor. In the long run the, the creators of wmnHealth wants to develop modules for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, anxiety, depression and other mental and neurological disorders.

Another speaker was Nejma Nefertiti, a sound engineer and hip hop artist from Brooklyn. Nefertiti began writing and composing music at a young age, but it wasn’t until later on that she began to use technology to empower young people of colour. She now aims to raise awareness and bring about social change through her work by selecting projects that empower marginalized individuals.

Since the creation of the Lesbians Who Tech in Montreal, a lot more people and allies have joined the community. “We have volunteers that want to have a position in the organization as it grows,” Jean-Pierre said. Woodmass added that the Montreal chapter is one of the most vibrant because they do their own marketing, use the resources Lesbians Who Tech offers and post photographs from all their events online to raise awareness about the group.

“We are vibrant because we believe in the cause, the disproportionate disparity,” Jean-Pierre said.

Woodmass and Jean-Pierre said their goal is to have a Lesbians Who Tech summit in Montreal so that the international community can recognize the city’s growing tech potential. “Summits inspire me because they have certain quotas for panelists, such as 50 per cent people of colour and 25 per cent trans women,” Woodmass said. “These quotas are not just because we need them, but because these voices prove over and over that [these people] are the most interesting and have the most to offer. This is what we value.”

The next Montreal Lesbians Who Tech event will be about art and technology at Studio XX on Jan. 10, 2018.

arts

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

PROFILE

Exploring biodiversity and natural ‘muck’ Get to know Julia Woldmo, a painting and drawing student and salmon enthusiast

Julia Woldmo, a second-year fine arts

student at Concordia, in her studio space .

Photo cour tesy of Julia Woldmo.

CHLOË LALONDE ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR

container of mold pair beautifully with her recent work. Fleshy, seeping goo is not uncommon in the artist’s paintings, so the shift of focus on “muck and gunk” seemed like a natural transition to her.

Fish are also a recurring motif in Woldmo’s recent work. Between her West Coast roots, her mother's work in salmon conservation and her father's job as a tugboat captain, Woldmo’s family has always been one of salmon enthusiasts.

Woldmo spent this past summer in Vancouver assisting Ron den Daas in painting a salmon conservation mural with a group of local students. Some of her first drawings of this school year, Self as Summer and Fish People, document this experience while continuing to play with biodiversity and salmon conservation.

“My obsession with salmon [is rooted in] my family, personal concern, a beauty and appreciation for these majestic, prehistoric creatures,” Woldmo said. “It’s amazing [...] salmon are born in one spot and swim around the ocean for four years, only to return to the exact spot they were born to lay their eggs and die.”

The artist said she sees the salmon as a metaphor for her life, having left the spot she was born, knowing she will return when her four years in university are through.

Julia Woldmo grew up in Vancouver and spent a year studying psychology and women's studies at Capilano University before deciding to move to Montreal and pursue art. Now a second-year fine arts student at Concordia, Woldmo is completing a major in painting and drawing with a minor film studies.

Woldmo has always been involved in the art community. She was in an advanced art placement program in high school, while simultaneously enrolled at an art academy.

She is most comfortable with portraiture, and often distorts facial features. “I’m not really concerned with proportion,” the artist said. “It’s definitely a helpful tool, but I’d rather embrace distortion […] and as soon as I notice that I’m falling into a pattern, I try to do something radical to switch it up.” In some portrait pieces, Woldmo transforms a regular eye into a squint, puffing the edges and increasing the size of the lids.

Her distorted portrait style began a few years ago when her friend’s baby cousin was stung by a bee on the corner of the eye.

Initially drawing from a photograph, Woldmo translated the image of the baby beautifully, capturing a still discomfort and the baby’s rosey complexion.

More recently, her style has evolved significantly. Woldmo has begun exploring See more of Julia Woldmo’s work her inner-self, reflecting on the beauty and on her website www.juliawoldmo.com the grotesque of the natural world around and her instagram @juliawoldmoart. her. She said she considers herself to be in a transient learning stage, absorbing the techniques and suggestions her professors and their teaching assistants have to offer, and is slowly growing more comfortable with abstraction.

Her final assignment this semester is to explore something in-depth. The assignment was vague, but Woldmo decided to focus on mold, decay and human “muck.” Coincidentally, Woldmo came home last week to find a container of the most wonderfully disgusting mold at the back of her fridge. The yellow ochre, navy blue Vanitas. Acrylic on raw canvas. 4.5 x 45 ft. The backside and hints of coral in this particular of Produco, symbolic of death and decay.

Photo courtesy of Julia Woldmo.

Self as Summer. Graphite and gouache on arches paper. 15" x 22" Photo courtesy of Julia Woldmo.

Produco. Acrylic on raw canvas. 4.5 x 4.5 ft. The artist’s favourite piece, depicting cells splitting, water, birth and growth. Photo courtesy of Julia Woldmo.

NOVEMBER 21, 2017

theconcordian

11

PROFILE

Putting her mark on the walls of the city

Concordia alumna Cedar Eve Peters speaks about her mural painting and traditional jewelry

One of the artist’s sets of beaded earrings. This pair is made out of Amazonite gemstones and sterling silver. Photo courtesy of Cedar Eve Peters.

JOYCE CHAN STAFF WRITER Cedar Eve Peters, an Ojibwe First Nations artist from Toronto, began beading because she wanted to try a different medium and explore her artistry.

Peters moved to Montreal when she was 18 and graduated from Concordia’s studio arts program in 2012. She now works in Montreal as an independent artist, creating brightly coloured beaded jewelry as well as drawings and acrylic paintings that she sells through Instagram.

Although she enjoys beading, Peters said she sometimes has to draw or paint to relax before starting a beading project.

Beading requires a lot of concentration and is very tedious work, she explained. When the thread breaks, it can be frustrating.

One of Peters’ drawings, titled that’s a mouthful. Pen on paper. Photo courtesy of Cedar Eve Peters.

Nonetheless, she said she finds making earrings to be very therapeutic.

“I taught myself how to make earrings, but my jewelry is inspired by my mother and grandmother’s earrings,” Peters said.

“I look at elements of nature for inspiration for my beading—from flowers to sunsets to the winter season.”

Peters’ work also includes mural paintings. She recalled that one of her most memorable experiences as a student was a trip to Peru in 2011. She volunteered alongside five other girls and had the opportunity to paint a mural for an elementary school. This experience exposed her to the collaborative process of mural painting for the first time.

From Aug. 13 to 21, Peters had a solo exhibition at a gathering called Unceded Voices: Anticolonial Street Artists Convergence, where she painted

Cedar Eve Peters working on her mural for this year’s Unceded Voices: Anticolonial Street Artists Convergence. Photo by Cecil Lopes.

a mural on the corner of St-Jacques and St-Philippe Street. Unceded Voices is an event that brings together "primarily Indigenous-identified women, two-spirit, queer and women of colour street artists" to create murals in Montreal, according to their website.

Originally founded in 2014, the most recent edition of Unceded Voices took place in Montreal’s St-Henri neighbourhood, which has a variety of bare walls, abandoned buildings and train tracks. This year’s event is the first to receive funding from both the Canada Council for the Arts and the Conseil des arts de Montréal. "Unceded Voices is a call to action to rethink our relationships with the colonial cities, and to have the courage to listen to what the walls are saying to everyone," said Camille Larivée, an Unceded Voices organizer.

Peters’ drawings and paintings, which she also sells through social media, often depict shape-shifting creatures that hover between human and animalistic.

She described them as spirit beings with powerful energies. She said she is inspired by mythologies and stories found in Indigenous cultures.

“I hope my art can relate to Indigenous and non-Indigenous people alike,” she said.

“The language of art allows for people to communicate with one another through a non-verbal means and is integral to keeping First Nations culture alive. It is my way of carrying stories forward and a way to remember my ancestors.”

To see more of Cedar Eve Peters’ work or to purchase her jewelry, check out her I nstag ra m p age @cedareve.

Peters’ mural on the corner of St-Jacques and St-Philippe Street in Montreal. Photo courtesy of Unceded Voices.

DEÇÀ DELÀ

HOLIDAY ABORIGINAL ARTISAN FAIR

DON’T DANCE WITH SCISSORS!

The exhibition features the paintings of Laurence Pilon and the prints of Rosamunde Bordo, two Concordia alumni, in a gallery also owned by Concordia alumni.

The fair will showcase the works of local artists, and all proceeds will go towards winter care packages to be donated to Aboriginal shelters in Montreal.

A collage and dance event held by the CTRL+V collective. Collage materials will be provided and music by local DJs will drive the dance party. Just be sure not to do both at the same time!

WHERE Ymuno Exhibitions WHEN Now until Dec. 16

WHERE LB Building Atrium WHEN Nov. 22 at 11 a.m.

WHERE Psychic City WHEN Nov. 25, 8 p.m. to 12 a.m.

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theconcordian

NOVEMBER 21, 2017

EXHIBITION

Exploring sound, space and sculpture

From sonar use in Chile to the tradition of flags, the FOFA Gallery displays work of alumni artists Photo by Richard-Max Tremblay.

DAISY DUNCAN CONTRIBUTOR The three latest additions to Concordia’s FOFA Gallery incorporate various mediums and themes, yet all showcase the talent of Concordia alumni.

Among these works are Jerry Ropson’s the distance between outstretched arms (deadflag), Digital Erratics by Elisabeth and Tim Belliveau, and Sandra Volny’s Where does sound go, where does it come from.

The Belliveau siblings use a mixture of sculpture and video installations in their joint work, Digital Erratics. Tim recently completed his master’s at Concordia—this installation is part of his thesis. Elisabeth also attended Concordia where she completed her master of fine arts.

In the FOFA Gallery, the Belliveaus have displayed their respective pieces together.

The common theme of exploration within the mediums of sculpture and moving images ties the vast installation’s components together.

Digital Erratics includes sculptures from different materials, including glass, wood, ceramic and paper, among others. Video projections manipulate and experiment with moving images, stop-motion animation as well as the properties and aspects of colour.

Digital Erratics thoroughly explores and experiments with its mediums, in traditional and contemporary ways, providing viewers with plenty to discover and consider.

Jerry Ropson’s the distance between

outstretched arms (deadflag) is displayed in the York Corridor Vitrine of FOFA. The site-specific work is eye-catching, detailed and provides a new take on traditional viewing of art—the work is within the gallery, but only viewable outside of the space. When installing the piece, Ropson worked in the public space for several days, interacting with the audience and environment around him, further challenging the traditional forms of displaying art.

This installation focuses on the form of the flag, as a structure and material—a concept Ropson has focused on periodically since 2002. This piece also explores the conceptual and historical meanings behind the motif, including connections to both colonialism and concepts of nationality. “The meaning or specific connotations and uses of the flag have changed and morphed continually over the years,” Ropson said. “With origins deep-rooted in nautical history, warfare and land claiming, flags stand as just one more uneasy signifier of colonial history.

The idea of the iconoclastic use of the flag is an important distinction.”

For Ropson, exhibiting in the FOFA Gallery was especially significant because this is his first exhibition in Montreal since leaving the city in 2009. This exhibit was also special for Ropson, as he and Elisabeth Belliveau worked on and completed their respective MFAs in fibres at Concordia at the same time, and previously exhibited at FOFA together in 2007. “It was so great to

Siblings Tim and Elisabeth Belliveau contributed their mixed media installation titled Digital Erratics to the FOFA’s current collection. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

return to Montreal and see so many familiar faces at the vernissage, but also during the installation of the work,” Ropson said.

A variety of materials and mediums, including twine, ink, fabrics, vinyl and sculptural elements, were used in this project.

The choice of materials and the placement of the individual pieces were important in this work. “I spent a lot of time considering the layout of the objects, and what went where and why,” Ropson said. “I also make very specific choices in the materials I work with.

I utilize everyday materials that suggest the interrelations of social, cultural and economic structures.” His installation, the distance between outstretched arms (deadflag), also explores the flag’s ability to signify place and assert ideologies in a relatively conceptual way. There are a lot of complexities attached to such a simple material form, which Ropson aims to deconstruct in this piece.

Sandra Volny’s Where does sound go, where does it come from consists of a video installation accompanied by audio. The work focuses primarily on the subject of Chilean fishermen and their relationship to sound in the form of sonar. Volny, a Concordia MFA graduate, recently spent time in Chile with her art collective, Triangular Project, traveling the diverse landscape of the country and looking at the relationships different communities have with surrounding spaces.

Volny participated in a month-long residency while in Chile, and it was there that the majority of this art piece was formed.

Volny had specific interest in sonar, and she looked at how it is used in the sea, both by animals and humans, in her artistic practice.

The fishermen Volny centred the work around use traditional knowledge passed down through generations to navigate the sea.

The focus on the sea as a primary subject matter also addresses environmental issues. The piece highlights the contrast between traditional fishing and its more commercial forms, and depicts the ocean as one of the most fragile ecosystems in Chile. Volny’s main message for this piece is one of awareness and being present in one’s environment. “It’s about how you can navigate a space through sound, and about bringing an awareness to what’s around you,” she said.

With the addition of these new exhibitions, the FOFA Gallery connects with the Concordia community to provide diverse and exciting content, and showcases the talent of the school’s artistic community. The three exhibits explore varied and interesting themes, mediums and concepts, assuring the gallery holds something for everyone and provides students with a place to explore new insights, ideas and understandings.

These three exhibitions will be on display until Dec. 8. The FOFA Gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday. Admission is free.

the distance between outstretched arms (deadflag) by Jerry Ropson, a graduate of Concordia’s master’s program in fibres. Photo courtesy of Jerry Ropson.

music

Quickspins

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

1

YAEJI

PROFILE

Ostrich Bouquet defy classification The band’s first EP combines psychedelic post-rock with ambient vibes

EP2 (Godmode, 2017)

New York producer Yaeji spins an entire history’s worth of club music under the hypnotic disco ball of her second EP of the year. Yaeji flexes her vocal chops here as well, but doesn’t come across as out of place when you hear the subtle tones of house music and British IDM bleeding throughout these tracks. The club and, by extension, club music are often looked to as an escapist’s genre; as a wall to be torn down by fast beats and deep bass. What’s important are that the bass, the beat and the lyrics Yaeji sprinkles into the framework of the music to remind you of her crucial toehold in the club scene.

Her ability to transcend the energy levels of a dancefloor transforms into a strange world of music you fall into when you just want to get loose and have fun.

11 Trial Track: “raingurl”

7.6/10 — CALVIN CASHEN, MUSIC EDITOR

The members of Ostrich Bouquet, from left, Michael Tomizzi, Kyle Podwalski, Davide Ventulieri and Jeremy Bozzo. Photo courtesy of Ostrich Bouquet.

SANIA MALIK OPINIONS EDITOR Ostrich Bouquet’s sound has been described by some as “Pink Floyd on a spaceship,” according to drummer Michael Tomizzi.

The band’s mix of psychedelic, progressive post-rock and ambient vibes, with a side of jazz and blues influence ,plays out on the seven tracks of their first EP, On Time as Usual. The day before its release on Nov. 17, the Montreal-based group performed at O Patro Vys. To m i z z i a n d k e y b o a r d i s t Ky l e Podwalski, both 20, are currently studying at Concordia University. Bassist Davide Ventulieri, 20, and guitarist Jeremy Bozzo, 19, are students at Vanier College.

The band was created less than a month after high school friends Tomizzi, Ventulieri and Bozzo were introduced to Podwalski through a mutual friend last February. Needless to say, the name Ostrich Bouquet garners a variety of reactions from different people—some are puzzled while others are amused. The idea came from Ventulieri’s realization that the German words for ostrich and bouquet are homonyms.

Although Ventulieri is the lead vocalist, he said people come to see the entire band. For Ostrich Bouquet, the combined instrumentation is more important than the vocals. “Vocals are just like the fifth instrument,” Ventulieri said. “It’s like adding a new rhythm to the song.”

Although the band tends to stray from conventional song structures, they don’t think of themselves as unconventional.

“We have some pop structures,” Bozzo

said. “It’s not like we’re just doing weird, wonky stuff—we follow forms.” Instead of following a common bridge-to-chorus structure, they experiment with the flexibility of a song’s blueprint, often volleying between multiple parts that don’t repeat.

The song “Behind Schedule” off their EP, in particular, explores this by making each section of the song sound different from the rest. The song starts with an emphasis on the rhythm between bass and drums; it then slowly trickles into a spacey-vibe. The guitar’s slow strumming comes into play, and soon the keyboards combine with the drums—it’s like listening to distinct parts of the same song.

“I like experimenting with tones that are dissonant or spacey, and just outside the norm,” Podwalski said. On Time as Usual plays around with time, chord changes and set boundaries in terms of writing music. When asked about the choice to experiment, Tomizzi responded bluntly: “I personally feel that, if you’re a musician and you’re not trying something new, you might as well not be a musician.”

Ventulieri had a slightly different opinion. “If I’m writing something, I want to write something that I’d listen to, instead of just verse/chorus.” Tomizzi added that he believes, once a person knows how to play an instrument, they should want to make it their own instead of being a carbon copy of someone else.

“I agree with both of them,” Podwalski said. “But it’s not like: Why would you make music that’s similar to everyone else? It’s more like: Why not do something different?"

Although the band always takes constructive criticism seriously, if someone

dislikes their music because it doesn’t follow standard structures, they disregard the critique. “I think there’s a genre for everyone,” Tomizzi said. “We definitely have our niche, and people who like that type of music will be able to like us.”

According to the members of Ostrich Bouquet, liking your own music is the key to any band’s success. When discussing their music, their passion is clear—but it’s even more apparent when the musicians speak about their instruments. Bozzo praised the versatility of the guitar and its ability to “do everything.” Ventulieri described being connected with the drummer and holding the song together on bass. For his part, Podwalski said he believes the keyboard can lock into any groove and find a perfect fit in any song. However, the drums are the backbone of any song in Tomizzi’s opinion. “Nobody notices it until it’s not there anymore,” he argued.

While the band puts a lot of emphasis on their sound, Ostrich Bouquet puts equal passion into their performances. When the group took the stage at O Patro Vys, Bozzo closed his eyes as he strummed the guitar, Venturelli made eye contact with the audience, Podwalski had a small smile on his face and Tomizzi mouthed the words to the song from behind the drum set.

Despite the distinct performing style of each band member, the friendship that links Ostrich Bouquet is hard to miss on stage when their collaborative creativity comes to life.

Ostrich Bouquet’s EP, On Time, As Usual, is available on Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal and bandcamp.

2

CONVERGE The Dusk In Us (Epitaph, 2017) The ninth album from the metalcore pioneers is their most halting and claustrophobic record in years. The band's knack for sharp hooks comes through as they reject internal conflict to challenge an unknown entity larger and more muscular than the scale of their songs. They’ve consistently altered their blueprint into something more expansive and evocative—an artful mix of hardcore punk kinetics and screeching, distortion-ridden excursions. It’s all present and in boundless quantity on The Dusk in Us, from the feedback-laden dirge of “Murk & Marrow” to Nate Newton’s thunderous basswork at the nervous system of “Trigger.”

But as the urgency of the album climaxes, the band’s exploratory impulses emerge like never before. The Dusk in Us is quintessentially Converge, finding catharsis in eccentric theatrics and blissful anger.

11 Trial Track: “Arkhipov Calm”

8.3/10 — CALVIN CASHEN, MUSIC EDITOR

14 theconcordian

NOVEMBER 21, 2017

REVIEWING 3

ODONIS ODONIS

Changing thoughts on an album How reviewing albums can make you jaded towards music you actually like

No Pop (Felte/Telephone Explosion, 2017) On their fourth album, Toronto trio Odonis Odonis shift gears to minimal electronic pop, meshed with an acute industrial sensibility. Odonis Odonis have developed their skill for creating a universe of sound with a booming range of darkwave-style synths and stone-cold industrial sonics. The music on No Pop establishes a stress-inducing taste of despair, using recurring bass patterns, high-frequency synth lines and tinges of psychedelia. This is all held in tandem by razor-sharp keyboard melodies immersed in robotic sound textures. These tracks are ominous.

The trio work like puppet masters, pulling on the strings of assorted sounds to create something truly sinister. It’s unclear what’s motivating these sound architects, but one thing is certain—they’re intent on dragging you down with them.

11 Trial Track: “Check My Profile”

7.4/10 — CALVIN CASHEN, MUSIC EDITOR

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

Recently Added

Recently Added

11 BLISSING ME Björk (One Little Indian) 11 RAINGURL

Yaeji (Godmode)

11 LIST OF PEOPLE

(TO TRY AND FORGET ABOUT)

Tame Impala (Modular)

ALEXANDER COLE MANAGING EDITOR When discussing our music tastes, the phrase “art is subjective” tends to come up a lot. I mean, why shouldn’t it? We all like what we like, and there is really nothing we can do to change that except open our minds to new types of art and let our tastes evolve.

Although art is subjective, when it comes to reviewing music, there is pressure to critique it from an objective perspective and explain why a piece is good or bad.

However, your opinion of a song, album or artist will always differ from someone else’s. The sky is blue is an objective fact.

Metallica being the best metal band of the 80s is not a fact, it’s just my opinion.

This idea of being objective brings me to how the pressure to “get it right” when reviewing albums has made me overly critical of songs and artists I actually enjoy. I realized this about myself while listening to Lil Uzi Vert’s album Luv Is Rage 2. I initially gave the album a 4/10 rating in a review I wrote for The Concordian.

At the time, I was stuck in the mindset of trying to use objective criteria to review albums. I would look at lyrical complexity, diversity of tracks and other factors that, for the most part, are actually subjective.

Sure, some albums have more production value and took more time to create, but that doesn’t mean one is more enjoyable than the other—that really comes down to taste.

For example, I compared Lil Uzi Vert to Kendrick Lamar. These two artists operate

in the same genre, but with completely different styles that can’t be compared. Yet, when I reviewed Luv Is Rage 2, I rated it in comparison to Lamar’s DAMN , an album I would easily give a 9/10. This method of reviewing is not only misguided, but can lead you to develop a bad first impression of an album.

As mentioned above, I recently revisited Luv Is Rage 2 because of a song Lil Uzi Vert did with The Weeknd called “Unfazed,” which I stumbled upon on YouTube. With my review of the album long gone from my memory, I thoroughly enjoyed the song and went back to the album. As I went through each track, it was as if I was listening to the album for the first time. Instead of trying to dissect it, I came away with a whole new opinion on the album. To be honest, it might be one of my top-five albums of the year.

In the last month or so, I have been making a more conscious effort to critique music on a subjective basis, something I should have been doing from the beginning.

Ultimately, it has led me to enjoy more albums because I am less likely to make unwarranted criticisms. Not to mention there are a plethora of other albums I have changed my mind about.

One such example is this summer’s collaborative mixtape between Toronto producer-artist NAV and Metro Boomin’.

Although I never wrote a formal review for the album, I remember hating it initially because I was looking at it as an album that just

came out after DAMN. This ultimately made me critique the lyrics hardly and not appreciate it for what it was. Listening to it now, however, I like it a lot and have realized the album has a ton of content I relate to.

If it weren’t for giving the album a second chance and ridding myself of the pressure to look at music critically, I would have missed out on one of my favourite projects of the year.

The same thing can be said about DAMN, oddly enough. I loved the album when it came out. However, I was also looking at it from a critical perspective. I was trying to rate it based on criteria about what makes a “rap” album great, rather than determining whether or not I enjoyed it. While I did enjoy DAMN. and still think it’s a great piece of art, I just don’t like it as much as other albums. It’s almost as if I forced myself to give the album a good score because Lamar is such a respected artist.

I guess what I am trying to say is that, when critiquing a piece of music, just go with your gut and how it makes you feel.

Don’t judge it based on some “good album” criteria that doesn’t exist. It’s cliché, but art really is subjective and, if you keep looking for objective reasons to like or dislike something, you’re taking away from your enjoyment of that art.

At the end of the day, it’s important not to be ashamed of your tastes. As listeners with individual preferences, we shouldn’t give in to the pressure of liking or disliking something just because critics do.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

NOVEMBER 21, 2017

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FESTIVAL

The M for Montreal festival in review A plethora of local and out-of-province Canadian acts played over the span of one weekend Since 2006, M for Montreal has been held every November to highlight hundreds of local and international artists in 15 venues across the city. The festival concluded last week, and these are the best performances the festival had to offer.

PAUL JACOBS

Maggie Hope, Arts Editor Almost exactly one year after releasing his latest album, Pictures, Movies & Apartments, Paul Jacobs took the stage at La Sala Rossa on Nov. 17. As one of the opening acts for Yonatan Gat, Jacobs kicked off his set with “All I Want / Need,” immediately sending the excited crowd into a frenzy. At what was later described by a few audience members as “their best show in a while,” Jacobs exhibited tight musical cohesion. Distorted, melodic guitar blared from the speakers as heavy percussion propelled the crowd into a lively moshpit. This January, the Montreal artist will embark on a European tour, and is set to take his unique brand of psychedelic garage punk to a handful of major cities.

The performance at the festival was one of Paul Jacob’s last before leaving for a European tour in January. Photo by Erica Hart.

THE COURTNEYS

Calvin Cashen, Music Editor Nearly four years after the release of their self-titled, debut album, The Courtneys entered a triumphant 2017 with their anthemic sophomore album, The Courtneys II. At Quai Des Brumes, the Vancouver-imported band confidently blasted their way through a series of fuzz-laden beach tunes, all the while complementing their knack for catchy rock hooks and deft musicianship.

The swelling sounds of guitar chords and tight drumming amped the mix with sticky melodies. The band’s relatively straightforward sound allowed them to explore and even expand on the scope of songs like "Tour" and “Minnesota.” Often delving into long-winded outros, The Courtneys sailed smoothly over their 12-or-so song set, never growing the least bit tired.

The Courtneys's songs are easy listening, often supplemented by emphatic group chants that add a bit of heft. The set was mostly comprised of tracks from this year's II album, but nonetheless was a big reminder of how far high-energy and gusto can take a performance.

The Courtney’s confident and well-rehearsed set was a sight to behold. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

ALVVAYS

Calvin Cashen, Music Editor Alvvays played at Montreal’s Club Soda Friday night, their latest performance in the city since the release of their widely-acclaimed sophomore project, Antisocialites. Despite a striking change in sound and improved sonics, the band managed to channel the lo-fi leanings that made their initial outputs all the more appealing.

The fans let out bursts of receptive cheers to “Archie, Marry Me,” which saw guitarist Alec O’Hanley twiddling with pedals and guitar distortion to give the song an added flair. The crowd’s infectious energy gave way to an ambience that felt both intense but somehow familiar. Credit is due to the high-octane vitality of Alvvays’s music, which often led the crowd into boisterous chants whenever the band finished a song.

The tracks were sung in perfect pitch, but were firmly planted in the formidable melodies and sunshiny guitar licks that fans of Alvvays have grown to love. The band’s performance served as a glimpse into a potential future for Alvvays—a future where their music transcends the icy surroundings of their Canadian upbringing into something timeless and universal.

Toronto band Alvvays wowed Club Soda’s audience as if it was second nature. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

sports

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

MEN’S HOCKEY

Concordia grad Jim Corsi returns to his roots Former NHL goalie coach and inventor of famous hockey statistic joins Stingers staff Q: What’s the difference between coaching a goalie at the university level and at the NHL level?

A : At the NHL level, they’re already a formed type of goaltender. There are a number of things that you might want to adjust technically or tweak [...] At the university level, you’ll get a 22 or 23-yearold who has perhaps played junior, and hasn’t been exposed to certain levels of training, so Jim Corsi played for the Concordia Stingers from 1973 to 1976, and has returned to the team you might have a little as an assistant coach. Photo by Kirubel Mehari. technical stuff to teach, in the National Hockey League (NHL) from but probably a lot of tactical stuff.

NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI 1998 to 2014, and with the St. Louis Blues SPORTS EDITOR from 2014 to 2017. The Concordian sat down Q: Who was the most interesting goalie Concordia University graduate Jim with Corsi to talk about his career since he to coach in the NHL? Corsi has returned to his roots, joining graduated from Concordia.

A: The most remarkable was Dominik Hasek, the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey and the most demanding was Ryan Miller. team as an assistant coach this season. Q: What’s it like to be back at Concordia? Hasek, for me, was a guy who rewrote the He studied at Concordia University A: It’s great. I’ve been back from time book on goaltending. He added athleticism from 1972 to 1976, playing on the hockey to time. [...] Over the last 20 years, since to goaltending. Miller had such a curiosity team as a goalie, and on the soccer team I’ve been in the NHL, it’s been really [for] the game, he had such a romance [for] hard to be home. Being here is a lot of the detail of the game. Miller was so curious as an attacker.

Corsi played professional hockey in North fun because it’s my old school, and there about his job that, if you explained to him America and Europe from 1976 to 1991. He are still a lot of people who are still here to put his hand [in a certain position], he was the goalie coach for the Buffalo Sabres from when I was here. would ask why.

Q: One of the advanced statistics in hockey is Corsi, which measures how many shots a player takes compared to everyone else on the ice. You helped create the Corsi stat as we know it. What’s the story behind it?

A: [In Buffalo], I was trying to figure out how much work a goalie does. I was adding up shots on goal, blocked and missed shots. [...] Nobody knew about it until our general manager, Darcy Regier, started talking [on the radio] about a statistic we used to gage the goalie’s work. So some guy in Edmonton, [Vic Ferrari], hears about it and says, “Wow that’s phenomenal. I wonder if I could apply it to players. Let’s gage a player’s work by the number of shots he takes.” The Corsi number that has gone out there as a stat is an evolution of what my numbers were.

So the guy who devised [the modern Corsi number], went through the [Buffalo Sabres media guide] and said, “Okay, I’ll call it the Darcy Regier stat. No that doesn’t sound good.” So he flipped through the guide, saw my picture, and said, “I love that moustache.

Corsi stat—it has a great ring.” Unbenounced to him, I was the guy who started that stat.

Q: What’s it like to hear your name as a stat?

A: I tell my wife that my name has become generic, like, “What’s your Corsi?” What do you mean what’s my Corsi? That’s my name! this interview has been edited for length and clarity.

BASEBALL

Jonah Keri talks about sports reporting and Expos Accomplished Concordia graduate says storytelling is the root of journalism NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI SPORTS EDITOR Jonah Keri believes journalism hasn’t changed since cavemen started sharing stories thousands of years ago.

“There were cavemen putting sketches of killings on the wall, telling stories, and nothing of that has changed,” he told a crowd at the D.B. Clarke Theatre on Nov. 16. “We always want to consume our news no matter through which medium.”

Keri and Arpon Basu, two graduates from the journalism program, returned to Concordia University last Thursday to host a talk called “Up, up, and away: A journey into sports journalism.” Both are accomplished sports writers, with Keri covering baseball for CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated as well as hosting his self-titled podcast. Basu is the current editor-in-chief of The Athletic Montreal and Athlétique Montréal, and has covered the Montreal Canadiens for over a decade.

Keri said his favourite part about being a journalist is storytelling. “For me, as a journalist, it's about telling stories and bringing people along for a ride,” he said while gesturing as if he were dragging somebody across the stage.

Jonah Keri returned to his alma mater, Concordia University, to talk about sports journalism and the Montreal Expos. Photo by Matthew Coyte.

Keri, a former sports editor at The Concordian, has written three books on baseball, with his latest titled Up, Up, and Away. It covers the history of the Montreal Expos, from the team’s beginning in Major League Baseball (MLB) in 1969 to their death in 2004, when the franchise moved to Washington, D.C. He published the book 10 years after the Expos left, but was reluctant to write it at first.

“[In 2011] my editor told me we should do a collab on a book on the Expos,” Keri explained. “I said, ‘Who cares about the Expos? They left a number of years ago.’”

But in February 2012, former Expos catcher and Hall of Famer Gary Carter died, and that’s when talk about the Expos started to heat up again, according to Keri.

“When Gary Carter passed, it was so sad, but it was that light that clicked and

linked to the Expos, and people said, ‘Oh yeah, I miss the Expos,’” Keri said. That’s when he started writing the book, and a week after it was published in March 2014, nearly 100,000 fans filled the Olympic Stadium, the Expos’ former home, to watch preseason games between the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets. Basu said talk of the Expos has grown considerably since they left Montreal.

“Today, [MLB commissioner] Rob Manfred talks about expansion and the Expos, and it's just crazy to see the commissioner of the MLB talk about the Expos,” Basu said.

Former Montreal mayor Denis Coderre was a big advocate of bringing the Expos back and building the new stadium the team would need in order to return. Current Mayor Valérie Plante has said she would not use public money to build a new ballpark, unless Montrealers voted in favour of it in a referendum, according to CTV News.

Keri said that doesn’t mean the dream of an Expos return is dead.

“Whether I live in ville St-Laurent or on the moon, I wouldn't want public funds to go to a baseball stadium and help out billionaires,” Keri said. “So with the new mayor, it doesn't mean the baseball dream is dead, but it's a different approach.”

NOVEMBER 21, 2017

PROFILE

Making her debut a year late

Ashley Moss was injured in her first game as a Stinger but returned this season

theconcordian

17

COLOUR COMMENTARY

BY NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI

Last week, somebody said to me: “I don’t understand why people get so sentimental about sports.” I thought about it for a second. Why are people so emotionally invested in sports?

I really couldn’t come up with an answer. I’ve been a sports fan since I was a little kid—my first words may very well have been, “He shoots, he scores!”

Yet I still can’t think of a concrete answer to that question other than: “Just because we like it.”

Sports fans are unique compared to people who like other forms of entertainment such as music, movies and TV shows. Sports fans let the results of their favourite teams dictate their mood. Fans could celebrate their team’s championship for hours after the win, or they could be heartbroken when their team loses the big game. Sure, a fan of a certain TV show may be upset if their favourite character is killed off, but they won’t sulk about it for hours after the episode is over.

Ashley Moss started playing basketball when her family moved to a new neighbourhood in Nassau, Bahamas.

Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

DEAN BERTOIA STAFF WRITER Ashley Moss joined the Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team before the 2016-17 season with high expectations for herself and her team.

A s a transfer from the Holland Hurricanes of Charlottetown, P.E.I., she came to Concordia with one goal in mind—to help put a championship banner in the rafters of the Stingers’s home court.

Before she could help her team to the top, Moss had a hill of her own to climb.

In her very first game with the Stingers in October 2016, Moss went down with what was later discovered to be a serious injury.

Tests revealed she had torn her left Achilles tendon as well as her meniscus. These injuries kept her sidelined for the rest of her first season, and marked the beginning of a tedious, year-long rehabilitation process.

While this devastating injury presented Moss with a tough road to recovery, she is not a stranger to long and winding roads.

Moss was born and raised in Nassau, Bahamas. When she was in 12th grade, her family moved to a different part of the city, which is where basketball first caught her eye. According to Moss, basketball started not so much as a passion, but as a necessity.

“There was a court on the side of my house. I was in a new neighbourhood, and the only thing to do was to go watch the boys play basketball,” she said. Eventually, Moss got tired of watching. She began participating in the street games and competing against full-grown men at the age of 18. From here, both her love and skill for the game developed.

Standing at 5-10, Moss is a lengthy, athletic forward. Her size gives her a particular type of defensive prowess which is cherished by coaches, and is what ended up earning her a spot on the Bahamas national women’s basketball team. She played on the national team for three years. In 2015, her last season with the team, she helped lead the Bahamas to a gold medal at the International Basketball Federation Caribbean Basketball Confederation (FIBA CBC) championship.

She wanted to see how much further basketball could take her, and decided to leave the tropical heat of the Caribbean for the bitter cold of Canada to keep playing. Moss began her collegiate career at Holland College in 2013-14. In her three seasons at Holland College, she won back-to-back Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association (ACAA) championships in 2015 and 2016, and helped the team compete in their first two national championship tournaments.

From the Bahamas to P.E.I., Moss made a tough transition but maintained a winning pedigree. Moss said the move was tough because she had never been away from her family, nor had she seen the school. This is exactly what she was preparing to do again, when she moved from Charlottetown to Montreal, where she felt she had the best chance to keep winning. Moss said Stingers head coach Tenicha Gittens influenced her to make the switch to Concordia.

Gittens helped ease the transition for Moss by bringing in fellow Holland College recruits, Marvia Dean and Jazlin Barker, for the 2016-17 season. “[Gittens] was on the same page as us,” Moss said. “She wanted to win a championship, and I feel like we can do it with her.”

Unfor tunately for Moss, she was not able to join her former Hurricanes teammates on the court in her first season as a Stinger.

When asked to describe her journey back from last year’s season-ending injury, Moss did not lie about how hard it was. “My rehab was really rough, but what was even harder than the rehab was watching my teammates play,” she said.

“The wins were good, but when they lost and struggled, I really felt the struggle.”

According to Moss, she had to learn to walk again, and at times, was limited to shooting shots while sitting down in a chair with her leg up in a boot, as her teammates practiced.

As of today, Moss is healthy and off to a strong start this year. She won Most Valuable Player of the Concordia Classic Tournament in October, which her team won, and was named athlete of the week twice in the preseason. On Nov. 9, she played her first regular season game at home in front of a noisy crowd, which she had been itching to do.

“Do you know how long I’ve waited to play in this gym? I’ve been waiting forever to play in front of this crowd,” Moss said enthusiastically.

Her pent up energy was on full display in the home opener, where she had game-highs in both rebounds, with 12, and blocks, with five.

The word resilient describes Moss’s journey, her character and her style of play. She never lets a bad break, a tough challenge or a daunting task keep her down. She consistently bulldozes her way through the obstacles in front of her, and in doing so, wins, both in life and in basketball.

I think sports fans go through an emotional roller coaster because they feel like they are part of the team. Being a sports fan is an identity. Montreal Canadiens fans will say, “I am a Habs fan” rather than “I follow the Habs,” as if being a fan is ingrained in who they are. When we see our teams win, we feel proud to be part of that culture, and we carry that identity with pride.

For many, sports are a consistent part of their life from the time they are kids until they are adults.

Through different friendships, relationships and stages in life, sports are always there to watch as a hobby. So, when our teams are eliminated from the playoffs, our favourite hobby is suddenly taken away from us. I think that’s why we get depressed after a loss.

At the same time, sports fans need to realize there is more to life than sports. After all, watching sports is just a pastime. If you get too excited after wins or too sad after losses, maybe you should tone down the fandom just a little.

There is no way to properly explain how it feels to be a sports fan to someone who isn’t one.

But, if you are a sports fan, you know why you feel a certain way after watching your favourite team play, and like me, you probably can’t explain why.

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

Saying ‘yes’ to the student press Some of you may have heard about the recent existence referendum held at McGill University to decide whether or not The McGill Daily and Le Délit—McGill’s only francophone newspaper—should continue to publish on campus.

McGill students could cast their vote between Nov. 13 and 16. According to Inori Roy, the coordinating editor at The McGill Daily, just over 64 per cent of the university’s undergraduate and graduate students voted in favour of keeping the newspapers running. Just under 36 per cent voted “no.”

Needless to say, we at The Concordian were very pleased to learn that these newspapers will be staying on campus.

We would like to take it as a sign that the student press is still valued. In an interview with Roy, we learned more about the referendum and the power of the student press.

According to Roy, the existence referendum is a normal occurrence that happens every five years. The process indicates to the administration that the newspapers still have the student body’s support before the university renegotiates its agreement with the publications to allow them to collect fees from students, rent space on campus and distribute newspapers at McGill.

The two newspapers that were part of the referendum are published under the Daily Publications Society (DPS), a student-run organization at McGill. “The DPS wanted to keep us alive,” Roy said.

“Besides the ‘No’ campaign, there was no one who particularly wanted us to shut down.” According to Roy, many of the issues put forward by the ‘No’ campaign “were founded on misinformation and lies, and so they had issues with our editorial line.”

The McGill Daily, which has existed since 1911, has a mandate to publish anti-oppression and anti-racist articles that might not be covered by mainstream media, Roy said. By publishing such pieces, the publication’s staff hope to give a voice to marginalized students on campus.

Despite the referendum result and high voter turnout, there is still work to be done to increase student engagement and interest in on-campus publications. It is important to remember that the student press not only informs readers about campus news and gives students a space to freely express themselves—it also holds their universities accountable.

Our thoughts are mirrored by Roy. “We often write stories about things that

are happening in student governments that otherwise wouldn’t get out,” she said. “I think we provide a better service in openly criticizing and being aware of the mistakes the administration is making and trying to provide them with this insight on what students need. So I think the integrity of student governments and administrative action would be severely compromised if we ceased to exist.”

As McGill’s existence referendum also highlights, student engagement is the driving force behind the student press. We at The Concordian strive to continuously publish stories that are interesting and important, to keep our readers informed and involved in campus life, and to help students improve their writing skills and express themselves. We are also grateful to every student, faculty and staff member who take the time to pick up a copy of our newspaper. Thank you for reading.

We at The Concordian would like to congratulate The McGill Daily and Le

Délit for being able to continue doing what they do best for the next five years. We hope they continue to shed light on the stories that deserve to be told and encourage the students who want to write them.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

VETERANS

With remembrance should come appreciation More initiatives like the Invictus Games are needed to offer purpose and strength to veterans MATTHEW GUIDA STAFF WRITER In the aftermath of any war, I believe nothing is more important than honouring the contributions and sacrifices made by the soldiers who fought in them, regardless of their age, gender or nationality.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele and the Battle of Vimy Ridge, as well as the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Dieppe. These historic battles transformed Canada into the country it is today. According to a public opinion survey by Historica Canada, 29 per cent of Canadians intended to attend a Remembrance Day ceremony this year.

The results of this poll indicate a three-point increase compared to the attendance in 2016.

On Saturday, Nov. 11, thousands of people, both military and civilian, gathered on Parliament Hill in Ottawa to honour the sacrifices of our country’s soldiers and veterans. According to Craig Oliver, the chief political commentator for CTV News, the crowds at Remembrance Day ceremonies 30 years ago were far smaller than they are today. Oliver attributed the growth over the years to the increasing number of young veterans.

“A new generation has learned to appreciate that sense of self-sacrifice that the military represents,” Oliver stated during the televised live coverage of the ceremony.

“It’s great to see crowds growing the way they are, and it’s particularly great to see young people coming out, appreciating self-sacrifice, as young people do. More than my generation ever did.”

Af ter returning home from a war zone, it is easier for younger veterans to appreciate the sacrifices of their contemporaries compared to veterans who are a few generations older, according to David O’Keefe, a history professor at Marianopolis College and a former member of the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada. This results in a higher turnout for military ceremonies like Remembrance Day, he added.

Unfortunately, regardless of this increased appreciation, I believe there are still many problems that hinder our veterans from enjoying a peaceful life. According to an article from The Globe and Mail, veterans still face a myriad of issues ranging from homelessness to trouble with pensions to mental illness. For example, O’Keefe said, even though there is a stronger medical understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this doesn’t mean the government or society has done enough to help veterans deal with this issue.

My conversation with O’Keefe showed me that society and the government in Canada are not putting enough importance on improving

healthcare and pensions to help struggling veterans. Fortunately, noticeable efforts are slowly being made to help veterans adjust to post-military life in terms of their mental health and social interactions. One such initiative is the Invictus Games, an international multi-sport event for wounded and handicapped veterans and their associates, that was launched in 2014.

According to O’Keefe, the Invictus Games help make the return of wounded veterans to civilian society seamless and restore a sense of normalcy to their lives. According to the Toronto Star, adaptive sports like the Invictus Games are a new way to offer support to veterans and their families. Sports give veterans a purpose and mission again, and can help them improve their mental and physical health. “You are capable and still able,” O’Keefe said about this change in mentality for wounded soldiers. “You are differently abled, as opposed to disabled.”

Sporting events are also a chance for veterans to reforge a bond of camaraderie with their peers, and to use these bonds to inspire and educate others about their experience, according to the Toronto Star.

As times change, so does our inclination to honour the deeds and sacrifices of our veterans. Especially with the number of World War II soldiers dwindling with every passing year. Today, we must evolve beyond the idea of remembrance to enter a new age of appreciation for those who defend and protect our nation.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

NOVEMBER 21, 2017

theconcordian

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VIOLENCE

The real reason behind gun violence in the U.S. Blaming mental illness for shooting massacres is offensive and misleading

MINA MAZUMDER STAFF WRITER Blaming mental illness for gun violence is not okay, and I believe President Donald Trump is only causing more harm when he encourages the use of guns to supposedly prevent gun violence.

On Nov. 5, a gunman opened fire at a Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, reported The New York Times. The shooter was later found dead in his car and identified by authorities as Devin Patrick Kelley. He killed 26 people.

Tr ump, who was in Japan at the time, blamed the shooting on mental illness. He called the tragedy “a mental health problem at the highest level” and described the shooter as a “very deranged individual,” according to The New York Times. I believe Trump is using mental illness as a scapegoat for acts of violence. He also specified that “this

isn’t a guns situation,” according to the same source. This further proves his incompetence as president.

I n m y o p i n i o n , Tr u m p i s u n a b l e to tackle this nationwide issue in an objective fashion. He is turning away from the real issue destroying the lives of many Americans each year. According to the not-for-profit corporation Gun Violence Archive, approximately 13,286 people were killed in the United States by firearms in 2015.

Not only is blaming gun violence on mental illness largely false, it is also offensive and misleading. Doing so increases the stigma around mental illness and perpetuates the incorrect assumption that mentally ill people are violent. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the majority of people with mental illness are no more likely to be violent than anyone else. Only three to five per cent of violent acts in

the United States can be attributed to individuals with serious mental illness, according to the same source.

Not only does Trump fail to assign fault where it is due, I believe he is promoting gun violence. Two days after the Texas shooting, the president praised another man in the church who shot Kelley. “If he didn’t have a gun,” Trump claimed, “instead of having 26 dead, you would have had hundreds more dead. That’s how I feel about it,” reported NBC News. With his pro-gun stance, Trump is fostering the view that gun ownership helps prevent massacres, and gun misuse is due to mental illness.

While I do believe mental illness and the availability of psychological services in the United States needs to be addressed, I think it is clear that gun control is what will prevent so many mass shootings from happening. The best way to prevent these tragedies is to ban the weapons that are used to hurt

so many rather than promote equally violent retaliation. In the aftermath of the 2006 Dawson shooting here in Montreal, the college built a garden to promote a peaceful, safe space and began offering a non-violent communication course for students to take as an elective. I strongly believe this is the type of attitude the American president needs to have if there is any hope of lessening the number of tragedies his country regularly faces.

Following Trump’s response to the Texas shooting, the hashtag #LivingWithMentalIllnessIs began trending on Twitter. This is a positive step towards something bigger. This hashtag gives people who live with mental illness a platform where they can share their stories and disprove Trump’s views of why gun violence takes place. I also hope this hashtag promotes peaceful communication between people and ends the stigmatization of mental illness as a dangerous or violent disorder.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

Comic by Libby Hopkinson.

20 theconcordian

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