The Concordian - January 23rd, 2018

Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper

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VOLUME 35, ISSUE 16 | TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2018

Le Milieu of the art community

A look at Montreal's buzzing Art Hive

Arts p. 9

feature

news

Film as a tool for social change — A part-time faculty profile

life

music

sports

opinions

p. 16

Picturing Igloofest's Last chapter of a If classroom walls A day for all kinds Chime In about of social justice p. 2 mental health p. 7 chilling beats p. 11 Stingers career p. 14 could talk p. 18

news

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

WOMEN'S MARCH

Montreal women march towards social justice

Montrealers join forces in support of inclusive, intersectional feminism CANDICE PYE NEWS EDITOR H u n d re d s of M o nt re a l e r s gathered outside Place-desArts at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 20 fo r th e se co n d a n n u a l Montreal Women’s March.

Organizations like the Centre des Femmes de l’UQÀM , a feminist group from the Université du Québec à Montréal, helped organize the event alongside many diverse groups and volunteers.

People from all across the city joined dozens of other marches taking place across the country, and more throughout the United States, demonstrating for much more than just gender equality.

Demonstrators and representatives from various organizations showed their support for several social justice issues, including the Black Lives Matter movement and the LGBTQ+ community.

At the rally, women from all backgrounds cheered loudly, wore pink “pussyhats” and brandished poster-board signs that featured phrases like, “We love, support and fight for our trans friends,” “Talk to boys about toxic masculinity” and “Respect existence or expect resistance.”

T he largest sign, held up on the steps at the Esplanade, read the hashtag of the day, “#ÇaPassePu,” which roughly translates to, “This doesn’t work for us anymore.”

The march took place exactly one year after Donald Trump’s inauguration as president of the United States and the first Women’s March on Washington, when hundreds of thousands gathered in their respective cities to protest his proposed policies.

One year later, the rally was now about much more, specifically amplifying the voices

Hundreds of Montrealers listen to speakers at the rally outside Place-des-Arts. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

of marginalized communities, including sex workers, transgender people, those with disabilities and victims of sexual assault.

Many of the women who spoke at the rally highlighted the #MeToo movement, which has become internationally popular for denouncing sexual violence and har a ssment, a s well a s voicing support for survivors.

Several speakers in Montreal shared their personal stories of sexual assault and harassment.

Those attending the Montreal rally demanded inclusivity and intersectionality. One speaker announced to the crowd: “If we

do not have an intersectional perspective, we will fail some of our sisters.”

The rally came to a deeply moving and emotional peak when one of the speakers instructed everyone in the crowd to hold hands and chant, “I am on fire, I am powerful,” in reference to Alicia Keys’ song “Girl On Fire” and her speech from last year’s Women’s March on Washington.

Another notable speech came from Nathalie Provost, one of the survivors of the December 1989 École Polytechnique massacre, where 14 women were k illed in an

A man at the rally holds a sign that reads, “Men of quality do not fear equality.” Photo by Alex Hutchins.

anti-feminist mass shooting at the hands of gunman Marc Lépine. Provost sur vived the shooting af ter being shot in the forehead, both legs and a foot, according to Maclean’s .

In her speech, Provost looked back on the tragedy, telling the crowd about how, at the time, she had said she was not a feminist. She mentioned t h at h er d aug hter s were in attendance with her at the rally to support women’s rights.

Demonstrators Anastasia Katsoulis, 14, and Edgar Jose Becerra Granados, 16, told The Concordian they decided to attend this year’s rally because

they believe everyone should have equal rights.

“That’s what feminism is. It isn’t just for women,” Katsoulis said. “It’s for the LGBTQ+ community, it’s for people of colour. It’s for everyone.”

Becerra Granados stressed t h e i m p o r t a n ce o f a c t i ve l y demonstrating for movements you believe in.

“It’s important to go to these kinds of things if you consider yourself a feminist, especially nowadays with social media,” they said. “It’s easy to just say you support something, but you really have to go out and do stuff like this to show that you do.”

Claire McLeish (left) and Samantha Skallar hold up their signs at the Montreal Women’s March on Sunday. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

JANUARY 23, 2018

PHOTO ESSAY

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Women of la Manifestation

An exploration of why people protest against gender inequality ALEX HUTCHINS PHOTO EDITOR On Saturday, Jan. 21, I attended the annual Women’s March in Montreal at Place-des-Arts, where many speakers gave a voice to issues of gender inequality through an array of critical lenses. I asked several people why they thought these protests are important and how it felt to be part of a public gathering with so many people fighting for different forms of equality. This is what they had to say.

I met Rhea Gurnagul while she was protesting against gender inequality with her mother.

“I think it’s important because we need to raise public awareness on issues that have the tendency to be silenced. I think it’s the perfect moment, now, to be a woman, because I recognize the shift, and I’m just so happy to be a part of it,” she said, smiling at her mother. I asked Gurnagul what she personally drew from being at the protest. She replied: “Just complete empowerment. Just pure ecstasy. Like, I’m so ready to march. We’re all here with similar values, and it feels great. It feels like I’m part of a movement.”

Erin Strumpf was sporting a

hot pink feat her boa, a sh iny

gold cape, a fairy wand an da

“[The marc make chan h is] a reminder tha g t anywhere. e and a better world those of us who are are still here fighting to I think it’s a n come toge ther and fe important opportun , and we’re not going ity, as a co el the pow of reinvigo er mm ra individual le ted and re-energized of being together and unity, to ,” v to be sort and it sort el, and I think you fee she said. “It’s empow l that excha of builds in ering at an to somethin n g bigger th ge with other people, an just you rself.”

that allows American ts Abroad Montreal, an organization Fatou Ndiaye was supporting Democra rding to their website. acco , esses proc oral elect in e cipat parti citizens living abroad to mobilize and

Dalia Robidoux proudly displays her hand-made

sign while protesting in favour of feminism and

gender equality.

“I feel like it’s really empowering for you and for other people becaus [...] when you see your neighbour e s coming out and protesting, it ma kes you see the whole movement and you see the community, becaus this is a community,” she said. Rob e idoux told me what she person ally took away from the protest. “I fee l so much more powerful,” she sai with a smile. “[Coming] to this pro d test, I don’t know, I feel like I can do anything, like I can say anything and I’ll be listened to.”

“pussyhat.”

ation of symbol of the fight and the continu “This is important because it is a e thing.

-tim say that this is more than just a one the resistance, and being able to stream l era ms to be most important in the gen We’re not swayed by what [...] see utiful,” bea y uine passion for equality. It’s honestl of popular culture. It’s about a gen she said. ive beyond ple could be more politically act I asked Ndiaye how she felt peo -folds; the answered, “I think this comes in two gathering in physical spaces. She ] to try to l, to reach out to your [community first being on just the individual leve is about fold ular basis.” She said the second get more people mobilized on a reg briefly. only if g with more communities, even organizations continuously engagin ive in act pro awareness known and being more “I think it’s just about making that diffusing that awareness.”

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JANUARY 23, 2018

JUSTICE

Former GSA president's complaint to be investigated

Quebec Human Rights Commission to look into Alex Ocheoha's alleged harassment ÉTIENNE LAJOIE NEWS EDITOR A complaint filed by the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR) on behalf of forme r G raduate Stude nt Association (GSA) president Alex Ocheoha against the association and three of its directors will be investigated by the Quebec Human R i g h t s a n d Yo u t h R i g h t s Commission, according to Fo Niemi, CRARR’s executive director.

In a press release, Niemi wrote that the GSA and the three directors “engaged in verbal and other acts of discrimination, harassment and intimidation.”

Ocheoha, who is of Nigerian descent, was president of the GSA from June 2015 to May 2016. He first filed a complaint against the association and its directors in November 2016. “They were addressing me in a disrespectful manner, they were shouting at me, they were trying to cause trouble at the meetings,” Ocheoha told The Concordian at the time about the directors’ behaviour.

“Discrimination and harassment at the GSA is systemic,” Ocheoha stated in a recent email. “There is a pervasive culture of harassment, and there is no system in place to deal with it.” Specifically, the former GSA president referred to the fact the association does not have an advocacy centre like the Concordia Student Union does for protecting students’ rights.

Ocheoha said the directors frequently found ways to prevent him from fulfilling his presidential mandate, and that their email communications

felt like racial and cyber harassment.

According to Niemi’s press release, the problems “included frequent attempts to impeach him and deprive him of his executive salaries [sic].”

The council of directors— composed of 20 directors—is the second-highest governing and decision-making body of the GSA. According to the association’s bylaws, the directors should “endeavour to improve the general condition of the GSA and of graduate students at Concordia University.”

Emails obtained by The Concordian in November 2016 show that GSA directors responded to their former president’s complaints of harassment with emails that were shared with everyone in the organization. On Oct. 29, 2016, for example, Ocheoha received a response to an email from then-GSA director Rahul Kumar on which the whole GSA organization had been Cc’d. In the email, Kumar wrote: “What do you want to prove from this, Alex? That you are full of shit?”

When contacted by The Concordian to comment on the Quebec Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission investigation, Kumar wrote: “I am sorry I can’t comment on the legal matters, sorry.”

When Ocheoha pointed out that the Cc’d email was an example of ongoing harassment, another former director, Mathilde Ngo Mbom, responded: “Aaaaw the grown-up man feels harassed!

Take your balls out of the pockets, put them where (i.e: between your legs) they should be and stop being a cry baby.” She also wrote: “The next time you show some sense of mental disorder, I’ll send these

Center for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR) executive director Fo Niemi said the Graduate Student Association and three of its directors engaged in acts of discrimination and harassment. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

emails to the police, and they will request that you meet a psychiatrist (by force) because you need one.”

Niemi wrote in the press release that the emails and the organization’s “apparent failure to prevent and remedy the situation over a long period created a toxic culture of contempt within the GSA during Ocheoha’s tenure.”

“I get extremely upset each time I recall the very hurtful experience I had during my time as president,” Ocheoha wrote in a recent email.

The former president claimed the council was aware of the harrassment and tolerated it. “They all saw the email, and nobody did anything about it. The perpetrators came up with false allegations to justify their harassment,” Ocheoha told The Concordian.

CRARR is seeking $15,000

in moral and punitive damages against the GSA “for failing to take reasonable steps to prevent and stop the harassment and abuse directed at Ocheoha,” according to the press release. CRARR is also seeking an additional $12,000 to $15,000 in damages from each of the three directors, and “systemic remedies that include a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination and harassment involving prohibited grounds such as race, age, disability.”

The organization also wants to mandate civil rights training for GSA executives and directors for three consecutive years.

According to Niemi, Ocheoha was willing to settle the case in mediation, but the GSA declined the option. The Concordian reached out to current GSA president Srinivas Bathini as well as vice-president

internal Mohammad Taufiquzzaman, but neither responded in time for publication.

In an internal monthly report to the GSA council in October 2017, Taufiquzzaman wrote that one of his highlights as vice-president internal over the course of the month was “looking after the GSA house and the staff members.” His future plan, he wrote, is “maintaining a healthy environment within the GSA house and its student body.”

“It was very insensitive that people appointed by council to a legal committee, which they created to deal with my complaints, were people who were harassing me,” Ocheoha said. “The GSA is supposed to fight for students’ rights, and not use students’ money to oppress other students.”

CONCORDIA SENATE

Sexual misconduct discussion dominates meeting

Concordia senate also approves four new graduate programs in chemical engineering MATTHEW LAPIERRE ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Student leaders expressed their displeasure with the university at Concordia’s senate meeting on Jan. 19 over what they see as a lack of transparency and action in dealing with recent allegations of sexual misconduct.

At the meeting, Concordia president Alan Shepard apologized to students on behalf of the university and announced that Concordia is in the process of hiring an independent investigator to look into claims of sexual misconduct in the school’s creative writing program and in other programs. Concordia will also be commissioning a third party to perform a “climate review” to look into the culture of the school’s

English department—which has been widely criticized by students since former Concordia student Mike Spry published a blog post earlier this month. Spry’s essay denounced what he called “a culture of impropriety and abuse” in Concordia’s English department and the wider Canadian literature community.

Student leaders, including ASFA president Jonathan Roy, CSU councillors Ali Sherra and Mikaela Clark-Gardner, and student advocacy centre coordinator Stephen Brown, questioned Shepard and proposed new ways for the university to address the issue of sexual misconduct and students’ lack of trust in the university’s ability to deal with these allegations. One of the ideas proposed was the introduction of written incident reports to be filled

out by a professor or an administrator if they are approached by a student with a complaint.

Administrators also announced that a university-wide policy on romantic relations between students and faculty would be released in the coming days.

Shepard stressed that the focus of the university's staff and faculty is to help students achieve their academic goals. “We are not here to date them,” he added firmly.

Shepard also noted that an outright ban on student-faculty relationships would probably not withstand a legal challenge. The school is instead considering a policy where these relationships must be reported to the dean’s office and reviewed to ensure there is no conflict of interest.

According to Shepard, the university is in the process of finalizing a contract with an independent investigator to look into misconduct allegations, but the person’s name will not be made public. The third-party that will conduct the “climate review” has not been hired yet, but Shepard said that person will be expected to interview students and faculty members over the next four months and file a formal report with the university in May. FOUR NEW GRADUATE PROGRAMS The Senate approved a request on Friday from the department of chemical and materials engineering to create four new graduate programs. Beginning in September

2018, the department will offer graduate certificate and graduate diploma programs, as well as a master’s degree in applied science and a PhD program in chemical engineering.

The chair of the department, Alex De Visscher, said the programs are intended to be modular, meaning that graduate students can work their way through the courses at their own pace, accumulating first a diploma, then a certificate, then a master’s, and finally a PhD, if they want. He added that the department’s intention is to eventually offer some of these programs online.

According to De Visscher, the department—established in November 2016—is in the process of planning a full undergraduate program in chemical engineering.

JANUARY 23, 2018

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STUDENT POLITCS

GSA members not surveyed about harassment

Dean of graduate studies says university receives few complaints from graduate students ÉTIENNE LAJOIE NEWS EDITOR After finding that many of the consultations and complaints filed with Laval University’s student help centre, the university’s centre for the prevention and intervention of harassment, as well as the university ombudsman came from graduate students, the school’s graduate student association (AELIES) surveyed its members andreleaseditsfindingsinNovember 2017.

The results: 58 per cent of the graduate students surveyed said they had uncomfortable interactions with their master’s or doctorate supervisor “on a few occasions,” and 16 per cent of students surveyed said those situations happened “regularly.” In November, AELIES president Pierre Parent Sirois told Le Devoir he found the statistics “worrying.”

Concordia undergraduate students were recently asked questions regarding on-campus harassment and discrimination as part of the 2017 Concordia Student Union General Undergraduate Student Survey, which was presented to the CSU council on Oct. 11. However, a similar survey of its members has not been conducted by the Graduate Student Association, according to

Graduate Student Association (GSA) president Srinivas Bathini said the association has no recent statistics on graduate student-supervisor relationships. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

the association’s president, Srinivas Bathini. The GSA’s vice-president of academic and advocacy, Thufile Ariful Mohamed Sirajudeen, said the association would consider surveying its members.

According to the Le Devoir article, students and their supervisors at Laval University sign mentoring agreements (“ententes d’encadrement”) to prevent conflict or discomfort. AELIES’s survey revealed that, in 70 per cent of cases, the agreements had a positive impact on the relationship between the

student and the supervisor, and on the progress of the work.

In an email to The Concordian, Paula Wood-Adams, Concordia's dean of graduate studies, wrote that the university does not have the same type of contract, “as is the case with a good number of universities.”

She added that Concordia has “clear guidelines explaining the responsibilities of the students, supervisors and their respective programs.” The guidelines, she said, were revised last year and are “clearly posted” on the

university website.

The master’s and PhD supervision guidelines each state that, “while it is important to acknowledge that students are partners in the university enterprise, it is equally important to recognize their differential power status, especially as it relates to their supervisors.”

According to Wood-Adams, the School of Graduate Studies communicates the guidelines to new graduate students twice a year, in

January and September.

The guidelines indicate that, if an issue arises between a student and supervisor and an informal resolution is “unsuccessful or inappropriate,” and the graduate program director determines that the student-supervisor relationship is “beyond repair,” the director “must make a recommendation to the dean of graduate studies to terminate the relationship.”

Wood-Adams added that the School of Graduate Studies only receives a few complaints every year through the office of the ombudsman or the School of Graduate Studies itself—two avenues students can use to come forward.

“Most issues are resolved following a meeting with the student where we provide advice on how they might clarify or resolve the situation,” Wood-Adams said. Students can also bring along an advocate from the GSA or student advocacy office, she explained.

Wood-Adams said consultations with the School of Graduate Studies remain confidential, “except in cases where they are alleging conduct that might be illegal.” The final option available to both students and supervisors is to terminate the supervision.

“I should emphasize these are very rare situations,” Wood-Adams wrote.

STUDENT POLITICS

ASFA to join university-wide task force

Concordia Association for Students in English criticizes lack of consultation by federation IAN DOWN STAFF WRITER The Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) discussed its plan of action to respond to the English department’s sexual assault scandal in a regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, Jan. 18.

The federation moved to create a committee, chaired by councilor Taran Singh, which will make recommendations for measures to prevent sexual abuse and exploitation within the Faculty of Arts and Science.

The committee will be composed of several councillors, including Concordia Association for Students in English (CASE) president Debby Gemme and three ASFA executives: president Jonathan Roy, vice-president internal Rachael Hutchinson and vice-president external Bianca Bruzzese.

The committee will have the power to make edits to ASFA’s official statement on the recent sexual assault scandal within Concordia’s English department before it is released.

Gemme criticized ASFA’s executive team for not consulting CASE on

the first draft of the statement. “We think there’s a lot in there that’s problematic,” she said to Roy during the meeting.

“We simply want to ensure that student associations are putting out a united and consistent message conducive to concrete change,” Gemme told The Concordian.

CASE has released its own official statement, calling for the English department to apologize for its “dismissal” of previous allegations, ensure that the third party investigating the allegations is transparent and communicates effectively with students, and update current school policies to address possible abuses of power by faculty, among other things.

ASFA will also participate in a larger task force overseen by the university’s administration. At the council meeting, Roy commented on his Jan. 15 meeting with dean of students Andrew Woodall and deputy provost Lisa Ostiguy, who will be coordinating an assessment of the university’s environment.

“We will be working together hand-in-hand. Not just ASFA and the administration, but we’re gonna try

to reach out to all the other faculty associations and work with the Concordia Student Union so that we can create a task force to essentially look at the way sexual harassment and misconduct and such happens at Concordia,” he said.

Although Roy told The Concordian that the details about this task force have yet to be released, he told council that ASFA will advocate for mandatory consent training for all faculty and staff and the promotion of sexual assault resources on all course outlines.

Roy also met with the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, André Roy, on Jan. 12, who he said is committed to implementing “preventative measures and resources to ensure that institutional changes will be made to ensure the continual safety of our students.” These measures include “policy change, workshop implementation and educational/ informational campaigns.”

Gemme also criticized Jonathan Roy for not consulting CASE before these meetings with high-level faculty.

“We would have liked to have been consulted,” she said. “The

executives, but also the student body that we represent, really would have had a lot to say.”

Roy said that he had met with the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science to discuss a different issue, and had not planned to discuss the allegations of sexual assault. He did not consult CASE prior to his meeting with Woodall and

Ostiguy because the two were scheduled to have a separate meeting with CASE. “From now on, whenever we have any correspondence with either the dean of students or the dean of arts and science, we will be contacting you, and we will try to coordinate something,” the ASFA president told Gemme during council.

ASFA president Jonathan Roy confirms the federation will work “hand-in-hand” with university to prevent misconduct and harassment. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

life

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

PERSONAL ESSAY

I can’t wait for tomorrow

Growing up as a first-generation Canadian and the milestone of turning 24 SANDRA HERCEGOVA LIFE EDITOR In February 1990, my mother left communist Czechoslovakia for a new life. It was her first time on a plane and her first time in North America. She had dreamt about moving to North America since she was a teenager to escape communism, learn English and to be free.

She took one suitcase with her, leaving family and friends behind for the unknown that awaited her. She was 24 years old. As my mother waved goodbye to her mother at the airport, little did she know that would be the last time she ever saw her.

My mother arrived in Montreal speaking little English and no French, making it difficult to find a job. During her search, she came across a clothing store. My father was the owner and, as an immigrant from Georgia, he knew the struggle of finding your first job here. He hired her, and they started dating.

A few years later, on Jan. 24, 1994, I was born. In December 1996, my father closed his stores, left us and left the country. My mother became a single mother in a foreign country without the support of a family.

I heard this story many times as a kid.

Every time I heard it, I thought to myself that, one day, when I turned 24, I would want to do something just as courageous as my mother had. On the other hand, I also think about how afraid she must have been to be alone with a child, not knowing how she was going to provide for her.

Growing up as a first-generation Canadian came with its challenges. I had to go to French school and, since my mother barely spoke French and could not afford a tutor, learning French was confusing. She would use a French-to-English dictionary and then an English-to-Slovak dictionary to explain my homework to me. It seemed to take forever and, often times, we would quarrel.

I also watched my mom hustle every day and learned early on how immigrants have to work twice as hard to be recognized.

She had several different jobs to ensure we had a clean place to live, food and clothes.

We never had a car, but we always found a way to get around. Every day, she would get up at 6 a.m. and walk me to school. After a full day at work, she would pick me up from school at 6 p.m. and we would walk home.

On the weekends, we would travel by bus

My mother and me on April 28, 1998. Photo courtesy of Sandra Hercegova.

for an hour and a half to get to my dance school. She would wait for me during my two-hour lesson, and then we would travel back home together. My mother showed me at a young age that anything is possible “if you’re not a lazy bum,” which is what she still says to this day.

My childhood was full of challenges that my mother and I surmounted together. She

made me fall in love with life, and her work ethic inspired me to no end. According to my mother, as a child, every night before being tucked in for bed, I would tell her: “I can’t wait for tomorrow.”

Tomorrow happens to be my 24th birthday, and I cannot wait to become the courageous woman my mother taught me to be.

CREATIVE WRITING

Poems by Xavier Zubayr Lebrun A creative storytelling series by Concordia students

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

XAVIER ZUBAYR LEBRUN CONTRIBUTOR

SELFIE CENTRED The public circle overflows with keen sheep.

Flocking to the centre where lies the attention, With cameras to document danger and history.

But it is not change that assembles the meat, Rather it is the need to be a part of change.

Records show narcissism rather than slaughter, Unaware of fate, but mindful of weight.

When panic strikes, they slightly awake These complacent sheep barely wary of the wolves Couldn't realize that the wolves they should fear Are not real wolves at all But sheep who had taken up the mantle.

See, the wolves had already perished, Or perhaps they never existed.

These lies extend the comfort that deters.

After all, courage unites and fear divides, And monoliths never break from the outside.

So to divide and conquer and restructure, Some insolent sheep with human demeanours, Gave every sheep the means to be their own centre.

Now they all flock to a common space, Praising the mirrors that reflect the world created in context of their face.

ECHOES A resounding emptiness pounds at my heart.

Confused—I can't tell if it's from inside or out.

I had opened up once before to purge its contents, Leaving the walls scarred and lonely.

The echoes of the past reverberate, And, somehow, I feel it is the future passing away With only three states of time to which I am subject, I wish of a fourth eternal and infinite.

My choices would no longer be confined to death And in between each choice would be an eternity of contemplation.

I'd live every moment twice, and see every beginning to its end, From the sparks that cause light in nothingness, To my ashes giving birth to a renewment.

I could be selfish and careless.

I would be empathic and careful.

With no cause for concern, I'd live through everything at once.

Compressing the universe into my soul, Between these walls scarred and broken.

Oh, how much I could fit in here, Had I not been bound by timeliness!

With so much space resounding and lonely, It's so easy to forget all that could have been.

I had locked the door and paid no mind, To the echoes of my love trapped in time.

Beating for the promise of what's outside, While I long for what I've lost and cast aside.

JANUARY 23, 2018

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MENTAL HEALTH

Concordia, let’s talk about our wellbeing Learn about the university’s resources and services at Chime In’s mental health fair

MIA ANHOURY ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR Last year, Bell Let’s Talk brought together members of the Concordia community looking to keep the conversation about mental health going throughout the year.

They joined forces to create Chime In, a group aimed at informing students about the mental health resources available to them on campus and in their community. With this goal in mind, Chime In will be hosting a mental health fair on Jan. 31—which coincides with this year’s Bell Let’s Talk Day. Chime In—an acronym that stands for connectedness, hope, identity, meaning and empowerment—is a collaborative effort between Concordia students and student organizations, the university’s counselling and psychological services, as well as the Montreal-based non-profit Collective Community Services (CCS). Also among the group’s members are Jack. org, a national organization that aims to eliminate the stigma around mental health, and the Concordia Students’ Nightline, an evening and weekend listening service.

“As a counselling service, we realized that we can’t do everything alone,” said Howard Magonet, the director of Concordia’s counselling and psychological services.

“The more partners we have to go out

The members of Chime In, from left: Howard Magonet, Jillian Ritchie, Alia Nurmohamed and Irene Petsopoulis. Photo by Mia Anhoury.

and talk about mental health to reduce stigma of mental illness, the better.”

The mental health fair will welcome representatives from Chime In and other Concordia services, such as the campus wellness and support services, the Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC), recreation and athletic services, Concordia’s Multifaith and Spirituality Centre and the Native Resource Centre. “The fair will provide a really important forum and fabric to

the community,” said Alia Nurmohamed, a Chime In student representative.

“Often people don't have the vocabulary to even understand what they are going through,” said Jillian Ritchie, a spokesperson for CCS. “[So we] help give them the resources and the information they need.”

Chime In’s goal is to change the discourse around mental health by focusing on a holistic view—taking care of one’s wellbeing at all levels. According to Concordia

psychologist Irene Petsopoulis, the fair will focus on the four pillars of mental health: physical, emotional, spiritual and mental.

There will be activities showing the value of physical exercise in improving mental health. The fair will also showcase alternative methods to talk therapy, such as pet or art therapy, the latter of which is offered by community art studios called Art Hives.

Some people feel more comfortable using one technique to improve mental health rather than another, Magonet explained. The fair will expose students to a wide range of methods so they see how varied the help can be and determine what feels right for them, he added.

The fair’s inviting environment will encourage students to ask questions and find out what resources are available to them, Nurmohamed said. “[The fair] starts a conversation that invites people in a way that is not intimidating,” she added. “We’re at a turning point in the way we converse about mental health.”

The mental health fair will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 31 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the atrium of the EV building.

For more information about the event, visit: www.concordia.ca/cuevents/ offices/provost/cdev/2018/01/31/ mental-health-awareness-fair.html.

POETRY

Writing unapologetically, performing openly What poetry means to the readers at Kafein café-bar’s 100th Poetry Nite show

MINA MAZUMDER STAFF WRITER Spoken-word poetry not only helps the reader share their personal battles; it also helps listeners who are going through similar experiences, according to poet Eliza Prestley. She was among the group of new and returning poets who shared their work at Kafein café-bar’s 100th Poetry Nite show on Jan. 16.

“It ’s a healing process,” she said.

“When there are poems that address a topic that multiple people are dealing

with, you can hear it in [the audience’s] reactions. There is an understanding that someone else feels this too.”

For Prestley, poetry is an art form that connects with its audience in a way that not many art forms can. “If someone else has written it, they [expressed] what you have felt or what you’ve experienced, but you [wouldn’t have] put it into those exact words,” she said, adding that hearing someone else express an experience you have been through can identify and validate your own experience.

Last Tuesday night, Prestley read two

poems centred on the theme of sickness and its challenges. “It’s about different ways that people are sick; how I consider myself sick and how others view me as sick through things like thinking that homosexuality is sick,” she explained.

Mariam Saleh, another reader that evening, described poetry as liberating.

“There’s something empowering in telling a room of strangers all of these deep, personal things about yourself and knowing that it’s okay because it’s just a poem,” she said. “It’s about making something beautiful out of emotions that are negative.”

Poets gathered to celebrate the 100th Poetry Nite show at Kafein café-bar. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Saleh’s first poem was about her journey to Canada. “My first poem was about being care-free, love and being young,” she explained. “I came here to Montreal after living in Egypt, and I just wanted to encapsulate the feeling of summer and languidness.”

Saleh emphasized the importance of words in our society. “I think everyone is a writer at heart,” she said. “What is really beautiful about humanity is that we have language, and the things we can do with language are really amazing.”

Preksha Ashk, who also read a piece at the event, said poetr y is an emotional release. “For me, it’s my therapy.

It’s one of those things that kept me going when there was nothing else.”

This wasn’t the first time any of these poets had read at Poetr y Nite.

According to all three, every time they get up in front of this audience, they can be themselves without judgment.

“I’ve performed at Kafein a couple of times,” Saleh said. “It’s a safe space.

Especially with sharing art, it puts you in a vulnerable position, and it’s not always easy to do it. It’s always great that there are places like these that are made to be a safe environment where everyone can contribute and share [their poetry] and accept and support each other.”

Prestley, Saleh and Ashk each encouraged students to write unapologetically whenever possible. “Focus on yourself and what you want to share. Don’t think so much [about] how others will react,” Prestley said.

etc

FEATURED CONCORDIA ARTIST

LOREANNA LASTORIA Hi, I'm Loreanna. I am a student at Concordia University studying compuatation arts. I also freelance as a graphic designer which allows me to explore the different aspects of design, such as web and print design. I am very passionate about art as it allows me to bring my creative ideas to life. It is very important for me to use my designs to express myself and continue challenging myself in order to break new ground.

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Software: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign

Website: www.loreannalastoria.com

Linkedin: /loreannalastoria

Etc is a space dedicated to showcasing Concordia artists!

Submissions can be sent to production@theconcordian.com

arts

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

COVER STORY

Building a community through accessible art Le Milieu, a co-op art studio and vegan café, is a major part of the Montreal Art Hive network MAGGIE HOPE ARTS EDITOR Le Milieu is nestled on the corner of Robin and Beaudry Streets, in a quiet residential neighbourhood of the Village. It is a small, cozy nook, with a bright blue storefront that immediately sets it apart from other buildings in the area. The co-op art studio and vegan café opened in September 2012, and has already established itself as a community hub.

“We wanted two things; we wanted a space that was not about commercial consumption and that was about community building,” said Rachel Chainey, one of the co-founders of Le Milieu. “We [also] wanted to make art-making more accessible to anyone, regardless of their capacities, regardless of age and all that.” Chainey created the co-op with five other women, after realizing they needed a space to share their passion for art and community building.

She was inspired by the work Concordia art therapy professor Janis Timm-Bottos did in New Mexico. Timm-Bottos has spent years developing sustainable, accessible community spaces called Art Hives all across North America. She has worked to develop networks dedicated to fostering relationships and community building through accessible art and creation.

Chainey described Art Hives as “a network of community art studios,” which can be set up in any public space.

Concordia has been the

Rachel Chainey, the co-founder of Le Milieu, is a key player within the Montreal Art Hive network, which is based at Concordia. Photo by Maggie Hope.

base from which the Art Hive initiative in Montreal operates. Le Milieu’s café and workshop components are not typical features of Art Hives, but they lend themselves well to the community building aspect that is the backbone of the entire initiative. Chainey also explained that sustainability is extremely important to the Art Hive movement. By using second-hand materials, the Hives are not only reducing waste, but are also easier to implement and maintain in a variety of spaces.

Although it has received some assistance through government funding, Le Milieu collects donations and is mostly volunteer-run.

Chainey emphasized that, since the beginning, members of the Art Hive network and the community have stepped up to contribute their services. People from all walks of life are drawn to the co-op for a variety of reasons—be it their love of art, cooking or entrepreneurial endeavours.

At the moment, Le Milieu has about 35 volunteers and nine board members. Chainey said the co-op has evolved “beyond what [she] had imagined,” which is in part due to the rotating group of volunteers.

Members come and go, allowing space for new energy and ideas.

One feature of the co-op that has consistently attracted volunteers and customers alike is its ongoing series of workshops. Everyone is encouraged to partake in the workshops or even host their own. Topics vary based on what the community responds to and what skills the volunteers want to share.

Vivienne Tam, who has volunteered at the co-op since last fall, gave one example of how Le Milieu recently responded to the interest of its community members. A fellow volunteer brought her quilting project to the co-op to work on.

More and more, people asked how she quilted, what techniques she used and how they could get started. She eventually decided to host a workshop on it.

Quilting is just one example of the skills people who visit Le Milieu can learn.

Chainey pointed out that many

A volunteer at Le Milieu and grad student at McGill, Vivienne Tam serves a participant in her kimchi workshop on Jan. 18. Photo by Maggie Hope.

creative activities, like vegan cooking and high-quality crafting, are often only accessible to middle-class people. By hosting community-centred, affordable workshops, Le Milieu hopes to share valuable skills and foster self-sufficiency.

Tam, currently a graduate student at McGill, heard about the co-op through a friend. She was looking for a place where she could donate her free time that aligned with her passions for art and environmental sustainability, and Le Milieu was a perfect fit.

Tam volunteers once a week and hosts the occasional workshop—the latest of which taught locals how to make vegan kimchi.

Even on a chilly Wednesday night, the co-op was packed with an eager crowd.

Tam also works as Le Milieu’s soup chef and baker, and often consults regular customers about what to put on the menu.

She expressed that she would like to see the co-op host more workshops directed at low-income citizens. Her goal is to help them learn necessary skills in order to become self-sufficient and, therefore, more confident. Even in the past four months of volunteering, Tam has seen the impact learning a new skill can have on a person’s self-worth. “There’s so much pride and joy,” she said, describing the environment at Le Milieu’s workshops.

Tam will be leading a dumpling-making workshop on Feb. 16, which is the day of Chinese New Year. For more information about Le Milieu and its events, head over to their website www.lemilieu.ca. More information about Art Hives and their initiatives can be found at www.arthives. org. Le Milieu just launched a blog, which can also be found on their website.

Jeanie Riddle, who completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Concordia, is showing her latest works in an exhibition titled Open Letter to the Women.

According to the event’s description, “the paintings, along with a collection of sculptures, will situate the gallery’s space as a site of resistance and a secret messaging of encouragement, love and community.”

Gabor Szilasi: The Art World in Montreal, 1960-1980 is a photography exhibition featuring works by “one of Quebec’s best-known living photographers,” according to the museum’s website. The exhibition depicts the city of Montreal between the 60s and 80s through a selection of black-and-white images which have never been publicly shown before.

WHERE Galerie Antoine Ertaskiran, 1892 Payette St. WHEN Now until Feb. 10

WHERE McCord Museum, 690 Sherbrooke St. W WHEN Now until April 29

10 theconcordian

JANUARY 23, 2018

EXHIBITION

A place where true expression can happen Dawson College Peace Centre hosts a month of programming dedicated to LGBTQ+ activism CHLOË LALONDE ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR The Dawson College Peace Centre is a relatively new addition to the CEGEP’s academic and community programs.

The centre offers students the opportunity to complete a certificate in peace studies, and also hosts events for the Dawson community that everyone can participate in. This year, Diana Rice, the centre’s director, in collaboration with the Dawson Student Union and the Warren G. Flowers Gallery, organized the month-long series Queer & Peace.

For the next few weeks, Dawson will be hosting a series of panels and workshops, all tied to the exhibition of professional and student artwork.

“Having an exhibition allows students to walk through the space, taking in a new perspective while reflecting and interpreting the work in their own way,” Rice said. “I think that, in talking about these kinds of issues, to ignore reconciliation and social change is shortsighted [...] Art has always been tied to politics.”

Rice explained that, over the course of the year, the Dawson Peace Centre organizes events that offer an alternative perspective on a selected theme. The choice to base an exhibition around what it means to be queer enables people to start a dialogue.

“You don’t have to know about gender/ identity politics to participate. Art allows you to interact with these ideas without prior knowledge,” Rice said. “Art allows for a unique kind of space where people have the opportunity to express themselves freely without worrying about boundaries, which is so important for the LGBTQ+ community.”

According to Rice, various conversations are explored in Queer & Peace by juxtaposing the work of students with the work of well-known, professional artists like Kent Monkman, Dayna Danger and Catherine Opie.

T he LGBTQ + communit y is ver y diverse—a white trans person will have different experiences than a trans person of colour, for example. Each artist expresses different experiences in their work. Each piece tells a story, demanding attention and acknowledgement of the injustice and inequality the LGBTQ+ community faces on a daily basis.

Monkman and Danger are Canadian artists whose works focus on Indigenous identit y. Monkman explores this by

Kent Monkman’s sketches (far right), are accompanied by the work of Dawson College students. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

A painting by Dawson student Yue Feng Jiang (above) is displayed across from Catherine Opie's photographs. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

including his drag alter-ego, Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, in most of his work, while Danger aims to change the way we see Indigenous women.

Also featured in Queer & Peace is Montreal-based multimedia artist Ben Liu. His work is whimsical, embracing both femininity and international diversity.

Catherine Opie is an American photographer based in Los Angeles, and is interested in how identities are formed in response to one’s socio-cultural

FUSE is a collaborative theatre production created by local students. A run of eight shows will be held at the Tuesday Night Cafe Theatre, “a student-run, experimental anglophone theatre company affiliated with the English department of McGill University,” according to the theatre’s website. FUSE will play Wednesday to Saturday at 8 p.m., and all shows are $10 at the door.

WHERE Tuesday Night Cafe Theatre, 3485 McTavish St. WHEN Jan. 24 to Feb. 3

environment. In the exhibition, Opie’s work is displayed directly across from a piece painted by Dawson student Yue Feng Jiang.

According to Rice, one of the biggest problems institutions have is caused by the separation of professional and amateur work. “You can’t have a true conversation and true dialogue if you aren’t willing to break down these barriers,” Rice said.

“Even in the art world, we often get caught up in these oppressing structures.”

Local poets and performers will share their talents at RISE: A performance night for Black women and femme folks .

Performers will include Shanice Nicole, Shades Lawrence, Karine Constant-Déjean, Unyque N. Ether and Jodie-Ann. Entrance is pay-what-you-can, and all proceeds will be given to Third Eye Collective, a Montreal-based organization “dedicated to healing from and organizing against sexual, gender-based, intimate partner, and state and institutional violence.”

WHERE Casa del Popolo, 4873 St-Laurent Blvd.

WHEN Jan. 28, 9 p.m.

On Jan. 23, the Peace Centre will be hosting an LGBTQ+ activists panel. The Queer & Peace vernissage is at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 25, and the exhibition will be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays until Feb. 8. The coming weeks will also feature intersectional panel discussions, a film screening and a performance by local drag queens. To find out more, check out the Dawson Peace Centre’s event page on Facebook: www.facebook. com/dawsonpeacecentre/.

music

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

ROUND-UP

Igloofest helps Montrealers brave the cold The premier electronica music festival is a favourite amongst partygoers TEXT BY

CALVIN CASHEN MUSIC EDITOR

PHOTOS BY

MACKENZIE LAD PHOTO ASSISTANT

Each winter, Igloofest brings thousands of eager festival attendees together in a shared space to celebrate decades of electronic music—a genre which has defined Montreal’s underground culture for years.

Taking place from Jan. 18 to Feb. 3, the festival features electronica acts, such as a Bonobo DJ Set, Izzy Vadim, Joachim Pastor, Kaytranada, N’to, NIGHTMRE, The W4rriors and Worakls, to name a few.

Ice-themed furnishings decorate the space, creating an overall vigorous, worry-free vibe. You’ll hear this every year, but it rings oh-so true—the biting cold temperatures are an afterthought. Though it might sound exaggerated, the festival’s consistent raving energy really gets the blood pumping. With beats on constant blast, you can easily lose yourself in the trance of the performances.

The 2018 Igloofest lineup consists of premier local and international DJs. Always a surefire way to kick off the new year, it’s an added benefit that the festival takes place in arguably the foremost party city in the world.

12

theconcordian

JANUARY 23, 2018

Quickspins

ROUND-UP

The top 10 songs of 2017

The Concordian music staff reflects on the year’s best offerings

1

TRAVIS SCOTT & QUAVO

Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho (Quality Control) The last quarter of 2017 was dominated by trap rap collaborative albums. In October, it was Future and Young Thug’s Super Slimey.

In November, it was 21 Savage, Offset and Metro Boomin’s Without Warning. Now, Migos’s leader Quavo and Travis Scott are finally here with their long-awaited collaborative project, and they came to play.

Unlike the projects listed above, Scott and Quavo have genuine chemistry. On the tape’s best track, “Modern Slavery,” they both trade verses effortlessly. Their melodic voices swap in and out with ease and sometimes they even share verses and hooks.

While the album isn’t filled with lyrical genius, it doesn’t have to be. Quavo and Scott make each song interesting, while the lavish trap production makes up for any lyrical shortcomings. On songs like “Moon Rock” and “Saint Laurent Mask,” the production features subtle flourishes that take on a life of their own. Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho is easily the best collaborative tape of 2017.

11 Trial Track: “Motorcycle Patches”

CALVIN CASHEN MUSIC EDITOR Last year was marked by triumph, defeat and outpours of optimism, and artists across the globe relayed this the best way they know how—through song. Here are the best tracks of 2017.

3. “THE BUS SONG” – JAY SOM

6. “123” – GIRLPOOL

“The Bus Song” not only introduces Jay Som’s excellent Everybody Works, it’s also a staggering reflection on love, friendship and the gratifying solace of trudging from desolate street to crowded bus stop, only to repeat the cycle on a daily basis.

Girlpool’s sound hovers in its own innocuous space, where high school fantasies and dreamlike imagery act as a guiding beacon.

On “123,” the duo peer through the looking glass with a sense of hyper-curiosity that reminds you of how powerless you really feel in this world we call home.

9/10 — ALEXANDER COLE, MANAGING EDITOR

2

BROCKHAMPTO

4. “DNA.” – KENDRICK LAMAR 1. “LOVE GALORE” – SZA (FT. TRAVIS SCOTT)

After spending half a year in our collective psyche, SZA’s sultry collaboration with Travis Scott secured a tight spot in the canon of timeless breakup songs. In the span of three minutes, the duo swap bitter kiss-offs and dissect past relationships while maintaining remarkably complex emotional maturity.

“DNA” is a hip-hop master piece.

Kendrick Lamar takes aim at a culture of misrepresentation and the long-standing effects that have perpetuated such divides. With mesmerizing production coming from Mike WiLL Made-It, “DNA.” is a disarming reminder that Lamar has plenty left to contribute to the zeitgeist, and then some.

2. “MAGNOLIA” – PLAYBOI CARTI

5. “THE STORY OF O.J.” – JAY-Z

Named after the infamous housing project in New Orleans, “Magnolia” is a stunning crystallization of Playboi Carti’s best assets—his natural ebb and flow on the mic and his critical sense of next-generation sounds.

With a Nina Simone sample as its main hook, “The Story of O.J.” tackles traditions of racial discrimination and the diaspora of African culture in America, past and present, all delivered with some of Jay-Z’s sharpest writing in years.

8. “TONITE” – LCD SOUNDSYSTEM

After laying dormant for six years, LCD Soundsystem’s core sound remains very much untouched. But that’s exactly where “tonite” draws its energy. Perhaps the year’s most proper return to form, the track pumps with the flashy tongue-in-cheek irony and existential musings LCD is known for. And after nearly two decades, they still sound as fresh as ever.

9. “BANK ACCOUNT” – 21 SAVAGE

One of 21 Savage’s best standout tracks, “Bank Account,” continues the sinister trap persona the Atlanta rapper cultivated on his first few mixtapes. The nonchalant cadence of 21’s flow lurks with a cold and natural prowess, imitating the feeling of being watched without even knowing it.

10. “EXECUTIONER’S TAX (SWING OF THE AXE) – POWER TRIP

Comic by Libby Hopkinson.

Saturation III

7. “LMK” – KELELA

Kelela’s “LMK” is a nocturnal blow-burner that asserts the singer’s dominance as one of R&B’s most interesting forces. The singer pairs lavish R&B with pop accessibility and complements it with a backdrop of earth-rumbling bass, ornate synths and unwavering confidence.

Power Trip’s “Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)” embraces a platonic passion for heavy metal reverie. The track is a sneering plea for the arrival of judgement day, where the only means of escape rests at the feet of the reaper’s axe.

N

Empire Saturation III is the conclusion to Brockhampton’s Saturation trilogy. Starting in the summer of 2017, Brockhampton burst onto the scene with the first Saturation, a mix of R&B and rap that was exciting, fresh and filled with angst. The members of the group, of which there are more than 10, don’t consider themselves a rap group, but a boy band instead. Saturation II was a return to form and another great addition to the series. Saturation III is a solid end to the trilogy, however, it seems like more of an expansion of Saturation I and II than a new album. Much of the album has the same hard-hitting, jazzy, experimental vibes as the first two, with much of the same flows and lyrical themes as well. There are definitely stand-out tracks here. The opening song, “Boogie,” is a certified banger. The crazy, siren-like instrumental and spazzy flows are exactly what you’d want from Brockhampton. However, songs like “Stains,” “Alaska” and “Team” show that, while the album is good, you’ve heard it all before.

11 Trial Track: “Boogie”

7.5/10 — ALEXANDER COLE, MANAGING EDITOR

JANUARY 23, 2018

theconcordian

13

PROFILE 3

JEFF SE O NSTOCK

Behind the scenes with The Lumineers From humble beginnings to their Cleopatra World Tour

POST(Polyvinyl)

While most artists spent 2017 attempting to carve a sense of purpose into our socio-political landscape, few were able to sound legitimately conscious without coming off as indulgent or incredibly self-serving. The always-humble Jeff Rosenstock stands in stark contrast to this overly politicized era of music. Still, his nervy pop-punk revivalism rings with the confidence of a seasoned rock veteran armed to the teeth with power-pop riffs and enough frenzied bombast to promote communal delinquency and the sharing of cold brews. The Nov. 8 election was a calamitous accident to some, a curse that will afflict the mentality of hopeful Americans for years. You can sense t h a t g r i e f- s t r i c ke n e n e rg y o n Rosenstock’s POST- , an album that crashed into 2018 head-on with righteous conviction and clear-eyed intent.

11 Trial Track: “USA”

8.4/10 — CALVIN CASHEN, MUSIC EDITOR

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

Recently Added

Recently Added

11 USA

Jeff Rosenstock (POLYVINYL)

11 MY MY MY!

Troye Sivan (Capitol)

11 CARTOONS

CupcakKe (Self-Released)

11 HEART ATTACK

Tune-Yards (4AD)

KATELYN THOMAS CONTRIBUTOR Held together with suspenders and a range of feel-good folk songs, The Lumineers are the Denver-based band everyone just knows—but where did they come from? And what makes them great?

At their show in Ottawa earlier this year, Wesley Schultz, the band’s frontman, recounted a time when they went unrecognized in the parking lot of one of their sold-out shows. That night, the band had gone outside to greet people who couldn’t get tickets. As the band approached the parked cars, drivers abruptly closed their windows and ignored them. Schultz expressed gratitude that the people were in it for the music.

The Lumineers’s first single, “Ho Hey,” unexpectedly thrust them into the spotlight in 2012. The song is a blend of catchy melody, hearty shouts and lyrics that make you reflect on the withering flames of old friends and past lovers—evoking both sadness and serenity at once. It’s gut-wrenching and it’s enthralling. Perhaps that’s the draw.

“So, show me family / All the blood that I would bleed / I don’t know where I belong / I don’t know where I went wrong / But I can write a song / I belong with you / You belong with me / You’re my sweetheart.”

The first components of what would eventually become The Lumineers came together in the mid-2000s. After meeting to collaborate and write songs, Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites played gigs in New Jersey as a duo until 2010. Schultz operated as the lead singer and guitarist. He also wrote all the lyrics. Fraites wrote the music and plays piano and drums.

After 2010, the duo decided to take on another member, inviting Neyla Pekarek to join them as a cello player and backup vocalist. Pekarek joined the band after responding to a Craiglist ad posted by Schultz and Fraites. On tour, the group also brings additional musicians who

specialize in a broad range of instruments to complete their signature folksy sound.

Stelth Ulvang, for example, doubles as a solo-artist and the full-time barefoot member of The Lumineers. Yes, that’s right—Ulvang can easily be recognized on stage as the one without shoes. He has been adding to the group’s sound and keeping audiences thoroughly entertained since 2011 with backup vocals, guitar, piano and bare feet.

When asked about the unusual habit, Ulvang said it’s for comfort.

“I used to [do it] in my old band, Dovekins, and I developed a habit I love,” he said.

“I really like playing piano barefoot—at least with an un-shoed pedal foot. I will usually kick my right shoe off sitting at a grand piano even in the fanciest places.”

The band has released two albums so far, the first being their self-titled debut that thrust them into the mainstream music scene and their second called Cleopatra. The album’s standout track, “Ophelia,” earned the band their first number-one hit. The song is about a taxi driver from the Republic of Georgia who was inadvertently hardened by time and circumstance. This song is one of five tracks on Cleopatra branded by a woman’s first name—each detailing a narrative that leaves you feeling inspired, defeated, in love or betrayed.

“While the church discouraged / Any lust that burned within me / Yes my flesh / It was my currency / But I held true / So I drive a taxi / And the traffic distracts me / From the strangers in my backseat / They remind me of you.”

While many of their songs explore the topic of love, the ones that don’t are equally blissful and honest in nature. With two albums full of raw emotion, it might be difficult for someone on the inside to choose a favourite song. Ulvang, however, didn’t hesitate to identify his.

“I love playing The Lumineers’s tune ‘Angela’ for the sincerity and surprising intensity it holds,” he said. “Angela” follows the tale of a woman who has been running away from her demons her entire

life and concludes with her arriving in a place where she feels at home.

In a world where music has become very repetitive, The Lumineers find the true substance of the stories that become their songs. The resulting product is compelling, raw and, above all, it’s honest. Just ask former President Barack Obama, who included The Lumineers’s song “Stubborn Love” on one of his Spotify playlists and invited the band to perform at the White House twice in 2016.

“We were all pretty stoked to meet the president,” Ulvang said. “[We] dropped everything when we had a second chance to play at the White House—it’ll be at least four years until we do that again,” he added with a wink.

The Lumineers spent the past year juggling their tour and opening for Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. When asked about the weirdest thing he witnessed on tour, Ulvang described a time when a crowd got a little handsy in Norway.

“I had never experienced that, as a man,” Ulvang said. “This old sailor who was helping put on the festival sees the discomfort in all of us and just starts linking everyone’s hands in the crowd […] Then we just had a ring of people around us holding hands.”

Max Lenox, who worked as the sound engineer for The Lumineers’s opening band, Kaleo, during their year-long tour, spoke highly of the group.

“The Lumineers’s production design was one of the most fluid and well-executed shows I have ever experienced,” he said.

Though they haven’t been around long, The Lumineers have managed to establish a fan base amongst a considerably wide audience. Their success so far indicates they are likely to continue on this path for years to come, and rightly so. In their own words, “I don’t gamble / But if I did / I would bet on us.”

The Cleopatra World Tour ended on Dec. 13 back where the band is rooted, in Denver, Colo.

sports

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

PROFILE

The final chapter in a hockey story Alexandria D’Onofrio has not missed a game during her five years with the Stingers

D’Onofrio said she could see herself coaching hockey once her playing career is done. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Having been inspired by her brother who played hockey, she took to the game in stride.

“I played AA in atom and peewee,” she said. Atom hockey is for ages nine and 10, while peewee is for 11 and 12-year-olds. “Then, they made a rule that you had to switch over to girls’ hockey once there was contact [in bantam]. So, I had to switch over."

It wasn’t long after making the switch to girls’ hockey that was not common.

-des-Prairies, where girls' hockey ères Rivi in up grew io D’Onofrio left her bantam team nofr D’O Alexandria Photo by Alex Hutchins. in RDP to play on a co-ed team for her high school, Lester B. Pearson in Montreal-North.

She returned to play with the girls’ team in her second year of bantam, while also playing with her high school team. From there, she played midget girls’ hockey until she was recruited to play for the Dawson Blues in CEGEP. “Dawson was a great experience, and I loved my two years there,” D’Onofrio said. “The only problem was that we only had three practices a week, so coaches don’t see you that often.”

In the 2011-12 season with the Blues, D’Onofrio scored four goals and four D’Onofrio (second from right) has five goals and five assists during her assists in 28 games. The team also finished career with the Stingers. Photo by Mackenzie Lad. second in the regular season standings and managed to win the Réseau du sport ERIC BEAUDOIN “A lot of the girls on the team call me the étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) bronze medal CONTRIBUTOR ‘mother figure’ of the team,” D’Onofrio said. that season.

The psychology student has taken what she The 2012-13 season was not as good Alexandria D’Onofrio has not missed has learned through hockey and applied for the Blues, as they finished with a 3-16 a single game in her five years with it to her own life. “Hockey has taught me record in a newly-created top division. the Concordia Stingers women’s discipline and maturity. There’s always an During that season, D’Onofrio scored three hockey team. obstacle that is in the way to make you better.” goals and committed to the Stingers for For D’Onofrio, who plays forward, the For D’Onofrio, obstacles have been very the 2013-14 season. dream of playing in university after growing much at the forefront of her hockey life “Being chosen to play in university, up in Rivières-des-Prairies (RDP)—an area since youth. Growing up in RDP, D’Onofrio being able to stay [close to] home and not known for women’s hockey—has been had the challenge of playing with the boys getting picked up by Concordia is my her biggest accomplishment. early on, until she reached the bantam level. biggest achievement,” she said.

D’Onofrio’s five years at Concordia have been marked by a constant presence on the ice. Having played every regular-season game since her first season, she has established herself as a crucial force for the Stingers. So far, she has played over 90 regular-season games with the Stingers. If she plays every game for the rest of this season, she will have played exactly 100 games in the maroon and gold colours.

To date, D’Onofrio’s best season was in 2016-17 when she scored two goals and two assists in the regular season and added another goal in the playoffs. The Stingers lost to the McGill Martlets in the RSEQ final and finished in fourth place at the national championship last March.

D’Onofrio’s future in hockey as a player is uncertain. However, she said she believes she has a future in coaching. “We run a hockey camp at Concordia, and I enjoy it to the fullest,” she said. “I don’t see myself as a head coach right now, but I would enjoy taking on a consistent role like that.”

With half a season still remaining as a player, the focus for D’Onofrio and the Stingers remains clear—to win a championship.

“I know this is my last year. It’s the most important thing to me that our team finishes as best as we can,” she said. “Hopefully we win a medal. I’d like to top last year’s nationals experience.”

D’Onofrio takes pride in knowing that not many women from her neighbourhood have played university hockey. She credits her parents and the staff at Concordia for pushing her to be better in the face of adversity. Whether it was playing in a boys’ league or dealing with unfavourable seasons, her focus and determination have always been at the forefront in her hockey career.

“I love the sport, but I’m not sure if it’s for me to continue onwards,” D’Onofrio said. “I had five great years here, so me leaving the sport will be tough, but I’ll know that I achieved the max that I could have achieved.”

JANUARY 23, 2018

MEN’S HOCKEY

Coaching team to play with purpose How Marc-André Élement has made the Stingers a destination for elite talent

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COLOUR COMMENTARY

BY NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI

Professional athletes are humans too.

In a Jan. 14 National Football League (NFL) playoff game, New Orleans Saints rookie safety Marcus Williams missed a late-game tackle on Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs. The mistake allowed Diggs to score a dramatic game-winning touchdown with no time left on the clock, eliminating the Saints from the playoffs.

Almost without a doubt, if Williams had tackled Diggs, the Saints would have won the game and advanced to the next round. But Williams made a poor effort to tackle the receiver, almost dodging him completely, which allowed Diggs to break free and score.

men’s hockey Marc-André Élement (centre) has a 44-23-11 record since taking over as head coach of the Stingers

team. Photo by Brianna Thicke.

MATTHEW COYTE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team added another rookie to their lineup to start the second half of their season.

William Gignac, a five-foot-seven forward from Repentigny, joined the team after the new year. He is one of nine other first-years, including defenceman Carl Neill and forwards Massimo Carozza and Alexis Pépin. Gignac spent four years jumping around the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), as well as playing for the Terrebonne Cobras last season in the Quebec Junior Hockey League (QJAAAHL). Stingers head coach Marc-André Élement saw him play last season and described him as “probably the best player in the [QJAAAHL].”

“In the end, [Concordia] was close to home. That was my first criteria,” Gignac said on Jan. 12 following a 4-2 loss at home to the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes. “It was a good opportunity for me to come here for school.”

Gignac currently has two goals and an assist in six games with the Stingers.

HEAD COACH THE REASON FOR TALENTED ROOKIES JOINING STINGERS Since becoming head coach of the men’s team just before the 2015-16 season, Élement has established a new mentality for the team. Head scout Justin Shemie described how Élement has a “relentless work ethic,” and that’s partly why the Stingers have had so much success recruiting players. According to Shemie, the team is always looking for n ew t alent. “ We’re n ever go o d enough,” he added.

Stingers communications of ficer Catherine Grace described how Élement has taken this team and molded it in his image.

Williams made a huge mistake that Saints fans won’t soon forget.

Almost immediately after the game, some fans on social media started making death threats towards the 21-year-old. Some comments came from Twitter, but most threats were posted on his Instagram page. I checked his Instagram a couple of hours after the game, and by then, he had already disabled comments.

He has since re-enabled comments on his Instagram.

It’s really sad to see people personally attacking and making threats towards a professional athlete who made a mistake. Sure, it’s the biggest mistake of his young career, but it does not mean he deserved any of the hate he received.

Rookie forward Massimo Carozza is second on the Stingers with 25 points in 21 games. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

“[The team] really reflects Marc-André and who he is, in the way of how classy the kids are, how hardworking they are, how much heart they put in,” Grace said.

That new image is part of the reason why players like Gignac, Neill, Carozza and Pépin are choosing Concordia.

According to Stingers captain Philippe Hudon, Élement came in with a mentality of believing in the team’s abilities and pushing for a greater goal.

“A lot of the guys believe that when you go play Canadian university hockey, it’s your last four, five years of competitive hockey,” Hudon said. “It’s hard to push every day because now you’re going to university, you’re taking classes, you’re focusing on that, but you also want to be competitive at hockey.”

H u d o n c re d ite d É l e m e nt wit h changing that mindset. “He’s done a good job at coming in here and giving us a sense of purpose,” the captain said. Élement really began rebuilding the program prior to his second season in 2016-17, when he brought in 13 new players. The Stingers currently have 16 players who Élement recruited in the past two seasons, meaning half the team still

has up to three more years of eligibility.

Grace talked about how Élement has taken a professional approach to the way he runs his team.

“He wants everything at the highest level,” Grace said. “He wants his players to perform at the highest level, but he also wants to treat them the absolute best. I think when you’re treated well and you get a lot of respect, as a player, you think ‘this is a program I want to be a part of.’”

In Élement’s first season, in 2015-16, the Stingers went 10-12-6, finishing seventh in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East Division. In 2016-17, the team finished second in the division with a 19-7-2 record.

This year, they currently sit in second in the division with a 15-4-3 record.

“It’s a big step from the past few years and where it was headed,” Hudon said.

“With Marc-André coming in, he’s done a tremendous job at selling this program, selling the school and selling the direction towards which it’s going. You’ve got these players who dominated in the QMJHL, or any other league, who are now coming here because they see the potential of this program to be great.”

Surely the person who is most upset about Williams missing that tackle is Marcus Williams himself.

He was in tears in the post-game media scrum, understanding he made a mistake.

In a situation like this, some fans take their passion for sports to an unhealthy level. Many loyal fans supported Williams on social media, and many of his teammates offered words of encouragement and defended him. Williams is one of the best young players on the Saints. He had a stellar season and was one of the reasons the Saints made the playoffs for the first time in four years. Earlier in the game against Minnesota, he made a key interception that allowed New Orleans to come back from a 17-0 deficit. The team might not have even had a chance at winning without Williams.

Williams is probably going to reflect on the mistake, learn and grow from it, and return next season better than before—because that’s what people do when they make a mistake.

feature

PROFILE

A passion for justice through filmmaking

Dipti Gupta has been teaching for 17 years and directed the South Asian Film Festival

Dipti Gupta, left, interviewing Suhasini Mulay. Photo courtesy of Dipti Gupta.

SANDRA HERCEGOVA LIFE EDITOR “During my 20s, I used to constantly read about things that were happening in India, and it made me feel extremely angry and uncomfortable,” said Dipti Gupta, an independent documentary filmmaker, researcher and multidisciplinary artist. “I wanted to do something which would lead to justice—to a fair society for all. I thought that the pen as well as the camera were two very significant and strong tools that could bring change.”

Gupta used her writing and passion for film as tools to shape her career. In the 1980s, she regularly contributed to magazines and won many writing competitions, but she said there were no university programs in India that offered courses in filmmaking or journalism at that time. While she was studying political science and commercial art at the University of Delhi, however, she met Siddharth Sanyal.

At the time, Sanyal was producing magazines under an organization called Workbench, and he took Gupta on as a proofreader. Workbench ’s office was in the same building as the production company Cinemart Foundation, which produced political and socially relevant documentaries. The company was headed by documentary filmmakers Suhasini Mulay and Tapan Bose, who became inspirations to Gupta.

One of the first documentary films for Mulay and Bose. “I learned a lot said. “All the dots connect now.” Gupta’s Gupta saw was An Indian Story (1981), while working with her. She became husband runs the Montreal theatre a story about the suppression of civil my mentor, and today, she is a very company Teesri Duniya Theatre, which and democratic rights in a democratic dear friend,” Gupta said. is dedicated to producing socially and nation. Created by Mulay and Bose, the In addition to giving Gupta some politically relevant plays. Gupta has documentary focused on a series of challenging assignments—one of which been on the company’s board since incidents that took place between 1979 required her to travel to a remote part of arriving in Canada. and 1980 in Bihar, India where more Delhi to interview a Hindu fundamenWhen she first moved to Montreal, than 30 people on trial were blinded talist group—Mulay was also the one Gupta wanted to work for Studio D, a with acid by the police. “It made me who introduced Gupta to her husband. National Film Board of Canada studio angry and moved me no end,” Gupta He was working as a playwright in dedicated to producing women’s docsaid. “At 20, it made me aware of the Canada, and Gupta eventually moved to umentaries. Unfortunately, the studio many injustices in our world.”

Montreal in 1991 to be with him. “When closed in 1996 due to a lack of funding.

Gupta said she was very keen to you look back in life, you realize that Around that time, “there wasn’t much work for Mulay. “I had seen her work there was some kind of a path,” Gupta work for new immigrants and someone and had admired her Dipti Gupta alongside filmmaker N. Padmakumar. Photo courtesy of Dipti Gupta. immensely,” she said.

Despite her ambition, Mulay was reluctant to give Gupta a job.

She told her: "Do you see any other women working in this organization?" When Gupta replied that there were only men, Mulay said: "Well, then you will not survive here.”

Nonetheless, Mulay ended up hiring Gupta because “she realized that, even though I looked really scrawny and small, I had a lot of guts.” Gupta got most of her training in the field while working

JANUARY 23, 2018

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and being a part-time employee ident of CUPFA, Lorraine Oades, has gives her more time to contribute created interesting forums/micro-talks to other projects, such as the on campus for part-time faculty. “Every festival. “I am growing older, time we get a CUPFA grant, we come and I am realizing the urgency and talk about our research work and to contribute as well as give the kind of contributions we are making back to the community that has in our discipline,” she explained. “This really supported me,” she said. is very helpful.”

In terms of support, as a partAside from the film festival and teachtime faculty member at Concordia, ing, Gupta is an independent filmmaker Gupta said she feels that the herself. Using funding from CUPFA, she Concordia University Part-time made a short documentary film in 2014 Faculty Association (CUPFA) is alongside Karan Singh called At Home supportive and generous when in the World. The short film celebrates it comes to providing grants for over 100 years of Indian cinema in research. However, the research the multicultural city of Montreal. It grants are not very large. “Often, explores Montrealers’ love of Indian as teachers, we end up putting cinema and their understanding of in our own money to pursue the films from that country. work,” she said.

Gupta said establishing connections According to Gupta, even with people has been important to her A group photo with the committee members and organizers of the South Asian Film Festival. if par t-time professors only life and her success. “One encounter can Photo courtesy of Dipti Gupta teach one or two courses, the create a lifetime of great bonds—that is number of hours that one puts what I have learned through this entire who had very little or no Canadian work According to Gupta, teaching at the in to create a course, to mentor journey,” she said. “You just have to experience,” Gupta said.

CEGEP level has been an extremely or give feedback to each student is have love in your heart and respect for After working for a short time with a humbling experience. “I always remember still the same as any full-time teacher. people, and you will go a long way.” few documentary filmmakers, including and recognize how I was at that stage “The sad part is that, often, we are not As for women who aspire to become Martin Duckworth, Gupta decided to of my life as I teach these young minds. even sure if we will continue to teach documentary filmmakers, Gupta had go back to school. She completed a I was idealistic and had huge dreams. the class the following term—so you one piece of advice: “ The key as a bachelor’s degree in communication It is an impressionable age. Hence, we can be putting in all this work for just filmmaker and as an artist is to identify studies and got her master’s in media as teachers have a huge responsibility one term or maybe two,” Gupta added. what inspires you, what drives you. I studies, both at Concordia University. towards this age group,” Gupta said. “My According to Gupta, the vice-pres- think, in your heart, you always know.”

During her studies, Gupta had a special focus on my teaching has always been A portrait of Dipti Gupta, an independent documentary filmmaker, researcher and interest in social and women’s issues. For to make sure that I can inspire students multidisciplinary artist. Photo by Sandra Hercegova. her 1998 master’s thesis, “Confronting and give them tools to prepare them for the challenge of distribution: Women their future studies and careers.” documentary filmmakers in India,” Gupta At Concordia, Gupta’s art forms of interviewed several female filmmakers Bollywood course focuses on the study in India about the challenges they faced. of the construct of mythology—marriage, “I focu s ed on women who had motherhood, masculinity and misogaddressed issues of poverty and violence, yny—within Indian cinema, especially women who were focussing on everyday films coming out of Mumbai. “My aim struggles in society, be it education, through that is to look at this particular social injustices, gender discrimination,” construct and also to break certain Gupta said. “There were so many things stereotypes that exist while viewing happening, and that’s what inspired me and engaging with popular culture from to do my master’s work.”

India,” she explained.

Twenty years later, these challenges Currently, Gupta is working on a are still prevalent. “I just came back new documentary film which explores from India a few days ago, and what is these topics. “I think cinema gives us really sad is that not a lot has changed,” that window to explore and study the Gupta said. “People are making good trends—after all, art imitates life and films, but there is still very little funding, life often imitates art.” and today, many artists are also facing These are ideas Gupta promotes state censorship.” outside of the classroom as well. For Af ter complet ing her ma ster ’s , the last seven years, she has been on Gupta began her PhD studies at McGill the organizing committee for the South University in art history and commu- Asian Film Festival. Hosted by the Kabir nications. However, Gupta's daughter Cultural Centre, a charitable organization made her realize she wanted to work in Montreal, the festival highlights the in a system that would allow her the work of South Asian filmmakers that flexibility needed to take care of her focus on contemporary issues in India, child while doing research and teaching. Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal Gupta has now been teaching in the and Afghanistan. In 2017, Gupta worked cinema-video-communications depart- as the festival's programming director ment at Dawson College for 17 years. alongside her friend and fellow director She is also a part-time faculty member Karan Singh. at Concordia where she teaches art One film featured in last year 's forms of Bollywood cinema. However, festival that par ticularly stood out she still feels sad that she never com- to Gupta was A Billion Colour Story . pleted her dissertation at McGill, despite Directed by Mumbai-based filmmaker finishing all her course work. She said N. Padmakumar, the film discusses she hopes her current work may help communal tensions and identity issues her eventually finish it. in India. It was voted Best Film by the Gupta’s pedagogy has always focused festival’s audience. on exploring situations or moments in “The film took my breath away—with history that have brought about change. “I its stor y, it's beautifully composed This article is part of a series of profiles on part-time faculty at have consciously created courses which shots and the acting,” Gupta said. “[N. Concordia. Our goal is to highlight some of the incredible work highlight and focus on the evolution Padmakumar] made one of the most these professors do, while also shedding light on the difference of society and the community,” she incredibly humane stories I have seen in treatment between being part-time versus full-time faculty. said. “I always recognize that we are on screen, and it is a must-watch.”

This series came to life with the help of Laurie Milner, the chair of ever fortunate to have an education, The work Gupta does for the South communications for the Concordia University Part-Time Faculty and we need to use this privilege to Asian Film Festival is entirely voluntary Association (CUPFA), and Lorraine Oades, the vice-president of create a fair democratic society in as it is a volunteer-driven festival. professional development at CUPFA. every way.”

According to Gupta, teaching at Dawson

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

Objecting to objective reporting When people think of journalism, they might think of gathering information and disseminating objective, balanced news stories to the public. Or, at least, that’s what they used to think.

It’s unrealistic to assume that something as fast-paced as the journalism industry would never experience change. History shows that it has—and that it will. We at The Concordian think it is time to embrace a new change: the fact that objectivity in journalism does not exist. It has never existed.

To be objective means to not be influenced by personal feelings or opinions when considering and representing facts.

To do so is not humanly possible. We are all shaped and influenced by our identity—our culture, our community, our lived experiences. These things inevitably affect how we see the world.

What has long been referred to as objectivity in journalism is simply the perception of the world through the eyes of the people who dominated newsrooms: straight, cisgender, white men. Objective reporting did not mean feelings or opinions did not influence the way stories were analyzed

and told. It simply meant that stories were solely analyzed and told using a historically dominant lens. This is not acceptable.

It is time for journalists to acknowledge the factors that influence their storytelling and to realize that these influences are not necessarily bad things. Allowing writers from various marginalized communities—be they women, people of colour, members of the LGBTQ+ community—to draw on their knowledge and experiences opens up inclusive dialogues and brings different perspectives to the table. It would allow journalists to tell stories everyone can relate to—not just some people.

Of course, that isn’t to say that facts and truth don’t exist. Journalism— or at least good

journalism—should always be truthful and accurate. However, we must realize that even good journalism will never be completely objective. The way we place our quotes in a story, the people we interview, the headlines we choose and the way we edit all come from a subjective place in ourselves. Our thoughts affect the way we choose to tell a story, regardless of our efforts to remain objective. The truth is, no story is objective—and neither are we.

We at The Concordian think it’s time to approach journalism and research in a different way. It

is time that we call out the injustices in the media industry and outline the ways we can begin to improve. Journalism schools around the world should begin to implement courses that discard the notion of objectivity as a defining element of journalism.

The current standards of “equitable” reporting that we are being taught in school are not sufficient. Completely excluding our subjective experiences is not only wrong, it is impossible.

Research and reporting are human activities, therefore, they are messy and complicated. Most of the time, you cannot generalize research. The world is not an exact science. While there is truth and fact, there is no such thing as objectivity or neutrality in the way we see the world. To be better journalists and better people, we must take individual experiences into account. We must look to marginalized communities. We should seek to challenge the power structures in our societies rather than support them.

We must use our research and reporting as a medium for social change, rather than social control.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

UNITED STATES

Trump’s “shithole” comment is plain old racism

The president’s choice of words with regards to immigration contradict the age-old American Dream SASHA TEMAN CONTRIBUTOR On Jan. 11, President Donald Trump was reported to have referred to Haiti, El Salvador and parts of Africa as “shithole countries” during a White House meeting about immigration reform, according to The Guardian. His response came as a reaction to the idea of allowing immigrants from those countries into the United States, according to the same source.

The Internet was quick to erupt with outrage following the horrific statement. Many people, including notable journalists such as Don Lemon and The Daily Show host Trevor Noah are labeling Trump as racist.

The comments came as Haiti was preparing to commemorate the hundreds of thousands of lives lost during the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck eight years ago, according to CNN. According to Time magazine, individuals from Haiti have been under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) since the devastating earthquake struck the island back in January 2010. CNN reported that Trump appears to have ignored the fundamental humanitarian purpose of TPS, which allows people to live and work in the United States if their countries are affected by natural disasters, war or any type of political conflict that would prevent citizens from safely returning to their homeland.

Following Trump’s comment, an opinions piece in the Washington Post argued that American news media “has long treated black and brown countries like ‘shitholes.’”

The news media in the United States has systematically reported on Haiti and African nations as poverty stricken and disease ridden—and that’s when those countries are even considered worthy of coverage in the first place, according to the same article.

However, I believe the news media did an exceptional job of calling Trump out on his racist comment. Essentially, what the president is asserting is that he doesn’t want to welcome anyone from those countries no matter how

qualified they may be, all because of where they come from. A fundamental value of the United States is the American Dream—the idea that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from, you can still make it there. You don’t have to be rich to be worthy nor do you need a college degree.

Part of what’s important to keep in mind is that, not only was Trump’s comment exceedingly racist, but it’s also inaccurate.

According to Vox, 30 per cent of people born in the United States have college degrees whereas 43 per cent of African immigrants have college degrees. Additionally, 10 per cent of white Americans have advanced

degrees compared to the 25 per cent of Nigerian Americans who do. These facts completely refute Trump’s ignorant opinion about people from Africa. In my opinion, the fact that Trump seems to believe an entire country should not be welcome in the United States is the textbook definition of racism. You can’t dismiss entire countries whose populations are not white—let alone refer to them as “shitholes”—and not expect to be called a racist.

I believe there have been numerous examples of Trump demonstrating he is indeed racist, despite many people only now starting to realize it. It’s especially appalling that words such as “shithole” are being used to describe entire countries and continents by those in the White House. For years, African immigrants as well as Haitians and Salvadorans have been coming to the United States and bringing up the learning and entrepreneurship rate—thus helping make America a greater nation, according to The New York Times.

Politically speaking, it would also make no sense to exclude parts of the world seeking entry into the United States given that an influx of immigrants will only help better the economy in the long run. In my opinion, Trump’s racist comment is yet another piece of evidence that the United States is being led by a man who applies policies that will “make America white again.”

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

JANUARY 23, 2018

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SOCIAL MEDIA

We need to have a conversation about content

YouTuber Logan Paul’s controversial video sparks discussion about boundaries, consumer habits HANNA FATHI CONTRIBUTOR If you’ve been anywhere with Internet since the beginning of 2018, you probably heard about the backlash against YouTuber Logan Paul for his video posted on Dec. 31, 2017. The video explicitly showed the hanging corpse of a suicide victim in the Aokigahara forest, infamously known as “the suicide forest,” which Paul filmed during his recent trip to Japan.

The criticism has been focused on Paul’s questionable decision to film, edit and post a video of a corpse, especially since his audience is largely under 12 years old, according to the American video game website Polygon.

Many people have been condemning Paul for the video, from big-name YouTubers like Philip DeFranco, PewDiePie, Jenna Marbles and H3H3, to celebrities like Sophie Turner, Whoopi Goldberg and even Dr. Phil.

According to Variety, Paul himself was the one to take down the video on Jan. 2, and it took another 11 days for YouTube to formally respond to the controversy and cut ties with him. The website decided to remove him from their top ad platform service and ended production on all his YouTube Red

series. This has been an appropriate but unacceptably slow response.

In my opinion, this slow reaction hints at YouTube’s willingness to turn a blind eye to Paul’s behaviour. After all, when Paul initially posted the video, it was reviewed and deemed acceptable by YouTube several times, not to mention hand-picked to be on the website’s trending page, according to Buzzfeed News.

This stings even more given that other creators on the platform are resorting to companies like Patreon and Twitch to get funding due to YouTube’s guideless algorithm.

The algorithm—which didn’t stop Paul’s video from being accessible—has previously banned and de-monetized videos for mentioning things like the LGBTQ community, according to The Guardian.

As for Paul, his apology for the incident left a lot to be desired for those hoping for deeper self-reflection from the YouTuber. He has since been filmed

by TMZ at an airport saying he is ready to continue producing content, and that he has learned a lot of lessons since the controversy.

Unfortunately, I don’t believe Paul has had to worry about his financial situation, despite YouTube cancelling his Red series.

He’s right to not be concerned. Despite the loss of subscribers due to the scandal and outrage from the parents of many of his viewers, Paul’s channel is doing great.

Whatever statement YouTube was trying to make with Paul’s punishment is falling flat, in my opinion. Subscriber increase has put him in the green since his controversy, according to Social Blade, a statistics website, and he is still promoting his ‘Maverick’ merchandise. Despite the incident, many of Paul’s fans have remained incredibly loyal and aggressively protective of him, calling his critics ‘haters.’

In November, YouTube had to crackdown on inappropriately violent content aimed towards young children, according to media network The Verge. It seems parents just aren’t looking at what their kids are doing online.

The extremely graphic video created by Paul has been a long time coming. In his apology, Paul admitted he has made vlogs

everyday for 465 days, and he constantly feels the need to push the envelope for his impressionable young audience.

As much as the blame should be put on Paul and YouTube for letting this disgusting content be published and trending, a larger issue hasn’t been highlighted. More open discussions need to happen between children and their parents about video content. I believe unchecked behaviour on the part of the viewer and the content producer is what allowed this video to be created. As much as Paul claims to have learned his lesson, we need to ask ourselves as consumers if we have to learn one too.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

STUDENT EXPERIENCES

If Concordia classroom walls could talk No more holding back my response to offensive comments

Women have spoken out about this "open secret" before

SANIA MALIK OPINIONS EDITOR

MACKENZIE LAD PHOTO ASSISTANT

“Wow! It’s like Islam is a virus.”

That’s what my journalism professor told me when I pitched a story about a girl who converted to Islam. I was shocked and appalled by her “joke” and immediately felt uncomfortable. My face dropped and she said, “I was only kidding.” But the thing is, I knew she wasn’t.

As one of the few Muslim people of colour in my classes and in my program, I’m quite aware of what my professors and fellow classmates say and don’t say when it comes to conversations about race and religion—anything that might pertain to my identity. My ears perk up when these topics arise in class discussions, and I’m immediately defensive because the last thing I want to hear is something that will offend every bone in my body. I grew up experiencing racism at the hands of my teachers and classmates, and unfortunately, part of me is still dealing with those traumatizing incidents. Part of me still expects to experience it in classes today.

This professor, the one who “joked” about Islam being a virus, made me and my Muslim classmate feel uncomfortable numerous times.

When the Quebec mosque shooting happened last year, she ignored the fact that there were two Muslims in the class. She was insensitive and dismissive, and treated it as a news story or a pitch idea. Throughout the semester, she made me feel shameful for pitching ideas that related to the Muslim community in Montreal.

And yet, I never said anything against her. I never complained.

The following semester, I had another journalism professor who told me Muslim

women usually don’t go to mosques. He laughed about my final project that profiled a niqabi Muslim woman. His arrogant and ignorant comments puzzled me, and I attempted to brush them off—maybe he’s confused, I told myself. But throughout that semester, he also implied that all Jamaicans smoke weed and all Asians have impossible-to-spell names.

I always feel offended and uncomfortable when I hear racially insensitive comments. And I’ve realized I should. We all should.

I’ve promised myself that, from now on, I won’t stay quiet. If something bothers me, I won’t question its level of offensiveness until it’s too late to do something about it. If a teacher insults an entire ethnic or religious group in class, I won’t look around the room to see if someone is as angry as I am. I’ve realized that time goes by fast, and if we don’t step forward and use our voices, it eventually becomes harder to speak up.

I recently had a conversation in which my friend declared his surprise that sexual misconduct, the same thing that sparked the Hollywood mega-scandal, occurred in the microcosm of our university. I did not understand this reaction any more than I did when I opened an email from Concordia president Alan Shepard last week. In the email, Shepard stated how “disturbed” he was by the allegations of sexual misconduct made against faculty members.

As news story after news story breaks, I find myself increasingly suspicious of the surprised reactions coming from the heads of host institutions. The way individual cases are framed as “scandals” undermines the severity of the issue of sexual misconduct as a whole, relegating it to isolated incidents committed by

bad people, rather than a chronic, social malady.

This culture that perpetuates sexual misconduct was created and functions based on the very behaviour now denounced as “scandalous.” If we can agree that women have been systematically oppressed throughout history, then why are cases of sexual misconduct often viewed as one-time, “scandalous” occurrences?

It should be no “open secret” that women have always faced varying shades of sexual misconduct across all professions and within all social institutions. The teacher-student dynamic offers an extra level of vulnerability; I can’t help but feel like I’ve fallen into a terrible trap every time I receive an unsolicited sexual or otherwise inappropriate comment from a teacher who is too friendly for the wrong reasons.

I know too many of my peers have found themselves in these situations and worse.

We often carry into the classroom the same anxiety, the same enduring mentality of self-preservation we feel when walking alone at night.

To deny knowledge of these allegations proves only greater faults in the university’s administration. Women have long been trying to speak out about what has only now become a front-page scandal. For Concordia’s president to say he will “respond effectively when it does happen” and yet only respond when a male former student retrospectively declares remorse for having witnessed it—this only reinforces a system that effectively silences or ignores women when they try to speak up about their experiences.

A thorough investigation is a place to start, however overdue it may be, because merely being “shocked” and “disturbed” is not nearly enough to change an institution and the toxic culture that pervades it.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

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