The Concordian - November 28th 2017

Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper

theconcordian

VOLUME 35, ISSUE 14 | TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2017

theconcordian.com  /theconcordian  @theconcordian

theconcordian

Suit up at Maison Leporem

Concordia student and McGill graduate launch custom menswear service Life p. 9

feature

news

A crude economy: Canada’s dependence on the oil industry

arts

music

ASFA teams up Refraiming history The legacy of with Jack.org p. 4 at the MMFA p. 11 The Unicorns

sports

p. 12

opinions

p. 14

Coaching Stingers Removing humour for 40 years p. 16 from politics p. 19

news

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

STUDENT POLITICS

CSU finance coordinator resigns

Soulaymane El Alaoui is fourth finance coordinator to leave position in less than two years ÉTIENNE LAJOIE NEWS EDITOR The Concordia Student Union (CSU) finance coordinator made his way to the ninth floor of the John Molson School of Business on Nov. 22, asked for the attention of the students on council and then read a message aloud: “My resignation is effective immediately. It was a pleasure to work alongside you all, and I will be available once my replacement is chosen to help him transition into the role. Thank you for your support. Best regards, Soulaymane El Alaoui.”

He then walked out of the room.

El Alaoui cited personal reasons as the cause of his resignation. El Alaoui told The Concordian he made the decision “a couple days ago.”

Internal affairs coordinator Veronika Rydzewski has been named interim finance coordinator.

El Alaoui was elected as the finance coordinator in March. He is the fourth CSU finance coordinator to leave the position in less the last two years. In March 2016, Anas Bouslikhane resigned from the position before finishing his mandate. His replacement, Adrian

CSU finance coordinator Soulaymane El Alaoui resigned on Nov. 22 citing personal reasons. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

Longinotti, was asked to resign by the CSU after the executive body deemed him unfit to act as a representative of the student union.

In November 2016, Longinotti was replaced by Thomas DavidBashore, who was the finance coordinator from December 2016 until the following CSU election in March, when El Alaoui was elected.

Rydzewski said El Alaoui did not warn the CSU’s executive team that he would be resigning.

Rydzewski, who as the internal affairs coordinator is responsible for supporting clubs, often com-

municated with El Alaoui regarding club budgets.

“A large portion of the cheques that the CSU processes weekly are from CSU clubs,” she explained.

“My role as interim finance coordinator will be to make sure that cheques are processed in a timely manner.”

According to Rydzewski, there will be a general call out for students to apply for the finance coordinator position. Councillors will also be able to apply. The CSU’s appointments committee will then “collect the applications and only filter out applications that do not meet the

most basic requirement, i.e. be a registered Concordia undergraduate student,” Rydzewski wrote in an email to The Concordian.

The appointments committee will forward all the remaining applications to the CSU council for further deliberation, she added.

APOLOGY LETTER REJECTED A letter of apology written by CSU general coordinator Omar Riaz and submitted to council was rejected by an eight-to-five vote, with one abstention, during the council meeting.

The request for the letter, as well as the repayment of two plane tickets, were sanctions decided by the council on Sept.

20, after learning that Riaz and El Alaoui accepted plane tickets from Alliance pour la Santé Étudiante au Québec (ASEQ) CEO Lev Bukhman.

Riaz and El Alaoui used the tickets to fly to Vancouver in August for the Student Union Development Summit (SUDS).

John Molson School of Business councillor Rory James described the letter as “frankly quite insulting to council.”

“There’s no contrition, there’s no apology, no acceptance of what actions were wrong,” James said.

In his letter, Riaz wrote: “I did not deem this sponsorship as a personal gratuity or intend to benefit from it. Instead, I considered it as a cost-saving measure for the CSU.” The first draft of the letter had to be submitted on Nov. 22, to be reviewed before being submitted to the student body. Due to the rejection, Riaz must resubmit a revised version of the apology letter.

STUDENT POLITICS

Meet ASFA’s new independent councillors

Newly elected students explain their roles, their goals and their upcoming challenges

IAN DOWN ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR During last week’s Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) by-elections, which named Jonathan Roy the federation’s new president, each of the f ive independent councillor candidates secured enough “yes” votes to earn a seat on the ASFA council.

What is the point of having independent candidates on council?

What makes someone want to run as an independent, rather than as a candidate from a Member Association (MA)? What are the unique challenges and advantages associated with being an independent? The Concordian sat down with three of ASFA’s new independent councillors—two newcomers and one veteran—to ask them these questions. Each one of them felt the advantages of running as an independent outweighed the disadvantages.

“As an independent [councillor],

you have more of a free will in government, because you’re not really accountable to anybody but yourself and to the people who elected you,” said Patrick Quinn, a second-year political science student and VP external for NDP Concordia.

According to Quinn, independent councillors play an important role in holding the council accountable. “You’re there to watch the meeting and make sure that what the executive and what the council is doing is correct, is following the bylaws, is the direction that everyone wants to go in,” he said.

Independent councillors can sit on the council and vote on motions, but they cannot be part of the executive team. However, as returning independent councillor Andrea Gauthier said, this does not mean independents cannot be active in student government. “[I’m] on the internal committee, the finance committee, the academic committee [and] archiving committee,” she said.

First-year political science

Independent councillor Patrick Quinn.

Independent councillor Fatima Janna El Gahami.

Independent councillor Andréa Gauthier.

student Fatima Janna El Gahami said running as an independent can also help avoid competition.

“I knew the chances for me to be elected as an independent would be stronger,” she said. “It’s very competitive, and everyone wants a position in the [Political Science Students’ Association].”

Despite lacking an MA, none of the candidates felt that connecting with the student body had been or would be an issue. “I think [one of] the joys of being a part

of ASFA is that I get to become friends with a lot of people from a lot of different programs,” Gauthier said. “I attend a lot of different events from a lot of different MAs.” “I’m a people’s person,” El Gahami said. “I like to talk to people. I’m very social. I like meeting new people.”

As for the goals they have for their mandate, each councillor was more concerned with how they planned to conduct themselves on council, rather than with

specific policies. Quinn said his goals are transparency, accessibility, accountability and strong relationships with the student body. For El Gahami, her aim is “to be as transparent as I can, and also to represent the students at Concordia.”

Independent councillor Gaëlle Kouyoumdjian was not available for comment in time for publication.

Independent councillor Alisa Knezevic did not respond to a request for comment.

NOVEMBER 28, 2017

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GAMING

Research through video game design

Concordia’s Technoculture, Art and Games research lab brings new ideas to digital life

Pippin Barr, the co-director of TAG, poses in the research lab’s small DIY 3D printing workshop. Photo by Olivier Sylvestre.

OLIVIER SYLVESTRE CONTRIBUTOR It is as if you were doing work is a video game that starts on a retro, Windows-like desktop computer interface. It asks you to write a bunch of seemingly productive emails and accomplish easy tasks. As you complete them, you earn points and eventually get promoted.

Inspirational work-related stock photographs pop up every few minutes. It can go on forever or until you, the player, die.

This video game is a work of speculative design, a field of academia where researchers design hypothetical futures, explained Pippin Barr, the game’s creator. Barr is also the co-director of the Technoculture, Art and Games (TAG) research lab at Concordia, a place for researchers, professors and eligible graduate students from diverse faculties to research video games and design them collaboratively.

According to Barr, in an automated future, computers would replace workers, and humans would be free to do whatever they

please. He was left wondering: What would we be doing if we didn’t have to work anymore?

Maybe we’d always be “Netflix and chilling” or spending our time creating art?

What Barr speculated, however, was that we might feel the need to play a video game where we accomplish work to feel productive again. Instead of writing an essay about the idea, he designed and programmed a game around it.

The TAG lab hosts 57 students—13 of whom joined in 2017—and 21 faculty members.

But when Barr and I met on a Thursday morning, the lab was empty.

“Ten in the morning is a bit early for graduate students,” he explained. “But I’d say, on average, you might see at least 10 or 15 or 20 people in here. There is always a nice buzz around.”

Located on the 11th floor of Concordia’s EV building, the lab is a large, open, well-lit space with computer stations lining three of its four walls. A chalkboard bears the marks of a past brainstorming session, and there’s a small DIY workshop bench with a 3D printer.

In the lab’s entrance, various gaming machines are plugged into a TV. There’s even a fake fireplace to gather around. “We make games and playful things,” Barr said.

“In Quebec [and Canada], there is a thing called research creation,” said, “which is the idea that creative or artistic practice—so for instance making a videogame—can be a form of research and knowledge production. That’s a very big part of what TAG does.”

As Barr explained it, research creation involves developing ideas about the future, but “rather than writing an essay about it, [...] you can convey the actual experience of that future by creating a game.”

Another game produced in the lab is a game called rustle your leaves to me softly. Created

by PhD students and TAG members Jess Marcotte and Dietrich Squinkifer, the game asks players get to know a fellow living creature: a live plant. When the player touches a real plant connected to a computer through sensors and wires, the plant responds with

soothing sounds and poetry. It is an attempt to let a plant communicate.

“We also have completely just straight-up scholars [in our faculty] who write these amazing books, like Mia Consalvo, for instance,” Barr said. “She is extremely wellknown in the field of game studies.”

Consalvo is a professor and the research chair in game studies and design at Concordia.

Her latest book, Atari to Zelda: Japan’s Videogames in Global Contexts , studies Japan’s video game scene and the aesthetics of Japanese video games. “She writes in this extremely scholarly mode,” Barr said.

So how can graduate students

become members of the lab?

According to Barr, “students who are planning on doing a graduate degree [...] have to choose a supervisor, who is going to be the main person who advises them in their process. If that supervisor is a member of TAG, then as an added bonus, they become a member of the lab if they want to.”

The lab does try to make exceptions for students with special projects, Barr said. “If it seems that being at TAG would be really good for that project and they could contribute back to TAG, then they can propose it to us.” But access is limited. “We try to have as many people as we can without accidentally completely overstraining our resources.”

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theconcordian

NOVEMBER 28, 2017

FINALS

Concordia welcomes four-legged friends

Blue Ribbon Canine Centre offers puppy therapy to battle students' exam stress MEGAN HUNT ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Concordia University is working with the Blue Ribbon Canine Centre to offer free, drop-in animal therapy sessions on Nov. 30 and Dec. 6 intended to help students cope with exam period stress and anxiety.

At the Webster Library on the Sir George Williams (SGW) campus and the Vanier Library on the Loyola campus, students will be able to interact with trained, vaccinated therapy dogs from the Dorval-based animal training centre. Since the organization is run exclusively by volunteers, their animal therapy services are free.

While these sessions “are not designed as a formal response to mental health on campus,” according to Concordia spokesperson Mary-Jo Barr, there is significant research to suggest that animal therapy can have positive effects on both mental and physical health.

According to Theresa Bianco, a psychology professor at Concordia, research shows animal therapy can lead to an increased release of hormones, such as serotonin and oxytocin, that are responsible for improving mood.

“Anecdotally, you hear students say they’re having a great time, and they report that [the sessions]

ease their stress,” she said. “If you look at the research, studies demonstrate that it’s improving mood, it’s reducing stress and anxiety and increasing positive thoughts.”

Animal therapy can also be beneficial to physical health by lowering blood pressure, diminishing physical pain and improving cardiovascular health, according to UCLA Health.

Harriet Schleifer, the co-founder of Blue Ribbon and one of its trainers, said she has observed the positive effects of university puppy therapy sessions first-hand. “[Students] come in with all this stressed body language, and the next thing you know everybody’s laughing and relaxing.

It’s a huge stress reliever,” she said. “They’ll say even thinking about the puppies will help them feel better. We’ve had the students tell us they were going home for the holidays but delayed it to be able to see the dogs again.”

According to Schleifer, therapy animals begin intensive training as puppies that lasts between seven weeks and seven months. In addition to traditional obedience and agility training, puppies receive specific training related to the settings they typically work in. For example, puppies are trained not to touch

Concordia students interact with a Blue Ribbon therapy dog. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

any objects on the the ground since, in hospital settings, they could encounter dropped medications or medical objects. Additionally, they are trained to move away from people who are walking to avoid becoming a safety hazard when they visit elderly people.

However, Schleifer said she believes properly training handlers is as important as training the dogs, if not more.

“They learn to recognize stress in the dog and learn to tell when they should take the dog out of a situation, for whatever reason,”

Schleifer said. “I train the handlers and I tell them, ‘You are the dog’s butler and chauffeur. They know what they’re doing, just let the dog work.’”

To ensure safety during the sessions, the dogs are leashed and accompanied by a handler.

When they’re not hosting exam period therapy sessions at Concordia and McGill University, Blue Ribbon dogs visit elementary schools, hospitals and retirement homes.

For example, the Blue Ribbon Canine Centre offered animal therapy sessions at shelters and community

centres in the West Island following the damaging floods last May. In addition to helping students manage their anxiety and stress, Bianco said she believes animal therapy can help people adjust to traditional counselling methods and even overcome a fear of animals.

“It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution,” Bianco said. “But it’s terrific to offer it to students. It provides the opportunity for students to choose how much interaction they feel comfortable with, and can definitely improve well-being.”

MENTAL HEALTH

Addressing mental health issues together Jack.org and ASFA join forces to destigmatize mental health at Concordia

EITHNE LYNCH CONTRIBUTOR Two Concordia student organizations are working together to confront the stigma that hinders conversations surrounding mental health.

Concordia’s chapter of Jack. org, which advertises itself as “the only national network of young leaders transforming the way we think about mental health,” joined the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) in a presentation held on Nov.

21. The event was organized to help change the dialogue around the psychological challenges many students face.

“Creating a space to talk about it really demystifies things and makes it more accessible,” said Dale Robinson, the former manager of Concordia’s counselling and psychological services.

Concordia students Maya Okindo and Josie Fomé spoke at t h e eve n t o n b e h a l f of t h e Concordia's Jack.org chapter.

They provided information on how to assist anyone who may be experiencing mental health issues, including when to seek help and where to find it.

A key point brought up by Okindo and Fomé during the talk was that mental health exists on a spectrum, and where one falls on that spectrum can change o v e r t i m e . T h e p re s e n t e r s explained that mental health can be impacted by a wide range of factors, such as genetic predisposition, a person’s environment,

the culture in which a person is raised and the way society as a whole views people with mental health issues.

The presenters noted that, while one in five Canadians will struggle with mental health in their lifetime, only one in four of them will seek help.

Concordia students have access to a variety of options when it comes to mental health.

Robinson noted that Concordia’s support system is “made up of counselling and psychological services, health services and access centres for students with disabilities.” She explained that these offices work together, like a network, so that students receive the best care possible.

“The services were already good; I think they’re going to be even better because of the fact that there’s active interaction and a network,” Robinson said.

Other speakers and organizers at the event shared stories of their struggles with mental health, including ASFA president Jonathan

Roy. When asked why events like the Jack.org talk are important, Roy recalled the lowest points in his life, saying that he wanted to make sure others wouldn’t have to feel the same.

“You have to go through the low moments,” Fomé said, “but you don’t have to go through them alone.” She added that students should never feel afraid to seek help because “it’s okay not to be okay.”

Concordia students in need of psychological support are afforded 10 free counselling sessions through the school. No referral is needed; students simply have to present themselves to a triage centre at either the Loyola or Sir George Williams (SGW) campus. From there, students will be placed with a counsellor.

Counselling and psychological services can be found in ro o m H - 4 4 0 o n t h e S G W campus or room AD-103 on the Loyola campus.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

NOVEMBER 28, 2017

theconcordian

UNIVERSITY

IN BRIEF

Alan Shepard comments on allegations, fundraising, campus expansion

FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN According to Shepard, the university is halfway to raising the targeted $250 million for its Campaign for Concordia: Next-Gen fundraiser, the largest in the university’s history.

EXPANDING CONCORDIA Following the announcement of a new $52-million research facility to be built behind the Richard J. Renaud Science Complex on the Loyola campus, Shepard told The Concordian he has “ideas of other needs” the university has for expansion. “ Ever y public ins t it ut ion ha s a responsibility to look at options and think about the future,” Shepard said.

But the president admitted the process can be long.

“These buildings take five, seven, eight or 10 years between the twinkle

in your eyes [when you say] ‘I think we should build a building there’ to opening the doors to students,” he said. Speaking about the university’s dow ntow n c ampus , Shepard s aid the universit y is “pret t y st r apped for land,” adding that, “if we were to expand, we’d probably look for new acquisitions.”

FACULTY SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY In September 2016, a York University professor was fired “for allegedly shar ing anti-S emitic posts on his public Facebook page,” Global News reported at the time.

Shepard and spokesperson Mary-Jo Barr said there is no specific media policy, but the university’s academic code of conduct applies to all faculty members, even on social media.

“Whether you behave a cer tain way in person or in class or on social media, those same codes of conduct are in place,” Barr explained.

“If I ’m your prof and I w r ite to you by email, I’m writing to you in a governance framework. If you write to me on Facebook and I write back, I’m still writing to you as your prof, and the rule still applies,” Shepard explained. “If, as a private citizen, not as a professor, I write on Facebook, that’s a different matter.”

ÉTIENNE LAJOIE NEWS EDITOR

Concordia plans to move to a new payroll system “in order to better meet the needs of the university,” spokesperson Mary-Jo Barr wrote in an email to The Concordian.

The university has been using the Empath system since January 1993, according to Barr.

A needs assessment study was done, “including user consultations, and a request for proposal (RFP) process for a new software vendor is currently underway,” Barr wrote.

Empath is used by the university’s human resources for all payroll, benefits and position tracking activities. “There are thousands of users among Concordia’s current and former employees” using the system, according to Barr, in addition to “100 heavy users spread across human resources, the provost’s office, the faculties, finance and etc.”

With files from Ian Down.

GOOD LUCK WITH GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR EXAMS! YOUR EXAMS!

I wish you all the best on your upcoming I wish you the projects. best on your upcoming exams andallfinal exams and final projects.

After the term ends – enjoy the break!

After the term ends – enjoy the break!

Alan Alan Shepard Shepard President President alan.shepard@concordia.ca alan.shepard@concordia.ca

CON N CO CO RRD CO DI IAA.C .CAA T18-43406

“I hate that this kind of stuff happens,” said Concordia president Alan Shepard in response to a question about the unsolicited social media c a m p a i g n t h a t re s u l t e d i n t wo Concordia students being allegedly drugged and sexually assaulted.

Montreal police opened an investigation into the alleged ass aults, however, “I don’t have any idea how the investigation is doing,” Shepard told The Concordian. He said the SPVM hasn’t shared details with him.

The universit y was informed of the cases during the first week of November, Concordia spokesperson Mary-Jo Barr disclosed in an interview with The Concordian . Shepard said the incidents happened “some time ago,” including one last winter. “We acted as soon as we felt we had our facts straight,” he said.

According to Shepard, these incidents won’t change the universit y ’s sexual assault policy, which he described as “strong and robust.”

The campaign is to attract worldclass talent to Concordia, Shepard said. “ You’re tr ying to make great education. It’s a competitive landscape [between universities]. It’s not a ladies and gentlemen club—it’s a free-for-all,” Shepard explained. “We need the resources to attract really compelling faculty, researchers and compelling students.”

T h e p re s i d e nt s a i d t h e m o n e y is not cur rent ly in t he bank , and , instead, comes in the form of pledges or promises of gifts that eventually come to the school “over a 10-year window.”

“We have the promise that it will come in the ne x t while,” Shepard said, referring to the funds they’ve already amassed.

Concordia to move to new payroll system

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

A conversation with Concordia’s president ÉTIENNE LAJOIE NEWS EDITOR

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etc

FEATURED CONCORDIA ARTIST

NATALIA RAMIREZ Natalia Ramirez is most fond of photography, expressing that the medium allows her to capture the portraits of everyday life as well as experiment with contrasts in the textures of her environment. Her photography ranges somewhere between sentimental and experimental, and she uses color, light and shadows to guide her eyes towards her subjects—both humans and their lingering absence. Natalia co-founded Arte Nómada, an art collective in Panama that transforms abandoned spaces into temporary galleries. The collective is dedicated to exhibiting the work of upcoming Latin-American artists.

Etc is a space dedicated to showcasing Concordia artists!

Submissions can be sent to production@theconcordian.com

life

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

A N A LY S I S

Coffee and a spoonful of psychological effects The impact caffeine has on Canadians, and how it became a cultural dependence in our society

MIA ANHOURY STAFF WRITER It’s 8 a.m. on a Wednesday morning, and the first thing you do after getting out of bed is probably make coffee.

Whether you are having a shot of espresso, an Americano or a latte, there is nothing like that coffee aroma filling up your kitchen. As you pour it into your mug, add a splash of milk or teaspoon of sugar, you can already feel the warmth rising from the cup. Finals are right around the corner and, for many students, coffee is the go-to beverage for all-nighters and staying alert.

This is no surprise given that caffeine, the stimulant in the coffee, is a psychoactive substance that has physiological and psychological effects. Coffee is also ingrained in our society. According to the Coffee Association of Canada, Canadians drink an average of 3.2 cups of coffee per day.

Here is a deeper look at how caffeine actually affects your body and how it has become a vital part of our daily lives.

According to the Coffee Association of Canada, Canadians drink an average of 3.2 cups of coffee per day. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

you alert, it also risks disrupting your sleep cycle, which isn’t something you want to happen during a stressful period like finals, Kairouz said.

According to Shalev, the physical reaction coffee causes can result in increased anxiety among people who are already prone to anxiety. This happens when the body interprets a faster heart rate and increased alertness as a sign of danger and raises stress levels. “I become stressed when I have more coffee than I’m used to,” said Sara Betinjaneh, a second-year political science student at Concordia.

Yet many students, including first-year sociology major Yasmin Mehri, rely on coffee to stay awake to study or finish assignments. Drinking coffee to stay up late can work to a certain extent, but too much can cause an imbalance in sleeping patterns, Kairouz explained. “It’s a loss more than a gain when you are not adopting a healthy lifestyle during finals,” she said. “Students should focus on an equilibrium.”

Shalev reiterated that, as long as coffee consumption is moderate, it is not considered an addiction —not until it negatively affects the functioning of your daily life.

WHY IS COFFEE PART OF YOUR DAY? “My day is organized around my coffee,” said student Betinjaneh. “That’s when I take breaks.”

According to Kairouz, “the ritual, the habit and the routine of having coffee daily limits the capacity to remove coffee from our daily life.” This dependence on the drink is also sociological because there is a whole experience that comes with drinking coffee, she explained.

Drinking coffee has become a very popular social activity—when people meet up, it often happens over a cup of coffee. “There is a connection that exists in people’s lives between working or studying and drinking coffee,” Kairouz said. The accessibility of coffee also plays a huge role in society’s growing dependence on

coffee. Kairouz offered the example of Montreal’s Mackay Street, where there are at least six coffee shops.

“I love the idea and the feeling of sitting in a coffee shop and having my coffee,” Betinjaneh said.

The stimulation from an environment filled with coffee shops has impacted our caffeine consumption, Kairouz said.

Easy access to caffeine has also impacted the amount we consume since a single press of a button can make our coffee right at home. According to the Coffee Association of Canada, coffee makers are increasingly popular in Canadian homes with 47 per cent of households owning a drip coffee makers and 38 per cent using a single-cup machines. Kairouz added that the consumerist environment we live in plays a role in people’s coffee dependence as well. Since coffee has become ingrained in our culture, this leaves a looming question: are we having coffee because we need it or because we just walked by a cute coffee shop that serves the best latte art?

Comic by Libby Hopkinson.

WHAT DOES COFFEE DO TO YOUR BRAIN AND BODY? According to Uri Shalev, a Concordia psychology professor whose research focuses on drug abuse and behavioural neurobiology, caffeine typically doesn’t have many negative effects when consumed in reasonable quantities.

However, when a person drinks coffee, Shalev explained, the caffeine interferes with signals in the brain being sent from neurotransmitters to their receptors.

Caffeine acts as an antagonist, essentially blocking the adenosine receptors, which are inhibitory sensors in the brain that calm the body and mind.

Since caffeine interferes with this calming effect, the body becomes more alert and awake, Shalev explained. That is why drinking coffee increases heart rate and blood pressure, and keeps you awake longer. These physiological effects caused by this over-stimulation can negatively affect a person’s mental state.

Sylvia Kairouz, a Concordia sociology professor and the chair of research on gambling addiction, emphasized the risks of sleep deprivation caused by excessive coffee consumption. Since coffee keeps

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theconcordian

NOVEMBER 28, 2017

CREATIVE WRITING

A night in the life of a Barfly

JOYCE CHAN STAFF WRITER

My interest in Barfly started this past summer when I was first discovering new bars in Montreal by myself. At a bar called Grumpy’s, I had a funny conversation with two strangers, who were brother and sister, about the definition of a barfly. Barfly (noun): a person who spends too much time drinking in bars. The brother recommended that I visit Barfly at least once, hailing it as the best dive bar in the city.

I hadn’t planned on going to Barfly this Saturday night. Originally, I was headed off to my friend Sarina’s house, but it turns out I had mixed up the dates of her birthday party, so I made new plans. Earlier that week, I had seen a Facebook event for two bands who would be playing that night. Excited to hear some good live music, I decided to check out Barfly for a spontaneous rock-and-roll adventure.

I got on a bus in front of St-Laurent metro and as I hopped off, I immediately spotted the bar right across the street. Not sure what to expect, I opened the door and went to sit in the middle of the bar. To my surprise, my Facebook friend Steve, who was playing drums that night, was sitting right beside me. He didn’t recognize me until I pulled out a pen from my purse and started drawing a picture of Pennywise the clown. After a while, I noticed that there was another person engaged in creative work.

Across from me, there was a bearded man writing and drawing in a sketchbook. Even though we never spoke a word to each other the entire night, seeing this like-minded individual made me feel less weird. I was happy to be sitting next to Steve since he always has interesting stories to share and he appreciates my talent as a visual artist. We talked about our addiction to tattoos and where he got the fork-shaped piece of jewelry he was wearing.

The funniest part of the night was when my English teacher, who taught me short fiction two years ago, showed up. He commented that he knew the author of the poetry book I was reading. It never ceases to surprise me how small social circles are in Montreal.

When the second band of the night started playing, a quirky and drunk old man got up on stage and started dancing. When he got too carried away, his lady friend grabbed him off the stage and forced him to sit down. There was a moment when time seemed to slow down. I stopped watching the stage and looked around at the crowd of people who were nodding their heads along with the rhythm of the music.

I felt like a fly on the wall, quietly observing the strange mix of people around me.

Even though I was probably the youngest person at the bar, I felt a sense of belonging to this group of strangers who wouldn’t judge me. Everyone gathered there that night was longing for an alcoholic escape from the stresses of everyday life like me.

At midnight, I decided to start heading home. I walked out into the night and spotted the drunk old man outside with his pants down peeing into the wind. A couple laughed at his exposed privates as they passed by.

Spontaneous adventures like this night are important because they remind me that I can still have fun by myself. I seek comfort in going to bars alone to renew my sense of independence.

Going to Barfly was a fun night filled with good music and quirky individuals.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

A creative storytelling series by Concordia students

A UNIQUE JOB. AN ICONIC LOCATION. AN UNFORGETTABLE SUMMER.

Become a PARLIAMENTARY GUIDE Applications due January 12, 2018 This summer, be part of the action at the Parliament of Canada.

Find out more and apply online at

lop.parl.ca/guides

NOVEMBER 28, 2017

theconcordian

9

COVER STORY

Young gentlemen on a menswear journey Maison Leporem offers customized suits made from scratch with charm and elegance

Oghor and Pascalau at the Maison Leporem showroom. Photo by Sandra Hercegova.

SANDRA HERCEGOVA LIFE EDITOR In the world of classic menswear, tailored suits are often associated with older gentlemen, like Sean Connery in his role as James Bond or actor Cary Grant’s impeccable style.

Inspired by these menswear legends are two young gentlemen, 25-year-old Collins Oghor and 23-year-old Claudiu Pascalau, founders of a custom suit service called Maison Leporem.

“I appreciate classical tailoring, and having an opportunity at such a young age to be involved with this industry is amazing,” Pascalau said. “You get to meet so many great people and work with people from all walks of life.”

Pascalau is a communications student at Concordia University and Oghor recently graduated from McGill University’s joint program in medicine and management (MD/MBA). “Dressing up in formal menswear is a passion of mine,” Oghor said.

“Growing up with a mother who is a fashion designer, there was always that discipline that the way you dress shows that you respect wherever it is that you are going or whoever it is that you are going to visit.”

Maison Leporem allows men in Montreal to customize their suit from scratch. This service is offered by appointment only at their showroom downtown. There, customers can meet the owners, sip some whiskey, select their desired fabrics, have their measurements taken and discuss styling details.

“The first and most important part of the fitting is entertainment,” Pascalau said. “You’re not just coming to buy a suit—it’s an experience.”

According to Pascalau, the majority of Maison Leporem’s clients are young professionals, either recent graduates or recently promoted and looking for a new suit.

“We really want the customer to feel relaxed,” he said. “We want to get to know the customer, because it’s not just about selling someone a suit—it’s about knowing what fits their lifestyle.”

After a drink or two and some mingling, the owners get down to business. According to Oghor, the first thing the gentlemen ask their client is: “What are you going to use your suit for?”

Maison Leporem offers 300 different patterns and colours to choose from. The main fabrics they use for their suits are wool, tweed, cashmere, linen and cotton.

To help the client make the right choices, Oghor said it’s important to ask the right questions. “How often do you want to use this suit? Do you want an all-yearround fabric? Do you want a winter- or summer-specific fabric?” This knowledge is crucial to creating a suit that fits the client’s needs. “We want to help you build your wardrobe,” Oghor said.

Maison Leporem also offers accessories including a new collection of Italian ties as well as pocket squares, leather goods and jewelry.

An important part of the interaction in the showroom is the exchange of knowledge of menswear between the owners and their clients. According to Pascalau, when clients come in, they are not always sure what they are looking for. “Seventy per cent of the time, they are there to get your advice,” he said. “The average guy asks for a blue suit, but there are so many more [details] when it comes to a blue suit.”

“Many people are shocked to know that there are over 20 aspects [to style] in a suit,” Oghor added. “A lot of people say they never knew they could customize their suit to this level of sophistication.”

Other times, clients know exactly what they want. “It’s a situation where we let the customer decide how much they want to be guided,” Oghor said.

For men buying their first suit, both the Maison Leporem owners suggest a timeless ensemble. Oghor recommends selecting a suit that can be worn with any colour shoe and pants, including jeans and chinos. “We

Sharing their passion for menswear one suit at a time. Photo by Sandra Hercegova.

recommend to start with a suit in the navy blue or grey family which is really popular these days,” he added. “We always advise people to stay away from black.”

At the end of the first appointment, Pascalau and Oghor make sure they have all of the client’s measurements. The next step is to send the order to the tailors the young men work with. “We work with a great team of tailors who have years of experience in the menswear industry,” Pascalau said. “We really try to make them understand what the client is looking for in order to have a final product that is going to be exactly what the customer had in mind.”

Running a small business as young professionals isn’t easy. “You have to wear 10 different hats in one day,” Pascalau said. “I have to develop the product, meet an accountant, run to the tailor and meet clients.”

Yet, according to both gentlemen, the hard work pays off. Pascalau said the most gratifying part of a day at Maison Leporem is when the client picks up his finalized suit. “When a client puts on the suit, you can see his reaction,” he said. According to Pascalau, he and his business partner take satisfaction in being part of what is usually an important event in their clients’ lives.

For Oghor, Maison Leporem is not about selling a product. “It’s about the sentiments that come from it. Making a tuxedo for a wedding or for someone’s interview for a new job—that brings us a lot of fulfillment,” he said. “It’s hard to put a dollar value to that feeling.”

To book an appointment at Maison Leporem, visit www.maisonleporem. com or follow the business on social media @MaisonLeporem.

arts

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

EXHIBITION

Two artists, two mediums, one exhibition

Deçà Delà: From painting to printmaking, artists share meditative processes in a joint exhibition

From left, Rosamunde Bordo and Laurence Pilon pose next to their work.

Photo by Alex Hutchins.

CHLOË LALONDE ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR “Deçà delà” is a French expression meaning to unite two separate sides, places or ideas as a way of expressing variety and highlighting differences, while introducing a subject as one cohesive matter.

The current exhibition at Ymuno Exhibitions takes inspiration from this expression, and unites two artists of different mediums—painting and intaglio printmaking. Rosamunde Bordo and Laurence Pilon are both recent Concordia graduates, and share similar approaches to their art. Both artists work in layers and restrict themselves to simple colour palettes.

Bordo holds a bachelor’s degree in Western society and culture, and a minor in print media. Her work is inspired by landscapes, topographies and maps. “In my practice,” Bordo explained, “I toy with the notion that the physical act of making is like an act of remembering. Through recording, repeating and multiplying, I use different techniques in print media as forms of documentation that undergo processes of mediation and transformation.”

Bordo transforms her initial inspirations into symbols, such as the arch and the window, two of the most prominent symbols in her work.

Bordo starts by etching into a copper plate covered with resin. She then dips the plate in acid, which eats away at the areas where the resin has been removed, creating an image or template. Bordo has made 12 of these etchings, and each final print is composed of at least one plate. Some are created by layering several different plates. Arch II and

III are nearly identical, but one has one less plate than the other. Arch IV stands out from the rest as Bordo used fewer plates and focused more on the colour. Bordo said she wishes to “emphasize tactility as a way of addressing notions of presence, temporality and change, and use subtle gestures and suggestions to consider broader cultural implications.”

The idea behind the use of arches in Bordo’s work comes from her experience in Maine this summer. According to Bordo, the arch symbolizes the sun. Whether it sets or rises, the sun always encompasses the whole sky.

Its light seems endless, yet Bordo limits it by containing it within a geometric shape in her etchings. One striking commonality between Bordo and Pilon is the size and colours of their work. Bordo’s prints are, on average, three by four inches in size, while Pilon’s paintings are all about five by seven inches. The size of their work renders the exhibition quite intimate because the pieces change drastically when viewed close up or from a distance.

Pilon graduated from Concordia in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts. Her work has received great distinction, and she has been awarded several grants and scholarships in support of her art, including the Betty Goodwin Prize in Studio Arts and the Lise-Hélène Larin Scholarship, both awarded by Concordia.

Pilon’s process begins with flipping through magazines and catalogues, studying art history and music. The musical influence of Claude Debussy, a classical French pianist, is prominent in her work. Pilon urges viewers to listen to Debussy’s music and think of the light it emits when looking at her own work. Like

Pilon alludes to industrial materials like concrete and steel, shown here in Multi Blue (Clematis) and Avant Garde (Peony). Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Debussy’s compositions, some of Pilon’s pieces are light and airy, while others are dark and sombre.

Pilon may start painting based on what she sees around her, but ends up with something completely different. This journey is the most important part, in her opinion. In the transformative process of layering and uncovering, Pilon’s work is muddled with the regeneration of her paintings. That is, she paints over something, sands it down and repeats this Arch IV is a small, unique print of 12 variations. It was created by Rosamunde Bordo this action until she is satisfied. year. Photo The artist regards her pieces

by Alex Hutchins. more as objects than works of art. In her artist statement, Pilon wrote, “my Pilon’s paintings often mimic other paintings-objects can also be interpreted as materials, like cement, sand and metal, as is critical responses to contemporary conditions evident in Multi Blue (Clematis), and Avant of consumption, endless expansion and Garde (Peony). instantaneity.”

“Encouraging in their viewers a prolonged She is inspired by the arts and crafts visual engagement,” Pilon said, “the resulting movement of the 1920s and postmodern objects evoke a sense of timelessness and strategies of artmaking. The artist also listed indistinct familiarity, while communicating the post-impressionist artists known as paradoxical feelings of fatigue and hope.” the Nabis, the set designs of the Russian ballet and colour field painters as specific Deçà Delà will be on display at Ymuno inspirations to her work.

Exhibitions until Dec. 16. Ymuno is a Some of Pilon’s paintings have an intentional joint gallery space and studio for artists dusty quality. The artist allows her paintings Madeline Richards and Ben Williamson, to gather dust as they dry, sometimes even and is located on the fifth floor of the mixing the dust into the paint to emphasize Belgo building (372 Ste-Catherine St. W., this effect. She paints to capture changes in studio 530). The gallery is open Thursday her subject’s form and its relationship to light. to Saturday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

BODIES: A NIGHT PERFORMANCE

VAV X INTERFOLD: FAKES

VIES INTÉRIEURES

Ten Concordia students from an art theory course will be presenting their group exhibition to the public. The performances are “an exploration of relationships between the artist and the state,” according to the event’s description.

The work of seven Concordia students is displayed at the VAV’s last exhibition of their fall program. According to the gallery’s website, the show “explores authenticity within memory, identity and everyday experience.”

This exhibition shows the work of Karen Thomson, an established artist and Concordia alumna. A collection of her paintings is on display and available for purchase at the gallery.

WHERE EV 10-760, EV building WHEN Dec. 1, 7:30 p.m.

WHERE VAV Gallery, VA building WHEN Now until Dec. 8

WHERE Beaux-Arts des Amériques,

3944 St-Denis St.

WHEN Now until Dec. 22

NOVEMBER 28, 2017

theconcordian

11

EXHIBITION

Reframing history with Scattered Remains

Nadia Myre contributes her work to Woman. Artist. Indigenous. at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts OLIVIA DERESTI-ROBINSON STAFF WRITER

Influential Indigenous artist Nadia Myre’s latest exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is part of Woman. Artist. Indigenous., “a s e a s o n at t h e m u s e u m devoted to female Indigenous ar tist s ,” according to the museum’s website.

Titled Tout Ce Qui Reste Scattered Remains, the exhibition is a retrospective of the artist’s work, combining five of Myre’s series created since the turn of the millennium: Indian Act, Grandmother’s Circle, Oraison/ Orison, Code Switching and Meditation (Respite). This selection of artworks, along with the rest of Myre’s body of work, focuses on the retelling of Indigenous history and uses traditional Indigenous art practices and found objects to challenge Western colonial narratives.

After reading the curatorial statement outside of the exhibition, viewers walk through Myre’s piece, titled Indian Act, displays the entire document covered in red and white beading. Photo by Mackenzie Lad. the doorway and enter a large, dark, rectangular room. In this dark room and backlit artworks is both “a barrier that symbolizes the access neverending properties of the universe. space, Myre’s series are nicely moulded visually striking and thematically relevant, to ancestral wisdom that was denied Myre’s latest series, Code Switching, together, with two- and three-dimensional symbolizing what Myre intends to do in to Indigenous peoples,” similar to the was produced during an artist residency artworks covering both the walls and her work—repurpose Indigenous cultural residential school system. sponsored by the MMFA. The artworks floor of the room. The black walls and objects to create light in a dark history.

The Oraison/Orison series, made in this series are made of the collected low lighting allow for backlighting The Indian Act artworks are perhaps up of both print and installation works, fragments of European settlers’ pipes, and the white of the ar twork s to the most explicit reference to Indigenous explores the permanence of memory which were historically used along with have an illuminating presence in the politics in the exhibition. Created with and the impact life events can have on tobacco as currency with Indigenous dark space. the help of many fellow Indigenous our bodies. A large kinetic installation populations. According to the museum’s The longer, perpendicular walls of artists, this series of framed textile works piece, made of a red fishing net, moves website, Myre reclaims these fragments the room are filled with large white-on- takes on the challenge of covering up up and down, mimicking the action of and repurposes them, using traditional black photographic and textile pieces all 56 pages of the Indian Act using red breathing. An oversized woven basket beading techniques as a way of “sparking from Oraison/Orison (2014) and Code and white glass beading. Myre’s piece filled with tobacco—often used in First reflection and building bridges between Switching (2017). The shorter wall to the draws attention to the legal rights of Nations ceremonies—wafts a subtle cultures.” left of the entrance features a looping First Nations people in Canada, which smell throughout the gallery space. video artwork as well as multiple images are so often written over and ignored.

A series of prints depict the white thread from Meditation (Respite) (2017). Across Grandmother’s Circle is a visual depic- stitching on the back of the Indian Act To u t C e Q u i Re ste - S c a t te re d from this are more images from this series, tion of the artist’s attempt to trace her artworks, and are reminiscent of scars Remains will be on display at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts until works from the Indian Act (2000-2002) heritage. Unfortunately, she discovered on one’s skin. series and hanging sculptural pieces very little about her Algonquin side, due Circular prints from Myre’s Meditation May 27. It is located in the museum’s from Code Switching . The large instal- to her mother being placed in an orphan- (Respite) series depict several close-up Discovery Exhibitions section, which lation works from Oraison/Orison and age. In this work, large wooden poles photographs of traditional meditative is free to visit for people under the Grandmother’s Circle (2002) are spread are tied and placed together to create beadwork. These beaded designs are age of 31. For those over 31, entry out on the floor. structures in the shape of wishbones. inspired by Indigenous spirituality and is $15 or free on the last Sunday of The curatorial presentation of the The MMFA’s website describes them as images of the cosmos, and explore the every month.

As part of the Oraison/Orison series, a large red net pulses up and down, mimicking the action of breathing. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

A tobacco-filled basket is also part of the artist’s series titled Oraison/Orison.

Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

music

Quickspins

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

1

BJÖRK

CLASSIC

The Unicorns will never die

The Montreal cult band continues to fascinate nearly 15 years later

Utopia (2017, One Little Indian) Björk’s latest album is sublime, a collection of musically adventurous songs that ponder the apathy and joy of discovering love again. Utopia showcases Björk’s incredible breadth as a singer and an auteur of sound. Its production shines, with elements of birdsong gently meandering throughout the celestial "Arisen My Senses,” to the gorgeously enchanting title-track, “Utopia.” Tracks like these allow Björk to flourish her experimental leanings, while sharpening a newfound proclivity for ambient soundscape.

The album is a personal manifesto about the gestational period of dating, progressing through moments of sheer ecstasy to fascination. The textures she tinkers with in these compositions both confuse and spark the audience’s curiosity, dissolving the lines between her soft-edged timbre and the lush orchestral arrangements behind her. The most gratifying melodies on the album surge with the ebb and flow of crashing waves. If Björk’s breathtaking octave range is any indication, the musicality displayed on Utopia is pure magic.

11 Trial Track: “Utopia”

8.8/10 — CALVIN CASHEN, MUSIC EDITOR

2

JADEN SMITH

Album art.

Syre AYAN CHOWDHURY STAFF WRITER Once upon a time, during the magical early to mid 2000s, Montreal experienced its very own musical renaissance. To many fans and critics, it was reminiscent of the surge in Seattle grunge music, which ruled the airwaves during the early to mid 1990s.

The hometown of Leonard Cohen had become the new mecca of cool, especially among indie rock enthusiasts.

By 2005, Spin Magazine dubbed Montreal "the next big thing" and The New York Times fawned over the city's "explosive music scene."

Among the most notable bands were The Dears, The Stills, Sam Roberts Band, Stars and, of course, Arcade Fire—the band that would come to rule the indie rock music world and win the Grammy for Album of the Year in 2011.

However, one Montreal-based band may seem like a mere footnote of this wondrous musical awakening, having left the party as quickly as they came. They released their one and only LP in October 2003 and, by December 2004, were no more. They were The Unicorns.

Formed in 2000, the band consisted of Nick "Neil Diamonds" Thorburn (lead vocals, guitar), Alden "Ginger" Penner (vocals, bass, keys) and Jamie "J'aime Tambeur" Thompson (drums).

When describing their debut album, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone?, music critics often referred to them as "goofy," "messy" and "whimsical." While valid, these descriptions

downplayed the band’s remarkable ability to write insanely catchy hooks and melodies that resist the standard verse/chorus/verse structure. The jangly indie-pop trio had an experimental streak, but they still evoked a familiar feeling. Above all, their tracks were truly an extension of their unique, hilarious personalities.

Few songs about dying and the fear of it are as fun as the LP’s opening track, “I Don't Wanna Die.” The album also includes a few eerily beautiful, synth-heavy 80s songs that would fit seamlessly into a Stranger Things episode, notably “Tuff Ghost” and “Inoculate the Innocuous.”

"Sea Ghost" kicks off with perhaps the greatest recorder solo ever—it's a standout track that encapsulates the chemistry between Thorburn and Penner. "Jellybones" is an example of the band's ability to mix and mash different tempos and genres on a single track. "The Clap" stands out as the heaviest song on the album, illustrating how The Unicorns were willing—and able—to be much darker stylistically. "Child Star" is the most melancholy track on the album, a reminder that, despite their cartoonish antics and lyrics, this was a band capable of creating beautifully layered tracks.

"I Was Born (A Unicorn)" begins with a charming guitar riff accompanied by the simple, steady and heavy beating of a snare drum.

This leads to a chaotic chorus of instruments and an amusing exchange between Thorburn and Penner, singing "we're The Unicorns /

we're more than horses." They literally whine their way to the end of the song.

The album closes out with the anthemic "Ready To Die,” which foreshadowed the band’s eventual breakup a year later, announced by a simple message on their website: “THE UNICORNS ARE DEAD, (R.I.P.).”

With lyrics that hover between morbidly curious and fantastically silly, this group’s manic energy and the sheer undeniable catchiness of their tunes have made The Unicorns a cult band. While many of their indie rock contemporaries have reached dizzying heights or terrifying lows, The Unicorns came and went like a shooting star, without ever disappointing us. Now that's a unicorn indeed.

THE UNICORNS - WHO WILL CUT OUR HAIR WHEN WE'RE GONE? (Alien8 Recordings, 2003)

1. “I Don't Wanna Die” 2. “Tuff Ghost” 3. “Ghost Mountain” 4. “Sea Ghost” 5. “Jellybones” 6. “The Clap” 7. “Child Star” 8. “Let's Get Known” 9. “I Was Born (A Unicorn)” 10. “Tuff Luff” 11. “Inoculate the Innocuous” 12. “Les Os” 13. “Ready to Die"

(2017, Roc Nation/MSFTS Music) Social media icon and child of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Jaden Smith, released an album—and oh my God, sound the alarms, it’s actually good. The album’s epic opening, “B,” comes in with beautiful vocals sung by Princess Pia Mia, which then transition into hard-hitting vocals sung by Smith. The album is a mixed bag of trap, rock and jazzy, progressive instrumentals that appeal to every musical palette. Even Smith himself is impressive, riding each beat to per fection and delivering thought-provoking and introspective lyrics.

Smith’s past antics on social media and in the public eye might turn you away from this project, but don’t let them. Syre is surprisingly one of the best rap albums released this year and shatters every expectation. While the album’s second half lacks in hard-hitting tracks compared to the first, Syre is a satisfying listen with plenty of style for everyone to enjoy.

11 Trial Track: “Batman”

8.5/10 — ALEXANDER COLE, MANAGING EDITOR

NOVEMBER 28, 2017

theconcordian

13

LOCAL MUSIC 3

88 GLAM

Mothland bridges art and music The booking company’s inaugural performance went off without a hitch

88 Glam (2017, XO)

After recently signing to The Weeknd’s XO label, 88 Glam, a rap duo comprising Toronto artists 88 Camino and Derek Wise, released their debut project. The album is a buttery smooth mix of rap and R&B that sees Wise do the heavy lifting in terms of rap, while 88 Camino brings in the melodic verses. The album’s breakout single, “Bali,” featuring fellow XO artist NAV, is a great party song with a catchy-as-hell hook from 88 Camino and some pretty standout verses from Wise and NAV. However, while the album is smooth and has no real faults, none of these songs really stand out. “Ricardo” and “12,” the first two tracks on the album, reel you in. After “Bali,” the project sort of falls flat, leaving you wanting more. The dark and gloomy trap production does nothing to support Camino and Wise’s flows, making the album a little boring.

11 Trial Track: “Bali” ft. NAV

5/10 Courtesy of Mothland.

— ALEXANDER COLE, MANAGING EDITOR

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

Recently Added

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11 ARISEN MY SENSES Björk (One Little Indian) 11 UTOPIA Björk (One Little Indian) 11 SAIL ON! Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

(Daptone Records)

CHARLES FRETIER-GAUVIN STAFF WRITER A frenzy broke out at La Salla Rossa during the final song of Paul Jacobs’ rollicking set on Nov. 17. “This is a new song,” introduced Jacobs in his deadpanning drawl before launching into a fuzz-laden, garagey jam performed in his instantly recognizable style.

As the song came to a close, the band, in a move that would have put a smile on Bo Diddley’s face, dropped their instruments and picked up maracas, launching into a bouncy percussive jam. Inviting the crowd to join them, the venue’s large stage rapidly filled up with entranced concertgoers dancing and clapping to the rhythm. The sense of community was overwhelming and made even the most isolated people feel part of something.

Mothland is Montreal's newest booking company, and Jacobs’ sold-out showcase, part of the M pour Montréal festival, was their grand debut. Formally conceived in the summer of 2017 by a handful of stalwarts of Montreal’s local music scene, Mothland serves as a loosely extended arm of Distorsion, an annual local psychedelic music festival entering its third year. While they stress their relaxed organizational structure, the Mothland founders admit that, if somebody were to be considered at the helm of the organization, it would be Marilyne Lacombe.

“I actually wake up in the morning,” Lacombe said, poking fun at her colleagues when we met for lunch at Casa del Popolo the afternoon before the show, we were joined by Philippe Larocque and Nasir Hasan, invaluable members of the Mothland family.

“I’ve been working in festivals and music for a while,” Lacombe added.

Lacombe is the co-founder of Montreal’s annual Taverne Tour festival, which will be holding its third edition in February. She also played a key role in sending Sunwatchers and Paul Jacobs to this summer’s lauded Emergin Music Festival in Rouyn-Noranda, Que., as part of the Distorsion showcase.

Her responsibilities at Mothland, however, are entirely different. “She once vulgarised it well,” Hasan told me. “Distorsion is buying; Mothland is selling.”

Fueled by their unassailable love for music and slight insanity, Mothland is run by the people, for the people. “The idea behind this is to bring better music to more people,” Lacombe said. “It’s really about building bridges between scenes.”

In order to achieve this, they emphasize their quasi-communist approach to artist management, which vehemently veers away from the corporate, impersonal attitude they feel often dictates how other booking companies manage their artists. This requires staying active in the scene and working closely with their artists. “We’ve got a family vibe,” Lacombe said. “There are no boundaries.

We all do everything together.”

A mainstay in Montreal’s excitingly diverse underground music scene, Jacobs has been sharing his unique brand of grunge psychedelia for over four years. Though he rose to fame as a one-man band, he recently made the switch to a more conventional full-band format, which emphasized the overblown textures displayed on his most recent LP, Pictures, Movies & Apartments. He also acts as a third of Mothland’s original core of artists, alongside the other two groups that shared the bill that night at La Salla Rossa—New York-based virtuosic jammers Yonatan Gat, and Atsuko Chiba, a local group whose calculated experimental sound defies words.

Mothland’s roster is unique in and of itself, composed of over a dozen artists hailing mostly from Montreal, as well as New York, Memphis and Detroit. “Basically all the bands on Mothland were bands that we were working with quite a bit already before [the company’s creation],” Lacombe said. Though the roster is an eclectic one, with artists from all ends of the sonic spectrum, they are all ultimately allied by what Lacombe calls “the psychedelic approach.”

“For us, it's not a sound—it's an approach,” Lacombe said. “It could be the content, the lyrics or how you present it.” This emphasis on diversity and the importance of the “psychedelic ideology” also explains their decision to include visual artists on the roster.

M for Montreal’s showcase, especially Yonatan Gat’s set, surely embodied this approach. With the band gathered in the centre of the room surrounded by the crowd, the venue suddenly shapeshifted into a sort of psychedelic arena. The crowd itself morphed into something unrecognizable.

The rough-and-tumble spirit, which had accumulated during Jacobs’ set, quickly turned into a mesmerizing serenity which took over the audience. As the Yonatan Gat trio sailed through a dizzying set of pulsating psychedelia, the audience began to notice the more elegantly dressed members of the crowd swaying to the music. Though the audience had just noticed these people, they had been there the entire show, floating along with the night as it subtly contorted.

While the trio did not necessarily top the previous performances, they managed to completely transform the night, proving that the proper space is all it takes to build something beautiful.

And supplying that space is exactly what Mothland is doing.

feature

ENVIRONMENT

A crude economy: Canada’s dependence on the oil industry Plans to lower greenhouse gas emissions while expanding the fossil fuel industry SAVANNA CRAIG SENIOR CORRESPONDENT Thick, sticky, black crude oil infused with sand could realistically be considered Alberta’s lifeblood. Canada’s lust for this natural resource keeps the nation from successfully meeting lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emission goals.

Every day, 2.5 million barrels of the substance are pumped out of Alberta’s land, according to a report released by the Pembina Institute, a Canadian non-profit think-tank.

The tar sands account for 140,000 square kilometres of the province’s territory—a slice of land larger than England and only slightly smaller than the state of Florida.

“The oil sands are a key part of the economic growth potential for Canada,” said Amberly Dooley, the manager of the oil sands for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP). A driving force of this growth is the demand from the United States, which purchased 3,228 million of the 3,867 million barrels produced across Canada daily in 2016, according to CAPP. Dooley claimed the oil sands will play a key role in

the country’s economic future and projected a 53 per cent increase in output by 2030.

Canada’s dependence on oil as a significant export puts a lot of pressure on the country’s economy—as shown by the matching fluctuation of the price of oil and the Canadian dollar.

“Our dollar is coupled to the price of oil and that’s no coincidence,” said Daniel Horen Greenford, a Concordia PhD student investigating Canada's impact on climate change. He is looking at how, by exporting oil, Canada drives oil consumption and GHG outside its borders. According to Horen Greenford, the price of oil and the Canadian dollar have been in sync for about a decade, although Global News claims the trend began as early as 2003. The cause, according to the news outlet, was a rise in the price of oil coupled with a heightened demand from major economies, like the United States and China.

According to Horen Greenford, Canada’s investment in the oil industry over the last decade has made the country’s economy “volatile,” despite only accounting for two per cent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). The same can be said for the job market within this industry.

While the national

unemployment rate rose to 6.3 per cent in 2014, the rate in Alberta dropped to 4.4 per cent after the province created 63,700 new jobs that year, according to Statistics Canada. Yet in the first month of 2015 alone, the price of oil plummeted from US$53 to US$31.45 a barrel, reported CTV News. The unemployment rate in Alberta spiked as the province lost 19,600 jobs in 2015—the province’s largest hit since 1982, according to the same source.

By November 2016, Statistics Canada reported that the province’s unemployment rate had peaked at nine per cent. A rise in the price of oil the following year, however, led to the creation of 12,000 new jobs in Alberta, lowering unemployment to 7.8 per cent.

Despite the roller-coaster tendencies of Canada’s oil industry, the allure of employment stems from its potential prosperity. In 2014, the annual salary for newly graduated engineers working in Alberta was $80,000, while employees in senior executive positions earned up to $380,000, according to Oil Sands Magazine.

According to Peter Graham, a professor at Concordia’s School of Community and Public Affairs, the appeal is based on more than just the salary. “Under the current economic regime, the aspect of having a job

and being productive is a critical aspect of identity,” he said. As such, “when unemployment rates go up, suicide rates generally follow.”

Amid the significant drop in oil price in 2015 and the subsequent job losses, CBC News reported that 30 per cent more Albertans committed suicide in the first half of the year compared to the same period in 2014.

CANADA’S GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS In November, more than 15,000 members of the global scientific community published a letter in the peer-reviewed journal BioScience, titled “World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity: A Second Notice.” The letter was a follow-up to an appeal written in 1992 by more than 1,700 independent scientists, which urged a drastic change in environmentally destructive practices in order to avoid “vast human misery.”

The recent version of the letter revisits the 1992 warning and emphasizes the global community’s shortcomings in the decades since.

“Humanity has failed to make sufficient progress in generally solving these foreseen environmental challenges, and alarmingly, most of them are getting far worse,” the letter reads. “Soon it will be too late to shift course away from our failing trajectory, and time is running out.”

NOVEMBER 28, 2017

Despite Canada’s agreement to reduce its GHG emission levels by 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030, the country plans to expand its fossil fuel industry.

From 2014 to 2015, national emission levels only decreased by five megatonnes—from 727 to 722, the National Post reported.

This is a far cry from the 2030 target of 523 megatonnes.

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, the entire oil and gas sector is the nation's largest GHG emitter in 2015, responsible for 26 per cent of the country's emissions. Alberta’s oil sands alone represented 9.8 per cent of these emissions. Close behind was the transportation sector—which relies heavily on the fossil fuel industry—at 24 per cent.

Yet, in 2014, the federal government had approved 81 tar sands mining projects scheduled to begin between that year and 2020, according to the Pembina Institute report. At that time, there were also 74 projects in the application stages and 56 more announced for after 2030. Taking into account that not all of the planned projects will proceed, the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers still predicts that, by 2030, oil sands production levels will rise from the 2014 rate of 2.5 million barrels per day to 4.8 million, according to the Pembina report.

As such, it seems reasonable that the Ottawa Citizen reported that oil sands emissions are expected to be responsible for more than half of the total 124 per cent increase in Canada’s GHG output between 2010 and 2030.

“At some point, people will wake up and realize we have a choice: get off fossils fuels or face a very grim—and possibly terminal—future as a species,” said Concordia’s professor Graham. “This means that long-term investments in fossil fuel infrastructure is beyond greedy and stupid—it is suicidal.”

Graham stressed that closing Canada’s oil sands would not only greatly reduce the country’s emission levels, it would also put Canada in “a much better position to exert moral persuasion over countries to cut their emissions and close their mining operations.”

Yet CAPP manager Dooley claims the oil sands are only one piece of the puzzle, since the transportation and industrial sectors are also large GHG emitters. “The oil sands

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industry is probably one of the leaders in developing technology innovations to help look at reducing the GHG created by the operations in Northern Alberta,” she added.

PUSHING AWAY FROM THE OIL ECONOMY As of 2015, there were more employees in the global renewable energy sector than the oil and gas sector, according to the Huffington Post. While renewable energy jobs worldwide totalled 8.1 million in 2015, the oil and gas sector lost 250,000 jobs that same year.

Relying on hydropower as well as wind, geothermal, biomass and solar energy, Costa Rica survived on 100 per cent renewable energy for 300 days this year, according to The Independent.

Legislators in Hawaii and California have also set goals to make their states 100 per cent reliant on renewable energy by 2045.

In 2015, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven pledged to make his country "the first fossil-free welfare state in the world," and announced a US$546-million action plan for renewable energy and climate change, according to Global Research, a Montreal-based centre for research on globalization.

Even oil-giant Saudi Arabia has been making efforts to diversify the country's economy and reduce its dependency on oil, according to The Washington Post.

In Canada, there were 36,000 employees working in the renewable energy sector, the International Renewable Energy Agency reported last year. Yet, while Canada is the world’s seventh-largest manufacturer of wind energy, 43 per cent of the country’s energy production still comes from crude oil and another 33 per cent from natural gas, according to Natural Resources Canada’s 2016-17 “Energy Fact Book” report.

There are, nonetheless, some sustainable initiatives taking place across the country.

Ontario, for example, has become a large producer of wind energy and has reduced operations of coal-fired power plants. In Quebec, Hydro-Québec produces 99 per cent of its electricity using water, which significantly lowers the province’s GHG emissions, according to the company's website.

According to Natural Resources Canada, 96 per cent of Quebec’s energy in 2010 was generated using hydropower. Yet, on

a regional basis, Quebec only generates 4.1 per cent of Canada’s total energy, while Alberta produces 62.8 per cent on average, according to the same source.

“We have the technology but not the political will to move towards greener cities,” said Ricardo Duenez, a Concordia professor in the geography, planning and environment department.

“Fossil fuels are not economically viable anymore,” Graham said. “They’re not good for the economy.” The reason alternative, solar and wind energies are not a bigger part of Canada’s energy production, the Concordia professor explained, is because of a widespread anxiety induced by capitalism that generates an excessive need for natural resources and fear about a reality without these goods.

“Government will not lead—only follow. The days of heroic and enlightened politicians is over,” Graham said.

“Politics has become a career, not a calling. Scientists especially need to re-imagine their role in society.”

Echoing this sentiment, Duenez emphasized the smaller-scale changes that can be made by individual Canadians. As an example, he cited the city-wide compost system that Montreal began expanding on in 2015, with the goal of having every household in the city compost by 2019.

“We need to think of what ways we can live together with nature while having

a happy lifestyle,” Duenez said. The key, he added, is accepting that we need to learn to live with less.

“Montreal should look around the world for examples,” Duenez said, using Asia’s vertical farming industry as an example. Instead of growing crops in fields outdoors, vertical farming is done inside old warehouses and discontinued factories. Vegetables and herbs are grown in these tight spaces, using unnatural light and cloth instead of soil, according to BBC News.

In 2015, as the price of oil dropped, Alberta tar sands workers created the Iron and Earth initiative to promote sustainable energy and train unemployed electricians from the oil sands for renewable energy jobs in Alberta.

According to the initiative’s website, the members of Iron and Earth believe that Canada has failed to take a leading role in the global renewable energy industry and needs to develop “a more diversified approach” to its energy sector.

“Simply waiting for government to act would provide the highest certainty of failure,” Graham said. “Individual people need to change the way they talk to each other, change the way they interact with the environment and change their understandings of the human place in the world.”

Graphics by Zeze Le Lin.

sports

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

WRESTLING

Pinning down a winning formula for 40 years Victor Zilberman has coached the Concordia Stingers wrestling team to six national championships MATTHEW COYTE ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR When Victor Zilberman was 13 years old, he “just wanted to wrestle.” He joined a wrestling club in Moldova, then part of the former Soviet Union. Since then, his wrestling career has taken him across the world. He has also been the head coach of the Concordia Stingers wrestling team for the past 40 years.

In 1972, Zilberman moved from the Soviet Union to Canada to become a wrestling coach at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont. At the time, he was still competing professionally. Four years later, Zilberman moved to Quebec to help coach the provincial wrestling program.

From there, he volunteered as a coach for Concordia and McGill before deciding to focus on the Stingers program in 1977. He is now one of the premier wrestling coaches in the country.

“I chose Concordia because it was a friendlier staff, more welcoming,” Zilberman said. “I had friends who were working in the athletic department. It was very encouraging.” He has now been a coach at Concordia for four decades, and he takes pride in having been around for so long.

Zilberman boasts a unique resumé filled with championships. He won a bronze medal at the 1974 World Championships

for Israel, and a silver medal at the 1978 Zilberman was in the spotlight recently. in our club with me. I didn’t know [the Commonwealth Games for Canada.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter belt] was that big of a thing. It’s a big As a coach, he has led the Concordia Georges St-Pierre, who trained at Zilberman’s honour though, to have someone like Stingers wrestling team to six national cham- club, gave the coach his championship belt that appreciate what you did. He was a pionships as well as 65 individual national after defeating Michael Bisping in UFC 217. perfect gentleman.” championship gold medals. Zilberman helped Despite the gift, Zilberman refuses to take This season, Zilberman has high hopes develop five world championship medalists, responsibility for St-Pierre’s success. for the Concordia Stingers wrestling team. and he has coached the Canadian national “ I h a d n ot h i n g to d o wit h it ,” He’s expecting the Stingers to compete for team in four Olympic Games. It seems you Zilberman said. “It was a huge coinci- a national championship, and to remain can’t look at the wrestling community in dence. Someone who managed to get one of the top squads in U Sports.

Montreal, or in Canada, without finding as far as he did happened to be Zilberman’s name somewhere in the mix.

As we spoke, Zilberman never took his eyes off the wrestlers training at the Montreal Wrestling Club at the Reinitz Wrestling Centre. He pointed to the pictures that line the walls—all national champions, world champions and Olympians he has trained. His knowledge and education is what differentiates him from other coaches across the country, he said. Zilberman has a degree in physical education from Lakehead University, a master’s in comparative education from McGill, a graduate diploma in sports administration from Concordia and a PhD in education from the Université de Montréal.

“I think that there are not enough coaches who have the qualifications of physical education and sports,” he said. “You learn about physiology, Victor Zilberman did not want to take a picture by himself so he posed with Stingers wrestler psychology, all those things that Dmytriy Gershanov. Photo by Kirubel Mehari. contribute to that knowledge.”

BASKETBALL

A basketball career taking him around the world Men’s team assistant coach Dwight Walton shares his road to success MATTHEW ALMENGO CONTRIBUTOR Montreal native Dwight Walton loves football, The Flintstones and Tony Romo’s broadcasting skills.

However, nothing competes with his passion for basketball. Walton is a former professional basketball player and a former member of the Canadian

Olympic team. He is also an assistant coach for the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team.

From a young age, Walton knew what he wanted to do with his life. “Since I was seven years old, I knew I was going to be a professional athlete,” he said.

Walton grew up playing hockey and baseball before picking up basketball in high school. His love for basketball came

Dwight Walton joined the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team this season as an assistant coach. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

from his brother, and has blossomed ever since the eighth grade.

After attending Wagar High School in Côte St-Luc, Walton played for the Dawson Blues basketball team in CEGEP, where he received All-Canadian honours.

His talent earned him the opportunity to play for a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCA A) Division I team.

He played for Siena College in Albany, N.Y., but transferred after one year to the NCAA Division II Florida Institute of Technology, where he would eventually become a three-time All-American.

In 1986, Walton joined the Canadian men’s national team, and t wo years later, he competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Canada finished in sixth place in the basketball tournament.

“To this day, [representing Canada] is my proudest and most cherished accomplishment as an athlete,” Walton said. “I am not a braggadocios person. I am well aware of all my accomplishments, but to be recognized as one of the best that Canada’s ever had will definitely go down as my best accomplishment.”

In addition to playing for the

national team, Walton maintained a 10-year professional basketball career in Switzerland and Israel. He attributes par t of his successf ul c areer to his professionalism.

“I took pride in myself being a professional,” Walton said. “Because of my character off the court, that’s why I maintained a good, 10-year career.”

According to Walton, his work ethic was also a factor in his long playing career.

“If you want to get to that next level, you have to have that special quality where your work ethic is second to none.”

That attitude made him an ideal fit for Concordia. On Oct. 15, the Stingers announced that Walton would be joining the men’s team as an assistant coach.

Walton said his experience has been very good so far and that “as long as [head coach] Rastko Popovic wants me here, I will continue to be around and to do my best, as well as I can.”

So far, the addition of Walton has paid dividends for the Stingers. The team is off to a 3-1 start after defeating rival McGill Redmen 70-58 on Nov. 18. They beat the Université de Québec à Montréal Citadins 82-66 on Nov. 25, and return to regular-season play on Jan. 11.

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MEN’S HOCKEY

Stingers grow a mo for a bro

Concordia hockey players talk about the moustaches they grew this month for Movember NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI SPORTS EDITOR Ever y November, men around the world grow moustaches to raise awareness for men’s health. Last year, over 300,000 people worldwide raised $80 million—including $15.5 million in Canada—for men’s health programs ranging from suicide prevention to early detection of prostate and testicular cancer, according to the Movember Foundation.

This year, a few players on the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team grew moustaches in support of the cause, commonly referred to as Movember.

The Concordian spoke with for wards Raphaël L afontaine and Dominic Beauchemin, defencemen Carl Neill and Alexandre Gosselin, and assistant coach Jim Corsi about their moustaches.

CARL NEILL Neill is a rookie with the team this season. He said even though the team didn’t raise any money for Movember this year, he still grew his moustache to support the cause.

“Usually, in the past, my teams raised money with a thing called MoBro [a part of the Movember Foundation],” Neill said.

“It’s fun to contribute any way you can.

It’s not the same platform as famous celebrities, but if you could do it locally and people catch on, then it might spread awareness.”

Neill has the second-most points on the team this season, with four goals and 12 assists in 14 games. Both he and his defence par tner, Gosselin, grew moustaches, making them look like a 70s police duo when they patrol the blue line.

However, Neill said his ‘stache doesn’t compare to Gosselin’s. “I’ve had mine for a month, so I think he wins in that department,” Neill said.

DOMINIC BEAUCHEMIN Standing at six-foot-two and weighing 215 pounds, Beauchemin is an intimidating forward who has been growing a beard since training camp in August. He shaved the beard and kept the moustache for Movember, starting off the month with a handlebar moustache. However, he later traded that in for a standard ‘stache.

“I just got tired of [the handlebars], so I shaved it,” Beauchemin said, adding that it made him look like an ex-convict.

Beauchemin said it would be a great idea for the men’s hockey team to collectively raise money next November. Like Gosselin, he was honest in his assessment of who has the best moustache on the team.

“I would say, after me, I don’t know, Lafontaine has a good one too if he shaved [the rest of his beard],” Beauchemin said.

All-time favourite moustache: Concordia Stingers assistant coach Jim Corsi.

ALEXANDRE GOSSELIN Gosselin also grew a partial goatee under his chin, so his moustache doesn’t stand out the way Neill’s does. However, when asked about a moustache-growing competition with his defence partner, Gosselin did not hold back.

“I’m sure I’m winning on that part.

He’s a good hockey player, but I have a better moustache,” he said.

Like his other teammates, Gosselin said he was not raising money on his own time, but rather “doing it for the fun.”

All-time favourite moustache: Former Toronto Maple Leafs’ forward Lanny McDonald or Ron Burgundy, played by Will Ferrell in Anchorman .

Stingers defenceman Alexandre Gosselin. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

Stingers defenceman Carl Neill.

Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

RAPHAËL LAFONTAINE Lafontaine normally has a full beard, which suits his playing style. He plays a rugged, blue-collar game by constantly winning key face-offs, blocking shots and working hard in the defensive zone.

He shaved his beard for Movember, but by the end of the month, the rest of his facial hair caught up to his moustache, so it doesn’t stand out as much as those of his teammates.

In an interview with CJLO Sports on Nov. 20, Lafontaine was humbled when the host told him that both Beauchemin and Gosselin said he had the best moustache on the team.

“Mine is not that bad,” Lafontaine said, adding that his pick on the team would be Beauchemin’s. Lafontaine said that, while he didn’t have time to raise money this year, he would like to do so next year.

All-time favourite moustache: One of the referees during the Stingers’ game against Laurentian University on Nov. 11.

“I don’t know who he is, but his [moustache] was so special,” Lafontaine said.

“It had a twist in it. It was very nice.”

Stingers forward Raphaël Lafontaine.

Photo by Brianna Thicke.

Stingers forward Dominic Beauchemin.

Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

JIM CORSI The assistant coach didn’t grow his moustache just for Movember—he has it all the time. Corsi even has a moustache in his professional hockey pictures from the 80s.

Corsi was the goalie coach of the Buffalo Sabres in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1999 to 2014. During that time, he invented a statistic to measure how many shots are directed at the goalie during a game. In an interview with The Concordian on Nov. 16, Corsi said his moustache helped name the modern Corsi statistic, which measures how many shots a player takes.

When former Sabres general manager Darcy Regier started talking about Corsi’s statistic on the radio, “some guy in Edmonton, [Vic Ferrari], heard about it and said, ‘Wow that’s phenomenal. I wonder if I could apply it to players,’” Corsi explained. “The Corsi number that has gone out there as a stat is an evolution of what my numbers were.”

According to Corsi, when it came time to name the stat, Ferrari, who devised the modern Corsi number, “flipped through the Buffalo Sabres media guide, saw my picture and said, ‘I love that moustache.

Corsi stat—it has a great ring.’”

All-time favourite moustache: Gosselin said he doesn’t know who his favourite all-time moustache is, but added that Raphaël Lafontaine has the best one on the team.

Men’s hockey assistant coach Jim Corsi. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

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

The winter blues, SAD and self-care Now that the fall semester is almost over, it’s time to build snowmen, drink hot cocoa, curl up with soft blankets and binge watch every Christmas movie on Netflix. But with the change of the season can come changes in mood, perhaps even seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

While up to 15 per cent of Canadians experience the less severe “winter blues,” according to CBC News, SAD is a form of depression that affects between two and three per cent of Canadians. The disorder has a range of symptoms, including weight gain, irritability, difficulty concentrating, sleeping more, being lethargic even after sleeping and avoiding social situations. On the surface, it can seem like a natural instinct to want to curl up in bed and sleep more during the winter.

But, unlike bears, humans shouldn’t want to hibernate for an entire season.

The disorder is caused by a decrease in sunlight, according to CBC News, which can throw off normal routines. Light therapy—either sunlight or a high-intensity light unit—is often used to control the disorder and improve a person’s mood. This can be an effective remedy for the larger part of the population who deal with “winter blues” as well.

Instead of closing the blinds and avoiding what little sunlight there is during the winter, buy high-intensity lights and keep the blinds

open to let some natural light in. Sunlight and darkness affect the level of the serotonin hormone in your brain, which boosts your mood and helps you stay calm and focused, according to the Huffington Post. If you avoid sunlight or exposure to light, your serotonin levels can decrease which will increase your chance of developing SAD. According to the same source, another symptom of SAD is increased carbohydrate cravings. Among the ways to combat SAD or the winter blues before it gets serious is to add an extra serving of complex carbs to your diet—but rather than cupcakes, consider oatmeal, quinoa or potatoes for their nutritional value. Also increase your intake of fruit, vegetables, dark chocolate and fish—all which can help maintain energy levels and battle fatigue.

According to CBC News, 80 per cent of those affected by SAD are women between the ages of 18 and 60. That isn’t to say others aren’t affected by the disorder—and that’s why we at The Concordian hope you check in on your friends and family to see whether they’re just feeling bummed out or if there is something more serious happening.

It’s equally as important to check up on yourself. Around this time of year, it’s common to feel stressed or anxious due to exams and final projects. But if you’re feeling anxious,

lonely, isolated or sad during this time of year, talk to your doctor who can refer you to a mental health specialist, or try implementing some of the abovementioned recommendations.

Another important way to fight back against SAD or the winter blues is—you guessed it—exercise. Of course, it’s understandable that the idea of getting out of bed in the winter can seem unappealing, let alone putting on your running shoes and going out in the cold. But, as the Huffington Post explains, exercise releases endorphins which are hormones that help you feel good. They can improve sleep, boost your immune system and help regulate your mood.

While three 30-minute sessions of exercise per week can sound difficult during the months of icy roads and crowded gyms, once you start the routine, it will become easier. We at The Concordian recommend trying out a new winter sport, whether it’s skiing, ice skating or winter cycling. Even if it’s just a walk in the park, the goal is to get

outside so your body can absorb vitamin D from the sun.

We at The Concordian hope your winter break is filled with great holiday movies, snowball fights, warm fireplaces and relaxation. Good luck with your final exams, and remember to take care of yourself.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

EDUCATION

Ontario strikes and the search for solutions One student explores the debate surrounding teacher strikes and education ANISA SCEGO STAFF WRITER Student protests and professors on strike are not new concepts. Each time they happen, though, questions are raised about the nature of education and the rights and responsibilities of both teachers and students.

On Oct. 16, the Ontario Public Service Employees Union went on strike, according to CBC News.

Classes were cancelled as professors, instructors, counsellors and librarians fought for change. Twentyfour universities were af fected, including

Humber College and George Brown College in Toronto.

Students were tense as they lost precious time and money, not to mention the feeling of uncertainty they had from not knowing when the st r ike would end. On the other hand, teachers were f ighting for more stable contracts and better pay. This was a difficult situation for both students and teachers. It makes me wonder if there is a solution that could improve the situation for both parties.

James Luckow, a professor of educational psycholog y at Concordia Universit y, said he believes university teachers should have the right to go on strike because the impact on students is minimal. "Usually they do not lose a year,” he said. “In the end, it is not the end of the world. They can make up for the lost time in the summer.”

According to CBC News, it is illegal for transit workers, ambulance drivers and other essential ser vice employees to go on strike in Ontario. Teachers are

not included in this law. Luckow said he doesn’t believe teaching is an essential service, arguing “is anybody dying if teachers go on strike?"

When asked if he think s there is a solution to the teachers’ concerns regarding their salaries, Luckow said, "unless there's an unbiased mediation where an outsider determines the wages, the problem will persist.”

Mira Facchin, a retired English CEGEP professor, said teachers should be able to go on strike because it can improve the quality of education. "If we value education, we need to value the work of the teachers and pay them accordingly,” she said. “In Ontario, students are paying $5,000 a year on average. With that money coming in, they should be able to secure more permanent jobs for teachers."

On the side of the students, the frustration is palpable. More than 500,000 students were affected by the strike, according to the Huffington Post. In response to classes being cancelled, upset students created the Twitter hashtag #Wepaytolearn to express their anger over being robbed of their time and money. Additionally, according to an interview with the Toronto Star, NDP Member of Provincial Parliament Peggy Sattler stated that "because of the extended semester, some students wishing to

write their paralegal entrance exam with the law society won’t be finished in time for the February exam sitting—putting students behind by at least six months.”

However, there were options available for students during the strikes. According to CBC News, colleges remained open and some support services, such as tutoring, student associations and fitness centres, were available to students even when classes were cancelled. Some students took their education into their own hands. Journalism students met to publish articles and medical students simulated patient-physician interactions amongst themselves to practice what they had learned during the semester, in the hopes of making the transition back to school easier, according to CBC News.

The Ontario strike finally concluded on Nov. 21 and students returned to class. Yet, as a student myself, this whole situation concerns me, because it could easily happen at any school in Canada, including Concordia. I do believe teachers should have the right to go on strike, but there should be measures in place to ensure students are looked after in these cases.

We should be striving for solutions that benefit both students and educators.

After all, teachers shape students, and students are our future.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

NOVEMBER 28, 2017

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ACTIVISM

Vandalism: An occasionally necessary subversion Can vandalism of historical statues ever be justified as activism?

TRISTAN MCKENNA CONTRIBUTOR My views towards vandalism always depend on the circumstances, but I do believe it can be justified to promote change.

In the past month, Canada’s first prime minister has been in the headlines.

According to a Montreal Gazette article published on Nov. 12, an anonymous group of “anti-colonial anti-racists” claimed responsibility for spray-painting a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald in Place du Canada in downtown Montreal. The group filmed themselves in the act and posted the video online. The same article specified that the activists claimed Macdonald was a “white supremacist.”

According to works published by Timothy Stanley, a professor at the University of Ottawa, it appears Macdonald was indeed the first to incorporate racism into Canadian politics. He hated the Chinese, wove laws allowing colonialists to profit from Aboriginal property, and believed an Aryan Canada was key to a successful future, according to Stanley. Allowing problematic figures to remain glorified in ore not only casts a shadow on our public spaces in a literal sense, but also on our identity as an egalitarian society. In my opinion, if Canada

prides itself on promoting freedom and acceptance, it must recognize the faults in its initial development.

Acknowledging past racism is important.

Recognition serves as a tool for reconciliation and a sign of respect towards those who were preyed on throughout history. If the government does not address aspects of its antecedents and instead allows racist figures to remain honoured in statues, memorial buildings and commemorative plaques, I believe it actively encourages institutionalized racism. Every individual’s vision of progress is subjective. While I might believe vandalizing a statue of Macdonald is a way to demolish respect for supremacists, others will surely disagree.

Yet if Macdonald thought it was acceptable to exclude entire cultures from a developing Canada, are we not allowed to believe it’s acceptable to deface his statue with red paint? In my opinion, “damaging property” is sometimes the most productive way to promote change.

Yet, I do not always agree with others who use vandalism to convey a message, such as the anonymous graffiti artist Banksy. I find his street pieces, which comment on issues that plague the world, extremely clever and tasteful. However, due to his disagreements with the concept of institutionalized art, he

also has a history of defacing paintings preserved in galleries.

I view these modifications—such as painting a gas mask on a woman’s face in a piece at the New York Metropolitan Museum of Ar t—as counterproductive in the spread of free art philosophies. Banksy’s tweaking of other individuals’ work seems more like a juvenile prank than a calculated move. The purpose of the Macdonald vandalism was to debase a racist, whereas Banksy’s modifications just disrespect artworks.

Some might feel that vandalizing Macdonald’s statue is too radical. However, racism is sadly embedded in Canada’s past, therefore society must make an effort to recognize injustice in an attempt to achieve equality. I believe many of us want to break away from what the founders of Canada’s Confederation built off of. However, if our streets are still sprinkled with statues of known racists and colonialists, is it possible

to be progressive? There are peaceful ways to protest without paint, but I believe vandalism expedites change by calling attention to injustices that hide in plain sight around our cities.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

POLITICS

Politicians and policies are no laughing matter Putting a humourous spin on current affairs distracts the public from serious issues DEBORAH BARRASSO CONTRIBUTOR It seems like a natural human reaction to downplay upsetting situations with humour. It makes them seem less scary.

We watch funny movies to cheer up, we joke about our stress and make light of our procrastination even though these actually make us want to cry, and we laugh at our mistakes and embarrassments.

However, when the world’s political climate is so bad that we have to cover it up with humour, that’s when I believe the perception of politics can get dangerous.

Lately, I believe the media, including news outlets and social media platforms, have been taking a comedic approach to politics. More and more headlines make readers laugh rather than worry about what’s going on in the world.

Think about it. A little over a week ago, the media erupted because U.S. President Donald Trump drank from a water bottle in a funny way during a press conference—the response was heightened by the fact that Trump mocked Senator Marco Rubio in 2016 for doing the same thing, according to CNN. While this story succeeded in making people laugh, it holds no importance in political discussion. There is no way that Trump drinking water was more important than the content of the press conference.

As specified on the White House website, Trump made remarks about his trip to Asia and commented on his plan to rapidly reduce the nearly $800-billion annual trade deficit the United States has with other nations.

Yet no one talked about that. Using humour to distract the public from the real issues is no joke. In my opinion, it minimizes their importance and severity.

When political affairs boil over, a tweet or a funny anecdote often take the spotlight rather than the issue at hand. For example, Trump tweeted “covfefe” in the middle of the night back in May. According to CNN, he was tweeting about bad coverage from the press concerning the Russia investigation, but he accidentally typed “covfefe” instead of “coverage.” This particular tweet was posted a few days after the FBI announced concerns about Jared Kushner’s ties to Russia and one day before Trump withdrew from the

Paris agreement, as reported by The New York Times. Yet, stories and speculations about the meaning of “covfefe” seemed to be all anyone was talking about.

The negative consequences of unnecessary and misdirected coverage are profound. I believe one example would be the role this type of coverage played in the 2016 United States election. According to the Washington Post, Trump did not spend any money on television ads for the first 202 days of his campaign. This was possible because of all the free publicity he got from the media for the most ridiculous reasons. This attention made everyone familiar with his name and, in my opinion,

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

definitely affected his popularity when it came time to vote.

However, we should stop pointing fingers across the border and begin examining our own issues here in Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau receives a lot of global media attention, but I don’t believe it’s for his policies. In my opinion, most of the attention he gets is based solely on his good looks. For example, he appeared on the cover of GQ magazine in May 2016 and was listed as one of Vogue’s “10 Unconventional Alternatives to the Sexiest Man Alive.” While this is not a form of humour, it is still a distraction from the policies and current affairs that impact Canadian citizens.

Politics is starting to seem more like a reality TV show. When reading or listening to the news, media consumers should be asking themselves: “Will this matter in a few years?” Reporters should be focused on politically relevant information that the public needs to know. In my opinion, if something won’t matter in a few years, it isn’t important and shouldn’t be published in the first place.

News media producers should also think twice before taking a comedic approach to politics. A journalist’s job is to inform the public about national and international affairs and keep citizens informed. By turning these important issues into jokes, they aren’t equipping citizens with the tools needed to be active members of our democratic society.

Politics is not a topic we should be covering up with humour because, unfortunately, it’s usually no laughing matter.

20 theconcordian

NOVEMBER 28, 2017

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