The Concordian - March 29th, 2016

Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper

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VOLUME 33, ISSUE 25 | TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 2016

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Uniting to mourn all victims of terror

News p. 3

also in this issue

life

A fermented tea beverage p. 6

arts

Nature claims you back

music

p. 8

sports

opinions

Let jazz rap sooth JMSM hosts sports Cash flows and and energize p. 11 conference p. 15 p. 12 conformity

news

NEWS EDITORS /// news@theconcordian.com GREGORY TODARO (! @GCTodaro) & LAURA MARCHAND (! @Marchand_L)

CITY IN BRIEF

BY SAVANNA CRAIG ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Trump to host rally at Concordia Trump unexpectedly announced he would be coming to Canada to host a series of rallies in preparation for the Republican election.

The first rally he’s scheduled to attend will take place in the D.B. Clark Theatre on April 1. Trump told The Concordian this was in preparation for his plans for “the United States to absorb Canada.”

He added, “first I thought, let’s build a wall to separate the U.S. from Canada … Then I realized, why not just take over the whole country and make it great again?” One protester by the name of Filet Minyon said, “we shouldn’t allow a harmful illegal immigrant like Trump to be allowed into our country.”

CAMPUS

The CATs strike back at Shepard

University president was reportedly not in the building during the protest

BY SAVANNA CRAIG ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Concordia Against Tribunals (CATs) gathered in the lobby of the mezzanine in the Hall building Thursday afternoon to deliver a letter of reprimand to Concordia president Alan Shepard. This is in response to the administration co-signing a complaint which charged students for political strikes, causing them to undergo months of preparation for tribunals, ultimately resulting in students having to write an apology letter to the university for protesting.

When participants arrived to Shepard’s office, he was not in.

First Easter celebration for Syrian refugees Since their arrival in the province, this Easter marked the first Easter celebrated by Syrian refugees.

Easter Mass was held for 250 Syrian families in St. Gregory the Illuminator Armenian Church in Outremont. Chairman of the Outremont Church Antranik Sirinyan said, “it is the first Easter for them in Canada and we would like to make it as joyous as possible and welcome them in Montreal and in Canada.” CBC News reported refugees were very appreciative to welcoming Canadians. “I’m very thankful that Canada and Montreal gave us the opportunity to be here,” said refugee Hovesp Bogossian.

Cabbies prepare to apply pressure to government Quebec is predicted to implement legislation regarding drivers of the ride-sharing service Uber in April. However there are rumours legislation will be late. CBC News reported if the provincial government rejects passing legislation within the upcoming weeks for Uber, Quebec cab drivers plan to begin pressuring the government to change their decision. The Quebec taxi industry committee, The Comité provincial de concertation et de développement de l’industrie du taxi, said in protest they may block streets and hold strikes. President of the committee George Tannous said, “when there is theft, the robber should be in prison.”

After CATs read their letter of reprimand out to the locked doors of the administration office, deputy provost Lisa Ostiguy arrived as participants were leaving to say Shepard was not in the building.

When The Concordian asked for a comment, Ostiguy said, “I’ll make sure that Alan gets the letter.”

Nora Fabre, a political science student charged in the tribunals, expressed CATs’ main ambition for this event “is to bring a sort of closure to wrap up the whole tribunals process, to give students the last word,” she said. “It’s another way to say enough to the administration for pushing us around and oppressing students for the past 11 months.”

Participants read their letter of reprimand out loud in the mezzanine, brandishing the sign “no justice, no peace, no tribunals for students.”

Dean of Students Andrew Woodall stood close by, accepting a letter of reprimand from the students.

Fabre s aid delivering this letter collectively is a way to hold the universit y accountable for their actions and behaviour this past year. When asked if CATs expect to notice changes to be made by the

CATs delivered their letter to Alan Shepard’s office Thursday.

Photos by Mell Martella.

university in regards to treatment of students undergoing political charges after the delivery of the letter, Fabre said “Perhaps not.” Fabre and CATs hope the university can reflect on their previous actions and think differently in future situations of student protests, instead of students going through months of preparation for tribunals that were a waste of “time, money and resources,” said Fabre.

After reading the letter out in the mezzanine, the students marched through the underground tunnels to Shepard’s office in the GM building, which was unoccupied. CATs once again read their letter, in which they ask for an apology from the university, over a megaphone for the administration to hear.

Although Shepard remained unseen, CATs left their mark with stickers on the door and letters of reprimand scattered on the admin-

istrative office floor.

Lydia Belhimeur, who is studying Community, Public Affairs and Policy Studies, said the main purpose of this march was for students to express their democratic rights. Belhimeur was not charged, but joined CATs to support the students who have undergone tribunals. “There would be no university without students, we have the right [to stand up for ourselves],” she said.

As for the future plans of CATs, Fabre said, “we’re in the process of thinking of pushing for [compensation] for students, because the tribunals process took a toll on the mental health and even academic careers of students who faced tribunals.” CATs have not yet figured out the details, but would like to see some compensation such as counseling for students who have struggled.

CAMPUS

Refugee support centre up for vote

The Refugee Centre is asking for a $0.37 per credit fee-levy

BY LAURA MARCHAND CO-NEWS EDITOR A group of concerned students and alumni are asking Concordia’s student body to approve a new fee-levy to support students in Canada as immigrants and refugees. The money—37 cents a credit, or $5.55 a semester for a full-time student—would be used to create a new Refugee Centre within the university.

The centre would be equipped to handle the unique problems associated with these communities.

For example, the Centre would be capable of helping new arrivals navigate their immigration status,

school work, career choices, housing, and legal issues.

“For the past couple of years we’ve been getting a lot of students come to [club offices] with problems and issues—and most of them were immigrants or refugees,” said Abdulla Daoud, one of the directors of the proposed Refugee Centre. “[We wanted to] give an opportunity to Concordia students to utilize their skills in whichever area of study they’re in to help out and aid these students in need, who are refugees or immigrants or newcomers to the country.”

Daoud s ays that existing resources at Concordia may not be equipped to handle the spe-

cifics of immigration law, which led the organizers to seek a new, specialized space.

In addition to helping newcomers to Canada, the Refugee Centre will also help established Concordians get valuable job experience. “We hope to have 20 internships that students can apply to, and get experience, so that when they reach the real world or they graduate, they have something on their resume,” said Daoud. “They’re done something that actually relates to their degree.

That way both the students and the refugees and immigrants can benefit together.”

The organization has already

been in talks with a number of organizations, such as Concordia’s Syrian Students Association, Amnesty International and Concordia University’s administration, and is prepared to mobilize should the referendum pass. “We’re going to move forward with structuring it and hopefully opening in the downtown campus,” said Daoud.

Daoud says that “the majority of the money will be going back to the students,” and believes that the amount of services the centre will provide will justify the cost. Even if the referendum fails, Daoud said they will try to offer what services they can without the fee-levy support.

MARCH 29, 2016

CITY

Students unite for terrorism vigil

Organizations from Concordia, McGill, UdeM and UQÀM participated

BY LAURA MARCHAND CO-NEWS EDITOR Students from four Montreal universities gathered at McGill on Easter Sunday for a vigil in honour of terrorism victims. The event—organized by the African Students’ Association of Concordia (ASAC), the African Association at Université de Montréal, the McGill African Students Society (MASS), and the African Student Association at UQÀM—included speeches, music, and a moment of silence for victims of recent attacks internationally.

The event was initially planned as a vigil for recent atrocities in the Ivory Coast and Mali, but in light of recent events in Turkey and Belgium it was expanded to include terrorism internationally, said ASAC President Ghionawit Tamir. “We want people to take away that we all matter, that we are all also afraid. We should not use [terrorism] to make things more divisive,” said Tamir.

Tamir acknowledged that certain terrorist attacks—such as the one in Belgium—often receive more media coverage than others.

However, she claimed that that was no reason to exclude them from the ceremony. “We wanted to show solidarity with other events,” said Tamir. “We wanted to show we’re praying.”

Some attendees came with the flags of their home countries or countries hit by terror attacks. One girl stood with a candle wrapped in the French flag; another in a coat with the Belgian flag patched on her shoulder.

At the event, Tamir spoke to the crowd, highlighting how she believes people must join together against terror. “We’re here to highlight our

N AT I O N I N B R I E F

BY SAVANNA CRAIG ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Citizens pay respect to Rob Ford in Toronto

Canada condems Pakistan bombings

unity, and our diversity, in these times that we believe are trying to divide us,” said Tamir. “We think it’s very important for everyone to come together, to reflect about [the attacks], and to show that we are united.”

Pastor Ken Godon of the Peoples Church of Montreal and Imam Ali Sbeti of the Centre communautaire musulman de Montréal were also in attendance and spoke at the event.

“Love is the greatest force in all the world,” said Godon. “When [a terrorist attack] happens we may think the greatest power in the world is terror, or fear, or hate. And we’re here because we don’t believe that.”

Sbeti said he was pleased that so many came out to mourn the victims. “When you care, that means you are truly a human being,” said Sbeti. “Humanity is our family. This is what the Qur’an teaches us … to

Students gather to honour lives lost in recent attacks.

Photos by William Fox.

explore each other, to enjoy our differences, and not to let those few fanatic people—that we see in every religion and ideology—disrupt our love to live together.”

Songs sung at the event included “Wavin’ Flag” from K’naan, John

Lennon’s “Imagine” and Bob Marley’s “One Love.” The vigil—which took place near McGill’s main entrance, the Roddick Gates—was twice disrupted by emergency personnel and fire trucks that needed to access a section of the campus.

ASFA to retry referendum initiative Councillors and executives say question on restructuring was unclear

After reports of questionable election practices during the Arts and Science Federation of Associations referendum last week, councilors decided to ask students to vote on referendum questions a second time. The decision faced vocal opposition from several councillors but was passed during a special council meeting on Friday.

The motion was approved in a 9-7 vote by council. It cited decisions by ASFA’s chief electoral officer as a reason for “the proposal and bylaws (sic) changes be put back to ballot during the ASFA general elections so the student population can make a proper

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Former Toronto City Mayor Rob Ford is laying to rest in Toronto City Hall for two days, until his funeral on Wednesday. The city said this arrangement has not been granted for the death of a former mayor in decades. Ford’s body arrived at City Hall 8 a.m. on Monday, followed by brother Doug, wife Renata and Ford’s two children. Global News reported VIPs and dignitaries were given the opportunity to say goodbye to the former mayor before public visitation commenced.

CAMPUS

BY GREGORY TODARO CO-NEWS EDITOR

theconcordian

informed decision.”

Students in the Arts and Science faculty will have the chance to re-vote to restructure the organization into mainly a funding body for its Member Associations (MAs) from April 6 to 8 during ASFA’s general election.

While the original referendum failed to pass by a slim margin of 52 votes—with 329 votes against and 277 students in favour—some councillors felt that the lack of a preamble to the question and the presence of promotional material at polling stations caused students to be unclear about what they were voting for.

“I don’t believe anybody honestly in this room believes that there were no procedural issues with the way the referendum was

carried out,” said Sociology and Anthropology Student Union (SASU) councillor Marcus Peters during the meeting. “Giving students another chance to make their voice heard is exactly what a democratic structure should be.”

The sentiment was echoed by Students of Philosophy Association (SOPhiA) representative Katie Nelson. “We can’t speculate on [what happened], but we can offer students a chance for a fair election—especially under these circumstances,” she said during the meeting, adding the fee levy question—which only passed by a margin of three votes—should also be placed under the microscope.

However, a councillor from the Concordia Undergraduate Psychology Association (CUPA),

Elizabeth Duong, was one of several councillors who argued that ASFA’s Judicial Committee should look into the matter before asking students to vote again.

“The Judicial Committee should decide if the violations [during the referendum] affected the vote to the extent of 52 voters,” Duong said.

Political Science Student Association (PSSA) president Jason Poirier Lavoie disagreed, telling council that the Judicial Committee doesn’t have authority to rule in this case. “This isn’t a judicial concern. Politically, we should seek a strong response from the students that clearly favours one side or the other and making sure they’re informed when they do so.”

Trudeau took to Twitter, saying that Canada condemns the “dep l o r a b le ” b o m b i ng i n Pakistan, which took place Sunday. The bomb took more than 70 lives, injuring 300 civilians. Trudeau said his thoughts and prayers are with those who have been harmed or killed. Global News reported that a breakaway Taliban group that publicly supports Daesh have claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying they were targeting Christians celebrating Easter. However, many of those killed in the attack were Muslim.

Tom Mulcair took to Twitter, as well, tweeting his condolences and that “our resolve to combat hate must not waver.”

Canada Border Services sued over detention Toronto man Gabriel Chan is suing Canada Border Services Agency, saying he was illegitimately kept in immigration detention for longer than a month. As a result of a fare dispute in a GO Transit train station last September, Chan was detained in the Toronto Immigration Holding Centre in Rexdale for 38 days. When Chan was asked for his proof of payment in the GO station, he only had a Filipino driver’s license and his international driver’s licence. The officer told Border Security Agency he had custody of an illegal immigrant.

Toronto Star reported Chan told authorities his father had become a citizen in 1971, a time when Canadian citizenships were passed on to a child born abroad. Chan remained in detention even after his immigration lawyer confirmed his biological father’s status, landing papers and citizenship documents.

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WORLD IN BRIEF

BY SAVANNA CRAIG ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

Alaska volcano erupted on Sunday The Pavlof volcano located on the Aleutian Islands in Alaska erupted Sunday, launching 6,100 m of ash into the air, according to scientists. The volcano is located 64 kilometres from the nearest community and 960 kilometres southwest of Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage. According to Global News, the volcano erupted at 4:18 pm, resulting in tremors on the land. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has increased the volcano alert to the highest level, presenting a threat in the air and on the ground. Alaska State Troopers could not confirm whether anyone had been injured at the time. The Pavlof volcano is the most frequently active volcano in the Aleutian arc,.

According to USGS in Pavlof’s eruption in 2013, ash reached 8,230 metres in the air.

Facebook sorry for sending worldwide Safety Check Facebook apologized to users for sending out notifications to users worldwide following the terrorist attack in Lahore, Pakistan on Sunday. Facebook glitches caused notifications to be sent to users who were not near the attacks, asking if they are safe.

The alert asked, “Are you OK? It looks like you’re in the area affected by [the explosion]. Let friends know that you’re safe.” In a statement to TIME a spokesperson said, “we have activated Safety Check in Lahore. We apologize to anyone who mistakenly received a notification outside of Pakistan and are working to resolve the issue.” Facebook has issued Safety Checks before, for past attacks in Brussels and Paris.

Suspects in Ivory Coast attack arrested Two men suspected of terrorism in Ivory Coast have been taken into custody by Mali police on Sunday. The attack took place on the beach town of GrandBassam, Ivory Coast on March 15. Global News reported that one of the arrested men was revealed to be the driver who transported the terrorists to Ivory Coast and the other man was the driver’s accomplice.

Spokesman for Malian intelligence services Commandant Modibo Naman Traore said the suspects were detained in Goundam, in northern Mali. Earlier, more than three men from Mali had been arrested in Ivory Coast.

MARCH 29, 2016

CAMPUS

Targeted, criminalized, betrayed Two students taken to tribunals share their personal experiences

BY LAURA MARCHAND CO-NEWS EDITOR They had entered the room together—but she was the only one walking out. She felt like she was one step away from losing it; frustrated, exhausted, and in dire need of a break from proceedings, she took a seat and swallowed the frustration bubbling up in her throat. It had been eight hours, locked in one room under the glare of fluorescent lights, with three levels of security separating her from the outside world. And still, she wasn’t done—and she couldn’t leave.

“I remember thinking: this is punishment enough,” recalls Nora Fabre, a third-year political science student at Concordia. “I felt targeted—and criminalized.”

She wasn’t the only one. Fabre is only one of the 25 students charged by Concordia University for her part in the austerity protests of 2015—a process she and Maidina Kadeer, a second-year literature student, describe as an emotionally and physically draining 11-month ordeal that put their education at risk.

The day of the

protests, Kadeer remembers participating in the soft picketing of classes: the protestors non-violently blocked the doors for professors, explaining that there was a strike in place. They allowed students to circulate. She didn’t imagine that standing in front of a classroom door could lead to being threatened with expulsion. “I did not think we would get a whole tribunal process for just clapping our hands,” said Kadeer.

Fabre, who belonged to one of the striking associations, describes the high tensions in her classroom even before the strike motion passed. “[My profess or] had coerced t he classroom prior to the [strike vote at the] Annual General Meeting (AGM),” said Fabre. “[He was] saying that if you did participate in fulfilling your strike mandate, ‘I will charge you.’ He prepared a PowerPoint and spent half the class de-legitimizing the strikes and mandate—so I had the feeling I could be charged by him.”

But the real confusion came when they saw the university

listed as a co-complainant in the charges. “The whole week before the actual strike motion started … [student leaders] were already talking with the university admin,” said Kadeer.

She says that—like in 2012— student leaders coordinated with the university prior to protesting to establish ground rules to avoid undesirable outcomes, like violence or tribunals. She says the university knew when the strike would be happening and what it entailed the night that the strike motion passed the political science AGM. “It was really confusing that they would backtrack on their words … when it was ver y

transparent the way that students had gone through the process,” said Kadeer.

Both of them claim they felt betrayed seeing their university charging them—especially since student protesters and Concordia University were on the same side, taking a stance against austerity measures. Kadeer and Fabre say the charged students met with the university to attempt mediation prior to the tribunals.

“It dragged on for eight hours and went nowhere,” said Fabre.

“It was a waste of time.”

The next 11 months, Fabre claims, were a flurry of activity that didn’t leave her any time for self-care or studies. “I had to meet with my advocate [assigned by the Advocacy Centre], I had to prepare my evidence statement package, I needed to practice cross-witness examination—just hours of preparation [ever y week],” said Fabre. “My single

thought was: ‘I should be studying right now. This isn’t funny.’”

“I was really embarrassed to ask for help,” said Kadeer. “I felt like there was an assumption made of us, and that was going to be put against me.”

They claim the universit y did not extend any sympathy to the students it was dragging to tribunals. “The school seemed really inconsiderate of what they did to us,” said Fabre. “It’s not like we tried to burn down the school or harm students.”

When it came time to speak

at the tribunals, Kadeer said the pressure was immense. “I could handle saying something and having that affect my own result,” she said. “But you could say one thing, and that could affect everyone else. It’s a lot of stress on yourself: what can I say? What can I not say? … You’re trying to remember what you said, you did, a year ago.”

“It felt like you had no control over your own voice,” said Fabre.

“You were walking on eggshells.

We had to be super c aref ul … [especially] because of the atmosphere, there was a strong tension between the complainants and the respondents.”

“When we were questioned, some of them seemed like they were really trying to instigate us … to get us to say something dumb, and to make us look like dumb university students,” said Fabre.

Over the 11-hour mass tribunal, she says students each only got one or two minutes to speak to present their evidence. They could also respond to questions they were directly asked—otherwise,

they sat in silence.

“It was very oppressive, the entire process,” said Kadeer.

“Just not being able to talk for yourself, other than those two minutes, but being able to hear them speak for 10 hours.”

The protesters acknowledge that they did disrupt their own education, and the education of others. “And I apologize for that. I k now some st udents were upset and came to learn.

I understand their frustrations,” said Fabre. “But when is a good time to strike? There’s never a good time to strike.”

But they also believe the university has a role to play in reforming its practices, to ensure the stress they

endured doesn’t happen again.

“You didn’t need to drag us through the mud for 12 months,” said Fabre. “I would have really liked to try to understand more the professor’s side and the administration side to find out what went wrong … where did that miscommunication happen? I think that would have been a much better way: to have a sit down and talk it out.”

Despite all that, Kadeer and Fabre say that given the opportunity, they would do it all again.

“We believe that austerity is not the proper way to go when you’re facing economic challenges,” said Kadeer.

“You can feel and you can see what austerit y has done to Concordia,” said Fabre, who said she loves being a student at this university. “[That’s what] motivated me to protest in the first place … it’s really important to defend [the university] and give it a voice. And I thought the administration was supportive of that—and I was proven wrong.”

Graphic by Florence Yee.

Calling all cool cats!

Montreal might be a defrosting wasteland, but that won’t stop us from planning for warm spring days and hotter summer nights.

This year’s editorial team has—and continues to be—stellar, but what can we say? Gotta graduate sometime. And that means...

all of The Concordian’s editorial positions are up for grabs!

So pull out those dusty typewriters, polish up on your photography experience, wax your mustaches into pleasing curls, and replace the batteries in your recorders. It’s street-hitting, question-asking, answerdemanding, corruption-uncovering, politics-following time. We need a team to follow school politics, clear a path through Montreal’s nightlife scene, brave smelly locker rooms to interview star-athletes, tackle modern human rights issues, and identify the best damn slice of pizza in the city.

Want to blog about LGBTQIA+ communities in the city?

Have an itch to cover everything underground and musical pumping through Montreal’s speakers? Want an outlet to vent about modern racism? Are you an uncanny newshound just waiting to be unleashed on university politics?

send your application to

applications@theconcordian.com with your CV, resumé, and three writing samples (500 words max each) attached.

Or drop by a Friday meeting for more information.

All prefered-pronouns, religions, non-conformers, races, ages and identities welcome.

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life

LIFE EDITOR /// life@theconcordian.com CRISTINA SANZA (! @Cristina_Sanza)

DRINK

Kombucha: The fungus among us

How the old fermented tea drink is reaching a brand new crowd of health-enthusiasts

BY JESSE STEIN STAFF WRITER Trendy ‘healthy’ products come and go. One week it’s coconut water, the next week you hear about Charlie Sheen distilling goat urine to cure his HIV. It can be hard to find the truth behind these products’ healthy claims. Enter a trend that’s quickly grown a cult following over the past few years: Kombucha.

If you’re anything like me, you might be asking yourself: What isit?

What goes into that small bottle of supposed liquid magic that makes it so special?

To its devoted followers, Kombucha has reached the status

of religious sacrament. “It ’s good for hangovers and helps with your stomach flora,” said Mark Underwood, Sustainable C o n c o r d i a o f f i c e c o o r d i n a to r a n d Kombucha enthusiast.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not sure I want some funky drink messing with my gut garden.

The true nature of its health benefits is still up for debate as major companies

have opted not to conduct trials on it due to its relatively low cost of production, said Underwood. According to Underwood, anyone can make a gallon of Kombucha for right around 50 cents.

I decided to try it and quickly found that in reality it’s just a weird fermented tea drink. To the untrained eye, it seems like the lovechild of a yoga instructor and prison wine.

As it turns out, Kombucha isn’t that new of a product after all. The drink has been floating around for over a hundred years and its origins are dubious.

Kombucha’s secret sauce is the SCOBY (symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast).

Not to be confused with ever yone’s favourite myster y-solving dog , the SCOBY is a circular white blob made of bacteria that may or may not be an alien.

Essentially, this fascinating furtive fungus feeds off a diet of sugar and tea, and in return shits out all probiotics a human could ever ask for.

If you think that a bacteria drink m a d e f ro m a m u s h ro o m - l o o k i n g fungus isn’t Sci-Fi enough for you, wait until you hear about the one living in St-Leonard. Rumors of a legendary fungus nine meters in diameter have spread around the Montreal Kombucha scene, Underwood said. This legendary scourge is at the heart of Montreal’s largest corporate Kombucha maker, RISE. RISE Kombucha is a subsidiar y of the locally owned raw vegan restaurant Crudessence. Started after its co-founder

David Côté brought back a small SCOBY from Hawaii, they are still making Kombucha from it more than two years later. I met with RISE’s production manager Nathan Balaga to discuss the mythical mutant and whether it may lead to the end of civilization as we know it.

“Undeniably there are health benefits.

We’re not going to cure cancer, but we might be able to stop you from getting it,” suggested Balaga.

According to Balaga, making Kombucha on a larger scale is no easy task. For any fungus fanatic like Balaga, there are strict rules that must be followed. The SCOBY needs special treatment. Its home must stay completely sanitized, cannot come into contact with metal or direct sunlight and must remain at a stable temperature.

“If it doesn’t look healthy, don’t drink it,” he said. This is a danger for people brewing it on their own who may consume a batch of Kombucha after their SCOBY has gotten moldy.

So now that you’ve been exposed to the strange tonic, why not make it yourself?

Your first step is to find a SCOBY. Luckily for us, Crudessence is there to help. They sell both SCOBYs and the starter liquid that keeps them alive. Starter liquid is the foundation for keeping your SCOBY healthy and is the lifeblood of the entire process.

Once you decide it’s time to start making your own witch’s brew, all you need is a huge jar, four liters of black or green tea, a cup of sugar and your SCOBY with its starter liquid. When added together in a sterile jar—which is easy as rinsing the jar with apple cider vinegar—the SCOBY will feed on the sugar and produce yeast as a byproduct. This is known as the first fermentation.

After waiting between five days and a month depending on how strong you want your Kombucha to be, you then mix your newly created potion with a fruit juice of your choice. This will add some much needed flavour to your brew.

Many people find that the taste of Kombucha is different than what they expected. Its fermentation process leaves it with a strange aftertaste that almost feels alive. If this is the case with your Kombucha it means it’s working. Focus on the mind controlling mustiness and be one with the fungi. If all works out well you can be a fungus too.

Graphics by Florence Yee.

MARCH 29, 2016

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RELIGION

Welcome spring by celebrating Holi Students of all religions got to experience the Hindu festival of colours

BY ANNA KROUPINA STAFF WRITER Concordia students welcomed spring with a bang of colour for the Hindu celebration of Holi at the Shree Ramji Temple in Montreal.

Holi, also known as the festival of colours, is traditionally a two-day celebration starting on the first day of the full moon in March, celebrating the arrival of spring.

The tradition of throwing vibrant powders at each other is a symbol of the season’s colourful nature. Concordia’s Multi-faith Chaplaincy organized the outing to the temple as part of their monthly Sacred Sites program.

Although the celebration began at 7 p.m., people arrived earlier to place offerings for the gods, which included meals, fruits, flowers and money. Intricate statues of the deities dominated top of the room, with a large canvas of the god Krishna looming above them. The ceremony was led by a pandit, who recited the worship service, the “puja” in Sanskrit. It was a relaxed atmosphere throughout the ceremony, with children playing and worshippers chatting quietly. Some people were dressed casually, while others wore beautiful, colourful saris.

Paras Grover, a Concordia student of Hindu faith, explained that there are several versions of the origin of Holi. She said a common legend tells the story of King Hiranyakashyap, who acquired godly powers by performing various rituals. He declared himself a god, but his son, Prahlad, refuted his claim and continued to worship

Vishnu, another god. Angry and offended, Hiranyakashyap called on the help of his sister Holika. Holika was blessed with protection from fire, and Hiranyakashyap convinced Prahlad to sit in a bonfire with Holika. The next morning, while Holika had perished in the fire, Prahlad, protected by Vishnu, was unscathed. It was after this event that people started celebrating Holi to express their happiness of finding the real god in Vishnu, and revealing Hiranyakashyap to be a mere impostor, Grover said.

The night at the temple ended around a bonfire where everyone was smearing each other’s faces with colourful bright powders, and in some cases, throwing them at each other. The symbolism of fire relates back to the history of Holi, representing the burning of evil and the idea of unwavering faith. “In Hinduism, the holiest thing is fire. Fire is purity,” Grover said.

Traditionally, a bonfire is held on the first day of the full moon, while the colour-throwing usually takes place the next day.

Laura Gallo, an interfaith facilitator at Concordia’s Multi-faith Chaplaincy, has been organizing Sacred Sights events like this one for the past seven years. “The idea is that once you know about someone else’s faith, you’re less likely to be prejudiced against them,” Gallo said. The program seeks to introduce people to other religions and to give them an opportunity to learn about them, she said. Past Sacred Sights gatherings included visits to mosques and to a Bahá’í Shrine.

Tanvir Kaur, a recent Concordia graduate

who is Sikh, said she decided to attend the event because she is always iwnterested in learning about different religions. “It’s important to learn about every religion

so that we have a more open mind,” Kaur said. “You don’t only have to learn about the differences between religions, you can learn a lot about the similarities.”

Concordia students got to celebrate the Hindu festival Holi at the Shree Ramji Temple in Montreal. Photos by Anna Kroupina.

SCIENCE

Migraine medication can cure your heartache A researcher is using propranolol as a treatment for romantic trauma

BY KATERINA GANG STAFF WRITER A researcher at the Douglas Research Centre is investigating propranolol, a medication commonly used to treat migraines, as a potential psychotherapeutic treatment for romantic trauma.

Michelle Lonergan, a PhD Psychiatry student from McGill, is studying “attachment injury” in romantic relationships. Attachment injury occurs when a romantic partner is betrayed or abandoned through infidelity or physical or emotional abandonment during times of need. An attachment injury destroys one’s sense of security in a partner.

Lonergan came across this concept through an article by psychologist Sue Johnson.

“The loss of love can have devastating psychological and physical effects,” said Lonergan. “People may fall into a depression and substance abuse, or in extreme circumstances, harm themselves or others, all in the name of love.”

The idea to use propranolol as a treatment for symptoms of romantic trauma came from Lonergan’s supervisor, Dr. Alain Brunet. Propranolol is used to treat high blood pressure, migraines, and certain anxiety disorders. At a low dose, it has few side effects besides fatigue. Brunet has

used propranolol to reduce symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

“Given that our lab investigates a treatment designed to reduce psychological distress and symptoms of traumatic stress associated with a traumatic event, and that experiencing a betrayal can be traumatizing, I began to see where our treatment can bridge the gap and potentially help a lot of people,” said Lonergan.

Her goal is to use propranolol to reduce emotional trauma by disrupting memory reconsolidation. At the turn of the century, it was discovered that the nature of emotional memories change as

they are remembered—a process known as reconsolidation. Reconsolidation enables old memories to be updated with new information, which helps us learn.

Norepinephrine, a neurotransmitter, is used in this process.

Propranolol being a beta-blocker is what makes it ideal for this study, as beta-blockers are norepinephrine inhibitors. If propranolol is administered during the “reconsolidation window,” where the memory is destabilized during the process of remembering, the reconsolidation process is disrupted and the memory becomes less distressing.

The study researchers are looking for adults who have experienced romantic trauma and experience distress as a result.

They hope to provide an alternative treatment to traditional psychotherapy.

The clinical trial involves six sessions and two follow-ups. Each session involves thinking about the betrayal an hour after having taken propranolol. During the first session, subjects write about the trauma in detail. During the remaining five, they read about it. Follow-ups will be done one week and three months after the clinical trial, to assess long-term effectiveness.

The trial poses little risk to subjects, Lonergan said. The process does not alter actual memories, just how the memory

makes an individual feel, she said. “People still remember what happened to them, and how they felt when it happened,” said Lonergan. “The difference is that they do not have the same debilitating emotional response to the reminders that they once did.”

Mental health professionals would be able to learn of this treatment easily, and it’s also cheap. Lonergan said long-lasting benefits have already been observed in as few as six sessions, half the number of sessions typical for cognitive-behavioural therapy.

“This intervention has the potential to revolutionize the way we treat psychiatric disorders that are linked to powerful emotional memories,” said Lonergan.

Lonergan began recruiting individuals for her study in November 2015. The trial is ongoing, and she will continue to recruit subjects until October 2017.

“It was a dream come true. However, I did have my worries about being robbed and perhaps being targeted for being gay.

However, I saw more gay PDA in São Paulo than I’ve ever seen here. But it doesn’t mean that you’re safe while doing it.” Upon his return to Canada he said he felt like a whole new person, as though he had to learn to live in our society all over again.

Graphic by Thom Bell.

arts

ARTS EDITORS /// arts@theconcordian.com LYDIA ANDERSON (! @LydiaAndersonn) & ELIJAH BUKREEV (! @ElijahBukreev)

EXHIBIT

Nature triumphs over humanity in Griebel’s work In Reanimator, playful sculptures explore a future in which nature claims us back REANIMATOR 1. “Boneyard” depicts two jack rabbits coupled over a grave.

2. “Fertile” presents a political statement with a playfully constructed sculpture.

Photos by William Fox.

BY TIFFANY LAFLEUR ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR It’s not often that an exhibition compels you to ponder the conflicted relationship between humanity and nature, especially in a space dedicated to collecting some of the richest and most important historical objects of civilization.

But that’s exactly what Jude Griebel accomplished with his whimsical exhibition Reanimator , currently on exhibit at the Redpath Museum. His sculptures evoke the

fragile and ephemeral nature of humanity, coyly reminding us that society toes a very fine line between cohabitation with, and surrender to, nature. Griebel achieves this dichotomy through incredibly political and poignant sculptures.

It’s no coincidence that Griebel’s work is being displayed in a museum which celebrates natural history. The setting offers the perfect arena to embrace and digest the message he is trying to convey. His works are scattered throughout the natural history collection. As you walk around in search of his next sculpture, you get to observe pieces from the permanent collection: dinosaur bones, animals frozen in time, a dried and stretched polar bear skin. In this setting, each sculpture could easily be interpreted as being native to the museum.

The exhibition also ser ves as a reflective exercise. Will our time one day be reduced to simply another epoch in the great history of the world, with the only traces remaining in museums?

Griebel purposefully and meticulously arranged his works this way in order to reverse the typical power roles of humans over the environment.

H e u s e s t h e ve r y aesthetic employed in museums to get his point across, saying: “We often take the institutional dis-

play of nature for granted, as a formal understanding, when it is quite unnatural.

By subverting this type of display through my fictional narratives, I am questioning what we often consider to be fact, as well as our attitudes towards other species.”

Reanimator reflects Griebel’s interest in testing what models and dioramas portray as the truth. His work is instead imbued with alternative psychological perceptions of the body and nature.

“These works explore the dichotomous tendencies of human desire to romanticize and meld with, yet remain autonomous from the natural world,” said Griebel.

A Concordia alumnus, Griebel graduated with a MFA in sculpture and ceramics in 2014.

His work addresses these very heavy themes of human demise in a playful fashion.

His intricate and detailed sculptures include hands extending out of the Earth, cradling grasshoppers and butterflies, snails and mice coupling. The hands symbolize humanity, in the face of a nature that is sincerely believed to be tameable. The copulating animals are a symbol of the natural world proliferating over humanity.

“The works all have human anatomical elements present. I am interested in how, as a species, we often see ourselves as independent from the natural world.

Collectively, the works represent a sort of metaphorical graveyard where bodies have been reconnected to the ground,” said Griebel.

Two of Reanimator’s strongest pieces are in the lobby of the Redpath, right as you walk in. In “Boneyard,” two jackrabbits couple over a grave. In “Stumped,” a log is stuffed in a pair of jeans stands with two branches as legs, connecting it to the ground. An axe is firmly embedded

in the top of the log while a bird rests on the handle.

On the second floor of the museum, “Fertile” and Griebel’s other pieces featuring hands and insects are peppered among the permanent collection. “Fertile” in particular presents a very political statement for such a playfully constructed sculpture. A robin picks at worms coming out from a small, human-like creature constructed of mud and clay, with flowers for eyes. Worms are exiting from the creature’s body, providing the robin with food. In this work, not only has nature claimed us back, but we have become its lunch.

The overall significance for the exhibition is clear: nature will assert its dominance over civilization and right the wrongs humanity committed by taking advantage of the natural world around us. In Reanimator, the tables have turned, and the dominant relationship humanity has had over nature is no longer true.

Griebel’s work demonstrates an incredible amount of meticulous detail, from whiskers on rabbits, tufts of grass, realistic shading of mushrooms, insects, rocks and tree bark. Analyzing his work makes the viewer contemplate their current role in the world while whimsically mulling over the possibility of nature claiming us back, where humans are no longer the apex predator, and where wildlife is dancing over our graves. ∠

Reanimator will be on display at the Redpath Museum until May 26. The museum is open from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The suggested amount to donate to the museum for adults is $10.

MARCH 29, 2016

theconcordian

9

FILM

An impressionistic search for lost time Knight of Cups is another one of Terrence Malick’s cinematic reveries

BY ELIJAH BUKREEV CO-ARTS EDITOR In his last few films, Terrence Malick has come close to fulfilling the whole potential of cinema as the sum of all previously existing art forms. His films are carried by music, and indeed they flow along with it. The camera waltzes through space, images flash by as though notes in a symphony. Editing is Malick’s paintbrush—over the years, the American director has collected a massive repertoire of cinematic visions, and he has worked patiently to assemble them into feature-length works of modern impressionism.

The theme of Knight of Cups is set in its opening lines, which tell the story of a young prince who is sent by his father to look for a pearl, but loses his way and drinks himself into a deep sleep.

Rick (Christian Bale) is, in a sense, this prince—a Los Angeles screenwriter who wanders through the city and various love relationships like a lost soul, always searching, always trying to understand what he’s after. He rarely speaks, and the conversations of others are usually muted or half-heard. The lines that matter are read as voice-over—everything else is dust, to be washed away by time.

Unlike To the Wonder, Malick’s previous film, which was distinct for its apparent

attempt to reconstruct memories, Knight of Cups is more clearly set in the present. Shot partially on GoPro cameras, it is more intrusive, sometimes close to 3-D in in the way it invites you into its image, while maintaining the dreamlike tone of its predecessor. Despite its hopeful finale, it is drenched in a sense of loss, as if it had lived through millions of years and gone all the way back to craft this diary of days forgotten.

You cannot watch Knight of Cups as you watch all other Here, Christian Bale isn’t used as a star, but as a man, no more significant than any other. films—you will have to surrender yourself to it. Cinema is usually expected, if not required, to entertain, but and grace through cinematic movement. There will always be some to walk out, in why must that be the case? You wouldn’t sit To see his films is to experience the world any group. In some groups, it might be the down in an art gallery and complain about anew. Someday they might be studied whole group. That’s fine. Knight of Cups, it having no plot. You wouldn’t complain to understand what it must have meant, as all Malick films, exists outside of time. It about a symphony’s lack of discernible beyond all political, social or even openly has conquered time and put it in a bottle. purpose. But if a film is made without a artistic implications, to simply be alive in It will never get old. It can afford to wait. script, then there will always be someone our day and age. to label it as empty.

Th e re is n o d o ubt th at M a lick KNIGHT OF CUPS Complaining that a Malick film has no has alienated many viewers with his ⋆⋆⋆⋆ plot is like saying the Mona Lisa could approach. Some say his films are not made Directed by Terrence Malick use some lipstick. Malick stopped using for everyone, but I truly believe that they Starring Christian Bale, Cate scripts because he had no purpose for are—it just turns out not everyone is made Blanchett, Natalie Portman them anymore. He relinquished himself for them. There couldn’t have been more Released on March 18, 2016 from the constraints of stor ytelling, than 10 people at the screening I attended, Duration 118 min achieving a liberating sense of freedom and there was still one who walked out.

PERFORMANCE

A one-man show audiovisual time capsule BOOM is a visual exploration of the vibrant history and culture of the ‘50s and ‘60s on the moon. Those two thundering historical events are the framing of Miller’s one-man show, BOOM. Miller played his 200th performance last Wednesday as part of a 16-month Canadian tour introducing the storytelling of 25 years of histor y from today’s perspective.

If anything, BOOM is the kind of show that can’t easily fit into a box. It’s not really a play or a documentary, yet it’s a little bit of both. The stories of three baby boomers call the tune in this unique visual exploration of the vibrant history and culture of the ‘50s and ‘60s. Pop culture music, crooner singing, imitation of legends and shadow plays—Toronto writer, One hundred famous figures are impersonated by Miller. director and performer Rick Miller gives it his all.

BY AMBRE SACHET The story emerges from three characters’ ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR personal memories of what it was like to be part of the baby boomer generation.

It’s 1945: the U.S. drops two atomic The first two are Maddie and Rudi, Miller’s bombs on Japan, marking the end of parents, who conceived him on the exact World War II. In 1969: the Americans launch same day Apollo 11 left Earth, an event Apollo 11, the first spaceflight to land humans that marks the end of the play. The third

character is Laurence Davis, an African American musician who fled the U.S. draft and immigrated to Canada, and who was once romantically involved with Maddie.

Alone on stage, Miller is all at once changing costumes, putting on wigs and turning his back on the audience to face a camera that is projected as a big T.V. screen on the front stage multimedia platform.

Creativity has become second nature to Miller, whose degrees in architecture influences his will to see how small histories connect to all of history. “I decided that creativity needs constraints of some kind. I didn’t decide to do a hundred voices and a hundred minutes, that’s sort of how it shaped out, that four minutes per year could get some information across, but we could still cover the whole thing in one show,” said Miller. Astonishingly, Winston Churchill, president John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Janis Joplin and the lead singer of the Rolling Stones are only a sample of the one hundred famous figures impersonated

by Rick Miller. In order for the audience to not feel lost when so many characters are played by a single actor, Miller’s technique in BOOM consists of exaggerating the details.

Previously the host of the T.V. show Just for Laughs, Miller is well known for MacHomer, his recreation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, where the playwright used voices from The Simpsons. Miller is also known for his original performance of Bohemian Rhapsody: “Twenty five of the most annoying voices in the music industry.”

By putting Kennedy’s hopeful first years into perspective by comparing them with Obama’s election, and equating Martin Luther King’s fight for civil rights to the Indigenous cause in Canada, Miller adds an interesting element to the informative aspect of the play. “Zooming in, zooming out” comes as Miller’s philosophy as explained by the writer in an interview. Even though BOOM accurately depicts the period of consumerism and rebellion, one could wonder whether it is Miller that serves history, or the other way around. The actor’s incarnation of that era suits the comical tone of the play while slightly neglecting the emotional part. Behind BOOM lies a primarily educational purpose.

By addressing his show to a diversified audience, Miller expects people to learn from the past. “I want people to feel connected to not only history but to their own personal history. We try to create different experiences so that audiences feel it was worth it leaving Netflix!” said the Dora and Gemini award-winning writer. After the result of a three years project, the storyteller stays on stage to open the discussion and carry on with his collection of stories.

“It’s almost like I was a curator more than a writer, and my exhibit is this time capsule,” said Miller. ∠

Copa de Oro presents BOOM at Segal Centre for Performing Arts from March 20 until April 10. Tickets are $32 for students and start at $50 for adults.

music

CHECK THIS WEEK’S SPOTIFY PLAYLIST AT bit.ly/1XZ8qUm

Quickspins

MUSIC EDITOR /// music@theconcordian.com SAMUEL PROVOST-WALKER

KANYE WEST

1

The College Dropout (Roc-A-Fella, 2004)

PROFILE

The enigmatic genius of Aiden Smith

Experimental music has reached its zenith with this curious artist

NEW SOUNDS Pots and pans from Smith’s repertoire. Photo by davost from Flickr. (below) Fans flock to Aiden Smith’s concerts for a video glimpse of the star. Photo by Kate Elizabeth from Flickr.

BY CALVIN CASHEN ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR It may be easy to dismiss one-year-old Aiden Smith as yet another hopeful talent, but this slobber-mouthed toddler shows early signs of true musical mastery.

If this enthusiasm makes Aiden seem like God’s gift to music, that’s because he is, and yet, the way he approaches his artistic craft is anything but conventional—never showing up for scheduled interviews and hastily avoiding press like the plague. “He has playdates on Tuesdays and Wednesdays,” said his mother, Joanna Smith.

No he can’t play Mozart compositions flawlessly, let alone pronounce any of these three words; Aiden is more subtle and has a unique, more modest outlet of expression: the pots and pans that accumulate in his parents’ cabinets. After spreading his talent to the masses, Aiden became the literal poster child and driving force for the popular fusion genre coined as “toddler-core,” an enigmatic melding of harsh noise music and avant-garde pop similar to Bjork or a dying bobcat.

Upon hearing his musical renditions of the genre, Aiden’s parents were at a loss for words. “I mean, when I first found out our son was banging on these pots and pans, I was a little bit angry, but now I think he is a real treasure,” says Aiden’s father Ray Smith. He continued: “I used to be a musical actor myself. I wouldn’t be surprised if you recognized me. Yeah, I starred in many musicals. I performed Cats as a one man show. I did Jesus Christ Superstar, that was also a one man thing,” he said. “Probably one that you might have even heard of, I did an original piece called Unf!, which was with me and a couple of lesser known individuals. I would emerge from various forms of packaging. Broadway turned it down. I suppose it was just a little too off for them.”

“Aiden has always been interested in the arts—singing, dancing, acting,” said Joanna Smith. “Even as an infant, other babies were sort of crying in a very monotone way, but if Aiden called out to me, rather than, ‘mom!’ like other kids, he would go ‘mo-om.’ You know, just sort of elongated.

I remember I choreographed the entire

Disney soundtrack for Aiden and made him—I mean—encouraged him to perform it for my friends at his first birthday.”

It bears mentioning that Aiden has turned down offers from plenty of high end labels.

This comes to no surprise, yet his upcoming farewell set at Coachella seems fairly out of place for a musical talent like Aiden. He won’t be appearing in person and will instead perform via video call with a dark cloak over his face. Clearly the set will go down into the annals of pop culture as a once in a lifetime opportunity, much like Daft Punk’s final performance at Coachella. Aiden is a completely abstract based performer, often incorporating his voice in the form of indistinguishable screams and yelps of excitement.

Aiden is going to perform a 49 song set at the festival, because why the hell not? He may have been compared quite infamously to “the musical equivalent of a train wreck waiting to happen” but really these detractors are just jealous fools, at least according to Aiden’s translator, Kanye West.

“I don’t want to say it’s a protest of anything.

Aiden has structure, but it’s mostly about having a metaphysical experience—like, ‘is this music or is this art?’” said West.

Basically Aiden performs each show like it’s his last, which is believable once you see this master of the strange—truly a sight to behold. # Catch Aiden S m it h’s fa rewe l l shows on April 17 and 24 on the main stage at Coachella in Indio, California. Don’t miss this once in a lifetime event! Tickets go on sale April 1 from 3 a.m. to 11:59 a.m.

After stunning the world with his production work on Jay Z’s The Blueprint, no one believed Kanye West could transition into a solo artist. No one believed he had what it took to go up against hip-hop’s elite. No one thought Kanye West could do it! Not only did Kanye West do it; he flipped the entire script on its head, ushering in a new age of soul-sampling and beats straight from the pearly gates. Even 12 years later, The College Dropout remains an untouched masterpiece only the likes of which Kanye West could bring you.

It’s frank, it’s charming and, most of all, it’s real. Jesus walks, alright, and his real name is Kanye West. The College Dropout is available for streaming exclusively on TIDAL. # Trial track: “Jesus Walks”

10/10

2

— Kanye West

KANYE WEST

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Roc-A-Fella, 2010) Only one word can describe Kanye West’s monumental My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: perfection. With featured guest spots from LITERALLY everyone you’d ever want to hear and some of the most beautiful, poetic, organic and mind-blowing arrangements in music history, Kanye West proves his genius once more. By doubling down on pop collaborators and broadening his artistic horizons, West effectively demonstrates how hard it is to be a rich celebrity, detailing the tiresome baggage that comes with it in raw, unadulterated form. It doesn’t matter who you think had the best record of 2010 or who won the Grammy that year; Kanye West is your artistic king AND your God. Just accept it and get a TIDAL subscription today. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is available for streaming exclusively on TIDAL. # Trial track: The whole thing

10/10

— Kanye West

MARCH 29, 2016

theconcordian

11

RECOMMENDATIONS

A beginner’s guide to jazz rap

Meditative and relaxing, don’t sleep on these hip hop classics SMOOTH JAZZ AND MELLOW BEATS

3 GWEN STEFANI

This Is What the Truth Feels Like (Interscope, 2016)

(Clockwise from top) Saxophone by Sachitha Obeysekara from Flickr.

Smokey jazz by Paloma from Flickr.

I didn’t listen to this but y’all wanna hear greatness? Y’all wanna experience the future of music? Y’all wanna join me in my forward-thinking initiatives and freeform creative expressions?

Sign up for TIDAL. Sign up for the best service in the world and support its thriving geniuses. Jay and I are the kings and y’all need to acknowledge that. We are your Shakespeares and your Warhols. I am the Michelangelo of this art collective. Join us on our quest towards innovative artistic expression. Support me. Save me. I love you. I love all of you. I only want to create beautiful art. I need TIDAL subscribers to make my art happen.

Y’all wanna hear new Ye? Y’all wanna cop TLOP? Y’all gotta sign up. GET TIDAL! # Trial track: GET TIDAL

?/10

— Kanye West

BY SAMUEL PROVOST-WALKER MUSIC EDITOR

WIZ KHALIFA

Khalifa (Atlantic, 2016)

4

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0/TLOP

— Kanye West

On March 23, hip hop lost A Tribe Called Quest’s Malik Izaak Taylor, better known by his stage name Phife Dawg. With fellow members Q-Tip, Jarobi White and producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Phife helped further redefine hip hop’s image from one of boisterous tough guy posturing to one of cultural pride. Utilizing a bevy of iconic soul samples and dexterous jazz rhythms, A Tribe Called Quest pioneered an innovative sound primarily dictated by its cool, laid back atmosphere; jazz rap.

The sub-genre has since evolved, its influence felt from the underground all the way to the mainstream. In honor of the late Phife Dawg, here are some of the most vividly detailed and intricate records from the mellow world of jazz rap.

A TRIBE CALLED QUEST - THE LOW END THEORY (1991) AND MIDNIGHT MARAUDERS (1993) Building from their debut, the critically and commercially successful People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, A Tribe Called Quest essentially revolutionized the hip hop genre with their sophomore release. Retaining their playful and socially conscious lyricism, The Low End Theory also saw producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad employing distinct samples culled from jazz records, lending the record a cool, sophisticated atmosphere. The album also marked the true arrival of Phife Dawg; though he appeared on their debut, Phife’s contributions were relegated to only a few verses, with Q-Tip handling the rest. With a singular, high-pitched voice, the rapper

introduced a playful, self-deprecating style to the group’s already defined chemistry while never mincing words when it came to social issues.

With The Low End Theory , A Tribe Called Quest’s potency and importance were proven. With Midnight Marauders however, the group’s legacy was firmly solidified. Finding a middle ground between their debut’s soul-based beats and The Low End Theory’s moody jazz backdrops, Midnight Marauders s aw the group exploring urban social issues and more personal themes to stunning effect. The album also spawned the group’s highest charting single, the cheery, celebratory “Award Tour.”

DIGABLE PLANETS - BLOWOUT COMB (1994) Though their debut Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space) found modest success based on the strength of its hit single “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat),” Digable Planets were unable to replicate its commercial performance with their second studio record. It’s a real shame given how Blowout Comb layers every inch of space with rich jazz samples and even more sumptuous live instrumentation, crafting a record that’s in turn more engrossing and rewarding than its predecessor. Though audibly breezy and chilled out, Digable Planets tackle themes of black nationalism and inner city struggles head on, painting a dour yet hopeful portrait of the east coast in the ‘90s; the contrast is as intellectually stimulating as it is musically chilled out.

Topical, densely layered and brimming with life, Blowout Comb represents jazz rap at its most lavish and transportative.

COUNT BASS D - DWIGHT SPITZ (2002) While a more straightforward hip hop effort by Count Bass D, Dwight Spitz ’s dreamy production and speedy, abrupt song lengths grants it an ethereal, comforting quality. With a laundry list of guest spots and collaborators, from producer J. Rawls to the enigmatic supervillain MF DOOM, Count Bass D creates a vivid tableau rife with soothing melodies and infectious hooks.

What’s most surprising about the rapper/ producer is how modestly and genuinely he depicts himself, detailing his love for his family, his kids, his friends and his religious beliefs. Though it’s often been compared to J Dilla’s Donuts and Madvillain’s Madvillainy, most notably for its short songs, Dwight Spitz is pretty unique, utilizing jazz rap tropes in wholly unconventional ways.

NUJABES - METAPHORICAL MUSIC (2003) Sharing a birthday with the late great producer and beatmaker J Dilla, Japan’s Jun Seba, better known as Nujabes, was equally prolific. Though his career came to a tragic end in 2010, Nujabes became known across the pond thanks to his distinctively mellowed out beats on the hit anime Samurai Champloo. Metaphorical Music, his solo debut, is a life-affirming collection of sultry smooth jazz-drenched melodies and banging instrumental hip hop beats brimming with passion. With socially conscious verses by frequent collaborators Substantial, Pase Rock, Cise Star and Shing02, Nujabes provides a intoxicatingly meditative backbone to each track. If Blowout Comb represents jazz rap at its most musical, Metaphorical Music is quite possibly the sub-genre’s most relaxing offering.

sports

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

CONFERENCE

JMSM hosts third annual Halftime conference Chris Schultz and Kate Beirness were just a few of this year’s guests

HALFTIME

Kate Beirness, an anchor on TSN Sportscentre, says her coworkers are the best part of her job. Photos

by William Fox.

BY JEFFREY MUNTU STAFF WRITER There were plenty of reasons to attend th e third annu al JMSM H alf tim e Conference, which focused on the NBA and the NFL. On March 26, the John Molson Sports Marketing Committee was able to put up a relatively diverse and dynamic panel of speakers that notably featured longtime TSN broadcasters, Chris Schultz and Kate Beirness. The other two invitees were Tim Zenner, director of ticketing and fan engagement for the Detroit Lions and Ram Padmanabhan,

vice president of financial and general counsel for the Chicago Bulls.

Chris Schultz was the first speaker to address the audience. Schultz started the conference by explaining how hard it was for him to earn an athletic scholarship.

Schultz described how he had to tour the United States and walk in to all the big universities, asking for a chance to join their ranks.

The main point of his speech was that just like in football, you have to come prepared in order to perform in broadcasting. He stressed the importance of paying attention to the little things because, as Schultz described, “that is what bosses notice.” The former CFL’er stressed that broadcasting is a matter of performing optimally every single time you get in front of the teleprompter.

Pointing at his colleague Kate Beirness, he marveled at the extreme attention she puts into watching highlights, doing research and taking notes before every Sportscentre broadcast.

Schultz and Beirness jabbed at each other jokingly throughout the evening.

“Schultzy,” as Beirness calls him, reminded us how he had no idea what to do after his football career and really had to rely on what he learned in pro-sports to make it in the broadcasting industry. Basically, preparation, discipline and accountability were the recurrent themes of his speech.

Up nex t was TSN’s ver y ow n Sportscentre host Kate Beirness, who had plenty of advice and anecdotes to give the crowd.

Beirness expressed her concerns about the recent layoffs in the sports broadcasting industries, specifically acknowledging her ex-colleague James Cybulski who had been laid off by the recent cuts. She said she never takes her job for granted and that it is her’s to lose every day. She also said you would probably have to work for free at some point in time in an earlier part of your career in order to get recognized. On a more positive note, Beirness told the crowd that the relationships she has with her colleagues is probably the most enjoyable aspect of her job.

“People say that I am the female version of [TSN broadcaster Darren Dutchyshen],” Beirness said. “I have learned so much from him.”

The later part of the conference was held

by Zenner and Padmanabhan. One of the important takeaways from their talk was that sports teams are first and foremost, ran as a business.

Padmanabhan finished the conference by giving his perspective on what his role is with the Chicago Bulls and the relationship teams have with the league. He credited the NBA for being, “very progressive and thoughtful in the way they market their product and the way they work with teams.”

SURFING

Montreal and its new culture of surfers Despite the weather, Montreal is an unexpected gem for surfing enthusiasts

BY SANDRINE PELLETIER CONTRIBUTOR It’s 7 a.m. and the sun is rising. Surfers are emerging from the water, soaked from head to toe, while flower buds decorate the grass on the riverside. A slim, dark figure is kneeling down next to her tall, immaculate board—a balance that comes as close to perfection as the coconut fragrance escaping the sex wax on this bright May morning. This isn’t the tale of a California endless summer dream, it’s a reality that is much closer to home than you think.

What could a world-class surfer like Jamie O’Brien ever be doing in an indoor surf competition on the south shore of Montreal?

Habitat 67’s influence is your answer.

Habitat 67 is probably the most popular wave in Montreal and is located only four kilometres from downtown. The spot is called Habitat 67 as it is located just next to a housing community with that very name. At this time of year, most of us are probably terrified at the thought of paddling out in 15 C waters, but Montreal’s most disciplined surfers are rejoicing. Blocks of ice will finally cease to run down the

currents, leaving more space and safe spots for surfers to show off their maneuvers in the St. Lawrence River.

The term ‘inland surfer,’ mostly used to describe a river surfer or a wakeboarder, is fairly self-explanatory. Quebecers are lucky as a short car ride can bring them to some fantastic waves along the East Coast, while a short flight will hook you up with some of the best surfing in North America, in places such as North Carolina. However, surfing is an expensive hobby for those who don’t live by the sea.

This is where the St. Lawrence comes in: it acts as a fresh balm, fulfilling every insatiable ocean craving until the last drop of adrenaline has run through the urban surfer’s cold, cold veins.

An increasing number of surfers from around the world are adopting Habitat 67 as their main home break—or a surfing spot the surfer has become comfortable with. Montreal quietly became a new niche and inspiring market for surfing-inspired entrepreneurs, leading successful companies to build

a collective empire through the wild and tropic world that represents the surf culture.

Companies and travel agencies such as Ouisurf, Barefoot Surf Travel, Salty Souls Experience, Surf Expedition, June Swimwear and KSF, are all taking advantage of Montreal’s surfing culture. These companies are all offering a beach life rhythm and that special stress-free environment, eagerly sought

after by Quebec’s youth market. This can be seen through the new September Café on Notre-Dame Street West, which is inspired by surfing culture.

Although one should forget about the glowing sun kissed skin tan à la professional surfer, the surfing in Montreal is pushing boundaries and breaking down stereotypes: it’s cold, it’s scary and it’s a raw experience.

Graphic by Thom Bell.

MARCH 29, 2016

theconcordian

13

FOOTBALL

Stingers football optimistic about the future Talking recruitment and the expectations for next season with coach Mickey Donovan GAME TIME (1) The Stingers hope to defeat teams like the Carabins next season.

Photo by Andrej Ivanov.

(2) Mickey Donovan became the coach of the team and was welcomed

by Concordia athletic director Patrick Boivin.

Photo by Nathalie Laflamme.

1

BY ALEXANDER COLE SPORT EDITOR In the 2015 season, the Concordia Stingers football team finished off the year with a 4-4 record which earned them their second straight playoff appearance in a row under head coach Mickey Donovan.

With the team’s significant improvement over the last few seasons, Donovan is still looking at ways to improve the team, which has been shown through the team’s recent recruitment efforts.

“Overall our recruitment class has been strong,” Donovan said. “There’s probably still a handful of guys out there that we are looking at to fill out some key positions.”

So far, the Stingers have mainly recruited players that play on the defensive side of the ball. In January, the team announced the recruitment of Jizreel Botat and Jersey Henry—two defensive backs who played for Vanier College.

Donovan said that he expects both Botat and Henry to compete for a starting position on the team next year and make an impact on defense.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Stingers have recruited Matthew Halbgewachs, an offensive lineman from Regina, who played for the Regina Thunder, and also

2

spent some time on the practice roster of it. If the players don’t have a 3.0 average, the Saskatchewan Roughriders. The team we look at their personality, what type of also recruited offensive lineman Brandon work ethic do they have and what type of Pacheco, who has played his whole life in background they come from.” the United States.

When looking at players, Donovan and “We’re trying to find the best 12 guys his coaching staff talk to the players’ coaches on defense and the same with offense,” to understand what kind of attitude each Donovan said. “The key positions, that we player has. Donovan is looking for players really focused on, were the who are good people and will offensive line since Roman care for others, especially The Stingers are a Grozman is going to the CFL their teammates. family: “We need draft, and defensive backs, “We feel that Concordia to have people with Mikael Charland who is a family,” Donovan said. in this family is also going to the draft.”

“We need to have people in that believe “We need guys who this family that believe that can come in and compete as well. If you recruit a guy that as well. If right away, that’s why we that is all about himself, it will you recruit a recruit so heavily in Quebec,” never work here with us.” guy that is all Donovan said.

In terms of recruits about himself, it For Donovan, the numand their willingness to will never work ber-one thing he looks for sign on with Concordia, here with us.” when recruiting players is Donovan cites the school’s academics. While football academics as a big reason MICKEY DONOVAN skills are important, acawhy players want to come demics and personality are here. For Donovan, when some of the most important traits a player it comes to selling Concordia to potencan have. tial recruits, the team sells the players “[Academics] are a strength that we want on getting an education as opposed to for all of our players,” he said. “School is not playing football. Donovan believes that easy for everyone. For some it comes easy the education offered by the university and for others, they have to work hard at has allowed it to pick up more recruits and even players from the United States.

Concordia president Alan Shepard has also been a big help when recruiting players as he often meets with prospective recruits to talk academics and the opportunities available at Concordia.

In the last two seasons, the team has been able to improve from a 0-8 record in 2013, to a 5-3 record in 2014 and 4-4 record in 2015, which has given the football program a better reputation. According to Donovan, this is another

reason why players are starting to give more consideration to the Stingers program. “[New recruits] are all excited to be here,” Donovan said.

As Donovan described, Concordia is a program that has the potential to be ranked high on the national level, which is another reason why players are so excited to come to Concordia. They believe that the Stingers are going in the right direction.

Once the off-season begins and recruits start training with the team, Donovan makes sure that recruits are treated like everyone else in order to integrate them into the system. Each player has an equal opportunity at winning a starting spot; a spot which has to be earned through hard work.

The team is currently participating in winter practices held in the Stingers dome at the Loyola campus. Players will also be training throughout the summer in preparation for the upcoming season, which Donovan believes could be a standout season for the Stingers.

When Donovan took over the team in 2014, the team had just come off of a winless season in the RSEQ division. In his first two seasons as coach, the team has improved when it comes to playing top level teams such as the Laval Rouge et Or and the Montreal Carabins.

In 2015, the Stingers lost to the Carabins twice, once by 12 points and the second by five. According to Donovan, this is a significant improvement from his first season as head coach.

Last year’s team was young as many players were in their first year. However, with a season’s worth of experience under their belts, Donovan feels as though the team will be much more mature. With players like quarterback Trenton Miller returning to the team, and the new recruits that have been brought in, expectations are high.

“Our guys are getting better and we’re committing ourselves,” Donovan said. “We’re all excited for next season. Every year you go in with high expectations and there is no reason why we shouldn’t.”

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

EDITORIAL

Media needs to report both sides of conflict

On Sunday evening in a park in Lahore, Pakistan, families with Muslim and Christian children were playing on the swings, socializing, and hunting for Easter eggs. Then, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive and the park turned into a scene from a horror movie, with hundreds injured and at least 70 people killed, according to Al Jazeera. A Taliban faction called Jamaat-ul-Ahrar has claimed responsibility for the attack, and said it was intended to kill Christians, although only 14 victims have been identified as such, according to Al Jazeera.

In Montreal on Sunday night, Concordia, McGill, UQÀM and UdeM’s African student unions gathered at McGill to hold a candlelight vigil to remember the recent victims of terrorist attacks from all over the world.

Victims of attacks in Ivory Coast, Turkey, Mali and Belgium were mourned, which allowed for the recognition of the tragedies underreported by mainstream media.

After the Paris attacks, The Concordian’s masthead felt particularly touched because our Production manager is from Paris and the connection between the world’s two largest French-speaking cities is as close

as any. We used the editorial at that time of the Paris Attacks to call for rationality and to avoid knee-jerk reactions that would arbitrarily punish refugees or create an environment of Islamophobia.

Now we want to use it to call for critical thinking about the violence being reported on. Yes, this violence is horrible, and yes, we need to stand together in solidarity for the victims of these heinous acts of violence, which took place in parks, homes and streets around the world. But we, as Canadians, also need to understand where some of this violence is coming from.

War, we’ve heard, is ugly. And that is exactly what is being reported on. These bloody acts of terror and violence are acts of war, yet Western media usually forgets that war is fought between multiple sides.

Even more difficult to explain is the conflict itself. The U.S. and its allies warring against Daesh is a painfully oversimplified version of the conflict. The truth of the matter is that one of the motivaters driving fighters to join terrorist groups, such as Daesh, is payback. After witnessing Western attacks cause countless civilian deaths is it really so unimaginable that people are driven to

radicalization? But civilian attacks that drive people to radicalization are not what we hear about. It’s framed by Western media like the West is the only victim.

And that is not—by any means—to say that the innocents killed in Pakistan, Ivory Coast, Turkey, Belgium or anywhere else in the world were not victims. They were, and deserve to be remembered as victims of this violence.

Daesh is abhorrent, anyone who fights for them is committing evil acts, and they need to be stopped. However, to ignore the violence being facilitated by America and her allies against innocent peoples across the globe—because at the end of the day even Daesh is made up of people, who could be just like us if born into different circumstances—is worse than ignorant.

It’s insulting, and monster-creating. And we’re not only talking about Daesh as the monster here.

When was the last time you saw someone updating their Facebook profile picture to mourn the weddings, schools or hospitals bombed by Western forces?

Because that happens. The death, horror and killing of innocents is happening on

both sides of this conflict.

Glenn Greenwald, in an article published on The Intercept on March 25, summarized it best: “If we are constantly bombarded with images and stories and dramatic narratives highlighting our own side’s victims, while the victims of our side’s violence are rendered invisible, it’s only natural that large numbers of us will conclude that only They, but not We, are committing civilian-killing violence.

That’s a really pleasing thing to believe, no matter how false it is. Having media outlets perpetrate self-pleasing and tribal-affirming—but utterly false—narratives is the very definition of propaganda.”

Did you forget Canada is at war? If you don’t like the violence being done to your side, start paying attention to the violence being done by both sides. Break away from the one-sided propaganda being fed to you.

Follow Al Jazeera, The Intercept, Russia Today and alternative media sources to get different points of view and diversify your understanding. Read everything critically.

And if you don’t like it, stop passively taking a back seat and let your government know how you feel. Voice your discontent and put an end to any violence you don’t condone.

Letters to the editor Promoting a Safe Work Culture in the PSSA

Why I Support Act Together in the elections

My name is Farhana J. Haque. I am a third year Concordia University student in both Political Science and School of Community and Public Affairs (SCPA). As the future VP Academic for PSSA, I want to promote a safe work culture.

For SCPA specifically, I was the Academic Affairs and Advocacy Secretary, the VP Academic equivalent of PSSA. In support of an initiative taken by my colleague, Madelaine Sommers - the Community Outreach Secretary of SCPA, I was in dialogue with the Centre for Gender Advocacy, trying to get them on board as the prospective provider of consent workshops to the school, in the process of becoming mandatory for current and future students of SCPA. I am inspired to implement a similar workshop program that promotes a safe work culture for PSSA. I had also helped the Centre for Gender Advocacy draft an outline of a consent workshop that is applicable to typical situations in everyday life such as work and I wish to make use of this. Recall that sexual assault charges were made against past leaders of ASFA. You would think that such incidence cannot occur in an umbrella association representing more than 15, 000 students, 29 student member associations, and 50 events.

But it did. It can occur anywhere, including PSSA. What led to this situation?

Work culture is not as discussed as much as education prepares us for work. Discussing and understanding vexatious behaviors, how people are oppressed by them, is the first step in raising self-awareness about the impact our behaviour and actions can have on others’ psychological and emotional dignity. It makes us aware of the toll mal-conduct can have on others’ well-being and work performance. Everyone has the labour right to a work-environment free of psychological harassment, which arguably is the root of all escalating conflicts. The establishment of acceptable and not acceptable (work) social norms will create social transparency. The workshop program that I want to implement will combine consent, anti-oppression, and conflict resolution. All three are geared towards promoting a safe work culture within Concordia today and within our careers tomorrow.

In this year’s CSU elections I will be voting for Act Together, an excellent team of student activists who are running for positions on the CSU executive. I support them because of their clear and unwavering commitments to sustainability projects, campaigns and their proven track record of achieving results for students.

Members of the Act Together slate will be able to engage the Concordia community in the many sustainability initiatives that they have already contributed to through their time in Concordia student politics. They will be an effective voice for students and will not allow themselves to be pushed aside by the university administration. To date, this administration has refused to divest from fossil fuels or even criticize the Quebec government’s radical austerity measures which are already being felt by students, professors and support staff across the institution.

In this time of reckless neo-liberal austerity we need a strong, courageous and well organized student union that will defend public education and sustainability. I am fully confident that the each and every member of the Act Together slate will be able to deliver results on these and other important issues facing the university.

Farhana J. Haque - Undergrad in Political Science and SCPA

Alex Tyrrell Leader of the Green Party of Quebec Environmental Science Student at Concordia

Read something you didn’t agree with?

Want your voice heard? Send your letter to editor@theconcordian.com, 500 words max before Friday at 4 p.m., to have your letter published in the upcoming issue or f ind our let ter submis sion p age at theconcordian.com

MARCH 29, 2016

theconcordian

15

CAMPUS

The flavourless flavour of business school Why you should think twice before attending John Molson School of Business The barren ambiance within John Molson School of Business. Photos

by Marie-Pierre Savard.

BY DAVID EASEY OPINIONS EDITOR I pass through the heavy glass doors and feel the immediate urge to shed my identity and kowtow to the corporate overlords. I start speaking in a strange vernacular where I use the words ‘cash flow,’ and ‘capital,’ as dark visions of materialism and greed fill my mind.

I observe my surroundings and see that everyone looks the same, adhering to a certain aesthetic. Their business uniform seems to be bought from Zara, as they reek of expensive perfumes and Gillette razors.

Their phones constantly illuminate with LinkedIn notifications, while each student is constantly trying to think of something witty to write on the CASA-JMSB Facebook group

(it’s essentially filled with memes).

This is my perception of John Molson School of Business, and after spending nearly two years at the prestigious institution, I can definitely say the environment was sterile, conformist and vapid.

I’ll never forget the day I received my acceptance letter to JMSB; it was comparable to when Harry discovered he was going to Hogwarts. Excitement filled my hollow soul as I naively imagined my new life as a business student.

I should admit that I never truly wanted to study business, and I agonized to choose between the arts and business for months leading up to my acceptance. I knew that I always wanted to study history, but my parents kept telling me I’d be a poor arts student with no prospects after graduation.

One of my first memories in JMSB was in a class called business communications (the course was a complete sham). I remember the professor was giving the class advice on how to make your peers look stupid in a group interview setting. Initially shocked at this apparent ruthlessness, I turned to the girl next to me and shared my disbelief,

to which she harshly replied, “business is to express any creativity whatsoever. not some fairytale, David.”

Even when it came down to PowerPoint I also remember all of my professors presentations, we weren’t allowed to push telling me that I had to wear the boundaries without fearing formal business wear for all academic consequences. My presentations—which proved creativity suffered immensely “I should admit to be extremely uncomfortduring this period, as I suddenly that I never truly able. As someone who’s used felt like I wasn’t able to express wanted to study to wearing muted all-black myself properly. I began to business, and ensembles with bedhead experience a lot of anxiety due I agonized to hair, I felt like I was constantly to this constant repression. choose between being told to relinquish my I ’ll n ever forget t h e the arts and identity and conform to the countless hours I spent memstandards of the school. orizing volumes of statistics, business.”

I even showed up to one accounting tables and business presentation dressed in my theories, just to regurgitate everyday clothes and lost them on exams like a mindless marks because I didn’t “obey.” robot. I was in pure hell.

To make matters worse, I despised all I cannot deny that my grades suffered of my courses because they were so bland, during this period, simply because I was and there was absolutely no opportunity stuck in an insipid environment that I grew to despise. I finally took the plunge after 18 months and switched to my true passion—the arts. Although I felt like I was giving up an opportunity to make money in the future, I knew was better suited for going down this path. $ Business is not for everyone and it certainly wasn’t for me. I know I’m not alone in sharing these sentiments, so The Concordian conducted interviews with JMSB students to see what they thought. Check out the video at theconcordian.com.

etc

Letters to the editor

Poor ASFA choices

Vote for Lucinda Kiparissis

Having sat on ASFA`s board of directors for two years and having only recently left due to personal health issues, I am very disappointed in the decision taken by council to reintroduce the bylaw reform proposal only weeks after it failed to gain support in polls. In doing so, council outright rejects the decision of the student body and trivializes the entire democratic process which it is mandated to uphold.

This referendum was not annulled, nor were the results contested. The question was simply reintroduced and resubmitted to the student body. This allowed council to circumvent the third party mediation of ASFA’s Judicial Committee, as intended by the still functional parts of the bylaws. Therefore, any alleged wrongdoings on the parts of the CEO, electoral workers or committees will not be investigated at all.

Now the question is being rushed to polls again based on unverified evidence and anecdotes. Upon resistance from the remaining councillors, I had to file the report to JC myself.

The current president of ASFA has refused to do so, citing that JC “does nothing.”

This current reform included fundamental changes to the mandates of the executives, changes in the amount of executives, changes in the way executives are paid, abolishing of student elections of executives in favour of appointments by council, creation of an independent student association for those not represented in ASFA and lastly the abolition of ASFA’s commitments to organizing events. This renouncing of event management included Frosh, but also of ASFA`s recent attempt at a student journal and the very successful sex-ed week with its speaker Laci Green.

All these issues are extremely important but extremely distinct. I opposed the very concept of forcing members to vote on all of these at the same time. I can’t help but think that this contributed to the No victory. Not only that but the bylaws were rushed, poorly written, vague, subject to various interpretations and criticised by our own lawyer. Students could not just adopt a multipage document with incomprehensible annotations. The process begun by council the fall would have had a visioning process and numerous consultations at various levels of the student body. This has not happened; hence the document was only authored by a handful of people.

There is still good hope for ASFA rising from its ashes as is seen by the very healthy political culture of the past year. I don’t see why The Concordian interprets a No victory as a return to “business as usual.” There is also this very important referendum that drew 700 students without containing an election. It can’t be said that students are done with ASFA and it can’t be said the strong Yes turnout isn’t a mandate for a different reform.

I think students have the right to demand a better ASFA than that proposed. I was not content with settling for a lacklustre reform that would have disenfranchised the entire student body from selecting its own executives. I also see it as completely unacceptable and reprehensible for a democratic student association to ignore the results of a representative referendum without even having attempted clarification of wrongdoing.

Ex-Chairperson of SHAC, Danick Carpenter

Polling for the upcoming CSU elections will be upon us shortly, beginning Tuesday, March 29 and ending Thursday, March 31. During this campaign period Act Together CSU has been working diligently to promote their progressive vision for the Concordia community. Among them is Lucinda Kiparissis, running for general coordinator with Act Together, an experienced student representative with a wide array of experience.

I had the opportunity to serve on the School of Community and Public Affairs Student Association with Lucy during the 2013-2014 academic year. During that time, as executive secretary for the SCPASA, she was resourceful, and repeatedly proved she was a problem solver. Lucy was organized, punctual, reliable, and always attended meetings well-prepared.

She was always friendly and personable, with a penchant for mediating disputes and keeping egos in check. Overall, Lucy did a tremendous job fulfilling her duty to advocate on the behalf of SCPA students.

Most importantly Lucy has always exemplified good politics, not only talking the talk but walking the walk. She condemned oppressive behaviour, was pro-active, and encouraged discourse. She supported events and conduct that promoted the diverse groups present within the SCPA community, while upholding a non-hierarchical structure for our executive.

During the upcoming polling period I urge you to vote for Lucinda Kiparissis, who will do an excellent job as your CSU General Coordinator.

Chris Savard, current MPPPA student and former academic affairs and advocacy secretary for the SCPASA

Support Act Together elections The purpose of this letter is to express my support for Act Together. The students behind Act Together are committed to a better CSU and have a clear visioning. Through their involvements they have developed an acute awareness of issues pertaining to the student body and are able to identify their solutions. I have personally witnessed the relentless dedication of many of the candidates to the extent that it is inspiring. I can attest to their caring initiatives towards their peers. In addition to being easily approachable, each candidate is rich with knowledge and hands-on experiences that substantiate the significance of their potential. They are receptive to the challenges of student life and I can say with certainty that their contribution to Concordia University as members of Act Together is unparalleled.

Farhana J. Haque - Undergrad in Political Science and SCPA

The Concordian’s team EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MICHELLE GAMAGE editor@theconcordian.com

ASSISTANT ARTS EDITORS TIFFANY LAFLEUR AMBRE SACHET

PRODUCTION MANAGER PIERRE A. LEPETIT production@theconcordian.com

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ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR CALVIN CASHEN SPORTS EDITOR ALEXANDER COLE sports@theconcordian.com ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR JONATHAN STILL OPINIONS EDITOR DAVID EASEY opinions@theconcordian.com ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR JESSICA KINNARI

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