The Concordian - January 31st 2017

Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper

theconcordian

VOLUME 34, ISSUE 18 | TUESDAY, JAN. 31, 2017

theconcordian.com  /theconcordian  @theconcordian

theconcordian

What we need: a social media detox

Life p. 5

also in this issue

news

music

arts

Vigil for Quebec Conquering City shooting p.3 slut-shaming

p.7

sports

opinions

The mastery of The Stingers indoor Why we should DJ Kid Koala p. 12 league season p.14 ban all zoos p. 17

news

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

CITY IN BRIEF CRISTINA SANZA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Montrealers win at film festival Montreal-based filmmakers Catherine Bainbridge and Alfonso Maiorana won an award at the Sundance Film Festival for their documentary, Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked The World, reported CJAD. On Saturday, they were awarded the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Ma ster f ul Storytelling. The documentary narrows in on the contributions and roles of Native Americans in shaping popular music history. Many of the musicians highlighted kept their heritage secret, fearing potential racist repercussions. It will air on The Movie Network later this year, according to CJAD. Four injured at Bell Centre At least four people were injured during a quarrel at the Bell Centre during Saturday night’s boxing match between Steven Butler and Montrealbased boxer Brandon Cook, reported CTV News. Shortly after Cook’s victory over Butler, several objects were thrown towards the ring, hitting both the victor and people nearby.

Two spectators and two Bell Centre employees were injured—all were hospitalized with facial injuries, according to CTV News. Two suspects in their 20s were arrested so far, but the SPVM said there migiht be more arrests.

Quebec man sells polar bear skins A Quebec man and an associated taxidermy company have been fined for illegally trading polar bear skins, reported CTV News. Marcel Parisien was fined $5,000 for selling two bear skins in 2013 without proper documentation.

The company involved, 3M Nature, had exported the skins to British Columbia, and was also fined $5,000, according to CTV News. Sheldon Jordan, a spokesperson for Environment Canada, told CTV News that two attempts have previously been made to ban polar bear trade.

CAMPUS

Homa Hoodfar returns to Concordia

Retired professor comes back to personally share her story with students NELLY SERANDOUR-AMAR CO-NEWS EDITOR

students about the 112 days she spent incarcerated.

Julia Sutera Sardo, ASFA’s vicepresident of internal affairs and administration, told The Concordian about the event the student association is organizing. “She’s a survivor, and having her come to meet the students is something great,” Sutera Sardo said about Hoodfar.. “She is an amazing woman, and she has experienced so much. The fact that she has accepted to come and talk about it with other students makes me very excited.”

In addit ion to her experience in Evin prison, Hoodfar will be talking about how women are

viewed in Middle Eastern countries.

Hoodfar will also give advice about conducting field work in hostile countries, and discuss the Retired Concordia anthropology representation of women in these professor Homa Hoodfar will be returning to Concordia University countries—a topic she has been on Feb. 20 to speak about her researching and teaching for many experience in Evin prison in Iran. years.

This will be the first time “She’s determined to make since returning to Montreal that everyone else feel empowered,” Hoodfar will be opening up to said Sutera Sardo. “Homa Hoodfar will help the community grow and get closer and stronger.”

Hoodfar was arrested during a trip to Iran, her home country, during their elections in early 2016. In an interview with The Concordian in mid-November, she said that Iranian women were questioning why so few of them were in Parliament, and many of them were forming organizations to change the face of Parliament. “The guards want to believe that these ideas are coming from outside of Iran,” she said in the interview, which was the main reason they arrested Hoodfar will be speaking at Concordia on Feb. 20. Photo by: Frederic Muckle.

her, thinking she was an ally of these groups of women.

During the upcoming conference, Hoodfar will discuss her story by answering a series of questions from a facilitator. A question period will them be opened up to the audience.

“She told me she was very excited about this. She is coming back to her roots,” said Sutera Sardo.

During her previous interview with The Concordian, Hoodfar said she wanted to thank the students for their support. “I was very touched to see the videos and pictures from the demonstrations, which was a very nice surprise for me,” she said. To this day, according to Sutera Sardo, Hoodfar is very thankful to the Concordia community.

The event will be held in the Hall building, in room H-767, on Feb. 20 at 11:30 a.m. The event is open to all students interested in meeting and asking Hoodfar questions, and hearing her story. Seats are firstcome, first served.

PROTEST

Turning up the heat on resisting Trump Protesters hold far-right accountable for controversial executive orders

SAVANNA CRAIG CO-NEWS EDITOR “Immigrants in, fascists out!” chanted the crowd of protesters gathered in Norman Bethune Square in unison. “Refugees in, racists out!”

The band of protesters shouted these phrases, which have been echoing more frequently in downtown Montreal since U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

Around noon on Jan. 28, a small group of people from different media outlets formed in Norman Bethune Square on Concordia’s downtown campus. They gathered around “Resist Trump” protest organizers, who were handing out signs and inviting passersby to partake in the demonstration. Within about ten minutes, the crowd had grown to about 20 protesters.

“We must send every brick of Trump’s wall toppling down onto the American imperial apparatus,” said Eamon Toohey, one of the event organizers within the Resist Trump movement and a Concordia student.

“We must build solidarity cities— networks of resistance, a united front against the rise of the far-right,” said Toohey, as he encouraged all who are against the far-right movement

to actively resist it.

“The United States is not a safe country—neither is Canada for that matter, so long as these borders remain closed,” Toohey told the crowd, as a few more participants joined to view the demonstration. “The only justice for migrants, for refugees, is free, open and autonomous passage.”

Trump’s executive order prohibits citizens carrying passports from either Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Libya from entering the U.S. for 90 days, according to New York Times. The executive order was a central focus motivating the demonstration.

“What’s promising to be passed is an attack on migrants and refugees that we haven’t seen since around the time of the Second World War, when the Japanese were interned in the United States,” said Jaggi Singh, the programming and working groups coordinator for The Québec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG) Concordia.

“The demo was called on short notice and in reaction to some of the policies that are being announced,” said Stacey Gomez, a participant in the demonstration. “It was important to have this demo even though it

was small.” Gomez said, although there was not a large

group of “We must send every brick of Trump’s wall toppling people at this down onto the American imperial apparatus,” event, she feels said Toohey. Photo by Savanna Craig.

Montréalers’ motivation to resist Trump is not dying. else we risk it being further woven “It’s important for us to into the fabric of American society,” demonstrate our solidarity with said Toohey. communities in the U.S. that are “We need to do away with going to be most impacted by borders entirely and allow migrants Trump,” said Gomez. full autonomy of movement,” said “I think I can relatively safely state Toohey. “Otherwise, yes, we are that America isn't free, not by a long ignoring the role they have played shot,” Toohey told The Concordian. in building a world which is still “I think [Trump’s] presidency has actively hostile to them.” mobilized a lot of racist sentiment and “No Trump, no KKK, no fascists, brought it to the forefront,” Toohey U.S.A,” protesters chanted in unison told The Concordian. Once it’s been as the demonstration came to a brought there, he added, it’s dangerous close. that it may be normalized far beyond For more information on the the current state.

Resist Trump movement, visit “We can't afford to ignore it, or www.resistrump.ca

JANUARY 31, 2017

VIGIL

“No hate, no fear, everyone is welcome here” Vigil for Quebec City shooting victims unites more than 1,000 people

theconcordian

3

NATION IN BRIEF KATYA TEAGUE HEAD COPY EDITOR

Six dead in Quebec City mosque shooting Six men died and 19 people were injured in a shooting at the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec during the evening prayers just before 8 p.m. on Sunday, reported CBC News.

Two men were arrested in connection with the Quebec City shooting, although Quebec provincial police later said only one is considered a suspect, the other a witness. While police said it was too early to confirm the motive of the attack on the mosque, Premier Philippe Couillard and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau both described it as an act of terrorism, according to CBC News.

SAVANNA CRAIG CO-NEWS EDITOR Abdelkrim Hassane, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Aboubaker Thabti, Ibrahima Barry and Azzeddine Soufiane—those are the names of whom a crowd of more than 1,000 people gathered for outside of Parc metro station. It was an act of solidarity against terrorism, racism and discrimination.

These six men fell victim to an act of terrorism committed at a mosque in Quebec City where many community members had gathered for an evening prayer on Sunday, Jan. 29, according to the National Post.

The demonstration, organized by the Association des Musulmans et des Arabes pour la Laïcité au Québec, began at 6 p.m. on Jan. 30.

“Tout le monde déteste les racistes, tout le monde déteste les racistes,” the crowd chanted, over and over.

Claire Caillat, a participant at the vigil, said the large crowd validated the fact that many Canadians and those living in Canada are strong and determined to fight against racism. “This is proof that racism cannot divide us,” she said.

Mohammed Ahmed, another participant, said diversity is an

important component of what makes Canada the nation it is today. “Without it, Canada would be tasteless,” he said.

“People from all over the world come here to contribute to society,” said Ahmed. If we separate Canada in terms of race and culture, Canada will no longer be Canada, he said.

“I’m not surprised that people support the Muslim community bec au s e a v a st major it y of Quebecers do not hold intolerant views towards these minority groups,” said Alex Tyrrell, leader of the Green Party of Quebec and Concordia student who attended the vigil. “It’s really a fringe element of society that holds these

discriminatory views.”

Tyrrell criticized the media for providing a presence for and profiting off of intolerant, extremist, right-wing views. “They’re often writing columns against trans people, against women, against minority groups,” said Tyrrell, using the example of journalists Mathieu Bock-Côté and Richard Martineau. “They’re constantly fanning the flames of these issues.”

“I think that that’s something that needs to change as quick as possible because we see what kind of impact these have,” said Tyrrell.

“There has been many other hate

crimes that have been committed in Quebec over the past few months and years.”

As some participants began to disperse around 7:30 p.m., many others gathered around a large red tapestry that read “Make Racists Afraid Again.”

“No hate, no fear, everyone is welcome here,” chanted thousands of participants in unison during the vigil.

Sentiments of peace and acceptance f illed the air throughout the evening, voiced by a crowd made up of all different races, backgrounds and religions.

PMO clarifies effect on U.S. travel ban on Canadians Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen confirmed Sunday that Canadian citizens and permanent residents with citizenship in Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Somalia, Syria, Yemen or Libya will be allowed to enter the United States, reported The Montreal Gazette. The news conference was in response to the confusion that arose following President Donald Trump’s executive order to prohibit citizens of these seven predominantly-Muslim countries from entering the U.S. for three months. “Every country has the right to determine their policies,” Hussen told the media when asked if Canada would denounce the travel ban.

Troops aid in NB ice storm cleanup New Brunswick Premier Brian Gallant announced Sunday that between 100 and 150 Canadian Armed Forces troops would be arriving in the province within 24 hours to help with recovery efforts from last Tuesday’s ice storm, reported CBC News. Gallant said the troops will be deployed to the areas of the province most severely affected by the storm, including the Acadian Peninsula where almost 20,000 are still without power seven days after the storm. The troops will aid local authorities in cleaning debris, distributing water and other essentials, and checking up on locals without power, according to the same article.

4

theconcordian

WORLD IN BRIEF KATERINA GANG COPY EDITOR

Trump immigration ban halted President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order Friday suspending immigration from seven majority-Muslim nations. According to CBC News, the ban will halt the acceptance of refugees for 120 days and the travel from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen for 90 days—countries which the Trump administration believes have been compromised by terrorism. According to CBC News, a New York federal judge has halted Trump’s ban, which would have resulted in the deportation of travellers with valid visas and about 200 people being detained in air por ts around the country.

Earliest human ancestor discovered Scientists in China have discovered our earliest ancestor.

According to BBC News, Saccorhytus, a one-millimeter-long, microscopic sea creature is the earliest step on the evolutionary ladder, called “deuterostomes,” leading to fish, which eventually led to humans. The creature was discovered in a 540-millionyear-old fossil. Previous deuterostomes were between 510 and 520-million-years-old and had already begun to diversify, making it difficult to determine what a common ancestor looked like. According to BBC News, the animal did not have an anus, implying that it ate and expelled waste from the same orifice.

JANUARY 31, 2017

CAMPUS

Free menstrual products at Concordia

ASFA hosted a tabling event, providing free pads, tampons and DivaCups for students SAVANNA CRAIG CO-NEWS EDITOR Jan. 30 marked day one of ASFA's commitment to offer free menstrual products to all Concordia students and community members.

ASFA set up a table with a variety of feminine hygiene products, such as tampons, pads and DivaCups—a reusable and more sustainable menstrual product.

“It’s only been going on for an hour and half, and [almost] everything is gone,” said ASFA vice-president of internal affairs Julia Sutera Sardo.

According to Sutera Sardo, at around 1 p.m., the stock had nearly run out, including stock she had kept in a nearby closet.

The event was held after a motion was passed by ASFA on Jan. 12 to acknowledge and aid those who experience menstruation.

“I think it’s going extremely well. I was surprised with the amount of people who came,” said Sutera Sardo.

An initial budget of $2,000 was allocated to the event by ASFA's advocacy committee, said Sutera Sardo. She said she wanted to provide more DivaCups, as they are more sustainable, so an extra $300 was provided by the advocacy committee—resulting

Julia Sutera Sardo (left), an ASFA executive, lead the tabling event Photo by Savanna Craig.

in a total of $2,300 being spent on pads, tampons and DivaCups. She said she was able to purchase a portion of the pads and tampons on sale for about $2 each. "There were not any taxes, so that was helpful," she said.

“I had 16 DivaCups here. Those were really expensive because they’re about $50 a cup, so we couldn’t buy too many right away because I didn’t get funding from council," she said.

She said many people were interested in picking up DivaCups at the event, so she wants to get

Sutera Sardo said she is planning on presenting a motion to put menstrual product stands in all ASFA member association offices and bathrooms. The stands would be similar to those used by the school newspapers on campus.

Sutera Sardo wants to host a tabling event at the Loyola campus soon, but the date has yet to be determined.

To request that a certain type of product be made available at future distribution tables or for more information, contact Julia Sutera Sardo at internal@asfa.ca

INDIGENOUS

Concordia First Voices kicks off

The opening ceremony featured indigenous speakers and traditional music

Heavy rains plague Peru Heavy rain and flooding have affected over 30,000 residents in Peru. According to Global News, 103 homes have collapsed and another 192 have been destroyed. The extreme weather has left over 7,000 buildings damaged across the country. On Jan. 26, a mudslide, brought about by heavy rains dislodging rocks and earth on a mountain in southern Peru, caused a small car to collide with a truck, according to Global News. Three people were fatally injured and several vehicles were left trapped under a meter of mud.

more funding from The Concordia Council on Student Life (CCSL) and ASFA to purchase more.

Given that she is a CSU councillor, Sutera Sardo said she would like to start including menstrual products in both gendered and non-gendered CSU bathrooms.

“I thought that having them in specifically male bathrooms was something that is important because some people are trans,” said Sutera Sardo, adding that this would provide more access to all who are in need of menstrual products.

First Voices Week kicked off with an opening ceremony and Standing Rock solidarity.

Photo by Ana Hernandez.

MEGAN HUNT CO-NEWS ASSISTANT Concordia University kicked off “First Voices: Indigenous Students and Community at Concordia,” an Aboriginal awareness week, with an opening ceremony on Jan. 30, featuring a number of prominent indigenous speakers.

The ceremony, which was held in Concordia’s Hall building, is the first of a number of events, panel discussions and activities scheduled for this week. The awareness week was

organized by First Voices Concordia, an on-campus organization aimed at increasing support and visibility for First Nations students.

The event began with traditional indigenous music, performed by the Travelling Spirit Drum Group, and opening remarks from Charlie Patton, an elder of Kahnawake, a Mohawk territory near Montreal.

The First Nations event was open to all Concordia students and staff, as well as the general public.

While his opening remarks discussed a number of issues faced

by all indigenous communities in North America, there was a focus on the ongoing struggle of North Dakota’s Standing Rock Sioux tribe. The tribe has spent nine months protesting the construction of the North Dakota Access Pipeline, an energy project protestors claim will encroach upon the tribe’s sacred burial grounds and threaten their sole source of water.

“We don’t appreciate our water, and we don’t give thanks for our water,” Patton said, reminding the audience to be grateful for the resources available to them. Patton said he also worries about the safety of the water available to First Nations communities in Canada.

Next, the audience welcomed Stacey Huff, a First Nations woman who participated in the protest in North Dakota from July to December.

Although Huff is a Canadian from the Mohawk tribe, she said she felt it was her duty to stand in solidarity with the Sioux tribe.

She was visibly emotional when describing a particularly violent

instance of police brutality that the protesters—who prefer to be referred to as water protectors—were subjected to. Earlier that protest day, Huff had injured her leg, and was unable to retaliate or aid her fellow water protectors.

“One day was bad… They came and surrounded us all the way around,” said Huff, describing the mass arrest she witnessed. “I was up there, I yelled and cried and I couldn’t do [anything].

They were grabbing us, chasing us—it was like chaos. It was terrible, and I think, for myself, that was the worst day. A hundred and forty-eight people got [arrested] that day.”

She also implored those who were unable or unwilling to join the protest to help by divesting from banks funding the pipeline, which include TD and Scotiabank.

Over the next week, Concordia will be hosting a number of events as part of the First Voices awareness week, including a community discussion on indigenous issues on Wednesday, a dreamcatcher workshop on Thursday and a closing social featuring traditional Aboriginal music, dance and food on Friday.

life

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

HEALTH

Check yourself before you wreck yourself Concordia’s Health Services hosts a workshop on women’s common health concerns MINA MAZUMDER ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR Vaginal health, sexually-transmitted infections and breast health were some of the things addressed during Concordia’s Health Services workshop on women’s health.

The workshop, which was held in the conference room of the Health Services department on Jan. 25, addressed many common health concerns for women.

Louise Carline, a nurse at Health Services, and Gaby Szabo, a health promotion specialist, led the discussion.

During the workshop, Carline and Szabo focused largely on vaginal health. Carline stressed that Pap tests are crucial. “[Pap tests] are important because they red uce your chances of cervical cancer by 70 per cent,” said Carline.

She described the examination process, where a doctor inserts a speculum—a plastic or metal tool used to dilate body orifices—into the vagina to evaluate the cervix.

Doctors recommend women have their first Pap test when they become sexually active, Carline said. She said the test should be done annually.

“A Pap test should be done mid-cycle, and you should avoid intercourse 24 hours

before the test,” Carline said.

She also recommended that women, as well as men, get vaccinated against the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is the most common sexually transmitted infection. Concordia’s Health Services offers the Gardasil vaccine. The vaccine is covered

by Concordia health insurance for Quebec residents. However, the cost is not covered by government insurance for international students.

Szabo also stressed the importance of getting tested for sexually transmitted infections.

“70 per cent of women and men will experience a sexually-transmitted infection at some point in their life,” Szabo said. “If you are sexually active, the recommendation is to get tested every six to 12 months.”

Women are also prone to getting yeast infections and urinary tract infections. Carline said it is estimated that women will have at least one yeast infection in their lifetime. “[A yeast infection] is caused by a fungal infection brought on by antibiotics, stress, hormones or too much sugar in your diet,” said Carline. She added that, if a woman notices any symptoms, including itchiness or any vaginal discharge, she should see a nurse right away.

Urinary tract infections are also common among women, said Carline. They are caused by “bacteria that creeps up into your bladder which causes pain during urination,” she said.

A common symptom of this kind of infection is the presence of blood in urine.

One important way of preventing the infection, Carline said, is to urinate after sexual intercourse.

“By urination, you are eliminating that bacteria that can creep up during sexual contact,” she said.

As for menstrual cramps, Carline advised women to be active and eat healthy.

Szabo also discussed the importance of taking

contraception seriously. In Canada, half of the pregnancies that occur are unplanned, she said. Intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUDs) are popular among young women, Carline said, adding that emergency contraception—Plan B—is also available for women, but is intended for emergencies only. Plan B is most effective within the first 72 hours after unprotected intercourse, Carline said.

The specialists also discussed breast health. Szabo said regular breast selfexaminations are no longer recommended because, often, women only detect lumps when they are already fairly large.

Concordia students can have their breasts checked at Concordia Health Services when they come in for a Pap test.

For more information, students can drop by Concordia’s the Health Services department on the second floor of the GM Building, or visit www. concordia. ca/students/ health.

PROFILE

Comme Toi: A brand for all to rock Two Montreal students started a fashion project to help the city’s homeless NICOLE PROANO CONTRIBUTOR The fashion industry can be an elitist industry. But 23-year-old Concordia student Riaz Oozeer and 24-year-old McGill student Shelbie Huard are attempting to break that stereotype with their apparel project, Comme Toi. Comme Toi is a fashion line that sells minimalist T-shirts and toques.

For every piece someone buys from Comme Toi, the brand sets another one aside to be given to a homeless person in Montreal.

The fashion-humanitarian project is only a few months old, but the small team of two has already donated over 80 pieces of apparel to the city’s homeless community.

Oozeer, a second-year liberal arts student, was inspired to start this project when he began noticing just how many homeless people inhabit the city’s streets. Upon walking the same streets daily, he observed that the streets were home for many.

The project’s name directly translates to “like you,” and encapsulates the heart and mission of Comme Toi—the belief that all people are equal and should therefore be treated as such, according to the co-founders.

Oozeer said he encourages customers

to go hand out the second item themselves.

Huard believes this exchange is an important part of the process for customers.

“I think that is really meaningful, just having that interaction,” said Huard, who is an anthropology and Hispanic studies student.

According to Oozeer, about half of Comme Toi’s customers have personally handed out the second item. Oozeer and Huard explained that many customers are aware that homelessness is an issue, but

many choose not to interact with it.

“I think [the homeless] are painted in a negative [light] a lot,” said Huard. “But that’s not the reality.”

Oozeer said he tells customers who are about to give away a

streets and, according to the co-founders, the reaction on both ends has been positive every time.

According to the co-founders, Comme Toi’s main goal is to unite people through fashion. “Fashion has big C o m m e To i authority over people,” said Oozeer. co-founders Comme Toi seeks to bridge the Shelbie Huard emotional and physical gap between (left) and Riaz the homeless and the general public.

Oozeer (right).

“That’s something I find really Photo by Nicole interesting [about the project],” said Proano.

Huard. “Because fashion is usually something that separates people but we use it in a different way.”

The duo said they have big ideas for the brand—they want to see their project reach out to more marginalized groups, such as the city’s refugees.

For Oozeer, Comme Toi is a small step towards fixing one of the world’s biggest issues. “We’re thinking of going to the moon because we’re destroying everything on our planet. What are we going to do there? Destroy it again and keep going? No, you’ve got to fix [things] here,” said Oozeer, with passion and conviction in his voice.

T-shirt, “Don’t be stressed. It’s someone like you.” öö Yo u c a n b e c o m e p a r t o f t h e The idea behind the brand is that the act movement by donating to Comme of giving away an article of clothing instigates Toi or by buying a p roduc t at an interaction with someone living on the w w w.riazoozeer.com.

6

theconcordian

JANUARY 31, 2017

COVER STORY

Disconnect virtually to reconnect literally A detox from all social media platforms could benefit anyone and everyone

MIA ANHOURY CONTRIBUTOR For many of us, our phones are the first thing we look at when we wake up and the last thing we look at before going to sleep.

According to a 2014 report conducted by the Media Technology Monitor, social media is widely used on a daily basis in Canada. In fact, over half of Canadians are signed up to at least one social media platform, and over 79 per cent of Canadians between the ages of 16 and 26 are connected to at least one platform.

Social media platforms were engineered with the goal of helping people communicate and connect them together.

However, it seems the opposite might be happening. Psychological and sociological research is increasingly linking anxiety and depression to social media.

A 2016 study conducted by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine found a direct correlation between heavy social media use and depression in young adults. The effects are also being felt in the halls of schools.

Research conducted by sociology and anthropolog y Concordia professor, Francine Tremblay, found the engagement of students in school has been affected by technology. “Students seem to be detached,” said Tremblay.

In Tremblay’s opinion, students should focus more of their time and energy prioritizing their well-being and their studies. “You are studying to succeed... A bachelor's degree is extremely demanding. You are the most important thing right now,” said Tremblay.

It’s no wonder some students need a break from technology. Alexa Pepper, a communication studies student at Concordia, decided it was time for a detox when she noticed how much her social media use was feeding her anxiety. She decided cut herself off from social media for a

week, and for her, it was a very positive Pepper said they now realize that the experience. “I needed to focus on me… virtual world of social media just isn’t that I was doing fun things and I didn’t feel important. It took them taking a break like I was missing out on anything,” said from it to realize it.

Pepper about her experience.

Research conducted in 2016 by Pepper said the break taught her that McMaster University researchers she didn’t actually need social media to found that most students can’t control function and be happy, but she likes the themselves when it comes to social idea of being able to log in when she media. The survey found 48 per cent of wants to. “It teaches you self-control,” McMaster’s students couldn’t control their social media use, and 29 per cent weren’t said Pepper.

For political science student Emma able to control their instant messaging. “[Today], everything is being turned Nablsi, as she embarked on her detox mission, she thought: “If previous gener- into an urgent matter,” said Tremblay. ations could do it, why can’t I?” When she felt social media was weighing her mood down and affecting Research has her sleep, Nablsi decided to go found strong on a month-long social media correlation detox. “It was honestly the best between social time I’ve ever had…because media use and you can live life the way you’re depression and supposed to. I was more social, anxiety. Photos by and I felt that I was in contact Danielle Gasher. with people,” said Nablsi.

She said she detoxed to challenge herself and to focus more on her real, non-virtual social life. “It’s like a medicine, a treatment, a kind of therapy. It heals you from the inside and the outside,” said Nablsi.

Performance creation major Tiernan Cornford believes she’s never missed out on anything in the ‘real world’ because she limits her social media use. Cornford is only active on Snapchat. She believes this has permitted her to have a controlled relationship with social media.

“I didn't want to be on it all the time and be on this crutch. I like talking to people in person,” she said. Cornford said, when you don’t have social media, or decide not to go on it for a while, the people who want to get in touch with you, will. This ‘fear of missing out’ is a common source of stress among young adults.

For Nablsi, the social media detox was “an eye-opening experience.” Nablsi and

She said social media has become a compulsion for many young adults, and of course, a health issue. While the students mentioned above have been able to detach themselves from social media, it is becoming increasingly hard for most students to do so.

If keeping up with social media is making you feel anxious, stressed or depressed, know that it’s something you can put a stop to. You can try your own social media detox, or talk to a health specialist at Concordia’s Health Services.

arts

ARTS EDITOR /// arts@theconcordian.com TIFFANY LAFLEUR

DOCUMENTARY

Blowing off the lid on slut-shaming The documentary UnSlut looks at the emotional and psychological effects of slut-shaming and sexual violence MAGGIE HOPE ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR Right to Campus, a student organization at McGill University that promotes an inclusive and equitable culture on campus, held a free screening of the documentary UnSlut at McGill on Jan. 23.

UnSlut follows the stories of several women and girls who have been victims of slut-shaming and sexual violence. Their traumatic experiences are explicitly discussed and layered with comments from psychologists, sexologists, activists and other experts of sexuality and social behaviour.

The entire documentary is intense and heartbreaking. But it is also imperative, as it allows for a deep understanding of the impacts of the sexual abuse, bullying and harassment that are rampant in high schools and in North American society as a whole.

The film was followed by a group discussion, led by Right to Campus members Arianne Kent and Dina Al Shawwa, and three panelists. The panel consisted of Vrinda Narain, an associate professor and the associate dean of the faculty of law at McGill, Kathryn Travers, the executive director of Women in Cities International, and Dr. Carine Hamel, a psychiatrist at McGill Mental Health Services.

Emily Lindin, the director of the film and the creator of the UnSlut Project, narrates

throughout the film. She explained she was driven to bring awareness to the impacts of slut shaming when she heard of Rehtaeh Parsons’ tragic story. In 2013, Parsons committed suicide a year and a half after being gang raped and then relentlessly harassed, in person and online, by classmates. She had been subjected to extreme slut-shaming, even after switching high schools. Sadly, as the film shows, Parsons’ story is one of many

the discussion after the film screening, the importance of education, not only in a formal setting such as high school, but also at home and in social settings, was emphasized several times. All three panelists agreed that the topic of sexual violence needs to be addressed from an informed and resourceful position, rather than one of judgement and fear, which results in slut-shaming and harassment.

The discussion continued with several Director Emily Lindin was inspired to create her film after hearing Rehtaeh Parsons’ tragic story of online abuse and shaming after having been sexually assaulted.

in North America. Lindin said she recognized the commonness and gravity of these experiences and decided to work towards starting a nationwide conversation.

In the film, Lindin emphasized the lack of education regarding healthy sexual behaviour and consent as one of the main causes of sexual violence in North American high schools and the harassment that follows. In

members of the audience addressing the fact that the film did not include stories of minorities such as women of colour, members of the queer community and indigenous women. A number of speakers expressed that, as is the case with all women’s rights issues, it is necessary to address the subject of sexual violence and slut-shaming with an intersectional approach.

From these comments and further explanation from the panel, it was discussed that slut-shaming and other forms of sexual violence may appear in different ways when found in different contexts. For example, slut shaming may take a different form when it occurs outside of the high school environment, and an experience of sexual violence could be drastically different in the context of the queer community, than it would for a cisgender, heterosexual person.

The panelists were quick to confirm that no experience should be considered more valid or important than another, and that it is crucial to address the variety of realities within which sexual violence can occur.

If you or anyone you know needs access to support and resources concerning the topics discussed, the Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC) offers a variety of services to Concordia students, on and off campus. The drop-in centre is located in room 300.27, in the GM building at the Sir George Williams campus. SARC offers confidential emotional support, as well as contact with additional services that may be needed.

Counselling and psychological services are available on both campuses in the form of 10 free sessions, and can be used at any point during your studies. In addition, the Centre for Gender Advocacy offers support, either in-person at 2110 Mackay St., or through their peer support line, 514-848-2424 x 7880.

FILM

Moonlight: A story of friendship, guilt and identity Directed by Barry Jenkins, the film has racked up eight Oscars nominations

Moonlight’s coming-of-age story weaves notions of identity, sexuality and the fact that only you can decide who you want to be.

AYAN CHOWDHURY CONTRIBUTOR Moonlight, a coming-of-age story of a young African-American growing up in inner-city Miami while coming to terms with his own sexuality, may not exactly seem universal at first. But its themes of identity, friendship, guilt and acceptance certainly are.

Written and directed by Barry Jenkins, the film stars Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders, Mahershala Ali, Alex R. Hibbert, André Holland,

Naomie Harris and Janelle Monáe. Based on the play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by Tarell Alvin McCraney, the film has received universal acclaim and has been nominated for eight Oscars.

"At some point, you gotta decide for yourself who you gonna be. Can't let nobody make that decision for you." This is the proverbial maxim in Jenkins' modern masterpiece, Moonlight. The film chronicles its protagonist in three chapters of his life: the young "Little" (Hibbert), the adolescent "Chiron" (Sanders), and the adult "Black" (Rhodes).

Those simple words of wisdom are spoken early on in the film by Juan (Ali, in a career-defining role), a kindly, if not modest, local drug dealer who befriends the often bullied and neglected Little. In fact, his enlightening words arguably set into motion the often painful process of self-discovery that our young protagonist undergoes through-

out the film.

Any lingering questions regarding the unlikely friendship between an older, genteel drug dealer and a quiet, reserved young boy are quickly made irrelevant in large part because of the instant, tender chemistry between both characters. Juan and his girlfriend Teresa (Monáe) quickly establish themselves as surrogate guardians, filling the emotional void left by Little's erratic mother Paula (Harris)—a young single parent in the throes of drug addiction. When Juan angrily confronts Paula, asking, "You gonna

raise your son?," she defiantly shoots back, "You gonna keep selling me rocks?" There is a definite power struggle between these two parental figures.

The middle chapter focuses on the emerging bond between adolescents Chiron and Kevin (Jharrel Jerome). While Kevin is reserved, mostly silent and continuously bullied, his friend is much louder, more boastful and much more confident. Their pivotal scene on the beach, under the moonlight, is perhaps Jenkins' finest-directed one in the entire film—the dialogue is eloquent, the setting is serene and its conclusion is satisfyingly romantic.

By the time we revisit our protagonist as an adult 10 years later, Black (now played

by Rhodes) looks to be in stark contrast to his past self. He is physically imposing and intimidating, and stylistically, he is an homage to Juan. However, the facade quickly reveals itself the moment he receives a surprise call from Kevin. The vulnerability is evident in Black's shifting gaze, as if he is instantly reverted back to his younger, unsure self. In the emotionally-devastating climactic end of the film, Kevin bluntly asks him, “Who is you, man?” and we are reminded of Juan's words of wisdom. "At some point, you gotta decide for yourself who you gonna be..."

8

theconcordian

JANUARY 31, 2017

OPERA

Dialogues des Carmélites: finding courage Francis Poulenc's opera tells a tragic story of finding your vocation

Blanche, who is afraid of fear, decides to become a nun in an effort to find a place where she feels safe.Photos by Yves Renaud.

TIFFANY LAFLEUR ARTS EDITOR When it comes down to it, Dialogues des Carmélites is a story of fear. Fear of living, fear of death, fear of fear.

Written by Francis Poulenc in 1956, Dialogues des Carmélites

is set in France in 1789 and is a fictionalised tale of the Carmélite nuns, who were guillotined in 1794 in the final days of the French Revolution for refusing to renounce their vocation.

This first opera of the new year stars an all-Canadian cast, and tells the story of Blanche (Marianne Fiset), a young, skittish woman afraid of everything.

Her fear is so great that she decides to become a nun, in order to find some peace and a place where she can feel safe from her irrational fear of the world. There, she meets the ailing Madame de Croissy (Mia Lennox), the prioress, who accepts her into the Carmelite convent in Compiègne.

Blanche soon realizes that even the convent cannot totally be an escape for her fears. The political turmoil in France soon spills over into her safe, secluded refuge, which is threatened by revolutionaries who wish to dispose of the Church in order to found a new France. Blanche and her fellow nuns are labeled anti-revolutionists and are sentenced to death.

One of the striking aspects of the opera is the almost complete lack of props or decor. The stage was largely barren, with only a handful of chairs to break up the empty space as the actors walked around. Long, white curtains acted as dividers and makeshift walls. This simplistic decor accomplished two things. It contrasted with Blanche’s fear of the world, a fear of fear rather than a concrete fear of a thing. The empty space emphasized that these fears were from Blanche, and

not from any outside agents. Secondly, this minimalistic decor heightened the drama, as the stage was stripped clean of any distractions. With several intense, emotional scenes, the lack of decor and props ensured that the audience’s full attention remained on the characters. As this was a largely dialogue-driven story, the limited decor heightened the dramatic elements, such as Madame de Croissy’s fear of death, evident as she writhed in pain and absolute agony before finally passing away, next to a shaken Blanche who bore witness.

The tension climaxes in the final scene, when the nuns are persecuted and sentenced to death by guillotine.

The nuns, standing on a dark stage with spotlights shining on each of them, begin to sing. One by one, the guttural sound of the guillotine marks the death of a nun, and one by one, the spotlights are extinguished, until none are left standing except Blanche, who continues to sing alone, until her light is extinguished as well.

Dialogues des Carmélites’s minimalistic decor emphasized the fear, dread and courage felt by the nuns facing prosecution.

Blanche carries the story through with her evolving relationship with her fears.

What began as a fear of fear evolved into a fear of death, and an acceptance of her martyrdom in order to defend her vocation. öö Dialogues des Carmélites will be shown at the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at Place des Arts on Feb. 2 and 4. Ticket prices range from $56 to $150.

FILM

The secret behind the best directors working today Denis Villeneuve and Roger Deakins are at the forefront of a new movement of visceral films MATTHEW COYTE STAFF WRITER Modern cinema has brought us so many films with too many cuts that make the action on screen nearly undecipherable.

There are exceptions, but it is almost always a detriment, with many films using heavy editing as a lazy form of movie-making.

In contrast to this trend, Quebec-born Denis Villeneuve and Roger Deakins have been breaking away from the familiar by lingering on shots and not overly editing their films. As Deakins said himself when discussing Sicario in a Deadline.com interview, "We built the tension by holding the shots a lot longer then somebody else might." The success of his films, and those with a similar approach such as The Revenant, prove there is a place for films that dive into an unflinching, realistic and unrelenting style.

Villeneuve truly broke out into the mainstream back in 2013 with the release of his film Prisoners. The film depicts the lengths a father will go to in order to find his missing daughter, and the strain of such an experience. In short, the movie is emotionally draining. Prisoners was Villeneuve’s first real chance to prove himself in Hollywood, and he expertly handled the pressure of a demanding story, while working alongside some of the best

established actors.

Audiences were drawn in by the story, the eerie tone and the devastatingly vulnerable performances of Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal. The beautiful, dark, long, steady shots that compose the cinematography are an essential part of the film’s haunting mood. The first scene sets the tone not only for Prisoners, but for every subsequent Villeneuve project.

We open with a shot of the woods. A deer walks into the frame. The camera pans out to show two hunters. One utters a prayer and fires. The deer falls. This one shot sets the bar for the rest of the film.

This type of brutal honesty has been lacking from the silver screen recently.

Villeneuve brings it back in a big way, thanks to breathtaking cinematography.

Every shot in his recent films are masterfully composed. Every scene has a purpose.

Enter cinematographer Deakins, a 12-time Academy Award nominee, who has worked on classic films like The Shawshank Redemption, Fargo and The Big Lebowski.

Deakins was the reason actors Josh Brolin and Benicio Del Toro accepted roles in Sicario, they said in an interview with entertainment news site Collider. Brolin, Del Toro and Emily Blunt, who also worked on Sicario, expressed their respect for the established cinematographer and his legendary status

in the filmmaking community, in the same interview. His more recent films include successes like Skyfall and No Country For Old Men. His works never fail to instill a sense of dread and unease in the audience.

Villeneuve has been at the forefront of a new movement in Hollywood of creating truly personal films with mainstream entertainment value. His passion for the

medium of visual storytelling is unique in this age of blockbuster, mind-numbing nonsense.

Combine that with the genius of methodological and experienced cinematographer Deakins, and the audience is left with a unique film experience that creeps into the very soul.

Their films are reviving a genre of intense and visceral movies, and this revival can only have a positive effect on filmmaking.

Denis Villeneuve has had a stream of successes on the silver screen after the release of his 2013 film Prisoners.

JANUARY 31, 2017

theconcordian

POETRY READING

Poetry and prose come to life at Kafein bar

Every second Tuesday, Kafein bar offers a safe space to let the creative juices flow MARISSA RAMNANAN CONTRIBUTOR

miCro talks

CupFa

Pulsating music resonates in our bones as the crowd grows every minute. The conversation buzzes around us, alcohol and coffee alike in hands, sharing laughs with strangers seated shoulder to shoulder in a dimly lit room. The crowd crescendos its conversation in anticipation of the performances to come, groups settling in to stand at the back or on the sides of the room, trying to get the best view of the stage.

This is a common scene at Kafein café-bar, which has bi-weekly poetry events on Tuesdays at 9 p.m., opening the stage to newcomers and experienced performers alike.

Located right by Concordia University’s Sir George Williams campus, Kafein has been hosting Poetry Night every second week since July 2013. According to the event coordinator Ariana Molly, the event was an attempt to attract more customers on Tuesday nights—a difficult task, because really, who goes out to get buzzed on a Tuesday? Nearly four years later, though, it has grown into something no one could have ever anticipated.

Molly, a Concordia student, said she was given complete control of the job by Kafein’s owner—she’s the reason Poetry Night has become Performers of the glorious event that it is today. all skill levels Last Tuesday, Jan. 24, was an are invited to free of judgement. especially unique night at Kafein. show off their According to Molly, the It was their 82nd show, and the creative work main goal of poetry night is to powerhouse Molly’s final night. at Kafein bar’s foster a sense of community She handed her position over to poetry readings. over anything else. two new handpicked hosts, Jared Photos by Ana The atmosphere is different Roboz and Selena Diorio, as she Hernandez. the moment you walk into Kafein soon will be studying abroad. café-bar. “It’s very chill and cozy,” According to Molly, this resulted Molly said. “Kafein always has these in one of the biggest turn-outs Poetry Night couches—it feels like your best friend’s living has ever had. room. Everyone’s comfortable.”

A lot of work went into making Poetry Molly said the poetry can be very Night such a success, Molly said. At the personal, impersonal or even comedic—it beginning, she said she was doing all of differs from one person to the next. Some the scavenging for performers, but now performers have spoken openly about eating she has to limit the number of readers disorders, or what it feels like to come down per night because she doesn’t have room from a drug high, or even their struggles for them all. with alcoholism.

According to Molly, Kafein’s Poetry Night “I think because they feel comfortable, policy is not to refuse anybody, no matter they feel an intrinsic trust towards the their experience or skill in writing. There are audience,” said Molly. “They can use it as many first-time readers, and everyone is a cathartic space, and that is something I welcome. The event offers a space where never could have anticipated. Every time it the readers don’t have to feel intimidated. happens, when somebody gets really real, “[The event] is not just a place for people everyone’s so quiet and so receptive, and who have published novels,” Molly said. “It is everyone is just listening and not judging. also for people who write privately or keep There are not that many places where you a journal or write funny notes in their phone can do that, where you can just talk freely and just want a space to test the waters.” like that.”

Anyone who wants to perform at the Molly said this position has become event emails a copy of their work to the more than a job for her. Diorio and Roboz, host. The schedule is created on a first-come the new hosts taking over the event, both first-serve basis. According to Molly, she share this sentiment. “This event means a has rarely turned someone down, but when lot to me,” said Diorio. “At least for myself, she has, it was usually out of concern for I’ve used writing as a coping mechanism the content of their work, as Kafein tries to and kind of as a form of therapy for mental create a safe space for the event. illness. I think it really brings people together.”

“A true safe space is truly hard to create,” Kafein is also where Roboz said he found Molly said. “So I always say that we try to his artistry. “I think it’s the most necessary create a safer space here.” Kafein is very and most beautiful place,” said Roboz. “It’s strict—no sexism, no racism, no ableism, all love here.” no transphobia is tolerated, she said. The Molly leaves huge shoes to fill, Diorio work can be avant-garde or provocative, said. “I only hope we can do a fraction of Molly said, but it cannot be harmful to the what she’s done for the community,” and audience. Kafein offers performers a space give it the tools to grow even more, he said.

Six minute talks by faculty and students.

Feminism mat ters Still edgy, feminism casts a wide net to encompass diverse viewpoints on a plethora of issues – wage inequality, division of domestic labour, violence against women, sexual identity rights, poverty, reproductive rights, embodied experience, the glass ceiling and other status concerns.

In this MicroTalk Concordia faculty and students explore some of the continued challenges of feminism today and why feminism matters.

alex antonopoulos

Simone de Beauvoir Institute

Beatriz Bartolomé

Film and Moving Image Studies

Colleen Gray

History

emilee Gilpin

Journalism

linda Kay

Journalism

Valérie lamontaGne

Design & Computation Arts

pK lanGshaw

Design & Computation Arts

alison loader

Design & Computation Arts

KimBerley manninG

Simone de Beauvoir Institute

Feb. 07, 2017 Tuesday, 6:30-8:30 pm 1515 St. Catherine St. West EV6.720, 6th floor

professional development

dayna mCleod

Communication Studies

GeneVièVe rail

Simone de Beauvoir Institute

Katerina symes

Communication Studies

9

feature FEATURE

Wray Downes: Not just a music man

Jazz pianist Downes talks about his many careers and his love of teaching

DANIELLE GASHER LIFE EDITOR “It’s cold out there!” exclaims Wray Downes, as he settles into a chair in the music department’s large conference room, located in Concordia’s GM building. “At least it’s not raining,” he adds, with genuine relief, as he takes off his cloth bucket hat and unzips his jacket.

On the table, he sets down the only item he is carrying: a copy of Ted Gioia’s book, History of Jazz . Downes pulls a small parking ticket out of his big winter jacket.

“Oh, we’ve got plenty of time,” he says, before tucking it safely back into his jacket pocket.

Looking across the table at one of the most famous Canadian jazz musicians of all time, it is charming and unnerving to see that, at the end of the day, Downes is just another 86-year-old man who will just as happily discuss the weather and parking as he will his career.

Downes, born Rupert Arnold Downes, is a celebrated jazz pianist, composer

and conductor. The musician was born in Toronto on Jan. 14, 1931. With racial discrimination present in Toronto in the 30s and 40s, Downes says life was hard growing up, but his character made it easier. “I had a big mouth, I could run fast and I also had a big fist. So, I could fight my way,” he says.

Downes recalls life was also hard

week. But with piano lessons costing $10 a week and the paycheck rolling in every two weeks, he says it wasn’t easy. So when Downes’ mother found out he could play in piano competitions for money and scholarships, the game started to change.

At 13, Downes started participating in music competitions. Quickly, he started winning… a lot. Downes recalls giving

“I always did want to teach. I always did want to give back somehow, somewhere. And then, Concordia came calling." because his parents didn’t have much money. He says they had to make a lot of sacrifices for him to take piano lessons for the first few years. His father was a porter. Downes says, back then, it was considered a good job at $125 to $150 a

his father attitude when he would get scolded for not practicing. “When my father said… ‘Well you didn’t practice today!’ I’d say, ‘Yeah, but I just won 700 bucks for a scholarship, man!’” Downes said, leaning back in his chair theatrically

and folding his hands behind his head. “I was mouthy and cheeky,” he says with a smile, and a glimmer of pride.

At just 18 years old, in 1949, Downes became the first Canadian to win the prestigious British Empire Scholarship to the Trinity College of Music in London.

There, Downes recalls, there was “subtle prejudice,” which he first experienced while searching for a place to live.

He says he would see nice-looking rooms for board in the paper, give the owners a call and set up a time to visit.

But then, when he arrived, the owners had magically found someone who better suited their needs. Downes started to understand what was going on. “I thought, ‘this crap is over here too.’” Luckily, he eventually found a room to call home, at Mrs. Stanley’s house. He recalls the small elderly British lady giving him quite a different welcome than the other landlords had.

“She said, ‘oh you’re the first one! Come in!’ and she gave me a big hug. And I just about swallowed my face.”

JANUARY 31, 2017

After his time in London, Downes would go on to study at other prestigious music schools, including the Paris Conservatory and, eventually, Oscar Peterson’s Advanced School of Contemporary Music in Toronto.

Peterson, one of Downes’ many mentors, was the one who suggested Downes try out jazz. Downes recalls the switch to jazz first happening when a London recruiting agency refused him because he was black. “He said, ‘I don’t think we can do anything for a black person.’ And I looked at him and said, ‘I don’t quite understand.’ And he just said, ‘What I am going to do with you?’”

While Downes had to deal with similar situations throughout his life and career, he said he eventually learned not to give into anger. “Anger doesn’t do anything. Anger only affects you, because the other person doesn’t know that you’re angry, you know? Don’t let [yourself] do this to yourself. I learned that lesson a long time ago,” he says.

Downes’ jazz career kicked off in the mid-50s, when he toured all over France and Spain with Bill Coleman, a world renowned jazz trumpeter. He would go on to work with other big jazz musicians like Buck Clayton, Annie Ross, Milt Jackson, Coleman Jackson and Lester Young, to name a few. He would eventually lead his own trios and quartets and release albums. In 1982, Downes won the Juno award for Best Jazz Album for his and Dave Young’s album, Au Privave.

Although music was always an important part of Downes’ life and career, it was never the only part.

On top of being a jazz pianist, Downes took breaks from piano to be a short-order chef, a chauffeur and a drapery installer. He finally turned to teaching in 1990. “I always did want to teach. I always did want to give back somehow, somewhere. And then, Concordia c a m e c a l l i n g .”

Downes says he enjoys teaching an d m entor ing students, and is joyful in helping them find their own st yle and success.

Downes says he likes to reinforce to his students that, as a musician, it is always important to keep the audience in mind.

“I say this to my students: you got to get out there and understand the people that you’re playing to. Because, no people in the club, and you’re out of work.” Downes says he learnt this lesson a long time ago, when he was told hbae couldn’t just play his bebop, because some want to hear the standards.

“You’re playing for those folks, because they’re the ones who put the money in your pocket and the bread and butter on your table. And, if you adhere to that, then success, hopefully, will come your way.

But don’t look down on those people,” says Downes, his tone serious, and his respect for his audience apparent.

Downes is an extremely respected figure in the Canadian jazz scene. However, he is equally respected within academia. “Wray represents a vital link to the past,” says

theconcordian

11

Wray Downes performed at Upstairs Bar & Grill for his birthday. Photos by Alex Hutchins.

Joshua Ranger, an assistant professor in Concordia’s department of jazz studies.

“It’s said that jazz music advances while standing on the shoulders of giants—and Wray is one of our giants.” He says that Downes teaches jazz in the way of Oscar Peterson and Phineas Newborn Jr.—two jazz moguls. “Sadly, Wray is one of the last such teachers, and the fact that he is still at it after so many years really is a testament to his energy and tenacity.”

These days, Downes contents himself with teaching, cooking, spending time with his wife and kids and playing piano when he wants to.

“Been there, done that,” says Downes with a laugh about his jet-setting and musically-busy past.

As he gets up to leave, Downes zips up his winter coat and secures his cloth bucket hat back on his head.

He tucks his book back under his arm before walking out the door to go home to play with his dog, play some piano or maybe cook.

“I say this to my

students: you got to get out there and

understand the people that you’re playing to.

Because, no people in

the club, and you’re out of work.”

This article is part of a series of profiles on part-time faculty at Concordia. Our goal is to highlight some of the incredible work these professors do in and outside of the university, while also shedding light on the difference in treatment between being part-time versus full-time faculty. Several profiles will have accompanying videos on our website theconcordian.com. Look out for various profiles throughout the semester! This series came to life with the help of Lorraine Oades, VP of the Concordia University Part-Time Faculty Association (CUPFA).

music

Quickspins

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

1 MIGOS

PROFILE

Keeping it fresh with Kid Koala Scratch DJ and music producer releases new album, Music to Draw to: Satellite

Kid Koala creates t h e i d e a l soundtrack for venturing into space in Music to Draw to: Satellite.

Photo by Corinne Merrell.

SANDRA HERCEGOVÁ MUSIC EDITOR Making eccentric sounds on turntables for decades, Eric San — known by his artist name Kid Koala — is a renowned scratch DJ, music producer and graphic novelist. On Jan. 20, he released his new album, Music to Draw to: Satellite, alongside singer-songwriter Emiliana Torrini.

The album is nothing like his previous scratchy, high-energy sounds. Instead, San explores a harmonious and melodic side of mixing. His soft, dream-like ballads accompanied by Torrini’s delicate voice create the ideal soundtrack for productivity and creation.

Kid Koala’s Satellite concert will take place at Montreal’s Centre Phi between Feb. 1 and 4.

The shows will be live, interactive experiences where everyone in the audience can play along on turntables.

San began playing music at the age of four, and said he recalls his first live show—a piano recital—as if it happened yesterday.

“I was so nervous it was crazy. It was the longest 90 seconds of my life,” said San. At only 12 years old, he discovered the scratch scene. “It was an instant personal interest in how the mechanics of that whole craft worked,” San said.

The first time he heard something that blew his mind, he was at a record store. “I didn’t know what the person was using to make these sounds. I walked up to the clerk and he told me that they were doing this on turntables,” said San. Since then, he became fascinated and wanted to recreate such sounds.

“It was an epiphany, one that I haven’t grown out of since I was 12,” said San. With turntables, there wasn’t any sort of structure yet, he said. The DJs he would listen to were only about 10 years older than him.

It was a young scene, he said. “The ethos which I still carry very close to my heart is that whatever you did on the turntables, you

Culture (300 Entertainment, 2017) With the success of their biggest hit, “Bad and Boujee,” Migos capitalized on the hype by releasing their latest full-length album Culture. With Culture, however, the group dials back their high-energy style and trades it in for a more moody and melodic one. After the opening track, “Culture,” the next three songs are “T-Shirt,” “Call Casting” and “Bad and Boujee,” which are all singles that came out before the album.

These are the three best songs on the record and feature the group’s best lyrics, beats and melodies. The album takes an immediate nose dive after that. Each song begins to sound the same and the lyrical content becomes non-existent. The beats are too trendy and sound like they’ve been stolen from the latest Travis Scott record.

Culture is the perfect example of what happens when a group cares too much about singles, and forgets about the rest of the album.

11 Trial Track: “T-Shirt”

had to make it fresh,” said San. Keeping it fresh meant you had to have your own personality twisted into the music, even if you used other people’s records, he said. “It had to be your own style and, at the DJ battles, it was all about that. You had to come out and do something different, and I loved that,” said San. In 1996, Kid Koala released his first mixtape, Scratchcratchratchatch. It was this tape that kickstarted his musical career. While San was studying at McGill University, he dropped off five of his mixtapes at Montreal’s record store, Taboo Inc. In one week, his tapes sold out so he brought more. “That started happening at all these different shops and I eventually got a record deal with Ninja Tunes thanks to this cassette,” said San. Kid Koala has been long experimenting with different types of scratching and sounds. His first 10 years of scratching were high energy, rhythm percussion and dance floor oriented. “I was trying to keep it very moving and noisy,” said San. From 1996 to 2006, San began touring with bands around the world. He’s toured with Radiohead, Beastie Boys, Arcade Fire and A Tribe Called Quest. “I had to figure out ways to blend my music, and it didn’t always require percussive scratching.

It was more about doing what fits and helps the purpose of the song,” said San. On his tours with Radiohead and Beastie Boys, San would watch how both groups performed. He said the way the artists played their instruments for certain types of songs would vary. “I remember taking notes all the time, trying to figure out what it was that made a specific part they played important and interesting to the song,” he said.

That was when Kid Koala’s approach changed, as he started practicing his melody and harmony scratching. “I took a more classical approach after a while because I realised that one of the powerful devices of music is melody and harmony, and it can be

a very emotive way of playing,” said San. After touring the world, 250 cities per year of constant nightclubs and music festivals, San started thinking of doing different types of shows. He wanted to see if there was another utility for music other than making people dance. In 2003, he released his first graphic novel, Nufonia Must Fall, which came with a soundtrack CD. In 2009, he released his second book and soundtrack, Space Cadet.

Later that year, San started hosting music event called “Music to Draw to.” The event’s first edition took place at Théâtre SainteCatherine in Montreal. “I have a few select records that I call ‘drawing albums’ that I can play on repeat and just lose track of time,” said San. According to San, the whole idea of this event was to keep the soundtrack at a level where people stay in a more meditative state that enables creativity. The event became a template for his new album, Music to Draw to: Satellite, where San experiments with ambient sounds.

Emiliana Torrini, an Icelandic singer, sang and wrote most songs on Music to Draw to: Satellite. “She flew in from Reykjavik to Montreal to work on this album with me.

Her voice is the most comforting sound. She is one of my favourite singers,” said San. Torrini and San came up with a narrative story together that shaped the whole album. It started with an article Torrini had read about a wife signing up for a Mars mission trip, leaving Earth and her husband behind forever. “We started exploring this article in theory, what it meant metaphorically and it became the backbone narrative for these imaginary characters that we were going to create and write for the album,” said San. The release of this album is far from the end of San’s journey, he said. He is still striving for more.

“I don’t think I found my voice but it continues to be the tool that drives me along,” said San.

4/10

—Alexander Cole, Sports Editor

2 JOHN MAYER

The Search for Everything Wave One (Columbia Records, 2017) John Mayer recently released four tracks off of his upcoming album, The Search for Everything. It’s been over three years since Mayer released an LP and, based on these songs, it’s evident he’s going back to his original musical roots. The first single, "Love on the Weekend,” takes fans back to the days of Room For Squares—it’s reminiscent of the catchy, pop-bluesy hits Mayer first established himself with. The mid-tempo, the reverbfilled guitar riffs and Mayer’s silky, smooth voice come together to tell a love story.

In “Changing,” Mayer reflects on growing older. It starts off with a simple piano ballad, but by the bridge, a killer blues electric guitar solo kicks in, signature to Mayer’s style. “You’re Gonna Live Forever in Me,” is a subdued, sad piano ballad accompanied by whistles and emotionally-driven lyrics. The Search for Everything - Wave One is a must-listen for all Mayer fans—prepare to get hyped for the fulllength release.

11 Trial Track: “Changing”

8.5/10

—Cristina Sanza, Editor-in-Chief

JANUARY 31, 2017

theconcordian

13

PROFILE

3 PRIESTS

Nothing Feels Natural (Sister Polygon Records, 2017) Priests full-length album has brought punk-rock back to life. Lead singer Katie Alice Greer greets us with her sassy, raspy voice in the opening track “Appropriate.”

This gritty punk-rock song will take you back to the CBGB days in NYC. The song introduces this album just right, with its noisy, cacaphonic mess of industrial sound mixtures—it’s just like a rock party extravaganza. In “Jj,” the beginning backdrop guitar sounds like the theme song of a 70s TV sitcom. This album is definitely a refreshing take on punk-rock with a mix of instrumentals and sounds from different eras. In “Big Bang,” Priests delivers a track that is reminiscent of 60s garage rock, where the guitar riffs are simple and repeated all while Greer raises her voice for justice in today’s society. “Nothing Feels Natural” is the flagship song of the album as Greer’s voice sounds most eloquent here. The album is a great mix of eccentric, high-energy punk- rock tracks with meaningful lyrics.

11 Trial track: “Nothing Feels Natural”

7.5/10

—Sandra Hercegová, Music Editor

4 KEHL ANI

SweetSexySavage (TSNMI/ Atlantic, 2017) Kehlani opens the album with a powerful superwoman speech, where she speaks from the depths of her soul, expressing herself about womanhood. “I’m afraid you’re under the impression that I was made to please you. I was under the impression you understood me better.

The truth is, I’m superwoman.” The title SweetSexySavage defines the album perfectly. Kehlani’s confidence shines through in every track with her sultry R&B voice. Her sexyness and sweetness are apparent, and her sassy, raw attitude is reflected in the lyrics. “Keep On” is that feel-good R&B track where she sings in all honesty of how she hasn’t been the best in a relationship. A common theme throughout the album is personal relationships, with catchy R&B and pop ballads to groove to. In “Piece of Mind,” she sings about taking a step back from her strong emotions. Her style is somewhat reminiscent of singer Jhené Aiko.

It’s Kehlani’s beautiful, soft voice and sassiness that make this album a joy to listen to.

11 Trial track: “Piece of Mind"

8.5/10 —Sandra Hercegová,

Music Editor

Beginner’s guide to 60s garage rock

A time machine back to 60s youth culture along with the best albums and hits CHARLES FRETIER-GAUVIN STAFF WRITER In 1972—45 years ago, now—legendary music writer, producer and guitarist for the Patti Smith group, Lenny Kaye, teamed up with Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman to put together a compilation which would forever change the scope of music to come. The compilation in question was Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, a twodisc assemblage of 27 of the best American garage rock cuts released between 1965 and 1968.

Not only did this collection prove to a myriad of aspiring musicians that instrumental mastery isn’t all it takes to make great music, catalyzing the punk scene of the 70s. It also installed the longbygone garage rock genre—one which was often downplayed in its time by music critics as being overly simple and childish—as a legitimate and respected one. Nuggets shines a light on a horde of forgotten acts whose music would influence generations to come, and serves as gold-standard collector’s item for record enthusiasts.

Though garage rock music is instantly recognizable, it’s incredibly difficult to stifle down to a singular definition. This is due to the great creativity of the genre’s bands as a result of the DIY nature of the music.

Styles such as blues, R&B, rock and roll and especially the British-Invasion music of the early 60s, led by groups such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, played a large role in shaping these groups’ sounds.

Garage rock instrumentation would usually consist of vocals, guitars, bass and drums. The genre would often feature a small organ and heavy psychedelic effects which fell in line with the drug craze of the late 60s. This collision of older music styles with the careless, drug-fueled sentiment of the time enabled these bands to create truly unique sounds which now act as a crucial snapshot of the era.

In retrospect, it's clear that mid-60s garage was very much a singles-dominated style. While many groups recorded one or two major hits, their output often capped there. Bands such as L.A.’s the Standells, whose raving ode to Boston, “Dirty Water,” stands not only as one of the best garage rock songs ever recorded, but as one of the best period. The Electric Prunes, whose eerily psychedelic “I Had Too Much to Dream (Last Night)” shares similar credentials, and stands as prime a example of this phenomenon.

Todd Rundgren’s group, Nazz, is perhaps the most interesting example of this happening. Formed in Philadelphia in 1967, the group caught their big break opening for the Doors later that year. Despite releasing three commercially-shunned LPs, the band now stands as one of the most

influential garage groups of all time. Their acclaim stems from their 1968 single “Open My Eyes,” a track which blended swirling psychedelia with raving pop melodies into whose knack for pop songwriting matched a mind-boggling perfection, and helped their keen musical abilities, and Seattle’s pioneer styles such as power pop, while the Sonics (Here Are The Sonic s, 1965), acting as the blueprint for Rundgren’s who were much heavier than any other fruitful solo career. In fact, “Hello It’s Me,” group of the era. These aforementioned the single’s B-side, was later redone by groups, as well as countless others, played Rundgren in 1973, and became arguably a key role in establishing the garage rock his biggest commercial success. style as more than snotty kids recording To call garage rock a singles-led style poorly-performed covers in their parents’ is not to discount the importance of the basements.

LPs that came out of the era. Indeed, a The fact that garage rock has stayed plethora of groups found success past relevant for so long and is still played in the single and went on to record cohesive abundance around the world today speaks records which proved equally vital in volumes about its cultural significance. marking the era. Texas-based band The The boom in popularity of this musical 13th Floor Elevators stand as arguably the style can be largely attributed to Lenny most important example. Often credited Kaye and his Nuggets compilation, which with inventing psychedelic rock as we was the first to shine a positive light on know it, 1966’s trippy proto-punk opus, this music following its fading-away in the The Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th Floor late-60s. Not only did garage rock music Elevators, proved massively influential to provide an interesting snapshot of late generations of musicians to 1960s youth culture, but it offered an come and is now considered innumerable amount a seminal piece of modern Recommended of kids a musical voice music.

Albums: they never knew they Fellow psychedelic had. p ur ve yor s , t h e Mu s i c Machine, led by the 1. The 13th Floor Elevators - The legendary Sean Bonniwell, is Psychedelic Sounds of the 13th another group whose success Floor Elevators (International surpassed 45s, as the group shined Artists, 1967) a light on pop’s darker side in its iconic, 2. The Music Machine - (Turn mellotron-driven 1966 release (Turn On) On) The Music Machine (Original The Music Machine. On the other end of the Sound, 1966) spectrum lie LA’s the Seeds, who earned 3. The Remains - The Remains plaudits with their 1966 self-titled effort.

(Epic, 1966) The record utilised sun-soaked, acid4. The Seeds - The Seeds (GNP fried melodies to convey tales of youthful Crescendo, 1966) frustration. Other notable groups to reach 5. The Sonics - Here Are The this level of withstanding album success are Sonics (Etiquette, 1965) Boston’s the Remains (The Remains, 1966),

sports

SPORTS EDITOR /// sports@theconcordian.com ALEXANDER COLE ( @AlexCole_80)

MEN’S SOCCER

Men’s soccer team stays warm through winter The Concordia Stingers men’s soccer squad has kicked off their indoor league season

The indoor league includes all of the RSEQ teams the Stingers play against during the fall season. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Despite the cold temperatures, the Concordia Stingers men’s soccer team stays warm all winter long. This is because they have an advantage that not many other universities have —they can practice all season long.

For head coach Greg Sutton, the Stingers Dome offers the soccer team a home-field advantage like no other.

“It’s awesome, and I think that’s a huge advantage for our program. There’s not too many in our conference that have the facility at their door step,” Sutton said.

Only the Laval Rouge et Or have an indoor field, while all the other universities have to rent indoor stadiums for practices.

The team’s first-string goalie, Karl Gouabé, said the Stingers have an edge over rivals because of the indoor field in their own backyard.

“We train three [times a week], while McGill could only do it once or twice because they have to rent a place, so that’s a major advantage,” Gouabé said.

The men’s soccer team competes in the Réseau de sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) indoor soccer season during the winter. Although the winter season only consists of seven regular season games, it lasts for nearly three months.

For Gouabé, the indoor season isn’t about getting results, but rather preparing for next year.

“The big league is the fall season, so the winter season is kind of pre-season,” Gouabé said. “The result is not as important.”

Sutton has the same opinion on the winter league, but still wants his players to play hard in games.

“We always want to win,” Sut ton said. “I think [the winter league] is very competitive.”

For the head coach, the winter league

presents an opportunity to evaluate players that didn’t play as much in the regular season. With nearly 30 players on the roster and a regular season consisting of only 12 games, not all team members get a chance to play.

Along with that, the indoor season allows the team to play together all year long.

“It’s great for us,” Sutton added. “One for the team trying to continue to grow as a unit, then secondly we could start to give some opportunities to guys who didn’t see as many minutes in the fall.”

Samuel Pelletier, the team’s third-string goalkeeper, benefits from the added playing time. He said the body keeps in tune with the motions and the feel of the game.

“It’s pretty important just to keep in touch with the ball, and stay in chemistry

with your team,” Pelletier said.

Sutton also has the opportunity to introduce new recruits to their future teammates and opponents in this league.

The head coach added some players to the roster, one of which came from the school’s open tryouts. Although he expects more players to arrive only next summer because of the flow of the academic calendar, he said the new players benefit from the indoor league.

“We were able to bring in three new guys, and get them in the fold,” Sutton said. “When we get them in the fall, it won’t be new to them.”

Gouabé also appreciates the fact that he could meet his future—or potential future—comrades in the winter. “[The winter league] helps us with assessing new players for next year,

a lot of the guys are going to be on a long-term tryout,” Gouabé said. “That’s the importance of an indoor league.”

Playing as a team all year long enables them to f ix mistakes that happened during the fall season. The Stingers went 4-6-2, finishing seventh in the RSEQ, but only three points out of the playoffs. Four of those losses were one-goal losses, including a 3-2 defeat at home against the Université de Québec à Montréal Citadins, in which Concordia blew a 2-1 lead in the final five minutes.

A better showing in those close losses could have put the Stingers in a playoff position.

“If you look back at our fall season,we had some great performances, and we laid some eggs,” Sutton said. “It’s about consistency, and I think that’s the most important factor from year to year.”

The head coach’s aim to improve every year is evident, as the Stingers have been on a rise since he took over in 2014. They went 0-7-5 in his first season, and 3-9-0 in 2015. Sutton has a simple key to success he looks for in his players during the indoor season.

“You’re only as good as your abilities could take you, but you [have] to have that extra motivation, that extra work rate in order to be successful consistently,” Sutton said. “That’s our message to our guys, you’re all good players, but you’re not great players unless you’re working hard.”

Pelletier believes the Stingers Dome helps in that regard.

“When you play all year, you’re always going to get better,” he said.

In the team’s first indoor game, they lost 5-2 against the Université de Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes.

Their next game will be on Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. in the Stingers Dome against UQAM.

Karl Gouabé believes the indoor league is a great way to develop during the off season. Photo by Ana Hernandez.

JANUARY 31, 2017

S

Finding your athleticism

Keeping physically active is all about discovering the activities that excite you

15

PORT

S

FITNESS

theconcordian

Rant of the Week

BY ALEXANDER COLE

THE SUPER BOW DESERVE

L WE

Super Bowl Sunday—for sports fans in North America, it is arguably one of the most important days of the year. It’s a day for partying, eating nachos, drinking beer and betting with your friends on whose favourite team will take home the Lombardi trophy. This year, the Super Bowl will take place on Feb. 5 and feature the New England Patriots against the Atlanta Falcons.

CRISTINA SANZA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF When I was in high school, I was never one to get grass stains on my knees. I cringed at the squeak of running shoes across the gymnasium floor. If you asked me how I felt about gym class, I would tell you I’d rather be solving the equation of a line.

Like many high schools, my P.E. class curriculum was predominately team sports-based. Throughout the school year, we would rotate between different spor ts, from soccer to basketball to rugby to floor hockey. A big chunk of students—the jocks—would excel at no matter what sport they played. As much as I wanted to fit in with them, I didn’t have the hand-eye coordination or the natural talent to make a great pass or score. As team members were being chosen by captains, I’d twiddle my thumbs and stare at the floor, knowing I’d be one of the last invited to play.

I was labeled one of the lazy girls. And to be honest, at the time, it was true. I was unfit.

Unmotivated. Occasionally, my teacher would allow me to walk laps around the school instead of playing sports with the others.

What I have learned since then, though, is that I didn’t hate gym class because I hated exercising. I hated it because I never got to discover a type of physical activity that brought me joy and excitement.

Over the last four years, however, I found my place in the world of fitness. For me, it’s really been all about trial and error. Even today, I continue to discover more about my athleticism and physical capabilities.

There are a few activities where I feel in my element, such as running, spinning and biking. I discovered these activities through gym classes in CEGEP or by hanging out at the park and observing how others were being active. But more recently, bootcamp classes have really changed how I view physical activity. For over a year now, I have been a member of KinéKat Santé, a workout studio in the borough of Lasalle.

Acc ording to K at hy L an dr y, t h e

owner and main Bootcamp classes follow a trainer at the studio, circuit training format and aim bootcamp is a form of to be a full-body workout. interval-based training Photo by Kathy Landry. which targets muscular and c ardiov a s cular the energy of endurance, as well as others without it get ting agility and coordination. competitive. Classes are also a reasonable During each class, we complete a series size—eight to 10 people. While Landry of four exercises at specific intervals, has several other classes, such as zumba, repeating the entire set three times. Then, yoga and POUND, bootcamp is the class we complete a second series of four I keep coming back to. It's impossible to different exercises three times again. At leave without sweating your butt off. It first, I thought the exercises would get is challenging and energizing. I feel my boring after a while.To my surprise, every muscles tightening with every sequence, time I’ve attended, Landry has come up and it’s rewarding. I started out not being with new exercises, making the course able to do a single push-up or hold a fresh and exciting. Personally, that’s one plank for more than 20 seconds—those of the aspects that makes the course so days are long gone.

It ’s vir tually common knowledge that being physically active reaps significant benefits, not only physically, but mentally.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, keeping active regularly can improve self-esteem, reduce stress, increase energy levels and overall happiness, all while reducing the risk of chronic diseases.

I can attest to the fact that being physically fit has made me happier and more confident. The key, in my experience, is finding activities you truly enjoy—ones that don’t feel like work—that you’re motivated to do. Yearround, I workout four times a week—through bootcamp, biking or running.

It is easy to feel like you are entertaining for me—you never know just not meant to be fit, or just not good what you’re going to get. enough for sports. If there is any advice It would take the entire word count I can give to anyone in that predicament, of this article to list all of the exercises I it’s to be curious. Try new activities, and have done through bootcamp. We do a go into them with an open mind. More variety of planks, squats, lunges, push- importantly, don’t get discouraged if ups, agility exercises, weights and a lot you dislike something. Of course, there of work with bosu balls, a dome-shaped are days where, no matter what, even a exercise ball. workout you enjoy will feel like a chore.

Bootcamp can also easily be done at But it’s when you don’t mind that grass home using minimal equipment. A few stain or the squeak of your shoes against weights and a mat are all it takes to get the floor that you know you’ve found an you started. But, for me, being part of a activity worth sweating for. class is more motivating, as I feed off of Graphic by Florence Yee.

Now, if you watched the NFL this year, it’s safe to say it was a pretty boring season. Aside from the emergence of the Dallas Cowboys and the Oakland Raiders as strong contenders, there weren’t many interesting storylines. Games were plagued by poor officiating, poor defensive play and just an overall lack of highlight reel plays.Despite all of this, a Patriots versus Falcons Super Bowl has the potential to completely redeem the NFL season and make it one for the ages. You may think I’m over-exaggerating but I don’t remember ever being this excited for a Super Bowl.

So let’s break it down. According to nfl.com, the Atlanta Falcons had the number-one-ranked offense and the number-one-ranked passing offense this season. Meanwhile, the Patriots had the number-threeranked offence and the number-two-ranked passing offence.

Atlanta also had the most points per game with 33.8, and the Patriots were third in that category with 27.6. What I’m getting at here is this Super Bowl could turn out to be an intense 60-minute battle between both offences.

What’s better than a high-scoring football game? Probably nothing.

Both teams have two of the best quarterbacks in football. The Patriots have Tom Brady, a four-time Super Bowl winner, and the Falcons have Matt Ryan who is the front-runner for league MVP. Both quarterbacks have several talented wide receivers at their disposal—like Julio Jones and Justin Hardy for Atlanta and Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola for the Patriots. If they use their weapons to their advantage, the game could quickly become a shootout.

It’s hard to predict who will win this game, but it will definitely be entertaining. Both teams have high-powered offenses and those are the types of teams that are the most fun to watch. “Defense wins championships” has always been a motto in sports, but this Super Bowl flips that notion on its head.

For me, the last few Super Bowls have been boring, but I think this one could be one of the best games in years.

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

Aside from the editorial, the articles that appear in the opinions section do not necessarily reflect the points of view of our staff.

EDITORIAL

Salacious scandal for Bell Let's Talk The Bell Let’s Talk campaign came roaring through our country last week, raising money and awareness for mental health issues. The campaign—one of the largest in Canadian history—raised $6.5 million through texts, phone calls and social media interactions that mentioned Bell Let’s Talk.

The money goes towards a variety of mental health initiatives in different regions across Canada. According to the Bell Let’s Talk website, the most recent funds were sent to the St. John Ambulance training program—to help integrate mental health training into emergency First Aid courses—and the Embrace Life Council program, a new mental health program by Nunavut’s Embrace Life Council, a non-profit suicide prevention organization, to name a few.

Here at The Concordian, we even made our front cover last week about the campaign, featuring Concordia Stingers hockey player Philippe Hudon, Concordia’s Bell Let’s Talk representative. We were proud of the piece and glad to contribute to this national conversation and help spread awareness on our university campus.

However, on Wednesday morning, several media outlets dropped a massive bomb. A

story was published involving a Bell Media employee who was reportedly fired due to her mental health issues.

Maria McLean from Grand Falls, N.B. was working as a radio host for K93 FM when she met with her manager earlier this month.

McLean presented her superior with a doctor's note that stated she needed to take two weeks off to adjust to her new medication for her anxiety and depression. Later that afternoon, she was shocked to discover she had been fired from her post without any warning, according to CBC News. A representative from Bell Media refused to comment on the case, according to the same report.

It’s no surprise the story gained a lot of traction on social media, with many people wanting to abandon the Bell Let’s Talk cam-

paign due to the media company’s hypocrisy.

We even toyed with this thought ourselves.

However, it’s important to recognize that this story wouldn’t have gotten this much attention if it wasn’t associated with a giant media company in the midst of a massive mental health awareness campaign. Ideally, any company that deems mental health an illegitimate reason to need time off should be reported on and shared widely as well. It is not new that employers let their employees go for mental health reasons— this is a real issue. We need to start holding our own government accountable when it comes to funding mental health-related services.

We are calling upon Bell to launch a full investigation into Maria McLean’s case and release the report to the public. This is the

only way to move forward and for the public to believe in the Bell Let’s Talk campaign in the upcoming years.

Here at The Concordian, we’ve decided to not abandon the campaign, even in the wake of this story. The work that Bell Let’s Talk has achieved is unprecedented, and we must take away the positives even in the wake of a scandal. We acknowledge Bell is a corporation with monetary and advertising interests, but it goes without saying that the campaign has been a huge catalyst in spurring a dialogue and spreading awareness about a complex issue.

Our masthead has never seen so many Facebook posts and Tweets from our social network describing their personal stories regarding mental health. We must recognize that many would not be courageous enough to talk about their experiences if it weren’t for so many others in their circle doing the same—this was initiated thanks to Bell Let’s Talk.

We encourage our readers to support the campaign, but more importantly, to keep supporting and talking about mental health, all year round.

Graphic by Thom Bell.

REBUTTAL

Responding to deceitful conservative views Why supporting Milo Yiannopoulos in any way is wrong and unjustified SARAH BOUMEDDA CONTRIBUTOR “Facts don’t care about your feelings,” said Ben Shapiro, an American conservative political commentator, author and attorney. The same quote closed the article titled “Weighing in on a controversial book deal,” published in The Concordian on Jan. 17. Oddly enough, the opinion piece had nothing to do with facts. Nor Yiannopoulos’ book deal, actually.

The piece discussed the “silencing” of free speech—particularly right-wing, conser vative speech—and used Milo Yiannopoulos’ Twitter ban as an example.

Let’s use the same example to illustrate how free speech was not silenced, and how political correctness was definitely not to blame in this situation.

The tweets that preceded Yiannopoulos’ ban from the platform were directed at African-American actress Leslie Jones.

She had been the victim of verbal racist attacks on Twitter after starring in the recent blockbuster reboot, Ghostbusters.

This occurred a month before her website was hacked, which lead to a leak of personal pictures and private information, including her phone number and Twitter password.

Yiannopoulos referred to those racist attacks as “hate mail,” saying that “everyone gets [it],” reported the Independent. In other words, he was telling her to simply get over it.

Bold words, coming from a white man.

As a woman of colour, I can definitely tell you that “getting over” racism isn’t easy—or possible at all.

Yiannopoulos’ statement was excusing hate speech, the hateful comments directed at Jones were somehow justified—by a flawed notion of freedom of speech—and that she was in the wrong for calling out her attackers.

It seems as though many forget that hate speech is not, in fact, free speech. We’re so quick to defend freedom of speech, yet we often forget exactly what it entails.

One of the earliest definitions of the principle dates back to the 1720s, written by British writers John Trenchard and Thomas Gordon, who used the penname Cato. They referred to freedom of speech as “the Right of Every Man, as far as by it he does not hurt and control the Right of another.” In simpler terms, freedom of speech prevails as long as one doesn’t hurt or control the rights of another.

Now, the concept of one’s rights being “hurt” by someone’s speech is rather abstract. It is clear, however, that racism does infringe one’s rights. The first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,” and the second also mentions that “everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind,” including race. The 12th article further specifies that “no one shall be

subjected [...] to attacks upon his honour and reputation.” Seemingly, speech that would encourage or excuse any of these attacks, especially targeted at one’s race, would go against these rights.

It seems pretty obvious racist speech is inappropriate—and therefore, someone spreading such sentiments should be held accountable for their actions. Hate speech

Graphic by Florence Yee.

isn’t free speech—it’s damaging and has to be stopped.

Shutting down Yiannopoulos’ Twitter account was a justified move. Belittling racism is just as bad as spreading it. Action has to be taken against it. It isn’t a question of political correctness, where we avoid to offend, but of simple common sense and respect of another’s fundamental rights.

JANUARY 31, 2017

theconcordian

17

ANIMAL WELFARE

A better life for animals can be found outside of zoos The horrific reality of zoos and why we should completely ban them

BECKY LUGER COPY EDITOR The zoo has always been an exciting place for people to see wild animals from around the world, but in the comfort of their suburban cities.

However, many zoo-goers ignore or don’t think about the well-being of these animals in captivity.

They don’t realize they are supporting institutions that subject animals to mistreatment and poor living conditions.

I’m st rongly against zoos and I believe more people need to hop on this bandwagon. Since the death of SeaWorld’s captive orca, Tilikum, featured in the 2013 documentary Blackfish, I’ve decided it’s time to create awareness about the horrific effects zoos have on the animals they hold captive.

Although Blackfish depicts the tragic deaths of SeaWorld employees as a result of Tilikum's abnormally aggressive behaviour, the documentary gets to the core of the issue. The film begins with footage of the horrific capture of wild orcas. Viewers see these gigantic mammals confined to tiny pools, sometimes two per tank, where they are forced to socialize, mate and are trained to perform tricks.

The film sheds light on how these killer whales become so vicious and violent, highlighting the physical abuse they experience from tankmates and the self-inflicted injuries resulting from psychological trauma. These animals cannot sur vive in cages. Numerous documentaries show that whales are intelligent and highly social creatures, capable of feeling a wide spectrum of emotions and pain.

A killer whale can grow up to 32 feet long,

according to National Geographic—it’s clearly not meant to be held in a tiny enclosure with other whales of that size. According to Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), a charity organization dedicated to protecting whales and dolphins, 163 orcas have died in captivity since 1961.

I’ve argued about zoos with several people and heard responses such as: “zoos

environment of giraffes, polar bears, seals or boa constrictors so it isn’t right to ship them over here just so people can stare at them as they sit in cages.

Zoos are for show, plain and simple.

Yo u c a n see the animals are unhappy based on their behaviour, and unfortunately they develop mental illnesses. “Zoochosis” is a mental illness animals in captivity develop and it leads to disturbing and self-harming behaviours such as pacing, starvation and banging their heads against walls and glass, according to the anti -animal cruelty organization PETA. The goal of zoos is to put on a show and make money. In comparison, animal sanctuaries and conservation centres focus solely on protecting and

supporting wildlife. These centres help in rehabilitating wounded animals until they are well enough to be released back into the wild. They care about the animals’ well being, unlike zoos. From the Sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica to our very own chimp sanctuary, Fauna Foundation, located near Carginan, QC, there are hundreds of specialized facilities for taking care of animals with staff who are trained to do so.

The China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, for example, helps with the reproduction of the once-endangered giant panda, with the goal to successfully release them safely back into the wild, according to National Geographic . According to the director Zhang Hemin, the centre’s most important goals have been panda breeding and making sure “there’s a good habitat to then put the pandas in.” The animals that can’t be released into the wild have a safe environment to live in—one that mimics their natural habitat—and they receive special care when needed.

Rather than a zoo, whose prime goal is to make money, a sanctuary or conservation centre works to educate the public and rehabilitate animals, without endangering or harming them. It’s vital that we think about the harm and damage zoos cause to animals who deserve to live freely in their natural habitats.

Zoos are sad and u n e t h i c a l . S e eing these incredible creatures locked up in these small cages, pens and tanks—where they are forced to live until they die—is heartbreaking.

It’s a miserable life, and they deserve better. So next time you go on a day trip to the zoo to check out the wildlife, look at their faces, watch their behaviour and remember that that’s not how animals are meant to live. Think twice about giving your money to facilities that don’t care about the animals they are responsible for.

Graphic by Thom Bell.

Photos by ©NJ Wight.

are important for educational purposes” and “animals live longer in captivity than they would in the wild,” among others.

Frankly, those are bullshit excuses.

There are ways to educate ourselves and children about wildlife without having to capture wild animals and confine them in unnatural, tiny enclosures. Take Granby Zoo or the Biodome, for example. Yes, those are both fun places, but last time I checked, Quebec didn’t have a raging population of penguins and lions. Children and people in general don’t need to see the animals in person to learn about them, so removing them from their natural habitats is disruptive to the animals themselves and is unnecessary. Quebec isn’t the native

etc

Featured concordia artist Patrick K. Evans

"About five hours northeast of Edmonton, Alberta, you’ll find the small city of Grande Prairie where many of the buildings and surroundings are spread out and have an industrial feel to them. It was here that I grew up, in an environment where functionality almost always prevails over aesthetics. This lack of visual stimulation in my hometown inspired me to immerse myself in the visual worlds of motion picture animations, comics and stories at a very young age that I believe contributed to my exploration and obsession with aesthetics and textures in the images that I create. I began my visual arts degree at Grande Prairie Regional College where I explored various art styles and techniques. I later transferred to Concordia University and graduated with a BFA in Painting and Drawing and am now currently working out of a studio in my hometown."

DINO DRINKING THE RAIN DIGITAL PAINTING BUSINESS CALL DIGITAL PAINTING 2017

2017

"My art strongly focuses on taking people out of their normal visual realities by warping figures and forms in an organic way that gives hints of reality while maintaining a dreamy fantastical quality. My intention with my art is to inspire creativity in my viewers and to challenge the way they may see and understand art and their everyday realities in order to enrich their lives. I hope that people may find a connection with my characters and can relate to the expressions contained in their weird visual wo rl d s that they inhabit. Art should be fun, right?"

DIGITAL LOVE DIGITAL PAINTING 2016

BIRD CATCHING. DIGITAL PAINTING. 2016

JANUARY 31, 2017

theconcordian

19

COMIC

Comics by Anthony Labonte.

SUDOKU

Sudoku generator and solver

Sudoku generator and solver

LEVEL 1

LEVEL 4

5 3 9 7 6

8 7 9 6 9 8 4 3 7 4 6 9 5 9 3 7 4 6 2 7 1 3 5 6 1 7 8 3 7 9 2 2 6 8 1

Random:327452671-v3-40-L1

7 4 8 5 5 4 9 3 7 8 Courtesy of kjell.haxx.se/sudoku 9 1 5 8 5 3 8 5 1 2 3 9

h

49 98 1 23 36 7 27 1 75 6 6 8 6 5 12 7 73 6 8 41 2 9 6 44 7 2 9 1 5 8 98 7 3 54 7 8 1 9 34 7 3 5 8 59 3 8 1 37 76 4 4 8 7 3 8 5 2 1 16 2 3

6 84

5 45 2 3 1 3 1 49 7 3 1 2 4 7 2 1 4 6 29 7 9 6 3

Random:327452672-v3-39-L1 Random:453286914-v3-26-L1 Random:327452673-v3-38-L Random:453

8 3 85 3 69 1 5 7 9 4 2 9 6 8 1 36 5 8 7 3 9 7 45 8 6 3 2

5 82 7 16 4 8 7 5 4 9 3 5 16 2 3 9 97 8 4 5 38

ick Lucyk, Elisa het, Kyanna encia Arrieta, egail Ranaudo,

NNOCHIO n.com

R

NT

BOARD OF DIRECTORS NATHALIE LAFLAMME JACOB SEREBIN MILOS KOVACEVIC directors@theconcordian.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER ORENZO PORPORINO FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES advertising@theconcordian.com

BUSINESS MANAGER ORENZO PORPORINO business@theconcordian.com

PITCH. WRITE. EDIT.

Editorial office 7141 Sherbrooke St. W Building CC - 431 Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 (514) 848-2424 ext. 7499

HEAD COPY EDITOR KATYA TEAGUE

COME TO OUR WEEKLY STORY MEETING AT THE LOYOLA CAMPUS CC-431 FRIDAY AT 12 P.M.

FOLLOW US ON  

s.

SPORTS EDITOR ALEXANDER COLE sports@theconcordian.com

“Palestinian Day” Photo by Alex Hutchins.

ur

rdian.com

o

ho

GRAPHIC ASSISTANT THOM BELL

OUR COVER THIS WEEK

Exclusive interviews Sports Music Breaking news & more!

3

ASSISTANT MUSIC EDITOR EMILY VIDAL

VOL. 34, ISSUE 14 NOV. 29, 2016

&

e bl rta e fo tim m co a at rs

’s it y rs nt ive de r Un p en p e a d i de p a or in ws 14

COME TO OUR WEEKLY STORY MEETING AT THE LOYOLA CAMPUS CC-431 FRIDAY AT 12 P.M.

GRAPHICS EDITOR FLORENCE YEE graphics@theconcordian.com

Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper

ia rd co on ec th

d an

am te ’s an

PHOTO ASSISTANT ALEX HUTCHINS

BUSINESS MANAGER ORENZO PORPORINO business@theconcordian.com

NEWS EDITORS SAVANNA CRAIG NELLY SÉRANDOUR-AMAR news@theconcordian.com

ASSISTANT ARTS EDITOR MAGGIE HOPE

PITCH. WRITE. EDIT.

on es dl un s rb

di or nc Co

The Concordian’s team

Editorial office 7141 Sherbrooke St. W Building CC - 431 Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 (514) 848-2424 ext. 7499

Graphic by Pauline Soumet.

20

Hear...

ri n o hi e C e ar r Th s: e W fo

e Th

e d e e y ie p el a bl an ap i lit p at s st s sp bi im m on w w n's si ox o sp ne ia pr n .c ne on ap dia of e rd , re r r o sp ut ds fo co ed t n nc s n rib Re at n g eco se ou Co ist s tiv ni a o o r @t h 0p he n •D m T a y ing em o3 s on da g pt tb ri es n a us gu ca Tu l m a M e a yin bl mai • r o la r t ai d e ca ss av ou l e be sh cc t u s nts •A M a n. lic tio app si po ted d a i res > P nte >I

Missed a show?

Visit mixcloud.com/the_concordian for every episode!

c , e K on ly n UE EE C eek ent SS 6 W , I 01 w ud IS 34 , 2 . st TH . ns L. 9 2 R . et ” hi VE um V O OV ay u t c So O D e N H C  n lin x a i Y au le  UR yP tin A KL O N cb es y O EE hi al o b ap W AT US US “ P ot Gr W UR NG MP Ph O O TI A T LL O T EE LA C Y A FO E .

M Y M YO IDA IT CO O R L O F R ED .

ST E 31 TE TH -4 .

RI W CC P.M t. .W 12 H 6 ce e S TC ffi ok 31 1R B PI lo o ia br - 4 H4 om or er C ER O c t . i Sh C C 4 AG RIN ian Ed 41 ing al, Q 242 AN O rd 71 uild tre 8S M P co 4 B ER T S OR on IE on 8 9 M 14) 749 ES P ec A G O U I R om AN h N O (5 t.

ST S AN N Q .c SI NZ @t SI IN M RI IN ian ex m BU RE ess AS TCH G O G ord R .co N P O sin TO U SI R IN nc u ian TO I O H b TI PO TIS co rd ED EE co PH EX I RS ER ZO ER the S n O V T RS AR R .com AL E T IC E Y co D N DV g@ N O e A EC M M m IT INN LEU ian RE A sin TA PH NC th i S R O IR .co ED K F ord SI RA RE s@ O rt D FLA A e F G F ian v O ic TS CA L nc AS d I Y O LA IN IC rd a FL aph R AR SS AN eco IC LL D IE EB EV co O gr VÁ m IT JE FF th PH BE AR AL SER VAC con O co R R G n.

ED TI ts@ RA M BO ATH B KO the O E ia Y E G O IO TO ar P I U IT RC ord N CO S s@ TH O G CH ED E D H E nc C S G JA ILO tor O EA R IC IC A eco M rec AD A T O N R NN om A T E US c I U S D R th a m di H TY M D G E A n.

F M N @ li s A E .co T L UG I-M dia IE KA ,E SA usic H A ian m PY RIN A L OR cor A N DA yk na , m -C NZ rd ST I .co R u c a n et a o, CO ATE ECC A C con R E IN A co SI Y V m I e O L an TO k L Ky rri ud K B I R- A S con R c IT O di h co AS MIL R D O R S ni t , A n a D C or RE LE t n.

E O E IT TIN the E A O mi che cia Ra S y@ ER nc IT O dia S V o p r ED RIS r@ U T o a e n ail RT ED AR o RT D ec co IB u, D re S Flor eg O C ito O A N th G D nc b ER m TR a b SP NS SP EX s@ ed G IN TO eco N a L m in a e, A co T A A .

A c AL ort AG RY th m CO oni ier, Rom oyt . ian AN IER AN sp rd R AN O g@ ST K M R .co M arb er, w C ntu O M EG gin SI S O N ET co i e u an S T l B T I T I r O M n di h AS ME GR ana N TI OU eco Te att ey M or ED ED JA m S TA S Y nc M ffr UC S th N IS N SE co D E @ Je IO SS O IN on IO A he N i A N IN E t PR UL ct PI TA D N @ P O O V I ns PA du IO U o T o T RO N IK D A ni pr L i m p UC O AR TA A o D F OW .co IS M M R Z O A R S A S A O E ian PR RI FAR AS ANI IT ND rd RS IG UR .com O RS PA N S ED NA nco IT RA DO ian O JE IT TO R co ED C N rd O HE the S NA RA nco ED S PH NA o@ EW N É o N AVA LY S hec EW A ot N S EL @t ph T NT DI N ws AN U AL ne ST H N SI AN RA R om E A S EG E H n.c R R S M LÖ O O A ia IT CH IT G ord ED ED LLE nc o FE ER FE IE c LI D LI AN the T M D e@ AN ZU lif ST A SI M AS INA M

FOLLOW US ON  

PHOTO EDITOR ANA HERNANDEZ photo@theconcordian.com

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT PARISA FOROUTAN

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR NICHOLAS DI GIOVANNI

“Social Media Detox.”

Graphic by Florence Yee.

ARTS EDITOR TIFFANY LAFLEUR arts@theconcordian.com

ADVERTISING MANAGER ORENZO PORPORINO FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES advertising@theconcordian.com

OUR COVER THIS WEEK

ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR SANIA MALIK

CONTRIBUTORS Mia Anhoury, Nicole Proano, Matthew Coyte, Ayan Chowdhury, Marissa Ramnanan, Sarah Boumeda.

ASSISTANT LIFE EDITOR MINA MAZUMDER

PRODUCTION MANAGER PAULINE SOUMET production@theconcordian.com

COPY EDITORS KATERINA GANG REBECCA LUGER VALERIA CORI-MANOCCHIO copy@theconcordian.com

VOL. 34, ISSUE 18 JAN. 31, 2017.

OPINIONS EDITOR DAVID EASEY opinions@theconcordian.com

MANAGING EDITOR GREGORY TODARO managing@theconcordian.com

MUSIC EDITOR SANDRA HERCEGOVÁ music@theconcordian.com

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS MEGAN HUNT CHLÖE RANALDI

Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper

LIFE EDITOR DANIELLE GASHER life@theconcordian.com

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CRISTINA SANZA editor@theconcordian.com

BOARD OF DIRECTORS NATHALIE LAFLAMME JACOB SEREBIN MILOS KOVACEVIC directors@theconcordian.com

an’s team

JANUARY 31, 2017

theconcordian

20

Be sure to tune in to

The Concordian Radio Show on CJLO 1690 Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.