The Concordian - Fall 2014 Issue 01

September 2, 2014.

Opinions p.17

Volume 32

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issue 1

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Independant student newspaper at Concordia University since 1983.

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Is it time to kick the bucket?

In this issue

NEWS

Let’s talk clilmate

p. 3

LIFE

p. 6

Best food near campus

ARTS

p. 8

Break a leg, Mrs. Robinson

MUSIC

Meet the Operators

We tell your stories. Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

p.12

SPORTS

p.15

Golf’s new groove theconcordian.com

news 2

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Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Write to the editor: news@theconcordian.com

CITY MILSO KOVACEVIC News editor

>> University Street to be renamed

Former premier Robert Bourassa will finally get a street named in his posthumous honour as a section of University Street lying south of Sherbrooke is to be renamed after Quebec’s youngest-ever premier.

Bourassa’s first term in the 70s saw the October Crisis and the rise of the Parti Québécois who defeated him, only to resume a second term in the 80s. In 2006 former mayor Gérald Tremblay tried, and ultimately failed, to rename Parc Avenue as a tribute to Bourassa.

>> Cat cafe opening a first in North America The opening of the Cafe des Chats coffeehouse in Montreal this Saturday marks North America’s very first ‘cat cafe’. Owner Youssef Labib, who got the idea from travels in Asia where the concept is gaining popularity, now hosts eight adopted cats with whom clients are encouraged to interact, but are forbidden to feed or hold. The cats are free to move about anywhere save the kitchen and have a private room for their own needs.

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D.A.D’s Bagels is no more

A fixture in Côte-des-Neiges—NotreDame-de-Grâce for 20 years, D.A.D’s Bagels closed on Monday after the landlord did not renew the lease to instead make way for a Dollarama expansion. A traditional wood-burning oven bagel joint — originally called Dad’s Bagels but since changed to conform to Quebec’s language laws — it grew to have quite a devoted following. “Small businesses are the backbone of the economy and we’re putting them out,” said disappointed owner Kashmir Singh Randhawa.

>>

Street hockey: a fineable offense

The stoppage of a children’s hockey game in east end Montreal raised some eyebrows after a neighbour’s complaint led to police officers interrupting the game by invoking a law banning sports on the street. The occurrence even caught the eye of Mayor Denis Coderre who tweeted puzzlement over the act. RDP—Pointe-AuxTrembles city councillor Richard Guay visited the children’s mother to smooth things over and is said to be contemplating reclassifying the street, which has no addresses and is used solely by parked cars, as an alleyway, thus allowing for street hockey.

Campus // news

A smart suit that looks sharp to boot Concordian talent in quest to build world’s first smart-suit Milos Kovacevic News Editor

Wearable devices are all the rage with future-friendly individuals.

Think Nike fuel bands masquerading as innocuous bracelets until they flash your step count or calories, smart watches that can talk to you and Google Glass. The trend has so far been leaning towards unobtrusive technology that fulfills its role while eliminating clunky jetpacks and blinking lights.

Montreal’s Heddoko is a sleek new start-up banking on this idea of wearable technology, except instead of aiming small, they want to adapt it to a full-body experience by combining motion-capture technology pioneered by Hollywood and the gaming industry to create the world’s first athletic smart-suit.

By embedding motion sensors — originally used for the green screen or Wii — to precisely capture how your body is moving and combining it with some app wizardry, Heddoko’s smart-suit will help athletes know exactly how their exercise regimens are progressing and help make workouts better and more efficient.

CEO Mazen Elbawab has years of experience under his belt working for Ubisoft and Microsoft, not to mention a consulting career. He helped develop the Kinect system of motion sensing input devices that could read user movements and voice commands. The time spent perfecting such gadgetry also gave him a perspective on how to take it further.

“So far there’s only been information coming out of it,” said Elbawab, an athlete himself with a particular keenness for martial arts, whose passion for sport helped germinate the idea. “No one has tapped into giving something meaningful back and turning that information into knowledge.”

His invention probably won’t replace the physical presence and personalized expertise of a human coach, but it won’t be too distant of a second best. Just think: instead of trudging out on a cold winter’s morning to hit the gym or commuting to yoga practice, you’ll be able to slip into a comfortable smart-suit without ever stepping outdoors and have feedback on hand. That yoga pose or martial arts sequence? Your phone (or, supposedly, any compatible display) will tell you how to nail them both and offer the visuals and statistics to take things to the next level.

Ultimately, Heddoko has ambitious plans. The niche market at

the moment will be athletes willing to spend an estimated $400 for the final product, but Elbawab believes there’s no reason why the technology couldn’t be adapted to the medical field — where the suit’s sensitivity could help with physiotherapy and healing injuries — or beyond.

Though Elbawab agrees Heddoko has done much, the technological and business hurdles have been substantial. With the help of established Montreal entrepreneurs and investors, Elbawab’s team has ballooned to 15 engineers, businessmen and programmers. He has partnered with Concordia’s District 3, the meeting place for creativity, entrepreneurship and engineers to bandy about ideas, network and collaborate. “In a matter of four months we went extremely far.

People usually struggle in building a first prototype,” he said. Heddoko’s proof of concept — a single working arm — managed to break it into the top three hottest inventions.

The technological side of things hasn’t been easy. “We can talk about the engineering difficulties for hours,” he said when prompted to elucidate. The range of conditions in which his invention would have to perform flawlessly is daunting. As anybody from a NASA scientist piloting a rover on Martian soil to a Vietnam veteran hoping his firearms don’t get jammed can tell you, everyday conditions can be the hardest to surmount — and the fancier the technology, the bigger the problems. A suit would have to perform as well in -20 cel-

sius temperatures as 30 celsius, and be expected to go from one to the other, day in day out. A shirt can be washed to expunge the accumulated sweat and smells your body expels over hours — a mesh of circuits and sensors cannot. Another challenge has been optimizing sensor placements to their ideal points on the human body to accurately capture movement, a complicated task when you realize every part of our body is constantly changing in three dimensional space in relation to any other point.

While Elbawab admits much of the technology already exists on the shelf, that doesn’t mean it’s efficient or specialized enough for his purposes. Case in point: they’ve been in partnership with another start-up solely focused on the battery system that will deliver the juice to make the suit function.

Elbawab hopes the ideal battery will have enough power on a single charge to last an entire week.

Finding investors will be just as difficult, if not more so. Speaking from experience, Elbawab knows the product, no matter how attractive, won’t sell itself.

“I went back and forth a lot,” he said about his strategy to bring in money. He tried selling the technology, appealing to potential buyers on his level, the level of gadgetry and technical ingenuity. He said people didn’t understand it. Only when he found a way that enabled his listeners to relate on the athletic level did he get the support no amount of cool technology could.

It was a matter of speaking to people on their own level, and know-

ing the right people. “You have to know what problem you’re trying to solve with that technology,” he said, and outlines how he envisions, in his words, democratizing the gym lockers of athletes with a technology that has up until now remained confined to Hollywood.

Thankfully, Montreal’s prime location as an attractive hub of software and programmers will make things easier. District 3 has given him the chance to attract many talented young individuals, Concordians above all, to his project in exchange for the mentoring and intense start-up workload regular interns wouldn’t get in large corporations.

There are further challenges ahead. “Once we get to the prototype level, 99 per cent of the innovation will come from the software,” said Elbawab. He aims to finalize a functional prototype by the end of 2014 and launch a crowdfunding campaign. Until then, Elbawab is performing market research to determine which crowdfunding platform will be ideal for his purposes, and said Montreal will be the first place to have access to the suits.

Motion censors will capture athlete’s exact movements to improve their performance and excercise regimes.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Milos Kovacevic News Editor

The CSU’s first talk of the year on Sept. 3 will feature environmental journalist Bill McKibben and indigenous activist Ellen Gabriel discussing climate change and human rights in the only Canadian stop of the People’s Climate Tour, advertised as the world’s biggest climate change protest.

Scheduled alongside a New York City climate change summit to be attended by heads of state and policy-makers, the tour will be mirrored internationally in over a dozen countries. Hundreds of groups will be participating in a massive display of environmental mobilization seeking to pressure governments and corporations into rethinking environmentallydetrimental policies and projects.

One such group to have a strong presence at Wednesday’s talks will be 350.org (of which McKibben is a founding member), a global organization looking to limit the worldwide concentration of atmospheric CO2 to 350 partsper-million — a figure widely considered the threshold beyond which destructive climate change is unavoidable. (The current concentration is 400 parts-per-million.)

Alongside a campaign to increase institutional divestment of fossil fuels, 350.org has long rallied

grassroots action against, among other things, tar sands development and the transnational pipeline. Alongside the CSU, they’ve planned the event alongside the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) and the Divest chapters of both universities.

“If we have a mission at this point of time it’s to build a climate cross-movement not just on environmental issues, but working with labour, working with frontline indigenous communities [and] the communities dealing with the worst impacts of climate change,” said 350.org’s Tar Sands Organizer and onetime Concordia student Cam Fenton, who has

“

of the participants, McKibben and Gabriel included will serve as a powerful inspiration to all who attend.

McKibben, whose decadeslong career and seminal 1989 work The End of Nature is seen by some as starting the public discourse on global warming, has long tried to raise public consciousness on the issue of man-made climate change and the increasingly important urgency to cease modern man’s destructive existence and move towards a sustainable, if humbler, lifestyle.

Gabriel, another Concordia graduate hailing from the Kanehsatà:ke Mohawk nation,

Environmentalism cuts across all sorts of social issues, indigenous rights, worker’s rights, and is especially grounded in the sense that we’re talking about what will happen to our future.

handled publicity and media relations for the event.

Fenton says the choice of Montreal as a location was a natural one and that Canadian youth in general were particularly sensitive to environmental issues.

“Environmentalism cuts across all sorts of social issues, indigenous rights, worker’s rights, and is especially grounded in the sense that we’re talking about what will happen to our future,” he said.

Fenton believes the presence

- Cam Fenton first rose to international prominence as one of the spokespeople for the Mohawk protesters during the 1990 Oka crisis. She’s since campaigned for the revitalization of native traditions and rights and a greater inclusion of indigenous concerns in social and political discourse, and protested the expansion of tar sands pipelines. “[Gabriel] has such a powerful voice when it comes to indigenous rights,” said Fenton, calling her a ‘frontline community voice in re-

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Campus // news

Learning to be green for the new semester Starting off the school year nature-conscious

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sistance.’

He said her knowledge would combine with McKibben’s reputation to make for a powerful strategy on account of the powerful position indigenous communities possess in terms of experience with environmental damage and the land rights enshrined to them by the Constitution.

“It’s not just something that can be solved by a single environmental organization,” he said.

Earlier this year the Supreme Court echoed this sentiment when it ruled in favour of a native rights claim by the B.C. Tsilhqot’in nation to 1,700 square kilometers of traditional land falling outside reservations. The ruling reiterated that any attempts by non-native entities to resource extraction over this land required explicit consent by its traditional inhabitants, effectively creating the possibility of veto powers by other indigenous nations over corporate and government-led development.

Fenton hopes the visit to Montreal will accurately transmits the urgent need for change to individuals curious to learn more and galvanize the determination of established environmentalists: “The decisions we make today [are what] the young people will have to live with; [they] see the urgency of action.”

The People’s Climate Tour will be held on Sept. 3 from 7 – 10 p.m at the H-110 Alumni Auditorium of the Hall Building, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W. Tickets are free but limited in number.

Consult http://350.org/peoplesclimatetour/ for reservations and attitional information.

NATION Milos Kovacevic News editor

>> NHL to expand by four

Four new hockey teams may be joining the NHL after news of expansion talks were reported by CBC. The four teams will grace two new cities — Seattle and Las Vegas — come back to Quebec City and join the Maple Leafs in Toronto in a deal that could cost the league $1.4 billion in fees.

>> Tim Hortons

and Burger King are one The staple of many Canadians’ mornings, Tim Hortons, announced this week a $12.5 billion merger with Burger King to create the planet’s third largest fast food company. To allay fears over Canada’s iconic brand, both companies have confirmed Tim Hortons would remain independent under the merger and that nothing would be changed. Both Tim Hortons and Burger King will be owned by an as-yet-unnamed Ontario company and will maintain their headquarters in Oakville, Ontario, and Miami, Florida, respectively, according to The Globe and Mail.

>> Canadian experts flee ebola spread Canada is pulling its three-man medical team from Sierra Leone after several people at their hotel were diagnosed with ebola, the latest development in a story that has seen the deadly disease spread throughout Western Africa, prompting local governments to tighten borders and quarantine entire neighbourhoods.

The three Canadian epidemiologists, who have as yet shown no signs of infection and are in voluntary quarantine until their conditions can be better assessed, come soon after a UN lab pulled staff when a Senegalese epidemiologist became infected. To date, over 1,300 people have died, including over 120 heath care workers, according to CBC.

>> Cross-border berry dispute heats up

Divesting in fossil fuels will be a hot topic of discussion at the talks on Wednesday. Photo by Maryam Andragi.

An American campaign to rename berries has raised the ire of some Canadians after an initiative to bring Saskatoon berries to American growers won their hearts, but not their tongues. The Saskatoon berry — after which the Saskatchewan city is named — was deemed too difficult to pronounce by American market researchers who rebranded them ‘juneberries,’ setting off tensions with Canadian fans of the food. The purple fruit, predicted to become the next hit in the multibillion-dollar berry market because of its beneficial properties, has long been cultivated in the Prairies and western Canada.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, september 2, 2014

WORLD Milos Kovacevic News editor

>> Burmese beauty queen steels crown Burma’s first ever international beauty queen has run off with the $100,000 crown after being stripped of her title because of “dishonesty and rudeness”. The spat between May Myat Noe and Miss Asia Pacific World supposedly started when she agreed to the pageant organizers’ suggestion she undergo cosmetic surgery to increase her breast size and worsened when a battle for control of her career broke out between her mother and contest organizers, according to The National Post.

>> NATO to bolster Ukraine, expand presence

NATO announced plans this week to expand its military presence in Eastern Europe in response to what it called the continued destabilization of Ukraine by Russian aid sent to separatist rebels. The plan hasn’t met unanimous approval however, being supported by Russia’s Polish and Baltic neighbours but opposed by members further away like the Italians, Spaniards, and French. The military alliance said it will also modernize the Ukrainian military and ready a rapid response team for what may lie in the future, according to The Guardian.

Dragonroot breaks ground with new partnership Dragonroot Media joins with CGA to strengthen itself Milos Kovacevic News editor

A

fter several years of dedication as Montreal’s feminist and gender-issue radio program, newly expanded Dragonroot Media (formerly Dragonroot Radio) has tightened ties with Concordia’s Centre for Gender Advocacy by rebranding itself as an action group in an effort to provide better services.

Originally started in the fall of 2011 and broadcasting over McGill’s CKUT 90.3 FM radio station, the show has been shining a light on gender-specific topics by reporting on events and exploring issues with activists and intellectuals.

“I feel like being part of Dragonroot for the past few years has really shaped my politics, and everybody I speak to [on the show] shapes and changes how I understand issues. It’s been pretty rewarding in that way,” said Hannah Besseau, host-turned-coordinator for the program who, among oth-

ers, has been behind the move that will see Dragonroot Media, completely run by volunteers, restructured to increase its scope and resources.

The organization has always had a close relationship with the Centre for Gender Advocacy. When the Centre began looking to create a stronger bond with surrounding groups, Dragonroot’s passion came foremost to their mind and they were encouraged to apply as an action group, a designation allowing for it to receive operational and promotional funding and other benefits.

“Who better to make a better action group than Dragonroot?” asked Besseau rhetorically on the eve of last week’s fundraising concert at La Sala Rossa. She said the increased visibility of the group will allow it to reach a bigger audience and tackle larger projects, but also stressed the group will remain as it was before.

“Now that we’ve [got] an action group status, we’re hoping to expand beyond radio, and also to make our video content better and [more] creative. We want to find different ways to approach gender content on the radio. We’re also working on a new website to post more things, and we’re doing a call-out for editors to produce

more content.”

The recruitment drive is an effort on part of the group to remain true to its origins as a consensus-based collective but adopt an editorial model that will create several longer-lasting positions to ensure volunteers will still be able to come and go as before without interrupting content consistency.

A small core of well-defined roles and positions will ensure sections of Dragonroot Media, like their blog, which has suffered from bouts of inactivity in the past, don’t re-occur. Besseau believes the permanence will enable a mentorship program to take hold that will help those interested in media and willT15-21049-SSER-Ads-DOST ASB-Concordian

ing to assume a more prominent role in gender awareness hone their abilities and confidence.

“We really want to have a space where people can come and learn media skills, specifically for gender topics. That way, we’ll have people constantly engaging and learning. [We’ll be] putting the microphone, so to speak, in the hands of those who it would benefit.”

Dragonroot Media’s weekly radio program runs every Tuesday on CKUT 90.3 FM at 8:30 – 9 p.m.

If you’re interested in contributing or keeping up to date with the project, find for them on Facebook or Twitter

DATE: September 2, 2014

ALTERNATIVE SPRING BREAK C H A LLEN G E YO U R PER S PEC TI V E – C H A N G E YO U R WO R LD

APPLY TODAY!

>> Leaked

celebrity photos bare all

APPLICATIONS DUE OCTOBER 15!

Following a massive celebrity photo leak this weekend, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has begun looking into the online privacy breach. Over two dozen celebrities including Jennifer Lawrence and Ariana Grande have had their devices hacked resulting in a leak of nude and compromising photos. Apple is reportedly looking into the possibility that the accounts may have been accessed using iCloud technology.

The Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program is a transformative service-learning experience in which students prepare for and partake in a week of hands-on volunteering with a community partner during Reading Week.

Want to volunteer, make friends and have fun? Do it all with ASB!

>> Eyes on

Ferguson police After weeks of clashes between police and protesters, officers of the Ferguson police force have begun using body cameras.

Around 50 cameras were deployed over the weekend, and according to BBC, police chief Tom Jackson claimed the officers, “...are really enjoying them.” The cameras were donated by two video surveillance cameras in the hopes of bringing transparency to future investigations.

Campus // news

For details about the session or to learn more about the program visit us at

asb.concordia.ca

The brains and heart behind Dragonroot Media pose for a group picture

life

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

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Write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com

Safety // Life

Rape, drugs...not rock n’ roll Date rape drugs are a very present danger Andy Fidel Contributor

Campus fun can get out of hand— especially during Orientation week where some frosh activities may include alcohol.

You might have one too many drinks. Let’s be honest— it happens. You are a froshie, running from bar to bar across Montreal with your new fellow classmates, filling and emptying your plastic cup. Beer is cheap.

There are drinking games like Kings Cup or Slap Cup, where odds are that you will walk away covered in booze. And even if you don’t drink alcohol and are merely having a soda with friends at a local bar, date rape drugs are more common than you think.

The well-known ones are Rohypnol, GHB, and Ketamine. Maybe you are more familiar with the terms, “Special K,” “Party Drug,” or “Roofies.” These drugs have become known for their ability to incapacitate someone and make it easier to perform sexual assault, robbery, and/or physical assault. Quite often, these drugs are both odorless and colorless.

Ketamine can be a clear liquid or a white powder. It’s actually still used to sedate children and animals for minor procedures. In large doses, according to the Office on Women’s Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (OWH), it causes an “intensely dreamy feeling or deeply detached, hallucinogenic state.” This state is known as the “K-hole” because it might be difficult for

the user to talk or move.

Rohypnol, on the other hand, is usually found in tablet form. The white pill is small and round, and when slipped into your drink, it dissolves and becomes invisible, according to OWH. Thirdly, according to the same source, GHB looks like water when in liquid form.

I think you get the point. It is not always helpful to know what the pills and powders look like, especially when they tend to be so discreet. They do not swirl around your drink with a banner that reads: “I am spiking your drink.” Most of the time, they are unnoticeable before the first symptoms, which start to kick in after 15-30 minutes.

Symptoms include, but are not limited to, the inability to think and judge clearly, difficulty moving, visual problems, nausea, confusion, and memory loss. Blackouts. All symptoms that could otherwise point to simply having had a few drinks too many.

“I’ve never felt so sick in my life,” said a Concordia student, who wishes to remain anonymous. She had rohypnol slipped in her cocktail at a bar. “I couldn’t stand and could barely move, which is what’s scary if you go home with someone. You literally cannot leave your bed.”

In 2008, a study was conducted in the University of Windsor, which investigated the effect of voluntary and involuntary drug use in sexual assaults. A total of 280 undergraduates, 143 men and 137 women, were chosen at random from the participant pool in the Department of Psychology. April L. Girard and

Wordlink delivers viral content on one feed Photo from Flickr Charlene Y. Senn, the pioneers of this study, discovered that a total of 7 per cent of women reported “having men attempting to engage in or engaging in sexual intercourse against their will by giving them drugs or alcohol,” and a total of 3 per cent of men admit to “using these tactics to induce women to have sex against their will.”

Most people are aware that Ketamine, Rohypnol and GHB are considered date rape drugs, but so is alcohol.

“Any substance that is administered to lower sexual inhibition and enhance the possibility of unwanted sexual intercourse is potentially a date rape drug,” according to an article from the US National Library of Medicine, entitled “Drugs-facilitate date rape.”

In 2001, The Canadian Federation of Students reported that 90% of the sexual assaults reportedly experienced by Canadian female students involved alcohol.

“I never leave [my drink] unattended for the reason that I do not want anyone to put anything in it,” said Evgenia Choros, a Concordia student.

So stick by your drink. Don’t make it easy for someone to slip something in it. Give it to a friend to watch over before racing off to the bathroom or outside for a cigarette break.

Advice // Life

HOJO saves your sanity and your home On-campus legal resource tells you how to avoid hellish housing MICHELLE GAMAGE Production manager

It was around five a.m. when my roommate came to say goodbye, giving me a half-hearted wave before vanishing forever into the snowy February morning. The furniture was sold and out of sight, the fridge emptied, and his affairs wrapped up in a neat twoweek whirl, giving me barely enough time to process that he was leaving before I found myself alone in the apartment with no roommate and no sofa to flop exasperatedly onto. My personal horror story ended that pre-dawn morning, with nothing but dumb luck protecting

me from having to pay the $900 rent on my own.

Don’t end up in my shoes. Concordia’s OffCampus Housing and Job Bank (HOJO) is a free legal information (not advice) treasure trove wrapped up in brightly-coloured brochures and presented by friendly students.

Moving in with roommates for the first time? Do you know what hours they like getting freaky, how often they believe in cleaning the toilet, or who they’re down with crashing on your couch? You will soon enough, so HOJO has a list of everything that causes major conflicts between students living with one another and recommends sitting down with your new roomie and discussing the items on that list.

“You definitely see a lot of people live together that would never meet if it wasn’t for Craigslist,” said Leanne Ashworth, HOJO coordinator. Talking to one another about boundaries, limitations, and sharing is always best before tensions rise— in my case over who kept stealing my food and refusing to pitch in for toilet paper.

Roomies can write a roommate agreement, which is a legally binding document. The

It’s aggregreat!

agreement will come under the rule of the Rental Board of Quebec, a small court that can sort your housing issues for only $70.

Headaches over leases, subleases, joint tenancy, and occupancy agreements can be cured by HOJO’s handy fact sheets (powerpoint diagrams included) or by their friendly assistants.

Even if, like me during first year, you thought you knew it all and didn’t need HOJO’s advice, I still recommend dropping by a HOJO workshop for the free pizza (sometimes) and the handy advice (always) held throughout the year.

I learned from HOJO that my landlord asked for a key deposit, forbade me to paint, and renovated my bathroom (using the Esso across the street to pee at three a.m. for three nights in a row) without offering any compensation— all illegally. And that was before the pizza even arrived.

If you are new to living on your own or just never bothered to read some legal textbooks to figure out your rights as a tenant (because who does, really?), then hit up HOJO for some sweet free information, advice, and tips to make home where your heart is, and not where World War Three breaks out daily.

Housing advice, student classifieds, and other useful links can be found at hojo.csu. qc.ca

Sara Baron-Goodman Life editor

We all know how quickly news spreads these days, how content can go viral in a matter of seconds. We all have our regular sites that we periodically (or obsessively, as the case may be) check in to in order to keep updated on the latest news stories, events, trends, gossip etc. But how can one possibly stay au courrant on ALL the important stories of the moment, from across all sorts of media? Up until now, the prospect has seemed daunting if not completely impossible.

Enter Wordlink – a new startup company that has developed an app that helps you keep track of all the viral content on the world wide web. The app scans the viral headlines of the day from hundreds of sources, and feeds them back to you on one clean interface.

Sources include everything from The New York Times, to The Huffington Post, to Buzzfeed, to lil old us here at The Concordian.

Wordlink crowdsources and data-mines viral content from all the major social media platforms to deliver content that is relevant to what people are talking about.

The app lets you filter the content you receive by building a “Favourites” list of all your go-to sources, or allows you to sift through all their partners’ headlines by category. They seem to have every category imaginable: Press, Research, Social, Arts, Business, Sports, Health… the interface reads like the world’s most comprehensive news site. There’s even an icon that lets you view the picture-heavy dashboard icons (being the links to stories that you can follow) as a more traditional layout, with news columns that allow you to read the story’s lede before clicking.

Once inside a source search or content category, you can then personalize your feed even further by choosing to see the viral headlines of the day, week, month, or year – making it easy to go back and look at the most important moments of recent history.

The app was created by two Montrealers: the founder and president, Nadav Perez, is a McGill grad, and the Chief Marketing Officer is a fellow Concordian who graduated last year.

The Wordlink team will be coming to our campus during the first week of classes in order to promote their app to students.

Wordlink has already received some pretty impressive accolades – they were chosen as the winners of the Cossette Agency Lab’s startup competition for new businesses. Cossette is a Canadian digital marketing agency, and their lab aims to help startups find their footing, and allows them to benefit from a mentorship program at the Agency.

You can check out the Wordlink interface at wordlink.com or download it from the App Store. It’s a free download, so it doesn’t seem like there’s anything to lose by trying it out!

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

Campus // Life

Your guide to tasty treats near campus

Let Totem Tea and Spice spice up your life with healthy and hearty treats in a local tearoom

Photo by Sara Baron-Goodman

Just a short walk away from the Loyola Campus, Totem Tea and Spice is an inviting and scrumptious lunch spot.

With a selection of over 65 loose-leaf teas, all of which are completely organic, there’s a hot cuppa to suit just about anybody’s palate. Of course, if you prefer your tea served on the rocks or as a latte, that can also be done.

Lunch offerings and desserts change daily, all of which are prepared with in-

gredients from local Canadian suppliers.

When the weather starts to turn cold, Totem’s hearty soups are the perfect way to warm up (accompanied by tea and a scone, of course).

Until then, you can’t go wrong with their burritos, salads, or sinfully sweet desserts.

With its eclectic décor and no shortage of delicious snacks, Totem is the perfect spot to unwind, study, or just to chat.

Like it’s written on their blackboard on the wall, “love and scandal are the best sweeteners of tea.”

Totem Tea and Spice is open Monday to Saturday from 10:30am to 5pm. 51 Westminster Ave. North.

-By Sara Baron-Goodman

Mom-and-pop shop serves up authentic tacos worth taco-ing about at Tacos Students searching for authentic and affordable Mexican food near campus rejoice; Tacos is here.

Serving up a small homemade menu packed full of fresh ingredients is husband and wife Roberto and Karla Ocampo, owners and chefs of Tacos, a nook-in-the-wall restaurant on Westminster Ave. North, located five minutes from Loyola on foot.

“In Mexico, you don’t go to school to learn how to cook. It’s just something you know since you’re small,” said Mexican-born

Karla.

The skills she’s honed since she was a little bambina show. Get one softshell taco with cilantro, melt-in-your-mouth marinated meat and guacamole for $3, or three for $8.

Vegetarian options are available too. Bring some change with you because it’s cash only.

The duo has been in the restaurant industry most of their lives, but decided to open a small taco shop this past February.

The marinated pork and fresh sausage tacos are the top sellers, but students should sample the entire menu before declaring their favourite.

“We keep a small menu because we want to keep things fresh,” said Karla, so it won’t take you long to sample the works.

For their fresh, tasty, and affordable menu Tacos receives five stars.

Open 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily.

-By Michelle Gamage

Photo by Michelle Gamage

Homemade Italian fare like your nonna makes it at Trattoria Micco

Photo by Sara Baron-Goodman

Trattoria Micco’s is the cozy, mom-and-pop shop that provides the answer to your cravings for traditional Italian comfort food.

Their menu is classic Italian fare—all their pastas and sauces are homemade and prepared daily. The meat lasagna is especially mouth-watering for the carnivores out there (the vegetarian counterpart is just as good too, not to fret). Other menu items in-

clude empanadas, pizzas, sandwiches, and baked goods (try the brownie!).

Their specialty coffees will be sure to put a kick in your step—as we all know, Italians take their espresso seriously.

Everything on the menu is available to eat in or take out, but if you do choose to eat in, beware of the onslaught of high school kids from Royal West Academy who usually

show up around 12:30 p.m. and take over the place.

Trattoria Micco’s is open Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. (perfect to grab an espresso before your early morning class) and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. 48 Westminster Ave. North, Côte-Saint-Luc. -By Sara Baron-Goodman

Café Myriade serves up a myriad of quality espresso drinks and soothing musical jams Just next to Concordia’s downtown campus on Mackay Street is one little gem of a coffee place. Café Myriade is a small and relaxed café very much appreciated by Concordia’s students and the neighbourhood at large.

Cafe Myriade offers to its clientele an excellent selection of coffees, including an always-changing coffee and espresso of the day, and a small selection of food available for take-out.

A mix of old-school hits, indie music and

hip-hop gives Café Myriade the laid back ambiance that we all love in a coffee place.

Also, for those few cherished months without snow, the place has its own terrace pretty convenient for the average sun-loving student typing up a last minute assignment.

One odd thing about the café is that it does not have its own Wi-Fi; instead, people will have to try and connect with the weak signal coming from the university. Still, the smiling employees, the cool-looking prizes decorating

the place and the delicious lattes will convince most people coming to Café Myriade to return for another cup.

In this district filled with generic syrupfilled-coffee producing places, it is nice to have a café where you can get a quality allongé.

Café Myriade is open Monday to Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on weekends from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 1432 Mackay Street.

Photo by Frédéric T. Muckle

-By Frédéric T. Muckle

Burritoville brings it with veggie-friendly mexican grub

Photo by Steph Ullman

The downtown core is not known for its wide selection of freshly-prepared, fast meals that can easily be purchased on the go between classes. Amidst a sea of grease, sodium, and broken dreams, Burritoville is an oasis for those who love real food.

This homey joint offers its patrons muchloved comfort food like burritos, quesadillas, and tacos —all of which are made almost exclusively with locally-sourced or-

ganic ingredients, totally homemade, and sure to satiate a hungry student’s shameless appetite. Completely vegetarian and very vegan-friendly, you can make any of the above-mentioned options into a trio for less than 15 bucks—just over 10 if you’re feeling like a combo.

Expect a rainbow of beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, and sweet potatoes, bundled inside whichever mexican wrap is your fa-

vourite. In the evenings, Burritoville lends the floor to a host of different shows and exposés that unfold in the restaurant’s dining room, from poetry readings to live music shows and more, giving your mealtime some additional local zest.

Burritoville is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. 2055 Bishop.

-By Steph Ullman

Café X will exceed your expectations with Earl Grey cake and $1 coffee, enough said Café X is one of the SGW campus’ best kept secrets, beloved for the $1 coffee (when you bring your own mug) and earl grey cake.

This student-run, non-profit business is devoted to providing friendly service and delicious food at a good price.

The Café can be found on the SGW campus, one in the Visual Arts building (VA-229), the other in the EV building (EV 7.750).

The Visual Arts location features a small serving counter and a large sitting area. The

cozy lounge boasts comfortable seating and lots of natural light—ideal for getting some work done or relaxing with friends—not to mention there is also an art gallery next door where you can take in the latest exhibit.

The EV location is a little out of the way and is better suited as a take-out counter than a café. The Café is usually filled with a steady stream of regulars who make this homey spot their own.

In addition to coffee, Café X offers an ever-changing variety of baked goods and

hot plates. Over 14 local businesses and Concordia students cater for the café, giving it a selection you won’t soon bore of.

All items on sale are vegetarian, with many vegan and gluten free options as well.

Visit Café X at EV 7.750 or VA-229. Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 8:45am to 8:00pm, Friday 8:45am to 5:00pm (EV) ; Monday 8:45am-7pm/Friday 8:45am-4pm (VA).

-By Robin Stanford

Photo from Flickr

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

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Overview // Life

Bigger isn’t better at Saint-Eustache flea market There is way more trash than treasure to be found at the province’s largest flea market Sara Baron-Goodman Life editor

When the weather outside isn’t yet too frightful, there are little ways more delightful to spend an afternoon than perusing for knick-knacks at a flea market. The best ones offer rows upon rows of vintage jewelry, old postcards, records in their original sleeves, first edition copies of dusty old books, artisan crafts— veritable treasure troves for those of us with hoarder tendencies. While

Montreal is an incredible city in many ways, our flea market game is, as it turns out, slightly lacking.

Scattered around the city and its outskirts are several small flea markets— the St-Michel market on Crémazie Boulevard, which has tons of vintage finds, and the always quaint Finnegan’s Market in Hudson, are two worth mentioning.

Itching for a kitschy pick-me-up of greater proportions, I ventured out to the SaintEustache flea market last Saturday. With a drive-in theatre in the parking lot and indoor and outdoor pavilions, the Saint-Eustache flea market boasts being the biggest one of its kind in Quebec.

The first few rows of stalls, set up along

the perimeter of the sprawling pavement lot, carried items that could best be described as dollar-store-gone-wrong. The smell of cheap plastic was overpowering as I made my way between the tables piled high with neon underwear (featuring a classy motif of sperm swimming in the crotch area), glittery keychains, and cheap sunglasses. At this end, the market was basically an outdoor bargain store, with stalls selling everything from plastic-wrapped mattresses to holographic posters where from one angle you see a tiger, and from the other, a pornographic print.

Moving in to the centre, the selection became more palatable, with several tables featuring consignment items like colourful bobbles and summery frocks.

Even further into the maze of do-dads and thingymijigs were the real treasures— leather albums filled with rare stamp and coin collections, beautiful antique cameras dating as far back as the 1890s, and some pretty china tea cups.

There were some great home furnishing pieces, such as handcrafted wooden cutting boards and bowls that were seductively smooth Treasure or Trash? Photos by Sara Baron-Goodman to the touch, and some an-

tique end tables and chests for fairly reasonable prices.

The indoor component was essentially a larger scale repeat of the tacky underwear and random gadgets found at the beginning of the market. Lingerie sets (that resembled Halloween costumes more than the Victoria’s Secret variety) hung suspended from the ceilings over bins full of T-shirts and thongs. Alongside these stalls were several open-concept tattoo parlours, a hair salon that exclusively did shaved head designs, a pet supplies store, and a cruddy-looking diner.

Other food options were classic greasyspoon kiosks located around the lot, serving all your classic fare plus draft beer for $4.

Back outside towards the exit, grocers set up their own stalls selling seasonal fruits and veggies. The produce looked fresh, though it wasn’t farmers’ market quality— rather it seemed to be overstock from the grocery store (as evidenced by the stickers on the fruit).

If you’re in the market for home decor items, the Saint-Eustache flea market is definitely worth a scope-out. However, finding these gems will take quite a bit of digging.

You can get to the Saint-Eustache flea market by taking bus number 8 towards SaintEustache from Montmorency metro station.

Connect to bus number 91, which leads directly into the flea’s parking lot. The address of the flea market is 455, Avenue Mathers.

Preview // Life

Stuff your face to see summer off at YUL-EAT The gourmand event of the season is rolling into town Robin Stanford Contributor

N

ot quite ready for the summer to end? Looking for one last weekend of Montreal’s iconic festival scene?

This weekend, Sept. 5 and 6, YUL-EAT aims to finish the summer with a bang.

La Société culturelle Les Survenants in conjunction with L’Association des Restaurateurs de Rue du Quebec are staging the culinary finale of the summer. The event will take place at l’Esplanade Financière Sun Life, directly outside of Pie-IX metro station.

The event was created to increase awareness of the amount of food continuously wasted in Quebec and to reduce it. Organizers hope that innovations grounded within our unique Quebecois culture and culinary resources may be the solution.

Throughout the weekend, a variety of events will be offered. Competitions will be held between top-tier Quebecois chefs, special culinary products from Quebec will be presented, and a large cookbook sale and signing will be held. All these events will be open to the public, with no entrance fee.

The festivities will begin with the usual First Fridays assembling of Montreal food trucks at 4 p.m., and will continue into the wee hours with an opening night party. Saturday’s program kicks off with an epicurean book fair before brunch at 11 a.m., followed by a chefs “olympics” and culminating in a garden party starting at 7:30 p.m.

With a focus on Quebecois food culture,

it may be unsurprising that all events will be held exclusively for a francophone audience. Although a potential hindrance for those who do not understand French, there are many activities geared to a larger audience.

Free concerts will be taking place all weekend as part of the festival as well as an assembly of all the food trucks in Montreal.

Although the food trucks are no stranger to the Esplanade, this event is special due to it being one of the last of the summer.

Whenever the food trucks come together, a

party atmosphere quickly follows.

With the addition of live music, the event will surely take on the unique Montreal flavour that we’ve come to expect from our summertime festivals.

Whether interested in the latest gourmand innovation, trying new foods or just getting out one last time before hitting the books, YULEAT promises to be the place to be.

For more information visit (French only) cuisinederue.org

Food revlers line up for thier turn to taste the food turck’s treats at yul-eat in early june. Photos by Nathalie Laflamme.

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Tuesday, September 2, 2014

arts

Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com

Theatre // arts

From screen to stage: Don’t miss The Graduate Director Andrew Shaver brings the iconic movie to the stage at the Segal Centre until Sept. 21 Laurent Pitre Contributor

T

he Segal Centre is kicking off this new season with The Graduate.

The play is an adaptation by Terry Johnson based on the novel by Charles Webb and the iconic motion picture screenplay by Calder Williams and Buck Henry. As you may know, it is the story of Benjamin Braddock, a young men that, after graduation, finds himself in the middle of what will end up to be one of the most defining moment of his beginning adult life.

This said precarious and very significative moment involves being entangled in a dangerous love triangle and being torn between the mother and daughter of his father’s business partner. Seduced by the magnetism of experience, but mesmerized by a hopeful future, Benjamin is caught in a tidal wave of events that will shape the course of his life.

The play is dropping the audience directly into the universe of the 1960s. In this era of social, political and cultural transformation, the young brave Baby Boomers

seek to break from the old monotony and the plastic facade of happiness the post-war Silent Generation. With its kitschy-looking carpeted floors, to glamorous jungle-like dresses and overall ambiance, The Graduate evokes this liberated generation. It also portrays an earlier world surfing on beautiful revolutions and personal discoveries and successfully relate to our today’s time and problems.

A stellar cast and crew are included in the play, notably Stratford’s young leading man Luke Humphrey as Benjamin and Shaw Festival’s favourite Brigitte Robinson as Mrs. Robinson. Also, an original score of live music composed by Matthew Barber and Justin Rutledge and inspired by Simon and Garfunkel’s soundtrack of the famous motion picture will surely charm the audience. Finally, under Andrew Shaver’s direction also gives to the play a promising value.

The Graduate will be presented from August 31 to September 21 at the Segal Center for Performing Arts. Also, for you theatre lovers out there, August 31 at 11 a.m., the Segal will be hosting Sunday-@-The Segal: Talkin’ ‘bout my generation The Graduate, with guests Andrew Shaver, Justin Rutledge

and Matthew Barber. Check out Class Act Theatre Club, September 3 at 7:00 p.m. for a pre-show conversation with Andrew Shaver,

and Monday Night Talkbacks, September 8 and 15 after the 7 p.m. performances, with several members of the cast.

Brigitte Robinson plays opposite Luke Humphrey as Mrs. Robinson and Benjamin.

Photography // arts

World Press Photo exhibit provides a window on the world

The annual event features photos from all around the world Frédéric T. Muckle Arts editor

In today’s world, everyone can and is taking pictures of pretty anything. From selfies to pictures of what we are eating, photography is now anchored in the way we live. This overuse of photography changed the way we approach the once almost sacred act of taking a picture. Nowadays, it is merely a way of sharing something with someone as easily as possible. Even if it can be seen as a great technological and social change in the way we interact with each other’s, this democratization of photography also brought a certain level of mundanity and sometimes straight insignificance to photography. Luckily for this honorable art, people all around the world are still practicing photography as it was first intended: to show people the reality of others.

In this vein, the World Press Photo exhibition that is held in Montreal until September 28 is a perfect place to see an array of talented photographers’ works. The World Press Photo nonprofit organization assembled a team of 19 judges this year to choose among a tremendous of pictures from all around the world sent to them for the contest. The col-

lection presented at the Marché Bonsecours, a beautiful building situated in the Old Port, gives to the viewers a chance of encountering countless life stories in one room. From the horrors of the Syrian civil war, to the profoundly touching tale of a Olympic athlete’s fight with cancer, and beautifully captured moments showing the fragility of Mother Nature, World Press Photo has something for everyone. It is true that some people may be disturbed by some of the pictures showed in the exhibit. For example, a selection of photos about an Iraq’s American veteran that lost most of its facial structure in an explosion may be a little frightening for some people.

It is also true those said pictures are usually chosen and then shown for their significances and the reflexion that they will force unto the public. As in this previous example, in which the very badly scared war veteran is now helping people that need help coping with such disabilities and is also living a double life as a comedy club well-known figure.

It is possible to judge the quality and the importance of the World Press Photo exhibition by the said effect that it has on the people looking at those pictures. Most of us will, at some point, get desensibilized to the gruesome and depressing events happening all around the world shown on television or on the Internet. However, when set in front of a stunning giant picture of a family’s everyday life in a poverty-stricken society, we are bound to be moved in some way. This little je ne sais quoi that emanates from those pictures may

gives you the chill, makes you smile or simply make you wonder. In all cases, the World Press Photo exhibition will not let you indif-

ferent.

World Press Photo takes place August 27 to September 28 at Marché Bonsecours.

Nineteen judges are responsible for selecting the best photos from the hundreds of submissions.

Photo By Frédéric T. Muckle

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

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Comedy // arts

Enjoy an insanely unpredictable comedy night Grinders Comedy Lab’s Tuesday open-mic nights are a slice of comedic genius Frédéric T. Muckle Arts editor

I

t was a humid and hot Tuesday night, in a freshly renovated theater on Sainte-Catherine St. In an old-looking building, decorated with a welcoming horse head’s sculpture, a grandmother’s lamp and a few giant portraits of blues legends, a gang of somewhat eccentric personas are conversing and obviously happy to be reunited. It is because they are all here for the beginning of Grinders Comedy Lab’s second season.

For most of you that are not familiar with Grinders Comedy Lab, it is important to clear up something: it has nothing to do with the men’s location-based meeting application that some of you may know.

Grinders is actually an open-mic night where comedians and artists of all types and occupations are invited to perform in front of an audience.

It takes its name from a comedic webseries, simply called Grinders, involving regular participants of the Comedy lab such as both hosts Alain Mercieca and Stefen Petersen.

It is not only a place to go for a enjoyable Tuesday night, but it’s also a chance for those eager to perform on stage to shine.

So for those who would like to show off their latest homemade choreography, an awesome harmonica solo or simply try-out as a comic, Grinders Comedy Lab is a place where you will be enthusiastically welcomed.

Still, even if the night is open for every kind of artist, those open-mic eve-

nings are mainly occupied by comedy.

During the evening, the array of comedians on stage gave the audience reasons to laugh about pretty much everything; from Amish television shows to wearing someone else’s underwear and the simple act of loving mayonnaise.

A strong sense of community is in the core and fabric of the Grinders Comedy Lab. Involving Mercieca, Petersen, the newly appointed host Jacob Greco and a lot of other performers, the Lab tries to bring a more Americanized version of the open-mic night.

This is done by inviting comedians to try new things every night instead of simply putting the same performance they have been working on for a long time.

It also gives some sense of randomness to this kind of evening since both the audience and the performers will not know what will happen next.

This is what an open-mic is really supposed to be about. Comedians need a stage and a public to really try out their work. As suggested by the actual name of the weekly event, a comedy club like the Grinders Comedy Lab is a place in which comedy is created.

It’s true that sometimes creation means trying and failing. It also means that by attending those evenings, the audience is passively participating to this creation process. And in some rare instance, it also means that together, it is possible to craft wonderful moments of hilarity that can only be achieved in a confined, unpretentious and peculiar environment such as The Grinders Comedy Lab. The Grinders Comedy Club holds open-mic nights every Tuesday at 8:30p.m. in the Sainte-Catherine Theater.

Grinders Comedy Lab provides for a hilarious and fresh comedy experience. Photos By Danny Belair

Film Review // arts

The Hundred-Foot Journey blends food and family The film, starring Dame Hilen Mirren and co-produced by Steven Spielberg, is in theatres now Pauline Nesbitt Contributor

T

his film is not a travel journal nor is it another film about cooking. It is a romantic comedy about the importance of family life.

It is also about the exquisite pleasure of enjoying and sharing the joy that good food can produce in any single person.

Since eating is one of those little things that we all have to do, it is safe to say that a good meal could be described as a universal pleasure.

The Hundred-Foot Journey starts in Mumbai, where we meet a family that has operated restaurants serving native food for several generations. Tragedy strikes, and the family decides to relocate.

Their next stop is London, England where they open a new restaurant, but ultimately they find themselves in a third location in a village in the south of France. There they open Maison Mumbai, which offers Indian cuisine.

Not only is this move innovative, it

is also extremely bold given that its location is a mere one hundred feet from Le Saule Pleureur. You can imagine how having a five-star restaurant that has served classic French food for generations as a neighbour can be a little annoying for a new, exotic and little known restaurant.

Naturally, the two restaurant owners lock horns, but ultimately they learn that both establishments, like their different cultures, can co-exist in peaceful harmony.

One similarity between the Maison Mumbai and Le Saule Pleureur is that both restaurants consider their staff as family, regardless of whether they share the same blood or not.

Both experience the ups and downs of running their respective restaurants together, as a group. The beautiful yet quaint geography of each location is skillfully captured in a way that evokes nostalgia to those familiar with them.

Directed by Lasse Hallström, who also brought us another excellent film focused on food, Chocolat. Produced by Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg, this film will, at the very least, make you leave the theatre smiling.

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Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Anecdotes // arts

Our staff share their best summer moments Looking back, many had great moments involving art, in the city and elsewhere

A stroll in the gardens Laura Marchand Opinions editor

This summer, I was one of the thousands who went to see the natural sculptures in the Botanical Gardens. Originally, my friend and I had planned to visit La Ronde, but it was closed for the day. On a whim, we headed north to the Botanical Gardens. It was still early in the day: the sky was clear, the air was cool, and we had the gardens to ourselves. After strolling through the Chinese and Japanese Gardens, we sat down under the cherry blossom trees to enjoy a shared bento lunch I had made (my first attempt).

We ended up staying for hours, strolling around and looking at the sculptures. The artistry it takes to carve and build something is impressive enough; making it out of nature is simply incredible. At the time, many of them were not complete – but watching them grow, step by step, was its own joy.

Flamme Eternelle

Elsbeth Cossar Contributor

What could be better than seeing your favorite band in concert? The thrill of knowing all of their songs, getting the chills when they point to you in a crowd of people… This summer, after my best friend and I heard that our favorite band, The Vocal Few, was doing a living room tour across Canada, we sent them an email desperately hoping that we could be chosen as a venue. Guess what, they said yes.

Immediately we cleaned out the barn and turned it into the ideal indie music concert hall simultaneously selling tickets, and advertising to our friends. Finally the day came and the band pulled into the driveway. We casually ate burgers with the band members and their kids, you know, no big deal.

Then, we sat in the front row and experienced all the thrills and chills you can imagine bantering with the band between songs. What an experience it was to feel the fan girl come pouring out of me in whoops and laughter. I’ve been to concerts that packed the Metropolis and overwhelmed Echo Beach, but being right in the middle of that rough barn, cheers bouncing off the rafters, and face to face with my favourite voice; was certainly the best concert of my life.

ous “Distant World,” was a full-featured orchestral presentation, visiting fan favorites composed by Nobuo Uematsu. For “A New World”, Roth instead chose to strip down the sound to its basics, to the style of chamber music.

While the smaller selection of players may seem like it would be detrimental to the roaring complexity of Uematsu’s originals, the concert turned out to be anything but. Each section had its moments, and the finale even had Roth himself play rather than conduct.

No era was spared, from the 25-year-old

originals all the way to a modern rendition of “King Mog,” from Final Fantasy XIV, Roth conducted tear-jerking nostalgia in a way that no CD could ever convey. On top of it all, a solo piano rendition of Final Fantasy XI’s “Gustaberg,” provided haunting memories of the countless hours spent mingling with other players in its endless deserts to this editor.

A New World will be touring the world in the coming months, coming once more to Canada in December, and if you’re a fan of Chamber music or Final Fantasy, this is a performance that you don’t want to miss!

Being Fringe

Sara Baron-Goodman Life editor

While I was studying abroad in Paris this past semester, I had the opportunity to totally saturate myself in art–from the great classics (oh hey Mona Lisa) to some very interesting new wave exhibits. I’m usually not much of a contemporary art fan, but there was one exhibit at Paris’ Palais de Tokyo that left quite an impression.

The Palais de Tokyo is not quite a museum, but rather a sort of modern and contemporary art house / gallery space / nightclub (in the basement) that’s known to showcase some pretty avant-garde and thought provoking exhibits. The one in particular that I’m referring to was entitled “Flamme Eternelle”, by Swiss artist Thomas Hirschhorn.

The gallery space was completely transformed into a sprawling junkyard: tires piled high became makeshift walls, an interactive Styrofoam sculpture station blew bits of white fluff everywhere, banners and paper with witty, cynical slogans littered the floor. In the center was the “flamme eternelle,” a sort of fire pit surrounded by plastic lawn chairs that invited guests to come and sit and ponder a while.

The whole exhibit was completely interactive, and all the arts and crafts encouraged passersthrough to leave their mark. Other corners of the junkyard maze revealed poetry readings by philosophers and writers, dilapidated TVscreens showing postmodern films, and at one end, a café-bar where you could buy snacks at very reasonable prices (by Parisian standards at least).

The feeling of the space was very postapocalyptic, and seemed to be a critique on all the crap that we leave behind and waste, and how “trash” really can be turned into art if you look at it a different way.

“Best concert of my life”

Laurent Pitre Contributor

For me, this summer was the summer of the Fringe! As a theatre student, I live for risk-taking, new, gritty, innovative and revolutionary theatre experiences. When and where can one person in our beautiful bilingual city get that?

Every year in June, at the Montreal SaintAmbroise Fringe Festival. With my new play, This is not a play, I hit the ground running, engaged audiences of all walks of life, met a myriad of amazing artists, and was lucky enough to be a part of this awesome performance arts festival.

As one of the most exotic festivals of the summer, Fringe is an excellent platform for arts students to acquire professional experience and experiment, develop and create new works. Furthermore, it is a great opportunity to see some groundbreaking performances and be part of a wonderfully eclectic community.

What should you do next summer? Go and be as Fringe as possible!

Cosplay at Otakuthon is not only encouraged, it’s standard procedure. Photo from FLICKR.

An emotionl journey through Final Fantasy Jocelyn Beaudet Online editor

At this year’s Otakuthon, the organizers brought in conductor Arnie Roth to perform “A New World: intimate music from Final Fantasy,” in front of a live audience.

Roth’s previous performance of the previ-

Living sculptures at the Montreal Botanical Gardens. Photo from Flickr.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

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Come meet us in person and share your ideas at one of our weekly story meetings held every Sunday at 3 p.m. in our office (room CC-431) at Loyola Campus.

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music 12

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Tuesday, september 2, 2014

Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com

Profile // musiC

Dan Boeckner Starts Fresh with Operators

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The pioneer of indie rock has teamed up with talented musicians to release an electro-pop album Mia Pearson Music editor

“Don’t be a dick,” Dan Boeckner was told by his father before embarking on his first tour. This advice has cemented itself in Boeckner’s mind throughout his musical career. Propelled by luck, hard work, and pure talent, the songwriter has made a life of producing innovative music with bands like Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs, Divine Fits, and now with his latest electro-pop band, Operators.

Operators began as a quasi-secret band their debut EP, entitled EP1, wasn’t released directly to the internet. Boeckner explains

how this technique “avoids [the album] being shuffled into the colossal library data pile of the internet - at least at the beginning.”

So Operators’ music was exclusive to those who attended live shows instead of having their audience’s first listen stream out from a pair of headphones. He explains that he has “always assumed that seeing something in a live setting is the one thing that music has left. It’s real. You can’t download it, you can’t trade it with somebody, you can’t stream thirty seconds of it and get distracted. You go to the show and you experience, hopefully, some emotional communion with the band. You walk away from that feeling good.”

Now having finally uploaded to the vir-

When you first write a song, and you rehearse it enough that you can make it all the way through without making a mistake, but you’re kind of hanging on by the skin of your teeth - that’s the best time to record something.

- Dan Boeckner

Dan Boeckner will be wowing the crowd at Metropolis on September 2. Photo by Kelly Castro

tual music world, EP1’s poppy songs have got music lovers dancing. Operators marries Boeckner’s songwriting prowess obtained from years of writing songs, as well as his familiarity of synths and electronics. In other words, the music is tight. It draws from the catchy choruses of Divine Fits and the upbeat electro-pop of Handsome Furs, then delivers darkness and intensity, while also being infectiously danceable. The first track on the album, called “True”, is pure dance-pop and extremely rhythmic: the result of combining electronic beats with live drums.

There’s an addictive liveliness to the music that’s better understood with a description of the band’s recording process.

When Montreal’s ruthless winter rolled around, Boeckner, synth specialist Devojka, and Divine Fits drummer Sam Brown saddled down in Montreal’s Hotel2Tango to record EP1. The songwriter cites urgency as being integral to a good recording.

“When you first write a song, and you rehearse it enough that you can make it all the way through without making a mistake, but you’re kind of hanging on by the skin of your teeth - that’s the best time to record something,” he says. “There’s this unquantifiable energy behind it that translates into recorded material.”

That unquantifiable energy is perhaps what has fans following Boeckner from band to band. The musician also identifies luck and hard work as primal movers of his success. Growing up in a small town in B.C., the young musician boarded

a Greyhound bus to Montreal, his mind in a psychic fog, after living through the personal tragedy of the death of his mother. Boeckner built connections with rising bands in the ‘00s, including Isaac Brock from Modest Mouse.

Wolf Parade blossomed in the Montreal music scene with the opening of concert venues like La Sala Rossa and Casa del Popolo, where Wolf Parade was given a shot at playing without any audition. The songwriter describes how essential the opening of these venues was to the development of the Montreal music scene.

“If it wasn’t for those people setting up those venues, there’d definitely be no Arcade Fire or Wolf Parade,” Boeckner says. “By proxy, I don’t think there’d be bands like Grimes, Doldrums, and Magical Clouds. [These venues] really sowed the seeds, [making Montreal] a great place to be young, play music, and get reasonably compensated for it.” He describes Montreal as a city that’s “beating creativity” through new bands putting out great music and holding up the legacy established by bands a decade ago.

Operators is the result of this fruitful music scene. Their music is more cheerful than anything Boeckner’s done with other bands, which is the product of a creative period in the songwriter’s life. The band is free to create without any constraints and “can set up a bunch of old synthesizers and track machines and just wail away live,” Boeckner says.

The musician has taken his father’s advice to heart - he’s definitely not a dick. More than that, the combination of luck, hard work, and pure talent, continue to pay off.

“I’m walking around in Los Angeles right now, it’s a beautiful day, and I’m going out for dinner with my friends here… I never would have imagined that I’d be walking down this street in L.A doing an interview about songs that I wrote.”

Operators play Metropolis Sept. 2.

Tuesday, september 2, 2014

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Mixtape // music

Fall Mixtape Side A: “The Past is Fading”

Side B: “The Future is Waiting”

1. “Stay Gold” - First Aid Kit - Stay Gold

11. “505” - Arctic Monkeys - Favourite Worst Nightmare

2. “O Please Bring Her Back” - Panda Bear - Panda Bear 3. “Love Life” - Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost

12. “Storm” - Django Django - Django Django 13. “Jesus Christ” - Brand New - The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me

4. “Marry Me” - St. Vincent - Marry Me 5. “Never Wanna Know” - Mø - No Mythologies To Follow 6. “To a Poet” - First Aid Kit - The Lion’s Roar

Compiled by Nora Smolonsky Contibutor

7. “I Do Sing For You” - Majical Cloudz Impersonator

The world turns, the clock ticks, and the summer makes way for the fall. The season’s hasty departure takes you by force; suddenly you must say goodbye to the blissful freedom that only seems to exist on those warm nights between May and August. It is seemingly impossible to let go of the simple pleasure of the hot sun on your skin. But it is harder, perhaps, to let go of your perceived summer-self. But autumn will come - whether you are ready or not - bringing with it crisp air and unread pages of used textbooks. There is something indefinable in the autumn air, but it tinges with a familiar promise of change. As Lauryn Hill so wisely lays it down for us, “Everything is everything, what is meant to be, will be, after winter, must come spring, change, it comes eventually.”

8. “Eclipse/Blue ft Kazu Makino” - Nosaj Thing - Home 9. “Banshee Beat” - Animal Collective Feels

14. “Everything Is Everything” - Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 15. “The Sound Of Someone You Love Who’s Going Away And It Doesn’t Matter” - Penguin Café Orchestra - Music From The Penguin Cafe 16.”With A Heavy Heart (I Regret To Inform You)” - Does It Offend You, Yeah? - You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into...

17. “Hi.” - J Dilla - Donuts 18. “Isis” - Bob Dylan - Desire

10. “It’s Never Over (Oh Orpheus)” - Arcade Fire - Reflektor

19. “Ramble On” - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II 20. “Werewolf” - Cocorosie - The Adventures of Ghosthorse and Stillborn

Plug in, tune out, and let these songs play while you say hello, never goodbye.

Quick Spins // music

Quick Spins

Spoon - They Want my Soul (year and company)

Kimbra - The Golden Echo (Warner Bros; 2014)

Cold Specks - Neuroplasticity (Mute; 2014)

Wiz Khalifa - Blacc Hollywood

Spoon resurfaced with their eighth album, They Want My Soul, after a lengthy hiatus of four years.The album delivers an energetic and high energy jumble of songs. Noteworthy elements include the bluesy piano on track 8, called ‘I Just Don’t Understand,’ and the more gentle rippling keyboard from track 2, ‘Inside Out’. The most unique song on the album,‘Outlier,’ has alien-like, sci-fi undertones and continuously builds as new instruments and riffs are added.

The album as a whole lacks fluency in the transitions from song to song because there is no obvious theme. Nevertheless, their music retains that distinctly Spoon sound, recognizable by the vocals. The old school sound of classic indie rock, which seeps through the album, is refreshing in this age of hand clapping, dubstepping, beat-making hits. The new Spoon is worth a listen, but please, consider starting with the old Spoon.

In an attempt to break away from her status as the woman in the Gotye song, “Somebody That I Used To Know”, Kimbra has released her sophomore album, The Golden Echo. Unlike her debut, Vows, The Golden Echo strays from sultry and jazzy, and finds itself in purely pop territory. Tracks like “Love In High Places” and “As You Are” still attempt to highlight the New Zealand native’s soulful vocals, but unfortunately much of the album relies too heavily on sticky sweet, disco inspired melodies, making the album border on bubbly superficiality. Kimbra’s effort to experiment with different genres shouldn’t go unrecognized: trap beats are used liberally throughout, and r&b influences are felt in the grooves of the record. Ultimately, The Golden Echo falls short, and at times a little flat.

If Kimbra can’t pull through on her next album, she might fall to her self-fulfilling prophecy and become just somebody that we used to know.

Following her 2012 Polaris Music Prize shortlisted debut, I Predict a Graceful Expulsion, the Montreal singer-songwriter has been touring and collaborating with artists like Moby, Swans, and Ambrose Akinmusire. Those two years have been hugely beneficial for Al Spx, as she admitted during an interview with CBC. It is fitting that Cold Specks has chosen to name her sophomore album after the brain’s ability to learn and adapt.

Cold Specks’ genre-bending sound, often described as “Doom Soul” or “Morbid Motown,” may not be immediately accessible, but there is such depth to Spx’s soulful vocals, that the songs could be described as gothic hymns.

Flourished with atonal horn sections and stomping percussion, Neuroplasticity may be dark, claustrophobic and unsettling, but the album has such complexity, that it’s almost a religious experience.

Listening to it every day for the past week, it’s disappointing to realize how fearful Wiz Khalifa was to experiment with anything but his personal formulas for Blacc Hollywood.

Unlike 28 Grams, his preceding mixtape which featured coarse, abrasive production so precisely expressive for the corruption and despotism going on around the world today, Wiz failed to demonstrate such acuity through his sonics this time around.That’s not to say the album was necessarily bad, because as with all formulas, he has his own down to a science. And while the #1 Billboard album, Blacc Hollywood, may deliver energy for the familiar topics of cash, kush and cars, you might want to focus your attention elsewhere if you’re looking for material that is both more lyrically, and aurally, introspective.

Trial track: “Outlier”

Trial track: “As You Are”

Trial Track: “Bodies at Bay” -

6.5/10

- Oneida Crawford

5.5/10

- Jessica Romera

7/10

- Paul Traunero

Trial Track: “We Dem Boyz”

6.5/10

- Matthew Swishman

sports 14

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Tuesday, september 2, 2014

Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com

Preview // sports

Football team ready to begin anew The new-look Stingers can’t wait to kickoff on Saturday Tim lazier Sports editor

No varsity team has gone through as much offseason change as Concordia’s football team.

With new players, a new head coach and a new attitude, the Stingers are ready to put last season behind them.

When the Stingers take to the field on Saturday, Sept. 6, against the Bishop’s Gaiters, Mickey Donovan will start his first regular season game as Concordia’s new head coach. After a disastrous 0-8 record last year, changes were

needed and former head coach Gerry McGrath knew it was his time to step down. After an incredible 14 years as the team’s head coach, McGrath will be watching as one of his former players, Donovan, begins his own coaching career at his alma mater. Donovan, who suited up for the Stingers as an all-Canadian linebacker from 2002-2004, was hired in February.

Immediately, a new energy was brought to the team and front offices that should have Stingers fans excited.

Concordia’s football team should be coming into Saturday’s home opener feeling confident, having already won a game this year.

Although it was only a preseason game, the Stingers won their first game under coach Donovan last week, Aug. 24, when they visited Queen’s University. The Stingers won 25-18 and seems to have already started the season off on the right foot.

Saturday’s game will be the first real test for the squad, and a tough one at that. The Gaiter’s were the surprise team of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) division last year, having gone 6-2 in the regular season and winning their last three games. The Stingers will try and emulate what Bishop’s did last year, and have a bounce-back season of their own. Two seasons ago, Bishop’s went 0-8, yet responded by having one of the most improbable comebacks last season. The Gaiters finished second in the division, only behind Quebec’s strongest football program and eventual Vanier Cup champions, the Laval Rouge et Or. It will be important to start the season off with a victory when you consider their upcoming opponents. On Friday, Sept. 12, the Stingers play Concordia’s favourite cross-town rival, the McGill Redmen. Next on the schedule is another traditionally strong team, the Univer-

sité de Sherbrooke. The Stingers will face-off against Sherbrooke for Concordia’s annual Homecoming game on Sept. 19.

It has been a long offseason for a team that has been waiting patiently for its chance at redemption. Donovan led his team on the field during his playing days. Now, he will try and prove that he can lead them off it as well.

Illustration by Marie-Pier LaRose

Preview // sports

Stingers soccer season has arrived Both the men’s and women’s teams strive for better results Tim lazier Sports editor

W

ith training camp long gone and preseason finally behind them, both of Concordia’s soccer teams are ready to start the regular season. By the end of the week, the men and women varsity teams will have played their first match as university soccer gets underway.

Men’s soccer team preview Head coach Greg Sutton enters his second season at the helm of the Stingers squad with much room to improve. Last season, his

team’s record was 5-7 but ended the season off strong. The Stingers went 3-1 in their last four games and outscored their opponents nine to seven. Unfortunately for Sutton and his squad, the first month of the season was too much to overcome. The Stingers got off to a sluggish start last year as they lost six out of their first eight matches.

This season, the team seems to be much more prepared as they exit the preseason with an undefeated record. In their exhibition matches, the Stingers beat the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) and drew against University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) and Queen’s University.

The men’s team begins their season on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 7, when they take on the McGill Redmen. The Redmen had Concordia’s number last year as the Stingers dropped both games against their archrivals.

Women’s soccer team preview Much like the men’s soccer team, the wom-

Upcoming Stingers Games

Tim Lazier Sports editor

Women’s Soccer

en’s soccer team will be looking for a stronger campaign this season. Last year, the women’s squad ended the season with a disappointing record of 5-9.

Identical to the men’s misfortune, the women’s squad started the year off on the wrong foot as they dropped six of their first eight matches as well. A big factor in their struggles last season was the defense. The team gave up 30 goals over the course of the season, third most is the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) division.

The preseason is a time for final roster decisions and is when a team starts to build chemistry. In the women’s six exhibition games, the Stingers went 3-3 but should be optimistic heading into the season. The women won their last two games of the preseason and recorded clean sheets in each of the games. Seeing how goals against were a problem for the Stingers last year, hopefully Concordia’s strong defensive play continues in the regular season.

At home and ready to go this week, both squads open up their seasons with high hopes, looking to improve from last season. As both teams got out to a disappointing start last season, they hope that this season begins much differently.

Illustration by Marie-Pier LaRose

Football Saturday, Sept. 6, at 1 p.m. Concordia vs. Bishop’s at Loyola

Friday, Sept. 5, at 6:30 p.m. Concordia vs. Bishop’s at Loyola

Men’s Soccer

Sunday, Sept. 7, at 3 p.m. Concordia vs. McGill at Loyola

Sunday, Sept. 7, at 1 p.m. Concordia vs. McGill at Loyola Come watch your Concordia Stingers in action at home! More info at Stingers.ca

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Opinion // sports

Ushering in a new era for golf

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15

Sports in the News

Even withought Tiger, golf fans have reason to get excited once again tim lazier Sports editor

A

s the sun set on the Valhalla Golf Club on Aug. 10 and Rory McIlroy claimed the 2014 PGA Championship, professional golf quietly ushered into a new era. Led by McIlroy, younger players have begun to emerge as poster boys for the sport who can consistently dominate the leaderboard. In doing so, golf can finally flourish in a world without Tiger Woods.

There will never be another Tiger Woods. What he did for the sport is incomparable to any other legendary athlete. Woods took a gentleman’s game and tore it up.

With a ferocious backswing and a relentless need to win, he showed the world how cool golf could be. Now, golf courses are littered with Nike polos and golfers trying to perfect their own Tiger-fistpump. From 1997-2008, when he won the last of his 14 major championships, every time Woods stood on the tee box he expected to win. Woods was a child prodigy that simply lived up to his name. He was a beast; he was a tiger.

Since Woods’ scandalous fall and string of injuries, golf has been waiting for a sav-

“

iour. As this year’s PGA season begins to wrap up, McIlroy has been golf’s hero to turn to. After two dramatic major championship wins this season, Nike’s new icon from Northern Ireland has gotten golf fans excited.

McIlroy, with a total of four major victories, is only the third player to reach that accomplishment by 25 years old. Appro-

rounds and led the field from start to finish.

At Valhalla, after a rain delay and numerous lead changes, McIlroy prevailed once again.

With his charismatic Irish accent and flawless yet aggressive swing, McIlroy’s character has that familiar superstar quality.

Will McIlroy replace Woods? No, but he doesn’t have to. Other young golfers such as Rickie Fowler, Jason Day, and future-star Jordan Spieth are stiffening the competition. All under the age of 26, these players will make golf fun to watch for years to come.

Fowler in particular has become another fan favourite for his flair and skill. Known for his bright Puma apparel and childish physique, Fowler looks like he belongs at a skate park rather than on the golf course. Nevertheless, Fowler has proven himself as he’s finished within the top five in all four majors this year and has played the most consistent golf.

Woods is not gone, and while he may win another major in the future, it will not be the same. It will be a happy reminder of what he once was— a curtain call, if you will. Led by McIlroy, golf turns to a legion of younger players that bring their own individuality to the sport.

But how fitting is it that after a decade of Tiger, golf now has a Ror’.

Woods took a gentleman’s game and tore it up. With a ferocious backswing and a relentless need to win, he showed the world how cool golf could be. priately, the two other players are Arnold Palmer and Woods.

It wasn’t the fact that McIlroy won backto-back major championships this year, but how he won them. In late July, McIlroy won the 2014 British Open Championship.

He shot a remarkable 66 in his first two

tim lazier Sports editor

>> NFL Season ready to kick off

On Thursday, Sept. 4, the reigning Super Bowl champions Seattle Seahawks will host the Green Bay Packers at CenturyLink Field to kick off the NFL season. Only seven teams in NFL history have won back-to-back championships; the last team to do so was the 2004 and 2005 New England Patriots.

Led under head coach Pete Carroll, the core of Seattle’s roster is back and is considered to be this season’s Super Bowl favourite.

With Russel Wilson back behind center in an explosive offense, anything short of another ring would be a disappointment for Seattle fans. One of the biggest off-season stories was star-rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel and whether or not he would be given the starting job in Cleveland. The Cleveland Browns, who have been a dismal franchise for the past two decades, have chosen to start veteran quarterback Brian Hoyer instead.

>> Wildcard spots still up for grabs

With less than a month of the regular season left, the fight to the finish in baseball couldn’t be closer. As of Sunday, in the American League, six teams are in contention to win the final two wildcard spots.

While the Oakland Athletics have a four game cushion, the Detroit Tigers are clinging to the last playoff spot. The Seattle Mariners are a 1/2 game back from the Tigers with a record of 73-62. Right behind them are the Cleveland Indians and the New York Yankees. The Indians are three games behind Detroit, while the Yankess are just 3 1/2 games out. Lastly. the Toronto Blue Jays have a slim chance to make the playoffs as they sit five game behind Detroit. In the National League, the San Francisco Giants hold the first wildcard position with a 74-62 record. A game behind them, the Milwaukee Brewers and the St. Louis Cardinals are tied for the final wildcard spot.

>> Als finally find a win

Illustration by Marie-Pier LaRose

It took nine games but the Montreal Alouettes finally found their second win of the season to improve their record to 2-7. The Als hosted the Ottawa Redblacks on Friday night at the McGill Stadium and managed to pull out a 20-10 victory. Als quarterback Jonathan Crompton went 15 for 25 in the passing game while throwing for 245 yards and an interception. The best player on the field was Als receiver Duron Carter who hauled in five catches that accumulated for 127 yards. It has been a crushing season for the Als and their fans as they try to cope in a post-Calvillo era. Despite their record, the Als remain in the mix for top spot in the East Division. As of Sunday, East teams have a combined record of 7-20.

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Tuesday, september 2, 2014

T15-21471-PRES-Welcome-Back-Concordian-Sept2-Ad

1/2 page - 10” x 7”

Sept 2, 2014

WELCOME OR IF YOU’RE A RETURNING STUDENT, WELCOME BACK! I hope you had a great summer!

You are part of a large, innovative community that is here to support you. Make the most of it!

It would be a pleasure to see you at the Shuffle 25, where the Concordia community raises funds for bursaries.

In September, I’ll be hosting a community breakfast at the Sir George Williams Campus and light lunch at the Loyola Campus. I would love to say hello in person.

Best wishes for a fantastic year.

Alan Shepard alan.shepard@concordia.ca

CO N CO R D I A .C A

opinions

Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

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Write to the editor: opinions@theconcordian.com

Editorial // opinions

Sometimes, picking a side can make things worse Why the CSU shouldn’t have taken a stance on actions taken by Israel in Gaza

I

n today’s world, everyone has an opinion on social issues, whether they’re taking place here in the city or halfway around the world.

For the past few years, not many issues have garnered as much attention, and debate, as the Gaza conflict. Although Canada is not geographically close to Gaza, cultural ties have made the issue relevant for many Montrealers.

In a school as culturally diverse as Concordia, with large quantities of both Jewish and Muslim students, it is understandable that students would simply agree to disagree on the subject.

And yet, the Concordia Student Union (CSU) which represents Concordia’s 46,000 undergraduate students, and the school’s many cultural groups and clubs, has voted on whether or not they agree with the acts taken up by Israel towards Palestine.

At a CSU special council meeting which took place on July 23, the CSU agreed that they were, “against the disproportionate use of force, the use of chemical weapons, the illegal settlements in Palestine and the blockade on Gaza all caused by the state of Israel.”

Based on the wording used by the CSU,

they probably did not mean to come out as sounding pro-Palestine. They simply stated that they disagreed with many of the things the state of Israel was doing.

Still, their motion will inevitably cause members of the student body they represent to be alienated.

This is an opinion that many Concordia students, and many organizations, may not share.

There is therefore a definite discrepancy between what the CSU has stated, and what many students may believe.

This should not be the case.

We understand that, by taking this

stance, the CSU had good intentions. Of course, peace should always be endorsed.

But this is not the same. It would be unethical for the CSU to openly endorse a political party, so what makes this any different?

Many may be offended, and, at the end of the day, what will have been accomplished? The CSU cannot possibly have an effect on an issue of this importance.

The CSU should consider spending their time in council discussing matters directly pertaining to Concordia students, like their many ongoing projects.

Social media // opinions

Internet activism needs a cold splash of water Why the ice bucket challenge isn’t all sunshine and rainbows LAURA MARCHAND Opinions editor

U

nless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of months, you’ve probably seen the Ice Bucket Challenge. The basics are simple: you dump a bucket of ice cold water on your head, and challenge others to do so.

They then have 24 hours to do the same, or, they donate to the ALS Association. It seems like the perfect win-win: either you raise awareness for the cause, or donate to it. What could possibly go wrong?

A lot, apparently. The ALS ice bucket challenge has its fair share of critics – and, well, they aren’t all wrong. Let’s start with the obvious: armchair activism.

Also known as “slacktivism”, it’s the idea of being an “activist” without actually doing anything. The internet has only made slacktivism worse: people pat themselves on the back for using a hashtag, but in the grand scheme of the problem, they haven’t helped at all.

At least in this case, there are people donating. And yes, this challenge is making more people aware of ALS. The problem is the people on my news feed dumping water over their head without a single mention of ALS or the ALS Association – or, even worse, trying to “fight ASL”, which I don’t think the American Sign Language really appreciates, but thank you.

Besides, the idea of people “promoting awareness” is a vague and danger-

ous one. Look at breast cancer awareness campaigns, for example.

Who isn’t aware of breast cancer?

What exactly is the point in promoting it? What are you helping by wearing a little pink ribbon on your shirt? Likewise, what are you really doing by dumping a bucket of water over your head?

Of course, the slacktivism isn’t the only problem: many have been critical of the challenge for only donating to a single charity, for promoting the waste of water (especially in a drought-riddled California), and at least one person has died following the challenge, according to The New Zealand Herald.

Doctor Stephen Wealthall, speaking to the Herald, explained that “[the challenge] invoked the airway protective reflex which closed the larynx, slowing the heart rate and causing a person to stop breathing”.

If someone already has problems with certain arteries, the dunk and subsequent shortness of breath could trigger cardiac arrest, Wheathall explained.

However, the chance of any

adverse effects are quite small. Meanwhile, the benefits for the ALS Association have been quite large: ALS Canada has raised over $11 million CAD, and the American ALS Association has officially raised over $100 million USD. But while ALS is definitely a horrible disease, it only affects a small portion of the population: only approximately 2 people per 100,000 will get ALS. This is far behind cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of death internationally, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Does this mean ALS is undeserving?

No. ALS is probably one of the worst diseases on Earth. Does this make the ice bucket challenge a bad thing? Of course not – any money towards charity is a good thing.

But let’s not pretend everyone dunking water over their head is a saint. If everyone donated because they wanted to stop ALS, they would have, ice water or not. We’re raising money because it’s fashionable.

Now if only we didn’t need validation for it, we might actually get somewhere.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

Literature // opinions

Love Letter (And Simple Request) to ASFA Frosh makes strange bedfellows, but this is a bit much LAURA MARCHAND Opinions editor

To my representatives, the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) – I’m sorry, and you’re welcome.

Wait, wait, no. No publication should ever start with something as insulting and pretentious as that. But that’s exactly what MTL Blog did in their open letter to Montreal, following mounting criticism due to their unsavoury business practices.

Frankly, there’s a rabbit hole of problems here. Here we have a self-identified for-profit organization that has a track record of not paying its writers. What we see is a revolving door of unpaid interns and university students, and according to Pierre Chauvin of Canadaland, only two paid writers actually on staff.

And it isn’t just the writers, either: the photographers are also getting the short end of the stick. Many bloggers have claimed that MTL Blog had stolen their pictures and placed them on the site with no credit and no payment. The anti-MTL Blog site StopMTLBlog.to even has a blog post detailing instances of stolen photography – three of them, actually.

When confronted for stealing a picture, the MTL Blog twitter claimed that “if there is no [credit] it is because it was found on Google with no [credit]”. In their Love Letter to Montreal, they admitted that their “lack of initial experience […] has led to unacceptable errors on our end”, adding that “[t]he ethics of the internet are everevolving”.

Know what else is in an ethical gray area? Taking money to write stories. Wait, sorry, my mistake – pretty sure everyone can agree that’s just plain wrong, especially from a site that strives “every day to deliver important news”, according to their History page. One look at the “Submit Your Event” page makes it very clear: Twitter promotion, featured banner, a photographer and writer, event listings – all available to you, for a fee. (The words “Contact Us for Pricing” appear eight times on the page, by the way.)

Which brings me back to you, ASFA. You represent nearly 15,000 undergrads, including writers and journalists. Knowing what we know about MTL Blog, and considering who you are supposed to be representing, it begs the question – why did you partner with them for #FROSH? When one goes to the ticket site for #FROSH, their logo is at the bottom of the page. Not to mention all the articles and pictures they’ve been posting of your events, with such great lines as: “This was definitely a great way for everyone to start their semester and academic program” and that “[y]ou definitely don’t want to miss

out on this year’s Frosh celebration”.

But, you know, partnering with them isn’t the end of the world.

If you didn’t pay for it.

The tuition of Concordia’s future writers and journalists goes to supporting you as a student organization. If you then used that money to buy coverage from a site that would exploit – and probably already has exploited your students – then, well, we

Froshees celebrate ASFA Facebook

at the

Arts

and

have a problem.

Multiple attempts to contact ASFA were made, but they could not be reached for comment.

It might be too late for this year, but something to keep in mind, ASFA – if you’re going to promote yourselves, how about picking someone who doesn’t misrepresent itself. Strange concept, I know, but we’d all really appreciate it next time.

Science Federation

of

Associations (ASFA) 2013 Frosh.

Television // opinions

Quebec & Scotland: Comparing independence woes The key difference between bids for statehood in these two distinct areas laura marchand Opinions editor Quebecers are intimately acquainted with referendums. The word was on everybody’s lips during the last provincial election, and now, it’s back – but not for us.

For better or for worse, it seems like independence has a date with someone else this time around. On September 18, Scots will head to the polls to possibly undo over 300 years of shared history with England, and the threat of a Not-So-United Kingdom looms over the Western world.

As one of the few Western independence movements, Quebec separatists have obviously taken great interest in the situation across the pond. While she was in office, Pauline Marois even visited Scotland to discuss the similarities between their two movements. However, she was noticeably shafted by her Scottish contemporaries.

Some were surprised, but we shouldn’t have been. Because Marois was making the same mistake that thousands of Quebecers and analysts are making: they’re assuming that the cases of Scotland and Quebec are the same, when they could be anything but.

Let’s look beyond the mutual disdain they each have for the English. Why does Quebec want independence? It comes down to culture, and the fact that Quebec’s is distinct from the rest of Canada.

The obvious example here is language, which has shaped the Quebec identity since its genesis. Because of this, Quebec has grown and shaped itself independently from the rest of Canada. We can see

this in legislation the attempts to protect the French language, such as Bill 101, and the culture that comes with it, such as the attempted Charter of Quebec Values.

The point here is that Quebec’s quest for independence is a very emotional one.

It is entrenched in ideas of culture and identity. Critics often point to the pragmatic parts of Quebec independence – such as currency, economy and Quebec-Canada relations – as its weakest arguments for being an independent state.

Scotland, however, is the opposite.

Yes, there are portions of the independence movement that touch on cultural differences, but it is argued in the scope of politics. Why? Because the crux of the Scottish independence argument is representation. Or rather, the lack of it.

Scotland works similarly to Quebec: they elect MPs who go to the national parliament, but there is also a parliament in Edinburgh, which controls regional matters such as health, education, and social

Scotland’s Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon speaks about the benefits of independence earlier this year. Photo from the Scottish Government (Flickr).

work. The pro-independence Government of Scotland believes that those powers and decisions “have been good for Scotland”.

The problem lies higher, in the Westminster Parliament.

The Westminster Parliament has 650 MPs. However, only 59 of those MPs are from Scotland. According to the Scottish government, this means that “policies are imposed on Scotland even when they have been opposed by our elected Westminster MPs”. Thus, affairs like welfare, taxes and foreign policy have often been in conflict with what Scotland’s MPs actually voted for.

What this has created is a feeling of disdain for Westminster. Even if Scotland elects MPs of all the same camp, it is likely that Westminster will go the other way simply due to how outnumbered they are.

The Scottish government sums it up as a choice “between two futures: taking control in Scotland of our own affairs, or remaining under the control of Westminster”.

Compare this to Quebec, who is second only to Ontario in the amount of seats it holds in the House of Commons. In the 2011 federal election, the NDP won 59 of Quebec’s 75 seats. Quebec basically singlehandedly created the official opposition. In contrast to the Scotland situation, one cannot argue that Quebec is under-represented in federal politics.

The Scottish referendum – regardless of its outcome – should be used as an opportunity for Quebec to examine its own ideals. But similar goals don’t make similar circumstances. Scotland is not Quebec, and Quebec is not Scotland. And the faster we understand that, the better our future will be.

Tips // ETC

The unauthorized Saved By The Bell Story produced by Lifetime aired Monday night and was met with amusement and censure across the twittersphere. The characters we knew and loved quickly became the characters we love to hate. The Concordian has assembled some of the greatest and funniest #unauthorizedsavedbythebellstory tweets reacting the the film for your entertainment.

1. QuadFest: On Thursday, September 4, bring your Concordia and government ID for free beer and food at Loyola Campus. Free entry if you bring your own mug. Vegetarian options are available.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014 Vol. 32 Issue 1

2. Free Coffee: As of September 2, from 8:15 a.m. to noon, the Concordia Student Union (CSU) will be handing out free coffee to everyone who brings their own mug (or you can buy your own for $1).

Nathalie Laflamme Editor-in-Chief editor@theconcordian.com

3. Jazz Night with FASA: Wine and cheese on top of the EV building with the Fine Arts Student Alliance, including live music and a gorgeous view of the Montreal skyline. Friday, September 5, at 5:00 p.m.

4. Jive at the Hive: Try some local beer and yummy snacks at The Hive at Loyola Campus, with live music. Monday, September 8 at 6:00 p.m..

5. Coffee with the President: Concordia President Alan Shepherd will be hosting a coffee break on September 8 at the Sir George William’s campus and a small lunch on September 10 at the Loyola campus.

@rachelleabellar hard to believe this movie is set in the early 90s. this looks like and urban outfitters look book. #unauthorizedsavedbythebellstory

Tim Lazier Sports editor sports@theconcordian.com Laura Marchand Opinions editor opinions@theconcordian.com Keith Race Photo editor photo@theconcordian.com

Word Search // ETC

BACK TO SCHOOL

@ClassicJanvier 5 minurtes in and I’m already drunk #unauthorizedsavedbythebellstory @Bhew18 I bet Mario Lopez is mad that this dude playing him isn’t as jacked as he was when he was Slater #unauthorizedsavedbythebellstory @Ryan_Cleary I’m not sure if this #unauthorizedsavedbythebellstory is being funny intentionally or unintentionally, but either way it’s hilarious

Sara Baron-Goodman Life editor life@theconcordian.com

Mia Pearson Music editor music@theconcordian.com

@Cosby_Show Now watching the #unauthorizedsavedbythebellstory on lifetime. Zack Morris looks like Draco form harry potter :( Let’s see how this goes.

@Steven_J_Hall Somewhere out there Dustin Diamond is pulling a lawn chair up to a TV in a Walmart to watch the #unauthorizedsavedbythebellstory

Milos Kovacevic News editor news@theconcordian.com

Frederic T. Muckle Arts editor arts@theconcordian.com

@FleurtyGirl Can’t stop watching #unauthorizedsavedbythebellstory. it’s like Sharnado but with Screech.

@LMNReviews The actor playing Slater’s head is too small to pull off his massive mullet. #unauthorizedsavedbythebellstory

Michelle Gamage Production manager production@theconcordian.com

8/30/2014

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@johnhanlon The Dustin Diamond fantasies are straight out of a horror movie. #unauthorizedsavedbythebellstory

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@agilbert328 Yo I’m gonna have nightmares about fake Dustin’s wet dream. #unauthorizedsavedbythebellstory

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@ML_schneider This movie is worse than an actual episode of Saved by the Bell. #unauthorizedsavedbythebellstory @ThatGuy4442 Ew. The guy they got to play Dustin Diamond is WAY too attractive and unannoying. Not realistic at all. #unauthorizedsavedbythebellstory @colettebennett Why is Screech’s body made of Play-doh? #unauthorizedsavedbythebellstory

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BACK TO SCHOOL Music: ~Future Islands & Operators @ Metropolis Sept. 2 ~Sean Foster & The Vaqueros: 6 Days on the Island @La Vitrola Sept. 4 ~Lakes of Canada + John Jacob Magistery @ Casa Del Popolo Sept. 5 ~Rich Aucoin @ OUMF Festival Sept. 6 Jennifer Castle @ Corona Theatre Sept. 9 Art: ~Improv Montreal’s 4th IMPRO-niversary @ Montreal Improv Theatre until Sept. 6 Theatre: ~The Graduate @ The Segal Center until Sept. 4 ~Film POP: “Phantom of the Paradise” @ Terrasse St. Ambroise Sept. 6 ~William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar @ Centre Culturel Calixa- Lavallée Sept. 5

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