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arts music

Sister Act: Grey Nuns at SIPA Fest P. 9

Snowy nights greets Wintersleep P. 14

Stingers go for National gold, bring home the silver

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

sports How Stinger Terrance Morsink went from benchwarmer to starting QB P. 16

life Should you get the HPV vaccine? P. 6

opinions Recent protests by veterans prove Nov. 11 is worth remembering P. 22

Volume 28 Issue 11

Full coverage page 17

Simone de Beauvoir Institute and local groups stand behind prostitution ruling Hopes that Ontario Superior Court decision leads to decriminalization Brennan Neill Managing editor It may be the world’s oldest profession, but it’s certainly not the safest. That could change if a late September ruling by Ontario Superior Court Justice Susan Himel stands up in a Supreme Court appeal. This past Tuesday, Concordia’s Simone de Beauvoir Institute, a number of academics and Stella, a local community group that advocates for sex workers, joined to show their support for Justice Himel’s ruling. In her decision, the judge determined that the current legislation surrounding prostitution is unconstitutional, since it limited the right to life, liberty, and security, as well as the freedom of expression of sex workers. According to Simone de Beauvoir Institute spokesperson Viviane Namaste, their support for Himel’s ruling is based on improving the safety of sex workers. “We believe that sex workers have the right to live

Dallaire looks to the future

and work safely, in an environment free of violence and discrimination,” read an open letter presented by Namaste and other members of the group. The letter has collected 40 signatures from a collection of university and community supporters. Stella’s general coordinator Emilie Laliberté was optimistic about the ruling, but explained that the situation would not change overnight. “We are under a pretty conservative government and it will be a long process through the courts,” said Laliberté. “It might take five years, or even 10 years, but we know that a decision will be made. The key is to continue to educate people about sex workers.” In addition, the group believes that women choosing sex work should have the ability to “define the conditions in which they work,” since exchanging sex for money is not illegal in Canada and people have the right to control their working conditions. Current legislation may say that it is legal to exchange money for sex, but it is illegal to discuss what services may be exchanged for what price or even if protection is to be used. It’s also illegal for a number of sex workers to work together in safety under one roof, since it

Evan LePage News editor

See “‘Would be...” on p.5

See “‘Poverty, genocid...” on p.3

For a man who experienced one of the worst genocides in modern history firsthand, former senator Romeo Dallaire was extremely eloquent in his use of humour to tell a packed crowd at Concordia that to truly influence the world around you, you cannot just ‘manage’ the future, you need to lead it. “Leadership will always produce results well above what the science of management predicts as possible,” one of Dallaire’s slides read. Despite his iconic status within Canada as a result of his actions in Rwanda, Dallaire focused on the future rather than the past in describing how young people, like much of the over-capacity crowd who packed into H-110 last Thursday to hear him speak, could improve what he referred to as the “new world disorder.” His references to the likes of Richard Nixon, Yoggi Bera and today’s political pundits had the crowd laughing, but also reflecting on what the future held in terms of some of the more serious global threats.

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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

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City in brief Evan LePage

Bergeron asked to resign from exec. over Turcot

Projet Montréal leader Richard Bergeron followed through on his threat and resigned from his post on the city’s executive committee last Thursday, but only after the mayor asked him to step down. Bergeron, who was in charge of urban development, said that he felt he was placed in an unfair position by mayor Gérald Tremblay over the issue of the Turcot Interchange. A week earlier, the former said if the city didn’t improve the Turcot plans proposed by the province, which he had not even been allowed to see, he would resign from his seat. On Thursday afternoon, Tremblay reportedly asked for Bergeron’s full support, which he declined, prompting the mayor to request he leave the executive. Transports Québec will be announcing the newest plans for the interchange today.

Potential Richler street draws sovereigntist flack

Montreal may have been the home of literary icon Mordecai Richler, but a few Quebec nationalist groups aren’t so inclined for it to be the home of a street by the same name. After recent proposals to rename some sort of public space after Richler have been picking up steam, the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste has expressed opposition to the idea, on the grounds that the author was an “anti-Quebec racist,” the Canadian Press reported. A sovereigntist student group at UdeM expressed similar opposition. Richler had contributed to many publications during his career in which he expressed critical views of the sovereigntist movement and certain events in the province’s history.

Policeman suspended over breach of ethics

According to a news release from the Centre of Research Action on Race Relations, the Quebec Police Ethics Committee has suspended a Montreal officer in response to his actions which violated the rights of a young black man in 2008. Jonathan Roy was walking by then 21-year-old Kenny Hopkinson who he claims then called him a “piece of shit” to his friend on the phone. He proceeded to pepper spray, hit and arrest Hopkinson. Roy will be suspended for 23 days without pay after being found guilty of five police ethics breaches, including intimidation and unjustified use of physical force. The release also states that the case is still being investigated by the Quebec Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission.

CUTV, CSU to present joint motion

After a proposal to have CUTV film Concordia Student Union council meetings was greeted harshly by many councillors and the executive in October, the two organizations will be presenting a joint motion at this month’s meeting on Wednesday. In the resolution, it states that CUTV will be invited to film the January council meeting as a “pilot project.” The organizations will then meet to discuss guidelines, which could be presented to the councillors for a vote in March. This resolution already specifies that CUTV cannot film individuals uninvolved in a debate, nor focus on the vote of one individual rather than the entire group of voters.

TECH

New printers looking to make Concordia more sustainable

University developing system to make printing easier for students Jacques Gallant Assistant news editor

A new agreement between Concordia and Xerox will see existing multifunction printer-scanner-copiers on campus replaced and will, according to officials, contribute to creating a more sustainable environment. The deal with Xerox is the result of a bidding process after Concordia’s agreement with its previous supplier, Ricoh, expired on Sept. 1. The university’s executive director of finance and business operation Marc Gauthier stated in a press release that the new agreement will provide a “true partnership in our core values including sustainability.” According to Concordia spokeswoman Chris Mota, the new supplier’s contribution to sustainability includes providing machines that use less energy and having doublesided printing as the default option. Although it is still unclear

whether these new Xerox printers will contribute to the university’s sustainability, Mariam Masud, Sustainable Concordia’s sustainability coordinator, said she hopes the implications of the agreement will be positive. “As [the administration] put thought into the process and are trying to create change, we hope that their decision was a good one,” she said. Masud indicated that the university had sought advice from her group about certain criteria for sustainability, touching on topics such as saving energy and ink cartridge disposal. The deal with Xerox, which expires on April 30, 2015, will usher in a new way for students to print their documents, said Marc Larose, the digital store manager for the campus retail stores. He is currently working on a project to allow students to print directly from their student cards at any Xerox printer on campus. “It’s going to make self-service printing much easier for students,” he said. “I’m hoping to place these new machines in areas throughout campus where I see a lot of students gathered with their laptops. Students will no longer have to only rely on the printers at the library.” This initiative means that Con-

Printer-scanner-copiers should be replaced by January. Photo by Cindy Lopez cordia students will be able to save their documents on a ‘cloud,’ a kind of server, thereby enabling them to print anywhere on campus using their student card, which can be loaded at a loader or online. During this transition period, print cards will still function, but will eventually be phased out. Larose said he hopes to have this self-service system implemented in time for the winter semester. He explains that because students will be able to print at any printer location on campus, the overall number

of printers will be reduced. “Right now we have a ratio of about two students for one printer, which is too much,” he said. “To attain sustainability, we would need a ratio of six to eight students per printer, which is what we’re hoping for now.” As for the Ricoh printers, some of which are almost 10 years old, Larose said he will be wiping their hard drives clean and would like to eventually see them resold to students.

HEALTH

Cree traditional medicine shows promise in treating diabetes U de M research shows medical value of herbs used by Cree healers Emily Brass Contributor Back in the ‘90s, Kathleen Wootton looked around her hometown and grew concerned. “Diabetes reached epidemic proportions in Cree communities,” said Wootton, former deputy chief of the town of Mistissini, in northern Quebec. “Some had limbs amputated, some lost their eyesight. It has a tremendous impact on a person’s well-being.” The rates of diabetes among the Cree is three to five times the national average, affecting about 20 per cent of the population. Over the ages, a harsh climate made the Cree genetically predisposed to energy efficiency. Their traditional diet consisted of wild game, fish and sea mammals, supplemented by forest plants and berries. To survive, their ancestors made minimal calories go a long way. Consequently, the modern diet

has taken a toll on the Cree, who experience high rates of obesity, which is a precursor to diabetes. Making matters worse, vehicles and motorboats have long replaced snowshoes and canoes as the preferred mode of transportation, resulting in less physical activity. But a study released on Friday is the latest in a series of articles that suggest Cree elders may have had part of the solution all along. Led by Dr. Pierre Haddad, a senior pharmacologist at Université de Montréal, the Canadian Institute of Health Research Team in Aboriginal Antidiabetic Medicines is testing the efficacy of traditional medicinal plants in treating diabetes. In a paper released late last week, scientists asked Cree healers in four communities which plants they recommend to relieve symptoms associated with diabetes, like quivering hands or sores that won’t heal. The team gathered samples of seventeen plants of interest. The list was later whittled down to four plants, one of which, rhododendron tomentosum, or Small Labrador tea, showed tremendous promise. In both cells and rats, Small Labrador tea appears to inhibit the absorption of blood sugar, or glucose. Diabetics suffer from extreme spikes in glucose. The study’s results indicate that when taken at mealtime,

rhododendron tomentosum may help slow this dangerous effect of the disease. Dr. Jun-Li Liu is an associate professor of medicine and diabetes researcher at McGill University. He called the study “an interesting lead,” warranting further research. But he cautioned that it will likely take 10-20 years before scientists can draw firm conclusions about the plant.

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It’s become a validation that traditional medicines work Dr. Pierre Haddad, senior pharmacologist at Universite de Montreal

Haddad said this may be the most extensive study of Small Labrador tea yet. While others have studied traditional use of the plant and the symptoms it treated, they were the first to make the connection to its potential to treat diabetes. The results, however, didn’t

surprise the elders, according to Wootton. “It’s become a validation that traditional medicines work,” he said. Dr. Haddad also agreed that their research extends from a long heritage of experimentation. “We’re very strict, with our titles and language, on making a link with traditional medicine,” said Haddad, adding that it took a while to gain the community’s trust. “We had to prove that there’s no pharmaceutical company lurking in the background.” Aboriginals worldwide have been victims of biopiracy. Rogue researchers plug native peoples about traditional remedies, then profit from their ‘discoveries.’ To prevent this from happening, the Cree Nation insisted on a stringent research agreement, which may set a precedent in Canada. The team’s work has been guided by a committee of elders, who review anything the researchers publish to ensure their traditional knowledge is treated respectfully. “It’s a whole process. There’s been times when three months dragged on to a year,” said Haddad. “For example, if you tried to contact anyone last month, tough luck. It was moose break and everyone was out hunting. You have to respect that, live with it, and not ask for anything you need rapidly.”

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

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Nation in brief

Continued from cover... Poverty, genocide, and child soldiers were some of the issues that he briefly touched on, noting that all of these problems are “overrun with ethical, moral and legal dilemmas.” But Dallaire focused on the solutions, rather than the problems, and his message of the night was that if individuals take the lead and strive to resolve the problem at the source, rather than just “surviving it” or “building a wall around it,” they really can spawn change. To do this, he explained, you can’t focus on the past or even the present. “No matter how busy and how involved you are, keep an eye into the future if you want to lead,” Dallaire said. He raised the notion that perhaps our political leaders have short term, tactical agendas which prevent them from taking the time needed to address these global issues. Dallaire also reiterated the anti-apathy message pushed by his speaker series predecessor Elie Wiesel. One of his slides read “inaction is an action,” and Dallaire repeated, “no decision is a decision,” referring to his message that people cannot expect the world’s problems to be solved if they themselves choose not to act on them. Throughout his speech it seemed Dallaire strived to inspire involvement which, judging by the two standing ovations and hundreds who lined up to have him sign a copy of his new book, They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children, resonated with those in attendance. “The speaker series is really for that; it’s to inspire people to go out there and really be the change they want

Evan LePage

Lack of benefits prompts country-wide veteran rallies

Resolving global issues at the source is the only way to fix them, Dallaire told the crowd. Photo by Nazli Bozoglu to see in the world,” said the CSU’s VP external and projects Adrien Severyns. Not everyone was able to experience Dallaire’s inspirational words, however, as many students were turned away at the door. After a chaotic winding lineup slowly paced through the Hall building’s first floor, the auditorium in H-110 was filled beyond its approximately 700-person capacity, with attendees sitting on stairs or leaning on the walls. Many were consequently unable to enter.

“Now, in terms of having people turned away, that really isn’t our call. It’s really security’s call,” Severyns said. “If I could let everybody in, I would, but it’s for security reasons,” he added, noting it was in case of an evacuation or some comparable event. The event was organized differently than the Wiesel lecture a few weeks earlier, with students not needing to register for tickets, a more open approach that Severyns believes influenced the large turnout. Despite peo-

ple being turned away, Severyns saw the attendance as a great achievement for the CSU, one he hopes to build on when former governor general Adrienne Clarkson speaks to students in January. “One of the great things about the CSU is we like to innovate with every different event,” he said. “We like to try new measures and very often we like to build on what went right and not where people went wrong. So, hopefully we’ll have a very successful event in January.”

CAMPUS

CSU grassroots student centre campaign underway, facing no opposition Students will vote on a newly worded question for the student centre fee-levy increase from Nov. 23-25

Evan LePage News editor With the CSU’s student centre campaign well underway, and without any opposition campaigning against the proposed fee-levy increase, the forthcoming November referendum should offer a clear response as to whether Concordia students want, and are willing to pay for, a student centre. At the CSU council meeting in October, VP external and projects Adrien Severyns noted that the strong “vote no” campaign against other questions on the spring ballot may have affected the outcome of the referendum question. No such influence will be present this time around since there is nothing else on the ballot and, to Severyns’ knowledge, no one is running a counter-campaign. The CSU’s chief electoral officer Oliver Cohen could not be reached to confirm this by print time. At that same October council meeting, the proposed wording of the referendum question came under heavy scrutiny for not being clear on the subject of how much students will be paying. It was also pointed out that students are already paying a $2.00 fee-levy for the same project. A motion was passed at council to send the wording back to Cohen in order for him to consider the councillors’

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concerns and make any necessary alterations. Severyns took that one step further. “For me personally, to be more sure and to actually address the issues that council had, I actually went further in the process and asked for legal advice on the question and asked a professional lawyer what he thought of it,” he said. The lawyer’s wording changes were then run by Cohen who gave them the okay. With the referendum deadline approaching, CSU president Heather Lucas issued a presidential decree on Oct. 27, essentially approving that the proposed by-law on the union building fund be put to referendum. CSU councillors will only vote to approve the decree at tomorrow’s council meeting. The referendum question, barring any more modifications, will read as follows: “Do you approve and ratify By-law 2010-2, adopted by the President, on October 27, 2010 pursuant section 7.1.2 of the General By-Laws of the CSU to give effect to a resolution of the Council of Representatives adopted on October 13, 2010 to increase the Union Building Fund component (currently at $2.00 per credit) of the Concordia Student Union membership fees each Fall, Winter and Summer semester incrementally by 50 cents per credit over five semesters, beginning in the Winter 2010 semester and ending in the Summer 2012, whereas the fees will be collected in accordance with university tuition and refund policy.” On the ballot it will also state that the levy needs to be increased to “proceed with site selection by January 2011 and the beginning of construction on a timely basis,” and it will list a few examples of what students could expect from the centre. According to Severyns, the CSU will be running a very “grassroots”

campaign in favour of the student centre, utilizing the usual methods of postering and social media. He expects that they will not even reach the $375 spending limit specified in the by-laws. The CSU’s campaign also has a blog which includes videos Severyns says were made before they even took office, which seems to confirm his claim that the problem of lack of student space really don’t change year by year. He said the reasons for pushing the student centre were reinforced by

the fact that multiple CSU clubs were recently moved out of their offices, and that many students were turned away from the over-capacity Romeo Dallaire lecture . “There’s a growing demand, growing expectations from the student bodies to have better quality events and more spaces and I think the student centre actually englobes everything, in terms of addressing these issues, under one central roof.” Voting will be held on Nov. 23, 24 and 25 on both campuses.

Hundreds of veterans and supporters rallied in multiple cities across Canada on Saturday to show their displeasure with the lack of benefits they’re receiving from the government. The 2006 New Veterans Charter was the target of much heat, as it decreased the amount of money to be awarded to soldiers wounded in Afghanistan. Many were also pushing for a return to lifetime pensions for vets, instead of lump-sum payments. Pat Stogran, the nation’s outgoing Veterans Ombudsman, has said he may sue the government on behalf of the injured soldiers. The demonstrations, part of the Veterans National Day of Protest on Nov. 6, targeted many conservative MP offices in the nation, as well as a large rally on Parliament Hill.

Diplomat says youth have lost “bitching rights”

Former UN envoy Robert Fowler had some harsh words for Canadian youth during the University of Ottawa convocation last week. The diplomat, kidnapped by Al Qaeda in 2008 and released in 2009, told the crowd of graduating students that they had lost their “bitching rights” about how they are governed because of their apathy and non-participation in the political process. Fowler was receiving an honourary degree from the university when he decided to bow out of the usual “thank you and good luck” piece and offer a scolding lecture on how rarely young Canadians vote. Some will inevitably say that Fowler has made a good point: don’t complain unless you inform yourself and become involved. But many others, especially those in the student community, probably just equate that speech to “get off my lawn you pesky kids.”

Canada cuts aid to Zambia due to theft

The news that millions of dollars were stolen from foreign donations to Zambia has prompted the Canadian government to suspend a $14.5 million aid program to that nation’s health ministry, the Globe and Mail reported. Auditors in the country found that about $7 million of mostly foreign aid money was stolen by Zambian officials after a whistle-blower revealed the corruption last year. This included about $880,000 in Canadian aid, which prompted the decision to suspend a four-year aid program. The Netherlands and Sweden have also cut aid in light of the scandal. The loss of funding could have dire consequences, as Zambia relies on foreign donors for over 50 per cent of its health budget.

Newly paved highway the fruit of a nudie calendar

The official opening of Saskatchewan’s newly paved highway 32 took place last Friday, and people can largely thank a nude calendar for making it happen. Residents of Leader, a small rural town, stripped down and bared all in a calendar back in 2007, which played a decisive role in convincing the province to fix the pothole-plagued highway near their community. After the road became so bad that broken axles were commonplace, and residents were still not getting any response from the government, they proposed the calendar as a way to get attention, the CBC reported. Eleven men and one woman posed for the calendar, which brought heavy media attention, which is what they believe convinced officials to take action. Severyns (right) stands inside a k’nex display to publicize the centre.

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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

World in brief Evan LePage

iPhone alarm bug leaves many late for work

Residents of Europe who rely on their iPhones for their morning wake-up were let down in a big way last week as an apparent alarm bug left many late for work. While the time correctly changed in response to daylight savings time, the iPhone 4 alarm clock had a glitch which prevented it from doing the same. The problem can apparently be fixed by simply deleting all the alarms, and Apple will reportedly offer a software update later this month in response. After the same thing happened in Australia and New Zealand a month earlier, users in North America are may also risk facing the same bug. Tons of teenagers are now asking their parents how to work an actual clock.

Czech students buffing in the buff

Students in the Czech Republic looking for a little extra money for rent or tuition now have a new option: naked cleaning. A 21-year-old male economics student (hmm...) set up the Crazy Cleaners agency for students, like himself, who were unable to find work. Clients can choose whether to have their young house cleaners wear underwear, go topless, or clean completely nude, and prices start at about $250 per hour. Fifteen students are currently working for the agency, and there’s an even mixture of both males and females. I doubt the business’ founders considered the financial impact on all the other male students, who will now be spending most of their money getting their dorms cleaned by their peers.

Indian officials go ape on security

Government officials in India left nothing to chance for president Obama’s visit to the nation. Security at the Taj Mahal Hotel was intense for days before his arrival, and an entire floor has been rented out for the president. But officials looked beyond terrorist threats, and took special precautions to guard against threats of another kind: coconuts and monkeys. Coconuts have been cut down from trees all around the Ghandi museum, where Obama will be on Friday. The monkeys were further targeted with measures including the deployment of specially trained monkey-catchers, the construction of 30-foot towers for spotting them and the sanitizing of areas near the president’s hotel accommodations. A rabies-free trip is a good trip.

Let them eat... cheese

Ireland’s Agricultural Minister announced last week that the government would be buying 53 tonnes of Irish cheddar, all of it to be distributed out through various charities to the country’s impoverished. Since announcing the program, “cheese for Christmas,” a slight alteration from a decade-old program that distributed butter, the government has been ridiculed by numerous groups. Opposition parties equated the announcement to Marie Antoinette’s infamous revolution-inciting words, and said that cheese cannot make up for benefit cuts and tax raises. It has since been revealed that the ministry had just rereleased a slightly altered version of the press release from 2009. The response may have been better had they included crackers in the program.

MEDIA

Panel discusses the place of objectivity in social justice journalism G20 spawns questions about the line between activism and journalism Michael Lemieux Contributor Social justice journalism is directed towards, and intended to provoke, social change. Whether it’s writing about the unfair treatment of Palestinians in the Gaza strip, or writing on the state of the brutally oppressive Burmese regime, this form of journalism is intended to not just inform, but to make a positive difference. This was the definition given to those who attended the final presentation of the third annual McGill Student Journalism Week on Friday night. The five-day event, hosted by the Daily Publications Society, featured presentations on various contemporary journalistic issues. The final panel discussion focused on how social justice journalism should be conducted in light of recent events such as the G20 protests, in which ournalists were involved in altercations with police. Many allegations of police arbitrarily arresting journalists and rioters followed the event, with police claiming they are unable to distinguish between the two and journalists claiming that the police are simply unwilling to. This events surrounding the G20 protests spawned many questions which were addressed at Friday’s event: at what point does the line between activist and journalist become

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Panel members discussed where objectivity and social justice journalism collide. Photos by Matias Garabedian so blurred that the police are unable to determine who is who in the chaos of a riot? When does a journalist’s personal investment in a cause begin to conflict with their duty as a journalist to be objective? In response to these questions, panel member and independent journalist Amy Miller said, “We’re talking about social justice journalism, you have to identify yourself from within social justice movements.” Miller also disagreed with the need for objectivity in journalistic writing. She made a strong case for having a personal attachment to a cause. For Miller, objectivity itself isn’t necessary, only transparency in your work and a commitment to change. Miller claims that while covering the G20 Protests she, personally, was

LECTURE

We’re talking about social justice journalism, you have to identify yourself from within social justice movements Amy Miller, independent journalist

detained by police and repeatedly endured threats. Derek MacCuish, another panel member and former Concordia political science professor, agreed with Miller on the subject of objectivity, though he stressed the importance of fairness in journalistic work. Fairness, to MacCuish, means examining all possible aspects of a story and fairly judging their truth as a basis for objectivity, but not necessarily writing without a slant. Although the discussion also highlighted some changes that are currently occurring within social justice movements and journalism, the question that remained at the forefront all evening was whether objectivity in social justice journalism is necessary, or even truly feasible.

Laughter bridges communities: playwright Drew Hayden Taylor Aboriginal humourist discusses his experiences in Canadian theatre at annual lecture Renee Giblin Staff writer Using his own experiences to illustrate his discussion points, Canadian aboriginal playwright and humourist Drew Hayden Taylor told the audience at this year’s Gail Guthrie Valaskakis Annual Lecture about how laughter can unite different communities. “What makes me laugh will make you laugh,” Taylor said, summarizing the theme of this speech. The fifth edition of the Valaskakis Lecture on Diversity and Canadian Media took place at Montreal’s Masonic Temple last Thursday. The annual event serves to honour the former Concordia employee who, throughout her career, was heavily involved in the development and promotion of aboriginal culture. In tune with Valaskakis’ work, Taylor, an Ojibway from the Curve Lake First Nations, described his own experiences working as an aboriginal in the theatre industry.

The night began with Taylor talking about his love of storytelling and saying that, though he is an only child, he came from a large family that loved to tell stories. His childhood memories were of his aunts and uncles sitting around a bonfire, creating stories. “I went to bed to hearing people tell funny stories,” Taylor said. In his mid-teens, he moved from his reserve to Toronto, where he worked contract to contract, including his first writing credit on the classic Canadian television show The Beachcombers. His work was noticed and he received his first offer to write a play for money. “I’m one of the few people you’ll meet who went into theatre for the money,” Taylor joked. Once he started looking at the different aboriginal plays produced, he noticed that the majority of native theatre was dark and depressing. He said that this was not his experience growing up, but pointed out that for healing to take place in the aboriginal communities, people needed to release their anger. “When an oppressed people get their voice back,” Taylor said, “they will talk about being oppressed.” Taylor took it upon himself to showcase the other spectrum of the aboriginal cultures, writing his first comedy, The Bootlegger Blues, in 1990. “This was either the best or the worst time for native comedy,” he

said. Taylor described how the play was such a success that he was asked to produce it at Port Dover, where the clientele was older and non-aboriginal. He described how, when the lights came on, no one laughed. He didn’t understand why no one was laughing: the actors were great, the play was the same, yet no one was laughing. Then he noticed six aboriginal people in the back row, laughing. “Native people got the joke, but white people didn’t,” Taylor said. It was in the early ‘90s, which Taylor called the age of political

correctness, that they started to laugh. That particular play, he recalled, was about “native people and beer” and non-aboriginals were waiting for “permission” to laugh. Halfway into the play, everyone was laughing and it became accepted and welcomed to have a sense of humour. Fo Niemi, executive director of the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations who co-hosted the event with the department of communication studies, said “We’re so pleased, because the content gives a better understanding of aboriginal cultures.”

Drew Hayden Taylor spoke of his own experiences as an aboriginal playwright at the annual Valaskakis lecture. Photo by Tiffany Blaise

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

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Continued from cover... would be considered a bawdy house. Following Justice Himel’s decision, the Quebec Council on the Status of Women denounced the ruling, saying “prostitution is the ultimate form of violence against women.” Namaste and her fellow supporters believe that there is more than one side to the argument. “It’s more complicated than that,” said Namaste. “We’re against violence against women.” But Namaste explained that the current laws regarding sex workers often lead to situations that can be dangerous and ultimately end in violence. The group hopes that Justice Himel’s ruling will eventually lead to a complete decriminalization of prostitution, much like in New Zealand. “The ideal situation would be that prostitution is considered a job like any other, that the workers are given respect, that they’re able to work in good working conditions, and even have the opportunity to go to the authorities about poor working conditions,” said Namaste. In 2003, New Zealand passed the Prostitution Reform Act, which decriminalized prostitution and allows sex workers to work in brothels or together in a safe location, as well as in escort agencies. Sex workers are also allowed to be self-employed or run their own brothel.

At the CSU’s town hall meeting last Wednesday at the Hive, only two people actually showed up to touch base with the executive. One of the two who attended was Gonzalo Nieto, executive of überculture, who inquired about allowing access to CUTV at CSU meetings. Commenting on the turnout for the event, CSU president Heather Lucas noted that it’s a shame to see students so apathetic and wondered how many students were actually aware of the CSU’s existence. Photo by Valerie Cardinal

ADVOCACY

Students learn activism 101 QPIRG staff encourage students to get involved in their community Shereen Ahmed Rafea Contributor In an attempt to spread the word about activism, QPIRG Concordia held a workshop last Wednesday which dove into topics such as antioppression, grassroots organizing, and charity versus solidarity. “The way we affect social change can look like so many things, but it can be in our daily interactions,” said Tasha Zamudio at QPIRG Concordia. Zamudio, a financial advisor for QPIRG, spoke along with the

group’s administrative coordinator Ashley Fortier as part of the workshop, titled Activism for Students 101. QPIRG, or Quebec Public Interest Research Group, is a non-profit organization that supports grassroots activism and social justice. It holds a monthly workshop about activism and community involvement for students. The workshop last Wednesday highlighted the foundations of activism and raising awareness of social injustice. According to Zamudio, the roots of activism lie in antioppression. “By anti-oppression, we mean an analysis where we understand the world as being controlled by systems of power,” she said. “Through those systems of power, there are groups that are in power who have an unearned advantage and there are groups who are disempowered by that system of power.”

Grassroots organizing was one of a few topics tackled at last week’s QPRIG workshop. Photo by Cindy Lopez Zamudio believes that activism is trying to oppose those systems and the oppression that stems from them. She notes patriarchy, capitalism and white supremacy as examples of these systems.

“These things have developed over time because of historical context and people having access to certain types of power and the way that these systems function,” added Fortier.

Zamudio stressed the importance of the anti-oppression model. “It’s our responsibility as people in Montreal, or students, to recognize these injustices and recognize oppression and anti-oppression, and adjust it in the many ways that we can,” she said. Another theme that was mentioned was charity versus solidarity. Zamudio believes that charity is mostly about the person being charitable, rather than about providing respect and empathy for the person that is receiving charity. Solidarity, however, is focused on respect for the needs of the people directly affected. Fortier encouraged people to ask questions before getting involved with an organization. “To what extent are [the organization’s] decisions being directed by the voices of the people being directly affected and where is the funding coming from?” she prompted.

EDUCATION

Canadian university presidents on India mission Trip aims to build relationships, recruit Indian students to Canada Arshy Mann The Ubyssey (University of British Columbia) VANCOUVER (CUP) — Fifteen Canadian university presidents began a seven-day excursion to India today in order to build ties with Indian universities. The delegation is travelling on behalf of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada, and includes presidents from the University of British Columbia, Dalhousie University, University of Alberta, Wilfrid Laurier University

and others. It is the largest group of Canadian university leaders to travel to India. “Strong universities help build strong societies. They also strengthen regional economies while enhancing a country’s capacity to contribute to the world economy,” Stephen Toope, UBC president, said in a statement regarding the mission. “Canadian universities can build beneficial partnerships in India to create exceptional learning opportunities for students and research collaborations that improve our societies nationally and globally.” The group will be meeting with Indian educators, members of the business community and government officials to build relationships and agreements with Indian institutions and to attract more Indian students to study in Canada. They will also be participating in a summit on advanced education organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers

of Commerce and Industry. India is facing a shortage of seats for university education. In his spring convocation speech at UBC, Toope said that India would need to build around 800 new universities over the next decade, with 60,000 students each, to meet the country’s growing demand for post-secondary education. Tens of thousands of students travel to Australia, the U.K. and the United States for school. However, because of stringent visa requirements, only around 4,000 come to Canada. “We also want to raise Canada’s profile,” Paul Davidson, AUCC president, said in a media release. “And given the vast complex nature of the Indian market, this collective effort of Canadian universities is a necessary step to maximize impact there. We are not on the radar of most of the Indians thinking of studying abroad. They need to know Canada

offers quality education in a rich learning and research environment.” “This mission is a way for us to get to know India and its needs more deeply – and to make sure that when Indians think of research and higher education, they think of us. Educators and business people in India need to know that Canadian universities are open to building successful partnerships that will enrich experiences for students, strengthen links between our countries and advance international research collaboration.” The trip comes at a time when a bill is presently making its way through the Indian Parliament that would allow foreign universities to open satellite campuses in India. The Foreign Educational

Institution (Regulation of Entry and Operation) Act would mean that for the universities that do set up in India, students would pay domestic tuition.

life

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

6

Write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com HEALTH

Should you get the HPV vaccine?

HPV can lead to cervical cancer, but getting vaccinated is a personal choice Kelly Greig Staff writer Jennifer Ranallo doesn’t have to worry about getting the world’s most common sexually transmitted infection. She was vaccinated against the human papillomavirus three years ago, thanks to her mother’s fear of the virus. “My older sister had a growth because she had the HPV virus and so when my mom found out she got very anxious and nervous and so she had us all vaccinated,” she said. Ranallo, 23, is part of a very small group of women who have received the shot. Only one in 10 Canadian women between the ages of 18-25 have received the vaccine against the virus, according to a Leger Marketing poll. Vaccination programs were set up three years ago by the federal government in order to prevent HPV, which is the leading cause of cervical cancer. The program targets girls between the ages of eight and 11 in the hopes of immunizing them before they have had a sexual encounter. While the poll recognized that the sample group was above the vaccination program age, it still raised alarm bells in the media. “This is a cancer that we treat and we see all too many women suffer and die from. So we try to take any measure of prevention,” says Susie Lau, a gynaecological oncologist at the Jewish General Hospital’s Segal Cancer Centre. She adds that the vaccine isn’t enough and that women should also have a regular Pap test. “The two of them coupled together can prevent up to 90 per cent of cervix cancer,” she said. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, 1,300 women across Canada will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2010. Those 1,300 will result in an estimate 370 deaths this year alone. Karen Eryou, 48, is one of the lucky ones. She was diagnosed with cervical cancer two years ago by a fluke. The mother of two had just found a family doctor who wasn’t aware of any of her family’s medical history and decided to have her sent for a variety of tests. Eryou explains that the first question she was asked by her doctor was when she last had a mammogram. When Eryou told her she had never had one, her doctor encouraged her to go for several tests that would check for a variety of different things. After having blood tests, Eryou’s doctor asked if she had ever had a Pap test. Again, the answer was no and her doctor insisted she have one immediately. Six months later, Eryou was in an operating room having her uterus removed because of stage two cervical cancer. Since then, she’s been an advocate for the vaccination. “We need to get the word out there, we need to discuss it and parents need to understand that yes, there are vaccinations out there that are available,” says Eryou. “It doesn’t mean that your child is going to become promiscuous or jump into sexuality mode just because they have the vaccine. The vaccine is a long-term health benefit for them in order to avoid the road that I went on.” Around 75 per cent of Canadians will have at least one HPV infection in their lifetime but most go unnoticed. This is one of the reasons Abby Lippman is against mass HPV vaccinations. The McGill professor in the department of epidemiology, biostatistics and occupational health thinks

Graphics by Katie Brioux

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Canadian women between the ages of 18-25 have received the HPV vaccine

that the media and government are treating HPV like an epidemic. Levels of cervical cancer in Canada are not high, explains Lippman, who acknowledges, however, that the HPV infection is common in the country. “Yes, you better believe it is,” says Lippman. “But, most of the people who get infected with HPV clear it all by themselves and are perfectly fine.” Lippman worries that there are still many unanswered questions about the vaccine’s effectiveness. There is currently no Canadian database to record the adverse effects of the injection, which according to the vaccine

1,300

370

Canadian women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer this year

will die from cervical cancer this year

Gardasil’s website can include fever, nausea, vomiting, headache, pain, itching and swelling. Lippman thinks that the process is largely unnecessary because of the cost of mass vaccinating against something that the majority of people’s bodies can beat naturally. “In Canada, the government paid money for three years to institute school-age programs.On you’ve had sex you’ve likely been infected with HPV and you’re likely to get rid of it and not even know you had the virus,” Lippman says. In 2007, the federal government set aside $300 million for three years of HPV vaccina-

tion programs. It was a landmark decision as the most costly vaccination for taxpayers in Canadian history. This is the first year that the Quebec government will foot the bill. According to Nathalie Levesque of the Quebec Health and Social Services Ministry, it will cost $25 million for this school year alone. For those too old to get the vaccine through the school system, it is available at local CLSCs or through your doctor. However, the shots cost between $400 to $500 for the three injections. Ranallo had to pay for hers, and she thinks it was worth every penny to minimize her risk of cervical cancer.

Follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/concordianlife

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

7

SEXUALITY

Considering the queer-friendliness of Montreal s Universities A look at how the services offered by Queer Concordia compare to those of Queer McGill By Katelyn Spidle Music editor Tyler Clementi was three weeks into his college career when he threw himself off the George Washington bridge and into the Hudson River. The Rutgers student jumped to his death after his roommate broadcasted a video of Clementi engaging in a sexual encounter with a man in his dorm room. The problem of bullying in schools is a topic that inevitably surfaces from time to time. Clementi is one of six reported suicides in the United States which have all been linked to bullying. However, what makes these stories stand out is that these boys were bullied because of their sexual orientation. The video captured Clementi in the company of another man and was broadcasted by his roommate over Twitter. Several days later, the talented 18-year-old violinist changed his Facebook status to “Jumping off the gw bridge sorry.” Clementi’s story and the other similar incidents sparked both a national and international outcry, making it obvious that greater awareness and action is needed to tackle the issue of homophobia in schools. According to the 2009 National School Climate Survey which was conducted in the United States by the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, almost 85 per cent of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender students had experienced verbal harassment at school while just over 40 per cent had experienced physical harassment. Not much attention has been given to the specific problem of homophobia at the university level, as most discussions focus on bullying that takes place at elementary and high school levels. While five of the six reported suicides were committed by high school students, Clementi was a university student. “Queer students experience homophobia within every environment, including McGill,” says Parker Villalpando, co-administrator of Queer McGill. “In such a large and diverse school, the average student is bound to encounter homophobic acts and attitudes. What matters is how [these] are handled [by the school administration].” The tragedies which occurred in September have brought attention to where school administrators have gone wrong in handling the issue of homophobia and discrimination in schools. It is also important to note the ways in which both school administrators and students are helping to make their schools safer and more queer-friendly. In response to these six suicides, students may be asking themselves: how much is Concordia doing to address this underemphasized issue? The queer-friendliness of Montreal’s English-speaking universities Queer Concordia member Joey Donnelly considers Concordia University to be a queerfriendly school. “Concordia is a progressive university,” says Donnelly. “I have never

experienced any homophobia.” However, Donnelly’s personal experience does not mean that homophobic acts and attitudes do not exist within the Concordia environment. “It’s still pervasive in our culture. A lot of stereotypes [and] gender norms are still shoved down people’s throats,” Donnelly explains. He also mentions that it is sometimes hard to develop social networks in university which may have the effect of silencing those who have been victimized by homophobia. Villalpando feels it is impossible to generalize about a university’s environment. “Every queer student at McGill has a different experience and therefore a different opinion as to whether the school is queer-friendly or not,” says Villalpando. “McGill isn’t perfect, but the university has taken several steps to be more inclusive and respectful of its queer students.” Concordia theatre student Klara Eli experienced homophobia at Dawson College, but she believes that Concordia is a queerfriendly school. “I did have a problem in one of my classes at Dawson and I had to drop that class because the teacher was being a jerk, “ says Eli. “I have yet to have a problem [with homophobia] at Concordia. It’s a pretty safe place, as far as I know.” The difference between Queer Concordia and Queer McGill This year, Newsweek published a list of the

mere $4,000. Although its Facebook page has 406 members, the small budget it has been allotted has severely impeded the degree to which the club can mobilize in accomplishing its goals. Ultimately, Donnelly would like to see Queer Concordia become a service centre with a structure similar to that of Queer McGill. Unfortunately, its modest annual budget has prevented the club from being able to offer paid positions, which has resulted in an organizational structure that Donnelly describes as a non-hierarchal collective with no authoritative form of decision-making. On the other hand, Queer McGill’s budget is much higher at around $40,000 a year. This allows for paid positions and a hierarchal organizational structure. This enables Queer McGill to not only satisfy the needs of its queer population on campus, but to expand its services to the wider population of Montreal’s queer youth. Queer Concordia has a very small office on Mackay Street, which students may visit when in need of a referral. The club has occupied the same space for over a decade and has expanded only so far as to stock its shelves full of books relating to queer studies. For Eli, Queer Concordia does not have a very strong presence on campus but she feels “that the existence of such a club is a step in the right direction.” Meanwhile, Queer McGill has spawned two initiatives in Montreal which cater spe-

queer-friendly environment on campus, but such initiatives do exist. Last month, an event called Wear Purple Day was created as a memorial to the six individuals who committed suicide as a result of homophobia. The event, which took place across Canada and the U.S. on Oct. 20, called for people to wear the colour purple to raise awareness about homophobia in hopes that tragedies such as these may cease. For Donnelly, one event is not enough and he feels that more can be done. “I’m hoping that this Wear Purple Day isn’t yet another cyclical news story,” he says. “Awareness needs to happen. I hope that there’s follow up.”

More Information Queer Concordia is a CSU club dedicated to building community with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and straight allies. Located at 2020 Mackay St. room P102, students are welcome to drop in. For more information email them at queerconcordia@gmail.com 2110 Centre for Gender Advocacy is an independent and student-funded Concordia University organization. Their goal is to promote gender equality and empowerment through ongoing programming, campaigns, resources, services, and advocacy. Located at 2110 Mackay St., the centre opens at noon Monday through Thursday. For more information call 514-848-2424, ext. 7431 or visit them online at www. centre2110.org Queer McGill is a nonprofit organization under the Students’ Society of McGill University. Located in room 432 of the Shatner Building at 3600 McTavish St. or contact them at 514-398-2106 or queermcgill@gmail.com Project 10 works to promote personal, social, sexual and mental health for members of the youth LGBITTQ community. They offer several confidential services free of charge, including a Listening Line. 514-989-4585, peer counselling and accompaniment, a weekly drop-in on Thursday nights and workshops. For more information, visit their website at www.p10.qc.ca

25 most gay-friendly schools in the U.S. With no similar list for Canadian universities, it makes one wonder how Concordia’s environment would measure up. With a look at the services offered to queer students on Concordia’s campus compared to that of McGill, it is hard not to ask whether Concordia is doing as much as McGill in the effort to create a more queer-friendly school. The GLSEN National School Climate Survey, concluded that the presence of a gay-straight alliance group on campus was related to a decreased incidence of verbal and physical attacks on LGBT students within the school setting. Here in Montreal, both McGill and Concordia University have a queer alliance group whose aim is to create dialogue among the diverse members of the Montreal queer community and act as a resource for those students victimized by homophobia. Queer McGill was established in 1972 with the name Gay McGill. Queer Concordia is a well established student group but has gone though a succession of names over the many years it has existed. Although both universities have queer alliance groups, there is an important difference between the two. Queer McGill is a non-profit organization listed under the Students’ Society of McGill University, while Queer Concordia is a student club. Queer Concordia is not a fee-levied group and its budget for the school year is a

cifically to queer youth. The first is Queerline, an anonymous call centre which provides referral, listening and support services to queer youth for a wide range of LGBT-related topics. The second is Allies, which works under Queer McGill and is an organization that provides free English-language workshops oriented towards raising awareness about queer issues among high school students and teachers. If a student at McGill experiences discrimination or bullying due to their sexual orientation, they have the option of filing an equity complaint with the school. The issue will then be addressed by Queer McGill. If faced with the same problem at Concordia, students may approach the club, who will then refer them to organizations such as Head & Hands or Project 10 or Centre 2110, Concordia’s location for gender advocacy. Furthermore, McGill has successfully implemented the designation of genderneutral bathrooms in most of its university buildings, while Concordia has been fighting various roadblocks to engage in the same project since 2008. Concordia’s failure to mobilize on this issue has resulted in recent acts of vandalism in which 12 bathroom stalls in the EV building were anonymously marked as being gender neutral. The obstacles faced by Queer Concordia demonstrate how difficult it is to create a

Queerline is an anonymous phone line that provides queer-related information, referrals and resources. Open Monday to Saturday from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. they can be reached at 514-398 -6822. Allies is a youth-based initiative by Queer McGill and Project 10 that provides free English workshops for high school students and staff on topics such as sexual orientation and sexual health. To contact Allies, email them at alliesmontreal@gmail.com Head & Hands is a non-profit organization that offers free counseling for youth aged 12-25. They offer phone consultations, drop-in meetings, as well as health services and a drop-in clinic. Head & Hands is located at 5833 Sherbrooke St. W. in NDG. For more information visit their website www. headandhands.ca

Retraction In the article “Staying safe and discrete as you post and tweet,” published Nov. 2, it was incorrectly stated that Ann-Louise Davidson would advise people to change their identity online. Davidson points out that people take on different identities, and that people should be aware of this, but she does not advise this. The Concordian regrets the error.

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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

FASHION

theconcordian

Crescent boutique tackles menswear Two university students balance school and running C12 Boutique, a downtown store that combines fashion and community Adey Farah Contributor For some, the midterm season is running on high and exams are inching ever closer which means only one thing: studying. For Concordia student David Lavigne-Masse and his business partner Daniel Cuzmanoz, studying is intertwined with the running of C12 Boutique, a burgeoning clothing store in the heart of downtown Montreal. Lavigne-Masse and Cuzmanoz, both 22, spend their days juggling shifts between their Crescent Street boutique and rushing to class. The former is working his way through a Bachelor of Commerce at the John Molson School of Business while Cuzmanoz is majoring in political science and anthropology at UQAM. The young duo tries hard to not let their studies affect the time put into their boutique and are continuously working hard to make their newly minted store the go-to destination for young menswear in Montreal. “[We] share a love for fashion, and believe that the way we look translates into an outside image of ourselves,” said Cuzmanoz. “We wanted to share that with young men in Montreal.” The store, which is only five months old, is named for the atomic mass of the element carbon. Carbon is an essential component to life and the pair took from this the approach that clothing is also a component of mankind’s day-to-day. C12 Boutique features a minimalistic design with black and white fixtures, making the clothing the boutique’s focal point. Currently carrying four brands, Original Penguin, Marshall Antics, Qhuit and Wemoto, with four more planned, each item is carefully thought out by the owners. “We’ve loved the American brand Original Penguin since our time in high school together,” said Cuzmanoz. “It’s one of the reasons we wanted to start the boutique originally, to make [Original Penguin] and brands with a sense of peculiarity about them more available to young men.” While interested in the clothing’s uniqueness and the materials, Cuzmanoz was quick to mention that materialism was not something he advocated. Rather, an attraction to well-made, quality and individual pieces is what he says is important. With their current selection hailing from England, France and Germany, the pair is already doing just that. They are currently busy working to secure a loyal clientele base in the hopes that their clients will grow with them as they mature. Though they have no plans to expand into women’s wear, Cuzmanoz and Lavigne-Masse explained that if the right person came along, they might consider it.

Their hope is to carve out a small niche with C12 Boutique. Though clothing is a main focus, Lavigne-Masse and Cuzmanoz also envision bringing a sense of community to the store. Currently on display are abstract paintings from local Montreal artist Alexander Slim. They are also working with Slim on a line of t-shirts which will involve a twist on cult movies, with the collaboration set to come out in the next month. A Slim t-shirt line is not the only one way the duo hopes to become involved locally. “The store could be a gateway for our peers. Start something here and we will give you the tools necessary,” said Cuzmanoz who explained that both him and Lavigne-Masse are very open to community participation. Cuzmanoz explained that they want students and people within the community to feel that they are able to try new, innovative and risky things. From this ongoing experience they explained that they have learnt about themselves and learned skills that they didn’t even know they possessed. “It was scary at first, as was expected, and there was definitely a learning curve,” said Cuzmanoz. “Most people we were dealing with were older, and we learned a lot on the job.” Neither Cuzmanoz or Lavigne-Masse are formally trained in fashion, but neither see this as hindering them. What helped, explained Cuzmanoz, is that they shared this passion. “[We] share a chemistry, we give each other confidence to do more,” said Cuzmanoz. He explained that through the boutique he has learned to work with a partner and this experience has given him skills that can be applicable to any future job. Both always knew that a university degree in hand and a nine to five job would never satisfy them. Risking everything now, it seems, can and will enable them to grow into more secure and well-rounded individuals. “Opening the boutique is not only a good life experience, but it’s easy to

risk things when [you’re] young,” said Cuzmanoz. C12 Boutique is located at 2165 Crescent St. Store hours: all week, 10 a.m.-5p.m., Thursday

and Friday open until 9 p.m., and Sunday noon until 5 p.m. For more information, email info@c12boutique.com.

INVITES YOU TO A SPECIAL ADVANCED SCREENING

IN THEATRES NOVEMBER 24

(Top) Paintings by Montreal Artist Alexander Slim add a sense of community to C12 boutique. (Above) C12 owner David Lavigne-Masse juggles school and running an up and coming boutique. Photos by Nazli Bozoglu

For your chance to win 1 of 10 FREE double passes, send an e-mail with the subject BURLESQUE to advertising@theconcordian.com. The advanced screening will take place on November 22nd at the ScotiaBank Theatre at 7:30pm. ...ohh did we mention? THEY’RE FREE! THIS FILM IS SUBJECT TO CLASSIFICATION

www.burlesquethemovie.com

arts

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

9

Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com CAMPUS

Sassy nun at the SIPA Festival The Motherhouse takes apart the nun stereotype Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo Assistant arts editor Second-year theatre student Tamara Lagrandeur was lounging in the Grey Nuns residence when she overheard a conversation between people discussing Concordia’s purchase of the building. “Wow, you know the last nun? Someone should write a play about that!” they were saying. Cue the “Eureka” moment. A year, one playwriting class and a lot of work later, Lagrandeur and close friend Kyle Purves are co-directors of The Motherhouse, a Student-Initiated Production Assignment (SIPA) about Sister Constance McMullen, a Grey Nun who refuses to leave the building. Lagrandeur, who “usually writes for women,” said that the conversation set her imagination in motion. “What if there was this one nun who did not want to go?” she asked, somewhat rhetorically. “What would she do about it? What would be her actions to counteract that?” After writing the script for a class, she asked Purves, who is studying performance, to co-direct with her. “We have similar senses of humour,” she said about her decision to approach her friend with the offer. “I figured he would be the perfect person to balance me out, and bring in new ideas. He is definitely better

with the whole performance and working with actors.” That sense of humour, influenced by a shared love for Saturday Night Live-style comedy, infuses the script, but it also shines through in the acting and stage direction. Purves praised the comedic chops of Amanda McQueen, who plays Sister McMullen, describing her as “reliable, physical and funny.” The notion of having a nun at the centre of a comedy isn’t new, and the co-directors are well-versed in previous incarnations of the genre. Purves mentioned they had The Sister Act and the ‘80s TV sitcom The Flying Nun on the mind while rehearsing. “That kind of schtick still is [in the play],” he acknowledged. However, while writing the script, Lagrandeur revealed that she had another type of character in mind. “I had thought of Scarlett O’Hara saying, ‘As God is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again,’ for some reason.” she said. “[Sister McMullen] definitely has a moment like that in the play, where she says, ‘I refuse to go down quietly! I will do something about this!’” They also drew inspiration from comediennes such as Lucille Ball and Carol Burnett, whose characters, like that of Sister McMullen, were “brassy and fiery.” As Purves and Lagrandeur pointed out, depictions of nuns in the media are usually one-sided. Purves stated, “It’s like when you think of a nun --” “You think of the habit,” Legrandeur finished. In reality, there’s more to the women of the Grey Nuns building than the “caricature of a nun.” “They have a sense of humour, at least

the ones that we met. They’re pretty funny ladies,” she added. The directors aim to bring that nuance to the audience, so that they can more fully understand the complexities of the women who do wear the habit. With that being said, however, the play is entirely fictional, a fact the directors emphasized. Even though they are “not totally hamming it up,” according to Purves, the character is one that that breaks the mould. The set was created with the intent of emphasizing the character’s feisty nature. Lagrandeur described it as monochromatic, so as to make the character stand out. “She will bring colour and life to the set,” she

explained. The first-time participants in the SIPA festival are confident about the reaction their play will provoke. “I really think people are going to fall in love with this character. I think people are going to root for her and I hope they just let themselves go along for the ride with her.” The SIPA festival runs Nov. 11 to 14 at the F.C. Smith Complex on the Loyola campus, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W. For information and showtimes, visit www.theatre.concordia. ca/news-and-events/events/fall-sipa-shortworks-festival.php.

FESTIVAL

A hipster mecca for everyone Ninth edition of Expozine attracts enthusiasts old and new Stephanie Mercier-Voyer Contributor

Authors, musicians, artists and producers will gather under the same roof on Nov. 13 and 14 for the ninth edition of one of North America’s largest small press fairs, Expozine. Thomas B. Martin, Chat Blanc Records’ graphic designer, attended last year’s Expozine. He compared it to “those big sci-fi conventions,” with “lots of Trekkies and Star Wars fans in big convention centres, sweating and talking Klingon,” except “instead of sweaty geeks, you get [sweaty] awesome creative people with crazy stuff to sell, in a church basement.” Expozine was created in 2002 after a bunch of small publishers and zine makers got together to make it happen. It was an instant success. Every year since its creation, the venue has been packed; hence the sweaty creative people mentioned by Martin. Louis Rastelli, one of Expozine’s organizers, estimates the number of visitors at up to 15,000, with over 300 exhibitors. He said “the challenge is making sure the event is not overbooked.” “Some people call it the “hipster mecca”, but in reality there are people of all ages,

Graphic by Phil Waheed

generally folks who read a lot of books, zines, graphic novels etc,” said Rastelli. Expozine is a great opportunity to buy publications you would not be able to find anywhere else in Montreal. It is also the place where magic happens when great artistic minds meet. “Almost every year, I meet graphic designers or musicians, that I happened to work with afterwards,” said Pascal Asselin, Chat Blanc’s co-founder. Chat Blanc Records was created in 2004 by Quebec City native Asselin, who is also known for making music under the moniker

Milimetrik. The label has over 54 releases to its name. It is now Asselin’s third consecutive year at Expozine, where Chat Blanc Records stands out from other labels because of its limited-run mini-cds. Asselin described the sleeves as “three inches by three inches, stitched by hand, with great graphic designs on both the mini-cd and the cover. [They’re] little pieces of art that comes with the music.” Martin will make good use of his artistic skills over the weekend to attract more

people to Chat Blanc’s table. “This year, I plan on drawing cats on little cards and give them to the people stopping by our table. I plan on charming cute girls with my cat drawings,” he said, adding that his intentions are to “meet interesting people to collaborate with, but mostly to charm cute girls.” The fair attracts English and French press alike. Nelson Roberge and Leonardo Calcagno founded Baron Magazine in December 2009, only a few months after BangBang, another publication they had created together, stopped print. Baron is published four times a year, while their website is regularly updated. They have been in the alternative publishing industry for about 15 years; they know what they are doing and it shows. The french magazine covers a variety of subjects, from arts and design to politics and travel. “We like to talk about things that are timeless and that interest us. Leo and I meet every week and discuss what’s happening in the world,” Roberge said. The 2010 fair is exciting for the duo since it will mark their first year as Expozine exhibitors, even though they attended every previous edition. Expozine will take place on Nov. 13 and 14 at the Saint-Enfant-Jésus du Mile-End Church. To start this weekend of sweaty discoveries on a good note, they are throwing a party at La Sala Rossa on Nov. 12, where it will be possible to meet some of the collaborators.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

CINEMA POLITICA

The view from 12th & Delaware Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing take us inside the American abortion war Race Capet Contributor Too often on this side of the border, American issues become reduced to pundits and politicians on the nightly news. 12th & Delaware is a corner of America few Canadians ever see—a place where all the rhetoric and soundbites fade away before the real, everyday struggle for the soul of the United States. On one side of the street, Candace runs A Woman’s World Medical Center, a for-profit abortion clinic in Fort Pierce, Fla. On the other side, Anne is the executive director of a crisis pregnancy centre which seeks to provide assistance and guidance to women interested in alternatives to abortion. 12th & Delaware is a smaller setting for a nation-wide debate on abortion. Directors Rachel Grady and Heidi Ewing (The Boys of Baraka and Jesus Camp) work hard to let these women and the cast of characters who surround them tell their own stories. There is no narration in the film. Ewing said the nature of narration is to highlight a director’s choices—a director’s slant. It’s hard enough to be balanced in treating a topic like this, she stated, without adding a “voice of God.” She sees the films she and Grady make as “mirrors we hold up to the viewer.”

Fetal development models used by the crisis pregnancy centre to protest the abortion clinic and show expectant mother what their babies look like. Photo by Katherine Patterson Sometimes we see faces in that mirror in 12th and Delaware, and sometimes we do not. We see faces of the young women who enter the pregnancy care centre and allow themselves to be filmed. We do not see the faces of the young women who go to the clinic across the street, who according to Ewing are not so willing to be recorded. Ewing sees this as a reflection of the “shame, embarrassment, stigma” which she feels continue to surround the issue of abortion in the United States. We see faces of protesters who stand outside the clinic clutching rosaries and praying for those within. We see the face of an old woman,

scolding Candace’s husband as he pulls out of the driveway in his bright yellow Mustang to pick up the doctors, whose service is the heart of the clinic’s trade. We do not see the faces of the abortionists, who are brought back with white sheets over them to protect their identities. What we don’t see is every bit as important as what we do in unfolding the story on both sides of the street, and is far more powerful than what we simply hear in narration. While Grady and Ewing have carefully tried to preserve their neutrality in 12th and Delaware, audiences and reviewers have not often shared this spirit. The film has provoked impassioned

responses from all sides of the debate, from the Family Research Council to NARAL Pro-Choice America. Ewing isn’t worried about the controversy, or the differing interpretations of the film’s intent. “Once we make a film, I’m done with it,” she said. The commentators and reviewers can “use it for any purpose they want.” And use it they do. 12th and Delaware has been hailed for its balanced transcendence of the usual back-and-forth bickering, decried as thinly disguised pro-choice propaganda, and criticized as too sympathetic to pro-life activists. There are as many opinions on it in the American press as there are viewers at its screenings. Now, with its recent appearance on HBO Canada (which will be showing it again in January) and its screening at Cinema Politica, 12th & Delaware is being put in front of a Canadian audience. “Canada is such an interesting place to show films,” observed Ewing, who feels that American discourse has “gone off the rails” compared to much of the rest of the developed world. She commented that Canadian audiences bring some sanity to the discussion with their comments and questions. Beyond what they can bring to the film, however, Ewing thinks there is also something for them to take away— “a cautionary tale for Canada” from their neighbours to the south. Whether the tale is a caution or an inspiration will be for Canadians to decide, when they see their own faces in the mirror at the corner of 12th & Delaware. 12th & Delaware will be showing at Cinema Politica, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. in Room H-110. You can learn more about this and other Cinema Politica films at www.cinemapolitica.org.

CINEMA POLITICA

Staying alive after war Aisheen gets to know the human beings beyond the bombs Valerie Cardinal Arts editor The residents of the Gaza Strip have to live with the threat of being bombed every day. In one scene from Nicolas Wadimoff’s Aisheen: Still Alive in Gaza, a family clears a field of the remains of 650-year-old olive trees destroyed by war. In another, a young girl tells the story of losing her mother during a bombing. “We live knowing that another bomb won’t miss us. We know we can die at any moment, at school…anywhere,” she says, before showing Wadimoff the first-aid kit she keeps in her closet, just in case. These are precisely the scenes Wadimoff sought to represent in Aisheen. He wanted to go beyond the beaten path to find out how the citizens of the Gaza strip are still being affected by the 2008-2009 war. “I wanted to try to get closer to the people, to the feelings, their emotions,” he said. Wadimoff had not planned on going to Gaza in 2009. However, something about how the situation was reported on the news struck him as odd. “We always see people in Gaza as if they have to belong to a representation of a function. They cannot just be human beings,” he explained. The Swiss filmmaker had already made many documentaries about Palestinian issues when he was contacted by the Al-Jazeera Children’s Channel to make a film about the war. “When I arrived in Gaza, I didn’t really know what kind of film I would do,” he shared. “I knew what kind of film I didn’t want to do. I didn’t want to do something about victims and terrorists only,” continued

Above: Two boys show off the only fish caught in their net after an entire day of work. Below: Children play at a partially destroyed theme park in Gaza City.

Wadimoff, stating that these archetypes had already been too enforced by the media. He wanted to make a film about the civilians who are never seen on the news. “So we went with the car we had from north to south and we just stopped by when we saw some interesting scenes,” he shared. According to Wadimoff, these stories haven’t been aired before because journalists in Gaza are very restricted by both the Israelis and Palestine’s Hamas government. “It’s not because the journalists don’t do their job, it’s just because they don’t have any choice,” he stated. However, the crew had no problems with the Israeli government once their permit for 14 days of filming was approved. “They are really out of Gaza...they are not on the field, on the ground, you never see them,” he said. “The Hamas people…I think at the time we were there they had other issues more important than checking a film crew. So they absolutely let us do what we wanted, we had no restrictions, nothing.” The theme of the film came about when Wadimoff and his crew travelled to Jabalia in the North of Gaza. They noticed an old woman wandering between the destroyed buildings. “She looked like she was trying to collect some small pieces of a past life,” said Wadimoff. “It’s how we started to see the people.” The crew began to look at the people in the “strange atmosphere of a desolated Western, like maybe Mad Max,” and saw human beings just trying to live normal lives. The title of the film, Aisheen, means “still alive” in Arabic. Wadimoff wants viewers to understand that the residents of Gaza are just normal people. “They are not crazy militants and not poor victims,” he said. “They’re just people. This is it.” The Quebec premiere of Aisheen: Still Alive in Gaza will be playing at Cinema Politica Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. Nicolas Wadimoff will be present for a Q&A. For more information, check out www.cinemapolitica. org/concordia

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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

11

FILM FESTIVAL

Making an event of French cinema Cinemania brings together both English and French viewers Philippe Ostiguy Contributor The century-old Cinéma Impérial, with its golden balcony and chandeliers, is one of Montreal’s best-hidden architectural treasures - and its last big screen of such majesty. Much to the delight of local cinephiles, the Impérial is home to the Cinemania French film festival, currently in its 16th edition. As its 30 films are shown on the same screen, returning viewers often reunite in the building’s cozy café to discuss the projections. This gives Cinemania “a unique cineclub aspect,” according to Josée Gauthier, one of the event’s major producers. Gauthier, who joined the festival two years ago after working in television, is a Concordia communications alumna working on her master’s degree at UQAM studying relationships between film directors and their producers. Gauthier’s studies have given her an acute understanding of media communication and related industries, which in turn gives her reason to strongly believe in Cinemania, a project she works on 10 months per year. “The challenge we face is not so much the city’s bilingualism. The English subtitles solve that easily,” she said, noting that an “enormous” portion of the festival’s public consists of non-French speakers enthused by the universal themes displayed in the films. “The challenge rather lies in the current state of French cinema itself: it is not distributed in our theatres anymore,” said Gauthier. “American films and their large distributors monopolize the screens.” Consequently, foreign films’ smaller distributors are left with very few theatres - and this reduction eventually affects the public’s interest. “Cinemania’s purpose is to ensure French movies will be seen despite the fact that most of them will never be shown in local theatres,” Gauthier said. “It gives a unique opportunity to see them on the big screen.” The festival’s goal is clear: to make French cinema shine. Year after year, festival-goers are impressed and intrigued by the wide variety offered by Cinemania’s program, which is the result of an intense selection process. “There are three guiding lines,” explained Gauthier. “First, we incorporate films that have made waves in international festivals - Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Toronto. Second, we focus on debuts. We want to give space to new talent, new directors. Third, we include French box-office mega-hits, popular and unifying movies.” Gauthier emphasized the ab-

In festival opener Copacabana, a mother (Isabelle Huppet, right) tries to win back the affections of her daughter (Lolita Chammah) after no being invited to her wedding. sence of snobbery in either category. This allows all-star romp Potiche starring Catherine Deneuve and Gérard Depardieu to coexist with first-time director Léa Fehner’s poignant drama Qu’un seul tienne et les autres suivront (Silent Voices) to create a program of rare open-mindedness. Each chosen film also makes its Quebecois (and, in many cases, Canadian or North American) premiere at the festival. If the two films chosen to preview the festival are any indication, French cinema will indeed shine this year. Copacabana and Pieds nus sur les limaces (Lily Sometimes) are both moving displays of humanity of remarkably accessible depth. The former, chosen as the festival’s opening picture, focuses on a frivolous mother (a hilarious, scene-stealing Isabelle Huppert) and her attempts to win back her square daughter’s approval. The final product is a wise and comedic social critique. The latter is a tale of outstanding grace featuring stunning visuals and memorable performances by Ludivine Sagnier and Diane Kruger as sisters redefining their lives after their mother’s sudden passing. Interestingly, if both films are family-driven dramedies, their tone and aesthetics are so contrasting that their comparison is null. Therein lies the strength of the selection - the ability to constantly reach audiences while avoiding redundancy.

From left to right: CINEMANIA spokesman Yves Jacques, managing director Geneviève Royer and president Maidy Teitelbaum.

And knowing cinephiles trust Cinemania. “They are delighted. They come with their schedules and their lists and purchase tickets as if it were a scientific exercise,” Gauthier gushed. As a devotee of French and European cinema --she fell in love with it thanks to Truffaut’s Les Quatre Cents Coups and Kieslowski’s Les Trois Couleurs trilogy -- this enthusiasm gives her a

tremendous sense of accomplishment. She confidently promised that this year’s Cinemania will be “an incredible edition of the festival.” Cinemania runs from Nov. 4-14, at Cinéma Impérial, 1430 de Bleury St. For film information and schedule, visit www.cinemaniafilmfestival.com

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theconcordian

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

SPOILER ALERT

Watching Kanye s latest epic Jessica watched Runaway so you don’t have to

Jessica Wei Contributor Man. I love Kanye. Seriously. Love when he’s asserting his power as a rapper to call out political figures when he feels racially discriminated against. I love when he cuts people off mid-acceptance speech when he feels that they’ve won unjustly. I love when he samples the shit out of older and more successful songs, raps overtop and releases them as singles. So when he put out this 34-minute music video two weeks ago to build hype for his album, my mouse was all up in that business. But you know what? No matter how much I, or anyone else, loves him, this video proves that nobody loves Yeezy more than Yeezy. Have fun wrapping your academic brains around this one, homeslizzles. The video opens up, like, really dramatically. You can tell it’s dramatic because Yeezy’s running down a highway and it’s dark. His shirt’s half-buttoned and a choir sings a requiem. Drama! He’s coasting down the forest road in a slick-ass car, passing some curious deer. There are quick shots of flaming orbs of light here and there, but whatevs, he’s chilling – just ask the deer. Neither Bambi nor Yeezy’s Tatra MTX V8 can avoid what happens next, though. Light shoots down, then -- blank screen! Ridiculous car on fire! But he’s cool as ever, his suit’s not even wrinkled. He’s hit this slutty bird-woman – that’s not gonna look good on his insurance. So he carries her to his place as the car explodes in the background in slow motion (gets rid of the evidence, plus slow-mo walk-aways are so badass). Back at home, she’s good entertainment: feeding the birds, playing with visiting sheep, dancing as he tinkers with a sound mixer. Also, she’s, like, really hot, and her bra could rival Lil’ Kim’s in near-nip-slips. At night, they take walks under

fireworks as a black kid dressed in red runs through a field with a torch fuming red smoke. Symbolism! An elderly marching band also intercepts their stroll, towing a parade float of Michael Jackson’s head. Just a regular Wednesday night in the West household, complete with the red KKK-type hoods. Yeezy throws a dinner party but invites only people with all-white wardrobes. The caterers all look like frowny Padme Amidalas. He’s making some pretty huge political strides in this scene, as the only white people in this video are the servers. Anyway, his girlfriend’s fumbling to pick up bread, and his buddy’s like, “Did you know that your girlfriend’s a bird?” That’s, like, a really good question, but Kanye’s miffed. He sulks over to the piano and starts busting some rhymes as a flock of ballet dancers in black tutus shuffle over. It’s pretty cool, I guess, ‘cause they’re getting

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really into it. He’s rapping: “She finds pictures in my e-mail/I sent this bitch a picture of my dick/I don’t know what it is with females/But I’m not too good at that shit” and they look like the cast of Swan Lake. Penetrating lyricism, obviously. Back at the dinner table, Padme brings out the main course --- mmmmm, colourful turkey. Chick flips the fuck out, but come on, Kanye’s only butchered and served her cousin up on a platter in front of her. Besides, the guests are leaving. Despite that, they have deep talks, though. Like this one: CHICK: Nice statues. YEEZY: Thanks. CHICK: I was kidding, they’re actually horrible. YEEZY:....... CHICK: Stop killing my homies. YEEZY: ….

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CHICK: Seriously. BRB, gotta burn (or something) YEEZY: Shit. He’s sad, so they start doin’ the nasty. She’s giving her O-face in slow-mo with a pool of red light surrounding them on the roof. Uncomfortable. The sun rises. He wakes up alone, in his navy suit and loafers. He starts running, and it’s back to the first scene again, with his shirt halfway buttoned. Dusky. He should probably look up, ‘cause she’s soaring higher, but nothing beats aimless running, right? Anyway, it ends with one more orb of light shooting into the sky, and his name in pretty much every credit. Nice direction, Kanye, but the acting’s a little lacklustre. Maybe next time, don’t count on the last girl who gave you a decent blowjob for any acting awards.

music

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

13

Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com PROFILE

Portrait of a successful college radio station CJLO gets noticed after years of hard work, love of music Cora Ballou Staff writer On the far and distant campus of Loyola, nestled in the recesses of the structure romantically known as the CC Building, there lies an unassuming hallway lined with doors. The walls are covered with stickers and, for the most part, the place is quiet. Then, with a flick of a switch, a sign proudly displaying the words ON AIR lights up, and suddenly the whole place comes alive with the sound of music. This is CJLO, Concordia’s very own radio station. And on this windy Thursday night, local band Random Recipe have dropped by to play live on Grrls Groove, a late night show run by Concordia journalism student Emily Brass. The booth is made up of couches, a table and a few microphones, and framed by a large window that reveals a control room. Behind that lies another room where the band is set up. They sit on stools, separated by portable walls, cradling their instruments in the small space. Headphones allow them to hear one another as well as their host, Miss Brass, yet they can see nothing but the engineer in the control booth. Not exactly a “live” experience. But this is the reality of radio and from the many awards that line walls of the main booth, CJLO seems to be doing it right. Having returned from New York City’s CMJ Music Marathon with five out of 11 award nominations late in October, spirits are definitely running high. Especially for the members who have had the chance to see the station grow over the years. But they would be the first to admit that things did not always run so smoothly. Begun in 1998, the station was initially broadcasted only over the campus speaker system. With the advent of the Internet, CJLO went online, but had yet to be heard on the regular airwaves. “Back in those days, the station was essentially being built from the ground up,” explained music director Omar Hussain. “We would constantly hear that we’d be on air in six months and nothing would come out of it. You would come in and nobody would be here, nothing would be on air and all our mail would be stolen. Our cabinets would be broken into which meant a week’s worth of new releases would be gone -- it’s what we like to call the dark ages of CJLO!” But as the years passed, a group of innovative and ambitious people joined the team

Volunteer Gareth Sloan (left) and music director Brian Joseph hang the 2010 CMJ awards.

Lachlan Fletcher deejays Acetate Gratified every Monday. Photos by Sarah Deshaies who, as Hussain put it, “saw the potential for the station to really get off the ground.” After years of applying for bandwidth, the station was finally granted the domain of 1690 AM. They were finally ON AIR. But it didn’t happen without blood, sweat and tears. As station manager Katie Seline explained, “It was a really long and terrible process to get on AM. Everything that could have gone wrong w`ent wrong. Thankfully, in the meantime, we kept on building up the station so that when we finally got the license, the internal structure was already in place.” As the station grew, so did networking

opportunities. “We had always been told that CMJ [Music Marathon] was a great place to get your station known. But at the time there was no budget,” explained Hussain. “At one point, the board gave us a something ridiculous like $200 for two of us to go. There was no way we could have pulled it off. I remember Louis Rozza – the co-music director at the time – saying we should go and just camp out in bus stations and 24-hour coffee shops and take turns sleeping. In the end, we decided against it but in retrospect I kind of wish we had. That would be a great story to tell.” But the staff did not give up, and after much work, the station was granted a more

reasonable budget. “When we came back we just knew we had to go every year because it was such a great networking opportunity,” said Hussain. And now five years down the line, the award wall has grown to include Music Director of the Year (Omar Hussain), Best Team Effort (2008, 2009, 2010) as well as their most recent wins for Station of the Year, Best Use of Limited Resources, and Best Newcomer (Adrian Warner). Not to mention Hussain’s win for Most Love For the Game. “Yeah, I have no idea what that’s about.” he admits facetiously. “But it’s still great. I like to say I don’t like radio, but really, I love it.” For her part, Seline sees the awards as an acknowledgement of the station’s hard work and perseverance. “It’s just nice to be recognized for all the things we’ve been doing this year,” she said. These “things” are a laundry list of successes, honors and community work. In September, CJLO represented Canada at the Radio Festival in Zurich, Switzerland. This was followed by a Superchunk show which CJLO produced along with local promoters Blue Skies Turn Black. They have been nominated in The Mirror’s yearly “Best of Montreal” list and also recently introduced a program for high school students looking for experience in radio. But even with all this, the team is not ready to slow down. “People know who we are now which is great,” said Seline. “We don’t want to stop now that we’ve been acknowledged for everything we’ve been doing.” But as Random Recipe strums the first chords to their newest single “Shipwreck” on this cold Thursday evening, the future is just a distant thought. Even though the group is definitely up and coming, they were picked for this show more for what they represent. Grrls Groove features almost exclusively female artists who, as Brass puts it, “have the drive and energy to do music seriously.” A musician herself, Brass noticed the lack of female artists in the music scene. “I just want to encourage and promote female artists to get out there and do their thing.” But philosophy and rhetoric aside, as beatboxing tough girl Fab goes into her first verse, the only thing on everyone’s minds is the music. From the DJs, to the engineers, right up to the directors, the thing that drives all of them is their love of music. It’s never been about the fame or the notoriety. It’s about getting heard out in the world so that, for one moment, we can all be connected by that one universal language, music. Catch Grrls Groove Thursday nights at 10 p.m. on 1690 AM or online at www.cjlo. com. Also watch for Random Recipe at this year’s M for Montreal on Nov. 19 at the Cabaret Juste Pour Rire.

CITY

Montreal says goodbye to two landmark music venues JFL venues will close Jan. 1 due to lack of funds Katelyn Spidle Music editor The Just For Laughs Museum will be closing its doors on Jan. 1, and this means the loss of two respected music venues in the Plateau neighborhood. The building has been consistently losing money since it was founded in 1993, according to managing director of the Just For Laughs Museum David Heurtel.

The news may come as a shock to Montrealers, but not to those who work in the music industry. The Just for Laughs Studio and Cabaret, located on Saint-Laurent Boulevard just below Sherbrooke Street, have a capacity of 200 and 350 respectively, and although the venues are frequently booked, founder Gilbert Rozon has had to fork out $10 million over 17 years to keep the business afloat. “[Music venues] rely on the people going to their [for shows],” said Patrice Caron, operations manager for the M For Montreal music festival. “And hopefully these people are drinking beer. Usually you never make money off the door.” Concerts gain their biggest revenue from

bar sales. These, Heurtel explained, weren’t generating enough revenue to support the whole building. So what does it take to keep a music venue open in Montreal? “You have to have lots of money and some good friends to make it happen,” said Caron. When operating a music venue that is open year-round, some months will be busier than others. If the owner doesn’t have the money to get through the slower months, it can be very difficult to stay open. Caron emphasized that people who operate a music venue do so because it’s their passion, and not for the money. Eventually however, it doesn’t make sense to stick with a business that isn’t turning out

profits. “That’s the name of the game. You have to make some money and if you don’t, you close and that’s it.” Caron believes that there are two primary reasons why music venues struggle. The first is that they receive no government support, either in the form of funding or promoting local acts. The second is that there simply aren’t enough people going to shows. The latter, he fears, is a cultural trend; people would rather download a band’s music for free than pay $10 or $15 to see them live. So although the loss of Cabaret and Studio is a significant blow to both bands and festival organizers, it is but a small symptom of a greater struggle facing Montreal venue owners.

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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

14

PROFILE

Exploring roots through music This duo’s bassheavy beats will have fans yelling “Bonjay!” Katelyn Spidle Music editor If you’ve ever been to a party in Grenada, chances are you’ve heard the expression “Bonjay!” which comes from “bon Dieu!” in French or “good God!” in English. While this is a common exclamation in the country where her mother was born, Alanna Stuart found it to be quite well suited as a band name. Bonjay, which consists of Stuart and Ian “Pho” Swain, have slowly “stumbled” their way onto the music scene since they paired up in the mid 2000s. At the time, Swain and some of his friends were throwing a monthly party in Ottawa they called Disorganized which, as Stuart described, “went on to become legendary.” “We started out doing bass-heavy covers and re-edits of indie tunes. Our versions of TV On The Radio’s ‘Staring At The Sun’ and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ ‘Maps’ caught the attention of people online, so we started getting asked to play shows out of town. It wasn’t until 2007 that we began making our own original tunes. That’s what I consider to be our real start,” Stuart explained. The duo released their long-awaited first EP Gimmee Gimmee in 2009 after having already built up a strong and faithful following. The release saw them featured in the Montreal Mirror, as well as NOW and Nightlife Magazine. In line with Bonjay’s Grenadian roots, Swain and Stuart decided to include a freestyle in the song “Gimmee Gimmee”

Alanna Stuart of Bonjay.

Ian “Pho” Swain (left) and Alanna Stuart (right) are a productive pair. Photo by Laurie Kang that was done in Gypsy, a somewhat secret language spoken by adults in the Caribbean country. When creating their music, the band draws in a wide range of influences which stretch across musical genres and cultures. This has made Bonjay’s sound difficult to describe or pin to a particular genre. Stuart imagines their sound as being the middle ground where both her and Swain’s influences meet. “We have a shared appreciation for dancehall reggae, but otherwise my taste tends toward more indie or dark soul music. Pho brings in his appreciation for UK dance music and all sorts of weird hip-hop

stuff,” she pointed out. Well aware of the fact that their music has not yet been successfully pigeonholed, Swain said that he has started to tell people that it is ‘bass-heavy, futuristic soul music.’ Their latest release features half a dozen tunes and is entitled Broughtupsy--a name which means “raised with good manners” in Patois. “In Jamaica, if you’re rude or out of order, someone might say: ‘Dem nuh have no broughtupsy,’” explained Stuart. Swain then added that the songs have to do with coming of age, fitting in and finding your place in the world. This is a common thread that Bonjay

only realized existed when it came time to choose a title for the album. Being a twosome, musicmaking is a collaborative process which acts as a co-dependency. Stuart and Swain each have their own areas of expertise, although they are hoping to become more proficient in each other’s strong points. In the studio, Stuart handles the engineering while Swain takes care of production, and onstage she works the loop pedal while he creates the live beats and effects. Stuart always heads up the vocals and both are equally involved in songwriting. Bonjay is currently making its way west across Canada to show off the new album, but the duo is also kickstarting a more interactive way of putting on their live shows. “We’re really excited about this tour because it’s our first run of shows with our new format. We’ve tucked away the turntables to start making the beats live,” Stuart revealed. Catch Bonjay with Glasser and Twin Shadow on Nov. 10 at Il Motore.

REVIEW

Wintersleep brings earnest Canadian rock to Montreal The Besnard Lakes and Rah Rah rounded out a night of quality music Colin Harris Staff writer Fans brushed off the first snow of the season when they arrived at Cabaret Mile End on Oct. 30 and were kept warm by the guitar-driven songs of The Besnard Lakes and Rah Rah, openers for Wintersleep. Rah Rah’s peppy indie rock entertained those who got there early while The Besnard Lakes put on a show that rivaled the headliner’s performance. Dressed in a Don King costume, Richard White created thick, textural guitar riffs. The whole band benefited from his superb effectsladen tone. Dressed as Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander, frontman Jace Lasek held the attention of the audience with his haunting falsetto. The band’s vibrant energy and psychedelic indie tunes more than warmed up their hometown crowd. Wintersleep filled the majority of their set with driving rock numbers and this made the quiet contrast of their few ballads all the more effective. A definite highlight was “Dead Letter & the Infinite Yes,” a song that created an intimate experience under soft-coloured light. While the upbeat “Oblivion” and “Archaeologist” had the crowd bouncing along, it was the dynamic

change created by the softer moments of their set that made the show. About six songs into the set the Halifax quintet played arguably their biggest radio single “Weighty Ghost.” At the strum of the song’s first chord, Wintersleep had the whole crowd’s attention. Placing the recent single “Black Camera” immediately after made for a double shot of the Wintersleep the whole crowd knew, which is just what the band needed to pick up on the momentum created by The Besnard Lakes. Singer/guitarist Paul Murphy didn’t have much to say to the crowd besides “thanks” until a wigged punter drunkenly climbed onstage. Murphy asked if he was dressed as Captain Morgan, to which the man replied: “We’re all pirates!” Needless to say, security removed him pretty quickly. The band’s stage presence was great, but at times it was hard to hear Murphy’s voice. Whenever they played aggressively his vocals were drowned out by the instruments, and though the sound technician had plenty of time to fix this problem, it was never resolved. Luckily the group vocals of their latest single “Preservation” were able to shine through in full force. In an impressively long set, the group performed the majority of the songs from their last two records. While Wintersleep played a show that displayed both quality and quantity, the 90minute set would have benefited from more variety. The slower-paced feel of the group’s first two records was notably lacking in the show. Older fans may have been expecting to hear “Jaws of Life” during the encore, but it never came. In the last few years, the band has developed a more radio-friendly sound, perhaps due to lineup changes, new goals, or changing tastes. A lot of their recent songs seem to follow the same

pattern, as if their upbeat tracks were all derived from the same ideas. Although the songs are well-written, it’s doubtful that the group will be able to use this same formula for much longer. Their dynamic range has been shrinking since 2005’s Untitled, made evident by the band’s selection of songs for their set. That being said, Wintersleep played a great concert overall. “Miasmal Smoke & the Yellow

Bellied Freaks” was one of the last songs of the night, where drummer Loel Campbell had the space to bang out a variety of beats while Tim D’Eon rocked the hell out of the keyboard with a simple, but essential line. While not the side of Wintersleep that jams with the likes of Buck 65 or Holy Fuck, everyone in the crowd seemed to get what they were expecting with all three bands playing solid sets.

The Besnard Lakes’ Jace Lasek.

Paul Murphy of Wintersleep.

Photos by Hannah Jung

15

theconcordian

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

MIXTAPE

SIDE B

SIDE A

That teenage feeling

Hannah Jung Staff writer

The teenage years are such a tender and formative time in our lives, the time when we begin the painful and angsty process of assuming person-hood. A teenager wrestles with the inherent playfulness of childhood while beginning to take on the maturity of an adult. It is a time of experimentation with drugs, drinks and the limits of rebellion. High school is a training ground for socialization: for parties, romance and gossip.

On the one hand, there is the awkwardness of physical development and feelings of loneliness and rejection, but on the other hand, there is the excitement of crushes, love, and “first times.” This mix embodies the blend of emotions that characterize “That Teenage Feeling.”

1. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” – Nirvana – Nevermind - 1991 2. “Sweet Sixteen” – Think About Life – Family - 2009 3. “Peppermint Taste” – Hefner – Dead Media - 2001 4. “Under My Thumb” – Rolling Stones – Hot Rocks 19641971 (Disc 1) - 1971 5. “Teenagers” – Department of Eagles – In Ear Park - 2008 6. “Loser” – Beck – Mellow Gold - 1994 7. “Eighties Fan” – Camera Obscura – Biggest Blue Hi Fi 2001 8. “Margaret vs. Pauline” – Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings The Flood - 2006 9. “My Best Friend’s Girl” – The Cars – The Cars - 1978 10. “Anthems For A Seventeen-Year Old Girl” – Broken Social Scene – You Forgot It In The People – 2002

To listen go to: http://www.8tracks.com/ the_concordian/that-teenage-feeling

Quick Spins

11. “Subterranean Homesick Blues” – Bob Dylan – Bringing It All Back Home - 1965 12. “Dying In Frisco” – Vin Cat – I Like Their Older Stuff Better - 2005 13. “Combat Baby” – Metric – Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? - 2003 14. “It’s A Hard Knock Life” – Jay-Z - Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life - 1998 15. “Somebody Told Me” – The Killers – Hot Fuss - 2004 16. “The Body Says No” – The New Pornographers – Mass Romantic - 2000 17. “Breaking Into Cars” – The Raveonettes – In And Out Of Control - 2009 18. “Friday I’m In Love” – The Cure – Wish - 1992 19. “Bad Feelings” – The Robot Ate Me – Carousel Waltz - 2005 20. “That Teenage Feeling” – Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings The Flood – 2006

Retro review

Krieg – The Isolationist (Candlelight Records; 2010)

Violens - Amoral (Static Recital; 2010)

None More Black - Icons (Fat Wreck Chords; 2010)

Townes Van Zandt- The Late Great Townes Van Zandt (Tomato; 1972)

Though its cover is reminiscent of Joy Division’s album Closer, the bulk of the songs on Krieg’s latest release The Isolationist are pure, hateful and nihilistic. This makes the band an anomaly in the American scene, where the rise of Cascadian and Bay Area black metal has resulted in the integration of a variety of influences such as post-rock and classic heavy metal. Fortunately, Krieg manages to avoid the monotony that often besets this sub-genre. Producer Sanford Parker has done an admirable job of capturing the band’s sound. While still imbuing the band with the right amount of grime, he has also allotted due space to each instrument. The result is a record which is as lush as it is menacing. Frontman Imperial’s vocals are fantastic, without deviating from the standard black metal rasp. Every phrase he utters drips with the sort of hatred towards humanity that can only come from living in New Jersey. Despite some odd interludes, The Isolationist is emotionally charged and musically fascinating. Fans of second-wave black metal need to check this album out.

What do you get when you mix ‘60s pop tunes with glittery ‘80s production and nightmare-inspired lyrics? You get The Violens’ debut album, Amoral. Although the New York City band has only been together for about two years, they’ve already toured with the likes of MGMT, and fellow New Yorkers Grizzly-Bear and Yeasayer. This will inevitably raise the question: how much of their success is due to the abundance of coattails they had to grab onto? Regardless, Amoral does present an interesting listen. Songs like “Violent Sensation Descends” demonstrates poppy, Zombie-esque guitar work and vocals, while the prominent bass lines and drums in “Acid Reign” and “Until It’s Unlit” might make you want to search for a pair of moon boots and all the hair spray you can find. The album successfully meshes the music of two distinct generations, but does little to break any new ground in the process. Any innovation within the music is overshadowed by the overall sound, which seems to be going for “retro,” but just comes off as dated.

After a hiatus from music to pursue his education, Kid Dynamite’s Jason Shevchuk returned to the scene with None More Black. Four years and a few lineup changes since their last album This Is Satire, Shevchuk and company have taken to the southern sounds that are dominating rock ‘n’ roll. Sharp, snappy drum lines, fast melodic guitars and Shevchuk’s infamous rasp make this album a real taste of punk rock with a hint of country delivered like a punch to the nose. The pop sounds are still there, making the songs easy to sing along to with a few cans of PBR in your belly, but still musically sufficient enough to get respect from the aficionados of rock. Too few bands have realized that real rock ‘n’ roll comes from the gut. None More Black have done just that: they released an album that has been stripped of all the extra weight of bells and whistles, and it reeks of authenticity.

Townes Van Zandt wasn’t dead yet when The Late Great Townes Van Zandt came out in 1972, but he certainly was great. The troubled Texan songwriter is in fine form here, showing some of his strongest work. The album opens with the upbeat “No Lonesome Tune,” a traditional-style country number, before moving on to the more depressing (and typical) “Sad Cinderella.” While there aren’t any throwaway tracks on the album, the strongest ones come towards the end including Van Zandt’s most famous song “Pancho and Lefty,” the tragic story of two Mexican bandits. The song is also one of the best displays of Van Zandt’s inimitable guitar picking. The album suffers somewhat from overproduction, as orchestral flourishes occasionally overwhelm songs like “Silver Ships of Andilar,” which is an uncharacteristically epic folk ballad. The Late Great Townes Van Zandt draws from traditional folk and country music, but still seems timeless.

Trial Track: “Mr. Artistic”

Trial Track: “Acid Reign”

Trial Track: “Pancho and Lefty”

Trial Track: “All Paths to God”

7.5/10

- Alexandre Perrault

6.0/10

- Robert Flis

7.5/10

- Mathieu Barrot

- Jacob Serebrin

sports 16

Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com PROFILE

From the sideline to the huddle

Terrance Morsink stepped in as quarterback when Robert Mackay was injured early in the season. “It was hard to see that happen to him, but for me, it was a great opportunity.” Photo by Sarah Deshaies

Stinger Terrance Morsink’s transition to field general Stefano Mocella Staff writer Imagine for a second that you’re a backup quarterback. It’s your second year and you have perhaps the best quarterback in the province ahead of you. You don’t expect to be the starter anytime soon. Your goals for the season are to learn from him and take those lessons into future years. All of a sudden, the starter suffers a devastating concussion and winds up being out for the season. Now your team needs you to be the guy in command of the offence. This is what happened to Terrance Morsink.“I felt terrible for Rob,” said Morsink of Robert Mackay, whose injury in game one wound up ending his season. “It was hard to see that happen to him, but for me, it was a great opportunity. I hate sitting on the bench and I was excited to step into action and help my team win.” Usually, with a backup quarterback in charge, the team’s playoff hopes are essentially

gone. But although his inexperience eventually got the best of him, he did what few secondyear backups could do: he brought the Concordia Stingers within one game of the playoffs. Morsink went 3-4 in his seven starts. There was a lot of pressure on him, as the Stingers had trouble running the football all season. Morsink led the conference in pass attempts with 302 and throwing that many passes is tough for a young quarterback. He wound up with 2,037 yards on the season with eight touchdowns. Morsink’s undoing was his 18 interceptions, a weakness he would be the first to acknowledge. “I just didn’t make the right decisions,” said Morsink. “There were times when I could’ve just taken a sack or thrown it away, but I forced way too many throws.” Of course, making mistakes is all part of the growing pains for a young quarterback. Perhaps Morsink is emulating two of his biggest idols of football. John Elway and Peyton Manning, threw their fair share of picks early on. Elway threw 14 in his first 10 starts while Manning threw 28 in his rookie season. Not to make any comparisons, but maybe the Quebec conference should stay alert in the future. If you talked to Morsink, though, you’d know he doesn’t care about stats. Well, except for one: the ‘w’s. “Your goal for any season should be to win the Vanier Cup,” said Morsink. “As long as we keep winning, I don’t care about my own

stats.” There is no guarantee that Morsink will be the starter next year, but he showed some good signs this year. When he learns to make better decisions and becomes more comfortable with his offence, he will have great potential. Morsink showed that he could win this season and with more experience, more wins should come. The business student credits a lot of his success to his coach, Gerry McGrath. “Watching game film with him is amazing,” said Morsink. “He’s so good at breaking down defences and he’s so passionate about football. That really rubs off on us as a team.”

“

As long as we keep winning, I don’t care about my own stats. Terrance Morsink

Morsink has known McGrath for a while. In his mid-teens, he attended several mini-Stingers camps and got to know his future coach. While he attended John Abbott and played for the Islanders, Concordia recruited him. Morsink ultimately chose Concordia for its business

program and the coach he had grown familiar with. “I made the most progress as a quarterback from those camps I spent with Coach McGrath,” said Morsink. “I loved his coaching style and I knew he could help me most.” Morsink started his football career as a running back and a linebacker, but his father/ coach knew he had more potential as a pivot. Morsink’s father coached him through peewee and bantam and knew where his son’s potential lay. “I wasn’t that fast and my dad told me if I wanted to play at the next level, my best chance was to be a quarterback,” said Morsink. While Morsink has made much progress as a quarterback, he doesn’t see himself going to the next level. Morsink would love to be the first, but he doesn’t see that as an option. “I’m realistic,” said Morsink. “I think what I’d really love to do is coach. If coaching could be my job, I’d love nothing more than that.” Morsink’s passion is still football first, and he has his reasons. While he said he might wind up with a “regular job,” as he puts it, his dreams will always have to do with football. “I enjoy all the competition, aggressiveness and strategy that goes into it,” says Morsink. “Other sports you play so many games in a season, but in football, every game requires so much work and it builds discipline.” Sounds like something a coach would say.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

RUGBY

17

Stingers place second at Nationals in overtime loss Women defeat reigning champs, win silver in OT Kelly Greig Staff writer When Concordia’s women’s rugby team won their Quebec final last week against Laval, they were happy, but not satisfied. The only way the undefeated squad was going to be satisfied was if they had a medal around their necks at Nationals. The Stingers accomplished that goal last Sunday at Trent University, although it was not the colour they had hoped for. The snow couldn’t stop Concordia, as they started the tournament with an impressive 32-3 win over the Queen’s University Golden Gaels. Stinger star Jackie Tittley led the scoring with 12 points coming from three converts and two penalty kicks. Erika Hamilton, Jessie Lapointe and rookie Cara Stuckey all put points on the board. Although the backs were racking up the points, most of the play stayed with the forwards. Snow and messy conditions offer too many chances for dropped balls, so the Stingers were playing it safe. The Stingers won the game easily against the battered Golden Gaels, who had lost to powerhouse University of Lethbridge Pronghorns the day before. The next day, the Stingers moved on the face Lethbridge, the reigning three-time consecutive champions and four-time podium finishers. Going into Nationals, everyone knew that the Pronghorns were the team to beat. That’s exactly what the underdog Stingers did on Saturday in a 19-12 upset. What was especially surprising is that Quebec MVP Tittley was out of the game with an undisclosed illness. Prop Solange De Blois stepped up to score the first try of the game off a five-metre maul, but the Pronghorns responded late in the half with their own try. Lethbridge would take the lead early in the second, putting pressure on Concordia to play for their lives. On their patented play, the Stingers repeated the five-metre maul and this time, captain Claire Hortop put the

Jenna Giuliani and Mandie Aldridge fight for the ball against the Queen’s Golden Gaels. Photo by Matt Stetson ball down. Hamilton converted the try and Concordia drew closer to knocking off the champs. With no time left, the Stingers put the nails in the coffin when De Blois added her second try of the game. Hamilton’s convert finished off the scoring and the University of Lethbridge’s chance at a record four consecutive championship wins. So the Stingers were off to the finals for the first time in the team’s history. They were assured a medal, the only question was whether it would be gold or silver. Concordia’s opponent in the final was AUS champion St. Francis-Xavier University from Antigonish, N.S. The X-Women have appeared at Nationals every year since the tournament was established 13 years ago, but

have only won one title. Concordia’s most recent appearance at Nationals was last year, where they placed fourth. The game was hotly contested and was only decided in sudden-death overtime. The X-Women opened the scoring, putting up a try and a conversion to make it 7-0. Starting hooker Sarah Scanlon pushed over the line to catch Concordia up, but the kick for added points sailed wide. Concordia came out of the half with all pistons firing and, like deja vu, Lisa Hoffman scored off a five-metre maul. The Stingers kept the pressure on and had several opportunities to widen their lead. Every time they seemed to bounce off the huge StFX pack and failed to touch the ball down. The patient X-Women wore the

Stingers down, took advantage of Concordia’s weariness and inevitably scored when Asya Bartley tied it up at 12. For almost the entirety of the 10-minute sudden-death overtime, the X-Women were at Concordia’s doorstep. The Stingers had to make try-saving tackle after try-saving tackle to keep StFX out of the zone. When it seemed like Concordia had worn the clock down, StFX’s Olivia DeMerchant barged through the forward pack to secure the championship and hand Concordia their first loss of the season. Although the Stingers finished short, they accomplished what they set out to do. Concordia comes home with silver medals around their necks after a nail-biting ending to their near-perfect season.

RUGBY

Stingers headed for final after close call with Bishop’s Will face McGill in men’s rugby showdown Kelly Greig Staff writer The Concordia men’s rugby team advanced to the championships Sunday with a narrow 13-12 win over the Bishop’s Gaiters. In a thrilling conclusion, the game’s deciding play didn’t come until the last moment. It fell to Xavier Birot, Concordia’s veteran kicker, to give the Stingers the one-point lead. His penalty kick from 26 yards out bounced off the upright and fell in to give the Stingers the two needed points. It was a game that was harder than it needed to be for the Stingers. Earlier this season, they had beaten the Gaiters 24-7 and 15-13. “We’re doing it to ourselves and putting ourselves in a bad position,” said head coach Clive Gibson, discussing the Stingers’ weak field position. “Then we need to dig ourselves out, which is exhausting. If we manage to succeed, we take a lot of energy out of ourselves and have nothing left to mount any offensive momentum.” The Stingers put themselves in the doghouse a lot, taking a total of 12 penalties compared to Bishops’ three. “We definitely made it harder on ourselves with little mistakes,” agreed Stingers captain Curtis McKinney. Although plagued by errors, the Stingers had moments of brilliance in the first half. Powerhouse eight-man David Biddle offloaded to

Dario Pellizzari, who found the hole in the back line to pick up 50 yards. Stinger Alex Ritchie also went for a solo run but was brought down by Bishop’s fullback Andrew Jamieson before he could score. Jamieson couldn’t repeat the try-saving tackle when Concordia’s Jonathan Dextras-Romagnino found the corner to open the scoring. Tackling was another area where the Stingers excelled. Paul Bouet gave the Bishop’s fly half a spin tackle and Xavier Birot saved a try with a bone-crushing hit on the Gaiters’ Jamieson. Concordia was giving a dump-tackling clinic as at least two Gaiters were picked up and slammed to the ground, much to the fans’ delight. Bishop’s rallied, however, and forced Concordia into a try-line defensive play. After about six attempts to break the line, Bishop’s finally broke through to score. “We couldn’t deal with pressure. Bishop’s was in our face and we weren’t reacting,” said Gibson. The added conversion put the Gaiters ahead 8-5. In the second half, the game began to get sloppy. Both sides threw balls away and at times the play looked more like soccer than rugby. Concordia’s strategy was to challenge the Bishop’s pack so that they would be forced to give the ball out to the weaker backs. Concordia’s back line took care of the rest by putting the punishing hits on the ball carriers. Despite the Stingers’ best efforts, the defence was broken yet again on a try-line stand. The Gaiters’ Stefan Lemieux powered his way through the forwards on a penalty to touch the ball down. Concordia responded almost immediately with a huge run by Dextras-Romagnino for his second try of the day. “David [Biddle] broke

The Stingers defence stops another Bishops advance as Concordia squeaked out a 13-12 victory on Sunday. Photo by Sarah Deshaies that line. When he has the ball, it takes two people to tackle him, so he took the two guys out and left me on the outside. It ended in a footrace.” It is surprising that both tries were scored by the backs, because the majority of Concordia’s play takes place within the pack. This game, the ball was effectively sent out wide and the Stingers used the entire field instead of just marching up the centre. “I think this is the first of my years where we trust both backs and forwards on the team and so when that happens its just

magic on the field,” said Dextras-Romagnino. In the late stages of the game, the Stingers were still down by two points. The Gaiters handed Concordia a golden opportunity for the win when they took a penalty 25 yards from their try zone. Birot didn’t fail as he added the winning kick, with a little help from the right upright. Concordia now advances to the finals next week against McGill. Kickoff is at noon Sunday at Molson Stadium.

18

theconcordian

Tuesday, November 9, 2010 HOCKEY

Stingers earn the win in high-scoring game: now third place in conference Daniel Michalsky notches two goals and one assist as he leads Concordia to victory Simon Tousignant Staff writer Stingers earn the win in high-scoring game: now third place in conference Daniel Michalsky notches two goals and one assist as he leads Concordia to victory Simon Tousignant The Stingers came back twice from two-goal deficits to beat the Queen’s Golden Gaels 7-5 Saturday afternoon at the Ed Meagher Arena. It marked the second win at home for Concordia this weekend as the Stingers defeated the Ryerson Rams 3-1 Friday night. Goaltender Maxime Joyal stopped 31 shots to grab the first star of the game. At Saturday’s game, George Lovatsis, Lyle Van Wieren and Emile Bouchard scored one each for the Stingers. Concordia showed great intensity in the opening minutes, constantly keeping the puck in the Golden Gaels’ zone. However, Queen’s was the first to get on the board. After Bouchard was booked for tripping with just under seven minutes remaining in the first, Gaels forward Scott Kenway blasted a perfect shot from the slot past Joyal to score the opening goal. Jonathon Lawrance and Brock Ouellet picked up assists on the powerplay goal. Queen’s kept working hard and it paid off as Lawrance scored the team’s second goal just four minutes later after a scrum in front of Concordia’s net. His linemates Ouellet and Kenway got the assists. The Stingers had another strong start in the second period. Daniel Michalsky scored on the powerplay after a great pass by captain MarcAndre Element. Lovatsis was also credited with an assist. Concordia tied the game just over two minutes later when Kiefer Orsini blasted a powerful shot from the point that found the right corner of David Aime’s net. Stefan Lutzenkirchen and Bouchard assisted on the goal. Right when the Stingers seemed to be back in the game, the Golden Gaels scored twice in 50 seconds to regain their two-goal lead. First, Joey Derochie went end-to-end on a spectacular individual play, before fooling Joyal with a perfect shot. Then, Ouellet picked up his third point of the game as he one-timed the puck over the Stingers’ goaltender’s shoulder. His linemates Kenway and Lawrance picked up assists once again. The Stingers didn’t back down and matched the Gaels’ intensity, scoring twice in 45 seconds. At 12:18 of the second period, Dominic Martel scored his fourth of the season after redirecting a pass from Eric Begin. Alexandre Monahan

Top: The Martel, Messier, Monahan line combined for four points Saturday. Photo by Nazli Bozoglu also assisted on the play. Right after, Bouchard scored on a rebound after Alexis Piette made a great play to enter the Gaels’ zone. Both teams played cautiously to start the third, trying to avoid giving up the next goal. Concordia took the lead for the first time when Michalsky netted his second of the day just over six minutes into the period after redirecting Element’s pass in front of the net. Lovatsis picked up his second point of the game on the play. The lead didn’t hold for long as Queen’s tied the game just over a minute later. Lawrance received a pass in the slot and shot the puck between Joyal’s pads to make the game 5-5. The Stingers took the lead for good at 13:23 when Charles-Antoine Messier deflected a pass from Michalsky into a wide-open net. Jesse Goodsell picked up his second assist on the winning goal. Element put the game out of reach for Queen’s with an empty-net goal with two seconds remaining in the game. Stingers coach Kevin Figsby was very proud of his team, especially Michalsky. “He’s probably the most consistent player on the ice, night in and night out. He’s definitely a top-line player at this level and above,� he said. The Stingers are back on the ice this Friday at Constantine Arena in Kingston, Ont. against the RMC Paladins. The puck drops at 7 p.m.

Bottom: Defenceman Michael Blundon shoots the puck from centre ice. Photo by Nazli Bozoglu

                           

             
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Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com

19

BASKETBALL

Stingers basketball teams set for season opening tip off Returning players must lead rookies on the court Kamila Hinkson Sports editor After a month of playing pre-season games across the country and in the States, the regular season will begin for the varsity basketball squads. During the pre-season, the men’s team won seven of their nine games, and beat all six of their Canadian opponents. “We have a great foundation to build something positive [on],” explained head coach John Dore. “We’re trying to get better every time we play.” Eight of the 13 players on the men’s team are either rookies or in their second year. Returning starters James Clark, Evens Laroche and Decee Krah will be called upon to lead the team this season. Krah said he is excited about his new role. “It’s a new thing for me, but I’m adjusting. I’m looking forward to [playing with] the bunch of guys we have. It’s fun so far, I really appreciate the position I’m in.” Zach Brisebois, a rookie forward from John Abbott College, appreciates the help and advice he’s been getting from the veterans. He has a few thoughts on what it will take for the Stingers to be successful this season. “I think it’s the way we play together, like the way our chemistry comes along during the year. We’ve got all the right players, [so] as long as we play together we’ll be alright.” The acquisition of Kyle Desmarais has also bolstered the Stingers’ lineup. Having played for the Central Connecticut State Blue Devils in the States last year, Desmarais chose to return to Montreal this year and settled in with Concordia. “He’s doing a terrific job for us. He brings intensity and toughness and skill to the point guard position. He’s also a pretty good defender,” Dore explained. “So with him and [Krah] in the back court, we have one of the best back courts in the country, we feel.” The challenge now will be to translate

pre-season success into a strong showing this year. They posted a 4-12 record last year, and finished in the fifth and last place. The Stingers open the season on the road against the top-ranked teams in the Quebec division from last year. They play Laval on Friday and UQAM on Saturday. “It’s a tough start to the year. If we can get by the weekend, we’ll be in good shape.” The pre-season schedule for the women’s team has been gruelling. The team played tournaments in New Brunswick, Manitoba and Ottawa on consecutive weekends during October, when most students have the bulk of their midterms. The games were also against opponents ranked among the top teams in Canada. But head coach Keith Pruden explained that the schedule is designed with a purpose in mind. “The idea is to learn how to play at the highest possible level, so that we carry that intensity into the regular season. [...] Everything we do in pre-season is structured to help them prepare for league play, but also for the post-season.” His team had less of a smooth start, posting a 4-5 record on the road and losing to Carleton in a non-conference game at home last week. The women’s team has almost as many rookies as returning players. Seven of the players are first years, one is in her second, and six have been on the team for three years or more. “The fact that we have so many rookies [who] are playing significant minutes has its drawbacks, because their learning curve is fairly steep. But they’re making improvements every day, which is really all you can ask for. So it’s working out probably better than I would have anticipated.” Pruden said he is looking to all six of the veterans, including the three captains, Yasmin Jean-Philippe, Kendra Carrie and Andreanne Gregoire-Boudreau to help integrate the rookies. “All of the veterans are in a position to offer leadership to the first-year players because they’ve been through a year and they know more or less what to expect.” The game plan for this weekend is under wraps, but Pruden did offer some insight into

PRO HOCKEY

Sports Illustrated’s Michael Farber and Canadiens great Yvan Cournoyer signed copies of SI’s The Hockey Book last Friday at the Indigo on McGill College Avenue. The book, which came out Oct. 5, looks at hockey from its 19th century beginnings to now. But it isn’t limited to just the NHL; Olympic hockey, the World Hockey Association, international hockey, women’s hockey and university hockey all get ice time. Farber once wrote for the Montreal Gazette and now does sports commentary on CJAD 800 and TSN. Cournoyer won 10 Stanley Cups with the Canadiens, a record surpassed only by Henri Richard, who has won 11. He now serves as one of the team’s five ambassadors. Photo by Camille Nerant

The women’s basketball team posted a 4-5 overall record in pre-season play. Photo by Clovis Alexandre Desvarieux what to he expects from his team. “Everyone’s going to be a little nervous and everyone’s going to be a little tight. Exhibition games count, but it’s not the same as playing against your league rivals. And because the Quebec league is so small, everyone’s a rival.” The ultimate goal for this year? Win games, win playoffs, win nationals.

“We’re more than talented enough to do that [...], given that we’re deeper and more athletic this year, I think we have a chance to do a little bit better.” The Stingers, both the women’s and men’s teams, will take on Laval in Quebec City Friday night and UQAM at their home gym Saturday night. Game times are 6 and 8 p.m. on Friday, 5 and 7 p.m. on Saturday.

editorial 20

Throwing Bergeron off the Turcot was not such a smooth move, Mr. Mayor Tremblay asks opposition member to leave executive committee because he would not back Turcot plan

A year ago this month, Mayor Gérald Tremblay mixed things up a bit. The embattled mayor was just re-elected for a second term, despite allegations of a city hall rife with corruption and municipal contract brokering. Under pressure to clean up a dirty house, Tremblay broke with tradition by naming opposition members to his executive committee, a powerful body in Montreal municipal politics. The decision was seen as a conciliatory move to get beyond petty politics. One member from the second- and thirdplace parties, Vision Montréal and Projet Montréal, made the cut for the new executive committee. Richard Bergeron was Projet’s candidate for the committee and he was handed the position of urban planning. The portfolio assigned the him was right up his alley. The Projet Montréal party leader and city councillor for the de Lorimier district, a riding in Plateau-Mont-Royal, is an urban planning consultant with degrees in architecture, and urban and regional planning. But almost one year later, how times have changed. Tremblay has roundly kicked out Bergeron for opposing a decision that falls under his portfolio and for refusing to endorse a plan he didn’t

agree with in the first place. Last Friday, Bergeron confirmed that Tremblay asked him to leave the executive committee. The reason being that Berferon refused to support a provincial plan to rebuild the Turcot interchange. Aging, crotchety infrastructure is an ongoing hazard and challenge for the Quebec government and its taxpayers. For its part, the Turcot interchange is a crumbling, elevated mass of various arteries located just outside of the heart of the city. The new plan will affect millions of people, whether you cross the Turcot every day on the shuttle bus or in your car, only use it when you’re headed out of the city or, even worse, if you live under its crumbling auspices. The planning stages have been long and arduous; the city and the provincial government have been back and forth on the plans for awhile now. But, seriously, how can someone tasked with urban planning be given the boot from an urban planning committee? A city hall spokesperson explained Tremblay’s actions as a move to maintain ‘solidarity’ within the executive committee. But if someone with the experience and credentials that Bergeron has, who isn’t afraid to speak up because he doesn’t fear retribution from being within the same party, doesn’t agree with your plan, don’t you think you might want to sleep on it a little while longer? Tremblay’s government has been known for its secrecy; is this an attempt to add a veil over executive committee work? Of course, the Turcot feels like a television show that’s long jumped the shark in terms of dragging on. We wouldn’t want to prolong the agonizing season finale. But with a project of this magnitude, let’s take a little while longer to review the plans and draw up something everyone in the executive committee can get behind. When facing criticism from within a group, the answer isn’t to cut out the objecting party. You should try to arrive at a decision everyone

can agree on. Of course, not everyone is going to agree or be happy, but Bergeron is one opinion you’d think Tremblay would want to win over. Bergeron, for one, thinks that he will now be better able to defend opposition interests from outside the executive committee. We suppose it’s easier to fight the man if you’re not meeting with him and posing for numerous photos a few times a week. But when he was on the committee, Bergeron had an ‘in’ of sorts. He was privy to its business and could have attempted to sway decisions before they went public. The reason he has objected to the current

plans is for the lack of capacity for public transit on the Turcot and the demolishing of 160 homes. We’re being told time and time again by a slick advertising campaign that public transit is a priority for Montreal. If this is true, then why isn’t a major thoroughfare getting the public transit capacity it should merit, and is instead boosting vehicle traffic? Fight the good fight, Bergeron. Maybe having one less committee to sit on will give you a better vantage point from which to criticize city hall. Because, if it needs anything, it needs criticism.

mendations and the university’s sustainable and ethical policies. We are stakeholders at this university and have the right to participate in these decision-making processes. Students should no longer have to “bottle up” their anger about being ignored. We do not want unethical corporations hanging banners in our hallways or selling bottled water on our campus; it’s time for REAL student space. We are here, ready to be heard, it is the university’s turn to listen. If you are interested in getting involved, learning more or volunteering, please contact sustainability@csu.qc.ca Morgan Pudwell CSU VP sustainability & promotions

concerns were not overlooked or ignored. In fact, Di Grappa required that the renewal agreement with PepsiCo contain a provision which, if necessary, would permit the university to prohibit the sale of bottled water in businesses operated and controlled by the university on campus as well as the sale of bottled water through Pepsi’s vending machines located on campus. In hindsight, it is regrettable that the student representatives were not advised earlier of the decision to sign the contract on Oct. 29, but students’ voices were heard and it was never the intention of anyone at the university to mislead or to be anything less than truthful. The representatives of the university who were working with the student representatives were not privy to the decision to sign the extension and their professionalism and credibility should not be questioned. On a final note, and with a view to clarifying any misperception that might exist on this front, it should be noted that efforts to organize a meeting with PepsiCo encountered a series of genuine obstacles. That having been said, we are hopeful that the student representatives will accompany the university representatives to a meeting with PepsiCo which will be organized by my office. Whatever actions will be taken to address the concerns that have been raised can only be properly analyzed with all of the relevant facts and will likely involve a series of smaller initiatives over a period of time. I welcome your participation and contribution to this process. The university remains committed to the principles of sustainability and we encourage the students to continue to be part of discussions regarding the future of bottled water at Concordia. In this regard, my office will contact the CSU shortly to set up a meeting so that we can begin the process of moving forward. Roger Côté Acting VP services

Re: PepsiCo divides campus

LETTERS

Don’t bottle it up In recent weeks the students of Concordia have been overlooked and ignored by university administration. Their “business as usual” approach to signing secret, exclusive contracts with major corporations is a practice that has gone on for far too long at Concordia. Students are seen as the target market or the consumers of these contracts, and yet no student representation is involved in the process of negotiations or signings. News for the administration: this is a university, not big business. We are not consumers, we are colleagues, peers, community members and equals. Despite the beverage contract being signed with PepsiCo, the Concordia Student Union continues towards the goal of a bottled water-free campus; the contract signed includes a clause allowing for changes such as banning the sale of bottled water on campus. University admin have agreed to the formation of a bottled water committee, which will advise acting VP services Roger Cote so that the university may make an “educated” decision. This committee will include students, staff, faculty, community members and admin. This month’s CSU ASFA Green Week will include a panel discussion and open forum on bottled water, Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. in room H-767: panelists will include Tony Clarke (water activist and founder of the Polaris Institute) and John Challinor (Representative of Nestle Waters and the Canadian bottled water industry). We’d like to encourage all members of the Concordia community to attend, get informed and ask questions. The Concordia Student Union is also working to institutionalize student representation into the University’s contract processes. We want to see students’ interests represented with regards to contracts including enforcing the EAC’s recom-

Re: PepsiCo divides campus This is an abridged version of a letter sent by the VP services to CSU president Heather Lucas last week: With a view to better understanding students concerns regarding the sale of bottled water on campus and the university’s beverage contract, discussions between university representatives and student representatives began late in the Spring. These discussions were pursued by both groups in good faith throughout the Summer and Fall. The university’s representatives who participated in these meetings took the student concerns very seriously and brought them forward to my predecessor, Michael Di Grappa. The university’s contract with PepsiCo was due to expire in early December of this year. Given the magnitude of the dossier, the looming deadline for its expiry, and given that it was clear that no definitive decision would be reached with respect to bottled water on campus before such expiry, the decision was made to extend the contract. Despite this decision, the students’

We are saddened to see that Pepsi is advertising their Pepsi Refresh Project on the Concordia campus despite the opposition voiced by the Concordia Student Union. Pepsi also approached the Dawson Student Union about promoting their project on our campus. However, due to their unethical business practices, we declined. In adhering to the Dawson College policy on commercial advertising on campus, the Dawson administration respected our decision to forgo advertisement of the Pepsi Refresh Project. We are very proud of our administration for respecting the decision made by their students and are dismayed to see that the Concordia administration did not do the same. It is inexcusable that the administration would ignore the will of students. Students have the right to decide what sort of advertisements are present on their campus and the student union is the mechanism by which students have their opinions represented to the administration. We wish our colleagues at the Concordia Student Union good luck as they endeavour towards making the Concordia administration more transparent and accountable in the contracts they sign. Amanda Arella Deputy chairperson, Dawson Student Union Quebec representative, Canadian Federation of Students Editor’s note: The space used by the Pepsi Refresh Project was rented out by the Concordia Ukrainian Student Union, and not directly by the administration.

opinions

21

Write to the editor: opinions@theconcordian.com

LEGAL

Prostitution in Canada: a debate Looking at both sides of the controversial laws that could change the country forever This September, Ontario Justice Susan Himel struck down three sections of the criminal code

related to prostitution. It was a landmark decision and a victory for street workers across Canada, as this paves the way for judges in other provinces to follow Himel’s example and overturn laws disallowing public solicitation, pimping and the operation of a common bawdy house and essentially making almost all aspects of the “world’s oldest profession” legal. The federal government had 30 days to appeal this decision and restore the status quo. The sex workers, though victorious, have accepted that the laws only go into effect in February. Concordia’s Simone de Beauvoir Institute supports Himel’s decision because of the increased security this will bring to sex workers in Canada, but all signs point to Ottawa appealing the ruling. Whatever the outcome, the issue will continue to be debated for years. What will the decriminalization of the laws mean for Canada? What will they mean for sex workers, clients and communities? Should they be decriminalized, legalized, institutionalized? What do you think? Send your thoughts to the editor, at opinions@theconcordian.com

The government should stay out of the pimping business

What’s the big deal? Legalized prostitution would help sex workers and economy

Chris Hanna Opinions editor

Jacob Roberts Staff writer Ottawa has made an appeal to stay the decision made by the Ontario Superior Court to decriminalize certain aspects of prostitution. What that means is that the decision will spend the next few years making its way through the legal system and causing uncertainty around the debate. NDP MP Libby Davies, a long-time advocate of sex-trade workers, criticized the appeal saying the process will take money away from helping communities. She went on to say that the laws struck down by the Superior Court don’t protect society and are harmful to communities. I agree with Davies. The appeal is going to be long, complicated and divert money away from other areas that need it. And it’s not even about legalizing prostitution, it’s about decriminalizing certain aspects, thus making prostitution slightly less illegal. All this trouble over something that isn’t really doing anything. Prostitution should be legalized in Canada. The fact that it isn’t points to the ideology that sex-trade workers are less than human. They don’t have the same rights as other “productive” members of society. The question that should be asked is this: who is being hurt by prostitution? Primarily it’s the prostitutes themselves. The communities are slightly affected by increased crime rates as a result of prostitution. But the catch is that if the sex trade was legal, there wouldn’t be a criminal element. With no criminal element involved, it would mean safer, government-regulated working conditions for the sex-trade workers themselves. There would be programs to help the workers with drug addictions and daycare services to take care of their children while they are at work. What’s more, there wouldn’t be prostitutes walking the street in scattered areas around the city. Instead, all of the sex trade could happen in a red-light district. People who disagree with it or who do not want be confronted by it don’t have to go there. And here’s the big one: the economy is in tough times right now. The end of prohibition aided a great deal in ending the great depression of the 1930s. Legalizing prostitution would mean that it would be taxed. Right now, a prostitute receives a small percentage of her earnings while her pimp gets most of her money. Instead, a prostitute could receive most of the money she earned while the government took its cut; this would help pull the economy out of the rut it’s in.

Graphics by Katie Brioux

Prostitution is an ugly business and legalizing it will not make it any prettier. While prostitution is legal in Canada, certain aspects of it are not. Making it legal for women and men to roam our streets and solicit customers reflects poorly on Canadians as a whole. By decriminalizing soliciting, pimping or running a brothel, we send the message that it is acceptable and that prostitution can be a legitimate career choice. It also reflects poorly on the way we deal with problems. For prostitution, the argument goes that it has been around for centuries, will never go away and does not really affect anyone other than those involved. So, let’s make it legal? Whenever the country faces a problem that is too expensive or complicated to fix or control, arguments emerge to legalize that activity, thereby removing the criminal aspect from it (like the ongoing debate about the decriminalization of marijuana). Nonetheless, the problem remains. There are also some serious drug abuse problems among sex workers. These are unlikely to go away if the sections of the criminal code in question are struck down. The sad truth is that some people who are in this line of work must be high in order to get through their transactions with their johns, and some are even forced into the business because of their addictions. There is no doubt that Canada’s prostitution laws need some tweaking. Let’s not follow Sweden’s lead, where the selling of sex is legal but the buying is not, making the client the criminal (it takes two to tango!). The suggested laws may help to better protect the ladies and gentlemen of the night, but the clientele is likely to remain the same. And who’s to say that women and men in this line of work want to register and be easily identified by their profession? A black market for prostitution would surely emerge (one, for example, where sex workers do not get taxed on their earnings, or where clients do not have to register or go through background checks) and may be so attractive that it outweighs the risk of not following the rules. This ugly business’ secrecy, danger and violence make it unwise for the government to support it, and impossible to regulate it successfully and safely for those involved. Decriminalization could lead to the full legalization, which will undoubtedly lead to the institutionalization of prostitution, because it would be hypocritical of a government to allow and legislate an activity and not set up organizations to protect the people who take part in it. Arguably, prostitutes would begin being taxed on their proceeds, in many ways turning our government into a pimp.

theconcordian

Concordia’s weekly, independent student newspaper. Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2010 Volume 28 Issue 11. Sarah Deshaies Editor-in-chief editor@theconcordian.com Brennan Neill Managing editor managing@theconcordian.com Evan LePage News editor news@theconcordian.com Jacques Gallant Assistant news editor Emily White Life editor life@theconcordian.com Savannah Sher Assistant life editor Valerie Cardinal Arts editor arts@theconcordian.com Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo Assistant arts editor Katelyn Spindle Music editor music@theconcordian.com Kamila Hinkson Sports editor sports@theconcordian.com Chris Hanna Opinions editor opinions@theconcordian.com Owen Nagels Assistant opinions editor Jacob Serebrin Online editor online@theconcordian.com Tiffany Blaise Photo editor photo@theconcordian.com Katie Brioux Graphics editor graphics@theconcordian.com Aeron MacHattie Chief copy editor copy@theconcordian.com Morgan Lowrie Trevor Smith Copy editors Jill Fowler Production manager production@theconcordian. com Jennifer Barkun Francois Descoteaux Vincent Beauchemin Lindsay Sykes Production Assistants Board of Directors Tobi Elliott Ben Ngai Richard Taradif directors@theconcordian.com Editorial 7141 Sherbrooke St. W. CC.431 Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 514.848.2424 x7458 (Newsroom) 514.848.2424 x7499 (Editors) 514.848.2424 x7404 (Production) Francesco Sacco Business Manager business@theconcordian.com Marshall Johnston Advertising advertising@theconcordian. com Business and Advertising: 1455 de Maisonneuve W. H.733-4 Montreal, QC H3G 1M8 514.848.2424 x7420 (Office) 514.848.7427 (Fax) STAFF WRITERS AND CONTRIBUTORS: Renee Giblin, Michael Lemieux, Shereen Ahmed Rafea, Emily Brass, Adey Farah, Kelly Greig, Race Capet, Philippe Ostiguy, Stephanie Mercier-Voyer, Jessica Wei, Colin Harris, Hannah Jung, Mat Barrot, Rob Flis, Alexandre Perrault, Stefano Mocella, Simon Tousignant, Eva Kratochvil, Andre-Joseph Cordeiro, Jacob Roberts Matias Garabedian, Camille Nerantzidis, Clovis-Alexandre Desvarieux, Cindy Lopez, Nazli Bozoglu. Sean Kershaw, Phil Waheed

TECH

theconcordian

Why e-books will replace paper books Paper books are the technological equivalent of old records or tapes Andre-Joseph Cordeiro Staff writer The sensation of cracking a new book open is one of the many pleasures enjoyed by readers who still buy paper books. “Paper book” buyers are becoming a rarer breed. The book industry, like the movie and music industries, has changed tremendously with the advent of new technologies like the Kindle, iPad, and iPod and iPhone applications that make electronic, digitized versions of almost any book available at your fingertips. The e-book is lighter and cheaper, and because it is paperless, it is also extremely environmentally friendly. For students in particular, more and more textbooks are being made available in this electronic format, sometimes saving us about 70 per cent off the price of the textbook. One downside is that you can’t re-sell e-books, but, being cheaper and taking up no shelf space, you may not be so desperate to get rid of them. They are perfect for papers and research.

A simple ‘Control-F’ on your computer’s keyboard helps you find any word or entry, instead of skimming through hundreds of pages -- and risking getting a dreaded paper cut -- to find the quote or reference you are looking for. Being environmentally friendly is no longer just a movement: it has become the definition of our path as a society for all future endeavours and in all industries. With its Kindle, Amazon is pushing a greener version of the book. This means no more cutting of trees to print the book and no more delivery trucks to deliver the book. All this helps the bottom line of the company, but it also makes us happier with a cheaper price. One thing that cannot be overlooked is e-book piracy. This is likely to rise exponentially as more people buy e-readers and look for the cheapest way to load up magazines, newspapers, novels and textbooks. The music industry’s history with piracy will be repeated as piracy will become widespread. This will force book publishing houses to come up with better models of distribution, like cheaper prices for paper books or bundling e-books with papers. Whatever they come up with, it needs to be done soon so we can avoid a repeat of the ridiculous litigation the MP3 gave rise to. The federal government, of course, has already introduced new legislation, aiming to quell the rising fears from the various media lobby associations of Canada’s passiveness to piracy.

There will always be a newer way to do old things. For e-books, it’s not a matter of if, but when, the general population will adopt the new technology. Who still carries tapes and a Walkman? Everyone’s got hours of music on their iPods or similar devices. It may take years, even a decade or two, but buying books at a store and reading a paper book will be like buying records: they make great gifts for collectors and remind us of a time when we did not need to charge our devices every night.

Graphic by Sean Kershaw

VETERANS

Every day should be Remembrance Day Our soldiers deserve our attention and veneration yearround Andre-Joseph Cordeiro Staff writer Veterans deserve not only respect from citizens, but also from their government and the political leaders who send them overseas in the first place. Last weekend, veteran protests pointed to a serious deficiency in the Veterans’ Charter, which is a poor effort, at best, to support injured soldiers once they return to Canada. These heroes need to be protected, not neglected. In particular veteran’s are opposed to the New Veterans Charter brought in by the Conservative government in 2006, which would replace life-long pensions for injured and wounded soldiers with a one time lump payment and future financial support. How strange it is that a country can send out those that serve and then, when they return, fail to give them necessary benefits. To aid veterans is in everyone’s best interest. It benefits not only the soldiers, but also the Canadian people they help protect and the Canadian government who relies on the willingness of citizens to serve to further its military agenda and obligations. With word this week that Canada’s Afghan mission may be extended until 2014, people thinking of serving this great country should rest assured that they and their loves ones will be taken care of if something were to happen to them. Year after year, more veterans go unrecognized for the contributions they have made towards our history as Canadians. The lack of recognition becomes more alarming with the imminent return of our troops from Afghanistan and our general apathy as a province towards to our military. With “Support Our Troops” magnets ripped off cars and a cenotaph defaced, Quebec has lost sight of the sacrifice that gave it its freedom. It is sad when one of the few public podiums used to honour the fallen is Don Cherry’s Coach’s Corner, where he continually holds a moment of silence for soldiers who have died in Afghanistan. Have we so lost sight of the ideals that built this nation that a

hockey pundit has to educate the masses? As the number of Second World War veterans dwindles, and with John Babcock, the last surviving Canadian WWI veteran, passing away earlier this year, it becomes important, no, essential, to keep the memories alive, whether through parades, ceremonies, or even talking about war. In order to avoid conflict in the future, we must first understand the past. Remembrance Day in Canada serves as a grim reminder of the cost of peace. Originally a commemoration of the First World War, “the war to end all wars,” the observance now stands around the world as a solemn reminder of the past, and how all war, regardless of nation or motive, erodes the path to peace. Today, our honoured tradition of service finds our troops in Afghanistan. Regardless of political point of view, we need to revere and respect our soldiers, who bravely protect our nation, regardless of whether they agree with Parliament’s motivation or not. We must stand together as a nation on

Nov. 11, to once more remember. It is in the silence of those few minutes that we give our greatest tribute to our fallen. If we do not remember the cost, we shall never let those who have died rest in peace. After our moment of silence, take 30 minutes to just sit and read about Vimy Ridge, D-Day, or even the current Afghanistan mission. Read and ask about our soldiers, men and women who stood and stand together for the sanctity of our nation. Our future hope for world peace begins now. It begins with remembering our history, and more importantly, understanding our history. Remembrance Day will have no shortage of veterans, as continued military campaigns will supply them. To quote British poet and World War I volunteer Laurence Binyon’s 1914 homage to the war dead: “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: age shall not weary them, nor the years contemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.”

Graphics Editor Katie Brioux’s grandfather, Prosper ‘Ross’ Brioux (middle), who served in the Canadian Provost Corps. Photo from 1945 in France. Prosper is now 95 years old.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

23

The Etcetera Page Charlie McDowell lives under two annoying girls who say a lot of dumb things. Here are some of his letters to them. Follow him on Twitter at @charliemcdowell. Follow us at @TheConcordian. - Dear Girls Above Me, I changed my wireless Internet name to “JohnStamosCondo” in hopes that it might confuse & excite you. It did. - Dear Girls Above Me,”What do you think happened first, tea bagging or like actual tea bags?” Is this your version of the chicken or the egg?

Compiled by Eva Kratochvil

Q: How do you commemorate our veterans for Remembrance Day?

- Dear GAM, “I watched a special on conjoined twins and all I could think about was karate chopping them to freedom.” You should be a doctor.

Dana Gavanski - first-year art history and film studies “I pay homage with my thoughts and I wear my flower.”

Chris Costis - first-year finance “Well, aside from wearing the poppy, I always buy books on the subject. I like to read about our history.”

Yaël Ossowski - fourth-year political science “I like to go back and look at the history books and realize the sacrifice that has been made, the effects of war, the causes of war and what we can do to prevent it.”

Montreal’s Park LaFontaine at dusk. Photo by Matías Garabedian Got a nice pic? Send it to photo@theconcordian.com

Horoscopes Aries – March 21 to April 20 Take the advice of a good friend or family member this week. You need some help getting insight into your projects sometimes, so let your loved ones guide you and you’ll be inspired. Taurus – April 21 to May 21 Work on your patience a little more than usual this week. You’re getting a little stressed out and you tend to bottle it up. Learn to relax so that it doesn’t overflow. Watch a light-hearted comedy to calm your nerves. Gemini – May 22 to June 21 You boss might approach you this week to talk about something. Don’t panic, you’ve been doing great work lately. Not all conversations with superiors are of a negative nature, they may just want to thank you for a job well done. Cancer – June 22 to July 23 You’ve been having a rough couple of days at work, but don’t worry. Things will get better by the weekend. Just be the strong person you are,

and you’ll see your mood will improve. Don’t let your boss walk all over you. Leo – July 24 to August 23 Someone is willing to carry some of that weight for you. Embrace this opportunity and take a well-needed rest. But don’t delegate too much. It’s not good to take advantage of the kindness of others. Virgo – August 24 to September 23 You have your mind set on something you want this week. It may be a personal goal you’ve been working at achieving. Hard work will pay off in the end, once you see the finished product. Libra – September 24 to October 23 You’re quite possessive when you want to be. Don’t cling too much because you’ll just end up driving your friends and loved ones away. Work on making yourself a little bit more tame this week. Scorpio – October 24 to November 23

You may be optimistic now, but hold on because things will get a bit harder by the weekend. Just keep in mind that it’s not permanent and you’ll be just fine. Everyone goes through a lull once in a while. Sagittarius – November 24 to December 21 Hold your tongue and watch what you say this week. You’ve been quite outspoken lately, and it’s been without consequence until now. You have to make an extra effort this week not to offend anyone. Capricorn – December 22 to January 20 You’ve been waiting for something to happen for a while, but it’s been a long time coming. This week, your waiting may be over. Set your mind to what it is you’ve been waiting for and great things will happen. Aquarius – January 21 to February 19 Everyone is depending on you for one thing or another this week. You may feel left behind in the process. Keep in mind that you will be remembered and appreciated for the extra effort

you’ve been giving. Pisces – February 20 to March 20 You’ve been exploring your options lately, but you’ve been torn between two paths. Both will lead you in the right direction, but neither will lead you to your ultimate goal. This is still a work in progress. You share a birthday with... Nov. 9: Vanessa Millino, Nick Lachey, Lou Ferrigno Nov. 10: Ellen Pompeo, Richard Burton, Martin Luther Nov. 11: Leonardo DiCaprio, Demi Moore, Kurt Vonnegut Nov. 12: Ryan Gosling, Grace Kelly, Auguste Rodin Nov. 13: Jimmy Kimmel, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert Louis Stevenson Nov. 14: Travis Barker, Prince Charles, Claude Monet Nov. 15: Kevin Eubanks, Ed Asner, Georgia O’Keeffe

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EVENTS AT A GLANCE HELP PROMOTE CONCORDIA EVENTS! ALL EVENT LISTINGS ARE ADVERTISED FOR FREE SEND YOUR IDEAS TO EVENTS@THECONCORDIAN.COM PLEASE LIST NAME OF EVENT, LOCATION, AND TIME

+VISUAL ART +FILM FESTIVAL +MUSIC +MUSIC

Guillaume Lachappelle, Melvin Charney, Orest Taratyn, Lois Andison, Bevan Ramsay, Michael Patten Art Mur CINEMANIA Cinema Imperial Casa Del Popolo James Blackshaw + Mountains Clinic + The Fresh Onlys + Grimes La Sala Rossa

ongoing ongoing until Nov. 14 20h30 20h30

+MUSIC +MUSIC +MUSIC +MUSIC +TOUR +FAIR +FILM FESTIVAL +FILM FESTIVAL +MOVIE

Meligrove Band + Ruby Coast + Divingbell Glasser + Twin Shadow + Bonjay Mark Mahoney + Robbie Sinclair Michael Franti + Spearhead Discover Catholic Montreal: Tour of Notre Dame Basilica Opportunities in the Not-For-Profit Sector 13th International Documentary Festival (RIDM)

20h00 20h00 20h30 20h00 12h30 10h00 ongoing until Nov. 21 ongoing until Nov. 14

+NIGHT OF DEBAUCHERY! +THEATRE +LECTURE +FILM FESTIVAL +FILM FESTIVAL

Le Belmont's 25th anniversary party SIPA FESTIVAL SEX/BODY/SELF/VIRUS: A Performance and Talk by Tim Miller 13th International Documentary Festival (RIDM) CINEMANIA

+MUSIC +MUSIC

+STINGERS +STINGERS +STINGERS +STINGERS +MOVIE +THEATRE +THEATRE +CINEMA POLITICA +WRITERS READ SERIES +FILM FESTIVAL

Le National Mumford & Sons Grinderman Metropolis John Molson Sustainability group and FISA present talks on "Sustainable Finance" Tickets available at JSG Office (4.437), FISA Office (4.433), Christine blackette’s office (4.106) Ed Meagher Arena Women's hockey vs. Montréal Men's hockey @ RMC Constantine Arena Men's hockey vs. Queen's Ed Meagher Arena Women's basketball @ Laval Centre PEPS Premiere: 8 Fois Debout, Skyline, Unstoppable,Tangled F.C. Smith Complex, Loyola Campus SIPA FESTIVAL Here's To Love L'Espace 4001 12th & Delaware H-110 Mary Gaistkill J.A. de Sève Cinema CINEMANIA Cinema Imperial

ongoing 19h00 19h00 19h30 ongoing until Nov. 14

SAT 13

+GREEN +STINGERS +STINGERS +STINGERS +THEATRE +FESTIVAL +THEATRE +FILM FESTIVAL +FILM FESTIVAL +MUSIC

John Molson Sustainability group and FISA present talks on "Sustainable Finance" Cross country running (CIS Championships) Club de golf Sherbrooke Women's basketball @ UQAM Centre Sportif de UQAM Men's basketball @ UQAM Centre Sportif de UQAM SIPA FESTIVAL F.C. Smith Complex, Loyola Campus EXPOZINE Église Saint-Enfant Jésus du Mile-End Here's To Love L'Espace 4001 13th International Documentary Festival (RIDM) CINEMANIA Cinema Imperial Charlie Winston + Bedouin Soundclash Metropolis

12h30 17h00 19h00 ongoing 12h00 to 18h00 15h00 and 19h00 ongoing until Nov. 21 ongoing until Nov. 14 20h00

SUN 14

+STINGERS +INTERACTIVE EXHIBIT +THEATRE +FESTIVAL +FILM FESTIVAL +FILM FESTIVAL

Men's hockey vs. RMC Kool-Aid Man Tour Through Second Life SIPA FESTIVAL EXPOZINE 13th International Documentary Festival (RIDM) CINEMANIA

+CINEMA POLITICA +FILM FESTIVAL +FILM FESTIVAL +MUSIC +MUSIC

Aisheen: still alive in Gaza 13th International Documentary Festival (RIDM) CINEMANIA Alexandre Barrette Tunng + Adam and The Amethysts

TUES 09 WED 10

THURS 11

FRI 12

MON 15

+GREEN

CINEMANIA Premiere: Morning Glory

O Patro Vys Il Motore Casa Del Popolo Metropolis Meet at Multifaith Chaplaincy (2090 MacKay) H 1Atrium of the EV building10 Cinema Imperial

Le Belmont sur le Boulevard F.C. Smith Complex, Loyola Campus H-110 Cinema Imperial

Ed Meagher Arena Il Motore F.C. Smith Complex, Loyola Campus

22h30 ongoing 18h00 ongoing until Nov. 21 ongoing until Nov. 14 20h00 20h00

19h30 19h00 14h00 18h00

Cinema Imperial

15h00 20h00 ongoing 12h00 to 18h00 ongoing until Nov. 21 ongoing until Nov. 14

H-110

19h00

Cinema Imperial Casa Del Popolo La Sala Rossa

ongoing until Nov. 21 ongoing until Nov. 14 19h00 20h30

Église Saint-Enfant Jésus du Mile-End