The Concordian - Issue 20 (2015-03-03)

March 3, 2015 Volume 32

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Issue 20 |

Independent student newspaper at Concordia University. Since 1983.

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theconcordian

News p. 4-5

A study in austerity

Photo by Andrej Ivanov

In this issue

LIFE

p. 6

Ins and outs of pap smears

ARTS

p. 10

Life after jail: a documentary

MUSIC

Conducting computers

p. 13

SPORTS

p. 18

Post inspires off the court

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

OPINIONS

p. 21

Stay Golden, Dixie

theconcordian.com

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TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015

Write to the editor: news@theconcordian.com

CITY MILOS KOVACEVIC News editor

>> COLDEST FEBRUARY EVER Though it may not seem very cold, last month’s average temperature of -14.7 degrees celcius has made it the coldest February on record, beating out previously chilly 1979. According to the Montreal Gazette, who analyzed the weather data, the cause behind the record-breaker was a pressure front coming in from the West Coast, as well as unusually strong winds that added to the wind chill factor.

Meanwhile, U.S. records showed January’s temperatures almost invariably went up world-wide, save for a few places such as New England and, you guessed it, Quebec.

>> MONTREAL TO BUILD PATH TO THE RIVER CBC has reported the news that Montreal will spend $42M creating a promenade along a series of streets connecting Mount Royal to the St. Lawrence river. The project would see the mountain connected by a widened, tree-flanked walkway to the river and would coincide with the 375th birthday of the city in 2017. It will also be more pedestrian friendly, with McTavish street becoming exclusively for walkers. Consultations as well as a design contest are set to begin in June.

>> COMPLAINT AGAINST JUDGE WHO WOULDN T HEAR HIJAB-WEARING WOMAN An official complaint has been lodged against the Montreal judge who refused to listen to a Montreal woman’s testimony so long as she persisted in wearing her headscarf. Rania El-Alloul was in court attempting to get her car back after it had been impounded by the SAAQ because her son had been caught driving it with a suspended license. Aside from widespread criticism, a crowdfunding campaign in support of El-Alloul has already raised over $40,000 for a new car, according to the Montreal Gazette.

City // NEWS

Lighting a candle against hate Vigil takes stand against intolerance—and pays tribute to murdered Copts MILOS KOVACEVIC News editor

A small but devoted crowd gathered before McGill’s Roddick Gates on Wednesday, Feb. 25 in a sombre vigil for the 21 Copts, native Christians of Egypt, captured and decapitated on video

by Libyan ISIS-affiliated extremists.

Holding candles, signs, or each other’s hands, they braved the chilly temperatures to protest against intolerance and bring to light the perilous nature of life for Copts in the Muslim world.

One amongst them gave a simple speech in remembrance of why they congregated, offering it in English, French, and Arabic.

“It touched me personally because these Egyptian people come from my hometown [and] they’re Coptic as I am,” said the night’s sole speaker and also one of the organizers, Antonious Petro. He said he too had considered moving to Libya before deciding instead to live in Canada.

“It could have been me instead of them.”

The Copts, who make up some 10 per cent of Egypt’s 80million population and are frequently discriminated against by the Muslim majority, are often forced to go to neighbouring Libya to be labourers and migrant workers. Petro fears the destabilization of Libya by Islamists and the deterioration of Egypt itself will further endanger a people already vulnerable and at risk.

“It came at the end of a series of ugly events in Egypt and I was trying to do something. I could not follow the news and not do anything,” he said, having trouble to find the words.

“I don’t know them personally, but I know how hard their lives were and why they had to leave [to Libya]. They didn’t have any choice.”

The savage murders have provoked widespread revulsion from the world, and have been one of the official reasons behind Egypt’s campaign to bomb and uproot the ISIS presence in eastern Libya. The Coptic Church has begun the process of granting canonization to the 21 individuals as martyrs and saints.

Petro said he did not mention anything about religion in his vigil speech so as to minimize the religious aspect, focusing instead on a resolute protest against any sort of intolerance.

“We’re here tonight to honour the lives that were taken.”

“I didn’t want to say the word Christian or Copt because for me it’s bigger than that. [The extremists] prefer to kill Christians over Muslims, but there’s a political aspect behind that. It’s bigger than the Coptic people.”

“If you had mentioned they were Christian Copts,” said one girl next to him, referring to the relative ignorance surrounding Egypt’s Christian minority,“Then people would have known who they were.” Petro agreed, and hoped this was the first step towards educating the public. “Ask a friend. Google it. I think they know what I’m talking about.

What touched me was that they were just people who lost their lives.”

Still, Petro was grim. “It’s going to get worse,” he said, referring to the Egyptian attacks on ISIS affiliates in Libya. “In response, [ISIS] kidnapped another 26 people. Military solutions have never worked, but…what else [is there]?”

FROM TOP: ATTENDEES STAND IN VIGIL. PHOTOS BY KEITH RACE.

FRONT OF THE

REDPATH MUSEUM. A

PARTICIPANT SHEDS A TEAR DURING THE

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Protest // NEWS

In solidarity against Boko Haram

Montrealers brave the cold to protest against actions of Islamist group MILOS KOVACEVIC News Editor

M

embers of Montreal’s Cameroonian community—amongst a wider African diaspora—gathered this Saturday at St. Louis Square to pay respects to the victims of the ongoing violence in Western Africa, perpetrated by the Islamist Boko Haram group. A nod to a traditional way of calling out to assemble a public meeting saw a wooden drum sound in the cold whiteness of Quebec’s winter.

Numbering over a hundred, the vigil mirrored a simultaneous gathering held across time zones and an ocean in the capital of Cameroon. Though it was much smaller, it was no less vocal on the need for solidarity and support for those affected by the chaos caused by the terrorist organization.

Chadians joined with Cameroonians and Nigerians in discussing the way forward.

“When the tam-tam resonates, somebody has news: happy news, as well as sorrowful news,” said Cameroonian journalist Cyrille Ekwalla. “We are not far from catastrophe.”

“You will hear much on the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

But you will also hear … the message of pain we send to the Cameroonian authorities,” he said.

Though time was spent dis-

cussing the deteriorating humanitarian situation that has seen hundreds of thousands displaced, a fair amount of the day’s words were levelled on the seeming inability (or lack of willpower) on part of the governments involved to effectively tackle a group which has slowly expanded from the backwater to now virtually rule a sizeable portion of northern Nigeria.

“If we are gathered here, it’s not to support the government [of Cameroon], but simply in solidarity with the victims, and to denounce Boko Haram,” said Yacoubou Salissou, one of the event’s organizers. In addition to community leaders, the event also involved the Cameroonian High Commissioner Solomon AzohMbi. The worry of the organizers is that Boko Haram, which has recently stepped up years of already brutal warfare centered around a desire to cleanse the land of non-Islamic influences, will only become worse and spread across the entire region. Boko Haram has already shocked many by using children as suicide bombers in crowded markets and bus shelters, as well as raiding and kidnapping young Christian girls who are forcefully converted and married off to fighters. The irony of all this carnage is that most of their attacks have fallen on their Muslim compatriots in northern Nigeria and Cameroon.

PROPOSED FREEZEWAY

Edmonton residents may soon be able to trade their bikes for skate once winter comes if proposals for an 11-kilometer route of ice traversing the city go ahead. The idea was the result of a master’s thesis by an landscape architecture student and has since picked up some steam, though there are just as many critics panning it as an example of flippant spending amidst more serious issues.

The BBC said the city would flood and freeze the flat land hugging two rail corridors to create the skating trail. If it goes ahead the so-called Freezeway would take about 75 minutes to cover with skates and would be lined with skate rental locations.

>> HADFIELD S SPACE SUIT BOUGHT AT THRIFT SHOP

A PROTESTER TAKING PART IN THE DAY’S EVENT. PHOTO BY ANDREJ IVANOV.

Ushering in the machine wars Robots fight for supremacy at Concordia’s BattleBots 2015

Who would find sumo-wrestling robots disagreeable? Not all have the technical skill to create such a robot, but few would mind watching the competition.

Enter Concordia’s second ever Robowars this past Saturday, Feb. 28, with the ultimate human victor taking home a $1000 in cash prizes.

“We took on the challenge of hosting,” said Tristan Cool, director of competition for Concordia’s Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and an electrical engineering student himself at the university.

The rules last Saturday were simple. An individual robot couldn’t weigh more than three kilograms and had to fit within a 20 x 20 cm square at the beginning—but could expand afterwards to whatever configuration its creator’s imagination had in store. The third dimension was unbounded, with the sky’s the

limit as far as height was concerned. Placed two at a time in a circular ring measuring exactly five feet in diameter, the objective was to push the other robot out by whatever means—so long as they were safe, so no knives or flame throwers allowed. Like binary, you either pushed out or were pushed out.

Cool describes the competitors as mostly hobbyists who devote their own money and time to the project, and time and money it took: tiny robots call for intricate machinery and technical designs that often take six months to a year to construct, giving very little downtime between the annual competitions.

“The competitors knew each other, that’s how small the community is. In any competition that comes up, it’s always the same guys. We’re a niche community,” he said.

The funding mostly came from the Engineering and Computer Science Association (ECA) and the manufacturing and mining company CGA, which competed itself with two models but waived any right to a cash

MILOS KOVACEVIC News editor

>> EDMONTON S

Campus // NEWS

MILOS KOVACEVIC News editor

NATION

prize.

Cool says the event gave him and all those attending the chance to see some really imaginative designs: “I saw a lot of cool things: I saw 3D printing, a lot of steel milling; people built ramps and hooks. Rather than being a box with wheels on it, there was a lot of cool mechanical considerations in this year’s robots.”

Cool was also surprised and pleased to see that the newer generations didn’t necessarily own the field. The older robots might not have been as fancy and were easily differentiated from their high-tech cousins by the aging internal specs and designs, but they didn’t suffer from the frequent technical difficulties and maintenance issues that debilitated newer constructs.

“Some of those tried-andtrue robots definitely held their own,” he said. “A lot of the hightech ones were too high-tech, [and] over-engineered.” One 10year-old robot made it through nearly 20 rounds before being eliminated.

Next year’s Robowars intends

to prove third time’s the charm by securing more funding and increasing in size, by opening to slightly modified international rules that would allow them to compete with and send teams abroad. Cool is also looking to expand by creating tutorials to coach and improve the quality of competition. “We’re going to think big,” he said.

Does he himself dream of a future of robot overlords? Not yet.

“Being a director of competitions, the one downside is I can’t compete in any of my competitions,” said Cool, who’s waiting to graduate before contemplating a future in robotics. For now, he has a few robots under his belt—but, unlike the competitors at his events, they’re gentle beasts comfortable navigating mazes, more lovers than fighters.

Robowars 2015 ushered in Concordia’s engineering week, which will see plenty of competitions and inventive events.

For more information visit ecaconcordia.ca/engweek/

A Toronto woman found a treasure most unique when she came across a bright blue flight suit emblazoned with the name of Canada’s astronaut celebrity, Chris Hadfield. CBC reported that the find, which would have surely fetched a much higher price if it has been placed on auction, was bought for a mere $40. Hadfield communicated with the buyer via Facebook and by confirming some characteristics of the suit ascertained that it had indeed once been part of his uniform.

How it ended up in the thrift store is still anybody’s guess.

>> SUSPICIOUS TUNNEL DECLARED AMBITIOUS MAN CAVE A suspicious tunnel found near the location for this year’s Pan Am games and Roger’s Cup isn’t the work of terrorists after all, according to Canadian authorities. Rather, the creation was an attempt by two men to create a man cave to ‘hang out in’ according to a police spokesperson. The CBC describes the cave as ten meters deep, nearly two metres high, and about 90 centimetres wide. This is impressive considering the two men, who had no criminal intent nor any engineering training necessary for the construction, started it only in September. They’ve since apologized; their man cave has been filled.

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City // NEWS

WORLD MILOS KOVACEVIC News editor

A full week of anti-austerity

>> SOUTH KOREA LIFTS BAN ON ADULTERY

A 1950s-era law from South Korea aiming to protect women by handing out prison sentences to adulterers has been scrapped by the country’s highest court after being ruled unconstitutional and unlawful and infringing on the personal sexual freedoms of its citizens.

According to a report by Bloomberg Business, the ruling’s immediate consequences were steep increases in the share prices of the country’s leading condom manufacturer, which have risen by 30 per cent over the last two days.

SATURDAY’S MARCH SAW THE FINALE OF THE WEEK’S ANTI-AUSTERITY POTESTS WITH THIS DEFIANT SHOW OF SOLIDARITY. PHOTOS BY ANDREJ IVANOV.

>> PAKISTAN TO

JAIL ANTI-POLIO VACCINE ACTIVISTS The Pakistani government has arrested 10 individuals who refused to vaccinate against polio and is moving to do so with hundreds of others. The country, which according to Vice has suffered a resurgence of the debilitating disease in the last few years, is one of only three in the world where polio, nearly eradicated, is still endemic.

Further complicating things, the majority of the outbreaks are located in the unstable tribal regions of the north west, where the constant fighting has seen refugees spread it further and the Taliban forbidding them.

They’ve gone so far as to kill 65 vaccine health workers since 2012, according to the New York Times.

>> MEDIEVAL MASS GRAVE FOUND UNDER PARIS SUPERMARKET

The decision to renovate the basement of a Parisian supermarket led archaeologists to uncover an unexpected piece of local history. Some 200 preserved skeletons of men, women and children were unearthed when construction revealed that the supermarket was built on a site that once featured a medieval hospital. MSNBC reports that the remains of these historical Parisians were all buried within a relatively short period of time, possibly due to the deadly plagues and famines that raged the city over the centuries. The medieval hospital responsible for the grave was torn down in the 1700s.

Frigid weather remains, yet protests heat up FRÉDÉRIC T. MUCKLE Assistant news editor

O

n Saturday, Feb. 28, what could be considered the closing protest of the eventful anti-austerity week started on a sunny afternoon at Place Émilie-Gamelin, practically hallowed ground for the city’s protest movements.

Labelled as an action in defence of education and organized by the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec (FEUQ), the event went on peacefully while contingent of policemen escorted the protesters. Hundreds of people reportedly gathered to show solidarity.

“We marched and we will keep marching for education,” summed up Louise Chabot, president of the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ), when she addressed the crowd.

The protest was one of the biggest so far in response to austerity measures put in place by the Liberal government, ostensibly to balance the budget.

These include an announcement of $200 million in cuts to Quebec’s universities, but Saturday’s event was an umbrella cause drawing widely from different groups such as the Association québecoise des centres de la petite enfance (AQCPE).

The president of the AQCPE Louis Senécal stressed the importance of early education to explain why they participated in the protest. “Together, we are the future of democracy and your children will become [the future of democracy] in their own turn,” said Senécal. “So we fight for them, so that education that starts in the

CPEs [can] be an equal chance for everyone.”

The protest coincided with the recent departure of former Education Minister Yves Bolduc and the instalment of his replacement, François Blais. Most speakers mentioned the hope that the new Education Minister would help change the course of austerity measures affecting education, by taking into serious consideration the demands of the various groups opposed to them.

Some speakers, such as Alexis Tremblay, president of the Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec (FECQ), critiqued the Couillard government and its treatment of the education system heavily.

“We need to take the time to refuse that this government crushes our future prospects,” said Tremblay.

The protest closed with a short speech by Jonathan Bouchard, president of the FEUQ, who also insisted on what it means for a society to maintain and defend a decent education system. “The future generation is us, and what we ask for is an education system that is strong… [and] a more just and equitable society.”

Small groups in the audience booed both Tremblay and Bouchard while they spoke to the people gathered in front of the premier’s office on McGill College Ave. at the end of the protest, perhaps hinting at the coming divides in the protest movement

that could be seen during the 2012 Maple Spring. Some in the crowd saw the FEUQ and FECQ as “soft” protest groups, whereas other organizations such as the 2012 Coalition large de l’Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante (CLASSE), once represented by Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, were perceived by some as more radical and resolute groups. As a further example, Saturday’s protest fur-

nished its itinerary to police in advance, an initiative seen by many in as already weak or contradictory to the essence of resistance.

Nonetheless, there was a familiar feeling to the closing event of the anti-austerity week. As Maxime Gagnon, a UQAM student, said, “it may still be winter and cold as hell, but with the protests coming back, it feels more and more like spring is coming.

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City // NEWS

Austerity and the developmentally disabled Montrealers bring attention to the risks of being disabled in a time of lesser opportunity

FRÉDÉRIC T. MUCKLE Assistant news editor

O

n Tuesday, Feb. 24, a protest organized by the Comité regional des associations pour la déficience intellectuelle (CRADI) took place near metro Place d’Armes and around the the Ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité Sociale (MESS).

CRADI is a coalition of Montreal-based organizations working for the rights and wellbeing of people dealing with developmental disabilities. The group of about 40 people peacefully walked up Saint-Urbain St. chanting, making a stop in front of the Palais de justice and the main building of MESS. There was some resistance from the security staff of the building, but after a short and slightly heated argument the group was allowed to remain inside and to proceed with a song composed for the occasion by the Gang à Rambrou choir, an organization that provides art and performance workshops to people with developmental disabilities.

The protesters notably advocated for social and professional inclusion of people with disabilities, for example by providing them with job opportunities.

Olivier Martin, coordinator of the Mouvement des Personnes Handicapées pour l’Accès des Services (PHAS), advocated in his speech for a stop to austerity measures that hurt organizations helping people with disabilities.

He made it clear that cuts make it more difficult for people that truly need and deserve the kind of help provided and pro-

moted by organizations such as PHAS. “Cutting [the funding]… is to expose the people in a situation of handicap to poverty, vulnerability, and to isolation and exclusion,” Martin said.

Martin also stressed the fact that for the organizations and their employees, the cuts meant fewer people would be able to have access to employment.

“The gel … makes it so that there are people that could work, but that end up not working.”

Mathieu Francoeur, another member of the PHAS movement who was present at the protest, explained that Tuesday’s march was part of “protests that we could call more sectorial that defend a specific milieu or a specific kind of people.”

He also mentioned the need for smaller movement like PHAS to take part in the larger movement against austerity that picked up steam this week in province-wide the movement.

“We find it important to include those actions in a more global fight against the neoliberalists, the economic compressions, and all that,” said Francoeur.

“I think we need to do both. It’s complimentary.”

For more information on PHAS and their actions, visit m o u v e m e n t - SEPARATED phas.org.

BY TIME AND SPACE BUT UNITED BY PURPOSE: ANTI-AUSTERITY ACTIONS ACROSS THE CITY.

PHOTOS BY ANDREJ IVANOV.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015

life

Write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com Health // LIFE

Tend to your secret garden, ladies It may not be pleasant but it’s important to get your cervix scraped on the regular KIRSTEN HUMBERT Staff writer

H

appy Internaional Women’s Day! In celebration, here is an article about an important, but feared topic: vaginal health. Two great ways to treat your yoni right are regular pelvic exams and the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

Pelvic exams are the only thing more dreaded than calculus exams. They’re uncomfortable, to be sure, but the mild and momentary discomfort is worth the reward of a muffin in fighting shape. The best thing you can do for your vagina is to have regular pelvic exams.

A pelvic exam has three parts: a digital exam to check if your organs are healthy, a pap test to check for abnormal (pre-cancerous) cells and a check for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), if requested. The entire exam is over in 15 minutes if you take advantage of the paponly clinics offered by Concordia University Health Services.

Although students are welcome to have their pelvic exam done as part of a full check-up, Health Services also offers pap-only clinics as an extra incentive to give your Garden of Eden the attention it deserves. These clinics are designed to

leave students with few excuses to avoid this essential check-up. One great reason to take advantage of this service is that a visit to the pap-only clinic guarantees seeing a female physician. Also, the physicians taking part in the pap-only clinics specialize in female reproductive health—

The majority of infections are asymptomatic and a healthy immune system takes care of them in a couple of years. However, some infections can produce genital warts and abnormal cells on the cervix, which can lead to cervical cancer. “Condoms can always decrease your

Condoms can always decrease your risk of getting an STI (including HPV), but HPV can still be transmitted by parts of the genitals not covered by the condom.

- JosĂŠe Lavoie which translates to the most efficient and comfortable exam possible.

I would be remiss not to mention HPV while writing about vaginal health. Gabriella Szabo, health promotion specialist and nurse at Concordia’s Health Services, explained that HPV is highly contagious—in fact, 70 per cent of people will experience an infection in their lifetime.

risk of getting an STI (including HPV), but HPV can still be transmitted by parts of the genitals not covered by the condom,� said JosÊe Lavoie, a registered nurse at Concordia University Health Services. She recommends the HPV vaccine which protects against the four strains of HPV that together cause 70 per cent of cervical cancers and 90 per cent of all

genital warts.

While both of these conditions are highly treatable, the emotional trauma associated with diagnosis is a factor worth considering. “Getting a sexually transmitted infection is not just about getting the infection,� said Szabo. “Getting that diagnosis, it causes a lot of suffering. It’s very scary and people ascribe a lot of meaning to that. It causes a lot of distress. So getting the vaccination is an important part of helping to prevent that really negative emotional roller coaster that a person can experience with that diagnosis.�

To be sure, the stress of being diagnosed with an STI is the last thing a student needs in between presentations, papers, midterms and finals.

If the HPV vaccine is something you’re considering, the best time to do it is as a Concordia student. The university’s Health Centre charges only the cost of the vaccine, so it’s less expensive than at other clinics. Also, the health insurance offered by the Concordia Student Union (CSU) to undergraduate students covers up to 80 per cent of the cost of vaccination.

Our vaginas are something we don’t talk about enough, despite being literally the cradle of life. Whether your pink macaroon is filled with dreams, cobwebs or self-loathing, it deserves some quality attention.

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Explore MTL // LIFE

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MTL: Verdun and LaSalle

Put some spring in your step along the St. Lawrence BÉATRICE VIENS CÔTÉ Staff writer

I don’t know if it is the spirit of the semester break, but something in the air is fizzy and sweet and I can’t help myself from chanting: “Spring! Spring!” The idea may seem crazy, as February 2015 was the coldest month ever recorded in most of Quebec, according to CJAD. Nevertheless, doesn’t the sunlight feel warmer? February is history now; March is a new start! Spring will be here soon enough—you can count on it.

This piece is addressed to those of you who will embrace your inner child as the sun hits the snow and creates wonderful puddles to jump in. It is for those of you who are active and for whom waking up to feel the breeze is the best thing ever.

It is for the contemplatives who need to find nature, history and the contemporary world at peace.

Only a few neighbourhoods can answer those needs in Montreal, and Verdun and LaSalle are probably those that can do so best. Indeed, located along the St. Lawrence River, Verdun and LaSalle are havens for those who enjoy moving, playing and admiring nature. Not too far from the city, the quietude is an inspiration as much for those who live there as for those passing by.

It would be unfair not to mention the work that was done in the last 20 years to improve the neighbourhoods. Not so long ago, in the 1980s, Verdun—which used to be a city of its own—was almost abandoned. Buildings were getting old, and the shopping centres built outside the city became the object of fascination for most consumers, thus affecting commercial streets such as Wellington St. A similar scenario applied to LaSalle as well. Thankfully, citizens, urban planners and leaders combined forces to help revitalize the two neighbourhoods.

Programs were put in place and led to, among other things, the enhancement of the riverbanks.

Today, no hideous buildings harm the beauty of the river. A green area was protected from Highway 20 all the way to Lachine, this being the perfect setting for the creation of pathways and bike paths.

Named “Piste cyclable des Berges,” the bikeway spans about 20 kilometres, following the river and crossing various parks—Parc Arthur-Therrien, Parc du Quai-de-La Tortue, Parc de l’Honorable George-O’Reilly, Parc des Rapides, and Parc René-Lévesque, to name a few. In the first days of spring, cyclists, skaters and simple wanderers hit the road.

On their way, not only will they enjoy the scenery but they will also be able to admire sculptures made by artists from here and elsewhere. The bikeways are also a great opportunity to encounter old buildings such as the Nivard-De Saint-Dizier House (built in 1710), at 7244 Lasalle Blvd., and the Fleming Windmill (built in 1827), at 9675 Lasalle Blvd. Both of these

(CLOCKWISE FROM RIGHT) LET THE SWEET SMELLS OF SPRING LURE YOU TO THE BEST SWEET SHOPS IN TOWN. (ABOVE) IF YOU THINK ÉÌGLISE NOTRE-DAME-DES-SEPT-DOULEURS IS BEAUTIFUL IN THE SNOW, YOU SHOULD SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE INSIDE. PHOTOS BY BÉATRICE VIENS CÔTÉ.

important heritage structures can be visited once temperatures become milder, mid-May. Maison Nivard-de Saint-Dizier more particularly is a museum and archaeological site, and will no doubt feed the history enthusiasts out there.

Along the waterfront, passers-by might want to stop at Comptoir Luncheonette 21 behind Verdun’s Natatorium, at 6500 Lasalle Blvd., which serves healthy snacks, sandwiches, salads, coffee, smoothies, fresh juices and ice cream—a perfect deal for the summery days!

For thrill-seekers and wave aficionados, don’t worry—you will also find satisfaction in these neighbourhoods! It must be mentioned that adventure often comes with a price—so don’t be too surprised. A favourite option is Kayak Sans Frontières (KSF), located in Parc des Rapides, 7770 Lasalle Blvd. The nautical activity centre allows you to try kayaking, river surfing, and stand up paddleboarding (SUP), via lessons (starting up at $39) and rentals.

The advantages of KSF are that it is open to everyone, from beginners to experts, and that it has a reasonable student to instructor ratio, thus ensuring a safe, quality service. KSF’s mission is to help people discover Montreal by the means of water sports, and I feel reassured to know security is an important, if not the most important value for them. Because, let’s admit it—the Lachine rapids can be quite scary. KSF seems to have chosen a successful path, combining fun and exhilaration with security, perseverance and commitment.

A second option is the Saute-Moutons jet boating, which departs from Quai de l’Horloge in the Old Port, and confronts the Lachine rapids further down in Verdun and LaSalle. At the cost of $67, it seems worth the investment. If you want to see for yourself, know that both KSF and Saute-Moutons reopen their business in May. Let’s go spring: you can do it!

Outside the water and beside the shore, you will mostly find residential areas. There are a few commercial streets, the main one being Wellington. Something about Wellington St. reminds me of Mont-Royal Ave. in the Plateau. That

surely has to do with the previously mentioned refurbishment of the late ’80s. Interment of electrical wires, restoration of store façades and authorization of terracing all helped renew the road’s appearance. Furthermore, the situation keeps getting better. In 2010, alcohol sale regulations in Verdun freed up a little, opening opportunities for microbreweries and performance venues. Before, sales were solely restricted to restaurants, grocery stores and the SAQ. There is certainly a sense of positivity that can be felt in the neighbourhood. There seems to be hope for merchants and a bright future for the population. Along with the revamping of the St. Lawrence shore, such things make me realize how much work has to be done in order to build our neighbourhoods, our city. The success of an area can never be taken for granted, but where there is passion, willingness and dedication, there is hope.

I urge you to stop by confectionery Winifred Pepperpott at 3870 Wellington St. Recently opened in November 2014, the Victorian-inspired watermeloncoloured shop sells a variety of candies, mainly American and British classics, as well as European importations.

Following owner Valérie Trudeau’s recommendations, I tried the Kingsway Bon Bons, which are like vintage Starbursts, and I was happily satisfied.

Trudeau, who owns the store with her husband Louis-Charles Letendre, showed me around, describing her favourite candies. If you ever go (and I hope you will!), don’t limit yourself to the polite “Hi!” and shy smile. Go ahead and talk with them, ask questions—their passion and energy are sincerely contagious. This is part of the whole concept they sell, and you will leave the store with an even greater smile (because it can’t be denied: candies by themselves will already do part of the job—but fantastic service will do the rest).

Speaking of nature and renewal—or, even better, rebirth—seems to link easily with spring… Who knows, if we talk and talk about it, buds may want to blossom a little bit sooner.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015 Column // LIFE

Mim meets Montreal: Never too cold for a party Episode 13: In which the weather is cold and the wine is hot MIM KEMPSON Staff writer

Sadly, I missed out on going to Igloofest (which gives me all the more reason to come back to Montreal, right?). So when Nuit Blanche came around I made sure to go. It was an event where, yet again, I witnessed Montrealers’ innate ability to turn such brutally inhospitable weather into a party.

I went to the Quartier des Spectacles first on Thursday for the Festival Montreal en Lumières and then on Saturday for Nuit Blanche. There were pulsing neon lights, a giant stage with a band, campfires, countless food kiosks, theme park rides and igloo-shaped transparent tents that housed mini bars or restaurants. The moment that I arrived and saw the spectacular scene my inner tourist came out as I jumped with cringe-worthy awe and joy. Delirious with excitement and mind-numbed from the cold, I exclaimed “I wish I lived here!” My friend had to remind me that I did, in fact, live here.

Like many of my other night time outings in Montreal, these two were filled with gluttony. The culprits were two melted chocolate-dripping waffles; a cheese platter complemented by two glasses of warmed wine; a hollowed baguette filled with fondue cheese; and a Swiss sausage on a stick (fire-cooked). Maple and bacon pretzels were also on the cards, as well as a hot chocolate with rum. However, reality set in when my stomach reminded me that I wasn’t a growing six-foot teenage boy.

My favourite treat by far was the maple syrup tire. So simple: throw some maple syrup on the ice, chuck a stick in it, wait a little, and voila, you’ve got toffee-esque joy on a stick. Before arriving in Canada, I was one of those health freak weirdos who equated sugar with the devil. But Montreal, you’ve made me a changed woman.

On Thursday I rode the ferris wheel with my two acrophobic friends who had a splendid time. On Saturday we danced to electro music amongst hundreds of people. Aside from the fact that I am almost less than five feet tall and couldn’t see, I had a lot of fun. It got better when my friend offered me MIM TRIES MAPLE TAFFY a shoulder ride. I would have loved to go on the zipline but it somehow just never happened. Probably because by 2 a.m. the novelty of the wintery weather was wearing off. Instead, we opted for salsa dancing in the Musee de l’art contemporain, where a DJ duo played upbeat Latin-inspired tunes in front of projected footage of what appeared to be Hawaii. For those short, glo-

FOR THE FIRST TIME DURING

NUIT BLANCHE. PHOTO BY SARA BARON-GOODMAN.

rious moments I remembered the one thing I’ve begun to miss most—the beach.

Nuit Blanche was a blast. On Sunday my hair smelt like campfire and chocolate and was knotted with frozen maple syrup.

Nuit Blanche reminded me of camping, but a hyped-up version minus the kind of weather that is conducive to staying out-

doors for long periods of time.

Montrealers, how do you do it? Long ago, people told me that I was crazy to stay here for the winter. While I may be half frozen (with two more months to endure), Montreal, your charms continue to warm my heart. Oh, and thanks for making a sentimental tourist out of me.

Events // LIFE

Who (could) run da world? Girls Workshop will discuss the role of feminism in pop culture CRISTINA SANZA Staff writer

I

n today’s modern age, celebrities have the power to make their fans think critically about their views and beliefs. In the past few years alone, pop culture queens such as Emma Watson and Beyoncé have expressed their views as feminists and have inspired people to fight for gender equality.

On March 7, The School of Community & Public Affairs, with the support of the Political Science Student Association (SCPASA), will be hosting a full-day event at Concordia: “Modern Feminism in a Beyonce World.” The day will be filled with interactive workshops discussing several topics under the umbrella of feminism, particularly the influence that pop culture has on women’s empowerment.

Seven presenters of different educational and cultural backgrounds will speak at the event, but they all have one thing in common: students can

relate to them. “We wanted to find speakers who reflect ourselves and who were like our peers,” said Aminka Belvitt, the event coordinator. “They all identify as feminists and they all have a goal to seek out more feminist leaders.” They are also all under 28 years old.

Speakers include Amy Kishek, who will discuss the politics of feminism, Katlyn Harrison, who will explain how to become a corporate feminist, and Junior West, who will link science and feminism, to name a few.

Discussion will also surround Beyoncé’s documentary Yours and Mine, in which she proclaims her views on gender equality and how the focus should be not only on women, but on male vulnerability. “We’re going to discuss the place of men within feminism and how we can work with men to understand gender equality,” Belvitt said.

“Gender equality considers both men and women and we need to start having that full conversation.” With that said, Belvitt explained that it is just as important for men to attend the event as it is for women. “Both genders need to be involved.”

Participants will learn about societal roles that people fall into and how they translate into oppression. Why do

UN WOMEN GOODWILL AMBASSADOR EMMA WATSON AND UN WOMEN EXCUTIVE DIRECTOR PHUMZILE MLAMBO-NGCUKA. PHOTO FROM FLICKR BY UN WOMEN. women allow men or children to hold them back? How can women find equal partners and healthy partnerships?

Participants are encouraged to discuss, debate and really think beyond what they have been taught about feminism. “We want participants to leave with the understanding that coloured women, queer women, transgender women and men deserve a place,” Belvitt said. “We want everyone to have

a voice and be included. There’s no longer this mainstream western perspective that feminism is just for the elite, academic white woman. It’s for everyone.”

The event will take place at JMSB in room 2.210 on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free but registration is mandatory with aminka.belvitt@gmail.com. Lunch will be served for $5.

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Column// LIFE

I’m picking up good vibrations. Good good good good vibrations.

SARA BARON-GOODMAN Life editor

At a (very civilized) dinner gathering last week, as my friends and I depleted the last drops of our fourth bottle of wine and geared up for a viewing of Hysteria, conversation naturally turned towards the many splendours of the vibrator.

One friend cringed as she recalled a painful moment of her not-so-faraway youth when her mother gifted her with a shiny silver bullet-like vibrator (the gift that keeps on giving, amirite ladies?), which led to an evaluation of the personal massagers we’d known and loved.

The two men at the table were both slightly confused and one asked, “I don’t get it, why do you need more than one type?”

Sweet, innocent boys. That’s like asking if you have whisky in the house, why do you also need to be stocked with gin, rum, vodka, and several kinds of wine? Or why would you ever need more than one flavour of ice cream?

Let’s talk about sex More than one kind of sweater? Variety, as they say, is the spice of life. Just as every snowflake is special, so is every sweet pattern of vibration on your special snowflake.

So, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, the tools to lend yourself a different kind of lovin’ every other day of the week: The bullet Small, compact, and easily disguisable as a lipstick (or other vague cosmetic), these ’lil buggers are a nice starter vibe. They’re usually between two and three inches tall, so unless your vaginal canal is microscopic, these guys are really best for external stimulation. Most have only two or three speeds, but more sophisticated varieties have more.

The rabbit Charlotte in Sex and the City loved hers so much that she shut herself off from the outside world in favour of a weekend-long love-in with her new, erm, pet. The good ones have a rotating dildo-esque piece as well as the little bunny (or dolphin, puppy, cat, ladybug, etc.) branch piece for clitoral stimulation, so you can double-whammy yourself till the cows come home. Most have

several speeds, with various rhythms that pulsate both internally and externally. There exists a variety of sizes, as well as options for all the cutest animals that Noah let onto his ark. Now let them sail your lovely lady waters.

The his-and-hers

Giving into some good vibrations doesn’t necessarily have to equate to being a lonely celibate spinster, sitting alone in an unmade bed pouring Half Baked and cheap Chianti into your mouth. Quite the opposite, in fact, as certain toys like the We-Vibe and the Lelo Tiani, amongst others, are specially designed for simultaneous hisand-hers pleasure enhancement. The basic concept is a U-shaped little trinket that allows for clitoral and G-spot stimulation while also keeping room for a peen. The vibrations apparently are guaranteed to tickle both your fancies, hitting all her important bits and giving a little bit of buzz to his shaft as well.

As you rock and thrust and shift and shake, the vibrator rocks and thrusts and shifts and shakes with you, giving that little extra pep to your coital step.

Can’t possibly be bad, right?

The novelty There as as many different vibra-

tors as there are stars in the sky (and in your eyes after you use one of these bad boys). After you tackle the basics, get something to satisfy your niche needs. There are vibrators, like the one designed by OhMiBod, that hook up to your ipod or iphone and pulsate along with the rhythm of your favourite music. Talk about rocking your body. If you’re a fan of cunnilingus (and who isn’t?) there’s a toy for that too. The Lelo Ora, and its wallet-friendly knock-offs, swirls and throbs and essentially licks you, emulating the most sophisticated of tongue-work. Then there are endless varieties of remote-controlled vibrators, which come quite in handy for longdistance sext sessions (the other person can control your vibrations from afar— but more on that another day). Really, the possibilities are endless.

So arm yourselves with a bulk pack of batteries and give something new a spin. There’s a whole world out there to discover. One last word to the wise: you’re better off splurging a little, as the $30 variety from that sketchy sex shop on the corner are either nothing you want near your sensitive bits, or else will be pitifully anti-climactic. Trust me, this is one area where you don’t want to skimp—it’s worth doling out some extra dough for something that will guarentee happiness, again and again and again.

BLACK CROWS, BLUE DOLFINS, PINK RABBITS, AND JUST PURPLE VIBRATORS FOR EVERY MOOD AND EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK. CAN YOU EVER HAVE TOO MANY? PHOTO BY NIK MORRIS (VAN LEIDEN) ON FLICKR.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015

Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com Festival // ARTS

Concordia’s Art Matters to take off March 7 The festival showcases colourful and innovative submissions from ConU students LINDSAY RICHARDSON Arts editor

The artistic genius of Concordia’s undergraduate community is set to be featured in the 15th edition of the university’s Art Matters festival. The student-run festival embraces diversity and showcases the talent of our students through a variety of media, including painting, photography, sculpture, dance, video, design and creative writing.

In addition to promoting and galvanizing budding artists, the festival also provides them with some “real life” experience, as they work closely with curators and other art community figures to assemble and dis-

play their work.

The expansive and all-encompassing festival takes place over the course of two weeks in March, displaying work at venues scattered around the city. Not only are there vernissages and live performances, the festival boasts a number of lecture series and workshops that are open to the public.

The full calendar of events and their descriptions is available on the Art Matters website (artmattersfestival.org) though here is a preview of some of the events that the Concordia community can expect as the festival unfolds.

Opening Party @ Theatre Plaza (March 6) A number of electro/funk/garage rock mu-

sical acts are expected to perform at the opening party, as well as an appearance by the intriguing “League of Lady Wrestlers of Montreal.” More performers and details TBA. Intimacy: Limits and Consequences @ Galerie Yellow Fish Art (March 7) This exhibition will examine how interaction and sentiment have changed with the development of technology and a digital sense of distance. The gallery’s description says that “working with themes varying from HIV to representation to religion, the artists showcased illustrate the limits and consequences of intimacy in our day and age.”

Oppression Aesthetics @ Galerie VAV

(March 9) Using powerful, engaged images, this exhibit “addresses questions of social issues, feminism and gender, cultural identity, propaganda, environmentalism, and historical conflicts through a variety of approaches and mediums.” It is meant to incite reactions in the viewing public and inspire action.

An Evening of Alchemy @ Loyola Chapel (March 19) This seems to be the wildcard event, with an ambiguous description that states the event will test the boundaries between artist and audience, working with time as a constraint. No idea what to expect—take a chance.

Cinema Politica // ARTS

Stability just a pipe dream for an ex-con Anti-social Limited examines the challenges of setting life straight after prison LINDSAY RICHARDSON Arts editor

“Plans and dreams and hopes in my situation [are] like a carrot being dangled in front of you.”

These are the penetrating words of 41year-old Chris Hoard, a seasoned prison inmate, self-proclaimed psychopath, and subject of Canadian filmmaker Rosie Dransfeld’s award-winning documentary, Anti-social Limited. The film premiered in Quebec on March 2nd in a screening held at Concordia and organized by Cinema Politica.

After spending nearly half of his life in Canadian penitentiaries, Hoard, a Native Albertan, admirably attempts to set his life straight. Not only does he struggle to overcome the stigma of his past missteps and his history of drug dealing and assault, he ambitiously takes on an entrepreneurial endeavour—starting his own all-Native contracting company, Kola Construction Ltd. Hoard is an intriguing figure who conducts himself in his day to day with a sense of tremendous dignity and candour.

His speech is overridden by the use of the word “fuck,” his comments and observations usually err on the dubious side, but he demonstrates a sense of admirable and unshakeable persistence.

If there is a problem, Hoard will attempt tirelessly to find a solution. Except, of course, when the stark realities of life throw him problems that have no tangible or clearcut solutions in sight.

In addition to his previous adversities, Hoard struggles stay connected following a diagnosis of “antisocial personality disorder with impulse control problems and psychopathic traits.” This diagnosis is not entirely uncommon in ex-convicts; the director once read that approximately 60 per cent of all ex-convicts will receive this diagnosis at

some point in their lifetime.

“It’s a very damning label in a lot of ways—it’s very limiting,” said Dransfeld, who attended the premiere. Hoard, as a result of his time spent growing up in an abusive household and in various institutions, refuses the umbrella of human interaction.

He is not able to see or understand the emotions of the people who surround him. He is self-isolated, and even struggles to maintain contact with Dransfeld, the filmmaker who documented his story in this film over the course of six years of production. Hoard’s unfortunate situation sheds light on many complex social issues—the struggle to establish credibility as an ex-con, the devastating impact of childhood abuse and bullying, as well as the lack of identity felt as

a Native adopted into a white family. Like many before him, Hoard struggled to trace his roots back to his birth parents and began the extensive process to gain official Native status in Canada, a process that is emotionally and financially taxing on people in his situation.

“That’s what I find with a lot of Native adoptees—when they return to their families, they have really devastating experiences when they’re hoping it’s going to be great,” said guest speaker Nakuset, executive director of the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal.

While the film shows some progress in Hoard’s financial and social situation after reconnecting with an old family friend and challenging himself to maintain contact,

Dransfeld mentions that he has indeed found himself at the mercy of the system once more. While his illness is enough to affect his work, as an ex-convict he does not qualify for unemployment in Alberta. The money that he does collect from welfare barely covers his rent. The extensive physical abuse he suffered as a child has given him intense bouts of arthritis.

He is now selling prescription drugs on the street to make enough money to eat.

“I’m brutally honest—I fucked up, big deal, let’s move on. That’s what I’m trying to do anyway… but it’s just so hard when you fucking get pulled back into it all the time,” he says, in the resonant, disheartening and ultimately foreshadowing final line of the film.

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015

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151 Rue Sainte-Catherine E. Montreal entertainment district Metro St-Laurent Film // ARTS

Elephant Song is a trumpeting failure Xavier Dolan’s commendable turn onscreen cannot save this endangered film THIERRY TARDIF Contributor

After being captivated by the trailer for Charles Biname’s film Elephant Song, I took my pocket change, grabbed my popcorn and my Coca-Cola, and sat down in a seat at the AMC Forum to watch it.

Let’s just say that I wish I had used my pocket change for something else.

When psychiatrist Dr. Lawrence (played by Colm Feore) disappears suddenly from the mental hospital where he works, Dr. Toby Green (Bruce Greenwood) is called upon to solve the mystery. Green believes his best chance to uncover Lawrence’s location is by interviewing one of his most challenging patients, Michael Aleen (the admirable Xavier Dolan), who claims to have privileged information on his whereabouts.

Green gets involved in Aleen’s manipulative mind games, and never seems to be able to catch up to his cunning intelligence.

There are many reasons why this movie looked interesting. For starters, the somewhat illustrious cast of Greenwood, Dolan, Feore, Catherine Keener, and Carrie-Anne Moss gave a lot of preliminary promise to the movie. Seeing Dolan play the role of a patient at a psychiatric hospital also looked intriguing, as I have always imagined him playing complex, albeit francophone, characters.

Finally, the mind games between patient and physician were something to look forward to, as a psychiatric patient toy-

who is Green’s ex-wife. It only gives of a dead daughter somewhere? Don’t ing with others is always entertaining.

The only thing that really kept the Aleen another way to toy with Green. bother fixating on it, since you never removie going for me was how Aleen uses Even Green says, “I should have known ally find out what happened.

All in all, the movie is slow, and the his interview with Green in order to ex- what he was doing.” Dumbass. Go back drama could have been developed in a plain how his parents raised him, cul- and redo your degree.

The involvement of Green’s personal way that would keep viewers interested. minating in the murder of his mother, a world-renowned opera singer who fails life has no impact whatsoever on the The trailer gave an idea of a movie simito take care of him while she tours in- actual story, and the story could have lar to The Silence of the Lambs, but it ternationally. When she has a concert in played out without Moss’ character. Her does not create that same kind of thrill.

Africa, a young Aleen visits his father, role as a restless, callous housewife is Dolan would never be able to surpass who takes him with other mercenaries pointless, but I guess putting known ac- Anthony Hopkins as an insane Hannito kill an elephant in the wild. The men- tors in a movie helps create popularity. bal Lector, but I will give him credit for tal trauma from seeing the elephant die The film, while dialogue heavy, treads trying. Keep your money for something in front of him shapes Aleen’s obsession along at a tedious pace and leaves many else kids—if anything wait until it goes with elephants, in addition to his mother loose ends untied. Was there a mention on Netflix. teaching him the French “Elephant Song” to help calm him down.

However, the entire movie fell flat from my expectations. To begin, Greenwood plays the role of Green well, but his character really bothered me. He is a psychiatrist, and sadly I don’t think any psychiatrist would fall so easily for the games of a patient as Green falls for those of Aleen. Green shows intense emotion whenever Aleen mentions Nurse ELEPHANT SONG FEATURES A CAST OF BRUCE GREENWOOD, XAVIER DOLAN, COLM FEORE AND CARRIE-ANNE MOSS. Peterson (Keener),

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Drawing // ARTS

Behind the black marker of Hingston Hall Concordia’s “artist in residence” uses whiteboard as a social, artistic experiment RITA LATIF Contributor

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o fine arts student Kevin Soltany, it all started as a simple school project. But now, the 19-yearold’s drawings are an inspiration to many of Concordia’s students living in residence.

A few months ago, students noticed an interesting drawing appear on a whiteboard in Concordia’s Hingston Hall (HB) building. The only thing used to bring the artwork to life was a black marker. People started to wonder who drew it, and that’s when students in residence found out that one of their own possessed this amazing talent.

They continued to wait eagerly for his next masterpiece, wondering what it would be.

“It was a project for school,” Soltany explained. “We had to make our art and get critiques by our professor and classmates. The art had to be somewhere the public can easily access, [so] that’s why I chose to draw it on the whiteboard in HB.” Born to Iranian parents in France, Soltany lived there most of his life before moving to Georgia, United States, with his mother. When he was younger, he was inspired by the Japanese comic channel Manga, and tried to imitate this style of drawing. He stopped drawing when he was 12, however, when people told him that he wasn’t good enough to pursue that style of drawing. He felt that it was no longer his calling.

While living in the United States, Soltany’s mother enrolled him in art classes. He wasn’t really a fan of them because he felt that the art in Georgia was too conservative. Then one day he discovered something that he really liked, a specific style through which he could express himself: realistic art.

A few years later, when he was 16, Soltany came to Canada on vacation and fell in love with Montreal and its

art. “Montreal is young, it’s alive and really cool,” he said. “Plus I really like the type of art they have. It’s free and open.”

With time, Soltany started to develop his passion for realistic art, and used “psychedelics” for inspiration. Psychedelic art is based on the way a person feels after using drugs such as LSD and psilocybin, letting the mind express itself freely. And according to Soltany, “psychedelic is a fantasy world! Mixing this style with the realistic is a good mix because you can express a lot of things through that style [that] people can imagine.”

When asked about his drawing style, Soltany said he just wants to use his skills, experiment with them and try to draw in 3D on the whiteboard in the hallway. For him, this is a perfect spot because he likes getting critiqued by his fellow students. He believes this is what a true artist needs.

Soltany usually prefers to use a pencil, more than any other material, when he starts a new project. He starts by drawing a sketch and when he’s satisfied with the composition he starts adding detail to it.

“You can do whatever you want with a pencil, you can draw whatever you want… it’s like magic,” he said.

When he draws on the whiteboard, Soltany uses the same technique, but he also uses shadows to help him get the result he wants. “The shadow is really important,” he stated. “And so is the light, so it’s all about the shadowing of the drawing.”

It’s harder to draw with a marker, but for Soltany it’s so much more interesting and makes the drawing pop a little bit.

“First you have to draw your idea briefly and really fast,” he said. “Start with a sketch, and when you have your composition

go in with the details, you erase what isn’t good. Start with an idea and if it’s bad then adjust it. For example, in one of my drawings I started with a skeleton and on top of that I drew a man.”

Soltany draws because he likes to.

He doesn’t like it when he is forced to draw, as there’s always something he wants to show through his pieces. Of course, he likes it when people appreciate and admire his work but he also prefers to be completely satisfied with it first. That’s when he feels like he is on the right track with what he is doing.

That’s why when he first started drawing, Soltany felt like he had a mission to use his art to make a difference, especially when it comes to the conflict between Palestine and Israel.

KEVIN SOLTANY’S QUIRKY, PSYCHEDELIC WHITEBOARD ART CAPTURED THE ATTENTION OF HINGSTON HALL’S RESIDENTS. PHOTOS BY RITA LATIF.

Even though he is half Jewish, Soltany is pro-Palestine and believes that what happens in Palestine is unfair.

“Israel receives a lot of ‘gifts’ from the United States every year while Palestine doesn’t get anything,” he said. “If we can’t show that by politics then maybe we can show it with art!”

He believes that some people decide to ignore what they hear and see on the news; that’s why he wants to use his art to show what some try to escape from, or what they try to hide from the rest of the world.

“People say I’m not emotional,” said Soltany. “But I’ve seen so many things that made me strong that I either show through my art or I don’t show it at all.”

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Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com

Profile // MUSIC

Bob Lee programs and jams Sick of dealing with your band’s too-cool-for-school attitude? Imagine programming your own!

MUSICIAN AND COMPUTER PROGRAMMER BOB LEE CREATED SOFTWARE SO COMPUTERS COULD MUSICALLY IMPROVISE. VISUALS BY ADAM WAITO.

DANIELLE GASHER Contributor

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f you think electro-funk music is different and original, you need to have a listen to Bob Lee, the fascinating musician/computer programmer who also goes as -bØb- and has a newly rereleased album.

On Jan. 27, Fixture Records re-released Lee’s experimental album, The Technical Academy plays-bØb-. The album is nothing short of ground-breaking: it was originally made in 1991 with an Atari ST computer. The computer used algorithmic bots that each had human-like limitations and virtual instruments. The words “algorithmic bots” may not ring a bell for many, but, luckily, the musician provides an explanation.

“The Forth programming languages supports running multiple processes at the same time. So you can write a drum part as one process, a bass part as a second process, a sax part as a third, and so on. I call these processes ‘bots,’” explained Lee. “Now here’s where it gets interesting: the bots can all look at variables in a shared space, so they can follow a conductor bot that defines the chord

progression, sets the tempo, etc. I didn’t actually tell the bots what notes to play.

They followed the conductor and selected notes at random based on pre-set rules.”

Now as cool as all this may be, you may be asking yourself how this musician got to doing this in the first place.

The Pennsylvania native moved to Northern California out of school to focus on his musical career, and the programming part wrapped itself in due to his interest in every aspect of music and music production. “I’ve always had a very keen interest in music theory, more than most of my country-rock musician cohorts,” said Lee. It was the first music program the musician tried that made him want to learn how to code and create his own. He was disappointed with the limited capabilities of the program.

You know what they say, “if it’s broke, get a new one!”…or something like that.

In his case—make a new one.

“In the early 1980s Atari ran a T.V. ad showing a computer playing music, with the staff in the screen. The music program was a cartridge that went into the computer. I bought the system and quickly ran into the limitations of that program—it couldn’t even do triplets! I knew the machine was capable of more, so I learned to program it myself,” he

said.

That is when the Technical Academy came along. Although the bots decide their own moves with -bØb-‘s limitation, a trial and error period was still necessary.

“It required a lot of testing to get it right. Each instrument had to be played in a way that was humanly possible, even if a human would never think of it. Fortunately, all I needed to do to test the next iteration was type its name, hit return, and listen. I invented concepts like 5th notes and 7th notes to play with time.”

The whole album has a late-‘80s and ‘90s sound to it. The song, “PsX4,” has a melody that’s reminiscent of the Law and Order theme song, but the predominant drum evens out the keyboard for that cool factor.

The most impressive aspect of the bots’ music is the groove felt throughout from songs that come from a completely groove-less machine: a computer. The sound is

sometimes eclectic, sometimes overwhelming, but if you forget that it’s from a computer, you just sit back and enjoy.

“Spend a week listening to John Cage and you realize that all sound is music,” said the artist. “I don’t like music that is too repetitive, or that focuses on the vocalist to the exclusion of musicians. Most of my collection is instrumental, from the classics through early jazz and blues, swing, rock, Hawaiian and of course, country.”

The reason the album was re-released after all these years is because Fixture Records, a label run in a Montreal apartment by Tessa Smith and Conor Prendergast, stumbled upon the album. “We came across -bØb-’s music fairly randomly on Bandcamp, just digging around different tags. The songs were so strange and cool and had this sense of play to them,” Smith said. She also marvels at his use of technology in the ‘90s, a time when sound-mixing wasn’t what it is today. “The album was a really impressive and creative use of the technologies available back when -bØb- made it in 1991. It was interesting as a historical document, but it also fit in really well with some of the music people around us were making, and touched on a lot of the same ideas still being explored in contemporary electronic and experimental music.” Smith and Prendergast reached out to -bØb- to let him know they liked his album, and with back and forth corresponding, the idea of a re-release came about.

The album is available for purchase on Bandcamp, through the Fixture Records website. The purchase includes the cassette tape with digital download and a bonus track.

Visit b0b.com for more information.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015

Celebrity // MUSIC

Beyoncé: from the ‘90s to now The superstar is credited with supporting feminism in her long-established career FIONA MAYNARD Contributor

For those who have followed Beyoncé’s career from early stardom to becoming the world-renowned superstar we all know her as today, there’s no denying her music has evolved over time.

She started off as the lead singer in the R&B group called Destiny’s Child which, according to Billboard, ended up being one of the best-selling girl groups of all time with recognized singles such as “Survivor” and “Bootylicious.” These tracks both have messages that shouldn’t be missed.

“Survivor” instills a sense of selfworth by defending independence and being confident in one’s achievements.

Beyoncé was inspired to write “Bootylicious” based on nasty comments from the media criticizing her physique. The song praises women with curvy bodies and emphasizes that all women are beautiful.

The singer/songwriter and actress then branched off to start her tremendously successful solo career. Beyoncé has always written songs about love, monogamous relationships and women’s empowerment through different lenses as each album was produced.

Beyoncé met her husband, Jay-Z, in 1999, and they started dating when she was 19 years old. The couple collaborated on many songs, the first of which was “Crazy in Love.” This song introduced “Bey-Z” as the ultimate rap/R&B distinguished duo. Their song “Déja Vu” openly demonstrated their chemistry and head over heels love for one another with lyrics like “Baby seems like everywhere I go I see you, from your eyes, your smile, it’s like I breathe you.” Their fearless and vulnerable lyrics inspire people to live by their own rules, follow their creative intuitions, and not let anyone’s opinion affect the final outcome of a project.

Jay-Z’s single, “On the Run,” featur-

BEYONCÉ PERFORMING “IF I WERE A BOY” IN MARID, SPAIN, IN 2008. PHOTO FROM FLICKR BY NONU PHOTOGRAPHY. ing Beyoncé, put their relationship into perspective for the public, with lyrics reflecting “an innocent love un-misunderstood.” There is no doubt that Jay-Z is an enormous influence when it comes to Beyoncé’s music, however, she plays a huge part in his musical career as well.

When their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, was born, (before the Beyoncé album was released) Jay-Z vowed never to use the word “bitch” in his songs again. This was also due to the image Beyoncé painted

herself as: an equal rights activist who believes that “men and women balance each other out, and we have to get to a point where we are comfortable with appreciating each other,” as mentioned in her 11-minute video, Yours and Mine, which was released in Dec. 2014 without forewarning.

Beyoncé’s work has gone from a safe mainstream pop and R&B style to a darker more risqué tone. Her latest album, Beyoncé, which had absolutely no adver-

Photo from Flickr by Hot Gossip Italia

tising or warning that an album was in production, was dropped onto the world, leaving people in awe while her greatest masterpiece yet was revealed. On this exclusive visual album, including videos for every song, her track “Drunk in Love” gave her fans an intimate look into the star studded relationship.

The song also caused a lot of controversy for Beyoncé who is an advocate for women’s rights. Many critics analyzed the lyrics and deciphered several theories as to what the couple meant when writing this song. One of the lyrics has Jay-Z rapping “Now eat the cake, Anna Mae, I said eat the cake Anna Mae.” The lyric is criticized for being a reference to a scene from the Tina Turner biopic, What’s Love Got to Do With It, in which Tina’s (born as Anna Mae) abusive husband becomes physical to get her to eat cake. The lyrics came off as distasteful and offensive, however, the term “eat the cake” is also a common term in rap, and is used as sexual slang.

Beyoncé’s 2014 MTV Video Music Awards performance brought the F-word to the masses. The end of her performance consisted of projecting the word “Feminist” on a giant screen while she stood in front and embraced the message.

In her video, Yours and Mine, Beyoncé explained how she feels about the word: “I’ve always considered myself a feminist, although I was always afraid of that word because people put so much on it… I consider myself a humanist,” she said.

Beyoncé’s main goal is to leave a mark on the world through creative expression, and in the video, Yours and Mine, she explains that “the love that [she has] for music, for [her] husband, for [her] child, is something that will last far beyond [her] life.”

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015

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Feature // MUSIC

Why concert tickets are so expensive

Graphic by Marie-Pier LaRose

With the declining sale of records, artists have begun charging more for the live music experience

KATHERINE D’ADAMO Contributor

T

he only light igniting the arena is that of thousands of cellphones swaying back and forth in the hands of fans as the infamous melody of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” plays.

Band t-shirts dominate the sight of the crowd. There is a feeling of adrenaline, but also of unity as an audience of 30,000 sings so loud it almost overpowers Mick Jagger’s voice. It is as though everyone in the room connects not only to the artist, but to a past experience in that very moment. It is an overwhelming feeling.

This is how Bianca Marrocco, a 19year-old devoted music fan, described the live concert experience. Now, a ticket to this very concert has never been more expensive.

According to Pollstar—a trade publication for the concert tour industry—the average North American ticket price for the Rolling Stones more than doubled in 2013, jumping to $287.89 compared to $136.63 U.S. in 2006. Although the Stones may be an exception since they are rock legends, even Justin Bieber’s concert tickets doubled from $48.90 in 2010 to $90.47 U.S. in 2013.

“There’s no way I can afford to go,” said 19-year-old Sarah Camacho, a frequent concert goer. Camacho has attended more than 70 concerts in her life: “I used to go to two a month and now it’s once every four months because it’s ridiculous.”

This may be the case with many An-

glophones in Quebec, as a recent study shows a 33 per cent dip in revenue from English music shows in 2013. However, Jon Weisz, founder of concert promoter Indie Montreal, pointed out that touring cycles could play a part in those numbers.

The dynamics of the industry changed after big companies started buying out concert promoters. This started in 2000 when American mass media company Clear Channel Communications bought out music industry company SFX Entertainment. As a result, live event conglomerates such as Live Nation, Evenko and AEG dominate the market today.

Weisz said the profit made on a concert ticket differs depending on the artists and their management. He said, for larger shows, 80 per cent of ticket proceeds go to the band playing, and for smaller shows, the band gets 33 per cent of proceeds on average.

“It’s like the bigger the act gets the more expensive it is, so it’s really frustrating,” said Camacho.

While production costs for high-tech

shows are passed onto fans, the main cost is still paying the bands and their expenses, although Weisz suggested that this may not be the main reason for the increase in concert ticket prices.

“Artists can’t make money selling records anymore,” said Weisz.

According to information and sales tracking system Nielsen SoundScan Canada, physical CD sales declined 15 per cent in 2013. Weisz explains that in order to have a profitable business, artists have to charge more for tickets. He says they have become increasingly aggressive with that they ask for from promoters and the industry has adjusted as such.

“My dad paid $5 for a concert, but I tell him ‘you bought records, you bought Cassette tapes, there was no Internet then’,” said Camacho. But clearly, for some, the cost of a concert ticket is worth every penny.

“I think that the artist-to-fan experience that a concert allows is priceless,” said Marrocco. “When you’re really passionate about music and connect so

There’s no way I can afford to go. I used to go to two a month and now it’s once every four months, because it’s ridiculous.

- Sarah Camacho

deeply with a certain artist, I don’t think there’s anything that should get in the way of that.”

Weisz confirms this is the case with a lot of fans today. He said they have accepted the fact that in order to see a concert, it’s going to cost them a pretty penny and they’re willing to do so.

“My favorite artist is Adele and if she would ever come to Montreal I would be willing to spend up to $500 to see her,” revealed Marrocco.

Weisz suggested part of the reason for this acceptance among fans is that the music consumption experience has changed drastically. He said that 30 years ago fans would open up an album and there would be information about the band inside. He explained that it would be something they could hold in their hands that helped them interact with the band. He said now people can easily buy a single on iTunes, “That interaction only truly exists by going to a concert,” he said.

So, what does all this mean for the future of rock and roll?

Weisz argued that in a music-driven era like the 1960s, music was made simply for the sake of making music. He said people can listen to anything they want for free today; therefore the whole industry becomes less about music. He believed music is going to become even more of a “brand building exercise,” where the artist’s image is what’s of value. This relates to the increase in tickets prices, because their image directly influences what they charge for their tickets.

“People used to tour to sell records, and now people sell records to tour,” Weisz said.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015

Quickspins // MUSIC

BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah – Sour Soul (eOne Music Canada; 2015)

THEESatisfaction – EarthEE (Sub Pop; 2015)

of Montreal – Aureate Gloom (Polyvinyl Records; 2015)

Torche – Restarter (Relapse: 2015)

For what seemed like a no-brainer, it’s unfortunate just how disappointing Sour Soul is. A joint album by rising Toronto jazz fusion trio BADBADNOTGOOD and prolific, cartoonishly rugged Wu-Tang mainstay, Ghostface Killah, the resulting collaboration ignores either party’s strengths and instead settles for an incredibly brief and insubstantial assortment of lukewarm jazz-rap. While BADBADNOTGOOD provide a reliably intimate backdrop and occasionally demonstrate flashes of inspiration, their signature, energetic sound feels compromised in favour of pared-down arrangements more in line with the previous two Ghostface Killah records; it’s an unfortunate decision given BADBADNOTGOOD’s effortless penchant for controlled, moody chaos. Ghostface, on the other hand, simply sounds bored, vanishing from most songs after a single verse while providing an ambitiously stunted version of his enigmatic persona. While Sour Soul isn’t particularly bad or entirely without merit, the lack of cohesion and synergy amongst its two halves renders the entire project limp and airless. It’s less sour and more milquetoast.

With tracks like “Planet For Sale,” “No GMO” and “Post Black, Anyway,” it is clear that the genre-bending Seattle-based duo, THEESatisfaction, have strong opinions on the current state of affairs on their sophomore record, EarthEE. As queer black women, rapper Stasia “Stas” Irons and vocalist Catherine “Cat” Harris-White, strive to challenge the listener with concepts of interconnectivity, feminism, race and politics.

The album blends neo-soul, jazz rap and hip-hop, with a jangly intergalactic haze of synths and airy vocals. The spot-on collaborations with Shabazz Palaces and Meshell Ndegeocello add a familiar touch to the afro-futurist psychedelic beats and spoken-word poetry style flow throughout.

What makes EarthEE so exceptional is that it manages to transcend the narcissistic tendency of hip-hop and overall cynical trend in mainstream music with its challenging political-minded content, undeniable positivity and originality.

Emerging from the ruins of a past relationship, Kevin Barnes, singer-songwriter behind of Montreal, released a new chapter of emotional turmoil in their 13th studio album, Aureate Gloom. Emitting waves of often paradoxical feelings from a single song, the record radiates an overall feel of inner conflict sprinkled with brief moments of relief. The lyricism matches this bi-polar feel, where the nonsensical boils into deeply sensual, blatant anxiety transforming into something oddly therapeutic.

Following up from their 2013 album, Lousy with Sylvianbriar, Aureate Gloom grows on the more matured, nuanced vibes that perhaps diverge almost completely from the eccentric glory days of Hissing Fauna and Skeletal Lamping, which in a way makes it difficult to compare the album to their older works. That being said, the record manages to convey its creator’s melancholic attitudes without ignoring the bumps of elation that render the rather mellow labyrinth of emotion quite a pleasurable trip to listen to.

On their aptly-titled fourth album, bubblegum stoner sludge outfit, Torche, have effectively started anew. Taking cues from front man Steve Brook’s other recently reunited sludge metal project, Floor, Restarter brings back the thick, chunky guitars heard on Meanderthal while eschewing most of the harmonious pop-punk trappings found on 2012’s ever-socatchy Harmonicraft. “Annihilation Affair,” the album’s thunderous opener, pounds the listener into submission with a single, unrelenting riff before calling upon a deafening feedback bomb to remind you tinnitus is a very real thing. While Torche just wouldn’t be Torche without a helpful dose of melodic, arena rock chants and choruses even your dad would sing along to, Restarter finds them doubling down on their sludge component, sometimes to their detriment. The band’s shift towards Melvins-like riffery unfortunately comes at the expense of overall catchiness, one of Torche’s most striking and distinctive features. In spite of this, Torche have conjured up yet another tasty, candy-coated and merciless sludge assault. If Restarter feels a tad onenote, it’s a damn good one nonetheless.

Trial Track: “Ray Gun”

Trial Track: “Sir Come Navigate (feat. Tendai Maraire)”

Trial Track: Empyrean Abattoir

Trial Track: “Restarter”

5/10

-Samuel Provost-Walker

8/10

-Paul Traunero

8/10

-Steven Nadeau

7/10

-Samuel Provost-Walker

sports

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Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com

Profile // SPORTS Photo by Brianna Thicke

Stingers guard will leave lasting impression Mukiya Post has been a leader on and off the court for the past two seasons CASEY DULSON Staff writer

Fifth-year guard for the Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team, Mukiya Post will hang up his Stingers maroon and gold once and for all at the end of the season. Post has scored 465 points in his two years with the Stingers and has been one of their true leaders on the court. It was a meaningful journey to play university basketball for the Victoria, B.C. native, one that he will never forget.

Post first picked up playing basketball when he came to Canada from Jamaica.

“I remember playing for fun at lunchtime in elementary school,” he said.

Post became more involved in the sport and found his passion when playing at Oak Bay High School.

“I got to high school, where I fell in love with basketball. I loved to shoot and also loved to practice. It drove me to be the best that I can be,” Post said.

Post played college basketball at Quest University in 2010 and then, after one year, made the long trip to basketball powerhouse Champlain College, SaintLambert, where he played alongside future Stingers teammate Gabe Riche.

It was at Champlain where Post caught the attention of Bishop’s Gaiters men’s basketball head coach, Rod Gilpin and his dream of playing in the Cana-

dian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) league became a reality.

Post spent one season with the Gaiters which was a successful year for him as he led the CIS in free throw percentage with 92.9 per cent and also averaged

I liked his coaching style,” said Post.

“Coach Dore taught me the values of competing and always trying to do your best whether it’s being a student or in a game.”

When Post is not excelling on the

I got to high school, where I fell in love with basketball.

I loved to shoot and also loved to practice. It drove me to be the best that I can be.

- Mukiya

11 points per game.

After the 2011-12 season, Post transferred to Concordia. Looking back now on how far he’s come and the different stops along the way, Post was very humble about his journey.

“I’m proud of myself for the sacrifices I made and the work I put in to getting to the CIS level.”

Post’s decision to play for Concordia for the last two years was helped by the reputation of Stingers head coach, John Dore.

“I heard great things about him and

Post

court, he is working with the foundation he created during his time off from playing basketball after Bishop’s. Pass the Ball is a non-profit organization whose mission is to collect and ship sports equipment to youth organizations, orphanages and schools in the Caribbean.

In November 2014, Post was awarded a $2,000 bursary from the Fondation de l’athlete d’excellence du Québec (FAEQ) for his foundation and the leadership role he provided for the Stingers. Post also volunteers during his free time every Thursday as a big brother to eight-

year-old Jesse.

“I never had a male presence around when I was growing up and I know that some of the kids in big brother/big sisters are in the same situation,” said Post.

Dore describes Post as being an ideal Stinger on and off the court.

“I think he has matured as a player on the court this year as he is making better decisions and also has been our leading scorer,” said Dore. “I admire [him] for all of things he has done off the court with his foundation and big brothers.”

Long-time teammate Riche describes Post as the key to Stingers success this year.

“When he gets the ball, he just wants to score and if we want to win we are going to need him to keep on doing that,” said Riche. “He is a good guy to have around because he cares about people and the community.”

Post will be done playing basketball with the Stingers after this year but will still be at Concordia next year finishing up his history degree and writing his LSAT. Post hopes in the next few weeks the Stingers can win a championship as they head into the post-season.

“I could come back to Concordia in the near future and see our team banner that we won hanging in the gym, now that would be a great legacy,” he said.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015 Women’s hockey // SPORTS

Stingers swept from post-season play Concordia’s women’s hockey team dropped back-to-back games vs. Université de Montréal

SCORING WAS THE STINGERS’ DOWNFALL IN THEIR SERIES AGAINST THE CARABINS, MANAGING ONLY ONE GOAL IN TWO GAMES. PHOTOS BY BRIANNA THICKE.

TIM LAZIER Sports editor

C

oncordia’s hockey season has officially come to a close for the Stingers varsity teams.

While McGill trumped the men’s hockey team a couple weeks ago, the women’s squad was eliminated from the post-season after being swept by the Montréal Carabins on Saturday, Feb. 28.

Game 1 The best-of-three series began on Thursday, Feb. 26 when the team travelled to Université de Montréal. The Carabins had the Stingers’ number all year as they swept the season series 4-0 against Concordia. In game one, the Carabins jumped out to the early 1-0 lead and would not give Concordia’s offence the chance to answer. The game stayed 1-0 throughout most of the contest, until the Carabins extended their lead early in the third period. After securing the 2-0 victory in game one, Montréal forced Concordia into an elimination game on Saturday. Win, or the Stingers’ season was over.

Game 2 The Carabins crowd and Stinger supporters filled the Ed Meagher Arena on Saturday to watch what was ultimately Concordia’s last game of the season. The visiting crowd was boisterous as they chanted “Aller les bleus!” throughout the game. The electricity of the crowd fueled the play on the ice, as both teams were energetic from the get-go.

Just under four minutes into the first period, the Carabins scored first on a goal that Concordia’s all-star rookie goaltender Katherine Purchase wished she could have had back. A bouncing puck that came off of the stick of Mon-

treal’s Janique Duval squeaked past Purchase to give the Carabins the 1-0 lead.

Momentum was with Montréal early in the game as just two minutes after their opening goal, the Carabins drew back-to-back penalties. With a two-man advantage, the Carabins’ power play went to work.

Montréal forward Marion Allemoz found the back of the net for the Carabins’ second goal to quiet the home supporters. In a total of three minutes, and with the help of some untimely penalties, the Carabins were in complete control of the game.

“We took a dumb penalty in the first period, gave them a five-on-three on a call that I thought was cheesy,” said

Stingers head coach Les Lawton after the game. “They took advantage of it and we just couldn’t battle back as hard as we tried, couldn’t get the puck behind the goalie.”

The Carabins were outshooting the Stingers 5-1 midway through the first but the Stingers did not give up that easily. If not for the undisciplined play and momentary lapse by the Stingers in the first period, the final scoreboard could have been different.

The second period belonged to the Stingers as the home team desperately tried to keep their season alive. Concordia applied the pressure right from the puck drop. The Stingers spent most of the opening 10 minutes in the Carabins’

zone, but couldn’t beat their defence. By the latter half of the period, the Stingers now controlled the shots on goal by 1412.

The turning point in the game came late in the second period when the Stingers were awarded a five-on-three power play. Much like Montréal’s opportunity in the first period, this was Concordia’s chance to get on the scoreboard. During the advantage, the Stingers had multiple chances but nothing seemed to bounce their way.

Every cross-ice pass seemed to skip, every mad scramble was cleared and shots that should have gone in seemed to miss by mere inches. It simply wasn’t meant to be for the Stingers on Saturday.

“I thought it was one of our better efforts of the season and I thought it was a game we could have won,” said Lawton.

Heading into the third period Concordia outshot Montréal 24-18 but the score remained 2-0 for the Carabins. Less than two minutes into the final period, Montréal made it 3-0 and all the momentum that the Stingers had gained was quickly erased. With under four minutes left in the game Concordia finally got on the board with a goal to make it 3-1.

Once the final buzzer rang, another season of Stingers varsity hockey was over. However, the progress that the women’s hockey program made should not be overlooked.

“We made some great strides this year. We’ve got a really good base of players that are going to help move this team forward,” said Lawton. “I think we learned how to win a little bit this year, which is something we’ve been struggling with in the last couple of years.”

Onto next year Stingers fans, and hopefully, with better and brighter outcomes.

“I think we turned some heads, not only in our league but across the country,” said Lawton.

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Pro athletes // SPORTS

Steve Montador’s death ‘a terrible loss’ Sports in the News

Remembering the player and man wearing the jersey

PEGGY KABEYA Assistant sports editor

>> THIRD TIME S THE CHARM?

Chicago Bulls franchise point guard Derek Rose underwent a successful surgery to remove a damaged portion of his torn right knee. The former NBA all-star has been sidelined for what is now three years in a row due to a series of unfortunate knee injuries afflicting both of the point guard’s knees. However, unlike the other two operations from last year and the year before, Rose isn’t expected to be out for nearly as long. The Chicago Bulls organization is confident that their star will make a return before the regular season’s end in April. A spokesperson for the Bulls stated to the media that the timetable for Rose’s return is an estimated four to six weeks. The Chicago Bulls are currently sitting atop the Eastern Conference’s central division with an impressive 37-23 record.

>> DEZ BRYANT GETS PAID̶SORT OF

Graphic by Marie-Pier LaRose

MARCO GALLUCCIO Contributor

Steve Montador, former NHL and KHL defenceman, was found dead in his home in Mississauga, Ont. on Feb. 15. According to the Peel Regional Police, there was no indication of foul play and the cause of death is still unknown.

“With deep sadness we mourn the unfortunate loss of former Blackhawk, Steve Montador,” the Chicago Blackhawks said through a released statement. “We join the many others throughout the NHL in keeping Steve’s family and friends in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”

The Vancouver native was troubled by numerous concussions throughout his playing career, including a season-ending head injury he suffered in March 2012, during his first and only season with the Chicago Blackhawks. Following this injury, Montador spoke openly about the struggles he faced with post-concussion symptoms, especially the concerning effects of depression and anxiety. Montador told CSNChicago.com that he received a lot of help to work through his issues and believed he had taken the necessary steps in his recovery. In March 2013, Montador reported feeling better and said “every day is a brand new day and there’s a lot of enjoyment … I’m just filled with a lot of gratitude.”

Overcoming depression and anxiety was difficult, but Montador announced

that it would not stop him from playing hockey again. Upon clearance to return, the Blackhawks placed him on waivers and sent him down to the AHL to join the Rockford IceHogs in order to regain match fitness. However, the Blackhawks bought him out and with little NHL interest in the defenceman, Montador decided to join the KHL in Croatia.

During 10 NHL seasons playing for six teams, Montador recorded 33 goals and 98 assists for 131 points and registered 807 penalty minutes. Although he was noted for his gritty defensive style, Montador will be remembered for being a great man on and off the ice.

“This is a terrible loss of a wonderful young man; a great teammate known for his big heart and character,” said the Calgary Flames in a statement. “He will be missed by all who had the pleasure to have known and worked with him.”

Chris Kuc, hockey writer for the Chicago Tribune, tweeted after Montador’s death, “Not sure of circumstances behind Steve Montador’s death, but in his last email to me a year ago he said, ‘I’m grateful for this peace I have.’”

Former teammates who became close friends tweeted after hearing of the tragedy. “To my friend Steve Montador may u find peace in a better place,” former Blackhawks teammate, Nick Boynton wrote. “I’ll miss you.”

Montador’s heart-breaking death brings forth a more serious question about head injuries in high contact sports like hockey and football.

Hayley Wickenheiser, professional

hockey player and Olympic gold-medalist, wrote a powerful post on Facebook about athletes who struggle with postconcussion symptoms in memorial of Montador.

“Steve Montador is no longer with us and many will say it is because of concussions,” Wickenheiser said. “In my opinion that is just one part of the story. There are so many factors in his life that led up to this moment, whether it be addiction, depression, concussion, loss of identity.

None of us truly really knows why—only Steve does.”

Wickenheiser not only writes about Montador’s death, but what athletes, team organizations and leagues must do in the future in order to help those who suffer from the dangerous symptoms.

“This is what the public does not understand and this is what the NHL and the NHLPA need to get a handle on and continue to do more for the great warriors that give so much to the game and the fans,” she said. “It will be a failure to lose another athlete under similar circumstances as Steve. Lets hope that his death brings forward a shining light on the difficulty athletes face when they leave the game.”

Wickenheiser states that athletes should be treated with respect especially when they are not playing at their best because it could be due to personal issues. “The public is so quick to jump on these guys and crucify them if they are not perfect in the media. Lets remember they are people too, they hurt, they struggle, and they are not invincible.”

The Dallas Cowboys have informed Dez Bryant and his camp that they will be using their 2015 franchise tag on the star receiver.

Bryant, who just completed the last year of his rookie contract made just over $2M this past season, while posting up career numbers helping lead the way for the Cowboys to win their first playoff game since 1996.

The news will surely not be well received on the receiver’s end who has been publicly opposed to the idea of getting franchise tagged. The Cowboys have elected to use the non-exclusive franchise tag, meaning, under NFL rules, Bryant is still technically a free agent, however, any team interested in signing Bryant will have to match the offer sheet and give up two first round picks in the process. Despite the groaning on the star receiver’s end, the $13M pay raise in guaranteed money for the upcoming season will hopefully help quell the disdain.

>> THE PRICE IS RIGHT Carey Price is the best goaltender in the NHL. Period. After collecting his sixth shutout of the season against the beleaguered Toronto Maple Leafs, the Canadiens netminder reminded us all that of one thing, when it comes to professional goaltending, the 27-year-old B.C. native is the best in the business. Whether the praise be from Washington head coach Barry Trotz or from Leafs Captain Dion Phaneuf this season, the name Carey Price is synonymous with goaltending excellence that hasn’t been seen since the glory days of Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy. In fact this weekend Price who leads the NHL in three of the four major goaltending statistics (goals against average, wins and save percentage) surpassed Roy on the Canadiens’ all-time shutout list. Only time will tell if King Carey will bring the Montreal Canadiens to the same heights.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015

opinions Write to the editor: opinions@theconcordian.com Editorial // OPINIONS

On wage gap, equality and the future of feminism This one is for the ladies on International Women’s Day There are no hard and fast rules about what makes a feminist. Short hair or long hair, high heels or flats—women who believe in equal rights come in all shapes and sizes.

In honour of International Women’s Day on March 8, let’s take a moment to talk about the status of women in Canada today.

Although women’s rights have greatly improved in the last hundred years, there is

still so much that needs to change for men and women to be equal. While we like to imagine that Canada is a place where gender divide, sexism and inequality is a thing of the past, this simply isn’t the case.

We probably don’t need to remind you, dear reader, of the many headlines of late ranging from issues of sexual harassment, domestic abuse and violence against women.

Feminism, yes the “F word,” does not necessarily mean burning bras, or letting your leg hair grow, anymore.

All feminism means is equality. That means getting rid of the glass ceiling. That

means understanding what consent is. That means not judging a woman because of how she looks, or the length of her skirt.

We are lucky enough to live in a society where rape culture and victim blaming are actually being talked about in the public sphere. It may seem disheartening, but these important discussions are a sign of increased awareness about the realities of how bad it really is out there.

Canadian women have many rights that women elsewhere in the world do not, and for that, we should all be proud, but that does not mean that our society is perfect— far from it.

Women in this country still get paid 74 cents on the dollar (according to a 2011 Ontario Pay Equity Commission study) compared to men working the exact same jobs. Women of colour and women with disabilities make even less. This is a stone cold fact, and it’s an injustice of epic proportions.

So on Sunday, take the time to do a little research before condemning feminism as a dead or outdated movement. The second that we stop talking about feminism will be the day that the struggles of our foremothers are forgotten, and that history repeats itself.

Society // OPINIONS

Stripping students of their privacy School administrators should police the halls, not students ROBIN STANFORD Staff writer

It used to happen annually in my high school.

Once a year the police would pull up outside of the building. We all knew this meant locker searches and sniffer dogs.

Someone was suspected of dealing drugs.

About half the time they would be given a free ride to the police station afterwards.

Many years have passed since then, but it would seem that things have changed.

On Feb. 16, news broke that a 15 year-old girl was stripped searched at Neufchâtel High School in Quebec City on suspicion of drug trafficking. Her confiscated cell phone allegedly revealed an offer to sell drugs later that day. Usually, this would have resulted in a visit from the drug dogs. What made this case different was that, instead of the police intervening, it was the school’s principal and another staff member who conducted the search. The student wasn’t asked to empty her pockets—she was required to strip.

More surprisingly, this was in line with current school board policies. In their report on Feb. 17, CBC noted that according to “a 2010 [Quebec] government policy document, the board said staff can search students’ personal effects if they have reason to believe a school rule has been broken and evidence could be located … on a student’s person.”

The justification for this policy is grounded in a Supreme Court of Canada

Graphic by Marie-Pier LaRose

ruling from 1998. In that specific case a principle required a student to remove their socks, under suspicion the individual was hiding marijuana.

Interestingly, the Court stated that asking a student to remove their socks was allowed was because “the search was not excessively intrusive.”

Removing one’s socks is quite a bit less intrusive, embarrassing, and violating than being forced to remove all of one’s clothes.

In this case, two principle elements are very problematic.

First, how is law enforcement the responsibility of school authorities? The austerity measures have required teachers to take on many tasks outside of their job description, but this goes too far. Que-

bec pays specialized people to enforce the law for a reason.

Secondly, there is the issue of potential sexual abuse. Not long ago, parents were concerned if a student was left in a room alone with a member of the opposite sex. Why are we suddenly okay with a student being forced to remove their clothing? Although two authorities are required to be present and be of the same sex as the student, that’s not a guarantee against sexual abuse.

It should be noted that this is the first time such a case has been reported since the 1998 ruling. Although this could be because no parents have come forward, it is more likely due to the fact that schools are not resorting to this drastic measure.

Initial public outcry was immense. As

noted by Global News on Feb. 18, “Quebec’s education minister Yves Bolduc, who initially stood by the school’s decision … moderated his stance after harsh public criticism, calling for a change to the law.”

Mr. Bolduc has since resigned from his position, and announced his retirement from politics. Although not the reason mentioned directly in his public announcement, it’s difficult to not assume some correlation.

In addition to Bolduc’s actions, the parents of the student in question are currently exploring the possibility of bringing the school board to court.

Remember a time when the police and teachers had separate jobs?

I do.

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015

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21

Pets // OPINIONS

What to do when your dog thinks you’re stupid They aren’t the smartest animals, but their hearts are bigger than their brains

DIXIE IS A GOLDEN RETRIEVER WHO OFTEN FINDS HERSELF CONCERNED FOR THE WELLBEING AND INTELLIGENCE OF HER LOVING OWNER. PHOTO BY LAURA MARCHAND.

LAURA MARCHAND Opinions editor

I

have a Golden Retriever, and anyone who’s ever met a Golden can tell you that they are the sweetest, cutest, most loyal, kind and caring companions you could ever wish for.

But they’re dumb as bricks. That’s not a bad thing—it’s endearing, really. They run into fences and bark at mirrors, and if not otherwise preoccupied, absolutely love to put all sixty pounds of themselves in your lap. So, you can understand my shock when—after a week of close scrutiny—I came to a shocking conclusion.

My dog, Dixie, thought I was stupid.

“Really?” I thought to myself. “Me? I’m really the stupid one in this relationship? You still haven’t figured out what sand is.”

But it made sense: my dog has seen me at my worst. Bashing my head on cabinets, tripping on nothing, drunkenly falling asleep in places I shouldn’t—of course I’m incapable of taking care of myself. I can’t believe I didn’t see the signs.

For example: we go for a walk. A simple human-dog activity. I decide to walk past my street towards a public garbage can to throw out a baggie—much better than walking home with it, right? I can see it from my corner, it’s not even that far. So, we walk past our street, and I can only imagine the pure panic that sets into my dog’s heart.

“Oh, dear sweet kibble,” I imagine her saying. “The human has no idea where she’s going. She’s going to get lost. We’re never making it home. I have to do something.”

Which, of course, means playing dead in the middle of the street.

“Perfect,” she must have thought to herself, tail swishing across the pavement. “Now we can’t move. She’ll be forced to go home. I’ve solved it.”

Of course, this does not solve anything, and it’s only a matter of time before I tug her towards the garbage. “Oh no oh no oh no,” she probably thought.

“I have to get her on the right track.” Cue my dog trying to corral me, jumping at my chest, running around my legs, and whining.

“Understand!” she yelled, barking at me. “You’re going the wrong way!”

I finally get to the garbage and dispose of our disposables. We’ve gone maybe five metres. Patting her head, we turn back.

“Yes!” she barked happily, tail high in the air. “Now to make sure we can’t possibly get lost!” This is the part where she bites the leash just below my wrist, takes it in her mouth, and proceeds to drag me home. She set a brisk pace—not

stopping for smells, not even at her favourite sniffing spot—until we arrive at my driveway.

“She can’t possibly get lost anymore,” I imagine she thinks to herself triumphantly, sitting for her end-of-walk biscuit in front of the garage door. “Stupid human. Thank god I was there.”

Not to mention the purring. For some inexplicable reason, my cat tends to purr at the kitchen table. When he’s truly desperate, he’ll lick at the furniture, just to show how truly starving he is. Dixie likely watched this with interest.

“He makes noise,” she likely thought.

“If I make noise, will I get food too? Humans always communicate with noise.

They’re too stupid to understand that if I’m sitting here, it’s because I want food.

I need to make noise!”

Luckily, this did not translate into barking. Just… purring. Dog vocal chords aren’t capable of purring, to my knowledge, but I assure you my dog is trying

Graphic by Michelle Gamage

her damn hardest. Not a dinnertime goes by without this low, incessant groan.

“Notice meeeee,” it seems to say.

“Feeeeed meeeee! I’m a caaaaaaaat!”

You may be shocked to learn that this method has proven ineffective.

But nothing—absolutely nothing— tops my birthday.

You see, I don’t like to show when I cry. It’s something I prefer to do quietly, and behind closed doors. But on my birthday, when I thought I was alone and was upset for one reason or another, I left the bathroom door open as I cried. And Dixie found me.

She stared down the hallway at me, her tail instantly dropping between her legs. Her toy fell limply from her mouth.

This time, I can’t imagine what she was thinking—was I hurt? Distressed?

Maybe too stupid to figure out that the floor wasn’t the best place to sit? I don’t know.

But what I do know is that I’ve never seen my dog run faster than she did that day. She bowled into me with all her weight, her paws scrambling at my shoulders, tongue running along my face.

It was a desperate kind of licking: like if she didn’t kiss it away fast enough, I would disappear. She whined the whole way throughout.

I realized afterwards, lying down with her on top of me—for she refused to leave my side—that yes, my dog thought I was stupid. But more important, my dog saw me as someone she had to take care of.

Her faulty assessment of my intelligence came out of a place of love: a need to protect and communicate with me.

Yes, she doesn’t know what sand is.

And, yes, she tries to purr at the kitchen table—but she’s a Golden, and their hearts are 10 times bigger than their brains.

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22

TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2015

Society // OPINIONS

Nostalgia: remembering the right way #TBT has always been a thing and now it’s easier than ever MATTHEW CIVICO Assistant opinions editor

M

ost Concordia students have never lived in a world without “Saturday Night Live� and that’s probably a testament to the show’s quality, or at least our hunger for topical sketch comedy. The recent SNL 40th anniversary show was pure nostalgia, like the kind you may have felt visiting your hometown haunts during Reading Week.

SNL’s retrospective special walked me through the halls of my high school, where good friends reenacted sketches so hilariously that I didn’t care about having missed the show. But I’m not 40, I’m 25, so why am I already nostalgic for the past? Throwback Thursday shouldn’t be a thing among students in their 20s, right?

Well, a big part of nostalgia is reliving formative experiences. I’m not the person I was back in high school but, the person I am right now owes a lot to the experiences of a certain lovesick bookish nerd with self-image issues: me.

When you’re considering how to go forward, it makes sense to look back.

This is especially true in relationships.

Remembering the good times we’ve had and the trials we’ve lived through together can ground and strengthen our confidence in our friends.

So nostalgia can be good, but that

doesn’t mean it can’t be dangerous.

Our long term memories can be rather selective and, just as in life, we often find only what we’re looking for. Bouts of nostalgia are a way of looking for comfort; specifically, the kind of comfort a stack of cookies provides.

As much as I’d like to, I simply can’t go back to being a headstrong (but very promising) Jedi Padawan, aged nine. Neither can I go back to the furious digital brotherhood of Halo 2, circa 2004. Those were good times but life is a straight line, not a series of circles, therefore a touch of nostalgia has its

DÊlai prolongÊ pour prÊsenter une demande de crÊdits personnels d’une valeur pouvant atteindre 3 000 $ pour des programmes Êducationnels, linguistiques ou culturels.

Les bÊnÊficiaires du Paiement d’expÊrience commune en vertu de la Convention de règlement relative aux pensionnats indiens peuvent recevoir jusqu’à 3 000 $ sous forme de crÊdits personnels pour des programmes ou services d’Êducation.

notes and LAN parties.

As change continues and continues to accelerate, it’s safe to assume that the pull of nostalgia will live on, unchanging.

The “good old days� will always exist. For me that’s Saturday mornings with my brother playing Final Fantasy and The Legend of Zelda, but when we look back, and want to go back, we’re dreaming an impossible dream. We’re longing for something we’ll never ever touch again.

I say this as a shameless lover of the past with a history degree: steer clear of excessive nostalgia. Feel Graphic by Marie-Pier LaRose free to indulge in the helpful bits but consider these final thoughts when tempted to go too far down the uses but should be handled with care.

While nostalgia sounds like the rabbit hole.

Do you miss ‘90s cartoons? Fine. Can problem of the middle-aged, trending hashtags like #ThrowbackThursday you draw or write? Well, you can be a (#tbt) show us how the digital age fa- part of forming defining experiences for cilitates the ever-popular practice of the next generation. Plug-in anything the “throwback.� Facebook’s timeline you’re nostalgic for and do an inventory scrolls through the years and, for active of the skills you can bring to bear on that users, probably works better than our slice of culture. The only good reason to own memories. But #ThrowbackThurs- look back is to find a way forward.

Nostalgia’s a mixed bag, but there’s day is a symptom, and symptoms have a source. That source is, in all likelihood, not much worth in wishing we could the relentless pace of change in the 21st have our good old days back. Instead we century. I graduated high school before can start making some great new days the iPhone existed; I remember passing for someone else.

There is still more time to apply for Personal Credits of up to $3000 for educational, language or cultural programs.

Individuals who received a Common Experience Payment under the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement are eligible for up to $3000 in Personal Credits for education programs and services.

Cela comprend des cours dans des universitÊs, des collèges ou des Êcoles de mÊtier ou de formation, ou des programmes ou ateliers fournis par des groupes communautaires ou des centres culturels qui offrent des activitÊs liÊes aux langues ou à la culture autochtones. Les crÊdits personnels peuvent être utilisÊs par les bÊnÊficiaires du Paiement d’expÊrience commune ou partagÊs avec un ou deux membres de leur famille, ou encore mis en commun dans le but d’obtenir des services d’Êducation collective.

These include courses at universities, colleges, trade or training schools or for programs and workshops provided by community-based groups or cultural centres for activities related to Aboriginal language and culture. Personal Credits can be used by a Common Experience Payment recipient, shared with up to two family members or pooled for group education services.

La date limite pour prÊsenter une demande a ÊtÊ prolongÊe au 9 mars 2015. De l’aide pour remplir le formulaire d’attestation de crÊdits personnels est offerte.

Pour plus d’information, consultez le site Web www.residentialschoolsettlement.ca ou communiquez par tÊlÊphone avec les organisations suivantes : Balayez avec votre appareil mobile

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RECIPE // ETC

Tuesday, March 3, 2015 Vol. 32 Issue 20 Nathalie Laflamme Editor-in-Chief editor@theconcordian.com

@guygavrielkay #RuinAFairyTale “...and they lived hopelessly ever after.” @GrahmKwasnick “Sadly, the prince died tragically when Rapunzel’s weave came undone and he plummeted 3 stories.” #RuinAFairyTale @comedy4cast “And they all lived pretty short lives due to famine, plague and war.” #RuinAFairyTale @DemiNewell Sleeping Beauty Charges Prince with Date Rape #RuinAFairyTale @Jenn_Abrams Harry Potter and the Philosopher Stoned #RuinAFairyTale @JasonLVoorhees Little Red Died In The Hood. #RuinAFairyTale @JacobGeers Cinderella DID go to the ball, but she never met the Prince because everyone just fought about what color her dress was #RuinAFairyTale

Photo by Sara Baron-Goodman

Everyone loves a good fairy tale, but a lot can happen between once upon a time and they lived happily ever after. This week the twitterverse considered all the ways you can #RuinAFairyTale.

Baked Brie with lavender, thyme, and honey

O

ur ode to cheese continues. This time, we discovered a cheese that transcends our mere mortal lives, that brings Plato’s Truth of beauty to our very palates, that made us wake up and breath our first real breath, ever.

We have discovered a recipe that will destroy death itself, because once you have tasted this brie you will have lived life to the fullest. Death is no longer to be feared.

It was a day at Jean Talon Market like any other. And then we decided to buy some lavender. And then we were hit by an epiphany from The Gods themselves.

The voice said, “Brie. Baked brie. With lavender. And fresh thyme. Then drizzle some honey all over that bad boy. Wrap it in some tinfoil and a shallow quiche dish and stick it in the oven at 400 degrees fahrenheit for about ten minutes, like until the brie is kinda liquidy and shmooshy when you poke it. Yeah.”

It was a day like any other, except, nothing will ever be the same again. We are creatures of higher being now. Amen.

@JamesGreenEvans Goldilocks was unaware that the porridge contained High Fructose Corn Syrup which increased her risk of developing diabetes #RuinAFairyTale

Eat the brie with some fresh baguette.

You’re welcome.

The Goods - one wheel of brie - four Tbsp of ediblegrade - lavender - eight sprigs of fresh thyme - five Tbsp of honey

P

reheat oven. Lay the brie in a bed of tinfoil (the cheese gets runny when warm) and drizzle the honey overtop. Sprinkle the lavender and thyme.

Gently fold the tinfoil over the top of the brie and place in a shallow dish (to ensure cheese doesn’t drip on the bottom of your oven). Bake for 10 or so minutes, or untill the cheese is nice and shmooshy when you poke it. Eat with a baguette while hot and runny.

LAURA’S JOKE OF THE WEEK // ETC

@RoninMara Little Red Riding Hood protested by PETA for her mistreatment of a wolf. #RuinAFairyTale @THEJBlakemore ...but the third little pig simply bought weapons. Lots of weapons. #RuinAFairyTale @Michellesfunny Three blind mice due to animal testing #RuinAFairyTale @Bradioactive #RuinAFairyTale The Fugly Duckface @wavemywand #RuinAFairyTale Pinocchio’s nose was actually a strapon @WildeThingy The big bad wolf huffs and puffs all over his three little bacon sandwiches to cool them down. #RuinAFairyTale

Milos Kovacevic News editor news@theconcordian.com Frederic T. Muckle Assistant news editor Sara Baron-Goodman Life editor life@theconcordian.com Lindsay Richardson Arts editor arts@theconcordian.com Mia Pearson Music editor music@theconcordian.com Oneida Crawford Assistant music editor Tim Lazier Sports editor sports@theconcordian.com Peggy Kabeya Assistant sports editor Laura Marchand Opinions editor opinions@theconcordian.com Matthew Civico Assistant opinions editor Keith Race Photo editor photo@theconcordian.com Andrej Ivanov Assistant photo editor Saturn De Los Angeles Online editor online@theconcordian.com Marie-Pier LaRose Graphics editor graphics@theconcordian.com Gregory Todaro Emily Gaudet Marilla Steuter-Martin Copy editors copy@theconcordian.com

@nmbr1son Beauty and the Beast - 50 Shades of Fur #RuinAFairyTale @CapitalizeTheK But nobody chased the poor gingerbread man because of his high gluten content and rumors of GMO ingredients. #RuinAFairyTale

Michelle Gamage Production manager production@theconcordian.com

Natasha Taggart Marilla Steuter-Martin Production assistants

Hey Nat! Did you hear about the mermaids that dropped out of school?

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

Blub blub blub blub blub??

They all got mixed up in seaweed!

Marc-Antoine Cardin Business manager business@theconcordian.com William Atsaidis Advertising manager advertising@theconcordian.com Tyson Lowrie Jacob Serebin Ruben Bastien Board of directors directors@theconcordian.com

Contributors Kate Sheridan, Mim Kempson, Kristina Sanza, Kirsten Humbert, Beatrice Viens Cote, Rita Latif, Thierry Tardif, Samuel ProvostWalker, Paul Traunero, Steven Nadeau, Fiona Maynard, Danielle Gasher, Katherine Dadamo, Casey Dulson, Marco Galluccio, Robin Stanford, Kelsey Litwin

theconcordian

Concordia s weekly, independent student newspaper.

Have a good week !

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