The Concordian - September 8th, 2015

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VOLUME 33 | ISSUE 2 | INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER AT CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY. SINCE 1983. | SEPT. 8, 2015

News p. 3

Space Concordia blasts off

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

LIFE

ARTS

MUSIC

SPORTS

OPINIONS

Trans youth and Discover Rodin’s Top pedals you’ll A new look for eating disorders p. 5 sculpted world p. 10 wanna test out p. 11 the Stingers p. 15 We tell your stories. Follow us on social media @TheConcordian

Policy for ConU a good move p. 16

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 Write to the editors news@theconcordian.com @theconcordian

NEWS

transport | news

CITY RACHEL MUZAIC Co-news editor

Drogba brings a strong game to Montreal Impact Former Chelsea player Didier Drogba turned heads on Saturday at the Montreal Impact game against Chicago Fire.

The former striker scored a hat-trick in what was his first Major League Soccer game in Montreal. The game ended in a 4-3 win over Chicago, giving the interim coach Mauro Biello his first victory since joining the team. The Impact is now heading for the sixth and final playoff in the Eastern Conference and is six points behind the Toronto FC.

Police investigates pro-jihadist vandalism Repentigny police are looking into dozens of projihadist stickers placed on cars over the weekend.

The stickers featured a man armed with a gun and an ISIS flag and read “Quebec is Allah’s land” and “convert or else” according to Global News. Members of the Muslim community told Global News they condemned the vandalism, but felt images on the stickers were contradictory and suspicious. The RCMP and the Sûreté du Québec have been called in for help, according to Global News.

Students calling on Quebec government about canceled extracurriculars Students at Royal West Academy created a video to support their teachers’ work to rule tactics. The teachers are applying a pressure tactic where they will do the bare minimum of requirements as stipulated in their contracts in protest to a .02 per cent increase in pay which due to inflation works out to a pay cut, according to Global News.

This includes canceling after extra curricular activities.

Berri-UQÀM lines: a thing of the past Your renewed OPUS card is just a few clicks away thanks to one of Concordia’s own RACHEL MUZAIC Co-news editor Concordia students will no longer have to wait hours in line at Berri-UQÀM metro to obtain their OPUS cards, thanks to a new online system that permits the STM to verify student status and send you your metro pass within a week. Available through the MyConcordia portal, students simply open their Student Services tab, click on “online OPUS card request” and pay the usual $15. All necessary information is transferred directly from the university’s databases to the STM, leaving little else for students to do but wait for their mail.

Anthony Boulos, a 21-yearold industrial engineering student at Concordia, was fed up of waiting two to three hours in line at Berri-UQÀM, so he used a class report to try and make a change.

“Honestly, the technology behind this is very simple, all I’m doing is creating a database,” he said. “I had the idea in a report for one of my classes for an innovative process, and I sent that report to the STM through their information email. From there, to

my great surprise, the director, René Coutu, contacted me and said, ‘let’s meet up’. So I went to their office and he said, ‘if you can get Concordia on board for this we’ll do it 100 per cent.’”

The process of making his idea a reality took Boulos from January 2014 until April of this year, due to the numerous levels of management he had to work with both at Concordia as well as the STM. His journey eventually brought him to Alex Aragona, director of application services, and Marc Denoncourt, chief information officer at Concordia’s Instructional and Informational Technology Services, both of whom, Boulos says, were eager to make the idea work.

“There’s a cost for them to do this because they have to develop the technology and advertise everything, but they wanted to do it because they saw it was a good service to the students,” he said.

Despite his eagerness to make OPUS renewal simpler for his fellow students at Concordia, Boulos said the challenges that came up took a while to overcome.

“It wasn’t a straightforward process, it sounds simplistic but it’s very complex,” he said. “Giving out Concordia students’ information is a huge deal because of confidentiality. It’s not easy to pass on that information, it has to be extremely secure. The same goes for the picture, so the stu-

Photo courtesy of Anthony Boulos. dent I.D. photo is now used for the OPUS card. The work that I had to do was figure out the solutions for these kinds of problems. I’ve been doing that for a year and nine months now.”

Finally, before the summer, Boulos successfully got the STM and Concordia members in the same room to finalize the project.

Boulos himself was hired as project manager, and enlisted the help of Tyler Argo, a Concordia software engineering student, to implement the program.

Stressing that this is a pilot project, Boulos hopes that they

will be able to expand it later. “If Concordia students actually use the service, it would be ideal so that we can start exporting it to other schools. We’re hoping to see a high participation rate,” he said.

He also had some words of motivation for his peers. “When I thought of this idea, it seemed like the kind of thing that people would be like, ‘this has for sure been thought of.’ I just persevered to make sure it went through.

When you have an idea, just because it seems obvious, doesn’t mean it can’t be done.”

lecture | news

Expert to talk on extremist recruiting J.M. Berger visits Concordia to talk about his book ISIS: State of Terror GREGORY TODARO Co-news editor Concordia will be the host of a timely discussion led by researcher and religious extremism expert, J.M Berger, on its first day of classes, Sept 8. The event, hosted by the Montreal Institute for Genocidal Studies (MIGS), will revolve around Berger’s book ISIS: State of Terror and will touch on many aspects involving the group including its increasingly obvious use of social media to target followers.

Berger, a non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institution, an American think tank, is also an expert on terrorism and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). He will speak about how

these kinds of groups work to scare populations and eventually recruit new fighters.

Senior Deputy Director at MIGS, Kyle Matthews, said the discussion will also go into what is presently happening with ISIS, including the recent destruction in the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, and what the actions of this group mean for the future of the Middle East and the rest of the world.

“It’s going to be a discussion where we’ll have [Berger] sitting in an armchair with a journalist reflecting on questions pertaining to Canadian foreign policy and Canadian issues, that’s what we’re hoping for,” Matthews said.

“We have Canadians who have joined this group that’s committed genocide, and at least 20 Quebec youth that have left college or university to join. Some we’ll never see again, they’ll probably die in the battlefields, but we see that social media has the power to reach into the bedrooms of Ca-

nadians and impose upon them a very dangerous world view.”

Guided by La Presse journalist Vincent Larouche, the conversation will last approximately 40 minutes followed by a Q-and-A with the audience, which, according to Matthews, should be just as interesting as the discussion itself due to the variety of those attending.

“There will be academics there, students, former diplomats, people from different police agencies, as well as people from human rights groups. It’s a real mix, and we should have a really interesting back and forth.”

Despite not being centred on the current refugee crisis, Matthews said the discussion will be taking place in the backdrop of recent events. “I mean why are people fleeing? Yes, [Syrian president] Assad and the brutal regime are all responsible for a lot of death and destruction, no doubt about that. But ISIS has taken it to

another level of depravity which is not about holding political office and staying in power, it’s about establishing some kind of new society based on religious laws that throws every international human rights instrument out the window,” he said. “This is not history, it’s current events, and history is being formed in the Middle East right now.”

Citing the story of Aylan Kurdi, the three-year-old Syrian boy found on the shores of Turkey after attempting to flee the civil war, Matthews said those who don’t know about ISIS, should. “The people affected by this group are in the news every day,” he said.

“ISIS is not just some group far off, they’re actually doing some of the most oppressive, dangerous things we’ve seen in the early start of the 21st century.”

The discussion and book signing will be taking place in H-1220, followed by a cocktail in EV’s 11th floor lounge.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

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space | news

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NATION RACHEL MUZAIC Co-news editor

Gulf states doing little for refugees

Space Concordia’s Rocketry Division with their rocket, Arcturus. Photo courtesy of Space Concordia.

Concordia’s approach to the final frontier

The university’s Rocketry Division placed second in an international competition GREGORY TODARO Co-news editor

I

t only took 4.4 seconds of thrust for Space Concordia’s rocket Arcturus to blast off, reaching speeds as high as 1,000 km/h and soaring to nearly 13,000 feet. The flight was the success of nearly three years of work and represents everything president and chief rocket designer of Space Concordia Neil Woodcock hoped for when he joined the group at the start of the project.

“A lot of teams who went there, they just wanted it to go

and designed by Space Concordia and launched as part of a competition hosted in Green River, Utah in June. They competed against 41 other universities from around the world at the 10th Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition.

Space Concordia’s Rocketry Division team placed second in the Space Dynamics Laboratory Payload Challenge.

The challenge required teams to build a rocket carrying a useful payload weighing around 10 pounds to reach 10,000 feet and return to the ground in one piece.

The Rocketry Division had to set up their rocket near the launch

until around 11:30 a.m. We have to start up all of the electronics and put that into the rocket. We have to arm the recovery systems— that’s what deploys the parachutes when the rocket gets to its maximum altitude—and after that we have to bring the setup to the judges who inspect the rocket and make sure it’s safe for launch.”

The Arcturus actually overshot the required height, which Woodcock said caused them to lose some points in the judging. However, he said at the time he was just worried about the deployment of the parachutes. Otherwise, none of the $20,000 rocket might be salvageable.

“At any point, if anything goes wrong, you’re either going to lose a lot of the rocket, or the entire rocket is going to tear itself to pieces,” he said. “It’s a lot of panic, a lot of nervousness. But when our avionics guy said ‘the second parachute deployed,’ that’s when

Cecil the Lion’s killer returns to work

Photo by Andrej Ivanov.

“

lites and rockets has a very high learning curve,” he said. “Getting the necessary information and experience and skills together to complete these projects is very difficult, it’s a huge challenge.”

But Woodcock said member retention has also been difficult.

“We have a lot of members who can be scared off by the very steep learning curve, so we’re re-

At any point, if anything goes wrong, you’re either going to lose a lot of the rocket, or the entire rocket is going to tear itself to pieces — Neil Woodcock

Space Concordia’s Arcturus lifting off in a Utah desert.

Photo courtesy of Space Concordia. up,” he said. “I wanted it to go up, I wanted it to deploy all the parachutes where it should deploy the parachutes, and I wanted it to perform to design. We got almost all of those.”

Arcturus was the rocket built

site in the middle of a desert in central Utah. The process, according to Woodcock, takes over six hours.

“We went out into the desert early in the morning,” he said. “We were setting up from that time

we knew everything was okay.”

Woodcock said while the rocket is entirely safe for another launch. “It’s probably not going to fly again. It is reusable, but it’s most likely going to go in a case somewhere.”

In the meantime, Space Concordia is working on a few other projects, including building a new satellite they hope to launch into space sometime next year.

Woodcock says breaking into more competitions has been one of Space Concordia’s toughest challenges. “Building satel-

In the midst of the refugee crisis in the Middle East, several Gulf states are facing harsh criticism for not playing a role in housing those fleeing from war-torn countries. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and others have refused to let in any refugees, despite being among the wealthiest countries in the world. According to Al Jazeera, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have made billions in donations to refugee camps holding Syrians and other victims of war.

ally trying to do a lot to integrate them, to teach them what they need to know so hopefully these projects aren’t as intimidating,” he said.

One of the ways Woodcock said they will make actual rocket science more accessible is through smaller projects like launching premade rockets instead of creating one from scratch, like Arcturus. He also says the group will continue giving tutorials on topics like orbiting, spacecraft mission design and experimental rocket design.

American dentist Walter Palmer, who became known around the world as the man who killed Cecil the lion, will be returning to work this week, according to the BBC. The 13-year-old lion, who was a tourist attraction in Zimbabwe, was killed by the Minnesota dentist while hunting with a group in the country. In an interview with the Associated Press, Palmer stated that had he known the importance of Cecil, he would not have killed the animal. He also stated in the interview yesterday that his family has been the subject of threats, but that he has not been in hiding and intends to return to his staff and patients at work.

Eight-month pregnant chinese woman facing abortion A Chinese woman living in the country’s Yunnan province is being forced to pick between keeping her baby and saving her husband’s job. According to CBC, the 41-year-old, who asked to be identified only by her surname Chen, would be in violation of China’s one-child rule, and could be subject to an abortion eight months into her pregnancy. Chen’s husband works as a police officer for the government and was told if his family breaks the one-child rule he will lose his job.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

protest | news

NATION RACHEL MUZAIC Co-news editor

Trudeau calls for Canadian re-evaluation of refugee crisis Head of the Liberal party Justin Trudeau is calling for a meeting of party leaders to reassess and improve Canada’s role in the humanitarian crisis in response to the photo published last week of the body of three-year-old Syrian refugee Alan Kurdi.

New Democratic Party leader Thomas Mulcair said that he would be willing to sit down with Conservative leader Stephen Harper because he is the one who is in power and can act, according to CBC.

Second conservative candidate dropped Former Conservative candidate Tim Dutaud has been dropped from the party after being identified as a prankster in YouTube videos found who, among other things, mocked people with disabilities. The former Toronto-Danforth candidate is the second Toronto-based Conservative candidate to be dropped from the political group. The first was former Scarborough-Rouge Park candidate Jerry Bance after he was identified on hidden-video footage peeing in a mug in 2012 during his 25year career as a serviceman.

Clinic receptionist glues boy’s eye shut Julia Vavatsikos is going public about an incident at a private clinic in Blainville.

The family cat left a cut on her son’s eye so Vavatsikos took him to see a doctor at a nearby clinic. Dr. Jean Therrien, who was the only doctor in the office that day, decided to seal the cut with medical glue and called in an assistant. The assistant was actually the clinic receptionist who had no medical training.

In their attempt to glue the cut shut, the glue missed the scratch and went directly onto the boy’s eye instead, sealing it shut. The doctor told Vavatsikos to take her son to the emergency room.

Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of downtown Montreal, chanting “welcome, refugees.” Photos by Andrej Ivanov.

Canadians rallying for refugees Hundreds in Montreal protest Canada’s treatment of migrants and refugees MILOS KOVACEVIS News editor Hundreds of protesters gathered at the corner of Guy St. and de Maisonneuve Blvd. Saturday afternoon to denounce the Canadian government’s role in the deaths of refugees and migrants.

Chants of “welcome, refugees” filled the air as the protest moved south on Guy St. before the group turned east on Ste. Catherine St. The protest in downtown Montreal was one of the approximately 20 rallies that took place across the country this week.

Protesters held up signs calling for open borders and demanding Canada take in more refugees to help with the migrant crisis in the Middle East. Many signs showed the viral photo of Alan Kurdi, the drowned Syrian toddler whose corpse was photographed on a Turkish beach.

At the protest, Organizers from Solidarity Across Borders said Canada needs to reevaluate its “exclusionary policies,” and that the lack of funding to help migrants and refugees stems from a lack of “political priority” on processing applications to enter Canada.

“We’re instead investing our resources in removing people faster, putting them in expensive prisons and sending them back to conditions that are unacceptable,” said Solidarity Across Borders organizer Rosalind Wong.

Meet the team: News GREGORY TODARO Co-news editor

I’ve worked with this paper in many positions for the past three years. I’ve been a staff writer, assistant editor, and copy editor.

This year, I’m glad to be on staff again as one of the paper’s conews editors.

I’m starting my fourth year in Concordia’s journalism program.

I grew up in Jacksonville, Florida where I was Editor-in-Chief of my high school student newspaper. I’ve also worked as a radio reporter for WJCT, Jacksonville’s NPR affiliate station.

In my personal life, I enjoy long walks to the fridge, extra crispy bacon, and binge-watching House of Cards and Game of Thrones. I’m also a crack-shot at Harry Potter trivia.

RACHEL MUZAIC Co-news editor

My name is Rachel and I am conews editor at The Concordian this year. Born in Calgary, Alberta, I came to Montreal when I was ten years old, and count myself lucky to have lived all over Canada. I am about to enter my third and final year in journalism in the print specialization, and I feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to keep the Concordia community well informed. I chose news because I wanted the chance to write about things that affect people’s lives every day and that often times push well into the future.

I also have a great interest in international relations and human rights, and am intrigued by investigative journalism.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

LIFE

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Write to the editor life@theconcordian.com @theconcordian

study | life

Trans students hit hard by eating disorders New study reveals body image stressors are a leading cause of eating disorders MINA MAZUMDER Contributor

E

ating disorders are highly prevalent in college transgender students, a new study shows.

According to a study conducted by the Journal of Adolescent Health, 15.82 per cent of transgender college students are diagnosed with an eating disorder compared to only 1.85 per cent of cisgender heterosexual women. Cisgender refers to people who identify as the gender they were given at birth.

The study included data from 289,024 students from 223 American universities to analyze student’s eating habits. According to the study, “qualitative research suggests transgender persons may be at increased risk of body dissatisfaction, which may predispose them to disordered eating.” Many of them also face high amounts of discrimination, which is significantly linked to poor mental health within the population, the study said.

Only one study has investigated a link between gender identity and disordered eating using transgender and cisgender groups, according to the Journal of Adolescent Health. That particular study explored “conflicted gender identity” and found that women who had conflicted gender identity scored higher in a test designed to check for eating disorders than their counterparts who were cisgender.

The results from the Journal of Adolescent Health study also reveal that transgender students were at greater

As if school isn’t hard enough, a study shows trans students face additional stress from body image norms.

Graphic by Charlotte Bracho. risk of using diet pills in the past month, vomiting episodes and laxative use than heterosexual cisgender women. Studies also show that transgender students who were unsure about their sexual orientation had greater rates of past-year eating disorder diagnosis including self-induced vomiting and use of diet or laxative pills compared to heterosexual trans-students.

There are many reasons why eating disorders affect transgender individuals the most, according to the study. According to one of the authors of the study,

Dr. Alexis E. Duncan, a potential explanation for the high number is because people who are transgender use eating disorders as a way to suppress certain ‘gendered features’ such as transgender women wanting to lose weight in order to conform to societal ideas of feminine slimness.

Sam Dylan Finch, a transgender writer and queer activist from the San Francisco Bay area, has expressed thoughts on this issue. “As a trans person, I experience body dysphoria. This means that I have pretty significant distress around

certain parts of my body because I associate them with a gender that I don’t identify with,” he said in an article on Clap Way. These studies are only the beginning of further investigation between disordered eating and gender identity and/or sexual orientation. According to the Journal of Adolescent Health, mental health professionals must be aware their transgender patients are at a higher risk of eating disorder behaviours and should take action for proper screening practices to help these individuals.

city| life

Learn about the city using your own two feet Explore the past, present and future of the city’s best boroughs CRISTINA SANZA Life editor

Until Sept. 20, students can explore Montreal and its history while on a stroll with Heritage Montreal.

To celebrate their 40th anniversary, the

organization has teamed up with Fasken Martineau law firm to bring back eight of their most popular ArchitecTours walking tours, available with both English and French guides.

Each tour aims to showcase unique industrial and residential areas across Montreal. Through the tours, groups will learn about the history of the boroughs they are in and how the neighbourhood is growing and changing today.

“We are both looking back and looking forward with the tours,” said Amélie Renouf, head of programs and activities at Heritage Montreal. “Participants can learn about how buildings were built and why, what changes have happened to neighbourhoods over time and what is proposed for the future. It’s all about the development of the city.”

Each walking circuit is two hours long and they are offered on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.

The tour groups meet outside of a metro station—or relatively close to one—at the start of each circuit, making them easily

accessible for those taking public transit. The visits also conveniently end near a metro station.

The tours remaining in September include Le Canal Lachine/St-Henri (Sept. 12), Sault-au-Recollet (Sept. 13), Petite-Patrie/ Mile End (Sept. 19) and Côte-des-Neiges (Sept. 20).

“The tours in the last two weeks will be quite interesting because the neighbourhoods are diverse,” Renouf said. The Côte-des-Neiges tour can allow students to become acquainted with another campus, she added. “[Côte-des-Neiges ] is renowned for its institutions. There’s also a university campus visit, so it’s a way for students to discover another university in another context,” said Renouf.

For Concordia students at Loyola in particular, the Le Canal Lachine/St-Henri tour can be a great way to kick-off the school year through exploring an area nearby.

The circuit, according to the Héritage

Montréal website, aims to “discover the villages of St-Henri and how they served industry, from the tanneries to the construction of the Lachine Canal through to the middle of the 20th century.” The area, they state, is undergoing major changes today, which will also be outlined during the two hour walk.

“We often just walk through the city without really knowing what is surrounding us and what the history is,” Renouf said.

“There are a lot of details about buildings and neighbourhoods and the first step is knowing about a city in order to protect and increase awareness about heritage.”

Take the opportunity to learn more about what might be a familiar location in greater detail—but don’t forget your walking shoes!

Tickets are $12 for students and are sold on a first-come, first-serve basis, 15 minutes before each tour is set to begin.

New tours will also be available starting in October. Visit heritagemontreal.org for more information.

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

food | life

TOP 3: FAST FOOD INVESTIGATION Keep your health in check when you rush for your lunch

CRISTINA SANZA Life editor

S

chool is back, and for many of us that means pressing snooze one too many times and having to rush for the bus at the very last minute. What that also means is many of us won’t have the time, energy, or even food in our fridges to make that perfectly healthy, balanced lunch.

A lot of students find themselves in fast food joints because their hectic schedules call for something cheap and easy to acquire. Let’s face it—sometimes this can happen even a few times a week.

Luckily, you don’t have to make yourself feel guilty about eating fast food all of the time. There are better choices available to you, even at the raunchiest of fast food chains. Some might argue that if you’re going to commit to fast food, you may as well go all out, but over time the calories, fats, and sodium can really catch up to you.

With that in mind, here are some reasonably healthy food options you can try next time you’re in a lunchtime pinch.

1. TIM HORTONS

nearly half the amount of calories. For lovers of hot drinks though, a single-single (or just black, get crazy) will not only perk you up, but also keep you from that sugar high.

Tims seems to have this reputation of being the “healthy” fast food joint. While this may be true if you compare it to McDonald’s or Wendy’s, let’s not forget that doughnuts are pretty evil. Don’t even bother with calorie count here – the cake doughnuts specifically (old fashioned glaze and chocolate glaze, for example) have nearly the same amount of fat, if not more, than one of their sandwiches! Keep in mind that the sandwiches are double the weight of a doughnut in grams, if not more.

If you still can’t get enough of their doughnuts, go for the sugar loop as fats and sugars are to a minimum. The apple strudel, however, is only 150 calories. Not bad for a dessert if you ask me.

In terms of food, the wraps are generally your best bet (anyone could have assumed that one) but the chicken salad wrap wins, at only 190 calories, seven grams of fat, no trans fat, and 570 milligrams of sodium. While that might sound like a lot of salt, the ham and Swiss sandwich contains 1180 milligrams, which is close to an adult’s intake of salt for one day, according to the Tim Horton’s nutritional guide. Scary!

ed many wraps and salads to their menu, but many of them still contain a lot calories and salt, so it’s kind of an illusion. Despite the additions, many people go to McDonald’s for the grease and grime anyway.

The traditional McDonald’s hamburger sits at 240 calories, with 510 milligrams of sodium. While this isn’t terrible, you’re going to have to put up with those unhealthy saturated fats if you’re going the burger route.

A small order of fries contains the same amount of calories, with only 180 milligrams of sodium (which is shocking based on how salty those things taste).

Keep your drink small, but if you’re going for traditional McD’s, maybe sacrifice that Coke for a water bottle.

If you genuinely want to keep it healthy, the chipotle chicken snack wrap is a filling, flavourful choice. It contains only two-and-a-half grams of saturated fats and has three grams of fibre. Moreover, it’s only 230 calories. Woo! A side of garden salad will add 40 calories to the mix, and you’ll even have room for a cookie as a dessert.

Your ideal meal: Chipotle chicken wrap, side garden salad or a small order of fries, cookie, glass of water.

3. SUBWAY

Your ideal meal: Chicken salad wrap, apple strudel and an iced coffee.

2. McDONALD’S Ah yes, Timmies. I see you right when I come up from Guy-Concordia station, and I want you. Your line is always long, but I must get that Iced Capp. Wait, no!

While the traditional Iced Capp is only 150 calories, don’t be fooled because a small one contains 32 grams of sugar! If you want to go for a cold drink, keep it simple and get the iced coffee, which in comparison has only eight grams of sugar and

McDonald’s has a really bad rep when it comes to health, but lately, they’ve been trying to step up their game. They’ve add-

You’re craving carbs. You’re tired of those measly wraps and want to put some substance in your body. I get it. There are ways around this problem too.

Serving size makes all the difference here: that means a six-inch sandwich.

For breads, the Italian white bread or regular whole wheat will do the trick.

Calorie count is nearly the same; the only difference is the whole wheat will give you that extra fibre.

For meat, stick to some lean ham or roast beef. The grilled chicken can be a fairly good option too. Stay away from the greasy, dressed meats, such as the teriyaki chicken or meatball subs.

From there, you have to dress your sandwich. Vegetables for the most part will do no harm so load them up. Be careful when it comes to the final dressing. Dressings are often high in fat and sodium content. A mere tablespoon can contain over 100 calories depending on what it is. If you can, keep it simple with salt and pepper.

If you don’t want to make a sandwich from scratch, Subway has a convenient menu with sandwiches with less than six grams of fat. Out of these options, the healthiest ones are the “Veggie Delite” and the “oven roasted chicken” options.

Be aware though that although they are low in fat, the fair majority of the sandwiches on the menu contain over 600 milligrams of sodium, with the sweet onion and chicken teriyaki at 900 milligrams! We’re talking six inches of sandwich here!

We all know that Subway cookies are a must. The good news is all cookies are between 190-230 calories with around 16-18 grams of sugar… so while they’re all bad to some degree, they’re at least nearly equally bad. So, you may as well indulge here and go for what you really want. I mean, you’ve already sacrificed your sandwich, am I right?

Your ideal meal: Six-inch whole wheat bread with ham and assorted vegetables, one or two cookies of your choice, glass of water.

Next time you have no choice but to eat fast food, you know what to do.

Meet the team: Life and Arts CRISTINA SANZA Life editor

Hey hey! I’m Cristina, the life editor this year! I am a journalism student here at Concordia with a passion for music, art, food, health and entertainment news. I love singing and I can often be found in my room recording my original songs.

This past summer, I had the lovely opportunity to interview tons of Montreal musicians through an internship with a music-based publication, The Vocalist Magazine. Other than music, I can often be found biking or running in my local park. I love to put a healthy spin on whatever I’m eating, though I will admit I have the biggest sweet tooth, so I love to bake (brownies for life). Lately I’ve been learning to embrace my crazy natural curls, and it’s been pretty liberating not being chained to my straightener. I hope to bring fun and… life to this section. Lots of cool stories are coming your way!

ELIJAH BUKREEV Co-arts editor

There’s a fly as big as a fist whirling around my room right now and it’s seriously creeping me out. Sorry, I’m not good at breaking the ice—I’m Elijah, one of the Arts Editors this year. There’s two of us—we’ll be like Thing 1 and Thing 2, I suppose—but rest assured, twice the editors means twice the quality, always. I’m lucky to have Lydia as a counterbalance; otherwise, my favouritism towards film might have become painfully obvious. I plan on writing many film reviews this year, and if you ask nicely, I might even let you write some yourself. Any other art coverage is also welcome, of course. Oh, and I might have a name change sometime this year, so that’s gonna be awkward. I must go, but I’ll be in touch—need to get that monster fly. The universe is too small for the both of us.

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ARTS

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Don’t turn a blind eye to Canadian cinema

The race against time starts after this visit to the optometrist.

Release date: Sept. 5, 2015 Director: Sean Garrity Cast: Joey King, Kevin Pollak, Jonas Chernick Running time: 100 minutes ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

This feature-length film’s impactful narrative and cinematic execution are worth your attention LYDIA ANDERSON Arts editor

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n Sept. 5, the Canadian film Borealis premiered as part of the Montreal World Film Festival at Cinema Quartier Latin.

The movie follows Jonah, a man plagued by both a gambling addiction and past tragedy, as he attempts to aid and reconnect with his teenage daughter,

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Aurora. Aurora is a pot fiend who is distant and estranged from her father, but the dyed-hair teenager only has a month before an eye condition will render her completely blind. In an attempt to get Aurora to see the glory of the northern lights before she loses her vision, while also running away from a hefty gambling debt, Jonah takes her on a road trip from Winnipeg to Churchill, Manitoba. The film holds both a race against time and a flight from a violent bookie who is determined to get what he is owed by Jonah.

As all good stories should, the film reveals truths and aspects of the human experience, and the struggles that come with navigating relationships and inner battles. It is a narrative about vices and reacting to the tragedies, hardships, and curveballs that life throws at every one of us.

Jonas Chernick and Joey King bring to life a father-daughter relationship that holds tensions, hurt, and a pushand-pull struggle that is all too common and relatable to many teenage-parent relationships.

When asked about the process of cultivating a relationship with his co-star, Joey King, Chernick explained that once he met King in person, the bond was almost instantaneous. From teaching her to play cards to rolling fake joints for the film, Chernick was able to bond before the two set off to create the film’s impactful father-daughter dynamic.

The screenplay was largely written by Chernick, who plays the role of Jonah in

the film.

At the beginning of this movie’s inception, Sean Garrity, the director, pitched an idea to Chernick and the ending of that pitch was powerful enough that it convinced him that the story needed to be told. This was a unique project where Chernick was able to start with an ending and work backwards to craft the story and develop the characters, swimming against his usual creative current. When asked about his choice to set the story in Winnipeg, his hometown, or Canada on a wider scale, Chernick expressed that he is a big fan of Canadian cinema and that to him, as a Canadian, it was a natural choice.

Aurora embodies what it is to be a broken, yet stubborn, teenager. However, her character’s dynamic quality emerges

film | arts

from her unfortunate past and the tragedy progressing in her present. She entices sympathy out of each theatre-goer as one witnesses her vision gradually slip away. It’s a condition that is hard to watch anyone go through, no less a young person with so much of the world left to see. Furthermore, the damaging realities of battling addiction are also portrayed as viewers observe Jonah’s struggle against the hold the game of cards has on him throughout the film.

The narrative’s themes of redemption and reconciliation leave hope reverberating around the room after the film has reached its end. With both skillful cinematic execution and a narrative that much can be drawn from, Borealis is worth considering for your next movie night.

Borealis is a part of the Montreal World Film Festival.

Photo stills from the film.

tribute | arts

Sweet dreams, Wes. You will be missed The world lost a wonderful filmmaker on Aug. 30.

Here’s to you, Craven!

ALEX DIMEGLIO Contributor

The master of modern horror pictured here in 2008. Photo by Dan Tentler from Flickr.

Those of you who haven’t already heard will be saddened to learn that legendary filmmaker Wes Craven passed away on Sunday, Aug. 30. The unfortunate cause of death was brain cancer.

One of the most astonishing things that could be said about Craven is that even after a career spanning 43 years, he never lost his touch when it came to finding new ways to shock the viewer to their very core.

After a Wes Craven film, sleep is simply not an option to consider.

This all started back in 1972 when Craven released his first film, The Last House on the Left, which he directed, wrote, produced and edited. Since then, the name Wes Craven has become synonymous with setting the bar high for horror films and for delivering uniquely imaginative entertainments. With every film, he would set the theme of our newest nightmares, ones we never thought could exist.

Even when you aren’t watching his films, Craven’s scariest creations find a way to manifest themselves each and every single Halloween in the form of Craven’s two most iconic characters, Ghostface from

the Scream franchise and Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street. Their masks have been worn by both kids and adults hoping to achieve the almighty goal of having the scariest costume, the one that will make people question the very reality that they inhabit.

Through his remarkable filmography and iconic characters that you both fear and embrace simultaneously, Craven has achieved legendary status, and will certainly keep inspiring young filmmakers to find new ways of scaring the pants off of an audience. Because hey, let’s face it, there is some fun to be had in getting scared.

To this day, A Nightmare on Elm Street has, in my humble opinion, the scariest scene of all time. I am talking about Freddy Krueger’s first appearance, as a mere silhouette walking towards us in a dark alleyway, which leads to his arms expanding to the length of the alleyway, making it truly impossible for anyone to run away.

To this day, having a vivid imagination, I cannot watch this scene without getting absolutely terrified and feeling trapped.

Another trait that made Craven such a

unique director is his devotion to the power of suggestion. He always chose suggestion over the impact of simply showing the carnage or destruction that took place, because, at the end of the day, the scariest thing isn’t necessarily something you can see, but rather something you can conjure with your imagination.

Craven always knew how to turn our own minds against us for the sake of entertainment and that is the sign of a truly gifted filmmaker—because there is nothing scarier than the unlimited power of our imagination.

It’s sad knowing that we can no longer expect a new Wes Craven film to scare us in a whole new way, so on behalf of all the fans—thank you.

Thank you, Wes Craven, for sending chills up our spine, for making sleep something we thought we could give up on and for somehow making counting to 10 one of the most terrifying things ever portrayed in film. We will miss you and we are grateful that you allowed us into your nightmares, because they are still gloriously terrifying.

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tribute | arts

A snapshot of the heated interview. Movie still taken from IMBD.

The captivating conversations of two writers Release date: Aug. 28, 2015 Director: James Ponsoldt Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Segel, Anna Chlumsky, Mamie Gummer Running time: 109 minutes ⋆⋆⋆⋆⋆

Eisenberg and Segel reel us in with The End of the Tour ELIJAH BUKREEV Co-arts editor

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he End of the Tour is the kind of movie that opens with a title card, a melancholic soundtrack, and a death, so it can only end more happily than it started. David Lipsky (played by Jesse Eisenberg) gets a phone call, informing him that David Foster Wallace, the famed writer, has committed suicide.

Lipsky dismisses it as a rumour, but it immediately becomes apparent that it is true. An image of Wallace (played by Jason Segel), blurry, as old memories are,

flashes by. Lipsky takes out the voice recorder he had used to interview Wallace twelve years earlier, and, as he starts listening, the viewer is transported to a place where Wallace is still alive. Sometimes sound, even more so than visuals, can be a window straight into a past that continues to exist.

This past is 1996, the 1990s being a time period filmmakers are now getting increasingly interested in. Lipsky is then a 30-year-old journalist for [Rolling Stone.] ”Do you know how many writers we have interviewed in the last ten years?” he asks his editor. The answer is zero, seemingly because no one had been deemed worthy of it. Lipsky had been reading Wallace’s modern classic Infinite Jest, letting out a gasp before he even started the second page. He gets the assignment to write a profile on Wallace and travels to Illinois to interview the author and follow him on the last stops of his book tour. The rest, as they say, is history.

Their relationship is not an easy one.

Wallace comes across as easy-going and warm, but ask him something a bit

more personal, and he shuts down like a clam. Wallace is very aware that Lipsky, as friendly as he tries to be, has his own agenda, and may want to twist the article in whatever direction he chooses.

Besides, Lipsky is himself a budding writer, and there is a sense of rivalry between them, which expresses itself as male insecurity when Wallace talks to Lipsky’s wife on the phone—”She likes your writing better than mine!”— or when Lipsky tries to interview the author’s old flame, and Wallace panics, thinking that Lipsky may be trying to flirt with her.

They have conversations everywhere, all the time, about anything.

Sometimes they talk about Wallace’s love of dogs. Sometimes Wallace asks the questions. Mostly you get the sense that Wallace, even in his good days, even at the height of his fame, suffers from extreme loneliness. He communicates through his books, and that’s the only way he seems to meet people anymore. Mostly, the film is a series of dialogues in which it is not information, but emotion that is exchanged. Jason Segel

gives his character a real presence, and he doesn’t need to share deeply philosophical thoughts to sound, and look, quite meaningful. He knows how to talk, but he still comes across as quiet, because it always feels as if he has so much more to say.

This isn’t an uplifting story, but nor is it intensely dramatic. It’s not a biopic either, relying on real interviews and Lipsky’s 2010 book, but following a precise narrative compiled by screenwriter Donald Margulies. It covers a middle ground, repressing its drama just like Wallace keeps quiet about sides of himself he doesn’t want to be known. The actors do some of their best work, channeling their real-life counterparts, but also creating distinctly striking characters of their own in the process. The camera is almost always positioned as if you were present in the scene, looking over someone’s shoulder, eavesdropping in the street, listening from the back-seat of a car. You don’t need to be part of the conversation to enjoy it—listening to these characters is plenty enough.

Meet the team: Arts and Sports LYDIA ANDERSON Co-arts editor

Hey human, I’m Lydia Anderson, I’m one of the two Arts editors this year. I’m from Vancouver, B.C. and I’m in my last year as a communications major at Concordia. I’m far too in love with jogging and music, I may be addicted to both. I have a passion for storytelling, whether that be films, literature, photography, or other media. I believe it’s a beautiful part of life, that’s enjoyable, creative, enlightening, and helps us improve. There is not a place on this earth that I wouldn’t be down to travel to. Antarctica? Bring it.

But I wouldn’t live there long-term because God knows the months of -20 degree weather here is already too much.

I’m extremely excited to work with The Concordian’s writers and staff, and explore and share about Montreal’s vibrant arts scene this year. Don’t be a fool, come hang out with us!

PEGGY KABEYA Sports editor

I like sports and not much else. Been a six man for time “G”. I kinda speak french. I also kinda hate cats. I dislike reading, or anything else that doesn’t have a screen. I voted for Bush. Short sentences are nice. Like this one. Or that one. Or as many as it takes to fill my 100 word quota. I’m almost there. You’re almost there. We’re almost there. But the real question is, have manz ever been to Nobu’s after it shuts down? Six God is watching I hope you’re prepared to face him. Ahlie?

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graphic novel | arts

What happens when art flirts with death A look into Karrie Fransman’s graphic novel, Death of the Artist ZAIN TARAWNEH Contributor

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rtists often become so concerned with life they stop living; so preoccupied with their work they stop creating—we human beings become so involved in being stars that we just stop being.

Fransman deals with these themes critically in her second graphic novel, Death of the Artist, in which she concocts a story using various platforms such as watercolours, digital art, photography, and collage. It synergistically becomes a thrilling chronology of what it’s like to be unloved, unappreciated and underfunded while trying to make ends meet on the banks of the Seine river.

It is a commonly-held perception that artists are more famous when they are dead. As Karrie Fransman, the author of the graphic novel told The Concordian, “perhaps people can freely project their own ideas on art once those pesky artists are dead and gone.”

That’s the downfall to stardom— throughout their careers, artists become overly concerned with visions of success and fame, and reaching their ideal often clouds their actions.

“We love to watch stars crash and burn and gather around them like sadistic moths!” Fransman said. “I think as a society we are obsessed with creativity and self destruction.”

On the surface, the story is simple. Five former friends, a painter and poet, a graphic design student, a comic creator, an amateur photographer and a zine maker plan a reunion 10 years after meeting in college. The purpose of their reunion is to reinvigorate their inner artists by compiling an anthology.

They spend a week tinged by nostalgia trying to rekindle the artistic drive of their youth by “creating a toxic environment in the name of creating,” as Fransman puts it.

Throughout this journey, she examines universal themes of life and death, reflecting on how age conquers character, and how the effort to revive our youth can in turn destroy growth.

What’s the catch? It’s five narrators, five different styles, all written by one author. When asked what her inspiration for

this was, she replied, “I’m not that great at collaborating in all honesty. But then I said ‘wouldn’t it be great to do a whole comics anthology pretending to be different artists?’” With this challenge in mind, Fransman takes the graphic novel into an entirely new realm.

Fransman’s inspiration stems from a T.S. Eliot quote in Four Quartets: “In my beginning is my end.” “All rising will result in falling, all coming together results in parting, the world moves in cycles, it’s very Buddhist,” she said.

The novel may initially appear to celebrate decadent behaviour and self-destructiveness. Nevertheless, towards the end, the reader will notice how the hubris behind their creativity backfires. Everything comes at a price. For Fransman, this price comes in the form of her artwork. It becomes more structural, morbid, and toxic, both artistically and narratively. The colourful palette is relinquished while shades of black, white, and grey gradually take over and become the main orchestrators of the narrative. A dark cloud casts over the toogood-to-be-true sunshine. This is where the title comes to life and where Karrie’s reality kicks in. The artists keep eating the

Fransman’s stylistic choices are versatile across the board.

Images from the novel. lotus, but eventually one of them gets poisoned. Fransman wraps her novel rhetorically, questioning the extent to which artists should feed their Dionysian egos. While these characters were gradually murdering their inner artists, Fransman was busy reinvigorating her own.

The full article can be found at theconcordian.com.

Find out more about Karrie Fransman at: karriefransman.com

exhibition | arts

Altmejd’s Flux is a captivating experience You have until Sept. 13 to catch what the buzz around Altmejd is all about MARIA BUKREEV Contributor If you’re not one of the hundreds of visitors who have already attended David Altmejd’s newest exhibition, Flux, at the Museum of Contemporary Art, then you should probably hurry before it’s over.

Surely, you’ve at least heard about it—it’s been advertised in just about every metro station—but if you have a car and don’t take the metro, read on and find out what the fuss is all about.

This exhibition was actually the very first collaboration between the MAC of Montreal and the Modern Art Museum of Paris, no small feat. Some of Altmejd’s work has already been shown in Europe, where his popularity is growing.

Flux is an odd name for an exhibition made up of sculptures that are, by definition, motionless. “Flux”, however, is a synonym for instability, variation and continuous change. The title actually fits well in its context, since the message conveyed by Altmejd’s works is mostly that all living things must evolve and that they always have consequences on their surroundings. In fact, having pursued biology studies at first, Altmejd seems to approach the theme of nature in all of his creations. Moreover, although the sculptures are, of course, inanimate, a clever use of mirrors and light, as in “The University 1,” creates an illusion that the structures keep indefinitely duplicating themselves.

Flux is also an illustration of the sculptor’s evolution throughout the years.

Some of the works put on display were made as early as 2001 and 2003. At that time, he was only starting his career and was mostly doing minimalistic work, trying to transpose the universe as he saw it, straight from his mind. There are more recent works as well, including a sculpture he made on site during the installation of his works at the MAC. As he explains in an interview with Josée Bélisle, the museum’s curator, he meant to organize his works in a way that would lead the visitor through the creation of the universe, starting with

Many great artists are easily recognizable for the symbols they incorporate into their art—for instance—ants were used

by Dalí as a symbol of decomposition and Michelangelo was known to use hands as a symbol of creation. The list goes on.

As you walk from room to room, we notice recurring symbols, such as werewolf heads, ants, holes, hands, mirrors and plexiglass cubes.

Explaining the werewolf heads, the artist expressed to Bélisle that he was always fascinated by the way movies depicted a man’s transformation into something completely different, which is what influenced him to create the sculp-

Don’t miss out on Altmejd’s Flux before it’s too late! Photo by Andrej Ivanov. the Big Bang, with nothingness and darkness, illustrated mostly by his early works (such as “Sarah Altmejd”) and ending with a more structured society that would be allegorized by his more recent works (“The Flux and the Puddle”).

ture “Le désert et la semence.”

An exhibition is never simply about displaying someone’s creations. It is also about how these creations interact with their surroundings and how the general impression affects the visitor. All through

the exhibition, the visitor’s perception is influenced by the lights, the disposition of the sculptures, the colour of the walls. What is interesting about Flux is that, right from the beginning, you feel as if you have been invited to look into the artist’s deepest thoughts.

As you enter, the room is dark, the walls are painted black and the few spotlights are aimed at the sculptures, so all of your attention is on them. The holes in the creations are almost like tunnels and the mirrors, which allow the visitor to see himself reflected on the sculpture, give an unusual closeness to the work. The next rooms are contrastingly bright and, finally, in the very last room, walls are covered with mirrors in order to match “Flux and the Puddle,” which also incorporates mirrors. This last room is basically the synthesis of the whole exhibition.

All the materials and figures seen previously are reunited inside one giant plexiglass cube. The centerpiece and the walls reflect each other creating the uncomfortable feeling of being trapped inside the cube.

The exhibition may or may not be to your taste, but you should see it for the phenomenal response it has been getting, and make up your mind about it.

The artist, Montreal’s very own David Altmejd, certainly knows how to make an impression.

Flux will be exhibited at The Museum of Contemporary Art until Sept. 13.

The MAC is hosting a noctural with DJ sets and workshops on Sept. 11 from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Student price is $10.

More information at macm.org.

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exhibition | arts

A collection of myths and transformations Metamorphoses: In Rodin’s Studio is the largest exhibition of Rodin ever presented in Canada

Hands are a recurring point of attention in Rodin’s work. be said that Rodin did the same using not-so-different materials. Rodin went from creation to creator, bringing his own forms to life. he first thing you notice about this As one ventures through the rest of exhibit—before you even start the exhibit, a reference back to the origiplanning your weekend-cultural nal meaning of metamorphosis is seen as crawl—is the odd spelling of ‘metamor- the sculptures progress from plaster, to phosis.’ Those who didn’t notice are rec- clay, to bronze and marble. Oftentimes, ommended to get their reading on fleek, the same sculpture is repeated two or so they can appreciate how it isn’t a typo, three times in different mediums. Rodin but in fact lends its name to this famous achieved this through his use of molds, late 19th - early 20th century French which he used to recast the same forms sculptor’s exhibit. and figures over and over again. RoWhile ‘metamorphosis’ refers to a din was also known for breaking a limb series of changes or a transformation, off of one sculpture and adding it to anMetamorphoses is the greatest body of other—thus transforming it. This prowork by the Roman poet Ovid. In short, cess is a technique called “assemblage” it’s a collection of myths in the form of and can be seen in works including “I narrative poetry. One of the more famous Am Beautiful,” in which Rodin combines myths in this collection is that of Pyg- “Crouching Woman” with an Atlas-like malion and Galatea, in which Pygmalion male figure. Rather than holding the sculpts his ideal woman out of ivory and world, the Atlas-like man holds his lovwishes her into existence—it would also er in his arms while an inscription from eventually inspire My Fair Lady, starring a verse of Baudelaire’s poem “Beauty” Audrey Hepburn. Given this background reads, “Je suis belle ô mortels comme information, it isn’t hard to understand un rêve de pierre.” Assemblage was also why and how the title Metamorphoses: used in “The Centauress,” in which RoIn Rodin’s Studio is well-suited to the din combined the head and torso of a fecollection of male nude clay, plas- Rodin once said that, “people to the body ter, marble, have often reproached me for not of a horse, and bronze once again putting a head on my ‘Homme qui nudes, alluding to forms, and marche.’ Does one walk with myth. figures curWith one’s head?” rently on 300 works display at the on display, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA). there is a lot to see. However, there are Upon entering, the viewer is intro- three works that cannot be overlooked, duced to an array of hands bearing ti- for they are the essence of Rodin’s fame tles such as “The Hand of God,” “The and legacy. They are “The Gates of Hell,” Hand of the Devil,” and even a mold of “The Walking Man,” and, of course, “The Rodin’s own hand. The myth of creation Thinker.” While “The Gates of Hell,” inis a clear theme both in this room and spired by Dante’s Inferno, is not physithroughout the exhibit. Some believe that cally part of the exhibition, the enormous God created man from dust and it could and labour-intensive work can be seen

AMANDA MACRI Contributor

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“

A lack of limbs, but no lack of talented craftsmanship. projected on a wall in actual size. Furthermore, molds of figures that comprise the original work can be seen throughout the exhibit, as in “Adam (For the Gates of Hell).”

The other two famous sculptures are in fact physically present. “The Walking Man” is a perfect example of fragmentation, when Rodin deliberately decided not to add certain limbs to a sculpture, sometimes even breaking them off. As a result, these sculptures became throwbacks to Ancient Greco-Roman sculptures that are now missing limbs due to the ravages of time rather than deliberate intent. According to a biography written

by Ambroise Vollard, in a conversation with Renoir, Rodin once said that, “People have often reproached me for not putting a head on my ‘Homme qui marche.’ Does one walk with one’s head?”

Rodin is often credited as a sculptor of emotion and movement. He was known to exaggerate the size of hands and feet in order to add more intricate details, like popping veins and tense muscles. Rodin’s focus was not on respecting the right number of limbs, but on ensuring that whatever was there was overflowing with emotion. According to another biography by Frederick Lawton, in one of his letters from 1904 Rodin explained that “Here’s a hand … broken right off at the wrist, it has no fingers, nothing but a

palm; but it is so true that to contemplate it, to see it live, I don’t need fingers. Mutilated as it is, it is nevertheless enough because it is true.”

The true highlight for any Rodin connoisseur is “The Thinker” perched on a stone. It is the one work that remains embedded in one’s mind as the end of the exhibit draws near.

The final rooms contain a replica of Rodin’s actual studio. Pictures line the walls and sounds of hammering and muffled talking can be heard through the speakers. After so many signs reminding viewers not to touch any of the sculptures, it is a welcomed opportunity to finally be able to do so in the last room, where viewers are allowed to touch and feel replicas of certain sculptures on display. This interactive room is designed to allow the visually-impaired a chance to experience Rodin’s art, but is an equal treat for all visitors.

A final reference to transformation and the myth of Pygmalion and Galatea from Ovid’s Metamorphoses is waiting as one exits the exhibition. Viewers are encouraged to step on a pedestal and strike a pose. This time, it is not Galatea who turns to flesh, but you who turn to stone.

Metamorphoses: In Rodin’s Studio will be on display at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts until Oct. 18.

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Write to the editor music@theconcordian.com @theconcordian

MUSIC

must-haves | music

MUSIC IN THE NEWS ÉTIENNE LAJOIE Music assistant

PANASONIC’S TECHNICS TURNTABLE ARE BACK!

Choosing pedals to buy can be overwhelming, but here are a few reccomendations. All photos by Mia Pearson.

Four types of pedals you gotta have

A brief guide to stompboxes you can use to pimp-out your pedalboard MIA PEARSON Music editor

C

olored like candy and shaped like jewelry boxes, pedals aren’t only adorable; these little powerhouses make a world of difference when it comes to sound.

Some pedal boards, pretty like assorted flowers, are so elaborate that they can take years to create. Finding the right sound is often all about finding the right pedals. They can open the doors to new genres that a clean sound could never reach. Here’s a list of four pedals you need, or your money back.

1. COMPRESSOR

Compresssssssssssssssssor pedals promote an even tone while playing, and they’ll sustain a note so you can add 47 seconds to your EP—just feeling that note, man. In other words, the quiet sounds get louder and the louder sounds get quieter. It allows you to adjust the attack, which means that you can soften the onset of a note.

I’ve got a Boss Compression Sustainer CS-3 that works wonders. Now hold on, Kanyes of the pedal world, let me finish. Boss did do a good job with their compressor pedal, so lay off. (It’s blue and super cute).

2. DISTORTION Broken or misused equipment was the catalyst for distortion to break its way onto the scene. Distortion pedals “clip”

an instrument’s audio signal, making it sound, well, distorted. To begin, here’s a short ode to the Big Muff pedal. This specific pedal is produced by the ElectroHarmonix company based in New York City. The pedal blurs the lines between being a distortion or fuzz pedal, but it’s been used by so many guitarists that it’s too cool for categories. It’s been heavily used by Jimi Hendrix, and on every subsequent Pink Floyd album since Animals, according to Gilmorish. Forbes also provides a list of artists who’re Muff users: “The White Stripes’ Jack White, U2’s The Edge, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, Primus, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Parliament, Queens of the Stone Age, Dinosaur Jr.” J Mascis described how he based Dinosaur Jr.’s whole sound off of his deluxe version of the pedal in Fuzz: The sound that revolutionized the world.

I’ve got a Boss Distortion DS-1X, and it’s insanely powerful. Buy it if you hate your neighbours.

3. DELAY Delay-lay-lay pedals-alsals are-r-r really-ly-ly useful-ul-ul.

Speaking from my own experience, I haven’t found a better delay pedal than the Tokai TDL-1 Delay. There’s

three knobs: the delay time, the echo level, and the feedback level. The echo level regulates the balance between the delay sound and the direct sound, and the feedback determines the frequency of the delay repeat. If you crank up these last two, putting emphasis on the delay sound and jolting up the frequency, the pedal kind of gets caught on itself, for lack of a better description. You can start quickly turning the delay time knob and what comes out is a “flying saucer” kind of otherworldly sound—the kind of raw effect you’d hear on a Radiohead album.

A delay pedal guarantees childish hours of fun-un-un...

4. OVERDRIVE

Now that CDs are inching closer and closer to their death, their ancestors are reaching out from six feet under. Some will say that CDs are straight up useless, but since it can be atrociously long for bands to press vinyls because of the ever increasing demand for them, you might be forced to buy your favourite band’s little shiny disk once in a while instead of the vintage toy.

But audiophiles will wisely remind naïve music fans that vinyl actually rocks. Panasonic has heard the specialists and is bringing back their famous Technics Turntable, which they announced at the IFA conference in Berlin. The turntable will be now be made of titanate aluminum and will have a better sound quality. Panasonic is planning on releasing the product between April 2016 and March 2017.

The Japanese giant relaunched their Technics brand at last year’s IFA conference. National Public Radio’s Tom Terrell once called the turntable “the most important musical instrument of the last twoand-a-half decades.” Needless to say, a piece of history is coming back to life.

AUSTRIAN ARTIST’S “MINUTES OF SILENCE” TOPS THE CHARTS

Living without an overdrive pedal should drive you crazy. This pedal mimics the sound of the valves in an amp being cranked to 11, when the tubes are pushed to the brink and deliver that crunchy grunge sound. The drive knob regulates gain, and the tone knob adjusts the treble. You can use the overdrive pedal on an amp that’s already overdriven, giving the sound an extra kick and a fatter, saturated sound. You can also use the pedal on a clean amp which’ll give the sound a cleaner overdrive more suited to blues or jazz. According to GuitarFella and other publications, the most recommended overdrive pedal is the Ibanez TS8o8 Tube Screamer, it was Stevie Ray Vaughan’s signature pedal. So why not drive to your nearest music store and pick one up?

In the wake of the refugee crisis in Europe, Austrian musician Raoul Haspel released a single called “Schweigeminute” or “Minute of Silence” to protest against the inhumane conditions in one of Austria’s biggest asylum centres for refugees, Traiskirchen, on the outskirts of the country’s capital. The song has topped the country’s charts and costs 99 cents on iTunes. All proceeds will go the refugee camp.

The makeshift shelter has come to the attention of Amnesty International because of its “scandalous” state, they told Reuters, especially considering Vienna’s status as one the most liveable cities in the world. In an interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, Haspel explained how he decided to show his outcry with silence: “I chose silence because everybody has such a strong opinion on the situation, and the debate just gets louder and louder each time.” As the situation evolves, we can expect to see even more showings of solidarity from artists. Haspel’s contribution will surely be heard.

TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

quickspins | music

k-os - Can’t Fly Without Gravity (Dine Alone Records ; 2015)

Chelsea Wolfe — Abyss (Sargent House; 2015)

Ultimate Painting — Green Lanes (Trouble in Mind Records; 2015)

Mac DeMarco — Another One (Captured Tracks; 2015)

Can’t Fly Without Gravity, the sixth album from Toronto rapper and hip-hop artist k-os, is an impressive compilation of speedy rap lyrics, electronic beats, retro samples, jazzy keyboards and bold trumpets. The album is funky, fast, and dramatic, which is something expected considering k-os’ alternative approach to hip-hop and avoidance of the typical formulaic beats heard in top 40 playlists.

The majority of the tracks play out with an even amount of zeal. However, comparing the slowed-down, retro crooner samples on track six, “Crucify,” with the revved-up punk sounds on track 12, “Steel Sharpens Steel (Still in Love),” one may find it hard to believe that both pieces come from the same album. While this demonstrates the range k-os is capable of covering in terms of genre, these differing pieces divide the album and disrupt the flow.

Dense and clouded in a thick, billowing fog of dread, Abyss is appropriately titled to say the least. Chelsea Wolfe continues to be unclassifiable in five albums, this time treating her trademark darkwave sound to a welcome dose of doom metal and roping in a secret weapon: Mike Sullivan of Russian Circles. While Wolfe is no stranger to guitars herself, Sullivan’s crunchy tone feels like a real master-stroke at times; lead single “Iron Moon” lurches along with jolting vigour, its guitars plodding with immensity at every down-stroke before unfurling into a cacophony of shrill noise.

Wolfe and her band fill nearly every song with so much brooding atmosphere that it almost becomes overbearing. Later tracks “Survive and Color of Blood” while solid, nonetheless offer a familiar dynamic in light of opening track “Carrion Flowers’” thundering ballet of eerie silence and deafening pads. In spite of this, Abyss remains as impressive as it is downright filthy.

After watching Kanye West’s unapologetic presidential announcement at the VMAs, I had to clear my mind with some humble musicians. I popped in my earphones and swayed my way through the sound of Ultimate Painting. This Jack Hooper and James Hoare duo was formed after they ditched their respective bands, Veronica Falls and Mazes. Now, they have a new CD that’s way more enjoyable than their previous ones. It’s just as mellow as their previous albums, but better produced and, consequently, less dark. “Break the Chain” sounds like a far-fetched replica of The Beatles’ “In my Life” in its last verses, and “Two From The Vault” sporadically mirrors Jack Johnson. In between, you’ll hear some Buddy Holly in the hit single, “(I’ve Got the) Sanctioned Blues.” The sweet, but somewhat repetitive guitar riffs accompany the soft-spoken lyrics about their everyday life.

At one time, DeMarco’s videos on YouTube barely had 10,000 views. Now, he’s selling out venues around the world. The pop star’s latest album is punctuated by easy synth beats and DeMarco’s hillbilly-style vocals. Slightly similar to Beck’s early work, DeMarco greets you with meaningful but innocent lyrics. Demarco is all about hope and love in his new tunes with lyrics such as: “If it’s so/then come on give this lover boy a try/I’ll put the sparkle right back in your eyes/What could you lose?” in “No Other Heart.”

The song “I’ve Been Waiting for Her” has a summer vibe to it, with a galloping rhythm and the classic high-pitched tones that made Demarco the unique performer he is today. “Another One” is a hearty ballad that’ll seduce synth-pop lovers with sensitive feelings, but is not quite melodramatic. The mini-LP only has eight songs—that’s the only downside.

Trial track: “(I’ve Got the) Sanctioned Blues”

Trial track: “Another One”

Trial track: “Vous Deux (Denzel Washington)”

Trial track: “After the Fall”

6/10

8/10 SAMUEL PROVOST-WALKER 7/10

ONEIDA CRAWFORD

ÉTIENNE LAJOIE

9/10

ÉTIENNE LAJOIE

Meet the team: Music MIA PEARSON Music editor

Mia just found out she’s pretty into Bloody Caesars. It was after a brief taste of her friend’s Bloody Caesar. Hmm, otherwise not really sure what else you want to know. Is that enough? Once ate a whole watermelon herself. But stick with the Bloody Caesar anecdote, I think that one’s the best. Did I spell “Caesar” right? Someone proof-read this please.

Gotta fill 100 words in this blurb, eh?

Okok I had a Bloody Caesar yesterday night, but they put a pickle in it and I wasn’t super down for that. Are we at 100 yet? Who the fuck puts pickles in a Bloody Caesar? Now that I think about it, there were also olives in this Bloody Caesar. Stick with celery, ya dinguses.

ONEIDA CRAWFORD Staff writer Oneida played the piano for five years, the trumpet and flute for two, and picked up the guitar for a summer. To this day she can’t remember how to play a song in its entirety on any of these instruments. Nevertheless, music is one of her dearest obsessions in life. “Eclectic” is definitely the best word to describe her musical taste; from Gregorian chant and Thomas Tallis, to Joy Divison, Die Antwoord and Grizzly Bear, and then, almost everything in between. I blame my mom and the movies for this wonderful affliction.

SAMUEL PROVOST-WALKER Staff writer

Samuel Provost-Walker is a film studies major at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. When he’s not busy watching films or trying his best to finish The Wire (he’s on season two), you can usually find him doing something musical in nature. Whether it’s listening to the latest genre-defying Boris album or strumming along to some 80’s postpunk in an attempt to work on his guitar-playing, Sam is on an eternal quest to discover bands and artists of every genre that isn’t post-grunge. He also had a nu metal phase in early high school. He’d rather not talk about it.

SAM HAUGHTON Staff writer It is estimated that the human brain contains about 100 billion neurons. In Sam Haughton’s case, all 100 billion of these seem to be devoted to finding the absolute worst thing to say in any social situation. You can imagine the sheer wattage of angst this can generate—which is why he considers himself lucky to grow up in an era where music by Nirvana and Radiohead is easily accessible. Sam is most often found sprawled in an existential heap, or pretending to write essays while actually chaining Bjork videos. In addition to writing for The Concordian, he is also a drummer, a philosopher and a general lazy scoundrel who strives for ambivalence at all costs.

TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2014 TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

SPORTS

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Write to the editor sports@theconcordian.com @theconcordian

football | sports

Stingers suffer worst loss of Donovan Era Stung by the missing bee, Stingers get demolished 37-0 in season opener home game

The Singers got bested by their Sherbrooke opponents.

Photo by Andrej Ivanov.

CASEY DULSON Contributor

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he Stingers entered the 2015 season with new football uniforms, in hopes that the team could improve on a 5-3 record from last season.

But Sherbrooke’s Vert et Or had other

plans in the Stingers’ home opener on Friday night. The Vert et Or beat the Stingers 37-0, making it the second straight game against Sherbrooke that they were shut out. The Stingers used three quarterbacks in the game, but all of them had nothing to show for their performances.

Vert et Or’s fifth year quarterback, Jérémi Roch, picked apart the Stingers’

defence, completing 23/30 passes for 291 yards and two touchdown passes.

Roch moved the ball down the field all throughout the 1st half to give his side the 23-0 advantage by halftime. Roch was pulled with the game sealed in the 4th quarter for backup Mathieu Loranger, who completed a 51 yard pass to third year receiver, Carl Gagnon in his 1st play of the game. The Vert et Or ended the game with 342 passing yards and a surprising 130 rushing yards.

Throughout training camp, the Stinger’s hotly debated quarterback competition between Jahlani GilbertKnorren and, Trenton Miller was the focus. In the end, the job went to Jahlani Gilbert-Knorren who already had some CIS experience under his belt when he last played for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. The decision to start Gilbert-Knorren was decided a day after the preseason game against Queens according to Stingers coach, Mickey Donovan.

Donovan chose Knorren because of his dual threat capabilities. GilbertKnorren went 7/10 for 91 passing yards and one interception Friday night. Knorren who looked good early on, opened the game completing his first four passes.

However, he was benched after throwing a costly pick 6 to Sherbrooke’s Gael Bernard-Perron.

“It was unfortunate, I thought I was

playing well and seeing the field well but I made some mental errors and let my team down which is unacceptable. I deserve it,” said a visibly frustrated Gilbert-Knorren.

Miller, who replaced the benched Gilbert-Knorren, completed 11 of 21 attempts for 106 yards. Miller appeared to be the more successful of the two quarterbacks as he did manage to move the ball downfield. Nevertheless, untimely mental mistakes failed to get the Stingers on the board.

Stingers third string quarterback, Colin Sequeira also saw action in the fourth quarter hoping that he would provide some much needed magic. But, like his predecessors, he didn’t fair much better. Sequeira went, 5/8 for 39 yards and one interception.

“We just could not string enough good plays at a time. There would be one thing wrong on each drive that would screw us up,” said Miller.

“Jahlani is going to push me and I’m going to push him, we are going to keep on battling until eventually one of us will rise to the top,” noted Miller on the starting job competition.

Three quarterbacks will be dressed and playing in next week’s game against the Bishop’s Gaiters according to Donovan. “You can never have one solidified starter, they all have to compete day in and day out that how it goes,” Donovan stated.

LOVE SPORTS? LOVE WRITING? The Concordian is looking for sports writers

Here’s how you can get involved: Pitch a story

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Send an email with your name, and your story idea to sports@theconcordian.com.

Come meet us in person and share your ideas at one of our weekly story meetings held every Friday at 1 p.m. in our office (room CC-431) on the Loyola Campus.

Want to write for one (or many) of our six sections? Email the sections you would like to write for and ask to be added to the section’s weekly story list. For their email addresses, check out our masthead on page 19.

Stop by our office: CC-431 at Loyola or email us: sports@theconcordian.com

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campus | sports

Top four Stingers to watch this fall SPORTS IN THE NEWS PEGGY KABEYA Sports editor

TIM TEBOW GETS CUT It’s not quite early September without some form of attention-grabbing Tim Tebow headline, so without further ado: Tim Tebow has been cut by the Philadelphia Eagles, in the most closely media-covered third string quarterback competition in recent memory. The former first round draft choice was told to turn in his playbook early Saturday morning at the Eagles’ practice facilities. Tebow, who last suited up as a New York Jet in 2012; has been the NFL’s equivalent of a malignant tumour, due to his uncanny ability to attract excessive amounts of unwanted media attention. After a brief stint as a College football analyst, the born-again Christian was given a second chance in the form of an opportunity to compete with former Eagles QB Matt Barkley for the team’s third string QB responsibilities. Barkley was traded and Tebow was released.

Here are ConU’s best and brightest to keep an eye out for this fall season CASEY DULSON Contributor

I

t’s a new season for the Concordia Stingers varsity athletics.

The fall semester will see the men’s rugby team aim to defend their Réseau du Sport Étudiant du Québec title for the first time since 2005.

Women’s rugby will be looking to avenge their disappointing loss to the Ottawa Gee-Gees in last season’s RSEQ title game.

As for women’s soccer, they’ll be looking to improve on last season’s mediocre campaign where they managed only three wins.

Their male counterparts are also looking to rebound from a disappointing year as they finished dead last in the RSEQ. On a brighter note, the Stingers baseball team has had great success in the last two seasons, as they made it to back-toback national championship games. Here are the top four athletes of these teams to watch.

en’s rugby team. Last season, Tessier had five tries and 18 converts, totalling 70 points. Her numbers stood out enough for her to be named the RSEQ’s most valuable player and a Canadian Interuniversity Sports (CIS) all-Canadian. Tessier, the former 2013 conference rookie of the year, has even made a name for herself representing Canada at several international rugby tournaments, notably this past summer’s super-series where she played against world superpowers: England, New Zealand and the United States. Tessier also won a gold medal at the 2014 World University Rugby Sevens Championship in Brazil. The Stingers community honoured her last year as she was named female athlete of the year.

Tessier has a great chance to represent Canada at the Olympics in the near future, but right now her main goal is to lead Concordia to a RSEQ title this fall.

2. YANNICK FORTIN, FLY HALF BACK; MEN’S RUGBY

1. ALEX TESSIER, CENTRE BACK; WOMEN’S RUGBY

DROGBA NETS 3 IN 1ST START

37-year-old Montreal Impact striker Didier Drogba scored three times in his first career start, as the Impact defeated the Chicago Fire 4-3. The former Chelsea legend made his impact felt Saturday night in front of a sold out home crowd.

Drogba’s hat-trick makes him the 1st player in MLS history to record the feat within his first two club appearances. The win pushes the Impact into sixth place in the MLS standings, ahead of rivals Philadelphia Union.

The fifth-year receiver had an injury-plagued 2014 season causing him to miss several games, however, that didn’t affect the standouts’ production. Henry posted 23 receptions for 428 yards along with four touchdowns last year. He has been a member of the Stingers football team since 2010. He is a known deep threat and has a knack for making big plays. Look for Henry to put up career numbers as he tries to garner some pro attention in his swan song season.

4. ANTHONY MARANDOLA, FIRST BASEMAN; BASEBALL

REIGNING CHAMPS HUMBLED IN QUEBEC CITY

In an epic rematch of last year’s Dunsmore Cup, the Laval Rouge et Or defeated the University of Montreal’s Carabins 12-9 off a last second field goal in Saturday night’s season opener. With 15,000 spectators on hand, the Rouge Et Or re-established their vaunted home field advantage after snapping a 70 game home unbeaten streak in last weeks preseason loss to the UBC Thunderbirds. Points came at a premium as both team’s defenses were especially stout throughout the game. Laval second year QB Hugo Richard, looked comfortable in the pocket despite throwing an interception early, completing 2234 passes for 301 yards through the air. Look for them to rely more on the 2nd year signal caller as they look to compete for another national championship this season.

3. JAMAL HENRY, RECEIVER; FOOTBALL

The third-year centre back has already made a lasting impression on the wom-

The fourth-year flying half back had an unbelievable 2014 season as he commandeered the Stingers to their first RSEQ championship since 2005. Fortin was honoured as an RSEQ all-star after leading the Stingers to a 5-2 record last year.

He ended the season with one try and 17 points. Fortin, the two-time RSEQ all-star, will be a key player in the team’s quest to repeat their Quebec conference win.

The Concordia baseball team doesn’t get the same love as other varsity teams despite their back-to-back national championship appearances. The team has a lot of talented players on the roster, but none stand out more than third-year first baseman, Anthony Marandola. The thirdyear first baseman made a huge difference last season for the Stingers. He batted a whopping .357 along with five RBIs and 12 runs in 20 games. His impressive efforts last season earned him a second team CCBA all-Canadian roster spot.

Marandola will be looked upon in 2015 to fill the void as the Stingers top hitter after all-Canadian catcher Jean-Christophe Paquin graduates.

opinion | sports

New jerseys lead to same results The Stingers new jerseys and new logo didn’t save them from a humiliating home loss PEGGY KABEYA Sports editor arlier this week, Concordia officially unveiled the first phase of their “historic” re-branding initiative.

Ironically, buzzwords were in no short order at Wednesday’s press conference/ fashion show, where Concordia’s president Alan Shepard and athletic director Patrick Boivin took to the stage, bloviating about the Stingers new look.

Rebranding they said, Stingers United they said, but 37-0… no one said anything about that. The football team’s

E

sad performance Friday night against Sherbrooke highlights the real issue with a majority of Concordia Athletics.

We’re just not that good; and without the facilities and fan support to attract a better crop of incoming talent, 37-0 runs the risk of becoming the norm for the rebranded Stingers.

A slippery slope awaits if the new look Stingers continue to have trouble adapting to the new realities of Interuniversity athletics.

People want shiny things that sparkle and win, but delivering somewhat shiny things that don’t win isn’t an easy sell.

New jerseys and re-sodded turf don’t translate into gridiron success, and Friday night’s 37-0 debacle at Loyola bares witness.

Head coach Mickey Donovan turned water into wine last season, when he took an undersized and undermanned Stingers team to the playoffs in his first year at helm.

However, handcuffing Canada’s best up and coming head coach to the recruiting tagline of “we got new jerseys,” isn’t doing anyone any favours. We’ve seen this movie before, and the premature proclamations of the boys who cried wolf change, eventually turns skeptics into us all.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

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Stingers | sports

The Stingers unveiled thier new logo at Friday’s home game. Thunderous applause quickly faded as the team failed to score CAPTION a singleGOES point.HERE. PhotoGraphic

by Andrej byIvanov.

XXXX.

Swatting the Stinger bee aside for a cleaner look Pack your bags Buzz, Concordia’s logo is reinvented, refreshed and back bigger and better than ever SAMANTHA MILETO Contributor

A

new school year ushers in a new season for Concordia athletics.

This year however, each team will also be sporting new uniforms, as the traditional Stinger bee logo has been disbanded. This comes after the university’s athletics department decided it was time for an aesthetic revamping.

Each team will begin sporting the new logo—which will still use the traditional yellow and burgundy—when they start each of their respective seasons this year.

“We wanted our new image to transcend sports and competition,” noted university President Alan Shepard. “We also had a unique opportunity to further

strengthen the already deep sense of pride that exists within the Concordia community.”

According to Athletic Director Patrick Boivin, the purpose of Concordia’s rebranding is to help strengthen the Stinger pride between its athletes and students alike.

“One of our biggest challenges is … trying to harness attention and trying to build our fanbase and our engagement with our fanbase and the big priority there was the students” said Boivin.

[Based on] the feedback that we got from the student athletes, they themselves didn’t feel a deep sense of engagement towards [other sports teams]. They did for their own individual teams, but didn’t toward being a part of a larger Stinger group,” commented Boivin.

Though the iconic bee logo will no

longer be featured on the varsity team’s uniforms, it will still have a place on campus. For example, a mural of the stinger has been completed on the side of the football stands.

“We’re not going to be known and we’re not going to be seen primarily through the bee; it will be through the new logo,” said Boivin. “[But] we haven’t put the bee in the garbage, [it’s just] gotten a facelift.”

According to Boivin, the process of rebranding started almost as soon as he took the Concordia athletics director position in the summer of 2013.

Since then, Boivin and his staff, along with the help of past and present student-athletes, worked tirelessly on the rebranding project.

“When you look at the logo, you clearly see … it’s very modern and at

the same time it can be applied in a very retro and traditional way,” said Boivin.

“We thought it was a good mirror to the university itself: Concordia now is very strong on research, it’s very modern, it’s certainly trying to be a very innovative university and in that regard, the logo fits. It has a much more retro feel than the bee ever would have had.”

Boivin and his team hope the new logo will unite the school, regardless of on-field results.

“We have historically gone through a little more adversity [in comparison to schools like Laval]. We’ve never been one of those reigning schools at the top…

I think we’re going to have go through more adversity in the next couple of years before we’re able to establish ourselves or our programs as being perennial contenders”.

W ELC O M E! I hope you’ve had a great summer and are ready for an exciting fall.

If you’re new to Concordia, I’d like to welcome you to our extraordinary community. If you’re returning, welcome back!

I encourage you to take advantage of all we have to offer. Have a great year!

Alan Shepard President alan.shepard@concordia.ca

CO N CO R D I A .C A

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theconcordian

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

OPINIONS

Write to the editor opinions@theconcordian.com @theconcordian

editorial | opinions

Migrant. What comes to mind at the sight of that word?

This Saturday Montrealers took to the streets. Not unusual in itself, but this time the focus of the march was not for the self-interest of Montrealers but in the name of the nameless overseas migrants and spurred by the shocking photos of a drowned Syrian toddler’s corpse on the shores of a beach in Turkey.

Google defines the word “migrant” as a migratory animal, a creature that travels from one place to another and back again. Migrant workers might also come to mind—workers who move to more lucrative economic environments in order to send money back to their families; think of Filipino and Bangladeshi construction workers who have been building Dubai for the last decade.

What does not come directly to mind is the sight that has been inescapable over the summer: news coverage of Europe’s “migrant crisis.”

The situation is unequivocally a crisis, that is certain. Hundreds of thousands of

displaced Syrians, Iraqis, and Afghanis are fleeing their homes as well as the camps established to temporarily house them in neighbouring countries.

It’s easy to forget the civil war in Syria began in 2011, and with the rapid expansion of ISIS into the power vacuum, the region has witnessed and been subjected to startling horrors.

The families sleeping in Hungary’s train stations are not migrants, they are desperate refugees. This distinction is essential in developing a moral framework for dealing with the crisis.

Canada isn’t doing enough. It’s not that we’re doing nothing, but the scale of the crisis demands an appropriately scaled response. It also deserves a nonpartisan response.

Liberal leader Justin Trudeau recently reached out to the Prime Minister and NDP leader Tom Mulcair calling for a meeting to discuss the crisis and Canada’s response to it. One can only hope that the leaders will not use the situation as an opportunity for

political posturing, but for real action in the interest of real people in need.

As of yet, Trudeau has received a chilly response. According to the CBC, Stephen Harper has called the request “partisan games” and Mulcair, although he’s open to the meeting, would rather only speak with the Prime Minister, “because he is the one who can act.”

Perhaps Trudeau is making a clever political ploy, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Right now we need leaders to act, not in their self-interest but in the interest of oth-

ers—the families fleeing the dangers of civil war and the terror of ISIS. The Conservatives favour bombing runs and the opposition parties prefer a humanitarian aid strategy. The difficult truth is that both approaches, in isolation, cannot solve the problem. Bombs don’t feed hungry refugees or wipe away tears, and warm meals and blankets will not stop ISIS from destroying and enslaving.

No party is completely right in its approach, but those refugees are absolutely and inalienably deserving of our help.

campus | opinions

Saying yes to Concordia’s new sexual assault policies Concordia’s planned reforms are a good first step towards a comprehensive and inclusive policy DIANDRA D’ALESSIO Contributor

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his week, hundreds of excited froshies—sorry, “Launchies”— will party it up before the real fun begins; their first year as undergraduates at Concordia University. Even though it was four years ago, I still remember my own frosh like it was yesterday. Lots of games, lots of food, lots of beer, and of course lots of hormones.

Speaking of that last one, each ASFA froshie got a drawstring bag full of goodies, including condoms. It was one thing to promote safe sex, but what Concordia and other universities lacked at the time was an emphasis on consent (UBC’s 2013 frosh chant comes to mind), as well as clarity on what constitutes sexual assault and harassment. And that is exactly why Concordia’s recently revised policies on the matter are a step in the right direction.

The report on this policy review notes that Concordia has a lengthy history of initiatives meant to address sexual harassment and assault cases. In 1987, it became the first university to have a sexual harassment advisor, and was among the first to create a policy on sexual harassment in the early 1990s. Still, Concordia felt that it needed to update its protocols. The report states that it was not inspired “as a result of a specific incident on the Concordia campus.” However, in

light of the last year’s Mei-Ling incident involving sexual harassment within ASFA, and recent discussions about rape culture across North American campuses, it rather conveniently came out before the official start of the school year, and during frosh week.

From the beginning, the report already shows signs of improvement, particularly in its terminology. A tiny disclaimer at the bottom of the table of contents emphasizes that “survivor” will replace “victim … to empower those affected by sexual violence.”

Moreover, the report wisely encouraged the use of gender-neutral language; it’s important to remember that perpetrators and survivors of sexual assault and harassment can be of either gender (e.g. male against female, female against male, male against male, female against female). By using gender-neutral language, the report is also more inclusive of Concordia’s LGBTQ community.

The report makes excellent recommendations throughout, but it shines particularly in its use of the term “sexual violence,” a far more comprehensive term than simply “sexual assault” or

Graphic by Charlotte Bracho.

“sexual harassment.” Instead, these latter terms are just part of its broad definition, which is “any violence, physical or psychological, carried out through sexual means or by targeting sexuality.” When applied to Concordia’s case, this definition covers not only rape survivors, but also those who have endured sexual harassment, cyber-bullying, and stalking, among others.

Ultimately, despite the report’s merits,

the onus is on the entire Concordia community, be they students, faculty, staff, or administration, to ensure that everyone is safe on and off campus. Also, survivors of sexual violence need not be afraid to come forward, since someone will always listen. My greatest hope is that the concepts of consent and sexual violence become fully understood, so that anyone, from froshees to grad students, can make the most out of university during their studies and beyond.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

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reflections | opinions

Life post-undergrad has its own challenges The tests don’t stop after the final exam period and decisions just get more complicated JENNIFER GROULX Contributor

L

ife post-undergrad can be very intimidating and downright disorienting. In fact, I think I speak for many post-undergrads when I ask: what was it all for?

I should start by mentioning that I’m not one of those people that you see on Facebook or Instagram, partying it up in Thailand or studying abroad in Germany. Instead, like many ‘post-undergrads,’ I’m holding down a full-time job so that I can afford to pay my bills and save a little bit of money every now and then.

In short, I went from being a full-time student to a full-time adult with real responsibilities that school just hadn’t prepared me for.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m very proud that I completed my bachelor’s degree. It was during my time in university that I experienced many lessons that shaped who I am today. Essentially, I wouldn’t be writing this article if it wasn’t for my education—for that I am grateful.

Still, these post-undergrad growing pains are really wearing me down. I find myself constantly worrying about the future and what my five-year plan is. You know, the usual stuff that we torture ourselves with. And, even though I don’t consider myself to be a kid anymore, I’m just not ready to grow up and join the rat race yet.

Can I assume that most of us cringe at the idea of slowly turning into the very thing that we vowed we’d never turn into—adults?

Okay, maybe I’m being overdramatic but I think that, overall, most grads will admit that the struggle is not only real, it’s here to stay, and—maybe—that’s okay.

Maybe we’re not meant to have all the answers just yet. Maybe we have to feel

lost before we can feel found - as clichéd as that sounds.

Let me backtrack and give you a rundown of my experience as an undergrad at Concordia; I was 20-years-old in the fall of 2011 when I attended my first class as a history major. Back then I didn’t really know what to expect from my time in university but I did know one thing: I would see it through to the end. So that’s what I did. I focused on getting good grades and making sure that—on paper—I was stellar. My world revolved around homework and A+ grades; I was semi-obsessed to say the least. And then, in the Fall of 2014, I took my last final exam and I was finally set free.

I had already made the decision that I wouldn’t be going back to school for a couple of years so, in the months that followed, I took the opportunity to make up for lost time. I went out a lot, I slept-in later, I worked more hours, I spent more money, I saw my friends more often; it was great. I was finally doing some of the things that I couldn’t do when I was in school.

But after a while, I found myself stuck in something of a rut. You see, even though I was finally free, I began to feel very lost. It’s like I had forgotten who I was outside of education. Being a student was all I had ever known how to be—that’s what I was good at.

So, in hopes of feeling more productive and less blazé about life, I told myself that I’d learn how to play the piano by watching Youtube tutorials; that I’d learn how to speak Italian by watching subtitled movies; and, of course, that I’d travel the world and find myself. After all, I was a recent university graduate who studied the art of setting goals and respecting deadlines.

Flash forward 10 months and here I am.

I have yet to purchase a keyboard or research any piano tutorials on Youtube. I haven’t watched any Italian movies recently, unless you count La Vita e Bella which

Graphic by Charlotte Bracho. wouldn’t be fair since I’m a history buff.

And, even though I work full-time hours, I still don’t make enough money to travel the world—shocking!

Alas, I am a failure. Or so I thought.

Looking back, I realize the goals that I had set for myself when I was coming out of school did not reflect the goals that I would set for myself in the near future. I was so preoccupied with being in school, and being a student, that I hadn’t really considered what being an adult would entail. Sure, I expected to reach for the stars but, in reality, I got a little lazy and decided I’d stargaze instead.

Sometimes people change—priorities change—and that’s okay.

In all honesty, when I look at the big picture, I’m pretty proud of myself and what I’ve accomplished in the last ten months: I moved out on my own, I’ve been promoted at work and I had the opportunity to spend time with my grandmother before she

passed away. So, even though I didn’t learn a foreign language or travel to foreign cities, I had time to do the things that I wanted, and needed, to do.

Essentially, I’m realizing that, in fact, I am free.

My point is, as post-undergrads, we’re all bound to feel scared and unsettled about our future. But, even though we feel afraid, we shouldn’t give up on ourselves; instead, we should learn to accept the things we cannot change, and to change the things we simply do not accept. Our lives are our own to make, one small mistake at a time.

With this in mind, I’ll definitely think twice the next time I decide to feel sorry for myself because my first year as a post-undergrad didn’t go as planned. I’ve just got to learn how to focus on the what I do have in my life instead of dwelling on what’s missing.

You know, maybe life post-undergrad isn’t that bad afterall.

advice | opinions

Ask a Wizard: Peanut butter and belonging A truly magical advice column TRYNAMINGUS III Grand Wizard

Trynamingus III, CEO of Ask a Wizard, Inc.

Dear Grand Wizard, I have a bit of a problem. I was born in Quebec, but raised in the states, and back home, I’m “the Canadian kid.” I have noticed myself gaining a Canadian accent on certain words. I’m worried that my friends back home will think I’m doing it on purpose and they’ll make fun of me. How should I deal with this? I have another question: Do we have Jif peanut butter in Canada?

Regards, Sticky Situ “eh” tion

Greetings friend!

I believe the answer to your question may lie in another question: what is home?

Are you a Canadian living in America?

Perhaps you see yourself as Québecois, or are you a red-blooded American who happens to have been born a few miles too far north?

Regardless of how you answer these questions, any good wizard (and I am in fact a very good wizard) would tell you to take advantage of your unique experience. Those of us with the gift, or sight— whatever you’d like to call magical endowment—know what it is to want to belong. When my wizard’s beard began growing at the age of six, I wanted to find a stray gryphon and disappear on some misty moor.

I decided instead to make the best of things; to be unique and not withdraw.

Unlike that puffed up princess, Elsa, I didn’t channel my self-expression into selfish pursuits. I delighted the other children by turning daisies purple, and other such small wonders.

You, my friend, are experiencing what many second-generation immigrants experience. You will always be “other” to someone who has never had the chance to be the “other.” So tell stories of good poutine and parliamentary democracy

in The Land of the Free, and recount true tales of excessively large sugary beverages to the canucks.

Assure your friends that you are not pulling their beards (if they are so folically blessed), and tell them that accents can change over time with use, even without the use of bitter potions! Make no mistake young cultural explorer, your dual experience makes your twice as interesting wherever you decide to call home!

I confess to have never tasted this substance you call Jif. I must have read about it in one of my many dusty tomes, but wizards do not have use for nut butters. Although I did hear it from a fairy once that it makes an excellent salve for foot fungus. “Spread liberally on the sole and between afflicted toes, and prop up feet for six hours” she said, though she failed to warn me about putting out my hounds beforehand.

Magically yours, Trynamingus III

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theconcordian

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

Meet the team: the rest of us MICHELLE GAMAGE Editor-in-Chief

Hello, I’m Michelle and I guess I’m running the paper this year. I’ve always been drawn to journalism and because National Geographic apparently doesn’t hire 12-year-olds I’ve been crashing my way through school till I figure out a way to trick them into hiring me.

I’m West Coast born and bred which means I live clean and skate mean.

Want to know how many mountains I’ve camped at the top of? A lot, that’s how many. Super powers consist of not understanding how cold weather works and eating and drinking my weight in poutine and Montreal craft beer, er, more than tri-weekly.

Tragically the trench-coat-wearing, type-writer-pounding supersleuth reporters are a dying breed, but I’m working on bringing them back.

Come out and join our team, be the Woodward to my Bernstein, the Rory to my Paris. We’re always looking for new writers and, hey, someone has to lead me from my paper-bunker and take my place eventually, right? Might as well be you.

NATHALIE LAFLAMME Head copy editor

PIERRE A. LEPETIT Production manager A French lad with a British accent and no French accent. People call me Pedro, Pierrot, and everything that is not Pierre because they know how much it annoys me. Before becoming this year’s production manager—the importantnot-that-important-guy—I’ve also been Editor-in-Chief for a newspaper and a magazine back in France, and Creative Director for a few organisations. You’re probably picturing me drinking expensive wine and eating smelly cheese on my back patio—aren’t you? Cause that’s what I do. Every. Single. Evening. My role this year? Trying to make this newspaper of yours as pretty and fancy as possible while plotting with my lovely production assistants to dethrone Michelle from her despotic position before the last issue.

Wait—she’s not going to read this, is she?

DORI JULIAN Online editor Hey there! I’m Dori, this year’s online editor at The Concordian. I’m a communications major and am passionate about arts and culture! In fact, I volunteered as a writer in the fringe arts, and arts & culture sections for The Link this past academic year. I was also involved at Fresh Paint Gallery as a volunteer, interviewing artists and writing for the Fresh Paint blog, as well as helping out with events like Beaux Dégâts (a monthly live art battle at Foufounes Électriques), for example. I also currently work as a student success mentor for Concordia, which has allowed me to be further involved in the Concordia community. I’m looking forward to bringing you all the latest news via whichever screen you stare at the most. Comments are encouraged; I’m always interested to learn various opinions on our stories so I hope you’ll share your thoughts!

Hello all, I’m Nathalie, back for another year with The Concordian (this is my fourth). I tend to randomly break out in song, loathe writing in birthday cards, and constantly recite Friends quotes for no apparent reason. I’m also perpetually covered in cat hair and have Twitter phobia (it’s a thing, I swear). Oh, and one more thing, I’m finishing up the last year of my journalism degree (finally).

JESSICA ROMERA Copy editor

Hello, I’m Jess and I’ll be one of your humble copy editors for the year. I’m a fourth year journalism student at Concordia, a former intern at the Montreal Gazette and a former music editor for our fair weekly publication. As you can guess, I’m a music and concert junkie. Talk to me about The Strokes or Red Hot Chili Peppers and you will never get me to shut up.

I could have probably purchased a small tropical island by now with all the money I’ve spent on tickets for shows. I’m also pretty sure I have tinnitus, which is why I wear earplugs to concerts now. I should probably assume all the responsibility for that, but it’s just so much easier for me to blame it on a Jack White concert from 2012. When I’m not at a berating my eardrums , you’ll find me reading something by Chuck Palahniuk or Kurt Vonnegut or watching repeats of Supernatural.

Fun fact? I’ve chipped my front teeth four times. Don’t ask.

ANDREJ IVANOV Photo editor

Buenas tardes, folks. That Peter Parker guy? Yeah that’s pretty much me in real life. With a ton of cynicism, sarcasm and a slightly twisted sense of humor, all thrown into the mix. I’m a journalism student in the co-op program. I work full time as a formatting editor at a news agency. I pretend to have friends, but I mainly just pay for them to be nice to me. Oh wait.. one of those was a lie! I enjoy eating good food, good travels and smoking cigarettes while drinking cocktails at fancy bars. In my free time (which I have very little of), I try and read, sleep and sometimes play the occasional video game. Hmm. What else? I do things! I DO COOL THINGS OKAY!? Really really cool and super-topsecret-photographer things!

STEPH ULLMAN Copy editor Hey there, Concordia student body!

Many moons ago, I was the head of the music section, but this year I’ve been reincarnated as part of the copy editing team. Right now, my work at The Concordian is being balanced with my current job at an advertising company, so this should be an exciting semester positively exploding at the seams. I know all you multi-jobbers and workduring-schoolers feel me on this one.

Off the cock, you can find me enjoying local gastronomy with reckless abandon, wondering what I should take up as a hobby but never having the conviction to commit to one, and adding items to multiple online shopping carts but never actually purchasing anything.

Looking forward to having all of you scanning our pages this year. Thanks for being a fan! Now if you’ll excuse me, I think Amazon is having a sale on panini presses....

MATTHEW CIVICO Opinions editor A wise wizard once warned a troublesome halfling to not take him for a conjurer of cheap tricks, and today I declare to you that I am no purveyor of hot takes. At least I try not to be.

I’m born and raised montrealais, re-read The Lord of Rings annually, and probably don’t share your opinions about a great many things—and that’s great! It’s great because that’s what university is all about, disagreeing, learning, and then maybe agreeing to disagree with a healthy dose of newfound respect.

This year I want to invite you to be more opinionated, but to also opine better. Nothing is outlawed: Left, Right, Centre, anti-this, or pro-that, so get informed and get writing. Let’s learn to be less stupid together, what say you?

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015

theconcordian

19

ETC

SAVANNA CRAIG Production assistant

Letter to the editor Write to the Editor-in-chief editor@theconcordian.com

Re: Denis Coderre on Baseball

A Hello! My name is Savanna, but I also go by Sav. I’m a second year Concordia student in political science and human rights. I’m a Toronto native who is an avid reader, writer and artist, as well as a great lover of journalism, cooking and travel. I’ve previously worked at a student-based writing various lifestyle and health articles and dream to write for Vice News. I’m a huge music lover, including anything from reggae to hip-hop or rock, just don’t ask me about EDM. You will probably see me drinking an excessive amount of tea or running through the underground tunnel in a rush. I hope to contribute to The Concordian the best I can to make this paper amazing. Hope you enjoy reading!

t the outset of the article, “Denis Coderre talks Baseball,” the mayor’s support for baseball is described as “impassioned rhetoric” emanating “from a place of nostalgic testimony.”

As Coderre suggests, this is highly misleading. No doubt, for many older Montrealers, the Expos conjure up fond memories of lazy Sunday afternoons at the Big O. But the argument put forth

by Coderre, as well as the real spearheads of the movement, former Expos star Warren Cromartie, TSN analyst Matthew Ross and musician Annakin Slayd, is much more about the potential boon that baseball’s return could mean for Montreal.

In the 1970’s, 80’s and for one last hurrah in 1994, the Expos attracted busloads of tourists from

KIMBERLEY LAM SHANG LEEN Production assistant

Ottawa, Quebec City, upstate New York and Vermont. All these tourists injected money into the city’s economy. A new downtown stadium, one the Expos never had and was the main reason they left, also means new businesses and jobs around the area.

New stadiums in Minnesota, Pittsburgh and Washington (where the Expos ultimately left for), have helped spur urban revitalization. Any big investment must of course be considered very carefully, especially in shaky economic times. But let’s be clear; as the mayor says, this isn’t just about the past: it is about investing in something that could bring tangible economic benefits to the city.

And a lot of fun!

— BRANT MOSCOVITCH

Call for questions—Ask a wizard

⋆

Got a question your dad can’t answer?

Is your dad a wizard? No?

⋆

⋆

⋆

Then submit your complicated life questions to our expert team of wizards! They’re available once a week to answer your questions in a long, drawn out, and rather roundabout way.

Hi everyone! I’m Kimberley, born and bred in that small island called Mauritius, I’m a fourth year Design student at Concordia. I’m one of the production assistants, and help to make The Concordian look pretty awesome! I’m passionate about everything that’s related to design and architecture, food(both cooking and eating them), my hamsters, discovering new cultures and travelling.

⋆ Send questions to ⋆opinions@theconcordian.com or to our wizards on Facebook and Twitter.

(Wizards will address you in responses by your first name only)

the

c The Concordian’s editorial team We share your stories since 1983.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MICHELLE GAMAGE editor@theconcordian.com

PRODUCTION MANAGER PIERRE A. LEPETIT production@theconcordian.com NEWS EDITORS GREGORY TODARO RACHEL MUZAIC news@theconcordian.com LIFE EDITOR CRISTINA SANZA life@theconcordian.com ARTS EDITORS LYDIA ANDERSON ELIJAH BURKREEV arts@theconcordian.com

MUSIC EDITOR MIA PEARSON ASSISTANT ÉTIENNE LAJOIE music@theconcordian.com

SPORTS EDITOR PEGGY KABEYA sports@theconcordian.com OPINIONS EDITOR MATTHEW CIVICO opinions@theconcordian.com

COPY EDITORS NATHALIE LAFLAMME JESSICA ROMERA STEPH ULLMAN WALID MARAQA copy@theconcordian.com

PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS SAVANNA CRAIG KIM LAM SHANG LEEN

PHOTO EDITOR ANDREJ IVANOV photo@theconcordian.com

CONTRIBUTORS Mina Mazumder, Alex DiMeglio, Amanda Macri, Zain Tarawneh, Maria Bukreev, Sam Mileto, Casey Dulson, Jennifer Groulx, Diandra D’Alessio

ONLINE EDITOR DORI JULIAN online@theconcordian.com

BUSINESS MANAGER MARC-ANTOINE CARDIN business@theconcordian.com

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

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

Concordia University’s weekly, independent student newspaper VOLUME 33 | ISSUE 2 | TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 Cover photo by Andrej Ivanov New layout designed by Marie-Pier LaRose

" The Concordian

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PHOTOS OF THE WEEK MTL COLOR RUN NIGHT

Participants in the Color Run Night used headlamps to light their way during the 5 km track while getting plastered with colours. Photo by Andrej Ivanov.

Participants adorned themselves with headlamps and glow-sticks to light the first-ever Color Run Night. Photo by Andrej Ivanov.

#TCBACKCOVER NEXT WEEK: FIRST WEEK FLOPS

First week of class didn’t go as planned? Tell us WHY by sending your photos* to photo@theconcordian.com or share them with us using #TCbackcover!

A DJ bumped beats during an afterparty that included hydration, dancing and more bags of colourful chalky powder thrown into the air. Photo by Andrej Ivanov.

*all photos must be your own