September 28, 2021

The Concordian VOLUME 39, ISSUE 4

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY’S INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER

TUESDAY SEPT. 28, 2021

Sept. 30 is now a federal holiday

By Fern Clair Assistant News Editor Every year on Sept. 30, people across Canada participate in Orange Shirt Day to honour residential school survivors and spread awareness of the tragedy. However, this year will be the first time Sept. 30 is a federal holiday, despite the fact that many provinces are choosing not to recognize it as a statutory holiday.

The new statutory holiday is called the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — the outcome of legislation passed by the Canadian government in June, and is the result of one of the 94 calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

“We call upon the federal government, in collaboration with Aboriginal peoples, to establish, as a statutory Continued on page 2

A B o u tthe tartist he artist About

Juliet Mackie is a Métis (Cree/Gwich’in/English) graduate student, painter, and beadwork artist with maternal roots in Red River, MB and Fort Chipewyan, AB. Her painting depicts Juliet and her brother as children.

Commentary

Features

Arts

Music

Sports

Lily Alexandre makes videos to help mend our broken online conversations. / pg. 6

We need to talk about the problem with food options at the Loyola campus. / pg. 10

Just As I Am follows Montreal’s Shira Choir as they persevere through turbulent times. / pg. 14

A Montreal based trio discusses the path to launching their first EP. / pg. 16

After an 18-month hiatus, the Stingers are looking to stay on top of the RSEQ standings. / pg. 18

News The Concordian

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INDIGENOUS

Sept. 30 is now a federal holiday The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is a one to remember and honour the children and survivors of residential schools.

Continued from page 1 holiday, a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation to honour Survivors, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process,” states the commission.

“I don’t think we should be calling them residential schools anymore,” said Catherine Kinewesquao Richardson, who is Métis with Cree, Dene, and Gwich’in ancestry. She is the director of First Peoples studies at Concordia.

“Residential school is a euphemism, they want it to sound better,” she said. “It makes them feel a bit more protected if you call it a school rather than a prison camp. But if we are going to use the truth part in truth and reconciliation, then I think it’s time to call residential schools what they are, which is a prison camp.”

For Richardson, the Sept. 30 holiday, while a product of the 94 calls to action, was a direct result of the recent discovery of hundreds of bodies at residential schools across Canada.

In May, the remains of 215 children were found at the Kamloops Indian Residential School in BC. As of August, according to The Guardian, over 1,300 unmarked graves have been identified at five residential schools across Canada, but it’s estimated to rise to over 3,200. With 139 residential schools recognized by the federal government, and many more privately funded, that number is expected to increase by the thousands.

Many Indigenous people on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok have posted that, including the bodies found at American residential schools, the number of children’s bodies is over 6,500.

However, that number is not considered official.

“While I’ve heard some reports about the child’s graves, it’s kind of sporadic every time something new happens,” said Richardson, who explained she doesn’t see the media reporting on the issue enough.

The holiday on Sept. 30 is not being recognized by many provinces, including Quebec.

According to CTV news, Premier François Legault stated at a press conference that Quebec isn’t interested in having more statutory holidays, no matter the reason.

Concordia follows provincial statutory holidays, not federal ones, stated Vannina Maestracci, a spokesperson for Concordia.

“However, we have been marking the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation for some years through events organized and led by Concordia’s Indigenous staff and faculty,” said Maestracci.

She stated that since Sept. 30 is designed to promote awareness, Concordia, as it does every year, encourages students to wear an orange shirt in honour of the Indigenous children who were sent to residential schools.

Sept. 30 is commonly referred to as Orange Shirt Day, where people wear orange shirts to create a dialogue about residential schools, and to honour the survivors. The reason why people wear the colour orange is because of survivor Phyllis Webstad. When she went to her first day at a residential school wearing an orange shirt bought by her grandmother, it was taken away from Webstad, who was six at the time.

Maestracci also explained that this year the Indigenous Directions Office is holding a round table discussion on residential schools, and a story will be published

by Manon Tremblay — who is nêhiyaw-iskwêw (Plains Cree) from the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation and the senior director of Indigenous Directions — about her grandmother, who was forcibly sent to residential school.

“I would tell you to take the time to reflect and take the time to educate oneself on that part of Canadian history,” said Tremblay when asked if she had advice for what people could do to show support on Sept. 30. “Reflect on or educate oneself on the intergenerational trauma that still persists today.”

For Tremblay, it is important to remember that while there are Indigenous people who didn’t go to residential school, their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents did, and that trauma is carried through the generations. “That continues to influ-

POLYSAVVY

AUKUS Pact: How Will Canada Be Impacted?

The military dealings of Canada’s allies in the Pacific Ocean might play a large role in the future of ChineseCanadian diplomatic relations

By Zachary Fortier Contributor GRAPHIC BY JAMES FAY

TUESDAY SEPT. 28, 2021

ABOUT THE ARTIST Juliet’s great-grandmother Evelyn Wylie attended an Anglican day school as a child in Fort Chipewyan.

Evelyn married a Swedish trapper, Alvar Oak, and raised their three daughters seasonally on a trapline at Hill Island Lake, NWT. Alvar established a small trappers school for his daughters and the children of the other trappers to protect them from being taken by an Indian Agent. In 1944, Evelyn moved with her daughters from Lake Athabasca to Edmonton where they attended a local school. They faced discrimination in Edmonton and were often referred to “halfbreeds.” Like many Métis families, they hid their identity to protect themselves from violence and racism. In her art practice, Juliet uses portraiture and beadwork to reclaim her Métis identity and celebrate Indigeneity.

ence who they are today because of the way that they were brought up, and some of the apprehensions that their parents and grandparents communicated to them,” said Tremblay. “And this is the sort of thing that we are still experiencing today.”

Tremblay explained that Concordia is doing a Indigenous Directions Action Plan in response to the calls to action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The action plan was created in 2019, and aims to decolonize and Indigenize Concordia so that it can move forward based on responsibility, reciprocity, relevance and respect.

She also stated that the fact that Concordia is staying open for Sept. 30 is an opportunity to bring awareness to people on campus. If they were sent home, they would not think about the day and what it means. But if students are on campus, they have a chance to engage with the Indigenous community and have an honest discussion.

On Sept. 15, the heads of state of Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States unveiled a trilateral security pact that will serve to expand the three nations’ military influence in the Indo-Pacific region. The pact is more commonly known by its acronym AUKUS. This deal comes after years of Australia’s tiptoeing on a diplomatic tightrope between American and Chinese partnerships, cementing the nation’s relationship with the U.S. for the near future. The agreement will put into place the construction of tomahawk cruise missiles, extended range joint air-to-surface standoff missiles, longrange anti-ship missiles, and most notably, nuclear-powered submarines, which will all be sent to the Australian military.

According to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the country “received overwhelming support when it came to Australia moving ahead to establish a

nuclear submarine fleet for Australia to ensure that we could contribute to the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific.”

This deal will make use of British and American technologies and resources to build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines, vessels Australia has not acquired until now. The increase in size of Australia’s fleet will make patrolling the Pacific and Indian oceans easier as it looks out for what it perceives to be its biggest threat: China’s growing military presence in the region.

According to Dr. Julian Spencer-Churchill, Concordia political science professor and former Canadian Forces captain, “The issue AUKUS is attempting to solve revolves around power and values. Xi Jinping differs from his predecessors because he is dramatically more totalitarian: he’ll stop at very little to achieve some sense of greatness. Whether that’s Continued on page 3

TUESDAY SEPT. 28, 2021 MODEL UN

News

The Concordian

The leaders of Concordia Model UN give a presentation at a training session in Montreal, September 22, 2021. CATHERINE REYNOLDS/The Concordian

awards they can take home. The conferences are held across North America.

One of the toughest conferences is held at Harvard University, where Concordia student and current president of the CED Alexi Dubois placed third in his committee.

In Model UN competitions, competitors are referred to as delegates who take on the role of representing different countries in a mock UN General Assembly, UN Security Council or other UN bodies, to smaller competitions where the delegates act and debate as characters in a scenario, like a historical event or a board of directions. They take on the perspective of these countries and debate how to tackle global issues like climate change, trade, and other global affairs, or in presenting and debating their characters’ point of view in a smaller event. These committees like the UN General Assembly are often very large with up to 100 delegates involved.

“So, it can go anywhere from 193 countries, and a large room representing the United Nations General Assembly, to honestly 15 people talking about the October Crisis as their own characters — it’s a huge range of topics, but there’s a little bit of something for everyone,” said Dubois.

Dubois specializes in smaller committees, where delegates may portray the board members of a

major company or different characters during historical events. At Harvard, he was a part of a historical committee, with the topic being that of the October Crisis in Quebec.

Dubois was tasked with portraying a feminist separatist journalist during the October Crisis, and his performance earned him third place in the committee, a major personal achievement for him.

“I’d gone to Harvard the year before in-person, and I’d come up short. I hadn’t won anything, but I kind of left feeling like ‘Oh, these are the differences I need to make to my performance to be able to do better,’” Dubois explained. “​​It felt really amazing to hear your name called out at probably the toughest Model UN conference you can go to […] there’s a lot of work and preparation that goes in beforehand, and to actually then be able to translate all your research and all your work into a performance that’s recognized is a really great feeling.”

Model UN is built around public speaking, and interpersonal social skills. To win awards, it’s not always about who speaks the loudest, but who can get the most people on their side.

“Public speaking is something we know we can help you with. We know that even with a bit of nervousness, we can coach you through it and make you a really great public speaker. The best skill you can have to try out for the team that we’re looking for is really just those interpersonal skills and being able to have people listen to you,” Dubois said.

The CED’s best year ever comes in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Model UN circuit thrives on in-person conferences and collaboration between universities, and was therefore greatly affected by the pandemic.

has been in heated armed disputes with China in the Himalayas, welcomed this partnership. The Japanese government has reacted with similar satisfaction due to its disputes with China over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands.

On the other hand, one of the harshest critics of AUKUS has been France, which saw its nearly $66 billion contract with Australia for the construction of diesel-electric submarines scuttled with little notice before the new deal was announced. Another more obvious detractor of this deal is China, which views the trilateral agreement as an impediment to its influence in the Pacific.

On the day AUKUS was announced, many were quick to notice Canada’s absence in the deal. While the Conservative Party was eager to take a stance in favour of joining AUKUS and criticizing Trudeau for not signing on, the Prime Minister stated that Canada had no interest in acquiring nuclear submarines, and that the country had nothing to offer in this matter.

Canada remains a member of the Five Eyes partnership, meaning it will still receive tactical information from the three nations involved in the pact.

Critics of the AUKUS deal view it as a stern finger-wag at China, but its

Concordia’s External Delegation gearing up after their best year yet in 2020 Concordia breaks into the top 20 Model UN delegations for the first time.

By Evan Lindsay News Editor The CED ranked 19th among North American Model UN teams, a massive achievement, which puts them in the company of other elite universities such as Harvard, Yale, UCLA and McGill. For the CED, it is their highest ranking ever in the North American division, and first time breaking into the top 20. In the past two years, Concordia has finished in the top 25.

“So, it’s really like finally saying ‘okay Concordia as a delegation is on the map.”’ said Jonah Guez, a Concordia graduate and former CED president. “It’s finally like the efforts have finally come to fruition, and people within Concordia absolutely believe in the fact that they can win now.”

The North American College Model UN rankings are based on how delegations perform at various conferences throughout the year, as well as how many awards their delegates and overall delegations receive. The higher the amount of conferences they attend, the more

AUKUS Pact Continued from page 2 the Spratly Islands, Taiwan, or the Uyghurs, he wants it all. These countries [involved in AUKUS] are trying to curtail his influence and get him to back down through military buildups.”

Due to the most prominent feature of AUKUS being Australia’s submarine program, many countries have reacted in a variety of ways, ranging from excitement to condemnation. For instance, the Indian government, which

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Conferences took place almost entirely online, which made it difficult to get new students involved in the program.

There is still a lot of uncertainty moving forward for the CED regarding travel, and which conferences may be held in person or online, but it isn’t slowing Dubois or his team down.

“Our goal this year is to attend as many conferences as possible, and [focus] on what’s called delegation awards. So we’ve really tried to create a strategy which focuses on not necessarily individual awards but team awards,” Dubois explained. The teams that win the most awards in a conference win delegation awards.

“Those delegation awards really make the largest difference to climb up in the rankings. So if we’re around 19th at the moment, and if we want to crack the top 15, which would be a dream, it would be fantastic. We really need to start working on getting more delegation awards.”

One thing that makes the CED different and possibly so successful for the time they’ve existed is the culture around teamwork that they have developed.

“Chicago and Georgetown universities, who have huge Model UN programs, and they’re actually extremely competitive within themselves. So not only do you compete against other people at conferences, you actually first compete against people from your own school to be able to go to a conference, and that’s not really the way we approach things. At Concordia, we hold a tryout in October, and we have 30 to 40 people who make the team. From that point on, it’s everyone trying to help each other together,” described Dubois.

The CED will be hosting training sessions for new and interested students beginning Sept. 22 leading up to their in-house tryouts in October.

Looking to sign-up? Scan this QR code to access the Concordia Model UN External Delegation’s sign-up form!

long-term impact remains to be seen.

While the tension between the Chinese and Canadian governments is still present, all hope for diplomacy and civility is not lost. On Sept. 24, it was announced that Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, the two Canadians trapped in China for over a thousand days, will be returning home. In return, Meng Wanzhou, a Huawei executive trapped in Canada for just as long, will also be returning to her home country. If the AUKUS nations and their allies choose to pursue a more diplomatic approach, much could be in store on the global political stage.

News

4 ELECTION

TUESDAY SEPT. 28, 2021

The Concordian

Liberal Party wins the federal election: results unchanged since 2019 Concordia witnessed a smooth voting procedure on both campuses.

By Bogdan Lytvynenko News Editor Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will continue to lead the country with a minority government, as the Liberal Party won 159 seats on Sept. 20, coming 11 short of a majority. The Conservative Party, led by Erin O’Toole, remains the official opposition with a total of 119 seats.

Costing Canadians an estimated $610 million, the 2021 federal election ended up more expensive than any other in Canadian history, surpassing the 2019 election costs by $100 million. Despite winning two additional seats, the Liberal Party was unable to reach a majority — an objective that pushed Trudeau to call a snap election just two years into his term.

“You are sending us back to work with a clear mandate to get Canada through this pandemic, and to the brighter days ahead, and my friends, that’s exactly what we are ready to do,” stated Trudeau in his victory speech at the end of the election night.

Going forward, the Trudeau government promises to develop a national childcare program, increase the supply of affordable housing, enforce vaccine mandates for federal workers, make clean water more accessible for Indigenous communities, and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 40 to 45 per cent by 2030.

Although voter turnout dropped to 59 per cent this year, mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of thousands still took part in the election on the Island of Montreal.

Home to the Loyola campus, the Notre-Damede-Grâce—Westmount borough reelected its Liberal MP Marc Garneau with 54 per cent of the vote. In the same riding, Concordia graduate Mathew Kaminski came in third place as a Conservative candidate with 14 per cent of the vote.

Voting at the Loyola Chapel has been an overall

success with almost no queues on election day, according to the station’s central poll supervisor (CPS) Nevena Jeric. She told The Concordian there were many efforts to inform all students of the voting rules on campus, especially when it comes to their residential address.

“Many students received an email that, as long as they lived in the riding, they could vote on campus. [...] We had maybe one or two people who were turned away, but they weren’t surprised either since they were on campus anyway and tried to vote with their friends just in case,” said Jeric.

The supervisor added that, although the younger generation did not have as strong of a showing as expected on election day, many students had likely cast their ballots during the four days of advanced polling. Nationwide, Canadians set a new record for early voting: nearly 5.8 million citizens selected their candidate before election day, representing an 18 per cent increase since 2019.

However, the voting situation was slightly different at the SGW campus downtown.

Charles*, serving as the supervisor of two polling stations in the EV and LB buildings, noted that there was an impressive engagement from young voters. Having supervised federal and provincial elections at McGill University in the past, he observed “a much stronger participation” from the student population at Concordia’s downtown polling stations compared to those at McGill.

During advanced polling, some students had to wait for as long as two hours to cast their ballots due to a high volume of participating citizens. Experiencing major delays was the most common complaint addressed by downtown voters.

To improve the voting process, Charles said that out-of-province students were allowed to leave their mail-in ballots in a designated box at the downtown station. This addi-

tional measure was implemented for the first time on campus, making the election process more convenient for those who recently moved to Montreal.

Polling stations closed at 9:30 p.m. on both campuses, and CBC News announced the projected winner of the federal election just an hour later.

Montrealers showed strong support for the Liberal Party, which won 16 out of 18 ridings on the island.

One of them is the Dorval-Lachine-LaSalle borough, where Fabiola Ngamaleu Teumeni — a 20-yearold Concordia student representing the NDP — managed to place third with 13 per cent of the vote.

In Quebec, more voters supported the sovereignist Bloc Québécois (32.6 per cent) than the Liberal Party (31.9 per cent). With 33 seats in the House of Commons, the Bloc has achieved its best results since the 2008 federal election.

Nationwide, the Conservative Party won the popular vote by nearly 200,000 ballots. However, since Canada’s electoral system works on a first-past-thepost basis, the winning party was determined by the number of ridings — and therefore, seats — it has won.

This election’s outcome was almost identical to that of 2019, when the Liberal Party also earned over 155 seats and secured a minority government. As the voting took place in the middle of the fourth wave of COVID-19 and broke records for government expenses, many have questioned the urgency and timing of this snap election.

Nevertheless, Justin Trudeau now begins his third term as Canada’s 23rd prime minister. *Charles requested his last name not be disclosed.

GRAPHIC BY MADELINE SCHMIDT

CONCORDIA

Concordia gyms may reopen in October at the earliest

to the PERFORM Centre on Loyola campus. Regular students are at the bottom of this priority hierarchy.

Aedan Conlin is in the third year of his computer science degree. He was planning to attend Le Gym since most gyms near where he lives are not affordable.

“I was expecting my university to promote physical health, given the mental health benefits, but I had to scramble to find something,” Conlin said.

For many, the convenience of a gym that can be attended before or after classes is hard to replace.

“I used to work out and then do my schoolwork and it would really help me concentrate. It was very convenient,” said Ephrathah Hadgu, a student at the Loyola campus. “The worst part is the travel, not the cost.”

Concordia students waiting to get back in the gym have no guarantees. “We don’t want to open and close two or three weeks later because we didn’t think it out well enough. It’s also contingent

Want to be able to use the gyms at school? You may need both a reservation and a proof of vaccination.

By Denis Chmoulevitch Contributor Concordia students are still not permitted to use the gyms on either campus, despite both having reopened, along with gyms all over Montreal months prior.

With fall 2021 being the first semester with in-person classes since the beginning of the pandemic, many students were looking forward to taking advantage of the affordable university gyms, a service supported in part by tuition fees.

Regular exercise has long been shown to improve mental health and strengthen cognitive abilities, all benefits in dire need of attention after a prolonged quarantine.

Loyola campus’ PERFORM Centre website features an outdated message: “the University campus remains closed [...] the gym will therefore remain closed as well until the campus is again open to the public”. However, even though

the campus has reopened the gyms have remained closed to students.

Kevin Hammill, the service coordinator of the Loyola campus PERFORM Centre, said that they hope to open “sometime in October. Most likely, the vaccination passport will be required.”

He added that prices for membership will be revised, “because you’re going to lose at least six weeks so we can’t charge the full cost — there will be reduced hours, reduced days, depending on research.”

Although gyms have reopened across Montreal, Hammill reminds students that the PERFORM Centre is primarily for research rather than being a traditional for-profit gym. “I thought that Le Gym, downtown […] would not have as many restrictions but apparently they have to stay closed as well until October.”

Right now, only research study participants and varsity athletes have access

on society, if hospitalization goes up, if COVID cases go up — we’ll have to re-examine and reassess,” Hammill added.

He remains cognizant of students’ needs and was quick to offer alternatives: “Obviously, it’s good for mental health to stay active but in the meantime, I know that the Stinger Dome [at Loyola campus] is open and they are allowing intramural activities.”

For those looking for a gym immediately, Éconofitness centres are relatively affordable and located throughout Montreal. The local YMCAs, although pricier, offer a reduced fare based on financial need.

The application can be found online.

In the meantime, students will have to rely on running from class to class.

CHRISTINE BEAUDOIN/The Concordian

News

TUESDAY SEPT. 28, 2021

“

PROTEST

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The Concordian

I’m here because of

our future

The annual Global Protest for Climate Justice, part of the Fridays for Future movement (FFF) launched by Greta Thunberg, is back for the third year in a row.

”

Intro by Hannah Tiongson Staff Writer On Sept. 24 thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Monument to march against climate injustice, calling for radical change.

The Concordian Photo Editor, Catherine Reynolds, asked protestors their thoughts about climate injustice, and their feelings on the climate strike movement.

CATHERINE REYNOLDS/The Concordian

“Obviously, there’s a pretty wide range of people with different political opinions, which is good, but I think it’s pretty clear at this point that these kind of marches don’t really do a lot.

After the huge march a few years ago, if nothing happened with that action, then nothing’s going to happen with this action. I’m here handing out a pamphlet I’ve written about directions we can take for making real change in Montreal. My purpose here is to try to get people taking more real steps and real action.”

OREY, STUDENT

CATHERINE REYNOLDS/The Concordian

“I’ve been to multiple protests and I really enjoy them. There’s a really big sense of community and I feel really connected to the people in my city.”

CAMILLE, STUDENT

Noah Tremblay-Mimouni at the Climate protest in Montreal, Quebec, September 24, 2021. LOU NEUVEUX-PARDIJON/The Concordian

“The protest shows people should have a voice, talk about the things that are important, and stand up for what they believe in because it’s going to change our future of our Earth.”

NORAH, STUDENT

CATHERINE REYNOLDS/The Concordian

LOU NEVEUX-PARDIJON

CATHERINE REYNOLDS/The Concordian

“It’s really encouraging to see so many people, especially of different age groups, and that everybody has turned out even during Covid. We’re all masked up and we’re ready to protest. This is my first protest in Montreal and it feels like a really welcoming scene.”

LAUREN, STUDENT

Laurie holding a sign at the 2021 Montreal Climate March.

Translation: “The caps are cooked.”

I feel fine. Not a huge fan of crowds during Covid. I think it’s nice to have these protests, but it’s important to remember that they’re not exactly what fixes things.

LIAM, STUDENT CATHERINE REYNOLDS/The Concordian

Flavie and Noa at the Climate protest in Montreal, Quebec, September 24, 2021. LOU NEVEUX-PARDIJON/The Concordian

NEWS EDITORS Bogdan Lytvynenko Evan Lindsay news@theconcordian.com

Commentary The Concordian

6

PROFILE

Lily Alexandre, a Youtuber, films herself to make a video in Montreal, Quebec, September 24, 2021. CATHERINE REYNOLDS/The Concordian

Lily Alexandre believes in better online Essayist Lily Alexandre makes communities Video videos to help mend our broken online

By Aviva Majerczyk Commentary Editor

Lily Alexandre started her YouTube channel almost 10 years ago and has been producing videos on and off ever since. After a brief break in her output, she decided to start her channel back up when she became concerned about her job opportunities, having left Dawson College before graduation. So, deciding to use YouTube as a way to show off her skills to possible employers, Alexandre put out her first video in the “video essay” format.

To her surprise, the video went viral.

The video that sent her channel soaring was released in January of this year, titled “Millions of Dead Genders: A MOGAI Retrospective,” which details the mostly forgotten “MOGAI” (Marginalized Orientations, Gender Alignments, and Intersex) community of 2010s Tumblr. This community, Alexandre explains, was largely comprised of early-teenage kids aiming to navigate their queer identities and formulate new names to put on their often confusing feelings that they felt did not fit neatly into existing “LGBTQIA+” categories. While often ridiculed for their incessant “micro-labeling,” Alexandre approaches this community with a critical lens to discuss why queer youth gravitated towards this outlook despite how it may have been detrimental to the ongoing process of some people’s gender exploration. Alexandre didn’t realize that this video would strike a chord with audiences so quickly.

“I was at work one day, packing orders at a warehouse and my phone started suddenly blowing up,” Alexandre detailed. “It was super exciting

conversations

Much of Alexandre’s catalogue focuses on where online conversations go wrong, and how we can start to piece our converSince then, Alexandre’s sations back together. channel has grown to have nearly 20K subscribers, In her most recent video, “Do ‘Binary Women’ Even Exist? The Politics and has released four more Trans of Gender Conformity,” she details the videos this year averaging false dichotomy between non-binary about 30 minutes each, and binary trans people and mostly discussing issues how both sides claim they in online gender discourse. are the ones that are more but I also had no idea how to approach it because I had made hundreds of YouTube videos and never had an audience over a thousand people. So, suddenly there was a lot of expectation.”

However, with this focus on controversial topics in queer identity, as well as her being a visible trans woman online, Alexandre has begun to feel the burden of representing her community, where marginalized creators often feel the need to be more perfect and controversy-free than their peers in order to escape backlash.

“I think in my case, and in the case of a lot of queer and trans creators, it’s specifically a thing where people have seen that they can relate to what I have to say and very quickly have become super attached to me, and kind of assumed that they know who I am and what I stand for outside of these videos,” Alexandre explained. “So, if I say something that goes outside the bounds of their image of me, there can be a lot of backlash, because I feel that people have gotten attached to me as a person and the idea that I have to live up to their ideal.”

oppressed. This whole argument, Alexandre argues in the video, is reductive to the core, as it places all trans people into one of two boats, erasing important nuances in personal experiences. .

Alexandre’s videos show viewers how to be more generous with each other online.

Alexandre jokes in her videos about simply “logging off” of toxic conversations online, but she believes that there is truth to this suggestion.

“I think just engaging with people face-to-face builds a lot more empathy than we have online. I’ve been trying to carry that empathy into my online interactions too,”

TUESDAY SEPT. 28, 2021

she suggested. “If I see someone with a ‘take’ I think is bad [...] that doesn’t make us enemies. This stuff is just a lot lower stakes than it feels online.”

When producing videos spanning difficult topics like gender identity and mental illness, Alexandre is still learning how to balance her work with her own mental wellbeing. She finds herself sometimes getting overwhelmed when putting together videos with such heavy content. However, over the past few months, she’s been learning how to deal with these uncertain moments.

“In those cases, it’s been helpful to remind myself why I’m writing the thing I am. It’s usually not just to talk about ‘Hey, this is really awful, let’s wallow in it.’ It’s usually directional, it’s usually for a purpose,” Alexandre explained.

“Because I’ve talked mostly about things I feel do have stakes, and my takes might move the needle in the right direction.”

Looking to the future, Alexandre plans to step away from videos along the topic of gender identity to focus on other issues. Worried she may get pigeonholed, she plans on also creating videos about art, games, music, and other interests.

All in all, Alexandre wants her channel to be a place of discovery and empathy, no matter the topic of videos she puts out.

“I’m hoping there can be a space for talking about these big questions in a way that isn’t super partisan,” explained Alexandre.

“And I hope it can be an empathetic place where people are interested in understanding each other more than they are about being correct or being superior.”

CATHERINE REYNOLDS/The Concordian

TUESDAY SEPT. 28, 2021 OPINIONS

Commentary

7

The Concordian

It’s over, consumption:

celebrity culture and climate anxiety

We’re stuck in a cycle of production and consumption, and we’re getting sick of it

GRAPHIC BY JAMES FAY

By Meagan Carter Contributor Greenwashing strategies from the world’s best marketing agencies have successfully commodified the environmental justice movement. Our culture has a shopping addiction, and it’s going to kill us.

Even those of us that are self-aware about this fact can have a difficult time denying manufactured desires. We have been trained to collectively consume both media and products before we could think for ourselves. Can we really be blamed for finding it a hard habit to kick?

Capitalism pushes the belief that if we cannot consume, we should aim to produce. Our society doesn’t exactly place a great value on simply “being.”

The 21st century has brought forth the first period in creative history in which artists are creating “content” rather than their own “art.” It’s created an insular experience that focuses on aesthetics and a culture of fashion “micro-trends” that develop at increasingly rapid rates.

And it’s become more and more difficult to source clothing in order to keep up with these rapidly changing trends. It’s hard to tell if the emergence of fast fashion retailers like Shein are a response to the problem or the source of it. We could easily blame influencers, but under late-

stage capitalism, I can’t really blame anyone for taking a shot at joining the ranks of celebrity, C-list or otherwise.

We are far too aware that there is a divide between economic classes, and with the democratization of media and a “produce or consume” mindset, it’s not surprising that more and more people are choosing to seek power by producing content in the hopes of attaining at least a modicum of fame. Celebrity, or at least influence, seems to be the go-to escape plan from the collective paralysis we feel about our climate.

What is it about our culture and celebrities? We are fascinated by them and appalled by their existence. They’re our inspiration and the evidence of our downfall. Celebrity is the aristocracy of the postmodern world. They represent something beyond the entertainment industry, the characters they play, or the stories they write. They represent the small part of the world’s most powerful population that is public to us. Rarely do they hide their material wealth because, unlike other members of the one per cent, they do not have the luxury of keeping their finances or their lives private. They are public figures, and to us, the dazzling glamour can make it difficult to recognize them as real people.

Our relationship to fame is one in which we transform individuals into

God-like figures. This process has been democratized, and average citizens and politicians can often reach the ranks of the most famous elite. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a unique example of this practice of glorification. AOC has done a lot of great work in the United States political system, but with that said, why was she at the Met Gala?

The relationship between political figures and celebrity status is a sore topic in the newly post-Trump world. Why risk violating the principles upon which you were elected just to join the ranks of the rich and famous? The Met Gala is an event designed for the most elite population in the fashion world, an industry that famously is one of the greatest drivers of climate change. Why align yourself with an industry that is exacerbating the effects of climate change, when you yourself are advocating for climate reform?

The thing is, the climate crisis we have spent our whole lives anticipating is here. It’s already happening, and we still cannot take concrete action to prevent it from getting worse. This really isn’t our fault, we were born into this mess, but our leaders don’t seem to be doing a great job either. We’re living in a state of paralysis, caught between the desire for the life we were promised and the reality facing us all.

The stability and wellbeing of our

planet hinges upon either the embrace or abandoning of capitalism, therefore it shouldn’t come as a surprise that economic instability impacts our ability to advocate for better. Climate anxiety is our collective nihilism pushing us to take action, but we continually find ourselves with little we can do. Our collective hopelessness about systemic change has pushed us to a point of ecological nihilism.

Ecological nihilism is the acceptance of the climate crisis, and that it will be the beginning of a societal collapse. It’s the final sign that we have moved from paralysis and fear to complacency. It might feel like the end of the world, but if there’s still a chance; we can’t look to celebrities or fiction for solutions.

Last Friday, there was another climate march here in Montreal, which demonstrates that people are still coming together to demand change. Community organizers are not demanding impossible change, it is the failure of our government that refuses to take reasonable action to combat the violence of the climate crisis.

We cannot depend on government approval to take action against climate change. The power remains with the people, and it isn’t time to give up yet.

Commentary

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Confessions of an dled rid

- cr D o H c het D A -

holic

The unconventional way I got through Zoom learning: crochet

By Juliette Palin Assistant Commentary Editor When I was young, my grandma taught me to knit for the first time. I was five years old, sitting on her lap on a cold December day, when she first introduced me to the sport. She held my hands in hers as the needle weaved through the yarn, creating a line of crooked stitches in fluffy red wool.

It wasn’t until years later, a little after I turned 18, that my sister gifted me two pairs of knitting needles and a couple bundles of bright coloured yarn, when I finally picked up the hobby for good.

A couple months before the great gift that started it all, I had received a diagnosis for hyperactive ADHD, coupled up with chronic anxiety — I was in for the ride of my life.

I swiftly moved from making simple tension squares and knitting hand cloths to more intricate projects like… scarves. But in all seriousness, I always got too overwhelmed by having to handle the two needles required for knitting, and never really understood the concept of tougher projects. My goal with knitting was to create something I could enjoy, wear, and pass down, just like my grandma had done for me. But the works of art I was knitting weren’t gonna cut it.

One day, I was thrifting (as per usual), and stumbled across the wall of random stuff that Value Village packages up in little plastic baggies. These are sometimes filled with mangled Barbie dolls, scraps of a McDonald’s Happy Meal toy… you get the point. But this particular day, I decided to intentionally look at what was there, and found a plastic bag filled with crochet needles, all for $3.75.

I decided “Why not give crochet a shot,” making it the 17th hobby I would try out that year. It quickly became a love affair.

For those who don’t know, crochet is knitting’s little sister; it requires only one needle, or “hook,” and some yarn, or any material weaved into a thread that you can hook onto.

At first, it was just me, my laptop, my hook and my yarn. I learned all the basics; slip stitch, single crochet, double crochet, half double crochet, how to chain, the magic circle, and so on. I started making hats, bags, coasters, and different fun patterns of granny squares.

Instead of overwhelming me, I felt I was able to grow within this form of creative expression, and to this day it has become one of the only hobbies that I have stuck with.

People with ADHD often struggle with holding onto projects, hobbies, or habits you’re either trying to pick up or kick. You quickly get sidetracked by small

TUESDAY SEPT. 28, 2021 things that are normal parts of life, and so it’s hard to stay focused and committed to one thing that you love.

When March 2020 hit, and the unthinkable happened, my first year of university was shifted into an environment where being actively engaged with the class material was extremely difficult for me, and pretty much everyone else. I began classes online, and finished my semester cosplaying as a hermit in my partner’s basement, eating junk food and squinting whenever I was confronted by daylight.

When September rolled around, I was ready and excited for my second year of school.

In the journalism department, many of the classes are smaller than what you’d expect in a university setting, with most of them consisting of around 20 people. At least I wasn’t in an online class with over 200 participants — sorry sociology majors.

Still, they were long lectures; I realized I wouldn’t get through them if I got distracted by every noise, feeling, thought or impulse I had. However, I am a grown-ass woman, and I refuse to own a fidget spinner. So I started to crochet during class.

All of a sudden, I could get through the two hours of a two-hour lecture and actually grasp the content.

My hands were busy, and somehow that opened up my ears to absorb what was being said. I was no longer held captive by my own thoughts, because all I was doing was thinking about my next stitch while I listened to what sounded like a slightly boring podcast on business reporting — how educational!

Even though I had friends kind enough to send me their notes, professors who would share slideshows with me so I could catch up if I needed to, or revise something if I had been too distracted — I didn’t need it. After learning to crochet, I was able to concentrate and absorb information properly. This has been the best tool I have found to help me thrive in the online environment.

Now all I have to figure out is how to get professors to allow me to crochet in class… I’m only kind of kidding.

PERSONAL ESSAY

This back to normal is... weird, right?

Going back to normal isn’t going to go as we expected

By Lucas Marsh Staff Writer Is it just me, or does being back on campus feel weird to anyone else? Eighteen months of online school came to an end in the span of a week with little more than a new access card to mark the occasion. I don’t know what I was expecting; certainly not a marching band to parade down Sherbrooke St. to raise the Concordia flag over the Loyola campus, but a bit more than my professors saying “wow, Zoom sucked… anyway here’s the syllabus.”

It was the perpetual promise of this “back to normal” that helped me through some of the toughest moments of the pandemic. Now that I am living the life that was interrupted, it feels like at any moment I could look down and find the pen that I lost on the last day of in-person classes before Montreal entered its first lockdown — slightly dusty but otherwise in the same place I left it.

The influenza pandemic of 1918 was dubbed the “forgotten plague” because of how quickly it disappeared from public discourse afterwards. Historians aren’t certain as to the reason why people stopped talking about

it. Possibly, pandemics were more common back then or news coverage focused more on the war than the flu. Maybe after living through four years of chaos caused by a world at war, they too were desperate for a return to normalcy.

100 years later, as the COVID-19 outbreak surpasses the 1918 influenza epidemic as North America’s deadliest pandemic, I catch myself slipping into this new collective form of self-induced amnesia. On a video call with my family, my mother asked me how many Concordians died from COVID-19 and I had to say that I didn’t know if any Concordians died. I doubted that Concordia would have the authority to disclose that information, but I checked their website regardless and couldn’t find anything.

It’s only with those closest to me in our most private and intimate conversations that keeps the pandemic from fading into memory. While on a walk, a friend grieved for her “lost year” and the experiences she missed out on and could never get back. Another, who had lost multiple family members in the second wave, cried over feeling guilty that he wanted the lockdown to end. After returning to the last place I saw the girl I was dating before the lockdown, I realized how angry

and jaded this pandemic had left me.

I have heard this pandemic be compared to war, natural disaster, even religious reckoning. In my opinion, the best comparison is to the fable of the frog and the pot of boiling water. The fable states that if you put a frog in a pot of boiling water it will immediately jump out; but if you put it in cool water and then bring the pot to a boil, the frog doesn’t feel the changing temperature and boils alive.

Inversely, this pandemic threw us into a pot of boiling water and made us wait until it cooled. A lot of people died very quickly, and then gradually slightly fewer people died as time went on. Life moved forward with online classes and remote summer jobs. The curfew got pushed back and was eventually lifted.

Social bubbles got bigger without us noticing. And along the way we forgot what it was like not to be boiling alive.

CHRISTINE BEAUDOIN/The Concordian

Commentary

TUESDAY SEPT. 28, 2021 RECIPES

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The Concordian

Easy student-friendly recipes for when life is just too much Budget and time-friendly meal ideas to get you through student life

By Aviva Majerczyk Commentary Editor As students, it’s easy to get swept up in studying, socializing, or lying around on your laptop for so long that you forget to feed yourself. Now, despite how common this practice is, we all know it isn’t all that healthy.

One of the best ways to prepare your-

self for success this semester is to make a balanced diet a priority. Now, that in no way means sad diet foods and avoiding Tim’s on the way to class. Instead, making sure your arsenal is stocked with nutritious and budget-friendly recipes is a great way to make sure you aren’t surviving on instant ramen alone. Here are some fast and easy recipes to help you nail this school year.

Oven Fajitas One great way to save time cooking as a student is a “set it and forget it” meal, where you throw everything in the oven in one swoop and just wait. My go-to is Budget Bytes’ chicken fajitas. Throw some oiled and seasoned sliced chicken breast, peppers, onions (and whatever else you’d like) into an oven at 400 F for 35-40 minutes and then boom — dinner. You can eat it over rice on the go, or my preference, in a tortilla with some salsa, sour cream, and guacamole. These one pan recipes are perfect for students living in packed apartments, where too many dishes clogging up the sink can lead to some unsavoury altercations. I’d also recommend Budget Bytes in general as a great resource for other simple, cash-saving recipes — I know I’ve relied on them for the past four years.

Big Boy Salad Veggie-Packed Quiche Summer Rolls Vietnamese summer rolls sustained my withered body during this summer’s heat wave, but this cool, refreshing dish is also a fast and simple lunch or dinner all year round. All you need are: rice paper sheets, vermicelli noodles, a protein of your choice (I use baked tofu, but shrimp is most authentic), and any veggies you have lying around your fridge chopped into thin sticks (I like a bed of lettuce with carrots, cucumbers and peppers). Wet your rice paper sheets in warm water until they reach a pliable and gummy texture, fill with whatever your heart desires, and then roll into a burrito-like shape. A few shakes of fish sauce inside the roll really makes it, if you have a bottle lying around (which you definitely should).

This is the perfect dish for cleaning out your fridge, so don’t be too precious with it. Make sure to dip your rolls in a peanut sauce for a well-rounded but light meal.

Now, I can imagine many reading this are perplexed at the concept of making a quiche as being an easy, student-friendly recipe, but I promise it’s simpler than you think. Quiche is truly the perfect meal-prepping food, as it works for lunch or dinner with just the accompaniment of maybe a side salad or soup. One recipe I love to batch-prep on weekends is a veggie quiche, packed full of whatever produce is in season. The mix of fibre from the veggies, protein from the eggs, and carbs from the cheese and crust (premade of course, we’re not Nigella Lawson here) makes quiche a super nutritious quick meal idea that will last in the fridge and keep you energized throughout the school day.

I am of the firm belief that salad can be fun if you’re willing to put in a little bit of effort. And the salads I make are not diet-y, basically-just-eating-water bowls of sadness. The key to a salad (or “bowl” as bougie establishments have begun to dub them) is balancing the ratio of grains to vegetables to fun add-ons. So, as the weather turns, I like to make a fall salad with kale as the base, adding in farro, and topping with roasted sweet potato, thinly sliced apples, a bit of goat cheese, and some nuts like walnuts or pecans. Now, while I think that sounds delish, this formula can be adapted to any taste. Just keep in mind: base (kale, spinach, lettuce, arugula…), grain (rice, farro, quinoa, couscous…), and protein-filled add ons (meat/tofu, nuts, seeds, cheeses, hemp/flax/chia seeds…).

Sweep the Fridge Shakshuka Shakshuka is another recipe that can be simple or made fancier depending on your time and the ingredients you have on hand. In its most basic form, Shakshuka is a stewy tomato dish with eggs poached inside. Start by frying up some onions and garlic. Once fragrant, dump in a can of diced tomatoes (obviously fresh chopped tomatoes are ideal, but we live in Quebec so we make do).

Season with salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne, and other spices to your liking. Once the sauce is reduced and the flavours have melded nicely, create divots in the sauce with a spoon and crack in a few eggs and cover until cooked through, but with a nice, jammy yolk. Top with herbs and/or feta to your liking. This dish can be made entirely out of inexpensive pantry staples, and is a warm, comforting and filling dish easily paired with some nice crusty bread for dipping.

GRAPHICS BY JAMES FAY

COMMENTARY EDITOR Aviva Majerczyk commentary@theconcordian.com

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LOYOLA

TUESDAY SEPT. 28, 2021

The hunt for food at the Loyola campus: A choose your own adventure story

We need to talk about the problem with food options at the Loyola campus, or lack thereof

By Delphine Belzile and Kendra Sharp Contributors It’s your first day at the Loyola campus. Maybe you’re a second-year student, and you spent your entire first year of university learning from home.

Maybe you’ve only ever had classes at Concordia’s downtown campus, and this is your first foray into Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG). No longer used to getting out of the house in the morning, you rushed to get here to make it to your 9 a.m. lecture — no coffee, no morning bagel, and no lunch in your bag. Your first class ends and your stomach is growling. You checked Google maps for a place nearby, but realized there isn’t enough time for you to commute to grab lunch and make it back to your next class. Where do you go?

We’re back at the Loyola campus, but the food options nearby are few and far between.

As a part of Concordia’s return-to-school plan, the student cafeteria is limiting its capacity to students in residence. The on-campus Tim Hortons closed its doors once the pandemic hit and there are almost no restaurants nearby. You think there may be a student cafe somewhere on campus, but you have no idea where it is or if it even exists.

Whereas the downtown campus offers various on-site food services including Le Frigo Vert, People’s Potato and Reggies, students at Loyola have few options to rely on. And this isn’t exactly a new problem.

“Loyola campus never did have the same type of numbers or campus activity as downtown,” said Claudette Torbey, food services sustainability and quality administrator at Concordia. “It’s

The Hive Café operates on Concordia University’s Sir George William campus. CATHERINE REYNOLDS/The Concordian

a calmer campus, even in pre-COVID years.”

But now the pandemic has created a new set of challenges at the Loyola campus when it comes to food. Sanitary measures, uncertainties with suppliers and the decrease in student traffic on campus are all challenges eateries are facing when trying to respond to the needs of the Loyola campus community.

A food service area is closed at Concordia University’s Loyola campus. AUTUMN DAREY/The Concordian

The Buzz Dining Hall You’re wandering around campus looking for a place to eat. You get lost for a minute and finally end up in front of the SP building where you notice the Buzz Dining Hall, the student cafeteria. You untangle your blue mask from around your wrist and put it on as someone is kindly welcoming you inside.

After putting some hand sanitizer on, you’re asked if you’re a resident student living on campus. You shrug your shoulders, say no, and are turned away. Disappointed and hungry, you make your way down the stairs and stare out into the open courtyard in front of you, not sure of what to do or where to go next.

The Concordia return-to-campus plan restricts access to spaces in respect of the Quebec government’s COVID-19 health and safety measures. As of September 1st, non-essential academic services, including eateries, are required to scan vaccine passports in an effort to control the fourth wave of COVID-19. The university’s health and safety protocols also require individuals to maintain a two-metre distance indoors in places where food and beverages are consumed.

Since the pandemic increases uncertainty when it comes to the number of students on campus, adaptations are more complex.

“It is really hard to plan operations when we don’t know what the campus is going to look like,” explained Torbey. “Hours and locations are more limited because we are unsure about traffic on campus.”

Now that the Buzz only opens its doors exclusively to students in residence that are registered to a Concordia meal plan, those from beyond this category are left with few food options on campus.

As you turn away from the Buzz, you notice a café sign over the dining hall. At second glance, you realize students are holding coffee cups as they come out of the building behind you. You figure it’s worth a

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shot. You return inside and go upstairs.

The Hive Cafe Solidarity Co-Op You march past the Buzz dining hall and set your sights on a new mission: finding the elusive student cafe. Up another flight of stairs and you’ve made it: you’re standing at the doors of the Hive.

Since its launch in 2014, the Hive Café Solidarity Co-op has been a go-to lunch spot for sustainable and affordable food for Concordia students and faculty. However, this situation is still far from ideal.

“Coming back from a pandemic has been a huge challenge,” said Calvin Clarke, general coordinator for the Hive. “And because of our location at Loyola campus, it makes it really difficult for students to know we’re here.”

Returning to campus more than a year and a half into the pandemic, Clarke says the Hive is ramping up an almost entirely new staff and re-familiarizing clientele to their cooperative model.

As a cooperative, the Hive works differently than your typical restaurant. You’ll notice there are two sets of prices for everything on their menu, non-member and member prices.

You have the option to become a shareholder by paying a one-time 10 dollar fee, after which you’ll be entitled to the lower member prices and gain the ability to participate in the democratic functioning of the co-op.

“We’re a model of a food structure that can be something for students,” said Clarke. “Being a pillar of living and breathing proof of what can happen on campus.”

The Hive has been taking a slow approach to reopening in order to gauge demand, adding menu items slowly to avoid unnecessary waste. After quietly resuming operations at Loyola in the second week of September, they’re planning to be open Monday through Thursday for the rest of the fall semester.

“We’re really targeting and showing that there’s a necessity, especially on a campus like Loyola that’s so isolated, that there needs to be better food options on campus for students,” said Clarke.

The Hive Free Lunch Program As you arrive at the Hive, you notice the counter, a display case with burritos and, yes, the coffee machine. Finally, you’re at the right place. But wait, are students getting chili from another counter on the other side of the space?

A little confused, you come closer.

You have found the Hive’s free lunch.

All students have access to this food option at Loyola, developed to provide free and healthy lunches in an area where food options are minimal.

“No one should go hungry or stressed about where they are getting their next

meal while they are trying to educate themselves,” said Alanna Silver, the Hive’s administrative coordinator.

The program is supported by various Concordia-affiliated associations including the Concordia Student Union (CSU) and the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA).

The food bank Moisson Montréal also collaborates in providing the Hive Free Lunch with fruits and vegetables. The program provides students with free vegan meals every weekday.

During the first week of the semester, Silver confirmed they served about 40 meals a day, and that number has been growing week to week.

“We are hoping, as the semester goes along, we’ll be serving 200 servings a day,” said Silver. “We really don’t want to leave any students hungry. We are trying to increase our production as much as possible.”

Hive free lunches run from Monday to Friday and are available from 12:30 to 1:30 pm. As the program can no longer serve meals on plates with utensils due to sanitary measures, you are encouraged to bring your own tupperware to minimize “to-go” garbage.

Next time you find yourself with time to kill between classes and study sessions, don’t hesitate to stop by the Hive for a free lunch and some house-baked goodies (the cookies are something else).

Le Marché Express You’ve hit the midday point of your school day. You’re just looking for a coffee, so you cross over to the SP building. Chatter and cash register sounds lead you down a flight of stairs where you arrive in front of Le Marché Express.

The university-contracted Marché Express has coffee, snacks and even some quick meals to grab on the go. As with the rest of the food service industry this year, supply has been harder to organize as restaurants adapt to re-opening.

“This year is really tough,” said Torbey.

“Even now, we’ll order one product and we’re not able to get it. The supply chain still is experiencing a lot of difficulties.”

As a result of pandemic-related uncertainties, Le Marché Express is open for limited hours — but it can still get you your caffeine fix most of the time.

Off-Campus Restaurants You’re feeling like you’ve walked the entire campus in search of a place to grab some food. The Hive is already filling up with students by the time you arrive and the Buzz is asking for residence proof, which you don’t have. Getting off-campus seems like it could be a better option for you, so you walk out the gates and march along Sherbrooke street, in a desperate search for some lunch.

Time flies and you realize that you have to be in class in a few

A café operates on Concordia University’s Loyola campus. AUTUMN DAREY/The Concordian.

Starbucks is counted amongst Concordia University’s Sir George William campus food options. CATHERINE REYNOLDS/The Concordian.

minutes. You spot a Second Cup and a Subway in the distance, and in the opposite direction, too far for the eyes to see, lies Souvlaki George.

You realize that there are almost no options for restaurants near the Loyola campus, which brings you back to your two options; the Hive or the Marché Express. Hopefully, the line won’t be too long, giving you a chance to rest from your food hunting before attending your last lecture of the day.

Problem solved?

This may have been a fictional account of one student’s journey across the Loyola campus, but the issue with food is a real one. Lack of food services on this part of the university’s grounds is an issue that has been previously acknowledged by Concordia University, and moves have been made in an effort to address concerns.

The Loyola Campus Working Group established a plan in 2020 concerning food services development on campus. The Working Group has the general mandate to consult with the Loyola community to get a greater sense of its needs.

In recommendations provided to the university, members prioritized diverse food projects to remedy the situation; the principal ones include the creation of a new eating space, a designated place for a pub, and the promotion of free food options on campus.

“We’re working closely with the administration right now in opening up a second location on Loyola campus,”

said Clarke. “Hopefully that will become more accessible for students on campus.”

Finally, your food hunting has come to an end. You’ve gone through all the [minimal] options around Loyola!

You might have been tempted by the Hive’s brownies or got lucky getting a free lunch. Maybe you decided to grab a sandwich from the Marché Express with a cup of coffee.

Perhaps you have returned to Sherbrooke street to grab something from the Second Cup. You’ve filled your stomach, and made it back to class.

Next time, you will probably come to campus with some snacks in your bag. On top of that, this experience has you strongly considering becoming a ‘meal prepping’ person. Most importantly, you will definitely wake up earlier to get coffee from home.

Features

12 BUSINESS

TUESDAY SEPT. 28, 2021

The Concordian

There’s a monopoly on the eyewear industry, and it’s time you know about it Independently-owned eyewear brands may be the solution to your eyewear woes

By Maggie Morris Managing Editor It’s a tale as old as time: someone coIt’s a tale as old as time: someone comes up with a brilliant idea, they find a way to profit from it, they market it, they succeed, they get an offer and they sell it. Their idea no longer belongs to them and, soon enough, no longer resembles what it once was. The eyewear industry is no exception to this reality.

Even though about 55 per cent of Canadians are eyeglass wearers, many aren’t aware that there’s a monopoly on the eyewear industry. Almost every pair of glasses available from major retailers, whether it be a household name like Ray-Ban or Oakley or a high-end designer brand like Chanel or Prada, is made by the same company, with the same materials, and in the same factories. The massive company responsible for the acquisition, design, fabrication, distribution, and retailing of some of our go-to frame lines is the ever-controversial Luxottica.

Founded in Italy in 1961 as a manufacturer of eyewear parts, the company quickly expanded over the next 30 years, realizing the opportunity for vertical

integration. By 1988, they had acquired a number of distribution companies, as well as the licensing rights to several designer frame lines. Between 2001 and 2004, Luxottica acquired retailers Sunglasses Hut and Pearle Vision, giving them full control over the brands sold in those stores across the globe.

The hostility began to erupt a few years later in 2007, when Oakley — still independently owned at the time, but sold in Luxottica’s retail locations — tried to dispute their retail pricing on the grounds that Luxottica had an almost complete grip on the market. Luxottica GRAPHIC BY KIT MERGAERT

responded by dropping Oakley from all of their stores, causing their stock prices to drop. The move was a huge blow to Oakley’s business and resulted in Luxottica’s abrupt takeover of the company — to the tune of US $2.1 billion.

This kind of behaviour isn’t uncommon for Luxottica, and — unsurprisingly — not everyone has the patience for it. There are a number of eyewear companies, such as Moscot, Cutler and Gross, Garrett Leight, and Mykita, who manufacture their frames and operate their businesses independently.

These companies vehemently oppose Luxottica and what it’s done to their industry; they work hard to maintain their independence and integrity as companies, and to maintain close relationships with their retailers — something that the retailers, though few and far between, value greatly.

Dr. Jay Mithani, optometrist and

owner of the Eyes in the Glebe optometry clinic in Ottawa, first opened his practice — which also dispenses glasses — in 2014. He opened his establishment the way most do: he put the popular brands with well-known names on the shelf. However, Mithani quickly realized that dealing with these brands was difficult at best, and the quality wasn’t what he wanted for his patients and clients.

“We’re always trying to improve our care, or our patient experience in some way,” he said. “I simply wanted us to be different in a competitive landscape, but also offer unparalleled value… It didn’t take long before I realized that many ‘name brand’ spectacles were just that: glasses that were branded with a name — they weren’t of higher quality despite the price tag.”

Dr. Mithani slowly got rid of all his Luxottica inventory and started bringing in independently owned lines.

“Independent eyewear has reaped its benefits many fold, but does come with its own challenges — albeit fair ones.”

The biggest challenges that optical owners, like Dr. Mithani, face are the cost differences between Luxottica and the independents. While the retail prices are comparable, the cost to buy independent is much higher, and for good reason: the materials are of higher quality — often sourced from Japan and Italy, rather than China — and there’s a greater risk associated with making

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frames independently. When asked what he appreciates most about independent eyewear, Dr. Mithani explained that it’s in the best interest of these companies to make eyewear that lasts.

“We’re buying eyewear that has significant dollar value; eyewear that we’re committed to selling as it supports other real families on the other side. We’re doing all this while feeling good about selling eyewear that doesn’t break easily at all, and can stand the test of time.”

On the boutique side of Dr. Mithani’s clinic you can find frames priced at $325 on the low end, and as high as $1,200.

The beauty is that the frames on the higher end of the spectrum have good reason for the heftier price tag; they are handcrafted, often take several months to make, are — in some cases — collectibles, and feature luxurious materials like 24-karat gold hardware and beta titanium, making them extremely durable and ultimately like jewelry for your face.

Another challenge that independent optical owners face is competitiveness. In Ottawa, Dr. Mithani owns one of few shops in the city that sell exclusively independent eyewear. Not only does the pricing discourage many optical owners from carrying the independent lines in their stores, but once they decide to, those lines want their exclusivity. These brands, who work so hard to maintain their integrity, don’t want to be displayed alongside Luxottica frames.

They don’t want the business of retailers who won’t give them exclusivity and display them among other independent lines that they admire and respect.

One of those brands is Oliver Goldsmith. Claire Goldsmith, who is based in the U.K. and whose brand operates under her family name, manages the namesake brand of her great-grandfather, Oliver. The late Goldsmith was a legend in the eyewear industry, perhaps his most notable design being the Manhattan sunglass frame worn by Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. According to Claire, quality and design have always been equally import-

ant in the independent eyewear industry. “There is little point of one without the other. If you are going to spend all that time designing something special, you have to make it as well as you can,” she said. “QEC was this rule my [great] grandfather applied — it stood for Quality, Excellence, and Comfort. Sounds a little stuffy these days but back then this checklist proved to be the key to success.”

The markets and the industry have changed greatly since Oliver’s days, but despite this new world, Claire has maintained the independence of the company while still manufacturing some of the exact models that made them famous in the first place.

“Being independent allows us to be free-thinking and to explore creativity in a way that is often constrained in larger organizations. Having said that, it’s a battle to remain independent in an increasingly combative market where being independent is fast becoming a weakness rather than a strength,” she said.

The weakness she speaks of lies in the fact that large corporations like Luxottica have the money to buy out companies like hers at a moments’ notice. Independent brands are lesser-known, less advertised, and harder to come by. Despite that, people who buy their eyewear are unlikely to ever go back to wearing anything mass-manufactured on their face.

Goldsmith says that there is something very special for consumers to appreciate about independent eyewear, citing “unique design, specialist attention, expertise in relation to design and quality manufacturing” as a few examples. Moreover, she believes in the integrity of the company and the people behind the product. After all, integrity isn’t something Luxottica is particularly known for. The problem is that the majority of consumers aren’t aware of this monopoly, and don’t know where they can find alternative options for their eyewear — even if they aren’t happy with the mass-manufac-

FEATURES EDITOR Mélina Lévesque features@theconcordian.com

tured ones they’re used to wearing.

The good news is that there are plenty of independent eyewear companies out there, and even more retailers dutifully promoting them. These retailers, made up of optometrists, opticians and optical salespeople, want what’s best for consumers and spend the time and money necessary to pursue the highest quality eyewear. Due to the specialized nature of the frames, their service tends to be more specialized than the chain stores as well. If consumers do their research, they can easily find a shop nearby that can provide beautiful, handcrafted, independently made frames; ask and you shall receive.

Arts The Concordian

14

FILM

EXHIBITION

TUESDAY SEPT. 28, 2021

‘Just As I Am’ follows Montreal’s Shira Choir as they persevere through turbulent times Director Evan Beloff’s new documentary highlights the collaborative vocal power of the Shira choir, revealing both the pain and triumph that the team has experienced during such an isolating time

By Ashley-Fish Robertson Arts Editor Montreal filmmaker and Concordia alumni Evan Beloff’s new documentary Just As I Am details the formation of Montreal’s Shira Choir, a talented group of singers with special needs. Set to the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, Just As I Am presents viewers with a muchneeded escape from the gloom of the past 18 months as it follows choirmaster Daniel Benlolo and choir members navigate barriers caused by the pandemic, while simultaneously shining a light on the absence of resources for those with special needs. “[This was] definitely the most challenging film I’ve ever made, from both a personal and professional artistic POV,” explained Beloff. “It was initially a film exploring inclusion, the power of music, and a choirmaster who acts as the emotional glue of his special needs choir. But very early on, when the pandemic hit […] I was forced to make creative and technical decisions that would impact the narrative and visual aesthetic of the film.”

The documentary highlights the collaborative vocal power of the choir, revealing both the pain and triumph that the team has experienced during such an isolating time. “We’re all struggling with the same issues,” said Beloff. “Adults with special needs are no different than the rest of us. Inclusion is essential for us to become a compassionate society.” Despite the past 18 months being nothing short of a nightmare for most, the team has learned that there’s still a light at the end of the tunnel. “The pandemic has created the opportunity for us to light the darkness,” added Beloff.

In the film, the choir members can be seen practicing virtually in the early stages of the pandemic. As the year progresses, the choir is able to meet in person with safety measures set in place. It is apparent that the team is composed of a tight-knit group of individuals, each of them playing an equally important role in one another’s lives. While some technological issues arise during a few of the virtual practices, choirmaster Benlolo and the team persevere, unwilling to succumb to the virtual

barriers that the pandemic has imposed.

While Just As I Am showcases each member’s passion for song, it is about so much more than just music. “I believe it’s a sweet film, a film that celebrates life even in the midst of all the sickness and death which we’ve experienced

collectively over the last 18 months,” said Beloff. “The Shira Choir is a marvelous group of adults with special needs who have a tremendous amount to teach us about simplicity, kindness, directness, and enjoyment in each moment.”

For more information on the Shira Choir, please visit their website. Just As I Am can be viewed through CBC Gem.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALEX NITSIOU

EXHIBITION

MOMENTA Biennale de l’image explores our exhibition features 51 artists, each presenting relationship to nature This work that examines the human connection to the

By Véronique Morin Assistant Arts Editor MOMENTA Biennale de l’image is back for its 17th edition, taking over Montreal gallery spaces and outdoor sites to reflect on the relationship between nature and the senses.

Going on until Oct. 24, the visual arts biennale features 15 exhibitions, including an outdoor garden, a virtual reality city tour and four performances.

Curator Stefanie Hessler proposed the main theme of the event: sensing nature. Along with curators Maude Johnson, Camille Georgeson-Usher and Himali Singh Soin, Hessler organized projects and exhibits related to their thoughts on this theme.

One of MOMENTA’s projects this year is an urban outdoor garden created by artist T’uy’t’tanat-Cease Wyss, and is situated on the corner of Berri and Ontario St.. Titled TEIONHENKWEN Supporters of Life, the work brings together a large variety of ancestral plants such as raspberry, corn, tobacco, and basil. They stand as a little herbal island in the middle of downtown Montreal’s cacophony, filling the air with smells of flowers and herbs.

Wyss has a practice of creating such

natural world

gardens in places where urban life has taken over and plants do not grow easily anymore. The multidisciplinary artist and ethnobotanist chooses plants that would originally grow at the place where the garden will be situated.

TEIONHENKWEN was created with a desire to showcase ancestral plants, and allow communities and animals to be in contact with them.

Another MOMENTA presentation is exhibited at the Fonderie Darling. Curated around the work of six artists, the art event is titled Worldmaking Tentacles. The curators imagined a post-apocalyptic world taking place in 2071. For Jessica Sofia Lopez, the cultural mediation and audience development coordinator at MOMENTA, this exhibition is particularly rich as it is “very political — it’s very charged and really it invites us to take agency of our own ignorance.”

When entering the space, Julien Creuzet’s three art pieces Continued on page 15

PHOTO COURTESY OF JAMILAH SABUR

Arts

TUESDAY SEPT. 28, 2021 Continued from page 14 are the first to be seen. The French artist presents a hanging sculpture made of diverse materials collected over time, a printed collage, and a short film. The psychedelic video touches on the problem of Kepone pesticide found in banana plantations in Martinique and Guadeloupe.

Jamilah Sabur’s Mnemonic Alphabet follows, and includes three brightly-coloured canvases. The artist creates a new language, putting

The Concordian

forward the idea that languages might fail to represent the world accurately.

Tejal Shah’s Between the Waves speaks to the exhibition’s theme in video form. The artist created a world in which creatures wearing white plastic outfits with insects on them and ballet shoes live in two settings. On one screen, the audience can observe them exploring a dumping ground set amidst a town. On the other screen, the creatures move in a deserted landscape.

In Sandra Mujinga’s work, clothes are the central subject

as the artist presents three laminated leather outfits, which are meant to invoke thoughts on the invisibility of marginalized communities. Mujinga also presents video experimentations with images coming together to create abstract creatures.

Tabita Rezaire’s INNER FIRE series is displayed at different places in the room. The five hanging works of art explore ideas of the “multiple identities related to archetypes of the Black woman,” as explained in the exhibition’s program. Rezaire layers images

15

and references to the body, nature, and spirituality in appealing creations.

Charlotte Brathwaite’s video project completes the show with a reflection on past and future realities shown through video clips and excerpts from texts. Bringing together the thoughts, hopes and beliefs of 51 artists, this year’s MOMENTA exhibit presents a rich tapestry of programming that promises to remind each visitor of the strength of nature.

EXHIBITION

The Inspirations exhibition offered visitors the chance to embark on an immersive audiovisual journey OASIS immersion’s latest exhibition showcased several unique presentations that were guaranteed to transport individuals into unforgettable worlds

By Margaret Wdowiak Contributor Exhibited at the Palais des congrès de Montréal, OASIS immersion’s latest show Inspirations sought to inspire its visitors by showcasing the artistic prowess of Quebec.

“Inspirations is about hope, optimism and reaching one’s full potential,” explained Denys Lavigne, co-founder and executive creative director of OASIS immersion. “Through a carefully constructed collection of audiovisual experiences, our goal was to connect with our audience in such a way that would trigger something inside, and empower them in taking action on something they feel passionate about.”

Lavigne and his colleagues planned to achieve this goal using the immersive properties of the three rooms located in the OASIS immersion studio. The 105 laser projectors and 119 surround sound speakers enable the OASIS immersion team to create customizable 360-degree projections on the walls

and floors in each of the three rooms.

The immersive nature of the exhibition became apparent as soon as one stepped into the first exhibition room, known as the portail. Mellow music interrupted by bird sounds played loudly as colourful shapes merged and shifted across the walls and floors.

Seated visitors were given the opportunity to look upon poignant, ever-shifting walls as swirling multicoloured lines ran across their backs. Touching tributes written by loved ones adorned the walls and served as introductions for the exhibition’s main artists.

“We felt [loved ones] were the best ambassadors to relay the backstory of each topic and share the type of authenticity we wanted to provide our audience to set the stage for the exhibit,” Lavigne explained. “Secondly, because in more traditional museum environments you’ll often have exhibit introductions that intellectualize a theme, [or] a topic to a point [where] it creates a disconnection between the art and the visitor; we did not want this to happen, and favoured a

PHOTO COURTESY OF DENYS LAVIGNE

more intimate approach that best suited the tone we had chosen for the exhibit.”

Next, visitors could enter a room known as the teleporteur room, where they would be transported across the world. From the depths of the Pacific to the International Space Station, the ground beneath their feet was constantly shifting. Accompanying sounds varying from thrusting spacecraft engines to rocking waves helped to captivate the audience.

After their journey through Earth and space, visitors arrived at the final immersive room, known as the panorama, where the bulk of the exhibition waited.

Visitors were treated to several different audiovisual presentations, including a production by YouTuber Émile Roy that highlighted some positive aspects amidst the gloom of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this room, onlookers were also transported across the Pacific Ocean, where they were given the chance to discover unique flora and fauna. Amidst this vast expanse of water lay breathtaking islands with lush forests and bursting volcanoes. Visitors also got the chance to observe the incredible people who call these islands and waters home virtually.

In addition to this, visitors were also treated to an ethereal performance by pianist Alexandra Stréliski.

An animated projection of the talented musician walking among a forest of three-dimensional neon shapes could

ARTS EDITOR Ashley Fish-Robertson arts@theconcordian.com

be admired during this presentation.

The panorama room also featured a presentation detailing astronaut David Saint-Jacques’ journey from humble engineer to space pioneer, as well as a presentation that featured a rendition of hygge through dance directed

by Vallée Duhamel. In Scandinavian culture, hygge is a way of life that prioritizes enjoying the present and establishing deeper connections with others.

The final presentation of the exhibition was an ode to Quebecois creativity. The spirit of Quebecois culture was a fundamental element in this presentation “In a way, this project is homage to the creative spirit in Quebec and Montreal, and how it’s been recognized globally,” Lavigne added. “We sometimes take it for granted, but the rich cultural environment in which we live is a privilege that we need to handle with care, and we wanted to play a small role in enriching its outreach.”

Overall, this project was a vibrant experience that granted visitors the opportunity to travel to far-flung spaces and enjoy the richness of Quebecois artistry without ever having to leave the Palais des congrès. It was also a great way to spend a Saturday night for individuals who may have been looking to broaden their horizons.

The Inspirations exhibition was displayed at the Palais des congrès de Montréal.

Music The Concordian

16

BAND

The Montreal based trio discusses the creative process and challenges behind the launch of their first EP

Local band Squeeze Mason on their first EP ‘Sleeping Mercury’ Canadian band Squeeze Mason in Montreal, Quebec, September 2021. LOU NEVEUX-PARDIJON/The Concordian

By Grayson Acri Staff Writer Squeeze Mason, a locally-founded trio consisting of Dexter Dippong and brothers Ted and Gary Schulze, dropped their first EP this month, Sleeping Mercury.

Forged in the fires of the Grey Nuns dormitory where they met, this Montreal-founded trio has a sound like no other.

They couldn’t nail down a genre for the EP, let alone the entire band, and that was the point. If you give the EP a listen, it’s safe to say that this versatile nature is front and centre. “We didn’t want a name that sounded like a heavy metal band or any specific thing, we kind of want to play around with a bunch of different genres,” said Dippong.

“Our Spotify is not fully representative of how wide our sound is, it’s just the ship that we’ve decided to record,” said Ted. Dippong added, “we’re still trying to find our proper audience.”

“I like a lot of different music, so why would I limit myself to say one genre?” Gary stated. “Let’s write music under those many genres.”

The band started by doing shows before the pandemic in bars such as Blue Dog in the Plateau, but once COVID hit, they all had to separate and go on hiatus. “We all went back home,” Dippong said, describing the past year in quarantine. “They [Gary and Ted] went to the Yukon and worked over the summer. I went to Vancouver over the summer and worked.”

“We all agreed that we were going to take it up a notch when we got back,” said Gary. They certainly did.

Once reunited, the process began with the song “Jabberwocky.” In what was described as a normal process for them, Ted came up with the riff, which Gary took and turned into a more

complete song, then Dippong added lyrics and other touches until they had a package to send to singers and get polished. The final result was lovingly described as an “exuberant funk song.”

The EP features singers from the Montreal area such as JC Taylor, Danesa, and Free Real Estate. This proved to be a learning process in itself.

At first, they thought to “just make the instrumental and just send it to the singer and see if they want to do anything,” Dippong described, to let the singer figure out their part. They later realized — as the artists hosting the project — they could write the entire piece before moving forward with a singer.

The EP was a major improvement in recording quality from their first single, “Voodoo Chainsaw.” During the hiatus, they removed two of their three songs from streaming, due to quality issues, leaving only “Voodoo Chainsaw.”

“When we got back we were like, ‘we need to do this one properly,’” said Dippong, referring to the EP. “We could take our time, so we had to make sure that it actually sounds really good before we get it out.”

In every part of the process — save for distribution to Apple Music which was met with frustration — their enjoyment was obvious. The only part they don’t do themselves is

LOU NEVEUX-PARDIJON/The Concordian

TUESDAY SEPT. 28, 2021

mixing and mastering. “Everybody says they mix and master,” Dippong said, “I don’t know how to do that.”

“I wrote a ‘Sleeping Mercury’ demo and sent it to Chris,” Dippong said, referring to Free Real Estate, the singer on the title song, “and he wanted to do some things, and I actually wrote the lyrics with him.”

Before a song gets sent to singers, however, a demo still has to be made.

For their practicing and recording sessions, the trio rents a small lockout space in the garment district, Marsonic Studios, for practicing and recording.

Everything is recorded directly into a computer, except on the off chance the three of them are doing vocals, the solution to which Dippong describes as “a little vocal booth set up in [an apartment] closet.” They emphasized the keyboard as a base of operations for their process, for which Ted is the master, “because Ted just comes up with riffs so fast,” said Dippong.

“Don’t tell Ted, but he doesn’t actually need us,” Gary joked, “we’re just here for the sex appeal.” This is beyond dubious, as they took every chance they got to complement each other’s playing ability.

Beyond just recording new songs, they’re also playing live and busking. Since venues are still shut down for the most part, they’ve been playing occasionally on the weekends outside Paul’s Boutique in the Plateau. The audiences are limited and the payout is in exposure and tips.

“Playing live, you’re restricted so you can only play one layer at a time,” Ted said. This translates to real problems for the trio, as they can only play one instrument each when on stage, but their songs include various layers of melodies. “There’s a couple of songs we recorded we don’t have worked out live right now because it’s just like too many parts and instruments we’re not having,” added Dippong.

For now, busking in the Plateau lets them “test all our songs and see how they play live,” said Dippong. Once shows open up more fully this fall, they are planning a bigger gig with some of the featured singers on the EP, both as vocalists and separate acts.

Music

TUESDAY SEPT. 28, 2021 CHARTS

17

The Concordian

A look at the new Rolling Stone 500 all-time songs list It’s only natural that such an opinionated topic can divide a large portion of music fans

By Guillaume Laberge, Assistant Music Editor Rolling Stone just released their list of the top 500 greatest songs of all time, creating a polarizing conversation in the music community. They sought help from over 250 people coming from every corner of the industry — artists, producers, musicians, critics, writers and journalists all pitched in for the 2021 edition. The list of people who contributed spans from Megan Thee Stallion to Joey Santiago from Pixies, to people working for Spotify, Rolling Loud and even RCA Records. Contributors were asked to submit a ranked list of their top 50 songs of all time.

Nearly 4000 songs were mentioned and they then cumulated the results.

An inaugural version of the top 500 list came out in 2004, which was compiled by a variety of figures across the industry. Unfortunately, the list had many issues. The first and most obvious flaw is that the list contains next to no variety: 40.8 per cent of the 500 songs, which equals 203 tunes, are from the 1960s alone. The 1970s also have a lot of entries on the list with 142 songs, (28.2 per cent) of the list.

The list is basically telling listeners that for the hundreds of years that music has been around, 69 per cent of the 500 greatest songs of all time have been created in a 20-year time span. As great as the ‘60s and ‘70s were for music,

this is a highly controversial take.

In addition to lacking different eras of music, the 2004 list is also deprived of breadth in the genres and languages it presents. The list is mainly composed of early rock and soul songs with not a lot of other genres. It does make sense that these are favoured the most by the list since it is dominated by the ‘60s and ‘70s, an era where rock and soul were at their peak. The vast majority of tracks on the list are English songs, with only a few exceptions such as “La Bamba,” by Ritchie Valens, which is sung in parts English and Spanish and “Barrio Fino,” by Daddy Yankee, which is sung solely in Spanish. Songs in English are widely more popular in North America and in the U.K., where Rolling Stone is mostly based, but to not have a single song in another language is problematic. All-time classic songs

like “La Vie en rose,” by Édith Piaf, which is sung in French, could have easily been worthy of being on the list.

The latest 2021 edition of the list addressed most of these problems by incorporating a wide range of musiciality. This saw every major genre being at least represented, and significantly more songs being featured coming from artists all over the world. With its latest version, the list isn’t afraid of incorporating songs that are incredibly contemporary — putting them next to all-time great songs from decades past. Tracks like “Old Town Road,” by Lil Nas X (#490) or “Dynamite,” by BTS (#346) that had tremendous success in the past two years both appear on the list. The highest charting song of 2020 on the list is “Safaera,” by Latin superstar Bad Bunny, which occupies the 329th spot.

The top ten is pretty solid in its own right. “Respect,” by Aretha Franklin at #1 is a safe and great pick, and every song on this list has had a lasting impact on music. The only song that feels out

The Top 10 10 “HEY YA!” BY OUTKAST, 2003 9 “DREAMS” BY FLEETWOOD MAC, 1977 8 “GET UR FREAK ON” BY MISSY ELLIOTT, 2001 7 “STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER” BY THE BEATLES, 1967 6 “WHAT’S GOING ON’” BY MARVIN GAYE, 1971 5 “SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT” BY NIRVANA, 1991 4 “LIKE A ROLLING STONE” BY BOB DYLAN, 1965 3 “A CHANGE IS GONNA COME” BY SAM COOKE, 1964 2 “FIGHT THE POWER” BY PUBLIC ENEMY, 1989 1 “RESPECT” BY ARETHA FRANKLIN, 1967

of place here is Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On,” which is a great track, but should be nowhere near the top 50. ”Imagine,” by John Lennon (#19) or “A Day in the Life,” by The Beatles (#24) could have easily replaced this for a spot in the top 10, but regardless, it could have been way worse.

As you would expect from such a subjective list, people complained about the placement of certain songs — for instance, the article on the Rolling Stone’s website has amassed over 1900 comments. While the value of a song is in the eye of the beholder, this list cannot be perfect. Some songs are deemed way too low, others are placed way too high.

Some placements make sense, others are truly outrageous. Are we really living in a world where Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own” is the 20th best song of all time? Where “Royals,” by Lorde (#30) is one spot higher than The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,”? Where “All Too Well,” by Taylor Swift (#69) is ranked a spot higher than “Suspicious Minds,” by Elvis Presley and three spots higher than “Yesterday,” by The Beatles? Absolutely not.

Putting “Hotel California,” by The Eagles at #311, “Wish You Were Here,”

by Pink Floyd at #302, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” by The Beach Boys at #297 and “River” by Joni Mitchell at #247 should be considered a crime.

With all this being said, while the new list has its flaws, it is exponentially better than the 2004 list by being far more versatile in every aspect — with songs from every era, a greater variety of genres, and by also incorporating tracks in other languages. While some people have problems with the idea of a list like this, I personally find it extremely entertaining that some of music’s brightest people can put together such a list for casual and devoted music fans alike to debate and have a discourse over. Yes, some placements were not great, but overall, the list is not as bad as people make it seem and it arguably contains

GRAPHIC BY JAMES FAY

MUSIC EDITOR Victor Vigas music@theconcordian.com

Sports The Concordian

18

HOCKEY

TUESDAY SEPT. 28, 2021

Experience and patience are keys for Stingers’ success this season After an 18-month hiatus, the Stingers are looking to stay on top of the RSEQ standings

By Gabriel Guindi Assistant Sports Editor As the Concordia women’s hockey team takes to the ice for the first time next week at the Theresa Humes Cup since the 18-month hiatus, Stingers head coach Julie Chu said that the anticipation to start the regular season has been overwhelming for the team.

“Everyone was really excited to get back together again in a full season mode,” Chu said.

Fifth-year players are eligible to play in a sixth season due to the cancellation of last year’s. While some players have moved on to other things, notable players like Audrey Belzile and Brigitte Laganière will not only provide production and firepower to the roster, but also experience for the younger players coming into the rotation.

“We have a great group of veterans, [and] they’re going to be adding a level of maturity and veteran presence, especially when understanding our systems,” Chu said. The experienced veterans being paired with the youthful excitement of newly-acquired players will not only provide depth to the roster, but also an eagerness to grow and become better throughout the whole lineup.

With some experience on the lineup, important acquisitions have been made. Former NCAA defencemen Alexandra Calderone and Ariane Julien have returned home, not only providing a high level of talent, but also beefing up the Stingers’ defence “When you have players that have played at a really high level and have veteran experience, though not a veteran on our team, it helps a lot to have a great defensive core,” Chu said.

Though newly acquired players have proven themselves from a talent perspective, for Chu and her coaching staff, character is the defining asset that will dictate a player’s position on the team.

“If they’re not a fit to our culture then it doesn’t add value to what we want to accomplish as a team,” Chu said.

After taking the helm from former legendary head coach Les Lawton, Chu has had ups and downs with

KYRAN THICKIE/CONCORDIA STINGERS

l’équipe

The Stingers womens’ hockey team members at their home rink in Montreal, Quebec, September 24, 2021. GABRIEL GUINDI/The Concordian.

the team. Winning their first RSEQ playoff game in 11 years in 2016-17 and falling short against McGill provided positive experience on how to handle themselves in the second round against a dominant team.

It played a big role not only for the team’s growth, but also the anticipation of knowing what to expect from their opponents deep into the playoffs. Beating McGill in the second round of the playoffs, that same year, the team won the RSEQ Championship and won bronze in the U SPORTS National Championship. Both those end of season accomplishments ultimately morphed the program overnight into a legitimate contender.

“We went on to nationals and unfortunately lost in our semi-final game in shootout to the team that went on to win,” Chu said. “What I was proud of is that our players rebounded and did an awesome job winning the bronze medal.”

In the 2019-20 season, though ranking first in the nation for 14 consecutive weeks, the loss in the playoffs as well as losing the chance to play nationals was a hard pill to swallow. Not ending the season on a high note would be demoralizing for most teams, however Chu said the Stingers are using their most recent season as motivation for what’s to come.

“COVID took away their opportunity to continue playing so now they want to make the most of it,” Chu said.

The fact that the Stingers haven’t played an organized game in nearly two years will be the ultimate challenge.

“We have to be patient to

get back into our rhythm, we have to be patient to allow us to develop and to grow.”

For Chu and her coaching staff, the ultimate goal is to win, but what is more important is to lay down a good foundation so that by the end of the season, they’ll be back to the level they were at, before the pandemic.

Chu emphasized that this year is unlike any other.

The inability to play for a full season will prompt growing pains, especially at the beginning of the year.

“Whether we’re a sixth-year, or a first-year player, we’re all going to come back and not be in the same place necessarily that we would if we just finished a regular season,” Chu said.

Chu is also preaching resilience to her team.

Not knowing what’s in store regarding how the pandemic will play out down the road is also another complication to consider this season.

“There will be some things in our control and some things that are not so we focus on things that are in our control to make sure that we can do everything that we can,” Chu said.

With all teams coming off an inactive year, and with Bishop’s University Gaiters now introduced into the division, Chu added that it will be harder to estimate where the team will end up.

“Usually right now I’d give you the season outlook, but I think we’re a bit in the unknown because we haven’t played,” Chu said.

“For me, that is what’s most challenging.”

The Stingers will host the Theresa Humes cup next week from Oct. 1-3 at the Ed Meagher Arena.

Their first game will be against McGill at 12 p.m.

Sports

TUESDAY SEPT. 28, 2021

The Concordian

MIXED MARTIAL ARTS

A new contender emerges in the world of MMA

GRAPHIC BY JAMES FAY

A new mixed martial arts promotion is looking to launch in 2023.

By Ara Nazarian Contributor News about a new professional fighting organization called the World Fight League (WFL), was first reported by renowned MMA jour-

nalist Ariel Helwani on Sept. 14.

“A number of influential industry individuals have come together to create a new MMA league that is structured more like the NBA/NHL/NFL rather than your typical MMA promotion,” said Helwani in his post on Substack.

According to Helwani, the league will contain an athlete association that puts a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with 50/50 revenue share. Furthermore, the promotion would be guaranteed contracts, health insurance, career-ending insurance, and a pension plan.

Colour Commentary

The puck drops on another NHL season The National Hockey League’s regular season will start on Oct. 12.

By Liam Sharp Sports Editor The 2021-22 NHL season is upon us, marking the start of another promising run at the Stanley Cup for some franchises and their fanbases, and continued suffering and anguish for others.

Here are the teams you should keep an eye out for in the exciting weeks of hockey to come, for better or worse.

Montreal Of course, I have to start things off with the local band. I just wish I had an inkling

19

of a clue of what to expect from them.

The Montreal Canadiens are coming off their most successful postseason in over two decades, ultimately losing in the finals back in early July to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Stanley Cup champions of the last two seasons.

Their regular season, however, was the epitome of inconsistency and turmoil.

That’s easy to forget, given how well the team performed come playoff beard-oil time, but the Habs were scrapping for a playoff spot — an absurd notion considering the Canadiens started the season off incredibly hot.

Cinderella runs like last season are

“The new league is structured as a non-profit,” said Helwani on the Sept. 15 edition of “The MMA Hour,” a weekly show he hosts.

Helwani retrieved more information from his sources affiliated with the league, who currently remain anonymous, and wrote on Substack Sept. 17, revealing the promotion’s name while including an image of the WFL’s logo.

A lot of work and planning have been put into the promotion, as Helwani mentioned that “the WFL has been in the works since 2020 and the non-profit was established May 3, 2021.”

The team consists of those in a variety of different domains bringing their expertise together, including many current and former professional athletes from the NBA, NFL, and MMA. Experienced amateur fighter Blake Loxton shared his thoughts on the news surrounding the WFL. “It sounds like it’s a matter of funding kind of thing and a matter of it catching on, I love it. I think it’s a great idea,” said Loxton in an interview on Zoom.

Loxton is ranked 5th in the Montreal Fight League (MFL) bantamweight division, having last competed July 24, 2021 at MFL 19, getting a TKO victory in the first round.

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is the first major MMA promotion where fighters individually compete in a season. Loxton thinks this will be a big deal in the world of MMA. “No one’s ever done what they’re doing — as far as whether it means what they’re giving and offering, or even the way it’s structured,” Loxton said.

As accepting as the sport of MMA is, it’s also very unforgiving — anyone can get injured in the world of combat, no matter who they are.

Conor McGregor, the biggest name in MMA, suffered a devastating injury in his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July.

As a matter of fact, it is very rare for a fighter to go into a fight unscathed. Fighting takes a toll on the body, not to mention that training can get really intense, so the prospect of health insurance being offered by the WFL is game changing.

“I can only imagine if you don’t understand the game or have a proper manager, you basically take what they give you,” Loxton said.

Loxton added that organizations such as the UFC will probably assume the WFL will fail until more information comes out. Loxton himself, however, is optimistic about this new approach to MMA. “I think that no matter what, they’re opening-up the doors for people to try new things.

There’s no failing,” Loxton said.

“Hopefully they can see where the kinks go, get them quick, work them out, and then in five to eight years, it will hopefully have some stability to it.”

The WFL will have four conferences: North America, South America, Europe/ Africa, and Africa/Oceania, with each conference having a minimum of eight teams and not exceeding 24. There will be 24 fighters per team, with three athletes in each weight division.

The sport has come a long way and seems to be constantly improving; this core-shaking news is certainly intriguing and enlightening. Can the WFL compete with the world’s biggest MMA promotions? Only time will tell.

For more information, visit “Helwani Nose” on Substack.

few and far between, but there’s still reason to believe their chemistry last postseason wasn’t a fluke. That being said, the Habs will be relying heavily on their young guns Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki to take the reins and produce on a consistent basis.

But remember when the Las Vegas Golden Knights made a historic run to the finals in their inaugural season under similar circumstances? Nobody had them pegged as contenders.

Seattle has some sneaky good depth at defense and should have an invigorated fanbase that could swing the momentum of games in their favour.

Las Vegas’ feat in the 2017-18 season may never happen quite the same way again, but there’s a world where Seattle finds success right away while preserving their cap space for the future.

Toronto I don’t need to remind Maple Leafs fans about last season, right?

Since the emergence of Mitch Marner, the acquisition of John Tavares in free agency in 2018, and the drafting of Auston Matthews in 2016, the pressure has been on for Toronto.

They have an undeniably skilled core that most NHL franchises would kill for, and the results have been fairly positive in the regular season.

But the postseason has been riddled with annual disappointments, and now is the time to translate their regular season success into postseason accolades. For the sake of my father — a long-time Leafs fan who has never seen them win it all — I’m admittedly rooting for them to return to glory. Yikes.

Seattle On paper, the newest expansion team’s roster looks to be average at best. After all, the Seattle Kraken should be near the bottom of the league in their inaugural season.

SPORTS EDITOR Liam Sharp sports@theconcordian.com

The Concordian

20

TUESDAY SEPT. 28, 2021

Editorial

On Concordia’s update: 22 reported COVID cases There is no evidence there is no on-campus transmission at this time

By The Concordian Well, it finally happened. On Sept.

23, Concordia let us know that there are 22 reported COVID cases from people who “may have been” on campus while they were contagious. For many, this update was expected; others, like students who have health concerns and lack a proper hybrid educational system at Concordia, feared it.

To appease our concern, the university reassured us in the manner expected by an educational institution. In bold, the email read, “There is no evidence of on-campus transmission at this time.”

“Clearly,” the email continued, “everyone’s vigilance in respecting the health and safety measures we put in place as part of Concordia’s Return-to-Campus plan has had an impact.” After patting

themselves on the back, they informed us that for every potential or certain COVID case on campus, the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) team would conduct a contact tracing plan based on public health authority criteria.

must fill out the COVID-19 self-isolation form on the MyConcordia website. If a student was on campus 48 hours prior to developing COVID19 symptoms, the EHS will initiate the suspected COVID-19 investigation.

The announcement left many at the university confused and inquisitive about Concordia’s contact tracing plan.

After all, absence of evidence is not the same as evidence of absence, meaning just because there’s no evidence COVID was transmitted on campus, doesn’t mean it’s proof it has not happened.

Similarly, if a student feels symptoms on campus, they must call security at 514-848-3717, and security will transfer the call to the EHS, which will begin the suspected COVID-19 investigation.

Members of the Concordia community attending in-person lectures and events are inevitably more susceptible to contracting COVID. So, how do you go about reporting if you think you have COVID? According to Concordia’s official procedure for a suspected or confirmed COVID case, if a student feels any symptoms off-campus, they must call the COVID-19 information Line* at 1-877-644-4545 (toll free) or 514-6444545 and follow their instructions.

If instructed to quarantine, students

The investigation includes the EHS collecting details from the person who has potentially contracted COVID, such as locations visited and names of individuals they came in contact with on campus.

Those individuals will be told to call the Public Health COVID Line for instructions; their case may be subject to an investigation by the Direction régionale de santé publique — and it is them who will make the ultimate determination if the individual who came in contact should self-isolate, get tested, or may return to campus.

It’s important to know the process in which COVID cases are reported

on campus, because students not knowing how to properly report when they think they may have COVID, may very well be the reason why Concordia has no evidence there was COVID transmission on campus.

The truth is campus transmission is not only possible — it’s highly probable. Let’s give Concordia the data they need to better protect our community.

*The Public Health COVID Line is available from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Outside these hours, c a l l I n f o - S a n t é 8 - 1 - 1 ( 2 4 / 7 ) Graphic

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