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Step into FOFA 2012 P. 10

Get in shape one beat at a time P. 13

Stingers undefeated

Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012

news

See stories on P. 16

What’s in store on campus for 2012?

P. 3

Photos by Navneet Pall

life More than just eye candy P. 6

Gatineau immigrant handbooks subject of human rights complaints

Advocacy group CRARR will file four complaints on behalf of immigrants

opinions Editorial: let students choose their names P. 17

Volume 29 Issue 16

Sarah Deshaies Staff writer The first in a series of complaints has been filed at the Quebec Human Rights Commission over the City of Gatineau’s controversial guidelines for new immigrants.

Four people, all of them immigrants, have reached out to an antidiscrimination organization for help.

“The first complaint has been filed this morning, and there are more to come,” said Fo Niemi on Monday.

Niemi, director of the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations, a Montreal-based advocacy group, said it could take two years to come to a decision through the Human Rights Commission.

He declined to name the four people involved, but said that three of them are from the Maghreb area of Africa, while another is a black francophone from Africa. All have been in Canada for up to 10 years, having lived for the last two to six years in Gatineau.

See ‘Handbooks’ on P. 3

Newly-appointed treasurer driving force in PepsiCo debacle Marc Gauthier one of three admins accused of legal misconduct in 2010 Alyssa Tremblay Interim news editor The end of last semester saw the creation of an Office of the Treasurer within Concordia University’s administration and the appointment of Marc Gauthier, former executive director of finance and business operations, to the position of university treasurer.

Gauthier was heavily criticized by student groups in 2010 for his role in the renewal of the university’s exclusive food and beverage contract with PepsiCo. This resulted in Concordia student Laura Beach filing a mise en demeure, a notice that a legal chal-

lenge could be pursued, against Gauthier along with Johanne De Cubellis, associate director of Hospitality Concordia and Michael Di Grappa, former Concordia VP services and current VP administration and finance at McGill.

Co-founder of TAPthirst, an environmental initiative promoting tap water over bottled, Beach cites a lack of student consultation as the motivation behind her legal warning. She had been in talks with Gauthier and De Cubellis about an alternative option to renewing the PepsiCo contract.

See ‘University’ on P. 5

theconcordian.com

news 2

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Got a news tip? news@theconcordian.com

City in brief Alyssa Tremblay

Former Concordia rector John O’Brien dies

John O’Brien, Concordia’s first rector and vice-chancellor, passed away last December at the age of 80. O’Brien helped found the university while acting as principal of Sir George Williams University. Upon combining with Loyola College in 1974, O’Brien was named rector and vice-chancellor of the newly-created Concordia University. O’Brien led Concordia as rector for a decade, remaining at the school for another twelve years after leaving office, teaching economics until his retirement in 1996.

CUCEPTFU to vote on contract with ConU

After much bargaining and negotiations, Concordia has reached a tentative agreement with its Continuing Education Part-Time Faculty Union (CUCEPTFU). CUCEPTFU President Brenda Grant was quoted as saying that the new collective agreement, the details of which remain confidential, will be presented to union members this month. Drafted in December, this settlement between CUCEPTFU and the university only exists in principle - it needs to be ratified by union members and approved by the Board of Governors before going into effect. Support staff unions (CUSSU and CUUSS-TS) and the Library Employees’ Union (CULEU) are some of the groups that are currently in meetings with the university regarding the renewal of their collective agreements.

Man killed in police shooting at Bonaventure

A homeless man was shot and killed by police on Friday after allegedly attacking an officer with a sharp object when approached. The incident took place at Bonaventure Metro where, according to The Gazette, witnesses say they saw 34-year-old Farshad Mohammadi running away from police when they opened fire on him.

Two officers were treated in hospital, one for upper body injuries and another for shock. Sûreté du Québec is investigating.

Crossing the border?

There’s an app for that!

Questions about border security were raised after a Montreal man tweeted that he got through customs using his iPad as a proof of I.D. Concordia graduate and photographer Martin Reisch claims that he was able to cross the Vermont border into the U.S. over the holidays using only a scanned passport photo on his iPad and his driver’s license. CBC Montreal reported that the U.S Customs and Border Protection Agency, which enforces strict regulations for travellers entering the United States, are denying that Reisch’s iPad is what ultimately allowed him into the country.

asfa

More election reform in store for ASFA Council to vote on affiliation recommendation this Thursday Jacques Gallant Editor-in-chief Following a contentious and often times confusing byelection last fall, the Arts and Science Federation of Associations is promising that things will go much more smoothly in their general election later this semester.

The ASFA council is set to vote this Thursday on a joint committee recommendation to bring back affiliations in elections, a suggestion originally made following last year’s general election by then CEO Nick Cuillerier that got tabled by council.

“The definition of affiliations as it stands now is that candidates run individually, but they can be affiliated or in support of other candidates, without forming actual teams,”

said ASFA president Alex Gordon.

“I think having affiliations in this general election will be an improvement compared to last year’s general election, because there won’t be as much secrecy among the candidates.

They will be able to openly endorse other candidates and ultimately, affiliations will bring more exposure to the elections.”

The affiliations proposal is the sole electoral recommendation that council will deliberate on this week, despite the fact that ASFA’s judicial committee has suggested that other parts of Annex A, the document used to run elections, should be clarified, especially in light of October’s tumultuous byelection.

The Concordian broke a story immediately after that byelection revealing certain electoral violations committed by then CEO Marvin Cidamon, such as the failure to have executive summaries at every polling station when the polls opened, as well as hiring a former ASFA VP as a polling clerk. Also, while Cidamon

“

I think having affiliations in this general election will be an improvement compared to last year’s general election, because there won’t be as much secrecy among the candidates.

- Alex Gordon, ASFA president

did release the byelection results to the candidates, he did not provide them to the student press until he was asked.

The case was brought before the JC and Cidamon ultimately resigned.

In its written decision, the JC calls for, among other things, the rule regarding the announcement of election results to be clarified.

Gordon indicated that there is not enough time, according to procedure, to act on the JC’s recommen-

dations before the general election, but said he has confidence that the new CEO, Christopher Webster, appointed at December’s council meeting, will do his job properly.

“He’s very critical-minded, having seen the last byelection and I think he’s learned from the mistakes that were made then,” Gordon said.

“Also, we [the executive] are more hands on deck this time and have a better sense of what to do for the next elections.”

jmsb

Battle of the briefcases Business students use their brains in student-run JMSB competition Shereen Ahmed Rafea Contributor After six days of debating and deliberating, Université Laval has come out on top in the 31st annual John Molson School of Business MBA International Case Competition, winning $10,000 in cash and the Concordia Cup. The winning teams were announced at a banquet on Sunday at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth hotel, second place going to New Zealand’s University of Otago while the University of Calgary took home bronze.

The competition ran from Jan. 3 to Jan. 8 and included 36 teams from universities in North America and overseas. The diverse group of students fit with this year’s theme: “How does diversity stimulate innovation?”

“I think the thing about this competition that’s exciting is to be able to meet and network with people from all over the world and share ideas... at one location over the week,” said Tim Field, management professor at Concordia and the coach for the JMSB team. “I can’t tell you how many times in a lifetime you are going to have that,” he added.

In teams of four, students are

Future MBAs mingling and making connections at the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth. Photo by Camille Nerant given complex business cases to analyze and then have three hours to work on them before presenting their recommendations to a panel.

According to Field, the type cases given vary from financial to marketing to international to general strategy. With six divisions, the top teams advance to the semi-finals.

An anticipated part of the competition was the live case on Jan. 6 in which real-life business company CGI presented the students with challenges that the company is facing. The teams then present ideas and solutions to the company in the

next couple of hours.

“It becomes very intense,” said Jason Lau, one of the executive assistants who worked with the organizing team. Lau describes the atmosphere this year as “very competitive.”

“They absolutely want to win,” he said, referring to the 36 teams who come to Montreal from across the globe to participate in the competition. “From their school they sent people who want it the most and are the best.”

The competition takes about six months to organize. A team of four

organizers and five executive assistants, all MBA students at JMSB, put together the event. The students receive academic credit for their work.

“The contribution, time and effort is enormous,“ said Lau. Along with networking and training, students also learn how to think under stress. “They get that pressure cooker environment,” said Field. “They are exposed to a lot of industries and problems and it’s really the one step away from living and breathing the actual issues the company is facing.”

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

Nation in brief

campus

Semester in preview

Though the break is over, the months ahead are looking anything but boring

Sarah Deshaies

Vote Canada for American president

Marilla Steuter-Martin and Alyssa Tremblay Staff writer and interim news editor A new president Come April, Concordia may have a final candidate to replace interim President Frederick Lowy as president and vice-chancellor of the university.

The presidential search committee is scheduled to meet again before the end of January to review and finalize a short list of candidates. The committee’s work is confidential, so no names have been released. However, university spokesperson Chris Mota wrote in an email that “a recommendation will be ready for the Board of Governors for April 2012 with the candidate to take office, ideally, as of August 1, 2012.”

The university hired consultant Laverne Smith & Associates Inc. to pre-interview candidates.

WHY IT MATTERS: Other than be-

ing the highest ranking position at the university, the president’s office has seen enough controversy in recent years to deserve a critical eye. Concordia’s previous president, Judith Woodsworth, was dismissed by the Board of Governors in 2010, while her predecessor Claude Lajeunesse left office halfway though his five-year contract due to conflicts with the administration.

A general student strike vote The Concordia Student Union plans on continuing where last semester left off, launching a new campaign to protest the Quebec government’s tuition hikes and addressing the possibility of preparing for a vote to strike sometime this semester. While last fall saw some student participation in protests and rallies against tuition fee increases, CSU

Graphic by Katie Brioux

VP external Chad Walcott said “a student strike could be the next step in a Quebec-wide protest.” Walcott added that before anything can be done, “the movement will have to regain momentum” lost over the winter break. A demonstration set for March 22 is already in the planning stages and members of the CSU have put together a document outlining tentative plans to be presented at council on Wednesday.

WHY IT MATTERS: Tuition in Quebec is set to raise $325 a year over five years for university undergrads, and whether or not you agree with the increase, it’s ultimately up to students to decide whether Concordia’s undergrads will be going on strike for more than just a day.

A whole lot of general elections

Break out the posters and in-classroom speeches: Concordia’s student associations will be gearing up for another round of general elections this spring.

The Concordia Student Union, the Arts and Science Federation of Associations, and others will all be holding elections to fill their executive positions.

WHY IT MATTERS: Spring general elections should be anything but uncomplicated if last semester’s byelections are anything to go by, between the accusations of electoral violations, mistakes caught at polling stations, and the firing of two separate chief electoral officers. Not to mention the fact that last year’s CSU general elections resulted in the CEO disqualifying both parties, only to have his decision later overturned by the judicial board and CSU council.

Continued from cover

‘Handbooks discriminatory’: activists “They felt singled out,” said Niemi. “When they read the handbook, they felt like they were being [...] ridiculed and infantalized. And also, they feel like they are subject to all kinds of stereotypes. Not for what it says, but what it insinuates.”

New immigrants are counselled to avoid bribing officials, and not to commit honour killings. Children are not to be punished excessively, nor be physically or sexually abused. Some of the tips in the 16point guide are found in the federal government’s guide for new immigrants, but others raised eyebrows.

The guide warned against cooking food with pungent flavours and

avoiding smells like cigarette smoke, and stressed the importance of punctuality and good hygiene.

“The fact that the book is targeted specifically towards immigrants - the assumption is that immigrants don’t share or don’t have these values,” said Niemi. “So that’s why these values are considered important to immigrants’ successful integration in society.”

Another issue Niemi took issue with was the line that “religion is a private matter.”

“This is contrary to the constitution and to laws, since there’s no laws that says that religion is a private matter,” said Niemi, un-

like in countries like France, where religious symbols are banned from public space.

The guidebook also paints an unrealistic vision of the makeup of Gatineau, said Niemi.

“The code of values in the handbook presents Quebec society in Gatineau as if there are no anglophones, no First Nations people, and other groups that are equally important to what we call diversity.

There’s not even mention of people with disabilities.”

In response, four different groups that help 2,000 immigrants a year in the city have boycotted the guidebook, including Accueil Parrainage

Outaouais.

Gatineau is the fourth-largest city in the province, with over 240,000 residents. According to Statistics Canada, it saw an influx of over 5,000 immigrants from 2001 to 2005.

Comparisons have been drawn between Gatineau’s guidebook and the statement of values issued by the town of Herouxville, Que. in 2007. The controversial statement of conduct reminded newcomers that stoning was not permitted in the town, making Gatineau the second Quebec town to issue a statement of values targeted to immigrant newcomers, noted Niemi.

campus

Months of construction coming to Guy-Concordia Alyssa Tremblay Interim news editor

I wouldn’t fault Americans for being dismayed by the choice of people who want to run for their president. Fortunately for them, a couple of Canucks are offering to throw their toques in the ring. Vancouver comedians Brian Calvert and Chris Cannon listed their campaign credentials in a YouTube video for their Canada Party, racking up over 350,000 views in a little under a week. “We’re your friends, we’ve noticed you’re hurting, and we’re here to help,” says a bearded Calvert, seated in front of a fireplace in the video. “We’ve seen your candidates, and frankly... they scare the shit out of us. So we’re volunteering our country to lead your country.”

‘Lock it before you pocket,’ ya hear?

Pocket dialing isn’t just incredibly embarrassing, it’s also tying up 911 lines. It’s such a problem that the Ontario Provincial Police and several local police units, including the Toronto Police Service, are releasing a PSA encouraging people to “Lock it before you pocket.” Police are saying that 107,000 people pocket dialed 911 last year. The campaign includes a YouTube video depicting an actual call. When the caller in question is phoned back, he said, “I call you guys like almost every day, man. It’s an accident. If you see my number, it’s an accident.” Umm, yeah. Except when you’re getting robbed or assaulted.

Harper vs. Putin in 2012 Summit Series... maybe not The Toronto Star reported that Stephen Harper and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will go head-tohead to mark the 40th anniversary of the classic Summit Series. Each would lead a team of Canadian and Russian players in two games scheduled for September. Sounds like a plausible matchup, especially since Putin has a tendency to get photographed doing a variety of macho things, like topless horseback riding, and co-piloting a firefighting plane. And Harper, who calls himself an “amateur hockey historian,” needs to beef up his image after all those lame kitty photos. But the Prime Minister’s Office denied the whole thing on Twitter.

Smash your stuff for a refund

This spring will see major changes to the tunnels connecting the Guy-Metro (GM), Henry F. Hall (H), J. W. McConnell (LB), and Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Integrated Complex (EV) buildings.

The university plans to add more lighting and signs, as well as remove the tiled ceiling in the metro area and install a massive back-lit

Concordia University logo paid for Quebec Ministry of Education. The renovations, one of the first stages of a university-wide signage and branding program, start in March and will take place at night between 1 a.m. and 5:30 a.m. when the metro is closed.

Simultaneously, the Société de transport de Montréal will be shutting down and overhauling Guy-Concordia’s water-damaged St-Mathieu entrance. To handle the extra traffic, turnstiles are soon expected to be installed at the Guy St. entrance, which will become the only direct way in and out of the metro for several months. Photos by Navneet Pall by the

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A Canadian buyer smashed a violin in order to get his money back through Internet service PayPal. A seller identified as Erica forwarded the dilemma to blog Regretsy. She said she sold a violin authenticated by a luthier to the buyer for $2,500. But the buyer disputed the violin’s origins, and instead of returning the instrument, PayPal asked them to destroy the violin in order to return the money. A PayPal spokesperson issued this explanation: “While we cannot talk about this particular case due to PayPal’s privacy policy, we carefully review each case, and in general we may ask a buyer to destroy counterfeit goods if they supply signed evidence from a knowledgeable third party that the goods are indeed counterfeit.”

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theconcordian

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

World in brief Journalism professor Ross Perigoe dies of cancer obituary

Dontcha hate Twitter booty calls?

What could be worse than accidentally tweeting a sexy message that was intended as a DM? When it’s not even from you, but from your aide.

Simon Holt, a popular horse-racing commentator on British television, tweets under the handle @PlumptonRaceDay. When “Oh and by the way, I want your hot body tonight babe. xxxxx” was tweeted at 5:18 p.m. on Jan. 3, it was retweeted hundreds of times. The followup message came out 25 minutes later: “The previous message was sent in error! Please ignore ...unless you are Cameron Diaz or my wife.” But it turns out the messages were written by his 44-year-old ghostwriter Jason Hall, who wanted to message his wife, Nicola.

Zopittybop-Bop-Bop POW!

As if being arrested on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and marijuana, probation violation, and carrying a concealed weapon wasn’t bad enough, this silly public offender’s name got out to The Capital Times. Beezow Doo-Doo Zopittybop-Bop-Bop was born Jeffrey Drew Wilschke, but changed his name last October. He was picked up after people complained about drinking and drug use around a local park in Madison, Wisc. The police said Zopittybop-Bop-Bop had a knife, drug paraphernalia, and marijuana on him, and allegedly told officers that he would “get even with them.” According to his Facebook page, ZopittybopBop-Bop’s activities include “standing,” “thinking,” and “diamond.”

Called ‘Coach’ by students, he had an enthusiasm for teaching Arndell LeBlanc Contributor

Ross Perigoe, a fixture of the Concordia journalism department, died from a brain tumour on the evening of Jan. 3.

Perigoe, better known to his students as “Coach,” taught at Concordia University for 25 years and was the longest-serving professor in the journalism department. He also lectured in the journalism department at Loyola International College.

Perigoe was known best for his odd nature and infectious enthusiasm by the undergraduates he taught. He viewed himself as a coach rather than a professor, only answering to that nickname, and acted as a guide in his students’ education.

Mitch Gallo, a recent Concordia journalism graduate, credited Perigoe for helping him focus his career direction. Now a sports anchor for TSN Radio, Gallo described Perigoe as a man who was always fully prepared and took an active effort to help his students.

“I don’t think anyone could possibly match his enthusiasm when it came to teaching,” Gallo explains.

“You could tell in his eyes that when he was listening to every single student he was so focused and enthused

Graphic by Katie Brioux

Sarah Deshaies

and he just wanted to help everyone get to wherever they wanted to get to. It really stood out with Ross.”

Gallo remembered the pride he felt when his mentor Perigoe asked him to write a letter of recommendation for the Michael Monty Memorial Award. The award, presented by the Radio Television News Directors Association, is given to broadcast educators nominated by students. Perigoe would go on to win the award in 2009.

No matter how loved he was by his students, his working relationship on the other hand, wasn’t a fairy

tale. Elias Makos, a former technical instructor in the journalism department, described the man as being marginalized by some co-workers.

“There’s no doubt that he was kind of an oddball,” says Makos.

“It’s difficult to talk about. I think the sad but best way of putting it is that at times I think that he was bullied by others in the department.”

Leo Gervais, undergraduate program director and lecturer in the department, agreed that Perigoe was often at ends with some co-workers, that he wasn’t afraid to speak up or shake up the status quo. “He had

ideas that other people didn’t agree with. He wasn’t always in the mainstream of thought. He would often go on the banks of the mainstream,” says Gervais.

Gervais, one of Perigoe’s former students, described Perigoe as full of ideas, and having the energy of “a kid in a candy store.” “[Perigoe] always had the best interest of the student at heart. He cared a lot about the students. He would follow up with them, push them and encourage them.”

At the age of 20, Perigoe was a producer for CBC national radio programming. He was a broadcast reporter and producer in Canada and the United States for 15 years, eventually earning a PhD at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University. Perigoe was interested in the representation of visible minorities, and his PhD thesis, which he was rewriting for publication, studied the depiction of Muslims in The Gazette after the September 11 attacks.

He began teaching at Concordia in 1985, long before some of his more recent students were born.

Friends agreed that Perigoe’s memory will live on through the students who have taken and will take the advanced radio course at Concordia, a class he was integral in developing and continually evolving.

Perigoe is survived by his wife, Christina, and two sons, one of whom attends Concordia. He loved long runs, an activity that let him clear his mind.

language

Aunt Jemima’s saucy injury

Los Angeles Kings forward Dustin Penner is very lucky that he does not play for the Montreal Canadiens. Otherwise, we don’t know whether his career or reputation would have survived the incident that kept him off the ice a few days ago. The hockey player suffered back spasms caused by... a plate of pancakes. He explained it this way to blogger Rich Hammond: “I woke up fine, sat down to eat and it locked right up. It never happened to me before. I couldn’t stand up.

I was probably at the third stage of evolution.” His wife helped him to get dressed and he got to the rink only to be told by the team trainer to just head home.

No underwear on the London Underground

Riders in cities across the world went pantsless on Sunday, spawning dozens of photo slideshows on news websites. The prank, first started in 2002 by New York City comedy collective Improv Everywhere, has riders dress as if they just forgot to put on pants, with a straight face. Half-naked people participated in places like Toronto, London, Istanbul, Seattle, and Mexico City. We couldn’t find much pantsless activity in Montreal, save for two guys on YouTube called Peter and Samuel who didn’t even take their pants fully off. It might have had something to do with the cold.

A few hundred activists protested outside the Bell Centre on Saturday night before the Canadiens’ match against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Since the decision to hire Randy Cunneyworth as head coach was announced last month, there has been an outcry over his inability to speak

French. Organizing group Mouvement Québec Français wants more Québécois players on the team roster, and more French music at games. On Saturday, MQF leader Mario Beaulieu led cheers of “Le hockey... en français!” An effigy of Habs CEO Geoff Molson was hung outside the doors, and about 3,000 Québécois flags were distributed to supporters and ticket holders to carry into the arena.

Few of

the flags seemed to have made it into the game, which the

Habs won 3-1.

Photo by Sarah Deshaies

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian haiti

Old and new photographs adorned the walls of the Hall of Honour at City Hall as a silent reminder of both Haiti’s complicated past and the country’s long road of work ahead. A joint effort between the City of Montreal and the Centre International de Documentation et d’Information Haïtienne, Caribéenne et Afro-Canadienne, the “Port-au-Prince face à l’avenir” exposition marks the second anniversary of the catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010, killing hundreds of thousands and leaving over a million people homeless.

Photo by Navneet Pall Continued from cover

University treasurer is a new position “I gained 35 signatures of faculty members from every faculty on campus as well as hundreds of student signatures towards the negotiation of a more sustainable food and beverage contract,” said Beach, who is now an undergraduate representative on the Board of Governors.

She claims she was promised

by Gauthier and De Cubellis in a verbal agreement that no negotiations regarding the food and beverage contract would take place until Beach, representing TAPthirst, the university, and a representative from

“

deal regardless, signing the exclusive food and beverage contract with PepsiCo on Oct. 29, Di Grappa’s last day at Concordia before leaving for McGill.

While Beach expressed doubts whether the Office of the Treasurer will have any direct effect on students, she remains concerned given her past experiences.

Sustainable Concordia, an opponent of the signing of the PepsiCo contract in 2010, declined to comment.

The Office of the Treasurer it-

In September it became clear that negotiations had taken place with PepsiCo. They’d already signed an agreement in principle.

- Laura Beach, student governor

PepsiCo all sat down.

But things ended up taking a different turn, according to Beach.

“In September it became clear that negotiations had taken place already with PepsiCo. Not only that, but they’d already signed an agreement in principle and they were about to sign a contract,” said Beach.

By October, students began to rally against the proposed contract.

A protest was held at Norman Bethune Square and students staged a sit-in at the GM building just outside Hospitality Concordia’s offices. The university went through with the

self is a new concept at Concordia that came as a result of a business management decision. The position of university treasurer was created with the aim of “bringing together different financial projects at the university under a single managerial focus,” said university spokesperson Chris Mota.

In addition to Gauthier, Sara Deschamps, Maryse Picard, and JeanFrançois Baril will be working in the Office of the Treasurer as administrative assistant, administrator of the benefit portfolio, and corporate risk manager, respectively.

Want to be part of the Concordian’s news team?

Come by our office on the Loyola campus (CC431) every Sunday at noon to talk news and pitch stories for upcoming issues. For more information, email news@theconcordian.com.

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life 6

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com sTRiP CLUBs

Stripping down to the truth

ConU students give their take on strip clubs Kevin Duarte Contributor

Montreal is a city recognized around the world for its multiculturalism, cuisine, arts, fashion and obviously, nightlife. Hit up Crescent Street, Ste-Catherine or St-Laurent to find some of the best restaurants, bars, clubs, lounges, and of course, strip clubs.

For many, Montreal’s adult nightlife rates higher than that of Amsterdam’s. Yes, that Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. Most tourists from nearby cities class Montreal on a level of its own, simply because of our cheap alcohol, cheap dances and goodlooking people.

With that, many people still have mixed feelings about going to a strip club. To some it feels so wrong and immoral, while others just want to let loose and have a great night.

“Excuse the pun, but titillation,” said Dr. Jim Pfaus, a psychology professor at Concordia, when asked about the appeal of strip clubs. “As a group, the male dynamic, just like the female dynamic, feeds on itself. One guy gets excited because breasts are revealed, and the rest follow up. It’s a big disinhibition,” he said.

With friends, most people wouldn’t mind going to a strip club. But when it comes to boyfriends or girlfriends, things change.

“I don’t think I would mind if my girlfriend went to a strip club,” said Dave Neuman, who is majoring in finances. “I feel like she’d take it more as a joke more than anything.”

However, some Concordia students do not feel the same way. They would not be too comfortable if their partner went.

“I wouldn’t let my girlfriend go, even though I trust her,” said Joseph Bartlett, majoring in accounting. “I’d assume alcohol would be present and she might do something that would bother me without realizing.”

Most strip clubs do not ban people from the opposite sex. In many places, it is not unusual to see people go in as a couple. Going as a couple can be a great way of building a relationship. However, it can easily end one just as fast.

Pfaus believes that going to a strip club as a couple should be beneficial for a relationship.

“The problem would come from jealousy,” he continued, “if one member of the couple isn’t really comfortable with the whole idea, and has some self-esteem issues, they might feel less attractive than the dancer. They might not feel comfortable if they see their partner fantasizing about what is in front of them.”

When talking about strip clubs, the typical ‘gentleman’s club’ with female dancers is usually being referred to. In reality, girls will go to male strip clubs, no matter how discomforting it is to some men.

Graphic by Alessandra McGovern

“Yes, I would go to one,” said Amanda Signoretta, who’s majoring in Italian. “I would go to a male strip club with friends and I would go to one with girls.”

Many girls share the same view. Guys, however, tend to automatically associate male strip clubs with homosexuality.

“It would feel strange,” said Kevin Marriott, majoring in finances, “I feel guys there would assume I’m gay.”

That fear of being looked at as homosexual

still looms over some guys when it comes to male strip clubs. Even with a girl, most said they would not want to go to one.

Today, the appeal of going to a strip club has remained the same as it has been for years.

Whether it is a guys’ night or a ladies’ night out on the town, in many cases, the idea of going to a strip club emerges.

There are many misconceptions about going to a strip club. Dancers at strip clubs are not escorts. Seeing how prostitution is illegal in

many parts of the world, it seems that dancers are not looking to sleep with customers at the end of the night.

Just by doing a simple search on Google, it is easy to find out that most dancers are there to make money. At the end of the day, it is a job and people make a living off of it. A lot of dancers will freely admit that they are not coming on to someone because they are attractive or charming, but rather because they like the look of that big, fat... wallet.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

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fashion

Are you the next fashion victim?

Why some styles should have never left the closet Melissa Tagliamonti Contributor

Have

you ever witnessed a fashion disaster? Though it’s true that many of the styles we’ve seen in the past are working their ways back to the present and surely the future, there is a limit to what surpasses the social etiquette of what’s “hot” and what’s not.

One of the biggest and probably most common fashion scandals is the over-used and stillseen-today (hopefully by our grandparents) socks with sandals. Even if you’re running to the local drugstore and you think nobody can see you, this frightful wardrobe malfunction is definitely not something you should be caught dead in. The same goes for high heels and white socks - Dorothy can keep those in Kansas.

It’s great to try to explore different styles, especially when it comes to mixing and matching patterns, such as cheetah, leopard or even floral prints but remember – less is more. Animal print is back and more popular than ever, but when you’re trying to camouflage different parts of the jungle leave that to Indiana Jones.

Animal prints are playful patterns that convey wealth and status which is probably why people tend to abuse them.

Alex Câmara, fashion marketing student at LaSalle College, is the head stylist and creative director at Graduation en Vogue, a prominspired modeling company designed specifically for teenagers aged 16 to 19 who have a passion for fashion.

As far as fashion faux-pas are concerned, Câmara said that “fashion disasters happen all the time. People seem to have been getting lazier and lazier as time goes. They forget how beautiful they are naturally and cover themselves up in bedazzled sweatsuits, big bootlike slippers and a plain old nylon bag. It’s sad to see it happen because we should all want to look good and seem somewhat presentable.

No one should feel forced to get ready, just get up and do it already!”

Big bold accessories are always a major must-have. It’s always good to blend in, but it’s better to blend boldly by spicing up your ensemble with long necklaces and bright bangles, though there is a difference between accessorizing just the right amount and overaccessorizing to the point where your ensemble will look like a fashion statement gone to shreds.

Candia Buonanno, third-year student studying sociology, said that she is a big fan of accessorizing. “I love to add accessories to my outfit, especially if I’m dressed in neutral colors like black or white. I think accessorizing is an important factor when trying to spice up any particular look, but too many colours and way too much jewellery can call for a fashion disaster. You should keep it simple by wearing minimal jewellery and allowing the outfit to do the talking while you’re doing the walking,” said Buonanno.

Sweatpants and heels are a definite error.

You’re either going for the sporty look or the posh one, not both spice girls combined into one. You can’t try to combine both cool and casual while sporting sophistication. Speaking of fashion failure combinations, one that is seen very often is wearing Uggs in the summer with short-shorts. Emily Joannisse, third-year international business student at Concordia, agreed that shorts and Uggs create a major wardrobe malfunction. “Don’t get me wrong, I love to wear both shorts and Uggs, but combining the

two together calls for a fashion failure in a highly sexualized manner. Any type of boot or footwear that nearly reaches the knee while sporting shorts does not give off a very mannered look despite the comfort they provide.”

This Snooki-inspired look may draw a lot of attention, but not for the right reasons.

Brenda Lyttle, a fashion expert who began writing for publications in 2005, suggested a few helpful tips on how to look your best and avoid the unwanted attention of being a fashion victim. Her first tip orbits the infamous “leggings” we see every girl wearing. Although comfort is key when it comes to wearing leggings (not to mention showing off those killer curves), Lyttle suggests that throwing on some denim flatters the lower part of your body even more and doesn’t call as much attention to the junk in your trunk.

The best way to wear leggings, according to Lyttle, is to wear them with a long top.

There’s nothing that accentuates the combination of confidence and class more than someone who isn’t trying desperately to show off their assets.

There are no rules when it comes to fashion, clearly, because after all, rules are meant to be broken; however, there are ways to enhance the way one looks by following these simple tips.

So if you have a passion for fashion and feel the need to explore different styles, try not to mix and match too many different patterns and most importantly, keep things simple, otherwise, the only handcuffs you’ll be wearing are those from the fashion police.

Graphic by Alessandra McGovern

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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

theconcordian

RainY DaYs

The rain drops keep falling on my board games How to make a rainy day sunny on the inside

Movie sCenes witH rain

George Menexis Staff writer

I

s it still dark? What time is it? It feels like you have slept for days. It’s so gloomy. You don’t even want to get up and open the shutters. You feel like you’re carrying a ten-pound weight around. You restlessly throw the covers off and take a bounding step forward, sum up the courage and open the blinds. Oh dear God, not again. The clouds are swarming around above you, blocking out the sun and all its rays. Damn, it’s going to be a rainy day.

“Limited exposure to sunshine and periods of high humidity and precipitation worsen our mood,” said Rich Maloof, MSN health columnist. Recently, European researchers looked at “the weather’s impact on mood” and the results were that “rainy days had negative effects on mood, with many subjects reporting that they felt tired or sluggish.”

Montreal is a rainy city. It isn’t unnatural to see days of rain in quick succession. Therefore, we should be prepared with a series of activities to laugh the gloominess away. There’s something about the sound of the raindrops hitting the windowpane that gives us a cozy feeling inside — the darkness in the sky and the blast of a thunderbolt makes for good cuddle sessions.

For most of us, rain can very easily be associated with laziness, and rightfully so. Who wants to be an active outdoors man on a thundering, rainy day? Despite the disadvantages of rain, there will always be those comforting games almost all of us take out when the sky is gloomy.

“The rain provides that platform wherein

THE NOTEBOOK we can bring out the child in us without having to give any justifications to anyone,” says psychologist Dr. Kanan Khatau Chikhal. Sitting on a carpet and cracking open a nice game of Scrabble or Pictionary is a great way to peacefully watch the drops go by.

“I love bringing out Monopoly and making some nice cups of hot chocolate on a rainy day,” said Maria Marinakis, a sociology student at Concordia. “It’s a great time to spend quality time with the family.”

Most of us don’t even know what a board game is because it can’t be played on a PlayStation. However, the simplicity and subtle fun of a nice board game perfectly eliminates the boredom of a rainy day.

Rain, if looked at from the right eye and in the right environment, can open your eyes to romanticism worthy of a Parisian author. Don’t lie girls, you’ve all thought about that dreamy kiss-in-the-rain-moment that is so passionately portrayed in many Hollywood movies.

“I think you pretty much know that an intense kiss is coming when you see rain in a movie,” said Carla Giac, a political science student at Concordia. “It’s been used so often that it’s actually become a cliché.”

Let passion fly on a rainy day and your boredom will be gone. Grab your boyfriend or girlfriend (which I hope you have during the rainy season), cuddle up, and don’t be afraid to get down and dirty. There’s no better way to pass the time than by letting the passion of the rain take over your souls. Don’t limit yourself to under the cover fun, however. Seriously, it’s only water.

We all know, especially you ladies, that The Notebook made a statement as one of the most romantic movies of the century. The main scene shows Ryan Gosling paddling his boat down the river while Rachel McAdams stares on. All of a sudden, an intense bout of rain erupts from the sky and so does the best kissing scene in the whole movie.

THE LAST SAMURAI Now this isn’t a romantic scene but it depicts one of the most passionate fight scenes ever seen in the film world. I promise you, it will be worth your while and the transfer seen on screen will transfer to you.

Graphic by Katie Brioux

arts

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

9

Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com comedy

Pour some Sugar on me

Sugar Sammy takes Canada’s two official languages to the stage Marissa Miller Copy editor Whether you’re looking to laugh — or rire — internationally-acclaimed comedian Sugar Sammy’s upcoming show will guarantee you both. What originated as a single showing of “You’re Gonna Rire” at the Olympia Theatre blossomed into a 23-date run of the show—a clear indication that Franglais sells.

“Everyone in our city is bilingual to some extent,” Sammy said. Despite the city’s language conflict largely instigated by the adoption of Bill 101 in the ‘70s, he noted how similar all of Montreal’s citizens really are, whether they’re Plateau-bred or Côte Saint-Luc residents. With francophones watching English television featuring French-speaking actors in shows such as Pan Am, Mad Men and Curb Your Enthusiasm, and anglophones flipping the channel on TSN in favour of French sports updates on RDS, it seems we’re not as different as we think.

Have no fear, unilingual audience members, as according to Sammy, “watching comedy is the best way to learn a new language, and way more effective than learning it in a classroom.” His upcoming show might even have you extracting a vintage Larousse dictionary from the depths of your shelves, and subconsciously absorbing a new language beats downloading the latest version of Rosetta Stone any day, I’d say.

The unusual idea to merge the two solitudes, French and English, in both the same

routine and even within the same sentence, is a special treat only Montrealers will get to savour. “It’s a one-time deal,” Sammy said.

“I’m never doing it again.” From references to the Habs, the referendum, our two ever-soharmonious languages, our disastrous roads, the metro system and cabane à sucre, Sammy remains confident that everyone will feel connected to the subject matter regardless of language or age.

No portrait of Montreal is complete without a tribute to poutine, of course. “Aha!” he exclaimed when I brought up the idea, scribbling our city’s widely-adored culinary favourite on a napkin.

Born Samir Khullar, the 35-year-old Montrealer still lives at home with his Indian parents, and somehow, between driving them around to do groceries and recycling soda cans, playing ball hockey and touring the world 10 months a year, the guy still finds the time and energy to make us laugh. “[Comedy] is who I am,” he said. “I don’t feel like it’s work. I wake up every single day thinking about my next joke.” A firm believer in his craft, Sammy feels it’s easier to reach out to people through funny anecdotes than through political speeches or lectures.

This seemingly far-fetched theory has actually been tried, tested and true. “People have come up to me and been like, ‘My teacher showed us your clips to analyze in class,’ and it freaked me out,” he said. His intention is to make people laugh, as opposed to promote radical ideals, and being a part of a professor’s

“

Comedy is who I am. I don’t feel like it’s work. I wake up every single day thinking about my next joke.

- Comedian Sugar Sammy

curriculum seems like an odd concept to him.

“I don’t want it to have too much of a political label,” he said. The show “You’re Gonna Rire,” his CD Down With the Brown and most of the other jokes up his sleeve touch on strong racial themes, but seek to entertain rather than offend. “Take Don Rickles for instance […] He rips on every single race, but it comes from a place of love and his tone suggests it’s in jest,” Sammy explained—an attestation to the fact that picking on aspects of certain cultures is not necessarily racist.

His relationship with stand-up comedy is somewhat monogamous, though when the opportunity to star in a commercial is apt, he’ll indulge in the occasional affair. Some of you might recall his Videotron commercials that aired this summer. They featured the comedian making ridiculous prank calls to sales representatives; the type of thing only a sixth grader could find entertaining, and only a sharp, fullygrown man can make marketable.

“I get a lot of offers [for commercials and ads],” the comedian admitted. He meets with companies to decide whether everyone’s visions match up. If they don’t, it’s because it won’t “bring out my talent,” he said.

Askmen.com named Sugar Sammy “Comedy’s New Rockstar,” the Hollywood Reporter called him one of the top 10 rising comedy tal-

ents on the planet, and girls have reportedly asked him to sign their lady parts. Lo and behold, his head is not the width of St-Laurent Boulevard. So what gives? “The second I get an ego, I get shot down very quickly. I learned that from a very young age.” He credits the “higher force” for keeping him in check, and reminding him not to get too comfortable.

On Dec. 22, Sugar Sammy lent his time to Haitians in need by participating in “SMILE Project Haiti,” a fundraiser that seeks to restore hope in Haiti through various projects once a month. In the spirit of the holiday season, he provided children in Haiti with solace by means of comedic relief. Big names such as Oprah Winfrey, Kim Kardashian, Ne-Yo and Corneille partook in the event that week as well.

As much as this rising star tries to separate himself from the archetypal Hollywood image, arriving 20 minutes late to the café for the interview was no help. But with the combination he possesses of charm, wit and black Converse sneakers, it’s impossible to look past the fact that you wish he had sat next to you in high school and signed your yearbook as “Class Clown.”

Shows for “You’re Gonna Rire” begin on Feb. 23 at Olympia. For more information, go to www.sugarsammy.com.

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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

theconcordian

visual arts

Let’s give them something to talk about Looking into FOFA’s unstained-glass windows David Adelman Staff writer

A

pproximately 20,000 Concordia students, teachers and staff cross through the EV building’s Ste-Catherine and Mackay Street entrances on a monthly basis. That’s not to mention the countless Montrealers seeking refuge in the warmth of the building, trying to take any possible shortcut from the cold. The ritualized pattern of walking head-down, oblivious to the surroundings, that has become second nature to daily passersby will be challenged by the FOFA Gallery’s exhibitions on display this month.

Unlike the many Ste-Catherine storefront windows displaying commodities, FOFA’s SteCatherine and York Corridor Vitrines expose a different product of human design—installation art. Site-specific, this form of three-dimensional work is meant to alter the viewer’s perception of a space.

The silhouettes of Christopher Moore’s two projects on display dance across the York Corridor’s floor and capture the attention of pedestrians. At first, the military-coloured camouflage background and recruitment desk seem more like an exhibit from the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, but if you take a second longer to

stare, you will notice something strange about the picture—the camouflage is patterned with cute dogs. Taking that into account, the rest of the exhibit’s magenta-painted toy guns, artillery, planes and soldiers’ faces reveal a satirical contrast between war and peace.

Cuddle Commandos and Passive Passive Pink were projects Moore designed to address the hyper-masculinity in the military and to promote an army of “citizen anti-warriors.” An assistant professor in design and computation arts at Concordia, Moore believes this art plays with notions from pop culture and twists its meaning.

“One day I was flipping through the television and I caught a glimpse of a designer runway show that was using camouflage in the costumes. It really struck me how out of place that was because camouflage traditionally is used in the military and the decontextualization of this fashion statement got me thinking. How can I subvert that subconscious association of war and introduce more passive elements into that camouflage?” said Moore, who has also designed kitty and bunny versions as part of his Cuddle Commandos collection.

The other vitrine that faces Ste-Catherine manages to captivate shivering pedestrians despite the cold weather. Concordia art education doctorate student Maria Ezcurra has her eyes fixed on her live model. Holding bobbypins with her teeth, she examines the garment worn by her model. After a few moments of eyeing and groping the material, the designer begins to cut the garment with scissors and make adjustments to

the newly-cut material. As onlookers curiously watch what will happen next, Ezcurra nails the garment to the wall and the dress takes an angelic design of its own.

The project is called Abiertas (Open). “In Spanish this term is used for opening a window,” explained Ezcurra. “It’s connected to sharing and showcasing and I’m doing that with these garments.”

This process isn’t entirely without risk, as both Ezcurra and her models are exposing themselves to the public. “It’s the first time I perform this project in front of a window. When I got this space, I wasn’t sure what to do. I was walking by it and wondering how most places around here are fancy stores selling particular clothing and accessories. Every store tries to sell this idea

of being unique based on what you buy, but how can someone be unique if millions of other people are buying the same thing?” said Ezcurra, who wanted to make people think about their relationship between clothes and themselves.

After the holidays, it’s very easy to get sucked into the class-break-eat-class-study cycle. So next time you’re walking through the EV building, be sure to stop and check out the FOFA Gallery’s new exhibitions.

“It seems that people are interested in seeing what Concordia undergraduate students are producing, and we are equally as excited to show that to different people,” added Meyer-Macaulay.

Lending a hand in this endeavour is the magazine’s launch party, which will act as an introduction both to the magazine and to Concordia’s Fine Arts community.

“People should expect a great community feeling. This isn’t meant to be a pretentious art show.

We are featuring a lot of different artists who aren’t in the magazine as well as some who are [...] It’s just gonna be a fun time to meet people in the arts

community and outside of it, and just get to know each other,” said Giancotta.

At the end of the day, students who attend the launch might also discover that members of Concordia’s Fine Arts community enjoy the simplest things in life, too.

“Great art, great people, great grilled cheese,” said Meyer-Macaulay, “and great drinks.”

The Cuddle Commandos and Abiertas (Open), as well as 1 Restoration and How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore are on display at FOFA Gallery (first floor of EV building) until Feb. 3. The vernissage is on Jan. 12 at 5 p.m. For more information, visit fofagallery.concordia.ca.

magazine

The first time’s the charm Concordia’s new fine arts magazine is here Sofia Gay Arts editor Living in a first-world country, it’s easy to complain about the way things are or pine for changes we think should be made. The proof is endless, from message boards rife with detailed descriptions of flaws in various systems, to the first-world problem hashtag.

What’s not so easy is making that change yourself and giving in to a certain over-quoted Gandhi sound bite.

Yet that’s exactly what a group of Concordia fine arts students did. After noticing that McGill had a fine arts magazine—yet no fine arts faculty to speak of—and Concordia didn’t, Bella Giancotta took matters into her own hands by gathering a group of people to start Interfold, Concordia’s first fine arts magazine.

Interfold, which according to its website “acts as an exhibition within a magazine,” is meant to showcase work that may otherwise not get a bigger audience than the classroom.

“We wanted something that would provide a platform for students to get their work out to a broader audience,” explained Giancotta, the magazine’s editor-in-chief. “A lot of times, unless you have classes with students, you won’t get to see their work, and not everyone has enough works to hold an exhibit by themselves or even in a group show. So this magazine is something that’s accessible for all of the Concordia student body, and will show off fine arts students’ work.”

The magazine addresses the challenge that comes with having individuals so full of creativity, yet lacking in the resources to present it to more people.

“In the fine arts community, oftentimes it’s very challenging to kind of get your images or the work out there and expose yourself to the public,” said Iain Meyer-Macaulay, Interfold’s events and communications executive. “And so, the role that

Interfold can play, and is playing at this point, is it’s there to be an avenue in which fine arts students can exhibit their work.”

Another platform they’re using to achieve this is through the magazine’s website, which features a different student every month. Besides allowing them to feature even more art, as the magazine is a biannual publication, the website makes it possible for Interfold to show other media such as dance, theatre and other art forms that are not confined to the page.

The concept of limits and working creatively within as well as outside them served as inspiration for the theme of the first issue, which is “confines.” Keeping in mind what month the issue would come out, the team brainstormed about what it is that pushes them to create in even the direst of climates.

“Sometimes having too many confines or not enough forces you to be more creative, so we were just thinking about things that drive our own work and we came up with confine,” said Giancotta.

The selection of works chosen for the issue are in no way restricted, however, as they include “a wide range of media, from drawings and paintings to sculptures and photography,” said MeyerMacaulay. “So it’s really wide-reaching and we’re trying to be as all-encompassing as we can in terms of including different forms of art.”

The first issue hasn’t officially launched yet, but that hasn’t stopped both those exhibiting and those waiting to be shown the art from expressing enthusiasm for the project in their response.

“It’s been overwhelmingly positive,” said Giancotta. “People have told us ‘This is the first piece of professional art experience I’m putting on my resume, thanks guys for letting me be part of this.’

Even people in business have been very excited for this arts publication, and they said ‘You know, it’s been about time, I’d love to see what’s going on in the VA, and what’s going on in the EV by Concordia students.’”

Interfold’s launch party takes place Jan. 14 at 9 p.m. at 1175 St-Marc St. The magazine comes out on Jan. 16 and will be available free across campus.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

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theatre

Where the wild things are

The Wildside Festival is back in town Amanda L. Shore Contributor

I

n the hopes of keeping you merry just a little bit longer, Centaur Theatre is kicking off the new year with its Wildside Festival. Curated by Centaur’s artistic director Roy Surette and recent Fringe Festival judge Johanna Nutter, the festival will feature some of the best shows from last year’s Fringe and other independent companies, and promises to be quite the party.

Shows were chosen from entries to the Montreal Fringe Festival held in May and June of 2011, as well as submissions Nutter and Surette received directly. As its name suggests, Wildside aims to be a bit, well, wild.

“The term wild is subjective; basically for us it has to do with shows that showed innovation and a sense of surprise,” said Nutter. She is no stranger to the festival, having performed her one-woman show, My Pregnant Brother, at Wildside back in 2010. Having been invited to perform that year after winning Best in Show at the 2009 Fringe Festival, she’s familiar with the vibe the festival tries to create.

Surette and Nutter have chosen nine plays to create the innovative, party vibe of the annual Wildside Festival. With plays on offer featuring flavours of comedy, drama, absurdism and fantasy, there’s likely to be a dish to satisfy everyone’s theatre tastes.

Included in the roster is the 2011 Best of the Fringe winner Blink, Blink, Blink, performed

by Kirsten Rasmussen. It’s a one-woman show combining tragedy and comedy about a bunny named Benjamin and a motivational speaker, Sara Tonin.

Countries Shaped Like Stars is just one of the wild plays on this year’s Wildside roster. Catch it this Thursday and Saturday.

Shining brightly alongside Rasmussen’s show are several other festival award-winning plays such as the Summerworks Canstage’s award winner for Best Direction, Bliss, a dark surrealist piece about four Wal-Mart employees and Céline Dion trapped in a dungeon.

Winner of Most Acting in a Musical and Longest Date Song, the musical Dick Powell’s “In The Mood for Jazz” is a spoof of a ‘50s style lounge act, featuring the jazz band the Buck Wheaton Trio, fronted by egotistical singer, Dick Powell.

Other notable shows include the bilingual play, Bifurcate Me, about a scientific experi-

ment to determine why humans fall, which features a character who speaks only French and one who speaks only English. A Thousand Paper Cranes: The Weapons of Peace, tells the story of Sadako Sasaki, who in an effort to stay positive and fight to survive in the face of her illness (a result of the bombing of Hiroshima by the U.S. in 1945) folded a thousand paper cranes. There’s also The Pit and The Pendulum, which was adapted from a short story by Edgar Allan Poe. In this piece, an army officer forces a man to recall his trial and confinement at the hands of a mutual foe, known as “The Inquisition.”

Nutter was positively brimming with enthusiasm, (despite her cold), when I spoke with her on the phone earlier this week and she strongly encourages students to come out to the festival. “It’s so much fun, the festival cultivates an atmosphere of experimentation, it’s not stuffy at all,” she said. “We’ve tried to do the leg work on what’s worth seeing out in the theatre world.”

The Wildside Festival runs until Jan. 14 at Centaur Theatre. Tickets are $12.50 for students. For more information, please see their website at www.centaurtheatre.com.

theatre

There’s something about Miller Arthur Miller’s first famous play to hit the stage in Montreal George Menexis Staff writer

“I could not imagine a theatre worth my time that did not want to change the world.”

Who would write such a quote? Clearly someone who has a sharp passion for theatre.

Someone who appreciates the art of theatre for the beauty it has to offer.

The quote is by one of the most inspiring literary geniuses of the 20th century, Arthur Miller. His plays have been acclaimed worldwide and appreciated by millions throughout the decades. This is why the Montreal Theatre Ensemble (MTE) will gather their talented actors and director Terry Donald to perform Miller’s 1947 play, All My Sons.

MTE is a theatre company that recently partnered with John Abbott College in the Stage II initiative, providing theatre students a chance to learn and work with professional actors.

“It’s a good way to connect the students with what would happen afterwards,” said Donald. “They get to observe professional actors at work, and the best way of learning is through observation.”

All My Sons will be the second Miller play MTE will perform under the Stage II initiative, the first one being A View from the Bridge in 2010, which was widely acclaimed by lo-

cal critics and pushed the MTE into the top 10 theatre companies in Montreal. This year, they’re hoping to gain the same recognition for All My Sons. A cast consisting of 10 actors will take on Miller’s first famous play.

“I’m really excited for this one. It should be amazing. We really have a great team and rehearsal was fantastic,” said Christopher Moore, an actor as well as MTE’s media director. He will be taking on the role of Frank Lubey in the upcoming play.

Difficulties did arise during rehearsal despite this theatre company’s solid reputation.

Moore explains that practicing a play from the great Arthur Miller is extremely hard work.

“Every single line counts and every character is fighting for something,” said Moore.

“He’s a hard and brilliant writer to follow, and it is hard work, but the results are better at the end.”

The play is set in the late ’40s, not long after World War II. It’s the dramatic story of a man who sold faulty parts to the US military during the war, leading to the deaths of many pilots. This portrays Miller’s own left-sided morals and a certain dislike for the concept of the American Dream.

One extremely interesting aspect of a play set in the ’40s is the difference in wardrobe. Donald knew it would be a challenge to find the perfect outfits, but a challenge he was willing to take on nonetheless. Melanie Michaud was in charge of costumes. Interestingly enough, she made every single one from scratch, defining every single costume to strengthen every character. As Moore said, every character is focused on their own fears

The play tackles Miller’s discontent with the American dream. and wants, but it’s always geared towards a general goal.

“Every character is different, and Melanie really tries to define that as much as possible.

Every costume shows us a particular trait of every character. You really won’t see any jeans in this play,” said Moore.

So put on your shiny shoes, ladies and

gentlemen, and get ready to be transported into the days of the great Arthur Miller.

All My Sons runs Jan. 12 to 18 at John Abbott College’s Casgrain Theatre (21275 Lakeshore Rd., Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue).

Student tickets are $20. For more information, visit mtlte.wordpress.com.

music 12

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com health

industry

Music in the Digital Age Are record labels going the way of the dinosaurs?

Andrew Guilbert Staff writer

Black Keys blast Nickelbland

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Black Keys drummer Pat Carney took issue with what he saw as the blandness of today’s rock and roll. “Rock & roll is dying because people became OK with Nickelback being the biggest band in the world. So they became OK with the idea that the biggest rock band in the world is always going to be shit,” Carney said.

“Therefore you should never try to be the biggest rock band in the world.” Carney also took issue with those who would lump his band in with “watered-down, post grunge crap,” saying, “Fuck you, honestly.” Upon hearing the criticism, Nickelback responded on their Twitter account by saying, “Thanks to the drummer in the Black Keys calling us the Biggest Band in the World in Rolling Stone. Hehe.”

From pop star to president

Grammy Award-winning Senegalese musician Youssou N’Dour revealed that he will be running for president in his native country. N’Dour made the announcement through his private radio and TV stations last Monday saying, “For a very long time, many Senegalese of different backgrounds have called for my candidacy for the presidency next February, I’ve listened, I’ve heard and I am responding favourably to their request. I am a candidate. It’s a supreme patriotic duty, the best I can give of myself. I am the alternative to the current leadership in place in the country.” N’Dour will be joining a host of other candidates running against the 85-year-old incumbent, Abdoulaye Wade, whose attempts to seek a third term in office through a loophole in the electoral law have sparked protests.

Meet Yeezy Jetson

According to his Twitter feed, Kanye West has been in talks with movie producer Denise Di Novi to work as a creative director for her upcoming live-action movie, The Jetsons. Though Di Novi admits they have discussed the subject, she claims that no decision has been made yet.

“He was interested in creatively brainstorming what we were doing with the movie and what ideas he might have; it was a really friendly, preliminary conversation,” she said. The film, currently in production, piqued West’s interest due to his being a big Jetsons fan and his passion for the design aspects of the film.

At last!

Etta James, known as the matriarch of R&B, was released from the hospital last Thursday and is currently resting at her Riverside, Calif. home. James, 73, who is terminally ill and battling leukaemia, was admitted to hospital last December after experiencing difficulty breathing. Her health has been in steady decline for several years and she can now only communicate through simple words and nods, according to her doctor. Lupe De Leon, James’ business manager, said of the situation, “We all think it’s best for her to be at home.”

Graphic by Katie Brioux

Lindsay Rempel Contributor

M

ost music junkies are familiar with names like uTorrent, Xtorrent, Vuze, The Pirate Bay, isoHunt, and BTjunkie. These torrent-streaming websites and programs give music listeners the power of easy access to almost any album, or even discography, on the marker — and for free. These programs and sites are the ninja-like saboteurs of the music industry, hitting up every record company in the world, stealing potential revenue at every click of a user’s mouse.

The entrance into the digital age has thrown the music industry into shock. Most agree that the suit-and-tie types in charge of the business of music are on shaky ground these days. But the industry is changing, not dying. Arguably the biggest impact of the invention of MP3 has been on record labels. The decline in CD sales hurts even major labels’ profits, but also hurts up-and-coming bands as well.

One of the main retailers for CDs, HMV, has recently closed stores all over Canada, including flagship retail locations in downtown Vancouver. “It’s really regretful,” Nick Williams, president of HMV Canada, told the Vancouver Sun in November 2011.

But Jihan Azer, an HMV employee at the megastore on Ste-Catherine Street, isn’t worried. “Buying media isn’t over just yet,” he said. “Although all of HMV’s direct competi-

tors have gone under, we aren’t even close to closing. Take that, rumour mill!” The industry is facing evolution, and adapting to our pace of life and technological advances.

According to Azer, “There is still a market for physical copies of music much as there is still a market for paintings, even though anyone today could find a masterpiece online and print it at home.”

“There will always be a market for people who want to buy physical music; maybe not to the extent of today’s standards, and definitely not compared to 20 years ago, but still existing somewhere in that limbo,” he said. Azer has his own collection of CDs. He feels that it’s a more personal connection to the art and the artist, a feeling he thinks will keep CDs alive.

However, not all music enthusiasts are of the same mind. Sara Lovsin, a dedicated music enthusiast hailing from Vancouver, disagrees.

“Indie stores are going to be the only ones left selling CD or vinyl in the future,” she said.

“Our generation think they’re hip if they own vinyl—it’s considered classic, retro. I think the next generation will see CDs in that way.”

Chris Curry, a Vancouver-based drummer, music teacher and DJ, agrees that CDs are on their way out.

“CDs will disappear soon, they already pretty much have,” he said. “Too many people are pirating, the Internet makes it way too simple.”

This trend predicates that bands need to tour to make money, which makes it difficult for indie or up-and-coming live bands to break

into the industry.

On the flip-side, DJs are making tons of cash. DJing is quite possibly the most lucrative field in the music industry. Most clubs only play electronic music — that bass-thumpin’, beat-box inspiring, rage in the cage musical nonsense that most parents hate. DJs are quickly taking over, where live bands used to rule.

David Hughes, a guitarist known by his stage name “David Don’t” in The Hypnophonics, a punk band based in Montreal, has done well with his band, but also has a bleak prediction for the fate of record companies.

“The only attraction I see any band having to signing with a label, other than bragging rights, would be to make use of their connections with promoters, other bigger bands to tour with and in advertising,” said Hughes. “My band is signed to a large indie label and we’re distributed by Warner Music, and as much as our label has helped us out, it isn’t necessary to be signed anymore in order to tour countries, play big shows and have people in Japan order t-shirts and CDs from you.”

Retro or contemporary, CDs or MP3s, it’s the fans who dictate the industry. And right now, the fans are getting everything they want. CD and vinyl buffs have great retailers to buy from, and MP3 downloads are simple and easy to find. As for the record labels, it seems that it’s only getting worse. Both Warner Canada and EMI Music refused to comment.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

13

health

Pump up the volume, drop the pounds Studies show listening to loud music can help you work out harder Leah Batstone Staff writer

A

new year has arrived and for some this means making a 2012 resolution and trying to stick with it for 365 days (you can do it, I believe in you!). If yours has anything to do with exercising, I have a special nugget of information to share that could boost the productivity of your workouts in 2012.

Janet McMordie, who is currently studying medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., released a study while she was completing her master’s in kinesiology at the University of Western Ontario about how music volume can help people get the most out of their workouts.

McMordie’s study, which was released in 2009, showed that by turning up the volume at the gym, you could be more efficient during a workout and push yourself harder.

McMordie’s study had women listen to their favourite workout songs at four different volumes, and the results were clear. When the music was loudest, they could do seven more leg presses than they could at the lowest level of sound.

The boost of energy felt when louder music is played has to do with the sympathetic nervous system. Although McMordie’s study didn’t involve human chemistry, she explained that this system is involved in the “fight or flight” response. Loud noises cause the brain to release the hormone epinephrine, which is commonly known as adrenaline.

“Studies have shown that loud music increases epinephrine levels in the body. It puts stress on the body similar to the ‘oh crap, a bear!’ response which increases your productivity during a workout,” said McMordie. “It’s a small adrenaline rush.”

She elaborated, noting that other studies have proven that music can distract gym-goers from the “stress” on their bodies, and give extra motivation, especially when a favourite song is heard.

Concordia undergraduate student Adrian Nero uses music for those two reasons exactly.

“If I’m running, walking, or doing some other type of cardio, I need music to distract me and make time pass quickly,” he said. “I like having music when I’m lifting weights, but it isn’t as important.”

Concordia’s Le Gym staff member Keena Lou believes music makes a big difference when exercising, but selecting the music that’s played at the gym isn’t easy. Neither is picking the volume.

“Different times of day bring different crowds,” said Lou. “In the morning we tend to have the music quieter, and just have the radio on. In the evening we turn up the volume and play upbeat music, hip hop or house.”

After reading this useful information, you may be tempted to hit the gym and blast your music at a deafening level so you can achieve a rock hard body. However, it’s important to be aware of hearing damage. Everyone likes to rock out, but McMordie says that playing music louder than 85 decibels can cause noise-induced hearing loss.

“A normal conversation is 60 decibels.

Most iPods can reach up to about 100-115 decibels at maximum volume,” she said.

Graphic by Katie Brioux

“The loudest level my participants listened to was 80 per cent of maximum volume on an iPod (80 decibels) for about 30 minutes at a time. Studies have shown that this level is safe for up to 90 minutes of consistent use and my study showed that it was the volume associated with the most benefit.”

To avoid hearing damage, McMordie suggests using over-the-ear headphones rather than earbuds, and listening to music louder

for only the last kilometre or last set. This will help give you the boost you need to overcome that final obstacle.

So get off your couch, put down those chips, and go to either of Concordia’s fitness facilities, Le Centre at Loyola or Le Gym at Sir George Williams. You can exercise while jamming to your favourite tunes and have confidence that you’ll get the most out of your workout.

mixtape

The holidays haven’t been kind to your waistline. You’re not alone.

Every January, a slew of new faces start appearing at the gym. These people are the resolutionaries, the people who have resolved to get in shape in the new year. Heck, you may even be a resolutionary. If you’re worried about what to do and how to act once you step on the gymnasium floor, earbuds are a great way to silently tell people you’re not interested in conversation. Who needs a workout buddy anyway with great tunes to sweat to? Who are better motivators than Marky Mark and LL Cool J? These 20 songs will get you started up, energized, cooled down and excited for your next workout.

Listen to the mixtape here: 8tracks.com/the_concordian/resolutionaries

The Resolutionaries Compiled by Chris Hanna Production manager

SIDE A: Getting warmed up

SIDE B: Getting it done

1. “Start Me Up” - The Rolling Stones Tattoo You 2. “Everlasting Light” - The Black Keys - Brothers 3. “Steady As She Goes” - The Raconteurs - Broken Boy Soldiers 4. “Walk This Way (feat. Steven Tyler and Joe Perry)” - Run-DMC - Raising Hell 5. “Bust a Move” - Young MC - Stone Cold Rhymin’ 6. “Ni**as in Paris” - Jay-Z and Kanye West - Watch the Throne 7. “Wolf Like Me” - TV On the Radio Return to Cookie Mountain 8. “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” - Jet Get Born 9. “Physical” - Olivia Newton-John Physical 10. “Push It” - Salt-n-Pepa - Single

1. “The New Workout Plan” - Kanye West - The College Dropout 2. “Hey Ya!” - Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below 3. “Good Vibrations” - Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch - Music for the People 4. “Beat It” - Michael Jackson Thriller 5. “Cold War” - Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid 6. “End of Time” - Beyoncé - 4 7. “Love Gun (feat. Lauren Bennett)” Cee Lo Green - The Lady Killer 8. “Mama Said Knock You Out” - LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out 9. “Dog Days Are Over” - Florence + The Machine - Lungs 10. “D.D.” - The Weeknd - Echoes of Silence

14

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

theconcordian

top 10 1. Air - Le Voyage Dans La Lune: Drawing inspiration from the classic 1902 film by the same name, Air’s next album should bring fans a somewhat new experience. The band was asked to compose an original score for the film’s restored re-release, but the project inevitably grew into a full album. The digital version also includes the fully restored 16-minute film in colour.

2. No Doubt - TBA: Beginning their studio work back in May of 2010, these ‘90s superstars have reunited to bring fans yet another punk-ska installment, working with major up-andcomers Major Lazer and hotshot producer Spike Stent. The project, which was originally set for a 2011 release date, has taken longer than anticipated because of lead singer Gwen Stefani’s need to balance her life as musician, fashion designer, wife, and mother.

3. Yeasayer - TBA: Expected this spring or early summer, the Brooklyn-based quintet says their next album will be more like “demented R&B,� as opposed to the psychedelic pop sounds from their previous album, Odd Blood, that garnered serious acclaim. The band’s singer-keyboardist told SPIN that they refuse to retread old ground, moving the band’s sound ever forward.

Most Anticipated Albums of 2012

4. Rick Ross - God Forgives, I Don’t. - To say that 2011 was a tumultuous year for rapper Rick Ross would be an understatement. After suffering two mid-flight seizures, Ross took a hiatus to recover and focus on his health. But his bout of poor health has a silver lining: the break gave Ross the opportunity to collaborate with hip-hop powerhouse Jay-Z. This year will be the year of the Teflon Don. 5. The xx - TBA: Their huge self-titled debut album gave these South Londoners a lot of ground to work with, but also gave them a lot to live up to. They began work on their sophomore album in the fall of 2011 and they say it has more of a ‘club’ feel than their 2009 release. With the band hoping to have the album complete in time to take it on a festival tour, The xx fans should expect something this spring.

Compiled by Allie Mason Music editor

6. Of Montreal - Paralytic Stalks: Frontman Kevin Barnes

warns fans that Of Montreal’s new album probably won’t be something that everyone likes, but that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t deserve major anticipation. After all, it has been a couple of years since their last release, and it’s always a risk for a band to take a decidedly different direction. They’ve released a preview track, “Dour Percentage,� online to give you a taste of what’s to come.

7. School of Seven Bells - Ghostory: The third album by the New York electronic, dance-centric now-duo is the band’s first release since the departure of one-third of their previous trio, Claudia Deheza. Her twin, Alejandra, will be heading the vocals, backed by guitarist/producer Benjamin Curtis. The album, pitched as a ‘concept album about ghosts,’ includes nine tracks chock-full of ‘80s, pop, shoegaze, and ambient electronic tunes.

8. The Shins - Port of Morrow: This March you can expect 10 tracks of pure psychedelic rock from the Albuquerque, New Mexico natives. Although the band only features one original member, frontman James Mercer, the album is said to stay true to the characteristic Shins sound. Five years since their last album, it’s no wonder Port of Morrow made waves with its announcement in December.

9. Black Star - Black Star Aretha: Following their 2011 release Fix Up, Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey, the artist formerly known as Mos Def, are releasing a mixtape tribute to iconic soul singer Aretha Franklin due in March of this year. The duo’s unification is hype enough as it is, but throw in the inspired sounds of Ms. Franklin and we’re into a whole different kind of game.

10. Dierks Bentley - Home: I just couldn’t leave this country boy off my most anticipated list. Known for his signature, uptempo tracks about nothing other than women, beer, and his love for his country, his four-wheel drive, and the open road, the Phoenix, Arizona native is expected to drop the fan-inspired album on Feb. 7. Home was composed of “more than a year’s worth of writing, recording and testing out material on the road in front of our hardcore fans.�

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sports

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

15

Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com

Graphic by Sean Kershaw

A look into the crystal ball for the rest of the Stingers 2012 season

A

s the new calendars get hung on the wall, it’s time to pull out the crystal ball and see what the future holds for Concordia’s winter sports teams. Two teams can expect great things to come.

Men’s basketball Concordia has twice flirted with conference perfection in recent memory, going 15-1 against

Quebec schools in 2004-05 and again in 200607. This year they will achieve that elusive, perfect conference season.

Concordia will finish with a 16-0 record against an unusually weak RSEQ conference and advance to nationals for the second year in a row. Concordia will face a tough task at nationals, though. The Stingers have lost both games they’ve played against top 10 opponents.

I predict that Concordia will advance to the semi-finals before bowing out and eventually winning a bronze medal.

Women’s basketball Like the men, the women’s future also looks bright. However, I do not foresee the women going undefeated in conference play. Coach Keith

Pruden is aware how difficult it is to go undefeated, having only done it once in his lengthy career. A very impressive 14-2 season is in store for the Stingers.

I predict the women to also advance to nationals after losing in the RSEQ semi-finals last season. Like the men, though, the women will be coming home with a bronze. Guard Kaylah Barrett will also take home the award for RSEQ’s most outstanding player.

Men’s hockey Concordia is a middle of the pack team who will finish fifth in the OUA’s East conference (they currently sit in seventh place). The high scoring Stingers will play an exciting, high-scoring playoff round and upset their higher seeded oppo-

nent. However, Concordia will go home in the second round losing to a very talented McGill squad that will repeat as national champions.

Concordia will pull another upset win against rivals McGill in the regular season, though.

Women’s hockey The bleakest future of any of the winter teams.

Mired in a four-game losing streak, and clinging to the final playoff spot in the conference, Concordia is in trouble. The Stingers’ woes will continue, but they will manage to stave off Ottawa and make the playoffs. Unfortunately, they will be grossly overmatched against McGill, Canada’s number two ranked team, and will be swept from the playoffs in a very lopsided series.

16

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

theconcordian

basketball

Stingers stay perfect!

Game stats

73

60

27/72

FG/FGA

15/51

37.5%

FG%

32.8%

7/24

3-PT

2/17

29.2%

3-PT%

11.8%

75%

FT/FTA

28/30

39

Rebs

44

16

TO

27

11

Asts

7

Magalie Beaulieu (5) runs the floor with Serginha Estimé (11) joining the play in the Stingers 19-point win. Photo by Navneet Pall

Stingers win 74-55 in first game after break Julian Mei Sports editor

T

he Concordia Stingers women’s basketball team rebounded back from the long Christmas break to maintain its perfect start to the season.

Concordia dominated down low against the UQAM Citadins last Thursday, out rebounding its opponent 57-31, en route to a

19-point victory.

The Stingers picked up almost as many offensive rebounds, 26, as UQAM did in total. Serginha Estimé led the way for Concordia grabbing nine of her 12 rebounds on the offensive end of the court.

Even with the winning effort, Stingers coach Keith Pruden was not entirely pleased with his team’s play, especially in the game’s opening quarter, where Concordia looked sluggish and confused.

“I wasn’t completely happy with how we played, but I am happy for the win,” said Pruden.

Still, led by leading scorer Kaylah Bar-

rett, the Stingers were able to amass an 11point lead going into halftime and never let UQAM back in the game after that.

Pruden was more pleased with his team’s effort coming out of the break. “I think in the second half we had a lot more energy and were able to open up the floor better and that made the difference.”

Barrett finished the game with 23 points, making seven of her eight field-goal attempts. Barrett has been hands-down Concordia’s best player all-season and is second in the country in scoring. She was reluctant to take credit for the Stingers’ success, though. “My teammates have been working

really hard so that has been a huge part of my individual success,” she said.

Starting the season 4-0, expectations for the women this year are sky high. Still, Pruden is not eager to look too far ahead.

“We are just taking it one game at a time,” he said. “It’s very difficult to go undefeated, I’ve only done it once in my coaching career so it’s not something I even think about. This team has a lot of potential and our goal is to win nationals.”

The Stingers’ next game is at home against UQAM at the Loyola campus gym on Jan. 14 at 6 p.m.

Basketball

Stingers trudge to win in sloppy game Concordia overcomes foul troubles in victory Julian Mei Sports editor It may not have been the Concordia Stingers’ prettiest win of the season, but it counts just the same.

Concordia prevailed 73-60 Thursday night over the UQAM Citadins, improving its record to a perfect 4-0 in conference play. The game may have been even more lopsided had UQAM not gotten to the free-throw line 30 times, making good on 28 of the attempts. Éric Côté-Kougnima impressed with his free-throw abilities, making all 17 of his attempts.

While credit is deserved by UQAM, Stingers coach John Dore said the inconsistent officiating made the game tough for both teams.

“When that many fouls are being called, guys don’t know what to expect,” he said. “It makes it difficult because players don’t know what’s okay and what isn’t.”

The tightly officiated game made things especially difficult for the Stingers who like to play a fast-paced, quick transitional style.

“It got us away from how we like to play a bit, but we were fortunately able to open things up in the second half,” said Dore.

Despite having to adjust its game plan slightly, Concordia was in control most of the game, never trailing after the opening minutes of the first quarter.

Some sloppy shooting from the Citadins allowed Concordia to take an early 12-3 lead. The game would go back and forth for the rest of

the way. UQAM was able to pull within seven points in the game’s final minutes, but a Decee Krah three-pointer put the Stingers back up 10 and was the final nail in the coffin for UQAM. Krah led the Stingers in scoring, finishing with 18 points, four assists and four steals.

It is still early in the season but the Stingers are already playing with a chip on their shoulder. There is a feeling they are sometimes overlooked in the national rankings, having just

crawled into the final spot in the top 10.

“I think [the top 10 ranking] was overdue,” said Dore. “The Quebec conference only has five teams in it so not a lot of coaches see us play and usually people will vote for teams they have seen play.” Concordia is the only team from the RSEQ currently ranked in the top 10.

Thursday’s game was also the first conference game back for Stingers forward James

Clark, who had been out with an ankle injury.

Clark scored nine points and had two rebounds in his limited 14 minutes on the floor.

Dore said that Clark is still not feeling 100 per cent, but is on his way to feeling better. The Stingers will be monitoring his minutes until he is back to full speed.

Concordia’s next game is against UQAM at Loyola on Jan. 14 at 4 p.m.

Game stats

74

55

28/71

FG/FGA

21/64

39.4%

FG%

32.8%

7/27

3-PT

3/13

25.9%

3-PT%

23.1%

11/19

FT/FTA

10/11

57

Rebs

31

24

TO

19

14

Asts

7

Frank Fiola drives to the net as the Stingers move to 4-0. Photo by Navneet Pall

opinions

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

17

Write to the editor: opinions@theconcordian.com editorial

No student should have to play the name game Quebec needs to overhaul its rules regarding a person’s preferred name

For some time now, Ben Boudreau, a secondyear sciences student at Concordia, has been pushing the administration to allow trans students to be identified by their preferred name on all university documents, rather than by their legal name. Boudreau’s cause merits more awareness, and ultimately, widespread support.

In December, The Concordian published an article detailing Boudreau’s struggles to have the name “Ben Boudreau” appear on his transcript. The struggle was all the more im-

portant because Boudreau, quite understandably, did not want his legal name - a name that doesn’t identify him at all - to be used by professors taking attendance. He has since been working alongside CSU councillors as well as with the 2110 Centre for Gender Advocacy to shed more light on this issue and have the Senate do something about it.

Boudreau’s plight was again highlighted last week on CBC Daybreak, when he recounted how he has had to email all of his professors at the beginning of each semester to let them know that while his transcript may say something different, they should address him in class as “Ben.” He went on to say that while reactions from some professors were generally positive, one teacher responded to him by saying “God still loves you.” One would hope God loves everyone, if you hap-

pen to believe in God, but that’s a whole other matter.

During the Daybreak interview, Concordia spokesperson Chris Mota indicated that at the moment, there is very little the university can do when it comes to guidelines regarding names on transcripts, explaining that the Quebec government requires universities to use a student’s legal name on all official documents.

Here, of course, lies the major problem.

The Quebec government has still not caught up to the fact that there are many people in today’s society, be they trans students or students with foreign names preferring to go by something else, who do not wish to use their legal name. Ever. It is a name that should never be associated with them, as it no longer describes the person they have come to be.

The process to change legal names is a whole other bureaucratic battle, one that could take longer than a student’s time at university. So while that red tape is being cut, the Quebec government should recognize that students have a right to their own name, and allow them to use it whenever and on whatever document they like.

In the meantime, Mota said on Daybreak that students like Boudreau can explain their situation to the Office of the Registrar and have them alert the professors. But Boudreau said he went through that very process, without much success, as can probably be said for many other students who tried the same route. At the end of the day, Boudreau says it’s a matter for the judicial system. If the Quebec government doesn’t get its act together soon, perhaps he’s right.

research

Wi-can trust Wikipedia Don’t disparage the online encyclopedia just yet Myles Dolphin Opinions editor Ever since Wikipedia’s inception in 2001, professors and academics alike have often doubted the accuracy of its numerous entries.

Concordia communication studies librarian Sonia Poulin is part of that camp: “Wikipedia is not an academic source, nor an authoritative source (despite having references), and there is no organized editorial or academic oversight,” she said. “An article may have references, but present the information in a biased, unscientific way.” Like anything else though, it’s misguided to criticize something you don’t truly understand the inner workings of.

Some people completely discredit things without truly understanding how they’re built.

For example, a professor of mine just last week told my class not to “watch CNN because it’s not real news.” The problem lies with people telling me where I can and cannot get information. After five years at university and a whole lot more at the university of life, I’m confident that I’ve been given the right tools to sniff out information that isn’t fit to print. They tell us we have to use reliable sources, but what exactly is a reliable source these days? Besides peer-reviewed journals, it’s really hard to say.

I would classify Harper’s, Rolling Stone and New Republic as highly reputable publications, but do you remember Stephen Glass? In 1998 he was fired after it was revealed he fabricated parts of dozens of stories for those magazines, all dealing with very important topics. Today, media outlets are duped by Twitter hoaxes all the time and have to admit they jumped the gun in an embarrassing fashion. The professor who told us to stay away from CNN surely knows that mainstream media is also vulnerable to inaccuracies.

Just how accurate is Wikipedia exactly? In 2005, a single-blind study published in the journal Nature, which compared 42 random scientific articles from Wikipedia and Encyclopedia Britannica, concluded that the average Wikipe-

dia article contained four errors, as opposed to three in the average Britannica article.

So besides being pretty accurate, how is Wikipedia built and is it truly disorganized with no academic oversight? The answer is no, it’s a lot more organized that you may think.

There are currently 1,507 administrators (744 active) who “protect, delete and restore pages, move pages over redirects, hide and delete page revisions, edit protected pages, and block other editors.” They are chosen by way of a rigorous peer selection process and watch over the changes made by more than 16 million accounts (300,000 of which have made more than 10 edits). They are helped by a variety of “software assisted systems and automated programs,” one of which is called WikiScanner, to watch for problematic edits and editors. WikiScanner is a tool developed by the California Institute of Technology which “matches anonymous IP edits in the encyclopedia with an extensive database of addresses.” It has identified dubious edits made to entries by the CIA, Diebold Inc., the Australian government and others over the years.

“You can edit whatever you want in Wikipedia!,” many claim. Anyone who thinks this has clearly never tried editing anything on the site. This is the litmus test for someone who doesn’t understand how Wikipedia works.

Editors are notified when the slightest changes are made to entries, and many mistakes are fixed almost instantly. In fact, “a 2007 peer-reviewed study stated that 42% of damage (i.e. vandalism) is repaired almost immediately.”

In 2009, continued vandalism prompted Wikipedia to implement a new feature called “Flagged Revisions.” Originally used as a pilot project on the German version of Wikipedia, users are required to be authenticated before being able to edit, and need to provide references. For certain entries, the changes “must be verified by an experienced volunteer before publication,” according to an article in PC World. Entries are placed in a holding queue

Graphic by Phil Waheed

until they are approved by someone Wikipedia considers a “trusted editor.” Furthermore, “systems administrators can block access to the site by certain users who have repeatedly been vandalizing entries.” Clearly, many measures are put into place to prevent vandalism and erroneous information from being posted.

That doesn’t mean, by any stretch, that Wikipedia entries are hermetically sealed and invulnerable to inaccuracies, because they aren’t. Out of more than 3.8 million English entries there will be mistakes. But it’s unfair to label it as a specious source for information.

With a growing number of newspapers, books and even libraries migrating to the web, why should we stay away from highly-structured, communal knowledge building websites such as Wikipedia? Everyone will agree that it’s a great tool; with more than 20 million articles in 280-some languages, it’s hard to argue against that statement. It can be highly useful for academic purposes, but provided that students have been taught the necessary critical thinking skills that will allow them to mine adequate and accurate information. That means checking references to see how trustworthy they are and remaining skeptical of single

source entries.

Hyperlinking is where Wikipedia is truly powerful; it provides a fantastic springboard for research. “It can be a very valuable first source - but I repeat - only as a first source.

Chances are, if the article is solid, you’ll be able to find a second or even a third source corroborating the info,” says Alex Panetta, news editor for the Canadian Press in Montreal. Concordia journalism professor Leo Gervais agrees. “We should teach and encourage the students to use other sources and show their benefits, but to dismiss Wikipedia out of hand would be folly in my view.”

Ultimately, universities strive to prepare their students for the “real” world by teaching them to filter, analyze, evaluate and compile information properly. The information itself is quasi-irrelevant. Nowadays, professors need to re-evaluate their approaches to defining ‘reliable sources’ and put more trust in their students. Research has always been about getting various sources on a topic and Wikipedia is a great place to start, so don’t be so quick to dismiss it; it may be free, but it’s a labour of love for thousands of well-informed people who mean well.

18

Tuesday, January 10. 2012

theconcordian

business

is no big box store New Mile End specialty store will not endanger surrounding businesses

Photo by Sophia Loffreda

Erica Commisso Contributor Many locals and business owners in the Mile End neighbourhood feel they have been slighted with the recent opening of David’s Tea on St-Viateur Street.

David’s Tea was founded in Montreal by David Segal, who himself was born and raised in this city. It is a homegrown chain that succeeded and grew, with dozens of stores across the country.

While St-Viateur is populated by local family businesses, David’s Tea is the only specialty tea shop on the street and therefore does not take away any

business from local owners.

The company offers several loose-leaf teas and blends like Cherry Potion and Forever Nuts, unique products that cater to tea admirers. Iconic coffee shops such as Club Social and Cafe Olimpico will remain unaffected.

It is the only chain store on a street that is peppered with bagel shops, cafés, and local eateries.

Some feel that this could disrupt the area’s “bohemian” vibe by encouraging other chain stores to open up in the Mile End. Some have expressed a fear that it will turn into Mont-Royal or Parc Avenue, littered with chain stores. Rent is beginning to steadily increase, houses and condos are being

built on upper St-Laurent, and many feel that Mile End is falling victim to gentrification, and that it’s only a matter of time before all character is lost.

All of these fears are a bit hyperbolic. Their arguments are entirely opinion-based and contain no statistics or economic proof that would indicate that the presence of this tea shop is in any way detrimental to the area.

Residents think that the community will undergo a drastic change because of the chain expanding to a smaller community. Just because one national store opens up, the whole area will not necessarily undergo an industrial revolution of sorts. The dominoes will stay intact. Owner Segal even recently told The Gazette: “We are the only tea shop on the street and are excited to bring quality tea to the neighbourhood.” That doesn’t sound like anything a Starbucks franchise owner would ever say.

Besides, there are plenty of other businesses in the Mile End that don’t just cater to a local clientele. Ubisoft (25 studios in 17 countries) and Dis-

creet Logic (owned by multinational company Autodesk, Inc.), both part of the art world and both operating out of the Mile End, don’t disrupt the artistic and creative flows that permeate the area.

For that reason, David’s Tea shouldn’t have to limit itself to a local customer base to open a store on St-Viateur either.

In my opinion, if the public opinion isn’t uniform, it shouldn’t count. While the Mile End is part of the Plateau Mont-Royal borough, and the latter has certainly opened itself up to a slew of international chains, it’s up to residents and local merchants of the Mile End to make sure that any new businesses abide by the existing mentality against gentrification.

The Mile End neighbourhood is famous for boasting narrow alleys, industrial architecture and ethnic restaurants. Though cafes have grown to become staples of the community, they don’t define it. David’s Tea is not interfering with anyone by becoming a business there. The aesthetic essence has not been disrupted, the ethnic restaurants remain unchanged, and the character everpresent on St-Viateur Street and in the Mile End still thrives on a somewhat artisan feel. One store, no less a Montreal-based one, cannot disrupt that.

resolutions

Are you committed enough?

New Year’s resolutions are commitments that people make, promises to themselves for the upcoming year to improve certain areas of their lives. Some pledge to lose bad habits, some want to create good ones. The Romans started off each year by making promises to the god Janus, for whom January is named. It’s hard to say whether resolutions made today carry as much conviction as they did then, but there are some people out there who see them through to the very end.

Here are two students who see resolution-making in a very different light.

Pauline Mauche Contributor

Daniel J. Rowe Staff writer

This year I will get into shape, give up smoking and drinking, get a new job, set up a budget, find a boyfriend, learn how to play guitar, volunteer, complete assignments on time, sleep early and lose weight. No seriously, do you believe all that?

Because I don’t.

At one time in their lives, most people have made one of these new year’s resolutions. If you are one of them and didn’t succeed, don’t feel ashamed. Researchers have found that there is an 80 per cent failure rate when it comes to keeping those resolutions. It turns out it’s damaging to not reach a goal that we set for ourselves.

New Year’s resolutions are harmful because it is the wrong way to change your lifestyle. It makes no sense stopping everything at the same time.

Can you imagine trying to give up wine, cigarettes and chocolate in the same week?

Iphone applications exist to help you with New Year’s resolutions, such as EatBetter, GoalGetter, Munch 5-a-Day or Monumental, which counts the stairs you have climbed. I know Steve Jobs made miracles, but we’re not quite there yet. These apps have failed when scientists have had to prove that they change health behaviors.

On AntiResolution.com, they remind us that resolutions are made only to be abandoned. Instead, the site proposes small daily goals that are significantly more attainable. Did you know that sleeping could make you lose weight? Seven to nine hours of sleep each night regulates appetite and increases bone density. If you want to save money, start brown bagging your lunch right now.

Brown bagging a lunch from home only costs about $3.

These are tiny steps people can take to make small, but meaningful changes in their lives, without risking major disappointment.

Maybe you can’t make resolutions, but you can train yourself to form a new habit step by step and this is how you can really accomplish your goal.

Self-awareness is the only way to know about your willpower flaws and fixing them. Concentrating on one simple goal at a time is the key to success.

The clock strikes 12, the ball drops, people raise their glasses and begin a new year; some resolve to change, some do not. The New Year’s resolution is under attack. Some see it as a stupid waste of time that they are just going to break in the end, so why do it anyway?

Why try to do something positive in your life if you will just break your resolution in a week?

The answer to the question is this: the act of trying has value.

Why not resolve to change? Why not think of one thing you would like to do differently next year?

Why not make a resolution? There is no ‘judge of the resolution’ waiting for you to screw up so they can sentence you to jail. The resolution is a personal attempt at improvement. There is no one watching.

If there is, then they are a much bigger loser than you are for breaking your New Year’s resolution.

It is that moment of resolve which makes a New Year’s resolution special. It is in trying to better ourselves where we succeed.

Last year, I made a resolution to read the entire Thomas Hardy cannon. I had read a few of his books, and thought that over the year I could read the rest. Did I fail? Of course I did.

Was it worth it? Yes. Even though I did not finish the fourteen books I set out to, I read whatever I could. The act of trying produces the value of a resolution. We cannot always win everything. We will not always succeed, and this is fine. We either resolve to do something positive, and even if it lasts only a month, a week, an hour or a half a minute, at least we made an attempt.

It is better than sitting smugly on a beanbag chair condescending to others who we want to fail.

R.P. McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) bets the other mental patients in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest that he can lift a water fountain and throw it through a wall, so he can go downtown to watch the World Series. All the patients bet against him and wait for him to fail. He tries to lift a fountain he clearly cannot, and fails. He loses the bet. “But I tried didn’t I goddammit,” he says. “At least I did that.”

The Etcetera Page Across

1- A dish with many ingredients; 5- Attack a fly; 9- Disconcert; 14Ripped; 15- Mata _ ; 16- Rate; 17Support beam; 18- Extend; 20- Flirt; 22- Brit. lexicon; 23- Bottom of the barrel; 24- Mex. miss; 26- Heroic adventure tale; 28- Temerity; 32Pertaining to the mind; 36- Be in debt; 37- Praying figure; 39- Bring out; 40- Makes lace; 42- Clogs, e.g.; 44- Complacent; 45- Betelgeuse’s constellation; 47- Angry; 49- 401(k) alternative; 50- Pay as due; 52- Having three feet; 54- Islamic call to prayer; 56- Split; 57- “The Clan of the Cave Bear” author; 60- Chatter; 62Resounds; 66- Seaplane; 69- As to; 70- Curt; 71- Kiln for drying hops; 72Approached; 73- Handle; 74- Gusto; 75- Break, card game;

Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012 Vol. 29 issue 16

Jacques Gallant

Editor-in-chief editor@theconcordian.com

Kamila Hinkson

Managing editor managing@theconcordian.com

Chris Hanna

Production manager production@theconcordian.com

Alyssa Tremblay

Interim news editor news@theconcordian.com

Paula Rivas

Life editor life@theconcordian.com

Sofia Gay

Arts editor arts@theconcordian.com

Allie Mason

Down

1- Auricular; 2- Timber wolf; 3- Oilrich nation; 4- Attack; 5- Breaks; 6- Move from side to side; 7- Golden Fleece ship; 8- Wearies; 9- Prince Valiant’s son; 10- Barren area; 11- End in _ (draw); 12- Dimensions; 13- Makes a row?; 19- According to the Bible, he was the first man; 21- Cube creator Rubik; 25- Japanese beer brand; 27“Fancy that!”; 28- Chopper topper; 29- Alert; 30- Take hold; 31- Nasal grunt; 33- Bombastic; 34- Legend

Music editor music@theconcordian.com

Julian Mei

Sports editor sports@theconcordian.com

Myles Dolphin

Puzzles provided by BestCrosswords.com. Used with permission.

maker; 35- Juridical; 38- Eye drops; 41- Member of a lay society; 43Short dagger; 46- Pince- _ ; 48- Heroic; 51- Sturdy wool fiber; 53- Morals; 55- Influential person; 57- P.M. times;

58- Peter Fonda title role; 59- Bronte heroine; 61- Male swine; 63- Son of Judah; 64- Humorist Bombeck; 65Leak slowly; 67- “The Matrix” hero; 68- Faulkner’s “ _ Lay Dying”;

Opinions editor opinions@theconcordian.com

Navneet Pall

Photo editor photo@theconcordian.com

Katie Brioux

Graphics editor graphics@theconcordian.com

Marissa Miller Heather Rimington Elizabeth Tomaras

Copy editors copy@theconcordian.com

Sophia Loffreda Kerry MacKinnon

Production assistants

Editorial Office

7141 Sherbrooke St. W. - CC.431 Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 514.848.2424 x7499 (Editor-in-Chief) 514.848.2424 x7458 (Newsroom)

To some, 2012 is just another year. To others, it’s the end of the Mayan Long Count calendar and thus, the demise of all living things on Earth. I’d like to believe that, because it’s fun believing in crazy things, but the only improbable event that would convince me the world is coming to an end would be a Stanley Cup win by the Toronto Maple Leafs. And we all know that’s not going to happen anytime soon.

514.848.2424 x7404 (Production)

Melissa Kate Gagnon

Business manager business@theconcordian.com

Marshall Johnston

Advertising manager advertising@theconcordian.com

Comic by Phil Waheed

@cowleyDaniels44: Getting migraines

@doctorzaius : Make a bad joke about 2012?

Don’t Mayan if I do!

@Disalmanac Today in 1907, the first New

Year’s Eve celebration was held in Times Square.

At the time, Dick Clark was only 115 years old.

@designersays: Don’t forget to take photos

of the fireworks tonight guys using your iPhones.

Images of black sky covered in white dots take my breath away.

@BettyFckinWhite: Just heard that Justin

Bieber is in Times Square waiting for his balls to drop tonight. Happy New Year! @capricecrane: Slippery Slope of New Years

Resolutions: 1st Resolution: Go to the gym every day. 2nd: Feel guilty for not going. 3rd: Pie.

Board of Directors directors@theconcordian.com

Solution issue 15 (Dec. 6)

after hanging out with people for a while is going to make my New Year’s Resolution of being extroverted very difficult.

Brennan Neill Emily White Cindy Lopez Ruben Bastien

Business and Advertising

1455 de Maisonneuve W. - H.733-4 Montreal, QC H3G 1M8 514.848.2424 x7420 (Office) 514.848.7427 (Fax)

Staff writers and Contributors

Marilla Steuter-Martin, Shereen Rafea, Arndell LeBlanc, Kevin Duarte, Melissa Tagliamonti, George Menexis, Amanda Shore, David Adelman, Lindsay Rempel, Leah Batstone, Pauline Mauche, Daniel J. Rowe, Erica Commisso, Camille Nerant, Sean Kershaw, Phil Waheed, Alessandra McGovern

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+THEATRE - Teaching Hamlet - 19h00 - Centaur Theatre +THEATRE - Bliss - 19h30 - Centaur Theatre +THEATRE - Bifurcate Me - 21h00 - Centaur Theatre

+THEATRE - Edgar Allan Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum - 19h00 - Centaur Theatre +THEATRE - Bliss - 19h30 - Centaur Theatre +THEATRE - Blink Blink Blink - 21h00 - Centaur Theatre

+VERNISSAGE - FOFA’s new exhibitions - 17h00 - EV +THEATRE - All My Sons - 20h00 - John Abbott College Casgrain Theatre +THEATRE - Bifurcate Me - 19h00 - Centaur Theatre +THEATRE - Bliss - 19h30 - Centaur Theatre +THEATRE - Countries Shaped Like Stars - 21h00 - Centaur Theatre +THEATRE - Dick Powell’s “in The Mood For Jazz”- 21h30 - Centaur Theatre +MUSIC - Igloofest - 18h30 - Quai Jacques-Cartier +THEATRE - All My Sons - 20h00 - John Abbott College Casgrain Theatre +MUSIC - I See Stars - 18h30 - La Tulipe +MUSIC - Igloofest - 18h30 - Quai Jacques-Cartier +MUSIC - The Darcy’s - 20h00 - Casa Del Popolo +MUSIC - Sylvain Legacé - 21h00 - Piranha Bar +MUSIC - Häxan with Live score by Montreal Nintendo Orkestar - 19h00 - Blue Sunshine +MUSIC - Pengo + Panopticon Eyelids - 20h30 - Casa Del Popolo +MUSIC - Les va-nu-pieds + Les fous de la rein - 20h00 - La Sala Rossa +STINGERS - Women’s hockey VS. McGill - 19h30 - Ed Meagher Arena +STINGERS - Men’s Hockey @ Queen’s - 19h30 +VERNISSAGE - Personal Mythologies - 15h00 - 3680 Jeanne-Mance #103 +VERNISSAGE - A Stake in the Ground: Contemporary Native Art Manifestation - 15h00 - Art Mûr +LAUNCH - Interfold magazine launch party - 21h00 - 1175 St-Marc St. +MUSIC - Igloofest - 18h30 - Quai Jacques-Cartier +MUSIC - Creepin Daisy - 21h00 - Piranha Bar +MUSIC - Richard Seguin - 20h00 - Cabaret-Théâtre du Vieux Saint-Jean +MUSIC - Casey Jones Farewell Tour - 20h00 - Underworld +MUSIC - Slugbait - 20h30 - Casa Del Popolo +MUSIC - Honheehonhee - 21h00 - La Sala Rossa +STINGERS - Men’s Hockey vs. RMC - 14h00 - Ed Meagher Arena +THEATRE - All My Sons - 14h00 - John Abbott College Casgrain Theatre +STINGERS - Men’s Basketball vs. UQAM - 16h00 +MUSIC - Peter Peter acoustique - 17h00 - Quai des brumes +STINGERS - Women’s Basketball vs. UQAM - 18h00

HEY YOU! The Concordian is holding a byelection for the following positions: News editor, assistant news, assistant life, assistant arts, assistant music, assistant sports, assistant opinions.

Send your cover letter, CV, and clippings for a maximum of two positions to managing@theconcordian.com by Friday, January 20th at 4p.m.

The byelection will be held Sunday, January 22nd at 2p.m. in CC-431.