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Dalai Lama in Montreal P. 2

music

Lunice comes home Thursday P. 14

On the road to recovery

Editorial p. 21

Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2011

life Fierce florals featured at Montreal Fashion Week P. 7

arts Jimmy Moore on being Gaga and other grandes dames P. 11

sports Desmarais returns in Stingers loss P. 19

Volume 29 Issue 3

Slow down, partner: Technical staff Senate to ad hoc demand new contract ConU workers strike committee on downtown Academic body endorses spirit of recommendations Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo News editor Senate believes that Concordia’s Board of Governors needs reform, but it doesn’t want to rush into things.

Concordia’s academic body passed three consecutive motions Friday endorsing the spirit of the recommendations made by the external governance review committee in June. But it’s taken a slower approach in comparison to the two-year-old ad hoc committee on governance, which greeted the recommendations with enthusiasm.

In addition to endorsing the spirit of the report and recommending the ad hoc committee on governance table their proposed bylaw changes, Senate will invite the board to participate in a bicameral committee. Composed of both BoG and Senate members, the committee’s mandate will be to consider and make recommendations to a joint meeting in a timely manner by November, after the report was deemed by some senators to

be ‘’polarizing’’ the relationship between the Senate and the Board of Governors.

Senate was less than enthused with the results of the June 15 report. Dubbed “the Shapiro Report” in discussions at Friday afternoon’s meeting after EGRC head Bernard Shapiro, senators expressed concern at how fast the process was advancing.

“I just feel rushed with all of this and I don’t see the urgency. The only urgency I see is to get the relationship [between board and senate] back on track,” said arts and science senator Maria Peluso.

Two weeks ago, the ad hoc committee pronounced its hearty agreement with the report and said it would present the bylaw amendments to the Board of Governors meeting on Sept. 28, with a few tweaks, for adoption.

Provost David Graham expressed a sense of discomfort with the imbalance between the two governing bodies at Concordia. “It was a matter of some surprise to me when I came to Concordia to learn that Senate is so explicitly a creature of and so explicitly subservient of the Board of Governors,’’ Graham said.

However, he added, “I have come to accept that it is a politically very fraught and potentially quite

Continued on p. 3

campus

Jacques Gallant Editor-in-chief Beginning in the wee hours of the morning last Wednesday, over 60 technical workers on Concordia’s downtown campus held a one-day strike to demand the renewal of their contract, which expired in 2008.

Lasting from 6 a.m. until about 1 p.m., the strike saw a group of workers including plumbers, electricians, and mechanics march around the Hall building and the nearby area.

The employees, who are members of United Steel Workers local 9538, are demanding they receive pay conditions equivalent to what is found in other Montreal universities.

Local union representative Richard Boudreault said on Monday that he has yet to hear a response from the university regarding last week’s strike, and union members are still waiting for an “interesting offer” to be put on the table by the administration.

“For now, we would at least like to see them schedule a meeting with the conciliator,” said Boudreault. “We are ready to talk, but we’re not going to bring ourselves to our knees in front of the employer either.”

University spokesperson Chris

Mota said that the request for a meeting with the conciliator has been made, and the university is still waiting to hear back.

“The university is ready to talk,” she said.

At the strike last Wednesday, plumber Jacky Renaud said he and his colleagues did not understand why the university has yet to renew the workers’ contract.

“We want to go forward, they want to go backwards,” said Renaud, who has worked at Concordia for the past five years.

Boudreault said members of his union remain deeply frustrated with the fact that while Concordia has yet to make an offer to the technical workers, the administration has doled out over $2 million in severance packages to senior administrators, including ousted presidents Claude Lajeunesse and Judith Woodsworth.

“It’s indecent that they can pay up to $2 million in severance packages, but yet they propose salaries to us that are inferior to what is offered at other Montreal universities,” he said.

Boudreault, who indicated that the technical workers have the support of students, faculty and technical workers on the Loyola campus, said that he will be meeting with other members of the union in the coming days to discuss what steps to take next. He said nothing is ruled out, including a strike that could last indefinitely.

See photo on p. 3

theconcordian.com

news 2

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Got a news tip? news@theconcordian.com

City in brief Jacques Gallant

Help choose next president by Sept. 16

The search for Concordia’s next president and vice-chancellor is on, and members of the campus community have until Friday, Sept. 16 to fill out a brief survey online and offer their suggestions as to the most suitable person for the job. Concordia has been without a permanent president since the Board of Governors ousted Judith Woodsworth last December.

Current president Frederick Lowy is only in office on an interim basis.

GSA holds first assembly of the year

The Graduate Students Association held its first general assembly last Friday to discuss some of the most contentious issues at Concordia, including rising international tuition fees and governance troubles. Although the GSA did not manage to gather enough members to reach quorum, the meeting still lasted almost two hours. Faculty, part-time faculty, and staff members were also present, with the president of the Part-Time Faculty Association, Maria Peluso, expressing her concerns over upcoming contract negotiations with the administration.

Phase 2 of escalators project to begin

The replacement of the decades-old escalators at the Hall building continues, with phase 2 set to begin in mid-September. According to a press release from the university, phase 2 will involve the replacement of escalators between the seventh and ninth floors. During this time, construction walls will surround these escalators, but the main floor escalators and staircases will remain accessible.

The whole project to replace the Hall building’s notoriously malfunctioning escalators began earlier this year, with plans to have all 17 escalators replaced and one additional escalator added to the main floor by the spring of 2013.

religion

Sow compassion, reap world peace The Dalai Lama calls for selflessness and altruism in a post 9/11 world Irina Gaber Contributor Create your own inner peace.

Share with others. The Dalai Lama’s recipe for world peace sounds simple enough.

“It all starts with the individual.

Not God, not the religious heads, but the individual,” he told the 3,000 or so participants of the second Global Conference on World’s Religions after 9/11 at the Palais des congrès last Wednesday.

“All major religions are based on a set of moral ethics and carry the message of forgiveness. The essence of their teachings is love and compassion,” he said. “But these things will not be achieved simply through prayers to God. We must make a personal, as well as institutional effort to reach out and talk.”

Organized by McGill University and Université de Montreal, the conference’s aim was to promote a better perception of religions of the world as a small step towards terminating the misuse of religion by people seeking power.

The Dalai Lama joined spiritual and religious scholars from all major faiths as a keynote speaker to discuss the involvement of religion in the building of peace.

While acknowledging that religion can be seen as cause for violence, corruption and division, spiritual leaders argue that religion can be harnessed as, and has to become, a force for goodness.

“If we use religion for division, to create more solitude, greed and fights, then religion also becomes wrong and destructive, not because there’s something wrong with religion, but due to the person who uses it for wrong. If you criticize Islam due to some mischievous Muslims, then you have to criticize all the world’s religions for their mischievous people,” said the 76-year-old

The Dalai Lama imparted his message of spiritual wisdom on Wednesday. with a gentle smile and good humor.

Poised and dressed in the traditional orange Buddhist robe, save maybe for his watch, the Dalai Lama spoke calmly, in a simple, accented English, yet rarely required the help of his interpreter. He moved gracefully and often made jokes with the public, the media and other panelists, wearing a visor so to better see the audience.

He urged for tolerance and open-mindedness, among both believers and non-believers. “All of us hold these seeds of destructive emotions—of greed, jealousy and hate—but it is up to us to cultivate the positive emotions,” he said.

“9/11 had nothing to do with religion,” agreed Robert Thurman, professor in Indo-Tibetan Studies at Columbia University. “It was an event of the abuse of religion, and the reaction to it was an abuse of religion.”

“Religion mobilizes people to the life and death level, which is why it’s so powerful and so important, so it is completely ridiculous to think there could possibly be world peace, harmony and justice and even preservation of the environment, without mobilizing religions,” said Thurman.

The panelists accepted there is a long road ahead if religions are to ever work side by side.

“If we want to speak about peace we should be ready to speak about violence,” said Tariq Ramadan, professor of contemporary Islamic studies at Oxford University. “If we are serious about religious contributions, religious voices should speak out about corruption, injustice, discrimination and poverty.”

Dr. Deepak Chopra, physician and renowned author of spirituality books, has a different view altogether.

“If we really want peace, we

are going to have to find the eternal truths of the religious experience as separate from the religious dogma or ideology,” he said.

Chopra believes social media is where the world’s conversation is taking place right now, leading to the rewiring of a new planetary consciousness, and eroding national and ethnic identities.

He argued that science is revealing truths to us that contradict many of the mythologies of all religions. “It is going to be a challenge to change some of our cultural mythologies,” he admitted.

The Dalai Lama spoke extensively on the media’s role to educate people on these moral ethics in order to promote a healthy society.

“Sometimes, you see on the news only those negative things: murder, violence, greed. Nobody talks about the real ultimate source of our happy life.”

Where did all the French go?

According to a new report from the Office québécois de la langue française, French could be the language of the minority on the Island of Montreal in just 20 years. The report indicates that if current trends continue on the Island, only 47.4 per cent of residents will speak French at home by 2031, compared to 54 per cent in 2006. Over the weekend, Quebec premier Jean Charest said that those consulting the report should not jump to conclusions, but rather put the study into context. He pointed to what he called “good news” in the report - the increase in the number of immigrants to the Island of Montreal who speak French. He did not elaborate on the items in the report that were of concern to his government.

Other leaders and prominent spiritual figures at the conference included Deepak Chopra (right). Photos by writer

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian strike

3

Nation in brief Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo

Universities forego copyright fee increase

Concordia’s technical workers are demanding a new contract; negotiations have stalled since 2008. Photo by Navneet Pall

Continued from cover

Senate extends invitation to BoG to meet on governance related issues dangerous process for Concordia to open the charter. And the reason for that is that the charter, which is the only document as I understand it which can enable the creation of a truly bicameral system at Concordia, is in fact a piece of legislation.”

“Once we reopen that, we turn over the control of the future of that piece of legislation to members of

the government and the opposition who may or may not be in agreement with what we wish to achieve and who may or may not have agendas of their own and priorities of their own that they might wish to insert into a revised piece of legislation,” continued Graham.

The three motions were born from Graham’s suggestion to proceed only with the most urgent

items (the renewal of the board and the amended policy for the search for the next president) and suspend action regarding the charter and bylaws until such time that a meeting between the two governing bodies could meet to discuss the entirety of the recommendations.

The Board of Governors derives its power from the university’s charter. As such, Senate, which is

the senior academic body at the university, is subject to its authority.

An internal memorandum from Senate’s steering committee also raised concern about the proposed reduction in undergraduate student representation on the board from four students to one, under the proposed bylaw changes, but there was no mention of the concern at the meeting.

campus

Senate approves next step in Concordia’s open access policy Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo News editor

Concordia’s Senate has unanimously recommended that president Frederick Lowy sign the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge on behalf of the university.

At their monthly meeting on Friday afternoon, university librarian Gerald Beasley encouraged Senate to join the over 300 institutions to sign the agreement, which by definition gives users free access to complete academic works.

The declaration will not require any additional action on the part of academic authors, according to Beasley. “[The agreement] doesn’t either limit or bring any new responsibilities to faculty researchers or anybody producing creative work or research at the university,” Beasley said.

Moreover, by submitting their research into an open access repository, an author retains the rights to their work. “[Researchers] actually usually find they have more rights at the end of the open access sequence than they do when signing agreements with academic publishers, many of whom will sign away their rights

“

300

2

Number of institutions across the globe that have signed the Berlin Declaration on Open Access to Knowledge since its inception in 2003

Number of Canadian institutions that have signed the declaration: one university in Montreal and one association of research libraries

[Researchers] actually usually find they have more rights at the end of the open access sequence.

in exchange for publication,” the university librarian explained.

Beasley lent his support to the motion in preparation for an annual conference organized by the original signatories of the document which will occur in North America in November.

Beasley added that the declaration would serve as a framework for the open access initiatives already in place or in the works at Concordia, such as its membership in the Coalition of Open Access Policy Institutions launched in August and the new open access author fund.

“The open access author fund, which is about to be officially announced but is already in place, is an author fund that will encourage and support academic authors seeking to publish in open access venues for which they are sometimes charged a fee,” Beasley explained. “That’s the kind of initiative that really benefits from having the kind of framework that the Berlin Declaration offers.”

Senate also set a precedent in April 2010 when they passed a resolution which required researchers to upload their research to Concordia’s repository, paving the way

for other open access initiatives at the institution.

The only other Canadian signatories, according to Beasley, are the Université du Québec à Montréal in 2003, and the Canadian Association of Research Libraries.

Concordia would therefore be the first English university in Canada to sign the declaration.

Although there was some debate amongst senators as to whether Senate had the authority to sign such a document, it was agreed that it was within Lowy’s purview to sign it as president, as it is an academic matter.

- Gerald Beasley, Concordia University librarian

Many universities are leaving their contracts with copyright licenser Access Copyright instead of agreeing to an increase in fees, Canadian University Press reported. Access Copyright is a copyright licenser which sells advance permission to universities to use copyrighted materials, on which they collect royalties.The licenser had applied to the Copyright Board of Canada to collect a $45 fee per student. According to University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist, institutions are paying millions in alternative licensing for access to other materials already and using other methods, including digital media, to access material.

Bump in teen pregnancy in March linked to spring break

A study at Queen’s University has found that a higher percentage of teens get pregnant in March, prompting researchers to suggest the findings may be linked to that most wonderful time of the year: spring break. Looking at five years’ worth of records from the Kingston General Hospital, the researchers compared the conception rate per month for all 838 adolescent pregnancies within that time period to that of a random sample of 838 adult pregnancies. According to the Vancouver Sun, 10.5 per cent of the teen pregnancies occurred in March, while 7.3 per cent of adult pregnancies occurred within the same time span. The researchers hope eventually to use the data to curb teen pregnancy.

You missed some

Inclement weather has led to a drop in the number of marijuana plants the RCMP has found and destroyed on Vancouver Island this year. According to The Globe and Mail, the RCMP are pointing to a 75 per cent drop between the number of outdoor plants discovered this year and the plants they found in 2010 as evidence that colder temperatures (and effective policing) are lowering production. arijuana advocate Jodie Emory and criminologist Neil Boyd have remarked that the RCMP are not taking into account the importance of indoor growing in the multibillion dollar B.C. industry.

Emory added that outdoor grow-ops produce for export, while indoor harvesting tends to remain within B.C. Guess that just means less for the rest of Canada, then.

But then who bailed her out?

A 19-year-old girl in a Victoria suburb was arrested last Sunday for driving drunk to the police station to bail out her boyfriend. He was arrested for public intoxication at the University of Victoria on Sept. 4 at 10 p.m. Police officers smelled alcohol on her breath upon her arrival at the station, prompting her to tell them she had traveled by cab. They gave her a breathalyzer test after seeing her walk back to her sister’s car. The car was impounded, and she was given a 90-day driving prohibition.

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Tuesday, September 13, 2011 9/11

theconcordian

9/11: a decade later New York City on the 10th anniversary of 9/11 last Sunday was a frag-

mented society. While the public outcry and sympathy for the victims was overwhelming, those present showed that unity was not evident. Anarchist, anti-discrimination groups, and religious groups all expressed conflicting point of views.

Photos by Navneet Pall.

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

orientation

A hip-hop artist and an activist walk into an auditorium Orientation speakers encourage youth engagement Jacqueline Di Bartolomeo News editor Two people shared the stage to speak of their experiences working with youth on Thursday.

One is a hip-hop artist and aficionado with an international upbringing and an interest in helping kids find themselves through art.

The other is a 30-year-old activist who grew tired of ‘‘preaching to the converted’’ instead of reaching out to the unengaged.

Nomadic Massive’s Lou Piensa and Ilona Dougherty, executive director and co-founder of Apathy is Boring, spoke back-to-back about youth involvement Thursday evening to a group of about 30 in the H-110 auditorium in the Hall building on the downtown campus.

The two Concordia alumni were invited to speak as a part of the Concordia Student Union orientation week, which is placing emphasis on local and Canadian people and initiatives.

Art and social work are joined at the hip for Piensa. He works in youth centres across Montreal, particularly in Côte-des-Neiges, and has expanded from his initial

Lou Piensa testified to the importance of hip hop in his life at Thursday’s keynote lecture. contribution of offering workshops on writing, beatboxing, singing and graffiti. (In his words, graffiti constitutes “using art as a pretext to encourage moral development and eventually professional development.”)

Teens are also offered courses in music theory and stage performance, and access to recording facilities.

Piensa is 1/10 of Nomadic Massive, a Montreal-based hip-hop collective. He lived in Ecuador, France, Algeria and Winnipeg, Man. before becoming a permanent resident of

Montreal.

“When I came to Canada, I definitely had a sense of being a bit of an outcast,” Piensa explained.

“Hip hop essentially [allowed me to] find the space to be myself, to form an identity other than the one I already had,” he said. “Art is not an ultimate solution but is a great way to make a person get in touch with who they are.”

Canadian non-profit organization Apathy is Boring, on the other hand, uses art to get in touch with disengaged youth. The organization, founded in 2004, works with about

40 Concordia artists like Piensa and Nomadic Massive “who are really engaged in their communities and really involved,” according to Dougherty.

The Yukon native spoke to the reality of starting a non-governmental organization and investing in an idea you love. “Doing what you love is going to be hard work,” she said.

It took Dougherty two-and-ahalf years to get AIB off the ground, working 70 to 80 hours a week.

She suggested creating projects, not organizations, that are supported by existing NGOs.

5

World in brief Chris Hanna

Mississippians to vote on “personhood”

On Nov. 8, people in Mississippi will cast their vote on the Personhood Amendment, which will decide whether life begins at conception or at birth, according to CNN. The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled 7-2 against abortion-rights groups, which wanted to block the possible amendment to the state’s constitution from ever appearing on the November ballot. The court said it is the citizens’ right to amend their state constitution, and a challenge to the amendment would be possible only when and if the proposed change becomes law. The amendment, also known as Measure 26, would extend “personhood” to the unborn, making abortions in the state illegal.

Put out or pay up

A woman in France successfully sued her now-ex-husband and was awarded close to $15,000 after she claimed the couple’s divorce was caused by his inactivity in the bedroom during their 21-year marriage, the London Telegraph reported. The judge assigned to the case referred to article 215 of France’s civil code, which binds married couples to a “shared communal life.” The judge believed that sexual relations are an integral part of a marriage. The exhusband cited “tiredness and health problems” as reasons why he was not having sex with his wife.

Bonnie and Clyde?

Leah Gibbs’ first date with Adam Minton probably didn’t go as well as she’d hoped. According to Time Magazine, the young Welsh couple met on Facebook and he invited her over to his house to watch some movies. Upon her arrival, he asked her to drive him to his friend’s for a short visit. She dropped him off at a mall parking lot, and he returned minutes later, knife and bag of money in hand, running and ordering her to drive back to his place. The police quickly found the two, and accused Minton of robbing a betting shop and Gibbs of being his accomplice. She spent a night in a jail cell until Minton confessed that he acted alone. He was handed a four-and-ahalf year jail sentence.

Ilona Dougherty (above) founded Apathy is Boring in 2004 to combat youth voter apathy.

Dressed to kill

Norwegian bomber Anders Behring Breivik insists on wearing Lacoste polos and sweaters on his visits in and out of prison, and the French fashion house is calling it a “PR nightmare.”

Breivik killed 77 people in Oslo and on the nearby island of Utoya on July 22 in a shooting spree and bombing, making him the least sought after spokesperson for any company. Lacoste’s trademark crocodile logo can be seen on widely circulated photos of Breivik in the back of a police van in which he is wearing a red sweater.

Lacoste executives have asked Oslo police to forbid Breivik from wearing their clothes, reported the London Telegraph. Breivik has said that wearing Lacoste makes it possible for him to “act as an educated European of the conservative character.”

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life

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

7

Write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com fashion

A fashionably late recap of MFW Say goodbye to all black and pursed lips Andrea Zoellner Contributor Fall may have barely started, but many Montreal fashion lovers are already planning their spring wardrobes after a whirlwind of shows at the 21st Montreal Fashion Week.

It’s debatable whether MFW, produced by Groupe Sensation Mode, really has an influence outside Montreal’s small fashion circle or if it’s just another opportunity to give ‘la bise’ to your well-dressed frenemies. Regardless, here is a quick look at what came down the catwalks this year.

While heavyweights like Denis Gagnon did off-site shows—he had models skipping around Birks Jewelers for an invitation-only audience—most of the excitement took place at Bonsecours Market in the Old Port.

The tone was set from the get-go with streetstyle sweetheart Travis Taddeo. The young Lasalle College graduate offered both men and women’s looks for warmer weather, with the keyword being sheer. The translucent and billowy look was going strong in Taddeo’s show, as well as in UNTTLD and Mélissa Nepton’s collections.

From one show to the other, there were some constants, mostly in the colour scheme: blacks, whites and lots of pink! From nudes to fuchsia, Dimitri Chris, Anomal Couture, Martin Lim and Dinh Bá Designs were all rocking one shade or another.

There was the expected flowy and ethereal spring/summer look in many collections.

However, others like DUY explored contrasting leather details and sharper lines to keep the look urban. Apparently, cacti and actress Tilda Swinton were inspirations.

A strong message was sent about accessories though, despite the loose tops and billowing dresses. Bold bags, jewelry and shoes were featured in more than one show. Long

Barilà’s collection exemplified the flowy feeling of spring clothing. Photo by Navneet Pall chandelier costume earrings in bright colours or geometric shapes created a strong contrast to the lightweight clothing. Shoes were heavy and bags had structured lines and were made of rigid leathers.

If you can’t afford a new wardrobe, no problem! Simply revisit your style rules and don’t be afraid to match feminine pieces with bold and graphic items.

Barilà and Mulcair were certainly favorites because of their youthful, and more importantly, commercial appeal. Mulcair’s sweet dresses, cropped tops and trousers are very now and are considerably more wearable than the overworked outfits featured at Label Europe, for example.

Although the first fashion show of the

week was the label UNTTLD, Harricana by Mariouche Gagné invited media and buyers to her store near Little Burgundy earlier that day for a private event.

Harricana is Montreal’s most celebrated fur coat and accessories label. Every piece is made from recycled materials and the brand is known as a true eco-business success story.

Eco-friendly and socially responsible fashion has certainly come a long way. Soïa and Kyo, Mackage’s daughter brand, presented their spring collection of coats made from recycled fibres on Wednesday.

On Thursday, FEM International (Femmes entrepreneures du monde) held a fashion show featuring the labels Chromozone, Rescued and Veinage. FEM is a non-profit organi-

zation that aims to support entrepreneurship among women worldwide.

But like at any fashion event, movie screening or vernissage, when my eyes are bored with the art, they turn to the people!

Everyone there was so young, it seemed like MFW got a facelift. Even Sensation Mode’s official blogger Naomie is barely legal.

Bye-bye head to toe black and pursed lips, the vibe was fun and colourful.

It seems Montreal’s fashion scene has been invaded by street fashion. Bloggers and alternative media rub shoulders with international buyers without pretention. Even though there were some hits and misses with the clothes, fashion in Montreal is alive and well.

fashion

Barilà tackles the T-shirt and gets it runway-ready A creative twist on a classic piece Marissa Miller Interim life editor For the girl who doesn’t have two hours to dedicate to getting dressed in the morning, let alone brew herself a latte, Montreal-based designer Sabrina Barilà has reinvented the Tshirt in a feminine, versatile way for her Spring 2012 show at Bonsecours Market for Montreal Fashion Week.

Barilà, with her model sister Claudia, kicked off their brand in 2007 cognizant of materializing their motto into their fashion lines: “Live the life you love.” What sets this line apart from others is its sheer wearability—its freedom in the flowy fabrics that let you live, and simultaneously love.

“Barilà loved one of her pyjama T-shirts so much that she decided to create many different versions of it so that other people can benefit from its comfort,” explained Barilà’s stylist, Cary Tauben, who also works for the Montreal modeling agency Folio.

“You can see from her new line that she took a traditional shape and made it perfect daywear for the working woman.”

With earthy beiges, dusty roses, pinstripes, jewel burgundies, baby blues and delicate florals, Barilà managed to interpret a classic Tshirt shape in a myriad of ways that all radiate the same image: relaxed. The cinched waist featured in every piece also reminds us that they’re made for real women with real bodies that have real nooks and crannies.

“Everything is very comfortable but also stylish. It’s clothes for busy women who want to look good when they go out during the day,” Tauben said.

The line at first glance is modest. And then you notice that a high-neckline collared dress is completely shoulderless, and wonder what kind of tan that would produce. Then you decide not to care because the fabrics are so breathable and feminine that you want to jump right in them and stop with the questions.

Barilà’s vintage, nostalgic, and ‘70sreminiscent pieces bring out the girl in the woman, and the woman in the girl. Their dainty flower-printed mid-calf socks take you back to your days in the schoolyard before you scraped your knees playing hopscotch.

Models flaunt next spring’s hottest garment at MFW. Photo by Navneet Pall The same outfit fast-forwards a couple years, featuring the effortless pairing of mature flared dresses and architecturally-advanced beige purses that would fit right in either at a conference room or a brunch table. A cool way to transcend time in one outfit.

“The floral patterns and denims are repeated through different pieces,” Tauben said. “But that’s just Barilà being playful with shape.”

Oddly enough, these repeated fabrics don’t feel redundant. They become invigorated by chunky caramel pumps, arms of gold bangles,

parallelogram-trapezoid shaped tote bags, and menacing pairs of ‘80s-inspired roundish wayfarer shades.

Barilà’s new spring collection makes it difficult to pick a favourite piece, because they all comprise the essentials of a strong, fashionforward woman. From the baby blue flared trouser tunic, to the deep aubergine maxi dress that made me have feelings for a piece of clothing, Barilà’s creations make, as Tauben would say, “feminine meet edgy.”

And it all started out with a pyjama T-shirt.

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Tuesday, September 13, 2011 food

theconcordian

The quest for the perfect kimchi

A Korean-infused excursion around Montreal Ally Mutsmakher Contributor

“Kimchi? Isn’t that a Korean version of sauerkraut?”

It’s alright, I understand; like many others who have yet to immerse their palates in this tangy delicacy, it might seem like a culinary mystery—the slightly offensive smell, the foreign taste and the burning sensation that ensues.

But kimchi is not only a staple of every Korean meal, it is also one of the first.

Kimchi’s origins can be traced 3,000 years back, and to this day its fermentation process remains roughly unchanged.

Cabbage heads are saturated with sundried chili paste, then placed in clay pots and buried in the ground to ferment for at least three days. And according to my extensive research (i.e. gorging on it), nothing beats the flavour of old-school kimchi.

Forget about the Eskimo word count for “snow,” Koreans are serious about their kimchi; there are over a hundred different varieties depending on both season and region. Baechu (cabbage) kimchi is the most common type and its signature taste encompasses the best Korean cuisine has to offer. It is spicy, sweet, salty, crunchy and it can perfectly compliment any range of tastes and textures, from stews to grilled meats, to plain rice.

So really, my quest for the perfect kimchi went beyond roaming the city for some ‘spicy cabbage.’ I was looking for authenticity, taste and hospitality; in a sense, I was looking for the Korean experience and the rich culture behind it.

So, here’s the list of Montreal’s kimchi goldmines:

Man-na (1421 Bishop St.)

500 Ans (5737 Monkland Ave.)

Jangteu (2109 Ste-Catherine St. W.)

Now we’re talking! The kimchi-chigae is so spicy it will make you shed tears (of joy, of course.) The lunch specials are cheap, the chefs don’t skimp on the flavour, and the friendly staff will attentively watch you eat in case you need constant water refills and a shoulder to cry on.

This is one of the few restaurants in Montreal that doesn’t have a six-person limit for the All-You-Can-Eat BBQ. The atmosphere is intimate and cozy, like that of a neighbourhood pub. The menu offers a lot of options and the food is plentiful for a reasonable price. Their BBQ comes with a dolsot bibimbap, their two variations of Korean pancake are delicate in flavour with a hint of sweetness that’s wonderfully contrasted with the special sesame-soy sauce. And their kimchi?

I could write haikus about their kimchi. (“Oh kimchi, my love. Nothing compares to your taste. Only the pancake.”) I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Offers a variety of Korean and some Japanese products and always has a stock of kimchi to quench your cravings. Here you’d also find popular Korean products and even Korean twists on many familiar snacks, like kimchi-flavoured cheetos. Avid ramen fanatics would enjoy this store’s variety, even if some of the flavours seem quite unorthodox (like the cheddar cheese flavour!)

Chez Hwang (5545 Upper Lachine Rd.) The staff is friendly, their banchan plates are generous, their seafood pancake is stickily wonderful, their range of stews is impressive and their appetizers are cheap. As well, they always ask you if you would like some more kimchi, which is the right temperature (between brain freeze and warm), the right spiciness (between tongue-numbing and boring) and sufficiently crunchy.

If you must have your kimchi within reach at all hours of the day, you can always swing by your local Korean grocery store.

Marche d’alimentation coreen MTL (6151 Sherbrooke St. W.) A cozy Korean-Japanese grocery that boasts a variety of fruits, meats, an array of Asian canned goods, cookies and udon noodles. Try the egg cookies, a popular Korean snack reminiscent of butter cookies. They have a kimchi-dedicated fridge that includes both the Korean-imported kimchi and the less spicy variety made in-store.

Kimchi is an odd but versatile Korean side dish for the most adventurous of palates.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com

9

Bookworms unite books

Pick up these mustreads before you graduate Alessia Faustini Contributor

W

hen it comes to eliciting superbly brilliant thoughts in the minds of young scholars, Financial Accounting Theory can hardly be considered the most inspiring piece of literature. While Probability and Random Processes might help you achieve your goal of passing your statistics course, feed your soul and expand your horizons it will not. With every passing semester, Concordia students are expected to pay exorbitant fees for soul-crushing texts similar to the aforementioned ones. Although these are the necessary sacrifices of a student, it’s equally important to acknowledge the significance of indulging in quality literature that isn’t necessarily on your syllabus.

A few literary necessities that every university student, regardless of their gender, religious persuasions or political inclinations, should read are as follows:

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera Set in Prague in the Czechoslovak Communist period, this novel follows the lives of four people, Tomáš, Tereza, Sabina and Franz, as their lives intersect, flourish and fall apart in parallel. The book poses considerations on the merits and disadvantages of both lightness and heaviness in regards to relationships and life in general. Allusions to Anna Karenina and Nietzsche’s theory of eternal recurrence are doled out in heavy doses, making this one of the most hauntingly beautiful novels to be written in the past few decades. It’s at once a work of political criticism, philosophical postulation and exquisitely written prose.

The Collected Poetry of Dorothy Parker by Dorothy Parker Wry humour and dry wit found their

queen in Dorothy Parker. Short story writer, poet, satirist and patron of the Algonquin Round Table, Parker transcended gender norms in the ‘20s and ‘30s by defying the customary role of demure and submissive female. She refused to marry, took numerous lovers and relished the opportunity to point out the follies of patriarchy. With her selected poems and witticisms, Parker provides satirical gems to be enjoyed by all, not just feminists. One of her more notable poems, “Resume,” reads: “Razors pain you/ Rivers are damp/ Acids stain you/ And drugs cause cramp/ Guns aren’t lawful/ Nooses give/ Gas smells awful/ You might as well live.”

Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto by Chuck Klosterman Ever wonder about the cultural impact the original cast of The Real World had on the state of television, as well as on society itself? Have you considered the effect that John Cusack had on modern relationships when he held a boombox over his head, playing “In Your Eyes” outside his love’s window in the classic Say Anything? This collection of 18 comedic essays embraces the dregs of pop culture and explains its relevance to the world at large. The first person narrative tone of each essay stands as a metaphor for the subject matter itself: great wit and humour are matched with profound, sweeping statements to represent both the supposed triviality of the pop culture phenomena being discussed, as well as the many reasons as to why they aren’t trivial at all.

and even embark upon a pancake tour of North America.

Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger While for most people, The Catcher in the Rye is the quintessential Salinger novel, Franny and Zooey, which chronicles the existential crisis of Franny Glass as she contemplates life alongside her brother Zooey, is the reclusive writer’s literary gem that hasn’t been marred by decades of clichés.

The novel begins with Franny becoming increasingly disenchanted with the inauthenticity she continuously encounters in the world. She eventually suffers a breakdown in her parents’ living room and spends days discussing the meaning of life with her brother. Together, Franny and Zooey take Holden Caulfield’s considerations on phoniness to an even more insightful and poignant level.

L’Etranger (The Stranger)

by Albert Camus Existentialism makes another appearance with this final “must-read” book for university students. Considered both an early work of existentialist literature and of absurdism, Camus’ novel follows a man, Meursault, as he faces the absurd binary oppositions of the importance of the physical world and of the meaninglessness of human life. By initially living through only sensory experiences, Meursault confronts the absurdity and arbitrariness of life by emotionlessly killing an Arab man, and consequently enduring the random nature of justice during his criminal trial. Rife with

On The Road by Jack Kerouac

elegant prose and probing philosophizing, this novel is one whose themes and characters will change the way you read, as well as the way you think in general.

Note: Read this one before the upcoming movie adaptation discourages you from doing so. Twilight’s Kristen Stewart playing the female lead is a very telling fact about the likelihood of the film’s credibility.

Show your campus The Israel you know

Considered a defining work of the Beat movement, Kerouac’s largely autobiographical book recounts the many spontaneous road trips of Sal Paradise, a writer searching for inspiration on the open road, and his traveling companion, Dean Moriarty, a free spirit “tremendously excited with life.” This book should serve as inspiration for many a university student looking to explore the world, embrace spontaneity

Frustrated with blatant campus anti - Israel sentiment?

A t a loss to answer negative class comments?

Want a balanced discussion, but shaky on your facts ?

Gain the knowledge and confidence needed to defend Isra el on campus!

STUDENT ISRAEL-ADVOCACY PROGRAM Monday September 19 , 2011 @ 5: 30 (A series of seminars and colloquia led by o utstanding academic specialists ; course credits available.)

To register for this FREE program: Tel: 514- 486 - 5544; cijr@isranet.org www.

Isranet.org Graphics by Sean Kershaw

arts 10

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com

festival

Everything can change in a Montreal minute M60 Festival is back with your favourite oneminute film roundup Sofia Gay Arts editor It’s hard to think of many things one can accomplish in a minute. Maybe it’s enough time to crack open a stubborn beer can, or send a text message. But how about watching a film?

The M60 Festival is hitting town again, and is here to show Montrealers how to do just that. Showcasing over 70 films chosen at their launch party this past July, it’s taking over the screens of the Rialto Theatre for two days. Each film is just a minute long.

The festival is the brainchild of siblings Lily and Sylvan Lanken, their childhood friend Toby Harper, as well as Douglas Hollingworth and Sean Michaels. It has also grown to include organizers Raphaëlle Aubin and Neale McDavittVan Fleet.

The way Lily Lanken tells the story, it got off to mystical beginnings.

“The festival was dreamed up the night of the eclipse of the moon four years ago,” recalled Lanken. “There was definitely alcohol involved and a walk up and down Mont-Royal in the dark. Out of the five original members/ organizers, three of us were doing film-related things so it seemed quite natural that a film idea would evolve. I think we also played on the fact that Montreal is this city of festivals, and here was our idea for a fest that wasn’t going to take up too much of your time—except for maybe us, the organizers!”

What sets M60 apart, and what has helped

A still from one of this year’s entries, Mary Perchanok and Greg Bailey’s PED X-ING. it to carve a niche in the sea of festivals, is its emphasis on the short in a world where films— as action-packed and fast-paced as may be—are still an average 90 minutes in length. This is something that Lanken explains has a lot to do not only with modern film trends, but also with the challenge a 60-second limit imposes.

“I think the one-minute film is an excellent length to get an idea across. Think how TV ads manage to make an impact at only 30 seconds.

Take Super Bowl ads for instance, they are epic narratives done in only 45 to 60 seconds max,” she said. “It is always impressive to see just how much story filmmakers can squeeze into 60 seconds.”

The festival adds in a democratic element by accepting any and all submissions on a firstcome, first-served manner. On top of that, there are no juries, prizes, or registration fees. Both amateurs and established filmmakers had but a month in which to create their films, leading the festival to showcase what Lanken calls “talent that is untapped.”

“Most film festivals are jury-based and that makes it very subjective,” she continued. “I think we are trying to go with a sort of salon des refusés [an exhibit of rejected works, started in 19th century Paris] by doing a festival where we accept all submissions, however good or bad they may be.”

If this year’s trailer (which can be found on the festival website) is anything to go by, festival-goers are in for a whirlwind of a cinematic experience, up on the technicolour and WTF-inducing moments, and devoid of any pretension or snobbery. With films that range in style and subject from stop-motion to vampires, virtually the only thing tying them together, besides the time restraint, is that they play on this year’s theme of chance.

“Chance, like all our previous themes, is agreed upon by a vote,” said Lanken. It’s a theme that can work in both French and English, she noted.

Chance, or rather opportunity, also played a role in the festival’s adoption of the Rialto The-

atre for its screenings, a departure from its usual haunts of La Sala Rossa and Cinema du Parc.

“The Rialto Theatre re-opened again into a multi-use venue and so it was a chance to show films back in an original filmhouse,” said Lanken, recalling that the venue was a steakhouse for a few years. “[It] is also one of the last remaining icons from Montreal’s golden era of grand cinemas.”

With filmmakers that keep participating year after year, and past screenings taking place before sold-out crowds, what will the festival offer audiences this time around?

“The want to make films for next year’s festival!” exclaimed Lanken. “Also, because the films are done over the summer, we get to see the lush city in all its splendour, so it’s a nice send off for the season.”

The M60 festival is taking place Sept. 16 and 17 at the Rialto Theatre. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and tickets are $8. For more info and to buy tickets, visit www.m60.ca

theatre

X, Y and Z gets into the ABCs of love A goofy writer and a stubborn scientist explore the chemistry of love in French play David Adelman Contributor When an eccentric writer obsessed with Woody Allen and a sexy scientist researching male and female chromosomes come together in Jonathan Marquis’s play X, Y and Zed, who knows what chemical explosions might occur?

This original, lively play is a Frenchlanguage mixture of Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and a typical Allen movie.

The story begins when two lost souls literally collide on the romantic streets of Paris.

Things start off innocently as they share their views of the film Casablanca. Within moments, the conversation becomes an over-thetop discussion on the frequency of how much sex they could have if they were romantically involved.

Real-life couple Jonathan Marquis and Julie-Anne Cloutier play the characters Steve “Zed” Zedrick and Alexandra Albright.

Zed, a struggling writer, is fascinated by movies and is on a constant hunt for new words to use for his writings. He is also a klutz who wouldn’t hurt a fly. Ironically, Zed accidentally hurts a rat out of fright. It’s easy to identify with Zed, whom Marquis calls “an

innocent.”

“Anyone can be attracted to his childishness and how easily fascinated he is with the world around him,” said Marquis, who based Zed’s character on Woody Allen.

Zed has an admirable character trait: acceptance. Despite his insecurity and his desperate need to be taken care of, Zed accepts who is he as an individual and uses his personality at times to his advantage.

Alex is a dominant lady who is just as insecure as Zed, but hides it well. A very physical person, she is attracted to tough guys. According to Cloutier, Alex loves Zed because he’s sweet and brilliant.

“She can have real conversations with him and be completely herself. They are polar opposites, yet very similar and that’s how they are drawn together and complete each other,” she explained.

“Zed is a sweet guy who won’t screw over Alex like other men in her past, but he is still a man driven by sex,” explained Marquis.

“Alex can be intimidating by her strong personality and beauty. She maintains control by teasing Zed sexually,” added Cloutier.

The play dives into the psychology of their relationship and illuminates how the genders differ, animating that age old debate of how men are from Mars and women from Venus.

As the scene shifts between Paris and Montreal, lighting is an important element to indicate different locations and time periods.

A sharp, purple light often illuminates a wellfurnished apartment decorated with paintings, artistic objects and a miniature temple of movies.

Julie-Anne Cloutier and Jonathan Marquis play four different characters in X, Y, Z The play opens to the instrumental of the timeless song “It Had To Be You,” similar to the overtures of a Woody Allen romantic comedy. This song reoccurs throughout the show, maintaining the lighthearted touch of a romantic comedy.

Marquis wrote this play based on past relationships. “After several relationships and breakups, I wondered why men and woman

are so different and why they react the way they do. It had to be somewhere, so I figured it must be in the chromosomes,” he laughed.

X, Y & Z is playing at the Rialto Theatre, 7523 du Parc Ave., until Sept. 15.

Student tickets are $18. For more info, and to buy tickets, go to www.theatrerialto.ca

Follow us on Twitter: @ConcordianArts

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

11

profile

Under the skin of celebrities Local impersonator Jimmy Moore dishes on star power and Gaga Despina Doukas Contributor In an age where rock ’n’ roll, fame, and seeing your name in flashing lights has been glorified, everyone dreams about what it would feel like to walk in their idol’s shoes for just one day. Jimmy Moore is one of the few lucky ones who is able to do so every time he goes on stage.

Moore is a professional impersonator who has embodied countless celebrities for the past 10 years. With the help of costume designers, makeup artists and backup dancers from his production company V.NUS, he is able to portray and perfect the image of music legends like Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Celine Dion, Elvis Presley, Lady Gaga, and Madonna—just to name a few.

Growing up in the small town of Riverfield, close to the United States border, Moore moved to Montreal a little over 10 years ago to study fashion design at LaSalle College.

However, his studies always took a backseat to his hunger for fame.

“I always knew I wanted to be a star, the only thing I needed was to find an avenue to do so,” he explained.

Moore said he found his calling while watching a television program that featured a drag queen performing on stage.

“As soon as I saw that I thought, this is something I could do, and be good at.”

Upon meeting Moore and seeing his serious demeanour it is hard to believe that he transforms each night into splashy characters like Lady Gaga and Madonna. After listening to him talk however, and realizing his passion for what he does, it becomes apparent that he takes his work very seriously.

“I am not a drag queen,” specified Moore.

“Let’s make that perfectly clear. I didn’t go into this because I wanted to be a woman, or because I felt like a woman inside of me. I am an artist and I knew I could make a real difference doing this and that’s why I chose to do it.”

The work he puts into each show also indicates Moore’s dedication to his job.

Preparing for each performance consists of weeks of vigorous training and dance rehearsals, creating costumes inspired by the celebrities he impersonates from scratch with a team of Montreal fashion designers, and spending hundreds of dollars on hair and makeup.

Moore’s hard work has paid off over the years, landing him gigs in many Montreal clubs, as well as in venues outside of the city and in the United States. He also had the opportunity to collaborate with Cirque du Soleil.

Despite all his hard work and success,

Local impersonator Jimmy Moore steps into the shoes of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, for a performance.

Moore is still faced with critics who can’t comprehend why he would go to such lengths to impersonate females. However, he never let that bring him down or take from his love of what he does.

“What do I respond to people? Honestly a simple ‘f-off,’” said Moore. “Someone [who] can accept me as a Michael Jackson impersonator, but doesn’t understand why I also impersonate Madonna or Gaga is just closeminded.”

One of the reasons why Moore likes Lady Gaga so much is because she is working to eliminate judgment through her music.

“She is making a huge impact on me. We all judge others at some point. But even when I listen to her song [‘Born This Way’] I take a minute and tell myself ‘stop judging and criticizing’,” he said. “If she is making that kind of impact on me I can imagine the difference she is making to the rest of the world. She is a huge influence on the world, like Michael Jackson used to be.”

As for the rest of the celebrities he embodies, Moore says he selects the people he impersonates based on current trends in pop culture, as well as his personal preferences, and his capabilities to depict their aura and personalities.

“Some celebrities I don’t necessarily look a lot like,” explained Moore. “For example Tina Turner—I’m not black. But I am able to capture her aura and personality on stage, and create that illusion for the audience.”

For Moore, the greatest pleasure in performing on stage is the energy he gets from the audience.

“The best is when I see an audience member who gets lost in the performance, and for 15 to 20 minutes, forgets that I’m not the real Céline Dion or Madonna. I am so happy to be able to create that illusion for people.”

However, despite the fact that audience members often get lost in the show, Moore says he remains grounded, and never loses touch with himself.

“You have to take this all in with a touch of humour. I am not the real Michael Jackson nor will I ever be. I am just happy to create that illusion for people when I am on stage just as an actor would,” he said. “And in real life I never mask who I am to make others happy. I have a much too strong personality to hide.”

If Moore could deliver one message to his fans through his art it would be to never follow mediocrity. “I think mediocrity is the worst thing to live by in your life.”

And to all the sceptics, he offers the challenge of attending at least one of his shows before judging what he does.

“Come out and see me perform,” he says to all the critics. “I am sure I can win anyone over no matter how sceptical they may be at first.”

For more information on Moore, and to keep your eye on his upcoming performances, visit www.jimmymoore.ca.

Moore’s impersonations which entail a heavy duty make-up process, include (from left) Tina Turner, Lady Gaga, Céline Dion and Madonna.

12

theconcordian

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

exhibit

Graphic appeal Art of Japanese independent cinema deserves larger emphasis Rebecca Ugolini Contributor The man’s slumped shoulders and dangling head, the dead space of his suit-draped back, the thick noose suspending his body and splitting the scene in half as police officers and men in labcoats look on: above all this, the red kanji reads Koshikei—Death by Hanging.

Celebrated Japanese director Nagisa Oshima’s provocative 1968 film about a Korean criminal whose botched death sentence carried out

by Japanese officials results in total memory loss is often said to resist narrative description.

Koshikei’s poster, one of the 39 on display at the CinÊmathèque QuÊbÊcoise’s exhibit Le cinÊma japonais s’expose: Affiches de L’Art Theatre Guild, exemplifies the alluring yet elusive quality of the Japanese independent movie industry’s cinematography and design.

The history of Japanese independent movie posters spans different visual media techniques, like collage, pastel, oil paint, watercolour, sketching, photography, and manga-style art. Wrapped up in this history are the enterprising and highly individualistic minds behind the posters.

Lacking the official photographs authorized for promotional aims for imported American or French films, or wishing for a cost-effective manner to advertise a movie, Japanese film studios would commission posters from well-known independent graphic designers, illustrators, and painters without formally hiring them into their companies.

The resulting work is a trove of eye-catching promotional material by independent artists like Kiroku Hikagi and Saburo Tatsuki.

However well the CinÊmathèque explains the design element of Japan’s history of movie promotion, the relationship between poster and film is an element missing from their exhibit. Without this, no viewer can understand why the featured posters are remarkable beyond their visual impact, necessitating a recourse to outside resources.

Midnight Eye: Visions of Japanese Culture, a non-commercial, not-for-profit online magazine about Japanese cinema, explains the impact of the higher annual rate of independent films over big-studio releases in the Japanese domestic market.

In 2002, the three big studios Shochiku, Toei and Toho distributed 45 films, while independent movie studios released some 203 films, according to German writer Roland Domenig in his article “The Anticipation of Freedom: Art Theatre Guild and Japanese Independent Cinema.�

Because the government does not subsidize the film industry in Japan, budgets are low, but because independent filmmakers compose such a large proportion of the market, their work, which circumvents the lack of funds with artistic storytelling and oblique plotlines, remains artistically satisfying while reaching a larger audience.

As Japanese independent film developed from the 1920s onward, Domenig explains, a camarade-

rie emerged among independent filmmakers, linking generations of artists who had worked through the Depression, Second World War, and severe economic downturns, eventually leading to the formation of the Art Theatre Guild in November 1961.

It was started by film journalist, American cinema reviewer, and screenplay writer Iwao Mori, then also vice-president of mammoth film company Toho, of Godzilla and Seven Samurai Fame.

The ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s produced, through the ATG dynamic, films with audacious subject matter and remarkable advertising techniques, creating a period of artistic excitement and genuineness scantly occurring for such a prolonged measure of time.

The CinÊmathèque has done well, however, to curate a collection of posters which echo the masterful storytelling at work in the best of Japanese independent cinema—if only the exhibit offered a little more information to the eager viewer.

Take the poster for Nagisa Oshima’s 1970 film Tokyo Senso Senyo Hiwa (The Battle of Tokyo/The Man Who Left his Will On Film), conceived by celebrated graphic artist Kiroku Hikagi using material from the movie.

A young woman sits upright with her knees bent and feet pointed forward, hands unseen as they nestle in her lap, neck arched back as her face turns skyward, covered from the neck down in miniature, visually clashing projections of film scenes which distort as they cover her nude body, while behind her, a young man’s face wears an unreadable expression as he stands behind a film camera as though at work, yet seems to look beyond it.

The story of a young filmmaker’s struggle as he is accosted and harassed through Tokyo after entering into a dispute, Oshima’s work mirrors its artistic form on the narrative it conveys: composed of short, erratic, blurry and violent clips of scenes from around town, the film reconstructs the tale of the harassed protagonist’s struggle as though working with the material from his still-running camera.

The CinÊmathèque QuÊbÊcoise’s exhibit presents dynamic and intriguing posters at every turn; far more than can be covered in one feature.

In Seichi Hayashi’s poster for Akio Jissoji’s Mandara (1971), for example, a group of naked women lie on the ground, their limbs intertwined, awaiting slaughter at the hands of an androgynous swordwielding figure, the whole scene lent a ghostly air through the navy, off-white and black of the bleeding watercolour.

Cinema posters for even major studio releases also occupy a position of great resonance in Western pop culture, sometimes eclipsing, as a stand-in symbol, even the cinematographic work they promote: consider the image of the evening-gown-clad Audrey Hepburn, coyly exposing one leg, raising a glove-swaddled arm to caress the tabby on her shoulder as she looks sideways with a hint of irony in her almond eyes, holding a dramatically long cigarette holder in her smirking mouth. Breakfast at Tiffany’s has become the afterthought to its iconic poster for a generation of non-viewers more accustomed with the featured moniker than the movie itself. How many who can put a name to the poster of the smiling,

Japanese film posters win in originality by bearing the work of independent artists. Photos by writer blond Monroe as she holds down her fluttering white dress have seen The Seven Year Itch?

Even more contemporary films suffer the same phenomenon: why has the image of Uma Thurman reclining on her stomach, bobbed black hair and patent black heels

shining as she eyes the audience with disdain, holding a smoking cigarette in her right hand as her left lies idle alongside a revolver come to symbolize Pulp Fiction, with all its excitement, violence and action?

Star power, careful graphic design, story hints, and directorial fame: all

create a pull for curious audiences.

The CinÊmathèque QuÊbÊcoise’s exhibit runs until Nov. 6 at the Foyer Luce-Guilbeault, 355 de Maisonneuve Blvd. E. Admission is free. For more information visit www.midnighteye.com.

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Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

13

festival

Take a picture, it will last longer W

hile a lot of Montrealers took the weekend to enjoy what may be the remaining scraps of good weather until next June, others decided to forgo the sunshine to attend the ninth annual Art Tattoo Show. Perhaps the largest gathering of the year where no one will bat an eyelash at a pierced sternum and where skin that’s actually skin-coloured will set you apart, the festival attracted masses of both the curious and experienced. Artists and enthusiasts alike mingled, while every turn of one’s head revealed yet another person getting inked at one of the many stations set up by tattoo parlours from all over the world. Yet the tattoo artists did not entirely soak up the spotlight. Local rockabilly band Joe Henry & the Rockin’ Bones were also there to liven things up. With a performance by local burlesque star Scarlett James and an appearance

by Montreal native (and holder of Gaga’s seal of approval) Rick Genest, better known as Zombie Boy, the weekend had plenty of good vibes and colourful entertainment to offer.

Photos by Patricia Vasquez Lopez

music 14

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com profile

Lunice works at bringing the unexpected home

“I just love performing, you know,” Lunice told the Concordian. “I don’t care if it’s for four or 400 people, I am really thankful to be up there.”

Montrealer lands at Loyola after a whirlwind summer tour Myles Dolphin Interim opinions editor On a steamy summer night in 2009, a friend of mine invited me to a show at Club Lambi, a tiny venue on St-Laurent Boulevard. The place was packed in anticipation of headliner Flying Lotus, whose album Los Angeles had garnered rave reviews since its release the year before.

When we walked in, a sweaty and energetic crowd had already converged towards the stage.

Lunice, then 21, had just started performing.

Decked in a baseball cap, a retro ‘80s sweater, jeans and high tops, his eclectic mix of genres—

the world.

Last December, Lunice released his first official EP, Stacker Upper, on a major label, UK-based LuckyMe. The acclaim continues to pour in.

Since then it’s been a whirlwind for Lunice, with shows all over Europe and North America.

“This summer was especially crazy,” he said.

“Every weekend has been a gig out of town.

I was in Germany last month working in the studio, then Chicago for the block party, L.A. the weekend after that, London, then back to Canada.”

I asked him about his energy levels and more specifically how he manages to bust out his series of improvised dance moves show after show.

It turns out, his humble approach to performing is what really gets him going.

“I’m so happy to be on stage,” he said. “I may be mentally tired one night but my body just keeps going because I want to make sure I’m consistent, that I can give my best performance every time I get up there. It’s like customer service, I’m so happy to be you know, you can’t have an off night. I try to stay healthy and I on stage. I may be have a bunch of people who help me so much with a lot of aspects mentally tired one of my show, so it’s my responsinight but my body bility to the people out there to be prepared, to brace myself and just keeps going. to make sure I give an amazing show. There’s no excuse.”

Visualization is an important - Lunice part of his planning. He prepares diligently before every show, especially considering the short time-frame often at his disposal.

“A lot of the time I’ll get to a city, perform on the same day and leave the next day,” he said of the gruelling calendar. “I never slack off. I love what I do and I’m always grateful to everyone who helps make my show a success.”

He spoke highly about a performance he once had in

hip hop, rap, soul and others—created hybrids of music that instantly got everyone moving to his beat. Before I knew it, we were pushing our way to the front, trying to get a better look at this Montrealer’s insanely infectious on-stage presence.

“I just love performing, you know,” said Lunice on the phone, speaking the day after a show in Toronto last week. “I don’t care if it’s for four or 400 people, I am really thankful to be up there.”

While his live performances are certainly mesmerizing, his studio work is equally innovative. Playing alongside like-minded artists has helped him find new ways to create his music.

He was chosen to attend last year’s elite Red Bull Music Academy (which Flying Lotus also once attended), which gave him more perspective on the industry. For two weeks, he got to attend lectures and workshops with musicians, engineers, producers and other music lovers from all over

“

Hamilton, which caught me off-guard, considering he has played in London, L.A. and other major cities. The community aspect of the show is where he draws his incredible energy from.

“The second time I went to Hamilton it was absolutely crazy,” he said. “It was one of my first sold-out shows, it was out of this world. There was so much love there; the venue was awesome and the people were so passionate, they loved the fresh sound and the vibe. That’s what I feed off of.”

A return to Montreal is always beneficial for Lunice, both for body and mind. Whether he’s been to Europe or the United States, nothing compares to playing in front of your hometown fans, he said.

This week, he’ll be performing at the CSU’s free orientation concert alongside Stars, Mother Mother and Nomadic Massive at the Loyola Quad.

What can people expect from his show?

“The unexpected,” he said with a laugh. “That’s exactly what I want. I love the whole element of not really knowing what’s going to happen next.

I try to mix it up as much as I can.”

Lunice’s never-ceasing curiosity is crucial in creating his layered tracks and he loves the moment when people actually realize which songs have been mixed together.

“I enjoy people trying to explain my shows,” he said. “It’s random. Because of my influences I try to find beats that have similarities and create layers from those. Eventually they bridge and people are like, oh so that’s what that song is!”

A sound mind (pun intended) and an altruistic mentality have made this 23-year-old highly popular among his peers and especially his hometown fans. It makes me realize that the Lunice I saw perform two years ago never gave up his winning formula a strong desire to entertain and a compulsive dedication to his craft.

Lunice performs this Sept. 15 at the CSU’s free orientation concert with Stars, Mother Mother and Nomadic Massive at the Loyola Quad. His newest EP, One Hunned, is out now and available on iTunes.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Follow us on Twitter: @ConcordianMusic

15

mixtape

Last week, His Holiness The Dalai Lama gave a talk in Montreal about global citizenship through universal responsibility. He put it to the youth that we need to be the ones to create change and it has to begin within each and every one of us with compassion as change will not come from the government, politicians, or religious leaders. He also put it to females to use our predisposition to love and kindness to play a more active role in promoting them. Whereas this last century was one of bloodshed, this one needs to be one of dialogue, respect, and unity.

Listen at http://8tracks.com/the_concordian/love-compassion

SIDE A

Love and compassion Compiled by Shannon H. Myers and Cheilidh McNeil Contributors

SIDE B

1. “Love and Happiness” - Al Green I’m Still in Love with You 2. “I Wish I Knew” - The Derek Trucks Band - Live at Georgia Theatre 3. “The Youth” - MGMT - Oracular Spectacular 4. “Can’t Buy Me Love” - The Beatles - A Hard Day’s Night 5. “Keep Shining” - Shad - TSOL 6. “Treat Yo Mama” - The John Butler Trio - Sunrise Over Sea 7. “Love You All” - 54-40 - Trusted by Millions 8. “Crazy Love” - Bob Dylan and Van Morrison 9. “People Lead” - Ben Harper - Fight For Your Mind 10. “This Land Is Your Land” - Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings - Naturally

Quick Spins

1. “One Love / People Get Ready” Bob Marley & The Wailers - Exodus 2. “I Want Love” - Jehro - Jehro 3. “Better People” - Xavier Rudd White Moth 4. “Unity” - Operation Ivy - Rock Against Bush, Vol. 2 5. “G.R.I.N.D. (Get Ready It’s A New Day)” - Asher Roth - unreleased 6. “We Gotta Live Together” - Jimi Hendrix - Band Of Gypsys 7. “Better Than” - The John Butler Trio - Grand National 8. “One Day” - Matisyahu - Light 9. “Better Way” - Ben Harper - Both Sides of the Gun 10.”Golden Rule” - Charles Bradley No Time for Dreaming

Retro review

The Rapture – In the Grace of Your Love (DFA; 2011)

Hugh Laurie - Let Them Talk (Warner Bros; 2011)

The Drums - Portamento (Island; 2011)

Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (Columbia Records; 1998)

In the Grace of Your Love is indie rock band The Rapture’s first album in five years. Opening with “Sail Away,” they prove that they haven’t lost their appreciation for catchy songs that make you get up and dance.

But the band isn’t able to sustain the listener’s interest throughout the entire album, although they make a good attempt at experimenting with horns and choral background vocals, which is a nice touch.

The songs’ arrangements and lyrics don’t effectively convey the themes of forgiveness and stability in love. This being their fourth album, it seems like The Rapture got too comfortable in their artistic formula.

Their true fans will probably be pleased with this long-awaited album, but it’s obvious that this band was at its peak about 10 years ago.

It’s difficult to know what to expect from a TV star’s debut album, but House actor Hugh Laurie manages to deliver one hell of an emotional and unique take on New Orleans blues with Let Them Talk.

The album’s 15 tracks include collaborations with well-known artists like Irma Thomas, Dr. John and Sir Tom Jones which help Laurie shine through as lead vocalist and pianist. The album consists of traditional blues songs, with Laurie giving each track its own twist that all music lovers can enjoy.

Though Laurie is not the best vocalist to ever grace the music scene, his ability to capture an array of emotions is what makes the album worth listening to. The variety of instruments, from guitars to saxophones to mandolins, complement the vocals in a way that draws the audience in for the album’s entire 56 minutes.

On Portamento, The Drums’ second full-length in as many years, they pick up where they left off from their debut album, albeit sometimes to the point of redundancy.

There are moments on the LP where the trio appear very much on top of their game, like on the aptly-titled album closer “How it Ended.” Its upbeat instrumentals mesh with frontman Jonathan Pierce’s earnest vocals and melancholic lyrics over a failed relationship in a way that appeal to both the mainstream and the Pitchfork crowd. As the album progresses, however, the songs become harder to distinguish from each other, with fast-paced rhythms and heavy use of reverb found in the guitars and vocals being key features of much of the album.

While Portamento’s bouncy, new wave-influenced instrumentation will likely hold initial fans’ interest, its overall lack of musical progression reveals The Drums as perhaps playing it a little too safe.

When it was released in 1998, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill was certified platinum seven times in Canada and garnered Lauryn Hill a then-record 10 Grammy Award nominations and five wins.

Translation: it was by no means a flop. Still, it was Hill’s only solo effort, and her only studio album. In the last decade, she has mostly retreated from the spotlight, only occasionally going on short tours.

Miseducation is a stellar R&B album. It’s also an amazing hip-hop album. Hill is able to seamlessly switch from one genre to another without ever sounding out of her element. “Lost Ones” shows off Hill’s slick and thoughtful rhymes, “Ex-Factor,” her soulful voice, and “Doo Wop (That Thing),” both.

Hill and Miseducation’s influence reach far wider than anyone can say for sure. Even Kanye West quips on his song “Champion,” “Lauryn Hill said her heart was in Zion [the name of her first son], I wish her heart still was in rhymin’.”

Trial track: “Sail Away”

Trial track: “Saint James Infirmary”

Trial track: “How It Ended”

Trial track: “To Zion”

6.0/10

8.0/10

6.5/10

- Dominique Daoust

- Kalina Laframboise

- David MacIntyre

- Chris Hanna

16

Tuesday, September 13, 2011 photography

theconcordian

Behind the lens A Concordia student goes on assignment for Rolling Stone Andrew Guilbert Contributor

The irony probably isn’t lost on vinyl-collecting hipsters Eric Levin, co-founder of Record Store Day, the worldwide celebration of all things musically waxy, may be forced to close his own record store by November if things don’t improve soon. In an article on The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s website, Levin stated that Criminal Records had “been underwater since the economy became distressed. […] We’ve been on a rescue mission for three years.

I’m done paying for it by myself.” A fledgling economy wasn’t the only reason for the store’s hardship though; a move to a larger, 6,000-square-foot space had tripled the store’s expenses. Combined with the cost of hosting weekly free concerts, the impact of legal downloads and a “miserable” holiday season all seem to portend the demise of the beloved Atlanta institution’s 20-year run. Despite the odds, Criminal Records will not go gently into that good night, as a Sept. 7 tweet from the store’s account attests: “Thanks for the support & encouragement. It means A LOT. To reiterate, we’re definitely trying to #SaveCriminalRecords. We are not giving up.”

If you think it’s good now, wait till you hear the end!

In a medieval church in Halberstadt, Germany, American avant-garde composer John Cage’s music project for organ “Organ2/ASLSP As SLow aS Possible” held its 10-year anniversary last week. Though a decade may seem like a milestone worth celebrating, the anniversary elicited little fanfare, and for good reason: it still has 629 years to go before being completed.

The composition, which started playing on what would’ve been Cage’s 89th birthday, Sept. 5, 2001, at St. Burchardi Church, is set to go on until the last notes are played in the far off year of 2640, so long as the funding for it remains stable until then. The next big landmark for the piece will be in 60 years, when the first of the composition’s eight parts will be completed. For more info and a secondby-second countdown, check out www. john-cage.halberstadt.de.

My tart will go on Canadian diva Céline Dion was the victim of a home invasion/pastry theft last week after a man reportedly broke into her Laval home, ran himself a bath and chowed down on some pastries he’d found in the fridge. The suspect, 36-yearold Daniel Bedard, allegedly stole the house key from inside Dion’s husband’s car and used it to break into her home, tripping the house alarm in the process.

According to Laval police spokesman Franco Di Genova, when police arrived “The suspect was coming down the big staircase and was asking: ‘Hey guys, what are you doing here?’“ Bedard, who allegedly claimed to be a family friend, has been charged with breaking and entering, auto theft, and causing property damage.

Shannon H. Myers Contributor

H

eavy rain pelted my tent as I adjusted my eyes to the glowing red of the fine tarpaulin fabric. It was day one of Ness Creek Music Festival in the boreal forest of Saskatchewan, which just the year previous had featured good friends of mine, The Sheepdogs. I turned on my phone only to find a voicemail from Deborah Dragon, Deputy Photo Editor at Rolling Stone, with some good news.

Last October, Sheepdogs bassist Ryan Gullen asked me to gather all the promo photos I had of the band for “a secret project.” Busy with school, I didn’t think much of it until one night, back in January, when I got a 2 a.m. text from Ryan announcing that my photo of them was going to be in Rolling Stone Magazine, publicizing a contest to be on the cover.

Rolling Fucking Stone! I was at once outrageously ecstatic and extremely frustrated. Here was the best news of my life, and the only ones awake to hear it were my siblings on the west coast, who I had to swear to secrecy because Dad hates being the last to know.

The morning the magazine hit stands, I received two gushing voicemail messages from loved ones before I was even able to buy the issue. Unable to help myself, I told the cashier at the metro newsstand, who very kindly pretended to care.

Four months later I received a voicemail so out-of-the-blue and so pivotal that I will never forget where I was when I heard it (which was in my car having just finished a shift fixing windshields in a parking lot.)

Being a full-time student and part-time photographer, as it turns out, costs your first-born and pays in magic beans that sew together a solid future but are not accepted as currency at the supermarket.

The great thing about getting really exciting news via voicemail is that you don’t have to play it cool. I can’t remember how uncool I was, but I’m sure my face was one big dopey, surprised grin. Recorded in cyberspace was the calm voice of a senior photo editor at Rolling Stone who remembered my work and wanted to know if I was available the following week for a photo shoot with The Sheepdogs around Saskatoon. It was only after I skyped the news to my family that I received an optimistic reply from him informing me that his editor had already begun arranging plans but had wanted to have me considered. Talk about counting your eggs before they’ve hatched!

Fortunately, he had some sway, or they liked me, or they wanted to save some money not flying someone in because this is how I ended up speaking to Ms. Dragon from inside a tent pelted by pouring rain in the forest of northern Saskatchewan.

“We all just love that photo of them in the car. In fact, it may be why they’ve done so well,” she joked.

“I’m quoting you on that,” I replied.

“Shannon who?” came her quick-witted retort.

Receiving her emails containing details of the assignment and examples was challenging in such a remote region, to say the least. I found myself squatting outside the men’s backstage bathroom (the best place for Wi-Fi) using a businessman’s borrowed laptop to confirm. Celebrating the news during the four day festival, on the other hand, was a cinch. I told almost everyone, except the band themselves, hoping to surprise them at the shoot.

The Sheepdogs have been good friends of mine for years, and always “book” our apartment when they roll through Montreal, resulting in tight living quarters. Nine people in a three-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment for four days does not fare well.

The writer captured images of The Sheepdogs for Rolling Stone Magazine.

Self-portrait of the photographer. Photo by Shannon H. Myers

Years of bad luck and twisted fate for the band have humbled The Sheepdogs in a way that enabled them to push through the mountains of adversity with a sense of humour. I was with them on a roadtrip to The Gateway Festival in southern Saskatchewan when a highway breakdown led to gas pouring out of their van as fast as it was being pumped in. As guitarist Leot Hanson tinkered underneath the vehicle, Ryan scratched lottery tickets. Needless to say, he didn’t win; at least not in the lottery sense. By the time of our shoot, they were in the top two of Rolling Stone’s “Do You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star?” competition, which meant that the shots would be irrelevant if they lost.

“Rolling Stone wants it reportage style so just ignore me,” I explained to the band as we walked inside drummer Sam Corbett’s parents’ house. We were headed to the basement jam space on the day of the shoot.

“We’re pretty good at that,” Ryan joked.

The local paper could not get enough Sheepdogs and sent a reporter and photographer to cover the shoot. It was extremely weird to have my photo taken while I was taking photos. I had lined up a rooftop location overlooking the river and several bridges but the band was getting impatient.

They had hardly seen their home in months and wanted to attend to laundry/errands/

loved ones. So we took our free 24 case of local beer, one of my few experiences with true swag, to a sandbar under a bridge.

As the shoot was wrapping up, I heard a strange clicking noise echoing under the bridge. It was a bike cop who instructed Leot and Sam to march over to him. On the very same trip as the van breakdown, I got an open alcohol ticket shortly after we arrived.

There were only two negatives to the overall experience, which pale in comparison to positives. The first is that everyone assumed I shot the cover, which is simply not true, though it is flattering to have my work mistaken for that of the amazingly talented Danny Clinch.

The other drawback was that the photo they chose to run with a story that became quite controversial in Saskatoon was chosen more for its content than for its merits as an image.

I am ashamed of my technical execution of the exposure and composition causing the colour to be altered but colour is subjective and perhaps they wanted a hint of the northern cold to peak through.

They are, after all, the ‘hairy Dogs hailing from the North.’

To see photos from the Rolling Stone Sheepdogs shoot, go to www.shannonheather.com/bands/sheepdogs

sports

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

17

Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com baseball

Concordia stings defending champs in doubleheader The Stingers defeat McGill twice with great pitching and perseverance Julian Mei Interim sports editor If there is one thing any Stinger athlete knows, it’s that the only thing better than a win is a win against McGill.

No wonder, then, the Concordia Stingers baseball team seemed so jubilant after a doubleheader sweep of the Redbirds on Saturday afternoon, after defeating McGill earlier in the week as well. “It’s always special to beat McGill,” said manager Howard Schwartz.

“Concordia and McGill have a great rivalry.

Sometimes it gets heated but usually it’s just great baseball like it was today.”

After defeating McGill and John Abbott College during the week, the Stingers woke up Saturday morning facing their rivals again, this time in a twin bill. The first game featured marvelous pitching on both sides by Alex Kechayan of Concordia and L.J. Aguinaga for McGill. Aguinaga was able to hold the hard hitting Stingers to just three runs, scattered over five innings of the seven inning doubleheader. Unfortunately for him, though, Kechayan was simply dominant.

Staked with a three-run lead and only one inning left, it was a sort of deja vu from Kechayan’s start last weekend against the Carleton Ravens. Last week, though, Kechayan retired the first two batters before giving up two base runners, being pulled from the game and watching Carleton win in extra innings.

This time Kechayan slammed the door shut.

After hitting the first batter of the seventh inning, it would have been easy for the pitcher to panic. Instead he retired the next three batters he faced, securing the complete game win. Kechayan finished with four strikeouts, allowing only two hits and three walks.

“The key was to just stay within myself,” said Kechayan. “No matter what they did, even if they got on base, I just had to keep throwing strikes and throwing my game. The last couple innings I was throwing my changeup and they just kept missing it so I think that was huge.”

Whatever momentum the Stingers had from the first game vanished by the second go around. The team seemed lackadaisical and unfocused. The shouts of encouragement coming from the Stingers dugout, that could be heard in the first game, transformed into banter on a wide range of topics, none involving the game at hand.

Chris Ames’ two-run homer off Sting-

ers’ starter Brandon Berkovits, put McGill up 2-0 in the first inning and after the Redbirds tacked on another two in the third, Schwartz had seen about enough from his team. He gathered the team for a brief meeting outside the dugout between the top and bottom of the third inning. Whatever he was selling, the Stingers bought.

Jamal Gittens proceeded to lead the inning off, with a walk followed by three consecutive hit batsmen, Jason Katz, Marco Masciotra and Mark Nadler. The Stingers got back a run without even taking the bat off their shoulders.

After striking out Andre Lagarde, the nightmare would continue for McGill starter Conrad Hall. Tim Riley singled to left to cash in another run (one of his three RBI for the game), followed by an RBI sacrifice fly by Marc-André Fleury. Concordia would plate the go ahead runs on a two run single by Anthony De Carvalho. It was a lead the Stingers would not relinquish.

When all the damage was done, the Stingers scored five runs, batted around the order and chased Hall from the game.

“He just lost it,” said McGill manager Joe McKenzie. “He lost the plate. Lost his location.

He couldn’t get his breaking balls over for strikes so he started relying on his fast ball and (Concordia) just started sitting on it.”

Concordia would continue the scoring off McGill relief pitcher, Elliott Ariganello, adding another run in the fourth inning and two more in the fifth. Pitching with the lead seemed to also calm down Berkovits who would not allow a run the rest of the game.

Berkovits especially showed great poise in the sixth inning. With Concordia leading 8-4, McGill loaded the bases with no outs and were threatening to claw their way back. Berkovits, however, would strike out Luis Argumendes, get Steven Warsh to pop out to first base and close the inning by getting Ames to ground out to the second baseman.

Concordia would win the game 9-4.

Though his rallying cry seemed to be more successful than he could have imagined, Schwartz was reluctant afterwards to take credit for the comeback.

“I don’t know how much effect (the meeting) had on the outcome of the game,” said Schwartz. “I just saw in the second half of the doubleheader we weren’t very strong out of the gate. I’m not going to take credit for what happened. I just saw they weren’t focused so I got them focused.”

Team captain Jason Katz on the other hand believed the meeting was instrumental in the win. “We were definitely flat. [Schwartz] saw that and gave us a little pep talk and it got us going.”

The Stingers would go on to split another doubleheader Sunday in Ottawa against Carleton, winning 6-0 before having their six game winning streak snapped with a 7-2 loss.

Marc-André Fleury and the Stingers came alive against the McGill Redbirds.

Matthew Jacobson starts the week with a win on Sept. 6. Photos by Navneet Pall

rugby

Stingers defeat Vert et Or in season opener Concordia opens the 2011 campaign with a win against Sherbrooke Paolo Mingarelli Contributor A strong closing act by the Concordia men’s rugby team helped overcome what was an erratic performance in the opening 40.

The first half consisted of both Concordia and Sherbrooke taking several penalties and a lack of coherence amongst the players. The Stingers would prevail, though, with a 17-5 victory.

“I think the guys were nervous,” said Stingers

head coach Clive Gibson. “We had a completely new game plan and style of play which lead to a tough time settling in. It was a combination of things I think, and they settled into the game plan in the second half.”

It was during the second half that the strategies established throughout the week became evident.The Stingers would score two tries converting on both opportunities, while allowing very little chance for the Vert et Or to threaten their zone.

The first try was scored off a great series of passing after Concordia gained possession of the ball through a scrum. The efficient ball circulation would eventually find fullback Dario Pellizzari who cleverly turned the ball outside to Jonathan Dextras-Romagnino.

Romagnino hit the try line with a valiant

effort to cap off the play. However, the ball was scored on the furthest left side corner, leaving a very difficult conversion for scrum-half Christopher Micheletti.

Micheletti, though, would come through. He placed the ball over 30 yards away and made a spectacular conversion giving Concordia a five point lead, from which they never looked back.

“In the second half we proved ourselves,” said Pellizzari. “Both [tries] were set plays worked on by the backs in practice.”

“It was important not because it was a try, but because it was done as a team,” explained captain Jonathan Dextras-Romagnino. “I’m proud of everybody who was on that field. They played their hearts out and, as captain, I’m proud.”

For many players, the game required several adjustments and a quick learning curve. “It was a

learning experience,” said fly-half Alex Ritchie.

Ritchie, who had spent time playing the wing and fullback positions in the past, was forced to adjust to a new role, but he was not the only Stinger to express this sentiment. Many players were given different positions during the course of the game and adapted well to the change.

Though at times it may not have been pretty, the Stingers were pleased with the win.

“It’s a huge confidence booster for the team,” said Pellizzari. “We’ve got a big game against Bishop’s next week and it’s always good to start off on a positive note.”

The team takes the field at home on Sept. 16 against Bishop’s. The game is at 9 p.m. on the Loyola campus.

18

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

soccer

theconcordian

Stingers men go one for two on weekend Concordia loses 5-1 before a 4-2 bounce back win

Daniel J. Rowe Contributor Concordia’s men’s soccer team went into the weekend hoping to show an improvement from last season.

The stars seemed to be aligned in favour of the Stingers on Friday as they hosted defending national champions Laval.

On the way to their season opener against the Stingers, the Laval team bus broke down on the Champlain Bridge causing tthe team to arrive late and rattling the focus and preparation of the Rouge et Or players. This bit of bad luck allowed the Stingers to sustain pressure

early in the first half.

The best chance for the Stingers to take an early lead came in the 25th minute as striker Alfred Moody charged down the field with mid-fielder Shady Shalaby and only one Laval defender to beat. However, Shalaby was unable to bury the opportunity, hitting the Laval goalkeeper right in the chest.

The play would be a turning point of the match as just five minutes later, Laval striker Gabriel Moreau would get control of the ball inside Concordia’s 20-yard box and boot home the match’s first goal into the corner of the net past a diving Brendan Simpson.

“It was one of those momentum swingers,” said Moody. “In this league, against quality teams (Laval is ranked sixth nationally), if you have even a half chance you’ve got to put them away otherwise they will kind of come back to bite you. Shady played a great match and we’re not going to hold it against him. It’s a team game and we all have to bounce back.”

Moreau would score again for Laval just two minutes into the second half to stretch Laval’s lead to two.

The wheels would completely come off for the Stingers just moments later when defender Ramin Mohsenin received a questionable, second yellow card and was ejected from the match.

Laval would score three more times, while Jeremy Rodrigues would score Concordia’s lone goal in the 5-1 defeat.

Sunday’s match against the UQTR Patriotes provided a chance for the Stingers to put one in the win category playing a team of less quality than Laval. They did not waste time getting into the match as, a minute in, Moody converted an Eduardo Mazzonna cross to put Concordia up 1-0.

The rookie, Mazzonna, continued to pile on pressure and converted with a slick turn to double the Stingers’ lead.

The Stingers looked comfortable in the second match, controlling play for the major-

ity of the first half and keeping up the pace in the second. Sammy Tork converted in the second half to build the early lead but did not seal the win. Tork was fouled five minutes later setting up a penalty kick and opportunity for substitute Karim Haroun to stretch Concordia’s lead to four.

The Patriotes finally came back with a pair of second-half goals, but Concordia hung on for the win. The late UQTR surge was cause for concern for Concordia who conceded late goals for the second straight match.

“It was a little sloppy at the end,” said captain Gonzalo Paredes. “We need to finish the 90 minutes. We got a lot of work to do this year.”

The next match is Sept. 16 at McGill at 8:30 p.m. followed by a Sunday match against UQAM at 1 p.m. on the Loyola campus.

soccer

Stingers women stumble out of the gates Concordia loses two in a row to begin season Daniel J. Rowe Contributor It was a tale of twos for Concordia’s women’s soccer team as they dropped both of their opening matches against Laval and UQTR to start the season.

Two first half goals in both matches forced Concordia to play catch up. In their season opener against Laval on Friday, the Stingers were on defence for much of the match facing 29 shots from the potent Laval offence.

The Stingers’ defence, when focused, did a decent job of containing Laval, who finished fifth in last year’s national championship.

Offensively, though, there were few moments when Concordia could get through the tight back four of their opponents. Laval doubled their score in the second half with a pair of unfortunate miscommunication goals to end the match 4-0.

After the unfortunate loss to Laval, the Stingers hoped to redeem themselves against the UQTR Patriotes in the annual Erica Cadieux memorial match.

The match started poorly for Concordia as they, again, went down by two, in quick fashion.

However, newcomer Gabriela Padvaiskas answered for the Stingers to make it 2-1 within five minutes.

Coach Jorge Sanchez switched up keepers for the second match going with another

rookie, Brittany O’Rourke, in lieu of Catherine Perusse-Daigneault for the Sunday match.

O’Rourke could not have asked for a worse start staring down a 2-0 deficit within the opening of the game, but the green keeper

settled down, making a few key stops in the half.

The Stingers evened things up with a break away goal by another rookie Alexandra Dragan in the 33rd minute.

The second half brought with it hope as Padvaiskas dinged one off the crossbar early followed by a goal post save behind O’Rourke to keep the score-line levelled. Gabrielle Rivest, however, put UQTR up in the 25th minute of the second half with a heartbreaking goal that would prove the match winner.

The Stingers came back in a dramatic flurry, but it seems the winds of fate were not blowing with the burgundy youngsters.

Stingers substitute Emily Hubbard missed an emerald of a chance in injury time to tie it, but her free shot in front of a gaping net found nothing but crossbar. Less than two minutes later, Kristina McGovern’s shot hit the post.

“We have to be opportunistic,” said Sanchez. “We can’t waste open chances. We didn’t have that killer instinct at the end that we needed.”

The gift the Patriotes keeper gave Hubbard six yards out was one that Sanchez knew had to be buried.

“You have to bury those,” Sanchez said.

“If you want to be a competitive team, those have to be put away.”

The young Concordia team started five players who are in their first year with the Stingers and, though the work ethic is there, capitalizing on chances is needed if they are to get better results.

“The reality is that we probably played badly for ten minutes in two games and gave up seven goals,” said coach Sanchez.

The Stingers face off against McGill Sept. 16 at 6:30 p.m. on the Redmen’s field.

(Top) The Stingers just couldn’t find a way to get past UQTR on Sunday. (Bottom) Elizabeth Allard (16) moves through midfield. Photos by Camille Nerant

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Tuesday, September 13, 2011

19

basketball

Concordia California dreamin’ in unfocused loss

(Left) Stingers walk off court at halftime deflated and trailing 45-27 (Right) Greg Somogyi blocks Taylor Garner (15). Photos by Camille Nerant

Stingers beaten 87-69 by UC-Santa Barbara in second preseason game Julien Mei Interim sports editor The Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team picked the wrong day to have a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Playing another preseason game against an NCAA school, this time the University of CaliforniaSanta Barbara Gauchos, the Stingers looked sluggish, disorganized and unfocused. The end result was an 87-69 drubbing.

The game against Santa Barbara completely contrasted the Stingers’ previous match up against Niagara University, when the team played high octane, energized basketball and only lost by a single basket.

“Our energy was the biggest (difference),” said Stingers’ forward James Clark. “Against Niagara we were competing the whole way through. In this game we pretty much just competed for three minutes and maybe a little bit in the second half, but other than that we were just flat. We just didn’t come out and play hard.”

The lack of energy coupled with some poor first half shooting took the Stingers out of the game early as they would go into halftime trailing 45-27. The Stingers would come

Game stats Men’s basketball

87 69 Gauchos

Stingers

out in the second half shooting the ball better, going 55 per cent from beyond the arc, but the early deficit was simply too much to overcome against such a talented team.

“We got a little better in the second half but it was just too little too late,” said Concordia coach John Dore. “But this is also a pretty good team. They have Orlando Johnson who’s projected to be picked late in the first round of the NBA Draft, and they’re just a good team.”

For Gauchos’ coach Bob Williams, the difference in the game came down to defence and execution.

“I thought we just played better,” said Williams. “We shot the ball pretty well but we were defending much better. (Concordia)

was very physical and I liked how they executed but I just don’t think they shot the ball as well as they normally do.”

Concordia was also forced to deal with Greg Somogyi, Santa Barbara’s seven-foot-three centre. “He changes the game,” said Williams.

“Nobody inside feels comfortable shooting because they know Greg’s around. He blocks a lot of shots, he gets rebounds and he’s getting better offensively.”

Concordia’s tallest player was six-foot-seven centre Zach Brisebois.

Brisebois was saddled with the difficult task of matching up with Somogyi.

“It’s tough,” said Brisebois.

“You’ve got to defend him before he catches the ball so he’s not in posi-

tion to score. I’ve never had to deal with a guy that big in our league.”

Brisebois did a fair job guarding Somogyi, but the Hungarian giant was still able to amass 12 points and four offensive rebounds to go with four blocked shots, in only 14 minutes on the court.

On a positive note, the game did mark the return of Stingers’ star guard Kyle Desmarais, who missed the team’s first exhibition game due to an ankle injury.

Both Desmarais and coach Dore, though, acknowledged that he looked a little bit rusty and out of sync with his ankle still not feeling 100 per cent. Desmarais does expect to be back to full speed sometime in the next week or two.

Concordia university campus

Media Tour

FG/FGA

33/70

23/64

FG%

47.1%

35.9%

3-PT

7/27

6/16

S.G.W. campus, Mezzanine

3-PT%

25.9%

37.5%

FT/FTA

14/17

17/28

CUTV (television) THE LINK (print)

Rbs

41

40

TO

15

19

Ast

12

10

BLK

9

1

Find out more about your campus media.

September 14 Loyola campus, A.D. building @ 12 PM CJLO (radio) THE CONCORDIAN (print)