The Concordian

theconcordian October 30, November 13,2012 2012

Independent student newspaper at Concordia University. Since 1983.

Volume 30 Issue 12

Students left out in the cold

international students have come forward to voice concerns over experiences they have had with the concordia china student recruitment partnership program. photo by leslie shachter

Students protest Concordia University’s international recruitment practices Matthew Guité Assistant news editor

Concordia University students and supporters protested outside the annual meeting of the Canadian Bureau for International Education Wednesday, to denounce the alleged mistreatment of Chinese international

students in homestay programs and at the hands of recruitment officers associated with the university.

A rally of approximately 30 people stood outside the Sheraton Hotel at noon to demand Concordia be held accountable for the allegedly questionable recruitment practices of Peter Low, the director of the Concordia

China Student Recruitment Partner Program. This issue first came to light in an article published in the Sept. 25 issue of The Link.

The international students who spoke of their experiences went only by their first names out of fear of repercussions. Many described situations where their money disap-

peared, they were poorly treated in homestay programs, and they were lied to by Low. Lydia, the first student to speak, explained how she paid her tuition to Low, only to find that more than $2,000 of it vanished without ever reaching her Concordia student account.

“I understand paying money but not why it disappeared,” she said.

“I paid money to Peter Low because he is the person who is on Concordia University’s website. I trusted him but now it seems like he has taken my money away.”

opinions

Continued on P. 5

In this issue... life

arts

music

sports

Benefits of the moustache P. 6

Mimmo Jodice’s photo exhibit P. 11

Montrealers and modern rap P. 12

Stingers begin title Is the force strong with Disney? P. 20 defense P. 16

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

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news Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Got a news tip? news@theconcordian.com

City in brief Matthew Guité

>>Some friendly competition Montreal will soon have a second English-language AM talk radio station once again, as the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission approved an application on Friday for such a station at 600 AM. The application, filed by a trio of local businessmen who had a French-language AM station approved last year, will have a commitment to fill its programming with 100 per cent local content. The businessmen, Nicolas Tétrault, Rajiv Pancholy and Paul Tietolman, said that both stations are expected to open next spring and will create roughly 150 jobs.

>>A Sherbrooke explosion An enormous explosion at an industrial plant in Sherbrooke that killed three workers and injured 18 others is still being investigated as its cause remains unknown. The explosion was big enough to be heard for kilometres, and left a large black cloud of smoke hanging over the processing plant for hours.

Mayor Bernard Sévigny of Sherbrooke told CBC that it was a tragedy, and that their flag was being flown at half-mast in memory of those injured and killed by the explosion. The hospital director of Sherbrooke University Hospital Centre, where most of those injured were treated, has said that almost all the workers who were brought in have now been released.

>>A new way to remember A collection of notes, letters and photographs documenting the movements and activities of McGill University staff and graduates involved in World War II was unveiled Sunday for Remembrance Day. The collection was originally compiled by R. C. Fetherstonhaugh, who took on the job for the McGill War Records Office, and was packed away after his death in 1946. Over the past several years, volunteers scanned and uploaded all the information to a digital archive to preserve it.

>>Fire in the Old Port A massive fire in Old Montreal destroyed the upper levels of a St-Jacques St. building on Thursday, and forced the offices of La Presse across the street to evacuate. The building, located at 31 St. Jacques St. W., was undergoing renovations when the fire started just after 6 p.m., and was therefore vacant.

Approximately 70 firefighters dealt with the blaze which started on the sixth floor for unknown reasons. Although asked to investigate, the Montreal Police stressed that this does not necessarily mean the fire is criminal in nature.

CAMpUS CITy

OpenFile keeping quiet Contributors demand outstanding pay and answers from the website Joel Ashak Staff writer After being kept in the dark for more than a month and still waiting for up to $2,000 of unpaid work, a handful of Montreal journalists launched a collective action against the community-based news website OpenFile on Monday.

In an open letter sent to CEO Wilf Dinnick and published on a Tumblr page, four former OpenFile contributors demanded that the website creator pay the outstanding invoices and explain why the website has been on hiatus for nearly two months.

“All we want is our bills paid and a little respect for all the work we’ve done,” said Justin Ling, a former contributor to OpenFile and media spokesperson for the group who wrote the letter.

After the letter was published, Ling says he received a call from Dinnick on Monday. Their conversation left Ling feeling “content” and “confident” that all reporters would be paid by the end of the year. Ling, however, would not go into specifics saying that Dinnick was “worried about saying too much before everything is settled.”

Despite success in six major Canadian cities, Dinnick announced a hiatus for OpenFile in a post published on the website Sept. 28. He did not say when the site would be online again and cited restructuring as the cause for the temporary shutting down.

Due to a number of questions raised by the sudden decision, Dinnick attempted to appease writers and editors with a group email sent on Oct. 2, promising payment of overdue invoices within 60 days.

Photo by Madelayne Hajek

Photo from Flickr

Monday’s open letter stated that some writers have been waiting for more than 90 days.

More recently, in an article published by J-Source on Nov. 7, Dinnick was quoted as saying auditors physically removed all the books from OpenFile offices, forcing him to wait for the accounts to be “loosened [so he could] write those [cheques].”

There was no mention, nor official statement about the nature of the auditing or the people behind it.

The authors of the letter openly expressed their frustration over the contradicting messages they received and the secrecy surrounding the nature of the hiatus.

“His comments were hardly reassuring,” the open letter states about Dinnick’s interview with J-

Source.

“It’s unfortunate that we had to learn this from J-Source,” added Ling.

Prior to yesterday’s call, Ling said the last time he heard from Dinnick was about a month ago where he was told to “hang tight”.

He was assured that everyone would be paid within the timeline that OpenFile promised, which has yet to happen. Ling said that they were not considering legal actions for now.

Brennan Neill, freelancer and president of the Board of Directors at The Concordian, contributed to OpenFile on several occasions and said most OpenFile staff saw the shutdown coming.

“In August, I was told by [former Montreal city editor Dominique Jarry-Shore] that they were cutting

down on the freelance budget because traffic on the website was slow, but I never suspected they would shut down in September,” said Neill.

A few weeks prior to the hiatus, contributors were not being assigned stories for the most part and editors were being let go one after the other, including OpenFile Editor-in-chief John Ferri.

Neill, who is still waiting for an unpaid story, expressed concerns over the extinction of English media in Montreal and said he was worried about decreasing opportunities for upcoming journalists.

“This year’s been pretty horrible for the Anglo freelancer,” said Neill.

“It left a big open hole in the Anglo freelancer landscape of Montreal.”

Dinnick could not be reached for comment.

The Concordian wants you!

We are looking for photo and graphics contributors.

We are also now accepting applications for the positions of assistant life editor, assistant arts editor, assistant music editor, assistant sports editor, and assistant opinions editor.

Send a cover letter, 2-3 clippings, and a resume to editor@theconcordian.com The deadline to apply is December 5. Only staff writers are eligible.

Photo by Rob Flis

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian CoNUU CoN

Presidential remarks

Concordia’s president weighs in on tuition, CUpFA, Chinese student concerns

Photo by writer

Marilla Steuter-Martin Editor-in-chief Thursday Nov. 8, The Concordian sat down with Concordia President Alan Shepard to discuss the recent developments with the part-time faculty association, the tuition repeal and complaints concerning international student recruitment.

Faced with a 95 per cent strike vote from Concordia University’s Part-Time Faculty Association, Shepard says he is hopeful that negotiations will come to a positive conclusion.

“It’s a complex dance on both sides and I’m optimistic that both sides want to find a settlement and that we will,” he said.

He went on to say that the university is “actively discussing” with CUPFA and that “it’s really important

that both sides work together to find a new collective agreement.”

Shepard emphasized that parttime faculty play a key role at Concordia and that “in strikes, I think everybody would say that nobody wins.”

As far as the tuition repeal goes, it was reported last week that while Concordia refunded each student the cost of the tuition hike — about $8.75 per credit — McGill University did not. McGill issued a press release Nov. 4 stating that for the time being the university would only be refunding students who pay Quebec resident rates.

Shepard explained that Concordia’s reading of the official directives received from the provincial government was that “for now, all students would be refunded.”

He went on to say that the gov-

ernment “left open the possibility that in the future they may adjust the [fees] for international students and students who are not from Quebec but are Canadian residents.”

University spokesperson Chris Mota confirmed Monday that the exact wording of the letter indicated that all students be refunded.

“At this point we are just following the letter of the law,” said Shepard. Carole Graveline, director of media relations at McGill, was unable to give comment by press time.

On the subject of issues coming to light regarding Concordia’s Chinese international students, Shepard told the The Concordian that “to have even a single student having trouble, that’s one too many.”

The concerns raised about the Concordia China Student Recruitment Partnership Program have become widespread since The Link first reported on the issue in September.

Students have begun to come forward with reports of being poorly treated in homestay programs, which are technically independent from the university, and having negative experiences with Peter Low, director of the CCSRPP. “We have had a relationship with this particular recruiter for a while, it had never come to our attention that there were any serious problems,” said Shepard.

The university has taken a number of actions regarding this issue including having pertinent documents translated into Mandarin and assembling a ‘working group’ composed of

student and administrative representatives to address the topic further.

“I feel satisfied that we’ve gotten a very clear picture of what’s going on and if I didn’t think that, I’d be asking more questions.”

Concordia Student Union President Schubert Laforest says that the student-led ‘task force’ working parallel to the ‘working group’ has been “meeting around the clock” regarding the international students’ concerns.

Laforest says he feels that the university may be “under certain assumptions” and “what needs to be cleared up is that this is beyond miscommunication and [that] students were misled.”

While Shepard says that Concordia “[does] not have a system-wide problem,” and that he hasn’t heard anything alarming, Laforest disagrees.

He told The Concordian Monday that he had seen documents in which Low had misrepresented the homestay program to a student. Laforest confirmed that “in one case homestay was presented as the only option” by Low, when in reality it is completely optional.

Laforest said that he knew of about 10 - 15 students so far, predominantly Chinese, who had come forward to various groups with similar stories. Laforest says he is currently focused on the task force, whose goal is to come up with solutions and hopefully see them “directly implemented” by the university in the future.

EDUCATIoN

Higher education summit on the horizon provincial government announces four main themes for discussion Marie-Josée Kelly Assistant news photographer The Parti Québécois announced a plan detailing the higher education summit that is set to take place early in the new year, last Thursday.

The four major themes on the agenda are the quality of post-secondary education, accessibility and participation, governance and financing of universities and the contribution of research to Quebec society.

“We’ve been waiting for this opportunity, it’s been a long time coming,” said Martine Desjardins, president of the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec. “To have this situation where we can discuss and more importantly debate our visions of the entirety of the university network and long term projects is compelling.”

Desjardins said she is satisfied with the government’s consideration of the propositions brought forth by the FEUQ in terms of the summit’s structure and themes to be discussed.

“Now, all we have left to do is prepare,” she said. “We need to find people that will back up our demands and make sure that all that we advance is coherent and credible.”

Concordia Student Union’s VP external, Simon-Pierre Lauzon, has been working closely with various levels of student governance to create awareness about the upcoming conference.

He emphasizes that now it is time to inform the student body and focus on the issues that they want to see prioritized at the summit.

“One of the themes that the government wants to talk about is university financing and governance,” said Lauzon. “How inclusive that category is, is up to debate at this point, how deep they want to dig into systematic changes is something that I’d be curious to know.”

Lauzon says that it is an important topic at Concordia, considering the hefty severance packages that have been handed out to senior administrators in the past.

“Concordia has a very interesting reputation at large for some of the decisions it’s made in terms of the administration, including what they did last year in reducing student involvement on the Board of Governors to one representative with voting rights,” said Lauzon.

According to Lauzon, a concern Concordia representatives will bring to

the summit concerns the tuition fees of international students since they pay the highest rates. He feels that international students should also be subjected to a freeze so they aren’t taken advantage of by post-secondary institutions or the provincial government.

“I believe we should advocate for a tuition freeze for them as well because they do pay a lot of fees to the university and we don’t want to use these international students as piggy banks for the university or for the government at this point.”

Lauzon said students can expect consultation on these subjects in the form of general assemblies and surveys in the weeks leading up to the summit that is set to take place in midFebruary.

The Political Science Student Association held a special general assembly Tuesday to discuss what they want to bring to the education summit but it did not meet quorum so it became an information session instead. The PSSA will hold another general assembly in the upcoming months.

Robin Reid-Fraser, VP external affairs of the Student Society of McGill University, confirmed with The Con-

Photo from Flickr

cordian that SSMU will begin hosting formal consultation sessions with its student membership concerning a wide variety of topics such as financial aid and student debt, anglophone students in Quebec and research, as of Nov. 19.

“I think that it seems to be a pretty good effort by the government and I’m glad that they are starting to talk about some of the issues that I think sort of got neglected by the Liberal government during the student strike,” said Reid-Fraser. “Hopefully, it will bring out students in a different kind of way than the tuition hike issue did.”

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Nation in brief Matthew Guité

>>A phishy nation The Public Safety Department is worried that Canada is becoming a launching pad for malicious cyber attacks according documents obtained by The Canadian Press. The notes say that the origin place for cyber attacks is shifting to more developed countries “with good reputations.” The notes, which were written by Brett Kubicek, manager of research and academic relations of the department, stress that Canada may be moving from being a target to becoming a host.

Last spring, Websense ranked Canada as the number two place in the world for hosting phishing sites, with the United States as number one.

>>That’s not what it’s for The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is investigating an incident at a New Brunswick high school after a teacher allegedly used hockey tape to tape together the arms of two girls who were not getting along.

The incident, which left both girls bruised, sparked outrage from their parents. The father of one girl has filed a complaint with the police.

The teacher in question declined to comment but Heather Smith, president of the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association, told CBC that she was disturbed by the fact that people were considering the teacher guilty before an investigation.

>>A more thoughtful Canada More Canadians planned to observe Remembrance Day this year, including attending ceremonies and holding two minutes of silence, according to an Ipsos Reid poll. Apparently 30 per cent of respondents made formal plans to attend a Remembrance Day event, compared to 22 per cent in 2010, and 80 per cent planned to observe two minutes of silence compared to 75 per cent in 2010. Anthony Wilson-Smith, president of the Historica-Dominion Institute, told The Canadian Press that the poll reflected the fact that Canadians were paying more attention than before and that a new generation of veterans from Afghanistan also influenced the increase.

>>A breach of trust A former psychiatrist has had his license revoked by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Nova Scotia due to allegations of sexual misconduct. Dr. Bolarinwa Olutosin Oluwole was a staff psychiatrist for two years at the Yarmouth Regional Hospital until he was fired in 2010 after three of his patients alleged that he had engaged in acts of sexual misconduct with them, two citing sexual intercourse. Oluwole was accused of keeping inappropriate sexual items in his office, such as condoms and sexually explicit photographs. The college has removed his name from their register.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

World in brief Robin Della Corte

>>The end of the banana war A twenty-year long trade dispute over the international trade of bananas has finally been resolved.

The agreement was reached after the European Union agreed to slowly reduce the tariffs on Latin American bananas. Pascal Lamy, the director-general of the World Trade Organization, claims it was a “truly historic moment” in the battle. The EU and 10 Latin American countries signed the agreement to end eight separate WTO cases. “After so many twists and turns, these complicated and politically contentious disputes can finally be put to bed,” Lamy told BBC.

>>Above and beyond China plans to launch a manned space mission with a crew consisting of a woman and two men, according to state media. The announcement comes a few months after a Chinese space shuttle took part in the country’s first space docking mission. The shuttle also carried China’s first female astronaut, Liu Yang. The launch could take place as early as next June according the deputy commander-in-chief of the manned space program. China became the third country to send a person into space in 2003.

>>What about BlackBerry?

The Samsung Galaxy S3 outsold Apple’s iPhone 4S for the first time ever in South Korea becoming the world’s best-selling smartphone according to research firm Strategy Analytics. Samsung sold 18 million models in comparison with Apple’s 16.2 million in the third quarter of 2012. While the S3 is popular for now, the iPhone 5 will likely reclaim the throne of the worlds most sought-after phone. Meanwhile, the two companies are locked in contentious legal battles over software and infringement claims.

>>No more Tobacco for you It has been confirmed by Sainsbury’s that tobacco will be removed from sales at another six of its supermarkets in Scotland following the government implementing a supplementary tax on stores selling cigarettes and alcohol. The company already had four stores that do not sell these products before the policy came into force on Monday, Nov. 12. Approximately 240 stores in Scotland are going to be affected by the government’s aim to reduce alcohol and tobacco related harm. The charge only applies to stores that are valued at over $475,000.

CITy

Corruption by the numbers

HeadlineHeadlineHeadline

24-25

Kalina Laframboise News editor

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The anti-corruption bill tabled by the Parti Québécois in an effort to eliminate collusion in the public sector and clean up municipal offices. To ensure that the public tendering of contracts is fair, the provincial government’s legislation aims to subject companies to a screening process to prove they are honest and free of corruption.

76, 83, 45 In a Léger Marketing poll for the Journal de Montréal Oct. 31, with a total number of 629 participants, 76 per cent felt it was necessary for Tremblay to resign.

Additionally, 83 per cent felt Tremblay’s budget proposal for 2013 including an increase in municipal taxes by 3.3 per cent was unacceptable and 45 per cent of participants felt it was impossible to eliminate the Mafia’s presence in the construction industry in Quebec.

99 The difference of votes that saw Vision Montréal’s Cindy Leclerc win a byelection in Rivièredes-Prairies Nov. 11 over Union Montréal’s Nino Colavecchio.

The results mean that Union Montréal will have less power in City Hall after its opposition campaigned heavily on integrity. Approximately 21 per cent of the borough’s population voted in the byelection.

2.5

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Construction boss Lino Zambito accused Vaillancourt of taking 2.5 per cent of every public contract for his own gain.

According to Zambito’s testimony, Vaillancourt pocketed the money as kickbacks.

700,000

The approximate total in thousands of dollars that retired city engineer, Gilles Surprenant, received in bribes. Initially, Surprenant testified to taking $600,000 in kickbacks and blowing a portion of it gambling but the actual number was closer to $700,000.

The number, in billions, awarded in public contracts every year by the provincial government.

The number of mayors who resigned as a result of the testimonies implicating them in the Charbonneau Commission. Following allegations of corruption within the Union Montreal, Gérald Tremblay stepped down from his position of the mayor of Montreal Nov. 5 following an extended vacation. Laval Mayor Gilles Vaillancourt ended a 23year career when he stepped down Friday, Nov. 9.

91

The number of contracts that Surprenant worked on during his career as a city engineer. Throughout a nine-year period spanning from 2000 to 2009, Surprenant fixed a total of 91 contracts and the cost of public works initiatives and projects rose by as much Photo from Flickr as 35 per cent.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

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A demand for accountability

Continued from cover Matthew Guité Assistant news editor Gloria, a Chinese exchange student, said that despite the promises of what her homestay experience would be like, her time there left her feeling angry and betrayed by the university.

“I was not eating well, I was not receiving the food I was promised,” she said. “I feel cheated because I came here thinking Concordia University would take care of me and they didn’t.”

Nadia Hausfather, VP external of the Graduate Students’ Association and an organizer of the event, said that it was unfair to offer what she felt are unrealistic expectations to international students.

“Unfortunately providing these kinds of expectations is not new to Concordia, such as in 2009 when the Board of Governors raised tuition for certain international student programs by up to 50 per cent without warning them even before they came to Canada, so some students did not find out about this huge increase until they got off the plane.”

Concordia Student Union President Schubert Laforest confirmed Monday that he had seen documents in which Low implied to a student that the homestay program, which is independent of Concordia, was mandatory when that is not the case.

Walter Tom, the CSU’s legal information clinic’s co-ordinator, stressed

Photo by Leslie Schachter

the need to hold an investigation in conjunction with student groups like the CSU and GSA, because an investigation by the university alone may not be seen as credible. “[The university] recently launched an external review regarding the compensation of executives at Concordia, why not do the same thing with this question,” Tom said.

“This is even more fundamental, it’s about how students are affected directly, students they have brought

over here, students they have recruited and are supposed to be cared for.”

Concordia responded to some of the allegations in a press release Friday, stating that they had received the full co-operation of Peter Low and that he “has adhered to the highest standards while helping students from China begin their studies at Concordia.”

The release states that contrary to the reports from some exchange

LECTURE poLITICS

professors discuss president Barack obama’s victory

C

oncordia University held a conference that focused on the factors leading to the outcome of the 2012 presidential election and its impact on international affairs, last Thursday.

Professors Graham Dodds, Michael Lipson, Harold Chorney and Graham Carr each spoke about different issues concerning the candidates and the months leading up to the election.

Lipson focused on foreign policies that were discussed throughout the campaign between President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney, stating that Obama’s tactics garnered more support while Romney’s didn’t inspire confidence.

“Romney was never clear during the campaign of what he would do concerning foreign policies,” Lipson said. “Although Obama didn’t introduce new plans, he showed we can expect continuity

bureau is to provide guidelines for its members to follow, not to investigate its members actions, and that they trusted the university to act appropriately.

“Our sense is that Concordia will and is keeping us informed of the situation,” she said. “Frankly it’s just our role to work with them, and at this time we believe that they are working very hard to make sure that the students who have raised some concerns are responded to.”

CAMpUS

ConU’s take on American politics Robin Della Corte Assistant news editor

students, Low only suggests homestays as an option, and receives no remuneration from homestay providers. According to the release, Low provided the university with evidence suggesting “that the complaints reported on by the media are likely the result of miscommunication.”

Jennifer Humphries, Vice-President, Membership, Public Policy and Communications for CBIE, told The Concordian that the role of the

of foreign policies.”

Furthermore, Lipson claimed that the debates were integral to the election and that he was “widely seen as winner of the third debate.”

Chorney strongly believes that Romney’s positions on abortion and women’s rights “were deeply insulting” in comparison with Obama’s “more sympathetic” stance that pushed Americans to favour Obama. Dodds, a political science professor, agreed with Chorney that Obama’s take on women’s right helped him win.

He further stated that Romney’s comments and views on hispanics and immigration were perceived as ignorant by a large portion of American citizens.

Chorney felt that Obama won because he “speaks beautifully” and has become an iconic figure in politics.

Carr, VP research and graduate studies, spoke about the implications of the election on Canada and political culture.

Carr believes Obama’s re-

election will have an impact on Canada for several reasons. One being the Keystone XL pipeline that Romney advocated during his election. In January, Obama won the approval of environmentalists by rejecting the creation of a pipeline that would transport bitumen from Alberta to refineries in the Gulf of Mexico that would create jobs in both nations.

Orin Loft, a first-year sociology and anthropology student at Concordia, said that he was surprised with the outcome. While Loft didn’t necessarily support Obama’s success, he didn’t want Romney to win because “he’s completely out of touch with too many things like women’s rights, gay rights and economic standings of the middle class.”

“The women’s vote really helped him out,” said Loft about the Obama campaign. “Romney wasn’t really strong with that front.”

With files from Kalina Laframboise

Three councillors resign from CSU Councillor Hajar El Jahidi runs for Vp academic and advocacy position Matthew Guité Assistant news editor Concordia Student Union councillors Charlie Brenchley, Adriana Farias and April Underwood officially resigned from their positions on council this week in separate letters.

Brenchley stated in his letter that he did not feel he was upholding his duty to his fellow Arts and Science students, and that in his final year, he realized that he needed to put the priority on his studies in order to succeed.

He stated that with the “added stress” and “time commitment,” he found his “heart wasn’t really in it.”

He also cited his decision to work parttime as another reason.

Chad Walcott, former VP external and current councillor, said that Brenchley’s departure was unfortunate because he had a “strong voice” on council.

Farias’ resignation letter listed time commitment issues as one reason for her departure, and said that “health issues” factored into her decision.

Last Tuesday, Underwood submitted her resignation as well, saying she

wanted to devote more time to her studies and position as VP academic of the philosophy students association.

It was also announced Monday, in an email by CSU Chair Jean-François Ouellet, that Arts and Science councillor Hajar El Jahidi would be running for the open executive position of VP academic and advocacy. Jahidi is currently the only candidate for the position, which was vacated earlier this year when Lucia Gallardo resigned due to her inability to resolve her student status issues in time.

When asked about the low turnout for the vacant position, Walcott said it was unfortunate that only one person was running.

“There probably could have been more advertising done with regards to the election,” explained Walcott.

In violation of the CSU’s standing regulations, certain candidates started postering before the designated time.

Candidates are only allowed to poster after 9 p.m. the day before campaigning but posters of several candidates were seen at both campuses throughout the day Monday. The polling dates will be Nov. 27, 28 and 29.

life 6

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com MoveMber

Embracing the manly whiskers

Study shows benefits of the moustache Casandra De Masi Staff writer

Mo

vember is upon us, and men all over the country are concentrated on growing out their whiskers. Tiny handlebar moustaches adorn mugs, pens, and a whole slew of paraphernalia.

It’s cool, it’s hip, and it’s meant to draw attention

measurement and calculation of how much radiation tissue can absorb, to see if facial hair provided any protection against the sun’s rays. Researcher Alfio Parisi and his fellow scientists came to the conclusion that facial hair diminished the skin’s exposure to ultraviolet rays by about one third.

There were some variables, such as the angle of the sun, and the length of the ‘stache and beard. While this may seem like great news for you moustached men, Parisi did mention that this is a very small amount of protection, so don’t chuck your sunscreen just yet.

In addition to some minor health benefits, moustaches actually bring about Graphic by Jennifer Kwan many social benefits as well. to men’s testicular and prostate health. According I suppose we can call it the Tom Selleck effect. A to Canadian Cancer Society, there were approxi- study held by the American Mustache Institute mately 26,500 cases of prostate cancer in 2012 showed that men with mos make more money and 4,000 deaths caused by it. than clean-shaven fellows. According to the While the women help raise funds and study, they make 8.2 per cent more than men awareness, men are sponsored to grow out their who just have beards, and 4.3 per cent more than ‘staches. Last year, “Mo Bros” and “Mo Sistas” baby-faced blokes. The study also states that men raised $125.7 million Canada-wide. Although cre- sporting upper-lip flavour-savers are more likely ating and maintaining their upper lip art can be to be hired at job interviews. time consuming and inconvenient, there are also “When I am clean shaven, I feel exposed to many of benefits that come from their labours. the elements of the world,” said Aaron Cohenca, Studies have shown that moustaches actually a Dawson College student who is part of a team provide protection against the sun’s ultraviolet raising funds for Movember. He said he believes rays. Researchers in Australia used dosimetry, a the growth of a ‘stache is a respectable process.

If you’re not yet convinced to join in the Movember festivities, a study by the Journal of Marketing Communications states that moustached men are also seen as more trustworthy. Men sporting facial hair in commercials brought out more trust in the consumer. It must be noted that when we are talking about facial hair and moustaches, we are speaking about well-groomed, short to medium length beards. nothing that looks like a bird could raise a family in it.

“A moustache is a responsibility. It is almost like a baby and needs to be cared for daily,” said Cohenca. “People recognize this subconsciously and will thus automatically respect and admire men who have the courage and willpower to wear their ‘staches with pride.” on the other hand, some people like McGill University student Chris Martin disagree. He said he feels “dirty” with facial hair, and that the image of a moustache is old-fashioned.

“It makes me think of undeserved dominance and inequality,” he said.

Concordia student Maxie Kalinowicz, one of Cohenca’s team members, began growing out his facial hair in August. “It definitely makes me feel a lot older. And I have noticed that strangers seem to treat me as such,” said Kalinowicz. However, he added that he sometimes feels unkempt, and that facial hair can “be a two-way street.”

To introduce a female perspective, Concordia student Krystina Scenna willingly expressed her dislike with the idea of moustaches for that very reason.

“They’re terrifying!” she said. “It looks like a dead rodent on your upper lip.”

If we’ve convinced you of the benefits of growing a moustache, consider doing it for a good cause and participate. If not, feel free to make fun of your friends all the more.

TeleviSioN

How marketing makes men look meek Men: commercial failures?

Andrew Guilbert Staff writer ALLoW Me To SeT THe SCene: a man has just finished his business on the side of the road and goes back into a car filled with his buddies. Thinking themselves to be clever, the man-filled car edges just out of his reach each time he goes to open the door. Sheepishly, the man attempts to grab the door handle again and again, much to the delight of his friends who continue to edge the car forward. Then suddenly, the car edges over a cliff the men were too busy laughing to see, leaving their friend staring down at the ravine as the words “why we insure only women” flash on screen, followed by the logo for 1st for Women insurance brokers.

As a man, if reading that description didn’t make you wince, then you haven’t been exposed to the commercials I have. The problem with this ad is one that has been a disturbing trend for as long as I care to remember.

The difficulty here comes from the overwhelming presence of this “men are morons, women are wiser” trope in advertising. If someone unfamiliar with our culture were to assess it based solely on what they saw on television, men would come off as a sorry bunch of ne’erdo-wells who just can’t figure out that incredibly simple Fedex shipping plan and have the hardest time getting the Febreze plug-in to work properly.

In many of these ads, women consistently come off looking better, more grounded and sensible than their male counterparts. Should you question the sexist nature of this; simply reverse the genders and see how people would react to clueless women constantly being corrected by doting men who roll their eyes at their male’s incompetence?

Some may think this is not an issue and merely representative of some good-natured ribbing between the sexes. Surely we men can take the occasional jab to our pride; we’re not perfect, after all.

Men are not above being ridiculed,

and should not have their feelings spared more than any other demographic. Having said that, a recent study from the University of Illinois confirmed that the stereotypical ‘dumb guy’ cliché not only offends many viewers, but has proven counter-productive as a marketing gimmick as well.

“While partying and promiscuity are often depicted in advertising, some men find these images to be negative portrayals of their gender and are, in fact, turned off by them,” said Cele

otnes, marketing professor at the University of Illinois and co-author of the study. “Those stereotypes don’t actually fit the vast majority of males. Advertisers and marketers need to broaden the spectrum.”

In brief, there is no need to put down an entire gender every time you want to sell a cleaning product. We men have to buy detergent too and if your product is really that complicated for men to use, maybe we’ll just switch to another brand instead and save ourselves the trouble.

Graphic by Phil Waheed

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

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7

MoveMber

Must not shave: a Movember story Concordia student makes the brave commitment to finally grow out his manly moustache Alex Melki Contributor My role models are Ron Burgundy and Ron Swanson, so when Movember rolled around this year, I decided to commit to the cause. I tried growing out a ‘stache last november, but four days in, I caved and shaved it. not this year! It has been more than a week and I’m sporting the bare minimum of what could be considered a moustache. The thought of shaving it off does cross my mind after every glance in the mirror. I had never grown one out fully but surely it would be epic, wouldn’t it?

I had no idea how tedious, annoying and painful shaving everyday would be. My face feels as though it was brushed with sandpaper and it is taking my entire being to not “accidentally” shave it off. Shaving on a daily basis requires an earlier-than-usual wake-up call and a ton of aftershave, but the end result is the manliest of bonding experiences. When I bump into a fellow Movemberer, a “nice ‘stache” is all that needs to be said.

I made peace with the fact that I would encounter many disgusted looks from the ladies this month, but women have been insanely supportive of Movember. It may not be

the most attractive and acceptable look year round, but most women are on board with upper lip facial hair for a month.

Movember is also kind of a manliness competition. one of my friends had a full moustache after a week — I was nowhere close to that. Does that make me insecure about my manhood? Damn sure it does. Do I feel like Tom Selleck when I see a guy with less facial hair than me? Absolutely.

According to the Movember website, this year’s movement has generated more than $32 million in donations, with Canada leading the pack with $11.3 million. The fact that

I haven’t raised any funds for the work I’ve put in so far doesn’t bother me. When the vast majority of my guy friends are growing out their moustaches, funding each other would mean financial bankruptcy. So I’m counting on a few generous donations from my family.

While raising awareness and money for prostate cancer is the whole point of Movember, it has become more than just that. The best part of Movember is the overwhelming support that we give one another through a simple moustache. So, men, do the manly thing and grow a moustache for cancer. See you out there moustache brothers!

roMANCe

La belle et le bad boy

Bad Boys from left to right: Vampire Diaries, True BlooD, reBel WiThouT a Cause, The o.C., Grease, The o.C., The BreakfasT CluB, Gilmore Girls and a sTreeTCar NameD Desire.

Don’t let your hormones pick your man; beware of the leather-weathering, virile-looking man Sara baron-Goodman Staff writer

e

ven before James Dean graced the silver screen in his leather jacket and made girls in poodle skirts everywhere swoon, us females couldn’t seem to stop ourselves when confronted with a bad boy. In a recent study in the Science Daily, Why Women Choose Bad Boys: Ovulating Women Perceive Sexy Cads as Good Dads, Kristina Durante, a marketing professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, blames our attraction and bad decisions on biology.

Like moths to a flame, it seems that time and time again, women throw caution to the wind — along with our logic and panties — and chase after those men we just know will burn us. I’d always attributed this phenomenon to the thrill of the chase,

the allure of danger, or perhaps, some weird fetish for emotional masochism. However, Durante explains that, in fact, it all comes down to science.

When ovulating, women are subconsciously drawn to men who give off a strong and virile persona, wired to think that these men will be better providers for a family.

“Under the hormonal influence of ovulation, women delude themselves into thinking that the sexy bad boys will become devoted partners and better dads,” explains Durante in her study.

She began her work by observing quite literally, the birds and the bees. Well, really only the birds. By watching how these animals’ mating patterns worked, she was able to shed some light on our own species.

“I began by looking at how other females in other species make decisions based on parental investment,“ says Durante.

She further explained that humans, being animals like any other, also follow that basic drive for choosing partners based on protection and procreation. The only difference being that “the animals don’t feel the decrease in self-esteem we do when we make the wrong choice.”

In the study, she had university-aged women in the week of ovulation, compare online dating profiles of typical “bad boy” types to those who fit the “nice guy” mould.

Results showed that nearly all the women chose the bad boy, based on the thought that he would be a better father and caregiver.

“When looking at the sexy cad through ovulation goggles, Mr. Wrong looked exactly like Mr. Right,” Durante told Science Daily. now, we might be drawn to guys with scruff and smoldering eyes, or those who are a little wild and can’t be pegged down,

however, it all comes down to our most primitive instincts.

“We’re so attracted to these markers in men, because they once meant survival of the species,” says Durante. “If you think about the more predictable nice guys, these are not the cues that historically were able to survive.”

Interestingly, “when asked about what kind of father the sexy bad boy would make if he were to have children with another woman, women were quick to point out the bad boy’s shortcomings,” says Durante.

Basically, when left to our own hormonal devices, we can’t always be trusted to make the right decisions but all hope is not lost.

“We can override our desires for eating too much chocolate cake and going after these guys, but the impulses are still there,” she says.

8

theconcordian

Tuesday, November 13, 2012 reSTo

FOOD WAR! La guerra del taco TeQUilA TACo HoUSe

lA MATrACA

VS. Photo by writer

Photo by writer

Have a weakness for Montreal’s finest Mexican food? indulge yourself in hot sauce and cold drinks Marta barnes Staff writer Though Montreal isn’t exactly a capital for the spicy food of our southern friends, there are a few hotspots around to satiate cravings for a more authentic Mexican food experience. The faceoff: Tequila Taco House versus La Matraca.

Round 1: Tequila Taco House Their interior may be small, but the high ceilings with tall shelves supporting earthenware pottery and desert plants gives it a comfortable and open feel. A waitress arrives instantly with water, menus, and preemptive bowls of hot sauces. You know you’re in for a fun night when every table is filled with margaritas and festive salsa music is playing in the background.

Before sinking your teeth into a main course, try the guacamole nachos as an appetizer. The

guac is homemade with the summery tang of lime that goes great with the oily bitterness of the thick cut corn nachos. For colder weather, there’s the Aztec soup. Though salty, the taco shell’s lining at the bottom offsets this well, and the cheese and sour cream swirled on top are irresistible.

For the indecisive, the waitress enthusiastically recommends the Tequila Taco special. It has a little of everything, and is perfect for sharing. It comes with four soft tacos with two shrimp balls each that are fried in cornbread. Served with spicy mayo, a corn-herb-rice medley, chunky tomato salsa, and a side of nachos speared into a dollop of refried beans and cheese, it is positively filling. As a side comment, their food presentation gets a top grade.

As for drinks, the margaritas are where it’s at.

The lime was maybe a bit salty, but the fabulous Jamaican margarita is reminiscent of an amaretto sour with tequila.

In all, it’s not exactly cheap, averaging at $12 a dish, but the food makes it worthwhile.

Grade: a+ Round 2: la MaTRaca Anyone looking for the Mexican equivalent of a Belle Province, look no further! La Matraca is a diner with quirk, from its signs about la etiqueta del taco, to its corkboards crammed with photos of satisfied customers, to the “I <3 Tacos” T-shirts for sale.

The menu is a DIY checklist allowing for a mix-and-match of different dishes. While there isn’t any guacamole, they do have a savoury bean and Mexican sausage entrée soup, that I highly recommend. The flautas, taco-cheese rolls with a bean dip, are great for a group of friends to split.

The main dishes are a wide array of tacos, sandwiches, and burritos. The guera is the high-

light of the menu, a flour tortilla with seasoned beef and cheese improved only by copious amounts of the three types of spicy sauces provided. For dragon-people who like to feast on fire, La Matraca’s hot scale for these sauces starts at around a 6 and hovers comfortably at a 9.

Their unique beverage selection includes milky sweet agua de Horchata, agua de Jamaica (a homemade ice tea), and fizzy apple soda.

Prices range from $5-8, but the portions are small and the prices reflect this.

Grade: a WinneR? The quality of Tequila Taco House gives it first place, but both are worth checking out. I suggest taking a date to Tequila Taco House, and friends to La Matraca!

Tequila Taco House: 2 sherbrooke east st. la Matraca: 4607 st-denis st.

reCipe

Italian cure for the mid-november blues Keep calm, carry on, and impress in the kitchen with this classic, delicioso spinach ricotta ravioli

Arohie Chopra Contributor

are still not done midterms and finals are only a couple weeks away! experiencing the midnovember blues? Well then it’s time to find inner peace.

Traditionally, one would take a yoga class, but speaking from experience, I find making spinach ricotta ravioli from scratch a lot more therapeutic than tangling my body in upside down positions. This dish is very time consuming but will keep your hands busy with dainty details and your mind preoccupied with luscious longing. It’s my way of relaxing and keeping calm. spinach Ricotta Ravioli (serves four)

Photo by writer

S

o, you have been studying for hours and you keep getting the same question wrong. You have a group project due tomorrow and your teammates refuse to do their share. You are hungover and you have no idea who or what gave you that huge bruise. You have texted your crush for the umpteenth time and still have no response. You

ingredients: 2 cups flour 1 tsp olive oil 2 eggs beaten 1 1 / 2 tbsp water 300 g ricotta 2 cups baby spinach 1 / 4 cup parsley 1 pinch cayenne pepper (or to taste) 1 / 2 jar of pasta sauce 1. Mix the olive oil, eggs, and water in a bowl.

Keep two teaspoons of the mixture aside to use

Photo by writer

later as an egg wash to seal the ravioli.

2. Soak the baby spinach in lukewarm water for about 5 min. Pat dry and cut into slices.

3. For the stuffing, combine the ricotta, spinach, parsley, cayenne pepper and a teaspoon of the oil, egg and water mix. Add salt and pepper according to taste.

4. For the pasta, add small amounts of the oil, egg, and water mix to the flour and keep kneading the dough until it is smooth.

5. Using a rolling pin and square cookie cutters, shape the dough until it is very thin and then cut into squares.

6. Take one dough square and place a teaspoon of the stuffing into the centre and sandwich the top with another dough square. Seal the ravioli by using the oil, egg, water mixture set aside from before. Smear it onto the edges of the square and press together.

7. once you have made all of your raviolis, place them into salted boiling water. They will float to the top when ready.

8. When serving you can use any type of pasta sauce, including meat sauce, tomato sauce, alfredo or a rose. Garnish with parmesan cheese. enjoy!

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

9

relATioNSHipS

A room full of men and a ticking clock

Speed dating may not be the fantasy you have in mind Sarah baron-Goodman Staff writer

W

hen the term “speed dating” comes up, most people tend to picture middle-aged spinsters eager to meet Mr. Right. Recently though, I discovered that speed dating isn’t just for the older demographic: every Saturday night, Le Belmont hosts events for age groups beginning at the 18 to 25 range.

Before partaking in an evening of speed dating one must log on to www.speeddatingmontreal.com and register your name and co-ordinates for whichever event suits your fancy. Registration is free, but Le Belmont charges $25 for the evening, which begins at 7 p.m. and lasts a little over two hours. one blustery Saturday I decided to conduct a social experiment of sorts and all but forced a friend of mine to sign up with me for a night of multiple potential dates.

Upon registration we have to select our age group, a fact that I found comforting as I had pictured sitting face to face with some guy thrice my age. The organizers then sent out an email to all those who registered detailing the proceedings of the evening. Participants were warned to dress nicely, not to eat onions or garlic before coming and were told that we’d each be “dating” roughly 40 strangers for five minutes each.

Arriving at Le Belmont, we found ourselves in a room filled along the perimeter with small cocktail tables, two chairs on each side. The girls were escorted in first and told to sit two at a table, on the chairs facing outwards towards the room.

While we eagerly anticipated our knights in shining armour, the real hero, the bar waitress, came around to take our drink orders. These were not included with the price of the ticket. everyone was given a piece of paper with lines designated for each person you meet and a box to check off ‘Y’ for “yes I would like for the organizers to give this person my number,” or ‘n’ for “no.” only if both parties check off the ‘Y’ will the organizers set them up.

After waiting for almost 20 minutes, the gentlemen swooped down on us. As it turned out, the vast majority of them were 26-27 years old, not 25 as was designated.

This, I was told by our host, was because there weren’t enough under 25s registered.

Though the event was open to both anglo and francophones, there was a clear majority of the latter. Strangely, speed dating seemed to cater to a very specific demographic: the French-speaking public service industry worker hailing from the South Shore. Aside from an accident scene, I have never seen so many firemen or police officers huddled in one area.

All of the men I met said it was their first time speed dating, which led me to believe one of three things: a) this event carries a large success rate, and so there’s no need to come back b) this event is awkward and un-

Graphic by Phil Waheed

comfortable so nobody wanted to come back a second time or c) they were lying and actually show up every week. on a more romantic note, it was obvious that most people signed up in the hopes of meeting someone, all for different reasons.

“I just broke up with my girlfriend, and wanted to meet someone different than I normally would in my circle of friends,” said

Guillaume R. others were a little more honest.

“I’m lonely,” admitted Phillip M. overall, the atmosphere was awkward, the conversation contrived and the acoustics in the room made it so loud that I could barely hear my partners. I cannot say that I’ll be going back, and I still think there are better ways to meet potential dates.

TeCH

Tech addiction: are you afraid of the dark? exploring the importance of turning off our favourite gadgets before we go to sleep

Dominique roy Contributor Sleep deprivation has increased in the last 50 years. Aside from an the abundance of caffeine in our daily diets, the likely offenders are the technological advancements since this date. The exponential increase of electronic technology is exciting yet simultaneously disturbing.

With smartphones, computers, video games, high definition televisions and iP-

ods, access to stimulation is overwhelming.

Current studies are focusing on the addiction to media and this obsession can lead to a decrease in time set aside for sleep and exercise.

Douglas Cane, a psychologist at the outpatient rehabilitation clinic in Halifax, n.S., suggests that, besides the possible risk of cancer, electronic technology itself does not cause health problems. It does however influence a person’s behaviour which, in turn, affects their health.

Sleep deprivation is a major factor in maintaining good health.

Cane told The Concordian that the fixation on cell phone use, gaming and other tech habits extends people’s waking hours, and decreases the allotted time for sleep.

“This is an extension of an ongoing problem where technological advances, electric lights, television, cell phones, [and the] Internet, have reduced the amount of time we are willing to devote to sleep,” says Cane.

“Since our biological need for sleep has not changed, we are left with a society that is chronically sleep deprived.”

According to the national Sleep Foundation’s 2011 Sleep in America poll, there is a clear correlation between sleeping problems and the use of electronics during, what is meant to be, your downtime.

After surveying a random sample of 1,508 Americans between the ages of 13 and 64, 63 per cent of the participants stated they were not getting a good night’s sleep on weeknights, while a whopping 95 per cent admitted to using technology in the hours before bedtime most nights during the week. These nightly habits of surfing the web, texting, emailing and vegging

in the front of the television are robbing us of our sleep.

According to Dr. Charles Czeisler of the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School, the brain needs about two to three hours of downtime before sleep in order to be prepared. Artificial light affects the production of melatonin which is the sleep hormone. Light-emitting screens from gaming, texting, and television enhances alertness, which can contribute not only to the lack of sleep, but the quality of bedtime rest as well.

Cane suggests that mood disturbances, difficulties regulating weight, suppressed immune responses, difficulties learning and processing new information, and increased rates of accidents have all been linked to sleep deprivation.

A recent study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that one in seven American licensed drivers between the ages of 16 and 24 admitted to having fallen asleep on the road at least once in the past year.

“It’s all about making sleep a priority by devoting a period of time for sleep and respecting that period of time by eliminating competing activities,” advises Cane.

With exams around the corner, it can be tempting to fall asleep on our laptop and coat our keyboard with drool. It is necessary to make the effort for the sake of our health and take the occasional nightly break from our technological buddies.

Graphic by Jennifer Kwan

arts 10

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com

ciNema poliTica

The humanity and dignity of personal living space a look at the emotional tale of the longest serving american prisoner in solitary confinement

Visitors View the art exhibit the house that herman built (left). a recreation of the cell herman wallace liVes in (right). ayan chowdhury contributor Herman Joshua Wallace holds an ambitious dream: to witness the creation of a lavishlydecorated dream house. This building would be used as a community centre for the underprivileged youth of New Orleans; it would include gardens, a swimming pool, and various works of art. More importantly, it would serve as a safe haven from the harsh realities of the innercity streets and the temptations of easy money through crime.

However, like all fine things in life, there’s a

catch: Wallace has been been in solitary confinement in a Louisiana state prison since 1972. In other words, he has spent 40 years, 10 months, eight days (and counting) in a 6 x 9 ft. prison cell, also known as “the dungeon.”

Angad Singh Bhalla’s documentary Herman’s House is not a tale of a prisoner resigned to his unfortunate fate, instead it is a story of a gentle and well-spoken individual whose hopes remain high despite all indications to the contrary. His foremost champion is Jackie Sumell, an activist and an artist born in New York, who began corresponding with Wallace more than a decade ago. With the help of Wallace’s sister,

Victoria Wallace, Sumell uses her anger, her love, and her creativity to shed light on a man who has spent more time in solitary confinement than any other living American prisoner.

In April 1972, Brent Miller, a correctional officer in Louisiana’s Angola prison, died after being brutally stabbed nearly 32 times. The prison warden had three inmates charged with the murder, and they were sentenced to life in prison in solitary confinement. Wallace’s initial prison stint began in 1967 on a bank robbery charge. Wallace remains incarcerated at Angola alongside Albert Woodfox. However, the third inmate, Robert King, was released in 2001 after

a lengthy, legal battle. They are known as the “Angola Three.”

Wallace’s motions for appeal have routinely been denied by the Louisiana prison review board, despite the fact that neither the murder weapon nor fingerprints were ever conclusively tied to the three inmates.

In order to raise awareness for Wallace’s struggles, Sumell began working on a major art project. The House That Herman Built has been showcased in more than 12 galleries in five countries. The exhibition’s most famous piece includes a life-sized woodworked model of Wallace’s prison cell, down to the exact measurements. Visitors were encouraged to enter the cell and experience the living space firsthand.

This is a powerful film centering around a powerless individual. Bhalla often uses black and white animation and Louisiana jazz music to great emotional effect. The camera is patient, often remaining in focus on the numerous houses she encounters, from Sumell’s majestic childhood home in Long Island, to the modest New Orleans townhouse owned by Wallace’s sister.

As for the central figure, the viewer can only hear Wallace’s voice via telephone, yet, ultimately it doesn’t matter what he looks like.

This physical distance actually works in favour of the overall theme. Wallace’s voice floats in and out throughout the film; it is resounding but exhausted, hopeful yet regretful. Physically, he is a near ghost-like figure. After all, no one of any significance has seen him in more than 40 years. But spiritually and imaginatively? He endures.

Herman’s House screens Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. in Room H-110, 1455 de Maisonneuve. Director Angad Bhalla will be in attendance.

columN

A blank canvas; an empty screen in the age of Call of Duty and WoW, can we place the video game on par with other works of art?

Dominique Roy contributor

I

n recent memory, the advancement of technology has increased the popularity of video games and their production. As the home-based video game turns 40, an argument has been raised as to whether or not video games can be considered art and whether the practice of gaming is an art form.

Beginning with The Odyssey video game console (manufactured by Magnavox and released in August 1972) popularity, accessibility and advancement in home-based video game consoles has grown exponentially with companies such as Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo

leading the way into the 21st century.

Video games have gone from simple graphics of a ball bouncing from one side of the screen to the other to three-dimensional, extremely detailed games such as Halo IV and Assassin’s Creed III. In recent years the production of video games has taken on new levels of complexity. Real actors are sometimes used for the characters in the games; historians are needed for the accuracy of the time periods; costume designers and architects for the clothing and building designs; as well as musicians and composers for the background music.

Furthermore, the storyline of a game takes as much creativity and is as complex as an author’s plot for a novel. Inevitably, video games take just as much research, creativity, imagination and development as movies, novels and other popular culture art forms.

Thomas Felix, an employee at Ubisoft in Montreal argues that for numerous years, video games have been an art form in its entirety, with the use of history, codes and techniques.

“Even if they borrow and nourish many art forms [...] I think that at the final stage a video

game in itself is art, but also each part that goes into the whole, i.e. the music, acting, painting, etc.”

William Robinson, professor at Concordia University, teaches the class Video Games and/as Literature and has written more than 80 pages for his dissertation on the subject of whether video games can be considered art.

He explains that there are more than one competing definitions of art; the most influential definition of art in art history, English and sociology is called the institutional position.

The institutional position claims that art is the product of a network of artists, museums, scholars, patrons and spectators. It is a discourse between artists through their creations or performances.

John Sharp, an art historian from Georgia Tech University holds the institutional position, believing that because game designers are not in a dialogue with art historians or other artists they are not making art.

Berys Gaut, a philosophy professor at the University of St. Andrews, in Scotland, offers ten definitions for the cluster definition of art

in his book Interpreting the Arts: the Patchwork Theory varying from possessing positive aesthetic properties to being the product of an intention to make a work of art.

In Robinson’s thesis he argues that game playing can also be artistic: “games are like scores and scripts which are played and performed for ourselves and our audience. If a performance of a game of chess is creative (i.e. it is original, valuable and produced without following a recipe) and if that performance is viewed for aesthetic reasons, for instance if it is conceptually worth looking at for the sake of looking at, then, bam!, you have reason to believe that it is worth calling such a performance artistic.”

All arguments are sound and make for interesting discussion but give no straight cut path for deciding with which to agree. It depends on personal opinion. In any case, whether video games are considered a form of art or not, it is indisputable that they are not achieved without much precision, time, research, creativity and imagination, and therefore a product to be appreciated in its own respect.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

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11

exhibiT

The cities who chose to be photographed mimmo Jodice and the Sublime cities exhibit at mccord museum ariana Trigueros-corbo Staff writer

A

rchitects are part of that rare breed of people who make for interesting case studies, simply because of their combination of attributes. The opposition of the artistic and rational views that spur their creativity is enough to fascinate just about anyone. Go for a walk with an architect and you’ll be amazed by how much more they see than you. Much like artists, they have one key element that escapes the rest of us and that is vision.

Sublime Cities, the newest McCord Museum exhibit showcasing urban photography by internationally renowned photographer Mimmo Jodice, is a testament to that vision.

For those of you who have never heard of him, Jodice has an honorary doctorate in architecture from the University of Naples Federico II and has had close to 30 solo photography exhibits throughout his career. His reputation is built partly on his particular technique, a combination of the use of the gelatin silver process and image digitization.

The gelatin silver process is often used to develop black and white photography. Silver salts are applied in gelatin to film or resincoated paper that is sensitive to light, but can be developed at any time.

Jodice was the first ever photographer to win the Feltrinelli Prize in 2003, a prize awarded by the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei to individuals for their extraordinary achievements in the arts. Last year, he was

commissioned by the Louvre in Paris and given “carte blanche” to create an exhibit of his choice for the museum.

As an exhibit, Sublime Cities focuses primarily on photographs that Jodice has taken over the years that “conjure the aspects of aesthetics of the sublime,” according to the museum’s descriptor. The photographs being showcased are from a variety of major cities across the world. Jodice’s obsession with urban areas is immediately obvious from these photographs. All the images convey a profound love of the cities they were taken in.

“I don’t always choose the cities. It’s rather the cities choosing me,” he says, in the interview featured at the exhibit.

Observers will also be quick to notice Jodice’s subtle signature in all his prints.

He’s a photographer on a quest to frame the ultimate photograph. We see Paris through camera lenses splattered with rain, New York skyscrapers through the penthouse view of someone’s apartment, and the famous Gondola Docks in Venice crowded and mysterious with fog. In other words, Jodice leaves us with the impression that his photography is something of a quiet contemplation of the cities.

The pictures of Montreal are probably the most fascinating, in the sense that we can’t help but be curious about our own city. In a video interview displayed at the end of the exhibit, Jodice says it himself: Montreal is fascinating for the “ongoing relationship between small European houses and the new architecture, the contemporary architecture.”

The dozen stills of our city include the aban-

doned Olympic Stadium, as well as mysterious stills of the Biosphere, hiding behind a row of trees, almost like a quiet reminder of what it was during Expo 67. Museum goers will also find unrecognizable pictures of the Old Port, which look so European that one could easily confuse them with Paris or Milan. In fact, that’s probably the only unfortunate critique for this exhibit: the 30 or so prints in the exhibit often seem overwhelming in the open space that was allocated by the museum. One feels as though more guidance or pacing would have assisted the viewer.

Jodice collaborated with a slew of well-known artists, including such greats as Andy Warhol and Sol LeWitt. His allure lies in the fact that he remains current in a day and age where most giants of the art world have already come and gone.

Mimmo Jodice’s Sublime Cities runs at the McCord Museum until March 10, 2013. For more information visit www.mccordmuseum.qc.ca

Photot credit © mimmo Jodice

ReTRoSpecTive

A painter’s dilemma between figuration and abstraction Quebec native pierre Dorion’s retrospective at the macm camille Jemelen contributor Quebec native Pierre Dorion has been leading a successful painting career in Canada and abroad for almost 20 years. The Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal’s showcase is Dorion’s second exhibition in Montreal; he was previously featured at the Musée des beaux arts in 2010.

MACM has chosen to hang Dorion’s paintings chronologically which allows visitors to follow the evolution of Dorion’s work.

The popular belief about abstract contemporary painters is that they might not master classical figuration painting techniques very well. This doesn’t apply to Dorion; his strategy towards abstraction partly uses the principles of figuration itself.

Dorion’s signature style is photo-realist painting with a constant hesitation between figuration and abstraction. It has been reported that he uses the photographs he takes during his morning walks around town to inspire his paintings.

It is obvious that Dorion has been leaning towards abstraction since his debut and the exhibition conveys this evolution well.

The total absence of living representation in his paintings is all the more striking as the scenes Dorion depicts are cold, minimal-

Photo credit © Pierre dorion at macm ist, architectural environments: rooms, corridors, walls, windows and doors that get less comprehensible to the eye as the visitor moves forward in the exhibition.

Dorion also includes specific composition angles, depth of field and blurry details in his pieces, just as a camera’s focus would do. The photographic illusionism works rather well in Dorion’s paintings, but some details that would normally be found in a photograph have voluntarily been omitted by the painter from time to time, such as shadows. Also, the classical linear perspective of painting has been intentionally dismissed by Dorion.

The paradox with Dorion is that although his love for painting is evident, he

continually questions its legitimacy as a medium for visual perception.

Some will find the surgical precision and cold shades of his deserted canvases anxious, but the uncanny halo that emanates will certainly be attractive to the alert eye.

The Peter Dorion exhibit will remain at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal until Jan. 6. For more information visit macm.org

music 12

tuesday, November 13, 2012

Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com Feature

The honest, Internet hip-hop effect

Montreal rappers Ceas rock, Markings and Concordia’s Marc Peters on Kendrick Lamar

KendricK Lamar (LeFT) and ceas rocK (righT) are TWo arTisTs To WaTch ouT For on The hip-hop and rap scene. phoTo From FacebooK. Marie-Josée Kelly assistant news photographer

T

he year 2012 has been somewhat of a renaissance for rap music. A variety of game changers have been streaming out of Los Angeles recently, notably Odd Future and Kendrick Lamar, who are active participants in this revival of the genre.

They have established their own styles and are some of the first to have gained significant attention strictly through the Internet.

It’s been a busy year; Lamar just released his major label debut, good kid m.a.a.d city on Oct. 23, Odd Future dropped The OF Tape Vol.2, Frank Ocean released his own side project, Channel ORANGE and even old-timer Nas came out with Life is Good. The industry continues to change which makes it an exciting time to explore new territory.

“Music labels are falling by the wayside,

they’re losing money fast,” said Marc Peters, who teaches the course Hip-Hop: Past, Present, Future here at Concordia. Peters attributes the changes within the industry to the failure of major labels to take the Internet seriously, early on. “[Music labels] have been floundering trying to keep up with technology but people are already ahead of the game,” he said.

Peters likens collective groups like Odd Future to the L.A. based punk rock and ska groups of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.

“They’re very similar,” he said. “Some people would denounce them because of their posturing, they’re bowing to the lowest common denominator. They really lay it on thick, they’re really offensive and that’s also part and parcel of the punk rock culture. So those guys might actually be founding something which is going to flourish not just into a phenomena but into a style,” he continued.

“If you look at the origins of hip-hop in the Bronx and if you compare it to what we see as hip-hop contemporarily, which is like a quagmire of stereotypical images that are usually not challenged in their own field of representation within corporate popular media, that’s where things are changing,” said Peters.

Along the same lines pop-music critic Sasha Frere-Jones recently wrote about Lamar in the New Yorker: “He’s the rapper of the moment who, perhaps, will not simply reenact cliches of rap’s past but change them, take them apart and turn them into something else.”

Montreal rapper Ceas Rock is in the midst of completing his latest project, Zero Gravity, which he says has been influenced by recent developments in the rap and hip-hop scene.

“It’s 90 per cent done, and a lot of it is influenced by this so-called change,” he said. “It’s not even to say I’ve changed my approach, but there has been a shift.”

When asked what he thought about the Lamar phenomena, Ceas Rock said: “He’s created his own style; he’s good, he’s honest.”

Montreal-based rapper Markings admits that Lamar’s latest release was one that he’d been looking forward to. “Lamar’s album was the last hip hop related project that really got me excited about the music, the one before that was Action Bronson, and that was almost a year ago,” said Markings.

He is also bit skeptical, though, about what he calls “the rap-saviour complex.”

“Lamar is not going to save rap music, Lamar is not the heralding of a new age. He’s one dude that made it on his own terms,” said Markings.

Markings put out his debut album, Odd Man Out, late last year and since has been keeping busy with several different projects. He is working alongside Professor Marc Peters and is the mastermind behind the second edition of Slang Rap Democracy, a hybrid panel discussion surrounding the Montreal hip-hop scene that is set to take place Nov. 23 at Concordia.

“I would argue that, despite the fact that my output is rap music, monotonous, rhythmic speech over instrumental beds, I don’t limit myself at that,” said Markings. “I don’t think that any self-respecting artist should limit themselves to the genre that they create.”

FestivaL

The must M for Montreal run-down

Montreal’s annual international new music festival returns this week, from November 14 - 17 elizabeth Mackay Music editor

Wednesday The festival kicks off short but sweet with the La Sala Rossa South by Southwest showcase featuring Half Moon Run, Mozart’s Sister, Eight And a Half and Esmerine at 8:30 p.m. Yikes. This one is already sold out. If you had your heart set on gettin’ groovy with Mozart’s Sister, tickets are still available for her Il Motore show on Saturday.

Thursday Didn’t make it to last month’s CMJ Music Marathon in New York City because you were shacked up with your textbooks? No worries - it’s coming to you. CMJ is holding its artist showcase at La Sala Rossa, featuring locals Mac Demarco and Young Galaxy. Again, this one is sold out, so I hope you have your tickets.

But the real ‘place to be’ on Thursday is free; head to Cafe Campus and Petit Campus

for M for Montreal’s free new music showcase at 1 p.m.. Don’t miss Folly and the Hunter and The Balconies at Petit Campus or Kandle and Ain’t No Love at Cafe Campus.

Friday Start the day relatively early with another free music showcase, this time compliments of Canadian Music Week. At 12:30 p.m., Young Rival and Rah Rah play Cafe Campus. Once the sun sets you have a much more difficult decision to make. Choose between Plants and Animals and Leif Vollebekk at the Corona Theater at 8 p.m. or SUUNS and Memoryhouse at La Sala Rossa at 9 p.m. Tickets are still available.

The real climax of the evening is Casa Del Popolo’s ‘M for Midnight’ — a late night DJ set by Chris Swanson of Secretly Canadian, Dead Oceans, Jagjaguwar and Tony 2 Kiewel of Sub Pop Records.

saTurday The last night of the festival is definitely not the easiest. Choose between Iceland’s Of Monsters and Men at Metropolis, Yamantaka // Sonic Titan at La Sala Rossa or Cadence Weapon and Mozart’s Sister at Il Motore. All three shows take place in the same window of time. If you’re looking for quantity, Blue Skies Turn Black and Cult MTL’s showcase featuring Yamtantaka // Sonic Titan is the victor — they are packing a total of four bands into one evening. A Place To Bury Strangers, Bleeding Rainbow and C T Z N S H P also play La Sala Rossa that evening.

If you can’t make the earlier shows, pop into Casa Del Popolo and get sweaty with Goose Hut after 10 p.m..

Weekend badges are sold out, but individual concert tickets are available at mformontreal.com

tuesday, November 13, 2012

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

13

profile

Diamond Rings are meant to stand out electro-pop mystery man reveals truth behind his sound, life and persona

andrew Guilbert staff writer

>>>Moore Makes Musical “Murder” Musing

Last week, thousands of masked protesters observed Nov. 5 by protesting at Britain’s House of Parliament, re-enacting the final scene from the 2005 movie V for Vendetta, and Alan Moore, creator of the graphic novel that inspired the masked mobs, decided to provide them with a soundtrack. The graphic novelist released a song in support of the group on the Occupation Records label entitled “The Decline of English Murder.” The title is a nod to a 1946 George Orwell essay, and the song itself features Moore sing-talking over sparse instrumentation provided by Joe Brown.

The lyrics deal with the greed of the banking industry and the failings of government.

Those lucky enough to have purchased the track online on Nov. 5 were entered into a draw to win a Guy Fawkes masked signed

by Moore himself. Though the draw is over, the track can still be downloaded from Occupation Records’ website for about $1.60, with all proceeds going to the Occupy movement.

>>>Brace yourselves, Musicians are coMing

noW signed To secreT ciTy records, diamond rings has made monTreaL his second home For his ecLecTic sound, To The deLighT oF LocaL Fans. saturn De Los angeles staff writer

M

eet John O’Regan, a brave and bold musician, known on stage by the name Diamond Rings.

The gender-bending music prodigy from Oshawa, Ont. just released his second full-length album Free Dimensional, the follow-up to 2011’s Special Affections.

His Facebook page describes him as “an extra personal emotional outlet.” When asked about the name, he says that it depends on who you ask. “[Diamond Rings] comes from my desire to embrace my own multifacetedness, as an artist [...] every angle is different,” says O’Regan.

This musical diversity is strongly reflected in his final product. At one moment you may experience a strong ‘80s vibe in “Show Me Your Stuff,” while “Something Else” jumps you into an upbeat indie-rock psyche.

“I’m Just Me” is pure electronic euphoria. He borrows elements from various genres and blends them all into his own masterpiece.

His lyrics invite you to listen to what he

feels, giving his music an element of intimacy. Thus, it’s not surprising that he composes his songs in his makeshift bedroom studio in Toronto, or that he feels it contributes to his creative process.

“My music style transcends genres,” said O’Regan. “Some people call it pop, a term that’s fairly broad. Mine is unique within the umbrella [of pop]. My music is ultimately the listener’s responsibility to judge.”

When asked what music influences him, he’ll give you a friendly disclaimer of a long list, including Kraftwerk, Kylie Minogue and Nirvana. He says he truly values the importance of being exposed to various kinds of music in his life.

“Growing up in the suburbs allowed me to appreciate the opportunity to explore as an artist,” says O’Regan. “I don’t take it for granted. That personifies what I am. Music plays an important role; remembering where I have been and where I am going.”

He first went solo with the release of his first single, “All Yr Songs” in 2009. When asked how he conquered fear to perform as a solo musician, he said that fear motivates him to be a brave musician and a brave per-

son.

“You have to embrace [fear],” says O’Regan. “If I’m not scared, I’m not pushing myself enough. The element of fear is an emotion that can sometimes spark something really awesome.”

And it shows well in his persona as a performer on stage, where he encourages people to go beyond the norm.

“A large part of what I do transcends what often exists between male and female,” explains O’Regan. “As humans, we don’t allow ourselves to explore who we are.”

As an artist, O’Regan loves to perform on stage, because — as he says — it’s what he is.

“Music is being yourself, if you can harness that fear and use it to your advantage [...] It’s inside everything,” says O’Regan.

“That’s what Diamond Rings is all about.”

Diamond Rings will be performing at La Sala Rossa (4848 St. Laurent Blvd.) on Dec. 6. For more information about upcoming shows, visit diamondringsmusic. com/events

If you’ve ever looked at the drummer from Coldplay and thought to yourself “Now there’s a guy I’d like to see in a gritty, medieval television series,” your prayers have been answered. Will Champion is set to have a cameo appearance in the upcoming season of HBO’s fantasy show Game of Thrones. As Champion is a drummer by trade, his cameo will consist of him, well, drumming. Though we don’t yet know how this will come up in the show, fans are speculating that he might be drumming in a band at a wedding. Another musician to enter the world of George R. R. Martin next year will be Snow Patrol singer Gary Lightbody, though we don’t know under what capacity he’ll be appearing.

>>>But cool?

how will

i

know who’s

Composer Thomas Bergersen, who has worked on several movie trailers and films, came out in defense of dubstep and other “unpopular” music forms in a lengthy Facebook post last week.

“People identify themselves through music, and express themselves through their taste in music. Sometimes people get so caught up in the attributions of genres that they forget what music is about in the first place,” he writes. “They limit themselves to certain styles because their mind is not free.

Music can and should be enjoyed across all genres, regardless of social value, political statement, mainstream success, stigma and so on, because great talent is to be found in every aspect of art, from the popular to the most obscure and unknown.” He ends his post by asking readers to reject the herd mentality when it comes to music and “cultivate that which resonates within you, not what resonates with others.”

14

theconcordian

tuesday, November 13, 2012 ProFiLe

Rising through the ranks of Montreal’s metalcore scene amongst Heroes features three Concordia undergrads making their out-of-province debut

(L To r) FranKie VaLeLa, daVe neuman, bradLey cooper, nichoLas Lessard, KeVin marrioT and danieL KaTz. phoTo by WiLL FranKLin-Thorpe Kevin Duarte sports editor Not long ago, three school friends casually jammed in a garage a few times a week. Less than one year later, the trio and three new recruits formed a six-member band, now known as Amongst Heroes.

Originally, the band featured three Concordia students: Frankie Valela on bass, Kevin Marriott on rhythm guitar and Dave Neuman as lead guitarist. Within months, they added Bradley Coo-

per’s clean vocals, Daniel Katz on drums and Nicholas Lessard’s screams. Amongst Heroes had its current and official six-member lineup as of June 19, 2012.

The inspiration for the band’s name originated in a simple brainstorm session.

“The name was [Cooper’s] idea,” said Marriott, who majors in finance at the John Molson School of Business. “We were playing with the word ‘amongst’ and [Cooper] texted us the idea of ‘heroes’ while we were at a bar.”

Two weeks after Lessard joined as the final

member, and after three full days of recording sessions, the newly formed band released their debut single “Topeka” on July 6.

Four months later, the song surpassed 10,000 views on the band’s YouTube page. This is in large part due to the group feverishly reaching out via social media to gain support.

“We promoted our band like all hell on every social media site available,” said Valela, who majors in communications at Concordia. “The most views we got came from YouTube. We posted on other videos telling people we have a song

available. It’s one of those things where the more views you get, the more people will come.”

It did not take long for Amongst Heroes to get their first gig. On Aug. 22, the band was set to play their first live performance at Cabaret Underworld. In the time between the release of “Topeka” and the first show, the group met five times a week to ensure they were ready.

“Shows are probably one of the most important things for new bands,” said Neuman, who also majors in finance at JMSB. “I was so stoked to play as I’d never played live before. The closest thing was a piano recital when I was 13.”

On Oct. 23, the band released their second single, “Interpreter.” The entire process of recording the song took less than a day.

Next month, Amongst Heroes heads to Ottawa for their first out-of-town show. At the beginning of next summer, the group plans to release their first EP. “We’re trying to work our way up and we think that’s the best approach for us,” said Valela.

“We’re writing more and we want to wait until we have the best material before releasing our EP.” Looking back on the last five months, the band recognizes the importance of their fans and those who have supported the group along the way.

“The most important part is to get ourselves out there and grow our fan base as much as possible,” said Neuman. “The fans are what make the band. Without fans, we wouldn’t be doing this.”

The members of Amongst Heroes plan to go as far as they can with their music, with the hopes of getting signed by a major label and going on tour. Until then, the group will be balancing school and band practice in order to continue rising through the ranks of the metalcore scene.

CoLuMN

Streams of the week three of the latest discoveries to quench our earbuds andria Caputo staff writer

FOALS - “INHALER” - Holy Fire (2013; TRANSGRESSIVE

KITTEN - CUT IT OUT (2012; ATLANTIC RECORDS)

SIGUR RóS - “BRENNISTEINN” - LIVE AT ICELAND AIRWAVES FESTIVAL

Foals are back, and they have a louder and more aggressive sound that will surely please fans and those who still haven’t yet had the pleasure of discovering them. Yannis Philippakis, the band’s lead singer, told NME that their new sound is “swampy” and that their new album, Holy Fire, would have some “heavier” and “dirtier” tracks. The band is known for their musical evolution — 2010’s Total Life Forever differed largely from 2008’s Antidotes. Philippakis’ resulting voice in “Inhaler” is a mixture of his distinct calm vocals and the band’s new ‘dirty’ sound. Paired with edgy guitar riffs and bass lines, “Inhaler” sounds like a trippy hybrid of their popular hits “Cassius” and “Spanish Sahara.” The track’s music video itself can be considered a separate work of art, featuring spasmodic synchronized dancing, bike stunts and graffiti. Known for their artsy videos, which include everything from singing in open fields to swinging around animal hearts, fans will be happy to see that Foals is always bringing their work to another level. You can purchase “Inhaler” on iTunes now and pre-order Holy Fire, which will be released in February 2013.

Kitten, an electronica quartet hailing from Los Angeles, has been gaining some welldeserved attention in the music world lately.

Lead singer Chloe Chaidez may only be 17years-old, but she and the band have already been featured on Nylonmag.com, had their single “G#” featured on the FIFA ‘13 video game and will be opening for No Doubt in L.A. on Dec. 4. Their six-song EP, Cut It Out, includes their next single, “Japanese Eyes.”

In the video, Chaidez dramatically dances around her band mates, impressing listeners with her stunning vocals. Songs like “Sugar” and “Cut It Out” will mesmerize and draw you into obsession. You can buy Cut It Out on iTunes or visit their website to download “Sugar” and “Cut It Out” for free.

For those of you who missed Sigur Rós this summer at Osheaga, here’s a special treat for you. Pitchfork media reported that this weekend the internationally acclaimed band debuted some new material when they played the Iceland Airwaves Festival. The Icelandic band’s signature dream-pop/ambient sound is slightly altered in this new video. The new song’s sound is obviously heavier and gloomier. The band performed the new song “Brennisteinn” with alien-esque green lights and black shadows in the background, which added to the somewhat gloomy feel of the song. However, cheers from the crowd overheard at the end of the eightminute video suggest that the band’s slight mood shift is warmly welcomed. One thing is for sure; the video is the perfect mind-break listeners will be looking for as the weather gets colder and the skies get darker. Visit Pitchfork. com to watch “Brennisteinn” and experience their ethereal sound with a new twist.

tuesday, November 13, 2012

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

15

mixtape IT MIGHT BE CALLED M FOR MONTREAL, but besides the main event running from Nov. 14 -17 and hosted on home ground, this local festival’s influence extends around the world with musical showcases from Toronto, Austin, Brighton, Paris, and Reykjavik, among others. This week, homegrown artists are getting some seriously well-deserved international recognition. Although the festival reels in artists from all corners of the globe (such as France’s Danger and Iceland’s Of Monsters and Men) festival goers will still experience a heavily Montreal/Canadian-centric scene.

On side A you’ll find an amalgamation of M for Montreal artists from outside Canada, from Bliss’s smooth ambience to Death Grip’s thrashing weapon of a street vibe. Side B features musicians hailing from Canada, including French tracks, electronic sounds, a Latin appearance and some local rap.

Kick back, grab a poutine and have a listen.

M for Montreal festival preview Compiled by Stephanie Ullman Staff writer

SIDE A: Traditionally Terrifying

SIDE B: Resurrection Remixed

1. “11:30” - Danger - 09/14/2007 EP 2. “You Are the One” - A Place To Bury Strangers - Worship 3. “Pink Ruff” - Bleeding Rainbow - Yeah Right 4. “Guillotine (It Goes Yah) - Death Grips - Exmilitary 5. “Mountain Sound” - Of Monsters and Men - My Head Is An Animal 6. “Breathe” - Bliss - Buddha Bar 7. “Wavvy” - Mykki Blanco - Single 8. “Waiting On You” - Sun Airway - Nocturne of Exploded Crystal Chandelier 9. “We’re Gonna Need a Bigger Boat” We Are the Union - Who We Are 10. “Pretty Face” - Sóley - We sink

11. “Light Show” - Plants and Animals - The End of That 12. “You Are Never Alone” - Socalled - Single 13. “Armed for Peace” - SUUNS Zeroes QC 14. “Plus qu’il en faut” - Alexandre Desilets - La garde 15. “I Don’t Lie” - Chic Gamine Chic Gamine 16. “Astounded” - Bran Van 3000 Discosis 17. “Conditioning” - Cadence Weapon - Hope In Dirt City 18. “Full Circle” - Half Moon Run Dark Eyes 19. “Don’t Leave It To Me” - Mozart’s Sister - Dear Fear 20. “Que Voy Hacer” - Heavy Soundz - Tumba Parlantes

Quick spins 20 mixtape

Neil Young & Crazy Horse Psychedelic Pill (2012; Reprise)

Calvin Harris - 18 Months (2012; Columbia)

Macy Gray - Talking Book (2012; 429 Records)

Luke Lalonde - Rhythmnals (2012; Paper Bag)

After almost half a century of making music, Neil Young is back with Crazy Horse for his 35th studio album, Psychedelic Pill. The album delivers more than an hour of brand new material with the same soul of earlier, classic Young albums like Everybody Knows This is Nowhere.

Throughout the album, Young pays homage to the decade where it all began for him: the ‘60s.

In “Twisted Road,” Young reminisces about the ‘old-time music’ and the first time he listened to Bob Dylan’s monster hit “Like a Rolling Stone.”

The entire album has a nostalgic feel that will take those who lived through the decade back to a time where peace, love and rock ’n’ roll reigned supreme. For those of us born not so long ago, Psychedelic Pill allows us to back-track to a different time. Regardless of age, Neil Young & Crazy Horse’s new album allows us all to feel like a part of the psychedelic sixties.

Over the past year, few DJs have experienced as much commercial success as Calvin Harris. The Scottish-born pop-star-turned-DJ burst onto the North American scene with club anthem “Feel So Close” and monster hit “We Found Love.”

His third album, entitled 18 Months, is a collaboration of all his recent singles and features international stars Rihanna and Tinie Tempah.

Harris’ style of combining catchy hooks with talented vocals is one that Brits have known about for years and is now attracting a North American audience. The only problem with 18 Months is that it is a collection of songs that electro-pop listeners have heard repeatedly over the past year or so.

For the most part, 18 Months is more pop than it is electro, with few exceptions. Songs such as “Mansion,” “Iron,” and “Awooga” don’t rely as heavily on vocals and show Harris’ potential as a rising EDM producer.

Teamed with Hal Willner, who also produced Gray’s last album, the R&B songstress returns to reinterpret Stevie Wonder’s multiple Grammy Award-winning album, Talking Book. Originally released in 1972 by Motown Records, Talking Book is celebrating its 40th anniversary on the day of Gray’s release.

While showcasing her distinct vocal style, the “I Try” singer sincerely reworked every track from the acclaimed album as a ‘love letter’ to Stevie Wonder. From “Superstition” as a slowed-down ballad, to “I Believe (When I Fall in Love It Will Be Forever)” as a gospel masterpiece, Gray takes liberties with several songs from Talking Book, changing styles, tempos and instrumentation, but her devotion is clear.

If imitation is the highest form of flattery, reinterpretation is the expression of love.

Frontman of Born Ruffians Luke Lalonde proves he’s quite capable of working solo in his aptly named debut album, Rythmnals. Rythmnals is a whimsical collection of spacey and nostalgia-inducing tracks, bound to make just about anyone sway quietly and peacefully.

The songs themselves are early Born Ruffian pieces that never quite made the cut. Considerably softer than the average Ruffians tracks (like the 2008 hit “Hummingbird”), Rythmnals boasts cleverly placed piano and violin punches tied together with electronic beats.

Taken individually, the songs are new and creative, but taken collectively they lack one crucial characteristic: diversity. The ingenuity of the style is drowned by a limited tempo and repetitive sound throughout the whole ensemble.

While this new side of Lalonde is pleasant to the ear, a change of pace once in awhile would have been welcomed.

Trial track: “Twisted Road”

Trial track: “Bounce” (feat. Kelis)

Trial track: “Blame It On the Sun”

Trial track: “Grand (Rythmnals)”

8.8/10

- Jessica Romera

7.5/10

- Alexandre Beaubien

6/10

-Paul Traunero

7/10

-Victoria Kendrick

sports

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

16

Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com healTh

Healthy body, healthy mind Studies show that participation in sports can lead to academic success in the classroom anthony abbondanza Contributor Much has been said about playing sports at an early age and its effects on academic success.

Studies have shown that participation in sport boosts popularity, promotes self-confidence, and raises educational aspirations.

Some studies have shown that school sports increase conformity which in turn increases access to rewards in the system, such as good grades. For this reason, schools that invest in extracurricular activities are able to reap all the benefits.

But does the same apply to student athletes here in Canada? Kevin Milonja certainly believes so. Milonja is a fitness instructor for a hockey excellence program and teaches math to grade eight students at Heritage Regional high school in St-Hubert.

“The research I’ve compiled says that yes, sports do have a positive impact on students’ studies,” said the 24-year-old, who is also a personal trainer at Nautilus Gym. He attributed classroom success with particular skills that are learned via participation in sports such as organization.

“You have to organize your time around the sports you play,” said Milonja. “That means you can’t procrastinate; you have to organize

effectively, which leads to better grades.”

While organizational skills help avoid procrastination, there are other incentives to participate in sporting activities.

According to Mike Rinaldi, a campus recreation co-ordinator at Concordia University, regular physical activity, which can take on a variety forms, such as sports, aerobics, etc., can reduce stress, improve the quality of sleep, strengthen the immune system, and promote relaxation and energy — factors that help with the daily academic grind students experience.

“Students will feel less tired, tend to be more focused on their academic goals and are more resilient to the mental and physical stresses brought on by academic expectations,” said Rinaldi.

For Rinaldi, a healthy body is a prerequisite for a healthy mind, but that sentiment is not shared by all.

In a summary report entitled Boys’ Academic Achievement, commissioned by the Quebec Government, researchers state otherwise. The report cites a number of school principals questioned in a survey, stating the impact of sports does not extend beyond its immediate effect on student’s behaviour, motivation, self-esteem, and class attendance.

Researchers behind the report rejected the notion that sports can have a positive impact

on academic results, but some would argue that this stands in stark contrast to reality.

The Ministry of Education, Leisure and Sports has devoted significant resources to student-athletes and there are approximately 300 sports-study programs across Quebec.

While they are designed to recognize and develop promising athletes throughout the province, the program has prioritized academic achievement. Students who fail to reach academic requirements are dropped from the program.

In 2009, the ministry took the program to new heights.

Student athletes who are designated as ‘exceptional’ are now offered additional pedagogical assistance. The assistance comes in the form of tutors and teachers who are available for instruction during off-days.

The purpose of this new initiative is de-

Graphic by Jennifer Kwan

signed to ensure that exceptional athletes, who are bound to miss school for extracurricular activities, get the necessary academic assistance.

BaSkeTBall

Concordia starts season with win over UQÀM The Stingers begin their championship defense with 74-69 road win anthony abbondanza Contributor The Concordia Stingers needed an inspirational fourth quarter rally to defeat the Citadins at the Centre Sportif UQÀM. In the Wednesday night season-opener, the Stingers were largely outplayed for the first 40 minutes. A 33-9 scoring run, led by forward Evens Laroche and guard Jerome Blake, helped Concordia squeak by with a five-point victory.

While the win was nothing short of spectacular, the team was none too thrilled with their game.

“We didn’t play defense for three quarters,” said assistant coach Ernie Rosa, in his 19th year with the team. “Our offense was stagnant and we didn’t work as hard as we could have.”

It was a tale of two completely different games.

Laroche put his team ahead in the first minute of the game with a layup off the rush. But that would be their only lead in the first half as the Citadins shot a decent .469 from the court, outscoring the Stingers 37-25 at the half.

Matters worsened when the Stingers offense couldn’t turn Citadins turnovers into scoring plays. They soon found themselves down 60-41, with one last quarter to play.

“The thing I told the guys is ‘hope, you have to be hopeful’,” said Laroche, last year’s all-Canadian standout. “Even if you’re losing by 15, you have to be hopeful that you can win the game.”

The men in maroon and gold did just that.

Laroche came through in the clutch, stealing a Citadins pass early in the fourth quarter. He also drew praise from his coaches.

“At the end of a game, he’s a guy you want on the floor with the ball,” said Rosa.

“He’s a guy who wants to win at any cost.”

It was a sweet victory for Laroche who, just a few months ago, was uncertain whether he would be ready for the seasonopener.

Laroche, in his fifth and final year of Canadian Interuniversity basketball eligibility, injured his knee during a daily workout. After an MRI revealed a serious case of patellar tendonitis in his right knee, his season was in jeopardy.

“When I came here and they told me I couldn’t play, it was frustrating,” said Laroche.

After a month-long rest, at his doctor’s behest, Laroche did what he usually does:

train hard.

That meant putting in extra hours at the gym to get back in form. He credits daily stretching, icing, and much rest between workouts for his recovery.

It wasn’t long before he was ready for his first action of the 201213 season. Much like the Stingers’ comeback victory against UQÀM on Wednesday, Laroche too had a sweet comeback of his own.

With the win, the Stingers move to 1-0. They are preparing for their opener against the Laval Rouge et Or on Nov. 15. Tip off at Concordia Gymnasium is at 8 p.m. following the women’s game.

Photo by Andrew Dobrowolsy

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Tuesday, November 17, 2012

WoMeN’S hoCkey

theconcordian

Concordia falls to McGill, Canada’s number one ranked team The women’s hockey team ends weekend with two losses David S. landsman Staff writer After a tough come-from-behind loss at the hands of the Carabins on Friday night, the Stingers traveled across town to face their nemesis, the McGill Martlets, for a showdown at McConnell Arena. Despite a strong performance by the Stingers, they came up on the short end of the stick, losing the game 3-1.

“We’re almost at the halfway point of the season, but there’s a lot of improvements,” said Stingers forward Emilie Bocchia. “We know a turnaround is coming. We’ve done lots as a team, improving steadily since day one.”

Just one minute into the game, RSEQ scoring leader Leslie Oles lit the lamp for the Martlets with her 10th goal of the season, batting in her own rebound past Stingers goaltender Carolanne Lavoi-Pilon.

“We didn’t let them have as many good chances,” said Lavoi-Pilon. “The goals allowed were skill from skilled players, and hard shots to face.”

The Stingers continually tried to even the score in the first but to no avail. The Martlets defense was too strong, blocking the way to McGill goalie Andrea Weckman, who made 11 saves for the win.

A scary sight occurred late in the first when an upper-body collision between Oles

and Stingers forward Alyssa Sherrard ended with Sherrard on the ice, immobile for a couple of moments. With the help of the trainer, she skated off the ice and returned later.

In the second, Martlets Melodie Daoust found the back of the net, doubling the McGill lead to 2-0, with a shot up high. The Stingers still seemed stronger and more determined. Despite getting in the McGill zone often, Concordia could only muster five shots through 40 minutes. On the other side of the ice Lavoie-Pilon continued to see the puck well, turning aside 28 out of 30 shots through two periods.

Starting the third period with a powerplay, the Stingers were able to cut the lead to one when Sherrard scored just over one minute in. The powerplay goal scored by Concordia was only the second allowed by McGill this season; the other also scored by the Stingers.

With Concordia’s fourth-year defense Mary-Jane Roper off for boarding midway through the third, McGill’s Gabrielle Davidson finished off a passing play by taking a wrist shot just over Lavoi-Pilon’s blocker, sealing the game at 3-1.

“We allowed too much space to their better players who are world-class players,” said Stingers coach Les Lawton. “I told them to keep their heads up and back on their heels. I saw a lot of intensity and emotion out there.”

Despite the loss, the team sees many good things for the second half.

“We have a lot of emotion and our team is really coming together,” said fifth-year defense Laurie Proulx-Duperre. “Everyone is re-

Photo by Marie-Josee Kelly

ally stepping up, and it shows.”

“We played a solid five out of six periods this weekend,” explained coach Lawton.

“I’m really proud of everyone. It was truly a team performance all 60 minutes today.”

Concordia will play their next game on Friday, Nov. 16 against the Carleton Ravens at Ed Meagher Arena. Two days later, the team will head to the CEPSUM arena to face the Montréal Carabins at 2 p.m.

MeN’S hoCkey

Men’s hockey gets shut out in Toronto after opening the season with two wins, the Stingers men’s hockey team remains flat since then

anthony abbondanza Contributor York University’s Lions imposed their roar on the lowly-ranked Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team, routing the visitors 5-0 on Friday.

The Stingers, who began the game winless in their last six games, played like a defeated team from start to finish.

Stingers head coach Kevin Figsby said his team’s effort wasn’t what it should have been.

“Right now, the guys are not playing within a collective concept,” he said. “They’re playing as individuals. We need our guys to play as a five-man unit.”

It didn’t take long for York to force their will on the Stingers. Three minutes into the game, a lucky bounce rebounded off Lions

forward Jesse Messier in front of the net, throwing Stingers’ netminder Loic Boivin off-balance.

With the ensuing shot hitting the post, Messier’s line-mate John De Gray potted the puck into an open Concordia net. The Stingers, who were visibly without their skating legs, had their first quality scoring chance Photo by Forster Chan when forward Olivier Hinse found himself alone facing Lions netminder Andrew Perugini with a juicy rebound opportunity. Perugini robbed him with the flashy glove save.

“The guys are squeezing the sticks too much,” said Figsby. “They’re frustrated with not scoring goals.”

Moments later, the Lions took the puck end to end. The play developed into a twoon-one, with Lions forward Evan Gravenor

wristing one past Boivin.

Just before the end of the first period, York forward Troy Barss’ weak backhand shot creeped past Boivin to make it 3-0 for the home team.

Although the Stingers began the second period with some much needed energy and a stronger forecheck, it didn’t pay dividends as Lions defenseman Tyler Mort hit a slapshot from the blue line past a screened Boivin. The goal incited a goalie change, but to no avail.

With York scoring for the fifth and final time on Stingers backup goaltender Antonio Mastropietro late in the second, the game was out of reach and was starting to get nasty with players exchanging some errant high sticks, crushing body checks, and goalie snow-showers.

The last five minutes of the third period featured an eruption of penalties, one of which was a 10-minute game misconduct handed to Stingers centre Kyle Armstrong after his antics during a scrum in Perugini’s crease.

On Saturday, Concordia faced off against the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks at Sun life Arena. Despite the Stingers outshooting the Golden Hawks, Laurier won the game 7-4.

The Stingers are now winless in eight games and are currently ranked ninth in the eastern conference of the Ontario University Athletics League, with a 2-7-1 record.

Concordia is set to play the Carleton Ravens on Saturday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m.. The following day, the team will head to Ottawa to face the Gee-Gees at the same time.

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

18

MeN’S rugBy

Concordia advances to RSEQ finals The Stingers men’s rugby team ride a four game win streak Paolo Mingarelli Staff writer The Concordia Stingers pulled off a 31-17 victory over the Sherbrooke Vert et Or on Friday night in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec Semifinals at Concordia Stadium.

“A ‘W’ is a ‘W’ and you’ll take what you can get,” said head coach Clive Gibson.

It wasn’t the prettiest of wins, especially in the eyes of Gibson, who made it evident in his post-game comments that this was not his team’s best showing. This feeling was shared by the players as well.

“We know we can play better than how we played today,” said Concordia scrum-half Kevin Elliott. “It was a lapse and it was very frustrating. It’s a good wake-up call and I think we needed it.”

It was a win nonetheless against a very physical visiting Sherbrooke squad who failed to come up on many scoring chances.

According to Stingers captain Dario Pellizzari, this is a testament to the depth of the team’s roster. Sunday will be Pellizzari’s third time in the finals.

“I’ve been here three times, I know what to change and how to prepare better,” he said. “Hopefully I can bring that to the team this year. As a team, we’ll be prepared mentally and physically.”

Concordia came out of the gates flying, scoring within the first five minutes from a try by Fred Kacou who torpedoed through the gaps left for him by the Vert et Or defense.

Kacou played a key role in doubling the lead when he gave chase to a Sherbrooke winger forcing a fumble in their try-zone allowing

Photo by Marie-Josee Kelly

flanker Paul Bouet to jump on the loose ball giving ConU a 10-point lead. The successful convert padded the lead to 12 points.

The Stingers were up 19-0 after a lineout on the Sherbrooke five-yard line was rushed in by second row Dan Albenas. This lead created a very nervous atmosphere for the visiting squad.

“Our forwards were eager to go,” said Albenas. “[Sherbrooke] are bigger, but we wanted that ball more.”

Before the half ended, a 12-point Sherbrooke surge put the visitors back in the

game. ConU shook off the jitters and scored early in the second half thanks in large part to the aforementioned forwards who powered the ball through giving Concordia a two possession lead.

Sherbrooke cut the lead down to one possession with 10 minutes to go. The maroon and gold finally put the nail in the coffin as centre Joey Fulginiti used his quick feet to shift by Sherbrooke’s defense for the final try.

Despite being so close late in the game, Fulginiti was confident in the team to come

out with the win.

“The team didn’t have a doubt we were going to win,” he said. “But that last one just sucked the wind out of them.”

With the semi-final victory, Concordia will advance to the finals against the McGill Redmen, who beat Bishop’s 76-15 in the other semi-final game.

The RSEQ Championship game will take place at Concordia Stadium next Sunday, Nov. 18 at 1 p.m..

SoCCer reCaP

A look back on Concordia’s soccer season The women’s team impresses during the year, while the men’s team fortunately makes playoffs kevin Duarte Sports editor The 2012-13 soccer season at Concordia was one of the best of the past few years with both the men’s and women’s teams vastly improving compared to previous seasons. Although finishing the regular season in last place, the men’s team catapulted into the playoffs due to roster problems with McGill, Université de Montréal and Sherbrooke. The women’s team was two wins away from the post-season.

MEN’S SOCCER Headed by a technical staff featuring head coach Lloyd Barker and assistants François Bastien and Greg Sutton, the Stingers men’s soccer team had playoff expectations before the start of the year.

After dropping the season-opener 0-5 to Université de Montréal, Concordia was able to bounce back and go undefeated for the next three matches. Five straight losses after that crushed the team’s hopes of making the playoffs.

The men’s side ended the season with two victories, eight losses and two draws. Days after the end of the regular season, McGill and Montréal were forced to forfeit most of their wins for using an ineligible player. Both sides,

therefore, were given losses for every match the ineligible players participated in. As a result, the Stingers were given three more victories and ended the season with a new record of five wins, six losses and one draw.

In the first round of the playoffs, the Stingers lost to the first-place Laval Rouge et Or one-nil. An own goal right before halftime was the difference.

Striker Andrew Bryan led the team in scoring with five goals in nine appearances.

He was named to RSEQ’s first all-star team and was named a second team all-Canadian by the CIS. WOMEN’S SOCCER The women’s soccer team was the betterof-the-two teams this fall. Head coach Jorge Sanchez and assistants Alex Eskanazi, David Cerasuolo and Sabrina Cerasuolo led the team to a record of six wins, five losses and three draws. The team’s 21 points was their best since 2005.

Like the men’s team, the women’s team lost their opening game to Université de Montréal by the same 0-5 scoreline. In the next three matches, the team would collect two wins and one draw. Concordia remained in the playoff hunt for the entire season by never losing more than two matches in a row.

Photo from Flickr

The team’s playoff hopes came down to the final match of the season. They faced the Laval Rouge et Or, who were three points ahead and occupied the final playoff place in the standings. With a victory, Concordia would have swapped places with Laval. Unfortunately, the Stingers lost the game 0-2 at home.

Striker Jennifer Duff was a key component to the team’s success. She ended the season with 12 goals, which was the second high-

est in the league. Duff was the only Stingers player named to RSEQ’s all-star team.

Both the men’s and women’s team will take the months of November and December off before returning in January for the RSEQ interior season. The action starts on Sunday, Jan. 13, when the women’s team plays the McGill Martlets at the Stinger Dome.

The men’s team plays right after at 3 p.m. against the Redmen.

opinions

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

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Write to the editor: opinions@theconcordian.com

eDiToRiAl

How low can you go, Concordia? it’s time for Concordia’s Chinese student recruitment program to go back to the drawing board

S

ince problems first came to light about the Concordia China Student Recruitment Partnership Program, Concordia’s administration handled itself very nicely.

They expressed their desire to look into the matter, they collaborated with other campus groups to form a ‘working group,’ they reached out to international students and they offered to have all the documents relating to the homestay program translated into Mandarin.

These are all proactive moves which indicate that the people running this educational institution give a damn about the welfare of students.

And then on Nov. 9, a press release was sent out most likely in response to the mainstream media attention this issue has been getting nationally.

Needless to say, few were impressed

with what Concordia had to say about the “miscommunication” between international students and Director of the CCSRPP, Peter Low. There have been reports surfacing of late about Low accepting money from international students on behalf of Concordia and not transferring it directly. At the same time, documents have come to light indicating that Low told students the homestay program, which is independent from Concordia, was mandatory, which it is not.

In these homestays, students say they were mistreated and their accommodations were gravely misrepresented. And yet, the press release issued by our university reads: “Peter Low, ... has adhered to the highest standards while helping students from China begin their studies at Concordia.”

Seriously? Is anyone actually going to buy

into that? And that’s not all.

“Mr. Low, who directs students to homestay as an option and receives no remuneration from homestay providers, has delivered to the university key correspondence with Concordia students placed in homestays [which suggests] that the complaints reported on by the media are likely the result of miscommunication.”

If this doesn’t make you feel like the administration took a huge step back, then you have not been paying close enough attention.

Students may not have been wronged by Concordia University officially, but the CCSRPP represents the Concordia brand and it’s not a stretch that students would put their trust and their dollars into the hands of a man who does legitimately work for the university.

Since Low’s contract is just about up and currently under review, we were hoping Con-

cordia would have the good sense to slash their relationship with Low’s consulting company entirely and start fresh. Instead, we get the impression that they are coming to Low’s defense in the face of widespread media criticism.

So, why can’t he stand up for himself?

As far as we know, Low has made no public comments on the issue and chooses to hide behind Concordia.

As independent student press with a knowledge that covers merely the tip of the iceberg on this issue, we want Peter Low and his company, Orchard Consultants Ltd., to be fired. If anyone should be left out in the cold here, it should be the parties responsible for misleading and abusing students.

If the university really has students’ best interests at heart, that is the only acceptable option.

poliTiCs

Commonwealth tradition with a Quebec spin Why is Marois playing politics around Remembrance Day? Robin Della Corte Assistant news editor Premier Pauline Marois made headlines when she gave her inaugural speech at the National Assembly two weeks ago, but not necessarily for the right reasons.

Many veterans and citizens across Canada were offended when they realized the poppy she was wearing in honour of Remembrance Day had a fleur-de-lis, a symbol of Quebec’s cultural and political identity, over it.

After the incident, Marois’ director of communications, Shirley Bishop, told the Globe and Mail that Marois’ “objective was not to create a controversy.”

If her objective was not to create controversy, then what was it? To promote Quebec’s national identity on a holiday that celebrates Canada’s triumphs in past wars? To solely support Quebec’s veterans in the war?

Marois proved to be incredibly close-minded in the past few months, and that’s made her look ignorant and disrespectful.

Bishop continues to tell the Globe and Mail that “Marois has a lot of respect for veterans and a lot of respect for all the people who’ve lost their lives for their homeland. The fact of putting a fleur-de-lis was not at all, not at all, a political act [...] She’ll continue to wear the poppy but, given the controversy, she will not put the fleur-de-lis.”

I believe Marois knew very well that adding the fleur-de-lis pin was a political act. I feel this shows Quebec, and the rest of Canada, that she supports the Quebec soldiers in the war and perhaps doesn’t take any consideration for all the other Canadians soldiers who lost their lives as

Premier Pauline marois caused a media storm about two weeks ago by Putting a fleur-de-lis in the middle of her red PoPPy. Photo from flikr well.

Margot Arsenault, the Royal Canadian Legion’s provincial president, also believes that it was a political act and told the Globe and Mail that “[the veterans] fought for Canada, not just Quebec.”

Arsenault stated that she received 15 calls and about a dozen emails that day from veterans (even Quebec veterans) who claimed the act was unacceptable. The Legion states on their website that the poppy is not to be modified or altered in any way.

Remembrance Day is the day Canada remembers all the veterans who fought for freedom. To put any political symbol within the poppy automatically portrays you as supporting a single portion rather than the whole. In Marois’ case, having the Quebec symbol placed over this Canadian symbol clearly shows that Marois prefers one over the other.

For Marois’ director of communications to actually state that she didn’t want to create controversy is very ironic because Marois has been stirring up controversy ever since she was elected.

I’m extremely fed up with Marois’ acts. It’s embarrassing to be a part of a province with a premier who doesn’t recognize that we live in Canada. Furthermore, on a holiday that means so much to most Canadians, trying to display her political views through a symbol that symbolizes unity of Canada is extremely frustrating.

Marois would have been hard-pressed to keep wearing the fleur-de-lis, and I give her credit for taking it off just in time. Maybe this once, she can respect a Canadian tradition without making it strictly Quebec related.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

eNTeRTAiNMeNT

Star Wars...Disney is your father There are some films that are so influential they will be engrained in film culture for years and years to come. There are some stories that are so appealing that they are rendered classics almost immediately. Star Wars is one of those films. Alas, the question we ask is this: Disney has bought the rights to the series for a pretty penny, but should more Star Wars movies be made? Here’s a breakdown of the pros and cons.

PRO: Why fans should rejoice

CON: Don’t mess with a good thing

Jenna Cocullo staff writer

they would look like in the 21st century).

“I like the idea of creating new storylines and not rebooting the old films,” explained Hays. “There are too many reboots going on right now, it just feels like so much recycling.”

Fortunately, that is not the case. New

Christina Rowan Contributor

story lines are in the making — ones which do not involve the original cast at all. The fact that George Lucas is not the one producing them is even better because Disney can provide a new take on the films.

chelangelo’s oeuvre in the Sistine Chapel.

What’s done is done!

From here on out, the legacy of George Lucas’ cinematic ventures runs the risk of being credited to Disney, which initially, had nothing to do with it.

Lucas will remain a consultant to the Star Wars franchise. However, Disney ultimately holds the cards, allowing them to take directions Lucas wouldn’t if it were solely up to him.

Lucas was clearly in no need of financial aid. He has made beyond what is considered a fortune on his franchise — an estimated $27 billion, through the films, television shows, action figures, video games, board games, you name it — yet still sold to mass film corporation Disney.

Since the sale, the announcement of three new possible Star Wars films has become public, but what more can Disney add to the story?

I

sense a disturbance in the force; Disney Studios has bought LucasFilm for $4.05 billion with the intention of making three brand new films. Some fans were upset with the news. However, there is no reason to fret and here are four reasons why.

1. Once you hit rock bottom the only way to go is up.

Let’s face it, Star Wars episodes I to III were not exactly the most satisfying films. Matthew Hays, critic and film studies professor at Concordia University, agrees.

“The first Star Wars film was a lot of fun, and was very creative and new. The next two weren’t as good.

The next three, the prequels, were generally quite rotten.”

The good news?

It seems that it cannot get any more rotten as anything could be better than the last three films to hit theaters.

“I think a new sequel could be fun, and it couldn’t be much worse than the last few,” said Hays.

Disney is starting off favourably since expectations will be very low for any new Star Wars movies because the last few disappointed so intensely.

2. It’s Disney!

Besides supposedly putting subliminal messages in our beloved childhood films, have they ever really done anything bad?

They are responsible for this summer’s greatest blockbuster, The Avengers, recent favourites like Pirates of the Caribbean and creating childhood classics such as the epic Toy Story trilogy. It is safe to say that the Star Wars legacy will be in good hands.

3. A fresh new storyline with a fresh new perspective Had Disney decided to reboot the films, that would have been a problem (even though it would be kind of cool to see what

4. A classic movie is immortal.

Star Wars will live on with the making of three new movies. Of course, they will never be as good as the originals, nothing ever leaves an impression like the first, but that is no reason to stop the legacy. Many enthusiasts have expressed their feelings of joy on Internet forums discussing the topic.

They feel that they can relive a great part of their childhood. At the end of the day, a franchise so many love is coming back to the big screen. If it sucks, so what? The originals will always be there. So for any doubtful people out there, my advice to you would be to just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

D

isney making three more Star Wars films instead of Lucasfilm is the equivalent of a modern day artist adding onto to Mi-

Everyone is already familiar with the the intergalactic empire, life-threatening lightsaber battles, epic pod races and the ultimate fight between good and evil. We’ve seen what happens from beginning to end to Luke, Princess Leia, and their villainous father, Darth Vader. Even the Emperor fell to his doom in Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi.

So, is the production of three more Star Wars movies really necessary? Three new films may only tarnish the glory it possesses. After all, there is an expression that states that if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.

The entertainment business today seems to be popping out the same types of movies all the time, most recently, superhero films like Batman, Iron Man, and Spider-Man. They’ve been recycled and updated with clearer graphics, bigger explosions and louder sound effects. It’s becoming a little repetitive, when you think about it.

For Star Wars fans who were disappointed with the prequel films released since 1999, it will only be more of the same disappointment with three Disney-made Star Wars films.

Lucas said in an interview with ign. com that when he made the first Star Wars installments back in the 1970s, everybody in Hollywood said it was a movie Disney should have made. He didn’t give in then so why now?

In the end, Lucas made some of the greatest movies of all time. Can Disney really live up to that reputation? Honestly, I don’t think so.

I’m sure the new movies will be enormous box-office, action-packed blockbusters. They might even be great films in themselves, but we should be looking to new ideas, not revamping old ones.

Despite all the excitement and all the hype, the classics will always be the innovative, new world brought to life by George Lucas, and no remake or newer movie can live up to that.

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

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spoRTs

So, you say you like football, eh?

Canada doesn’t have the fan base for an NFl team Andrew Maggio staff writer In the midst of a mind-boggling, hair-pulling, rage-inducing NHL Lockout, few things have kept us sports fans sane: replayed games on television, a lot more beers, and the National Football League.

Oh yes, we love our football up here, especially our Canadian football: we love our bigger fields, bigger end-zones, and most of all, our bigger balls.

But there’s nothing quite like the NFL. It’s like a drug you can only get during certain times of the year and while you wait you are lost in an abyss, unsure of where to go or what to do.

And then, the first training camp whistle is blown and off we go on a six month roller coaster ride that leaves us captivated. But, in the blink of an eye, it’s all over.

So, no matter how much we love our Canadian football, there’s always a big spot in our hearts for the NFL. Now picture a world where an NFL team calls a major Canadian city home…how sweet would that be? Well, here I come, ladies and gents, to stomp all over that dream.

The NFL will not come to Canada. It will not work in Canada. Let that sink in. It sucks, but it’s the cold, hard truth.

An NFL franchise is not a piece of IKEA furniture that you can simply purchase, bring home and build in your living room. An NFL franchise is a priceless monument that breeds a standard that other North American professional leagues can only dream of achieving. There’s also the small matter of how incredibly expensive an NFL franchise

Image by Phil Waheed

is, not to mention the high costs of running one—and running it depends mostly on fans filling the seats.

Moe Khan, TSN 690’s top football mind, paints a simple but detailed picture of why the NFL wouldn’t work in a Canadian market.

“The NFL in Canada won’t work,” he said, “because Toronto doesn’t even have an NFL-approved stadium. The fan base is also spread out over all the different teams.

To defend Toronto, they do have the population and the financial hub, but they haven’t shown enough to merit serious consideration for a franchise.”

Khan is right — the Buffalo Bills games played in Toronto over the past several seasons have had an atmosphere described as listless and lacking energy, despite the

rampant popularity of the league across the country. Compare that to the rambunctious crowds found at London’s Wembley Stadium for their NFL games; not to mention the ringing endorsement that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, one of the league’s most influential owners, gave London, which has never been given in Toronto.

“I think London has shown with the way they’ve handled the Olympics and every other major sporting event that it’s time for you to have your own NFL franchise based in London,” Kraft said to the Boston Herald.

“The NFL dollar is different than the NHL dollar,” said Khan. “To run an NHL franchise is in the millions — to run an NFL franchise is in the billions, and any expansion [or relocation] would cost upwards of 600 million dollars.”

“I would rank Los Angeles, London and Mexico before Toronto as potential NFL destinations,” added Khan.

Personally, I don’t even think London would work. It’s an American game. It’s part of the American culture. When we hear Americans talk about hockey, we tend to scoff and brush them aside. Those silly Americans, showing up at their arena in Anaheim in flip-flops and sun hats. We’re the real hockey fans.

Well, the die-hard Buffalo Bills fan tailgating in the stadium parking lot eight hours before game-time in freezing cold weather is thinking the exact same thing about us and our big fields, big end-zones, and big balls.

Get used to it, Canadian NFL fans. The NFL is staying south of the border, right where it belongs.

TRANsiT

If you take public transport, you better speak French sTM puts Quebec to shame with incidents regarding language George Menexis opinions editor Living in Quebec, for better or worse we have become used to seeing ridiculous posters on walls that say “In Quebec, we speak only French,” hearing people say, “go back to your country” or even seeing services being refused to English-speaking civilians. However, when all of these things were done jointly by employees of one specific public company, it raises concern about our society; especially when that company is the the Société de transport de Montréal.

The STM has been under some intense public scrutiny in the past few months. Not because of their slow service or growing prices, but for abusing a certain nonexistent power they think they have as a French public company.

Now, it is true that under Quebec’s controversial Bill 101, companies aren’t required to insist that their employees know any language other than French. But as a public company in a bilingual country, it is absolutely preposterous that we have heard of so many cases in which people in Montreal can’t be served in English.

As a trilingual Montrealer of Greek origin,

as far as flipping off 23-year-old commuter Mina Barak when she spoke to the employee in English.

These incidents, especially in the STM, have the older generations buzzing, saying how it reminds them of when the Parti Québécois first emerged in Quebec politics.

“I feel like it’s the René Lévesque era all over again,” said Jacqueline Corbie, a 69-year-old retiree.

“It’s saddening to hear about these incidents weekly.”

“The STM is a joke,” said Helen Merkouris, a 45-yearold also born in QueGraphic by Jennifer Kwan bec. “It’s so frustrating to see this happening ,reading about such incidents at the STM, I and not be able to do anything about it.” can’t help but shudder at what our society has Quebec has come a long way since then. come to. In a free and democratic society like These incidents, however, have been frequent Canada’s, people still frown on each other over in the STM for quite some time now. the language they speak. An STM worker went Marvin Rotrand, vice-president of the STM,

has been speaking to many news agencies about these incidents. He said that the STM would look at these incidents and investigate further and told Global News that the incident involving violence “will be discussed at the board meeting next month.”

Similarly, when an unofficial sign was put up in the Villa-Maria metro station last month by a teller that roughly translates to “In Quebec, we do things in French,” STM spokesperson Marianne Rouette told The Gazette that the employee “will be met [with] and if necessary, appropriate measures will be taken.”

Needless to say, no measures have been taken, despite the STM saying that “by posting the sign, the [employee] expresses his personal political opinion, which is not acceptable to the STM.” What does this all mean? It means that the STM is a public embarrassment. It means that these employees will continue working at the STM as if nothing happened. It’s sad to say that in a company like the STM, ignorant acts, acts of violence, and even potential racism, go unpunished. There’s only one word to describe what’s happening: disappointing.

It personally makes me sick to my stomach to think about it and until they start taking legitimate punitive actions against ignorant, politically-ignorant employees, incidents like these will keep surfacing, and the STM will keep making idiotic excuses for itself.

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Tuesday, November 13, 2012 HeAlTH

theconcordian

To prick or not to prick, that is the question Why health-care workers should get vaccinated Tiffany lafleur Contributor

E

mployees must wash hands.

Workers must wear protective gear.

Health-care workers...well, if you don’t feel like getting your flu shot, don’t sweat it.

One of these things is not like the other.

Any professional who works in any field has

a set of social rules. These rules can be for the well-being of the workers themselves or, in some cases, for those benefiting from their services. If you found out that the guy who put your burger together hadn’t washed his hands before handling your food, I don’t think it would look nearly as appetizing as it did before.

If we demand these rules of professionalism from those who handle our food, then why shouldn’t we demand the same from those who we trust with our health? An estimated 55 to 65 per cent of health-care workers don’t get their seasonal flu vaccinations; so there’s a good chance that next time you go

get your vaccine, the person administering it isn’t protected.

Since the fear of a widespread pandemic has been hanging over our heads for the past few years, doctors have been telling us to wash our hands, avoid touching our faces, cough or sneeze into our elbow. The list goes on and on. And on that list is the advice to go get our annual shots.

The influenza virus can be deadly. For young adults, our immune systems are strong enough to fight it off without really taking the spring out of our step. Sure, it isn’t fun, but it usually isn’t a death sentence. It is for the elderly, the very young and the sick that the

Image from Flickr

flu can be problematic. Coincidentally, these are usually the people who come into contact most frequently with health-care workers. So if the people who are supposed to help protect your health are unintentionally harming it, steps should be taken to prevent that.

Just because someone doesn’t display the symptoms of the flu doesn’t mean that they can’t pass it on if they’re infected. According to the Center for Disease Control, you can become contagious up to a day before showing symptoms. In normal circumstances, this wouldn’t be a big deal. However, to people who are already working in an environment where the patients have a low immune system or are recovering from some other illness or surgery, the flu is the last thing that they need.

If the flu shot is as effective as doctors are trying to make us believe, then it stands to reason that they should be the first to get it; and if it isn’t as effective as they want us to believe, then they should still get it to lower the chances of contaminating others.

According to the Canadian Lung Organization, up to 8,000 Canadians die of the flu every year. For a virus regarded as ‘seasonal’, that’s a pretty high death toll.

Influenza is dangerous. It can kill. If we can lower the death toll by taking cautionary measures, even by just 100, then there would be 100 fewer families grieving. If this means that health-care workers have to get vaccinated as well, then so be it. Although I do not endorse that doctors and nurses who refuse to be pricked be banned from hospitals or forcefully injected, at least get them to wear masks at all times. As much as health workers have the right to decide what they do with their bodies, patients deserve to be treated in a safe, flu-free environment.

HuMAN RiGHTs

Canada to accept more Syrian refugees Civil war in syria has thousands leaving everything behind Grégory Wilson staff writer Syrians are in trouble; thousands leave the country everyday, jamming refugee camps in neighbouring nations. Canada needs to step up and start increasing their acceptance of Syrian refugees.

Syria is in the middle of a gruesome civil war, with casualties numbered in the thousands. Feeling empathy for their suffering should be a bare minimum, as is granting asylum for refugees.

Dr. Rex Brynen is a political science professor at McGill University who specializes in Middle East politics and conflict zones. According to him, the Canadian government will do just that. ‘‘We’ll certainly be accepting refugees from Syria. Syrian refugees getting accepted in Canada is largely a function of how the rules work,” he said. “Most of the changes have been with dealing with large backlogs of claimants and strong numbers of illegal refugees.”

The specific changes Brynen speaks of relate to a recent tightening of immigration laws by the Canadian federal government.

Philippe Couvrette works in the communications department for Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

According to him, ‘‘The changes to Canada’s asylum system are scheduled to come into effect in the fall of 2012. With these changes, asylum claims will be heard much faster and the removal of failed claimants will be quicker.’’

Syria has been in a civil war for almost two years now. The United Nations has been unable to take concrete action against Syria because China and Russia, both on the Security Council, have used their veto power to block the Western countries on three resolutions aimed at pressuring Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to stop.

However, conducting a military intervention in Syria could potentially backfire. When the Americans invaded Iraq in 2003, they expected a swift and utter win. Instead, they stayed for eight years and left the country in turmoil.

Thus, the international community must find other ways to help countries without intervening directly, which includes accepting refugees.

Meanwhile, al-Assad insists on keeping his position, and radicals continue to slaughter rebels and civilians alike. So far, 30,000 have died as a result of this civil war. Thus, speeding up the process of deliberation on granting refugee status in Canada can be seen as a boon for Syrians fleeing their country.

Although Canada has closed its embassy in Syria, it will continue to offer its services to Syrians in its embassy in Jordan.

Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon are the three main adjacent countries to which 358,000 Syr-

syrian’s in montreal Protested in the streets about the ongoing civil war. Photo from flikr ians are fleeing. Unfortunately, all three countries are rapidly filling up their refugee camps.

According to Brynen, ‘‘Refugees are safe to an extent, but conditions aren’t necessarily optimal.’’

The assassination of a high official in Lebanon who was against the al-Assad regime doesn’t help the situation either. Anti-Syrian government protesters in Beirut blame the killing on Syria.

Although Canada, just like any other Western country, understands the plight of Syrians, no claim for protection must be put above another’s. ‘’The process to admitting refugees stays

the same, regardless of where the claimant is from,’’ said Couvrette.

Hence, why I think the process should allow some leniency in this exceptional situation. The international community cannot stand by while this bloodshed continues unabated in Syria. Even though direct military action is not in the cards at the moment, there are other methods to help the population of this embattled country.

Americans are allegedly offering weapons to the rebels, but Canada should help Syria in a more peaceful manner — like helping more of them find a new home, away from the violence.

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

The Raspberry Fool

Celia ste-Croix

Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012 Vol. 30 Issue 12 Marilla Steuter-Martin editor-in-Chief editor@theconcordian.com

Paula rivaS

production assistant

Managing editor managing@theconcordian.com

This delicious fancy-looking desert is a breeze to make. Originating sometime in 16th century Europe, the fruit fool is most commonly made with gooseberries. But with the holiday season coming up, the snowy white whipped cream and the vibrant red raspberries of this version will please the eye as much as the taste buds. You can use frozen berries or fresh and the result is always divine.

SoPhia loffreda production manager production@theconcordian.com

Kalina lafraMboiSe News editor news@theconcordian.com

StePhanie la leggia life editor life@theconcordian.com

Prep time 10 minutes Makes 4 servings

aManda l. Shore Arts editor arts@theconcordian.com

You will need: whisk blender 4 tall clear glasses

Music editor music@theconcordian.com

IngredIents:

sports editor sports@theconcordian.com

elizabeth MacKay

Kevin duarte

1 C whipping cream 1/4 C white sugar 3 C raspberries (fresh or frozen)

george MenexiS opinions editor opinions@theconcordian.com

Madelayne hajeK

Photo from Flickr

In a blender puree the raspberries, be sure to keep a few berries aside for decorative accents, place the puree in the fridge to chill.

In a bowl beat the whipping cream with the whisk until it becomes thick. Gradually add the sugar, beat until the whipping cream forms stiff peaks.

In tall clear glasses (wine glasses or something equally fancy looking) alternately spoon in some whipped cream, then raspberry puree, then whipped cream to form layers. End with a whipped cream layer on top.

Add a couple of whole raspberries for decoration, serve and wow the pants off your dinner guests.

photo editor photo@theconcordian.com

nataSha taggart alySSa treMblay online editors online@theconcordian.com

jennifer Kwan Graphics editor graphics@theconcordian.com

robin della corte Matthew guite Assistant news editors news@theconcordian.com

Marie-joSee Kelly Assistant news photographer photo@theconcordian.com

chriStine beaton Sara King-abadi elizabeth toMaraS Copy editors copy@theconcordian.com

Couples forming in Hollywood is often enormous news.The only bigger headline is when they break up. Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez have officially broken up, and here’s what the Twitterverse had to say to comfort their broken hearts.

celia Ste-croix bianca david cynthia duPuiS MariSSa Miller production assistants

editorial office 7141 sherbrooke st. W. - CC.431 Montreal, QC H4B 1R6 514.848.2424 x7499

@Pornhub: “Don’t worry @justinbieber, pornhub.com has a great selection of Latina videos to help get over your breakup @ selenagomez.”

MeliSSa Kate gagnon

Business manager business@theconcordian.com

@stats_canada: “95% of Canadians would like Stephen Harper to declare a state of emergency in the wake of Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez’s break-up.”

brennan neill eMily white cindy loPez ruben baStien tySon lowrie

Board of Directors directors@theconcordian.com

@HILARIOUS: “Apparently Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez broke up. She must be so heart broken. And I’m sure Selena is pretty sad too.” @CollegeHumor: “#StayStrongJustin is trending WW because Selena Gomez broke up with Justin Bieber. In other news, cancer still exists.” @TheChelseaWay: “Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez broke up. In other news, I just shaved my pits. No one cares.”

Staff writerS and contributorS

COrreCtIOns: In the Nov. 6 issue of The Concordian, “Shimmy until your garters break,” we incorrectly wrote ticket prices for the event. They are $20 regular advance, $25 regular door, $20 regular door at 11 p.m., and $15 costumed at door after 11 p.m. Furthermore, it should be clarified that Cirquantique is a series of events and their website is http://www.cirquantique.com In “Stingers finish fourth at CIS championships“ we incorrectly credited the wrong player for one of Concordia’s tries. Credit should have been given to Stinger Cara Stuckey. We regret the errors.

Andrew Guilbert, Casandra De Masi, Alex Giardini, sara BaronGoodman, Dominique Roy,Arohie Chopra, Marta Barnes, Camille Jemelen, Ariana Trigueros-Corbo, Ayan Chowdhury, Andy Fidel, saturn De los Angeles, Andria Caputo, stephanie ullman, Anthony Abbondanza, David s. landsman, paolo Mingarelli, Gregory Wilson, Jenna Cocullo, Christine Rowan, Tiffany lafleur, Andrew Maggio.

theconcordian

From our kitchen

Concordia’s weekly, independent student newspaper.

Events of the weeK: Nov. 13 Tuesday +THEATRE - Trench Patterns - 20h - Bain St-Michel +MUSIC - The Luyas - 20h - Le Cabaret du Mile End +MUSIC - The Helio Sequence - 20h - Il Motore Wednesday +THEATRE - Good People - 20h - Centaur Theatre +MUSIC - M for Montreal: Half Moon Run - 20h30 - La Sala Rossa +MUSIC - Trash Wang Tour - 20h - Il Motore THURSDAY +TRAVEL TALK - Africa Tips by Lauren Fraser, Burritoville 3rd floor, 18h +ART - Vernissage Martin Beck exhibit - 17h30 - Leonard & Bina Ellen Gallery +MUSIC - The Babies - 20h - Il Motore +MUSIC - Memoryhouse - 20h - Casa del Popolo Friday +IMPROV - Smackdown Improv - 20h - Montreal Improv Theatre +MUSIC - Bob Dylan + Mark Knopfler - 19h30 - Bell Centre SATURDAY +MUSIC - Of Monsters and Men + Soley - 20h - Metropolis +MUSIC - Cadence Weapon + Mozartâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sister - 20h - Il Motore SUNDAY +MUSIC - Dropkick Murphys - 19h - Metropolis +MUSIC - The Fresh and Onlys - 20h30 - Casa Del Popolo