The Concordian

theconcordian Volume 30 Issue 20

IndependenT sTudenT neWspaper aT ConCordIa unIVersITy. sInCe 1983.

February 5, 2013

A farewell to Igloofest

Montreal’s annual Igloofest has already been goIng strong for three consecutIve weekends and the outdoor dance party Is scheduled to fInIsh on feb. 7, 8, and 9. Photo by ElisE APAP ©

The last weekend of electronica jams it all in: garage, dubstep, even old-school jungle Joy Orbison - Saturday, Feb. 8 Peter O’Grady, a.k.a. Joy Orbison, was thrust into London’s electronic dance scene on a remarkably high note. His debut single “Hyph Mngo” was #1 in Fact Magazine’s top tracks of 2009, one of NME’s New Music Tips of 2010 and called one of the most ‘forward thinking dubstep’ tracks by Pitchfork.

Four years later and he still has not released a full record, just singles on vinyl, an EP and several remixes. But he’s no one hit wonder; its quality over quantity. O’Grady is busy crafting his own genre of electronica. All

that he produces seems to meet critical acclaim. Like most house music, his tracks rely on one isolated vocal to carry the listener through movements of deep, pulsating drum and bass.

O’Grady has safely nestled his way into the middle ground of electronica; Joy Orbison’s got something for everyone on the dance floor.

In this issue // life arts

music

sports

A peak at poutine The latest theatre reviews P. 11-12 week P. 8

Ben Caplan’s Stinger Brittany power vocals P. 14 O’Rourke P. 16

ElizABETh MACkAy Staff writer

In true Montreal fashion, Igloofest is going out with a bang. Here are the top acts to take in this weekend!

Joe Goddard (Hot Chip) DJ set Thursday, Feb. 7 Twenty seconds into Joe Goddard’s “Gabriel” and his role in the infamous dance-pop collective Hot Chip becomes clear; he’s the magic man.

When Hot Chip released “Ready For the Floor” five years ago, a YouTubebaby-phenomenon surfaced. The heavily produced track is laced with beats so simple and infectious that the choreography is instinctive.

Goddard is the sound that makes your shoulders tick and hips swing — complete with hands in the air. But he doesn’t have a lot of time to spare.

Goddard’s a father of two, been seen in studio with Mercury Prize-nominated Jessie Ware and still touring with Hot Chip in support of their critically acclaimed 2012 release, In Our Heads.

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

ONEMAN - Saturday, Feb. 8 Very few DJs are artists. Most of them are music lovers with a Macbook, turntable and one overwhelming ego.

ONEMAN, Steve Bishop, is the excep-

tion. Bishop melds his own beats with samples of old and new, from Bone Thugs-n-Harmony to instrumental Kanye. He plays with his infatuations, making them something entirely different—old-school ‘90s house-dubstep.

ONEMAN’s yet to release a record, but his Facebook page has almost 14,000 likes and his month-old remix of The xx’s “Chained” already has more than 11,000 plays. Despite this success, the Internet is his preferred platform and the mixtape his weapon of choice.

See our coverage on P. 6-7

opinions

Welcoming back Subban P. 21

theconcordian.com

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Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Write to the editor: news@theconcordian.com

city// nEWS

Massive flood forces evacuation, cancellation of classes McGill University expecting “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in damages ERin hUdSOn CUP Quebec Bureau Chief

Instead of trudging knee-deep through snow, McGill students were wading knee-deep through fast-moving flood waters when their campus flooded last week.

Water from the McTavish Reservoir, located just uphill from McGill University, flowed unabated into campus — and into university buildings — for four hours after the burst of a 48inch diameter water main on Jan. 28.

Approximately 80 classes were cancelled, 24 classes were relocated and 10 laboratories evacuated, McGill Vice-Principal Michael Di Grappa told the media on Jan. 29.

Di Grappa confirmed that McGill had incurred major damages and estimated the time frame for repairs ranging anywhere from a few days to a few months.

“We don’t yet know what the dollar amount is but we believe it will be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair these damages,” he said.

Though one student was filmed being swept downhill in flood waters, no injuries were reported. The McGill Daily reported that a group of engineering students constructed a dam to protect the entrance of one of the engineering buildings.

Since last Monday night, the heart of McGill’s campus has been cordoned off as response teams worked all night to clear away ice and debris and pump water out of affected buildings.

Major events like McGill’s SSMUfest, a start-of-term networking event where students go to gather information on extracurricular groups and clubs, were forced to reschedule.

Josh Redel, president of the Student Society of McGill University, noted that this is not the first time the reservoir flooded campus. This is third time in the past four years that breakages from the reservoir’s water mains have caused flooding. In 2009, a 42inch main burst followed by a 16-inch main in September 2011.

“We can’t keep having repeat Photo by Leonardo Nieto-Montenegro [flooding] — it damages everything. have taken place if there were proper It’s dangerous for people, it impacts infrastructures in place around the resthe services the SSMU can offer, it im- ervoir area,” he added. pacts the services the university can The reservoir holds 37 million galoffer,” Redel said. lons of drinking water and has been “The flood theoretically shouldn’t undergoing a $16.4 million renovation

Photo by writer

since October to update its tank and water mains, which are reported to be over a century old.

With files from Laurent Bastien Corbeil (The McGill Daily).

campus // nEWS

A violation that led to resignation Ramy khoriaty steps down from CSU council kAlinA lAfRAMBOiSE news editor

Councillor Ramy Khoriaty officially resigned from the Concordia Student Union less than an hour before a Judicial Board hearing following an allegedly unintentional violation of the standing regulations.

During the last regular council meeting, Councillor Chad Walcott brought forth the issue of Khoriaty’s employment as orientation director for the CSU’s two-week long orientation that starts off each school year.

The standing regulation 225 states that a member of council is eligible for disqualification for six reasons, one of which is being hired after they took office as a councillor. Khoriaty was elected in March 2012 and the current slate and councillors’ mandate began in June. Upon being hired by the CSU as orientation director, Khoriaty violated standing regulation 225, article C. Khoriaty stated in his letter that he stepped down because “under no circumstance should the standing regulations be broken” and that he wanted to lead by example since he was in fact in violation of the rules that govern the CSU. “... I would like to apologize to my constituencies and assure them that as ENCS councillor, my objective was only ever to use experience I’ve

gained from my previous job as executive to try to improve the events of the student union; my actions were always in good faith,” the letter read.

Regardless of Khoriaty’s resignation, the JB still held a meeting to discuss standing regulation 225 and the position of orientation director during fall 2012.

Those present included Khoriaty, Walcott, VP internal Nadine Atallah and VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon. The executives who interviewed Khoriaty for job of orientation director were not present. According to Khoriaty, the interview was conducted

by VP student life Alexis Suzuki, VP Loyola Stefan Faina and VP sustainability Andrew Roberts, and possibly President Schubert Laforest.

Khoriaty was interviewed for the position on June 23 and that his last

paycheque from the CSU was on Oct. 11; although he was unable to confirm, Khoriaty believes he received $470 every two weeks as a salary.

As Walcott confirmed he knew of the violation in October, he explained that he was waiting to bring the issue to the policy committee. When Khoriaty questioned why Walcott did not address the issue of Councillor Jordan Lindsay’s potential violation of the same standing regulation, Walcott simply replied that he voted against Lindsay’s appointment to oversee ongoing issues with the CSU’s information technology services.

“It was all in good faith and I never meant to take advantage of that position,” said Khoriaty. “One week before council I had no clue about standing regulation 225; neither did any of the councillors.”

CITY MATThEW GUiTé Assistant news editor

>> Life sentence A Dollard-des-Ormeaux resident who plead guilty to killing a young woman over an argument about where her dog pooped has received a life sentence for his crime. Michel Langlois plead guilty to the second-degree murder of 27-year-old Justyna Kozyra in September 2011. Langlois’ lawyer argued that his client had a history of psychiatric problems which became worse after he stabbed Kozyra.

>>AwAreness

cAmpAign

>>so-so-sosoLidArité

>> medicAL

The Association québécoise de prévention du suicide has begun a new campaign to raise awareness about suicide in the province, in time to coincide with the 23rd suicide prevention week. According to the AQPS, an average of 1,000 Quebec residents commit suicide each year.

Bruno Marchand, the general director of AQPS, told CBC that the mobilization around recent campaigns for suicide awareness has been promising. “It’s incredible to see the number of businesses and organizations are doing their part to help advance the cause.”

Some Quebec school boards may find themselves in court as disgruntled parents have begun to file lawsuits in light of additional fees they are being asked to pay. The cases, which may be combined into a classaction lawsuit against all the school boards instead of particular ones, argue that additional fees for items like calculators and musical instruments violate provincial laws which state elementary and high schools must be free. Parents from various institutions have launched separate lawsuits against 12 individual school boards.

Quebec’s Health Minister Réjean Hébert condemned actions by the McGill University Health Centre after it came to light that the MUHC performed heart surgery on a Kuwaiti woman after accepting $200,000 from the Kuwaiti government at a time when Quebec hospitals were significantly overwhelmed. “I think it’s unacceptable and I don’t want it to be repeated,” Hébert said. Ian Popple, a spokesperson for MUHC, told CTV that the situation was extraordinary and no Quebec residents were denied care in order to make room for the woman.

tourism

When asked by JB if a hiring committee, which are often static, would be aware of Khoriaty’s position on council, Atallah confirmed that those interviewing applicants would have been aware.

While JB questioned the roles of the individuals in charge of interviewing and hiring students for jobs at the CSU, Khoriaty said he felt that the standing regulation severely limited the pool of applicants for any future volunteer or paid position.

“This is a waste of experience,” said Khoriaty.

Following the hearing, JB issued a provisional decision and recommendations regarding Khoriaty’s violation and the CSU’s hiring policy.

JB addressed the need for clarification of the word “employee” in the standing regulations and was concerned with the hiring process of students by the CSU including the lack of written formal procedure for the recruiting of non-unionized and unionized positions. Furthermore, JB formally reprimanded the individuals involved in the contracting of Khoriaty as orientation director.

“The CSU Judicial Board formally reprimands all those persons involved in the hiring of Rami Khoriaty, including both the orientation hiring committee and Rami Khoriaty, for violating standing regulation 225 C,” the provisional notice read.

Lastly, JB recommended that all councillors and executives take the time to read and understand the CSU bylaws and standing regulations in order to avoid such discrepancies in the near future.

With files from Robin Della Corte.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

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campus // news

Board of Governors meeting in brief Meeting discusses provost search, salary increases and province-wide agreement kAlinA lAfRAMBOiSE news editor

PUbliC FOrUMS AND PrOvOSTS In the process of searching for a new provost at Concordia University, President Alan Shepard is hoping to waive a policy in order to garner more applications.

Shepard suggested temporarily suspending the rules during a Board of Governors meeting last Wednesday afternoon, citing that he did not want to “parade” potential candidates in the public eye for employment purposes.

The university is conducting an ongoing search into hiring a new provost for the upcoming academic year that starts this May, an issue that was addressed earlier in the meeting during the president’s remarks. The search committee is close to reaching a shortlist of candidates.

In accordance with the university’s policy, candidates on the shortlist

for senior administrative roles must be made public — something that Shepard feels could be detrimental for individuals who do not make the cut.

“After informing the candidates, the shortlist of candidates shall be made public within the university community no less than fifteen and no more than thirty days before the search committee is scheduled to make its recommendation to the board,” Section B.10, article 34 reads.

“If we parade three people in public and pick one then two suffer a very serious public blow,” said Shepard.

“For president and provost, this is a mistake.”

Shepard stated that publicizing the names of the contenders could compromise their current employment and that this was a notice of a proposed motion to be put forth in the next month.

While he was still at Ryerson University, Shepard says the notion of announcing his candidacy in such a public forum almost forced him to reconsider his application to Concordia last year. His fear is that it will severe-

ly limit the applicant pool for the position of provost if the university fails to suspend the current rules.

The notice of motion proposes that the articles 34 to 39 of section B.10 of the rules and procedures for senior administration appointments be waived. This includes a stipulation where members of the Concordia community are able to submit signed, written comments regarding applicants on the shortlist.

The motion can only pass if there is a two-thirds majority vote from the BoG in an open session meeting.

A NEw DEAl It was announced during the BoG meeting by Vice-President Institutional Relations Bram Freedman that COPIBEC, a non-for-profit collective representing publishers and authors, came to new deal with Quebec universities.

“The final offer was accepted,” said Freedman.

The 17-month agreement allows for an increase in copyright content per course pack, a reduction in costs

covered by students and for online and print content. For full-time university students, the cost will be decreased from $25.50 to $21.

SAlAriES, iNCrEASES AND rETENTiONS A few governors were displeased with the answers compiled in response to a question that arose from the last meeting in November where two members raised concerns over the increases in salaries of nonacademic administrators.

Chairperson Norman Hébert submitted an answer that detailed the legal framework of increases under Bill 100. In the same report it was noted that the annual salary increase of all senior administrators was 2.75 per cent.

Governor Lawrence Kryzanowski said that the claim that administrative raises are comparable to faculty wasn’t true and that the response was “creative” with the numbers.

The answer also emphasized that

the university made three retention adjustments in the 2011-12 year for two senior non-academic administrators and one senior administrator.

In order to keep administrators from accepting external job offers, universities and places of employment will adjust a salary when they are in danger of losing an employee.

campus // nEWS

Winter orientation gets cold shoulder Students, councillors take issue with the Concordia Student Union’s event planning and advertising ROBin dEllA CORTE Assistant news editor

The Concordia Student Union’s winter orientation consisted of a week of activities tasked by VP student life that many felt fell flat due to poor advertising and organization.

Although various events stretched out through the week at both campuses, including a sugar shack, Cultural Night and a night at Igloofest with the CSU, Mia Nesto, a first-year student claims she wasn’t aware of the winter orientation and if she had known about it, she would have attended.

“I may have seen signs at school but they did not catch my attention,” said Nesto. “I didn’t see any Facebook events about it either.”

This was also the case with second-year human relations student, Sabrina Marchei.

“They didn’t advertise the winter orientation enough,” said Marchei.

“I don’t think I heard a lot about it at all.”

Former VP external Chad Walcott believes that although VP student life Alexis Suzuki brought in interesting ideas for the orientations this year, both initiatives were largely underadvertised.

“Orientation was not a success this year because it failed to reach students or create any real atmosphere on campus,” Walcott said.

Suzuki, on the other hand, said she believes that the winter orientation went well. She feels some events

turned out better than others but claims the last two events were a hit with the couple hundred people who turned up.

“I got really sick during orientation, it was really tough for me to keep moving and I did as much as I could while I was ill,” Suzuki said. “I think there’s always things we could’ve done better but we did the best that we could.”

First-year student Meghan Birch, who attended several events last week, agrees with Walcott.

“I found it to be quite disorganized actually,” Birch said. “All the events I went to started late and the organizers were rushing around to get stuff done once they had already started.”

Walcott claimed he made sugges-

tions about advertising and how to effectively use student media to spread the word about the events but was ignored. CSU Councillor Melissa Kate Wheeler stated that she contacted Suzuki to be put on the volunteer list for the orientation but was not put on.

COMMUNiCATiON CONFUSiON Last year’s VP student life Laura Glover claimed that she offered her full assistance to Suzuki after training her for the position but states that Suzuki never took up the offer.

However, Suzuki said “she never offered her assistance for winter orientation” and stated that she hasn’t heard from Glover in a long time.

“Instead of attempting to explain

what her difficulties have been or even face the criticisms that we have put forth, she has chosen to avoid the issues and seems quite content to let her executive take the heat for her lack of performance,” Walcott said.

VP Loyola, Stefan Faina claims that the turnout at the Loyola campus was a success but that there is always room for improvement.

“I personally would’ve liked a little more advertising,” Faina said. “I wish we could’ve had a greater variety of events.”

He states that although some events couldn’t happen, they still had the chance to do the ice sculpturing and serve a large population of students as he planned.

Walcott went on to emphasize

that part of Suzuki’s mandate as VP student life is to submit a post-mortem orientation report. He claims that council asked her to submit a revised report. In response to their request of a re-write, Suzuki stated she would submit a “how-to guide” on June 1, 2013, while the mandate of CSU executive ends May 31. When Walcott expressed to Suzuki that June would be too late, her response was that she would only submit it then.

Walcott claims that at the next council meeting, he will bring forth questions about the winter orientation as well.

“Part of being in executive is being accountable, and right now [Suzuki] is demonstrating very little will to be accountable,” said Walcott.

NATION ROBin dEllA CORTE Assistant news editor

>>mAry JAne’s

LAst dAnce

In a decision that trumped a previous ruling calling medicinal marijuana unconstitutional, the Canadian Court of Appeal stated in trial that the previous judge made errors while banning the substance for the chronically ill.

“Given that marijuana can medically benefit some individuals, a blanket criminal prohibition on its use is unconstitutional,”

explained the court. “[However], this court did not hold that serious illness gives rise to an automatic right to use marijuana.” Doctors are still able to prescribe patients marijuana despite the ban, however many physicians refused to do so claiming that the benefits are still unclear.

>>stiLL missing After three months Twenty-year-old Christopher Metallic, a Mount Allison University student from New Brunswick, remains missing following his

disappearance three months ago on Nov. 25 after leaving a house party on Allison Ave. in Sackville. Friends and family planned a search last Saturday, hoping new clues would arise. The area in which he was last seen was scouted for several days by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with helicopters, police dogs and a team of divers before being called off on Dec. 4 with no news. Since then, the family has continued doing their own search around the area. Amanda Cardinal-Stright, family friend, is the one who organized the Saturday search where more than 80 people participated.

>>drAft dodgers Since the range of pay for oil and gas workers is far greater than the military salary, the Canadian Forces is finding it difficult to attract new recruits in Alberta. “The people that are going into the oilfield, we are competing with them on a salary basis, basically, so we can’t compete with that,” Captain Isabelle Jean told CBC. Last year, only half of the 254 people across Alberta, Saskatchewan and the north who signed up accepted a place in the military. Last Friday, a small crowd gathered in Edmonton to watch the swearing in of two new recruits.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

campus // nEWS

A call for retroactive audits falls short

The GSA considers motions regarding the Concordia Student Broadcasting Corporation MATThEW GUiTé Assistant news editor

The Graduate Students’ Association voted to table a controversial motion and pass one of their own Tuesday following proposals from current and former Concordia Student Broadcasting Corporation’s Board of Directors members regarding retroactive audits.

The tabled motion introduced by former CSBC BoD member Sabine Friesinger and spouse Chadi Marouf, would have the GSA encourage CSBC to begin retroactive audits going back three years. If this was not done, the motion would allow the GSA to pull their fee-levies from CJLO, the student radio station that CSBC manages.

Instead of accepting that, the GSA passed a motion advocating that the CSBC revise their bylaws in order to provide democratic and transparent practices within one year and publish three years worth of financial statements on their website.

Friesinger and Marouf spoke first on the matter, outlining what they interpreted as a history of financial mismanagement and unanswered allegations from an organization that Friesinger said received the most in student fee-levies of any group on campus but had the least oversight.

A second topic which became the focus of much concern was the CSBC’s membership list, the existence of which many at the meeting were unaware of. The list, which dictates who is and who is not considered a member of the organization, only contains the names of individuals who ask to be included despite the fact that all graduate and undergraduate students pay fee-levies into the corporation.

Angelica Calcagnile, president of the CSBC, argued that retroactive audits were an unnecessary expense and a waste of student money.

The auditor employed by both the CSBC and the GSA advised CSBC’s board that audits were not needed for a corporation of their size, and that a financial review would be the industry standard.

As Calcagnile explained, the difference between financial reviews and audits are that a review is less expensive but also less thorough than an audit, and is used by almost every organization on campus. The Concordia Student Union, as a multi-million dollar corporation, is legally obligated to provide audits.

During the question period that followed, GSA executives and members raised concerns on issues, including the CSBC’s membership policies. According to Calcagnile, fee-paying students must sign up to be considered voting members of the CSBC according to laws that require them to hold a list of all their members. Due to privacy concerns, the university cannot give the CSBC a list of all fee-paying students, which means that they must keep one themselves.

“We are open to any undergrad or grad student to come and vote at our [Annual General Meeting,]” Calcagnile said. “All they need to do is register with us that they are an undergrad or graduate student.”

Once both Calcagnile and Friesinger left the room, the GSA debated what actions would be the best response to the motion in question. Simon Vickers, one of the GSA’s Arts and Science directors, said at the meeting that he was concerned with the tone of the presentations and some of the additional information provided by Friesinger. This included a copy of a personal email exchange with Wendy Kraus-Heitmann, a

kAlinA lAfRAMBOiSE news editor

>> A cLose encounter

>>bALLs deep

During the ceremonious changing of the guard, police officers apprehended a man who was allegedly carrying two knives outside of Buckingham Palace on Sunday. The confrontation took place just before noon, where officers used a stun gun to arrest the man believed to be in his 50s. In a crowd of tourists, the man held a knife to his own throat before being shot with the stun gun. The knives and a pair of shoes were left cordoned off outside the gates shortly after the man was brought to a London police station. The Queen and her husband Prince Philip were not in residence during the incident.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office in Bradenton, FL. reportedly arrested a woman for “kicking people in the genitals” last Tuesday. A deputy responded to a call around 2:45 p.m. that a resident was wandering the streets and kicking individuals in the groin. The accused, Katina Collins, walked in the opposite direction from the deputy when he approached, before socking him in the genitals and removing his sunglasses from his head. Collins reportedly tried to scratch the officer’s face after he wrestled her to the ground. She was charged with battery on an officer and was taken to jail instead of paying the $1,500 bail.

>> sLeeping on

>> who you gonnA

A Russian judge is under fire after a video surfaced that apparently showed him sleeping during a trial he was presiding over. Judge Yevgeny Makhno supposedly slept through a defense lawyer’s speech in court where he sentenced the defendant to five years in prison. The video, shot last July during a fraud trial, shows Makhno fast asleep with his head cocked to one side. The accused will stand a new trial and the judge resigned shortly after the video was made public on the Internet in January. According to Russian media outlets, Makhno may retake the exams to become a judge if he so chooses.

The West Midlands Police located in England publicized the details of certain emergency calls in an effort to stop bizarre requests. On Friday, the police department held a 24-hour marathon on Twitter to highlight the effects of abusing the emergency service and which situations require immediate police intervention. Recently, an individual tied up the line with a complaint about the service at a McDonald’s restaurant while another phoned to report that the bathroom sink at the hotel he was staying at was clogged. On average, the 999 number receives 1,500 calls per day.

the Job

cALL?

former member of CUTV’s provisional BoD. “It seems to me that they’re positioning us between some sort of infighting that deals with things that are outside of this audit,” Vickers said. “It seems that we’re being asked to attack [CSBC], and I don’t think that we should move

forward with this, I think that we should find an alternative.”

Friesinger’s motion was eventually tabled until a future meeting to allow the GSA more time to investigate the matter, and to allow them to pass their own motion in response.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

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campus // nEWS

Debate: is it time to legalize it?

All-party debate tackles an issue Canadians know all too well ElizABETh TOMARAS Copy editor

Student representatives from the Conservatives, New Democratic Party, Liberals and Green Party debated the hot topic of legalization of marijuana in Canada at a Concor-

dia-hosted event last Thursday evening.

Organized by the Student Association for Voter Empowerment Concordia and the Political Science Student Association, the hour-long debate covered such topics as the current status of marijuana in Canada, each party’s agenda on the drug and the intricacies associated with its legalization and decriminalization.

“Most of us, as students, are exposed to [marijuana] on a regular basis and we think about it quite a lot,” began Erik Scanlon of Conservative Concordia. “It is a criminal offense to use or sell marijuana and it should stay that way.”

Scanlon explained that cannabis should remain legal solely for medical reasons and maintained that recreational use should be punishable by law.

“I’m going to start with a quote from Jack Layton, who said he never exhaled,” said Alex Ederer of the NDP. “That is a metaphor, ladies and gentlemen, for the NDP’s position on marijuana.” Ederer reiterated his party’s belief that no one should go to jail for marijuana-related offences and advocated its decriminalization.

Josh Arless of the Liberal Party stated that his organization would legalize the drug but enforce legislations.

“The Liberal Party of Canada will legalize marijuana and ensure the regulation, taxation of its production, distribution and use,” said Arless. “While enacting strict penalties for illegal trafficking, illegal importation, deportation and impaired driving.”

“We believe in ending the war on drugs,” said David Fostokjian of the Green Party. “If we legalize marijuana and restrict it, it will be hard to lay your hands on it because it will be sold in legitimate organizations through distribution networks.”

Fostokjian also noted his party would like to follow in the footsteps of Portugal and Holland in terms of the drug’s decriminalization, as local consumption in both these countries has decreased ever since.

Each party was confident in their stance on the issue and were well prepared with

facts, suggestions and rebuttals whenever the opportunity came about.

Attendees had been asked to write down questions they had for the party members prior to the debate as the second half would be dedicated to the audience’s queries. The atmosphere in the ninth-floor auditorium was tense as back-and-forth conversations began between opponents. Moderator Nick Cuillerier had to remind representatives to keep the sarcasm to a minimum and focus on answering the questions at hand rather than taking jabs at the other parties.

SAVEC President and former editor at The Concordian, Paola Rivas, mentioned this was the first of many events to be organized in the hopes of “demystifying the political process, encouraging people to get informed and encouraging informed voters.”

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Tuesday, february 5, 2013

round-up

The way of the Arctic party warrior a newbie’s introduction to Igloofest Saturn De LoS angeLeS Staff writer

S

o you may have seen the visually striking posters of people posing in their ski gear, or recently overheard someone bragging about having the best one-piece snowsuit. You may have heard stories of friends feasting endlessly on toasted marshmallows and beer while lounging around a bonfire.

Whatever it is, people are talking about it in one form or another. We’re talking about Igloofest; the city’s famed annual winter music festival. If you haven’t been yet, you’re in luck! For the first time ever, Igloofest has added a fourth weekend to its annual event, giving us the perfect opportunity to convince you to finally join in on the fun.

You haven’t experienced Montreal until you’ve danced in a snowsuit in sub-zero weather.

Igloofest was created in 2007 and can be described as the winter sibling of Piknic Electronik, Montreal’s summer electronic music festival held at Parc Jean-Drapeau.

Each weekend, Igloofest runs for three consecutive nights, from Thursday to Saturday. The

nightly heart-pumping lineup is composed of seven DJs playing across three stages simultaneously in a multi-purpose compound smack-dab in the city’s Old Port. Do the math and you have almost 80 electronic musical acts from all around the world spinning hypnotic beats to fight off the freezing temps. Acts playing in the coming week include Taal Mala, VJ ZEF, Oneman, Gridspave, Tommy Four Seven, Jay London and Moody Jones, just to name a few. Be sure to check out the DJ list before you pick your night.

Tickets can be bought online or in person at the box office, but the earlier you get them the better. I would suggest purchasing them online to avoid the ticket line. The online tickets run for $18.50 per night and tickets at the gate are $20. If you’re a hardcore party-goer, you can get an IGLOOWEEKEND ticket, granting access to all three nights of one weekend for just $40. The party starts at 6:30 p.m. and wraps up at midnight.

The Old Port is close to Place D’Armes and Champ de Mars metro stations. The STM is offering free one-way rides home as long as you purchased a bus tickets prior, going on every Thursday until Feb. 9. If you’re planning on barhopping until the wee hours of the night, another option would be the unlimited night pass for $4.

The pass is valid from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Montrealers are well-known for their door-die party attitude. The most exciting part of Igloofest is the Sapporo-sponsored one-

piece contest. The one and only rule is quite simple; you have to stand out—whether you’re wearing a medley of cornea-scarring fluorescent colours or sporting a unique design on your ‘80sinspired splash pants. The prize, besides peer notoriety, is the sheer fact that you have gone through the festival’s rite of passage. But, before you flaunt your best suit, be sure to remember the large crowd and sometimes slushy conditions of the outdoor playground.

That being said, here are the most obvious pieces of advice: wear layers, get yourself a good pair of boots and try to get a good meal in your belly before heading out. You certainly don’t want to shiver and shake in the arctic temperatures when you should be moshing to your favorite musicians. Although the dance floor can get very crowded, take advantage and use the body heat to warm yourself up. If you’re freezing, you’ll end up being an Igloofest bore.

Another fun aspect about Igloofest is its dedication to social media. Right beside the dance floor is a huge screen showcasing each tweet that features an Igloofest hashtag, so be sure to bring your smartphone if you want to get in on the Twitter fun. Not to mention, it’s a great way to get your friend’s attention if you lose track of one another.

And if you’re planning on going, I’ll see you in the crowd. I might be trying to pull off a zebra onesie ... or maybe not.

Tuesday, february 5, 2013

2013 igloofest // LIfe

Decoding Montreal’s new 8-bit heroes Pulses tells all about Igloofest, beginnings, and sangria did you always want to pursue techno music?

Saturn De LoS angeLeS Staff writer

Pulses is Dominic Dumoulin and Patrice Tremblay, a DJ duo from Montreal due to play the Main Stage at Igloofest on Feb. 6. Sporting their signature dark sunglasses onstage during each performance, Pulses mirror their mysterious facade with equally hypnotic, entrancing, and minimalist beats.

Concordian: How does it feel opening the very last day of Igloofest?

Dominic Dumoulin: We were quite surprised and quite honored to open the night for Tommy Four Seven and Chris Liebing, which are people that we respect very much for a long time [...]

Personally I freaked out.

Concordian: That must be jackpot for you guys, right?

Dumoulin: It’s crazy. It’s just crazy. It’s unbelievable and it’s a great opportunity. So we just work hard to make sure we’re gonna kick some ass.

Concordian: How did you both get started and

Patrice Tremblay: I’ve been playing drums since four or five years old, when I went to my dad’s practice room with his friends. Every time I came with him, I was jumping on the drums before they started the real jam. Maybe it’s what got me into the beat. I always loved music, but I always preferred dancing stuff. Anything you can groove to, and more than rock and roll. The first time I started producing was around 10 years ago, with a friend from Quebec City, where I’m from.

Dumoulin: The moment when I realized that music was something that I was attracted to was when I started playing trumpet in high school. I played trumpet for a few years and played drums with a few bands with my friend. And the moment I started making electronic music was back in 2000 when I got my first computer.

Concordian: The tracks that you have are really out of this world. You really live up to your name.

Dumoulin: Personally, it’s impossible for me to make music that sounds like other stuff. And I tried hard to copy some stuff that’s already known just to improve myself as a producer. But I can’t, I just can’t. And when me and Patrice

spoke about working together, it was clear to us that we wanted to make something unique.

Concordian: It must be challenging for you both to define your own music when everything seems to be labeled nowadays. Can you elaborate from your end as musicians?

Tremblay: At the end of the day, I mean overcategorizing music, it’s pointless. It’s just new terms to describe something. And sometimes the word doesn’t describe the music properly so I’m like, why don’t we just call that ‘music’, and if you enjoy it, who cares about the style. We’re just about having a good time.

Concordian: Where do you get your inspiration?

Tremblay: We take our inspiration from sangria, actually. Sangria is a complete part of the process.

Dumoulin [laughing]: But honestly, the only inspiration we have is to make stuff that we like, and we both like really well-textured stuff, like atmospheric. [...] Every time people ask us, ‘How is it gonna be at your gig at Igloofest?’ Our answer is always, ‘We’re gonna bring you to Mars’.

This interview has been edited for length.

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Tuesday, february 5, 2013

life

Write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com food // life

Loosen that belt & get your cheese curds on The Concordian speaks with the great mind behind Poutine Week GeorGe Menexis opinions editor

M

ontreal, brace yourselves for seven days of glory. Prepare yourselves for one of the greatest weeks in our history. Montrealers, raise your forks together for what is going to be greatest culinary experience of your life. Let us celebrate our national treasure with nothing less than pride and dignity. Montreal, get ready for Poutine Week.

The event is organized by Montrealer Na’eem Adam.

“Basically, 30 restaurants are getting together and making an amazing poutine that will be available at all of these restaurants for [roughly] $10,” said Adam in an interview with The Concordian. Restaurants will also be selling half portions of this poutine for only $5.

Adam is the social innovator that was behind Burger Week in September, which was a huge success. This time he knew Montrealers expected more.

“After Burger Week, we wanted to take it to another level, and that’s poutine,” said Adam.

Adam and his team have been organizing it for quite a while, and events posted on Facebook are already gaining popularity. Events featured during the week include Poutine Week team dinner, hockey poutine and even a poutine jog.

“We don’t want anyone feeling too unhealthy during the week, so we even organized the poutine jog, so that you can still get that exercise in between poutines,” said Adam.

Needless to say, this is an ingenious idea that has found it’s one and only true home: Montreal. The idea and the organization behind it was absolutely spot on, and, like Adam hoped, brought this event to a whole other level. We can only hope to see this will become an annual event.

Poutineville does it like no other Poutineville is notorious for having one of the greatest and most innovative poutines in the business. Owner Kosta Kariotakis couldn’t contain his passion when describing what he’s done with the famous poutine.

Poutineville provides a quite modern yet equally old school setting, which seems to be the norm for many restaurants in the Plateau nowadays. Nevertheless, it provides a comfortable atmosphere where one can enjoy a few drinks and a world class poutine, which is exactly what Kariotakis wanted to achieve with Poutineville.

“We want customers to have the best possible experience when coming to Poutineville,” said Kariotakis.

Over the years, Poutineville has developed different types of poutines around the core of what most of us know to be poutine. This has enabled him to discover a mix of ingredients that will literally make your mouth drool. Here’s the secret behind their success.

“What you know as poutine is smoked meat, bacon, cheese. What we’ve done here is that we’ve given the French Canadians poutine, with Greek food. We take poutine, and we add filet mignon, we add beef. No one else has poutines like us,” said Kariotakis.

There’s no doubt in my mind, especially considering my Greek origin and my personal love for Greek food, that this is an idea that has changed poutine for the better. However, the boys over at Poutineville took it to another level for Poutine Week, and the hype for this particular poutine had already exploded on the Twittersphere. They call it the General Tao Poutine. This monstrous platter of fries, sauce, and General Tao can be called nothing more than a masterpiece.

Some of the ingredients in this particular one includes sesame seeds, scallions, General Tao sauce, cheese curds and home crushed potatoes.

It had been making headlines before it was even featured in their Beaubien location, receiving a spot in the “Top 10 must go places for Poutine Week” on mtlblog.com.

Some other classic Poutineville poutines are on special this week in honour of Poutine Week, such as the cheeseburger poutine and the infamous braised-beef poutine. Just repeating that in my mind stirs my stomach.

Poutineville is located on 1348 Beaubien E. St., 1365 Ontario E. St., and 99 Charles Lemoyne

Photo by Leonardo Nieto-Montenegro

Brilliant Burger Bar sara Baron-GoodMan assistant life editor

I

decided to venture to Burger Bar, somewhere not far for Concordia students. Their featured concoction, the Hangover Poutine, consisted of king oyster mushrooms slopped in with the traditional fries and cheese curds, slathered with gravy and truffle oil and topped with a fried egg. The whole thing was served in an iron pot. It was big enough for my two friends and I to share for dinner and be full enough not to entertain dessert.

The truffle oil and mushrooms added an earthiness to the greasy dish. The flavours were unexpected but married perfectly with the poutine, adding that hint of je ne sais quoi to the classic Quebec meal.

The mushrooms provided a meatiness that is so necessary to late night food, but without the aftershock of heartburn that frequently accompanies smoked meat or hotdog poutine binges.

The egg on top is what made the poutine live up to its name. For some inexplicable reason there is nothing more satisfying than the combination of potatoes and egg after a night out.

My one criticism is that the heaviness of the fried egg made it sink to the bottom.

At the end, all that was left were chunks of egg white gone soggy in the gravy.

I would wholeheartedly recommend a trip to Burger Bar. The Hangover Poutine will cost you $15 and some instant artery clogging, but it’s delicious and it really hits the spot.

Burger Bar is located at 1465 Crescent St.

Tuesday, february 5, 2013

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fashion // life

Madge will add a touch of luxe to your jewelry box Melanie Cheung launches lost ones, after debut collection stePhanie la leGGia life editor

Every now and then, nostalgia finds a way of creeping up on us when we least expect it. It may come from a forgotten photo stuck between the pages of a high school novel, or a friendship bracelet lost in your junk drawer since you were 12. It’s these small, unexpected moments that have the power to plant a seed in your mind, a seed that eventually leads you to cancel your afternoon plans and venture through the past.

It’s funny how something so simple, like a stringy friendship bracelet, offers a sense of security to a relationship, a sense of hope that a friendship could last forever. It makes me wonder why we ever stopped wearing them!

“I always made friendship bracelets when I was little,” said Melanie Cheung, designer and owner of Madge jewelry. “I wanted to make sort of a luxury one, more of a high-end one – [it’s] still that fun handmade thing, but it’s not just a string around your wrist.”

Cheung’s Peacehands collection of custom, hand-woven friendship bracelets has attracted some attention from the fashion world. After a year since she began creating the collection, Cheung’s bracelets were featured in LouLou magazine as one the editor’s top trendiest items of summer 2012. From earth tones with skulls to pastel shades with a chic touch of a gold chain, there is a design to suit any friend worthy of a Peacehands.

“I was at a cottage over the summer, making bracelets, and it was kind of when everyone started wearing friendship bracelets again,” said Cheung. “Then I thought, maybe I could start selling these and I had this idea for a fun packaging with the hand and everything. Now I just keep having more and more ideas that I want to add to the line.”

After graduating from Ryerson University in fashion design, Cheung moved to Montreal to snag a spot in the fashion scene. Her day job as a designer for Mark Edwards Apparel Inc. allows her to explore fashion blogs and trend forecasting websites in search for inspiration not only for her garment designs, but her jewelry collection as well.

Although Cheung always had the intention of moving back to Toronto, she can’t seem to leave behind the sense of community and support she feels from Montreal’s fashion scene. Since the launch of Madge in November 2011, Cheung has embraced the various opportunities this cityl offers to

Edgy yEt classic baublEs for thE modErn nostalgic art part of chEung’s madgE and lost onEs jEwElEry collEctions. photo courtEsy of madgE

local designers such as Puces Pop and Smart Design Mart.

“I’ve had a pretty great response so far, so it’s definitely encouraging me to keep it going,” said Cheung.

With such an appreciation for the sentimental value of a piece of jewelry, it seemed perfectly fitting for Cheung to pick the name Madge for her line. Aside from using the same name for her graduating collection, Cheung added a personal touch to her line with her grandmother’s nickname.

“She was always a fashionable, stylish lady, and she was always my inspiration for going into fashion,” said Cheung. “And I thought it also sounded kind of quirky; a quick, snappy name that went with the aesthetics of the jewelry.”

In an effort to be more hands-on in her designs, Cheung’s ambition to improve on her material led her to broaden her knowledge of jewelry making. Her courses at the Visual Arts Centre in Westmount taught her the fundamentals and sparked an interest in metal.

“I think it’s kind of an art in itself, it’s like sculpture,” said Cheung. “In a way, it’s like fashion. It’s always something that I’ve loved to design, but I kind of feel like I could be a little more creative with metal.”

With her newfound skill, Cheung took on the challenge

of designing a ring collection, the Lost Ones. This newest addition to Madge offers a variety of sterling silver and gold plated brass rings. While some are more bold and chunky, others are skinny, classic, and can be worn as a single or layered.

Inspired by the music festival scene, Cheung designs for someone who is fashion forward and appreciates good quality material and design. Her Lost Ones collection is the perfect balance between classic and ultrachic — they are statement pieces and conversation starters without being completely over the top.

“I think I try not to be overly trendy because I want them to be wearing it as their everyday piece, all the time, and not like a seasonal type thing,” said Cheung. “So I think of someone who is aware of fashion trends and very into music and culture, but is more of a classic.”

What’s interesting about Cheung, aside from her humble attitude towards her talent, is her goal to share her success with others. A portion of the profits of every Peacehands bracelet she sells goes to The Shift, a Toronto-based project organized by a friend of hers. The Shift is an organization that helps empower female entrepreneurs across Canada and abroad.

Loving the idea of collaborating with a charity, Cheung is trying to find a way to be more involved rather than simply donating.

Inspired by TOMS, Cheung hopes to find a way to have a direct impact, to show consumers where their purchase is going and how it’s influencing change.

“I mean I love fashion, high fashion, but I’ve always had a sort of love/hate relationship with fashion where it’s just so consumer-driven and wasteful,”

said Cheung. “So I at least want to somehow feel good about what I’m doing and give back in a certain way.”

Peacehands bracelets are roughly $45, and Lost Ones rings range from $45 to $125. For more information on purchasing Madge jewelry, check out www. madgemelaniecheung.com

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Tuesday, february 5, 2013

theconcordian fashion // life

A more sustainable fashion future super store h&M grows a conscience saBrina GianCioPPi staff writer

I

n early 2010, the New York Times released a story of a Manhattan H&M store caught red-handed disposing of unworn clothes, most of which seemed intentionally slashed and torn to avoid reuse. The clothes were packed in garbage bags and thrown to the curb.

This incident left consumers aghast and caused H&M to reevaluate their green footprint and become a little more socially and environmentally responsible. In 2011, H&M launched the Conscious collection, which is made from sustainable fabrics including organic cotton, recycled polyester and Tencel, a fabric made from wood pulp and processed in a closed-loop production which releases no toxic materials into the environment.

Vanessa Paradis, French actress, model and singer, is the new face of the 2013 Conscious collection which is full of optimism for the spring with romantic styles, sporty shapes and tropical prints. However, the most exciting

part of the collection is that is coincides with the Conscious garment collecting program, an initiative that seems just as optimistic. Starting in February, customers can now bring any unwanted garments from any label to selected H&M stores, such as the downtown Montreal H&M, and in return for each bag, they receive an H&M voucher.

The H&M Conscious garment collecting program has partnered with I:CO, short for “I collect,” whose mission is to get heavy hitting retailers to help create sustainable consumption by participating in the environmentally friendly sorting and reuse of men’s, women’s, and children’s clothing.

Turning old into new has become somewhat of a trend, especially in Montreal given the number of vintage clothing pop-up shops.

Fashion icons like Gwen Stefani and Amanda Seyfried are all known to rock eco-conscious clothing such as garments made with lowimpact dyes and organic cotton.

H&M is definitely keeping with the trend in their effort to encourage garment return, preventing clothing from going to landfills and as a result, increasing unnecessary air emissions, residual and water waste. According to the CEO’s message in the 2011 Conscious Actions Sustainability Report, Karl-Johan Persson stressed that “H&M’s target is to use only sustainable cotton by 2020,” by tackling challenges of “climate change, working conditions,

wages at supplier factories and the long-term availability of natural resources” that affect all fashion retailers worldwide.

Given H&M’s size and global reach, it will hopefully inspire other retailers to get informed on how they can contribute to sustaining the environment. Les Oubliettes owner Daniel D’Amours is devoted to recycling and giving new life to vintage clothes.

“Being conscious is the mission behind Les Oubliettes,” said D’Amours. The company is a

great example of how you can still keep with the trends while shopping second-hand.

D’Amours agrees “there is so much waste,” however, hopefully the upcoming H&M campaign “will inspire people to change the way they think and shop.”

Our levels of consumption and waste probably figure higher than we can imagine. However, there are ways we can still help sustain a healthier environment, even in the fashion world!

health // life

It’s time to drink up ladies and gents! alcohol’s healthy side effects may include... anne KinGMa-lord Contributor

In a city full of university students, it comes as no surprise to learn that Montreal is one of the most alcohol-friendly cities in Canada.

Since most students are tired of hearing how drinking is so bad for them, it may be of interest to know that some alcoholic beverages do have health benefits. Truth is, no matter how hard I look for a miracle drink, it never manifested... but all hope is not lost!

At this point in time, red wine is the only alcoholic beverage with scientifically proven benefits.

“Because the skin of red grapes contains polyphenols (such as resveratrol), red wine has an important antioxidant power,” said Anne-Marie Gagné, nutritionist at Trois-Rivières’ Health and Social Services Centre. “This doesn’t apply to white wine, since it doesn’t contain the same type of grapes, but red wine has proven to be effective against certain heart diseases, Type 2 diabetes and cognitive decline in old age,” she added.

Resveratrol is a type of antioxidant found naturally in other fruits as well such as blueberries and cranberries.

However, not everybody enjoys a glass of red wine, and some researchers say it might not be the only brand of booze which has health benefits. Madrid scientists, Rayo Llerena and Marin Huerta, have found that alcohol, regardless of the type, can have the same benefits as wine. The subjects of the study were given beer, wine and vodka, showing that ethanol is

the beneficial ingredient. In small quantities, ethanol can decrease cardiovascular mortality from heart disease and stroke as compared to non-drinkers, according to the United States National Library of Medicine.

This mind-blowing declaration is explained by the duo’s belief that alcohol can elevate HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) and can decrease LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), therefore making us healthier.

On top of that, a study conducted by researchers of Oregon State University found that alcohol, consumed in moderation, could also improve bone density, and therefore prevent fractures. According to Urszula Iwaniec, an associate professor and one of the study’s authors, this could especially affect postmeno-

pausal women.

A similar study in Australia, directed by Professor Howard Morris from the Hanson Institute, focused specifically on beer and discovered its health benefits on human bones.

The study was based on a sample of 1,700 women with an average age of 48. They were asked about their drinking and underwent ultrasound scans of the hands, as finger bones are the first to show any signs of osteoporosis.

The results concluded that the bones of the beer drinkers were denser, thus stronger.

Beer is known to be a great source of dietary silicon, an ingredient that plays a major role in increasing bone mineral density. More specifically, beer that contains high levels of hops and malted barley are richest in silicon.

Eureka! We have finally proven that drinking is good for us! Of course, like everything else, alcohol should be consumed in moderation. “One glass per day for women and two for men,” said Gagné.

Furthermore, we should also be wary that sometimes published studies are later proven to be false. We must keep in mind that scientific studies are peerreviewed and sometimes biased. Almost everything we consume is a healer one week and a killer the next, so we must use our judgment when comparing scientific results.

In addition, it has not been proven that drinking, even in moderate amounts, is good for the general population. Being intoxicated increases our chances of dying of other causes, especially injury, cirrhosis of the liver and some types of cancer, thereby outweighing the benefits cited earlier.

Aside from the pros and cons of alcohol that change with every newly published study, calorie intake is one that is inevitable. Drink hard liquor alone or with mineral water rather than juice or soda or drink light beer because “one gram of alcohol is twice as fattening as one gram of sugar,” says Gagné.

Graphics by Jennifer Kwan

arts

Tuesday, february 5, 2013

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Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com theatre review // ArtS

Coming out of the cage Infinitheatre’s new play explores humanity and apehood Andy FIdel Staff writer

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pes think with their bellies and when freedom is out of reach, the only solution is to cease being ape. Kafka’s Ape is a captivating monologue about Red Peter, a man who tells the story of his life from apehood to humanhood. In a renovated swimming pool, Infinitheatre presents the world premiere of Kafka’s Ape, Guy Sprung’s adaptation of Franz Kafka’s short story, A Report to an Academy, at Bain St. Michel from Jan. 28 to Feb.17.

Members of the Peace Industry, the entrepreneurial world of mercenary soldiers, capture primate Red Peter and take him away from the Gold Coast of Africa. In his

cage, he realizes he cannot be free, but he can escape by becoming Mr. Red Peter: a walking, talking, spitting, hard-drinking ‘Ou-man’.

Howard Rosenstein’s performance of Red Peter is not only physically impressive, but thought-provoking. The actor takes up the entire space and interacts with the audience. He shuffles from one end of the stage to the other, empties his glass of wine in a single gulp and leans over and looks straight into our eyes. Although his imitation of Homo sapiens is a satire, one can recognize one’s self and wonder: “but am I free?”

Red Peter’s wife, played by Alexandra Montagnese, remains off stage and yet, she is a fundamental element of the play.

Much like a child, the she-ape is antsy and bored throughout Red Peter’s speech. In her full-out ape costume, she even succeeds in making some of the members of the audience genuinely uncomfortable. As the gap between human and ape narrows, the sheape reminds us of how ridiculous we actually are: the shareholders who are quiet and

Howard rosentein and alexandra Montagnese in KafKa’s ape. Photo by brian Morel

too polite in our seats.

Kafka’s work was a major influence for the genres of existentialism and surrealism, but Guy Sprung really pokes our ribcage throughout the play. Many questions arise about our society and our freedom as Homo

sapiens and animals. Whether or not we are different, or if we have merely domesticated and caged ourselves into thinking so.

Kafka’s Ape runs from Jan. 28 to Feb. 17 at Bain St. Michel, 5300 St-Dominique St.

theatre review // ArtS

Who exactly is the barbarian?

director alexandre Marine, along witH Maurice Podbrey, brougHt tHe Majority of tHe original soutH african cast to Montreal in order to PerforM tHe Play. Photo by andrée lanthier

Play from Cape town questions who the real monsters are roA Abdel-GAWAd Contributor

Nudity, sex, violence and death all come together to provoke and thrill in this certainly not-safe-for-children theatrical adaptation of Nobel Prize winning South African author J.M. Coetzee’s novel Waiting for the Barbarians.

The play takes place in an unnamed country run by “The Empire” where news has spread about an attack planned by “the barbarians” who live on the other side of a wall partitioning the country. In an effort to crush this supposed attack the Empire’s Third Bureau, led by Colonel Joll, sets forth on a campaign to stop the

barbarians by torturing and killing them. One man, known only as the Magistrate, doubts the truth of this rumour and condemns the persecution of the barbarians. His protests are further escalated when he takes in and befriends a barbarian girl who was left blind and handicapped after a raid.

The play is directed and produced by international and local celebrities from the world of theatre. Alexandre Marine (adaptor, director) is an internationally acclaimed actor and director, and winner of multiple awards in Russia, the U.S. and Quebec. Maurice Podbrey is a pioneer of English theatre in Montreal and is the cofounder of the Centaur Theatre. Podbrey, along with Marine, first showed this production in Cape Town, South Africa, then brought the members of the South African cast back with them to perform in Montreal.

Nicholas Pauling delivers a spine-chilling performance as the bureaucratic and psychopathic Colonel Joll. In stark contrast, Grant

Swanby plays the intelligent and sensitive Magistrate, who is eventually driven almost to insanity by the cruelty he witnesses in the treatment of the barbarians. The magic happens when Swanby and Chuma Sopotela, playing the dignified and blind young barbarian girl, interact together on stage, synching emotionally and physically in tender tension. A mention should be given to Montreal’s Kimberly-Anne Laferriere, who gave an exuberant performance as the prostitute Zoe, replacing Zimbabwe-born Chiedza Mhende who was not permitted to enter the country by Canadian Immigration.

It was the brilliant set design however, that truly stole the show. Set and costume designer Craig Leo’s simple but imaginatively placed multi-purpose glass screens expanded the parameters of the stage to create a world much broader than the confines of the stage originally permitted. The light play of shadows against light, snow against fire and dances interspersed within the performance expressed emotions

beyond the lines of the script, evoking a surrealism that both alienated and indulged the senses in its starkness and luxury.

The rhythmical stream of consciousness monologues and the investigation of complex philosophical and moral issues demands emotional and intellectual investment from the audience, whilst the meta-theatrical elements and the overall visual aesthetic work together to pamper and satisfy the viewer.

Waiting for the Barbarians may seem to be an allegory for South Africa’s apartheid but it would be an injustice to deny the universality of its story. The play explores a political reality and examines modern day barbarism.

The surreal and omnipresent quality of the story in its exploration of the alienation of “the other” leaves the viewer with a rewarding experience.

Waiting for the Barbarians runs at the Segal Center for Performing Arts until Feb. 17.

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Tuesday, february 5, 2013

theconcordian musical // ArtS

Get ready to think pink! everyone’s favourite blonde makes her way to the West Island stage ISAbelA SASAkI Contributor

G

et ready Montreal because Elle Woods is coming to Lindsay Place Theatre. Running for two weekends, the West Island Student Theatre Association presents Legally Blonde: The Musical.

WISTA works with students between the ages of 17-29 who share a passion for musical theatre. The group started off with some very small productions and then worked their way up to bigger productions every year. Although her role as voice and musical director is demanding and a full-time job, Joy Kertland divides her time between other jobs and activities as well.“I’m just like the students, I have some experience, I have a passion, but I also have other things that I do,” she said.

WISTA’s current production, Legally Blonde:The Musical, was adapted from the 2001 movie and novel by Amanda Brown, with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin, and book by Heather Hach.

Originally premiering on Broadway in 2007, the show tells the story of sparkly and spunky sorority girl, Elle Woods, who goes from major-

elle’s greek cHorus, Part of wista’s LegaLLy BLonde Production, Pose for tHe caMera. ing in fashion to pursuing the love of her life all the way to Harvard Law school. Soon, however, Elle discovers that Harvard is not the means for the fairytale ending she envisioned with former boyfriend Warner Huntington III and instead

realizes that she has much more to offer the world than a pretty face and blonde hair.

Putting on two musicals a year is not an easy task. Legally Blonde, which opened Feb. 1, puts the spotlight on Katja Teixeira, who ac-

cording to Kertland, is the perfect Elle Woods.

The pursuit of the perfect Ms. Woods started during the initial stages of the 40-week production. The auditions didn’t last long because they knew exactly what they were looking for since “the person needed to be excited and bubbly naturally,” according to Kertland.

The popular Broadway musical is very demanding and so is the role of the main character. Elle Woods is always on stage and has some very challenging songs. Finding someone who had all that personality as well as handle the singing was challenging. Towards the end of the auditions, Kertland says they just knew who was fit for the role and who was not.

The musical premiered last Friday, with a matinee and evening performance on Feb. 2.

The play will run for three more shows, Friday, Feb. 8 and a matinee and evening performance on Saturday, Feb. 9.

Next up for WISTA is The Music Man coming March 21. Kertland says they have a busy year ahead and they are always in need of volunteers.

“We’re always looking for volunteers in terms of the technical side; coaches and choreography, even carpenters to build the set,” she explains. “We need everybody, we could use help.”

For more information on the show and volunteering visit wista.ca With files from Amanda L. Shore

column // ArtS

I can has cheezburger. Iz I art? examining the place of Internet memes in 21st century culture

ColIn MCMAhon Staff writer

Webster’s Dictionary defines art as “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects.” This definition makes sense—after all, a painter learns to paint, a filmmaker develops the skills they need to make movies and a writer learns how to meld words together on a page. All of these are established artistic pursuits in today’s world. But do popular Internet memes, fit into it?

A meme is defined as “an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture,” again that comes from the well-respected Webster’s Dictionary. Memes take hundreds of forms

in today’s world but the most common is a screenshot from a movie or film, or a drawing, accompanied by text. They have become a dominant force of the modern Internet culture to the point where entire websites such as 9gag and Imgur are devoted entirely, or nearly entirely, to their distribution. They are definitely an important tool to understanding culture, but are they art?

The short answer is yes. The slightly longer answer is that, according to Webster’s, a meme by itself is an idea. Therefore, the posting of memes to the Internet, the area widely regarded by the world as the last safe haven for the free exchange of ideas, would be an expression of that idea.

American poet Amy Lowell called art “the desire of a man to express himself, to record the reactions of his personality to the world he lives in.” There are a vast number

of memes devoted solely to expressing personality—such as grumpy cat or trollface. Therefore memes expressing an aspect of personality should be considered art.

But wait; Webster’s defined art as needing both the use of skill and creative imagination. The fact is, memes do require skill, just not in the same sense as other art forms. Creative imagination is used to either draw or find the image and if your first reaction is to say that those who capture images rather than draw them are not artists, there are a few photographers who would disagree.

Other skills are used in the crafting of the meme—creating the text, background etc.—which allows the artist to express their idea. That indicates a practical knowledge, not just understanding how to accomplish creation on the Internet but how the World Wide Web functions as a

tool for spreading information. This would not be the first time such a thing has happened; films spread art into cinemas while mainstream papers allowed writing to take place in homes.

Whether memes can be compared to the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel or Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, for example, is not the point up for debate.

Memes are an important expression in culture and the role they play grows daily.

How many people would be aware of the Kony 2012 movement; would there have been any political pressure on that topic at all if not for memes? They are more than ideas; they are an expression which flows as the freest form of art on the internet right now. Consider memes to be art: it makes putting off essays sound a lot more reasonable when one is indulging in artistic expression.

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cinema politica // arTs

It’s bigger than hip hop the inspirational tale of Senegalese rapper didier Awadi and his dream for Africa AyAn ChoWdhury Staff writer

“Yes we can . . . ” and “I have a dream . . . ” These famous words echo through the opening scenes of Yanick Létourneau’s film United States of Africa (2012). The Concordia University graduate’s latest documentary explores the stagnant and corrupt socio-political climate of Africa and the dissatisfaction felt by many of its inhabitants. The film follows hip hop artist Didier Awadi, who has set out on a mission to educate African youth, both at home and abroad, of the growing problems facing their continent. Along the way

he recruits a talented host of politically-active and socially-conscientious musicians to help spread his message.

Awadi travels around Africa, Paris and New York, recording songs for his upcoming album Presidents d’Afrique. He features artists such as Smockey (Burkina Faso) and the young Zuluboy. For Awadi, hip-hop is merely the medium, education is the message. He intends to offer a constructive critique of his society and its crooked politics, while above all making “conscious music.”

The lands of Africa are rich in natural resources such as oil, diamonds, gold and minerals, thus they continually attract foreign interests. Former colonial powers circle like sharks, and many former nationalist leaders who have upset the status quo are simply eliminated. Assassinations include those of revolutionary leaders Patrice Lumumba; the first elected Prime Minister of the Republic of Congo, and Thomas Sankara; the young, charismatic Prime Minister of Burkina Faso.

Both called for a unified Africa free from outside influence. Their coup d’états were allegedly orchestrated by the powers that be, namely France, Belgium and the United States. When Awadi travels to New York City to record a song with M-1, from the influential hip-hop group Dead Prez, it seems almost too fitting.

According to the film, such assassinations have allowed the wrong men to rule, leading to devastating effects on the economy, the unequal balance of power and the low standards of living in most parts of Africa.

Smockey argues that “this poverty is maintained because it serves the interest of some and it provides access to a certain form of

power.”

From the onset of the film, it’s quite apparent that Létourneau is a highly creative and stylish visual storyteller. With Awadi as his steady narrator, the director frames some wonderful shots of the joys, anguish and everything else in between residing in restless Africa. He also incorporates concert footage along with black and white historical speeches to add flavour to the film.

United States of Africa screens Monday Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. in Room H-110, 1455 de Maisonneuve W. Director Yanick Létourneau will be in attendance. This screening is co-presented in collaboration with Black History Month and with the support of the Concordia University Alumni Association. For more information, visit www.cinemapolitica.org/concordia.

Photos by Yanick Létourneau

book review // ArtS

Where do I go from here?

Coming of age novel examines what happens after graduation JACk WArd Contributor

D

o you ever wake up and think “what the hell am I doing here?” For anyone who has ever felt disillusioned or disconnected with life, if you have ever worried that your English major will be worthless in four years, or that your life is not going quite as planned, this book will speak to you.

Isn’t It Pretty To Think So? is a quintessential coming of age story by author Nick Miller. Not since Salinger has a writer captured the tribulation, angst, imperfection and sacredness of living like Miller has for our millennial generation.

Set in Los Angeles, Isn’t It Pretty To Think So? follows Jake Reed, fresh out of university and armed with his liberal arts degree.

Jake quickly realizes that his dreams of being a writer are much further away than he ever thought. Momentarily discouraged and pushed by his parents, he settles down to grind out his days at an uninspiring desk

job. But when his grandmother dies, leaving him her condo and a $50,000 inheritance, Jake promptly quits his job and moves out of his small apartment in search of inspiration and himself.

Bouncing between small-town hotel rooms while trying to write, Jake finds himself becoming deeply troubled. He distracts himself by rooming in a west-Hollywood mansion, spending his days and nights lost in a world of drugs and sex. Only after innumerable blackouts does Jake decide that he needs to get out of the downward spiral he is in. Haunted by depression, plagued by a constant feeling of inadequacy and frustrated with what he feels is a severe lack of real human connection in this world of social media and instant messaging, he reaches out to a kindred lost soul but ultimately finds the savior he has been looking for in himself.

I is not your typical edited and polished novel. There are imperfections in the writing such as an overuse of a metaphor here and the abuse of the comma there that normally an editor would have cut out on the first draft. But it is an imperfect story for an imperfect time and is far from detract-

ing from the writing. The bumps on the page only serve to allow the sincerity of the story to be truly felt by the reader. You are sitting with Jake in the lonely hotel rooms he frequents.

You are there with him as he falls down and builds himself back up again.

Miller has painted a shockingly real picture of life in a world that does not shelter anyone. The people who inhabit Jake Reed’s world serve as a reflection of our society. While showcasing the hardest tribulations of life, the author has also captured the most simple truth of growing up; that we can take solace in the fact that even though life does not go as planned, it can still be beautiful or at least it is pretty to think so.

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Tuesday, february 5, 2013

Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com

profile // music

Toro Y Moi is one to roll with the punches chillwave maven chaz Bundick left his degree in graphic design behind for a musical career AndriA cAputo staff writer

F

or Chaz Bundick, known by his stage name Toro Y Moi, “being creative is the best solution for an unfulfilled life.”

Like most musicians nowadays, Bundick had an early start on the music scene; he began playing piano at the age of eight and composing his own music when he was 15. He also played in an indie rock band in his high school years.

“I was writing stuff that sounded like Weezer and the Pixies,” said Bundick.

Obviously, his older material is a sound that differs very largely from the chillwave movement that Toro Y Moi is now associated with.

Chillwave, which is a musical genre characterized by an ambient, electro-pop and post-punk-revival feel, has been gaining much appeal and attention lately with acts like Toro Y Moi and Neon Indian firing up music blogs. However, Bundick refuses to confine his music to one specific label.

“I don’t like defining my sound,” he said, “but the easiest way to characterize my music is pop.”

Bundick’s debut album Causers of This, released in 2010 on Carpark Records, re-

Bundick’s preffered spot to write new music is at home which has proven to Be a success.

ceived overall positive and promising feedback from major music reviewers. It was described by NME as “a woozy kaleidoscopic voyage, sending you in and out of consciousness with each splendidly shoddy lo-fi recording.”

His sophomore album, Underneath the Pine, which was released in 2011, saw

similar praise. According to Pitchfork, the album “[imbues] pastoral, acoustic plucks and synth drones with rhythmic purpose, and making retro chic somehow still sound futuristic.”

Currently on tour in Europe, Bundick’s third and latest album, Anything in Return, was released in January. Bundick admits

there isn’t much difference between his latest record and his two others, except for the fact that Anything in Return was the first album to be recorded in a studio.

Though his songs are original and fairly intricate, Bundick says he doesn’t have a set writing process.

“My writing process is completely random,” he explained. “I like working from home the most. The easiest and best thing to write about is your life at that very moment.”

When asked what the fan reaction has been on tour so far, Bundick was hesitant to find the right words.

“Playing new stuff live is bittersweet,” he said. “It’s nice to play something new on stage but then again it’s stuff people don’t know and they aren’t familiar with […] so that can end in several ways.”

Despite his success in the musical world, Bundick said that his music career “just happened,” as if out of thin air. Bundick graduated from the University of South Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, but fell into music.

“This is a dream job,” he said. “I was aware that this path may very well not happen.” But, thankfully, it did.

Trial Track: “So Many Details” Toro Y Moi plays Club Soda Saturday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. with Dog Bite and Wild Belle.

profile // music

Humble Haligonian Ben Caplan masters & reinvents folk the powerhouse vocalist and his crew kick off their tour with two sold-out shows miA peArson contributor

He’s got a beard you could lose a guitar pick in, and he delivers a performance you can lose yourself in.

The music of Ben Caplan and the Casual Smokers is different from what a lot of musicians are doing. With his folk roots grounded in the music of Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, Caplan re-envisions the folk genre by drawing

from Eastern European melodies and scales, the avant-garde and experimental jazz of John Zorn, as well as the classic blues and soul genres.

Their 2011 debut album entitled In the Time of the Great Remembering has some powerful songs, like “Conduit” which features a deep double bass rhythm, a whimsical horn section and Caplan’s powerful voice behind distorted fuzz.

The title of the album refers to the history of the human relationship with nature and the rest of the world.

“We’ve forgotten a lot of things; we can speak of a time of great forgetting,” said Caplan, going on to explain how colonial Europe and the industrial era have swayed our way of thinking. “I am hopeful we can transition into a time of great remembering.”

The songwriter describes the band’s very recent selling-out of three shows in Halifax as “a wonderful blessing.” Once the tour of North America finishes, they will be heading to Australia and Europe where the band has a significantly large fan-base.

“My general philosophy is that nobody owes

me shit,” said Caplan, addressing the common question of how a musician, quickly growing in success, plans to stay grounded.

Backstage before a performance, Caplan takes a few minutes to himself to warm-up his roaring voice and sip a little scotch. “Once I step onto the stage, there’s another level that I’m conscious of,” he said. He stresses the importance of engaging with the crowd and being fully present during each performance.

When it comes to the folk singer’s style of performance, Tom Waits and Freddy Mercury are two legends that he’s been compared to.

“It’s scary and humbling to be compared to such masters,” said Caplan. Though Waits and Mercury’s styles differ dramatically, Caplan draws the link that both men are extremely dedicated performers. “I’m a hard-working guy […] and I plan to keep working on my craft every day.”

Caplan trudges around the world doing phone and radio interviews, has a bite to eat and performs for a new crowd each night.

“It’s an exciting time to be working in this crazy entertainment industry,” he said. “I think a lot of change is under foot [in the music industry] and transition periods are the most fertile periods.”

These “fertile periods” are what allows the songwriter to dig into each performance and draw inspiration from different styles of music from around the world. Caplan is backed by the Casual Smokers, who are a group of musicians he can really trust, and this frees him do try things he couldn’t do performing alone.

The band will be going into the studio soon to begin working on their new record. They’ve been touring nonstop and playing their new songs that will be released on the new record.

Caplan also hopes to release some collaborations with other artists within the year. The singer/guitarist describes himself as a live-based musician and finds a challenge in trying to translate this into a studio setting: “To me, the live is the most exciting part […] the studio stuff is a different beast that I’m still learning a lot about.”

Some of the inspiration for his new record comes from the open mic sessions held in Caplan’s Halifax living room which he opens to the public. He explains, “Constantly hearing songwriters from all over the place working out their material helps me gain perspective on my own.”

Ben Caplan and the Casual Smokers play Quai des Brumes on Friday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m.

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top 10 // music

Red Hot Chili Peppers Music Videos acters in a video game, complete with awful ‘90s graphics and a sweet soundtrack. This music video made fans around the world wait in vain for the release of the Californication video game.

7. “Look Around” This recent video showcases each of the band members’ individual personalities. Filmed in one continuous shot, the guys are each in a separate room doing whatever the hell they feel like doing; bassist Flea dances around with his girlfriend while Anthony Kiedis plays with his son and his dog. All-around good times.

JessicA romerA contributor

10. “Fight like a Brave” This video is arguably the band’s cheesiest. It includes everything from them driving around Los Angeles in a convertible, to them playing in a dark room with both the walls and their bodies covered in glow-in-the-dark paint. What’s not to love?

9. “The Zephyr Song” This video is just as trippy as the song; it features the band playing in front of a green screen with dozens of random images being projected onto it. The whole video kind of feels like a colourful Rorschach test, but is perfectly in tune with the psychedelic nature of the song.

8. “Californication” Here we have the band featured as shirtless char-

6. “Scar Tissue” In this video, the band is driving down a desert highway, completely covered in blood and bruises: Kiedis’ ear looks he got into it with Mike Tyson while Chad Smith’s head is completely bandaged up. Bruised and beaten, the band nonchalantly keeps on driving down the highway.

5. “Dani California” Here we have the band performing on stage while dressed as musicians from different periods in rock’n’roll history: from The Beatles to Nirvana, the guys pull off every wig and tacky outfit that’s thrown at them.

4. “Desecration Smile”

In one of the rare videos where Kiedis keeps his shirt on, the band plays on a mountain top.

They genuinely look like four longtime friends who have been through hell together. Things get emotional for Flea and he even sheds a tear, even making RHCP haters go “Awe!” 3. “By The Way” Here, Kiedis gets into a cab with a driver who turns out to be a crazed super fan. He kidnaps Kiedis and endlessly drives him around L.A.. Finally, John Frusciante and Flea come to his rescue and all is well for the guys, except for Smith, who unknowingly gets into the cab next with the psycho driver.

2. “Can’t Stop” Absolutely nothing here makes any sense at all; Kiedis is dressed as a metallic tent and Flea is wearing a purple hippo’s head. None of this really matters, though, because we just can’t help but love every single second of it.

1. “Give it Away” In true RHCP fashion, this video also makes little sense. The guys are half naked, completely covered in metallic paint and are dancing around in the desert as if they’ve all just taken way too many pills. “Give it Away” is at number one because of how amazingly weird and fun the entire video is.

AndreW guilBert staff writer

>> Fishing the seas of cheese //

Anytime there’s news about members of Primus or Ween doing anything, you know it’s bound to be weird, but put them together and what do you get? A fishing show, apparently.

That’s right, Les Claypool and Mickey Melchiondo, better known as Dean Ween, have decided to put together their own reality show that will meld sport fishing with music and comedy and be produced by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. Ween says the show will be “personality driven” and you won’t need to know a mackerel from a marlin to get a kick out of it. “The idea is to get the show on after Anthony Bourdain or Tosh.O. It’s a fishing show that you do not have to be into fishing to enjoy,” said Melchiondo.The show, which begins shooting in February, will feature celebrity guests and will have its own soundtrack composed partially of music played on the show. Ween’s angling credentials include 30 years of amateur fishing experience and boating, as well as earning his coast guard license five years ago. Claypool’s, as far as we know, consists of writing songs like “John The Fisherman,” which is good enough for us.

>> The defamation monster // Quick spins // music

Quick Spins

Toro y Moi - Anything In Return (Carpark Records; 2013)

Darkstar - News From Nowhere (Warp Records; 2013)

Dobie - We Will Not Harm You (Big Dada; 2013)

With a major in graphic design from University of South Carolina, Toro y Moi’s Chaz Bundick is interested in creating aesthetic music.

His third studio album is a slight departure from the rigid confines of the “chillwave” sub-genre into something more pop. There are still great vintage R&B and hip hop moments and the production is much clearer than 2011’s Underneath the Pine, but there is nothing overly groundbreaking about Anything In Return, nor should you expect to know all of the “yeah”s and “uh”s of each track.

Bundick’s superficial concern with breaking out of the “chillwave” mold has caused Anything In Return to suffer. With its heavy reliance on vocal samples sounding counter-intuitive and irritating, channeling more of a ‘90s dance vibe rather than something fresh, I find myself wondering if Toro y Moi is worthy of the hype.

James Young, Aiden Whalley and James Buttery may not been known for their names individually, but collectively as Darkstar, they have surprised and entranced the electronic music crowd since 2007. Their breakout single, “Aidy’s Girl is A Computer,” can be found in the playlists of many electronic music aficionados.

Their latest album, News from Nowhere, has just been released on Warp Records. The album, clocking in at just over 40 minutes, is an excellent electronic journey through the mind, with plenty of vocal processing, synthesizers and reverbs.

It’s a tingling experience, with every part having its place, and every place having a part. With lyrics “Oh the troubled days / I’m ashamed I’ve known / makes me wild,” the album focuses on feelings and emotions.

If you are a fan of electronic, this a must-have.

The United Kingdom’s Dobie is a skateboarder, producer and photographer, that has worked with the likes of Bjork and Massive Attack. Being a product of a colourful background may explain the repetitive, relentless, frustrating yet undeniably hypnotic waves off of We Will Not Harm You. It definitely takes a listener with a passion for glitchy, fidgety electro to even begin to “get” the album. The average ear can easily dismiss it as a seamless loop of sporadic, low buzzes, swipes, interjections of jazz, and breakbeat that has been slowed to one hundredth of its normal speed.

An unintentionally jarring sequence of childrens’ laughter kicks off “Stan Lee is a Hero of Mine,” repeating throughout. “The Beginning” sounds as if it’s being transmitted through an auditory kaleidoscope. What the hell is going on here? Figure it out for yourself.

Trial track: “Cola”

Trial track: “A Day’s Pay For A Day’s Work”

Trial track: “The Beginning”

9.0/10

6.7/10

6.0/10

- Paul Traunero

- A.J. Cordeiro

- Stephanie Ullman

Last week, Lady Gaga found herself giving a six-hour testimony at a midtown Manhattan law office in regards to a lawsuit from a former assistant, a fact she was none too pleased about. “Listen, listen, sir, if you’re going to ask me questions for the next five hours, I am going to tell you exactly what fucking happened,” Gaga told one of the plaintiff’s lawyers, “so that the judge can read on this transcript exactly what’s going on.” The lawsuit in question was filed in 2011 by former aide Jennifer O’Neill, who alleges that the singer owes her more than $393,000 in overtime pay for her around-the-clock work between 2009 and 2011. Gaga claims that O’Neill knew that there would be no overtime pay from the beginning and claims that she benefitted from living a rock star lifestyle through her. “She slept in Egyptian cotton sheets every night, in five-star hotels, on private planes, eating caviar, partying with [photographer] Terry Richardson all night, wearing my clothes, asking YSL [Yves Saint Laurent] to send her free shoes without my permission, using my YSL discount without my permission.” The singer added that O’Neill’s job, which paid $75,000, “was essentially a favor, and Jennifer was majorly unqualified for it.”

>> Baby got payback //

In case you’ve been living under a rock without Wi-Fi access, there’s been a bit of a squabble as of late over the Fox show Glee stealing artist Jonathan Coulton’s reworking of “Baby Got Back” and using it on the show without any kind of attribution. Luckily for Coulton, his fans took to the Twittersphere and made the media stand up and notice, leaving Fox with some considerable egg on their face. Last week, Coulton, who is perhaps best known as the writer of the Portal end-game song “Still Alive,” put his version of the rap track on iTunes, and it has since outsold any Glee song on the music distribution service. As if to counteract all the despicableness that’s come from the incident, Coulton has arranged for all proceeds from the track to be split between the VH1 Save The Music Foundation and the It Gets Better Project.

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Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com profile // sports

Brittany O’Rourke to represent Quebec at Scotties Tournament of Hearts the former stingers soccer and rugby player is now a national level curler Kevin Duarte sports editor

This year’s edition of the National Scotties Tournament of Hearts will see a former Stingers athlete in Team Quebec’s lineup.

Brittany O’Rourke and her team qualified to represent the province in the Canadian Women’s Curling Championship this month.

O’Rourke graduated Concordia University in Leisure Sciences this past December.

Throughout her time at Concordia, the 23year-old represented the Stingers in both soccer and rugby, most recently as a member of the women’s soccer team this past fall.

Despite being part of varsity teams over the last few years, O’Rourke always kept curling as a priority in her life. The Dorval, Quebec native first started to curl at age 10.

In the early days of her curling career, she recalls her stepfather taking her regularly to the Lachine Curling Club. To O’Rourke, curling was always a fun activity, but her passion for the sport grew as years went by.

“I was more excited to finish curling, get off the ice, and have our lunch and play cards with the people that were there,” she said referring to her early years playing the sport. “But as you grow up, you get more competitive. It’s my nature; I’m a very competitive person. It’s only natural that you get more intense about the sport until you just want to win everything.”

Winning everything is exactly what O’Rourke and her team accomplished at last month’s Quebec Scotties Tournament of Hearts held in Victoriaville. Under veteran skip Allison Ross, O’Rourke’s team went undefeated in the round-robin stage of the tournament, winning all seven games. In the finals, the team won easily, 11-4, and guaranteed their spot in the nationals. This will be O’Rourke’s first time representing Quebec at the national level.

“It was a little surprising [to win],” she said. “It showed how much more effort we put in compared to the other teams.

We came in second last year, so [winning] wasn’t so farfetched. We just didn’t expect to go undefeated at all.”

O’Rourke and her team curl out of the Glenmore Curling Club, located in Dollarddes-Ormeaux. The team plays games every Tuesday night in the club’s own league and practices every weekend.

“We want to do well,” she said. “Looking at the teams going, there should be a lot of close games, but games that we should be able to win. We want to finish at least in top half (6th place or higher).”

At the Scotties, O’Rourke will be playing some of Canada’s top female curlers, including some past World Champions.

“I don’t want to be star-struck,” she said.

“I’m not there to make friends, I’m there to compete. It’s going to be nice to talk to them after games, but before games, it’s going to be death eyes.”

Even though it will be her first time at the Canadian Championships, O’Rourke has made it to the national level before, but as a junior curler. O’Rourke is a three time Junior Quebec Champion and has been to the nationals in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

“That was a huge experience,” she recalled. “It’s going to be amplified at the

Photo by Stephan Jahanshahi

Scotties.”

The 2013 Scotties Tournament of Hearts runs from February 16-24 at the K-Rock Centre in Kingston, Ontario. O’Rourke and Team Quebec will face Team Nova Scotia in their opening game on Feb. 16. All the week’s action will be televised on TSN.

men’s soccer // sports

A good second half performance not enough for Stingers Concordia men’s soccer team loses in an eight-goal thriller Kevin Duarte sports editor

Coming off a loss to the Sherbrooke Vert et Or last weekend, the Stingers were looking to get back to winning ways against the visiting UQTR Patriotes this Sunday at the Stinger Dome.

The Patriotes were also coming off a loss as they arrived at Concordia with one win and two losses in their three opening matches.

Back in the outdoor season in the fall, Concordia and UQTR split the season series with a win apiece.

In this match, the visitors started the

goalfest in the ninth minute. UQTR’s Florian Galley, recently arrived from Centre de formation de l’Olympique de Marseille, sent a perfect free kick towards Concordia’s back post.

The ball found an empty Patriotes player who made no mistake guiding the ball past Stingers’ first half goalkeeper Nicholas Giannone.

The Stingers were unable to get anything going in the opening minutes of the match. As a result, the visitors scored a deserved second goal. In the 22nd minute, the Patriotes worked their way down the centre of the pitch and doubled their lead through Valentin Seger.

“We didn’t get rolling at all,” said Stingers Assistant Coach François Bastien. “I think individually we were poor; everybody was poor. Collectively that transcended into terrible work. We only got into it with 20 minutes left, but it was too little too late.”

In the 35th minute, the Stingers found themselves in the Patriotes penalty area where they managed to earn a penalty kick.

From the spot, Sammy Tork made no mistake beating UQTR goalkeeper Raphaël BélangerVaillancourt.

The Patriotes were adamant about keeping a two-goal lead going into halftime. Two minutes later, they worked a ball down the left side and crossed it in front to the top of the box. Galley met the ball with a magisterial volley to score a world-class goal.

The whistle for halftime blew with UQTR up 3-1.

The second half started much like the first. In the 57th minute, the Patriotes added a fourth goal, this time from the spot. Concordia’s Ramin Mohsenin tripped up an UQTR player in the box, resulting in Jean-François Fournier easily scoring from 12 yards out.

Despite being down three goals, the Stingers refused to quit and scored two goals, setting up an exciting finale. In the 68th minute, Concordia’s Andrew Bryan tracked down a cross and laced a shot from the back post to

beat the UQTR keeper.

Defender Stephen Meterissian scored nine minutes later with a diving header off a Concordia corner kick. The Patriotes were now only leading 4-3.

The Stingers went all out in search of an equalizer. It never came. Instead, the visitors added a fifth and final goal, four minutes before the end.

“We’re working on a lot of things at practice, especially defensive work,” said Bastien.

“We’re just not seeing it in games.”

“Going forward, I think we are creating chances,” he continued, “but defensively, our transition from attacking to defending is extremely slow and it’s costing us.”

Concordia will have to regroup as they will face the first-place Montréal Carabins next Sunday. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Complexe Sportif Marie-Victorin.

Photo by Natasha Taggart

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athletes of the month // sports

Athletes of the month: January The Concordian presents its picks of the stingers’ most stand-out athletes Her best game came on Jan. 26 against the UQAM Citadins, when she finished with 16 points and seven rebounds. The 21-yearold was also named Concordia’s female athlete-of-the-week three times over the past month.

Kevin Duarte sports editor

Men’s Hockey - ETiENNE ARCHAMBAUlT The Stingers finished with a record of 2-4-2 in January. Etienne Archambault led the Stingers with four goals and four assists in these eight games. The St-Hyacinthe, Que., native continues to lead Concordia in overall points, after amassing a team-best 11 goals while chipping in eight assists in 24 games this season. This is Archambault’s second season with the Stingers.

- Anthony Abbondanza, Staff writer Women’s Hockey - VERONiQUE lARAMEE-PAQUETTE, HAylEy BOyd, ANd TRACy-ANN lAViGNE January was a tough beginning to the New Year for the Stingers, but there was a new formed line that really excelled; that being the line of Veronique Laramee-Paquette, Hayley Boyd and Tracy-Ann Lavigne. During the season play this month, LaraméePaquette had a goal and three assists, adding two assists in the Theresa Humes Tournament. Boyd had two goals and an assist during the month. Lavigne had a goal and an assist during season play, but led

Photo by Celia Ste Croix

the team with three goals at the Humes, including two against Queen’s.

- David S. Landsman, Staff writer Men’s Basketball - KylE dESMARAiS After missing the entire opening month of play due to injury, guard Kyle Desmarais returned to the court in the Stingers’ first game back from the holiday break. He made an immediate contribution to the team, scoring a team-high 19 points in a total domination of the McGill Redmen on Jan.

10. The second team All-Canadian in 20102011, Desmarais participated in four of his team’s five games this past month. He led the team with an average of 19 points in the four games.

Women’s Basketball - MARilySE ROyViAU First-year forward Marilyse Roy-Viau helped Concordia to a 3-2 record during the month of January. The Mirabel, Que., native averaged 12 points per game, acting as the Stingers’ leading scorer in two of the five games.

Men’s Soccer - AMAdOU lAM The Concordia men’s soccer team played three times during the month of January.

The Stingers opened the season with a clean sheet two-nil victory against McGill, drew the Montreal Impact Academy team 1-1 and lost to Sherbrooke 3-2. Midfielder Amadou Lam was named MVP in two of the three matches. He scored against the Redmen when his diving header sailed past the keeper in the 63rd minute of that game. Lam, from Nouakchott, Mauritania, then had two good performances in the following matches, playing as a playmaking midfielder.

Women’s Soccer - JENNiFER dUFF The Stingers women’s soccer team only played twice in the month of January. The team opened the indoor season with a 3-0 loss to rivals McGill on Jan. 10 and managed a 1-1 draw against Sherbrooke on Jan. 27.

Jennifer Duff had the team’s only goal in the month. She led the team in scoring in the outdoor season in the fall and is currently leading the team as of their last match on Feb. 3. Duff was named the team’s MVP in the shutout loss to the Martlets.

men’s basketball // sports

Two-game losing streak ends after win over Laval the stingers men’s basketball team cruise to 15-point victory samantha mileto assistant sports editor

T

he Concordia Stingers men’s basketball team fought off a third quarter comeback attempt by the Laval Rouge et Or last Saturday afternoon, winning 74-59 at home.

The Stingers got off to a convincing start in the game. Stingers guard Adam Chmielewski led the offense in the first quarter. He beat the shot clock two and a half minutes in to give Concordia a 6-2 lead with his three-pointer.

With two minutes to go in the quarter, Chmielewski pulled down a defensive rebound and passed the ball to guard Jerome Blake down the court. Blake converted a three-pointer to put the Stingers up 23-15.

Chmielewski’s buzzer-beating three ball gave Concordia a 10-point lead to end the first quarter. The Stingers were hot behind the arc, hitting five threes in the quarter.

The maroon and gold kept up their highpowered offence. With just under six and a half minutes to play, the Stingers had a commanding 19-point lead.

Rouge et Or got back into the game after scoring nine unanswered points, bringing the score to 37-27.

In the dying seconds of the second quarter, after a missed three-point shot, the Stingers pulled down an offensive rebound to keep pos-

The STingerS manage To break Their Two-game loSing STreak wiTh a Solid 15 poinTS more Than The rouge eT or. phoTo by madelayne hajek.

session of the basketball. Chmielewski’s jumper gave Concordia a 42-29 lead at the half.

The Rouge et Or closed in on the Stingers lead to start the third. After giving up an early Kyle Desmarais basket, Laval went on an 8-0 run to narrow the score to 44-37. They eventually made it a five-point game after guard Laurier Beaulac-Dufresne successfully made his shot with 4:46 to go.

That was the closest the Rouge et Or would get to pulling even in the game, as the Stingers began to pull away again. Concordia scored eight straight points to end the quarter and, more importantly, gave the team a sizeable 6146 lead.

“We lost our head a bit [in the third quarter],” said Chmielewski. “We didn’t communicate to each other. A team is going to make a run eventually, that’s how basketball is. When teams feel pressure, when they’re down, they have nothing to lose anymore. They’re playing desperate, so obviously they’re going to come back.”

With Laval desperately trying to muster their way back into the game, Concordia held firm as both teams cancelled each other out scoring 13 points in the final frame. The final buzzer rang with the Stingers’ winning by 15 points Desmarais was the maroon and gold’s highest scorer, finishing with 20 points, seven steals

and three assists. Laroche and Chmielewski ended with 14 points and nine points respectively, while Morgan Tajfel scored 10 points coming off the bench.

“We kept the pressure on offensively,” said Concordia head coach John Dore. “We made it a fast game up and down. We had a few turnovers, but we were able to finish our shots. We controlled the tempo of the game. We pressed them full court and we ran the floor well.”

The second-place Stingers will now head to Bishop’s University to take on the first-place Gaiters on Friday, Feb. 8. at 8 p.m. The game is available online onPhoto SSN. by Brianna Thicke

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theconcordian

Tuesday, february 5, 2013

women’s hockey // sports

Stingers come up short in weekend homestand Concordia women’s hockey play final home games of the season DaviD s. lanDsman staff writer

After officially being knocked out of playoff contention, the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey team played for pride this past weekend in their final games at Ed Meagher Arena for the 2012-13 season.

Friday evening’s tilt was against the Ottawa Gee-Gees, a team that had dampened the playoff hopes the week earlier. The game hadn’t even started and head coach Les Lawton’s Stingers were assessed a penalty for delay of game for coming out four seconds late.

Twenty-eight seconds later, the Gee-Gees took advantage of the early power-play. Defender Genevieve Legault wired a shot from the slot past Concordia goaltender Carolanne Lavoie-Pilon.

Over a minute after the Gee-Gees’ goal, Stingers defender Margaret Hotte was sent to the sin bin for the first time in the game.

The Gee-Gees once again took advantage, as Alicia Blomberg placed her stick at the perfect spot and deflected a Valerie Watson point shot to increase Ottawa’s lead to two.

By the end of the period, the GeeGees added a third goal, this time by Asha Kauffeldt.

In the second period, the Stingers seemed to regain composure and battled hard to create chances. Head coach Lawton reunited his old top line composed of Emilie Bocchia, Veronique Laramee-Paquette and Alyssa Sherrard after forward Erin Lally sat the game out after getting over the flu.

The top line got Concordia on the scoresheet when Bocchia scored on a swift wrist shot taken from just inside the slot, with assists to Laramee-Paquette and Sherrard.

“It seems to happen often that if we score five, the opponent scores six,” said Lawton.

“We have to work together and get our offensive play consistent.”

With just under two to play in the period Stingers defender Gabrielle Meilleur, who was in the penalty box, skated out and was fed a stretch pass giving her a breakaway on the Ottawa goaltender. Her strong shot was

SCORE BOARD

an early power-play goal puT The STingerS behind noT long inTo The game, a deficiT ThaT The Team could noT recover from.

turned aside.

The third continued to be a battle between both sides, each exchanging a single penalty and both goalies standing their ground. In the end, the Stingers came up short, losing 3-1, with the shots even at 31 apiece.

“It was nice to see that we didn’t give up,” said Bocchia. “In the second and third we were still in it. We just have to be more consistent.”

On Saturday afternoon the Stingers had a matinée affair with their cross-town rivals, the McGill Martlets.

Before the puck dropped, there was an emotional sendoff to four members of the Concordia Stingers who were playing in their final home game of their Stinger careers; Bocchia, Laramee-Paquette, captain Mallory Lawton and defender Laurie Proulx-Duperre.

The Stingers killed off two early penalties, but it wasn’t until the third penalty did McGill finally get a tally. Katia Clement-Hydra got her first of four goals on the afternoon.

Women’s Hockey: Concordia Stingers 1-3 Ottawa Gee-Gees Men’s Basketball: McGill Redmen 63-61 Concordia Stingers

The second period showed good poise for Concordia when they were able to kill off a four-minute power play, including two of those minutes when they were two down.

McGill doubled their lead courtesy of a penalty shot. Clement-Hydra pulled off a triple deke, which dragged Lavoie-Pilon out of position, and easily scored.

The Martlets would add three more in the third and put the game out of hand at 5-0.

“It’s very frustrating with the officiating,” said Lawton. “The calls come to and far between in a game where special teams have such a huge impact.”

A few of the veterans ending their career shared some of their insights following the emotional game.

“When I came to Concordia I obviously had higher expectations, but at the same time, I would do it all over again,” explained Lawton. “I really did reach for my true potential and became the best player I could be.

I’m sad to see the five years end, but these are

memories I’ll always cherish.”

“It is definitely a mix of sadness it’s over and happy for the new start,” said LarameePaquette. “For me personally, I feel a bit of uncertainty.”

Following the game, the Concordia Stingers women’s hockey program were very pleased to announce the signing of Kelownaborn, current Dawson Blue forward Jesse Keca, who will join the roster next season.

“We are thrilled and excited to have Keca join our team,” explained Lawton. “She’s got the abilities we’ve been seeking for a long time, a real blue chipper.”

Keca was invited to the Under-18 Canadian National team. She is also a national team speed skater.

Concordia will play their second-to-last game of the season this Saturday against the Carleton Ravens at ice House Arena.

The game starts at 7 p.m. and is available on SSN.

Upcoming games FRidAy, FEBRUARy 8

SATURdAy, FEBRUARy 2 Men’s Hockey: Ryerson Rams 5-4 Concordia Stingers (SO) Women’s Hockey: Concordia Stingers 5-0 McGill Redmen Men’s Basketball: Concordia Stingers 7459 laval Rouge et Or Women’s Basketball: Concordia Stingers 61-67 laval Rouge et Or

Women’s Basketball: Concordia Stingers @ Bishop’s Gaiters at 6 p.m. (Mitchell Gym) Men’s Hockey: Concordia Stingers vs Queen’s Gaels at 7:30 p.m. (Ed Meagher Arena) Men Basketball: Concordia Stingers @ Bishop’s Gaiters at 8 p.m. (Mitchell Gym) SATURdAy, FEBRUARy 9 Men’s Hockey: Concordia Stingers vs Toronto Varsity Blues at 2 p.m. (Ed Meagher Arena) Women’s Hockey: Concordia Stingers vs Carleton Ravens at 7 p.m. (ice House Arena) SUNdAy, FEBRUARy 10

FRidAy, FEBRUARy 1

SUNdAy, FEBRUARy 3

Women’s Basketball: McGill Martlets 6671 Concordia Stingers Men’s Hockey: Nipissing lakers 0-1 Concordia Stingers

Women’s Soccer: Concordia Stingers 3-1 UQTR Patriotes Men’s Soccer: Concordia Stingers 3-5 UQTR Patriotes

Women’s Soccer: Concordia Stingers @ Montréal Carabins at 4 p.m. (Complexe Sportif MarieVictorin) Men’s Soccer: Concordia Stingers @ Montréal Carabins at 6 p.m. (Complexe Sportif Marie-Victorin)

opinions

Tuesday, february 5, 2013

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Write to the editor: opinions@theconcordian.com editorial // opinions

Another one bites the dust it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission, but is it right?

This week, it became brutally apparent that members of the Concordia Student Union executive and council representatives do not know the organization’s own standing regulations. Nor do they seem to be able or willing to consult these regulations when in doubt of the rules. This we have long suspected, but now, with the most recent council resignation announced Monday evening, there is no escaping the cold hard truth.

The people who run the CSU either don’t understand or don’t care about the rules which govern the union and it has lead to yet another bump in the road for this year’s set of student representatives. And it has been one hell of a bumpy road.

Early in the year, Councillor Ramy Khoriaty

was hired as the fall 2012 orientation director.

According to standing regulation 225, article C, a candidate for employment can be disqualified from eligibility if hired after taking office. This was the case with Khoriaty and hours before the Judicial Board hearing to deliberate on the matter, he officially resigned, claiming that he had not been aware of the regulation until it was brought to his attention.

Considering Khoriaty’s experience with the CSU, one could make the argument that the blame in this case lies with him for applying to and accepting a position which he was not technically allowed to have. And yet, is it not the duty of the people doing the hiring to know these rules beforehand and adhere to them?

The answer is an unequivocal yes. The

hiring committee, made up of VP student life Alexis Suzuki, VP Loyola Stefan Faina, and VP sustainability Andrew Roberts were responsible to know what was required of them and should be held accountable for the consequences of their mistake.

Why should Khoriaty have to step down when he was not the only person at fault? If the executive wanted to change the standing regulations regarding the hiring process, they should have brought that before council. Side-stepping the rules and pleading ignorance later on is no way to get things done. Whether they knew at the time or not, it is reasonable to expect that at least one of the three of them would have read and understood the implications of the document which governs the CSU.

At its core, this isn’t even about Khoriaty.

This is about the systematic neglect of the standing regulations and bylaws of the CSU and the laissez-faire attitude towards accountability. On top of that, it’s not clear to us why this issue took so long to be addressed. Councillor Chad Walcott confirmed that he knew about it in October 2012 and yet no one took any action for months.

Why does this even matter anyway, you ask? Excellent question. It basically doesn’t. If the rules aren’t respected then they may as well not exist. Sure, they were created for a reason, but if the students who make up the CSU executive continue to ignore the rules to suit their agendas, then there is no point trying to keep them honest.

politics // opinions

Mulcair caught between a rock and a French place

Why this nDp leader should stop struggling to please everyone AriAnA Trigueros-Corbo Assistant arts editor

Political greatness, be it in Canada or anywhere else, is not something that’s easily achievable. It requires a mix of intention and charis-

ma, the kind of persona that will make you a memorable figure. Ask Thomas Mulcair: he’s clearly striving to establish himself, occupying his position as the predictable yet precarious choice of leader to follow in Jack Layton’s footsteps as the head of the New Democratic Party.

Mulcair has been left to contend with the delicate balance that now exists in the party that took Quebec by storm during the 2011 federal elections.

This past week he’s also been extremely “media friendly.”

For what it’s worth, having the spotlight

shone on him was somewhat inevitable: he is leading a party that’s between a rock and a hard place. On one hand he finds himself defending the Quebecers that helped put him in office and his patria, taking their side with understanding, attempting to underline their uniqueness. On the other hand he’s also contending with the rest of Canada, attempting to secure his party’s position as the official opposition in the face of Stephen Harper’s Conservative party.

As Thomas Walkom underlined in his column on the topic in The Toronto Star, the NDP’s stance on Quebec has been“

friendlier” since 2005, when Mr. Layton decided to take a position against the Clarity Act. This act essentially stipulates that, in the case of any referendum held inside Quebec on the topic of sovereignty, the House of Commons has the right to decide whether the question that is being asked is deemed “clear enough.” It also warrants that it has the right to consider whether or not the result of such a referendum represents the vote of a “clear majority.”

Needless to say, the Clarity Act is not very popular amongst separatist Quebecers, and federal politicians have done their best not to remind us of its existence.

So this week, when Mr. Mulcair brought the subject up (with Marois abroad in Scotland), there was some notable controversy.

Why not just let it be? After all, if it wants to maintain its positions, the NDP must strive to become “Canada friendly,” appealing to that considerable portion of Canadian voters that believe that Quebec should not be granted any preferential political visibility or treatment. In fact, in an editorial published by Conrad Black in the Jan. 26 edition of the National Post, Mulcair was framed as promoting an “odious species of federalism,” which encourages a vision of a fragmented Canada. In reality, the leader of the New Democrats is simply looking out for his electorate, which is exactly what a politician should be doing.

The bottom line, it seems, is that Canada will forever be a land of compromise so long as Quebec is part of it. Normally, the leader of the opposition would be expected to just deal with it. The optimist in us, however, secretly hopes that Mulcair will take the opportunity to stray from the path, supporting the people who elected him and disregarding the notion of politicians being pleasers. After all, he does have the home turf advantage, be it if for a short while.

So why not use it to make himself memorable?

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theconcordian immigration // opinions

Working at a gas station? No way, Jose immigrants in Canada should be getting the jobs they’re qualified for A.J. CorDeiro staff writer

I always laugh when I see Apu on The Simpsons demonstrating the stereotypical gripes of middle management. After graduating from the fictional Calcutta Technical Institute, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon earned his PhD in computer science at the Springfield Heights Institute of Technology. Originally Apu had taken up a position at the Kwik-E-Mart in order to pay off his student loans but came to love the job, choosing to forsake his degree in favour of his position as operator and proprietor of the Kwik-E-Mart.

While the saturated colors of animation provide a wonderful escape, it does not change the fact that immigrants do not often get the choice of leaving their education by the wayside.

In a recent publication in the peer-reviewed journal ISRN Economics, Concordia University professor Dr. Mesbah Sharaf confirmed what many immigrants know all too well as a reality. Immigrants must take up lower paying jobs and, more importantly, jobs that do not match their educational training in order to survive.

His findings discovered that there was an “over-education mismatch among recent immigrants to Canada,” with the numbers

clocking at 76.3 per cent for males and 71.8 per cent for females. According to the study, “these figures did not improve much after four years from arrival, when 70.4 per cent of the males and 64.6 per cent of females were over-educated.”

“It’s a big problem — it’s a big waste,” said Sharaf. “It’s a huge loss to the economy.

It has implications at the micro level and a huge cost at the macro level as well.”

“You can see many physicians who come here who cannot find work. They are forced to find work for their survival. They are not going to work at a cab company, for example, unless they were forced to do so.”

But how exactly do we as a society fix this gap?

Firstly, there must be put in place a comprehensive protocol to assess new immigrants skills and training, prioritizing them for the job market. This could help alleviate the major gap of technical workers that we are experiencing in the economy right now, as well as certify that the education received by new residents is legitimate and at least up to par with Canadian standards. If they are not, provide remedial courses in order to bring them up to speed.

Secondly, if there is lack of proper language and/or communication skills, provide training and support to those who need it. On that point the Quebec government, through cooperation with immigration, employment and health departments, has been doing well by providing French language and culture classes to new immigrants.

Thirdly, I would suggest vital job market training such as how to sell yourself includ-

ing marketing yourself in 21st century and, perhaps most importantly, a form of mentorship/internship program in order to provide new immigrants with work experience.

What makes me such an expert on immigrant issues? My mother and father were both immigrants to this country and have been proud Canadian citizens for over 18 years now. The first ten years were tough — my father’s certifications and degrees were rejected by potential employers, despite being over-qualified for the positions he applied for.

The lack of work experience did not help either.

“It’s a Catch22,” explained Brian Cordeiro.

“When you come in new into the country, as a new immigrant, the first

question they ask you is: how long have you been in the country and you tell them that many days or that many months, and the second is what’s your experience in Canada.

You can’t have work experience if you just got here.”

With these staggering numbers how can we, as citizens of a country that takes pride in caring for its weakest and cherishes its multiculturalism and diversity, accept these numbers with the little support we provide?

Canada is a mosaic, an intertwining web of cultures that takes pride in its diversity.

Part of that diversity comes from the new immigrants who arrive on our shores every year.

The system isn’t broken, but it must be improved.

Graphic by Jennifer Kwan

legislation // opinions

A fresh side of politics with your sweet 16 Why sixteen-year-olds should not have the right to vote in Quebec robin DellA CorTe Assistant news editor

Q

uebec Premier Pauline Marois has been inspired by the decision of First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond to lower the voting age to 16-years-old for the next Scottish referendum in 2014.

Although it was not a part of the party’s platform during the 2012 election, Marois and the Parti Québécois have indicated that they are in favour of following suit.

The only reason I believe Marois is not completely against lowering the voting age to 16 is for one particular reason; she is trying to get the youth’s vote. Marois seems to have many tricks up her sleeve and trying to change the voting age in order to benefit her own party in the next election is one of them.

There is no issue with the voting age, so why change it? At 16 years of age, most teenagers have definitely not acquired

enough knowledge to decide what is best for our province. Not every 16-year-old is uneducated and ignorant in regards to Quebec politics, or politics in general, but a strong majority of this demographic will not take these privileges as seriously as they should be taken.

To me, simply possessing some form of driving privileges at the age of 16, especially in Quebec, is too young.

A significant amount of accidents occur because of teenagers and young adults. Statistics Canada reports “about 80% of speeders involved in a fatal crash were under the age of 45, and half of those speeders were aged 16-24 years.”

Last year, Argentina lowered the voting age from 18 to 16. and they are not alone Other places in the world like Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua currently have the voting age at 16.

East Timor, Indonesia, North Korea, Seychelles and Sudan give the right to vote at the age of 17.

Marois had planned on discussing the voting age with Alex Salmond in Edinburgh, however, in an interview with The Globe and Mail, Marois stated that “Scotland is different. Quebec is different.”

If Marois realizes that Scotland and Quebec are so different, why is she all of a sudden so adamant about having the voting age lowered? It is very hard to take a law or a strategy that is used in one country, apply it elsewhere and hope for the same results.

Marois told The Toronto Star that The Parti Québécois wants to change politics,” but the thing she doesn’t understand is that change is not needed in this case.

Marois might also be targeting teenagers for their support because many don’t have an extensive background knowledge of Quebec politics aside from what they are taught in class, which can be biased. Another factor is the traditional sovereignty movement, which seems to be growing stronger with young people.

If we are going to give 16-year-olds the privileges of an adult, it needs to be very carefully thought out, and other rules that currently apply to 18-year-olds need to be restructured as well. Come on, Pauline.

Why the hassle, if not for your own personal interests? Frankly, I see it as an enormous waste of time and money and a misguided attempt to win over young voters. If 18 is good enough for the rest of Canada, it’s good enough for us.

Graphic by Jennifer Kwan

Tuesday, february 5, 2013

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sports // opinions

P.K. Subban: Not a legend just yet Marc bergevin proves he’ll be a good gM with p.K. signing george Menexis opinions editor

“It doesn’t matter how many times I step on the ice at the Bell Centre, I have the same feeling every time: my head’s ready to explode, I want to kill somebody cutting across the blue line and I want to score the goal and celebrate. And I’ll do it by any means possible to win a hockey game. That’s how I feel playing there. I’m not sure I’d have that feeling anywhere else.”

This is how P.K. Subban described playing in Montreal in an interview with Dave Stubbs from The Gazette. It’s magical, seeing him dressed in the red, white and blue of the Montreal Canadiens. The way he moves the puck, the way he swiftly avoids players as if they weren’t there. He’s electrifying. One of the greatest prospects for the years to come.

But that’s all Subban is for now – a prospect. A great one, at that, one the Montreal Canadiens should strive to keep. Nevertheless, he still has a lot to prove. Therefore, signing a two-year, $5.75 million contract on Monday was definitely the right move for Subban.

But he had us on the edge of our seats for quite a while. For months, Subban and his agent struggled to agree to terms with Marc Bergevin, the Canadiens’ general manager, for a deal that would see Subban sign with Montreal. To break it down simply, Subban was looking for a long-term, expensive deal, in the likes of what his teammate Carey Price secured, and the Montreal

Canadiens wanted to give him a shorter contract, so that he could prove himself worthy.

“I want to be paid what I think I deserve,” he would say in interviews. It seemed like the deal would never come.

It’s no secret that Montreal is enamoured by the thought of Subban. Some may argue that we even have a serious, although not deadly, dose of P.K. fever. We love him, on and off the ice, and he’s charmed us all into a trance. That’s why we have to admire Marc Bergevin’s persistence and tenacity for insisting on a short-term deal. It was the right thing to do. Previous Montreal GMs, such as Gainey and Gauthier, would have probably cracked under the pressure and signed Subban to a ridiculous six or seven-year contract worth tens of millions of dollars. It would be way too risky at this stage in Subban’s career to do this. But knowing their characters and the pressure caused by famously impatient Montreal fans, it would’ve been the case.

Deals like the one you were asking for, Subban, don’t happen at your age unless you’re Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin. Yes, you’re a world class defenceman, and yes, we’re lucky to have you, but like everyone else, like your teammates before you, you need to pay your dues on your way to ultimate stardom.

“For my style of game and for what I do for the team, the amount of minutes I

play and for what I bring to the table, I have to be fairly compensated,” Subban told The Gazette in an interview before he was signed.

It was last Monday that Subban realized that the Canadiens weren’t budging, and their surprisingly good start to the season without one of their top defenceman probably pushed the blue-liner to seriously reconsider his position. As veteran Gazette reporter Pat Hickey put it, “the Canadiens could be a better team with Subban filling one of the top four defence spots. But there’s no guarantee and Subban’s position becomes more difficult with each day he remains unsigned.”

We all know he has the drive and the ability to become a top defenceman in the National Hockey League. However, the fame he acquired in just two years in Montreal spread like wildfire, and, as is common in Montreal, spread through to his head as well. Luckily, Subban is much smarter and more mature than others who have walked in his path, and he took the higher road. For that, I congratulate him, and I look forward to seeing him in the bleu-blanc-rouge of the greatest team in the NHL for years to come, and hopefully lift the franchise’s 25th cup along with the rest of his teammates.

Welcome back P.K., we all hope you’re here to stay.

hell’s angels // opinions

The road to hell and back

Former gang member has earned a second chance gregory Wilson staff writer

Ten years ago Normand Robitaille, a former high-ranking Hells Angels, was sentenced to 17 years in prison. He was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, money laundering and drug trafficking.

Robitaille was mostly known for his close ties to Maurice Boucher — the president of the Hells Angels Montreal chapter. Boucher trusted him so much Robitaille would meet with Mafia leader Vito Rizzuto in his name.

On Jan. 20, Robitaille was granted unsupervised leave privileges from the minimum security compound to take business classes at HEC Montréal business school. Unescorted leave is considered the final step towards parole.

The announcement prompted some Canadian citizens to declare he is still dangerous and should remain in prison. However, the parole board was right in granting him leave.

Marcel Danis is a political science pro-

fessor at Concordia University, specializing in organized crime. He was also the defense lawyer for many high-ranking Hells Angels members. ‘‘I would agree that he should stay in prison if he was still a member of the Hells Angels,’’ he told The Concordian. ‘‘But here we’re talking about a former member who broke all his ties to the club.’’

In fact, Robitaille went through the proper procedures to officially disassociate from the group. While in prison he wrote to the Hells Angels’ headquarters in California asking permission to withdraw. They accepted his request. ‘‘It is the equivalent of being honourably discharged from the army,’’ said Danis.

As of October 2009, the Sûreté du Québec no longer considered him a Hells Angels member.

Robitaille allegedly changed during his

time in prison. He reportedly took up Buddhism and has been using past unescorted leaves to meet with a Buddhist chaplain. He kept to himself and did not cause trouble. As a reward Robitaille went from a maximum security facility to medium and finally to minimum. He has also completed a Bachelor’s in communications by correspondence during that time. ‘‘I’m confident he won’t do anything to breach his parole,’’ said Danis. ‘‘He knows he will be back immediately on the smallest breach, whatever it may be. It would be foolish.’’

Robitaille’s case, and the debate surrounding it, is a good example of the differences between Eastern and Western Canadians’ perception on crime in general.

Quebec and other Eastern provinces differ from Western Canada in that they have a stronger belief in rehabilitation instead of

punishment. Quebec, for example, had the fifth lowest crime rate in 2011, according to Statistics Canada.

Eastern provinces have lower crime rates than their western counterparts for the most part due to their emphasis on rehabilitation.

Thus, it comes as no surprise that in 2011 even the Canadian Bar Association — which represents 37,000 lawyers — denounced the federal government’s tough-on-crime Bill C-10. They even launched legal action to strike down parts of the controversial bill in November 2012, and will go all the way to the Supreme Court if need be.

Obviously, criminals must initially be punished and sentenced according to the severity of their actions. However, simply keeping them locked up is not a solution to the problem. The Eastern provinces understand this concept, the federal government and the Western provinces do not.

To ensure they do not repeat the same actions following their release, criminals should be taken care of while in prison.

Prisons are not establishments made to store criminals indefinitely, but rather to ensure they are able to properly reintegrate in society afterwards.

If a prisoner, like Normand Robitaille, is psychologically ready for parole and to finally contribute to our society, then the Quebec justice system has succeeded in its mission.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, february 5, 2013

world // opinions

Nightclubs need to step up their safety brazil’s recent nightclub tragedy has left many wondering when enough is enough isAbelA sAsAKi Contributor

The amount of tears shed in Brazil this week is immeasurable. Last Sunday, more than 230 people died in a fire that took place in the nightclub Kiss, located in Santa Maria, Brazil.

The fire started at around 2:30 a.m. during a band’s pyrotechnics show. One of the flames touched the ceiling that, according to investigation, was made out of cardboard and acoustic material, causing the fire to spread rapidly.

Many things were said about what went on in the nightclub during those moments of desperation. People tried to run to the emergency exit, but it was poorly indicated. Many others rushed into one of the restrooms hoping for safety. Others found the exit, but were being stopped by security who, not aware of the intensity of the fire, were asking people to pay their bills first. The fire extinguishers were expired, and the nightclub owners recently admitted that they did not have the permit from the fire department.

While looking at the tragedy through newspaper covers, pictures of the families who were torn apart, and names of the victims, this becomes very real, and even more so because it’s an everyday lifestyle to most adolescents.

Gleisson Balen is a student at the Federal University of Santa Maria, here at Concordia on exchange.

“I kept thinking I could’ve been one of the victims of this tragedy,” he said. “I feel powerless, being so far away prevents me from helping anyone in my community, the only thing I

can do is pray.”

Ask yourself how many times you walked into a nightclub and looked for the emergency exits, or if the documentation was up to date. It would surely be good to check, but people go to nightclubs to escape, to have fun, and definitely not to worry about the possibility of death.

In 2001, over a 100 people were injured and six were killed during a concert in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The fire started when a cascade of fireworks met the ceiling made out of styrofoam.

Once again, it was proved that the venue was not able to meet with the fire department’s requirements; the extinguishers were expired, and there weren’t enough well indicated emergency exits.

In 2003, 96 people died in a nightclub in Rhode Island. The fire also started because of the handling of fireworks inside the nightclub. The walls and ceiling were made out of an acoustic foam that was highly inflammable.

The story repeats itself, with not enough emergency exits and an overcrowded venue.

However, after the tragedy took place in Rhode Island, many actions were taken towards the owners, co-owners and the event organizers. State laws towards inspection of nightclubs were also changed.

Last but not least, yet another incident took

place in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2004. More than 190 people were killed and 1,400 were injured in the nightclub. The fire started with the use of pyrotechnics, with flames hitting the acoustic material and the venue soon enveloped in fire. The emergency exits were few and blocked by people who didn’t make it. Nonetheless, the people and the families involved ran after their rights, and the consequences towards those responsible were a fair price to pay.

It all comes down to the “it’ll never happen to us” mentality, until it does. And when it does, no one wants to take responsibility for the mess. In Brazil, bars and nightclubs are being inspected and families and friends of those affected are going to the streets and saying what

needs to be said. On Monday, 35,000 people came out to the streets to honour those who had their lives taken. During the same week, over 300 people protested in favour of justice and change.

“Now all the nightclubs in Brazil are being rigorously inspected, many will be closed down,” Balen says. “This will probably last about a year or two, afterwards the profit will prevail.”

The tragedy here is not only the lives that were lost, but also the fact that tragedies like this have to happen in order to get things done. These are wake-up calls and the country’s government needs to stop hitting the snooze button.

sports // opinions

Super Bowl: king of sports Why the big game will never go out of style briAn HuTCHinson staff writer

The Super Bowl is one of the most epic sporting events and has a vibrant and dramatic history to match. The first Super Bowl was held on Jan. 15, 1967 between the Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs and ended with a 35-10 victory for Green Bay. A total of 61,949 fans were in attendance at that game in Los Angeles, out of a possible 100,000 seats at the Memorial Coliseum.

Even in the very first Super Bowl, the theatrical element was present. In fact, the hero of that game was a wide receiver named Max McGee, who expected to watch the game from the sidelines. When starter Boyd Dowler separated his shoulder on the second drive, McGee was forced to step up. McGee went out the night before and was in no shape to play football the following day, let alone in a championship game.

“I waddled in about 7:30 in the morning and I could barely stand up for the kickoff,” he told the press after the game. He was confident that he wouldn’t be playing, but the only

thing that could have put him in the game— an injury—happened. He borrowed a helmet from one of his teammates, having left his in the locker room, and walked on the field.

Early in his performance, he caught a 37-yard touchdown pass and went on to make seven catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns.

He made more catches in that Super Bowl

game than he did the entire previous season, in which he only had four receptions. Talk about dramatic.

The spectacular element to the Super Bowl has yet to fail us and this year will be no exception. The two teams that squared off for the title on Sunday were the San Francisco 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens. Each team is

coached by a Harbaugh. Two brothers will go head to head, in the ultimate sibling rivalry.

The fact that this narrative has been a dominant one around the game is no surprise. This is the first time in 47 Super Bowls that a brotherly confrontation will take place. While the 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh has been known to shy away from the media and avoid answering questions about the upcoming game, John enjoys speaking with the media and joking about how his parents always liked Jim more.

Despite their different personalities, one thing remains certain; both will do whatever it takes to come out on top. Their constant devotion to their respective teams came first on Sunday over any brotherly connection they have. It was a game that will be remembered for the rivalry and skill of all involved, with Baltimore taking an early lead and holding off a genuine effort from San Francisco in the second half to take the game 34-31.

Even if you are not the biggest football fan, you will probably be surrounded by friends and family watching with a beer in hand and nacho dip close by. Because it’s the Super Bowl. It’s one of the greatest sporting events in the history of sports and its flare for the dramatic makes it even better. The enormous melting pot of passion, emotion, skill and devotion make it impossible to miss that fateful day comes and so it will be for years to come.

Concordia’s weekly, independent student newspaper.

Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013 Vol. 30 Issue 20 Marilla Steuter-Martin

Superbowl Sunday. I hope you all stuffed yourselves with all the unhealthiness this world has to offer. Although not all of us in the white, snowy, north are football fans, every single person in the world is a Beyonce fan, and if you watched the halftime show, I don’t need to tell you how incredibly wonderful she was. @TheFakeCNN: “Breaking:

Lights out at Superbowl caused by Beyonce plugging in her vibrator backstage.” @Diamondkwhite:

“Looks like beyonce had a football game at her concert today.....

That’s basically what she did to the SuperBowl. She took over.” @KattWilliams:

“Kanye’s bout to bust in & say yo yo yo Ravens I’m gonna let you finish but Beyonce had the best half time show of all time #Superbowl” @alqaeda:

“#poweroutage? Yes, that was us. Our original plan was to cut the power much sooner but Ayman wanted to watch Beyoncé. #superbowl” @QuotingHistory:

““Only Beyonce can turn me on!” SuperBowl Lights” @ARTCRANK:

“uperdome officials attempting to harness the power of Beyonce’s thighs to bring the lights back up. #superbowl”

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the etc. page // opinions

Events of the weeK: Feb 5 Tuesday +Cinema Politica - Liberty, Equality and Accommodation - 18H - H110 +Theatre - Waiting For The Barbarians - 20H - Segal Centre +Music - Ty Segall - 19h - Cabaret du Mile End

Wednesday +Theatre - Oroonoko - 20H - MAI (Montréal, Arts, Interculturels) +Music - Noia - 21h30 - Divan Orange

THURSDAY +Theatre - Kafka’s Ape - 20H - Bain St-Michel +Art - Exhibition: Uraniborg by Laurent Grasso - Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal

Friday +Music - Ben Caplan - 20h - Quai des Brumes +Music - Of Mice and Men - 19h - Club Soda

SATURDAY +Music - Bingo Players - 22h - New City Gas +Music - Stolen Babies - 18h15 - The Mod Club

SUnday +Theatre - Kafka’s Ape - 14H - Bain St-Michel