The Concordian

theconcordian Independent student newspaper at Concordia University. Since 1983.

Volume 30 Issue 7

October 9, 2012

Another empty Senate seat

e v i t a t n prese

e R t n e Stud

ConCordia Student union ViCe-PreSident external Simon-Pierre lauzon iS the only exeCutiVe Currently Sitting on Senate, a Senior aCademiC body at the uniVerSity. Photo by naVneet Pall

CSU VP Loyola Stefan Faina unable to serve on Senate due to university bylaws Kalina Laframboise News editor

The Concordia Student Union’s recent appointment to Concordia University’s Senate, VP Loyola Stefan Faina, is ineligible to maintain his position due to his student status, it was

discovered on Thursday, Oct. 4.

Council nominated and then appointed Faina to Senate during a special council meeting Wednesday, Sept. 19 to help fill student representation on the governing body. His appointment was originally scrutinized by council, with some arguing that

Faina’s lack of experience would lead to problems down the road. Faina, who admitted to never having attended a Senate meeting before, was eventually chosen for the position.

The only executive acting as a senator before then was VP external SimonPierre Lauzon who was present for

the first and second Senate meetings of the academic year.

Following a consultation of university bylaws, Faina realized that he was unable to serve as a senator because he is currently registered as an independent student. Faina completed his undergraduate degree in

psychology last year and registered as part-time, independent student this year, partly in order to maintain his executive position with the CSU. He explained that he was not informed by the university but that he stumbled across the stipulation in Article 57.

Continued on P. 2

In this issue... life

arts

music

sports

opinions

Aquaponics? We fill you in P. 7

J.K. Rowling’s new book P. 8

The Zolas’ playful pop P. 12

Profiling Remo Taraschi P. 15

Pros & cons of reality T.V. P. 17

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

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news Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Got a news tip? news@theconcordian.com

City in brief

CAmPUS

Another empty Senate seat

Kalina Laframboise

>> Rizzuto comes home Notorious criminal and reputed Montreal Mafia head Vito Rizzuto was released from Florence Federal Correctional Complex in Florence, Colo. this Friday. Rizzuto was escorted back to Toronto and is believed to be residing in Montreal, where he has lived most of his life. In 2003, the alleged mobster was indicted by a Brooklyn federal grand jury due to racketeering conspiracy charges, including loansharking and murder. After his arrest in Montreal, Rizzuto was extradited to the United States. His father and son were both assassinated in Montreal in what is believed to be an attempt to bring down the crime family.

>>Laval mayor in trouble Laval Mayor Gilles Vaillancourt was the target of a series of raids earlier this week by the Sûréte du Québec’s anti-corruption squad.

Following the raid on Vaillancourt’s Laval office and home Thursday, officers investigated Vaillancourt’s luxury high-rise apartment in Chomedey Friday evening. In a press conference Friday, Vaillancourt said he would not step down from his position as mayor. Authorities also searched Laval City Hall and buildings where human resources and engineering departments are located. The raids are related to the awarding of municipal contracts and the provincial government’s crackdown on corruption and collusion in the construction industry. Vaillancourt has held his position since 1989 and has been part of Laval’s council since the 1970s. Although previously accused of similar criminal acts, Vaillancourt has never been arrested or found guilty.

>>Trudeau in the house Justin Trudeau officially announced his candidacy for leader of the Liberal Party of Canada in Montreal, Tuesday. In front of a crowd of approximately 450 Liberal supporters in his riding of Papineau, the eldest son of former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau said he wanted to spend his life serving the nation he loves.

In his speech, Trudeau emphasized his desire to reach out to youth and help revamp Canada’s economy. The leadership election set for April 2013 to replace interim-leader Bob Rae who took Michael Ignatieff’s place following the disastrous results for the Liberals in the 2011 federal election.

Continued from cover According to Article 57 of the university bylaws referring to membership regulations, students must be registered in a program to be eligible to serve on Senate: “Students elected to Senate shall be registered in an undergraduate

or graduate program, be registered in a course or other for-credit activity, and be in good standing. Students who are in failed standing, in conditional standing or on academic probation or who have been sanctioned either under the Code of Rights and Responsibilities or the Academic Code of Conduct within

the three (3) years previous to their nomination are not eligible.”

In an interview with The Concordian, Faina expressed his disappointment at being unqualified to sit on Senate.

“I really don’t see why I can’t sit on it,” said Faina. “It’s a little discriminatory and this is a population that has interests too.”

According to Faina, he sent an email to inform outgoing council Chairperson Nick Cuillerier that he would have to step down from Senate to “avoid controversy and drama.”

Faina went on to say that independent students should have representation on Concordia’s governing body.

Article 55 in the bylaws states

that 12 seats are allotted to undergraduate students appointed by the CSU with the obligation of having a representative of each of the four faculties at Concordia.

This does not include independent undergraduate students, who are usually part-time students that are taking courses without declaring a program.

VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon suggested it might be time to reconsider the bylaws to accommodate and represent independent students at the university.

“This is a not a situation that is unheard of,” said Lauzon. “Maybe this is a reform we want to consider because independent students are a student group and they should, in theory, have representation.”

With Faina’s removal from Senate, the CSU will have to appoint two additional students in the near future to fill undergraduate student representation.

According to Lauzon, the CSU believes President Schubert Laforest, who is also ineligible to participate in Senate due to unresolved and undisclosed issues under the same bylaws, will tentatively be allowed to sit on Senate in the near future.

CAmPUS

English universities prepare for education summit Student associations to meet with provincial government to address concerns marie-Josée Kelly Staff writer

S

tudents of anglophone universities hope to voice their concerns at the upcoming education summit put forth by the provincial government to investigate university governance and management of postsecondary funds.

As part of her mandate, newly elected Premier Pauline Marois of the Parti Québécois abolished the proposed tuition fee increase of $1,778 over the next seven years set by the previous Charest government, and promised a conference to address the concerns of post-secondary students.

The Arts and Science Federation of Associations of Concordia University set precedent in September by approving a motion that mandated all member associations to consult students on the future of university education in preparation for the summit.

ASFA VP academic-Loyola, Eric Moses, told The Concordian that ASFA is in the process of forming a sub-committee to examine all details surrounding the consultation of MAs. “We [ASFA] are excited and in high gear with plans to facilitate our

member associations’ process,” said Moses.

Following the consultation of its MAs, ASFA intends on bringing the concerns of their students to the table before the provincial government.

The structure of the summit and the date on which it will be held have yet to be confirmed by the PQ government but the Concordia Student Union’s VP external Simon-Pierre Lauzon explained that the CSU, along with the Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec, is lobbying for an open process whereas any student group who desires to, can show up and argue their position.

“This [education summit] is important because we have a government that has shown interest in the satisfaction of the Quebec student body; it would be a disservice to students given our responsibility as representatives to skip that opportunity to provoke more positive change for our student body,” said Lauzon.

Lauzon explained that if he represents Concordia at the summit, he will argue on behalf of undergraduate students from both inside and outside of the province.

“What makes Concordia special is

that it is very multicultural, there are a lot of international and out-of-province students,” said Lauzon. “My goal is to push for their interests because I feel if we don’t do that sort of lobbying then it will not be done.”

The Fine Arts Student Alliance of Concordia attempted a special general meeting to discuss students’ concerns Thursday but was unable to reach quorum. FASA councillor Erika Couto said a second special general meeting will likely be held in November.

“We’re looking towards a general assembly, in which we’ll discuss specifically concerns we’re worried about as fine arts students,” said Couto. “A lot of students are concerned because Marois said she’d be cancelling the hike for this year but there are no guarantees about anything.”

Couto sees the proposed summit as a positive development considering the events that took place in the last year surrounding the student conflict.

According to Couto, a consultation between the government and students is a step in the right direction.

“It is good step into educational reform in Quebec. Who better to know what students need and what it’s like to be a student than students.”

According to VP external affairs of the Student Society of McGill University Robin Reid-Fraser, SSMU is hoping to work with the Post-Graduate Student Society on a possible collaborative effort across campuses to gather students’ perspectives on university governance, tuition and the role of universities in society amongst other issues.

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

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PROTeST

Nation in No arrests at anti-police brutality march brief montreal Police dismisses complaints, sparking anger from students Cynthia Dupuis

>>Not everyone loves Marineland

hundredS of StudentS marChed from PlaCe émilie-gamelin to ProteSt the maSS diSmiSSal of ComPlaintS againSt the SPVm during the Student ConfliCt. Joel Ashak Contributor

T

he anti-police brutality protest, notorious for its violent turnout, was mostly peaceful and recorded no arrests Saturday night.

Following months of continuous student protests, roughly 200 protesters gathered at Place Émilie-Gamelin before marching through the streets of the downtown core to condemn Montreal Police’s use of excessive force.

Demonstrators were notably present to denounce a recent mass dismissal of complaints against police behaviour filed during the student conflict.

“This year’s protest is mainly about the irregularities within police ethics,” said protester and Dawson Student Union Director of external affairs Nicholas Di Penna. “When people give in complaints and they are simply refused it means there are

problems of introspection within the police and we ask why isn’t there more control over police brutality.”

According to the protest’s Facebook event page, the ethics commissioner of the Service de Police de Montréal brushed off 46 per cent of the complaints filed against officers during the student strike movement. As a result, demonstrators are concerned that the accused officers will not face sanctions but instead receive a slap on the wrist or the alleged victims will have the opportunity to “express his or her feelings to the accused officer.”

The Montreal Police’s ethics commissioner could not be reached for comment due to the holiday weekend.

According to the Huffington Post Quebec, the reason behind the dismissals are either a lack of information in order to proceed with an investigation, or the alleged victim dropping the case.

The Montreal Police’s Ethics

Commissioner Louise Letarte also said that the number of dismissed complaints might increase as the department reviewed only 149 out of the total 193 complaints received related to the student conflict. So far, 60 complaints will lead to further investigation for which the result will appear in spring 2013.

Angered by the dismissals and feeling powerless against a police force individuals believe used excessive violence in interventions, some protesters expressed their concerns over the SPVM’s ability to exercise control over its own officers and to sanction them in the adequate manner.

“If the SPVM and the city won’t hear us in court, then they will hear us in the streets,” said Marc Lamarée, a protester who is currently facing charges in two trials after he was arrested at the Victoriaville riot last May, and at another student protest during the summer. “The SPVM has treated us like troublemakers since

the beginning of the movement and I was even told they had a list of protesters to pay special attention to, which I am on. We should be able to defend ourselves legally against such profiling and excesses and this dismissal of complaints is bad news.”

Saturday’s protest was declared illegal by the police before it began due to the organizers failing to provide a march route. The demonstration was still authorized providing it remained peaceful.

The protesters, many of them masked and dressed in black, left Place Émilie-Gamelin at 8:45 p.m. closely flanked by officers and followed by mounted police. They walked through the streets of downtown Montreal, improvising their route and often walking against traffic.

Aside from a few busted traffic cones and firecrackers, the protesters carried the march until it ended at its starting point around 11 p.m. with a single individual receiving a ticket.

CON U

Q&A with ConU President, Alan Shepard The Vice-Chancellor addresses tuition, international students, and future goals marilla Steuter-martin editor-in-chief

tuition fee increase? What measures have been taken?

Concordian: What do you think of the recent external review of Concordia’s governance?

S: No measures have been taken yet.

The loss of the increase, in the short term, is only about 0.8 per cent of the total operating budget. We don’t know whether the government will be restoring that money to us in a different way. My pledge is that if we have to, we will make changes to the budget which will not affect teaching and learning. I don’t think that would be fair to do.

Shepard: The PricewaterhouseCoopers external review was the next and, I think, last chapter in this part of the university’s history. They seem like reasonable recommendations to me. The goal here is to bring more transparency to the governance process. The external review is tied to something called the Shapiro Report, when the Board of Governors invited Bernard Shapiro and two colleagues in several years ago. That was an important move for Concordia. It took a lot of courage to invite someone else in and do an audit of governance. There were more than 40 recommendations made, virtually all of which have been adopted

by Concordia.

C: How is the university preparing for the loss of money from the

C: Has the Parti Québécois contacted the university at all with regards to the repeal?

S: We are, of course, in regular contact with the government, but no instructions about that have been sent yet.

C: According to a recent news report done by The Link, some international students at Concordia are being treated poorly. What has been done to address this?

S: There is an inquiry under way, being done by VP services Roger Côté. It shouldn’t be a long process of months and months. We don’t want to jump to conclusions, whether this is an isolated or widespread issue. I’ve asked [Côté] to report back to me in a few weeks.

C: Do you have an overarching goal for the year?

S: What I would like to restore to Concordia is its internal trust in itself. It’s a strong place. It’s a place where many things are going well. We are going to work with the community to unleash the potential of Concordia. There’s no reason why Concordia can’t be known as one of the best universities in Canada.

A group of about 125 people rushed through the main entrance of Marineland this Sunday to protest the treatment of animals residing at the theme park. The protesters say they managed to interrupt a dolphin show taking place. Niagara Region Police were forced to bring in extra officers when about 800 people in total convened on the property. Constable Derek Watson said police were able to quickly regain control of the situation and that no arrests were made. The Marineland Animal Defence, the group which organized this weekend’s protest, is dedicated to ending animal captivity and ultimately closing down the famous park.

>>You’ve got mail, again Canada Post and its largest group of unionized workers have reached a tentative agreement in a dispute that has lasted for more than a year. During the past year, the Harper government intervened in the dispute after Canada Post locked out its employees as a response to their rotating strikes.

The federal government also imposed a back-to-work legislation that forced the workers to accept lower wages than Canada Post’s last offer leading to the union rejecting the arbitration imposed by the government. A spokesperson for Canada Post explained that both sides came to an agreement without the help of an arbitrator and it was not an imposed agreement.

>>Easy access The Harper government is launching a pilot project in early 2013 allowing Canadian citizens to submit access to information requests via the Internet. The project will begin with three departments, but is scheduled to include most federal agencies and institutions during the next three to four years.

The Access to Information Act in Canada was established in 1983 and has since then required paper cheques and forms, envelopes and postage stamps. The new portal will include an online payment service.

>>Now’s a good time to eat salad

C: What firm plans do you have in mind to make this happen?

ing to be a university for the next generation. I think our research side has really developed over the years.

What hasn’t kept pace is how the teaching and learning technology has advanced.

S: I’m really interested in helping Concordia figure out how we’re go-

This interview has been edited for length.

The number of E. coli illnesses linked to the beef products from the XL Foods Inc. plant in Brooks, Alta., has increased by three cases this week bringing the total to 10 people from three provinces. The Public Health Agency of Canada says seven of the 10 cases are from Alberta, two from Quebec and one from Newfoundland. The recall was expanded again this Saturday and includes hundreds of XL Foods beef products from across Canada and the United States.

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theconcordian

Tuesday, October 9, 2012 CiTy

World in Missing: justice for aboriginal women march to brief Ahonour victims of Kalina Laframboise

>>Maybe she’s a witch In a letter this week, the Maine Republican Party criticized Democrat Colleen Lachowicz for her comments posted in online forums for World of Warcraft, a popular online game. The Republicans slammed Lachowicz for making “crude, vicious and violent comments” and accused her of living in a fantasy world. Lachowicz, who is running against incumbent Tom Martin, responded to the letter by saying that the Republicans should focus on her policies and not her hobbies.

“I think it’s weird that I’m being targeted for playing online games,” she said in a statement. “What’s next? Will I be ostracized for playing Angry Birds or Words With Friends?”

>>A little bit of Kremlin love The 60th birthday of Russian President Vladimir Putin Sunday sparked nationwide celebrations in honour of the leader. A youth movement held a sports contest called “Do Your Best for Putin” in central Moscow square to show their gratitude for Putin’s love of sports. An art exhibition called “Putin: The Most Kind-Hearted Man in The World” debuted in Moscow featuring a dozen paintings by artist Alexis Sergiyenko depicting some of Putin’s most memorable moments. NTV showcased a documentary based on Putin’s career and his daily routine. In contrast, several protesters mocked the celebrations by presenting fake gifts outside the presidential administration.

>>Strip tease or strip scare?

Patrick Gallagher, a resident of Lansdale, PA. is suing a strip club after a pole dance ruptured his bladder.

In November 2010, the bachelor was invited to lie on the stage of the Penthouse Club where a dancer launched herself from a pole with such force onto Gallagher’s abdomen that his bladder burst. The following morning, Gallagher was admitted to hospital with severe pain and had to undergo surgery. Gallagher is suing the strip club for $50,000 in medical costs, pain, humiliation and mental anguish.

>>Aren’t we supposed to praise good hygiene?

Four students from Pekin High School in Illinois were suspended for bringing caffeinated mints to lunch. The teenagers were suspended Thursday and Friday, and prohibited from attending the weekend’s homecoming activities.

The school thought the mints were drugs and immediately took action.

Once the school realized the drugs were in fact mints, they upheld the punishment for gross misconduct for taking an unknown product. In an interview, suspended student Eric McMichael said he felt the suspension was unjustified.

violence

Audrey Folliot Staff writer Hundreds of people gathered at Place Émilie-Gamelin to participate in the seventh annual Sisters in Spirit Memorial March and Vigil for Murdered and Missing Native Women Thursday evening.

The annual march is held on the same day throughout Canada in honour of Gladys Tolley, an indigenous woman who was fatally struck by a Sûréte du Québec police cruiser in the Algonquin community of Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg near Maniwaki in 2001.

Bridget Tolley, the daughter of the victim, founded the annual march and vigil in 2005.

Since 1980, there has been more than 600 documented cases of murdered or missing Native women and girls in Canada according to the Native Women’s Association of Canada. This year’s march in Montreal was co-ordinated by Missing Justice, an initiative of Concordia University’s 2110 Centre for Gender Advocacy, in hope of find-

SuPPorterS Playing the drumS at marCh. Photo by yann PalariC-Skinner

ing answers and raising awareness about the violence indigenous women face.

Speakers emphasized that when an aboriginal woman disappears or is afflicted by violence, it is often overlooked by authorities.

“I’m from northern British Columbia, and there’s this one highway called “the Highway of Tears” where a lot of native women have gone missing in the past 20 years. Somebody I went to school with went missing over there,” said Concordia University women’s and native studies student Jael Roy. “There’s this whole idea of the fact that

this goes unnoticed and [...] there’s no awareness whatsoever.”

People from various communities were in attendance to show their support and to denounce the injustice.

The march was a call for change, a vigil to honour the victims and a demand for a more involved government. The federal government cut funding to Sisters in Spirit, a campaign of the NWAC dedicated to research and the protection of indigenous women, in 2011.

According to activist Denis Dubé, this ignorance is a historical trend.

“Native women were excluded from their tribes, from their territories,

and weren’t allowed to possess land.

They had to forget their language and learned not to teach it to their children if they didn’t want them to be hated,” he said. “Indians suffered a lot of abuse, through residential schools and what not, and this missing women case is something that we have to denounce, because justice is not being fair to natives.”

Viviane Michel, president of Quebec Native Women, explained that when indigenous women go missing, they don’t receive the same attention due to discrimination.

“They say that 600 women have gone missing, but I think there’s a lot more than that. There is discrimination in this,” she said. “The judiciary process is really slow when it’s a native woman that’s missing, and nothing is moving forward. We are here to denounce this injustice and discrimination towards native people.”

The peaceful cortege made it through the streets before the march arrived at Square Phillips where more speakers shared their thoughts, sung aboriginal songs, lit candles and observed a minute of silence in memory of the missing.

With files from Kalina Laframboise.

CAmPUS

Concordia Student Union appoints senators, senior positions Candidate interviews conducted entirely in a five-hour closed session Kalina Laframboise News editor The Concordia Student Union appointed five undergraduate students to sit on Senate, two to fill senior CSU positions, and tabled the discussion on whether executives may volunteer without pay during a special council meeting Wednesday night.

Following applicants’ interviews in closed session, council appointed only five students for the six vacant spots on Senate. Council appointed Gene Morrow, Chuck Wilson, Melanie

Hotchkiss, Wendy Kraus-Heitmann and Hassan Abdullahi.

In previous years, candidate interviews were held in open session, allowing students and members of the student press to witness the exchange.

Closed session is usually reserved to review applicants’ resumés due to the sensitive and personal nature of the information discussed.

At the upcoming regular council meeting this upcoming Wednesday, council will nominate a sixth senator to represent the John Molson School of Business, one of four faculties at

Concordia that requires a undergraduate representative on Senate according to the university bylaws. Outgoing Chairperson Nick Cuillerier said that the issue will be resolved by council.

Council went on to appoint a new chairperson, Jean-François Ouellet, to replace Cuillerier. The incoming secretary is Yasmeen Zahar and chief electoral officer is Justin Holland.

Holland, a first-year student at Concordia, said he was excited about his position for the upcoming year and that the timing worked in his favour.

“I’m really excited to be coming in

before the byelections and it’s like the dress rehearsal for March,” he said.

The meeting was also supposed to address the legal notion of CSU executives not receiving monetary compensation for their work. The agenda point was made with regards to former VP academic and advocacy Lucia Gallardo’s volunteerism for the CSU. Gallardo resigned last week due to unresolved student status issues.

Councillor and former VP external Chad Walcott motioned to table the report. The issue will be addressed this Wednesday.

life

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

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Write to the editor: life@theconcordian.com resTO

A taste of Poland in every bite

euro Polonia is all about family recipes from the “land of the fields” article & photos by Nicole Yeba Contributor If ever you feel a desire for Polish cuisine, I recommend heading over to Euro Polonia.

It’s a cute and tiny place that could fit a maximum of 16 people. It has a rustic ambiance that makes you feel at ease. I loved the decorations on the wall, which I’d expect to see in a Polish household. The setup of the wooden tables and chairs gives it more of a café vibe than a restaurant. Euro Polonia of-

fers homemade soups and some deli meats for take-out, as well as a catering service.

My friend ordered cheese and potato perogies, and a sausage sandwich, and I had a soup, meat perogies, and a sausage sandwich.

For those who don’t know, perogies are semi-circular shaped dumplings that are traditionally stuffed with meat, cheese, potatoes or sauerkraut. They are made with unleavened dough, which contains no yeast, allowing it to rise. They can be served boiled, fried or baked. Originally from Eastern Europe, perogies can be eaten as an appetizer, a main dish or even a dessert.

The server brought me the pickle soup and explained that they make their own pick-

les. There is a video on their website on how they are made. The soup tasted good, but was just a bit too vinegary. By the end of it, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to finish all my perogies.

Our main dishes came with six perogies.

They were boiled and topped with small pieces of onions. They were served with marinated cabbage and sour cream. The perogies were hot, soft and tasted incredibly delicious - a little piece of heaven in every bite. Although both fillings were tasty, we prefered the cheese and potato perogies.

With little stomach room left for our sandwiches, we took them to go and enjoyed them later on in the day. The combination between the sausage, cabbage salad and Dijon mustard

was delectable.

Mrs. Yagoda, the sole chef, is also the mother of the owner. She is one of the friendliest and nicest women I have met. Her recipes have been passed down through many generations of women in her family. She assured us that her soups are her own recipes.

Everything was fairly priced too. There is the option of ordering a trio which includes a drink, a soup, and the choice of either a sandwich or perogies, ranging from $7.95 to $12.95.

Overall, having been to other polish restaurants, I can say without a doubt that this one had better food and a friendlier service. euro Polonia is located on 1565 amherst st., near Berri-UQam metro station.

FOOd Wars

Chicken fight! Romados vs. Coco Rico

Which one of these two Montreal rotisseries serves up the juiciest, perfectly roasted chicken?

Marta Barnes Contributor

W

e’ve all been hungry enough to eat a whole chicken, but where, as students, can we afford to actually satiate our budgeted stomachs in such a way? Turns out the golden light of deliverance shines brightest on Romados and Coco Rico, two venerable Portuguese roast chicken delis. So what better way to kick off the midterm season than with another round of food wars to settle which of these Portuguese pleasers are the most palatable. Let the chicken fight begin!

Romados Round one: Romados, a deli whose mouth-watering reputation precedes it among Montreal foodies – and one who lives up to the talk (or rather drool). Upon arrival and without delay, an entire half a chicken was ordered with a combo. And by combo, think full-course meal.

After carving the half chicken, they pile a Styrofoam take-out box with a decadent display of rice, crisp tossed salad and enough fries to make your heart want to book an appointment with a cardiologist post-consumption. While drinks are not included (although highly recommended!), the happy surprise of a complimentary fresh-baked

sourdough bun and custard fruit tart awaits you at the counter. If you aren’t beside yourself with an over encompassing level of joy at how amazing this place is, you may still be able to note with flabbergastation how this all comes out to less than $10.

Romados makes your taste buds love you; the chicken is tender and satisfying in a way only a home-cooked meal feels.

The rice is savoury and flavoured with subtle herbs. The bun and the salad do well to cut the grease of the chicken, which is buried under all the sides, marinating in its own juices. And the fries - what can even be said? Thick-cut, piquant, and abundant, they complete the banquet in the best way.

There’s enough food to last for two if not three meals, so it’s good to stop the main course about halfway through to sample the custard tart, a creamy and decadent finale.

Grade: A-

CoCo RiCo Next stop, Coco Rico. After ordering half a chicken with a combo, it is already evident that there is no comparison with Romados in terms of bang for your buck. Not to say there isn’t ample food – it can be stretched to two meals comfortably, but definitely not three. That said, there is a generous halved chicken with whole roasted potatoes, a side of salad of your choosing (coleslaws or noo-

dle salads similar to what you’d find at a Metro or IGA), and the option to add on an egg tart (at additional cost). The price is not bad coming out to a bit over $11.

In terms of taste, Coco Rico is definitely up there.

If you’re one to enjoy the devil on your tongue, say yes when they offer the spicy gravy and liberal powdering RotisseRie Romados’ delicious Roasted chicken and fRies. photo by wRiteR of seasoned paprika over the chicken and potatoes. Perhaps it by gustatory cravings, but a winner must be is this added help, but the food seems only declared, and that winner is Romados. The to increase in tastiness throughout the meal. food, the price, and the eatery setup itself You’re guaranteed to be picking the bones (cozy, bright, and warm yet well ventilated) in no time. For dessert, it’s worth loosening were all just unbeatable. If you haven’t been the belt to sample the egg tart; indisputably and you’re craving roast chicken, you’re better than at Romados, both pastry and fill- craving Romados – you just don’t know it ing melt on your tongue. The one complaint yet. on leaving is that the chicken is a bit dry.

Grade: B+ Rotisserie Romados is located on 115 Rachel st. e.

WinneR? Coco Rico is located on 3907 saint LauBoth these delis will leave you haunted rent Blvd.

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Tuesday, October 9, 2012 BeauTY

Embracing the smooth scalp New research shows benefits of baldness Casandra de Masi Contributor It gets tangled and messy when we don’t pay attention to it. We spend hundreds of dollars a year to keep it looking shiny and great. Essentially, it defines us as a person, the ultimate means of expression. Hair.

It’s a security blanket, and most men and women are terrified of losing it.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Throughout the month, people will take part in the Virgin Radio and Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation’s Shave to Save fundraiser, trading in their luscious locks for a smooth, bare scalp. According to a recent study, being bald may actually turn out to work in their favour.

The study was led by Albert Mannes, a researcher and lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania. In a series of three experiments involving pictures of bald men, participants rated the “shorn-scalped” individuals higher in the masculinity, strength, leadership, and dominance departments.

Albert Mannes told The Concordian his work was inspired by his own experience.

“I noticed that strangers were a bit more standoffish, and in some cases even deferential, after I started shaving my head,” he said.

Three experiments took place. The first involved participants viewing photos of men dressed similarly, the only difference being their hair or lack thereof. Participants were asked to rate the men on how authoritative,

Graphic by Jennifer Kwan powerful and influential their appearance made them seem. The results favoured the shaved men.

The second experiment involved comparing two photos of the same man. While one photo included his full mane, the other had his hair digitally removed. Participants viewed the bald men as 13 per cent stronger and an inch taller than their counterpart.

Mannes was surprised by this perception of strength and height, and says he believes that these qualities are “positively correlated.” According to Mannes, a person’s perception of dominance, for example, may be accompanied by a perception of strength.

In the third study, participants did not have any visual cues. They were given a verbal and written description of the men.

Those described as being bald were thought to be more manly and dominant than those described as having a thick head of hair.

Concordia child studies student, Savanah Pereira, believes that the results are proof that people have a natural need to “fit into roles” based on what society expects of them.

While the bare scalps may have won in the dominance department, the study also revealed that bald men were seen as older and more unattractive. However, balding men benefit the most, according to Mannes.

“Men with thick heads of hair should not shave it. Whatever they gain in dominance is lost in attractiveness,” he said. “But men losing their hair gain in both perceived dominance and attractiveness.”

According to Mannes, the media also plays a large role in the results.

“The shaved Hollywood action hero dates back at least to Yul Brynner, but has grown over time,” he said. “Bruce Willis and Jason Statham are two notable examples.

Even Mr. Clean.”

The question still remains, does a study like this encourage men to part with their hair? Pereira thinks older men may have less of a hard time doing so.

“For younger men, it may be harder to convince them,” she says.

themselves, so to speak, others opt for a fulltime commitment to their bras. Most notably, sleeping while wearing a bra has sparked debates, rumours, and fallacies about its repercussions.

In 1995 Sydney Ross Singer and Soma Grismaijer, the authors of Dressed to Kill, proposed a link between bras and breast cancer. They claimed underwire bras constricted the lymphatic systems causing the accumulation of your body’s toxins in breast tissue.This is simply untrue.

“It’s a mutation in particular genes that can cause a woman to develop breast cancer,” explained Sonia Nanda, a certified genetic counsellor at the Familial Breast Cancer Research Unit at the Women’s College Research Institute in Toronto, Ontario.

“You’re born with the mutation.”

However, that is not to say this is the only way breast cancer can occur.

“The majority of cancer is not due to genetics, they’re due to other factors,” said Nanda.

However, there has been no scientific proof either way regarding breast health and wearing a bra while you sleep.

“We know there are things that you can do to try and lower your overall cancer risk but has anything been definitively proven? I

don’t really think so,” reiterated Nanda. “All physicians or all health-care professionals in the field will say the typical things – don’t smoke, exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, [and] everything in moderation.”

On the other, less deadly, hand, the ‘bra while you sleep’ theory has brought about the idea that it will improve your breasts’ appearance and prevent the irritating effects of gravity. Unfortunately, this is also false.

It is none other than your microscopic ligaments that keep your breasts in place; ligaments that unfortunately stretch and weaken with age. However, working on your pectorals is a good way to strengthen the muscles in your chest, giving the appearance of a firmer and tighter, thus perkier, bust.

In the end, sleeping with a bra on is all about preference. If it is something you have always done or are accustomed to, you have no reason to stop. For those who forego wearing a bra overnight, you should not stop either. Living an unhealthy lifestyle or being born with a mutation, as Nanda mentioned, may result in breast cancer. And as for the shape of your breasts, they cannot be permanently altered by wearing an item of clothing. If this was the case, Victoria’s Secret would be out of business.

if you’re feeling a new look and are willing to end your relationship with your locks for a good cause, visit www.montreal.virginradio.ca/shavetosave to donate.

COluMN

Beauty and the bra The facts and falsities of wearing a bra to bed elizabeth Tomaras Copy editor She kicks off her shoes and drops her bag on the floor. She pauses and takes in the silence. After a long day of classes – or work, perhaps – being home, she releases the weight off her shoulders, however, not entirely. She makes her way to her bedroom where she throws her pants and shirt onto the chair in the corner of the room.

She looks at herself in the mirror. Her hands reach behind her back where she undoes the clasp of her bra. She exhales a sigh of relief.

Taking your bra off at the end of the day may not be as dramatic as described above, but you have to admit it feels damn good. While some choose to free

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

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7

sCieNCe

A garden of fish in your own backyard Concordia students explore the world of aquaponics stephanie la leggia life editor One of the main benefits of Concordia University’s Sir George Williams campus is its prime location in downtown Montreal. While the urban setting and fast-paced lifestyle of the city centre can be alluring to young university students, there is no denying that the carbon monoxide from street traffic can be hard on the lungs.

Above the urban chaos, on the 13th floor of the Hall building, is a space where students can breathe easy, drink tea and meditate alongside plants and fish. While it may be difficult to find on your first visit to the rooftop, the Concordia Greenhouse offers more than just a tranquil space to recharge. Part of Sustainable Concordia, the Greenhouse Project includes various projects pertaining to community building, urban sustainability, and food security such as the aquaponic system.

Since January 2010, co-ordinators Stefanie Dimitrovas and Jonathan Douaire have spent countless hours building, maintaining and nurturing their aquaponic system, a combination of hydroponics and aquaculture, also known as fish farming. Set up like an ecosystem with various forms of plants and animal protein, the aquaponic system has no need for soil. The plants are placed in bins filled with expanded clay and mounted on an aquarium filled with fish - definitely not your typical garden.

The life and growth of the system depends on the chemical relationship between three elements: plants, fish, and bacteria. Fish waste, which is mostly ammonia, at a high level can be harmful and toxic to the fish, but can often be used as fertilizer for plants. An aquaponic system is able to filter through the fish waste by nitrifying the bacteria, converting the ammonia into nitrite, and then into nitrate.

Nitrate is a great source for fertilizers because it is a biodegradable and soluble substance. While the fish provide a great resource for the plants, they, in return, clean the water for the fish with the excess nitrogen.

The key to the aquaponic system is the expanded clay, a neutral soilless medium that does not clog or rot. It contains a diversity of microbes, aiding in the system’s chemical filtration process.

“They are the ones converting the ammonia first into nitrite, and then nitrate,” said Dimitrovas. “It sort of oxidizes the nitrogen in a way to make it more available for the plants to take out.”

Tilapia is the preferable choice for urban aquaculture systems because of their tolerance for crowding and murky water. However, Dimitrovas and Douaire use goldfish. There are currently 24 fish in the tank, a population that depends on the volume ratio between the grow bed and the fish tank.

In order to keep a suited balance for such

a system that will ensure enough filtration and benefit the plants, fish and microorganisms, the respected ratio should be one to two liters of grow bed to one liter of water in the fish tank.

Once the system has ‘matured’, the number of animal protein can be decreased.

While the number of fish is stable at the moment, Dimitrovas admits there have been three to four deaths over this past summer. According to their veterinarian, this lapse in the system was related to the lack of nutrients in their homemade fish food. They now feed their goldfish a combination of commercial food and their homemade concoction consisting of ingredients such as gelatin, greens, soy flour, multivitamins, cumin, carrots, seaweed and other fish like sardines.

Though the fish should be bigger in such a system of almost three years in age, the plants are growing quite well nonetheless. Dimitrovas and Douaire have experimented with various aquatic plants such as duckweed, arrowhead, lotus and milfoil. Over time, the system has matured enough to grow cucumbers, green peppers, and to Dimitrovas’ surprise, a papaya tree.

“We read that [papaya trees] don’t like too much moisture and they don’t like their roots sitting in water,” said Dimitrovas. “But it seems to be doing quite well and it’s been sitting here for months.”

Every week, Dimitrovas and Douaire test the water for nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, and pH levels. They keep a log and monitor the natural changes that occur and the necessary alterations that take place.

Keeping a log has allowed them to experiment, learn from their mistakes, study the limitations of such a system, and most importantly, and share their findings with students.

Although the project has been quite successful during the past few months, Dimitrovas and Douaire hope to expand and improve their aquaponic system. Their main goal is to develop a fish food recipe that will substitute ocean-fish animals with other sources of protein such as insects and earthworms; a protein source that that can take advantage of all of the organic waste produced in an urban environment.

“Aquaponic systems have the potential for urban agricultural uses because they’re compact and you can produce animal protein and vegetables,” said Dimitrovas. “Also, if you’re in a situation that you don’t have a lot of water, the water in here recirculates. So you could be watering your plants quite well, and you can really reduce the amount of evaporation if you’re in a dry area.”

In order to keep the project alive, Dimitrovas applied for grants from the Concordia Council on Student Life, and has agreed upon a trade with the Greenhouse. In exchange for being part of the overall Greenhouse budget, Dimitrovas and Douaire are growing seedlings to add to the plant sale and are giving workshops on the aquaponic system. The first one will be held on Nov. 7 at 4 p.m.

The Concordia Greenhouse is located on 1455 de maisonneuve Blvd. W.

Photos by Madelayne Hajek

arts 8

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Write to the editor: arts@theconcordian.com LiTeraTure

It’s not Harry Potter...but it’s still pretty good J.K. rowling’s new book for adults The Casual Vacancy is released to mixed reviews

ariana Trigueros-Corbo Staff writer

B

eing J.K. Rowling is a trap. Bear with me: having lived the revolution that Harry Potter caused in children’s literature first-hand and having, like so many others, fallen hopelessly in love with her characters, I too have expectations for Rowling. However, the hype that has surrounded her most recent publication, an adult fiction novel entitled The Casual Vacancy, is proof of how much weight lies on this author’s shoulders.

Clearly, should she want to write about anything other than Hogwarts, broomsticks and HeWho-Must-Not-Be-Named, the literary world will undoubtedly go wild, with critics bracing themselves in anticipation.

So, understandably, it’s with a bit of reserve and much trepidation that I, like millions of others across the world, picked up a copy of The Casual Vacancy at my local bookstore on Sept.

27.

Three days later, my previously pristine copy of Rowling’s book was torn, crumpled and decorated by coffee stains, having been lugged around virtually everywhere with me for 72 hours; coffee shops, metro rides and dinners included.

The book was extremely good, in the dark,

sarcastic, incredibly realistic way that books can be good in our decade. Rowling had me engrossed in a story that I would never have believed to be that captivating. Let’s be honest, the idea of a book revolving around the sudden death of a council member in a tiny, unknown village in England isn’t exactly everyone’s dream premise. But the citizens of Pagford, the tiny village in question, are fascinating as we glimpse their everyday lives unraveling in the throes of tragedy.

The novel starts out with councilman Barry Fairbrother passing away suddenly, on the eve of his wedding anniversary. Initially shocked with grief, the citizens of Pagford quickly move on to the issue of replacing him on council and a controversial election ensues. On the other side, the previous ally of the deceased finds herself more alienated than ever. As we flip the pages, tensions and secrets arise, in a way that readers will find covertly echoes a combination of Desperate Housewives and Shameless.

Rowling does a marvelous job of showing us, yet again, that she has a profound understanding of human existence. Humor is doused with crudeness, and the combination is a satire of our time that leaves us wanting more. I found myself blitzing through chapters, anticipating the slew of revelations to come, the same way I had dashed through the last Harry Potter book,

wanting to know if Voldemort had prevailed. It’s suspense, but not in the classic sense; there’s simply a more refined sense of excitement to be had.

Having skimmed the media on the topic, it goes without saying that I’ve read my share of reviews on The Casual Vacancy. Needless to say, not many of them are flattering.

Negative reviews mainly criticize the book’s overall grittiness and the fact that it reveals a relatively ugly side of social reality. Obviously, for anyone having read the Harry Potter series, this is an unexpected (and maybe even unpleasant) wake-up call. The charm that surrounded Hogwarts and its inhabitants, easy-going, comical characters that we would have loved to meet, was addictively pleasant. You’ve been warned: there will be drugs, depression and all-out despair.

Does that make the book any less of a page-turner? Not really.

imprOv

Annual Improv Festival brings the humour to Montreal Whose festival is it anyway?

Colin mcmahon Staff writer For many of us, our experience with improvised comedy extends only as far as the latenight comedy, Whose Line is it Anyway? The show featured a troupe of actors who would perform various skits, gags, and songs without the aid of a script. Since the show is no longer on the air, Montrealers looking for a

laugh should check out Mprov’s 7th annual Improv Festival.

The festival opens its doors to the public Oct. 10 until the 14, and anyone with an inclination for improvised entertainment will be able to experience a variety of improv groups and performances at the Montreal Improv Theatre and at Theatre Ste-Catherine.

For the small fee of $10 at the door, Mprov aims to greet a wide array of audiences, from first-timers to lifelong fans.

Mprov will feature local talent as well as professional performers. Well known improv group The Curfew, noted for their appear-

ances on Adult Swim and Late Night with Conan O’Brian, Dave Morris, a prominent solo act from Vancouver, and the musical improv group Way The Hell Off Broadway are among those set to perform. Easy Action and Théâtre de L’Instable are two local groups who will also be performing. It is worth noting that Théâtre de L’Instable will be performing in English, something that the troupe is not known for.

Yet Montreal Improv Festival still offers more. For an additional fee, those interested in learning the art of improv will have the opportunity to enroll in workshops offered

throughout the festival’s duration. These workshops will be headed by the various troupes and individuals performing, each one focusing on a different element of improv. Dave Morris will sit down and discuss the art of storytelling while Get Up will teach the effective use of special effects. Those interested should check out Mprov’s website to enroll.

Mprov runs from Oct. 10-14 at The Montreal Improv Theatre (3713 St. Laurent) and Theatre Ste-Catherine (264 Ste. Catherine E.). For more information visit mprov.ca

Mprov brings the laughs festival style oct. 10-14. for More inforMation visit Mprov. ca the bitter end, Mprov 2009 (left) festival jaMs, Mprov 2011 (right). photo by joseph ste-Marie

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

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Arts in brief

LiTeraTure

“Forgiveness is a long hard road.”

Creative writing graduate, ian Truman, releases second book nathalie Laflamme Contributor “‘All you hear here are tales of lust, hate and despair,’ she continued. Every word

she spoke was said slowly, weighted by her heart and soul. ‘You know what they say? Shit flows downhill and well, there’s the hill up there.’

She pointed at the antenna at the top of Mount Royal.”

Ian Truman, a graduate of Concordia’s creative writing program, released his second novel, Tales of Lust, Hate and Despair, this past summer, about a man from Montreal named Samuel Lee who is serving a life sentence in prison. The story is a long letter to his 18-year-old daughter, Melody, detailing how he became a murderer back in 1996.

Samuel relates how he first went to prison for two years for beating up a police officer who was attacking a friend of his. His imprisonment means leaving his pregnant girlfriend, Alice behind, who — having no money — finds an infamous coke dealer to support her and her daughter.

Samuel learns all of this after leaving prison, and decides that he must do everything in his power to be with his daughter.

With the help of his only loyal friend, Mikey, he comes up with a plan to get his daughter and girlfriend back.

This violent story shows us a side of Montreal few have seen before; one that is filled with poverty, drugs, and street gangs.

The descriptive tale paints a new picture in our minds of places we thought we knew, places like Hochelaga-Maisonneuve and StMichel, and even the downtown Concordia University campus.

This story of friendship, love and, most of all, revenge proves captivating.

The book is written in the first person point of view, and reminiscent of the style of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye with more swearing and much, much more blood.

It takes a few pages to get used to the style, but once you do, it becomes almost impossible to stop reading. Samuel’s voice is raw, angry and emotional. It feels like he’s speaking directly to the reader rather than his daughter, using flashbacks to explain how he got to be where he is today. He also sometimes imagines what life would be like if he had a house, a wife and children; a life far away from his current life of crime.

The story did have a few typos and grammar issues, as well as some awkward sentence structure at times. A quick edit would definitely make this novel a much smoother read.

Overall, this action-packed and heartbreaking novel was a page-turner. Although we know that Samuel will become a murderer from the start, the story keeps us on our toes the entire time wondering who he will kill, how he will do it, and why. This story is definitely unique, and while not for the faint of heart, this noir-style tale definitely deserves a read.

Tales of Lust, Hate and Despair is available on Amazon for $2.99 in electronic format.

Cinema pOLiTiCa

So you want to work in Canada? a startling look at how Canada allows migrant workers to be treated Tarek akhtar Staff writer

W

e live in Canada; a country that knows few bounds when it comes to multiculturalism, diversity, free speech, democracy, opportunity and riches. We are by no means a perfect country, especially when we look back at the roots of our colonization, but we are a persistent bunch, a proud bunch, and through immersion and assimilation we have tended a culture that is uniquely Canadian.

The End of Immigration is a film that demonstrates one of the few things not to be proud of as a Canadian. Directed by Marie Bolti and Malcolm Guy, this film is about the unspoken truths of migrant workers who come to Canada on temporary contracts. It’s a documentary which uncovers the privatization of migration, whereby foreign workers are treated as commodities and sent to Canada to work for specific companies. A Canadian law passed in 2011 stipulates that all foreign temporary workers must leave Canada after four years, effectively shutting out any opportunity for a temporary foreign worker who wishes to stay, and essentially institutionalizes an unsystematic approach to filling a drained labor force. And that’s essentially the problem. Instead of dealing with the labour shortage, the government has pushed the problem onto the private sector by allowing private companies to bring foreign workers to Canada.

As stated by an interviewee in the film, the

foreign workers are not the stereotypical agricultural laborers or domestic workers that come to mind when thinking of foreign workers, but workers we interact with on a daily basis at fast food restaurants, gas stations, and even line workers on the CBC towers of Montreal. According to Dominic Parent of Quebec’s Paranet Cleaners, having foreign workers coming in to do jobs that Canadians do not want is a “solution.”

A production manager of Olymel in Alberta agrees; he needs foreign workers to work in the slaughterhouses with wages and working conditions which Canadians tend to pass up for better paying jobs in the oil fields.

The harsh reality of this film is that we bring foreign workers to Canada under private company contracts which they are bound to. They cannot find better jobs upon arrival, they cannot demand higher wages or a change in working conditions. They are bound to a corporate piece of paper which takes away the freedoms which we as Canadians are accustomed to. Breaching the contract gets them a plane ticket home.

The core of this issue is that Canada is not holding itself accountable for its shortage in la-

9

amanda L. Shore arts editor

>>The International Festival of Films on Art In collaboration with

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the 14th edition of the International Festival of Films on Art began Sept. 30 and will run until Nov 4. Featuring films that explore art in all its forms, the festival presents the best art films. Showings are at the Maxwell Cummings Auditorium every Sunday at 2 p.m.

>>The complete Woody Allen films at Cinema du Parc Did you

run out of space on your hard drive before you could download all 44 films by Woody Allen? Lucky for you, Cinema du Parc will be showing every one of his films from Oct. 2 to Nov 22. Look for classics like Annie Hall, Manhattan and Bananas, as well as his recent wonders Midnight in Paris and To Rome with Love. Allen once said “If my film makes one more person miserable, I’ll feel I’ve done my job.” The ever-sarcastic director has actually been doing the opposite — delving into the realities of life in an endearing and comedic way for over 40 years, and consistently surprising us with his unique brilliance and socially relevant wit. This man is a machine, making at least one film a year since 1965, something that no other writer/director has ever dared to accomplish.

>>The Medea Effect at Centaur Theatre Ugo’s mother has forgot-

ten him and now his childhood fear is coming true. The Medea Effect is a roller-coaster ride of emotion, featuring Concordia graduate Emma Tibaldo.

The Medea Effect runs Oct. 11 to 20 at Centaur Theatre. For more information about tickets and showtimes, go to talismantheatre.com

>>New theatre company inFurnace holds first monthly play reading Oct. 9, inFurnace, a new theatre company in Montreal, will hold its first play reading at The Freestanding Room.

The reading of Stone Cold Dead Serious is part of the company’s fundraising effort.

Admission is by donation please give generously.

Doors open at 7 p.m., space seats 30 so get there early.

>> The Bacchae at The Centaur Theatre Scapegoat Carnival The-

atre presents The Bacchae a tragic story of the god Dionysus’s return to Thebes. Dionysus, the god of wine and merrymaking has returned to avenge the defamation of his mother’s name. Standing in his way is the young King Pentheus, who denies Dionysus’ authority as a deity, imprisoning anyone who participates in his rites.

The Bacchae runs Oct. 12-20 at Centaur Theatre 453 St. François-Xavier.

bour and instead passes the issue onto the private sector, which does not have the required resources or management skills needed to ensure that foreign workers are being treated fairly and ethically. So where is the line drawn? While Canada is providing the opportunity for foreigners wishing to work, it is also taking advantage of these workers who are desperate to provide for their families and improve the quality of their lives.

The End of Immigration will be featured on Oct. 15, 1455 de Maisonneuve W. Room H-110 at 7 p.m. Admission is by donation. For more information, visit cinemapolitica.org/ concordia.

>> Art Exhibit: Cloud Nine at the VAV Gallery “CLOUD NINE is

an exhibition of three artists’ personal explorations into the visual and emotional aspects of the body. The works are beautiful and intriguing, but there exists a sense of foreboding and danger in the images presented. Nevertheless, the artists create their work with a sense of humor; there is a certain comical quality to the characters on the page and on screen.”- Artist group statement Featuring work by Concordia students: Amanda Craig, Tiffany April and Yannick ‘’Ziyang’’ Yip. Cloud Nine runs until Oct. 12. For more information visit vavgallery. concordia.ca/gallery/cloud-nine

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theconcordian

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

aWardS

Governor General’s Literary Awards Concordia professor among nominees for 75th edition of the prestigious award andria Caputo Staff writer Just in time for fall, the selection committee for one of Canada’s most prestigious literary awards, the Governor General award, announced its list of finalists. Among that shortlist is Concordia’s own David McGimpsey, nominated for his book of poetry, Li’l Bastard.

The award is given to English and French Canadian authors in six different categories: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, children’s literature (text/illustration) and translation. The winners in each category will receive $25,000, a specially bound copy of their book, and literary glory.

McGimpsey, who has been teaching in Concordia’s English Department for 12 years, released his book, Lil’ Bastard, with Coach House Books back in 2011. The book is divided into eight parts, each one inspired by things such as Montreal, country music, and the television show Barnaby Jones. His work strays from the conventional path of poetry, giving readers a refreshing mix of humor and melancholy in his 16-line sonnets.

A Montreal native, McGimpsey loves to travel and he’s often visited Los Angeles and Nashville, cities that feature prominently in his poems.

“The book is about being comfortable in almost all places,” he said. One section of his book entitled “Nashville Songs” uses songwriting and lyric techniques to mirror his appreciation for country music.

In his writing, McGimpsey finds a pleasant medium between humor and the more conventional seriousness of poetry. With his many portrayals of city life, McGimpsey contrasts some serious themes like the poem “movement of the individual and the maintenance of what is inside that individual” with some less serious,

more funny themes. He said, “I want my reader to laugh at things.”

When asked if this set him apart from other poets, McGimpsey was reluctant to say yes, but as many poetry readers will know, it is sometimes hard to find a serious poet who can crack jokes and still be nominated for a government literary award.

This year, McGimpsey is nominated along-

side many other well deserving Canadian authors. Despite the tight competition, the GG’s are a great way for Canada to recognize and honour great homegrown talents and offer readers a selection of authors to discover.

Here are the nominees for McGimpsey’s category, Poetry: Julie Bruck, San Francisco, Calif. (originally from Montréal), Monkey Ranch

David McGimpsey, Montreal, Li’l Bastard A. F. Moritz, Toronto, The New Measures Lisa Pasold, Toronto, Any Bright Horse James Pollock, Madison, Wis. (originally from Southern Ontario), Sailing to Babylon The winners will be announced Nov. 13 and the awards ceremony will take place Nov. 28 in Ottawa at Rideau Hall.

COLumn

World wide art : what do we lose and what do we gain?

Looking into the good and bad of publishing art on the net ariana Trigueros-Corbo Staff writer

W

e belong to a generation that thrives on speed, on acceleration, on the rush. Where ‘eating lunch’ means grabbing a sandwich to eat on the metro, or, better yet, fueling yourself on another cup of coffee. Where we check our email 10 times a day, never leave the house without a device that can access the Internet and constantly find ourselves updating everything. So in retrospect, the fact that we would want to render some art forms more accessible through the world wide web is not all that surprising; we love the idea of information at our fingertips.

Internet art (also called art.net) has been controversial for the artistic world since the early ‘90s.

Ultimately, it asks the question “Is it still art if you experience it this way?” Let’s consider the question: what exactly makes a piece of artwork “art”? The first thing that comes to mind is undoubtedly the fact that art is meant to be unique. That being said, the Internet allows for the reproduction of works of art, or even to rework them entirely. Similarly, to the book that’s published online rather than on paper, there’s a certain legitimacy that’s lost in the process.

Then again, one of the other fundamental characteristics of art is that it be a portrait of the artist’s creative desires. In this case, Internet art can only be considered all the more appropriate to the definition. Yes, there’s a curatorial experience that is lost in exhibiting this way, but at the same time, the loss of a middleman means there is no judgment offered to the audience beforehand. Deprived of early observations, the observer is left to interpret things on his own and can only gain more from the experience. It’s artistic liberty taken to a whole new level.

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s

Internet gallery is actually a great example of this digital age in the artistic gallery. The museum has digitized its entire collection on its website for easy archive viewing, rendering browsing a pleasant and informative experience for web aficionados. It has also taken the next step by commissioning artists who plan to solely display their pieces on the Internet, such as artists Julia Scher and Lynn Hershman.

When being interviewed by the Wall Street Journal in July 2009, Rudolf Frieling, the media curator for the SFMOMA, said that the museum felt this was “the next logical step” and that it allowed them to continue to show “leadership among the museums by studying the needs of a museum to take charge of technologically demanding work.”

Some will tell you that something essential is being lost in the process of distributing art on the net. They discuss artistic authenticity. Others disagree, saying that we should

embrace the fact that people are naturally curious about art and that the Internet is, in the 21st century, the easiest way of reaching out to these otherwise inaccessible audiences.

After all, one of art’s goals is to bring people together, to challenge their assumptions and have them share an experience. The Internet, in itself, is simply the medium that’s helping to achieve that.

Graphic by Jennifer Kwan

music

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

11

Write to the editor: music@theconcordian.com FesTival

Witness magic in music at Ska Fest Watch for Montreal’s 4th annual celebration of ska this weekend

The FundamenTals headline The monTreal ska FesT launch parTy aT peTiT campus on Thursday, ocT. 11. saturn De los angeles Contributor If there’s one way to describe the upcoming Montreal Ska Fest, it’s welcoming. Now on its 4th installment, the festival brings musicians and fans together in a weekend-long affair. It kicks off at Petit Campus on Oct. 11 and culminates in a breakfast concert on Sunday at the Ye Olde Orchard Pub. Ska traces its roots back from Jamaica in the late 1960s and is known for its constant rhythmic beat, infused with a diverse array of flavors.

“Ska touches so many musical forms that

you can have ska meld with almost any culture and you’ll come up with something a little bit different,” explained Lorraine Muller, the festival’s official spokesperson. “It’s always really interesting to hear other people’s take on ska music. There’s J-ska (from Japan), South American, East Coast, West Coast and Canadian ska sounds.”

After hearing “Lorraine” by the English ska band Bad Manners at a bar, Muller fell in love with the genre and formed her own band, The Fabulous Lolo. Muller places a lot of emphasis on how music can inspire people, and says that’s why she has continued to be involved in

Ska Fest all these years.

The Montreal Ska Society, the organization responsible for the festival, is completely volunteer-run and sends all festival proceeds to the bands.

“We don’t get paid for what we do, we just want to make sure we put on a great festival,” said Muller. “We want to give them the rock star treatment and make them feel that Montreal is the greatest place on earth for this style of music.”

“The main mission of the Ska Festival is to give a venue to the local bands and to give

them a place in which they can play alongside bigger acts so that they can become inspired,” she said.

Muller’s positive outlook reflects the essence of ska music; it’s out there to welcome us and embrace us with that same euphoria that greeted her when she heard that life-changing song decades ago. In terms of local acts to watch out for, check out Danny Rebel and the KGB and The Fundamentals at the Ska Fest’s launch party.

For more information, visit www.montrealskafestival.ca

COnCerT

Jack White; not the diva he used to be

Former White stripe crushes negative press with real rock n’ roll Jess Kenwood Contributor

“Jesus Christ, is this an NPR convention?” asked White before cutting his set short last Saturday in New York City, three days before he appeared at Montreal’s L’Olympia. Despite technical problems and the negative press detailing White’s ‘di-

Top 5... Jack WhiTe Tracks elizabeth Mackay Music editor 1. “Seven naTion aRmy” - WhiTe STRipeS - ElEphant It sounds like a bass, but the signature “Seven Nation Army” guitar riff was created by running White’s semi-acoustic guitar through a DigiTech Whammy pedal set down an octave.

The song was adopted as the unofficial anthem of A.S. Roma, an Italian football club based in Rome, during the 2006 World Cup. Nowadays crowds chant the lyrics to “Seven Nation Army”

va-tude’ behaviour, he didn’t fail to impress the Montreal crowd.

Eager to see whether White would enter the stage with Los Buzzardos, the all-male band, or The Peacocks, his allfemale band, the lights dimmed and the crowd erupted in cheers. White and Los Buzzardos began playing The White Stripes’ song “Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground.”

The sound immediately electrified fans, but as soon as White walked up to the mic, it became obvious that something was off. The mu-

instead of the traditional “Olé, Olé, Olé”.

2. “poRTlanD, oReGon” - loReTTa lynn & JacK WhiTe - Van lEar rosE After being M.I.A. for about ten years, country pioneer Loretta Lynn returned to the studio with White to release 2004’s Van Lear Rose.

White lent vocals, guitar and produced the record — which later won the Grammy Award for Best Country Album. “Portland, Oregon” is the album’s only duet and serves as their ode to the city that bewitched them as touring musicians.

3. “icKy Thump” - The WhiTe STRipeS Icky thump

sic level was much higher than the vocals, making it virtually impossible to hear White sing.

Throughout the ninety-minute show, White played songs from his entire repertoire. He performed tracks that he wrote with The Raconteurs, The Dead Weather, a few songs from his solo debut Blunderbuss, and a song he wrote with Hank Williams, “You Know That I Know.”

But his White Stripe hits proved to be the most memorable. The closing song “Seven Nation Army” was both electric and delicate, causing the most powerful reaction from fans.

It’s no surprise that the crowd was

“Icky Thump” is the title track of The White Stripes’ sixth and final album. Though it was released in 2007, the pair didn’t announce their separation until 2011. After 13 years together, they called it quits for a “myriad of reasons, but mostly to preserve what is beautiful and special about the band.”

4. “BlunDeRBuSS” - JacK WhiTe - BlundErBuss Though White had been bouncing from one project to the next for a decade, he didn’t release solo material until 2012. He told Rolling Stone, “I’ve put off making records under my own name for a long time but these songs

so enthusiastic about White, for he lived up to his reputation and shied away from gimmicks to produce an honest-to-God rock show. This concert was, without a doubt, a riveting musical experience.

feel like they could only be presented under my name.”

5. “STeaDy aS She GoeS” - The RaconTeuRS - BrokEn Boy soldIErs The Raconteurs formed after White bonded with an old friend, Brendan Benson, in an attic on a hot summer’s day. Cooped up, the pair wrote “Steady As She Goes” and were inspired to make things official. With the addition of Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler of The Greenhornes, The Raconteurs called themselves “a new band made up of old friends.” This track is White’s most mainstream effort and the closest he has ever gotten to pop.

12

theconcordian

Tuesday, October 9, 2012 PrOFile

The Zolas are back with progressive pop

andrew Guilbert staff writer

>>>Broken oath

Fans of Christian metalcore band underoath received some bad news last week when the band announced they had decided to call it quits. “It’s sad to say that we feel like it’s time to close this chapter, but we have never seen things more clearly,” said frontman Spencer Chamberlain in a press release. “These have been the best years of my entire life, and I owe that to every single person who ever supported this band along the way. This wasn’t a quick decision by any means. It’s just time for us to move on.” They won’t be leaving fans high and dry however, as they are currently prepping for a final tour to close out the band’s legacy. “We are taking every moment of this tour as an opportunity to say goodbye to you all, as well as celebrate what has taken place over all these years,” said keyboardist Chris Dudley. “The love we have and the debt of gratitude that we owe to all of you is not able to be measured in any way.”

Though details are hazy at the moment, the tour is expected to start sometime in 2013.

>>>Who

meantime?

Will fight

foos

in the

Some more bad news now, with the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl announcing on the group’s Facebook page that they will be putting the band “back in the garage for a while.” The frontman admitted in the post, “Never in my wildest dreams did I think Foo Fighters would make it this far. I never thought we COULD make it this far, there were times when I didn’t think the band would survive.” Not to worry, Foo fans, Grohl says they won’t be retiring just yet.

“There were times when I wanted to give up. But . . . I can’t give up this band. And I never will. Because it’s not just a band to me.

It’s my life. It’s my family. It’s my world.”

The Foo Fighters are known for being one of mainstream rock’s most stable, long-lasting groups. Grohl got the band together in 1994 after he ceased to be nirvana’s drummer and Kurt cobain committed suicide.

>>>their fans are going to Be really depressed

Finishing off our trifecta of bad news this week, the final word came in on a possible Smiths reunion at Coachella. “The Smiths are never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever going to reunite — ever,” said Morrissey’s publicist to Rolling Stone magazine, effectively squelching the buzz that came about after Coachella reportedly offered to go vegetarian if the band reunited for a headlining show. Guitarist Johnny Marr’s manager echoed the sentiment in an interview with NME saying, “It isn’t happening, we are fully focused on preparing Johnny’s new album for release and booking shows for 2013.” Morrissey himself also responded negatively to the reunion rumors, claiming that his solo years have been more meaningful to his audience than the Smiths years— yet the English press only mention him in relation to the Smiths.The quartet has been apart for 25 years now, but Marr and bassist Andy Rourke last appeared on stage together at a Healers concert in 2006.

Zach Gray (l) and Tom dobrZanski (r)roll Their sophmore release ancient mars inTo la sala rossa on Wednesday, ocT. 17.

longtime friends break down love, life and relationships in Ancient Mars Gabriel ellison-scowcroft Contributor

W

ith their new record, Ancient Mars, The Zolas are set to bring an energy-packed show to audiences across Canada. British Columbia natives Zach Gray and Tom Dobrzanski have been making music together since they joined the same choir as children. The two friends started their first band, Lotus Child, while studying at UBC. Although the band released two albums and garnered a strong following in Vancouver, they broke up in 2006.

“It just wasn’t fun,” said Gray. “We weren’t having a good time and we didn’t think we were good enough.”

Soon after Lotus Child’s breakup, Gray and Dobrzanski started playing together again. “[Dobrzanski] and I had given up on being in a band,” said Gray. “We just hung out as we used to, played music, drank beer around the piano and wrote a few songs.”

It seems that The Zolas was really born out of a desire to have fun. “The only reason that we exist is out of the spirit of asking ourselves what is going to be fun to do right now,” explained Gray. “We just use The Zolas as an excuse to get our best friends and favourite musicians in the

room and just write music together.”

The Zolas’s debut, Tic Toc Tic, was released in 2009. Blending an upbeat pop and rock feel, tracks like “You’re Too Cool” and “The Great Collapse” featured heavily on the XM satellite radio station The Verge.

The Zolas released Ancient Mars on Oct. 2 and while the record reaffirms The Zolas’ ability to write poetic lyrics, it has a very different musical feel. The bouncy piano riffs and crisp notes are replaced with heavier beats, synthesizer reverb and dreamy, smooth vocals. In short, The Zolas are moving towards progressive pop.

“The music that we’d found ourselves listening to lately was the kind of music that makes your head bob on a subliminal level,” said Gray.

“You don’t even realize that you’re listening to the song and then suddenly you realize that everyone in the room is nodding in time. We wanted to make music like that.”

The Zolas hired producer Chuck Brody, a veteran of the pop and hip-hop scenes, to bring a different feel to Ancient Mars.

“The way that people listen to music on headphones so much these days gives you an opportunity to really get into their brains,” explained Gray. The hefty beats in the album’s title track, “Ancient Mars,” are almost guaranteed to set your head bobbing and your feet tapping.

“This album is a lot more personal,” Gray continued. “It’s about how you can be so insanely in love with somebody and one day that will end as well.”

While this may seem like a cynical concept to construct an album around, The Zolas are convinced otherwise.

“I don’t want to say that it’s bleak or notbleak; it’s not about that,” said Gray. “I’d rather look at it this way: some people stay together, most people don’t, but both are pretty much equally beautiful.”

The Zolas are greatly anticipating their cross-Canada tour that sees them bring their five-piece touring band to 25 cities in just over 30 days.

“Every time we play together it’s been so easy,” said Gray. “I’ve had really draining live shows where I felt like I was working so hard but with this group I feel like I’m watching a band and singing along.”

With the release of such a progressive, forward-looking album, The Zolas have cemented their place as a band to watch out for.

Trial track: “Cold Moon” The Zolas play la Sala Rossa (4848 St. laurent) with hey ocean! on Wed., oct. 17.

COluMn

Bass Unearthed: Munchi vs. Azealia Banks Moombahton pioneer lashes out at “212” rapper over copyright claims Joel abrahams Contributor Last week, the impending release of rapper Azealia Banks’ music video for “Esta Noche” quickly evolved into a collision of two very different mindsets within the music industry. After a copyright clash with Munchi — the DJ behind the track’s instrumental — the video went unreleased.

So, what happened? Munchi teamed up with DJ David Heartbreak in 2010 and released Fuck H&M, a 5-track EP on Selenga Records, free of charge. The third track featured, “Esta Noche,” was a remix of Montell Jordan’s “Get It On Tonight.” It was instantly well-received in underground electronic music for its funky, hard-hitting, bass-heavy beats. “Esta Noche” helped pioneer the beginnings of the Moombahton movement, which is defined by the fusion of house music with reggaeton.

This July, Banks released her mixtape Fantasea, and things started bubbling. The tracks were praised for their originality and instrumentals.

Many featured the work of forward-thinking producers such as Machinedrum and Hudson Mohawke. Yes, Munchi’s “Esta Noche” was also selected as one of the mixtape’s instrumentals.

Unlike a normal mixtape, Interscope and Polydor made Fantasea a commercial release, which is uncommon in the hip-hop industry.

Mixtapes tend to feature instrumentals from other artists and have copyright claims. It’s not clear if the other producers were contacted, for no one other than Munchi has spoken out.

Munchi took to Twitter to rant, and soon enough, the truth about some aspects of the music industry poured out. A public apology, along with $25,000, were offered in return for the single going through for release, but that figure was doubled when Munchi lashed out further.

Thanks to the digital age we live in, Banks was able to offer up a public response immediately.

“I’m still shooting the esta noche video tomorrow. *kanye shrug*” she tweeted. Though it was set for a Sept. 30 release date, the video never surfaced.

Munchi and Banks, two highly respected artists, were working with vastly different mindsets.

Munchi released an official statement saying that he would have gone with the release so long that proper credits were given and that he had a little say in the creative process, the latter of which is relatively uncommon within the mainstream music industry, but a sworn-to ideal within the underground electronic dance music community.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

13

mixtape Take out your dancing shoes and get ready to dance the weekend away to the sound and rhythm of flying trumpets. The 4th annual montreal Ska Festival drops on Thursday, Oct. 11 and will stir up the city until Oct. 14. The festival offers an amazing program with must-see performers from the local and international scene. Check out the Launch Party, the NYC Showcase or AllSkanadian Night and you’ll have no choice but to “dance your butt away,” as the organizers put it. And why not end the weekend with a delicious Sunday ska-brunch at Ye Olde Orchard with Mitch Girio’s acoustic show. Your eggs and ska-con will never have tasted so good!

Let this compilation serve as your festival appetizer, for it features many of the artists playing this week.

SKA 101 Compiled by Veronique Thivierge Contributor

SiDe a: chill out, rock out

SiDe B: Fetch your dancing shoes

1. “Autumn Day” - Victor Rice and Chris Murray - Single 2. “Worth The Height” - The Harmonauts - Single 3. “Get Alright” - The Fundamentals Get Alright 4. “Center City” - The Dropsteppers - Get Up In It! 5. “Blinding Light” - The Forthrights The Forthrights 6. “In This Time” - King Django - Roots Tonic 7. “Desert Storm” - Treble Warriors Single 8. “Salvation” - Westbound Train - Single 9. “Do It Right” - Mr. T-Bone feat. King Django - Single 10. “At the Smiling Buddha” - Mitch Girio - King Kong Girio

11. “Freddy Don’t Blow It” - Vinny Savage & The Wild Side - Demo 12. “Messing Around” - Deals Gone Bad - The Ramblers 13. “Kitchen Floor”- The Fundamentals - Leaving Me Behind 14. “Montréal brûle” - PL Mafia - Le Kid 15. “Firecracker” - The Aggrolites IV 16. “Kenshin” - Sound One - The All Skanadian Club Vol. 5 17. “Streetlight” - Thundermonks GET FED 18. “Kissing Hands and Shaking Babies” - Stepper - Single 19. “One Night” - The Beatdown Single 20. “Home” - Chris Murray - Raw

Quick spins

Muse - The 2nd Law (2012; Warner Bros.)

The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth (2012; Merge Records)

Bat for Lashes – The Haunted Man (2012; Parlophone)

Green Day - ¡Uno! (2012; Reprise Records)

After launching their less-than-stellar album The Resistance in 2009, which sounded more like an electro-pop symphony mid-life crisis, I was beginning to fear muse had lost their spark. That is, until the Grammy Award-winning British trio broke musical ground with the release of their sixth and most diverse studio album yet: The 2nd Law. Muse frontman Matt Bellamy shows his sensitive side in “Follow Me” — his ode to fatherhood — which begins with the sonogram heartbeat of his unborn child, while bassist Chris Wolstenholme gives the most sincere performance as first-time lead vocalist in “Save Me” about his battle with alcoholism.

The 2nd Law incorporates a fresh blend of symphonic rock, synthetic pop, a twinge of Dubstep and a bigger emphasis on ’80s groove.

Although songs like “Madness” and “Explorers” are minimalistic in sound, Muse fans will be pleased to know that their beloved classic razorsharp guitar riffs and grandiose vocals have resurfaced.

“Stay here ‘til I feel whole again / I don’t know when” of “White Cedar” properly summarizes the incredibly dark moods reflected in The mountain Goats’ sixteenth full-length album Transcendental Youth. The album references and places heavy emphasis on pain, as if he feels he deserves what’s coming to him.

Taking ownership of one’s own demise shows a maturity that we’ve come to expect from the band’s songwriter, John Darnielle. At the same time, you wouldn’t expect this album so late in the discography, which makes you ponder the album title Transcendental Youth. Darnielle takes us on a musical journey to another period of his life. The result is an incredibly strong show of the spiritual and emotional struggles we all deal with as we grow older.

Last month, Natasha Khan talked to music blog Stereogum about her new album. “I felt with this one it was a constant process of adding on and stripping away,” she said. “Really only leaving the essence of the best little bits of the things I was experiencing and the people I was hanging out and playing with.” Compared to the electro beats of Fur and Gold and the deep sounds of Two Suns, her new album is relatively stripped – but when you hear the ethereal vocals and resonating lyrics, there’s no denying it’s Bat for lashes.

Haunted Man bears her trademark sounds – soft drums and violins (“All Your Gold”), songs named after people (the piano-driven “Laura” and stripped-down “Marilyn”) – but the restlessness and inklings of desperation that permeated her last albums are replaced by controlled, calm vocals and soft sounds that lend themselves to a sense of vulnerability she has seldom showed before. Whether you choose to listen to this one lying on your bedroom floor, or you want to add a new dimension to your metro ride, this is one haunting you won’t fear.

Green Day’s ¡Uno! is the first in the band’s upcoming trilogy of albums to be released between September 2012 and January 2013.

Those dreading another of Green Day’s political, punk-rock operas can breathe a sigh of relief. Lead vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong and company offer an array of 12 songs packed with upbeat pop-punk tunes fit for arena concerts and mosh pits.

A far cry from the old days of Dookie, this album mixes the old, fun, devil-may-care Green Day attitude from Nimrod and Warning with the vocals and guitar riffs of American Idiot.

In songs like “Spend the Night” and “Fell For You”, Armstrong’s lyrics are drenched with nostalgia for youth and young love. In “Let Yourself Go” and “Loss of Control” he takes a stab at critics and haters. Say what you want about the “new” Green Day, but it’s admirable how such a seminal punk band continues to reach out to their fans.

Trial track: “Supremacy”

Trial track: “amy aKa Spent Gladiator 1”

Trial track: “marilyn”

Trial track: “carpe Diem”

8/10

- Jenna Monney-Lupert

8/10

- Jamie Klinger

9/10

-Sofia Gay

8.5/10

-Andria Caputo

sports 14

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Write to the editor: sports@theconcordian.com

men’s fOOTball

Stingers come up short vs. Sherbrooke football team falls to the Vert et Or in the shrine bowl Tim lazier staff writer It was a cold and crisp Saturday afternoon when Concordia’s football team hosted the Sherbrooke Vert et Or in the 26th annual Shrine Bowl. Both teams entered the game with a 2-3 record and were looking to get back to .500. The murky afternoon never brightened up for the Stingers as they lost to Sherbrooke in an upsetting 48-6 final score.

The game started with a bang when Stinger Raul Thompson returned the opening kickoff for 59 yards. Concordia capitalized from their starting field position and took an early 3-0 lead. That was as good as it got for the Stingers as the Vert et Or would respond with 18 unanswered points and went into halftime up 28-6.

With only 90 yards on the ground, Sherbrooke’s throwing game tormented Concordia’s defense throughout the entire match.

Sherbrooke’s quarterbacks Jérémi Roch and

James Goulet combined for 273 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Despite the score, Concordia’s offense also put up impressive stats even though they never scored a touchdown.

“I bet you the offensive statistics are pretty close between the two teams,” said Stingers coach Gerry McGrath after the game. The Stingers ended the afternoon with 235 yards in the air and 104 on the ground.

Concordia’s downfall was the turnovers.

With three turnovers in the first quarter alone, the Stingers gave up a total of two interceptions, four fumbles and three turnovers on downs. Sherbrooke was able to capitalize off Concordia’s mistakes and scored 23 points on these turnovers.

“The biggest difference was turnovers,” said Stingers defensive end Eric Noivo. “Unfortunately for us, they got a couple of lucky bounces and we got behind early.”

By the end of the game, the packed crowd continued to cheer and were in their seats until the final whistle. Win or lose, the Shrine Bowl continues to generate donations for the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

“There was a certain excitement around

StingerS fall behind after a few lucky bounceS for Sherbrooke. Photo by Veronique thiVierge the team leading up to the game,” said Noivo. “It’s fun to play for the kids, especially when you see how much it means to them.”

The Stingers’ next game is Saturday, October 13 when they will travel to McGill to play for the Shaughnessy Cup at 1 p.m.

men’s hOckey

Stingers defeat defending champions McGill Despite a tight game, concordia triumphs at the 26th annual corey cup own. Archambault took a drop pass from his teammate with a little more than three minutes left in the period.

Redmen goaltender Hubert Morin was sharp and made the save.

With less than two minutes to go, Stinger George Lovatsis equalized the score after tucking the puck into the side on a rebound scramble in front of the net.

“We took a penalty [in the first period] and we lost a player for 10 StingerS Stand their ground defenSiVely againSt long-time riValS mcgill redmen. Photo by marie-JoSée kelly minutes, and that kind of upset our lines,” explained samantha mileto winger Etienne Archambault was given a coach Kevin Figsby. “I think that gave the contributor two minute penalty and a 10-minute game Redmen an advantage [...] but by the end misconduct for leveling a Redmen player of the period, it was still 1-1.”

The Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team less than one minute into the game.

The Stingers took their first lead of the came out on top of a high-scoring affair, After nearly seven minutes into the first game at 17:25 of the second period on a winning 6-5 in their home-opener on Friday period, while Archambault was still serv- shorthanded goal by Lovatsis, his second of against the defending national champions, ing his misconduct, the Redmen opened the night. the McGill Redmen. the scoring on a goal by center Jonathan The Redmen tied the game up soon after The Stingers set the tone early in the Brunelle. The Stingers responded at the end when defenseman Hugo Laporte blasted a game at the Ed Meagher Arena , as right of the first period with a few chances of their shot past Stingers goalie Nicholas Cham-

pion from the blueline.

After two goals from each side, the Stingers regained the lead once again at 6:16 of the third period. They hung onto it until the end of the game. Youssef Kabbaj made it 4-3 Stingers when his wrist shot from the point went in five hole.

Redmen winger Justin Ducharme was sent to the penalty box during the third for roughing after the whistle, and the Stingers took full advantage of the handicap. Alexandre Monahan passed it up the wing to an open Kyle Kelly who scored to give the Stingers a 5-3 lead.

After Archambault gave his team a three goal lead five minutes later, the Redmen got goals from Brunelle and Marc-Olivier Vachon in the last three minutes. However, the Stingers were able to hold off their rivals and win.

“Offensively, we did everything we needed to do,” said Lovatsis. “We just need to tighten up defensively.”

As a whole, coach Figsby believes this win is a sign of things to come.

“You saw the grit and the determination and I think our team will have this season,” he said. “We just played the defending national champions and we beat them on home ice to start the season with our first win. I’m very pleased with the effort of all our players tonight.”

Concordia will travel to Ottawa for their next game against Carleton University on Friday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

15

aThleTe prOfile

Last man back: protecting the Stingers goal in his first year Goalkeeper Remo Taraschi looks to lead concordia in their playoff quest kevin Duarte sports editor Playing university soccer has always been a dream for men’s soccer goalkeeper Remo Taraschi. From an early age, he was already planning out his path to achieve this ambition.

“Since I was younger, I always looked up to these kids playing university soccer,” saidTaraschi. “I aspired to play at the same level.”

Taraschi comes to Concordia University first as a student and second as a varsity level athlete. He is currently in his first year at the school completing a specialization in cellular and molecular biology.

When he is not studying, you can find Taraschi at the training pitch as the Stingers have daily practices Monday through Friday.

The busy schedule of a student-athlete requires organization and preparation. With classes throughout the week, practices almost every day and games once or twice a week, finding time to study can be tough.

“For me, it’s on your breaks where you have to study,” he said. “Every time I’m on break I’m studying. When I’m at home watching T.V., I’ll have a book in my hands. There’s is no time to rest for now.”

Being a goalkeeper in soccer requires a great amount of focus and leadership. Taraschi’s decision to become a goalkeeper happened rather unexpectedly when he was 13-years-old.

“At the time, my team didn’t have a keeper,” he said. “During a practice, we were just having fun and I went in nets. The coach just said ‘look, you’re going to be our keeper from now on’.”

Taraschi listened to his coach at the time and

remo taraSchi may be a firSt year, but he PlayS like an old Pro. Photo by michael green has been in goal ever since.

“It’s a fun challenge,” he said referring to the position. “I like the pressure and the key opportunities. I like to keep my team in game as much as I can. It’s what I love to do.”

But Taraschi’s soccer career started at the tender age of five. Being a Pierrefonds resident, he played for the Pierrefonds Soccer Association until the end of his team when he was 16.

Taraschi was recruited by the Stingers this summer. At club level, he represents Lakeshore Soccer Club in the men’s senior division one elite level. In CÉGEP, last year, Taraschi was also

the starting goalkeeper for the John Abbott College Islanders.

“My coach got in touch with Lloyd [Barker, Stingers head coach] and talked about me,” he explained. “[Barker] came and watched me play in the summer.”

Taraschi’s transition has been made easier, as he and five other Stingers play on the same club team.

“It’s stricter for sure because we’re practicing every day. It’s more disciplined,” he said. “With school, it’s harder to balance, but the coaches keep us on track.”

This season, Taraschi has been splitting time with last year’s starting goalkeeper Nicholas Giannone. Both keepers have been providing healthy competition for one and other.

“Honestly, the relationship is really great,” Taraschi said. “We’ve played before for a year on the same team. I find we each have our strengths and weaknesses and we feed off each other in practice. I give him full credit as he’s playing at a higher club level than me right now.”

Playing with the Stingers, both goalkeepers are fortunate to have current Montreal Impact goalkeeper Greg Sutton as an assistant coach.

Sutton has represented Major League Soccer teams Chicago Fire, Toronto FC, New York Red Bulls and has capped for the Canadian National Team 16 times.

“Right now, I’m just taking in the experience because it’s an MLS keeper and everybody knows who [Sutton] is in Montreal,” explained Taraschi. “It’s an honour to be coached by him.”

In the future, Taraschi wants to pursue his soccer career for as long as possible. The thought of playing at the semi-pro level is something he has definitely thought about.

“If the opportunity comes then for sure,” he said. “For now, I’m going to focus on my studies.”

Until then, the Stinger is fixed on this year’s team as they try to make the playoffs for the first time in years.

Follow Taraschi and the rest of the Stingers in action when they face the McGill Redmen on Oct. 11 at Percival Molson Stadium. Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m. following the women’s game.

fOOTball

Mid-Season recap: stung hard and reeling concordia’s football team disappoints, despite promise, in first half of 2012-2013 season andrew maggio contributor

W

hat started off as a season filled with promise has taken a turn for the worse as the Concordia Stingers football team sits at 2-4 with three games left in the regular season.

The first of their upcoming games is against an improved McGill Redmen squad at Percival Molson Stadium, followed by a rematch against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or, who dismantled the Stingers 46-6 on Saturday at Concordia Stadium. The final game of the season comes against the class of the RSEQ, the Laval Rouge et Or. The only game that can be a predicted win is the McGill game. Though, even that will be a tough contest, as the Stingers offense was nowhere to be found against Sherbrooke, or against the Université de Montréal Carabins the week before, where the Stingers were shut out by a score of 38-0 by the latter.

Halfway through the 2012 campaign, we have a better understanding of how the team compares to the top schools in the

province and, as it stands, Concordia’s football program is nowhere close to the rest.

There are plenty of talented players on this team, but they haven’t been able to put consistent efforts as a unit on a weekly basis. What’s up for debate is whether the team simply isn’t prepared going into games. This would either fall on Gerry McGrath and his coaching staff or solely on Concordia’s talent, which, while solid, is simply not up to par with Montréal’s, Sherbrooke’s or Laval’s.

The Montréal defensive line made mincemeat of the Stingers offensive line in the teams’ two games this season, teeing off on quarterback Reid Quest for a whopping 15 sacks combined, not to mention the hits Quest took after releasing the ball or scrambling for yards. However, they have allowed 21 total sacks on the season, suggesting that Montréal may simply have one of the more ferocious pass rushes in the country.

Quest, who started the season off well, has tailed off as of late, having thrown five interceptions in his last two games. Quest is not all to blame for several of the interceptions, as some were balls that his receivers were unable to contain, instead getting tipped and picked off. At the end of the day however, it shows up on his stat line, and he

has admitted that he needed to a better job of taking care of the football.

The aforementioned receiving core is seriously missing Kris Bastien, who has been out with a shoulder injury that he suffered in the first game of the season (a game in which he caught 6 passes for 242 yards).

The Stingers are trying to fill the void with Sanchez Deschamps, Mike Harrington, Jamal Henry, and Shayne Stinson, but having Bastien back in the lineup bolsters the entire receiving corps and brings a different dimension to the passing attack.

The running game has been average at best, averaging 108 yards a game, good for fifth in the six-team conference, but Michael Donnelly and Raul Thompson won’t be getting many touches if the team is always forced to play catch-up early in the games.

When given the opportunity, Donnelly has been a solid running back, and the speedy Thompson has shown to be a good changeof-pace runner.

On the defensive side of the ball, things don’t get much better. The Stingers are giving up an average of 38 points a game, and currently rank last or second-to-last in pass defense, and rush defense, culminating in an average of nearly 500 yards against a game.

The unit has its bright spots, however.

Linebackers Travis Bent and Max Caron, last year’s Presidents’ Trophy winner as the most outstanding defensive player in the country, are ranked third and fifth on the tackles list, respectively. Defensive end Quinn Smith is ranked fourth in the conference in sacks, with five in total.

Keegan Treloar has been solid in the kicking game, having hit on 11 of his 17 field goal attempts, while defensive backs Kris Robertson and Nathan Taylor have proven to be two of the most dynamic kick returners in the country, with Robertson handling kicks and punts and Taylor bringing back missed field goals.

Overall, it’s safe to say the season thus far has been a disappointment but the players know it, the coaches know it, and one would think that the school knows it, too.

While the results haven’t completely tarnished the program’s reputation, the future does not bode well if the team cannot get their act together and give top-end recruits a reason to commit to Concordia.

The next three games are essentially do or die for the Stingers. Sufficient to say that if the downward spiral continues, there could be drastic changes made during the off-season.

opinions 16

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Write to the editor: opinions@theconcordian.com ediTOriAl

We can’t wait for you forever Five hours in, who will be the last journalist standing?

L

ast week, journalists and concerned members of the student body were asked to sit outside the Concordia Student Union’s council meeting for five hours. Five hours. Literally, outside the doors of the meeting.

This is the beauty of closed session. People attend council meetings to get informed or, Heaven forbid, inform others but they end up waiting for hours because the information being discussed is much too valuable for outside ears.

Are we the only ones getting tired of this? A person can do a lot in five hours and having to spend it wondering what on Earth is going on behind closed doors is nobody’s first choice. We understand that candidate interviews might involve private

information which someone might not want broadcasted across the school, but that worst case scenario is assuming something about the student press which we don’t appreciate.

At the end of the day, journalists are not vultures circling for the kill. We are not trying to expose people for their faults, we are trying to keep them honest. Besides, if we aren’t privy to information that could prove damaging or provide a reason why someone should not be chosen for a position paid for out of students’ pockets, then you better believe we will dig for it.

As much as we’d like to assume the candidates selected to serve as Chairperson and Chief Electoral Officer of the CSU are squeaky clean and perfect for the job,

we wouldn’t know either way. This, on top of the fact that in past years,students have been interviewed in open session, really pushes this over the edge.

The problem with closed session, besides it being a massive waste of our time, is that after the lengthy process has ended, the topics which people wait to discuss often get pushed to the next meeting. While being at a council meeting can be really enlightening and give a good sense of where the tensions within the CSU run high, we sometimes wonder if it wouldn’t be less frustrating, and considerably more comfortable, to watch the scene unfold from afar.

The problem? What if all the journalists gave up on the CSU completely? No live stream courtesy of CUTV and no Twitter

storm brought to you by the fast-fingered journalists of the student papers. The connection between council and the student body would be all but severed. CUTV wasn’t covering this particular meeting, and we can’t blame them. After all, recording equipment doesn’t grow on trees.

These things can be tedious even during open session and it’s not a good sign when the media starts to get picked off as the hours tick by. Much to her credit, The Concordian News editor stayed for the entirety of the five hour span.

Now we’re not going anywhere and neither are our colleagues, but next time closed session drags on past the fifth hour mark, don’t expect to find a happy crowd waiting on the other side of the door.

gOvernmenT

Make way for Harper’s omnibus bill The Conservative government is using the same old tricks A. J. Cordeiro Staff writer Next up in the fall political schedule for the federal government: a new omnibus bill put forward by the Conservatives. An omnibus bill is one which includes a number of different issues within it and tends to act as a method by which unpopular legislation is passed along with the bulk of the good.

The bill, which primarily contains budget policy, is set to touch other sectors not traditionally found in budget bills including new crime legislation, the most important being new police measures to combat terrorism.

This past spring, some members of Parliament complained about the 400-page bill, which provided sweeping measures across many different disciplines, including environmental procedures, labour rights, security and pensions. The time allotted for debate on this colossal juggernaut: seven days.

This repeated move has once again bothered Canadians on all sides of the political spectrum for its violation of democratic principles. However, this is nothing new in Canadian politics, with even the revered Trudeau doing the same in the late ’60s.

Still, the move, however common, remains a stain on the democratic process. If we elect individuals to represent a collective society in order to bring together different viewpoints and share in the common journey forward as a nation, how can we pretend to have a democratic process when those individuals aren’t concerned about such key issues.

One of the simplest solutions to this omnibus problem is to split up the bills, forcing only

The ConservaTive governmenT is abouT To release The new 2013 budgeT, whiCh will be passed in The house of Commons. phoTo from fliCkr monetary and financial policy to be dictated in the legislation. However, as many Conservative pundits have asserted, this would delay the process, as every little policy would have to be debated. What they don’t realize is that this is what is mandated in their jobs.

While Harper and his administration are not well-liked, he is an exceptionally shrewd and cunning politician. By moving forward with this form of governing early on in his mandate, the collective memory will ebb and fade away much more easily. When the time comes to actually harvest the votes, Conservatives can push forward popular legislation in order to garner another majority.

Plus, there is the obvious added benefit of

not having Canadians looking too closely at the bills their legislators are passing. They can tell everyone that they are helping the economy, but they are also quietly pushing reforms to civil liberties like privacy.

The problem keeps compounding on the myriad of issues with Canadian politics. The first-past-the-post system, which entails an election that is won by the candidate with more votes than the other, does not work in this day and age. Politicians are clinging to the old vanguard, and some Canadians are in a general disheartened state by empty promises and looming crises worldwide.

In the early ’90s, then Prime Minister Jean Chrétien and his Liberal caucus pushed through

an omnibus bill. There were many politicians who complained about this governance, including a little known Reform MP. He said: “In the interest of democracy I ask: How can members represent their constituents on these various areas when they are forced to vote in a block on such legislation and on such concerns? We can agree with some of the measures but oppose others.

“How do we express our views and the views of our constituents,” he continued, “when the matters are so diverse? Dividing the bill into several components would allow members to represent views of their constituents on each of the different components in the bill.”

The name of that MP: Stephen Harper.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

17

enTerTAinmenT

Reality television: so bad it’s good or just plain bad?

PRO: Who can resist a guilty pleasure?

CON: Unrealistic expectations, anyone?

Sabrina giancioppi Contributor

Ayda Omidvar Contributor

At face value, reality television is easily a reflection of everything that is wrong with society. The only thing worse than the housewives, bachelors, idols, kids from the Shore, teen moms and toddlers, might just be those who tune in to watch these shows every week, fuelling our society’s great appetite for idiotism and humiliation. So why is reality television this irrevocably addictive?

Reality TV is life at the extreme; it’s indulgent and candid. It is the quintessential guilty pleasure that networks like TLC and MTV capitalize on because the truth is, reality TV is the staple entertainment of the 21st century as it makes us go from viewers to voyeurs.

Shows like Survivor, Big Brother, Real Housewives and The Bachelor give viewers the spectacle of drama different from any other television program.

The fact that these characters are not fictional makes it gripping on an intrinsic level, exposing human nature at its extreme.

Ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle mulled this idea over for years, saying that the Athenians who attended the theatre did so as a way “to be cured, relieved, restored to psychic health,” he wrote.

After a long day of ordinary responsibilities and relationships, reality television is the perfect antidote. It is a form of catharsis that allows viewers to purge various emotions and exposes our very own excessive passions we sometimes keep withdrawn. The representation of real people in real situations makes the “what would I do?” question more plausible. We root for the underdogs and the stories that pull at our heartstrings, but we revel in the drama, the fights and the humiliation.

Many baby boomers cannot seem to understand the beauty behind reality television shows, and why would they? Classic sitcoms they grew up with like All in the Family, Three’s Company and The Mary Tyler Moore Show were wholesome, family-oriented shows.

Censorship was more prominent; people were not as open and candid. However, nowadays we live in an information age. The more we know and the faster we are updated, the better.

Not only is reality TV entertaining, but it sends the message that ordinary people can become so important that millions will watch

them and talk about them to friends and coworkers.

People always bring up the falsehoods of reality TV and it being detrimental to society due to fabricated situations, pre-scripted events and various ethical issues. However, reality TV continues to win the popular vote as ratings for

From Jersey Shore to Here Comes Honey Boo Boo, reality television seems to have taken up a large part of network airtime and everyday conversation. But the question is, why?

It’s only a form of gossip entertainment.

Viewers adopt the idea that these characters exist in their day-to-day lives and when the

shows like American Idol and The Voice remain high time and time again.

Aside from the regular “trashy” programs, shows like ABC’s Supernanny, A&E’s Intervention and NBC’s Biggest Loser can actually be really helpful to an audience’s larger consciousness and provide beneficial information.

Blaming reality TV for our societal problems is just our way of dismissing the other reasons for our so-called “dumbed-down” popular culture. I’m pretty sure it’s not just the Kardashians corrupting and influencing the youth, however hard they might try.

gossip quota runs out, they turn to this type of polished drama. Reality TV has developed into a self-destructive subculture. The fact that a crime can be turned around into a good story is preposterous — an example being the episode of Jersey Shore where the overly tanned and boisterous Snooki is arrested on the beach for “disorderly conduct.”

In a less obvious way, reality television makes the far-fetched lives of the rich into something attainable and even more so, expected.

The picture perfect girls on The Hills live

in beautiful apartments in downtown L.A., drive nice cars, and have internships with companies such as Teen Vogue. Viewers, noticing that these characters aren’t anything above ordinary in regards to intelligence or wit, may start to wonder why their lives haven’t panned out the same way. It’s mainly because the girls on The Hills are filthy rich.

Not only do these types of shows damage the viewer’s mind, but also the minds of the ‘actors’ or participants in the shows.

Reality TV is like any other dramatized television show except that it “blurs the line between actor and person,” as explained by Laura Buchanan, a student studying theatre performance.

Toddlers & Tiaras teaches children at a young age that aesthetics, physical beauty, and a slightly crazed mother will get you what you want.

This is a recipe for disaster.

Starring in one of these absurd shows means living with the fear that if you don’t act ridiculous every episode, you’re going to be quickly replaced. Characters on Laguna Beach or The Hills who don’t invoke as much attention as the networks would like gradually fade away until they don’t appear in anymore episodes.

“There is a reason people watch TV, and it’s not to watch ordinary people’s lives,” said Kenna Prepchuk, a political science student at Concordia.

The people on these shows ruin their future dignity in the sense that no one can ever look at them the same way. Unless these actors have signed a contract to do the show for life, how can they expect to be recognized as a person who can be hired for any other job?

The networks aren’t solely to blame in this situation because just like any business, they are there to make money and will do anything to get it. Making profit from shows like Jersey Shore means including highlights of excessive drama and cutting out the mundane and the ordinary.

While reality TV lacks style and class, like any form of addiction, knowing it’s bad for you doesn’t mean you’ll quit it anytime soon.

18

theconcordian

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

SOCiAl mediA

You look a little familiar Facebook’s facial recognition is just the start lisa Zane Staff writer There is a scene in Steven Spielberg’s 2002 film Minority Report where Tom Cruise’s character, John Anderton, walks into the Gap and is met by interactive personalized video advertisements that talk to him. Thanks to Facebook, this scene might become a common occurrence in the near future.

Regular Facebook users are familiar with the “tag suggestions” feature, which enables automatic picture tagging based on facial recognition to save you the hassle of tagging each picture individually. With the numerous changes Facebook has introduced in a short period of time, including the controversial Timeline and updated photo features, you may not have even realized that this feature has disappeared.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, Facebook removed the feature a few months ago to make the tagging tool more efficient, and the company is unsure of when it will be back up and running. What is certain, however, is that Facebook will no longer be using facial recognition software in Europe after a ruling to ban it unless regulators approve it.

I have to admit, the first time I saw Facebook’s ads match the things I was talking to my friends about online, I was freaked out. But

Graphic by Jennifer Kwan

giving companies access to your “face” seems to strike an even more personal note.

The issue at hand deals with a fine line that the social media giant has walked before: its use of personal data. A concern is that the vast amounts of facial information collected in Facebook’s colossal database could be made available to the corporate world.

Last week, Facebook announced it has hit one billion monthly active users. There are over 300 million photos uploaded each day. You can now upload up to 1,000 photos in one album.

Many people get wrapped up in the cool factor and don’t spend time reading the fine print and terms of service. Facebook’s evolution has meant that students who were users in the beginning were only connected to other students in a private network, and have since become openly connected to the rest of the world.

Although you don’t have to pay to be a user, as of last week, a limited number of U.S. residents can now pay for promoted posts. For $7, users can ensure that a post’s visibility is bumped, appearing higher on friends’ news feeds.

Last year, Google’s Executive Chairman Eric

POliTiCS

ConU’s Trudeau-o-meter A political landscape according to students laura marchand Contributor

L

ast Tuesday, Justin Trudeau announced his bid for leader of the Liberal Party of Canada at a rally held in his riding of Papineau. The position has been vacant since former leader Michael Ignatieff stepped down following the 2011 federal election. The Liberals lost a devastating 43 seats, leagues behind the New Democratic Party which is now the official opposition with 103 seats.

The Liberal Party may be depending on Trudeau to seize the youth vote in Quebec, which has the second-highest percentage of voters aged 18-24 of any of the provinces, following Prince Edward Island, according to Elections Canada.

In a survey done by The Concordian, students were polled about the current political landscape, including their opinions on Trudeau, the federal political parties, and the party leaders themselves. The results would either support or refute the claims that Trudeau is affecting the youth vote, and whether the NDP was at risk of being unseated in the next federal election.

The answer was overwhelmingly positive. A total of 62 per cent of respondents said they are likely to vote Liberal in the next federal election, and 34 per cent said this was directly influenced by the fact that Trudeau could be the next leader of the party. It would seem that the senator-punching, Comic-con-attending MP has struck a chord with Concordia students.

While they might have faith in him to run

the party, it seems not quite as many have faith in him to run the country. Only 30 per cent of respondents believe he is suitable to be Canada’s prime minister. While this is ahead of other leaders (Stephen Harper has 14 per cent, and Thomas Mulcair has 16 per cent), 20 per cent thought that none of them were suitable for the job.

Political science students seemed to have more faith – 44 per cent of them said they believe that Trudeau would make a good prime minister. However, not a single one polled believed that Harper is suitable to lead our country.

Among women, the faith in Harper is also on a sharp decline. While 20 per cent of men think that Harper is doing well, only 7 per cent of women agreed. This may be due to the fact that several members of Harper’s cabinet – including the women’s affairs minister – voted for a motion to study fetus rights, which would have re-opened the abortion debate.

This does not mean the NDP is losing steam. Of those who said they won’t vote Liberal, 50 per cent of them said they will vote NDP (64 per cent coming from political science students). Behind Trudeau, Mulcair is in a solid second place as a prime minister pick.

It should be noted that the next federal election is still three years away – plenty of time for Trudeau to soar as the poster-child of the party, or to crash and burn clinging onto his father’s coattails. Whether this popularity is a sign of a rising trend or a blip on the radar in the wake of his hype, is anybody’s guess.

Schmidt spoke about the future of the Internet and privacy at the Edinburgh International Television Festival.

“There are many challenges we’re still grappling to address,” he said. “For instance, how do we make the world more open while still respecting privacy?”

It is noted in the Times’ article that Redpepper, an Atlanta-based marketing firm, is currently developing software to identify Facebook users in public, but only after their consent.

This is how the company’s website explains how it works: “Facial recognition cameras are installed at local businesses. These cameras recognize your face when you pass by, then check you in at the location. Simultaneously, your smartphone notifies you of a customized deal based on your Like history.”

It might just take trial and error to figure out the implications of this technology in our society. What will it mean for police forces, immigration officials and advertisers? What will it mean for identity theft and fraud? Will there be regulatory bodies that “own” your face?

“The main problem with all these technologies is the fact that our Canadian law is based on the supposedly free consent of the people,”

said Pierre Trudel, a law professor at Université de Montréal who studies social media. “Since we rely on consent, it’s very hard to enforce or put limits on the use of facial recognition technologies, or any other devices that might be used in order to collect information between people and their preferences and their buying decisions.”

Trudel suggests that privacy commissioners should focus on regulating the settings within networks like Facebook.

It might be more efficient in order to make sure that these technologies are effectively used only in very limited circumstances,” he said.

Right now, the circumstances appear to be unlimited. Popular Mechanics recently published an article on weird ways people are using facial recognition software. Among them are findyourfacemate.com, an online matchmaking service that uses the software to “identify partners more likely to ignite real passion and compatibility” based on facial features, and Doggelanger, which uses “human to canine comparing software” to match rescued dogs with potential owners that look like them. What impact do you think this technology will have in the future?

Follow us on Twitter: @TheConcordian

From our kitchen

Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012 Vol. 30 Issue 7

Explore Greece’s sweet side with Ravani elizabeth Tomaras

Marilla Steuter-Martin

Copy editor

Greece is known for its meat and potatoes cuisine but this citrus-infused dessert is a great way to get a taste of the homeland in a different way. Ravani is an unexpected alternative to the traditional birthday cake or something special to serve friends on a frosty fall evening.

editor-in-Chief editor@theconcordian.com

Paula rivaS

Photo by writer

managing editor managing@theconcordian.com

SoPhia loffreda Production manager production@theconcordian.com

IngredIents Six eggs One cup of oil One cup of orange juice Two and a half cups of sugar Three cups of flour Three teaspoons of baking powder

Kalina lafraMboiSe news editor news@theconcordian.com

StePhanie la leggia life editor life@theconcordian.com

aManda l. Shore

Mix ingredients together until well blended.

Pour mixture into greased pan and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Sprinkle crushed walnuts on top of the cake for added flavour and decor. Kali orexi!

Arts editor arts@theconcordian.com

elizabeth MacKay

Image from Flickr

music editor music@theconcordian.com

Kevin duarte Sports editor sports@theconcordian.com

george MenexiS Opinions editor opinions@theconcordian.com

Madelayne hajeK Photo editor

nataSha taggart alySSa treMblay Online editors online@theconcordian.com

As the snowy white neighbor to the North of the U.S., some of us always tune into the very entertaining political debates between the Democrat and the Republican leaders.

Here are the tweets of the week from the first debate. @Rationalists: “Mitt Romney winning a

debate reminds me of Milli Vanilli winning a Grammy.” @TeaPartyCat: “Debate prep has been tough

for Paul Ryan because everyday he has to relearn all Mitt’s positions as they keep changing.” @AmandaMarcotte: “The notion

that Romney had a clear-cut debate win is dramatically undermined by the “Big Bird” thing being the only memorable line.” @ThatDudeMCFLY: “That awkward

moment when Canadians are watching the Americandebate and Americans don’t even know who Jack Layton was. #RIP” @Missmerica: “I’m surprised that

Obama hasn’t blamed Bush for his poor debateperformance.”

jennifer Kwan graphics editor graphics@theconcordian.com

chriStine beaton elizabeth toMaraS Copy editors copy@theconcordian.com

celia Ste-croix bianca david Production assistants

editorial office 7141 Sherbrooke St. W. - CC.431 montreal, QC H4B 1r6 514.848.2424 x7499 (editor-in-Chief) 514.848.2424 x7458 (newsroom) 514.848.2424 x7404 (Production)

MeliSSa Kate gagnon

Business manager business@theconcordian.com

brennan neill eMily white cindy loPez ruben baStien

Board of directors directors@theconcordian.com

Staff writerS and contributorS Audrey Folliot, marie-Josee Kelly, Joel Ashak, Casandra de masi, nicole Yeba, marta Barnes, Andria Caputo, nathalie laflamme, Ariana TriguerosCorbo, Collin mcmahon, Tarek Akhtar, Saturn de los Angeles, Jess Kenwood, gabriel ellisonScowcroft, Joel Abrahams, Andrew guilbert, veronique Thivierge, Jenna money-lupert, Andrew maggio, Samantha mileto, Tim lazier, A.J. Cordeiro, Sabrina giancioppi, Ayda Omidvar, lisa Zane, laura marchand

theconcordian

Concordia’s weekly, independent student newspaper.

Events of the weeK: Oct. 9 TUESDAY +LITERATURE - Jonathan Goldstein launches book - 19h La Sala Rossa +MUSIC - Regina Spektor - 20h - Metropolis

WEDNESDAY +ART- Cloud Nine, student exhibit - 9h - VAV Gallery +THEATRE- Guys and Dolls -13h & 20h - Segal Centre +MUSIC - Joss Stone - 20h - Metropolis

THURSDAY +THEATRE- August, an Afternoon in the Country-20h- Centaur Theatre +IMPROV -mPROV Improv Festival -20h & 22h- Montreal Improv Theatre +THEATRE- Guys and Dolls - 20h - Segal Centre

Friday +THEATRE - The Medea Effect -20h- La Chapelle Theatre +IMPROV - mPROV Improv Festival -20h & 22h- Montreal Improv Theatre +MUSIC - Flying Lotus - 22h00 - Societe des arts technologiques

SATURDAY +THEATRE- Guys and Dolls - 20h30 - Segal Centre +FILM - Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex- 21h - Cinema du Parc +MUSIC - Colin James - 20h00 - Metropolis

SUNDAY +MUSIC - Beach House - 20h30 - Club Soda +MUSIC - Conquerors Of the World tour - 19h - Cafe Campus

Monday + FILM- Sleeper - 19h- Cinema du Parc +FILM - Love and Death - 21h - Cinema du Parc