Month: October 2019

Categories
Arts

Chaos, discomfort, and absurdism

If you could visually represent feelings of discomfort and worry, what would they look like?

Montreal and Mexico City-based artist Beth Frey illustrates this in her most recent exhibition. The multidisciplinary artist, a Concordia MFA graduate, explores themes of girlhood, the body, social media, and mental health through her sculptures, drawings, and videos.

BOOM BOOM BLOOM DOOM was on view throughout the month of September at Galerie POPOP, in downtown Montreal. The space felt, all at once, organized yet chaotic; offering a visual representation of the conversation that is constantly going on in your head.

Frey approaches the topics through an absurdist perspective. Absurdism, a philosophy that emerged in the 19th century, refers to the human tendency to seek meaning in life, and ultimately, the inability to find any. The use of colorful watercolours－in conjunction with the underlying heavy subject matter－demonstrates the artist’s ironic approach to sociopolitical topics and playful sense of humor.

Frey’s works make references to pop culture by integrating cartoon and comic characters, which offers the viewer a sense of familiarity. The vibrant colours of the works, in contrast with the sketchy outlines and linework, allude to hyperreality.

Lucy Encounters Ego Death (and hopefully finds some sort of inner peace), features a cartoonish rendition of Peanuts character Lucy, quite noticeably in a state of disturbance. The dripping quality of the watercolours indirectly hints to the sense of lack of control that accompanies anxiety, offering the viewer an image of an unpleasant sensation.

The paintings, given titles such as Two Strangers Console One Another While the Artist Checks Her Instagram and I’m Not Bashful, You’re Bashful feel like an internal commentary. They are, all at once, satirical and critical, direct and honest, and similar to the works at the gallery.

The painting Anxiety Library illustrates a table surrounded by figures reading books with names like “Problems Vol. 26” and “Your Impending Death.” People sit among monster-like creatures, some burying their heads within their novels, others screaming. The whirlwind of colours and textures makes the work feel very noisy, as though the viewer can hear all that is going on within the piece.

While each of the pieces has a meaning on their own, collectively they contribute to the artist’s approach of creating works from an absurdist standpoint. They demonstrate a desire to find peace and quiet while simultaneously struggling with an internal search for meaning, and ultimately, battling an impending sense of doom.

Further information about Beth Frey’s work can be found at www.bethfrey.com.

 

 

With files from Beth Frey and Sophie Latouche.

Categories
Music

“Youth and optimism”: The first time I heard the Beatles

The Beatles - Abbey Road tribute

The Fab Four’s pride and joy, Abbey Road, celebrates 50 years and remains iconic in the music industry.

I can’t remember consciously falling in love with music until my first year of high school.

Sure, music has always been around in my life. I remember my kindergarten gym teacher handing me a plastic guitar to sing in front of the class when he saw me mouthing the words to “Highway to Hell” at the age of five. I remember my older brother showing me the cover art to Sam’s Town the day it was released in 2006, and enjoying it just as much as The Killer’s first album, Hot Fuss. I remember my dad buying the Guns N’ Roses Greatest Hits and my sister’s love of Bon Jovi in highschool. My mom’s teen crush on Donny Osmond and my grandfather’s man crush on Dean Martin. Music has certainly always been around me, but I didn’t necessarily always care for it.

If I could look back and pinpoint one moment in time when this all changed, it would have to be the first time I listened to The Beatles. Sometime in late 2007, my brother’s friend brought all 12 studio album CDs of the greatest band of all time, along with a few B-sides, to our house to burn onto our computer. After a few long hours of transferring, nearly every song The Beatles had ever released was available on our iTunes library.

Having always had faith in my brother’s taste in music, I took my third generation iPod Nano and plugged it into the computer. “Sync music.” I vividly remember running upstairs to my bedroom, plugging in my earphones, lying on my bed, and pressing play.

Paul McCartney’s “One, two, three, four!” countdown at the beginning of “I Saw Her Standing There” was a metaphorical countdown to my fall into a rabbit hole of rock n’ roll that I would never find my way out of. This song is the first song on the Beatles’ debut studio album, Please Please Me, listed at No. 39 on Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” list.

Front to back, the Fab Four’s back-and-forth transition of John Lennon to McCartney on lead vocals, and from upbeat rock to soothing love ballads was like nothing my 12-year-old self had ever heard before.

“Twist and Shout,” the outro song of the album, made it an absolute no-brainer that I would be spending the rest of my night enthralled in the evolution of The Beatles.

With The Beatles and A Hard Day’s Night delivered just as much as their predecessor. “All My Loving” and “Can’t Buy Me Love” went on to become fan favourites. Through the lyrics and their tone of voice, you could hear the youth and optimism that resided in the band members in their early days. Youth and optimism that had not yet been crushed by the pitfalls of the music industry; riddled with drugs, money, fame and empty promises. Youth and optimism that had not yet felt heartache, heartbreak, divorce, and regret. Youth and optimism that made all their love songs to date ones of glee and hope, as if they truly believed being in love was always a pleasurable experience.

Oh, how quickly things would change.

The Beatles’ fourth and fifth album, Beatles for Sale and Help!, toned down the cheery love songs and added more depth and transparency to their work. Songs like “I’m a Loser” and “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” address fallen love and hardships that the Beatles had experienced with a few more years of musical fame under their belt, as well as being the stars of two movies. Lennon claimed that these songs were written during his “Dylan period,” a time when the band found major influence from American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, who changed the focus of their songs to a more mature subject matter.

Not enough can be said about Rubber Soul and Revolver, argued by some as two of the strongest albums in the Beatles’ repertoire. Then came Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, proclaimed by Rolling Stone to be the best rock album of all time, calling it “an unsurpassed adventure in concept, sound, songwriting, cover art and studio technology by the greatest rock & roll group of all time.”

By this time, the Beatles had had their fair share of fun; dabbling into hallucinogens. Their mind-altering state was beginning to rub off on their music – evidently for the better. Masterpiece singles like “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “With a Little Help From My Friends” remain timeless classics that will be sung along to just as loud another half-century from now. Magical Mystery Tour feels like a continuation of the same acid trip.

The Beatles ninth studio album, a self-titled double album often referred to as The White Album, did not halt their momentum. After writing the songs while on a religious retreat away from stardom, the Fab Four returned and released a 30-song album just over a year later. Their transitions between soft melodies and hard rock, all while offering each of the band members a turn at lead vocals, puts every listener on a musical roller coaster.

Abbey Road and Let It Be often get confused as the last albums that the Beatles recorded, although the real timeline doesn’t matter. The two albums were said to be recorded during the band’s “low of all-time” by lead guitarist George Harrison; and were the band’s final hurrah to the world. Both albums are riddled with tear-jerkers and songs of beauty, perhaps some of their most beautiful work ever; “Let It Be,” “Here Comes the Sun,” “The Long and Winding Road.” The lyrics to their songs preach that there is hope for a better world, regardless of the band’s fate.

Despite the cause of Lennon’s death 10 years later, one could still assume that he would continue to stand by his mantra: give peace a chance.

Thank you to The Beatles: for their countless classics, their diverse catalogue, and their lifelong words of wisdom that we could all use every once in a while.

Happy Anniversary, Abbey Road.

 

Collage by Alex Hutchins

Categories
Student Life

Finding healthy food on campus

Nourishing yourself with the right food is essential for productivity in school and overall wellness.

According to an article on Harvard Medical School’s website, Dr. Eva Selhub explains that food is fuel for your brain and, like a luxury car, it works best on high-quality fuel. She adds that fueling your brain with low-quality food damages it, thus reducing its efficiency.

So what is healthy eating?

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s website, eating healthy requires eating a balanced diet filled with vegetables, protein and water. Carbohydrates are also important, but only the good kind which are found in legumes such as beans or fruits like bananas. It is encouraged to choose whole-grain foods and limit processed foods and refined sugars as much as possible.

But where can you find these healthy food options around campus?

Downtown Campus

Options are a-plenty on the Sir George William campus compared to Loyola. For quick and easy grabs, Il Panino Café Mediterraneo (1435 Guy St.) has a large variety of tasty salads and generally healthy sandwiches. Mandy’s (2067 Crescent St.) is another quick option that has mouth-watering artisanal salads.

If you have a little more time on your hands, vegans and vegetarians (or anyone willing to try these specialty foods) can get a healthy meal and snacks at Copper Branch (1245 Bishop St.) or La Panthère Verte (2153 Mackay St.). The rest-boutique Abe & Mary’s (2170 de la Montagne St.) is another great option if you’re feeling a little fancier and have the time to sit down with friends and eat well while on break. Koa Lua, the Hawaiian poké shop (1446 Ste-Catherine St. W), offers a variety of healthy poké bowls if you’re in the mood for something other than sandwiches or salads.

Loyola Campus

While it’s tough to find healthy food options on and around this campus, it’s not impossible. For those with dietary restrictions and don’t mind the walk or five-minute bus ride, the Provigo at 6485 Sherbrooke St. W has a lot of healthy food options. If you forgot to pack your lunch, this is a good alternative to buying food at a restaurant.

The Hive Café Solidarity Co-Operative (7141 Sherbrooke St. W) is located on campus in the same building as the Loyola Chapel and is a great option for healthy food. All the meals are vegetarian and their menu also includes vegan and wheat-free options, according to their website. Nearby, past Souvlaki George, is a Korean restaurant, Comptoir Koyajo (6963 Sherbrooke St. W). Their menu includes Asian-style protein bowls, soups and specialty dumplings.

There’s also Mon Ami Korean BBQ (6521 Somerled Ave.); not all the food is necessarily healthy, but the menu has a wider variety of options compared to some of the other food spots nearby. Lastly, there are the food counters in the CJ and SP buildings, which usually have vegetarian options that are sustainable and healthy.

The most budget-friendly and fool-proof option is to make your own healthy lunches at home, but that isn’t always possible and realistic. If you do forget to pack your lunch, the options are out there if you take the time to properly dissect the food you’re eating and choose better/healthier options to allow your body to feel its best.

Photo by Laurence B.D., Map by Mackenzie Lad

Categories
Sports

Photo Essay: Stingers women’s rugby defend their Kelly Anne Drummond Cup title

The Concordia Stingers women’s rugby team defeated McGill University 74-0 Sunday afternoon for the 15th annual Kelly-Anne Drummond Cup at Concordia Stadium, successfully defending their title from last year.

Photo editor Laurence Brisson Dubreuil captured the best moments from the Stingers big win over the Martlets.

 

Categories
Opinions

Oh my sweet, broken home

It is no question that Lebanon prides itself for being a land based on paradoxes.

Where the government forces its people to travel to Cyprus for civil marriage, but never bats an eye at nightclubs closing at 6 a.m. Where religion and politics are – quite literally – the two nesting pillars, and are more often than not interchangeable. Where our greatest accomplishments consist of being among the top 10 party cities, and breaking the Guinness World Record for the biggest hummus plate.

I love my birth country more than anything in the world. Despite all its flaws and political turmoils, I remain the devil’s advocate. However, there are certain things I will never be able to overlook, nor defend; and that is the Lebanese population’s innate racism and intolerance.

On Sept. 20, Lebanon’s Minister of Education Akram Chehayeb took to Twitter to discuss the Near Eastern country’s refugee crisis.

“Despite all the challenges, we will not allow any student to remain outside of school in Lebanon, whatever his nationality, and we will endeavor to ensure a comprehensive and just education for all,” his words read. “The human right to education is a sacred right guaranteed by all international conventions and laws.”

Such an accepting statement did not sit well with a number of people, and was followed by an overtly racist, some would call ‘nationalist,’ caricature. OTV, a Lebanese broadcasting channel, shared a cartoonist’s take on Chehayeb’s words. The drawing shows two Lebanese students walking to school, only to be greeted with a sign that roughly translates from Arabic to: “We apologize, the school is full of Syrians, Palestinians, Indians, (an offensive word for Black people), Ethiopians, Bangladeshis.”

The Daily Star reported that the cartoon has been removed from OTV’s socials as of Monday, with no response from the channel about the backlash.

It’s no secret that Lebanon has had its fair share of conflicts from the influx of refugees, due to the many strifes the Near East has had to face over the years. Not to mention the unresolved Civil War issues, placing the country in a devil’s palm, where the people live in imminent fear of it happening again. Suffice to say, a country with a pint-sized territory of 10,452 square km bites off more discords than it can chew; and for inexplicable reasons, remains hungry for more.

One thing I have learned since moving to Montreal is how similar we all are once we get over our differences. At times, I have more in common with a Syrian or Palestinian citizen than I do with a Lebanese one who has lived their entire life in the same country as I. I even go as far as relating to many Latinos about similar childhood moments, mostly ones relating to parental disciplinary methods. Because globalization has enabled us to look beyond one’s nationality, and realize that no ethnicity is better than others – especially not ethnicities that live so close together. 

As the years go by, I don’t believe the sentence “I am not racist, but” should be tolerated anymore. It is not acceptable to follow antiquated ideals of favouritism, and elitist attitudes, where one believes themselves to be better than others.

I grew up in an environment where institutionalized racism was ever-present, but was taught to treat everyone with respect and kindness. I’ve outgrown, and educated myself out of that innate racial bias, and I am only 22. What’s your excuse?

 

Graphic by Victoria Blair

 

Categories
Sports

Emily Magee comes back to familiar territory

Rugby forward had quite the journey since her first Stingers appearance

Concordia Stingers women’s rugby head coach Jocelyn Barrieau was surprised when her former player Emily Magee of the Dawson College Blues contacted her this summer, saying she wanted to rejoin the team this season.

Barrieau first coached Magee when she was the head coach of the Dawson College women’s rugby program, a position she held from 2007 to 2011. The Stingers’s website statistics might show that Magee’s at her fourth season with the team, but don’t get fooled. The St. Louis, Missouri native hasn’t played those four years consecutively.

“It’s been a bit of a wild journey you could say,” said Magee. “When I first came to Concordia, I was a pretty young athlete, as I was immature, and didn’t know how to train properly. I came to Concordia because I loved their communications program, but also because they had a really good rugby program.”

Yet, obstacles changed the course of Magee’s rugby career and life. She explained she wasn’t ready for what university came with, as she got overwhelmed by assignments and anxiety at times.

“I had a hard time finishing essays and even simple assignments [when I started university],” Magee said. “I even had essays I never handed in. I finished them on time, but never handed them in because they weren’t good enough for [my personal expectations]. I then stopped playing rugby for two years. I just didn’t play at all.”

Those two years off the field, where she spent her time doing things like playing video games, pushed Magee to get her rugby career back on track. She said she didn’t recognize herself, as she’s always been very active in life.

“I hit a rock bottom, especially regarding my mental health,” said Magee. “It pushed [me to change] and fix something because things [weren’t] working for me. I’ve always dreamed of playing for Canada, U.S.A., or just nationally. That was kind of a push to try, because [when I stopped], there was nothing happening with myself. I had nothing to lose, and see what happens.”

Since then, Magee traveled around the world and played rugby for several elite teams, including in the U.S.A. and New Zealand. Now at age 29 and with a lot of rugby experience, Magee said this was the perfect time for her to come back to Concordia to finish what she started.

“I’m not a Canadian citizen, I’m a permanent resident,” said Magee. “Over a five-year period, I have to live two in Canada. I traveled a lot in the last five years, and had to come back in March to start making up some days. When I came back to Canada, I thought it was the perfect time to complete my remaining credits, and put my degree behind me to close that chapter. I then thought of Barrieau [and the rugby team here], who coached me at Dawson College.”

The Stingers forward added that her game has completely changed since her first rugby experience. She explained that her skillsets were very limited at first.

“I could just run fast,” said Magee. “I couldn’t really pass or tackle. I’ve been naturally gifted athletically, but all of my skills I had to develop and work on. By getting older, I had to push myself because at the end of the day, you need to grow your own game.”

Barrieau said the team knew that Magee’s presence and talent would be felt quickly. She explained that the positivity and energy the forward brings to the team is unique.

“Not everybody can bring such things [the way Magee does],” said Barrieau. “The experience she brings to our team is huge as well, as she’s matured by playing, traveling and looking to others [these past years]. She’s learned and matured a lot on the field.”

After missing the Stingers first two games of the 2019-2020 Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) season, Magee registered five tries, 25 points and one nomination as the most valuable player (MVP) of the game in two matches. She said that if her hard work these past years paid off, one thing she’ll always keep in mind that is that the key to success is to have fun doing what you do. She added that’s exactly how she feels with the Stingers.

“Barrieau’s creating such an awesome team culture,” Magee said. “It creates an [environment] where you can make mistakes. You can fail, and it’s not the end of the world to do so. Having the freedom to make those mistakes, have a bad game and not make great decisions all the time makes it so much easier for me to just play the game. I’m honestly so grateful to have the opportunity to come back. I’m really proud of what I’ve been through and where I am now with rugby. It’s a dream come true.”

Feature photo by Laurence B.D.

Categories
Sports

“We’re looking to bounce back” Stingers defence prepare for playoff push

Defensive coordinator Ed Philion. Photo by Laurence B.D.

Concordia Stingers linebackers Jersey Henry and Sam Brodrique travelled to Ottawa this summer to take part in the annual U Sports East-West Bowl; a game meant to be a showcase of the top draft-eligible U Sports players in Canada.

“Good players never half-ass, they always run, they always try to make good plays,” said Brodrique. “Even when [those players] are opposite of the play, they’re always on the ball. That’s what good players do and that’s what we need to do on defence.

This isn’t a normal season for the Stingers. They’re in the middle of head coach Brad Collinson’s first true season at the helm after being hired late summer 2018. This year, he cleaned house and hired an entirely new coaching staff.

So far, at 1-4, the season has had its ups and downs. On offence, quarterback Adam Vance has emerged as a top playmaker in U Sports, even claiming offensive player of the week in Week 5. James Tyrrell is currently the most dangerous receiver in the division. On special teams, Kevin Foster has been one of the most dynamic returners in the RSEQ, and the kicking duo of Andrew Stevens and Bradley James Santos has helped put points (and wins) on the board for the team.

The learning curve on defence has been a little different. While players like Brodrique, Henry, Wael Nasri, Khadeem Pierre, former fullback Yassir Laarais, and Zamaad Gambari are enjoying solid individual seasons, the whole defence as a unit has struggled. The Stingers are currently ranked last in the RSEQ in both pass and rush defence.

Enter Stingers defensive coordinator Ed Philion.

The coach’s resume includes playing and coaching experience to the team. He played in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers, and an eight-year stint with the Alouettes of the CFL, where he played with Collinson in 2003.

Philion’s won two Grey Cups, the first in 2002 as a player and the second in 2015 as a coach with the Edmonton Eskimos. After retiring as a player, Philion travelled North to the CFL, coaching with the Toronto Argonauts, Saskatchewan Roughriders and Edmonton Eskimos. His experience is part of the reason the team responds well to him.

“Our coaches do a really good job translating the game plan, and making sure terminology isn’t too choppy,” said Henry. “All of our coaches having experience playing in the NFL, CFL, playing at that level that we all aspire to play at. Any time our coaches have anything to say, we listen.”

Now Philion’s job includes trying to shut down some of the strongest teams in Canada. After starting the season 0-3, Philion was adamant that he was trying to build the foundations of a winning squad.

“We just want to get better each game and build off of [the games],” explained Philion. “The last two games [against Laval and Montreal] we didn’t play well, so we’re looking to bounce back and we’ve focused a lot on teaching technique.”

For Henry and Brodrique, the goal for the rest of the season is to establish the defence’s gameplan, and that includes playing with speed.

“Everyone knows that our game plan is to bring pressure, it’s no secret,” said Henry. “For us it’s just making sure that we’re hitting our gaps and making sure that we’re doing everything that’s going to help our teammates make plays if we’re not the ones making plays.”

“We’re not a big team, we’re a fast team,” explained Brodrique. “We’re not just going out there to give a good game, we’re trying to win.”

Feature photo by Laurence B.D.

Categories
Arts

IT Chapter Two: This sequel ain’t clownin’ around!

This sequel ain’t clownin’ around!

… Other than the fact that it is

Walking into IT Chapter Two,  I was expecting some jump scares, some laughs, and to walk away from it without thinking much about it. However, this movie ended up giving me quite a bit to think about.

IT Chapter Two, directed by Andrés Muschietti, takes place 27 years after the events of IT and the charismatic cast of child actors have been switched out for adult counterparts. Together, they go back to their hometown to defeat Pennywise once and for all. It’s a fairly simple premise, but its long runtime of 2 hours and 50 minutes really hones in the fact that there’s much more to it. I found myself becoming invested in some characters, but several themes were under-addressed.

The look of this movie effectively establishes a dark and creepy tone, and it had a nice, crisp image that I liked. There were interesting angles and camera movements used to make some scenes even creepier. However, what it gained in visuals it lost in its script. It felt formulaic. I only felt invested in particular characters because of the work of the actor as well as my personal connection to the character’s situation. That being said, certain characters were not explored as much as they should have been, which led to a disappointing representation of themes in the film, such as homophobia and sexual violence. There could have been an interesting discussion on these themes, as well as trauma and growth. I just wish there was more effort put into the underlying emotional elements to the movie and that these major themes had been explored with more complexity and depth.

Another shining element of IT Chapter Two was its top-notch cast. James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, James Ransone, and Jay Ryan replace the kids from the first film, and Bill Skarsgård returns as Pennywise. Although I’ve already known of the talent of McAvoy and Chastain, this film allowed me to finally appreciate the distinctiveness of two other actors: Bill Skarsgård and Bill Hader.

Compared to the last film, Skarsgård has a lot more to say. He has more screen time and dialogue, and his presence was much more raw and genuine. In particular scenes, his facial expressions and voice push through the heavy makeup and effectively creeps you out. Unlike the last film, I felt a real human presence there. I admire how his performance is so deeply rooted in the character, especially since that character is a non-human, deranged clown. Hader, on the other hand, comes in full force with a seemingly comedic role that becomes heart-wrenching by the end. It is evident that he can truly draw an audience into his character and make them feel for him, and he is one of the many comedy actors who successfully proved himself to be a commendable serious one as well.

All in all, IT Chapter Two was flawed but it was fun, and Bill Hader stole my heart. 3.5/5 stars. 

 

Graphic by Victoria Blair

Feature photo source: New Line Cinema

Categories
News

Poli Savvy: The storm before… the storm?

It’s been a whole new world of pain for the Liberal Party, as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau deals with accusations of racism over his use of “brown face.”

Old yearbook photos have been posted by TIME Magazine, showing Trudeau with a unique take on Aladdin, complete with a turban and dark face paint. Naturally, many Canadians were less than impressed with this attempted display of multiculturalism, leading Trudeau to issue apologies to the public and… NDP leader Jaghmeet Singh?

According to CBC, Trudeau approached Singh to apologize for the incident – a confusing move, seeing that Aladdin is of an Arabian background, not Indian. Moreover, it seems that Singh has enough on his plate, given that the Steel Workers Union of Regina might vote Conservative according to the Regina Post. A traditionally New Democrat group in the NDP heartland, workers are being forced to choose between work opportunities provided by a pipeline or job protections offered by Singh. Whether this highlights a dangerous trend among unions is yet to be seen, but the NDP certainly cannot afford to lose support after previous defections to the Green Party of Elizabeth May…

… who is facing her own scandal, covered by the Toronto Sun since an image on the party website shows her holding what appears to be a photoshopped reusable mug, though the truth is much more sinister. It was proven that May was instead using a single-use paper cup to store her coffee, leading to calls of hypocrisy by voters who feel that the pro-environment leader should lead by example. How this will affect the Green Party’s chances at a federal majority is too early to say. Regardless; Liberal scandals, NDP popularity drops, and Green Party controversies could prove to be advantages for the Conservative Party of Canada’s leader, Andrew Scheer.

Well yes, but actually no, since the National Post reported that Ontario’s CPC base is in trouble due to major cuts in healthcare, environmental protection, student grants, social services, legal aid… basically everything, by Conservative premier Doug Ford. A fact not lost on Scheer, who, interestingly, has conducted most of his Ontarian campaigns without Ford by his side. Undoubtedly a risky move that could alienate “Ford Nation” voters, but one that would gain the approval of no other than Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet.

Incensed by the cuts to French-language services, under Ford no less, Blanchet has expanded his campaign to include francophone towns in Ontario; as covered by Global News. Claiming that French-speakers outside Quebec are being treated like second-class citizens, he has called for votes towards an independent Quebec, a bilingual Supreme Court, and expanded powers for the federal commissioner of official languages. In other words, nothing new; but a stark contrast to fellow Quebecer Maxime Bernier.

From claiming that carbon dioxide is not a pollutant to backing a candidate who had published racist tweets, as covered by CBC, the People’s Party of Canada leader is no stranger to controversy. However, Bernier is facing a lot of criticism for calling environmental activist Greta Thunberg “mentally unstable”, in a series of tweets back in September. Aside from the fact that picking a twitter fight with a 16-year-old is frowned upon in politics, his choice of words proved quite poor seeing that Thunberg has autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.

Ultimately, how these scandals impact the upcoming election remains to be seen. Canadians will simply have to vote for whichever party they feel is the best choice for Canada or the best option available.

 

Graphic by @sundaeghost

Categories
Sports

VIDEO: Marc-Olivier Brouillette has no beef

Former Montreal Alouettes linebacker Marc-Olivier Brouillette talks living a vegan lifestyle as an athlete in a panel discussion at this year’s Montreal Vegan Festival.

Video by Calvin Cashen

Categories
Opinions

Perspectives on “Brownface,” from a brown-faced person

It is almost starting to feel that in the  #MeToo era, you can’t react quickly enough to any story linked to sexism, harassment, racism, etc – and that’s a good thing. It’s high time that survivors and victims of sexual assault have this safe space where they instantly have trust and public opinion on their side. Even if, in reality, getting an actual recourse of actions against the perpetrators is a little too much to ask. Remember Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey-Ford?

But what has been lost in this knee-jerk reaction, is the time to reflect – before, during, after.  It’s like once the public condemnation has come down, there is little room for anything else. And this is where it becomes dangerous.

The latest, of course, has been the Justin Trudeau brownface debacle. And following the trend that has been set forth, let me firstly make an exaggerated, arm waving, red faced denunciation of his actions. We are talking about the year 2001 here, Mr. Prime Minister – I know it wasn’t the age of woke but it wasn’t even the age of utter disconnect with global discourses. Coming from a political background, one would assume (though why should we?) that you would have been more sensitized to the issues of race, stereotyping and the deep emotions of hurt and abuse that are associated with these actions.

The any-other-colour-except-your-own face has a terrible history. It has been implicit in creating ridicule simply for the sake of laughter and amusement. It is demeaning to those of us whose identities are reduced to our colour only. The revelation of these images has given rise to a great debate about who Trudeau really is. There are accusations of racism, and of course statements of how unfit he is to be the leader of this country. And all of this is justified. We need to be held accountable for our actions.

But here, I want to move beyond Trudeau and this specific incident. I want to take a moment to remember that we are the sum-total of our actions and thoughts. Not one action. Not one thought. The sum-total of all our actions, since the time we are mature enough to make our own decisions to the day we die.

I realize that in such a reactionary world this has become an unpopular opinion, but it is precisely why we need to pay attention to this. One action doesn’t define us, because if that was the case, then I am quite certain that none of us would be free of charge. What’s more, what constitutes right from wrong, socially acceptable behavior, attitude and norms are constantly evolving, as we become more aware of the diversity of identities that exists around us.

We also need to consider at this point whether one action from the past is all it takes to discount the evolution that we might have made as a person since then. Is there no room to recognize that people grow and learn from their mistakes?

Again, I feel I must emphasize here that this doesn’t discount Trudeau whose privileges should have made him more aware of various social considerations.

Moreover, with a highly-charged political environment, these stories have the effect of distracting one from the more serious question. Was brownface stupid? Yes, a hundred times yes. But, is it as worth our attention as much as immigration policy, climate change, the refugee crisis? No. A thousand times no.

Am I positioning one issue above others? No! What I am simply saying is that the tendency of getting swept away in the social media world is far too great, while the current political situation demands that we do just the opposite – that we stay anchored and vigilant. That one individual’s stupidity and lack of sensitization to other people’s identity doesn’t let us become insensitive in return to the impact our lack of attention can have on millions of others.

As a brown person, who because of her student status has no voice in the outcome of the Canadian election, I feel it is critical that we maintain focus on the issues that go beyond this. And yes, one can correctly argue that such incidents pile up to bigger crimes of violence against minorities, which is why we need to move forward now and look out for and work against those greater structures of violence.

 

Graphic by @sundaeghost

Categories
News

Simply Scientific: Planting trees to absorb carbon dioxide

Half a million flocked to the streets of Montreal for the Climate Strike last Friday. A Swedish girl with braids led the crowd alongside Indigenous representatives. Pickets yelled that now is more of a time than ever to redefine tree huggers as regular citizens. Signs, such as “stop deforestation,” bobbed among the sea of people. However, what is it about deforestation that hurts the planet? How does planting trees exactly combat global warming?

The answer is intrinsically tied with the atmosphere, fossil fuels, and something called fixation.

Fixation is not about being excited to see that cute boy Sebastian from class on the shuttle again. It doesn’t reference picking at chipped nail polish or studying profusely. Fixation, for our purposes, refers to the process of converting something in a gaseous state to an organic solid one. Such deposition plays a major role in the growth of plants.

For trees, fixation starts around tiny windows on their leaves called stomata. Carbon dioxide passes through them like little Ellis Islands. From those portals, the gas assimilates into being an integral part of nature’s skyscrapers; used to synthesize sugars crucial to making bark, roots, et cetera. Without carbon dioxide, timberlands would have nothing to be made out of.

When plants evolved into existence, they diversified and spread across the habitable Earth. Vast forests expanded and soaked up tons of carbon dioxide from a prehistoric atmosphere. For millions of years, greenery all over the globe fixated tons of the gas into stalk, leaves, and whatever other arborous body parts that can cross the mind.

As geological eras progressed and different woods died, a lot of their remains became trapped underground. Hidden away by dirt and the ages, the forests of the past (along with some animals) would be pressurized and decomposed into fossil fuel. The same shrub a dinosaur might have eaten also feeds your uncle’s car!

In the period that H.G. Wells wrote The Time Machine, the Industrial Revolution created its own chronological loophole. Humanity began burning natural oil and gas to spark the modern age we live in. As payment for all the progression, the planet has been forced to deal with almost two centuries of greenhouse gases transported from eons ago.

Gaseous carbon dioxide can take hundreds of years to leave our skies. Planting trees is a way to fix the substance into an organic form that won’t absorb the sun’s heat. A garden you like to read in is not only a sanctuary for the brain, but a way to maintain icecaps, safe sea levels, and weather patterns. Every nonelectric car and lawnmower helps pollute our ecosphere with chemicals from before our ancestors had fingers.

 

Graphic by @sundaeghost

Exit mobile version