Author: Archives

Categories
Student Life

The power of love overcomes distance

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth

One student’s experience and advice for being in a long-distance relationship

I have been in a long-distance relationship for the past year, and believe me when I say, I am happier than ever.

It all started two summers ago, when I went to visit my family in Beirut, Lebanon. I promised myself one thing as I arrived at the Rafic Hariri airport: no summer crush whatsoever. I was determined not to give in to the first handsome, charming Lebanese guy I met. For a little while, I stuck to my promise and enjoyed the sun, food and time with my family.

Two weeks later, I realized the promise I had made to myself was a hoax, and maybe love is just one of those things a person has no control over. That summer in Beirut taught me that love happens when you least expect it and in the most unpredictable ways.

I was sitting in a coffee shop with my cousin, casually sipping a vanilla-hazelnut latte, when a six-foot-tall guy, seemingly in his early 20s, walked over to our table. Slightly tanned, fit and sporting a beard, he asked if he could sit with us in the most polite, gentle manner.

After speaking with him for less than 10 minutes, it was obvious to me that he possessed the three traits I admire most in a man: he was courageous, down to earth and kind.

In that moment, I knew I had to give him a chance and overcome my long-distance relationship fears. The traits I saw in him, as simple as they may seem, are the hardest qualities to find in a man my age.

So here I am today, in a healthy long-distance relationship with a trustworthy man who never fails to put a smile on my face. I don’t see him often, and when I do, saying goodbye feels like a stab to the heart—but with effort and commitment, we make it work.

For anyone currently facing the challenges of a long-distance relationship, here are some tips my boyfriend and I use to overcome the difficulties of living in different time zones.

We send each other a text message every two hours

If we are not in class, writing an exam or sleeping, we send each other a text every two hours. No matter how short or unromantic the message, it doesn’t matter — What matters is that we are thinking about each other.

We communicate

We listen to each other. Whether he’s interested or not, when I call my boyfriend after a long day to talk about my assignments, he still listens carefully and shares his thoughts and opinions. This is something I admire. We always make an effort to show interest in the other person’s day, no matter how small or insignificant the details are.

We send pictures of everything

Whether it’s a picture of my lunch or a selfie while he’s brushing his teeth, visuals are the closest thing we have to reality. We use them until we run out of storage.

We pay attention to small details

A long-distance relationship needs to be handled with much more attention to detail than a normal one. Although I truly do trust him, all it takes is one misleading video on Snapchat to get me asking questions. When I’m not around him, questions and assumptions seem to naturally bubble up. I believe that’s just part of the long-distance package. To minimize this, we do not forget to charge our phones and check in. We always try to be as clear and straightforward with one another as possible.

We make sure our visits are as long as possible

We are both students on tight budgets, so needless to say, we can’t afford an overseas plane ticket every month. For that reason, we stay as long as possible when we visit each other. It gives us more time to make up for all the date nights and outings we missed during the year.

We are optimistic

Don’t compare yourself to other couples. Don’t count the days until the next time you meet, because the more you dwell on it, the longer it will seem. Most importantly, don’t lose hope. Love from both ends of the rope isn’t something you find everyday. So if you and your partner share that love, even when you’re miles apart, cherish it.

– Anonymous

 

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth

Categories
News

CFS-Q petition circulates at concordia

President of Canadian Federation of Students-Quebec, Gregory Johannson, was seen talking to students in line waiting to pay their tuition last week.
The students were also approached and offered to sign a petition to leave the CFS, Canada’s largest student lobby group that represents students at over 80 universities across the country.
Johannson said he did not want to either confirm or deny that he was involved in getting students to sign any petition last week.
Concordia is one of 12 Canadian universities whose students began petitions calling for referendums to question their student unions’ membership with the CFS.
The Concordia Student Union and the Graduate Student Association are both members.
Petitions at each of the universities involved need signatures from 10 per cent of its student body in order to trigger a referendum at that school.
At Concordia, that translates to a little over 3,000 signatures.

Categories
Arts

Benvenuto a casa

It has been almost a decade since Steve Galluccio put his theatre career on hiatus to focus on television and movies. This week, he returns to the Centaur Theatre to present his latest creation, In Piazza San Domenico.
His new play, directed by Roy Surette, is set in the mid-century’s Italy. The comedy, which revolves around love and misunderstandings, was written by Galluccio with the image of Sophia Loren in mind as the lead.
“Cinematographically, it’s an era that was very interesting to me,” Galluccio said. “Italy was very interesting to me in the 1950s so I thought, ‘why don’t I pretend like I’m writing [the play] for Sophia Loren, and set it in the 1950s in Naples,’ which is where my people are from.”
In Piazza San Domenico marks the return of Galluccio to theatre after having spent the last couple of years working on various projects, such as the CBC/Radio-Canada TV series, Ciao Bella, and the movies Surviving my Mother and Funkytown, which finished filming in August.
The catalyst that propelled Galluccio’s professional life was the unprecedented critical success and popularity of his Montreal-based play, Mambo Italiano, first performed in 2000. Presented both in English and French – the latter a translation by playwright Michel Tremblay – the play succeeded to connect with audiences by portraying the coming-out of a young man to his Italian family with humour and sensibility.
Three years later, he was quoted by the Montreal Gazette saying “he was through with the stage,” deciding to concentrate on cinema. He has now clarified this statement, saying he was only expressing how he felt at the time. “I tend to always make these statements,” he said. “At the moment, it was one of those things when [you feel], ‘this is what I want to do for the rest of my life’ and then all of a sudden you say, ‘well, maybe not.”
This new production diverges slightly from the original style Galluccio fans are used to. “In my previous work, I have always played around with the notions of comedy and drama,” he said. “With Mambo, it was very funny but there was a moment in the play where it became very serious . . . In this play it is pure comedy, through and through.”
The production of In Piazza San Domenico starts Oct. 6. The French production, translated once more by Michel Tremblay, will be presented in summer 2010. Afterwards, Galluccio intends to add the roles of producer and distributor to his resume. He is also looking forward to working on other upcoming projects, including two that are still in development, with producer Denise Robert.
Nonetheless, he insists that, for the immediate future, his priority is to take a well-deserved break. “I have just had two projects back to back,” he said, “and although that is fantastic, it is quite tiresome . . . Now I just need to sit back and rest a bit and see.”

In Piazza San Domenico plays at the Centaur Theatre from Oct. 6 to Nov. 1.

Categories
Sports

Return of the Mack

The Concordia Stingers football team has a tough road ahead. As of last week, their record sat at a lowly 0-4. For many, four losses in as many games is a reflection of a bunch of underachieving athletes. The same can’t be said of the Stingers. In this case, 0-4 is a reflection of the countless setbacks the team has come face to face with since before the season even began. This year has been highlighted by an unanticipated transition that has forced both newcomers and veterans to adapt to a new style of play.
The Stingers are now facing tremendous pressure as they push for a spot in the playoffs after making the Dunsmore Cup final last year. Although it’s up to everyone on the team to make that leap, any hardcore or casual fan of football knows that the player facing the most pressure is the starting quarterback. QB Rob Mackay is definitely feeling the heat. After returning this year from a two-season absence due to a knee injury, Mackay is aware that a team’s record often unjustly rests on his shoulders. “It’s tough being a quarterback, because as soon as something goes wrong, people seem to want to get you out of there. I’m not afraid of the pressure, but it’s definitely something I’m aware of”.
Despite the added pressure that comes with being the anchor of a team, football remains a passion for Mackay day in and day out.
Hailing from Fort Dover in Ontario, the 22 year-old’s love for the game began in the 6th grade. Mirroring his father and two older brothers, he shuffled positions and eventually moved into the one he would carry into his college years. But for Mackay, football was more than just a sport. It was a vehicle that brought him closer than ever to his family. “Football was one of those sports that I could always play with my brothers. The sport is part of my family. It’s something we’ve always discussed and being the youngest they’re always on me about how I play, so it gets very personal”.
Although given the opportunity to play baseball at UBC, Mackay felt Concordia offered him the best of both the athletic and academic worlds. “I felt I was offered a better opportunity here. I had my recruiting trip here and I just fell in love with the university and the people.”
Mackay joined the Stingers in 2006, and just a year later suffered an injury that would end his season and pave the way for future rookie of the year and team MVP Liam Mahoney. Early in the 2007 Homecoming game, Mackay seriously injured his knee playing against Montreal, arguably Concordia’s biggest rival. All in all, the injury, which required surgery, was tough on Rob. Forced to sit out the rest of the season as well as the entire 2008, Mackay got a first-hand look at what it’s like to be an athlete watching from the outside. He looked on as his team amassed an impressive record only to fall short of disappointing the unstoppable Rouge et Or last November.
“Not playing, you almost feel like you’re not a part of the team. Game days are especially tough. Sitting in the press box, when your team is winning, it’s great, but when they’re struggling, all you want to do is get out there and help them.” Despite the injury and Mahoney’s stellar play, Mackay was reassured by his relationship with his teammates and coach. Thanks to the mutual respect he and Gerry McGrath share, Mackay knew that when the time came and he was ready, he would be back in the pocket setting up plays.
“The plan was always in place that when I came back, Liam would move to receiver. Coach telling me that kept my mind at ease.”
Mackay managed a comeback in due time, knowing that rushing back would only further the severity of his injury. He took the steps necessary for a full recovery. With the help of winter camp and his teammates, Mackay returned this season. Although shaky against Laval – but then again who isn’t – the QB has managed to impress despite the less than stellar record his team holds. Emotions naturally dampen after a defeat and Mackay admits that, although a loss should rest on the whole team’s shoulders, he can’t help but feel guilty because he holds the most difficult job in sports.
“There are things that some players can get away with, but if I make a bad throw or a poor read, it shows. There’s a lot of pressure to execute and when you don’t, you feel like you’ve let the whole team down.” Mackay knows that despite what anyone says, perfection is humanly impossible; that goes without saying in sports. Thankfully, the Stingers haven’t let their emotions create tension in the locker room; the entire team has become a family. Mackay takes comfort in this and that could translate into a succesful push for a playoff spot during the remainder of the season. Rob is even looking ahead to his final season in a Stingers uniform, when he believes Concordia can win the Vanier Cup.
“We have the tools, we just need our players to gain experience. This year, we have to learn to execute and stop making stupid mistakes. Next year, our young guys will come back and we’ll be a completely different team.”
As for his own future in football, Mackay is still undecided when it comes to playing professionally. Although he is currently studying Human Relations and has plans to enter its graduate program, the CFL isn’t out of the question. However, the rules and limits associated with drafting quarterbacks in the league may put a stamp on Rob’s decision.
“If I think I could have a long career in football, I’d like it to be an option, but I don’t think it is right now,” he said.
No matter what the future looks like for Mackay, all he’s concentrating on right now is giving the Stingers a chance to win after coming so close time and time again. And there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that Mackay is up to the task.

Categories
Student Life

Fashion at POP Montreal

Six emerging designers. Six diverse collections. Six industry judges. Only one winner. The event was the Puces POP Fashion Show and Emerging Designers Award, part of a series of events organized by POP Montreal. The date was Sept. 30 and the venue, Espace Reunion. Judges had the task of selecting the designer with the best Fall/Winter ’09 collection. The prize was $1,000, along with a $500 gift certificate to Le Ch

Categories
News

Harel should have seen it coming

The Vision Montreal mayoral candidate and former PQ minister, Louise Harel, was already unpopular with Montreal anglophones when she kicked off her campaign in August, by waving a broom and promising to sweep corruption out of city hall.
Terry Mosher, the well-known editorial cartoonist for the Montreal Gazette, saw the connection immediately. Throughout September, Mosher, better known under his pen name of Aislin, started drawing her as a witch – complete with green skin, a black pointy hat and, of course, her magic broom.
“I’d been looking for an angle on Louise Harel, because Tremblay seemed to be in trouble,” Mosher said. “So it looked like one of the most interesting campaigns in recent years. Harel, I knew she had problems with the English, so I knew I would get a visceral reaction if I drew her as a witch.”
It did draw a visceral reaction. Even Harel, in her interview with CJAD radio in Montreal, acknowledged it as a sign of the difficulty she’s had winning over English voters. Letters began pouring into the Gazette in response to Mosher’s depiction. Some readers expressed their delight at the editorial cartoons, but others accused Mosher of misogyny.
“It’s an old kind of approach from the male side,” said Beryl Watson, of Westmount, who wrote a letter to the newspaper criticizing the artist. “If a woman does anything, she’s called a witch, or something that’s spelled a lot like witch. [Mosher]’s supposed to be a top notch cartoonist with a fine sense of wit. I just feel he could use his brain better than that.”
Mosher denied any suggestion of prejudice, and said the entire point of his cartoons is to get people discussing an issue.
“There’s a couple of entitled women in Westmount who are saying, ‘how can I do this to women?’ But I do it to men as well. Come on, it’s a cartoon. This is satire and it’s cartooning. It has served its purpose. Rather than it being a dreary election campaign, suddenly personalities are evolving and people are talking about it.”
Mosher’s version of Harel has also drawn fire from an unlikely source: real life witches and Wiccans who accused him of misrepresentation.
“Some of his art carries a meaningful, if sarcastic, message,” said T. Scarlet Jory, a teacher at the Crescent Moon School of Magic and Paganism. “And sometimes it is like listening to some child trying to speak a language they don’t know at all and coming across speaking complete gibberish. This image is very much gibberish symbols to me. Aislin should do some research into the symbols and social meanings of them for the current era before using them.”
However, in the what may be a sign her image with Anglophones is in trouble, not even all witches sided with Harel.
“Doesn’t bother me at all. I think if you’re going to go with evil stereotypes, I would have drawn her in a white sheet,” said Carrie Rice-Leroux, of the West Island Pagans Association.

Categories
Opinions

Cigarette lawsuits are hypocritical

Quebec’s provincial government announced it will be filing a lawsuit against tobacco companies in a bid to recuperate the health care costs associated with cigarette use. The province plans to sue a consortium of tobacco companies, including Montreal’s Imperial Tobacco. Quebec’s announcement comes less than one week after the Ontario government filed a similar suit seeking $50 billion. These lawsuits are biased and hypocritical.
The trend of suing tobacco companies for health care costs started in the United States in the mid-90s when all 50 states came together to seek damages from American tobacco companies. The states and the tobacco companies eventually came to a settlement in which the states would receive $246 billion US over 25 years.
In Canada, the first province to try to take on Big Tobacco to task was British Columbia. In 1998, B.C. passed the Tobacco Damages and Health Care Costs Recovery Act, which allowed the government to seek damages from tobacco companies. Nova Scotia became the second province to launch a suit. Ontario and Quebec are the third and fourth.
Even though the provinces already collect billions of dollars a year in ‘sin’ taxes, they are now unilaterally changing the rules of the game to get their hands on more money. Not only will the cost of these lawsuits will be borne by smokers rather than the tobacco companies themselves, but taxpayers will have to foot the bill for what could very likely be a long and expensive trial.
The government is constantly attacking the rights of cigarette makers, vendors and smokers, while they operate near-monopolies in other realms of vice like gambling and spirits. Sure, cigarettes cause lung cancer and a handful of other ailments, but liquor and gambling destroy lives and tear families apart. People don’t lose their houses because they spent too much money at the tobacconist, nobody beats a spouse because they smoked too many cigarettes the night before. It seems strange that the government would attack such a passive hobby while simultaneously encouraging two others that are far more destructive.
Moreover, if we’re going to talk about health costs that need to be recuperated, tobacco is hardly the only villain. The government isn’t suing fast food companies, despite the fact that their fare is creating an obesity epidemic. The government isn’t suing car companies, whose products pollute the very air we breath. Cigarettes and smokers have become nothing more than easy targets for politicians who want to look like they’re doing something; politicians who want to seem like they care about society.
The free choices of adults should not be subjected to someone else’s moral code. Besides, the federal and provincial governments already collect billions in tax revenues from cigarette sales as it is. The government, provincial or otherwise, needs to focus on governing, not dictating the choices of citizens.

Breakdown of the costs of a carton

$20.42 Provincial tax
$20.00 Federal tax
$5.70 Cost of production
$1.70 GST
$22.48 Profit

Categories
Sports

Kelly-Anne Drummond cup finally comes home

After five long years of watching McGill carry home the title, the Concordia women’s rugby team finally brought home the cup named for a fallen Stinger.
The cup is in memory of Kelly-Anne Drummond, who played for Concordia’s rugby club and was murdered by her boyfriend on October 4, 2004.
On Tuesday night at Loyola Field, it wasn’t the game that mattered, or the title, or the bragging rights. What mattered was remembering Kelly-Anne and to support her family and families like hers that have been affected by domestic abuse.
“Kelly-Anne was a really happy girl, she loved rugby, she loved going to Concordia,” said her mother Doreen Haddad, “I had 24 wonderful years with her.”
“She was really dependable and super funny,” recalled Melanie Tranchemontange with tears brimming up, ” she was really where you needed her to be on the field and as a friend.” Tranchemontange was the last player to compete with Drummond in a Stinger uniform. Unfortunately, Tranchemontange graduated last year and therefore never got to raise the cup.
The event is more than just a game, it is also an opportunity to raise money and awareness to battle domestic abuse. This year almost $1,200 was raised for WomenAWARE, a Montreal-based group that helps families and victims with legal aid and support.
Every year since Drummond’s passing, the cup has been fought for by cross-town rivals McGill and Concordia. Every year the Stingers have watched the Martlets take home the cup– except this year.
The Stingers were able to break the streak with tries from Cortney Keeble, Lea Leahy and Jackie Tittley to take home the victory 24-7. Jessica Wong was the lone scorer for the Martlets. It was a cohesive effort by the Stingers as the coaching staff decided to start players that don’t normally get the opportunity to open the game.
“They fought for it and they capitalized on our mistakes and they deserved it,” conceded McGill captain Melany Waring. The Martlets have been honoured to be part of this event and as Waring puts it, the score doesn’t matter but that, “today it just meant loving the game.”
Haddad agrees and knows that somewhere, Kelly-Anne is cheering along with the crowd. “They (the Stingers) deserved it and maybe Kelly-Anne had something to do with it, she would be absolutely proud right now.”

For more information on WomenAWARE please visit www.womenaware.ca

Categories
Music

Quick Spins

Arch Enemy – The Root of All Evil
(Century Media; 2009)
9/10

Arch Enemy’s eight release, The Root Of All Evil, features re-recorded tracks from the band’s first three albums with Angela Gossow replacing former vocalist Johan Liiva.
If the words ‘metal’ and ‘frontwoman’ conjure images of Evanescence, think again. Gossow won’t disappoint.
The vocals of Gossow does Liiva justice; in fact it takes a few moments to realize that it’s a woman screaming.
Take the new version of “Beast Of Man” as an example. You’ll find it hard to believe that the primal roar infiltrating your ear is coming from the chest of a hot blonde.
Arch Enemy is Swedish death metal at its best. Wholesome metal staples such as doubled melodic guitar riffs and an overall heavy sound are hard not to love.

Trial Track: “Beast Of Man”

– Candace Roscoe

—————————————–

Zero 7 – Yeah Ghost
(Atlantic; 2009)
7/10

A strong album from beginning to end, Yeah Ghost is Zero 7’s follow-up to their Grammy nominated album, The Garden.
Yeah Ghost doesn’t quite compare to earlier releases. Their first album Simple Things remains untouchable. However, Zero 7 has kept the same energy used on past albums and gives Yeah Ghost a certain spark.
Most of the album is quite upbeat. Tracks like “Mr. Mcgee” and the lead single “Medicine Man” are probably the most head bob worthy, and “Swing” is a likely contender for next single.
With the return of guest singers (Sophie Barker), and the addition of Eska Mtungwazi, the lyrical tracks tremendously overshadow the instrumental ones, which, in the case of this album, barely even deserve mention.
Yeah Ghost may sound somewhat more evolved than previous albums, but the classic sound of Zero 7 remains.

– Owen Nagels

——————————————-

Girls – Album
(Matador; 2009)
8/10

There is nothing earth-shattering about Album, the debut release from the San Francisco duo Girls. Yet the surmounting hype may well be deserved.
Album is a collection of feel good songs that recall everything that was good about classic sixties California music. With hints of the Beach Boys, Jesus and Mary Chain, and Elvis Costello, there is a tinge of welcome familiarity that hits straight to the heart.
“I wish I had a suntan,/ I wish I had a pizza and a bottle of wine,” muses vocalist Christopher Owens. With its simple lyrics and romantic sentiments, Girls weave fuzzy surf-rock, shoegaze, and dream pop into accessible, pleasant melodies.
From the infectious “Lust for Life”, to the wistful “Hellhole Ratrace”, and the shoegazy “Morning Light”, Album is full of melodic pop songs, delivered with nonchalance and self-effacing humor.

Trial Track: “Lust for Life”

– Anna Chigo

Categories
News

March of the thousand umbrellas

Thousands of umbrella toting marchers filled Ste-Catherine St. on Thursday for Centraide’s “March of 1,000 Umbrellas.” The march began at McGill College Ave. and ended at the Complexe Desjardins. It kicked off the 2009 fundraising campaign for Centraide, which provides help to needy families, and promotes social and community involvement. The umbrellas are supposed to be a symbolic reminder of the vulnerability of impoverished and isolated families. But they did come in handy in the rain.

Categories
Opinions

Letters to the Editor

re: Tuition increases improve access (Sept. 29)
What dismay and frustration I felt reading the students’ own paper’s editorial calling for an increase in tuition fees. And what a combination of fantasy and far-fetched twists that argument was. What was the point, for example, of comparing student debt in Canada and at Harvard? Harvard students are wealthy to begin with, which most likely explains why they do not need to go into debt. I’d like to take a walk around its campus and see how many blacks or Hispanics from inner cities I can find.
If tuition fees go up, how would that make it any easier for poor students to pay? Scholarships can only help but a minuscule fraction of the students who would otherwise not be able to afford a post-secondary education.
There is as much a financial reason as there is an ideological one for the constant hike in the price of education. On the one hand we have complains about the sad straits of finances, and on the other lavish spending on unnecessary upgrades of equipment, expensive software and other sorts of non-essentials; all as if money was actually not a concern. Finally, this results in a pseudo-defeatist attitude that says: “there is no choice but to make students pay more”.
Eventually, what the issue of tuition fees and accessibility boils down to may not necessarily be the number of enrollment, or the welfare of the students enrolled, but who those students are and how equal the opportunities for post-secondary education will be to every segment of society, every age group, working and or family status.

-Sergio Saveliovsky
Undergrad, history

—————————————–

Great editorial on tuition fee increases, nice to hear a view that isn’t “stop hikes!”

-Patrick Rizzetto

————————-

re: Students want out of CFS (Sept. 22)
The Canadian Federation of Students has been out of touch with the student movement for decades now. This is epitomized by the fact that the current Chairperson of the organization is denying that petitions are currently underway! The student movement in Canada is on the cusp of shaking itself free of the CFS, and this is a great thing.
The CFS is a malignant tumour on the Canadian student movement. It has tried for years to claim that it is the student movement and that it speaks for students. This is patently false. This is what the CFS is: a group of bureaucrats in Ottawa who graduated from school years ago, and who have no idea of what contemporary issues in the student movement are.
So they dictate the issues they think we should believe in (like Israeli-Palestinian crap, like supporting the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, etc), which are often great, but not truly student issues (just wider social justice issues). But that’s not what’s problematic: the problem is that they are out of touch with students. They have no idea what is stirring in the student movement at any given time, since they are NOT STUDENTS!
So when a compelling case is stirring throughout the Canadian student movement, from coast to coast, they deny it. Case in point. I was hesitant to sign the petition and declare my support overtly, even though I felt this way. But the fact that they have the audacity to sit on their rich asses in nice Ottawa houses and tell us that there is no petition underway makes me angry enough to write this now.

-Valerie Decarre
Political Science

———————————–

re: re: Students want out of CFS (Sept. 29)
The idealism put forth by Gregory Johannson last week in his counter-argument to the prevailing belief in the country regarding the CFS (namely, that we should leave the CFS, and that despite repeated attempts to reform the organization, it has proven itself unable to progress and improve its structure and practices) is nice to hear, but not practical.
I consider myself an idealist. I have a disproportionately great amount of hope regarding the future; I believe that where there is a will, there is a way – in most cases. However in the case of the CFS, individuals and organizations (including myriad student unions) have sought to improve the democratic accountability, financial management, and campaign priorities of the organization for a good decade now. However, in each case it has failed miserably.
The CFS has proven itself highly resistant to change. It has been running the same campaigns for over two decades now (including to ‘lower tuition’); rather than becoming more democratic, it has made it harder for student unions to decide for themselves. The fact that the national branch of the CFS is denying that a petition drive is currently underway across the country shows how out of touch they are with students.
Thus, although I do commend the hope that Mr. Johannson seeks to inspire, I do not believe it is fitting in this situation. We must drop the CFS now, since any alternative has proven itself to be impossible.

-Phil Ilyestskiya
Psychology

Categories
Sports

Stingers best Gee-Gees

A solid 18-0 victory against the Ottawa Gee-Gees rounded out a perfect week for the Concordia women’s rugby team.
Coupled with their Kelly-Anne Drummond Cup victory, the win against the Gee-Gees solidifies the Stingers’ second place status.
Concordia played a textbook game, all aspects of their play was to the letter and executed well. Scrum-half Robin Hunter ensured that the ball was distributed evenly between the forwards and backs as both units picked up significant yardage. Adara Borys and Sarah Nesbitt dominated the mauls early, giving Concordia extra yards and time for the backs to set up their plays.
It wasn’t long before Concordia was on the board. A penalty kick from 20 yards out by Jackie Tittley pulled the Stingers ahead by three.
Last week’s Stinger athlete of the week Hughanna Gaw shone in the first half. Gaw single-handedly stole three Gee-Gee lineouts without being sent up as a jumper.
The Stingers did have difficulty with discipline in the match. A total of twenty penalties were committed by Concordia, with 13 in the second half alone. Gaw chalked up the number of penalties to over-thinking the simple things. “We were moving too fast but thinking too slow,” she said.
Vanessa Grillo scored early in the second half as a result of a Concordia ruck on the five-yard line. Tittley put the ball through the uprights to increase the lead to 8-0.
Two minutes later Tittley would score again with a penalty kick from 42 yards out.
Mistakes and sloppiness came into play, and it seemed the Stingers were trying too hard. Numerous dropped balls and failed kick returns resulted in increased pressure by Ottawa. The referee was kept busy penalizing the Stingers and the frustration began to show.
“We really need to work on coming back to calm cool collected when things don’t go our way,” said Grillo.
Ottawa was poised to score but Tittley managed to grab the ball and run 50 yards to relieve the pressure.
The forwards carried the ball upfield into Gee-Gee territory. Gaw scored on a blindside eight-man pick up and Tittley added the kick to make it 18-0.
The Stingers are currently tied for second place in the league with McGill. They will play the decisive tie-breaking match on Thursday night at MacDonald Campus at 8 PM.

Exit mobile version