Author: Fatima Dia

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Student Life

Broken Pencil: Commuting to Loyola

Graphic by @spooky_soda

Construction still slowing down shuttle commutes

The shuttle bus is one of those things that is both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because it cuts the time it takes to get to Loyola in half and it’s really convenient to be able to go directly from one campus to the other. But it’s a curse because we live in Montreal, the nation’s capital of traffic congestion.

Overcrowdedness is one of the several reasons why students aren’t completely happy with the shuttle bus system. It’s not that they aren’t used to overcrowding, like what happens on the metro routinely. The difference is that once the shuttle doors close, you’re stuck on that bus until you get to Loyola, for however long it takes, with however many people they can squeeze in.

“It’s either 15 minutes early, or 30 minutes late,” said Youmna el Halabi, a Concordia student and frequent shuttle bus user. “When it’s late, it tries to fit as many people as it can so that we don’t miss our class, but then it ends up feeling like a pickle jar.”

Another reason for traffic congestion is frequent delays; there’s not much blame that can really go to the buses—the problem is beyond Concordia’s shuttle service. It’s the never ending, year-round road obstructions either due to construction sites, highway lane closures or foundation repairs to the infamous Turcot Interchange.

On Nov. 9, 2018, the dismantling of a portion of the Highway 15 ramp in the Interchange began which, according to Transport Quebec as reported in CTV Montreal, would cause an unprecedented amount of traffic for Montrealers. Transport Quebec went so far as to even advise drivers to use public transit if they could, to consider working from home if possible and to avoid making non-essential trips. While construction on the Interchange is expected to be completed in 2020, according to a 2016 report obtained by the Gazette, even if Montreal tripled its investment in infrastructure repairs immediately, the city wouldn’t have all necessary construction completed until 2040.

“It’s a lack of investment for the past 50 years in Montreal that [caused] this situation,” transport minister François Bonnardel told the Gazette. “After we finish the Turcot Interchange, we’ll start Louis-Hippolyte-La-Fontaine (Tunnel), so for sure in the next ten years it’s going to be a lot of investment in Montreal, but we have to do it.”

The problem is that there’s not much that can be done about these sites, considering that construction happens out of necessity. But as Concordia student Stephanie Ricci states: “It’s too cold to have us waiting for 20-30 minutes,” said Ricci. “The solution would be to have more buses.”  

Feature graphic by @spooky_soda.

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Student Life

Great expectations, at what expense?

Feature graphic by @spooky_soda

Cramming to finish your degree isn’t worth the mental exhaustion

Take a step back and look at your life from a different angle. Are you happy? Are you okay?

There’s a significant amount of pressure on students to achieve something in their young adult life, so much so that sometimes people forget that expectations aren’t always great. More often than not, this pressure comes from within. The individual lens that we see life through is tinted with the wants and needs of external factors: parents, society, friends, and the need to ‘become.’ It’s not a simple feat to differentiate between what’s really best for you and what you think is best, because of all these factors.

In 2016, The Charlatan published an article highlighting different factors contributing to university dropout rates. According to the article, most students leave because they’re unsure if their program is right for them.

“In the first year, dropouts were already struggling in terms of meeting deadlines, academic performance and studying patterns,” according to The Youth in Transition Study sourced in The Charlatan. “Compared to graduates and graduate continuers, more dropouts felt they had not found the right program,” the study stated.

Here’s the truth: deciding on your future at 18 is practically impossible. You’re told to make the most important decision of your life at an age when your brain is still evolving. According to the University of Rochester Medical Center, the human brain isn’t fully developed until the age of about 25.

When you wake up one morning and ask yourself if what you’re doing is worth the stress, money, and effort you’re putting into it, remember you’re allowed to change your mind, take a break and refocus your lens.

“Overall, being out of school let me take time to focus on myself,” said Rachel Doyon, a student in Montreal. “It also made me miss school—I think that was the biggest benefit. Being reminded that I was in university because it was something I was passionate about, not just an obligation. I still get little pangs of disappointment when my peers graduate ‘on time,’ but it was the best choice.”

‘On time’ is the key term here: this is exactly the kind of ‘want’ or ‘need’ that we associate with ourselves, but really it’s an outside factor. The concept of graduating on time is not at all an objective conventional setting: the only timeline that matters is your own personal clock. Granted, there are several factors that affect when you graduate: maybe your parents pay for your education and you don’t want to prolong it, or perhaps you have to prolong it because you pay for it yourself.

According to a study on persistence in post-secondary education in Canada done by York University, only 57 per cent of students aged 18 to 20 graduated, or are continuing in post-secondary education, 8 per cent of which were enrolled and dropped out. Students aged 20 to 22 had 14 per cent drop out rate of the 60 per cent enrolled in university.

“Even though my parents wouldn’t have minded, I just would’ve felt weird, like I fell off the train,” said Ali Sabra, a Lebanese student who was offered a year-long internship abroad, but refused because it didn’t feel right to take two semesters off. “Being in Lebanon, it’s virtually unfathomable to ‘take a year off.’ It’s the rush thing for sure.”

Culture played a big role in Sabra’s decision-making, but being in a rush to graduate is rather universal. In all fairness, it’s okay to want to graduate as soon as possible. You might not want to pass up an opportunity that would benefit you more in the future in the name of finishing sooner.

“I went into psychology because my parents got so excited, but I wasn’t sure I liked it,” said Noura Nassreddine, a previous American University of Beirut student. “The next year, I told my parents I didn’t like it and I needed to take a break, so I did.” During her gap semester, Nassreddine found what she really loved, and is now on her way to becoming a Paris-trained baker. Nassreddine’s experience is a reminder that your 18-year-old self doesn’t always know what you want your future to look like.

Choosing a career path is not a light task, and yes, sometimes you aren’t ready to decide where to go straight out of high school. It’s okay to go in blind and try things out, and then decide to change your mind. If you have the means, the patience, and the will, go find what’s best for you. When making decisions, consider which you’d regret more: doing it, or not doing it, whatever ‘it’ is.

All in all, taking time for yourself is as important as finishing your degree. Making sure the degree you’re getting is what you want to continue with and is important, too. Remember that your mental health is a key aspect of your success—take care of yourself so you can have the mental capacity to achieve your goals. Sometimes retreating is important to help put things into perspective. At the end of the day, life will bring you all sorts of problems in the future, so what’s an extra semester or two, anyway?

Feature GIF by @spooky_soda

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Student Life

AIESEC at Concordia

Volunteering abroad is only a few steps away

If volunteering abroad is something you’re interested in, AIESEC (pronounced eye-sek) is an organization to look into. A non-profit international youth-led organization offering global internships, AIESEC aims to take young adults out of their comfort zones and into a world where their help can make a difference.

On Friday, Nov. 23, AIESEC held a conference at the John Molson School of Business where volunteers, who now work with the organization, spoke about their experiences abroad.

AIESEC has three main sectors for its internship programs: Global Talent, Global Entrepreneur, and Global Volunteer. All three revolve around an exchange system where young adults from different parts of the world travel to share their talents, entrepreneurial skills, and volunteer. The projects they organize are based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) created by the UN, as well as the #Envision2030 17 goals for persons with disabilities.

“I wanted to go somewhere completely different from what I knew,” said Stéphan-Thomas Trembley, who went to Indonesia last summer. He worked with consultants on a project aimed to help the economic growth and development aspect of the SDGs. “I think about it all the time, and I wish I could live it again. It’s inspired me to want to travel more, talk to people, and get to know their side of the story,” Trembley said.

Harnessing leadership and communication skills is only part of what is gained from going abroad. Students also learn about different cultures, different day-to-day routines, and even find similarities where they thought would be none. One of the things Trembley found most inspiring is that “people are the same.”

From beginning to end, AIESEC ensures their trips are safe. The Outgoing Global Exchange sector’s purpose is helping students with their exchange process—from airport pickups, to transportation, to accommodation, everything is planned carefully. Volunteers stay with assigned host-families while they’re overseas, and these families are often also volunteers. Depending on the project the student chooses, the time varies from six weeks to three months.

“I went to Romania to develop leadership skills and ended up meeting wonderful people and really creating a network of people all over the world that made this experience the best it could ever be,” said Ève Provencher-Dagenais, Local Branch Manager of AIESEC Canada. “I promised myself I’d go back to Romania, and I also want to go to a different country to learn a new culture.”

According to its website, AIESEC is the largest youth-run organization and is present in 126 countries with over 80,000 members.

“I’m originally from Sri Lanka, and over there AIESEC is a big movement,” said AIESEC Concordia Outgoing Global Exchange Vice President Sathsala Perera. “I was really inspired by what they do with youth development.”

The application process is done online using a step-by-step guide. First, you need to create a profile. According to Perera, the reason for this is that the organization is highly selective of their applicants in order to ensure the best possible outcome for all parties involved. The plane ticket is covered by applicants themselves, and there is a fee of $570 that goes towards the individual’s accommodations, food and basic care while they’re abroad.

“I joined AIESEC for empowerment,” said Perez. “I stayed with AIESEC because I saw this as a platform. A lot of people at Concordia don’t know about it, but it’s an important organization. Come and use us, use the resources we have here.”

Feature graphic by Ana Bilokin

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Student Life

Filmmaking meets anti-colonial education

Le Frigo Vert’s Anti-Colonial Feast expands into a week-long series of panels, workshops and screenings

Le Frigo Vert returns this year with its Anti-Colonial Feast. This time, they’re partnering with Cinema Politica to include the art of filmmaking in anti-colonial education. The events are also presented with QPIRG Concordia, People’s Potato and Midnight Kitchen.

“Because we’re a health-food store with a focus on environmental issues, we really try to make it clear that we feel that social justice and environmental organizing should be rooted in Indigenous solidarity,” said Hunter Cubitt-Cooke, an employee and organizer at Le Frigo Vert. “It’s often never mentioned when we talk about the environment or social issues. For us, that’s what we’re trying to get people to think about, and be involved in.”

“[The feast] is co-organized with QPIRG, Cinema Politica and Midnight Kitchen, and they all have different networks,” Cubitt-Cooke said. He praised the broader audience they will hopefully be reaching this year, thanks to the diverse networks from each organization involved. “The main goal is education for students and people who might not be involved in Indigenous solidarity.”

Le Frigo Vert hopes to expand their outreach in order to spread the importance of Indigenous solidarity and history. This year, instead of a one-night event, a series of events revolving around Indigenous solidarity and education will take place from Nov. 20 to 26.

Upcoming events:

On Nov. 20, Michelle Wouters will give an Introduction to Indigenous Solidarity & History workshop at QPIRG Concordia on 2100 Guy St., Suite 205, from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Wouters is a Sixties Scoop and breast cancer survivor who was adopted by white Europeans and came to Montreal in 1990. She studied humanistic studies at McGill University, and graduated the day after the Quebec referendum of 1995.

A three-hour panel on Indigenous People and Criminalization will take place in Le Frigo Vert on 1440 Mackay St. on Nov. 21, and will begin at 5:30 p.m. Speakers will include Sheri Planteau, an Indigenous mother from Winnipeg residing in Montreal, who was incarcerated for 15 years, and Vicki Chartrand, a Bishops University professor whose focus is on incarceration, criminalization and imprisonment as a colonial institution.

On Thursday, Nov. 22, the Native Friendship Centre will open its doors for the Anti-Colonial Feast. Before digging into the food, there will be a screening of RECLAMATION by Thirza Cuthand. This collaboration is part of The Next 150: Documentary Futurism, a project started by Cinema Politica aimed to share radical and independent documentaries. Although the food is free, the event itself is a fundraiser for the Native Friendship Centre and the Kanehsatà:ke Longhouse land defense fund.On Monday Nov. 26, Cinema Politica Concordia will conclude the Anti-Colonial Week events with the Canadian premiere of First Daughter and the Black Snake. Following the film, protagonist Winona LaDuke and director Keri Pickett will join the audience for a Q&A.

Feature film still from RECLAMATION, directed by Thirza Cuthand

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Music

Rami Malek brings Freddie Mercury to life in Bohemian Rhapsody

Malek delivered an exceptional show of love and tension with minimal words.

“Is this just fantasy?”

Open your eyes, look up to the screen, and see just a poor boy make the most legendary music of all time. Rami Malek delivered an honest and stunning portrayal of Queen’s frontman in Bohemian Rhapsody.

I walked into the movie theatre with my friend at 1:20 p.m., thinking I’d catch a relatively empty theatre. I found most seats taken by elderly people; I knew I was around real fans.

When the movie was first announced in 2010, I believed Sacha Baron Cohen would have made the perfect Freddie Mercury. Boy, am I glad that didn’t go through. From the constant pursing of the lips to the jittery head movement, Malek had Mercury down to a tee. It’s no surprise that critics, despite some negative feedback about the film’s production, had nothing but praise for him.

Now picture this. It’s the Green Day Concert at Hyde Park in London in 2017, but the band is late. On comes “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and more than 65,000 people chant along to the anthem, word for word, tone for tone, melody for melody. The whole five minutes and 50 seconds. That’s the kind of timelessness that Rami Malek brought to the screen. And for me, that’s how epic the movie was.

The opening scene followed Freddie Mercury from his home bathroom, to the backstage of the Live Aid concert. Fans could tell it was him from the white sleeveless undershirt, tight jeans, black belt with silver studs, and black leather bracelet around his bicep, along with silver studs—the outfit he was best known for wearing at his concerts.

In the background, “Somebody to Love” played. Fitting, considering the scene showed a lonely Mercury. Right before he set foot on stage, the screen faded to Farrokh Bulsara—the man before the stage. This is the beginning of Freddie Mercury.

Subtlety was the movie’s main controversial aspect: some critics and fans were disappointed that the movie did not explicitly showcase Mercury’s sexuality and substance-use. It’s true, those aspects are fundamental when it comes to portraying Mercury’s personality. But so much more value was added to the performances and to Mercury’s emotional struggle by focusing on that instead of sex and drugs.

In a scene where Mary Austin goes to Munich to see Mercury, there’s cocaine on the table, but it doesn’t show him snorting it. During Queen’s first tour in America, there’s a scene where a male truck driver gives Mercury a look before they both enter a bathroom, and it’s clearly implied that they hook up.

The tension between Mercury and his father was almost tangible—both Ace Bhatti (who played Mercury’s father) and Malek delivered an exceptional show of love and tension with minimal words.

When it comes to recent movies, sex and explicit scenes are a huge part of the equation—more often than not it’s because they never fail to get people’s attention. Bohemian Rhapsody’s subtlety is a breath of fresh air to me, and it allowed the viewer a lot of room to focus on Mercury as a person. People know that he did cocaine and was gay, and I don’t think it’s necessary to expand on those details. The close-up shots of Malek’s eyes while the party continued in the background showed more of his pain than a shot of him snorting cocaine would. The way he spoke to Jim Hutton showed more of his homosexuality than a sex scene would.

When Mercury buys a house, only Roger is able to be there. Through Malek’s performance and the trembling of his voice, you can tell how desperately lonely Mercury felt. The singer going above and beyond to throw a party showed the extent to which he tried to hide his loneliness.

The production did a great job at portraying the struggle with depression and loneliness in someone as flamboyant and out-of-the-ordinary as Mercury. I think Bohemian Rhapsody—considering the different interpretations of the song that include suicide attempts, demons in your head and death—showed how sneaky darkness can be.

The most heartbreaking part, to me, was the press conference during which reporters practically attacked Mercury.

“I’m not the band leader, I’m just the lead singer,” said an exasperated Mercury. “There are four of us, why are you only asking me?” With flashes and cameras and zooming in and out, sunglasses on, and his hand on his head, Malek’s performance and the direction of the scene were engaging and devastating. I could feel him suffocating, and still trying to deal with answering extremely personal questions that had nothing to do with his music.

Much room was left for the actors to get as personal as possible—to me, creating scenes from an omnipotent-narrative stance (a third party) gives more information to the audience, but doesn’t allow us to go through the story with them as confusingly as the characters themselves.

The end took the viewer back to the Live Aid Concert and the same steps that Mercury took in the opening scene. This time, we’re shown the whole of it: Roger Taylor, Brian May and John Deacon surrounding Mercury as they prepare to step onto the stage. This scene is difficult to describe in words, but I will say that it will rock you.

The film ended while the credits rolled over “The Show Must Go On,” and the audience did not move. Every criticism of the film I heard prior to then completely disappeared—not only because of the movie itself, but also because of the energy in that room; a silent, collective appreciation of Malek as an actor, and the beauty of storytelling.

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Student Life

Taking time off to follow your passion

Photo by Fatima Dia.

Michel Zhao opted out of cell biology to expand interior design business

It all started with boredom and a timeless desire to make money. Concordia student Michael Zhao realized that, despite his love for cell biology, he wanted to do more than study.

“I was really bored, and looking for a job didn’t seem fun for me,” said Zhao. “I think it’s very important to have fun doing something.”

Last March, Zhao began a project he thought would be a good step toward a lifestyle he felt comfortable with—interior design supply. Zhao is now the middleman in the world of interior design, the link between supply and demand, dealing with furniture, textiles and decorations.

“Right now, we’re doing a lot of old French styles, like châteaus,” said Zhao. “People see this hundred-of-years-old chandelier and say ‘I want that,’ and I find someone who can replicate or create it with whatever changes they want.”

Zhao’s fascination with symbolism, paired with a bit of Versace influence led him to name his company Arachne. The name is taken from a Greek myth in which a talented weaver is turned into a spider after losing to Athena in a weaving contest.

“A lot of things we do are textiles, and Arachne, as in spiders, they weave, right?” Zhao explained with a smile. “And I chose the logo based on that.”

The black and gold logo is a spider shaped like Spider-Man, sharp-edged with long legs and a small body. Two olive leaves symbolizing Athena surround the spider. “The inspiration came from Versace and their black and gold Medusa,” said Zhao. “The idea is I want to make something so beautiful that it will stun everyone that sees it.”

Right now, Zhao is the company’s only employee. But, when addressing his customers, he believes it’s important to use the pronoun “we,” to establish a form of trust and wholeness for both the customers and suppliers he works with. “I’m the guy who finds all the manufacturers and gets them to work together,” Zhao said. “It’s basically a distribution and collection thing, and there’s more than one party involved.”

When it comes to marketing himself, Zhao targets smaller companies that would not necessarily have the means to hire a full-time middleman. “For them, it’s better to work with an outsider than to hire someone because I take the risk,” said Zhao. “If I’m an employee at their company, even if it’s my fault, the company is still held responsible. By outsourcing it to me, it’s never the company’s fault.”

One of his most notable projects this year was a Quebec City home, which the owner wanted to emulate a “princess castle.” “Crystals [were] everywhere,” Zhao said with a smile. “She wanted her visitors to have their heels click to crystal on the floors.”

Zhao makes money from each project and, according to him, he has made about $50,000 since his first.

Although he has yet to establish an online presence, Zhao has been on the road meeting with people and companies at interior design expos, cocktail parties and networking events.

Sticking to business cards with an email and a phone number, Zhao continues to strengthen his business locally and internationally. His latest project is in Los Angeles. “It makes me happy that I can sleep in,” Zhao said with a laugh.

Feature image by Fatima Dia

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Student Life

Dive into an 1830s opium bar

Image by Fatima Dia.

Bar Datcha switches vibes with jazz and tarot every Thursday

Walking through the doors of Bar Kabinet on Laurier Ave. W., adjacent is Bar Datcha. The warm yellow light in the entrance dances off the walls and drink glasses at the bar, creating a magical atmosphere. Patrons sit drinking and chatting with the bartenders, while a low hum of jazz music emanates from within the walls.

To the right of the bar, black curtains lead the way to the main event: a jazz band performance, and tarot card reading. Opposite to the entrance, the room has pitch-black walls with dim lighting and cloud-like smoke, setting an “1830s Parisian opium bar” vibe.
At the table across from the band sits Samuel Bonneau Varfalvy, organizer and tarot reader, waiting for his next client. He’s lively and interactive, making it feel like those who speak with him already know him. Varfalvy is an artist, manager and musician, who also teaches music. With his partner, Isaac Larose, a nightclub promoter, he brought to life the idea of jazz and tarot in a nightclub. “This whole [tarot reading] thing started a couple of years ago,” said Varfalvy. “I became a little obsessed with tarot after reading about it and learning.”

“He went crazy and started bringing his taxi drivers in the apartment for readings,” Larose said with a laugh. “We’re roommates and I was just like ‘that’s not okay.’ My girlfriend then suggested we look for somewhere to do this in.”

The duo started the concept of jazz and tarot last year, at The Emerald on Park Ave. That only lasted about five months partly due to, according to Valvarfy, misconceptions about the nature of tarot. “There’s a very strong Jewish community [there], and a lot of Hasidic people associate tarot with dark magic and witchcraft,” Valfarvy said. “They thought I was a sorcerer or something.” He shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

After the Emerald, the pair found Bar Datcha and thought it was the exact embodiment of their vision. “I think a lot of people would not necessarily go see a tarot reader,” said Larose. “If you put it in a different context where it’s really easy to just try it, people might end up liking it.” The aim of this unusual pairing was also to encourage people who would perhaps not go on their own to have a fun and unorthodox experience.

As for choosing Datcha, Larose, who has worked with other clubs such as Tokyo Bar, wanted to take the already popular vibe and see what else could be added to it. “We wanted this little bar where there’s tarot, and we feel like we’re in an opium bar in 1830s Paris,” said Varfalvy. “And Isaac said, ‘Oh we should add in some jazz,’ and we were like ‘Let’s call it Jazz and Tarot.’”

Varfalvy’s main influence in the world of tarot reading is Alejandro Jodorowsky, a mystic, healer and cult filmmaker who has studied tarot reading in depth. “He’s a psychedelic movie director,” Varfalvy said with a smile. “[Jodorowsky] found the old Tarot de Marseilles from the 16th century, technically the original cards, and he reprinted [them] using this old tarot card printer in France.”

To Varfalvy, tarot is a performance art in a way. “There’s nothing magical or mystical about tarot to me,” said Varfalvy. “It was a sort of card game, and for some reason, people started using them for like 16th century psychology.”

Varfalvy has a methodology he follows when reading cards. His technique revolves around two foundations. The first is accepting that it is not magic, but psychology. The second is accepting that the future cannot be known, simply anticipated. “The cards point to a relationship with the future that you have,” said Varfalvy. “It’s one of two things: you either desire it or fear it.”

Varfalvy gives the deck of cards to his client and asks them to think of a question while shuffling it—for orientation and direction. He then takes the cards and spreads them in a semicircle on the table, and asks the client to pick three cards out of the pool. According to him, the first one to his right is past, the middle is present, and the last one is future.

“I’ve never done tarot reading before, so there was some apprehension and skepticism going in,” said Cameron Begin, an event attendee. “My friend told me to try it for experience, and often there are people who are good at connecting. Immediately, I felt that I connected to Sam, and kind of surrendered to him and what he had to say. As the cards began to fall and he read them, it felt like he did have a strong intuition. It gave me food for thought.”

At 11:30 p.m., Datcha switches to techno and becomes a full-blown nightclub. In the meantime, Varfalvy continues doing readings for those Larose brings him.

“Bring me my next victim,” Varfalvy said with a laugh, welcoming the next person to the chair across from him.

Bar Datcha (98 Laurier Ave. W.) hosts Jazz and Tarot nights every Thursday.

Feature image by Fatima Dia.

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Student Life

Ashura beyond the screen

Graphic by @spooky_soda

Teaching selflessness with the story of Husayn (a.s) and Ahl al-Bayt

One of the things I remember most about growing up in an Islamic school was the Ashura sermons given at the local Mosque in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. Men and women would listen to the story of the Muharram for ten days, every year. I was about ten years old when I went up to listen to the sermons instead of staying downstairs with the other children. My Arabic wasn’t very strong, so a friend translated to English the whole time.
That was the first time I cried over Imam Husayn (a.s) and Ahl al-Bayt, the family of the prophet. To this day, the Shia community, along with some Sunnis and Sophists, remember the death of Husayn (a.s) and the lessons of those ten days by mourning the tragic events. The Mourning of Muharram, a ten-day period, begins in the first month of the Islamic Calendar and varies in length depending on the lunar calendar.
For years, media outlets have horribly portrayed Ashura. What’s mostly shared in news coverage is self-flagellation, which was historically done so people could feel the smallest bit of Husayn’s pain and suffering. The Muslim community doesn’t condone this practice anymore; it is completely prohibited. However, all attempts at getting the meaning behind Ashura across and sharing the full story of Husayn (a.s) and his family have been distorted or called out for biased representation.
I am not particularly religious and, in all honesty, it took some time to stop hating those ten days because the violence that was propagated, at times, was difficult to look past. It is not a true and honest representation of Ashura.

“[Ashura] makes you read history through eyes of humanity,” said Sheikh Ali Sbeiti, head sheikh in the Centre Communautaire Musulman de Montréal (CCMM).
In the year 61 of Al-Hijra of the Lunar Islamic Calendar, AD 680, the Battle of Muharram took place in Karbala, Iraq. This battle was between a small group of supporters and the family of the prophet Muhammad—mainly followers of his grandson, Husayn ibn Ali—and a separated larger military group led by Yazid I, leader of the Umayyad Caliphate. This battle lasted one day, and is called the 10th of Muharram, or Ashura.
In the days leading up to this, Husayn (a.s)’s camp was surrounded, and Yazid’s military had blocked their access to the Euphrates, leaving the men, women and children without water for ten days. Husayn (a.s)’s six-month-old son was killed while he held him.
The night of the 9th day, Husayn (a.s) told his men they had the choice to leave in the darkness of the night rather than face certain death the next morning, when battle came. None of them left. Husayn Ibn Ali’s companions consisted of 32 horsemen and 40 infantrymen. The battle was over by the afternoon, with Husayn (a.s) left alone between enemies. He was executed in prayer.
The Umayyad then took the heads of the dead, and the women and children as prisoners in their walk from Karbala to Damascus. They were held hostage for a year, many dying of the conditions and of grief. Sukayna bint Husayn, Husayn (a.s)’s daughter, was one of the first to die of grief after she saw her father’s severed head.
A lot of people wonder why, 1,400 years later, Ahl al-Bayt are still mourned. Sheikh Ali Sbeiti recalled a saying from the prophet: “If you want to thank me, show respect and love for my family.” From a religious perspective, it’s as simple as that: you remember to keep the respect and love for the family of the prophet alive today.
My ten-year-old self didn’t know what Sunni, Shia, Christian, Jew, or whatever, meant. All I knew was that there was a family that was hated—oppressed because of different beliefs and views—and the leader of that family had stayed to fight that oppression. That alone should be reason enough for this story to be relevant today. We continue to fight many types of oppression such as ethnic, gender, geographical, and more.
“Such personalities don’t belong to Shia’s only,” said Sheikh Ali. “They belong to human value.”
This past Muharram, a woman on Twitter complained about a picture that depicted a child dressed in black wearing a headband that said ‘Husayn’. “Child abuse,” she tweeted. “For the sake of proving a sectarian point. Of course there will be extremism if from this age you throw at them extreme sectarianism.” As long as the story of Husayn (a.s) and his family is told in a considerate and calm way, there is nothing abusive about teaching children this story. The CCMM, for example, shares this story without the gruesome details.
Husayn (a.s)’s brother, Abbas Ibn Ali, went into enemy territory to bring back water to the camp because Husayn (a.s)’s daughter was thirsty. He did not drink any water in solidarity with his family, despite being parched. Those details are what should be taught to children: sacrifice, compassion and selflessness.
Chams Jaber, head organizer of the CCMM, said the centre focuses on activities that are engaging and educational to share the lessons of Husayn (a.s). “We learn about patience, and having no fear against oppression,” said Jaber. They hold activities such as the recreation of the battle as an art piece, where all the kids add to it while being told the story, she explained.
There are traits that historical figures pass along, and sometimes they happen to be timeless. Husayn’s teachings are relevant today, and Ashura is meant to honour that. There really isn’t much else people need to take from this.

Writer’s note: the (a.s) after Husayn (a.s) means ‘peace be upon him’ and is a gesture of respect.

Feature graphic by @spooky_soda

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Opinions

To be or not to be? Or, to stay or not to stay?

Graphic by Ana Bilokin

The city of Montreal’s role in preparing students for life after university

I have two more years in the safe environment of university life before the boundless and merciless maze of a world takes over my life. Much like other long-term planners, the question that plagues me night and day is: What’s next?

I moved from Lebanon to Montreal two years ago, and Concordia has quickly become a haven in the metropolis. Now, I don’t like to get too comfortable in places where I know my stay is temporary, so I make a point of planning what comes after my time at Concordia. The problem this time is that, unlike high school, I will be thrown into the mad world of adulthood where my sole focus will be to find whatever purpose I should fulfill.

I often find myself walking across René-Lévesque St., looking at all the suits rushing around and wondering if this is my purpose. Am I to walk these same streets, go about these same routines, all the while still trying to master a language that I have yet to learn?

Oh, yes—I should mention that I don’t speak French. Yet, I love Montreal. Part of what makes it amazing is how quickly I adapted to the snowy, moody, beautiful city-life. The metropolis makes it easy, really. Compared to other places, even around Canada and the province of Quebec, Montreal is so eclectic that you are bound to find something you identify with.

Although it’s in a French province, Montreal’s bilingualism makes the city home to immense diversity. I’ve heard about 17 languages being spoken while walking from the Hall building to John Molson. I’ve seen a woman wearing the hijab laugh audibly with a woman in shorts and a tank top. The city’s mélange of cultures is almost palpable.

Also, Concordia University is a beacon of innovative ideas; it constantly creates chances for students to make the best out of their time, personally and in their careers. Mary-Jo Barr, the university’s spokesperson said, “Montreal offers many advantages for those who want a complete university experience. It is culturally and linguistically diverse, and is seen as a place where students and graduates can prosper.”

In addition, while most universities in the province of Quebec are seeing a decrease in student enrolment, The Concordian reported that Concordia is experiencing the opposite.  The fact that it’s located in Montreal and its main language of instruction is English are substantial reasons, according to Concordia’s chief financial officer, Denis Cossette, and the senior director of financial planning and budget services, Jean-François Hamel.

I think this city is perfectly equipped to help students adapt to a balanced lifestyle. Unfortunately, I don’t think this privilege extends to graduates looking for a job. According to an article from the Montreal Gazette, Montreal’s unemployment rate has risen 0.4 per cent this past July—now sitting at 6.2 per cent.

There are discounts and offers for students all around the city that help make our stay more affordable; this perk does not extend to non-students. And for me personally, I’m a future journalist studying in a bilingual city whose media outlets rely heavily on French.

On top of that, having spoken to a few people who came here and stayed, what I noticed they all have in common is routine—they settle themselves here, go to work or university or both, come back home, have the occasional weekend outing, and repeat. The excitement of newness and diversity becomes normalcy. At one time, perhaps the beginning of winter was exciting for newcomers—but then, the cold breeze announcing winter becomes a cold reminder instead: “Here comes another six months or so of weather-induced depression.”

I do believe that those who are comfortable with a set, continuous routine can find their calling in this city. But I left home at 18 to come to a strange city, meet new people, make connections, be at Concordia, and then see where I can take what I’ve learned and do something with it. I don’t believe the Montreal that lies outside the safety net of Concordia is apt for me. I do, however, believe it’s the perfect city for transitioning into adult life.

Graphic by Ana Bilokin

 

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News

Concordia is in high demand

Graphic by Ana Bilokin.

Concordia’s student enrollment rising against provincial trend.

The province of Quebec is seeing a decrease in student university enrollment, but Concordia University is one of two schools witnessing exactly the opposite. 

Jean-François Hamel, Concordia’s Senior Director of Financial Planning and Budget Services, credited part of this increase to the influx of international students.

“We have an advantage here in Montreal,” he said. “The proportion of international students is increasing from year to year.”

Montreal is an eclectic city whose bilingualism offers a broader number of students the chance to study in the province. Mary-Jo Barr, the university’s spokesperson pointed out that Concordia’s main language of instruction is an advantage. Concordia and McGill are the only universities in Quebec that offer English as the language of instruction.

“Many students choose to study in English, which gives us an advantage over francophone universities in Quebec,” she said.

In a social media poll conducted by The Concordian, only one out of 20 Concordia students asked whether language of instruction was critical in their decision to enroll said no.

Denis Cossette, Concordia’s Chief Financial Officer, also mentioned the increase of francophone students interested in getting an English education.

“Montreal has this advantage,” he said. “You can study here in English and live in French.”

The 2018 World University Rankings by Quacquarelli Symonds placed Concordia University in the top 1.6 per cent among 26,000 universities globally. Concordia climbed 30 places from last year.

The increase in enrollment, especially of international students, has enhanced this new international placing. “It seems that there is a buzz for Concordia,” said Cossette. “Students are interested to come here.”

Being in Montreal, as Barr, Cossette, and Hamel all agree, is an advantage in itself. Living expenses in this city are more affordable to students, both local and international, when compared to other provinces that have English-speaking universities.

According to an online survey from expatistan.com, a website dedicated to comparing and contrasting prices between cities and countries, living expenses in Montreal are 11 per cent cheaper than that of Ottawa, and 22 per cent cheaper than Toronto.

“Montreal is a welcoming and affordable city that offers many advantages for those who want a complete university experience,” said Barr. “It’s culturally and linguistically diverse, and is seen as a place where students and graduates can prosper.” Montreal was voted as the best student city in North America, according to Quacquarelli Symonds.

Concordia is continuously being rewarded for its educational quality. According to Barr, the university is becoming increasingly known for its research.

“Concordia is a place where advances are being made in areas that have an important impact on society, including smart cities, health, artificial intelligence, engineering, and climate change,” she said.

Graphic by Ana Bilokin.

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