Author: Alex Hutchins

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Fusing community work with politics

Green Party candidate Chad Walcott hopes to be a catalyst for change.

“Each different experience that I’ve had informed the next, and I’ve taken away something important from each one,” said Chad Walcott, a Concordia political science and government alumnus. Particularly, he’s learned how to communicate with people; how to get them motivated and wanting to take action on a given issue, he said.

Walcott is the Green Party of Quebec’s candidate for the borough of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce (NDG) in the upcoming provincial election. It’s Walcott’s first time appearing as a candidate affiliated with the Green Party of Quebec, according to his candidate profile.

Walcott said he was introduced to politics in 2012 when his time as External Vice President of the Concordia Student Union (CSU) coincided with the tuition hike protests. During this movement, Walcott was actively involved in many demonstrations, according to his profile.

“It was a very formative experience,” said Walcott, during an interview with The Concordian. “The power of people was really what stood out to me. That campaign gave me a taste for provincial politics that I couldn’t let go of.”

Walcott has a rich history of working with non-profit organizations (NPOs). After his time at Concordia, he worked with at-risk youth and children for about six years. “Then I went to work for the Jewish General Hospital raising money for cancer,” the candidate said. His involvement with various NPOs is, in part, what motivated him to run for the Green Party.  “Having worked in a few [NPOs] I know that part of the struggle is finding funding for their core mission,” said Walcott.

Currently, Walcott said, when NPOs apply for government grants, they have to “fit projects into very narrow boxes [and] bend over backwards to try to see how a given grant will fit in their larger mission.” According to Walcott, a review of funding structure on the provincial level is needed in order to address this issue.

Another change that Walcott calls for in his campaign platform is increased representation of minority groups in provincial government. As a person of colour, he emphasized the importance of encouraging minority communities to mobilize and draw attention to their issues. “If I were to be elected I [would hope] to be a catalyst for those kind of mobilizations,” he said.

One promise in the Green Party’s platform, according to the CBC, calls for the formation of a permanent council to address racism in Quebec. This past summer, according to the Montreal Gazette, former Project Montreal candidate Balarama Holness circulated a petition calling for the city of Montreal to hold a public consultation on racism and discrimination. According to the same article, the petition received more than 20,000 signatures.

Initially launched in February, the petition was at first deemed inadmissible on both the municipal and provincial levels before being accepted just recently, said Walcott. “The government doesn’t want to look at the fact that […] there are issues of systemic racism in Quebec,” he said. “They just refuse to look into it.” Walcott believes that, at a minimum, the council that the Green Party is suggesting should formulate an annual report assessing systemic racism, which will influence government policy. “Our voice is not represented right now in parliament,” he said. “I want to see that changed.”

Walcott also calls for free public transportation for all. This initiative would be partly funded through a carbon tax on gasoline, according to the Green Party’s website. Walcott has been heavily criticized for taking this stance, particularly from those who predominantly use vehicles not wanting to subsidize other people’s transportation costs. “But we’re looking at multiple sources of revenue to fund this,” he said, such as increasing taxation on large corporations, particularly mining companies.

One of the ambitious, long-term goals for the Green Party, Walcott said, “is to have [the] downtown core and the island of Montreal be essentially car-free.” The Green Party hopes to accomplish this through a combination of incremental changes, starting with improving public transportation infrastructure, abolishing limitations on carpooling legislations and encouraging carsharing programs, according to its website. “We’re not completely deleting cars from the urban landscape,” said Walcott, “we’re using them better.”

Walcott is aware that the Green Party of Quebec’s platform is ambitious and it’s unlikely to be voted in after this upcoming election. “Because of the position that we occupy in the political spectrum, we need to […] be ambitious,” he said. Walcott hopes that his and the party’s platform will influence other parties to follow in their stead. On Tuesday Sept. 11,  Premier Philippe Couillard announced that, if re-elected on Oct. 1, he will make public transportation free for all full-time students and seniors, according to the CBC.

“This is not something where we would just flip the switch and now everything’s eco-friendly,” said Walcott. “[Large-scale] change is something gradual.”

Photo courtesy of interviewee.

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Student Life

Slice of Life: Bloody botany

Graphic by @spooky_soda.

Watering your plants with diluted menstrual fluid

Do you like plants? Do you bleed once a month from the holiest of holy holes? Are you always looking for ways to save a few bucks and produce as little waste as possible? Well boy do I have a rad tip for you! If you’re up for the challenge, try diluting your menstrual fluid with water, and use that when watering your plants—it can essentially replace your need for fertilizer.

According to Planet Natural Research Centre, fertilizer mainly consists of three macronutrients: potassium, phosphorus and nitrogen—the same nutrients found in blood. Many organic gardeners also use blood meal fertilizer, which contains a high percentage of nitrogen and is made from dried animal blood, usually cow.

“Farmers have used blood meal since blood meal has existed,” said Jade, a Concordia master’s student who practices horticulture by fertilizing her plants with diluted menstrual fluid. “If you want, you can buy fertilizer at the store, but who knows where it came from,” she said. “Who knows how it was made—it’s probably a petrochemical.”

After Labour Day weekend, Jade and I sat down in a sunlit café to talk about her botanical practices. It was only after almost one year of using her menstrual cup that she one day stopped and thought, ‘Why am I dumping this and how can I make use of it?’

“For me, it was just obvious. I have plants—I’m going to use it on them,” Jade said. Properly diluting your blood is not an exact science, she explained, “but your plants will tell you.” The typical dilution ratio is 10 cups of water to one cup of blood.

In her apartment, Jade has multiple plants that she has grown from seeds: figs, bell peppers, lemons, dragon fruit, tamarillos. She even has a third-generation tomato plant, meaning Jade eats tomatoes that grew from the seeds of an earlier tomato, that came from the seeds of the original tomato (whew). She uses her menstrual fluid dilution on all of her plants.

Jade said that when people learn of her horticultural practices, she’s typically met with skepticism. “There’s definitely a stigma, but we eat plants from the grocery store that we don’t ask any questions about,” she said. “We just accept it.” Jade said she often gets put into a box with a big man-hating, feminazi label on it. “This has absolutely nothing to do with the patriarchy, and everything to do with zero waste.”

Feature graphic by @spooky_soda

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Student Life

Thousands rise for justice

The Montreal Raging Grannies is a non-profit organization that has been active in Montreal for 25 years. Through songs and other political demonstrations, they bring attention to a variety of social justice and environmental issues. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Action against climate change and divestment is needed, now.

With signs held high and voices ringing clear above the blaring traffic on Commune St. E. in the Old Port on Saturday Sept. 8, more than 200 protesters united against the climate change crisis. Rise for Climate was supported by non-profit organization 350 Canada, in collaboration with a handful of local grassroots initiatives such as Leap Montreal, Rap Battles for Social Justice (RB4SJ) and the Montreal Raging Grannies. The gathering was one of more than 900 rallies simultaneously taking place across 95 countries worldwide, all demanding divestment from fossil fuel industries, among other things.

“Indigenous women and girls are three times more likely to experience violence, and six times more likely to be murdered than non-Indigenous women,” said Beatrice Dimaculangan, an activist, rapper, and community organizer with RB4SJ.

“We’ve already passed the point of no return,” said Sally Livingston, a Concordia alumna and member of the Montreal chapter of the Council of Canadians. “We do not want our tax dollars going to any more fossil fuel investments.” Toward the end of August, according to Global News, the Federal Court of Appeal quashed the Trans Mountain Pipeline plans due to insufficient consultations with Indigenous communities. However, according to the same article, Trudeau has not yet ruled out appealing the court’s decision, and “is maintaining that it will get built.”
“The fact that [the federal government] is pushing the Trans Mountain Pipeline through […] shows us that they haven’t changed their ways,” explained Nicolas Chevalier, one of the founding activists of the non-hierarchical organization Leap Montreal. “They don’t understand what it means to be in a climate crisis.”
“I think the Kinder Morgan Pipeline is totally retrogressive,” said Carole, a protester. There are three things Trudeau has shown us by spearheading this project, she explained: “He has broken his primary election promise, he has ignored consensus, and he is going backwards – just like Mr. Trump.”
Rise for Climate was attended by people from all walks of life: activists from various backgrounds, patrons, both young and old, families with children—all united as a community trying to salvage this planet we call home.

“The same system (capitalism) that drives climate change is the same system that drives inequality,” said Bianca Mugyenyi, a member of Leap Montreal. “At the end of the day, we want to do more than just avoid catastrophic climate change,” she said. “We want better lives.”

But the window for avoiding catastrophic climate change is quickly closing; we are and will continue to experience the effects of rising global temperatures throughout our lifetimes, albeit with regional variances. During a press conference on March 29, Amina J. Mohammed, secretary-general of the United Nations, explained that, unless accelerated action against climate change is adopted by 2020, the 2016 Paris Agreement goals will become unattainable. According to the 350 Canada website, 97 per cent of scientists agree that climate change is caused by human greenhouse gas emission. “So then why do our politicians keep making the wrong decisions?” asked Mugyenyi. “They’re moving in the wrong direction.”

Bea Dimaculangan spoke about how climate change disproportionately affects marginalized communities. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Capitalism benefits from the existence of systemic oppression: from racism, from sexism, from violence against Indigenous communities. Capitalism is rooted in the mass exploitation of resources, and exponentially increasing profit margins somehow justifies the further exploitation of those resources and the political violence directed to already marginalized communities.
“Indigenous women and girls are three times more likely to experience violence, and six times more likely to be murdered than non-Indigenous women,” said Beatrice Dimaculangan, an activist, rapper and community organizer with RB4SJ.
“When Indigenous girls are trafficked into sex trade […] where is left for these girls to turn to when the very system meant to protect them proceeds to exploit and neglect them?” Dimaculangan held back tears as the power of her voice kept the crowd locked in to her every word. “These women are not solely victims of violence, but also of a justice system that doesn’t seem to give a shit about them.”

We have a responsibility—as Canadians, as allies, as human beings—to speak up. Not after the next major environmental catastrophe; not after coastal cities are completely underwater; not after the next oil spill wreaks havoc on another Indigenous community. The time for change is now. “The science is indisputable,” said Mugyenyi. “Enough is enough.”

Feature photo by Alex Hutchins

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Student Life

How to save a life

Alfie, enjoying a weekend outside of the city in Barkmere, Que. Courtesy of Sabrina Prosser.

Opening your home and heart to the SPCA goes beyond helping animals in need

“I went into this saying to myself: I’m going to gain companionship, and I’m going to look for a dog that really needs me,” said Concordia student Sabrina Prosser. She is the proud owner of Alfie, a rescue Siberian husky from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). “I didn’t realize I was the one who needed zootherapy,” she said.

Although Prosser didn’t officially adopt Alfie for six months, she said she knew after one month of fostering him that she wanted to adopt him. Courtesy of Sabrina Prosser.

Prosser met Alfie through the Montreal SPCA’s foster care program, and became his foster parent toward the end of October 2016. If you’re an animal lover who isn’t quite ready to commit to a pet long-term, this program gives you the opportunity to have another heartbeat in the house without having to plan much ahead.

 

“The foster care program helps us save more lives,” said Anita Kapuscinska, a Concordia John Molson School of Business graduate and media relations coordinator for the Montreal SPCA. Kapuscinska described it as one of the best tools the SPCA has for volume influx management, and in terms of potential foster parents, “university students are just such a perfect fit.”

Although each animal’s case is different, a typical fostering period can range anywhere from one to three months, explained Kapuscinska. The SPCA works with aspiring foster parents to find an animal that best suits their living environment, caregiving abilities and financial situation, she said. “We’re in this together.”

“If I had a question about [anything],” said Prosser, “I just called them, and they gave me all the information I needed.” All veterinary assistance is also covered by the SPCA, she said.

Both Kapuscinska and Prosser are Quebec natives who moved to the island of Montreal to attend CEGEP. “I grew up in a household where we always had pets, and we’re also an Italian family,” explained Prosser. “Going from that to living completely alone was really intense and quiet.”

Starting university can be a daunting experience, especially if you’ve just moved away from home for the first time. I’ve had pets ever since I was young. As a toddler, my parents owned two large dogs, after which my mom got a black cat, and my dad got two English bulldogs. Not all in the same house, though, thankfully.

Three years ago, when I packed up my prized possessions and relocated from Toronto to Montreal to start university, I didn’t miss my family nearly as much as I missed my family pets. (Sorry mom). Two years ago, I decided to get myself two rats, and have since shared two foster cats from the Montreal SPCA with my roommates.

My current foster cat, Myr, who I share with my current roommates. Photo by Hania Kerr.

“We really wanted a dog in our lives,” explained Olivia McFarlane, a Concordia student and active foster parent with the SPCA, “but we knew we couldn’t support a dog for an extended period of time.” McFarlane and her two roommates have fostered three dogs through the SPCA over the past year and a half. McFarlane explained that one of the hardest parts of fostering an animal is that you never know exactly what you’re going to get. “The SPCA will inform you as much as they can,” she explained. But with a dog that may have a slew of behavioural issues, “you’re not going to know what to expect all the time.”

Prosser recalled the late day in October when she brought Alfie home from the SPCA. “He ended up peeing all over my apartment. He chewed everything, and he had no idea what furniture was,” said Prosser, with a smile. “And somehow that charmed me.”

After a lengthy court battle between the Montreal SPCA and the dog’s previous owners, Prosser officially adopted Alfie in April 2017. While Prosser ended up adopting her foster pet, both Kapuscinska and McFarlane continue to foster animals. Kapuscinska said her first foster pet was the most difficult to say goodbye to, but afterwards, she described always having a feeling of accomplishment. “We saved this animal,” she said, “and you helped them find a forever home.”

Belly-up and covered in lipstick kisses, Alfie grins sheepishly at the camera. Courtesy of Sabrina Prosser.

Prosser explained that she often receives praise for having saved an animal in need. “I’m like, no no no, he rescued me,” she said. Prosser explained that she struggles with anxiety and when it is more pronounced, she can spiral into slumps of depression. However, Alfie’s high energy and demand for attention “really forced me out of my vicious circle,” she said. Prosser explained that there were many days when Alfie pushed her out of bed with cuddles and kisses. “I love him so freaking much,” she said.

As university students, it often feels like we’re perpetually stressed about something, and it can be difficult to maintain a positive morale. Given that our financial and living situations are typically fluctuating, adopting an animal isn’t always viable. Temporarily fostering animals through the SPCA will not only give you access to animal companionship (re: infinite snuggles), but you’re providing a home to an animal that would otherwise await adoption in a cage. Be warned, though, falling in love is known to occur!

Feature image courtesy of Sabrina Prosser.

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Student Life

The Broken Pencil: Anticafé

Graphic by @spooky_soda

My new favourite café-workspace

When it comes to being productive, whether that’s pumping out an assignment for a class or an article for The Concordian, it can’t be done at home — I have to go to a café. Some will hermit in their room (re: cell) for the weekend, but I can’t resist the alluring smell of freshly ground coffee. Paired with the buzz of vitality and obscure music that fills some of my favourite go-to spots around Montreal, cozy cafés are next to irresistible for me.

As I struggle to pull open the front door to Anticafé (turns out I had to push), the barista greets me and asks, “Est-ce que c’est votre première fois ici?” (Translation: Is this your first time here?). Anticafé is located by Champs-de-Mars metro station, in the bustling European-esque Old Port, at 406 Notre-Dame St. E — a very francophone part of Montreal.

Yes it is my first time, and I’m already in love. The exposed brick wall, the succulents and floor plants that litter the lounge space, the mismatching upholstered armchairs, the lofts with massive writing desks — all of the decor fits together so perfectly. Imagine an elderly individual who danced shoeless at Woodstock, collects jazz vinyls, and owns a parakeet named Clancy, yet manages to keep up with the millennial hipster trends. This person is the assumed interior decorator of Anticafé.

It’s taken me awhile to find my favourite hideouts, which are typically in N.D.G, within walking distance of my apartment. However, Anticafé is one quaint hub I will always trek across the city for, and not simply for its eclectic decor. Arguably, the best feature of Anticafé is that you pay a grand total of three dollars per hour.

During this hour, you have access to everything at the café, with the only catch being that you serve yourself. Everything from specialty coffee, tea, biscuits, toast, and other light snacks, which can vary slightly depending on the day, are there for your taking. The barista will even help you prepare any specialty coffee you want, so no worries if you don’t know how to properly steam milk to get that perfect microfoam for a latte!

I enter my name and email address on the touch-screen computer near the front entrance to start my timestamp, and slowly make my way through the café. Toward the back, there is a decent size kitchen, filled with driftwood shelves stocked with unique mugs, jars, tea cups and saucers, opposite a full espresso bar. As the barista begins making my Americano, I assemble a small plate of saltines and carrots, find a quiet table-for-two near the window and begin writing what you just finished reading.

Graphic by @spooky_soda

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Student Life

Smashing the Platriarchy at NDG Arts Week

NDG local Marlo Turner shows The Concordian her plate before smashing it.

How the act of smashing plates can be a transformative experience

“I’ve been thinking about all the things I want to smash all week,” says Marlo Turner, an NDG local, as she enters the gallery space for Smashing the Platriarchy 2.0. Lindsay Fleming and Melanie Stuy, organizers of the participatory performance art event, hand Turner a plate and greet her warmly. Locating her coloured sharpie of choice, Turner eagerly joins the dozen other participants who scribble away their soon-to-be-smashed thoughts.

Smashing the Platriarchy 2.0 took place from Aug. 21 to 23 during the 9th annual NDG Arts Week. The event is a trifecta of interactive exhibits that invites attendees to physically, auditorily and thoughtfully engage with a variety of materials.

“I’m learning something new today that I didn’t know anything about!” says participant Lynne, as she listens to audio recordings of past attendees sharing their personal stories. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Participants express negative feelings that stem from sexism and racism, to xenophobia and climate change on old plates provided by Stuy and Fleming. Afterwards, adorned in safety goggles and with their plates snuggly wrapped in a burlap sack, they smash them with a hammer.

Throughout the three day event, participants use the broken plate shards to fill out a mosaic on a piece of cut wood, creating the beautiful shape of a bird to symbolize freedom, explains Stuy.

I select a plate, a blue sharpie and choose a seat between Fleming’s eldest daughter, Grace, and another attendee, Rayanna Speede, to write down whatever comes to mind. Speede and I begin explaining what our plates are about.

“I’ve been dissecting a lot lately, so I think that’s what came out,” says Speede, in reference to the swirl of mandalas decorating her plate. I ask her what she thinks smashing the plate will feel like, and she responds: “Like closing a chapter. Being introspective is good, and I think smashing this after will be a good thing.”

“I’ve been dissecting a lot lately, so I think that’s what came out,” explains Speede. “Being introspective is good and I think smashing this is a good thing.” Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Stuy and Fleming hope the community art project will start conversations. The pair want to create safe spaces that are conducive to open dialogue and aid in the processing of feelings that are typically repressed or are too large to condense into words, they say.

“The night of and day after the 2016 US election, I wasn’t ready to put my feelings into words,” explains Fleming. “But I had a lot of them, and they were big.”

While chatting with Stuy from the cozy confines of a quaint coffee shop a few days prior to the event, she recalled the post-election days leading up to the creation of Smashing the Platriarchy 2.0. It all started with a group of friends and family coming together over the mutual desire to externalize their feelings.

“I like the idea of art as a transformation,” said Stuy, explaining how the idea of breaking plates with friends evolved into creating a transformative art piece. By assembling the mosaic as a community, piece by piece, Stuy hopes to create beauty from brokenness, and “turn those negative feelings into something more positive.”

Passers-by and attendees who didn’t want to smash plates were encouraged to contribute to the Wall of Ideology, a collection of written thoughts, feelings and phrases on display inside the gallery space. Recordings of people recounting their personal stories from previous gatherings on mp3 players were also available for audiences to listen to.

“I’m learning something new today that I didn’t know anything about!” says Lynne, a participant, after listening to the audio recordings and examining other people’s plates.

Laura Kamugisha, a Concordia student and communications assistant for NDG Arts Week, explains what the paragraph on her plate is about.

“It’s about being used,” she says. “About being the pillar of the home… but not having a seat at the table, even though you built the table.”

Laura Kamugisha explains that her plate is “about being the pillar of the home… but not having a seat at the table, even though you built the table.” Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Stuy and Fleming believe that showing children how to acknowledge and express their emotions is essential. “It’s important for [kids] to be a part of that conversation too,” explains Stuy. “It gives them an opportunity to channel their feelings, and for their opinions to be heard.”

Grace, at only nine years old, nonchalantly asks her mother what the current gender wage gap is so she can write it on her plate.

“It’s really interesting,” Stuy explains, “because [some] people couldn’t believe, not only that we had smashed plates, but that we let our kids do it too.”

As individuals, it’s important to find and create our own channels for expressing all of the thoughts we may be trying to process but that we can’t necessarily put into words.

Coming together to vocalize, process, and physically break the negative thoughts that would otherwise remain unaddressed is not only empowering, but incredibly healing. Especially when done as a community with one unified goal: to smash the patriarchy.

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Student Life

Slice of Life: What’s up, Concordia?

Graphic by Wednesday Laplante.

Everything you need to know about life on campus

If you’re a new Concordia student, adjusting to spending most of your week on campus can be a bit of a struggle. Here’s everything you need to know about navigating life on campus in a nutshell.

Coffee: Le Frigo Vert (1440 Mackay St.) has some of the cheapest coffee around the downtown campus, as well as plenty of bulk foods and goodies that are great for a snack in between classes.

Around Loyola, pickings are slim, but the Hive Café (in the VA building) always pulls through. Some funky cafes around the downtown campus are Pigeon (1392 de Maisonneuve Blvd.) and Café Aunja (1448 Sherbrooke St. W.).

Food: On weekdays during the fall and winter semesters, from 12:30pm to 1:30pm, People’s Potato on the fifth floor of the Hall building and the Hive Café at Loyola have FREE lunches, as long as you wash your dishes afterwards. All lunches are vegan-friendly, and they usually call for seconds around 1:15pm, so stick around!

AlTaib (2125 Guy St.) has super cheap falafel and shawarma pitas for $3.48 (or $7.60 for a trio). If you’re looking for some late night (re: drunk) munchies, Star Noodle (1871 Saint-Catherine St.) is the best place to hit up.

Study spaces: If the weather is warm enough, check out the patio behind the Hive Café on the downtown campus. When the months start to get colder, try the Concordian Greenhouse on the top floor of the Hall building.

Services: Concordia University Television (CUTV) is the hidden gem of all hidden gems. Located at 2110 Mackay St., on the fourth floor, CUTV allows every undergraduate student, regardless of department, to take out professional grade filming equipment for up to a week. Also, if you’ve got an EP in the works but no studio, they have a fully decked out soundbooth at your disposal!

Ever wanted to learn how to 3D print? Or need help cleaning out old software from your laptop? Swing by the Technology Sandbox on the second floor of the LB building, and their technicians will help you with all of the above and so much more — for free! More information about both of these service depots can be found on the Concordia website.

At the end of the day, despite all the cool cafés and restos around campus, the best solution to surviving the hours you will spend on campus is simply this: reusable containers. Make yourself some coffee in the morning, pack yourself a decently sized lunch, or bunch of snacks to munch on — whatever you need to make it through the day. It’s better for your wallet and more importantly, mother nature!

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Student Life

Déja vu: Reading between past and present

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin

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News

Professor Jennifer Doyle addresses sexual misconduct policies during talk at Concordia

“Your pathway through education,” Doyle says, “[is] patterned explicitly by gender, in terms of what kind of educational opportunities were given to you, or barred from you.” Photo by Alex Hutchins

University of California, Riverside professor talks pros and cons of post-secondary policy frameworks

Queer feminist theorist Jennifer Doyle spoke at a conference hosted at Concordia on March 20. “Harassment and the Unraveling of the Queer Commons” discussed the current climate for queer feminist theorists and the interplay between individuals who report sexual harassment and the power dynamics of post-secondary institutions.

Doyle, an English professor from the University of California, Riverside, has long been interested in the handling of sexual harassment cases within educational institutions. As the daughter of a feminist activist, when she was young, Doyle attended local National Organization for Women chapter meetings where women strategized and compiled Title XI lawsuits.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, Title XI “protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs” in 16,500 school districts and 7,000 post-secondary institutions in the United States. Traditionally, Title XI lawsuits created change on a case-by-case basis, Doyle explained. However, she said that in the last five years, there has been a “wave of activism,” partly consisting of more individuals going to the press or other public avenues, such as personal blogs, to share their stories. “That story is not going to come out any other way,” Doyle said.

However, sharing personal stories with news media outlets often comes as a double-edged sword, Doyle argued, since the publicity that results from the article is almost never in the best interest of the community impacted by the sexual harassment.

“The comments section of that [article becomes] a gutter,” Doyle said, where individual experiences are publicly contested. Those comments sections tend to become a site for further sexual harassment, she added.

Doyle explained that post-secondary institutions need to improve the way they try to help those who come forward navigate the public attention they receive during an ongoing investigation. She described her experience as a faculty member when handling cases of sexual harassment made by students as being “part of a machine.” She added there is typically little commitment to the well-being of individuals who report cases of sexual misconduct.

On the one hand, while Doyle criticized the tendency of discussions surrounding policy reform to frame “sexual harassment [as] happening because there [is] a policy failure,” she nonetheless recognized the important role those policies play.

Doyle also emphasized that, while post-secondary institutions as a whole are limited in how they can publicly respond to sexual harassment cases, individual faculty departments have more liberty with issuing public statements, particularly when it comes to supporting those who come forward with their stories.

“What a [department] can do is […] put its weight behind the victims and say, ‘We are grateful to these women who are coming forward and sharing their stories,’” Doyle said, specifically referencing what the astronomy department at the University of California, Berkeley, did during the investigation of professor Geoff Marcy.

The faculty members of the astronomy department collectively agreed to publish a letter on the department’s website, stating they “fully support the survivors of harassment […] and reject any suggestion that [their] sympathies should be with the perpetrators of sexual harassment.”

“I don’t think the [department] needs to wait to say that,” Doyle said. “You can communicate a lot of support for victims without actually getting into details about the case.”

Photo by Alex Hutchins

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News

Joining forces to denounce exploitation and sexual violence

A protester chants through a megaphone and rallies the crowd minutes before marching from the downtown Concordia campus. Photo by Alex Hutchins

30,000 Quebec students rally to demand salary wages for unpaid internships

Nearly 30,000 students across Quebec mobilized to protest against unpaid internships and denounce the sexual violence many students, particularly women, experience in the workplace on Thursday, March 8. In tandem with International Women’s Day, the Montreal Coalition for paid internships organized their third large-scale protest to demand that student interns be given proper wage compensation, as well as access to the internal resources at their workplaces that are exclusively available to paid employees.

The coalition was formed in early June 2017 by multiple student unions and associations to unite against labour exploitation. “We think that by asking for wages for interns it will change the situation because, in Quebec […] when you’re an intern, you are below every [paid] worker, and you don’t have protection,” said Kaelle Stapels, one of the organizers of the march and a member of the Montreal Coalition for paid internships.

Unpaid internships are illegal in Quebec, except when the student is completing an internship for course credit either for an approved educational institution, as part of vocational training or if the student is working for a non-profit organization, according to the Canadian Intern Association.

Jeanne Dufresne, a Université du Québec à Montréal student protester, explained how degrees that require students to do a minimum number of hours as an intern before graduating are particularly problematic. According to Dufresne, an internship is a “full-time job [and students] need to do that to get their diploma, so that’s why it’s frustrating, because after the work, they need to go [find] a part-time job” to subsidize the costs of being in school and working full-time with no income.

“When I’m doing my internship as a nurse and I’m with my patients, I’m legally responsible for [them] as I would be if I were a real nurse. But I’m not paid,” Stapels said.

While the coalition demands that every student, regardless of gender, be fairly compensated as working interns, many of its members emphasize that women are more vulnerable when it comes to labour exploitation and sexual harassment in the workplace.

A crowd of 300 protesters chant while they trek uphill towards Docteur-Penfield Avenue along Atwater Avenue. Photo by Alex Hutchins

Although it’s possible to experience sexual violence in every program or field, Stapels explained that women who are in programs such as nursing, social work or education have an increased chance of experiencing exploitation and sexual harassment in the workplace.

Stapels also explained that because female interns in particular are not given the same protection as paid employees through their placement’s administration, if they experience sexual harassment while working, often their only option is to use the resources available through their university. “And we all know schools do nothing,” Stapels said. “The resources that are in place now, they’re not [enough]. They don’t do the job.”

According to a report titled l’Enquête sexualité, sécurité et interactions en milieu universitaire (ESSIMU) conducted by over a dozen researchers, about 37 per cent of university students have reported incidents of sexual violence or harassment in Quebec training programs. One third of the reported incidents occured within a hierarchical context. Due to the power dynamics found within academic institutions, the report explains, students are often at a disadvantage when reporting sexual misconduct.

The march was organized mainly to protest against unpaid internships and sexual violence in the workplace, however, given that it occured in conjunction with International Women’s Day, many protesters gathered to denounce gendered violence altogether. Maintaining an open dialogue between people and encouraging women to speak up about the problems they experience daily, explained student protester Giverny Welsch, “[is] what is so remarkable about what’s happening right now.” Welsch emphasized how this open dialogue is key to formulating both a community and a movement that are geared towards inclusivity. “We’re humans because we are able to communicate.”

A crowd of 300 protesters chant while they trek uphill towards Docteur-Penfield Avenue along Atwater Avenue. Photo by Alex Hutchins

Building relationships by empowering women, said Lucie Arson, a protester who preferred to use a pseudonym, is the first step towards starting a movement and creating a strong community that works towards positive change as a united front. “[As] a non-binary trans person, and as a sex worker, I kind of feel alone and not represented […] but right now, I’m feeling great,” having met people with similar experiences, Arson said. “There’s a [feeling of] solidarity.”

Sexism still exists, “[it] is a problem everyday,” said Arson, and it can be life-threatening for countless women all over the world. “Patriarchy works in a way where we are always opposed to other women around us, so I think it’s time to rebuild these relationships and fight together.”

Photos by Alex Hutchins

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Student Life

The power of vulnerability

Dre and Edward Row talk about the different dimensions of working with the internet, particularly Instagram, as a medium. Photo by Alex Hutchins

Dre and Edward Row talk about the different dimensions of working with the internet, particularly Instagram, as a medium. Photo by Alex Hutchins

Get to know the self-proclaimed high priestess of dank memery

“I’m just a young woman trying to navigate the world, and trying to do so in a way that is in line with her own values and lived experiences,” said Dre, a.k.a @gothshakira, an intersectional feminist and Latinx meme creator. On Feb. 27, alongside photographer Edward Row, Dre spoke at a panel on social media as part of a three-day journalism networking event hosted at McGill University.

Dozens of student journalists attended a series of panels on the future of journalism, given the advent of digital media. Yet only some had the privilege of listening to Dre speak about creating autobiographical memes that challenge the mainstream representation of various marginalized groups and the power of sharing personal experiences.

Memes plague the internet, popping up on our Instagram and Facebook feeds all too frequently, redirecting our attention to a joke or poignant comment. However, Dre’s memes often intimately recount her personal experiences, which creates an aura of human emotion not typically found on the internet.

“It’s hard trying to be human through [a medium] that is inhuman,” Dre said. “The pursuit of authenticity, in that sense, is always going to be inherently inauthentic.”

Given that Dre’s memes are so emotionally raw, many of her followers often feel as though they personally know her—it’s part of what makes the @gothshakira persona resonate with people so deeply. “There’s so much power in your personal lived experience,” Dre said. “If you can find a way to navigate that, to support and to listen while sharing your own experiences, that is beautiful.”

When Dre first started her personal Instagram page in the winter of 2015, she had no idea the social media following it would gain. “That’s part of the total ephemerality of the internet—just the spontaneity of it and how anyone can slide into your DMs [direct messages],” Dre said. Currently, @gothshakira has nearly 60,000 followers on Instagram, having caught her “big break” in 2016 when Gucci slid into her DMs and commissioned her to design a meme as part of the #FTWGUCCI ad campaign, according to Flare Magazine.

Much of Dre’s content is focused on dismantling heteropatriarchy and challenging representations of marginalized women of colour, femmes and LGBTQ+ members. Being half-Colombian and having immigrated to Canada from her birth country, Dre described her upbringing as being in a “very religious evangelical Christian immigrant home,” according to an interview she did with Canadian Art. This is one reason Dre gravitated towards astrology, a unique theme often present in her memes.

Dre is also notorious for using images of well-known Latina actresses, such as Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, usually looking unimpressed. Her memes tend to be spliced with a bold text-to-image ratio and typically feature astoundingly poignant text blurbs that highlight the realities of the racialized, sexualized stereotyping that many marginalized groups experience.

Dre is very open about her own problematic biases and always emphasizes the importance of listening to individuals’ lived experiences, which invariably differ from her own. “I’m going through my own process of decolonization and unlearning toxic things I internalized in my youth,” Dre said during an interview with Canadian Art. “I’m fully cognizant that the dating memes that I make are about dating straight cis men […] I’m trying to learn more about the experiences and realities of trans people.” This is one example of a marginalized group Dre cannot identify with but whose perspectives she’d like to include in her content.

Being accountable for her extended performance art piece—how Dre has come to describe the @gothshakira persona she created—adds a dimension of intimacy to the interactions with her fanbase. “No one else could have created this except for me because it’s very personal, and I’m not going to try to hide behind anything. So, here I am,” Dre said.

Her willingness to engage in meaningful conversations is refreshing, compared to many memers who prefer to remain visible only through admin photos and pseudonyms. “It’s been really amazing to meet a lot of the people in real life who have engaged with my content and who have taken something from it. That’s been the most rewarding part of this experience,” Dre said.

The network of support and openness Dre creates through @gothshakira is an example of the interpersonal growth we can achieve when we listen to each other. It’s a much needed reminder of the individual agency we create when outwardly acknowledging our emotions, and the power in taking control of how our personal experiences are told. There is so much to be gained from being vulnerable.

For more of Dre’s memes, check out her Instagram page.

Categories
Student Life

Lazy gardening 101

Spider plant. Photo by Alex Hutchins

Plant care tips and tricks for those who suck at gardening

If you’re anything like me when it comes to gardening—meaning you kill 75 per cent of all plants you touch, but are still first in line whenever Plantzy has a liquidation sale—then this article is for you, wannabe master gardener.

I have about 30 plants and counting in my apartment that are thriving, surprisingly, so I’m clearly qualified and in a position to be giving advice about plants. (Shout-out to my roommate who takes care of literally everything plant-wise whenever I’m slacking hard, which is basically all the time). So here’s my fool-proof, totally legit, how-to guide on care for low-maintenance indoor houseplants. Don’t worry, all of this advice has been approved by Concordia Greenhouse official Paul Fournier.

GENERAL TIPS FOR HOUSEPLANTS:

Only water your plants when the soil has dried out. Stick your finger in the soil, and if the first two centimetres are dry, it’s time for some H2O. Waterting proportions typically depend on how large your plant is and how quickly the soil dries out. On average, you should be checking your plants about once a week, and more frequently as ambient heat increases.

Re-potting, or “potting up,” should be done yearly. Increase your pot size by about five centimetres in diameter each time. Keep in mind though: commercial pots are sold in inches! Do not increase your pot size by five inches. A pot that’s too big will cause root rot. Also, be sure to give your plants fresh soil when re-potting.

Most indoor houseplants can’t handle direct sunlight. Some can in small amounts (see examples below), but as a general rule, just avoid it. Unless the species you have requires direct light, indirect, medium-low light conditions are ideal.

Developing roots from plant clippings in water instead of moist soil can be effective for some houseplants—but not all. If you choose to start with water, make sure that, once the roots have grown to about one centimetre, you put them in soil. Many plants, if left in water for too long, will develop a water-root system and their growth will stagnate. Once this happens, the plant is likely to suffer when transferred to soil. However, some plants can be left in water permanently and will grow very well (see examples below).

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum). Photo by Alex Hutchins

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

Sunlight: Medium-low, indirect (no direct sun)

Soil: All-purpose

Bonus tips: Pothos’s are one of the few houseplants that tend to thrive just as well with a water-root system as they would with a soil-root system. (For all the broke students reading this who are not willing to spend money on dirt, just leave your pothos in a mason jar with water). They also grow well in the shade of other plants.

Spider-plant (Chlorophytum comosum). Photo by Alex Hutchins

Spider-plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Sunlight: Medium-indirect is best (but will grow in almost any type of light)

Soil: All-purpose

Bonus tips: If you add a bit of fertilizer every time you water your spider babies, they will grow like crazy—even during those dreary winter months. They are one of the easiest plants to propagate and, like pothos, thrive with a water-root system.

Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron cordatum). Photo by Alex Hutchins

Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron cordatum)

Sunlight: Medium-indirect

Soil: All-purpose

Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata). Photo by Alex Hutchins

Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)

Sunlight: Indirect-low (but will tolerate a bit of medium sun)

Soil: Succulent mix is best (but can manage with all-purpose)

Bonus tips: Some succulent care rules apply to this plant—mainly avoid over-watering. So many plants belonging to the sansevieria genus have similar care requirements: Starfish, Silver Queen, Robusta and Bird’s Nest, to name a few.

Weeping Fig (Ficus Benjamina). Photo by Alex Hutchins

Weeping Fig (Ficus Benjamina)

Sunlight: Medium-low, indirect (no direct sun)

Soil: All-purpose

Bonus tips: Weeping figs don’t like to be moved! Find that sweet spot, and leave ‘er be.

ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas Zamiifolia). Photo by Alex Hutchins

ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas Zamiifolia)

Sunlight: Medium-low, indirect is best (but will tolerate a bit of direct sun)

Soil: All-purpose

Bonus tips: ZZ plants like to be “pot-bound,” meaning they thrive in a pot that constricts them. (Yearly re-potting rules still apply). They’re also very forgiving if you forget to water them, or forget that you’ve already watered them.

An important gardening lesson that can take years to learn (you’re welcome) is that all plants have a mind of their own. Trial and error is key when developing your green thumb, and don’t always trust the internet—shocker, I know. Everything you’ve just read here are merely suggestions. More than anything else, it’s important to pay attention to your plants and how they adapt to your specific growing conditions. Even if your methods are unconventional, if they work, keep doing whatever your plants seem to like.

Get started on your garden by hitting up the Concordia Greenhouse plant sale on March 6 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

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