Author: Mia Anhoury

Categories
Student Life

A reader’s delight

Exploring the triumphs of love, relationships and hopelessness with Colleen Hoover’s novels

Colleen Hoover is a bestselling author, with 11 novels and five novellas making The New York Times bestsellers list. Her stories are characterized as young adult or women’s fiction. Hoover goes into great detail when writing each character’s inner thoughts. Her descriptions are so relatable the reader becomes fully immersed in the plot and lives of the characters.

Hopeless

By Eleni Probonas, Contributor

Hoover’s 2012 novel is the first of the Hopeless series, preceding Losing Hope and Finding Cinderella. It is a captivating story that explores fear, pain and love in the most vulnerable way. It’s a real page-turner. Sky was homeschooled by her adoptive parents until deciding she wanted to experience high school like everyone else her age. Entering this new environment, she meets Dean Holder, who isn’t the person he claims to be. Holder is irresistibly drawn to Sky’s mysterious and blurred past. The two teenagers experience a beautiful and difficult romance. With Holder, Sky can love for the first time, and his presence jogs memories of a past she has repressed.

Hopeless explores the rocky journey Sky and Holder experience together. It also draws the reader in with an intense revelation about Sky’s past and the people around her. The plot is heavy, unexpected, heartbreaking and beautiful. The book’s title, Hopeless, which is also a tattoo on Holder’s arm, refers to more than just a lack of hope. It’s a sentimental part of the revelation.

 

 

 

 

 

Ugly Love

By Mia Anhoury, Assistant Life Editor

The novel Ugly Love (2014) is the perfect blend of attraction, intensity, beauty and ugliness. Hoover’s unique and incredibly well-written plot line brings together two characters who are far from perfect for each other. Miles is a broken-hearted pilot, with a past he doesn’t want to share and a future he doesn’t want to plan. Tate is a nurse without any time on her hands. Physical attraction and sex are the only things that keep Miles and Tate going back for more, despite all the complications. Hoover develops the characters’ storylines brilliantly. It’s a dual narrative; the chapters alternate between each characters’ perspective, and move from past to present and back again. This makes the characters perfectly three dimensional. Ugly Love is an emotional rollercoaster that will make you laugh and cry as you fall in love with the characters. It’s a gut-wrenching book in a good way, and every page is filled with emotion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maybe Someday Series

By Mia Anhoury and Eleni Probonas

In Maybe Someday, Sydney’s picture-perfect world shatters when she discovers her boyfriend is cheating on her with her best friend, who is also her roommate. She ends up homeless, until her mysterious neighbour, Ridge, whom she only knows because he plays guitar on his balcony every night, takes her in. They begin writing songs together, and she becomes his muse. The writing takes Sydney’s mind off her breakup. Falling for each other isn’t an option, because Ridge has a girlfriend, Maggie, whom he has sworn he will never leave. With twist after twist and Hoover’s compelling writing, the plot steers away from what the reader expects.

If the story wasn’t captivating enough already, singer Griffin Peterson recorded the emotional songs written by Ridge and Sydney so readers can listen to them as they read. This immerses readers deeper in the plot, as they can audibly experience what the protagonists have created together.

Following the release of her 2014 novel, Hoover wrote a novella, Maybe Not, with a plot set at the same time as Maybe Someday. It tells the story of Ridge and Sydney’s roommates, Warren and Bridgette. Bridgette is a 20-something girl who is angry at the world. Warren theorizes that, if she’s capable of hating with so much passion, then loving with the same amount of passion isn’t impossible.

Hoover then wrote Maybe Now, the sequel to Maybe Someday, which includes the perspectives of not only Ridge and Sydney, but Maggie, Warren and Bridgette as well. This story is also accompanied by Peterson’s soundtrack.

Categories
Student Life

Inspiration for leading a zero-waste life

All the way from Trois-Rivières, Etienne Cyr creates sculptures by reusing plastic and metal. Photo by Mackenzie Lad

Living a zero-waste life may seem out of reach for some, but with minor adjustments, it can be possible. With this in mind, Greenpeace McGill hosted its third annual Zero Waste Fiesta on March 15, welcoming over 30 Montreal-based businesses, services, environmental activists and specialists.

“Our goal is to raise awareness about how wasteful our consumption is,” said Alice Sécheresse, the president of Greenpeace McGill. “We want to create a platform to get everyone together and begin a conversation about the zero-waste lifestyle.”

At this year’s Zero Waste Fiesta, local band Temporary Flings performed while people walked around the fair, enjoying vegan food and browsing the various stands selling products or services. According to Geneviève Westgate, the vice-president of Greenpeace McGill, the Zero Waste Fiesta was actually created before Montreal’s own annual Zero Waste Festival, back in April 2016.

Greenpeace McGill works closely with the organization’s Montreal, Quebec and Canada branches to promote their initiatives, such as a campaign against plastic pollution and a petition urging Coca-Cola to phase out single-use bottles and implement alternatives. According to Westgate, Coca-Cola products are the most common waste found in the trash. “We want to begin the conversation about the zero-waste lifestyle, have people ask questions and learn everything they need about the different types of alternatives,” Sécheresse said.

Events like the Zero Waste Fiesta, she explained, demonstrate to large companies that their smaller competitors are gaining local popularity while promoting and implementing environmentally friendly practices. The success of small, eco-friendly businesses challenges large corporations to set a better example. The message is essentially: if small companies are capable of being zero waste, why shouldn’t other companies follow suit, Sécheresse said.

From the many stands featured at the Zero Waste Fiesta, attendees learned about what is and is not compostable, and questions about zero-waste and shifting to a more eco-friendly lifestyle were answered by representatives from the Association Québecoise Zéro Déchet. Global campaign representatives from the Billion Bottle Challenge were also in attendance, selling reusable bottles and goodies from Senegal in the hopes of encouraging people to reduce plastic consumption.

But now, it’s your turn to learn about the different ways you can start a zero-waste lifestyle.

Öko Creations’s stand showcased their reusable products, including makeup remover pads and handkerchiefs made from organic cotton and hemp. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

The local business Öko Creations—named after the German word for ‘eco’—was founded in 2009 by sisters Mélanie and Marie-Noël Beetz. At the Zero Waste Fiesta, Öko Creations’ reusable makeup remover pads, handkerchieves and feminine hygiene products were available for sale. All of these products are made from organic cotton and hemp. Karine Létourneau, an Öko employee, said using these types of products is a great and easy way to transition to a zero-waste lifestyle.

“Buying products in bulk that eventually end up in the wastebasket turns out to be more expensive than the one-time purchase of a reusable product,” Létourneau said. “So, from a the long-term perspective, financially and environmentally, the zero-waste lifestyle is better.”

Simon Gosselin founded an online zero-waste grocery shop that delivers all its goods by bike. Photo by Mackenzie Lad

Simon Gosselin, the founder of an online zero-waste grocery store called Vrac sur Roues, was promoting his service at the Zero Waste Fiesta. His goal in creating Vrac sur Roues was not only to offer a zero-waste service, but also a zero-CO2 service—he delivers everything by bike. The online grocery store only sells dry products, such as sesame seeds, dried fruit, nuts, rice and oats. Customers can order the exact amount they want, and when the delivery is made, the goods are poured directly into their containers, thus making it zero-waste. Gosselin also makes and sells his own shampoo and floor detergent, using organic and natural products. “Smell the floor detergent,” he said. “That’s the scent of no chemicals.”

Étienne Cyr, an artist who reuses metal and plastic to create his robotic sculptures, came all the way from Trois-Rivières to share his art. “I improvise,” said Cyr about his process. “When I begin a sculpture, I do art workshops with children and have them guess what my sculptures are made from.”

A glimpse of the handmade jewelry from zero-waste brand Pommerose. Photo by Mackenzie Lad

Cyr wasn’t the only one who turned recycled materials into art at the Zero Waste Fiesta. Francia Arcila displayed her handmade jewellery at the event. Under the brand Pommerose, Arcila makes earrings, bracelets and necklaces out of cans, bottles and plastic bags. Just as someone would sort waste to be recycled or composted, this artist sorts her materials by colour to keep the accessories uniform.

A zero-waste sushi catering service is available every Wednesday at the Concordia Farmer’s Market. Photo by Mackenzie Lad

Rawlin, a Montreal startup created by Gaultier Vendioux, makes a vegan “grab and go” roll that resembles sushi. The zero-waste catering service has a stand at the Concordia Farmer’s Market every Wednesday in the Hall building.

Although Rawlin did not start out as a zero-waste company, the transition to zero-waste was easier than the team thought. According to Duc Nguyen, a Rawlin representative, “going zero-waste is simply having the knowledge to go zero-waste.” Vendioux added that knowing exactly how much food you need is a must when catering events to make sure no food goes to waste.

 

Categories
Sports

Step into dancehall

How a physical activity turns into an artform

As dancers held both arms above their heads with hands balled up into fists, Veroushka Eugene yelled: “Now give me that attitude and drop it into a body wave!” to the dancehall class of 30 students. Eugene is one of the seven women who make up the dance crew Womanity currently competing on the show Danser pour Gagner.

“And one, two, three, four,” counted Jenna Abessolo, another member of Womanity, as the music started playing and all of the dancers repeated the choreography until it seemed they had memorized the steps.

Eugene is a dancer and a dance teacher in Montreal, with an expertise in dancehall and Afro-Haitian dances. Just like any other sport, dance takes its toll on the body. In Eugene’s case, joint weakness runs in the family, and dancing made it worse. Her left knee weakened to the point where doctors told her, in 2013, that she had to stop dancing altogether. Although she didn’t quit outright, she adjusted her approach by listening to the way her body feels during different movements and steps. Eugene’s warm-up turned into the most important part of her routine.

Born and raised in Haiti, Eugene started going to a dance school in her home country on Fridays and Saturdays at the age of three. “I haven’t stopped dancing since. I started learning classical dances like ballet and jazz with mandatory Haitian folklore classes,” she said.

While in school, kids loved to run around and play tag, but Eugene always kept to herself, her books and her dancing. Later on, she took salsa and tango lessons, and even explored the world of hip hop. Those who knew her in both school and the dance studio saw her switch from an introvert to an extrovert on the dance floor.

Veroushka Eugene described dancehall as a freeing dance, without strict movements. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

“I would go from being this introverted girl to a confident dancer,” she said. Although she associated school with stress and bullying, Eugene felt comfortable on the dance floor. “When I was told I was a good dancer, which I’m not sure I was at the time, it kept me going. It felt like I was valued.”

When she moved to Montreal at the age of 18, Eugene wanted to start competing in Latin dance competitions, but the classes were too expensive. So, she turned to a cheaper alternative: urban dance, more specifically dancehall. After a couple classes, and her own self-teaching, Eugene stepped into the movements and music of dancehall.

“It’s a feeling. It’s not really something you have to think through,” she explained. “Of course you have to know the movements, but the way in which you feel the movement and relay it makes it special.”

By incorporating body waves and steps called “so fresh so clean” into the routine, dancers add attitude and sassiness to their performance, which is why Eugene’s classes are always very loud. You can hear all the dancers add a “Ha” or an “Aye” to poignant moves at the workshop Eugene leads every Sunday at the Amotion Dance Studio in the Plateau-Mont-Royal.

Eugene described dancehall as “a freeing dance, without many rigid and strict movements like classical dances. It allows you to express yourself physically and emotionally.” She interprets the style as if it were a release mechanism—after all, it did help her through tough times in her younger years in Haiti.

While the movements in dancehall makes it more of an art than a sport, Eugene explained that dance demands the same strategic thinking and training athletes go through. She compared dancers to tennis players who train their bodies to run in a certain direction. By the time the big game comes, they already know how to hit the ball, so they’re just focused on winning.

“Dancers do the same. We train our muscle memory so that when we perform we can focus on how to excel in the steps we do,” she added.

Eugene began teaching dancehall and Afro-Haitian dance as a freelancer until Studio Danse Montreal and Amotion Dance Studio hired her in 2012. Her choreography process happens in one place: her head. Unlike other choreographers, Eugene doesn’t rehearse every step, pop and drop in front of a mirror. Instead, she listens to a song, and plays it over and over as she visualizes the steps, the flow and the speed of the movements to the beat.

“I honestly thought every dancer created their choreography in their heads until students and other dancers around me pointed it out as special. It’s like a super power,” Eugene said. Then again, she added that it’s still all about the feeling. She chooses songs by considering the feeling she wants to relay in the dance, whether it’s partying or a more emotional performance. “I think, with time, I became more aware and conscious of my body and my movements that now I can visualize it all in my head,” she added.

Eugene learns more when she is teaching than when she is performing. “A performance is only a moment in time. It’s beautiful and I enjoy it, but teaching is a more continuous process where both the students and I grow,” she said. It took her awhile to become comfortable demonstrating the moves to her students, but Eugene has learned that there is a difference between “showing people and just showing off.”

A little over a year ago, she would have said that she’s more of a teacher than a performer. Now, as she’s competing on a dance show, she has become more comfortable on stage.

“It helps to be alongside powerful women who encourage me in my solo parts of the performance,” Eugene said. As she went back to practice with Womanity for next week’s show, the dancefloor went back to jumping up and down, and the “Ha” and “Aye” sounds echoed in the studio again.

Photos by Mackenzie Lad.

Categories
Arts

Grab a pint and a paint brush

Jessica Di Giacomo, right, explains to Mia Anhoury how to add more definition by using white around the eyes. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Concordi’ART hosts an evening of artistic exploration in collaboration with Paint Nite Montreal

Rather than spend a typical night out at a bar, a group of 20 Concordia students participated in an evening of drinking and painting hosted by Concordi’ART, in collaboration with Paint Nite Montreal, at Peel Pub on March 7.

According to Nathalie Sjarova, the vice-president external of Concordi’ART, the aim of the club is to create a community of people who enjoy both art and business. Concordi’ART’s motto is “building bridges between business and art.”

Alizé Honen-Delmar, the club’s president who is currently on exchange in Australia, created Concordi’ART in February 2017. Sjarova, a marketing student, jumped at the opportunity to be part of the executive team when she saw a post on Facebook seeking candidates.

Concordi’ART aims to encourage and help connect two typically dichotomous worlds. “Art students can learn a lot from business students, but also business students can learn a lot from art students,” Sjarova said. “It’s a very huge asset to be creative in [the business] environment, and at the end of the day, artists are entrepreneurs.”

Concordi’ART executives from left: Céline Salibi, Diana Jane Tran, Yonathan Chu, Sarah Morstad, Vincent Letarte and Nathalie Sjarova. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Last week’s Paint Nite was an opportunity to bring people together to make art. Jessica Di Giacomo and Daniel Torchinsky, the co-producers of Paint Nite Montreal, led the painting tutorial.

A plate with large drops of paint in the primary colours—blue, yellow, red—as well as black and white, four paint brushes and a nicely rolled up apron were set up next to each white canvas sitting on a mini easel.

The goal for everyone was to recreate a painting that illustrated a close-up of an owl’s face. The first step was to outline the eyes with bright yellow and orange, and outline the beak with intimidating and unforgiving black.

Slowly but surely, the canvases went from white to covered in different self-made shades of green and blue.

With “drink-and-dry breaks” between each of the three layers of paint, participants were able to socialize, encourage one another and take a look at all the owls being created.

Paint Nites combine art and drinks for an evening of creativity and socializing. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

The final layer of paint required short brush strokes dipped in shades of blue, green and white to create a feather-like texture.

Despite all participants following the same steps and recreating the same painting, there was still room to express creativity. Some participants preferred to blend out the feathers, while others had a distinct ombré effect, going from light green to dark blue. Each eye varied in size from canvas to canvas, and one participant, Nathan Marrache, decided to paint Angry Bird-like eyes.

“It’s amazing how everyone’s painting looks so different even though it’s supposed to be the same,” said Marrache after he looked at everyone’s final paintings.

Paint Nite hosts events almost every day at various venues. More information can be found on their website: www.paintnite.com. Further information about Concordi’ART and any upcoming events can be found on its Facebook page.

Photos by Alex Hutchins

Categories
Student Life

Exploring LGBTQ+ literature on campus

Representatives from Queer Between the Covers at the book and zine fair. From left: Lucy Uprichard, Joanna Pitsounis and Dorian Fraser. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Queer between the covers hosts a colourful book and zine fair

Concordia’s EV atrium is often bustling with students, walking in all different directions, in a constant hurry. On Feb. 27, though, students slowed down and took a moment to pass by the Queer Between the Covers (QBtC) book and zine fair. The book fair was one of many events organized for Concordia’s first Winter Pride Week, which ran from Feb. 26 to March 2.

The QBtC book fair collective provides the Montreal community with written works about queer topics by queer authors. According to Dorian Fraser, one of the event’s organizers, the fair had been in the works since September. The collective’s table was filled with zines and literature about LGBTQ+ topics and experiences, which were available for purchase on a pay-what-you-can basis.

“Our goal is to showcase the community’s voice in a public space, so that marginalized individuals feel like they have a safe place,” Fraser said, just as someone walked by and noticed the theme of the fair. “Oh my god, I love this,” they exclaimed. “I feel at home.”

According to Fraser, the fair was also an opportunity for individuals to learn about services available to them on campus and in the community, such as the Centre for Gender Advocacy.

Lucy Uprichard, a member of the QBtC, said many of the zines and books for sale were shipped from the United States, the United Kingdom and even France. A very rare find, Manifeste d’une femme trans et autres textes by Julia Serano, a trans-bi activist, was available for purchase at the collective’s table.

Laid out across tables, the books and zines created a beautiful display of colour. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Kersplebedeb Publishing and Distribution, a radical left-wing publishing house, had a whole library of books at the fair, including feminist and anti-homophobic content.

Behind the tables, Montreal-based queer freelance artists showcased their artwork, designs, zines, clothing and accessories, like pins.

Artist Kay Nau had her art on display at the fair. “I do a lot of exploration of line work and experiment with the background and the foreground,” she explained. A large part of her work is inspired by her experiences as a black woman, including people’s misconceptions about her hair. Many of the drawings and paintings she had on display featured inter-racial and homosexual couples.

Artist Fat Kitty Rising had patches layed out with embroidered sayings, such as “Anxious mess” and “Fat babe.” They said they uses embroidery as a coping mechanism for their chronic physical pain, as well as their anxiety disorder. Their collection also included patches with the different astrological signs on them.

Many of the other tables exhibited zines about homosexuality and being transgender, as well as comical zines created by the various artists in attendance.

For Sorya Nguon-Bélisle, a photographer selling her magazine, J’ai choke, “showcasing my work like that is vulnerable in the same way people I profile show their vulnerability.”

Feature photo by Alex Hutchins

Disclaimer: Corrections have been made to the original article.
Categories
Student Life

Transitioning to a universal healthcare system

From left: Devon Simpson, a street worker at Head & Hands; Caroline Trottier-Gascon, a Concordia PhD student; and Dr. Charles-Olivier Basile. Photo by Sandra Hercegova

Activists discuss challenges the LGBTQ+ community faces when seeking medical treatment

“The problem is not being trans, but being trans in a transphobic society,” said Devon Simpson, a street worker for Head & Hands, a Montreal-based organization that offers medical, legal and social services to youth. As part of Concordia’s first Winter Pride Week, the School of Community and Public Affairs hosted a panel on Feb. 27 titled “Universal Healthcare, Really?” to discuss trans people’s lack of accessibility to healthcare.

Canadian society has come a long way in the last decade with regards to LGBTQ+ rights. However, a closer look at Quebec’s healthcare system reveals significant systemic discrimination against trans people, explained Simpson, who establishes liaisons between trans people and Clinique 1851, a clinic on Sherbrooke Street known for accommodating trans people.

The panel’s mediator, Kimberley Manning, a trans youth advocate and principal of the Simone De Beauvoir Institute, focused the discussion on Quebec’s outdated healthcare system when it comes to doctor’s practices and the treatment of trans people.

According to panelist Dr. Charles-Olivier Basile, a family physician in Montreal who treats trans people, only a handful of clinics have a doctor who specializes in or understands trans healthcare, so access is limited. When he was in medical school, Basile said he realized there was a significant lack of emphasis on trans healthcare.

Gender dysphoria is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), which provides the criteria needed for a psychiatrist to make a diagnosis and allow the person to move forward in their transition. Therefore, going through the healthcare system in order to transition is a must, yet trans people cannot just walk into any clinic to receive hormone therapy. “Nevermind how hard it is to find a doctor, the access to care is very territorial and many [trans people] do not have the material means to get across the city,” Simpson said.

Part of the care trans people seek is an explanation of all the risk factors associated with a particular surgery or treatment so that they can give informed consent before proceeding, explained Betty Iglesias, a Montreal-based trans advocate and former outreach worker for Action Santé Travesti(e)s et Transsexuel(le)s du Québec.

For many trans people, the idea of seeking medical treatment, even outside of their transition, can be stressful and uncomfortable. “They even fear not knowing if their chosen pronouns will be respected,” Simpson said. As a street worker, Simpson gives their phone number to trans individuals in case they need help navigating these challenges.

Panelist Caroline Trottier-Gascon, a Concordia PhD student researching the history of trans communities, emphasized the fear trans people face when they have no choice but to go to an emergency room for an injury such as a broken leg. In those situations, trans individuals often must explain to a doctor why a certain painkiller or medication will not interfere with their hormone therapy or other ongoing treatments, Trottier-Gascon explained. “This delays the process of their treatment,” Simpson said, adding that these inquiries by doctors “may be in good faith, but sometimes it comes from ignorance.” Not having their physical appearance match the sex on their ID card can be another source of delay in these situations, Simpson said.

In addition to limited access, not all aspects of transitioning are covered by medicare, such as breast augmentation and voice therapy, Basile said. Even when certain treatments are covered, there are still additional hidden fees associated with transitioning which should be covered by health insurance plans, Basile explained. Although Montreal is a go-to destination for trans Quebecers to find a community and the healthcare they need, according to Iglesias, the system is far from perfect.

“It’s an active decision to not properly train medical professionals about trans healthcare,” said Trottier-Gascon, adding that, until this type of training is implemented, Quebec’s healthcare system will not be truly universal.

Feature photo by Sandra Hercegova

Categories
Student Life

Welcome to Canada…or not

From left, Samuel Fafard, Hicham Khanafer, Richard Goldman, Florence Bourdeau, Aude Mary and Mireille Métellus. Photo by Alex Hutchins

The School of Community and Public Affairs hosted a panel on the challenges of integration

“To those fleeing persecution, terror and war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada,” tweeted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a little over a year ago. The hashtag he used inspired the title of a panel hosted by the Concordia School of Community and Public Affairs (SCPA) on Feb. 6. The French-language discussion focused on the challenges of integration and protection asylum seekers face in Canada.

The topic is timely and relevant, as Canada maintains its welcoming reputation. In 2017 alone, nearly 50,000 asylum claims were made, which is more than double the number of asylum seekers Canada welcomed in 2016, according to the Quebec Ministry of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion.

Many terms are used to describe newcomers to a country, including refugee, asylum seeker or immigrant. Although these words are often used interchangeably by the public, each comes with different rights and advantages. According to Richard Goldman, an immigration lawyer with the Comité d’aide aux réfugiés and one of the event’s panelists, there is a significant distinction between somebody who comes to Canada seeking refugee status and someone who claims to be an asylum seeker.

“If we take, for example, the 40,000 Syrian refugees who came here two years ago, they were selected abroad and were either government-sponsored or privately-sponsored by relatives,” Goldman said. “Once they land in Canada, they already have the status of a permanent resident.”

Permanent resident (PR) status gives a person most of the social benefits available to citizens, such as healthcare coverage and a work or study permit. After living in Canada for a certain amount of time, people with PR status can apply for Canadian citizenship.

For asylum seekers, the process is quite different. After arriving by plane or crossing the border (often illegally), asylum seekers make a refugee claim to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB). If that claim is approved, they obtain protected person status, and only then can they apply for PR status.

According to Goldman, because of regulatory changes made in 2012 and a lack of resources, processing a claim and setting up a hearing with the IRB can take up to 18 months rather than the 60 days it used to take. “The system has become complex,” he said.

Panelist Mireille Métellus, who is in charge of welcoming newcomers at La Maison d’Haïti community group, added that, if an asylum seeker’s request is denied by the IRB, they can appeal the decision and other courses of action are available to obtain the protected person status.

The Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes (TCRI) is a collaboration between nearly 100 organizations working to support and protect refugees and immigrants in Quebec. The group’s project manager, Florence Bourdeau, was also among the panelists. She explained that, while protected persons do not have the same access to healthcare as someone with PR status, they have the right to apply to the Interim Federal Health Program. In theory, this offers them limited, temporary healthcare coverage. However, Bourdeau said only four clinics in Montreal accept this type of coverage. The reason it is not more widely accepted, she explained, is often because many clinics don’t know about this type of coverage, or because the payment method takes longer to process.

Bourdeau also emphasized that other services offered by the Quebec Ministry of Immigration, Diversity and Inclusion, such as employment and housing services, are only available to PR holders.

Métellus said the process asylum seekers have to follow to obtain the PR status is inefficient. For example, protected persons have the right to send their children to school, but in order to do so, they need to provide an address. Yet most asylum seekers, Métellus explained, are placed in temporary housing for up to a month, and finding affordable housing is a problem for most newcomers. In addition, many protected person families can’t afford to send their young children to kindergarten or find available spots. If their children can’t be put in school, mothers will usually end up staying home, which affects their ability to enter the workforce, Bourdeau explained. “We document these issues at the TCRI. Clearly, discrimination exists,” she said. “Work needs to be done to improve this system.”

This discussion of how the current requirements make it harder for asylum seekers to integrate into society led to a question about systemic discrimination in the early stages of integration posed by panel moderator Hicham Khanafer, the project manager at the Centre social d’aide aux immigrants (CSAI). Bourdeau responded by claiming protected persons have a harder time finding a job than someone with PR status, even after they receive a work permit. This is because protected persons are not eligible for the government programs that help permanent residents find employment and navigate the Quebec labour market, she explained.

Panelist Frantz André, a member of the Comité d’action des personnes sans statut, said he agreed with the panelists, and has witnessed the discrimination and abuse vulnerable asylum seekers face when looking for employment or housing. Aude Mary, a researcher at the Bureau d’intégration des nouveaux arrivants à Montréal (BINAM), added that these people are a vulnerable clientele because their lack of knowledge about Quebec laws is often exploited.

In response, the BINAM is creating a commission that will intervene when employers or agencies take advantage of asylum seekers. Mary said she hopes Montreal’s decision last year to become a sanctuary city will lead to the development of more resources and services for newcomers since, according to Mary, more than 99 per cent of asylum seekers who arrive in Montreal stay on the island.

Photo by Alex Hutchins

Categories
Student Life

Being a tourist three hours from home

A man is depicted sliding down a hill in Toboggan, a snow sculpture created by Charles Fleury, Blaise Carrier Chouinard and Péïo Éliceiry. Photo by Mia Anhoury.

Moments captured at the Quebec Winter Carnival amongst friends

When my best friend moved to Quebec City this winter, I knew I had to visit her as many times as I could. What better time to do so than during the Quebec Winter Carnival?

Quebec City has a special spark. There is something about the friendly people of this city that makes you feel warm and cozy while navigating the narrow streets. Everyone smiles at you.

As my two best friends and I headed towards the carnival in Old Quebec last Saturday, a father of two sitting next to us on the bus asked where we were from, since we were speaking English. His name was Moussa Sarr. He has a PhD in sociology and is the ex-deputy for the federal minister of transport, infrastructure and collectivity. Sarr emphasized the importance of education and embracing different cultures when we told him we were there to explore the city.

Many families gathered in Old Quebec for the annual Quebec Winter Carnival’s numerous outdoor activities. Photo by Mia Anhoury.

He asked us about the languages we speak. We determined that all four of us could speak French, English and Spanish. “I know a language you don’t know,” Sarr added enthusiastically. The language was Wolof, which is native to Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania.

Once we arrived at the Grande Allée near the Château Frontenac, a snow sculpture caught my attention. Made by local artists Charles Fleury, Blaise Carrier Chouinard and Péïo Éliceiry, the sculpture was called Toboggan. It depicts a man sliding down a hill on a toboggan. Dressed in a bulky coat and mittens, he seemed immune to the cold, despite being made of snow. His open-mouth smile showed he was amused by the imaginary ride.

Little did we know, the imaginary ride was real. Despite the cold, dozens of people waited in line further down the street for a chance to slide down the hill on a bright red sleigh. Tourists and locals alike were enjoying themselves as they used selfie sticks to captured the fast, slippery moment on camera.

Near the base of the slide, the Bonhomme Carnaval snowman stood behind a frame with a colourful background, creating the perfect photo opportunity for families and friends. Although no one was skating on the rink nearby, the laughter from kids running—or, should I say, gliding—on the ice filled the air. All afternoon, people took turns huddling around a small fire pit near the skating rink, trying to stay warm.

All day, people took turns huddling around a fire pit to stay warm at the carnival. Photo by Mia Anhoury.

My friends and I decided to end the day by going skating at a different rink where we could rent skates. As we glided around the rink — my friends showing off their skating skills while I tried to catch up — we bumped into our new friend Sarr from the bus. A big smile broke out on his face when he spotted us on the rink.

“I knew I was going to see you girls again,” he cried out. We told him about our day at the carnival, and he said he would be headed there the following day.

Throughout our excursion, my friends and I spoke English to one another, which prompted many people to ask us where we were from. Being a tourist in your own province is quite an experience, and it’s funny to be able to respond: “I only live three hours away from you!”

The Quebec Winter Carnival runs until Feb. 11 in Old Quebec.

Categories
Student Life

Concordia, let’s talk about our wellbeing

Learn about the university’s resources and services at Chime In’s mental health fair

Last year, Bell Let’s Talk brought together members of the Concordia community looking to keep the conversation about mental health going throughout the year. They joined forces to create Chime In, a group aimed at informing students about the mental health resources available to them on campus and in their community. With this goal in mind, Chime In will be hosting a mental health fair on Jan. 31—which coincides with this year’s Bell Let’s Talk Day.

Chime In—an acronym that stands for connectedness, hope, identity, meaning and empowerment—is a collaborative effort between Concordia students and student organizations, the university’s counselling and psychological services, as well as the Montreal-based non-profit Collective Community Services (CCS). Also among the group’s members are Jack.org, a national organization that aims to eliminate the stigma around mental health, and the Concordia Students’ Nightline, an evening and weekend listening service.

“As a counselling service, we realized that we can’t do everything alone,” said Howard Magonet, the director of Concordia’s counselling and psychological services. “The more partners we have to go out and talk about mental health to reduce stigma of mental illness, the better.”

The mental health fair will welcome representatives from Chime In and other Concordia services, such as the campus wellness and support services, the Sexual Assault Resource Centre (SARC), recreation and athletic services, Concordia’s Multi-faith and Spirituality Centre and the Native Resource Centre. “The fair will provide a really important forum and fabric to the community,” said Alia Nurmohamed, a Chime In student representative.

“Often people don’t have the vocabulary to even understand what they are going through,” said Jillian Ritchie, a spokesperson for CCS. “[So we] help give them the resources and the information they need.”

Chime In’s goal is to change the discourse around mental health by focusing on a holistic view—taking care of one’s wellbeing at all levels. According to Concordia psychologist Irene Petsopoulis, the fair will focus on the four pillars of mental health: physical, emotional, spiritual and mental. There will be activities showing the value of physical exercise in improving mental health. The fair will also showcase alternative methods to talk therapy, such as pet or art therapy, the latter of which is offered by community art studios called Art Hives.

Some people feel more comfortable using one technique to improve mental health rather than another, Magonet explained. The fair will expose students to a wide range of methods so they see how varied the help can be and determine what feels right for them, he added.

The fair’s inviting environment will encourage students to ask questions and find out what resources are available to them, Nurmohamed said. “[The fair] starts a conversation that invites people in a way that is not intimidating,” she added. “We’re at a turning point in the way we converse about mental health.”

The mental health fair will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 31 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the atrium of the EV building. For more information about the event, visit the Concordia website.

Categories
Student Life

Growing nature in small containers

A large crowd of Concordia students gathered for HydroFlora’s first workshop at the Concordia Greenhouse. Photo by Kirubel Mehari

HydroFlora teaches the how-tos of hydroponics at Concordia Greenhouse

“Creating nature in a small container, that’s what [hydroponics] is all about,” said Dominique Smith, the founder of HydroFlora, to sum up a Hydroponics 101 workshop he gave on Jan. 10. HydroFlora is a Concordia group devoted to developing sustainable alternatives to large, intensive farming practices. The group offers a whole hydroponics curriculum to students in the form of workshops offered throughout the semester.

HydroFlora’s interns also meet on a weekly basis to plan these educational workshops and develop hydroponic techniques, which they practice in the Concordia Greenhouse. The greenhouse, where HydroFlora’s first workshop of the year took place, was filled with students eager to learn about the basics of hydroponics, a method of growing plants without soil. The air was filled with a mixture of scents, like lavender, and students stood among various plants, including banana and grapefruit trees.

According to Melissa Donnelly, an intern at HydroFlora and a Concordia anthropology major, the self-funded group sells succulents and cacti at the Hall building market every Wednesday. Donnelly takes part in growing these increasingly popular plants by molding their cement pots.“Hydroponics is a way of going back to your grassroots, literally,” Smith said during the workshop. He explained that just placing flowers in a vase full of water is essentially hydroponic; there is no need for any nutrient solution.

Dominique Smith, the founder of HydroFlora, began the workshop by explaining the fundamentals of how to grow plants without soil. Photos by Kirubel Mehari

Smith began the workshop by introducing the Kratky method of hydroponics. This method works best with leafy greens, such as lettuce or a spider plant. In any type of container, a leaf or the base of the plant is stabilized in water using foam or by cutting a hole in the lid, if the container has one. This way, the plant receives all of the ingredients it needs: water, oxygen and light. Smith added that one shouldn’t forget about the essential ingredients “love and patience” when growing plants.

After a few days, depending on the plant, the roots will begin to grow. “You leave it there and it does its thing,” Smith said. He explained that stabilizing the plant allows its roots to grow naturally, and the container can just be left by a window. “It’s simple and clean,” he added. The roots can tell you a lot about the plant itself, Smith explained. If they are white and hairy-looking, it means the plant is receiving enough water and oxygen. If multiple plants were placed in the same container and their roots have a yellow tint to them, however, it most likely indicates the plants are competing for nutrients.

Following the workshop, Smith gave a tour of the greenhouse’s more elaborate hydroponic set-up. Water circulates through a pipe system for irrigation, and the plants are grown in Smith’s homemade compost, which replaces typical soil. The compost is made out of coffee grinds which contain nitrates, banana peels which secrete potassium, and ground up eggshells which provide calcium—all important nutrients for plant growth, Smith explained. Although this method of hydroponics is more elaborate, the main idea is there—you can grow plants without soil.

For more information on HydroFlora and their work at Concordia visit: https://www.hydrofloraconcordia.com.

Categories
Student Life

A cup of coffee and a spoonful of psychological effects

According to the Association of Canada, Canadians drink 3.2 cups of coffee per day. Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

The impact caffeine has on Canadians and how it became a cultural dependence

It’s 8 a.m. on a Wednesday morning, and the first thing you do after getting out of bed is probably make coffee. Whether you are having a shot of espresso, an Americano or a latte, there is nothing like that coffee aroma filling up your kitchen. As you pour it into your mug, add a splash of milk or teaspoon of sugar, you can already feel the warmth rising from the cup. Finals are right around the corner and, for many students, coffee is the go-to beverage for all-nighters and staying alert.

This is no surprise given that caffeine, the stimulant in the coffee, is a psychoactive substance that has physiological and psychological effects. Coffee is also ingrained in our society. According to the Coffee Association of Canada, Canadians drink an average of 3.2 cups of coffee per day. Here is a deeper look at how caffeine actually affects your body and how it has become a vital part of our daily lives.

What does coffee do to your brain and body?

According to Uri Shalev, a Concordia psychology professor whose research focuses on drug abuse and behavioural neurobiology, caffeine typically doesn’t have many negative effects when consumed in reasonable quantities. However, when a person drinks coffee, Shalev explained, the caffeine interferes with signals in the brain being sent from neurotransmitters to their receptors. Caffeine acts as an antagonist, essentially blocking the adenosine receptors, which are inhibitory sensors in the brain that calm the body and mind.

Since caffeine interferes with this calming effect, the body becomes more alert and awake, Shalev explained. That is why drinking coffee increases heart rate and blood pressure, and keeps you awake longer. The physiological effects caused by this over-stimulation can negatively affect a person’s mental state. Sylvia Kairouz, a Concordia sociology professor and the chair of research on gambling addiction, emphasized the risks of sleep deprivation caused by excessive coffee consumption. Since coffee keeps you alert, it also risks disrupting your sleep cycle, which isn’t something you want to happen during a stressful period like finals, Kairouz said.

According to Shalev, the physical reaction coffee causes can result in increased anxiety among people who are already prone to anxiety. This happens when the body interprets a faster heart rate and increased alertness as a sign of danger and raises stress levels. “I become stressed when I have more coffee than I’m used to,” said Sara Betinjaneh, a second-year political science student at Concordia.

Yet many students, including first-year sociology major Yasmin Mehri, rely on coffee to stay awake to study or finish assignments. Drinking coffee to stay up late can work to a certain extent, but too much can cause an imbalance in sleeping patterns, Kairouz explained. “It’s a loss more than a gain when you are not adopting a healthy lifestyle during finals,” she said. “Students should focus on an equilibrium.” Shalev reiterated that, as long as coffee consumption is moderate, it is not considered an addiction—not until it negatively affects the functioning of your daily life.

Why is coffee part of your day?

“My day is organized around my coffee,” said student Betinjaneh. “That’s when I take breaks.” According to Kairouz, “the ritual, the habit and the routine of having coffee daily limits the capacity to remove coffee from our daily life.” This dependence on the drink is also sociological because there is a whole experience that comes with drinking coffee, she explained. Drinking coffee has become a very popular social activity—when people meet up, it often happens over a cup of coffee.

“There is a connection that exists in people’s lives between working or studying and drinking coffee,” Kairouz said. The accessibility of coffee also plays a huge role in society’s growing dependence on coffee. Kairouz offered the example of Montreal’s Mackay Street, where there are at least six coffee shops. “I love the idea and the feeling of sitting in a coffee shop and having my coffee,” Betinjaneh said. The stimulation from an environment filled with coffee shops has impacted our caffeine consumption, Kairouz said.

Easy access to caffeine has impacted the amount we consume since a single press of a button can make our coffee right at home. According to the Coffee Association of Canada, coffee makers are increasingly popular in Canadian homes with 47 per cent of households owning a drip coffee makers and 38 per cent using single-cup machines. Kairouz added that the consumerist environment we live in plays a role in people’s coffee dependence as well. Since coffee has become ingrained in our culture, this leaves a looming question: are we having coffee because we need it or because we just walked by a cute coffee shop that serves the best latte art?

Photo by Kirubel Mehari.

Categories
Student Life

A Syrian cook makes a home in Montreal

Bab Sharqi is a traditional Syrian restaurant in the St-Laurent borough. Photo by Mia Anhoury

A day in the life of Wafaa Maalouli, co-owner and cook at Bab Sharqi, a traditional Syrian restaurant

When you walk into the Bab Sharqi restaurant in the St-Laurent borough, there are round wooden arches on the wall. The centre arch has an oil painting of the actual Bab Sharqi, known as the Eastern Gate, which are the doors leading into the old city of Damascus in Syria.

The restaurant serves Syrian cuisine—everything from traditional appetizers, including stuffed grape leaves and kibbeh, to charcoal grilled meats with authentic seasoning. The restaurant celebrated its one-year anniversary in Montreal on Oct. 29.

Traditional meals like charcoal grilled kebabs, grape leaves and baba ghanouj make Bab Sharqi a delicious home for Syrians in Montreal. Photo by Mia Anhoury

However, Wafaa Maalouli, the cook and co-owner of the restaurant, has a story that goes back much further than one year. Before she moved to Canada in 2014, Maalouli was a popular caterer in Damascus. She cooked everything from ma’amoul, a traditional Syrian desert, to savory appetizers like sambousek, the Middle Eastern version of samosas. These foods were not only time consuming to make, but could only be done by hand.

Things became unstable when the war in Syria began in 2011. After her husband passed away, Maalouli decided to move to Canada to be reunited with her children, who were attending Montreal universities at the time. Initially, she wanted to open a catering business in Montreal for small parties, reunions or even students who lived on their own. But Samer Assis, her brother, had bigger plans for her. He encouraged her to pursue her dream of opening a restaurant.

Maalouli described it as surreal when Bab Sharqi first opened its doors. Many of the decorations around the restaurant were brought from Syria. A hand-carved metal ornament plate and an old rose water kettle hang on the wall. Next to them is an oud, a traditional Middle Eastern instrument similar to a guitar. There is also a picture frame displaying a collage made from the wrappers of Syrian snacks and bars.

“My brother and I wanted this restaurant to feel like home to Syrians, and to those who didn’t know Syria to feel like they were there” Maalouli said in Arabic. Even the fabric of the couches was imported from Aleppo, she added.

Here is how a day in her life goes:

Morning:

“It’s incredible how time flies fast here,” Maalouli said. “It didn’t use to feel like this in Syria.” She wakes up every morning at 6 a.m. The first thing she does is pour herself two cups of Arabic coffee. “It’s the only time I give to myself for the day,” she explained.

An hour later, Maalouli is the first to arrive at the restaurant. She looks at her journal and scans the orders she has due for the next few days. Then she decides what she needs to prepare that day. The cooking begins as soon as she writes up her list.

Maalouli always has double the responsibilities, juggling the restaurant and her catering orders. Her mornings are reserved for preparing the catering orders.

Afternoon:

“Once I put on my apron and start cooking, I’m on a roll and I spend my day in the kitchen,” Maalouli said. Assis comes in around 1 p.m. to help with the food deliveries. He also takes note of all the food that needs to be ordered and re-stocked.

Maalouli’s employees are all Syrian refugees with restaurant experience who have recently moved to Montreal. “It felt like a natural thing to hire Syrian refugees,” she said. “I felt it was my duty to help them.”

Every Tuesday, Maalouli stocks up on cold food, like her famous tabbouleh salad and her tasty hummus. Every tabbouleh batch is made with fresh ingredients, from the tomatoes to the parsley to the mint. The oil and bulgur used in her recipes are imported from Syria.

Evening:

Co-owner and cook Wafaa Maalouli alongside her brother and co-owner Samer Assis at the Bab Sharqi restaurant. Photo by Mia Anhoury

In the evening, customers begin to fill up the restaurant, and the rush begins. “While it may look like a party, I know that everyone in the kitchen is running around to get everything ready,” said one of the waiters, Bahaa Alicham, in Arabic. He explained that not a single meal is served without Maalouli checking to make sure it’s perfect.

“Being part of this has made me feel like I am part of a family,” Alicham added. “When I see her too frustrated or stressed about an order, I’m there for her. I tell her to take a break for a second.”

Throughout the evening, while people are enjoying their dinner, Assis swings by the tables to make sure everything is to the customers’ liking. Maalouli said she always tries to leave the kitchen to greet customers too. Knowing that everyone is enjoying her food, whether they are Middle Eastern or Canadian, it’s her favourite part of the day.

Although she has a chef in charge of the grill and the meats, Maalouli is in charge of everything else. “I always like to keep challenging myself, and to compete with other Middle Eastern restaurants,” she said. “I started making something no one else here does: the dessert ma’amoul with cheese.” Indeed, no one else in Montreal cooks this specialty from Latakia, a city on Syria’s northwestern coast.

Maalouli’s day ends with a messy kitchen and a deep breath in as she starts thinking about the next day. “I love that I get to wake up everyday and do what I love,” she said. “Not many people get to say that.”

Photo by Mia Anhoury

Exit mobile version