Concordia to receive $13 million less from the government in 2014-2015
Just a few weeks ago, Concordia received word from the government concerning just how much less they would be receiving this year: $13 million for the 2014-2015 fiscal year.
They also learnt that it would no longer be possible for the school to have a deficit this year. Since Concordia had one of $2.7 million – which was carried from last year’s compressions – this meant that the total amount that would need to be cut from this year’s budget would add up to $15.7 million.
Total compressions between 2013-2015 will therefore amount to a total of $29 million.
Coming up with a plan of action was quite a challenge for the school, especially since they found out they would need to make major cuts for a fiscal year that began last May.
“That’s the tricky part. It’s hard to change the tires of the car while you’re driving on the highway,” said Concordia President Dr. Alan Shepard.
In order to comply with the government’s new rules, Concordia announced a Voluntary Departure Program (VDP) on Wednesday Sept. 24, and hope that 180 administrative, support, and professional staff members will choose to opt for the package. Staff accepted into the program will begin leaving Concordia on Nov. 30.
“It’s important to me that we not move into the world of involuntary layoffs. I can’t imagine anything worse than coming into work and finding out that the job you love and the place that you’re loyal to has just laid you off,” Shepard said. “I know that happens in the private sector but it’s not something I am eager to do, so we worked really hard for the last several weeks trying to devise a program that would give opportunities to people who were prepared to take a package to leave Concordia.”
Members of staff who have worked a minimum of 10 years of service are eligible to take the package, including both full-time and part-time employees. It is important to note that this only includes administrative staff, and not professors.
Graphic by Marie-Pier LaRose.
Employees who have worked over 10 years at Concordia would receive a severance package equal to 12 months of pay, while those who have been at the university for over 15 years would receive 18 months worth of salary. There are currently 900 staff members who are eligible for the package.
This program would allow the school to save up to $5 million this fiscal year, and $12 million per year starting in the 2015-2016 fiscal year.
In the 2012-2013 fiscal year, permanent and temporary administration and support staff accounted for 2,113 positions at Concordia. Reducing the staff by 180 would represent a reduction of about 8.5 per cent. These 180 positions represent 2 per cent of Concordia’s salary expenses.
“I don’t think that you can make 180 reductions and positions and pretend that it’s just like it was yesterday, because that’s not true,” Shepard said. “At the same time, what we’re going to do is that we planned for 180 departures, and we know that some number of those, maybe 20, 25, 30 we’re not sure, will be in positions that are critical, you can’t do without that so we’ll have to rehire those roles, and when you make a voluntary program you can’t pick. I can’t say ‘I want you to depart, you can’t depart,’ so what we’re going to do is we are going to invite people who are eligible under the terms of the program to make a decision. Once we know their decisions, we’ll see what rebalancing needs to be done.”
Another 3 per cent will be cut in operating expenses. For example, Concordia will put off replacing some computers in offices, which will save $1 million. Concordia’s Vice Presidents are still hard at work, trying to find just where they can spare some money.
Concordia has also reduced the Chief Financial Officer’s reserve—which is an amount built into the budget for the unexpected which usually represents one per cent of the budget—by $1 million.
Other public institutions have used similar programs, and they have been quite popular within the staff. McGill, for example, used a voluntary departure program last year when they had to cut $43 million, according to Doug Sweet, director of Internal Communications at McGill. In this instance, 250 employees opted to take the package.
“You have a year’s pay, so you have the time to look around for something else. It depends on your personal circumstances, maybe you have kids at home, or you have a second career, maybe you want to go back to school, there’s as many circumstances as their are people.”
Paul Eifert, an IT technician for IITS who is eligible to take the package, agrees.
“Personally, I think that a lot of people here will take a buyout and maybe retire a little earlier,” he said.
Eifert explained that many would also consider taking the severance and seeking employment elsewhere, or maybe even use the time to travel.
A maximum of 180 employees will be able to take the package. It is a one-time deal, and will not be offered again in the next few years.
Concordia took special care in deciding where to make cuts in order to make sure that the student experience and quality of education would not be affected.
Concordia’s budget compressions are a part a total of $172 million reclaimed from universities in the province for this year, according to Le Soleil.
“I think that what the message is that no matter which government is in power, there are constraints on all our resources, and we are trying in the most respectful way we can to respond to the restraints that were given,” Shepard said. “And we’ve experienced it under both governments actually. It’s not about the government of the day, it’s about the economic reality were in.”
Les Grands Ballets Canadiens’ latest production will make you really love ballet
We all have a perception of what a night at the ballet should be like: fancy people drinking champagne before the show, and then, during the show, classical music filling your ears, graceful ballerinas in intricate tutus and pointe shoes gliding across the stage (albeit a little too slowly for your taste).
Well, apart from the drinking champagne before the show, Leonce+Lena, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens’ latest production, was nothing like your grandmother’s night at the ballet.
I was one of the lucky few that attended the show’s premiere. I was a little worried that I would not understand the story being told, since my last experience at the ballet had been one of confusion — I had gone to see Rodin/Claudel, not knowing what the story was.
Still, just by seeing the ad for Leonce+Lena, I had a feeling that this would be different. And it was, in the best way possible.
Leonce+Lena, a play written by Georg Büchner in 1838, is a comedic story of love that will keep you on your toes and get you to smile for hours.
In the first act, Prince Leonce learns that he must marry Princess Lena the very next day. After hearing the news, Leonce flees with Valerio, a newly-found friend.
Meanwhile, Lena does not want to marry a stranger either. In fact, she chooses to run away from her obligations with the help of her governess, not knowing that Leonce has done the same.
In the second act, the paths of the two strangers meet. The scene begins with Valerio and the governess courting each other. Leonce and Len’s paths cross, and, finding that they have so much in common, they fall in love — not knowing that they were meant to be married the following day.
During this time, preparations for the wedding at the Kingdom of Popo are underway, even though both the bride and groom are missing. Both couples — Leonce, Lena, the governess, and Valerio — return to the kingdom, all dressed as automatons. Since the couple meant to be married is not present, the king orders Leonce and Lena, who he believes to be total strangers, to get married. Therefore, those who were meant to get married against their will somehow fell in love outside of the kingdom. Leonce becomes in charge of the affairs of the kingdom, just as he was meant to. All is well.
This ballet was simply incredible. The costumes were gorgeous — all taffeta and rich velvets in gem hues — and the sets simple but beautiful (my personal favourite touch was the chandeliers).
The live orchestra played magnificent, sometimes melancholic tunes throughout the play. Once in a while, the orchestra would stop playing, and well-known ballads would fill our ears — like the iconic song “Dream a Little Dream of Me.”
The choreography was beautiful, but also upbeat and fun. The choreographer, Christian Spuck, truly did an amazing job. The dancers really spoke with their movements, all the while keeping the audience entertained — my favourite moment was when the King danced the Macarena.
Overall, Leonce+Lena is a beautiful production that anyone (including your grandmother) can enjoy.
Leonce+Lena is playing at Théâtre Maissonneuve every night at 8 p.m. until Sept. 27. For more information, visit grandsballets.com.
In this day and age, women should not be judged by their appearance
This week, the Concordia Student Union (CSU) hosted a sustainability fair as part of their Orientation 2014 activities.
The Concordian was one of the many clubs present. We were able to speak to many amazing students, some of which wanted to learn about our paper, others who wanted to tell us about their initiatives.
One particular conversation has stuck with us and urged us to write this editorial.
Two of our female staff members, who will remain unnamed, were staffing the table when a few young men approached. They asked about The Concordian, and the exchange went something like this:
Students: You work for the Concordian?
The Concordian Staff: …Yes.
Students: But isn’t that a newspaper?
The Concordian Staff: …Yes.
Students: …But you guys are hot.
They then explained that they had assumed that both women were fashion design students because of their apparent good looks, and had no shame in hiding the fact that they were completely surprised these women had vital roles in our paper. Of course, we acknowledge that fashion design students work very hard at what they do; it should just not be assumed that all women are necessarily interested in pursuing fashion careers.
This exchange has left the whole masthead (which is predominantly made up of women) flabbergasted. How could it be that, in this day and age, a group of men would automatically assume that two young women who were well-dressed could not also be intelligent and involved in academic activities? It is also quite difficult to imagine this kind of conversation taking place had two of our male employees been promoting our publication.
People should never be judged based solely on their appearances and gender. And yet, that is what happened this week to members of our staff. This kind of misogynistic thought process happens all the time, even in professional settings like job interviews. This should not be the case.
What makes this worse is that these students probably genuinely believed that their comments would be taken as compliments.
Concordia students — and anyone else, for that matter — please do not judge people by their appearances or gender. This society’s patriarchal tendencies of pigeonholing women into limited categories based on things like physical appearance is outdated, offensive, and has no place in a community of higher thinking.
ConMun at the Swedish permanent mission in New York.
Concordia Model United Nations (ConMUN) is currently asking students for help: they would like to become a fee levy group.
In order to apply, they need a total of 1,000 signatures by Friday, Sept. 5. As of now, they have over 600 signatures. If they get enough signatures, the matter will be added to the ballot at the next Concordia Student Union’s (CSU) elections this Winter.
They will be asking for the approval of the collection of a fee of 7¢ per credit to fund the operations of the Model United Nations Education and Leadership Centre.
This would allow them to have an operating budget of about $50,000. Last year, ConMUN recieved a $5,000 allocated budget from the CSU, while two years ago it was $3,200.
“ConMUN plans on using a substantial amount of the funds that would be allocated to our organization not only to compete at the national and international levels to UN simulations but to also arrange and host multiple events in which all of Concordia’s undergraduate and graduate students are welcome and encouraged to attend,” ConMun president Nathanaël Dagane said.
During the year, ConMun members travel to many different conferences, sometimes around the world. At these conferences, members must simulate being UN ambassadors dealing with important current issues. They must work as a team in order to solve global issues, or in order to mobilize international cooperation.
They must negotiate with countries, make speeches, prepare draft solutions, and resolve conflicts — all while abiding to the Model UN rules of procedure.
ConMun at the Swedish permanent mission in New York.
“Our goals as a club are to not only improve our members abilities but to achieve high levels of success at the conferences we attend. Half of what we do is focused on these national and international conferences, where we apply our well trained skills in competitions against the top schools from across North America and many others from around the globe.”
This year, ConMUN plans on attending conferences in Montreal, Rome, Ottawa, Seoul, and Chicago, to name a few.
ConMun has, in the past, been able to afford registration, accommodations and sometimes transportation for members, but students must still pay a lot from their own pockets in order to attend conferences.
“The budget of ConMUN is highly limited but we truly believe that financial limitations should not stop talented and motivated youth from pursuing their dreams,” Dagane said. “Our goal is to send as many students as possible to the different conferences and ensure that they learn from their experience in several Model United Nations.”
According to Dagane, more funds will allow ConMUN to send talented students to conferences, regardless of their financial status. More talent will hopefully lead to more awards for Concordia.
ConMun dates back to 1998, and also existed before Loyola College and Sir George Williams University merged in 1974. The club once had one of the CSU’s largest operational budgets, which was at times mismanaged. To read an open letter written in 2002 from the CSU’s then VP Finance to ConMun’s then president, click here.
“Though it was true in the past that ConMUN did receive one of the biggest budget allocated by the CSU to clubs and had it mismanaged along the road, we should not pay for the errors of the past, considering that the turnover for student executives is usually quite high,” Dagane said.
“We believe that obtaining the status of a fee-levy group; autonomous from the administrations of Concordia University, the CSU, the GSA, and all academic bodies and associations, would help us complete successfully our activities for the year 2014-2015 and greatly improved Concordia’s university and student life off and on campus!” Dagane said.
To find out more about ConMUN and their proposed fee levy or to meet the executives in person, contact conmun@gmail.com. They are also on Facebook and Twitter.
The Grey Nuns building exterior. Photo by The Concordian.
140 year-old Grey Nuns building, once a convent, now ready to welcome students
The Grey Nuns building, located on Guy St, just steps away from Ste-Catherine St., is a building all Concordia students have walked in front of. Some may have noticed its beauty, tucked away behind the many trees on the lot, a building that is clearly so much older than those surrounding it. It is also Concordia’s most newly acquired, yet oldest, building.
This building – which dates back to the 1870s and was purchased by Concordia University in 2007 for $18 million – has been given a new purpose: to accommodate students. The building also has a daycare facility. Concordia has been working for years in order to renovate the building while keeping its historic presence intact. This was accomplished with the help of the Sisters and the government of Quebec. The project cost $15 million, according to The Gazette.
The Grey Nuns building exterior. Photo by Concordia.
Renovations began after the sisters left the building, in April of last year.
A few renovations were done to the west wing in order to accommodate some students, about 245, back when the building was originally purchased.
The Concordian was able to get a glimpse into the building to check out the (almost) completed product during a media tour on Aug. 12. The tour was lead by Clarence Epstein, senior director of Urban and Cultural Affairs, and Peter Bolla, associate vice-president of Facilities Management.
The Building
The Grey Nuns building is an H-shaped with a surface measuring 375,000 square feet. The land the building on, which Concordia also owns and which once served as a very large garden, measures 8 acres.
Now that the renovations have been completed, the building can now accommodate 355 more student beds, meaning that 600 students can now live in the building.
The seemingly untouched chapel is now filled with tables and lamps, so that students can work in silence while surrounded by historical pieces of art, gorgeous high ceilings, and stain-glass windows. The chapel fits up to 240 students. Red, modern lounge chairs were added to the front of the chapel. The red accessories were chosen, according to Epstein, to connect the history of the religious coding to the university’s coding of the space. The tables even have incorporated plugs, so that students can plug in their laptops and cellphones.
“[The chapel] allows for people to learn, to grow, to transform themselves, to reflect on their work and to get some private, individual study,” Concordia President Dr. Alan Shepard said. “…It has some exquisite 19th century art on the walls, which has all been left for us by the Grey Nuns. We are certain that students will find this to be incredibly productive space, quiet reflective space. It’s in keeping with the heritage of the reflective nature of this space, originally.”
The beautiful renovations done to the interior are both a touch of modern and classical. Photo by Concordia.
The hallway leading to the chapel is filled with beautiful photographs created several years ago by the faculty of fine arts. The faculty commissioned artists to photograph and interpret the departure of the sisters, Epstein explained. “These works have now been hung permanently in this corridor to make that connection between their legacy and the new purpose that the site has for the university,” he said.
Fourteen group rooms were created, each with a white board and tables where six people can work comfortably. Students will be able to reserve these study spaces through the library. These rooms were originally used as administrative offices for the sisters.
Another 300 study spaces were added throughout the building. The room that served as a temporary chapel before the permanent chapel was built was converted into another space for both study and fun. Tables and chairs are on both sides of the room, and leather couches are in the centre so that students can relax. There is even space in the front of the room for a stage, for special occasions or concerts. The large windows fill the room with natural light, and the colorful lighting that was added during the renovations adds a young feel to the building.
The renovations allowed the school to add some beautiful glass doors to the building, in order to separate common areas, which will be open to all students, and areas reserved to students living there. In order to enter the building, students will have to scan their student IDs. Although most of the walls remained white, a few colorful touches were added to ceiling in different parts of the building, giving the building a younger, warmer, modern touch.
The Grey Nuns building has a state-of-the-art kitchen, where the food delivered throughout campus will be produced from now on. There is also a second option for those living in dorms; a second kitchen reserved for students who wish to cook for themselves. This new plan, a first for Concordia, is called myPantry. Students can simply order their groceries through the building (the cost is included in their rent), store the items in the mini fridges in their dorm room, and cook them when they please in the common kitchen. Cooking lessons will be offered, and a nutritionist will visit to give students pointers. This kitchen even has a smoothie bar.
The dorm rooms are small but cozy, and the large windows let in a lot of natural light. All the rooms include a bed, an armoire, a chair, a desk, a mini fridge, and a sink. Some also have semi private and private bathrooms. Communal, newly renovated bathrooms are available for those without private bathrooms. The showers are unisex.
The building also has multipurpose rooms with game tables and big screen TVs, so that students can relax.
Those visiting the building were able to go to a part of the building that is not usually open to the public: the crypt in the building, where many of the Grey Nuns were buried. The crypt in not accessible to those in the building, although it is possible to see the room from outside.
Prices
Different dorm sizes (and prices) are available for students who wish to live in the Grey Nuns residence. Thirteen different room options are available, all varying in size, most of them single but some doubles, most with sinks, some semi private bathrooms (toilet and sink), and some with full showers. The least expensive single room with sink costs $720 per month, or $6,024 with tuition for the year, not including the meal plan. The most expensive room, the private room with full bathroom, costs $850 per month, or $7,111.67 with the school year, including tuition. A single room in Hingston hall costs between $525.04 per month and $684.56 per month, while single rooms in the Jesuit residence costs $831.74 per month. Both the Jesuit residence and Hingston hall are located at the Loyola Campus. The Grey Nuns building is the first to be located in Concordia’s downtown campus.
It is important to note that these prices do not include the meal plan, which costs $3,950 per year, with $125 in flex dollars.
History
This building was built in order to accommodate the Grey Nuns, who were founded by Marguerite d’Youville and three of her partners back in 1737. Architect Victor Bourgeau, a known and respected architect who specialized in religious building, was hired for the job. The H Shaped building has three wings, the inner outdoor area once having been reserved for gardening.
The Grey Nuns lived in the building until 2013. Originally, the nuns had planned to stay until 2022, but chose to leave early. They left most of the things in the building behind, only taking with them what was most linked to their history; wooden panels, for example, with the name of every nun to have ever lived in the building.
During the tour, Epstein recounted the day that Margaret d’Youville’s remains left the building, on a snowy day last year. Some of Concordia’s staff were invited to attend the ceremony.
“We were fortunate to be invited to the deconsecration of the chapel, where they removed the remains of Marguerite d’Youville, and officially made this space use as a profane site. and that is when the university began studies to convert it into a space for student use,” Epstein explained.
He explained that all sisters were brought in from various convents to witness Marguerite d’Youville’s final departure. The remains were brought down the aisle. Sisters lined the aisle while carrying the flowers of their namesake, marguerites.
“When the doors of the chapel opened, there was this flood of willowy light snow that kind of blew into the chapel as she was leaving. There was a limousine waiting for her and police accompaniment, to take her to the basilica for her final blessings. It was very special,” Epstain said.
Students can now apply to live in the residence. The Grey Nuns building is located on 1190 Guy St. The main entrance is located on Guy St. For more information, visit http://www.concordia.ca/maps/buildings/gn.html.
Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart is a musical that tugs at the heart strings.
The Best The Zero Theorem (2013)
Directed by Terry Gilliam
Set in a dystopian future, The Zero Theorem features a colorful cast of misfits.
From the comedic genius of Monty Python to the numerous surprising movies that he has made, Terry Gilliam has shown what is needed to become a giant in the artistic universe. The third and last opus of his “Orwellian triptych” reconfirms it. The Zero Theorem is a story about a peculiar character named Qohen Leth, interpreted by the always-wonderful Christoph Waltz, working for a Big Brother-esque company called Mancom. In a dystopian world, an array of colorful misfits pass through Qohen’s life to disturb his routine, either to help or disrupt his progress towards completing his important assignment. This said mission, bestowed upon him by the almighty Management of Mancom, is to prove the zero theorem, therefore confirming that everything in this universe is meaningless. For those of you familiar with dark but still fascinatingly amusing movies like Brazil and Twelve Monkeys, you can start to fathom what kind of absorbing and interesting world Gilliam is able to create. With his surprisingly lovable protagonist evolving in a not-so unrealistic futuristic society, Gilliam points out and critics many important and smaller facets of today’s world. With some slight exaggerations and caricatures of our own contemporary habits and surroundings, he is able to make us see the incongruity of an over-stimulated, productivity-obsessed, sex-driven civilization. The beauty of it is that The Zero Theorem never feels like it is patronizing. It uses clever humor and poetic representations to let us understand how absurd humankind could become. Let us hope that even in this dystopian future we will still be able to appreciate ingenious masterpieces such as Gilliam’s last work. Watch the trailer here.
Bloody Knuckles (2014)
Directed by Matt O’mahoney
Bloody Knuckles brings in the pain with the help of a zombie hand.
We all hate censorship. Well, at least when it concerns our favorites shows, artists or even media figures. Still, some people might think that a selective censorship is necessary for some “unacceptable” things in our society. In recent history, we can think of Jyllands-Posten’s Muhammad cartoons controversy for example. Bloody Knuckles, when you pass over the vulgar absurdity and the usual gore fest associated with decent B-movies, is a testimony of freedom of speech and the right of laughing about anything and anyone. The film portrays an uncompromising cartoonist named Travis (Adam Boys) using his comics to critique and joke in a particularly obscene fashion about well-know figures. Sadly for him and his soon to be severed hand – the subject of his last comic – Chinatown’s ultimate mobster, Leonard Fong (Kasey Ryne Mazak), is one of those people that thinks that sometimes you should censor yourself. Luckily for us – and the young, now depressed and silenced artist – the disconnected hand comes back from the dead with its offensive attitude to help his master get revenge. From there, the cartoonist, the zombie-hand, a clever journalist (Gabrielle Giraud), and one the most awesome and funny vigilante ever put on screen called Homo Dynamous (Dwayne Bryshun), group up to defeat the evil criminal gang. Bloody Knuckles is not what we would call a classic blockbuster. It will not win an Oscar and could be criticized for its few attempts at serious drama. Still, most of what Bloody Knuckles does is done right. If you are looking for an unconventional and wildly entertaining genre movie, go fetch this pus-covered hand and have a great and disgusting moment! Watch the trailer here.
Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart (2013)
Directed by Stéphane Beria and Mathias Malzieu
Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart is a musical that tugs at the heart strings.
We all have this one Disney movie that we cherish and re-watch secretly every once in a while. We also have a special spot in our hearts for their soundtracks. Still, when we grow up we tend to get more and more annoyed by sing-songy characters and predictable children’s movies. That is why the musical and lyrical gem that is Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart more than surprised this Concordian! With its flamboyant characters, its classic but still interesting romantic story and its poetic penchant, this movie has the ability to charm you. One of the strong points of the movie is the surprising array of well-known French artists lending their voices and musical styles to the lovable animated figures. Grand Corps Malade’s guttural yet sensible sound for example, gives Joe – one of the villains – an indescribable quality. The gorgeous cinematographic style and the well-crafted story, both originating from Mathias Malzieu’s novel La Mécanique du Coeur, brilliantly complete this musical score composed by the French rock band Dyonysos. Yes, in the end it could be considered as just another childlike animated movie with singing redundancy, but that would be completely ignoring the ‘petit je ne sais quoi’ of Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart. This movie has something special to offer to young and old alike. You should give it a chance to charm you, you will not be disappointed. Just be sure to make a bit of place in your head for another lovely song or two to add along to your favorite Disney melodies. Watch the trailer here.
The One I Love (2014)
Directed by Charlie McDowell
The One I Love takes the tried and true romantic getaway for a new spin.
What starts as an often seen storyline quickly changes to something much, much different. A couple, named Sophie (Elizabeth Moss) and Ethan (Mark Duplass), are struggling to save their marriage. Their therapists recommends a retreat, promising that this weekend away will renew their relationship. The couple embarks on a journey, unknowingly crossing the line between normal and abnormal.Once arrived at the retreat – which is a beautiful house – seemingly in the middle of nowhere, the couple spends a lovely evening. Things only start to go awry when Ethan discovers the guest house. In it lies an almost identical copy of their significant other. Only one member of the couple can be in the guest house at once, meaning that Sophie and Ethan cannot meet their clones, but can interact with the other version of their spouse. But how could this be? As the couple tries to wrap their brains around this new (clearly impossible) reality, even stranger things start to occur. What follows in an amazingly different story, a film that could be considered the perfect combination of a romantic comedy and science fiction. The film includes flawless acting from both Moss and Duplass, and beautifully shot scenes. It is incredible to think that such a complicated story line can be so well delivered by only three actors, one of which is only in the first few minutes of the film. The film will keep you guessing until the very last minute, and will leave you with a smile on your face, thinking ‘of course!’. Nothing less than genius can be expected from the people who created Jeff, Who Lives at Home and Safety Not Guaranteed. Still, The One I Love is one of the films to see this year. Watch the trailer here.
– written by Nathalie Laflamme
Once Upon a Time in Shanghai (2014)
Directed by Ching-Po Wong
Once Upon a time in Shanghai brings us back to the golden age of Bruce Lee and Asian Kung-Fu cinema.
Once Upon a Time in Shanghai is one of those movies that perpetuates the image of the god-like Kung Fu fighters, and does it really well. More traditional and lyrical in its approach and its cinematographic look than recent martial arts action movie such as The Raid. This movie takes you back to the era of old-school martial arts’ cinema, a time in which CGI did not over-stage the actual talent of the men and women seen on screen. This is probably one of the main qualities Once Upon a Time in Shanghai: it feels authentic. Still, the creators of this movie are well aware of the day and age in which we live in, and use plenty of effects and added stylistic details to give to the film a persona of its own. Simply put, it is theatrical and grand. A classy but still very dangerous Shanghai is portrayed and used as context for the two talented good guys, powerful mobsters and an evil army man trying to take over. It is the story of how it can be hard and unrewarding but still necessary to do good so that justice can prevail. A good old (but brand new) martial arts movie for everyone who misses the virtuosity of mister Bruce Lee himself. Watch the trailer here.
The Worst WolfCop (2014)
Directed by Lowell Dean
Trite and forgettable, Wolfcop is the bane of all buddy-cop movies.
A movie about a dreadfully stereotyped and one-sided alcoholic cop who becomes, in spite of himself, a werewolf. That is WolfCop for you. This review could probably end here and now, but it is necessary to make people understand how awful this film truly is. The unpleasantness of it all first comes in important things such as the characters. As mentioned, the main protagonist is a low-life alcoholic cop that becomes a werewolf (Leo Fafard). Around this un-nuanced character evolves an obnoxious cast including a redneck weirdo, an objectified barmaid, a puritan politician and a poorly executed mix of The Matrix’s Neo and the Driver’s role in Drive as the main villain. Other than that, the plot is pretty simple. A cop becoming a werewolf becomes an efficient wolfcop and starts cleaning the city of bad guys until the final revelation, a cheap and easy plot twist to say the least. Also, some on the most annoying things in WolfCop are some little, exasperating details and scenes. For example, you would be surprised how at how rapidly and seemingly without incident the main protagonist accepts his newly obtained status of werewolf. I don’t know about you. fellow readers, but I would need a few minutes to cope with the news. Additionally, there is an exquisitely ironic sex scene between a scantily clad red riding hood and wolfcop. Very classy, I tell you. It is necessary to admit though that the movie offers a few funny choreographies and werewolf moments. WolfCop could have been exempted from the “Worst” list since it is clearly a B-movie simply doing its thing. Nonetheless, other movies that could be included in the B-movie category such as Bloody Knuckles shows that it is possible to do it right. Sadly, Wolfcop failed miserably. Watch the trailer here.
Bros Before Hoes (2013)
Directed by Steffen Haars and Flip Van der Kuil
Forgettable, childish and misogynistic, Bros Before Hoes doesn’t quite deserve attention or merit.
There is not much to say about this movie, really. It is an example of what Hollywood does badly and repeatedly, this time executed by filmmakers from the Netherlands. Two brothers (Daniel Arends and Tim Haars), after living through their parent’s messy divorce, swear never to get involved in serious relationships, and therefore sleep with different women daily. Soon, one woman changes things (Sylvia Hoeks), and a love triangle become apparent. Sex related, scatological and all other kinds of stupid jokes are hashed and rehashed in this misogynistic movie for horny teens. The overused romantic comedy tale is painfully executed by a whole cast of characters that seemed to try too hard to imitate How I Met Your Mother’s over-the-top protagonist, Barney Stinson (Season nine Barney Stinson… Yes, it is that bad.) This movie uses all the poorest stereotypes and easy jokes there is in the book. By far the worst movie this sorry Concordian editor had to suffer through during this whole festival. Even the substantive amount of Rambo: First Blood quotes cannot save this movie from ending up in a good amount of body bags. Watch the trailer here.
The House at The End of Time (2013)
Directed by Alejandro Hidalgo
While The House at The End of Time might be formulaic, the ending is what truly adds the nail to its proverbial coffin.
This Spanish horror movie is as basic as can be. In the same veins as The Orphanage and The Others, The House at The End of Time is putting its viewers into the familiar setting of a strange and seemingly haunted house. It presents what appears to be a regular family with regular problems, well at least at first. This simplistic premise and set have been seen in numerous occasions, but this does not mean it is a bad thing. Even in the various techniques used by the director to scare the viewers–loud noises used in contrast with heavy moments of silence, mystery hiding behind a closed door, footsteps coming from beyond– almost every conventional horror technique is used. The horror genre is known to use the same formulas over and over again, and still succeeds to deliver some surprising and widely entertaining movies. You do not have to reinvent the wheel to make a great horror film. So, why is The House at The End of Time in the shameful “Worst” list you may ask? Simply put, it is mainly because of the last fifteen minutes. A no spoiler policy will be strictly enforced for this article so we will not go into any specific details, but what seemed to be a decent and honest horror movie just frankly lost it all at the end. Some other critics may be prone to advance the argument that this said ending is a complicated but still very clever twist. This is merely because in our generally simplified cinematic era, an over-complicated ending is often wrongly associated with a sign of quality. Confusion does not automatically rhyme with ingenious. Because of this unsuccessful attempt at cleverness, the movie just loses most of its significance. Sadly, the original tension that you felt during those few good moments just fall flat because of those odd and inconsistent final explanations. Sometimes, mysteries are simply better left alone. Watch the trailer here.
Monsterz (2014)
Directed by Hideo Nakata
With such a great pedigree under his belt, director Hideo Nakata’s Monsterz is forgettable at best.
We have all seen and been traumatized by either the remake or the original versions of some horrifying Asian movies, such as Ringu or Ju-on: The Grudge. Hideo Nakata, the director of the above-mentioned Ringu and Monsterz, is considered a master of the art. However, this recent installment will not stand in the annals of Asian horror movies. The plot revolves around two young men, one with the power of bending the minds of anyone unlucky enough to meet his gaze, and another that seems to be the only one immune to this power. From this premise comes an ever-lasting duel between those two superior beings while society decides that they are a threat to humankind. It is cautionary tale about exclusion and stigmatization. Yet, even if it is evident that there were people with good intentions and talent behind this movie, Monsterz does not hold up to the expectations. Annoying characters, including the most outrageous gay stereotype of the last decade showed on screen, sometimes totally illogical moments and ridiculous dialogues ruins the potential of the movie. This movie had a great concept at its core, but failed to exploit it properly. Hopefully, this will not be the swan song of one of the most talented director when talking about Asian horror movies. We will just need to forget about this unsuccessful attempt. Watch the trailer here.
Notable The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Directed by Tobe Hooper
There’s little that hasn’t already been said about this classic piece of cinema history.
If you are into horror movies, you must have been there with us. If you are a real fan, you could not miss this once in a lifetime chance. Yes indeed, I am talking about the screening of one of the best horror movies of all time, the original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in all its splendor on the big screen! Not only that, but the actual horror legend that gave us this horrifying gem, Tobe Hooper, was there to present it to the lucky people able to enter the presentation. For those of you who cried for a week after having realized the missed opportunity, here is a general overview of the evening. After an energetic presentation by the hyperactive Fantasia host and a short appearance by Tobe Hopper himself, everyone meowed their heart out and the festive ambiance suddenly became creepy with the opening credits and iconic photo-taking. Then the whole audience proceeded to scream, laugh and get traumatize by the amazing classic that is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It was very interesting to think about how horrified the public must have been back in the day by the gruesome film. It was also easier to experience how this movie not only perturbs its viewers psychologically with its demented protagonists and the general craziness, but also how it affects the audience physically. Indeed, the fact that it was properly presented on a cinema screen with quality surround sound made you realize how unsettling the numerous camera movements, high-pitched noises and general atmosphere and that all those elements could affect you directly and physically. Overall, it was wonderfully frightening to see this movie screening with a public composed of die-hard horror fans. Sadly, the interview and Q&A that followed with the director was not as satisfying. After a few rounds of applause, the Fantasia host started a very interesting and informative interview, or at least he tried to. Maybe mister Hooper was tired or maybe he just did not feel like being there, but in the end even the most stimulating questions directed at him were answered by anecdotic moments or non-related stories. Frankly, it felt more like a reading of IMDB’s trivia pages than a unique opportunity to interview and listen to one of horror’s most talented directors. Still, Tobe Hooper will remain the creator of one of the scariest films ever made. Thanks to him, and the Fantasia International Film Festival, we could finally be scared properly by The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Watch the trailer here.
Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie (2014)
Directed by Kevin Finn and James D. Rolfe
As James Rolfe’s magnum opus, The Angry Video Game Nerd movie is a sure-shot for fans of the YouTube superstar.
Most people got to know him as the “Angry Nintendo Nerd” when he first began his short and corrosive reviews of old-school video games a few years ago. Today, James Rolfe is an Internet superstar with over 1.5 million subscribers to its YouTube channel and fans from all around the world, showing a dedication rarely seen on the web and its micro-celebrity sphere. With the help of these devoted fans, the nerd finally delivered his ambitious movie project. In this movie, the infuriated geek and his friends go on a quest to unfold the mystery surrounding the so-called “worst video game of all time”, Eee-tee The Extra-Terrestrial for the Atari 2600. James Rolfe delivers in this wacky film a fair and honest comedy that is surely going to appeal and amuse all of us who watched and laughed at his countless comical videos. The various references to different movie genres, the caricatural characters, the iconic frustrated moments of the nerd himself and the chaotic finale are all elements that kept the whole crowd laughing for nearly two hours. On the other hand, it is important to keep in mind that most of the audience members were Rolfe fans. The reason this movie is not in the “The Best” category is that this is a movie for those fans. It is very doubtful indeed that people who never heard of the “Angry Video Game Nerd” and its original web reviews will like this film. This movie is more of a continuation of the work of James Rolfe and the people that helped him more than a solid stand-alone film. Nonetheless, Angry Video Game Nerd: The Movie will satisfy anyone who loves the rolling rock’s drinking character that will play those games that…Oh well, you know the song as well as I do and if not, you probably won’t like the movie. Watch the trailer here.
Mr. Go 3D (2013)
Directed by Yong-hwa Kim
It is a South-Korean blockbuster about a gorilla that becomes a baseball star…in 3D. What else do you need? Watch the trailer here.
Goal of the Dead (2014)
Directed by Thierry Poiraud and Benjamin Rocher
Who knew zombies and sports would go along so well?
What could have been a cheap use of zombies to justify a bad story installed in a sport related setting was after all a nice revelation. Not good enough to be in the honorific “best” list, but its uniqueness, a characteristic rare enough in our contemporary zombie-filled cultural landscape, makes it worthy of our attention. Created with the help of Canal+, this horror comedy will surely entertain you with its smart use of the sometimes laughable world of international sports and the anger and admiration it stirs up. By offering a nice little analogy of the absurdly violent hooligans, it gives us a light and easy to watch two-part movie. It is necessary to precise that people unfamiliar with the French general culture and people may find the movie a little less funny that it really is. Nonetheless, it stands as a nice zombie movie anyway and that is something we all ought to like. If you do not, well you can always go play soccer outside…at your own peril… Watch the trailer here.
It is important to precise that that many wonderful movies and plenty of very bad ones have been omitted in this article. Big titles such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Welcome to New York and I Origins have been left out but certainly deserve your attention. Indie gems such as The Unusual Metalhead and critically acclaimed international hits such as Jacky au Royaume des Filles have also been overlooked. This list is clearly imperfect and insufficient to give a complete portrayal of what the festival has to offer. Your humble writers had to make some difficult choices to bring you this article, and hope that you will understand that, to really experience the Fantasia International Film Festival, you have got to simply be there and make the most of its brilliant selection.
James Vincent McMorrow showcased his amazing vocals at Club Soda on April 3, playing songs from both his first album, Early in the Morning, and his new album, Post Tropical.
The show started off with a great performance by the Victoria-based artist Aidan Knight. He performed songs from his debut album, Small Reveal. The chilling sounds of the band, (which were made up of a violin, a trumpet, guitars, and a Wurlitzer), mixed with Knight’s soothing vocals and got the crowd in the right mood for what was to come.
Once McMorrow hit the stage, magic ensued. Accompanied by his band, McMorrow began the show by playing some of his lesser known and more recent songs, like “The Lakes,” “Hear the Noise,” and “Glacier.” His signature falsetto filled the room, silencing the previously rowdy audience.
Between songs, McMorrow told the crowd about his misadventures during his North American tour. Early on, he caught strep throat, and had to cancel a show. He quickly recovered, only to be stopped at the border because one of his managers had “stuff in his past”, which he had failed to tell the rest of the group. The band then had to deal with their bus breaking down, and had to get a lift to their Vancouver show by one of the members of Aidan Knight’s band, even though this meant she would miss a big part of the show.
McMorrow laughed while recounting these stories, telling the audience that he was probably overdue to write his autobiography. He said that, while most of the book would be quite boring, the last little part would be a real “page-turner.”
McMorrow waited until the end of the show to play crowd favorites like “We Don’t Eat,” his latest single “Cavalier,” “And If My Heart Should Somehow Stop” and “If I Had a Boat.”
His performance of “We Don’t Eat” was particularly memorable. The layering of instruments—McMorrow alternated between the guitar and the drums—and incredible vocals made the song even more chilling than the recorded version, and, towards the end, much more dramatic. Although McMorrow apologized for getting “a little screamy,” the audience adored the performance.
The crowd begged for McMorrow to perform his version of Steve Windwood’s “Higher Love,” the song that put him on the map two years ago. He said that he rarely played the song anymore but that, since the crowd had been so amazing, he would play it. It is safe to say that to crowd went wild, singing every lyric along with him.
The band had to deal with a few technical issues towards the end of the show: the keyboard had, according to McMorrow “exploded.” The quality of the music was not affected in any way. One of these unfortunate technical issues, which caused an extremely unpleasant and loud screeching sound, occurred in the middle of a song, after a technician tried to fix the issue. McMorrow then jokingly asked “Where was I?”, so the crowd answered, yelling the lyrics at him. He then laughed, saying that he did know the lyrics, and that he was “familiar with this song,” but thanked the audience anyway.
Tuition fees have increased, but universities remain underfunded
Tuition fees have been indexed. Tax credits for university students have been slashed by 12 per cent. Universities across the province remain underfunded. And yet, the pots and pans have stayed in kitchen cupboards.
In previous years, any person studying at a postsecondary institution was eligible to get a tax credit equal to 20 per cent of their tuition fees. This rule also applied to any exams that cost money, and the amount could be transferred to parents or even grandparents.
As of this semester, the rate has changed. The government lowered the tax credit to eight per cent.
For a Quebec resident studying at Concordia taking five classes per semester, tuition fees amount to $2,224 per year, according to Concordia’s tuition fee calculator. Twenty per cent of that amount represents a total of $444.80. Eight percent of the tuition fees, on the other hand, amounts to $177.92.
Photo by Nathalie Laflamme
This means that, this year, students who pay income tax will pay $266.88 more when filing their taxes than they did last year. For the students who do not pay taxes, their parents or grandparents will have to face a reduced tax credit.
Over three years, this lowered tax credit rate will cost students a total of $800.64. This new rate will be applied to tuition fees from the semester that started in the winter 2013 semester.
To most students, this represents a lot of money. For the government, it will amount to a ton of money. According to a document published by the CQFF (Centre Québecois de formation en fiscalité), this change should bring $61 million to the government of Quebec between 2014-2015, and $78 million in 2018-2019.
The Parti Quebecois has stated that the money they get from this cut will be reinvested into loans and bursaries.
“The decrease in tax credits associated with tuition fees in and of itself looks like it would be bad for students, but I’ve heard many people involved in student governance argue that, since the money is being rerouted through loans and bursaries, it might actually be beneficial in the long run,” said current Concordia Student Union President Melissa Kate Wheeler. “The CSU is obviously opposed to any funds, be they through tuition itself or tax credits, being taken away from students. However, for this particular issue, it may be a little more complex.”
In 2012, tens of thousands of students lined the streets of Montreal to fight the proposed tuition fee hike. This period in Quebec’s history is known as the Maple Spring. The Quebec Liberal Party’s original plan was to increase fees by $325 per year over five years. After students acted out, the Liberals changed their plan to an increase of $254 over seven years, with an indexation of tuition. Regardless, students continued to march in the streets, banging on pots and pans.
The original plan would have cost a student completing a three-year undergraduate degree $975. This tax credit cut will cost the same student $800.64.
Léo Bureau-Blouin was president of the Fédération étudiante collegial du Québec (FECQ) and one of the leaders of the Maple Spring protests. He is now the PQ candidate for the Laval-des-Rapides riding, and believes this cut in tax credits will be beneficial to students.
“Since financial aid for students constitutes a more effective tool than a non-refundable tax credit when we are trying to facilitate access to education, I believe that this measure will be beneficial for the students who need it most,” Bureau-Blouin said.
Concordia President Alan Shepard believes that this cut is a good change if it means more students will have access to loans and bursaries.
“It’s an interesting public policy decision because, I’m not in the government, but what I assume they are trying to do is … [funnel] additional support to students of more modest means, that’s the ambition. I’m an advocate for people of modest means having an opportunity to go to university,” Shepard said.
This cut will not change the fact that Quebec universities are underfunded.
“Whether or not you agree with the hike or other types of funding, the problem is that our universities are underfunded. We, as students, know that,” Cameron Ahmad, a Concordia student and president of the Young Liberals of Canada in Quebec, said. “The equipment we have, the resources we have, they’re good, but they’re not as good as they could or should be.”
Philippe Ghayad, an economics professor at Dawson College, believes that, economically, the original tuition fee hike plan made more sense.
“The Liberal plan makes more sense to me. It is more progressive than the PQ plan…Low tuition rates are like subsidizing the rich since they can afford to pay more. Adjusting tuition rates with tax credits, loans and bursaries gives an incentive to low-income earners to continue their studies,” Ghayad said.
Ahmad believes that the province’s youth needs to speak up.
“If we look at the facts, if we look at the consequences it has had on people, it’s a tuition increase regardless. I think, just as young people, we need to speak up against this, and we need to make sure that people are aware,” Ahmad said. “This is the most blatant type of hypocrisy in politics right now, and they shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this. We, as young people, should remind the population that when a politician says something, we should hold them to account for it. And we shouldn’t let them get away with trying to slip us a fast one.”
Although students have not taken to the streets, many Quebec university rectors have protested in their own way. Fifteen Quebec university rectors, led by Guy Breton, president of l’Université de Montréal, took out full-page ads on March 17 in both The Gazette and La Presse, demanding that the next elected government increase university funding to the Canadian average by 2020.
According to Statistics Canada and the Canadian Association of University Business Officers (CAUBO), student funding for universities, per student, is currently $10,844 in Quebec. In the rest of Canada, the average is $15,798.
Shepard was one of the rectors who signed the ad. The idea behind it was to bring attention to the funding gap.
“What the rectors want, and what they’re worried about, is how to lead a university network across Quebec that is as competitive as it can be with other institutions outside of Quebec,” Shepard said. “We want, not surprisingly, the best kinds of education we can offer students. When the students arrive here, we want them to have equal opportunity with people in the rest of Canada…and it is difficult to deliver on all of those initiatives, all those ambitions, if the per student funding is substantially lower.”
After last year’s education summit, the government promised that they would reinvest $1.7 billion into universities over the next seven years. A portion of the money would help universities cover increasing costs. For the other portion, the schools would work with the government in order to decide where the money would be invested. The money would go mostly towards academic and student services; not administration.
According to Bureau-Blouin, this money will come from the expansion of economic activity and the control of provincial expenses.
Concordia had been communicating with the government about the funding they would receive, and about what programs would be invested in. All negotiations were put on hold when the general provincial election was called.
“Without that reinvestment … we won’t have the money necessary to become competitive on the North American market and internationally. We’re going to struggle at maintaining our reputation and maintaining the quality of education in Quebec because our competitors will go deeper and deeper compared to us,” said Concordia University’s controller, Daniel Therrien.
As controller, Therrien works with financial services and controls expenditures.
The PQ is the only party to have promised to reinvest this money into education. If they do not win the election, it is unknown whether the new government will pick up where the PQ left off, or invest the money elsewhere.
“A new government coming in could change the direction completely,” Therrien said.
During this academic year, tuition rates were indexed at a rate of 2.6 per cent. It was recently decided that the indexation rate would decrease to a rate of 2.2 per starting in the fall.
Although this will mean a little more money for universities, it will not solve their funding issues. It will essentially mean that they will now be able to afford to keep up with most of their current expenses, something that, when tuition fees were frozen, they could not do, as their costs technically increased every year.
Although the cost of living is currently increasing at a rate of 2.2 per cent, many expenses at Concordia, like salaries, library e-journals, and scientific equipment, increase at much higher rates.
“If the cost of goods, services and labour goes up by at least 2 per cent and the tuition is indexed by 2 per cent you haven’t done anything to fundamentally close the gap with the rest of Canada. You’re maintaining status quo. As a general rule of thumb, inflation in universities has been running across Canada 4 to 5 per cent per year, depending on what jurisdiction you’re in. So lets say that inflation is 4 per cent and you have 2 per cent, you’re already losing ground,” Shepard said.
“Our internal costs, when you look at security, you look at gas, our fixed costs, they grew at about that rate. However, the biggest component of the costs of university is salary…on average [salaries increase at a rate of] 3.2 per cent [per year],” Therrien said. He explained that, since the university is unionized, salaries are based on a 12-step scale of collective agreements. Every step on the scale means a higher salary increase every year, the minimum being a 2 per cent increase.
According to Therrien, the school’s income will increase by around $2 million because of the new indexation plan, but this will not allow the school to improve their services.
“It’s not even enough to cover our increase in costs…if we don’t grow our student population, I won’t even be able to make my costs, and I’m not even talking about reinvesting. So the tuition indexation is only bringing us a certain portion of the money we need to maintain the operation,” Therrien said.
Therrien also explained that increasing the amount of students at the school is not as easy as it seems, as the school needs to maintain its reputation, and can only support so many students without affecting the quality of the education being offered.
“Any money helps the university, that’s for sure. But the indexing is only giving me an opportunity to maintain what were doing. There is no growth with that, there is no reinvestment,” Therrien said.
According to Ghayad, indexing tuition fees makes sense, since, with the inflation rate, costs go up for universities every year. It is also logical to index tuition fees because salaries follow the inflation rate.
He believes that not indexing tuition fees could cause “a large gap between revenue and expenditures for the universities. Deficits need to be paid off by someone in society sooner or later.”
“If it were not indexed, sooner or later tuition rates would increase as they did in the past, like in the early 1990s, and it was a large jump in tuition. I think a transparent and expected increase of about 2 per cent annually, which is the inflation rate more or less, would be better than the possible outcomes mentioned. I think that the tax credit is going to hurt more students overall than the indexation plan,” Ghayad said.
One of the main reason Pauline Marois was voted in as premier back in 2012 was because one of her electoral promises was not to raise tuition fees.And yet, in more ways than one, the cost of superior education has increased. Ahmad believes that this whole situation will have a negative impact on how the province’s youth perceives politics.
“I think that, with this, what the PQ has managed to do is to make a lot of young people cynical about politics, because they’ve gone back on a lot of their election promises in a very short period of time,” Ahmad said. “How can young people be inspired by politics or believe in their politicians when they’re going back on their promises?”
Two years after the Maple Spring, a compromise between students, universities, and the government has not yet been reached. The results of the next provincial election will, no matter who is elected, impact the face of superior education. Only time will tell whether these changes will be positive or negative, and how the population will react.
Miss Panti Bliss would describe herself as being “a national fucking treasure.”
After attending the Q & A with Ireland’s most loved Drag Queen and accidental gay rights activist at Concordia on March 25, one could not help but agree.
The talk was organized collaboratively by Concordia’s Canadian Irish Studies and Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, and ended with attendees—about 100 people—giving Miss Panti Bliss a standing ovation.
Emer O’Toole, an assistant professor of Irish performance studies, started the Q&A by reminding the audience that Miss Panti Bliss has been involved with gay right activism for a very long time.
Back in 1987, Miss Panti Bliss began hosting the Alternative Miss Ireland Pageant, which aimed to raise awareness for the
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rape crisis, and later to raise money for HIV and AIDS. The pageant was open to everyone, including animals, and later became a part of the Dublin Saint Patrick’s day parade. Many drag queens took part in the pageant, and it became an alternate pride celebration.
“I always described the work that I do, jokingly, as glamour routed in despair… I am trying to say something important by using something that seems silly, like me,” Miss Panti Bliss said.
On Jan. 11, Rory O’Neill, which is Miss Panti Bliss’s given name, appeared on RTÉ’s The Saturday Night Show with Brendan O’Connor to discuss homophobia. While on the show, O’Neill said that some people involved in Irish journalism were homophobic.
After showing the room the video, a round of applause ensued.
“I haven’t seen that in months and it seems so innocuous,” she said. “I think that I was really reserved about what I said. I could’ve been a lot harder on those dicks!”
Miss Panti Bliss explained that, at first, this seemed like a situation that would make Ireland look bad.
“It looked like it was saying ‘Ireland is such a backward little shithole of a country that somebody can’t even point out that a homophobe is a homophobe anymore in that country or they’ll be sued and dragged through the courts,’” Miss Panti Bliss said.
“However, what happened in the end was that the good, decent, ordinary Irish people were as horrified as everybody that those people would sue someone for saying that, especially when they clearly are a bunch of homophobes.”
These people, according to Miss Panti Bliss, are the reason that the movement, known as both “Team Panti” and “Pantigate,” became such a phenomenon.
In the first few weeks after the show on RTÉ, a lot of people attacked Miss Panti Bliss. These were the people who had felt insulted by what she had said. After those weeks passed, though, the Irish people took her side.
“I spent maybe three weeks being attacked…but then I spent maybe the last three months being, you know, a national fucking treasure!”
On Feb. 1, Panti Miss Panti Bliss responded to the events that surrounded the RTÉ controversy by speaking at the Abbey Theatre. The video of her speech went viral, with people from all over the world responding.
“It was outstanding to me that Irish people cared. But it absolutely blew me away that people in bloody Montreal, Canada give a shit about this.”
According to Miss Panti Bliss, less than half of her fans were LGBT people. Many were people who apologized for how they had treated LGBT people, others had gay siblings, many were in wheelchairs or had Aspergers syndrome, and felt that they were treated in a similar way as the gay population.
It was astounding to her the amount of people who cared about the speech she did on such a specific issue.
In the speech at the Abbey Theatre, Miss Panti Bliss spoke of some issues gay people deal with on a daily basis, a few of which she considers her dirty little secrets. One of these was feeling embarrassed when friends publicly “acted gay.”
“Here am I, a 45-year-old drag queen, who’s made a living doing this for the last thirty years, I own a fucking gay bar, and I’m still embarrassed sometimes by how gay my friend is in public. I thought that that was my dark little secret and it turns out that every single gay in the world sometimes feels that. That blew me away,” Miss Panti Bliss said.
O’Toole then showed O’Connor’s apology, done on behalf of RTÉ, which aired two weeks after the show had aired. The original interview had been taken off of RTÉ’s online archive. Although Miss Panti Bliss hated the apology, ‘Pantigate’ would never have become what it is without it. RTÉ paid the people who had threatened to sue. Since RTÉ is publicly funded, it paid them with taxpayer’s money, which angered people, and gained Miss Panti Bliss more supporters. Miss Panti Bliss believes that, had RTÉ not payed off the people named in the interview, she would have been dragged through the courts. Because taxpayer money was involved, Miss Panti Bliss’s supporters increased, and suing her at that point would have angered the population even further.
Miss Panti Bliss later spoke of gay marriage in Ireland, and of her definition of homophobia and explained that, in a way, homophobes have an irrational fear of gay people.
“I don’t think that those newspaper columnists walk by the hairdresser’s and shudder, but what they do have a fear of is what the world will look like, and what their place in the world will be, if gay and lesbian people are given full equality… It is a fear of change. That is an irrational fear, and when you boil down it’s the same as being afraid of gay people,” Miss Panti Bliss said.
Miss Panti Bliss explained that the reason people attacked her after she called them homophobes was that they knew that, when the gay marriage referendum came around in 2015, calling someone a homophobe would make all their arguments null.
“They had to shut down any possibility that they could publicly be called homophobes and I just happened to be the one who, at that particular time, called them a bunch of homophobes,” Miss Panti Bliss said.
Miss Panti Bliss then spoke of her work with the New York City Saint Patrick’s day parade. Gay people are not allowed to participate in the parade, and every year, many public spats take place about this.
“I think that homophobes are particularly annoyed when a bloke in a dress calls them out on something. It always reminds me of the power of drag. There is something incredibly powerful about not gender conforming. It freaks out homophobes.”
“They don’t go after the gay guy in a suit and glasses, they don’t go after the lesbian in the three inch court heels and nice skirt, they go after the lesbian with the butch haircut and the leather jacket and they go after the gay guy in a dress.”
About 15 years ago, an alternative parade called the St. Pat’s for All Parade was created in Queens, NY. The parade got a lot of attention this year, as the mayor of the city and the entire city council refused to walk in the mainstream parade. Twenty members of city council walked in the alternative parade alongside Miss Panti Bliss.
At the end of the Q&A, the floor was opened to the audience who shared their personal stories with Miss Panti Bliss, and asked more questions about ‘Pantigate’.
The event ended with a standing ovation, with people lining up afterwards to go meet and personally thank Miss Panti Bliss.
All eyes will be on Miss Panti Bliss, and on Ireland, as the country heads into its gay marriage referendum next year. Miss Panti Bliss hopes that ‘Pantigate’ will impact the referendum’s results.
“While I don’t want to overemphasize what’s happened recently or just sort of have an overly optimistic view of how things might change it is possible that this stupid ‘Pantigate’ incident could actually change everything for gay people. I’m not saying it is going to happen, but it’s possibl.,”
“Ireland is [so small] that a single incident could have a massive effect… I could hope that that is the case, not just for gay and lesbian people, but particularly for trans people. At the moment it seems like an important moment for them. And I would hope that maybe this could be a time for them that could dramatically change everything in Ireland.”
James Vincent McMorrow embarks on a North American tour with his latest album
James Vincent McMorrow is excited.
The Irish singer/songwriter, who originally caught the world’s attention with his cover of Steve Windwood’s “Higher Love,” has just embarked on his most extensive North American tour to date, something he has been looking forward to for a long time.
“The idea of playing shows in North America is incredibly romantic. There’s this idea of being in a bus or being in a van and just hauling ass between places,” McMorrow said. “It doesn’t matter whether [you’re performing in front of] 20 people or 200 or 2,000, just the idea of it is compelling…there’s something great and vast [about North America] that you can’t get anywhere else in the world.”
Press photo
On the tour, which began on March 16 in Hollywood, CA, McMorrow is performing songs from both his first record, Early in the Morning, and his second record, Post Tropical, which was released in January.
Post Tropical is completely different from his first, leaving behind the acoustic guitar and piano, and instead replacing them with a
layering of many new, electronic instruments, like keyboards and percussions. His signature haunting falsetto, of course, remains. This change in style has made performing live more dynamic.
“It’s live touring and playing shows the way I always wanted to play shows. This is really me doing exactly what I always wanted to do,” he said.
McMorrow built Early in the Morning from scratch. He wrote, produced, and recorded the album in a house in Ireland, with no help whatsoever. The second record was recorded and produced in a studio in Texas. Having a team who worked with him to create Post Tropical made the experience fantastic for McMorrow.
“I like working for myself in certain instances, but I think the more people that can add something, the better,” McMorrow said. “Everyone who worked on the record did things I feel like I couldn’t do, and they opened up my musical world to different sounds and different textures that I might not have considered.”
McMorrow knew from the beginning that Post Tropical would be very different from his first record.
“It sounds really silly but I’ve had [Post Tropical] in my head for a really long time, and none of the sounds on it were, you know, just me and a guitar,” McMorrow said. “They were these vaguely surreal sounding and quite hard to find sounds, so it was important that I try all these instruments and really discover what everything amounted to.”
Although both albums are very different, they come together perfectly when performed live, something McMorrow was pleasantly surprised by.
“What was really unexpected and really compelling to me was how songs from the first record folded so beautifully into those newer textures and those newer sounds,” McMorrow said. “It was really supple, and that was brilliant.“
Throughout the years, McMorrow’s writing process has remained relatively the same.
“I start up with an idea I’m really excited about it. Then I live with it for a little while, before I really make it into something that is an actual song,” McMorrow explained. “Then I spend another two to three months yelling at a page, and I feel like it’s never going to work, and suddenly something clicks, and I can hear it.”
In order to write, McMorrow has to work alone, surrounded by instruments, for months at a time.
“No matter how many times I do it, I still get to that point where I think it isn’t going to work. Even though I know historically that it will work,” McMorrow said. “I’ve persisted and given myself the headaches and kind of moved through it and gotten to the end. Every single time feels like the first time, which is really strange I think.”
By working alone, McMorrow can experiment knowing that no one will be able to tell him that they do not like the music he is creating.
“If no one is around to tell you that something is crazy, then it’s not crazy!” McMorrow said. “For a moment to be able to just sit in a room and not have anybody question that idea…for you to be able to pursue it, and then realize for yourself whether or not it works, personally, I thrive on that.”
Sometimes, McMorrow finds it helpful to write songs on his drum kit. It was the first instrument that he learned to play (he now plays eight or nine, he’s lost track), and certain nostalgia comes from playing on it.
“There’s a certain sense of ‘this is where it all began’ whenever I sit behind a drum kit, which I really love,” McMorrow said. “I tend to sit behind the drums and record myself for two to three hours and then listen back to it, then I hear little patterns. A lot of songs have come out of those sessions.”
McMorrow is not interested in defining his music, or in conveying a particular message.
“I want to make music that resonates with me. I can hear the intent and the purpose in it, but I’m not interested in defining it, if that makes any sense,” McMorrow said. “I just know that it’s there, and that it matters to me. If I’m not messing around and I’m not faking it, then when people hear it, they’ll know that I’m not messing around and that I’m not faking it. That’s really the goal, to try and make the most beautiful and the most profound thing that I could imagine.”
This is not the first time that McMorrow will be performing in Montreal. He remembers a particularly stressful show at the Osheaga Arts & Music festival two years ago, on a day where, typical of Montreal, it was pouring rain.
McMorrow remembers being worried that he and his band would not be able to play, since it was raining so hard that the stage had become soaking wet, making it dangerous to perform.
“It stopped raining maybe an hour before we played…we played and the sun stayed out. And then we walked off stage, packed up our gear, and then five minutes later the rain came back…it was one of those moments when someone was smiling down on us,” McMorrow said.
He’s excited to be returning to Montreal. This time, thankfully, he will be playing an indoor venue.
James Vincent McMorrow will be performing at Club Soda on April 3.
For their third studio album, the New Jersey indie rockers step out from behind the haze of their previous releases and confirm that they are more than just a novelty act. With their two previous albums, Real Estate has proven that simplicity is the key to their popularity. Their dreamy arrangements and pop melodies feel pleasant and nostalgic, and never required much investment from the listener. With Atlas, we are faced with a maturation. The lyrics speak of time, regret, and alienation and the production is more polished, creating a deeper and more complex listen.
The band may be growing up, but the core of what makes Real Estate feel so genuine remains intact: a bunch of suburban guys who want to have fun and play music. Who can complain with that?
Trial Track: “Talking Backwards”
Rating: 8/10
-Paul Traunero
Pharrell- G I R L (Columbia; 2014)
Pharrell Williams has truly outdone himself in his latest album, G I R L . It’s an adventurous summer-lovin’ album with an interesting set of guest appearances from artists across the music industry’s spectrum. This 10-song mixture has interesting collaborations with Justin Timberlake, Miley Cyrus, Kelly Osbourne, Daft Punk, Alicia Keys, and Timbaland, to name a few. The best way to describe such an album is that it really tries to make you feel happy. It also has an emotional jazzy side to add a final touch. Already, the latest single off the album, “Happy,” has garnished 100 million views on YouTube alone. If you are looking for a summer time set list of tunes to jam to either in the car or in the club, G I R L is definitely an album for you. Finally, someone in the industry is making real music again, and still hitting the mainstream airwaves with a bang.
Trial Track: “Gust of Wind”
Rating: 8/10
-Jonathan Cohen
Trust – Joyland (Arts & Crafts; 2014)
Trust unleashes a more mature and complex sound on his sophomore effort, Joyland. Originally a two-piece effort, Trust is now composed uniquely of Toronto-based artist Robert Alfons. Following up his Juno-nominated debut album TRST, Alfons attempts to find a balance between upbeat, synthy house music and darker techno, and does so with relative ease. Most of Joyland has a lighter, dreamy feel to it: album opener “Slightly Floating” perpetuates a feeling of being caught up in a synth-fuelled dream. The album then moves into murkier soundscapes on tracks like “Are We Arc?” and “Four Gut,” all the while maintaining a retro-inspired dance-ability. Joyland also displays Alfons’ vocals more prominently than on his debut album, exemplified most notably on tracks like “Geryon” that showcase the Toronto musician’s semi-sinister sounding vocal-work. At times, the album borders on overly eurobeat techno, but tracks like “Barely” remind us that Alfons is able to create an atmosphere that is both intricate and fun.
Trial Track: “Barely”
Rating: 7/10
-Jessica Romera
Imogen Heap – Sparks (RCA; 2014)
Back in 2011, eclectic singer-songwriter Imogen Heap asked her fans to help her write her fourth studio album. The album, entitled Sparks, was released on March 3, and is the perfect update to her amazing sound. The album brings the same hauntingly beautiful voice, layering, and harmonies that put her on the map, yet with a more upbeat, different touch. While some of the songs on the album, like “You Know Where To Find Me” are reminiscent of “Say Goodnight And Go,” others, like “Xizi She Knows” are completely different, and bring an exotic new twist to Heap’s music. Heap collaborated with Deadmau5 for her song “Telemiscommunications,”and the unlikely duo’s work is beautiful and catchy. In “Minds Without Fear,” featuring the music-directing duo Vishal-Shekar,Indian music is layered onto Heap’s singing, giving a new spin to her music. “Neglected Space” is spooky and haunting, with Heap narrating to music, almost sounding like she is reading a poem.
Those who fell in love with Heap’s hit songs “Speeding Cars” and “Hide and Seek” will definitely appreciate Sparks.
Back in January of 1985, Daniel Eamer’s New Year’s resolution was to get in shape. Unlike most of the people who pick this resolution, Eamer kept his promise.
His combination of fitness, proper eating, and training worked so well that he discovered a new passion, and decided to become a personal trainer. He completed a bachelor of science degree in exercise science at Concordia in 1995, and now holds the title of Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association based in the United States.
It’s safe to say that, in the last 28 years of working as a personal trainer, and having done lots of research, Eamer has learned a lot about weight loss and building muscle mass. His newest book, The Fat Burner Secrets, is the program Eamer felt was missing from the market. He was also sick of the lack of user-friendly information and the excess of inaccurate information available on weight loss.
“I never saw a book that did it the way I wanted it to be done, so I created the product that I wanted at the time. It gives people the information they can use. It’s based on real world experiences, based on 28 years of conversations and experimentation. It’s based on the real world,” Eamer said.
It took him 17 years to complete the book. The Fat Burner Secrets is very different from a typical weight loss book; it follows fictional characters, Dan and Michelle, who are struggling to lose weight. The book teaches readers how to exercise and how to eat, and teaches them the Food Filters tool, which teaches the reader to become a virtual food analysis expert. With simple lifestyle and exercise changes, Dan and Michelle completely transform their bodies.
The humorous story helps readers associate with the problems at hand and gets them to read the entire book.
“A lot of clients told me that it worked, that they read the book from the beginning to the end,” Eamer said. “I wanted to give it life, it’s real people talking about real challenges and real issues, and having real suggestions and real solutions.”
Eamer’s other book, The Muscle Builder Secrets, follows the same characters, tying in the stories. Eamer is currently working on a third book which will also follow the same format and characters, which will concentrate on aging, especially for the baby boomer generation.
One of Eamer’s main criteria for the program was that it had to be simple. The program involves no counting of calories or portion weighing; there is no math involved. He also wanted the program to adapt to people’s individual needs, and to compliment other programs available.
“It would be very big headed of myself to think of this as the ultimate program,” Eamer said. “It’s not the ultimate program because that might be a combination of two or three different approaches. The book helps people create their personal approach.”
His advice for Concordia students who are struggling with weight gain is quite simple: prepare your own food, and go to the gym between classes.
“I took control of the situation by preparing my meals in advance. I would leave in the morning with two to three complete meals with me. I could control what I put into my system,” Eamer said.
He also said that he would go to the gym on campus between classes, even when he only had a 45-minute break. This combination of techniques helped him stay fit during school.
When it comes to losing weight, Eamer believes two things are key: “Don’t accept what people are telling you. Study. Get the information, the real information. Get informed, and have patience with the process.”
To learn more about Daniel Eamer and his methods, or to download the first two chapters of The Fat Burner Secrets, visit danieleamer.com.
