Author: The Concordian

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Sports

The Concordian staff previews Super Bowl 52

super bowl
By Zeze Le Lin

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick aim for their sixth championship together on Feb. 4

The number-one teams in the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC) are set to battle in this year’s Super Bowl in Minneapolis, Minn. The New England Patriots will aim to win a second-straight Super Bowl, and their third in the last four years. Their only roadblock is the Philadelphia Eagles. The Concordian staff previews the big game.

What the Patriots need to do to win

By Matthew Coyte, Assistant Sports Editor

The New England Patriots are back in the Super Bowl (shocker). After winning against the Tennessee Titans 34-14 without much difficulty, and then beating the Jacksonville Jaguars in a thrilling 24-20 AFC Championship game, the Patriots will look to capture the sixth title of quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick’s regime against the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Patriots have been able to systematically beat every challenge tossed at them. No receivers to start the year? No problem. Brady getting 12 stitches on his throwing hand prior to the AFC Championship? He threw for 290 yards.

No matter the score, it seems when the fourth quarter hits, the Patriots hit another gear. Even with tight end Rob Gronkowski possibly injured, the team is finally healthy after struggling with injuries early in the season. You do not want to play against a healthy Patriots team. They also have the league’s best coach in Belichick. That doesn’t hurt.

The Eagles are a good team, but the Patriots are the Empire. Brady is Darth Vader, Belichick is the Emperor, but the Eagles are no Luke Skywalker. The Patriots will win as long as Brady doesn’t break both his arms and legs, and the reign of terror will continue.

What the Eagles need to do to win

By Nicholas Di Giovanni, Sports Editor

Eagles quarterback Nick Foles is not as bad as everyone thought. When their starter and potential MVP candidate Carson Wentz tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in week 14, nobody thought the Eagles had a chance.

However, Foles took over from Wentz and played as if nothing changed. In the two playoff games, he has a 77.8 per cent passing completion, and has thrown for nearly 600 yards with three touchdowns. Not to mention Foles completely tore apart the Minnesota Vikings defence in the Eagles 38-7 win in the NFC Championship.

Wide receivers Alshon Jeffery and Nelson Agholor personify the Eagles chant, “Fly Eagles Fly,” as they look like they fly on the field. With talented running backs in LeGarrette Blount and Jay Ajayi, their offence is a two-headed monster that could do serious damage.

Even though their defence, led by defensive lineman Fletcher Cox, linebacker Mychal Kendricks and safety Malcolm Jenkins, is capable of stopping good offences, they won’t be able to stop Brady, the quarterback who can pick apart any defence. If the Eagles want to win, their offence will need to do most of the work.

Predictions
By Alexander Cole, Managing Editor

Okay, well we all know that no matter how close a team gets to beating the Patriots, they will inevitably choke and practically give the game away at the last minute. It happened at last year’s Super Bowl, so I’m convinced it will happen again. Will this be any different? It won’t be.

The Patriots will start with the ball, and Brady and his injured throwing hand will struggle out of the gate. The Eagles, who have played solid defence all season, will take advantage of this. After the first quarter, Foles will have made some nice throws, and will have thrown for a touchdown. The score: 10-0 Eagles.

Throughout the second quarter, the Patriots will continue to struggle, but so will the Eagles. Neither team will really get many scoring opportunities, and the first half will end 13-7 for the Eagles.

In the third quarter, the Eagles will get a touchdown, and with a quarter to play, it’s 20-7 for Philadelphia.

Then to the dismay of literally every football fan ever, Brady will wake up with 10 minutes to go, and score two unanswered touchdowns, including one with a minute left to play. He wins his sixth Super Bowl, and I cry myself to sleep.

Staff Predictions

Calvin Cashen: 26-21 Patriots

Alexander Cole: 21-20 Patriots

Matthew Coyte: 30-21 Patriots

Nicholas Di Giovanni: 27-25 Eagles

Orenzo Porporino: 24-17 Eagles

Candice Pye: 26-21 Patriots

Katya Teague: 21-20 Eagles

Main graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

Categories
Opinions

Objecting to objective reporting

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

When people think of journalism, they might think of gathering information and disseminating objective, balanced news stories to the public. Or, at least, that’s what they used to think. It’s unrealistic to assume that something as fast-paced as the journalism industry would never experience change. History shows that it has—and that it will. We at The Concordian think it is time to embrace a new change: the fact that objectivity in journalism does not exist. It has never existed.

To be objective means to not be influenced by personal feelings or opinions when considering and representing facts. To do so is not humanly possible. We are all shaped and influenced by our identity—our culture, our community, our lived experiences. These things inevitably affect how we see the world.

What has long been referred to as objectivity in journalism is simply the perception of the world through the eyes of the people who dominated newsrooms: straight, cisgender, white men. Objective reporting did not mean feelings or opinions did not influence the way stories were analyzed and told. It simply meant that stories were solely analyzed and told using a historically dominant lens. This is not acceptable.

It is time for journalists to acknowledge the factors that influence their storytelling. And to realize that these influences are not necessarily bad things. Allowing writers from various marginalized communities—be they women, people of colour, members of the LGBTQ+ community—to draw on their knowledge and experiences opens up inclusive dialogues and brings different perspectives to the table. It would allow journalists to tell stories everyone can relate to—not just some people.

Of course, that isn’t to say that facts and truth don’t exist. Journalism—or at least good journalism—should always be truthful and accurate. However, we must realize that even good journalism will never be completely objective. The way we place our quotes in a story, the people we interview, the headlines we choose and the way we edit all come from a subjective place in ourselves. Our thoughts affect the way we choose to tell a story, regardless of our efforts to remain objective. The truth is, no story is objective—and neither are we.

We at The Concordian think it’s time to approach journalism and research in a different way. It is time that we call out the injustices in the media industry and outline the ways we can begin to improve. Journalism schools around the world should begin to implement courses that discard the notion of objectivity as a defining element of journalism. The current standards of “equitable” reporting that we are being taught in school are not sufficient. Completely excluding our subjective experiences is not only wrong, it is impossible.

Research and reporting are human activities, therefore, they are messy and complicated. Most of the time, you cannot generalize research. The world is not an exact science. While there is truth and fact, there is no such thing as objectivity or neutrality in the way we see the world. To be better journalists and better people, we must take individual experiences into account. We must look to marginalized communities. We should seek to challenge the power structures in our societies rather than support them. We must use our research and reporting as a medium for social change, rather than social control.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth 

Categories
Opinions

Believing women is not a radical idea

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

Whether it’s the good, the bad or the oh-so-ugly, what happens in Hollywood often feels detached from our everyday reality. Perhaps this is why, despite the entertainment industry’s widely discussed “open secret” of rampant sexual misconduct and abuse of power, it can be upsetting and even shocking to learn of disturbing allegations at our very own university. What is even more troubling, however, is the fact that sexual harassment and assault at Concordia has never been a secret at all.

Recently, sexual misconduct allegations at the hands of Concordia professors have surfaced. An online essay written by Mike Spry, a former Concordia creative writing student, described cases of professors from the English department abusing their academic power to prey on students. Although no professors were named, the essay includes claims that English professors had sexually harassed female students. According to Spry, one professor even rented a hotel room so he could “entertain young writers away from his house and family.” The essay also mentioned “drunken nights of misbehaviour” and how professors would coerce female students into inappropriate and sexual situations under the guise of discussing their creative work.

Last week, Concordia president Alan Shepard announced that the university is taking several steps to investigate the allegations. He also claimed he was unaware of the incidents until early last week when Spry’s essay was published. We at The Concordian think it’s important to note that numerous current and former female Concordia students have been speaking up about the English department’s sexually abusive, toxic environment for years.

Similar allegations of sexual misconduct in the English department were made public in 2014 by former student Emma Healey in her online essay titled “Stories Like Passwords.” In response to Healey’s allegations, several students wrote a formal letter to the English department in 2015 describing the inappropriate atmosphere and stating they felt “uncomfortable and unsafe,” according to the Toronto Star.

Heather O’Neill, a Montreal author, has also spoken out about experiencing sexual misconduct at the hands of the late Concordia professor Robert Allen when she was a student in the late 1990s. According to The Globe and Mail, O’Neill described the sexual harassment and abuse of power within the department as “pervasive.” Stephen Henighan, a former student of Allen’s, told the Toronto Star that the “toxic culture” in the creative writing program can be traced back to the mid-1980s.

It is crucial to point out that many people at Concordia failed to support these students or investigate their claims. The university should have pursued these allegations earlier. Even The Concordian and The Link failed to report on the issue when Healey and O’Neill’s claims were made public, or when any of the other female students’ claims were submitted to the department. We all failed these victims.

While we remain hopeful about the investigative actions Concordia claims to be taking now, we would like to highlight that we are all at fault for this delayed response. We need to listen to survivors when they come forward. We need to give victims the benefit of the doubt. We need to be proactive when we hear even a whisper of an allegation. We need to do better—all of us.

The harsh truth is that Concordia would not be addressing these allegations had it not been for Spry’s essay. It is extremely unfortunate that it took a male writer making these claims for us to finally take action, while, for years, many female voices went unheard.

Abuse of power is a complex problem that must not be ignored. To do so would be incredibly irresponsible. We at The Concordian hope the publicity surrounding the recent allegations at Concordia teaches us all to do a better job of listening, believing and taking action—the first time.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin

Categories
Opinions

The winter blues, SAD and self-care

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin

Now that the fall semester is almost over, it’s time to build snowmen, drink hot cocoa, curl up with soft blankets and binge watch every Christmas movie on Netflix. But with the change of the season can come changes in mood, perhaps even seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

While up to 15 per cent of Canadians experience the less severe “winter blues,” according to CBC News, SAD is a form of depression that affects between two and three per cent of Canadians. The disorder has a range of symptoms, including weight gain, irritability, difficulty concentrating, sleeping more, being lethargic even after sleeping and avoiding social situations. On the surface, it can seem like a natural instinct to want to curl up in bed and sleep more during the winter. But, unlike bears, humans shouldn’t want to hibernate for an entire season.

The disorder is caused by a decrease in sunlight, according to CBC News, which can throw off normal routines. Light therapy—either sunlight or a high-intensity light unit—is often used to control the disorder and improve a person’s mood. This can be an effective remedy for the larger part of the population who deal with “winter blues” as well.

Instead of closing the blinds and avoiding what little sunlight there is during the winter, buy high-intensity lights and keep the blinds open to let some natural light in. Sunlight and darkness affect the level of the serotonin hormone in your brain, which boosts your mood and helps you stay calm and focused, according to the Huffington Post. If you avoid sunlight or exposure to light, your serotonin levels can decrease which will increase your chance of developing SAD.

According to the same source, another symptom of SAD is increased carbohydrate cravings. Among the ways to combat SAD or the winter blues before it gets serious is to add an extra serving of complex carbs to your diet—but rather than cupcakes, consider oatmeal, quinoa or potatoes for their nutritional value. Also increase your intake of fruit, vegetables, dark chocolate and fish—all which can help maintain energy levels and battle fatigue.

According to CBC News, 80 per cent of those affected by SAD are women between the ages of 18 and 60. That isn’t to say others aren’t affected by the disorder—and that’s why we at The Concordian hope you check in on your friends and family to see whether they’re just feeling bummed out or if there is something more serious happening.

It’s equally as important to check up on yourself. Around this time of year, it’s common to feel stressed or anxious due to exams and final projects. But if you’re feeling anxious, lonely, isolated or sad during this time of year, talk to your doctor who can refer you to a mental health specialist, or try implementing some of the abovementioned recommendations.

Another important way to fight back against SAD or the winter blues is—you guessed it—exercise. Of course, it’s understandable that the idea of getting out of bed in the winter can seem unappealing, let alone putting on your running shoes and going out in the cold. But, as the Huffington Post explains, exercise releases endorphins which are hormones that help you feel good. They can improve sleep, boost your immune system and help regulate your mood.

While three 30-minute sessions of exercise per week can sound difficult during the months of icy roads and crowded gyms, once you start the routine, it will become easier. We at The Concordian recommend trying out a new winter sport, whether it’s skiing, ice skating or winter cycling. Even if it’s just a walk in the park, the goal is to get outside so your body can absorb vitamin D from the sun.

We at The Concordian hope your winter break is filled with great holiday movies, snowball fights, warm fireplaces and relaxation. Good luck with your final exams, and remember to take care of yourself.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin

Categories
Music

The M For Montreal festival concluded last week

The performance at the festival was one of Paul Jacob’s last before leaving for a European tour in January. Photo by Erica Hart

A plethora of local and out-of-province Canadian acts played over the span of one weekend

Since 2006, M for Montreal has been held every November and highlights hundreds of local and international artists in 15 venues across the city. The festival concluded last week, and these are the best performances the festival had to offer.

Paul Jacobs

Written by Maggie Hope, Arts Editor

Almost exactly one year after releasing his latest album, Pictures, Movies & Apartments, Paul Jacobs took the stage at La Sala Rossa on Nov. 17. As one of the opening acts for Yonatan Gat, Jacobs kicked off his set with “All I Want / Need,” immediately sending the excited crowd into a frenzy. At what was later described by a few audience members as “their best show in a while,” Jacobs exhibited tight musical cohesion. Distorted, melodic guitar blared from the speakers as heavy percussion propelled the crowd into a lively moshpit. This January, the Montreal band will embark on a European tour, and is set to take their unique brand of psychedelic garage punk to a handful of major cities.

The Courtney’s confident and well-rehearsed set was a sight to behold. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

The Courtneys

Written by Calvin Cashen, Music Editor

Nearly four years after the release of their self-titled, debut album, The Courtneys entered a triumphant 2017 with their anthemic sophomore album, The Courtneys II. At Quai Des Brumes, the Vancouver-imported band confidently blasted their way through a series of fuzz-laden beach tunes, all the while complementing their knack for catchy rock hooks and deft musicianship.

The swelling sounds of guitar chords and tight drumming amped the mix with sticky melodies. The band’s relatively straightforward sound allowed them to explore and even expand on the scope of songs like “Tour” and “Minnesota.” Often delving into long-winded outros, The Courtneys sailed smoothly over their 12-or-so song set, never growing the least bit tired.

The Courtneys’s songs are easy listening, often supplemented by emphatic group chants that add a bit of heft. The set was mostly comprised of tracks from this year’s II album, but nonetheless were big reminders of how far high-energy and gusto can take a performance.

Toronto band Alvvays wowed Club Soda’s audience as if it was second nature. Photo by Mackenzie Lad.

Alvvays

Written by Calvin Cashen, Music Editor

Alvvays played at Montreal’s Club Soda Friday night, their latest performance in the city since the release of their widely-acclaimed sophomore project, Antisocialites. Despite a striking change in sound and improved sonics, the band managed to channel the lo-fi leanings that made their initial outputs all the more appealing.

The fans let out bursts of receptive cheers to “Archie, Marry Me,” which saw guitarist Alec O’Hanley twiddling with pedals and guitar distortion to give the song an added flair. The crowd’s infectious energy gave way to an ambience that felt both intense but somehow familiar. Credit is due to the high-octane vitality of Alvvays’s music, which often led the crowd into boisterous chants whenever the band finished a song.

The tracks were sung in perfect pitch, but were firmly planted in the formidable melodies and sunshiny guitar licks that fans of Alvvays have grown to love. The band’s performance served as a glimpse into a potential future for Alvvays—a future where their music transcends the icy surroundings of their Canadian upbringing into something timeless and universal.

Feature photo by Erica Hart

Categories
Opinions

Saying ‘yes’ to student press

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

Some of you may have heard about the recent existence referendum held at McGill University to decide whether or not The McGill Daily and Le Délit—McGill’s only francophone newspaper—should continue to publish on campus.

McGill students could cast their vote between Nov. 13 and 16. According to Inori Roy, the coordinating editor at The McGill Daily, just over 64 per cent of the university’s undergraduate and graduate students voted in favour of keeping the newspapers running. Just under 36 per cent voted “no.”

Needless to say, we at The Concordian were very pleased to learn that these newspapers will be staying on campus. We would like to take it as a sign that the student press is still valued. In an interview with Roy, we learned more about the referendum and the power of the student press.

According to Roy, the existence referendum is a normal occurrence that happens every five years. The process indicates to the administration that the newspapers still have the student body’s support before the university renegotiates its agreement with the publications to allow them to collect fees from students, rent space on campus and distribute newspapers at McGill.

The two newspapers that were part of the referendum are published under the Daily Publications Society (DPS), a student-run organization at McGill. “The DPS wanted to keep us alive,” Roy said. “Besides the ‘No’ campaign, there was no one who particularly wanted us to shut down.” According to Roy, many of the issues put forward by the ‘No’ campaign “were founded on misinformation and lies, and so they had issues with our editorial line.”

The McGill Daily, which has existed since 1911, has a mandate to publish anti-oppression and anti-racist articles that might not be covered by mainstream media, Roy said. By publishing such pieces, the publication’s staff hope to give a voice to marginalized students on campus.

Despite the referendum result and high voter turnout, there is still work to be done to increase student engagement and interest in on-campus publications. It is important to remember that the student press not only informs readers about campus news and gives students a space to freely express themselves—it also holds universities accountable.
Our thoughts are mirrored by Roy. “We often write stories about things that are happening in student governments that otherwise wouldn’t get out,” she said. “I think we provide a better service in openly criticizing and being aware of the mistakes the administration is making and trying to provide them with this insight on what students need. So I think the integrity of student governments and administrative action would be severely compromised if we ceased to exist.”

As McGill’s existence referendum also highlights, student engagement is the driving force behind the student press. We at The Concordian strive to continuously publish stories that are interesting and important, to keep our readers informed and involved in campus life, and to help students improve their writing skills and express themselves. We are also grateful to every student, faculty and staff member who take the time to pick up a copy of our newspaper. Thank you for reading.

We at The Concordian would like to congratulate The McGill Daily and Le Délit for being able to continue doing what they do best for the next five years. We hope they continue to shed light on the stories that deserve to be told and encourage the students who want to write them.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin

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Concordia Student Union Opinions

Supporting the CSU’s call to end student exploitation

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

School can only teach you so much. This is what makes internships so valuable. They are an opportunity to get real-world, first-hand experience in your field before entering the job market. But as some posters displayed around campus assert: “Exposure” doesn’t pay the bills.

These posters are part of the 2017-2018 Concordia Student Union (CSU) campaign against unpaid internships. According to their website, unpaid internships became popular after the 2008 economic crash. “Unpaid internships, specifically, download the pressure of getting a good education onto the individual while taking that pressure off of the government and the employer,” the CSU’s campaign pamphlet reads.

While some students may have the financial capability to take on this pressure, many students simply can’t afford to dedicate time to a job that doesn’t pay. According to a 2013 Statistics Canada survey, 52 per cent of students between the ages of 20 and 24 relied on employment to fund their education. Other students may need an income to pay for rent, to buy food or to support their children. For many students, earning money is a necessity while in school, and juggling a full course load, a part-time job and an internship simply isn’t possible.

It might come as surprising to some of you, but unpaid internships are actually illegal in Quebec. However, there are three exceptions listed in Quebec’s Act Respecting Labour Standards. Internships that are either part of a program provided by an approved educational institution, completed at a non-profit organization with community purposes or part of a vocational training program are not required to be paid in Quebec.

That first exception is of particular significance to Concordia students. While internships for credit can be an exciting way to learn outside of the conventional classroom setting, there is debate over whether the value of that experience merits students giving away their labour for free.

Among the CSU’s calls to action for the provincial government is the need to create standardized criteria for internships. We at The Concordian support this initiative. In a perfect world, all internships would be paid. But if students are going to be working for free, the government needs to ensure that the line has clearly been drawn between what constitutes a valuable learning experience and what is simply student exploitation.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth 

Categories
Opinions

Concordia should step up for students who step forward

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth.

The times are changing—and we don’t just mean the literal time change of Sunday’s daylight savings.

Even a quick glance at the news these days shows that more and more celebrities are speaking up about their experiences with sexual assault. The Harvey Weinstein exposé seemingly opened a floodgate, with people now coming forward with allegations against Kevin Spacey, Dustin Hoffman, Brett Ratner and Ben Affleck, to name a few.

The bravery exhibited by each celebrity who has shared their story is exemplary. Yet we at The Concordian believe more needs to be done to encourage regular people to speak up about their own experiences—be it with sexual assault, racism or any other form of oppression or disrespect that has been swept under the rug.

Following allegations of sexual assault and harassment made against several high-profile Quebecers, Montreal police announced on Twitter on Oct. 19 the creation of a temporary hotline for reporting sexual assault or harassment. Within a week, the police department had received 320 calls, 69 of which resulted in a sexual assault file being opened, according to a press release. This is more than twice the number of sexual assault reports made on average in one week in 2016, according to the Montreal police 2016 annual report.

The creation of this hotline demonstrates the kind of response that can come from making supportive services available in the community. We at The Concordian hope to see more initiatives that encourage people to speak up against intolerable behaviour—particularly here at Concordia.

In September, the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR) announced that a Concordia student was considering filing a civil rights complaint against the university “for discrimination and failure to protect and support.” This student reported being sexually harassed online by a peer and claimed the university “offered her very little support.” When asked about this case, university spokesperson Mary-Jo Barr responded that, “when a student brings to our attention a concern for their safety, with or without a police report, we look carefully at how we can support that student.”

Even more recently, the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse recommended Concordia and the Montreal division of the Commissionaires security firm pay $33,000 in damages to a woman named Chantal Lapointe. In 2013, Lapointe was stopped by Concordia security guards at the downtown campus. According to Lapointe, the guards asked her for identification, attempted to take her picture without consent, and called the police when she refused to comply.

The Commission’s report stated that Lapointe’s race and social condition—she was mistaken for a homeless person—played a “decisive role” in the security guards’ decision to intercept her. In addition to the damages, the Commission recommended that the university provide security guards with “anti-discrimination training” and remove elements from its policies “that target and stigmatize homeless people.”

Concordia had until Oct. 27, 2017 to comply with the recommendations. Instead, the university responded that it “will be challenging the Human Rights Commission’s proposal” because Concordia “vehemently disagrees with the findings in [the] reports, which does not include all of the relevant facts,” according to Barr.

We at The Concordian are disappointed that the university has more of a tendency to save face than acknowledge its potential shortcomings and implement suggested solutions. While it may be understandable that the university is trying to avoid paying $33,000, why is there any hesitation to improve policies and employee training? Why, when a student claims to feel unsupported by the university’s sexual assault resource services, does Concordia immediately respond with claims that the status quo is adequate?

The times are changing and Concordia is at a crossroads. Our society is finally becoming a place where people feel supported enough to publicly denounce inappropriate behaviour. Members of the Concordia community need to know that when they make their voices heard, their university will be ready to listen and act.

If you would like to share your experience with oppression, assault, discrimination or harassment, we at The Concordian encourage you to email news@theconcordian.com or opinions@theconcordian.com. We are more than willing to listen and share your story.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth

Categories
Opinions

Letter to the editor

I write to voice my support for the Oct. 3 editorial, “Curriculums and Classes: Where Diversity Falls Short at Concordia.” I think it is crucial that students forthrightly address the insufficient diversity of faculty and curricula, challenging faculty and administration to address this problem as directly as possible.

In the Department of English, where I teach, there are presently 28 tenured or tenure-track faculty. Only two of these are people of colour—a figure wildly disproportionate to the diversity of Concordia students. Last year our department hired an Indigenous scholar in the field of Indigenous literature, and this is an important step forward. Yet in the department’s two previous job searches, none of the finalists were people of colour. Since one of those searches was in the field of Global Anglophone Literature (i.e. postcolonial literature), this is particularly troubling.

Unfortunately, efforts to advocate for diversification of faculty and curricula are too often met with anxiety and defensiveness. Last year an English department graduate student proposal for a research assistant position to help diversify syllabi was rejected by faculty. When a hiring committee made diversification of the department a key consideration in a search last year, they were rebuked by a higher committee for prioritizing diversity too much—hardly plausible given the composition of our faculty mentioned above. The English department’s proposal for a cluster hire in Black Studies to support the development of an interdisciplinary minor in that field was not selected among cluster hiring initiatives. It is always possible to gesture toward one recent hire or another in order to indicate progress on these issues, but it is also necessary to point out instances in which such progress has been impeded—especially given the structural reality of neglect on this front over recent decades. Sometimes the same diversity initiatives that are met with initial suspicion and resistance, then blocked at the level of implementation, are lauded as signs of progress because they have been proposed. That isn’t good enough.

The Collective Agreement of the Concordia University Faculty Association states that “The Parties agree that Concordia University would better advance the essential functions of the University, namely the pursuit, creation and dissemination of knowledge through teaching and research, if the diverse composition of Canadian society were better reflected in the bargaining unit. Therefore the Parties agree to encourage an increase in the proportion of members of under-represented designated groups as defined in the relevant legislation.” My view is that faculty and administration at Concordia need to do a better job of prioritizing this stipulation. It is heartening to see students insist on this point.

Nathan Brown
Associate Professor of English
Canada Research Chair in Poetics
Concordia University

Categories
Opinions

Don’t write off your right to vote

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

On Nov. 5, citizens across the province will have the chance to exercise their democratic power by voting in a municipal election. We at The Concordian would like to take this opportunity to remind our fellow students that they too hold the power and responsibility to cast a vote and be a part of the democratic process.

To start off, it’s important to understand the structure of municipal elections. In Montreal, for example, votes will be cast not only to decide the city’s mayor but the city councillors and 19 borough mayors as well.

Each borough has its own council consisting of at least five members, including city councillors, borough councillors and a borough mayor. This council meets every month and can make decisions about issues pertaining to parking permits, construction work and libraries, among other topics within the jurisdiction of their borough.

The city council, on the other hand, consists of the mayor of Montreal, 46 city councillors and all of the borough mayors. This council can make decisions about urban planning projects, the environment, the city’s budget and other major projects.

As voters, it’s also essential to know about the two major mayoral candidates and what their platforms entail. When it comes to public transit in Montreal, for example, incumbent Mayor Denis Coderre said he hopes to add to the STM’s fleet and invest in more electric buses. Projet Montréal leader Valérie Plante, on the other hand, plans to create a pink metro line that would run from Lachine to Montreal North.

In terms of housing, Plante wants to advocate for provincial and federal investment in housing programs. Meanwhile, Coderre is looking to increase the number of housing inspectors and create a registry to investigate slums and poor apartment conditions.

Among other initiatives proposed by Coderre, there is a plan to develop day and night centres for the homeless in various boroughs, to promote creativity in arts and culture, to expand the cycling network, and to open a new sports complex in Lachine and an aquatic centre in Pierrefonds-Roxboro.

Along with her Projet Montréal team, Plante hopes to make major repairs to transform bike lanes into bike paths, increase transparency when it comes to funding cultural events, increase the amount of time pedestrians have to cross the street and make 300 more homeless shelter spaces available in the city.

On Oct. 23, the two mayoral candidates squared off in an intense debate that tackled topics ranging from the controversial breed-specific ban and bringing professional baseball back to the city to public transit and Bill 62. An article by CBC News described the two candidates as “polar opposites, as night-and-day.”

The same article also highlighted the importance of word choice in politics and provided an analysis by two political science PhD students. “In focusing on word patterns, as opposed to specific utterances, this kind of analysis offers a general sense of how the two contenders are trying to win over voters,” the article stated.

It’s important to understand the stances each candidate takes, to notice their choice of words and observe the tones they used when discussing specific issues. But what’s more essential is recognizing your own power as a citizen and the opportunity voting allows you to make a difference in your community.

Municipal elections may not seem like a high priority for many, but they are arguably more important than larger provincial or federal elections. The changes each candidate is looking to make are about issues that directly impact your community. These are the issues that are closest to home.

When we don’t vote, we don’t see the changes we want. When we don’t vote, we lose the ability to say we live in a democratic and politically active society. So take the time to learn a little bit about what each candidate is offering and, most importantly, go out and vote on Nov. 5.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin

Letter to the editor

Among a variety of recent diversity initiatives, the Department of English successfully advertised for a tenure-stream appointment in Indigenous Literature and Culture; presented to the Faculty of Arts and Science a detailed proposal for a cluster hire in Black Studies; and submitted a second proposal for a tenure-stream appointment in the 19th Century Black Atlantic. Though neither of the latter bids was approved, we are confident that the University will respond again to our promotion of such priorities. We have submitted to the Faculty a Letter of Intent detailing a proposal for an Interdisciplinary Minor in Black Studies, supported by the Departments of Geography and History, and are now preparing the formal proposal.

The Department consults with its student associations on matters of curricular development, but note that, by citing only those courses that explicitly and exclusively treat issues of race, gender, and sexuality, your 3 October editorial elides their pervasiveness in the English curriculum.  It is not only our courses on e.g. African Literature, Caribbean Literature, Gender and Sexuality, etc. that historicize and theorize these issues, so too do those on traditional subjects, such as Beowulf, Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Milton.  This is no less true of our courses on the graphic novel, electronic media, and literary theory.  Our required Introduction to Literary Studies outlines theories of race, sexuality, and gender.  Any synoptic, national or historical subject we teach is the occasion for sustained treatment of these issues.  The editorial did not mention, for instance, our courses on Modernism and American Postmodernism; yet, though the editorial may neglect the fundamental contributions of African-American writers to modernist and postmodernist literature, these courses most certainly do not.

Whether or not it should be axiomatic, as the editorial proposes, that courses on subjects directly concerning BIPOC students “should be taught by those who identify as such” or “should be led by black professors,” such insistence would prevent us from offering those courses until the University endorses our requests for further hires in these areas.  Furthermore, all of us want to avoid a patronizing racial calculus whereby those members of visible minorities on our faculty would be typecast to teach according to pigment.

Students continue to play a signal role in fostering a responsible, effective, and compelling policy of inclusive excellence in our department, for which your impetus is appreciated.

Sincerely,

Andre Furlani, Chair

Department of English

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Opinions

Students practicing sustainability at Concordia

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

In light of Concordia’s first Zero Waste Week, we at The Concordian would like to take a moment to remind our peers of some of the ways we can effect positive environmental change in our communities.

Achieving a more environmentally sustainable society requires effort on the part of both the individual and larger institutions such as governments, universities and corporations. While it may seem intimidating and difficult to instigate large-scale change, it is important to remember the resources we have access to in a democratic society.

Voting for politicians with green platforms, reaching out to your member of parliament or protesting against public policies that hurt the environment are all ways that we as individuals have the power to shift our society to be more sustainable. If enough people voice their priority for the environment, it will bring these issues to the forefront of our country’s politics and force our leaders to either adapt or lose support.

Nonetheless, changing our broader society’s stance on environmental issues is an extremely slow process. For this reason, The Concordian believes supporting sustainability is equally, if not more, important on a personal level—by that, we mean taking action in your own life. This includes finding ways to ‘green your home’ to minimize energy consumption, eating less meat, refusing to invest your money in environmentally unfriendly corporations and buying local foods with as little packaging as possible—check out the grocery store LOCO in the Mile End where you bring your own containers to buy food that uses zero packaging.

While your impact will obviously be greater if you commit to doing more of these things, some people seem to have a faulty all-or-nothing mentality about living a sustainable lifestyle. According to CBC, Florence-Léa Siry, the co-founder of the Zero Waste movement, “doesn’t expect anyone to be an extremist in their habits.” People have different limitations, such as time, money and dietary restrictions that affect their ability to live sustainably. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still have a positive impact. For example, it takes between 6,810 and 9,460 litres of water to produce a single pound of beef. Imagine how much could be saved simply by cutting your weekly consumption of beef in half.

There are also many ways you can act more sustainably here at Concordia. You can support groups like Concordia’s Greenhouse, Sustainable Concordia, People’s Potato and Divest Concordia by attending events and volunteering your time. You can shop at places like Le Frigo Vert—a green foods store run by Concordia students—or donate money to any of the groups listed above. If you are part of an organization on campus, you can consult the Dish Project and the Sustainability Action Fund when organizing events to find out how to make them as environmentally friendly as possible.

As individuals, we can reduce our ecological footprint by changing the way we go about our everyday lives. Simple things like buying food with limited packaging, taking public transportation and using less electricity all have a positive impact on the environment and send a message to producers and politicians that we as consumers and citizens value sustainability. We at The Concordian hope each and every one of you understand the importance of taking at least one of these steps towards living a more sustainable life. One person’s actions may not seem like a lot, but as a community of over 45,000 students, there is little doubt that we have the power to make incredible change.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin

 

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