The Other Side was a satire column that frequently appeared in what was then called the Arts and Culture section of The Concordian in 1994. Photo by Alex Hutchins.
Introducing The Concordian Radio Hour
On Wednesday, Oct. 7 at 4 p.m., we aired the first episode of The Concordian Radio Hour, our new show on CJLO 1690 AM. While we’ve been on the air before, we wanted to try something new this semester and bring you auditory versions of our favourite articles, often read by the authors themselves.
We’ve divided our show into five segments, one for each section of our publication: News, Commentary, Arts, Music, and Sports. You’ll hear everything from album reviews and personal reflections to updates on current events and local sports happenings.
The idea was to extend The Concordian’s outreach. Especially during this enduring pandemic, access to print media and posts online are not always enough to sustain and promote the voices that make The Concordian, The Concordian. The show aims to bring the same community focus and energy we’re known for in our publications, but delivered freely to anyone with an AM receiver or an internet connection.
Accessibility is, after all, a major idea that guides how we write and publish here at The Concordian. We want to make this publication a site where local and underheard voices can express themselves. With CJLO 1690 AM, we can literally give voice to these stories. Through our media outreach, whether it’s through words printed on the page or spoken on the airwaves, we hope our stories not only reach and inform a broader audience, but give the Concordia community more ways to reach out and speak.
The Other Side was a satire column that frequently appeared in what was then called the Arts and Culture section of The Concordian in 1994. Photo by Alex Hutchins.
This past week has been jam-packed with some hard truths.
On Sept. 16,The Concordianreported that the university will not be complying with the Human Rights Commission’s recommendations regarding the handling of sexual assault complaints. This news is the latest in Concordia’s long and checkered history with the subject of sexual violence on campus.
On Sept. 18, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, died at 87. Naturally, her passing reminds us of her decades-long fight for gender equality, abortion rights, and marriage equality. But Ginsburg’s death has also highlighted her more dubious decisions, such as her vote to allow for the quicker removal of asylum seekers, or her support of the Atlantic Coast pipeline.
On Sept. 20, Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé announced that Montreal has entered the “orange zone,” meaning restrictions due to COVID-19 have been tightened once again. New cases in Quebec have shot up to 637 in a single day, the highest number we’ve seen since May.
On Sept. 23, a U.S. grand jury decided that Kentucky police officers Brett Hankinson, Jonathan Mattingly, and Myles Cosgrove, who fatally shot 26-year-old Black healthcare worker Breonna Taylor, will not be charged with her death. The decision follows months of protests against police violence in both the U.S. and Canada.
On Sept. 28, Quebec Premier François Legault announced that Montreal has entered the “red zone,” meaning restrictions due to COVID-19 have been thoroughly tightened once again. New cases in the province have shot up to 896 in a single day, the highest number we’ve seen since May. On that same day, Concordia announced that the winter term will occur remotely.
Right now, many of us feel disillusioned, discouraged, and downright disappointed.
Concordia is still failing to treat victims of sexual violence with respect; cracks in the legacy of Justice Ginsburg have surfaced; the pandemic is far from over; and injustice continues to sink its teeth into our collective consciousness.
Needless to say, it’s been rough.
Although it may feel like the winds of change have devolved into the breeze of bureaucracy, it’s important to remember the value of resilience. It’s okay to be pissed off, it’s okay to be scared, it’s okay to take a moment to breathe. We’ll pick ourselves back up and keep on moving forward.
Having two good goalies is a key to any NHL team’s success
Excluding Carey Price, nine goalies have started at least one game for the Montreal Canadiens since the start of the 2013-14 National Hockey League (NHL) season.
Finding a reliable second goalie at a reasonable price has been a problem for the Habs since Peter Budaj was Price’s substitute from 2011 to 2014. The team’s general manager (GM) Marc Bergevin made a significant move on Sept. 2, 2020 in order to solve that problem. The GM acquired veteran Jake Allen from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a third-round and a seventh-round draft pick. Allen will play the last of a four-year contract next season with the Habs, and will have a $4.35 million cap hit.
The good:
Allen lost his starting position during the 2018-19 season when young goaltender Jordan Binnington made a solid impression on the Blues during the Stanley Cup playoffs, helping the team win its first championship in franchise history.
Allen probably lost value because of Binnington’s dominance in goal, which can explain how the Habs managed to get him for two draft picks. However, it doesn’t mean he lost talent. In fact, Allen finished this season second in the NHL for goals against average (GAA) with 2.15, and fourth for save percentage with .927, both career bests in the league.
A problem these past few seasons was that Price was over-used by playing too many games, including back-to-back games in 48-hour spans. With Allen, not only will the Canadiens have two trusted goalies they can send against any team, but Price will be able to rest more. It’s easy to imagine that Price will also feel a weight off his shoulders now that he’s not the team’s only hope between the pipes.
The bad:
With that salary, Allen will need to perform, especially since he’ll not play as much as he could elsewhere in a bigger role. Not every team has the chance to have two goaltenders who can act as starters. Teams who do, however, usually don’t have a superstar like Price.
Many backup goaltenders can win from 10 to 20 games per season and start from 15 to 30 games. Allen could easily exceed these numbers, but likely won’t get that chance in the 2020-21 season with Price in the starting role.
It’ll be interesting to see if the Canadiens will re-sign him, considering that both Allen and Price are aging veterans looking for ice-time. If not, it’ll be interesting to see why the team traded for a single season of Allen, and didn’t try a similar trade in the past two or three years instead.
It’s yet to be seen whether or not Allen will solve the Habs goalie problems.
The Other Side was a satire column that frequently appeared in what was then called the Arts and Culture section of The Concordian in 1994. Photo by Alex Hutchins.
The strangest semester in the history of our university has officially begun
Along with the rest of the world, Concordia and its students are adjusting to a crushing new reality. To date, over 27 million people have been infected with COVID-19 worldwide. The virus has claimed nearly 6,000 lives in Quebec alone, and while the death rate has slowed, the number of losses continues to climb. Marked by insecurity, inequality, and inexhaustible anxiety, the past months have been a challenge, to say the least.
Despite this, we’ve somehow managed to stumble our way through half a year of this mess. We’re adapting, a little clumsily at times, but enough to continue our studies in the midst of a global meltdown. All things considered, it’s pretty impressive.
For most of us, adaptation will take the form of Zoom classes in our pyjama bottoms and study dates in the park. Some obstacles, however, will be more difficult to tackle: in the wake of such colossal uncertainty, countless students are faced with a lack of funds, a lack of accessibility, and a decline in their mental wellbeing. Demanding support from the institutions that vow to support us is crucial, and this includes our university.
This year at The Concordian, we aim to connect students with the resources they need; to hold our university and other institutions accountable for the promises they make; and to tell the stories of students, faculty, staff, and everyone in between as they navigate these treacherous times. If you’re someone with a tale to tell, or maybe you’re interested in amplifying the voices of others, we strongly encourage you to pitch us your ideas. Our digital door is always open.
As much as we hypothesize about the months to come, it’s hard to say exactly what the fall semester of 2020 is going to be like. One thing is for certain: it won’t be one to forget.
Resources:
Homeroom – A weekly virtual homeroom where students can make friends and learn must-know information about starting university. Registration is required and participants will receive perks based on attendance.
Centre for Teaching and Learning – Get help navigating online learning, Moodle, assignment submission, and setting up your phone and laptop.
Student groups – Connect with over 200 student groups and see what they’re up to during the online semester.
Library services – While the physical library is closed, the librarians are working hard to support students online. Students can request textbooks to be put online. The Library is hoping to open limited study spaces by Sept. 14.
Stay updated – Keep informed about what Concordia is offering and any changing regulations.
A statement from President Graham Carr:
“Being a Concordian means being part of a community. This fall, as we start an academic year unlike any we’ve seen before, we’re looking forward to you joining this great community. Whether you’re a new student or a returning one, we’re here to support you and help you succeed in your studies. Please take advantage of the many services we have in place to assist you. Let’s continue being bold, being innovative and creating the kind of community that makes me proud to be a Concordian.”
Montreal’s 14th annual OFFTA festival has rethought its programming
An annual artistic event created in conjunction with the Festival TransAmériques (FTA), the OFFTA is a Montreal-based festival dedicated to avant-garde creation in live art. Produced by LA SERRE — arts vivants, a non-profit creation platform which works year-round to support local emerging performance artists, the festival will feature live art performances to be presented both online and outdoors, in an effort to adapt to social distancing.
This year, the festival will take place from May 22 to 32. Yes, you read that right. Another day, May 32. Similar to the reorganization that we are currently facing in our daily lives as a result of the pandemic, this new day was imagined to create a deceleration and allow for a new relationship with time. This edition brings together necessary artistic voices that tackle the idea of time, thereby inviting the public to reflect upon different realities.
“We wanted to give people more time to take in other temporalities, lending another rhythm to what might seem inevitable to us,” writes Vincent Repentigny, LA SERRE’s artistic and general director, in the editorial published on their website. “We tried to create new time, draft new calendars, imagine new interstices that we can fully occupy, coordinate widespread deceleration and abandon ourselves to this force that we cannot control.”
Amongst the fifteen live art creations that will be part of the festival, interdisciplinary artist Mélanie Binette will present her latest work. She is the co-founder of Milieu de Nulle Part, a collective interested in site-specific creation. The original version of her work, Errances, was created in memory of her father, who died of a heart attack at Theatre Maisonneuve in 2002. The interactive piece consisted of leading one person at a time, by the hand, through a walking tour of the underground corridors and the esplanade of Montreal’s Place-des-Arts.
In an effort to adapt to the current situation, Binette will not take participants by the hand for the OFFTA. Instead, to experience what Errances has become, they will be invited to go on self-guided walks in their respective neighbourhoods, while listening to an audio guide narrated by Binette.
To preserve the connection between the artist and the public, as one would have in the one-on-one experience, Binette invites participants to book a phone call with her to discuss their encounter with her work. The worldwide crisis we are going through is making mourning a part of our daily lives. Thus, Binette’s work proposes an opportunity to reflect on issues we are facing, both individually and globally.
While Binette’s piece takes the public outside, other performances will take place online. Hugo Nadeau’s work, Nous campions loin des endroits où la mort nous attendait, will be presented via Twitch Livestream. The audience will be invited to watch commentary of a video game created by Nadeau himself. Titled Nous aurons, the game is based in a post-apocalyptic world set in the year 2197.
Moreover, Toronto-based artists Andrea Spaziani and Matt Smith will present a rethought dance partition. Spaziani’s choreography explores the archetype of Venus, which she describes as an ensemble reconstruction of the feminine persona of Venus, displayed through aquatic behaviour. Titled Silver Venus Redux, this creation has been transformed for the OFFTA festival as a dance score to be watched, or listened to, with headphones. The audience will be able to listen to the recording of the sound of the six dancers performing the choreography, and to view images of the cinematic landscape of Silver Venus Redux by Alejandro Fargosonini.
In addition, OFFTA will be offering a series of five artist-driven round table discussions organized by Montreal-based interdisciplinary artistic collective PME-ART, titled Vulnerable Paradoxes. These discussions between artists and professionals will address questions, and raise issues, regarding the place of performance art in society and the relationship between performance artists and their audience.
Through its multifaceted interdisciplinary programme, the OFFTA will be an experimental laboratory for the artists and the public alike. Alone at home, participants will be confronted with their own thoughts, distractions, and maybe even with boredom.
“If we don’t know yet what will remain of the world that we are now leaving behind, or what to expect next, we make the daring gamble to invent a deconfined festival,” writes Repentigny, in a statement published on the OFFTA’s website. “We invited the artists to present original artworks, thus allowing their necessary voices to reach you.”
Via performances, balcony parties, discussions and interactive projects, the festival has planned various events to create a sense of community. The goal is ultimately to preserve the precious link between artists and their audiences, in whatever form it takes, despite the challenges that may arise.
In an effort to make the event as accessible as possible, people can choose to pay what they can through a variety of pass options. For OFFTA’s full program and schedule, and for further information, visit offta.com.
In the midst of a crisis, here are the songs that bring us comfort and joy
A person’s favourite song says a lot about who they are. Whether it’s attached to a special memory or maybe there’s just something about the way it sounds, we all have those special songs that we keep coming back to, no matter how much time has passed.
Katelyn Thomas, Editor-in-Chief
“Lego House,” Ed Sheeran and “Walls,” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
There’s an Ed Sheeran lyric on my left forearm from his song “Lego House” that represents how I felt when I dropped everything and drove to New York for the first time to watch him play at Madison Square Garden. I guess you could say that’s my favourite. But I feel like I have different favourites for different periods in my life. Tom Petty’s “Walls” is one of them because of how beautifully simple it is: “Half of me is ocean, half of me is sky” is a lyric I’ve loved forever. It can mean so many things.
It’s the soundtrack to all of my good memories. It just seems like whenever I think back to a good time in my life, that’s the song that’s playing. It’s got a killer 80s electro-pop feel to it and my favourite musical moment ever about halfway through: just a quick snap of the fingers between the verse and chorus. It just radiates cool, and there’s no song that pumps up the confidence and swagger like this one does.
This takes me back to summer 2014 when I worked in Algonquin Park as a canoe trip guide, sitting on this massive rock that hung over crystal clear water while the sun set. It was magical.
I grew up listening to rock music with my dad and Bon Jovi was one of the bands we would listen to together. The song reminds me of times spent with him and it’s just my favourite song ever outside of that anyway. A lot of people can’t name their favourite song right off the bat, but that one is my holy grail.
I have this very special connection to “Maps” by The Front Bottoms. The lyrics are directly @ing me. First of all, anyone who knows me knows I have big, big plans (among other things!) I’m always trying to sort through what big plan is realistic enough to accomplish and which isn’t. I love the noisiness of this song and the kind of group and call response—the way they are just kind of yelling myself at me. They’re saying everything that I have ever felt back to me, forcing me to face my own thoughts. Other than this song being my biography, I’m obsessed with the main singer’s Tom Delonge-ish way of pronouncing things (think I Miss You: “voice inside my yhead.”)
I’ve seen Metallica twice. The second time was during their Hardwired…To Self-Destruct tour which is the album that the song is on. Unfortunately, they didn’t play it live that time, but it’s a song that is really becoming more and more of our reality as it’s about how machines and technology are taking over. So that covers the meaning behind the song, but other than that, it’s my favourite type of music: fast and heavy metal.
When you have an eclectic taste in music, pinpointing a song as your favourite can feel overwhelming—but not for me. The answer has always been crystal clear: Eric Clapton’s “Layla.” Preferably a live version of this masterpiece because the minute that guitar solo starts, goosebumps arise—every damn time. This song, whether it’s on an acoustic or electric guitar, transports me and makes me believe in magic.
I’ve always had a struggling relationship with faith and letting go of control. This song is poetically written and talks about a love so deep there’s no end to it. I’m a highly sensitive person—too sensitive, I feel too much—and his voice is angelic to say the least. I listened to it every day during the time me and my boyfriend were broken up (we’re back together now, happiness!) and things were happening with my family. It brought me closer to faith.
Maggie Morris, Copy Editor
“Monday Morning,” Death Cab for Cutie
I deeply love pretty much everything DCFC has ever done, but this one hits me right in the feels. Codes and Keys, the album this song came from, came out in 2011 just a few months before my dad took my brother and I to his home country in Wales. Every time I hear this song it transports me back to driving through the Welsh countryside.
Tim Buckley is, in my opinion, a severely underrated singer-songwriter, and this song exemplifies his brilliance. The psych-folk instrumentals are warm and inviting, and they feel as if they wrap around you to shelter you as you listen. This mood echoes Buckley’s lyrics, which describe falling in love like finding a home. This song, as well as all of Happy Sad, has an almost magical ability to calm me down from any stressful situation. It’s good for both deep, headphone-wearing listening sessions and for creating a chill background mood (I use it for the spin-down on my radio show!). Once you listen, I think you’ll agree that Buckley should be placed with the 1960s folk greats.
*BTW, do yourself a favour and check out Aviva’s radio show The Alley on CJLO 1690 AM Wednesdays at 2 p.m.!
It captures longing in a really beautiful way: how you can miss someone and it’s devastating, but you feel cheerful about it because you have the memories of them and that belongs to you. It’s a wonderful example of the way The Cure used instruments to create a space. The guitar has this spacial quality: it’s lush and happy, but it sounds huge and layered like a big echoing cave, which is what I love about all songs by The Cure.
It’s sad but beautiful, has great beats and melody, the singer’s voice is amazing and you can really hear the emotion. Definitely one of my favourites!
Picking just one song was difficult for me, as I’m sure it was for everyone else. In the end, I chose this cover of “Please, Please, Please” because of the way it makes me feel every time I listen to it. Originally written by The Smiths, the song was used as the soundtrack for one of the most iconic moments in cinematic history: the museum scene of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Like a lot of folks out there, I really identify with the character Cameron who, like me, is an anxious mess. For whatever reason, the moment he stares into the Seurat painting makes me blubber like a baby every time. The song certainly doesn’t help, I’ll tell you that much.
What makes a museum experience memorable when… well, when you can’t actually go to the museum? After most institutions closed last month, hundreds of art museums around the globe have made their collections accessible online for free. With the opportunity to browse museums all around the world, how does one choose where to go first?
From the UK to Japan, our staff has compiled a list of our favourite pieces, exhibitions and virtual tours for you to experience. While some choices are based on interest and desire to learn, others are based on memories and personal sentiment. Regardless, read on for some insightful, personable and critical responses to art around the world. Enjoy your time at the Concordian Art Gallery.
The Concordian Art Gallery’s first-ever exhibition investigates the appeal of an artwork through a critical approach. The works, which date from the 19th to the 21st century, depict histories both personal and collective. From the ecclesiastical etchings at the Rijksmuseum to Migishi Kōtarō’s abstract compositions, the featured works draw upon personal experiences to explore our relationship with art. Although eclectic, the ensemble of works invites viewers to reflect on their history and memories and how they interrelate with art.
Matthew Coyte, Managing Editor
Anonymous English School. Commander Robert R. Bastin. Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery. Exeter, England.
I picked this museum because it’s one that I’ve had my eye on for a while. My family is originally from Devon, England, so I’ve always wanted to visit, and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery have been on my mind as well. This painting of a relatively unknown man just connected with me because he looks like my grandfather who passed away this summer. I guess everything just came full circle from my interest in connecting with my family’s roots to this piece.
I like this piece because of its simplicity, both in its colour and its message. The orange and the blue creates a visually pleasing image and the photograph itself is interesting to look at because of the subject. In it, women are working from extreme heights on what looks like a bridge. The caption “women hold up more than half the sky” seems to be promoting the fact that women work as hard, if not harder than their male counterparts. I see this image as a statement about women in the workforce, in particular, making sure women have equal job opportunities and are recognized for their accomplishments.
Masayoshi Nakamura, Man and Woman. 1963. Colour on paper. Nagoya City Art Museum. Nagoya, Japan.
Kōtarō Migishi, Composition: Still Life with Fireplace. 1933. Oil on canvas. Nagoya City Art Museum. Nagoya, Japan.
Chloë Lalonde, Arts Editor
Masayoshi Nakamura, Man and Woman. 1963. Colour on paper. Nagoya City Art Museum. Nagoya, Japan.
Kōtarō Migishi, Composition: Still Life with Fireplace. 1933. Oil on canvas. Nagoya City Art Museum. Nagoya, Japan.
I initially wanted to do the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg, but I was so thrown off by the palace and had no attention span for the work it contained. The museum is massive, with three floors of rooms upon rooms and all sorts of halls. It was truly incredible, but no specific artwork caught my eye. But it did spark a desire to be a Russian princess. I realized that I wanted to stumble upon something fresh, something I had no idea existed. I was aware of the Hermitage before this.
I came across the Nagoya City Art Museum (NCAM) on Google Arts & Culture, and its feature image caught my eye. I didn’t recognize the artist, and barely had any idea what it was I was even looking at. Perfect. Turns out it was a Frida Kahlo, Girl with Death Mask. The painting depicts Kahlo’s would-be daughter. I was struck by her white face, full of horror, contrasted with light blues, pastel pinks and Easter yellows.
Among the 50 or so pieces in the NCAM’s collection, two more pieces stood out to me. Masayoshi Nakamura’s Man and Woman (1963) and Kōtarō Migishi’s Composition: Still Life with Fireplace (1933), for two very different reasons.
I immediately felt repelled, but not repulsed, by Nakamura’s painting. The way the paint pools in matte, layered splotches to create the base for the man and woman’s faces immediately reminded me of dried, flaking tempera paint, which gives me this nails-on-a-chalkboard feeling. But the painting itself feels relatable, childlike, as though Nakamura sketched on eyes as a last-minute thought. The swift black ink, like smudged eyeliner, blurs the lines between the man and the woman, and you can only theorize who is whom. My favourite parts are the big blotchy noses. I love the way the paint cakes up to create a shape. While most paint is quite fluid, sometimes it is lumpy, thick or even creamy. This kind of paint allows you to sculpt with it, like scraping plaster onto a wall, smoothing it out in circles to create ridges, keeping each scrape visible. This painting feels distraught, violent. It feels last-minute, not that big of a deal. I like that.
Migishi’s still life is an aesthetic choice. Now, this is the kind of art I’d like to make in isolation. I’m a big fan of line work, big wobbly shapes and juxtaposing neutrals with bright primary colours. I like the hint of recognition—I spy a wine glass, a bunch of grapes and a fireplace— and the rest is up to your imagination.
I chose Rijksmuseum because it’s from one of the museums I’m most excited to visit during my exchange in Amsterdam next semester, fingers crossed! I’ve always been intrigued by the tools and process behind etching, so I was drawn to this piece as soon as I recognized the marks on the print. I love the contrast and texture of this printing technique. What I like the most is the intricate level of detail the artists put into a small print.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a few virtual exhibits available on Google Arts and Culture. Interestingly, a lot of them have to do with the MET’s fashion collections, ranging from late-nineteenth-century footwear to contemporary labels like Comme des Garçons. My favourite collection features vintage dinner jackets designed by Elsa Schiaparelli, an Italian designer who got her start in the early 20th century. I love how the crisp, tailored silhouettes contrast with the elaborate designs and flashy colours, combining elements that are both masculine and feminine. With its jewel tones and stunning embroidery, I found this green jacket to be particularly eye-catching.
I chose the National Museum in Krakow because I was supposed to study in the city this summer, before the world as we know it descended into chaos. Additionally, I thought it could be interesting to learn more about my personal Polish heritage. So, I was glad to see that the museum had a large digital collection with many online exhibitions. I chose Independence, a collection of Polish works based on the political notions of 20th-century socialist statesman Józef Piłsudski, which was presented to celebrate the centennial of the independence of the Republic of Poland in 2018. This exhibition is very patriotic in tone, highlighting Poland’s constant struggle against outside occupation. As would be expected from a state-sponsored collection, there were plenty of busts of leaders and paintings of glorious battles. Yet, the piece that struck me most was Adam Mickiewicz as a Pilgrim by Jan Styka. Mickiewicz was a romantic poet and activist in the 19th century, who is often called Poland’s greatest poet. The painting shows Mickiewicz holding a staff and looking up at an ominous cloudy sky. His figure is sharp and detailed against the wash of colour behind him. This piece makes Mickiewicz appear to be almost holy— like a Moses figure. From this, it is obvious that he is greatly revered in Polish history. Overall, Independence was a great gateway to Polish history. It definitely sent me down a few Wikipedia rabbit holes to learn more about the mentioned leaders and uprisings.
Virginie Ann, News Editor
Widad Kawar, TIRAZ. Amman, Jordan.
As I scrolled down the list of virtual exhibits available on Google Arts and Culture, my eyes were caught by the title “home for Arab dress.” It reminded me of my time in Morocco, during Ramadan, when my girlfriends and I went to pick some beautiful traditional caftans. There is something truly simple, yet very graceful, about this type of clothing— which ends up making you feel very elegant. So, I chose to visit the virtual Widad Kawar collection from Tiraz museum in Jordan. The collection contains over 2000 costumes and jewelry, which both hold an important place in Middle Eastern art and history. My favourite exhibition ended up being Ya Hafeth Ya Ameen: Protective silver jewellery from the Middle East, which brings the viewer into Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen and Oman. The mix of text, 360-degree photos and the zoom option allows for an immersive experience, which I personally find more interesting than just staring at a computer screen.
Learning history through jewelry is quite unique. The exhibition approaches how conflict, migration and even politics have an influence on dress and jewellery creation. I loved reading about the superstitious meanings of jewelry and their connection with divine and mystical forces through various forms of protection, such as talismans. Our own disconnection, even complete rejection, of religion here in Quebec makes it hard for some people to understand that sense of belief. But, call me naive, I love believing that carrying something such as a piece of jewelry can be meaningful. I think it reinforces a sense of community, an aspect that is greatly present in the Arab world. The most common protection jewelry against the Evil Eye is the Hand of Fatima, dating back thousands of years. Yet, capitalism has transformed it into something you can now purchase in any form, without understanding its background.
As someone who has a strong interest in the history of the Middle East, I was happy to find this short exhibition, which made me calmly travel over the Arabian Peninsula, while sipping on my second Stout during the global pandemic.
“What if in an unsure world – a world in which your family depend on a good harvest for survival, and sickness can easily lead to death – amulets provided a sense of comfort and control, and talismans offered a connection to the mystical powers that seemed to govern your life, but which you can’t always see?” – Tiraz Widad Kawar home for Arab dress
Lorenza Mezzapelle, Assistant Arts Editor
Paul Getty Museum. California, United States.
I spent a good two weeks trying to find a specific artwork that I would want to talk about and share. Ultimately, trying to navigate museums virtually just didn’t cut it for me, as I found it to be much too distracting and too difficult to actually read the accompanying texts. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised at how simple it was to navigate J. Paul Getty Museum’s online platform. They offer a variety of ways to interact with numerous artworks, and rather than offering a virtual tour, viewers can scroll through an exhibition in chronological order, on a webpage. In addition to offering their exhibitions online, the museum has made hundreds of books in their Virtual Library available… for free! From architecture to critical theory, their selection is unparalleled. Some of my favourites included Cezanne in the Studio: Still Life in Watercolors and Otto Wagner: Reflections on the Raiment of Modernity, which I intend on reading in their entirety after handing in my finals.
While most of the exhibitions I scrolled through were interesting, I personally enjoyed Bauhaus: Building the New Artist: it was easy to scroll through, informative and read in the same way as walking through an exhibition space from start to finish. Each part of the exhibition features an interactive exercise, including one based on Kandinsky’s theory that shapes correspond to colour. My favourite part of the exhibition was definitely the “Learning with Albers” segment, which provides a brief, but insightful overview of Josef Albers’ influence on the Bauhaus movement and on studies of materiality. The text is accompanied by annotated notebook pages of various Bauhaus students which illustrate their studies via journal entries and photographs.
The Other Side was a satire column that frequently appeared in what was then called the Arts and Culture section of The Concordian in 1994. Photo by Alex Hutchins.
Dear Graham Carr,
It has been almost two months since you’ve been appointed Concordia’s newest president. In the statement released on the Concordia website on Jan. 16, you expressed your excitement about building off of this “great momentum we’ve created in the last several years.”
While this sounds great, it is also a little bit brief.
We at The Concordian would like to make a few suggestions regarding what needs to be addressed at our wonderful school:
Sustainability: While there have been some improvements, we can’t help but notice a lack of awareness when it comes to sustainability on campus. Some people remain unaware of sustainability groups, like CUCCR (Concordia University’s Centre for Creative Reuse), and compost bins are scarce—-the CJ Building at Loyola only has one. We reported back in October that half of what the university sends to landfills could be composted, according to student groups. Becoming completely zero-waste isn’t going to happen overnight, but providing a clear plan will give the Concordia community an opportunity to track the university’s progress.
Transit: Yes, the university already had a conference concerning the shuttle bus, and we are pressing the matter again. While efficient, the shuttle bus can be unreliable at times. Universities across Canada include a transit pass as part of their tuition. Why not Concordia? As an institution with a large contingent of students reliant on public transit, it’s clear that the demand is there. This would also serve as an incentive for students who drive to campus to start using public transit instead.
Food: Concordia’s five-year agreement with Aramark comes to an end in May this year. For years, students have pushed for more independent and student-run food providers. Aramark’s reputation is also less than stellar. So let’s be realistic, feeding hundreds of students at both residences and the thousands across both campuses is extremely difficult and requires a large workforce. But what the university can do is commit to signing shorter contracts with large corporations, and begin transitioning towards independent and student-run groups becoming the main food providers on campus. It’s not an issue that can be solved immediately, but this is the type of legacy move that only benefits the Concordia community.
Online Opt-Out Consultations: It should come as no surprise that we at The Concordian are against online opt-outs for fee-levy groups. When opt-outs are done in person, Concordia’s groups, from gender advocacy groups (The Centre for Gender Advocacy) to food services (People’s Potato, The Hive), to student media (CJLO, The Link, The Concordian) have a chance to educate students about the services they offer. Following the recent vote to move to online op-outs, all that we ask is to be included in meaningful discussions about the implementation of this system. Will the website include a list of services offered by each group? Will it properly inform people of the role the groups play on campus, and how they can get involved? Or will it simply have a list of services to opt out of?
As our president, these are some of the issues that we ask you to consider as you plan what to tackle here on campus for the duration of your tenure at Concordia.
Tyra Maria Trono is a filipina artist based in Montreal. Her work deals with personal themes such as individual identity and her direct social communities. It’s connected in a system of meaning that deals with the idea of the revival of childhood and the continual discovery of personal identity which encompasses the notion of her culture heritage. Themes of nostalgia, autobiography, and identity are often explored in her photography.
Tyra Maria Trono is currently a third-year photography student at Concordia University. She has previously exhibited work at several galleries around Montreal, most notably Le Livart (3980 St Denis) in 2018. She has also co-curated the first edition of Festival du Nouveau Cinema: Spotlight on Concordia University Fine Arts.
In 2017, she founded a photo collective called “For the Sake of Analog” alongside Edson Niebla Rogil and John Mendoza. Their mandate is to exhibit the richness and diversity represented by emerging POC artists through the medium of analog photography. Last year, the collective was part of the programming for the Mural Festival. Currently, they are working on their first photo book coming out in April 2020.
Outside her artistic practice, Trono has photographed for projects and events for Boiler Room, Moonshine, Lez Spread The Word, Éklectik Média, The Woman Power and Never Was Your Average.
Trono is also involved with the Filipino Organization of Concordia Students. After a hiatus of over 10 years, the club returned in 2019. The club’s mandate is to connect students, celebrate Filipino identity, and challenge issues that touch Filipino youth. Currently, she is working on a variety show and art exhibition, titled Show Pao, which will feature local Filipino artists.
Trono will also be facilitating an exhibition for the 20th anniversary of Art Matters. The exhibition, As to be Told investigates the ways in which stories can be articulated through artworks and how we translate personal or collective notions through narrative forms.
As to be Told will be open at Galerie Luz (372 Ste. Catherine St. W, suite 41) from March 17 to 21, with a vernissage on March 18, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Recent tensions concerning the Wet’suwet’en territory in northern B.C. have been thoroughly discussed on social media, with solidarity protests happening all over the country—from Saskatechewan, to Ontario, to Quebec.
Reports from the CBC state that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) enforced a court order against the Indigenous communities blocking construction on the Coastal GasLink pipeline last Thursday. Camps were set up near the pipeline, including at the Unist’ot’en healing village, which was a Wet’suwet’en-operated checkpoint on the road in 2009, preventing people working on the pipeline from accessing the territory.
Media coverage of the ongoing issue has varied, with some publications learning from past mistakes and putting the work in to accurately reporting on a complex situation. Despite these steps, The Concordian can’t help but notice that this progress is taking far too long. As members of the media, we have a responsibility to not phone in stories on this topic.
Some still don’t even know about the issue, nor the history behind it if they haven’t stumbled upon vigils, protests, or if they aren’t following Instagram accounts addressing the recurring problem. Facebook instates a “Standing in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en” profile picture frame to get people involved, and encourage them to further educate themselves.
The RCMP is forcibly removing people trying to guard land they never ceded to begin with. Does this ring any bells for anyone? How can Canada, or more specifically, the Liberal Government, claim to be moving forward with Truth and Reconciliation when they are consistently participating in colonialism and land theft?
The media should be doing more to call attention to this. The Via Rail train cancellations are being covered thoroughly, but the reason for them? Not so much. The media is covering the inconvenience that protests are causing privileged individuals, but not adequately educating the public on why the protests are taking place.
Wet’suwet’en land is being stolen and used for something its custodians don’t believe in.
This has been happening across North America for centuries––but we’re supposed to be correcting those mistakes. We’re supposed to be righting those wrongs. Remaining silent in times like these upholds and reinforces centuries of colonialism.
“These Indigenous teachers, they’ve overcome all those barriers all through their lives, in high school and going through university,” said Director of Concordia First Peoples Studies, Cathy Richardson/Kinewesquao. “It shows that they’ve really advanced themselves through education and they are ready to step up, and take on these leadership roles.”
In January, Concordia became the first university in Quebec to offer an Indigenous program, strictly taught by Indigenous people.
The First Peoples Studies, which was created nearly a decade ago, currently has 117 students, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. The program, which includes courses on language, culture and history, offers knowledge on Indigenous social and political issues.
While it used to be only Richardson/Kinewesquao, Dr. Louellyn White, a Mohawk woman from Akwesasne and Dr. Elizabeth Fast, with Métis and Mennonite ancestry teaching, the FPST program can now count three new Indigenous part-time teachers and two Indigenous teaching assistants.
When Richardson/Kinewesquao was hired last June, part of her mission was to Indigenize Concordia.
“What we typically find in universities are scholars, anthropologists, historians with different backgrounds teaching about Indigenous people,” she said. “What we want are Indigenous people with their own life experiences, with their people and community, with an Indigenous worldview and perspective. We want them to teach, because the pedagogy and delivery are also Indigenous, not just the content, to get away from that; not to only talk about them, but to teach about me, and us and we.”
This change also came as a result of many complaints from students, but also from across the board, said Richardson/Kinewesquao.
“We had quite a lot of complaints in the past about teaching style or things a teacher said, not knowing they weren’t saying the right thing,” she said. “But you don’t know what you don’t know. I do think the complaints, from an Indigenous point of view, were justified. I met with students and heard what wasn’t going well, but it takes time and we are trying.”
Autumn Godwin, a student in the FPST program, has experienced first-hand the lack of Indigenous teachers and the colonial roots of the curriculum within the department.
“[Indigenous faculty and staff] are an amazing team, super supportive but they’re stretched thin,” said Godwin. “I’m grateful for Concordia doing this, I just wish to see that we have a little bit more support when it comes to having more land-based programs and bringing in more future [scholar] talks but again, we’re stretched thin.”
One of the things that Richardson/Kinewesquao is currently working on, from now until the summer, is reviewing the FPST curriculum. The department created a review committee, with all but one member being Indigenous.
“The world turns, it’s really different than what it was 10 years ago,” she said. “We need to have more courses on land rights, on LGBTQ2+ (Two Spirits) issues. We need to talk more about the ceremonies, the environment and human rights.”
Universities across Canada have been responding to calls for action by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, but having a university as supportive as Concordia makes a difference, Richardson/Kinewesquao believes.
“When I started, I had a community already. I had the people from the Aboriginal Students Research Centre, I got Donna Goodleaf in the Teaching and Learning Centre, and Manon Tremblay in Indigenous Direction. The people in the School of Community and Public Affairs are very helpful and supportive, even the Dean has been very supportive of me, so I feel like I’m well held-up and it’s gonna be okay moving ahead. But it’s always going to be slow when you work in a big institution, in a big university, we have lots of little barriers to overcome.”
Obstacles
During an event titled Four Directional – Four-Chair Panel hosted as part of First Voices Week on Feb. 4, students, Indigenous elders and faculty discussed how colonialism is still prevalent in education today and how it continues to affect both students’ and educators’ lives.
Many will find out, to their dismay, that despite Concordia’s most significant efforts to decolonize its curriculum, the school remains subject to a sizable amount of criticism, which universities face nationwide.
“Indigenizing the curriculum [at Concordia] benefits both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students,” said Director of Decolonizing Curriculum and Pedagogy, Donna Kahérakwas Goodleaf. “Every student can gain from an enriched educational experience.”
Goodleaf, who recently served as Concordia’s interim senior director of Indigenous directions, is now in charge of advising and making suggestions to faculty on how they can integrate the recommendations set out in the IDAP, which emerged in 2019 in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations.
She stresses that students need to be the ones to ask themselves what kind of education they want to receive, emphasizing that they have more power than they realize, and that they have to “take ownership of [their] educational curriculum.”
“I think it’s great, especially for the Haudenosaunee class where you have a Haudenosaunee woman teaching it,” said Godwin. “You have that matrimonial aspect that’s included as well.”
Although much progress has been made in the FPST program, a significant amount of work remains in other faculty departments.
“I’m getting all these invitations now from these different faculties,” said Goodleaf. “But I’m like an after-thought.” She paused as the audience took this information in; a remark that left the room in breathless silence. Goodleaf went on to say that in order to decolonize these events, Indigenous peoples have to be invited to participate in their creation.
The director emphasized that including the voices of First Nations peoples, Métis and Inuit on every level is crucial in order to decolonize academia––in other words, an invitation will not be sufficient.
Elder Vicky Boldo, from the Aboriginal Student Resource Centre, said that, like Goodleaf, she too noticed that faculty members would invite her to events but would never involve her in the actual planning of the event. Boldo, who is an adoptee from the ‘60s Scoop Era, pointed out that her Cree/Métis heritage did not make her a “spokesperson for multiculturalism,” and that faculty members should consider doing more than just inviting Indigenous peoples to fill seats.
The pre-date chatting that can go on for as little as one day to as long as a few weeks—let’s face it, even if this might not be ideal, we’re adults and life gets hard to schedule sometimes. There’s also the setting up an actual date, getting ready for the date, going on the date, talking to your date, maybe arguing about who’s going to pay for the date and then doing this all over again a few times while you try to decide if you actually like this person. Sometimes you can know right away, but how do you know this is the right person out of all the people you’re talking to?
Yes, other people because why would you put all your eggs in one basket? How do you know all this time and energy spent on one person is going to work out? You don’t. So while all this is going on with one person, you’re also trying to balance talking to other people, setting up other dates, trying to schedule all these things in the same week alongside your classes, job, homework, family and social life. Whew. Just trying to manage all these things can be physically exhausting.
Dating is hard, yo. Even if you end up going on a few dates with someone to try to figure out if you like them, like, how do you know how long that’s going to take? How long do you want to spend talking to/seeing just one person you’re not entirely sure about? Again, you don’t. It’s all so exhausting trying to figure out who you like and if they’re worth all the time you’re spending while you’re going on dates, but also whether or not you actually want to date them, as in be with them, long term.
Dating is also scary. Through all these dates, you’re spending all this time talking to people, opening up to them, divulging parts of yourself, your interests, hobbies, day-to-day life, you talk about your family, your friends, your goals, dreams, blah blah blah—over and over again.This too can be exhausting; trying to gauge how much you’re going to trust someone, what you want to tell them, what parts of yourself you want to keep away until you decide if you actually want to be with them. All these things can take a toll on your mental and emotional capacities.
So why do we keep going on dates? Well, I assume it’s because you want to end up with someone, or maybe you just want to add a little bit of extra ~spice~ in your life. Either way, if you decide you’re too tired and want to take a break from dating, you do you boo; we’re out here supporting you.
