Author: Virginie Ann

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While on break…From Interim Presidents to Climate Clocks to the Hall building

A five-year term for Graham Carr 

On Dec. 12, Interim President Graham Carr was officially appointed President and Vice-Chancellor of Concordia. Earlier in July, Carr succeeded Alan Shepard after he stepped down from a seven-year mandate.

“Concordia is a young, forward-looking university. It’s a unique place where experimentation, innovation and creativity are truly valued,” Carr said, in a press release. “Our community of students, faculty, staff and alumni all contribute to our momentum as Canada’s next-gen university. As president, I plan to continue broadening that circle, pursuing collaborations with industry, government and community stakeholders to further demonstrate how Concordia makes a positive difference for the people and economies of Canada and the world.”

Carr emerged from an international search process as Concordia’s Board of Governors’ top choice, according to Board Chair Norman Hébert Jr, saying it was a bonus that Carr used to teach at Concordia. Carr joined the university in 1983 in the Department of History.

“He brings that knowledge and those existing ties as well as his constant drive, imagination and curiosity to the position,” Hébert said in the press release.

The five-year contract is effective starting now.

Closure of Henry F. H. Building’s sixth floor 

Renovations in the Hall building will be taking place throughout the year, and are expected to end by 2021. The university is looking to improve the environment of the Hall building’s sixth floor. The transformation is meant to provide greater collaborative workspaces and lighting, according to Concordia’s website.

One of the major transformations will be to supply the entire floor with inclusive, gender-neutral bathrooms. The facilities, which haven’t been updated since 1966, will now be equipped with floor-to-ceiling stalls.

Facilities Management, who is responsible for planning, designing and developing a safe working environment for students, consulted all those who actively use the sixth floor to ensure the needs of everyone were being respected.

Information about the relocation of student groups’ offices is available on the university’s website.

Updating the Climate Clock Project 

The Concordia real-time measurement countdown until we surpass the 1.5-degree Celsius temperature limit set by the Paris Agreement was updated for the fifth time since its creation in 2015.

The clock is meant to be a visual representation of the time left before the climate crisis becomes seriously threatening.

“We feel that the clock is able to communicate the urgency of action in a way that people understand and can relate to,” said Damon Matthews in an interview with Concordia News. Matthews is a professor in the Department of Geography, Planning and Environment and one of the project creators, alongside musician David Usher.

While reports of the CO2 emissions for 2019 won’t be released until later this year, various scientific magazines such as Scientific American are already reporting that they will likely be higher than expected. This year, the Climate Clock Project projected that the time left was 12 years, while last year’s update predicted that we would hit the 1.5-degree mark by 2034, according to the project’s website.

You can check the Climate Clock Project updates on the university’s website.

 

Graphic by @sundaeghosts

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Poli Savvy: Turning WW3 and Franz Ferdinand into hashtags

On Jan. 3, the Twittersphere woke up with the hashtags #WW3 and #FranzFerdinand exploding all over social media.

This came right after Iranian General Qassem Soleimani was killed by American drones in Iraq. Memes were then shared and next thing you know, people were joking about being drafted for an imminent World War Three.

But why exactly are the death of Soleimani and WW3 trending together even more than, let’s say, the twisted relationship between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un’s nuclear threats?

Soleimani was a highly-known Iranian figure all over the Middle East, described in a statement by Trump after his death as “the number-one terrorist anywhere in the world.” Now, parallels are being drawn between him and Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which the younger generation usually knows as a rock band from the 2000s, but who was actually another famous General, killed more than 100 years ago in Bosnia.

As the heir of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Ferdinand’s assassination is associated with the beginning of WWI. In comparison, Soleimani was considered as the next most powerful individual next to the widely popular President of Iran. With obvious similarities, the killing of Soleimani is seen as the boiling point to ongoing tensions between the US and Iran.

While the nonexistence of social media back in 1914 didn’t allow for these types of reactions, a hypothetical WW3 is currently turning into a joke. Knowing how devastating both World Wars were, aren’t these memes and tweets leaving you with a sour taste?

Yet, humour has always been a coping mechanism. So, in the meantime, I suggest revisiting the Scottish band’s 2004 song “Take Me Out” and scrolling down the comments for a good laugh.

As if you’re listening right before WW3 starts. 

 

Graphic by Victoria Blair

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Poli SAVVY: Petty high school gossip or world leaders making fun of Trump?

Well, Christmas has come a bit early this year, thanks to Saturday Night Live!

Anything with Paul Rudd, really anything, feels like a gift from Santa. Over the weekend, the late-night comedy show produced a skit portraying the world leaders as cool kids teasing the black sheep of the gang, U.S. President Trump.

While Paul Rudd was impersonating a bad boy-version of French President Emmanuel Macron, Jimmy Fallon took the role of an over-apologetic Justin Trudeau and James Corden was U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The skit was a recollection of a conversation from the NATO summit that took place a week ago at Buckingham Palace, in London. Trudeau was caught on hot mic by a CBC producer venting to the other leaders about Trump’s lengthy 40-minute press conference from earlier that day.

As much as the skit was delicious to watch, some people were quick to point out that such comments could hurt the Canada-U.S. relationship. “At a time when Canada needs strong relationships more than ever, Justin Trudeau’s poor judgment, lack of professionalism and love of drama continues to weaken Canada’s position on the world stage. We saw this just yesterday at the NATO Summit,” said Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer on Parliament Hill.

You might wonder what all the fuss is if the entire world is already laughing at the guy…

Even the U.S. president’s leading political rival, Joe Biden, used the footage of Trudeau’s comments for one of his Democratic Party’s presidential nomination ads on Twitter. The post read “The world is laughing at President Trump.”

Does this give a free card for bullying? No. Will it affect Canada’s relationship with America? Well, I would hope that this precious relationship is strong enough to survive high school gossip, Andrew.

 

Graphic by Victoria Blair

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World in brief: London Bridge attacks, climate strikes against Black Friday and investigation into Malta’s murdered journalist

A stabbing attack on the London Bridge took the life of two people, leaving three injured on Friday afternoon. Governmental officials have since referred to the stabbings as a terrorist act committed by 28-year-old Usman Khan. Khan was a known, convicted terrorist who was released last year from prison, only halfway through his 16-year sentence, reported the Independent. Videos show evidence of Khan, wearing a fake suicide bomb, tackled by the public before being fatally shot by the police. Both victims, identified as Saskia Jones and Jack Merritt, were in their early twenties and were involved with Learning Together, an organization for prison rehabilitation.

Black Friday was kicked off with climate strikes and overconsumption protests taking place around the world. Protesters targeted Amazon in France, while a widespread “Black Friday Strike” from Los Angeles to New York was called by a group of young people, reported CBC. In Madrid, where the UN climate summit will be taking place from Dec. 2 to Dec. 13, a giant banner reading “Consumerism = climate crisis” was hung by Geenpeace. The various protests mainly accused Black Friday of promoting overconsumption, accelerating the environmental crisis. Canadians were expected to spend more than $29 billion this year during the sales, according to Finder statistics.

Malta’s Prime Minister announced his plan to step down amid potential involvement in the 2017 car bomb killing of a journalist. Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed while she was in the middle of investigating corruption among the country’s political and business elite, as reported by The Guardian. On Saturday, the murder inquiry charged a businessman in the case with alleged ties to the government. It fueled the ongoing national protests demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat over his mishandling of the case for the past two years. Muscat said he will resign in the upcoming month and called for the process of choosing a new leader by Jan. 12, 2020.

 

Graphic by @sundaeghost

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World in brief: China’s mass detention of Muslim, Koalas killed by fires, and Indigenous collaboration on Frozen II

On Nov. 24, leaked classified documents showed China’s strategic plan of mass detention for ethnic minorities. They were obtained and verified by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in collaboration with CBC News and other media organizations around the world. Identified as the China Cables, the documents describe the large-scale incarceration and brainwashing of Uighurs, a predominantly Muslim minority in China’s Xinjiang province. Adrian Zenz, a leading researcher on the Uighur crisis, estimates that more than 1.8 million Uighurs are or have been imprisoned over the last three years. “What we are looking at in Xinjiang is probably the largest internment of an ethno-religious minority since the Holocaust,” said Zenz, in an interview with CBC. 

Record-breaking fires continue to devastate Australia’s East coast as yet another heatwave worsened the situation last week. Various media reported that more than 1 million hectares of New South Wales and Queensland have been ripped apart by the devastating bushfires which destroyed more than 300 homes. While bushfire season is not uncommon for the country due to dry weather, several scientists agree that this year is abnormally overwhelming, and for all types of lives. The chairman of the Australian Koala Foundation, Deborah Tabart, estimates that over 1,000 koalas weren’t able to flee the fires and lost their lives, reported the Daily Mail.

Disney is fostering Indigenous collaborations with Frozen II as it hit the theatre over the weekend. Critics over cultural appropriation from the first movie adopting Scandinavia’s Indigenous Sámi culture led the Hollywood magnate to work on the sequel with a team of Sámi experts from Norway, Sweden, and Finland, as reported by CBC. The group was constituted of Sámi artists, historians, elders and politicians. They were consulted on the historical aspect of the storyline, the costumes and the songs to ensure that their culture would be properly represented onscreen.

 

Graphic by @sundaeghost

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Poli SAVVY: So….what is Wexit exactly?

What started as a social media trend shortly after the federal election in October seems to be well alive a month later. And for once, Quebec is not the misunderstood child behind this separation movement.

#Wexit is the result of Alberta and Saskatchewan standing strongly for Tories in a mixed sea of orange NDP and red Liberals.

According to change.org, a petition in favour of Alberta’s separation from the rest of Canada was created the very same night as the election’s results were unfolding. Now, it has more than 115,000 signatures. The VoteWexit Facebook group also reported as many as 40,000 new members only a few hours after the re-election of Trudeau’s government.

While the move comes as a Western alliance between Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, the latter is mostly the front leader. On Nov. 5, Wexit founder Peter Downing officially began the registration of becoming a federal political party with Election Canada. In a five-page, open letter to Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, Downing wrote that “we cannot remain passive spectators in the filming of our own economic and political destruction.[…] by separating from Canada, we will keep our $50 billion in taxes right here at home, making life better for the people who live here.”

“This is not about anger Mr. Kenney. It is about survival,” argued Downing.

But how much weight does this movement actually have? Historically, this is not the first time that Canada has been faced with western alienation. It is an ongoing pattern throughout the past decades. Both the Social Credit Party and the Reform Party were partly a result of western provinces feeling that Ottawa was not supporting their interests.

Yet, we have to be careful. The copious social media platforms that didn’t exist back then now allow for a quicker spread of social movements. In an interview with the CBC, political scientist Jared Wesley warned about the danger of taking this issue lightly.

“This is a different kind of movement,” Wesley said. “We’ve seen it generate success south of the border and in Europe. I think political elites ignore it at their peril but they have to be very careful when they provide legitimacy to what, right now, is a pretty fringe movement.”

 

Graphic by Victoria Blair 

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World in brief: First week of public hearings, Venice under water and a new Netflix rival

Venice faced its worst flooding in 50 years, leaving St. Mark’s Square under a metre of water last Tuesday. Reuters reported that the Basilica was submerged for the sixth time in the past 1,200 years – but the fourth time since 2000. After declaring a state of emergency, Venice’s Mayor, Luigi Brugnaro, also told reporters that climate change was to blame, referring to the high tides as “apocalyptic.” A study published in Quaternary International back in 2017 argued that Venice will be underwater before the next century if no actions are taken to counter climate change.

The first public hearings in 21 years began on Wednesday for Trump’s impeachment inquiry. It is set to investigate whether or not the President abused his presidential powers and sought help from the Ukraine government to undermine Democratic candidate Joe Biden. Politico reported that standout moments included the House moving from quid pro quo to officially accusing the President of “bribery,” and the testimony from the Acting Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor reporting another previously unknown phone call between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump. Also an important moment was U.S. diplomat Marie Yovanovitch’s testimony, which Trump denigrated on Twitter, claiming “everywhere Marie Yovanovitch went turned bad.” If the inquiry ends up proving Trump’s wrongdoing, he would become the third American President to be impeached.

A new streaming platform that was launched on Nov. 12 is set to offer access to Fox, Pixar, Marvel and National Geographic productions. Disney Plus comes as another big player against Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon Prime and HBO, among others. Subscribers can expect to find Disney classics such as The Lion King and Star Wars on the streaming service. While Disney has been accused in the past of being culturally offensive, the service deemed wise to include the message “may contain outdated cultural depictions” prior to some of its movies. The platform is available for $8.99/month or $89.99/year in Canada.

 

Graphic by @sundaeghost

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Concordia announces plan to divest

The Concordia University Foundation announced its intention to withdraw all of its investments from the coal, oil and gas sector before 2025.

The Concordia University Foundation plans to be the first Quebec university with 100 per cent sustainable investments within five years. Currently, $14 million of Concordia’s $243 million assets is going into the coal, gas and oil sectors.

“We believe that being socially and environmentally responsible in our investments is the surest way to be Concordia University’s best possible fund management partner,” said Howard Davidson, Chair of the Board of the Concordia University Foundation, in a press release Friday. “Investing in sustainability is not just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do.”

While Concordia cancelled classes for the climate strike on Sept. 27, some questioned why the university still invested in fossil fuels, as pointed out by Jacob Robitaille, internal coordinator of Concordia’s La Planète s’invite à l’Université in a previous interview with The Concordian.

“It doesn’t send a straightforward message,” Robitaille said of Concordia’s environmental position.

But now, the university is aiming to double investments that generate social and environmental impact with a financial return. For instance, Concordia partnered earlier this year with Inerjys Ventures, a global investment fund promoting the adoption of clean tech.

“It’s a social movement as much as a financial one, and this announcement has a lot of power for the climate justice movement across the country,” said Divest Concordia representative Emily Carson-Apstein. “We’re looking forward to keeping the students updated as this process goes on.”

“Promoting sustainability and fighting climate change are priorities for the Concordia community,” said Concordia’s interim President Graham Carr in a press release. “Our researchers, students, faculty and staff are all engaged around this issue and want to be part of the solution. The Foundation’s commitments are crucial next steps in our sustainability journey.”

Student organizations, such as Divest Concordia have long advocated for the withdrawal of the university from those investments. In a previous article for The Concordian, Alex Hutchins reported that since its creation in 2013, Divest Concordia has been continually pressuring the foundation to freeze its assets.

In 2014, the student-run group joined forces with the CSU to create the Joint Sustainable Investment Advisory Committee (JSIAC). Now, they see their own $10 million investment in sustainable funds from 2017 as laying the groundwork for the university’s decision, Divest Concordia explained in a statement sent to The Concordian.

“This has always been an issue of priorities, and it’s great that the foundation agrees with what the students have been shouting about for years,” said Emily Carson-Apstein, the Divest Concordia representative on the committee. “It’s a social movement as much as a financial one, and this announcement has a lot of power for the climate justice movement across the country. We’re looking forward to keeping the students updated as this process goes on.”

Long-time member of Divest Concordia Nicolas Chevalier agrees. “Concordia has finally decided to listen to the voices of the student body and align their investment portfolio in a way that doesn’t fund our collective demise. Climate change is one of the most important issues of our time, and the institutions that produce research on this crisis should strive to align their operations with the science, fossil fuel divestment is no exception.”

Divest Concordia members work across multiple environmental advocacy organizations. Hania Peper, a representative of Divest Concordia and LPSU (La planète s’invite à l’Université), was hopeful in the wake of Concordia’s decision: “Last week, Concordia took its first true steps towards addressing climate injustice by divesting from an industry that has been funding both climate change and the degradation of human and environmental communities all over the globe. While the ripple effects of this decision have yet to be seen, I’m hopeful that this can serve as inspiration for other Canadian universities to follow-suit and begin divesting from fossil fuels and non-renewable resources.”

This article is an updated version from a previous article published on Nov. 8

Feature graphic by @sundaeghost

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Poli SAVVY: Quebec’s obsessions with Catherine Dorion’s clothes

White gloves off; Quebec politics is obsessed with pieces of clothes we should or shouldn’t wear.

Last week, it has once more demonstrated its patriarchal tendency to try and shut down women based on what they wear.

On Nov. 7, Catherine Dorion, the Québec Solidaire MNA for Taschereau, was refused access to the National Assembly in Quebec City for – cue dramatic music – wearing an orange hooded sweatshirt. This came at the end of another scandal involving the MNA, after a photo of her Halloween costume sparkled a lot of attention from the media. She appeared sitting on the main desk at the National Assembly, wearing what one would consider as the authentic, classic outfit of a female minister; high heels, skirt and a blazer.

Sadly, this is yet another example of a reductive obsession, where society is pushing the rhetoric that women must first gain credibility based on what they look like, not what they have to say.

For anyone not following Quebec’s politics, since her election, Dorion has been considered the underdog, a young politician challenging the conventional decorum while wearing “regular” clothes with her jeans, Doc Martens and colourful t-shirts.

A profound issue that arises from this scandal is the message it sends about who has a place in politics. Having such a debate over what some consider as a poor choice of outfit undeniably reflects the idea that politics is reserved for a certain elite; an elite who can afford to constantly be well-dressed.

Well-dressed according to who? When we take the true meaning of democracy – as to power to the people – it needs to reflect the diversity of our society, whether that means popular fashion, flamboyant, classy or simple day-to-day outfits.

This issue resonates deeply because the truth is, I haven’t emancipated myself yet from feeling the pressure that women have to look the part, to dress up in order to be taken seriously. I’ve long struggled to look good, but also try not to attract unwanted attention. I don’t want to be listened to because of my looks, but because of what I have to say.

Right now, Quebec is reinforcing this feeling by sending the message that women’s words and ideas won’t be considered… Unless we comply.

What Dorion is trying to do is show how politics are not reserved for old white men wearing ties. She is standing up against boomers afraid of change, who see wearing a hoodie to the National Assembly as a call for anarchy.

Ok boomers, breathe. This is simply what diversity in representation looks like.

 

Graphic by Victoria Blair

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World in brief: The Berlin Wall, Bolivia’s unstable democracy, and virginity tests

This weekend marked the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. More than 100,000 people celebrated this historical event in the city, where images and videos from Nov. 9, 1989, were projected onto buildings, reported the Associated Press.  German Chancellor Angela Merkel took the opportunity to remind the world of the danger of taking democracy for granted. “The values on which Europe is founded – freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, human rights – they are anything but self-evident and they have to be revitalized and defended time and time again,” said Merkel during the official ceremony, as reported by various outlets. Built after the end of World War II, the Wall divided East Berlin, occupied by the Soviets, from the West, controlled by the Western allies for 28 years during the Cold War.

Instability in South America continues to grow as Bolivia President Evo Morales resigned after nearly 14 years in power. On Monday, the country entered what the Associated Press referred to as an era of political uncertainty, after Morales stepped down over ongoing protests about the legitimacy of his re-election, earlier in October. Morales, the first Indigenous Bolivian president, had controversially abolished the limits of presidential terms, even after the 2016 referendum showed a majority were against that decision. While Carlos Mesa, who finished second to Morales in the election, called this a “democratic popular action,” BBC South America correspondent Katy Watson pointed out the fact that the military was behind what few people dared to call a coup, which strongly endangers the country’s democracy.

American rapper T.I. prompted strong backlash after revealing in a podcast that he’s been taking his 18-year-old daughter for annual hymen checkups, to make sure she’s still a virgin. In a segment aired on Ladies like us last Tuesday, which has since been removed, T.I. explained that “not only have we had the conversation, we have yearly trips to the gynecologist to check her hymen. Yes, I go with her … I will say, as of her 18th birthday, her hymen is still intact.” Medical experts were quick to denounce his comments, stating that there is no such thing as a scientific-based virginity test, but rather a shameful procedure, reported The New York Times.

 

Graphic by @sundaeghost

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Concordia to be a leader in sustainable investments

The Concordia University Foundation just announced its intention to withdraw all of its investments from the coal, oil and gas sector before 2025.

The Concordia University Foundation plans to be the first Quebec university with 100 per cent sustainable investments within five years. Currently, $14 million of Concordia’s $243 million assets is going into the coal, gas and oil sectors.

“We believe that being socially and environmentally responsible in our investments is the surest way to be Concordia University’s best possible fund management partner,” said Howard Davidson, Chair of the Board of the Concordia University Foundation, in a press release Friday. “Investing in sustainability is not just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing to do.”

While Concordia cancelled classes for the climate strike on Sept. 27, some questioned why the university still invested in fossil fuels, as pointed out by Jacob Robitaille, internal coordinator of Concordia’s La Planète s’invite à l’Université in a previous interview with The Concordian.

“It doesn’t send a straightforward message,” Robitaille said of Concordia’s environmental position.

But now, the university is aiming to double investments that generate social and environmental impact with a financial return. For instance, Concordia partnered earlier this year with Inerjys Ventures, a global investment fund promoting the adoption of clean tech.

“Promoting sustainability and fighting climate change are priorities for the Concordia community,” said Concordia’s interim President Graham Carr in a press release. “Our researchers, students, faculty and staff are all engaged around this issue and want to be part of the solution. The Foundation’s commitments are crucial next steps in our sustainability journey.”

More details to come.

Feature graphic by Jad Abukasm

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Concordia’s epic book fair

From Nov. 4-5, the 22nd edition of the annual book fair is taking over Concordia’s EV building

Whoever said that people don’t read anymore might want to stop at Concordia’s epic book fair for a reality check.

The two-day sale has been a successful tradition. For over 20 years, it has attracted students looking for their textbooks to save money, but also staff members and even non-Concordians looking to find a treasure.

Luke Quin, writer and coordinator for the fundraising book fair.

“It seems like for young people, though they utilize technology or listen to audiobooks, there is still an appeal for hard book,” said Luke Quin, writer and coordinator for the fundraising book fair. “Especially when it comes to older books, earlier edition, things that might not be accessible on Amazon.”

Quin explained that the idea behind having thousands of books on display at a low rate is to collect funds for scholarships, but also for the Student Emergency and Food fund. This particular fund is intended for any students in immediate financial need, to provide them with gift cards for groceries.

Books donations are made all year round, often from professors and retirees who are emptying out their offices, Quin said. While people might expect it to contain only academic novels, there are also entire sections dedicated to children’s books, sport, fiction or even good old romance.

“I came last year, so I am coming back to try and find anything interesting,” said Nazim Ben, a Concordia student in the Finance Department. “I am just curious for anything that is cool!”

Indeed, patience is needed to browse through the multiple sections. Susan Hawke, a retiree who has volunteered at the fair since its second edition, remembers how it started simply with two or three tables in the Hall building.

“It was always my fear, for a long time, that people would stop reading or [stop wanting to read in book format], but it always seems to be the reverse,” Hawke said.

If you’re measuring success in terms of money, the event has been prosperous, managing to increase the number of donations over the years. The Advancement and Alumni Relations reported that the 2018 edition raised over $31,000, a record for the event.

But for Quin and the volunteers, it’s also successful as it takes used books that might have ended up in the garbage and offers them to students instead.

“People that go through the cash register, they go with a stranger’s book that is falling apart or some old fiction book that was selling for 25 cents,” Hawke said. “You never know what appeals to people, it’s quite fun, matching people and books.”

 

Feature photo by Jad Abukasm

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