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Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec launches campaign to fight the eroticization of nursing

According to the OIIQ nurses, the imagery surrounding their profession around Halloween is scary

The Ordre des infirmières et infirmiers du Québec (OIIQ) launched a social media campaign last week asking Quebecers to think twice before leaving the house with a stereotypically-suggestive nurse costume this Halloween.

“The profession has evolved, but the stereotypes persist,” stated Luc Mathieu, president of the OIIQ, on the campaign’s webpage. “The choices offered in-store or online are scary! The eroticization of the profession is socially and professionally unacceptable. Nurses practice a scientific profession and their expertise must be better known and valued. It is time for perceptions to change.”

In a video posted to their Instagram page, the OIIQ presents the image of the classic nurse costume as nothing short of scary.

“It’s Halloween, you are looking for a nurse costume,” the video states. After a quick google search, a multitude of sexy nurse costumes pop up on screen, followed by the words: “It’s scary.”

The video then shows nurses in their more conventional scrubs, emphasizing that this attire gives them “a much more credible costume to value the profession.”

“Nurses take care of us, let’s take care of their image.”

The goal for this campaign is to ultimately make people abandon the fetishized nurse costume, and contribute to a more realistic image and perception of the profession.

With over 82,000 members, the OIIQ is the biggest professional order in the health sector of Quebec, representing the interests of nurses around the province.

The campaign will help protect and garner a respectful image of nurses in our province.

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Concordia unites to fight against poverty 

How has Concordia adapted this year’s Centraide campaign to the pandemic and inflation?

Centraide is currently running their annual fundraising campaign at Concordia. In the midst of inflation and the aftermath of the pandemic, they had to re-think their goals.

Centraide gathers funds and supports 350 community agencies working on diminishing poverty in Montreal. According to their website, 615 thousand people in Montreal live in poverty. Their focus is supporting the youth, helping people buy essentials, and building community bonds. 

Nadia Bhuiyan is a co-chair of the Centraide campaign this year. She is also the vice-provost of Partnerships and Experiential Learning at Concordia, as well as a professor of mechanical, industrial and aerospace engineering. 

Bhuiyan’s role entails planning events and activities to raise awareness and funds. She also works on campaigns to solicit donors and gather testimonials encouraging people to donate. 

While her work as campaign co-chair is different from her work as a professor, Bhuiyan’s “desire to help others, especially those who are less fortunate, has been a guiding force [her] entire life.” 

“Much of my focus is on how to help youth overcome challenges and find their own meaning of success,” she said, “so this area particularly drives me.”

This year, the Centraide campaign aimed to raise 205 thousand dollars — only five thousand more than last year — owing to inflation. 

“We didn’t raise it too high this year, knowing that everyone is experiencing a higher cost of life,” said Bhuiyan.

Maud Doualan, the senior director for the annual campaign at Centraide, oversees campaigns all over Montreal. 

“This year, the campaign is very important,” Doualan said. “Inflation is really hitting hard on people who were already struggling. And what the agencies are telling us is that they’re seeing people that they never used to see before.” 

“The main focus of this year’s campaign is to increase participation. “We’re really trying to reach out to people who give zero dollars. Those are the people we’re trying to target, to say: ‘You know what, if you want to be involved in your community and you want to make a difference, Centraide is a good place to start.’”

The agencies supported by Centraide also dealt with an increase in costs and a big staff turnover. 

“There’s a lot of expertise that is lost,” said Doualan. Centraide has always worked closely with the agencies they support, even more so during the pandemic.  “We’re also trying to be super agile with our funding, to make sure that we can adjust where we’re investing and make sure that we can support [the agencies].” 

Students are also encouraged to participate through volunteering programs. 

“Every donation makes a difference, so if they want to contribute something, I think that’s great as well,” said Doualan.

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The Grey Nuns reading room reopens for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic

The Grey Nun's reading room early friday morning. Kaitlynn Rodney/ The Concordian

The working space located in an old chapel is one of Concordia’s gems 

A hidden gem, the working space is barely occupied and a great silence reigns the grounds. Upon entrance, every little movement is echoed inside the massive church. The great height of the ceilings provide a sense of liberty and space to let one’s ideas wander. One can study at the working spaces at either corner of the church, or even on the altar. 

The Grey Nuns reading room reopened its doors to students after being closed throughout the pandemic. Located at 1190 Guy St., this working space provides a quiet hub away from the chaos of the city. The reading room is the former chapel of the mother house of the order of the Sisters of Charity of Montreal, also known as the “Grey Nuns.” 

Lorrie Edmonds, a monitor at the reading room, says she enjoys working in that space for its peaceful and awe-inspiring aspect but also for its rich history.

“The Grey Nuns reading room is also a Heritage Canada designated space,” said Edmonds. “So I also see our monitor duties as being stewards of this amazing space that’s been preserved since the 1800s. There is a lot of history to this space.” 

The edifice was built by the Grey Nuns order, a Catholic monastic order, in 1871 and acquired by Concordia in 2007 to turn it into a student residence at a time where the demand for apartments and inflation rose and students needed a living space downtown. When the last nuns left, the question of what to do with the chapel arose.

“The chapel was available and deconsecrated,” explained Edmonds. “Many businesses submitted proposals about what they would do with the chapel space […] Heritage Canada approved Concordia’s proposal to maintain the peace of the chapel itself to create a reading room. It was minimally invasive to the structure itself.” 

Beyond its grandeur, the deconsecrated appropriation of the chapel is both attractive and revolutionary. It allows us to conceive places of worship as historical artifacts, where new ways of life can take place, adapted to our times.

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Concordia delays move-in date for Le Mildoré Residence

Le Mildoré Residence’s exterior. KAITLYNN RODNEY/ The Concordian

After weeks of delays, residents of Concordia’s latest student residence are stuck waiting to move into their dorms

Residents of Concordia’s newest student housing, Le Mildoré, have been waiting to move into their new dorms for weeks since their original move-in date. 

Numerous construction delays resulted in Concordia Residence Life postponing Le Mildoré’s move-in date from the end of August to late October. 

The newest Concordia residence was supposed to provide the University with 22 four-bedroom units for use for the start of the 2022 fall semester. However, in an email sent on Aug. 26, Concordia Residence Life announced that all move-in dates to Le Mildoré were postponed and that residents would be provided units in the Grey Nuns Residence for the time being. 

Emma Clark, a first-year psychology student and resident of Le Mildoré, recalls that she was not surprised when her move-in date had been postponed. Clark doubted Le Mildoré would be completed in time for the fall semester after seeing the state of the building during the summer. 

“I remember visiting Concordia in June and I passed by Le Mildoré and it just was not ready at all,” Clark said. “I consistently emailed them [Concordia Residence services], like, hey, is everything going to be ready?”

Despite assurances from Concordia that construction would be done by the end of August, Clark says she got a call from Residence Life the night before her scheduled move-in date, informing her that she would be relocated to the Grey Nuns residence for the time being.

Clark says the last update she received from the University was in early September and that Le Mildoré would be open to students by late October. 

“It’s a little upsetting,” she said about the lack of information the University has provided her. “I just want to move in as soon as possible.”

To compensate affected residents, Concordia has offered Le Mildoré residents free meal plans and a daily credit refund equivalent to their rents. 

Unlike the Grey Nuns or Loyola residences, Concordia does not own Le Mildoré building. Instead, the University has leased out 22 units from the building’s management company, University Apartments Montreal. Despite appearing on numerous University advertisements, many Le Mildoré residents such as first-year linguistics student Ethan Knapp said they were unaware the residence was not owned by the University.

“The application process was the same as the other residences,” said Knapp. “So I thought it was owned by Concordia.”

On Sept. 27, The McGill Tribune published an article detailing accusations from current Le Mildoré residents that University Apartments Canada is responsible for providing inhospitable living conditions. 

The Concordian received a similar email. However, after investigating the claims, it found insufficient evidence to support the allegations. 

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Briefs Concordia Student Union News

CSU elects its new General Coordinator

Fawaz Haloum, the CSU's newly-appointed General Coordinator, at Concordia's downtown campus. CATHERINE REYNOLDS/The Concordian

Elected after the resignation of the previous General Coordinator, Fawaz Halloum is ready to start his year

Fawaz Halloum takes over as General Coordinator after the previous Concordia Student Union (CSU) leader, Elijah Olise, resigned over the summer. Despite starting in the middle of the mandate, he says: “I can do this role. It’s a role of support and just providing an environment where people can be heard and speak freely.”

A fourth-year history student, Halloum joined the CSU in his first year as a board member, and climbed up the ranks with the hopes of one day becoming an executive.

“I’ve had a lot of exposure to how the CSU works and I’ve always felt like I could bring some change.” 

Halloum took over the position shortly after Olise was involved in a dispute and resigned.

Julianna Smith, the CSU’s External Affairs & Mobilization Coordinator, in her office at Concordia’s downtown campus. CATHERINE REYNOLDS/The Concordian

According to the CSU’s External Affairs and Mobilization coordinator, Julianna Smith, “[Olise] was brought to an impeachment trial — he was about 20 minutes late — and then he resigned in the middle of the impeachment trial, before evidence could be provided.” 

The executive committee elected Halloum as a replacement in August, and he accepted the position despite needing to juggle it with his role as Internal Affairs Coordinator.

Halloum shared his plans for his year-long mandate. His first priority is overseeing the renovation of a CSU building downtown, which will become a student centre. This is the first time CSU dabbles in real estate. 

“This is unique and, in a way, historic. So that’s on the top of my list, making that student centre ready for use by next summer.”

He also wants to improve mental health services for students, and he hopes to establish a drop-in daycare for student-parents like him. 

When asked about Halloum, Smith stated that “he’s someone who is very determined and has a clear outlook of what he wants. He’s good at seeing something up ahead and following it through to the end.” 

Both coordinators are excited about the CSU’s plans for the semester. “We want to bring back the vibrancy that Concordia has, because we do have such a vibrant community,” says Smith. “We have so many clubs, so many different fee-levies, so many groups, so we just want to bring everyone together so we can all have a great year.”

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World in brief: UNICEF report on the crisis in Syria, missing travellers found in Mali, COVID-19 vaccine, new political tool: face masks

More than 4 million children were born to a disastrous environment in Syria since the start of its ongoing civil war in 2011. On Sunday, for the ninth year anniversary of the devastating war, UNICEF released a report stating that “millions of children are entering their second decade of life surrounded by war, violence, death and displacement.” The data collected from 2014 to 2019 also shows that 1 million children were born as refugees in neighbouring countries, and 5,427 were killed. Inspired by the 2011 Arab Spring, uprisings against Bashar al-Assad’s regime erupted within Syria, which has since left more than 380 million people dead.

A Quebec woman and her Italian companion were found alive in Mali, after being abducted in Burkina Faso two years ago. Edith Blais and Luca Tacchetto were heading to take part in volunteering work in Togo when they disappeared on Dec. 15, 2018. It’s still unknown who kidnapped the travellers or if any ransom was paid. However, Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali, said preliminary information shows that Blais and Tacchetto escaped their kidnappers, according to CBC News. Photos of Blais and Tachhetto have been shared online, in which they are both smiling and look healthy.

U.S. researchers started testing a COVID-19 vaccine on Monday. A total of 45 participants will get two injections one month apart to test its effectiveness. Although participants and researchers are optimistic about the development of a vaccine, Dr. Anthony Fauci of the U.S. National Institutes of Health told the Associated Press that the vaccine will not be available for widespread use for at least 12 to 18 months.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, face masks have become a scarce––but also a political campaign tool in Hong Kong. Pro-democracy parties bought masks from Honduras to distribute to the community. Pro-Beijing politicians did the same shortly after. Local pro-democracy councillor Eason Chan told the Agence France Presse that giving free face masks forced the pro-Beijing party to “up their game” to reinforce their local support. Since the beginning of the protests in March 2019, the pro-Beijing block lost a lot of support.

 

Graphic by @sundaeghost

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World in Brief: COVID-19, avalanche in Austria, at least ten dead in Quanzhou hotel collapse

As COVID-19 cases keep rising in the United States, health officials warned older individuals to avoid large gathering places and travelling on planes. Reuters confirmed that the number of cases was nearing 550 with 22 deaths on Sunday in the US alone. New measures were implemented in European countries as well; with Italy having the second-most cases of COVID-19 after China, the government quarantined nearly a quarter of its population. This weekend saw 133 new deaths in Italy alone, reported the Agence France Presse. France also banned gatherings of 1,000 people or more as yet another preventative measure to counter the spread of the virus. The first death in Africa was also reported last weekend. In Canada, there are 31 cases in Ontario, 27 in British Columbia, three in Quebec, and the first case in Alberta, as of Sunday.

Two avalanches in the Austrian alps killed at least six last Sunday. Five individuals who were believed to be Czech died during a snowshoeing trip while a 33-year-old police officer died in a separate incident, presumably while doing training. Around 100 rescuers were sent to the sites by helicopter. Both avalanches happened in the Dachstein mountain range, around 80 kilometres south-east of Salzburg.

At least 10 people died last Sunday in a hotel in China that was used as an isolation hub for people infected by COVID-19. The seven-story building located in the southeast city of Quanzhou suddenly collapsed, trapping 71 people in the ruins. China’s Ministry of Emergency Management reported that 38 individuals had been rescued and 23 were still missing. The cause of the collapse is still under investigation but the CBC reported that the building was undergoing construction and a pillar was reportedly deformed a few minutes before the incident.

 

Graphic by @sundaeghost

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World in brief: Weinstein convicted, more climate protests, updates on COVID-19 and Buttigieg drops out of Democratic race

Harvey Weinstein was convicted in the rape and sexual assault of two women, on Feb. 24. The charges will carry up to 29 years behind bars. Accusations against Weinstein began in 2017, sparking the #MeToo movement, gathering global attention and encouraging victims of sexual violence to come forward. Weinstein’s lawyers have said they will appeal, as reported by The Associated Press. Weinstein was acquitted on two other accounts of predatory sexual assault.

On Friday, Bristol welcomed Greta Thunberg, as an estimated 22,000 people took to the streets to participate in the “Youth Strike 4 Climate” protest. The young climate activist marched alongside those in attendance in the southwestern English city, reports The Globe and Mail. Thunberg’s movement has continued globally, as frustrations with impending climate change increase. “I will not be silenced while the world is on fire, will you?” asked Thunberg.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) continues its global sweep, affecting over 60 countries. The death toll worldwide has reached at least 3,000 and infected 88,000 people around the world. The virus has caused lockdowns and emptied streets, affecting the financial markets. Countries are losing their tourism revenue across Asia, Europe and the Middle East. France has temporarily closed the iconic Louvre as of Sunday, in fear of the virus spreading further, reports The Associated Press. 

Former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg, announced on Sunday he was backing out of the race for  the Democratic presidential nomination. The Guardian reports that Buttigieg was unable to make progress in Nevada and South Carolina. After Joe Biden’s win in the South Carolina primary on Saturday, Biden hopes to establish support from Buttigieg in order to win the nomination. Though the Democrats are competing for the nomination, they have a common goal. “Our goal has always been to unify Americans to help defeat Donald Trump and to win the era for our values,” said Buttigieg, as reported by Variety.

 

Graphic by @sundaeghost

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World in Brief: Another win for Bernie Sanders, COVID-19 shuts down northern Italian cities, bees in California, fatal earthquake in Turkey.

Bernie Sanders won the Nevada caucus on Saturday Feb. 22, continuing his Democratic lead after the third primary contest. With strong support from the Latino voters in the Nevada caucus, Sanders finished with 47 per cent, reported The Guardian. Joe Biden took second place, at 24 per cent. Buttigieg was third, with 14 per cent. Elizabeth Warren was fourth, with 9 per cent. Next up for the democrats, the South Carolina race.

There have been two deaths in Italy as a result of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), with seventy-nine confirmed cases of the virus. A dozen towns in northern Italy have shut down as a result. The origin of the virus in Italy, has been linked to a man who hadn’t travelled to Wuhan. Those who died were a man and woman in their 70s, though it has not yet been confirmed whether the woman died from the virus or an underlying health problem. Towns affected in Italy have closed schools, businesses, restaurants and sporting events, reports The Associated Press.

A swarm of 40,000 bees shut down a California block, sending five people to the hospital, including three first responders last Thursday. Firefighters and police responded to a call for a single bee sting, soon realizing that an entire block had been covered with bees. The bees had stung seven people, two did not need hospital treatment. One firefighter had been stung 17 times. Firefighters and a professional beekeeper were able to safely remove the hive situated on the roof of a Hampton Inn. Some of the bees were killed, while others left the area, as reported by CNN.

Nine people were killed by a 5.7 magnitude earthquake in eastern Turkey on Sunday morning. The earthquake also struck western Iran, injuring 75 people, with no reported fatalities. Turkish Health Minister, Fahrettin Koca, said that 37 people had been injured and nine are in critical condition. The earthquake also affected 43 villages in Turkey’s mountainous regions. Twenty-five ambulances, a helicopter and 13 emergency teams have been sent to aid the public. The Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate (AFAD) of Turkey has said 144 tents for families had been set up, reported The Associated Press.

 

Graphic by @sundaeghost

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World in Brief: COVID19, fatal shooting, Strom Dennis and Sanders wins New Hampshire

Health experts from all over the globe gathered in Beijing last Sunday to discuss the Coronavirus, newly named COVID19. The experts from the World Health Organization were rushed as the death tolls and numbers of infected people drastically rose in the last week, reported the Agence France Presse. On Monday, there were 1,770 casualties in mainland China and 71,000 infected globally. Meanwhile, Canadians who repatriated last week and are currently in quarantine in CFB Trenton, are reportedly healthy and are expected to leave the military base on their anticipated departure date, reported Global News.

A 28-year-old man died and four were injured last Sunday in a fatal shooting in Hartford, Connecticut. Police had been dispatched in front of the nightclub where the shooting happened following previous disturbances, reported the Associated Press. Police were able to provide immediate medical assistance. Surrounding streets were closed until 7 a.m. on Sunday. Investigations are ongoing.

Storm Dennis continues to damage the UK with heavy rains and flooding. The nontropical cyclone has been devastating England over the weekend. It has been described as a historical bomb cycle as it brought a month’s worth of rain to parts of Wales in just 48 hours, reported CTV. More than 200 flood warnings have since been issued, a record number for the country. The damage caused by the storm could have been reduced if the area hadn’t been from trying to recover from last week’s Storm Ciara, which left eight people dead across Europe.

Bernie Sanders becomes frontrunner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination after winning the New Hampshire primary on Feb. 10. Official results came out on Wednesday morning, putting Sanders ahead of Pete Buttigieg with 25.7 per cent of the votes over 24.4 per cent. The victory was declared “the beginning of the end for Donald Trump” by Sanders’ team, believing they now have momentum. Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren came fourth while Joe Biden barely secured the fifth position with 8.4 per cent of the voters’ support.

 

Graphic by @sundaeghost

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World in brief: Oscars 2020, Trump acquitted and extreme weather in Australia

Parasite became the first non-English film to win best picture at the 92nd Academy Awards. The social satire was the first South Korean production to win an Oscar, also taking home the awards for best director, best international film and best original screenplay. There were no big surprises among the other winners, as Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt, Renée Zellweger and Laura Dern all won best performances, as expected. The most memorable moment of the evening hands down goes to Eminem, unexpectedly singing “Lose Yourself,” more than 17 years after he won the award for best original song in 2003.

President Donald Trump was officially acquitted in his Senate trial on both articles of impeachment. A formal impeachment inquiry against the 45th American President was made on Sept. 24, after he was allegedly caught on a phone call seeking help from the Ukraine government to undermine Democratic candidate Joe Biden. He was later charged by the Democrats with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. On Wednesday, the Senate concluded that the allegations did not necessitate the removal of power, as reported by Time Magazine. Trump became the first President seeking re-election after going through an impeachment procedure.

Record rainfall hits Australia after months of devastating bushfires across the country. More than 390mm of rain has fallen over the past four days in Sydney, bringing widespread flooding in the New South Wales region.  BBC reported that 100,000 homes were without power, due to the heavy rain, which was three times higher than the average rainfall for February. Yet, on Monday afternoon, the NSW Rural Fire Service declared on Twitter that it was “the most positive news we’ve had in some time” as the rain extinguished 30 fires. More extreme weather is to be expected in the following days.

 

Graphic by @sundaeghost

 

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World in Brief: Al Qaeda claims fatal shooting, SuperBowl Sunday and National Emergency in Somalia

The Islamist militant group Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) allegedly claimed responsibility for the fatal shooting that happened last December in Pensacola, Florida. A Second Lieutenant from the Royal Saudi Air Force undergoing training in the naval base opened fire at American soldiers before being killed, reported The Concordian. The claim was made on a leaked audio recording, but the militant group did not provide evidence, reported Reuters.

France declared it was sending more military troops to the Sahel desert amid increasing violence from jihadist groups. French military presence will increase from 4,500 to 5,100 soldiers by the end of February in the border zones of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. Defence Minister Florence Parly said in a statement on Sunday that the operation was to increase “pressure against ISIS-GS,” the ISIS group of the Greater Sahara. According to an article in Al-Jazeera, there have been more than 4,000 reported deaths in 2019.

The Kansas City Chiefs were crowned champions of the 54th Super Bowl on Sunday, in Miami. The National Football League team played against five-time winner San Francisco 49ers, who were designated favourites by most oddsmakers initially. But Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes overcame a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter of the game and brought the team to victory, 31-20, over the 49ers. This year’s halftime show was performed by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira after other artists such as Jay-Z and Rihanna turned down the offer over NFL racism controversies.

On Sunday, Somalia declared a national emergency over a major locust infestation. The Desert locust is a grasshopper species that rapidly devastated huge amounts of crops in the region. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Unions, a locust swarm of one square kilometre can eat the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people. This puts the upsurge at an even more worrisome level, as the East African country is already experiencing an alarming level of food insecurity.

 

Graphic by @sundaeghost

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