Tag: concordia

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Sports

Sherbrooke snaps Concordia’s three-game streak

Photo by Brianna Thicke. Courtesy of stingers.ca

The Stingers women’s soccer team followed up their last victory with a 3-0 loss against Sherbrooke on Sunday. In a match played at Concordia Stadium, the Vert et Or scored three second-half goals to secure a win.

Head coach Jorge Sanchez opted for a different formation to start this match. Concordia lined up 4-1-4-1, with Saby Dagenais as the goalkeeper. Gabriela Padvaiskas led the attack, playing ahead of Melissa Kedro, Jennifer Duff, Kayla Myre, Alexandra Dragan and Valerie Ishak. The defense stayed the same with Katrina Filiatrault, Elizabeth McDonald, Shannon Travers and Lindsey Brooks.

Concordia survived a scare early in the match. Five minutes in, a quickly taken Sherbrooke free kick resulted in a tap-in goal. Fortunately for the Stingers, the assistant referee had his flag up signaling an offside.

The next chance came in the 33rd minute. A Vert et Or midfielder sent in a low cross, which was unable to be converted by forward Chloé Belhumeur Limoges.

One minute later, Sherbrooke’s Marie-Eve Jacques received a through ball and set off towards the Concordia net. Her weak shot was easily handled by Dagenais.

Despite being outplayed throughout the first 45 minutes, the Stingers managed to keep the match scoreless.

The visitors turned up the pressure in the second half. Two minutes in, the Vert et Or struck the crossbar twice in one play. Concordia’s defense was left scrambling, but they somehow managed to keep the ball out of the goal.

Concordia had their first major opportunity in the 55th minute. Myre received a good pass, found some space, but her shot was blocked in front by a Sherbrooke defender.

In the 69th minute, the Vert et Or finally found finished one of their chances. Midfielder Camille Vandenberghe found time and space outside the Stingers box and accurately placed her shot to the right of Dagenais.

Concordia almost tied the game from a corner kick eight minutes later. The ball bounced to substitute Shauna Zilversmit who quickly fired a shot. It went over the bar.

In the 78th minute, Sherbrooke added a second goal. Midfielder Andréanne Gagné dribbled through the middle and shot from 25 yards out. Dagenais was unable to stop the powerful blast.

One minute later, the Vert et Or took advantage of the frustrated Stingers team. Substitute Isabelle Genest made a good run down the right wing. She delivered a perfect cross to an unmarked Belhumeur Limoges who made no mistake heading the ball in from close range.

The first goal deflated the Stingers, as they conceded two more in the span of ten minutes. It was only a matter of time before Sherbrooke scored. Concordia was poor in transitioning from the back to the front, often giving away possession in bad spots. The visitors were constantly testing Dagenais with shots and crosses.

“We knew we were going to give up a lot defensively,” said Sanchez. “Our goal was to not break, keep the ball in front of us, defend well and hope to get one or two good chances up the field.”

Despite being outplayed at times, the Stingers did show some flashes of brilliance. Sanchez believes the team has to make better decisions when they have the ball in the attacking third.

“I think we’re progressing,” he said. “Even when we were struggling, we were still able to link passes together. I think we’re just missing that killer instinct in the last 20 yards of the field.”

The Stingers join the men’s team on the road in Quebec City and Trois–Rivières this coming weekend. The action begins on Friday evening against the Université de Laval, followed by an afternoon visit to face the UQTR Patriotes on Sunday. Both games are available for viewing online.

Categories
Sports

Concordia’s women’s rugby team defeat Ottawa 41-5

Concordian file photo

The rain came down with a vengeance on Friday night, much like the Concordia women’s rugby team, shutting the University of Ottawa down 41-5.

Ottawa was, however, a force to be reckoned with. This was made obvious during the warm-up when they strapped on their pinneys and played an opposed five-minute game before Concordia even had their jerseys on. They showed off their hard, low hits that would have made a prop flinch.

Despite the poor weather, the Stingers were still able to keep control and push the Gee Gees to their limits. The game started off slow but picked up pace when Con U scored its first try in the first 10 minutes.

Ottawa scored their first try in the second half with 12 minutes left. They were not able to make the conversion kick to bump it up to a seven-point gain.

Concordia definitely felt the heat Ottawa brought to the pitch. After a series of fumbled balls and useless passes, they made it on the right track and started playing like a true pack. The wind and rain made simply holding the ball harder not to mention trying to pass it from scrum half to fly half. It was evident the Stingers have been practicing their lineouts, scoring twice off of a perfect drive. They also dominated both scrums and rucks, pushing Ottawa over the try line with ease.

“I think we excel in open play,” said head coach Graeme McGravie. “We have some real players there in Bianca Farella and [captain] Jackie Tittley.”

This was proved when Farella, with barely two minutes left in the game, broke through the pack and ran 50 yards to the try line, scoring their last try of the night. Tittley was tripped during the second half and struggled to get up. She did, however, come back into play and join her teammates, kicking a heartbreaking conversion that bounced off the goalposts.

As for the future, McGravie says he’s confident in his team’s ability to make it to nationals.

“Based on preseason and the opener, I expect us to win the league,” he said. “Although, beating McGill and Laval is going to be tough for sure.”

The Stingers have not played Laval yet but recently beat McGill 18-7 in the Kelly-Anne Drummond Cup. Concordia is currently sixth in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport rankings, right above McGill and two below Laval. Considering Concordia’s impressive undefeated record in league play, it should not be hard for any player to envision themselves at nationals.

 

Concordia’s next game is against Bishop’s on Friday, Sept. 28 at 6:15 p.m.

Categories
News

ConU withdraws charges against striking students

Concordia University officially dropped the formal complaints launched against striking students under the Code of Rights and Responsibilities following a meeting between President Alan Shepard and members of the Concordia Student Union last Tuesday.

President Shepard addressed the issue in an open letter, emphasizing it was time for a clean slate and that the student protests were an unprecedented situation for the university. Shepard explained that he felt the administration acted appropriately but that charges are officially withdrawn.

“As president of the university, I also believe it is time for our community to turn the page and focus on the future together. I acknowledge that some members of the community will not agree with this approach, and I respect their point of view on the matter,” the letter read.

Kris Szabo, an undergraduate student who faced seven formal complaints from Concordia, is glad to know it’s over.

“I’m incredibly relieved, I thought this may happen,” Szabo told The Concordian. “This would have been a disaster for administration.”

Szabo spoke to Shepard personally and said the president understood his concerns. Since June, Szabo attended several meetings with other charged students to strategize and organize a plan to have the charges dropped.

“The Advocacy Centre and the Concordia Student Union gave us a lot of peace of mind,” Szabo said. “They really helped us.”

“I think this happened because we were resilient,” he added.

CSU President Schubert Laforest met multiple times with administration on behalf of some of the students charged.

“It’s good to see how all of our collaborative work is becoming fruitful,” Laforest said.

“I was surprised, I had a little ray of sunshine when Shepard said he would think about it. I had never heard that before.”

“I have to tip my hat to Dr. Shepard for taking this decision,” added Laforest. “I felt that dropping the charges is the act of goodwill to prove that Concordia is changing direction for a brighter future.”

Several students received formal charges from Concordia for allegedly violating Code 29G for obstructing or blocking classrooms during March 26, 2012. Under the Code of Rights and Responsibilities, 29G states the following:

“Obstruction or disruption of teaching, research, administration, study, student disciplinary procedures or other University activity. For example, peaceful picketing or other activity in any public space that does not impede access nor interfere with the activities in a class or meeting is an acceptable expression of dissent and shall not be considered an infraction of this article.”

The striking students, 23 undergraduate students and three graduate students, opposed the provincial government’s tuition fee increase. Concordia administration filed the formal complaints June 1 following approximately 40 inquires that were made during the winter semester.

Categories
News

Concordia University withdraws charges against striking students

Concordia University officially dropped the formal complaints launched against striking students under the Code of Rights and Responsibilities following a meeting between President Alan Shepard and the Concordia Student Union today.

President Shepard addressed the issue in an open letter, emphasizing it was time for a clean slate and that the student protests were an unprecedented situation for the university. Shepard explained that he felt the administration acted appropriately but charges are officially withdrawn.

“As president of the university, I also believe it is time for our community to turn the page and focus on the future together. I acknowledge that some members of the community will not agree with this approach, and I respect their point of view on the matter,” the letter read.

Kris Szabo, an undergraduate student who faced seven formal complaints from Concordia, is relieved to know it’s over.

“I’m incredibly relieved, I thought this may happen,” Szabo told The Concordian. “This would have been a disaster for administration.”

Szabo spoke to Shepard personally and said the president understood his concerns. Since June, Szabo attended several meetings with other charged students to strategize and organize a plan to have the charges dropped.

“The Advocacy Centre and the Concordia Student Union gave us a lot of peace of mind,” Szabo said. “They really helped us.”

“I think this happened because we were resilient.”

“It’s good to see how all of our collaborative work is becoming fruitful,” said CSU President Schubert Laforest.

“I was surprised, I had a little ray of sunshine when Shepard said he would think about it,” said Laforest. “I had never heard that before.”

“I have to tip my hat to Dr. Shepard for taking this decision,” added Laforest. “I felt that dropping the charges is the act of goodwill to prove that Concordia is changing direction for a brighter future.”

Several students received formal charges from Concordia for allegedly violating Code 29G for obstructing or blocking classrooms during March 26 2012. The striking students, 23 undergraduate students and three graduate students, opposed the proposed tuition fee increase by the provincial government.

Categories
Sports

Concordia draws McGill 1-1 at home

The Stingers men’s soccer team hosted rivals McGill at Concordia Stadium on Friday night. Concordia grabbed the lead in the first half, but McGill equalized the score in the 78′ minute off a corner kick.

Concordia made three changes to their starting lineup. Midfielder Joseph Couto and forward Gabriel Quinn replaced Anasse Brouk and Sammy Tork. Goalkeeper Remo Taraschi made his first start of the season ahead of Nicholas Giannone.

The visitors threatened early in the match. In the 3′ minute, McGill’s Alexis Pradié got on the end of a cross and narrowly missed his header attempt.

Eight minutes later, the Redmen were at it again. This time, it was forward Marc Palaci-Olgun who fired his shot over the bar.

The Stingers recovered after their slow start and started to find some rhythm. In the 24′ minute, midfielder Eduardo Mazzonna picked up a loose ball in midfield and took off towards the net. He sent a pass to Andrew Bryan, whose first-touch allowed him to beat a McGill defender. Bryan centered a low ball for Mazzonna who continued his run towards goal. He made no mistake in

tapping the ball past the goalkeeper. This goal separated both sides at half-time.

Four minutes after the restart, McGill came close to tying the game. Stingers goalkeeper Taraschi made a fingertip save to keep his side ahead.

Two minutes later, Concordia striker Bryan almost doubled his team’s lead. He was played in by a good pass, but his shot did not test the McGill goalkeeper.

The next chance came in the 76′ minute. Stingers substitute Claude Diesse recovered a bouncing ball just outside the box and fired a driven shot inches wide. McGill made the Stingers pay for that miss.

In the final seconds of the match, the Stingers produced one last effort. Midfielder Fabian Troche found space, but he struck his shot just left of the goal.

“I think we played well,” said Mazzonna, who scored his first goal of the season. “We should have stayed more compact on defense. We let it slip at the end.”

“It was the best game of the season by far,” said assistant coach Francois Bastien who filled in for coach Barker. “We are progressing every game and I think we deserved the three points.”

Bastien sees a major difference in this year’s team compared to last year’s. The Stingers are more organized on both sides of the field, they just needs to work on defending set-pieces.

“We have to work on set-plays,” he added.”Defensively, we’ve been struggling all year with those, and it cost us again. We were in the driver seat this game. We controlled and had chances. When McGill started pressuring at the end we struggled a little bit, but overall it was a good game.”

 

The Stingers next match is Thursday, Sept. 20 against the UQÀM Citadins at Collège Bois-de-Boulogne. Kickoff is at 8:30 p.m.

Categories
News

Concordia University pays $2-million penalty

Concordia University’s first Senate meeting of the academic year addressed various issues and initiatives affecting the university and its governing bodies, including the $2-million fine handed out by the provincial government during March 2012.

President Alan Shepard confirmed that Concordia paid the $2-million sanction that then-Education Minister Line Beauchamp fined Concordia for excessive spending on severance packages and fiscal mismanagement.

The Liberal government slapped Concordia with the penalty during the student strike, stating in a letter to former Board of Governors chair Peter Kruyt that senior administration acted irresponsibly and not in the public’s interest.

“We have received the fine and we are paying it,” said Shepard.

Concordia’s Chief Financial Officer, Patrick Kelley, emphasized that the funding used to settle the fine did not impact other university initiatives, faculties or programs.

“We paid it through a reserve account that we maintained,” explained Kelley. “We wanted to make sure no other operations were affected.”

The first meeting also addressed the formal complaints launched against students during the student strike and questions surrounding a potential repeal of the tuition fee increase.

The students in question, 23 undergraduate students and three graduate students, face formal complaints under the Code of Rights and Responsibilities from administration for blocking access to classrooms last semester. The student tribunals, as well as negotiations between the charged and the university, remain confidential.

Shepard maintained that there are two sides to every story, and that students were charged for infringing upon the code and not for political reasons.

“People were charged for specific actions against the code,” said Shepard. “Not for having ideas contrary to others’.”

Student Senator Chad Walcott, the former VP external of the Concordia Student Union, asked what kind of impact the tuition fee repeal promised by the incoming Parti Québécois government will have on Concordia University’s Academic Plan.

“It depends on how the government will handle it,” said Kelley.

Kelley stressed that if the provincial government does not offset the costs, the funding will have to come from outside the Academic Plan. The funding allotted to graduate studies cannot decrease, nor can the institution cut funding from other academic projects or student funding. Kelley told Senate the most important issue is the quality of education and teaching values.

The first meeting of the year severely lacked student representatives. Only five undergraduate students currently sit on Senate of the available 12 spots. Of those undergraduate students, only one is an executive of the CSU. VP External Simon-Pierre Lauzon is the only executive currently holding a seat on Senate. During the upcoming CSU meeting this Wednesday Council will fill remaining spots.

When The Concordian asked CSU President Schubert Laforest why he is not on Senate, he gave few details and maintained that he will address the question this Wednesday.

“It’s something I want to speak with my executives about first,” said Laforest. “Everything will come to light Wednesday.”

Categories
Sports

Tied Gaiters game leaves Stingers disappointed

After Friday night’s game was called off because of the weather, the Concordia Stingers women’s soccer team was back in action on Sunday when they hosted the Bishop’s Gaiters at Loyola Stadium.

Head coach Jorge Sanchez made one change to his side since last week’s victory over UQTR, starting midfielder Bella James at right midfield. The back line stayed the same with Katrina Filiatrault, Shannon Travers, Elizabeth McDonald and Lindsey Brooks. The new midfield was Alexandra Dragan, Valerie Ishak, Kayla Myre and James. Melissa Kedro and Jennifer Duff played up front. Brittany O’Rourke got the start at goalkeeper.

The Stingers couldn’t have asked for a better start to the match. In the 13′ minute, Duff beat her defender and slid a ball under Bishop’s goalkeeper Molly Bucholtz. Bucholtz ended up having a busy night guarding the Gaiters’ goal.

The Stingers took a deserving lead into half-time.

In the second half, the home team’s relentless attacks continued.

The visiting Gaiter’s did not have many chances in the match, but they managed a way to score.

In the 56′ minute, Duff and Kedro almost combined for the go-ahead goal. Duff received a through ball from the midfield had her shot saved by the Bishop’s goalkeeper. Kedro was right there for the rebound, but the keeper’s quick reaction save kept the score level.

Bishop’s had their final two chances near the 70′ minute. Burnett and Henry-Cotnam combined twice, but one of their efforts missed the net, while the other was saved by O’Rourke.

The Stingers had a few more opportunities, but ultimately could not find the winning goal. The 1-1 draw felt like a loss to head coach Sanchez.

“This was a game we expected to win, a game we should have won and I think we gave away two points,” he said. “It’s going to make our lives a little harder down the stretch.”

The Stingers were the dominant team in this match. A failure to finish chances, combined with an outstanding performance by the Bishop’s goalkeeper led to the team dropping two valuable points at home.

“We have to bury our chances,” Sanchez said. “I think it would have been an avalanche. Had we scored the second goal, I think you would have seen three, four or five go in.”

 

The Stingers will have four days to prepare for their next match. They face the UQÀM Citadins Sept. 20 at 6:30 p.m. at Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne.

Categories
Student Life

Concordia cheap eats

Photos by writers

I was so excited when I discovered Nilufar last year; I was told this was the place to go for good food that’s cheap. I definitely wasn’t let down!

Located on Ste. Catherines St., about a five minute walk from the Sir George Williams campus, Nilufar, which means “Lily of the Valley,” serves up healthy and fresh Middle Eastern cuisine.

For only $2 you can get a tasty falafel sandwich, a soup, and a drink. It’s a deal that is hard to beat.

The falafel sandwich is great. The falafels are moist on the inside, crispy on the outside, and are a perfect blend of flavours. They are wrapped in a pita and topped with tomatoes, lettuce and hummus. It’s a small portion, but when combined with the soup, it makes for a filling snack. The lentil soup is my favourite.

The small family-run business will be celebrating its 18th anniversary on Halloween. Nilufar Al-Shourbaji, the owner’s daughter, is the cheerful girl behind the counter.

“My mother is the magic behind the food,” she said.

There’s nothing fancy about the place, but the food, the value, and the friendly atmosphere are what makes it worth it. It’s really a great alternative to the abundance of unhealthy and sometimes expensive food options around the downtown campus. Another added bonus—it’s vegan friendly!

Located on 1923 Ste. Catherine St. West

-Marie-Josée Kelly

 

Schnitzel and ice cream are part of a well-balanced student diet

You may have noticed food options around Loyola Campus are few and far between and are not of remarkable value. My absolute favourite place to eat is the wonderful Cafe Bano.

Located at a short distance from campus on Sherbrooke St., this charming cafe serves a combination of Persian and Israeli inspired cuisine. Prices range from $2-10. All of the food they serve is homemade and when the season permits, produce is picked from the owner’s garden.

Reza Avi Ensafi and his mother Paris run the cozy cafe and have been for the past six years. His high-energy and good-natured attitude along with his mother’s nurturing smile are what makes this place unique.

They offer a number of homemade desserts, coffee and tea on any given day. I’ve had their homemade vanilla, saffron, honey and pistachio ice cream, and let me tell you, there is nothing quite like it!

It’s their famous chicken schnitzel sandwich that always keeps me going back for more. It  is served on a fresh ciabatta roll, topped with lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayonnaise. To kick things up a notch, ask them to spice up your sandwich. The combination of flavours is mouthwatering! It is worth the $6.25. For an extra dollar or two I usually add either one of their tasty soups or salads to complete the meal.

They also offer vegetarian options for veggie lovers. It’s a delightful and reasonably priced eatery that will satisfy your appetite guaranteed!

Located on 6929 Sherbrooke St. West

-Marie-Josée Kelly

 

Chinese comfort on the second floor

On the second floor of an unassuming building, nestled just behind the John Molson School of Business building on de Maisonneuve St. W., Shi Tang is just as easy to miss as it is to find; all you have to do is look up.

Shi Tang is a local fixture that serves up some cozy Chinese fare. Be warned though, it’s a little different from the other Chinese restaurants around the city. It is another iteration of the new variety of Chinese restaurants that surround Concordia University, serving up a taste and feel straight from the mainland.

If you find the restaurant and gather up the courage to climb the stairs, you will find yourself in a different world. The place sports a coat of institutional white walls and linoleum floors; and just to warn you, there are no English or French menus.

In short, the immediate feeling is one of intimidation and perhaps alienation, but the warm smile of the staff and the buzz of student banter will provide you with the bravery to order.

Shi Tang is the Chinese word for “cafeteria,” and that’s just what it is. There are long wooden tables and  benches, and most importantly, a kind looking lady with a spoon in hand standing over a hot array of glistening Chinese food, ready to serve you. The place serves an assortment of hearty Chinese dishes canteen style where you just point at what you want.

The food is affordable, delicious and most importantly, comforting. Suddenly, all the obstacles and foreignness of the place seem to take a backseat to the act of sharing a meal with the people around you.  Good thing you looked up.

Located on 1622 de Maisonneuve West

-Daniel Chen

 

I Pick Picks

Picks serves up casse-croûte food in a warm hole-in-the-wall setting. Tiny and unimposing, a fluorescent “open” sign encourages you to enter, and the food  makes you  never want to leave. The joint offers up a criss-cross of food cultures as the premise of the restaurant is to offer up the Korean take of various American street foods. The results are intensely satisfying.

Picks grills up one of the best burgers in the area (much better and slightly cheaper than neighbouring Buns). In addition, there are some novel toppings such as kimchee, eggs and a large assortment of sauces.  I recommend the chipotle mayo and the dried tomatoes and basil sauce.

From the fries to the chicken burgers, everything is made to order. Though it might take a little longer than other fast food places in the city, the food comes sizzling.

Finally, what elevates this greasy spoon above the others is the KOGO. What is the KOGO you ask? It’s a corn dog embedded with french fries. Try it out in all its greasy glory.

Located on 1407 Rue Saint Marc  Montreal

-Daniel Chen

Categories
News

Formal charges against students still up in the air

Graphic by Jennifer Kwan.
Graphic by Jennifer Kwan.

UPDATE – 8:30 p.m. 18/09/2012
Concordia University announced it is dropping all charges against the striking students after meeting with the Concordia Student Union this afternoon. More details to come.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Discussions concerning the formal complaints launched by the University against striking students this past June involving administration, students and student unions has reached an impasse this month.

The university filed the complaints against 23 undergraduate students and three graduate students for allegedly violating Code 29G of the Code of the Rights and Responsibilities for obstructing or blocking access to classrooms following the events on March 26, 2012.

In a formal letter to President Alan Shepard, the Graduate Students’ Association claimed Concordia acted irresponsibly when they sanctioned students under the Code of Rights and Responsibilities and students were unfairly targeted.

“This brings us to an essential point: at the GSA, we are all strikers. If the administration charged these students, why didn’t they also charge the GSA, and every student who attended our assemblies, not to mention those students who did not show up to vote and who are thus equally responsible for our strike vote? It is unfair to target individuals whose actions were based on a collective, democratic decision,” stated the letter.

The Concordia Student Union President Schubert Laforest said he believes that the current negotiations between the administration, charged students, and the CSU reached a deadlock when the University requested a formal letter of apology from those charged.

“What they seem to be looking for is a letter of apology for obstructing classes but I don’t think it’s fair to demand them to apologize,” Laforest said. “Most students aren’t interested in it and I am not either.”

“It’s something they believed in and something they fought for, ” added Laforest.

According to VP Advocacy and Academic Lucia Gallardo, the letter of apology divided talks between the university and the charged students. Gallardo also believes that the initial strategy of the CSU trying to represent students as a whole failed to work because individual students wanted different solutions.

“We are stuck,” admitted Gallardo. “The university wants some things that we can’t give them. We’re not giving up, we’re not going to stop trying, we just have to find more creative ways to find a solution,” she said.

Laforest said he plans to present a motion to council during the upcoming CSU meeting on Wednesday.

“It’s not political, it’s personal and it’s something that affects me personally,” Laforest told The Concordian. “If we can’t get the charges dropped, we’ll have to go outside the system.”

Confidentiality prohibits student associations and administration from addressing the issue in detail but the affair is ongoing according to University spokesperson Chris Mota.

“The process is proceeding,” said Mota. “Hearings will be held, though information about the hearings and their outcome will be considered confidential.”

Categories
Sports

Stingers looking to repeat another solid week

It was a good week for all Stingers teams. Women’s rugby stood above the rest with two victories; one against rivals McGill and another on Sunday at Carleton.

The team took home the Kelly-Anne Drummond Cup last Wednesday after defeating the Martlets 18-7. This past Sunday, the team travelled to Ottawa to face Carleton. The Stingers cruised to an easy 41-7 win.

The men’s rugby team were the only team to lose this week. They fell 22-10 to McGill on Wednesday evening. The team is still looking for its first win of the season.

Both soccer teams matched results for the second week in a row. Coming off 2-0 wins, the men’s and the women’s team each drew 1-1 this past week.

The Stingers football team made a lengthy trip to Antigonish, Nova Scotia to face the St. Francis Xavier X-Men. The team made the trip worthwhile by winning a comfortable 41-20.

Concordia’s baseball team had three games this week, twice against McGill and once against John Abbott College. The first meeting was against the Redmen, on Wednesday. The Stingers defeated their opposition for the second time this season, winning 11-4. Friday’s game against John Abbott College was rained out, and the third game of the week was this Sunday at home to McGill, where Concordia won 6-3.

 

This Upcoming Week

The first Stingers team to suit up is the baseball team. They play Sept. 18 against John Abbott College. The first pitch is at 7:30 p.m. at Gary Carter Field at Trudeau Park in Cote St. Luc. On Saturday, the team travels to Ontario to battle Carleton at 2:30 p.m. and returns to Montreal to face John Abbott College once again on Sunday.

Soccer is next on the agenda for Concordia. Both the men’s and women’s will travel away to face Université du Québec à Montréal on Thursday, Sept. 20. The women play first at 6:30 p.m., followed by the men’s game at 8:30 p.m. The games are at Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne.

Rugby takes center stage on Friday. The women’s rugby team faces the Ottawa Gee-Gees at 7 p.m. at Concordia Stadium. The men will take to the field to face the Montreal Carabins at 9 p.m.

On Sunday, September 23, soccer is back at Concordia Stadium. The men’s team plays first at 1 p.m. against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or. The women’s team plays after them at 3 p.m. against the same school.

Categories
Sports

Season opener ends in disappointment

Photos by Brianna Thicke

Hoping to make a statement against the Sherbrooke Vert et Or, the Stingers rugby team came up short in their home opener on Friday night.

“We put ourselves under a load of pressure and we didn’t need too,” said Head Coach Clive Gibson. “We did not play according to our game plan.”

The squad had prepared for a more positive start to the season, but it was clear that this is still a young roster.

The speed of the back line is one of the Stingers strongest assets. Unfortunately, the ball rarely made its way towards them in this game due to many penalties and dropped balls. Concordia was unable to retain ball possession and an abundance of unforced errors cost the team their first game of the season.

While the offensive side of the ball wasn’t clicking, the defense handled itself very well. They were constantly being threatened but managed to fend off the opposition for the majority of the game.

The lack of discipline was also a problem for the Stingers. They received two yellow cards which cost them a player for 10 minutes on both occasions.

“Being short a man for 20 minutes of the game makes it very tough to win,” added Gibson.

Concordia managed to play well throughout the first penalty by applying a lot of pressure. On the second one, the defense was strong.

In the later stages of the match, Sherbrooke capitalized over a tired Stingers team, scoring a try in the final 10 minutes of the game to put them up 14-13. This would become the final score of the game.

Concordia will not have much time to practice this week as they play on Wednesday against rivals McGill. The team will look to improve on decision-making with the ball, their game plan and teamwork.

“The level of play is too high,” added Gibson. “If they don’t learn to play as a team, they’re never going to win, not at this level.”

This loss, however, was not perceived as a back-breaker by captain Dario Pellizzari. He said this loss should not be viewed as a step back in the squad’s progress, but rather a stepping stone for the greater challenges that await the Stingers in the next few weeks.

“Fortunately we have another seven games in the season to pull ourselves together and make a cup run,” he said. “This loss may prove to do us [good] in the end.”

 

The game against McGill on Wednesday is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Concordia Stadium.

Categories
Opinions

Adapting to the university way of life

Photo by Marilla Steuter-Martin

So, it’s your first week of classes. You don’t know quite what to expect. You’re excited because of the change, yet also very nervous. You attend a few orientation sessions, desperately trying to make eye contact with some of the friendlier faces. It’s a nerve-racking process.

You also know that you are officially beginning one of the most important phases in your life. These years can make or break your chance at a future career, and the last thing you want to do is mess it up. Most of us have been through this process already.

Welcome to university.

Concordia is officially opening its doors on Sept. 5, and gearing up for yet another long and weary school year. For most, this may seem deathly after a summer filled with long tanning sessions and drinks by the pool. Others, however, have been looking forward to it for months.

In my experience, there is one distinct characteristic one must have to find success in university: organization. As you mature, you realize that you need an organized schedule in order to succeed in this part of your education. A study conducted by the University of California showed that cramming information due to a lack of organization can lead to a serious lack of sleep, thus directly affecting many students’ grades.

“Students should balance their studying across the week and anticipate what is going on,” said Andrew J. Fuligni, the UCLA professor who conducted the study. “Try to have a regular study schedule so that you’re not going to have those nights spent cramming.”

However, there is much more to the university experience than just grades and classes.

Marlene Gross from Concordia’s counselling and development department advises students to “get informed and get connected. The best way to learn about university—to know what to expect, to be prepared and to get the most out of your experience—is to connect with people.”

Speaking from experience, this is the best advice one could receive. I first entered my program last year knowing no one. A year later, instead of feeling nervous, I feel excited to see those familiar faces.

“I made lifelong friends at Concordia,” said Concordia Alumni Dimitri Volis. “People I still see to this day and that made my university years unforgettable.”

But how does one connect? A barrier many people have a hard time breaking upon entering university is their ability to ask questions. Concordia recognizes this problem in many students and offers a variety of services to help students integrate into the community.

One of the greatest services offered at Concordia is the Student Success Centre. Here, new students will have the opportunity to meet student success mentors. These are experienced students that give advice and tips to the newer generation of students. It’s a great place to get started, or even just hang out. Second-year Concordia student, Essam Shomali, said the centre was a great help last year.

“It would’ve been different if they had not been around,” said Shomali. “They really helped me out and they were very nice about it.”

If there’s one statement I keep hearing, it’s that we should make the most out of our university years because they are the best times of our lives. Get off on the right foot, and take advantage of all the services Concordia has to offer. So welcome, first-years and good luck. To everyone else, welcome back!

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