A discussion about the food industry through the dos and the don’ts of dumpster diving
When faced with the idea of diving into a dumpster to collect dinner, some may think ew. In our society, garbage is thought of as filthy. So, naturally, a stigma surrounds the dumpster diving practice. But think again.
On March 10, Concordia students Isabella Donati-Simmons and Aven Fisher organized a workshop to talk about the art of ‘diving.’
The workshop, coordinated by Les Échelles, a collective with a focus on a sharing lifestyle, explored the dos and don’ts of the practice, as well as the larger problem of food waste in Canada. The event gathered about 30 people, half of them already experienced divers.
“We are not experts. We are just avid dumpster divers,” Fisher said to start off the workshop.
The participants and organizers discussed major problems surrounding food waste in Canada and around the world. From consumer standards of food aesthetics to transportation and transnational agreements, to the lack of personal connection with food, participants discussed some of the reasons they felt food waste is such a big problem. “The food system is an extremely complex web. It is not just a straight line,” Fisher said.
In Canada, $31 billion worth of food is wasted each year, according to a 2014 report from Value Chain Management International, a global company aiming to improve the efficiency of food chains. This marks a 15 per cent increase from 2010. The same study shows that 47 per cent of this waste comes from individuals in their homes. “It makes you wonder why some are still starving or food insecure, especially the First Nations peoples,” Donati-Simmons said.
Fisher and Donati-Simmons went through “the dumpster rules.” According to the organizers, divers shouldn’t necessarily look at the best-before dates on unopened products and packages. They say it is more important to rely on smell and look instead.
Some products contaminated by mold are still edible. The U.S Department of Agriculture established a list of food which can still be eaten if moldy. This includes hard cheese, firm vegetables, and salami. Donati-Simmons recommends cutting about an inch around and under the mold.
Dumpster divers should equip themselves with a light, preferably a head lamp, gloves and reusable bags. The best places to dive are around small grocery stores or bakeries. The organizers also recommended paying attention to garbage day schedules and store owners’ garbage habits. Fisher also pointed out that it is important not to take more than you need, with respect to other divers.
While the practice is not illegal, it is illegal to trespass. “Most tenants are okay with it and will indicate where to look or even give you wastes, but don’t leave it messy,” Fisher said.
“The best thing is to be respectful [as divers],” Donati-Simmons added.
To clean food collected on a diving trip, a bath of water and vinegar or dish soap does the trick. It must be naturally air-dried before refrigeration to avoid spores during storage. The food can then be prepared or frozen after being dried. The most common uses of recollected food are in soups, jams, smoothies, kimchi or as dried fruit.
The workshop was followed by a diving initiation in the Plateau and a meal at Donati-Simmons’ and Fisher’s house with the recollected food.
“Dumpster diving is sharing, finding new uses, changing the waste culture and realising what our society does,” Donati-Simmons said.
Panelists Robyn Maynard (left), Marlihan Lopez (centre) and J. Elise Barbara (right). Photo by Danielle Gasher
Why this side of the border shouldn’t be patting itself on the back
Three prominent black Montreal-based activists came together on the evening of Feb. 28 to discuss the history of anti-black racism in Canada, contemporary issues for people of colour in the country, as well as issues faced by the black LGBTQ+ community.
The panel was organized by Concordia’s Centre for Gender Advocacy, and was part of the Centre’s Thick Skin speakers series—a series of curated discussions on race, gender and political resistance. The event was moderated by Jada Joseph, a peer support training and drop-in co-coordinator for the Centre.
“I will attempt to do a synopsis of anti-black racism in Canada in 10 minutes,” panelist Robin Maynard said with a small laugh. Maynard is a Montreal-based feminist activist and writer. She is currently working on her first book, Policing Black Bodies: State Violence and Black Lives, which will be released this year.
Maynard said the idea for her book came from her work with Stella, a Montreal non-profit organization that offers support and information for sex workers in the city. For almost 10 years, Maynard did street-based outreach with sex workers in the city—providing them with psychological and emotional support, as well as health services. She said this work raised her awareness about deeply-rooted racism and violence against black women in Canada.
“The level of extremely vindictive racialized targeting… like calling people monkeys, pointing guns at their heads… extremely horrific violence that was [happening] almost daily, often including sexual assault, which was not being reported anywhere,” Maynard said about what she saw and heard about in her work. She wasn’t seeing these issues reflected in media outlets, so she took it upon herself to explore black women’s issues in a larger historical and socio-political context.
Maynard gave the audience some historical context on anti-black racism in Canada. She said many Canadians assume black slavery was only present in the United States. The first black slave was brought to Quebec in 1628. While Canada didn’t have plantation-based slavery, Maynard said people bought and exploited black people for various types of labour, reducing them, as slavery does, to mere commodities.
Maynard stressed that Canada was not transparent about its involvement in slavery. “In the 18th century, even as slavery is being practiced, you see the beginning of Canada’s self-representation as this benevolent state,” Maynard said. She said evidence of slavery in Canada was cast aside with its abolition in 1834. Following 1834, textbooks in Canadian schools made no mention of any black slavery in Canada’s history. In Canada, Maynard explained the history of black people being viewed and treated as criminal, as dangerous or as unwanted can actually be traced back to the 17th and 18th centuries.
Panelist Marlihan Lopez delved further into these deep-rooted stereotypes, and how they influence the way black people are treated today in Canada and abroad. Lopez has a master’s degree in international development and has over a decade of experience in community organizing, feminist activism and cultural education.
“We carry on these stereotypes of sexual deviancy. So when we report [sexual violence], there’s a tendency of not being believed because we’re not associated with the ‘perfect victim’ which is white, which is middle-class,” said Lopez about the phenomenon of hypersexualization of the black woman.
According to a 2009 report by the American Bureau of Justice Statistics, one in 15 black women report sexual violence. The same is true in Canada. According to the Canadian Women’s Foundation, “studies show that when women of colour report violence, their experiences are often taken less seriously within the criminal justice system and their perpetrators routinely receive less harsh punishments.”
Lopez linked this back to the expectations of strength and resilience from black women. “The matriarch stereotype, the strong black women, auto-sufficient, ‘we don’t need to ask for help.’”
Lopez said the fight against racism needs to be an intersectional fight—that is, a fight that considers gender identity, ability, sexual orientation, class in addition to race. Intersectionality is the idea that we cannot consider social action on race issues independent from other connected issues regarding gender and class, for example. “We have to fight for the liberation of all our peoples. It’s necessary for our movements to be intersectional because, if not, we are going to keep perpetuating the same oppressive systems that we’re trying to combat,” said Lopez.
“I’ve always felt that intersectionality multiplies itself exponentially,” said Montreal-based singer-songwriter and LGBTQ+ rights activist J. Elise Barbara. Barbara explained that there are so many different elements of one’s identity that need to be considered when fighting for race equality.
Barbara said while piercing the milieu wasn’t easy at first, they felt being a transgender black musician helped them thrive in the music industry in Montreal. “I initially felt a lot of resistance coming from people. And through the years, I’ve felt a shift in how open-minded people seem to be,” Barbara said.
They felt there has been a shift in recent years in Montreal for transgender acceptance—a kind of left-leaning trend, especially present in the city’s music industry. “I initially felt a lot of resistance, coming from people. And through the years, I’ve felt a shift in how open-minded people seem to be,” said Barbara. However, they said they felt cynical about this acceptance, because “it might not last.”
The next Thick Skin speakers series event will take place on Thursday, March 9 at 11:30 a.m. in H-760. The discussion will explore Indigenous “feminisms and womanisms.”
Erratum: an earlier version of this piece mis-paraphrased panelist Marlihan Lopez on the link between the worldwide hypersexualization of the black woman to sex slavery in Cuba and Brazil. We sincerely apologize for the mistake. O.E.
How YouTube taught me life skills and how to be confident
I started my YouTube channel four years ago. In the beginning, the purpose was basically to post random music video covers of some of my favourite songs. Now, my YouTube channel has evolved and completely shifted focus—I now film and post videos about beauty, food as well as lifestyle-type videos. I’ve also recently started filming videos of my travel getaways and story-time videos. I plan on expanding on more aspects of myself for others to see.
When I started out, I was definitely nervous about filming videos and having them posted on a platform as big as YouTube. However, I knew that, if anyone could do it, I could. I’ve always had the courage in me to do anything I want. I’ve never really been afraid of what other people think.
However, I faced some disapproval when I first started out. My mom and sister judged me for the videos I posted on my channel. They called them stupid and useless. For a while, I felt discouraged about this negative feedback. Recently, I saw insulting comments posted on my videos. I deleted them and pretended they never existed. Of course, deep down, it hurts.
When you film videos and post them online, you need to be prepared for any comment that may come your way—the good, the bad and the ugly. You need to shrug off the hateful comments and keep moving forward. This is my current mindset for my YouTube journey, and it feels good. I have gained enough self-trust and confidence through YouTube— I know I am doing this for nobody else but me.
My YouTube channel means a lot to me. It’s the place where I can truly express myself with people around the world. Filming videos has definitely boosted my confidence. I can see myself evolving and becoming more “social” online by reaching out to people from all over. It makes me feel free to say and do whatever I want. It has also helped me practice speaking aloud and in front of a camera. These skills translate well in my academic life. My channel has also forced me to be more socially-active with friends and when meeting or talking to strangers.
I also like the idea of helping people through my YouTube videos. I want to be a role model for others. Making these videos has made me want to help others overcome the same struggles I’ve dealt with in my life, including bullying and issues with self-image. I also want my YouTube channel to be a light, fun environment where I can also post funny skits, travel adventures and videos about makeup.
If you’re thinking about starting a YouTube channel, be yourself and do not be afraid to express yourself and branch out. This will help you develop a thick skin and ignore hateful comments because, at the end of the day, you are doing what makes you happy. There are always going to be people online hating on your channel, but use it as motivation to make your content better and take more risks through your videos. As Walt Disney once said: “All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”
A University of the Streets Café discussion reflects on the “pursuit of happiness”
University of the Streets Café hosted yet another edition of its public discussions at Café Aux Deux Marie on St-Denis Street last Wednesday to discuss a hefty topic—the illusive pursuit of happiness.
The talk was moderated by Anurag Dhir, a community engagement coordinator for McGill University’s Social Equity and Diversity Education Office. The event featured speakers who explored the idea of purposefulness and happiness in their line of work: Peter Hartman and Juniper Belshaw. Hartman is a motivational speaker and founder of Happy For A Change, an organization that looks to spread the word about positive global initiative. Belshaw currently works for the Cirque du Soleil as a senior advisor for talent management, but she used to work and volunteer a lot in the non-profit sector.
The atmosphere of the talk was quite relaxed. Once the speakers made their preliminary addresses, participants were encouraged to join in on the discussion.
While the intention of the talk was to discuss how to lead a life of impact within a community, the natural course of discussion led to the attendees sharing their views on what happiness means to them, and how to achieve a life of happiness. Most of the audience members agreed that living a life of happiness begins with the acceptance that things happen, and one can’t control everything.
There was a general consensus that, to live a life of positive impact, one must first find positivity in their own life. This echoed the sentiments of Belshaw, who at the end of her introduction said “maybe tonight I’m hoping to talk about how we build sustainable social change where we’re creating the world we want, but also living it as we do it.”
Peter Hartman, who also organizes discussions about finding a purpose in life through his organization Happy For A Change, said he’s used to hearing a lot of discussions turn into talks about the pursuit of happiness.
“There is overwhelmingly this focus on happiness,” he said. “I was hoping we would get beyond that… but I find it so useful, because every time we have that conversation we get a little bit further,” into what it means to lead a life of purpose.
Photo by Ana Hernandez
Hartman explained that, for him, living a life of purpose means living a life of meaningful action. “It’s when there is intention behind the actions that you do,” he said. “It’s not just that you have relationships—it’s the manner in which you have relationships that contribute to your overall purpose.”
Relationships, Hartman added, can be as basic as the contact a person has with a store clerk.
This and other guiding principles are the basis of Happy for A Change—what he calls a philosophy and a movement—with the goal of using people’s own search for happiness to make a positive change in the world.
“We understand that everybody is different and people want to work on different things, so we’re trying to find the lowest common denominator, what is the smallest action possible that we can convince people to do that would create change?” said Hartman. For the speaker, that action is going on social media. Hartman believes that going on social media is something that practically everyone does every day and he tries to harness its power by convincing people in the self-help industry to use their financial means to promote and market ideas that create a better society on social media.
Attendees discussed their thoughts on finding happiness through community engagement. Photo by Ana Hernandez
University of the Streets Café is a program part of Concordia’s Office of Community Engagement, which has existed for 15 years. According to Alex Megelas, the organizer of University of the Street Café programming, their mandate is to “promote a culture of community engagement at Concordia.” They do so by creating links between staff, students and different community based groups and organizations. University of the Streets Café is one of their initiatives.
Megelas said his principle role is to create discussions that reflect the goal of the program. This year, their goal is to look at city engagement and, more specifically, “how we live in cities as, individuals and together, [and] create shared experiences.”
The next University of the Streets Café discussion called “Representative Democracy: How do we foster citizenship literacy”, and will be held on March 9 at 7 p.m. at Temps Libre at 5606 De Gaspé St.
The books discuss climate change, contraception and intercommunal violence
The Paragraphe bookstore on McGill Ave. was packed on March 2 with a large crowd of avid listeners for the launch of three books by Concordia history professors: Anya Zilberstein, Nora Jaffary and Max Bergholz. The professors introduced themselves and their fields of research before going more into depth about the contents and ideas behind their books.
Zilberstein’s book, A Temperate Empire: Making Climate Change in Early America, explores how climate change has informed discussions about science and politics. In her book, she outlines different theories about climate and man-made climate change through history, starting with the colonization of the Americas. Zilberstein said that, while many aspects of the theories outlined in her book are old or historical, elements of the theories themselves “have lingered on well into the next centuries.” Through her book, she said she hopes to inform readers that ideas about climate and man-made climate change have been used to push political debates and and alter the idea of the disposition of humankind.
In Jaffary’s book, Reproduction and its Discontents in Mexico: Childbirth and Contraception from 1750 to 1905, she explores women’s sexuality, pregnancy, birth and contraception in Mexico as the country transitioned from a colony to an independent nation. She said her original research did not lead her to where she thought it would—ideas of progress associated with the liberation of a colony didn’t necessarily mean progress for women’s sexuality. It continued to be heavily scrutinized, especially at the end of the 19th century. Jaffary describes approximately 250 cases of female sexual deviance in her book.
Bergholz began the description of his book, Violence as a Generative Force: Identity, Nationalism and Memory in a Balkan Community, with the story of where he found his case study: in the dusty basement of an archive in the city of Sarajevo. His book is a microhistory of a small village on the border of Bosnia and Croatia called Kulen Vakuf. It takes an in-depth look at intercommunal killings that happened during 1941, which included the disappearance and murder of 2,000 people in 48 hours. Bergholz said he seeks to answer the question of how a violent incident can occur and how it changes people’s identities and relations with each other.
The authors said it took about 10 years to complete their books. Jaffary described the research as a detective mission and explained how she had to adapt her writing to what she found. “You have an idea of what you might find, but you’re not sure and then you realize that the thing you’re looking for doesn’t exist, but this other thing exists, so you try to get as much of that as possible,” said Jaffary. During the research process, Jaffary had the opportunity to travel to Mexico and Spain and collaborate with fellow researchers. “It was stimulating, but not in a high-pressure way,” she said.
For Bergholz, both the research and the writing of his book were very demanding. He said the research involved spending long days in archive basements, sometimes going days without finding relevant information. “You have to get up and motivate yourself everyday to look at page after page after page,” he said. “I had to develop a tremendous amount of focus and discipline to keep my eye on the horizon.”
Bergholz said writing the book was emotionally taxing because of the traumatic, violent nature of the subject matter. To fully describe the events in the book, he said he had to “inhabit the material in a way and to internalize it, to try and feel the history… [which] means that those terrible things become, in some way, embedded inside your mind. They did for me.”
Zach Macklovitch talks Saintwoods and his rise up the nightlife ladder
If you live in Montreal and enjoy all the city’s nightlife scene has to offer, the name Zach Macklovitch undoubtedly rings a bell. At 27, he and his partner, Nathan Gannage, have successfully made St-Laurent Street the go-to place for the best parties.
Their promotional brand, Saintwoods, takes on an array of roles including event curation, artist management, design and branding for bars and clubs around the city.
The duo also co-owns Suwu, Apt. 200 and École Privée, all hot-spot bars in the Plateau.
Walking into the interview, I expected to meet a young, successful guy with a big ego and the words “big shot” written across his forehead. To the contrary, I was faced with an extremely gracious entrepreneur.
“I’m blessed,” Macklovitch said. “I don’t think about my failures or successes very often because until you’re at your peak, it doesn’t make a difference.” This humble tone carried throughout the interview, perhaps one of the crucial reasons for his rapid success.
Photo by Philip Tabah
“I started working in clubs at around 16 years old. Montreal was different back then—it was easy to get into trouble and I did,” he said. Despite his “bad boy” side, Macklovitch is also a self-proclaimed nerd—a participant of Model UN— an academic competition where students learn about diplomacy and international relations—and a graduate from Concordia University on the honour roll with a BA in political science and philosophy.
“I got to university thinking I didn’t want to be a club promoter forever. Fast-forward, and I have ended up in the same industry. But I like to think I took the critical thinking I learned and applied it to what I do,” Macklovitch said.
By 21, the entrepreneur held the title of marketing director at TIME nightclub, and had just met Gannage, who started the Saintwoods brand straight out of McGill University.
Over the next few years, the venues grew and evolved. “We [organized] deep house shows at Velvet, and rap concerts at TELUS Theatre and Belmont,” Macklovitch said.
Their names were now on club promoters’ radars. The popular dance club New City Gas approached the team with the following task: to get Anglophones under 27 excited about the venue. Thanks to their promotional abilities and entrepreneurial mindset, they succeeded.
By 23, Macklovitch had already opened Suwu, and was onto his next venture: Apt. 200.
Today, both bars are known for their unique atmosphere. Macklovitch said he pulls inspiration from the places he’s travelled, such as New York, parts of Europe and Toronto, for the look and vibe of his bars.
Macklovitch said Suwu aims to create a friendly neighbourhood vibe for the lower Plateau. Apt. 200, on the other hand, focuses on a house party vibe.
“People wanted a higher-energy place but they didn’t want to be at a nightclub,” Macklovitch said.
Success often comes with challenges. But for Macklovitch, these challenges only fuel him. Initially, École Privée drew inspiration from the underground scene Macklovitch experienced in Berlin and Paris. He wanted to bring this scene’s vibe to the mainstream.
“I think we understood our level of success when we started getting international attention,” he said. Macklovitch attributes a great deal of his accomplishments to his tight-knit team. Part of that circle includes Alex Mactavish, Saintwoods’ director of operations. Mactavish attributes Macklovitch’s rise to success to both his work ethic and personality.
“He’s always working, even when it looks like he’s not. That kind of hustle always pays off in the long-run,” Mactavish said.
But the nightlife industry isn’t easy. While a club might be all the rage one day, it is likely to be beaten out the next. Trends change and people follow—begging the question: will the brand Zach has created be able to survive?
Mactavish said it’s all about “staying ahead of the curve.” He believes Saintwoods’ “ability to identify and react to cultural trends is crucial.”
Macklovitch confirmed Saintwoods is always looking to expand. With a lifestyle merchandise brand recently released and an upcoming branded vodka, it is clear Macklovitch is planning for the future.
Perhaps he has found the key to longevity in this fast-moving industry—going against traditional business structures and reinventing Montreal nightlife.
What it is, how to drink it, how to mix it, how to like it
The first time I tried to like whisky, I was 13. I had just finished watching the Godfather. I wanted more than anything to be as badass as those mobsters, a cigar in one hand and a glass of scotch in the other. Needless to say, it didn’t work out as well as I thought it would. I took a swig of Canadian Club, and thought I had burned my tongue and throat to the point of never tasting again.
I gave up on the dream, but tried again when I was 16, this time with some bourbon over a single ice cube. Since then, it’s been nothin’ but love for whisky.
Here is my guide to enjoying whisky.
So what is whisky?
Whisky is a distilled alcohol made from fermented grain mash. Sounds tasty right? Different varieties of whisky depend on the grain used and whether or not the grain is malted.
What are the different kinds of whisky?
There are many kinds of whisky, and different variations within each kind. You can get malt whisky, grain whisky, blended whisky, single pot still whisky, bourbon whisky, rye whisky and corn whisky.
Tell me about scotch
Scottish whiskies, also known as scotch, are made from grain or malt. If you want to explore scotch but are just starting out, I recommend trying a good glass of Macallan Amber or Gold. The Gold is a little lighter and fruitier than the Amber, but both are good and good-quality options for starting out. That being said, I prefer smokier, heavier options like a Lagavulin 16 Years or a Laphroaig.
Experts believe in drinking scotch ‘neat’, which means sipping it straight, without ice or water. Some use a few drops of water to “open up the flavour.” Personally, I drink my scotch with whisky stones—stone cubes that keep the drink cold without diluting it.
Tell me about bourbon
Bourbon is an American whisky. While scotch is made mostly from malted barley, bourbon is made from corn. In my opinion, bourbon is a good starting point for whisky beginners. Steer clear of Knob Creek in the beginning, it’s intense. I recommend going straight for a bottle or glass of Woodford Reserve. It’s smooth but still has that woody taste I love. Bulleit Bourbon is versatile, and has a bit of a spicier taste. Bourbon is lovely straight or over ice.
What cocktails can I make with whisky?
If you’re less into the sweet stuff, a classic whisky cocktail is an Old Fashioned.
1 ½ ounces of your favourite whisky
One sugar cube
A few dashes of Angostura bitters
A few drops of water
Shake the mix dry and pour it over ice, an orange slice and a maraschino cherry in a rock glass.
If that sounds a little too rough for your taste buds, a whisky sour is another great option.
1 ½ ounces of your favourite whisky
½ lemon, squeezed
Sugar or simple syrup to taste
One egg white
Shake the ingredients vigorously in a shaker with ice. Rim a rock glass. Pour over ice and a slice of lemon.
An insight into the eclectic life of Concordia Professor Robert Soroka
The rain flooded the streets, as the cold, damp air crept into the hollows of my bones. It felt like I was in the British capital instead of our beloved metropolis, for the rain made everything seem grey and melancholic.
On this dreary day in October, I was dodging puddles and pedestrians because I had an interview with a legendary figure at Concordia.
When it was first announced at that we’d be starting a feature series on part-time professors, I looked at the list and randomly chose the name Robert Soroka. To be honest, I thought he had an interesting name, and I knew nothing about him.
After claiming him off the list, I soon discovered Mr. Soroka was quite popular at our offices. Several of my colleagues were jealous I beat them to the punch and landed Soroka. They told me he was “amazing” and “one of the best professors at Concordia.”
I won’t lie, I was nervous and felt utterly unprepared to meet him. “What if I screw this up?” I thought to myself, as I walked up the staircase. For a moment, I considered fleeing from the interview, but I pushed through the anxiety and knocked on his door.
Upon meeting the professor, my nerves calmed down. We sat down and, since I’m no good at small talk, we jumped right into the interview. We decided to start from the beginning and discuss his education.
“I did my bachelor’s of commerce at McGill in marketing and management information systems,” Soroka said, as he detailed his undergrad experience. He liked business and ended up getting his first degree at the age of 20. A rarity to say in my opinion, considering students these days take their time getting their undergrad.
Following his degree at McGill, Soroka started working as a marketing analyst at a large Eastern Canadian retailer. During this period, he started his MBA at Concordia, working during the day and studying at night. By the time Soroka was in his early 20s, he had his master’s in business administration and several years of work experience under his belt.
Following his master’s degree, Soroka saw an advertisement for a teaching position for a local college and decided to apply. Applying to be a teacher marked a turning point in his career, because Soroka began to actively pursue teaching positions while continuing to work full-time.
He eventually landed two teaching positions at two different local colleges in Montreal and began teaching part-time at both institutions. “I thought the interaction with students was invigorating, and being in an academic environment was stimulating,” said Soroka, as he recounts a time when he used to work during the day as an analyst, then teach in the evening, balancing what he described as a tough and jam-packed schedule.
But another shift would soon occur, as the man decided to switch gears and enter law. Yes, you read correctly, the man began his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree, which is essentially a graduate-level law degree, at the State University of New York. Following this degree, Soroka worked within the criminal law sector in New York state for some time before returning to Montreal.
It appears Soroka always had his eye on the education field. He had the opportunity to meet with the chair of the marketing department at the John Molson School of Business while he was working full-time. He said this individual trusted him and gave him a teaching position, based on the fact that Soroka had acquired a decent amount of experience in the business world.
This job kick-started Soroka’s university teaching career at Concordia. He currently teaches courses in marketing, management and finance at JMSB, while also working at Dawson College. He stressed that, even though he’s a part-time faculty member, he contributes immensely to the community at Concordia.
“I choose to contribute and to teach, and it’s a great feeling” he said, as I tried to jot down all his involvements at Concordia. I can see clearly on his office wall that he won the distinguished teaching award in 1997, demonstrating his capabilities as an educator.
He currently has a three-year appointment on senate, sits on the hiring committee for the JMSB marketing department and previously sat on the business school’s strategic planning committee. He’s also worked with students on case competitions, is a union representative for the university and worked on developing the credit programs for the School of Extended Learning. “As part-timers, especially with a business background, there many more lucrative ways of earning a living.” he said, “but we chose to teach and to contribute.”
Apart from dabbling in law, business and education, believe it or not Soroka is also a talented playwright and thespian. He’s acted in a few plays during his lifetime, stating that he loves to communicate with audience, whether it’s through education, the law or the arts. During one play in particular, he had a lot of downtime between between practicing for every scene and he thought he “could do a better job” in terms of writing the script. So he decided to write a play of his own and he turned out to be quite talented at it. He wrote a few more including Thesis of Life, which has been produced three times, according to his website.
“How do you deal with rejection?” I asked the multitalented professor, considering I’m just about to graduate and have a bit of anxiety about my professional future. Soroka told me that, in every professional situation, you’re bound to face some sort of rejection. For someone who’s experienced a lot of highs during his diverse career, I was surprised to hear those words. He then told me that, every time he’s faced some sort of rejection, he’s used it as a learning experience, and each experience has inevitably contributed to his learning.
As I began to wrap up the interview, another revelation came out. It turns out Soroka was also a local television personality in Montreal, appearing on both CTV and Global. In between all his other activities and commitments, he submitted a demo reel and a resume to the CTV studios. A producer immediately called him and set up a lunch. He offered Soroka a spot on Montreal Today, a morning show where Soroka would act as ‘the consumer cop,’ drawing upon his expertise to provide an business analysis on a variety of topics. He met a lot of professionals during this period and also got to do some investigative journalism after a few years on the show.
Professor, lawyer, business man, playwright and television personality. Give me my asthma pump, I’m about to pass out.
After concluding the interview with the multitalented professor, I felt rather inspired and uplifted by Soroka’s stories. He is an example for the entire Concordia students and staff alike, especially when it comes to being involved in several different projects and juggling many responsibilities.
If I could take anything away from this interview, it would be a stronger motivation to get involved in the Concordia community and the proof that it is possible to have it all.
Concordia has plenty of healthy food options if you’re on a budget
For many people, the word “vegan” conjures up images of somber salads and poor imitations of everything they know and love, at exorbitant prices. For students on a tight budget and tighter schedule, the idea of maintaining a vegan diet can seem downright impossible. I used to feel the same, until I actually committed to veganism in my first semester at Concordia three years ago. After my transition, I started looking around for vegan options wherever I went, especially on campus where the afternoon slump can be particularly brutal and long hours in the library demand sustenance. I was pleasantly surprised to discover a plethora of cheap, quick and delicious vegan options to hold me over between classes and now they can hold you over, too.
1. The People’s Potato
I would be doing a great disservice to ask readers to spend any money before I let them in on possibly the most honorable use of our tuition money—the People’s Potato. A Concordia classic, People’s Potato is a fully vegan soup kitchen that serves a free lunch every weekday from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on the seventh floor of the Hall building. The meals are always tasty, packed with nutritious ingredients, and they don’t make half-bad leftovers. (Perfect for late nights in the library. They’ve certainly saved my butt a few times).
2. The Green Panther
Located near the Hall building on Mackay Street, the Green Panther offers delicious soups and sandwiches at a perfectly reasonable price. Their falafel pita is a classic, and for a good reason. Their other pitas should not be underestimated, though, particularly the barbecue tofu one. Also, check out their organic, all-natural energy drinks for a steady boost of energy that won’t give you the caffeine-crazies.
3. Le Frigo Vert
An awesome co-op located on Mackay Street right across from the Library building, Le Frigo Vert offers (mostly) vegan and organic fair-trade products, from produce to prepared meals at very affordable prices. All Concordia students are automatically members (sign up at the cash register), which means discounts on everything. It’s the perfect place for a cheap, delicious vegan snack on the go. My recommendations: 60-cent samosas, Injera wraps, or falafel wraps from Nilufar delivered there every day.
4. The Hive
Yet another amazing Concordia co-op, The Hive serves coffee beverages (with your choice of soy or almond milk), as well as a plethora of sustainably-sourced vegan options—from breakfast burritos to pastries. The Hive is located in the Mezzanine of the Hall building on the downtown campus, and on Loyola campus, on the second floor of the Student Centre building. The Loyola location offers free lunch every weekday between 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m.
5. Nilufar
Nilufar is a bit further from campus, but slightly cheaper than The Green Panther. They offer equally as tasty falafel and serve the perfect student food. Fast and filling, you can’t go wrong with a couple of falafel or tofu wraps. Due to a wide variety of options, this is also a perfect compromise when eating out with non-vegan friends. Nilufar is located at 1923 Ste-Catherine St. Ouest.
Two Concordians open up about their experiences with homesickness
Concordia is home to thousands of out-of-province and international students. The university welcomes students from more than 150 countries. For many, coming to Concordia means living away from their friends, family and home for the first time—something that isn’t always easy.
Homesickness is a real problem for university students. U.S-based psychologist Christopher Thurber co-authored a study on homesickness in university students in 2012. The study published in the Journal of American College Health, found up to 10 per cent of students suffer from serious homesickness, which can actually interfere with their productivity.
For Elaine Genest, a first-year Concordia journalism student from Toronto, the end of her first semester away from home was hard. Genest was living in residence and, as rooms and halls emptied while she finished up her exams, she felt alone. All semester, she said she felt like she was part of a family thanks to residence, but when people started leaving for the Christmas break, she was hit with a wave of homesickness.
“I felt like I needed to rush back in case I lost it all, even though there was no reason for me to believe it. Every single one of those days, I dreaded being alone in my room, hundreds of kilometres away from home,” said Genest. She said the homesickness took a toll on her, mentally. “Managing emotions in those situations can be extremely difficult, as this is your most vulnerable state. You feel like a kid who just wants to go home,” she said.
Diana Tapia, a Concordia film animation student from Mexico, said her homesickness kicked in after a few months of living in Montreal. “I wanted to stay home all day and sleep, and I didn’t even want to talk to my family a lot because it made me more nostalgic,” said Tapia.
While homesickness didn’t affect Tapia academically, it made her question her decision to move. “I felt really sensitive about everything—I cried really easily watching TV. I also questioned if it was the right decision for me to move at times,” she said.
Tapia’s and Genest’s advice to students experiencing homesickness is to get involved on campus and talk to people. “Take advantage of the Montreal and Concordia community,” said Tapia. “There are a lot of free events on campus happening all the time. Although it can feel a bit awkward or discouraging going alone, if you make the effort of going, you can make some good friends and start building your own community,” she added.
When Genest started to feel homesick in late December, she tried to focus on good memories from the semester—times when she didn’t feel so alone. “The first night in residence, my [residence] assistant came to my rescue and pulled me out of my room and into one of the meetings—everyone who lives on the floor gets together and talks about anything and everything. Now I have a big, loving family right down the hall,” she said.
The students also recommend that international students feeling homesick join a club that reminds them of their country, or play an on-campus sport. Essentially, they suggest any activity that gets the mind off anxious thoughts and loneliness. Genest stressed, above all, to not be afraid to speak about homesickness.
Students feeling homesick or lonely can also reach out to Concordia’s Health Services. Their offices are in the GM building on the downtown campus and in room AD-131 at the Loyola campus.
Speakers included philosophy professor Ryoa Chung, and doctoral candidate in communications, Khaloua Zoghlami. Photo by Alex Hutchins
The French university hosts its first-ever conference on intersectional feminism
The Regroupement des étudiants de l’Université de Montréal en soutien de l’ONU Femme hosted its first-ever event on Feb. 6—a conference dedicated to international feminism called “Le féminisme autour du monde: orient et occident.”
The conference coincided with the Semaine interculturelle de l’UdeM, a week dedicated to promoting the plethora of cultures that exist in and outside the university through conferences and activities. The conference featured two speakers: Ryoa Chung, a professor of philosophy at UdeM, and Khaloua Zoghlami, a doctoral candidate in communications at UdeM.
The bulk of the conference focused on international feminism and the many problems that arise when trying to apply feminist theories to women in varying cultural situations. Chung, the first speaker to address the crowd in the lecture hall, outlined many of the theoretical problems associated with using liberal feminism as the ideal way for women to emancipate themselves in other countries. Liberal feminism is assumed to be the most objective feminist theory because it pulls from the Liberal political theory, but it can impose Western values onto different cultures.
The conference on international feminism was the first of its kind at the University. Photo by Alex Hutchins
Chung warned that, while laced with good intentions, liberal feminism easily veers into this type of imperialism when proponents of this type of feminism do not make themselves aware of the particular struggles women in underdeveloped countries face.
“When we want to speak in solidarity for another person, there are pitfalls that we need to avoid, and one of these pitfalls we need to avoid is positioning ourselves as the saviour who knows how to save the other woman from herself,” Chung said.
She cited many examples where the epistemology and the basic theoretical constructs of some branches of feminism already put specific groups at a disadvantage. For example, sometimes the perspective of a religious or racial group cannot even be recognized by the majority, therefore any specific challenges they face are not represented in any actions taken.
Zoghlami brought to light many of the theories presented by Chung during her discussion, using her own experiences as a Tunisian-born woman as a springboard into talking about intersectional feminism. She said the type of liberal feminism women ascribed to in Tunisia was very confining.
“You had to be a specific type of woman to truly benefit from the rights allocated to women, because if you were a women who wore a veil, was attached to your religious practice, came from an underprivileged area, were black or were a collection of all that, these privileges did not concern you or were not concretely applied to you,” Zoghlami said.
She said one of the oldest and most influential feminist associations in Tunisia, L’Association Tunisiennes des Femmes Démocrates, supported the government’s measures to dissuade women from wearing their veil. At that same time, the government was already enforcing bans that blocked women who wore a veil from getting a job or an education. The liberal feminism these women borrowed from their French counterparts, she said, was derived from an imperialistic mindset and left no room for some women to practice their religion if they so chose to.
Zoghlami added that this was not a type of feminism she could identify with, because, in her view, it only fought for a small portion of women. She said she struggled to consolidate her identities as a woman and as a Muslim.
Only recently was Zoghlami introduced to the idea of intersectional feminism. Intersectional feminism argues that there are specific challenges associated with women who associate to more than one group, such as religion, race or sexual orientation. It states these specific challenges should be fought in tandem with one another, not separately. For Zoghlami, this means being able to fight for her rights as a Muslim woman, not as a Muslim and a woman.
Lia Ferranti, the president of the Regroupement des étudiants de l’Université de Montréal en soutien de l’ONU Femme, said the group really wanted to host an event in relation to the very popular Semaine interculturelle de UdeM.
“We asked ourselves how we could talk about feminism and interculturality, and we told ourselves, well why not talk about feminism around the world?” Ferranti said.
With 600 people interested in their Facebook event, Ferranti was surprised by how easily the conference came together. She said both Chung and Zoghlami were extremely open to speaking at the conference. “We realized that their two subjects really corresponded to the Occident and the Orient, and we set it up in a way to try to touch on everything, and it all came together,” Ferranti said.
She said the university was there to help and support them along the way.
“We are the first feminist organization recognized by UdeM,” Ferranti said. “The executive committee is practically all the founding members.”
The group is currently awaiting official recognition from the UN headquarters in New York in order to be named UN Women UdeM, but Ferranti said it will still take a while.
Warraich and his siblings as children. From left to right, Ahmed, Qasim, Fatima and Mohammed.
One Concordian’s honest portrait of what his faith means to him
As a Canadian-born Muslim, I’ve learned to live and grow in this country during one of the most trying times for Muslims around the world. Faith seriously entered my life when I was eight years old. My father had just been diagnosed with lymphoma and leukaemia, and his situation was quite dire.
We had been a relatively religious family up until this point, going to the mosque most Fridays and spending time within the Muslim community. However, my father’s sickness deepened our faith. We heavily relied on God and on our knowledge of the Islamic faith to get through that hard time.
Warraich’s father and brother
At the worst point of his sickness, it seemed not much more could be done, so my father planned a visit to the holy city of Mecca. There, he performed the Islamic hajj pilgrimage—a must for any Muslim before they die. After his pilgrimage, my father had a miraculous recovery, which further solidified his faith, and our family’s faith.
Religion is all around us. For thousands of years, it has been a driving force behind civilizations and understanding societies and the people who fill this planet. Sadly, it has also been the cause of many acts of war, genocide and persecution—whether it is a group of people using religion as a front to further their own political motives and agendas, or a group being persecuted for following a particular religion.
It seems to me that, these days, people increasingly dislike the concept of religion. Many cite it as outdated and the cause of the barbaric acts of violence we have all seen throughout the world.
I have found it difficult to refute these ideas in discussions with nonreligious or atheist people. Many who don’t practice any religion know very little about religion. As such, I believe when people see images and videos of people carrying out acts of violence in the name of religion, they paint a picture of that religion based solely on the brutality—ignoring all the positive sides of religion.
Islam is based on five pillars all Muslims should adhere to. The first pillar is “ shahada,” a declaration that there is only one God, and the Prophet Muhammad is the last of his messengers. The second pillar is “salat,” a prayer Muslims perform five times a day. The third pillar is “zakat,” which means giving charity to the poor and to those in need. The fourth pillar is “sawm,” which is the act of fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. The final pillar is “hajj,” the pilgrimage to Mecca.
These pillars represent the basis on which Islam was created. Growing up, my parents really emphasized the importance of kindness and generosity.
“This should be the focus of your time here on earth,” they’d say. Islam’s pillars reinforce kindness. This is why faith plays such a big part in my life. Many people say: “What if it’s all fake? And you’ve lived your life trying to be good all for nothing?” Yet, that is the point of Islam and many other religions in the first place—to sacrifice, and live your life for others, having faith that this is your purpose.
Warraich’s father (top left), with his siblings and other relatives
For me, regardless of whether it’s all fake or not, religion has taught me these key principles. To be kind, generous, empathetic, honest and to help people, regardless of their faith. Living with these ideals and trying to uphold them regularly is, in my opinion, a good way to live your life—this is regardless of what you feel happens after we die. This is why I find religion so powerful.
On Jan. 29, in la grande mosquée de Québec in Quebec city, six men, four of whom were fathers to young children, were massacred as they stood for evening prayer. The term I want to introduce here is “shahid.” This word is used to denote a martyr, a person who has died fulfilling a religious commandment.
Though people will say these men were not fighting for Islam in the typical way we think of today, these men are the brightest and most valued of Muslims—innocent, humble and hardworking fathers who were taken from this world and from their children too early. We must not forget what happened almost 10 days ago, we must not forget the names of these men, and we must always remember what they and their families were forced to go through in order to shed light on the problems our society faces. May they find their way into eternal paradise and may their families be lessened of the burden they now face.
