Stingers' Corrin Chapeskie standing near the dugout. CATHERINE REYNOLDS/The Concordian
A bright future lies ahead for the baseball team.
After a season-opening 6-3 win against the McGill Redbirds on Sept. 6 at Pierre Elliot Trudeau Park, the Concordia Stingers and their head coach Howie Schwartz are optimistic about their upcoming season and their future in varsity baseball.
This year, the Stingers will be competing against teams from the Ontario University Athletics (OUA), as well as other Quebec universities who are trying out for a potential new league for the 2023-24 season with the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ).
“We have four teams now: Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, McGill, Concordia, and University of Montreal. Bishop’s is going to be available next year, and then we’ll have an official league. We’re playing those three teams unofficially on a sixteen-game schedule and in the OUA on a sixteen-game schedule,” said Schwartz.
The coach also expressed a lot of satisfaction and confidence in his team, which is mostly made up of rookies.
“Our team is just much stronger defensively. We’ve had three games so far and our defence has picked up considerably from last year. I still want to see some improvement with our hitting, but even [that] has strengthened.”
Out of a roster of 40, only about 12 are returning from the 2021-22 season. However, Schwartz noticed that the rookies have been acclimating nicely to the program. Due to his heavy recruitment efforts in the off-season, some of those recruits came from as far as B.C. to play for the Stingers.
Catcher Mack Lake, a first-year student in economics from B.C., said he wanted to stay in Canada to play baseball in university. His first meeting with Schwartz cemented his decision to come to Concordia.
“Howie was just wonderful. Talking to him was really nice and I felt like he wanted me to come,” said Lake, a baseball player for almost a decade.
“Most of all, on the mound, we have a much stronger and deep pitching staff, and, at this level, pitching is going to make a difference. I’m very pleased with our pitchers this year,” continued Schwartz.
Against McGill, such a bullpen was beneficial to the team. Due to a rotation of five talented pitchers, the Redbirds’ batting lineup could never get used to any one of them. But that same bullpen will be stretched thinner as they prepare for an intense week ahead.
The Stingers will be facing the Redbirds for the third time this season on Sept. 20.
“They’re surely going to be ready for us. They don’t like losing to us and we don’t like losing to them,” said Schwartz with a chuckle.
On Sept. 12, the Stingers played an exhibition game against the John Abbott College Islanders that resulted in a 10-8 win for Concordia. The Stingers will be headed to Trois-Rivières for an exhibition double-header against Collège Laflèche on Saturday, while their next league double-header will take place on Sunday in Ottawa against Carleton University.
Pictured: Torben Laux, president of the Urban Planning Student Association. THOMAS VAILLANCOURT/The Concordian
Students from different associations are working together to strike in October
Various members of the associations (MAs) held their respective Annual General Meetings (AGM) throughout last week, and voted on whether or not to participate in a week-long student strike for a fall reading week.
Several student associations involved with the Arts and Science Federation of Associations (ASFA) will come together on Oct. 3 through 7 to picket classes if the mandate is passed.
Unlike other Quebec universities such as McGill, Université Laval, and Université de Montréal, Concordia does not have a reading week during the fall semester. In 2021, the University announced its plan to implement 12-week terms and a fall reading week. However, the new academic calendar will only begin in the summer term of 2023.
During the MA retreat last May, ASFA executives took it upon themselves to plan a student strike and shared their plans with other associations.
Following numerous conversations among the different associations and the ASFA team at the retreat, the Urban Planning Association (UPA) was the first student group to hold an AGM on Aug. 15 and get the mandate to strike.
According to Torben Laux, president of UPA, ASFA is working closely with different associations to coordinate the strike.
“At the moment, they’re going to be setting up a little package on how to strike, how to picket. Students will not come to classes. No assignments are allowed to be submitted, and no quizzes are allowed to be handed out,” explained Laux.
“It’s a lot of work, but I think it’s really exciting, especially after two years of not doing much. I think it will give younger students a really great opportunity to live through a strike. So, I think it will make people feel really empowered,” he added.
Ashley Torres, mobilization coordinator for ASFA, also expressed her frustration with the University.
“There’s no point for us to really wait that extra year… due to the pandemic, the past few years have been extremely difficult and challenging for students, especially [regarding] our mental health, and we deserve a long week break for classes,” said Torres.
Concordia University spokesperson Vannina Maestracci explained in a statement sent to The Concordian, the reason for the delay in implementing the break.
“Schedules for the full university are usually made a few years in advance, and transitioning from a 13-week to 12-week term is a significant adjustment for programs that have designed their curriculum around a 13-week course, especially programs that are subject to accreditation rules.”
“Given this, we are now doing the academic planning, training, logistics, and providing support and resources to faculty to ensure a successful transition to 12-week terms as of summer 2023,” read the statement.
Regardless, student associations have decided to gather and raise their concerns.
Another group that recently passed a motion to strike on Sept. 9 is the Geography Undergrad Student Society (GUSS), who are working with UPA to spread the word about the upcoming strike by sending out emails and preparing flyers.
Liv Aspden, president of GUSS, explained that the student strike will take place during the first week of October to mobilize and emphasize better student care.
“I’m not going to have a week off. We’re going to be striking, and we’re going to be picketing classes… we’re not going to get a break because we’re going to be obviously standing up for what we know is right and what should be happening, and just holding the University accountable for things that haven’t taken place,” said Aspden.
Members of the Stingers' football team on the field at a recent practice. CATHERINE REYNOLDS/The Concordian
The football team wants to redeem itself after a tough first couple of games.
With a difficult start to the season and an early bye week, the Concordia Stingers are looking to bounce back in their homecoming game against the McGill Redbirds on Saturday.
The Stingers played their last game on Sept. 3 at Sherbrooke and fell 23-24 to the Vert & Or. Concordia is currently 0-2 on the season and ranked before last in the conference, in the Réseau du Sport Étudiant du Québec (RSEQ).
Stingers’ quarterback Olivier Roy said that this bye week was mostly about focusing on the mental aspect of the game.
“The only thing we want to do is get back on the field and get a chance to redeem ourselves,” he said.
But with bye week, it was a long two weeks without games, so the Stingers wanted to make sure everyone was still focused.
“Our execution level has to be better than what it was for our first two games,” Roy said, which is something they work on by practicing. “One of the good things about bye weeks is that you get a head start on your opponent when they’re still focusing on the game they have [that] week.”
Roy added that they were already looking at McGill film last week while the Redbirds were still preparing for their game against Sherbrooke.
Something the team is looking to improve on is to start the game at a faster pace, and to play throughout the entire 60 minutes.
The Stingers had a better start in their second game scoring first, but they emphasized the need to play a full game.
Head coach Brad Collinson said the message over the past two weeks has been to “play Concordia football the way we know we can play,” which is something he said they haven’t done yet.
Collinson added that bye weeks are never really fun but they are an opportunity to improve.
“We think we got better during the week… we practiced three times, we cleaned up some things,” he said.
“We have to go out there and have fun and have a pleasure being out there on the football field. Guys spend a lot of work for this, we just want them to have fun and be loose,” Collinson concluded.
Pictured: Paul Laventure (left), bassist of Civil House, with Concordia students and brothers Dean (middle) and Aris Dadidis (right) in 2019. Photo by Alyssa Vasilev
Civil House is an indie pop band from Montreal made up of three best friends. Dean Dadidis, lead singer/guitarist and Aris Dadidis, the bassist, are brothers both studying at Concordia. At the same time, the drummer, Paul Laventure, is a childhood friend who moved to the U.S to study.
The three formed a band shortly after discovering their passion for music while jamming out every Sunday at church.
While the group started with a harder sound akin to alternative rock, as seen in their first few songs like “Not Holding on” and “The Moment,” they now have slowly transitioned to a softer pop sound.
Their latest song, “Shivers,” is reflective of the music they’re going to produce. The song was written and produced by Dean, toying with elements of indie pop while adding soft and sparkling guitar notes to highlight the undertones of nostalgia.
“Shivers” is not your typical cliché love song. The song is about seeing someone you love or used to love. Even though you know you can’t go back, it’s better for you to move on. The unmistakable feeling of love is still there.
While first love and first heartbreak can be brutal, the song emphasizes the feeling of being in love and reminiscing the good and old memories. “Shivers” is about remembering and holding on to that exciting, happy, and good feeling of being in love while forgetting about the hurt that follows the breakup.
The song is not limited to personal experience. Dean explains his goal to reach people through music.
“When I write something, it reignites an experience through the song, and when someone listens to that, and relates to it, there’s just an invisible connection,” he explained.
Though not everyone can relate to the experience of being in love, this song is still worth listening to. “Shivers” stuck to me because I felt that “magical feeling” and experienced many emotions while listening to the song.
Moving forward, the band hopes to make more music together. Despite the distance between them, the band is still united.
“They’ll always be in my life. We might get together and just produce a whole album when we can,” said Dean.
You can listen to “Shivers” and more of Civil House’s music on their Spotify page.
For more content and information, follow @civilhouse.music on Instagram.
This fifteenth edition of Osheaga is bound to be exciting
With Osheaga finally returning to its total capacity after two years, one of the world’s best music festivals is welcoming artists from different corners of the music industry to perform over a three day span.Since it’s physically impossible to divide myself across six stages with over 100 artists set to perform, who should I watch? My name is Guillaume and I’ll be your guide, helping you experience the best possible shows to have an amazing weekend.
Friday
Friday starts off the festival on a pretty strong note with a string of interesting names, especially in the pop and indie fields. Artists such as Pink Pantheress, Ashe, and Charli XCX all put their own unique spin on today’s pop music and are a must-see if you’re into pop. As for indie, Gus Dapperton, Dominic Fike, and French Canadian band, Les Louanges could all satisfy indie lovers on Friday. Coming off the release of their latest record WE, Montreal’s legendary alternative rock band Arcade Fire is in town headlining on Friday, making it definitely a show not to miss. Sleeper sets of the day include trap producer and singer Pi’erre Bourne and Punk band Turnstile.
Saturday
Saturday is looking to be the most promising day, with heavy names in hip hop and a profusion of other cool artists. Fans of the genre are going to get spoiled with artists such as Slowthai, Freddie Gibbs, BIA, and Saturday’s headliner, Future. Saturday is also another strong day in the indie field with performers such as Toronto’s Luna Li, Montreal’s Men I Trust, and none other than Mitski. Other must-sees include Hyperpop duo 100 Gecs and Nigerian superstar Burna Boy. The sleeper pick of the day is U.K rapper, Slowthai.
Sunday
Sunday might not have the most stacked lineup, but you will definitely be able to find quality performances. Sunday’s headliner include pop star Dua Lipa, who is solely worth the cost alone, and is almost guaranteed to deliver an incredible show. Sunday also has a couple of popular names in the music industry, such as Machine Gun Kelly, Glass Animals, and Alan Walker. Rapper Cordae, singer-songwriter Lucy Dacus and punk-rock band IDLES are amongst other talented musicians performing on Sunday. The Sleeper show of the day is the Australian Genesis Owusu who is a must-watch.
Now that Osheaga has returned back to its full form , it’s safe to say that everyone is as excited as ever to see a plethora of talented artists hit the stage in Montreal. With perfect weather announced over the weekend, these next three days are going to be incredible for music lovers.
Rap fans of all ages gathered at MTELUS in Montreal last Wednesday, as a duo of lo-fi hip hop mastodons Action Bronson and Earl Sweatshirt were headlining their NBA Leather tour accompanied by Boldy James & The Alchemist as their opening act. Fans were waiting patiently for both Bronson and Earl to come out and perform.
The show started off with Californian producer, The Alchemist, coming on stage and warming up the crowd, playing some of his more popular beats. Detroit rapper and Boldy James joined The Alchemist to perform their opening set. James’ set was definitely entertaining, with him playing most of his classic songs, and at least half of his 2021 amazing collaboration album with The Alchemist Bo Jackson, but his performance didn’t do justice to the quality of his music.
James’ music is more based on him spitting bars over a smoothly sampled instrumental. This style of rap is harder to decipher at a concert, resulting in the performance lacking a bit of energy, making it harder for people to connect with the music. Nonetheless, he still delivered a satisfactory performance and set the table well for the other artists yet to come.
The next artist to perform was Earl Sweatshirt, who delivered a solid performance, rapping most of his latest album SICK!, and some key songs off of his other records. The crowd lacked energy at the beginning of his set, but once he played his meme song “EAST,” they picked it up and started moshing. Earl was the chillest and most laidback guy ever. He had no difficulty showcasing his funny, nonchalant and sarcastic side we all came to know and love from his days as a part of Odd Future. Earl’s set was able to make people feel a plethora of different emotions.
The last but not the least artist performing was New York MC Action Bronson, who delivered a super loud and “in your face” set. Contrarily to Boldy James, his music sounded even better live. He was super theatrical with his rapping and the fans were really engaged in his set. It was definitely surprising to not see him rap much of his new album Cocodrillo Turbo as he only performed a song or two off of it, regardless, it was still great to see him live.
Whether it was Boldy James’ gritty sound, Earl Sweatshirt’s more laidback and posed attitude, or Action Bronson’s aggressive and energetic performance, everyone brought something different to the table that saw fans feasting through it all.
“I guess I’m telling my story, the experiences I’ve had, the travels I’ve endured, the places I’ve been and the people I’ve met. Also hearing other stories and bringing people together.”
Sampson McFerrin is a Montreal based artist who is currently studying his third year in Print Media at Concordia University. In April, he held his first art exhibition in which he presented to the public his work, which clearly reflects his journey as an artist.
Checarré is an exhibition that reveals the trajectory of McFerrin as an artist throughout the years. He has covered over 50,000 kilometers in nearly 30 countries. He claims that this unique experience has not only influenced his art but has also shaped him into the person he is today.
“Before I was born, my parents travelled around the world for two years, and when they had me they wanted to keep that lifestyle. I was introduced to it from a really young age and it was just how it was. Now I’ve taken it as a passion of my own, it made me the person who I am.”
Being a mixed word and at the same time denoting the creativity of the artist, Checarré signals different meanings and tonalities.The first part of this word means “checking-in” since McFerrin is in his third year and has a desire to give criticism a place in his work. The second part, carré, comes from the French and literally translates to “square” since he claims that for some reason, his works continue to end up in squares, something that has worked for him. The third and last part of this word––originally suggested by his brother––also comes from the French; the expression chez moi, denoting the reason behind McFerrin’s decision to hold his exhibition in his own apartment. This makes the spectator’s experience feel much warmer and closer to the message of the works.
How unique it is to be able to encounter the mixture of one’s oldest and latest works as is the case with Checarré. McFerrin explained that he has been painting since grade four and has been more serious about it since grade ten when he started selling his work. However, for five years, he feels that in his latest work he only notices very small differences. That’s one of the reasons why he decided to switch to print media:”I was ageing for something more or just some new technical skills to learn.”
Artists have often reflected on the role failure has played into their career’s evolution. Nonetheless, it is very difficult to define the role that failure has had when this term is so subjective. Having spent much of his life painting, McFerrin has become a very open-minded person. Proof of this mindset can be observed through the response he gave to The Concordian when asked about the role of failure in his own artistic process: “I don’t think failure has ever been an option.”
Learning from mistakes, falls and success is just part of the learning process, as the artist explained “Even if I fail, it is okay. It is what you learn from that and what you have to do to make sure you pass to the next one. Failure has never been an option, make it work! If you’re biking and the bike breaks down you’ll get a tiny moment of ‘oh no!’ But then it all is about what’s next. There is always something to do. If something does not go as you wanted, make it work in the best way for you.” That is McFerrin’s message.
His flexible mentality is noticeable in his art in which he also draws the image of his passion for bicycles––Rain Pants Party is his favourite work, an acrylic-based painting. A very personal work and even an “extension of self” as he commented.
Through Checarré, he presents his most unique side, a life experience that results in a narrative of his experiences which have not only transformed him as a person but have led him to create meaningful connections with people who can see themselves represented in his work.
Through a refreshing conversation with the artist, one can not only get an insight into his career in the world of painting and printmaking, but also an admirable glimpse into a unique lifestyle that has helped him keep an open mind, a fundamental skill for life.
After observing Checarré, it is very easy to realize that, as the artist himself said, art is everywhere. This project can precisely serve as an inspiration for youth who are doubting the veracity of the path to art so that they take the leap. “Do what makes you happy, switch to what makes you happy, don’t give up on that,” McFerrin encourages. Through his work, McFerrin sees his most recent and older work living together and admits to still learning how to use print media, which he denotes through his art the importance of patience in the art world.
Newly proposed Bill 32 will protect academic freedom in classrooms, according to Quebec’s higher education minister
Quebec recently proposed a new bill that will allow any form of speech to be used in an academic context.
Many university students voiced their concerns and anger following the recent events of professors saying the N-word in classrooms for educational purposes.
The first incident occurred at the University of Ottawa in 2020 when professor Verushka Lieutenant-Duval was suspended after using the N-word in class. A similar incident happened at Concordia in February 2021, when a Concordia faculty member also used the slur during a lecture.
During the press conference, Danielle McCann, Quebec’s higher education minister, said these events highlight the importance of protecting academic freedom in classrooms.
“Censorship has no place in our classrooms. It will never happen, and we must protect faculty from censorship,” said McCann. “Classes are not safe spaces, but spaces for debate,” she added.
Amaria Phillips, a co-founder and president of the Black Student Union, disagrees with Bill 32, and fears future tension in classrooms.
“We want our classroom to be a safe space. We don’t want to have to worry about whether or not a professor is going to say the N-word and feel triggered by that,” said Phillips.
McCann clarified that universities will not be required to warn students before any offensive content is being addressed. However, McCann reassures that professors will be able to use all words within an educational context while respecting future guidelines.
“It is also essential to provide quality training to members of the student community in an environment conducive to learning, discussion and debate,” said McCann.
Once adopted, this law will clearly define academic freedom in universities and its guidelines, as mentioned in the bill.
The bill aims to promote and protect the right to university academic freedom and the right of every person to engage without any prejudices or ideological notions.
The bill requires every educational institution to appoint a person responsible for academic freedom to collaborate and communicate through written reports with McCann.
In a written statement sent to The Concordian, Concordia states that academic freedom is essential to a functioning university ecosystem, siding on managing academic freedom themselves rather than having any government involvement.
“We prefer not to see a law on academic freedom. We believe that the autonomy of universities is the best guarantee that academic freedom continues to thrive and that the imposition of a law by the government goes against that freedom,” read the statement.
Angélique Willkie, associate professor of Contemporary Dance and co-chair of the Concordia University Task Force on Anti-Black Racism, agrees with McCann and recognizes a university is a place for debate.
“[The university] It is a place where in order to facilitate knowledge and nurture knowledge and nurture critical thinking, difficult conversations of all kinds need to take place,” said Willkie.
“It’s not a ticket to just say whatever you like. I think what we are responsible as faculty members, and as an institution, is to provide a learning environment for all students,” Willkie added.
Lisa White, the executive director of the Equity Office at Concordia, says conversations about academic freedom and inclusivity are an ongoing dialogue in accordance with the university’s values found in the Code of Rights and Responsibilities.
“There are no conflicts between ensuring that academic freedom is respected and valued and part and parcel of the university experience for all for all people,” said White.
Three entrepreneurs use their knowledge and experience to produce handmade high-quality bicycles.
Ronny Perez Jaramillo, Mathieu P. Hamel and Étienne Trudeau are the three proud owners of Memento Cycles. They design and manufacture high-quality bicycles in their workshop located in Rosemont, Montreal.
For many years, the three of them worked together as bike couriers and messengers. Their experience in the field, and the knowledge that comes with it, have given them a better understanding of the cycling industry and its needs.
The cycling industry, like most industries, is dominated by mass production in low-income countries. It focuses on low-cost and low-time production bicycles. Memento Cycles differentiates itself from the bunch by choosing quality over quantity.
The Rosemont-based artisans weld and assemble the bikes themselves. Every bicycle frame they make is customized for every client so that the bike perfectly fits the person’s body. They design and make their products for cyclists who want to ride a bicycle that feels like an extension of their own body, and offer a solution to those who want to ask for more from their bike.
Kaitlynn Rodney/ The Concordian
Both Trudeau and Perez Jaramillo are engineering graduates. They took to the field so that they could earn high salaries and work in very safe, stable jobs like they thought they were supposed to. Instead, they decided to make the daring decision to choose passion over money and boldness over safety.
Perez Jaramillo believes that Memento Cycles is about more than making a living by selling bicycles.
“It’s about learning and growing,” he explained, referring to both being an entrepreneur and a human being.
Kaitlynn Rodney/ The Concordian
The Work Market is Changing
The pandemic has redefined the way Canadians think about their work. For many, it’s opened up options beyond working for someone else. Employees and employers now have to deal with the new rules of the labour market.
The human resources firm LifeWorks uses the Mental Health Index (MHI) to measure Canadians’ level of happiness and satisfaction at the workplace. The firm has conducted surveys every month since 2017, and their data can be used to understand the evolution of Canadian workers’ views and feelings about their job.
Their study on the MHI found that the Canadian workers who feel a sense of belonging and acceptance at work have among the highest mental health scores. Lower mental health scores can cause lower productivity while higher mental health scores result in higher productivity. They also found that more than one-third of employed Canadians are either thinking about leaving their job, or are unsure because their current job does not satisfy them.
Additionally, Statistics Canada publishes estimates of business openings and closures every month. Their latest comprehensive report released in July 2020 compares the first few months of the pandemic to the same months during the preceding year. It states that the number of new businesses has risen by eight per cent from March to July 2019.
We will have to wait for more recent data to make conclusions about the long-term effects of the pandemic, but the first five months’ statistics suggest that the pandemic has encouraged Canadians to start their own businesses.
Memento’s history
Perez Jaramillo and Trudeau graduated in 2020 and 2019 respectively. Fresh out of completing their degrees in engineering, both believed that an office job would not satisfy them. They felt the need to work on their own terms toward an objective of their own. They both appreciate the ability to work when they choose, and to take a day off when they feel like it.
“It all started when I was taking entrepreneurship classes during my last semester at university,” said Perez Jaramillo with a smile.
“I was really looking for a project to start my business. At first, it was not about the bikes; it was more about being an entrepreneur.”
“At first, it was Étienne and me,” Perez Jaramillo remembered. They asked Hamel to join because they thought that his experience in the cycling industry and his knowledge of bike mechanics would be beneficial.
“I think that three is the perfect number for our business. Everyone brings something different to the table. We had to buy a lot of tools and machines to produce bike frames. It was good that we could split the expenses in three.”
Trudeau is the one who had the idea of producing cargo bikes. “All the cargo bikes we have here are imported from the Netherlands and are very hard to get. It costs about $10,000 to buy and ship the bike to Montreal. It should actually only cost you $5,000. Étienne thought there was a market there. This was all we needed.”
Trudeau explained that cargo bikes are the fastest way to deliver goods in the city. They have a very small front wheel with a wide platform attached to the fork which makes it easy to carry great loads. There already are a few companies in Montreal that use those bikes to make deliveries. The three entrepreneurs hope to convince those companies to stop importing expensive bikes from Europe, and instead, use their locally made bicycles.
“At first we only wanted to make cargo-type bikes,” Trudeau remembered. But they quickly realized that it was quite complicated to start with such a complex product. They decided to start making regular bicycle frames. The trio quickly found out that this was still hard. This is why they decided to start by making bike racks and small accessories.
Étienne attaches a bike rack to the front of a bike. They shared that the fitting is one of the most important part of the process. Kaitlynn Rodney/ The Concordian
Similar to the two other partners, Trudeau still works a part-time job. He is a bicycle messenger for a company that uses cargo bikes to deliver goods on the Island of Montreal. He is very used to riding those unique bikes, and hopes to be able to produce and sell the first cargo bikes made in Montreal.
Why are Memento’s bikes unique?
The three Memento owners were cyclists years before starting their company. Their background and experience allow them to better understand the demands of bicycle lovers. Perez Jaramillo believes that “cyclists are the best persons to create cycling products.”
“People do not want to buy something they could have done themselves,” he said. “They want to buy something special, clean, and unique.”
Manufacturing bikes on a smaller scale than most bike brands allows memento Cycles to create a relationship with the customers. Perez Jaramillo thinks this is central to their work.
“I loved the idea of working with my hands,” Perez Jaramillo explained. He always was more cerebral than manual but he “was very attracted by the idea of learning to weld and work the metal.”
Kaitlynn Rodney/ The Concordian
The road to success was a bumpy one, but Perez Jaramillo tries to find something positive in everything.
“We made a few mistakes,” he said, “but I think that we learned from every one of them. As long as your mistake does not destroy your company or kill anyone, I am sure you can draw something positive from it.”
Trudeau believes that one of the biggest challenges is to manage to reach out to as many people as possible. “In order to do that,” he said, “we need to have a diversified range of products.”
There are 600,000 bikes sold a year in Quebec. The three Memento members hope that they will be able to sell at least 20 bikes a month. That would allow them to leave their respective part-time jobs and focus on the company.
Looking Ahead
“When I come here, I don’t have the feeling that I am working,” Trudeau shared happily. “If I was not in a love relationship, I would spend all my time here without feeling like I am spending all my time at work.”
Being an entrepreneur can be very challenging at times, requiring a great amount of motivation to keep going even when the pay is not as good as one would hope or everything seems to want to fall apart.
Perez Jaramillo finds his motivation by comparing his life to those of his fellow classmates. “I have friends who graduated from the same program I graduated from who have a nine-to-five type of job, a good salary, and a nice office to work in. But they all tell me the same thing: this is not enough. They feel like they are missing something. This is why I tell myself that even if I had a full wallet, I would not necessarily be happier.”
Trudeau explained that his bachelor’s in civil engineering and Perez Jaramillo’s bachelor’s in mechanical engineering are relevant to their work. They use a lot of the knowledge learned in their studies, especially when it comes to materials and their particularities. Harmel completes the trio well with his knowledge and experience in bike mechanics.
“There are too many generations who convinced us to study a lot, find a decent job, and get settled,” Trudeau said. “I see too many people who are unhappy with that type of life.”
Perez Jaramillo believes that “entrepreneurs are people willing to dedicate their heart and their soul to their projects. I don’t mean to become crazy — but it’s almost that.”
Internet permanence and its effects on a student journalist
I love writing for the commentary section every week. I fill my Notes app with article ideas about light and silly topics. I dabble in satire, and ask the real questions, like why pets with food names are inherently adorable.
Writing “fluff” brings me (and hopefully others) laughter and joy, which is absolutely necessary in what is often a bleak newscape. I also strongly believe that it still offers creative commentary on the world. This article is not meant to discredit the fun stuff — ‘cause after all, it’s just as important.
However, as I’ve noticed this trend in my own writing tendencies, I’ve been pondering whether there’s something holding me back from tackling more “serious” issues.
While I often don’t feel like writing about these topics, when there’s something I do feel passionately about, there’s always a voice in my head telling me that sticking to what I know will never be controversial.
As a 20-year-old student, I’m often scared that I don’t have enough real-life experience to comment on big world issues. When I’m researching, no matter how much reading I do, I still feel uninformed and nervous to express how I feel.
Although some of these sentiments can be chalked up to impostor syndrome or a valid concern of not wanting to contribute to misinformation, part of my hesitancy stems from the permanence of the internet.
While archives of student newspapers have always existed, the accessibility of the internet raises the stakes for student journalists who are learning and experimenting through student media.
Voicing my opinions on more serious topics is scary because I know that anything that I publish now will follow me for the rest of my professional career.
I might be proud of my writing and my arguments at this stage, but I’m worried that in the future, I might change stances or develop more nuanced perspectives. I might not necessarily want my 20-year-old opinions to be easily accessible and out there forever.
At times, it seems ridiculous to hold my tongue in fear of something that may very well never happen. It’s completely possible that I will stay the same in all of my convictions for the rest of my life. But, I also want to keep an open mind and learn new things that will challenge these convictions.
I know that I should voice my opinions and trust people to understand personal and professional growth over time, but leaving that interpretation up to others is often daunting. It’s a concern that’s new to our generation of journalists that we will have to figure out as we go.
In the meantime, I’m going to try not to let the concept of internet permanence scare me from speaking out when I have something valuable to add to the dialogue. I’m going to try to not be afraid of being judged for the way I present my opinions.
As a journalist writing for the public interest, I shouldn’t need to censor my articles in case myself or others don’t agree with me later down the road. As long as I continue to base my writing on facts, diligent research, and good intentions, I’ll be okay, right?
The STM plans to add five metro stops to the blue line. KELSEY LITWIN/THE CONCORDIAN
The Blue Line metro will have five added stops
For three decades, the City of Montreal has discussed the extension of the metro’s Blue Line.
Finally, Quebec’s Junior Transport Minister and Minister for Montreal Chantal Rouleau announced on March 18 that the long-awaited extension is finally set to be completed by 2029.
The extension will include five new metro stations. They will be located along Jean-Talon St. where it intersects with Boulevards Pie-IX, Viau, Lacordaire, and Langelier, as well as at Bélanger St., on either side of Highway 25, for the terminal station in Anjou.
Courtesy Société de transport de Montréal
This extension aims to facilitate and shorten commute times for residents, workers, and in particular, students. Rouleau explained that this project would allow economic and social development of the eastern neighbourhood.
“The project is optimized to give the opportunity of the whole new neighbourhood at the east of Highway 25 to have access to the metro,” explained Rouleau.
“It gives opportunities to students to go faster to universities. It gives opportunities to enterprises to have more employees coming in [public] transport without their cars,” Rouleau added.
Sarah Bruyère, a first-year interior design student at the Université de Montréal (UdeM), lives in Anjou and is one of the many students who will benefit from an added stop, which will shorten her commute to school.
“I feel like it’s about time, because my mom told me that even before I was born, she hoped there would be a metro going to Anjou by the time I was in university,” said Bruyère.
“It would be so much easier if the metro came to Galerie d’Anjou, because now I have to take two buses to get to Saint-Michel station, and it takes me one hour and 15 minutes to get to school,” Bruyère added.
Unlike UdeM students living in the east, some Concordia students residing in the same area won’t benefit from added stops on the Blue Line. Olivia Integlia, a first-year journalism and political science student, wished the metro extension would connect the blue line to the green line.
“When I heard that they were installing a metro line near the east-end, it was actually great news because the closest one is Cadillac or Viau metro. What kind of surprised me a little bit is that it’s the Blue Line,” explained Integlia.
“I think personally, if I’m thinking about my commute to Concordia, it won’t really affect me.”
The Blue Line metro extension is a step forward in developing the east-end further, as promised in the Déclaration pour revitaliser l’est de Montréal, which was signed in 2018. The declaration is an agreement between the city and the Quebec government to provide funding for land redevelopment by 2024 and to promote sustainable and integrated mobility.
The original cost was $4.5 billion. Rouleau announced that the new budget is between $5.8 and $6.4 due to many factors, one being expropriation (the government’s power to take private property for public use).
“It will be very easy for the residents to have this access. And it will be better for everybody,” said Rouleau.
