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Panel discussion tackles religious neutrality law

A panel organized by the Concordia Student Union discussed the implication of the recently-passed provincial religious neutrality law. Photo by Sandra Hercegova

Panelists suggest more National Assembly gatekeeping, more political involvement panelists suggest

Human rights lawyer Pearl Eliadis was about to leave a panel discussion on Bill 62 organized by the Concordia Student Union (CSU) early because of an obligation when she asked the panel moderator for the microphone one last time.

“When this bill was debated two years ago, where were all you guys?” she asked. Eliadis’s comments came after an attendee asked how protesters of the bill could have been more proactive.

Eliadis—an adjunct professor of McGill University’s faculty of law—answered mostly judicial-related questions in the small Hall building classroom where the CSU invited guests for the panel discussion on Nov. 1.

She sat alongside Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association (CMLA) national board member Sameer Zuberi and policy analyst Idil Issa. The latter, when asked how society should stop being reactionary to controversial legislation, sighed before uttering: “I don’t have the answer.”

Throughout the discussion, but also immediately following her question to the attendees, Eliadis urged the public to thoroughly read and study Bill 62.

Specifically, she pointed out the parts other than the second—and most publicized—section, which state:  “persons receiving services from such personnel members must have their face uncovered.”

The section—named “services with face uncovered”—has been the most controversial part since the bill passed on Oct. 18. Two days after the law passed, multiple people descended on Montreal’s Park Avenue and in the metro system wearing ski masks to protest against the bill.

The panel’s organizers invited Fatima Ahmad, a McGill student who wears the niqab, to share her thoughts on the new bill and talk about her experience wearing the full face veil.

“I feel really used [and] targeted,” Ahmad told the group of mostly students gathered in the room. When Quebec Justice Minister Stéphanie Vallée said the law had passed, Ahmad admitted she “was super shocked.”

Ironically, Eliadis noted, the provincial government launched an inquiry into systemic racism in Quebec in September, just a few weeks before Bill 62 passed. “Right hand and left hand, really,” she said, referring to the disconnect within Quebec’s government.

According to Eliadis, section three of the bill, pertaining to reasonable accommodation, is just as important if not more than the ban on covered faces when using public services.

The lawyer criticized section 11.4 as an example, which states that when an institutional body deals with an accommodation request, it must make sure the request is reasonable “in that it does not impose undue hardship with regard to […] the proper operation of the body.”

“It really is ‘anything goes,’” Eliadis said, referring to the provision’s vagueness.

“Instead of making [accommodation] something that you should be doing in order to ensure that we have inclusion in this country, [the bill] says: ‘Here are all the reasons why you should not accommodate people.’”

More involvement in politics

Zuberi, a former CSU executive who also ran as a councillor under the Projet Montréal banner in 2013, encouraged the panel’s attendees to get involved in the political process.

“[It’s] because people like us are not involved in those conversations that legislations like this actually pass,” Zuberi said.

The CSU—which already motioned to condemn the bill during a special council meeting on Oct. 19—was supported by the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) vice president of external affairs, Connor Spencer, and Association pour la voix étudiante au Québec (AVEQ) secretary general Rami Yahia at the panel.

Spencer said the bill should be “called for what it is: racist and sexist”.

“We do need to take a position on this. We’re students, but we’re also members of society,” he added.

“[It’s] not this piece of legislation that’s problematic, it’s the societal conversation that we’re having around this legislation that’s so damaging,” Zuberi argued.

According to Zuberi, company boards of directors and elected bodies in Montreal should also represent the city’s demographic by having the same percentage of visible minorities as in the society itself.

Issa supported Zuberi’s idea, adding that more representation from minority groups at the National Assembly could, at the very least, bring more opposition to legislation like Bill 62.

For Issa, the issue with the bill is more than political: it’s moral. “Use your moral imagination,” she said, “and try to think of what is fundamental to your character, to your beliefs, something that you hold dear, and imagine if it was violated upon every encounter with someone with institutional authority.”

Photo by Sandra Hercegova

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News

Modern-day Robin Hoods protest against austerity

The Grande manifestation pour la justice sociale demonstration in Montreal denounced the provincial government’s austerity measures. Photo by Alissa Muller

Coalition de la Main Rouge advocates for reinvestment in public services

About 700 people dressed as modern-day Robin Hoods gathered in Villeray Park on Oct. 28 for the Grande manifestation pour la justice sociale. The event, organized by Coalition de la Main Rouge (CMR), aimed to symbolically give back to the community, as Robin Hood would, by denouncing the provincial government’s austerity measures.

The Grande manifestation was the first event in the CMR’s campaign for social equity and justice which advocates for a more fair distribution of wealth.

The protest began at 1 p.m. with a speech given by CMR spokespersons Dominique Daigneault and Véronique Laflamme, who welcomed those who had travelled from regions like Estrie, Quebec City, Chaudière-Appalaches and Mauricie to show their opposition to Couillard’s government.

A carriage filled with fake money bags then led the march through the Villeray—St-Michel—Parc-Extension borough to represent the money taken away by provincial budget cuts. During the march, the band of Robin Hoods stopped the procession in front of strategic places, dropping off the money bags to demonstrate how austerity measures have affected the community. One such stop was at the Centre de la petite enfance (CPE) St-Marc. According to CMR’s Facebook page, the CPE has faced budget cuts of $300 million in recent years.

Among the protestors was Alexandra Pierre, the supervisor of communications and records for La Table des regroupements provinciaux d’organisme communautaire et bénévole, an alliance of social services groups. According to Pierre, it is crucial to maintain and reinforce the province’s social safety nets.

CMR’s goal is to push the government to reinvest significantly in publics services, social programs and independent community action, according to the group’s Facebook page.

Daigneault, who is also the president of the Conseil central de Montréal métropolitain, said implementing harsh austerity measures that limit public services ignores the fact that those services are still needed by the community. She claimed the government lacks compassion and consideration for citizens, especially the most vulnerable.

Laflamme argued that the Liberal government should use the money at its disposal to invest in the community rather than to reduce taxes.

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News

Le Frigo Vert elects new board members

The non-profit health food store Le Frigo Vert sells organic and locally grown food, medicinal herbs and hygienic products. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Non-profit health food store to focus on workshops, affordability in the coming year

Members of Le Frigo Vert elected seven members to its board of directors during the non-profit health food store’s annual general meeting on Oct. 30. The evening was also spent discussing a number of events to be hosted by the store in the upcoming year.

All seven candidates who ran for board positions—Genevieve Bonin-Nadeau, Allison Figuera, Iman Khalit, Fern Marmont, Tiago Muzzi, Alex Pace and Morgan Peniuta—were elected. With the exception of Bonin-Nadeau and Muzzi, the candidates had previously served as board members.

The candidates were elected by approximately 30 members of Le Frigo Vert who attended the meeting. Since the health food store is a Concordia fee levy group, its members include all graduate and undergraduate students who have paid the fee levy. Membership is also open to community members who pay an annual membership fee.

In addition to the election, the meeting focused on the store’s upcoming events and workshops, the largest of which is the annual Anti-Colonial Dinner. Co-hosted with the Quebec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG) at Concordia, the dinner’s turnout has increased in recent years and continues to be a primary focus for the store, according to Le Frigo Vert employee Maria Forti.

“It’s been packed for the past couple of years,” she said. “Last year, it was at capacity, which was about 500 people.”

Seven candidates were elected to Le Frigo Vert’s board of directors during its annual general meeting on Oct. 30. Photo by Alex Hutchins.

Le Frigo Vert will also be hosting workshops on herbal medicine this year, including “Herbs and Mental Health,” “Medicinal Mushrooms” and “Herbal Medicine for Trans People.” According to Forti, these workshops are in high demand and many have already reached the 20-person sign-up limit.

The store, located on Mackay Street on Concordia’s downtown campus, primarily sells organic and locally grown food. Other available products include medicinal and hygienic products, such as medicinal mushrooms and natural shampoos and soaps.

Forti said Le Frigo Vert is currently trying to lower its prices. “We’ve been working to lower mark-ups on medicinal menstrual products, fruits and veggies,” she said. “For example, the mark-up on menstrual products was 20 to 25 per cent in the past, and now it’s 10 to 15.”

As a fee levy group on campus, Le Frigo Vert receives 33 cents per credit from undergraduate students and $1.50 from graduate students each semester.

Forti said the fee levy helps fund their free workshops and events, including the Anti-Colonial Dinner, all of which are open to Concordia students and the general public. Additionally, students and members receive a 20 per cent discount on all products, which the store tries to provide at an affordable price.

“Food is an important part of my life,” said board member Khaliat during the meeting. “Providing access to it is as well.”

Photos by Alex Hutchins

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News

Magic: Is it just a bunch of hocus pocus?

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth

Concordia witches explain their faith, Halloween and the supernatural

Geena Papini is just like any other Concordia student. As a communication studies major, she goes to school, does her homework and hangs out with friends. You may have walked past her many times, but there’s one detail you would not be able to gauge by simply looking at her—she is a witch.

“I do practice magic,” Papini said. “Many people think of Harry Potter when they hear ‘magic’ and, while it would be so cool if I could turn a teacup into a mouse, that’s not the kind of magic witches are referring to when they talk about their practice.”

Witchcraft means different things to different people. It can be either a spiritual expression from a variety of religions, or a secular practice performed without religion. According to Papini, it is a customizable craft.

“Witchcraft, to me, is a way to be in touch with the universe, the earth and myself. It is something I came to out of curiosity and out of a desire for spirituality that wasn’t rooted in a specific, rigid religious practice,” Papini said. “For some people, it is a structured thing, following rituals and ceremonies that are passed down from one practitioner to another.”

Witchcraft, when practiced as a part of paganism, is often referred to as Wicca.

“I don’t consider myself Wiccan,” Papini said. “I think there is a misconception that to be a witch, you must be Wiccan. This isn’t true. There are many secular witches who do not incorporate the religion into their practice. There are [also] many pagans who do not consider themselves witches.”

Photo by Alex Hutchins

According to wicca.com, Wicca is a nature religion that acknowledges the cycles of nature, the lunar phases and the seasons. For many Wiccans, witchcraft is a spiritual system. While witches do hold rituals and brew potions, their craft mostly involves healing and natural remedies. For them, witchcraft is not a cult—they do not worship Satan, consort with demons, sacrifice animals or people, or use their craft to ‘hex’ or cast spells on others.

“None of us have sold our souls to Satan,” Papini said. “I promise.”

Another Concordia student who identifies as a witch is Raken Howell-Slater. Howell-Slater is Wiccan. She specifically identifies as a hearth witch, which, according to her, means most of her magic is intended to make people feel comfortable and happy in her home.

“I work with internal energies and call on elements [as well as] my Gods and Goddess for help when I need them,” Howell-Slater said. “I deal with mental illness, and I find my faith extremely helpful in combatting it.”

Howell-Slater said she had her first spiritual experience when she was 12 years old.

“I was walking in the woods when I went into a trance state and felt an extreme sense of peace, power, connection and emotion,” Howell-Slater said. “My first taste of something transcendental.”

She began to look into paganism when she was 18. When she first began studying at Concordia, she became involved with the Concordia University Pagan Society (CUPS) to meet other pagans.

“It’s really nice to hang out with a group of people who you don’t have to explain terminology or justify your beliefs to,” Howell-Slater said. “I think it’s still finding its feet, but the group definitely has a lot of potential and is a great place for curious people to get resources or answers.”

According to CUPS’s vice-president Bree Stuart, approximately half of their members are Wiccan and many of them practice witchcraft or magic on their own time. She said most of the witchcraft practiced by pagans revolves around lighting candles, burning herbs or laying out offerings. As for Stuart herself, she said she has always felt a pull towards the supernatural.

“There are few events and places in Montreal where pagans can practice their spirituality and faith, therefore we try to accommodate the broad spectrum of Pagan faiths to make sure that everyone feels welcome,” Stuart said. “As for the Concordia community, I feel our mysticism brings about a different worldview as well as open-mindedness in general.”

On Oct. 27, CUPS hosted an event at Concordia’s Multi-Faith Spirituality Centre to celebrate Samhain (pronounced sah-win or sow-in), the Pagan festival honouring the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter.

“We celebrate the eight Sabbats in the wheel of the year. They’re open to the public, so anyone can pique their curiosity and come celebrate,” Stuart said.

It is widely believed, especially in paganism, that many Halloween traditions are rooted in the Samhain festival.

Photo by Alex Hutchins

“Samhain is actually the origin of Halloween,” Howell-Slater said. “It is the Wiccan New Year and one of the two most spiritual nights of the year, when supposedly the veil between this world and the next is the thinnest. I celebrate Samhain by having my friends over and doing a private ceremony in remembrance of my dead.”

Halloween is Papini’s favourite time of year. She encourages people to celebrate and dress up as witches, but warns them to be mindful when donning a witch costume.

“Many negative depictions of witches actually come from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period, back when witches were thought of as people who had sold their souls to the devil in exchange for power, and are also rooted in anti-semitic prejudices,” Papini said. “The idea of a witch as someone with a hooked nose and green skin […] is something you should be mindful and aware of.”

Stuart agreed, and said she believes there is “no problem in donning a pointy hat and a broom.”

“That’s what I’m going to do,” she said.

To skeptics of her faith and practices, Howell-Slater has one message: “My beliefs and my gods are exactly as valid as any other god or set of beliefs you care to name. Mine just happen to be the ones that work for me.”

For more information about CUPS and their upcoming workshops on divination, herbs and the supernatural, visit their Facebook page.

Graphic by Alexa Hawksworth

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News

Trading sticks for stocks

The John Molson Sports Marketing Committee organizes the annual John Molson Sports Business conference. Photo courtesy of the John Molson Sports Marketing Committee

Annual John Molson Sports Business conference to feature NFL, Sportsnet speakers

Nicholas Vonapartis was attempting to find speakers for the John Molson Sports Business conference when he received an email from Sportsnet president Scott Moore.

“He sends me an email [saying], ‘How do you like Bill Daly?’” recounted Vonapartis, the vice-president of speaker personnel for the John Molson Sports Marketing Committee (JMSM), in an interview with The Concordian. That is how the conference managed to book the National Hockey League’s deputy commissioner as a speaker.

According to Vonapartis, two elements came into play when the committee began reaching out in June to potential speakers: name recognition and educational purpose. Daly fits both criteria.

In a few days, students from 23 North American universities will flock to Montreal for the three-day conference taking place at Hotel Bonaventure. According to JMSM vice-president of marketing Romana Kazi, 300 tickets have already been sold for the event.

Daly is one of more than 20 speakers, including lawyers from National Football League teams, public relations agents representing the biggest names in sports and Major League Soccer franchise presidents.

Daly’s panel with Moore and Sportsnet columnist Stephen Brunt will kick off the conference on Nov. 2. A discussion between Montreal Impact executive vice-president of soccer operations Richard Legendre and Toronto FC president Bill Manning will follow.

Vonapartis said the committee had a specific vision for the panels, and then found individuals who embodied that vision to participate. In short, the committee wanted to keep the panel discussions “completely up to date,” according to Vonapartis.

Consequently, the topic of national anthem protests in the NFL will be touched upon during a workshop featuring New England Patriots general counsel Jack Mula, Vonapartis said.

During Legendre and Manning’s discussion, Vonapartis expects the increasing number of MLS franchises to be addressed. The MLS imposes “huge franchise fees, but profits are nowhere to be found,” Vonapartis explained.

Some familiar faces

The Concordia Stingers 2015 rebrand featured new colours and a new identity, but more importantly, a lot of business decisions. The man responsible for it, Patrick Boivin, will return to Concordia more than a year after leaving the school to join the Montreal Alouettes as the organization’s president. He will host the VIP breakfast on Nov. 4.

Boivin’s short-lived tenure with the university—just over three years—doesn’t match Matt Pfeffer’s one-year stint as a consultant with the prestigious Montreal Canadiens.

Pfeffer––a data analyst for the Nashville Predators––is remembered not for the duration of his time with the Canadiens, but rather for the way his tenure ended.

Following the blockbuster trade that sent Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban to the Nashville Predators in exchange for Shea Weber, Pfeffer wrote in a statement that he “made a passionate case in favour of Subban” prior to the trade. He added: “There was never a meeting with [Canadiens] management” prior to the trade.

A month later, the Canadiens fired Pfeffer. Pfeffer will talk about hockey analytics alongside Sportsnet writer Dimitri Filipovic, hockey analyst Mike Kelly, Stathletes co-founder Meghan Chayka and Florida Panthers assistant general manager Eric Joyce.

The conference is a representation of Vonapartis’ overall goal for panels. The JMSB student said he wanted “a mix of three things: journalistic perspective, independent company perspective and internal [team] perspective.”

Courtesy of the John Molson Sports Marketing Committee

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News

The ghosts of Grey Nuns

Ghost stories involving Grey Nuns are nothing new.

An inside look at Concordia’s haunted residence

For many Concordia students, the ghost stories surrounding Grey Nuns—the former convent and current downtown residence—are nothing new.

According to former Grey Nuns resident Gabby Crowley, people have claimed multiple children from the building’s daycare report having the same “imaginary friend,” a man with tattered clothing and burnt flesh.

“It was actually kind of cool,” Crowley said, “but I was never really freaked out [by the stories].”
In 2016, CBC News confirmed 50 orphans died in a fire in 1918.

Concordia professor Daniel O’Leary explained that, among the many stories about Grey Nuns, the Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk is a chilling first-hand account of the convent from the 19th century.

Monk, who O’Leary described as a “non-voluntary inmate” at Grey Nuns, claimed the building hid an oubliette—a secret dungeon—containing the bodies of dead fetuses and infants from nuns who had secretly gotten pregnant.

Monk’s account might be seen as anti-Catholic propaganda, however O’Leary admitted to feeling uncomfortable being inside the building.

“It is an eerie place, and it is a common thing to see shadows and flitting figures” O’Leary said.

While I have never lived in Grey Nuns, both of my roommates have. After hearing our fair share about the supernatural, we decided to investigate.

On Oct. 26, we embarked on a slightly non-conventional investigation: a séance, complete with a talking board and a protective circle (a space that is safe from demonic entities, and cast by reciting a spell).

As we set up our protective circle, we heard eerie, operatic music echoing from a piano down the hall. Neither of my roommates remember this being a normal occurrence, but we decided it was likely nothing more than a coincidence.

For several minutes, my roommates and I waited in silence—our fingers on the board’s pointer—but nothing happened. It wasn’t until we were ready to give up that we felt the pointer glide across the board. In nearly perfect unison, we all insisted it wasn’t us moving it.

The planchette continued moving across the board, spelling out four letters: G-E-M-A. Then it stopped. Over the next 90 minutes, we seemed to have conversations with multiple entities, each one sliding to “yes” to tell us when they arrived, and “good bye” when they left. Few were as talkative as “Gema” seemed to be. When we asked her if she had been affected by the 1918 fire, she indicated no. When asked why she was here, the planchette slid from letter to letter, spelling out N-E-E-D-C-A-R-E.

Towards the end of the session, we noticed the pointer was repeatedly circling over “good-bye.” While this left us with a bad feeling in the pit of our stomachs, we continued, until the pointer began sliding manically across the board. When we asked who was with us, the pointer spelled out “Gema” again. Before we could ask another question, “Gema” began spelling out: G-E-T-A-W-A-.

Before she could finish, I quickly thanked her and told her she was released, as the board’s instructions indicated I should do. My roommates and I were fine not knowing if “Gema” had really intended to send an ominous “get away” warning.

As my roommate Hanna Buchanan explained, it’s interesting that many Grey Nuns residents are first-year students as there is something almost symbolic about spending your first year away from home in an allegedly haunted convent.

“Since Grey Nuns is essentially a place where students go to […] get out of their comfort zones, the fact that there’s this whole mythology around ghosts and the other world feels symbolic,” Buchanan said. “It’s all linked to the unknown.”

Photo by Megan Hunt

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News

University to contest accusations of social profiling

The Commission des droits de la personne recommends that Concordia University pay $33,000 in damages to a woman who claims she was a victim of social and racial profiling. Photo by Étienne Lajoie

Commission des droits de la personne recommends damages to be paid to victim

In July 2013, Chantal Lapointe was making her way through the underground tunnel between Concordia’s EV building and the Webster Library. She had been doing paperwork in the library and was carrying multiple bags. As she was about to enter the building through the tunnel’s revolving doors, two university security guards asked Lapointe for ID. When she asked why they needed to identify her, the security guards told her they had the right to do so.

This identification request is one of many factors that were considered by the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse in recommending that Concordia and the Montreal division of the Commissionaires—a security firm—pay Lapointe $33,000 in damages.

The Commission wrote that Lapointe’s race and social condition played a “decisive role” in the security guard’s decision to intercept her.

“The fact that she was perceived as a homeless person led her to be treated badly by security guards at Concordia,” said the executive director of the Centre of Research-Action for Race Relations (CRARR), Fo Niemi. Lapointe noted that nothing similar ever happened to her at the Université du Québec à Montréal while she was earning her bachelor’s degree.

The report further indicates that Lapointe was intercepted by Concordia security for no valid reason and that a security guard attempted to take a picture of her without her consent.

Lapointe said she tried to stop the security guard from photographing her by blocking their view with her hands. When another security guard intervened, the guard who took the picture told a colleague that Lapointe tried to slap him, according to the complaint filed a month after the incident.

The guards called police when Lapointe refused to leave. Police requested she provide identification, to which she obliged in order to avoid more trouble, she said.

In response to the accusations and the Commission’s reports, Concordia wrote in a statement that it “vehemently disagrees with the findings in [the] reports, which does not include all of the relevant facts.”

The university had until Oct. 27, 2017 to comply with the recommendations of the Commission—which doesn’t have the power to impose regulations—if it wanted to avoid going to trial for litigation.

Concordia failed to do so, writing to The Concordian on Oct. 24 that “it’s not appropriate for it to share those [relevant facts] at this time,” but that it “will be challenging the Human Rights Commission’s proposal, and the relevant facts will be brought forward through the judicial process.”

Commission legal counsel Buschra Jalabi—who prosecuted the case—declined to comment.

“We are the complainant, we have full legal status to be involved,” said Niemi in a press conference alongside Lapointe.

CRARR—where Lapointe has worked in the past—has offered legal support to the complainant.

In addition to paying the damages, the Commission also suggested the university give “anti-discrimination training” to its security guards and modify its institutional policies in order to “remove elements that target and stigmatize homeless people.”

Photo by Étienne Lajoie

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Opinions

The division between the West and the rest

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin.

The media’s late response to the attack in Somalia highlights our sense of disconnect

When a truck bomb in Mogadishu, Somalia, detonated on a busy street on Oct. 14, it claimed more than 300 lives. It was the country’s deadliest attack in years, according to Al Jazeera. Despite this, there was a severe lack of response from Western media. It is a reaction I believe to be common when a deadly attack happens in a country far away from our own.

I consume a lot of news, and yet I didn’t hear about the attack in Somalia through mainstream news outlets until days later. Now compare the media coverage of the violence in Somalia with attacks in places like England, France or the United States. In the latter cases, Western mainstream media often talk or write about the topic for weeks, whether it’s to condemn the violence, commemorate the victims or investigate the root cause. Stories about the Las Vegas shooting, for example, are still being told by the news media almost a month later. Yet our extensive local coverage was not only because four Canadians were killed in the attack, but because it happened in the West.

News stories thrive on tragedies, but more importantly, on the connection the audience feels to those tragedies. It may seem unfair that attacks in the Western world get more coverage than similar events elsewhere, and it is somewhat. That being said, I don’t believe it is because the Western world values certain lives over others. I believe it is about feeling more sympathy for those we relate to more.

Unlike after the attack in Paris in November 2015, there was no Facebook campaign allowing you to make your profile picture filter the Somalian flag. To me, it seems simple why this did not happen. The Paris attack quickly became worldwide news, while Mogadishu did not. It’s a shame the Somalia attack didn’t receive the same attention on social media, but I don’t believe Facebook would devote their resources to a cause that isn’t considered major news in the Western world.

According to the Global Terrorism Database, the vast majority of terror attacks occur in the Middle East and North Africa. When war-torn or unstable countries like Somalia, Afghanistan and Iraq appear in the news, it is often through stories of casualties caused by war or terrorism. Since tragedy is all we hear about in these nations, we have become desensitized to the violence taking place there.

In comparison, the type of stories we hear and read about from countries like England, France and the United States are more varied and highlight our shared cultures. As such, hearing about major terror attacks in Western countries is like hearing about one here in Montreal—it feels like home.

Now don’t get me wrong: it isn’t a good thing that the Western world is like this. I do believe we should care for the well-being of people around the world. However, it is also not surprising that we tend to disregard regions that are plagued with harsh political climates. The bottom line is, when we believe violence is common place in particular countries, we are less likely to mourn when these attacks happen.

It hurts me to write this, but it is one of the ugly truths of our society. In the Western daily news cycle, there is no time for events that the audience shares no connection to. When the local connection to the story is lost, so is its ability to resonate with us. As unfortunate as this is, it’s what leads attacks in the Middle East and Africa to be depicted as minor stories.

It is a terrible shame that terror attacks claim the lives of people in those regions. It’s a shame that the lives claimed in future attacks will not receive much air time in the Western news media. However, that is simply the way the world works. We sympathize with people who we connect with.

At the moment, our connection with people in troubled regions of the world is severed. In order for this connection to be re-established, we need to understand that violence isn’t and shouldn’t be the norm anywhere in the world. Regardless of the fact that we are different as human beings, our compassion for one another must bring us together in dark times.

Graphic by Zeze Le Lin

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News

Campus Equity Week for part-time job security

CUPFA chair of internal mobilization Erik Chevrier organized a week-long awareness campaign about the difficulties of part-time faculty members. Photo by Gabrielle Vendette

CUPFA holds awareness campaign for part-time faculty

Last week, the Concordia University Part-Time Faculty Association (CUPFA) held its 2017 Campus Equity Week, a week-long awareness campaign highlighting the difficulties many part-time faculty members face within the university.

Erik Chevrier, CUPFA’s chair of internal mobilization, headed the campaign’s organization and conception. Chevrier explained that the goal of the week was to inform people about the particular struggle of part-time faculty members who don’t have guaranteed positions within the university.
This year’s awareness campaign was focused on job security. According to Chevrier, few students know about the specific conditions that affect part-time faculty members, such as how they must re-apply every semester to teach their courses at Concordia and how it can take them up to 10 years to be eligible for health benefits.

Recently, according to Chevrier, part-time faculty members have been offered fewer courses.

According to Chevrier, since the 2012-13 academic year, 26 of the 50 departments that offer part-time positions have reduced the amount of courses offered to part-time faculty members. This has resulted in a total of about 431 fewer courses available to part-time professors.

Some of the most extreme examples Chevrier gave were from the sociology and anthropology departments, which went from offering approximately 92 courses in 2012-13 to 34 this school year. The geography, planning and environment department also saw a drop of almost 30 courses over the same period—from 74 to 46.

For professors who rely on these jobs as their main source of income, it can be extremely stressful to live without job security. Chevrier said he wanted the campaign to be fun and engaging, so CUPFA created short quizzes for students to fill out. The association also encouraged professors to take some time during their classes to give students the quiz. It featured little-known facts about part-time faculty at Concordia, such as how about 57 per cent of the university’s courses are taught by part-time professors.

According to Chevrier—who teaches courses for the political science, sociology and psychology departments—the quiz was very well received by students who were both surprised and concerned by how little they knew about part-time faculty working conditions.

“We teach quite a few courses. With that in mind, we should be respected like others at Concordia University as well,” Chevrier said.

The awareness campaign also included three short videos featuring students from the Arts and Science and Fine Arts faculties, as well as the John Molson School of Business, explaining what part-time faculty members brought to their classes. Many part-time professors actively work in their fields, which Chevrier said can bring a real-world perspective to the classroom and enhance students’ learning experiences.

“Looking forward, we want to be respected as equals, as professors,” he said. “We want to be recognized as colleagues.”

Campus Equity Week is organized under an international body called the Coalition of Contingent Academic Labor (COCAL), a network of groups that advocate for better treatment and working conditions for university part-time faculty, such as adjunct and part-time professors. Universities across Canada, the United States and Mexico each hold their own Campus Equity Weeks as part of COCAL’s international campaign.

Photo by Gabrielle Vendette

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ASEQ CEO refutes gift-giving allegation

The Concordia Student Union council passed a motion during the Oct. 25 council meeting to create a working group tasked with researching ways to improve the union’s health and dental plan service. Photo by Kirubel Mehari

Concordia Student Union motions to create a working group to review health and dental plan services

In a letter sent to Concordia Student Union internal affairs coordinator Veronika Rydzewski, Alliance pour la Santé Étudiante au Québec (ASEQ) CEO Lev Bukhman denied allegations that he provided gifts or benefits to CSU general coordinator Omar Riaz and finance coordinator Soulaymane El Alaoui.

Bukhman’s letter comes after Riaz and El Alaoui were issued formal warnings by the CSU on Sept. 20 for accepting plane tickets from ASEQ to Vancouver for the Student Union Development Summit (SUDS) conference held at the University of British Columbia from Aug. 18 to 21.

At the Sept. 20 council meeting, the council decided to designate Rydzewski as the new liaison between the CSU and ASEQ. Bukhman wrote: “At no time did [ASEQ] or its CEO, Lev Bukhman, provide a personal gift or benefit to Omar Riaz and Soulaymane El Alaoui.” Instead, ASEQ’s CEO described the plane tickets as a “sponsorship” that should “in no way be construed as a personal ‘gift.’”

According to Bukhman, “the sponsorship was from [ASEQ] to the CSU as an organization, not any particular individuals.”

Creation of a working group

A working group was created by the CSU to research ways to improve the union’s health and dental plan service. According to El Alaoui, the CSU’s last contract with ASEQ—the union’s healthcare provider—was signed in April 2017 and allows for the creation of a working group.

El Alaoui is one of five CSU executives and councillors in the group, along with Riaz, Rydzewski, councillors Rowan Gaudet and Rory James, and CSU general manager Robert Henri.

Riaz and El Alaoui previously told The Concordian that the idea to bring services in-house came from the SUDS conference where they observed the work of UBC’s Alma Mater Society—the university’s own student union. The Alma Mater Society, which also has a contract with ASEQ, brought its health and dental plan services in-house, meaning UBC students can access ASEQ services on campus.

During the council meeting on Oct. 25, El Alaoui said the union would be able to save more than $100,000 if it brought some of ASEQ’s services in-house. The finance coordinator added that bringing services in-house would create jobs for students.

The working group will not be a decision-making committee. Rather, it will bring recommendations to the CSU council that will be voted on.

Gaudet said it was “very obvious that [the CSU] could provide those services for cheaper.” Riaz explained students often come to the CSU office with questions regarding their health and dental plans, and receptionists have to redirect students to call ASEQ’s operators.

The CSU general coordinator added that all communication between the working group and ASEQ would be done through Rydzewski because of El Alaoui and Riaz’s ban from communicating with ASEQ.

By-elections referendum questions

The council approved the questions for the CSU’s next by-elections, which will run from Nov. 28 to 30.

Two of the questions are related to internships. The first will ask students if they are in favour of removing the requirement that mandatory internships in the departments of applied human sciences, education and art education be unpaid.

Because of the uneven level of support for internships from one department to another, according to the CSU, the second question will ask if students are in favour of “establishing a standardized system and placement protocol for all student internships.”

The CSU will also ask if students would approve of adding four new positions to its position book, including: “that the CSU oppose racism in all forms and rejects all values, structures and behaviours that perpetuate systemic racism.”

The last question will ask students if they are in favour “of Concordia University refusing to enforce” Bill 62. The refusal to enforce the bill would extend to students, staff and faculty who choose to practice their right to religious freedom.

Photo by Kirubel Mehari

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Concordia’s standalone sexual violence policy

Concordia Student Union student life coordinator Leyla Sutherland says the university’s policy doesn’t fit the definition of standalone sexual violence policy. Photo by Alex Hutchins

Student life coordinator Leyla Sutherland says current policy doesn’t fit the definition

A collective of students from Carleton University called the National Our Turn Committee published a study on university sexual violence policies across the country on Oct. 11. Our Turn: a National, Student-Led Action Plan to End Campus Sexual Violence ranked the sexual assault policies of 14 Canadian universities on a 100-point scale.

Concordia was the lowest-ranked school on the list, receiving a score of 52, or a D-. One of the reasons the university was deducted points was for not having a standalone policy on sexual violence. University spokesperson Mary-Jo Barr said the university was “surprised by the findings of this particular report,” since Concordia has had a standalone policy since May 2016. This most recent sexual assault policy was based on recommendations made in August 2015 by the Sexual Assault Policy Review Working Group, chaired by deputy provost Lisa Ostiguy.

However, Concordia Student Union (CSU) student life coordinator Leyla Sutherland, who helped conduct the evaluation, said this policy does not fit Our Turn’s definition of a standalone policy.

“Our Turn’s definition of a standalone policy stipulates that all aspects of the policy, including disciplinary codes and measures, be included in the policy itself,” Sutherland said. “This is both to make the policy more accessible, as it does not redirect students to another document, and because [Concordia’s] Code of Rights and Responsibilities, through which sexual violence complaints are processed at Concordia, is a code that was not created with the intent to cover sexual violence.”

“It is important that the policy and the people reviewing cases pertaining to sexual violence are people who are trained and equipped to manage the sensitive nature of these cases,” she added.

According to Section 5 of Concordia’s sexual assault policy, “Reporting and Discipline,” if an incident falls under the jurisdiction of the university—meaning it happened on university property, during a university event or “in [a] context where activities or events have a real and substantive link to the university”—the incident may be reported to the university rather than to police. Rather than outlining a formal complaint procedure unique to sexual assault cases, the on-campus option redirects the reader to the Code of Rights and Responsibilities, which lays out behavioral guidelines for students, staff and faculty, and the process by which all formal complaints are reviewed. This includes the process for submitting a complaint, the selection of a hearing panel and the hearing itself.

For complaints made against a faculty or staff member, “reports and complaints can also be made to the appropriate supervisor, depending on the parties involved”. However, Section 11 of the code states that “nothing in the code shall replace or supersede any complaint, grievance or appeal procedure set out in any collective or employee agreement to which the university is a party,” meaning faculty and staff are subject to whatever disciplinary procedure is laid out in their employee agreement.

Two other schools were penalized in the study for not having a standalone policy: McGill University and the University of Winnipeg. Another three—Dalhousie, the University of Regina and the University of Toronto—were awarded half marks for their standalone policies.

Sutherland confirmed she will be meeting with the administration during the week of Oct. 30 to discuss the outcome of the study.

Photo by Alex Hutchins

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Concordia history department condemns Bill 62

Photo by Alex Hutchins

Motion refusing to enforce law’s provisions passed at department meeting

A motion was passed at an Oct. 20 Concordia history department meeting condemning Bill 62, a provincial religious neutrality law adopted by the National Assembly on Oct. 18.

The motion—which was published on the department’s Facebook page—claims that the new law “discriminates specifically against one group, Muslim women who wear face coverings.”  

After the law was adopted last week, it was understood that Bill 62 would require people to uncover their faces when receiving public services. However, on Oct. 24, Quebec Justice Minister Stéphanie Vallée clarified that women who wear a veil will only have to show their face for identification purposes and when interacting with a public service employee.

In its motion, the history department added that “the real effect of Law 62 will be to restrict women’s access to essential services and public space.”

“Therefore, the Department of History resolves that we will refuse to enforce its provisions in our classrooms and offices,” the motion continued.

The history department is the first Concordia department to officially condemn the bill. The motion also urged the university and major unions, such as the Concordia University Faculty Association (CUFA) and the Concordia University Part-Time Faculty Association (CUPFA), to take a similar stand in refusing to enforce the law’s provisions.

In an interview with The Concordian on Oct. 20, Concordia president Alan Shepard said the university was not provided with guidelines or explanations for how to interpret or implement the law. “So for now, it’s a status-quo—as if the law weren’t there,” Shepard said.

As part of their motion, the history department stated, “the new law not only contravenes the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms but also Concordia’s own policies regarding ‘civility, equity, respect, non-discrimination and an appreciation of diversity,’ as well as the right of all members of the university regarding ‘freedom of conscience and religion; freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression.’”

Photo by Alex Hutchins

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