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Celebrate Black History Month in Montreal

Black History Month invites all Montrealers to take part in events celebrating black Canadians. Photo by Chloe Ranaldi

Montreal Black History Month Round Table organizes events to  honour the black community

Every February, Canadians are encouraged to take part in a variety of events to commemorate the legacy of black Canadians, past and present.

The Montreal Black History Month Round Table, a non-profit organization which promotes black culture and education, held a press conference on Feb. 2 at Olympus Stadium to kick off this year’s festivities.

“February shines a light on all of the joint efforts made by various actors who are working to share a taste of their culture with the general public,” said Michael Farkas, the president of the Montreal Black History Month Round Table.

The theme weaved into this year’s series of events is “Here we stay, here we stand!”

According to Farkas, the theme aims to highlight the achievements of Canada’s black community and the contributions they have made to our society. Montreal Black History Month Round Table’s 26th edition of Black History Month will feature more than 100 social and cultural activities that highlight the achievements of black communities.

Black culture will be celebrated throughout the month with events such as a blood drive Feb. 18, a panel discussion, and a conference at Concordia University titled “Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities,” led by Stanley Nelson on Feb. 25, among others.

Photo by Alex Hutchins.

“Black History Month began in February 1926, when Dr. Carter G. Woodson coined ‘Negro History Week,’ which blossomed into Black History Month,” Frakas explained. February also marks the birthdates of notable historic figures such as Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln and Bob Marley, who helped with notable black movements in North America, he added.

“The month of February marks an important aspect of our history and is important for educating Canadians,” Farkas said. “Learning about one’s history is important because it is [vital] to know where one is coming from and where one stands and where one wants to go.”

Farkas discussed the importance of educating students about black history and culture in order to improve the future. “We’ve come a long way and it is important to note that Black History Month doesn’t just start Feb. 1 and end Feb. 28, but that it is an ongoing process.”

Montreal Black History Month Round Table is presenting a variety of activities for the city’s 375th anniversary, said Farkas. “All year long, let us discover and mention the contributions and achievements of Canadians of African origin and descent who, thanks to the brilliance of their accomplishments, bring honor to our place in this land.”

Notable black Montreal figures such as Henri Pardo, the founding president of Black Wealth Media and the producer and director of the Black Wealth Matters documentary series, and R&B singer-songwriter Shaharah Sinclair gave speeches about Black History Month at the press conference.

“Black History Month is very important to me because I feel that it gives us the opportunity to focus on parts of our history that have been neglected,” said Sinclair.

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Concordia community feeds the homeless

Concordia community members feed the homeless for Multi-Faith Day of Action. Photo by Mishkat Hafiz

Participants contribute to Multi-faith Day of Action, helping the homeless in our community

Concordia students and staff participated in a Multi-Faith Day of Action on Jan. 31, where members of the community helped feed the homeless at the Multi-faith & Spirituality Centre.

Since January 2016, a small group of students from various ethnic, religious and spiritual backgrounds has met at least once a month at the centre with the goal of working together for a good cause.

The group of 16 was led and organized by Interfaith facilitator Laura Gallo and composed mostly of women.

“You get to try out something new and you get to help people who need help,“ said Wameed Iqbal, a first-time volunteer and graduate student from New Delhi, India studying mechanical engineering at Concordia. “Right now, with the situation around the world, we need more understanding between peoples.”

The participants joined together to chop vegetables and make sandwiches using fresh and nutritious ingredients and put them into lunch bags to distribute to the homeless. Granola bars, juice, biscuits and bananas were among the snacks included in the roughly 80 lunch bags. Considerations for those with vegetarian and vegan diets were mentioned, the more experienced participants but homeless people have said they prefer sandwiches with meat, said Gallo. For this event, tuna or chicken bologna sandwiches were offered.

Once the lunch bags were ready, the participants split into two groups. They took to the streets and delivered the food directly into the hands of homeless community. Major points of distribution included downtown metro stations such as Atwater, Berri-UQAM and Place-des-Arts.

Concordia community members feed the homeless for Multi-Faith Day of Action. Photo by Mishkat Hafiz

“I really enjoy the look on people’s faces,” said Andrea Lopez, a second-year human relations student at Concordia and a previous participant in these events. “They were so thankful when we went to them and told them, ‘I have a lunch bag for you.’ That’s what I personally enjoy.”

“It encourages students to do more volunteering activities such as this one,” said Lopez. “You have people with different philosophies and different perspectives, and yet they’re all getting together—it’s just beautiful.”

According to Gallo, the Multi-Faith Days of Action have always been successful, with good conversation and sharing of experiences and beliefs amongst the multi-cultural and multi-spiritual participants.

For more information on the Multi-Faith and Spirituality Centre’s next day of action or other events, check out their Facebook page or drop by the centre at 2090 Mackay St., across the street from the Hall building. All are welcome.

Watch our footage of Concordia’s Multi-Faith Day of Action below:

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Next PSSA general assembly to determine future with ASFA

Graphic by Florence Yee

PSSA has been planning a separation from ASFA since early 2016

The Political Science Student Association (PSSA) will vote on Feb. 13, during their general assembly, on whether or not they will leave the Arts and Science Federation and Association (ASFA). According to PSSA president Nora Molina, she and the members of her association have been disappointed with the relationship ASFA has been has had with their member associations.

“We want to leave ASFA to have a more [organized] student association,” said Molina. “We are going to have an open discussion with our members to figure out what do we want to do.”

ASFA is currently the largest faculty association at Concordia, representing 15,000 undergraduate students within its 31 member associations.

Molina said ASFA is unorganized with regards to their scheduled office hours, among other things. “We were supposed to have a workshop to help and guide our members in their jobs within the association, but they were never well prepared,” said Molina, who has been involved with her student association for three years now.

According to Molina, being part of ASFA requires a lot of time and effort. “It’s also a weight for us,” she said. “We are associated with the ASFA name, and every time that ASFA does something they should not have done, it involves PSSA into it without us having anything to do with that ‘scandal.’” Independent from ASFA, the PSSA would be able to make their own decisions, such as when it comes to organizing their own workshops, Molina Said.

In February 2016, students from the association voted on whether or not the PSSA would be accredited to be their own association. More than 96 per cent of voters supported PSSA’s decision to legally represent the political science students at Concordia.

The future relation between the PSSA and ASFA will be decided at the PSSA’s general assembly on Feb. 13, where members of the association will vote.

Graphic by Florence Yee

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Concordia hosts “One in Five” for Mental Awareness Day

Concordia’s Counseling and Psychological Services held its event in conjunction with #BellLetsTalk

Concordia organizes mental health fair in collaboration with Bell Let’s Talk on Jan. 25

“We want students to know that they are not alone. It is hard enough when someone is suffering from depression, but it’s made worse when you blame yourself for it and think that you’re all alone,” said Dale Robinson, the manager of Counseling and Psychological Services at Concordia University.

According to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, one in five people will suffer from a mental illness or addiction, in their lifetime. Two out of three of those individuals will suffer in silence. In response, Concordia offers a variety of programs to students suffering from mental illness and looking for assistance.

On Jan. 25, Bell Media held its seventh annual #BellLetsTalk campaign to help de-stigmatize mental illness while raising funds for Canadian mental health programs.

In conjunction with this social media event, Concordia’s Counseling and Psychological Services hosted “One in Five” Mental Awareness Day, on Jan.25,  in recognition of the one in five people who will suffer from mental illness in their lifetime.

The Mental Awareness Day at Concordia included a fair, which welcomed students, faculty and staff at the EV Building from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The fair offered information on different resources for support available at Concordia as well as in the greater Montreal region.The event featured several kiosks that provided students with insight about the different programs the university offers.

“Students with diagnosed learning disabilities are encouraged to come to the Access Centre for Students with Disabilities,” said Sanu Ariyarajah, a representative for the organization. “We offer a variety of services such as smaller classrooms, more time during exams, individual advising and workshops.”

Photo by Chloe Ranaldi

Jack.org, a non-profit organization designed by students for students with mental illnesses or suffering from emotional hardship, also had a kiosk at the event. “Jack.org reaches out to students who need help, and we help guide them to different resources available in their area,” said Michael Dorado, a Jack.org representive. Concordia also has its own Jack.org chapter.

“Most often times, students don’t know that counseling and psychological services exist at Concordia. Our role is to show students that [services] exist and are available to help them,” Dorado explained.

“Talking to someone, finding a group or going to counseling can be helpful,” Robinson said. “Talking in a group can help students get a sense of validation that what they are going through is normal and can happen to anyone.”

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Concordia First Voices kicks off with indigenous speakers

First Voices Week kicked off with an opening ceremony and Standing Rock solidarity. Photo by Ana Hernandez

The speakers discussed standing in solidarity North Dakota Access Pipeline

Concordia University kicked off “First Voices: Indigenous Students and Community at Concordia,” an aboriginal awareness week, with an opening ceremony on Jan. 30, featuring a number of prominent indigenous speakers.

The ceremony, which was held in Concordia’s Hall building, is the first of a number of events, panel discussions and activities scheduled for this week. The awareness week was organized by First Voices Concordia, an on-campus organization aimed at increasing support and visibility for First Nations students.

The event began with traditional indigenous music, performed by the Travelling Spirit Drum Group, and opening remarks from Charlie Patton, an elder of Kahnawake, a Mohawk territory near Montreal. The First Nations event was open to all Concordia students and staff, as well as the general public.

While his opening remarks discussed a number of issues faced by all indigenous communities in North America, there was a focus on the ongoing struggle of North Dakota’s Standing Rock Sioux tribe. The tribe has spent nine months protesting the construction of the North Dakota Access Pipeline, an energy project protestors claim will encroach upon the tribe’s sacred burial grounds and threaten their sole source of water.

“We don’t appreciate our water, and we don’t give thanks for our water,” Patton said, reminding the audience to be grateful for the resources available to them. Patton said he also worries about the safety of the water available to First Nations communities in Canada.

Next, the audience welcomed Stacey Huff, a First Nations woman who participated in the protest in North Dakota from July to December. Although Huff is a Canadian from the Mohawk tribe, she said she felt it was her duty to stand in solidarity with the Sioux tribe.

She was visibly emotional when describing a particularly violent instance of police brutality that the protesters—who prefer to be referred to as water protectors—were subjected to. Earlier that day, Huff had injured her leg, and was unable to retaliate or aid her fellow water protectors.

“One day was bad… They came and surrounded us all the way around,” said Huff, describing the mass arrest she witnessed. “I was up there, I yelled and cried and I couldn’t do [anything]. They were grabbing us, chasing us—it was like chaos. It was terrible, and I think, for myself, that was the worst day. A hundred and forty-eight people got [arrested] that day.”

She also implored those who were unable or unwilling to join the protest to help by divesting from banks funding the pipeline, which include TD, Scotiabank, and RBC.

Over the next week, Concordia will be hosting a number of events as part of the First Voices awareness week, including a community discussion on indigenous issues on Wednesday, a dreamcatcher workshop on Thursday and a closing social featuring traditional Aboriginal music, dance and food on Friday.

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Free menstrual products at Concordia

Photo by Savanna Craig

ASFA hosted a tabling event where they provided free pads, tampons and DivaCups for students

Jan. 30 marked day one of ASFA’s commitment to offer free menstrual products to all Concordia students and community members.

ASFA set up a table with a variety of feminine hygiene products, such as tampons, pads and DivaCups—a reusable and more sustainable menstrual product.

“It’s only been going on for an hour and half, and [almost] everything is gone,” said ASFA vice-president of internal affairs Julia Sutera Sardo.

According to Sutera Sardo, at around 1 p.m., the stock had nearly run out, including stock she had kept in a nearby closet.

The event was held after a motion was passed by ASFA on Jan. 12 to acknowledge and aid those who experience menstruation.

“I think it’s going extremely well. I was surprised with the amount of people who came,” said Sutera Sardo.

An initial budget of $2,000 was allocated to the event by ASFA’s advocacy committee, said Sutera Sardo. She said she wanted to provide more DivaCups, as they are more sustainable, so an extra $300 was provided by the advocacy committee—resulting in a total of $2,300 being spent on pads, tampons and DivaCups.  She said she was able to purchase a portion of the pads and tampons on sale for about $2 each. “There were not any taxes, so that was helpful,” she said.

“I had 16 DivaCups here. Those were really expensive because they’re about $50 a cup, so we couldn’t buy too many right away because I didn’t get funding from council,” she said.

She said many people were interested in picking up DivaCups at the event, so she wants to get more funding from The Concordia Council on Student Life (CCSL) and ASFA to purchase more.

Given that she is a CSU councillor, Sutera Sardo said she would like to start including menstrual products in both gendered and non-gendered CSU bathrooms.

“I thought that having them in specifically male bathrooms was something that is important because some people are trans,” said Sutera Sardo, adding that this would provide more access to all who are in need of menstrual products.

Sutera Sardo said she is planning on presenting a motion to put menstrual product stands in all ASFA member association offices and bathrooms, much like the type of stands used by the school newspapers on campus.

Sutera Sardo wants to host a tabling event at the Loyola campus soon, but the date has yet to be determined.

To request that a certain type of product be made available at future distribution tables or for more information, contact Julia Sutera Sardo at internal@asfa.ca

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Homa Hoodfar returns to Concordia

Homa Hoodfar has been back since Sept. 26. Photo by Frederic Muckle.

Retired professor comes back to personally share her story with students

Retired Concordia anthropology professor Homa Hoodfar will be returning to Concordia University on Feb. 20 to speak about her experience in Evin prison in Iran. This will be the first time since returning to Montreal that Hoodfar will be opening up to students about the 112 days she spent incarcerated.

Julia Sutera Sardo, ASFA’s vice-president of internal affairs and administration, told The Concordian about the event the student association is organizing. “She’s a survivor, and having her come to meet the students is something great,” Sutera Sardo said about Hoodfar.. “She is an amazing woman, and she has experienced so much. The fact that she has accepted to come and talk about it with other students makes me very excited.”

In addition to her experience in Evin prison, Hoodfar will be talking about how women are viewed in Middle Eastern countries. Hoodfar will also give advices on conducting field work in hostile countries, and discuss the representation of women in these countries, a topic she has been researching and teaching for many years.

“She’s determined to make everyone else feel empowered,” said Sutera Sardo. “Homa Hoodfar will help the community grow and get closer and stronger.”

Hoodfar was arrested during a trip to Iran, her home country, during their elections in early 2016. In an interview with The Concordian in mid-November, she said that Iranian women were questioning why so few of them were in Parliament, and many of them were forming organizations to change the face of Parliament. “The guards want to believe that these ideas are coming from outside of Iran,” she said in the interview, which was the main reason they arrested her, thinking she was an ally of these groups of women.

During the upcoming conference, Hoodfar will discuss her story by answering a series of questions from a facilitator. A question period will them be opened up to the audience. “She told me she was very excited about this. She is coming back to her roots,” said Sutera Sardo.

During her previous interview with The Concordian, Hoodfar said she wanted to thank the students for their support. “I was very touched to see the videos and pictures from the demonstrations, which was a very nice surprise for me,” she said. To this day, according to Sutera Sardo, Hoodfar is very thankful to the Concordia community.

The event will be held in the Hall building, in room H-767, on Feb. 20 at 11:30 a.m. The event is open to all students interested in meeting and asking Hoodfar questions, and hearing her story. Seats are first-come, first served.

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Turning up the heat on resisting Trump

Photo by Savanna Craig

Protesters hold far right accountable for controversial executive orders

“Immigrants in, fascists out!” chanted the crowd of protesters gathered in Norman Bethune Square in unison. “Refugees in, racists out!”

The band of protesters shouted these phrases, which have been echoing more frequently in downtown Montreal since U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

Around noon on Jan. 28, a small group of people from different media outlets formed in Norman Bethune Square on Concordia’s downtown campus. They gathered around “Resist Trump” protest organizers, who were handing out signs and inviting passersby to partake in the demonstration. Within about ten minutes, the crowd had grown to about 20 protesters.

“We must send every brick of Trump’s wall toppling down onto the American imperial apparatus,” said Toohey. Photo by Savanna Craig.

“We must send every brick of Trump’s wall toppling down onto the American imperial apparatus,” said Eamon Toohey, one of the event organizers within the Resist Trump movement and a Concordia student.

“We must build solidarity cities—networks of resistance, a united front against the rise of the far-right,” said Toohey, as he encouraged all who are against the far-right movement to actively resist it.

“The United States is not a safe country—neither is Canada for that matter, so long as these borders remain closed,” Toohey told the crowd, as a few more participants joined to view the demonstration. “The only justice for migrants, for refugees, is free, open and autonomous passage.”

Trump’s executive order prohibits citizens carrying passports from either Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Libya from entering the U.S. for 90 days, according to New York Times. The executive order was a central focus motivating the demonstration.

Photo by Savanna Craig

“What’s promising to be passed is an attack on migrants and refugees that we haven’t seen since around the time of the Second World War, when the Japanese were interned in the United States,” said Jaggi Singh, the programming and working groups coordinator for The Québec Public Interest Research Group (QPIRG) Concordia.

“The demo was called on short notice and in reaction to some of the policies that are being announced,” said Stacey Gomez, a participant in the demonstration. “It was important to have this demo even though it was small.”

Gomez said, although there was not a large group of people at this event, she feels Montréalers’ motivation to resist Trump is not dying.

“It’s important for us to demonstrate our solidarity with communities in the U.S. that are going to be most impacted by Trump,” said Gomez.

“I think I can relatively safely state that America isn’t free, not by a long shot,” Toohey told The Concordian. “Its prison system is a complete abomination, and it’s founded on an intersection of oppressions that it needs to survive,” Toohey said, explaining that there have been issues ingrained in America’s society and politics even before Trump took office.

Photo by Savanna Craig

“I think [Trump’s] presidency has mobilized a lot of racist sentiment and brought it to the forefront,” Toohey told The Concordian. Once it’s been brought there, he added, it’s dangerous that it may be normalized far beyond the current state.

“We can’t afford to ignore it, or else we risk it being further woven into the fabric of American society,” said Toohey.

“We need to do away with borders entirely and allow migrants full autonomy of movement,” said Toohey. “Otherwise, yes, we are ignoring the role they have played in building a world which is still actively hostile to them.”

“No Trump, no KKK, no fascists, U.S.A,” protesters chanted in unison as the demonstration came to a close.

For more information on the Resist Trump movement, visit www.resistrump.ca.

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JMSB talks about mental health

CASA Cares is responsible for spearheading the #TalksAboutIt initiative Photo by Alex Hutchins

Concordia students open up about mental health with the hashtag #TalksAboutIt

JMSB students have created a video series using the hashtag #TalksAboutIt as a way to encourage Concordia students to open up about their experiences with mental or emotional hardships.

The campaign was organized by CASA Cares, a non-profit organization of the Commerce and Administration Student Association (CASA) at JMSB, which promotes social awareness and inclusion. The student association is a volunteer-based organization with a mission to inspire students to get involved in their community and help destigmatize mental illness.

“The #TalksAboutIt campaign all started when one JMSB student approached us about an idea he had to help students affected with mental illness,” said Yasmine Ait Bihi, president of CASA Cares. The #TalksAboutIt campaign is a YouTube video series where students film themselves talking about their personal experiences with mental illness and depression.

“We wanted to create a hashtag on social media to encourage students to talk about the cause,” Ait Bihi told The Concordian. “Many times the issue is that students [are afraid] to talk about their struggles.” The campaign allows students to share their experiences in the hopes of helping others in a similar position, she said.

“One thing I’ve learned about depression is that you are not alone. We’re not alone,” said one Concordia student, Frankie Lee Sunnyshine, in a #TalksAboutIt YouTube video. “Speaking to other people who you can console with and talking to friends [and] family helps you to deal with the pain.”

“We want to empower students to make a difference in someone else’s life,” Ait Bihi said. “It’s a small action that can make an impact on a stranger’s or a friend’s life.”

CASA Cares invites all Concordia students to participate and send in videos of their stories, said Ait Bihi. Students can simply send their videos directly to CASA Cares or post a video themselves with the hashtag.

She said she and her team hope this year-long initiative continues in future years. “CASA Cares promotes social awareness and raises money for a variety of causes,” Ait Bihi said. Some examples include Movember, which raises funds for prostate cancer research, and an annual fashion show to benefit the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

Concordia University offers a variety of programs for students who need emotional guidance and help. The Everyday Therapy campaign, organized by Concordia Health Services, is among one of the many Concordia programs geared towards helping students with everyday personal struggles.

Everyday Therapy hosts four sessions throughout the semester to give students tips and suggestions for dealing with daily obstacles.

In addition, many Concordia students have been involved with this year’s Bell Let’s Talk campaign. On Jan. 25, Bell Let’s Talk will be launching its seventh annual conversation about Canada’s mental health. On the same day, Concordia will host “One in Five,” an event in conjunction with Bell Let’s Talk, from 10 a.m to 3 p.m. The event will feature different resources for students and will discuss internal and community resources to help deal with mental health said, Dale Robinson, Manager/Psychologist, Counselling & Psychological Services at Concordia.

Bell will donate five cents to mental health initiatives for every text or call on Jan 25, regardless of the topic. As well, every tweet of instagram post with the hashtag #BellLetsTalk, or every time someone watches a Bell Let’s Talk video on Facebook. In addition, five cents will be donated if a picture is taken with the Bell Let’s Talk snapchat filter.

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Snowyola: A winter wonderland

Snowyola brought together over 100 students to the Loyola Quad. Photo by Ana Hernandez

ASFA held its first winter orientation with outdoor fun at the Loyola quad

Over 100 students gathered at the quad on Loyola campus to celebrate Snowyola—the first-ever winter orientation.

The event was held by the Arts and Sciences Federation of Associations (ASFA) on Jan. 19, and ran from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. An after-party was also held at Reggies from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. During the main event, DJ Czich, who was in charge of music for the night, gave Snowyola attendees a wide variety of music to groove to. Everything from hip-hop to EDM to pop filled the air, complemented by an impressive display of colourful LED lights fixed to the DJ setup.

Partygoers had access to Molson Canadian beer, which was the official sponsor of the event. Not only was there an abundance of beer, but bags of chicken and falafel pitas were also made available from the newly-opened Boustan in NDG, along with a large tray of  a variety of Subway cookies.

While Snowyola offered new and returning students a unique way to socialize and connect after the winter break, ASFA used the event as a means to fundraise and raise awareness for Dans la Rue, an organization which helps homeless and at-risk youth in Montreal.

“Dans La Rue is a local Montreal charity, so we were confident that our input would impact the community directly,” said Rachel Rammal, one of the event’s head organizers and ASFA’s vice president of academic and Loyola affairs. “We were also drawn to this charity because their help mainly targets the youth, kids our age even, so it’s definitely a cause that we feel strongly about.”

At the event, students could buy Snowyola-themed pom-pom hats, which were striped white and burgundy with a snowflake embroidered on them. One hundred per cent of the pom-pom hat sales went to Dans la Rue, as well as at least 25 per cent of the total ticket sales, according to the event’s Facebook page. Fifty per cent of the after-party ticket sales were also donated.

When asked about the possibility of hosting a Snowyola event in years to come, Rammal said: “I am confident that we have laid down a strong foundation to build upon should the future executives want to take on the challenge.”

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The generalization of birth control

Graphic by Florence Yee

Women seek better birth control and for men to have more contraceptive responsibility

Canadian women have access to over 10 different birth control options. However, some women have voiced displeasure over the fact that many methods are only designed for females, often putting the responsibility of preventing pregnancy solely on women. The methods can also come with many negative side effects.

“My doctor was pretty adamant about me being on the pill,” said 22-year-old Concordia student Sara DeMelo Zare. “After having asked about an IUD, he stressed that the pill was preferable for someone of my age—I felt like I was streamlined into a birth control stereotype.”

“My body definitely did not take well to the hormones I had introduced to it,” said DeMelo Zare. She said she experienced intense mood swings, cramps, severe leg pain, dizziness, excessive nausea and chest pain. “The physical pain far outdid shortened periods and their consistency,” she said.

Dana Martin, a 20-year-old mother of two from Toronto, said she believes birth control is assumed to work for all body types. “Birth control is generalized, 100 per cent,” said Martin. “What’s right for one woman may not be right for another.”

The most effective forms of birth control are copper IUDs, hormonal intrauterine contraceptives (IUC), hormonal implants, female sterilization and vasectomy, according to the Association of Reproductive Health Professionals. The Ortho Evra patch, the pill, the Depo-Provera shot, vaginal rings, diaphragms, both female and male condoms and the withdrawal method are deemed very effective methods. According to the same source, the cervical cap, plan B, spermicide, the sponge and fertility awareness are classified as moderately effective methods.

Martin, who used Tri Cyclen between the ages of 13 and 15, found the only benefits of the birth control were less painful periods and a much lighter flow.

“The side effects for me were extreme mood swings—I went through periods of depression for weeks on end—and weight gain,” said Martin. “By no means did the pill prevent pregnancy for me.” Martin said she became pregnant while on the pill.

“There are other methods of contraception and I’ve long considered just dropping the pill entirely,” said DeMelo Zare. “I thought of potentially looking into an IUD—but again, I’ve heard it has terrible potential impacts and often shifts and is even rejected by the body.”

For some women, hormonal IUC—the hormonal version of an IUD—have been beneficial in reducing menstrual bleeding and cramps, according to the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada’s website SexandU. However, according to the same source, it may also cause perforation—if the IUD punctures the uterus—which happens to one in 1,000 women. Each year, often within the first month of use, between two to 10 women out of 100 have found that their IUDs moved from their original position and are pushed out of the uterus.

Women who experience heavy menstrual cycles are advised to use hormonal IUCs—which do not contain estrogen, but contain progestin only. Copper IUDs, which are non-hormonal, are not recommended for those with heavy flows, as they may create even heavier flows and painful cramps, according to Family Planning.

Twenty-two-year-old and former Concordia student Aisling Doolan described her experience of having a copper IUD insertion as the most invasive, painful and traumatic experience of her life.

“For the next five days after, I had an extremely heavy period and cramps,” said Doolan. “I’m not someone who ever experiences menstrual cramps so it really threw me off.”

“I continued to get my period for a whole month and felt so weak, drained and sore,” said Doolin. She said her iron levels were so low she had to take out the IUD after about three weeks.

“It seems like there’s no escape from the potential impacts birth control has on our bodies,” said DeMelo Zare, explaining that she feels it has become fairly discouraging.

“Doctors need to be more open, honest and thorough with their patients,” said Martin. “We have a health care crisis going on right now,” she added, referring to the fact that there are too many patients per doctor in Canada.

According to the World Bank—a global financial institution which offers free and open access to worldwide development data—between 2008 and 2014, Canada had 2.1 physicians per 1,000 patients, amounting to approximately 500 people per physician.

Concordia Health Services health promotion specialist Gabriella Szabo said the issue of lack of time and access to health professionals is likely true, but probably only one small part of a very complex issue.

Szabo questions whether general doctors and nurses are getting good training for contraceptive consultations in school. If not, this can contribute to doctors not providing thorough information on birth control. “Is contraception counseling reimbursed adequately so that doctors feel they can dedicate enough time to it?” Szabo questioned.

Schools are a source where students learn about contraception, said Szabo. However, the Quebec government only released a pilot project in 2015, beginning sex education in 15 schools in Québec set to last for 2 years, according to CBC. According to the same report, the pilot could be adopted by all schools in the province by 2017-2018, however there have not been any updates towards advancement of sex education in Québec high schools.

“Many of this current university cohort are coming from Quebec high schools that had no sex ed,” she said. “A comprehensive sex ed program would also include contraception education.”

While having a conversation with a long-term partner, Martin said she discovered he had little to no clue about any form of female birth control. “In my all-female [high school] sex ed classes, we were taught everything from how to put on a condom, to different forms of birth control, to childbirth,” said Martin. “But his male sex ed class mainly consisted of condoms and the different types of STDs/STIs one could contract from unprotected sex.”

“Why is it that, as women, we need to have a thorough understanding of how condoms work, but men don’t need to know the slightest about female birth control?” said Martin.

Less frequently do we hear women asking their male partners if they’ve pursued all areas of potential contraception, exercised proper condom use or are aware of what birth control their partner is on, said DeMelo Zare. “The expectation of women to simply have ‘taken care of it’ eliminates the proper use of and knowledge of contraception by men,” she said. “That, in itself, is truly disheartening.”

Condoms and other contraceptive methods, along with regular testing, are crucial to ensuring a healthy sex life, said DeMelo Zare. “Men should realize that they share an equal part when it comes to pregnancy and STD prevention,” said DeMelo Zare.

Graphic by Florence Yee

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News

“Make Racists Afraid Again” protest

Protesters mobilize against Trump as he was sworn in as the new president of the United States.

An SPVM window was smashed, anti-Trump protesters were cleared with tear gas

Approximately 300 demonstrators protesting the inauguration of President Donald Trump marched down Ste-Catherine Street West in downtown Montreal on Friday evening.

The protest, called “Make Racists Afraid Again,” started peacefully in Phillips Square, but as demonstrators marched against the flow of traffic on Ste-Catherine, windows of commercial stores were vandalized. Montreal police, dressed in riot gear, used tear gas and shields to disperse the protesters after several people started throwing stones, smashing a window at the SPVM station on the corner of Ste-Catherine and Bishop Street.

Protesters mobilize against Trump as he was sworn in as the new president of the United States. Photo by Ana Hernandez.

The protest was organized by the Anti-Racist Resistance Collective of Montreal (CRAM) and Resist Trump Montreal, in partnership with DisruptJ20—a group that organized many large protests throughout the United States on Friday.

Protesters held banners denouncing Trump, the United States and fascism. Organizers used megaphones to chant ‘No more Trump, no more hate, America was never great!,’ as the march moved along the downtown thoroughfare.

Activist and organizer Eamon Toohey said the protest—meant to be “a show of solidarity with protesters in Washington”—was a success.

“We wanted to show that the rise of the far-right as represented by Trump isn’t welcome in the States and it isn’t welcome in Canada,” said Toohey.

When asked about the vandalism that took place during the march, Toohey said he didn’t have sympathy for the SPVM or businesses like American Apparel, which were targeted during the protest.

“I’m not going to condemn protesters smashing the window of the police station,” said Toohey. “The police are the armed wing of the state and serve [to] enforce the policies that place people in jeopardy. No condemnation there.”

According to The Montreal Gazette, Montreal SPVM said they did not ticket or arrest anyone.

However, Concordia student Maidina Kadeer said she was arrested while waiting with her friends following the protests. “[The police] grabbed me and slammed me against the window and began handcuffing me,” Kadeer said.

Police officers are seen in front of the broken glass. Photo by Adrian Knowler

“They, at no point, told me if I was being arrested, for what—[they gave] no reason as to why I was being handcuffed and arrested,” said Kadeer. Her other friend began filming the scene, but the officers then pushed him, threw his phone out of his hands and stomped on it, she said. “They held me like that with no explanation.”

Student Stéphane Krims came directly from McGill’s music school to march, carrying his double bass the entire way. Krims said he is worried Trump’s election has made hate more widely tolerable in America, adding that he was alarmed by “the [racist] behaviour that some people exhibited when they found out that Trump was going to be president.”

Blake Hawley, an American citizen at the Montreal protest, said he was embarrassed by the message Trump’s election sent to the rest of the world.

“[The United States] already didn’t have a great image, but it’s definitely worse now for sure,” said Hawley. He said he’s afraid American-Canadian relations may suffer during the Trump years.

“The whole idea of the American government isn’t taken seriously anymore,” said Hawley. “The U.S. is going to lose allies as we go into this administration. [Trump] might be as bad as everyone thinks. If he is, the U.S. will lose a lot more respect than it already has.”

Toohey said he is concerned that Canadians are not taking the election of Donald Trump seriously enough. “There’s a sense here in Canada of, ‘Oh, we’re not America,’” Toohey said. “But injustices and abuse of police power are happening in Canada too.”

“Things are going to get as bad [here in Canada] unless they’re challenged,” he added. “It’s not just the United States, it’s not just Trump. It’s what he represents and what he was elected on.”

Be sure to check out an audio piece on this protest on The Concordian Radio Show on CJLO 1690 AM on Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

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